Disclaimer: Hunter x Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. I just own my OC, Hitomi.

Chapter 10: Hitomi x Written Exam? x Needles and Blood

The three friends high-fived each other, cheering about their victory and their now open way to the finals.

"So you are not dead," Hitomi said. "You made it after all."

"So did you two, guys," Gon replied.

Hitomi grinned, showing at him both plates she had. Killua did the same.

"I had no problem getting these," he said. "How about you?"

Gon stared at the ground, a little upset. His two friends sighed.

"I bet you had to get your six points by going after three random applicants, right?" Killua said.

"Can you blame him?" she looked at the white-head. "After all, his target was Hiso-"

She was cut in mid sentence, when Gon showed them Hisoka's badge. They both looked at it in disbelief.

"No way, you actually got Hisoka's badge?!" Hitomi shouted. "I don't know if congratulate you or hit you for being that reckless!"

"Wow, that's unbelievable! To think you could actually get Hisoka's badge!" Killua exclaimed, before grabbing Gon's shoulders. "What kind of magic did you have to use?!"

"Well.. uh..." he stuttered. "Actually... he gave it to me."

Killua and Hitomi looked at each other and then to Gon, raising their eyebrows in confusion. They had heard about Leorio and Kurapika about his unlikely tenseness, but...

"Don't get it, what do you mean?" the boy asked him.

He just sadly smiled, but didn't say anything else.

"Well, if you don't wanna tell me I guess I can't force you to," he said.

"Whatever happened, all matters is that you passed... and that you are very much alive," Hitomi smiled, putting her hands in her hoodie's pocket. "The next test is the last one. If we pass this, we'll be Hunters."

Gon nodded, still a little upset. Hitomi stared at him for a moment, before noticing Kurapika behind them.

"You three," he called them. "A meeting has been called for all remaining applicants."

"I bet they're gonna tell us about the final test!" Gon shouted excitedly, before starting to run. "Come on, Killua, Hitomi!"

"Hey, wait for me!" Killua shouted, following him.

"Running again?" the girl complained, following them lazily. "It's the only thing we had been doing all along the Exam!"

Kurapika blinked at them a couple of times before smiling.

"I don't remember the last time she hanged around with a friend of her age," he thought. "I'm happy for you, Hitomi."

And after all, Netero refused to tell them about the last exam. Because of that, they were all - except for Hisoka and Gittarackur - talking to each other.

"We've all worked so hard to get this far," Leorio said. "It would be nice if we could all pass together."

"That's unlike you," Killua snickered. "Back when we were in Trick Tower you said you would do anything to pass the test, even if it meant fighting your friends."

"As much as I hate agreeing with Whitey, he is right," Hitomi admitted.

"That was then, this is now!" Leorio shouted at them.

"In any case, it's pointless for us rookies to speculate," Hanzo shut Leorio up. "How about we just ask someone who's gone through it already?"

They all stared at Pokkle, who raised his hands in defense.

"No, not me. I failed the Fourth Phase three years ago," he said. "This is the first time I've made it to the Final Phase myself."

After that, they directed their gaze to Bodoro, saying that he was the wiser in the room because of his age.

"Last year, I didn't make it past the First Phase," he replied.

"That's no help," Hitomi said, along her brother, Leorio and Hanzo.

"However, I think I can predict the topic for our final test," he said. "The First Phase tested our physical abilities. The Second Phase tested our powers of observation. The Third Phase was the Trick Tower and our experience varied depending on the route we took, but I think basically it was supposed to test our mental power. And as for the Fourth Phase I think it's obvious. It tested all around skills."

"Just tell us what are you thinking already," Hitomi said, tired of all that blabbering

."You still don't you get it, do you? There's only one thing left. One area that we haven't been tested on in any of the Phases," he smirked. "The wide range of knowledge required of all Hunters. Which means a written exam!"

They all got shocked at that statement. Even Hisoka's house of cards crumbled after the revelation.

"We've come all this way... for a written exam?" Leorio fell into panic.

"Certainly, as a Hunter, one might encounter a situation that requires expert knowledge in a variety of subjects like history and biology," Kurapika reasoned.

"This really sucks! I didn't think they would leave the toughest one for me in the end!"

Hitomi narrowed her eyes at Bodoro and raised an eyebrow.

"There's a library right on this ship!" Hanzo shouted. "Let's go!"

They all started to run towards the exit and Hitomi sighed. Gon and Killua turned around to look at her.

"Yeah, yeah..." she murmured, before going towards the door with them.

She gave Bodoro a last glance.

"I'm sure he is making this stuff up..."

Hitomi walked towards the cafeteria, to take a break. However, she spotted Killua in a table, drinking something in a cup. She facepalmed.

"How does he manage to be in all places where I am?" she thought annoyed.

Killua then noticed her presence.

"Hey, Dummy!" he exclaimed.

"Oh!" her eyebrow twitched in annoyance, "Hi there, Kitty-boy."

He smiled at her with his cat-face, making Hitomi sweatdrop. She sighed, before taking a seat beside him.

And then saw what he was drinking and resisted the urge to puke.

"Is that-?" she asked.

"Hm?" he said, before looking at the cup. "Oh, hot chocolate. Why do you ask?"

She just looked away.

"Couldn't be that..." he said, shocked. "You don't know chocolate?!"

"Of course I know!" she said, embarrassed. "It's just like I never felt like tasting it... It looks disgusting."

"Why is that?" he asked again.

"Its color... It's just too brown..." Hitomi murmured.

Killua raised an eyebrow, wondering about that. He was about to took a sip of it when he remembered something.

He was a chocolate fan. As much as he hated it, the mission of every choco-lover was to spread chocolate to all the world.

Or that was his belief.

"Taste it now," he handed her the cup.

"Why?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just do it!" he shouted.

"Okay, okay..." she gave up. "Take it easy, Kitty-boy."

Hitomi grabbed the cup and looked at the brownish liquid in disgust, she gulped.

"Do I have to do it?" Hitomi asked, unsure.

Killua solemnly nodded. She took a long breath, before letting the drink slip in her mouth. Her eyes opened slightly, at the unknown, but sweet taste she felt.

"Well?" Killua asked, taking the cup back. "It taste delicious, doesn't it?"

"You can say so," she admitted. "But I prefer citric flavors, instead of that rather cloying one."

"Whatever."

She stood up, to search for something to drink. The boy was drinking a little more of his hot chocolate when something crossed his mind.

Hitomi had just drunk in the same spot as him.

That was called indirect kissing.

Killua's face paled, before starting to cough, choking with his own drink.

"Gross!" he thought. "This is so disgusting!"

"Is there something wrong?" Hitomi asked, with a orange shake in her hand.

"Nothing..." he replied, flushing a little bit.

She stared at him raising an eyebrow, but shook it off. She sipped her straw.

"Please, Applicant Number 99," a voice in the speakers said and they both draw their attention to it. "Report to the conference room."

They looked at each other and Killua sighed. He stood up and started to walk away with his hands on his pockets.

That was the last exam.

"Killua," she called to him. "Don't lose."

"I won't," he smirked.

Hitomi drank a little more of her juice, still thinking. That was the last step before becoming Hunter, as she always wanted to.

But, what would happen before then? Would Kurapika still want revenge? Of course he would.

And furthermore, would she see the others again? Gon and even Leorio were her friends.

Then Killua... Why did she told him not to lose? She disliked him, he was just an arrogant prat with the face of a cat. Sure, it was funny to annoy him, but...

He wasn't her friend, she was positive. At least she would be happy if she never saw him again.

"Hey, Dummy."

She looked at her side, just to see him again. A vein popped up in her head at the sight of him.

"So, did an idiot like you pass the Exam?" she asked.

"It was boring, even for a game," he smirked. "Well, I don't think you'll pass it. It requires quite a lot."

Hitomi didn't have time for asking further, the voice echoed in the room once again.

"Next is Applicant 406, please come to the conference room."

She flinched, standing up from her seat. Killua playfully pushed her forward, making her stuck her tongue at him.

Hitomi released a long sigh, before opening the door to the room. There was Netero, waiting for her behind a table.

She glanced at it. There were a lot of pictures, from all the applicants except of her.

"Welcome, please take a seat," Netero said.

She did as she was told, a little tense though.

"I-Is this the Last Phase," she asked.

"No, no. I just want to ask you a few questions for my reference," he replied.

Her eyebrow twitched, before sipping in her orange shake again.

"That lying bastard..."

She sighed, releasing the air she was holding all this time.

"Well Hitomi, tell me," he said. "Who do you find the most intriguing?"

"Obviously, Hisoka is in the top of the list," she pointed at his photo. "That psycho is dangerous and powerful, the perfect mix of caos. His personality inspires horror and manages to make you feel like going away if you stay with him in less than a second."

Netero stroked his long beard, nodding.

"Also, there's this guy," she pointed at Gittarackur's photo. "He doesn't talk too much, but is kinda creepy... especially his laugh. It gives me the chills."

The president nodded again in agreement.

"And who is the last person you'd want to fight with?"

"Can I mention more than one person?" she asked.

"Go ahead."

Hitomi sighed and pointed at Gon, Kurapika, Leorio and Killua.

"These ones," she said, before pointing at Kurapika. "This one is my brother, and I will hate to fight him for something like this," she then pointed at Leorio and Gon. "And these are my friends."

"How about Killua?" Netero asked.

"Well, as much as I dislike him, I can bring myself to fight him," she stared at the boy's photo. "I just don't know. Sometimes I hate him, but sometimes is fun to be around him, just like Gon."

Netero chucked.

"Have you become friends?"

"No way," she said. "I would rather die before befriending that selfish cat-boy!"

"You too?" he spoke, rather to himself.

She looked at him, curious.

"Well, that's all," he said. "You are dismissed."

Hitomi nodded, before walking out the room. She felt irritated again, at the sight of Killua in his cat-mode once again.

"Well, did you pass?" he joked.

"Of course, Whitey," she smirked. Then she took her juice and poured all of it in Killua's head. "Or should I say Orangey?"

Killua was now pissed off and glared at her.

"Goodbye, then!" the girl started to run.

"Wait up!" he yelled. "I'll kill you now!"

She laughed a little bit.

"Friends? As if..."

They were all ready for the last test. Hanzo, Leorio and Pokkle were exhausted, but set for that written exam they have been preparing for.

"The Final Phase is going to be a one-on-one fighting tournament!" Netero declared.

"T-Tournament?!" Hanzo shouted, in disbelief.

"You mean it's not gonna be a written exam?!" Leorio exclaimed as well.

"Written exam?" he said. "Where did you ever get an idea like that from?"

The three who hadn't got any sleep for studying all night snapped their heads at Bodoro, glaring at him. He just looked away.

"Here's the chart that shows who's fighting who in the tournament," Netero said, taking the cloth of where the chart were.

They were shocked at it.

"Just one of us passes?" Hitomi thought, unable to believe it.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Netero laughed. "To pass the Final Phase all you have to do is win one match. In other words, in this tournament set up the winners of the marches get out of it and the losers advance to the next round. So getting to the top of this chart means you failed. Moreover, everyone is given at least two chances to win."

Hitomi sighed in relief but Gon suddenly tensed.

"Will Kurapika and you be okay?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied, confused.

"That's true!" Killua said, shocked. "Look at the first matches you both have."

She looked at it and realized she was going to fight Gittarackur, and then looked at her brother's fight. Hitomi was positive that her blood boiled at the moment when she saw that.

"You are fighting Hisoka?!" she asked to him. "You have to give up."

"I will win," he said determined. "No matter what."

She growled, fury slowly consuming her. She glared at Netero.

"You old geezer!" she said. "You'll pay if that psycho kills my brother."

Hisoka smirked behind her and both Killua and Gon sweatdropped at her boldness.

"He won't," that was the president's reply.

"How can you be that sure?" she said, still angry.

"Because he will be disqualified."

They all stared at the old man, still not getting what he was talking about.

"If any applicant kills another, they will be disqualified."

That helped Hitomi to calm down a little bit, at least Kurapika would live. However, if he leaded him to a state where he would be physically alive, but mentally dead?

Hitomi would not be able to bear it.

"Don't worry," Kurapika seemed to feel his little sister uneasiness and put a hand over her shoulder.

She nodded, reluctantly letting him go. Kurapika stood in front of Hisoka.

Kurapika took his swords and started running towards him, using them to keep away Hisoka's cards from him. Once in front of him, he waved his sword, but the magician jumped and avoided the blow.

"Hey, you," Hisoka said with a smile, "There's something that might interest you."

That was when he noticed that his sword had been cracked by the card at that time. They both jumped in air and Hisoka attacked him with a card once again. The sword ended up snapping completely.

Kurapika's eyes turned red for a few seconds before returning to its original color.

"Losing one of my swords definitely puts me at a disadvantage," he said. "But I will more than make up its loss with my pride!"

Hisoka smirked.

Again, he launched at him. However, before he could even hit him, Hisoka disappeared and attacked the Kuruta by surprise. Kurapika fell into the ground.

A red glow appeared in Hitomi's eyes.

"Damn you, Hisoka!" she yelled. "If you kill him you will be disqualified!"

"It's why I'm doing my best to take it easy on him," he smiled in a creepy way. "Cute unripe fruit."

Now Hitomi didn't know what was the worst thing. Being called like that by a crazy clown, that the crazy clown was beating her brother...

Or that her idiotic brother was standing up no matter what.

Kurapika tried to attack him once again, but Hisoka grabbed his arm before it and hit him instead. The others shouted at him, pleading him to surrender.

Hitomi clenched her fists, smiling sadly.

"No matter many times you ask him to surrender, it's no use," she said. "He won't give up, that reckless Blondie."

He looked at her sister and nodded, before standing once again. He tried to attack him a lot of times before that, but he couldn't even touch him.

Hisoka then tried to kick him, but the boy jumped and avoided it.

Kurapika looked at him... with his eyes glowing red.

The boy ran towards the magician, who threw him a card. They all watched in amazement how he took it with his bare hand and threw it back to him, stabbing it in Hisoka's shoulder. The Kuruta-boy hit his enemy with the back of his sword and made him step back.

His eyes switched back to normal.

Hisoka took the card in his shoulder and started to lick it, in a disgusting way. His eyes had the same shine that a psychopath's one would have.

"Calm down, gotta calm down..." he murmured.

He returned back to normal and started walking, throwing his card away. He stepped at Kurapika's side, and whispered something.

Hitomi didn't know what it was, but she saw Kurapika's eyes swift into scarlet for a second.

"I forfeit," he said. "I decided to make it in the next match."

Gon began to celebrate. Hitomi, however, just smiled. She was still very worried about what Hisoka had said the blond.

Her chain of thoughts stopped when she heard:

"Second fight. Applicant Number 301, Gittarackur, and applicant Number 406, Hitomi, please come forward."

Gon cheered at her, and she smiled. She walked, passing by Killua.

"Be careful," he told her when she was beside him. "He looks like Hisoka."

"Yeah, don't worry," she told him. "I won't lose because I don't wanna fight you yet. You would be scared."

"Scared? You wish," he smirked and she put her hands in her pockets. "I still have to fight Pokkle you know."

"Yeah," she sweatdropped. "But I have a bad feeling about that."

And she walked away. She stood in front of Gittarackur and raised a hand.

"Hi, again," she said.

The guy snickered, clenching his teeth as always.

The referee told them to start and she slid into a fighting stance, without taking her gaze out of her rival.

"As Killua said, he is like Hisoka. It will be better if I wait a little bit before attacking," she thought. "If I rush and move carelessly, I won't get out of it unscratched..."

Hitomi stared at her rival, who took out of his needles and throw them to her. Quickly, she jumped and avoided them, and they stabbed in the floor.

And Gittarackur didn't move either, making her jump into the conclusion.

He made her avoid the attack on purpose. He was waiting for her move too.

"I need a plan. Now," she thought, as a drop of sweat ran through her forehead.

Her violet eyes snapped open when she felt danger. Gittarackur wasn't in front of her anymore, that could be just one thing...

"Behind you, Hitomi!" Gon shouted.

"Yeah, I know!" she said, turning around.

She ducked, avoiding his kick. He tried to punch her, but she jumped, dodging it as well as she could. She quickly leaped and stood a couple of meters away from him.

"He is too fast," she reasoned. "I can't afford to be that close to this guy..."

The only thing that the girl knew was that she had to keep her distance with him. They both started to run around the room, in parallel directions. Gittarackur threw some more needles, but she dodged them, managing to have only a scratch in her right cheek.

"His attacks are almost identical..." Killua thought in cold sweat, before shaking his head. "No, there's no way. Their face are different, aren't they?"

After a while, Hitomi and Gittarackur stopped. The girl closed her eyes and released a long sigh.

"I don't have more option than..." she opened her eyes, before running at him, "commit suicide!"

She browsed her knives and tried to stab him, but he grabbed them with his fingers. She smirked, before using her leg to make a foot sweep. He lost his balance, letting the girl push him back meters away from her.

He looked at little shocked at her movements.

"Killing her is a good idea..." Gittarackur thought. "But I will get disqualified if I do so."

He just spaced out for a couple of seconds, but they were enough for the idea to hit Hitomi's mind, making her smirk in silence.

"It's time for using that," she realized.

Gittarackur raised his needles and Hitomi left something in the floor. Quickly, she jumped high in the air.

"Thanks a lot, Killua!" she shouted.

"Huh?" he said, confused.

The grey ball she had just dropped got stabbed by a needle. In a flash, it started to liberate white smoke which clouded the arena.

"My bomb of smoke?" Killua thought in disbelief. "When did she-?"

His mind remembered the time when she walked by him before the match and his eyebrow twitched in annoyment.

"You stole it back then!" he shouted, irritated.

Kurapika shook his head at this.

Hitomi didn't reply but entered the smoke, which become thicker as time passed by.

"My only chance!"

She then tried to kick him in his neck. However, her plan got frustrated when he grabbed her leg. She tried to punch him, but he got a grip in her arm, in the exact spot where she had been shot by Siper in the last phase.

She flinched and froze, and it costed her way too much.

A huge wave of pain attacked her as soon as he punched her belly. She got thrown and her back collided with the wall, making her cough blood. Her pain became greater, when a lot of needles were shot to her, piercing in her skin.

And the smoke vanished.

"Hitomi!" Kurapika shouted in worry.

Her plan had failed awfully. Even though her injuries hurted like hell, she still managed to stand up.

"Damn it..." she groaned.

Gittarackur walked towards her, but she couldn't even move anymore. He kneeled down next to her and put a hand under her chin, making her stare at him at his eyes.

"You are too reckless," he spoke, for the first time, "Yet too weak..."

She opened her eyes, before letting go from his grip. He took a couple of steps back.

That were true in a way, she was aware of that. She was weak, too weak.

When Pairo and her parents hid her in a wardrobe... she was that weak to get out of it, and didn't do anything to avoid them to get killed... or to die together with them.

When she confronted Gittarackur in the Fourth Phase, she was that weak to even move.

And she was that weak... that she was unable to keep her brother away from that desire of revenge.

"I'm sick of it..." she murmured, hiding her eyes with her bangs. "I don't want to be weak anymore."

They all looked at her, in surprise.

"That's why..." Hitomi looked at him, her gaze scarlet. "I'll defeat you!"

She disappeared from his sight and reappeared behind him, raising her leg. He got hold of it and did the same when she tried to kick him with her free leg. She then punched him across the face.

Gittarackur pushed her and she stood there, determined. He had to end this, now.

He stretched his hand at her walking slowly towards her, and she looked at him in confusion. Hitomi tried to move, but he quickly said.

"Don't move yet. If you do that or I touch you, the real battle will start," he said. "You know the way avoid it."

She didn't mind him and grabbed his arm, before hitting him with her knee in his stomach. He stepped back and stared at her for a while.

He started to laugh.

"I give up," he said.

She raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked.

"I give up," he repeated. "I can't make you surrender. Your eyes tell me that you won't forfeit, even if you die."

"Do they?" she smiled, her eyes turning back to violet. "They have betrayed me then."

"The winner of the second match is Number 406, Hitomi!" the referee declared.

She blinked and looked at her friends, who smiled at her. She smirked too.

"Oh yeah!" she yelled in her head. "I'm a Hunter now!"

Well, that's where this chapter ends.

I would like to thank Shira4 and SoulXHunter for leaving a review for this story! You two are great:) I hope you liked this chapter.

Also, I hope that all silent readers out there enjoyed it as well!

See you later ;)