Kurapika/Reader: Twelve Steps

Chapter 10: Counterfeit Kisses

The fog was dense. He couldn't remember the last time he saw any signs of the contestants ahead, let alone the examiner he was supposed to stay close to. The perilous wet marshland seemed to stretch on endlessly and even repeat itself, and now, as if to add to his already generous supply of problems, Kurapika found himself surrounded by an array of sentient vines clinging on to him.

The young man felt like he was slowly losing his sanity. From almost every direction he was hearing voices that sounded like his deceased clan members.

'How are these creatures capable of accessing core synapses in our brains and imitating them? ...That's right. There's no way they can do that. It must be psychosomatic... Are there chemicals in the air?!' He covered his nose and mouth quickly to try and mitigate the effects. With one of the knives he kept on his person Kurapika started slashing the vines at his ankles, some of which made a sickening screech when slit open.

"Dammit!" Another entanglement of vegetation erupted from the ground and caught his wrist, terminating his ability to keep cutting the first. He knew he would have been able to dodge that if it hadn't been for the blasted fog. Unfortunately it was now that an even more viable threat sprung forth at breakneck speeds, filling the young male with an unparalleled dread. It was reminiscent of a pressure, but it somehow felt like it was bearing upon his soul directly, his body less so. A bloodlust was coming. 'It must be Hisoka...'

Kurapika would have felt relief that he'd been chosen over Leorio when they split off but there was no room in his petrified heart for such emotions. The sheer fight or flight reflex set his eyes ablaze, an igniting of the ashes. The feeling was so skin-tight that he hadn't noticed the vines scream and release their hold on him. Even once the feeling of physical freedom had dawned on him he couldn't find the will to move his feet. It was as if he'd been cast in stone.

"Get movin', blondie!" He swung around when he heard a female voice approaching. Just like that, the terrifying force that held him captive was released and he was pushed from behind, up and out of the creeping plant's nest. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks..." In a daze he followed along for a moment before stopping suddenly. "Wait. How do I know you're not one of them? We've already seen that they can mimic humans. How do I know that I can trust you?" His brow set in suspicion.

"You don't. But there's no time for me to try and convince you. Hisoka's not far behind you." The stranger grabbed him by the arm to guide him once more as the plants began to wriggle and stretch nearby.

"What was that technique you used on me just now?"

"Well I was trying to use it on the plant but I don't have much control over it yet, so you only got caught up in it by accident." The girl's tone was not very apologetic, which oddly enough made him trust her more. A marsh creature would want to make him feel completely secure before feeding on him, not chafed by rudeness. "Anyway, we have to keep moving." She gestured him forward and Kurapika allowed himself to follow. "Now I'm not a betting girl, but if I was I'd wager that you'd have a much better chance against me than Hisoka." She smiled a playful sort of smile, which felt out of place in the given situation. "Not to mention it'd be a shame if the last Kurta died in a place like this."

Apparently that was the worst thing that could have been said, for Kurapika immediately halted, drawing his bokken and assuming a defensive stance.

"You ARE one of them, aren't you?" His tone was urgent, accusatory. "Clever of you to disguise yourself as one of the applicants. Did you kill her too?"

"What on earth brought this on all of the sudden?!"

"You're in my head trying to deceive me! You wouldn't know that otherwise!"