Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter.

CHAPTER 12

"Numere Wetlands, also called Swindler's Swamp. We need to get through this in order to reach the location of the second phase." Satotz explained once the fog had cleared.

Most of the examinees groaned when they realized that they had to do more running. What's worse is that they had to do so in a muddy place which takes up a lot more energy than running on smooth concrete.

"However, I must warn you that this place is the home to many dangerous animals that use deception and trickery in order to hunt. You must stay close to me and be careful not to get fooled, otherwise you'll die." the examiner said casually before turning to start running once more.

Before he could even take a step, a shout from behind caught everyone's attention. "Don't listen to him! He's not the real examiner, I am!"

The crowd parted to reveal a bloodied man limping towards them. He glared accusingly at Satotz while he threw something heavy on the ground.

When they looked closer, the examinees gasped.

It was a dead creature that looked a lot like Satotz, mustache and all. "This is a Man-faced Ape. They are carnivorous and have long, thin arms and legs. However, they are quite weak so they team up with other animals to catch their prey. That 'examiner' you follow will only lead you to your deaths!"

This stirred the people's thoughts as some were convinced of the man's words. They looked at Satotz dirtily, muttering profanities towards him.

Renée stared at the monkey that lay on the ground. Killua approached her silently and watched her with a brow raised.

"Why are you staring at it? It looks disgusting."

She snapped out of her reverie and looked back at him, a solemn expression on her face. "It's still breathing. That man is an ape as well."

The boy hummed in response, amazed by her perceptiveness but he didn't want to tell her that. To him, she will always be a dunce.

Suddenly, the air shifted and the hairs on his nape stood. In an alarmingly quick motion, Killua pulled Renée towards him, saving her from getting hit by the weapons that whizzed by the place where she was standing just a second ago.

He glared at the jester with the badge that read 44.

It was Hisoka.

Whether he did that on purpose or his aim was terrible, he didn't know, but getting her killed is not on the silver-head's agenda.

As if only remembering her, he glanced at the girl in his arms only to see that her eyebrows were furrowed, creasing her forehead. He followed her line of sight and saw that the man that was claiming to be the real examiner was stabbed by three playing cards.

The whole crowd held their breaths as they watched him fall down. In seconds, large birds landed beside the corpse and started picking at it.

Several heads turned towards Satotz and they realized that Hisoka threw some cards towards him as well. Though this time, the cards were caught in his hands and not protruding from his body.

"I see, then that settles it. You're the real one, Mr. Examiner." Hisoka chuckled. "You see, examiners here are Hunters hired by the Hunter Association to do this job without pay. Real Hunters that hold the title we seek, even low-type ones, can easily block that attack."

Everyone else stared at the jester, dumbfounded after witnessing that display.

Satotz flicked the cards away while maintaining a stoic expression. "I'll consider that as a compliment. However, should you attack me once more from here on out, I shall consider it as you turning on an examiner and report you for disqualification immediately. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

"Now, I hope you all understand that this is only one of the things the animals here would do in order to catch prey. Keep in mind that you must stay close to me so that you won't be deceived any longer. Actually, I wonder how many were convinced that I was an impostor."

At this, Leorio and a bald guy started laughing nervously.

Renée rolled her eyes at them. 'It's obvious who.'

"Then let us proceed."

"Thanks for earlier, Killua."

The said boy took a quick glance at her and smirked. "You really are a dunce. Didn't even feel it coming. If it weren't for my great self, you would have been sliced through."

Gon sighed for the umpteenth time because he knew that this was heading towards another petty argument.

Sure enough, Renée took the bait. "And here I thought I was thanking a person. Turns out it was just a stupid brat filled with hot air!" she glared, earning her an evil look from him.

"At least I have common sense!"

"Oh please. If I know, the only thing you have is false ego."

"Well that's the thing, what DO you know?"

"A whole damn lot, pea brain!"

The two growled at each other as they continued running deeper into the fog, which is starting to get thicker.

Killua broke off their glaring contest and discretely looked back at Hisoka. He wasn't that too far behind them and he can clearly see the small smile playing on the jester's lips.

The silver-head turned towards his companions and decided to warn them. "We should move up front."

"I agree. It's important to keep an eye on the examiner." Gon said.

"I'm more concerned of increasing the distance between us and that Hisoka. I can smell it in the air."

The islander looked at his friend confusedly and sniffed the air for any irregularities. So far, all he smelled was wet soil and sweat.

"I don't think he smells."he stated simply.

Killua looked at the dark-haired boy weirdly and glanced at Renée with a bewildered expression. She just shrugged as if saying 'he's always like that'.

"I mean he is oozing with bloodlust. I can feel it from here. I know because we're the same." the silver-head clarified.

"How are you the same?" Gon asked once more.

Killua only gave him a cold smirk. "You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

Not really feeling satisfied with his answer but not wanting to push him anymore, Gon decided to drop it. He looked back and took in a large breath.

"Leorio! Kurapika! Killua says we should move up front!"

Renée couldn't help but laugh as Killua whacked him on the head. "Hey! Can't you feel the tension around us!?"

"Eh but-!"

"Imbecile! If we could we would!" Leorio's obnoxiously loud voice cut him off mid-sentence.

"Don't worry about us! We'll be fine!" Kurapika's voice said reassuringly.

The fog was getting too thick to see and this got the boy worried. If they went on ahead, they wouldn't be able to see Leorio and Kurapika, and he really didn't want to leave them behind. A hand reached out and engulfed his, and he turned to see Renée smiling warmly at him.

"They'll be fine Gon. Now let's go before the old man leaves us behind." she grinned lopsidedly. He laughed knowing that she was referring to Killua and sped up, hand in hand with his childhood friend.

Gon, Renée, and Killua were running with the main group. All around them there were screams of fear and agony along with roars of different creatures. Gon kept looking back, worry clearly etched on his face.

"If you go back you won't pass the Hunter Exam. Just leave them be, they'll be fine." Killua said noticing the dark-haired boy's anxiety.

"Don't just say that to him so casually. Not with all these screaming." Renée scolded him.

"Scared, dunce?" he mocked. She clicked her tongue at him but said nothing more.

Through all the commotion, they barely noticed the shift in the ground they were running on until it was too late. The soil beneath them gave way and they fell, being swallowed by some hidden monster.

They were immediately covered in slimy saliva and Renée groaned. "This is so disgusting!" she complained trying to shake off some of the liquid.

"Don't be such a girl. Ack! You're splashing some towards me!" Killua said, shielding his face.

"'Don't be such a girl'." she mimicked him to which he stuck his tongue out.

"Guys, can we think of how to get out first?" Gon asked, tired of their bickering.

"Leave that to me." The silver-head pulled something out from his pocket and Renée saw that it was a can of juice, the one that Tompa was giving away. He spilled the contents on the insides of the creature and it immediately started to react.

A rush of more liquid carried them up and out of the creature, leaving them sitting on the ground covered in bile.

"This is even more disgusting." the red-head muttered angrily.

"Better than being digested." Killua countered her.

"Guess he didn't like the taste of us." Gon said as he watched the large frog walk away.

"It was this." the silver-head explained by showing him the can of juice.

"Ah. That's what Tompa was giving away earlier! Guess he really saved us."

"Let's hurry up! We can still catch up to the main group." Renée said standing up. The two boys followed her example and they started running once more in hopes of finding the examiner.

Before they could get far, a faint yell echoed in the air. Gon and Renée immediately recognized it as Leorio and turned around.

The boy bolted towards the forest and the red-head prepped herself to follow him. She was about to take her first step when a firm hand held her wrist. Annoyed, she looked back at her offender and her eyes met blue.

Killua was looking at her sternly and he shook his head. "If you go back you'll die."

She felt her blood boil and she couldn't help but be angry at the boy in front of her. "That's my brother! If I don't go who knows what'll happen to him. Let go of me!"

She struggled, trying to free herself from his vice-like grip, but to no avail.

"You should trust him. Gon will be fine. If you go, he'll have to worry about you too." Killua said, much more convincingly.

Renée looked at him then towards the area Gon ran to and she felt torn. She didn't know which one was the better choice even if she weighed the pros and cons in her head.

In the end, she sighed in defeat and let the old man drag her with him. However, deep down inside, she still felt very much distraught.

'Please be safe.'

They managed to find the main group and ran with them. Soon enough, the two found themselves in a clearing in front of a wall with a large door.

Renée looked around immediately but felt deflated when she didn't see Gon.

"Just relax. He'll get here." Killua tried to console her but she wasn't listening and even walked away from him. Part of it was because he sounded anxious and thus wasn't very reassuring, but mostly it was because she was mad at him.

She hated him for keeping her from protecting the one person important to her during the Exam.

'You followed him though.' a little voice inside her pointed out. She frowned, knowing that it was right and now, she was angry at herself too.

'Stupid, gullible me. Now what do I do if he doesn't return? Aunt Mito will never forgive me if something happened to Gon. Heck, I wouldn't even forgive myself! Why don't I just go back and let that stupid frog swallow me whole again.'

Sensing someone looking at her, Renée turned sharply and found the source. Hisoka gave her a creepy smile and pointed towards his left.

Confused as to what he wanted her to look at, she complied only to find Gon, Kurapika, and Killua surrounding an unconscious Leorio.

She strode towards them, specifically calling out the dark-haired boy. He turned and smiled that large, goofy grin she cared so much about and she found herself engulfing Gon in a tight embrace, trying to get across all that she wanted to say through it.

"I'm fine, Ren." he whispered softly making her smile in return as she released him.

"I tried calling you but you were totally spaced out, stupid girl." Killua taunted her, wearing that same bored look. She ignored him and walked straight towards Leorio who was coming to.

The lack of response from the girl irked him more than it should. He stared at her back long and hard, willing her to turn around and fight back, but either she didn't notice or she didn't care about it because the red-head didn't even spare him a glance.

'Damn. Does this mean I have to apologize?' he thought sullenly.

"Congratulations to everyone that has made it. This place is where the second phase of the Exam will be held: Biska Forest Park. I wish you all good luck. Farewell." Satotz said, looking around one last time before walking away in that awkward stride of his.

Everyone gathered around the gate as it started to open, revealing a large building with an equally impressive front yard that had tables arranged across the whole area.

The examinees walked towards the entrance of the building where a woman with green hair in skimpy clothes sat and behind her was a heavy-set man in an undersized shirt, exposing some of his stomach.

"Welcome! My name is Menchi! This is Buhara. We will be the examiners for the second phase."

The crowd murmured, each one wondering what was in store for them.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound erupted from nowhere and got everyone slightly on edge.

"You must be hungry, Buhara." Menchi smirked.

The large man drooled, agreeing with her statement.

"That was his stomach!?" Renée whispered, surprised.

"Then that's it! The second phase will involve cooking!"

Leorio looked back at the woman incredulously.

"Cooking!?"

END OF 12.

A/N: Another one in the can! Sorry for taking so long, I was studying for midterms. Please review!