A/N: We were planning on updating on Wednesday tbh but we were just so excited we had to post it as soon as we finished. I hope you guys enjoy! Please be sure to favorite, follow, and leave a review to let us know what you think. Enjoy!

The bus swerved to the left, throwing Arcadia out of her seat and onto the plump man beside her. It was the first and only time that she was grateful to be sitting next to him.

The bus's ancient speaker system crackled to life as it broadcasted the driver's voice to all three floors. "We've seem to run into a little bit of a problem." The driver swerved the bus again and Arcadia's face smashed against an armrest. She rubbed her swollen forehead and moaned. Owww.

She wasn't the only one to hurt herself. All across the bus, applicants groaned in pain as they struggled to pick themselves off the floor. "Sorry about that," the bus driver said.

He didn't sound very sorry.

"What's wrong with the bus?" one of the passenger's shouted in panic.

"Let me off, get me outta here!" another screamed as he banged on the windows.

"I'm gonna die in here!"

The bus driver laughed. "Don't be melodramatic. It's nothing to worry about. Just a bit of a bumpy ride. Stuff like this happens all the time."

The bus jerked again and this time it lurched onto two tires momentarily before crashing back down.

"Oh, god! I don't want to die!"

"You're not going to die," the bus driver said. "Well...a few of you might. Hehe."

Arcadia paled at the thought as her hands tightened around the armrests of her seat. All around her, the big and tough macho men were screaming like frightened little girls. Some had hardened features like her own while others looked constipated as they struggled to remain in their seats. Then there was Killua, the cute white-haired boy that Arcadia fancied. Above the whimpers, prayers, grunts, and groans he laughed.

"Ahahahaha! Faster! Make it go faster!"

The dark haired girl's head whipped towards him. With the bus driver's maniacal driving, it was amazing they were still alive and yet, here he was, acting like it was some sort of roller coaster ride.

He was crazy.

"So..." the bus driver's carefree voice returned. "Things are not going very well. I'm going to have to make an emergency stop, yeah. In five, four," he counted as the tires screeched. "Three, two." The man floored the brake pedal and tried to make a sharp turn. "One, now!"

Arcadia's worst fears came true as the bus finally rolled over and tumbled sideways. Her stomach tightened into knots as she tried to cling onto her seat, only to have a body collide into her and knock her loose.

The inside of the bus was like a washing machine. Bodies were thrown about like clothes and the luggage was like soap. After a few seconds of spinning, Arcadia could no longer tell which way was up and which way was down. Her stomach rose as the bus flew off the side of the mountain.

They had gone airborne.

She screamed along with the rest of the passengers as they crashed into the ground and tumbled down the mountainside.

"Yahoo!" Someone shouted gleefully. Her eyes snapped back to white haired teen who was halfway out his window with his skateboard tucked under his arm. A smile tore at his lips and just like that, he jumped. He was gone. Arcadia starred the spot where he used to be for as long as she could but another body soon crashed into hers and knocked her to the floor.

Killua had escaped just in time, his purple shoes landing silently on the ground and crushing the grass beneath his feet. He looked up and watched the bus soar overhead as it descended towards the river. With a loud plop, the vehicle created a splash as tall as a building before it disappeared beneath the water's blue surface. The only thing that remained of the bus was the foam it left behind.

Killua whistled as he shoved his free hand into his pocket. Because the water was so clear, he could see the red bus beneath the waves. Killua watched as water poured in through the cracks and holes, rapidly filling up the submerged vehicle. The passengers were screwed, he realized with a small smile. "Wow, that's not good."

"Aren't you glad you got out of there when you did, huh?" The bus driver chuckled as he came to stand beside the albino.

Killua blinked up at him in surprise. "Have you been here this entire time?"

"Uh-huh."

The Zoldyck titled his head as his cat-like eyes wandered to a toy-car controller in the driver's hands. "Is that how you were driving?"

"This here?" The driver held up the controller and Killua nodded. "Yeah. Though to be honest, I was just trying to get it down the hill, that's all."

"You could have just gone in a straight line."

"Where's the fun in that?"

The driver flashed him a smile and Killua's grin grew. "I'm impressed," the old man said. "You're the first one to make it out of my trial, no… You're the only one who beat it before it even began."

Killua shrugged. "It was no big deal. I just didn't want to get my skateboard wet. It'd rust the wheels."

The driver watched him for a moment before giving a short laugh. "Is that so? What's your name again, kid?"

"Killua Zoldyck."

"Zoldyck?" The driver's eyes narrowed on the back of Killua's head, but the albino pretended he didn't notice. Instead, he kept his eyes locked onto the windows of the bus. He had expected more of the passengers to have swam to shore by now but instead their panicked faces were pressed up against the glass as they banged on it helplessly.

"So, was all this was a trap?" Killua said, changing the topic.

The conductor hesitated before answering. "...I guess you could say that. There are millions of people trying to become Hunters and the Association doesn't have time for all of them. So, they hire people like me to weed out the unworthy. Just consider this the Pre-Test for your Hunter Exams."

"Huh." Killua grunted as he thought of the passengers. He guessed most people would fail then. His mind wandered back to the girl that had been staring at him and he wondered how she was doing. Was she going to pass or die?

Well, this is just fucking great. Arcadia thought as she shoved some unconscious guy off of her and stood. She could hear the water gushing in, quickly filling the cabin as everyone fled for the door. Those at the front of the bus began to panic.

"It won't open!"

"Where's the driver?"

"What do you mean he's missing?"

"How can he be missing?"

"Find his keys!"

Arcadia rolled her eyes as she stepped onto a seat. "Excuse me." She bent over a tubby man to reach the window and pull it down. He hummed and giggled to himself, not seeming to mind that her boobs were dangling above his face.

"Don't mind if you do." he said as a perverted grin wormed its way onto his face.

Arcadia clenched her jaw but she kept silent. She had more pressing matters to deal with than perverts. With a loud click, she pulled the window down and water rushed in. The man behind her yelled at her to stop but she ignored him. Taking a deep breath, she climbed out the window.

Or at least, she tried to. She made it about halfway before a set of meaty hands wrapped themselves around her waist and yanked her back in. "Good thinking, girlie." The man threw her across the bus before climbing out himself. "But I come first."

Arcadia landed in the opposite seat on the back of someone who was knocked out. The portly sausage of man tried to squeeze his fat rolls through the small window but to no avail. Arcadia watched as he struggled and her temple throbbed in anger. Really? She would have been out in five seconds, he couldn't wait?

Seriously?

To make matters worse, he didn't even fit through the window. Parts of his stomach bulged out on either side of the frame and his hands were pressed against the outside of the window as he tried to push himself through, his fat little legs kicking for freedom that would never come.

He was stuck. Completely, undeniably stuck as the bus sunk deeper and deeper. A smirk pulled on the corners of her lips as she watched him struggle for a moment with a false sense of pride. Karma's a bitch, she thought as she turned her attention to a different window. That one was clearly not going to be operational, she thought as she tuned out the fat man's bubbly cries for help.

Only half of the windows on bottom level of the bus had been opened. The other ones, despite the attempts of many banging fists and hard objects, would not break or budge. Just like the door, they were sealed shut. At the few windows that did open, most of them were guarded by men who wanted to stop others from using that exitway. These men had been in the Hunter Exams before and knew that the test had already begun. They also knew that their best chance was to thin out the herd now rather than later.

The four windows that were left to escape through had lines of people shoving and fighting to get through them first. Between the guarded windows and the crowded windows, either way, it would take a fight to get out of the bus alive.

A fight she could handle but it would be a walk in the park for someone like Hisoka. Now that she thought of him, her eyes glanced around those who fled downstairs in search of an exit. Where was he?

She didn't see him.

Her silver orbs narrowed on the heads bobbing through the water as the bus turned into a flooded submarine. Hisoka would have been the first person off the bus, surely she would have seen his vibrant pink hair even in the water. It was odd that she hadn't seen him but that could only mean one thing.

He was still here. And most likely, he was waiting for her. Waiting and watching, watching if she'd fail and waiting to see if she needed help.

Arcadia scowled. She didn't need him to save her, she could save herself. She let herself sink onto the bench and crossed her arms as she rested her feet on either side of the unconscious (now drowning) man that she had fallen on. But still, she thought as the water level inched towards her face. This is a perfect chance to see what he will do. Would Hisoka keep his promise and let her take the exam on her own, even if it meant she died trying? Or would he come and rescue her because daddy commanded it?

Her expression soured. If Hisoka came to save her, he wouldn't need to worry about her father. She'd kill him herself.

Arcadia's gaze lingered on the other applicants. The ones that were still stuck in the bus. Both time and oxygen was running out. What would they do? How long could they last?

Most of the people here seemed so weak compared to those found in Meteor City. It really boosted her confidence about the Exams, confirming that Hisoka was right. They were going to be easy- as long as she always respected the Examiner, there shouldn't be a problem.

That is what she thought until she heard a muffled scream under the water beside her. She turned, looking back to see someone was hacking chunks of flesh from the chubby guy stuck in the window. The man flailed helpless, air bubbles pouring out of his mouth as blood pooled around them, clocking them in a fog of red. Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. I didn't think the wimps had it in them.

But he wasn't the only one. All over, people had turned on one another as their fear drove them wild. In their desperate attempts to escape, they shoved each other out of the way and when the person wouldn't moved, they sliced and diced a new way through the flesh. It only took a few minutes before the water in the bus was red with blood. Bodies littered the water like clumps of seaweed. Some floated to the ceiling while others sunk to the floor, but the stillness of them all was undeniable.

Arcadia drew one of her swords. Even though she was in the back corner of the bus and away from any windows, she didn't trust the applicants. The men left on the bus had turned into wild beasts. If one turned her way, especially an armed one…well, it was better to be safe than sorry.

A piece of intestine floated past Arcadia, swept away by an unseen current. Though none of the men seemed particularly strong like Hisoka, their pure brutality was something familiar enough to make her lamentful. One tragic accident had caused all of this chaos.

It's such a shame, really, she thought. How many were dead already, if not killed by the water but by the men trying to escape?

Arcadia paused. Wait…was that it? Her eyes widened. No way. Could it be that simple?

The broken down bus was a barely functioning travel hazard with rusted rims. It had holes big enough to sink it, but not to escape from. Only a select few of its windows would open while the rest wouldn't move nor break. And to top it all off, the driver mysteriously went missing and now they were killing each other...

Could all of this be part of the Exam? Had it already begun?

The second Arcadia had that thought she knew she was right. I have to be.

As the youngest spider sat at the bottom of the bus, she was so lost in thought she hadn't noticed that her lungs were burning. Not until someone tapped on the window beside her. Arcadia looked up, her head woozy as she refused to release any of the air she had left in her mouth. Little air bubbles forced their way out the corners of her mouth while she stared back at a familiar face smiling at her from the other side of the glass.

Hisoka.

With a card between his fingers, he ran its edge over the glass of the window and created a small hole. It was just large enough for her to slip through. She glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest to prove a point.

A point which was ignored, seeing as though Hisoka reached in the window and grabbed her, pulling her close. Her eyes widened and she dropped her sword in surprise, especially after he hugged her to his chest. For a brief moment, he relished the feeling of her body pressed against his. He kicked off from the side of the bus and the two were shooting towards the surface like rockets.

As they raced to the surface water her face scrunched up in the pain and she squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't hold her breath any longer. Her mouth opened instinctively and she gasped for the air she would not find here. Arcadia expected to feel the burn of the river water rushing down her throat but instead she only felt the cool air fawn her face.

She gasped, swallowing the air in large gulps. Air. She could breathe again. She coughed in pain as she spit up some of the water in her lungs. Only after she had stopped coughing did she turn her attention to the man still carrying her.

"Hisoka," she said as spewed more water from her lungs, holding back the urge to vomit. "Why did you save me?"

"I would be a waste for you to die like this, Cadi-chan."

Her face burned. "I told you, I'm going to do this on my own."

"Then why were you waiting for me to come and save you?" The clown flashed his joker smile. "You were waiting for me, weren't you? You could have gotten out sooner if you wanted to."

Arcadia shoved herself away from him, Hisoka's arms falling limp as he let her go. Her body still felt weak, but she rather swim and struggle than be in his arms any longer than necessary. "Exactly. It was a test. You failed."

"I thought it was a test for me to prove my love for you." Hisoka feigned innocence as a coy smile danced upon his lips. His matted hair splashed across his forehead and water dripped down his face."Wouldn't you say I passed?"

Arcadia glowered at him. She hated everything about him. That stupid smile, his red hair, everything. "Stop joking, joker. I'm serious. If I'm not strong enough to pass these Exams on my own and become a Hunter, then I'm not strong enough to be a real member of the Phantom Troupe. And if that's the case, I have no real reason to be here and I'd rather be dead."

"So, you'd die for your pride?" Arcadia didn't answer. "Then, if you're so sure," Hisoka hummed, his eyes shifting to a dorsal fin that had begun to circle them. "You better not die. There are others I can go… rescue," He chuckled. "Here," he said, tossing her a sword. Arcadia's hand snapped out and grabbed the familiar blade. Thanks, she thought as Hisoka slipped below the surface without making a single wave.

Arcadia's gaze shifted from one predator to the next. Shark. The blood from the bus must have attracted them. Her eyes followed the shark as it circled her, waiting for the fish to make its move. Her eyes darted to the shore and back to the shark again. Dry land was a hundred feet away and even though every fiber in her being screamed at her to head towards the shore, she wasn't dumb enough to try outswimming a fucking shark.

On the shore, a few people stood in clusters on the sand, watching her and the other few heads bobbing in the river. To her right someone screamed as a shark ripped them apart. Ouch.

Using only her feet, she treaded water while her hands wrapped around the grip of the blade. Normally she would only use one hand per sword but because of the current, she had to use two hands in order to keep the blade steady and locked onto the shark. When the creature finally arched towards her, she was ready. A smile curled at the corners of her lips. She had never seen a shark before but she knew something about them.

They could only swim forward.

The dumb animal barreled straight into her pointed end, plowing the blade through its own skull and brain. It thrashed for a brief moment but it was unable to escape the pain as it pushed her backwards, closer to shore.

Arcadia held on for the ride, keeping her sword between them just in case it sprang back to life. Thankfully it didn't and they drifted to shore on the momentum the beast had built up. Once her feet dragged along the sandbank, she stood. She pulled her sword free of the shark's skull and looked over the enormous creature. The shark had to be at least ten feet long and Arcadia couldn't help but touch it. She wanted to know what it felt like, it looked rubbery, but as she touched it, the skin of the shark cut her flesh like a blade. Scarlet drops pooled from her fingertips and her eyes widened at the sight.

Wicked.

Arcadia knew that the teeth were razor sharp but she never expected their teeth to be that way too. Speaking of its teeth… her eyes flickered to the beast's mouth. Rows upon rows of teeth lay there, just ripe for the taking. She reached into its mouth and using her sword she carefully excavated several teeth free from its gums. The handful of teeth sparkled in the light of the sun. Maybe she could make some jewelry out of them. A necklace perhaps?

Satisfied with her trophies and with a big smile on her face, she skipped over to the group of survivors who were standing and waiting on the hill. Killua's lips pursed in thought as he watched the girl approach, smiling at something in her hand. "What'cha got there?" he asked, shifting on to his tippy-toes to get a better look at what was in her hand.

She looked up at him, her smile vanishing and eyes widening. "T… Teeth." She squeaked as her heart hammered into overdrive. He was talking to her! Praise, Machi. She was right. Do nothing. Arcadia thought as she forced the smile to return to her face. "Want one?" She asked, holding the bloody teeth towards Killua.

"Hm…" he looked them over for a moment. "Sure." He said before he picked one up with a pale hand and looked at it from different angles. "Is it sharp?" His head tilted to the side in thought.

"Yeah. I cut my hand up digging them out."

"Cool."

Arcadia's grin grew. "Super cool."

"Kids," someone in the crowd scoffed. "It's just a couple of shark teeth. Can you believe how excited they're getting over them?"

"It's just a dumb Llub Shark. Damn trash collectors of the sea, they are."

Arcadia's smile fell once more and it was quickly replaced with rage. Who were they to mock her? Especially in front of the boy. She was trying to make a good impression here and they had to go and ruin it! Her eyes narrowed on the offenders. If she had anything to say about it, they'd pay.

"Right…." the bus driver drawled as he looked out at the sunken bus and the underwater feeding frenzy. "I believe this is everyone who is going to make it." He turned and walked away. "Anyone who wants to progress to the next stage, follow me. The rest of you, feel free to stay here."

The crowd followed him but Arcadia hesitated, giving the river once last look over her shoulder. The surface of the water was smooth once more, showing no signs of the death and danger that lurked at the bottom. A bus full of bodies, surrounded by a shiver of hungry sharks.

Where was Hisoka?

"Hey, Shark-girl. You coming?" Arcadia blinked, looking back to the white-haired boy who was waiting on the hill for her. Her heart gave another flutter and she nodded.

"By the way," she said after she jogged to his side. "My name is Arcadia. It's nice to meet you."

The boy nodded. "Yeah. I'm Killua."

"Killua. Right. Well, let's be friends. Okay?" She beamed, a sense of giddiness pumping through her veins. Defeating a shark, talking to a cute boy, she was on a roll! She couldn't remember the last time she had been this excited.

His mouth dropped open at her bluntness and pink splashed across his cheeks. "I-idiot!" he stammered as he turned away and hid from her gaze. "You can't just say things like that to random people. We just met!"

Arcadia inhaled sharply and her cheeks turned bright red. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." She was mortified. How the hell had something so stupid come out of her mouth? "It's just I've never had a friend before and I didn't know what else to do but isn't that what people say when they want to be friends with someone?"

She was rambling now and every word made her want to kill herself more and more. Just stop talking!

The boy's went still. "You've never had any friends either?"

Arcadia shook her head even though he couldn't see it. Idiot, she thought once she realized her mistake. As she opened her mouth to speak, someone beat her to it.

"Pfft. Stupid kids," The grumpy, critical man from before mumbled under his breath. Once again, Arcadia shot him a glare. She really didn't like that guy and neither did Killua. His words were reminiscent of his brother's voice and of his echoes that never went away.

People like you don't need friends. People like you don't want friends.

If they knew who you really were, they'd be afraid of you.

You're an assassin, Kil. You can't be friends with someone who you might be contracted to kill one day.

Friends will only make you weak. Your loyalty belongs to the family.

Killua's hand clenched around the shark tooth in his hand and the serrated edges dug deep into his palm. Red liquid dripped from the cracks of his fist as he tried to distract himself from his brothers words with the pain.

"Hey, Killua," her loud voice silenced the internal mantra. "Can I ask you something?"

He blinked for a moment as she pulled him from his thoughts and he slowly turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"Did you know the bus was a trap the whole time?"

"Well, yeah," he said as he raised a brow. "It was pretty obvious, wasn't it?"

Arcadia's cheeks burned.

"Right. I thought so, too."

She felt like screaming. How could she be so stupid? Like Killua said, it was pretty obvious. Hisoka had to know it was a trap and even some of the applicants knew it was a trap. She was the only one who didn't know.

She was an idiot.

No wonder no one in the Troupe trusted her.

Killua watched her for a moment, trying to figure out if she was lying or not. A small smile pulled on his lips. When in doubt, teasing was the way to go. "Oh, yeah?" he said as his cheshire grin widened. "Then why didn't you jump out sooner?

Her face turned tomato red. "W-where's the fun in that?"

He laughed. I knew it. She had no idea. "You're clueless."

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

So what did you guys think? Leave a comment and let us know. Until next time, read and rock on!