Me: I'm glad this has gotten good reviews so far! I honestly didn't expect it to go well!
Gon: Hmm? Why?
Me: *wishy-washy hand motion* Reasons!
Killua: *pout* That's not a reason, baka!
To 666The-Kyojin-Alchemist666:
Me: I'm glad you like it!
Gon: Usuuuurpeeer!
Chu: Please don't hug me…
To Renaglory:
Me: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I couldn't resist putting it in there! X3
Gon: By the sunken depths of the screeching horrors-
Kurapika: Cut it out, they've had enough.
Tonpa: I KNEW YOU PEOPLE KNEW HE COULD DO THAT!
To MidoriEmerald13:
Me: Thank you! I'm glad you like it, I always appreciate good feedback! I have moments of writer's block and have, at one point, stopped updating for over a year. HOWEVER, I vow to keep my updates regular and frequent now that holidays are on! :D
Chu: Wait until she stops updating for a year then you won't like it so much-
Me: Shut your face!
Disclaimer: Hunter X Hunter and its 2011 adaptation belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my OCs, sub-plots and anything not included in the original series. Enjoy.
Chapter 2: I X Can't X Run
Previously:
"I apologise for the wait. The entry period for Hunter applicants has passed. The Hunter Exam will now begin!"
I felt happiness grow as I listening to him talk. Things should start getting interesting now.
"Let the games begin."
"A final caution. If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept the risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you."
No one moved an inch. It was to be expected. We all worked so hard to get here, no one was gonna back down now. After a short silence with no one moving, the man shifted and started talking again.
"Very well. All 404 applicants will participate in Phase One."
Turning and starting to walk, everyone quickly followed the weird purple man with the extremely long legs. Pushing myself off the wall, I began walking in the middle of the group. Glancing to the side, I could see the green boy and the other two walking slightly behind me. I didn't know why, but they interested me. Maybe it was because it was weird to see an older man travelling with a teenager and a smaller kid? Either way, I made a mental note to keep an eye on them. Focusing back to the front of the group, I could see the man start walking faster. Though he looked like he was still striding along, it got to the point where we all had to run to keep up.
"I hope this isn't a running phase." I thought, sighing quietly as I picked up the pace, "This baggy coat isn't exactly the best thing for it. Not temperature wise but tripping wise."
Everyone was obviously getting confused. Weren't we supposed to just follow him? Why was he making us run after him like lost puppies?
"I neglected to introduce myself. I am Satotz, the Phase One examiner. I shall lead you to the exam's Second Phase."
"Second Phase? What about Phase One?" I heard one of the people upfront ask. The response was quick.
"It has already commenced. You must follow me to Phase Two. This is the exam's First Phase."
"Follow you? That's it?"
The whole crowd was murmuring in confusion as they raced to catch up. My dread was slowly building.
"Oh no… Oh don't tell this phase is an…"
"Yes. I cannot tell you where or when you must arrive. You need to follow me."
"…endurance test."
I huffed quietly and kept jogging, fast enough to keep up but not at my full speed to conserve energy. Just when I had hoped this wouldn't be a running phase, it turned to be just that.
"I see how it is." I heard the blond from before start speaking. He seemed a lot more mature then I had expected.
"This test is weird…" I heard the green boy respond, followed by the man in the suit responding with a "I expect this is an endurance test".
I tuned out of their conversation at that point. It didn't interest me enough to hear the old man keep babbling.
An hour and a half later, I heard the old man start calling out "Oi!" to catch someone's attention. People were starting to look but I didn't glance behind me to see what was up. Whoever he was calling to was obviously ignoring him and it was causing a ruckus. I didn't realise it was me he was calling to until I felt him tug on my coat sleeve while saying "Don't ignore me!"
Turning to look at him, I lowered my voice again and responded with a "You're talking to me?"
"Yeah! I was wondering why you're wearing that coat! It's impractical for an endurance test!" he started to ramble on. I slowed down a bit so that I as at the trio's pace and resumed the conversation.
"What I wear is none of your business."
"I'm just surprised you haven't tired out yet, little boy." [1]
My neutral façade nearly slipped to irritation but I quickly composed myself before I could snap at him. He seemed to have an idea before speaking to me with recognition.
"I saw you earlier coughing up juice, didn't I? I know that old man's juice was expired but I didn't think it was that bad."
Figuring I had no reason to lie, I quickly responded with "It wasn't expired. It had laxatives in it."
"Really?" the green boy spoke up this time, him and the blond had been silently listening to our conversation.
"That was close then!" The man shouted, his voice rising way higher than necessary. The people staring were starting to bother me.
"How do you know?" the blond asked, his tone reserved and polite. He wasn't intending to offend.
Looking back up to the front, I responded with the same tone of voice.
"I have my ways. You could call it natural intuition."
"Wow! That's amazing!"
I couldn't help but feel amazing. This innocent looking ball of green adorableness made it all the way to the exam? I almost smiled.
A few minutes of comfortable silence passed over us until the green by spoke up again.
"Nee, nee, what's your name mister?"
I swallowed down the urge to correction and instead looked over the group. The three of them were all looking at me curiously, the small boy smiling brightly. They seemed like honest, good people. But I couldn't help but be apprehensive. Though the way they acted wasn't fake like Tonpa's, they could very well be just better actors.
Sensing my hesitance, the boy smiled wider and started talking again.
"I'm Gon Freecss and this is Kurapika and Leorio! You can tell us your name when you're ready, 'kay?"
Admiration for this honest boy kept bubbling inside me and I found it increasingly hard to keep a cold face. Deciding that they were good enough people to at least work together with, I focused on the front and quietly said my name.
"Chu Reiki. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too Chu-san!"
I could see the blond politely nod out of the corner of my eye. I ignored Leorio's "Chu's a feminine name though…" and kept running with them silently.
They may not be my friends yet, but working together with them should be fine for now. At least they weren't Tonpa.
Another half an hour has passed and I found it hard to keep a steady pace without nearly tripping over my oversized coat. Thirty kilometres of steady running wasn't good for a very clumsy person. Many applicants have already dropped out as well. I was not gonna be one f them, despite my clumsiness.
Leorio seemed to be struggling with the course and had dropped behind significantly. Maybe it was his briefcase or his suit that was making it hard for him? Gon had dropped as well but he didn't seem exhausted. Maybe he just wanted to be there for Leorio?
"He seems like a nice kid. All of them seem kind and honest." I thought. I wasn't ready to let them in, but it was reassuring to know that I had people being nice to me. Even if they may end up just being good actors.
"Are you tired?"
Kurapika had stretched slightly ahead of me and was looking back towards me. He was probably referring to my obviously oversized coat.
"No. I'm fine. How are you faring?"
"Pretty well. Leorio and Gon don't seem as well though."
"I'm sure they'll be fine."
The both of us settled into a comfortable silence, Kurapika turning his head back towards the examiner. The silence was very quickly interrupted by, once again, Leorio.
"Hey! Wait up, kid!"
Glancing behind me, I saw Leorio yelling at a young kid that looked to be around Gon's age riding a skateboard. For a brief second, I focused on how ridiculously puffy his hair looked. [2]
"Hmm?"
"You should show the Hunter Exam some respect!"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you using a skateboard? That's cheating!"
"Why?"
"Why… This is an endurance test!"
"No, it isn't. The examiner only told us to follow him." I heard Gon respond. The kid did raise a few pointers. I turned and faced the front as the boy, whom I heard his name is Killua, started talking to Gon, ignoring the rambling Leorio.
Leorio's loud footsteps started growing fainter and I no longer heard the skateboard wheels, meaning Killua was long off his skateboard and Leorio was falling behind.
I silently prayed he'd be fine.
About four hours had passed and we had to have travelled at least sixty kilometres. Leorio and the others were way behind Kurapika and I at this point as we slowly made our way towards the front.
"I don't know how much more my feet can take!" I thought, panting lightly. My stamina was nearly used up. "I've nearly tripped almost 100 times! When are we gonna reach the next phase!?"
Kurapika was travelling slightly ahead of me still and seemed to still be in perfect condition. How he was able to run this long without even breaking a sweat was unimaginable!
"Or maybe he's like me and he's just hiding it?" I reasoned with myself "In that case he's way better at hiding things away than me."
I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't see the fainted applicant before it was too late. Tripping over him, I didn't have the reaction time to try and save myself. I braced myself for impact, knowing the ground was gonna hurt.
"If I fall, will I really be willing to get back up? I'm too tired."
A hand grabbed hold of my own and steadied me, ushering me along. Looking up, I see that Kurapika had slowed down to match my pace and was holding my hand until I gathered my bearings.
"Are you alright? You really should be careful."
Blinking, I quickly steadied myself and ripped my hand away. I couldn't help but look away in embarrassment. [3]
"I'm fine!"
Kurapika didn't seem the least bit offended and simply nodded curtly, looking towards the examiner again.
"If you're sure. Just ask if you need any help."
"I don't want help! This is the Hunter Exam!" I knew I was acting rude but I couldn't help it. I was embarrassed. Kurapika had to actually slow down and grab my hand just to keep me going. Hand holding was NOT what I asked for!
My embarrassed thoughts quickly turned to fearful thoughts when I saw the massive amount of stairs we had to now climb.
"I'm not gonna make it!"
By the eight kilometre mark, I was panting heavily and sweating. I made it my goal to be at least at the same pace as Kurapika, but I was finding it really difficult. At least he was starting to pant now, meaning I wasn't the only tired one here. Hearing loud, nasally pants, I saw Leorio race to join us with his shirt and jacket tied around his waist, leaving him topless with only his badge and tie.
"I'm not the only one suffering. He probably has it worse than me!"
"Leorio, are you okay?"
"Sure! Just look at me. I realised that I can keep going if I don't worry about how stupid I look!"
Leorio picked up the pace, racing ahead of the two of us. I saw Kurapika smile before taking off his orange and blue tabard and stuffing it into his bag, leaving him in his white training suit as he picked up his speed. I fell behind the two and gave up trying to race after them, feeling too tired to go faster but too determined to slow down or stop.
"Leorio… I have a question."
"What? Is this too easy for you, Kurapika? Talking just wastes energy!"
He did raise a point. Kurapika only just started showing signs of fatigue and was talking as if he'd only run five kilometres. Was asking the obviously tired Leorio a question really necessary?
"Are you really trying to become a hunter for the money?"
"That was Leorio's reason? The money? That's pretty conceited…"
"You aren't, right? We've only been together for a few days, but I know you better than that."
Leorio didn't seem to be taking Kurapika's words lightly.
"Sure, you have a nasty attitude, and you aren't very bright. But you're not a shallow person. I've seen many who live for money. You're nothing like them."
"That is true. Leorio-san doesn't seem like that kind of person. But saying it like that seems to only be making him mad Kurapika-san…"
"You and your logic…"
Leorio didn't seem too thrilled by Kurapika's accusation and was obviously irritated at this point. He looked straight ahead and refused to give Kurapika any other answer. Kurapika looked down at the ground, considering what he was going to say next carefully.
"Scarlet eyes."
That caught both mine and Leorio's attention.
"That's why the Kurta were targeted. We Kurta are known for our unique scarlet eyes. When our emotions are heightened, our eyes turn scarlet, as if on fire. The eyes in that scarlet state are considered one of the seven most beautiful colours in the world. They command high prices on the black market."
"That's why the Phantom Troupe attacked you?"
It made sense. The traditional clothing, the reserved and polite nature… Kurapika was a Kurta.
"I heard about them when I was younger. Their entire clan was killed and their eyes were stolen. How did Kurapika escape that?"
Both males turned to look at me, as if remembering that I was right there. I put a finger to my lips, indicating that I wouldn't tell and that they could continue their conversation.
"If you want me to keep secrets, I will. I have secrets I'm keeping from you too, y'know." I reasoned with them, even though they couldn't hear.
They both instantly continued talking, Kurapika's eyes shining with gratefulness because of my cooperation.
"They took every single eye from my brethren's corpses. I can still hear their darkened eyes crying out in anguish… I swear I will capture the Phantom Troupe! And I will reclaim the eyes of my clan!"
"That's why you want to be a Hunter?"
"Yeah, if I become a Hunter with rich clients, I'll gain access to black market information."
"But you'll have to swallow your pride and become the kind of Hunter you despise!"
Leorio seemed to be understanding and so was I. It was a noble cause. But Leorio did bring up a point though. By becoming a Blacklist Hunter, which Kurapika was obviously aiming for, he'd be stepping right into the same field of work as the ones that attacked his clan. Who knows what he'd be forced to do, just to get closer to his goals.
"The blow to my pride is nothing, measured against the suffering my clan endured."
My respect for the trio grew exponentially upon hearing Kurapika's goals.
"Maybe these guys aren't as bad as I think they are. Not all men are heartless, evil-" [4]
I could hear footsteps quickly approaching our location, snapping me out of my quickly growing dark thoughts. Glancing back, I spotted Gon and Killua having what looked like a race. I turned my attention back to the males in front of me when Leorio started talking again.
"Sorry, but I have no noble cause."
"Huh?"
"I'm just after the money."
"He's lying. I can tell by the aura he's giving off."
"Don't lie!"
"I'm not lying!"
"You really believe you can buy everything with money?"
"You bet! For the right price, you can buy not only treasures, but dreams, hearts, and even people's lives!"
Kurapika seemed really irritated. He knew just as well as I did that Leorio had a different reason for becoming a Hunter.
"Take that back, Leorio! If you're insulting the Kurta, I won't forgive you."
"Why? I'm telling the truth."
"Don't go there, Leorio."
"If I'd had money, my friend wouldn't have died!"
A moment of silence passed as we took in this information.
"So he does have a good reason…"
"An illness?" was the first thing out of Kurapika's mouth. It was the most logical explanation.
"It was a treatable disease… The problem was that the operation costs a fortune. I was naïve! I thought I could become a doctor… I wanted to cure kids who have the same disease, and be able to tell them it was free of charge! Then I could have told his parents, too. That was my dream… What a joke. Turns out to become a doctor, you need even more money! Got it?"
Kurapika and I had listened silently, understanding everything he was saying. Leorio was right when he said he only wanted the money, but he was wrong when he said he had no noble cause.
"The world runs on money… So I want money!"
Kurapika smiled warmly, not saying a word. He understood. I understood.
"I honestly wasn't expecting that kind of backstory from Leorio of all people…"
Gon and Killua finally made it up to where we were.
"See you at the goal, Kurapika, Chu-san."
"Catch ya later, old timer."
"I'm not old! I'm a teenager, just like you guys!
I tripped over, and Kurapika was too stunned to catch me this time.
"I definitely didn't expect that one…"
After being helped up by Kurapika again, which severely irritated me by the way, the three of us ran towards the exit together. Gon and Killua had already run off, determined to race to the end.
I continued to mentally grumble about Leorio's true age, which turned out to be 19-ish. The red mark that had formed on my face from faceplanting was gone but I still felt the pain. Kurapika and Leorio had asked me a lot of questions revolving around whether I had a concussion or whether I had broken my nose. Despite hurting my face on stone stairs, I was completely fine. There was no reason for them to worry. It took awhile but I managed to convince them of that. They stopped bothering me a few minutes ago and now we were just running in a comfortable silence.
The silence was only broken when shouts of "The exit!" and "We can leave!" filled the room. Did that mean that we were nearly done running?
"C'mon you two! We're nearly through!" Leorio shouted, running faster with an excited smile. Kurapika let out a faint chuckle and picked up the pace, looking back at me with a warm smile.
"Are you alright? We're nearly there."
I must've looked like a mess, drenched with sweat and panting loudly. I forced myself to run at his pace and responded with a quick "I'm fine!"
He turned back towards the exit, light illuminating his face for the first time in ages. I refused to smile in relief and tried to make my panting quieter, not wanting my weakness to show. I didn't want him to look down on me.
Leorio practically met the ground as if it were his bed, unable to even stand, when we reached the exit. Kurapika reached Leorio's side just before me. I collapsed next to them both, completely spent.
"I swear to god if we don't get a break right now…"
"Hey, Kurapika."
Gon and Killua were sitting next to where we had popped up. Both seemed to be relaxing.
"If they get a break and I don't…"
Kurapika threw a lazy wave in their direction and scanned the area, "Is this our destination?"
"No, it isn't."
"I see."
"We better at least get a break though, right Gon-san…?"
"The fog is fading."
"Really?"
As the fog faded I could see a mass expanse of trees and marsh. The swampy smell irritated my nose. Frogs, snakes and other wetland creatures were moving around the area and I secretly prayed that I wouldn't pass any spiders.
"If we have to run through that murkiness I swear…"
"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp." Everyone's attention was refocused on Satotz as he began explaining where we were, "We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the Exam."
"We're not getting a break are we?"
"This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and pray on them."
After hearing that, the atmosphere grew a little tense. I was kinda glad we weren't taking a break here, I didn't want to rest in a place like this.
"Suck it up! You shouldn't be asking for a break right now anyways! This is the Hunter Exam, not a vacation! What did you expect?"
I really needed to step up my game. If I was getting puffed from just the First Phase, I was never gonna become a hunter.
"Be very careful. If you let them fool you… You're dead."
The tense atmosphere grew even more fearful. Leorio and I quickly straightened ourselves out and got off the ground despite still being tired. A metal shutter door starting going down behind us, blocking off one applicant who only just reached the top.
"Poor guy. Better luck next year."
"These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit… Hence the name Swindlers Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."
Knowing him, Satotz was gonna prance through the wetlands with incredible speed. Marathon part 2, but this time with the threat of deceit or death if you fell behind. This wasn't exactly my forte…
"What a joke." I heard Leorio scoff from next to me "How can they fool us, when we're expecting it?"
"Don't let them fool you!"
I turned my head quickly. A man had approached from behind the corner with tattered clothes and scratches all over his body. He had obviously taken a beating.
Everyone turned to look as well, with Leorio murmuring something along the lines of "I just said they can't."
Weakly coming out fully from behind the wall, his voice sounded battered and croaky.
"D-Don't fall for it… He's lying to you. He's an imposter!"
Everyone turned to Satotz, whom the man was pointing to. Satotz didn't seem at all fazed by this accusation.
"He isn't an examiner… I'm the real examiner."
Murmurs started spreading through the crowd, everyone considering the possibility. Looking over at the unfazed Satotz back to the battered man, I quickly came to the conclusion that this unprofessional, weak-looking, newcomer couldn't be the examiner. Satotz had been there from the beginning! Plus, the vibe this guy was giving off just reaked of danger.
"He's lying."
"An imposter? What's going on?"
"Don't believe him!"
"Look at this…" Struggling, the man pulled out a body from behind the wall. It's face and body structure looked exactly like Satotz but had sharp fangs, long tongue, claws and orange-brown fur growing all over. It looked battered and broken and its eyes were rolled to the back of its head. I wasn't fooled though. Though its breathing was shallow, it was obvious that the being was not only alive but awake. It had the same vibe coming off of it as the man.
"Calm down. It's one of those deceitful monsters. They've gotta be shapeshifters or something similar! We can't just start believing every battered up person we meet!"
My eyes narrowed suspiciously at the new duo. I didn't trust people easily, but those two definitely reeked of lies. Even Tonpa didn't seem as bad!
"It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwell in the Numere Wetlands!"
"A Man-Faced Ape?" Leorio seemed to be taking this just as I was. I'd never heard of those creatures. Was it a lie?
"Man-Faced Apes love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!"
Satotz still seemed unfazed. Though the alibi the man was giving seemed legit, his aura alone was enough to make me distrust him.
"Bastard…"
"He certainly doesn't walk like a human…"
"Stick with the people you've been around longest. Don't believe him."
I heard a whizzing sound and a blast of air pass in front of my face as a bunch of playing cards rammed straight into the new guy. Another bunch of cards were aimed at Satotz only to be caught instantly by said man. The new guy fell to the ground, dead, the 'dead' Man-Faced Ape falling to the ground next to him. Satotz once again reacted in no way towards the attempt on his life. Turning to the sound of a deck being shuffled, I spied Hisoka shuffling a deck of the same cards that just killed a man. He was definitely responsible for what just happened.
"I see, I see… That settles it. You're the real one."
He had done that just to find out who was the liar? Then again, examiners were hunters. Any hunter with even the slightest amount of skill could've blocked that attack. Since the man didn't block, he was the liar. It made sense.
Satotz reacted in no way other than flicking the cards away. He didn't seem bothered at all by what had just happened. Then again, when did he ever show emotions?
Everyone looked up in disbelief, obviously believing the other man over Satotz. The 'dead' Ape sprang up to life and fled while making yelping noises. It had been caught.
"Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack."
Everyone seemed to have caught up on the situation. It only made sense.
"I shall take that as a compliment." Satotz spoke for the first time since we got here "However, should you attack me again, for whatever reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner. And you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?"
Hisoka didn't seem fazed at all and only continued to smirk as everyone gathered their bearings.
"Sure."
Squawking sounded as vultures rained down and started devouring the imposter's dead body.
"Nature really can be brutal to watch…" Leorio muttered as we all watched the scene unfold. I was the first to turn away, feeling a bit shaken from everything that just occurred.
"Anything can be brutal, depending on your opinion."
No one responded to me.
Kurapika continued to watch the scene unfold, putting the pieces together, "So he was a Man-Faced Ape, as well."
"He was attempting to confuse the applicants, to lure some of them away." Satotz stated as he started to walk towards the corpse.
"We cannot relax our guard."
"Yeah."
Even the younger boys had gotten serious. This was the true nature of the Exam and we were all just realising it.
"You will encounter such deception on a regular basis. I believe that a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?"
A few people let out nervous noises, obviously caught. Leorio was one of them.
"So you understand? If you lose sight of me in the Numere Wetlands fog, you will never reach the exam's Second Phase. Do bear that in mind."
Silence reigned over. He was testing us without even trying.
"Then let us be on our way. Please follow me."
Everyone was instantly running as Satotz took off, striding along with incredible speed. Out of the around 370 remain applicants, the first one to complain was Leorio.
"Tch, another marathon."
"And we're running through marsh this time. Running on wet ground requires more energy."
Kurapika's words made me focus on how sore my legs were after the last round.
"Just as I had forgotten too…"
"Oi, are you still wearing that thing? Take it off already." Leorio words were directed at me as I ran in between him and Kurapika. My coat wasn't the best thing for marsh, but I refused to take it off.
"I refuse."
"Huuuuh!?"
"Pay attention now." Satotz words rang out through the crowd "Be sure to stay close behind me."
The atmosphere was definitely getting murker the further we went. I was finder it hard to move the deeper we went.
"The fog is getting thicker."
"Thank you for stating the obvious, Kurapika-san." I responded as we continued to run, the smell irritated me. Kurapika once again took no offense to my words, either that or he was just ignoring me, as I struggled to keep my face blank.
"Leorio! Kurapika! Chu! Killua says that we should move up!" Gon's voice rang out through the fog from up slightly ahead.
"'Chu'? When did I get on no honorifics basis with him? Also, I wasn't intending for EVERYONE learning my name!" I thought as I ran slightly faster to catch up but to no avail "Oh well, I guess it's his nature. He must already consider me as a friend."
"Moron! If I had the strength, I'd already be there!" Leorio yelled back, looking irritated as he tried to run faster like me.
"Don't worry about us!" Kurapika joined in the yelling. I decided to add my input.
"Run faster and focus on yourself!"
"It's hard to keep my voice boyish when yelling. Hopefully no one suspects me yet."
My mood kept going south as the fog got thicker. I was starting to squint just to see ahead. I was starting to feel less people running near us. Was everyone going a separate way? I glanced around, making sure I wasn't alone. Kurapika and Leorio were still there and I could see faint shadows ahead and behind of us.
"We can't even tell which way we're going." I heard Kurapika complain. Leorio was quick to jump in.
"It's okay. As long as we don't lose sight of the guys ahead of us…"
All of a sudden, the people in front started dropping. Did one of those guys just lose a head!?
All three of us stopped, sensing that something was very wrong.
"What's going on!?" Leorio started to panic.
"You just had to jinx us, Leorio-san."
"I didn't mean to!"
Suddenly large strawberries starteddading in from the fog. Everone behind us was just as confused as us.
"Strawberries?"
"Wh-What?"
A man came up from behind Kurapika hesitantly only to get sucked up with a yell. I instantly tensed, preparing myself to bolt if needed. A creature emerged from the fog, the strawberries attached to its back. The man was in the creature's mouth. I didn't recognise it, but it resembled a kind of tortoise. Everyone panicked and started to run in the opposite direction as the tortoise bit into more applicants. Kurapika, Leorio and I stood frozen in the midst of the chaos.
"This looks bad…"
More of the creatures started popping up, circling us within the fog. I backed up slightly, brushing Leorio's arm. Kurapika had certainly made an understatement. It seemed as if the whole group had been split up.
"Maybe we should have gone with Gon-san and Killua-san!"
Gon and Killua squirmed around, having been swallowed by a giant frog when suddenly…
"Achoo!"
"Gon, you okay?"
"I think people are talking about me…"
"Huh…?"
The tortoise monster grabbed hold of a bit of log and lifted it up, Leorio happened to be holding onto that bit however.
"Leorio!"
The tortoise swung the log around, Leorio holding on desperately while yelling. Kurapika jumped forward, unsheathing his bokken [5] and aiming for the tortoise's eye. Deciding not to wait around, I jumped up as well and kicked the tortoise in the jaw right as Kurapika stabbed its eye. The tortoise roared and immediately dropped Leorio, Kurapika and I jumping away as so.
Once landed, Kurapika spun to face us while wielding his bokken "Leorio, Chu-san, here's our opportunity."
"No need to tell us twice."
"Y-Yeah."
We instantly chased after Kurapika, escaping while we could. We weren't sticking around.
Running into a thick forest, we waited until it was safe before talking again.
"We've lost sight of the front-runners." Kurapika was the first to break the silence.
"Which way should we go?" Leorio asked, looking at us for our opinion.
I shrugged, scanning the area. It was hard to see but I spotted a person in the fog. Pointing in that direction, I said "There's people over there. Should we go?"
I got no response. The three of us silently went in that direction, only for Leorio to put his hand out in a 'wait' motion.
"Stop. Over there…" I followed where he was pointing and paled.
The person I had spotted was Hisoka. Surrounded by a circle of applicants.
"When I saw you last year, I knew you weren't Hunter material."
"We'll spare you if you swear not to take the Hunter Exam again."
"Idiots…" I mumbled quietly, watching the exchange warily. Did these guys NOT feel the dangerous aura oozing off of Hisoka? Were they insane?
"Sure."
"Huh?"
Even I was confused by that. He backed down.
"I'm passing the exam this year, so I won't need to retake it."
"Passing? Idiot! Look at this fog. It's impossible to determine which way the main pack went!"
"Meaning we've all failed the exam!" These guys were definitely nuts.
Hisoka only chuckled, responding with a "So that's why. Having already failed, you wish to play examiner. Hunters require prey. Why don't I play examiner…"
No one could say a word. I only watched with a pale face as Hisoka kept smirking. The vibes coming off of him were enough to creep me out.
"… and judge whether you are Hunter material?"
He pulled up a playing card and I instantly knew where this was going. The other men braced and lunged forward to attack. Stopping his smirk, in one fluid motion he lifted his card and made a circle. Upon flicking his card, the men all dropped to the ground.
"I didn't even see him land a hit! He just killed them all with a playing card!"
One man remained and he looked as if he were about to pee himself.
"Now, then…" Hisoka turned towards the man. I could practically feel his fear from all the way over here. The man fell to the ground and started to crawl.
"H-H-Help! He-!"
I flinched as two cards hit him in the back of the head. Falling to the ground, I knew he was a goner.
"Killed by a playing card. What a way to go…"
Kurapika, Leorio and I only looked on in shock. We had just witnessed a group of full-grown men with weapons get taken down by playing card wielded by a creepy clown. In two hits. It was quite the spectacle.
Pulling the cards out of the man's head, I began to fear as his gaze shifted over to us. Kurapika and Leorio shared my tenseness as Hisoka turned to us.
"Well? Care to participate, in my little game of examiner?"
"I'm never playing with a deck of cards ever again!"
All of us were tense as Hisoka slowly approached us. The first one to speak was Kurapika, his voice low and tense.
"Leorio, Chu-san. On my signal, we run in opposite directions."
"What?"
"Good idea."
"Whaaat?"
Leorio seemed a bit confused. I agreed instantly. He could only chase one of us at a time. I only hoped it wasn't me he chased.
"He is vastly more experienced in real combat." was Kurapika's reply "The three of us won't stand a chance against him. We cannot afford to squander time in a pointless fight!"
Leorio seemed apprehensive about the whole thing. Kurapika was right and I definitely was going to listen to him. Tensing up, I prepared to sprint. Raising a card, wind started to blow and a crows's screech sounded.
"Now!"
The three of us jumping in different directions, all of us racing away from that area.
"Don't look back! Don't think! Just run! You can't win in that situation!" I scolded as I pushed myself to run as fast as I could.
"You can't win!"
"Satotz-san!" I gasped, spotting the purple man. Around 140 applicants surrounding him. Honestly, I was just running aimlessly, following my instincts. In actuality, I had been following the distinct vibe flowing off of Satotz. I hadn't realised it, but I had been tracking him. Coming to a stop within the group of applicants, I leaned against the tree and panted. I was seriously tired.
"How did I do that?" I asked myself as I weakly sat down to catch my breath "I've always been good at judging people, but how did I track Satotz from out of nowhere like a dog!? It wasn't his smell or anything either, it was his aura!"
I could always tell people apart from the vibes flowing off of them, but tracking someone by that method should've been impossible! Even with someone with good instincts! [6]
"Oi, you're Chu right?"
Looking to the side, I spotted Killua walking up to me with his hands in his pockets and his skateboard tucked under his arm.
"Have you seen Gon?"
"I thought Gon-san was with you?" I responded with a question, pushing myself off the tree tiredly and looking at him seriously. Worry started to fill me, had they been separated?
"And I thought you were with the other two. So you're not with any of them?" he asked again, tilting his head to the side.
"No. Are you looking for them?"
"More or less."
"I'll look with you then."
He shrugged and walked off, muttering something along the lines of "Suit yourself". I followed him eagerly, scanning the area as we walked.
"Where are you guys?"
Omake:
"I'll look with you then."
He shrugged and walked off, muttering something along the lines of "Suit yourself". I followed him eagerly, scanning the area as we walked.
"I warn you, you might not like what you see."
"Hmm? What do you mean, Killua-san?"
He pointed off in a direction and I followed. I instantly blanched.
Kurapika was in a sparkly pink tuxedo, doing a flamenco dance with a rose in his mouth. Leorio was dancing like a ballerina with literally nothing on but a tiara. Gon was howling at the sky wearing a rainbow jumpsuit and dog ears.
Kurapika took the rose out of mouth and finished the dance off by winking at me and shouting "Olee~!"
I sighed and turned to Killua, about to ask him if I was dreaming, only to find him in a neko outfit while singing and dancing to Nyan Cat.
"These omakes keep getting weirder and weirder."
[1] – They assume Chu is a boy from her appearance. This won't last forever though so don't worry.
[2] – My honest thoughts when I first saw Killua.
[3] – Someone's a tsundere~ Huehuehue~
[4] – Chu has trust issues towards men that will be explained later as well.
[5] – I'm referring to his wooden sword thingies he uses during the first few arcs. He wields two wakizashi-sized bokken with the handles wrapped in bandages and linked together by a thread like nun chucks. Funnily enough, it's revealed that his bokken are actually sheathed swords. It's only in the 1999 anime but it's an entertaining thought.
[6] – This will be explained later as well and is related to subplots.
Me: Over 6000 words… Woah… That's the most I've written in awhile… and imagine how long the chapters will be when I get up to things like the Yorknew Arc and so on! Holy hell! This is the most fun I've had in ages! I should've written one of the sooner!
Kurapika: Why didn't you?
Me: *wishy-washy hand motion* Reasons!
Kurapika: That's not a proper rea-
Me: Until next time!