Shuffle The Deck

Chapter 38 - Carousel

"Come now, my darling."

She did as she was told, not making eye contact with anyone before she disappeared from the room behind Hisoka. He was completely silent as they walked, even as they left the building.

Lilah followed his fast-paced lead in the quietness, a curious expression on her face.

"We have a small meeting to attend today. I should have given you hindsight."

"I wanted an excuse to be alone with you, anyway," she yawned.

He eyed her with a smirk and paused his steps. She blinked as her hips were dipped in his arms, her face dangerously close to his. "You shouldn't tempt me, my dear."

"Oh, but it makes it so much more fun."

She pressed her lips against his softly, feeling a smile crease from underneath. His golden eyes lay upon her pale face with an intention that didn't require any words to initiate.

"You make it difficult to resist," he sighed dejectedly. "But we must make haste. I made a promise I intend to keep. This time, at least."

With a nod, they began walking hand in hand. The midnight air wasn't as off-putting as the scenery around them, which was soon replaced by a lush forest .

"So, who are you meeting with?"

"You'll see. It's no one you're unfamiliar with."

She raised an eyebrow. "What is the purpose of this, again?"

"You ask too many questions, darling."

Opening her mouth to retort, she closed it promptly. Arguing would get her nowhere. "Fine."

"Good girl."

Arriving at a run-down amusement park was not what she had expected. Hisoka left her to sit on one of the horses on a carousel a few meters away from him, shuffling his deck of cards in his hands.

She watched him, her hands gripping the rusty iron bar that went through the porcelain horse. With a heavy sigh, her eyes drifted to the ground, but they spiked up as a familiar aura entered her radar, and she quickly activated her Zetsu.

Hisoka was throwing the cards on the floor in a swift movement, sliding them to cover each other as the person began to walk closer.

Lilah's eyes went wide as she saw who it was, and had to stop herself from releasing her Zetsu.

Kurapika began approaching Hisoka cautiously, his appearance not having changed.

The two began conversing, leaving Lilah in the dark. Her boredom came in the form of a heavy yawn, occasionally watching the two talk and then admiring the rustic carousel. This must have been one of the main attractions of the park.

Her eyes landed back to Kurapika, who was staring blankly back at her. She froze in place and released her Zetsu, standing up from the horse. But instead of a ferocious glare, or a frustrated sound, he shot her a small, innocent smile.

Without an opportunity to even speak, Kurapika turned and walked away like nothing had ever happened.

Hisoka chuckled softly as the blonde retreated, standing up from his seated position. Lilah followed, joining him by his side. He stared off to where the blonde walked and put his hand on her shoulder. She placed her hand on top of his, following Kurapika's figure until he was nothing but a speck in the distance.

"That was interesting, to say the least."

He chuckled and tipped her chin to face him. "Everything will make sense very soon, my dear."

With a quick movement, he picked up her body in his two hands, pressing her close to his chest.

She smiled gently as she walked with her as if she were a prized possession, gently explaining the situation at hand. Kurapika's utter hatred for the Troupe, his assistance in eradicating them one by one, and acting as a member to have an opportunity to fight Chrollo.

"I had a sense you had ulterior motives."

"You know me so well."

He stared at the path before them, recognizing the rubble before him.

"You do realize what will be happening, my darling?"

With a small sigh, Lilah nodded. "For the most part at least. The auction was called off after we infiltrated, and I would think it will be resuming any day now."

"That's correct," he said with a sly tone. "Tonight, to be exact."

She looked up at his face innocently and quickly nodded her head.

"I understand."

As they approached the changed location of the hideout, many Troupe members were missing. Lilah walked a few strides in front of Hisoka, who wore an upturned smirk at the sight of fewer members present. Nobunaga, Machi, Paku, and Phinks weren't there.

Chrollo was sitting amid the crushed cement and broken rocks, reading his book as usual. He tilted his head slightly upwards from his novel, locking eyes with Hisoka, who had a tentative sneer on his face.

He fully picked his body up from the slumped-over position, to see both Lilah and Hisoka there. He let out a small relieved sigh and a kind smile appeared on his face.

He stood up from his sitting position, closing his book with one hand.

"Welcome back. I appreciate you being here early for once, Hisoka," he said in a cool tone, tucking the novel into his coat pocket with ease.

Hisoka smirked with a small smile.

"For her sake," he gestured grandly to Lilah, "I would go to lengths just to do almost anything."

She folded her arms with a scoff. "Liar."

Chrollo smiled bleakly, looking around the room. He took a few steps down from the rock he was on and began a steady march to a dark exit of the area they were in.

"Where are you headed, boss?" Shizuku asked, picking her head up from her magazine.

He turned his head around and shot a small smile in her direction. "I'll just be a little while. Don't mind me."

She nodded and brought her attention back to her magazine, not questioning his response in the slightest.

Hisoka trailed up a bit higher from where Chrollo sat, placing himself down on a mountain of rock. Lilah followed, motioning his body to hers. She let her legs hang off the side of the rock, caressing the top of Hisoka's head as it lay in her lap.

Lilah smiled as he closed his eyes, feeling his chest rise and fall underneath her right palm.

A little while passed, and it was around five in the afternoon now. Lilah and Hisoka had been sitting in the same position, comfortable and unmoving.

Hisoka trailed his hand to hers, which was resting on his chest. Squeezing it gently, she looked into his half-opened honey eyes. "You're beautiful," he mused quietly.

Lilah lay her palm against his cheek, meeting his abnormally soft gaze. 

But just as her thoughts wandered elsewhere, footsteps echoed around the area, getting closer by the second. Lilah and Hisoka faced their eyes in the direction of where the steps were coming from and stared curiously. She thought it was just Paku and the others returning from their mission Chrollo had given them, but there was something completely unexpected that occurred.

Paku was the first to step up the stairs but paused for a second to introduce two people to the hideout. Lilah's eyes went wide with fear as she saw who the two were, recognizing them immediately. Dread washed over her as their frightened faces entered the hideout, and Hisoka felt her breath stop for a second.

In front of her eyes were Gon and Killua.