The Present - Hunter x Hunter fanfic

Chapter 11: Stay back, Leorio!

Hunter x Hunter (c) Yoshihiro Togashi

Chapter 11: Stay back, Leorio!

Leorio's POV

 All of a sudden I felt depressed. I tried smiling, but it came out as a frown. Why had I left Pietoro to die? No. This can't be happening. Just like the Hunter exam. Rrgggh. No. I will not give in. I collapse on the ground, clutching the sides of my head.

 I hear voices. I look up. It's Pietoro. There are three Pietoro's looking down on me, empty eyes reeking of death. To the edge of my vision is Death himself, holding a trump card, saying my time is up. It's time to go. He tosses the card at me. The card stops just short of my face. One of the Pietoros turns around shouting something inaudible. I stand up, slowly, staggering to my feet. My vision is blurred. The Pietoros step aaside. But Death stands there, ever still, ever waiting.

 - I need to finish this. Fast. So no one will experience what I have felt towards Pietoro's death.

 I unsheathe my dagger and charge towards Death himself.

xXXXx

 'Leorio? Are you okay? Can you hear me? Leorio?'

 'Move out of the way, Ku-ru-ta.'

 'What are you going to do? And stop calling me Ku-ru-ta.'

 'Move, or you'll be moved be me~'

 Kurapica quickly stepped aside. Hisoka made a hand motion, and there was a trump card in his hand. He threw the card, directly at Leorio's face.

 'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?' Kurapica shot out his Dousing Chain and stopped it just short of Leorio's face.

 'Uh, Kurapica? You should have let Hisoka do his job.'

 Kurapica turned around to face Killua.

 'Why should I listen to that clown!?'

 Gon stepped in. 'He wants to fight us, and, he doesn't want his fight to come later.' Hisoka nodded his head in agreement, a mad glint in his eye. 'So, he was probably- KURAPICA! WATCH OUT!'

 Leorio had staggered to his feet, and he had started striding towards Hisoka, dagger drawn. Leorio shoved Kurapica aside. Hisoka shook his head.

 'Ku-ru-ta, look what you've forced upon me~ should've let me do my job~ but this will be,' Hisoka licked his lips, 'a LOT more fun~'

 Hisoka drew 4 cards and threw them at Leorio's face, yet again. Leorio swerved and dodged all four cards. Hisoka chuckled.

 'Gon, do you have any idea why scary clown man is throwing cards at old papa's face?'

 Gon observed the scene once more. His eyes widened.

 'Ki-ki-killua, u-use Gy-gyo.'

 Gon's voice was shaky, as if he had seen something totally mortifying. Killua used Gyo to witness the battle. He was met with a pretty standard battling Hisoka, with Nen flaring in odd patterns off his body. But when his eyes turned to Leorio; boy was he surprised. Leorio was covered in a flashing multicoloured aura, so dissimilar to his usual fiery orange. The source of this was a mask; not unlike an Italian Carnivale mask. It pulsated with very strong Nen, contributing to the dark layer of aura that surrounded Leorio.

 'Geez, that's scary. At least we know why clown man is throwing cards at his face, though.'

 At that moment, one of Hisoka's cards struck Leorio's face in a blinding flash of light. Everyone, apart from Hisoka, staggered back with blindness.

 'AHHH!!! DEA- Oh. Wait, AHHHH!!! HISOKA!!! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!!!'

 'Fufufu~ your friend is very intolerant. I was just trying to help~'

 Leorio swatted away Hisoka's offered hand and got to his feet, dusting himself off.

 'What happened to me? It felt just like the Hunter exam.'

 'Well,' Kurapica began, 'There was someone usign manipulation Nen on you. But since it made some of your darker memories surface, I think it's safe to say that the person who cast those memories on you was also of Specialization.'

 Leorio turned huffily towards Gon and Killua.

 'Can you guys explain to me what happened, in SIMPLE language?'

 'Well, Leorio, you seemed to think that Hisoka was someone you needed to attack, and then he attacked your face with his cards. But-'

 'It was a Nen card~ You're very very lucky~ Usually no one gets to see those cards during their lifetime~'

 'WHA-? So are you saying that-'

 'No, these cards are used for emergencies~' Hisoka drew out a pack of cards. 'Fufufu~ The one I threw at you was a joker~ The coloured one-'

 'Can we break up this conversation? Let's find Saori.'

 And so the fivesome further approached the Zoldick residence, with another purpose: to find out who had cast that powerful Nen on Leorio.