Third Exam: Part 4

"We'd like to go and see if he's still alive," Leorio shouted over to the prisoners. "How would we know if he opened an eye or something?"

"I told you," the cloaked figure retaliated. "He just fainted."

"It's already been several hours," Leorio pointed out. "We can't be content with what you're telling us."

"In that case, would you like to bet? Is he dead or alive? Let's bet on it."

"Bet? What are we betting on?"

"Time," the cloaked prisoner said. "We're betting, and the winner receives time. Look at the screen."

Everyone turned to the giant black screen on the wall. On it were the numbers fifty and fifty. "We can bet up to fifty hours and the minimum is ten hours.Game's over when one of the players reaches zero. We decide the bet each in turn. If you lose, the time you have to escape the tower will be reducded by 50 hours. If I lose, my sentence will be increased by 50 years. If you accept the game, I'll let you check to see if he's alive or not."

"It's a girl's voice," Leorio said to the others. "She's insane, ready to bet her prison sentence."

"Don't trust her, Leorio," Kurapica warned. "If you lost, we would only have 9 hours to exit the tower."

"You're the one saying this?!" Leorio growled. "Might I remind you that you're the reason we're in this mess!"

"I understand," Kurapica grudgingly sat back down. "I won't say anything more."

"Stop!" Gon shouted. "This isn't the time for argueing!"

"That's ok," Leorio turned to the prisoners. "I accept!"

"As I decided the bet, I'll let you choose the stake in hours," the prisoner replied.

"I bet 10 hours he's alive!" Leorio stated.

"You're prudent," Kurapica sighed.

"That's normal isn't it?" Leorio snapped back. 'If I lose this bet, that will mean he's dead and Kurapica's victorious. However, if I had bet he's dead and he just fainted, I would've gained nothing.'

"We're gonna let you check," the prisoner said.

The foot bridges connecting the stages and the arena opened up and Leorio climbed over to the arena. He knelt down and checked the big guy's pulse.

"As you see," the prisoner said. "He's only fainted."

The screen changed from 50/50 to 40/60.

"Yeah! Leorio has taken the lead!" Gon cheered.

"I don't like this," Killua mumbled. "It's strongly possible that he won't open his eyes for a very long time. For them its more interesting if he's alive, lying down on the ground. If he lies there the remainder of the time, their sentences will be reduced by 72 years."

"Your turn now," the prisoner spoke to Leorio. "Chose the next bet."

"Has he really fainted or not?" Leorio posed the question. "This is the bet."

Meanwhile, Majitani squirmed in his place. 'What should I do? Bendot told me to feign unconciousness. Do I keep pretending or not?'

"Ok, I bet 20 hours he's still unconcious," the prisoner replied. "But how are you going to check?"

"That's easy," Leorio said as he picked up the big freak and hauled him to the edge. He propped the man up, holding him from falling only with his foot and hand. "I'll let him fall. If he's really fainted, he'll die from the fall."

"Are you serious?" the prisoner protested. "Might I remind you that the last match isn't over yet? Such a method won't be accepted!"

"Don't worry," Leorio spoke. "If he dies, we'll admit Kurapica's defeat. You'll have 2 victories on your own. Any objections?"

"No, that's okay," the prisoner sighed. "But in that case, I'm making a change. I'm betting 40 hours that he'll open his eyes."

"Here we are," Leorio smirked. "You're showing you're true face. Well, I release him."

"WAIT, NO!!" Majitani shouted, scrambling in to the middle of the arena. "DON'T RELEASE ME!!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!! You're dumb and I'm silly to mix with you! It's ok! I've lost! I feel more secure in jail!" He ran back to the stage and to safety.

"You knew he would wake up," the prisoner stated.

"So did you," Leorio countered. "Even if I'm just a cadet doctor, I can still tell if he's fainted by his eye movement."

The screen changed to 80/20.

"You only have 20 hours left," the prisoner mentioned.

"Yes, but now the score is 2 to 1," Leorio smirked. "You're turn, what do you want to bet on?"

The prisoner removed her cloak to reveal a stunningly beautiful woman with pink hair in pig-tails. "Let's bet on my gender: male or female?"

"I-I'm okay with this, but if I fail," Leorio gulped, his face sweaty. "How will you prove this to me?"

"With my body," she smirked. "You're free to auscultate me for as much as you like."

"That Leorio," Kurapica sighed. "He's gonna pick male."

"Yes," Killua sighed also.

"What?" Gon was clueless.

"Let's go, Leorio declared. "I bet 10 hours you're a male!"

"There we are," Kurapica shook his head.

"Such a pervert," Killua condescended.

"Sorry, but I'm female," the prisoner said.

"Seriously?"

"You wanna check?"

"For...for sure!" Leorio wiped his saliva from his face.

(INTERMISSION)

Leorio hugged his warm hand. A defeat without regret.

"You're turn," the prisoner chimed.

"Whatever, I'll just use my luck!" Leorio declared with a fist in the air. "We'll be on Rock-Paper-Scissors!"

"Ok, then," the pisoner said immeadiatly. "I bet 80 hours I'll win."

"Wha?" Leorio was stifled. 'How can she be so confident in this game?'

The prisoner girl smiled haughtily. 'This is only a question of probability and psychology. If we just look at the probability I have a 2-3 chance of winning, that's a 70 chance of victory. And more to the statisitcs, you can add psychology. Statistically, the hand's position that shows most often the first time is 'scissors'.'

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!!"

They both held "rocks" out. A draw.

"Rock...Paper..."

"SCISSORS!!"

They stared at each other, the prisoner girl with her "paper" and Leorio with his "rock". Leorio had lost.

"End of the game! Hours ran out: Defeat of Leorio!!"

"He lost to the game's bet, but over all we've lost 50 hours," Kurapica stated the obvious.

"How much time do they still have left?" Bendot asked the examiner through the camera.

"9 hours, 45 minuts, and 36 seconds," the examiner replied.

"That means the time they have left is lower than 10 hours," Bendot smiled.

"No matter," the last cloaked figure said. "The death of my next adversary is emminent."

"Well, the only one left is me," Killua whistled happily, walking to the arena.

"Damn!" Leorio cursed. "I definitly had to win so that we'd go on. Kurapica, Gon, I'm sorry."

"Gon, this guy is seriously starting to irritate me," Killua growled. "You're giving up on me before we've seen my aderversary or his skills. If he gives me a problem with mental calculation, I can't tell, but..."

The cloaked figure came forth and flung the hood off. He was a tall, and muscular built man. His brown hair was ruffled and he had a neatly cut mustache. His eyes were deep and he had a sad look on his face.

Leorio gasped in horror.

"You know him?" Gon asked.

"Killua," Leorio quivered. "Forget about the victory just don't fight him. His name is Jones the Cutter, he's the worst murderer in all of Zaban's criminality. He follows no logic in his murders and all of his victims are left in shreds by his hands. He's killed 146 people and cut them into at least 50 different parts. And this man has always acted only with his hands."

"It's been a long time since I've felt human flesh," Jones creeped everyone out with his words.

"You don't have to fight against such a monster," Leorio consoled Killua. "After all, this exam takes place every year."

Killua was unaffected by the ghost story, however, and waltzed to the arena. "How will we fight?"

"Fight?" Jones laughed. "I don't think you understand. This is a one-way massacre! I don't care about this exam and also of this amnesty; all I want is to touch flesh! Concerning you, just cry and shout. That will be enough."

"Ok," Killua shrugged. "You think it's better dying than losing, don't you?"

"Yes, and you're gonna-"

His words were taken out of his mouth...literally. Killua, in a flash, had removed Jones' heart and held it in his bloody hands, smiling.

"G-gimmee..." Jones stuttered before Killua crushed his heart, blood splattering everywhere, which somehow, inevitably, killed him, although I should think having his heart ripped out alone would kill him.

"There, 3 to 2," Killua spoke to Bendot, who appeared to be the leader of this charade. "I suppose with this, we can go, can't we?"

"Yes, you've won," Bendot submitted. "Passing through here, you'll arrive in a small room. You'll have to spend 50 hours there. That's the amount of time you've lost."

"Ok," Killua shrugged as he walked back to the group, hands in pockets.

"Him...where does he come from?" Leorio opened agape.

"Ah, it's true, you don't know," Gon mused.

So he told them.

"Well, shall we go?" Killua smiled at them.

They merely stared agape.