This chapter is dedicated to Keiji Fujiwara. October 5, 1964 – April 12, 2020

You will be missed.


Leorio spoke with a shit-eating grin, "You were really excited about us passing the Exam, huh?" My face turned as red as humanly possible.

His chuckle was more painful to me than being beaten up by Kurapika a thousand times a row. As I stared down a canyon, I debated whether I should throw myself into it to escape my embarrassment. I had a feeling that I would never live down my celebration...

Deep inside my chest was that empty, embarrassing feeling you get when expecting one thing and get whole heaping of another. I can see the clown running over my expectations, yet again...

I sighed.

We were done! We won! It was supposed to be over! Five people! Five! Oh no, we can't have people pass the Exam from a cooking competition. Let's have them jump into a canyon, yeah!

Can I not take it up the ass? Just once? I'd really appreciate it...

I feel ridiculous... That was supposed to be my, 'I conquered the world' victory celebration! All that pent up stress?! Nothing! Ahh, I wanna die... I take it all back. I absolutely take back my victory celebration, oh my god...

An hour after cooking, we were above a canyon. A really, really high canyon. Below us, Gon and Killua were hanging off a thread of spider-silk with everyone else crazy enough to literally jump off a cliff. That age-old question parents ask children, 'If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?' Evidently, the answer was a resounding yes.

The canyon was, maybe, fifty to a hundred meters above a river? Their task was to retrieve eggs from Spider Eagle nests. Which involved hanging off of the webbing they make their nests out of. The birds spun that shit across a gap between canyons, making it hard for predators and scavengers to eat their eggs.

Then they had to get back up here by riding the air currents that blew up the canyon. When that happened, they would need to grab an egg while flying upon the winds. It wasn't impossible since Menchi did show everyone how it was done.

Gon and Killua thought it was exciting. They even went wee...

Wee! Nope, not wee. Crazy.

Two brats didn't have to do this. We five passed the Second Phase. They just did it because they're insane, adrenaline junkie kids. I was standing next to Leorio and Kurapika; Leorio perpetually between us like the Korean DMZ. All three of us were wearing various expressions of exasperation as looked at the kids. I was lassoing a rope underhanded with a knife tied to the end of it. Just in case I needed to give them a lifeline.

It wasn't against the rules to help the two, because they passed and didn't need to do this shit! Fucking... supernaturally powered kids. Three saner people of the Hunter Alliance took a pass on this part and we just watched the two boys jump off a cliff. We'd have done it without hesitation if that's what we had to do.

But we didn't have to. Why you insane children? Why?

I sighed. I looked to my far left to see Isaac Netero, the chairman of the Hunter Association, staring at the people below. The man who sabotaged everything…

I'm not going to bother using the funny name in my head. I feel like he somehow knows I'm making fun of him in my head. Call me crazy, but-

Like a sixth-sense, he turned to me, smiled with his eyes closed, and gave me the peace sign.

What is he psychic?! I can tell he knows! He must know... does he know? Why is he impossible to read?!

I turned back to Gon and Killua below with a frown and quivering lip. Mayer threatened to kick my ass if Netero found out I was his student. Why? I have no clue.

I shivered at the memory of Mayer throttling me with reckless abandon. It took both the Maids and the Twins all their effort to peel his fingers off my jacket.

More terrifying than that... how strong was that old man if Mayer, a person I'm pretty sure was as strong as the Hulk or something, feared him? Or at least had bad memories of the chairman...

How strong were the people who scarred Mayer?

I sighed. I hope to never know...

"What's wrong? We passed thanks to you!" Leorio said with a pat on my left shoulder and a smirk.

I ignored the backhanded compliment, "Just thinking about my Master," I said as I kept my eyes on the two kids below.

This wind was taking forever. At the same time... skewering the two with my rope-knife and pulling them back in like Scorpion from Mortal Kombat might be safer than falling... It's like... a three hundred foot drop into the water... that's like hitting cement.

"Who is your master?" Kurapika asked.

I sighed. Jeez, I was a sighing machine today. I should add more noises and just beat-box for the fuck of it.

"Is that your second question?" I said with a quick look sideways to Kurapika far to my left.

He shook his head, "No... I'm not inquiring about Tao Long Family. If that is what's you're asking."

"Well, it relates to it. So..."

The atmosphere became tense, awkward, and quiet. I wish it were like Disney Channel movies where we could all skip along happily after overcoming a challenge... but it wasn't.

I mean, I was happy as hell because I passed us that Gordian knot of a fucking test and lived to fight another day. But, I was still, if charitably put, annoyed at Kurapika. And Kurapika... honestly, I don't think he hates me anymore, but he does hate the people I'm associated with. I can't help that though.

I don't blame him. I know the anger he has. Mine was directionless... at least it made it easier to focus on improving myself.

I wish things were simple. But rarely they ever were…

I gave another quick glance at Kurapika, then I went back to staring at the kids. I frowned.

While I understand him, I'm not going to start ratting people out. Yeah, I wasn't comfortable with the Mafia... but, to an extent, they were my friends and allies. At the least my benefactors or sponsors. I was somewhat grateful for not being dead. How many people can pull a Jesus? So yeah, I might not like Evira, but she's on my side. I don't know about Zhulong. She can go suck a long schlong.

Besides, they knew who I was, in the most literal sense. No matter how bad they were, I was stuck with them...

I don't want to know how they are. I don't want to know what I don't want to know. Ignorance will keep me sleeping well at night.

Also... Mayer, Briannaisa, Claudette... Jesus... I'm a completely different person thanks to them. How can I not appreciate them? I'm loyal to them. I owe them so much. There's no way I'd flip on them.

Yet... they weren't or couldn't save me from what I owed to Zhulong and Evira. When you owe powerful people, amoral people... well if it's anything like where I came from, over time they'll take everything. After a while, well, it only took one letter change to turn owe into own.

I gritted my teeth and looked hard at the two kids below me. I wish I was even more blissfully ignorant then Gon. Sometimes I'd wish Zelle erased my memories and just made me a new person. At least then I wouldn't have to deal with a past I can't speak of, a present that made no sense, and a future that was out of my control...

I was a whole new person, yet not. I was myself, yet not myself. In a world... this universe was probably a show or something. Yeah? Probably some shitty anime or something with all the cotton-candy hair everywhere. I truly, truly do not give a fuck if it was. I rather not know what will happen. I don't want to second guess my actions. I think I'm doing pretty well flying blind. I think?

At the end of the day, it's different seeing a two-dimensional picture and meeting a flesh and blood person with thoughts, emotions, and convictions. Like how you think you'll hit it off with some celebrity or someone you admire. Or you'll be the shit in some situation, but when you do end up in said situation, it's all awkward and painful.

Ask all the people on American Idol that got verbally ass-kicking by Simon Cowell. Or all the people who lost in the first round of Ninja Warrior. Reality is tougher and weirder than imagination, and far worse when you underestimate (or overestimate?) your expectations...

People have way too high of an expectation for themselves in their mental world and then expect to achieve everything without working at it. Without getting knocked down. So you sabotage yourself. Lie to yourself. Do less than you can…

Not on purpose. You just don't try. You just don't care. So when failure comes, it all the softer. I did that in the woods with those apes, not even knowing it...

Humans. Simultaneously, the biggest mental egos and smallest self-confidence; mixed with a lack of perspective. Perspective...

Besides, we know how to succeed in life, right? 'Just do the right thing!' Tch, fuck off... What's the right thing? Just because you know what to do and what will come, doesn't mean it will happen. I rather not know the future. I'll figure shit out as it comes. I'll achieve shit without a crutch. Even if I have to eat shit while doing it. As I always have. That's just me, though...

Also, I think I know why people get their minds erased when they reincarnate. In Buddhism, I mean. The burden of knowing the things you know? The things you were? And now you're a new person. If you're lucky. Can't talk to ma or pa, or your family because you're some stranger on the other side of the planet. All the things you have done are in the past, all the people you know have moved on.

And that's if they're alive, and not your family's descendants or something. Your just memories and a picture on the living room wall or in a photo book. Or on a Google drive somewhere... Reduced to celluloid or bytes on a hard drive…

That's if you're lucky and not born into a cockroach, or a rat, or a slug. I don't even want to think about if you're born into another fictional world, have all the knowledge possible, and no one fucking believes you. Speaking Cassandra to all these Trojans. Everyone looks at you funny when you say that big fucking horse might be a little suspicious...

Even if you stay quiet... No friends. No family. Nothing. Even the shittiest of lives have connections to an old world. You feel empty and alone.

I should know. It hurts not being able to see what little friends I have... or had. The in-jokes, the freedom to act yourself around someone without pretending to be something you're not...

Unable to visit Jacobs' tombstone on a lonely day. Not a picture of my father or even a reminder of my father. Not even my face... Nor a comfortable reminder in sight. Everything strange…

When you're a stranger in a strange land, you have nothing…

As I said, we all think we can do things if we just have all the answers. I understand restarting your life with all you that you knew, but not on another Earth. I couldn't do it the right way the first time. On a boring old Earth? Motherfucker, I found out I had an IQ of a hundred and forty-two when I was twenty. Especially now that I know some answers. I'd love to go back and do it all again, but not a magical, weird Earth.

Here are the answers: Want to lose weight? Eat less, exercise more. You want to be smarter or better at something? Study. Want to draw? Draw. Someone tells you you can't do it, give 'em the middle finger and keep going. You might not have talent, but success is not now, it's later. It's not how, it's do.

The concept isn't hard, but understanding it is. Everything is hard, the first time. But you have to just accept that it'll be hard and move forward. Then, paradoxically, learning becomes easy. Success becomes easy.

Everyone thinks it's always just one thing. One sexy thing. Just one thing. One perfect solution that'll change everything. Not the millions of things underneath it. That's what trips everyone up.

No one can be a hero instantly. Without work? Just go from A to Z without learning all the lessons in-between? I have fantasies too, but shortcuts deprive you of the skills and knowledge you need when you desperately need them. But we're so ready to avoid any and all work…

It's always the doing that's the hardest. Because dealing with failure is the hardest. Because struggling is the hardest. The possibility of failure has stopped more people than anything else. But failure is just one part of the process. You have to continue until sheer persistence and willpower makes you inured to failure. Then all you know is success. Like erosion, until all that is left behind is solid diamond.

You can't be great without being willing to go to great lengths. That's what those three months with Mayer taught me. That's what this Hunter Exam has taught me so far…

That's all I know…

I mean, I fell a hundred feet out of a fucking tree and lived... and I only cried for a whole ten minutes...

...

The people continued to hang on the silk-like laundry...

...

Man, this air current is taking forever to start, jeez...

...

Holy shit Kurapika, what is taking you so long?!

...

Are my thoughts this fast, or he taking forever? Or is this how fast everyone thinks, I just think more... hmm...

...

I'm tired of this silence. I puckered my lips, rolled my eyes, grunted like Mayer.

"Whelp? I had an entire philosophical conversation with myself. What's it gonna' be?"

"We don't have to be enemies," was Kurapika's answer as he pivoted the conversation like a diplomat.

I gave him a sour look, "What do you mean?"

"You are in this position against your will. From what I can tell, your attitude and behavior are consistent with your story. You are not part of the Mafia."

I rolled my eyes quickly before continuing to look after the only two minors in the area.

"Gee willikers! He believes me! Golly gee! I technically am a part of the Mafia. Tch..." I said with a shake of my head. Peeved.

Leorio patted me on my shoulder. In an appeasing way.

"Hey, give us a break. You should know how bad the Tao Long are, being from the York New City and all..."

I stayed quiet and shrugged. I had to stay quiet. Because I didn't know.

Kurapika narrowed his eyes, "The Valentine's Day Massacre, 1989, Huge Stone City bombing, 1990. Ackor Town Massacre, 1992, Herr Dough Concert Hall Gassing, 1993. Should I continue?" Kurapika said, nailing me dead to rights.

Alright. Enough...

"Are you going to keep this up? Hassling me and shit? Ambushing me when I'm minding my own business? What about you, Leorio? I thought you trusted me now, or you gonna' do this too?! I'm trying to make sure those two ain't gonna' fuckin' fall! Fuck! Jesus..." I said testily, with a shake of my head. Detroit coming out in earnest.

"Hey, don't look at me. This is all Kurapika," he said, raising his hands in the air to placate me before crossing his arms and not taking either side.

Gon said something and let go of his strand of silk. Killua followed suit. As well as everyone else who listened to Gon. I turned away from the two I was angry at and prepared to throw a lifeline at the two I was concerned about.

I should have tried harder to convince Gon not to go...

That way more people would have been eliminated! That orange-haired asshole would have been disqualified unless he had the sense of smell of a dog. Instead, he gave me a rage-filled face that looked like Hoggish Greedly and jumped down. His anger at me gave him the courage to jump.

Damn it!

Uhh… Oh yeah, and so the kids would be safe or whatever. I mean, Gon's safe with Killua. Cottonball would probably do some Ninja shit and bounce up the canyon walls with Gon. Or I'm pretty sure he would survive the fall like the Coyote chasing the Road Runner. I mean, fuck, smacking Killua over the head was like hitting steel...

Still, I wanted to make sure they were ok. I sighed in relief as I saw Green and White fly. They flew up into the sky, along with a little more than half a hundred people with eggs in their hands. Most of them landed. Some of them didn't...

God damn it! Two-five-five landed. I'm surprised he hadn't fallen down like an anvil from Looney Tunes. He's like, three hundred pounds...

"Who is that guy, anyways?" I said with a squint and point of my finger, before putting away my rope-knife combo into my backpack. Fuck our previous topic of discussion.

Leorio looked at the large man in the black shirt and shrugged

"Tonpa said that his name was Todo. From what Tonpa said, he took the Exam before. Said he was a favorite to pass."

"Toto?" like the dog from the wizard of Oz? "Well, that guy is gonna' be a pain in my ass. I got rid of one big, fat pain in my ass. Only to be replaced by another? Shit."

Leorio shook his head for some reason.

Kurapika frowned before speaking, his tone annoyed, "You did punch him in the face. Was it necessary what you did to Tonpa?..."

I placed my backpack over my shirtless body and picked up Stick.

"The answer is: Yes. To both. I don't regret it either. Not one bit. And if you're angry about Tonpa, he was a snake. That drink he probably offered you was poison. You're welcome. I'll fuck Toto up again if I have to," I said, assertively.

"You sure are full of yourself, ya' know that? I kinda liked it better when you were quiet and scary. At least that way you weren't talking so much." Leorio said with another shake of his head.

"I get that a lot," I said as cranky as a senile, World War Two era senior.

I adjusted my backpack straps. I looked down at my bruised, scratched up body. Past the giant scar on my chest and large bruises on my body was the worst thing of all: my pants. They were covered in vomit. So too were the rest of my clothes in my backpack. I was hoping to clean them, take a shower, and sleep. But these two wouldn't leave me alone with their incessant, guilty-conscience fueled behavior. They haven't even apologized yet...

"Leorio is correct. You are different compared to when you were quiet. You're almost completely different when you feel comfortable around people," he said with curiosity.

I squinted an eye at him and frowned in indifference. I don't give a fuck about your personality assessment of me. Give me the Myers-Briggs later. Or never, in fact...

I held my tongue, though... I was too tired. I yawned before rubbing my face in exhaustion. I could feel the bags beginning to form under my eyes. This day has been too long. We walked over to Gon, Killua, and the rest of the applicants. They were cooking their spider-bird egg abominations.

It feels like weeks have passed in the span of eight or nine hours.


An hour later and we were heading towards the next phase of the exam, flying through the sky on a huge airship. Right now we were inside the cabin thingy that hung underneath airships. Us five and the rest of the applicants were in a room with windows all around the front of us. I guess this was the front of the cabin? We were waiting for Netero to begin…

…I glanced nervously out the window… These things went out of fashion when the Hindenburg exploded. That fucking thing ended the airship era. So... I'm not too confident about flying in a giant balloon filled with helium...

In fact, I've never flown before. So, I'll admit, I'm scared. Terrified. Like a baby. I'm completely ignorant about flying things. Like an old-timey, superstitious gentleman. This flying contraption is the devil...

The five of us were standing at the front of the crowd of applicants, off-center to the right. I was standing in the middle with Leorio to my right, ever the buffer between Kurapika and I. Gon was to my left, Killua on the other side. I had my bag at the back of the room and I was standing with my sword in front of me, both hands over it like a cane.

I kept nervously glancing out the window, half expecting this airship to drop out of the sky like a rock...

"Hehehe, looks like someone never flown before," Leorio said with an elbow to my right side. I gave him an annoyed look.

"Yeah. I haven't. Sooner we get this done the sooner I'm knocking out."

"I feel ya', I'm beat."

"As am I," Kurapika said with closed eyes and a nod.

Gon chimed in, "Aw, you guys don't want to look around the ship?"

I shook my head. Hell no. The more I looked outside, the more I felt like I would fall out of the window and die. Fuck you irrational fears.

Plus, the moment all the excitement ended, I began feeling like shiiit. My body was finally rebelling. Kicking me in the proverbial nuts the moment survival stop distracting my mind. Hyper soreness, hyper pain from the injuries to my everything. Even my ass-cheeks and toes hurt. I was the most beat-up person here, by far...

We all paid attention the moment Netero started speaking. He was standing next to that strange bean man in a suit.

"I will now take the opportunity to introduce myself properly to the remaining fifty-four applicants. I am Netero, the Chairman of the Selection Committee for this year's Hunter Exam. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

His bean-shaped partner picked up where the Chairman left off, "And I'm his secretary, Beans."

The Chairman continued, "I had originally planned to make my appearance during the Exam's final phase but, well, seeing as how I'm already here..."

Netero smiled at us all with half-lidded eyes. It was creepy.

"I have to admit, there's nothing I love more than this feeling of tension in the air. So, I think I'll stick around for the remainder of the trip," Netero said, before closing his eyes and laughing.

There was tension in the air. I was just too tired to care. I could get shanked right now and all I would ask is for the person to hurry up...

Beans finished up, "We are scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow morning at eight a.m. exactly. You'll find dinner waiting for you in the dining hall. You're also welcome to get some rest, of course. You're free to do as you please until we contact you. The evening is yours."

I yawned. Mr. Beans had me at dinner. Killua and Gon ran off to explore the airship, but right before Killua led Gon away, he gave me a look that plainly said he wanted to talk to me later. I shrugged.

"James," Kurapika said as the rest of the applicants left the room.

My my, aren't I the belle of the ball. Bleh. I just want to do my shit and sleep.

He sounded serious. Which made me groan. I turned around, expecting another confrontation. Instead, he looked... aloof and... what's the halfway point between stubborn and regretful? Stubgret? Regretborn? Ah, Kurapika! That's the adjective! He looked Kurapika...

Meh...

I frowned and raised an eyebrow. I waved my right hand for him to start as I tilted my sword with my left. He sighed and looked at me with reluctance.

"I believe we should hold our conversation in private..."

I sneered, "Listen, you keep ambushing me when the small children disappear. So you better grow some ba-"

He pulled his weapons from underneath his clothing. First, he threw his fake bokkens on the floor. Then he pulled out a concealed knife from behind his back and threw it down as well. It surprised me…

"Would that be sufficient?" Kurapika said with a stern, frustrated stare.

My sneer was even worse than before, "No? I'm not a fool, I only play one part-time," I finished with a glare.

I suppose Kurapika wouldn't hurt me, but temper was something that was inherently unpredictable. And if he decided he was tired of my shit, I wasn't in top form. Even weaponless he could kick my ass right now. He wasn't defenseless with his red-eyed, supermode garbage and whatever martial arts he knew.

Hanging a carrot over a horse's head was only useful if the horse doesn't realize he can buck the rider off and take the carrot by force. Or Kurapika could figure out some way to make me slip up and reveal too much information. I was already treading unfamiliar ground with people who could fuck with my ability to read them. Kurapika was good at doing that. And at hiding his Killing Intent...

We were at an impasse. He wanted to talk to me and I didn't trust him enough to talk. So we did the next best thing and glared at each other.

Leorio placed an arm on both of our shoulders. We turned to him, our faces annoyed.

Leorio smiled at us, "How about I mediate then? That way you won't kill each other and we can move past all this. Come on! The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can eat!" Leorio said with a grin.

I looked at Leorio with a surprised frown. It quickly reverted to a regular frown.

"Oh yeah? I appreciate that, but you're on his side-" I didn't finish before he shook his head.

He frowned, but it was one of regret, "Then how about I apologize? I'm sorry for how I treated you down in the Swamp. I know that doesn't make up for what we did, or convin-"

I waved my hand at him and shook my head. He didn't have to finish. I could tell he wasn't lying. Leorio could lie, I don't doubt it at all. But he was being sincere and wasn't acting like he was apologizing at gunpoint. Unlike what I assumed was the prideful and indignant Kurapika in front of me. I wasn't acting much better, but I got tortured by blondie, so…

I extended my hand toward Leorio, which he shook. I nodded.

"It's fine. It's this guy who fucked me up…" I said with an angry, dismissive wave of my arm toward Kurapika; with an equally angry, dismissive tone in my voice.

I might understand why he did what he did, doesn't mean I was ok with it. Not at all. I haven't learned turned the other cheek in my sainthood lessons yet…

Kurapika stared back, his jaw clenched as he frowned. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"I apologize as well. Back there, I-"

The moment he closed his eyes, and I sensed his guard was down, I pulled back my left hand. Stick clattered to the ground as I hit him with a left uppercut to the stomach. I followed it up with a right cross to his chin that sent his head and upper body reeling back.

Kurapika fell backwards, the strength in his legs disappearing as he fell to the floor. But I shot out my left hand, caught his shirt, and kept him up. He stared at me with unfocused eyes. I glared back at him with all the leftover anger I had.

"Yeah, doesn't feel good? Right? Getting ambushed when you extend trust and good faith? Getting sucker-punched when vulnerable?" I said with clenched teeth and a growl of rage in my voice.

It had taken everything I had to hold back my Killing Intent, to surprise him. It also took everything I had to hold back with those two punches. Two full power punches to an unguarded Kurapika would have done serious damage. He couldn't weight more than sixty kilos, or a hundred and thirty pounds.

As of now, he was only slightly fucked up. Nowhere near what he did to me, but it would do...

He nodded his head as we stared at each other, his eyes trying to blink the concussion away. I held him up as he regained the use of his legs. Getting clocked on the chin and losing the strength in your legs is a disorienting thing. Like being drunk on a trampoline.

While Kurapika regained the use of his legs, I turned to Leorio and nodded. He looked at me with a stern face.

"Now I believe you. I'm surprised you're fine with me sucker-punching him."

Leorio closed his eyes and sighed, "Well, he did beat you up. If you'd gone further, then I would have stepped in."

I shrugged as I let go of the now recuperated Kurapika. He rubbed his jaw and looked at the floor, annoyance on his face as he regained his senses. I turned back to Leorio.

"I'd have doubted your friendship if you had let me go to town on him. Nah, this is good enough. I'll talk to you two you later-"

"Wait! I still need to talk to you. And I still need to apologize. Properly," Kurapika glared at me, but in seriousness and actual regret, not in anger or stubbornness.

"What?" I said with a confused and surprised look.

My fists to your face was a sufficient apology. And I really don't want to talk to you so...

I guess Kurapika read my face since he frowned. He closed his eyes and breathed, then opened them and spoke, "I apologize for my actions. I was wrong about who you are. More than that, I was close to killing an innocent man. I... was more than ready to kill you back in Swindler's Swamp. When I had you against the tree... if Leorio hadn't stopped me..."

He looked miserable. It was eating him up inside. Jesus.

I scratched my head. My head hurt. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"I forgive you. Alright? I understand that type of anger. If you want to talk, then we'll talk... Just stop looking like that. You look like a beaten dog."

When I opened my eyes, Kurapika was studying me.

"You have lost people as well," Kurapika stated, as though reading a fact off a piece of paper.

"Yeah. Well... At least you have something to be angry about," I said I looked away, "you have a face to your anger. I got..." I waved my hand in the air, "I just got to deal with it."

I looked back at him. For a split second, I felt intense envy. That disappeared quickly, and all I was left with was intense guilt.

I ain't got a vendetta on fantasy-ass people who killed my people. My family. Life just took 'em. How the fuck do you fight life? How do you take revenge on life?

Kurapika nodded, "I suppose that is some mercy... having an enemy. Having a face to your problems..." his face grew dark. The mood grew dark...

Leorio slapped us both on the shoulders and grinned. It was like a flashlight in the night, "Well, if you two are done, let's get something to eat! I'm starving!"

"Wait-" we both cried as he began pushing us out the room, denying us our moodiness.


It took us forty-five minutes of deciding what to eat before we brought our food to the quiet cafe at one end of the airship. Wooden walls surrounded our vanilla table, with plants decorating the top of the walls. There was a gorgeous view of the outside world that I refused to look at. Leorio kept giggling as I ate my meat and mashed potatoes with the focus of a monk. I was terrified of even glancing out the window. Kurapika had dignity and refinement, so he had the decency not to comment on my distress.

The three of us stopped by the laundry and I dropped my clothing into a washing machine. My clothes are supposed to be washable, but I don't care if they weren't. Eight hours of none stop, super-Olympic level exercising kills all 'give a fuck' functions in one's brain.

So there I was... sitting in grey sweats and a giant white T-shirt that one of the ship hands had given me. Concentrating on eating...

... and concentrating on figuring out who was following us. Kurapika noticed it too. We confirmed with each other thirty minutes ago with a look between us. We hadn't seen the person yet...

I had Stick leaning against the left side of my chair, just in case. My knives were in my bag. Which was on the other side of my chair, to my right. I couldn't grab them without revealing my intentions. So those were useless...

Well, if anything popped off, at least I was ready to fight with Stick. Kurapika was ready too. He had his weapons back and they were underneath his tabard, hidden behind his back. We grabbed our stuff after we managed to stop the surprisingly strong Leorio from pushing us all the way to the dining hall.

Right now, the two of us were acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. Leorio actually didn't know anything, so his acting was perfect.

"You're really that scared of heights, huh?" the man himself asked.

"No, Leorio, I'm not. The movement of the ship is messing with my brain. And the idea of flying is messing with my brain... I've never left York New City," I shook my head, "Never flown. So this is all new to me."

"Huh, I guess that's why you were closing your eyes when we flew to the canyon. I thought you were meditating."

"No, that was more praying the airship didn't spontaneously explode."

Kurapika spoke up, "Airships are safer than comparable transportation. Much safer than planes and boats."

I stared at him, trying to figure out how he knew shit you'd only know for a pub quiz...

Ah, shit. I don't really know the safety records of airships on this planet. Or at least the public perception of them. Did they have a Hindenburg moment? I don't think so, but my information doesn't go that deep.

Meh. I'm overthinking things.

"Yeah, I know. It's not rational, just first-time jitters."

He nodded. I sighed internally. Pairo said I'd just seem odd to people, but fuck! Normal interactions with a suspicious, genius-type motherfucker made me nervous. I felt like a human with a green alien mask on my face, talking to eight-foot-tall green-skinned aliens.

It wasn't in the obvious, it was in the subtle. Everyone is human (right?) in appearance-wise. Sorta. Then you remember Kurapika gave me the Undertaker Chokeslam into a tree while being at lightweight. Or you see a giant sumo man who somehow ate dozens of small car-sized pigs. And then a crazy clown, jester, thing who murders people with impunity.

Anyways, everything else not completely bizarre is subtly off. I can't explain it very well because I've only had less than two weeks of human interactions outside a mountain retreat from hell. Gestures, slang, body language, even how people stand. It was all… off. The morals and ethics were more skewed than the neighborhood I grew up in. And that place sucked.

York New City people seemed... uh, normal to me? But I'm aware city people are different...

I've never been outside Detroit, let alone America. Traveling across a continent and interacting with different cultures with people from all types of life was shocking, to say the least. Figuring out people who were not built from the hustle and bustle of a city was messing with me. City people are mostly straightforward, patientless, rude, and terribly honest. Fast-talking and quick dealing. They had no time for small talk. Unless it was their job or life was on the line.

Exactly how I was comfortable and used to. On the other hand, Kurapika over here...

He was reserved, quiet, dignified. I was reserved, unquiet, and undignified. He was intense and serious; I was intensely unserious. He came across as a very responsible and diligent person. I was very diligent and responsible when it came to getting into trouble: I never seemed to miss it.

The only thing we both had in common was that we appeared aloof, unapproachable, and had lots and lots of anger. Red Lantern Corps level of anger.

Like peanut butter and jelly...

I frowned as I stared at my predicament. I turned back to Leorio, who spoke.

"I know how you feel. The first time I flew I felt sick to my stomach! Now it's not a big deal. You just got to get used to it! Or vomit," Leorio said with a grin then a frown, probably from memory. I smiled back, his good spirits infectious.

"I didn't feel bad on a boat, so it's not motion sickness. Captain Morel was annoying. Wouldn't let me sleep. 'You'll never be a Hunter falling asleep all the time. A hunter has to be this and that... Neh Neh Neh' Baaah..." I said with a shrug.

"Oh, so you went another way to the Exam site?"

I nodded at Leorio as I took another bite of my steak. With a swallow, I started talking.

"Yeah. I went from one side of the continent and took a train. You guys had a storm, right? I was told by my Aunt Fl-, er my Aunt that there would be a storm if I went to Dolle Harbor. So I avoided it," I said with a swing of my finger and a smile, before continuing my meal.

The two of them turned to look at each other, before looking at me strangely. I mirrored their expressions.

"What?"

Kurapika spoke as he stared at me, analyzing my face, "There were no reports of a storm. At least, none that I knew of..."

Inside: AW, COME ON! NAW, AW NAW! PLEASE STOP! NO! STOP!

Outside: I shrugged, straightfaced, "That's what my Aunt told me. I don't know what to tell you."

He nodded. He had to accept it since I really knew nothing.

"Actually, this would be a good time to bring up what you wanted to talk about, Kurapika," Leorio said with a point.

I quickly and loudly interjected, hopefully not too quickly or too loudly. I glanced at Kurapika. His nod was so small I'd have missed it if I wasn't paying attention.

"Hey man, let me finish my meal first! I hate talking about serious shit over a meal! Come on!" I said, rudely.

We couldn't have a serious talk until the danger passed. Can't have people eavesdropping on our conversation…

"Ok, ok! Relax..." he said with placating hands. He huffed and turned to Kurapika, "You ok with this, Kurapika?"

He nodded, "That would be fine. No reason to rush."

Ok. Good. We'll wait until the person trips up. Reveals themselves...

If the world thinks I am a certain way, I'll continue acting that way. So I can hide the truth in my behavior. Same with Kurapika. So far, the applicants know me as this explosive, unreasonable person. Which goes with the image of some, 'Ey, yo. I'm a fuckin' wise guy' Joe Pesci kinda character a Mafia guy should be. I assume. I have to roll with it now...

As opposed to Kurapika's perpetual calmness, stoic, and aloofness. But the moment his revenge is around, you better believe he becomes a Joe Pesci type character...

Honestly, I'm really not that guy. Most of the time. I have anger issues, yeah, but it just so happens that the last eight hours have been the most insane in my life. The amount of times I have almost died, today alone, officially exceeds the number of digits I have. I'll have to start carrying an abacus to keep track:

I had to deal with magical horseshit Aura trying to kill me, greedy people trying to kill me, so many dinosaurs trying to kill me, a murderously angry teenager that tried to kill me, a murderous clown man who didn't kill me for probably rapey, kill-y reasons later. Then I had to compete on the Iron Chef: the secret ingredients being friendship and pork. Let me fucking fart gumdrops and rainbows out of my ass…

On top of all that: If fail this Exam, I might die… or I might not die! No solid answer either way. Just assumptions. Desperate, vague assumptions and dubious promises. The uncertainty was killing me inside…

And then I thought I passed the Exam in one day?! Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?! No will be able to fathom the relief I felt at that moment I thought I passed…

How many fucking lifetimes would one person need to have to experience each individual thing? I did that all on my first day of the Exam! Consecutively!

Who the fuck would stay normal in this situatio- I've only had three god damn months of training! Not even a full semester of schooling!

Let the world think I'm crazy. Out of the ordinary. I'm not. It was my first day of experiencing the life of the average prospective Hunter.

Now that I dipped my toe into the freezing pool of crazy that is this world, I'll get used to the temperature. Then I'll swim without going, 'AAAH, IT'S COLD' like every person does when they get into an unexpectedly cold pool...

So we ate. Shooting the shit. Leorio and I did most of the talking, while Kurapika would chime in with something occasionally, a comment or two. Leorio was from a slum in a country that awfully sounded like Italy, Spain, or some Mediterranean-type country. Kurapika came from some place called the Lukso province, an ocean away.

From there, Kurapika opened up and explained his goal for being a Hunter. He wanted to be a Blacklist Hunter, to hunt the Phantom Troupe and retrieve his people's eyes. Leorio wanted to be a doctor, which wasn't much of a surprise to me. He did take care of me like one back at the swamp and was accurate about my illness; barring supernatural forces he did not know about.

I told them about my training and they looked at me like I was a victim of some horrible crime. Now that I think about it, yeah, I was kidnapped by the Mafia and beaten repeatedly with a wooden stick...

Mostly, it was nice having a relatively normal conversation again… To feel normalcy. To get to know people. To relax…

Unfortunately, I couldn't completely relax. The sensation of someone staring at us was always around. That same feeling at the back of your neck, but without a direction. Kurapika felt the same thing, but Leorio was as oblivious as one could be. And why not? He didn't need to know what was up, and it helped conceal the fact we knew someone was observing us.

It wasn't someone as strong as either Kurapika or I. If it were, the person would have been harder to notice. I mean, they could just be strong and suck at hiding, but that was as improbable as me being attacked by a shark on this airship.

One thing was for sure: whoever it was really wanted me dead. They didn't know how to hide their Killing Intent, which lent more credence to the idea they were dangerous, yet not that strong.

After thirty minutes, I decided to gamble.

"I got to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute. If not, it's probably because I'm overflowing, heh..." I said as I got up, knocking my belongings over on purpose and making myself look even more tired than I was. Which, in my state, wasn't that hard. I made a show of nearly falling over, catching myself with the table.

"Hey!," Leorio said as I nearly spilt his drink from my act, "Watch it! Huh... Hey, you need help getting to the bathroom? You don't look so good," he finished with a frown.

Good. If he believed it, she'll believe it. But I couldn't let the person think Leorio would follow me.

I waved him off, "Says the guy with lumps on his face and head."

"Why you... ya' know what?! I hope you fall and crack your head! See if I'll help you then!"

"Yeah, yeah. Mista Docktah..." I said as I walked off.

As I moved past the tables in the cafe, I noticed a movement at the exit. Specifically, around the left corner of the door. A flick of black hair and brown cloth that swiftly disappeared. It didn't take a genius to realize that was our stalker...

I learned a lesson with the apes: don't let your stalker know you're on to them, but you also can't let them establish the ambush either. That meant deciding the location of the battle.

And the bathroom wasn't that far from where Le Cafe Airship was...

I had my guard up the moment I exited the cafe and walked into the hallway. But I did my best to keep it as subtle as possible. I didn't want our enemy to leave and try again at a worse time, like during sleep. So walking without a care in the world was the way to go.

Slowly and lazily I took a left down the airship hallway and traveled a handful of meters to the bathroom. I felt someone staring behind me, but I didn't turn. They were too far away to hurt me, and they weren't trying to kill me. At least, not yet. I had to stick to the plan.

I entered the bathroom and discovered that no one was inside... no, there was someone. I sensed that weird feeling of when you knew someone was around, even though you didn't know where they were. That subconscious thing where your brain picks up on subtle signs to alert you that danger is around. Or at the very least that you're not alone.

If I was better, I could describe the actual signs, but I wasn't. Kurapika and Killua would probably list a zillion signs, but all I could say was that it was a funny, ominous feeling...

A chill on the skin, a prickling of hair, a premotion-like feeling you get you're in an 'empty' library or 'empty' convenience store at night, or an 'empty' alley...

Or when you hear a noise in your home and you're supposed by yourself…

When you're supposed to be alone and you might not be...

You know there is someone around, you just don't know who or where...

Now who or where were they?

There were eight rows of urinals to my left, eight toilet stalls to my right. The mirrors and sinks were to my right as well, just before the stalls. Eight stalls. Which one? Or maybe multiple people… Were there several people or just one?

Was this like the scene in the Warriors against the Punks? Or Scream 2, where the black guy gets stabbed in the ear?

I stared at the mirrors, and my imagination ran wild. What if they had the barest ability of Nen? Or learned to use it like Briannaisa's water, or Claudette's force-feeding ability... or whatever Hisoka did to me...

Not very likely, but not impossible either... I don't sense anything...

Let's tip things in my favor.

I walked over to each sink and turned them on. One by one. After a few minutes, the water spilled onto the floor with a patter. Then with a flood. Waiting patiently with my arms crossed, the water slowly flowed all over the floor, covering the bathroom tiles and turning the area into a giant puddle. After a few minutes, it leaked into the hallway…

Whoever was here still didn't come out, and whoever was outside was probably waiting outside to cut off my exit. So I started tapping my right foot, to build up some nice tension for whoever was with me. To make them assume this was nothing to me...

The rhythmic sound of my wet splashing echoed through the bathroom with a constant, metronome timing. Clock-like...

Splash… Splash… Splash… Splash… Splash… Splash...

Two loud splashes cut through the pouring water and my melodic tapping. The first stall door opened and a young woman came out. She reached my shoulder and had black hair with two pigtails on either side of her head. Her eyes were a blue-green color and her stare was piercing. She had a single earring on her right ear.

Her attire comprised of brownish leather armor that extended past her crotch with a belt with pouches. All over a dark purple full-body suit thing. Similar to Kurapika's white Long-Johns, but with a smooth texture and short sleeves instead of long ones. Lastly, she had bracers and boots that topped off her limbs.

There was a knife holster on her right leg, but the knife wasn't in the holster. It was in her right hand, held in an underhand grip.

I tapped my chin with my right hand, "Did I enter the wrong bathroom? Can't be, I don't think girls pee in urinals..." I said. I rubbed my chin in mock confusion and stared at the ceiling.

My eyes came back down to Earth and analyzed her, measuring her strength with my nascent combat scan and planning the correct course of action.

I looked as casual as I could be while doing it. I had my left hand in my sweat pocket, my baggy T-shirt drooping over my arm. I was missing jeans, but I pulled off the 90s white boy from Detroit look well. As we all did in Detroit in our desperate struggle to mimic our patron saint: Eminem.

She looked at me like I was a fool, or an idiot, rich gangster. Good. There was no one else in the room except for her. I shook my head and began turning off the faucets.

"Ya' know, this was a bad place to ambush me. Then again, you didn't have many options, did ya'?" I said while keeping a close eye on her and closing each faucet at my leisure.

She didn't answer. She just kept staring at me, hatefully. I continued being a dick as I walked down and closed the fourth faucet.

"So what do you want? Is it the bounty on my head? Or is it something my family has done to you? Are you pissed at me for my celebration? I mean, it got you, tubby, and a whole lot of people to jump down that canyon from sheer spite. I motivated you all! Hey! No need to thank me," I said with a fake smile and a wave of my hand.

She still didn't answer. I clicked my tongue as I stopped at the last faucet and turned it off, about two meters away from her. I placed my right hand into my pocket and pulled out my left. I waved it at her while speaking. Like I would with anyone from my old street corner.

"Come on, nothing? If you're here to kill me, it won't work. Stronger people and animals have tried. Today alone. You can't kill me," I finished with a jab of my finger.

She could absolutely kill me right now. The young woman was probably a little stronger than Leorio, in terms of skill and physical attributes. On top of whatever reason motivating her hatred, that made her forty percent more dangerous. I'm exhausted as fuck right now. Leorio would kick my ass if we had to duke it out…

The only time I've ever been this tired was during my runs all those months ago.

And the only thing stopping her from killing me was my fake confidence and assumed strength.

So I stood straight up, at my full height. My new face had the natural advantage of being very emotionless, very expressionless, and very pissed off looking all the time. It made it difficult for people to read things off of me. Helped by the fact that (when I had my old face) I was a corny dude with a funny face. Who made funny faces and did corny things to stop from getting beat up…

That taught me how to control whatever little emotions that tried to escape the event horizon of the emotional black hole that was my new face.

That's why I stared at her with confidence, not giving her anything to think I was weak. Not giving her anything at all.

"Aren't ya gonna' stab-"

She did. Or she tried. She was only two meters away and cleared the distance in less than a second, two hands held tightly together on the handle of her knife. There was a thin separation between the metal that ran down the middle of her blade. I could have snapped the blade if I had a weapon, but I didn't. And I didn't have enough energy to fight a protracted battle, and she seemed to be in fine shape…

I just let the water handle it.

A handful of centimeters before she stabbed me, I stepped to my right and pivoted, letting myself fall back against the outside wall of the bathroom stall.

She flew past me and tried to stop, but her explosive start and the lack of friction caused her to crash into the sinks. Her legs slipped from under her, flying into the sky. With my long arms, I shot out and caught her knife hand. I grabbed her left wrist with my left hand. The failed assassin dangled in the air like a fish on a hook, her boots trying their best to find grip as she kicked the wet, slippery floor.

With my right hand, I casually karate chopped her Adam's apple. She coughed violently. A quick twist and a squeeze of my left hand and she let go of the knife. I casually caught it with my right hand and positioned it against her throat. She struggled, not caring at all about the knife to her neck, but she froze when I glared at her.

"Give up. You're outnumbered and outgunned."

Almost on cue, Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua of all people entered the bathroom.

"Are we in the right bathroom? Has to be, huh?" Leorio said with a smirk.

"I said that joke already. You weren't here, though," I said with a disappointed shrug.

Leorio gave me an obscene hand sign, turned away, and grumbled. Killua stepped forward and looked at the girl with dead serious eyes.

"So, you're the person who's been following us ever since we boarded the airship," he said. He raised a piece of jewelry that looked like someone made a coin battery into an earring. Three tiny crystals were hanging off the circular piece of metal. It was her other earring…

I turned to Kurapika and gave him a look of appreciation, "Phew… I'm happy you understood my message."

Kurapika nodded, "It was simple to understand, given our situation. But, was it necessary to flood the bathroom?" he said as he raised one of his Chinese slipper looking shoes from the inch of water that covered the floor. His face was full of apprehension and annoyance.

I shrugged, "Hey man, I didn't know for sure if you were coming. I needed some way to make the fight even. Besides, if you guys didn't come right when you did, I don't think I'd have been able to win."

Leorio and the woman looked at me, confused. I laughed.

"Fake it until you make it. I'm way too tired right now." I pulled the girl up to her full height and let her stand. She wouldn't do anything outnumbered and at knifepoint.

I slumped over and gave a big, tired sigh.

Killua smirked, "It's because you were running around the second phase yelling, 'Victory! Victory! Victory!'" Killua said while throwing V-signs into the air. Leorio laughed. Even Kurapika couldn't deny a smirk.

My face felt hot, "F-fuck you guys... Let's find a place to discuss this girl's problem with me."


A few minutes later, we found a quiet corner of the ship with a round table. We pulled six seats around it and sat down.

Killua had his hands in his pockets as he dangled his feet over his chair, kicking them in boredom. He looked simultaneously bored and annoyed at this waste of time.

Kurapika was to Killua's right, looking solemn as usual. He was leaning slightly forward with his fingers intertwined on the table, staring right at the woman.

Leorio was to my left, next to the woman near his age. Of course. He had an arm over his chair's headrest and was stifling a yawn with one hand.

I had my chair faced backward as I slumped over the headrest, tapping the tip of the knife on the seat like a drummer, in a vain attempt to fight off sleep. I was right across from the woman. We kept staring at each other, her sending the opposite of 'positive vibes' at me, while I was making sure she stayed honest and tried nothing rash…

The sky was black as we approached midnight. The bright lights of the ship hallway made this whole situation feel like a police room interrogation.

We stared at the woman. She aimed hateful, raging eyes at Killua and I.

Leorio gave her a raised eyebrow and slid closer to her. Leorio apparently always has enough energy when it came to women.

"So, how about we start off with your name first? My name is Leorio, but you can call me whatever you want, hehe…"

How do you flare your nose like that?

Killua sighed, "Can you take this seriously?"

I mimicked that T-face everyone gave me early today as I stared at Leorio.

"What!? You can't blame a guy for trying!"

I sighed, "You wanna' take the lead, Kurapika?"

Kurapika looked at me with surprise, "I suppose I could, but why? She tried to kill you. I would have expected you to interrogate her."

I rolled my eyes and slumped over my headrest a little more.

"Man... everyone in the area has tried or was fully ready to kill me. Only Leorio didn't, which..." I raised my left fist towards Leorio. He looked confused, then shrugged and gave me a fist bump, "Good looks, only person who has not tried to kill me."

The woman looked at me with disdain, Kurapika flinched, Killua looked at me like an annoying fly. The Cottonball Kid pointed a finger at me.

"Hey! I didn't try to kill you!"

I pointed a lazy finger back at Killua, all my passion in my body coming across as a wet noodle arm, "The fuck you did-"

Kurapika coughed before continuing, "We are becoming sidetracked," Killua and I glared electricity at each other. Kurapika ignored us and turned to the woman.

"Who are you and for what reason did you target James?"

She looked at Kurapika with spite before closing her eyes and taking a resigned breath. There was no way she was escaping this situation.

"My name is Anita. And do I need a reason to target a member of the Mafia? Especially a Tao Long."

When she opened her eyes, she was glaring at me. I met it with my own dispassionate stare. She turned to Killua and gave him an even worse glare. I could feel her Killing Intent, impotent as she was in this situation, she straight wanted to kill us without hesitation.

"I joined the Hunter Exam when I heard a member of the Zoldyck family and a member of the Tao Long were going to participate."

Kurapika and Leorio looked at Killua with different forms of shock. One subdued and the other in disbelief. I stared sideways at Killua, who did the same to me. We closed our eyes and sighed.

"Let me guess. My family killed someone you knew or loved?"

"And my family ordered the killing?"

Anita sat halfway up, not appreciating our dismissiveness and ready to fix it with violence. Kurapika stopped her from doing whatever she thought she would do by pointing his fake bokkens way too close to her neck. Somehow Kurapika could make wooden-looking weapons look as dangerous as a blade.

"I suggest you stay calm," was all Kurapika said. She looked at him hatefully, but obliged and sat down slowly.

I clicked my tongue to grab her attention and spoke.

"So, what happened?"

"My father was a businessman who dealt in the international spice trade. He was building a fleet of ships that would bring spices from mines deep in the mountains to people across the world. At the height of his success, he was making so much money he could have bought a small country."

She gripped the table, forcing herself not to attack us.

"But someone got very jealous of his success. His competitor hired a professional assassin to kill him. I didn't even have to investigate. My father's killer had to be a member of the Zoldyck."

"Y-you're really Zoldyck?" Leorio said with trepidation as he came to terms with the idea, "Gee, now that I think about it, there are rumors of Zoldycks having white or silver hair..."

"Yeah," Killua said, annoyed. He wasn't annoyed his background had been revealed. He didn't care that people knew, but he wanted to be the one to the one to reveal it. On his terms.

Killua stared at Anita, serious as he could be, "If my family was hired to kill someone, that usually meant they deserved it..."

Her face erupted into a volcanic fury as she slammed her fists against the table and roared back at Killua.

"You take that back!"

From there she went to flip the table. Only for Kurapika to repoint his bokken at her and place a hand on the table. At the same time, Leorio and I stood and pointed our respective knives at her the instant she prepared to attack. I had my foot on the table while Leorio had his right hand on the table. All she could do was stare at Killua in powerless rage.

I stared at the woman as I spoke, her knife in my right hand, "Well, Killua? Did you kill this girl's father?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. Yes, it does. Because I didn't order this girl's father dead. I ain't gonna' let people accuse me or my friends of shit."

"What if I did?"

"I don't care. She does. It's a yes or no question. So did you or did you not?!" I said, exasperated at the evasive questions routine.

Anita answered, "What does it matter if he did or didn't!? His family is the reason my father is dead and your family ordered it."

Before I could even speak, Kurapika spoke for me.

"Because they aren't responsible for the sins of their family. They are their own people. Able to make whatever decisions they desire. James has shown me what kind of person he is."

I nodded, appreciating Kurapika's change of attitude towards me. Finally...

"I cannot speak for Killua, but if Gon and James vouch for him, then I will too."

Leorio nodded, "Same. Other than James' weird behavior, he's a decent guy."

"Thanks?" I said with a quick, confused glance at Leorio.

"That doesn't change anything! My father is dead because of their families! Who will pay them back for all their families has done if someone like me doesn't?! No one!" she said with tears streaming down her eyes.

I frowned and realized she was right. I lowered my knife. She... really was right about that, wasn't she? The world was unofficially ruled by the Mafia. Evira ruled Yorbia with an iron fist… And this world had assassins as unofficially legitimate jobs. Killua's family was like murder royalty…

What recourse did the average person have?

I turned to Kill, who stared back at me, not needing to explain anything. I knew now why he answered the way he did.

Even if he didn't kill her family, he did kill someone's family.

He knew he deserved it.

Fuck...

I gritted my teeth and turned away. Revenge everywhere I go, huh? This world was lousy with it.

"Well, since Killua won't admit it, I'll say I'm sixty percent certain he didn't kill your family."

Kurapika backed me up, talking evenly and slowly, "I agree. He did not show any recognition of your story. An assassin of the calibre of the Zoldyck Family would remember his assignments. Though he may be using his training to hide his body language, I don't believe this to be the case."

I nodded. It's hard to hold back surprise and recognition from your face. Even harder than hiding anger. Simply because you don't have time to prepare for it. From what I can tell, nothing but feigned indifference was on his face.

Killua looked away, annoyed.

I sighed. I didn't know how to convince her not to stop this vendetta of hers. But Kurapika did...

"I take no pleasure in saying this, but I believe Killua is right about your father," Kurapika lowered his weapon and continued.

"The spice you describe is not one used for food. The crystals on your earring are made from a type of mineral that is referred to as Spice rock. Its main purpose is to make highly addictive narcotics. So addictive you would only need to try it once to be addicted for life."

Leorio nodded, lowering his weapon. He frowned, the reality of the situation becoming clear…

"Yeah... From where I came from, I've seen countless people throw their lives away just to get their next fix. Entire families destroyed from it… I've never seen someone recover once they started taking a Spice derivative. Even opium is less addictive…"

Anita looked at Leorio, wide-eyed in anger, "That's a lie! My father wasn't that kind of person!"

I broke in. My tone broking no arguments.

"Then why don't we call my Aunt and ask? The leader of the Tao Long."

The world seemed to lose all sound as everyone froze at my suggestion. I could see the red peak behind Kurapika's contacts...


After everyone took a seat and calmed down, I called Evira's number on Leorio's weird beetle phone.

Everyone held their breathes as the phone rang. Every ring felt like it stretched on for an eternity.

I was supporting myself over the phone with tired determination. The stiff tension in the air from Anita's accusations and anger was now a swirling mass of uncertainty, anxiety, and dread. The others didn't know what was coming, while I knew what was in store.

Suffocation. That Godfather shit where you're staring at a person who has complete control... Every time I spoke to her I felt like a rabbit in a cage with a tiger.

Maybe we would catch her off guard...

A click...

"Hello?" replied the husky and sultry tone that always made me tense.

I was standing over the phone with both arms supporting me, like how I imagine the President on a conference call during World War Three. Speaking to her in front of everyone was more stressful than the whole day put together. I took a deep breath and swallowed nervously before speaking.

"Aunt, it's me. James. Your nephew," I tried to say as casually and as normally as any conversation should start.

"Ah. One second," there was a shuffling sound, like something being moved around on a desk. For a long moment, there was silence. Nothing. I turned around to see everyone's faces. Kurapika, Killua, and Leorio were as serious as they could be, Anita was just furious...

"Who's that?"

"Wait, what?" I said dumbly as I turned to the rest of the group. They looked confused.

"Maybe she's talking to someone else," Kurapika whispered.

"No. I'm talking about the young woman, Kurapika."

All of our eyes widened at the same time. I felt numb as I swept my head around to see if there were any cameras, any devices, anything that she could have used to see us. There was nothing. My skin crawled and my mouth became dry at the feeling of being watched.

When I looked over everyone else, they were in shock too, but in their own ways. Leorio looked bewildered, Anita angry, while Kurapika and Killua were calm but tense. Only I was pale and sweating, since I realize she had some ability to see us using Nen…

Kurapika spoke up, knocking me out of my thoughts, "She is a young woman who has joined our group for the Hunter Exam."

I breathed nervously as I walked across the width of the hallway and laid my back against the wall. I could tell what Kurapika was doing. He was trying to take control of the conversation and trying to figure out how she could see us. And how long she has been watching us...

"Hmm. I would believe that if they hadn't fought earlier."

Killua spoke up, "Do you know what happened?"

"James won."

Fuck, she knew what we were doing and keeping it vague. But...

Kurapika spoke up, "So? You should know what her name is..."

"I don't and I don't care. I assume this phone call is because of her. Someone she knows died, and she wants revenge? Her faces say yes." she said as casually as buying groceries.

"You ordered the hit on my father, Roso! You ki-"

"Yes, yes. I did. I requested him dead around four years ago. He was supplying Spice to my rivals and flooding my streets with the resulting products. I warned him once. He did not listen. So I ordered the Zoldycks to kill him. But it wasn't Killua. Illumi did it. Is there anything else?"

Anita stared in disbelief at the phone, her grip strength warping the table, "Y-you… I-I don't care who did it! Your family and the Zoldycks are responsible! I will hunt you and the Zoldycks down to my last dying breath!"

"Then I'll give you the same ultimatum I gave your father. Continue your stupid ways and one day you'll go to sleep and never wake up. Your last, dying breath will be in your dreams. That is the only mercy I will give you. Unlike your father."

"You think I'm scared of you!?" Anita said, but she was shaking.

"I don't care. Now leave. I have to discuss some important matters with the rest of these four."

Anita snarled at her invisible, one-sided enemy, shouting, "I'm not-"

I put my right fist into the flimsy table; the metal warped around my fist as my arm sunk up to my wrist. I stared at Anita with wide, nervous, pleading eyes. I lobbed her weapon at her, underhanded, and shook my head. My desperate eyes and fearful face pled for her to leave.

Anita stared at me in shock. For once, reality gave me mercy. She caught the knife and nodded stiffly. She hesitated before turning around and walking away. Once she was gone, Evira chuckled. It was haughty and witch-like.

"Good job, James. If she had finished that sentence, I'd have ordered you to kill her. You didn't know if you could have stopped that."

My right hand burned with pain. As though it were dipped in boiling water... The pain wasn't from the impact, but from the mark on the back of my hand, underneath my gloves...

I pulled my hand out from the warped table and stared at the phone like a robot, my voice numb. What other emotion could I have after being on edge all day? What could I feel when I knew I could die at any second? On a whim…

"Can we get this over with?"

"Before that, I want to say... good job James. You have exceeded my expectations..."

My eyes glanced across the room as I tried to think of what she was talking about. With a small disbelieving shake of my head, I spoke, "What are you talking about?"

"You must already know the reason I made you wear that suit. I also spread rumors that a Tao Long was entering the Hunter Exam."

I gritted my teeth before speaking, muscling through her words, "What? All so you could get me stronger or something?!"

"So you could arrive to this point," with her next words she was speaking to everyone else, "Hello, let me formally introduce myself. I am Evira Tao Long, leader of the Tao Long Family. One of the Eleven Dons and the underground ruler of the United States of Saherta. Underworld ruler of Yorbia…"

"And I have a proposition. For each of you."


Author's Notes:

Hey all. I hope you are all doing well and continue to do well!

Thank you to Jacksonion Democracy for informing me that the Japanese voice actor for Leorio died of cancer. I appreciate it immensely.

I'll be honest, I didn't feel it until I looked over his voice roles in his Wikipedia article. I only watched the English dub of HXH, so Matt Mercer's voice is Leorio's voice in my head...

But what got me was realizing he was the voice actor of Kimura in Hajime no Ippo, a show I used to watch all the time growing up when I boxed. That's when it really hit me.

He did a lot of voices, so if you're an anime lover you'll probably find a character he voiced that affected you and became a part of you.

Here's to you, Keiji, I hope you're enjoying it in the sky. For we may never hear a new sound from your lips, but your voice will always echo in the hearts and minds of the people that heard and continue to hear you through the speakers.

You became immortal through the characters you voiced. You became part of something much bigger.

Thank you to everyone who has left reviews, and everyone who reads my story. I continue, and will always continue, to hope all of you and your loved ones are happy, healthy, and doing well.

See you next chapter.