Leorio felt odd being away from the expectations of medicine. He loved learning and his ambition was to be a doctor, but taking a surprise semester off from class to pursue a Hunter's license was a sharp change in his life. Since he had been taken from his small and poverty stricken home, his life had been him making the best of a situation he couldn't control. For the first time in his life, he was making a choice that would hopefully change his life.

He quietly applied and left with a briefcase, crafted with nen. It was more than able to carry medicine, herbs, his sterilized tools and knife, along with a few creature comforts. His hunting knife remained in a holster at his side. Most importantly, he carried himself like a businessman. The hunter business was lucrative and agressive. Just to become a hunter was as cutthroat as anyone could imagine. More than half of the contestants died each cycle. A mere sliver of the group would become hunters if any.

Simple for any trained Zoldyck. Leorio hoped it would be for him as well.

Perhaps he would be overlooked and slip through undetected.

He had been about to make it to the first known checkpoint on the journey to the Hunter's Exam Site when his well laid plans met a problem. His sense of duty as a doctor.

A business man would have run cowardly, or frozen in fear feeling the aggressive aura pouring from the alley in front of him. He felt his ten flare almost aggressively at the violent aura. He could practically taste the bloodlust. He peered around the corner to see the back of a red haired man in a peculiar jesture like outfit. On the ground was a group of men whimpering and pleading for their lives.

Logic said to walk away. Whoever was targeting the people in the alley was the type to kill anyone, much like an annoyed Zoldyck. Namely Kikyo. His well hidden compassion and dedication to being a doctor, was telling him to help the poor fools get away. He tapped the building a few times with his fingers to confirm his reach without trying to be noticed. He pulled his hand back and readied his nen. His eyes focused on the aggressor, waiting for him to strike.

He didn't have to wait long as one of the sniveling men tried to run. Quick as a viper, jester threw a card, enfused with nen towards the man. Leorio struck the wall, forcing his nen to travel through the bricks to intercept the card. Sure enough, much like a phantom, a fist appeared and collided with the card. The air grew still save the sound of the one man who had been foolishly brave enough to run. Leorio did his best to relax and control his nen to disappear, as he hid behind the wall. He began to walk in the direction he came, casually and calmly.

"My my," a deep voice purred with amusement in his voice. "How interesting."

His voice carried far too well for Leorio's comfort. But it sounded like the men didn't question with phenomenon as they ran, screaming in terror, the tormentor focused on a new prey. Leorio didn't allow himself to run, but instead rely on the echo step he had learned from the sweet young butler Canary. If positioned just right in a straight line, it would merely mess with an individual's depth perception in grabbing a target, revealing where they were. Of course, no one would think anything of it if the "echo" was not touched.

"Now, it's not very polite to interrupt someone's game and then leave," the voice spoke, clearly closer than it was before. A strong hand clasped his shoulder, an arm over his shoulders. Leorio's eyes widened and stared into the face of death. Funny, he always thought it would look like Silva, not a makeup wearing clown. The man, was strong. No way around it. Good thing he was a doctor in training and was practically raised by assassins.

He squinted his eyes and with his free hand, unsheathed the knife. He held it calmly and steadily.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

Leorio swore the clown's smile grew even larger.

"Not yet. But I have a feeling you will amuse me yet. But you're not quite ready yet."

A cold sweat began to break out on his neck and his hair stood on end. It wasn't quite his nen, but just his "natural charm". Thankfully, he let go of Leorio's shoulder. Leorio was certain it was solely because of his seemingly sick mentality and not the fact he could be arrested for killing in the middle if a street.

"Don't disappoint me," the clown said now walking away... In the direction he needed to go for the Hunter Exams. Glorious. He didn't know how, but he was blaming Illumi for this. His life could have been considered normal before he took him away. There was no way he'd have met this guy had he not been trying to get his Hunter's license between getting his doctorates.

He took a deep breath. He'd just have to keep his distance. He could do that.

Clearly, he could not keep his distance. The clown was terrifyingly good at knowing where he was. He would send back knowing and amused glances as Leorio tried to act like he was doing anything else. If he even tried to slow down, so would the clown. Worse yet, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that if he abandoned his plan now, either the clown would prevent him from running, or Gotoh would be back at the school to make sure he finished his education without distractions.

His dark chuckling was unnerving to say the least.

"Am I so interesting that you feel compelled to follow me? Young man? Are you that eager to play?"

"No. I just happen to be going the same way you are," he answered as firmly as he could.

"Are you sure?"

There was something sinister in the way he asked the question. It was really the last thing he needed. He was sinister enough. Hell, he could probably make children fear clowns.

"I swear I am not trying to follow you," Leorio grunted as he kept moving forward. He casually moved past the clown to prove his point. He focused his nen to keep a preverbal eye on the man. Perhaps not the wisest move as he was now being followed. It felt way too much like being back at Kukuroo Mountain when he was first learning. He wondered how things were going at the mountain.

Killua ran like the little shit he was, escaping the tall walls that surrounded the mountain. A devil may care grin on his face as he ran away. He knew his mother and Milluki would be emotional about him stabbing them. For better or for worse.

He didn't care though. He had a mission in mind. He had heard Leorio talk about the Hunter Exam before he left for school. And it sounded like just the kind of challenge that would entertain him for a bit. Not to mention how fun it would be to show Leorio his license once he got it. The old man would no doubt throw a fit over how "dangerous" the exams were designed to be. Killua was sure he could handle it though.

He was a Zoldyck afterall.

So... Welcome to the hunter exam. Well... the path to it at least.

And Leorio now has "met" Hisoka.