She considers herself an orphan, though she knows her parents are probably alive somewhere. Somewhere. She doesn't care. The day they left her was the day they died in her heart. The only two people she wants to see again are her little brothers. OC-based story. May be romance later.
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A/N: Cliches everywhere. Sigh. (And Tsuki, stop using my account to review on my story. It makes me look like I'm desperate for reviews.)
Disclaimer: Miku is mine. No one else.
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chapter three: of suspicious accidents
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"Killua." Miku breathes.
"Miku." Killua responds, mimicking and mocking her tone of voice.
Hm. Well, she doesn't know whether to feel relieved or mortified as of yet.
"So? What are you waiting for?" Miku asks (a tad bit rudely), and gestures down to her bound legs (which are currently numb, but he doesn't need to know that). "You gonna help or what?"
Killua shrugs nonchalantly. "Ah, I don't know... should I?" he says blankly, but Miku just knows there's a shit-eating grin waiting to surface under there.
The orangette scowls at this. "Shut up, and help me out of this!" She struggles and squirms, trying to free her feet (to no avail), glaring at him all the while.
"Tch. Calm down, will you? Struggling isn't going to help." Killua crouches down (and Miku suddenly feels the urge to touch his hair, but just no), examining the vine-like tentacle thing. His fingernails sharpen to fine points, veins bulging. "Don't move. Or else you'll get cut."
Miku doesn't particularly care if she gets cut, she just wants to get out. Like, now. And those nails look cool. She secretly wonders what they'd look like if they were painted. They'd probably look totally badass.
Because seriously, pretty manicures on uber sharp fingernails? What girl doesn't want that?
And lucky for the both of them, Killua's assassin fingernail modification thing seems to do the trick. Miku's feet are successfully freed from the vines with very minimal pain. Miniscule beads of blood appear on the alabaster skin of her leg, and she quickly wipes it off with her sleeve.
Her nose wrinkles at the sight of reddish brown on the contrasting light blue cotton of her sleeve. Ew. That's gonna be annoying to wash out.
Killua smirks, seeing her chagrin, and doesn't seem to feel the least bit remorseful about drawing a little blood. "And now... you owe me." he declares, and pulls Miku up roughly. She doesn't mind the jostling too much, though.
But then she topples over. "What the hell...? My legs...!" Her legs were rendered immobile? Was it a poison? She's immune to those, though.
Did the vines disable her nerves somehow? That seems to be the most likely answer, but Miku doesn't really have a solution to that except to wait it out.
She ends up stumbling and leaning on Killua, nearly collapsing down to the ground, and she would have, had Killua not caught her.
Killua catches her in a very... awkward position. One hand is on her tummy (which she couldn't care less about), and the other is on her breast (which she DOES mind, thank you very much).
(ohshitsheisnotwearingabra—)
He is blushing red (but his hand is still groping her!), and Miku isn't amused.
"Stop gawking, and get your hand off my chest, you perv." Miku growls menacingly.
Killua removes his hand, instead placing it on her shoulder, and props her up against a tree silently, a red blush standing out on his pale skin.
"So... You're a girl...?" For once, Killua is speechless.
"No shit, Sherlock." Miku scoffs, hugging her chest and giving him a dark look.
"..."
Miku's emerald orbs dart around her surroundings, analyzing and examining. "We're behind now." she starts to curse. "Damn. Sorry about that, Killua." Miku tries to kick her legs, but it is futile.
Killua sighs. "Can't be helped. C'mon. I'll carry you. But you seriously owe me after this."
Miku eyes him dubiously. "But do you know where to go?"
"..." Killua doesn't seem to want to admit it, but she know he doesn't.
It is her turn to sigh. "I'll lead you. Now help me on," Miku holds out her arms.
Guess she'll have to trace the examiner's Nen. Thank God it's prominent, else she'd have to put a lot of effort into it.
And there's a convenient trail of Nen aura the examiner left behind. Did he purposely do this, in the slight chance there'd be Nen-users who got distracted? Probably.
Well, whatever it is, she's damn thankful.
Killua helps her on her back, and he holds her legs while Miku wraps her arms around his neck.
"Y'know," he murmurs quietly. "You really do look like a girl. I wonder why no one noticed."
"Hell if I know." Miku says with a shrug of her shoulders. "People just don't think girls would take the Hunter Exam. They're naturally believe that males are stronger, and therefore are better inclined to take this Exam. If they see someone who looks androgynous, like me, they'll automatically assume that person's gender is male."
"That's sexist." Killua says. "But sort of true."
"Hey!" Miku smacks him on the shoulder. "Girls can too be strong!"
"Oy, calm down. I never said girls were weak. But a lot of them generally are. Excluding you." the silverette adds the last part, after sensing Miku's murderous intent.
"Che. Fine." Miku sniffs. "I believe you for now. Anyways, keep going this way." she points in the direction they are currently going in.
Killua narrows his eyes. "Speaking of which, how do you even know we're going the right way?" he asks suspiciously.
"Because," Miku replies. "Secret."
He doesn't question it further (but she knows he wants to), and Miku mentally sighs in relief. She isn't suited to explain Nen, and wasn't about to.
"Man, I'm hungry." Miku says loudly.
"Shut up, hag."
"What did you just call me?!" the girl on his back exclaims, affronted.
"An old hag. You certainly nag like one."
"That's you! You're the one with gray hairs! In fact, all your hair is! And I do not nag!"
"It's white!"
"Same difference!"
"Silver! And there is a difference!"
"Nah, I think you're just in denial."
"Be grateful to the one who's carrying you, baka. I could drop you at any time."
"But you won't." Miku says confidently.
"And why is that?"
"Because... uh..." Her previous confidence falters slightly. "I've got candy."
His ears perk up at the word. "What kind?"
Miku smirks smarmily. She knows Killua is the chocolate-lover, according to Kalluto. She's totally going to use (and abuse) this fact. "Chocolate."
His eyes grow wide, and white cat ears seem to sprout from his head, along with a tail. His expression is the epitome of catlike. "Really?"
"Yep. And they're Chocorobo-kuns."
"Gimme. I want some. Naow." Killua demands.
"Later. When we get to the finish."
He pouts. Miku thinks he's acting very Gon-ish.
They soon arrive at the finish, Gon and Kurapika arriving after them.
Killua inquires how Gon found the finish, and Gon replies that he tracked Leorio's cologne.
After a few dog comments, Miku spots Leorio with a swollen face against a tree.
She pops up next to him. "Dude, what happened?" she asks.
Leorio doesn't appear to remember, but Gon and Kurapika seem to. But they lie to him. Hm.
Whatever. The next phase is starting, and Miku can care less how Leorio got beaten up.
"Oh, yeah, Miku. Pay up." Killua holds out his hand. "I want compensation for carrying you."
"You're insufferable." Miku tells him as she receives a Chocorobo-kun from her bag and hands it to him. "Don't eat it too fast... now... oi oi, I just gave you that."
The Chocorobo-kun is immediately devoured by the silverette.
He gives her a smug smile.
Miku turns away with a "hmph."
The Second Phase examiners are a scantily clad young woman (who might as well be in her undergarments) and an extremely fat guy. No offense.
Their names are Menchi and Buhara, and they're Gourmet Hunters.
And they want the examinees to cook for the Second Phase.
Miku can't cook for shit.
Kami-sama save her.
The orangette looks down and starts mumbling profanities, and Killua nudges her none-too-gently with his elbow.
"Cap Gi— er, Boy. Snap out of it." Killua pokes Miku's cheek, and Miku looks up to stare at him.
"What was that for?!" she hisses at him.
Killua raises his hands up. "You were kind of out of it there. Look, they're done explaining. Did you even hear?"
"No! Because it doesn't matter! I'm doomed either way!" Miku laments dramatically.
"But you're a girl." he reasons. "You can't be that bad."
She shoots him an icy glower. "Did you just stereotype me?"
"You can't be that bad." he repeats, amending by eliminating the first part.
"I am that bad." Miku says. "Like, mass chaos bad. I blow stuff up, bad. I'm a hazard to people's health in the kitchen. I fail at the most basic stuff. I can't even make toast or boil an egg. My food might as well be poison."
"Oh. You are bad. Damn. Good thing I'm immune to poisons."
"Wasn't that what I just told you?!"
"Miku, I bet you'll do awesome!" Gon reassures.
"No, Gon, you don't get it. I might kill myself."
"Don't kill yourself." Killua tells Miku.
"I mean, without trying. By accident." Miku sighs in exasperation.
Kurapika pats Miku's head, and Miku turns to look at him in confusion. "You'll probably do just fine. Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure we all will. Even Leorio."
"Hey!" Leorio protests. "What do you mean, even me?!"
"You guys just don't get it..." Miku shakes her head. "Well, it's no use trying to explain it to you all. Let's just go get a pig."
She saunters to the forest, away from their little group or whatever. Miku knows she can't get too close. Being friends on the surface is fine (because connections are good), but anything deeper than that means trusting and Miku does not do trust.
The green-eyed girl sighs to herself. They're all untainted. On the good side. Even Killua is, kind of. He didn't assassinate by will. Miku did.
"My, my, what do we have here~? An unripe little fruit ️?" said a sultry (ew, she did not just think that) voice coming from none other than Hisoka.
Ugh. Just when Miku thought she caught a break. She sighs again. "Look, jester guy, could you not? I'm not in the mood for your... everything."
Miku believes that Hisoka will not kill her until she is stronger, because she apparently has potential. And he wants to "wait until the fruit becomes ripe" and all that bull. She's wary of him, but not scared shitless.
"Everything ️? But what's not to like about me~ ️?" The jester's tongue snakes out to lick his lips, and Miku shudders. If this guy isn't a pedophile, she doesn't know who is.
"Boi. Leave me alone." Miku scowls, and turns away. And hopes to God that he does not follow her.
"Aw, I was rejected~ ️... "
And it looks like the pigs they all are supposed to cook are carnivorous Great Stamps. Just great.
Miku sends a decent-sized rock hurtling towards the forehead of a pig, instantly killing it.
"Huh. Didn't think that would actually work..." she muses to herself as she hoists the pig above her head. "Mrf. Heavy." Miku complains as she carries it back to her station.
"Miku, you're back! Where'd you go?" Gon asks. "Oh, you got a pig too, ne?"
"Yup." Miku replies, wondering how to go about cooking this pig. She pushes it into the very large sink, and starts mutilating it.
Does Miss Gourmet Examiner have a specific dish in mind?
There's a bottle of bleach on the counter. Do people use bleach in cooking?
She dumps the bottle's contents on her mangled pig remains, but realizes some of her pig-bleach mixture is washing down the drain.
Miku grabs the bottle of drain cleaners, and dumps that down, too.
Her lungs and eyes and nose feel a little itchy now.
People around her are starting to drop dead. At least, she thinks they're dead.
"Hey, what's going on?" asks one of the examinees, inching further away from Miku's station as he seemingly chokes on air and keels over.
Miku runs over to check his pulse. "Oh no, he's dead... wonder how that happened..." she wonders. About six people have fallen around her already.
Miss Gourmet Examiner is shouting. "What's happening over there?!" she inquires loudly.
The orangette shrugs innocently. Realization soon dawns upon her. "Oh, whoopsies, sorry, Miss Examiner! I think I killed them by accident!" she rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Heh heh..."
"Miku, are you okay?" Gon calls. Such a sweetheart. So worried about her even after she's killed a few people, even if it was by accident.
"Don't come any closer, Gon!" she calls back. "Or you'll be dead too!"
"Eh? What'd ya do?" Killua asks curiously as he meanders closer.
"Uh..."
Killua peeks over her shoulder. "You made a poisonous gas?" he questions as he gestures to the empty bleach and drain cleaner bottles. "That drain cleaner contains acid, you know. And you mixed it with bleach."
"Yeah, didn't know that until after..." Miku laughs nervously.
"Oi!" Miku turns to look at the teal-haired examiner. "Number 111, you fail!"
"Eh?! But you didn't even try my food yet." she mumbles dejectedly.
"I don't have to try it to know it's lethal!" Menchi points an accusing finger. "And look at that! You even killed some of the examinees with your food, and they didn't even try it! Speaking of which, how are you not dead?"
Miku shrugs. "I'm awesome like that."
"Kami-sama... Everyone fails this test!"
"What?!"
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