Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Ame was now waiting at the entrance of the small building they called their class. Much to her own surprise, she had found herself trusting Korosensei to find a solution for her issue with guns. So, much to her annoyance, she found herself leaving her home early and reaching the E-Class campus in advance.
Frankly, it made her uncomfortable. She was either late or absent, rarely on time, and never, ever, in advance.
"Where the hell is he?" she muttered, annoyed. Her eyes darting from one side to the other, she was growing more and more anxious. "He better get here before the other students…"
There was a sudden, harsh gust of wind. Ame froze in place as the octopus appeared before her, his usual grin in place.
"Why, good morning, Naoki-san!" he cheerfully greeted.
"…'morning. So, what do you have for me?"
"These!"
The girl blinked as he extended one of his tentacles to her, offering her… earplugs.
"Earplugs?" She stared at him, unimpressed. "Do you even realize how much noise is produced by a fired gun?"
"Niryufufufu," chuckled her teacher, green stripes now covering his skin. "Why don't you try them on?"
Still not really sure, the girl however obeyed and put them in. They felt like normal foam earplugs, though.
"Now what?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "I can still hear myself talking, you know?"
Without warning, he pulled out one of the guns used by the E-Class students and fired. The teen instinctively flinched, her hands flying to her ears… before realizing she hadn't heard a noise. She was certain he had fired, but she hadn't heard anything.
"W- what?" she gasped.
"They're electronic shooter earplugs that I made yesterday," he explained, his voice perfectly clear despite the earplugs she was wearing. "They block out sounds exceeding 110 decibels, which means you can still hear normal speech but not gunshots or things of the like. So? What do you say?"
"I say… not bad." She pulled them out, a small smile twitching the corner of her lips. "Not bad at all, sensei."
He simply laughed again, rubbing his tentacles together. "Niryufufufu! So glad you approve. Now, how about we go and read some journals while we wait for the other students to arrive?"
The teen stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was serious. However, his damn grin was still firmly held in place and she couldn't read him at all. It irked her, not being able to guess what he was thinking, but she decided to simply drop it.
It was too early for this shit anyway.
"Sure. Whatever."
.
.
"Hmm. The moon is all they're talking about in America too," mused Korosensei, drinking his juice. "I wish there were more interesting front-page news."
"Sensei, the moon was destroyed and, from the general public's point of view, there's still no natural explanation for it," Ame replied, rolling her eyes. She was lying on the grass, enjoying the warmth of the sun. "What else would they talk about? It'd be kinda stupid not to talk about it."
"Well, I guess you are right," nodded her teacher. "Though I do hope they will find another subject soon enough. I was hoping to introduce the class to American newspapers to help with their English."
"Crosswords would help more," shrugged the teen, closing her eyes. "They force people to think and it's easier to remember the words."
"Ooh? Are you talking from experience, Naoki-san?"
"I guess. My… mentor, was pretty adamant about me learning English as fast as possible, so we tried a lot of different methods."
While they started chatting, none other than Nagisa and Sugino spied the two from behind the bushes, somewhat surprised. They knew they'd find Korosensei behind the school thanks to Nagisa's notes but hadn't expected to find him with Naoki Ame, of all people. The girl had made a point of always being late or absent since the beginning of the school year, after all.
"Well, no matter," finally murmured Sugino, before grinning. "That ten billion yen bounty is mine!"
Taking his stance, he let out a short breath, before throwing his baseball ball, which was covered with anti-sensei bullets. The ball soared through the air, aimed straight for the octopus's head—
"Good morning!"
Both boys stiffened at the greeting, which came from behind them. Startled, they then realized that their teacher had more than easily escaped the assassination attempt. Back near the chair, Ame was now sitting and calmly watching the rest unfold.
"Remember, speak up when you greet someone!" exclaimed Korosensei.
"G- good morning, Korosensei," finally answered Nagisa.
Sugino was simply too dumbstruck to say a word.
"Embedding those anti-me BBs into a ball? A fine idea," then praised the teacher. "It won't make the kind of noise an air gun would. However… I had all this time to kill waiting for the ball to arrive, and my cells would fall apart if I touched those BBs directly. So, I popped over to the equipment room to grab a glove."
The two boys gaped as the yellow creature they called their sensei showed them one of his tentacles wearing a glove, which was holding the ball. Green stripes spread over his face as he chuckled.
"I do hope you can kill me—before graduation, that is." At that moment, the bell rang, signaling class was about to begin. "Now then, time for homeroom!"
"Y- yes…"
As the teacher walked away, Sugino slumped in defeat. "Dammit… Guess my ball won't do the trick after all."
"Sugino…" Nagisa didn't know what to say to cheer him up.
"Already giving up?"
They both jumped a little, snapping their eyes to Ame, who was now standing behind them. One of her eyebrows raised and with her bag slung over her shoulder, she didn't look all that impressed.
"W- well…"
"You shouldn't," she cut him off bluntly. "It's a good idea. If we want to kill that damn octopus, then we have to get creative. Don't give up just yet."
She patted Sugino on the shoulder before moving ahead, heading back to class to get the day started. The two teens stared at her retreating back, confused.
Sugino scratched the back of his head. "… Did she just talk to me?"
Nagisa frowned. "I think so?"
.
.
Ame ignored the looks she got from the students already in the class when she walked in and instantly took place in her seat. Rio was instantly on her.
"You're on time!? What's gotten into you? Are you sick? Is it the end of the world? What—"
"Rio, I love you, I really do, but shut up," deadpanned the black-haired girl.
The blonde pouted a little. "So mean… But seriously, what's up?"
"Nothing much. We came to… an agreement. You'll probably see later," shrugged the teen, leaning back in her seat.
Her friend huffed a little. She knew Ame was extremely secretive and she had learned to live with that little quirk of hers since they met two years earlier. However, it didn't change the fact that it often pushed her buttons. Then again, maybe that's exactly why Ame did it. God knew she liked ruffling people's feathers whenever she had the chance.
"Good morning class!" then greeted Korosensei, stepping in. All the students were now at their desks. "We'll start the roll call, as per usual! Student on duty, at your command!"
"Stand up!" exclaimed Sugaya.
Still wary, the orange-eyed girl put in her earplugs while the rest of the students rose to their feet, guns in hands. She focused her attention on the sky outside, clenching her fists.
"Attention! Bow!"
This better fucking work—
The teacher started calling out names. After a few seconds, Ame finally allowed herself to relax. She couldn't hear the gunshots at all, yet could still hear his voice and her classmates'.
"Naoki-san?"
She raised her hand. "Here!"
The teacher nodded, seemingly hearing her over the noise she couldn't hear. After another minute or so, everyone ran out of ammo and he called out the last name. The students sat down, not all that disappointed. They knew it wouldn't be this easy, after all.
"Everyone is here then! How wonderful," remarked their teacher, his grin widening, if possible. "Then let's get started!"
They were starting with literature. Ame sighed, knowing she'd have to pass the next hour or so doing nothing. She obviously wasn't about to listen, that stuff was boring, so what could she do?
Think of assassination plots? She remembered perfectly well what she had told Sugino earlier. We'll have to be creative… Well, I've got the time now, I guess.
"Pss. Ame? Ame!"
The teen glanced from her paper to Rio, who was leaning over to her.
"What?"
She held no doubt that their teacher could hear them whispering, but decided not to care. If it really bothered him, then he'd probably stop them.
"What's gotten into Sugino? He seems pretty down," remarked the blonde.
"Uh?"
Subtly, the black-haired girl glanced to a few seats back, where Sugino was. Just as her friend said, the boy looked pretty down in the dumps. He was staring at his trap-ball and flexing his wrist, not paying the lesson any attention.
"He failed his assassination attempt this morning," she finally answered, reporting her attention on her current work. "He—"
A tentacle suddenly shot passed her at Mach 20. She froze, her heart instantly picking up the pace.
Too fast!
"Sugaya-kun!"
She instantly snapped her attention back to their teacher, who was now holding the notebook in which Sugaya had been drawing for the past few minutes. For a moment, everyone feared their teacher would get angry…
"So close!" Ame exhaled in relief at the light tone. "But my features are a bit finer than that."
He then showed them the drawing he had redrawn, which was now… completely inaccurate.
"Finer how!?" protested Sugaya.
Class pursued after that little interruption. Ame returned to her work. She had marked down a few strategies, which she seriously doubted would be put to any use, before glancing back at Sugino. He seemed really, really sad that his attempt failed.
Maybe…
She started writing.
.
.
The bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunchtime.
"Well, I have some business to take care of today, so if you'll excuse me…"
"Business?" echoed Isogai.
"Yes," nodded Korosensei, opening the window. "I'm catching a game in New York."
And he vanished, blasting wind in the classroom and making a cloud of dust rise from the dirty floor.
"There he goes," sweatdropped Yoshida.
"What's his deal?" grunted Terasaka.
"It'd be nice if he brought back some souvenirs for us, at least," mused Kurahashi.
"Who wants souvenirs from their assassination target?" however pointed out Kataoka.
"Something to eat, maybe," shrugged the orange-haired girl. "That way it wouldn't stick around."
"How oddly realistic of you," chuckled the other girl.
"What could he bring back from New York?" wondered Isogai.
"Maybe booze?" suggested Maehara.
"We can't drink!" protested Isogai, laughing.
Okajima swooned a little. "Or a blonde beauty… Woo!"
Unable to help it, Ame snorted.
Loudly.
"You know, I think that's called kidnapping," she pointed out.
Okajima's blush only deepened, this time in slight embarrassment. However, the attention of the students was now on Ame.
"Ne, Ame-chan!" exclaimed Kayano, turning to her. "How come you're in class?"
"… Because I'm a student?"
"She means: how come you're in class this early?" translated Maehara, a hand on his hip. "You're always either late or skipping."
"Did Korosensei manage to change your mind when you talked yesterday?" mused Fuwa.
"We made a deal… Well, I didn't really have much of a choice in the matter," she admitted, her face darkening a little. "He said he'd have me kicked out of the assassination if I didn't put efforts both in my studies and in the killing attempts."
"Ouch," snorted Rio, elbowing her. "Harsh. Think you'll survive coming to class on time from now on?"
"I think I'll manage," snorted Ame, shoving her aside without much strength. "Plus, he never said anything about skipping, so there."
"Ah, always the crafty one."
"Well, you know me—"
"Oh, Karasuma-san!"
At Nagisa's exclamation, all students averted their attention from the two girls to the agent who had entered their classroom.
"How's it going?" he asked, straight to the point. "Any clues on how to kill him?"
At his question, the mood in the class suddenly became somber. After all, none had made any progress when it came to assassinating their target.
"Well," sighed Hazama, crossing her arms behind her head. "We are the E-Class."
"It's impossible, Karasuma-san," then stated Isogai, frowning.
"He's way too fast!" added Mimura, whining a little. "You can't kill something that flies at Mach 20!"
"Indeed, not even an army is capable of that feat," confirmed Karasuma. "However-"
"That's because an army is the less subtle thing you can throw his way."
Ame hadn't exactly been planning on telling the class about what had happened the day before. However, seeing them so defeated made her feel a little bad. Of course, them giving up on the assassination would make things easier for her. But… it wasn't any fun. If everyone else simply resigned themselves to failure, then the assassination wouldn't be as interesting anymore, even with the reward.
"If you take him by surprise, play with his expectations, then you can get him," she added, realizing they were waiting for her to pursue on her train of thought. "I managed to cut off two of his tentacles yesterday."
The whole class instantly rioted.
"What?"
"Seriously!?"
"How did this—"
"What'd you do?"
"—can't believe it!"
"This is—"
"Amazing!"
"What exactly happened?" asked Karasuma, instantly bringing the class back to calm.
"Well…"
The teen quickly explained what she had been scheming since day one and how it had all turned out the day before. She left out the details of her special deal with Korosensei, knowing they'd find out soon enough anyway, but told them everything else. Once she was done, silence fell upon the classroom.
"… It was quite the clever strategy," finally said Karasuma, nodding. "And now, as you all know, it is possible. You simply need to find a way. Only you have this opportunity. For whatever reason, he insists on being your teacher. Left to his own devices, come next March, he'll blow up the Earth. One look at that carved-up moon and you'll know: come March, the entire human race will be beyond all help. He's too dangerous to be left alive. This classroom is the only place he can be killed."
"If he's so dangerous, why'd you create him in the first place?" muttered Ame, growing disinterested.
"What'd you say, Ame?" Rio blinked, turning to her.
"Nothing." She rose to her feet and stretched her arms. "I'm going to eat outside. You coming?"
"Sure! And you better tell me everything!" warned the blonde, grabbing her bag. "I want details, girl, details!"
"Yes, yes."
The rest of the day was rather… uneventful. She received no phone call from the Zodiac, meaning there was no mission for her and thus, no reason to skip. She could have tried to make a run for it anyway, so as to test Korosensei, but she decided against it. After all, the surprise was still an element she had to use to her advantage if she wanted even a chance of winning.
It was the first time Ame stayed in school for a full day, from the beginning to the very end, and so it was no wonder that she was the first to leave when the final bell rang. It had barely stopped ringing that she was already running out of the classroom, eager to claim that freedom she had been bereft of.
Running down the mountain, it was only once she fully left the Kunugigaoka campus that she allowed herself to slow down. Staying put and do nothing wasn't something she was particularly fond of, and she couldn't wait for her game with Korosensei to get started. Things were bound to get fun starting then, after all.
Hopefully, she'd get a mission tomorrow.
.
.
"I'm back!"
"Welcome back!"
Her grandmother's voice came from the kitchen. Smiling a little at the warm smell that greeted her, the teen soon joined her and found the woman making dinner.
"What are we eating tonight? It smells great!" she remarked.
"Donburi," answered Obaa-san. "Of course, I've got help—"
"I've got the fish!"
A six-year-old girl with shoulder-length brown hair and pink eyes stormed into the kitchen, brandishing victoriously the fish she had been sent to retrieve from the small market down the street.
"Good job, Ash," praised the older woman, chuckling. "And look who's back early!"
The little girl tilted her head in mild confusion. Then, her eyes landed on Ame.
"Ame-nee!"
She launched herself into the teen's arms. Ame easily caught her, way too used to this kind of greeting by now. She, however, stumbled a little under the weight.
"Well, you're getting bigger, aren't you?" she laughed, putting her down. "And you've been helping Obaa-san with dinner?"
"Yup! She's showing me her secret recipe," whispered loudly the kid.
"No way," gasped the teen, faking disbelief. "Her secret one?"
"Yeah!"
"Then you'll have to teach me sometime, right?"
"No way!" however refused the smaller girl. "It's a secret recipe. Secret!"
"Oh, right. My bad," laughed Ame, ruffling her hair. "Well, can't wait to taste it anyway. Though, I'm sure it'll be great. You've got the hands of an angel when it comes to cooking, Ash."
The kid blushed at the praise, before quickly returning to her main job. Deciding to let them handle everything (she wasn't the best when it came to cooking), she headed back to her room to work some more on her strategies. The more ideas she wrote down, the better her chances at finding something that'll actually work. So, not wasting any more time, she sat down at her desk and pulled out her notebook.
As she did so, though, a paper fell out.
Oh, right. I did that.
She stared at the few drawings and sketches she had done earlier in the day when she had noticed Sugino's defeated state. She hadn't really thought about it, but maybe she could give him a hand? After all, his idea was a good one. She didn't see why he couldn't push it a little farther, or why he'd give up after the first try.
So, she grabbed a pencil and started drawing a more elaborate scheme.
The next morning, she was tempted to come late, just to tick her teacher off. However, now that she had blown her cover, it wouldn't serve much purpose. In fact, going early gave her more opportunities now. Either she'd have the time to set up a trap, either she'd lull him into another sense of familiarity and use it to her advantage later on.
Satisfied with her decision, the orange-eyed teen quickly gathered her things before leaving the house, a bounce in her step. She had a feeling she'd get a mission today. It usually was the case when she didn't get one after two or three days. So, looking forward to the beginning of her game of escape, she wasted no time making her way to school.
.
.
It was lunchtime when she finally got a call. Picking up, she almost let out a victorious whoop when she realized it was Hana.
"You have no idea how happy I am right now," she grinned, even though she knew the woman couldn't see it.
"I've got a pretty good idea, actually. Inu spilled about everything. Think you can handle that game on your own?"
"Of course I can!" scoffed the teen. "And it begins as soon as this call is over, so give me the info already!"
"So impatient," snorted her friend. "But fine. Your target is ProTech. Or rather, their labs. Our client wants the secret formula the company has been developing for the past few months. You're going in with me and Buru, and Usagi's gonna help too. Come to Headquarters as soon as you can so that we can get started. And… text me, if you can't come after all."
"Don't underestimate me," retorted the teen, her grin turning a little feral. "See you there."
"See ya."
Flipping off her phone and slipping it in her pocket, she then quickly gathered her things before slinging the bag over her shoulder, ready to make a run for it. However, she then realized that Korosensei wasn't actually in the class. Frowning a little, she glanced outside and found him talking with Sugino.
"It is just as I said! If in class, you escape the classroom. If outside, you escape the campus itself. If you can manage that, then I'll let you go."
His words from two days ago echoed in her head for a few seconds. Then, she laughed a little, before lazily heading out, simply offering a wave as Rio fired questions her way. The blonde would get answers soon enough anyway.
She stepped out, taking a second to enjoy the warmth of the sunrays on her face, before heading for Korosensei and Sugino. Nagisa had joined them, too.
"I get it," Sugino said as she approached, his head lowered. Resigned. "I just… don't have his talent."
"On the other hand, your elbows and wrists are more flexible than Arita's," then remarked Korosensei, using his tentacles to lift the boy's wrist. "Train well and you could far surpass him. These fondling-for-comparison's-sake tentacles are never wrong. There's more than one kind of talent. You simply have to find an assassination that suits your talent."
"That's cute."
Both boys and even the teacher jumped at the voice, the three of them turning around to find none other than Ame, an hand in her pocket and her bag over her shoulder.
"N- Naoki-san! Where are you going?" spluttered the octopus, taken by surprise.
"I'm leaving," she informed casually.
"What? Have you already forgotten about our deal?" he protested, growing flustered.
"Me? Forgotten? Seems more like it's the other way around, sensei," she replied, a small smirk forming on her lips. "If in class, you escape the classroom is what you said, isn't it? I was in class when I receive a call and, as you can see, I'm very much outside right now."
"But- but—"
"A deal's a deal, right, sensei?" She was now grinning fully, taunting him. "I escaped the classroom and so I'm free to go. Isn't this what we agreed on?"
"… Niryufufufu!" Korosensei started laughing, rubbing his tentacles together. "Well played, Naoki-san! Though, two can play at this game."
"I sure hope so!" she snorted. "Else it'd be boring."
"Wh- what are you talking about…?" then wondered Nagisa, confused.
"Uh?" Right, they still don't know. "Korosensei's gonna explain everything. I've gotta go, now. Though, before I forget…" She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to a dumbstruck Sugino. "Here you go. You don't have to do anything with this but if it can help… Well, whatever you choose, I guess. Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow~!"
Almost skipping, the black-haired girl then started walking away. Even though she had expected a harder challenge, she also enjoyed mind games and the likes. So, winning the first round like this wasn't all that bad. In fact, it showed Korosensei how seriously she took their little game, and she sure hoped he'd do the same in the second round.
Back with the others, Korosensei ended up heading back to class, assuring the boys he'd explain the situation once lunchtime was over. Once he was gone, Nagisa looked over at his classmate.
"What did she give you, Sugino-kun?"
"I don't know…"
Still confused, the pitcher unfolded the paper the mysterious girl had just handed him, and his eyes widened slightly. There were a few drawings and even fewer notes, but everything was perfectly clear.
She had just given him a plan. A good plan. One that might work.
"Funny," mused Nagisa, reading over his shoulder. "I didn't think Naoki-san was the type to help so freely…"
"Well, I don't really know what's going on in her head, but I think it's worth a shot!" replied the boy, pumped up.
His determination rising once more thanks to Korosensei's encouragements and Ame's idea, he was ready to try his luck one more time.
.
.
"I'm here!"
Ame threw her bag on the pristine couch and made her way to the table, where Usagi and Hana were already working on their infiltration.
"Yo!" greeted the man, not looking up from his computer. "We've already established the strategy, Hebi's gonna explain everything while I—no, damn it, Saru! You gotta do it that way—"
As he started ranting to whichever member had just contacted him, Hana rolled her eyes and grabbed a file, before gesturing for the younger girl to follow her.
Hana, or Hebi, was Ame's first teacher and friend in the Zodiac. She had been the one who mentored her and showed her how everything worked in the group. She taught her the tricks, the dynamics… and she looked out for her. Frankly, she was like the mother Ame had never known. Or maybe a big sister? A bit of both, surely.
Anyway, knowing the drill by now, Ame simply did as told and both went into the debriefing room. She took a seat as Hana turned on the screen on the wall. Instantly, a picture of a building appeared.
"ProTech?" easily guessed the teen, leaning back in her seat.
"Yup," confirmed the woman, handing her the file. "That's also where Buru's been undercover for the past few weeks. He's been monitoring their progress for our client."
"I see. He's gonna help us in?"
"Aa. Your mission is quite simple, really," she assured. The picture changed to that of a small vial containing a black, sticky liquid. "That's the result of the formula the scientists of ProTech have been working on. You're to find it, steal it, and bring it back to me."
Ame clicked her tongue. "What's the catch? Any other member could have handled a steal as simple as that."
"You're right. You were specifically required because you're the only one who'll be able to make it into the room where it's held," explained Hana. The picture changed again, this time to one of a safe. "The only way in without activating the alarms is the small vent conduct you'll find on the fourteenth floor. Otherwise said, you'll have to start from the bottom, head to the fourteenth floor, find the right vent, and then go in. Usagi's gonna assist you with the different protections that have been set up."
"I see. What about you and Buru?"
"We'll handle the distraction," she shrugged. "Take some info, if we have the time. There are too many patrols and it'll be hard to evade them all, even for you. And of course, we're the back up in case things go south."
The teen simply nodded and started looking through the few papers contained in the file Hana had given her. There was some basic information about the formula and how to handle it, some pictures of people to avoid or use, and also a more thorough explanation of the obstacles that would be standing in her way.
"You've got twenty minutes to get ready," concluded Hana. "Meet me outside then."
"Roger!"
The red-haired woman then left. Ame reported her attention on the file, biting her lower lip. It wasn't the first time she worked on such operations, but breaking into such highly protected buildings always put her on edge. There was always a chance that they'd get caught, of course, be it by the police or the cameras. However, what always truly worried her was the aftermath of their mission.
The Zodiac had a politic to respect: they worked for everyone and against everyone. Whoever paid the most got what they wanted, until someone else came along and paid even more. The Zodiac was loyal to no one but to themselves.
Ame wasn't stupid. She knew the Zodiac wasn't some chivalrous organization that worked in the shadows to make a better place. Sure, if the opportunity arose and the pay was nice, then they'd make a good deed like stop an internal war or protect an important political figure. However, they weren't above starting wars either, or even killing important political figures.
Whatever paid the most.
What's gonna happen once the formula is in the client's hands? What's the formula for? Who's the client? Why do they want it?
Growing annoyed, the teen harshly shook her head. Asking questions was a big no-no in their field of work. Because sometimes… well, most of the times, deep down… she knew she didn't really want to know after all. And, well, maybe it was selfish, but she considered that her life and the lives of those she loved came before everything else. She'd do anything for them, even turn the whole damn world against her if she had to. And nothing, nothing, would ever change that. So, focusing back on the task at hands, she started reading.
"Everyone connected?"
"Buru, in position."
"Hebi, in position."
"Kitsune, in position."
Kitsune was calm. Once they reached their target, her usual nervousness completely vanished and left place to a collected, settled mind. She knew what she was doing and she knew how to do it well.
"Okay. Starting the operation in three… two… one… Go!"
Following Usagi's signal, the fire alarm was suddenly activated. Instantly, most of the employees working late started evacuating and running as far away as they could. They knew better than to stay anywhere near a building which contained numerous labs where dangerous experiments were made.
"Kitsune, the path's cleared. Go in, take a right, and go up the emergency staircase."
"Copy that."
Lifting her mask up to cover her mouth and nose, she then ran inside. She didn't make a noise as she obeyed Usagi's instructions and turned right, almost instantly reaching the staircase. She started running up the stairs. As she reached the third floor, though, the door on the fourth one flew open, and a few employees started coming down. Keeping her cool, she climbed on the railing and grabbed the stairs above her head, before pulling herself up. She held on as the five of them quickly walked down, none noticing the teen hanging above their heads.
Once they were gone, she kept on going up. Counting the floors and moving as fast as she could, she was a little out of breath when she finally reached the fourteenth floor. She checked the door to make sure no one was coming and narrowed her eyes as they landed on a camera hidden in a farther corner.
"I'm in place," she warned. "Usagi, take care of the cameras."
"Already on it. Just a few more seconds—There! I'm in their security network. You can go in without worrying about the cameras."
"Roger."
Not wasting any more time, she stepped into the hallway. The girl ignored it as the cameras followed her, aware there was someone thanks to their movement detectors, but she knew they were unable to see her thanks to Usagi.
"Third door to your left leads to an office. The air vent is in the corner, behind the desk."
Still following his instructions, the teen quickly found the room and knocked. No one answered. She went in, effectively finding the office empty. Easily finding the air vent, she then bit back a groan.
It's so small!
"Kitsune?"
"I hate you guys so much right now," she grunted, forcing open the air vent.
"She found the air vent?" chuckled Buru.
"She found the air vent," confirmed Usagi.
"Told ya she'd hate it," mused Hebi.
"She is listening," huffed Kitsune. She stretched her arms a little, before positioning herself. "Okay, ready to go. I just let myself slide down?"
"Yup! Whenever you're ready! Though be—"
"Then here goes!"
Without any more hesitation, she slipped into the air vent, and let herself slide down. Well, it felt more like she was falling, really, but she could still hold on to the walls if she wanted to slow herself down—
"STOP!"
Startled, she reacted out of reflex and stopped her mad descent. Her special gloves instantly glued themselves to the walls, and she bit back a pained groan at the sudden strain it put on her arms and shoulders.
"What the hell, Usagi?"
"If you had listened to me, you would've known that there's a field of laser rays just one point two meters under you."
"Why wasn't this in the file!?" protested the teen.
"We didn't know until I managed to break into their security system." Knowing him, she could tell he was shrugging. "Just give me a moment to get rid of them."
Gritting her teeth, she decided not to make another comment. Getting worked up in the middle of a mission wasn't worth anything and, in the end, she didn't really have a reason to be angry. It's not like Usagi could predict the future either, so she couldn't blame him for not knowing.
"They're out! Now keep going down and stop once you reach the sixth floor."
"How the hell am I supposed to know which floor is the sixth floor?" she retorted. "They don't put up signs in the air vents!"
"… Nevermind, I'll tell you when to stop."
Rolling her eyes, the teen started sliding down again, though this time restraining her speed using her electromagnetic gloves.
"Okay, it's the next exit to your right!"
"Got it!"
Sliding down some more, she finally stopped before said exit. It was more like another passage through which she'd have to crawl rather than fall, though. Knowing that complaining wouldn't do much good, she got in position and started advancing. Despite all, she was used to this kind of stuff, and thus was still moving at a rather fast pace.
Now I know why the other members couldn't come, she mused internally. No way any of them could fit in here.
"The lab's right under you. Keep moving forward and stop at the next air vent you'll come across."
"Right."
More careful not to make a noise, the teen finally reached her objective. She peeked through the air vent but found no one.
"I'm moving in."
"Got it. Buru, Hebi, get to phase two."
"Okay!"
"Copy that."
Phase two consisted of Buru and Hebi handling the scientists in the lab.
"Kitsune, you're good to go."
"Got it."
Opening the air vent, she easily slipped through, and landed on her feet three meters below, not making a sound as her feet touched the floor. Straightening up, she then found herself facing a safe. To the right was a machine for a digital code. She opened it, revealing numerous wires, and plugged a key.
"Usagi, it's your turn," she announced.
"Okay~!"
After a few seconds, the numbers 5-6-2-9 appeared, and the safe started opening. However, it stopped halfway. Having expected it, though, Kitsune went to the machine to the left of the safe's door, which consisted of a retinal reader. She grabbed a small container attached to her belt and pulled out contact lenses, before putting one of them in her right eye.
"Guys, do you have the eye signature?" she asked, blinking a few times to get adjusted.
"Yup. Usagi, charge it in."
"On it!"
After three seconds, numbers started appearing before her eye. Then, the lenses she had just put in adapted to the eye signature just sent by Hebi. She had probably copied it from one of the scientists she had knocked out back in the lab. Leaning down to face the retinal reader, she didn't even blink as a bright light flashed into her eye. The machine analyzed the eye for a moment, before accepting the eye signature and allowing the safe to open fully.
She started advancing but stopped just before she could step inside. There, on the floor, where numerous lasers. They weren't lethal, that much was obvious, but what happened if she stepped on one of them probably would be.
"Usagi, can you handle the lasers again?"
"What lasers?"
"… the ones inside the safe room?"
"There are lasers!? Fuck, they don't appear in the security system! They probably set them up using a second one!"
"Can you get in?" she frowned. Was the mission jeopardized?
"It'll take time—"
"Time we don't have," suddenly warned Hebi. "The evacuation was just canceled, employees will come back in soon and security is on the way. We need to act now."
"I need more time! I've had the whole afternoon to work on hacking into the first one, damn it!"
"If we can't accomplish the mission safely, then we must fall back," pointed out Buru, keeping his cool. "There is no need to endanger ourselves. You know the rule—"
"Our lives come before the missions," completed Kitsune, knowing that particular rule by heart like all the other members of the Zodiac. "But I think I can handle it."
"You think or you know?" asked Hebi, her tone harsher. "No stupid moves, Kitsune. If you can't do it—"
"I can!" she assured, quickly assessing the field. "I just have to make it to the doors on the other side while evading the lasers, right? I can do this. I know I can."
There was a moment of silence during which the three other members thought it over. It was a risky move, but they knew Kitsune: the girl was always too quick to take on challenges, but she never fought a lost fight. If she believed she could handle it, then they'd have to trust her.
"Fine. Do it," finally agreed Hebi. "But fall back if it gets too dangerous. It's an order."
"Copy that. Prepare an escape route for me, okay?"
"We'll be waiting," simply replied Buru.
Nodding, the orange-eyed teen then reported her attention on the lasers. She'd have to be fast and calculate her moves if she wanted to make it, but she knew she could. She had trained a few times before in case she ever found herself facing such a situation. She never tried it with real lasers before, but who cared? She'd never know if she didn't try, right?
Taking a sharp intake of breath, Kitsune jumped. She landed on her feet and stepped over a laser before bending backward to pass under another while lifting her feet to avoid touching one and finally passing over another before landing on her feet once more. She jumped over two and landed on a single hand, before pushing forward and landing on her other hand while getting over another laser. As she started falling, she propelled herself as high as she could and activated her electromagnetic gloves to their maximum capacity. She wasn't that close to the ceiling, but close enough to create a small pull that kept her in suspension for half a second. Using that opportunity, she kicked the wall near her and flew over what was left of the lasers, managing to land safely near the door.
A proud grin stretched her lips. "Nailed it!"
There were three distinct sighs of relief in the com device, making her roll her eyes.
Overprotective bunch…
"You can open the door, it's safe," informed Usagi.
"Thanks!"
Stepping inside the last room, she found herself surrounded by numerous vials and other experiments. Knowing what she was looking for, finding the formula was a piece of cake. Handling it carefully, she slipped the vial into the special case she had been given that was hanging to her belt.
"Target secured," she announced. "Heading out now."
"I couldn't take care of the lasers but I can cut off their link to the main system for about four seconds," assured Usagi. "You'll need to be quick."
"Aren't I always?" she snorted, stepping outside. "Ready when you are."
"Then… Now!"
Without hesitation, Kitsune dashed forward. She ignored all the lasers she passed through as she reached the other side and finally stepped out of the safe.
"Security's here. We're leaving now," suddenly announced Hebi.
"Leaving of leaving?" asked the black-haired girl.
"Leaving. Step away from the wall," ordered Buru.
She obeyed. A moment later, there was a small explosion, and the wall crumbled to pieces. Stepping through the cloud of dust, she almost ran into Buru. Then again, the tall man had a large built and was kind of hard to miss.
"Buru!" she beamed, giving him a quick hug. "Long time no see!"
"It's good to see you too, Kitsune," he replied, patting her head.
"Not to break the sweet moment or anything, but we're kind of in a hurry!" called Hebi, already running out of the lab.
Forgetting all about subtlety, the three members of the Zodiac quickly left, taking the emergency staircase. They stopped once they reached the second floor and opened the nearest window, before jumping out. Using their grapnels, they safely made it back to the ground. Then, they vanished into the night, leaving behind an open safe, some knocked-out scientists, utter panic and a small, black card with the white design of an ox, with one word written under it:
ZODIAC
Once they finally got back to Headquarters, Ame was exhausted. They had run the whole way back while sticking to the shadows and making numerous detours to make sure no one was following them, and it was now a little past midnight.
And I've got school tomorrow…
She let herself fall on the couch while Hana went to put away the formula they had just stolen. She'd go and give it to their client the next day.
"Tired?" mused Samon, leaning on the couch.
Samon was Buru's real name. He always looked a little dangerous, what with his bald head and his black eyes, but he really was just like a big teddy bear. He didn't like the idea of Ame joining the Zodiac but knew she wouldn't change her mind, and so simply looked out for her however he could when the opportunity arose.
"You have no idea," groaned the teen, passing a hand over her eyes. "Mind if I pass the night here?"
"'Course not. Though, you should probably warn your grandmother. She'll worry otherwise," he pointed out.
"Oh, right…"
She quickly texted the old woman, before lying down and closing her eyes. Considering how tired she was, she probably wouldn't show up to school after all.
Whatever. Skipping one day won't be anything new...
.
.
Ame was roughly shaken awake. Cursing loudly, she glared at Hana, who simply smirked down at her.
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't throttle you," growled the teen.
"Because I was kind enough to wake you up in time for school?" mused the woman.
"That's exactly the opposite of a good reason. Can't you just let me sleep?"
"Nope!" Hana replied cheerfully. "Now, up you go! Oh, and I brought you back your uniform too. You're welcome~!"
Yeah.
Sometimes, Ame really hated those guys.
When Korosensei made the roll call, Naoki wasn't there. He had sighed internally but decided to let it go this time around. After all, old habits died hard. Of course, he couldn't allow her to continue said habits but he couldn't ask for such a drastic change either. They'd have to get rid of the problem little by little.
"Ne, Korosensei!" suddenly exclaimed Sugino. It was now lunchtime, and the boy had been training his pitch for a while now. "Can you come outside so that I can kill you for a sec?"
"Niryufufufu!" The octopus accepted and quickly joined him outside. "Have you not learned your lesson yet?"
But he took his position in the middle of the field while Sugino warmed up, Nagisa sitting in the stairs and watching everything with curiosity. A few more students were now standing by the windows, wondering what was about to happen.
"Then, here it comes!"
Sugino, using his newly found stance, threw his ball. It flew fast, faster than it ever did when he tried copying Arita's style, and it was aimed straight for Korosensei. Still laughing to himself, the octopus barely moved as he easily managed to catch it with a tissue he was keeping on him at all times.
"Well done, Sugino-kun!" he praised. "It is a style that fits you much better!"
"Yeah, thought so too," simply grinned the boy.
And then, without warning, the ball Korosensei was holding exploded. BBs flew all around as a cloud of dust rose, blinding everyone's sight.
There was a moment of silence.
"Did you… did you get him?" gaped Nagisa, barely able to believe it.
"I- I think—"
"What a surprising assassination that was!"
Both boys startled at the voice and found Korosensei, safe and sound, now standing between them. His face turned orange.
"Truly well done! The only reason I managed to escape was that I realized it was heavier than a normal ball."
"Well, it's the closest I've got, so I guess I can't beat myself over it," chuckled the boy, rubbing the back of his head. "Though, frankly, it was Naoki-san's idea…"
"But it was your attempt, one that suited your talent. Keep up the good work!"
"I- I will!"
.
.
As it turned out, Hana did not wake her in time for class. By the time she reached the school, the day was halfway done, a little past lunchtime. Grumbling under her breath about demonic redheads, she failed to notice the few students from higher classes who were lingering around.
They had spotted her, though.
"Hey, Naoki!" called one of the girls Ame didn't care to remember the name of. "Is the E-Class really as bad as they say?"
"Must be, with her in it!" laughed another. "Her and all the losers really are a perfect match, uh?"
"She's such a failure!" added the third one.
"And you three are a pain in the ass, yet do you see me saying anything?" grunted the black-haired girl.
She didn't bother to stop as the three girls gaped at her. She wasn't in the mood to deal with wannabe bullies. However, just as she reached the fence separating the E-Class's mountain from the main campus, the three girls stepped in her way.
"What was that, you slut?"
"You can't talk to us like that! You're in the End Class, the lowest of the low!"
"Scum like you shouldn't even look at us!"
"Don't stand in my way and maybe I won't?" she deadpanned. "Seriously, get lost."
"You little bi—"
"Is there a problem here?"
At the new voice, the four girls turned around. The three wannabe bullies gaped like utter idiots at the sight of the handsome man in the suit, but Ame simply sighed. Why was Karasuma here? He was around an awful lot. She knew he was just trying to help, but he couldn't just show up at random whenever he felt like it and ask for progress either.
"Naoki-san, let's go," he then said, gesturing for her to move ahead.
"Sure."
And despite the childishness of the feeling, Ame couldn't help but feel a little smug as she walked away with the man, leaving the three imbeciles utterly speechless.
That'll teach those idiots.
"Does it happen often?"
The teen glanced to Karasuma, who was now walking beside her. She easily understood he was talking about the bullying.
"Karasuma-san, we're the E-Class," she snorted, a little bitterly. If there was one thing she hated, it was this school's system. "The 'lowest of the low' as that girl put it. They've been taught into thinking they were better than us and thus act on it, only reinforcing the effects of that damn brainwash. So yeah, it happens often. All the time, actually."
"… I see."
They kept silent for a while.
"Why are you late?" he finally asked, apparently curious.
"Why do you care?" she replied without missing a beat, raising an eyebrow. "No offense or anything, but you're not our babysitter. Having that damn octopus acting like a good sensei is already bad enough, you know?"
"I did not mean to pry," he apologized. "I was merely curious. So far, you are the only student who has made significant progress in the assassination, yet…"
He couldn't find the right words, though.
"Yet I don't look like I'm taking this seriously?" she completed, stifling a yawn. "I am. I simply have other priorities too. Plus, we've got the whole year, right? Rushing in won't do us any good. He's the one who has the speed advantage after all." She glanced his way. "Can I ask an indiscreet question?"
"I cannot guarantee an answer."
"I'll take what I can get," she replied with a shrug. "But… I was just wondering: do you know where exactly Korosensei comes from?"
"I'm… afraid not. We know very little about this creature."
At that, Ame snorted. She couldn't help it, really. Very little? Korosensei had been created by their government in the first place. However, it would seem they didn't see it fit to inform their agents on the field.
Misinformation always blurs the mission.
That was one of the numerous lessons she had been taught by the Zodiac. Of course, she wasn't about to share whatever she knew either. She'd rather have as many cards in hand as she could manage right now.
"Naoki." The teen stopped in her tracks, somewhat surprised by the lack of honorific, and turned to face him. "Do you know?"
She stared at him for a few seconds, a heavy silence taking place.
Then, her face broke into a smile.
A very, very fake smile.
"Why, Karasuma-san. I'm just a student. If you don't know anything, then how could I?"
Not leaving him the time to answer, she spun on her heels and started walking again. She didn't really care if he was suspicious, there was no way he'd ever find out about her anyway. However, she knew it would lead him to ask questions and, if he managed to get answers, then it was easy info for her to pick up afterward.
He ended up following in her steps, none of them adding anything. He was deep in thoughts and herself had nothing to say. When they reached the small cabin they called their classroom, though, they almost ran into Kayano.
"Oh! Hello, Naoki-chan! Hello, Karasuma-san!"
"Hey," simply greeted the girl. She tilted her head in mild confusion. "Why are you carrying bamboo sticks?"
"Actually, it's for Korosensei," she shrugged, bouncing in place. "He ruined the class's flowerbed so, to make up for it, he's holding an assassination tournament, but with a handicap."
"… what?"
Assassination meant guns. Ame wasted no time in putting in her earplugs. After what, she followed Kayano behind the small building, curious despite all. Karasuma went with them, though she still had no idea what exactly he was doing here in the first place. They were greeted by the sight of Korosensei hanging to a branch with his tentacles tied up, using his Mach 20 speed to spin around and avoid the numerous attacks the students were trying out.
"A little something extra by way of apology!" he exclaimed. Green stripes were covering his face. "Where else could you find another teacher who can move like this?"
Ame wanted to facepalm. He obviously wasn't taking any of them seriously, still looking down on them despite his precarious position. She then narrowed her eyes.
He's moving too fast. If he keeps this up, the branch holding him is gonna break.
Quickly acting on it, she whispered her idea to Nagisa and Kayano. Their eyes widened, before they nodded in agreement and quickly went to inform the rest of the students. Soon enough, the word got around, and the students started emptying their guns and throwing their anti-sensei BBs on the ground, right under him, while others kept on shooting to keep him occupied.
While they did so, Ame wasted no time in climbing into the tree. It wasn't an easy task, considering how badly it was shaking, but she finally managed to reach the branch. Grinning a little, she started dropping her own BBs on him.
"What—Naoki-san!?" He started moving even faster to avoid the attack that was coming from above. "Don't—"
There was a loud crack. Ame instantly jumped down and made a barrel before safely landing on her feet, while Korosensei fell. She grinned a little when noticing the hard time he was now having, considering he had to avoid all the BBs covering the ground while having his tentacles tied up. The students instantly jumped on the opportunity, firing their guns and throwing their knives once more.
"W- wait a second! My tentacles are all tangled up—stop it! You little—no! Wait, I can't—gah!"
He literally rolled away, heading for the building. He finally escaped his bindings and, once fully freed, jumped high enough to avoid the last of the attacks before landing on the roof. He turned to face them.
"You'll never make it all the way up there—you lack the base capability!" he chortled. "Dummies! Dummies—"
A knife flew past his face. His eyes widened slightly and, before any of the students could blink, he was back on the ground with them.
Standing on the edge of the roof, Ame scowled a little.
"Damn it," she muttered, twirling a knife between her fingers.
"Wha—when did you get up there?" gasped Kimura.
"While you were all busy trying to get him while he rolled away," she shrugged, putting the knife back to her belt. She then started climbing down with obvious ease. "Though I guess even as worked up as he was, he couldn't be taken by surprise so easily."
Her feet back on the firm ground, she then casually walked back to them. Picking up the bag she had dropped earlier, she then turned to Korosensei.
"Sorry for showing up late, I guess. I slept in this morning."
The rest of the students sweatdropped. How could she be so talented when it came to assassination yet be so fricking lazy?
"I'm doubling tonight's homework," announced darkly their teacher.
"So petty!" protested the rest of the class.
With a somewhat evil laugh, the octopus then vanished using his Mach 20 speed. The students groaned, having been defeated once more.
"And he's gone…"
"But this is the closest we've ever gotten!" pointed out Kataoka.
"Keep this up and we'll definitely get our chance to kill him!" agreed Isogai.
Their classmates relaxed at that and started cheering.
"Yatta!"
"And then we get the ten billion yen!"
"What shall I spend it on?"
Ame wasn't really comfortable with the idea of celebrating just yet. Yeah, they made some progress, but it wasn't anywhere near useful. They still couldn't get him, and she doubted it'd happen anytime soon. However, she balanced the thought with the feeling that it was better to see them happy then defeated.
Deciding not to break their newly found spirit, Ame simply kept silent.
"Oh, Naoki-san!"
She turned to Sugino, who offered her a smile.
"Thank you for your help! It didn't work, but I'll keep working on it!" he smiled.
"… You do that."
The atmosphere is lighter, she couldn't help but remark, her eyes rising to the blue sky above them. Everyone seems happier. We might be the lowest of the low, misfits, losers… but we're not hopeless yet.
That has to count for something, I guess.