Happy New Year, minna! I've been caught up with the holidays, spending time with my family and all. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year as well! And If you're all wondering, yes. This is a brand new cover. New year, new cover. This first chapter of 2019 is dedicated to @Nafisah_M. To everyone else, please remember to vote, comment, and follow. If you've already done that, remember to stay awesome! Trouble out.

(Liz's P.O.V.)

Illumi looked to our direction with those bleak eyes. As soon as I gazed into those two black holes, I immediately felt this malicious wave piercing through my body. Every hair from my toes up to the top of my head stood up as every nerve panicked, rendering my body immobile. I've never felt an aura so bloodthirsty in my life. Not even my time during the Chimera Ant War have I felt such fear for my life. This was much worse than death.

My chimera survival instincts were telling me to escape with my life while I still can, but before I could, I felt a warm hand holding mine. My gaze got caught in Gon's eyes. Gon has a cold sweat on the side of his face, but his expression remained firm. His eyes told me that it's going to be okay, as long as he's hear. I trust those eyes. Most of my fear was expelled.

"Yo. Gon. It's been a while," Illumi called out casually with his hand raised. Ienzo looked our way surprised.

Gon sighed as I took a deep breath. There was no point in hiding now. Gon pulled the sliding metal door open by himself, pouring more light into the room. "Illumi!" Gon shouted, furious. The echo of his voice boomed across the warehouse, causing some snow to fall off the edge in the ceiling.

"Crap!" Ienzo cursed, taking a step back. "How did they find us?"

Unphased at all, Illumi pointed at me. "Who are you?"

I concentrated, pushing away his aura with a field of my own. He will not intimidated me just by his presence. I gulped, gathering the courage to speak up. "You hurt my best friend, so I got a score to settle with you!"
I exclaimed as I pointed back at him.

Illumi put his hand down. "You never seem to change, Gon."

"I could say the same to you. How could you do this to your own brother?"

Illumi tilted his head with his finger supporting under his chin, his blank expression unchanged. "Huh? I don't know what you mean by that. My little brother Killua used to always be under our control. He was a well-groomed assassin who took orders and followed his instincts. There was nothing wrong with him back then, so it doesn't make a difference now."

"You're sick!" I shouted without thinking." Gon was about to say something until I beat him to it. "You don't deserve to be called their older brother! Brainwashing, imprisoning, and using your siblings is cruel. You don't own them! Family is supposed to love each other, no matter what they are!" I couldn't stand for what Illumi was saying. Even when I came home as a Chimera ant, even though their daughter was gone, my parents still loved me and didn't treat me any different. If a monster like me was fortunate enough to have a loving and caring family, then gosh darn it, so should Alluka and Killua.

Illumi sighed and patted Ienzo on the shoulder. "Kill them both, then I'll pay you in full."

"Wha-hey! I wasn't done telling you what for!"

"Right here?" Ienzo said, cracking his knuckles. "Not a problem." Illumi left the room without a trace.

If he had to have gone anywhere, it would be his getaway ship, which my guess was where Alluka would be held. "Gon, you go find Alluka. I'll stay here and keep him busy."

Gon flashed a look at me. "I'm not gonna leave you alone!"

"Don't worry. I had a good teacher."

"Lizz..."

"No time to argue. If you don't go now, it'll be too late."

Gon sighed. "And Killua?"

There was no telling how Killua would see us: either his classmates, enemies, or targets. "Just... be careful."

"You too." Gon left through where we came in, probably finding another way around.

"Do you honestly believe that you can take me on alone? Even Shiki Mistuki, born in one of the most elite assassin families and highly trained all her life, couldn't even best me. What makes you think you can stand a chance?"

"I don't..." I said, clenching my fists. Up until now I've only been exercising my Nen and sparring with Gon. This fight was the real deal with a legitimate pro Hunter. There are no retries; only win or lose. If I'm not careful, this guy can wipe my memories like he did with Yuki. Even though I've only been practicing my Nen for a few months, I have to rely on everything Gon taught me and make it all count. "But all I have to do is buy Gon enough time to save Killua and Alluka, and then the two of them will kick your scrawny butt!"

"Heh. I may not look like it, but I have more skills and experience than you think. In my head, I've already defeated you in fifty different ways."

"Then I hope you saw this one coming!" Without a second to spare, I quickly pounced toward him, fist first. His head leaned only slightly enough to dodge, shoving my arm away with his palm. I turned back, swinging my leg behind me. He grabbed my ankle, but I reacted swiftly, spinning in mid-air to kick him again. He let go and used both arms to block. I channeled all my energy to my foot to create a greater impact. The blow managed to push him back, but I expected a powerful strike like that would fracture one of his arms. His reflexes must be quick to channel all his Nen to his arms for that block as well, or maybe I haven't tested my limits yet.

Ienzo charged forward, thrashing his fists at me. His swings were slow, not to mention my senses were five times stronger than his. Predicting his aim and movements were a breeze. After another effortless dodge, I punched Ienzo at his nose, knocking his glasses off. His nose streamed blood as he staggered backward in pain.

I laughed and cheered to myself, thinking I got him! This was surprisingly easier than I thought. Maybe my advantage as a chimera ant will aid me afterall. Zexion looked at me with furry, blood dripping from his nose down to his arm. He lunged at me again, swinging more weak punches. I dodged each one, watching his fight pattern carefully, remembering what Gon taught me. After every two swings, I landed a punch on his face and stomach. The more damage I inflicted, the slower and weaker his attacks became. With one strong kick in the stomach, he flew and skidded across the floor. His face swelled purple, and I was pretty sure I broke his nose. He could barely move as he held his stomach in fetal position. This was just pathetic, thinking that he was a threat.

I walked toward him until I was standing over his barely conscious body, claws out. "All right. I'm only going to say this once. Fix the memories of my friends, or suffer." Ienzo coughed, and for a while he couldn't say anything as he hardly gasped. The last thing I expected him to do was chuckle, which grew into a maniacal laugh. "Hey. What's so funny?" I was feeling uncomfortable.

"It's ironic..." he said with a croaked voice. "The one who is really suffering... is you."

"Wha-" Out of nowhere, something slammed the side of my face. I tumbled and rolled on the floor. The vision of my right eye became blurry as my right side sounded muffled. I shook my head, pressing my right temple as I tried to make sense of what just happened. What hit me? I looked around to see a figure standing. When my vision cleared up, I could see Zexion standing normally, not a single scratch or bruise on him. "What the...?" I looked back at the floor where I last saw him, and he wasn't there. Not only that, but the stains of his blood were erased. "Ack!" I suddenly felt this unwelcoming pain in arm and left waist. When did he even hit me?

"You're probably wondering how you're hurting more than your realized just now, and yet I am unscathed. Allow me to explain. While we were fighting, I was reconstructing your memories, making you forget the damages you received, and conjuring attacks you never made. It all seemed real, but only to what your mind believes." That was when it hit me. Every time I touched him from the beginning of our fight, he was manipulating my memories simultaneously little by little. During our fight, he did hit me, but I never knew that because at the same time of impact, he would immediately take that away from my short-term memory. Even though I forgot, the physical feeling still caught up to me. I thought I was beating him, but they were merely false memories. An illusion in my mind painted by him. This was how he was able to beat Shiki before. "So now that you know my tactics, how will you defeat me without touching me?"

Darn it. I can't use my brute strength on this guy and I'm not experienced enough in combat. I closed my eyes tight in despair. Gon, Alluka, Killua... Yuki. I'm sorry, guys. I thought I could protect you... but I failed.

"That's simple, really," a familiar voice echoed in the warehouse. I looked around frantically until she landed right between Zexion and I from above. "We just don't have to touch you."

"Shiki!" I exclaimed. I was feeling a mixture of happy, confusion, surprise, and relief.

"So you came back as well," Zexion said.

"No," she stated, pointing a crow bar at him. "I came here as a new person."

"Uh, what's with the crow bar?" I asked.

"It's not like I had time to go home and grab my weapons. I blame you two for always telling me to leave them at home." She had a point there, and honestly, it was the best improvised weapon at the moment. "Wait a minute, if you're here, then..."

"If you're wondering about Sazuka, she's hiding. Although, given how stubborn she is... she probably went after Gon and Killua herself."

"And you just left her-"

"Someone has to save your butt!"

"My butt didn't need saving, and not by you!"

"If I could just intervene for a moment..." Shiki and I were so caught up in our banter, as if catching up for old time's sake, that we had forgotten about our common enemy. He got in a stance with arms crossed in front of him, palms looking like tiger claws ready to strike. "You two aren't going anywhere..." he threatened in a lower serious voice.

Shiki and I stood next to each other, keeping our distance from Ienzo, carefully to not take out eyes off of him. "Careful. Don't let him touch you."

"You think I don't know that by now?" Shiki retorted. "That's why I brought this." She raised her crowbar in a gesture. "If we can't touch him, then we're just not gonna touch him."

"Then let's make it a fair duel," Ienzo said. We walked to what appeared to be a valve and kicked one of the pipes out of place. With two hands, he wiggled the shaft back and forth until it snapped off, forming a pointed end. "Tell you what. If you defeat me in combat, I'll restore your memories to how they were originally."

"And if she wins?" I asked.

"Then you die."

"I'm not interested in making any further negotiations with you. I just want pay back!" Shiki growled as she made the first move.

Shiki dashed with the crowbar aimed at his chest. Ienzo stepped aside with his pipe up, the two metals gliding against each other. Each hit was blocked and recoiled, followed by the sound of metal clanks and sparks flying out. Shiki was in deep concentration while Ienzo moved flawlessly with no sweat. It was like those two were equally matched.

"You noticed, haven't you?" Ienzo heaved as they continuously exchanged hits. Shiki parried, and once again Ienzo dodged.

"Yeah. I'd recognize these movements and techniques from anywhere. It's like looking at a mirror."

"That's right," Ienzo said, launching at Shiki's side. He tore a piece of her jacket, but she managed to dodge on time before he could tear off skin. "Not only did I alter your memories, but I also copiedand pasted your memories of combat for myself. All those grueling years of training, I managed to learn in seconds."

Man, I seriously hate this guy. I was aching to join in and help, but given how close range they were, I would only get in the way. Plus, I didn't have a weapon, therefore I couldn't fight him with my fists. I looked around, hoping to spot a weapon I could use. I looked up and found something even better than a weapon.

Ienzo seemed too focused on Shiki to even care about what I do. I skirted around them and started climbing over crates. I kept climbing, hooking my nails on the wood until I got high enough to reach a stack of crates, tied together and dangled in the air by a wire of a mechanical lift crane. I leapt over about a thirty-feet height and landed on the platform. I drilled my nails in kept still as the crates swung from the momentum, and waited for it to slowly stabilize. Hopefully my extra weight won't cause the wire to snap too soon. I watched as I waited for the target to fall under the right spot.

As the two continued to fight, Shiki increased in speed, inflicting more damage on Ienzo as he tried to keep up. He resorted to defense where he could only block her attacks desperately as he swung only to miss. Shiki remained calm and collective while making every strike count, giving him scratches and bruises.

"How can this be?" he questioned, confused. " I know all your tricks. I should know every single move you'll make. We should be evenly matched!"

"Here's where I draw the line between us. You may know everything I learned about in fighting," Shiki began without losing her cool. "But that doesn't mean you have mastered them. I, on the other hand, have muscle memory. I'm relying on what my body remembers while my mind improvises and adapts in battle."

She began backing him closer to my trap. I pulled my hand back, nails sharpened. Shiki whipped the crowbar at Ienzo's hand. He dropped his pipe, holding his hand with a cry of sharp pain. "Before you get into other people's heads, get this memorized!" With one final kick, he rolled underneath my trap. I slashed the metal wire with my claws, giving me seconds to make my exit before what was left of the trimmed string snap. By the power of my leap, the rope broke and the piles of crates plummeted straight down. As a shadow engulfed Ienzo, he looked up and his face changed in horror of incoming death. With only seconds to react, he crawled. When my feet landed on a stable surface, I heard a loud crash, followed by a roar of excruciating agony. I hopped down one box at a time until I eventually stood next to Shiki, facing a below of dust. Once the cloud cleared up, we saw Ienzo with his legs crushed underneath wooden debris. He cried tears as he trotted a pathetic attempt to escape the pile of chips and fragments of cargo.

Shiki and I looked down at him with crossed arms. "Don't mess with my friends," she finished, and we both shared a fist bump.

***

(Gon's P.O.V.)

With a moment to catch my breath, I fell on all fours, sweat and blood dripping from my forehead and mouth. My body was screaming in pain, begging to rest. My adversary was coming closer, walking slowly. I forced myself back on two feet, getting into position, both hands open at one side of my waist. "First comes rock..." Nen channeling from my body began swirling into my hands. My knees began to quiver. "Ja..." He was only ten feet in front of me now. Clear shot "Jan... Ke-" I lost my breath. A single fist drove under my rib cage, sending me flying until I struck through a pile of stacked crates and hit a pile of tin barrels.

They were hallow and empty, so I managed to dent a few that cushioned my body. I looked up to see my enemy standing over me. The one who barely took a hit. The epitome of destruction and apathy. What was left of my best friend, now a puppet.

"Killu-ah!" He struck me in the chest once more, so fast and powerful as if it was lightning.

"How disappointing," Illumi said. He was watching from a catwalk above us. "I was expecting more of a fight, but it seems to be more one-sided. Gon, why are you holding back?"

Breathing alone became a labor, my lungs in too much pain to expand to their full capacity. I inhaled Anouilh air to speak briefly. "Of... course... I won't... fight... Killua... is my...."

"Best friend?" he completed. "That word no longer has any meaning to him. He can only respond to one thing... kill."

Killua pulled his arm back, palm flat with nails like a blade. I couldn't help but feel frustrated with myself. I couldn't bring myself to fully fight Killua, but didn't know what else to do. Killua, I'm the other hand went all out. Now he is going to kill me without even knowing who I am. All I could do was look into his eyes, whom I did not recognize anymore. Was this really how our journey was going to end? There were still so many things I didn't get to do. There were things I haven't even told Liz yet. I closed my eyes in defeat.

Expecting the final blow, I instead felt light arms wrapped around me protectively. "Stop!"