The group makes their way into NGL and discovers things aren't always what they seem.

The man drove through the desert wasteland, a cigarette in his mouth. He made no attempt to suck in a deep breath or blow out a cloud of smoke in the truck.

He kept the window open for that purpose.

So as a small trail of smoke escaped through the window, he tried to strike up a conversation with them, "It's been an interesting day so far." He took in a couple of small drags, making sure to blow out a couple of clouds outside, "Y'know you're like the tenth group to request this trip."

"Really?"

It seems like they weren't the only hunters concerned about the Chimera Ants, or at least an oversized insect.

"Yeah, which is pretty weird. The people in NGL always believed living naturally is always better. So driving multiple people over for a visit feels pretty unnatural. Is something going on there that we should be worried about?"

"Probably…" Kite muttered under his breath. He wouldn't say anything if it's a false flag, especially if they're worrying about nothing.

But ten groups must mean they're right to be concerned, "Well, we'll probably be the last of the groups you'd have to drive over."

"Heh…" The man tapped his cigarette outside, "I sure hope so."

"~"

It didn't take long to arrive at the border. Two oversized trees bridged the gap between the borders.

It was the only checkpoint, a way to control who can enter past that point. The driver gestures that that's where they'll need to cross.

It served as the embassy as well, for information and people that wanted to come in. They needed to be approved for entry.

With a wave, the driver left them.

Kite adjusted his hat, looking down at the two trees, "Be prepared. The NGL is notorious for lying about its status. It isn't as eco-friendly as it chalks itself up to be."

As the man started walking the group followed, Gon getting closer to the man to question him about his words "What do you mean?"

Banana offered an answer, "He's talking about their nasty rumours."

"D…"

Killua knew about that, "Wait, isn't that a type of drug that's being manufactured?"

"A thing you know because of your ties to assassinations?"

"Pretty sure it's a type of drug I've taken." When Raphael gave him a concerned look, he shrugged, "Immunity reasons…"

"Right…"

"Next you'll tell us you worked for a big wig Mafia family."

Probably… Killua kept that thought to himself, "But there are other things as well, am I right?"

"Yes. Anything could make this complicated for us. Let's go."

"~"

"Welcome." Two men in robes greeted them at the entrance, making sure to bar anyone from entering, "What's the nature of your visit?"

Kite pulled out his Hunter's License, showing it to the men, "Work. A hunt. Specifically, a biohazard class insect might've wandered into NGL."

The man looked over the licence, frowning a little. However, he turned to the man to show a good sign of faith, "In that case, please, this way."

As they took a few steps inside, they started looking around. Killua smirked when he saw a computer set up and connected to a generator. It seems like they aren't so against technology as they make themselves out to be, "So, you do have computers." Hypocrite…

One of the men waved off the boy's sass, "These are used for diplomatic and informational purposes. Due to the way the rest of the world works, this is our compromise."

Kite scoffed at the response. That wouldn't be the only reason, "So, there wouldn't be any other facilities like this inside."

"No, there wouldn't. No machinery must be allowed within NGL. If something has to be reported, all documents must come by mail from inside through to us. We then go on to report those findings."

"And if there's proof like photos that need-"

"The person can submit drawings."

Raphael crossed his arms. Clearly, everyone inside must be a Renaissance Artist.

The second guard offered an apologetic smile, "Unfortunately, that includes all imported items. You will have to remove all metals, glass, and petroleum products from your person before entering."

Raphael slowly turned to Lin. Oof, that's going to be a problem for one of them at least.

"M-My glasses too?"

"Unfortunately, yes. All articles of clothing that contain those, as well as plastic or metal parts, and or made from synthetic fibres."

Raphael slowly looked at his pants, "So, basically you just asked a bunch of kids to get naked."

The man shook his head, "No need to. Upstairs is a clothing store you can peruse, full of natural fibres, all on sale."

"And if one of us happens to be allergic to those fibres…"

"You'll not be able to come in…"

They're really pushing the idea of being all natural in NGL. But there must be another reason for this, and giving the other man hasn't added anything yet, the rules were much more limiting on who can enter. They'll probably go as far to restrict as many people as possible.

But with this limitation, it meant Raphael couldn't bring his spear either. That was going to be problematic for him.

The other man gestured to the others, "We must refuse entry for anyone with irremovable implants. Such as surgical bolts, metal dental fillings; gold, silver, or silicon enhancements. Those aren't allowed either."

"So if you've had surgical back replacement, and you need that to move, you're shit out of luck?"

"You will not be allowed in."

Go figure… "I guess you expect them to get it removed and drag themselves over the border…" He made the snide remark, but the idea wasn't being entertained at all. They probably guess they expect the person to just back away and not bother entering at all.

"You will also have to relinquish your weapon."

Raphael tried not to snicker when he gave his weapon to one of the men, the man unfortunately having to call another to help him carry the spear away.

The boy did warn them it was heavy.

With that done, the man then gestured to the staircase leading upstairs, "Whoever fits that criteria, follow me upstairs, and we'll get your clothing sorted out."

"~"

Only six of them could enter at this point, all going upstairs to get clothes. Kite was the only one who wasn't forced to get changed. The rest started perusing the store for something.

As the teen looked around, trying to find something reasonable, he could hear Killua complaining in the background. He merely looked up to see the boy moving shirt after shirt along the clothes track, seemingly getting more agitated.

"What's gotten your knickers in a twist?"

"The clothes are ugly, that's what. Would it kill to at least have a bit of style in the clothes. At least a wooden button wouldn't kill, if metal or plastic ones are out of the picture."

"Considering metal needles are not an option, I don't know how they're sewing anything."

Killua frowned at the idea, letting out a groan of frustration, "No, you're right." He grumbled to himself, just grabbing something off the shelves to put together something decent.

Raphael chuckled at the situation, moving to grab a pair of black stretchy slacks and a maroon shirt.

Killua made a face, as if complaining without words about Raphael's pick. Just when Raphael was about to argue, Gon strolled past with a pair of green slacks and a white shirt, with green tinting.

At that point, Killua couldn't argue. He just rolled his eyes to walk away from the discussion. At least he's changing his clothes…

"~"

With the groups' new change of clothes, Killua ran his hands over his pants, admiring how soft they felt against his skin. Still ugly as fuck though… He thought to himself as he let go of them to look at his friend. Gon had zero complaints about what he was wearing, merely admiring how nicely they fit on his body.

Dinner didn't have much of an option, walking down the steps wearing what looked to be a karate GI, but he grabbed a black belt to tie it into a knot.

That left the other poor unfortunate soul, Podungo, to wear something from the children's section thanks to her short stature. It must have been humiliating to some degree, but if she was, she showed no signs of feeling so.

Then there was Raphael with the same get-up as Gon and himself, though the maroon shirt with his reddish orange hair did not match. He looked like a carrot sticking out of dirt.

The black pants were nice, though, the only saving grace of his entire attire.

"Only the six of us are left…?" Kite grumbled to himself, rather annoyed at the situation. They were truly filtering out as many people as possible here. The man let out a sigh, leaving the tree to approach the others that were unfortunately forced out of this expedition.

As Killua watched the man briefly talk with his friends, Killua shifted his gaze back to Raphael, "You look like a fashion disaster."

"Comfort beats style, and the maroon shirt has a silky feel, when compared to the other shirts."

"Yeah, well, you could've gotten it in a different colour."

"If I wanted to look like a carrot, sure. The other shirt, that felt as good as this, was a similar colour to my hair. AND I AM NOT, walking into NGL wearing a shirt with my hair colour."

A smug grin escaped Killua' lips. He wasn't the only one that thought about that, "Is that so. No other colours? Like, white or black, and just switch the colour of your pants."

"Sure, I guess…" Raphael rolled his eyes at the other, "I could've gone that route. But like I said, comfort beats style for me. It's an okay colour shirt, and that's all that matters to me."

Kite raised an eyebrow when he walked into the room. Exactly what did he stumble into? Were the boys fighting over their clothing colours? He raised his hand to the boys, "Shall we move on?"

The trio agreed without arguing further. Maybe their argument prior to him walking in was just based on surface level complaints. If that was the case, then there was nothing to be concerned about. It was just teens bickering over minor issues.

They were led through the bridge connecting the two trees, a young woman now ushering them along to the next section of screening, "The check point over here is a physical exam and interview, as well as metal, x-ray, and ultrasound scanning."

Raphael let out a long whistle, "Oh, you're really making sure nobody is sneaking anything in."

"Now, this is some really intense security." Kite joined in the complaint. They've definitely had problems in the past that forced them to go through the extremes and make sure nothing sneaked in.

When the lady flicked on the lights, she gave a nod of understanding, "While it's a bit much. People have tried smuggling gun parts implanted in their bodies. We find cameras or cell phones in rectums all the time."

Raphael slowly turned to the woman, blinking in surprise "You found what in people's butts?"

"Yeah, I'd believe that." Killua smirked a little, "People will hide anything, anywhere to get out of trouble."

The lady gave another nod, "Yes, and they've also trained animals to carry laptops across the border."

They continued through the process, being scanned one at a time. Killua cracked a couple of jokes, comparing their brain scans to one other. Gon could only blink owlishly at his friend, not understanding any of the things his friend had remarked about their scan results.

After a long wait, nothing had shown up. They were clean, at least by NGL's standards. They were all allowed to enter the country.

The group made their first step into NGL, the gentle breeze kicking up dust into their face. Raphael brought up his arm to shield his face, peering out to the rocky formations ahead. It looked like a wall, keeping everyone in NGL in.

Kite's eyes peered over the wall, "Alright, let's begin the hunt.

"~"

The three horses galloped across the dirt path, Raphael forced to cling onto Stick. He had never ridden a horse before, but the beast moving across the land made his loins hurt.

He peered to his side, enamoured by Killua's ability to stand still while upright. He'd kill to keep his balance like his friend.

"So lay it on us Kite, what exactly are we looking for?"

"We'll follow the coast, going from town to town looking for hints. Even if what they say is true, they still should be able to provide us with information about a large creature roaming around."

"And if they can't…"

"Oh, I know they're here. We just have to find them."

Raphael looked up to the mountains, seeing a pair of horses following them. Their supposed tour guides. Something told him, they were spying on them. The chances of them running into a tribe would be pretty damn low.

"And our so-called guides?"

"They're not a concern. Let's get to finding the insects."

"~"

Raphael looked down at the map, a cross through every town they've been to so far. Nothing substantial, not even hints of such a creature existing. Yet, Kite's eyes remained focused on the horizon. He knew something they hadn't picked up on.

Taking a long sip, he approached the man, "So I know there are tiers when it comes to the ranking of Chimera Ants, but what sets the tiers apart."

"Hmm, what do you know?"

"They have the working ants, or the peons as they're also called. The officers, the squad leaders, and the royal guard, which protect the queen until the king is born. But once the king is born, what's the purpose of the queen? What's the king supposed to do?"

"The King makes a new nest, then finds himself a queen to make another brood."

"And the previous Queen?"

"Another set of royal guards and king."

"So she's just a glorified king pumping machine. Huh, reminds me a little of the Matriarch Goats back on Greed Island, but there are no kings in that system. Just endless squadron leaders and officers, or warriors to be precise."

"Oh, Ging made such a system?"

"Yeah, Greed Island had plenty of different types of systems in place. That was just one of them. But there was one huge problem with the Matriarch system. They keep producing offspring, tirelessly. If I wasn't careful, I could be overwhelmed. Is it the same for an Ant Queen? Will she pump out more members for her army if she loses too much of her army?"

"A queen will stop reproducing to focus solely on the king. That's the key moment to stop the cycle. But the royal guard will be a major issue. Not the squad leaders, officers, nor the peons. The royal guard is made to protect the king."

"Then we need to be strong enough to defeat the royal guard, or else we won't reach the queen in time."

"Provided the queen hasn't made them yet, we'll need to be strong enough to beat just the squadron leaders."

Raphael took another drink, "Then the queen needs to be taken out."

"The queen is a must, leave no ants alive when we find them."

Raphael gave a nod. That he could understand. Doesn't sound too difficult, now they just need to find them.

"~"

Raphael found himself wedged in the front of Kite, looking at the map as they rode onward. There weren't many towns left at this point.

If the queen is here already like Kite feels in his gut, maybe she managed to already avoid every single town. Then it would be pointless searching the rest of the towns for hints or clues. They could be wasting time searching for clues, when all they needed to do was search further in.

"We've hit every village, there's only one or two left at this point."

"Hmm, what are you thinking?"

"We try going further in. I say we go north-east, towards the middle."

Kite cracked a smile, "I was thinking the same…" Kite turned to the others, "I think one more town should do it, then we break for the moment. I can tell the horses are getting restless."

"Got it!"

"~"

The group can to a stop, Killua sliding off the horse with ease. Raphael could only stare at his friend in disbelief. He was practically using Gon as a sofa.

Killua quirked an eyebrow at his friend. Why was he looking at him like he was enamoured with something he achieved? "What?"

He could only shake his head in response. How could Killua not know how cool, or talented he was seconds ago? He was flawlessly riding a horse like it was just another typical day for him. He was learning some many things that Greed Island would've failed to give him opportunities to learn these things.

"Again, what?"

"Next time, I'd probably see you using him…" Raphael gestured to his other friend, Gon, "as a bed."

As Killua's cheeks reddened, Gon could only make the situation much worse for him, "I don't mind. Killua's hair is extremely soft. It was like having a fluffy pillow on my back."

"W-Wh-" He could only stare at Gon's confused expression when Raphael burst into tears of laughter. Why on earth was he confused? Did he not understand the compliment that shot out of his mouth with zero filter? "Unbelievable…"

"What's wrong? It was soft-"

Killua quickly shoved his mouth against his friend's mouth, "THINK before you speak."

When Gon removed the hand covering his mouth, the two bickered back and forth, neither one willing to budge an inch. Raphael could not control his laughter, unable to stop since the two started arguing.

A small smile escaped Kite's stony expression, his eyes only drifting when he felt a hint on Nen on the horizon. His eyes narrowed, searching for the location. Something small was coming towards him, nothing dangerous, but it could be problematic.

It was only when he saw the slip of paper, did he realise what it was. It was a bee. The bee came straight to him, hovering around his head.

Only when he held out his hand, did it stop to land on his palm.

At this point Gon was more interested in what Kite was reading, than his argument with his friend "What is it Kite?"

Help!

Chimera Ant Nest

Rocky Area

Notify the Hunter Association!

It was a rough map with the location of the Ant Queen's nest. It was crudely drawn with something similar to charcoal, though brown.

Since it was drawn so roughly, it must have been done quickly and very recently. The Hunter may be still nearby "You still have the map, Raphael?" Kite grabbed the note to compare the two, the bee moving to another. Gon, this time.

As he compared the maps, Gon looked down at the bee. He recognises this species. He saw them during the Hunter's Exam. It was a girl he saved alongside his friends.

Ponzu, that was her name… wasn't it? "Killua, this bee is-"

"I'm going to need assistance with this." Kite turned to the other, "Can you help me with this?"

"Of course!"

"Are you kidding me? We're pros." Killua stretched his limbs alongside Gon. This prompted Raphael to ask, "Are we going on foot?"

"Of course. I'm sorry, miss interpreter, but we're in a hurry."

This made her pause in concern. If they're in a hurry, why are they going on foot? Unless they were just stretching before getting back, but that wouldn't make sense seeing as the man confirmed they're going on foot, "What do you mean? We can push the horses a little harder. It'll be better than going on foot."

A sly smirk escaped Killua's lips, "Doubt it. Oh, we should make it to the location, at worst, in an hour."

Kite got off his horse, "We'll need to cut down that time. Lives are on the line." The poor woman could only blink in disbelief as the man turned to the others. "Podungo and Stick, returned to the border and find the others. We need to get word out to the associate. Tell them about the class 1 quarantined Chimera Ants. Use my name if you have to. The situation most likely has gotten too dangerous."

"Understood."

"Now-"

"Yeah, yeah." Killua dismissed the incoming concern, "If we're too slow, you'll leave us in the dust. So, likewise."

"Killua is much quicker than Gon and I, so he might give you a run for your money."

"Nuh uh!" Gon stomped his foot, "We're both as fast as him."

Killua snorted at his friend's pouty face. He can be so childish at times, but that's what makes it fun to tease him, "Sure, first one to reach our goal?"

"Yeah-"

Kite waved them off, "No detours. follow me and if you lose me, don't bother following, just go back to the entrance and meet up with the others." He made sure his expression was firm, deterring them from having any sort of fun during such a dangerous time.

With the trio giving him a nod, he bolted towards the enemy, the three following in hot pursuit.

"~"

Raphael held his hand to the floor, blood pooling around what was left of shredded clothing. Only the hat rained, but it was caked in blood. This may be the remains of the hunter who sent the bee after them.

The teen frowned. They were too late.

"Killua, it's…" Gon left the name unsaid. He probably doesn't even remember the girl at this point.

"Yeah, Ponzu, if I remember."

"A friend?"

"No, she was at our hunter exam."

"Mine too, but I knocked her out pretty easily."

Killua's eyes caught the glint, something metallic left behind in the remains. He picked it up, gazing at the object from all angles. This made no sense. Why were there bullet casing in NGL? "It's a bullet."

"Huh?" Gon was surprised. The woman had given them this speel about no guns being allowed in NGL, so why is it here? "But nothing mechanical is allowed here, right?"

"No, it wouldn't…" No matter what comes next, Kite was certain that this was a dangerous combination. The fact the Chimera Ants were in NGL, and now there are guns here, it was going to be an unprecedented biohazard.

But if there are guns here, what was said about D was most likely true. The underground rulers of NGL were harbouring secrets nobody wanted to get out, "So what they say about the underground rulers of NGL was true. They are manufacturing guns and drugs."

"But this doesn't make sense…" Killua flicked the bullet back onto the floor, "this wasn't done by a human."

Raphael could agree. A human is incapable of something like this. Not the cannibalism aspect, humans have been known to eat bodies in desperate times or for selfish desires. However, no human was known to be able to eat a whole body, bones included "Well, if it's a chimera ant, maybe they also have human-like appendages like the queen's hand. There were six claws, something that could easily hold a gun."

"You're right…" Kite drew the attention of the other boys, "This was done by a Chimera Ant. The fact they are using guns is… problematic. I hate to consider the possibility, but they may have already found and destroyed NGL's underground rulers, all of which have been fed to the queen."

"So, human-hybrid Chimera Ants are already very likely."

"Afraid so…"

Raphael's eyes gazed towards the forest, "Then we shouldn't wait for them to find us. We need to find them now."

A/N: Leave a review, it helps inspire me.