Hunter x Hunter: Innocent Devils

[Craftsdwarf]

Blue eyes darted across a tapestry or color, rainbows of lines darting across in every which way. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it, no pattern that made sense, unlike anything found in nature. It was wrong, plain and simple.

Massaging her head, Isabella Delacroix stepped back from the subway map, taking a seat on the mottled green wheeled luggage bag that had been on her side. The makeshift chair wobbling a bit, she rested her elbows on the lap of her black and white box pleated skirt, chin cupped in her palms as she let out a sigh. Glancing around, no one seemed to be paying her any mind, but frankly speaking, she had no idea what she was doing.

Nozoi City had been her home all her life, yet the metropolis where past and present were so easy to find had only been a view from the window for most of that life. Only recent had her scope been able to go beyond that, but she hadn't quite left the city yet, and even if she did, she wasn't even quite sure where she was going yet.

The midday commute left the station in a bit of a lull, no doubt to pick up when boarding began, but Isabella was self concerned, reaching into a pocket in her skirt, drawing out a familiar card. One side with the Hunter Association symbol emblazoned above its text, the other a rather simple backing. Flipping it back, forth, then back again, only the long string of numbers stood out, and if it was anything that could help her then she was ignorant to how. The text only explained its most basic function, leaving those numbers as the only thing that would be unique about it.

The, a bolt of violet flashed by, and her hand was emptied. Medium length black hair fluttering as she turned to look, a teal haired teenager in a green beanie and violet long sleeved shirt kept his course as a few eyes turned his way, red scarf trailing after him. And Isabella sighed. A pit in her chest grew as the thief kept going, such a treasured possession in hand, yet Isabella had no heart to resent her circumstances. It was dumb of her to have put it out in the open like that anyway. But that didn't mean she was going to sit down and accept it.

Luggage clattering behind her as she hopped to her feet, Isabella's skirt and hair swept behind her as she broke into a sprint. The thief was running at a comfortable speed, certainly being a bit more physically adept then even the average person, but Isabella was on him in moments, each of the footfalls of her black wedge boots landing lightly and propelling her right along. Skidding to a stop, she stumbled into a roll, tumbling before landing on one hand and her two feet, nearly prone, sliding to interrupt the thief's movement. Her expression was tense with focus as she tried to retain control of her motion, slapping her hand with a force that made for a resounding echo, the power behind it evident, and that combination stopped the thief dead in his tracks, shock plastered on his face as the license in hand clattered to the ground.

A slight sigh of relief meeting her lips, Isabella stood properly, scooping up the license and brushing it off with her free hand. Gawking, the teenaged punk bored holes into her with his eyes as she turned off, grumbling, "What is with all these Hunter brats!?"

Isabella was given swift pause. Turning her gaze back on him, he dithered under her focused stare. "Are you talking about Jules?"

The teen stammered, "H-huh? I didn't…" His words fell to her glare, aimed up at the taller boy. "W-who is it again?"

Indignant, Isabella huffed. "Jules Delacroix, my brother. He's a Hunter." While her expression remained firm, her voice faltered as she admitted, "He went missing, this license is all I have of him, more or less."

"Er, I don't really know anything…" Biting his lip and glancing to the side as Isabella let out a sigh. Those words hung in the air before a flash crossed his face. "Hey, I've got an idea though. You're pretty strong, right?"

---

Get an unparalleled fortune, just take it from me!​

The slapdash cardboard sign rested on the ground, leaned up next to a pillar just next to where Isabella stood, her luggage bag situated behind her. In her hands was an iron pipe, one once part of the more or less dilapidated, abandoned station, a short walk away from the rebuilt one where Isabella had met her new conspirator. Its antiquated design and run down look made it a hangout for delinquents and others who preferred being off the beaten path, yet while there were alternate routes around the station complex, those in a hurry, or those unaware, tended to find themselves in that old station regardless, leaving it as an ideal place for those who wanted to gather attention, but not too much attention.

"Step right up and give it a try! Just take the rod out of her hands fair and square!" the boy called, Isabella had learned that he was called Gordeo, but checking the sign again, there was an unease about it.

"What's this fortune, again?" Isabella wondered. Getting mad, she spat, "It better not be my Hunter license."

As footsteps approached, Gordeo insisted, "We won't have to give it away as long as you don't lose…" Whipping about to the man, clearly a blue collar worker with a firm build, he asked, "Care to give it a shot? 3000 Jenny a try, first one to let go of the rod loses."

The man gave a shrug, admitting, "I'm sure you're just fucking around anyway." Regardless, he pulled out the fee. Isabella's eyes sparkled: she'd only brought 5000J herself. Gordeo reasoned she'd need more than that if she was going to do any real searching, offering up this game as a way for the two of them to earn money. As the man, easily over a foot taller than her, grabbed the pipe, determination filled her bones.

"Aaaaand...go!" Gordeo cried, a few wayward eyes turning to watch. Immediately, the challenger lifted his arms, pulling up the rod up, with Isabella along with it. Her feet dangled in the air, no longer possessing the footing to give the pipe a good yank, the girl instead bobbing a bit as she dangled. The challenger shook the rod, trying to dismount its passenger, but Isabella held firm. Taking a breath, she pulled up her legs, curling up to gain more torque, before yanking one arm down while pushing the other up, then quickly reversing the force. Grip of her opponent failing, the pipe slid out of one hand, leaving the other without the power to hold Isabella up at an angle, leading to that one falling too before he could even adjust himself. Isabella plopped to the ground on one leg, wobbling a bit before bouncing back up, face beaming with victory.

"Aw, better luck next time!" Gordeo stated after taking a breath. Wiping away his sweat, he looked over at the onlookers, some who had stopped their walk to observe, others who had simply been nearby minding their own business. "Who's next?"

Wiping her hands off on her skirt, Isabella looked up at those watching, flashing a sweet, toothy smile.

 

[Freikugel]

"Oh, we're gonna have a lot of fun when we get back to the shop, you little psycho." A grim faced, bald and bulky man in a dress shirt was dragging a confused Eustace with a black sports bag around his torso right behind him.

"What're you so mad about, mister? I saw the little box with numbers and I took it. If you don't want people taking them you shouldn't be leaving them out in the open!" He frowned. This man was so irresponsible.

"Oh, I'd love for you to tell that to the cops. I swear, try slipping away again and I'll have this entire city head to fucking toe with wanted ads of you. What do you think they're gonna say when I tell them about where you punched me? Huh? About how you threw my damn phone at me while I was trying to catch you, you thieving little shit?"

"Umm, maybe, 'Sir, please calm down. You did leave the stuff out in the open, don't be so careless next time. Treat this young man to his own little dial-y box and be on your way, okay?'" The old man only looked at him with barely restrained rage, his face turning a new shade of red as he scrunched up his face in anger. Some people really had no idea how to take responsibility, for themselves, huh?

This city was turning out to be a real disappointment. He had traveled far and wide to find the city of Nozoi. He had finished his Hunter Exams a month ago and immediately headed towards this place at the behest of one of his fellow winners. It was a magical place where old met new, the perfect hot spot for an Archaeological Hunter looking to get his start. It was beautiful, but so far the only big opportunity he had was to get dragged around by a, frankly, very rude old man! He was starting to regret letting himself get caught. The shopkeeper had his best to catch him, only to end up sweating like a pig not a half mile in. Only reason he had chosen not to slip out was because the man seemed awful mad for some reason—he figured it was a good opportunity to start learning about the odd culture of the new world he stepped into like money and "police." Strange new world he walked into, though he was particularly excited about these "trains" he had heard of.

Still, he had seen the wanted posters he had mentioned before. It would be really inconvenient to have people chasing after him while he was doing his work. He had to think fast. Returning what he took was out of the question since he had thrown it in the man's face out of shock and broken it when the chase started. It was then that in the corner of his eyes he noticed a little girl sitting with a pipe in her hand. A man was boasting about a treasure to be won if someone could take it from her. From the looks of it, she had already bested several opponents. He had an idea.

"Hey, hold on." He grabbed the man's forearm tight, yanking him back with little effort and unintentionally throwing him to his rear. Before he could yell at him, the boy put his hands up defensively. "Wait, wait, how about I win you that treasure over there and we call it even? Gimme a sec, okay?"

He pat the man on his head—leaving him to look back at him with widened eyes—and made his way to the girl across the street. Though, unbeknownst to him, the event was run by a man he was familiar with already. A man who had lost the hunter exams in the penultimate challenge after Eustace leaped off his face to finish an obstacle course before the time limit barely finished. Not that he remembered.

"Hey! Mind if I give it a shot?" He asked as a downtrodden men walked away after an embarrassing loss.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

"Haaaaaaaaawwn."

Peeking one eye open, Isabella's yawn failed to infect, those watching more concerned with her growing win streak, one teenager and 3 full bodied adults having been unable to make progress in wresting the iron pipe from her grip. Swaying her body back and forth, pipe held lightly in her fingers to keep sweat from building up, the next challenger finally arrived, the crowd parting at his innocent request. The boy in the helmet standing just an inch or so shy of Isabella's height, she took a few moments to study him before she forced herself to hold back in a chortle. "So small," she giggled, much to the chagrin of the watching crowd, those who'd failed to best her in particular.

Fingers pulling her by the collar, Isabella was yanked back a bit, eyes narrowing as she looked up to Gordeo, who threw his arm around her upper torso, pulling her close while his hand flashed near her skirt pocket. "Hey, be careful with him, don't look down on him just because he's a kid! You're a kid too you know." A shade of awareness passed over Isabella's features, her look of derision shifting to one of determination. "Okay, but please don't touch me," Isabella said curtly. Gordeo froze, before gently pulling his arm from her, backing off.

Returning to the young challenger, the fee was briefly forgotten by all parties, Isabella's change in mood lending itself to a particular tension. The two gripped the pipe, Gordeo readying himself before calling, "Go!"

Right off the bat, Isabella could feel something was different. The pipe shuddered with two parties tugging at it, but refused to budge. Heart starting to accelerate, Isabella didn't even notice as a toothy grin flashed across her face, one starting to enjoy the push and pull as the competitors took note of the other's strength. After a few moments, Isabella kicked it up a notch, buckling her legs before pushing against the ground, going forward as she attempted to force the boy back, the crowd ducking out of the way as the game started to take another shape.

 

[Freikugel]

"Small? Mm, well yeah, I guess so." Eustace pulled up his sleeve to reveal his slim, pale white bicep. He shrugged before letting his sleeve fall and rotating his arm to prepare. He looked right at her and said, while tilting his head innocuously, "But you're tiny and look like you'd crack if I blow on you hard enough so this'll be a cinch." He stuck only slightly beyond the tip without a hint of malice present on his face. It was an insult and yet not one with malice in it. Rather, it was a taunt to bring out the best in her. Even with his freedom on the line, he could not restrain his competitive spirit.

And so, the match began and Eustace immediately put everything he had into pulling the bar away. And yet with each second he tugged, she returned his power in equal measure. He grit his teeth and focused on getting every last bit of power his small body could muster.

"Not as dainty... As you look..." Eustace's smile matched her own. She was tough. Still there was no way he could lose, not to a girl. He stumbled backwards a bit when she leaped to push more force on him. His legs spread far as his knees bent to keep him stable. He squat his legs in a bid to make it seem as though he were matching her, only to instead jump past her while briefly holding the pipe in one hand. In one smooth motion, he gripped it with both then put pressure on her back with his dirty shoes.

Had his plan worked out the way he wanted it, she would be holding the pipe above her head and having to grip from an awkward position near her back with her head facing upwards.

"Hey, 3000 jenni, right?" The previously enraged shop owner had come with a wicked grin on his face. He shoved the cash into Gordeo's hand and pat the man on the back. "That's for the kid."

 

[Craftsdwarf]

"Oh, y-yeah," Gordeo replied, his attention wavering as he tried to focus on the competition. From what he could see, Isabella didn't seem to bothered by the boy's comments, but inwardly, she very well knew that at least a small part of himself wanted to crush him to dust in this contest of strength. However, where she had stuck to brute force, the young boy had been able to outmaneuver her. The boy effectively stood on her back, Isabella's arms stretched behind her in a strenuous grip. Her expression became tight with focus, cheeks puffed from exertion as she somehow managed to hold on even in such a disadvantageous spot. Her legs buckled under the extra weight, but one shift in her stance later she was stable. Still in an unglamorous position, but standing.

Sweat starting to bead on her reddening face, Isabella knew her position wasn't going to last as she was running out of energy already. Trying to think about how to dislodge her unwanted passenger, she visualized herself backing into the nearby wall, knocking him against it. Feet making the move, she began to back up, shifting her weight to lower his position, center of gravity moving back and pulling the both of them along. Isabella couldn't keep up, legs tripping from lack of balance, and the pair tumbled, pipe knocking against the ground as they landed on their sides, sliding a few more inches and coming to stop in the garbage blown into the walls and left for weeks. Stubborn children as they were, the pipe remained in their grip, any laughter coming from their fall dying out immediately as the realized the game was still on.

Face against the filthy ground, Isabella was met with a new experience, landing face first in a moldy coffee cup and a dead rat, the offenders a mere centimeters from her face. The smell was a musty, acrid one, unexpected and overwhelming. Instincts yelling at her to avoid the hazardous materials, Isabella's hands slipped from the pipe moments after she recognized what she'd landed into. Contest pushed from her mind, she shoved herself away, groaning and gagging in agony, hands and arms rubbing her face as she coughed and hacked. The crowd burst into cheers of relief and satisfaction as the tension of the conflict dissolved, Isabella clearly having built herself as more of a heel.

Realizing what had happened, Isabella, still on her knees with her legs out from under her, red from anger and embarrassment, eyes lined with tears, pouted, "One more time! I won't...I won't…" Her promised threats gave way to a whine of frustration. After a few moments of seething, Gordeo slowly approached, a hand on his head. "Sorry girl, but...you lost."

Shock passed over Isabella's face, quickly fading to disbelief. Looking between Gordeo and the boy, she didn't seem to find an answer. Crestfallen, a hand went for her skirt pocket, fishing around inside it for a moment before she froze. Movements becoming hurried, she check another pocket to no avail. "Eh? Eh?" she murmured faintly. Mouth agape, she rolled to her knees, head swiveling as she looked around.

"What!? You lost it!? Are you serious!?" Gordeo blurted almost too loudly. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Never mind. Your problem now." Crowd disappointed at the scam, a few left, crowd gradually beginning to thin now that the show was over. But even so, Isabella still remained, frantically looking around the area she fell in for what she dropped. Cringing even as she pushed aside the same garbage that had cost her the contest, disgust very much present on her face (if mingled with panic), her search persisted, Gordeo sauntering away as swiftly as he could without breaking into a run, everything procured from the little game well in hand.

 

[Freikugel]

"Come on!" Eustace shouted to motivate himself as the effort he put in made him red in the face. A vein became visible on the side on the side of his forehead, sweat drenching his body, and his slim arms suddenly bulged with the paltry bit of muscle someone could expect such a small boy to have. Unfortunately, this might was nowhere near enough to stop the girl from lowering his own position, no matter how hard he tried. With a thud, he fell onto the ground wit her, his elbows powdered white from the collision. Eustace was fast in scrambling up to his feet and immediately tugged a mighty tug, only realizing that his opponent had let the pipe slip from her hands when his own force sent him face first into the ground for the second time.

"Huh?" Eustace pushed himself up with a free arm, eyeing the pipe incredulously. He turned around to see the look of absolute shock and dismay on his opponent's face with a look of surprise on his own, the crowd they had amassed cheering wildly for his victory. When looked at her surroundings, his mind pieced together what had happened. Some girls were awful scared of rats—some competitors in his exam jumped at the site of them scurrying around. Be that as it may, a win was a win, and he could only shake his head at the girl's request. He crouched over to the dead rat—pipe slumped over his shoulder—and pet its decomposing head with an index finger. "That was a real boring win, little buddy. Thanks still.

"Fair and square's fair and square." He held out a hand to the girl, who sadly started looking through her pockets for the reward. Then froze. Then kept looking. Eustace raised a brow in confusion. She lost it? What? His eyes bulged and his heart sank. Only with a cool chill spreading through his body did he realize how badly he had been sweating. He looked toward the shopkeeper who was fiercely glaring at the two. He forced a hand down her pockets and started felt around for anything resembling a prize. Zip. Zilch. Not a prize to be found.

"Looks like you're coming with me to the police, after all. And you—hey!" The man exclaimed as the head of the event briskly walked away from it all. Adrenaline surged through Eustace's body. Without a moment's notice, he flung the pipe right at the back of Gordeo's head and tackled him down to the ground. When he invariably tried to resist, the years the boy spent fighting in Meteor City kicked in leading to his punching him right across the face. He stole the stacks of paper held together by a rubber band and tossed it over to the man, now sitting with casually on Gordeo's body.

"That enough?" He asked with bated breaths.

"U-uh, yeah. It's enough. Thanks, kid." Fear was evident in the older man's eyes from the previously docile boy's harsh beat down. He hurried off, a nagging feeling telling him that sticking around would only bring him trouble. Eustace nodded his head and stood up, letting his hair breathe as he took off his hard hat before returning it to its place.

"You shouldn't lie to people. That's no good at all." He told Gordeo with a mild frown. The boy turned his head to his former competition, the mild irritation he had felt now entirely wiped from his face. "Y'know, I lived in a city with a bunch of garbage. I can help you find whatever your treasure is. Don't really need it anymore. Where was the last place you saw it?"

Loser or not, she was fierce competition. He wanted a chance to talk to such a strong girl.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Gordeo broke into a run the moment he heard the shopkeeper calling out to him, but it was a short lived burst. Eustace was on him, the pipe dizzying him before the boy took him down properly, smashing him across the face. Gordeo cursed and swore as his earnings were pilfered, but they were quelled at Eustace's words of caution, Gordeo went quiet, thoughts going inward rather than out. Defeated once again, he staggered to his feet, trudging away.

Looking up as the boy returned, Isabella had returned to a sitting position. Her distress had muted, the girl blinking at the boy's slight change in motive. Pressing her fingertips to her forehead, she took a breath before beginning, "That guy stole it from me, then I got it back. It was in my pocket, then he had the idea to do the staff wrestling so we could get some extra money, and by the time I lost, it was gone. I thought I dropped it but it's not here. It was a Hunter license, I hear you can sell them for a lot…"

Trailing off, defeat began to fill her mind. 'A lot' had been an understatement: she knew that they were worth a fortune, and she had just been carrying it with her like any old credit card. What a fool she had been: if she really valued it she wouldn't have been so careless in the first place. Shoulders slumping, head bowed, she was at a loss.

 

[Freikugel]

"What?! You lost your hunter license?!" Eustace cried out in shock. How in the world did she manage to lose something so precious, something that took blood, sweat, and tears to earn? Wait a second. She had a hunting license? That also meant... "Wait, you're a hunter? That's so cool, I am too! I wasn't expecting to meet another one so soon. You have to tell me all about yourself. How long have you been one? How was your test? What kind of hunter are you? I'm an archaeology hunter 'cause I love history and relics and reading and—and—oooh, this is really exciting I never would've thought I'd meet another hunter so soon!"

The boy was practically jumping in place, placing two hands on her shoulders as though he were afraid she would disappear if he let go. That made so much sense, no wonder she was so strong. She was another hunter! And stranger yet, she was his own age. He had only seen adults in his exam so he thought he was the one his age. That meant he was duty bound to help her out. And if he did, maybe he would get to learn more about her!

"Now I gotta help you out, lemme think." Eustace calmed himself down, placing both of his index and middle fingers on his temple with his eyes shut. "Hmm... So if you had it in your pocket and it's not there anymore, then that means someone must have stolen it again. But they know you're a hunter and you're super strong. If they had to be all sneaky about it, that means that they didn't wanna mess with you. And if they don't wanna mess with you, they're gonna wanna head to a shop to sell it so you don't catch them with it."

Eustace gesticulated wildly as he made his case to the girl, capping it off by slamming his fist into the palm of his hand in his grand eureka moment. He was a motor mouth when he got excited. Ran in the family if his grandpa was anything to go off of.

"C'mon, let's go check the shops!" Eustace started running back in the direction where that irresponsible and very cranky old man put his stuff out in the open, assuming that the girl would follow. That she would be right behind him.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

"Huh? Huh?" Isabella was at a loss for words as she watched the boy jumping around. This level of energy hadn't been something she was ready for, it was too much to really respond to. He was definitely misunderstanding some things, but his suggestion at getting back the license quickly came to the forefront of her mind.

But before she could really process anything, he was heading off. Lights firing off in her head, she jumped to her feet. "W-wait!" she called, taking off after him, his words giving direction to her thoughts.

---​

Head pounding, Gordeo's wayward trip had finally brought him to the nearby shopping district. In other circumstances he might have fought, but there was no point. He had what he wanted. Hand in his pocket, he tightly gripped the Hunter license, heart pounding as his eyes darted about in search of his target. Just a pawn shop, any would do. He didn't have the connections to sell it to a collector himself, but while fencing it to a pawn shop might set him back a bit, it would easily be more than worth it. What, he only 6 of his future generations would be able to live comfortably off of it instead of 7? He couldn't hold back a chuckle at the thought. Money was money.

Entering the first one he took notice of, he called out, "Excuse me." Then he stopped. Despite the large sign outside it was actually rather small. Some big items like musical instruments were behind the desk, while one side of the wall had a long glass cabinet with jewelry under a locked shelf with old games and consoles, the other side having shelves full of knick-knacks, pottery, and other miscellany. More importantly however, those damn brats were already here, conferring with each other.

"Well, buying anything is obviously saying too much, but I think that's how they work. More or less. It doesn't look like they have anything to do with chess though," Isabella explained, all her knowledge on pawn shops being second hand at best, and dearly incomplete. The mustachioed man manning the counter only half seemed to be paying attention, but he had an air of amusement about his face, no doubt at her words.

Gordeo however, was trapped, having just run into them again so soon. He couldn't help but feel it looked suspicious no matter how he sliced it. He obviously couldn't go in and do his business right in front of them. If they came back later, it would be rather obvious what he'd done in retrospect even if he somehow got out of it here. But if he left right now it would raise even more questions. Sweat beading on his forehead, face apprehensive, eyes moved to him while he remained at a loss.

 

[Freikugel]

"Hmm..." Eustace cupped his chin with his right hand, eyes closed to better facilitate thought.

"Hmm..." He was deep in thought, assessing all the information she had given him about this odd system this strange new world employed. The cogs were turning—anyone could see it with how hard he was furrowing his eyebrows. He was thinking. Analyzing. Synthesizing. It was all for the sake of coming to his next great conclusion.

"Yeah, I don't get it at all." He finally let out. "If people just come here to get stuff other people don't want, why wouldn't they go through those cans with the black bags? I looked through a few of 'em and the garbage there looks a lot like the stuff I'm seeing here. People wouldn't even have to mess with that dumb paper if they just went through it all!" He declared well at the level where the shop keep could hear him.

Eustace flicked a bobble head of a weird bat-devil-dog hybrid mascot of some kind that was residing on the shelf amongst a large variety of useless trinkets and pre-owned goods. He let out a soft chuckle. For as asinine and backwards as he found the pawn shop and, well, every kind of shop he came across, he had to admit that they had a nice selection of curated goods here. Nothing completely broken like he was used to finding and he didn't need to worry about glass shards stabbing his feet. He still had a huge scar on his sole from a particularly nasty one.

"Oh? Look over there, it's that guy." Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the man who had tried stealing his winnings. Far as we concerned, though? Water under the bridge. He waved over at him with a huge smile with such innocence that you wouldn't believe he was the one who caused the giant bruise on his face. "Heya! You came here too, huh? Me an'..." Eustace turned around to face the girl, his smile turning to a blank expression.

"Wait, what is your name, anyway?" He remembered that he forgot to ask. "My name's Eustace—oh!"

He turned to the man again with another smile and wave.

"My name's Eustace!"

Had to make sure he introduced himself properly this time. Though the signs weren't present on his face this time, the cogs were naturally turning inside of his head.

"Whatcha coming here for anyway? I thought I gave all that paper to the grumpy old guy. You trading something in?"

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Gordeo was silent, his expression hung as he tried to keep his face neutral. His eyes briefly darted to the shopkeeper, who hadn't seemed to like his wares being equated with trash, something that furthered Gordeo's own line of thought.

Eustace didn't seem to suspect him, yet. Running could very well tip them off though. The girl was eyeing him, but he couldn't tell if her expression was one of suspicion yet. It was a gamble, and if they pursued, he wouldn't be able to escape. He hadn't taken into account enough of the layout outside to chart a proper path where he could slip out of sight. It still wasn't the worst option, at least. Alternatively he could try and get the shopkeeper to discuss things elsewhere, out of sight of the kids. There was a back room, but Gordeo doubted he'd leave the storefront unattended. The kids were dumb though, so maybe he could get away with being less direct about it.

Leg muscles tensing as he moved to take a step, Isabella's eyes narrowed as she realized, "Oh! You were trying to take the money we were going to split!"

"Eh? Uh. Mm. Yeah. Sorry," Gordeo stammered, his rhythm disrupted. She crossed her arms and huffed. "You got what you deserved then."

You don't know the half of it you little shit, Gordeo mused. Walking forward and pushing past them to the counter, he no longer had any reservations. "Hey, you got a piece of paper and something to write with? I'm shopping something around and I want a point of reference."

As they busied themselves, Isabella turned back to Eustace, explaining, "My name's Isabella Delacroix...oh! That's right, you said you're a Hunter! Have you heard of a Hunter named Jules Delacroix? He's my brother."

The topic of 'Hunters' coming up made Gordeo wince as he passed the paper back to the shopkeeper, explaining what he had to fence. The man read over the paper, eyes widening for a moment at the claim, but from Gordeo's standing he couldn't tell how committal he was to the idea yet.

 

[Freikugel]

Eustace's smile never broke down for a second during the odd silence. That patient, innocent smile. And yet, he had already made up his mind. This guy was trying something. And so soon after he already punched him in the face, too! Normally people learned their lessons fast after that. He had half a mind to sock him again. But he had to be a little patient. He was not entirely sure about getting himself into trouble if he accidentally broke something else in this place.

"You alright, mister? You seem kinda out of it. Didn't mean to hit you too hard." He prodded, actual concern evident in his voice. His policy was not to use more violence than he needed to finish a job. There was no need for that.

The boy was somewhat surprised when he casually walked right past them. It was UN-suspicious...to the point of being suspicious! His request for a piece of paper solidified it. He had checked his pockets when he was taking his money. The man had nothing else on him. What else could he possibly be here to sell but a license? "Hmmm? Hmmmmm."

He pondered openly, not one for subterfuge of the intentional variety. He had been called manipulative before, yet legitimately never could understand how people could possibly arrive at that conclusion.

"Isa? Isa. Isa." That name had suddenly popped into his brain. But why? What could it possibly mean? "Oh!"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Hahaha, sorry 'bout that. I go off to my own world sometimes. Nice to meetcha, Isa!" He grinned at her, up until she asked about some guy named "Jules", at which point his brows furrowed into one of confusion. "Jules... Jules... Nuh uh, don't think I met anyone like that at the exams. Sorry."

He turned to Gordeo.

"You know anyone named Jules, mister? That license you got'd be a big help for finding him." Without a hint of subtlety or grace, he cast out his accusation.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

"Huh? Jules, I've never-" Gordeo began before his words came to a stop. "I don't...you were the one who kept me from passing the Exam, you know, you little..."

"Sorry," mumbled the pawn shopkeeper. "I don't fence stolen goods." The man handed Gordeo back the piece of paper, leaving the young man struck. Head turning to the side, he didn't get the chance to move, his foot stopping as he met Isabella, the smaller girl right behind him. Resigning himself, the next moments had his possessions pilfered, that license he'd kept in his sleeve when Eustace searched him earlier had finally been found, before he was tossed unceremoniously from the premises. Bruised, beaten, and belittled, Gordeo swore up and down as he collected himself and ran off, hoping never to see those two again.

Thanking the pawn shop owner, Isabella left, Eustace beside her. Holding up the license to the sunlight, she giggled lightly. "It should have been so obvious that he stole it again." Isabella had been really dumb, not thinking to take care of something so valuable. "Thanks for helping me get it back." Truth be told, she hadn't really needed it, she knew her brother's name. If he was gone then losing one more thing of his wouldn't really make too much of a difference in the long run. "It's all I really have left of him."

Despite herself, her insistence that a simple, material object didn't matter in the end, her hand clutched it tightly. Isabella pulled it close to her chest, both hands clasping it tight. She'd accepted her failure in losing it, been prepared to never see it again, yet right now she never wanted to let it go, ever.

That's right, he left this behind, didn't he? For her to find, for her to find him. She had to return it, so she couldn't just lose it. She hadn't even realized that simple thing until just now. Face tightened, eyes rimmed with tears, she managed to squeak out, "Thank you."

 

[Freikugel]

"No worries! Happy to help, I'd go bonkers if I lost my gramps' journals." Eustace stretched his arms after successively throwing the man out of the shop. Guys like that never learned, did they? Truth be told, he was crossing his fingers that they would meet again. He had a deep feeling in his gut that they would have made great friends if he had not tried to steal from him. It would also be a chance to learn what he meant when he blamed him for failing the exam. He was sure he had never seen the man once in his life.

"Hey what do you think..." A deep feeling of unease set in Eustace's heart as he saw the tears drip down her face. His body stiffened, eyes immediately looking away with sheepishness uncharacteristic of the boy. What was he supposed to do at a time like this? Back when he cried about his grandpa, he was at it for hours on end with no one else there. Was he supposed to pat her on the head? Wait for the tears to dry up? Punch her? The guys did that last one to him and that taught him nice and quick never to cry in front of other people. Hmm... But he would rather not. He pushed past the lump in his throat long enough to get a sentence out.

"Umm, uh... Don't you... Uh, worry there... buckaroo." He had a good feeling that he was on the right track here. "How 'bout ya thank me by telling me more about yourself? All I know about you is your name and that's no good!"

The boy sat down at a nearby bench by a bus stop, patting the sat. "Sit! Tell me about yourself! Where're you from? How the hell'd ya get here?"

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Collecting herself, Isabella murmured, "Oh? Uhm." Blinking away her tears, she cleared her throat as she took a seat next to Eustace.

"Well, I'm from here. I was born here and I've never left. This is my first time coming down on my own, actually." Gaze going skyward as she skimmed some of the higher buildings, she explained, "I stayed at the skyscraper my family owns for their company since it was easier to keep certain equipment there. I was...really sick. Like..."

Isabella paused, thinking for a moment, before she explained, "Sometimes I just wouldn't be able to see anything, or trying to breathe would make it feel like I had knives in my lungs. or...you know how on TV during Christmas when they rip open presents? Sometimes my skin would be like that, expect with way more blood. Sometimes I would be too afraid to move because it would trigger and I wouldn't realize it. Like, I've opened doors and not realized all the skin on my hand was broken until blood started dripping everywhere." While she'd been amused recounting her past, things once horrible that she could laugh at now that it was history, a sudden awkwardness gripped her as she became self-conscious. What she was explaining had utterly baffled any doctor her father had reached out to. Many of them refused to believe it until they saw it, and once they did, it hadn't taken them too long to give up on her. Those expressions of bafflement, shock, disgust, all aimed at her, seen time and time again over the years, continued to stick in her brain. Now to her it felt like a memory, even though the last time she'd had any of those symptoms was just a couple weeks ago now.

Changing subjects, she explained, "B-but I'm better now! Way better. Like, I'm really strong and fast. Sometimes I don't even know how to handle it and I break something on accident or fall over myself, it's pretty funny. I don't know how, but..." Hands gripping her license a little tighter, she said, "My brother… We're twins. Jules became a Hunter a couple years ago I think, but the number I used to be able to call him with doesn't work. He hasn't been at the family home since he left for the Hunter Exam apparently. All I have is this: it was in my room when I woke up on the day I realized I wasn't sick anymore."

Pushing the license against her chest, she finished, "I want to find him. I have to find him." With a short sigh she added, "I don't really know where to start so I figured I'd ask other Hunters, and then I met you! I didn't really think I'd find one on the first day."

Leaning forward, a toothy smile flashing back in Eustace's direction, Isabella asked, "What about you? What brings you here?"

 

[Freikugel]

Eustace could hardly contain his shock as she went on about her life story. He had heard about skyscrapers from his grandpa. They were like... Houses. But not regular houses, huge ones that stretched up for miles and miles and miles. She got to live in a place like that? The story got crazier and crazier the more she recounted it. There was no way he could believe that the girl who was arm wrestling people left and right was that fragile. There was no way that was possible! But from the way she talked and her body language, there was nothing he could pinpoint that would allow any reason for doubt.

There was a long pause as she finished telling the story of how a mere door knob had teared apart the skin on her hand, yet the talkative boy said nothing. His eyes shines with neither pity nor awkwardness, instead reflecting only his sheer curiosity as though he was hearing of a spectacle. This lessened somewhat when she concluded her story with how much better she felt, along with how she planned on using her newfound strength to find her twin brother. A small smile formed on his face. They were a little more similar than he thought. More importantly, there were two of them. That meant that there was someone their age, yet maybe stronger, more stories to tell. The thought made him tighten his fists in excitement, adrenaline pouring into his chest.

"Lucky we met each other, then! I'll can give you a helping hand! My license lets access all kinds of stuff other people can't, there's gotta be a trace of him somewhere." He was invested now, there was no way he would let up an opportunity like this.

His excitement died down a bit when she asked what his goals were. That was always a point of introspection for him. He looked down, clasping his cheeks between an index finger and thumb.

"I wanna adventure! My gramps was an info hunter so I got out so I could explore the same way he did. Oh, and I had to get outta home. Ever hear of Meteor City? It's this big place with entire mountains made of stuff, kinda like those cans where people throw stuff in when they don't want 'em anymore. I never really liked the place that much, now that I think about it." Eustace folded his arms behind his neck, leaning back into his seat. Talking about it out loud let him realize that fact. He did not miss it in the slightest. "I got a lot of people mad when I decided to leave. They said they were gonna kill me if they saw me again, so I dunno if I can go back any time soon. Not that I would anyhow. The places outside are pretty weird, but they're more interesting, y'know? Got more life. And now that I'm a hunter, I can go wherever I feel like!"

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Meteor...City? Mental images flashed through her mind, Isabella imagining a chunk of Earth housing a city hurtling through space. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she removed those thoughts, instead focusing on trying to make sense of the rest of what he was saying. Remembering back to what he was saying in the pawn shop, her eyes flitted to a nearby trash can, and suddenly she recalled hearing about a city akin to what Eustace was describing. That quickly became secondary to his next comments though, which Isabella couldn't ignore.

"Kill you!?" she gawked, a look of concern crossing over her face. From the sounds of it, Meteor City was a place anyone would want to leave, so that kind of reaction…

"Good riddance then." Isabella couldn't help but to think back to her own parents reactions, the joy at her being cured quickly shifting to apathy. She'd left her living space with a cell phone number behind yet hadn't heard a peep from them. "We don't need people like that!"

Isabella didn't grasp why Eustace was helping her, but she wasn't about to look the gift horse in the mouth. Starting to get pumped, thinking about the license Eustace had, her clenched fists gyrated in the air a bit, and she cried, "We can go anywhere! So…"

Steam dissipating, Isabella turned back to Eustace, expression blank. "Where should we go?"

 

[Freikugel]

"Mmm... I dunno." He cupped his cheeks between his thumb and index finger. When you had too much freedom, he guessed that that made it way harder to figure stuff out like that? "Oh, maybe we can check out a map! We can definitely—"

"Aloha my little friends!"

A skeevy looking older man approaches the pair of kids, appearing from right beside a nearby tree. He had the feeling of an opportunist, sporting a very businessman like smile despite his less than formal attire. He wore a long gold chain, a velvet coat paired with a Hawaiian shirt and dress pants. In other words, he was scattered! Absolutely scattered! Though Eustace would be unable to detect it in the slightest, perhaps Isa would know better from her experience as the daughter to such a wealthy family. He was nouveau riche through and through, trying with every ounce of his might to dress as a rich man should.

"Alo...?" Eustace knocked on his hard hat, eyes brightening up after two mere bumps. "Oh, it means hello! But it can also mean goodbye if ya say it when you're leaving. Read that one in one of gramps' journals."

Eustace explained, a wide grin spread across his face at the opportunity to share a tidbit of the wealth of knowledge imparted unto him. The strange man simply stood there with that same grin, waiting for him to finish? Was it malevolence? Scheming? Awkwardness? Difficult to say for sure.

"Exactamundo my helmeted little friend! And I was expecting you two to be dumb muscle by the way you tossed that rat out on the street!" He laughed a little too hard at his own words.

A person with an iota of worldliness would have taken this as a sign to walk away slowly. Not Eustace. He was more so amused than uncomfortable.

"Ah, but brain and brawn isn't the worst combo when it comes to business. In fact, I think I could use the both of you quite well" He passed both of them a business card each.

Card

THE GOLDEN GHETTOES CONTRACTING SERVICE
RICHIE LOVE
PHONE NUMBER: XXX-XXX-XXXX
EMAIL: [email protected]

"See, I noticed that you were talking about needing to find someone. Lucky for you, I have a proposition that'd be of serious interest. I'm a man with many connections, a lot of who know guys who know guys who know good finders! But..." He wagged his finger, "I can only help you if you agree to do a contract or two for me on the side. Whadda ya—what do you say? Do a job for me, scratch my back, and I can give you a lead on this Jules guy!"

He clasped his hands his hands together and smiled a strangely toothy smile.

"Whaddya think?" Eustace asked his new friend, unperturbed.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Handling the card, Isabella was starting to get a little giddy. While it was certainly no Hunter license, this was the second person she'd met today with a card and a mind to give her a hand in her search. This being her first day, at that! Not trying to think too hard about her unbelievable luck, she looked Richie over again. His nouveau rich appearance didn't particularly register with her. While she could tell certainly he wasn't of particular wealth (between scouting talent on the streets himself rather than going through an agency, and the tailoring on his coat and pants clearly being factory rather than professional, him being rich wasn't even in consideration), it was exactly for that reason that she couldn't catch on to the deception in him pretending to be rich either: in her eyes, she couldn't even fathom his illusion as being remotely true.

The possibility of deception was something on her mind, but unlike the guy who stole her license (twice), Richie was being direct and clear. The business card gave him accountability: in the event of a trick, they had information to react appropriately. His exchange seemed more than fair too. Isabella was confident in her strength, connecting it to what her brother had said to be capable of, someone who was said to be the younger Hunter ever, a member of the most prestigious and elite groups in the world. Isabella's inability to properly deal with Gordeo was well at the back of her mind, prideful in what this scout had allegedly seen from them (read: mostly Eustace, but Isabella was not acknowledging this).

Slipping the card into her pocket, Isabella crossed her hands over her chest and mused. "Hmm, I think we have a bunch of leads we could be following, but if it's just one or two..." turning to Eustace, she was trying to keep a placid face, but the edges of her lips kept twitching upwards in excitement. "I think it's worth a try."

Completely unawares, her expression was curious as she asked, "So, you said a contract, right?" Eyes not spotting any kind of paperwork, she said, "How do we sign?"

 

[Freikugel]

"Magnifi-kee!" The man exclaimed with a perhaps too much excitement, hands in the air and spine bent slightly backwards. If he had not already garnered the attraction of the passerby, he was now almost certainly the spectacle of the town. "That was French for 'magnificient' in case you couldn't catch that one, haha! You need not worry about contracts or any other...poppycock! Our contractors are the least contracted workers in the world! Follow me and I'll have you set up before you can say, 'Richie, I'd do anything to see you smile!'"

"Richie, I'd do anything to see you smile." Eustace responded on cue. The man paused for a bit, his eyes briefly appearing glossy as his mouth gaped open a bit. In seconds flat, however, he was right back to his crooked grin.

"A bit of a joker we got here, that'll serve you well, my boy. Now come, after me!" He turned, bending his wrist to slap the air forward with the palm of his hand. Eustace could only chuckle at Isa before following after the strange man.

---

After a series of walks through many seedy alleyways that would have definitely set off a few alarms in any regular person's mind, they finally arrived at a wooden door preceded by a five step cement staircase with ironic railing whose paint has clearly been chipping away over the years.

"Right this way, my gentle man and woman!" He forced the door open with gusto! Inside was a quite dusty office room with minimal decor. His wall was lined shelves containing many multicultural trinkets—albeit most of which appeared to be poor imitations. The Liberation Tower of York New was blown half to bits with only the bottom side remaining, the cheap statue of Buddha had a distorted wicked variant of the figure's kind smile that was most certainly not an artistic decision, and there was a cup and ball toy with its string missing, to name a few. Compounding that, that there were an array of posters with bikini models clearly meant to hide the cracks on the wall that were struggling to break free.

"Ahhh, home! Just take your seats right there." He sat down behind his desk, kicking his feet up as he pointed at the two plastic lawn chairs in front of him.

Eustace was able to sink in perfectly, smiling as though it were the most comfortable chair he had felt in his life.

"Now, onto business," Richie sat up and clasped his hands together, "I have a very unreliable, cowardly fool of salesman over by the side of that bar called the Bing. He's worried that there's some rowdy competition waiting to strike him out. I need you to meet him here..."

He took out a piece of paper and quickly penned the address down for the pair.

"And make sure all of his sales go off without a hitch. Simple enough right? Anyone gives you trouble, all you need is to," he swung an imaginary bat with one hand, "whack 'em! And for good money at that if your proficiency is half decent, should I add! Now, what do you say?"