Haha! I am back with another chapter in the story! *Twiddles fingers* Now we shall see how the Hunters react to seeing themselves on TV *Sings in a singsong voice* Oh I'm so excited to see this!
Key:
Bold letters: Name of character
Italic letters: Description/ -thought-
Normal text: Speaking/ thought/ Description in real life
quotednormal text: Speaking in real life"
I put my hand over my eyes before taking it off and sighing. If Alex really wanted the three boys to watch themselves on Netflix or whatever, I couldn't stop her. Arguing with my older sister was useless. We would start on topic, but if one of us made a mistake on how we said or phrased a word or sentence the conversation would go off track, and then she would forget it and do whatever she wanted to anyways.
Not that there was a reason to argue; Alex was already loading up Netflix. We weren't able to look into future episodes, but past ones were still working. I watched as she opened Hunter X Hunter, then clicked on episode 4.
Different exotic animals show up on screen as the camera pans through them
NARRATOR: Fearsome monsters... exotic creatures...
Pieces of treasure and gold fall onto a pile with even more gold.
NNARRATOR (Cont.): Vast riches... hidden treasures...
Diverse habitats and ecosystems flash through
NARRATOR (Cont.): Evil enclaves... unexplored lands... The word "unknown" holds magic. And some incredible people are drawn to that magic. They are known... as Hunters!
Theme song starts to play.
"Woah!" Gon exclaimed as the screen showed himself, then his friends.
"Shh!" Alex shushed him, making an exaggerated motion and noise. I chuckled, then quieted as the song ended.
SATOTZ: The Hunter Exam will now begin! Zooms in on Satotz as he runs. I am Satotz, the Phase One examiner. You must follow me to Phase Two. This is the exam's First Phase.
Screen changes to the title, "Hope x and x Ambition".
The scene changes, shifting between the group of people as they run.
NARRATOR: Two hours have passed since the start of the exam. The applicants have traveled over thirty kilometers from the start. None of them knows how far they must go. The are forced to run at the leader's pace, with no goal specified.
"Hey!" Killua said, surprised. "They've been following us since the First Phase of the Hunter Exam?"
"Yes, of course we have! How else would we know all the personal stuff about you? Now shush!" Alex said, earning a glare from the former assassin.
NARRATOR (Cont.): It's a monotonous course with no end in sight. And many applicants have already dropped out. Pans past people who are lying or crouching on the ground, obviously exhausted, as the group runs ahead of them.
Nicholas runs forward, holding his laptop.
NICHOLAS: -Thoughts- Extrapolating from historical data, this exam type usually involves a forty-kilometer course. My calculations suggest that we are nearing the goal... He runs loudly behind Satotz.
"Kurapika, what does 'extrapolating' mean?" Gon asked, swinging his legs against the couch.
"It means to infer or guess something based on facts," he said, watching the screen.
Screen changes to Leorio, sweating and tired.
LEORIO: -Thoughts- I underestimated the Hunter Exam. Every person here is a monster. It's a gathering of monsters... Killua rolls by on his skateboard, angering Leorio. Hey! Wait up, kid!
KILLUA: -Not really paying attention- Hmm?
LEORIO: You should show the Hunter Exam some respect!
KILLUA: What do you mean?
LEORIO: Why are you using a skateboard? Leorio is visibly pissed now; Killua doesn't care. That's cheating!
KILLUA: Why?
LEORIO: This is an endurance test!
GON: -From off screen- No, it isn't.
LEORIO: Huh?
Screen focuses on Gon running behind the two.
LEORIO (Cont.): Gon, what are you saying?
GON: The examiner only told us to follow him.
LEORIO: Whose side are you on, eh? Killua goes slower on his skateboard, coming alongside Gon.
KILLUA: Hey, how old are you?
GON: I'm twelve years old.
KILLUA: Hmm... -Thinks- We're the same age. Gon smiles. Killua leans forward on his board, flipping it over his head and catching it while landing on the ground running.
"No matter how many times I watch that, it's still so cool!" I say, looking in awe at how Killua did that. Gon nods in agreement, as well as Alex, and Killua looks down, white bangs covering his eyes. He's so embarrassed whenever someone compliments him, I think.
"It's nothing," he mumbles.
KILLUA: Guess I'll run too.
GON: -Amazed- Wow! That was cool!
KILLUA: I'm Killua.
GON:I'm Gon.
The screen cuts back to Leorio, now lagging behind the kids.
LEORIO: -Thinks- Damn it... Making a fool out of me...
Screen cuts to Nicholas, now sweating and crying, stumbling in the running group. He's breathing hard, and the screen shows through his eyes- a shaking, blurry ceiling, then slowly pans down to the other examinees, also blurry and a ways in front of him.
NICHOLAS: -Thinks- Impossible. It's impossible! My calculations are never wrong! So why... Am I... going to fail? For me to fail... That's absurd. Unthinkable! -Yelling out loud- I won't accept that! Pans to the three Amori brothers, who smirk at each other. Back to Nicholas, he drops his laptop and starts to slowly walk, breathing loudly and heavily.
AMORI BROTHER (A.N. Sorry, can't tell who it is): Hey, rookie!
UMORI: You're a mess.
IMORI: It's rare to see someone out of steam so early. Cuts to Nicholas' face, showing the words effecting him in his panicked state.
AMORI: You must be a hell of an incompetent.
UMORI: People like you are doomed to fail the Hunter Exam.
IMORI: So don't come back, snotrag!
Nicholas starts crying and screaming, covering his ears and falling down onto his knees. He yells into the empty hallway as the brothers run forwards.
TOMPA: -Holding out a stack of bills- Here. Thanks. Great work. Imori takes the money.
AMORI: He won't recover from the abuse we just dished out.
UMORI: I doubt he'll ever take the Hunter Exam again.
IMORI: Anyway, Tompa... You really do love crushing rookies.
TOMPA: -Smug look- I live for it.
"I NEVER LIKED HIM FROM THE MOMENT HE SHOWED HIS UGLY FACE WITH HIS STUPID SQUARE NOSE," Alex yelled, angrily pointing at the screen. I laughed so hard I fell off the arm of the couch onto the cushion, holding my stomach. Neither of us liked Tompa, and our dislike only got worse in the later episodes, so we insulted him whenever we could.
"Tompa the Rookie Crusher," I heard Kurapika murmur. I glanced over at him; he seemed to be thinking about something.
Screen cuts to Satotz with his weird gait and the group running behind him. Pans through the running examinees before focusing on Kurapika.
KURAPIKA: -Thinks- It's been about four hours since the exam began. We must have traveled at least sixty kilometers. How much farther do we need to go?
Cuts to Leorio, leaning over and breathing heavily, taking slow steps. Shows through his vision the running group in front of him, with Killua and Gon visible at the back.
LEORIO: -Thinks- Only one rookie, every three years, passes the Hunter Exam. So for a normal person like me, it isn't even worth dreaming about... Damn it.
"I'll admit, that old man surprised me by getting that far before tiring to the point where he had to stop," Alex comments. "Though, seeing as how I am a normal person, I probably could only make it that far too." I snicker at her calling Leorio "old man".
Leorio drops his briefcase. Gon notices and stops when Leorio does, watching him.
KILLUA: Hey, forget him. Let's get going. He stares quizzically at Gon as the boy doesn't move.
LEORIO: (Long pause) Screw that... He takes off with a burst of speed and sprints past the boys, exciting music plays in the background. I'm gonna become a Hunter! Damn it all!
Gon smiles before using his fishing rod to hook Leorio's briefcase, pulling it back and grabbing it with his free hand. Now it's Killua's turn to be amazed.
KILLUA: Cool! Shows the boys running down the tunnel to catch up to the main group. Let me try that later.
GON: If you let me try your skateboard, okay?
"By the way," I asked, pausing the episode and turning to Killua. "What happened to your skateboard? You had it at the end of Phase Four, but by Phase Five it had disappeared. Did you leave it on the airship or something?"
"Yeah, I've wondered about that too," Gon chimed in.
"Well, he had it when he went home, remember, Kylie?" Alex said. I remembered when she said that, and I silently mouthed "Oh yeah..."
"I left it at my home, no big deal," Killua said, hands behind his head. "Can we continue watching? This is pretty interesting, even if it is a bit creepy seeing myself in the past." I played the episode again.
The examinees are running up a long, long path of stairs. The end is not in sight.
SATOTZ: -Thinking- We've reached the eighty-kilometer mark. It is now time to pick up the pace a bit. Satotz is shown increasing his speed, the gait making it look like he's gliding up the stairs.
EXAMINEE: Wait, are you serious?
HANZO: That guy's insane. He's prancing up the stairs, as if they're not even there.
EXAMINEE: If he keeps up this pace, tons of people will fail.
Cuts to Gon and Killua, still near the back of the group, not able to catch up yet.
KILLUA: Gon, wanna race to see who finishes first?
GON: Sure. The loser has to buy dinner.
KILLUA: Okay, you're on.
GON AND KILLUA: Slowing down a bit for the windup before the sprint. Ready... Go! They run ahead faster, starting the climb up the stairs.
Cuts to Leorio, who is running up the stairs grunting. He has his shirt tied around his waist, and his badge is on his... skin?! He levels up with Kurapika.
KURAPIKA: Leorio, are you okay?
LEORIO: Sure! Just look at me.
"Honestly, I don't want to," Alex complained. I snorted, holding in another burst of laughter.
LEORIO (Cont.): I realized that I can keep going if I don't worry about how stupid I look!
"You're right, you do look stupid," my older sister commented, earning a laugh from me and Killua.
Leorio yells and runs ahead with a burst of speed. Kurapika chuckles.
KURAPIKA: -Thinks- I should probably follow his example. He takes off his tabard and puts it in his bag. He runs ahead to catch up with the older teen. Leorio. I have a question.
LEORIO: What? Is this too easy for you, Kurapika? Talking just wastes energy!
KURAPIKA: Are you really trying to become a Hunter for the money? Leorio grunts, avoiding eye contact. You aren't, right? We've only been together for a few days, but I know you better than that. Leorio glares off to the side.
"Kurapika is good at figuring things out," I whisper, glancing at him. Did he notice before that I was a girl? Not like it mattered, but still, I was curious.
KURAPIKA (Cont.): Sure, you have a nasty attitude, and you aren't very bright. Leorio makes an angry face with a silly sound effect playing in the background. (A.N. Sorry, but I had to add this. That sound and his face makes me laugh so hard.) But you're not a shallow person. I've seen many who live for money. You're nothing like them.
LEORIO: -Scoffs- You and your logic...
KURAPIKA: (Long pause) Scarlet eyes. That's why the Kurta were targeted. Screen does a drama effect of pausing the scene on the two running, adding a scarlet tint. It scans up the stairs, showing the exhausted examinees resting there. We Kurta are known for our unique scarlet eyes. When our emotions are heightened, our eyes turn scarlet, as though on fire. Zooms out screen, still with the scarlet tint, to show Kurapika's eyes. Changes to show a floating, glowing scarlet eye surrounded by a black void with gold coins clinking around it. The eyes in that scarlet state are considered one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world. They command high prices on the black market.
LEORIO: That's why the Phantom Troupe attacked you? Focusing on Kurapika and Leorio running again
KURAPIKA: They took every single eye from my brethren's corpses. I can still hear their darkened eyes crying out in anguish... I swear I will capture the Phantom Troupe! And I will reclaim the eyes of my clan!
LEORIO: That's why you want to be a Hunter?
KURAPIKA: Yeah. If I become a Hunter with rich clients, I'll gain access to black market information.
LEORIO: But you'll have to swallow your pride and become the kind of Hunter you despise!
KURAPIKA: The blow to my pride is nothing, measured against the suffering my clan endured.
Alex whistled. "That dramatic backstory always gets me. Kurapika, I really hope you do that," she said, suddenly serious.
Screen cuts to Gon and Killua climbing the stairs, then back to the two teens.
LEORIO: Sorry, but I have no noble cause. Kurapika "Huh?"s at this. I'm just after money.
KURAPIKA: Don't lie!
LEORIO: I'm not lying!
KURAPIKA: You really believe you can buy everything with money?
LEORIO: You bet! For the right price, you can buy not only treasures, but dreams, hearts, and even people's lives!
KURAPIKA: Take that back, Leorio! If you're insulting the Kurta, I won't forgive you.
LEORIO: Why? I'm telling the truth. If I'd had money, my friend wouldn't have died! Kurapika gasps quietly, and Leorio quickly stops talking and looks away.
KURAPIKA: An illness?
LEORIO: It was a treatable disease... Cuts to a hot sun, then two boys in a poor looking town. One boy drops a soccer ball and falls down, the other running over and picks them up, crying over them. The problem was that the operation costs a fortune. Cuts back to Leorio running. I was naive! I thought I could become a doctor... I wanted to cure kids who have the same disease, and be able to tell them it was free of charge! Then I could have told his parents, too. That was my dream... What a joke. Turns out that to become a doctor, you need even more money! Got it? The world runs on money... So I want money! Kurapika smiles at Leorio.
"Despite the fact that Leorio is short tempered, easily distrusting, judges people on sight, and many other things, he does have a good dream. To help cure sick kids, tell them that they don't have to pay for anything..." I trailed off, staring at the screen, chin in hand.
Gon and Killua run up along the two teens.
GON: See you at the goal, Kurapika.
KILLUA: Catch you later, old timer.
LEORIO: -Obviously mad, in his mind how could he look like an old man? He was a teenager!- I'm not old! I'm a teenager, just like you guys!
The screen pauses on their shocked faces; they're all thinking, "Seriously?"
KILLUA: Huh?
GON: No way!
Screen cuts to a yellow background with the words "Hunter Vocabulary", Killua is standing next to it, hands behind his head and eyes closed. His name pops up, and he looks at it before putting his hands on his hips and smiling.
"Whaa? Why am I standing there?" said white-haired boy asks.
"Because it's an anime, and animes do stuff like that. Also, it was a TV show so they needed a place to do the break for commercials, Baka," Alex said, drawling out the 'baka'.
"Hey!"
"Ohlooktheanimeisbacklet'swatchthatandnotkillmysisterplease," I said quickly, trying to avoid another fight between the two.
Screen shows more examinees fallen on the stairs, panting. Cuts to a specific two.
#174: Can't take another step... Collapses onto the ground.
#140: Th-This is it... Falls down as well. Killua and Gon run past them. The screen cuts to a zoomed-up frame of Killua's skateboard, then Leorio's briefcase, then back on the two.
"By the way, did Leorio ever thank you for holding his briefcase, Gon?" Alex asked. He shook his head. "Why not? You carried that basically all through the First Phase and don't get a word of thanks!"
"It's okay, Alex-san, I didn't really mind..." Gon said.
KILLUA: I'm impressed that you can keep up with me.
GON: Really? He rubs the back of his head and laughs.
KILLUA: Or maybe it's just that everyone else is too slow. (Short pause) Man... The Hunter Exam is gonna be a breeze. That's no fun.
GON: Hey, why do you want to become a Hunter?
KILLUA: Me? I'm not really interested in becoming a Hunter. Gon "Huh?"s at this. I heard the exam was supposed to be really hard, so I thought it'd be fun. But this is disappointing. (Pause) What about you?
GON: Well, my dad's a Hunter. So I want to become a Hunter, like my dad.
KILLUA: Hmm... What kind of Hunter is he?
GON: I don't know.
KILLUA: -Laughs- That's kinda weird.
GON: Really?
"Yes, Gon, it is weird," Alex teased. "But don't worry, because there's nothing wrong with a little bit of weird."
KILLUA: You want to be like your dad, but you don't know anything about him?
GON: I was raised by Mito-san, so I've only seen my dad in pictures.
KILLUA: Who's Mito-san?
GON: Aunt Mito. Killua "Oh"s When he was twelve, my dad took the Hunter Exam. He passed and became a Hunter. Then he left the island. I want to find out why he chose to be a Hunter over being with me.
EXAMINEE #1: The exit!
EXAMINEE #2: Whew!
EXAMINEE #3: Finally, I can get out of this dark tunnel!
Gon and Killua smile, then sprint faster. Cuts to the other running examinees, then stops on Satotz.
SATOTZ: -Thinks- Now, let's see how many made it this far. He runs up to the top and stops at the final step. As he's turning to look around, two blurs pass on either side of him- Killua and Gon!
GON AND KILLUA: GOAL!
GON: Yay! I win.
KILLUA: What are you talking about? I was faster...
GON: I was.
KILLUA: No, I was!
GON: I was faster, so you have to buy dinner!
KILLUA: Nope! I was faster. So you buy me dinner. Zooms in on Satotz. It's not showing, but he's confused and interested by the two boys.
GON: But I was faster. The two look at Satotz. Hey, who was faster?
SATOTZ: I believe that you crossed the finish line simultaneously.
GON: Oh... Then I'll buy you dinner. Killua "Huh"s Then you buy me dinner!
KILLUA: I don't get it.
"And I still don't get it," Killua said.
"Basically he said that since you crossed at the same time, you buy each other dinner because there was no clear winner," I explained.
GON: Hey, Satotz-san. Is this where the Second Phase of the exam takes place?
SATOTZ: No, we still have quite a way to go.
GON: Oh...
Pans across a foggy, barely visible plain before zooming in on the exhausted examinees who made it out. Leorio comes crawling up the stairs, panting. Kurapika jogs up beside him.
GON: Hey, Kurapika!
KURAPIKA: Is this our destination?
GON: No, it isn't.
KURAPIKA: I see. The fog is fading.
GON: Really? Stands up from where he was sitting on the ground and smiles as the fog clears, revealing a marsh. The camera shows different foliage and ravens flying up above the trees.
SATOTZ: The Numere Wetlands. Also known as Swindlers Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of teh exam. This place is home to many bizzare animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures-
"What does 'insatiable' mean?" I ask aloud, not really to anyone in particular.
"Incapable of being satisfied," Kurapika answered.
SATOTZ (Cont.): who deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful. If you let them fool you... you're dead. The group becomes very nervous. The door from the tunnel starts to close. A man starts stumbling up, desperate.
#305: Wait for me! The door closes in front of him, shutting him out from the rest of the group, and from the exam.
SATOTZ: These wetland creatures will use ever trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit... Hence the name Swindlers Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived.
LEORIO: What a joke. How can they fool us, when we're expecting it?
?: Don't let them fool you!
LEORIO: I just said that they can't.
?: D-Don't fall for it... He's lying to you! The man, covered with dirt and with tears in his clothes, points to Satotz. He's an impostor! He isn't an examiner... I'm the real examiner.
LEORIO: What's going on?
EXAMINEE: An impostor?
HANZO: Then who is he?
?: Look at this... He steps out from behind the concrete wall, dragging a thing that looks exactly like Satotz behind him.
GON: He looks just like Satotz-san!
?: It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwelle in the Numere Wetlands!
LEORIO: A Man-Faced Ape?
?: Man-Faced Apes love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!
LEORIO: Bastard...
HANZO: He certainly doesn't walk like a human...
Three cards come flying out of nowhere, impaling the claimed-be examiner in the chest, killing him instantly. At the same time, three more fly towards Satotz, who catches them in between his fingers.
LEORIO: Huh?
The claimed-examiner falls to the ground, and the screen changes to Satotz, holding the three cards. Cuts to Hisoka, shuffling his deck of cards in between his hands.
HISOKA: I see, I see... That settles it... You're the real one. Screen pans to Satotz, who drops the cards.
HANZO: -Completely shocked- WHAT? He's the real examiner?
The Man-Faced Ape that looks like Satotz abandons its act of playing dead, running off into the wetlands. Cuts to Hisoka again.
HISOKA: Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack.
SATOTZ: I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner, and you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?
HISOKA: Sure.
Cuts to vultures eating the Man-Faced Ape who impersonated an examiner.
LEORIO: Nature really can be brutal to watch...
KURAPIKA: So he was a Man-Faced Ape as well...
SATOTZ: He was attempting to confuse the applicants, to lure some of them away.
KILLUA: We cannot relax our guard.
"Not like you did during that time period anyways," Alex said. Killua visibly bristled, but my sister shrugged. "It's true. You still had your assassin instincts full-on, so you were probably alert and aware about everything, huh?"
"True..." he replied.
GON: Yeah.
SATOTZ: You will be encountering such deception on a regular basis. I believe that a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?
Leorio and Hanzo rub the back of their heads, embarrassed.
SATOTZ (Cont.): Do you understand? If you lose sight of me in the Numere Wetlands fog, you will never reach the exam's Second Phase. Do bear that in mind. Then let us be on our way. Please follow me.
The applicants are running again, following Satotz to who knows where for who knows how long.
LEORIO: Tsk, another marathon.
KURAPIKA: And we're running through marsh this time. Running on wet ground requires more energy.
NARRATOR: The applicants have finally escaped the long, dark tunnel. Thus far, 36 candidates have withdrawn from the exam, leaving 368 remaining applicants. Their next challenge is the Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp. The brutal Hunter Exam continues.
Ending song starts playing.
Alex stopped the episode and closed out of Netflix, turning off the TV.
"Now you know how we know you," I told them.
"We know where we are, we know how we got here, we know how you know who we are..." Kurapika said. "My only question now is, how do we get home?"
Ha ha! Oh wow, you have no idea how long and hard that is to write the episode. *Yawns* It is currently three hours after my bedtime and counting, and I have school tomorrow, but it was totally worth it to post the chapter.
How do you think of Alex? If you haven't noticed, she makes Kylie seem, well, less serious. A little joker, but not like Hisoka joker. That is completely different.
Replies to Reviews!
Infinityworlds: Glad to know I wasn't the only one who had a gender confusion! Thanks for the idea about the nickname, Killua will definitely be insulting Kylie with it ASAP.
Isella of the wolf tribe: I was hoping to be able to bring in more characters, but I'll trust your judgement. Hopefully I don't mess things up. Glad I'm still keeping the characters, well, in character! That is one of my biggest worries when writing fanfiction, honestly...
Well, I'm going to bed. If you liked the story, review! It really helps to inspire me to write more sooner!