Hiding Beneath It All

by Hearts and Leaves

Sakura Mikan's back as DA's new Combat Instructor. They have no idea of the complications that lead to the active movement of the AAO and, consequently, of Mikan's return, and it all started with the sudden disappearance of Azumi Yuka. RevisedAndContinued

1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Typical disclaimer applies to this story and all of the published chapters in it.

This is the story of a group of students studying in a school called Alice Academy. The school is ever known to be a school for geniuses…or at least, that's what the public knows about. Only students who has special 'talents' called 'Alice' can be accepted, and the school ranks them according to their academics and their ability.

Usually, a school's level institution generally consists of primary and secondary schools. But in this school, the institutions are based from its caste system, the 'Star Rank'. Here we have the No Star, Single Star, Double Star, Triple Star, and the highly-acclaimed Special Star Department. So basically, a three year old can be in the Special Star Department so long as he has the brains and the ability to stay in that department.

Those students who are powerful enough - those who are mostly in the Special Star Department - to fight are those who practically earn the funds of the school. The school accepts underground missions from esteemed clients, and they send their students out to do the dirty work for them. However, those 'agents' of the school are the only ones who could leave the Academy temporarily, and only for their missions. Well, actually, those who have good grades also can take a leave and be with their family for a limit of two days, but its neigh on impossible because of the high grades one must have to accomplish.

Well, it's what the other departments think of it anyway.

Aside from the unusual tasks of the students, the school, of course, lets the students 'earn' their own allowances for their daily expenses. They are given varying amounts of allowances – they use 'rabbits' as their monetary system – according to their 'Star Rank'.

And have I mentioned that the school has an odd taste for their faculty staff?

To bear witness to that fact, let us unravel the story of a group of students at the Special Star Department, at the highly esteemed and most feared class of the entire student body...