Hunter X Hunter: Grounded

Chapter 61



Title: Return...




….

"Sub… was I a bother?" Asks Karla, an unknown despair in her voice. "Am I too weak to even do anything for you now?"



Sub's cold gaze locks into her and in the end, he smiles at her gently. His expression changes into a gentler one too. He goes next to her and lays back on the tree that Karla is controlling. She doesn't even have the power to move the bandages off the tree. 


He then pats her on the head. "Sometimes, you ask some stupid questions, Karla."


"Heh, stupid…" Karla snickers at that weakly.


"Do you have any more Angel's Breath cards?" Asks Sub, looking at her wound, already knowing the answer to that.


"Nope." She answers, with the tree behind her continuing to supply her with nutrients, trying to heal the wound as fast as possible. "Did you defeat the creepy deer?"



"Yep." Shrugs Sub. "Thankfully everything went to plan… Now we are going back."


"Is it because of me? Because I am injured?" Asks Karla with a guilty conscience. She sees just how fast Sub has been adapting and improving to this place. In less than two days, the previous Sub wouldn't be able to last a second against the current one. So Karla felt guilty… about many things, she felt guilty for not adapting to this place so she wouldn't be useless baggage to Sub, she also feels guilty of having to force Sub's hand to return to the Human Continent because of her.


Sub sees this all just by looking at her face. In the end, he just smiles. "Don't worry, it's not because of you. It's just that I won't be able to grow as strong so quickly anymore. Plus, I need to get used to this power in a safe environment, not a place where I will have to struggle for survival."


That is the truth, the Dark Continent is just a place where he would have to struggle for survival, even with his current power. Karla nods at that, believing him. Sub on the other hand is curious as he looks at the tree behind him, he can sense Aura in it, meaning that it is alive and has consciousness. "What is this?"


"Hm?" Karla looks at him, and he is pointing at the tree behind. "Oh, this is the only creature which I knew I wouldn't die if I controlled and that it would be useful enough in my survival. It releases hypnotic pollen in the air. It brings creatures weaker than it here to absorb their nutrients while it makes monsters stronger than it sees the tree unpleasant and disgusting enough to not even touch it… though it seems to not work on you."


"Probably due to Manipulator's first come, first serve rule. I am technically under the control of the centipede, while you are under the control of your ability due to your conditions." Says Sub, also speculating that this is why initially when they arrived at the Dark Continent, the giant centipede's virus only affected him and not Karla or the people under her control.


Sub then takes out a card and says. "Accompany On: Buchi."



Fwosh!


Both Karla and Sub shoot towards the Human Continent.



…
...
In a base in an undisclosed place close to Yorknew City. A man is just there, in an empty room watching TV, he is one of the people who has been to Greed Island and won it, but he is also one of the countless people under Karla's control.




Boom!!


In the garden of his small hut, Karla and Sub land there. She can stand up, though with a little pain that she doesn't mind. Her bleeding has already stopped due to the constriction of her muscles in the wound. Though not good at it, Karla still knows a bunch of assassin techniques. She grew in an organization that specializes in it and had torture training like every other kid.


The man Basara doesn't act or say anything as Sub takes his car and starts driving Karla away towards the hospital that she has doctors under control. They would have teleported there, but it wasn't exactly an emergency yet. So they didn't cause a scene unnecessarily.



*sigh* 


They both breathe a sigh of relief as they smell the human air. Sub is even excited, they are the only humans to come back without baggage from the Dark Continent, he technically completed the goal that he had in there, it was to observe the Dark Continent. But he ended up becoming even stronger. As they approach Yorknew City, he looks at it and contemplates that he can destroy the whole city with his golem ability. Back then, the buildings looked so big, but they didn't look so big after all.


A whole new perspective has been opened to his eyes, changing at what he sees as strong as weak, what he sees as big and small. 



"Hahahahaha…" He can't help it as he laughs out loud. This is it, the realization dawns on him that he got out of the Dark Continent safely. Karla looks at him weirdly at first, but she too then starts chuckling, realizing why Sub seemed to be just so happy while driving a normal car.



…
…
…
Two years pass by, nothing major happens in the world. And just like so… the 287th Hunter's Exam takes place. 


Gon met his new friend Killua, and they just finished running through the Milsy Forest, a dangerous place with many wild and rare beasts. Gon having fought Hisoka and seeing the difference between them.


As they exit the forest Satotz tells them that they will be entering the 2nd stage of the exam and he won't be their proctor anymore.


In the end, Hisoka did bring Leorio as he promised. Kurapika was there too with Gon, and Killa just waves at his new friend. 


Buhara looks at the new applicants, his body multiple sizes of that of a normal human. Menchi too is the 2nd examiner in this phase. She ties the back of her hair into 5 top knots and wears a bikini top with a mesh shirt worn over it, alongside hot pants.


She is slightly nervous, not because of the people in front of her or Satotz who is spying from the side. But due to a woman who is covered in bandages like a mummy. She is just sitting by the side of the room.



Most people don't even seem to notice her, but some of the strongest in there notice her. It was that even though she was in front of them, she seemed like she had no presence.


Hisoka looks at this with a smirk on his face. 'Ah~ what a beast Zetsu. She is right in front of my eyes, but it feels like my eyes might be lying to me.'


Even he hadn't thought of such a beautiful Zetsu, it was as if she not just hid her presence, but also eradicated her existence from this world. 



….
The 2nd phase of the exam also passes peacefully and the woman in bandages disappears like a phantom amidst the exam. 


Due to no one passing the exam, Netero intervenes and has the spider valley egg test. Which over fifty people pass.


…
Later on, as everyone enters the airship, Gon and Killua are walking around the ship for some exploring. 


"So Killua, if your family is full of assassins which one of you is the strongest?" Asks Gon innocently, as if asking for the weather.


Killua smiles at that and is about to answer, but his words get stuck in his throat as he sees someone walking from the end of the hallway. It is a muscular man wearing black shorts and a tank top. 


"Killua what is wrong?" Asks Gon, seeing that his friend is covered in a cold sweat. 


Killua's heart beats like a drum and the world around him disappears as the man. Who they could see has unruly seaweed-like black hair and a nonchalant, almost bored expression on his face is just walking around with his hands in his pockets.


He doesn't even spare a look at Gon or Killua, as he walks past them. Killua falls on his behind as the man passes him. He didn't sense any strange malicious intent released from the man, but… he felt fear, absolute fear. As if his instincts were screaming at him to hide. 'Hisoka, Illumi… father… or even grandfather… this is the strongest and worst presence that I have ever felt. No one in the world could compare to him.'


Killua instinctively knew that the difference between them is like that of heaven and earth. He feels like a rabbit in front of a lion… no… a dinosaur. 


"Killua, what is wrong, you are shaking?" Asks Gon worryingly, not having felt what Killua did.




….
A/N: Sub seems like a monster in human flesh to super sensitive people to maliciousness. Like Killua and some other people who are very familiar with death. 


P.S: Yep, now the Canon has started.😉👍