Aki
I heard whispers, just as I was regaining my consciousness.
"⏤wake him up." A familiar voice urged. I could've sworn it sounded like that lady back then, hazelnut something⏤
"Yes, Haizel-sama."
Oh right, Haizel...
Wait, wait⏤what?!
The shock brought me out of my stupor as I felt the presence of two people, watching me. I feinted sleep, keeping my eyes closed. There was a rustling sound, before I felt someone's presence hover above me. Cold hands grasped my face, and I nearly jumped in fright. I felt him tap my cheek a couple of times, irking me. If I wasn't faking sleep, I would've smacked that hand away.
"...He's still in deep sleep, m'lady." The deep voice announced, finally stopping his slaughter of my cheeks.
"Very well. Inform me, the moment he wakes up." Haizel, yes that bitch, commanded. "Let's get moving!" She yelled, clapping her hands in chop-chop style. I heard the engine roar to life, and before long, we were moving.
Crap. What the hell happened? I thought I was with the Troupe... why is Haizel here? And that guy⏤what's his name again? Chain...?
"It's Cain. And, you can stop pretending to sleep."
I opened one eye tentatively, peaking at 'Cain'. He was seating across from me, eyes closed and arms crossed. I frowned at him.
"... Do you read minds?" I asked, cautious.
"Something like that." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. I sat up ignoring the throbbing headache, and opted to look around me. Seems like I'm inside a pick-up truck of sorts. The seats were metal, not an ounce of cushion or any comfy pillow. However, the interior design was neat⏤like one of those commercial cars.
The 'handle' to the exit wasn't too far. Only, Cain was leaning on it⏤curse him and his 'lady'. Outside the truck, it was dark. Only faint outline of trees could be made. I debated escaping through the window behind me.
"Not a good idea." Again, Cain intervened my line of thought. "The glass is basically titanium. And if you even try breaking it, the alarms would go off at the smallest hint of Nen. Haizel would immediately stop the car and taser you."
I couldn't help but scowl at Cain. For a while, I thought that he was only half-joking when he said that he could 'somewhat' read minds. But, I guess he wasn't lying. What's his deal...?
"I wanted to talk to you before that happens." Cain declared, finally opening his eyes. Black, the color of abyss. Not even light seemed to reflect off his eyes⏤an exaggeration, maybe. And then, I saw it... the same black-smokey thing.
For the umpteenth time tonight (is it still nighttime?), I was met with another Shinikage. What's more, he was that thief. So, that Haizel girl wasn't just some bratty socialite.
I frowned at him. What is it with these Shinikage people kidnapping me? First Feitan and now this snob. Cain snorted.
"You can see it... even though I'm suppressing them..." Cain cut in, looking at me with amusement and mild curiosity in his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"The smoke... it's the number of souls you have⏤all Shinikage has it."
I stared at him incredulously and he met my gaze. He averted his eyes, flinching.
"You should learn to keep it under wraps. How do you think I found you, Aki Uchiha?"
Goosebumps appeared on my arms, and I suddenly remembered Feitan's words.
"You make it so obvious."
I glared at Cain⏤that creepy-ass stalker-slash-thief.
The guy seemed like someone who was in their late teens. Maybe 19 or 20 years old. He had unruly dark hair parted on one side and wore a collared shirt with some kind of chain on his neck. Dark circles undermined his eyes.
(ctto.)
(ctto.)
(This guy or the other guy, you guys pick which one to go with haha)
He looked sleep-deprived.
"Number of souls, huh? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"Basically, they're the symbol of your power⏤like, how many people you've killed. Helps one to know one." Cain shrugged, still averting his gaze.
"And... they can be used for intimidation... for lower class people like me." He added. I blinked, surprised he was telling me as much.
"The Shinikage clan has that kind of system? Lower class... and upper class?" I catechized. Cain turned his head to look at me.
"Yes." Then, he averted his gaze. "Although, it was the tradition before, you know, the clan was reduced to smithereens." Before the clan was massacred⏤I translated.
"Nowadays, we don't necessarily act on it. Unless they're actually your boss or... if they're of really high status." Cain added. I mused over his words. Taking his words into consideration, I realized that Cain had been avoiding my gaze a lot. I knew that It's not exactly enough proof to say, that I'm of high status
"The way you keep averting eye contact... does that mean I'm higher of status?" I asked for confirmation.
"Of course you are! You have the main family's blood coursing through your veins." Cain replied, albeit too enthusiastically. A moment later, he realized his mistake, flinching back to his sitting position. He cleared his throat.
"Where are you guys taking me?"
Cain's mood soured. "That's... that's confidential." He settled, face scrunched up in... pain? I hummed, confused by his reaction.
"Any idea what your 'lady' wants from me?" I tested the waters.
As expected, Cain looked more uncomfortable. "I⏤I don't know." He struggled to say. However, the look in his eyes seemed to scream otherwise. Cain tempered with the chain on his neck and I got what he was trying to convey.
He couldn't talk about his 'employers' and anything related to them⏤or, at least the chain on his neck was preventing him from doing so. Despondently, I sighed.
"I got it. I won't ask about them anymore." I assured. Cain looked like he a statue was lifted from his shoulders.
"Instead, tell me how to control the souls⏤" I was cut short of my question, when the vehicle suddenly stopped. Inertia made Cain and I to loose our balance, causing us to stumble deeper into the truck.
Cain's intercom buzzed to life. "⏤Cain!! Get out here NOW!" Haizel's voice screamed in panic.
"Run." Cain whispered, his arm transforming into a blade, before he busted out of the doors. I could hear Haizel's distressed voice, wailing. The sound of Cain's blade clashing on something dense alerted me of an enemy.
Cautiously, I peaked from inside the vehicle. I was surprised to see a familiar set of golden orbs and that slicked back red hair. Still donning that funky clown suit, Hisoka stood on equal ground against Cain. They exchanged blows⏤Hisoka's card to Cain's blade.
What the actual hell?
Before I knew it, I was already running towards Hisoka. As soon as he saw me, his eyes widened, glancing at the truck then back to me⏤as if making a connection. A frown settled on his lips. But, he was quick to act. In a mere second, he had me in his arms. Then, he ran off, carrying me away from Haizel's screeching, and Cain's dumbfounded face.
The last thing I saw of them, was Cain's bitter smile.
As soon as we were back in the vicinity of the city, Hisoka dropped me from his hold... gently. He stared at me with an expression that I couldn't quite place. He was wearing a cold front, letting nothing but his bloodlust do the talking.
I flinched.
Something's wrong.
"Aki." He started, tone dark. I gulped, unconsciously backing away from his aura. I didn't say a word, watching him carefully for a reaction. When he finally did meet my gaze, I was flabbergasted by the look of disdain on his face.
"Fancy seeing you here."
¤¤♡¤¤♡¤¤
(ctto.)
Aki flinched back from the lack of intonation in Hisoka's voice. His eyes gazed coldly at her, appraising. It was her first time being the receiving end of Hisoka's cold look. They never really did argue, and most of the times, it was Aki who was infuriated with Hisoka's lack of delicacy.
But now, it was her turn to feel the chill from Hisoka's gaze.
"O⏤oyaji." Aki stuttered. A sense of fear creeped into her bones, and it reminded her of the time she had just met him. Hisoka smiled, a clear fake from his usual face-splitting one. A shiver run down her spine.
"Aki, tell me one thing. Are you a Shinikage?" Hisoka asked.
Aki stiffened, surprised. How did he⏤
"Oho. So it's true then." Hisoka's eyes squinted, gauging her reactions. Aki couldn't even find it in herself to lie.
In the first place, why was did Hisoka ambush Haizel's truck? Was that a coincidence? Was he paid? Or... was it connected to Aki? And, how did he knew... about Aki being a Shinikage?
Hisoka seemed quite convinced by it too, Aki noted.
"I am." Aki relented, confirming Hisoka's claim.
"Aha~ no wonder..." Hisoka trailed off, eyes wandering to the thicker part of the woods.
A memory of his mother surfaced⏤her death, to be exact. They were but a poor family of two in the suburbs, living by providing entertainment to passer-by strangers. Yet, for some reason, someone had hired an assassin to kill his mother. Hisoka had just so happened to witness it.
However, his mother was not the center of the memory. Rather, it was the dark red eyes that pinned Hisoka with that gaze of discontent and contempt⏤the gaze of a murderer.
Ah... The red head couldn't forget the chill that ran up his spine⏤the shivers that sent tiny vibrations to his groin. Even now, the memory of violence and eloquent skill that took his mother's life affected him like it was just yesterday. It was his first encounter with death and the start of his obsession. Later on, Hisoka found out that his mother's killer was a Shinikage. Since then he's been searching for remnants of the clan, challenging them and killing them.
And Aki had the same scent as those murderers. That was part of the reason why he kept her close.
"Hisoka...?" Aki anxiously called out to the man. The red head redirected his gaze to Aki. And he smiled.
He stroke her head tenderly, fixing Aki's strewn hair. Such a shame.
However, a deal has been made. Hisoka had already weighed the gains and losses for his choice.
"Look, Hisoka... I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Wing, well, he told me not to tell you." Aki regressed. She sounded desperate to explain her side, as if to appease an angry parent.
Wing? Oh. The Nen master. Hisoka mused. Wing must have been aware of Hisoka's obsession with the Shinikage clan. The red head stared at Aki, for the last time. He patted her cheek, as if to calm her growing anxiety.
"Such a shame to let you go." Hisoka muttered.
"Huh?"
His arm dropped back to his side, and with a smile he uttered, "However, a deal's a deal. Let's split ways from here."
"What?" Aki exclaimed in surprise. But, Hisoka was already walking away.
"It was fun while it lasted~" Hisoka said in a cheerful tone, waving his hand dismissively.
"What the hell?! What deal? Hisoka!" Aki yelled in contempt and confusion. Why was Hisoka suddenly asking to separate ways? What deal? Did it have something to do with being a Shinikage?
Am I... going to be left behind again?
Tears welled up in Aki's eyes at the thought.
Again. Her life was crumbling to pieces yet again.
"Hisoka!!" Aki yelled, but the red head was already being sucked up in the sea of people. It wasn't long before his mop of red hair disappeared from sight. The girl attempted to chase him, but before she could go any further, an invisible force tugged her back to where she started. Confused, Aki looked back and used Gyo.
Bungee Gum.
"Damn you, old man!" Aki cursed. Hurriedly, she cut off Hisoka's Nen with hers before running around like mad man. She called out to him several times.
But, Hisoka never returned.
(A/N: Uh oh... Daddy Hisoka just up and left the house. What's gonna happen to their father and 'son' relationship?)
~ End of #27 ~