DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hunter X Hunter
Chapter 10: Ways on Wasting Time
Morgan quickly fell asleep. As soon as she closed her eyes, it seemed like she immediately opened them to find Leorio gently nudging her with a spoon—or at least she thought it was.
Morgan groaned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Hey! That spoon doesn't exactly have pads on it!"
Leorio responded, "That's the idea: we've been trying to wake you for nearly 20 minutes. The next plan was for Gon to hit you on the head with a prison tray, so you woke up just in time."
"Wonderful," Morgan muttered as she rubbed her sore cheek. "I can't imagine Gon would ever do that." With his kind personality, it was unlikely he would hurt anyone.
She got up, yawned, and stretched. Then she crawled towards the table where everyone—including Tonpa—was eating.
"Sorry for waking you, Morgan, but the Warden might take all including the untouched food," Gon said apologetically.
Given the situation, she decided to let it slide. "Okay, that's fine."
"Well, you were right about two things: you don't move or snore loudly when you sleep. You're as hard to wake as a rock," Killua remarked as he ate his breakfast.
"Thanks for pointing that out," she replied sarcastically, joining the others in eating.
The breakfast was simple—a bowl of soup, fried fish, and rice—but it was better than nothing.
"Or maybe you overslept because you were talking to Kurapika late into the night?"
Her spoon paused in mid-air. She looked at him and saw his playful grin.
"Really? Are you two friends now?" Gon asked, amused.
"Hey, Kurapika, smooth talker now, huh?" Leorio teased, nudging him in the side.
"Don't be ridiculous," Kurapika shot back.
Morgan let out a breath. "Eavesdropping... Really? Do assassins learn that skill too?" she said in an annoyed tone. "And what's wrong with talking to him?"
Killua shrugged. "I can stay awake for three days; it's part of my training."
"Okay, I understand that, but what's wrong with talking to 'blondie'?"
"Nothing," he replied, taking another bite. "I just mentioned it as a possible reason for why you overslept. Did it bother you?"
She forced a smile and responded, "Nothing," then continued eating.
It was clear that Killua was hinting at something, but Morgan decided it was best to let it go.
After breakfast, the group looked for ways to pass the morning. Leorio was engrossed in his usual dirty magazine, Kurapika was focused on reading an encyclopedia, and Morgan was flipping through a comic book. A double-page action spread had the word "CHOW" written in bold, muscular letters, something the blonde know-it-all clearly disapproved of.
The girl just scoffed in response.
After a while, Kurapika moved closer to her on the couch without speaking for some time.
"What happened to the Social Studies book?" he suddenly asked.
Morgan paused as she turned the page. She found it odd that blondie was initiating a conversation.
"I lost interest," she replied. "I needed some fun in this room, so..." She waved the comic book. "You know I've read a lot, but I've never encountered scarlet eyes."
Kurapika flinched, as if struck by a sudden memory. She thought she heard him mutter something unintelligible, likely recalling painful memories.
She was just genuinely curious.
"If you don't mind me asking, are your eyes a kind of power passed down through the Kurta people?" she asked. "Can you control the color change?"
"I wouldn't call it 'power.' It's a genetic trait that temporarily boosts my physical strength and speed," he responded solemnly, his voice deeper than usual. "But I can't control it. It just... happens."
Her thoughts returned to his fight with Majitani. "Right, spiders." The memory of their encounter with the spider came back to her.
Kurapika nodded.
Morgan was intrigued. How could a change in eye color enhance one's physical abilities?
Were the Scarlet Eyes directly responsible for these abilities, or was the color change simply a sign of activation of these powers?
She cleared her throat. "So, do only Kuruta possess this trait? Are there any other clans with similar abilities?"
"The irises are unique to the Kurta Clan members. Our clan was known for them, which made them highly sought after by collectors. Additionally, people outside the clan would often react with fear and violence upon witnessing the transformation. These factors led our ancestors to choose to live in seclusion in the forests of the Lukso Province."
Morgan recalled the first time she saw his glowing eyes, and the memory sent shivers down her spine.
She wouldn't argue that the Scarlet Eyes were among the most beautiful colors she had ever seen.
However, the rarity of his people's eyes likely made them targets and led to the massacre of the clan.
She wondered, 'How did he survive?'
"Hey, let's play rock-paper-scissors!" Gon suddenly suggested to Morgan, breaking the conversation.
Morgan didn't really want to join. "Nah, you'll just lose," she jokingly said, just to decline his offer.
Gon grinned. "Even better! I'm pretty good at it," he claimed confidently.
'Oh?' Morgan thought, now intrigued to see if Gon could back up his claim.
"Alright," she agreed, holding out her fist.
After thirty rounds of rock-paper-scissors, Morgan had lost every game, an incredible streak of thirty straight losses. By this point, the other boys had gathered around to watch her be completely defeated.
"Unbelievable," Leorio commented. "Thirty consecutive wins without a single tie? That's nearly impossible, even for Gon!"
"Okay, it's my turn next!" Killua declared, which made Morgan glare at him.
Morgan was fully engaged in the game and determined to win.
"No way—I'm not done yet!" she exclaimed. Turning to Gon, she continued, "Let's go! Rock, paper—"
Killua pushed her aside, causing her to fall off the couch. She quickly got up, annoyed, as Killua took her seat.
"Really, assassin brat? I'm not done yet!" she shouted, irritated.
The game continued with rapid rounds of "Rock! Paper! Scissors!"
Despite her irritation at being shoved aside, Morgan felt some satisfaction watching Killua lose game after game. Instead of trying to reclaim her spot, she sat next to Kurapika, who was also intrigued by Gon's impressive winning streak.
"Don't overthink it," she advised Kurapika sympathetically. "You might burn yourself out."
"There has to be a trick," Kurapika concluded, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Gon's approaching fifty straight wins without a tie. The odds of that happening naturally are less than 0.01 percent, even with individual preferences and nuances."
"Do you think Gon's capable of being deceitful?" she asked skeptically, resting her arms on her knees and leaning forward. "Just look at him—does that look like the face of a cheater?" Together, Kurapika and Morgan watched as Gon enthusiastically waved his fist, a huge grin on his face.
"Well, no," Kurapika admitted with a sigh. "You're right; I should stop overthinking it."
"You tend to overthink things, don't you?" Leorio added as he walked over and threw an arm around Kurapika's shoulder, though Kurapika quickly pushed him away.
He looked at Gon, who was closing in on his sixtieth win. "It seems to come more easily to some than others."
As Morgan turned to watch the younger boys, Killua shoved Gon off the couch, causing him to land on the floor with a surprised yelp. "I'm bored!" Killua complained, easily dodging Gon's attempt to retaliate. "It's not fun if I keep losing! Honestly, how many games has it been? What kind of monster are you?"
"Maybe assassins aren't so good at it after all," Morgan smirked, though the smile faded as she remembered Killua's an assassin.
"Hah! Just wait till I figure out the trick behind this," Killua shot back, clearly annoyed.
She held back a laugh and pressed her lips into a thin line. 'How cute. He's still just a kid after all.'
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Tompa's loud snoring echoed like a bear's, making it hard for the others to fall asleep at the same time as the short man. The four others remained awake, with Morgan returning to her books, a choice that puzzled the two younger boys.
"Hey, Morgan, Kurapika, don't you want to watch TV?" Gon asked.
Upon hearing Kurapika's name, her gaze briefly landed on him. He too was engrossed in reading. "What are you watching?" she asked.
"It seems to be a comedy," Killua responded. "But it's pretty lame."
"A lame comedy movie? That's a no-go then," she replied.
"How about you, Kurapika?" Gon asked.
"No, thank you," Kurapika answered, his attention returning to his book.
"What are you reading?" Gon asked, crawling over to where Kurapika sat against the wall.
"This? It's a compilation of writings by an anthropologist from his research..." Kurapika began.
"Wow, sounds boring!" Killua cut him off.
"It's not. It's quite intriguing," Kurapika countered. "You two would benefit from reading as well, rather than watching mindless things."
"I don't like reading much. I wasn't a great student. Mito-san always struggled to get me to focus on schoolwork," Gon said.
"Who's Mito-san?" Morgan asked.
"My aunt. I studied through distance learning, so she was like my teacher. I think I often frustrated her," Gon admitted.
"I didn't like studying much either," Killua said, turning towards Gon and Kurapika. "But I didn't have to do much of it. Most of my education was in assassination techniques."
Leorio swallowed nervously, and Morgan turned pale. "I see," she said.
"So, it sounds like these two are the only ones who did well in school," Leorio pointed out, "since I also wasn't a fan of studying."
"Are you sure you want to be a doctor?" Killua teased. Leorio gave the white-haired boy a look.
"Actually, I never attended traditional school either," Kurapika said.
Gon looked at Kurapika. "Did you do distance learning, too?"
Kurapika shook his head. "No. I didn't go to 'school' because there weren't many children among the Kurta at the time." He sighed. "Luckily, I always enjoyed reading, or my education would have ended with my tribe..."
His voice trailed off as he finished his sentence.
"Oh, how about you, Morgan?" Gon quickly shifted the conversation towards her. He didn't want the discussion to end now that everyone was starting to share their experiences.
"Going to school is just a waste of money. I'm not much of a bookworm, but I read whatever interests me," she responded.
"Really? You come across as a nerd, though," Killua said, then looked at Kurapika. "Not that reading a lot or being a nerd is a bad thing, no offense."
"None taken," Kurapika said with a nod.
Killua went on, "I meant you raced Kurapika to finish all the books here." He gestured towards their stacks of books on the floor.
"Well, there's not much else to do around here," she replied.
"Wow! So, you learned most of what you know on your own?" Gon asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Morgan confirmed.
"Just by reading?" Gon continued. Morgan nodded. Gon seemed thoughtful. "Maybe I should try reading more."
"You need to remember what you read to be educated, Gon," Killua teased, causing Leorio to laugh.
"Leorio!" Gon exclaimed. "Don't laugh! You didn't know that people would prefer the left route either!" That immediately shut Leorio up.
"Quiet, Gon. You'll wake up his majesty, Tonpa," Morgan warned.
"Nothing's going to wake him up," Killua said. "He's still snoring loudly enough to wake the dead."
"Maybe I should stuff something in his mouth so we can all sleep," Leorio suggested.
"How about one of your ties? You've got enough of them in your briefcase," Killua snorted. "What are you, a tie salesman?"
"He may be an ass, but that's rude," Kurapika remarked.
"You just called Tonpa an 'ass.' That's rude too, you know," Morgan retorted.
"Because he is one," Kurapika replied, unfazed.
Morgan blinked, trying to suppress a laugh.
"Get used to Kurapika. His words are often sharper than you might expect," Leorio said as he lay back on the sofa.
"Aren't you going to offer us a seat?" Killua asked.
"You guys were watching TV."
"You were just on the sofa moments ago!" Killua pointed out.
"There's not enough room for three here," Leorio said.
"You heard the man; there's not enough space," Morgan quipped, mocking Killua's complaints about the lack of space from the previous night.
"Come on, Killua, we're fine right here," Gon interjected.
Killua shot Leorio and Morgan a knowing look. Morgan raised an eyebrow in response, and Killua turned back to the TV. Morgan shook her head.
'This is going to be a long confinement...' she thought.
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Leorio stretched his arms above his head, then glanced at the clock. He had only been asleep for a few hours. Sitting up, he surveyed the room.
Kurapika sat against the wall, a light blanket draped around him, head resting on his knees, seemingly asleep.
Killua and Gon were seated too close to the television, their eyes fixated on the screen.
Morgan was... Leorio blinked. He noticed Morgan, now without her book, seated on Gon and Killua's sofa, staring intently across the room. He followed her gaze and saw it was directed at Kurapika.
"Why do you look like you're ready to shoot holes through Kurapika's head?" Leorio asked after a moment, amused by the intense focus the girl had on the blonde.
Morgan shifted her gaze away, slightly flustered. "Oh, I was just... well, uh... when I first met him, I thought Kurapika's face looked a bit feminine, and sometimes I wondered if he might be a girl. But after seeing him fight that Frankenstein guy and seeing him without all those layers, I'm sure he's male now—or at least, 95% sure... I was just looking..." she trailed off awkwardly.
"You thought Kurapika was a girl?!" Killua exclaimed, bursting into laughter. "If Kurapika was a girl, Mister Pervert over there wouldn't keep his hands off!"
"Hey!" Leorio protested, although his earlier behavior during his match made it hard to deny Killua's point.
"Why did you think Kurapika was a girl?" Gon asked, curious as he turned away from the TV. "He's clearly male," he pointed out.
Morgan frowned. "Can we please not talk so loudly as if the subject isn't within earshot?"
"Clearly male?" Leorio burst out, disregarding Morgan's request. He then tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, I guess you can tell the difference between male and female kiriko..."
"Yeah," Gon agreed.
"Kiriko? You've met one?" Morgan interjected, but her question went unanswered.
Killua shrugged next to Gon. "I don't think it's visually obvious, but Kurapika doesn't act or talk like a girl."
"Ms. Menchi wasn't particularly feminine either," Morgan pointed out.
Leorio exclaimed as if it were blasphemy. "Are you kidding? She's one attractive woman!"
"Not her appearance, her demeanor!" Morgan clarified.
"Whatever, you don't look or act particularly girly either," Killua interjected, inserting himself into the conversation.
Morgan narrowed her eyes. "Why am I suddenly the topic here?"
"Because you're a girl, and you brought this up," Killua said bluntly.
"Let's stay on topic!" Leorio interjected. He was clearly enjoying the discussion and didn't want it to veer off course. "So, do you remember how she was dressed?" Leorio asked. He and Morgan exchanged glances, and they both nervously imagined Kurapika in a similar outfit.
"You guys are sick," Killua remarked, picking up on their line of thought. "And this is pointless. Does it really matter what Kurapika is?"
"Well... uh..." Morgan stumbled.
"If you're so curious, why not just ask?" Gon added.
The two of them turned to Gon with shock. "Ask?!" Leorio exclaimed. "Gon, you can't just walk up to someone and ask them their gender!" Morgan nodded in agreement.
"Why not?" Gon questioned. He stood up and walked over to the sleeping Kurapika, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"No! Stop!" Morgan and Leorio shouted, visibly alarmed.
"Kurapika?" Gon gently shook the young man awake. Kurapika's eyes snapped open, his expression immediately alert and assessing the room. He quickly noticed the tension in Leorio and Morgan's faces, and the mischievous look on Killua's face, who seemed to be struggling to hold back his laughter.
"What's going on?" Kurapika asked cautiously, his words nearly drowned out by Morgan's desperate cries of "Don't! Don't!"
"Well, even though I've already told them, Morgan isn't fully convinced, so I thought you could clarify for them," Gon explained.
"What?! I didn't say I wasn't convinced!"
Gon ignored Morgan's frantic attempts to stop him, while Killua finally succumbed to laughter.
"What?" Kurapika asked, even though he was starting to suspect what the conversation was about. His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Whether you're male or female," Gon clarified.
Kurapika closed his eyes as Morgan and Leorio cried out in protest, both taking nervous steps back as the blond young man stood up, fists clenched at his sides.
"Do you really have nothing better to do than discuss my gender?" he asked coldly. He stepped past Killua, who was now laughing hysterically on the floor. Kurapika pulled out his weapon and aimed it at Leorio. "And if I tell you, are you going to ask me to prove it like you did back there with the female convict?"
Leorio shook his head rapidly, holding his hands up defensively. "No! No, it wasn't me! Morgan was the one staring at you while you were asleep because she wasn't sure what you are. I know your gender—never had any doubt," he lied.
"Hey!" Morgan objected. "I just mentioned that you looked feminine despite your gender! I was joking around with them!"
"Really?" Kurapika asked smoothly, raising an eyebrow. "And you two?" he directed his question to the two young boys.
"Obviously," Killua said, still chuckling.
"Uh-huh," Gon echoed.
Kurapika turned back. He put his weapon away and sighed deeply. "I didn't think my gender would still be a matter of concern at this age," he remarked tiredly. Returning to the sofa, he picked up the book he'd been reading earlier and resumed reading as if nothing had happened.
The other four stared at him in silence for a few moments.
"So... uh..." Morgan started.
"Just let it go, Morgan," Leorio warned.
Kurapika looked up from his book with a calm expression. "Is there anything else?"
"You're... not going to tell us?" Morgan asked hesitantly.
"Tell you what?" Kurapika responded, his tone light but with a hint of mischief.
"Your gender?" Morgan asked cautiously.
"Well, you all seem so certain already," Kurapika replied, giving them a sly smile. "It doesn't seem necessary for me to confirm anything."
Killua burst into laughter again, and Morgan and Leorio exchanged uneasy glances.
Leorio noticed Kurapika's tone and demeanor, realizing that he might be annoyed. He quickly shifted his gaze to the countdown clock above the exit door, anxious for their time in confinement to end.
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Tonpa and Leorio were loudly snoring, sounding like construction crew as they slept. Tonpa leaned back against a large cushion with his mouth hanging open, while Leorio was sprawled out on the sofa, one arm stretched above his head.
"They sound like they're building something," Morgan joked.
Gon giggled and glanced at Kurapika, who was sleeping quietly on the sofa. Morgan, noticing the direction of his gaze, and compared their sleeping habits. "They're like night and day, huh?"
Kurapika was curled up on the sofa again, his back to the group. His blonde bangs fell away slightly, revealing an earring that shook slightly with his steady breathing.
"Now that I think about it, I can understand why you thought Kurapika might be a girl," Gon said thoughtfully.
"It wasn't the earrings," Morgan said.
Gon chuckled. "You two are actually quite similar. You're both smart and enjoy reading. Why were you at odds with each other?"
"You forgot to mention they're both a bit unsociable," Killua inserted which earned him a raise of brow from her.
"If opposites attract, maybe similar personalities repel each other," she replied.
"Oh, so that means you don't dislike me, onee-chan?" Killua teased.
Morgan scoffed. "You are an exception."
Killua shrugged. "Well, there is a significant difference between Kurapika and you."
"Really? What?" Gon asked, intrigued.
"Well, Kurapika just seems more refined," Killua said.
Morgan frowned. "I see what you're doing—just trying to find a way to insult me."
Gon shook his head. "Morgan's refined too, you know! How about... gentle?"
Morgan's jaw dropped. "Are you saying I'm not gentle?"
Killua tilted his head. "Not exactly... but that's not quite it." He remembered Kurapika's precise and graceful demeanor.
"Maybe delicate?" Gon offered.
"Are you implying I'm not?" Morgan asked, annoyed.
"Not necessarily... " The dark-haired boy scratched his head. "Patient?"
"Getting closer, but that's not exactly it either."
"Skinny? Short?" Gon suggested.
"Eccentric? Overly moralistic?" Morgan threw out, frustrated.
Killua rolled his eyes.
"Okay, okay," Gon said, focusing on observing Kurapika and Morgan. The two oldest were still snoring, mouths agape and limbs sprawled. Kurapika hadn't moved and continued to sleep silently, wrapped in the light blanket.
Gon smiled. "I've got it. Kurapika's more disciplined!"
Killua nodded. "And more serious and focused too. He has to be, especially considering becoming an orphan..."
Morgan rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Great job turning a conversation into an opportunity to insult someone."
Killua snickered. "Well, he just doesn't seem like you at all," Killua said, "so I can understand why some people might think he's different from them."
"What about us?" Gon asked.
"Yeah, he's different from us too," Killua added.
"What do you think, Morgan?" Gon asked the girl.
"Hey, I'm disciplined and refined! Killua's just being a brat," Morgan responded.
"Morgan!"
"What are you three arguing about?" a soft voice asked. The three looked over guiltily at Kurapika as he raised his head and rubbed his eyes. He straightened up, stretching his neck before turning his gaze toward them.
"Uh, nothing much," Morgan replied, hoping Kurapika hadn't overheard their earlier conversation.
Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "And you all look guilty because...?"
"Guilty? Us? Not at all," Morgan said, elbowing Gon and giving him a pointed look. Gon and Killua quickly nodded in agreement, trying to appear innocent.
Kurapika sighed and stood up, heading towards the bookshelf as he shook his head.
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They were all prepared and ready to leave.
"Okay, we have about 9 hours and 43 minutes remaining," Leorio announced, checking his watch. "We need to pick up the pace!"
With that, he dashed out of the room, and the rest of them followed. They jogged for a while until they halted in front of two staircases: one leading up and the other down.
Morgan raised an eyebrow, thinking, 'What's going on? This is absurd!'
"Wait, what?" Leorio exclaimed. "Which way do we go?"
For some reason, the group chose to ascend. Morgan didn't question it and just followed them. After running for about 30 minutes, they found themselves back in a familiar room. They had returned to the fighting arena!
Morgan threw her hands up in exasperation. "Oh, come on!"
"We wasted 30 minutes running back here!" Leorio shouted in frustration.
"We should have taken the downstairs staircase," Killua stated nonchalantly.
"Quiet! You agreed to the choice we made!" Leorio shot back at him. Killua seemed unperturbed and gave Leorio a bored look.
They retraced their steps and this time went down the stairs.
After taking the stairs down, they were once again faced with Majority Rules. Their decision triggered a boulder that suddenly appeared and chased them down a hallway. There were more tricks and traps, but one thing was clear in every instance:
They all RAN LIKE CRAZY.
Leorio panted. "We don't have much time left!"
A sign read, 'O to open door, X do not open door.'
"Clearly, we want to open the door!" Leorio exclaimed, pressing O.
Unexpectedly, someone pressed X.
Leorio, now completely irate, whirled around and grabbed Tonpa by the shirt collar. "You'd better stop!" he shouted. "I'm at my limit with you!"
"Relax, it wasn't me who pressed X," Tonpa said, trying to calm Leorio down.
"Leorio!" Gon interrupted. He raised his hand. "It was my fault. I accidentally pressed X."
Leorio released Tonpa and turned away. "Oh."
"Hang on, Leorio," Tonpa said. "You owe me an apology."
Leorio shot a glare at Tonpa. "I don't owe you anything. From the start, you've been going against us."
Tonpa returned the glare. "You're one to talk. Who's the one who lost 50 hours? That was your mistake, not mine!"
'Here we go again,' Morgan thought.
"That's enough!" Kurapika yelled. He tried to calm Leorio down by placing his hand on Leorio's arm.
Leorio shoved Kurapika aside. Sensing a confrontation, Morgan watched as Leorio pulled out his knife and Tonpa assumed a fighting stance.
"Both of you, stop acting like children!" she yelled.
"Calm down, you two!" Gon added.
"Well, I'm going ahead," Killua announced, walking through the door. He stopped and turned back. "Hey, the exit's close by!"
"Thank goodness," Morgan exclaimed, hurrying into the room.
Once inside, the group paused. Two doors faced them, and above them was a bizarre statue-like figure.
"Last junction," the statue spoke. "Now is the moment for your final decision. Are you ready to proceed?"
"Does it even matter?" Leorio asked as he pressed a button. "Of course, we're ready!"
Once again, someone pressed X.
Morgan suspected it was Tonpa this time.
Leorio looked ready to explode, and Kurapika shouted at him. "Cut it out! Do you really think we have time for this?"
Just then, the voice from the statue returned.
"Well, choose one of the two doors. The first path allows six people to go through, but it is long and challenging. The second path permits only four people, but it is short and straightforward."
Morgan closed her eyes, sensing the inevitable and disliking the path it was leading to.
"Realistically, it is impossible to complete the first path in under 45 hours, even if you hurry. If you take the second path, you will reach the end in about 3 minutes."
Her sense of unease was never wrong.
"Press O for the long and challenging path, and X for the short and quick path. If you press X, the door will open once two of you become prisoners and use the chains on the wall."
Morgan noticed manacles and various weapons on the wall that she hadn't seen before. There was an assortment of swords, knives, clubs, and even spears.
"Well," Leorio said, "I should tell you now that I don't intend on becoming a prisoner, so I'm pressing X."
Gon and Kurapika looked shocked by Leorio's declaration.
"It doesn't matter which path we take," Leorio continued. "I'll be one of the people leaving this room."
He looked around the room. "This room is well-equipped with weapons. Do they expect us to resolve this through fighting?"
"I'll press O," Gon said. "We arrived here together, and I want us to leave together."
"Gon..." Kurapika murmured.
"Even if it's risky," Gon continued, "my choice will remain the same."
"Hey!" Killua exclaimed. "That's not only risky; it's impossible! We don't even have an hour left! Our only choice is the short path!"
Leorio turned to Morgan. "What about you, Morgan? Which path do you choose?"
Morgan looked at him for a moment before sighing.
'You knew this would happen...' her inner voice scolded.
Hating to admit she was somewhat right. She knew what to do, and yet… she hated her next decision.
She drawn out her sword. "…I'm sorry."
Tonpa chuckled. "See? Even Morgan showed her true nature. She's just as selfish as I am."
"Shut up, Tonpa. No matter what my decision is. You and I are leagues away." She spat.
"Morgan…" Gon said.
She composed herself and looked at Gon. "I value our time together, truly. I want us to leave as a group." She gave a sad smile. "But if there's no other choice, I'll… I have someone to save." She swallowed hard.
"That's two votes in favor," Leorio remarked.
"Can you really say that?" Tonpa interjected. "Leorio should volunteer, considering he wasted fifty hours. We could have chosen the long path and all passed, but he squandered our time."
"What did you say?!" Leorio shouted back, his temper rising. "You're the one who tried to make us fail at every turn! You should stay behind!"
Kurapika intervened, trying to defuse the situation. "Now isn't the time to dwell on the past!"
As Leorio seemed ready to lose his temper, Gon stepped in. "Let's focus on finding a way to leave together!"
"If none of us are willing to give up, the only option left is combat," Killua warned, his eyes scanning the area. He extended his nails, preparing for a fight, while Kurapika also got ready with his bokken.
With Killua's stance, the situation was growing dire for everyone.
"I have an idea!" Gon suddenly exclaimed, causing everyone to turn to him curiously.
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Morgan emerged from the dark passage into the light with Gon, Kurapika, and Killua beside her. A loudspeaker announced they had 30 seconds remaining. Gon exhaled a sigh of relief.
"We made it just in time," he said.
"I can't feel my hands," Kurapika remarked, staring at them.
Leorio's voice echoed from behind her. "It was a gamble, but it paid off." He and Tonpa stepped out of the shadows just as the time ran out.
"We all made it out together," Leorio said with a grin.
Morgan returned his smile.
"And it's all thanks to Gon," she said, giving his shoulder a congratulatory pat.
Gon blushed modestly. "It wasn't just me; we did it as a team!"
They had chosen the long, challenging route and then used axes to break through a wall, creating an opening that led them to the short and easier path.
"By entering through the long, hard way and using the remaining 50 minutes to carve our way through the wall to reach the short and easy path," Kurapika summarized, "we ensured we could all finish together."
"Exactly, Kurapika," Morgan laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.
Kurapika seemed a bit taken aback by the friendly gesture.
Morgan laughed again at his reaction. "Come on! We all passed dude. That's enough reason to be happy!"
Kurapika chuckled. "Yes, that's right..."
"Children!" Leorio scolded them playfully, joining in the laughter.
Now that the third phase was complete, only 37 had passed. Although one person had died just after walking through the door, technically reducing the count to 36. But what mattered most to her was that she had made it through.
They had all survived and were prepared for the next stage.
Yet, she felt a growing sense of anticipation. What would the next phase entail? Her excitement was mounting. She couldn't wait to find out.
Hope you enjoy! Please review.