Part 26: Street X At X Night

After I met my father earlier, I couldn't stop my tears from falling on my face. I know he did that for me but still, he shouldn't make that risky decision. I almost lost my trust in him because of that, and I'm still angry right now.

How can he do that to me? I thought he said before that everything doesn't matter as long as we're together, not even money. Now, I've decided to get revenge on those Nostrades, after I learn about my arm. And not just them, but also those people that made my father do a bad deed. Those who were managing underground auctions.

It was the Hades Auction Management. I remembered before that father was working there but now, it seems like he doesn't have any work. I wonder what's his life like when I'm not around.

After collecting my thoughts and making a decision to get revenge, I finally reached the urban areas and all buildings were lit up. I started to wipe my tears so no one can see it between the street lights.

I can see expensive cars passed by the road beside me. This is all the riches' fault! Because of their greed for more money and precious things, our life became a mess.

I still looked at them with rage in my heart when suddenly, a black limousine passed by and I caught a glimpse of the man inside it.

That face. When I saw him before, he still doesn't have wrinkled skin, but I can still recognize him. There he is, sitting in that luxurious car.

It was Light Nostrade.

Because of anger, I immediately ran towards the street and without knowing what I am doing just now and jumped at the front of the limousine. I saw his surprised face not because he recognized me-he probably forgot me-but because I tried to attempt suicide by jumping at a speeding car.

Things happened so fast after I heard a crashing sound from the car as it fit my body. I was thrown in the streets with blood rushing out of my head, and my arms and legs were injured because of the impact. My head started to feel dizzy because of what happened and anytime soon, I'll fall unconscious.

But I didn't let that happened. I still wanted to kill that man with my own hands. I bit my tongue to keep me from sleeping in the streets.

I watched the limousine's driver get out, wearing the rich black suit. He approached me with a worrying face. I can't believe someone from that man's servants looks so kind. Even the bodyguards that I killed look so innocent about me. I'm really guilty because of what I did to them.

"Little girl, are you okay?!", he shouted at me but I didn't respond to his question. I don't have the strength to open my mouth and make a sound. He carefully grabbed my hand and tried to check my pulse.

Then, all of a sudden, a man wearing a luxurious suit moved out of the car, with his grey hair and beard. I was surprised he went too far on getting out of his car just to see if my condition is fine. But I know a Nostrade wouldn't do that and yet, I was still hoping that he changed his heart, so there's no reason to kill him and his daughter.

"Is she alright?" Nostrade asked his driver.

"She isn't responding, sir. But she's still alive." the latter answered.

"Then... let's go."

I was shocked by his direct answer. Does he mean to leave me like this? Injured and almost in a near-death experience? After all this time, he still doesn't have a heart and only cares about using his precious daughter.

But I'm also an idiot. If I controlled my anger, I shouldn't have ended up like this.

But when I see this ugly man's face, I can't help but imagine blood rushing out of it. His eyes flowing out and his skins will be peeled off. Because of this murderous bloodlust, I can feel my arm started to grow into a monster.

"But what about her, sir? She might die." the driver opposed. I can't believe he can say that to his boss.

"Just call an ambulance," Nostrade ordered with an annoyed face and the driver reached for his phone to call an ambulance.

Nostrade tried to grab something inside his suit pocket and showed up some piles of money wrapped in a string. He dropped two of them in front of me. That surprised me and I looked at him with widened eyes.

"Sorry, girl. I don't have time for you. I'm busy. Use that money to pay the hospital bills." he whispered to my ear and finally ordered his driver to come back to the limousine.

I watched them move away from my sight as I was lying down the streets with serious injuries but I can't sense each pain. My heart was filled with wrath right now, the desire to kill that greedy billionaire in an instance. The more I look at him, the more I see him as a demon.

I can feel my arm grow into a monster. I can see it turned into something different and realized how dangerous my situation is, now that I caught the attention of the people passing by because of what I did. If they saw my arm, I'll be doomed.

"Poor girl, she just left there!"

"Somebody call an ambulance!"

Everyone was chattering in front of me, looking at me with pity. Someone tried to check my pulse and grabbed the first aid.

But I have to get away from here. If I don't, my secret will be revealed.

Ignoring the extreme pain I felt, I tried to stand up with my injured legs as I held my bandaged arm to keep it from growing. I saw the people who were so shocked because of what I did.

"H-Hey! Don't stand! Sit down. You're injured." one of the citizens shouted at me with surprised eyes, holding a first aid kit. It looks like he's a doctor or a nurse.

"I... I don't care." I said with my low voice that only the man can hear. He was surprised because of what I said.

"Thank you... for your concern. But I'm fine. Just... leave me alone." I added but the man can't take it and approached me.

"I'm a doctor. And it was my duty to take care of the health of the citizens. If I let you go out without getting treated, then that means I didn't fulfill my duty." he said as he started to treat my wounds and wrapping it with bandages.

When I looked at him, I can't help but think that there are still people like him. Because of what he did, my arm slowly getting quiet and I can feel that it turned back to normal.

Some people approached the doctor for some assistance and helped him wrap bandages in my body. Because of the helping hands, the treatment finished and I was fine now.

I stood up again and the doctor was about to say something but I didn't let him say it.

"I'm alright now, thank you," I said with a warm smile on my face. I saw the ambulance rushing towards our direction with its noise spreads in the streets.

They stopped in the streets and two men with an orange suit moved out of the ambulance, carrying a lifter on their hands, running towards my direction.

But before they made it to my position, I looked at the doctor who just treated me.

"I'm really glad you helped me." he was surprised because of what I said. "What's your name?"

He didn't speak for a second.

"I-It's Albert. Albert Steinfield."

"Hmm... Albert Steinfield?" I said as I muttered it, but he can still hear my voice. "I'll remember that. The doctor who didn't hesitate to save me."

As I said that with a smile on my face, I ran at my full speed, like lightning that flashes during thunderstorms. I didn't look back and sprinted my way out of the scene and towards our hotel.

Come to think of it, what will be his reaction when he saw my arm? He will be surprised, of course. But will he abandon me or accept me? Those questions will not be answered unless I will meet that man once more.

***

NARRATION

The police rushed towards the accident scene and were surprised that they didn't saw any victim lying on the ground and only splatters of blood.

"We saw the victim standing next to that man, but she suddenly disappeared, like thin air. It was really a surprise." one of the men in the orange suit explained everything to the media.

The doctor, who is Albert Steinfield, was also being interviewed by the reporters as they took down the notes.

"She was just your everyday innocent little girl. But-" the doctor was about to say something about the bandages in Secco's arm but he realizes that maybe she doesn't want to be found. "...her body looks so strong when she stood up as if she doesn't have any serious injuries."

When the reporters finished his interview, they left him in his position.

That girl...

She looks like my patient before...

But...

I didn't saw any malice on the little girl's eyes, unlike that woman...

***

SECCO RASVIN

At last, I finally made it into the hotel where we're staying in. I wonder if Gon and Killua made it back safe. I hope they're alright, I was so focused on meeting my father that I forgot about them.

I entered the hotel with full of bandages in my body. Some of the costumers and staff looked at me in surprise. In order to not gain more attention from them, I quickly ran towards the elevator and pressed the floor of our room. I rushed through the hallway towards our room and opened it with our chosen passcode.

I was about to enter the room with exhaustion in my face when suddenly, I saw a sight that I thought I would never see.

"Leorio, are you allowed to drink?"

"In our country, men like me can already drink!"

In the middle of the room, there they are, scolding over Leorio because he's drinking at a younger age. I can see his silvery-white hair and the other's spiky dark green hair.

One of them turned around to see me, followed by the other. I can still remember their golden and blue eyes shining in the room light.

"Oh, Secco!" Gon shouted with happiness as he waved his hand at me. But he stopped all of a sudden to scan my body.

"What happened to you?!" Killua shouted as he pointed his index finger towards me and like Gon, he scanned my body full of bandages and scratches.

But that doesn't matter to me. My tear fell on my cheeks followed by rows. As I saw them in full shape, I can't help but feel relieved. I'm glad they got escaped from the Spiders. My tears are flowing at a faster pace and I can feel my eyes are as clear as a crystal right now.

"Gon! Killchi!" I rushed towards them as I shouted their names. I jumped at them and gave them both a great big hug. I didn't let them go and grasp their shoulders to pull them closer to me.

"H-Hey, idiot! Let go!" Killua shouted as I can hear his embarrassed voice as he tried to push my arms away from him. But I didn't follow him and just hold them tight until I'm satisfied.

"Killua, just let her be." Gon started to lecture Killua about his misbehavior towards me but I didn't care and just release my tears from my eyes. "She was so worried about us, you know? Let's wait for her until she's satisfied."

"Hmph!", I saw Killua turned his head away from me and wait for me to stop crying.

That moment lasted for a few minutes and it seems like the tears in my eyes finally stopped but my sobs are still making noise.

"Now then, what happened to you?" Killua asked me all of a sudden and scanned my body once more. "What's with all the bandages?"

"T-This is... nothing," I said as I averted my eyes from him, guilty because of my lie. I can feel his eyes in range and irritation right now. I know he will see through my lies, but still, it's not something they should be worried about.

I heard him sigh in front of me.

"Listen, Secco. If you're worried about us, we're also... w-worried about you! A-After all, you have a worse shape than us here!" Killua shouted as he stuttered some words out of embarrassment.

He's right. It's not just me that was so worried here. Killua and the others are also worried about my current condition, now that I showed up with full of bandages in my body all of a sudden.

I told them the story from the time I moved out of the hotel and didn't skip any scene. I don't want them to worry that I'm acting strange lately so I told them all that happened.

"So you were trying to get revenge on an auction management company named Hades Auction Management and a billionaire named Light Nostrade?" Leorio restated my purpose and I nodded as a confirmation.

"But you're becoming like Kurapika. If you get on revenge too much, you'll be in trouble," he said with a concerned tone in his voice. "We couldn't stop Kurapika from getting sucked by his revengeful bloodlust. I don't want you to end up in the same condition, too. So I'll stop you right now."

When I heard that from Leorio, I couldn't help myself but to think about it. If I continued to seek revenge in all of my life, I might not be able to have fun with my friends. I want to enjoy life as much as I could!

"Okay, Leorio, I understand," I said with a warm smile on my face.

He also smiled at me and took out his phone.

"Speaking of Kurapika, I want to greet him!" Leorio went back to his careless self and the tension in the room finally faded away.

"Me too!" Gon shouted.

"Me three!~" I said with a cheerful smile.

Leorio tried to call for Kurapika on the phone and the other line answered.

"Hello, Leorio?"

"Kurapika! How are you doing? We missed you!" Gon shouted all of a sudden as he stole the phone from Leorio.

"Gon?"

"Yeah! We really missed you!~" I said.

"Well, thank you for calling me right now. But I'm quite busy right now. Just call me later, okay?"

"Huh? Do you have work now?" Leorio stole the phone back from us and tried to have a conversation with him.

"Yeah. I'm now finally a Blacklist hunter. And my first assignment is to be a bodyguard."

"A bodyguard? Of who?"

"A bodyguard of the famous Nostrade Family."

When I heard that family name, I widened my eyes in shock.

Kurapika is... working for that monster?