A/N: I just wanted to thank the people who reviewed last chapter! You made my day, for sure. And I also wanted to thank all the people that followed and favorited. I'm really glad that people actually like this and want to read more since I kind of got attached to Morie and Minoru.

Chapter Five:

I was beginning to think that they were dead. They had to be. How had I expected for the youngest kid to haul Minoru back to a destination that he didn't even know?

"You can't go back into the forest, Morie," Amori hissed at me, his eyes flicking around nervously before he grabbed onto my forearm. "You already made it to the third test. That means you're halfway through!"

"Even if it was all because of that creepy psycho," Umori whispered, his eyes drifting to the place where Hisoka sat quietly beneath the shade of an oak. A visible shiver racked his body and he quickly looked away.

Glaring, I tightened my dagger sheath, plucking at the sharp wire and making sure that everything was still firmly latched together. I would need it to get back into the forest and find them.

"I'm not going to risk Minoru's life just for some stupid job," I snapped, tugging down my sleeve and making my way purposefully down the winding road that led back to Milsey Swamp.

"This isn't just a job-" Amori hissed, walking quickly to keep up with me. Against the base of the oak, I saw Hisoka's head tip up, his eyes opening slightly to stare across the clearing at me.

I resisted the urge to give him the bird.

"This is a life," Umori supplied. Imori still snored at the base of the tree that we had been waiting at, his cap lying limply across his face.

"I had a life!" I spun on them, my face pinched with fury. "I was fine in Belcher's Bay! In fact, I loved it there. We were making good money. I was making good money-"

"Stealing," Amori chimed. Did I hear a bit of scorn in that word?

"Since when has stealing been a bad thing? You're the one who taught me." I glared up at both of them, my fists clenching.

Amori's usual cat-like gaze softened. "I want us to have a better life than that. Hunters have money. They're not treated like street rats."

He didn't get to do that. My mouth twisted, something angry withering inside of me. For a while, we had lived rough. Street kids aren't looked at like human beings in a town like Belcher's. We were less than. We smelled like all the days that we hadn't found a good stream to bathe in and we didn't know how to read or write like all the other kids. We were a detriment to society.

Why did he want to be accepted into such a depraved, cruel world? Why did it matter that the people in the streets didn't clutch their coin purses around us? Upstanding? What did that mean? Why did we need to be all of these fancy words? When had our life become not enough?

"If the hunter exam is the sort of test that means leaving the people that I care about behind than I don't want it," I whispered, turning swiftly away so I wouldn't have to see the hurt flash through his eyes.

"Morie, just hear me out-" A flash or green bobbed over the crest of one of the nearby hills.

"HEEEEYYYYYY~" A cheery voice hollered and I saw the little green bean boy jumping up and down as he bound along the trail. "WE GOT YOUR TEDDY BEAR, MISS!"

Was it relief that made my knees weak? No. I just was tired from the run, I told myself.

I crumpled, Amori's hands catching me swiftly as Umori quickly sprinted down the trail to help haul along Minoru as the lanky real estate agent tried to drag him along while keeping pace with the little kid.

Don't look so defeated, Morie, Minoru's voice whispered to me. Your face gets all weird and red like a newborn baby.

A flash of blonde hair caught my eye, alerting me to the fact that a fourth person was running along with them. As they drew closer, I realized that it was a rather handsome boy with piercing blue eyes. No. Maybe handsome wasn't the right word. His face was delicate, almost doll-like making the first word that popped into my mind be pretty.

"He was really heavy." The green-haired boy was right in front of me now, his face pulled into an obnoxiously large smile.

"You weren't even the one who carried him!" The lanky guy was just behind him, his chest drenched in a thick layer of sweat. Why wasn't he wearing a shirt? I could see his suit jacket and undershirt tied off at his waist, a tie still hanging loosely around his neck. On his nose sat a pair of circular spectacles that I hadn't noticed before. Although he still looked like he was closer to brokering a deal of insurance than defeating any great foe in a battle, his arms were muscles and his chest was lean and toned. He held a wiry kind of strength that couldn't be fully discounted.

All three of them were unnervingly cheerful after the fiasco that had just occurred in the clearing just a few hours before. It made me think that perhaps viewing them as children was a miscalculation on my part.

"I owe you a debt," I finally said, gently extracting Minoru from where he clung onto the shirtless real estate agent. Amori took his other arm and Umori casually took over my hold, casting me a glance of warning. We were still in a competition, that look told me. Debts could only go so far when the promise of a hunter's license hung on the line.

Across the way, I could see that Imori had fully woken, his mouth tipped down as he stared hard at the group of men who were crowding around me. I had told my brothers what had happened to Minoru and I. With Hisoka all but carrying me to the finish line, it was hard to leave out any details. To say that they were uncomfortable was an understatement.

"Aw, it was nothin'," the little pipsqueak said, his hand rubbed over his neck. I stared at him for a moment.

"What are your names?" I finally asked.

"Ah, I'm Gon!" the little green bean exclaimed, looking overjoyed to be having this conversation. He pointed to the lanky man who was currently opening up his briefcase and getting out a roll of bandages. "That's Leorio." Gon pointed to the blonde who stood quietly beside him, taking me in with a cool sort of calculation. "And this is Kurapika. We have another friend but we got separated in the forest."

"What's your relationship to Hisoka?" the blonde haired boy cut in, his expression decidedly blank from everything other than a dog-like focus. I tipped my head to the side, analyzing him. He was strong. I would even go as far as to say that he was barely leashed. He held himself like he was trying to remain very still - like even the slightest wind would tip him in favor of… Hm. What, I wondered.

Just a bit away, I caught Hisoka's intense stare. I glared. Of course, the other contestants had noticed that we were almost constantly in each other's company. He had made sure that few people ignored him. Smirking, he gave a wave.

Ugh. I hated him.

"Our relationship is that we have no relationship," I finally said, shrugging. "I had never met him before this exam. For the moment, it seems like he's amusing himself since this exam is a bit below his skill level."

"Below his skills?" Kurapika gasped; the comment seemed to irritate him. "We were told that he came here last year and got kicked out."

I tipped my head to the side, examining the two in front of me. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Sure, he didn't make it through the exam last year but… I think that was a bigger example of his prowess than even his cavalier attitude this exam.

"Listen," I murmured. "For the moment, he's amusing himself with me. I would hate to come across him the day in this competition when he becomes bored." I thought of the way his eyes guttered whenever he spoke to me about it. "It seems to agitate him."

Both Gon and Kurapika's eyes widened, sweat collecting at their foreheads. I was guessing that the encounter in the clearing had given them a taste of what could happen with Hisoka wasn't happy.

"Gon!" I turned, a silver-haired boy, clutching a skateboard approaching with a friendly smile. His eyes were solely on Gon though, making me think that the best friend status had already been filled.

"Killua!" Gon replied happily, all of the clouds from our earlier conversation disappearing from his face. In a way, it put me at ease that they were like this with each other - it was hard being alone in this competition.

"I can't believe you actually found your way here," Killua said, grinning.

A low whistle drew my attention to where my brother's stood, their eyes hard as they eyed the small group that had gathered around me. In a competition like this one, groups that were too big drew attention. And my brother's and I already made that category.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Gon riffled around in his backpack, his face scrunching up until he pulled out the broken piece of my launching contraption. The metal had been ripped apart, a little bit of blood smeared over the sides. I glanced down at my fingers, surprised at the blood slowly dripping from my exposed nail bed and some skin that had been ripped open at my palm.

Startled, I took it from Gon's outstretched hands, his smile almost apologetic. "We couldn't get the dagger out but we were able to cut that wire..."

His eyes were wide and curious as they flicked from the metal pieces in my hands to my face. I stared at him, trying to determine if I should tell them all of what my weapon consisted of or leave it to their imagination.

"I appreciate your help," I finally said, avoiding their gazes and hating myself for being so cautious.

"Morie!" Amori screamed, drawing the attention of more people than just me.

"If you need anything, let me know," I repeated, swiftly turning and making my way to my brothers.

Golden eyes caught mine and for a moment I couldn't move a single step further. I stopped, holding his gaze. Was there amusement there? Maybe a bit of excitement? He said that he could teach me. But teach me what? My eyes narrowed, his smirk growing until I caught the flash of straight teeth. He liked to play around with me, watch me squirm on the line that he had set me on. And for some reason, I wasn't struggling against it as much as I should.

"Everyone, job well done," a jovial voice called out and I broke Hisoka's stare to turn towards the lavender-haired examiner. "The Vicsa Forest Reserve is the venue for the second phase. I'll take my leave now. I wish everyone the best of luck."

As he walked away, the massive doors that separated us from the inside of whatever hid behind the fenced off area creaked open. A lavish two story house sat just inside, the grounds just in front spotted with rows of combust stations laden with knives, a fire pit, and other kitchen utensils.

"Those who have passed the first phase, step inside." I hadn't noticed the petite woman who sat atop the steps that led to the massive house.

I had never been near someplace this nice. Well, that wasn't entirely true. I had tried to steal from the richer side of town once when I was younger. I grimaced, weaving through the mass of examinees that were pushing closer to the woman and her giant companion who stood just behind her. The problem with houses is that they're so big. People don't feel wary when they're walking along the streets but with places that big, rich folks got nervous. They hired more people to watch it, got dogs that would tear you to shreds. I had quickly found out that I was a much better pickpocket than cat burglar that night.

"Welcome!" the green haired woman called happily. "I'm the examiner for the Second Phase, Menchi."

"I'm the other examiner, Buhara," the robust man behind her said, grinning.

"Ah, man." I had finally navigated my way to my brother and Minoru. Tentatively, I took his paw, watching as his lowered head raised slightly. Amori stared moodily up at the green-haired woman, her hair knotted atop her head like she was some sort of exotic fruit instead of a person. "I was hoping they'd get rid of this stupid test."

Imori's face was pulled into a deep grimace, his hands tight. "This is gonna be a pain in the ass."

"If - If we just think of the best variation of ingredients-"

Amori hissed, snapping around to glare at our youngest brother. "What? We'll make her a fucking - What are they called? Ratatouille?"

"Fancy, rich people food," Imori groaned.

Curious, I hopped up and down, unable to see a single thing other than the back of people's shirts as they crowded around the raised steps.

"What is it?" I questioned, giving up and choosing instead to rely on my brothers for the answers.

Imori stared down at me, his face grim. "It's-"

"Here's how it'll be," Menchi called. I grimaced. At least, I could still hear her even if I couldn't see her. "The Second Phase test… will be cooking!"

The collection of groans and curses made me want to cover my ears.

That doesn't sound so bad, Minoru mused, glancing around in confusion.

"Hold on a second!" a weighty man who looked about ready to pound someone into the ground called. "Did you say cooking?! We're here to try out for the Hunter exams!"

He done fucked up now, I grinned, catching Minoru's open eye roll. Why come to the hunter exam if you were going to complain about one of the tests? It seemed a little bit stupid to me. Menchi didn't entirely seem to be the kind of person who would just turn around and change her test just because some grown adult was whining.

"You heard correctly!" Menchi called cheerily. "Your challenge for the Second Phase is to make a dish that will satisfy us."

"Why a cooking test?!" the sumo wrestler demanded. I resisted the urge to tell him to shut up. This test was going to happen whether he liked it or not and frankly speaking, I would rather just get started.

"That's because the two of us are Gourmet Hunters!" My brother's grinned, the derisive edge to their smiles making me think that they didn't hold this type of hunter in very high esteem.

I glanced around, confused as a couple of the men next to me started laughing. Before long it had turned into a roaring clash of boisterous laughs. Briefly, my eyes connected with Hisoka's a bored smile curling his lips. Absently, I raised a brow. What was so bad about being a gourmet hunter? Hisoka winked, a nasty, wicked light making his golden eyes glint.

Ugh. I hated him.

"This must be a joke," one of the men nearest me jeered.

"What's this about Gourmet Hunters?" another laughed.

Annoyed, I turned to my brothers who all still held that self-righteous smiles. "What's so bad about being a Gourmet Hunter?"

"They're not real hunters," Imori said with an eye roll that I really didn't appreciate.

"It's like calling a maid a hunter," Umori threw out.

I frowned, unhappy with the answer.

"So, miss Gourmet Hunter," the sumo wrestler called out, the chatter of laughter still in the background. "What kind of dish do you want us to make?"

There was a moment of tense silence before the green-haired hunter answered. "Buhara."

The ground shook as the big man stepped forward. "The main ingredient will be pork."

My frown deepened. My brother's and I rarely got meats - not from any dietary reason but simply because we were so poor. Pork was much too expensive and there was nowhere near us with a proper supply of pig for us to hunt. In other words-

"We're screwed," my brother's and I groaned at the same time. I slapped them all in the arm, seething.

"You don't get the right to be anxious since you were just making fun of them," I snapped, crossing my arms as they frowned down at me.

"Any type that you find in the Visca Reserve Forest will do!" Buhara called and my eyes drifted to the dense forest just outside the gates. "It doesn't matter what type. You will use the tools and appliances here to prepare us a dish using the pig. If we are both happy with the dish, you will pass the test."

"But it's not just about the taste," Menchi clarified, looking highly annoyed. "Do not underestimate the complexities of cooking. Do you hear me?"

I bit back a groan. Yeah, I heard her. I had cooked every meal for my brothers since I turned twelve. Anxiously, I glanced through the basket of ingredients that was set out on each of the work tables. They all seemed to be the same: celery, onions, carrots, eggplant, tomatoes… was that an orange? What the hell was I going to do with an orange?

Not to mention that there wasn't any grain available at the station. Growling, I yanked open the cabinets one after another, throwing out a few pots and pans as I went. Nothing. No rice. No noodles.

We could make soup. I stopped my rampage, glancing up at Minoru. He had a point. We could make soup. That's about all we could make with so few ingredients.

Fine. But I'm not happy about this.

Every other contestant had cleared out from the station area, making us behind schedule.

Do you know how much time we have? I asked as we picked our way through the forest, passing some examinees as they looked in brush and around trees. Minoru shrugged, moving slowly beside me.

Are you seriously injured? I inquired, eyeing him nervously. What would I do if he was? Where did that leave me in the competition? I didn't think that I could continue on without him. Why would I want to?

My pride, more than anything else, Minoru finally said. To think that I got taken by a human. How pitiful.

If it makes you feel better, I don't think that Hisoka is a human at all. We had reached a little dip in the ground and I could hear the sound of a stream nearby along with the distant shouts of some of our competition. It looked like some people had found some pig.

"THEY'RE GONNA EAT ME!" I blinked, sweeping around quickly to see the cloud of dust that had poofed up just a few feet away from me.

"Could they be-" I started, unsure.

Carnivorous, Minoru replied grimly.

Well, that was just perfect.

I hope you guys liked it and leave me a review if you do!