A Worthy Opponent (HunterxHunter)

Chapter 48: A Thread of Courage

"All the guards have been knocked out except the ones in the grand room with the people," Feral said. Chills rooting through him from the limited time they had to make the cure. His gaze fixated on the purple dust clouds, steaming from the windows below them.

"Why didn't you use the gas on the people too?" Ahmad asked. He was kneeling beside Bisky with a rain-bowed pile of assorted plants, picking through them. "Wouldn't it be easier to give them the antidote knocked out?"

Feral shook his head. "I can't mix chemicals or it becomes problematic." He rubbed his arm remembering how he got caught in the first place by the Warden. "The results won't be the same."

"Show me the poison one more time on this plant. I need to make sure I'm mixing the right ingredients. Kurapika, any sight of Riv?" Ahmad's hands were meticulously growing more herbs from his seeds, pressing leaves and petals together as Feral released the dragon's poison onto the flowered subject. Their eyes were glued to their tasks in concentration.

"No," Kurapika said joining them on the roof. He placed a cup of water beside Ahmad. "He's not in the building. How's the cure going? What's the time limit?"

Ahmad wiped his forehead. "Illumi said around 3 hours to process from the moment they're intoxicated. The women he was with earlier were already experiencing symptoms and started drinking when they first came into the building. We have less than thirty minutes to get this cure to the citizens."

Kurapika balled his fist. "This stunt is only playing into his hand. He's getting rid of masses of people while also using it to buy time. I would go after Riv myself but something tells me we're still missing something." He knelt next to Bisky as well, lifting her into his arms. "And we need Raine to wake her up don't we?"

Feral closed his hands immediately, letting out just enough poison to wilt the flower for Ahmad to study. His arms dropped to his sides, relieved. So far he'd been able to release the gas and absorb it back at will. Though it was easy when it was just the guards, empty halls, and not a life or death situation.

"Alright," Ahmad finished. A small bunch of herbs had been crushed to flakes before being scooped up and poured into the water Kurapika had brought. He handed Feral the cure after mixing it.

Feral took it slowly, an entire village of lives in his hands. His palms sweat as he cradled it near him, covering the top.

"Uh...you can turn the liquid into a gas right?" Ahmad asked noticing his hesitation.

Feral nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll be fi--

He jolted back shrieking. Illumi was standing blatantly next to Feral, staring at him with darkened eyes.

"S-stop doing that! You almost made me spill the cure," he stammered.

"Ah, Illumi, what happened?" Ahmad said dusting his hands off.

"I used the pins on the guards in the room so there shouldn't be any commotion handling them. The animals are taken care of as well."

Kurapika stood up. "Alright. Illumi, accompany Feral with the citizens. I'm gonna blow the cone again to contact Hisoka."

Feral stared at the cup, about to reach his hand in to absorb the liquid before he choked on his breath. "W-wait, I'm going with the assassin now?"

"There a problem?" Illumi crouched lower, meeting his eye level.

Feral shuttered shooing him out of his face. He turned away grumbling, hunching over the cup as if the man would knock it over on purpose. "Alright I copied the antidote..." he mumbled.

"Ring us when you finish," Ahmad said. "Hisoka should be here any moment with--

"Raine!" Kurapika cried running.