I woke up in a pool of water. The coolness made me feel alive as small waves lapped on my body.

I looked over myself. Dozens of dark scars crisscrossing over my body. The souvenirs of Binolt. The old wounds showed how one-sided and desperate the had been for me.

I heard someone walking behind me.

My mind stirred. Memories hit me. Then emotions. Then the adrenaline.

It felt like I was in danger.

Binolt behind me, scissors edging closer. I could see the sharpened teeth and a vicious grin standing over me.

A splash. I was standing, breathing heavily. Fists ready to unleash hell. To survive.

I blinked. I blinked again. Rapidly. The fear and image of danger disappeared when I realized where I was.

I was in a park. A small children's park in the middle of the night. Cold air hit my skin as my hot breath ascended towards the bright, white park lights.

I was naked in an oasis.

I turned to see Briannaisa, in her maid outfit, staring at me. My clothes in her hands. Her face was bright red, full of embarrassment and fury.

Ah shit.


I sat on the bench, holding a red right cheek. Fully clothed.

I stared at the park. A small jungle gym, swings, and a teeter-totter made up this small place. My feet kicked the wood chips in annoyance. I turned to my right.

Sitting on the other side of the bench was Briannaisa in her full maid outfit. Her face was more annoyed than usual.

"Where's Leorio?" I asked.

She huffed and rested her head on both arm hands, elbows resting against thighs, "When he saw my pool actually did what I said it did, he decided you were in good hands. He left to get food from a nearby convenience store. Said he studied all day and was hungry."

We stayed silent for a minute. Memories came rushing back. A vicious maelstrom of violence and emotions. I wanted to ignore what happened to me. Even for a moment.

"Ya' can't just slap me every time I do something that annoys you, ya' know that?" I said, trying to start something. She wasn't biting though. Her face a frown and her eyes filled with understanding.

"Feeling down?" she asked.

It was my turn to frown, "I'd thought you'd be making fun of me."

She laughed lightly and shook her head.

"You just fought for your life. You lost a lot of blood and nearly died. Even I'm not that much of an ass."

"So you are an ass?" I said. I still wanted avoid the subject.

Briannaisa snorted got up. She squared off into a Muay Thai stance, forearms held out and her lifted slightly. She starting throwing a jab and crosses, elbows, knees. Shadowing boxing with an imaginary opponent who was probably getting its ass-kicked. Her attacks were sharp, precise, and snappy. With grace and fury. She spoke without pause or even tiredness.

"Can you see why I was so hard on you? One mistake today could have cost you, Mantis, and the Amori brothers their lives. The Hunter exam was only the beginning. The life of a Hunter- no, the world of Nen, is deep and deadly. It's not like the forest."

She threw a jab, then twisted her body into a spinning elbow strike that would have killed a person if it landed. She continued.

"Ya' know the difference between a forest and a jungle? A forest is fair. You come in prepared, you'll be fine. Come into a jungle prepared? You'll probably still die. You can't just expect to survive, you need to thrive. And that takes power."

My eyes widened at suddenly having the bottom of a heel a few centimeters away from my face. She had been a meter an a half away from me. I didn't even her cut the distance.

"The only thing that matters in a jungle is strength. This just happens to be a grey one instead of a green one. Remember that. "

I stared at her eyes. There was no hesitation. No fear. Even if I was a friend I was still an opponent. A combatant. She trusted me and yet she'd be willing to take me down without apologies.

Here I was going through the motions. Dragging my feet to avoid the future. Terrified of being swallowed up by crime and becoming something I don't recognize.

I remember wanting to kill Binolt in my rage and desperation. The moment I accepted the choice to kill I became stronger. Far more dangerous. Nothing like who I am...

"How do I get stronger? In Nen?" I said without hesitation.

I felt something smile inside me.

She lowered her leg and stared at me for a moment, annoyance on her face giving way to contemplation.

"Why? Mayer's already teaching you the basics. By the auction you should be strong enough to hold your own."

"Can't. I want to be able to fight without killing. That might be naïve, but that's who I am. Be it twice as better or ten times better, I'll do it."

I felt something frown inside me.

I got up and brushed my pants, "Besides... the five of us almost died. Those five could have been Leorio and the rest. I have responsibilities to maintain..." I said. I smirked, feeling determination set in.

Briannaisa stared at me for a moment, before sighing. She sat on the bench again, frowned, and answered, "Mercutio isn't going to put you in the field again. You'll be safe until you master Nen. Trust me, you don't want to hurt yourself by overdoing it."

I sighed and laid against the backrest of the bench and stared up at the stars. They looked exactly like the stars from back home. Bright and distant.

"Trouble always finds me, Briannaisa. You could shove me into a bunker and it'd find it's way to me. The only thing I can do is be as ready as possible. And bring that trouble to a bunch of people who deserve it..."

I could see from my peripherals her analyzing stare, "This isn't just about Binolt, is it? Something happened?"

I nodded, "Yeah... I don't know much about Nen, but I think something is happening to me. Every time I get off-the-walls mad I see a red face. Even when I'm the edge I hear a count down. A robotic voice. It's... vaguely familiar... something I've seen before. I've been ignoring it for now, but..."

Briannaisa stood up and walked up to me. She looked down at me like a doctor, two fists on her hip.

"You do have anger issues... is there a reason for it?"

I sighed, "Just developed from being tossed around by life. No control. Or how it feels at least. I guess that's why I liked computers and programming. The sense of control."

Briannaisa straightened up and touched the bottom of her lips with her thumb and index finger. She nodded.

"That sounds like the opposite of Claudette..."

"What?"

She sighed," Remember in the forest with the monkeys? When she acted... strangely?" I nodded," Well, she's a Specialist."

I frowned, confused at what she was saying, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm guessing you haven't learned about the Nen types yet... I'll ask Mayer to speed up your training. To make a long story short, Claudette and I grew up during a civil war. We had to fight to survive, but Claudette is... too kind-hearted to survive in an environment like that. So... I told her that I'd take responsibility for who she killed... and she developed... that as a coping mechanism."

I stared at her, sadness hitting me. Briannaisa rubbed her arm and continued.

"A lot of soldiers develop it. Dissociate yourself from your actions. When we weren't fighting she was herself, but once we started... it's like she became a puppet and only followed my orders. No emotions. No thoughts. Just action. It was her way to deal with her situation. When we learned Nen, we found out it was she was a Specialist. She trades thinking for power..."

My head hung down as I stared at the ground, "I'm sorry to hear that..."

"Its... ok. You didn't do it. It just happens. She wanted to escape her responsibility of killing... and yeah... If she wanted no control of her actions, then you..."

"Absolute control. And since I'm not adequate enough to do it..."

"Yeah... you're mind and Aura is trying to develop something to achieve your desires."

I shook my head, "Nothing's ever easy with me, huh?"

She shook her head, an amused smile danced on her lips.

"I was about to say the same thing."


The dreaded Monday morning. Training. It was the same people as always. In the same place. The two of us bozos in suits. Knuckle and Shoot. The Twins. Their father. And the new guest trainer: a giant whiteboard.

Leorio and I sat cross-legged in front of two bowls with glasses filled with water.

Leorio spoke up, frank as always.

"What the hell is this?"

Mayer stood about a meter in front of us. His arm no longer in a sling but still in a cast so big it looked like a giant plaster canon. He stared down at both of us like the merest of ants.

"This is the standard way of finding Nen type. It is the Water Divination test."

He placed his giant polar bear-sized right hand and pushed Aura into it. The water began to overflow like an out of control faucet. The water rose so fast it almost spilled out of the bowl. Just before it did, he removed his hand from my cup. The moment he did, the amount of water suddenly dissipated. Receding to the center of the cup.

"As you can see, the results of using your Ren will determine what type of Nen you have. There are six types of Nen. What you saw determines me to be an Enhancer: the volume of the water increased."

Jesus Christ. Literally, figuratively, and jokingly.

He walked over to the whiteboard and grabbed a black marker. Removing the cap with his teeth, he quickly drew a shape on the whiteboard. It was quite a sight seeing him hunch down at the whiteboard, arm moving precisely and quickly. After a few seconds, he stepped back and revealed a hexagon with names on each point of the shape. From the top and going clockwise it read: Enhancement, Transmutation, Conjuration, Specialization, Manipulation, and corner before Enhancement was Emission.

Mayer continued, "Each of these types have their own strengths and weakness. They are personality dependent and everyone falls in one of them."

He pointed to 'Enhancement' at the top and started.

"Enhancers use their Aura to strengthen themselves or something. They are usually adept at the basics of Nen. Transmuters can change the properties of their aura, making them adept at changing Nen states. Conjuration can create objects from their very own Aura and tend to be efficient with their Aura.

Manipulators can control objects, their environment, or people with their aura. They tend to be best at flow and control of Aura. Emitters can project their aura from their body and are usually gifted with inordinate amounts of Aura. Specialists can be and do anything and do not seem to have an advantage I have seen. Other than being unpredictable."

Both our hands went up. The two of us had a million questions. Mayer waved them away with a flick of his giant wrist.

"Enough. First, hold your hands next to each of the glasses and use Ren. Focus on the glass."

We both sighed and slumped over, denied. We nodded and did as told. Putting our hands to the glass, we transitioned into Ren. After a few seconds, my leaf began to twitch. Then slowly spin around the surface of the water. I turned to Leorio to see the water in his glass turn light green.

"Hey, my water changed color! What's that mean?"

Clyde laughed, "It means you are an Emitter, Leorio. And you are a Manipulator, James."

I gave an impressed frown, "That means I can control things, huh? Alright!"

Leorio laughed, "Then I can... emit things? Shoot! Blam!" he said while punching the air.

Mayer grunted, "I am not as familiar with Manipulators and the bottom half of the chart. I am more familiar with the top half of the Hexagon. My Hatsus are of those types."

I raised my hand. Mayer frowned and asked, "What?"

"So a Hatsu is a special, unique ability? How do we make one?"

He nodded, "Yes. A Hatsu is a unique ability created by an individual. It is based on personality, habits, history, and what they are inside. Their inner quality and character. A good Hatsu reflects what a user is and is compatible with what they are. There are many ways to make one, but it will be up to you to decide how"

"What does that mean?" Leorio said while scratching his chin.

I looked at him, "It means we have to make up our Hatsus on our own. Something that can only be made by us."

Mayer nodded, "Correct. If you try to mimic someone's Hatsu you will find that it will not be as powerful. That is because it is something personal to themselves."

Kalvin followed up, "That does not mean you cannot emulate someone's Hatsu! My brother and I are twins, but we are of different Nen types! I am an Enhancer while my brother is an Emitter! We have both developed similar Hatsu's to each other, but I will never be as powerful with his Juggler's Delight! And he will never be as flexible or as skilled as I in Contortionist's Delight!"

Clyde nodded, "Yes. This is also influenced by one's Nen-type! The further the Nen-type your Hatsu is from your own, the weaker it will be! Remember that!"

On that, Mayer turned and began marking the percentages next to each of the Nen-types. It started at '100%' above Enhancer, and dropped by twenty percent for each category. That was until conjuration reached forty percent. Specialists was dead zero.

"Each Nen type away from your own will be less efficient. You will find it more difficult and costly to create Hatsus that is not naturally your Nen type."

I looked at the whiteboard and studied it. Recording it into my mind. I saw the complete opposite side of Enhancement was zero.

"What about Specialist? Why is it zero? Does that mean I can never use Transmutation?"

Mayer shook his head and answered.

"I can see the logic, but no. Specialists are unique. One can only be born or become one later. Manipulators and Conjurers have the highest chances of this happening. If you are not a Specialist you cannot 'make' Specialist abilities. They defy the normal rules of Nen. If you were a Specialist, your Nen efficiencies would be so."

He then proceeded to draw another hexagon. Now Enhancement was forty percent and everything else dropped by twenty percent. It all made sense. I nodded my head and replied.

"An Enhancer is physically the strongest, while a Specialist would be physically the weakest in terms of augmenting one's strengths..."

Mayer replied, "Note: this does not stop someone simply bypassing this disadvantage by training. Yet, this is usually the case that Specialist will be weak up close. They make it for it by transcending the normal rules of Nen."

Mayer nodded then continued. "All Nen types have strengths and weaknesses. In the end, it matters not what your Nen type is. It is how each individual Nen user uses their particular ability. The simplest of abilities can be deadly when used correctly."

He walked over and pointed to the bowls, "From now on you both will practice Water Divination every day. Do this on your own. This will strengthen your natural Nen-type and allow you to begin to next step in creating you're own Hatsus. It is the end of February... let us see how you two proceed by the end of March."

I nodded and raised a question, "Can I talk to you after training."

Everyone except for Mayer at me strangely, but I ignored them. Mayer nodded, "Yes. For now, we will continue as always. The basics. Come. Get up. let us continue."


It was a cool March night on the York New City University Campus. Sweaters and light jackets were apparel of choice for the students and faculty as they came and went to the various classes and offices. Monday nights always felt the most exhausting. Coming back from a Sunday and reentering the duties of work and school.

No one hated it more than Leorio Paradinight. He sneezed, making a thin purple and white scarf around his neck flutter. A purple and white sweater with 'YNU on the front' covered a white button-up. A black messenger bag held up by a strap over his left shoulder, draping down his right side. Jeans and white sneakers finished off his outfit. He had decided that walking around in a business suit on campus wasn't the best idea. People had kept giving him odd looks and snickers.

Leorio pushed up his glasses. A small smile came on his face.

He looked like any college student. He felt like any college student. And, barring his Nen-training, he was any other college student.

This was something he always wanted. Now he just needed to finish school to achieve the rest of his dreams...

But, every the man of class, his business suit came right back on after he left the campus. He felt strange without it on. With it came his sense of duty and responsibility as a Hunter.

But that was outside of the university. He shifted his bag. Now, had to get to class.

He looked around for the time. A street clock sticking out of the campus pavement told him it was eight forty-five. He had thirty minutes to get to class. That was plenty of time to wander and take in the sights.

A small, lecherous smile came on his face. Sights mostly being the women on the campus. He ignored the beautiful statues of long past founders or the plaques of former students who went on to accomplish great things. Decorations? Forget the purple and white banners and signs of school pride. Not even the uniqueness of being a college in one of the biggest cities in the world could deter Leorio from his quest for booty.

The York New University Campus was smack-dab in the middle of the city. A city-block sized park surrounded by small skyscrapers. Said skyscrapers served as the dorms, faculty, labs, lecture, and any other resource they needed. As if someone bought several city blocks to make a small city-state in York New City.

All paid for by the generous donations of alumni.

And by even more generous donations by Evira herself.

Leorio could not have cared less. He walked like a rooster strutting his stuff as he zeroed in on an Asian-looking woman with a purple sweater similar to his own, glasses, and a short black haircut. Similar to James, Leorio's intelligence only kicked in outside of medical situations when it involved stupidity. Namely the female persuasion.

The woman looked up to see Leorio zeroing in on her. Her eyes widening in surprise and fear. Probably because he looked like a thirty-something-year-old man masquerading as a teenage college student. She immediately tightened her arms around her books and decided whether or not to escape. Maybe campus the police were nearby?...

Right as Leorio arrived, a pick-up line on his lips, someone spoke up from behind him.

"Yo," a smooth voice called out from the night. Leorio frowned and turned around.

When he did, he heard the woman scurry away from behind him. He frowned at the two cockblockers.

"Oh, its you two. Sparrow and something-something. I forget what you're called."

Cabo smiled and laughed, revealing his sharp teeth. His raincoat was replaced by a large, baby blue cloth winter jacket that came to his knees. The color-matched his strange, spiky hair. Black, beady eyes staring back. To his left was Sparrow, his electric blue hoodie now slightly thicker than before, but everything else was the same. Blonde hair and steel blue eyes looking back.

"Hahaha, that hurts... Heh, though it's not like I know your name either," Cabo said with a large smile and shrug.

"Yeah, yeah. What'da ya' want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Sparrow shrugged, "Ya' know, a guy your age should look more refined. Ain't gonna' do lookin' like a kid."

"I'm nineteen!"

Cabo and Sparrow looked at each other in shock, Sparrow's unflappable demeanor now broken. The duo shook their heads. Sparrow sighed and continued.

"You're medical condition aside, we're wondering where Red's been."

Leorio sneered and narrowed his eyes, "What are you talking about? I saw him earlier today."

Cabo shook his head, "He means that James ain't been at 'work'. He's supposed to meet one of us every night. Ain't been showing up for the past few weeks."

"You mean ever since..." Leorio mimed an explosion with his hands. He continued, this time in a whisper, "Five people died in that thing... you guys are idiots for sending him to stop a full-fledged Hunter... a serial-killer at that!"

Sparrow shrugged and replied, no remorse in his voice, "Hey, we didn't send him. That's our boss. Besides, jobs like that come up all the time. If ya' want to blame anyone, blame Mantis for it. She plays around too much."

Cabo frowned and looked up at Sparrow, "She isn't playing. She thinks she's a Super Sentai or a Masked Rider."

"I don't even know what that means. That's from your goofy country, not mine."

Cabo waved a fist, "My country isn't goofy! Wanna go a round and see?!"

"We alway know how this goes, Cab'. I can't hurt you and you can't hit me," Sparrow turned to Leorio, "Ya' mind giving us your address?"

Leorio squinted at Sparrow, "Wait... you guys don't know where we live? If you don't know then I'm not telling you! Just show up to training!"

Cabo slumped forward and frowned, "Come oooon, maaaan! We all sleep in! We can't wake up that early... it nearly killed me the first I did it! We just need to talk to him. Tell us!"

Leorio stared at them for a minute, then sighed, "Forget it! If you want to know more, then ask Kalvin and Clyde. He's been training with them every couple of days. I got to get to class."

He walked away with a grumble. Something being interrupted.

The two of them frowned.


The next day came. A knock on the door rang out from under Sparrow's knuckle. The sharp raps echoed through the rundown hallway of the broken down apartment complex. This wasn't a place any family should live in, let alone two Hunters from a wealthy family. Dark. Dingy. Broken, cracked tiles and peeled back wallpaper decorated the hallway. Flickering, yellow lights. Loud, dull music. The sound of TV switched to a foreign channel. A musky, dusty smell that lingered through the place.

"God... the only places that got better are the Center and Uptown. Downtown still looks like ass..." Sparrow said with a shake of his head. He lifted his foot as he felt something scurry into his sneakers and dart away.

"Hnnn... Evira's cut down crime, yeah, but the rich still eat big while everyone else eats from their scraps. Yuck..." Cabo said with a scratch of his hair. He was scared the air itself would somehow materialize lice into his hair

Sparrow shrugged, "Mmm... Not like we can talk, huh? We work for her and all. Even she's got to play the game..."

"Tch. 'Pay the Daimyo to keep the farm?'"

Sparrow looked at his friend in confusion, "I guess? I don't know the fuck is a Dime-yo. That like, mayor or some shit?"

"How long have we've known each other and you know nothing about my culture?!"

Sparrow shrugged, "The food's good I guess? I like sushi."

Cabo glared at Sparrow as the door opened to reveal Kalvin and a giant cat. Specifically, one that could eat humans and large deer with ease. Sparrow looked at like a cute pet.

"Yo," Sparrow greeted. Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the Sabertooth Mountain Lion's head and began petting it. The animal froze, unsure of how to approach the petting. It realized they were stronger than her and allowed the stranger to pet her greatness.

"Ah, it is you two! What do you need this day?"

Cabo pointed to the giant animal and sneered, "Why ya' got that here, huh? That's illegal! If Knuckle finds out he'll kick your ass."

" I spoke to Knuckle about the proper care of these animals! As well as Briannaisa. She is very helpful to have with the annoying neighbors, so if they wish to discuss the noise complaints... she will keep them fair and sincere."

Sparrow nodded, "Reasonable. Anyways, we heard James' been over here to train with ya'. He hasn't been to 'work' and we were wondering what gives."

Kalvin frowned, "And what about the Amori brothers? Are they not of you're squad?"

Cabo frowned, "The frog squad?"

"What?"

Sparrow sighed, "Mercutio gave them frog codenames. So we call 'em the frog trio, or frog squad. Anyways, they won't talk either. Says its' not up to them if he doesn't want to come. Even Mercutio can't get a peep from 'em."

Cabo shrugged, "Coyote sure did gain their loyalty by saving them."

Kalvin mirrored the fisherman's shrug and anted up a squint, "If they are not telling, then I am not either. Go ask someone else. Maybe More's apprentices would know..."

The teen closed the door, only for it to stop by an inhumanly strong arm. Cabo held the door open with his right hand, a sharp smile on his face. A vein on his forehead.

"Glasses is one thing, but you? We ain't allowed to touch that guy, but no one said anything about you."

"What my hotheaded friend hear is trying to say is, let's not be hasty here. Why not tell us where he is and what's up?..."

Kalvin struggled against the door. His opponent's strength on another level compared to his own. Even with his entire body, he struggled against the man's single arm. The leopard growled. Kalvin began to worry. They were strong.

Incredibly so.

"M-maybe it is because... you are a group of hitmen? You all... are simply training him to kill..."

"Its kill or be killed. That's the laws of the underworld," Cabo said with a glare.

"I wonder... what my father would say about you two ruffians..."

With those magic words, Cabo let go. Kalvin nearly tripped forward before stopping and staring at the two between the crack of the wooden door.

"I suggest you two leave."

The door shut and metal deadbolts locked tightly.

Cabo sneered, "Brat."

Sparrow sighed and said, "What a pain..."

He shrugged walked away. Cabo along side him.


Cabo stared at the small motel that Knuckle was supposedly staying "Is this really the place Knuckle's staying at? I thought he was a Hunter now? Ain't he got money?"

Sparrow pointed at the crowd of dogs loitering around the parking lot.

"Dude, this looks like a dog park. Of course, he's staying here."

They hopped over the curb and knocked on the door marked '5'. After a moment, Knuckles opened the door.

"Huh? What're you two doing here?"

"LET'S FIGHT!" Cabo said jump directly at Knuckle, only for Sparrow to grab him by the collar and pull him back like one of the numerous stray dogs walking around. Knuckle looked flatly at the duo.

"I'm guessing you two aren't here to settle scores."

Sparrow shook his head, "Nah. Ain't like that. Maybe Cabo, but I ain't interested in fighting you. You're annoying enough to talk to."

Knuckle sneered," Oh yeah? Sounds like you're just too shy to say you wanna' fight."

Sparrow sighed, "No, I'm not. We're just here to find where James is at."

Cabo thrashed in the taller man's grip, "Speak for yourself! Let's go! I'll beat you this time for sure!"

Knuckle looked unconvinced, "I beat you, like, five-hundred times Cabo."

"NO! Only four-hundred and thirty-nine times! Today'll be the day!"

Sparrow held his left hand to his face," Give me a break... ya' making yourself look bad Marlin. Tch..."

"Nnnn!" Cabo said as he struggled in mid-air.

Knuckle shook his head, "Look, all I'll tell you is that guy's been training his butt off this entire month. And he isn't showing any signs of stopping, let me tell ya'! He's been coming by every few days on his own time to spar," Knuckle looked at the floor in contemplation, "He's... really working himself to the bone..."

He looked back at the two of them, both of them pensive. Silence came over the three of them. A pissed off Knuckle wasn't an opponent they could hold back against...

Knuckle ended the quiet by crossing his arms, closing his eyes, and sighing, "Look, I'm not going to be here much longer anyway. I was only asked to stay to train those two. It's none of my business what you guys do. But I ain't gonna' tell you where he is. Go ask catgirl. She knows."

The two enforcers sighed. Sparrow because he didn't want to talk to Briannaisa. Cabo because he was exhaling again so he can scream, "FIGHT ME!"

Knuckle replied, "SHUT UP! You're so damn noisy!" before slamming the door in their faces.

Sparrow shook his head, walking away while holding Cabo like a bag of groceries, "Ya' know you're like, ten percent of his victories. Right?"

"Shut up!" replied his luggage.


It was ten at night. The duo walked up to a small, one-story house that was near the outskirts of the city. Green with a brown, tiled roof and various cats. A large window showed a living room that looked like any working class's living room. A large tv, carpeting, a couch. Backing forth was a woman walking around in the light. She had no fear of anyone seeing her as she barely had any neighbors to speak of.

Briannaisa yawned as she walked around her house with a bag of cat food. In brown sweats, a heavy, green coat, and slippers. She walked around in tan slippers and carried a bleary face. The sound of meowing sounded before the bell rang.

A few moments later she opened her door to see Sparrow and Cabo. Dozens of cats deciding to rub themselves all over them.

"What're you two doing here? Darren? Cabo?"

Cabo munched on a donut, "Is James here?"

"No?"

Cabo shrugged, "Looks like we couldn't find him. Tough luck. Let's go Sparrow."

He turned around and began walking away. He froze when he heard Briannaisa call out, "You could just wake up go to the training?"

Both of them slumped over and groaned.

Sparrow sighed, "Look, Mercutio wanted us to find him for security detail. The meeting is, what, this weekend?"

Briannaisa frowned, "I'm in charge of security for the Summit and I don't want James anywhere near there. He isn't ready. Not for that level of scrutiny and not for anything that might happen. Besides, Evira doesn't think he's ready to meet the Underbosses yet..."

Sparrow shrugged, "Guess I'll tell Mercutio. He still wants to see James. What's Red up to?"

Briannaisa glared at the two of them, but a smile danced on her lips.

"Don't worry. He's training."


James sat in the middle of his room, light scaring off the darkness of the night. The only thing in his room was him. The only thing he was wearing were sweats. His room was bare. Only a futon shoved against the wall to make way for the countless books in in his room.

Dark scars ran across his body as sweat poured from out of him. A wooden sword stretched out before him. He concentrated on it.

Dozens of books and pieces of scattered around him. Books on theoretical and practical applications of Nen. The philosophy of Nen. Various studies were published by the Hunter Association. Old, photocopied pictures of ancient scrolls and manuscripts.

All of it shuttered at the air pressure generated by his Ren. He focused on Stick. He remembered what he did at the Hunter Exam. He concentrated. More Aura...

The dull wooden sword thinned. Narrowed. Sharpened. As sharp as any metal blade.

He groaned as the edge began to warp, liquefy, then rounded. He gasped as his stamina reached its limit.

After a few heavy breaths, he sighed

"Damn it. I'm getting there though..."

James turned behind him to the stacks of the other books he had. He gently put down Stick next to the bowl with a glass full of water in it. With a tired rub of his face, he began again. Reading, study computer architecture. Programming. Even articles written by a Hunter named Ickshonpe. Next to the piles of computer texts were a pile of expensive computer tablets, USB cables, and wiring. Many of it dismantled.

He continued reading. And reading.

Unbeknownst to him... something in the shadows of the machines... smiled at his progress.


Hello dear readers! I hope you are all doing well and continue to do well!

As you can see, a van bomb nearly killing James has motivated him. Soon we will see his first Hatsu as well as what happens when someone with 1 in 10 million talent has a fire under their ass.

But he'll be taking a step back for a moment. Time to meet the rest of the Tao Long...

Until next time reader, I hope you all continue to be happy and healthy!

Rondo out!