Chapter 2
Tonpa hated the rookies this year. First there was that crazy ninja, then there was a kid that was immune to poison. There was also the one that he didn't dare go near to, the one called Gittarackur, who had pins sticking out all over his body. Now, as he approached another rookie, he had hope that he would finally be able to make somebody quit the exam.
"Hi there miss, my name's Tonpa. Welcome to the Hunter Exam! Would you like me to explain anything to you?" He had a smile on his face, a carefully crafted one that he thought looked every inch a real smile.
She didn't respond and looked straight through him as though he wasn't even there. When she walked, she upushed him aside as if he was less than a bug that crossed her path, not even yielding to brush him off.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance and glanced at her number on the pin. 144; exactly a hundred numbers up from that crazy clown. He wondered if she had any relation to him before shaking his head. She might have been a snob, but no person with even half a brain would go near the man voluntarily unless they were crazy.
His eyes followed every movement she made, like a predator watching prey. She had the bearing of a noble, of that, he had no doubt in his mind. She walked too elegantly and held her head at such an angle that it could not be refuted. Tonpa hated her with every inch of his soul. He loved to crush rookies, and he would crush this one if it was the last thing he did.
The elevator dinged, and he realized that there was a person who escaped his notice with an unfamiliar face. His number was lower than the ninja's, but he wa so round that he wondered how he had missed him. Now he had a pair that he would be able to break, as the boy was out of shape and already looked s though he wouldn't pass the exam.
Tonpa went in pursuit of possibly easier prey.
The girl, on the other hand, watched his movements. Walking past him as though he didn't ist had not been random. She was well aware that he was a rookie crusher and she could smell the deceit oozing off of him. He smelled too similar to her family for her not to notice. A boy who looked around her age walked up to him and asked for another drink.
He was trained against poison, and his light steps told stories of abuse that he had been subjected to. She carefully took note of the number displayed on his chest; 99. She would try to stay out of his way as much as possible.
To get a better view of the place, she climbed on top of one of the pipes and hid, like she did every day when she was at that accursed castle. Right now, the number of contestants was nearing four hundred, the person walking through the elevator doors proving her point when he was handed a tag number that read 370.
A few people earlier, she had noticed a presence that was stronger than the rest, outstripping all of them except for the red-headed one dressed like a clown. She didn't have an opportunity to look at him then, but now she saw him, also waiting in a dark corner like she was. He had pins covering his entire body, and when he turned, he looked directly at her and began to rattle his head.
She made no acknowledgement that she had seen him, though she looked him in the eyes as well. In the few months she had been outside, she figured out she was very adept at figuring out people's intentions. Though he was not actively trying to kill anybody right now, he was a killer.
Nova inclined her head to tell him that, yes, she saw him, and yes, she knew what he was. He stared at her for a few moments more before his eyes swept the crowd and landed on contestant 99. She felt bad for him, because 301 looked at him with such intensity that she was sure that later in the exam, he would do something to harm him.
She relaxed and wondered when Gon would finally arrive.
In November, a piece of paper had been flown in with a white dove, a different one from the last time he had sent her anything, but of the same species. Ging sent her papers sporadically, but she was grateful for them. Without his help, she imagined that she probably would have gone insane.
The letters were typically nothing more than a few kind words, ones that she had been starved of. They always brought news of the outside world, which she was forbidden to learn about. It was kind an unnecessary, and Nova knew she didn't deserve it every time she let a small smile onto her face and read its contents.
This time, the opening sentence made her frown.
Nova, this will be the last letter I write to you.
At that time, she looked around her and hurried to her room before anybody could call out and stop her from doing as she wished. Her steps had been silent on the cold stone so as not to alert anybody to her presence.
I know that you're a strong girl. It's time for you to leave now. My son, Gon, is taking the Hunter Exam this year, and you should too.
His letter was unusually short and only five sentences were on the scrap of paper that the dove, who had already left, told her nearly nothing of what she wanted to know.
I won't write to you at all, not until you find me.
It wasn't signed, but then, who else would send messages to her with a white dove? She wondered why she stayed here so long, and realized it was partially because she had been waiting to see Ging again, hoping that he would come back. Nova realized she never should have had that hope.
If you want something, you have to grab it with your own two hands and never let it go.
Nova walked straight into her mother's room, where she knew that a large amount of jewelry that could be sold for a large sum could be found. Seeing as it was the middle of the day, Nova was not surprised to see that her mother was just getting up, blearily rubbing her eyes and calling for Nova to bring her breakfast.
"Good," she said. "You've finally learned to come on time when I call you." She gave her a once over and realized that she held no breakfast, no clothes, nothing in her hands. Slowly, a red tint took over her face. "You useless creature," she yelled. "You can't even do the simplest of jobs right."
By this time, her brother, Sterling had woken up and walked into the room as if he owned it. "What's this I hear, dear mother, about Nova being useless? Of course she is, she won't ever amount to me."
Marie nodded appreciatively of her son, backing her up. "You see? Even your brother, who is so kind to you, agrees. Now get out of here and get my breakfast." As if weary, she fell back onto her bed and sighed, putting her hand to her heart.
Nova did not move from her spot, and searched for the wooden box where she kpt her jewels. Her steps were so fast that neither of them registered it until she was already out of the room. The box was quite heavy, and she was glad that she spent her mornings training.
She didn't pass her room, instead choosing to walk right outside to her freedom. They didn't even send guards after her, and did nothing more than call after her. They must have reasoned that she wasn't worth doing that much for.
And then she was free.
A blissful smile overtook her face before a shrill bring rang out through the corridor and brought her out of her trance. She turned her attention towards the front of the room, where a purple haired man with an impressive mustache commanded the attention of the room.
"I am Satotz, and will be taking you to the second phase of the Hunter Exam."
People murmured, asking what the first one was. Nova shook her head. This exam was following, something she had hoped she wouldn't have to do. Yes, at least she had a goal now, but it still wasn't a pleasant feeling, to follow orders.
She stayed in the middle of the pack, not wanting to go too fast just in case there were other exams that took up too much of her energy. Unluckily for her, that was also where most of the lunatics stayed, thinking with the same train of thought. Great minds think alike, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to be lumped in with these people.
"Ahn? What brings a little girl like you to the Hunter Exam?" It was the one dressed like a clown, the one she didn't necessarily like. His aura attracted her like a fly to honey, but she wasn't stupid enough to get caught in it. Leaning over her and whispering in her ear, he said, "Can you see, little girl?" before holding a single finger up.
Without a second thought, she jumped away from him. She didn't know what he had just done, but whatever he did, it couldn't have been good. There had been an influx in the pressure he gave off, as if he was preparing for an attack.
"So you can't see, but you can feel." He smiled and gave her a pat on the head. "More perceptive than most. You'll be a fine specimen when you grow older." Shuffling his deck, he offered a card to her. "Pick a card, any card."
Every muscle in her body ached to leave, but she had seen what he did earlier, to the man that was rude to him. She did not want to be his next victim. With a pained smile and cautious fingers, she grabbed a card from the proffered deck and held it like she expected it to explode. When it did not, she calmed down just enough to realize that by this time, they were nearing the back of the pack. It would be hard to convey anything without words or a notepad, and she didn't want people to know that she had a weakness.
If she had to stay here for the next hour and do a desperate, last minute sprint for the exit, she would do that. His eyes glittered with a dangerous emotion, which one it was, she could not say. A smirk pulled at his lips as he eyed her card. "Ace of spades, I see. What an interesting card for one so young to pick~"
She nearly shoved the card back into his deck, but he refused it, her handing bouncing back as if there was a barrier. "No, you keep that. You can do whatever you want with it, but I recommend keeping it until you can see~" He gave her a closed eyed smile and ran off in pursuit of the crowd.
Now she really was at the back, and only the true stragglers remained. What she found odd, was that the white-haired boy, the one who was immune to poison, was back here. Then, her eyes were drawn to the person next to him. Gon. In all of his spiky haired, determined stance, golden-eyed glory, he stood there like a wall that refused to break. He was looking at something, or rather, someone, behind her.
It was a man that looked down-trodden, and his eyes looked like he had given up. Why would Gon wait for him? But even as she asked herself, she knew. He had the same kindness that his father had, even if he did end up leaving his son. Somebody who opened their heart to a complete stranger could never be somebody who was bad, at least, not in Nova's eyes.
Contestant 99 tugged on Gon's sleeve and said, almost whining, "C'mon, he's going to give up. We've got to catch up with the rest of the pack before we lose sight of them." He had a point, but she was sure that Gon had one too. Well, maybe he didn't, because his father said that he had grown up hardheaded, but she had no doubt that the reason he was staying behind was for his friend.
The thought warmed her, and a half-smile formed on her face. She barely remembered him, but for his big smile and trusting eyes. All other memories came from Ging's accounts of what he expected him to be like. She knew that he had left his son, but she did not begrudge him that. He left him in caring arms, and in a way, she knew that doing that was probably one of the best decisions one could make as a parent.
At least he knew if he didn't have the capabilities or resources, he could let him grow up in an environment that did have those things. For that, she was jealous of him. But from the moment they were born, they were destined to live such different lives, with different personalities and different approaches, there was really nothing that she could speak out against.
He deserved the life he lived, just like she deserved hers. Nova didn't really believe in reincarnation, but she did believe that the hardships in your youth would balance out the terrors that you will do to others later in your life. If you grow up with a good family, in a loving environment, you get to choose how you expend that energy, but if you don't…
Well, she knew that it was going to be extremely hard. For now, Nova resigned herself to being happy to just live another day with enough to eat and enough time to sleep. In her own thoughts, she forgot she was standing at the back of the pack, before she saw the man now heaving and trying his hardest to get up.
She allowed herself to dare a glance at Gon, who, thank his soul, was concentrated solely on his friend. When she began to run, she made every movement silent, and she thought she got away with it until she was on the other side of the corridor, about ten meters away from them. Number 99 stared her right in the eyes as she ran past. Those cold blue eyes reminded her too much of her mother, but his were more knowing. He was stronger than her mother was.
But like bees, as long as you don't bother them, they won't do much to bother you either.
It was only once she caught up to the main group and had blended back into the crowd did she let herself relax. Her pants pocket felt slightly heavier than usual, and she realized that subconsciously, she must have slipped the card that number 44 gave her into the side of her pants. Her hands twitched in anticipation, to take it out and throw it as far away as possible, but that same persistent aura was there.
Until she could see.
Yes, she would wait until after the exam was over to look into the mystery of this card. It had the opportunity to do much harm, but at the same time, she had a gut instinct that he wouldn't hurt her for now. The look in his eyes was on of mild curiosity, not full blown obsession. As long as he didn't progress to that stage, she would be fine. She would be fine.
She rubbed the silver bracelet on her left wrist and reassured herself one more time, that she would be fine. She wasn't stupid, and she wasn't that weak. She could hold her own, and if push came to shove, she knew that she would be able to stab the dagger she had hanging from a belt right above her belly button into any person's throat, regardless of how she felt for them.
Too many people were sweating buckets as they ran down the corridors, panting and weakening. When one associated themselves with weak people, the only possible direction to go was down. Instead, she ran in sync with a blonde boy five paces to her right, in between a girl with bright blue hair and a yellow hat and a dull looking boy with mousy brown hair and a pink hat. Nobody said anything when she fell into step with them, only eyeing her for a few moments before retreating to the respective sanctuaries of their own minds.
Their body structure was more petite than most of the rest of those who were taking the exam, but they had the quiet quality of intelligence, strategy, and training, unlike many of those who only brandished their brawn. Those who only had their muscle to rely on were slowing down, presumably from going too fast in the beginning. The tortoise would perpetually win the story of the tortoise and the hare, simply because the circumstances were so vastly in the shelled creature's favor.
Still, it wouldn't hurt to relax for this first part.
No attempt was made at conversation, and only when the old man who she saw failing to get up joined the blonde boy did their silent alliance fall apart. The girl with the yellow hat and the boy with the pink hat fell slightly behind, not wanting to get caught up in any madness that the previously suited man brought with him. Briefly, she considered whether she should retreat with them, before deciding that slowing down any further would only be detrimental to her performance.
She moved forward instead, making eye contact with the blonde boy as she passed, who acknowledged her with a nod and nothing more. Noticing that the man had taken his suit off, all except for his tie, she found herself intrigued by them both. He had been so close to failure - at the brink- so she slowed. And she listened.
"They took the eyes of my brethren. In their enraged state, our eyes turn a scarlet, a color that is considered one of the top seven beautiful colors in the world." The Kurutas. Hair of gold and eyes of blue, and yet his were not. He had most likely made a conscious decision to wear contacts to not allow anybody to see what lay underneath. It was a good choice, but undoubtedly stupid. If he went around parading it to the world like that… She spared a glance back to look for number 44 and 307. As soon as her eyes fell on them, both of them stared up at her, in uncanny unison. The Kuruta had to be more conscious about where he told his secrets and who was around him when he did.
Nova shook her head. This wasn't any of her business, yet she found herself drifting back just a little bit more to listen to the other man, who had somehow, miraculously, pinned his number to his chest. She listened to his story, and when he finished, she reflected that it was good that he wasn't afraid of sharp objects. When he was a doctor, he would have to face many, many needles and knives and-
It didn't matter. She did agree with him that the world ran on money, but she did not care for the world, so she didn't really care about money, other than having enough to survive. And since she cashed in several pounds worth of gold, platinum, and silver, she was going to have a good life for quite a while, even without the benefits of the hunters license. If she did end up passing, she would never have to care about money again.
And then, the two boys came again. Gon in all of his light-hearted happiness, and contestant 99, full of childish wonder and infatuated with Gon's simplicity. He seemed to have taken a liking to 403, calling him 'old-timer', though that in itself may have been an insult. Nova drifted over to the side again. She wanted to travel with Gon, but at the same time, she didn't. Maybe, she would go about it her own way when she tried to find Ging. It would be too difficult to convey anything to Gon, anyway.
"I'm not old, I'm a teenager just like you guys!" 403 said, spitting at 99. That came as a surprise, but not that much. Really though, only Kurapika and him were teens; Gon was only twelve, and she suspected that Killua was as well, if even that. She was on the cusp of being twelve, and since it was a rule that you had to be twelve to take the hunter exam, she would turn twelve before it was over. She got parental consent by getting her father to sign it, in all of his selfish grandeur, he had believed that it was business deal that had just fallen onto his lap, out of nowhere.
With careful steps, Nova maneuvered around the bodies that were on the floor in front of her, careful to keep a fair distance between herself and Gon. 99 glanced over at her once or twice, but paid much more attention to Gon, whom he apparently found fascinating, looking for a father he knew nothing about. And then Nova felt anger. Ging had kept up correspondence with her, but not with his own son? That was-
Not nearly as bad as it could be. Now Gon had a goal, and as long as he had something to shoot for, he would never be relaxed and he could keep on living his happy life. He would grow to unknown heights and he would be an extraordinary person, first and foremost. But for Ging, whenever he heard Gon's name sung in praise, he would be Gon's father. She knew his personality through his letter. He was the kind of person to keep his emotions under wraps, and not let anybody know how much he cared about them until he died. He was a stubborn old man, but interesting and kind all the same.
Gon would find him one day, and then he would keep growing.
They kept running at a steady fast pace, and Nova lagged a few steps behind them. They were racing, apparently, to the goal. They didn't even know where the goal was, and Nova felt that insistent voice in the back of her head come back. Why couldn't she be like them? Why couldn't she achieve things, just like them? Why did she have to be born different, be cursed and held down by having no voice?
Killua, for that was 99's name, looked back at her again, with a curious look on his face. He was no doubt wondering whether she would one day be a friend or foe. She was following too closely behind them for his liking, and she had been listening in on their conversation for a while. She appeared to be around their age though, so she didn't mind much. If she had been older, and had an aura like his brother did, then he would be worried. As it was now, the air around her felt like it was confused and lost.
All thoughts of the curious girl behind them, with black hair like his brothers, and eyes purple as the poison his mother gave him when he was young, were all pushed out of Killua's mind as they came into the final stretch. He could see the light shining down upon them, and they moved up, past 307, past the fat wrestler guy, past the ninja guy with the red handkerchief, and past Satotz. Gon thought of his victory over Killua. Killua thought of the sharp contrast, the beauty of the outside world, before he thought of his victory over Gon. Satotz thought of the two children's potential, and then of the third one's quiet strength and hidden talent.
All Nova could think of, was that it was too bright. It had been too dark for too long, and even in the castle it had been dark. The room that she lived in before the hunter exam began was dark, her room was dark, everything was dark. So, the brightness of the day was too much for her. She squeezed her eyes shut and embraced the darkness that her mind allowed her to have.
She could feel other people's eyes on her, but she didn't care. She just wanted to keep going, back into the darkness, anywhere but this stunningly bright wonderland. The mist was cooling to the touch, and it felt like the slightly damp walls of the cellar room she had in the castle, but it was too white, too pure, too bright. After a long, long time, she opened her eyes again. Now there must have been a hundred people in the clearing that only held four minutes ago. Half of them were out of breath, but the rest of them were on top guard, wary of the unseen, covered by mist.
"Are you O.K?" Gon, bless his soul, had come up to him, flanked by his guard dog, Killua. "My name's Gon, and this is Killua! What's your name?"
Her heart stopped. He did not remember her, but then again, wasn't that for the best? Wasn't that what she wanted? A bittersweet smile came onto her face, and gently, gently, she patted his head. It's spikes belied the softness of his hair, and for a few moments, she felt like she wanted to cry. She didn't try to respond this time, because unlike many years ago, she was well aware of her limits as a person, because they had been drilled into her very being every night, with whip and knife.
"Ehh?" There was a general outcry by the people around them, looking over at a battered man who held an ape that held a resemblance to Satotz in one arm. Nova used the chance to get away from Killua and Gon, so she could relax in relative safety. To her, it was clear that Satotz was the real examiner, and she hovered close to him, to his right side, and just in front of him. Whatever games the other thing was playing did not interest her.
If she could have spoken, she would have asked him to get going. Instead, she was forced to see the general stupidity of the crowd, which, in retrospect, wasn't that horrible of a thing. She knew which ones were smart and which ones were just stupid enough to die. And then, with a speed that was almost too fast for her, four cards were shot off in her direction, no, that was Satotz's direction, but at the same time, it wasn't. One of the cards was clearly directed towards her. Not wanting to make a disturbance, she simply ducked as it came towards her, and allowed it to go on to Satotz, who caught the fourth one like it wasn't a big deal.
"I see, I see." Number 44, the one who gave her a card earlier, was shuffling a deck that was now short eight cards. Of course, he probably had more packs, but he had to be missing at least that many. He turned his gaze over to Satotz, licking his lips and assessing the examiner's power. "That settles it. You're the real deal."
It sent a shiver down Nova's spine, because although she was accustomed to threats of physical pain, his gaze was something different, a different beast entirely, something she had no intention of getting wrapped up in. But, Nova was unlucky, and often times the things she wished for never came true, while the things she despised flew to her lie bees to honey.
Again, she shifter, this time slightly behind Satotz, making her the leader of the pack as he started to disappear into the wetlands. She kept such a close tail on him, that it was nearly impossible to separate the two. Their steps were so insync that only one noise was heard as two feet were set down. For a while, Satotz only thought of those who had fallen far behind, and the small group of three right behind him, breathing heavily.
Only when they got to the entrance, did he realize that there was a fourth that had been tailing him, and when he met her gaze, she was so resolute, so full of conviction and determination, even more so than the two boys that had come through the tunnel racing and arguing, that he knew. He knew that this girl was meant to be a hunter, and she would not just be a good hunter, and she would not even be a great hunter.
She would surpass that of the Zodiac, even if it was only in short bursts. Bu he also saw immeasurable sorrow, and deep down, he knew that he would not want to even glimpse what past this girl must have had. He thought that she must have been on par with an assassin's torture, but with no training, and with a body that was not equipped for it.
When she turned away first, he knew that that was her way of saying that she thought she was weak, and that she was sorry for something he didn't know about. His mind jumped back to that fourth card- That fourth card that wasn't meant for him, that was meant for her.
If Hisoka saw her as a big enough threat, without her having nen, to try to take her out so soon in the game, there was something special about her. When she moved away from him, he looked her number plate up, and only found a first name: Nova. He was sure that in not even a decade, she would take the world b storm with fearsome powers.
He only hoped that her past wouldn't shape her future.
That was a long chapter. 5,000+ words long. And of course, I literally wrote all of it in one two-hour session of word vomit. So if you notice any discrepancies, spelling errors, grammar errors, plot errors, tell me and I will change it. Hope that all of you enjoyed!
As always, I love follows, favorites, and reviews!