Summary: The Phantom Troupe has a Nen-powered snowball fight. One-shot.

A story for my Hunter X Hunter 2016 Christmas Challenge on AO3. Anyone interested feel free to join!

Prompt: a Nen-powered snowball fight.

Bending the Rules

All was quiet as most of the city's residents huddled together in various alleyways using old trash cans as fireplaces. Lingering in one of the many alleys was the Phantom Troupe, the most infamous band of criminals in the world and the city's guardians. Snow went up to their knees. Above the knees in Feitan's case. Meteor City was a frozen garbage dump, but it was home.

A golden coin flipped through the air before landing in Machi's palm with a light smack. "Heads, you win."

Phinks lifted his shoulder in a half shrug, he wasn't going to start winding up yet. The movement was more habit than necessity. "Let's do this shit."

"I still feel like this is breaking the no fighting rule."

"For fuck's sake don't be a sore loser. Besides, Fei's the boss for now and what the boss says goes, right?"

Thrusting forward his umbrella to point at Phinks, Feitan said, "We'll fight. I'll win."

Phinks winced. "You're not helping our case."

The other Spider's retreated across the road to watch from a safe distance. As long as the bout didn't get too serious, they'd relent.

Scooping snow off the ground Phinks began to twist his arm. "I think five should still be friendly."

A Nen-snowball flew.

With a whoosh, Feitan opened his umbrella to shield himself.

Snow splashed off the umbrella. The hit was less powerful than Phinks' usual punch, but strong enough to push him back even as he dug his heels into the snow.

He dropped the umbrella. Clicking a hidden button he pulled out his sword from it.

While he could cut the snowballs with his hands, he was a transmuter giving him only 80% efficiency in enhancement and 60% in emission. That would be matched by Phinks being an enhancer giving him 100% in that category and 80% efficiency in emission. The match needed to stay "friendly" and it was better if his sword broke than his hand in the case he misjudged how much power to put into a strike. "My turn."

Phinks had the advantage of stronger attacks and better defense against each hit, but Feitan's speed made up the difference. Slicing, smirking, sprinting - Phinks could only wonder how the fuck was Feitan sprinting in the snow – the little bastard was slinging snowballs faster than the laws of physics should allow.

Jab. Cross. Jab. Cross. Phinks smashed the incoming snowballs.

His Ten covered him like a warm blanket, but each punch was like shoving his hands into ice water as they made contact with Feitan's Nen. Without something to shield him from the backslash the flurry of flakes obscured his vision. He was partially blinded by a sea of white. Only the light crunch of boots touching down on snow between leaps warned him of incoming attacks.

Dashing over to a street lamp, he took cover. It would only be a tenth of a second at the most before Feitan could re-position enough to hit him at his new location.

Springing onto a fire escape pad's railing, Feitan snagged the snow off his perch to resume his onslaught. Another icy ball was hurled at Phinks, exploding against the lamp-post. He grinned, too wide and too proud from sadistic joy. "Is this your best?"

Phinks' fingers were chilled to the point they no longer wished to bend, but he formed another projectile. But cold or not, a fight was a fight and he didn't give in – ever. Glaring up at Feitan, he cranked his arm. Once. Twice... Ten times. One hand full of snow later, he missed Feitan's stomach. However, the snowball had enough power behind it to snap Feitan's sword and fling him back.

Knocked off the railing, Feitan hit the ground sending up a cloud of snow. Spayed out on his back, he placed a hand on his stomach and coughed. "Piece of crap."

A puddle began to form around him as his aura flared and heated, an invisible flame licking the snow.

"Eh, looks like they're getting serious," said Shalnark. His phone clicked as he took a picture of the two combatants.

"Is this really the time for that?" asked Machi. Leaning over to peek at the image, she rolled her eyes. The caption read: Phinks spanks a butthurt Fei.

"When else am I going to catch them playing? The boss is gonna love these when he gets back."

She snorted as she glanced over at Feitan.

A cloud of gray steam obscured the air around him as the newly made puddle boiled. His face was already turning pink from stewing in his own personal hot tub puddle.

Her voice was flat as she said, "It won't do any good if there's no city to come back too."

"I'll take care of it." Extending her hand, Shizuku conjured her vacuum - Blinky.

An infinite number of nonliving objects could be consumed by the vacuum. It could not inhale things that are alive, conjured, or made out of Nen. No objects could be retrieved except for the last object that was eaten.

"Blinky, suck all the snow up."

A wet slurp came from Blinky as it licked its lips. Snow flew up from the ground and was sucked into the vacuum's mouth till the alleyway was clear. Burp.

Blowing out his cheeks, Shalnark huffed. "It's too bad, I always liked playing in the snow." He trailed off and nudged an uncovered piece of trash with his foot.

A low grunt of agreement came from Nobunaga. "It's one of the few things here for the kids since it's free."

"Oh, I can put it back," said Shizuku. Pointing Blinky back at Phinks and Feitan, she released the snow.

Stuck between the buildings, the pair was hit by the avalanche that rolled down the alleyway.

An odd crunching sound came from the ground as the heads of Phinks and Feitan popped up from under the snow. They glared at Shizuku.

Wiggling in the snow, Phinks managed to free an arm. He shook his fist at Shizuku. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

She smiled and waved back at him. "Winning!"

Breaking free to stand, Feitan brushed snow off his robe. "You weren't involved."

"I wasn't?"

Grunting, Phinks freed himself fully. "No!"

He shivered before looking over at Feitan. Their eyes met. They bent down to create new ammo. Fully charged snowballs flew through the air again. One sending snow down Shalnark's back as it hit his neck and the other exploded in Shizuku's face knocking her onto her butt. "Now you're involved."

Machi grabbed Kalluto's shoulder and said, "I have a feeling they're about to aim here soon."

He pulled out his fan. "I have four older brothers. A snowball fight is something I can handle."

Nodding to him, Machi released his shoulder. If had lost his mind like all the others that was his business, but she was going to follow the rules. Springing away, she tossed several needles up to create a web across the top of the alleyway. Hoisting herself up she fled above their heads. As she landed on her threads, snowballs whizzed below her from Phinks towards Kalluto.

A slight smile came to Kalluto's face as he imagined the pain and irritation they'd feel at knowing he could toy with them. Slowly beating them down with their own attacks. Slashing his fan downward, an unnatural wind kicked up sending the snowballs flying back across the alley.

Unprepared for the assault from behind, Shalnark was hit by the less than friendly fire. His fingers slipped into his pocket producing an antenna. The device in hand, he whirled around to face Kalluto. "That does it!"

He jammed the antenna into his arm. "Ugh, it really kills the fun to know I won't remember this..." His aura flared as Autopilot activated, he began quickly build up a tower of snowballs as tall as his own height. Tossing two at a time, he alternated between flinging his ammunition at Kalluto and Phinks.

Seeing the pile shrinking, Kortopi began duplicating snowballs.

Fingertips detaching with a metal clink. Franklin loaded himself with the irregular ammo. Raising his hands above Kortopi he fired snowballs at Feitan like machine gun bullets.

"This is my moment to show you the might my tribe!" said Bonolenov. Shedding his bandages, he spun producing an awful noise.

Covering their ears the others shrank back from the strange whistling he produced.

Nobunaga launched an icy missile at Bonolenov. "Knock that shit off!"

The snow plugged the holes in Bonolenov's body, lessening the sound. Recovering, all the other spider's took aim and began to peg him with snowballs.

Every artificial hole was filled with snow. Defeated Bonolenov curled up on the ground shivering.

Shalnark's phone beeped. "Autopilot disengaged."

As his aura dropped down to a lower intensity, Shalnark ached with a strange mixture of being numb, raw, and bruised. He tried to raise his hand to finish pulling out his antenna, but dropped his arm as it cramped. "Ouch. Huh, who won?"

Nobunaga's head was still ringing as he rubbing an ear hoping to lessen the pain. "I don't know who won, but Bono lost."

Teeth chattering, Bonolenov's voice quivered as he said, "I surrender this battlefield. Now I would be most grateful if someone hand me my bandages, please."

Accepting his surrender, they quickly retrieved his wet bandages from under the piles of snow. They were frozen and bruised from the fight. But all that mattered was that their bonds were as strong as ever. With Feitan as the temporary head and the other nine as his legs, the Spider was still united as one.

Let me know if I got anything jarringly wrong. I've only seen snow that stuck around for a day once and have never made a snowball much less been in a snowball fight.