ꕥ

The candidates who had passed were called to gather into a large room. Chairman Netero was giving out his speech, while Valentine zoned out and her fingers gently caressed Zeus's head as the bird stood on the table in front of her, his beady black eyes staring up at her.

Suddenly, the door bursted open and jumping with fright, Valentine looked towards the door and saw Gon standing there. A small bandage shaped x was on his forehead and his arm was in a sling, causing the blonde to grimace as she thought back to when Hanzo had broken his arm.

She could almost hear when he had broken the bone.

Sending a piercing glare towards Illumi, Gon slowly walked towards the Raven-haired man and sent a glance towards Valentine as he passed by, he could tell that she was just as angry as he was.

She just hid it well.

Without a word, the boy approached the man and faced him courageously.

'Apologize to Killua',Gon seethed and glared at his friend's older brother.

Blankly looking up towards the boy, Illumi saw the enraged look on his and the blonde girl's face as they heatedly stared him down.

'Sorry',Illumi apologized, blankly staring at the two and acted as if he had done nothing wrong,'But what for?'

Tightly pulling his eyebrows together, Gon angrily frowned and his dark eyes glowed with the anger he felt.

'You don't know what you did wrong?',Gon questioned.

'Nope',He stated.

Golden eyes watched as Gon tightly clenched his fists.

'You're not qualified to be his big brother',The green-haired boy stated.

Turning his face away, Illumi faced forward and remained emotionless.

'I didn't know I had to qualify'

At that statement, Gon grabbed Illumi's arm and pulled him out of his seat, launching him into the air.

Though with the strength emitted from the boy, Illumi safely and gracefully landed on his feet, his arm still in Gon's grasp.

'Friends don't have too, either',The green haired boy stated, his eyes glistening with a strong gleam,'He gets to choose!'

Watching as Gon tightened his grip on Illumi's arm, Valentine lightly tilted her head as a clean and soft snap echoed through her ears.

The dark-haired male stared at the boy in front of him with his usual blank expression and slowly turned his gaze towards the girl who was suddenly next to him, watching as her eyes brightly glowed with emotion.

"These two..",Illumi thought as he stared at them.

'Don't even bother apologizing, just take me to see Killua',Gon said.

After a few moments of silence, the dark-haired male had finally spoken up.

'And what will you do?',Illumi questioned.

'It's obvious, I'll bring him back!',Gon shouted.

'You make it sound like I kidnapped my little brother, but he walked out of here on his own free will',Illumi stated.

'He left, but not of his own free will! You were manipulating him',Gon yelled, his chocolate eyes ablaze with fury,'That's the same thing as kidnapping'

Walking down from his stand, Netero placed his hands neatly behind his back and smiled slightly.

'We were just discussing that very subject, Gon',The older man stated,'In fact, your friends had lodged a complaint at the very beginning of the orientation. So, the committee decided to evaluate the fairness of Killua's disqualification'

Perking up, Valentine had completely forgotten about that and a small smile twitched at her lips.

Maybe Killua would pass the exam after all.

But as she walked down to Gon's side, Kurapika stood up in defense.

'You saw it yourself, during his match with the supposed 'Gitarrackur' and after, Killua had clearly begun to behave strangely. That had to be the reason he committed murder',Kurapika concluded, before Valentine noticed how Illumi had sent the older blonde a side glance and despite the lacking emotion, he held a bit of animosity towards him.

Standing up as well, Leorio decided to speak up on Killua's behalf.

'I think it's worth noting that during my fight with Bodoro, Killua aided my attack',Leorio stated,'So if anyone should be disqualified, it should be me'

Eyes glistened like opalescent lilies in a lake of celestial maidens cowering like a gargantuan beast compared to her beetle-leg eyelashes and they widened upon hearing the teens words.

He was throwing himself under the bus for Killua's sake.

Feeling her heart clenching with warmth at the development of her friends support for one another, Valentine smiled brightly and her eyes gleamed under the fluorescent lights.

'That is nothing more than speculation, there's no concrete proof',Netero stated, walking behind the desk,'From what we saw, there were no clear indications he was ordered to commit murder. And regarding to hypnotism, I would have to question that claim as well. I will agree that the incident occurred once the battle between Leorio and Budoro had gotten underway. At that point, both fighters were evenly matched; all things considered. While Bodoro definitely had more experience, it was clear that Leorio had the definite edge when it came to raw ability in combat. Given that it was a fair fight, there was no need for Killua to interfere'

Letting out a scoff, Leorio turned his head and angrily scowled.

Feeling the anger boil within her small body, Valentine stepped forward and spoke up, causing everyone to turn their gazes towards her.

"That's true, so why would he kill Bodoro then? I know him well enough to know that Killua wouldn't do that for no reason, I mean, it's not like he didn't want to become a Hunter",Valentine stated, her eyes gleaming with raw emotion and this caused her friends to clearly see just how much the young blonde cared about her snowy-haired friend,"So then, why would he purposely disqualify himself?"

Staring at the young girl, Netero could see the furious passion for protecting her friend, trying to prove his innocence as it shined clearly within her eyes and was clear within her words.

'That is the question. And sadly, a question that can not be answered with theories',Netero stated,'If you have any concrete evidence of your claims, then I am open to hear it and take it into consideration'

Pursing her lips, Valentine turned her head and looked away from the older man's gaze, a frown pulling down at her lips.

'And speaking of weird things happening',Pokkle spoke up and turned towards Kurapika, his eyes staring the Kurta down,'Why don't we talk about when you fought with Hisoka?'

Perking up, Kurapika's muscles tensed and Valentine glanced towards the blonde, her worried eyes watching his reaction.

'Mind telling us what it was he said to you?',Pokkle questioned.

Leaning against the table behind him, Pokkle stared the Kurta down.

'Neither of you looked tired',Pokkle claimed,'But Hisoka whispered something to you, then surrendered. Weird right? I'd understand if he whispered something and you surrendered, like with Honzo and me. Or Bodoro and Hisoka. We were under a lot of pressure. Instead the opposite happened, which makes me wonder if the two of you struck some sort of bargain. If you want to talk about things that don't make sense, then your victory would fit the bill perfectly'

Glaring at the teen, Valentine clenched her jaw at the claim against her friend and felt as Zeus gently nibbled at her skin, trying to calm her raging emotions and thoughts.

'You don't have anything to hide, right?',Pokkle questioned,'So what did he say? Enlighten us'

'I have no such obligation'

'Maybe you don't, but I think you owe it to us',Pokkle claimed.

Deciding to speak up, Valentine stuck up for her blonde haired friend and stared the applicant down, her innocent eyes glaring holes into his head.

"I think that your victory was more suspicious than Kurapika's",Valentine spoke up, causing everyone to turn towards the young girl,"Victory by default"

With a growl of anger, Pokkle stood up straight and his glare burned into the girl's skin.

'What?',He exclaimed, growling in anger.

Feeling a hand being placed upon her shoulder, Valentine looked up and saw Gon standing beside her, his chocolate brown eyes staring into Pokkle's.

'Come on, let's just get this over with so we can all go home',Hanzo said, annoyed.

A negative reaction stirred within Leorio and before he could retort back to the ninja, Gon spoke up.

'This is completely pointless!',Gon yelled, stopping Leorio's statement before it even left his lips.

Turning towards the young boy, everyone stared at him in confusion.

'Why argue about whether somebody should have passed?',Gon questioned,'If you're not satisfied that you made it, you can keep working until you are. If Killua wants to retake the Hunter Exam, then I know he'll pass! He didn't this time and it is what it is'

Tightening his grip on Illumi's arm, Gon's eyes gleamed with anger as he looked towards Killua's older brother.

'But still, if you've been forcing Killua to murder people against his will this whole time, I will never forgive you',Gon said with pure passion and anger, glaring at Illumi.

Eyes widening slightly, Valentine realized that Gon was right. It didn't matter if Killua hadn't passed this time, he was definitely more than qualified to do it next year and certainly pass.

She knew that they shouldn't have even been there arguing about it in the first place, they should've been out there and looking for him.

'Never forgive me?',Illumi questioned,'So, what will you do?'

It was clear that he was completely unfazed by the broken wrist that Gon was causing.

'I won't do anything, but after Valentine and I go rescue Killua, we'll never let you see him again!',Gon exclaimed.

Perking up at the mention of her name, Valentine beamed brightly and stood straighter by Gon's side, nodding her head as she agreed with his statement.

Reaching forward, Illumi planned to touch his forehead and Gon immediately reacted, pulling Valentine with him as he jumped back.

He would've never forgiven himself if his friend had gotten hurt because of him.

But it was nice to know that she was alongside him with this, it was definitely clear to him that his sister figure deeply cared about their friend.

Clearing his throat, Netero drew everyone's attention towards him.

'Alright gentlemen, let's continue. Gon's absolutely right, it's up to each of you to decide whether you're worthy of your license. Now, you're all perfectly welcome to complain about the results as much as you like, but our minds are made up',This statement caused the passing applicants who were standing to sit back down as Netero continued,'Killua has been disqualified from this year's Hunter Exam, while the rest of you have passed'

The older man concluded and turned towards Beans, giving a knowing look to his assistant, who nodded in return.

'Alright then, I shall continue with the orientation',Beans said, picking up a Hunters license to show the passing applicants,'Now, the cards that we've passed out are your Hunter licenses. This card will allow you to enter 90 percent of the countries that limit immigration, as well as grant you access to 75 percent of restricted areas in the world'

Eyes widening, Valentine's lips parted in surprise and she looked down at her license, gazing at it with astonishment.

'Please be very careful, you wouldn't want it to be misplaced or stolen. You won't get a replacement. According to our estimates, as many as one in five Hunters somehow lose their card within the first year of receiving it',Beans explained,'You're very first challenge as a licensed Hunter is to protect your card at all costs. From here on out, it's your show. Believe in yourselves and keep working to make your dreams come true'

'Well then, we can now certify all seven applicants present as licensed Hunters',Netero stated.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment fill her chest at those words, Valentine smiled momentarily and then it slowly faded.

Even though she had passed, many things were taken away from her victory.

But the first on that list, was Killua.

ꕥ

'Was that wise?',Hisoka began and leaned up against a pole,'Giving up your base of operation like that?'

After they had left the building, Gon and Valentine had confronted Illumi.

Turning around to face Hisoka, Illumi seemed unbothered.

'Sure, it isn't a secret',The black haired Zoldyck stated,'The locals all know where we live. Our worlds are drastically different, a fact that I'm sure they'll all come to realize once they arrive'

Quizzically looking down at Illumi's broken arm, Hisoka hummed in curiosity and the Zoldyck followed his gaze.

'Oh this? Yeah, it's broken'

Smirking slightly, Hisoka was astonished by the strength one of his unripened fruits had showcased.

'He is interesting, I understand your concern for his future. That girl, the one who was hanging around Gon and Kil, has a strange feeling to her, she is also quite intriguing',Illumi stated,'Is she also one of your targets?'

Humming slightly, Hisoka licked his lips as he thought of the innocent firecracker that came in the form of a young, blonde girl.

'Hmm, I don't know, she has peaked my interest as well. Why do you ask?'

'I feel as though I should keep an eye on her',Illumi explained, his eyes narrowing at the empty hall in front of him,'Kil seems to like her'

ꕥ

'First, let's look up Kukuroo mountain',Kurapika said while his fingers moved against the keyboard of the computer.

All four of them were in the hotel's lobby huddled around and Valentine stared at the computer screen.

She so desperately wanted to help Killua that it began to hurt and she wanted to tell him that what he had said was true, he could be a normal kid with friends.

She wanted to prove Illumi wrong.

She could feel it though, Valentine knew the closer they got to Killua, the closer they got to helping him.

'Kukuroo Mountain, there',Kurapika said, drawing her attention and a small flutter of excitement boiled within her chest,'Here it is. Kukuroo Mountain, in the Dentora Region of the Republic of Padokea is 3,722 meters high'

'The Republic of Padokea?',Leorio questioned with a baffled expression,'Never heard of the place. So where is it?'

Nodding with the teens words, Valentine watched as the blonde started to type in more info.

'Hold on, I'll bring up a map'

Once those words left his mouth, a map popped up on the screen.

'This is the Republic of Padokea. It appears to be a stable country, so we should be fine. This country is open to tourists'

From the other side of Valentine, Gon spoke up.

'That's where Killua is?'

Putting a hand to his chin, the Kurta began to read information once more.

'It'll take three days to reach by airship. When do you think we should leave?'

Glancing at one another, Gon smiled brightly at the blonde and this caused her lips to twitch up, smiling just as bright as her friend.

'Today!',Gon exclaimed, causing Kurapika to jump and wince as he had yelled by his ear,'Right now'

'Alright, I'm with Gon!'

Placing his hands back on the keyboard, Kurapika smiled lightly.

'Got it. I'll order the tickets then'

ꕥ

The four were now crammed in the back of a cab, Valentine was being squished between Kurapika and Gon, causing Zeus to settle on the girl's lap to avoided being crushed.

"At this rate, it'll take years for us to reach him",Valentine stated.

'You're right, Valentine',Kurapika agreed,'At this rate, we'll be late for our flight'

Eyes widening, Valentine and Gon glanced at one another before they grinned as they thought the same thing.

'In that case, we'll just run!',Gon exclaimed.

Grabbing onto her hand, the boy bursted through the door and pulled Valentine along with him as Zeus quickly flew up to her shoulder.

Letting out a yelp of surprise at his sudden action, Valentine stumbled slightly before running behind the boy and the two older teens quickly followed after the two.

Gon let out a small 'yahoo' and Valentine smiled as she took a glance beside her, glancing at her friend and giggles slipped past her lips. Her weak grip tightened as the two picked up the pace, the sibling-like duo racing on.

"You sure are something else entirely, Gon",Valentine exclaimed, a bright smile on her face.

The older two behind them stared at the duo and Kurapika had a crooked smile on his face, while Leorio had a troubled expression.

The group of friends arrived at the airport just in time and they were now, currently in the aircraft; high up in the air.

Seated beside Gon, Valentine thoughtfully gazed out the window and rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

She was currently thinking about Killua.

'Hey Valentine'

Hearing Gon's voice, Valentine snapped out of her thoughts and looked towards the green-haired boy, tilting her head as she hummed curiously.

'Do you.. um, do you think Killua will want to come with us?',Gon questioned, his honey colored eyes momentarily glancing down at the ground, before he looked back up at her.

Thinking carefully, Valentine didn't want to make a guess and ultimately hurt Gon's feelings and her own. So, she thought hard about his questions.

She thought about all of the moments she and Gon had spent with Killua; most of her and Killua alone, others of all three of them together. All of the laughs, all of the times they fought; either playfully or argumentatively. She thought about the times he had protected her, even if they were unintentional or intentionally.

As she thought about it, a small smile slowly spread across her lips and Valentine gently nodded, her eyes glistening.

'"Yeah",Valentine stated, her expression softening as her gentle eyes softened,"Killua isn't like his brother; you heard him yourself Gon, he wants to create his own life, his own future. I think that he'll want to come with us and if he doesn't, then we know it's not him talking"

Looking back out the window, Valentine didn't noticed the bright smile that was on Gon's face and her eyes widened as she felt arms tightly wrapping around her, before a gentle smile formed on her face.

Lightly laughing, Valentine wrapped her arms around Gon and gently hugged him back.

"We're going to bring him back, Gon, don't you worry",Valentine stated strongly and when Gon glanced down at her, he saw the determination that strongly glistened within her eyes.

Smiling brightly, Gon opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by another voice.

'What're you two lovebirds doing, huh?',Leorio asked, obnoxiously entering the scene with Kurapika; who was holding their food and drinks.

Glancing at each other, Gon and Valentine blinked at one another before looking up at Leorio, slowly shaking their heads.

"I don't think of Gon in that way",Valentine said.

'Yeah!',Gon enthusiastically answered, still smiling brightly and gestured between Valentine and himself,'If anything, I think of Valentine as my sister!'

Looking towards Gon, Valentine's eyes softened even more and she smiled lightly, before gaze as soft as ever.

"I think of you as my brother too, Gon",Valentine stated, causing Gon to perk up even more.

Smiling lightly at the scene in front of him, Kurapika sat down by the window and Leorio was on the other side of him.

'By tomorrow, we'll finally be in Padokea',Kurapika informed the two,'You'll both get to see Killua soon'

Looking at one another once more, Gon and Valentine beamed brightly.

"I can't wait!",Valentine exclaimed.

Agreeing, Gon nodded along with her.

'Yeah, we'll definitely bring Killua back with us',Gon said, the usual gleam within his eyes.