Luo Ye had barricaded the hotel suite's door with a sofa.
He had pulled up a little folding stool and sat behind the door.
Holding a family-sized tub of popcorn, he crunched away as he stuffed it into his mouth.
On the television, Yorknew City's emergency news channel played on a loop.
The footage shook violently.
Towering flames lit the night sky an eerie orange-red.
Armored vehicles lay overturned by the roadside like crushed soda cans.
The corpses of fully armed Mafia members hung from shattered neon signs.
Blood dripped down the wires.
Gon and Killua sat side by side on the carpet.
Both looked utterly grim.
Leorio kept hurrying in and out of the bedroom, replacing the cold towels on the unconscious Kurapika.
The boy's temperature was frighteningly high, and the backlash from his vow was weakening his body at a terrifying rate.
"Tsk, tsk."
Luo Ye grabbed a handful of popcorn and offered his commentary on the carnage onscreen.
"These Spiders are pretty efficient at demolition."
"Even faster than a professional blasting crew."
"Their artistic style is just a little too crude. Not much aesthetic appeal."
Killua glanced back at him, his eyes full of conflicting emotions.
"At a time like this, you're still in the mood for popcorn?"
"This isn't a movie."
"The people dying out there are real."
Luo Ye shrugged and stuffed another large mouthful into his mouth.
He spoke around the popcorn.
"Then what should we do?"
"Rush out there and join them, cry along with them?"
"Don't be naive, Killua."
For once, Luo Ye's tone grew a little serious.
"It's a meat grinder out there right now."
"Those Spiders have gone insane."
"They don't need a reason to kill anymore."
"If you go out now, all you'll do is add a few more