The x Zoldyck x Daughter | Hunter x Hunter

Chapter 2 | A x Friendly x Race

Michiko followed Killua down the dark tunnel for hours. The soft dripping sounds of water was the only thing that interrupted the silence. Michiko was not tired, far from it, rather she was excited and anxious. She enjoyed her family and her life, but she wanted something more. She knew exactly why she was following her brother, Killua down the dimly lit tunnel that seemingly lasted forever: She wanted a friend.

Assassins do not have friends, only business allies. You cannot have friends, Michiko.

She remembered her father's words exactly, and as she took every step further from the Zolyck Estate, she felt as if she was betraying him little by little. She could not help but constantly think of the events that occurred previously that day. Killua stabbed Kikyo and Milluki while he was trying to get away. Michiko was in shock for a moment and did not react, but instead looked at her brother in his blue, vibrant eyes as if she was desperately wondering what she should do. But Killua chose for her that day.

He kept eye contact, took her hand, and said, "Let's go make friends." His smile to his sister was not the sly, devious smile her brother often used on missions, but rather it was a genuine, friendly smile. This was the only prompting Michiko needed as she was released from her state of shock. Grasping Killua's hand tightly, she ran with him off the mountain. She followed him as they ran down the hill and into a tunnel. She hoped more than anything, that she would not regret her decision.

<<<<<>>>>>

"Hello, I am Bean. Please take a card and wait here for further instructions." Michiko and Killua took #99 and #100 cards from the green, bean like person who had greeted them. Michiko walked through the crowd of applicants slowly, taking a look at the general group. She had learned from a young age, how to recognize strong people. Compared to her power, she did not sense any major threats, that was until she laid her eyes upon applicant #44. The clown man with bright pink hair and colorful makeup intrigued Michiko, however she could sense his blood lust and kept her distance. It was at that same time that an applicant bumped into the mysterious man and walked by him as if he did not have a care in the world. #44 did not appreciate this and in an instant, the man's horrific screams echoed throughout the large room. Others watched in fear as well as the man's arms began to turn into flower pedals.

"When you bump into someone, you really should apologize." #44 wore a sly smirk as he scolded the panicking man. His creepy expression was something Michiko was used to seeing in the assassin business, but when he turned and looked her in the eyes, she began to feel a small sense of fear. He simply bowed at the young girl before turning and walking away. Michiko did not have much time to process the incident because she suddenly felt a menacing presence behind her. She quickly turned around to see a face full of pins, and she knew this could only be the eldest Zoldyck son, Illumi in disguise. They made eye contact for a moment before her thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice.

"Hello there, young girl! I am Tonpa, applicant #16 this year! And you must be...?" An overweight and short man with an annoying voice and cocky grin greeted Michiko, and she was taken back by how much he reminded her of Milluki.

Michiko bowed respectfully, "Michiko, just call me that."

"Well, Michiko, how about we drink to our new friendship?" Tonpa offered her a can of juice, but she could immediately tell that there was poison in it.

His cheery voice began to annoy Michiko and she quickly ended the conversation, "We are hardly acquaintances. And one more thing, be careful who you try to trick because not everyone is so gullible." Michiko then took the can and dumped it in front of Tonpa, leaving him speechless. She could hear him mutter something disrespectful as she walked away, but she knew he was not worth her time.

It seemed as if the exam was finally going to begin. The applicants had been asked to simply follow their instructor, Satotz to Phase Two. Killua rode his skateboard while Michiko peacefully ran next to him.

"Hey, you can't do that! You're cheating!" The quiet was then interrupted by a loud voice belonging to an older looking man. He was tall and had spiky black hair. He wore a blue suit and held a briefcase as he ran, panting like a dog.

Michiko felt angered by the man's hasty assumption, and went to put him in his place when suddenly another voice spoke up. "He is not cheating though, Leorio. The man said we simply had to follow him, he did not say we had to run."

Michiko looked down at the young boy dressed in green with spiky, black hair. He had a charismatic and innocent aura, and she could not help but feel attracted to him. Killua's frown disappeared and suddenly curiosity took over when he asked the boy his age.

"I'm twelve!" he answered cheerfully.

He is Killua's age and two years older than me. Michiko considered this fact and the possibility that she and her brother could befriend him. In one swift movement, Killua jumped off his board and and ran next to the cheery boy in green.

"I'm Gon!" he said introducing himself with a large grin. Michiko looked at him and could not understand the subtle, uneasy feeling she had in her stomach when she looked at the boy.

"I'm Killua, and this is my younger sister, Michiko." Killua replied and referred to Michiko. She did not know exactly how to react to the strange feeling, so she forced a small smile.

<<<<<>>>>>

It seemed as though the steep set of stairs would go on forever. With no end in sight, many applicants had dropped out with only various echos of groans reminding the applicants of how many were left behind.

Killua turned to Gon and challenged him to a race. Gon agreed saying the winner had to buy dinner, before looking to his other new friend, Michiko, You in? Michiko's eyes lit up and she suddenly felt an adrenaline rush again. With a simple nod, Gon counted to three and the trio dashed up the stairs leaving countless applicants in the dust.

Michiko felt a sense of relief as she saw the light at the end of the tunnel. With one last long jump, the three simultaneously made it over the final step passed Satotz.

"I was faster!"

"No, clearly I passed first!

Michiko rolled her eyes at the bickering boys and then turned to the Phase One Examiner, "Excuse me, but do you know who won the race?"

Satotz smiled briefly at the young girl. He had too much experience as a Hunter to know that she was no ordinary child. He could see her strong powers that she had yet to understand and he wished her well, "I believe that you three crossed the finish line simultaneously."

Gon thought for a moment, "Then how about we all buy each other dinner once!" Killua and Michiko both smiled at this request. Michiko felt happiness and a sense of achievement that for once had not been because she killed a target. She felt content knowing that she had not yet felt regretful of her actions.

Looking down at the steep stairs, other applicants finally began to arrive at the top and some fainted from exhaustion. Michiko's eyes scanned the crowd when she noticed the briefcase man, Leorio and the blonde feminine looking boy make it to the top. She then noticed her brother in disguise come up. She continued to look down at the stairs when her glance was met with a pair of yellow, mischievous eyes. The clown man casually sauntered up the last few steps before walking through the crowd. Michiko watched his every move carefully as a wave of uneasiness washed over her.

A/N: I apologize for the inconsistent uploads but as Hunter x Hunter fans, you are aware of how extensive the Hunter Exam is. There are many important details set up in this arc and I am taking my time to decide how I want to portray the characters and events. Thank you again for the great start, and feel free to comment feedback and leave a heart. [Edited 7.23.17]