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Chapter Text

Your grandfather once told you something along the lines of, "There is never a tranquil moment in this household." Like most of the things that leave his mouth, you take it with a grain of salt. The old man always had something witty on the tip of his tongue. Much to your dismay though, it seems like he was correct. The past few hours spent with your mother and second eldest brother proved Grandfather to be right and now you were facing the consequences of not heeding the old man's words.

“Dear, wait!” Mother shrilled, her electronic eye dilating at a rapid speed. The purple gown she wore bounced animatedly as a result of her futile attempts to stop you from stepping out of the mansion. You frown at her desperation. It piqued you how the woman could act so helpless when you were the victim at hand. 

The crying woman in front of you wasn't your only nuisance.

“Come back here you brat! How dare you make Mama upset–” Your older brother snaps angrily. 

“Milluki, zip it!” The woman that you had assumed to be your mother spat at your supposed brother. “Please, dear, there is a lot to explain.” She cooed. You give her an uninterested look. It wasn't clear if she was trying to convince you or herself that it was going to be okay.

“I’ve heard enough.” It was your turn to speak. The two take a step closer to you, causing you to pull out a hidden dagger from your sleeve to give them an idea of how serious you were being. The two immediately recoil. Weird. They’re never this wary. You shrug it off and shoot them a glare. “Don’t try to follow me, or I’ll kill all of you.” You threatened. Milluki snarls that your threat while your mother seems to be frozen in shock. 

You shoot the two one last glare before darting right out of the estate. The anger that was cursing through your veins was blinding you. You wanted to spite your former family for their lies. I’ll kill every last one of them. 

Twelve years prior to this incident, Silva Zoldyck had just successfully completed a hit in Meteor City. While he was making his way back, he felt an ominous aura coming from a pile of debris. Cautiously, he lifted some junk to see that this powerful energy source was a baby. Nobody knows why he took the baby, not even Silva. He claims that it was just a hunch. Perhaps it was because it would’ve been a waste of potential if the baby was left out to die. The Zoldyck had questioned the baby’s purpose, and Kikyo was heavily against it (considering that she had just given birth to a potential heir).

“But Dear! Kil has just been born, we can not taint our bloodline with-” Kikyo had cried.

 But Silva had already made up his mind so there was nothing to be done about it. “Enough.” 

Silva’s hunch will be the best gift the Zoldycks receive in the future. 

Naturally, Kikyo felt betrayed that her husband had brought another child home but she had to submit if the decision was going to be in the best interest of the business. However, things never seem to go as planned. Kikyo found herself loving the child as her own. It was refreshing to have a daughter (in a family with only males). She enjoyed raising a daughter in her own image, but it was too early! You have left too early. This was a critical time for you and Kil. 

The two family successors were to meet soon. 

The Zoldyck had done a nearly perfect job at making sure [Name] and Killua’s paths did not cross. Silva had warned the other Zoldyck children of the consequences if the two had met before the perfect time. 

Your potentials were endless so as a matter of course, you were to be betrothed. It was truly a shame that Milluki had slipped his tongue.

-

Stunned that both of her prodigious children had left home, Kikyo gave a cry of anguish. Milluki tried to reach his mother to soothe her grief but she swatted his hand. “My wonderful children,” She cried. “What cold eyes you have now!” Her lips turned upward. Milluki stared at his mother, unmoving.  

Chapter Text

This is really the dumbest decision I have ever made. You think to yourself as you walk through the empty town. Who knew that you would find yourself going to the Hunter Exam. You come to an abrupt stop when you sense the presence of a group of people. You’re ready to flip your switch if the situation calls for it. 

However, the sight in front of you was not what you had in mind. It was an old lady with a strange group of people lined up behind her. 

“Exciting,” She chanted quietly. Exciting? “It’s the exciting two-choice quiz!” She says loudly, catching you off guard. The group of people behind her, which you can only assume as an underpaid band started playing a tune that was awfully offkey. Oh.

  “You’re heading towards Zaban City, right?” She asked, knowingly. Memories of giving empty threats to other Exam applicants came into mind to gain that information. “To get there, you must get past this town.” 

You narrowed your eyes on the old lady. You were never one for quizzes, but that didn’t mean you were dumb. Assuming that this woman knew your destination to the Hunter Exam, this must be a checkpoint to weed out applicants.

“You have five seconds to think. Get it wrong and you will be eliminated.” This should be relatively easy. You’ve been faced with harder situations during your training. “You can only choose one of the two and all other answers are considered wrong.”

“Now for the quiz.” She starts, one of the people behind her honks a horn. “Your brother and lover have been captured by a criminal. But you can only save one. One, your brother. Two, your lover. Who will you save?”

Your mind goes blank. Brother or lover? Is there even a right answer? You’ve never thought of the idea of a lover nor are you too keen on saving your brother. (an ugly picture of Milluki pops up into your mind). You were still angry with your family, so pushing the red button that was in front of you to save your lover seemed tempting. Even if I save my brother, which one would I even save? Milluki had his moments, but he could be surprisingly reliable. And to your other siblings, you held nothing against them. They have been the only people you’ve known for your whole life, as you were not allowed to speak to anyone outside of the family (excluding your targets and butlers). But, with your recent discovery, your family wasn’t even your biological family, so would you even save them after their lies? Man, this sure is a tough decision. You pout. Has the time limit run out yet?

“Time’s up!” She suddenly yells. You tense up, ready to pull out a knife. You’ve gone this far from home not to not make it to the Hunter Exam. “Your silence was correct.” 

Huh? You stare at her dumbfoundedly before the realization hits you. “ Oh , because it was a subjective question, there was no right answer.” You think you see her smile. 

“Follow me to the correct path.” She says, standing up to motion you through a door. “Follow the trail for two hours for a shortcut to Zaban City. I’m sure you are capable enough to find the exam from there.” 

You quickly thank the woman before continuing your journey to Zaban City. Her question seemed to weigh in the back of your mind. If that situation comes, which one will I pick? You shrug to yourself. That was a problem for your future self (considering if you even decide to get a boyfriend, which is unlikely). There were more important problems at hand, like why you decided to take the Hunter Exam. 

It seems fun, I guess. I heard that only a rookie passes every three years. The idea of becoming a Hunter to capture all the Zoldycks for the hefty bounty also seemed tempting.  There’s no point in worrying about that now, you have to get stronger first and the Hunter Exam is the first step into doing so. 

-

“Would you like to buy my beautiful jewels? A beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl!”

“Taste this wonderful Zaban specialty, Panda Frog!” 

“Hey kid, wanna see a magic trick?”

The city was a very lively one (sketchy, too). If you were to be honest, it was a tad bit overwhelming. Never in your life have you ever seen so many new dishes in one place so naturally, you felt inclined to try. You stopped from stand to stand, gawking at all the items these people had to offer. You assumed that you had been off track for an half an hour before the old lady’s words rang through your head again. Follow the trail for two hours for a shortcut to Zaban City. I’m sure you are capable enough to find the exam from there.

How am I going to find a hidden exam site in such a crowded city? I should have asked her. You mutter a few curses before beginning to scan your surroundings. The people around here seemed to be wearing clothes standard to this region. I guess I’ll try looking for people that seem out of place. You start slipping through crowds of people in the city square for someone, and you can only thank fate for being on your side. An unsettling looking man with pins all over his body and a spiky purple mohawk seemed to be making his way somewhere. You swiftly ran after him, trying to tail him without gaining suspicion. 

He stopped for a split second, then walked into a ramen shop, much to your disappointment. He probably was just a tourist. You sighed dejectedly before looking for the next person to follow. Before you could take another step, you felt a dark aura coming from behind you, stopping you in your tracks. You feel a sharp pin, threatening to puncture into your neck.

“What business do you have following me?” A robotic voice interrogated. You strained your neck to turn back to see the disturbing man that you were following. You felt your heart drop. How could you have let your guard down that badly? And how did the strange man you were following get behind you without you noticing?. Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!

It would be wise if you played innocent. “Well, I’m trying out for the Hunter Exam! I was looking for people who aren’t native to this city for hints on where the exam site would be,” You give a closed eye smile and a strained chuckle. Much to your surprise, the pin was taken off of your neck. 

“The Exam is hidden in that shop. Come.” He said, taking the lead. Your jaw dropped as he turned his back on you. It was that easy? 

 -

The journey there was very tense. Your guard had never been higher. With the threat that man had posed earlier, you had to be on alert. You figured that he was a very skilled fighter, so you made sure to take a mental note. If it came down to a fight, you wouldn’t back down, but it would probably be smarter to avoid it (a blow to your pride). 

The Exam site had an even tenser atmosphere. Hundreds, you assume, of applicants were already there. The room you were in only added to the ominous feel. The walls were concrete, colored with a dirty phthalo green. The room was enclosed, you can count only one known exit ( the one you came from).  The man you came with disappeared into the crowds of people to your concern, what had happened earlier was still fresh on your mind, spoiling your mood. A short green man in a suit approached you to hand you your number badge. 302 . 

“Ah, you must be new here.” A greasy voice called from behind you, you can only assume that he was referring to you. It was a short man in blue-grey sweats under a blue v-neck. You give him a blank stare to show your disinterest in conversing, but to your dismay he only walks closer to you. “I’m Tonpa!” 

“Why do you assume that this is my first time?” You ask cautiously, eyes narrowing. He smiled coyly. 

“I’m kind of a veteran here. This will be my thirty fifth time taking the exam.” He chuckled. You tried to hide your shock, but a strangled wheezed slipped out. That should not be an accomplishment. “If you need help with understanding anything, feel free to ask me.” 

You contemplate the cons, before letting your curiosity get the best of you. “Do you know the man I was with?”

Tonpa shuddered before lowering his voice. “I’d watch out for him, he’s nothing but trouble. Along with Number 44, Hisoka.” You make a noise of acknowledgement.

All of the strong opponents around you were starting to get your blood flowing. You smile. At least this Exam won’t be boring.

“Cool. Thanks for letting me know,” You give him a polite smile. Tonpa gives you a confused look, before something seems to cross his mind.

“Oh, right! To toast to a good exam this year, how about we celebrate with some drinks?” He offered, pulling out two orange cans from his satchel. 

“Huh. Really?” You ask. This man is too kind for his own good. You didn’t even notice how thirsty you were after being so concentrated on the threats around you. “Thanks!”

Wasting no time, you chug down half the can. The consistency of the drink was the first red flag.

“Can I ask you a question, old man?” You start. His face feigns innocence.

“Of course!” He smiles, a little too widely to be wholesome. 

“What type of poison did you put in here? I can barely even taste it.” You finish off the can before crushing it. Tonpa’s hesitation to answer proved that your hunch was correct. 

“W-what? There’s no such thing in the soda!” He chuckled nervously. Beads of sweat were forming on the side of his face. It would be pointless to try to get him to confess it, so you just shrug and walk off. You really can’t let your guard down around here. When is this going to start? You whine to yourself after scanning through all the other applicants. You never took into account that everybody here would be older than you. 

-

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten here, surely everybody has made it. You think as you slipped through dozens of people back to the elevator that you came from. A flash of green made you stop in your tracks. A kid! And he looks my age. You found it quite impressive that someone your age had found their way here, so you might as well get to know him. 

“Hey, how old are you?” You ask the kid with spiky hair. He seemed to welcome your presence. 

“12!” He answered with a smile. You noted that unlike Tonpa’s, his smile held no ulterior motive. “How about you?” 

“Oh, me too.” You say. Dozens of thoughts raced through your head. What to say next? This is the first time I’ve talked to someone else my age outside of home. You noticed his mouth moving as he motioned to two people behind him, but you don’t quite catch what he’s saying. “Huh?” You ask dumbfoundedly.

“This is Leorio and Kurapika! I’m Gon! What’s your name?” He repeats himself enthusiastically. Gon’s friends give you a smile of acknowledgement.

“I’m [Name],” You smile. 

“Say [Name}, is this your first time taking the Exam?” Gon asks.

“Yep, you?”

Gon nods too “Mhm!”

Your conversation with Gon was cut off shortly when a strange alarm rang and an Examiner stepped out.

“Sorry to keep you waiting for so long. We have now come to the end of the exam registration. And so, the Hunter Exam begins now!” The examiner, who seemed to lack a mouth, begins warning every applicant. You drown out his words of caution as excitement flows through your veins. 

The examiner, who introduces himself as Satotz, starts to move forward, gradually picking up his pace. His only instruction is to follow him to the Second Phase. 

“What a strange test.” Gon mumbles.

“I think it's to test our patience.” The old man Gon was with says.

This should be a breeze.

Chapter Text

You can’t recall how long you’ve been running for, but countless people have been eliminated. The man in the blue suit (who you believe is named Leorio) is starting to get worn out. You couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. The Hunter Exam isn't notorious for only having a handful of applicants pass for nothing. 

“Hold it right there, you brat!” Leorio suddenly yells, causing you to perk up. “Don’t underestimate the Hunter Exam!” The unfortunate victim of the angry man was a kid with silver hair. Hm? He looks my age too.  

“What do you mean?” The silver haired kid replies. You watch the scene in front of you intently. 

“I’m talking about your skateboard! Isn’t that cheating!” Leorio berates. You decide that there were two things you learned today. One, this exam is super lame. And two, Leorio is a simpleton.

“How so?” He replies in a monotone voice. You can’t tell if he’s serious or not. He has to be purposefully provoking Leorio.

Leorio angrily pumps his fist. “This is an endurance test!” 

“No it’s not.” Gon speaks up. You turn your attention to him. 

“What? Gon, what are you saying?” Leorio continues to yell. You try to ignore the cat eyed boy’s stare.

“If my memory serves, the examiner only told us to follow him.” You butt in, Gon nodded along. 

“Whose side are you on?!” Leorio’s screams were tuned out as the silver haired boy slowed down until he was in between you and Gon.

“Hey, how old are you two?” He asks.

“12!” 

 “12,”  You and Gon say in sync.

“Oh,” The boy hums. He kicks his skateboard, causing it to spin as he catches it. 

“Guess I’ll run too.” 

“Wow! That was cool!” Gon gapes while you stare in awe.

He introduces himself, “I’m Killua.”

“I’m Gon!”

“[Name].”

-

Many applicants began dropping out in exhaustion. You can hear heavy breaths from all around you, the closest one being Leorio’s. It wasn’t long before he reached his limit. Your eyes trail to Gon to see that he must’ve been thinking the same thing. When Leorio’s suitcase dropped, your feet felt like they were glued to the ground. Gon’s pace came to a pause as he turned back to Leorio. The cat eyed boy, Killua, seemed to be confused. You too, were confused. Your mind was screaming at you to continue running and ignore this man, but something inside of you insisted that you help him. 

“Hey, forget about him. We’ve gotta keep moving.” Killua looked back at you two. You nodded slowly, your gaze still only Leorio’s state. Killua’s right. I can’t focus on trivial things. You try to convince yourself. Gon continues to stare at Leorio. 

“Are you kidding me?” Leorio pants. “I’m becoming a Hunter, no matter what!” He yells, charging past the three of you guys. “Damn it!” 

Gon smiles brightly at his friend’s enthusiasm before swinging a fishing rod at Leorio’s forgotten briefcase. Killua watches the scene in awe, “That was cool! Can I try that after this?”

“Sure, if you lend me your skateboard!” He replies.

You frown at your recent development. Now that you try to think about it, you can’t seem to recall if you have ever stopped to think about your own decisions. You’ve always just obeyed what your family had ordered (excluding your most recent event of running away). You gave a silent puff at the thought of Mother seeing how rebellious you were getting now. She would probably burst into tears and start coddling you. You push the displeasuring thought away. 

There were only three times when you stepped foot out of Kukuroo Mountain. The first two were for special jobs, designed so your family can evaluate your skill. The third time was when you had decided to leave home for good. So, it was safe to assume that you have been shielded from the outside world all your life. 

“Say, [Name], do you have a cool toy?” Gon asks suddenly, catching Killua’s attention. Their eyes shine with curiosity. You smile sheepishly. 

“Well.. I wouldn’t really say a toy , but–” You start before pulling out two throwing knives from seemingly out of nowhere. You had quite a few hidden throughout your body. 

“Wow!” Gon loudly expresses his awe.

“I have a one hundred percent accuracy,” You add cheekily. Gon doesn’t try to hide his shock, as he looks at you, his mouth agape. Killua, who had stayed silent, seemed to be analyzing the information you had just shared.

At a young age, you’ve been subjected to many weapons. You’ve seen all the beauty and horror they can produce. By the time you had turned three, you had decided that you wanted to master the art of throwing daggers. Kikyo, delighted by your interest, added throwing lessons to the list of torturous training that you had to endure.

“That’s quite impressive,” Killua says, deep in thought.

The Examiner picks up his pace while he ascends up a flight of stairs. The tense atmosphere seemed to have lifted when Killua proposed a challenge, “Gon, [Name], do you want to bet who here will reach the finishing line first?” 

“Sure, but losers buy dinner!” Gon says.

A race sounded fun , “You’re on!” You grin.

“Ready, go!” The three of you shouted in unison before breaking into a sprint. It wasn’t long before the three of you guys passed by Leorio (who’s appearance made you giggle, earning a strange look from Killua) and Kurapika.

“See you at the finish line!” Gon calls out to them.

“Yeah, see you later, old man!” Killua added.

“Hey, I’m not that old!” Leorio shouts. “I’m a teenager just like the three of you!” 

Your eyes widened comically, too stunned to speak. This time around, you couldn’t contain your shock, letting out a choked wheeze.

“No way!” Killua and Gon seem to be going through the same thought process as you.

-

You keep your breathing steady, preparing yourself to run for another 48 hours if it comes to it. 

“I’ve gotta tell you, I’m pretty impressed you’ve been able to keep up with me” Killua breaks the silence. 

“Really?” Gon smiles sheepishly. You furrow your eyebrows at the silver haired kid.

“I could say the same about you,” You say truthfully causing Killua to narrow his eyes at you. 

“Or maybe, they’re all so slow that you two just seem fast.” He reasons. Killua gives out a disappointed groan. “Man, I thought the Hunter Exam was going to be more of a challenge. This is boring.” 

You try to feign uninterest at what Killua had just said, but your tone of voice seems to have betrayed you, “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m not so into being a Hunter.” Killua makes eye contact with you. 

“Oh? Me too,” You mumbled to yourself causing Gon to perk up. 

“I just heard that the Hunter Exam was extremely difficult. So I wanted to try it for fun. But it’s not as interesting as I thought. What about you?” 

“It’s because my dad is a Hunter. So I want to be a Hunter just like him.” Gon explains.

“Hm, what type of Hunter is he?” You questioned.

“I don’t know.” He says confidently. You try to suppress a laugh, but Killua starts cackling shamelessly. 

“You’re kind of funny.” KIllua snickers.

“Really?”

Killua, amused at Gon’s situation, “You want to be a Hunter like your dad, but you don’t know him at all.”  

“That’s because Mito raised me from birth. I only got to know my dad through pictures.”

“Who’s Mito?” You ask.

“She’s my aunt.” You and Killua share a glance before looking back at Gon. “She told me that my dad took the Hunter Exam at the age of 12. After he passed it, he left the island out of the blue.” Gon says endearingly. “So I came here in order to find out why he chose to become a Hunter over staying with me.”

You didn’t have much time to reflect on Gon’s story, as a bright light had come into view. Your lips quirk up, hoping that Gon and Killua didn’t see it yet. You suck in a deep breath before springing past all the other applicants to beat Killua and Gon. Unfortunately, Gon and Killua had been thinking the same thing, as they mirror your movements. 

“Goal!” The three of you call in unison as you pass Satotz. You let out a laugh at the sudden rush of adrenaline, the two boys, doing the same. 

“Yes, I won!” Gon pumped his fist as your laughter died down.

“Says who? I totally won!” Killua argued. You cross your arms over your chest.

“I was clearly first!” You wave your arms causing Gon and Killua to snap their necks in your direction. 

The three of you start to bicker back and forth about who came out first.

“Hey, can you tell us who came out first?” Gon turns over to the Examiner, who has been watching the quarrel unfold.

His answer causes the three of you to frown. “You three had come out simultaneously.”

“Really?” Gon pouts. “Then, we’ll all buy each other dinner!” 

“What’s the meaning of this?” Killua grumbled. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Satotz. Is this where we’ll take the second test?” Gon asks politely. 

“No, it’s still far away.” He replies. Gon sulks.

By the time most of the applicants have arrived, the thick fog that had hindered your vision started to disappear.

“The Milsy Wetlands, popularly known as the Swindler’s Swamp. This is the path you have to take to get to the Second Phase. There are many rare animals here that you can’t find elsewhere. Many of them prey on humans for flesh by playing tricks on them. Such creatures are resourceful and rapacious.” Satotz warned. “So everyone, be careful and follow me closely. If you get tricked, you will die.”  

“Don’t fall for it!” It was a man’s voice coming from behind you. “Everyone, don’t fall for it! That man has been lying to all of you!” He pointed towards the Examiner. Satotz’s accuser was a wounded man who wore ragged clothes. “He’s not an examiner. He’s an imposter!” 

Satotz did not seem fazed by the accusation. “I’m the real examiner!” The ragged man continues his frenzy. Many of the other applicants, and not to much of your surprise, Leorio seemed to buy the act. You weren’t too sure if it was a trick or not, so you decided to stay back and watch everything unravel. “Look at this!” He struggled, pulling a dead ape-like creature out. You were caught off guard when you saw that its head had an uncanny resemblance to Satotz.

“He looks just like Mr. Satotz!” Gon exclaims along with the rest of the applicants. Killua seemed to be analyzing the situation just as you are. 

“He’s a Man-faced Ape that dwells in the Milsy Wetlands!” He declared. “Man-faced Apes love human flesh. But their limbs are slender and they’re not powerful at all! So they disguised themselves as humans and lure us into their lair with nice words! And he intends to catch all the Hunter Exam candidates in one go!” The man points right at Mr. Satotz.

A couple of playing cards pierce into his chest before he can utter another word. They’re also thrown in the direction of Mr. Satotz, but he stops them with ease. The source of the cards was a clownish man who laughs to himself. You can see his badge for a split second. Number 44; Hisoka. “I see. I see. That settles it. You’re the real examiner.” He says, looking right at Satotz. “‘A so-called “examiner’ is a Hunter hired by the Selection Committee to serve for free. Anyone who holds the title we’re vying for ourselves, could’ve easily deflected that attack.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Mr. Satotz states calmly. ”However, should you choose to attack me again for any reason, I will have no choice but to report you for attacking an examiner and have you immediately disqualified. Is that clear?” 

“Of course.” You felt on edge around the jester, he was dangerous. He, and the unsettling man with pins are high on your radar.

Your attention was taken away from him for a moment when the dead imposter was being mauled by vultures. “Nature can be so brutal, it’s hard to watch.” Leorio said grimly. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but it wasn’t anywhere near the worst things that you’ve seen. 

“He was trying to confuse the applicants and lure some of you away,” Satotz clarified. “Please be aware that you will encounter such deceptions on a regular basis. I must assume a number of you were fooled in suspecting my true identity. I want to make it clear that if any of you are to lose my insight once we enter the Milsy Wetlands, you have no hope whatsoever in reaching the Second Phase. It’s time to move on now, so follow me closely.”

-

You were growing restless at the distance between you and the magician.

 Killua must have also sensed the dangerous aura that was emitting from behind. “Gon, [Name], let’s go to the front.” He suggests.

“You felt it too?” You asked Killua who immediately nodded. He has very strong senses, you think. It took you years to have complete control over your senses, it was all basic training. Bloodlust was one of the easiest things to sense, depending on the person releasing it. The stronger the opponent, the harder it is to detect.

“Right. We don’t want to lose track of the examiner.” Gon agreed.

“More importantly, we should keep our distance from Hisoka.” Killua lowers his voice. “That guy attracts trouble. I can smell it.”

“Smell it? Hmm? I don’t think he smells.” Gon sniffs the air, oblivious. You want to laugh at his cluelessness. “Leorio! Kurapika! Killua says it’s better to move to the front.” Gon shouts. You lightly elbow him.

“Hey, calm down! Can’t you feel the tension in the air?” Killua scolds him.

“Stupid! If I could go any faster, I’d be at the front for sure.” Leorio shouted back. 

“Don’t worry about us. You guys go ahead.” Kurapika’s reassured Gon. 

Gon lets out a dejected whine.

“Let’s go, Gon, [Name],” Killua starts to run ahead. You focus on the rhythm of your controlled breathing and steps, but they were muffled under the sound of screams from all around you. 

“I keep hearing screams around us.” Gon says with a worried expression.

“It’s reminding us to stay alert.”  Killua replies calmly. Gon starts to voice his concerns about Leorio and Kurapika, but you decide to keep silent to not worry him further.

Your pattern of footsteps broke when you felt something strange with the ground underneath you. Gon and Killua also came to a halt beside you, confused.

 You let out a high pitched scream when the ground beneath you collapsed. You begin to shriek when you feel something wet push you. You internally gag. You must be inside of some animal. You grimace. Your body was being pushed around against your will, continuously being flipped and bounced.  You then feel an overwhelming force pushing you. 

You squeal when you land on something wet. You take a peek to see that a giant frog had spit you back out. 

“I guess he didn’t like the way we tasted, huh?” Gon chuckled.

“It was due to this.” Killua says, lifting up a can of the spiked soda.

“That old man!” You scoffed, agitated that the old geezer had indirectly saved you. 

“Thanks to that, we were saved.” Gon concluded, relieved.

“Yeah, but I probably could have escaped without it.” Killua drops the can. You can feel an irk mark on the side of your forehead. This kid’s ego is starting to get on your nerves, you think.

“I’m really worried about Leorio and Kurapika.” Gon continues to dwell on his two friends. 

“Don’t worry too much,” You give him a small smile of reassurance. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

“Forget about them. Let’s go.” Killua says nonchalantly. “We need to catch up while we can.” Killua starts running again. You realize what Gon is thinking when he hesitates to follow Killua. You give him a nod of encouragement to silently wish him luck before he goes. He reciprocates your gesture and you start running to catch up with the main group. 

-

“All right! Looks like we’ve caught up, Gon, [Name].” Killua turns around. “Hm? Where’s Gon?” He asks you. 

“He went after Kurapika and Leorio.” You answer plainly, walking past Killua and towards the main group. When you don’t hear Killua’s footsteps, you turn your head to see him standing still. You tilt your head in confusion, “You coming?” 

You start to awkwardly shift under Killua’s gaze. “Suit yourself.” You mutter, turning back to the main group. Your eyes widen when you hear Killua catch up to you in a split second. 

“I zoned out, my bad.” He composed himself, but he didn’t sound the slightest bit apologetic. 

You furrow your eyebrows at the boy running next to you, “Yeah, but don’t do it again, it was kind of unnerving.” 

Silence consumes the both of you, so you begin to start focusing on the rhythm of your breaths again.

-

When you arrive at the entrance of the Second Phase, you and Killua sigh after an unsuccessful attempt at finding Gon. 

“I’m sure he’ll arrive soon,” You shrug. Gon had a strong character, and his physical prowess is very impressive so you felt no worry. In fact, the only concern you felt was how drawn you were towards him.

-

In this phase, 220 applicants have been eliminated; 148 remain.

• EXTRA -

The Zoldyck’s had actually done such a good job of preserving [Name] from the outside world, that her only form of information was ancient books about assassination. She has gotten her hands on Milluki’s tech a couple of times, which earned the two an earful from Kikyo, after Illumi had caught them asleep with a combat video game blaring on one of Mil’s many monitors.

Chapter Text

“Gon!” You smile when you see him. 

“[Name]! Killua!” Gon waved.

“I can’t believe you actually managed to find your way here.” Killua says while the two of you make your way towards Gon. “I didn’t think you’d make it.”

“I followed the scent of Leorio’s cologne.” Gon explains causing you and Killua to double back.

“You tracked his scent? Is that how?” Killua looked baffled. “You must really be a freak.” 

You laugh. “You really are something Gon.” 

Gon just stared dumbfoundedly at your reactions, before Satotz stole his attention. “Excellent work everyone! The Visca Forest Reserve is the venue for the Second Phase. I’ll take my leave now. I wish everyone the best of luck.” Satotz bids his farewell. 

You hear a loud rumble from behind you, caused by the gates to the entrance of a large estate. When they fully open, you see two people. An abnormally large man and a woman sitting on a couch in front of him. 

“Those who have passed the First Phase, step inside.” 

You immediately notice that there are stoves and cooking stations spread all over the lawn. “Welcome! I’m the examiner for the Second Phase, Menchi.” The lady introduces herself. She has bright turquoise hair that was in top knots. 

“I’m the other examiner, Buhara.” The large man added. A loud growl echoes throughout the whole courtyard.

“You must be very hungry.” Menchi looks up to Buhara.

“I’m so hungry that I could faint.” He complains.

“Here’s how it will be. The Second Phase test… will be cooking!” Menchi announces enthusiastically, to many applicant’s surprise. There were many protests and complaints coming from the applicants. You couldn’t help but agree with them. If cooking was going to be a test, you were destined to fail. You’ve never been anywhere near a stove, as food was always ready when you wanted. The one time you did sneak into the Zoldyck kitchens, you had nearly burnt down half of the Zoldyck Manor. (Grandfather likes to bring up that incident to your dismay). There was never really a need for any of the Zoldyck children to learn how to cook. 

So this was how your short lived journey in becoming a Hunter ends.

“Your challenge for the Second Phase is to make a dish that will satisfy us.” Menchi elaborates. You drown out all the protests that are going around you, too busy with your current predicament. Gon snaps you out of your thoughts when he gives you a concerned look. 

“Are you okay [Name]? You seem..” Gon trailed off, trying to think of a word. 

You widen your eyes, “No, I’m fine.. It’s just, cooking is not my forte,” You rub the back of your neck bashfully. Milluki once told you that your concentrated face makes you look like you were constipated, and you took that as the worst insult that you’ve ever received. Ever since that day, you’ve held back from making that face.

Buhara stomps to call for attention. “The main ingredient will be pork.” 

“Pork? You mean pig meat?” Someone repeated.

“Any type of pig you find in Visca Reserve Forest will do. It doesn’t matter what type. You will use the tools and appliances here to prepare a dish using the pig.” Buhara continues to explain. “If we are both happy with the dish, you will pass the test.”

“But it’s not just about the taste. Do not underestimate the complexities of cooking. You hear me?” Menchi added bitterly. “Our test will conclude only when we are full.”

“Understood. Let’s just get on with it.” Someone ushered.

“Well then, the Second Phase of the exam..” Buhara hits his stomach. “Starts now!”

Everyone rushed out of the courtyard, towards the Visca Forest. It wasn’t really a dense forest, so finding a pig wouldn’t be too much of a challenge. You figure. But for the cooking part… You shudder.

“Make a dish using a pig.” Leorio restates while you and the other four approach a hill. “Compared to the First Phase, this is much easier.” He says happily. 

“I sure hope so.” Kurapika sighs. Gon suddenly drops, sliding down the hill.

“Gon?” Your lips quirk up. Killua seemed to have the same idea. Killua pushes you down first, causing you to let out a shocked noise.

“Yahoo!” You hear Killua shout from behind you. You open your mouth to start screaming when you see Gon’s unmoving body. You slam into Gon with a loud thump. Your misery wasn’t over yet, as you suffered three more blows from Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika. 

“Why the hell did you suddenly stop, Gon?” Killua yelled at him. You could feel some of Killua’s hair on your cheek as he leaned over to yell at Gon. You stiffen up and leaned towards the other direction.

“I found them,” Gon says.

“Huh?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Pigs!” Leorio exclaimed. Your jaw dropped. There were dozens of large pigs, but the major takeaway was the one in front of you gnawing on a large bone. “They’re chewing on bones.” Leorio’s voice trailed off.

“Don’t tell me they’re carnivores,” Kurapika deduced. His suspicions were immediately confirmed when the pig you had just been watching went berserk, violently chasing your group. It seemed to be a chain reaction, as the rest of the herd went on a stampede after you guys. 

“What kind of pigs are those?” Leorio yelled when the herd took out a handful of applicants. You watch numerous unsuccessful attempts at taking down these pigs, but nothing seems to work. 

“Attack!” Gon yells as he soars through the air and over the pig’s head. He strikes the pig square in the head, killing it.

“So, their forehead is their weak spot.” Killua concludes after watching the scene. 

“They must’ve developed tough snouts to protect their delicate foreheads.” Kurapika added.

I figured as much. You think as you leap up into the air to land a clean kick on the pig’s head. The pig gave one last squeal before falling over, dead.

-

Now the hard part. You sweat as you turn the fire on. Wait! I should probably cut the pig up first.  You remember. You silently commend yourself for being able to remember such a crucial part. You start fidgeting with the large knives you were given to work with, trying to flip them like how you would with your throwing knives. 

-

“Hey, Gon, do you think [Name] is okay?” Killua whispered to the other boy who looked at you with concern. The scene in front of them was truly a sight to behold. [Name] Zoldyck was wearing her dreaded concentrated expression as she slashed a pig with an overwhelming force. 

A visible bead of sweat appeared on Gon’s forehead.

-

You smile proudly at your creation. After many trials and errors (that resulted in 85% of your pig being inedible), your dish was ready. It was a few thick-sliced pieces of pork under a bed of herbs. 

“Not a single applicant has passed,” Leorio observes.

“And Menchi has yet to take a bite,” Kurapika notes.

“Please, isn’t there anyone who can make me happy?” Menchi waves her hand angrily.

“I know!” Kurapika came to a realization. “The key is to include originality and presentation.” Leorio and Gon smile deviously. 

“I see,” Leorio simpers.

Leorio adds a flag on top of his pig, while Gon decorates his with flowers. You watch as they both get subjected to Menchi’s rage. Kurapika’s dish seems a little bit more promising but it isn’t enough to satisfy Menchi either. You laugh when Killua gets failed for both his attitude and platter (which consisted of charred remains ).

You display your dish in front of Menchi. Buhara immediately gives you a pass, while Menchi eyes your dish. She looks at you and back to your dish before tossing it backwards.

“It’s still raw!” She yells furiously. “You’re no better than Number 99!” No better than Killua. You sigh while you walk back to your station. Killua held an amused grin on his face.

“I’m so full. I can’t eat anymore.” Buhara sighs happily.

“Sure, I’m also full from all the frustration,” Menchi says with a sour expression. “This means that no one passed the test. We’re done here!” The other applicants were not happy with the result, as they started to complain again.

A loud bang catches your attention. Hm? Someone really broke a cooking station. You wince. 

“There’s no way that I will accept this,” Number 255 declares angrily.

“We will not change our minds about failing you.” Menchi stood her ground. 

“Shut the hell up! You two wanted to eat pork, so we put our lives on the line–” 

“Didn’t I say to use the pig to make a dish that would satisfy us?” Menchi cut him off. “But nobody prepared anything delicious at all. None of you cooked anything special or interesting. Those who put in more effort only cared about the looks. No attention was given to the flavor. No one cared enough to highlight the flavors of the food.” You can’t object to her, as everything she had just said was true. 

“Pork dishes are all the same, right?” A bald guy asks. You can only wish mercy upon his poor soul.

“Say that one more time if you dare.” Menchi grabbed him by his collar. “If you say something so idiotic again, I’m going to kick you in the nuts and make you squirm.” She threatens. “Damn you!” Her tantrum went on for a few more minutes before she collected herself.

“The bottom line is that none of you made any efforts or had the guts to try something new.” She went to take a seat.

“Shut up! My goal isn’t to become a chef or food critic. I want to become a Hunter.” Number 255 raises his fists, inciting more applicants to agree with him. “A mere Gourmet Hunter has no right to judge me.”  

“Too bad it’s us mere Gourmet Hunters who are the examiners this year. I hope you do your best next year.”

“Damn you! Stop messing with me.” He starts before attempting to attack Menchi. Buhara steps in to stop the mess, striking the man, causing him to hit the gates that you had entered from. 

“Buhara, please don’t interfere,” Menchi says. 

“But if I hadn’t done anything, you would’ve killed him.” Buhara reasons.

“That’s true.” Menchi sighs, standing up. She was now holding multiple butcher knives in each hand. “Let me make myself clear. In our search for ingredients, we Gourmet Hunters are used to coming face-to-face with fearsome beasts.” She throws the knives in the air to start juggling them. “As for fighting skills, we had to master them despite our lack of interest. And every Hunter is proficient in at least some form of martial art. You lack focus and the will to experiment with new things.” She caught the knives with one hand. “And that alone, disqualifies you all from becoming Hunters.” 

“Even so, not passing any candidate is a bit strict.” A loud voice booms over you. Above you is an airship with the Hunter Association logo. There was a loud bang and then dirt started to fly everywhere. When it cleared, you saw an old man in a traditional kimono. 

“Who is that old man?” Someone questioned.

“He’s the Head of the Selection Committee,” Menchi clarified. “The person in charge of the Hunter Exam; Chairman Netero.”

“Oh, I just work behind the scenes.” Chairman Netero says plainly. “I only interfere with the Exam when little issues like this one pop up. Now, dear Menchi,” 

“Yes.” She immediately replied.

“It has come to my attention that you’ve chosen to fail all these applicants, the reason being that they lacked the proper attitude, right?”

“No,” Menchi says truthfully. “The participants said some degrading things about Gourmet Hunters that didn’t sit well with me. So, I became more strict with the selection process.” She confesses.

“That means you realize your mistake in failing to judge fairly, right?” Chairman Netero asks.

“Yes.” Menchi closes her eyes shamefully. “I tend to lose my patience when it comes to food. It’s not something an Examiner should do. I will step down as an examiner and let you judge the test once more.” She declares.

“But it will be a problem to find an examiner at the last minute.” Netero points out.

“I’m so sorry.” Menchi bows. 

“All right, then. Let’s do this.” Chairman Netero quirks his eyebrows. “You will continue to be the examiner. But this time around, I want you to take part in the test by giving a demonstration.” Menchi lets out a small gasp. “Do you agree with that? This way, the participants will be more willing to accept the result.”

“You’re right.” Menchi agrees. “As for the new task, it will be hard-boiled eggs!” There were surprised comments from the other participants. “Chairman, can you take us to Split-in-Half Mountain in the airship?” 

“Split-in-Half Mountain? Alright. I can help with that.” 

-

Split-in-Half Mountain resonated with its name. The mountain had a deep crack through its middle. 

“Everyone, take a good look over the cliff.” Menchi smiles. You, Gon, and Killua huddle right over the edge. 

“What is that?” Someone asks nervously. You squint past the fog to see spiderwebs.

“A Spider-Eagle’s web. “ Menchi smiles.

“To protect the eggs from aerial enemies, they build their lairs in deep caves and lay their eggs there. As such, the eggs are one of the most difficult ingredients to collect. They are also known as Dream Eggs.” Chairman Netero briefly summarized.

“Wait a minute. Are you telling me…” Number 255 was cut off by Menchi.

“It’s exactly what you think.” Menchi takes a graceful dive off of the cliff. Your eyes follow her movements intently as she swings onto a web. Leorio says something that goes unheard through your ears. There is a slight gust of wind before Menchi free falls to grab an egg.

“She jumped!” Leorio shouts. “She’s basically committing suicide!”

“No, that’s not true,” Kurapika replied. Your hair is blown wildly when a strong wind pushes Menchi back up. Your mouth opens in excitement. 

“That looks so fun,” Killua says in awe. You nod before eagerly standing up to try. The Hunter Exam finally has something fun to offer.

“The updraft from the bottom of the valley helps newborn larvae float to their nests.” Netero continues his summary. 

“Right. We’ll be using these eggs to make some hard-boiled eggs.” Menchi says, holding up the one she had just retrieved. You can hear a few protests (from Number 255 again), but you turn your attention back to Gon.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for.” Gon says, stretching his arms. You nod to him to signal that you’re ready. “Let’s go!” He shouted as you, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika jumped. It wasn’t long before the other applicants followed in suit. You wait patiently on the web, trying to concentrate to find when the draft comes.

“I’m going ahead.” A man declares. You open your mouth to stop him, but he has already let go. A shame.

“We should follow suit too.” Leorio decides.

“It’s not the right time yet.” Gon says.

“Why?” 

“We need the wind to blow.” Killua looks down to the guy who had gone too early with great disinterest. 

“The draft isn’t blowing constantly,” You add as the applicant who was free falling realized. 

“So, when is it going to blow?” Leorio asks, getting restless.

“Hold on.” Gon calls, causing everyone to look at him. He closes his eyes and you can see his nose twitch. Gon and his wild senses. Your breath hitches when the web starts to drop. 

“What is happening?” Leorio looks alarmed. 

“The web can’t hold the weight of so many people!” Kurapika figured. You look back to Gon, scanning his face for any cue.

“Gon, how much longer?” Killua asks him calmly. 

“Damn it. There’s no time to wait for the wind.” A few people panic, dropping down. 

“It’s breaking!” Leorio yells.

“Now!” Gon announces. You immediately let go of the web, allowing yourself to plummet straight down.

You can’t stop the large smile that grows on your face as you let the breeze steer you. It was exhilarating. In your state of pure euphoria, you nearly forget to grab an egg. Killua, who had seen your clumsiness, starts laughing as he ascends with the updraft. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion and you couldn’t help but think that this was the most fun you’d had. 

-

When your egg was finished cooking, you had to stop yourself from finishing it with one go . I can understand why they call these Dream Eggs, you nod to yourself before taking a large bite. The feeling of post-adrenaline kicked in, allowing you to think a bit more reasonably. 

Do not ever let your feelings sway your actions. Mother’s voice tutted. You freeze mid-bite, eyes widening. You dig your nails into your palm. 

“Shut up,” You mumble, but her words kept on echoing in your head like a broken record. 

“You coming?” Killua’s voice broke the pattern of your mother’s words. 

“Huh?” Your eyes widen innocently. You see the remaining Hunter Exam participants enter the Chairman’s airship.

“Man, you really are clueless,” Killua says airily, hands in his pockets. You can feel an irk mark form on your forehead. He just keeps on trying to start stuff.

“What did you say?” You narrow your eyes at the cat-eyed boy who smiled at the reaction he had gotten from you. He starts to run back into the airship with you right on his trail. You decided that evening that you had high hopes for the rest of the exam.

Chapter Text

“Let me introduce myself to the 42 candidates gathered here.” The Chairman says to the remaining applicants. “I am the Chairman of the Selection Committee for this year’s Hunter Exam, Isaac Netero.” 

Netero was an old man that wore a traditional kimono and geta. You reckon that he only came into power as a result of wealth and connections. You were familiar with people who possessed both. They are the ones that keep your family business going (the entire Underworld too, for that matter). 

“And I’m his secretary, Beans.” The little green thing says. He’s so cute. You ogle.

“I had originally planned to make my appearance during the Exam’s final phase but, well, seeing that I’m already here..” He trailed off. “I have to say, I enjoy the tension in the air. So, I think I’ll stick around for the remainder of the trip.” He starts to laugh obnoxiously. The atmosphere was extremely tense.

“The estimated time of arrival at the next destination is 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. Food has been prepared at the canteen for everyone. You can also take a rest. You are free to do what you want until we get in touch.” Beans informed everyone.

“Alright! Gon, [Name], let’s go check out the ship.” Killua suggests immediately after Beans is done speaking. You and Gon let out a noise of agreement before following him eagerly. 

-

After racing down many hallways and dead ends, the three of you sink onto the floor, breathless. 

“I’m so hungry,” You whine to yourself. Gon’s stomach seemed to have agreed with you, growling right after you had made your comment. “Where did he say the canteen was again?” You question. Gon and Killua shrug, but then a bright idea seemed to hit the three of you guys simultaneously.  Gon takes the lead, using his nose to lead the way to wherever food may be. 

The three of you ended up in front of a door. 

“You sure this is it?” You ask quizzically. Gon nods. Killua opens the door slightly to take a peek. Inside, was a large kitchen with around a dozen cooks. Gon had led you to the kitchen, not the canteen. Before you can usher the two away, Killua cautiously stepped in, ushering you and Gon to follow him. “Are you dumb?” You whisper loudly at him and he only shrugged with a teasing smile. 

“You scared?” He teases you. You think you popped a blood vessel in annoyance. You pull Gon in with you, ducking underneath a countertop to hide. Your eyes widen when you see all the food that was ready to be served. This was the only appropriate time to use my training, you decide. Silently, you move stealthily and grab a turkey leg from a dish above you. Killua mirrored your actions perfectly, which stunned you, as it took ages to learn that skill. Concealment of The Spirit is what your grandfather called it. In which a person completely hides their presence. The technique takes a lot of willpower to accomplish, hence the reason why it had taken you so long to grasp it.

Gon attempted to do the same, but he accidentally knocked a tray over while grabbing the leg. You watch the platter fall onto the floor loudly. You take a quick bite out of your turkey leg before planning an escape route. Your attempts were useless, as a cook had spotted the three of you. “Hey, brats! You’re not allowed in the kitchen." He grabbed the three of you (Gon and Killua tried to run, knocking over more trays). “Get your ass to the canteen.” He says, throwing the three of you out. You landed with a grunt. The three of you shared a laugh before savoring the food that you were able to take. 

Killua's attention is suddenly diverted from his food to the airship's window.

“Woah, this is amazing!” Killua admires the view of the passing cities under the ship. “Look at it, Gon, [Name].” You and Gon quickly head towards the windows. Below you is a city, full of lights. 

“Woah! They’re like jewels.” Gon says in awe. 

“Yeah.” Killua agrees. You’re too engulfed in the beauty to speak. The shining buildings below you look like stars. Come to think of it, this is only the second time you have been on an airship. The first was when you flew to the Exam site. You had been so engulfed with anger then you didn't get the chance to admire the views. Before leaving home, there was never any reason to board an airship. 

“Say, Killua, [Name]. Where are your parents?” He asks as the three of you look out the window. You stiffen up. Should I lie?  You wanted nothing to do with the people you had once called family.

Killua hums as if to think about it. “They’re alive. Probably.” Probably?

“What do they do?” Gon asks.

“They’re assassins,” Killua answers casually. You snap your neck in his direction. What are the chances?  You furrow your eyebrows. It would explain a lot, you figured, thinking back to the way he’s oozing confidence. His silent footsteps were a big sign too.

“Both of them?” Gon seemed surprised. 

Killua starts to laugh. “Is that your question? You really are an interesting guy. You’re not the first people I’ve told about my parents, but you’re the first to take it seriously” Gon seemed confused at Killua’s reaction.

“Because you’re telling the truth, right?” Gon enquires.

“Why’d you think that?” Killua rests his face on his chin.

“Just a hunch.”

“How odd. Making people confused about what I said is one of my charms.” Killua looks back outside. “My whole family are assassins. Every one of them. And I happen to be the one everyone thinks highly of. But that’s not what I want to do. To walk the path decided by others.” Killua reminisced.  “I told my family that I wanted to control my own future and they got mad at me. My mom told me I was born to be an assassin and tried to persuade me with tears streaming down her face.” Gon laughs awkwardly. The more you listen to Killua’s story, the more it seems to resonate with you. “My parents are so overbearing. I can’t stand it.” Killua grumbles. 

“In the end, we had a big fight. I stabbed my mom’s face and my brother in the stomach and left the house after that. They’re probably fuming right now. I’d kick their asses if they showed up.” Killua ends his story with a mischievous look. “The first thing I’m going to do when I become a Hunter is to get rid of my family. I’m sure there’s a huge bounty over their heads.” His eyes shine as he smiles.  “And you?” He searches your face for a reaction.

“Mine too.” You blurt. Killua raises an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Liar.” He accuses you. Huh? This kid has some nerve. You glare at him. 

“I am not !” You insist. “I come from a whole family of assassins too. They’re pretty well known, I think.” Though you have never been outside Kukuroo Mountain long enough to find out, based on the way Mother and Father talk about the family business, you figured that your pseudo family was well renowned.

“Why’d you leave home?” Gon ignores Killua’s accusations.

“You would totally understand if you were in my situation!” You say dramatically. “I was locked up my whole life! My family has really high hopes for me, so most of my time was spent training.” You pout. “I wasn’t even allowed to step outside unless I was accompanied by my older brother!” 

You had never realized how strange your life was up until recently. You had a regular routine that Mother would see through. Your days were spent with continuous training and studying (a pinch of academics, but mainly assassination techniques). 

You stood up. “And then, one of my brothers told me I wasn’t even a biological child! Imagine how I felt, having my whole life be a lie!” Gon’s eyes follow you, interested in your story. “Mother tried to stop me from leaving home after that, she was sobbing uncontrollably.” You shiver at the memory.  

“Likely story,” Killua shrugged. 

“Oh, yeah?” You look at him. “You could be lying for all I know.” Killua stands up.

 Gon laughs awkwardly. “Guys, I’m sure you’re both telling the truth.” He tries to mediate. You ignore him, standing your ground. Your body goes rigid when you feel a sudden wave of terror, no, bloodlust. Killua’s eyes widened, and the two of you snap your heads to the source. Your eyebrow furrows when you sense that no one was there.

“What’s the matter?” Chairman Netero’s voice asks from behind you. When did he get there? You try to retrace your memories. It should’ve been impossible for the old man to get behind you without you noticing. You stare down the Chairman.

“Excuse me, Mr. Netero.” Gon breaks the silence. “Did someone walk by just now?” He asks, pointing to the empty hallway.

“No, I don’t think so.” He shakes his head. 

“You’re quick for your age, old man.” Killua’s tone changed.

“Oh, that trick?” Netero asks. “I just barely moved, that’s all.” He smiles, causing you to frown at his attempt at playing coy. 

The atmosphere grew tense when Killua entered a stare down with the Chairman. “What do you want?” Killua demands. “There’s no reason for you to be here before the final test, right?” 

“You don’t have to be so apprehensive. I’m bored, so I wanted to find someone to talk to.” He says, unaffected by Killua. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you, any thoughts on your first Hunter Exam?” He gives you a closed-eye smile that is very unsettling. This old man was too enthusiastic for someone his age.

Gon nods happily. “It’s been fun! It’s different from what I imagined. There haven’t been any written tests yet,”

“I’m disappointed, honestly.” Killua says. “I was expecting something more challenging. Hopefully, the upcoming tests will be more interesting.” 

“Well, well, I wonder.” Chairman Netero pretends to think. “What about you, young lady?” 

“It’s been quite fun,” You say truthfully. You try to hold back a smile when you see Killua give you an exaggerated look of betrayal. “I can only hope the next phases are just as fun.” You feign innocence.

“Let’s go, Gon, [Name].” Killua turns to walk in the opposite direction.

“Wait a minute,” Netero calls, stopping Killua in his tracks. “Would you like to play a game with me?” He proposed teasingly.

“A game?” That catches Gon’s attention.

“If you win the game, I’ll let you become a Hunter on the spot.” He offers.

“Really? Count me in!” Gon’s eyes shine. Killua slowly turns back. You could tell from his eyes that this deal was too good to pass up.

“That sounds fun,” You nod along.

“How about you?” He looks down at Killua.

-

The rules of the game were pretty cut and dry. The goal was to take the ball from Netero before the ship arrived at its destination. You had around nine hours to steal the ball. More than enough time. 

“You can do whatever it takes.” He says. “I will not make any moves.” This old man sure has confidence. You start to think of many scenarios that could end up happening if you had decided to use your full strength to get the ball. You wince and decide that you didn’t want the Chairman to die over a silly game.

“Isn’t that too easy? You can’t call that a game.” Gon protests. 

The Chairman doesn’t seem the slightest bit bothered. “Before you say that, you should try it first.” He says while bouncing the ball on one finger. 

“All I need is to take the ball?” Killua repeats. Netero hums in confirmation. “All right. I’ll go first.” He volunteers.

“Go ahead.” Netero invites him. 

Killua began circling Netero. He’s trying to do Rhythm Echo!  When one changes the pace of their footsteps, one can create illusions that confuse the target’s senses. Killua must be the real deal then, you think. Rhythm Echo is only used by people who work in underground businesses. It isn’t a simple skill to master either, so Killua couldn't have been bluffing.

“I can see a bunch of Killuas!” Gon exclaims.

Killua suddenly leaps out of his pattern, lunging right at the ball, but Netero seems to be one step ahead of him. Netero manages to easily dodge every single one of Killua’s attacks. Gon watches the exchanges in awe while you try to note every move being made. This isn’t an ordinary geezer.

It didn’t take long before Killua got frustrated. 

“What’s the matter? Is that all you can do?” Netero eggs him on, leaving himself defenseless as he attempts to balance the ball on his nose. Killua takes a step back before charging at the Chairman horizontally. You predict that he’s trying to immobilize Netero by taking out his legs. 

Killua’s impact on the man’s leg made a loud bang, causing you to wince.

“Oh no. His pivot leg.” Gon flinches. 

Killua smirks up before his facial expression morphs into pure pain. He leaps up on one foot and continues to bounce back in pain. You place a hand over your mouth to hide a giggle. Killua’s eyes twitched.

“Killua, tag me in!” Gon waves his hand excitedly. “Let me have a go!” 

“Sorry, Gon.” Killua says before tagging you in. “But I’m dying to see [Name] in action.” He shrugs.

“I’m flattered.” You say, unamused. He must be trying to test your skills to see if your story held any truth. Well, this wouldn’t be the first time I was to be evaluated so I’ll make sure to put on a show for him. You snicker.

You saw how Killua’s Rhythm Echo was ineffective against the Chairman, so you decide to go with a different approach. You start to stretch your arms. This technique is kind of irritating. You sulk. The Chairman holds the ball in front of your face teasingly. Bingo! You leap right towards the old man, fast enough to leave a mark on the airship’s floor.

You reach for the ball a second too late, but it doesn’t matter. Netero moves it to the right and you dislocate your arm in an awkward position that allows you to hit it in the other direction. You smack it hard enough to send it flying to the other side of the room. 

“Woah! [Name]’s arm! Is she okay?” You hear Gon cringe.

The moment it leaves Netero’s hands, you bolt right for the ball. Two feet away from victory. You can see yourself get closer and closer to the ball before a thud snaps you out of your concentration.

When did you end up on the ground? You look around cluelessly before coming to a realization. I tripped over my own damn feet! Your mind must’ve moved faster than your body causing you to have uneven steps.

“Idiot! You nearly got it! How do you even trip over your own feet?” Killua berates.

You kick your feet onto the ground continuously in frustration. “I don’t know!” You shout back at him before stomping back to Gon to tap out.

Gon quickly stretches before preparing himself to get the ball. He doesn’t waste another second as he dashes right at Netero. Gon’s got it. You think. The old man let his guard down when he saw Gon’s ordinary move. You try not to blink as you analyze his movements. Before anyone else in the room could predict his next move, Gon jumped into the air, planning an attack from above. Just like you, Gon was taken aback when he felt a bang and he was on the ground. 

“You idiot! We know you can jump really high, but you should keep it under control.” Killua yells at him while Gon tries to recover from the head trauma.

“You had a chance while his guard was down.” You agree, side-eyeing Killua who pursed his lips together in frustration. You start laughing under your breath at the sight. 

-

“So you weren’t lying, huh?” Killua asks while you watch Gon struggle to get anywhere near the ball. “Dislocating your joints is no easy feat.”

“Nope.” You sit criss-crossed, turning your head towards him. “What made you think I was?” You tilt your head to the side. He freezes up.

“I didn’t think you were lying,” He paused. “I just wanted to see your reaction.” He mumbles the last part, and you don’t quite catch what he tried to say. You feel like a deer caught in headlights now. 

“You really are weird!” You burst into laughter.

“Huh?” His face pinches up. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Your laughter just grows. 

-

“Why don’t you three team up?” Netero proposes as a result of Gon and Killua’s repeated failures. Gon and Killua had taken off their outer layers (due to the fact that they were starting to sweat profusely). You envied the fact that the two were able to take off their shirts.

“Damn you!” An insulted Killua yells as Gon steps into the game.

“No thank you,” You decline. You didn’t want to run yourself ragged over a hopeless game. You had to admit though, it was quite entertaining to watch these two struggle over a ball.

After an amusing long rally, (that included Gon and Killua running into each other multiple times), Killua seemed to be fed up.

“You deserve a consolation prize for trying hard.” Netero teases, adding fuel to the fire.

“You’re incredible Mr. Netero! That was amazing!” Gon praises.

“I’m done,” Killua announces. “I give up. I’ve lost.” 

“Why? We still have a bit of time.” Gon points to the clock. “We were so close.”  He can be so clueless sometimes, it’s endearing.

“Gosh, you don’t know anything, do you?” Killua throws his shirt over his shoulder. “That geezer didn’t even use his right arm or left leg.” This causes Gon’s jaw to drop. “But this is as far as we got. Even if we chased him for another year, we’d never get the ball.” 

“So, you found out. And I thought I did a good job at hiding it.” Netero says.

“Is that so?” Gon mumbles.

Killua cackles obnoxiously, “He’s nothing but an annoying geezer. Let’s go, [Name], Gon.” He walks out of the room.

“I want to give it one more try.” He smiles as Killua peeks his head back in shock.

“Didn’t you just hear anything I just said? It’s impossible. There’s no way you can–” 

“Good luck, Gon!” You smile as you drag Killua out of the room with a slam. 

“Hey! What was that for? He needed to know the truth!” Killua snarls. 

You shrug. “I didn’t want you to spoil his enthusiasm. And, I’m sure he has an ulterior motive instead of getting the ball.” You come to a stop before letting go of Killua’s hand.

“Did you have to hold my hand though?” Killua mumbles. You rub your skirt. He has unusually sweaty hands.

“What’s wrong with it?” You ask, dumbfounded. You can’t recall anything wrong with holding hands, your brothers have all done it with you.

Killua gives you an incredulous look before shaking his head. The two of you walk in comfortable silence.

“You’re not doing a great job at concealing your anger.” You hum to Killua. 

I may have spoken too soon, you think when two other Exam participants bump into you guys. You can feel Killua’s bloodlust surge.

“Stop right there, kid.” One man calls.

His friend is there to back him up, “You should apologize for bumping into me.”

Killua ignores them, only inciting their anger.

“Damn you,”

“Brats!”

You think about breaking their arms, but Killua takes the initiative and kills the two before they can lay a hand on you.

“If I had continued playing, I’d probably end up killing that old man just to get the ball.” He smirks as he holds up his claws. You pat down your skirt for any traces of blood, to no avail. Killua is quite talented to do such a clean job, you disregard the corpses behind you.

“Where are we going now?” You try to ignore the fact that Killua was shirtless.

“To rest, obviously,” Killua replied. There were no more traces of bloodlust in the air. You kind of felt bad for the guys he took his anger out on.

“Oh,” You nod, before walking in the opposite direction. 

“Eh? Where are you going [Name]?” Killua stops.

“To find somewhere to rest.” 

“It’s over there,” Killua points to his original route.

“As if I’d sleep in the same room as all those people. You never know where a pervert could be lurking.” You smile jokingly at your silver haired companion. He rolls his eyes, unamused before following you. 

-

The two of you ended up staying in an extra room that seemed like an exact replica of the one the Chairman had brought you to for his game.

“What was it like?” Killua asks out of the blue. “Being isolated from the world?” You assumed he was referring to your story earlier.

“Awful,” You chuckle softly. “I wasn’t even allowed to read most books. Mother says it was to keep the rotten stuff from tainting my brain. I’m sure you can relate a bit, Killua.” 

Your supposed mother had always treated you like her doll. There was an unspoken rule between the two of you that there was no room for imperfection.  "You must never show weakness," She would always say. 

“You bet. My mom has always been overbearing.” He stares up at the ceiling. “What are you going to do after this? Since you found out that you’re not related to your family.” 

That was a good question. You had set an unrealistic goal to kill all of them, but you knew that you would never be able to do that. After all, they were the ones that raised you. 

“Who knows? They are still family– and I’m sure they’re out for me right now.” You say the last part bitterly. It hurts to admit that they still hold a place in your heart.

“You’re interesting, you know that?” Killua teases. You stick your tongue out at him even though he can’t see it. 

“You said earlier that you stabbed your brother,” You say curiously. “What were your siblings like?” 

“The worst!” Killua says in disgust. “My eldest brother is always trying to control me and the rest aren’t even worth mentioning.”

Unlike Killua, your siblings were what made your life bearable. They were who you were closest with. Milluki, whom you could not stand most of the time, could be bearable when the situation called for it. 

You can recall one time when you had gotten badly hurt after training with Grandfather, and Mil was the one that snuck extra food into your room that night. He also gave the best gifts. On the rare occasions that you get a gift, you’d always be presented with new weapons or ancient assassin texts, but Mil would give you a cute figurine. You had a secret collection in your room with a series of cute plushies from Milluki, (Mother would never forgive Mil if she were to find out). 

“That bad, huh?” You laugh. 

Both you and your new companion exchanged questions about your similar upbringings until your eyelids felt too heavy to keep open.

Chapter Text

“Everyone, this is the starting point for the Third Phase. This is the top of the Trick Tower.” Beans announced when the ship dropped off all of the applicants. 

“Trick Tower?” A man behind you asks.

“You’ll pass if you’re able to reach the bottom alive. The time limit is 72 hours.” He explains. “Well then. The Third Phase now begins. Good luck to everyone.” 

“Is this for real?” Leorio inquires. You and Gon share a look while Killua shrugs.

When you and the other four take a peek over the tower, you are met with an alarming drop.

“Are we supposed to get down there?” Leorio sweats.

“Isn’t this just suicide?” Kurapika blinks. You couldn’t help but agree. 

“A normal person can’t do it.” You turn to see a smug man. He wastes no time before starting his journey in climbing down the tower. “Such a task is a piece of cake for a professional rock climber like me.” He climbs with ease.

“Amazing.” Killua watches.

“He’s going down with ease.” Gon agrees.

“Looks like I’ll be the first to pass the Third Phase.” The man chuckles. 

A loud flapping noise takes your attention away. Before the man can save himself, a pack of hideous creatures swooped down and grabbed the man.  You watch in shock as the man is taken away.

“I– I don’t think we’ll be able to get down by climbing the wall.” Leorio hugs his case.

“Yeah,” Kurapika gives a shaky reply.

-

It didn't take you long to realize that the number of applicants on the tower’s summit seemed to have decreased. They couldn’t have climbed down, and jumping was suicide. So they must’ve gone inside it, you deduced. 

You decide to voice your observations. “Hey, Gon, Killua. I think that the only way to get to the base is to go through the tower itself.” 

“Hm, I figured as much.” Killua nods while Gon makes a loud noise of triumph from across the tower.

“Look! Killua, [Name], there’s a hidden door!” He waves. You and Killua share a look before racing to the area around Gon. He demonstrates this by applying pressure onto the floor. The tile he pushed on descends slightly. Killua starts stomping on a few tiles around the one Gon discovered.

“Two trap doors,” Killua announces, pointing to the ones that he found.

“Same here,” You add, making your way back to the two. The three of you searched around that area for more, to no success.

 Killua then points to your right to your confusion. When you follow his finger, you see that another participant seemed to have also found a door. They immediately descend. You furrow your eyebrows before running over to check the door. Gon tries to open it, but it wouldn’t seem to budge.

“I see. It only allows one person to go through the door.” Killua says. 

“Well, we might as well choose a random one,” You shrug, and Killua nods.

Gon decides to call over Kurapika and Leorio and explain your predicament.

-

“Five secret doors that are located together. It seems suspicious. Some of them might be traps.” Kurapika thinks. “From the size of the door, only one person can go through it at one time.”

“That means each door can only be used by one person,” Killua repeats. “We’ll have to work independently from here on. Gon, [Name] and I have decided to choose a random one each.” Killua declares.

“So we have nobody to blame if we fall into a trap.” You reassure.

 “Leorio and Kurapika, what will you do?” Gon asks.

“Sounds good to me. Luck is a skill just like everything else.” Leorio says confidently.

“I’m fine with it too.” Kurapika agrees. The five of you step on your chosen door.

“We’ll count to three and jump together.” Leorio decides.

“This will be a temporary goodbye for us here.” Gon says.

“Let’s meet again on the ground.” Kurapika smiles. 

“Ready,” Killua starts. “One,”

“Two,” Gon continues.

“Three!” You finish as the floor beneath you collapses.

You land in a cautious stance, ready to fight. You tilt your head in confusion upon seeing your companions again. 

“What?” A red faced Leorio (who is splat on the ground) asks.

Killua and Gon both look your direction before the three of you start grinning.

“That was a very short goodbye.” Kurapika gets up.

“What on earth? Despite choosing different doors, we all ended up in the same room.” Leorio says weakly. You watch Gon walk to the stand on the other side of the room. 

“From now until the end, the five of you will continue by following what the majority wants.” He reads the sign above a set of five watches.

“Five people?” Leorio repeats.

“Look. There are five timers too.” Gon inspects one.

“There’s an ‘X’ and an ‘O’ button on it.” Killua says. You clasp a watch around your wrist.

“Are you saying that we’re supposed to rely on each other to leave this tower?” You puff your cheeks, discreetly side eyeing Leorio.  Killua snickers.

“That’s right.” An unexpected voice replies. You note that it came from a speaker in the corner of the room. 

“Who’s that?” Leorio demands, startled.

“My name is Lippo. I’m the prison warden and also, the examiner for the Third Phase.” The voice introduces.

“Prison warden?” Kurapika questions. His question remains unanswered.

“There are several routes in this tower. You guys have chosen the route of majority rules. If you wish to leave this place, you’ll need to work as a team. If you do things on your own, you’ll never be able to leave.” He explains. “I wish you good luck.” A part of the brick walls opens to reveal a door. 

“To open the door, press ‘O’. If not, press ‘X’.” Gon reads. This should be an obvious choice.

“From now on, we will need to go with the majority. This goes without asking.” Leorio thinks aloud. The sound of your watches clicks in unison when you press your decision. 

O:4  X:1  was what showed up on the sign and you think you hear Leorio pop a blood vessel. He lets out an angry noise.

“Who was the one that pressed ‘X’?” He asks, scanning all of you. Your lips twitch when you see a mischievous look on Killua’s face. 

“Whoops.” He whistles before walking through the door.

“Stop messing around, kid! Are you blind or something?” He follows angrily. You disguise your laugh as a cough. Killua could really be a riot sometimes.

“Come on. We don’t have time to argue.” Kurapika sighs. 

“It was my fault.” Killua shrugs. “Even so, we can still go in as long as the four of you guys are in unity.” He waves his hand in disinterest. This kid really knows how to press someone’s buttons.

Once the five of you step into the next room, you are faced with a similar question. 

“Are we getting a question as soon as we go into a new room?” Leorio asks.

‘Which way?’ the sign says. ‘ Press ‘O’ for right, ‘X’ for left.’

Countless human psychology books that you have read back home that could help in this situation rush through your mind. You want to scold yourself for letting all the information escape from your brain. From a young age, you were expected to study the art of assassination in your free time. Human behavior was part of your education too, but you had preferred to play around with your knives than pay attention. Now you’re going to pay for it. You frown before picking randomly.

O:3 X:2  The right door opens.

“Huh?” Leorio expresses his confusion loudly. “Why would you choose to go right? Shouldn’t we go left?” He rambles. 

“In the study of human behavior, when people are in a situation where they need to decide, most will subconsciously pick the left side.” Kurapika states. 

“I heard about that too.” Killua speaks up. You’re still stumped.

“Wait, this is wrong, no matter how you think.” Leorio protests. “Which one did you guys choose?” He asks loudly.

“Right.” Kurapika makes his way through the right path.

“Right.” Killua follows suit. 

You walk after the two, shrugging at Leorio. You can hear him growl before stomping behind you.

“I guess we’re more simple-minded.” He says gruffly to Gon.

“We?” Gon asks cluelessly.

-

“What’s this?” Leorio lowers his voice when the five of you reach the end of the path. There was a dark abyss underneath you, and the only thing between you from the other side was a platform, lit up by four candles in each corner. 

“Look over there.” Killua stares across the platform.

You can see a group of cloaked people standing on the other side, handcuffed.

“The participants are here. Release my handcuffs.” A deep voice says. The cuff’s impact on the ground left a loud bang. You narrow your eyes. When the covers were taken off, it revealed a muscular bald man with scars on his head.

“Listen up. The men standing before you are all the prisoners of Trick Tower.” The Phase’s Examiner’s voice pops up again.

“Prisoners?” Kurapika repeats.

“At the same time, they’ve been hired as examiners by the Selection Committee. You will now battle with the five of them. It will be a one-on-one battle. Each person can only fight once. Everything is permissible. There will be no draws. You win as the rival admits defeat.” The Examiner explains. 

“You can determine the order as you like.” The scarred man says. “It depends on majority rules. So, if you can win three times, you pass. The rules are simple.” 

“So, the majority wins here, too.” Leorio scoffs. 

“It doesn’t matter. It’s straightforward enough.” Killua shrugs.

“However, the fight itself isn’t as simple.” The examiner says. “We have made an agreement with them. Every hour they keep you here, we’ll take one year off their sentences. That means their goal is to waste as much time as possible.” 

“I see,” Kurapika says, looking down at his watch. “For us, we’ll need to finish our task within 72 hours. This test is actually a fight against time.”

“Okay! I will be the first one up. Make your decision quickly.” The prisoner says loudly.

“What should we do?” Killua asks. “We can fight using any method. They might play dirty.” He warns.

“We have no idea what they might come up with.” A bead of sweat is visible on Leorio’s face. You look at them, each, deep in thought. Well, might as well get it over with. You purse your lips.

“What kind of tactics will they use?” Kurapika furrows his eyebrows. “The risk of going first is very high. So I’m going to–” He tries to volunteer, but you cut him off.

“I’ll do it.” You say flatly, walking past the four. 

“[Name], are you sure?” Leorio asks. Along with being the one that seems the most shaken, he seems to also be the most worried. “These guys are dangerous.”

“It’ll be fine,” You smile. Murderers are nothing but child’s play. The prisoner that you’re up against grins cockily. A bridge suddenly extends from the floor that you’re standing on, allowing you to walk to the platform. 

“I-I don’t think we should let her go.” Leorio still objects. 

“Why not?” Gon asks. Leorio’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean? She's just a kid, and that’s a criminal!” Leorio exclaims. “Hey! [Name]! Get back here! This is suicide!” 

You let out an exasperated sigh, ignoring his yells.

“Pipe it down, we don’t even know what the challenge is.” Killua watches you intently. 

“Hah?” 

“Killua’s right.” Kurapika speaks up.

“A little girl?” The prisoner in front of you snorts back to your teammates. “Back out now kid, because I won’t hold back.”

“So how are we going to settle this match?” You ignore his diss, but your patience is wearing thin.

“I’d hate to kill a little kid,” He continues. Your eye twitches in annoyance.

“Hey, stop your mumbling and pick a method of battle.” You snap. 

He doesn’t take your sudden outburst too kindly. “I suggest a deathmatch.” His tone changes. You pretend to ponder about it. Actually, I was actually planning on suggesting that too. You think. After all, that’s what you’ve trained all your life for. 

“A deathmatch?” You hear a surprised Gon from behind you.

“Fight until one side dies?” Leorio says grimly. 

“Don’t do it. Don’t fall for his bravado.” Kurapika warns you. 

“How is that?” The prisoner says, trying to intimidate you. 

“All right,” You nod. “Let’s both do our best,” You bow coyly. You found out a while ago that your opponents seem more fired up when you do this. Their pride takes a blow when their opponent seemingly mocks them (you have even tested this theory on Milluki a couple of times). 

“[Name]! It’s not too late to turn back!” Leorio calls again, but your attention is on the man in front of you.

“You’ve got courage, I'll give you that.” The prisoner gets into a fighting stance. You stretch your arms. My knives won’t be necessary for such an opponent, you decide. “A fight to the death!” The man cries before leaping into the air. You watch as he attempts to strike your throat.  Any normal fighter’s reaction is to immediately dodge the attack, but you decide to take the gamble and stand your ground. 

A loud spurt can be heard and then a thump follows right after.

Leorio decides to summon up the courage to take a look at what had just transpired. There on the platform, lay the prisoner with a missing arm. You were standing right above him, your eyes, cold. A thick silence hung in the air, with the exception of the prisoner’s wounded pants. You raise your hands to deal a fatal blow, but the prisoner’s resolve seems to have been shattered.

“I-I give,” He weakly heaves, stopping you. You immediately retract your hand.

“Okay. That’s one win for us,” You announce before making your way back. “You’ll live just fine if your arm gets treated, you may even be able to keep it. I made sure to deal a clean cut.” You inform him as you walk off. 

You’re confused when you see the expressions on your teammates’ faces. Leorio and Kurapika seemed very disturbed, while Gon and Killua gawked at you.

“Was it too bloody?” You inspect your clothes. Leorio shakes his head weakly before giving you an abnormally large smile.

“Good work out there!” 

You give him an unsure look before looking back at Gon and Killua. 

“You spared him,” Killua notes. You shrug.

“There was no reason to kill him.”

“Still.” Killua says.

“Was she supposed to kill him?” Leorio mutters under his breath, still shaken by what had just happened. 

-

“Alright, let me take this one,” Kurapika announces, making his way to the center stage. You let out a choked noise when you see his opponent. He had blue skin and a busted face. The man cackles maniacally.

“What an astonishing physique!” Leorio looks disturbed. 

“And he’s pretty shameless,” Killua notes. 

You watch the prisoner explain his kill counts to Kurapika, greeting him to be the next victim. 

“Are we looking at a serial hunter?” Leorio theorizes. The prisoner continues his cackles after proposing a deathmatch. You zone out while the two converse about the rules of this fight, but the sound of mutilating flesh takes you out.

You raise your eyebrows when you see the prisoner flexing out his muscles. 

“Are you okay with that, Kurapika? That’s a formidable rival you got there.” Leorio says quietly. 

“I think we shouldn’t be worried,” Gon reassures Leorio. 

“Why not?”

“Because when I look at him, I don’t get chills or anything.” Gon crosses his arms. 

“What are you talking about?” 

The prisoner then lunges into the air, raising his fists, but Kurapika dodges the attack in time. 

“He broke the floor into pieces with his bare hand!” Leorio looks horrified. The prisoner then turns around to show off his back. You hold your breath for a second when you see the tattoo on his back. A spider with twelve legs. 

The Phantom Troupe. You distinctly remember Dad telling you about a hit on one of their members.

“Stay away from them,” He had warned you. Father never complains about a job, but this was the one time you’d witnessed him doing so. “The job wasn’t worth the price.” That is the greatest compliment a target can ever get.

“It’s a 12-legged spider tattoo. Isn’t that…” Leorio realizes. 

You nod. “The Phantom Troupe.”  However, it’s nothing more than a sham. The convict seemed to lack strength, and the chances of a Troupe member being caught and imprisoned is close to zero. He has a lot of dedication in this bluff, you think.

 Leorio starts to sweat. “I heard about them from Kurapika himself.”

The atmosphere around Kurapika shifted abruptly. 

“What’s wrong? Are you speechless?” The prisoner taunts. “You’re looking at one of the Phantom Troupe’s four kings, Majitani! And this was no mere introduction. Now is the time if you want to forfeit. Before I pulverize you to..” He trails off when he sees the look Kurapika gives him. “What’s going on? Are you okay there?” 

Kurapika then grabs him by the face, lifting him from the ground. You see the blonde male ball up his fists, hitting the man into the next dimension. Your eyes widen at Kurapika’s sudden aggression. Gon and Leorio seem to share the same reaction, both surprised. 

“Listen to me,” Kurapika starts. “Number one, the real members of the Phantom Troupe would have their membership number tattooed on their spider insignia. Number two. They would not bother counting how many people they’d killed. Number three. Never say the name of that troupe. If you do, I will kill you.” 

You catch a quick glimpse of Kurapika’s eyes, shocked to see them glowing a beautiful scarlet. Your group was just as surprised at Kurapika’s rage, but Killua breaks the silence.

“Well of course he’d win this one.” 

Gon agrees, but you see nothing but concern all over his face. 

“Are you okay, Kurapika?” Leorio asks as the blonde walks back to your group. To be honest, you were completely taken aback by his sudden rage.

“Yes. There’s not a single wound on me.” 

“So, is it okay for us to come near you?” Leorio continues wearily.

Kurapika takes in deep breaths. “I could see just by a glance that he wasn’t powerful. Even the tattoo. I figured out it was a fake. But once I saw the spider, I saw red.”

“I can’t blame you for that,” Leorio says. 

“To tell you the truth..” Kurapika continues. “Even when I see a normal spider, it fills my mind with anger and I’d lose myself to it.” He confesses. You give him an awkward look.

“You should have told us about that much sooner,” Leorio says. Kurapika walks past you guys to lean on a brick wall. 

“But this also means that the sense of vengeance in me hasn’t faded away. I suppose I should be happy.” He sinks down the wall. You assume that the Troupe had taken away a loved one of Kurapika’s. However, this also sparks curiosity within you. They must be a formidable opponent, and you can’t help but want to fight them one day.

“We should try not to let Kurapika see spiders wherever we can.” Gon whispers. 

“Definitely,” You and Leorio whisper back.

It was now 2-0. All you need is one last win to advance.

Chapter Text

“Alright, now it’s my turn to battle!” Leorio says with a determined look. “Can someone take him away and send me your next guy?” He points to the botched prisoner’s body.

You can hear a feminine giggle. “Sorry, but I can’t do that.” A cloaked prisoner refuses. 

“What did you say?” Leorio balls his fists. 

“We can’t take him away yet. They haven’t decided the outcome.” The figure walks onto the platform.

“Did you say they haven’t decided the outcome? What do you mean by that?” Leorio demands. 

“He’s still alive, but he’s just unconscious.” The feminine voice says. “Did you forget? This is a duel to the death. You’ll have to fight until someone forfeits or dies, then we’ll know the outcome. Now, he’s still alive and he hasn’t forfeited.” She laughs while walking back.

“This is unreasonable.” Leorio crosses his arms. 

“But what she said was right.” Killua agrees. 

“I think so too.” Gon adds.

“Mhm, mhm.” You nod. 

“Really?” Leorio snarls before turning back to Kurapika. “Hey, Kurapika! Your rival is still breathing. Get out there and finish him.”

“I refuse.” 

It took Leorio a second to process what Kurapika had just said. “But why?” He yells.

“The outcome has already been decided. It was clear that he lost his will to fight by the time I punched him. I don’t want to be so cruel and take my frustration out on him.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! What do you want now? Didn’t you hear what they said? You don’t get to decide the outcome!” Leorio explodes.

You sigh, absentmindedly listening to their argument. Killua then joins in, offering to kill off the man for him, but Kurapika had already made up his mind. Leorio then offers to vote using a show of hands, which doesn’t turn out in his favor, so he marches past Kurapika and sulks.

“Let’s leave him alone.” Killua says, turning back to observe the unconscious prisoner while Gon starts stretching.  You watch your teammates with a slight sense of worry. Your unity will be ruined if there is someone that is consistently the minority. You were about to speak up before Gon came to realize something. 

“Is something wrong, Gon?” Killua asks as the two of you walk up to him. 

Gon nods before pointing to the unconscious inmate. 

“I see.” Killua says. You look between the two cluelessly. 

“Gon thinks the guy over there is dead, idiot.” Killua blatantly explains to you.

“You want to say that again?” You raise an arm. 

Killua sticks out his tongue. “I’d like to see you try to do anything.” 

“You–” You try to lunge at him but a pair of arms grab onto you.

“Guys, stop! We have a problem at hand!” Gon struggles to say, with you thrashing in his arms. Killua pats your head teasingly while you’re still trapped in Gon’s grip. “Killua!” Gon whines, unamused before letting you go. 

You scoff at Killua before turning back to Leorio and Kurapika. “You don’t think he could’ve died, right?” You call for the pair’s attention. Leorio immediately straightens up from his slump.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been so long now and he didn’t move even a bit.” Gon says. Leorio jogs closer to the platform, your group following right after. 

“Damn. It’s too far. I can’t really tell.” He tries to observe the body. “Hey, could I check if he’s dead or alive?” Leorio yells to the opposing side. 

“Why?” The feminine voice answers. 

“I don’t think he’s just unconscious, but I think he’s already dead.” 

“What did I tell you? He’s just knocked out.”

“But it’s been hours since that! So, I’m not taking your word for it!”

There’s a slight pause before the next reply.

“Do you want to bet?” 

“Bet? Bet on what?” 

“Whether he’s alive or dead.”

“What do you want us to bet with?” Leorio asks. You don’t like where this is heading. The only thing your group had to offer was time. Time that is crucial for the rest of the phase.

“Time.” The lady answers. A wager on time is dangerous. The worst case scenario, a loss will result in your time being taken away literally, rather than figuratively.  “We’ll both gamble to determine the outcome with time as a bargaining chip. Look at the screen on the wall.”

Your eyes dart to the click of a digital board turning on. 

“We’re all given 50 hours. But we’ll only bet ten hours each time. And we’ll gamble until one of us hits zero.” She explains. “We’ll take turns to make our wagers. If your time falls to zero, your time limit to leave the tower will be shortened by 50 hours.” Just as you thought.  

“What if you fall to zero?” Leorio asks.

“Our sentences will be extended for another 50 years.”  She answers, you can hear Leorio’s shock. “If you accept the challenge, we’ll let you come and see if he’s dead or alive.”

“You’d better be careful when answering her, Leorio.” Kurapika warns. “If you lose, it will reduce our time limit to just nine hours.”

“You have no right to advise me!” Leorio crosses his arms childishly. “We ended up like this because you refused to finish him off!” 

“I know that! I won’t say another word.” Kurapika doesn’t back down, turning away from Leorio in frustration. 

“Gosh, can you please stop arguing?” Gon whines at the two. 

“Okay, I’ll accept your terms!” Leorio declares to the woman. 

“Ok. Since I made the first wager, it’s up to you to determine whether he’s alive or dead and how many hours you want to bet.” 

“I bet ten hours that he’s alive!” Leorio points a finger up. 

“Well, you may step forward to confirm it.” She giggles.

“You’re pretty cautious.” Kurapika notes.

“Can’t you just keep your mouth shut?” Leorio says, walking to the platform. Kurapika wasn’t wrong. Leorio’s cautiousness could be a weakness. A gambler that focuses on the losses will never win.

“You’re right, he’s just unconscious.” The woman confirms when Leorio feels the inmate’s pulse. 

“So it seems,” 

The board changes from 50-50 to 40-60.

“Great!” Gon cheers. “Leorio has taken the lead!

“That can’t be good.” Killua has his hands behind his head. Gon gives him a confused look. You fight the urge to ask him to elaborate. You had decided a couple of minutes ago to give him a cold shoulder. “He probably won’t get up for a long time.”

“What do you mean?” Kurapika questions. Killua turns back to him.

“That woman must have gone near the knocked out guy, hasn’t she?” Killua asks.

“And?”

“At that time, I thought he was probably dead. But if you think about it, They’d rather have him fall into a coma than die right away. After all, as long as he won’t get up at all, they could reduce their sentence by 72 years without doing anything.” 

“So, they’ve planned this from the start,” Kurapika concludes, looking back to the match.

“Now, it’s your turn to wager. What would you like to bet on?” The prisoner offers.

“Well..” Leorio pauses. “I’d like to bet on whether he’s really unconscious or not.”

The lady seemed to be shocked. 

“I see.” Killua watches. 

“All right, then. I’ll bet 20 hours that he’s really unconscious. But how are you going to determine whether he’s really unconscious?”

Leorio walks up to pick up the man. “That’s easy. But it’s not simple.” He starts to walk to the edge of the platform. “I’ll just throw him down here. If he’s really unconscious, I can just throw him off to his doom.”

“Are you serious? We haven’t seen the results of his previous duel! So, I do not approve of you doing that!” 

“Don’t worry. If he falls to his death, we’d lose for breaking the rules. And you’d win two rounds. Are you okay with that?” 

“That’s a good point. I’m fine with it then.” She agrees. “I want to change my wager then. I bet 40 hours that he isn’t unconscious. I’m betting all the time I have left.”

“Now you’ve shown your true colors, you witch.” Leorio smirks. “I’m going to let go now.” 

“Wait, I’m awake!” The inmate jerks, struggling to stay on the platform. “Don’t let go!” 

“Good morning.” Leorio catches him. 

“You people are freaks! I’m so sick of you! I lost the last round.” He marches back to his team. “Sentence reduction? Forget it! A life behind bars is a lot safer for me!” 

“Did you already know that he was awake?” The woman asks Leorio.

“In my case, I’m pre-med. I could tell just by looking at how his eyeballs moved.” Leorio replies.

The score is now 80-20 .

“But now, you only have 20 hours of bargaining chips.”

“But we have a two to one lead, so we got a match point. All right, now it’s your turn.” Leorio points. “Let’s see what your wager is going to be.” 

The lady’s handcuffs are removed as she takes her cloak off. “Alright.” You can basically hear Leorio’s delight when you see her appearance. 

She was a very cute lady with wild pink hair.  You’re not amused to hear Leorio start to giggle to himself. 

“That old man must be really excited right now,” Killua says, peeved while Gon gawks at the scene.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Kurapika adds. 

“Now, let's make a wager on whether I’m a man or a woman.” She places a hand on her hip. Leorio must’ve done a bad job at hiding his shock, as she asks him, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“No,” Leorio croaks. He takes a minute to think before placing his hands on his hips. “I don’t mind betting on this. But if I guess wrong, how are you going to prove it?” You don’t like where this is heading.

“Well.. I’ll let you examine me thoroughly until you are convinced. You can examine my body all you like.” She places her hand around her private areas. Leorio hunches over to examine her whole body. Your eye twitches when you realize what Leorio is going to bet on. That perv. There was nothing in this world that you despised more than perverts. 

“Leorio will bet that she’s a man.” Kurapika vocalizes your thoughts. Killua nods, unimpressed. 

“Why?” Gon asks.

“I have decided.” Leorio suddenly says. “I bet ten hours that you’re a man!” 

“I knew it.” You roll your eyes.

“That lecherous old man,” Killua glares.

“But how did you know?” Gon asks you. 

“The pervert has an ulterior motive. Even if he guesses wrong and she really is a woman, he will still get to examine her body however he’d like. In his eyes, it’s a win-win even if he guesses incorrectly.” It pains you to explain it. 

“I see.” Gon says.

“I’m sorry, but I’m a girl.” She smiles.

“Is that true?” You can hear the happiness in his voice. “I don’t believe you!” He tries to put up a phony act. You sigh before closing your eyes. 

“Would you like to check for yourself?” She asks coyly.

“Like you need to ask!” Leorio yells. You take the initiative to cover Gon’s eyes. 

“[Name]!” Gon exclaims, startled. 

“This is so unbearable.” Kurapika shakes his head. You purse your lips. The opponent has probably read Leorio’s strategies like an open book. His gambling method will never stand a chance. 

The score is now 90-10.

“Leorio has no choice now. If he loses again, it’s 2-2. Plus, the 50 hours that we’ve lost.” Kurapika says. “We will have even less time to leave this tower.” 

Gon looked at Leorio with worry. You place a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. We still have a chance.” You reassure him. You can see Killua’s piercing gaze in your peripheral vision, but you decide to focus on Leorio, who was muttering to himself.

Your group watches the spectacle of Leorio’s dilemma.

“Hey, hey old man. You’re thinking out loud.” Killua says.

“I know.” Gon snaps his fingers. “Leorio. You can just ask her whether she thinks you’re a teenager or not?” 

You laugh into your hand at the unintended insult. 

“Hey, brat. I don’t look that old for anyone to ask me that question. I look exactly like a teenager, okay?” He replies angrily. He picks his nose before declaring the next wager. “Okay, let’s play rock-paper-scissors!”

The woman giggles. “Okay.”

“Rock-paper-scissors?” Kurapika repeats. “He proposed a rather difficult game.”

“Is it really that difficult?” Gon wonders. 

“Although the rules of this game are simple, it can actually get really complicated. If we look at this from the perspective of probability, you only have one-third of a chance to lose any given round. But, if your opponent can read minds and control your reactions, the probability of loss will rise drastically.” Kurapika illustrates. 

“In short, for someone as dense as Leorio, this game is really disadvantageous,” Killua adds. 

“I see,” Gon says. 

“Alright. I have decided.” Leorio declares, ready to start the match. The woman giggles. “What?” Leorio asks.

“I can already tell what you are going to use. I know how to read minds. “ She bluffs.

“Don’t try to trick me,”  Leorio points accusingly at her. “Even if you want to brag, it’s useless to scare me like this.”

“We’ll know once we start.” She smiles. You can see Leorio start to visibly stress. 

“Leorio will choose rock.” Kurapika decides. 

“Rock, paper, scissors!” They both tie with rock.

“You’re right.” Gon confirms. “Good guess!”

Kurapika backs up his claim, “When people are nervous, they tend to avoid any action that involves opening up. Which means, she wants Leorio to panic so that he wouldn’t use paper.”

“So, if she sticks with rock, she’s guaranteed either a win or a draw.” You conclude. 

“As I said, rock-paper-scissors is a mind game.” 

The woman continues her bluff, adding more strain to Leorio’s mind. 

“Worrying and fretting. When someone loses confidence, they will seek reassurance. Then, they will use the same hand as the previous round. Or to restore confidence, they might use a different strategy that's stronger than the last round.” Kurapika says.

“So you’re saying that woman would want Leorio to use either rock or paper, right?” Killua asks.

“Yes. So, if she uses paper, she won’t lose.” 

“Then, Leorio should use the exact opposite,” Gon says enthusiastically.

“Well.. as long as he can stay calm, that should work.” 

“Leorio!” Gon calls. 

“What?” He yells.

“You can win by using scissors next!” 

“Then, use scissors.” The woman laughs. “Let’s begin, shall we?” 

“Rock, paper, scissors!” 

Leorio chose rock. The woman chose paper. 

The score is now 100-0.

“I won!” The woman cheers. 

“This game is really complicated.” Gon supports his head with his arms behind it. 

“That’ll be 2-2.” Killua counts.

“And along with the time we’ve lost, we also have to give them 50 hours.” Kurapika grimaces.

“Sorry, I thought I could have won.” Leorio walks back in shame. Your team salvages what’s left of his pride by keeping silent.

We have less than ten hours to leave this tower now. 

“All right, I’ll be back soon,” Killua announces. 

“Killua!” Leorio seems to have realized something. 

“What kind of reaction is that?” Killua gives him a strange look.

“This is bad! I should’ve won the last round.” Leorio says to himself a little too loudly.

You and Gon act as a shield between Killua and Leorio. “This guy is pissing me off.” Killua points a finger.

“Ignore him.” Gon tries to mediate. 

“Don’t give up yet since we don’t know what kind of contest it will be. But if it’s doing math in your head, I’d totally surrender.” He mutters the last part. You fight everything inside of you to hold in a snort. 

“Right, it depends on the opponent.” Leorio’s mood shifted. “We might still have a chance at winning.” 

You hear a sudden boom from the prisoner’s side. Killua’s opponent seemed to have crushed the wall with his bare hands. He unmasked himself to show a muscular man with piercing eyes. You can hear Leorio gasp.

“That guy is…” 

“Do you know him?” Gon asks. 

“We should just take the loss.” Leorio decides. You give him a confused look. “Don’t fight that guy, Killua!” 

“Why not?”

“Johness the Dissector. He was the most notorious killer in Zaban City. The people he killed were all chosen at random. A total of 146 victims, young and old, men and women. They all died miserably in his hands. The bodies of the victims all had one thing in common. They were all killed with his bare hands. A special trait of the guy is that he has an extremely strong grip. The power of his fingers!” Leorio reveals. A mass murderer? That’s not an impressive feat. “There’s no need to fight that psychopath. There’s always next year’s exam.” 

Killua continues to walk towards the platform despite Leorio’s protests. 

“How would you like to do this?” Killua asks, hands in his pockets.

“Do this?” The prisoner’s hand twitches as he brings it up. “Don’t get the wrong idea. This will be a one-sided massacre. I don’t care about the exam or reducing my sentence. I just want to hear you scream.”

“Is that so?” Killua says. “All right. Then, the one who dies loses.” He decides. 

The man in front of him seemed to be shocked at his bluntness, but he agreed. “I will… tear your corpse to pieces anyways.” 

An untrained eye may be unable to keep up with Killua’s next movements, but you see him manipulate his hands to pierce the man’s heart out. 

Killua walks past the man, taking his heart with him. You hear gasps from both the prisoners and your own team. 

The prisoner struggles to comprehend what had just transpired, gasping out his disbelief. “Why do I feel so cold?”

Killua holds out his beating heart. 

“That’s..” The man summons what’s left of his energy to try to retrieve the organ. “My…” 

The heart stops beating and you hear a thud. Killua politely returns the dead man’s heart as he secures the final win. 

“That’s three wins and two losses for us.  We can move on, right?” 

“Yes, you’ve won.” A prisoner replies.

“What are these kids?” Leorio looks between you and Killua. You shoot him a look.

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Gon says.

“Know what?” 

“Both Killua and [Name] come from elite families of assassins.” 

Leorio’s eyes widen comically. “Elite families of assassins?” He chokes loudly. You rub your neck awkwardly. 

“I’m back,” Killua announces. Leorio doubles back in fear. “What’s up?” He gives him a strange look.

“Well, good job out there!” You can see the sweat drip from the side of Leorio’s face.

You hear a loud rumble from behind you, catching all of your team’s attention. A new path has opened.

“Once you cross the bridge, you will find a small room. You will spend the 50 hours you’ve lost during the wager here.” The Examiner announces from a speaker.

“All right, let’s go.” Killua leads the way. You and Gon follow right behind. 

“Great. So, we have to stay in this room and only leave in 50 hours?” Leorio complains when the five of you enter the room.

“Killua,” Kurapika calls for the white haired boy. Killua hums.

“How did you do that just now?”

“Oh, that?” 

“You removed the opponent’s heart in a split second.” 

“Well, that wasn’t even a technique. I just ripped it out.”

“Ripped it out?” Kurapika stammered.

“I just..” Killua holds his hand up. “Manipulated my body a bit to make it easier.” The veins in his hand grew visible as his nails turned razor sharp.

“You– your nails!” Leorio stuttered. Gon looks at Killua’s hands in awe. 

“That’s amazing!”

“Even though he’s a serial killer, he’s just an amateur.” Killua points to himself with a smirk. “I used to be a professional. But my dad is a lot more skilled. When he removes a heart, you won’t even see a single drop of blood.” 

“That’s reassuring,” Leorio says weakly. 

You sulk when you realize Kurapika wasn’t going to ask you about your technique with the prisoner.

“Well, then. We have more than two days from now on.” Killua announces.

“What should we do, Killua, [Name]?” Gon looks at you.

“Let’s search this room first and see if there’s anything to play with.” Killua smiles. You and Gon happily agree as the three of you go to find some entertainment.

- EXTRA -

He leaned down close enough to be able to feel her breath. The young woman shied away, but a strong hand on her lower back stopped her movements. He then wasted no time to close the gap–

“Hey [Name], are you okay?” Gon’s voice calls from beside you, laced with concern. 

Killua snickers. “Whatchu reading there? Your face is all red!” He tries to take a peek, but you slam the book shut before he can get to it.

You cover your burning face. How could this even be a piece of literature? Never in your life have you read anything like this. What would Mother think of this?

Just moments ago, you had seen Kurapika pull multiple books from the bookshelf provided in the room, so you had decided to pick up one too. It didn’t take long for you to find out that it was a romance novel in disguise.

 Killua shrugs to himself before pulling you up from your comfortable position by the arm.

“Hey!” You protest.

“Don’t be boring,” He mumbles. “Gon wants to try out each other’s toys.”

You can’t say no to that.

Chapter Text

Killua hops off his skateboard, allowing it to spin and flip before catching it. You watch in amazement (not that you would ever vocalize that, Killua’s ego is already inflated enough). Nonetheless, your face must have betrayed your thoughts, as Killua starts to smile smugly. How charming.

“If you hesitate on your first step, you’ll get hurt.” He hands the yellow skateboard to you. Gon claps as you position yourself on the board. 

“Ready,” Killua starts his countdown. “Three,”

Your legs are unstable.

“Two,”

He said not to hesitate right? Your feet leave the board a second too early. The board shoots from under your feet and across the room. 

“Woah!” You try to land on your feet, but you trip over Gon who was sitting nearby to watch you. Poor Gon lets out a surprised noise as the two of you tumble.

“Pfft. You guys suck at this!” Killua laughs as he pulls you off of Gon suddenly. Killua may have pulled you harder than he intended to, as your face collided with his chest. 

There's a painful sensation that spreads through your nose. “Hey! What was that for?” Rubbing the wound didn't help much.

“Nothing.” Killua turns his head away from you. The only response you could think of was to stick your tongue out at him. He never fails to rile you up.

“Hey! What did I tell you about using skateboards in this small room?” Leorio yells. His anger from Gon's failed attempt at Killua's signature move earlier seems to not have subsided yet.

You give Leorio a half-minded apology as you continue to stare at the back of Killua’s head for an answer to his actions. To your dismay, you are given none. 

-

When the timer in the room reads that 10 hours have passed, your group had collectively decided that it was time to sleep. Despite having enough energy to run a marathon, you tried to force yourself to go off into a dreamless slumber, but Leorio’s constant snores kept you up. You considered stuffing a pillow down his throat. 

The sleeping arrangements weren’t the worst. You were sandwiched between Gon and Killua. However, after what happened earlier, you refused to look into Killua's eyes.

-

You had just settled in, ready to sleep, when you felt something– no, someone grab your skirt.

“Hey! Pervert!” You shout, smacking your attacker. 

“Huh–” A loud slap can be heard and when you looked down to see who it was, you were met with a pair of annoyed blue eyes. 

“What the hell was that for! I was trying to grab my blanket,” Killua rubs his cheek. 

Your mouth forms an ‘o’.

-

You had pretended that you had fallen asleep to avoid any contact with Killua. But the boredom was killing you. Breaking your resolve, you take a peek to see how many hours have passed.

“I knew you weren’t asleep.” Killua suddenly whispers. You turn your head to see a victorious smile on his face. 

“And?”

“I’m bored,” He says, deadpan.

“You want me to beat you to sleep?” You threaten. He shoots you a look. 

“Can’t sleep?” Kurapika asks, his voice laced with sleepiness. You sit up.

“Not really. I can go for a few days without sleep.” Killua says. You nod to agree. The ability to go without sleep for a week, poison resistance, electricity resistance, and joint control were all basic skills you had to acquire as a result of your upbringing. It didn’t come easy either. When you were first learning how to function without sleep, your mother would send an electrical current through your body every time you dozed off. 

“It’s been ten hours,” Kurapika notes.

“There are no windows here, so it’s hard to tell, but it should be morning.” Killua guesses.

“It should be,” Kurapika agrees before closing his eyes. You mirror his actions. Might as well try to fall asleep again.

Your second attempt to rest is ruined when you feel Killua shift to your right as he sits up. He grins playfully before grabbing his pillow. He’s going to chuck it at Gon! You were about to protect the unconscious boy, but Gon easily grabs the pillow and throws it right back at Killua. Both you and Killua look at the supposed sleeping boy, dumbfounded. 

Killua throws it once more at Gon, but this time, the green haired boy chucks it at you. It was likely that he thought it was both his companions assaulting him since his eyes remained shut. Without thinking, you throw the pillow at Killua who throws it back at Gon. The three of you continue in this cycle for several more rounds, grunting after every toss and catch.

“Keep it down!” Leorio groans as he was just awoken from his slumber. Whoops. The three of you start laughing. “Let me sleep!”

“Sorry, old man,” Killua teases, which invokes laughter from everyone but Leorio. 

Leorio sits up angrily, “What’s so funny? I’m not that much older than you!” 

Killua snickers.

“Damn it, now I can’t sleep anymore.” Leorio whines. He looks at the clock and his expression is sour. “Forty more hours to go.”

“Say, [Name]!” Gon taps your shoulder. “I’m curious to see your knives.” You hear Leorio choke on something from across the small room. He makes an offhand comment that you don’t quite catch.

“You say that like they’re toys,” You mutter, fighting back the urge to smile. Gon’s genuine excitement at your uncanny ability elicits a sense of pride inside of you. Or was it happiness? 

“I’m more curious about your ‘one hundred percent accuracy,’” Killua looks at you, two hands behind his head.

You were not bluffing when you had told the two boys earlier about your throwing knives. Indeed, there were quite a few hidden throughout your body. One was attached to each leg underneath your skirt, and you had another one right up your sleeve.

“Just watch,” You smile cockily before a small dagger appears in your hand.

“Wow! It just appeared from thin air!” Leorio gawks. Years of training granted you the ability to whip them out in a blink of an eye when the situation calls for it.

“Think fast!” Killua suddenly throws a pillow into the air. Killua would have to be faster if he wanted to be able to catch you off guard. The knife you were holding flies right at the pillow, pinning it to the wall. 

“Amazing,” Gon praises. This time around, you can’t stop the smile that forms on your face. Why do you feel so warm inside all of a sudden? Certainly, it was not from Gon. The effect that boy had on you was a tad concerning. His bright nature was contagious.

“Not too shabby,” Killua inspects your damage. The knife intercepted the pillow right in the middle. “I mastered darts by the age of six so this is not too impressive.” You can tell he's trying to agitate you for a reaction. The smile you shared with Gon was quickly forgotten.

“I’ve played darts before, and it is most definitely not the same thing.” You deny. Darts were easier by a long shot. A stationary board was nothing compared to a living, breathing target. You sigh after realizing you took his bait, “Who am I kidding? You’re just trying to piss me off.” It was working too. In the short amount of time you have known the two boys, you note that they have a talent for flustering you (in a good and bad way). You have yet to decide what to do with this information.

Killua smirks. “For an assassin, you sure do let your emotions get in the way a lot.” 

“I could say the same for you, jerk!” You stick your tongue out at him. Gon laughs nervously at the two of you. 

“Let’s just focus on trying each other’s toys,” A drop of sweat falls from the side of his face. Killua extends an open palm and you slam another throwing knife that you had into his hands. 

“Alright then, you try to throw them! Let’s see how good you are,” You angrily point at his target, (the pillow you had pinned to the wall moments earlier). Killua held the knife in front of him for a couple of seconds, casting his aim.

Bam! The knife hits the wall, barely missing the pillow. 

“I told you!” You laugh. Killua grimaces. 

“It curved at the last second! This isn’t fair,” Killua defends himself. You hand him your last dagger before stepping behind him.

“You said you are a master of darts, right?” You hold his arm up to the correct stance. “That would explain the curve. Knives and darts do not have the same shape, so their trajectory is quite different. Here, let me show you.” You place your other hand on his shoulder. The two of you were just mere inches apart. You can feel Killua's body stiffen up. 

“Ready.. ” You move his arm back into position. "And... Now!" The knife leaves his hand. This time around, the knife hits the pillow. It is not completely in the center, but there was an improvement.

“Killua! You did it!” Gon cheers. “Teach me next, [Name]!” 

You give Gon an enthusiastic thumbs up while Killua is still turned away from the two of you. 

“You have too much movement in your wrists, which causes the curve. That would make sense though since you– Killua?” Your voice trails off when you see the white haired boy’s face. “Are you okay?” 

You and Gon look at Killua with concern. The sight was quite amusing. The young assassin's face was scrunched up, and his cheeks were all flushed. 

“You look like you have a high fever!” Gon points out the pink that was spreading on Killua’s face. 

“I am not sick!” Killua denies it, but you don’t believe him. Instead, you move closer to him and place a hand on his forehead, then his cheeks. This was a trick your mother used to use on you to see if you were ever sick from the poison resistance training. 

He’s so warm!

“Gon, don’t listen to him. He’s burning up with every passing second!” 

“Hey, knock it off, will you!” Killua swats your hand away. “Stop wasting your energy. I don’t get sick.” 

“Okay..” You retract your hand while Gon looks at Killua, unsure. “But don’t blame us when you die from a common cold.” You shrug. “Anyways, Gon, let me teach you now!” There was nothing but enthusiasm in your voice. The green haired boy nodded happily.

—

The remaining thirty-eight hours were a blur, as you spent most of your time playing games with Gon and Killua. There was never a dull moment with the two boys, you think.

“All right, I’m ready!” Gon stretches as the clock reads 00:01.

“One minute left,” Kurapika announces. One more minute until you’re out of this room. Your group of five lines up by the door, counting down the seconds until it unlocks.

“This is the longest minute of my life,” Leorio grumbles too soon, as the door unlocks itself before he can close his mouth. 

Eager to leave, you and Gon rush out as soon as the door fully opens.

“Hey, wait up!” Leorio yells from behind.

Half an hour later, your group is back at the arena where you had fought the prisoners. 

“We ran for 30 minutes and we’re back here again.” Leorio pants. Kurapika seemed to have worked up a sweat too. 

Unlike the rest, you were actually having a lot of fun. Your group had gone on a thrilling cart ride (in which half of the tracks were missing), a game that consisted of tiles being lit up as a path (Leorio stepped on the wrong tile, causing him to nearly fall to his death). However, your favorite part was when you were chased by a giant boulder. It was all so exciting!

“I told you we should have gone down the stairs.” Killua seems bored.

“Shut up! It was a group decision!” Leorio snaps loudly at Killua. You stifle a laugh. 

Countless more obstacles were thrown at your group, but you finally made progress with one hour remaining.

There is a metal sign, and like always, it gives your group two choices to vote for.

‘O- Open  X- Close’

“They want us to decide whether to open this door or not?” Leorio speaks. “It’s the only way, who wouldn’t want to do it?”

Five clicks echo in the room as each of you press on your watches.

The sign showed O:4 and X:1

Two irk marks appear on Leorio’s face. He looks down at Killua before grabbing his collar.

“Watch it, old man.” Killua glares at Leorio. “It wasn’t me.”

“Don’t lie to me! This is exactly something you would do,” Leorio does not back down. Killua looks like he is moments away from ripping Leorio’s heart out. Usually, you would find this scene entertaining, but your team had no time to argue. 

“Sorry, Leorio,” Gon’s apologetic voice interrupts their stare down. “I accidentally pressed the wrong button.” 

Leorio visibly relaxes before letting Killua go. “Fine.”

Killua was about to defend himself when he noticed you run into the next room. 

You peek back in a second later, “Gon! Killua! We’re almost at the end!”

Both boys’ faces light up. 

“Wait up, [Name]!” Gon calls before following you through the door. Killua doesn’t spare Leorio another glance before running off too.

The room had two doors, one with an ‘X’ painted on it, the other with an ‘O’. In between the doors was another sign. However, what stood out to you most were the magnitudes of weapons on the walls.

“‘This is your final decision point. Are you ready? Choose O or X.’ That’s it.” Killua reads the sign.

“Are we ready? Of course, we are.” Leorio smiles. 

‘O:5 X:0’

Your group chooses to continue. 

“Please choose your path,” The familiar voice of this phase’s examiner comes from the statue of a woman on the wall. “You have two choices. One is long and difficult to pass but allows five people to go through. The other one is shorter and easier, but only allows three people to go through.”

You can feel the atmosphere in the room grow tenser. 

“By the way, the difficult path will take you at least forty-five hours, no matter how fast you go. While the easier and shorter path will only take you three minutes. Press ‘O’ for the difficult path or press ‘X’ for the easier and shorter path. If you press ‘X’, any two of you would have to be handcuffed to the wall. Only then will the door be opened. The two people that are handcuffed will stay here until the time is up.” The examiner finishes.

The weapons provided were getting harder to ignore after hearing the condition to leave the room.

“That’s really thoughtful of them. They’ve prepared all kinds of weapons for us.” Killua notes as you observe the walls. If needed, you could use any of these. Your weapon mastery was not only limited to throwing knives. 

“Five or three,” Kurapika sighs. “It seems they want us to fight it out.” It was a tragic situation.

“Let me be clear, I’m going to press ‘X’ and I don’t plan on staying behind.” Leorio solemnly announces. “I will do whatever it takes to be one of the three who gets to go.” 

“Wait a minute,” Gon speaks up. “I’m going to press ‘O’. We’ve made it all the way here. I want us to get through this together.” Gon was too optimistic for his own good. “I don’t care how difficult it will be, I’m going all in.”

Killua makes a noise of exasperation, “You can forget about going all in. We have less than an hour left.” He holds up his watch. “Gon, if you really want to win this, there’s only one choice.” 

“He’s right,” You agree. It was the harsh truth.

“Next, we have to decide which three of us get to leave,” Killua says. “If I were being honest, I want it to be us.” The white haired boy looks at you and Gon. The thoughts in your head come to a screeching halt. Killua wanted you to pass with him?  Your cheeks feel warmer than they were a second ago. What a peculiar feeling. You try to brush it off. There was a more important problem at hand.

The five of you stare at each other, each one of you taking a defensive stance.

It was Killua who made the first move. He starts walking towards Leorio. You and Gon jump in front of him. This startles Killua as he nearly trips over his feet at your speed. 

Leorio, who assumed the worst, grabs a Honshu halberd and holds it threateningly. Kurapika leaps at Leorio to grab the weapon.

“Leorio, put that down! We can come up with another solution!” It does not go as planned, and the two struggle back and forth over the halberd. 

Kurapika suddenly lets go of it, pulling out his own weapon. At the unexpected loss of contact, Leorio falls backward with the weapon in his hand. He lets out a shout and a loud slam follows. 

It was an ungraceful tumble. Leorio had fallen on his butt and his weapon was lodged into the wall. 

From your peripheral vision, you can see Gon smile.

“Did you come up with an idea, Gon?” You turn to him. He nods.

—

“In Twenty-third place, Number 99, Killua! Twenty-fourth place, Number 302, [Name]! Twenty-fifth place, Number 405, Gon! They took seventy-one hours and fifty-nine minutes.” The examiner announces.

“My butt hurts!” Killua complains. You’re more concerned about being covered in dust. “Who would’ve thought the easier and shorter path was just a slide.” 

“We made it, nonetheless.” Gon smiles. 

“I have blisters all over my hands though,” You hear Kurapika from behind.

“Me too,” Leorio groans. “But at least, we all made it to the end. It’s all thanks to Gon!” He wasn’t wrong. When Leorio had fallen over, the halberd in his hand was able to penetrate the wall. Gon was clever enough to figure out a strategy for all five of you to go through the short and easy path. All you had to do was choose to go through the difficult path. The only hard part was hacking the wall that separated the difficult and the easy path.

“It was only because I saw that the weapons were strong enough to break the wall. It still took us about fifty minutes though,” Gon smiles. You can’t help but admire him. His ability to find a way out of a tough situation was not just impressive, it was incredible. The more time you spend with him, the more you feel drawn toward him. Perhaps this is what made him so dangerous. 

“Twenty-sixth place, Number 404, Kurapika! Twenty-seventh place, Number 403, Leorio! They both took seventy-one hours and fifty-nine minutes.”

“[Name],” Killua mutters. You turn to him. Killua was no less of a threat than Gon. There was something so mysterious about him that intrigued you. “Earlier, I wasn’t going to attack Leorio.” He looks almost ashamed. Killua must be referring to when you and Gon had leaped in front of him. He probably feels conflicted between his past as an assassin and the present moment. 

“I apologize, then, for prematurely judging your actions.” You place a sincere hand on his shoulder.

Killua grimaces, “Do you really have to touch me so much?” Ah, here was the grumpy Killua that you’ve grown to know! You flash him a sheepish smile.

There’s a chime, and the examiner’s voice announces from an intercom, “Here are the results for the Third Phase. Twenty-seven contestants have passed, and one died.” As he finishes, the tower opens up. Sunlight peeks through the door. The third phase is officially over.

Chapter Text

You sigh happily at the gust of wind that blows through your hair. It has been days since you have gotten a breath of fresh air. Perhaps you should sing an ode to Mother Nature. 

The train of appreciation for fresh air in your mind is interrupted when you notice a short man with a purple mohawk standing outside of the tower. He must be the Third Phase’s examiner. The man waits for the rest of the applicants to gather before him.

“Congratulations on your escape from the Trick Tower. Now, you only need to take the Fourth and FInal Phases.” There is a mischievous glint in his eyes that brings you unease. 

Another applicant sighs, “So there are two phases left.”

The examiner holds up his hand and points backwards. Behind him is nothing but the sea. Oh wait! There is an island in the distance. “The Fourth Phase will be held in Zevil Island over there.” He raises his hand once again, but this time he snaps two fingers together.

Your attention is directed to a man pushing a small cart. A small box rests on top of the cart.

“For the next phase, we will need you to draw lots.” 

You hear numerous confused murmurs.

“Draw lots?”

“What for?”

There is a pregnant pause. The man before you smirks. “It’s to decide who will hunt and who will be hunted.” Oh how exciting! “There are twenty six cards in this box. In other words, these numbers represent all the current candidates. Now, I need you to come here and draw your number cards in the order you escaped the tower. The first person, please.”

                                 —————

You found it strange how the card was blank. Gon shared your dumbfounded look. The small piece of plastic held no visible information. Maybe looking at it from different angles will help. At the top corner of the card, you see the edge of an adhesive label.  

“Are we done?” Lippo asks after Leorio finishes selecting his card. “Then, please peel the stickers off your number card.” You waste no time to tear it off. In bold, was the number 111. “They are your targets.”

Immediately after Lippo announces that crucial piece of information, you see all of the applicants around you cover their number tags. 

Lippo goes on to explain the rules of the phase, “The numbers you just picked have all been recorded in this box. Therefore, you can do anything you want with your own badges. What you need to do is take the number badges off your targets.” 

In simple terms, this phase would just be a vicious game of cat and mouse, something right up your alley. The countless life or death situations you have been subjected to back home would serve you well just for this phase. Tailing any of the remaining applicants would be a cakewalk. Numbers 44 and 301 are the only exceptions to this claim though. There is something menacing about the two that leaves an unpleasant feeling in your stomach. 

“Is that it?” Applicant number 198 smiles wearily. You recall that it was one of the three brothers from the first phase. “We don’t have to fight to the death?” 

Lippo responds to his inquiry, “There are no rules on how you get the number badges. Do whatever you feel like. You can even kill your targets and take the number badges off their corpses.”

“That seems to be the fastest way.” Another one of the brothers speaks. You can see Number 198 start to sweat bullets.

“Is that what it is about?”

The third brother elbows Number 198, “There’s nothing to be scared of, stupid.”

The examiner diverts your attention from the brothers to himself by raising his hand, “Listen carefully! Your target number’s badge is worth three points. Your own number badges are worth three points each as well. Extra number badges are worth one point each. In order to advance to the Final Phase, you have to earn at least six points. Collecting six points of number badges while you’re on Zevil Island is how you pass the Fourth Phase.”

You clasp your hands together in excitement. This was going to be fun.

      —-————-

“Thank you for riding with us. I’m Khara, your guide to Zevil Island. Approximately two hours from now, you will reach Zevil Island.”  The woman was extremely lively considering that she may be sending dozens of people to their doom. Her enthusiasm was not reciprocated by any of the applicants sitting on the boat’s floor. You had chosen a spot right next to Gon. “All twenty six applicants who survived the Third Phase will get free access to the exam venue next year! So even if you fail this time, you don’t have to worry. You can come back next year.” 

Her voice was drowned out in your head. You had no plans of failing this year’s exam, so nothing she had said appealed to you in the slightest. The current issue at hand was your target. You have no clue who Number 111 could be.

Most of the other applicants have already hidden their badges, so it was no use to try to figure it out now. There were a few people that kept their badge out on display, yourself included, but anyone bold enough to do so were adept fighters. Well, it can’t be helped. You have no choice but to wait until you reach the island.

“Yo.” Someone walks up to you and Gon. You don’t have to look up to know that it was Killua. The boy situates himself next to you, successfully wedging you between the two boys. You hug your legs to give them more space.  None of you speak, until Killua asks, “What number did you guys pick?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” It was you who responded first. The comment was only to tease the white haired boy rather than a defense mechanism. Neither he nor Gon were your targets.

Gon deflects the question with his own, “What about you?”

“It’s a secret.” There is an unusual coyness in Killua’s voice. It was almost as if he was insinuating that you or Gon were his target. Gentle waves collide with the wooden boat, creating a rhythm in which you are rocked with the boat. Another silence had befallen over you and your acquaintances.

The idea of either Gon or Killua as your target amuses you. Both boys were quite talented in their own ways, so you wonder if you could beat them. Of course you could, your family did not have high hopes about your talent for nothing. They wouldn’t be easy opponents though. 

A cheeky snigger leaves your lips when an image of you standing triumphantly over Killua illustrates itself in your head. Suddenly the mood feels lighter. Gon and Killua start smiling.

“Don’t worry, you guys are not my target.” Killua reassures.

“You guys aren’t my target either.” The news does not shock you. Had you been their target, there would have been a drastic change in their body language.

“On the count of three, should we show our number cards together?” You suggest an idea that could potentially help you find out who your target was. Gon and Killua were exceptionally observant.

They both agree.

“One, two, three–!”

You nearly drop your card when you see the number Gon is holding. 

Number 44, Hisoka.

“That’s really unlucky of you,” The mirth on Killua’s face disappeared. 

Gon smiles bashfully, “Exactly.” He looks down at Killua’s card. “Who is Number 199?”

“It seems like you don’t know either.”

“If I recall, it would be one of the three brothers. I’m not sure which one though,” You place a hand on your chin to think. Force of habit.

“Is that so? Thanks, [Name].” Killua rests his head on one arm. “I can’t help you much though, I have no idea who Number 111 is. After hearing the instruction, I looked around and everyone had already hidden their number. It’s so petty–” 

Killua’s voice trails off when he sees Gon start to tremble. The forest boy’s eyes shine with determination and his lips are curled upward.

“Gon,” You pull him out of his trance.

“What is it?”

“Are you excited or scared?” 

Gon looks at the sky before answering, “I think I feel both. If it was an ordinary battle, I would have absolutely no chance to win. However, if it’s just stealing a badge, I may be able to find a way. I can probably do it this time. Even so, I’m a little scared. But it's worth a shot.” You notice that his resolve strengthens as he continues to speak. Well, the last thing he needed at this moment were distractions. You take this as your cue to leave. Killua must have come to the same conclusion as you, as the two of you stand up simultaneously.

“Is that so?” The white haired boy tucks his skateboard into his arm. “Good luck, then.” He starts to walk away before pausing once more, “Stay alive, Gon.”

Gon gives you guys a thumbs up, “You guys too.”

“Well, I’m gonna go this way.” You turn in the opposite direction Killua was walking. He nods. 

“You too,” Killua says, stopping you in your tracks.

“Huh?” 

“ You stay alive too ,” He deadpans. “We have yet to figure out who is the better ex assassin.” 

“You bet I’d win that.” A smirk makes its way onto your face. 

                           —-———-

“We have finally arrived at Zevil Island! Now, starting with the candidate who took the least time to pass the Third Phase, please get off the boat in order!” The guide announces happily. 

“My gosh, this again.” You hear Leorio complain under his breath.

Khara (you think is the guide’s name) holds up a stopwatch in one hand, “You can only get off the boat two minutes after the candidate before you get off.”

Gon and Killua had reunited with you shortly after the boat had reached Zevil Island. A short reunion before you would be inevitably split up for a week.

“This means we have to wait forever,” Killua sighs.

Considering the long boat ride and this, by the time you made it onto the island, it will be mid afternoon. You’ll have to be quick before nightfall comes. The darkness could be used to the other participants’ advantage.

“We’ll now start with the first candidate!” The guide lifts her arm into the air.

       —-———-

“It’s been two minutes, the twenty fourth candidate may start!” 

You let out a breath of relief. Time was winding down before sunset and so was your patience. 

“That’s me!” You give Gon a final wave before heading off into the forest.

       —-———-

First thing first, you were going to get a lay on the land. The last thing you needed was to accidentally walk into another participant's trap. After that, you will hunt as you please. However, there was one flaw with your plan though. 

You were also being hunted. 

The moment you stepped off of the boat, you immediately sensed someone trailing your every move. What was confusing though, was your stalker’s lack of hostility. They were lousy enough to not conceal their presence fully which told you enough. Whoever was following you simply had the motive to watch, not hunt. You figure that there was no rush to uncover this person’s identity, as you’d eventually figure it out should they continue to pursue you.

As of now, you are leaping from tree to tree, trying to get as deep into the island as you can. Considering the other exam participants’ skill, you’re sure that they are all spread throughout the island by now. You decided that you were not going to beat around the bush. The quick and dirty way was best , something your mother had drilled into you at a young age. Just for this phase, you will put that saying into practice. You were going to find your prey as quickly as possible and take them out. Your pursuer continues to follow you. How odd. They are able to keep up with the fast pace you were setting. 

That was not what was troubling you. Your breath hitches when you notice a second presence. There are two people following you! Tch. This was starting to get annoying. The second guy on your trail was a stark contrast to the first. He harbors ill intentions. It was quite easy to sense people’s objectives. Usually, the weaker they are, the easier to read. Whoever was following you was not a formidable opponent. All you have to do is pick up your pace to lose them.

Your leisurely tree leaping turned into you zipping through the dense forests of Zevil Island. It seems like you are correct. The hostile presence disappears. It was too bad. He was going to have to do better if he wanted to catch you. You dart through the trees for at least another mile before descending back onto the grassy forest floor. If you were going to be on this island for an entire week, you had to locate a water source as soon as possible. Ah, now would be the perfect time to put your heightened senses to good use. You close your eyes and focus on your surroundings. The direction of the wind, the humidity level, the smell of the air, and the sound of all forms of life can tell you everything you need to know about the location.

A twinge of salt enters your nostrils. You must be near the edge of the island if you could smell the ocean. That wouldn’t be much help though, as you needed a source of freshwater. You close your eyes once more. It was faint, but you could hear the gentle flow of water. A river! That is just what you needed. The other participants must have also come to the conclusion that they needed a source of drinking water, so rivers and lakes were your best bet at finding prey. Now that you have eliminated all threats, you should be able to freely hunt.

Or so you thought.

                             ——————

Just a few kilometers from where you had stopped, there was a stream. The cold  water felt refreshing as you dip your hands into it.  It was located in a small clearing of the forest, but the trees surrounding it could still create a cover for anybody that is stalking you. There was no time to let your guard down. Forming your hands into a makeshift cup, you decide to indulge yourself. It could never hurt to stay hydrated. Although, the coldness of the water seemed to have freshened up your memory. You still did not know who your target was. Number 111. No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to conjure up any images of this person. This leaves you no choice but to hunt either three other targets, or threaten people for information. The former was the easier option. 

It seems to be early evening already, you note. The sky was a dark orange and the sun was starting to set. Time was passing by quite fast. What was that saying? Oh, you remember! Time flies by when you are having fun. Time was certainly flying by, but you were not having fun. Whoever came up with that was a big, fat liar. 

You wonder how Gon and Killua were holding up. Have they made much progress with their hunt? Well, there’s not much sense in worrying about them. You had your own problems. Yet, your mind seems to always be wandering back to the two boys. 

The thoughts in your head were suddenly replaced by a wrenching feeling in your gut. You respond immediately. Someone was watching you! There wasn’t much time to react because shortly after your realization, a knife flies right for your head. If you had been aware of your attacker just a second later, the blade would have been through your skull by now. But alas, you were a trained assassin, so it simply whizzed by your ear.

You had been so engrossed in your own thoughts that you didn’t even realize that you were out in the open! How foolish of you. Mother would be disappointed.

“Sorry, but you’ll have to try harder than that.” You taunt in hopes that they will show themselves. When there is no response, you start to lose patience “There’s no point in hiding now. Come out or I’ll come to you,” You threaten into the dark trees that the knife came from. Silence. It was like you were talking to yourself. How cowardly of them! 

Without warning, you race into the direction the knife came from. Based on the slightly tilted trajectory, your aggressor was coming from above. This could only mean that they were attacking from the trees.

They predicted your actions though, as you sense no one by the time you make it on a branch. Something shiny catches your eye though. A silver piece of jewelry. It was a singular earring in the shape of a circle. The earring must have belonged to whoever had just tried to kill you. Your theory is that their earring was caught when they were making a run for it, but they had no time to untangle themself, so they simply ripped it off. Another rookie mistake. Whoever this person was, you had much to teach them about assassination.

Well, this causes a change in plans. You had to eliminate this threat before you could freely hunt your target. The silver earring is still in your hand. It wouldn’t be much of a help, but you still decide to pocket it. 

It seems like whoever is trying to kill you is quite persistent. But you were stubborn too, so two could play that game. This phase will last for six more days. You had all the time in the world to lure out your predator.

And so the real hunt begins.

Chapter Text

The forests of Zevil Island were quite different to the ones back home. They lacked the menacing sensation you grew to be so familiar with. Kukuroo Mountain was a heavily wooded area, filled with lurking shadows. Be it servants or your mother, nothing escaped the Zoldycks’ watchful eyes. Your experience from sneaking around the land that surrounds home has paid off, as you easily weave through the dense trees on Zevil Island. 

It was the morning after the pathetic attempt on your life. The sun has yet to rise completely, granting you more darkness to conceal your presence. Out of the twenty seven other participants on this island, three were going to be your targets. You had been too distracted to keep track of the weakest ones, so you decided that the first unfortunate three you ran into were going to suffice.

An all too familiar sound of clinking metal catches your attention. Your body leaps upon a nearby tree fast enough to fool any onlooker that you had been a mere illusion. Unconsciously, your fingers make their way up your sleeve, where a knife is hidden. A moment passes by. 

You exhale slowly before taking a peek at your prey.

 It was a girl, just shy of a few years older than you. Her black hair was tied up into two high pigtails. The hairstyle exposed her ears, one of which glimmered in the limited morning light. You think of the silver earring you had collected from the night before. It was like a puzzle that had solved itself. 

So this was your attacker.

She hummed a soft tune as she sharpens her knife, a melody you don’t recognize. The dagger in her hand is beautiful, like none other you have seen. It shines with the morning light, the carefully engraved dragons on its hilt symbolize an untold story. The blade, like a snake, poses a deadly threat. An elegant device. Should you ever gain Milluki’s favor again, you will ask him for a knife just like that. Your throwing knives were nothing special. Mother gave you a new collection every once in a while, each being better than the last. She chose function over aesthetics, as your knives held no special etchings. 

It seems like you have deviated from your original trail of thoughts.

The branches make no noise as you adjust your position. With a hand hovered over your own dull knife, your eyes are set on the unaware woman. Your plan was quite simple: extract as much information from her as possible. Had you been a lesser person, you would have also stolen the knife. But you were no thief. 

                          ┈┈┈  

Anita had only taken the Hunter Exam for one simple reason: revenge. Revenge on those that had killed her father. 

When the naive girl heard a rumor that a member of the well renowned Zoldyck Family would be participating in this year’s Hunter Exam, there was no force in the world capable of stopping her. It took her millions of jenny for a clue, but with her father’s inheritance, she managed just fine. The money spent to track her father’s murderers left a bitter feeling. Had he been given just a few more years, his spice empire would have taken over dozens of countries. The entire Zoldyck dynasty had hell to pay for, and she was gonna serve it to them. Of course, she had forgotten to include some variables. The journey to the exam, the exam itself and— the assassin girl that is pressing her blade into Anita’s neck. She has no idea who you are, but she has seen you around Killua enough to deduce that you two were comrades. Friends, maybe lovers? 

A drop of blood descends down her throat. Or was it cold sweat? Nonetheless, Anita was in trouble.

“Protecting your boyfriend, hm?” The black haired girl manages to crack a joke. The vibrations from her throat adds pressure to the knife, deepening her wound. 

“Huh?”

Anita looks you directly in the eye, “I suppose now is the time to applaud you for capturing me, but I must ask; how was it that you found me so fast?”

You deflect her question. “Who are you and what business do you have with me?” 

The black haired girl allows an airy laugh to escape her mouth, “You’re someone valuable to my target.”

So you weren’t her target. Her brief disclosure almost quells any hostile feelings that reside in you. Yet her words leave a grey area that leaves a bitter taste on your mouth. You were a mere pawn and that was not an idea that entertained you. That begs the question: to whom are you of value to? 

You vocalize your confusion. “Target?”

The young woman in front of you did not seem amused. “Don’t play dumb. There are only so many assassins roaming here on this island.” There is only one other assassin that you know of. Her response triggers a figurative lightbulb above your head. A certain white haired boy’s face appears in your mind. Judging by her comment from earlier, she was insinuating that there was something going on between you and the assassin boy. The thought makes you shudder. He was nothing but an acquaintance, truly! Dumbstruck, you take a couple of moments to compose a reply. 

“Killua? You don’t mean…”

She ignores your discomposure, using your hesitance to form a new train of thought.

“Have you heard of the spice industry?” Her voice lowers an octave. You quirk an eyebrow. What a strange thing to ask. Of course you have heard about the spice industry. The drug business plays hand in hand with assassination, the two finding common ground in the Underworld. Father has told you countless stories about nasty dealings between drug lords. Mysterious disappearances and sudden deaths of drug lords are all caused by the hands of assassins hired by another kingpin.

“A plague to society, yes, I have heard.” 

“Your ignorance disgusts me.” She sneers. Her comment makes you want to laugh.

“If I’m not mistaken, spice trading is a form of drug trade. The spice I assume you are referring to is a highly toxic substance, lethal enough to earn its title as the leading cause of death in the Kakin Empire. Highly addictive, and a deadly weapon I will give the producers that.”

“You’re wrong! That is my father’s empire that you speak of.”

“Your father?”

“He was a businessman that mostly dealt with the international spice trade.” She begins to tell you. “My father was building a fleet of ships that would bring spices from mines deep in the mountains to people across the world. At the height of his success, he was making so much money he could have bought a small country.”

You stay silent, soaking in the details of her story.

“But someone got very jealous of his success. His competitor hired a professional assassin to kill him.” You don’t detect any lies. Someone of her father’s social status should have no trouble hiring an assassin.

“I didn’t even have to investigate. My father’s killer had to be a Zoldyck. That family of assassins who are infamous throughout the world.”

After hearing her spiel, you decide to voice your own thoughts, “I see. Your entire sense of being is based on the hatred and vengeance that you seek. I’m afraid that there has been a mistake in your story though. Killua is no Zoldyck. The person you’re looking for is me.” 

Upon your claim, the atmosphere shifted. The once mildly hostile environment turns deadly. Her eyes seemed to have dilated, and the only thing you can sense from her is rage. Pure, unblinding rage. You would comment on how beautiful it was to be able to truly feel just one emotion, but she lunges at you before a word can leave your mouth. The two of you engage in an intense onslaught of fisticuffs. She uses an even amount of hits on both the left and right side of your body. Her blows are enough to push you backwards as you continue to block them. You’re not fighting on the offensive yet; you figure that if you find an opening later it’ll be much easier to take her down with one move. But it is not you that finds an opening first. The black haired girl feints you out with a punch from her regular pattern of hits only to make an attack on your abdomen. Your eyes widen upon realization. 

Her elbow collides with your stomach, eliciting an unrefined grunt from you. Her looks were deceiving. The impact from her to you would have been enough to rupture an organ or two had you tense your stomach a second later. 

She growls, “Scum!” The black haired girl reaches behind her back. When her hand reappears, there is another intricately produced knife. So the girl was a dual wielder. That explains her incompetent trajectory when throwing knives.

The art of dual wielding was quite different from the practice of throwing daggers. The latter was by far the quicker option in your opinion. It granted the user opportunities to attack from afar along with close quarters. This was especially useful when you were training to become an assassin. 

You scoff before taking out your own weapon. You were never the one to back down from a battle, so there was no problem in playing her game. Just for today will your throwing knives be daggers. 

Close combat meant only one thing: whoever strikes first has the upperhand. 

Surely enough, the black haired girl wastes no time and lunges back at you, her elbows angled so she could defend and attack. It was a standard move, but effective. You feel it before you can process it. There is a warm liquid dripping down from your right cheek. 

The stupid girl actually landed a hit on you.

The hatred that has been brewing inside of her is the fuel to this sudden spike of strength, you think. Not that it mattered. You had just uncovered her weakness. The girl’s resolve was simply built on anger. If you could simply just stop the flow of her hatred; falter it by even just a little, it would be game over for her.

And so you do.

Within a blink of an eye, you’re behind her, legs high enough to land a solid kick to her ribs. An audible crack fills the air.

“Your father was a spice dealer, you said?” 

The force of your kick knocks her a couple of feet back. She lets out a couple of harsh coughs. There is a brief silence as you wait for her to recover from your attack. 

“He built one of the greatest spice empires in Kakin!” One of her hands is clutching her side as she glares at you angrily. She looked so weak, it was pitiful. 

“The spice that he distributed was a highly addictive drug that killed many. Even while knowing that, he continued to distribute it to the citizens of Kakin, no? Your father was not the noble man you believed him to be, he was a murderer!” You try to choose rather dramatic words to elicit a reaction from her. The less stable she is, the weaker her resolve gets. 

“You–!” She grits her teeth. Without bothering to finish her thought, she runs at you, her wound long forgotten. In each of her hands are those well constructed knives. It irks you that someone so clearly untalented with the weapon could get ahold of such magnificent knives. Her frenzy was an onslaught of predictable moves. Each being so dodgeable, you could probably have done it in your sleep.

“Killing innocents,” you clicked your tongue. “How pathetic. To prey on the weak in order to build his empire.” Your taunts were cruel but they were doing their job. Ironic, really, because your former profession was the same if not worse than what her father did. She doesn’t respond this time, but her predictable attacks continue. A slash towards your face with her right hand. Then comes the jab at your stomach with her left. And to recover from her harsh swings, she lifts her leg to kick you. The pattern continues. You dodge each one before you are presented with an opportunity to strike. As she bends to kick, you tense your hand and swing it back. There is a pressure point in her nape that will render her immobile if you strike it with just enough force.

And just like that, the vengeful girl goes down. Passed out, not dead of course. There was no reason for you to kill her, even if she had made an attempt on your life. She wasn’t that big of a threat in your eyes. 

Yet the weight of your actions stand. The girl was weak enough for you to defeat without destroying her mental state, yet you did it.

“What is wrong with me?” You place a cold hand onto your forehead. Did you enjoy it? A cruel voice whispers inside of your head. You can’t seem to formulate an answer. 

                        ┈┈┈  

Turns out, the girl’s badge number was 111, just the one you needed. Despite winning two battles in one, you still felt defeated. There was still a fire inside of you, lit by the Zolydcks, that needed to be extinguished. How pathetic. You are still a product of your upbringing despite how much you try to deny it. The thought gives you a headache, so you decide to pan your entire focus on your surroundings. 

The bright light of noon is blocked by the dense trees you are leaping through. You’re thankful for the shade. It relieves a bit of the tension in your mind as you recall back on the fight that had just transpired. The trees here on Zevil Island are nice, you note. They bear fruit that makes your mouth water. Just earlier, you had picked the sweetest apple you have ever had. If you hadn’t known any better, you would have eaten the core and the stem by accident. And the cold stream water–

A small disk that resembles a player’s badge whizzes towards you at a speed that should be able to take a normal person out. Like a bullet! You move your head out of the way in disbelief. Were people just throwing away valuable points that will help them pass this phase? How foolish! Who would be stupid enough to do such a thing—

You grimace. There was exactly one Hunter Exam candidate left on this island that did not care whether he passed or failed whatsoever. All your instincts tell you to run the opposite direction. Killua was the reason you got into the fight with the pigtail girl, and it wasn’t like he was your friend. If anything, Gon was the more pleasant one to be around. If you ever had a friend, you would want it to be Gon. 

So why aren’t you turning the opposite direction? You reason that it is because Killua will provide some sort of entertainment for the remaining days on the island. Yes, that is the exact reason.

                      ┈┈┈

 Just a couple of meters ahead of you, Killua lets out an exasperated sigh. He had finally lost the two candidates that were following him, and now he can feel another start to follow him. The fact that he can sense the person tracking him says enough. Another weakling. This feels more like a chore than a game, he thinks. 

Similarly to what he did with one of the simpleton brothers, Killua continues his leisure walk, feigning ignorance. His nonchalant walk lasts two more steps before a rock flies by the side of his head. It hits the trunk of a tree that stood in front of him. The impact of the rock leaves a small indent in the wood. And is that a little steam he sees? Too busy gawking at the rock that was thrown at him, Killua failed to listen to your stifled giggles from afar.

You definitely have his attention now.

“Are you just gonna hide like a coward forever?” Killua calls out into the wilderness that surrounds him. His hands are rested in his pockets, but they are tensed up, ready to engage in combat like the fighter he is.

There is a light thud when you descend from the trees and onto even ground with the white haired boy. “Do you really think you could best me in a fight?” You watch the tense look on Killua’s face morph into that of recognition. Recognition soon turns into unamusement. 

“[Name]? You following me now?” Killua’s voice has a teasing lilt. Your face falls. The last thing you wanted was to feed into his ego.

“In your dreams. I just happened to be on the lookout for a place to set camp for the remainder of this phase.” You make your way towards him with the intention of going past him. His hard gaze stops you from walking an inch beyond him.

“The heck happened to you?” He eyes the wound on your cheek that had been inflicted from your previous fight. You lift a hand to feel the damp incision. 

A soft noise of acknowledgement leaves your mouth, “My target put up a bit of a fight.” A brief answer. The fight was something you were trying to suppress to the back of your head. 

“And you? I assume you’ve collected all six points required to clear this phase,” You take the opportunity to change the subject. The curiosity on Killua’s face dissipates into boredom. 

He shrugs, “Of course I did. It was light work.” You didn’t expect any other answer from Killua. After seeing him kill a serial murderer in the previous phase using the same technique as your father, you’ve decided that there was no denying his prodigiousness. You wonder what Killua thinks about you. A rival, no doubt. 

“Is that poison leaking out of your wound?” Killua shoves a finger up to your cheek. “Gross! Your prey sure did put up a fight, huh.” His finger stays dangerously close to your face. It was tempting to take the opportunity and swat his hand, but you choose to inspect your leaking wound. You swipe your index finger across the injury.

Just as he had pointed out though, the gash on your cheek was in fact not healing, but oozing out an unnaturally green liquid. What a spiteful girl. She had spiked her blade as a desperate attempt to defeat you. Yet you don’t panic. If the poison had worked, it would’ve taken you out earlier. It was actually a good sign that the poison was leaving your body. Killua’s eyes watch you intently as you inspect the liquid sample on your index finger. 

Upon further inspection of the poison, a mischievous thought crosses your mind. 

You look at Killua who is staring at you, unblinking. Your eyes fall from him back to the poison. Without warning, your legs give out and you close your eyes. 

“[Name]!” Killua quickly rushes over to your fallen body. “What the hell? Poisons aren’t supposed to work on assassins, idiot!” His hand taps your cheek repeatedly as if to resuscitate you. It takes all of the willpower inside of you not to laugh. The tapping stops after he sees no results. You feel him brush a thumb over your gaping wound, probably to inspect the poison himself. There is a brief moment of silence, save for the birds chirping in the distance. 

“Man, you really are a pain.” There’s exasperation in his voice as he leaves your body on the grassy floor. “I bet that Liorio guy has something in that suitcase of his.” Liorio? You wish Leorio was here to listen to Killua’s unintentional disrespect. The sound of Leorio’s incessant yelling replays in your head. You can’t hide your smile anymore.

“You’re kinda cute when you worry about me,” You open one eye to look at him. It takes Killua a moment to register your brazen comment. His face scrunches up before he turns his feet to walk in the opposite direction. You quickly get up to chase after him with a big grin. All you can see is his white head of hair and red ears peeking out. 

You decide to continue your jest. “Killua! Don’t leave me back here, I may die from the poison!” 

“Die, then!” He calls back. You chuckle before jogging up next to him. The cat eyed boy doesn’t spare you a glance.

“Just say you care about me,” You shrug. “No need to hide it!”

“You’re insufferable.” He mumbles angrily.  

You laugh at his insistence at avoiding your gaze. “I hope you find it somewhere in that cold heart of yours to forgive me.” Your silver haired acquaintance rolls his eyes, yet makes no move to leave you as he ventures deeper into the forest.

 Six more days remain on Zevil Island, and you plan to make the most of them. 

Chapter Text

It takes you until sunset to get Killua to crack. You had offered to go look for firewood to cook the plentiful amount of fish you had spotted in the river nearby and the response you got was a noise of approval. His reaction to your harmless trick was not one you had been expecting. If anything, it made you uneasy. So what if Killua was concerned about your hypothetical death to poison, it doesn’t mean that you guys were friends or anything. Allies as best. Assassins cannot have friends.

But it’s not like you are an assassin anymore , you remind yourself. Man, this is hard! You’ve been so engrossed with the Hunter Exam that you never really took the time to reflect on your own future. Without the Zoldycks, you were just [Name]. Someone with nothing to her name. 

A sigh escapes your mouth, releasing heat into your arms which are hugging your legs. The dancing fire illuminates the forest clearing you have chosen to take temporary shelter in. All you can do is stare into it, consumed by your own introspection. 

“I’m afraid the smoke of this fire might give our location away,” You break the silence. In the corner of your eye, Killua toys with one of the knives you had used to dissect your dinner. He spins the knife between his fingers. His fidgeting soon morphs into a fight.

The wind whistles softly while Killua practices a couple of jabs with the knife, “Doesn’t matter much. We can fight.” You can almost swear that the firelight makes him look like he’s glowing. A sight for sore eyes is what the poets would call it, you believe.

You watch Killua continue fighting an invisible enemy, each of his moves careful and calculated. 

Father would like him. He does not take any unnecessary risks when fighting . You recall back to every time you have seen Killua fight. The boy never takes on a challenge he knows he cannot win.  This rival of yours, he was just like you. Both alike in your fighting spirit. 

Maybe, in different circumstances you could even be friends .

Your mind drifts to Gon. At a glance, you would assume he was innocent, but he was just as much of a monster as you and Killua. His hunger for victory is something that you share. Yet, his method of choice to attain that victory is where the similarities end. That is what interests you. There is something so bright about that boy that makes you feel like a moth drawn to a flame. 

“[Name],” Killua’s pretend match must have ended. You hum. 

“What exactly happened during your fight for that badge?” His question makes you snap your head towards him. Two options present themselves before you. You could either deviate the conversation elsewhere, a talent you seem to have. Or simply tell him the truth.

You choose the former, thanks. 

“What?” A breathy chuckle escapes your mouth to hide your stiffened body. “I’m not sure I understand what you are insinuating.” A faux sense of tranquility fills the air. 

You failed to realize that Killua was just as stubborn as you because he doesn’t seem to budge. He gives you a hard stare, the two of you engaging in a silent battle. There is a sliver of hope inside of you that prays he will drop the subject. You fear that reliving the fight may rekindle a fire that you have so dearly wished to extinguish. 

“You kept changing the subject. Anyone would know that something was up,” You don’t miss the annoyance in his voice. “And don’t try lying to me. I can tell when you do.” He quickly adds. The tip of your tongue prods at your cheek.

“Can you really tell if I am lying? I call your bluff,” You stare at the knife in Killua’s hand. He doesn’t falter. Killua’s nonchalant nature had fooled you into underestimating him. He was quite more clever than he led on. 

“Every time you try to hide something, you prance around the topic. But it’s not just that. You avoid making eye contact, just like now, and whenever you were leaking poison out of your wound. It’s so obvious.”

Your eyes faintly widen. Killua had managed to uncover a habit even you had no knowledge of. It made you wonder. Were you like an open book? Surely, you hope not. 

“Is that so?” You let out a breath. “Well–”

“I know how you feel,” Killua cuts you off. The lack of context left a strangely ambiguous message. “About your past. I struggle with it too, but it’s no use worrying about it now. We’re way better than our families, so might as well forget about ‘em.” He clarifies before popping a berry into his mouth. His face scrunches up immediately, a sign that the fruits you had picked earlier were sour. That doesn’t stop him though, as you watch the boy squish each individual berry to test the ripeness before tossing a couple more into his mouth.

You dwell on his words. It was easier said than done, to forget your family, but certainly not impossible. It would be best for you now to simply distract yourself. With the Exam– and with your newfound acquaintances .

“I mean, you are your own person, [Name],” Killua looks at you across the fire. All you could do was stare at him in shock. Any tension in the air had disappeared, leaving a comfortable silence that amplified your surroundings. 

There was a natural ballad playing. One that utilized the sounds of frogs croaking and crickets chirping. A ballad that used the crackling fire as a beat. The ensemble was tied together by the sounds of the wind blowing the trees around you. All feels right.

That ballad is interrupted when you fall backwards onto the grassy floor of the forest. Another sigh escapes your lips, “I didn’t know you were so wise like that, Killua. I guess even a broken clock is right twice a day.” 

You don’t have to look at Killua to know what look he has on his face. His mouth is probably wide open and his eyebrows are all scrunched up. “What the hell– is that supposed to be a compliment?!” A genuine laugh leaves your mouth, before you turn to stick your tongue out at him.  You’re willing to bet that one day he’ll pop a blood vessel dealing with you.

                              —————

The days following your unspoken alliance with Killua pass by in an uneventful manner. During the day, the two of you made an agreement to split up with the intention to hunt and gather. While at night, thick tree branches and dense leaves provide the two of you enough comfort to doze in. To you, it all felt like a fun primitive game. You’re only reminded of the harsh reality of the exam the few times you stumble upon a corpse… nonetheless!

You were also under the false pretense that your enjoyment of the phase seemed to not have been shared with Killua. The boy had always lazed around like a cat while you found entertainment in the little things like messing with the vast species of rodents that inhabited the island. His claim was that, “he was bored out of his mind” yet that seemed to be far from the truth. You were nearly certain that the boy was growing quite complacent with your presence. 

On the seventh and final day on the island, you were awoken to a familiar voice. The modulated voice through an amplifier could only mean one thing: the Exam Committee. 

“The Fourth Phase is officially over. For all remaining applicants, please return to the starting point as soon as possible. You will be given one more hour to make your way back. If you still haven’t returned after the time is up, you will fail the exam. Furthermore, exchanging number badges at the starting point is prohibited. Any attempts to do so will be disqualified immediately. Please be cautious.”  

Without hesitation, you drop from the branch you had been residing on. A couple of trees away, you see a tuft of white hair descend. 

“It seems like the phase has ended,” You look at the direction of where the announcement had originated from. 

Killua makes a strained noise that catches your attention. His hands were stretched above his head and his eyes were closed. “Man, this was the worst week of my life!” In a discreet manner, you see one of his blue eyes take a peek at you.

It was your turn to furrow your eyebrows. Were your ears deceiving you? The sheer audacity of that boy. How dare he–

“Worst week of your life? I wanted to rip my head off!” You point an accusatory finger right at him. 

“Keep telling yourself that,” He shrugs, obviously amused. Without warning, he starts jogging back to the starting point of the exam phase. “Last one on the boat is a big, rotten loser!”

You waste no time breaking into a sprint. There was no way you’re letting him win this one.

“Cheater!”

                           —————

Despite the head start, Killua ends up tying with you to the starting point (much to his dismay). His excuse is that he was caught off guard by the amount of applicants that had already lined up by the boat, but you think he’s just covering up the fact that you’re simply faster. You’ll take it as a victory. 

“Now, we will check the badges of everyone present here!” Your boat guide clutches her clipboard happily. 

One by one, each applicant displays their collected badges. You take this as an opportunity to learn everyone’s names, as they are announced by the guide. 

Number 44, Hisoka, who collected four badges. You notice that he was not holding his own badge, implying that Gon was successful with his quest. Yet… you don’t see Gon standing here with the six other applicants that made it. The outcome didn’t match up. Hisoka is strong enough to take out Gon and reclaim his badge, so where is Gon? There is a foreign feeling brewing inside of your stomach, one that is unpleasant.

You’re not given much time to dwell on your hasty conclusion before the exam proctor moves on to the next applicant. Pokkle, who won by collecting his target’s badge. You don’t view him as much of a threat. He wore his bow and quiver out for the world to see, in turn revealing his ace. Many experienced fighters tend to hide their skills, ensuring a higher chance of catching their opponent off guard. Grandfather had told you about the dangers of miscalculations in higher leveled fighting. 

“One percentage off, and it could be your last move,” He chuckled unseriously.  

Next is Number 301, Gittaracker. As intimidating as ever, the tall man holds up his two badges. 

The remaining applicants (excluding you and Killua) are Bodoro and Hanzo, both formidable opponents to the average person, but you don’t really sense much of a threat. Perhaps it was because your mind was still on Gon, who was nowhere to be seen.

“Then, the ones who qualified should be the seven of you,” The guide jots down on her clipboard. “What?” Her attention is directed to the forest behind you. Your head turns by instinct at the movement behind you. 

Just a couple of feet behind you, stands Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika. The three wear weary smiles on their faces, but that’s enough to paint a bright one on yours.

“Gon!” You and Killua exclaim in unison. He holds up a thumbs up, in which Gon returns.

“Another three candidates have returned!” 

“Killua. [Name],” He gives you another brief smile, which disappears when his gaze falls on Hisoka. The two enter a silent stare down, only to be interrupted by the exam proctor.

“Here are the last three. The first one will be.. Kurapika!” On cue, Kurapika holds up his two badges. 

“Number 403, Mr. Leorio!” Who weakly holds up his two badges. There is sweat all over his pale face, but you choose not to comment on the abnormality.

“And Number 405, Gon.” In all its glory, Hisoka’s badge shines in the sunlight. You make a mental note to find out every detail behind the capture of Hisoka’s badge.

“These are the ten candidates who have passed the Fourth Phase!” 

The sun shines bright on you and the next couple of hours on the boat ride back to the mainland are a blur. Albeit, the exam was exhilarating, but you never thought it would be so mentally taxing. You had spent so many hours doing nothing in the past two weeks you were starting to be exhausted to insanity. 

                        —————

Before you know it, you are back on the familiar atmosphere of the airship. It felt good to have access to a proper bathroom (which happened to be your first stop upon stepping foot on the aircraft). Gon had split up with you and Killua to talk to his two friends Leorio and Kurapika, leaving you alone with the boy, again.

“You’re so girly, you know? It reminds me of someone I know,” Killua shivers when you return from the restroom. You raise an eyebrow, ready to return an insult. Already one sentence into a conversation and Killua manages to get on your nerves. 

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Killua juts his bottom lip out but doesn’t respond. 

“Hey, you can’t just say stuff like that and not elaborate!” You wave a hand in front of his face and your only response is a smile. It only infuriates you further. With a loud hmph , you choose to ignore him. 

“Attention, all candidates,” You recognize the voice on the intercom. It was the Chairman’s assistant, Beans. “The Chairman wishes to interview you. When you hear your number, please come to the reception room on the second floor for the interview. We’ll start from Number 44, Mr. Hisoka.”

“What do you think that’s about?” Killua questions after the intercom cuts out. The only response you give him is a shrug before walking away. 

You don’t hear any footsteps following you for a second before an exasperated, “Seriously?” 

Like the master of evasion that you are, you manage to shake Killua off of your trail long enough before you are summoned to meet with the Chairman. Not much to your surprise, the Chairman held a lax position in the center of the traditionally furnished room. After the peculiar game with Chairman Netero, you struggled to characterize the man. In some strange way, he kind of reminded you of Grandfather. Both old men were too brazen for someone of their age.

“Is this going to be related to the Final Phase?” Was your first question after stepping foot into the room. Seated on the floor with his legs crossed, the old geezer gestures for you to sit on the zabuton across from him. Between you is a mahogany table.

“You would be correct Miss [Name].” He winks. It was a bit unnerving how unguarded he was. “I just wanted to ask a few questions for reference.”

“Right.”

With a brush in one hand and a piece of paper in the other, Netero asks you, “First, why do you want to become a Hunter?” 

You answer him truthfully, “For a new beginning. I wanted a fresh start.” 

He looks at you thoughtfully before chuckling.You feel irked for some reason. “I see. Moving onto the next question.” 

“Out of the other nine candidates, which one do you keep your eyes on the most?” 

Like a fish out of water, you are taken out of your element. You were not expecting a loaded question like that. Whom do you have your eyes on?

If the Chairman was referring to caution, your answer would be between Hisoka and Gittaracker. Unless, the geezer was talking about who had you the most interested. Then your answer would be Killua or Gon. You can go in circles all day trying to decipher what the Chairman was asking! 

“My answer would be Number 99, Killua along with Number 405, Gon.” You choose the safer option. The last thing you needed on your timeline was to be associated with the two most hostile people in the exam. There was no telling what the Chairman was plotting, so it would be best to play innocent.

Netero makes a noise of acknowledgement as he lifts his ink soaked brush, “One last question. Out of the nine candidates, which one would you least like to fight?”

Your response is not immediate.

“I suppose Numbers 99 and 405 if I had to choose, but I would fight anyone if the situation calls for it.”

“Interesting,” Netero strokes his white beard. “Thank you. You may leave now.”

You give him a half hearted bow before taking your exit. Unfortunately for you, you’re given no breaks before a familiar head of white hair meets you. Killua, in all his splendor, is leaning against the wall outside of Netero’s private room. His head immediately snaps up when the automatic doors open to let you out into the hallway.

“What took you so long? The old man asked me like two questions and I was outta there.”

Had you been a pettier person, perhaps you would have continued ignoring the boy. 

“The old man just caught me off guard, that’s all.” You don’t pause your strides to continue the conversation. “Have you seen Gon? I wanted to ask him about Hisoka’s badge.”

“Dunno,” Killua shrugs. He easily keeps up with your fast pace as you scan the airship halls for the green haired boy. “Last time I saw him, he had this solemn look on his face. Makes me even more curious as to what happened on the island. Man, I’m dying to know.”

“Speaking of that old man, did he ask you something about the other candidates?” Your voice trails off with uncertainty.

“He did. I bet he’s making some type of tournament for the last phase.” Killua places two fingers underneath his chin as if to ponder.

“A tournament? How so?” There were only ten total candidates remaining. A tournament style battle would be quite cruel, especially since it insinuates there will only be one victor. 

“I mean, he asked us about our opinions of each other. Based on our answer, the geezer could organize us into different brackets to make an entertaining final stage.” Killua’s response to your question made your heart pound. In excitement. Most of the candidates left have obviously proven themselves to be competent, so there won’t be any uneventful matches.

 You can only pray Netero gives you a good match up.