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"First applicant, disembark," the examiner called.
That was Hisoka, he walked off the boat and into the forest, vanishing into the shadows. That made everyone weary. In the back of their minds, they all wondered if they were Hisoka's target.
After the next five, it was Weiss's turn.
"Next applicant, please disembark."
Weiss looked at Ruby. Ruby nodded, "I'll meet up with you soon."
As Weiss walked off the boat, the board creaked a bit.
As Weiss approached the forest. She got herself ready incase she needed to defend herself. There was a possibility that the five applicants ahead of her were targeting her. And one of them was Hisoka.
The forest wasn't dark or intimidating, like the one around Kukuroo mountain, but Weiss still didn't let her guard down. She didn't sense any eyes on her, but Hisoka was a Nen user, he could easily disguise his presence.
I have less than a minute.
Weiss quickly swept the immediate area. She searched the areas where someone could watch the boat from the island easily. However, no one was there. Apparently, Hisoka wasn't in a hurry to get his badge.
Weiss picked a tree branch and watched the boat. Seconds later, Ruby walked off. Weiss got down and walked to where Ruby was heading. Once they met up, maybe they could wait for their brothers to get off and meet up with them.
Killua might complain, saying the exam was easy and Weiss was worried over nothing. For the most part he'd be right, but Hisoka was clearly more dangerous than the exam itself. This was precaution against him.
Besides, Weiss loved Killua… and Gon… was cute.
Ever since she was small, Weiss loved cute small things. She loved puppies, kittens, baby's, and little kids. She tried to hide it since Milluki would make fun of her, but she loved to dote on cute kids.
Weiss spotted Ruby ahead, "Ruby."
"There you are," Ruby turned to see Weiss with a smile.
"Okay, I found a good spot where we can watch the boat," Weiss explained, "We can watch and wait for Gon and Killua, then meet up with them."
"That sounds like a great idea," Ruby thought, "Maybe we can meet up with my sister Yang first," that loud mouth, well it wouldn't hurt to have more people in case…
As Ruby continued talking. Weiss felt a chill go up her spine. Someone was watching them. Someone dangerous and deadly. It almost felt like…
"And if we catch Blake, Kurapika, and Leo-…" Ruby was cut off when Weiss grabbed her and started running. The forest blurred by. When Weiss stopped, she fell to her knees and dropped Ruby.
"Weiss," Ruby complained, "Why did you take us from…" Ruby trailed off when she saw the terrified look on Weiss face, "Weiss?"
Weiss flinched before looking up, "I'm… sorry," she gasped trying to calm down.
"Weiss," Ruby asked more gently, "What's the matter?"
Weiss took in a breath, "Someone was watching us."
"Was it Hisoka?"
Weiss paused, "I don't know. Whoever watched us… was dangerous. I could feel their bloodlust."
Ruby looked worried, "Do you think they'll follow us or go after the other applicants," they didn't have to get their targets badge, they could take three other badges for points.
She breathed, "That kind of bloodlust was… targeted. You wouldn't feel that for random strangers."
Ruby swallowed, "Do you sense them now?"
Weiss closed her eyes and used En, "No," Weiss opened her eyes, "I don't understand, I checked the area right before I met up with you."
The last time someone snuck up on Weiss like that was…
Weiss was walking back to her room after a training session.
"Where are you going Weiss?"
Weiss stopped when Illumi appeared next to her, leaning against a wall. Weiss felt herself grow nervous in the presence of her older brother.
She looked down, "My room," she tried to be a small as possible around him. She hoped that would make him less likely to notice her, even though it never worked.
"Did you finish your training today?" Illumi asked.
Weiss nodded.
Illumi walked over to her and took her hand, "Let's go back. You can show me how much you improved."
"But Winter said-…"
"Winter tends to go easy on you," Illumi said as he lead her back towards the training room, "I need to make sure you're at the level you need to be at this age."
"What do you think you're doing Illumi?" Winter cut them off appearing in front of them, she gave her twin a cold look.
"I simply want to test Weiss," Illumi said.
"Weiss is done for today," Winter said.
"Are you sure? It wouldn't hurt to-…"
"Illumi," Winter said more sternly, "It was decided I'd be the one to train Weiss," Winter walked over and took Weiss from Illumi, Weiss couldn't help but feel relieved when her older sister held her hand, "I'll decide when she's had enough training," she began to lead Weiss away after she gave Illumi another look, "I do everything to prepare our younger siblings for whatever danger they face… I don't go soft on any of them."
With that, Winter took Weiss away from Illumi.
Weiss released the breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"Why does big brother hate me?" Weiss asked. It always felt like Illumi was never satisfied with Weiss. Yet for some reason he went out of his way to try and take over her training.
"He doesn't hate you Weiss, in fact he loves you a lot," Winter said, "Illumi, just doesn't know how to show it."
Weiss looked up at her sister. If that were true, why did Winter always look afraid when she saw Illumi and Weiss together.
Weiss took in a breath.
She needed to calm down, Illumi wasn't there. Illumi was the strongest of their siblings, rivaled only by Winter. He completed more successful assassinations than all their siblings combined. That meant he had personal funds and resources. He didn't need a Hunters License. He probably saw the exam as a waste of time. And her brother hated to waste his time.
%%%%%%
Gon got off the ship and ran into the forest. He needed to find Hisoka.
"Well, you took your time little man."
Gon stopped and smiled. Yang was leaning against a tree with a smirk.
"Yang," Gon ran up to her and she gave him a hug.
Yang smiled, before messing up his hair a bit. Gon looked around, "Where's Ruby?"
Yang's smile faltered a bit, "I don't know. She wasn't around in the area when I got off."
"Do you think she's okay?" Gon asked.
"I think she is, but I'm not sure," Yang looked at him, "Wanna look for her together. We could team up to get our points."
Gon released a small noise, "Well, I'll definitely look for Ruby, but…"
"But?"
"I wanna try to pass on my own this time Yang," Gon said.
"You sure?" Yang asked.
"Yeah, I wanna prove I can be a Hunter on my own," also, Gon drew Hisoka as his target. Neither Yang or Ruby would let him go after Hisoka.
Yang sighed, "Well, if you're sure."
"I am," Gon smiled.
"Alright, keep an eye out for Ruby. If you see her, let her know I'm looking for her, okay?"
"I will."
"And if you need help, it's okay to come and ask us for it," Yang said, "You don't have to do everything on your own."
"Okay."
Yang smiled, she leaned down and gave Gon a kiss on his forehead, "Good luck little man."
"You too, Yang," the cousin's then parted to take the exam.
%%%%%
Blake sat on a tree branch overlooking the island. She wanted a moment of peace before looking for her target, but first she had to do something about her own badge.
She held out her hand, then used her second Nen ability. A large draw string bag materialized in Blake's hand.
Interdimensional backpack: Cheshire Bag
Moving around a lot was hard. Blake needed something to carry her things, clothes, food, but also needed to be hands free. So, she created this bag.
She opened it and placed her badge inside. Then she closed it and the bag vanished. It was more like an entry way to a pocket dimension than a bag that holds everything. Otherwise, everything would fall to the ground when the bag vanished. The condition was Blake couldn't store living things in it.
Now that her badge was safe, it was time to look for her target. She stood up on the branch and looked around. Maybe she could see the other applicants.
She spotted Kurapika in the distance. He wasn't her target, plus she had nothing against him. Honestly, she wouldn't mind if he passed. He seemed like a good guy, the world could benefit if guys like him became Hunters.
She looked in another direction. She smiled when she saw Gon sitting in a tree. He wasn't her target either. The kid didn't seem worried, he seemed deep in thought. It honestly baffled Blake that that kid managed to survive the exam for this long.
Blake looked in another direction. She paused, the next applicant she saw, was Gitterackur walking along, his head clacking like a bobble head. She knew he wasn't her target either. She didn't know much about him, just that he lasted long in the exam, but something told her to stay away from him.
Gitterackur stopped. Suddenly his head turned to see Blake in the tree. Blake quickly jumped out of his sight in panic. How did he sense her?
She sighed. Maybe she should rely on her natural gifts.
She'd wait. When it was night, she'd search for her target. She was pretty sure she was the only faunus among the applicants. She could see in the dark. She'd search for her target then.
%%%%%%
Weiss and Ruby wondered the forest. Ruby had Crescent Rose out in gun form. Weiss had Myrtenaster drawn out.
Ruby was keeping an eye out, but Weiss had a better grasp of the area with her En. After that scare at the beginning she didn't want anything to go wrong.
"I hope Gon and Yang are okay," Ruby muttered. She looked at Weiss, "I'm sure Killua's okay. He's tough."
Weiss did know that, but she couldn't help but worry.
What if whoever was the source of that bloodlust went after Killua. It felt strong, like it belonged to a Nen user. Killua didn't have any defense against that.
"I think Killua will be fine. He talks tough but won't do anything that will get himself killed," Weiss explained, "What about Gon, do you think he'll stay away from Hisoka."
Ruby became downcast, "Gon… can be crazy sometimes and do something he isn't supposed to."
"So, he's like Killua in that regard," Weiss said, "Although Killua does pick his battles better."
"Well, I don't think Gon would look for Hisoka."
"Well, maybe, is he Gon's target?" Weiss asked.
Ruby froze, "I… have no idea."
"What?"
"I forgot to ask Gon who his target was," Ruby said.
"Are you crazy. I had Killua show me his card before we got off the boat," Weiss reprimanded.
"Uh… maybe it's fine," Ruby said nervously, "I mean, what are the chances Gon drew Hisoka…"
Weiss sighed, maybe a change of subject was due, "Well, what about those two guys who was with you and your family? What would happen if you were their target?"
"Oh, that's easy," Ruby shrugged, "I'd give them my badge."
"What?" Weiss asked.
"I'd give them my badge," Ruby repeated with a smile.
"Why?"
"Because I won't my fight my friends," Ruby said.
"But what about you?"
"I'll just find my target and take three others," Ruby explained.
Weiss sighed, "You're crazy."
A snap sound was hear, then the girls hid behind some bushes. They spotted an applicant. It was Pokkle, the archer.
"Him," Weiss whispered.
Ruby glanced at her, "He's your target?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "I'll be right back," then Weiss vanished.
Ruby quickly looked towards Pokkle. Was Weiss gonna hurt him? However, nothing happened. Pokkle just kept walking until he was out of sight.
"Well, that was easy."
Ruby nearly yelped when Weiss reappeared next to her, "Huh?"
Ruby looked over the bush to see Pokkle in the distance. He was still walking.
"Wait, but you didn-…" Ruby trialed off when she saw Pokkle's badge in her hand, "How?"
"I used the Silent Gate," Weiss said as if it were that simple.
Ruby blinked, "Could you teach me how to do that?
%%%%%%
The next day
"Hello," Yang called as she walked through the forest, "Anyone there? I'm getting bored here."
Yang did what she did best, go with the flow. Maybe she'd find her target that day. However, she was still worried for her family. Was Ruby, okay? Was Gon okay? Where were her new friends? Were they okay?
Honestly, there were a lot of dangerous applicants, not just Hisoka. Any of them could go after her baby sister and cousin.
Yang stopped when she heard some bushes rustling. She activated her gauntlets and looked towards the noise.
"Yang, calm down, it's me," Kurapika appeared from the bushes.
Yang sighed and deactivated her weapons, "Dude, do you know what I could have done if you were someone else?"
"I'm aware, that's why I called out before you could attack," Kurapika explained.
"So, did you find your target?" Yang asked.
Kurapika's expression fell as he gave Yang a serious look, "What if I said, you were my target, Yang?"
When Leorio asked him if he was his target, he told him to not expect any mercy. Kurapika gave the same question. At the end of the day, all the applicants looked out for themselves. They-…
"Here ya go," Kurapika had to catch Yang's badge when she threw it, "Now you got six points, congrats," Yang said with a smile.
"Wha-…" Kurapika was flabbergasted for a minute, "Yang- you… you would just give away your badge?"
"You said I was your target," Yang shrugged.
"So, you'd give it to just anyone?" Kurapika asked.
"Heh, no," Yang crossed her arms, "If it were someone other than you, Leorio, Gon, Ruby, Blake, even Weiss, I'd kick their butts," she said with a smirk, "But… we're friends. I can just get my target's badge and three other suckers, I'm not gonna fight a friend to pass."
Kurapika stared at Yang for a minute, before laughing, "I see… it must run in the family."
Yang looked at him confused, "Gon said something similar during the previous exam," Kurapika then tossed the badge back to Yang, "You're not my target Yang, I was just asking."
"Seriously? You shouldn't mess with someone like that during the exam… oh and you're not my target either."
"I figured as much," Kurapika smiled.
Yang looked at Kurapika, "Uh… how about we team up?"
"You want to form an alliance?" Kurapika asked.
"Yeah," Yang said, "I'm great at punching," she punched the air, "And you're great at being smart and planning. If we work together, we'd get our points in no time."
Kurapika smiled, "I supposed that's true. You are certainly stronger than me Yang."
Yang smiled; she loved it when people called her strong.
So, the two began to walk together, "Have you seen Ruby, Gon, Leorio… or anyone?"
"No," Kurapika answered, "It seems the applicants have taken to hiding for the first few days."
Yang sighed, "I found Gon right after I got off the boat. I suggested we team up, but he said he wanted to try and pass on his own."
Kurapika hummed, "I think I understand. I know you mean well Yang but, I don't think Gon wants to win by relying on his older cousin."
"I mean, I get it, but," Yang looked ahead, "I'm worried. I haven't seen Ruby at all since the phase started. I hope she's okay."
"I'm sure they're fine. Gon and Ruby are very capable."
"They are but… what if one of them are Hisoka's target?" Yang said thinking of the worst-case scenario.
That made Kurapika's expression fall, "Oh, uh…You don't know that Yang," Kurapika said, he was trying to be comforting but, that was never easy for him. He wanted to assure Yang that her younger sister and cousin were safe, but Kurapika didn't know, and he didn't want to lie just to make Yang feel better. The last thing he wanted was to give her false hope.
"Hey, I'm trying to be positive," Yang gave a slightly forced smile, "Ruby is a pretty fast runner, and… Well Hisoka said we passed, so… I don't know, maybe he won't hurt them because of his creepy test thing."
"Try to hold onto that," Kurapika urged, "If I'm right. Hisoka won't kill them, until their stronger. They won't be strong enough to threaten him for years. Plus, their formidable, I'm sure they're okay."
"Yeah," Yang smiled, "Be positive," Kurapika was good at using logic to make good points. Normally, Yang would be falling asleep at stuff like that, but Kurapika made it seem cool.
After a while Yang realized; they were alone. It was just them surrounded by miles of forest and maybe some wildlife like chipmunks. Maybe now was the time to tell him the truth about herself.
"Uh… Kurapika," Yang began awkwardly.
"Hm?" Kurapika looked at her.
"Um…" Yang gripped her half skirt, why was she so nervous. Yang liked to consider herself a wild party girl. Timid and shy weren't in her vocabulary, but with Kurapika it just felt scary, "Remember when… I told you about the other survivor?"
"Yes?"
"Well," Yang began, "There are actually… I mean, I said he left with his sister when they were kids and she's still alive."
"So, there are two more?" Kurapika asked astounded.
"Yeah, but… I don't know where she is," Yang said honestly, "But, that woman… well… she's-…"
"Yang get down," Kurapika stopped her.
The two stopped, they spotted two applicants. Tonpa and some guy with a monkey.
"Tonpa's my target," Kurapika whispered.
Yang nodded and began to stand, "I'll beat his ass to the ground, then-…"
Kurapika stopped her, "Let's wait a bit first. See what they do. We don't know what the other applicant is capable of."
Yang sighed, "Alright, but if he tries something, I get to punch him."
"Deal."
%%%%%%
"You bastard," Leorio shouted as he ran after Tonpa.
"What are ya chasing me for," Tonpa taunted, "I'm not the one who has your badge."
Leorio was angry. Tonpa tricked him. He and another applicant stole his badge. The other applicant did have his badge, but Leorio wanted to beat up Tonpa first.
"Shut up and get back here," Leorio yelled.
"Ya, still don't get it do ya rookie," Tonpa taunted, "Making alliances is how someone passes the exam. It's your own fault for falling for that stupid trick."
"Sorry, but I don't believe in, 'he who fall for ruses, loses,'" a voice said. Both Tonpa and Leorio looked ahead to see Yang standing there with a deceptive smile, "Hello," she sang, before she punched Tonpa.
Tonpa spun in the air before landing on the ground. Then Leorio kicked him.
"That was quick," Kurapika approached them, the other applicant and his monkey in two.
Yang went over and pulled out Leorio's badge, "I do believe this is yours good sir," she tossed it back to Leorio.
"Thanks guys."
They took Tonpa's and the other applicants badges, tied them up and left them in a field with a sign that said, 'Do not feed.'
The sign was Yang's idea.
As Leorio put his badge back, Yang made the proposal, "So, Kurapika and I have decided to join forces to pass this phase. You wanna join in too?"
"Sure," Leorio, "I owe ya after all."
"Yang was the one who wanted to help," Kurapika said, "Tonpa was simply my target."
Leorio scowled.
"Hey, come on," Yang smiled, "We're all friends and now we have a bonus point just in case."
Yang held up the extra badge they got.
Leorio sighed, "Well, let's get going."
"Right."
"My target is a woman named Ponzu," Leorio explained.
"How do you know that?" Yang asked.
"Tonpa told me," Leorio explained.
"You sure?" Yang asked, "Maybe Tonpa lied to you in order to mess up your chances."
"No," Kurapika looked at Leorio's badge, "I'm certain that's right. Ponzu is one of the few female applicants left in the exam."
"Oh," Yang gave a teasing smile, "Do you pay attention to all the female applicants in the exam Kurapika?"
"Just the ones that I feel need to be kept an eye on," Kurapika said.
"Really?" Yang leaned in, "So what about me?"
Kurapika looked at her. Yang was leaning in, smiling. Her long blond hair spilled over her shoulders, but mostly over her back. Her lilac eyes seemed to sparkle with curiosity.
Kurapika looked away when he felt a blush form on his face, he didn't want Yang to notice, "O-of course Yang. You're incredibly strong and formidable. If we have to fight each other, I'll have to think ahead."
Yang laughed, "Thanks, but," she patted his shoulder, "Don't worry. Like I said earlier. I'd never fight someone I care about to win."
Kurapika stilled a bit, trying to reign in his composure.
"Let's find this Ponzu," Yang called as she marched ahead.
Kurapika sighed. Then he noticed Leorio watching him, with a stupid grin, "What?"
"Oh… nothin'," Leorio said with a grin.
"Come on slowpokes," Yang called, "We got heads to bust!"
After reading the newer chapters of HxH I have just one question: Where is Sheila now?
Knowing could tell us what really happened during the Kurta massacre... And I have a great idea for this fic thanks to the Spiders past. heh heh heh
