Phantom Troupe's Web

Chapter 40.

Silence fills the space, the band of thieves stands surrounding their leader and web; candle flames flicker in the breeze, its lumination providing a view of the two ringleaders to the group. A dichromatic-haired female sits elegantly with her legs crossed beside the leader, an arm hooked around his and her head resting lightly on his shoulder; her eyes watch the candle flames, a sense of peace filling her as she listens to the man's calm voice.

"A chain user...He's probably a Manipulator or a Conjurer. Uvogin is a dominating fighter, but in a 1-on-1 fight, he is the most vulnerable to those two categories," Chrollo theorises, lifting his head slightly to look at his followers. "Many Conjurers enhance the things they create. Some of those abilities could render Uvo useless. And a Manipulator could manipulate Uvo himself," he further elaborated, staring ahead.

"I should have gone with him! Damn it!" Shalnark curses, feeling angry with himself for allowing the berserker to leave and fight the chain user alone.

"If he fails to return by dawn, we'll switch plans," Chrollo looks up at them, turning to the female sitting beside him. "Iris, will you take care of this?" he turns his head to the female beside him.

The woman trained her eyes from the flame to him, looking up through her lashes with a frown; she sighed softly and bobs her head up and down, pivoting her attention to the surrounding troupe members. "We'll send two of us into town to lure the chain user out if Uvo isn't back by dawn," Illuki tells them, holding up two fingers. he members nod their heads, disbursing to their own spaces within the main loft.

She watches each of them walk away from where she and Chrollo sat on a rock slab; she unhooks her arm from his and picks up a random book from beside her feet. She opens it, skimming the contents as she thinks out loud, allowing Chrollo to hear her thoughts. "Our best options are to send Machi and Nobunaga. For safety measures, send Phinks and Paku to trail them."

"You never ceased to amaze me, Iris," Chrollo compliments the Zoldyck female, taking the novel from her hands and closing it. "Rest. I'll send them when the time comes," he tells her.

Illuki nods, resting her head on his shoulder; her eyes fluttering shut.

•••

Leorio, Gon and Killua sit in a cafe, spying on the two Phantom Troupe members who are roaming the town in plain sight. The eldest of the trio had submitted a request for a couple to trail after the thieves until the trio arrived to confirm their identities; when it was confirmed, Killua wired the money to the couple – watching them hurriedly leave their seats.

"Okay, we should decide our next move. How do we catch those two?" Leorio asks the two children, holding up two fingers.

"It's impossible," Killua interjects, catching his friends' attention. He leans his head to the side, resting his cheek against his closed hand. "They're out of our league."

"What was that? We won't know until we try! And why are you saying this now?!" Leorio rapidly questions, standing up from his seat.

"Quit fussing...They'll notice us. But it's still true. I knew as soon as I saw them," Killua tells the older man, prompting him to sit back down as he pulls his drink closer to him. "My dad killed one of the Spiders for a job before. It was one of the few times I've ever heard him complain. He said the job wasn't worth the price," he reveals, taking a sip before removing his drink back to where it previously sat. "That's the highest compliment he ever gives to a target. And he told us to stay away from the Troupe," he remembers the day his father returned from the job and advised his children aside from Illuki to avoid the band of thieves, the white-haired assassin thinking back to the image of his older sister on the target flyer. "It's been a few years since he told me, so I thought we might stand a chance."

"They're really that strong?" Leorio asked timidly.

Killua turns his head to the male. "It might help if you pretend two Hisokas were sitting there," he tells the pair, noticing their paled faces and blank stares.

"Yeah, that's more than what we can handle."

"So, why do you think they're here?" the assassin asked Leorio and Gon, the glasses-wearing male suggesting the pair were on a date, which Gon believed by the ever-so logically Killua, debunked their thoughts. "No, they noticed that other couple behind them. They're paying close attention to their surroundings. At first, I thought it was just caution because the Mafia is after them. But in that case, they wouldn't be sitting in a public place. They aren't worried at all," the young assassin goes on to explain the troupe members' intentions of being in town.

•••

"Her?" Chrollo asks his Web and Shalnark, holding a printed picture of Neon Nostrade in his hand. While Machi and Nobunaga were playing bait, the leader took his trusted right-hand companion and the smart blonde to one of the houses Uvogin had invaded during his rampant search for the chain user.

"Yes, she is Nostrade's daughter. Her name is Neon," Shalnark tells the man, sitting in front of the computer with their Web perched on the desk beside the monitor – her legs swinging in an unmatching, rhythmical back and forth; her blue eyes watch Chrollo carefully while listening to Shalnark's cheery voice. "According to the online Hunter information, the chain user is one of her bodyguards. As for her other bodyguards, we have pictures and names for these five."

"She's been sheltered by her dad since she was a kid," the female told the pair, humming as she leaned slightly forward; her hands gripping the table underneath her. Being the only Hunters of the troupe, Shalnark and Illuki had special access to the official Hunter Association website where a bunch of information was posted for other Hunters to see.

"And this girl is responsible for Nostrade's success?" Chrollo asked, staring down emptily at the image.

"Her Nen ability could be useful. It's called Ghost Writer I believe, you might want to steal it," Illuki tells the leader, humming slightly as she leans forward. Her blue orbs follow his figure as he walks towards the wardrobe, changing into a suit.

Illuki informs him, her blue orbs watching as he slips on the blazer she had prepared for him; he adjusts the sleeves, wrapping a bandage around his forehead to cover his identifiable tattoo. "Take care of the chain user for me," he tells the two of them, walking closer to the front door. Shalnark responds nonchalantly, maintaining focus on the computer in front of him while their Web waved her fingers at him.

"Have fun~," the Zoldyck woman giggles, bringing an unnoticeable smile to Chrollo's face before it falls as the door closes behind him.