Disclaimer: I do not own hunterxhunter. All characters and plot of the said manga/anime are under the intellectual property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a work of pure fiction whereas names, OC's, places, or events are products of the author's imagination. If there is any resemblance to actual/real persons, places, or events, then it is pure coincidence. Furthermore, I do not own the cover image and give full credit to whoever owns it.
From: 11.1906N_119.5082E
To: mizaistom_nana
Subject: Illegal Activities of the Republic of Khamat
I'm Dr. Navi Riche. You probably don't know me but please don't ignore this.
I am sending this e-mail to inform you of the true events occurring behind the success of Khamat in their subtle "colonial expansion" of the Teradiz continent.
I was part of the medical department of the Hunter's Association as a neurosurgeon. I proposed many experiments and medical procedures but the association wouldn't fund them because they could see my work going "too far". The Armed Forces of Khamat (AFK) caught wind of my professional work and experiments. They offered me an open job position for their newest program in training fresh soldier troops. And of course, a bruised pride and knowing the prestigious image attached to Khamat made me immediately accept the position as Head of their Medical Research Department. I thought that my decision to associate myself with Khamat would be the start of how my name would go down in history. But that was a foolish and arrogant dream. I've only taken up this job for about a year and the horrors they have done here… the things that I wish I could unsee are unimaginable. Have you heard of The Pied Piper Incident? The one that happened 2 years ago? I don't have the luxury to explain that complicated case here but I'm sure any seasoned veteran hunter would've heard of it. And I'm no detective, but I'm also not an idiot. I've connected the dots, and I believe that all the missing children are being illegally held captive by the AFK, and none of them remember their identities or backgrounds – they all seem like empty shells, like robots ready to be installed with a program. They were the "fresh" soldier troops that Khamat has promised us new researchers, and now, all of us have been either threatened or blackmailed to experiment on them to develop an army of weapons that is capable of bringing down all continents. I beg you, please take this call for help seriously, I am warning you that in a few years-time… Khamat will be untouchable. Don't just send anyone or they WILL FIND OUT and end up accelerating their plans. Send an elite team to at least help a few of the children escape. With that, their plans will be compromised which will give us enough time. I believe that is the first step in bringing this whole system down.
I've been specifically handling one of the children or "soldiers" that they call Matryoshkas. She is identified as 0007, more commonly known as the "Sparrow" among the Matryoshkas. She was the first to recall a few of her memories, one of them being a memory of her listening to her mother performing as a pianist at a concert. Based on her descriptions, there is a high probability that her mother was Raine Maron, the wife of the renowned Hunter, Terrence Maron. I urge you to investigate more on the Maron family's sudden disappearance. If my theory is correct, then 0007 is the Maron family's eldest daught-
-End of Message-
Volume 1: Chapter 7
Killua Zoldyck
"We will be your examiners for Phase Two!" Menchi announced to the crowd of applicants. After a few seconds, a loud grumbling sound echoed throughout the area.
"Uh? What was that noise?" Most of the applicants murmured, wondering what on earth could possibly be making the sound they were hearing.
"Sounds to me like you're getting hungry," Menchi looked back at her fellow examiner.
Buhara laughed it off then said, "Not just hungry, I'm famished!"
"Don't tell me that sound came from his stomach…?" Leorio asked in puzzlement.
"It appears so," Erin replied.
Afterward, Menchi stood up and addressed the crowd, "Well, there you have it… The Second Phase," she paused and raised a pointed finger to all of the applicants then continued, "Will be cooking!"
With what she said, murmurs of confusion rippled through the crowd of applicants like a wave.
"H-huh…? That's it?" Leorio asked no one in particular and was once again puzzled by the unexpected turn of events.
Before the murmurs started to grow louder, one voice suddenly blared out of the rest of them. It belonged to a veteran applicant that Tonpa was talking about before when he approached the gang in the tunnel – a man with the built of a sumo wrestler. He rudely shouted at the examiners, "What do you mean by 'we're cooking'? We came here to take the Hunter Exam!"
"Exactly," Menchi replied with an as-a-matter-of-fact tone, "The second phase of the exam will be preparing a meal that will satisfy our palates."
"Why do we have to cook?" The wrestler asked.
Menchi placed both hands on her hips, "Don't you know? It's simple, it's because… we're Gourmet Hunters!" she proudly exclaimed to all of the applicants.
A few seconds of silence washed over everyone until the majority of the crowd burst out laughing, clearly mocking their current examiners and not even bothering to hide how little they thought of them.
As the applicants continued to insult Menchi and Buhara, Kurapika couldn't help but mentally sigh at the narrow-mindedness of the applicants who mocked the second phase examiners.
Gourmet hunter or not, whatever label they have, they're still called hunters for a reason. The Kurta thought. He glanced at his friends to see their reactions; Gon looked the same as usual, Killua still didn't seem to have a care in the world, and it was as plain as day that Leorio was utterly confused as to what type of exam the second phase was going to be.
Kurapika then glanced at Erin only to find himself quite surprised by her expression. She still kept the same stoic face that she usually wore when she wasn't conversing with anyone but for some reason, her face didn't look clouded with constant caution. The Kurta didn't know how he could tell but her eyes looked soft – not the kind that she would sarcastically show to Leorio or anyone else, but the kind that seemed really genuine.
"You look quite delighted, Erin," Kurapika said and made sure that he was only within her earshot. Immediately after he uttered those words, her eyes of vigilance returned.
Erin slowly turned to face Kurapika then replied, "Oh…? Do I?"
"Yes," the Kurta affirmed, "How do I say this? You look less… alert," Kurapika added with a hint of hesitance because even he himself wasn't sure if his observations of her were correct.
Although it was only for a very brief moment, the redhead blinked at him as if she was a deer caught in headlights. Then she shifted back to the innocent smile that she always used as she asked, "… What exactly does that look like?"
Kurapika could see her innocent expression but he couldn't feel that there was any trace of innocence behind it. Even though the two of them have only been interacting for a few days, and even though Erin was extremely skilled at hiding what she was thinking with confusing shifts in her demeanor, the Kurta was highly perceptive as well, and after being at the receiving end of her stares for quite a few numbers of times already, he could tell that she was now carefully scrutinizing him with those peculiar-colored eyes.
It seems that I have become too sensitive with Erin ever since our conversation in that tunnel. Kurapika thought and before he could reply to her question, Leorio loudly called out to the group.
"Hey, guys! Do any of you know how to cook?"
"I can cook fried rice!" Gon proudly announced to his four companions as he raised his hand.
Leorio placed both of his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow at Gon, "And…?"
Gon merely gave him a goofy grin then said, "That's all!"
Leorio loudly sighed at the false hope that the boy gave him as he smacked his palm on his forehead.
"Well, I don't cook. My butlers do it for me," Killua said while placing both of his hands at the back of his head.
"Butlers?!" Leorio exclaimed. The silver-haired boy seemed so nonchalant about having butlers that Leorio started to see him as an arrogant spoiled rich brat and so he grumbled at Killua, "Well, don't you look smug huh?"
Leorio then moved on towards the more dependable ones of their group and faced his Kurta friend. "Kurapika?"
"I can cook but only if it's necessary," Kurapika replied then slightly shook his head, "I can't say I'm skilled at it though."
"I guess that just leaves us with Erin," With what Leorio said, everyone turned all their attention to the redhead, "Well?" Leorio looked at her expectantly.
"Hmm…" Erin went back to her memories of an old man skilfully slicing away ingredients, "Cooking is interesting…"
Leorio quickly shifted into a brightened-up mood, "Oh! does that mean you can cook? It seems like you're confident!" He exclaimed as he continued to pat Erin in the back.
Killua glanced at Erin only to see a passionless look on her face. In what way, does that face scream confidence? The silver-haired boy thought as a bead of sweat appeared at the temple of his head.
"Perhaps," Erin started, "Comfortable is the right word rather than confident."
"Jeez, you don't have to beat around the bush! I guess we'll be counting on you this round!" Leorio grinned at her happily "I'm sure you're great at cooking! You're a girl after all!"
Jeez, not sexist at all, Leorio… Kurapika thought and wanted to smack his friend for how irritatingly loud his voice was but refrained himself.
As Leorio continued to shower Erin with all the attention he had, all the applicants who were murmuring quieted down when the wrestler spoke up. "So Miss Gourmet Hunter, what exactly do you want us to cook?" He said without trying to hide the mocking tone he used.
Menchi furrowed her eyebrows, showing that she definitely got the wrestler's underlying insult but chose to leave it at that and called out to the other examiner, "Buhara?"
"Today's required ingredient will be pork!" Buhara announced, "Feel free to use any species of pig in Biska Forest! As you can see, we have already provided the cooking facilities need for you to complete your dish. To pass this phase of the exam, you must create a dish that can satisfy our discriminating palates."
"But, we won't be evaluating taste alone, so take this seriously," Menchi added and it was clear in her voice that she was quite upset with how the majority of the applicants were treating them. "Is that clear? When we've both eaten our fill, this portion of the exam will be over."
"Alright enough talk! Let's just get to it alright!" The wrestler brushed off her warning as he arrogantly waved a hand at the examiners.
Menchi glared at him while Buhara merely ignored him and shouted, "Let Phase Two of the exam," He slapped his belly which produced a loud gong-like sound then said, "Begin!"
"So we only have to catch a pig and cook it huh?" Leorio said, "This is way easier than the First Phase!"
"I just hope it's that simple," Kurapika replied while glancing around in hopes of spotting any species of pig.
"Kurapika's right," Erin added, "Gourmet Hunters tend to be complicated," She then turned to face Leorio, "I know a Gourmet Hunter and he's quite eccentric, but also very strong," the redhead paused for a moment as she briefly recalled the time she spent with the old man she was referring to, then smiled as she said, "Probably stronger than Hisoka."
"H-huh?!" Leorio leaned towards Erin in surprise, "What do Gourmet Hunters do exactly then?"
Immediately, without making an effort of being discreet about it, Killua mumbled, "The name's already self-explanatory…"
Leorio turned to the silver-haired boy and finally let out his annoyance on someone else other than Erin or Kurapika, "Why you…!"
"So as usual, we just have to keep an eye out, right?" Gon asked his redheaded friend.
"Yes," Erin replied. She was still darting her eyes around to look for any type of pig but at the same time, she kept close attention on Gon. After his sudden disappearance at Swindler's Swamp, Erin couldn't keep herself from being more aware and cautious of the boy's actions. She didn't expect him to catch her off guard by actually managing to run off to save his friends, with her not being able to sense any of his movements.
Clearly, I underestimated his physical prowess back then. Erin thought. Or perhaps… I really am slowly deteriorating.
Without any warning, Gon suddenly jumped off what it looked like a sheer drop. Once again, Erin's wary instincts for Gon immediately kicked in as she briskly walked towards the edge of where her friend jumped off from, only to find him happily sliding down a slightly steep pasture. The redhead released a sigh that she didn't know she was holding then followed after Gon by sliding down the pasture as well.
Killua noticed what Gon and Erin did, and of course, followed suit.
"Woohoo!" The silver-haired boy cheered as if he was enjoying a ride in an amusement park. As he sped down towards the two, he realized that the both of them have stopped at the bottom of the slope and didn't show any sign of moving out of the way. His cheers turned into screams until he hardly bumped into Erin's back. He was about to yell at her when he suddenly felt something hard and heavy bump into him from the back. He realized that Leorio and Kurapika must have followed him as well.
Ignoring the small but irritating pain he now felt on his back, Killua glared at Gon and Erin, but more specifically at the redhead, then shouted, "What the hell are you two doing?!"
"We found them," Gon quietly said.
"Pigs!" Leorio shouted, failing to notice how Gon was trying to keep a low profile. He then squinted his eyes in an effort to see what the enormous pigs were gobbling on, "Are those bones they're chewing on…?"
"Don't tell me… They're carnivores…" Kurapika nervously commented.
One of the pigs finally noticed the group that just slid down the hill then threateningly clenched its jaw on the bone it was chewing and started running towards the gang until the whole herd of enormous pigs came charging at them.
"Hmm… How long do you think it's going to take for them to return," Buhara groggily asked his fellow examiner, "I'm starving already!"
"Since you tricked them into thinking that there are more than one species of pig in this forest, then, of course, it's going to take them a while," Menchi replied with a curt tone. Just as she finished her sentence, Menchi catches on to a rumbling sound from a distance that was gradually growing louder and louder. A few moments later, the large crowd of applicants came rushing into the area with each of them carrying a pig of their own. "Well, I guess I stand corrected. Would you look at that!"
After returning to their cooking stations, the majority of the applicants instantly did the same thing – roasting the whole pig.
Menchi sighed in disappointment at the sight before her. These idiots… None of them's making an effort! She then leaned back at the couch she was sitting on and crossed her legs. Hmph! Fine by me then! I guess no one's passing this phase.
The first to finish roasting his pig and present his dish to the examiners was Todo the wrestler. He served them the dish then confidently said, "Now, eat the pig and send me to the next phase."
Menchi glared at him, "Let's find out what it tastes like then."
Buhara immediately gobbled up the pig in front of him then raises a stick with the symbol of a circle indicating that he approved of the dish. Todo nodded in agreement with the decision but found himself surprised after Menchi raised her stick with an x-symbol.
"W-what? Why?!" Todo angrily asked.
"The pork's overcooked. It's way too tough and totally ruins the flavor," Menchi simply replied.
"But you didn't even taste it!"
"I don't have to! It's obvious!"
One after another, each of the applicants presented their dishes only to receive the wrath and harsh critique of Menchi.
Gon and his friends continued to watch and listen to the constant nagging of the female examiner as they waited for any positive results.
"Not one applicant has passed yet…" Kurapika stated
"And Menchi has yet to take a single bite off anyone's entry," Leorio added.
"Seriously!?" Menchi's voice suddenly blared out and it was clear that she was already pissed off. "Can't anyone out there take this seriously and satisfy my taste buds!?"
Gon turned to his redheaded friend. "What do you think we should do?" He specifically asked her since she seemed to be the best at cooking out of all of them in their group.
"All the applicants who failed just didn't make an effort," Erin replied. "They all simply roasted the pig and disregarded its quality. That's what probably made Menchi a harsher critic than Buhara."
Kurapika took into account her advice and quickly analyzed her words for a few seconds. His face then suddenly lighted up as he snapped his fingers, "I see! The second phase is a cooking test, but they're judging us based on originality and observation."
"Well…" Erin paused as if she was thinking of what to say next but then afterward only said, "Yes, that's one way to put it."
"Ohhhh…" Gon smirked and held his chin with one hand like he just thought of some brilliant plan.
Leorio mirrored the raven-haired boy's actions then mumbled, "Hmm… Originality huh?"
As soon as Leorio finished his sentence, he, Gon, and Kurapika proceeded to decorate their already roasted pigs.
Erin watched her three companions pour all their efforts into beautifying their pigs, which of course, she knew that their hard work would be in vain once they present their dishes to Menchi.
Hmm… How do I help these three amateurs pass this phase? Erin thought. If I make separate dishes for the four of us, it's not like Menchi would notice.
The redhead clicked her tongue.
No, if she's such a sensitive Gourmet Hunter then she would definitely notice that these three can't cook.
Erin pulled herself away from her train of thought once she noticed that the silver-haired boy, who was now annoyingly sticking close to Gon, was merely staring at the other three with an uninterested face. "What about you Killua?" Erin politely asked, "Are you not going to make your own dish?"
Killua turned to look at her, stared for a few seconds, then he looked away, clearly showing that he just ignored her question even though it was obvious that he heard it.
The corner of Erin's mouth subtly tugged up at Killua's gesture.
Good. She thought. It seems like you know that you should be wary.
Erin continued to probe the silver-haired boy, "Are you not interested in participating?"
Seeing that his rude gesture seemed to have no effect on Erin whatsoever, this time, Killua decided to look her in the eye with an unpleasant expression and raised one of his eyebrows at her.
What the hell does she want now?
"It seems like you're not interested," Erin pointed out, "Well, I can see why something like this would be boring…" She then looked at him with an intense hostility in her eyes despite the kind smile she had, "For someone like you."
Killua narrowed his eyes at her.
Someone like me? He thought.
And of course, the silver-haired boy noticed how she emphasized those last three words.
What's she trying to get at?
Nevertheless, he didn't back down and returned Erin's gaze with a glare of his own.
"GAH! How could Menchi not appreciate my dish?" Leorio grumpily complained as he stomped back towards the group, breaking the momentary stare-down that transpired between Erin and Killua. "My idea was brilliant!"
Erin immediately pulled herself back from spiraling down once again towards her menacing side. She didn't even notice how Leorio already finished serving his dish and that Gon was already walking towards the examiners' table. She subtly glanced back at Killua who was now minding his own business and watching Gon like he was waiting to see what kind of results the raven-haired boy would be getting.
The Sparrow again…? Erin thought as she looked away from Killua. Well… If he is who I think he is then it makes sense for that side to come out. The number of times the Sparrow comes out has increased ever since this damn brat showed up.
She then clicked her tongue again in annoyance.
This just shows how dangerous he really might be.
Erin then moved her gaze towards Gon who was now being yelled at by Menchi as she threw his dish high up in the air. The boy who just failed proceeded to walk down the stairs with slightly slumped shoulders. Once he arrived at his group, he gave them a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his head, "I guess my flower crowns didn't work. Hehe!"
"Stupid~" Killua called out to Gon, "Of course they wouldn't, it was like serving a kiddie meal at a fine-dining restaurant," The silver-haired boy teased him.
Gon continued to rub the back of his head in embarrassment and weakly chuckled, "Menchi-san also said the same thing."
As the two boys continued to bicker back and forth. Erin finally noticed that the feeling that she had back in the tunnel when she was looking for Gon was the same as what she felt when she ran after him in the swamp, and it was now appearing once again. Her worry for Gon continued to grow as she watched the two boys interact with each other.
Little did Erin know that the growing feeling she had was the desire to protect. However, for someone like her, there was no way that she could have figured that out so easily. After all, she could never see herself as someone who would be capable of the act of protecting and caring.
Killua Zoldyck. I know what you are…..
Erin eyed the silver-haired boy.
If the Sparrow says that you're a threat then so be it…
She then proceeded to walk towards her cooking station.
You should watch your every step because if Gon gets harmed in any way because of you… I won't even bother holding back the Sparrow.
Author's Note: Hi everyone! I missed writing this so much T_T Anyway, I sincerely apologize for the very long delay! I feel so guilty HUHUHUHU Btw for everyone's information, someone I personally know who's also reading this fanfic recently asked me if the case files/short entries at the beginning of each chapter have any significance to the story - I told her "Of course! Why would I put them there in the first place!?" (Don't worry we're close friends so I just teased her teehee~) It turns out that she was skipping those case files and not reading them grrrr... I hope ya'll are reading them coz they contain A LOT of clues regarding Erin's past and who she was before "Erin". I repeat. Those case files/entries are really important!
Now it's time to reply to your reviews, which I love doing!
Haziq Safari - Thank you so much! I know that you're also having a hard time during this pandemic so stay safe as well!
princessunicorn32 - Awww I'm so glad to hear that you like Erin. Ngghhh mah heart! And as for what Hisoka said... Hmm... Who knows? *wriggles eyebrows intensely* Lastly, for your question about my schedule, unfortunately, I still haven't decided on a fixed sched at the moment, but I'll do my best to upload as much as possible T_T I do have a tendency to not upload immediately coz I really value the quality of my chapters so I critique myself a lot before posting anything. This story is very close to my heart and I know u guys love the world of hxh so I don't want to give you half-baked chapters. The good news is that my school year is gradually getting closer to the end! So during that my break, I might be able to upload more often :D
lovely serenity100 - OMG I hope you're still alright! HAHAHAHAHA You've probably recovered by now so here's another chapter for you 3 buuut... I'm sorry coz u might be throwing a tantrum again XD
To all the readers out there! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this fanfic! I'm really happy for your support UWU Stay safe everyone and see you next chapter!
