Kukuroo Gate:
On the airship, Gon and Wendy are sitting near and looking out the window, thinking about killua, how they met him and how he told them about his family.
"Killua..." They both muttered in their thoughts.
Leorio comes and puts a fry in gon's mouth and happy gives when a straw cup.
"What's with the long faces, guys?" Leorio grins.
"We'll be in the republic of padokea in the morning." Kurapika says.
"We'll see Killua soon enough." Happy raises a paw.
"Your right!" Wendy cheers up before taking a sip and looking out the window.
"Yep!" Gon agrees before eating the french fry and also looking out the window.
"We'll definitely get killua back!" They both thought and smiled.
Next day:
They ride the train and arrive in the dentora region, padokea.
While enjoying their train ride, "There it is." Wendy points as they spot kukuroo mountain.
"This is the base of the family of assassins?" Leorio questions while leaning against the window, "It looks creepy."
"You can say that again." Happy agrees.
"Yes. We should start gathering information." Kurapika suggested.
"Good idea." Wendy nods before doing her hair and making it long, dropping the ponytail.
After getting out the train, they then go in town and get to ride a tour bus on the way to kukuroo mountain.
In the bus, the tour guide talks about the tour to the mountain, home of the famous zoldyck assassins while everyone rides.
While gon and wendy look out the window, leorio notices some thugs in the backseats.
"Hey, look..." Leorio whispers, which kurapika and happy turn around as well, eying the thugs, "They don't look like tourists."
"Aye..." Happy agrees.
"Yes..." Kurapika agrees as well.
Several hours later, they arrive at the Kukuroo gate:
"Dang, this is huge." Happy view it, amazed.
"It's really something." Leorio thinks the same.
After the tour guide explains the way to enter, "Hold on, this is the gate?!" Leorio questions.
"But, the mountains all the way over there!" Happy exclaims.
"Correct, kukuroo mountain is owned by the zoldycks." She confirms, "As well as the surrounding land."
"This whole area is near there backyard?" Leorio wonders, finding it exaggerating.
"It's gonna be hard getting in." Wendy says.
"Hey, guide..." Gon turns to her, "What do we have to do in order to get inside?"
"Weren't you listening, little boy? There is no way in cause they're assassins living inside." Tour guide explains with a tick mark.
"That's a shame." One of the thugs walk by, accompanied with two more, "A family of assassins that no one's ever seen."
"Just a photo of their faces is worth a hundred million." The 2nd thug said.
"Seriously?!" Leorio exclaims before snapping his thinking, "I should of taken a picture of killua!"
The four sweat-drop at his fantasy.
"It's just another case of unchecked rumors masking a lacking truth." The 3rd thug said as they walked up to the gate desk, went inside, and grabbed the gate guard by the clothe.
"Open the gate." 1st thug demands.
"The master wouldn't be pleased, so I can't do that." Gate guard replied.
"Don't worry, cause we're gonna kill your master." 2nd thug declared, readying his sword.
The gate guard sighs before handing them the key, which they take before throwing the gate guard aside, "Ouch." He sits up.
"Are you alright?" Wendy and Gon rush and check on him.
"Yes, I'm fine." Gate guard replied before looking at the gate, "Man... Now mikes going to end up eating meals again."
"Huh?" Gon doesn't get it.
"Wait, who's mike?" Wendy questions before they all then here a scream from inside the gate.
It's silent for a few until the gate then opens, spooky.
"W-who's there...?" Happy is spooked.
Just then, a monster hand comes out and drops the bone corpse of the three thugs it just ate
"AAAHH!" Happy gets dramatically spooked and hides behind leorio, who also got spooked as he his turns blue.
"EEK!" Wendy is a little spooked out, but gets it together quickly.
The tour guide and the other tourist are also spooked and run dramatically back in the tourist bus.
"Man... He's only suppose to eat at assigned times." Gate guard sighs, "Mike! Don't blame me if you get fat!"
"What was that?" Kurapika is shocked a little.
"A monster, that's what!" Happy dramatically replies after flying from behind leorio.
"Hey guy!" Tour guide flags and calls, "Hurry up and get on the bus!"
Gon get's up, "It's fine. You can leave."
Wendy nods, "We're staying here."
The tourist guide is surprised to hear that, but leaves anyway.
In the evening:
"So you're young killua's friends? I'm happy to hear that." Gate guard pours them a cup of tea, "I've worked here for twenty years, but this is the first time, any friends came to visit." He then sits down, "I shouldn't say this since I work here, but this place is rather lonely. No one ever visits. Though we do see those..." He points at the bones in the trash can.
"Ugh..." Happy thought, grossed out.
"Well, a family of assassins if unusual. So I suppose it's the price they have to pay." Gate guard continues, "Anyway, I'm glad you're here. Thank you." He bows his head.
"Don't mention it." Leorio says.
"Yeah, I mean, being lonely is terrible." Wendy agrees.
"However..." He bows up, "I cannot let you all inside. You guys did see the large arm of that creature, didn't you? It's name's mike and it serves as the zoldyck family's watchdog. It only obeys the family and attacks anyone. After ten years, it still follows it's masters command."
"Anyone and anything?" Happy mutters.
"Anyway, I cannot let you inside. I wouldn't want to reduce killua's friends to skeletons." Gate guard states.l before chuckling.
"Sir, Then how is it that you're safe?" Wendy questions.
"Hmm?" He's alerted by the questions.
"Now that's a good question." Happy says.
"You go inside, correct? If you never needed to enter, you wouldn't have a key." Kurapika figures.
"Quit perceptive of you two." Gate guard chuckles, "But you're half right. I require no key to get inside. This key is for intruders." He takes it out from his coat.
"A key for intruders?" Leorio doesn't get it.
"Only for them?" Happy follows.
"Eighty to ninety percent of intruders attempt to use the front gate. If they don't open the door with them. They'll try to break it down. Such trouble makers, so we added a one side lock to the other door. The intruders take the key from the helpless guard and then mike eats them."
"Scary!" Happy dramatically thought with dramatically eyes.
"A locked door..." Kurapika thought before thinking of something, "That's it!"
"As you realized, I'm not a guard. I merely clean up after mike." He reveals, name is zebro.
"And the actual gate isn't locked!" Kurapika figures out.
"What?" Leorio turns back.
Later on(When it's dark):
They're outside, trying to open the gate. Leorio goes first and tries to push the gate open, but to no avail.
"I'll help!" Happy tries being tough and pushes the gate as well, but again, to no avail, and because he has a small body.
"Guys, I don't think that'll work." Wendy sweat-drops, so does gon and kurapika.
"This is hard. I tried pushing and pulling, but it won't budge!" Leorio shakes his hands.
"This thing has to be locked, there's no way it isn't." Happy adds as well.
"You two just aren't strong enough, especially the cat." Zebro walks up.
"That's absurd. I've been using all my strength!" Leorio shouts dramatically.
Zebro takes of his coat and shirt, walking to the gate, "Just watch. This gate's official name is the testing gate. Anyone who cannot open the gate..." He then bulks up, with aura surrounding him, "Is unqualified to enter the zoldyck estate." He pulls both hands on the gate.
As everyone looks, "I could of tried using sky dragon roar... but I'll see what he's trying to show us." Wendy thought.
Zebro then pushes the gate open, backing off out of exhaustion before the gate closes again.
"What strength!" Happy exclaims.
"As you just saw, the door closes automatically." Zebro recovers himself.
"So that means, we have to go through it automatically while we have the chance." Wendy gets it.
"Correct." Zebro confirms.
"But... what about mike?" Happy questions, not sure.
"Oh, don't worry about him." Zebro assures, "He has orders to not attack anyone who enters through the testing gate."
"*Phew, That's a relief." Happy sighs.
"Still, this is tougher as I age..." Zebro rubs the sweat off him after commenting on the gate, "But they'll fire me if I can't open the gate, so I need to keep in shape. I should mention that each gate doors weighs two tons.
"Two tons?" Leorio is surprised.
"That's gonna be impossible." Happy comments.
"You're not suppose to open that." Leorio waves thy off but, "Wait, what did you say? Gate one?"
"Yes, have a look." Zebro suggests, "There are seven gates. When you go up a gate, the weight doubles."
"Doubles?" Wendy looks up.
"The number of gates that open depends on the amount of strength you use." Zebro explains, "When Killua came back, he opened gates 1-3."
"Gate three? That would be twelve tons." Gon guesses.
"Sixteen tons, gon." Kurapika corrects him and sweat-drops at him guessing, which Gon awkwardly laughs.
"Do you understand now? This is what's required to get through the door. They live in completely different worlds." Zebro states.
"But there's no way we have strength like that." Wendy says, and isn't sure.
"Aye..." Happy agrees while they still look up
"Hmmm, and I don't like it either." Gon agrees before turning to zebra, "Mister, hand me a key. We came here to get killua back, not to be test. You can consider me an intruder." He sticks out his hand, "Give me a key. I'll take the intruders door."
"Wait, gon..." Wendy isn't sure and same with kurapika.
"Hey now..." Leorio isn't sure either.
"Now that I think about it... I could easily fly over these gates." Happy thought, "Then that way I won't have to worry about mike."
"It won't matter if you loan me a key. I'll just climb the wall if that's what it takes." Gon declares.
"Don't be stupid, Gon!" Leorio exclaims, "You saw that monster! It's bigger than your entire body!"
"Leorio, try to clam down." Wendy suggested.
"I don't accept that!" Gon states out loud, which surprises everyone, "Why would you test your friends? I'll never enter through that door."
"You are absolutely right, but forcing your way in is impossible." Zebro states, "Mike will kill you."
"Gon, there's really no other way..." Wendy touches his shoulder, "But to take the gates."
"I agree." Kurapika says, "We still have time, so let's figure out a way to pass through at least one gate."
"Or I could fly us over these gates, but it'd take a lot of magic out of me." Happy states.
"You wait until now to mention that!" Leorio exclaims.
"That's only because I was too caught up in what he was saying about mike and the gates." Happy replied, "Take that away, and I would of easily thought about flying, first thing. So how about it, gon?" He looks up at him.
"It's fine. You don't have to exert yourself carrying us one at a time." Gon declines and still insists on taking a key.
"It's no use." Wendy whispers to them, while holding happy.
"I know, he won't listen." Leorio whispers back.
"And he won't change his mind either." Happy whispers as well.
"Indeed." Kurapika sighs.
"Unfortunately, I cannot lend you this key." Zebro refuses, "I will not feed young killua's friends to mike." He explains, "Well, please wait here for a minute." Zebro goes inside the station and does a phone call.
After his phone call was finished, "Did you call the mansion?" Wendy asked.
"No, I was speaking to the zoldyck family butler." Zebro replied, "All communication with the mansion must go through the butlers. It's very difficult to reach any of the family members."
Gon then walks up, "I'll talk to him this time."
"I could talk as..." Wendy was about to as well, but,
"It's fine, wendy." Gon still insists, "I'll do the talking."
"Oh, okay." Wendy understands.
"Alright... but you won't enjoy the experience." Zebro then hands him the phone.
After the butler hangs up, Gon calls him again, and this time shouts, "How could you possible know that?! Put Killua on the phone!"
His outburst startled them completely.
2 minutes later, Gon hands up, and this time is pissed off, walking angrily out the door.
"He's pissed now." Leorio sweat-drops.
"Aye, it sure looks that way." Happy swear-drops as well and kurapika nods.
"Watch as he tries climbing it." Kurapika predicts.
Wendy fast walks over to him, "Gon, what did he say on the phone?"
"He won't let us in." Gon replied, still mad.
"What?!" Wendy is surprise.
"If he wants to be that way, then this time I'm climbing." Gon stops at the gate and takes out his fishing rod, attaching the string top of the gate.
"Wait, gon." Wendy halts him, "It's too dangerous."
"It's not. I'm not gonna let that monster stop me from reaching the mansion." Gon insists and stands on the gate wall, "It's fine if you wanna wait here, but I'm going."
"We'll rescue him together, but let's think this over!" Wendy tries to explain
"Hey, Gon! She's right!" Leorio comes up and agrees, "You're not going anywhere!"
"I'll be fine!" Gon retorts and begins climbing, but leorio stops him, which they argue.
"You two need to calm down!" Kurapika runs over, with happy on his shoulder.
"I'm perfectly calm!" Leorio replies, "Come back down here, Gon!"
"Don't be stupid! It's not worth it!" Happy exclaims at him.
Zebro walks over with the key, "Gon-kun, I'll give you this can so you can go through the door."
"Mister, It's alright, we'll figure out another way!" Wendy declines.
"We'll convince gon to stop!" Leorio agrees.
"Really? But he appears to be a stubborn boy." Zebra watches him climb.
"Oh, you have no idea. He's a hundred percent stubborn." Happy says.
"To make amends, I'll accompany you through the door." Zebro offers.
"Huh?" Gon looks down and is surprised to hear that.
"Wait, but that monster might attack you as well!" Happy says.
"It's possible that mike may recognize me and decide not to attack." Zebra predicts, "Though I'm almost a hundred percent certain that he'll kill us all."
"No, you don't have to do that." Wendy tells him.
Gon then jumps down, "And I don't want to cause you any trouble either."
"No, I'm coming with you guys." Zebro insists, "The result will be the same if you stay behind. If I send young killua's friends to their deaths, I'd never able to face him again. If you die, I'll also die."
They don't say anything for a couple seconds until gon pulls down his rod hook.
"I understand now. I didn't stop to consider your situation." Gon gets it now, "And for that, I am sorry."
The others smile at his answer and is relieved.
Zebro smiles at his determination, "Gon-kun, do you like animals?"
"Yeah." Gon replied, even though he didn't get what he meant.
"Did you grow up playing in the countryside?" Zebro asks.
"Yep! How did you know?" Gon asks and replied.
"I'm going to open the testing gate again." Zebro looks up, "I want you to see mike for yourself.
"Oh boy, here goes nothing." Happy mutters.
After Zebro opens the gate and lets them in:
"Is it really safe out here?" Leorio questions.
"Yes, you'll be safe because you entered though the testing gate." Zebro replied and assures before calling out to mike.
They then start hearing growl noises.
"Uhhh, I'm starting to get a bad feeling." Happy mutters, while wendy holds him.
They turn to the direction of where the noises are coming from.
It takes awhile, but Mike finally comes out of the darkness.
"!" Gon started trembling at the sight of him, same with wendy and happy.
'I'm scared! I suddenly don't wanna be here..." Wendy thought whiling shaking.
"No way..." Happy thought, same expression.
Leorio and kurapika are also very shocked.
"Now do you understand? It's nothing like the wild animals you're accustomed to." Zebro explains, calmed, "You must have expected to be able to communicate with him. Until you saw his eyes. Mike is currently memorizing the appearances and scents of humans he's never seen. There's nothing else on his mind. He's like machine, so could you fight him, gon-kun?"
Gon shakes the sweat off him, "No, I'm scared. I don't want to fight him."
"He's so honest." Zebro thought and smiled, "So, how long will you guys be here?"
Gon then has determination in his eyes, "Until we get killua back!"
Wendy wipes the scared look off here face as well, "That's right, we won't leave before then!"
"Then please come this way." Zebro guides them.
The gang finally made it through the gate. Now where does this take them as they rescue Killua. Until the next one.