Rosabella sighed as she followed her Navigator.

The woman was beautiful but that was expected from someone who has siren blood in their veins.

"I am happy that you were the one who made it through this test. Those other men were horrible." Persephone said with a smile.

Rosabella laughed. "I know right. You think they would have realized what you and your family was. I was lucky to be able to resist your brother's siren call."

Persephone laughed. "True. You were so kind even when you realized I was not the victim like the others thought. I also enjoyed that meal you made while we waited to see if the others would pass their exam."

Rosabella smiled. "I love making different food. No point in us not having a meal to build up strength while we waited. The rest of your family seemed to enjoy it while we waited for those who failed to leave."

Persephone smiled. "Well, here we are."

As they walked in a man was walking from the back.

"Is the back room available?" Persephone called out to the cook.

"What are you having" The cook asked.

Persephone smiled at Rosabella. "The Steak Combo, please. The one that'll make us see the light. Combo for one please."

The cook looked shocked. "Combo for one. How do you want it cooked?"

"Grilled slowly over a low flame 'till done. Please." Persephone said with a smile.

The man nodded. "Got three others waiting in the back. She can wait with them."

Persephone led Rosabella to the back. A young man was walking toward them and nodded with a smile.

The door opened and three boys were inside.

"Wait here." Persephone said.

Rosabella walked in and glanced around at the other door. She walked over and tried to open the door. 'no entry or exit except from the restaurant. Something must be up.'

"Hey, I'm Gon and this is Leorio and Kurapika. What's your name?" A boy, Gon, said.

Rosabella smiled. "I'm Rosabella."

A few minutes later, the room suddenly started to go down.

An elevator?

The group watched as the numbers went down.

"One in three years a rookie passes the exam. It's very unusual." Kurapika said.

"It's that unusual?" Gon asked while sitting down.

Rosabella moved over and clung to the table, listening to the younger boy.

"Some can't handle the stress and break. Veterans also try to break rookies so bad they never retake the test." Kurapika said.

"So that's why those who want to be hunters are willing to risk everything for it." Gon said in awe.

"It's a great honor to have the badge. Only the best gets it." Rosabella said with a nod.

"You've hit the nail on the head. Being a hunter means all the money in the world." Leorio said with a smirk.

Kurapika stood slamming his hands on the table. "Wrong. People become hunters to join the world's most noble profession."

The two started going at it and Rosabella looked down at Gon.

"Are they always like that?" She asked.

Gon smiled and rubbed his head. "Yeah. They are."

Rosabella sighed and closed her eyes ignoring the fighting around them. She got ready to say something when the elevator stopped.

Walking out the doors into the room, Rosabella gulped. There were a lot of people here.

"Is it me or is this place really grim?" Leorio asked.

Kurapika sighed. "We saw plenty of applicants in the city but these guys are different. Each is a master in their own right."

"Hello. Please take your number badge." A voice said.

Rosabella glanced over to see a green man standing before Kurapika. He walked down the line handing out badges. She reached out and took her badge showing the number 406 on it.

"Be sure to wear this on your chest at all times, please." The man said.

Rosabella pinned it to her shirt and walked away from the three boys. She observed the ones around her, discreetly using Gyo on her eyes. Her body tensed as a man who looked like a clown and a guy with pins in his face looked at her.

Licking her lips, she stopped her gyo. She walked to the edge when suddenly she heard screaming.

"My. How unusual. Seems this poor man's arms had turned into flower petals." A voice said.

Moving forward, the clown was standing there amused. Rosabella could feel the nen on the man.

Raising her eyes, she stared at the clown. 'He knows nen.'

"Now you see them, now you don't. You should be more careful and do apologize if you bump into someone." He said while smirking.

The man walked over to Rosabella. He leaned down and ran a finger down her face. "How precious."

Rosabella pulled back. "Not a plaything."

"Hisoka the magician. And what's your name?" He asked.

Rosabella stared at him in worry about answering but decided it would be best. "Rosabella."

Hisoka smirked. "Rosabella. Beautiful Rose. How interesting."

He rose and walked away.

Rosabella sighed. 'This is probably not a good thing.'

She walked through the crowd to the wall in the back. She worried about what was coming. The wall behind her suddenly started to move.

Rosabella jerked forward in shock. Rosabella stared at the man standing on the other side of the wall. He was in a nice suit, but he didn't have a mouth.

"I apologies for the wait. The entry period for hunter applicants is officially closed. The hunter exam will now begin. One final word, if you are short on luck or ability there is a chance you could be injured or die. If you accept the risks please follow me. For others, please exit behind you."

Rosabella didn't move. She was going to take this exam.

The man waited but no one moved.

"Very well, please follow me." The man said. "All 405 Applicant will be doing phase one."

The man started walking forward and the large group started to follow.

Rosabella's eyes widened as the man upped the pace. She started to run to keep up with the man.

"My name is Satotz. I am the first examiner. It is my responsibility to lead you to the second phase."

A guy in the back asked about the first phase with Mr. Satotz making it clear the first phase had begun.

Rosabella sighed. She could only hope she kept up.

Hours went by and more and more people fell away. Rosabella sighed. She was tired but it was nothing compared to what she had to do on her home island. She shifted her backpack before glancing behind her for the boys. Rosabella had no idea where the three boys from before were, but she hoped to see them again. They were interesting.

Mr. Satotz looked over at her with a look. "Where are you from?"

"Clover Island, Mr. Satotz." Rosabella said.

The man nodded his head. "I've been there. Pretty island. Your people deal with a lot of herbs, spices and plants, correct?"

"Yes sir. It is." Rosabella smiled.

"there are also no motorized vehicles to get around said island." Mr. Satotz said with a look at the girl.

Rosabella smiled. "No sir. It's all either walking or riding a horse. Or running which I started doing when I met a retired hunter at 7 years old who told me about the hunter's exam."

Mr. Satotz raised an eyebrow in what Rosabella hoped was amusement. The man moved forward leaving the girl to fall behind him.

They eventually made it to the stairs. Mr. Satotz started running up the stairs quicker than the pace he had when he ran.

Rosabella sighed before following behind him. Up and up, they went. Finally, a light showed before them.

Rosabella smiled. Two blurs burst past her making her jump.

Going out the door, she saw Gon and a silver headed boy standing there.

"Who won, Rosabella?" Gon asked.

Rosabella breathed deeply while bending over her knees. "I…don't…know. Ask…Mr.…Satotz."

The two boys turned to the man.

He glanced between the two. "You tied."

Rosabella glanced around where they were standing, adding Gyo to her eyes. She could sense things around them.

Mr. Satotz moved over to her and whispered lowly. "I don't know how you learned that but please do not tell the others about it. It is part of the exam. If an applicant gets to the last phase and get their hunter license than applicants will need to learn it to pass the last and secret test to be considered an official hunter."

Rosabella stopped the nen and nodded her head. "Yes, sir but you should know I'm not the only ones who know it. There are two others."

"I know." The man said with a look at Hisoka who was watching them.

The man moved to the front with Rosabella following him.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She smiled. "The run is not over. There is no way this is the second phase and you did say we needed to keep up with you. How better than to become your shadow."

Mr. Satotz did not say anything, but Rosabella could feel his amusement.

The girl watched as the door to the stairs started closing. A man on the stairs called out in despair. He had been eliminated from the hunter exam.

Mr. Satotz waved his arm. "The Milsy Wetlands, also known as Swindler's swamp. We must cross it to reach phase two of the exam. These lands hold animals who are crafty and eat human flesh. If you are deceived, you will die. These creatures will use deceit so please follow closely to you don't be deceived."

"Don't fall for it." A voice said.

A man who looks beaten appeared. "HE is an imposter. He is a man faced ape who lives in the wetlands. They eat human flesh."

Rosabella frowned and looked between the two. She scoffed. There was no way that man was the real examiner.

Three Cards suddenly flew at Mr. Satotz. He caught them in his hands. The man claiming to be the examiner fell down dead.

Hisoka smirked. "He is the real examiner. The examiners are hunters who do this job without pay. They are the best and could have deflected that easily."

Mr. Satotz said "I will take that complement. However if you attack me again, I will have no choice but to report you for attacking an examiner and you will be disqualified."

The man turned and walked forward with Rosabella following him to his amusement. "Please be aware if you lose me, you will never reach the last phase."

As they ran, the fog started to get thicker.

Rosabella pushed herself to be a few feet behind the man. She could not lose him. As they ran, screams were heard around her. Something launched itself at her from the sky. She dover forward and flipped over a second bat thing that tried to attack her. A slice on her arm bled from another one of the things appearing.

The girl pulled her blade and sliced the Bat getting green blood on her clothes. Looking up she could just barely see Mr. Satotz.

Rosabella quickly pushed herself and ended up behind three other contestants but she could see Mr. Satotz in front of them.

She was not sure how long they ran before a giant stone wall and brown gate appeared.

He turned to stare at the ones who were behind him. "Rest as we wait for the rest. They have 20 more minutes before this phase ends.

Mr. Satotz walked over to the girl and motioned her away from the others.

"Who taught you, nen?"

Rosabella sighed. "My master, Galligan Took. He retired on our island and loved to tell stories of his time as a game hunter. I decided at 7 I wanted to be a hunter and begged him to coach me for the exam. He only did the physical stuff. Nen training did not start until I was 12."

Mr. Satotz's eyebrows went down as if he was frowning. "Why did he start teaching you at 12?"

Rosabella bit her lip. "I was unconsciously using it while I cooked. There was an earthquake in a part of our island. I went with my mother to help and was cooking some soup. I remember at the time I only wanted to make food that would give them comfort. My mother said food was the way to heal the injured. Apparently, my subconscious took that literally and had somehow created a specialized nen that poured into my cooking. Doctors were surprised how their patients were healing faster than what was normal. Master Galligan realized something was going on and started working in the tents for the injured. He was the one who figured out what was going on. He deliberately cut his hand and asked me for some of my soup to test his theory. It was correct. I can pour healing nen into cooking that will ease pain and heal wounds. It doesn't work on diseases however as I wasn't able to save a friend from a disease that killed her at 14. I can only give comfort for the pain from a disease. He spoke to my mother and insisted on training me in Nen so I don't accidently hurt anyone with my power as well as teaching me to protect myself from those who would steal my gift or force me to work for them."

Mr. Satotz frowned. "A good nen gift but also dangerous. In the wrong hands, it could be used for the wrong sort."

Rosabella nodded her head. "I know. My master retired early because his nen ability was stolen. He had created an ability that would allow him to focus his nen into his hands to be like binoculars but was stronger than binoculars. He used it to see game from over 500 miles away. It was stolen by a man who carried a book with a hand print on it. He warned me to be careful who I tell about my gift and to never share any information with anyone unless I trusted them."

"You trust me?" Mr. Satotz asked.

Rosabella looked at him and nodded her head. "Yes. I trust you, Mr. Satotz. Master remembered you and the work you two did together. He told the stories of your missions."

A clicking noise was heard and the two looked over to see the contestant with the pins in himself was moving closer to them.

Mr. Satotz's eyes narrowed and he lowered his voice. "The next exam is a cooking exam. Whatever you do, try not to use your nen. I will warn the next examiners about your gift so if you do accidently do it, they will not let the other competitors know. Trust no one from this point on with your nen gift."

Rosabella nodded her head and the man walked away. Glancing around, her eyes widened as she saw Hisoka carrying Leorio. Rushing over, she did not see the pin man's head turn as he watched her run to her friend.