With school just starting, Eifion calls for Daniel and Killua to meet one of the five students face-to-face, to gauge what they'll be like with Madelyn. The man would rather it not turn into a disaster with the others, they'll also… soon be forced to train.

Daniel checked his watch, yawning loudly as ticked by. He never expected to come in so early, to have a student already lined up for them. Actually… they knew there were going to be five students… they were just meeting the first one today.

They'll be meeting another student later in the week. The remaining three will be taught at the same time next week, unless, the two of them judged that the three of them would be split into their own classes like the other two.

They don't know who this student is going to be, it was going to be a surprise…

But the other four, they were aware of their names. Another one on their own was going to be Isaac. The other three were Sandra, Matthew and Kevin.

Killua offered a yawn of his own… They really shouldn't have gone to bed late. But they were so busy getting lost in each other, that they lost track of the time. However, it looks like they weren't only one late.

Their new student and Eifion were both missing. The Deacon was most likely being side-tracked by work or he was finalising some documents they'll have to fill out, to at least officiate that they are liable for the student getting hurt during their training session.

Then again… Any form for training involving Nen will be dangerous, so it was more for the student than them.

Daniel looked up when he heard footsteps coming in their direction. Another student, a female walking towards them. He paid no attention to her, due to her being so far away to gauge their features.

The training room was massive, with a Rubik cube of rooms, hundreds of them hidden underneath them. They could rent out each room four hours at a time, unless, all of them were filled at the same time, then they'll have to wait for the next time slot… provided, they weren't rented out too.

When the footsteps got closer, Daniel once more looked at the student. He had to take a double glance. There was no way, that the first student, was Madelyn. He'd never mistaken those ice-cold blue eyes, the jet-black hair was done up in a bun, with two strands of hair dangling over the front her ears.

Thinking about it, he hasn't observed her features; her cold, brooding eyes always drew him in, making him ignore everything else in the process. He looked her up and down properly, taking her in as a whole, rather than her expression only.

She was dressed in plain pants and a shirt, but considering what she was in for… she needed to wear more casual clothes than that in the future, if, she were to continue training with them.

Something told him, that he and Killua would need to be very convincing if she was going to train under their tutelage. He was pretty sure Eifion would also be watching a few of their training sessions, just in case things were to go south quickly… namely her objecting to the idea that she'll be forced to see them more often than she probably wanted to meet them right now.

Daniel gave Killua a nudge, suggesting that his partner also look, in the direction of their new Nen student they'll be getting.

Killua woke up, eyes widened at the prospect that Madelyn has leaned, or will be learning Nen through them. Was it also possible that Clarisa or even Kiel was aware of it too?

It was something they needed to ask Madelyn, not Clarisa. Nen had to be a well-kept secret, only hunters or those aware of its existence should be allowed to learn about it. They were lucky that Gon only blabbed about it to two people… Zephile and Sakura.

When Madelyn was a few meters away from the boys, she immediately recognised them. Her tune changed from being prideful to aggressive "What the hell are you two doing here?"

Killua crossed his arms, letting out an irritated sound as Daniel was forced to control the conversation "To teach Nen… we never expected to be teaching you. Is Clarisa aware of this?"

Madelyn crossed her arms, "Why don't you ask her, seeing as you're already buddy-buddy with her."

"Nen is supposed to be a well-kept secret, so asking her if she knows about it when she doesn't… wouldn't make it a well-kept secret any longer, am I wrong…" He could see his words made her bite her lip, but he could tell the argument was far from over.

The girl chose to stay silent about the situation, but that won't stop her from arguing about different stuff "I'm older than you anyways… it's not like you'll be any better than me."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Eifion's voice boomed from behind them, scaring Madelyn in the process. The man stepped towards them; arms crossed as he scowled at the younger girl. This had gone on long enough. He had been too lenient, giving her more than enough space to work on herself, rather than with others.

The boys would make the 12th person she has rejected to be taught by.

This ends now. She either learns to take Vastorie's words to heart, or she can continue to remain at the same level for the rest of her life. Vastorie is willing to help everyone. But only those who show promise or willing to listen to others… have gotten his undivided attention.

He will not teach her… not if she continues to remain like this.

When Madelyn had the Deacon in her view, she lashed out in anger "I told you Vastorie… not some random stranger, or…" she glared at the boys "some kid who's related to him."

"Well, look…" Eifion let out a frustrated sigh, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "I know you want him as a teacher badly. BUT… he's busy. I can't summon him at your beck and call, not until you fulfil your promise to him. Believe me when I say this… he keeps his promises, so he will test you, he WILL figure out if you're lying or not. So for right now, it's either them or no one… because there's nobody else."

Seeing the glare coming from Madelyn, he knew it was over. She'll outright deny the offer being given to her. She was prideful, at least in this situation… she wanted the best of the best.

He can't deny that his father's ability is the best for this situation, but unless she can use Ren… he's pretty much the worst option… especially if she not willing to listen to others. He will abuse that, making her life excruciatingly more difficult.

Daniel will have to destroy her ego if she was going to listen to any of them "You're right…"

Startling Madelyn, Eifion crossed his arms as he waited for how Daniel planned to deal with her. It'll be interesting to see how the boy would deal with the girl. So far, it's been strange.

He started the conversation saying Vastorie would be better…

"See, even Daniel agrees Vastorie would be better than-"

"You didn't let me finish…" Daniel cut back into the conversation, pausing only so he could regain the girl's attention. He held up a finger, pointing it to the sky. Killua knew what the boy was doing, they had been subjected to it for weeks via Bisky's training, "What number am I holding up."

"One…"

"Not my fingers. Clearly… you're lacking in this department." She offered a glare in response, but Daniel turned to his partner "Number?"

"Six!"

He then turned to the deacon, changing the number before asking "What number am I holding up now?"

"Eight…"

"How didn't even do anything! You showed no signs of changing the number. You three are obviously, lying."

"It's called control… Not that you had any, to begin with…" Killua shot her a smug grin. He could see the rage, the agitation in her body posture. He was poking a bear, but unlike this bear, she was a cub in comparison to him… at least strength-wise.

She'd break every bone in her knuckle if she were to punch him right now.

It'll be reminiscent, like how he felt when he kicked Netero in the shin for the first time. His leg was throbbing in pain that time… her fist will feel the same.

Daniel held up a hand, letting his partner know to ease up on the poor girl. She doesn't know their strength… all she has seen was Vastorie's strength… and his cunning side, not his ability… not the darkness he carries everywhere…

Just his raw strength, "The fact you can't see the number, shows me that you don't know Gyo." When she raised her eyebrow, he continued, "So what I'll ask you… is what do you do know?"

"Ten!" She states proudly as if she knew more than they did.

Daniel sighed in defeat, "We have our work cut out for us…"

"What you mean?!"

"Ten, is an entry-level ability." Daniel remarked in a flat tune, eyes dulled out of boredom, "you won't survive for long against either of us in a fight." When she shot him a glare, it didn't deter him from putting her down further, "I'm sorry… but it's the sad cold truth."

The boy took a step, circling the girl like she was his prey, "Ten, Zetsu, Ren and Hatsu… these are the basics. Then Gyo, In, En, Shu, Ko, Ken and Ryu, are the advanced techniques… then you have the categories you belong to. To give an example, Vastorie falls under Specialist, his technique does not belong to any specific category. It relies on your Ren, which you clearly, do not have…"

The boy stopped, eyes glancing towards the girl before he stood at his partner's side, "My father cannot benefit you… he won't even help you if you're focused on yourself only. You'll never grow… always being weak from your stubbornness…"

"Can you even prove you're stronger than me?!"

Daniel flicked a hand towards Killua, "He can… let's make a deal. If you run at your top speed, how long would it take to reach the elevator?"

"About one minute… why?"

"I'll give you a thirty-second head start. Your objective is to get to the elevator. If Kyle catches you, you lose and we get to train you."

"And if I win?"

"You won't win…" Killua interjected with a smug grin.

Daniel held up a hand "We will never bother you, Clarisa or Kiel again, with Audrey being the exception. She can still be friends with Kiel."

"Deal!"

Daniel flicked out his wrist, "Your time starts…" he waited until the second tick zero "now…"

She turned, running towards the elevator.

Daniel waited until the thirty seconds were up, the girl a little over halfway towards the entrance, "she missed judged her speed."

"Is the time up…?"

"Yup…"

Eifion uncrossed his arms, "shouldn't you be running after her now?"

"Nah…" Killua crossed his arms, "I can wait till the last second, and still catch her."

Daniel turned to Eifion, "We're doing what my father would've done… demoralise her… she comes off as cocky, always assuming she's better than everyone else, except for who she deems would be better than her. I'm sure my father would do it a different way… after all, he did smash me into Killua like a baseball bat…"

"I assume while Sage's Archive was active."

"It was…"

Killua gave a quick nod, his aura flaring to life, "Less than a second is all I need to catch her… what you want me to do afterwards?"

"Throw her to me… I'll catch her with my ability."

"Please be gentle with her…" The man warned, his expression and voice direct with Killua and Daniel.

"I will…" Killua sang proudly, his smile widening, "Daniel will catch her… I know he can." On that remark, electricity flickered off the boy's body, eyes narrowing slightly. He chased after the girl, blocking her from escaping at the last second, "too…"

"Slow…" Without warning, the boy playfully tripped her before grabbing her and throwing her into the air.

While the girl was screaming her lungs out, Daniel held out his finger, pointing it at Madelyn as she fell towards him. His aura roared to life, the shadow beneath his feet bending and weaving at his command. At the last possible second, he flicked his wrist, sending a series of hands up to catch the girl, holding her up in the air.

The shock from the whole situation hit her hard, being thrown by a boy that felt tingly when touched; it felt as though his whole body was covered in static electricity. Then there were the black, oozing hands reaching out from the ground, catching her before she could land face-first into the ground.

Killua cut the distance instantly, arms crossed as he stood before her. She lost within an instant, an instant she was still coming to terms with.

Daniel brought his finger down slowly, bringing her back to the ground in a manner that will give her time to realise that she lost.

"Are you willing to listen now?" Killua taunted the girl.

The poor girl still shook from the shock, "Ky- Kyle caught me instantly… th-then he he t-threw me… I… I… I could've died…"

Daniel gave a nod, even though the girl couldn't see, given that her back was turned to him, "But you survived… because of our Hatsu."

"Hatsu…?" The girl looked at him, still in shock at the ordeal she just experienced.

"Hatsu. Killua can manipulate his aura to mimic electricity, forcing his body to react on impulse, rather than thought… I can manipulate my shadow to mimic objects… in this case, hands which I used to catch you, mid-flight."

"I noticed you use one finger," Killua asked with a smile, "did you improved your ability?"

"I altered it a little bit. I still need to use hand gestures, but rather than using my hands, it relies on my finger gesture flicks. But my limit is still dependant on the number of fingers I have. Trying to control any more than ten hands is almost impossible at this point… and the less I control, the faster I can move them individually. However, if I want to control a single mass, I still need to use my whole hand… so it's not much of an improvement…"

"Right…"

Madelyn turned to Daniel, "You are monsters…"

"Daniel isn't…" Killua interjected with a smile, "I, however…" resting his arm on his boyfriend's shoulder, he offered a menacing smile, "can be…"

"Wh- Why would I ever want to learn from someone who just manhandled me."

"Because my father can be worse…"

"Wh- What? He could never be worse than you."

"My dad has multiple sides to him he isn't nice twenty-four seven. He has a darker side to him… as much as you or Clarisa doesn't want to believe it…" Daniel took a step towards the girl, "He used me against Kyle like a baseball bat… he smashed my face in because he knew, I wouldn't come to harm while his ability was active… He…" The boy leaned forward, inches away from the girl, "doesn't hold back when it comes to training. He makes boot camp look like a walk in the park. If you think for a second, he'll go easy on you… he won't."

"I'll tell Clarisa what kind of monsters you are."

"Go…" Killua let out an irritated click of his tongue, his tone showing off the darker side to him, "she already knows who I am… the question is, does she know who you are. How will you tell her what happened here, without mentioning Nen? What kind of lie will you spin in order, to say you met with us…?"

"I'll…"

Daniel offered a smile, a sincere one at that. No matter how poorly she has treated them so far, he feels like there's some deep-seated trust issues with her, something that makes her react like this.

Eifion won't tell them… and he can't appeal to Vastorie, so he has to push her for the information "I know you trust Clarisa, you proved it now… you were willing to say what happened here… But Kyle and I aren't pure evil. We aren't here because we want you to suffer. If you want to learn Nen, like it or not… we are your last chance."

"I don't trust you…"

"But you haven't given us a chance…"

The girl opened her mouth, only to bite her lip. No, she hasn't, has she… She never gave them a chance for her to trust them. They did prove that they were more than capable of stopping her from reaching the exit. She counted the seconds in her head, it went on longer than thirty seconds.

She didn't even see Kyle run past her, he was standing right in front of her, within a blink of the eyes. They were stronger than she was willing to give them credit for. Not only that, but she also rejected Daniel, because he couldn't tell her anything about her deal with Vastorie.

Vastorie would surely get upset with her if she were to reject his son's help… wouldn't he? He's a family man first… wasn't he? The girl turned her head, thinking about the scenario, "Let's say… I give you a chance."

"I'd be happy…" Daniel held out his hand, offering to shake her's on a deal "Then give us a chance. You've seen we're more than capable, that we aren't as weak as you originally thought."

Madelyn took a boy's hand, giving it a firm shake, "I'll give you a chance…"

The boy let go after a single shake. Stepping back, he looked over his shoulder and gave Killua and Eifion a smile. Turning back to the girl, he started their very first session… one that hopefully wouldn't be their last, "Show us your Ten. What you can muster up…"

She took a deep breath, trying to recall her first session… the first thing she ever learned about Ten.

Daniel could sense something, but it was very faint, barely noticeable. Crossing his arms, he spoke up, "it's not that strong, but nobody is at the start. Here's what we're going to do."

Daniel went on to explain the fundamentals of aura, the basics she needed to know about Ten. It wasn't until halfway through his conversation, that she interrupted the boy, "It's Khoury… Madelyn Khoury…"

Daniel gave a small nod, "Nice to meet you, Madelyn Khoury… I hope we can continue to help you."

She gave a small nod, no longer interrupting the but instead, listen to the rest of what he has to say. She won't say any more than her name… not until she improves, that she has physical proof that they indeed, are better to teach her than if she were to wait for Vastorie to show up unannounced…

On the off chance that Eifion and Daniel were right, learning from Vastorie is the last person she should ask.

"~"

Killua crossed his arms, Madelyn long since left. After all the abuse he had received, he was glad Daniel got something out of that training. In fact, ever since Madelyn told his partner her surname, Daniel had been smiling unconsciously.

He achieved the impossible, gathering a name Clarisa was unable to learn… and she has had earned Madelyn's trust for a lot longer than Daniel has. Hell, all he has is her full name and what she believes, and thinks about Vastorie…

Nothing more…

Nothing less…

Eifion uncrossed his arms, "You did well. While she will be difficult from time to time, I trust you can keep up this training. Remember, she won't ask for your assistance every single time, most likely when she gets stuck."

"I'm fine with that…" Daniel turned to his partner, "I'd bet even Killua be happy with that."

"The less we have to see her, the better it is."

"Your next student will be more difficult… he's a slow learner, but I won't be there. I trust you'll be ok with that."

Daniel offered a nod to the Deacon, "We should be ok. Any tips? What does he know?"

"Go slow. He's very carefree and cheerful… As for what he knows, he's been training Ren."

"That's not too bad…"

"For a year now."

Daniel sucked in a breath. It's going to be a long year, between Madelyn and this student, "What about the other three students."

"Brand new, teach them the ropes."

"Got it…"

Eifion gave them a bow, only to disappear seconds later. Getting used to that will be difficult, but not as much as dealing with Madelyn.

Daniel felt a pair of arms roped around his waist, pulling him in. He relaxed into his partner's grip, smiling widely at the touch. He likes feeling comforted, but as soon as he heard Killua open his mouth, the reason for his partner holding him… was so they could talk about today.

"So how do you feel about this?"

"Tired… can't complain when I accepted the terms."

"What about Clarisa… you think Madelyn will say something to her."

"Possibly… we don't know. I can't predict that much, but even if Clarisa finds out about Nen, she might approach us to learn about it. Will you be fine with that?"

"As long as you are…"

Daniel turned his head, kissing his partner on the cheek "I will."

Killua broke out into a smile, eyes looking ahead. It's time they improved themselves, to further their training. Start with the basics, then work their way back to the more advance techniques, tweaking things along the way, "let's get started…"

"Sure!"