A/N: Okay guys so this is my first time doing Author's notes like this on Fanfiction Cx But what I wanted to do here is answer any questions you may have about the fic as of far.
To Guest: I tried leaving the wild happenings of Clem's night on the town up for interpretation, but at some point in the story our dear Hisoka will tell us what happened that night to catch his interest. I tried to touch a bit on Clem's relationship with her parents, which isn't all sunshine and roses, but not a horribly terrible thing. Clem is just a normal young adult with kind of extraordinary parentals. She's eighteen years old as it stands but I let her drink because in a lot of places the legal age for drinking is 18 and it fit with what I had in mind. Cx Don't worry! She's not gonna drink all the time, but I figured that one splurge before heading off to a deadly exam is okay. I'm glad you're liking the story so far and look forward to hearing what you think about the future chapters. Thank you for reading!
"It's darker in here than I expected it to be," Clementine comments dryly, "I figured that there would be more confetti and cheers waiting for us."
"It probably seems darker because of the sunglasses you're wearing." Hanzo replies and nods besides her. "But perhaps the congratulations will come after the preliminaries are over with." He shrugs, glancing at Clementine. "Do you think there is more to the preliminary or that this train will take us to the testing grounds?"
Clem lets out a soft laugh and takes her shades off her face. She cocks her head and lets out a thoughtful hum. "Well," She begins slowly, "My parents are both Hunters and they mentioned that the Preliminaries are the most harmless parts of the exams. I think they said that it took them-" She ticks off numbers with her fingers, "-three, or four tries to get their license. But they told me that there were always at least three phases to the Preliminaries and the exams themselves, so I bet that we're still being assessed right now."
Hanzo wonders whether or not she has knowledge that will aid them in the trials ahead. The ninja opens his mouth to ask and tenses at the presence that enters the room quietly. He relaxes his muscles, grabbing a hold of the tension that wants to clamp down and wrangles it under control; then he waits for his companion to take notice of the stranger.
"Only you two so far?" The stranger remarks irately, shattering the silence filling the spaces between Clementine's words in the darkened train car.
Clem pulls the blade on her thigh out of its holster with a practiced twirl of her fingers, and stares at the shadowed person leaning against the train car door with sharp eyes. It takes her longer to calm her body into relaxed tenseness (just like her mother taught her) and eases the white-knuckled grip she d has on the hilt of her weapon. She allows herself a second to flick her gaze to Hanzo's and a message is passed wordlessly between them- let's wait to see what happens.
The duo watch the figure cautiously and ready themselves to defend at a moment's notice. Then the lights burst to life and beneath them, a slim woman in crisp blue uniform stands with crossed arms and pursed lips. "Oh, don't be so dramatic you two. I'm the conductor for the 44th Railway Express. I'm not here to murder you."
The conductor looks significantly less threatening and more disgruntled with the lights on. Clementine can't help the huff of laughter that escapes her.
"Sorry about that," Clementine tells the woman, shooting her an apologetic smile and smoothly sliding her blade back into its sheath. "Are you our guide to next part of the Preliminaries?"
"No." the woman replies briskly, looking almost offended at the thought. "It's my job to count how many examinees make it onto the train." she holds a gloved hand out, "Welcome aboard, Number Ten and Eleven. Tickets please."
"This confirms the preliminaries aren't over yet," Hanzo comments as they hand their tickets to the conductor, "If what you mentioned was true, then that means there are still two phases left to go."
"That makes the most sense." Clem agrees with a sigh, "There's no way it would be this simple to make it to the Hunter exams."
The conductor quickly introduces herself as Marilyn and hastily ushers them through the connector between the train cars. She dryly rattles off information about the train as they glide through the lavish halls.
"Like its sister trains, the 44th Railway Express became a popular method of transportation shortly after the railroads were constructed and since then- has flourished into one of the major forms of travel even after the invention of the air blimp in the early 18th century. The metalwork you see here is part of the original design that was scrapped after the CEO of SWP Railroads filed bankruptcy due to a scandal with him and his-"
Clem tries to keep up with the relentless influx of information that Marilyn drones their way, she really does, but she's never had the best attention span when it came to subjects she has no interest in and that isn't about to change now. Her attention holds for the next five minutes before it wanes and she gives up on paying attention to the other woman.
Her mind drifts to the exams ahead of her and whether or not she'll make it through on her first try. It took her mother four tries to pass the exams; her father took three. Clem doesn't bother to pretend she's on the same level as her parents, she knows that in comparison to the other examinees that she'll encounter during the exams she's a just a slightly-above average eighteen year old girl. She'll never be the best, this she has accepted long ago; but she can't stand to think about the possibility that she never passes the exams at all.
Her fingers clench around the straps of her backpack.
(She doesn't notice Hanzo's eyes lock onto her bandaged hands with sharp intensity, or how his goofy smile deflates into a worried frown.)
There's so much she can do, and if she doesn't pass the exams then she'll never be able to rise above her mother's name and show the world that she's her own person. It's a stupidly selfish reason for wanting to take life-threatening exams, but she's sure that there's bound to be people with worse reasons for wanting a Hunter License. It helps that she knows that even those with dumber reasons than her are willing to kill for what they want.
(She wonders if she'll be willing to kill for what she wants too.)
Clem isn't naive enough to think that she will never have to hurt another person. She knows what she would be willing to do to survive; but sometimes she can't help but wonder what it would be like to have no restraint, to do nothing to stop the rampaging of the beast that dwells within and to simply let herself take what she wants when she craves it.
Clementine will admit that she probably thinks about the blades strapped to her body more than is probably normal for a non-murderous member of society. It's not like she thinks serial killery thoughts or anything. She just finds it odd that the weapons aren't any heavier. There's blood on her hands as well, after all. And sometimes when she wakes up from dreams of blood and terror, she doesn't understand why the knives never grew heavier with the weight of a life cut short.
(It would have been easier if they had- then maybe she wouldn't fear becoming the type of person her mother relishes in hunting down. But it would have made everything far too black and white, and Clem has always been the type of person to dance amidst the grey.)
Clementine often thinks that all the stardust swirling in her veins reaches out to chaos far too easily. That despite being the lonely remnants of forgotten suns- there is a part of that starblood that remembers what it's like to destroy worlds- and that sometimes that fire blurs the lines between right and wrong that would be clear to other people.
"Are you alright?" Hanzo whispers in concern, cutting through Clem's internal musing and snapping her back to her place in the train. "You look as if there's something bothering you."
Clem uses the moment to pull herself out of her downward spiraling thoughts. "It's nothing Hanzo. I'm just impressed with the shit my thoughts can come up with to make me feel like crap. It doesn't help that I can't seem to think of my mother without some kind of gross angst latching on to me."
Hanzo's brows furrow in thought. "Self-doubt is one of the greatest adversaries that students of ninjutsu must face before they are granted the title of shinobi. I, myself, went through a time of great self-doubt during my ninjutsu training, and I feared that I would be unable to make Sensei proud. After I overcame it, though, I realized that I became not only a shinobi, but mentally stronger as well. It's not good that you're having those kind of thoughts before the true exams begin, but perhaps it's not all that bad. If you defeat these self-deprecating thoughts right here and now, they will be unable to pester you during the exams- when you need focus the most!"
He shoots her a sudden, brilliant smile meant to reassure her and Clementine can't help but gape at the rays of positivity radiating from her bald companion.
Hanzo is a walking contradiction as far as she can tell, but she doesn't think it's a bad thing exactly. The goofy demeanor that he portrays doesn't do much to hide the fact that he's still a dangerous man- but she isn't sure he's trying very hard to paint himself as harmless. Clem is sure that Hanzo can be ruthless if the need were to arise.
(Her mother has taken her on hunts before. She's seen exactly how much ruthless can hide under a mask of harmlessness, especially when the people in question are faced with an obstacle in the way of what they want. She softly brushes the pads of her fingers along her neck at the memory that surges at the thoughts.)
Regardless of the oddity that is his behavior as of far; he's been nothing but kind to her during the short time they've been together. A part of her wonders what exactly it would take to force the animal under his skin to snap awake and to clamp down on it's prey. She shakes that curiosity away with the grim reminder that a predator thirsting for blood isn't picky with whose blood it is; and while she may be reckless, she isn't stupid enough to prod at a slumbering monster to sate her desire for knowledge.
"You're right Hanzo," she brightly replies, her usual spunk returning to her. "I'll kick the hell out of these damn angsty thoughts until they're my private cheerleaders and then rub how awesome I am in the face of everyone who decides to talk crap."
She grins at the ninja, and releases her death-grip on her bag to shoot him a quick thumbs up. She tunes in to Marilyn only to blink at what sounds to be the end of her long-winded speech.
"-Representatives from the Hunter Association will explain to you the next steps to your journey." Marilyn tells the duo firmly as they come to a halt before a sleek steel door.
"Here is where I leave you, I must return to my duties at the back. Good Luck on your exams, Number Ten and Eleven." She says before turning on her heel and stalking back to the luggage car behind them, leaving a startled Clementine in her wake.
She looks to Hanzo in a bewildered daze. "What did we miss? I wasn't paying attention."
The ninja smiles sheepishly and shrugs.
Clem can't help the ugly snort that wrenches itself out of her mouth. At least her angsting had been good for something- blocking out the boring stories about trains that she had absolutely no interest in listening to. She shakes her head in amusement and opens the door, stepping into what seems to be the dining car and staring at the candidates who turn to stare.
She steps aside so Hanzo can step into the room as well, and slides the door shut behind them. The men in the room stare at the ninja for a beat, before turning their attention to the brown haired woman besides him.
"What's a woman doing here?" One of the men, red-faced and wearing a grey wife beater, asks the man besides him with a frown. Clem decides that she doesn't like him.
"Maybe she works here? Though she isn't dressed like the other workers were." Mr. Wife-beater's friend replies with a shrug, looking thoughtful for a moment before directing his next words at Clementine. "Could you be a contestant for the Hunter Exams too?"
She raises a bandaged hand and waves cheerfully at the group of men in front of her. "You're right on target!" She tells the man with a quick thumbs up. "I'm here to take the Hunter Exams alongside you all."
Clem sees the majority of the men dismiss her at her happy-go-lucky introduction; and while she doesn't necessarily want them to think of her as a threat, it stings more than she thought it would to be so easily brushed aside because of her gender.
Mr. Wife-beater's friend runs a hand through his shorn blond hair and sighs, "Look doll, it's cute that a gal like you wants to take the Hunter Exams with your boyfriend, but the exams are no joke. There's a real risk of death in taking them."
There is a certain irony in one of the strongest people in the room is being disregarded simply because he entered the room with a woman by his side, she thinks to herself. Clem takes a second to make a mental note- apparently all the other examinees are complete idiots. It looks like it's just her and Hanzo with any actual intelligence in their heads.
"Actually," she drawls with a polite smile curving her lips, "I met dear Hanzo here less than than an hour ago. And I'm fully aware of what risks the exams bring. Thank you for your concern though."
Hanzo, bless his soul, bumps his shoulder against her reassuringly and Clem feels warm at the subtle reminder that he's on her side. Ha, she thinks childishly, the badass ninja believes in me and not you, losers!
She knows that many of the people who attempt the exams are male, and that many- perhaps because of the high mortality rate, or some other reason she can't begin to fathom- view women as less capable of becoming Hunters than their male counterparts. She just doesn't expect to have to stand up to scrutiny this early on in the exams, especially considering they haven't even properly started yet.
The man blinks, clearly startled by Clem's reply.
"What Harold means to say is that the exams aren't a place for women to come mess around in when the mood strikes them. You should go back home girly; stop trying to play in men's games and find yourself a husband to take care of you." A mohawked man interjects bluntly. Clem decides that she likes him less than the first guy.
Clem feels her smile turn sharp, "It's good thing I'm not here to 'mess' around then." She pointedly scans hims up and down. "If anything, it's men like you, who call the Hunter Exams 'games' that are the ones playing around, don't you think? By that reasoning, shouldn't you go and find yourself a husband instead?"
Rage flashes in Mr. Mohawked-Douchebag's eyes and he spits out a curse at her, swinging a meaty fist at her face angrily. Clementine takes a quick step to the side and the hit misses by a wide berth. She laughs at the failed attempt. Jeez, how to dodge a punch is the first thing her father taught her when she turned seven.
"DON'T LAUGH AT ME YOU STUPID BITCH!" He roars furiously, and jerks a sword out from its scabbard, wildly swinging the polished metal in the air in front of her face. She leans her head back and out of reach of the sword, the steel whistling as it glides past her. Clem has to repeat the promise she made to her father like a mantra in her head- to not use what little he's taught her about Nen during the exams. Even if this asshole would deserve it if she hit him with a Ren infused punch hard enough to break every bone in his body. (Not that she's sure she could. She's not even past the basics, much less sure if she's Enhancer, but an angry girl can dream can't she?)
She narrows her eyes; watching Mr. Mohawked-Douchebag as he readies to strike out again and catching his wrist before any force can be put behind the swing. Her fingers clamp down with bruising force- Thank God for her mother's strength training- and with a rapid jerk of her arm, twists his wrist with a sharp crack.
He shrieks in pain and drops to his knees. Around them the other examinees gape in shock and one of them trembles with rage.
"How dare you touch my brother like that!?" He screams as lunges at her turned back.
The dining hall door is thrown open with a bang- the thick metal slamming into the man's face with a sickening crunch. A woman, towering high over the majority of the examinees, enters the room and takes in the situation with a glance.
"Would anyone care to tell me what's going on here?" She asks in a calm voice.
It's clear it's not a request and Clementine gulps nervously.
Oh crap.
Accipi is not impressed by the batch of examinees that greet her when she enters the Dining Hall; and is not at all amused by the excuses thrown her way as to who instigated the conflict. The Poacher Hunter does not like when people do not take responsibility for their actions, and she's tempted to disqualify all the examinees in the room.
The young woman who broke the man's wrist looks mildly ashamed as she tells Accipi her side of the story, eyes cast downward and hands toying with the straps of her pack. "-Then I broke his wrist because I was really pissed because of what he had said to me and because he was swinging his sword in my face." She finishes lamely, lifting her head and making awkward eye contact with Accipi.
Perhaps if Accipi was younger she would have felt what the other woman did was justified, but now, with decades of experience under her belt, she is less hotheaded than when she first became a Hunter. "You may have not been the one to lash out first in physical terms, but you are at fault as well. You allowed the situation to escalate as it did and you're the one who left physical injuries on another competitor. Reacting in such an immature manner to things all female Hunters and non-binary Hunters have to face only makes you seem like a child who isn't ready to take on the exams."
The girl drops her gaze again, "You're right," she whispers, "I shouldn't have reacted that way to his taunt no matter how mad I was." The bald man besides her presses a reassuring hand to her shoulder and starts chattering about something called ninjutsu and the value of recognizing one's errors.
Accipi turns away, and towards the man cradling his arm to his chest. "You sir, are entitled to your own opinions about women, gender roles, and the Hunter Exams; but next time do not attack an examinee who pass through your defenses so easily and cause you lasting harm." She ignores the offended look that flashes across his face. "If you're feeling well enough, then I suggest we continue the exams."
She raises her voice to address all the participants in the room. "Now that the drama has been dealt with, I'll begin with an introduction. I'm Accipi Okeki, a Poacher Hunter, and I'm here to explain this phase of the preliminaries. In short, I will ask you a question and give you two answer choices, but it's up to you to tell me which is the right one. The answer you choose will affect what train stop I tell you to get off at in order to reach the exams."
Accipi clears her throat and begins."The house you live in is going up in flames, and in their rooms, an equal distance away from where you are, are your two children sleeping soundly. There are two things you can do, save your daughter or save your son. Tell me, do you save your son or do you save your daughter?" She glances at a clock mounted on the wall, "You have thirty seconds to give me your answer. Choose wisely."
The seconds tick by and the examinees grow more restless, whispered discussions being held about the choices given.
Finally time is up. "Okay, for all of you who chose to save your daughter, you will stay in his room until it's time for the train to disembark and then you shall listen to the instructions the conductor gives you. As for the rest, follow me."
She leads the rest of the group onto the next car over, leaving behind four examinees and sliding the deadbolt shut behind her. "The ones who chose to save their son, you shall wait for the train to reach its fourth stop and then you will get off there." She continues to the next car, glancing behind her and seeing only two figures following her. She tilts her head in acknowledgement and the duo hurries through the door before she seals it.
Accipi watches the two examinees that followed her with crossed arms. "And why did neither of you choose one of the options?"
The girl shares a look with the man besides her and takes a deep breath. "We don't think that any of the choices you gave us was right; and I think that not answering that question was the correct thing to do."
Accipi quirks a brow. "Oh?" How interesting. "Why do you say that?"
The man answers this time, flicking his eyes to her Fang Tian Ji, and meeting her grey eyes confidently. "Because martial artist such as yourself tend to have an honor code, and choosing between which child to save goes against it. Especially, as my friend here pointed out, if you're Poacher Hunter like you said; it would mean that you value life enough to work to preserve it and most likely don't think that any of the choices you gave us are right either."
She hums in her throat, considering the two examinees before her. It's likely that the two would be able to reach the exam site if they put their minds to it, and have already shown how perceptive they can be. They're the only two to understand that the question asked had no right answer after all, and have shown that they're capable of thinking things through. Accipi turns to the door and lifts a hatch near the steel door. She presses a large red button and a loud screech is heard from behind the sealed door.
The girl looks wary now, hands loose but slowly creeping close to her side where Accipi assumes a weapon is hidden. Her partner is much better at keeping his own unease under control. He simply watches her with unreadable brown eyes and Accipi feels slight apprehension at the intensity he watches her with, as if he's weighing the value of attacking her before she does him. Accipi has a sudden urge to pull her Fang Tian Ji from behind her back and to see how the two examinees react to the threat.
"You two are the only ones who made the correct choice." She tells them instead, remembering that she's here to assess the candidates and not harass them into attacking her.
"What happened to the ones who made the wrong choice?" Asks the girl curiously, "That screech didn't sound like anything good."
Accipi trails her hand down her braid and flashes a smile at them. "They were left behind- that button disconnects the coupling from the main car. In a few hours they'll open the door to find that they're still on the outskirts of York New." Accipi is amused by the way both of the examinees blanch at the information. "Congratulations on passing the second phase of the Preliminaries."
"Now listen carefully on how to reach the third phase or you'll get lost on the way."
