The Ninth || Chrollo x Reader

XXIV. The Identity

TW: The following contains depictions of mental trauma and panic attacks. Please read at your own indiscretion!

"(y/n)." A stern, feminine voice calls from behind the flames. "(y/n), why are you here?" I recognize her from the silhouette, and from the shadows of those around her. Cheadle Yorkshire, the Dog Zodiac and the 14th Chairman of the Hunter Association.

An overwhelming urge to laugh rises up from within me. An absurd amusement that twists my throat and leaves it bare and dry. I look at the emptiness beside me, and notice the disappearance of Shalnark.

I flinch, it felt as though he'd left me, abandoned me, even, when in reality he'd planned to slip through the back to bomb the opposite area of the building as discussed.

My heart begins to race, and a trickle of sweat drips from my forehead. It's the heat of the flames, though I also feel my inner body temperature rise. Tears sting the corners of my eyes, and I swallow harshly before replying,

"Why are you here, Cheadle? To kill me?" I muse. My eyes flicker wide with a strange sort of bitter humor. "Do you want to kill me, Cheadle?" She does not reply, her jaw set. Her eyes are dull, implying that she feels a bit of disappointment, or even sadness.

The girl's mother smiles sadly, as she strokes her daughter's hair. "Why is it that the world is evil, (y/n)?" Her daughter's eyes were shut, as she was tucked beneath a blanket. The pale moonlight shines on her face through the window of their home.

Though her mother had presumed her to be asleep, the girl opens her eyes. Thoughtfully, she replied, "Because they went through bad things, that's what you said earlier, right, Mom?"

Her mother sighed, as she said, "I take that back. That would just mean that the whole earth was evil. It-"

My eyes snap back to reality, and I see Cheadle's figure approach me, her hand extended. However, as my mind senses my surroundings, my thoughts are pondering with my mother's words.

The world is evil, and she'd known that too. With that, I even wonder if this is the earth or if this hell itself. However, why did she not accept the truth? The truth is that the world is malicious, it takes and it greeds and lusts for more.

"The world can be good, too, (y/n). With every good there is bad, and with every bad, there is good. No one is ever truly evil or truly perfect. There is only the in-between," her mother said. She smiled and clapped in pride as she added, "There! That's what I wanted to say earlier!"

My mind flashes instantly to Chrollo. Is there a chance that he-

No. I grit my teeth, and dig my nails into the palms of my hands. Trickles of blood begin to drip from it's skin, and my vision blurs between the image of Chrollo to Cheadle who stands awaiting me.

"No one is ever truly evil or truly perfect." My mother's voice whispers into my ear.

Then what is he? And what am I?

Who am I?

"Who are you?" Cheadle asks me, awakening me from my thoughts. The strong smell of smoke singes my nose, and washes away the smell of blood that paints the walls. Her arm has dropped, both her hands at her side.

"Are you the Snake, or are you the Spider?" Cluck asks, stepping from behind her. Around her, the rest of the Zodiacs begin to appear, away from the shadows and out from behind. I see them, their eyes cold as they meet mine. Cheadle, Cluck, Pyon, Ginta, and Leorio. The other six are most likely scrambling back from Yorknew, as the distraction would at most hinder them useless for a few hours.

Together they stand, together, without me. It is as though they'd left me. Left me unlike the Sp-

"I am the Snake," I reply, my voice monotonous. My tears have been blinked away, and my throat scorched from the words that'd clawed their way from my mouth. "What I do, I do for you, even if they are things you will not understand."
As these words leave my mouth, I reach into the pocket of my jacket, and slip out a piece of paper. On this, I'd scrawled notes of the Spiders, their abilities, their appearances, and their names.

Holding it between my fingers, I say, "I am the spy of the Zodiacs, am I not?" To this, not a single person objects. However, Ginta, the sheep Zodiac, angrily shakes his head, as he replies,

"(y/n), you are not the Spider. You are not a Hunter. You are not a human being." My eyes flash towards Ginta, though I do not speak. He continues, "A human being would not have done the things you've done. They would not have stolen lives for the sake of a job. A human being is something that you are not. And with that, I ask you, what are you?" His eyes seem to fill with tears, and he clenches his fists passionately as he awaits my response.

Ginta steps from behind Cheadle, who mutters a word in warning. Without listening, Ginta approaches me, and walks to me until we are merely two feet apart. His puffed hair raises from the friction of the heat, and his large eyes blaze in anger that matches the flames.

Who are you?

Who are you?

The words flutter and flicker through my mind. They do not understand, they have not experienced pain. I grip the fabric before my heart, and feel my chest writhe in pain. My heart beats violently against my chest, and I wish for it to burst, and I wish for this pain to disappear.

Tears flow freely from my eyes. What am I, what am I, what am I. For I am not a person that they know, and I am not a human being. I am merely a girl who wishes to avenge the death of her mother.

Hope swells within my chest. Yes, I am a girl who wishes to avenge the death of her mother, that is what I am. I am-

The ninth Spider. These words hiss and whisper harshly into my mind. Chills creep from beneath me, and cracks form inside my soul. The whispers flow in a ruthless, melodic tone, singing the song of truth.

I am the Snake zodiac.

I am the ninth Spider.

For they are the only people that understand me, and the only people that stand beside me.

Who are?

I am at a loss for words. My chest seizes up, and oxygen ceases to exist inside my lungs. I gasp for breath, shaking, trembling, wishing to breathe. Suffocating emptiness and hollowness continues to flow within me, choking me, wrapping it's hands around my throat.

Those who wish to aid you in revenge? Or those who killed your mother?

Ginta steps back, his eyes blazing with a fury that is stronger than the heat of the flames surrounding me. I feel two hands rest upon my shoulders, and turn to see Chrollo, knelt down beside me. He smiles warmly, and behind him are the rest of the Spiders. Franklin, Nobunaga, Machi, Phinks, Feitan, Kortopi, Bonolenov, Shizuku, Kalluto, and Shalnark. Their eyes are focused on the threat before them, the Zodiacs.

Who are those who stand with you?

The Phantom Troupe.

And who are you?

The ninth Spider.

Author's note: I found the personality of this (y/n) to be really conflicting, and I hope that showed in this chapter! If you liked it, please remember to vote :)) The tone of this story has kind of twisted, and hopefully the development of (y/n) made sense to you, as I'd stretched it as far as from the beginning til now, just to make her acceptance of her identity as natural as possible. Remember to leave criticism or feedback so I can improve!
~Amorevolous