2An: I meant to make Gene an emitter- easier to anger and more impulsive than simple. And not detail oriented. I'm not changing it because I mostly am just gonna laugh at the mistake while I read this from now on. Also after the warning of the chimera ants I removed SI because I know the knowledge of what's to come would drive me insane as well.
For nine days and nine nights… I screamed looking at the world… learning what it showed me… but I lost something. What did I lose? What did I forget in order to get this knowledge? What did I trade happily to gain… this. I am alone on an ash tree, and I haven't moved for nine days and nine nights, hung by the noose and stabbed by a spear lightly carved with a poem I recited.
Nen is all about costs to make up for deficiencies, and the closer you are to death the more you grow as a wealder of it and the stronger you are. But what knowledge did I give up for me to grow as much as I feel? And why… Why does it still feel worth it to my mind?
As the sun reaches its zenith on the tenth day, after nine full days and nine full nights, I pluck the spear from my body and use it to snap my noose falling to the floor to land standing. Slowly I stretch my aching muscles and look down, laughing as I do so. One of my hatsu is already at work now isn't it.
Odin in the story learned the world's runes and how to cast many magics. I had similar benefits for my two hatsu. Looking as my body freezes over and heals I can't help but to laugh. So this is what it means to understand the world, and a portion of it so well.
In his stories, Odin was a jerk to three children of Loki. Fenrir, Jormingondor and Hel, the all devouring wolf, the world serpent and the goddess of the underworld. Odin though caused his own death, as originally the wolf was a friend of his court, and through his orders he finished his prophecy through his paranoia by locking it away. 'Loki, in real history and myths, was a counterpart of Odin' Ging once said to him. Meaning anything dedicated to Odin, also is a dedication to Loki as well, after all they are blood brothers aren't they?
More than that, they were foils of one another. Thinking back it's ironic that I got my hatsu, but I'm not complaining. After all, I got the power I wanted, but what was the price? Hunter and protector, wild and ordered, is it any wonder I have now what I truly wanted? I wonder though, will the price lose its value eventually? Will it truly be worth it in the end?
Watching my hands turn to claws and back I can't help but to laugh at a couple things, one at the fact I didn't get anything from Odin besides my knowledge of my own power, and two that my first hatsu makes me a pseudo enhancer while in use.
My first Hatsu is, which at the moment only allows me the benefits of a natural enhancer, being mostly the ability to use transmutation to 80% efficiency. And what comes of that is I can only ever transmute the cold and wind while using my hatsu. And every bit of my aura is just as cold. Going to a river nearby I wash out the blood from my clothes. As I move I notice a few things while smirking, the wolf is not an active hatsu.
My sight, movement, hearing and smell all turned to that of a wolf. 'My instincts and everything else' I laugh internally 'is an equalizer for my cousin's insane skills.' Finally making it to the river he begins to wash the blood from his body and smiles at the differences in his body. He doesn't have abs or things like that, no, because instead his body is optimized.
Many people think a warrior, or a predator's body is nothing but muscle. That a warrior's body is supposed to be nothing but muscle. And they are right in the world of hunters upper echelons. But what is needed for a hunter is the energy to hunt. My hands, my claws feel like they can cut through near anything, myself included.
Unfortunately as I look down my smile turns into a curse as I see one side effect of my rituals' cosmetic differences. My eyes are a glowing gold, 'how in hell am I going to explain this one?' Here the boy sighed, finding all of this troublesome, before he noticed a fish.
THUNK
A jagged nen enhanced icicle pierce's through the fish as the boy smirks. Not turning his aura through transmutation he realizes how his aura is cold. He can never use heat, and has to be careful when dealing with heat, but for now he is going to be the only thing to thrive in the cold as much as he is.
After lighting a fire and cleaning out the scales and eating the fish, Gene runs through the forest fully clothed with his noose and spear thrown into the ocean. Running, jumping, senses and more, everything he is in a physical sense have all been turned into a combination of a man and a magical wolf. Control and sensing through the winds, control of cold 'no matter what I traded' smiling like a maniac 'at the moment this feels worth it.'
Deciding to test himself and gain control of himself before rejoining Gon and their family, he does have five days after all, and he still has one more hatsu left to try out.
—
January 1st, 1999
Whale Island port
"You think Gon is going to do it, he's been out at the swamp for almost a week now?" Said one man sorting a fish towards another. The other man looks contemplative for a moment.
"Maybe, after all, his dad and cousin did it at his age, didn't they?" Here he points his head in the direction of a young man with purple and pink hair, a white dress shirt, black pants and dress shoes effortlessly carrying five crates of fish in both hands. "After all, Ging, Gene and maybe even Gon have got determination and strength in their blood."
"I still feel that Mito doesn't want her boys to be hunters," said one man, observing a red haired woman sorting fish with others from the village. "But even if she doesn't want them to be, she's got to know there is no stopping a Freecs boy from chasing their dream." The two men return to work, barely noticing as every person in hearing distance of them either gives a chuckle, a rueful shake of the head, or just nodding at the fact of life. Every person besides the frown on Mitos face, worried about her two children and the path they are on.
—
Whale island swamp
On a large tree in the middle of a large swamp, sits a young boy in green cargo pants, a long sleeved green jacket and green shoes all with orange highlights. His dark, almost black hair spiked upwards, topped only by the giant leaf he wears atop his head. To swamp is silent with only the sounds of insects and the steady ness of his own breathing. And in his hands a fishing pole, with its line cast before it. Days have passed since he sat in this spot, and he is not caring if it's days more as long as he is in time for the deadline of the exam.
Finally, the green haired boy sees his line grows taunt, and smiles so wide his entire set of teeth is in grand display to the world.
"ALL RIGHT!" He screams pulling the line, only to encounter resistance as he smirks thinking of a few ways around this. Pulling the line tight from his elevated angle in the tree the boy shakes the leaves off his body and runs around it, a faint light making the string almost glow in its use. Jumping down and around the tree screaming and laughing all the while till finally the sight of a giant fish with legs of a crab appears above the water and lands on the tree. "I DID IT AUNT MITO!" The boy laughs still swinging from his line.
—
Whale island port
"Look at the size of it! That's the master of the swamp?" Said one of the various port workers, saying what was on everyone's mind.
"Wow, just like his cousin!" Said another in the direction of a proud looking purple haired young man. The proud gleam of golden eyes making the people laugh at the look of it all.
"Ging started a Freecs tradition now, HEY MITO WHEN ARE YOU GETTING ANOTHER KID TO MAKE US LOOK BAD?" Asked a sailor to the quiet laughter of the people around them.
The two men who were talking about this very thing in the morning smiled and looked towards Mito. "Mito he did it! He caught the master!"
"Aunt Mito look!" Gon said, running towards his aunt. "I caught him just like I said I would! That means we can finally take the hunter exam right?"
Mito sighs sadly but nods her head, knowing nothing and no one can stop her boys now. Silently she wonders if this is Ging's way of making her worry about him for years more now. Maybe he planned all of this just to make her miss all of her boys more? She wouldn't put it past him.
Slowly she is aware of the look in Gon's eyes, then looking towards her adoptive son, and knowing that there is nothing she can ever do to truly stop them. She nods towards Gon, closing her eyes and accepting that this will happen.
"I'll do my best!" Gon exclaimed, running around Mito and joined by Gene. "We'll become hunters! Just wait and see!" Leaving Mito looking sadly towards the sympathetic faces of the townsfolk.
—
Freecs Home
Whale Island
"It must be in their blood" said an elderly voice "Ging was only 12 years old when he caught the master. And only our boys have been able to land him since." The voice belonged to a kind looking elderly woman, with graying hair kept in a bun with a green band. She was staring towards a photo of a man with a shadowed face kneeling in front of a motorcycle wearing an orange cap, a white outfit, covered in a green poncho holding a fishing rod much like Gon had used earlier. "And now our boys have accomplished the very same feat at the same age." Turning back towards Mito, sitting at the dining table and pulling herself a chair.
"I don't have to tell you their eyes sparkle in the same ways as his," she said towards the depressed mother. Frowning slightly towards Mito, and hoping she would understand the same thing she did all those years ago. "It won't be long now, before we have to let them go." She said, drinking her tea. 'I'll miss them too my dear… but we both know we can't keep them here' she thinks sadly. 'Freecs men, all filled with wanderlust' the woman smiles sadly down toward her tea, lost in a lifetime of memories.
—
"Are you both sure about this?" Mito asked both boys, clearly looking for a way around their arguments. She stands in a red blouse and white skirt, a frown maring her beautiful features.
"Yeah" Gon replied, cleaning his fishing pole with his backpack packed.
"Kinda late to ask now mom" Gene said slinging a messenger bag onto a coat rack. "Make sure you have some of those protein bars and things packed Gon, it's known it takes a few weeks for some exams to finish."
"Got it!" Gon said, grabbing some bars and stuffing them into his bag haphazardly while his elder cousin laughed at the enthusiasm. Not even noticing that his cousin packed a few pairs of clothes for him inside his much larger bag with a wink towards his mother.
Mito rolled her eyes while continuing on "when you were just toddlers, your father and uncle abandoned you both to be a professional hunter you know that right?"
"All I remember of him is he was not equipped for any child care besides bedtime stories." Gene said uncaringly towards his mother. "Also my goal is different, and there is a certain kind of hunter I want to be." Looking towards his mom with a smile and continuing to do more and more work around his room, cleaning up whatever little messes or projects he still had around.
"Which you refuse to tell me which type," the annoyed mother muttered to herself before visibly shaking herself and prepared to continue towards the to before shaking her head.
Realizing her son's determination and hoping to appeal towards the younger she turns to Gon. "He chose to be a hunter over his own son."
"Isn't that amazing?" Gon said, smiling towards Mito. Turning fully towards her for the first time in the conversation "It must be an awesome job if it was worth leaving his kid" he stated more than asked with excitement burning in his eyes. "Don't you think?"
At this Mito looks angry, and yells "Being a hunter is a dangerous job!" Closing her eyes not to meet the determination she knew she would see continuing "you can die at any time for any number of ridiculous reasons!" Opening her eyes and noticing the frowns on both her boys' faces she can't help but frown back. "Don't you understand?" she asks, calming down slightly. "Your father and Kite-" freezing slightly with a moment's hesitation. "Your father and uncle never call home! Never tell me they are fine!" She has her voice waved slightly and refuses to look at her son's sly face knowing exactly how much teasing she would get from a look alone if she did.
"No I don't." Gon said simply, looking towards the fishing pole he carries. "But I want to understand!" Standing up now "I want to find out why it was so important to him to become a hunter! That's why I have to do it!" He said loudly towards his aunt. Finally looking at her boys with a reluctant acceptance Mito sighs and agrees, finally settling into a smile shared with her two sons.
"Just like I thought" she said at last "your just like Ging"
—
The next morning
"I promise mom we'll be back soon okay?" Gene says giving the woman who raised him a hug. She shivers slightly at the cold his body produced and can't help but smile towards the son she raised. Happy that he knows what she actually wants from them.
"We'll come back after the exam!" Gon continued happily, "next time you see us we'll be hunters!"
Here Mito smiles at them both. "Instead" she looks at both with a knowing look "promise you'll come home safe okay?" Holding out both her pinkies now she asks them "think you can do that for me?"
Smiling Gene brings up his own hands while Gon proclaims a "yup". The three connect their pinkies together saying "pinky, swear, so, if, I lie, stick, a thousand, needles, ~in my, eye" shaking their hands up and down with each part of the promise. "And seal it with a kiss" they say as they connect their thumbs together.
Gon and Gene smile up at Mito, as she cries towards her two boys and pulls them into a hug, smiling down at the both of them. Silently they hug their mother for a silent few minutes just enjoying the last hug with her they will have for a long few moments. While their great grandmother watches the three slowly they untangle as the two boys start their run towards the port, both eager to start their journey as professional hunters.
—
Port of whale island
In front of a giant ship the appearance of near an entire town shows up. All parted ways for the two boys.
"Good luck Gon!" "We believe in you Gene!" "Make your family proud!" Were a few of the numerous cheers from the many people of whale island. All cheering the two boys and wishing them the best
As the ship sets off, Gon screams for them to hear "WE'LL MISS YOU ALL EVERYBODY!" Waving for them all as his cousin silently waved from his side "WE'RE GOING TO BE THE BEST HUNTERS IN THE WORLD! AND AS SOON AS THAT HAPPENS WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" Both boys continued waving until the island became further and further away. When they finally stopped they turned back when they heard a scoff from behind them.
"Hohohoho" laughed in a deeper gravelly voice. "The best hunters in the world huh?" Seeing a collection of people who wouldn't be out of place on wanted posters greet them Gene looks unimpressed. From the sight of them all, even without Aura the two of them would have been more than enough to take out the lot of them. "Kid thinks this will be easy" seeing the voice come from a scarred bald man, Gene can't help but think the man is a chain smoker. Looking to his compatriots all he sees is weak armor, and cheap blades. None of which is impressive at all considering even the strongest looking of them seem to be able to be defeated with little more than some basic killing intent from the wolf.
"Every single year" began with a man with a flat face. 'Their names from now on are tattoo scar and face fall, because there is no way someone can look like that naturally.' Gene thinks to himself, tuning out the small fry idiots and resuming his looking around to see if there is anyone even slightly worth their time.
'Gon has that situation well in hand' Gene thinks seeing Gon help a crew member pick up his apples. Finally looking towards a young adult reading a porn mag. 'Please tell me the pervert isn't the most interesting person on the ship.'
At the same time both Gon and Gene look up towards the sky. Gene is glad Gon already told the captain about it, he'd rather not try and convince the drunk himself. Surprised, the old captain even believed his cousin. The way it smells indeed.
—
That night, the storm
'Well this is amusing' Gene thought while having a conversation on herbs in parts of the nearby forest with his current shipmate. Internally laughing slightly at the look of idiots sloshing about the cabin while Gon tries and helps a few of the worse ones. The pervert is trying some apples and complains about the sourness before taking another bite, and the crew member Gon helped earlier is getting some water. 'And all these idiots think they can survive the first phase of the exam?'
"What's so funny?" Kurapika asks his new friend. He is a blonde young man with gray eyes , wearing pure white clothes with a blue and red poncho over his shoulders.
"That these idiots think they can pass, let alone take the exam if they are taken out by rough water." Is the answer while Gene smiles impishly towards his new friend. This is the first time he has ever made a friend, all the children on Whale island were terrified of him and Gon or were in awe of the feats the Freecs family accomplished. Gon is his little brother more than a friend, but someone he can talk to and share any interest with us, something the young wolf has been starved of for years, and he isn't letting this go any time soon.
Apparently Kurapika shares his amusement at the situation. "Now now" he states, letting a smirk awash in his features. "It's not nice making fun of the sick, who knows maybe their fools luck will be in their favor?"
Just then the captain walks in, disappointingly staring towards the majority in the small storage room. Gene can't help himself but to call out "this means they fail the examination proctor?" Shocking not only those still standing, but causing the rest of the boat to pale even more.
"Pffehehehe" the old man laughs in his gut. "That's right! You four, my cabin, now!" He motions for Leorio, Kurapika and the Freecs boy to follow him which they do, after looking at Gene in shock.
—
Captains cabin
"Alright then get down in a line and tell me all your names" the captain said, taking a long drag from his cigarette pipe. 'Did he lose a bet or something?' Gene couldn't help thinking 'there are easier ways of smoking than that.'
"I'm Gene Freecs, and this is my little cousin Gon" Gene said while ruffling his cousin's hair while he protested. Gene notices the two others and can't help but wonder what they will answer. Kurapika has been nothing but vague so far, and the other one has just been complaining about apple sourness and reading porn all this trip.
"I'm called Kurapika," Gene's new friend says professionally.
"The name is Leorio" the tallest of the quartet says, slouching slightly as if annoyed he was having to do this.
When the captain asks them why they wish to be hunters, Leorio looks close to acting out of rage, before remembering what Gene revealed to the ship not five minutes ago.
"Money" he finally snarls out. "I want to have the money to fulfill my dreams."
The captain nods before motioning towards Kurapika, saving what he assumes to be the most entertaining for last. He was proved wrong apparently when after a few moments of thought Kurapika responds.
"I'm the sole living member of the Kurta clan." He said, looking at the floor seriously. "Four years ago… my clan was killed by a band of criminals. My dream… my one goal is to bring their killers in myself." Taking a steadying breath "that is why I want to become a hunter… even if it kills me."
"You know" Gene began, looking towards his new friend with an interesting gleam. "There is one huge difference between yourself and the phantom troupe" getting Kurapika to immediately whip his head in Gene's direction. Gene smiled towards him only telling him that if he makes it to the final round he will teach him what he would need to learn, or beating himself or Gon in a fight.
When Kurapika made motion of himself as if to lunge for Gene he felt a hand around his neck stop him as he found Gene no longer in front of him. "It's rude to lunge without warning, you know." Kurapika couldn't move, frozen in fear as he was hearing Gene's voice behind himself. How did Gene get behind him? How- how in hell did he move that fast? "And I know my limits to say I'm nowhere close to the top members of the troupe as well. So if you can't even see me, what hope do you have against them?" During all of this Leorio slowly backed up to the corner of the room, terrified of the "kids" he saw in front of them, looking towards the kid's cousin he couldn't help but think the top members of the troupe must be monsters.
"My goal is to be a medical hunter actually." Gene said happily letting go of the still stunned Kurapika, who fell to his knees at the shock of all that happened in the last few minutes. "My goal is to be the greatest surgeon in the world, to the point where I can help heal anyone no matter the illness and to make sure those I love are healed." Gene finished with a bow towards the captain, who wondered if he should order popcorn watching these brats. The captain motioned towards Gon with a quiet rumbling chuckle, who answered he wants to meet his father.
Gene, feeling tired of the fear, slapped both other boys in the head. "I'm not going to kill you idiots," he said, sounding exasperated. "If you want to learn it make it to the last round, Gon no hints" Gon's mouth closed audibly before Genes' form flickered for a half second as the ship stabilized. The four people in the room are wondering what he did while only the captain is wondering what type of hatsu this boy has.
Leorio, trying to change the topic asks "eh-" cutting himself off slightly as Gene turns towards him he swallows before continuing "do you know the qualification for being a medical hunter? It a… sounds pretty similar to a doctor actually?"
Here Gene smiles towards Leorio, making the young man attempt to smile back, not knowing what else to do. "If you make it to the last round I'll tell you what you need to know. But the job is similar, adding in research in vaccines and species for the cures to all diseases." Here Leorio perked up just as a crew member rushed in looking traumatized.
"CAPTAIN! Somehow we all somehow had all the jobs finished?! Some of the crew members who went overboard ended up in the kitchens with some tea! And all the men who needed stitches or treatments are stitched and treated? WHAT'S GOING ON!?" The haggard looking man begged his captain for information looking closer to breaking down then either Leorio and Kurapika who turned towards Gene and Gon to find Gene helping his cousin with a math workbook with Gon looking at the thing like it offended him. Both wondering how the insane teenager doesn't have a drop on him, where the book came from, and why teach math right now.
At that moment Gene looked up and winked, making Kurapika break down for another moment, exhale loudly and promise something to himself. He'd learn to do that from Gene, then punch him in the face. "You're welcome to try, but please don't announce it for the room to hear. Sets a bad president." Blushing at his obvious obviousness and open saying of his thoughts, the blonde bows his head and sees if he can help Gon with his homework while Leorio asks his next question.
"Can you- ah- you know" Leorio begins to stutter and stumble over his words to Gene and the captains amusement, and Kurapikas enjoyment for company in his misery "teach me to stitch and stuff?"
Gene thinks for a moment and asks the captain if he can have some of the crew's old and ripped clothes to practice instead of anything else, telling Leorio after that he'll stitch up stuffed animals then he can work on cadavers for it to work for stitching. Leorio, seeing the merit devolves into a long discussion on surgical techniques and medicine with a happy Gene, shocking the growing confused faces of the one crew member, the captain, and the two people in the room. Gon, seeing a chance of escape, starts putting away his book before Kurapika lightly cuffs him and helps him through more problems, not knowing what else to do with the insanity that is Gene and doing something that makes sense to his still shocked silent mind.
Perhaps he can learn combat medicine when Gene teaches whatever trick he uses for his movement, or he can ask Gon while alone later. Just have to make sure he isn't around Gene when he asks, not telling what his apparently insane new friends can do after all. Also no idea if he should sleep near this many failed idiots with weapons, trash they may be, but no idea if they would try something.
—
"So we go to Zaban right?" Leorio holds up a piece of paper the crew gave him. "Wonder why they have the dropouts on the paper too?"
"Oh it's the wrong direction, why else would they hand out the paper?" Gene said, wondering why Leorio would even question it. "Why in hell would they give angry dropouts that the captain himself said were worthless any form of direction towards the actual exam?" He honestly wondered about his justification for it.
"Ah- well" Leorio stuttered not knowing what he could say to justify the use of a map passed out mostly to the dropouts for the pre exam trip.
"Hey guys, the captain gave me directions to the next pre-exam portion!" Gon bounced up happily before smiling and pointing towards a large cedar tree.
Kurapika just gave a tired snort and walked with the Freecs in the direction of the Cedar tree. Leorio looked confused for a half minute looking back and forth and seeing a few hopeful faces get in cabs, then remembering that the captain decides who takes the exam… "…heY GUYS WAIT FOR MEEEE!" He shouts running towards the three to the dismissive head shakes of all but three hopefuls hoping to redeem themselves from their sea trip and follow them as stealthily as possible.
—
"Damn this place is creepy isn't it?" Leorio asks, looking around the abandoned place and wondering to himself why it is so. "No one around for miles." The town had an old fashioned feel, much like he grew up around. Stopping himself before he becomes depressed he is shocked when Gene just points towards a giant door.
Instantly an old woman and a bunch of hooded figures show up on a giant wagon slowly going towards the center of the road. Gene, still knowing where the cider tree is, decides he is bored, places a coin in front of the old woman, and a note on Gons forehead saying he is bored, then leaves for the cider tree.
Without having to wait for the others he makes it there in only a couple minutes, seeing some kiriko having lunch and offering them some spices after a shocked period of time and explaining how his friends are coming here the kiriko decide his test is just going to be helping around the house, already seeing the difference in strength and speed between the kid who they just sensed and themselves.
If something is just sensed that means either they are fast enough to just appear, silent enough and good enough to conceal their presence, or a monster in more than one category. And these Kiriko really don't want to die. Thank you very much.
With Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika
"Where the hell did Gene go?" Leorio asked, looking around frantically for the purple haired boy. The longer he swings to look around the more bewildered he feels about the whole journey he's had with the Freecs boys, if it wasn't for Kurapika he thinks that he would probably go nuts. "Did he ditch us?" Which considering how fast his fellow teen is, honestly could be true.
"Yup" Gon says, reading the note he peaked from his forehead. Annoyed he still isn't as fast as his cousin and vowing to be able to put a note on his head! "He wrote a note saying he doesn't have the patience for random birds in a band and just went towards the cedar tree."
Kurapika and the old woman in front of them snorted at the same time, with the old woman sharing a look of shared pain towards each other. The woman decides to just continue her test with a muttered "exciting" watch as Gon is unaffected by her weirdness and Kurapika and Leorio both just seem tired. So she thinks to give them a bit of a show. 'Let's see you ignore me now boys!' Standing straight up she rips the mat in front of her and lets it crash straight through the buildings in either side of the boys she exclaims "TIME FOR THE EXCITING MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ!"
Gon looks hyped with stars in his eyes, Leorio accepts he will be a lower level guy for the rest of the exam considering Gon casually moved a boulder on their way here, this old woman destroyed two buildings with what looked like an average tatami mat, and Genes… Gene. Resolving himself for his course of action he turns to Kurapika who looks at the woman with a tired sort of betrayal he can feel in his bones and just says what's on his mind.
"The longer we go through with this terrifying pre-exam thing the more and more I appreciate you. For all the things I've done before to you I'm truly sorry." Said the stone faced teenager towards his slightly younger friend. Even he can see the amusement from the proctor woman and her bands shoulder shaking, and being the mature hard working man he is, he flips them the bird without breaking eye contact with his blonde friend.
Kurapika, joining in Leorio's one-fingered salute, can only feel oddly touched by this gesture. "I agree, but I also pull through with the idea of learning from him and then punching him in his teeth afterwards. Also at least we won't be bored right?" The final sentence seems to be more towards himself than his new brother in arms against insanity. "I'm sorry traitor woman you were saying?" The blonde avenger turns back towards the woman while lightly cuffing Gon for asking about their gesture with a quiet "ask your cousin" while watching the band behind her vibrate slightly from suppressed laughter.
The woman smirks at the obviously tired boy, most likely he was a far more serious person in everyday life but has had his first experience with a nen user. Becoming serious she begins her test.
"This test has very few rules. First you can only answer with one or two. Second, any other answer will immediately disqualify you. Are you ready?" She says looking at them all. 'The blonde looks like he has a strategy or two huh?'
"A villain kidnaps your mother and your true love, you can save one but the other dies." The old woman savagely presses on from their shock and continues on. "Say one for your mother and two for your truest love."
Here the old woman folds her hands in front of her and observes the three of them for how they react. There were 4 types of answers though because of how narrow this test is. First is the contemplation, what would you do in this situation. This is usually the path of the monsters, born to be the kinds of hunters that the chairman adored. And low and behold the green headed boy looks to be contemplative.
'For one so young to feel the need to contemplate this question, to think this deeply?' The woman thinks to herself. 'There have been few monsters I have met at younger, having his aura unlocked so young must also be a factor as well isn't it? After all' thinking of an old man in a white robe with blue trimmings 'those people were born to be hunters.'
The second type is the angered, the good man, the heart. The man who would do his best for both, and the very idea that he won't succeed? Never a conclusion because of their drive to be a victor, the need to save them because anything else would be a mortal blow to their own heart. The tall young man in the suit seems to be this type, the honest and open disgust on his bespecled face plain to see. 'The type who is needed for balancing the others, I wish you all the luck young man, you'll need it.'
The third type, the thinker who derives deeper meanings. Ironically this is the only one related to nen types, after all manipulators and conjurors have similar problems. The need for control, the need for people or the situation. Usually out of loyalty or a code they craft themselves, they feel the need to put everyone on the same pedestal they put themselves or the people are 'monsters', 'scum' or whatever hogwash.
If the boy wasn't so tired and used to these trick questions he probably still would get it.
"You have ten seconds to answer" internally the woman was smiling knowing they would pass, but not with the slapstick, always a treat.
"Argh-mmmmmm" as Leorio was dropping from the mental pressure of the question and reaching for a wooden stick to attack these proctors with Kurapika hit him over the head with his boken, grabbed him by his mouth, threw him to the floor and with glowing red eyes which leorio mistakes as the worst case of red eye in human history, holds a finger to his mouth in a quieting gesture. Leorio thinking his new friend snapped from the insanity of the Freecs boys just gives him a terrified thumbs up.
"Congratulations on passing" she says to Leorio's shock. Explaining how the choice is one no one should make, but happens all the same. Opening the door they see the still contemplating 12 year old. Before hearing what Gon says when the two wake him from his thoughts.
"I was thinking about what I would do." He said simply taking both boys aback.
"Gon you know it's a test right?" Kurapika says to the boy and watching him nod along before looking Kurapika in the eye.
"But what would I do?" Gon looked to the side "Gene has saved me from everything that was a threat to me since I was a kid, or Uncle Kite when it wasn't Gene." As frustration consumes his mind and body language, Gon can only look down and say "they have never needed me for anything, they teach me to fight, nen, cooking, how to take care of myself but they've never needed me." Punching the floor "what would I do when they need saving instead?"
Here the two teens think of Gene, the casual monster who destroyed their idea of how a normal person functions. The idea of someone so strong, someone so above their weight class as an elder sibling? The amount of expectations put on Gon must be immense. And if Gene is the kind of sibling to put a note and a challenge to Gon while moving fast enough to show how far he has to go?
The fourth type, the monster of two minds. The one no one knows if they would save both or let them die. A sociable sociopath or the true monster. You never know if they are good or evil because something made a monster of them, even if it's just their birth. And no matter what, god help those who truly anger a monster. 'Perhaps it's for the best I don't see the fourth member, seeing both sides of Isaac at once might be to much for someone my age.' The old woman can only close her eyes at the horror such an idea gives her. Praying she is perhaps wrong.
To the two friends though, the idea of needing to save the boy and his father? Whoever uncle Kite is, that is a terrifying thought. What kind of monster is that guy's dad? Also Gons if his father is a freaking hunter as well. Not for the first time since they started traveling with the two cousins the idea scared them. And Kurapika had the realization thrown at him, even Gene said he would lose to the highest members? He would need to beat every challenge set upon him by his new friend to half a chance at anything.
'Let's hope I can survive the insanity' thought Kurapika pulling his young friend into his side and set off down the tunnel. Distracting a twelve year old with inane topics while walking down to a giant cedar tree to meet up with their terrifying fourth member? Easier then contemplating the amount of insanity he'll need to do in order to complete his mission. Whatever it takes.
An: okay now explanation- the Kurta aren't explained as well here so the scarlet eyes are still niche famous, unless your into it or a hunter dealing with that sector its unlikely to know about the eyes, so Leorio only knows a crazy person group killed his friends entire extended family.
Next yes Gene has two hatsu with one based on fenrir, there is more to it then ice and if you know your myths onthe wolf you'll know what it is. The other is related to a couple plot lines later but will not really be shown till the zoldyck arc because the only threats to Gene in this exam are Illumi and Hisoka, everyone else no matter what can't do anything to these three for anything.
Lastly is Kurapika, here he gets a friendly check on reality with the option to learn the way to do what he wants and seeing the difference in power. He was on a ship with sick and distraught people who know they failed from the OP Gene not seeing the consequences meaning he didn't get sleep knowing he could be attacked at any time. Being shown how small a fish he is in the well known for applicants? He is running on no sleep and feels like a kitten traveling with two tigers but seeing the good in them
No idea when the next update is but I got plans for the story up to the greed island arc so let's see how far I go!