Just feeling Hisoka's chest press against mine takes my breath away. I push away from him before he feels my nipples stiffen. I won't insult him by asking how he knew it was me. His perception is unnaturally good, so a split second is all he'd need to identify me. Guess I should've put the mask on sooner. He tries to take it off, but I snatch my face out of his hand. "No. I don't want the others to know who I am."
His eyes narrow as he giggles like I'm playing some cute game. "Very well."
A few other zombies fall through the gaping hole above as Kurapika fights through the masses.
"You couldn't possibly be here to fight. Not after making such a terrible entrance," he says.
I purse my lips for a moment. "I'm here because the mafia wants to roundup the Phantom Troupe, but to make things easier, I'll settle for Chrollo."
Hisoka snickers. "You're hardly in a position to bargain. Maybe if you'd been paying attention to bystanders on the street you would've noticed the lookouts that were planted around the block."
I'm so sick of this bastard thinking he knows everything. "We're not in the arena anymore. You won't be able to see my every move."
"I should hope not."
"Stop toying with your prey and just kill them already!" a voice from below us says.
I need to find a way to get out of his web. Maybe I could try...I yank my head over to his and take his bottom lip between mine. It's so soft and sleek and the right amount of wet. The plan was actually for him to avoid the kiss and knock me to the ground, but I guess he's not scared or surprised by my usual tricks. Not that I'm complaining. He growls as he playfully bites my lip in response. "Sorry to disappoint you," he backs up and takes the skin of his lips off, Texture Surprise, "but I always wear protection." Before I can respond he knocks me to the ground. Well, at least I got some pleasure out of my pain.
Guess he won the first knockdown, but we're far from done.
A bright light begins to form behind me. As I get up I see a blonde haired man with beady eyes wind up his arm, but before he finishes two small ballistic knives shoot through it. Two other members have appeared, a bob haired woman and a one-eyed cretin with long shaggy hair. The woman raises her gun looking around to see where the knives came from. Chrollo is nowhere to be found.
Kurapika drops down from the roof and finishes the blonde man by stabbing through both his legs with the samurai sword and knocking him out with a kick. I had no idea my partner could move as fast as a speeding bullet. "Take care of the other two," Kurapika says in a low voice to me, I'll handle the one up top," he nods towards Hisoka. I don't think he knows what he signed up for, but I won't waste time hesitating.
I make quick work of the little guy by punching him out. Wonder what his skills are because strength definitely isn't one of them. The woman approaches, trying to pistol whip me with her gun, but I flip over her and body slam her by the hair into the wall. It's been a while since I've been in a girl fight, let alone a challenging one. She throws a few punches at me, even lands one out of six, but it's easy to disorient her. I slap her with the back of my hand from the bottom of her face up to her hook-shaped nose. It's so loud it sounds wet. For the TKO, I grab her by the face, pick her up, and slam her into the wall. Damn, no wonder Chrollo is nowhere to be found. His bodyguards suck ass. Other than a few scrapes on my arm, I'm fine.
I look up to see Kurapika slashing at Hisoka. Most of the boy's swipes are misses, but he manages to get two slash marks on the magician's arm and chin, which is fairly good honestly. Then Hisoka stops the blade between his palms and flips it away. Kurapika jumps back to avoid Hisoka's advances. I leap up to help not wanting to be left out of the fun, but when I do, everything suddenly goes black.
When I reappear I smell the faint odor of meat and iron. There are dingy windows and rusted saws with tables lined from the front to the back of the room. Old bones and sawdust are scattered about the floor. I can hear rats crawling in the walls. This is an old slaughterhouse.
A hand reaches out and touches my shoulder and I quickly turn around to see... Chrollo? A pale man with slicked back hair and a cross on his head smiles down at me. I look at my right shoulder and see a print of the sun on it. There's a book in his hand but he quickly closes it and makes it disappear. "It's not much but I don't have to worry about intruders."
I fold my arms. "Then why'd you bring me here?"
He tilts his head to the side and moves his face closer to mine. "Didn't you want to see me?"
I roll my eyes and gently push him away. "Only so I can take you into the mafia." That's not quite true. I did want to meet the man behind the myth and fight him, but he doesn't need to know that. He already comes off as arrogant.
Chrollo titters as he looks down at me with a half smirk. "Yes, well, it's always nice to have goals."
Look at him trying to throw shade. Cute, but it won't be funny when I start throwing hands. I step closer to him and look him dead in his eyes. "Especially when they're about to be met."
His eyes lower and he slowly walks past me. "Hmm. Your confidence is admirable. But I brought you here because I have a proposition for you."
Though I'm not interested, I decide to hear him out so I can form a plan of attack. Hopefully Kurapika's holding his own in the meantime. I begin to scan the room while Chrollo's back is turned hoping to find a weapon. I could break off one of the old saws or use one of the larger animal bones. There are some to the far right side of me. "What did you have in mind?"
"You work with Nostrade, right?" he asks.
How does he know that? If Chrollo's crew has been in contact with him, they likely told him about what happened at the auction house tonight. Including their fight with me. He probably made an educated guess that I was involved with Nostrade at some point for mafia business. I do get around. "Sometimes."
His head turns to his shoulder. "I'd like for you to arrange a meeting with me and his daughter, Neon. I'm in need of her talents."
Even if I wanted to help him, the last time I saw Neon she tried throwing dishes at me and I had to yank her ass up n let her know I'll beat her ass if her daddy won't. The little bitch tolerates me out of fear now, but I highly doubt she's interested helping my cause. I put my hands in my pockets. "What would I get in return for helping you?"
He shifts his weight on the balls of his feet and then faces me again. "The chance to battle with me."
I cock one of my eyebrows. "That's inevitable."
He takes a few steps forward. "Yes, but if you accept my offer, I promise not to kill you when I win."
Awfully cocky, isn't he? "What makes you think I'd go down so easily?"
He walks to my backside and I feel his eyes examining me the whole time, but for what I'm not sure. A few fingers from his right hand brush against my arm, causing a low heat to ignite. I notice a moon symbol on the back of his hand. "Just a hunch," he says close to my ear.
His voice makes my skin crawl, which is funny since it kind of reminds me of Hisoka's mischievous demeanor. Maybe it's my body's way of saying it can only handle one creep at a time.
"As tempting as your offer is, I'll have to pass," I respond.
"Gotta admire a woman with morals. Still, it would've been nice to work together." Chrollo wraps his arm around me and edges his hand closer and closer to my right shoulder when I realize what's happening. The heat in my shirt builds, as I quickly spin out of it and flick it back on Chrollo's hand. My mask is yanked off and my hair tumbles down in the process. The explosion hits, knocking me into a corner, covering the room in dust. My vision waves from side to side, a siren sound blares in my ears, and I cough as smoke enters my lungs, but I stumble to my feet. A few rats squeak and scatter across the floor as I begin to make my way through the smoky room to find him.
No sooner do I turn my head before a blade rushes towards my face. Though I backbend in time to miss it, it cuts off one of my locs. I can smell poison on the blade. This fucker's a dirty fighter. He's hiding in the smoke and shadows. "Since you're such a great assassin, why don't you just come out and end this?" I shout. Of course there's no answer. The saws are too far away now and the animal bones were turned to shards by the bomb. I use En to turn up my aura to fill as much of the room as I can, hoping to sense where Chrollo's presence is. He's behind me. Likely planning to stab me in the back. Coward. I play dumb, waiting for him to make a move.
Soon he runs at me and I close my eyes to brace myself, but he flips over me. Probably sensed what I was up to. Before landing he grabs me by my hair and tries to ram his knife in my eye. I catch it as the tip of the blade rubs along my eyelashes. In the next moment I barrel turn behind him and throw him like a baseball out the window. I go to the window and watch him land between two buildings, one of which is the church. I jump down to the ground and run to the alleyway ahead of me. Kurapika calls my name as I rush across the street. When I get to him, Chrollo closes a book that disappears right as I pounce. He positions himself as if he wants to catch me.
I grab him by the throat and slam him against the wall. "What the hell are you up to?"
He smiles and presses his body into mine. Kurapika calls for me again.
"Over here!" I shout looking in the direction his voice is coming from. But when I look back at Chrollo I see myself up against the wall smiling with a pale hand wrapped around...How is this possible? I look at my hands and at what I'm wearing. My skin's turned pasty. I touch my face which feels flatter, my hair is straight and gelled back. I'm taller and wearing Chrollo's trench coat and have his bare chest.
"What did you do to me?" I ask, barely able to keep the scream out of my voice.
"Hurry, guys! Chrollo's trying to kill me!" he shouts. How does this little shit have my voice?
"Wait. No, wait." My voice has dropped several octaves. A knee hits my groin, then an elbow crashes into my face making my ears ring.
"Thanks for the body," Chrollo says as he feels through my dreads then cups my breasts. "It's really nice. Wish I had more time to explore it."
I'm bent over my knees as I heave for air. "You fucking pig—"
Growling fills my ears and I see a figure with wings swoop in and pick me up in its claws while Chrollo gets away in my body. This must be one of the Shadow Beasts.
I struggle in his grasp as we go higher in the air. "You don't understand. I'm not really Chrollo. He switched our bodies somehow!"
The bat-like figure's grasp tightens, digging into my shoulders. My skin breaks and gushes blood as his nails grip my muscles. The pain is so deep I scream.
"Who knew the leader of such an elite troupe was such a liar and coward?" the bat man says before dropping me.
Before I drop down too far a creature with rubbery limbs jumps out and kicks me like a soccer ball onto the middle of the road. I can barely feel my face when I look up and push the coat out of my face before I see the blinding lights of a car racing towards me. I roll out of the way before it crushes me. The revving engine pulsates through my skin and I feel my heart drop into my stomach.
A guy with spiked beige hair, fish lips, and a metal ladened shirt yanks me up in the air by both sides of my collar. "Calm down, Mule, we're supposed to take this one into the bosses alive."
The other beasts approach, looking more monster than human.
"Doesn't mean we can't rough him up a little first," a redskinned man says.
All the fangs, claws, hungry eyes approaching me feel like they're already boring into my flesh, having their way with me, tearing me apart. I'm scared, but I won't stop fighting, not til I'm dead. It's not like there's any other option.
"Stop!" another voice shouts behind the beasts. Kurapika elbows his way through, his face still covered by the mask. "What did you do with her?"
I could state the obvious, but it would only be obvious to me. What can I say that'll convince him? "Prince, it's me, Lioness."
He stands in front of me, his eyes trained on mine, confused, trying to read the truth in my expression.
"Back in the auction building, we smelled chorizo and algae in the footprint. I used a golden map to locate the hideout. We still might have time to catch Chrollo. The real one—"
The man with the fish lips holding me by my neck tightens his grasp so much I can't talk or breathe. "Enough of this nonsense! We're taking you in. The least you can do is leave with some dignity."
Kurapika's eyes widen and his hands ball into fists. I know he's conflicted. It's his first mission and he doesn't want to mess it up by being too callous or too soft. But he has to go with his gut. It's now or never, kid. He sighs. "Put him—I mean her, down."
"You've gotta be kidding," one of the beasts says.
"Look, boy, I don't answer to you. I know what I see," Fish Lips says.
Kurapika's sword comes out and slashes the guy's hand. He screams and drops me to my feet. We've already lost a minute or two. I can't waste much more time fighting the beasts. I see the biggest man shaped like a worm heading towards me. I'll use his body to weigh down a few of the others temporarily. Kurapika will have to handle the rest. As the worm man comes for me I notice a soft spot on his dome and punch it. His whole face vibrates as he becomes disoriented. I swing his body to knock down several other members including the bat creature and immediately turn to run. "Let's go!" I head into the alley and look for a door to crash into.
Kurapika's right behind me. "Hurry!"
As we run-leap up the stairs the pain in my shoulders begins to throb. My adrenaline's running out. I bite my lip so hard the end of it bleeds. But we can't stop. I need my body back. Looking like Chrollo makes me a walking target and my life is dangerous enough as it is. Midway through the building we jump to a neighboring one. The Shadow Beasts are hovering nearby, I hear them growling as they try to catch us.
"Where are we going?" Kurapika asks in a low voice.
Shit, I spent the last minute only running to escape. I didn't bother thinking about where Chrollo is. If I go by where he was located before when we entered the church, he's nearby. He likes to watch chaos ensue...so he'd likely be in a building across the street from where we were. But now that it's over, he's probably taken his leave and is at the end of the street by now.
"Lioness, how are we going to catch him?"
I catch my breath and close my eyes trying to think. Going by foot would be too slow, which means... "We need to let the bat catch us."
Thankfully Kurapika catches on quickly and nods his head. "Hisoka knocked me down and used his bungee gum to pick up the other troupe members we fought. When he left, I saw him go east. So Chrollo will likely go the same way."
I nod and press into one of my shoulders to slow the bleeding. "The harbor's in that direction too, so that's where the bat will lead us. Let's head to the roof."
Once we get there, the bat quickly finds us and swoops us up. Now, how will I find him? Since he looks like me, he might think he can walk out in the open...or keep an eye out from whatever building he's—
"Chrollo's three buildings ahead."
When I look over at Kurapika, I see a ball and chain hanging from one of his fingers. Then he takes out his sword and nicks the creature's Achilles tendons. It screeches and releases us into the open air. Once we tuck and roll our landing, we run over and jump to the roof of the building Kurapika pointed out. "Seven floors down," he whispers to me.
"Make sure to use In," I respond. Once we conceal our nen, we head down the stairs. The bat probably went back to tell the other beasts where we are. Midway through, a figure lunges out and pushes Kurapika over the ledge.
"Prince!" I shout.
Like a reflex, Kurapika throws his sword to me. I catch it and swing it towards Chrollo. He stops me with a medium sized hand knife, the one he came after me with before. I spar with him, blocking his hits, but my injured shoulders are getting weaker by the minute. He gets me up against the wall. It's so weird to be fighting myself, to see me smiling wickedly as a blade nears my throat. My arms don't have the strength so I head butt him and cut the wrist holding the knife. He drops it and grins. "Since you fought so hard to get your body back. I'll give it to you, but I have to be alive to do it." Chrollo reaches out a hand to me and after hesitating a moment I give mine to him. I see him transform back into himself and feel my features return as well. "Consider it a goodbye gift," he says.
"I'm not done with you yet. I'm taking you into the mafia."
He laughs. "Look who's cocky now."
As I get ready to knock him out, the Shadow Beasts crash through the wall sending us both tumbling to the ground, which quickly gives beneath us. Everything in here is old, broken, and made up of rotting wood. The fall feels slow this time, makes me aware of how tired I am. It's actually nice to have a break, even if it's me plummeting to near death. Slit. That's the sound I hear and feel along the left side of my abdomen. I open my eyes and see Chrollo over me, digging the poisoned knife deeper. "I told you it was goodbye." His thumb brushes briefly over my lips. "Shame to lose such beauty and talent."
He soars through the debris out of sight. I barely find the strength to bounce off the wall to avoid shattering completely against the ground. My vision blurs in and out as I look at the building slowly collapse around me. Well, at least I got to fight the leader of the Phantom Troupe. A chain suddenly wraps around my waist and pulls me towards the edge of the building. I look behind me and see Kurapika pulling me by a chain on his finger. He's laying on the ground, his body is partially impaled by a wooden banister. Does he want to die by each other's side? It's kind of sweet in an odd, last moment on earth with a stranger kind of way. I guess dying alone would be kinda sad.
He heaves and coughs up blood. "Hold onto me."
I lean myself against his side and stretch my hand over his chest. The wooden stairs and walls continue to collapse around us. My heart rate slows, the pain along my limbs subsides, and my vision narrows to what's right in front of me. So this is what it feels like to die. His chain slinks off me and spirals around both of our bodies from shoulder to ankle and lights up. It feels like my body's being dipped in cold water and revitalized. Kurapika's breathing steadily gets stronger with each huff and I see his skin grow back, pushing him off the wooden bannister. This what his ability does? Heals? There was also the dowsing chain that helped us locate Chrollo. I wonder how many chains he has...
I pat his chest before getting up and holding my hand out to him. Guess we'll live to see another day. "Thanks for that."
The chain disappears as he tries to catch his breath. He looks at my hand before grabbing it to stand up. "We should leave before the building drops on us."
We cross the street and sit on the stairs of the closest place we can get to and watch the building we just left crumble. Every part of me feels worn out and I can tell he feels the same.
Kurapika rips the mask off, revealing his sweaty face. "I'm sorry I failed you."
"You didn't fail," I say nudging him with my shoulder, "We failed."
He chuckles for a moment as dust covers us. Coughing and breathing heavy, we sit across from each other as the Shadow Beasts approach. "Some backup they turned out to be," he says under his breath. We both smile at this as we rest on the stoop. You know, failure's not so bad when you don't have to carry it alone.