"Chrollo!?!" You didn't mean to, but you nearly bellowed his name across the room, confusing everyone. You started sprinting towards Chrollo without thinking, leaving no one in the room time to respond. You extended your arms and smashed your body into his, nearly knocking him over. You wrapped your arms securely around his body instantly. Feitan started advancing toward you, ready to attack you after what you had just done, but Chrollo raised his hand to prevent anyone from approaching you. Everyone in the room was still bewildered, how could you possible know their boss?
You let go of him and took a step back after what seemed like an eternity. "Fuck, I'm sorry!" You said, finally breaking the silence, looking into his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to act so dramatic; I just hadn't expected to see you again! I had no idea you were the Phantom Troupe's leader!" You tossed your head back, laughing as if what had just happened was the most hilarious thing you'd ever witnessed, but in reality you were just trying to relieve the tension.
Everyone in the room was still staring at you with shock, except for Chrollo. He knew exactly who you were.
You two met in Meteor City when you were eight years old, and he was eleven. Your mother abandoned you in this hidden city after losing your father, with no intention of ever seeing you again. During the time you resided in this city, Paristons whereabouts remained unknown; he never came to find you, although knowing you were there. Pariston finally had personnel come grab you from the city at the age of sixteen, sending you off to a specific training program run by the NGL Association, one he had gone through himself. You had always loathed the organization because your father did, but your mother was devoted to serving them, and she had influenced Pariston to feel the same way. As a result, there was no choice but to complete the program's four years of torture. That's correct, four long years.
Your major goal now was to save Pariston from the ongoing war the organization was waging, which would be a difficult undertaking given how secretive Pariston was towards you and in general.
Regardless, during your time in Meteor City, you and Chrollo became close and became extremely reliant on one another. You knew him better than anyone else did. You were the one person who made him feel like he belonged someplace, even in a city where no one does. You never left one other's side until you were forcibly removed from the city, never seeing each other again until this moment. You were only kids, but that didn't take away from how important it was. In your view, this is purely coincidental, but Chrollo sees it as fate.
"I never expected to see you again either, y/n." Looking into his eyes, you could see he'd changed since the last time you two had met. They appeared vacant, and his entire manner was lifeless, as if he didn't care about anything. He was a little more anxious than usual, having just lost Shalnark and Kortopi a few days before, but you had no idea.
You took a step forward and side smiled him, laying your right hand on his shoulder; you weren't sure what had transpired since you left, but you knew it had to be a lot. You had also gone through a lot, you could understand it.
"I'm not going to take no for an answer; this job is mine. I just need to go collect a few items from my apartment and I'll be right back; try not to kill yourself in five minutes!" You said, and then were gone before anyone could say anything else.
Nobody in the room comprehended what had just happened because they couldn't detect any aura emanating from you the instant you stepped through the door, which was extremely strange. Was teleportation one of her nen abilities? But wouldn't someone have picked up on it? Was she really exceptionally good at looking after Zetsu?
They all had these thoughts, but they were more intrigued by how you knew Chrollo.
With you abruptly gone, Phinks started babbling about how he had no idea you two used to know each other. Even though Illumi had just joined them, he said that his entire strategy was to hire someone as a hidden distraction that their enemy would kill while they had time to devise a perfect plan.
"None of you could possibly have known. I'd never mentioned her to anyone before." Chrollo wasn't sure how he felt about it. He wasn't supposed to care about anyone outside the Troupe, and even then, any Troupe member may be replaced at any time. However, seeing you again triggered some buried sentiments that he couldn't understand. The last conversation you two had was one he had tried to forget.
"I'm not sure we should allow her to do this, it's unnecessary."
"Do you care for her, boss? Whatever happened back then is history, but we need to find a means to kill him now. She'd be the per-" Chrollo, who appears to be annoyed, abruptly cuts Phinks off. Chrollo was always cool and collected, even in tense situations, but something was amiss right now.
"I never mentioned anything about caring about her; I simply stated that I don't believe it is necessary. We can come up with a solution without using her as a 'guard' and killing her." Human life was never high on his priority list, and he was beginning to sound strange to them. "How much money will she require for this?" Is she looking for something specific? I will just hand it over to her and send her on her way."
"She wants neither of those things, her price for this was a ticket to the Black Whale." Feitan chimed in.
Chrollo's eyes widened and he placed one of his hands over the other — tensing up even more — the boat going to the dark continent?
"Why the hell does she want that?" Machi emerges from the shadows, arms crossed, enraged by the loss of two of their members. She simply wanted to eliminate their adversary and move on.
"Well, I have my own reasons, and as I previously stated, I will not take no for an answer, even if you are unable to provide me with what I require. Consider it the assistance of an old friend!" None of them had noticed you had returned to the hideout, which had been a while. You just took a few items from your apartment and spent the rest of your time listening to their chat. "Okay, that was a joke. I actually will be needing that ticket. "
"You have no idea who you'd be up against, do you know who Hisoka Morow is?" Nobunaga spoke up, finally saying what you had been waiting for, the name of their enemy.
You'd undoubtedly heard of him; most people have. You knew he'd try to kill you if you'd piqued his curiosity with your abilities; research could tell anyone that much. However, hearing his name did not change your feelings. You didn't even blink when you heard his name, instead glaring at Nobunaga for being the third person that day to belittle you.
"I don't care who he is; just cut the shit and hire me." You said this firmly, holding your head high and not caring what these people thought; they'd never seen your genuine abilities, so what the hell did they know? "And, in case you're wondering, no, teleportation isn't my power; it's just a small component of what I can do." You gave them all an arrogant grin, relishing the fact that you were a mystery to them.
"Fine, if you are willing to give your life to protect us, then that is your call." Chrollo gave you a cold glare, gently raising his brows. Deep down, he was horrified; he believed this was the worst possible idea. He had a million questions about the time you two had lost since you left Meteor City, but instead he handed you a death mission.
You smiled like a child who had just been handed candy when Chrollo finally agreed to let you have the position. You missed him more than he knew, you had lost so much in such a short period of time, and being able to spend time with him again made you so grateful you couldn't breathe. Your plans were also going smoothly for once. Things had been so chaotic in your life that you hadn't had much time to go looking for him after 'graduating' from the NGL program; instead, you had spent the previous year focusing on finding your mother and brother.
"I'm not going to give up my life; I'm going to give up his." You both knew deep down that this reunion would not last long, that you would part ways within a month. You hoped you'd have time to catch up, but you didn't want to push it. A lot appeared off about him.
"You're still the same as always, aren't you...? Attempting to take on more than you can bear." He shook his head and moved his gaze away from you. You knew everyone thought you were a fool, which was both offensive and humorous to you. His coolness made you shiver; you wanted to treat him the same way you always had, but it was obvious that you were a stranger in his eyes.
"She will be remaining with me, the rest of you stay on your alert, Hisoka is aware this is a place we all gather," He said, sitting down in his usual spot. " It would be preferable to get out of here as quickly as possible." And with that, everyone departed the ruins of the building in groups of two or three, leaving only you and Chrollo.
You examined all of his features, noting the bandage-like material wrapped around his forehead. Was there something underneath, or was it just his style?
He was just staring down, not doing anything, but you could see he was distraught. How did he manage to keep his cool? This wasn't the reunion you had hoped for, but he was always hesitant to showing emotion, even when you were kids.
"What are you thinking? You seem uneasy." As usual, you broke the silence by poking into people's minds. He didn't glance up; instead, he sat with his hands interlaced, slightly slouching. He had no intention of conversing with you, so you dismissed him and took a seat on the ground where you were.
This was going to be an interesting couple of weeks, no doubt about it.
-
It had been about two weeks since you had reunited with Chrollo, and it had been a pretty uneventful two weeks. He'd barely said anything to you; you'd just been following him about and figuring out his routine based on your own observations. He sought to avoid talking to you at all costs. You had no idea what he was thinking or feeling, but you tried not to push.
He didn't seem to have a permanent home around here, and you two had just stayed at various hotels he had taken you to (with separate beds to note). Conversations between you two consisted of you chatting nonstop and him responding with one or two words. This was expected, but it was so tedious that getting through his impenetrable shell was going to be much more difficult than you thought. But was it even worth it to try when you'd be splitting up in a few weeks? Maybe you two were just different now, and it was something you had to accept.
His days had mainly consisted of going to meet people you'd never met before and, of course, discussing with the Troupe. He also spent a lot of time reading, which you tried to follow up with but ended up falling asleep.
He had been communicating with people in order to locate Hisoka, as well as to learn more about the Black Whale. It made you feel relieved that he was going to assist you. Even if he wasn't going to say anything to you.
Today proceeded as usual; he got ready and departed the hotel room, with you following him wherever he went. You observed you were both going around the main part of YorkNew City, where he would normally avoid the public spotlight — for obvious reasons.
"Is there any reason you're just putting yourself out there for Hisoka to discover you?" You whisper-screamed this to him as the two of you walked through what was essentially a massive crowd of thousands of people.
YorkNew City was constantly crowded, with people going around to the stands and little shops on the main strip. It seemed as if he wanted something to happen or to reveal his whereabouts. He just kept strolling while you asked him a million questions. This prompted you to grab his sleeve and halt him. Turning to face you, he looked you in the eyes, and some people near you gave you both stares. You took a step back, letting grip of his sleeve, hoping to divert attention away from the disturbance you were causing.
"It appears like you are the only one making our location visible." He offered you a minor side smirk, knowing how much this comment irked you.
"Are you serious?" you asked, tilting your head and squinting your eyes at him. " The very first time you speak to me is to-" You start talking again, but he stops you off by stretching out his hand to grab your shoulder.
"Calm down, y/n. Just follow me, I want to show you something." He gives you a small chuckle and then turns around, signaling that you should continue following him.
Show you something? Why had his demeanor shifted so drastically? He wanted to show you something after not speaking to you or paying notice to your presence for two weeks. He was a difficult person to comprehend.
You sighed and just followed him, it was your job after all.
He eventually stopped right outside a coffee shop that was conjoined with a bookstore. It had a vintage-type of look to it and at first glance, you noticed there was a black cat sitting in the window that was covered in vines, sleeping. Never would you had expected Chrollo to be someone that drinks coffee while reading in a café in his free time, you were astonished.
He walked inside, the door making a ringing noise. The barista looked over at him and smiled, almost like she had seen him many times before.
"Do you want something? This place has a large menu." He gave you a serious look, waiting on your response, but you were still standing there taking in that Chrollo Lucilfer was a café habitué.
"Just order me the same thing you get, I trust you!" You laughed and went to go grab you both a seat, the inside of the café was so unique and relaxing, this was definitely right up his alley.
The walls were an old, rustic brick, and there were over grown vines up and down the walls, along with other plants all around — hanging and sitting. There were tiny lamps on the tables and lights spread out on the walls, all having a warm lighting. The tables and chairs were an antique-looking wood, fitting the overall theme the building had. Towards the side of the store there was a wall with a large, open door, leading to a bookstore that also had a vintage theme, making the two stores fit together perfectly.
You had to admit that this area was great, but you weren't used to traveling to places like this in the city, so it was all new to you. You chose a table with one seat on each side, directly next to the wall. You had a good view of Chrollo, who was waiting in line to order for both of you. It was amusing to see him, the boss of a notorious gang of thieves, waiting in line to order coffee. You couldn't help but smile as you watched him, your hand beneath your chin. You were just relieved that he wasn't avoiding you all of a sudden, giving you the impression that something was wrong.
He walked back to where you were sitting with two small cups on plates, both having a small heart design on top of them.
"What is this?? Are you trying to tell me something?" Your eyes widened, you were honestly just mocking him a little bit.
"They are just plain lattes, I'm not sure why it has a heart." He took a sip and looked off to the side; it appeared the barista was teasing him as well; she imagined he was on a date with you. This made you laugh again, even though you still didn't understand what was going on.
"Yeah, whatever you say. Is this what you were hoping to show me? I never thought of you as someone who frequented cafés." You took a sip of the latte; it was your first time trying one, sadly. The first thing you noticed was the froth on top, which had a hint of vanilla flavoring. "This is actually not bad; please excuse my excessive laughter." You looked up at him, it was probably a bit much to mock him like that, but he was opening up a little bit, showing you a location he liked.
"I'm aware it's risky to be in such a public place, but you have limited time to do this job, right? I think it's alright if he knows where we are, if he didn't already know." He took another drink of his latte and then suddenly places his hand on yours, not changing his serious expression. "I apologize for my coldness these past few weeks; some members of the Troupe died recently, and I've been trying to figure things out. I may have made it appear so, but you are no stranger to me, no matter how long it has been." His remarks astound you; why was he suddenly so kind?
"Well," You make direct eye contact with him, and it appears that he is genuinely troubled, but you are unsure what to think. You recognize faked emotions when you see them, but his actions have your thoughts racing, "you're forgiven, I suppose." As always, you say this in a joking tone; he's always serious, making you feel obligated to constantly be the one to lighten the mood.
You pull your hand away from his, unsure whether this apology was forced to keep you as an ally or if he really truly guilty for treating a 'old friend' so coldly. Pushing this moment aside, you pretend to pay more attention to the coffee shop; he's never been good at picking up on social cues since you were kids, so who knows if he noticed you were now anxious.
"You know, if I ever come out of this alive, I'd love to run a place like this. This may sound stupid, but I still fantasize about a normal life, as I always have. I'm no expert on coffee, but having a store like this would be so... enjoyable. I'll probably have to work on my customer service skills, though. Not probably, definitely."
It was true that when you lived in Meteor City, you would always make up these crazy scenarios in which you would live a normal life with no worries. He always appeared to enjoy the notion, but that was a long time ago, and he now leads a different life. Looking back, it was completely unreasonable, especially given the pressures you currently bear.
Your words caused his eyes to widen slightly, but he made no response. He's naturally moved on from such ridiculous fantasies, most likely no longer believing that such a life is even conceivable.
"Y/n, please tell me why you want to go on the Black Whale so badly." He was doing what you were always good at, intruding into someone's business and changing the subject; he wasn't interested in ruminating on the past. "Illumi says he can get you on that boat with no issue, but what may be on there for you?"
Was he worried? People that ventured to the Dark Continent were known to never return, at least most of them. According to your research, all of the Zodiacs would be present, and while you didn't know if your brother was still one, there was no way he would pass up an opportunity to participate in something so significant.
"I believe my stupid brother will be there and I want to track him down. He's the only family I have left, and I'm sure I'll never see him again if I don't go find him." You didn't keep anything from him, and for some reason, you still trusted him with intimate information, spitting out your entire strategy. You realized how dumb you were. "You must have an ability that causes someone to spill their entire life, right?" You put your hands over your face, clearly unable to stop talking to someone for the first time in weeks.
"I see. Then we'd better hurry this job up then." His gaze was drawn downward as he forced a grin, as if something was upsetting him. He sighed and stepped up, leaving you with no opportunity to continue the topic. "As much as I'd like to linger here for a while longer, we'd better leave. It's not a good idea to stay in one spot for too long. And I'd hate for this area to suffer as a result of my own business."
You got up and started walking with him, taking one final look at the lovely café, knowing it was probably the last time you'd see it for a long time.
You and Chrollo started walking through the back alleys of the buildings, toward the hotel where you two had been staying. Something seemed strange to you, as if someone was keeping an eye on both of you. You weren't sure whether he could feel it, but before you could say anything, Chrollo was forced into the nearest door adjacent to you both, which was rapidly shut and locked.
With no time to respond, you are propelled outward with tremendous force. Fortunately, you are able to get yourself up before falling, and you turn to see who it is, already having an idea of who it could be.
Hisoka.