The Library

Chapter 2: Do it Once, Never Again


A/N: Saw a big error in the last chapter, now fixed; it's to be mustard gas, not tear gas. Tear gas isn't lethal. Silly me. Hope you enjoy.

3:03 A.M.

I rolled over in bed. I had been tossing and turning, and wasn't going to get any more sleep. I got up and stretched, looking at the clock. It was just past 3 in the morning.

I decided to check on the bags of goodies I had prepared the night before for my sempai to take to school. Konata's bag had canisters of mustard gas equipped with remote detonators.

Those had been an absolute nightmare to obtain. We ended up getting it from a chemist that my sempai held at gunpoint. The official story about his death is that he committed suicide. After all, why else would he go into a chamber only he was capable of locking from the inside and letting himself get hit by a plethora to toxic chemicals? Pretty obvious, but it keeps the heat off us. I feel kind of bad about it, but at the same time can't wait for the purge of all this stupidity.

I had my uniform already laid out, so I got dressed and began to fill my pockets. We has sewn secret pockets into our uniforms for all manner of things. I had ammo pouches in my shirt, my handkerchief had space to store a grenade against my chest, the waist of my skirt an additional 3 magazines for my rifle, and my shoes had blades built into the toes. If the magnets in the heels touched, the blade would release. That was Hiiragi-san's idea; she claims it will be for "making them wish they were dead". It's deliciously cruel, and I'm loving every minute of it.

After making sure nothing incriminating was peeking out of my shirt or skirt, I checked my bag. It looked normal, and upon a cursory inspection had nothing wrong with it; it was still overflowing with papers and drawings, as always. But if you knew where to look, you'd realize the layer of detritus was fake and peeled away easily. Below it were a dozen pipe bombs and the lighter to set them off.

I replaced the false bottom and moved to two piles of similar supplies. One for each of my sempai.

They couldn't risk bringing their supplies home, so they're coming here early under pretense of "Hiyori's alarm clock is broken, and she doesn't answer the phone, so we need to make sure she gets up". It'll fool everyone, and they'll get here and be able to load up with time to spare.

Konata is actually bringing two bags: the gas and the bombs. Both were padded and disguised as gym bags; the gas canisters, being roughly spherical, have been painted to look like medicine balls. The bombs are painted as tubes of tennis balls, and some real tubes of tennis balls have been added in case anyone asks to see them.

The last pile was Tsukasa's bag. She was going to be carrying the guns. When we started planning this, almost a year ago, we didn't think about space at the time. I had asked Daddy if I could go to the range and borrow some side-arms for protection, and Daddy had of course agreed, but I had procured some bulky rifles and handguns. I managed to swap out the bigger rifles for things we'd use in the following months, ending up with our current list of side-arms. We each were going to use an M4A1 CQBR carbine.

I had educated myself on the guns Daddy gave me, and I love these things. They're tiny, for one. The barrel is only 10.5 inches long, and I removed the stock from them as well, making them just 20.8 inches long. We wouldn't miss at the close ranges we were going to be shooting in; 20 meters at most. Daddy even considered that I wanted these for "home defense", since I live alone, and had his men fight them with suppressors! The gunshots don't even sound like gunshots; they're still loud, but not the same tone you'd be looking for. It was almost too perfect.

Tsukasa made a personal request for a shotgun as well, and while I thought that was odd, I got a shotgun from Daddy, who doesn't even seem to care that I had more guns than I did fingers by then. Being the illegitimate daughter of a crime lord had it's perks sometimes.

I got a semi-automatic combat shotgun from him, and we promptly sawed off the barrel and made it less than a foot long, small enough to be concealed under our uniform, which was exactly where sempai was putting it. The rifles were going into her bag, which would be kept in the shoe lockers until lunch. After lunch started, we were going to get the bag and start our fun in the hallways. Once everyone was "safely" locked in their prison, Konata was going to set off the mustard gas. We were going to then proceed to eliminate the rest of the populace of the school, classroom by classroom.

I only had one problem with it.

I picked up my cellphone and walked into the kitchen, dialing a number and looking to the clock.

3:53 A.M.

I spent close to an hour thinking, and it's finally happening.

The person on the other line answered with a groggy "uurghhmmphghugh?"

I swallowed. It was still really early. But I had to do this before the others start calling and arriving.

"Patty? It's Hiyori...can I talk to you for a minute?"

Silence for a minute, then finally "Sure, I'm awake now. What's up...kinda early to be calling me...?"

"Yeah, I guess so...um, are you going to school today?"

"...Yeah, why wouldn't I-"

"Don't." The rushed reply surprised the American, even in her half-asleep state.

"Why? Is something going on?"

I cursed internally. Don't let it get out!

"N-no...it's just that I actually like you a lot and I have a really bad feeling in my stomach and it's about school today and I'm afraid a lot of people are going to get hurt and I don't want you to be one of them and I don't want you to go to school today just to make sure."

It had just all poured out so quickly, both of the girls were stunned. Hiyori, for admitting that she liked her good friend Patricia Martin, and her for Hiyori's absolute steadfastness that she does not, under any circumstances, go to school that day. Okay, and maybe Hiyori admitting she liked her, but that wasn't even the main thing here. Actually, yes it was.

"Hiyori...are you telling the truth? You actually like me...that way?"

She could feel her cheeks turn red, and almost felt a nosebleed starting. In the smallest of small voices she returned with,

"Yes..."

Patty laughed, startling the meganekko.

"I was worried for a second that it was only me! Come on, wasn't it obvious? I like you too Hiyorin~! Hmmm..."

I leaned against the refrigerator, enjoying the cold against my back. I was starting to falter; I actually had a reason to live past today. Should I throw it away just to make a statement? No, no I shouldn't. All of this planning, all of this...I'm going to do it. Patty will be safe, and that will have to suffice.

"Yoohoo, you just went quiet again. What's got you all worked up, huh? Thinking of a new manga to make, hmm~?"

"Eep! No! I'm just...worried about you, Patty. Please, promise me you won't go to school today. Please. Just don't."

A couple more seconds of silence.

"Alright, I'll skip today, on one condition. You come visit me at work later today; you never have gone before, always making excuses. Now you don't have one."

My breath caught in my throat. Later today. Later today didn't exist for me, but I didn't want to lie to her. My stomach twisted, but I said it anyways, with an obviously forced sense of cheer accompanying it.

"Alright then! Sleep in, and I'll go there after I run some errands. Sound good to you Patty-chan?"

The soft laugh from the phone almost broke me. Almost, but not quite.

"Sure. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to sleep. Talk to you later Hiyorin~."

The line went dead.

"Love you too Patty..."

It would remain unrequited, but I can accept that. At least she knew, and she had promised to stay away from school today, so she was safe. I couldn't tell if her return of my feelings were done in a joking manner or not, but I knew I would never find out.

Oh well. It would be worth it.

Maybe.

4:19 A.M.

I was already dressed and ready to leave, but I was still in bed. I couldn't spring my excuse for needing to make sure Hiyori was up in time for school this early; I had to wait until at least 5:30 to leave. I was now sliding around in the settings in my phone. It was just to pass the time. I didn't care about anything I really had, wouldn't miss any of it. I had accepted death as an alternative long ago, maybe even before ever being subject to these fucking idiot's overbearing tendencies that must have made them feel like they were on top of the world. Maybe it was because I didn't see death as a permanent end. It's only the first step in the journey.

Hell, I was doing these assholes a favor by setting them free of their insignificant vessels of life they would otherwise be attached to for decades to come. You might say that's backwards, that's wrong, but if you did, you'd only further prove my point. The only thing holding the spirit of a being back is those around it. You think my opinion is wrong? How about I kill you? No, that doesn't sound good to you? Ah, I see. You don't go to Ryoo High.

Wait, you do? You just attempted to lie to me. You want to get out of the cleansing, don't you? Oh, no worries.

You'll die first. I will find you, and make sure I make you suffer. First your hands. Next to go will by your feet. After that, say goodvye to your arms. I hope you like buckshot femurs. Lower torso? Unnecessary. All you need is that delightfully screaming head. I'll keep it alive, just to hear the music to my ears that is your eternal suffering. If you do die, I'll make sure to find you in the next life too. I'll kill you again, just to make sure you understand. Make your adversity to my presence known and you will never be safe again. Overshadow me and I will be the knife in your back. Oops! Too late. You seem to be bleeding.

Your "loving" sister, probably your murderer,
Tsukasa :D
P.S: Fucking Kill Yourself
P.P.S: Bitch.

I finished typing the text message to my sister, and saved it as a Draft. About a minute before we started our fun, I was going to send it to her. Just to see her face. I would relish in it. Or was that the blood that would be spilling from her wounds? I couldn't decide, so I decided it to be both.

I looked at the clock.

5:31 A.M.

I jumped out of bed, fixed my hair, greeted my mother in the kitchen, gave the rehearsed excuse, which was of course taken at face value and nothing else. I ate a bowl of rice, picked up my bag, and left quickly, before the mindless prissy woman that birthed me could figure out that anything was wrong. I took out a pen and wrote the words "If you miss me, you're a liar" on the front door. I turned and left without looking back.

You know what that family needs to be? Dead. Worthless, mindless, stereotypical close-minded idiots who watched the TV like it was a fucking hypnotist's pendulum. They needed to wake the fuck up, and I was going to be the one to do it. Maybe even engage in some awesome postmortem...yes. YES. YES!

I skipped all the way to Hiyori's apartment, barely containing my excitement pertaining to the events to come.

5:47 A.M.

I awoke to the sound of retching through the wall. I got up, not even the slightest bit tired. I was so anxious, I couldn't care about sleeping. Fuck, even if I did get tired, it wasn't like it was going to matter. I went into the hallway and opened the door to Yutaka's room slowly.

She was sitting on the edge of her bed, leaning over a bucket. I flicked the lights on, causing her to look up. Her eyes watered in the light, but she still looked at me with a weak smile.

"I don't think I want to go to school today onii-chan..." I almost laughed. The one real worry I had about any of this was accidentally hurting Yu-chan, and now that wouldn't even happen. Everything was perfect. I just sat down on the bed next to her, reach around with one shoulder, and gave her a squeeze.

"You don't have to Yu-chan, it's not the end of the world...but you'll be home alone; dad stayed overnight in his editor's loft to make that deadline, and he won't be home until tonight. Are you okay with being home alone all day?"

She bit her lip, but gasped and looked nervous. "Well, I could ask Minami-chan if she could come over...but that would mean she'd be skipping class..." I got up and grabbed her cell phone off of her nightstand, handing it to her.

"Why don't you just ask her yourself? I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

I waited with bated breath as she selected the mint-haired girl's number from the quick dial number and called the number.

I left the room as the phone began to ring, giving her a bit of privacy. I went back to my room and got my uniform on, making sure all of the newly-sewn parts of it stood up to the stress they would undergo. I didn't have to worry though; Hiyori's skills as a seamstress were quite good. Some of the cosplays she had made needed to be seen to be believed.

I stopped.

It was easy to get caught up in it all, but was it really worth it? To throw away the life I had been living, to die for a cause that may or may not ever bear fruit? Sure, she was hounded and picked on and put down all the time, but the same hobbies and interests that brought so much heat to her were her ways of dealing with it. The cycle was basically endless, and she didn't like taking insults as much as the next person, but what was it that told her to do it? To plan, and today, execute the plan, to kill dozens; no, kill hundreds of her fellow students.

It was revenge. She might not hold grudges to any one person, but thoughts of revenge on random people, faceless enemies, would always plague her. This would be the ultimate payback. Maybe it would incite new laws to help restrict things like this from ever happening again.

But they had to happen first.

Steeling myself, I decided, once and for all, that I was going to see it through. It meant almost certain death, but if it meant even the slim possibility of reform and future generations never having to experience the same feelings we have, then it was worth it. We'll be murderers and martyrs at the same time. How ironic.

"Onii-chan!" I went back into Yu-chan's room. She was back in bed, the bucket next to her bed. It smelled of bile in the room, but she didn't seem to notice. She was smiling, as much as she could be while on the verge of hurling again.

"Minami-chan said she'll skip Gym to come visit me, and since that's the period before lunch, she'll have lunch with me too! Is that okay with you onii-chan?"

I laughed. "Yeah, anything's fine. Will you be able to get up to open the door for her? There's not really anywhere to put a spare key..."

She nodded. "I think I'll be good enough to do that by then..." She was beginning to look tired, and her eyes started to droop. She quickly nodded off, and fell asleep, even with the lights on. I gave her a hug and kissed her on the forehead, and held her close.

"...I'll miss you Yu-chan..."

With a final squeeze, I let go of her, turned off the lights, and exited the room. I went to the kitchen and made myself some ramen. While waiting for the water to absorb, I looked at the clock.

6:14 A.M.

I had to leave by 6:30 to get to Hiyori's by 6:45, and we'd get to school at about 7:20 and be able to stash everything accordingly before homeroom. I was mostly worried about the canisters of mustard gas. We were going to melt the plastic zippers with a lighter after we put the canisters in the bags, so they would be effectively sealed, but not airtight, so the gas would still be able to disperse after I blew the valves open, which would most likely also tear a hole in the bag. I was only worried about the bags being moved out of the cafeteria before the time came, and when I set it off, it goes into the ventilation system and kills us too.

The main ventilation system had 3 loops: one each for the cafeteria and library, and then one central loop for the rest of the school. The other buildings each had their own system, which was much simpler.

I ate while weighing the odds of the bags being moved or not. As I finished I decided that I'd put the bag under the stacks of extra seats in the corner. It wouldn't be seen unless someone looked for it, and it was heavy enough to deter anyone from trying to take it out of the room.

Getting my bags and writing a fare-well note on the computer, I sent it out to my closest online friends, before printing a copy and putting it on the keyboard. I then shut the computer down, took out the hard drive, and put it in a pencil case in my bag.

No one was ever getting the information that was in there. Over my dead body...literally. I don't think hard drives work that well when they have bullet holes in them.

I didn't even bother taking my key to get back in. I wouldn't need it, after all. I did, however, take my wallet, but not before putting the majority of the money into Yu-chan's wallet. She'd need it more than I did; I only needed one last train fare.

I took a deep breath as I opened the door to leave. I looked back, to the interior of the house I would never see again.

I let the door slam shut behind me, and started walking towards Hiyori's apartment. I didn't look back.

A/N: Yeah, you probably expected some violence in this chapter. No such luck. Better luck next time? Who knows. Drop a review if you'd like, and hope you enjoyed!