Chapter One
Ayami tucked her long black hair behind her ear as a small green man in a suit handed her a tag.
"You are number one hundred thirteen. Please keep your tag on at all times." Ayami grinned, pinning it to her jacket.
"Okay, thank you Mister!" She smiled sweetly, turning and skating into the crowd. Ayami weaved through the crowd, picking pockets as she went, occasionally intentionally bumping into people to grab more difficult steals.
She'd perfected her act growing up on the streets of Meteor City, using her roller blades as an excuse to get closer to people and into their pockets. She'd also learned to play up her age; most people wouldn't think anything of a cute young girl on roller blades bumping into them. By the time they realised they'd been robbed, Ayami was long gone. She hummed as she went, filling her pockets and ignoring the comments being thrown at her.
"Hey kid! Do you want to die? The hunters exam isn't for kids you know!" One man snapped at her. Ayami hid an eye roll and pretended to jump at his obnoxious voice, stumbling into a tall man with pink hair and deftly slipping her fingers into his pocket, swiping a small cardboard box.
"Sorry Mister!" Ayami chirped, twirling around and flashing him a smile as she slipped her loot into one of her hidden pockets. Her smile dimmed and her heart rate spiked when she met his sickening amber eyes, but she pasted it back on as she turned and sped away. Hisoka stared after her, a slow smirk curving his lips upward.
'Could it be? I was told she died. But the resemblance is uncanny…' He thought to himself, remembering the sun faded photograph his unattainable fruit always carried, a young girl with pitch black hair and sky blue eyes. 'How interesting…'
When Ayami got far enough away she shuddered and decided to avoid the crowd until more applicants arrived. She settled down in a corner and emptied her pockets, sorting through her earnings and depositing most of it in her small backpack. She pulled out a chocolate bar and settled in for a long wait.
The second she unwrapped the Choco-Robot Bar a young boy, about her age, perked up at the familiar smell and rushed through the crowd towards whoever had his favorite candy. He hesitated when he found the source, blue eyes widening. 'She's my age…' Killua thought to himself before schooling his features and approaching her.
"Yo." Ayami glanced up and saw a boy about her age holding a skateboard. He had piercing blue eyes and fluffy white hair, and skin as pale as hers.
"Hi." Ayami said, blinking at him. They stood in silence for a few awkward moments before Ayami broke off a piece of her chocolate bar and offered it to him. He beamed and took it, sitting down next to her.
"I'm Killua."
"Ayami. Wanna play cards?" She asked, pulling out the deck she'd stolen from the clown man. Killua grinned and nodded. They sat and played cards for a while, laughing and chatting the whole time. 'This is...fun' They both thought, smiling widely. After an hour Ayami sighed and put her cards down. Killua looked up, trying to hide his panic.
"What's wrong?" He asked. They were having fun, he didn't want her to leave.
"I'm kinda hungry." She whined. Killua relaxed, tension leaving his shoulders. "Maybe we can order a pizza…" Ayami pondered, making Killua laugh.
"I don't think they're gonna deliver a pizza all the way down here."
"Damn." Ayami grumbled. Suddenly, an agonised scream cut through the air, making them jump. Ayamis eyes widened when she found the source. "His arms…''
"How magical~ His arms dissipated into petals just like that." The clown man drawled as his victim collapsed. "Now you see them, now you don't." He said with a vicious smirk. "You should be more careful… and apologize when you bump into someone."
Ayami and Killua shuddered. 'Creepy.' They stared for a minute before Killua shrugged.
"I'm gonna get a drink from Tonpa, wanna come?" He asked, grinning mischievously.
"Sure!" Ayami beamed. They strolled through the crowd, searching for Killuas friend, Ayami robbing a few more people as she went. Killua watched her curiously but didn't comment.
"Tonpa! Do you have any more juice? We're really thirsty!" Killua called when he spotted the short man. Tompa turned and his eyes widened seeing the two kids. He gave ninety nine a laxative filled juice an hour ago, the kid should be out for the count. And he'd never seen the girl he had with him. She looked to be about ninety nines age, just a few inches shorter than him. She had black long curly hair pulled into a high ponytail, long bangs falling out and framing her pretty face and big blue eyes. Her oversized jacket and denim shorts made her seem even smaller, and he wondered briefly how something so delicate looking had made it to the Hunter Exams. She also had thick silver bands around each wrist and ankle.
"Yes, of course!" Tompa laughed nervously. Killua grabbed several drinks from Tompa and passed one to Ayami before he started chugging. Tompa watched him, nervous. Ayami took a small sip and her eyes widened, quickly swiping Killuas from his hand.
"You shouldn't drink this Killua, it tastes funny." She scolded, making Tompas eyes widen.
"It's fine Ayami, I was trained for this. Poisons don't affect me." Killua said, smirking at Tonpa before taking Ayamis hand and dragging her away. Ayami stared at him for a moment before pouting and whacking him on the shoulder, hard. "Hey! What was that for." Killua protested as she walked past him to their little corner. His eyes widened, realising that it actually hurt. 'She's strong...' he thought, impressed.
"You let me drink poison." Ayami huffed, glaring at him.
"It was a low grade! Not a big deal!" He whined, crossing his arms. They glared at each other for a moment before he sighed. "You gonna be okay?" Ayami cracked a smile.
"I'll be fine, I've had worse than that." They grinned, settling into their corner. Soon there was a shrill noise, like an alarm, drawing everyone's attention to a wall that rose and revealed a man with purple hair and a darker purple suit.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting. We have come to the end of the exam registration. The Hunter Exam will now begin." He declared.
"Where's his mouth?" Ayami whispered to Killua, who shrugged. 'How can he talk if he has no mouth?!'
"Just a reminder," The examiner began, "this is an extremely difficult exam. If you aren't strong or lucky enough, you may die. If you are intent on taking this test, follow me. For those who are giving up, make your way to the elevator and leave this place." No one moved, and Killua smirked confidently next to her. "Very well. All four hundred and four canidates have decided to take the first test." He turned and began to walk, limbs moving awkwardly without bending his elbows and knees.
Ayami's eyes lit up like the sun and a grin stretched across her face. 'It's time!'