Disclaimer: The characters and events in Hunter x Hunter are owned by Yoshihiro Togashi.
"Grayscale" Chapter Seven
Fan-Fiction For: Hunter x Hunter / Killua Zaoldyeck
Begin.
More than anything, Karasu didn't want to admit that she was getting along with Hisoka. It was a dreadful thought that made her a little sick and confused. The joker had a twisted sense of humor, but he was also remarkably patient.
That patience came in handy as he tried to teach Karasu card games for the remaining fifty-four hours.
How had this proposition occurred? She couldn't be sure herself, but she did know that Hisoka had a deck of cards, and she had nothing to entertain herself with other than plotting the man's death. And, though it didn't seem possible, the act did get old after awhile.
But, playing cards with Hisoka happened to get her through the two and a half days they had to wait out. And a distraction was good when she was worrying about Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon. That dread did not halt until the last second, either.
She looked up from her hand (they were playing Old Maid at the moment) as the door slid open, and she was simultaneously swept up in despair and elation. Gon, Kurapika, and Killua walked through the door at the same time. Her stomach dropped. Where was Leorio? She was about to stand to ask them, when the tall brunette came through the door with Tonpa. Karasu released a relieved sigh, and then smiled.
"They made it."
Hisoka's grin never faltered (this made him hard to read, always) and he murmured, "Just barely."
She slapped her cards down and gave him a cheesy grin before hopping up and running at them. Hisoka chuckled, watching her throw her arms around four out of the five (to Tonpa she gave a suspicious glare) while shouting about passing into the next phase. They didn't look particularly surprised she'd beaten them, but Gon and Killua both seemed interested in the path she'd had to take. When they mentioned this, Hisoka saw a dark cloud pass over her features. It was only there for a moment, but it was enough to make the pretty girl inexcusably ugly and pitiable at the same time.
It shouldn't have to be said that this look only piqued his curiosity even more than her scars and the ability she'd shown while catching fish did. It was a dangerous look, and it was just vague enough to give none of the story away.
"Time's up!" The intercom silenced the small crowd, and everyone looked up at the small speaker. "Number of Applicants Passed: 26, including one deceased!"
Karasu grinned, her arms linked with both Gon and Killua as another door opened and the assembled Hunter Hopefuls exited through it. They breathed in the fresh air, muttering amongst themselves as they approached a short bespectacled man with a wild spray of dark hair.
"Congratulations," he spoke, arms crossed behind his back, "there are only two phases left. The Fourth Phase will take place on Zevil Island."
With this said, the man pointed into the distance, where a small lump protruded into the horizon.
"The first step, though, is to draw lots."
"Lots?" a unanimous Applicant questioned, "what will that decide?"
The man answered immediately, gesturing to a box on a stand beside him. "Who to hunt… and who will hunt you."
Karasu frowned, her eyes narrowing.
The man placed a hand on the box and continued, "In this box are twenty-four numbered cards in correspondence to all the remaining Applicants."
"There are twenty-five of us," Karasu pointed out, nodding her head to everyone around her. "Either your math is wrong or someone is getting special treatment."
Whispers erupted from the group, and all eyes darted quickly between the man and the girl with Thirteen pinned to her chest.
He smiled at her, and replied, "It happens to be the second one, Thirteen. And the one getting special treatment happens to be you."
If possible, her eyes narrowed even further.
"The parameters given to you will be explained after everyone else has met the current requirements, but please remain calm for now," he said, turning his attention back to the group as a whole, "now, each of you will collect a card from the box, in the order in which you exited the tower. We will begin with the second to exit, the first being Thirteen."
Karasu nearly ripped her arms from Gon and Killua's. She gave an agitated sigh, and then turned and situated herself at the very back of the group. The two boys traded confused glances, and then shrugged.
It didn't take long for the twenty-four Applicants to gather cards, and the man began to talk again once everyone seemed to have drawn.
"The number on your card is the ID number of your target. The numbers have been recorded, so you may destroy the cards if you wish. Your objective is to collect badges. Your own badge, and the badge of your target are both worth three points each, provided you are able to keep yours on your person." The man paused, judging the crowd. "All other badges are worth one point, and in order to pass you must have a sum of six points. Understood?"
There were soft grumbles, but no outright objections.
"Alright, enjoy your stay on Zevil Island!" the man stated, smirking darkly. His voice rose over the growing clamor, and he called, "Thirteen, I will now explain your specific goal."
Karasu's head was down, and she squeezed through the crowd to come face to face with the man.
He smirked at her, unperturbed by the frightening glare in her beetle black eyes.
"Whose idea was it to give me a phase separate from everyone else's?" she questioned, voice low.
"The Chairman's," he replied. "It is the same basic principle; you merely have a target who is not of the Hunter Applicant Pool. I have been instructed to tell you that you are after this man."
He pulled a picture from his pocket and handed it over. The image made her freeze up, and nearly stopped her heart.
"This is…."
"Chairman Netero said you were familiar with him."
Karasu did not reply right away. She took several deep breathes, her eyes squeezed shut and her knuckles turning white from the grip she had on the photo. When she felt she'd gathered herself enough to speak, her voice was almost too quiet to hear. "How do I… how do I prove I got him?"
"He will have a badge on him, which you will collect. As I said previously, it is the same basic principle. You will collect his badge and bring it with you on the Seventh Day to pass the Fourth Phase. He is Number Zero."
She nodded, and then crumpled the photo. Head still down, she turned to board the boat.
"And one last thing, Thirteen."
Karasu stopped, tilting her head only slightly in acknowledgement.
"Good luck. I do believe you'll need it."
