Disclaimer: Stated once for the sake of formality. This is a fanfiction, so I don't own a thing. I won't financially profit from this in any way shape or form.

This is rated T for a reason. Swearing, sexual innuendos, character death, and nondescriptive gore will appear. Nothing beyond what's been seen in HunterXHunter, but I feel obligated to state it anyway, lest I comment the absolutely heinous crime of offending someone.

The auditorium wasn't full. Sure, there were plenty of people hoping to apply for the right to play Greed Island, but even then there were several dozen seats unfilled. But from the near-claustrophobic quarters with bumping shoulders and several people choosing to outright stand, you'd never have known it.

More than a few rows of one section were completely empty, save a few brave souls dotting the seats. However, not one of them dared to move within fifteen feet of the one person sitting there, completely alone. He was average in every way one could imagine. From his average build, to his average black hair, to his average blue eyes, to even his nondescript black clothes. In fact, if the room hadn't been filled to the brim with nen users, then no one would have ever given him a second look. But, since it was, every person worth their salt took note of the teen immediately for a rather paradoxical reason.

The otherwise average teen was so very unique because he was simply a blank void from which no nen escaped, no matter how hard anyone tried to see otherwise. He clearly existed, but something important, something vital that accompanied every thing on the plant was just...missing. He was a hole in the natural ebb and flow of life, a simple nothingness and emptiness wearing a wide smile. They could see him, they could hear him, and some of the more eccentric could even smell him, yet there was no nen, no life. The very air around him seemed to turn dead.

It was like sitting next to a corpse. Except, even a corpse was still fully there, not this twisted partial existence.

Killua wasn't afraid of the older boy behind him; he'd seen too much, done too much, to be afraid without good reason. But the albino wasn't prideful enough as to not be cautious of him. Well, not cautious enough to get up and move after the raven-haired boy sat down a few rows behind them (exactly twenty one and a half feet away, just enough time to react if he suddenly turned hostile a part of him knew) like nearly every other person had done, as one, in an almost subconscious movement. But he was still wary, hyper aware of all that was going on behind him, from the sound of the strange, wrong, teen shifting slightly to the faint tune he was humming.

Rationally, Killua knew that the teen was likely an extremely proficient hatsu master, who was so good that he kept it up at all times. But doing something like that here of all places was just bad tastes, and no one wanted to associate with that kind of person -most of those who moved away justified in their heads. However, Killua knew –the primal instinct he'd developed throughout his life just so he could survive for another day– that that wasn't it. Using hatsu alone, no matter how perfect, wouldn't drive others away from him like this. It wouldn't somehow allow for a feeling of wrongness to saturate the very air around him, despite there being nothing to prompt this sensation.

The teen was a horrible, terrible, and frightening contradiction that left Killua's senses reeling at the conflicting feelings he was getting. To be unable to sense someone with nen, yet for them to be unhidden in every other possible way...To feel absolute nothingness and yet for there to be a sense of something horribly, horribly, tainted from a person at the same time was…it was…!

Killua blinked when he felt Gon shifting around. Turning, the assassin nearly had a heart attack when he saw that Gon was having a…well, not a staring contest with the teen, but the two were just looking at the other curiously.

The entire room was holding its breath now, stunned by the child's bold decision to confront the…creature. No one was sure what they expected when they made eye contact; it had immediately become an unspoken agreement to not provoke the raven haired teen, least something terrible happen. Already some were half convinced that the teen was part of a thief troupe seeking the location of the other Greed Island games.

Killua only palmed his face. Of course Gon wouldn't just sit there quietly when there was someone strange and new right behind him, and it didn't matter if it felt fundamentally wrong so long as it wasn't hostile. There wasn't any killing intent in the stranger as far as Killua could tell, but that meant nothing when he was surrounded with this, this feeling.

"Um, excuse me?" Gon started, looking for all the world like he was trying to get away with the entire cookie jar. The raven haired teen blinked before pointing innocently at himself, to which Gon gave a timid nod at.

Killua then decided that he really needed to talk to Gon about talking to strangers. Especially ones who were wrong and strange and were somehow nothing and were yetwrongbadgetawayaway…!

Gon was less (obviously) bothered, "What's your name?"

『Kumagawa Misogi. Nice to meet you.』

The auditorium had been silent enough for every single person to hear the teen speak. The world didn't end, and no one was suddenly dead. If anything, a couple of them now had a leg up on the teen if their nen required a name to work. Yet this brought no comfort. His voice was average in every way imaginable, but there was something off about the very words themselves. As if they weren't merely words, as if there was another layer to them, as if they were simply missing something...

Gon, bless his heart, barreled ahead with reckless determination, without an ounce of self-preservation in sight, "N-Nice to meet you too! My name-"

『It looks like it's finally starting. There'll be plenty of time to talk afterwards.』

Gon blinked at being interrupted, but turned ahead none the less. Killua shot the teen a nasty glare for that, but it only seemed to amuse him.

The announcer looked rather confused at the seating arrangements, but shrugged it off with ease and proceeded with business as usual. Nothing unexpected was even mentioned, though Killua and Gon paid attention all the while. Everything went smoothly until Tsezguerra walked on stage.

Tsezguerra strutted out with his chin held high and his feathers preened in such a way that his very being oozed self-assured confidence. He made it known to all that he was their better, superior, and to be respected without even saying a word. He was a level above them and held their fates in his hands; he knew it and was proud of it.

Which made it all the more terrifying when his perpetual frown deepened to dangerous levels at the sight of the auditorium's seating arrangements. He locked onto Kumagawa with the speed and accuracy of a hawk and stared at the cause of the issue. Stare being a light way to put it, since the look he pinned Kumagawa with clearly said 'fix-this-now-before-I-end-you'.

Kumagawa only waved pleasantly with a smile that was less so.

The lack of aura surrounding the teen, paradoxically, grew.

No one would have been surprised if a fight broke out then and there.

But somehow it didn't and Tsezguerra threw his attention to the overcrowded side of the room before the tension had even wavered, "What are you doing? Take a seat or leave immediately!"

And everyone did that, even if some were all but sitting in another's lap. Some even decided to salvage a tiny bit of pride by moving to the other side and sitting down somewhat close to Kumagawa.

Things proceeded normally from there. The speech was given, and the test started. And it was then, with Killua thinking himself in circles, that things actually really started to change.

『You're completely overthinking it, you know.』

Killua jerked and whirled around so fast he felt dizzy for the first time in years. Kumagawa was there, magically in the row behind them, head propped on his arm as he leaned on the back of the duo's seats like it was the most natural thing in the world. When the hell-!

Killua was proud he managed to keep himself from reacting violently. Barely.

Gon frowned, but just looked at the teen, seemingly unbothered.

"...What are you talking about?" Killua asked, cautiously.

『Eeh, weren't you listening? I mean that this test isn't as bad as the guy up there made it out to be. Really this is just「Talent Show」meant to find really strong nen users. They wouldn't give away all the spots before they had a chance to see all the acts you know.』Kumagawa lazily waved to Gon, 『He's figured it out.』

"Gon? You realized what was going on?"

"Well, it was only a hunch." Gon shrugged, "I just thought it was natural that the hosts would want to test everyone here."

『See? So there's no need to wait in line when we can just relax until we don't have to wait while standing. 』Even the wave Kumagawa gave was lazy as he flopped back in his own chair bonelessly.

Killua scoffed, "So you're just lazy then."

『Yup! Well, that and even if I tried to get in line somehow, someway, I'd end up being dead-last no matter what I did. I might as well not even try since it's hopeless to resist.』

"That's a depressing way to think…" Killua trailed off and wondered what he'd have done if he'd thought the same thing when he'd first decided to escape his family. How he still caught himself feeling that way about

『Not really. That's just how I know things will go. No matter how hard I try, I'll always lose. Even when I win I've lost in some other way that completely cancels out that win. I'm a born loser no ma-』

"You're wrong!" Gon was suddenly up in his seat, filled with determination and spitfire,

"You shouldn't think like that! It's not right for anyone to feel like they can never win at anything! No one should feel like they'll always lose!"

The silence was deafening.

"I'm sure you've won at something, even if you didn't realize it at the time."

The smile that Gon gave was so, so bright, that Killua once again wondered how someone like him-a creature of darkness and death-could not only stand, but enjoy being around someone so brilliant. And he wasn't alone. Even if the perpetual smile on Kumagwa's face didn't so much as twitch, his eyes grew unfocused, and something in the nothing that surrounded him seemed to actually exist, if only for a brief moment.

No one expected Kumagawa to break out into tears.

Gon, of course, immediately began panicking when he thought he'd made a huge mistake, "Ah! Kumagawa, I'm sorry! I didn't…"

『That means so much coming from you! 』Kumagawa abruptly declared in such an overdramatic way-who even carried around a handkerchief these days anyway!-Killua suddenly wanted to hit him for messing with Gon like that. But the raven haired boy plowed ahead, suddenly calm, and regardless of the albino child visible bristling, 『But, didn't you know? You can learn a lot from losing. A lot more than if you won all the time. But you look like you already know that, right?』

"Yeah…" And once in awhile Gon felt phantom pains from when he'd lost against people too strong, too powerful who he had no right to even touch, but fought and stood against anyway, "But you shouldn't lose all the time. After all, today you'll win when you pass the test!"

『Maybe...』And there was something wistful in that, something that started to unfurl, only to crumble to dust,『Or not. To win I'd have to beat the game, right? Go on ahead you two, I'm destined to be last anyway.』

Gon was looking awfully determined, Killua absently noticed as he stood up. In fact, that was the look that usually meant he was going to do something potentially reckless and

"Then you can go before Killua and I, Kumagawa!"

"Eh?!"

『Huh?』

Gon only looked twice as determined at their confusion, "If you feel like you'll always lose and go last, then I won't let you be last. You won't even be second to last either!"

Killua pointed accusingly at Gon as if some great slight had just been committed,"Huh!? Why are you acting like I've already agreed to this, Gon!?"

"Eh? So you won't let him go before you?"

"I never said that, it's just, don't go around assuming I'll instantly agree to anything you say!"

The sound of a shifting body interrupted the two children. Kumagawa stretched a bit and, without another word, walked towards the entrance. He shot a...look over his shoulder at Gon. One that was rueful but at peace,『Honestly, it looks like I'm destined to always lose against people like you.』

Gon gaped for a moment at that, "W-Wait, I didn't mean to-"

Killua flicked Gon to get him to stop. Honestly, sometimes...

『Don't worry, Gon, I'll go ahead and show star hunter what my「Skills」are.』Kumagawa's smile was something predatory, and the announcer backed away without even realizing what he'd done until the door shut with a click that seemed overly loud.

Only a few moments passed before there was the sound of no less than three objects impacting something solid. Killua and Gon traded confused looks. It wasn't the sound that bothered them since, if one had listened really hard. they could've heard various sorts of attacks going off behind the screen. No, what was strange was that the sounds were impossibly close and just short of being absolutely simultaneous. In fact, it wasn't impossible to assume that there had been several more attacks, so close to each other that they had blended together.

Killua swallowed.

Gon just leaned back in his seat and pondered for a moment, curious as ever, "I wonder what kind of nen Kumagawa uses. It's gotta be pretty fast...What do you think it is?"

"He couldn't be a Manipulator; he didn't have anything on his person besides his cloths." The albino recited, somewhat detached as his mind whirled. He didn't even notice the worried and bothered look Gon was giving him as he continued to think aloud, "It's probably Conjurer or Emitter then." Unless Kumagawa was a Specialist.

It'd at least let him explain the paradoxical feeling that surrounded him.

Probably.

Gon just hummed and Killua let him come to his own conclusions; it'd make it all the more likely that they were correct if they reached the same answer on their owns. But…

"He's been in there too long…"

Gon sat up, "What do you mean?"

"Exactly that. Kumagawa's had to have shown his nen to Tsezguerra already, so why haven't we been called up?"

"Maybe...Maybe they're just talking?"

Killua seriously doubted that.

A minute went by.

Then another.

They were well working their way towards their third minute and the end of both boy's patience when the announcer suddenly straightened. He looked to the lounging boys, clearly wondering what they were doing not in line still, but shook his head. Kids would be kids, and it's not like some random brats would pass.

"Next."

They both decided to walk up at that, and Killua decided to go first. It wasn't like he was going to take very long. Plus, he really wanted to see the damage Kumagawa had obviously done to the room before anything else. He was easily the most audible person who'd tried out, so it must've been impressive.

Sadly, there wasn't a single thing wrong with the room. Which just made Killua even more curious as to what those noises from before were. It just wasn't fair that someone like Kumagawa was somehow able to be so mysterious despite not trying at all.

Well, now he had to know what the teen's nen was.

A visible shaken Tsezguerra-who was trying far too hard to look like his neutral and cocky self -he only really looked pathetic-passed him with little commentary, clearly trying to still piece his shattered composure together. Asking him about Kumagawa got an...interesting reaction. For the briefest of moments Tsezguerra was visibly terrified, the kind of fear that came only when you had every right to fear for your life. And then it was gone, replaced by a realization and then he was staring at Killua with….Disbelief? Pity? It was unclear.

On his way out, Killua had noticed the completely random giant screw stuck in the ceiling and decided to point it out.

It was funny how pale the man turned at the sight.

Killua carefully stored what he'd seen as he walked out, and made his way, somewhat begrudgingly, over to a smiling Kumagawa. Who actually had people sitting somewhat near him this time. It only made sense. To people like this, he was a mystery. A dangerous one, yes, but still something to be solved.

They didn't gape when he sat down right next to the teen they'd determined to be a strange creature. Oh no, they were too 'composed' or whatnot to do something like that. But an invisible ripple seemed to go through the room none the less.

『So did you 「shock」the instructor with your nen?』Kumagawa asked innocently enough. Except with the way he said 'shock' Killua had a feeling he knew more than he was letting on. Which was impossible, what with how new the skill was. Unless he was a stalker. Or they were dealing with a mind reader again.

Joy.

"Not really. Tsezguerra was still shaken up by whatever you did." A careful balance of disinterest and annoyance colored the words. After it could always have been a coincidence. He propped his elbows on the table and let his head rest on his hands. The perfect picture of a bored child.

Kumagawa just hummed, watching the door expectantly for Gon.

"I saw what you left in there." Vague enough that no one else would find it useful info, but just enough information to see if Kumagawa really was the one who did it.

『Really? I thought I got rid of all of them. I guess I should pay more attention, huh?』Kumagawa said, without looking at the assassin. Who had no doubt that the teen wasn't about to take anything a tiny bit more seriously.

"It was stuck in the ceiling." Which made no sense, "Why would you eve-"

If Killua had thought that Kumagawa's examination had be noisy, then Gon's was ridiculously loud. The room actually shook a bit from the sheer force of whatever the boy had done.

Everyone in the room at least perked up at that.

A moment later, Gon peaked in like nothing had happened. He brightened immediately and ran over to the other two without any hesitation with a happy shout of their names. The two boys began chattering excitedly for a few moments, purposely ignoring the eyes not so subtly watching them. Neither of them really thought much about it when Kumagawa gave a look at the examination room.

Abruptly, Gon cut himself short and looked back to the silent Kumagawa, "Sorry, Kumagawa, we got so caught up we forgot to introduce ourselves!"

『It's fine! I've heard you two use your names, so I already know them.』

"But Mito said it's not polite to not introduce yourself properly," Gon held out a hand, "So, I'm Gon. Nice to meet you, Kumagawa!"

Kumagawa stared at the offered hand with a curious look. It was small, yet already callused more than his own already. The teen took a long moment before looking back up at Gon. The boy just smiled brighter.

"I guess I'm up too, huh? I'm Killua." And then another hand was being offered to him, abate with less enthusiasm and a tiny amount of distrust.

Kumagawa's perpetually smile only grew.

『Nice to meet you, Killua...Gon. My name is Kumagawa Misogi. I hope we get along.』

The Minus shook both their hands.