Trials and Tribulations - A Kurapika x FEM!O.C. Fanfiction (HUNTER X HUNTER)

27. Shutting x Up

We walked into the hideout, a large abandoned building on the edge of town. The first thing I noticed was two people. One was Hisoka. I felt my blood boil but I controlled myself to not have any reaction. Next was a girl with shoulder-length black hair and big glasses. She was the girl that Gon had arm-wrestled the other day. The one who he said was pretty strong. Before I could signal to Gon to keep his mouth shut he spotted Hisoka and exclaimed,
"Uh... hey!" Not good. I wanted to slap him upside the head but I knew that would only be more suspicious. Instead, I just looked at him with a confused look. He read the room and Killua took note too.
"What, do you know someone here?" The man with long brown hair asked. I looked at Killua and he didn't even flinch before replying,
"Uh... no," He said, rubbing the back of his head. I bit my lip and pretended to notice the girl.
"Hey, Gon. Wasn't that the girl you arm-wrestled the other day?" I asked. I had to save our asses somehow. Gon took note and nodded.
"Is that true Shizuku? You know these guys?" Asked the blond man in the green tracksuit. I took note of the name. The black-haired girl was Shizuku. She looked up from her book and replied with a confused expression,
"No, I sure don't." Her voice was high-pitched and monotone. Interesting. All the auras in the room were exceedingly powerful. It was almost deafening. I narrowed my brow and shrugged. Maybe I was wrong.
"Oh... I remember now. The kid who arm wrestles." Said the man with short black hair and a neck scarf thing covering half his face. His skin was pale as snow which heavily contrasted his black clothing.
"You do? Refresh my memory," Shizuku said, confused. She must have had a poor memory.
"That kid," A big man with extended earlobes and overalls on pointed to Gon. "You lost to him in an arm-wrestling contest two days ago."
"I did? He beat me? That's a lie! I'm not the strongest but I wouldn't lose to kid!" I tried not to react. Gon was no ordinary kid. I knew that by now. Even just in the time, I'd known him his aura had increased significantly. He was definitely something else.
"Well, it was because you were using your right hand." The big man explained. This was good. They were focused on bickering instead of us. It at least bought us some time.
"I did? But why? I'm lefthanded!" Shizuku exclaimed. She appeared to have completely forgotten the encounter.
"Don't bother. Once she has forgotten something it is gone for good." Said the pale man with the scarf.
"Right. Never mind, I must have been mistaken." The big man conceded as Shizuku returned to her book. I clenched my fists. These were the people who had killed my mom? Did they even remember her? It infuriated me but I knew I couldn't do anything. The best thing I could do right now would be to keep my cool and protect my friends.
"I thought so," Shizuku responded.
"Hold on, is that right? You really beat Shizuku?" The man with long hair asked. Killua let out a sigh of relief but I couldn't relax even slightly. If I did I would do something stupid and get all three of us killed.
"Yeah." Gon responded, looking at the man. I kept my eyes on the two, biting my lip and trying to keep my cool.
"Man... I never would have imagined that she was a Phantom Troupe member..." Killua said, trying to appear more relaxed. The man put his hair up into a ponytail and looked at Gon.
"Okay, then show me what you got."

For a while, the two went at it, match after match, Gon losing every time. I had to do everything to stop myself from helping him. I felt helpless again. Just like the first time I met Hisoka. Just like Gons battle with Hanzo. I couldn't do anything. I could tell Gon was frustrated while the man's face was unwavering. His aura told a different story, however. He was grieving. Who was he grieving?
"So, how do I stack up against all the other spiders? Be honest." The man asked the other Troupe members. I was watching everyone's auras intensely as well as trying to make sure I kept the aura around my Third Eye level. It was mentally strenuous but it had to be done.
"Probably seventh or eighth I'd guess." Said the big man standing behind Killua and I.
"Well, you aren't the weakest, but not the strongest either." Said the woman with pink hair. I bit my lip.
"Right. The strongest member of the Troupe was this guy called Uvogin. But it's starting to look like the Chain User killed him." Replied the man. So that's who he was grieving.
"We told you, we have no clue who that is!" Killua exclaimed. I grabbed his shoulder and gave him a look. Shut. Up.
"Hey kid, speak without my permission again and I'll kill you." He responded. Killua looked at me, fear in his aura. I just squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and turned back to look at Gon. His hand was bruised and bloody. It was possible he had broken a couple of small bones but it was impossible to know without examining it closely.
"Uvogin was an enhancer. He was simple-minded, straightforward and he loved a good fight. Punctual, a real stickler about time. Whenever Franklin or I were late, he would always start something. He beat the crap out of me more than once I can tell ya. I've known him since before the Troupe was founded. I know him better than anyone. He would never, I mean never, lose in a fair fight, you hear me! Not unless he was caught in some dirty trap! I'll make his killer pay. I'll find him, no matter who I have to kill! The Chain User holds some kind of grudge against us. A strong one. The Mafia's Nostrade family hired him recently. You may not know him personally, but maybe you heard rumors. So think hard, alright? You better not hold anything back." Said the long-haired man. I grit my teeth and clenched my fist. They were all sick. They could feel empathy for their friends but not the innocents they slaughtered? I wanted to watch them rot. I completely understood how Kurapika felt. Wait... chain user? Recent hire? Could it be???
"I told you I don't know him. But even if I did, I still wouldn't give him up to you! I thought you all were a bunch of cold-blooded monsters but I see you can shed tears for your friends." Gon was getting very angry. His aura flared up and before I even realized it he was using ren. Shit. I had to stop him before he got himself hurt!
"So you're capable of empathy. But you've killed.. you've killed so many people! Why couldn't you feel that for them? What the hell is wrong with you?!" He slammed the man's hand onto the stone, finally winning his first match. My eyes widened as I felt the tension and anger in the room elevate. I felt an obscene amount of bloodlust. It was like a thick smoke I couldn't breathe in. Within only a few seconds the man with the scarf was behind Gon, pinning his arm behind his back and pressing him onto the stone.
"Careful, you're too cocky." He said in his wispy voice.
"Gon!" Killua and I gasped in unison, only being able to take a step forward before I felt a card at my neck. It was Hisoka. Shit! I stopped in my tracks and barely breathed.
"Move and I'll cut you." He said with so much malice and power. The bloodlust in the room was overwhelming. I was having trouble focusing.
"Answer the question. Do you know who the Chain User is?" The man with the scarf asked in a monotone voice.
"I told you! I'm not telling you anything so get off of me!" Gon exclaimed. My eyes widened. Damnit Gon! Don't be stupid! The man raised an eyebrow and suddenly I saw his bloodlust triple in size. My breath caught in my throat. He was going to hurt Gon.
"Feitan. Stop it." Said the man with long hair. So the scarfed man was named Feitan.
"Stop what?" He asked innocently.
"Stop doing what you're just about to do." The long-haired man said with conviction as he rubbed his wrist.
"Oh? You think you know what I'm about to do?" Feitan asked, watching the long-haired man intensely.
"You're going to break his arm, aren't you?" He asked for confirmation. Feitans stance and aura were unwavering.
"I would start with a finger. Peel off a nail." He wasn't bluffing. That much was obvious. I bit my lip to stop myself from getting myself killed.
"Doesn't matter. I told you to stop it!" The long-haired man said. I realized this was now a battle of wits and conviction between the two men. Gon's fate relied on the outcome.
"You're giving me orders? I don't have to obey." Feitan said, anger evident in his deep black aura. The long-haired man slammed his foot onto the stone. And the two stared, anger filling their auras.
"Hey. Quit it Nobunaga." Said the big man. So his name was Nobunaga.
"What, have you already forgotten the rules?" Asked the pink-haired woman.
"There's not physical fighting among Troupe members," Shizuku said, looking up from her book. Nobunaga looked at the two and sighed.
"I know I know. Disputes are decided with a coin toss." Nobunaga took a coin from his pocket and flipped it, holding the coin onto his arm.
"Heads." Said Feitan.
"Then I'm tails," Said Nobunaga. "It's heads." My eyes widened. Feitan was going to torture Gon.
"Wait!" I gasped, sweat rolling down my forehead. Suddenly all eyes were on me. "You want to find the Chain User, right? He's a nen user who uses chains?" Killua and Gon were both looking at me like I was stupid.
"Yes. What do you know?" Asked Feitan, ready to hurt Gon if I slipped up. I swallowed my fear.
"I don't know the Chain User but I can help you find him. I have an ability called Third Eye where I can see someone's aura by looking at them and their nen abilities by concentrating. I could easily find your man if I see him. If you don't believe me ask her, she can verify it." I pointed to the woman with blonde hair. I could tell her ability was tied to memory. Nobunaga looks at her.
"Pakunoda, can you check?" She nodded and walked over to me.
"Are you telling the truth?" She touched my arm and looked back at the Troupe and nodded.
"I'll help you if you promise that you won't harm the kids," I said, trying to swallow the fear inside me. They all looked at each other and I bit my lip in anticipation.
"I'll call the boss. If she tries anything kill the kid." The woman with pink hair said as she took out her phone. It appeared everyone respected her to an extent. For once no one argued back. The next few minutes felt like an eternity. She returned, narrowing her eyes at me.
"Boss will be back later to determine what to do. He said, for now, to keep all three here and a close eye on them." Finally, Feitan let go of Gon. He jumped back to where Killua and I were before another Troupe member placed a hand on my shoulder.
"I'll be responsible for the girl. I'll keep an eye on her. Who's got the kids?" I looked back to see it was the big man from earlier. Based on the name of his abilities I figured he had been the one that killed all those people after Mitsuki and I left.
"I'll watch the boys." Said Nobunaga. I could tell he held some positive feelings toward Gon. I wasn't sure what it was but I think Gon reminded him of his dead friend. Nobunaga took the boys into the other room. I guess they were doing the whole divide and conquer thing.
"So, you're a Third Eye user? I've only heard of you guys. Never met one before." Commented the big man who had decided he would be in charge of me. I nodded.
"Weren't you the girl who escaped the auction the other day? Where's your friend?" Asked the woman named Pakunoda.
"Yeah, that was me. I don't know where my friend went." I told the truth as I sat on one of the rocks. After a while of Troupe members talking all hush to themselves, I heard someone walking in. I perked up from my plans of escape to see an attractive-looking man with slicked-back black hair, a menacing cross tattoo on his forehead, a long feathered coat, and a suspicious-looking book in his hand walk into the room. At that moment I felt the respect in everyone's auras. This man... he walked up to me and extended his hand. I almost stumbled back when I saw the amount of nen abilities he had.
"My name is Chrollo Lucilfer. Nice to meet you,"