RESPONSE TO Enemotou:

Heehee, thanks. But I still worry that someone might just give up on my story because the chapters are too short, it's happened before.

Thanks, guess I'm a natural tsundere writer XD

Hope you'll like the way I wrote this, It took me a few hours and a crap ton of editing to get it the way I liked it.

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RESPONSE TO KagamineBanana:

Hmmm, I added more Brotherly Leorio in this, I like the idea of Leorio thinking of Kuragi as a younger sister and vice-versa.

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I Still Don't Own Hunter X Hunter

/7/ Final X Phase X Rumble / Failure X Is Not An X Option / Killua X Walks X Away

I ended up sleeping throughout the whole trip to the Final Phase. Leorio had found be just before we landed and woke me up.

Right now all of the remaining applicants and I were standing in the lobby of a hotel, awaiting to be informed about the Final Phase. The air was thick with anticipation.

All the past examiners were in the room with us, watching with forlorn faces. They obviously knew what was going to happen and didn't think it was good.

Chairman Netero finally began to speak.

"This hotel is owned by the Hunter Exam Selection Committee. The place is all yours until the battles have concluded."

"Wait….battles?" I question quietly, the last Phase were going to be matches?

One of the body guards began to roll a board over to Netero but it was covered by a cloth so we had no idea what was under it.

"For the Final Phase, we will be holding a one-on-one tournament."

I gulped and steeled myself, if I had to fight any of my friends then so be it, I would. I needed to do this for my family and family comes first. I glanced at Killua and Gon out of the corner of my eye. They were both staring evenly at the Chairman.

Netero reached over to the board and yanked the cloth off, revealing the board for all to see. I looked at the bracket in confusion. It was completely unbalanced but it wasn't too surprising, this was the Hunter Exam we had expect the unexpected. However, the bottom of the board was covered so we couldn't yet tell who was fighting who.

"So only the last person standing passes?" Leorio questioned hesitantly.

Netero shook his head. "No. One win is all you need to pass."

Everyone visibly relaxed at the revelation that only one of us would fail.

"The winners are removed from the competition, while the losers continue up the bracket. In other words, the one that finishes up the top will not pass."

I remained tense as I stared at the board intently. Even though I would have more chances to pass didn't mean I would. Everyone here was insanely strong and throughout the whole Exam Killua had been doing almost everything for me. Hell, the one thing I had done on my own had left me with an almost completely useless arm. I wasn't physically strong in any sense and I had low stamina from my underdeveloped muscles, meaning there was a very high chance that I was going to be the one person to fail.

"And here is the bracket." Chairman Netero said as he removed the seal over the applicants' matches.

I quickly searched for my image and sagged in relief when I wasn't up against anyone I knew. I was versing #226; a rather brawny man in a wolf-skin vest that bared his wide chest and loose pants with wild and untamed hair. I glanced at the man in question and he was grinning at me with razor sharp teeth.

I gulped and looked away, observing everyone else's matches.

Gon was up first against #294. The loser of my match was up against the loser of Gon's.

I glanced at the green clad boy and saw him calmly staring at the board, I hoped I wasn't going to end up fighting him.

"Impressive, right? After all, everyone has at least two chances to win." The Chairman piped up smugly.

Applicant #53 spoke up at this. "But some people, like #294, #405 and #100, get a lot more chances."

Applicant #191 spoke up next. "Why didn't you use a balanced bracket?"

Netero hummed. "That is a question that must be on everyone's mind. This bracket is based on all of your performances throughout the entire exam. Those who performed better received more chances."

I frowned at the old man. 'If that's so, why am I based do high? I barely preformed at all….so why-'

"That doesn't sound right." Killua cut off my thoughts. "Can you explain how you scored our performances?"

I glanced at the Chairman curiously, wanting to know as well.

The chairman seemed to think for a moment. "NO!" He shrieked and I shrunk back in surprise.

"Why not!?" Killua shot back, making the chairman chuckle.

"Your scores are classified information. So I can't tell you everything. However, I can explain our methods."

Everyone peaked up and payed attention.

"First, we consider three major criteria; physical strength, metal strength, and overall impression."

I raised an eyebrow. I had definitely failed in the physical strength but I had no idea if I had passed for mental strength and impression.

The chairman continued. "For physical strength, we use an aggregate of agility, flexibility, endurance and perception. For mental strength, we use and aggregate of resilience, adaptability, judgment and creativity. However, this information is only used as a reference point. After all, most of you were strong enough to advance to the Final Phase on your own."

I saw the Chairman's eyes flicker down to me at this and I flinched back, slightly ashamed that I had needed help to get to where I was standing now.

"However, we are most concerned with your overall impression. This refers to any intangible factors not previously mentioned." The chairman chuckled. "You could consider this as an evaluation of your potential as a Hunter. And we also incorporate the opinion of your peers. That was our process."

Netero's explanation had me asking more questions than it answered. I was definitely out for physical strength, probably only gaining points in agility, and mental strength even though I had resilience. So it was most likely my impression and the opinion of the rest of the candidates that got me ranked so high, what I didn't get was why I was matched up against a brut when it was obvious he outclassed me in all things physical. I would be faster than him in the very least but that was it.

"The battle rules are simple." The chairman spoke up, getting back on track. "Weapons are allowed. No cheating. If your opponent admits defeat, you win. However! If you kill your opponent, you will immediately be disqualified. All remaining applicants will pass and the exam will end. Are we clear?"

Everyone remained silent.

The bodyguard next to Netero spoke up.

"Then, we shall begin the exam's Final Phase!"

We all moved to one side of the room while Gon and #294 moved to the middle in preparation for their match. They stared each other down for a moment.

"The first match is Hanzo Vs Gon. I will serve as the referee, good luck." The bodyguard announced, only to be stopped by #294, Hanzo.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" The bodyguard asked.

"We only win if our opponent surrenders, correct?" The bodyguard nodded to his question. "It doesn't count if we knock them unconscious. No TKOs allowed, either?"

"Yes, that is correct."

I let out a slow breath at the information. I was beginning to have even less of a chance at passing.

Hanzo glanced down at Gon and soon the match began.

. . . . . . .

Three hours had passed since the beginning of Gon's match and I was trying to force back tears as I watched the poor boy getting beaten over and over and over again. The atmosphere in the lobby was grim as we all watched Hanzo land another blow to Gon and send him sprawling to the floor.

"Get up." Hanzo demanded.

Tears finally began to pool over as I watched Gon struggling to stand. He reminded me of my younger brother in so many ways. His bright personality, his unbreakable determination and his unrelenting will to reach his goal. It was so painful to watch Gon getting beaten down.

"Enough, already…" I heard Leorio grit out, the older teen had been just barely holding back his rage for most of the match. "I'm gonna kill you! I'll fight you in his place!"

I flinched when Hanzo turned to the enraged man with an annoyed look.

"If you can't take it." Hanzo muttered darkly. "Leave. It's only going to get worse."

Leorio walked forward threateningly only to be stopped by two bodyguards that informed him that if anyone interfered, Gon would be disqualified.

"It's okay…"

Everyone turned their attention back to Gon when he spoke, finally rising to his feet slowly.

"Leorio. This is…nothing…" A sob worked its way up my throat and I clamped a hand over my mouth to stay quiet. Gon needed to see my support, not my weakness. "I can….still fight…"

My eyes widened when Hanzo swiped Gon's feet from under him then held his hand behind his back.

"I'm going to break your arm." Hanzo spoke calmly and everyone tensed while Gon's eyes widened. "I'm not joking around, so give up."

Gon stayed silent.

"Surrender!" Hanzo said firmly, adding pressure to Gon's arm.

"Never!"

I looked away and I heard the loud crack as Hanzo smoothly broke the boys arm. Surprisingly, Gon was able to stay quiet as he writhed on the ground while holding his broken arm.

"There you go. You can't use your left arm." Hanzo stated as he towered over the boy, making me look at my own useless arm, I was still only able to move my fingers and wrist.

"I'm sure you're in too much pain to listen, but hear me out." Hanzo continued as he lowered himself into a handstand. "I am a descendant from the shinobi, a clan of covert agents."

As Hanzo continued to talk he rose himself onto less and less fingers until he was standing on only one. "From the day I was born, I was forced to endure harsh training in order to master the art of ninpo."

I saw Gon struggling to rise as Hanzo continued on about his life.

"By the time I was your age I had already killed a man." I glared at the bald shinobi in disgust. That was nothing to be proud about, or to brag about, it was something that could scar a child. "At this point in time you cannot defeat me in combat. I'm trying to be nice. Admit defeat-"

Gon was suddenly up and landing a solid kick to Hanzo's face, sending him tumbling over. Gon whined when his broken arm collided with the floor, only to sit back up with an annoyed expression.

"My head's cleared a bit, after all the pain and that long explanation." Gon exclaimed as he stood, holding his arm.

"Yeah!" I cheered, feeling relief wash over me. "Go, Gon! Kick 'im while he's down!" (I legit didn't even mean to directly quote Leorio here, lol spooks.)

"If you're eighteen then you're only six years older than I am!" Gon pouted. "Besides, this isn't a battle to see who's stronger. It's to see who's willing to surrender first!"

Hanzo hopped back up, nose bleeding as he glared at Gon. "I let you kick me on purpose." He stated calmly and I felt my blood boil.

"LIAR!" Leorio and I managed to shriek in unison as we both pointed accusingly as the self-proclaimed shinobi.

"You don't understand…" Hanzo continued on, completely ignoring us as he wiped the blood from his lip. "This isn't a warning. It's an ultimatum. Was it too hard for you to understand? Here, I'll make it easier for you."

Hanzo began to pull a blade from beneath the bandages on his arm before swiping the blade in the air a few times as practice shots. "I'll cut off your legs," He stated. "So they can't be reattached."

Gon's eyes hardened as he stared at Hanzo.

"A permanent injury should help wake you up. But first, I'll ask you once more; surrender."

Gon continued to stare at Hanzo evenly. "I won't accept that!"

Everyone in the audience froze and I snorted, trying to keep in my laughter.

"I don't want my legs cut off," Gon continued. "But I don't want to surrender either! So let's find another way to fight!"

Hanzo seemed a little annoyed at his answer. "Hey…Do you understand your situation?"

Everyone busted up laughing, me along with them as I tried to hide my laughter behind my hand. "That….That is such a Gon answer!" I bellowed as I gave in and doubled over, laughing with mirth.

"You don't get to make demands!" Hanzo fumed, only fuelling the laughter. "Are you trying to insult me!? I'm seriously going to cut off your legs!"

"But I still won't surrender." The laughter quietened down as Gon continued to speak. "Besides, if you do that, I'll bleed to death." Gon looked to the bodyguard behind the fuming Hanzo. "He'll be disqualified if that happens, right?"

"O-oh, yes!" The bodyguard stuttered out, flustered.

"See? Neither of us wants that to happen so let's think of a better way."

Hanzo glowered at Gon, gritting his teeth to try and keep in his rage. He stepped forward and pressed his blade against Gon's forehead, making a small trail of blood drip down his face.

"You really don't get it…" Hanzo muttered darkly. "If you die, you'll never get another chance. If I kill you here, I need only try again next year. We are not on equal footing!"

Despite Hanzo's threatening words, Gon continued to star at him evenly.

I grinned, Hanzo wouldn't even consider killing the boy, Gon had already won and we all knew that.

There was a tense silence as Gon and Hanzo stared each other down. Hanzo grit his teeth.

"Why won't you concede?" Hanzo asked bitterly. "It's easy to do. You can try again next year."

Gon didn't respond.

I grinned, there was no way in hell Gon was going to back out now and try again next year. He was going to find his dad. That was why he was here in the first place. I admired the boy's bravery.

"YOU VALUE YOUR PRIDE MORE THAN YOUR OWN LIFE!?" Hanzo yelled and dug the blade even deeper into Gon's forehead. "YOU'RE REALLY WILLING TO DIE FOR YOUR PRIDE!?"

"Wrong~!" I called out with a smirk, waiting for Gon to fill Hanzo in.

"I'm going to find my dad." Gon stated, staring Hanzo down.

"Your…dad?" Hanzo asked in confusion.

"My dad is a Hunter." Gon explained. "So I'm going to become a Hunter and find him! I believe that I'll find him one day….But I have a feeling that if I give up now, I'll never find him!"

A dropped of blood dripped off of Gon's chin and hit the ground with a quiet patter.

"So I won't surrender." Gon finalized.

"If you don't yield, you'll die…" Hanzo's voice was beginning to waver.

There was a pause before Hanzo pulled his blade away from Gon's forehead, putting it away before he backed off and cracked his knuckles.

"I give up. You win." Hanzo conceded and a grin split across my face. "I can't kill you but I can't think of a way to make you surrender. I'll take my loss and take my chances in the next battle!"

"Yeah! Gon!" I yelled and fist pumped the air.

"I can't accept that. That's not fair!" Gon exclaimed suddenly and I blanched.

"Eh? What are you talking about, Gon!? Just except the win goddamnit!" I yelled at the stupid green clad boy.

"No way, Kuragi!" Gon yelled at me before turning back to Hanzo. "We both have to think of a way to settle this fight!"

Hanzo's eyebrow started twitching as he smirked and looked over his shoulder at Gon. "Heh, I knew you would say that…" Hanzo spun around and got in Gon's face. "You idiot! There's no point because you'll never surrender!"

I completely agreed with Hanzo, if he hadn't surrendered this match would have had the potential to go on for days.

Gon glared and yelled right back. "But I don't want to win like this!"

"What am I supposed to do then!?" Hanzo shot back.

"We can work together to figure it out!"

Hanzo grunted and stood back up to his full height, his eyebrow twitching again.

"In other words, I've already given up on this match, but you want me to try and win again, while helping to determine a way to make you feel good about your victory! Am I right?"

"Uh-huh!" Gon answered cheerily and I cracked up all over again.

My laughter didn't even stop when Hanzo knocked Gon out with one punch, to be honest, the simple-minded boy had it coming.

Eventually, I had to calm down because everyone had been staring at me. I wiped the tears of mirth from me eyes, still chuckling slightly. "I-I'm sorry…It's just, so Gon like!" I managed out before Hanzo continued to talk.

"I lose. Let's move on to the next match." Hanzo muttered.

My heart lept into my throat and I glanced at my opponent, who was smirking at me maliciously as he cracked his knuckles.

"But." Hanzo continued. "I want to tell the executive committee something first. When he wakes up, he'll probably refuse his license because he's a stubborn boy, as we've seen. Only one person will fail this phase, right? If Gon fails, wouldn't that make the rest of ours fights meaningless?"

I smiled and sent Hanzo a thumbs up. "Even though you just beat the shit out of one of my friends I agree with you 100%!"

"Don't worry. Gon has passed." Chairman Netero assured. "Nothing he says can change that. If Gon were to throw a fit and Kill me, we still wouldn't be able to revoke his license."

"Very well." Hanzo sighed and made his way back to the sidelines, only to be stopped by Killua.

"Why did you let him win?"

I glanced at the albino curiously. "What are you talking about?" I asked but the boy ignored me, making me bristle. "Oi-!"

Hanzo cut me off. "Let him win?"

I bristled even more and was about to yell at the bald man for cutting me off but Killua spoke up again, in a much darker tone.

"I'm sure you knew a way to make Gon surrender without killing him. Given your skills."

The whole room was silent as everyone stared at Killua. My eyebrow began to twitch as I glared at the albino boy in anger.

"Oi! Don't say something like that! Gon's your friend, you should be supporting his win wholeheartedly, not saying that Hanzo should have won!" I seethed angrily, stepping towards Killua threateningly. "Take it back!"

Killua stared at me with a scowl before scoffing and looking away. "Why? It's true."

I ground my teeth together in annoyance and prepared to pounce on the boy only for Hanzo to speak up again, catching our attention.

"When I torture someone, I expect that person to hate me for the rest of their life." The bald man explained. "It's more effective and less stressful. When someone's in pain, their eyes show a gleam of hostility towards the one responsible for that pain. Even with extensive training, it is difficult to supress that gleam of hate and rage but there was no gleam in Gon's eyes. Can you believe it? I had just broken his arm but his eyes had already forgotten about that."

I grinned. "Of course there wasn't. Gon's not that type of kid, he's too warm-hearted and kind! He isn't the type to hold a grudge."

Hanzo glanced at me with a hint of amusement before turning back to Killua with a serious expression. "I guess you could say he won me over. If you need a reason, there you go."

With that, Hanzo turned and walked away to stand at the end of the line.

"Now, we shall continue on to the next match." The referee spoke up. "Will applicants #100; Kuragi and #226; Berkinz, please step forward."

My burly opponent stepped forward with a grin and cracked his knuckles while I stayed rooted to the spot. I began to shake as I stared at my opponent in fear. He looked like he had the raw power to rip me limb-from-limb.

I felt someone pat me on the back then push me forward lightly. I turned and saw Leorio giving me a thumbs up and an encouraging grin, Kurapika smiling next to him. "Go get 'im, Kuragi!"

I sent them a weary smile before taking a deep breath and stepping out into the middle of the room, wincing when I spotted drops of Gon's blood splattered across the floor. I stopped and faced the large man with an even grin.

The beefy man- Berkinz- looked down at me blankly before bursting out laughing. The ground shook with the force of his laughter.

"I thought the brackets had been lying, but they're really putting me up against a kid!" Berkinz bellowed in a deep voice before he sneered down at me. "Give up, kid. I won't hold back against you."

I stared up at Berkinz, a cold sweat trickling down my forehead as I swallowed thickly. "Like hell I will, Beef-head."

The referee stood in between us and raised an arm. "Ready? Begin!" He lept away to a safe distance.

Before I even had time to react a fist was slammed into my gut and sent my flying into the opposite wall, winded. I crumbled to the floor, wheezing as my chest constricted painfully. I grit my teeth and looked up, seeing Berkinz strolling over to me, a smug grin on his face.

"See, little girl? You're no match for me, you'll never win. Just give up now so I don't have to waste my time with bashing your face in." Berkinz sneered.

I glared at him and got to my feet, trying to ignore my aching stomach. I glanced down at my injured arm before carefully moving it from the sling, I could move it just not very quickly. I clenched my fist a few times before staring Berkinz in the eye.

"Screw you, you over grown ape!" I spat before leaping forward as fast as I could manage.

I could see Berkinz smirk at my head on attack and get ready to intercept it. I smirked and side stepped around him, bouncing off of one of the support columns and ricocheting back towards him.

I saw Berkinz stiffen and just before he had a chance to turn around I kicked him in the head, using my momentum to increase the strength of the usually weak kick. Berkinz stumbled forward slightly and I dashed off again, aiming to knock out his legs this time.

"Yeah! Take the brute down!" I heard Leorio yell. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and smiled.

Big mistake.

By the time I turned my attention back to my fast approaching target I had realized too late that he had rose one of his legs with a malicious smirk.

I firmly planted the side of my foot on the ground and one of my hands to try and stop my momentum before I reached him but it was too late to stop now. As I passed under Berkinz, his foot came down with a crushing force onto my chest, halting my movements.

I wheezed and coughed up blood as Berkinz pressed his foot into my chest even harder. I reached up and tried to pry his foot off of me but it didn't even budge.

"I warned you. I'm not going easy. Last chance to give up before I crush your ribcage." Berkinz growled as he added even more force, making me cry out as I swear I heard something crack.

I panted and wheezed as I tried to breathe but the pressure was constricting my lungs too much. I could see black spots beginning to dance on the edge of my vision.

"Ne…ver…" I wheezed out, trying to stay awake as I mustered the hardest glare I could.

Berkinz sneered and increased the pressure even more but I could see confliction in his eyes as his sneer melted off his face. He suddenly sighed and backed away, taking his foot off my chest.

I took in a gulp of sweet, sweet air before rolling onto my hands and knees, coughing and sputtering as I rubbed my aching chest. It was definitely going to be bruised.

"I give! The kid's not gonna quit anytime soon and there's no way I can keep hurting her." Berkinz sighed, making me look at him in confusion.

His eyes met mine and he smiled at me softly before crouching down in front of me. "Sorry about all this kid, I didn't want to take it that far." He sighed and patted my head with one of his large hands. "I tried to scare you into giving up but when that didn't work I tried more drastic measures but you are just too damn stubborn and I didn't want to keep hurting a little girl. You deserve this win, you earned it. I'll take my chances with the next match."

With that, Berkinz stood and scooped me up, walking me over to a freaking out Leorio and a worried looking Kurapika before placing me down against the wall and walking back to his place in the line of applicants.

"Kuragi, are you alright!?" Leorio yelled in worry as he rushed over to my side. "Let me check your lunges, one of them could be punctured or collapsed."

I gave Leorio a nod of permission and he dug through his suitcase before pulling out a stethoscope. He put the plugs inn his ears before pulling my shirt away from my chest slightly and sticking his hand down my shirt, a serious expression on his face as he placed the cold metal over my chest. I shuddered at the sudden cold against my skin.

"Take a deep breath in." Leorio ordered firmly and I did as he said, wincing when my chest ached. "Now a deep breath out." I slowly exhaled.

Leorio listened for a moment before he collapsed forward with a sigh, a grin splitting across his face. "You'll be fine, the worst you'll have is one or two fractured rips and a lot of bruising. That'll heal in time, though."

Leorio ruffled my hair affectionately and I pouted but didn't move away, the familiar act reminding me of my older sister, Palm.

A felt a sudden sense of homesickness well in my chest. I would be home soon.

The referee suddenly cleared his throat and all attention was on him again.

"Right, now that the last match has been settled we will now start the 3rd match." The referee declared. "Will Kurapika and Hisoka please step forward?"

I sent my blond friend a weak thumbs up in support as he stepped forward, shortly followed by the creepy clown.

"Begin!"

The match started off on an equal footing, though, Kurapika was mostly just dodging Hisoka's attacks but never landing any himself. After a while of this going on, Hisoka suddenly leaned in close to Kurapika's ear and whispered something before backing off.

"I lose." Hisoka stated plainly before walking back to the sidelines.

I watched as Kurapika stood there for a moment, trembling, before, he to, made his way back to me and Leorio. I raised an eyebrow at the blond but all he did was look away.

'What was that all about?'

I decided to drop it out of respect for Kurapika but I was still curious.

The next match was Hanzo against applicant #53, Pokkle. However, after suffering a familiar experience to Gon and getting his arm pinned, he gave up instantly and Hanzo earned his win.

After them was Hisoka verse an older man by the name of Bodoro.

I watched on, impressed by the old man's skill in combat, but he was still getting his face smashed in by Hisoka. After a while of Bodoro not relenting, Hisoka repeated what he had done to Kurapika except the result was switched, Bodoro backed out in defeat.

As Hisoka walked back I sent him a curious look. 'The hell is he saying? Whatever it is I gotta know how he does it, it would totally come in handing when I'm conning people back at home.'

"Match Six! Will Pokkle and Killua please step forward?" The ref' called out.

I sent Killua a grin as he walked forward. "Go get 'em, Killu!" I called out, only to be ignored by the boy. I pouted and flipped off the boys back. "Jerk."

It turned out that my encouragement had been a waist, 'cause as soon as the match started Killua forfeited, leaving a frustrated but confused Pokkle behind. As the boy walked back to his spot in the sidelines I got up and made my way over to him with a scowl.

I stood in front of him with my hands on my hips, sending him a glare as he looked down at me with a questioning look.[1]

"Idiot!" I hissed as I flicked his forehead, making him glare at me.

"What?" He questioned.

"You should have won the match! Even though you and I both know you're ridiculously strong, you should have taken the win just in case!" I scolded, glancing at the person he would be facing after Leorio's match. "There's something about that guy that makes my skin crawl, he's obviously strong himself. I have a feeling there's more to him than meets the eye…"

Killua scoffed down at me before looking away. "Whatever, he may seem strong to someone like you but I can obviously take him."

'Someone like-'

I felt tears of anger prick at my eyes when I realized what he had implied. He thought I was weak.

I grit my teeth and crossed my arms as I turned and began to walk away, back to Leorio and Kurapika. "Well, whatever! I hope you lose your next match you arrogant prick! That ought to knock some sense into you!" I called over my shoulder.

I sat down next to Kurapika with a huff, angrily scrubbing the tears from my eyes.

"Are you alright?" Kurapika asked gently and I just shook my head.

"I'm fine." I growled. "I just have an annoying tendency to cry when I'm frustrated or pissed."

Kurapika looked at me for a moment more before turning away with an understanding nod.

"Alright, Match Seven shall be Leorio Vs Bodoro!" The ref' called.

"Hold on!" Leorio called out, not moving.

I glanced at the man curiously, wondering what he was doing.

"I'd like my match to be briefly postponed so the old man can recover from his injuries. It'd feel like cheating if I were fight him now, ya know?" Leorio explained and I smiled up at the kind-hearted man.

He was seriously too much like Gon at times.

The referee agreed to this since it was not against the rules before calling out the next match.

"#99; Killua and #301; Gittarackur! You're up!"

I glanced at Killua as he smugly stepped up after the pin-head, only to frown when I saw Gittarackur smirked down at Killua.

Something wasn't right here.

"Begin!"

I watched as Killua stepped toward Gittarackur with a sort of calm caution, but right before Killua reached him, Gittarackur spoke up.

"It's been too long, Kil."

The voice sent a sudden chill racing down my spine and I went wide eyed in fear.

Killua paused in his movements in confusion.

Suddenly, Gittarackur began to casually pull the pins from his face and I filched every time. But when all the pins were removed my stomach churned in a sickening fascination as Gittarackur began to morph and change.

When the transformation was complete, Gittarackur had transformed into a young looking man with wide emotionless eyes and long black hair.

I could see Killua break out into a cold sweat as he began to tremble.

"B-Brother…" Killua whispered out, obvious fear in his voice.

I snapped my gaze back to the older boy in front of Killua in shock.

'This was Killua's brother?...That means he was an assassin as well.'

I gulped and felt myself break out into a cold sweat as well. Killua was in trouble.

"Hey." Gittarackur said casually, no emotion in his tone or face whatsoever. "I heard that you cut up mom and Milluki."

I took a wild guess and assumed that this 'Milluki' person was Killua's other brother.

Killua smiled nervously. "I guess."

Gittarackur tilted his head at his brother. "Mom was crying…"

"Anyone would cry if their son did that to them." I heard Leorio mutter bitterly but decided to ignore him, focusing instead on Killua and his brother.

"Tears of joy." Gittarackur finished and I felt slightly confused.

'What?'

"She was so happy to see you'd grown up." Killua's brother explained calmly. "However, she was worried about you leaving home, so she asked me to check up on you. What a coincidence. I didn't know you wanted to be a Hunter. I'm actually trying to get a licence for my next job."

Killua looked down before he spoke up quietly. "I don't really want to become a hunter. I just felt like taking the exam."

I grit my teeth, still bitter about the real reason Killua was here.

Gittarackur stared at Killua for a moment before he spoke again, the air suddenly becoming tense and radiating a threatening aura.

"I see…That's a relief. Than I have some advice for you…You're not cut out to be a Hunter."

I saw Killua beginning to shake harder and a stood, ready to step in between the two if this got any worse. Something was wrong with Killua, I didn't know what but I knew his brother was the cause behind it. I didn't like it one bit.

"You were born to be…" Gittarackur continued, staring Killua down. "A killer."

I tensed and felt blinding rage running through me as Gittarackur made it worse still, as he continued to speak.

"You are a puppet of darkness, without passion. You don't want anything, or wish for anything. As one who lives in the shadows, you can only feel pleasure when people die. That's how Dad and I raised you."

I couldn't handle it anymore.

I took a few heavy steps forward, only to be blocked by two bodyguards. I grit my teeth before taking a deep breath and yelling at Gittarackur over their shoulders.

"THAT IS TOTAL BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT!" I screamed, catching everyone's attention. "FEELING ONLY PLEASURE WHEN HE KILLS!? PLEASE, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TIME I HAVE KNOW KILLUA HE HAS SMILED AND LAUGHTED JUST LIKE ANYOTHER HUMAN BEING, AND NOT WHEN HE WAS KILLING SOMEONE! YA WANNA KNOW WHY!? BECAUSE HE'S JUST THAT; HUMAN!" I quietened down as I took in deep breaths, trying to calm myself down as tears of rage flowed down my cheeks and onto the floor.

I clenched my hands and continued, quieter than before. "Sure, he may not want to become a Hunter, but I bet he's here for a reason! Right, Killua?" I turned to the boy but he was just staring down at the floor.

Gittarackur turned back to Killua and tilted his head again. "Is this true, Kil?"

Killua was silent for a moment before he began to speak quietly. "It's true. I don't desire to become a Hunter. But…" Killua clenched his hands into fists. "I do have something I want-"

"You don't"

I had half the mind to yell at Gittarackur again but Killua beat me to it.

"I do!" Killua glared up at his brother. "There's something I really want!"

Gittarackur hummed. "Tell me what it is you want, then."

Killua suddenly looked down nervously, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to find the right words.

"Come one, Killua…." I whispered. "Tell him…"

"What's wrong?" Killua's brother questioned, somewhat smugly. "There's nothing you really want, is there?"

"That's not it!" Killua snapped at his words before they both became silent again.

I waited nervously for Killua to speak.

"I want to become friends with Gon…and Kuragi…" Killua muttered.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard him say my name and fresh tears began to gather in my eyes, though it was for a much more positive reason this time, as I smiled at Killua.

'Idiot, we already are your friends…' I wanted to say those words so badly but I had lost my voice.

"I'm sick of killing people…" Killua's voice shook as he continued. "I want to become friends with them, and to live a normal life…"

My shoulders began to shake as I cried silently. It wasn't until that very moment did I realize how broken Killua was. He had been forced to kill from the moment he was born, by his parents that most likely didn't even love him for who he was but for what he could do.

"Killua…" I croaked weakly but he didn't hear me because Gittarackur's voice drowned me out.

"That's impossible. You'll never be able to make friends. Your only concern when you meet someone is whether or not you should kill them. That's how you were trained. You just don't know how to classify Gon and Kuragi because they're too dazzling for your eyes." Gittarackur's gaze continued to burn into Killua's as he spoke. "You don't want to become friends with them."

"You're…wrong…" Killua replied weakly.

Gittarackur continued on as if he hadn't heard Killua. "If you stay with them, you'll only end up wanting to kill them one day."

Killua clenched his trembling hands into fists as his brother continued to speak.

"You'll get the urge to see if you can kill them or not. Because you have the soul of a killer."

"Shut up…" I pleaded quietly. "Please, shut up…"

Suddenly, Leorio stepped forward as he trembled in rage. "Killua!" He called out to the boy. "I don't give a damn if he's your brother. He's a worthless piece of crap! Don't listen to him! Just beat the crap out of him like usual and win! You want to become friends with Gon and Kuragi!? Are you daft!? You already are friends!"

I snapped my head around to look at Leorio before I turned back to Killua, swallowing thickly. I needed to say something. I had to.

"H-He's right, Killua!" I called out, my voice trembling. I sniffled and wiped away my tears. "Do you think, that Gon and I would hang around you so much if we weren't friends?"

I saw Killua stiffen at our words and was about to grin before Gittarackur turned his dead gaze to me.

I froze in place, staring at him in sudden fear.

"Is that right?" He asked quietly.

"Hell, yeah, moron!" Leorio yelled, answering for me.

Gittarackur turned to stare at the floor, a finger to his chin inn thought. "Really…" He hummed. "That's no good. They consider Kil a friend." Gittarackur suddenly held his finger up as if the most brilliant idea had hit him. "Okay, I'll kill them."

My blood ran cold as I watched Gittarackur hold up some needles threateningly.

"A killer doesn't need any friends. They'll only slow you down." He told Killua before he turned and began walking towards me. "Alright, I think I'll start with you.

My knees shook as he came closer and I couldn't move. I was paralysed with fear but every fibre of my very being was screaming at me to run for the hills and never look back but all I could do was tremble as he advanced towards me.

A bodyguard suddenly stepped forward and tried to persuade Gittarackur out of it, only for his face to be pierced by Gittarackur's needles and deformed.

Suddenly; Leorio, Kurapika and Berkinz were standing in front of me protectively, each of them glaring at Gittarackur, whom stopped and hummed.

"This won't do. I need a Hunter's licence to do my job…But if I kill them, I'll fail, and Kil will pass automatically." Gittarackur mumbled to himself. "Oh, darn. The same thing will happen if I kill Kuragi or Gon. I know, I'll pass the exam before killing them."

The air in the lobby was getting more suffocating by the second as everyone watched Gittarackur with baited breath.

Gittarackur turned to the Chairman. "If I wait until after passing the exam, I can kill everyone here and still keep my licence, right?"

"Yes, according to the rules." Netero replied simply.

"Did you hear that, Kil?" Gittarackur turned to face a shaking Killua. "You have to beat me if you want to save Kuragi and Gon."

Gittarackur slowly began to advance towards Killua. "Will you fight me for your friends' sakes? You can't do it. You're more worried about whether or not you can defeat me."

Killua froze when his brother stood directly in front of him, staring into his eyes. "And you already have your answer: 'I'm not strong enough to beat my brother.'"

Gittarackur slowly raised his hand towards Killua, leaving it hovering over his head slightly.

"'Never fight an enemy you can't beat.' I drilled that into you…"

Killua's breathing sped up in a panic and he went to take a step back, but his brother stopped him.

"Don't move! If you move an inch, I'll assume the fight has begun." Gittarackur warned, continuing to move his hand towards Killua. "And if our bodies make contact that will also mean the fight has begun. There's only one way to stop me. You know what that is. But don't forget…If you don't fight me, your dear Gon and Kuragi will die."

I took a deep breath and finally managed to rip my gaze away from Gittarackur and the murderous air he was surrounded in, turning to look at the trembling Killua.

He couldn't do this.

"It's okay, Killua….Back out. I'll understand, I won't hold a grudge.'' I said as loud as I could, but it only came out in a whisper. I was too terrified to talk any louder.

"Take him out, Killua!" Leorio yelled, trying to snap the poor boy out of it. "We won't let him kill you, Gon or Kuragi! We'll stop him, whatever it takes! Let him have it!"

Gittarackur's hand was inches from Killua's face now and I was beginning to fear that Killua really was going to face his terrifying brother. Thankfully, Killua bowed his head in defeat.

"I surrender." He muttered, his tone blank and lifeless. "I lose…"

The air around Gittarackur suddenly lightened as he smiled and clapped his hands together. "Oh, that's good! Then the battle's over."

Gittarackur leaned down and gave Killua a pat on the shoulder. "I lied, Kil. I was lying about killing Gon and Kuragi. That was just a little test. But now I have my answer."

At that moment, I never wanted to punch someone as badly as I wanted to punch Killua's brother. I was shaking in anger but I was still rotted to the ground in fear. This guy could kill me in the blink of an eye if he wanted to.

Gittarackur suddenly leaned down, close to Killua's ear, just speaking loud enough for me to hear. "You don't have the right to make friends. Nor do you need friends. You should just listen to Dad and me, and do your job as you always have. When the time comes, I'll tell you to take the Hunter Exam. You don't need a licence yet."

With that said, Gittarackur backed off and walked back to the side lines.

I stared at Killua as he stayed rooted to his spot for a moment before slowly turning around and making his way back as well. When he passed by us, I pushed past Leorio, Kurapika and Berkinz before running up to him.

"Killua, it's oka-" I froze when I saw his eyes turn to me. They were no longer the bright and mischievous blue I knew, they we dull and completely blank.

They were dead.

I took in a shaky breath and stepped forward, grabbing Killua's hand and beginning to drag him away, outside the lobby so I could talk with him without Gittarackur's prying eyes.

When the door closed behind us I turned to face Killua, my hand still holding his wrist firmly.

"Killua?" I asked quietly, afraid to make the boy even worse.

There was no response, he just continued to stare at his feet.

"Come on, Killua. It's alright. I don't care that you gave up. Hey, I'm still your friend." I tried to assure him that everything was fine but there was still no response.

A lump formed in my throat as I felt the tears prick at my eyes. Gittarackur had broken him. Stripped away the white-haired boy I knew, in mere minutes, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell.

Unconsciously, my grip loosened and his wrist fell out of my hand. Killua turned slowly, then began to walk back inside, but I didn't follow. I was in too much shock that my friends had been reduced to nothing but a lifeless being.

"Kil…lua…" I whispered, watching as the door closed behind him and blocked him from my view.

My knees suddenly felt like jelly and I crumpled to the ground, still staring at the door, hoping beyond anything that Killua would poke his head back out, smirking like the insensitive jerk he used to be and taunt me for falling for a prank.

"You should see the look on your face, you look stupid! I can't believe you fell for it, idiot!" He would laugh, picking on me. "Anyway, get up. Let's go watch the old man fail his match."

But that never happened, and I continued to sit there, staring at the double doors but not really seeing them.

However; it wasn't too long until the doors opened again and Killua stepped through.

My hopes sored when I saw the boy, only to disappear and be replaced by worry when I saw the blood splattered across his clothes and right hand.

"Killua!" I shot up as the boy walked towards me. "What happened?"

I didn't get a response as the boy brushed past me, continuing on. I stood there in shock for a moment before turning and running after him.

"Killua, wait! Are you okay? Are you hu-"

I froze and gasped when Killua suddenly spun around, holding his bloody claws to my throat threateningly. I stared into his eyes and began to tremble.

They were worse than they had been before; they were darker, more twisted.

Slowly, Killua backed away and retracted his claws, staring at me for a second more before he vanished.

I stared at the spot he had been standing before tears began to pour down my face. I collapsed to my knees, sobbing loudly as I fisted the fabric of my shorts.

"Killua! Don't leave!" I sobbed, fruitlessly begging for the boy to come back. "I need you…"

I stopped, hiccupping as I realized what I had said was true. I needed Killua, almost like I needed air. Without him here I suddenly felt weak and helpless, like I couldn't do a single thing for myself.

I sniffled, hiccupping again.

I realized that as we had advanced through the Hunter Exam I had become more dependent on him, almost always staying in his company.

Killua had been the one to carry me throughout the second half of the First Phase.

Killua had been the one to push me into jumping down the ravine to get that stupid Spider-Eagle egg to pass the Second Phase.

Killua had been the reason I had tried my hardest to answer those questions correctly when I was facing Kenten and the reason I had pushed myself, despite my injuries, to keep going and make it through the Third Phase.

Killua had been the one to save my life before I could have been stabbed to death during the Fourth Phase, and also the one to collect my target's tag.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but the tears just wouldn't stop.

He had left me.

Killua had left me.

My strength had left me.

Yo, finally got around to writing this chapter! You better like it! I cried over this!

Hope to hear your guys' opinions!

Questions? Comments? Just go ahead and drop them in the review box!

. . .

Oh yeah, Kuragi just comes up to Killua's nose, she's a super short 11 year old. The poor girl needs a growth spurt.