Chapter: 2

Edit: August 13th 2016 so the story can be more in line with the manga.

A/N: My apologies for taking so long to write this chapter, this chapter needed a lot of readings, and then I had to work out a way to properly analyze the planet the series takes place in. FYI: Giant arthropods and any haemocyanic dependent animals would need far more Oxygen concentrations in the biosphere than that of our planet at the current epoch we live in.

The atmosphere should be composed of 30% Oxygen as opposed to our 21%. If the Oxygen level was as low as ours, the Chimera Ant Queen could have never been able to grow to the height of two meters, in fact, anything bigger and more agile than a Coconut Crab would have suffocated due to having a poor Oxygen transporting medium.

At the start of every chapter, I'll try to explain more about the planet HxH takes place in, or how it should be. There are some details that will be changed, or cut out from the story altogether due to simply being impossible in real life, even in terms of (actual) Sci-Fi. So this Fanfic will be a minor AU.

I kept my gaze focused at the entrance door. I can't explain why I feel so uneasy, almost to the point of being paranoid. I'm not even sure if I should be this concerned about Yuta, maybe because of the increasing number of rouge thugs in the woods after the governmental collapse?

I don't know, maybe I'm thinking too hard about this.

"Dr. Takada?" Airi called for me by my title and surname. I narrowed my eyes to the left to find her giving me an indecisive look. Her expression is flat, made more evident by the distant look in her eyes. I might have not noticed it as much before, but her eyes seem dull, and tired, almost as though she hasn't slept properly in days.

"What is it Airi?" I tried to sound polite in my speech.

"Do you. Believe it?" Her monotone manner of speech has made returned as soon as Yuta left. I'm not too surprised, after all, he's the only person in this clinic that happens to be close in age with her. It's only natural that she feels more comfortable around him. However, that doesn't explain her unapproachable personality, or her lack of one for that matter.

"Believe what?" And she's very cryptic to add.

"The Magical Beasts. From NGL. Being here"... I honestly didn't expect such a question. Why is this girl suddenly interested in that subject again?

"Be more precise Airi" I demanded an explanation from her. In a way, I'm curious about this girl's reason for being so glum. She didn't go through a traumatic phase, especially since Shinyoju was unaffected by the purge, then she doesn't have any direct reason to be in such a state. Unless however, I'm wrong.

Airi was taking her time to reply. Perhaps she is even unsure about her own question. "Do you think. That they were... Involved?".

Is this girl serious!? Is she really that naive?. "No. First off, Hypnosis Butterflies are insects in the order Lepidoptera, while humans are mammals belonging to the family Hominoidea. Although the subject of our origin is currently undergoing extensive research*, that doesn't mean that butterflies have any links to our evolutionary lines".

I headed back towards my desk while keeping my eyes focused on Airi. Turning my desk chair to toward her direction as I got there, I gestured for her to take a seat on one of the clinic's many reception seating.

"Secondly" I began again. "It's irrational in evolutionary terms for a mammal in such form and size to carry a respiratory pigment less efficient than that of Hemoglobin, this is made more irrelevant by the fact that most invertebrates don't even have respiratory pigments in the first place, Lepidoptera included, they mostly have larger blood cells capable of amoeboid movements instead".

"And thirdly" Airi's expression is bordering that of a disappointed one, It makes me wonder if she was hoping that this ridicules conspiracy theory was real. "The time needed for Hallucinogens to take into effect ranges between thirty minutes at the minimum, and two hours. Most claims of the so called butterfly wings came from people who saw it after undergoing a minor recovery from the drug, before being exposed to another dose of it, thus making the vivid wings nothing more than sensory illusions".

Airi is staring right past me now. Was she paying enough attention to what I just said? I let out a small sigh, my right hand cupping my chin as I tilt my head to my left.

"Was my explanation sufficient?" I believe questioning her in this form would help me understand a thing or two more about this kid, her behavior is troubling.

The girl in question looked back at me heedlessly. "I. Don't. Know..." I could hardly make out any comprehensive words from her mumbling.

"Was there anything I left out?" I'll see how she responds to this... She does seem to pause a lot before responding. I wish Yuta was still here, at least he could have gotten a faster, and far more natural reaction out of her.

"Wa... Weren't some magical beasts involved?" This again!?. "That's a subject under questioning" I replied. "But. A lion. And a cheetah Beast were whitnesse-" "-That doesn't prove anything" I cut her out, nearly regretting doing so, she looks a bit distraught at my sudden change in tone.

"Look, Airi" I started in a more politely in hopes of appearing to be somewhat more approachable. She's eyeing the ground, either in an attempt avoid eye contact... Or some other reason. I'm not good at dealing with the socially stroppy am I?

" I know you aren't feeling well" I faced her direction more formally now, her eyes remained affixed to the wooden flooring however. "Everyone in this clinic has already noticed that Airi". She looks a little apprehensive now, her left hand sliding up her right arm, and resting the palm on her right shoulder with her right arm slumped down.

"You can tell me what's wrong" She responded by shaking her head. This is going to be difficult, but I can't change her mind if she doesn't even want to talk. She did confirm that there is something wrong nonetheless, thereby confirming my intuition. Even though Shinyoju got away from the purge, that doesn't guarantee that its inhabitants haven't lost any relatives or friends from different parts of the country. Maybe she lost a friend?

I can hear Shiori complaining to Momoka about our current lack of Anti-Infective Medicines, the name Clotrimazole came in mention. Well there are many cases of yeast infections around, and given the lack of Anti-Fungal Medications, the number of cases just keep on increasing... Poverty, malnutrition, and poor sewage systems have taken the greater blame for the majority of diseases, infections, and above all, deaths. This can't be helped by improving the healthcare system alone, the countries entire infrastructure needs to be reformed.

"Airi would you help out even a bit!" Airi's attention was caught by Shiori calling for her. "The survey team is arriving soon, can you help me make this place more presentable!?"

"Y-Yes Ma'm!" Came the hasty reply from Airi whom immediately left the seating.

This survey is going to be long and amusing, I get to finally know where's the outside world is at. Yuta is surly going to love this.

... I can hear the sound of a car engine as it parks outside the clinic.

The survey team has arrived... And Yuta is yet to show up.

The footsteps were muffled by the diesel generator, for I can only hear the firm knocking on the entrance door. Moving forward, I grip the door handle and slowly open the door for the survey team.

Only three men stood at the doorstep. Two of them appeared to be native to the Mitene Union, except for the third man with the cyan eyes. One of the native men has graying hair yet his physical built is well and healthy, in his late forties maybe? The other, slightly younger looking man had chocolate brown hair, a few shades darker than Shiori's own hair.

"Dr. Ryuga, Takada? It was the foreigner who spoke... And his accent is a flimsy one. Had Yuta been here, he likely would have said something sardonic. Perhaps it's a good thing if he shows up a little bit later, might as well avoid being mortified in front of the survey team.

I simply nodded. "I'm Dr. David Andrews. Head of this survey team". The foreign man announced his name in a way that almost seemed uncompromising. The older man smiled "Dr. Takada, I'm Eita Saito. A pleasure to meet you" He outstretched his arm, and I accepted the offer by giving the man, Eita, a handshake. At least he's friendly.

"I'm Yuki Nakajima" The last man introduced himself. I gave him an acknowledging nod in return.

"Please come in" I invited the survey team inside the clinic, casually asking Momoka to hand over the log files as I walked back to the waiting room. David, and his teammates are already concerned with their surrounding it seems, particularly David, who's eyeing every corner of the room. Searching for faults, and there are many of them sadly.

The man in question went off to inspect the walls, and of course, their condition, and effects on objects within close proximity.

"The seating legs are a little rusted near this wall". He then paid close heed to the wall itself. "The wall paint is slightly cracked" He wandered his eyes to the trail of the cracks "The pipes need maintenance, they are causing the walls to be damp". Dragging his ring finger along the window frame, he frowned in disapproval about what he found.

" The window frames need to be changed. There is either fungi or bryophytes on the inner edges. Fix the humidity issue first". Yuki Nakajima handed David a tissue he seemed to have had in his left chest pocket.

"I would be more than delighted to repair those pipes" I began to explain. "However, the plumbing alone would cost over twenty thousand tensu*, and we really can't afford that". We can almost afford nothing at all for this clinic. We barely even manage to afford the cost of sterilizers alone, hell, we don't even have disposable syringes and needles.

He looked almost perplexed, perhaps he doesn't know how much is a tensu worth? "That's about two hundred and forty thousand jenny" Eita informed David about this exchange rate difference. I'm no fool, I know that the so called 'Outside world' has it far better than us. That price I mentioned is most likely meaningless outside this mockery of a country.

David took a long look at the clinic staff. "Are there only four of you? I was informed there are five staff members, where is the fifth?" Damn it Yuta, you really chose to take trip now of all times did you?

"No, he isn't here at the moment. This is highly unusual of him to do so, if you're wondering, you can check the attendance log". As I expected, he gave me a gesture to hand the log over to him. The 'World' really does take sensitive issues seriously. People here would be annoyed, and would even go as far as to consider this an invasion of privacy. That's the outcome of a poor and sluggish lifestyle that plagued this nation.

David began browsing the folder pages at fast past, a sign of being accustomed to his job.

" May I have your IDs, License IDs, and student IDs for those still studying. If you can provide me with the absent person's IDs, please hand it over". Eita gave out the request while David was busy going through the log.

Momoka reached for the files that she neatly sorted at the reception desk. I can notice that Airi is a little nervous. She doesn't have a student ID yet, nor even a CV. However she did say that she had brought along her secondary school diploma, and her official acceptance transcripts along with copies of both. What's troubling her?

Ignoring her behavior momentarily, I went to the hanger to fetch Yuta's IDs. It should be in his inner lab coat pocket. Carefully touching the fabric of Yuta's lab coat, I felt the surface of the ID cards, wasting little time in removing them from the pocket, I went to Eita to hand them over.

Eita began reading the CVs. "We would like you to hand us printed copies of your CVs and IDs please". Again, Momoka followed out his request by handing him a folder that contained copies. The only problem remaining is Airi.

"You young miss" Eita mentioned to Airi. "Yes?"Her voice is so faint.

"Do you have any formal documents containing personal information?".

"I have my high school diploma. And my college acceptance transcripts". Eita, David, and Yuki all looked baffled upon hearing those words.

"You're. You're not even a college student yet?" David seems to be more shocked at this than his two companions, adding more to Airi's anxiety in the process.

Eita appears to have caught on Airi's sudden uneasiness. "Would you mind showing us your papers?" He asked Airi civilly. The girl rushed for her backpack at the hanger. Hopefully they won't ask why a tan colored stuffed animal with a magenta ribbon is sitting on the reception desk. If they did, I'll just lie and say it belongs to my daughter Mei, not telling them the real owner of the doll, Airi.

Why would an eighteen year old carry a stuffed animal to a clinic? She is so strange..

Airi hands the copies over to Eita after retrieving it from her backpack. "May I borrow a pen?" Yuki asks, Shiori reaches for the pen she almost always has in either one of her spacious lab coat pockets, and gave it to Yuki.

"Miss... Arai" Yuki says after reading her full name from the transcript copy Eita was holding. "I need to ask you some questions".

"Yes?".

"What's your blood type?". "It's O, Rh positive".

"What's your age, birthday, and your location of birth?". "I'm eighteen. I was born on February fourteenth, in the village of Shinyoju".

"Names of direct family members?".

"..." Airi stilled upon hearing the question.

"Miss Arai?".

"My parents are. Togo.. And. Murasaki Arai".

The way she addresses her mother's name is chilling. As if replaced by someone else, her voice changed to the point of being unrecognizable as her own as she says the name. As far as I'm concerned, the implications are disheartening.

"My siblings are. Sei, and. Tanizaki Arai". She says their names more easily than the names of her parents. Her mother's name particularly.

"Thank you miss Arai" Came the respond from Yuki.

I motioned for Airi to sit on my desk chair, the least I can do to ease her current state of mind... She just walked past me, and I can see how faded her eyes are.

"How many rooms are there in this clinic?" David spoke again after going through the files at a fast pace. "Fourteen rooms" Came my reply. "Elaborate".

"The waiting room, administration, pharmacy, mechanical supplies, the lab, a closet room, medical records room, Pediatric and Obstetrics examination room, general family examination room, emergency and delivery room, the patient ward, patients bathroom, and on a separate wing; there's a single bedroom, a makeshift kitchen room, and a bathroom ".

"Do you have a dental examination room?". "No".

"A radiology room?". "No".

"Does someone occupy that room?". "I do" Shiori replied, and David was again stumped by what he had to hear. "You live in that wing?" He genuinely sounds surprised. "It is spacious enough to be considered a housing for one person". "Why do you live there?" She won't tell him the real reason. "Close to my job. Double the benefit for emergency situations". Shiori can be very amusing sometimes.

David appears to have given up on asking her why she lives at the clinic she works in. His expression returns back to being stoic. He looks at me now " We need to conduct a proper examination of the clinic's equipment, supplies, and rooms".

"Where first?" I asked. "The Pharmacy room".

"Please follow me" This survey is going to take some time.

It's currently twelve minutes past seven.

The survey team left the clinic over twenty minutes go. There was a long conversation concerning how many of our equipments are outdated, the critical shortage in essential drugs, our lack of primary vaccines, poor sterilization methods, lack of disposable syringes, how under furnished the clinic was, and the need to remodel the patient's ward room.

The thing is, David admitted that this clinic is in a far better shape than the rest of those he had visited in the past week.

For crying out loud, he outright told me that by having only twenty four percent of the WHC's list of essential primary care drugs is relatively good in comparison to other clinics.

We do need to replace many of our current instruments with newer, more advanced ones: Immunology; 3D; and orbital shakers, more advanced centrifuges, a dry block thermostat, a VU cleaner box, a more advanced densitometer, better laboratory microscopes... Amongst many others.

Eita told us that we need Fume Hoods in the wing Shiori lives in so she can stay clear from airborne hazards.

... I can't seem to be able distract myself anymore.

Airi recently called her father using the landline phone to inform him that she's staying at my house, she convinced him after several minutes of pleading. She's currently sitting like a statue, her expression unreadable, but her face is very pale, her eyes look vacant and she's staring into nothingness.

I've never seen Shiroi so distressed before in my seven years of knowing her. She's pacing around the room aimlessly with her arms folded, the clanking sound of her heels are ringing loudly in my ears. Momoka's face is buried in palms, her elbows resting on the reception desk, she's occasionally exhaling a long sigh that nearly sounds like a groan.

I'm sitting on my desk chair, one elbow placed vertically on the table, with my balled fist supporting my cheek. My other hand lays on the desk with a piece of paper in its hold.

The paper has a number written on it. The number belongs to the district police department.

I'm merely minutes away from calling the district police.

To declare Yuta as officially missing.

A/N: Where's Yuta?... Okay making a Waldo joke isn't exactly funny (more like lame).

I hope the survey team members were characterized well, this may be their one, and only appearance in the entire fanfic, so they won't be leaving behind any impact on the story. Just there because the plot calls for it.

Airi i intentionally characterized to be so dumbstruck, and the reason is yet to be revealed. Speaking of which, the clinic's team members were named randomly, however, Airi's family are a different story. All of her family members have their names themed after classical Japanese writers (I know East Gorteau is supposed to be based on North Korea, but the culture appears to resemble a Japanese one):

Her younger brother is inspired by Tanizaki Junichiro. Author of 'The Makioka Sisters'.

Her younger sister is inspired by Sei Shonagon. Author of the miscellany 'Makura no Soshi'(The Pillow Book).

Her father is inspired by Ihara Saikaku (Whose real name might be Togo Hirayama). A writer and a poet, famous for many works such as 'The Life of an Amorous Man', and 'Five Women Who Loved Love'.

Her mother's name takes the icing on the cake. Inspired by Murasaki Shikibu, who is considered one of the greatest writers in the history of Japan, her infamous story 'Tale of the Genji' (possibly written in 1010 AD) is considered to be the world's first novel.

*1: I'm still trying to describe the minor differences in evolutionary paths (minor differences in one animal's evolution can leave a tremendous impact on the future of the ecosystem. That's a real example of the Butterfly Effect), so I'm still trying to come up with how humans evolved on this planet.

*2: Even though Jenny is a currency as global as the dollar, that doesn't make it the planet's only form of currency. One Tensu equals 12+-0.2 Jenny. (12.2~11.8 jenny) But I will change the currency soon, because believe me currency goes through drastic changes during political events (Take what happened to the English Pound because of Brexit for an example).

And finally. Meruem will make an appearance next chapter. Before I forget:

The concept art for Airi: ( /a/u2eBZ add imgur . com before the link).

See you folks on the next chapter!