A/N: Hooray! Back at last. I miss ! So here's a gift of 2,406 words :D

Disclaimer: Don't own none.

(Akane's POV)

When the doors finally budged open, all five of us finally stomped out happily to the outdoors. Finally a breathe of fresh air that doesn't feel like Hisoka! I thought happily. And besides, staying in a brick tower for three whole days is boring, brain-wracking, and suffocating. It made me feel imprisoned, actually.

A man with scary eyes and a bad – literally – hair day introduced himself as Rippo, our supposedly third round judge. He eyed us one-by-one before he started to talk. "Congratulations, all twenty-four of you. You have all passed the third test. But there is still no time to celebrate. There are still two more rounds to go." He paused, giving me – and us all – time to think, Just two more! "The fourth test will be in Zebiru island"—he pointed to a faraway speck—"and it will last a week. Now we will have a lottery.

"A lottery?" I asked. "For what?"

"To determine the hunters and the prey," he said. "In the week you'll spend in Zebiru island, you will have to keep two badges. One is yours, and that would be worth three points. The other would be your prey's, ad that will also three points. The rest of the other number badges would be worth one point. So, to pass this round, you have to have six points in all at the end of your one week." He pushed a fancily colored box in front of him. "Please get a card in the order you arrived at the bottom of the tower."

As I watched Hisoka come up first, I snorted. Figures. I diverted my mind to think of a proper explanation – and plan on what to do – of the test.The challenge is to keep your badge, steal your opponent's badge, and be safe and strong enough to return to the vantage-slash-meeting point. But if I manage to, I have to know – I picked a card, and not looking at it, went to a random spot that wasn't crowded with people – whose number I pick – HOLY.

It didn't even take me a second to realize who's the one I picked.

Taking one reassuring look at the card, I made the best conclusion I could make.

Oh shit.

"…come back next year…" From the wee-back of the crowd, I could barely hear what the lady was saying. I was at the tip of the boat, hands cupping my face as I started to ponder on the how.

I can't just come up and ask him, right? That would be, for one, far too embarrassing, and two, very stupid. I stared at the tower that started to shrink as distance and water separated us. I must, no matter how short, initiate battle. It's the last I can do to save face.

"Akane."

I jumped back in surprise to find two deep purple eyes staring at me curiously. "O-oh, Killua." I stepped bac up to him again. "Hi."

"Hello?" he said, a little confused. "An improvement, I guess. At least you don't whack faces anymore."

I cocked my head to the side, trying to remember what he meant. Then, it dawned on me. Back in the ship… "Ohh… yeah, he-he. I guess."

"You seem to be bothered. Did you get someone hard? Can't be Hisoka since Gon got him, unfortunately," he said, not sounding the least sympathetic.

Gon got Hisoka? I thought, taking a glance at the brown-eyed, spiky haired kid. We both suck at lottery, But I wonder who sucks more. "H-hard, I guess," I told Killua.

"You guess?" Killua said in a mocking tone, as if he really knew who I picked. "Do you even know the person?"

I took a nervous gulp as I watched him stare at me, waiting for an answer. My brain cells started to run wildly out of control. I could feel the heat creeping up my face. So I defensively gave my back to him and proceeded with my face-cupped-by-hands position. "I… I don't wanna talk about it," I stammered.

"Suit yourself," he said, jumping back on his skateboard. "Just call me if you need any help, okay? Akane."

I nodded to him, not looking back at him. He didn't move for five more seconds before he finally decided to leave. I finaly sighed – or rather, got to breathe. I took the card out of my pocket to sigh again. Of all numbers. The disbelief was now disappointment, and the number was glaring at me, taunting me, mocking me.

99.

I can't really fight him, I thought. It would be impossible! Remember how he fought in trap tower? It would illogical, reckless, STUPID, retarded! What else?

Hisoka started to walk. There. I have ten more minutes to wreck my mind. I took a glance at Killua who was fingering his card the number of his oppenent. I couldn't see it clearly from where I was, but I could say I thought I saw the numbers 1 and 9. At least it wasn't anyone hard – I hope – and none of us friends.

He has better luck than me, I guess.

I came right after Gon, and Killua will come after me.. So I have two minutes headstart. I shook my head. I am actually planning to take after him? Baka!

Gon started to walk . Ignoring the nervous thumping of my heart against my chest, I shouted, "Ganbatte, Gon!" And I know you need it.

He turned around and nodded to me. "Arigatou Gozaimasu Akane! Hai! Gambare yo!" He waved his arms and started again on his way to the forest. I don't think I can really do well, but thanks for the wishes, Gon.

"Six!" the lady shouted, and I started walking. When I was sure I was obscured from sight by the densely packed trees I jumped to the top of a random tree.

"Two minutes, two minutes of equal patience and stealth," I told myself in a thin whisper. Master told us whether we are hunting animal or human, we must be patient. Stealth, silence. The element of surprise. We must have that. I breathed. A minute must've passed by then. Patience, surprise. Imagine he's just another rabbit like before, when you hunted in the mountains with Kiko… In my mind, Killua grew rabbit ears that looked pinkish and cottony. I stifled a laugh as I heard the lady shout "Seven!"

I saw him walking casually, like having a little trot in the park. Weird Kid, Killua, he really amazes me. He's really callm and seemingly confident in his skills.

I don't really have anything to argue against the second part. I've seen his skills and realized that he really was capable, in all aspects. Definitely.

He was capable, and I was nothing close to him. I may be older than him, in years, but if you talk about skills, I'm a three-year-old (I think) and he's an ex-professional elite family assassin.

Of course he'd win over me.

I highly doubt he'd label me as friend this time.

I stalked him in the forest, and the entire day he just walked almost aimlessly, like he was just randomly walking in a direction to see if he might, by chance, stumble upon his target. If I remember correctly, the only time he curved off his straight-line walking was when he bathed. In a river. He took off his shirt – and I did not stare at his non-existent muscles and six-pack abs, may I tell you – that still had his badge on it. He lifted this boulder around his height with maybe around a diameter of five feet, and put it under it. When I was sure he was in the water and I was in a perspective he won't see me, I went down my looking spot and tried to lift the boulder. Oh boy! It was probably three tons heavy. And he just lifted it like it was a pebble, almost turned it completely over, even!

What is it with this kid?

He really didn't sleep, except for this short nap. It was hopeless dreaming I would be able to get his badge then – he buried it in the ground to deepness measuring from the tips of his fingers to his elbow, and then sat on the spot.

So I took my sweet time and walked around. While walking I found a black robe – thick and covering. It was just the right size of me and the hood would be able to cover my face.

When fate plays a role in human life, I wish it was always this good.

I took it, the plan forming in my head. I trotted back to the spot.

The sun was setting when I reached the original place, and thank God, he was stiill dozing off. Heavy sleeper? Mis-weighing the pros and cons, I decided against my conscience and wrapping the robe around myself, I succumbed into my sleep.

When I woke up, the sun was gone, and the moon took its place as beacon in the sky. The tears twinkled lightly above me, and the north star – what was it called, something Polaris, was it? – was directly above me. Catching my head in my hands, I felt the world spin around me. I then thought of something, and ym sentiments were the same as earlier.

Oh shit.

I stood up to check, and my assumptions were correct. I twas alone. He'd left me alone in the blue.

Hey, it wasn't like he actually knew, right?

Pulling my hood back up, I started to dash in the initial direction he was going the rest of the past time – in a straight line. His footsteps were too light to leave marks or bendings in the ground and grass, and the only reassuring points were in the once-in-a-half-mile skateboard tracks.

The sun rose above the island's forest green canopy. The sky was a nice azure blue that gave me hope. It glowed happily. It gave me courage.

When I finally found him again, he was by the end of a plain grassy meadow, and probably only a meter of grass separated him from the dim recesses of the forest. If I came out, there would be around fifty meters distance between us.

Swallowing my fear, I shouted, "Number 99!" He turned around to look at me and my robed self. "Let's fight," I said, and took up the stance of the most powerful fighting move I know – and was taught to me.

The Ryuu-sen, the thousand dragons. It's for long-distance shots, and with proper usage you would be able to send a thousand hits or so to the vital points of a human body, sending the victim unconscious and immobile for days. I thought it would be alright to use it on him since he was the new generation Superman anyway. He'll easily recover.

I watched him turn around and face me with one white eyebrow raised. He looked at me in an odd, cofused way. It was absolutely tense that you could cut the tension with a knife. I could hear my heart thumping across my chest.

Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump.

With two long strides he ran around me and pulled my hood down so my face could be seen. In a second, he revealed my identity and managed to be back to where he first was. What is he? Flash or Superman? He looked at me with a calculating look on his face, and with his arms across his chest, he made a condemning "tsk tsk" sound.

"Akane."

I looked at him with an angry glare, trying not to show him the fear that made me sweat. My heart rate went up the roof, and I had become pale, I think. At least, that's what I felt.

"Killua I'm sorry," I said, and looked at him. "But I have to do this." I concentrated on my battle stance and prepared to pounce on him, ready to attack. I jumped, dashing over to him.

Do you know what he did? Oh, it was a very splendid thing a twelve-year-old can do to the sixteen-year-old who didn't want to hurt him in the first place, if it wasn't needed. He put out a hand and blocked me, and it hit my stomach and I was thrown fifty feet away, spitting thick blood. I tried to stand back up, but it was a vain effort. I crumpled back on the grass coughing out my precious lifeline. My head was spinning, and I could almost feel the blackout coming over to my consciousness.

He walked close to me I could see his shoes. I heard a gentle drop on the grass. Then, he spun on his heel and started to walk away in the same casual-trot pace.

"Killua….why?" I looked at the round card that was on the floor beside me, the digits staring at me. 99.

"I don't need it," he said, refusing to look. But he did stop. "You can have it."

The tears exploding from my eyes in a blend of anger, irritating, feeling touched, and happy, I picked up the badge and ran at him, he turning around before I could hit his back. We tumbled heavily on the grass, stopping when I was finally on top of him. I banged on his chest lightly, but I don't know. "Why, Killua? Why? Are you giving up? Or are you make me give up? I'm not that weak! Why?" I didn't know what was happening. I was just cracking up like a nut…-case. Nutcase. He inched up so that he sat up. Giving in to my weaknesses, I sobbed and leaned my head to his chest. "Why?" I didn't know what was the exact question, it just felt like I needed to ask it.

He put his arms around me and patted my back. "Lowered your self-esteem, didn't I?" he asked. "I'm sorry. I just can't fight you," he said.

"Why?" I insisted.

He paused. "Because you're my friend, after all."