Lizzy's POV:
The two guys from earlier asked us some questions about why we were tailing them, and asked us about this 'chain user' they were talking about. Gon and Killua had surrendered, and now we were riding in their car, probably going to their hideout.
"I'll ask you once again. Do you know the chain user?" The woman with short, straight blonde hair asked us.
"I don't. I've already told you that!" Gon retorted.
"We have no idea who this 'chain user' is, so quit asking us that crap!" Lynn yelled at her. I only shook my head.
"I see. How about you, boy? Any guesses?" She placed an arm around Killua's neck much to Lynn's displeasure.
"Don't you touch him!" She growled, startling the woman. "My, you're quite feisty."
"Shut it! Let go of him or else..." Her icy cold glare pierced through her soul, and she reluctantly removed her arm from the boy's neck.
The tires screeched, signalling our arrival at some old, abandoned building. We followed them inside, walking constantly.
We reached an area where several others were waiting. Some of them had grim, fearsome appearances while others like the guy with blond hair wearing a lavender outfit, looked casual.
"Welcome to our hideout." The woman said, gesturing to everyone in the area. My eyes looked around the horrid setting. Everyone was in a mood. There was a certain magician sitting on the rocks, trying to act natural. I widened my eyes at him, shocked to find him here.
"Hey!" Gon blurted out, attracting everyone's attention.
Oh, wow. Way to blow our cover there. Great job, Gon...
"Eh? Do you know someone here?" The man with dark, long hair asked.
Killua scratched his head, thinking of an acceptable excuse. "Uh...no."
"Hey! You're that girl who arm-wrestled Gon!" Lynn pointed at the dark-haired female who was reading a book.
"Huh? Do you know them, Shizuku?" Someone with blond hair and no eyebrows asked her.
"No, I don't." The girl named Shizuku replied.
"What?!" I exclaimed, confused.
"I remember. The kid who arm wrestles." The short guy noted.
"Who?" She asked, not remembering anything about that particular time.
"Two days ago, you lost to him in an arm-wrestling contest." A monster-looking guy pointed at Gon.
"He beat me?" Shizuku questioned. "That's a total lie! I would never lose to a little kid. Sure, I'm not the strongest, but still..."
"Well, you were using your right hand." He stated.
"But I'm left-handed. Why would I use my weaker hand?"
"Don't bother." The short guy spoke up. "Once she has forgotten something, she'll never remember it again."
"Never mind. Guess I was mistaken." The monster guy sighed.
"Thought so." The girl returned to reading her book.
"Hold on. Did you actually beat Shizuku?" The long-haired man asked the spiky-haired boy.
"Yeah." Gon answered.
"Enough with that crap already!" Lynn screamed, the others startled by her outburst. "I know there is one of you who probably knew about the murder in Yorknew City eight years ago! My parents were involved in the attack you guys brought out, and one of you killed them! When I think about it, all I see are their bloody and beheaded corpses!" She looked like she was about to cry, but she kept her tears from falling down her face. I felt the pain of our past rush through me, and I quivered.
"I have come this way along with my sister to find you, and I won't hesitate to fight. Whoever made us suffer all the great pain all these years, must perish! I demand that you show yourself, and we will gain vengeance for their loss!"
The Spiders looked at each other in total shock. It looked like they did remember that horrifying time. Gon and Killua were showing pity on their faces, and Hisoka smirked from listening to all the gory details. The suspense was growing, with no one willing to come clean. I looked at the magician for a solution, but he only shook his head and shrugged. I gulped and scanned for anyone who seemed suspicious about the murder.
"You know there's no way for you to defeat any of us." The long-haired man stood up to her rage, tying his hair into a ponytail. "How do you expect to get revenge if you're not strong enough to kill one of us?"
"Did I ask you to question our purpose here?" She continued screaming. "Would you mind if I try to kill you to see for yourself and get anyone to spill the truth? You better not let your arrogance lead you to your own end."
That got him pissed off, and he took out his sword to fight her. "Damn you." He grumbled.
"Nobunaga!" The monster guy called out, making him refrain from any conflict.
"Tch." He put his sword away and turned away from her enraged look. His eyes landed on Gon, who felt nothing but sympathy for us. "I want to challenge you."
Me, Lynn, and Killua watched as Gon arm-wrestled the long-haired man named Nobunaga, losing to every match. I noticed his hand was red from how many times Nobunaga pinned it down.
"So, when it comes to arm wrestling, what's my rank among the Spiders? Be honest." He asked.
"Seventh or eighth, probably." The monster guy answered.
"You're not the weakest, but you're not the strongest either." The pink-haired woman replied.
"Right. The strongest member of the Troupe is this guy called Uvogin." He stated solemnly. "But apparently, it looked like the chain user had killed him."
"We told you already! We have no idea who that is!" Killua objected.
Nobunaga slammed Gon's hand down with much power. He stared at him with such penetrating eyes. "Kid. If you speak without my permission again, I'll kill you."
I sharply gasped at his menacing threat. I kept my mouth shut and watched the two arm wrestle for another time. I started trembling as soon as I saw blood dripping from Gon's sore hand.
"Uvogin was an Enhancer. He was simpleminded, straightforward, and always loved a good fight. But he was fussy about time. He'd always start fights when Franklin and I were late. He beat the crap out of me many times, I can tell ya!" His voice was filled with grief as he continued to explain about this Uvogin guy.
"I've known him since before the Troupe was founded. I know him better than anyone. He would never...I mean never...lose in a fair fight, you hear me? Not unless he was caught in some dirty trap! I'll make his killer pay." His grip on Gon's hand tightened. Oh man, he felt the same way we did.
"I'll find him, no matter how many I have to kill. The chain user holds a strong grudge against us. The Mafia's Nostrade family hired him recently."
I gathered all the details and put them together. Chain user...strong grudge against the Troupe...hired. Wait, that meant...I gasped when I finally realized one thing.
"You may not heard of him directly, but you may have heard rumors about him! So, think hard, all right? Spill all of it."
Gon strained to pin down Nobunaga's hand for once, more blood dripping from his own aching hand. "I do not know anything about him. But even if I did, I would never tell you anything!" He retorted with pure anger in his voice. "I thought you were a bunch of cold-blooded, heartless monsters, but I can see you shed tears, mourning the death of your friend. You're capable of feeling empathy, are you? But...you've killed so many people, including Lizzy and Lynn's parents! Just why...Why couldn't you feel the same thing for them? What the hell is wrong with you, you bastard?!" He bellowed, finally slamming Nobunaga's hand on the table using his Nen. Everyone was shocked, including my sister and I.
Then the short guy came and restrained him from behind.
"You're getting too cocky there." He said, pinning the poor boy down.
"Gon!" Killua and I tried to rush to him, but Hisoka pointed a card at Killua's neck, a bit of blood oozing out. The pink-haired woman trapped me with some kind of threads wrapped around me, preventing me from going any further.
"Move one more step and I'll cut you." Her voice was cold as she threatened me. I gulped, the sight of her cold-blooded appearance intimidating me.
"Lizzy! Killua!" Lynn just stood there, not wanting to cause further trouble to either one of us. She stared at the short guy who had restrained Gon, afraid that he might kill him.
"Answer the question. Do you know who the chain user is?" He asked him with a harsh tone.
"I already said I'm not telling you anything!" Gon sharply replied. The short guy smirked.
"Feitan. Stop it." Nobunaga spoke up.
"Stop what?" The short guy called Feitan answered back.
"Stop what you're about to do."
"Oh? Do you know what I'm about to do?" He cunningly asked.
"You're going to break his arm, aren't you?"
He can't do that. Gon had his arm broken twice already! Ugh, why do people have to keep threatening to break it again?!
"I'll start with a finger. Peel off a nail." His smirk grew bigger under his bandana.
"It doesn't matter. Just stop!" Nobunaga demanded.
"Are you telling me what to do? I don't have to listen to you."
Nobunaga stomped his foot on the edge of the table, getting pissed by his attitude. The two glared at each other, the atmosphere growing ill each second.
"Quit it, Nobunaga." The monster guy intervened.
"Have you already forgetten the rules?" The pink-haired woman asked.
"No physical fighting between Troupe members." Shizuku stated.
"I know! Whenever there's a dispute, we flip a coin to settle it." Nobunaga pulled out a coin and flipped it.
"Tails." Feitan picked.
"Heads." He revealed the coin on his wrist, showing the side of a twelve-legged spider. "It's heads. So, let him go."
Feitan did so, allowing Gon to jump back from him. Hisoka moved his card away from Killua's neck, and the pink-haired woman deactivated her threads, setting me free.
"So, what should we do with them?" Shizuku asked. "They haven't told us about the chain user yet."
"If they don't know anything, then just let 'em go. Right, Pakunoda?" The monster guy turned to the blonde woman.
"I checked on the trip here. It's true. They really don't know anything." She stated.
"You sure?" The pink-haired woman asked.
"Yes. They don't have memories of the chain user."
I realized what her ability might be. She could check people's memories by touching them. Just like she did with Killua in the car ride earlier. She checked his memories and found out nothing about the chain user. But now that I had a clue about who that might be, I was afraid that Pakunoda would check my memories and find out about him. I didn't want to put him in danger. Not even if the Troupe was the only group of criminals he was pursuing.
"Seems like your hunch was off this time." Nobunaga said to the pink-haired woman.
"That's bizarre. Oh well. If Pakunoda says so, then it must be true." She replied.
I ran to Gon along with Lynn and Killua. "Did they do anything to you guys on the way here?" Killua asked.
"Not really. They just asked me some questions." Gon replied.
"Same with us." I added.
There were many things I was worried about. I still didn't know who my parents' killer was, and a certain blond was on my mind right now. I was terrified to face the murderer now, and I was worried that I might put my friends in danger if I dragged them into our mess. Oh Lord, what were we gonna do?
"Since they don't know the chain user, can we let them go?" The monster guy asked them.
"Yeah. There's really no point in keeping them here." The blond guy in lavender replied.
"No, we can't be sure they're completely unrelated. It's possible they're being used. If the chain user typically keeps his chains hidden, they wouldn't realize he was the chain user." The blond with no eyebrows claimed. "We shouldn't release them until they tell us who they're working for."
"If they're working for someone, then it isn't the chain user. Because he prefers to operate alone." The blond in lavender stated.
"So, you agree with Nobunaga." The pink-haired woman spoke.
"We can get all the information we need from the Nostrade family. We really don't need a couple of kids for that. We do know the chain user is a part of that family."
"That's right." The monster guy replied.
"We can ignore everybody else and only focus on the chain user."
"There you go. You kids are lucky." Feitan turned to us, a grin under that bandana of his.
I pouted at him, and Gon stuck out his tongue at him. What a meanie...
"Not yet." We turned to Nobunaga, who had a stoic look. "I'm not letting him go. Hey kid, wanna join the Spiders? Team up with me."
"No. I'd rather die than join you guys!" Gon retorted.
"Yeah. I won't join the group that killed my parents! Why would you try to recruit him if he hates that you have feelings of empathy for your friend?! He won't join you even if you make him. You bastard!" I yelled.
"Shut up! We don't need a weakling like you to fill in for our dear Uvogin!" Nobunaga replied back.
"Who are you calling a weakling?! You know I'm a pro Hunter and I know Nen! Is that not enough to prove I'm at the same level as Gon?"
"I'm not surprised. What's your type?" He asked.
"I'm a Manipulator." I bluntly answered, not caring if he knew my Nen type.
"Tch. You're no good enough." He looked at Gon, and I grunted in annoyance. "What about you? I'm guessing you're an Enhancer, is that right?"
"Yeah. And what if I am?" Gon talked back.
"I knew it!" He let out a chuckle, then it turned into unstoppable laughter. The other Spiders looked at each other in confusion while we stood there not doing anything.
"Hey! We'll keep them here until the Boss gets back! I'm going to recommend that we recruit him." He stated.
"Seriously?" The guy with no eyebrows questioned.
"The Boss will never agree to that." Feitan objected.
"Okay, fine. But you've gotta babysit 'em. If they escape, it's your fault." The pink-haired woman scoffed.
"Hold on a minute!" Lynn yelled. "We still don't know who killed our parents! I'm not gonna say this again. Come out and fight us! Don't make me try to hunt you down!"
"Lynn!" I whispered, not wanting to start any serious conflicts.
"Ugh. I'm getting so tired of hearing her scream at us. There's no way I'm looking after her, and that weakling either!" Nobunaga pointed at my sister and I.
"Hey!" I shouted, showing him my grumpy face.
"Can't you look after them, Machi? You seem to be colder than I am. Ain't no way for me to make them shut up." He grumbled at the pink-haired woman known as Machi.
"Why don't you just kill them? They seem pretty useless to the Boss. And, the reason why they're here is to slaughter one of us, and we can't afford to lose another leg like we lost Uvo." She explained.
"It'd be lame for me to watch over little girls scream and cry for their mommy, and even if they look weak, their power might be strong enough to outwit our might. I'm not risking to fight them on my own."
"Fine, whatever. But you'll have to pay me back in any way." She crossed her arms and scoffed. I looked at Lynn, who had an infuriated look on her face, over with everything they got through. Yet we still had to figure out who the murderer was without any information straight from them.
Lynn and I sat in a room with Machi, who was staring at us with icy cold eyes as she stood at the entrance. Nobunaga had been in charge of keeping an eye on Gon and Killua while she spent time keeping us under her watch. I kept pondering about why they would nominate Gon to be part of the Spiders, a group of cold-blooded, merciless, and relentless criminals that one of its so-called members slaugthered my beloved parents. The boy was so young, so lovable, so bright. He would never resort to any kind of evil, even if it meant certain death as his punishment.
Machi's cold appearance intimidated me. Her aura felt as penetrating as Hisoka's when I first got a sense of it. I quietly whimpered, desperately wanting to get out of this horror place.
We had been awfully quiet since she locked us in this room. Every minute spent in here was a living hell. I thought about my deceased parents, the chain user, the unknown killer, and most importantly, Gon, who Nobunaga wanted to have in the Troupe for God knew why. I wanted to gain revenge for my parents' death, but I just didn't know who killed them. It could be Nobunaga, or the monster guy from earlier, or even the blond guy in lavender, who looked innocent but could be cold sometimes. I was also terrified that he might be more powerful than I was, and that I would most likely die trying.
I turned my head to see Lynn, who had been staring back at Machi for so long, she felt the urge to kill her even if she might not be the murderer. She just couldn't keep trying to get them to spill out the truth. They wouldn't bother telling us anything.
"Lizzy." She muttered, breaking the long silence. I hummed quietly in response.
"If they're gonna keep trying to hide everything about the murderer from us, I'll force them to spill their guts. Every single piece of information that will lead to our answer. I won't back down." She confidently stood up. "Not here and now!"
"If you're trying to escape to kill one of our members for one stupid reason..." Machi glared at her, and then tied her hair into an updo. "I'll have no choice but to kill you."
I grew anxious by her ill intent to keep us from knowing about the murderer. Should we know about him now, we would be done for, making this whole journey pointless.
Lynn was about to attack her when suddenly, the wall to my right burst open, startling us both. A spiky-haired boy hopped through the hole, making Machi scowl.
"Gon!" I felt relieved that he came to rescue us and get us out of here.
"Are you guys alright?" He asked with concern.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Come on, let's go. Now!" He urged.
"No. I won't leave until I find out who killed my parents!" Lynn bursted out.
"We can find him later. Now is not the time! Let's go!" I grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room. She widened her eyes and reluctantly followed Gon out of the hideout. We met up with Killua and got away from Nobunaga and Machi.
"That idiot." Killua muttered.
"Man, I really wanted to beat him up." Gon whined.
"That was impossible. He'd kill you twice before you tried!"
"That Machi woman sure was intimidating. I would never beat her in a fight." I replied, my voice a bit shaky.
"You're right. We only know the basics of Nen. We wouldn't stand a chance against them." Killua stated as we jumped over a tall fence.
Gon chuckled, a toothy grin forming on his precious face. I took one look at him and instantly blushed.
"What's so funny?" Killua asked.
"You're back to being your old self again!" He chirped. "It's my job to be reckless, and your job is to stay cool and stop me!"
The ex-assassin let out a light derisive snort, and Gon slapped his back playfully. "I know I can count on ya, pal!"
"You're being selfish!" He snapped, and ran after him. I was about to follow them, but I noticed Lynn had not moved from her spot. "What is it, Lynn?"
She did not respond. Instead, she looked back at the abandoned building, feeling despondent that we did not find the murderer. I walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him the next time we see them. For now, we have to get Gon and Killua away from here. And we need to get even stronger in our Nen powers. Nobunaga said that we're not strong enough to defeat any of the Spiders. So, we must keep training in order to defeat the murderer. I know we can do this. Trust me."
She looked at me with those blue orbs of hers. I gave her a smile that showed positivity. Her hopeless expression turned into a confident one, and she nodded. We followed the boys and caught up with them.
"So, what do we do next?" Gon asked Killua.
"That depends on what we wanna do, I guess. The girls already have something to do, so we should at least find something for us to do."
"I wanna kick their butts!" The dark-haired male exclaimed.
"Well, that matches our original plan. But all of us need to improve our Nen to do that. Nen has the potential to give us the power we need to stand a chance. The fastest way to learn more is through Kurapika. We'll need to ask him."
"Huh? But why?" Gon asked.
"Because he's the chain user who defeated one of them and got us into this mess."
"What?"
"It's gotta be true. Kurapika's got to be the chain user! After hearing everything the Spiders said about him, I immediately realized they are going after him." I explained.
"That's right. And if that's true, we still have a chance. We all started learning Nen at around the same time Kurapika did. We need to learn the unique abilities that fit our talents. And most importantly, we'll need to gather the strength we need to fight the Troupe."
"Do you really think Kurapika is the key to finding the answers we're looking for? Will he actually help us complete our goal?" Lynn asked.
"Yeah."
We all continued to run back to Yorknew City, our task of finding the identity of the murderer put aside for now. If Kurapika could help us improve our Nen, we would definitely have the upper hand in battle. I would do anything to find an ability that best suited me.