Glass Girl [KilluaxReader]

The Prodigy

(Y/N) POV - 3443 words

I hope this lives up to your expectations!

    I sit up suddenly, startling Korako off the pillow. I'm shaking, sweat dripping from my head. What was that? Crow? I shake my head, there's no way. The puppy walks in a small circle around my body, assessing me from all angles. He sits and whines at me, worried. I look at him, thinking about his namesake, my older brother, dead for two years.
    My hands clench in the blankets. I look at the clock, it reads 6:00 a.m. The sounds of merchants setting up their market stalls already filtering through the window. Wow, I really slept in today. I get out of bed, Korako following me onto the balcony. I lean my arms against the railing, breathing in the morning air. I remember what Crow said to me in my dream, "I'm here for you, kid. Stay strong, (Y/N)."
    I tilt my head towards the sky, "What am I going to do, Korako? There's no harm in following his advice, I mean, he could be telling the truth. Then again, this was a dream for hell's sake. How am I supposed to believe it?"
    He just yips at me, tugging on my pant leg. I smile at him, "I guess I will go, then. How'd you like to go to the Hunter Exam?"
    He chases his tail in excitement. I grab my clothes from the line where they're drying and replacing my current attire. I don all my weapons which I'd left in the compartment before I'd gone to sleep the night before and head out, Korako close on my heels.
    I climb through the hatch in the roof, gathering my thoughts as Korako climbs through behind me. I decide, looking down at him, now was as good a time as any to start training him. I run to the edge of a small gap between buildings, one he'll definitely be able to jump. I jump over to the next roof, calling his name and gesturing for him to follow. He jumps without hesitation, landing smoothly, with grace. This'll be easier than I thought.
    I test his ability, leaping across larger and larger gaps each time. It seems he's able to keep up with me easily, sometimes even outpacing me. Once again I wonder exactly what manner of creature he is.

    We leap across rooftops until I come to my destination. The sign above the door reads, "Gohan." I push the door open, looking around. The door closes behind me as the man behind the counter says, "How may I– uh, miss? Pets aren't allowed in our establishment."
    I don't deign to comment, instead saying, "May I have the steak combo for two, grilled slowly over a low flame 'til done, please."
    I recite Crow's words as best I can, giving man behind the counter my best "the dog stays with me" look. Granted, it's a look I've never given anyone before, but I think I did pretty well considering he shuddered slightly and gestured to a room in the back.
    "Right that way, miss."
    I nod in thanks, Korako trailing me. He's so well behaved for a street dog. Any living being—dog or human—would be chomping at the bit to get to any of the food here if they were living like he'd been. I push open the door to find the room empty save for three chairs and a table. I sit, waiting for something to happen. Korako, bless his heart, attempts to sit in one of the chairs next to me. He settles for laying on the ground next to me, huffing in disappointment.
    The ground starts moving suddenly, causing Korako to yelp in surprise. I stand quickly, jumping into a fighting stance. The entire room begins moving downward, a number above the doorway ticking up.
    "It's an elevator," I whisper, half to myself and half to my companion who sneezes in disdain. I huff out a breath in amusement.

    A few minutes later, when the number hits 100, the elevator doors open releasing us into a huge cavern. I've been living here for two years and I've never known something was beneath us. This is insane. The tunnel stretches off into the distance and the ceiling reaches almost farther than I can see. There are hostile looks from the few people in the room. I'm surprised, not many people are here. There's a stout man with a tag reading "#16" sitting on the wall, watching the elevator with beady eyes. Immediately, a menacing presence makes itself known. A tall man with pink hair and pale skin stares me down. I know already to stay far away from him and be wary. He reminds me of a clown. No others stand out to me, so I proceed to walk into the room, cautious.
    Korako follows. I only notice now, he seems to have grown. Where he was about knee-height before, now he reaches about mid-thigh. Maybe it was the human flesh from last night. I notice he also looks much more menacing, having adopted a protective stance as we walk side-by-side. I place my fingertips lightly on his spine, soothing him.
    A green, bean-like figure comes up to me, handing me a badge. He says, "You're applicant number 47. Welcome to the 287th Hunter Exam."
    I nod, "Thank you."
    The bean moves away, returning to his post near the elevator. I guess I'll have to wait for the rest of the applicants. I'm only the 47th person here. I'm sure there are many more people to come, so I settle myself against the wall, senses wide open and alert. Korako lays next to me, setting his head in my lap.
    "I haven't seen you here before. Are you new?" A voice asks. I don't say anything, staring at the stout man from before. He continues, "My name's Tonpa. This is my 35th time taking the Hunter Exam, so if there's anything you need, feel free to tell me, okay?"
    I remain silent, but he doesn't seem to get the hint and keeps talking, "You see him there? The clown guy? His name's Hisoka. He's the only other one here repeating the Hunter Exam so far. He was eliminated last year after nearly killing an Examiner who didn't quite sit well with him."
    My eyes shift to the clown, I wouldn't put it past him to kill someone for shits and giggles. Interesting. I speak quietly, making Tonpa strain to hear me, "Why?"
    "Pardon?"
    "Why have you taken the Hunter Exam so many times? You said this is your 35th time taking the Hunter Exam? Why did you fail before?"
    "Oh," he pauses, a dark feeling washing over him before it dissipates again, "It just got too difficult in the later trials, even after all these years I haven't been able to get passed a certain point. I've gotten pretty close, though."
    I'm not an idiot. I know there's something more sinister going on with this man. No one who wants to be a Hunter would fail 34 times, they would train as hard as they could before retrying it. He must've qualified somehow. There are so many others who wouldn't have made it this far. I'm guessing there should be about 500 out of millions of applicants who actually make it to this room. I begin to stroke Korako's head gently to keep my hands occupied, "I must admit, it's admirable of you to keep trying even after failing so many times."
    "Tell you what," Tonpa offers, his friendly disposition returning in full force, "I've come prepared with some snacks and drinks. How'd you like a drink?"
    I nod, knowing full well it's probably laced with something undesirable. As I tip the drink to my lips, I sniff a little. Just as I suspected, it's a nearly odorless laxative, and a strong one at that. I don't drink any, but I angle my body so Tonpa can't see. I'm immune to this particular laxative, but I'm not a huge fan of soda, so I leave the can on the ground. Korako moves his head to sniff the can, sneezing and snapping at it before settling back down.
    "May I have another?" I ask Tonpa. I seem to catch him off guard as he starts.
    "Oh, sure. Of course," he replies quickly. I stuff it into one of the many hidden pockets in my jacket, the way it's designed giving off the appearance of nothing being there. It's a dangerous bit of information to give out, if you know how to use it, but I know Tonpa isn't smart enough to catch on. If he knows I can hide an entire drink can without any fabric distortion, what other things could I hide? It's information any experienced person would be able to take advantage of, but Tonpa seems to be absorbed in his own world. Just as he's about to leave, I speak.
    "You know," I pause, "It's rude to poison someone who gave you a compliment."
    He sweat drops, clearly nervous, "Uh, I should go offer some other people some drinks."
    He rushes off, quicker than I thought he'd be able to move. I shake my head at his retreating figure.