Phantom Troupe's Web

Chapter 55.

"We didn't find out what happened to Uvo, but we did learn the chain user's name and what he looks like. We still don't know about his abilities," a woman with short blonde hair reports to her leader, walking away from the crowd of cars and a murder scene with two other members and her phone presses against her ear.

"Alright. We'll be waiting in the lobby of the Beitacle Hotel," the leader responds, hanging up the call and turning to look back at the two hostages. "Looks like they found out the chain user's identity. That just leaves three more. Let's go."

The group of five resume their walk to the hotel – Chrollo leading with the two hostages between him and his comrades. When the group reached the establishment, the members walked over to a pillar, turning their backs to the granite pole.

"Let's wait here," the ringleader tells Machi and Shizuku.

It's quiet until a familiar voice begins shouting into their phone, earning other people's attention in the lobby. "Hey! Do you realise what time it is?!" Leorio throws a newspaper onto the coffee table before him, continuing to speak loudly on the phone. "Idiot! It's the Beitacle Hotel! How many times do I have to repeat myself?" he grumbles, glancing over to see Gon and Killua with the three Spiders and scowling at them.

"Should I get rid of him?" the glasses-wearing female innocently asks, her large-framed glasses falling slightly.

"Ignore him. Don't look at him," Chrollo responds, turning away from the commotion.

The aggravated teenager turns his head to the couple sitting behind him, scowling at them. "Eh? This ain't no show! Damn it, my future's lookin' grim because of failures like you working for me," he berates, his phone barely touching the cusp of his ear; he looks over at the two children from the corner of his eye, loudly speaking to the non-existent recipient. "One more mistake and you'll get it good! Listen carefully...You'd better get to the hotel by 7 o'clock sharp."

Killua and Gon are unnoticeably tense, realising the commotion Leorio is setting was meant to deliver a message to the both of them; from the corner of their eyes, they see their friend relax as he places down the phone, picking up a newspaper and slouching back on the couch. Once they understood the plan, Killua began to loosen his wrists, thinking of a plan to escape Machi's threads.

"It's time for our last song. This request comes from Kicchomu," a female's voice comes out of the radio before a melody starts filling the tense air.

As the music continues to play, Shizuku circles the lobby and stops when she finds Pakunoda and her group entering the hotel. "Paku and the others are here," she announces to Machi and Chrollo.

"Oh? What's this? You got caught again?" the swordsman teases, noticing the two children standing in front of the pink-haired thief with their hands tied behind them. "I get it...You changed your minds and decided to join us, right?"

"We didn't know that the bounty on your heads was cancelled," the white-haired assassin responds to the man who makes his way over, standing before them with his hands on his hips.

"So you screwed up again while stalking us? Didn't learn your lesson, huh?" he teases with a smile. "But this must be fate at work. Well, let's be friends."

Killua takes a sneaky glance at the clock, refusing Nobunaga's friend request and turns his head away from the older male; Gon follows his actions and turns his head in the other direction. Their actions allow an amused chuckle to escape from the samurai, he leans back up and faces in the direction of where Chrollo stands with his back against one of the hotel pillars.

"They have no fear. Anyways, describe the chain user for us," Machi interrupts the conversation, glancing over at her friend in a mauve suit.

"First things first, Paku. Check these kids again," the ravenette instructs the Specialist; he tells her what he wants to be asked of the children, eyeing them with an indifferent gaze.

As the short-haired blonde confirms the leader's request, reaching her hand out to touch the head of either Killua or Gon, the radio hostess's voice echoes throughout the open space. Killua attempts to stall the investigation, cockily exposing Pakunoda's Nen ability, waiting for Kurapika's plan to take action. The woman angrily shuts the two up, gripping their chins with an iron grip and lifting them slightly off the ground. She explains her ability in detail to their pair, asking Chrollo's question – her eyes widening at the information before the lights go out.

Quickly, the white-haired boy cracks his bones and escapes from the threads around his wrists, he raises his arms and snaps the arm Pakunoda uses to hold him; Gon follows along with the plan, raising a leg and kicking the woman in the chin and releasing himself from her grip. Behind the two of them, Machi feels a leg being swung into her side yet despite being attacked, she still holds the thread that restricts Gon's hands and pulls it back – launching him into the air behind her. Nobunaga, wanting to assist the two, unleashes his aura and activates his En to detect the hostages while in the darkness of the hotel lobby. Worried for his friend, Killua sharpens his hand, lunging it forward at the pink-haired woman's stomach with the intent to kill however is obstructed when he is unable to pull his hand back; the thief lowers her arms, wrapping them tightly around the small body of the Zoldyck heir.

"You're mine. Once you reveal your blood lust, I can sense you. Using the dark was meaningless," the thief taunts him.

Gon goes to help his friend, jumping towards the pair when someone grabs his ankle; he looks back and is faced with Nobunaga who glares at the boy. "Give it up," he holds the green-haired boy upside-down by his feet, sighing to himself. "A pity...Well, it was a good shot," he jokes.

A flash of silver blurs past, directing itself towards the swordsman who dodges the weapon by an inch. "It came from the entrance?" he asks the other troupe members.

"The guy with the radio was working with them," Shizuku adds before realising something and announcing it to the group. "Wait, where's the boss?"