1 Reinforcements

Isaac Netero had lived a very long life. So it's natural that he'd made many, many friends, some of which were older than him.

Who could possibly be older than Netero you ask? Many people actually. Well, to be fair these people weren't exactly the definition of 'normal'.

For example, a long time ago, Netero befriended a wizard by the name of Gandalf when he was exploring an isolated continent known as Middle Earth.

However, despite having countless friends, none of them has ever called in for a favour... up until now that is. Funnily enough, Gandalf was in fact the one who'd asked the favour.

Netero's traced the letter he received earlier that morning as he read it once again.

//Dear Isaac,

It has indeed been a very long time since we last met and I miss you very much. I apologise for interrupting you as I know you are a very busy man, however, this is a matter of upmost importance. I'm sad to say that Middle Earth is in grave danger of once again being over thrown by the dark lord Sauron. If you could be so kind as to send one or two Hunters I would be forever grateful. If you agree please notify them to meet me at the borders of Rivendell in a week from now. A map of Middle-Earth is drawn on the back. They will join myself and eight others on a quest to save Middle-Earth from imminent doom. In case this letter is intercepted, I will inform them of the situation in further detail once we reach Rivendell. The type of Hunters you send doesn't matter. However, I will understand if you are unable to provide me with aid. Thank you, old friend.

Yours sincerely, Gandalf the Grey//

Netero's brows furrowed slightly.

Now wasn't exactly the best time for his old friend, Gandalf, to call in for help.

He was currently on his way to the borders of NGL with two acquaintances - Morel and Knov.

Morel was quite a large man, standing at a good seven foot. He carried a large smoking pipe, about the same size as him, which was wrapped in a white cloth. He was also a very outspoken person and was very blunt when it came to most things.

Despite his looks though, Morel was a kind hearted man, and was also the biggest softie around. It's no wonder why one of his students, Knuckle, was also a softie.

However, the same can't be said for his other student, Shoot, who was scared of everything and everyone that proved to be a danger to his life.

Knov, on the other hand, wasn't much like Morel at all. His clothes practically screamed his personality. Intelligent, calculating, stiff, and an altogether stick in the mud. He wore a simple black tuxedo with a light blue tie and also wore glasses.

He was constantly judging those around him and always seemed to look down on those that he believed were inferior.

Also, he was blunt, if not blunter than Morel, and he wasn't exactly the optimistic type.

Both men were very skilled Hunters and were therefore sent to NGL to deal with a certain problem. Chimera Ants is what they were called. These 'Ants' were apparently causing quite a fuss and needed to be exterminated before they could caused any further harm to the people of NGL.

Of course none of the locals had informed the Hunter Association of their major bug infestation, so thankfully the friends of Hunter known as Kite had notified them of this new threat.

Apparently Gon and Killua had been acquainting Kite for quite some time and had also been fighting the Ants.

Though many people may do so, Netero didn't doubt their skills one bit. In fact, he truly believed that they would eventually be amongst the strongest of Hunters. Heck they already outmatch the majority of Hunters, so Netero did indeed have high hopes for the two teens.

After a thorough explanation of the situation and assurances of the threat that the Ants could pose if they ever expanded their territory beyond the borders of NGL, Netero, Morel and Knov agreed to travel to the secluded country to deal with the problem themselves.

While Netero was determined to take care of the situation involving the Ants, he also wished to help his friend Gandalf. But how? However strong he may be Netero was still just one man, and as much as he wished it, he couldn't be in multiple places at once.

Netero decided that he'd think on it later. He was sure he'd find a solution eventually. He always did.

"Huh? You left Kite behind? Why?!" The girl with pink hair, Spin, who sat in the front of the car practically screamed in her phone.

The man beside her and behind her were seemingly unfazed by her sudden outburst.

"What happened? Explain what's going on!" Spin demanded.

Before she could further question the person she was talking to, her phone was taken off of her by the man behind her, Mon.

"H-hey, what are you doing?!" She yelled at Mon, who completely ignored her.

"Yes, I understand. Can you wait there a little longer? We're headed your way right now. We have reinforcements," he spoke calmly in the phone, referring to Morel, Knov and Netero, of course.

All three of the Hunters sat in the back of the car and waited patiently as they rode to NGL.

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Killua squatted down by the large tree which marked NGL's border as he awaited Kite's friends and the so called 'reinforcements' that would be brought with them.

Kite. The thought of his new friend hurt. Badly. Never in his life had Killua felt so completely and utterly helpless.

Killua felt as though they were overconfident. It was ridiculous how overpowered they were and Killua had genuinely feared for his and Gon's life.

Though Kite chose to stay behind and buy both Gon and himself time to leave, the fact that he had abandoned Kite still hadn't sat right with him. Actually, that was an understatement. He felt downright awful. If it had been just Kite by himself, he may have managed to find a way out alive.

Killua wasn't dumb, nor was he naïve. There's no way Kite would have survived from being attacked from something so strong. The very thought of the creature they encountered sent chills running through Killua's back.

Just the memory of the aura that the thing emitted would give any grown men nightmares.

Killua squeezed his eyes shut in a desperate attempt to suppress the memories which threatened to resurface.

His efforts proved to be futile as images of Ant flashed through his mind. Killua remembered the feeling of dread that washed over his body as he gazed into the things demonic eyes. Killua could have sworn he saw its purple and yellow irises light up in sickening delight as its vision zoned in on Gon, Kite and himself.

The image of the creature immediately disappeared as Killua forced his eyes open.

He noticed the small pool of sweat which had formed beneath him.

Killua took a large breath.

Every time he and Gon got stronger, something or someone else would come along and beat them down. For a moment Killua considered whether anything really ever did come easy in his life. The answer was simple of course... No. Nothing ever did. Not in a Hunters life anyways.

That was both the most exciting and yet frustrating thing about being a Hunter. You always had to work hard to get something you want.

That was a welcomed challenge for most of course, but what if you're not strong enough? What happens then?

You worked extra hard of course.

However, there was such a thing as limits, and at that moment, Killua truly believed that no amount of hard work could help in defeating the creature which had attacked Kite. Even if he trained for the rest of his life, he still believed he wouldn't stand a chance against the Demon Ant. No. Way.

The white haired boy cast a side long glance to where Gon laid unconscious. He doubted that his over optimistic friend would share his thoughts.

Killua cursed silently under his breath.

He didn't deserve to be friends with someone as great as Gon. He didn't deserve anything. After all, he let a friend die. It was absolutely unforgivable.

The sound of an approaching car had brought the ex-assassin out of his morbid thoughts. Just as the car stopped, Killua saw Morel, Knov and Netero step out. His eyebrows immediately shot up as his eyes landed on the Chairman.

'So these are the reinforcements,' the young Hunter thought.

"What's this? They're just kids. If you're here to play, you'll get burned. Go back home," Morel stated loudly as he approached Killua, who grimaced at the man.

"Stop it Morel-san. That isn't nice..." said Knov while pushing his glasses up. "They're only children."

Killua simply closed his eyes, refraining from saying anything to the men. Netero gazed at the teens face and chuckled.

"You look pretty defeated," the Chairman said, the undertone of concern barely noticeable. His expression turned serious. "Was the enemy that strong?"

The young Zoldyck immediately scowled.

"One of them could use Nen. That aura was the worst I've encountered. Worse than my brother's... Worse than Hisoka's..." he said, shaking his head as if in disbelief of his own words. Killua looked up to the three older Hunter's. "Now that I've learned Nen myself, I can tell... You guys are unbelievably strong. But... I still can't see you defeating that thing..."

Venom dripped from Killua's tone as he spat out the last word.

Knov stood with his arms crossed, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

"Whenever humans encounter the unknown, they tend to lose perspective. Currently, you're experiencing a state of panic," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, pushing up his glasses again. "We'll take it from here, so go lie in bed."

Morel barked out a laugh.

"You're no better than I am, Knov. Kid... the minute you start talking about who can win a Nen fight, you're wrong. In most cases, you won't know your opponents abilities. One instant of carelessness is all it takes to turn the tables and cost a life," the large man scolded.

"You can't make assumptions based on the amount of aura displayed. The battle can turn at any point," Morel continued, a huge grin spread across his face. "That's what fighting with Nen means. But regardless, you must always fight certain of victory. That is a Nen-user's spirit. The moment you were overwhelmed by the opponent's aura and fled, you were disqualified. You're lower than a loser!"

Knov turned to Morel and pushed his glasses up. Killua was seriously considering smashing those glasses soon.

"Morel, that's enough," he reprimanded the man, who just huffed in response.

Morel was right of course. He was lower than a loser. However, he, Knov and Chairman Netero had yet to experience the Ant's immeasurable power, and he hoped, for their sakes, that they never would.

"Is Gon asleep?" Netero asked as he observed Gon's resting form.

"He was going to attack the enemy, so I used force to stop him... I didn't have time to control my strength, so I don't know when he'll wake up," Killua explained, a guilty expression crossing his face as he did.

Morel nodded in approval.

"The kid shows promise, then," he said.

"Morel!" Knov yelled.

Netero ignored the two and continued his conversation with Killua.

"It is difficult to believe that giant Chimera Ants are eating humans, but since it appears to be true, we must keep casualties to a minimum. If we send fighters who aren't strong enough, they'll only strengthen the enemy," Netero advised sagely. "Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Killua answered while keeping his gaze fixated on the ground, not wanting to meet the Chairman's eyes.

A sudden idea came to the old man's mind, and he smiled brightly.

"There's a secluded continent, even more so than NGL, known as Middle-Earth," Netero started, catching Killua and the other two's attention. Apparently they hadn't known of this place. "Not many people have travelled there as they believe that it is a part of the Dark Continent. An old friend of mine has requested that I send one or two hunters to assist him in a quest to help save Middle-Earth. I advise that you and Gon travel to the borders of a city known as Rivendell. There, you will await my friend, Gandalf the Grey. You have a week to get there. If you wish to be a Hunter and return here, you'll complete the quest which you will be asked to assist in. Do you accept?"

Killua nodded silently, shocked that they were given a chance to come back. Netero searched his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment before handing it to the young assassin.

Killua saw that while one side had what looked like chicken scratch all over it, the other side had a detailed map of what he assumed was Middle-Earth. He noted that there was a small cross marked on the map.

"The 'x' marks the place where you will meet Gandalf. You will have to sail to the west coast and make your way from there. I warn you that the locals of Middle-Earth are unaware of the world around them and have no idea what Nen is, nor do they know anything about technology. Good luck," the old man said with a grandfatherly smile.

Unsure of how to respond, Killua gave the chairman a small grateful nod before he picked Gon up and crawled to the back of the car.

After an hour or so of driving, the events of the previous night had caught up with Killua. He slump tiredly in his seat and finally gave into his desire to sleep.

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It had been a week since Gandalf the Grey had sent the letter to his friend.

Indeed he did feel guilty for asking so much of a man as busy as Netero, however, he was desperate to get help.

He had informed Elrond beforehand that he was asking for help from his old friend, Netero. At first, the elf lord seemed hesitant to allow for foreigners, least of all friends of Netero, to join their quest to destroy the ring, but, even he admitted that the Fellowship needed all the help that they could get.

Netero had always been a troublemaker in the eyes of Elrond, however, even he couldn't deny the overwhelming amount of strength which Netero possessed.

Gandalf sat on a rock just outside the borders of Rivendell as he awaited reinforcements who were more than likely not coming. He had been waiting for three hours now and was beginning think that the Hunters weren't going to come.

Hunters.

When used in certain context the word was still foreign to the wizard, despite hearing the name countless times from Netero as he recounted tales of the lands beyond Middle-Earth.

He remembered the first time Netero had mentioned Hunters. He was quite dumbfounded and even sceptical at first, but after witnessing Netero easily kill ten cave trolls first hand, he had no doubt that these 'Hunters' were far more capable than any Man, Dwarf or Elf.

Despite Netero continuously stating that he and all other hunters were from the race of Men, Gandalf never truly believed it. Perhaps they're descendants of another race like the Istari, he'd often speculate. After all, that was the only explanation for the strange ability that he called 'Nen'.

Even after knowing Netero for eighty years Gandalf still found him to be quite the enigma. Actually, these 'Hunters' were all enigmas. They would hide their abilities and reveal it to you when you least expected it.

Being a wizard gave Gandalf the ability to see Nen, including aura. The wizard was still in awe of the massive amount of aura that his old friend radiated subconsciously. He could have sworn that Netero's aura was so potent that he could sense it miles away.

Though Gandalf was astonished when he first felt Netero's aura, that didn't compare to the time when he had seen his Nen ability. God knows he almost died of a heart attack.

While Gandalf was busy reminiscing, a certain pair of teen Hunter's sat down in the bushes not far from the old wizard.

Killua soundlessly rolled up the map that he had in his hands and placed it in the front pocket of his hoodie.

After Gon had woken up Killua made sure to apologise to him. Instead of scolding Killua like he had expected, Gon thanked him. He said that if it wasn't for Killua, all three of them would be dead. Of course when he had explained to Gon that they were going on a quest in a strange land he was overjoyed. He was jumping around on the boat so much that Killua seriously considered knocking him out again.

Gon expressed his determination to help this 'Gandalf' in his quest so that they could return to NGL for Kite. Killua knew that the chances of him being alive were incredibly slim, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Gon that. Best to have hope than no hope at all.

Killua and Gon had made sure to conceal themselves using Zetsu as soon as they set foot on Middle-Earth. Though they were unsure whether or not any beings on Middle-Earth could sense aura, they couldn't take any chances.

They had no idea how to distinguish friend from foe here so they had to assume that enemies could be anywhere. Thankfully they hadn't run into a single hostile being along the way, even though Killua was convinced that the mosquitoes were out to kill them. Trained assassin or not, mosquitoes were still annoying as hell.

Luckily Gon stumbled across some recognisable plants and concocted a sort of 'repellent cream'.

Who knew growing up as a wild mountain-boy would be so useful?

Using the map to find the so called 'Gandalf the Grey' hadn't been much of a task at all. For Killua anyways. He had given the map to Gon for a day and they ended up at the same beach they had arrived at.

Apparently Gon was holding the map upside down.

It's fair to say that he had learnt a very important life lesson that day; never ever take up cartography.

For obvious reasons Killua had kept Gon a minimum of ten metres away from the map from then on out.

After a few days, they had made it to the outskirts of Rivendell. Killua had opted to observe the old man sitting on the rock before making his presence known.

Neither Gon nor Killua were fooled by the old and frail appearance of the old wizard. Both teens could feel that he was powerful in his own right, though not as strong as Netero. Not even close.

Deciding that he wanted to know whether Gandalf could sense their aura Killua signalled for Gon to drop his Zetsu, which he did.

Almost immediately, Gandalf's head snapped in the direction of the bushes. The sudden powerful burst of two strange aura's instantly caught his attention. The wizard's eyes narrowed onto the bushes.

"Whoever you two are I advise that you reveal yourselves this instant!" Gandalf yelled as he edged towards the bushes, waving his staff threateningly.

To anyone observing the wizards antics he would appear to be a crazy old man yelling at thin air while brandishing an over-sized cane in front of a bush, as if he was expecting a rabid bunny to attack him.

Slowly, Killua and Gon stood from where they were squatting in the bush, holding up their hands in the universal sign of surrender. Fortunately, Gandalf seemed to recognise the peaceful gesture and had lowered his staff.

"Hello lads. Might I ask what you young fellows are doing out here alone?" Gandalf asked kindly, all traces of the crazed old man from before disappearing.

The wizard wasn't sure whether he wanted the answer or not.

The two children were obviously not from Middle-Earth, however, Gandalf didn't want to believe that the ones standing in front of him were indeed the 'reinforcements' which he so desperately needed.

From what Netero explained, only the best and most talented could even have a shot at becoming a Hunter, but even then, their chances would be incredibly slim. So how could ones so young be Hunter's?

The Istari could deny the fact all he wanted but the signs were all there. Their strange clothing. Their potent auras. Even their scent was foreign.

Gandalf watched curiously as the white haired boy reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter he had sent, slightly flailing it in front of his face.

"Does this answer your question?" Killua asked. The sternness in the young man's voice startled Gandalf.

"Indeed it does, young one," the old wizard answered as kindly as he could. Maybe he had made a bad impression on the poor boy, so the child may have felt the need to come across colder than he normally would. Killua scowled.

"My name's Killua, not young one," Killua said harshly, accidently leaking out some killer intent which caused Gandalf to recoil. Give the kid a break.

Morel and Knov really did his head in by continuously calling him and Gon children. Well, unlike Gandalf they made it sound more like an insult than anything else. But still, he didn't need another stranger calling him something along the lines of a kid.

Gon didn't seem to like his reasoning though as he smashed his fishing rod over Killua's head. The Zoldyck crouched down and massaged his aching head before snatching the rod off of Gon and whacking him over the head with it.

"OUCH! Whatcha do that for Killua?!" Gon yelled at him, tears of pain forming in his eyes.

"Huh? What I do that for?! BAKA! You hit me first! Why'd you do that?!" Killua barked back just as loud.

"You were being mean to Gandalf-san!" Gon shouted in Killua's ear.

"HE CALLED ME 'YOUNG ONE'!" Killua argued.

"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG, KILLUA!" Gon argued back.

"OH FINE, TAKE HIS SIDE!" Killua yelled while pointing to Gandalf.

"I WILL!" Gon roared.

Both teens crossed their arms and faced away from each other while the wizard sweat dropped... he had no idea what just happened. The whole of Middle-Earth probably heard their fight. The shock of having the young man's surprisingly scary killer intent directed at him had now subsided.

"Er, boys, boys. Please calm down. It was nothing. I meant no offense when I referred to you as a child, Mr Killua. I apologise," Gandalf said sincerely.

Killua's angry face immediately turned embarrassed.

"Sorry, Gandalf-san. I just overreacted," Killua apologised.

Gandalf chuckled lightly, reminding the teens instantly of the Chairman.

"It is okay, Killua," he replied. "How about we start again?"

Both boys nodded and smiled brightly.

"Very well. My name is Gandalf the Grey, but you may call me Gandalf. I am an Istari, or Wizard, and I ask that you two assist me in a very important quest," Gandalf introduced himself.

Gon's and Killua's eyes sparkled in wonder when they heard that he was a wizard. Netero never mentioned this!

"Wow, an actual Wizard? Like magic?" Gon asked. Gandalf answered with a quick nod. "Cool!"

Gon then continued to jump around the wizard asking a billion question a second. Gandalf, who was struggling to get a single word in, felt grateful when Killua firmly clamped his hand over Gon's mouth.

"Kill-u-a... can't...breathe," Gon strained to say.

Killua let go instantly. Once Gon had caught his breath he punched Killua in the shoulder, hard. The white haired boy was sent flying into a tree, which had snapped in half like a twig.

Gandalf's eyes widened in surprise. 'Hunter's indeed,' he thought.

"Oi Gon! What..." Killua started furiously but was interrupted by Gon.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Oji-san. I'm Gon and that's Killua. We both became professional Hunter's just under a year ago and we'll gladly come on this quest with you," Gon introduced himself and Killua enthusiastically.

"Oji-san?" Gon asked.

"Yes young-er, I mean, yes Gon?" Gandalf stuttered, not wanting a repeat of last time.

"Could you show us some magic?" Gon questioned hopefully. Killua, who looked ready to hit Gon for punching him in the shoulder, also looked expectant.

"Of course Gon." Once the Wizard said this he was almost blinded by the bright smiles that were sent his way. "But first, I must ask you two this; how much do you know about Middle-Earth, or more specifically... the One Ring?"

Both boys exchanged identical confused looks and shrugged at each other.

"The one what?" Gon and Killua chorused.

The Istari sighed.

"Well, it will take us a few hours to get back to Rivendell on foot, so I'll tell you everything," Gandalf informed them.

The two Hunter's followed the Wizard as he walked past the bushes, listening attentively as Gandalf began the story.

"It all began just over two thousand years ago, when the races of Men and Elf's marched upon Mount Doom to defeat the dark lord Sauron once and for all..." Gandalf began telling them the story of the One Ring, talking the entire way to Rivendell.

"...and so, now we must journey to Mount Doom to destroy the ring and Sauron for good," Gandalf finished. "Understand?"

Killua nodded while smoke came out of Gon's ears. Killua whacked him over the head and scolded him for not listening closely. Gandalf smiled at the pairs antics. Hunter's or not, they were still children.

"Boys, come here," Gandalf called once he realised where they were. The Hunter's made their way over to Gandalf. Once they were there, the wizard pulled back a branch to reveal Rivendell. "Behold, the valley of Imladras."

Gon and Killua stared in astonishment at the sheer beauty of the place.

"It is known in common tongue as Rivendell, a great elven settlement," Gandalf stated with a proud voice.

They boys immediately snapped out of their state of awe and gave Gandalf identical incredulous stares.

"Elves?!" they chorused.