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KILLUA'S POV:

"hey, kurapika, let us help you, okay? we'll do anything. just tell us what you need." gon urged.

'c'mon, say no.'

"but... the reward was recinded." kurapika stated, confused.

"i know. i still want to stop the troupe. i haven't changed my mind about that."

'turn him down, turn him down!'

"you'd be risking your lives." kurapika replied, concerned for gon's safety.

'great. throw a little fuel on the fire.'

gon's unwavering eyes met kurapika's. a silent exchange between the two.

"right. then let's discuss it."

'he agreed?!'

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"first, we're gonna need someone to watch their base. and provide updates." kurapika began.

"yeah, i can do that." killua volunteered.

"we only want the woman called pakunoda. you can ignore the others. be incredibly careful."

"pfft, who do you take me for?" killua retorted.

"i'll also need a driver to accompany me. leorio, can i count on you?" kurapika turned to his right.

"y-yeah." leorio spluttered, not expecting kurapika to need his assistance.

"okay, what about me?" gon asked.

"create a diversion. that will draw their focus." kurapika replied.

"hey. wait a minute, that's really dangerous. you really expect gon to face the troupe members again?" killua asked, slightly leaning forward from his seat.

"while the enemy is busy dealing with gon, i'll capture pakunoda and quietly make my escape." kurapika summarized.

"that plan sounds a little shaky to me." killua's eyes narrowed.

"hey! what if we ask y/n to help us?" gon interjected.

"y/n?" kurapika hesitated. "she has her own duties as a detective, i don't want to intrude-"

"but we saw y/n and her friends captured by the troupe!" gon interrupted. "she still might be in yorknew city!"

killua hummed in agreement. "she doesn't have nen, but she has that black and red shadow thingy. i'm willing to bet her friends she was with have abilities like that too."

kurapika's eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"lighten up, kurapika! she's a detective for crying out loud! plus, you saw her combat during the hunter exam, she's more than capable for this." leorio persuaded.

"... fine. i'll contact her tonight." kurapika gave in.

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YOUR POV:

four pairs of eyes stared you down intensely, making you fidget with your rings.

"alright, i'll help you." you sighed. "but i'm not sure if i can get my... colleagues to help."

this statement caused gon and killua confusion. they automatically assumed that you and the two other males you were accompanied with at the troupe's hideout were your friends.

truthfully, you didn't know where your so called "colleagues" were. by the time you got back to the hotel, dazai's belongings were gone. chuuya was also nowhere to be found. you assumed chuuya went back to the port mafia and dazai to the agency so, you really didn't dwell on the matter too much.

"that's fine. i wouldn't want to give your colleagues anymore occurrences with the troupe. asking you to help is already a risky gamble." kurapika stated, voice laced with concern.

"kurapika, you underestimate me and i take offense to that. i'll be fine."

kurapika ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "if you say so."

looking at the clock that read 5:10 PM, kurapika continued. "we have six hours. if the auction continues as scheduled... the spiders will make their move before then."

"hey, you never let us help you before. why start now?" killua sounded skeptical.

'and there goes killua again, always suspicious about everything. but i guess it's better than being cautious than naive.'

kurapika's expression never faltered. "because the risk i'm taking has grown. i must eliminate pakunoda immediately. no matter the cost."

killua let out an audible gasp and leorio turned to his blond friend.

'kurapika's resolve is way stronger than before. just how much did he train for this?'

"kurapika. could you use your nen dagger on me?" gon asked, pointing to his heart.

killua and leorio gave out cries or protest, while gon continued. "then i don't get it. kurapika has a nen dagger in his heart, doesn't he?"

an uncomfortable silence enveloped the atmosphere before kurapika spoke. "what i'm about to say will make the risk i face, even greater."

'and that's our cue to leave.'

"alright killua, leorio. let's go." you said, walking out of the room with the two males trailing behind.

you leaned against the white wall as your eyes flicked between killua and leorio.

"so we can all agree that we're definitely gonna ask kurapika to stab us too, right?" you confirmed.

"obviously."

"hell yeah!"

after waiting about ten minutes, you, killua, and leorio silently returned back into the room kurapika and gon were in without the two noticing.

after eavesdropping on practically their whole conversation, the three of you popped your heads out from your hiding place behind kurapika and requested to be stabbed with a judgment chain as well.

unfortunately (or fortunately), kurapika reassured that he wouldn't use his chains on anyone residing in the room.

"alright. well, i'm heading out. there's no time to waste." killua began walking away with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.

"good luck out there, killua!" gon waved.

"yeah, you just leave it to me."

thunder rumbled as you and your three other companions watched the first step of the plan commence.

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