A/N: Hello new fandom! I am Lily and this is my first attempt at a HxH fanfiction. Although I'm still in the process of trying to understand the nuances of the world and characters, I've pretty much fallen in love with the show. Too many ideas bombarded me, and I knew I needed to write something before I exploded of fangirlism. That said, I've only gone up to episode 55 of the 2011 version (and chapter 60 of the manga). So no spoilers please, ahaha!
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Trains bullet down the subway tunnels, the underground station uncomfortably sticky with humidity. Within the crowds of commuters is one group louder than the rest.
"This is crazy. We'll never get to the bar in time." The complainer checks his watch again before tilting back his head in defeat. "It's not even rush hour!"
"It's because of the exam," informs his much more collected companion, her eyes never leaving her game of DigiMon Go. "Uper and Pikk rates are probably surging too."
Amongst them is a freckled fellow, sidestepping to an awkward gap freed by the flow of pedestrians. "Say, why don't you and Dhruv compete?" He nods towards the burly one between them. "You guys are the best coders in class after Yushin and maybe C.J. Worth a shot!"
"Of tequila, maybe," scoffs the DigiMon player. "Tech geniuses fly in from across the world, yet barely a handful pass. Even the top Stanvard and MiTech students get swatted like flies. No offense, but you don't stand a chance."
Grumbles follow, as well as some sagged shoulders. Soon, they drop the topic in favor of local news and politics, unaware of the blue eyes observing them from behind.
She sits on one of the platform benches, sneakers battered and the sleeves of her turtleneck discolored from dirt. The size difference between her and the nearby adults is comical, the contrast sharpened by her behavior, a dry dispassion that blends effortlessly with all the sleep-deprived students and jaded businessmen. She camouflages well, so well that not one of the hundreds of pedestrians has realized that she is only twelve.
Twelve, unsupervised, and five thousand miles away from home. Just the way Killua Zoldyck likes it.
The group has lost her interest, her gaze turning to the phone in her palm. On a whim, she performs a Uoogre search. The hype appears to be real, with plenty of news and blog coverage regarding some HxH exam.
The official exam homepage, however, is bare. There is nothing except for a background of two black crosses and a digital countdown at the bottom. There is nowhere to scroll. There is nothing to click. For ninety percent of exam applicants, this page is their dead-end.
Lazily, Killua taps once, twice. Her thumb zigzags across the keyboard, before she concludes with another tap.
The black crosses swivel to become crosshairs on a map.
A kick, and she flips to her feet, skateboard tucked under her arm. The chattering group never notices her pass by, only increases volume at the screech of another incoming DART train. They blithely remain in place, while she sets off to the starting location of the 287th Hacker Examination.