Hey guys, Lunamon810 here, with chapter two. If you're wondering, yes, I am uploading these fast, but that's what happens when you have no life and think about a story you want to write for two days then write it with nothing else to do. So, that's all, and enjoy~

Amber and Clary sat on the ground, Clary next to Nicholas and Clary next to Leorio. Nicholas kept saying things about shutting up, that he wasn't going to drop out, obviously hearing something that they weren't. Amber and Clary kept trying to break through to him, but to no avail. He kept saying things about not being a dropout, looking terrified. For the second time, he laid back and screamed. Leorio stood up. "What's going on here..." He stopped and looked over his shoulder, as if seeing something they didn't. He said a name they didn't quite catch, then started walking deeper into the tunnel.

Gon and Kurapika came running down the hall, and Adriane and Demi stepped out in front of them, stopping them. Adriane shook her head. "Don't go in there, it's a trap. It seems Nicholas and Leorio have been hallucinating for the past few minutes. We're far enough away for it not to affect us now, go any further and you'll probably suffer the same fate." Adriane said, having heard their names earlier, the number 96 on her badge, 95 on Demi's.

"No way! I'm not stopping until I find Leorio and help him!" Gon said pushing them aside. Adriane and Demi stared after him and Kurapika, who followed behind. the two sighed and ran after them, hoping they could help them. The four stopped when they saw Nicholas. "Nicholas what's wrong!? What happened to you?" Nicholas laughed some drained, deranged type of laugh as he started pushing himself up, turning his head to look at them, still laughing. He kept laughing as he stood up and walked away.

Kurapika looked at Gon. "Lets go, we've go to find Leorio." Kurapika said.

"Yeah." Gon agreed, and Adriane and Demi hesitated before following them.

Amber squeaked and moved to the right, avoiding the whip of her suddenly materializing dad. She shook her head, confused. Weren't her parents assassinated on a mission? Some part of her mind told her what happened to Nicholas and Leorio was happening to her, but slowly that was fading away. Clary looked at her, as she stood up and started dodging the whip that wasn't there at a rapid rate. Clary blinked and screamed when she heard a whip hit next to her, jumping up and backing away from the image of her own dad.

Gon called for their friend when they heard him scream, picking up the pace alongside Kurapika. Adriane and Demi followed behind, determined to make sure they made it alright. Suddenly Kurapika stopped, and the two stopped behind the frozen blonde haired boy, blinking hard. Demi was a good half a foot taller than him, the same age as Clary and Leorio, where as Adriane was the same height and age as Gon. Adriane slowly walked a fair distance in front of him, not knowing what he might do, noticing his eyes went blank. He suddenly seemed traumatized, like Nicholas had, but calmer somehow. He pulled out his swords and crossed them in the air in front of him. "The Phantom Troupe."

"Huh? Kurapika?" Gon said, sounding extremely worried. Kurapika closed his eyes, bending his head forward just slightly, and when he brought it back up, his eyes opened, and were now scarlet.

"Oh no... Please don't do it...!" Kurapika fell to his knees, and Adriane and Demi looked at each other.

"The hallucinations." Demi said, and Adriane nodded. "They got to him too."

"What's going on!?" Gon asked worriedly, and Demi and Adriane pinched their noses, not wanting to smell the sweet smell anymore, afraid of what they might hallucinate. Kurapika kept his head bent forward, dead to the world. "Kurapika, can you hear me!? Kurapika!" Kurapika bent forward so his face nearly touched the ground, and all three got on their knees around him. "Hey, are you alright?" Gon asked, rubbing his friend's back. Kurapika pretty much laid down.

"Make... them stop... please... leave..." Kurapika said distantly, sounding worried and scared. Demi looked at Adriane, swallowing hard.

"What do we do?" Adriane asked, scared of what might happen if they all didn't get out of there soon.

"I'm not sure, but we have to do something. He's obviously scared, and we need to get him out of here, or find a way to snap him out of it. Fast." Gon put Kurapika over his shoulder and started walking.

"Come on... hang in there..." Gon said, though the older boy remained dead to the world, his eyes still scarlet. The two girls folllowed behind, keeping their noses closed. After a few minutes Kurapika started struggling, grabbing for something that wasn't there. Gon stopped, trying to keep a hold on him. Kurapika eventually fell from Gon's shoulder, and Demi and Adriane stopped and turned towards the noise of the white haired boy's skateboard. He suddenly jumped off of it and kicked Kurapika in the head, hard enough to send him flying. Kurapika pushed himself up, and when he looked up at Killua they could see his eyes were blue again.

Gon rushed over. "Kurapika?" Kurapika started pushing himself up onto his knees.

"Gon."

"Good, you're finally back to normal. But, uh," The four looked at Killua.

"There is no healing cedar tree. The sap comes from the tree of hallucination. It's been used by assassins for a long time. It makes the victims reexperience the worse events of their lives. It eventually drives them insane.

"How'd you know that?" Gon asked, and Demi and Adriane looked at each other and swallowed hard. They really didn't want to reexperience what they'd been through.

"So that means Tompa must of..." Kurapika said, looking at Killua.

"Yeah. That's right. He set you guys up." Killua confirmed, and Kurapika growled, looking quite mad, and Gon looked at him.

"We should go."

"Sure, okay. I think I know a way we can save the guy you were with and catch up with the group again in a single move. A game's no fun unless you take some risks."

"I'm glad we met up again. Are you gonna tell me your name now?" Gon asked, and Demi and Adriane looked back at them. Killua looked away from the direction that led further into the tunnel.

"Killua."

Amber and Clary were still dodging whips. Amber screamed and jumped back at the same time Clary did, and the two knocked into each other, hard. They fell to the ground and looked at each other, snapped out of their daze, their parents disappearing. They blinked hard, and Amber's eyes widened, punching her fist into her hand. "That's it! It's hallucination sap." Clary blinked hard at her. "It's something- Never mind. It's this type of sap that can be used to make people go through the worst times of their lives again." Clary nodded.

"Killua." Gon said, and Killua nodded to confirm it was his name. "Okay Killua. Tell us your idea." Killua pulled a grey object out of his pocket for the other four to see.

"It's a bomb. Small, but effective."

"That's a bomb?" Gon asked, obviously shocked.

"Lets blow up this wall, and of the disgusting sap covering it." He said, saying disgusting as if it was poison. He tossed it in the air and caught it again, smiling.

Tompa ran through a crowd of fallen applicants, stomping on one's back as he went, shoving another out of the way. Carter stayed clear, worried of what he would do, and having no plans of dropping out now. The seventeen year old made a not to draw what it all looked like later, the tunnel, all the people there. Tompa paid no attention to her as he went on, and as soon as he was a safe distance away she picked up the pace.

Killua blew up the wall, and on the way of being somewhat blasted on, Gon hooked his arm around Leorio and brought him with them, snapping him out of the daze. Amber and Clary stood up and and ran in the direction of the noise, coming out of the smoking hole a few seconds later, joining the other six, including Demi and Adriane.

"It worked. Not the easiest way to travel, but fast. I guess there's no turning back now." Kurapika said, smiling a bit. Leorio sat up and rubbed his head, making some noise of pain that made Amber giggle, since it sounded like he was making monkey noises. He looked at the others, such as Gon who was laying on his back, grinning at him.

"Huh? Gon? Kurapika? Amber? Clary? Uh... Peitro?" He looked confused, looking at them all.

"You were hallucinating as a result of inhaling the sap. Tompa fooled us all." Kurapika said as Gon sat up.

"Hallucinating? So that's what is was," He looked at them all, mostly Kurapika and Gon though. "Looks like I owe you guys one for saving my butt. But how did you manage to avoid it?"

Adriane and Demi finally realized they could unplug their noises and did so, as Amber and Clary shook their heads. "We didn't."

"It was a close call for me."

"I was fine! I didn't feel a thing!"

"I guess it wouldn't work on you since you're still a kid. You don't have any problems yet." Amber and Clary looked at each other and said quietly in unison.

"Not necessarily."

"Hey old man, we don't have time to sit around chatting." Killua said, smiling slightly. Leorio looked him.

"Old man, I- What are you-"

"His name's Killua." Gon explained.

"Ready for the next round?" Killua asked, three more bombs in between his fingers, giving off a click.

"What was that? I heard a click." Killua tossed them, and they exploded.

"They're bombs!?"

Carter ran not too far behind Tompa, trying to figure out what he was up to so she could avoid it. Two men looked at him. "Hey Tompa, where you been?"

"Been crushing rookies again?"

Tompa huff-laughed. "Yeah, what else is there to do."

"Heh, I wouldn't mess with ya." The second man said, and Carter silently agreed. She didn't need any trouble, she just needed to get through this thing as smoothly as possible. Everyone stopped when the tunnel started shaking. Carter looked over at the wall it seemed to be coming from, and heard the somewhat cocky bald ninja say something.

"What? Are they digging a tunnel or something?" The wall started glowing and soon gave away with a blast, leaving a red glow on the walls as chunks of the broken one flew everywhere, Carter bringing her arms up to cover her face, her sketchbook safe in her backpack. Killua soared in his skateboard, Gon jumping in after him with his fishing rod holding Leorio's suitcase, Kurapika coming in after him, and Leorio coming in upside down from the blast. Demi, Adriane, Amber, and Clary all landed with ease. Smoke filled the room, making many people cough as the glow faded as quick as it came.

"What exactly is going on here?" Satotz demanded. Gon landed on his knees and hands, and as the smoke cleared away, Satotz looked at him. He laughed nervously and brought one hand up to scratch the back of his head.

"Uhh... I'm sorry but, we had to break through the wall."

Satotz looked forwards again. "I never said you couldn't destroy the walls. But tell me. How is it that you survived after wandering down the tunnel of hallucination? I'm quite impressed."

"I can't believe it." Tompa said, astonished. "Where'd they get the rookies from this year anyway?"

Leorio turned to look at Tompa and started stomping his way, looking pissed. Carter took a step back, watching in silence. "How dare you!" He grabbed Tompa by the front of his shirt and pulled him up slightly. "I've got a score to settle with you!"

"Stop it Leorio," Gon said, and Leorio turned his head to look at him.

"No way! Doesn't this guy just piss you off!?"

"The test always has obstacles to overcome." Kurapika reminded him, and Amber and Clary nodded, slightly scared from Leorio's anger. Leorio released Tompa and stomped back over, though Demi was suddenly behind Tompa and gave him a harsh kick to the back before returning Adriane, and the two fell just behind the other six as they started running again.

"How did she get behind me so quickly?" Tompa wondered. Gon thanked Killua as they went, and Amber and Clary nodded, intending their thanks too.

"I wasn't helping you. I told you, this is just a game to me." Before Gon could respond, Satotz looked over his shoulder at the still fair sized group of people that followed him.

"Well everyone, we're almost to the final stretch. I'm going to pick up the pace." Most of the crowd put off noises of discontent, though Adriane, Demi, Clary, and Amber just picked up the pace without a second thought.

Clary listened as Leorio explained what he hallucinated about, taking his shirt off and tying it around his waist along the way, panting heavily. Kurapika continued on next to him. "I see, so you were lying to us before." He said, sounding slightly satisfied with it.

"I wasn't lying. My objective has always been to make a lot of money. And whatever happened in the past, is in the past. And I've got no interest in doing things that won't make me any money."

"Well I wish you luck." Kurapika said, and Clary would have said so too, if she was sure they knew she was listening. She found his story sweet, and wished she had a way to help him.

"Thanks. But I don't need luck. I'm gonna become a hunter or die trying."

"No. A doctor." Kurapika corrected, smiling slightly.

"Could you please not look at me like that, Kurapika? It makes me a little nervous. Now come on. Lets go." He said, picking up the pace again.

"You alright now Leorio?" Kurapika asked.

"Yeah! I'm fine! Can't give up! I don't care stupid I look! I'd keep running even if I was naked! Pretend you don't know me if you want," Kurapika took off his tabard, following behind.

"Hey, the exit!" Gon said, Amber running next to them, Adriane and Demi a bit further back, closer to Carter.

"You look happy." Killua commented.

"Yeah, aren't you Killua?"

"Not really, it's just an exit. This test was so boring, it didn't feel like a game at all." Amber blinked, but didn't say anything. He thought it was supposed to be a game?

"Yeah, but it means we're one step closer to becoming hunters!"

"Why do you want to become a hunter so badly?"

"My dad's a hunter, that's why. I heard he's one of the best in the whole world!"

"You heard?" Amber and Killua asked in unison.

"Yeah! You see, I was raised by my aunt, and I only know my dad from a picture I have," Amber bit her lip and looked away, though she was still listening. "Though that doesn't bother me. I want to become a hunter just like him," Killua stared at him for a second, then looked forward and smiled just slightly. After a few seconds, Gon broke the silence, minus the panting and footsteps. "About that board," Killua looked at him. "Would you let me try it sometime? Maybe?" Killua smiled just slightly again and looked forward.

"Yeah, if you let me use your fishing rod, Gon." A couple of minutes later they all made it outside, squinting in the sunlight they'd been deprived of for the past multiple hours. They looked out over the swamp-like terrain in front of them, slightly shocked.

"These are the Millsy Wetlands, known by many as the Swindler's Swamp," Satotz explained. "We've got to make it through there in order to make it to the site for the second phase," Some large birds flew overhead, screeching. "There are many creatures unique to these wetlands, they are crafty, and voracious. They'll try to deceive you and make you their next meal." The door started coming down that they'd came out of, to the dismay of those who'd collapsed just before it. Satotz looked over his shoulder at them. "Follow me and stay focused. If you are deceived you are as good as dead."

"That doesn't make much sense," Leorio said. "How are they supposed to deceive us if we already know that's what they're trying to do."

"He's lying! Don't listen to him!" Someone shouted. They turned to look at the source of the yelling, to see a man come around the corner, looking a bit rough, holding a cloth containing some type of creature that sent chills down Amber and Clary's spine. "He's not the examiner, he's an imposter!" He pointed at Satotz. "The real examiner is me!"

"The real examiner, what's going on here?" Leorio asked.

"Yeah, then who have we been following?" The ninja questioned.

Amber and Clary looked at each other. Clary glanced at the two possible examiners, then back at Amber. "Who do you think the real one is?"

"I think it's the one we've been following. What's the point of faking being the examiner if you're not going to do anything? He didn't hurt anyone that we saw, and if he did there would have been people either protesting, or dead. He also could have lead us somewhere wrong, like down the tunnels of hallucination, but he didn't. He led us where the new guy is, and he wouldn't have just known where to go."

"Hey you, are you making this up or what? Can you prove this guy's an imposter?" Leorio demanded, and the new guy closed his eyes in irritation.

"Take a look at this." He said, tossing the cloth forward to full reveal the creature within. It only took Amber and Clary a minute to realize that it's face and hair was just like Satotz, minus the hair color. Demi and Adriane realized it a second later, and when Carter realized it she cringed slightly, starting to freak out from her confusion. Demi put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out soon. Then we can continue with the exam."

"Yeah, that's right. It's a man-faced ape," The new guy said after someone verbally pointed out the resemblance of the beast to Satotz. "One of the creatures that live in these wetlands. They disguise themselves as humans in order to lure in and trap their prey. This guy's no examiner, he's one of them!" He pointed at Satotz, sounding furious. "He wants to kill and eat every one of you, that was his plan all along!"

Leorio whirled around to face him. The ninja responded. "Come to think of it he does kind of look like one, but there's no way to tell for sure."

"Yeah, and down in the tunnels his stamina was inhuman!" Leorio added on. "We were dying and he hardly broke a sweat." Everyone started closing in on Satotz.

"So what do you think?" Gon asked Kurapika. "Is this part of the Hunter Exam?" Leorio asked if Gon could smell a difference in Satotz, but Gon said he had no scent. Kurapika stepped forward this time.

"There's another way we can find out. If he's really an examiner, he'll have a hunter's license card he can show us."

"A hunter's license card?" Gon asked, confused. Kurapika turned to face him.

"Only hunters are qualified enough to judge the exams. That's how we'll know."

Clary and Amber looked at each other. At least there was some logical way to test this. The new guy wasn't ready to give up though. "It won't prove anything, he stole my card! He jumped me and took everything I had!'

Suddenly, playing cards flew through the air and stabbed the man, killing him almost immediately. They all turned to look at the source, Hisoka. Clary and Amber took a step back, and Adriane and Carter took a step behind Demi, who put her arms out protectively a little bit. "I see, I see." The crowd was parted from Hisoka, for obvious reasons. He held a playing card in between his fingers, grinning slightly.

"What'd you do that for!?" Leorio demanded, making Amber's stomach turn. Was he really going to yell at Hisoka? Of all the people there?"

"Much easier than arguing about it, don't you think?" The creature suddenly leapt up into the air, trying to get away, but Hisoka wasn't having it. He simply through the playing card at it, looking at it out of the corner of his eye, the card stabbing it in the back before it fell to the ground, dead. Hisoka looked at Satotz. "I guess that settles it. You are the real thing. Examiner. Anyone worthy of being a true hunter would have no trouble dodging a simple attack like that." The card that had been thrown at Satotz remained in between the examiner's fingers for a moment, before he tossed it aside.

"I'll take that as a complement. But from now on, any attack directed at an examiner will be considered insubordination, which is grounds for immediate disqualification. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course." Hisoka said, walking out of center-stage, as Amber was mentally refering his spot to.

"What if he had actually killed another examiner?" Clary asked quietly. "That would have cause chaos among the crowd most likely."

Amber nodded. "Everyone would be mad, and blinded by rage they'd attack him, and he'd probably kill us all in a matter of minutes." Kurapika explained how he knew the man was a fake when he said Satotz stole his card, then expressed his shock towards Hisoka's confidence in attacking an examiner. Amber looked at Hisoka out of the corner of his eye. He was standing in front of a guy with pins throughout his head, which sent chills down Amber's spine.

The two walked over to Gon and Killua. Killua asked if Gon was alright, which the two girls were wondering too since he was staring at the dead creature from the swamp. Satotz said there was no need to feel sorry for it, since it was a way of life for them, as some of the birds from before came down and started eating it, the card still inside of it. Then he announced it was time to proceed, which they all started up on doing with some distaste, but still did anyways, doing their best to ignore their already aching bodies.