The Ultimate Choice (究極の選択, Kyūkyoku no Sentaku)

INFORMATION ON THE EXAMS CENTER FOR THE TITLE OF HUNTER: Note for all the applicants for the title of Hunter: The applicants will only be contacted by written documents for the date and the hour of the tests' beginning and also for the approximate placement. With the little information they have, the participants will have to go to the exam center alone. This is also a way of selecting candidates.

No. 003 The Ultimate Choice (究極の選択, Kyūkyoku no Sentaku)

The boat had arrived in Dolle's Port hours after the storm passed. At the port there were over a hundred men and seemingly no women. All of them had weapons: swords, blowguns, throwing knives, katanas etc., It was obvious that they were there for the Hunter Exam. The city was large with building that towered over one another and spread across the area where boats would dock and undock didn't applicants. Jun was traveling with Gon, Kurapika and Leorio, his brother was wearing his usual outfit: green shorts, green hiking boots with white and dark green on the side and near the shoelace, a long sleeved jacket (underneath was a white tank top), an orange and maroon book bag and a large fishing pole. He was looking around excitedly at the large number of people.

Kurapika wore his blue tabard (with an orange colored hem), a white full body training suit and black shoes. He carried a white bag which matched his trainning suit and was looking ahead. Jun wore a long sleeves tan shirt with a white tank top underneath, dark brown pants with a black belt and grey and dark grey shoes. He looked around observantly and carried a black backpack with a few essential items and clothes inside. Leorio on the other hand wore his dark blue business suit, black shoes, a white tie with a sun on it and a pair of sunglasses. He carried a bag as well, it was black and white. He hung it over his shoulders while his arm held onto it. As usual, he was talking. "Do they all go to Zaban? There're so many people."

The group looked in one word, strange. "And they're all probably here for the same reason we are."

"It's not likely that all of them are going to make it, there's going to be a trap." Jun says shortly and thinks back to what the Captain had said to him and his brother before they left.

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He leaned on the side of the boat and was staring at Jun and Gon. "Captain! Thanks for everything!" Gon says happily while Jun gives a short, courteous bow in response. "And take care of yourself!"

The boys shake hands with the Captain in thanks.

"Thanks." He said while smoking his pipe. "I have one last bit of advice for you." He told them and held up his finger and pointed it to an old cedar tree on top of a mountain. "Just head for the tree on that mountain! It's a shortcut to get to where the exams are!'

"Okay thanks!" Gon yells and just as he grabs his elder brother's hand Jun looked back. Noticing a shadow that was observing them. He narrows his eyes but allows Gon to move him away from the Captain and the boat.

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"That's weird..!" Leorio yells looking at the map. "Look! Zaban, the place where the test is, is clearly indicated on this map. It's a big town.. It's very strange to go to this mountain, in the total opposite direction.. While we could take a bus that takes us directly there. It's a shortcut, but if we mess up, we'll walk for nothing..."

"Maybe he accidentally pointed this way?" Kurapika asks and looks over to his younger companions.

"It doesn't matter, I'm going that way." Gon says and swings his pole on his right shoulder. "I'm sure there's a good reason for this."

"You know, Gon, you should learn to be more suspicious of what people tell you. I advise you to go by bus." Gon waves his hand and starts walking.

Jun looks over to Kurapika and Leorio. "You can decide on whether or not to follow us. It doesn't matter to me. You can take the 'easy way' which is probably a trap or take this way." He walks over to his brother. "What do you think? Are they going to follow us?"

"Yes." Gon says smiling. "I know they will!"

Jun looks back and notices Kurapika walking slightly behind them. Leorio was nowhere to be found.

"Don't worry." Kurapika says calmly. "He'll be back."

They nod and continue on half an hour passes and a loud voice yells. "HEY!! WAIT! WAIT FOR ME! YOU THREE DON'T FEEL LONELY? I MISSED YOU, SAME WITH YOU, RIGHT? IN THAT CASE, TOO BAD FOR THE BUS, I'LL ACCOMPANY YOU! HAHAHA!"

"Told you." Kurapika says and sighs. The group waits for Leorio and watch as the man runs over to them.

"I thought you would be too lonely without me." He says.

"Sure." Kurapika says.

"Let me guess, the bus doesn't go where it's expected to go." Jun says with a small smile. "It tries to eliminate candidates, a trap right?"

"Well..." Leorio says and blushes in embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about."

They laugh at Leorio and continue walking down the dirt path into a desolate and almost empty village. It was dirty, with bottles of wine and cigarettes on the floor. The walls were a tan color and there were strings that attached to the windows of the buildings. Paper and wood barricade the buildings for the cold air that would send shivers down an average person's home. Luckily Jun wasn;t average and neither were his new friends.

The walked down the dirty alleyway and looked on at the birds that watched them overhead.

"..."

"I really don't like this place..." Leorio says looking around with sweat on his face. "There's nobody out here..."

"No, there's a lot of people here." Jun says surprising Leorio.

"Let's keep our guard up." Kurapika says looking around.

"Wonder why they're hiding." Gon asks no one in particular.

"How do you know all these things?!" Leorio asks, quickly turning his head side to side.

"Don't you hear the sounds of breathing from everywhere?" Kurapika asks.

"Yeah." Gon says. "And the sound of cloth scraping, too! They're trying to hide!"

Jun nods in agreement. Leorio puts his hands to his hears and sighs. "Unfortunately, I'm a normal guy."

"Shh!" Kurapika says and over 30 people walked outside. They wore white cloaks, a blue wig and a mask. It was white and none of their faces were visible. They were gas masks. The only person that stood out was an old woman. She was a small, old woman with a hunched back and long, grey hair that was tied behind her back with a wrinkled face. She only had two teeth left that were visible to them. She also wore a tabi, a pink skirt, a light purple shirt with large sleeves and darker collar and hem, a light shirt, and a white necklace reminiscent of prayer beads, with leaves between some of them. She even had a cane to help her walk with was made out of wood and had an orange sphere on the top.

"Very interesting.." She said and they leaned forward. "THE EXCITING QUIZ TWO CHOICE QUIZ!" She only had two teeth left.

The group sweat drops beside Gon and the people clapped.

"You're heading for the tree on the mountain, aren't you?" It wasn't a question. "First, you have to succeed in getting out of this town... The other paths that could lead you there are like labyrinths, in which reign terribly, bloodthirsty monsters." She puts up one finger and narrows her eyes at them. "So I will ask you one question. You have only five seconds to consider your answer. If you fail... Your mistake will disqualify you from participating in the Hunter's test this year."

"Hm..." Leorio says, pondering what she had just said to them.

"I see. One more test...." Kurapika mutters to himself.

"You'll answer with 1 or 2!! Any other answer will not be valid!" The old woman says.

"Eh! One minute! You mean only one question for three people? If he answers and it is wrong, I would be eliminated too?" Leorio asks hysterically pointing an angry finger at Kurapika.

'Why choose him of all people?' Jun thinks to himself. 'If this test is meant for everyone to answer at the same time with the same answer... How does she expect us to answer simultaneously and correctly?'

"Not very likely..." Kurapika huffs angrily. "The idea of you disqualifying us is much more realistic. This makes me quick."

"Yet, if one of us knows the answer, the two others will gain. Pretty cool, in fact." Gon says smiling.

"Ah..." Leorio says rubbing his head and looks down. "That's true..."

"COME ON! HURRY UP!" A male voice yells and the group looks back. Behind them was a man with light brown skin, black hair and dark eyes. He had a smug smile on his face and wore a blue undershirt with a ruffled light blue outside. Two katana's on his back tied together around his waist with a green wrap and dark blue shoes. "Well. I'll answer before you." He looked over to Jun and Gon. "He he he... Sorry, boys. I heard everything at the port."

"What?" Leorio asked,

"No surprise there." Jun mutters to himself.

"What do you decide?" The old woman asks.

"... We accept." Leorio says and whispers to the group. "So we'll see the kind of questions she asks..."

"Sorry..." The man lies through his teeth.

"Are you sure you want to take this test?" Jun asks man. "You could die if you answer it wrong."

"I'll be fine boy." The man says and narrows his eyes.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." Jun says coldly and looks forward.

"Here is the question." She says. "Your mother and your girlfriend are captives of a demon. You can only save one: 1 your mother, 2 your girlfriend?"

'Well my mother is dead so there's no point in answering that. I suppose she expects everyone's family to be alive. Though Kurapika's is dead, Leorio doesn't talk much so either they died or they aren't on speaking terms and my father is nowhere to be seen. If I had to pretend I had a mother... It would be Mito-san she's basically a mother to me and Gon. Mito-san or my girlfriend...?'

"1!!" The man says quickly and Jun snapped back and focused on the group.

"Why?" The old woman asks.

"A mother is unique. But not a girlfriend!" He says smugly thought it was obvious he would have chose his girlfriend.

The people in gas masks and the old woman father around and they make a path. "Pass this way."

'Why didn't she say correct?' Jun asks himself. 'That's what most people would say if you made the correct answer. Unless... it was incorrect.'

Leorio grinds his teeth in furstration. "ARE YOU MOCKING US?!!! WHAT'S WITH THAT WEIRD QUIZ?!" He grabs his bag and turns to leave. "THIS GAME, IT'S MESSED UP! WHO CAN SAY WHAT'S RIGHT OR WRONG WITH THAT KIND OF QUESTION?!!" Jun widens his eyes.

'That's it!'

"I'M LEAVING! I'M TAKING ANOTHER PATH!" Leorio yells.

"Leo-" Jun opens his mouth to call his friend back.

"QUIET!" The old woman yells to Jun and he stops, she turns back to Leorio. "Hmm! Too late! If you abandon this, you'll be disqualified. You don't have the soul of a Hunter..."

A sound of a man screaming and animals kept into Jun's hear. He widens his eyes only to close them. 'I tried to warn him, but it was futile.'

"LEORIO!" Kurapika yells.

"DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE GONNA ACCEPT THE QUIZ?!"

Kurapika moves to explain what had happened but it stopped like Jun.

"WAIT!" She says and stops them. "I don't want to hear anything else! From now on, any useless words will be punished by disqualification!! Well answer: 1 If you accept, 2 If you refuse it."

"1!!" Kurapika yells quickly and Leorio narrows his eyes at him.

"Here's the question. Your son and your daughter have been kidnapped, and you can only save one. Which do you choose: 1 the daughter, 2 the son?"

Jun closes his eyes and ignores what goes around him. 'I know that the true purpose is to not answer. Silence is the key but what if I end up in a situation like that? Mito-san or Gon? Who would I choose? Would I have to follow the rules when it comes to life-or-death or would I be able to fix it on my own terms? What if the enemy is stronger than I am and I am put to a choice of that? Kurapika or Leorio? My life or my brother's? How would I be able to choose? It feels like it's an impossible answer but I'm sure things like this must happen constantly. Actually... they happen on a daily basis just not as drastic. Become a Hunter and risk death or say home, leave your brother and your past behind? I already made that decision when I was a little kid. I'm putting my life on the line to be a Hunter but do I truly have what it takes...? If I don't know now, perhaps it's alright. But what if-'

"JUN!" Gon yells and the elder boy looks back and sigh.

"What? I'm trying to think about the question." He answers and Kurapika and Leorio laugh.

"You too huh?" Gon says crossing his arms with a puzzled look on his face.

"That's okay! You can stop wondering!" Leorio says.

"Huh?" Gon says.

"Why?" They ask together.

"Why? 'Cause the quiz is over.."

"We know..." The brothers say.

"But... if someday, really, I could only save one person out of those who are close to me... What would I do?" The elder boys stare at Gon shocked, besides Jun. "I don't say this to have an answer to the question, but... A day may come.. Where I'll have to make that kind of choice."

"What will I do? How will I react to it? Do I have to follow the rules of 1 or 2? Is there a way to protect all of those who are precious to me?" Jun asks looking into their eyes. "Or will it be at the cost of my own life? Hmm... I'd rather give up my own life then have to live with the consequences of those actions.. It's a selfish reason but I'm sure I would if I had to chose."

He looks over to the old woman. "That's the point of the quiz isn't it. As a Hunter, you have to imagine everything in the worst possible scenario which may lead to the death of those close to you. Friends, family... Your decision could cost the life of millions of people.... Just listen to this...

"A runaway train is racing toward five men who are tied to the track. Unless the train is stopped, it will inevitably kill all five men. You are standing on a footbridge looking down on the unfolding disaster. However, a fat man, a stranger, is standing next to you: if you push him off the bridge, he will topple onto the line and, although he will die, his chunky body will stop the train, saving five lives. Would you kill the fat man?

"You don't have to answer the question. But if you want to walk down the path to become a Hunter, you must be prepared."

A depressing atmosphere floats above the group as they continue forward.

Towards the path to becoming a Hunter.

I would appreciate it if you all would answer the question. Just a little curious.

1) ALLOW THE TRAIN TO CONTINUE (KILL 5)
2) KILL THE FAT MAN (KILL 1)

Song: HxH 2011 OST - Hegemony of The Food Chain