Vagabonds

Wicked Games

"Did you hear what happened two weeks ago in the Slums?"

"I know. Those poor ladies. I can't believe someone could be a monster to kill them in their own homes."

"I bet it was someone that Hina knew. That woman was always in some kind of trouble. I knew her family, they're good people. I bet they're so distraught. Losing not only their daughter, but her boy is missing too?"

"I heard about that. That poor child was probably traumatized and ran away. I don't blame him. I just hope they don't find his body later on."

Hisoka lurked on the rooftop above a small café downtown. It had been days since he had last eaten, and he was waiting until closing to try to steal a piece of...something. He smiled coyly at the conversation between the older women below. Traumatized? Ran away? Those women don't even know the fire that man started inside of me. I don't know whether to thank him or make him suffer. His stomach growled, showing no mercy to the boy. He looked above. The sun sat directly in the middle of the sky. Hisoka felt that he might pass out if he had to wait any longer for food.

Waiting seemed pointless, and the two women started talking about things that he didn't understand, nor care to know, so he decided to hightail it out of there. Before leaving the Slums, Hisoka visited the apartment upstairs to see how best to hunt his mother's killer. There he discovered the body of the man's lover, lying on her stomach in their kitchen area. It appeared that she had been hit on the back of the head with a hammer. Hisoka ran his tongue over his teeth. Well it seems he's been quite the busy man! It wouldn't be right unless I held him accountable for two deaths. Of course given his age, Hisoka had never killed anyone before, but fighting on the playground at school gave him such a rush. Other children liked to pick on him because of his financial status-and the many visits of drunken Hina-but he was never the type to back down from a bully. He had quickly earned the reputation of a child you didn't want to mess with, and he had been deduced to hushed whispers and ill rumors. Since no one wanted to purposely fight him anymore, Hisoka hadn't had a thrill in so long. And here destiny sat in front of him-obligating him to take vengeance. How delightful!

Looking around the mess of a place -it made his own apartment seem like a deluxe hotel suite—he discovered that the man and his lover were quite the travelers. Stolen ID's were kept in the bedroom drawer along with bus tickets that took them frequently to Goldlink City. Hisoka knew from his mother that Goldlink City was a place where many mob bosses and kingpins would set up their nightclubs and bars due to the heavy tourists who ventured to York New City. It was said that women would sell themselves for money in the area, and Hisoka knew from the arguments he overheard that the man and woman that lived here partook in such events. And if you're trying to escape a murder or two, what better place than Goldlink City where the cops were just a crooked as the crooks?

Hisoka hopped his way off of the rooftops and into the alleyway. He tried to ignore the aching in his stomach and took out the deck of cards he had. He shuffled them as he walked aimlessly through the alley, trying to focus on cutting a clean deck. The feeling of the cool, smooth coated paper between his fingers gave him a sort of relaxation he welcomed. It did take his mind off of being hungry for the time being, but it didn't seem to help the side effects. He was now hallucinating; smelling what seemed like to be fresh apples emerging from the otherwise garabage infested alley.

Hisoka squinted his eyes up a bit towards the final end of the alley. It turned out his hunger pains weren't playing a trick on him. Behind one of the dumpsters sat a small basket of apples and half eaten cheese. Hisoka smiled and fastened his pace towards the unexpected treasure.

Reaching the basket, he looked around suspiciously. Who would just leave this here of all places? His stomach quieted his questions with a loud rumble, and Hisoka bent down to grab an apple. He closed his eyes and bit into it, savoring the sweetness and refreshing juice. Have apples always been this delicious? He chewed it slowly, not wanting his meal to end. Suddenly a sharp pain to his free arm caused him to drop the apple.