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Dark.
Light.
Green.
Red.
Grass.
Blood.
Cards...
A pink card became slowly recognizable as the four of spades. The card spun in an intricate circle as red began to seep from the corner.
The card was dripping with blood.
Someone was going to die.
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The girl had snapped awake as her eyes struggled to focus on her surroundings. Her thighs had grown clammy from being pressed against Killua's sides, unmoving as she slept. The boy's white fluffy locks shifted in the breeze tickling her face as she began to shift— alerting the boy of her arousal.
"Kamine, you're awake." His grip on her legs tightened he hoisted her higher on his back. "Are you feeling better?" He question as she looked around brushing her bangs out of her face.
She was in fact feeling much better, her stomachache had vanished in its entirety as she felt energized and ready to go. Nevertheless, she couldn't shake the growing feeling of anxiety she received from her most recent vision.
She used to only get them a few times a month, and never as vivid as recently. Now she suffers from uncontrollable visions several times a day, each taking their own different tolls on her body.
At least this premonition wasn't about her, she wasn't sure her body could handle another round of prognostication trauma.
That's what she called it, the phenomenon that occurred when whatever she would predict with her visions would still happen to her body, even if the circumstances were different.
She vowed to kill Tonpa for handing her that drink the next time she saw him. Originally, she had predicted she would received horrible stomach pain and constantly be throwing up or defecating. Thankfully she avoided that by not drinking the laxative, but instead she received still received severe nausea and fever as karma for avoiding her initial fate.
Even in the hotel, she had predicted being electrocuted and crushed when the power went out, she wasn't sure why. Instead of being electrocuted, she began bleeding from every orfice of her face.
These visions were growing incredibly frustrating.
She looked around noticing the missing presence.
"Gon left just a few minutes ago. Said he had to check something... he said he'd meet us at the second phase." Killua explained, guessing what she was curious about.
His grip tightened once again, "If you're still not feeling well I'll carry you into the second phase." Killua looked away, a rare instance of his kindness and deep care for the girl showing as the tips of his ears tinged pink.
The girl shifted, trying to get comfortable on the boy. She wasn't going to waste the rare opportunity of Killua's kindness towards her and she was still reeling from the shock of her fever and knew she shouldn't push herself.
She relaxed as a slightly sweet smell, the smell of chocolate, filled her nostrils. She relaxed her head against Killua's back as she absorbed the scent, already familiar with the smell and it's owner. She allowed to body to become limp as she relaxed in his arms, carefully to keep a socially acceptable distance from his face, even if there was a small, embarrassing part of her that desperately wanted snuggle into his shoulder.
She couldn't shake the anxiety of her dream. That card... she frowned as she remembered it's clear magenta pattern darkening as the card stained with blood.
"What card?" Killua questioned startling the girl, she wasn't aware she had voiced her thoughts aloud. Her grip on his shoulders tightened as her face seared in embarrassment, she was shocked she could make such an amateur mistake.
She used this opportunity to learn more information about her eerie prognosis, "A pink poker card... have you seen one recently?" She asked quietly as the boy hummed before frowning.
"If you're talking about playing cards, that freak #44...Hisoka I think his name is, he uses them. He killed someone before the first phase...almost killed the examiner too." Killua furrowed his brows as he remembered the psychotic clown.
"Killed?" The girl murmured from behind the boy's back as her most recent vision played over and over in her mind.
Someone was going to die.
A possibility then dawned on her, her face paling in realization.
Gon!
She snapped up, ripping herself off of Killua's back as she sprinted into the woods leaving the boy shocked and bewildered as he quickly lost sight of her.
"Kamine?!" He frowned before chasing after her. It was just minutes of sprinting to the fog that he realized he had completely lost the female.
"Damnit!" He hissed aggressively kicking a pebble, gasping when it ricocheted back at him after hitting a wall and almost took him out. He swiftly dodged to the left as an unsuspecting bird behind him was suddenly pelted by a pebble so strong it instantly flopped to the ground and died.
The event only fueled his anger. If he ran any longer he would never find his way back to the main group.
"Damnit Kamine!" He repeated aloud as the fog began thickening, "If you don't make it back to me I'll go back and kill you myself." He vowed in frustration, allowing himself the liberty to curse now that Kamine and Gon were gone.
Giving up in frustration be turned around, turning back towards the group as he tried to ignore the growing concern in his stomach for the female.
"She didn't even take her bag..." Killua frowned as his hands tightened on the pristine black bag.
She better turn out okay.
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It didn't take the female long to track down Gon. She didn't know why she felt such an obligation to protect the boy, the only person she was obligated to protect was Killua. Perhaps it was because she unconsciously knew the anguish Killua would feel at the thought of his first and only friend dying at the hands of a sadistic jester. Or perhaps it was due to the brilliant optimistic gleam of his large amber hues as he talked about his dreams of becoming a hunter and finding his dad.
She shook her head, she wasn't in a position where she could waste time thinking about stuff like that.
She found a clearing littered with corpses, a singular man stood in the center, his expression unfazed by the unpleasant gargling off the child he was holding. No, in fact he seemed to enjoy watching the boy, smiling as the boy's lips turned purple as he struggled to breath.
It was only a matter of seconds before his body went limp as Kamine gasped. She reached for her bag only to retract her hand in shock as she realized she never took her bag back from Killua.
Mentally punching herself she broke off a twig nearby before aiming it at the male. The sound had alerted his presence, he attempted to cut the incoming stick with a singular card. Unable to cut the stick in half the stick redirected to swipe his face, ripping the card in half in the process.
"Interesting..." The man grinned licking the blood that dripped from his cheek with amusement. He looked up before searching for who attacked him.
Careful to stay in his blind spot the girl leaped in the air, attacking him from above as he failed to process the situation.
"Above?" He hummed amused as he finally recognized her oncoming attack. He blocked his face in less than a split second but to his own surprise the female attacked his shoulder instead, hearing a defiance "Crunch" as she made contact.
Pain shot through his shoulder as he was forced to leg go of the boy, unable to move his arm. "So you dislocated my shoulder..." He commented simply before popping the bone back into place, barely wincing at the painful process.
The girl didn't hesitate before checking Gon's condition relieved to see the boy had resumed breathing, even if he was still conscious. His shallow breaths worried the girl, alongside the clear hand marks around his neck.
"Don't worry, I wasn't going to kill him. He has far too much potential for that." Hisoka grinned devilishly as he lugged a different, black-haired man over his shoulder.
It was one of Gon's friends, Kamine processed.
The girl took a step forward, unable to decide whether to go an support Gon's friend who is probably going to die if he hasn't already, or let his friend be killed but stay back and protect Gon. She furrowed her brows as she glared at the pink-haired man, she was smart enough to know in a fair fight she wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against this man. Nevertheless, she had to try.
She felt an unusual energy build up within her as the man backed away.
"Woah there princess," Hisoka raised his hand defensively as the girl uncomfortable shuddered at the perverted nickname, not that she was going to verbally correct it. "I'm not going to kill you or your friends." He responded surrendering at the girl seemed unconvinced.
"I mean it, it would be such a waste to kill you and little Gon when you're such delicious looking fruits just waiting to ripen." Hisoka licked his lips as the girl paled, standing over Gon protectively as she resisted the urge to gag once again.
"I'll bring this guy back to the exam site, I'm sure you can find you way back on your own? I mean— given you were able to find me." Hisoka hummed as he turned away, lugging Leorio on his shoulder.
"I mean... you do know Nen after all." He ominously commented to the girl as she furrowed her brows in confusion. She was bewildered by his comment as she stared down at herself.
She had never heard of such a thing in her life. Confused on what he was talking about she decided to ignore it before turning to the boy beneath her, who had yet to stir.
She frowned, feeling anxiety spike her being as she gently poked the boy.
He didn't wake up.
Kamine winced, it was times like this she really wished Killua was here. Killua would've woken up to a simple poke on the cheek or a blow in his ear, and if he was here he would've shaken Gon awake so that she didn't have to raise her voice.
She poked him again. No response.
"Gon..." She mumbled almost silently, shaking the boy. "Gon, wake up."
"Gon." She said more clearly as the boy began to stir causing her to increase her shaking.
"Wha-..." The boy sat up confused as he hacked out a cough, his body shaking as his lungs struggled to function normally again. The girl patted his back gently, she wished that she brought her bag with her, she was sure there was something in their for the boy to drink.
"Kamine..." Gon looked up at the girl who had kneeled beside him."...Leorio! Hisoka! Where is Hisoka?!" He panicked shooting up as he looked around for the man in question.
Kamine simply grabbed his shoulder before shaking her head.
The boy frowned, he wasn't sure what she meant. But he wasn't going to push the shy girl to talk, sending the anxiety wafting off of her.
Killua and her are always attached at the hip, it's fairly understandable how anxious she is being alone. Which made him come to a second conclusion, "Wait. What are you doing here? Did you come follow me?" Gon questioned as she gave a small nod before glancing around, picking up a small item as she stared at it in shock.
It was half of the four of spades, dripping with blood, just like in her vision.
"You saw him, huh." The boy clenched his fists as he looked at the girl, growing frustrated with his total lack of power in comparison to Hisoka.
"Wait... did you save me?" Gon's eyes widened as the girl turned around to face him. The boy's hazelnut irises landed on her piercing violet ones as she gave a small nod.
The boy felt a weird sensation fill his stomach as he looked at the girl, she had barely know him yet she came all this way to save him. As frustrating as having to be saved was, he couldn't help the giddiness he felt as the seemingly emotionless girl caring enough for his well-being to put herself in potiential danger for himself.
"Thank you Kamine!" He smiled a tinge of heat stinging the back of his neck. He adored the girl's quiet forms of kindness and from there he made a small vow to himself, he would pay her back for saving him today while protecting her from any potential danger.
"I'm so happy I got to meet you." Gon replied earnestly as the girl's eyes widened, her mouth agape. The boy hummed at her expression, curious if he said something wrong.
"I'm glad..." She mumbled as the boy titled his head in confusion.
She said nothing as she stood up, walking away a few steps before pausing. She took a deep breath, waves of anxiety rolling off her as she refused to face the boy, "...I'm glad I got to meet you too." She finally stated before stomping off, startling the boy.
He gave a bright smile as a pink hue filled his cheeks, "Haha! You're so cute, Kamine!" Gon replied honestly as the girl seared in embarrassment at his words.
"But I don't know where you're going, Leorio's scent leads that way." The boy pointed to a direction opposite from the girl as she looked at him in bewilderment.
"He wears a really strong cologne. If we lead it I'm sure it will lead up back to the others." Gon explained as the girl nodded, following his lead.
He was hoping to talk to the girl more but she seems to have clammed up after her comment. The two walking in peaceful silence as they approached the second exam site.
After everything that had happened he had almost forgotten about the exam, he needed to refocus or else he'd never pass.
And thanks to his sense of smell it was less than thirty minutes before they had found their way to the exam site, faithfully guided by the strength of Leorio's cologne.
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-* notes *-
#16 - Gon is beginning to adore Kamine's quiet forms of kindness.
#17 - Killua unintentionally killed a Ruse Raven with the stone he kicked.
#19 - Hisoka wasn't able to cut the stick in half with his card due to the unusual power enveloping its bark.
#20 - The only reason why Kamine managed to dislocate Hisoka's shoulder was because he was more curious on how she would attack him rather than the damage he could incur.
#21 - Kamine felt a little guilty she try to save Leorio, even though it ended up helping them in the long run.
#22 - Kamine didn't really know how she located Gon, she just followed her instincts.
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