Yay your still here! Not much to say.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x hunter or my hero academia. Those rights go to the legends Togashi and Horikoshi.

Edited 29/9/19

Izuku's POV

We sat at the exit, shrouded in fog, waiting for the rest of the examinees to catch up.
I took out my water bottle from my belt and took a long gulp from it. I had been so focused on finishing the race, I hadn't realised how parched my throat was. I was hoping the last people would take a while to reach us, I really needed to catch my breath.

I didn't have long though, after Leorio and the blonde guy he was with, Gon called him Kurapika, caught up, the fog began to fade, and Satotz explained the second part of the first phase of the exam.

"The Numere wetlands, or Swindlers swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach the 2nd phase of the hunter exam. This home is place to many cunning, insatiable creatures, who enjoy deceiving humans. Be very careful, if you let them deceive you, you're dead. Stay close to me so you wont be deceived."

"Don't let them fool you!"

Without warning, or perhaps with warning regarding the examiners explanation, someone emerged from behind the exit.

"He's lying to you!" With an intense expression, he pointed at Satotz. "He's an impostor! He isn't an examiner!" I'm the real examiner. Look at this."

The man pulled out an unconscious monkey, with the face of Satotz.

"It's a man-faced ape. They love the taste of human flesh. However their limbs are long and thin, so they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans in these wetlands, teaming up with other animals to devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!"

Just like that, the crowd began to favour the one who just emerged.

'Ridiculous. How can they fall for such a stupid trick after the examiner just explained to us what these animals try to do. If Satotz wasn't truly the real examiner, he wouldn't have began the exam from the starting point. The hunter board decided the beginning of the exam, if Satotz wasn't a real examiner, that means he would've had to trick the entire hunting board.'

I thought about disproving the real impostor, but before I was able to even think about what to say, three cards shot at the trickster, and Satotz. The former was wounded, and the latter caught them.

"I see, I see. You're the real one."

A strange clown-like contestant shuffled a deck of cards, seeming to be the source of the attack. I felt shivers travel up my spine.

I recognised him.

His name was Hisoka Morow, and the only reason he wasn't already a hunter was because he was disqualified for almost killing an examiner during his first attempt. He had killed 20 examinees.

"Examiners are hunters selected to perform this duty without pay. Any hunter would've been able to block that attack."

Although he looked the very definition of evil psychopath, I had to give him credit for his quick thinking. He dispelled all confusion in an instant.
But he was dangerous.

"I'll take that as a compliment, however attack me again and I shall disqualify you for attacking an examiner. I believe a number of you were fooled. If you lose sight of me in the wetlands fog, you will never reach the exam's second phase. Please follow me"

Fortunately that conflict had bought some time for me to catch my breath. I stood up, and ran along side Killua, Gon and Kacchan on our way to the next phase of the exam.

/

"Guys. Let's move up." After running through the marshes, Killua spoke up.
"Yeah we don't want to lose sight of the examiner."
"We also need to get away from Hisoka." I knew this was Killua's real meaning.
"Yes. Staying too close to him is dangerous," he confirmed what I thought.
"Leorio, Kurapika! Killua said we should move up ahead!"
"If we could've we already would've! Don't worry about us!" The two replied to Gon, how I wanted to reply to Killua, however the tension in the air was suffocating. It was too risky to stay behind.

We all picked up the pace, however I noticed Kacchan constantly glancing back, eyeing Hisoka.

"Kacchan! D-don't tell me you're think about fighting him!"

I had known him for 13 years. He had always wanted a challenge, but he had also always known when something was too far to reach.
He didn't reply.

.

We heard screaming at short intervals all around us.

"There's something underneath us! Move!" After not having spoken for a while, Kacchan warned us, but too late.

'Kacchan, how did you...'

We were swallowed whole by a giant frog, which emerged suddenly from the ground.

Just as abruptly we were spit out.

"I guess he didn't like the taste of us..."
"It was this." Killua pulled out a drink which we had been offered before the exam had even started
"That's Tonpa-san's! I guess he saved us," Gon said.

'How did that result in the frog spitting us out... was the drink spiked?'

"I'm worried about Leorio and Kurapika..." Gon muttered.
"Forget them. Let's get going. We can still catch up to the examiner," Killua responded.
"I'm sure they'll be alright, I mean they did make it this far..." I tried to ease Gon's worries.

Suddenly Gon stopped running, with a concerned facial expression.

"What is it Gon?"
"Huh? Gon, come on we need to catch up."
"I've got a bad feeling... You guys go on ahead I'll catch up!"
"Why? What is it?"

Without replying, Gon ran back where we came from.

"Wait, Gon!" Killua called out to Gon, as I ran after him.

"Let's go, they can catch up." I heard Kacchan speak to Killua behind me, I didn't hear another pair of footsteps, so he must've agreed.

Gon was sprinting. Before his run during the race clearly wasn't his best, I could barely keep up with him.
I didn't shout to save my breath, concentrating only on keeping him in sight. I had a feeling that somehow, he would be able to find Kacchan and Killua again.

Racing into my view was Hisoka and Leorio.

'Don't tell me... they're fighting?'

They were certainly fighting, although it was incredibly one sided. I forgot about my exhaustion, running to wards them before I could think, until a fishing line hit Hisoka on the cheek.

This was the bad feeling he had.

"Not bad little boy. Allow me a closer look."

Hisoka began to walk towards Gon. I was way behind him, hiding (unintentionally but luckily) behind some bushes.

Leorio was enraged at his shift in attention, and ran up behind him, preparing to hit him, but to no avail.
All it took was one punch.
One punch to the face, and Leorio was out.

Gon jumped forward swinging with his fishing rod, but somehow Hisoka turned to smoke.
I didn't even notice him suddenly appear behind Gon.

On one hand, I had to help Gon, yet on the other hand, I would likely be a liability. This proved he was more skilled than me - he hit with perfect accuracy with his fishing rod, yet the gap between his and Hisoka's power was too great.

Gon kept swinging his rod furiously, hoping to land another hit on the magician, yet not a single hit it's mark. He was avoiding them easily.

Gon moved fast. But the clown moved faster. In an instant, his hand was clasped around Gon's neck.
He was completely at Hisoka's mercy.
I planned to change that.

I silently crept up behind him and threw a punch into his arm holding Gon.
He dropped Gon, but... it almost seemed as if he did it on purpose.

"Another one came to save you. You've made many friends," he smirked devilishly.

'Think! What can I do for us three to escape safely! Leorio is unconscious, one of us will need to carry him. Someone could serve as a decoy? The club Leorio dropped! Maybe-'

Before I could finish thinking, I hastily jumped to the side narrowly avoiding a card flying straight to my chest. Scrambling up, I jumped to the club lying a few metres away. Expecting another attack, I brought it up to protect myself, however no card came.

"Wonderful. I love those expression on your faces. You have good friends. Don't worry. You all pass."

He was interrupted by a ring.

"Hisoka, you should get back here we are almost at the 2nd exam site," the voice through the phone spoke.
"You can find your way back yourself, yes?" Hisoka addressed us two, and began to leave himself, picking up Leorio and carried him away after seeing Gon nod in response.

As soon as he faded away into the fog, I ran towards Gon.

"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks Izuku!"
"A-are you sure? But he looked like he was strangling you!"
"I'm fine! Let's get back to the others now then."
"How? I guess if we hurry we can follow him? Do you think he's going to the beginning of the 2nd phase? By what the person on the phone said, chances are yes. Why did he take Leorio? Is it because 'we all pass?' What does he even mean by that? Who was it on the phone? How will we find-"
"Izuku?"
"Oh! S-sorry! It's a habit of mine I mumble to myself a lot... Anyway how are we going to get back?"
"By smell! I can smell Leorio's cologne - it's very unique."
"Gon! Are you alright?"

Out of the fog came the blonde guy Leorio was running with before - Kurapika.

/

We found a gathering of people, likely from the exam, standing in front of a gate.

"Although there is a possibility that this is a trick, Gon seems reliable. If they were to fool his nose they would have to both replicate Leorio's cologne, and hide the original source... Unless if they took Leorio themselves? Hisoka carried him though, so either they beat Hisoka, which is not possible, Hisoka was one of them, which wouldn't make sense as he had the power then and there to kill us, but didn't, or Hisoka left Leorio somewhere random, which is also unlikely as he said he passed... But then again-"

"Izuku you're doing it again."

I was shocked to my senses after my mumble storm by Gon. We began to search around, scanning the crowd for a sign of him (I also looked for Killua and Kacchan). We found him leaning against a tree

"There you are! I can't believe you made it back!" Giving my answer to the whereabouts of Killua and Kacchan, a certain voice caused us all to turn our head.
"I tracked Leorio's cologne."
"Really? You are weird."

"Everyone, nice work. The second phase will take place in the Biska forest park. Best of luck to you all." Bringing all eyes on him, Satotz gave another explanation then made his leave, swinging his lanky legs in his strange stride.

The gate then opened to reveal a huge mansion, with a long pathway leading up to it. I groaned at the thought of more walking, my legs were about to give away, but you couldn't expect less of the hunter exam. The large group trudged to the mansion to meet the next examiners.

Thanks for reading! Thanks for all the follows, and favourites! If your wondering how Bakugo felt something when the frog swallowed them, it'll be explained in a later chapter ;D

Replies to reviews:

Jss2141: Thanks for coming back! :D

Guest: Thanks! I was thinking about that too, I'll probably make Katsuki a transmuter, as having the power work is more import than the personality since there can be anomalies. As for Izuku though... :)