A/N Well, it's onto the second chapter, plz review. I could use some help. It's hard thinking up ideas for tests. :/
Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter (2011)
Underline = ability or special
Italics = thoughts
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Ara's voice broke the weighty silence of the room, releasing everyone from their own captivity.
"Good question! Today is the first test, all you have to do is walk past this door." The petite girl walked to a corner of the room, the farthest from Ara, and opened a door, that had no visible edge or hinge, so that no one could detect it. Wow, these Hunters have some good tech.
"But as this is the Hunter Exam, it's not so simple as walking through a door, there are three rules.
1: There is no way to get out of this room without the door, and, by some miracle, if you do, you are disqualified immediately.
2: To pass through the door, you must collect at least two other tags, besides your own, however, you don't have to have your own, simply a total of three tags.
3: If you cannot do so in the next 30 minutes, you are disqualified."
As another deathly quiet became unanimous, everybody quivering for the queue, the order to start. So, Tonpa was right, we use the tags in some instances. It's a great method, they're small, can be concealed, or forged, and non one will give theirs up without a fight. They become as important as your own life.
At this point, Ara was having a lot of fun, prepared for the ensuing battle he tensed up, ready to strike. Would he fight one of the other 3 strong competitors? Would he be defeated? Doesn't matter! Maybe this Hunter Exam isn't as boring as I thought…
Then, the command finally came, bringing a clamor of fighting behind it, "BEGIN!"
Ara, noticing an opening in the crowd, quickly darted between a group of seven individuals, who seemed about to fight it out for tags; snagging them at the moment when they were all focused on each other.
Running up to each of them at incredible speeds, Ara plucked each of their tags off in a fraction of a second, being so confident in his speed that he didn't even stop to disable them. He was so quick, that by the time the seven applicants were going to start fighting, their tags were already gone. The just stood bewildered, now out of the Hunter Exam.
Using his small frame to accomplish otherwise impossible feats, Ara zipped around, making his way towards the door, and taking as many tags as he could, he didn't want a bunch of weaklings taking away from his fun of fighting strong opponents. Well, taking out these losers isn't that great, but I guess sometimes you have to work a little to enjoy yourself down the road.
7 tags,
10 tags,
16 tags,
23 tags…
As Ara felt that he had gotten enough tags for now, having weeded out a sizable portion of the competition, stopping at 52, he decided to see how the rest of the room looked, and needed to ascertain his position and bearing towards the door.
Jumping off a gladiatorial dressed swordsman, he spun in an circle above, he saw that the huge room was packed with unconscious applicants, or ones that were still fighting.
Ara also noticed that no one had gotten to the door yet, and most people couldn't tell where it was at this point. As the ones who were close to the door left to reach it, others would fill their place, defeating them, taking their tags, and as they would rush to the door, they would be defeated, creating a large amount of tags at the door. So, the challenge makes sure that only the strong continue.
Looking around him, he saw the three other strongest competitors doing the same. To his left was the monstrous chef, standing above everyone else, whacking and sloshing through them, but as he was farthest from the exit, he still had a lot to plow through. The giant man would send 5 or 6 flying with a single swipe of his arm, making it a dozen with a kick of his legs. However, contrary to what his massive stature would suggest, he efficiently and dexterously retrieved any tags that fell, sometimes picking them off enemies as he defeated them with his crushing blows.
The pickpocket to his right was snatching whatever she could, much more than tags, taking wallets, weapons, armor, whatever she could sell or use later. Like him, she darted around, quick as him, using a short, piercing blade with deadly accuracy, puncturing armor, hitting pressure points, or otherwise defeating anyone in her vicinity.
The monk was in front of Ara, almost to the door, religiously taking the necessary two tags, not attacking needlessly, only spinning his staff to defeat anyone in his way. He was making a beeline for the door, and like the other two, defeated most in his way with a single hit.
Seeing the path of destruction behind the monk, and not being so lenient as to leave tags on the floor for just anyone to pick up, Ara trailed behind the monk, grabbing whatever tags he found. Quickly grabbing about another 50, Ara decided to be the first to the door, to try to meet the examiner who was still standing there. If I can get her to use her power, it would be so fun! She's assuredly the strongest I've ever seen or faced!
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As the examiner waited by the door, she picked out the strongest in the group. It seems there are several strong candidates this year. Taking out a clipboard, she reviewed the applicants she had noticed. Hmmm, besides the usual testers, there are four strong rookies this year.
The girl, Stama Uchugi is quite fast and dextrous, it looks like she could be a hunter with that skill, but it will be fun to see her try to pass some of the odder challenges.
Hilluti Flamboso, a 3-star Michelin chef, and a mountain of a man, it would seem he shouldn't touch anything to fragile, but on the other hand, he is a chef, maybe he has care too.
The monk, Uratsume Hurtuun looks confident and masterful at martial arts, but he's pretty old, older than me, however his discipline allows him to act efficiently and well.
That boy, Aranawa Sutobi, he's strong, a quick and powerful beast, and he's well trained too, taking all the tags he can, eliminating the others and anyone in his way, he looks like a keeper, but he's a wanted criminal.
Laughing to herself, the examiner walked through the door, which swung shut behind her, then opened again.
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Having jumped up again, Ara saw that the three were almost to the door, the monk the closest, himself second, the girl third, and the chef fourth. He also noticed the absence of the examiner, but she did not seem to have quite the same effect as her entrance, merely just the underlying feeling that something was missing. So, she's gone; well no matter, if I become a Hunter, I can ask for her name, and if's she's still watching, and if I can fight her, even meet her again, I'll try my hardest.
For the first time in a year, he was inspired to go far beyond his limits. Landing, Ara sprinted off with an incredible burst of speed, traversing the remaining 100 or so feet in a matter of seconds, snatching tags and KOing anyone in his way. Like a comet, he streaked through the crowd.
As Ara skidded to a stop at the door, a computer announced, "Show at least three tags, then proceed.
He emptied out his pockets to reveal, "158 tags. That's enough, right?"
"You may pass," it stated simply as it let him through, unperturbed by his sarcasm.
Before Ara went into the door, he looked behind him, viewing the aftermath of the experience. About 30 contestants were left, out of the hundreds that had originally started. The prominent ones were a wrestler, three brothers, the thief, the monk, the chef, and a man with funny eyebrows.
So, these are the best of what the Hunter Exam applicants have to offer? Only those three are on my level, the rest still haven't reached that point, where you leave normal humans standards and jump to the next level.
As Ara looked at the room beyond the door, he only saw upon a tiny space, big enough to hold 2 or 3 people, a closet, really. This is the next stage? A claustrophobia test? No—wait, I hear machinery in the background, it might be an elevator.
Not believing there to be any worry, he stepped into the room. Or rather, he fell through it.
Oh, the floor was a hologram, well, I'm in a tunnel now, almost a free fall, better let it take me wherever. I don't think I broke any rules, so this should just be taking me to the next part. Or maybe I'm supposed to stop myself from falling and climb back up?
Changing for sliding on his back with his arms tucked in and feet pointed, Ara adopted a spidery position, his fingers and toes just barely touching the curves of the tubular slide around him.
In one quick motion, Ara heavily pressed his fingers and shoes to the sides of the tube, but to no avail, it seemed to be almost frictionless. Well, guess I can't stop myself, not unless I slow down.
Returning to his former poise, he waited for something to happen, and something did, as another person entered the tube, they started screaming. So, it's not someone too strong, they don't have any self-control.
As the slide's slant steadily level out, from what was a steep fall before, water began to fill the tunnel from jets in the sides. So, it's a water slide? Well, I'm just wearing normal clothes, it's ok if they get wet.
Suddenly, the tunnel took a sharp veer to the left, throwing Ara into the side roughly. So we're turning—No, wait I see other slides now, there must be a whole network. I guess it's so we can all have separate tests, or at least in smaller bunches, there are probably less than 100 applicants left.
As they continued down the tunnel for another 10 minutes or so, the follower's screams lessened, and Ara began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Literally. So, if it's maybe a 30-minute ride, and we've been going pretty fast, we're out of the skyscraper by now. Maybe out of York New City altogether.
At last Ara popped out of the tunnel, in closed off room, which was dank and musty. Worryingly, he noticed several bloodstains around the room. If it's been used before, these Hunters are sloppy, and if the blood is meant to scare us, then it's even sloppier, maybe they are—Ara broke off mid thought as the other person crashed into him, knocking him out instantly.
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A/N Well, that's chapter 2. I guess I like cliffhangers.
