The elevator clattered as two men stared across from each other. Neither of them would be classified as "normal-looking." One of them was clad in the outfit of a jester, while the other seemed to take on the look of a futuristic warrior. As they descended, the jester slowly licked his lips. In response, the Greyscale slowly reached up and removed his helmet to reveal a shockingly pale, angular face; with short black hair, cold blue eyes, and seemingly perfect teeth. He tucked the helmet beneath his arm, but he never broke eye contact with the dangerous clown.
The "clown" in question had yellow eyes, pink hair, and a face just as ghostly white as the Greyscale's. He was the picture of mocking adoration, with a smile that spoke volumes. Under the watchful eye of his companion, he pulled out a deck of cards and gave an innocent smile.
"Care for a game of cards?" He asked, though it was clear it wasn't actually a request. If he was turned down, he wouldn't be happy. The Greyscale placed his helmet on the table and took a seat, one hand resting lazily on his sidearm.
"Blackjack, Kami rules. First to 21 wins, first over 21 loses; whichever comes first. No stands." He recited the rules from memory; he'd played this game several times with outsiders who weren't familiar with Kami's rules. "I'll deal first." The jester slid the deck over to him and sat down in a nearby chair, calmly watching as the Greyscale shuffled surprisingly well, considering the armored fingertips. Suddenly, a card shot across the table towards him. If the jester had been too slow, it would have slid off the table. He wasn't, and he flipped it over to see an ace of spades. He looked up to the Greyscale.
"What are Kami's rules on aces?" The Greyscale didn't look up as he dealt himself a card; eight of hearts.
"Standard Earth rules; ace can be one or eleven." Another card shot across the table; a four of diamonds. The dealer pulled a nine of clubs, the jester received a two of clubs, the Greyscale was dealt a jack of hearts, and the table was swept. Before the deck's owner could deal a hand, however, the elevator ground to a halt. The doors opened to reveal a large underground room. The room was dark, in contrast to the brightly-lit elevator, and there were only about fifty people in the room. The Greyscale pulled the discarded cards into the deck and shuffled it quickly before handing it back to the jester, who silently accepted it and put it back in his pocket. The two rose and exited the elevator, and as the Greyscale returned his helmet to its proper place on his head, a short, green entity in a business suit came walking towards them.
"Please take a badge." He said, handing one to the jester and another to the Greyscale. The jester pinned his onto his chest, but the Greyscale couldn't puncture his vacuum-sealed suit. So, he took a roll of super-heavy double-sided adhesive strips, cut off four strips, and taped the badge to his chest. To test, he activated his shields; they flowed smoothly around the badge. Suddenly, he felt a hand slapping his shoulder. He turned around, expecting to see the jester, but instead he saw a short, fat man holding a can of something.
"Hey, buddy!" The man said, cheerfully. "I can see you're new to the Hunter Exam!" The Greyscale narrowed his eyes inside his helmet; the only person who'd been this cheerful so far was the one who had handed him the badge. "My name's Tonpa; I'm something of an expert at the Hunter Exam. I've actually taken it several times." The Greyscale looked down at the unmarked can, and Tonpa followed his eyes. When he realized he was looking at the can, he smiled. "Oh, are you thirsty? I bring cans of juice for the rookies." He held it up to the Greyscale, who took it silently. Tonpa, smiling even wider, waited for him to drink it. The Greyscale shook his head and put it in his backpack.
"I'll save this for when I need it. Thank you." He said, turning and walking back towards the jester, who was shuffling the deck of cards in his hand. The jester looked up and smiled, though it was a clearly a bit more mocking than it had been before. It was clear he looked down on him now, though for what he had no idea aside from something to do with Tonpa. Which probably meant it had something to do with him either talking to Tonpa in the first place or accepting the can of juice from him.
"It's my turn to deal, right?" The jester said, his voice dripping with superiority. The Greyscale nodded, and when a card shot out of the jester's hands towards him, he was ready.