Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter; only my plot and my original characters belong to me.

Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, I know that this chapter is horrendously late. I'm sorry! Please have mercy! So this chapter is the second in a series of three that focus on Rhea experiencing Hisoka fighting in the ring at Heaven's Arena for the first time. I didn't mention this in the first chapter notes, but each chapter focuses on a different facet of "disappearing" and I spent a lot--A LOT--of time trying to figure it out. Last chapter dealt with Rhea dealing both with the angst of no longer being an "easily-forgotten, inconspicuous nobody" and with wanting to disappear from her newfound fame. This chapter deals with disappearing in a more literal sense. I hope you enjoy reading it! We finally get to see Hisoka fight! I hope I do him justice! Thank you again for reading!

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Chapter Ten: The Art of Disappearing, Part Two

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Hisoka lived for this moment.

The first fleeting moments of every fight were intoxicatingly, achingly addicting. The crackle of electric tension between him and his opponent, the reactive stirrings of the crowd, his own simmering bloodlust--it all combined beautifully and formed the most blissful, chaotic ambience imaginable. He wanted to breathe it in, to allow it to saturate every pore, to cement it into his memory to relive over and over again.

He also loved the first seconds of a conflict for one other reason: It was then that he truly didn't know what to expect from his opponent, before his keen senses kicked in and revealed his opponent's weaknesses, patterns in behavior, and exploitable fears. The unknown was much more appealing, but nothing much seemed to surprise him nowadays.

Well, there is that one thing...

The magician turned his head and cast a furtive glance over his shoulder towards the press box. A small, hooded figure stood just beyond the barrier, clutching the edge with her bandaged hands like her very life depended on it. Her lips parted slightly in a frightened gasp as she met his gaze, and Hisoka felt a small twinge of satisfaction ripple through his body before he turned away.

The referee said his piece, including an added bit about not attacking the official, and Hisoka had to stifle a childish giggle before responding. He recalled that in his early days at Heaven's Arena, before he'd risen to fame and the 200th floor, that he'd maimed a referee who'd made a call that he didn't like. They were hospitalized, he was nearly permanently banned from competing, and now all of the other officials at the tower gave him a wide berth.

Regardless, he agreed to the rules of the play, the ref threw up one hand, and then came that final moment of anticipation--that deliciously stretched-out moment before the official began the competition, where silence fell over the arena, a thick blanket of tension enveloped the ring, and his opponent practically hummed with energy.

Hisoka was careful not to get too excited. In his younger, more reckless days, his arousal had often gotten the better of him, and he had not fully relished or appreciated the last moments he'd spent with his victims. Now that he'd matured, he knew that he needed to carefully ration his pleasure, restrict his strength, and delay that orgastic last moment before he dealt the final, devastating blow. It would all begin in just seconds.

The official dropped his hand, and his voice boomed in Hisoka's ears. "The match begins--NOW!"

There was a flash of black curls and suddenly Lilith was mere meters away, and closing the gap that remained with remarkable speed. She leapt far above his head, cocked back a fist, and descended upon him, determination burning in her dark eyes. Hisoka waited until she was closer...closer...and then--

In a barely visible moment, his forearm flew up over his face to counter the blow he was sure was coming.

But the blow didn't come. In a single millisecond, Lilith retracted her fist and swung her leg forward instead, cracking the magician in the ribs. The force of the kick didn't cause Hisoka to stumble, but it sent his body skidding backwards a meter or two. Pain erupted from his torso, and although he didn't react, the magician knew at once that she'd broken a few of his ribs.

Curiosity flooded Hisoka's brain. How had Lilith managed to change tactics so quickly, exact such a powerful blow in his only vulnerable area, and at the very last millisecond? He didn't have much time to consider the possibilities, for Lilith sprang towards him again, and this time Hisoka raised a knee to protect his injured torso. But as before, as he moved to counter her, the woman rapidly switched attacks and this time delivered a vicious punch to his face.

The entire arena sucked in a collective gasp of shock, Hisoka's head flung to the side from the force of the strike, and the sweet, metallic taste of blood erupted in his mouth.

"Two clean hits!" the referee shouted. "Two points to Lilith! Score is now 2-0 in Lilith's favor!"

Excited chatter began to ripple across the crowd, with everyone assessing the sudden turn of events, included the announcer.

"WHOA! WHAT A FORMIDABLE FLURRY OF BLOWS RAINED DOWN BY LILITH! HISOKA MAY HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN HE CAN CHEW WITH THIS ONE, FOLKS!"

Hisoka ignored the voices, his sharp senses focusing instead on his opponent again, as she swooped in from the opposite side, obviously planning on hitting his face again. So Hisoka did something unexpected--instead of parrying the blow as he had tried to do before, he threw his arms behind his head, balanced his weight on his shoulders, and flipped out of her path.

Or--at least he would have, had Lilith not suddenly took advantage of the split-second opportunity to deliver a punitive kick to his undefended stomach. It sent Hisoka sliding across the smooth marble to the center of the ring, and this time, when he glanced back at his opponent, he felt genuine confusion. It was not an emotion he was used to, and he found it both mildly irritating--and extremely titillating. His blood began to grow hot with excitement, and his aura swelled, growing larger and more menacing.

Lilith paused her numerous attacks and granted him a cold smile. "How do you like playing with me now, Hisoka?" she sneered mockingly at him, her voice amplified so that all could hear. "Are you having fun?"

The magician returned her smile, and a rivulet of bright red blood escaped from the corner his lips. He casually wiped it with the back of his hand.

"Very much," he answered, and then he gave her a more skeptical look. "Although, I did not expect an opponent with such an interesting...ability."

More intrigued whispers swept through the crowd.

"Oh, and what ability is that?" Lilith asked playfully, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why...your Hatsu, of course. I couldn't see it before, but now..." Hisoka trailed off purposefully, and he focused all of his blazing aura into his eyes. "...there it is... "

The magician's grin widened, and he felt the familiar little sparks of pleasure being to zigzag through his body as he gazed at his opponent with fascination. On Lilith's forehead, slowly coming into focus, was a third eye. Although it wasn't a replica of a normal eye, it resembled a tattoo that moved like one. Even as Hisoka stared at it curiously, its iris shifted towards him and blinked.

"Ah, yeah," Lilith relinquished a sigh. "I should have figured you'd use your Gyo to see it. I was never particularly skilled at In anyway. It's a waste of my energy."

"It's most impressive," Hisoka observed. He dragged his eyes over the rest of her body, hungrily taking in the sight of her own Nen aura. "I assume that you are a Conjurer?"

"You assume correctly."

Hisoka grinned wider, and his eyes glowed bright. His opponent was smug, so confident. A little too confident. The magician's eyes narrowed like a wolf's. A weakness.

"Then can I also extrapolate that the 'eye' you have conjured somehow allows you to predict how I counter your attacks?" he asked nonchalantly.

Lilith's smile slipped slightly. "You are perceptive."

"It was obvious," Hisoka explained. "You avoided each of my counters as if you knew they were coming, and were able foresee precisely where to strike, even when I did something unpredictable."

"Maybe I'm just better than you."

"That's unlikely," he said deftly, his eyes glinting at the woman's taunts. "But I'm more than willing to test the theory."

With that final word, Hisoka's legs exploded from under him, and he closed the gap between them with astonishing rapidity. However, instead of attacking her head on, he sprung from place to place in an irregular zigzag. As he did, he kept his Gyo locked on his opponent and observed her reaction. Lilith watched him with an indifferent glare, until he approached and crouched into a low kick that would have swept her clean off her feet. Her eyes--all three of them--focused on his leg, and she didn't even twitch.

At once, Hisoka knew why. It was because he never intended to strike her in the first place. He had planned to freeze his attack when he was precisely an inch away from making contact. It was clear now that by her lack of reaction, that Lilith knew that fact well in advance. So he changed tactics, and sprung spryly upward, swinging a closed fist towards her stomach. This time, he fully intended on striking her if he could. However, as he expected, Lilith was prepared for the blow and countered easily with one arm. She then lashed out with the other and backhanded Hisoka hard enough to split his cheek over the bone. Around them, the stands filled with spectators erupted with various "oohs" and "aahs."

"Clean hit!" shouted the referee. "Lilith now has three points! Hisoka still stands at zero!"

Hisoka leapt back, feeling the fresh sting of the new wound and the warmth of a stream of blood begin to drip down his face, but he grinned like a madman nonetheless.

"THREE CLEAN HITS FOR LILITH, AND NONE OF THEM HAVE SO FAR BEEN ANSWERED BY HISOKA!" the announcer's voice boomed. "THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE AN UNEXPECTEDLY ONE-SIDED BATTLE!"

"Would you forget trying to figure me out and just fight?" Lilith inquired, clearly annoyed, as she threw her dark tresses over her shoulder. "It's boring when you're only attacking to try to discover how my Hatsu works."

The magician felt a sharp prick of satisfaction at her irritation, and he licked his lips. In just the first moments of their conflict, he'd determined several crucial facts about Lilith's Hatsu: First, that she could predict his counters to her own attacks, and change strategies to avoid them at the last instant. Second, that she could foresee both what he would and would not do when he was attacking her. Now for the next steps--he needed to know if her foresight also extended to more benign activities or his own Hatsu.

The mere prospect made him want to curl up and cry out in pleasure, and for a brief, intense moment, his wicked aura flared outward, and enveloped the ring in a sinister gloom. The change did not escape Lilith's attention.

"Oooh, how scary," she remarked mockingly, before grimacing angrily towards him. "Have you finally decided to be serious?"

"Not yet..." he responded, his voice mimicking a childish, sing-song melody.

Hisoka raised his hands, and between them a fan of playing cards appeared. The audience gasped at first, and then clapped and cheered as the competitor flipped them expertly back and forth. He grinned and silently activated his Bungee Gum, coating the entire deck of cards with it before flinging his hands and fingers forward. The deck was send flying forward, but not towards Lilith. Instead, the cards spread neatly and evenly, across the flattening surface of the Bungee Gum, which floated parallel to the floor of the ring and just beyond his fingertips. To a non-Nen user, it would appear that each of his cards were meticulously laid out on the top of a large, invisible table. The audience began to whisper excitedly to one another. The magician watched for a reaction from Lilith, but if she noticed his Hatsu, she masked her reaction well. He took a different, more direct approach.

"This is my Hatsu," he said, spreading his arms proudly. "I'm a transmuter, you see, and so my aura possesses the properties of both rubber and gum."

Lilith raised her eyebrows at him. "Rubber and gum?" she scoffed incredulously. "Are you kidding?"

"Not at all," Hisoka said, his dark intent masked by his amiable tone. He paused to observe and analyze her reaction. "Did you not predict this?"

The woman's surprise rapidly disappeared behind a disdainful glare. She said nothing, although the fiery look in her eyes spoke volumes.

Hisoka chuckled at her dismay, but then withdrew his hands behind his back. The deck of cards was left hovering between the two opponents.

"Not to worry," the magician continued. "I'll make you a deal: If you can guess the card that's missing from the deck correctly, I'll allow you to land another hit on me."

"WHAT'S THIS? HISOKA IS OFFERING LILITH A FREE HIT IF SHE PARTICIPATES IN HIS CARD TRICK?" the announcer blared. "WHAT COULD HE HAVE UP HIS SLEEVE?"

Neither Hisoka nor Lilith paid much heed to the commentary being made about their interactions. Instead, the magician patiently waited for his opponent's response, his dark desires still bubbling just under the surface of his skin. The woman's three eyes stared at him for a long moment as she mulled over his proposal, her brow furrowed in suspicion. It appeared that she too was wondering what Hisoka could have up his sleeve. She was right to be wary. Although they looked innocent enough, Hisoka's cards were deadly instruments when he chose to use them in the ring. He had called upon them them more than once to slice his opponents to ribbons, and Lilith clearly understood their significance. However, a four point lead would put her at a huge advantage, and Hisoka knew that his offer was a tempting one. Finally, she spoke.

"Fine," the woman conceded, clearly unimpressed. "But only so I get the chance to slap that smirk off your face."

The woman grimaced unpleasantly towards him yet again, and the audience's murmurs grew louder. However, none of their reactions derailed Hisoka as he gestured grandly towards the display he had created.

"Very well. Which card is missing?"

The surface of Hisoka's skin hummed with excited energy as two of Lilith's eyes dropped and focused on the spread of cards hanging between them. Her third eye, however, stayed fixed steadfastly on him. He grinned at it, and he could have sworn it narrowed suspiciously at him. But it didn't take long for Lilith to come to her conclusion.

"Jack of Spades," she said, her eyes shining with confidence.

Hisoka pursed his lips and flicked his fingers. Between his right thumb and forefinger a card appeared--and it was, of course, the Jack of Spades. However, just before he turned it around to display to Lilith, he traced a finger over the face of the card, activating a thin veneer of bungee gum on its surface. The face of the card transformed in an instant--from the Jack of Spades to a King of Diamonds. The magician grinned pleasantly as he turned the card around.

"So sorry," he sneered, "but that guess was incorrect."

A collective gasp cascaded throughout the crowd surrounding the ring, and there was an echoing shift of movement as hundreds of people in the stands leaned forward to get a closer look at the card Hisoka held aloft.

Even the announcer was taken aback. "UH...WELL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT APPEARS THAT LILITH'S PREDICTION WAS WRONG! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?"

The smug expression on Lilith's face melted into one of shock. "Impossible," she muttered, her hand reaching up to brush up against her third eye. "I saw it...what kind of trick is this?!"

Hisoka's a twinge of pleasure at her dismay. This was his other ability: Texture Surprise. He could use a razor-thin sheen of his aura to change the appearance of anything with a flat surface. Although simple, it was enough to fool even an experienced Nen-user such as Lilith into doubting her abilities. Most importantly, it told the magician that Lilith's third eye, although correct in its guess about the missing card's true form, could not see through the illusion his aura had created.

"It appears that your third eye cannot predict everything," Hisoka stated, his voice dipping up and down like a song. Then he grew more serious. "Now I have another proposition for you: Walk away now, and you'll come away from this fight with nothing more than a damaged ego."

Lilith's reaction was immediate and incendiary. "Absolutely not. I know what you're trying to do."

"Hm..." the magician hummed thoughtfully. "And what is that?"

"Oh please, any idiot could see!" the woman shouted angrily. "You played some fancy trick with your cards to distract me and now you're trying to place me in a vulnerable state so you can attack from behind. That's not going to happen."

That's interesting, Hisoka mused to himself. So she's unwilling to do anything but face me?

He deduced quickly that she must not be able to foresee events with her third eye if her first two could not view the subject. He added the observation to his ever-growing list, as Lilith crouched in preparation for another attack.

"No more games," She said, her voice reduced to a strained, abhorrent growl. "I'm going to beat you so bloody that they'll have to wipe what's left of you off of the floor."

Ohhh, Hisoka thought dreamily, ignoring her insult. He felt his desire spike dangerously near his breaking point as he gazed into her determined, hateful eyes. How I love that look...

The magician's hungry eyes rose up to meet hers, his smile momentarily slipping, and a much darker, frightening expression leaked through. Lilith blinked towards him, grimacing at the sight of his aura growing even larger, even more malevolent.

"Mmm...sounds tempting..." he hissed ominously. "...but I'm afraid that we're nearly done here."

His opponent didn't respond. Instead, she launched herself towards him, her body like a bolt of lightning shooting across the arena. But Hisoka did not move, save for his lips as he whispered two words.

"Bungee...Gum..."

In an instant, the playing cards that were suspended in front of Hisoka shot up into the air above the ring at rapid speed, faster than bullets from a gun. They rocketed high into the dome of the arena, towards the many massive spotlights that shone brightly above. Lilith was forced to halt her attack in order to avoid being sliced open by them, and she paused to cast another incredulous, enraged look at Hisoka, who grinned triumphantly down at her.

"Wha--what did you--" she began, but before she could gather herself or attempt another charge, there was the deafening sound of glass shattering and the entire arena was plunged into darkness.

Instantly strident cries of fright, surprise, and dismay tore themselves from the mouths of the thousands of onlookers, followed by the sharp, tinkling sound of hundreds of sheets of glass falling from the destroyed spotlights onto the marble square below. With another crash, they smashed into