Small footsteps made their way down the sunlight hallways, basking in warmth that felt like a steaming shower after a hard night. Skin cracking, renewing; refreshed. It was nice. They pattered up and down stairs, sometimes pausing to gaze out a window at the pure blueness of the sky. Unlike everything that had happened, it almost seemed peaceful; serene.

It felt like an eternity had passed, and Rein found it hard to believe it had only been a few days. So many—no—everything changed. The Chain User, Uvo, Paku, Chrollo, and her entire knowledge of the world as she knew it... everything had gone wrong so quickly. So she was comforted to know that there were still people by her side. All the Spiders that tried to comfort her, even if nothing helped. And that new person, Lucky.

Who, come to think of it, she had no idea who he was or why he was here.

She was close to bursting with questions, but she supposed the others could wait so she could address the more immediate one. But who should she ask?

"Tch. You too slow."

A frustrated pant. "I'm trying!"

Rein quickly made her way to where the voices were, and stopped short upon seeing the sight. Feitan, standing as tall as he could, exasperated. Lucky, on the ground in a push-up position and going as fast as his long dangly arms would allow. His middle was sagging just a bit too much to be good posture, and his face was turning red every time he pushed up. It was evidently clear he was struggling.

He paused to seemingly adjust his plank, but was what Rein suspected was actually just an excuse to take a break. Sweat dripped down his slim jawline as he spoke. "Do I really have to do all this for Nen? I don't even want to."

Feitan looked on disapprovingly. "Talking not make you go faster."

Lucky threw a defiant glance his way before giving in and easing into another push up before Feitan could punish him for slacking off.

Now, one has to understand that Lucky is a tall person, and Feitan happens to be... quite the opposite. All on his own, Lucky stands at over a head and shoulders above the top of Feitan's. Add in his dusty sneakers and mussed hair, and he practically towers over the Spider, his four o'clock shadow enough to fit three whole Feitans. Feitan claimed to like his height, but perhaps something could be seen in the way that he'd forced Lucky to do exercises that require him to stay with his hands glued to the ground for well over an hour, while he stood and looked down upon him, issuing orders.

With a final push, Lucky once again lowered himself to the ground, but instead of getting up, he stayed there, done.

Feitan sniffed. "Ten more."

"No!" His cheek still pressed limply against the concrete, Lucky pointed a finger up at him without taking the extra effort to raise his arm as well. When he spoke, it was between short breaths. "I did all one hundred. I counted. I'm getting a degree in math. You can't trick me."

Feitan just rolled his eyes in response.

Rein cleared her throat, not exactly sure how to ask about everything at once. Their gazes shifted to her. "So. What are you doing?"

"Oh. Hey, Red." Lucky gave a small wave from the ground before his eyes fell to her wrist. With a pant, his already tired eyes softened a bit. "You're wearing the bracelet."

She glanced down at the utter mess of twisted purples, pinks, blues, grays, and white. She thought about making a quick retort about the terrible quality of her work, but ended up shrugging instead. Rein even smiled. "It's nice."

"Finally out of your room," Feitan commented in a tone that left her wondering whether he meant it as a good thing or a bad thing. He straightened even taller before returning to command Lucky. "Enough rest."

Not budging an inch from where he lay, Lucky restrained a groan. He tried to become one with the concrete, in vain. "But I haven't had a proper night's sleep in three months!" he complained, ignoring the fact that they were training in the middle of the day.

"Good. This will go faster." Feitan set his judgmental sights on Lucky's exhausted figure. Apparently, it wasn't exhausted enough for Feitan's liking, because he nodded toward the window, saying, "Run. Five laps."

New beads of sweat now starting to break out on his forehead, Lucky paled at the order. "But—"

Feitan glared, trying not to have to tilt his head back to look up at him. "Twenty-five laps," he corrected, an edge to his voice. "Move."

Holding in a scream he knew would only earn him more work, Lucky obeyed, slowly making his way to the outside. He started his runs around the building, finally letting out a single, guttural yell over what his life had become.

Machi walked in, glancing out the window. "Isn't this going overboard?" she questioned Feitan, an eyebrow quirked up at the amount he was working Lucky.

"No."

Machi shrugged and peeled herself off the windowsill, seemingly content with that answer and its result.

However, Rein was not. "Feitan, why is Lucky... why is he doing... why are you..." She wasn't sure how to phrase the question. How could she narrow it down to a single question when the thing that was confusing her was everything? Feitan might not answer her questions, especially since she hadn't even stated a full idea, but Machi would.

Machi was just like that. She didn't need full questions, she didn't need answers, she didn't need reason or logic. She just had a tendency to give out exactly what was needed at the time. Just your tone, your expression, your hesitation, and she knew how to respond.

"Danchou was starting to teach him," said Machi. "Just before we headed out to find the chain user, Danchou pulled him into a room and started to discuss Nen with him, in detail. Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and even Hatsu."

"Even Hatsu?"

"At the very least, Danchou wished to teach him proper Nen technique," Machi finished for her, crossing her arms for the explanation ahead. "When he came, his aura grew out of control at one point during interrogation. You might've realized, but his Nen holds destructive properties."

"He's a nuisance," Feitan grumbled, summarizing it all with no sugar coat. He promptly headed out to check if Lucky was actually doing the proper amount of laps.

"The fact that his aura was threatening his surroundings may have been one of the reasons Danchou decided to teach him. Maybe so he could control his own aura. Well," Machi lowered her head, "Even I can't read Danchou's mind, so we won't know for certain until he meets with us again."

Distant shouts and cries of 'faster' and 'I can't' floated through the early autumn breeze. "How does that connect to a hundred push-ups and twenty five laps around the entire base?" Rein asked. A strange light flickered in Machi's eyes, and Rein got the horrible feeling that Feitan had made Lucky do far more than just those two points. Feitan. He didn't know when to stop.

Done with a small flashback, Machi shrugged. "While Danchou is gone, might as well get him started. While you were in your room, there was a small vote and a coin toss to choose who would experiment with his Nen."

"And the trainer is—" Rein was cut off by yet another yell from the outside.

"Faster."

Her lips tightened. "—it's Feitan."

Was Feitan really the best choice? Any way Rein looked at it, he clearly wasn't. Feitan was excellent in training for those who were used to it. Those who already has a steady trunk and firm branches. He was good at improving and honing skills that one already held, or building endurance; toughening up the roots and watering the tree. For saplings, ones without those skills or experience, Feitan's methods would end up crushing them underfoot.

Like Machi did, she gave an answer to a question Rein hadn't even asked yet. "Feitan's just trying to tire him out, so his aura will be easier to work with."

"Isn't this a little too much?"

Machi didn't need to reply this time, for the answer was crystal clear. After a long silence, Machi finally spoke up. "You're out of your room," she commented, saying nearly the exact same thing that Feitan did, though the way she put it sounded softer, as if she knew she was treading on a sensitive topic.

Rein gave a small, tasteless laugh. "Well, I," Her hand started to move for her pocket, but froze halfway. Right. Her skirt wasn't there. Her rock wasn't there. Her rock... raking in a slow breath, she moved her hand up to her head instead, running her fingers through her hair. "I figured it was time."

Machi's eyes latched onto her wrist with an intensity that hadn't been there before. "The bracelet."

Lowering her arm, Rein felt the twisted mess of strings. She nodded, though unsure of why.

"Is that the one you made with Lucky?" Machi asked, the first time calling him by name since their conversation had started.

"Yeah." Rein moved her wrist so Machi could see better. She pointed. "That one's Paku. See?"

Orchid purple. Machi nodded, and finally tore her gaze from the bracelet. "I know."

They both eventually made their way toward the window, squishing together to fit in that small, narrow space so they could both peer out. Or rather, peer down at two dark haired men, each a wildly different height. Rein stared curiously, as if watching a sports show on television. Like the knockoff version of the Mezo-Alliance Olympics. She'd watched them with Uvo, he for fun and she to observe throwing technique. Of course, watching Lucky run—if what he was doing could even be called running—was nothing like watching professionals at work. But it still felt nostalgic. And so, Rein gazed down with that nostalgia churning in her middle, not sure whether it was a good feeling or a bad feeling.

Machi's gaze was different. As Machi looked down at Lucky—'and Feitan as well, of course' she quickly added in her mind—there was a feeling in her stomach that she couldn't quite place. And her chest felt as if it was vibrating from the inside out, though that didn't make sense. Was it good or bad?

Probably bad. Perhaps she was getting sick.

* * *

Lucky was weak. Weak and pathetic, absolutely pathetic.

Feitan dragged Lucky into the room with a single arm, irked. He growled at him to get up, with no response. From the tired lump came a content sigh, over and over again. Was Lucky really sleeping? Had he really fallen asleep while standing up, in that short distance from his makeshift track to the door? The nerve of some people—

Feitan refused to acknowledge the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he'd worked Lucky too much. Refused to consider the fact that he was not used to this amount of exertion, not comfortable with pulling an all-nighter, not able to withstand the stress of being kidnapped, being a college student, being one who was frequently surrounded by unfortunate events. Refused to think that Feitan himself might have been in the wrong here.

No. It was all Lucky's fault.

Feitan effortlessly dragged Lucky to one of the rooms and piled him on the ground. While Lucky was now asleep, there were a few upsides in exercising him till he dropped. Because of his exhaustion, his aura was now almost nonexistent, as if he'd never had it in the first place. Give him about an hour's rest, and he would regenerate enough aura to experiment with, while still being tired enough that his Nen wouldn't do anything bad.

At least Feitan hoped.

From the sun's positioning, Feitan estimated it was about an hour past noon. He would come back when the sun was another finger's width lower in the sky.

Noises came from below, noises of a loud idiot and one who talked nonstop.

When he reached the downstairs, Phinks and Shalnark were coming in through the door, laughing and chattering about what they'd just done. Tch. While he ended up having to work some raccoon to the bone, they'd gotten to go have fun.

"Hey, Feitan!" Shalnark called. From an old leather bag slung over his shoulder, he pulled something out with two hands, handling it carefully. One corner was dark with what he guessed was blood. Holding it high in the air, Shalnark shouted: "We got a game console for Greed Island!"

Greed Island.

Thus, Feitan got an idea. He grinned. A very good idea.

* * *

Machi knocked, she did. But knocking only gets you so far when the person you're trying to wake up sleeps like a log. She entered the room.

Lucky was there, haphazardly thrown on his side as if Feitan couldn't bother to be troubled with adjusting him so he rested comfortably. One arm was twisted, pinned under his middle while the other was draped against the wall, and his cheek was pushed up against the ground. Awkward. That was all he was.

"Hey," she said, lightly tapping her foot to Lucky's shoulder. No response. "Hey," she repeated a bit more forcefully, bending down to grab his shoulders and shake him awake. Forget sleeping like a log, he may as well have been a cement block from how he was still sound asleep. "Hey," Machi raised her voice, and when that still didn't stir him awake, she pulled her hand back, ready to slap.

Ready to slap, but she didn't.

Machi had slapped many people before. Slapping one's face was scientifically proven to enhance their responsive abilities for a short period of time (not to mention it was really satisfying to do so).

She'd slapped Feitan awake once, when he'd passed out after an intense battle. She'd pulled Chrollo out of his own shock when he lost the church that had housed his childhood. She'd drawn Nobunaga back to his senses after he once lost control of himself in rage and was about to make a very, very, stupid mistake. No to mention she'd slapped Hisoka just because he was being himself on a number of occasions.

Feitan was going to train Lucky now in basic Ten. He needed to be awake for that. Feitan let Lucky rest for an hour just so he would be conscious and awake for the Nen lesson, but the hour he'd let him sleep would still make him dead tired, with the sleepless night and the extensive exercise. That would allow his aura to be more docile and easily controlled.

Not only would slapping wake Lucky up, it would get him moving, be active. If he slept any longer, who knew what his Nen could do? More sleep meant more time for his aura to build up again. Right, right. Machi had to wake him up now. Now.

She knew she had to wake him any moment now.

So why was her hand seizing up?

Every time she would try to move herself to slap him awake, she would think. Think too much. It was a plus to be analytical and observant. But the thoughts filling her head now were unreasonable, certainly not stemming from the logical part of her brain.

On one hand, Lucky needed to be awake as quickly as possible.

On the other, he'd stayed up all night with Rein. He'd stayed up all night talking her through things, making those bracelets, and just being there. He didn't have to do it, but he did. He could have wallowed in self pity over his own circumstances, and she wouldn't have blamed him for it. But the fact that through all his own turmoil, he tried to help someone he barely knew...

It was admirable.

With a huff, Machi drew back her hand, crossing her arms.

She glanced to the small nick on his eyebrow, to the long scar on his cheekbone, right below his eye. A scar of old, the skin puckered, pinker, and soft.

Maybe... yes. Maybe she'd let him rest, just for a little while longer.

5k???? What???????!?!?!! Thank you so much, I love you all?!!?!!?!?!?! I'm sorry, I just.... STARS, I didn't think I'd get here! Just... just! ... wow!... thank you!

I don't feel like this this chapter was as nice as the more recent ones, but at least we're moving along. sorry for the late update, I have like 5 HxH things I'm working on...more publishing for other stories, I promise, but probably 2 chapters at a time at least for the first round, just so I keep writing.

Other than that, I have a friend who watched all of HxH in like a literal WEEK. SHE GOT TO THE MIDDLE OF THE YORKNEW ARC IN TWO DAYS AND GOT TO THE CHIMERA ANT ARC TWO BINGE-WATCHING DAYS AFTER THAT. HOW. HOW IS SHE SANE.

Share, support, and comment and please help my friend I think she's losing control.