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Chapter Two

Yaoyorozu Momo II

"I can't believe you would act so disrespectful," Momo said, reprimanding mostly Killua, for she knew him a little better. However, she made sure both of them saw her stare and were tasting the full force of her disappointment. "To think such capable boys would waste their potential by fooling authorities and faking IDs."

Both boys shrank onto themselves.

Killua, (the one responsible for forging their IDs), huffed in annoyance. "It's not like they would let us in otherwise."

Momo narrowed her eyes as the clouds above briefly covered the sun, casting an ominous shadow on the girl's face. "This is not an argument and you know it Zoldyck-san! How do you expect to be a symbol of justice if you start your education by misleading the ones constantly putting themselves in danger to keep everyone safe?"

"When you put it like that it does sound bad..." Gon trailed off, smiling nervously.

"It's not bad Gon," she snapped, dropping the honorifics. "It's illegal."

Gon winced at her sharp tone, looking like a sulking puppy. Killua slumped his shoulders, kicking the grass and mumbling something Momo couldn't hear. He probably regretted letting her have lunch with them.

Momo sighed, softening at their quiet reaction. She needed to remember that they were just kids, they didn't know how the world worked, they were used to just being smart and getting what they wanted.

"You need to understand, this isn't an adventure class. Being a hero is much more dangerous than TV makes it out to be." She lowered herself to their height, knowing her words were harsh but necessary. "You will face death on an everyday basis, there are villains out there that won't stop just because you're children. This is serious, kids. Criminals, arsonists, cold-hearted murderers-" Killua suddenly tensed up, making Momo aware of how cold her voice was getting. She took a small breath, calming down. "-They hunt heroes down, without mercy."

"I know. I've seen them before."

"Seeing is not the same as going up against them Gon!" Momo huffed, trying to make the boy come to his senses.

Gon furrowed his brow and opened his mouth, ready to disagree.

"If you say what I think you're about to say, I will break your neck Gon," said Killua, not thrilled by the idea of having the boy that couldn't lie as his defense. Gon pouted, sharing a look with his best friend and promptly sighing, his little slip up from earlier still fresh on everybody's minds.

Killua nodded in satisfaction, and faced Momo again with a positively unimpressed face. "You make a valid point, Yaoyorozu. Unfortunately, your presence takes all the value away."

"Excuse me?" Momo asked, confused and offended by his words.

"This grass is U.A grounds. Danger zone." Killua said casually. "You're a smart girl. Surely you can see how our positions are the same? All these merciless villains you talk about won't go easy on you either."

"O-of course..." Momo frowned at his thought process, almost losing her composure, "But unlike you two, I am of age. We can't send children-"

"Being of age is meaningless if you lack experience." Killua mirrored her frown. "If age made us ignorant, Gon and I wouldn't be accepted, but low and behold, we're here. You're here." He narrowed his eyes, slowly opening his forgotten bento box and saying, "I appreciate the sentiment but we don't need the protection of another child. You can pretend to be a grown-up all you like, but you'll still be fifteen by the end of the day. You're inexperienced, a kid."

Momo looked down, feeling stupid. She already knew all of this but it felt terrible to hear someone actually say it out loud. To have a kid, someone that should look up to her, countering all of her arguments with ease, making valid points after valid points, was not what she expected.

Killua sighed and hesitantly took a piece of cake from his bento box and offered it to her. Gon's eyes widened at the gesture, clearly surprised that Killua was capable of sharing his sweets.

Momo blinked at the cake, taking the pitifully small piece.

Killua noticed her bewilderment. "I am not saying you're incompetent, Yaoyororu. I would never even consider hanging out with you, if that was the case. I just want you to deactivate your mom mode."

"Mom mode?" Momo mumbled, confused.

"This overprotective mode. I don't like it," he said, stabbing his cake. "You lost some of your respect for us when I said me and Gon were twelve. I know you only reacted like that because you care too much, but I don't need another mom. Just act normally. " He looked down at his cake, avoiding eye contact. "Go back to that badass and k-kind classmate I invited to lunch. "

"I see..." Momo felt a little better, the sweet taste of the cake still on her tongue. "I am sorry for getting so overprotective." And she really was, with the reminder of Killua's obvious capabilities. "My surprise blindsided me, I was so focused on having young people in danger I forgot quite a lot of important details."

Killua sighed in relief, sharing a look with Gon and breaking into a grin.

"Don't celebrate yet, you two aren't off the hook," Momo reprimanded, not forgetting about their fake IDs. "What you did is still absurd. I'll have to tell the teachers."

Their eyes widened at the same time with clear panic. "You can't do that! The cranky insomniac will kick me out if he finds out!" Killua exclaimed.

Gon nodded frantically. "Sekijirou-sensei wouldn't like that either."

"I am sorry boys," her voice softened, but her eyes sparkled with resolve. "It's my job as a class representative to alert the teachers, and my job as a hero to follow the rules."

"Can't we negotiate?" Killua tried. "We're willing to share more information for your silence."

"Not interested."

"How about money?" Gon blurted out, "We could treat you to a fancy dinner and buy a bouquet of pretty flowers!"

Momo lifted her eyebrow. Was the kid trying to bribe her with a date? Really?

"Baka!" Killua huffed, slapping the back of Gon's head without holding back on his strength. "That's our food money, we can't spend it!"

"Yes we can," said Gon, rubbing his head. "We can work and get more money later, staying in U.A is the priority."

"No!" Killua yelled in terror, shaking his head for emphasis. "This city doesn't have it's own Heavens Arena for easy money and unlike you, I refuse to spend another night eating random fruits!"

"Wait." Momo didn't like what she's hearing. "You two don't have money?"

"We do!" Gon said, quietly adding an embarrassed "It's just...Not much..."

Momo could feel her worry come back, full force. Is that why Killua's Hero uniform was so bland despite his personality? Because he couldn't afford anything more fashionable than a turtleneck, a t-shirt and shorts?

"I see... " Momo said, unconsciously tightening her hold on her skirt. She wanted to help them, but she was afraid that the boys would refuse if she offered them any money.

"I assume," -hope- "you two have enough...?"

"Yup. Got a place to live and everything, if that's what you're worried about," Killua said easily.

That answer was a little too vague for her liking. Momo decided to question a bit farther. "Right. Where are you two staying?"

"The apartment complex dow-"

"Hotel Six Bears!" Gon unintentionally interrupted, his loud answer completely covering whatever lie Killua had tried to set up. Killua's eyebrow twitched, exasperated blue eyes watching as Gon happily answered. "Miss Lina, the owner, was kind enough to let us live there in exchange for a few easy favors!"

"What kind of favors...?" Momo asked, afraid of the answer.

"The basics," Gon said, lifting his fingers as he named his chores. "Cleaning tables, cleaning the floor, washing dishes, and part of the evening waiter service. It can get chaotic when it's happy hour but I don't mind! Being a waiter is good training for my observational skills."

Killua looked tense, carefully gauging Momo's reaction. Momo, for her part, wasn't sure how to react. Gon sounded genuinely happy by his job, grateful for the opportunity, but what he was saying was alarming.

For one, they were working at a bar of all placed. They were kids, they shouldn't be anywhere close to a bar, much less working at one. In fact, they shouldn't be working anywhere, as that was child labor.

"Gon-san," Momo asked calmly, trying to not sound like a nervous mother again. "Did you talk to your parents about this...job?"

"No?" Gon looked at her weird.

Killua rolled his eyes at his best friend's answer, facing Momo's disapproving face and elaborating, "He doesn't know his parents."

"Doesn't know...?"

They nodded.

"I've never met them. Mom has no photos and Ging abandoned me when I was a kid," Gon casually said, dropping that bomb without any resentment. "Killua and I have been looking for my dad for a few months now and it's been an adventure so far." His eyes sparkled in determination, not sounding frustrated in the slightest by the long search. "I think we're getting closer, somewhat."

"He is the Ging I asked about," Killua said to Momo, smoothly inserting himself back into the conversation. "He's hard to track, but Gon found a hint a few days ago, something that pointed directly to U.A."

"I see..." Momo said, connecting the dots. "So that's why you two decided to enroll here..."

"Yes." Gon smiled, clearly proud of having found the hint. "It took a lot of time to get in here, so I don't plan on going away anytime soon." He looked at Momo with an overwhelming resolve in his eyes, the brown color shining like gold when the sun hits it just right. "Please Momo-san, promise you'll stay silent about our age. We can't afford to be expelled."

She stared at the two boys' eyes, losing her words at the combo of golden and blue determination, burning and freezing, pulling her in. These kids. They were violating some big rules but- "I-"

Before she could find her words and piece a plausible answer, she heard a loud alarm, it's piercing sound going straight through her skull, making her legs freeze up in panic.

Someone had infiltrated U.A.

A/N: thanks for the reviews KarmaDeRegalia! Hope you enjoy this new chapter~