DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hunter X Hunter

Chapter Two: The Marathon

397... That was the number given to her as soon as she entered the exam site. The 287th Hunter's Exam of the year officially welcomed those who were daring enough to join. The gathering of examinees took place in an underground passage in Zaban City.

Holding tightly to the number pinned on her loose gray sports sweatshirt, Morgan walked toward her fellow examinees—or, in more cautious terms, her now rivals in the exam. Her olive-green eyes traveled around, keenly observing the diverse group of people.

The atmosphere struck her first. It was unwelcoming. The barbaric stares of the men around her gazed back as if she were an unidentified creature they never expected in such a place.

Well, technically speaking, she was someone you wouldn't and will never expect to be there. It's the Hunter's Exam! This is truly a suicide mission!

Morgan sighed heavily and mumbled, "What have I gotten myself into?"

The exam hadn't even started, and she already went through a lot. First, she was chased by goons bullying little kids, and right after leaving Lone Harbor for Dole, the ship's captain decided to blow up his old vessel for the sake of screening the participants.

Lowering her gaze to her black combat boots, as if they were the prettiest thing in her current state, she managed to ignore the backstabbing stares of other candidates. Her sword remained ready at her side in case someone decided to try something funny.

"You're a rookie, aren't you?" A voice suddenly spoke up. It came from a round, chubby old man, numbered 16th on his tag.

Morgan nodded.

He laughed, "Figures, I didn't see you last year. I'm Tonpa," he greeted.

Was this kindness even genuine or not? Though he looked particularly weak... Maybe he's genuinely a good-natured guy. Maybe not all candidates are worse than she ever thought.

"Nice meeting you, Tonpa. I'm Morgan," she introduced. "You entered the exam last year?"

He nodded and smiled, "Yeah… well… actually, it's my 36th time this year," Tonpa shyly said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Her eyes widened, "What? No way. I'm actually speechless."

He laughed slightly, "Yeah, I realized that too. Say, would you like a drink? I brought so many with me, making my bag really heavy." He handed Morgan a can.

Morgan stared at it for a second, contemplating Tonpa's intentions.

She looked at the chubby man once again and shook her head, "No… thank you, Tonpa-san. You might need it more in the exam."

"Nah… it's ok. I really don't want to drink so many. Just accept it as a token of our acquaintance."

A soft sigh escaped from her lips, "I know this is poisoned." Tonpa visibly flinched and sweat started to form on his face. "But I won't blow your cover, so rest assured. As I said, you'll need it more in the exam," Morgan continued.

Tonpa's face lightened somehow, "Really?"

"Oh… So, it was really poisoned, huh?" A small smirk formed on her lips.

Tonpa couldn't believe himself that he fell for such an easy trick. That nasty smile from this young girl gave him a chill.

"You know… I detest it when people like you attempt to deceive the vulnerable, especially coming from a man who tries to trick girls like me." She took one step forward and gladly accepted the can from Tonpa. "But still… thank you for this." Morgan let out a forced, sweet smile to candidate number 16. She was about to walk away when she decided to add a few more words. "Make sure not to include me in your little game, because if you do… I'll stab your bulging stomach a hundred times."

Morgan turned on her heels and didn't even bother to wait for Tonpa's expression. No need to wait for it, really. He already knew that she was also not someone to mess with.

'So, what am I gonna do with this, really?'

"Ne, onee-chan."

The auburn-haired girl stopped in her tracks as someone tugged her. "Can I have that can?"

She glanced back, noticing a silver-haired boy with a skateboard tucked under his arm. He looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old. "No, actually it's-".

The young boy grabbed it from her hand and downed it as if he hadn't had a drink in a week. Morgan could only gasp in surprise.

"Wow! Man, I was so thirsty! This really freshened me up," the silver-haired boy remarked casually, wiping his lips afterward.

In a panic, she quickly slapped the boy's back. "What are you doing?!" she shouted. "Spit it out! Spit it out!"

"Are you a spiker? You've got a powerful slap," the boy grunted.

"You idiot! Why did you drink it? It was poisoned!" she scolded loudly.

"I know."

Huh?

She stopped, taken aback. "You knew? About the can?"

"If I were an ordinary kid, my backbone could have snapped," the boy said, pushing Morgan's hands away from him. She was puzzled by his comment about being an ordinary kid but decided to disregard it. "That fat man gave me one of those earlier, and I already knew something was off about it."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she glared angrily at the boy. "If you already knew, then why did you drink it?"

Is he a suicidal maniac?

The boy just shrugged, responding casually, "I'm immune to poisons, so it won't affect me as much."

What? Immune? How does that even work? Is that possible?

He seemed calm and self-assured. Meanwhile, Morgan felt foolishly horrified watching this silver-haired brat drink something potentially deadly.

That was embarrassing.

Morgan clicked her tongue. "I worried for nothing," she muttered.

"You looked like a concerned old grandma back there," he said, trying to hold back his laughter.

Morgan's expression shifted to annoyance upon hearing his remark. "This brat..." she muttered under her breath; her irritation evident.

"Killua."

"Huh?"

"You're also dumb, onee-chan… I said my name is Killua."

Morgan's eyebrow arched. "I didn't ask for your name, and I have no interest in knowing it," she retorted sharply. "Brat," she added with disdain.

"But you know it now, big sister," the boy retorted.

Ignoring his comeback, the older teen posed another question, "And why the sudden introduction?"

The white-haired boy simply shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt like it. Maybe for the juice?"

Morgan sighed, feeling defeated.

"I'm Morgan, and I'm not pleased to meet you," she said.

Killua just shrugged indifferently. "Not that it matters anyway."

Morgan grew more irritated at his nonchalant reaction. Perhaps she needed to consider moving to another place. "Well then, I'll be going." She turned around, not even waiting for his response.

As she searched for a place to settle, the elevator opened. There must be a new candidate. Not that she cared. She continued walking around, doing her best not to bump into others.

"Do you plan to tour this place?"

His sudden voice startled her. Had he been behind her the whole time? Morgan hadn't heard his footsteps. Or was it because of all the noise around them?

"Why the hell are you following me?" she demanded, her irritation evident.

"I wasn't. It just happened that you're heading in the same direction I was," Killua answered.

With that, Morgan made a sharp U-turn and marched back to where she came from. "I headed the wrong way."

Despite her efforts to distance herself from him, Killua either didn't seem to get the message or chose to ignore it, trailing after her like a baby duck.

"But I guess there's nothing interesting over there, so I'm coming with you. Plus, I'm bored," he stated casually.

Morgan stopped, her teeth gritted as she faced the younger boy. He was smiling, wearing an innocent expression, but she knew he was teasing her.

"Look, brat…" she hissed, her frustration evident. "If you're bored, following me might not be a good idea. I'm a boring person. If you're looking for fun, go play scotch hop with other kids."

"Now that's boring."

"Then go bother someone else!" she snapped. Throughout her entire life, the kids she knew adored her just as she adored them, but this brat was highly unlikeable.

A sudden, agonizing scream cut through the air, abruptly silencing Morgan and capturing everyone's attention.

Nearby stood a man with red hair, a red star on his right cheek, and a tear shape on his left. He was tagged number 44. His outfit resembled that of a clown or a joker. The man crossed his arms, a sinister smile etched on his face.

The other man screamed in pain, calling out as his arms seemingly turned into flower petals.

'Oh, so he's a killer magician, then?' Morgan quipped sarcastically, though her thoughts belied her unease.

In just one glance, she knew he was someone they shouldn't mess with. It was more than enough to remind her that he could kill anyone in his way.

"That guy is dangerous," Killua suddenly spoke beside her.

'Goodness, when will this boy leave,' Morgan thought irritably.

"I could be dangerous, if you continue to piss me off," she sneered at Killua.

The boy just scoffed. "My mom doesn't even scare me even though her face looks like someone working in a horror house."

Morgan was perplexed. 'What the hell does that even mean?' she wondered.

BRIIIIIIING!

All eyes turned towards the source of the screeching sound as the examiner entered the waiting area. He was tall and very slim, with lavender-colored hair that curled at the ends and a thin, curly mustache. He wore a dark suit with a red tie.

"My name is Satotz. I'm your examiner for the first phase. The Hunter Exam will now officially begin," he announced. After his introduction, he walked towards a long and dark tunnel. "I want you all to follow me."

The rest of the examinees followed, and Morgan joined the run.

'This is it. No turning back,' she thought, feeling unease settle in as the reality of being at the exam site sank in.

"It's a good thing I brought this," the brat suddenly said.

Morgan turned her attention to the sound of rolling wheels. He was already riding his skateboard.

A show-off.

"You're still here? Go on. You have a skateboard. Shoo," Morgan said, dismissing him rudely.

"Did your mom crave something bad? Because you look cranky all the time," the boy retorted.

"Did your mom crave something annoying? Because you've been pestering me since the very first five seconds we met each other," she shot back, her annoyance evident in her tone.

"Studies say you'll easily look old being cranky. Well, there's not much of a difference if you stopped anyway," the boy quipped, his tone teasing and cheeky.

Do kids in other countries have rude mouths like this one?

"I'll be ahead. Let's just see each other at the finish line. Well, that's if you can reach it. I can't skateboard at a low speed." And just like that, he left.

Morgan shook her head. Cocky and annoying.

Well, it's good he left, thanks to his almighty skateboard.

One hour passed, two hours passed; some of the examinees had stopped running and dropped out. Many were still going, running behind Satotz, who didn't seem to break a sweat.

Morgan still wasn't feeling tired, thank goodness for that. But she needed to focus to conserve her stamina. No one knew when this marathon would stop.

Everything was going well when her eyes caught something. At first, she thought it was the silver haired brat again, but it turned out to be another boy.

Up front, there was a boy running like the rest of the candidates. He had spiky black hair, wore a green jacket matched with green shorts, and had a fishing rod on his back.

Is it just her, or did the exam become a hangout place for children?

And speaking of the devil, Killua was with him, carrying his skateboard once again, and they seemed to be talking. Finally, he found someone he could play around with.

Among the two boys, she scanned the other two running with them. Companions of the boy in the green jacket, maybe. First, her eyes landed on the taller guy wearing a business suit, holding a suitcase in his right hand. He appeared to be arguing with the younger teens.

As she observed the last member, younger than the taller guy, blonde-haired, and wearing strangely familiar patterned blue clothes.

Even his back figure was familiar…

Her eyes went wide. He's the guy she knocked down! He must've been so mad because of what she did.

Well, he almost stopped her from running, and she was almost captured. And it was because of him that he ended up involved in that crazy captain's scheme. Morgan had originally planned to ride on the boat heading to Whale Island.

Morgan was supposed to put a good distance between them when she noticed Killua looking around as if he were searching for something or someone.

When he looked back, their eyes met, and he grinned.

'I don't like that grin,' Morgan thought to herself.

"Onee-chan!"

'Shit. I thought so,' Morgan cursed inwardly as she realized he was calling out to her.

"Hey, are you deaf? Or pretending to be?" He shouted again.

Because of Killua's persistent calling, his other companions looked back, especially the blonde dude. Morgan immediately looked down, trying to cover her face with her bangs and fringes. It was fortunate she let down her hair.

'That kid brings trouble!'

Now, she's running, facing down like a fool.

It didn't take a minute when she heard footsteps approaching her. Two boys lowered their pace to run at the same speed as her.

Morgan didn't face them.

"Are you Killua's friend?" Said by an unfamiliar young voice. Must be the boy in the green jacket.

"No," was her short reply.

"My name is Gon," he introduced himself.

Morgan didn't bother with introductions. She believed she wasn't obligated to share her name.

But there was a pest ruining everything. "Her name is Morgan," the other boy chimed in.

"I wasn't aware my mouth transferred to you," she snarled in irritation.

The boy in the green jacket, now named Gon, smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you, Morgan."

She didn't dare to look up, so she just gave him a nod.

"I

"Just noticed; do you have a stiff neck? Why is your head like that when we're trying to talk to you? Or does the floor interest you that much?" Killua quipped.

"I talk this way," Morgan answered curtly.

"Huh? You weren't like that earlier," Killua stated.

Unbelievable. Can't he just shut up for once? "You just didn't notice," Morgan retorted, feeling annoyed by his observation.

"Hey, Gon! Why are you over there? We can't be further away from the examiner!" a man shouted from the front.

"This isn't a race to begin with," said a familiar voice she last heard back at the pier. That's when she noticed they were already near her.

Morgan tensed even more, bowing her head further, and adding a sideways glance to where the blonde was not in sight. She most probably looked fool running that way.

Why was she even tense, anyway?

"Why do you seem so antagonistic about everything I said?" the tall guy questioned angrily.

"Because the examiner didn't mention that using a skateboard is not allowed, nor was this a race. He just said to follow him," Gon explained defensively.

"Then you're the smart ones," he mocked.

"Can't you just stop? You're wasting your strength by arguing alone," the blonde pointed out.

While the three were arguing, Morgan kept looking down and tried to stay away from the blonde.

"Did you break your neck? You're getting weird, onee-chan," Killua remarked once again, drawing the attention of the others to her.

'Should I stitch his mouth?' Morgan thought irritably.

"Oh, right. This is Morgan, Killua's acquaintance," Gon introduced gleefully.

Nothing changed. Her eyes lingered on the floor, but she nodded again to acknowledge them.

The taller guy slightly laughed, "She seems to be a shy type of person."

Killua snorted. "Huh? Nah, not really. But I wonder why she's been acting like she's hiding from someone—" He suddenly stopped talking. "Ah."

Morgan didn't like that tone. If this kid spouts more to bring trouble, she'll really yank that silver hair of his until nothing's left!

"Did you know someone from these three?" he asked with a tinge of amusement. "Wait, wrong… Does anyone know this woman?" This time, the question was directed at them.

Morgan cussed in her mind. "I don't know them."

"We can't confirm your question if we can't even see her face," the older one pointed out.

"Wait…" The blonde interrupted, making Morgan sweat even more. "You... You look like the girl I met before Whale Island. The girl who knocked me down near the garbage bins."

Garbage bins?

"Huh? There were no garbage bins back there!" Morgan shot back, realizing how foolish she was for answering.

Once again, their eyes crossed each other. "So, it was really you. Who would have thought that you'd also take the Hunter Exam."

Was there really trash bins in there? Morgan wasn't even paying attention because she was being chased. "I didn't know they placed garbage bins there. And, if you hadn't stopped me, I wouldn't have tripped you." She said in her defense. "Did you know that because of you, I didn't make it to the boat heading for Whale Island?" And got almost burned alive in the middle of the ocean.

"It wasn't my fault you were being chased."

"If you had just let me go, I would have made it on time!"

"What are you still grumbling about? You're already at the Exam site, right?"

Morgan was silent and stared angrily at him.

"Ignore Kurapika. He tends to be rude in the first meeting. It happened to me as well. I'm Leorio." he introduced.

'So, his name is Kurapika… Tsk. Even his name sounds girly.'

Morgan still looked at Kurapika with a sour expression but managed to avoid arguing. He was right; she was already at the exam site. Sure, she was a jerk at first. But his attitude irked her.

She's not really the type of person who easily gets pissed. (Hmmmm?)

"So, that explains the stiff neck. You were avoiding someone."

And then Killua joined in to tamper with her temper as well. She puffed out air and looked at Gon and then at Leorio. "Morgan."

"Ah! How come you said your name immediately? You were acting like you wanted to shave my head," complained Killua.

The girl glared at him, and Killua replied with a teasing smile. Why did it look like he was enjoying making her mood worse? She hadn't done anything bad to him to begin with.

.

.

.

The marathon continued relentlessly. It had been four hours since they started. They must have covered at least sixty kilometers. How much farther did they need to run? The population was rapidly decreasing due to excessive fatigue, and more of them were already reaching their limits.

Leorio was one of them. He almost collapsed and gave up due to overwhelming tiredness. However, he managed to strengthen his will and was determined to continue the marathon.

During the long marathon, their little group had separated. Leaving Morgan, Leorio and Kurapika together. They didn't realize that the two boys weren't running alongside them anymore; they were engrossed in a conversation.

They reached the 80-kilometer mark, and a long stairway lay ahead. The examiner quickened his stride even more as soon as he reached the stairs.

The walls narrowed in the tunnel when they reached the stairs, causing the three to run near each other.

Leorio, on the other hand, despite his body being covered in sweat, seemed to be a lot more energetic. You wouldn't think his strength left his system a while ago.

Morgan was curious why these four wanted to be hunters. All of them. She wanted to ask why.

Money? Fame? Glory?

Morgan has a different perspective.

She valued her simple life in her town.

She valued her life so much that she couldn't just waste it on this kind of activity that didn't even guarantee whether she'd live or not. But here she was, doing the same as the rest.

"Is money really your reason for entering the exam?" A sudden question from Kurapika.

Morgan immediately got interested; Kurapika's question had perfect timing.

"I'm sure it's not. We only met each other a few days ago, but I've understood this at least. You certainly don't have a rigorous attitude, and you're not clever, but…I don't think you're a shallow person. I've seen a lot of people who only lived for money, and you're not that kind of person," Kurapika described.

So, his reasons were money? It didn't look like it.

"You're the king of logic," Leorio mockingly said.

"Scarlet eyes…"

Morgan's attention shifted to Kurapika. Now she was hearing an unfamiliar word.

"Scarlet eyes are the distinctive sign of the Kuruta. When we are overcome by a violent feeling, our eyes become scarlet, as if they were on fire. If we die in this state, our eyes never return to normal and stay in that color. That's why it's considered one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world. They command high prices on the black market. It's the reason my clan has been massacred," Kurapika explained.

"Massacred?!" Morgan gasped in shock, making the two look at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Leorio cut in, "That's right, you're new. Kurapika is a member of the Kuruta Clan, and they were murdered by an infamous gang of thieves, the Phantom Brigade. And he's aiming to be a Blacklist Hunter."

Still in shock, she looked at Kurapika's expression, filled with hatred as Leorio mentioned the name of the gang. He bore the face of someone seeking vengeance. "Is it okay for you to tell blonde's story? I don't think he does."

Kurapika closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "What's the point in asking that now? You already know. Besides, you don't look like someone who babbles things."

Morgan nodded, respecting the privacy of his story just as much as she wanted the same respect. "So, um, do you mean like your brethren's eyes were gouged out?" She wasn't supposed to ask it, and she wasn't being rude by asking.

"Their bodies were left with their eye sockets empty. Even in darkness, I can see their eyes seeking revenge... Whatever happens, I'll capture the Phantom Brigade, and I'll have my companions' eyes back." There was deep hatred in his voice, recalling that dreadful scene. "If I become a Hunter under contract, I'll become rich and I'll have access to many things."

"Under contract…?" Leorio looked at him like he's being crazy. "I thought you hate that type of Hunter? It's like you're ready to sell your soul and lose your dignity."

"What is my dignity… In comparison with the pain of my companions."

Morgan understood where his anger and motivation were coming from, but she wondered how he knew that his companions really wanted him to seek vengeance. His family might not want him to take that dark path. No family would want their child to do that… at least that's what she thought of most families.

But the bottom line is, will he be satisfied after?

She just wanted to scold herself. It's his life.

Leorio looked up the stairs, his eyes wandering afar. "Sorry, but I have no noble cause. I'm just after money."

"Liar!"

"I'm not lying! For the right price, you can buy not only treasures but dreams, hearts, and even people's lives!" Leorio blurted. "Because if I had money, my friend wouldn't have died! It was a treatable disease… The problem was that the operation costs a fortune. I was naïve. I thought I could become a doctor…" Tears formed at the corner of his eyes, and his voice faltered. "I wanted to cure kids who have the same disease and be able to tell them it was free of charge! That was my dream… What a joke!" He spat. "Turns out that to become a doctor, you need even more money, got it?! The world runs on money, so I want money!"

Morgan looked at Leorio with newfound respect and admiration. He claimed to be greedy and ambitious, but he had a noble cause for it. She ended up smiling upon hearing that.

"Say something, Morgan. Money is vital. You think so, right?" Leorio prompted.

She made a ghost of a smile. "I agree. Money runs the world now," Morgan replied, acknowledging the truth of his statement.

Kurapika, on the other hand, seemed to disagree with the idea. "Are you saying you also want to become a Hunter because of money?" he questioned.

"Yup," she affirmed, popping the word.

Leorio cheered. "Hear that, Kurapika? It's all about money!"

"Unbelievable. Why don't you just make your own company?" Kurapika suggested, clearly not approving of Morgan's reasoning.

Morgan scoffed. "Business needs money to start. You mentioned it seconds ago: you also need money to achieve your goal. Everything has its own price tag," she retorted, reflecting on the reality of the world.

'Because money and status enslave everyone, even the richest people in the world or criminals,' Morgan thought to herself, feeling the weight of this truth.

The blonde looked annoyed, but Leorio laughed. "It's good to know I have someone who thinks like me! Good going, Morgan. You silenced him," he said, giving her a thumbs up.

She released a lighthearted chuckle.

'Different paths, different goals, but they both have a noble cause for becoming a Hunter,' Morgan reflected silently, finding common ground amidst their differences.

HOPE YOU ENJOY!