Title: Blood Pact

Author:Blitz Magnus

Chapter:4/?

Status:newly uploaded

Pairings:future Kuroro x Kurapika

Genre:Humor/Romance + a bit of Drama/Adventure (finally, some KuroroxKurapika moments here, but not too intense)

Warnings: This fic contains shounen-ai (male x male relationship). So if you don't and can't stomach this kind of genre, don't read. Characters are major OOC. This is a product of boredom, an endless spiral of empty space, and a lame attempt at making fiction. You have been forewarned, so no flames regarding these matters. This chapter contains some of the serious parts, but no worries, I'll still pinch in some humor… I seem to like pulling pranks at everyone in HxH. I'll have to warn you though, I like lengthy stories because I read fast, and when I read short installments, I get really frustrated. Trust me, you'll feel the same when you finish reading a 500-page single-spaced novel in a span of two hours and end up saying you got a cliffhanger… it's demeaning.

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Hunter x Hunter©original story and characters belong not to me, but to the legendary Yoshihiro Togashi.

Author's Notes: The timeline is set at the end of the OVA, right after Kuroro's capture by Kurapika, and picks up in between the OVA and the Greed Island arc. The events of the story take place after the negotiations between Pakunoda and Kurapika are over, as well as the exchange of hostages. Changes made in the actual series for the purpose of writing this fic are as follows: 1.) Kurapika was not able to seal Kuroro's nen during Kuroro's confinement, 2.) Kurapika did not take off his disguise as a female hotel receptionist during the entire confrontation between him and the Danchou, 3.) Pakunoda never revealed Kurapika's weakness to the spiders (meaning she didn't die), 4.) Hisoka has yet to uncover his betrayal to the Genei Ryodan (meaning he didn't show up during the hostage exchange).

Summary:With Gon and Killua safely back into the fold and out of harm's way after negotiations with the Genei Ryodan were concluded, Kuroro Lucifer makes his move on the unsuspecting Kurapika and roped him into becoming a part of them, indirectly, on the aftermath of their encounter. Kurapika, in turn, manages to learn more about the Kuruta Red-Eyes in his stay with the Genei Ryodan and he's less than happy with the results as he got more than what he'd bargained for. Never did he dream that he'd turn into one of them, and things get more complicated when he realized he'd fallen for the enemy.

-----------------------------------------------------

Chapter Four: Moonless Spiral

Plan set into determined motion, Kurapika could only hope that he was still in his right mind when he ended the call to Senritsu after deeming it necessary that he should reassure the normally ever-calm woman-who had hyperventilated with worry-that he was perfectly fine and was in no way being coerced or controlled into doing anything he did not want to do. He'd also requested to keep it confidential, and was allowed only to inform Gon, Killua and Leorio about his plan when it's put into action.

After hanging up, he'd taken a deep intake of breath and tried to loosen his frazzled nerves. It was one hell of a day, and it could only get better, he thought sardonically and had immediately gone straight back to where the rest of the Spiders were spending their free time. Upon reaching his destination, he resisted the urge to rub the space between his eyebrows and deliberately tossed Kuroro's cellular phone back to its owner-who caught it skillfully in mid-air.

Shalnark winced at the brutal mishandling of the electronic gadget, but wisely kept his mouth tapered shut when he saw Kurapika's ominous face as he purposefully approached them.

"I'll be needing to use Coltopi's abilities," Kurapika announced in an oddly strangled voice later on, looking like he swallowed a rather large dose of bitter medication and sounded like he was choking on hemlock when he'd started to speak.

Hisoka's pyramid of stacked cards collapsed on a heap when the blonde stated his shocking request and the jester immediately focused all his attention on the Kuruta; Nobunaga and Phinx were gaping in an openmouthed fashion; while Shalnark and Feitan goggled at him incredulously. Pakunoda nearly wrenched her arm off during one of her flexing exercises when Kurapika announced his statement. It was like gunshot ringing out in a deserted room with a loud bang. She nearly expected someone (Hisoka was the most likely candidate) to shout April Fools' Day then and there.

"Phinx, Nobu, you can close your mouths now," Machi casually remarked. She had been surprised at the request, but had shown no outward reaction and opted to silently watch the unfolding scene in front of her.

Franklin, Shizuku and Bonorenofu weren't present at the moment-the trio were out on an errand, and therefore missed the entire conversation-not that it'd make much of a difference considering the fact that the two of the three couldn't care less about the conversation and the nitwit female remains as clueless as ever even when the very thing she's looking for smacks her dab on the face.

Kuroro had doubled back in disbelief at Kurapika's strange request. Had his ears been deceiving him? The chain-assassin had actually told them that he needed to use their resident photocopier's skills? Now he really must be hallucinating… Kurapika actually wanted help from one of the Genei Ryodan, his sworn enemies? The ones he eternally damned and vowed to eliminate? Good Lord, laudanum would've had lesser effect on his shocked senses.

Coltopi had angled her mop-like head towards their Danchou, but stayed silently alert when she'd noticed their leader's astonishment.

"For what purpose?" Kuroro asked after a heartbeat of seconds. Everyone in the room had held their breaths in anticipation of the Genei Ryodan head's decision.

"I want to make a duplicate of my body," Kurapika paused for a while before plunging on, "In order to relinquish Nostrad's hold on me, he'll need proof that I am no longer able to provide my services for him."

"You'd actually deceive them?" Kuroro contemplated thoughtfully.

"If that's what it takes. But only the Nostrad family and their Mafia cronies, I don't like having loose strings," Kurapika hesitatingly clarified.

Catching on to Kurapika's plan, Kuroro had nodded amiably. After all, they'd once used the same tactic to end the Mafia's tenacious and annoying manhunt on them, and it had worked wonders. The Mafia was as blind as bats to a fault, especially when it concerned their incompetence at handling security affairs.

"And once he finds your 'body', he won't be requiring your services anymore," the Spider head concluded with slow nod and a rare smile.

Kurapika only nodded in affirmation with the uncomfortable situation.

"All right, I'll humor you." With that he gave the blonde an affirmative nod. "Coltopi, do as whatever he tells you to do," Kuroro announced nonchalantly later on as he continued to give Kurapika a quelling look.

Nobunaga had his jaw clenched tight at their Danchou's approval of the chain-assassin's request, but refrained from saying something he might regret later on. Though he was sorely tempted to object to the idea, by all means, scream obscenities if necessary, but he didn't dare to risk their Danchou's wrath. Kuroro's temper was formidable when unleashed, like smoldering embers of hot coals roared back to life by the passing wind-and when he got pissed, it only meant one thing to all of them: to make a run for it. Pissing off Ubo was like inviting a full-blown splitting headache, but getting Kuroro the slightest bit upset was welcoming convulsion of nature and cosmic catastrophe with open arms.

"We'll do it tomorrow, at daybreak. Afterwards, the duplicate body will be left here, so they'll be fully convinced that I'm really… dead," Kurapika ended awkwardly at the eerie silence that followed his announcement.

"Excellent. I'm glad you're seeing things our way," Kuroro commented amusedly.

"Don't get me wrong, I just don't want to put their lives at stake when I know fully well what will happen tomorrow," Kurapika hastily amended, "Technically, I'm still responsible for their safety."

Kuroro chuckled. The blonde's uncanny sense of honor was unwavering, not even a full-blown tornado could break it down.

--------------------------------------------------------- --

Sitting on a slab of concrete facing the wall, Kurapika placed his intertwined fingers under his chin and pondered. If he hadn't known better, he would've been positive that he'd already lost his mind at actually agreeing to 'assist' the Spiders in robbing the Mafia blind and even devised a way to wriggle out of Nostrad's grasp when the Mafia lord was probably one of his one-way tickets to freedom. He must be really losing his grip on whatever sanity he had left.

No, scratch that. It was official: he was a confirmed nutcase.

"Sulking?" a sultry, amused voice drawled out from behind the doorjamb.

Kurapika refused to answer the jibe, much less acknowledge the intruder's presence, and so he continued to stare blankly at the space above empty wall in front of him.

"Moping then?"

The blonde jerked at the insistent intrusion in his rambling thoughts, cursing under his breath before turning to stare blandly at the unwelcome presence. "What the hell do you want?" Kurapika muttered exasperatedly, and turned back to stare at the moonless night.

"Judging by that look on your face, I'll wager your hands are probably itching to strangle me right now," Kuroro concluded as he deliberately leaned on the doorframe.

"Go away," the blonde bit off a sarcastic retort from the tip of his tongue and settled with the overused comeback.

"Plotting something for tomorrow then?"

Kurapika's rigid shoulders sagged in silent defeat, knowing when to succumb to outright bullheadedness when he saw one. "Have you ever been wrong?"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"…"

Kuroro smirked knowingly. It was fun to rile the usually reserved blonde and get on his nerves, as his responses ranged from snapping out smart retorts to giving the cold shoulder reaction. The Spider head couldn't even remember when he'd had this much fun in his entire lifetime.

"I'm going out," Kurapika announced a moment later as he stood up. And after dusting off his pants, he'd started to walk past his unwanted company when a strong hand suddenly shot out and grabbed his arm in a firm grasp.

"What makes you think I'll allow you to go?" Kuroro asked silkily in an ominous tone of voice the Kuruta had never heard him use before.

Shrugging his arm loose, but carefully deciding to placate the mildly irritated Kuroro for some unknown reason, Kurapika replied, "If you're worrying about me running out on you, you don't have to. I'm just going out to get some supplies I'm going to need for tomorrow."

"I'll go with you," Kuroro 'volunteered' as the blonde tried to walk past him again.

"Don't bother. I'm perfectly capable of doing this alone," the blonde stubbornly refused the offer and continued down the darkened corridor, completely ignoring Pakunoda's startled look that was aimed at him when he stomped past her.

"I insist." The Spider head kept true to his word and immediately quickened his pace to keep up with the nearly sprinting Kurapika, mirroring the blonde's passive response to the stunned gunwoman as he swept past her and stripped off his heavy coat, "Wait for me outside."

"Whatever," Kurapika muttered in defeat, knowing he'd be wasting more precious time arguing with the Genei Ryodan head, and if that became the case, he won't be able to accomplish anything for tomorrow.

The thought didn't seem to be so bad, as it could save him from going on the trip to the heart of York Shin City and refrain from participating in their usual 'activities'. If only he hadn't already given his word to 'adjust' to them-which also meant he'd have to abide by the Spider's rules.

Life just wasn't fair to him.

Concealing an irritated sigh, the Kuruta made his way down the winding staircase and dutifully waited for his 'keeper' to accompany him outside.

---------------------------------------------------

Five minutes later, the two were making their way briskly into the crowded and lively night markets of downtown York Shin City. The bustling vicinity didn't seem to bother Kurapika that much, though he still preferred solitude to the deafening noise. Kuroro, on the other hand, was vastly amused by the blonde's array of facial reactions when Kurapika had wrinkled his nose in obvious disgust at a sleazy shop selling the weirdest and most absurd selection of kinky underwear. Dear Lord, the store clerk nearly mauled him then and there as the obnoxious man caught sight of them, thinking they were a couple out on a date.

If looks could kill, there would be one very dead man writhing on the pavement in acute pain right that very moment.

"I'm sure the lady would look absolutely gorgeous in this-" the boisterous man held out a lacy black fabric, which easily resembled the tiniest thing they'd ever seen in their entire life.

The blonde had immediately taken off at a fast sprint without waiting for the clerk's next outrageous remark. Kuroro trailed behind him, still close at Kurapika's heels even as he tried, halfheartedly, to conceal his laughter with the appalled expression on the Kuruta's face.

Kurapika had donned on a white loosely collared sweater and a pair of dark blue denim jeans to blend in smoothly with the crowd while Kuroro had foregone his usual gangster attire of leather fur coats and opted to go for a knitted black long-sleeved turtleneck in place of his coat. His ruffled hair was free of its usual confining slicked-up style and was fluttering freely under the cold night breeze, with a white bandanna wrapped around his forehead to cover the cross-shaped crest tattooed there. The duo looked like yin and yang with their contrasting appearances-Kurapika's blonde hair and white shirt in comparison to Kuroro's black overhaul.

"So tell me, what exactly are we doing, strolling around in a night market at this hour?"

Kurapika gave his companion an exasperated look filled with irritation as he quickened his pace, "I'm here to buy some stuff I'll be needing. As for you, I have no idea."

"Not funny," Kuroro muttered blandly as he effortlessly matched the blonde's lengthy strides, "What are you going to buy?"

"Disguise. I can't exactly waltz inside Mafia grounds without the risk of somebody recognizing me. They don't believe in ghosts of former bodyguards walking around and robbing them blind in broad daylight, you know," the blonde retorted sarcastically as he deftly squeezed in the sea of people surrounding them.

"We could always just get rid of them," the raven-haired man suggested in a low voice to the Kuruta's ear as he bowed low while keeping up with his companion's dodgy, but effective strides.

"We? Correction, you're a world-class mass murderer, I'm not," Kurapika answered irritatingly as he shrugged off the uncomfortable presence lingering beside his ear.

"Ouch. Touché," Kuroro mimed an exaggerated wince at the irritated blonde.

They stopped at a dimly lit stall selling under-priced but high-quality garments-the perks of a night market was that they tend to sell high quality smuggled commodities at low prices. Kurapika had rummaged through a mountainous pile of dark-colored shirts and selected a black long-sleeved sweatshirt edged with a thick, gray piping at the sleeves and hem. After deciding to replenish his dwindling amount of clothing-courtesy of the Genei Ryodan-he added an olive green long-sleeved turtleneck to his selection. He'd also managed to wrestle out a pair of denim cargo pants and another pair of dark blue ones under another mound of fabric.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Kuroro deftly sorting through an array of leather and fur coats at the other side of the store. Fur and leather, the man must have an entire truckload of the stuff, Kurapika shuddered. Talk about a fetish.

"Finished?" a baritone voice murmured at his ear.

Kurapika had been taken aback by the abrupt question. Damn, the man could move fast. One second he was at the other end, the next he'd appeared right beside him within the blink of an eye.

"Almost," the blonde managed.

"Take your time. I'll be doing some shopping of my own since we're already here," the Spider leader patted Kurapika's head upon finishing the statement and moved to the other side again.

Kurapika had nodded dumbly, still holding the selected clothes in his right hand with limp fingers while lost in train of thought. Mentally irritated at his inability to counter Kuroro's advances, he reverted back to the matter at hand and began folding up his handful of clothes.

Fifteen minutes later, Kurapika and Kuroro exited the dingy shop, each carrying an armload of medium-sized paper bags in their wake. The Spider head had purchased an assortment of jackets in different textures and colors, all of them lined with fur at the edges and trimmed with silk linings. On impulse, he'd also plucked out a silver-gray mink cap on sale hanging on a secluded peg and dropped it inside his bag. Though for the life of him, Kurapika still couldn't figure out why the Spider head had needed that much leather and fur, it was enough to last him a lifetime.

"Do you have everything that you need?" Kuroro inquired politely, his arms laden with his numerous bags as they walked past a stall selling ornamental lights. Despite his load, he had managed to move rather easily and smoothly wormed his way inside the congested area while keeping a watchful eye on the blonde.

"Just a few more things left," the Kuruta replied just as courteously as he continued to squeeze in the tight crowd.

The two were now walking alongside each other in the middle of the busy street. Nightlife was full of energy, as people ranging from teens to mid-forties were chattering loudly with enthusiasm as they strolled along the bustling line of mini bazaars.

"Which way?"

"What?" Kurapika raised his turquoise orbs in question, as he was lost in thought while thinking of ways to desperately prevent the onslaught of bloodshed for the following day.

"I said, which way are we going?"

"Wigs-left corner," the blonde had started in an attempt to cover up his inattention and immediately turned to lead the way to a nearby stall filled with several assortments of head and face accessories.

Upon reaching the shop, Kurapika immediately plucked out the navy blue fisherman's hat lying on the countertop and fingered through a haphazard display of sunglasses for an appropriate pair to complement his recent purchases at the garment store. Spotting a pair of amber-colored oblique ones framed in black wire, he'd immediately added it to the hat he'd chosen and turned to pick out a wig from the wide variety hanging on the nearby rack.

"Here." A chestnut brown-dyed wig tinted with red highlights cut in high-waist length was suddenly thrust in front of Kurapika's face as he turned, which made him stumble back a step in surprise.

When the blonde remained silent, Kuroro stuffed the chosen wig into Kurapika's hand, "It would bring out the color of your eyes."

"I'll be using contact lenses."

"You can still use it after we leave York Shin City."

Shrugging absently, Kurapika started to move towards the counter to pay for his purchases, only to have Kuroro block his way with an extended arm.

"I'll pay for those," Kuroro offered gallantly.

"I have money," the blonde interrupted abruptly and elbowed his companion.

The ebony-haired man ended the discussion by circling an arm around the startled blonde's waist while flashing a charming smile at the salesclerk and dug out his wallet from his pocket, handing the girl a wad of crisp paper money bills in a flourish, "Keep the change."

--------------------------------------------------------- ----

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing?" Kurapika snarled as he raised a twitching eyebrow in consternation when his shopping companion draped a gray-colored mink jacket trimmed with snowy white fox fur around his shoulders upon their return to their hideout.

The Kuruta still hadn't forgiven him for the spectacle he had made in the accessory shop. When the salesclerk punched in his purchases, he could've sworn the blasted woman was trying very hard to hold in a wistful sigh. And after he'd managed to wrench off Kuroro's rather firm grip on his waist and shoved him away to get out of the shop, the woman had approached his tormentor and handed him the purchases, but not after she'd commented what a fine couple they made. The worst part of it all, she'd mistaken him for Kuroro's girlfriend, which was an absolute blow to his nerves and ego.

"Wear it?" the Spider head answered innocently.

Kurapika instantly recognized it as one of the garments Kuroro had purchased from the night market. "For what?" Ruthlessly folding the olive green turtleneck he'd purchased, he began shoving it back into the paper bag as he let out a string of curses under his breath.

"It suits you."

"Fur? I'm not that kinky," the blonde gritted out through his clenched teeth.

Kuroro smothered a laugh and further elaborated his intentions, "Lufa is a winter country all year round. You'll be needing thicker and warmer clothes once we get there."

"I can hold my own," Kurapika held out the jacket towards the taller man in a subtle gesture for him to get out.

"Take it, it's not my size anyway," the Spider head ended in a breeze as he took off.

Kurapika nearly groaned out in frustration when the man walked out on him again. The man just happened to always have the last word.

The man was infuriating and definitely not an open book, one second he was a cold, unfeeling bastard; and the next, he was like a hovering, thoughtful guardian smothering him with gifts and muted affection. He'll never understand the guy, it was like predicting rain in a desert country.

Moments later, Kurapika eyed the soft jacket draped on his knee and rubbed the lapels of the cloth between his thumb and index fingers. The soft material was warm and wonderful to touch; indeed it would be practical to wear it under a winter climate. Sighing inaudibly in silent confusion, he gave up trying to figure out the enigmatic man and finally let a relaxed smile steal its way into his face.

------------------------------------------------

Breakfast was a matter to be foregone the following morning. After all, they had much bigger fish to fry. Kurapika was already up and about at the crack of dawn, throwing a few of his belongings into his buckskin pouch and immediately leaving the room with his prepared disguise in tow. He'd gone in search of Coltopi after descending the steps, and when Machi offhandedly waved at him towards the far corner of the room, he spotted his target immediately.

"Ready?" Coltopi asked as she raised her hand in a request to retrieve the Kuruta's hand.

"In a second," Kurapika muttered and stared at a spot by the nearby wall before his blue-green eyes turned into a vivid shade of brilliant red.

Behind him, Shalnark sucked in a harsh breath, "How the hell do you do that?"

Kurapika pointed towards the eight-legged insect crawling by the wall, "By staring at that," and turned the full blast of his eerie stare at Shalnark.

Shalnark had wisely chosen to keep his mouth shut after that-the Kuruta looked like he wanted to stake someone's head on a pike, and he didn't want to be that unfortunate victim.

Kurapika's chains suddenly materialized in his right hand, and after summoning his dowsing chain, the rest of the Spiders could only stare aghast as the chains moved in a revolving blur, making it nearly impossible for them to follow the movements with their naked eyes. The group had to resort to using gyou to monitor the crisscrossing path of the chain ball as it sliced against the wind. When the dowsing chain had finished its job, Kurapika's state was a sight to behold; his blue-colored robes were tattered and drenched in blood; his entire body was now covered in purple bruises; his cheeks were swollen; his lip broken while the bones of his left arm were splintered and hanging limply beside his flank.

Nobunaga, Machi and Phinx maintained stiff composure throughout the ordeal while Shalnark visibly blanched. In the middle of Kurapika's self-infliction of wounds, Franklin, Pakunoda and Kuroro had stepped over to the threshold and watched with mild interest. The Spider head frowned when he saw Kurapika's bloodied and marred face. Holy hell, what was the kid trying to do? Bludgeon himself to death?

Satisfied with the results, Kurapika managed to conceal a sharp wince when he used the tip of his Judgment Chain to inflict a large, gaping gash on his chest, drive yet another hole on his bleeding shoulder, and slashed his hands repeatedly with it. When he finished, his face was rapidly losing whatever color left in it and was turning into a shade of deathly pallor.

Turning back to Coltopi, the blonde held out his shaking bloodied right arm, the slight movement making him wince horribly, "Let's get this over with."

Three seconds later, his duplicate lifeless 'body' was lying in a pool of blood over a pile of rubble. Flinching grimly, Kurapika summoned Holy Chain to heal his wounds-lest he dies of blood loss in the process. And afterwards unsheathed the crested dagger strapped to his right thigh and began to make additional bloody gashes on his 'body'­-without batting an eyelash in the process-not that it wasn't convincing enough already.

Shalnark nearly shuddered in disgust, it was one thing to kill; but it was another thing to stab and strip your own body into a state of nearly turning it into a churning mess of bloody carcass with your own bare hands. The only thing missing there was a casket and it will be good as ready to call it a funeral. Hell, even his own mother wouldn't recognize the body if he kept on doing that good of a job at it.

Resisting the urge to gag, Shalnark nearly praised the heavens that that it wasn't his body being carved up like a stuffed turkey for Thanksgiving dinner right now. For crying out loud, the least the Kuruta could do was to let Feitan have the honor of brutally carving his body up, it would be a hell lot better to stomach since the sadistic freak certainly knows how to do his job-plus, they were all used to it. But then again, it could only happen when pigs sprout wings and fly across oceans.

Tossing the blood-covered dagger to the ground, Kurapika turned on his heel, only to find several Spider members gaping at him disbelievingly. Deciding to play it cool, he gave the group a bored glance and marched past them with an indifferent shrug, "I'll be ready in two minutes."

--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------

"Your former employer won't be able to recognize you even if you walked right past him," the Spider head gave Kurapika a full body appraisal, from the top of his hat to the tips of his leather boots. Though his focus kept straying back to the blonde's unscrupulous face, it was still indeed a sight for sore eyes.

"He won't be there."

"Really?" Kuroro closed his eyes in calm satisfaction and loosely crossed his arms in front of his chest. For once, the Kuruta's voice was calm and somehow approachable, a bit reserved maybe, but it was no longer holding ill contempt and aloofness in it. His face was devoid of any emotion, but his eyes held an impassive stare boring into the Spider head's blank face.

"Nostrad's power-hungry, but he's not stupid," Kurapika muttered under his breath and averted his eyes when they had boarded the train and taken the seats near the door.

"What makes you say that?"

"He won't risk his sole source of income and power getting harmed."

Kuroro nodded in solemn agreement, it was true that the Mafia only prioritized financial and political status above all else. Observing the compartment of the crowded train with a brief, calculating sweep of the area, he signaled for the other Genei Ryodan to move towards the doors. All of them were dressed in casual clothes to blend in, as they can't risk walking in the streets in their usual garb without causing any alarm. Franklin, who was half a body taller than everyone else, traveled by foot with Nobunaga and Bonorenofu in tow, as his mere presence stood out in a crowd and was enough to send nearby people to scurry and alert the authorities. Nobunaga was with him because he couldn't stomach the fact that the chain-assassin was traveling in plain sight with the reputed Genei Ryodan-not that it mattered that ordinary people generally don't recognize them unless they were in their usual attire. Bonorenofu, on the hand, stuck out like a sore thumb with his ghastly appearance and wrappings.

Kurapika, absently fingering the sleeve of his shirt, was pondering over the heart of the matter. Seven units of Greed Island game consoles were to be auctioned off today-which also meant Gon and Killua were bound to appear in the bidding proper. However, Kuroro or anyone of the Genei Ryodan cannot harm Gon and Killua because of their 'deal'. That, for certain, was a sure plan which wouldn't backfire on him.

"You know what to do later," Kuroro leaned in and murmured against the blonde's left ear.

Startled, Kurapika scowled and replied testily, "I work best when alone."

"Too bad, it doesn't work that way with us."

"Whatever," the blonde muttered in resignation.

"Danchou." It was Machi, who was dressed in her lavender jumpsuit with her hair unbound, flanked by Hisoka and Shalnark at the sides, "Franklin just called, they've reached the symposium."

Nodding, the ebony-haired man nudged the blonde's side when the train started to slow down, "It's our stop."

--------------------------------------------------------

As planned, Kuroro and Kurapika were waiting on the rooftop of a nearby holding across the auction house while Nobunaga and Shalnark staked out the premises. Phinx and Feitan, dressed in their best spring formal, had already entered the building as bidders half an hour ago and reported the layout of the building to their Danchou via Pakunoda-who was disguised as a guest usher. And Franklin and Shizuku were still waiting for Pakunoda's signal at the nearby telephone post.

Nearly ten minutes had gone by when Kurapika suddenly spoke in a deceptively low tone of voice, obviously rattled by the way the Genei Ryodan head had been staring at him for the elapsed time. "Why didn't you kill me that night?"

In answer, Kuroro gave him a sideways glance and smiled knowingly, "It would be a waste to kill someone of your caliber and… unique abilities."

"You wiped out my entire clan," the blonde pointed out emphatically.

Averting his eyes, the Spider head maintained a calm composure as he replied, "An irrevocable error. Had I known that the Kuruta tribe was capable of producing such fine fighters such as yourself, I would've thought twice about the task."

"The results prove to be otherwise," Kurapika strained out in a voice edged with barely controlled fury.

"A grave miscalculation on my part."

"I've already killed one of your men in retaliation, and if I had another chance, I'll kill all of you," Kurapika countered ferociously, referring to Ubogin.

"It is inevitable, your thirst for revenge cannot be quenched. Besides, you are entitled to hold a grudge."

"A grudge?! Are you fucking kidding me?! What the hell did you think of massacring my people? Pigs to a slaughterhouse that they didn't have to mind that the reason why they were being brutally murdered off one by one was because you wanted to gouge out their eyes for their monetary worth?! What kind of a sick bastard are you?"

"If you're asking if I felt any satisfaction or pleasure in the act, my answer is no, nor did I feel any remorse over the deed."

"Don't you feel the slightest amount of hatred towards me for killing your friend, just as much as I loathe your existence?" Burning animosity was beginning to spark inside the Kuruta's mind. What the hell was the man made of? Bricks? It must be that for him to be so incapable of feeling anything.

Kuroro replied in a neutral tone without looking at him, "Simple curiosity is what I feel, not petty thoughts of vengeance."

"Petty? Then you didn't even think of avenging him? What kind of a leader… person are you?! You don't even value your comrades' lives when they'll give up their own souls for your sake!" Kurapika's nails were digging hard into his palm, his knuckles turning stark white as anger mounted within him, recalling Pakunoda's genuine concern over their Danchou when he'd been taken hostage by him.

"Like what you did for your tribe?" Kuroro gently countered.

Underneath the layer of his brown tinted contact lenses, the Kuruta's eyes burned bright red in furious anger, "I swore upon their graves that I will extract revenge on those who murdered them and retrieve the eyes that lost them their lives, and I will."

"How? Unless you've conveniently forgotten, you're one of us now," the Spider head firmly informed him.

"I may be forced, bullied, coerced and blackmailed into submitting to your whims, but I will not, and shall never become one of you!" Kurapika spat out viciously.

Chuckling softly, the raven-haired man tipped his chin down to stare at Kurapika's flushed face, "You are the most beautiful and interesting specimen," Kuroro had leant forward to brush his knuckles against the blonde's left cheek, his facial expression composed in what could be described as tenderness, thus making Kurapika jerk back in astonishment even as the Spider head stroke his cheek and murmured absently, " Even I don't understand myself anymore…"

With that, Kuroro dropped his caressing hand and resumed his former position by the window, his face completely blank and carefully devoid of any emotion. Baffled and confused, Kurapika could only stare at his companion in puzzled suspicion. However, his inner turmoil skidded to a halting stop when the Spider head jerked at his arm.

"There's the signal," Kuroro stated when he caught the silver glint of metal inside the telephone booth, unconsciously changing the topic at hand, "Time to get this show on the road."

The two moved alongside alleys within the blink of an eye, running past lampposts in a blur and stealing inside the congested building with hardly anyone noticing them. When they reached the east wing of the building, Coltopi and Bonorenofu appeared right beside them, followed by Shalnark and the rest in tow save Feitan, Phinx and Pakunoda-who were to create distractions later on.

Hisoka had arrived alongside Machi, who was threatening to hang him up by the end of his balls if he didn't stop hitting on her then and there.

"Kurapika?" It was the first time Kuroro had ever addressed their Kuruta 'member' by his first name, and was amazed at how easily it rolled off his tongue.

Still scowling and unperturbed by their earlier encounter, Kurapika revealed his dowsing chain-pointedly ignoring the fact that the Spider head had called him by his given name-and began locating the goods that were to be auctioned off. It was no easy feat, as the building was nearly sixty stories high. By the end of his initial search, he'd also started to fidget unconsciously when he'd felt Kuroro's intense stare directed at his back. A few moments later, he turned towards the source of his discomfort and asked, "Do you have the blueprint of the building?"

"No."

Annoyed to the core, the blonde could only continue his search, "This could take longer. I'm not very familiar with the building layout."

The dowsing chain suddenly stilled half a minute later, causing a vibrating reaction and jerked at its owner's finger. The blonde started dictating the location after reaffirming the accuracy of his search, "West wing. Two levels up from here. Approximately twenty-seven meters away from entry point. Vault is located two yards upon right turn."

"Impressive, those chains of yours are indeed one of a kind."

Kurapika could've sworn Kuroro delivered that awed statement in a tone of smug ardor and satisfaction. But he said nothing in reply, and had already begun to ascend the emergency stairs when Kuroro and the rest moved behind him.

If something could top the boiling point of the Kuruta's frenzied nerves at the moment, it would be right now. Not only was he actually helping the Spiders in locating the booty, he was also in the process of concocting a frantic brainstorm for them on how to usurp the loot.

The group moved with a speed invisible to the inferior eyes of the Mafia guards, with Kurapika in the lead. Quick reflexes enabled them to arrive at their destination in a matter of seconds, and as Kurapika scaled the vault with his dowsing chain, Franklin had already aimed his nen-powered fingertips at the metal door and rumbled out, "Stay back."

"No, it's protected by nen," the Kuruta held up a hand to hold off Franklin's obvious intentions, "A time-lock system has been built into every metal layer of this thing and wired to every cable connected in the security system. We can't risk alerting the guards."

"We'll just kill them off if they show up," Nobunaga muttered.

"Over my dead body," Kurapika warned the swordsman sharply. The Kuruta's brutally cold tone of voice suggested that there'll be no qualms or objections, else suffer a most violent and gruesome death.

Nobunaga was none too pleased by the Kuruta's warning tone and was on the verge of obliging him in his death wish. Shalnark had already began sweating bullets when the blonde had cut Nobunaga off, however, he himself was wise enough to keep his own thoughts in check, knowing the risk of triggering impending danger when he saw one. Machi was tapping her fingernail over her crossed arms with Hisoka sporting a lopsided leer while watching the debacle. Kuroro interceded the glaring match and called an immediately halt to the confrontation by simply holding Nobunaga off with a quick whisk of his arm, blocking the samurai's descent on the Kuruta.

"Then what do you suggest we do, genius?" Put off but not easily intimidated, Nobunaga had barked out his retort sarcastically as he could no longer hold on to his mounting anger.

"Nobu, put a lid on it," Franklin had held ground and gave Nobunaga a warning look when the samurai had placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"He's not one of us, you can't possibly let him make decisions for the group!"

"That's for the Danchou to decide, not you."

"Nobunaga, whether you acknowledge it or not, he is part of us now. However unwilling he is," Kuroro stated sternly.

The swordsman's nostrils flared, "I'll never accept him to be Ubo's replacement!"

Behind the outraged samurai, Franklin spoke in a rare, sarcastic comeback, "You're the one to talk when you practically cackled with glee in excitement during the time you had that impromptu interview with the spiky-haired brats you guys cornered. If my memory serves me right, you were hell-bent on recruiting him to replace Ubogin and wouldn't take no for an answer."

Nobunaga had the grace to flush, but firmly held on to his former vows of vengeance towards the Kuruta, "That was before I knew the kid was in cohorts with him," he finished his defense with a quick jerk of his head towards the stone-silent figure of Kurapika.

Ignoring the samurai's jibes, Kurapika's eyes zeroed in on Hisoka and pondered on whether he should actually proceed with his plan. An idea was forming inside his head, and though he wasn't exactly pleased about 'assisting' the Genei Ryodan in their pilferage-not to mention he'd have to deal with the freaky pervert of the group in the process, but he was rather thankful that Kuroro hadn't rebutted his argument and thus reduced the possible amount of blood to be shed that day.

"You use enka (manipulative nen)," the blonde said curtly. Upon Hisoka's slow nod, Kurapika plunged on, "Can you open the vault using your nen without risking exposure?"

Hisoka hummed thoughtfully, making everyone's hair stand on its end, before replying in a rather annoying singsong voice with a wag of his finger, "Only if someone can break the security code, otherwise, I'll raise the alarm."

Kuroro chose that moment to intervene once more and signaled for Shalnark to make his move.

"I'm on it," Shalnark supplied before crouching down to a kneeling position with his laptop at hand to begin decoding. Since he was a sousa (control) user, it enabled him to use his nen to infiltrate and override the software program designed to lock the vault in less a quarter of the normal amount of time it would take a professional hacker to get past the system. When the sandy-haired genius had finished with his task, he gave Kurapika a wary glance at the corner of his eye before speaking, "Hisoka can take care of the nen blockade."

Kurapika nodded to Hisoka to begin the process of unlatching the door by using his nen to manipulate the coordinates to open it, and Kuroro motioned for Machi to serve as backup for the clown in rapid succession, not that he doubted Hisoka's abilities, but it was necessary for precaution. "Machi, when that door opens, make sure that the clock wired in it stops running while we take care of the loot-but don't destroy it, we're just going to make it appear as though nothing happened."

The indigo-haired lady nodded curtly in response, and upon the release of the inner latch together with Hisoka's shrill whistle, she executed her near-invisible strings and quarantined the winding mechanism of the digital timer, paralyzing the movement of the said clock, "Ready."

"Shizuku, Coltopi, get to work."

Nobunaga had been seething in red-faced anger during the entire ordeal, but restrained himself from committing cold-blooded murder when Kuroro and Franklin each had given him a warning look.

Coltopi set out to begin the duplication of the stored treasures, and after doing so, Shizuku would 'vacuum' it up with Deme-chan. Kurapika observed the two females at work, and concluded that the two were accomplished gugenka users-tremendous assets to the Genei Ryodan, as one could copy anything under the sun and the other one to store anything she wanted-regardless of quantity, form or size, as long as it stays inside her 'vacuum sweeper' for safekeeping. Loss of one could definitely put a temporary, but still a paralyzing halt to the group's activities and cut out a huge chunk of profits off their usual accumulation. He carefully stored that information in his mind for future reference.

Inwardly berating himself for going along with the Genei Ryodan's plans, Kurapika could only glower and observe the two females at work. So absorbed in his inner thoughts that he nearly missed one particular object sitting inside a crystal case with gold strips intricately woven into it.

His eyes glowed red beneath his contact lenses as he stared disbelievingly at the phoenix-shaped amulet. There was no mistaking its craftsmanship nor its legacy, for the piece of jewelry bore the Kuruta symbol of life; it was one of the ancient Kuruta crests lost during the clan's annihilation by the Genei Ryodan.

The crest belonged to his dearly departed mother.

Bile rose up his throat as overwhelming waves of nausea clouded his nerves. Feeling as though someone had taken a swing at him, he swayed dangerously before placing a steady foot inside the vault. Breathing harshly, he pushed past a startled Kuroro and strode purposefully towards Shizuku in a near-trancelike manner. The other Spiders gave him identical looks of puzzlement as he held out a trembling hand towards the confused girl.

"Give me that amulet," the blonde spoke calmly in a wintry tone of voice as he held out his hand, palm up.

Shizuku's eyebrows drew together in utter confusion with Kurapika's quiet order, and her eyes swiveled to Kuroro for assistance. And at their Danchou's curt nod, she reluctantly placed the jewelry in Kurapika's open palm.

"What is it?" Kuroro spoke calmly as he cautiously approached the pale-faced blonde, taking careful notice of the fluctuating waves of errant aura surrounding Kurapika's entire frame. He was treading on dangerous ground right now, as he felt the fulminating currents sweep past him. One wrong move and all hell will break loose.

The Kuruta didn't grace him with an answer but instead gave him a cold, vacant stare that nearly chilled his blood.

Kurapika wasn't hearing anything at all, for images of his tortured past came back to haunt him. The scent of fresh blood and gore seemed to fill his senses once more as his mind started replaying flashbacks of his bloody history-of his coming home only to find the mutilated bodies of his clansmen scattered all over their territory of the Rukuso region-with their eyes gouged out of their sockets as blood continued to ooze out of the bloodied corpses. He remembered finding his mother's rat-infested body lying facedown in a pool of her own blood on the bank of the once crystal blue stream behind their home; the trail of blood that lingered on the cedar pillars of their rickety porch as he found the lifeless body of his sister lying eagle-spread on the steps-her blood-matted face still twisted in frozen shock and pain while her mouth still bore the telltale signs of terror and endless screaming.

Hundreds of glowing scarlet eyes seemed to envelope his entire body as he fought the first onslaught of paranoia crawling at the back of his mind while guttural and whimpering sounds gathered at his lodged throat. His entire body quaked with indescribable spasms of muted violence as the images kept on flashing from behind his tightly closed eyes.

Kuroro's eyes darted towards the amulet in Kurapika's hand, and the nerves in his stomach twisted into tight knots upon recognition of the priceless object. He'd felt as though someone had landed a solid punch at him in the gut. The pain etched on the Kuruta's face nearly became his undoing. Shoving all the unwanted emotions stirred within him by the mere look on the blonde's face, he braced a steady hand on Kurapika's trembling shoulder and shook him harshly. "Sit down before you keel over."

Coming out of his catatonic trance, the Kuruta felt his surroundings swirl and smother his senses before collapsing down on the cemented floor like a heap of bones. The amulet clattered noisily to the ground of the chamber, and his crimson eyes followed the path taken by the ornate jewelry as it slid towards a booted foot.

The amulet stopped short just by mere centimeters away from the tips of Kuroro's leather covered feet. And as the Spider head stared down broodingly at the piece of gold, he felt the blonde's lifeless stare directed at him and carefully masked his worry behind a pokerfaced stare. Bending down to retrieve the jewelry, he kept his gaze locked on Kurapika's widened eyes glazed in sorrow.

After carefully placing the amulet in Kurapika's hand, he stood up and slowly took a step backward.

Time stilled for the occupants of the vault as they stared at the heaving form of Kurapika while he tried to get his breath back. Clutching the golden crest tightly in his right palm after his repossession of the object, he stared at his companions blindly as they continued to look on.

The images began to fade slowly as the clock began to tick forward again after spinning off course a few moments back. Though shaken and still disoriented, the blonde had finally gotten hold of his haywire senses and managed to force himself to calm down while trying to get his grip back on reality.

Kuroro didn't speak, but extended a steady hand towards the traumatized blonde in a silent gesture of help. Kurapika ignored the gesture and managed to stand up on wobbly feet without assistance. He refused to speak, ignoring all other occupants of the room for fear of losing his wavering control over the internal battle of hatred erupting inside him.

The Spider head retrieved his rejected hand back, and as Kurapika slowly made his way back towards the entrace of the vault, he signaled for Coltopi and Shizuku to continue with the matter at hand.

Franklin and Shalnark had given the blonde a wide berth when he moved past them without sparing a sideward glance and stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the scrape of feet closing in behind him.

"We'll settle this later." Kuroro addressed him briskly without breaking his casual stride as he moved to stand beside Kurapika's still form.

After usurping all the contents of the vault and replacing all of them with carbon-copy replicas, Shizuku and Coltopi emerged from the metal chamber and nodded to their Danchou while Machi disengaged her strings from the time lock system.

"Stage one complete. Tell Phinx and Paku to start phase two of the plan," Kuroro informed Shalnark curtly before turning back to Kurapika and motioned for him to exit the premises with a slow tilt of his head.

Shalnark sucked in his breath in nervousness before cautiously approaching the silent Kurapika in a worried gesture of a temporary truce by softly touching the blonde's arm with his fingertips, "Kurapika-san."

"Don't touch me," the Kuruta lashed out harshly in a carefully frigid and modulated tone of voice, but didn't move a muscle to shrug the unwanted hand off. Shalnark retreated back swiftly and gave his Danchou a helpless look as the blonde swept past him without a backward glance.

"Well, that was interesting." Hisoka proclaimed cheerfully in his usual mocking saccharine tone before extending a gallant arm towards Machi-who pointedly ignored his attempt at chivalry and walked past him as though he were thin air.

To be continued…

--------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------

Notes: Somebody kill me! Damn it… one pointless chapter. I've managed to murder off half the supply of my remaining brain cells writing this chapter. Hell, and I thought writing the framework of my thesis wiped them all out already. Also, sorry for the very, very late update and the humongous amount of typo errors, I've yet to start working on the next chapter, so… just hang in there, I'm still trying to resurrect my deceased brain cells. I have absolutely no idea when the next installment will be posted, but for sure it won't be sometime soon. I'm going to have to drag myself to a brick wall and bang my head on it for hours to get some brighter, crazier ideas for the next chapter.