Phantom Troupe's Web

Chapter 44.

"I'm just saying, a girl like her is bound to pull an act like that," the Zoldyck female says to the receiver of her call, an arm drapes over her chest as she leans against a wall, her eyes watching the bright blue-haired girl and her escorts. "And would you look at that~ She's going into the bathroom. This will be her chance to escape her bodyguards," she mutters into the phone, grinning as she spots the Nostrade girl leave with a group of women. "Heading for the entrance now," she reports before hanging up the phone.

A soft, almost inaudible giggle escapes from her lips as she trails after the naive girl to the entrance of the mall where she spots the Specialist throwing out a dark wig and stomping out the double, gliding doors. "Shall we?" she leans her head back, smiling at the approaching figure and nods with a closed-eye smile.

The woman summons her Nen griffin in an alleyway, straddling the transparent creature and taking to the skies; tracking the car Chrollo was using from an ariel view. She follows the vehicle through the gateway to the auction, landing on the roof of the building and dismissing her beloved griffin; her figure blends into the crowd of people, weaving her way to the cafe lounge where she knew the leader and Neon would be. She smiles as she is welcomed into the establishment, ordering herself a needed cup of tea and sitting at the table behind the pair.

"I've heard that you're a good fortuneteller," Chrollo tells the young girl sitting across from him, his eyes darting quickly to the side to find his right-hand companion sitting behind her with a coy smile. "Someone once mentioned it to me. I can't remember who..," he trails off softly, pretending to think.

"I'm good. Important people request my services all the time," Neon tells the man with a bright smile. "They say I'm always right," she tells him after he asks about the accuracy rates of her fortune reads.

Chrollo light teases the girl, smiling warmly at her. "Could you tell my fortune?" Neon agrees, informing him to write down his full name, birthday and blood type on a piece of paper – which he did, writing them in his notebook, and sliding it over to her. "Will this work?"

"Chrollo Lucifer...That's a weird name," the Specialist says, looking up to the man who informs her about his friends calling him 'boss', erupting a laugh from the petite female. "What? That's even weirder," she chuckles.

Behind her, the troupe leader exchanges knowing glances with Illuki who smirks, lifting the warm cup of tea to her lips as she watches Neon spin the pen in her hand before a violet glow encases her. Chrollo and Illuki observe the naive girl go into a trace, writing down the leader's fortune before coming to reality, smiling at him. "Can I read it?" the girl slides the notebook back to him, allowing the man to pick it up and read it.

"My fortunes are a little strange. They're usually made up of four or five poems. Each one corresponds to a week of that month, so the stuff in the first one might have already happened," Neon explains to him, taking a sip of her drink.

'Oh you sweet child,' Illuki thought, setting the ceramic cup down and running a hand through the dark side of her hair. Without realising it, the Nostrade girl had explained her Nen ability to the Phantom Troupe leader whose Nen ability involved stealing others' Nen ability.

"This is amazing. It's correct," Chrollo says, taking a deep breath and wiping the stray tears away from his eyes. "About this first poem..," he began but the blue-haired female ushers him to not tell her about the fortune as she feels as though her fortunes will be more accurate if she isn't involved with them. "Then may I ask you a question? The verse refers to a requiem for the dead. Do you believe in the afterlife?"

"Hmm...Not really. Fortunes are written to help the living. In this case, it's for you, Mr.Chrollo. I'm guessing that the requiem is meant to help you, not the dead," she says to the man, who softly smiles at her, agreeing with her words.

Illuki leaves the cafe lounge first, standing up from her seat and stretching her arms in the air before pointing downward as a sign to Chrollo; a hum leaves her lips as she twirls around, leaving the establishment and heading down to the first floor where she waltzes past security and hides around the corner – waiting for his and Neon's arrival. From where she stood, she could hear the Phantom Troupe leader yelling out in concern for the Nostrade girl, demanding an ambulance be sent their way to care for the unconscious girl he held in his arms.

'And now you'll follow me' she smirks, turning away from the commotion and walking down the hallway. She feels eyes staring holes into the back of her head as she silently roams the halls – one of the hired hunters or assassins most likely – she thought, releasing a seductive giggle as she sharply turned the corner, allowing the pursuer a glimpse of her smirk as her hair flew behind her. Illuki fades into the shadows, waiting for the hunter to turn the corner; their eyes darting around the empty hallway, searching for her.

Illuki silently rounds the man using Zetsu, standing behind the hunter and leaning forward to whisper into his ear. "Hello," she greets in a seductive whisper, rosy lips curling into a pleased smirk as she watches the hunter's body freeze up, chills running down his spine as he slowly turns around to face the Zoldyck female. "Goodnight," she tells him, rendering him unconscious.

The female stands in the shadows, observing as another hunter approaches the glass room where Chrollo and the now-dead hunter inhabit. Removing the pen that was stabbed in the corpse's head, the leader suggests a 1-on-1 fight with the arriving man who reveals a knife – agreeing to the fight.

"Why? Why? Why am I still alive?" the hunter wails out, having parts of his body bitten away by some floating creatures.

"This is known as an indoor Fish. They are Nen fish that can only live in enclosed spaces. They're carnivores that prefer human flesh. You don't bleed or feel pain while you're being eaten. You won't die until the Nen Fish disappears," Chrollo explains, holding his book of Nen abilities in his hand, the other holding a remote that controls the blinds.

Illuki enters the room, spotting the soon-to-be-dead assassin and the floating skeletal fish. "Ooo~ Indoor Fish, classic," she giggles, a hand raised to her lips as she approaches where Chrollo stands in front of some windows; she peers out of the transparent panel, admiring the city and ignoring the maniac crackles coming from the hunter. The troupe leader presses a button, opening the windows and snapping his book of Nen abilities shut which causes the man's body to thump on the ground; a pool of blood surrounds him.

Stillness seals the room, the web of the Phantom Troupe sits on the edge of the window; her legs swinging back and forth, a soft hum coming from her as she marvels at the glowing city before her eyes – the cold wind blows against her pale skin, her hair floating behind her in the breeze. Behind her, the leader of the Phantom Troupe stands with his hands extended out, conducting a symphony of destruction.