"… whoa. I don't think I remember the last time I saw so many of us together."
Kind of startled, Ame looked at everyone. Around the table were already seated Inu, Devit, Uma, Usagi, Isana, Buru, Sasori and Karasu. She went to take her seat next to Inu, who offered her a tentatively reassuring smile. Just as she got comfortable, the doors opened and in marched Hana and Dale.
Dale, aka Ryu, was the first official member of the Zodiac. In fact, he was the one who created it two decades ago or so. The black-haired man was a true tactician. He was usually the one handling the really big plans and their execution. He was also the one who trained most of the members, if not all of them. He taught everyone basic self-defense and knew so many fighting arts Ame never bothered to count them. He was the best of the best when it came to hand-to-hand combats.
He ruffled her hair as he passed behind her to go sit at the other side of the table, his green eyes soft. Hana passed too, though she simply whacked the teen behind the head before sitting next to her. Ame rolled her eyes a little but didn't say anything as the doors opened yet again, letting enter Saru.
"Yo!" he greeted cheerfully.
Saru was their leader. He had been the fourth or fifth member to join, but he quickly rose to occupy the post of leader, which had been nonexistent until he arrived. He made important decisions and was the only one who could actually allow someone to join them. No one knew much about him, saved for the fact that he got the scar over his eye and cheek from a fight with an ex-member while protecting Dale, and that he was a master in weaponry. He could wield any weapon with ease and barely a day of practice. He had a real arsenal hidden somewhere in Headquarters, too.
He ran a hand through his brown hair as he went to sit at the very end of the table, presiding the little reunion.
"All right, let's get straight to the point," he announced, his grin never leaving his face. He was obviously more amused than annoyed by the situation. "Our oh-so-dear Ame somehow managed to end up on the Japanese's government's Dark List. Or, as most of you probably know, the non-official hit list of the government."
…
…
…
"WHAT!?"
Oh, so only Usagi, Hana, Dale, Karasu and Saru knew.
Well fuck.
Isana pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Ame... What did you do?"
"I provoked the wrong guy…?"
"We're gonna need a little more details, sweetheart," drawled Uma, leaning on his hand.
Ame sighed, before giving in. "A guy showed up at school with the new transfer student. Turns out said student is another of their little experiments, though his went better than Korosensei's. He had tentacles too." She knew she had their full attention now. After all, the subject of the creature who destroyed the moon and somehow ended up being her teacher was still kind of vague. "He was trying to kill Korosensei, obviously, but it pissed me off because that other guy in white kept on interfering and weakening him and so—"
"And so you told him off. Please, tell me you told him off," practically begged Saru, his grin only widening.
"Even better." Her own lips stretched into a smirk. "I threw some knives at him, completely destroyed whatever device he was using and gave Korosensei the opportunity to get out of that sticky situation. Well, that and I may or may not have insinuated that I knew more than I should about his… situation."
"Nice!"
Saru extended his hand for a high-five, and Ame instantly did so. However, they were instantly separated by Hana.
"Not nice!" she retorted, angry. "Saru, she's on the Dark List! That means pro assassins will come after her!"
"Oh, right…"
Sheepish, he sat back down. For all his cleverness and talent, he could be quite the child when he wanted to. Shaking her head, Ame leaned back in her seat.
"This is crazy. They're not even sure I actually know something and they put me on their hit list? I'm fifteen, for God's sake! These guys are either crazy or complete bastards!"
"Or both," mused Karasu.
"Or both!" agreed the teen.
"Usagi, can't you pirate their system and take her name off?" then inquired Dale, frowning a little.
"I already tried," replied the man, running a hand through his hair. "No can do. And Ritsu can't bypass their firewalls either. Each time we manage to make a dent, even more protections rise up. There's no way we can do this without being discovered."
"Then what do we do?" asked Inu.
"It's going to take a while before assassins take notice of the bounty," then pointed out Karasu, as calm as ever. "She's not that high up on the list, and there isn't a lot of money either. I'd say we've got at least a month before someone tries something."
"Let's not forget there already are assassins in the vicinity, though," remarked Ratto. "Because of Korosensei's bounty, there is already a lot of them gathered around. It cuts that time in half, at least."
"She needs constant protection until we find a way to get her name off that list," suggested Buru
"What? No way!" protested the teen, jumping to her feet. "I can take care of myself! Look, I seriously doubt an assassin will manage to have the jump on me while in school, Korosensei's gonna sense them before they even get there. And I know how to disappear, remember? You're the ones who taught me!"
"Your protection isn't up for questions, Ame," then warned Saru, still smiling. "Unless you want to be confined to Headquarters until we find a solution?"
"… you wouldn't."
But she knew he would. Hell, she knew they all would. So, giving up, she sat back down and crossed her arms over her chest.
"There's no way you guys can keep watch on me while I'm at school without at least Korosensei finding out," she scowled.
"Then we're gonna tell him."
"Wha—Are you crazy!?"
"It's simple, really," shrugged Saru. "We –or rather, Hana- will tell him about the situation. He'll keep watch over you during class, and one of us will walk you to school and back home each morning and each evening."
"He's going to ask questions."
"He already is. Hana's kind of your official guardian here, hence why she'll handle it. She'll tell him the basics, and we'll keep it at that. Frankly, I'd be surprised if he didn't already have somewhat of an idea about us," concluded their leader. "Usagi, you'll keep on working on those firewalls with Ritsu. The rest of you will go back to your usual routine and missions, but you'll also work out a schedule for the pick-ups. Any questions?"
"... Will my family be okay?" asked Ame in a more subdued tone.
At that, Saru smiled at her again, though it was warmer. "We've already set up cameras and protection. Nothing's gonna happen to them."
Ame exhaled in relief. "Thank you."
"Of course. Now, let's get to work! Oh, and Hana, you'll go meet Korosensei in person with Ame tomorrow, once her classes are over," he ordered. He then clasped his hands together. "That's all for now, contact me if anything else comes up. Dismissed!"
Uma almost instantly leaped over the table and brought Ame into a suffocating hug.
"My poor, poor Ame-chan! Don't worry, I'll protect you—ow! Ka- Kara-chan, let go—"
Karasu pulled a little more on his ear. "Stop harassing the poor girl. She's already got a lot on her plate to worry about."
"But I wanna hug her!" whined the blond man.
"No."
"But Kara-chan—"
"Stop calling me that!"
Ame sweatdropped as the two started bickering. Count on them to always be the same, no matter the situation. She then felt a hand on her head, and she tilted her eyes up to meet Inu's, who smiled at her.
"Don't worry, Ame. We'll sort this out."
At that, she returned his smile. "I know. Thank you, all of you. And I'm sorry for being such a bother too."
"Well, things would be kind of boring without you always bringing trouble in," snorted Usagi.
"I could have gone ma whole life without findin' your name on that damn list," grunted Hana. "I'll see ya tomorrow."
"Hana—"
The red-haired woman slammed the door behind her, making Ame cringe.
"Wow," blinked Devit. "She's pissed. You should probably go talk to her, kid."
"I know, I know. Thanks again, guys! See you later!"
She then ran out as fast as she could. She needed to catch up with Hana.
"Hana?"
Ame sighed in relief when she found the woman just outside, taking a smoke and staring blankly at the sky. The teen leaned against the wall, unsure of what to say.
"Look… Hana… I'm—"
"I don't get you."
"Uh?"
"Don't ya get it? People are going ta come and try ta kill ya." She gritted her teeth and threw away her cigarette. "How can ya act so carefree when there's basically a target painted on your back? You've always been in danger, what with being a part o' da Zodiac, but this- this isn't okay! Ya can't act as if it was!"
"I know it's not!" snapped the orange-eyed girl. Hana startled a little, finally looking at her… and stiffened at the sight of the girl's teary eyes. "Fuck! I know it ain't okay! Ya think I'm feeling like da king o' da world, knowing pro assassins will come after ma head? I'm terrified, Hana! I've been taught ta run when facing a hopeless fight, but how can I run away without risking runnin' into ma very enemy, uh? There's no place ta hide anymore! And yeah, I tried ta play it brave back in there, 'cause I know for a fact that even if I'm scared shitless, ya guys have ma back and ya have no idea how grateful I am right now. But this… Fuck, I know I messed up, okay? I know."
"Oh, Ame…"
Hana brought her into a tight hug. Ame instantly wrapped her arms around her waist, hiding her face in her chest. The woman started stroking her hair.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that. I know you're da most worried out of all of us, and ya have every right ta be," apologized the redhead.
"I'm da one who's sorry. If I simply kept ma damn mouth shut…"
"Then ya wouldn't be da Ame I know. You're one o' us, remember?" Hana smiled a little at that. "That means ya don't have ta pay attention ta da rules. We either make 'em or break 'em, got it?"
"… yeah. Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Hana."
"Sure thing. Love ya, Ame."
"Love ya too."
Reassured, the teen however lingered in the woman's warm embrace a little longer. Right now, she didn't feel like being alone.
.
.
Hana drove her to school the following morning. Ame quickly joined the class, on alert. As she reached the E-Class campus, she started wondering if maybe one of the teachers had heard about the incident. When she arrived, though, it was only to find almost all of her classmates already present and going through a series of exercises set up by Karasuma.
"Oh, Ame-chan!" exclaimed Kayano, the first to see her. "Good morning!"
"Hey. What are you guys doing?"
"Oh, that? It's extra training!" chirped Kurahashi, joining them. "Karasuma-san agreed to help us!"
"What for?" wondered the girl, now confused.
"Well, it's because of what happened yesterday," admitted Yada, approaching with the other girls behind her.
"You're the only one who stood up for us," explained Fuwa. "And you said what we were all afraid to admit to ourselves."
"We want to be the ones who kill Korosensei," then assured Rio, grinning at her and twirling a rubber knife in her hand. "We won't let others take this away from us."
"That's… actually pretty great." Ame found herself relaxing. "I'm glad you guys feel the same. Why did none of you call me, though? I could have joined you this morning, you know?"
"I called you like, five times," retorted her blonde friend, rolling her eyes.
"Uh?" Ame quickly checked her phone. "Oh, so you did. My bad. I've got… some stuff, going on at work. Anyway! Do we have some time left?"
"I think so," confirmed Okano, checking her watch. "Yup, twenty minutes."
"Good enough. I'll go get changed and get started—"
"Wait, Ame-chan!" The teen stopped in her tracks, turning to Hara. "I was wondering… if you could help me."
"Help you?"
"Help us, actually," nodded Kataoka, smiling a little. "We've seen how you handle knives and hand-to-hand combat, and we'd really appreciate it if you could show us a few tricks."
The rest of the girls nodded their heads in agreement. Ame stared at them for a few seconds, truly taken aback. Then, her lips stretched by themselves, and she found herself beaming at them.
"Sure! It'll be fun!"
And it'll take my mind off of things for a while too…
The morning extra training session was over, and everyone was now settling in class for the first period. As Korosensei came in, Ame instantly went up to him.
"Oh, good morning, Naoki-san!" he greeted.
"'Morning, Korosensei." She stared at him for a second but found nothing that would betray whatever knowledge he might possess about her current situation. "Look, I'll make things simple: one of my guardians will be coming at the end of the day to meet with you. We've got… a situation at hands, and we—I, need your help."
He fell serious at that. "Does this have something to do with yesterday's incident?"
"Aa."
He nodded at that. "Very well. After class, then."
"Right."
Glad it was over with, Ame quickly went back to her place. She kind of dreaded the meeting between Hana and Korosensei, and she simply hoped things wouldn't get out of hands.
Yeah.
Let's hope.
.
.
For once, the day was over much faster than Ame would've liked. Then again, she passed the whole time gazing warily outside every few minutes to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary, and thus barely paid attention to class. As everyone started gathering their things, a loud gasp echoed.
"Look at that!" practically squealed Okajima, glued to the window. "There's a literal bomb coming over!"
"Uh?"
"Where!?"
Most of the students went to the windows to look, but Ame didn't bother, already knowing who it was. They watched as a beautiful woman, with deep red hair and sharp green eyes, walked toward the building.
"Who's that?"
"Wow, she could rival Bitch-sensei…"
"Is it another assassin?"
"No." Ame finally got enough and cut short the chatter. "That's Hana. I work with her."
At that moment, the woman vanished from sight, stepping into the building.
Okajima was almost instantly in her face. "Please tell me where you work! Please, please, please!"
"Ew, no!" refused the teen, shaking her head. "Plus, she's way out of your league."
He slumped in defeat at that. "So mean…"
Rolling her eyes, the black-haired girl grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, before waving goodbye to her friends and heading. When she stepped into the hallway, she found the redhead really close to Karasuma, who's eye was twitching in annoyance.
She scrunched her nose. "Hana, please stop flirting with my teacher. Please."
Hana rolled her eyes, but left the man alone and came up to her. "So, where's Korosensei?"
"In there. Come on."
They ignored Karasuma's narrowed eyes and went into the teacher's lounge, where Korosensei was already waiting for them. He was wearing his human disguise, making both girls snort in synch. His skin turned baby pink at the sight of the red-haired woman.
"No need for the getup, Korosensei," mused Hana, going to sit before him. "I already know what you are."
There was a moment of stillness. Then, Korosensei got rid of the nose and the wig, and his skin turned back to yellow, though his cheeks were still somewhat red.
"I see. May I ask how?"
"You may. I can't promise an answer."
That made the teacher chuckle a little. "Now I see from where Naoki-san takes her elusive nature…"
"I'll cut straight to the chase, Korosensei," declared the woman, crossing her arms over her chest. "Ame's in danger. Because of what happened yesterday, she's been put on the government's Dark List."
…
…
…
"B- beg your pardon!?" he gasped.
"Assassins are coming after me." Ame offered a bitter smile to her sensei. "Guess we're both targets now, uh?"
Korosensei took a few seconds to digest the information. Then, calmer than Ame expected him to be, he finally looked back to Hana.
"How exactly have you come across this information?"
"We're an informant group," more or less revealed Hana, unperturbed. "We gather information and we sell it."
"I see. And has Naoki-san been a part of this group for long?"
"That's not for me to answer and it's not relevant to the situation. Ame has been put on that list and is now in danger," repeated the poison mistress. "What we ask of you is to keep an eye on her while she's at school. We will handle her movements in between school and home, but Kunugigaoka is your territory. You know it better than we do and we believe she'll be safer having you around."
"… I understand. I can promise you that no harm will come to her. She is my student, after all, and she did end up in this position because of me," replied the creature with a resigned sigh. He then chuckled a little. "You can put your mind to rest!"
At that, Hana finally relaxed a little. "Thank you. We're counting on you, then."
On that note, she rose back to her feet, obviously done with the conversation. Ame was quick to follow her to the door, eager to leave.
"See ya tomorrow, Korosensei!"
And she bolted outside. Hana shook her head a little, exasperated. Before she could leave, though, the octopus held her back with one of his tentacles.
"Just a moment, Hana-san. If you'd please?"
She turned to him, her face blank. "What is it?"
"I know what info-brokers are. I know what they do. What you do," he stated bluntly. "Do you truly wish for this kind of future for Naoki-san?"
"I don't," admitted the woman. "But it's her life, and she's a big girl. Believe it or not, but she's mature enough to make her own decisions. Whatever she chooses, we'll support her."
"Who are 'we', Hana-san?"
That earned him a small, mysterious smile. "Who knows?"
And then she was gone, the door silently sliding shut behind her. After a few seconds, Korosensei chuckled lightly.
Yes, Naoki-san truly takes after her. Now, to set up some protections…
Hana drove Ame to school again the next morning. The orange-eyed teen had refrained a sigh when finding the woman already waiting for her in the street. While not having to walk all the way was cool and all, she could tell it would grow really old, really fast. After all, she was used to doing things at her own pace. But now? Now, she couldn't even be late to school if she tried.
When they arrived at school, it was only to find Irina waiting for her at the fence leading the way to the mountain. The girl waved her mother-like figure goodbye before quickly joining her teacher.
"'Morning."
"Good morning," greeted the blonde. They started walking, and Irina sighed. "You know, I should have expected something of the sort would happen."
"Oh, so Korosensei filled you in?"
An uncharacteristic snort escaped the pro assassin. "He didn't really have a choice. Karasuma found him buying all the cameras in a store near school, so that octopus had to spill the beans."
"Go figures. Are you going to help?"
"Well, I am here this morning. Though, it is unusual for an assassin to protect instead of… well, assassinate," mused Irina.
Much to the woman's surprise, the teen chuckled at that.
"In a way, I'm glad. We might not always see eye to eye, but I know of your skills well enough. And, I might not really show it, but I do respect you," then explained the girl. "Knowing you're watching my back is kind of reassuring, to be honest."
Irina stopped dead in her tracks while Ame kept on walking. She didn't know what to say or do. True, she found Ame infuriating more often than not, but hearing the girl speak so honestly actually struck a chord in her. Well, that and it was probably the first time someone told her they found her reassuring.
Her.
An assassin.
"Hey, why are you lagging behind, Bitch-sensei?" suddenly called Ame, way ahead of her. "Come on, get a move already! You sure you're not getting rusty?"
Irina's eye twitched. Nevermind the moment, that brat just had to go and ruin everything.
"Shut up! I would already be up there had I not had to wait for you, brat!"
"Excuses, excuses~!"
"Urgh!"
.
.
At the end of the day, she had to wait for the rest of her classmates to leave before heading out. She didn't want to risk involving them in any way and, if an assassin did show up at random and found her hanging out with her friends, well, it wouldn't turn out well. As she stepped outside, though, she found none other than Karasuma waiting for her outside. She stopped next to him, unsure of what to say.
"… so, you're my bodyguard?" Her lips twitched into a small smile. "That's cool."
"There's nothing cool to this situation, Naoki," retorted her teacher, frowning. He gestured for her to get a move on, and they started walking. "As I feared, the government has acted rashly. Unfortunately, they have denied everything when I brought up the subject and I cannot insist without taking the risk of aggravating the situation. Of course, how that creature managed to get a hold of this information is already making things worst, but I guess it can't be helped."
Korosensei told him he's the one who found out? So he didn't tell them about me being an info-broker… Well, thanks for that, I guess.
"I never said the situation was cool," she then remarked. "It's the complete opposite. Having a target on your back is frankly terrifying, and I could have gone my whole life without it. However, I said having you watching my back is cool because I know you're strong and I can trust you with my life."
"… I see." He seemed to think something over for a moment, before looking back at her. "Which mornings are you free, Naoki?"
"What?"
"I can offer you extra training lessons. That way, were you to ever find yourself in a situation where no one is there to protect you, you could protect yourself better," he explained.
"Ooh… Well, I've got morning lessons with the girls now, but I guess we can arrange something," she mused, before grinning at him. "You actually like that teaching position, don't you?"
"I never said such a thing," he replied, coughing into his fist.
Ame smiled at that, but didn't say anything more.
.
.
Two weeks passed since then. As agreed upon, Hana brought her to school each morning and brought her back home –or Headquarters, depending on the situation- each evening. She no longer got calls in the middle of the day for work, though, something she found quite annoying but knew she had no right to complain.
It was kind of her fault, after all.
"Okay girls, let's wrap this up!"
Ame had taken the girls' request very seriously. Three times a week now, all of the girls arrived at school an hour before class began so that they could train together. It had been a little hard at first, considering not all of them had the same kind of abilities to begin with, but Ame had managed things somehow.
"Now, listen closely: there are two rules for you to win a fight," she stated clearly, the rest of the girls paying close attention. "One: play to your strengths. Ever heard the expression 'jack of all trades, master of none'? Well, it's probably the worst thing you can be when it comes to fighting one-on-one. You don't have to master everything, but hone your strengths and then pick up a few more tricks. That way, you can be strong and unpredictable."
She pointed her knife to Okano. The brunette blinked in surprise, before stepping forward to face her.
"All right. Okano, I want you to surprise me."
"W- what? Just like that?"
"Yep. I won't fight back, merely evade. You've got to land at least one hit."
"Okay?"
Unsure, she took her stance. Ame simply nodded reassuringly. Nodding back, the brunette then darted forward. Ame easily stepped out of the way.
Surprise her…
She needed a move Ame hadn't taught her, then.
…
…
…
I know!
She moved fast, her knife aiming for the orange-eyed girl's face. Ame stepped back, just enough to avoid it from hitting her face. However, it wasn't far enough to avoid the sudden kick from her opponent. Okano executed a perfect cartwheel, hitting Ame right under the chin. It's only once she fell back on her feet that she realized she had actually hit the teen.
"Ow…"
"A- Ame-san! Oh God, I am so sorry!" apologized frantically the smaller girl.
"No! No, don't be," retorted Ame, rubbing her sore chin. She then smiled at her. "It was a great shot. I was wondering when you would catch on."
"Wait, you knew I would use my gymnastic moves?"
"Sure. I just wanted you to think a little." Ame then shook her head and face the rest of the girls once again. "Anyway, as you've all seen, Okano played to her strength and took me by surprise. Gymnastics are surprisingly fitting for fighting, she could even develop her own style if she gives it time and efforts. Now, I know not everyone here has skills that are so… evident, more or less, to find. However, I also know that everyone here does have at least one skill that could help them in a fight. By the next lesson, I want all of you to have found that skill of yours." She clasped her hands together, grinning. "That's all for today. Great work, girls!"
"W- wait!" protested Fuwa. "You didn't tell us the other rule!"
"Ah, that'll be for another lesson," chuckled the black-haired girl. "Learning everything all at once won't do anyone any good, you know? We've got to keep a stable pace."
The rest of the girls nodded in agreement at that, before slowly heading back towards the building to quickly get changed.
"That was great, Ame," remarked Rio, bumping Ame's shoulder. "These training sessions are fun. You're really good at this, you know?"
"I try. Frankly, I'm just telling you guys what my mentors told me," shrugged her friend. "Plus, it's easy to teach when it's something you know a lot… about…"
Ame trailed off as she noticed Nagisa, Sugino, and Karma now heading their way. The three boys seemed to be talking about something important, if their faces were anything to go with.
Why does it feel like things are going to grow interesting all of sudden?
"A class versus class ball game tournament, is it? Cultivating healthy minds and bodies through sports—most excellent!" exclaimed Korosensei. He then showed everyone the bracket, nervous sweats rolling down his face. "However, why is the E-Class not in the tournament brackets?"
"The E-Class doesn't get entered into the tournament," answered Mimura with a resigned smile. "Due to the splendid reason that there'd be an odd number of teams. Instead, we have to play in the exhibition game at the end."
"Exhibition game?" repeated the creature in confusion.
"Basically, it's just a spectacle. As the entire school looks on, we get pit against the Baseball Club and the girls go against the Girls' Basketball Club," explained Kataoka.
"I see, so it's the same old, same old," understood Korosensei.
At that point, Terasaka, Muramatsu, and Yoshida got up and started heading for the door.
"We aren't sitting around to be laughingstocks," announced Terasaka, a scowl on his lips. "You guys handle it however you want. See ya."
"Oi, wait—Terasaka!" protested Isogai.
But the three left the class without another look back.
"If it's baseball, the go-to guy would be Sugino, right?" then pointed out Maehara. He turned to the mentioned boy. "So? Got any secrets we can use to win?"
"It's impossible," however replied Sugino, lowering his head. "Our Baseball Club is pretty strong. Especially Shindo, our current Club Captain. His powerful fastball has even gotten the attention of the prestigious high schools. A star pupil and a start athlete—it's like, unfair." He then clenched his eyes. "But you know… I want to win, Korosensei. Not just put up a good fight. Win." He looked down at the ball he was holding. "I don't want to lose at the baseball that I love. After getting kicked out of the Baseball Club and joining the E-Class, my feelings have actually only grown stronger. I want to team up with these guys and win—"
"Base~ball! Base~ball!"
Everyone sweatdropped as Korosensei started chanting, already all geared up and set to go.
"R-right. You want to play baseball, too," realized Sugino. "I hear you loud and clear."
"Niryufufufu! I've always wanted to be the fiery coach in a sports drama!" admitted their teacher. "I won't smack you kids around or anything, so instead, I'll flip dinner tables."
"Please don't," winced Ame.
"Lately, you've grown more articulate about the direction you want to go in," then remarked the octopus. "I want to kill. I want to win. Unwavering, no matter the adversity you face. To reward that spirit, Coach Koro will impart upon you the training and strategy that will allow you to win!"
"… and what about us?"
Startled, the students turned their heads to Ame. She was leaning on her hand, looking bored, but there was a glint in her eyes.
A competitive glint.
Ooh. Korosensei's grin widened. I see.
"What do you mean, Ame-chan?" then wondered Kayano.
"Well, it's cool and all that the guys are fired up, but what about us?" replied the black-haired girl. "We too have to play, right? Against the Girls' Basketball Club… What's our game plan?"
"Ame-san… I don't mean to offend, but I seriously doubt we actually have a chance at winning this," pointed out Kataoka. "Most of us don't even know how to play."
"And the girls in that club are scary!" added Kurahashi, sweating nervously. "They're really tall and strong!"
"Let's just count on the boys to win this round for us, all right?" proposed Hara.
Ame looked at each of the girls. All of them, even Rio, seemed pretty convinced they wouldn't be able to win. She felt her guts churn, a weird taste invading her mouth.
It wasn't exactly defeated. More like… disappointment.
"So what, you're giving up without even trying?" She scoffed, leaning back in her seat. "That's pathetic."
At that, most girls lowered their heads. Maybe it was pathetic, but why fight a fight they were bound to lose? They didn't see the point. So, no one bothered with an actual answer. After a few moments of silence, though, the boys started discussing and planning their strategy. They only had three days to get ready, so they had to be efficient about things.
Three days, uh? Ame looked at the bright sun outside. Enough to get back into the game spirit… I'll ask Kiba for some advice, he knows more than I do about the sport. Her eyes hardened a little. The girls won't do anything, but I refuse to give up so easily. I won't just lose because of 'what ifs'.
Hell, I'll win by myself if I have to.
.
.
The three days were up. The walk to the gym where the basketball game was completely silent. The training session they had been supposed to have the day before had been canceled by Ame herself, but none of the girls dared to question her about it. It was obvious their attitudes pissed her off, and a pissed off Ame was actually rather scary.
When they arrived, the Basketball Club was already there, and the stands were started to fill.
"All right, here's the plan." The group startled as Ame suddenly turned to face them, her arms crossed over her chest. "Throw me the ball whenever you can. I'll handle the rest."
"… that's it?" blinked Rio, confused. "Don't you have an actual strategy, or—"
"A strategy that involves me doing this alone? Yes," retorted bluntly the girl. "Pass me the ball and there shouldn't be any trouble."
On that note, she headed to the middle of the field so that they could start the game as fast as possible.
"… We really let her down, haven't we?" then remarked Yada, lowering her eyes.
"I can't really be helped, though," pointed out Okano, rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, look at us! There's no way we can win against that."
They all looked back to the enemy team, which had now spread on the field. Ame was having a stare-down with the Club Captain, who was one good head taller than her, at least.
"Ugh, let's just get this over with," sighed Rio, heading on the field. "The faster the better."
Wanting this to be over as soon as possible, the rest of the girls nodded in agreement before going to take their positions.
This is an absolute nightmare.
Thanks to her… strategy, Ame had managed to score a few points. Unfortunately, it was far from a fool-proof plan and, alone against an entire team, she rarely was close enough to the goal to manage to reach it. The rest of her "team" did listen to her and threw her the ball whenever they could, but it didn't do much considering Ame was more often than not cornered. The Basketball Club quickly caught on to what was going on, or at least part of it, and had started targeting her, making things even more difficult.
If I had at least one other person…
But she didn't, and so she'd have to find a way to win on her own, and fast. Hara threw her the ball. She caught it and instantly made a dash for the goal. As she reached it, though, one of her opponents suddenly stood in her way. The girl gritted her teeth in annoyance but didn't have the time to think things through, since another came up behind her and managed to steal the ball.
Damn it!
The opposing team quickly ran up to their own goal and scored, the E-Class students being no match and having a completely disorganized defense. At the sight of them being utterly destroyed, Ame slowly lowered her arms.
Oh, who am I kidding? It was the mid-time break. She instantly made her way to the bench to get some water. There's no way I can do this alone. I fooled myself into believing I could win, but against an almost pro team? I was doomed from the moment I thought I could do it.
"Hey, Ame?"
"What is it?" She gulped down some more water.
Rio bit her lower lip. "Are… are you okay?"
"Sure. I'm fine. Whatever." The teen put down the bottle, before passing a hand over her face, suddenly tired. "Frankly, I don't know why I even tried in the first place. I get what you were saying back in class, now. Winning… is simply impossible. I'm sorry for not seeing it sooner."
The blonde stared at her friend for a moment, feeling a little sic: Ame never backed down from a challenge. Ever. She always overcame every obstacle standing in her way, saved maybe for her studies, and most of all, she never gave up. So, hearing her now, seeing her so defeated…
This wasn't right. This wasn't right at all.
"No."
Both Rio and Ame jumped a little at the new voice, their eyes instantly falling on the girls now standing around them. It was Kataoka who had spoken up.
"No, Ame-san. You shouldn't be the one apologizing," she stated firmly. "We are."
"You were right. Giving up so easily was truly pathetic of us," added Fuwa.
"But seeing you still try and give your all, even when all the odds were against you, kind of fired us up," admitted Yada, sheepish.
"It may be too late, but we're ready, Ame-chan," then assured Kayano, pumping her fist in the hair. "Let's win this game!"
The rest of the team nodded in agreement, determination now shining in their eyes. Seeing this, Ame couldn't stop the smile from stretching her lips.
"… All right. All right, let's do this."
"Then what's our game plan, Ame?" then asked Rio. "We're listening."
"Okay. Remember our lesson, three days ago?" They all nodded again, making her smile turn into a small smirk. "Well, I sure hope you did your homework. What are your skills, girls?"
"W- wait!" protested Kurahashi. "Wasn't that for fighting? I don't understand how this is going to help…"
"But can't you see? This is a fight!" exclaimed Ame, jumping on her feet. "This is a fight, and we're going to win. Those are our opponents, and this goal is our target. We have to play to our strengths, remember?"
Understanding started dawning on them. Seeing this, the orange-eyed teen grinned once again.
"Great. Then let's hear it, and let's do this fast."
"Start!"
Kataoka managed to hit the ball, aiming for Yada, who easily caught it. As soon as one of their opponents approached, she slipped under the girl's arms and threw Fuwa, who instantly made a run for the goal.
"Pass to Ame!" yelled Rio in English, farther behind.
Instantly, the other team surrounded the black-haired girl, who had been standing not far from the goal. At the last moment, though, Fuwa passed the ball to Kurahashi. Being as small as she was, running around and escaping the last few of their opponents was child's play. She finally passed to Hayami who, without much difficulty, threw it in the goal and marked the point.
It's like Ame-san said, she mused as her classmates cheered. My hand is the gun, and the ball is the bullet.
The game started again. This time, they surprised the Club members with throwing the ball to Hara, who was much faster than she looked. She managed to get through their defenses and passed it to Kanzaki, who was just next to the goal. As soon as the girl caught it, though, she found two of their opponents blocking her way. She offered them a disarmingly innocent smile, and the two almost instantly relaxed their guard.
Now!
She passed it to Ame, who had just run past the three of them, and the girl scored once again. As their team cheered and their opponents started growing worried about this sudden turn of situation, Ame wiped the sweat from her forehead, grinning. If they kept this up, maybe they could still make it.
No, not maybe. She shook her head, going to take her position. We can. We will.
Hara threw the ball on the floor, so hard it flew way too high for anyone to catch it. Okano, however, jumped, using her gymnastics, and managed to catch it before landing on her feet and passing it to Kataoka, who barreled through their enemies' defenses and managed to score.
"Aim for the goal! Pass to Kanzaki! Go back!"
Rio's English calls were confusing, and distracting. Sometimes the girls followed her instructions, other times they didn't, and so their opponents no longer understood what their game plan was. To be frank, though, that was kind of the point. A confused or distracted opponent was one easily overcome, after all.
"Hazama!"
Hazama blinked in surprise when the ball suddenly landed in her hands. Half-a-second later, three of their enemies were before her, ready to take it away. A dark grin spread on her lips, and an even darker aura suddenly surrounded her.
"Feeling up to bring some darkness into your lives, girls? You can already taste your defeat, can't you?" she taunted just as darkly.
Chills ran down the three girls' spines, freezing them in place, and Hazama used the opportunity to score.
Ame knew instantly she couldn't reach the goal. So, at the last moment, she threw it to Kayano. The green-haired girl gaped as their opponents, fired up, started running at her… their breasts bouncing way too much for her liking.
She saw red.
"DOWN GO BIG BOOBS!"
Her rage turning into strength, she threw the ball and scored.
"Okay, girls, this is our last chance," warned Ame. "It's a tie, so whoever marks wins."
"What do we do?" asked Fuwa.
A grin stretched the teen's lips. "We put to good use lesson number two."
"What? Right now?" blinked Okano, surprised.
"What is it, Ame?" wondered Rio, grinning in anticipation.
"Easy. Lesson one is to play to your strengths. Lesson two… is to play with their strengths. We can still surprise them, we can win this game… and Okuda is the key to it all."
"M- m- me!?" squeaked the bespectacled girl.
"Yes. You guys just have to trust me, all right?"
Without hesitation, they all nodded firmly, saved for Okuda, who was now shaking in place. Her? The key? What was the girl thinking?
"Let's do this!"
"Yes!"
The plan was simple, incredibly so. Though, to be honest, the girls were no longer that certain about their victory. However, Ame asked them to trust her, and so they would. She hadn't let them down so far, after all.
The game started. Ame told them to simply play as they did before their change of heart, and their opponents instantly noticed it. They got a hold of the ball and started making their way for the goal. They almost instantly scored, none of the girls putting up a fight.
I sure hope that plan of yours will work, Ame, sighed internally Rio. Now that they actually tried, loosing simply wasn't an option. We're counting on you!
Thirty-three seconds were left. The game started once more, and their opponents started going up the field once again. However, at the last moment, Ame stood in their way and managed to get a hold of the ball.
"Back in the game!" she yelled.
That was the signal, and understanding dawned on the girls. The game would end in a few seconds, and their enemy had grown overconfident. Using this to their advantage, the E-Class instantly turned the situation around and started heading back for the opposite goal. They quickly passed the ball, from Ame to Kurahashi, and Kurahashi to Kataoka, and Kataoka to Rio, and then Rio passed it back to Ame who was now close enough to the goal… The whole opposing team suddenly stood between her and the goal. There was no way she was getting past that human wall, and all of her teammates were trapped on the same side of said human wall.
Well, all saved for one.
Without warning, she made the ball bounce between the legs of the girl before her, making it pass through. Confusion instantly took over the Girls Basketball Club. Why did she just throw the ball at random? But then, their confusion vanished as none other than Okuda caught it. Gritting her teeth, she hesitated one last time as the last seconds of the game ticked by.
I can't do this, there's no way I can do this, I won't manage—
"GO, OKUDA!"
Having no more time to waste, she decided to drop her worries and simply threw. If she failed, then at least she would have tried. It was better than staying still and doing nothing, after all. The ball flew, hit the white panel… and fell in the goal just as the last second ticked. It hit the floor as the end of the game was loudly announced, though it was easily covered by the loud cheers of the E-Class team. Laughing, they all gathered together, lifting Okuda in triumph. After a moment, they put the overwhelmed girl down, and Rio slung an arm around Ame's neck.
"Still, Ame… In the end, we didn't win, right? It's a tie," she pointed out.
"I know," shrugged the black-haired girl. "But in the time we had left, there was no way we could get the upper hand. They were as fired up as we were, after all. I simply figured a tie was better than a loss—"
"Hey, E-Class!"
The girls stiffened a little, before turning around to find the whole Club facing them. They all held blank expressions, the Captain of the team staring at them severely.
"That game was complete madness," she stated bluntly. Then, her lips stretched into a small smile. "But it was fun, too. You're cool opponents. Good game"
And she extended her hand to them. At first startled, the girls exchanged a glance. Then, rolling her eyes, Fuwa pushed Ame forward. Chuckling, the black-haired girl shook the Captain's hand firmly.
"You were great, too. Thanks for the game. It was… very instructive, for all of us," she finally replied.
"I could say the same. Girls!" she called to the rest of her team, who was smiling too by now. "I think we're in need of some more practice! Let's get started!"
"YES!"
The E-Class team sweatdropped a little as the Club instantly started practicing. The result of their match obviously fired them up even more.
Well, I guess that all's well that ends well, mused Ame.
"Come on, girls!" she then called, gesturing for them to follow her. "Let's go see how the boys' game is going!"
.
.
The boys ended up winning their match, a few minutes after the girls arrived. As they stepped out of the field to join them, Korosensei arrived next to them in his human disguise.
"Well, girls! How was the game?"
"It was great!" exclaimed Kurahashi, beaming. "It ended in a tie!"
"And we had a lot of fun!" added Yada. "The girls from the Club were nice, too."
"Ooh, so you decided to try after all?" mused their teacher, proud.
"It was all thanks to Ame, Korosensei," assured Rio, elbowing her friend. "She's the one who refused to give up."
"And it was worth it," replied the orange-eyed girl, grinning again. "We—"
Her phone started ringing. Startled, she then offered an apologetic smile to her friends and walked away before picking up.
"Hana, what—"
"They're closing in on the school, you need to get out of there now! They'll be there in seven minutes, head for L13 right now. One of us will come and pick you up."
"Oh fuck." She took three deep breaths. Now wasn't the time to panic. "How many of them?"
"Three cars, heading for the school. We don't know their exact number yet."
"Understood. I'll leave right away."
"Ame?"
"Yeah?"
"Be safe."
"I'll try. See you later."
"Later."
The teen hung up, before exhaling deeply. She then checked the time. She had more or less six minutes left, now. She glanced back to her classmates, who were chatting happily farther away. Their spirits were high, and Ame realized she simply couldn't bring herself to put them in the crossfire. If she stayed and asked Korosensei for help, then the rest of the class would get involved for sure.
"Hey, Ame! Was that your job?" called Rio.
"Yeah!" she replied, offering a sheepish smile. "Gotta go now. See you guys later!"
"W- wait! Naoki-san!" protested Korosensei. "You can't—"
"We're outside and I'm not on the E-Class campus anymore," she pointed out. "So I win this round. Later guys!"
Without wasting another second, she ran to the fence and climbed over it, before landing on the sidewalk on the other side and almost instantly vanishing from their sight. The rest of the E-Class blinked in surprise. She had left so quickly! But they soon forgot about it, too used to it by now. As they kept on chatting, though, Karasuma and Irina went to Korosensei.
"Is it truly safe?" frowned the woman. "There is still the threat—"
"That is why she left, Irina-sensei," stated the octopus, now serious. "I heard everything. Three cars are currently heading for the school."
Karasuma narrowed his eyes. "Assassins?"
"I'm afraid so. She left to avoid getting the other students caught in the crossfire. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go to the aid of my precious student."
Before any of the two could answer, he vanished.
.
.
Ame didn't think she ever ran that fast before. All she could think of was getting as far away from the school as possible. Thankfully, the L13 (Location 13) was far enough, and it also was at the complete opposite of her home, so that was a plus.
Well thought, Hana!
She was keeping to the crowded areas. Unfortunately, she didn't have her equipment on her, and so Usagi couldn't provide any direct help. Just as she turned left, though, her phone started beeping. Turning it on, she found none other than Ritsu on her screen.
"Hello, Ame!"
"Ritsu, now's really not the time—"
"Don't worry, I'm here to provide support!" assured the purple-haired girl. "Usagi-san has sent me the coordinates of your pursuers. They are aware you have left the school and are now heading your way. From my calculations, I have drawn the conclusion that they are somehow following you."
"Following me? How!?"
That was bad. She never thought they could actually follow her. She more than probably had a tracker somewhere on her person, but who could have placed it on her without her noticing? How long had it been there? Where or what was it?
If they can follow me, then I can't go to L13 or Headquarters. There's no way I'm taking them right to the others!
Without hesitation, she turned to the right, while she should have turned to the left.
"Wait!" exclaimed Ritsu, alarmed. "The location where you are supposed to meet with one of the members is the other way—"
"I know! But I can't go if they have the means to track me!" retorted the teen, growing more and more agitated. "Damn it! Ritsu, where are they?"
"The three cars are all narrowing on your current position. Do you wish for me to contact someone?"
"Yes! Tell them I'm heading for the ex-L2," she demanded. "Explain the situation, and they'll understand."
"Very well. Please, be careful."
"Thanks, Ritsu."
The purple-haired girl nodded, before disappearing. Knowing the artificial intelligence was handling everything, Ame simply focused on her main goal: reaching ex-L2 with at least two minutes of advance on her pursuers.
I can do this. She gritted her teeth, accelerating the pace. This isn't anything new. I've been in loads of pursuits before, and I always got out of it.
If they can't catch me, they can't kill me.
Ame reached ex-L2 with more than two minutes to spare. She had been careful to take routes that cars couldn't use, forcing whoever was coming after her to continue on foot. The ancient Location 2 was in an old, abandoned temple in the middle of a small forest. The Zodiac had been forced to abandon the site when an enemy gang found it, and none of the members returned since then. However, it was smack in the middle of nowhere, which meant there wouldn't be any innocent bystanders around.
Glad to have made it, Ame instantly got to work with whatever she could find. There was still some equipment hidden that the other gang never found and, while it was old, it would do the trick for now.
Come at me! She stared at her reflection in one of the knives she had gotten a hold of. I'm ready.
Ame was hidden all the way up in one of the trees. Her breathing was silent, her heartbeat steady. It was starting to get dark, and she was well-hidden by the branches and the leaves. Right now, she was completely invisible. Exactly six minutes and two seconds after she got there, voices started echoing farther in the forest. She practically glued herself to the tree, as if becoming one with the bark, as men started appearing in her line of sight. From what she could see, they were surrounding the temple.
"She's here," assured one of them, a tracker in his hand. "Probably hiding in the temple."
"Hey, just tell me something, Nighteye," replied the one next to him. "Why are we going after a little girl again?"
The one with the tracker, Nighteye, sighed in annoyance. "I told you, James. With the price on that kid's head, we'll be able to stay a few more months here without worrying about the money, and that means we'll be able to afford more equipment to get rid of our real target—the monster." He clicked his tongue. "Plus, it was a special request from Mister White."
Mister White? Ame easily understood the nickname. Shiro…
"I guess… Okay, men! Surround everything, but I want a few groups to check the forest, just to be sure!" ordered the one called James.
Two assassins and their henchmen, then. Probably not the first time they work together either. They're far from subtle, so they're either low-class assassins or simply underestimate me.
Which… is kind of stupid, considering I am targeted by the Government itself.
She narrowed her eyes at the group. From what she could see, there were eighteen henchmen, plus two assassins. She obviously couldn't take the whole group by herself. Those thugs back in Kyoto were nothing compared to fully trained men. If she wanted to survive to see the next day, then she'd have to be smart until reinforcements arrived.
Let's take out as many as I can manage without alerting the assassins immediately. I'll activate the traps, it should occupy them for now and buy me some time.
She threw two of her knives. Both flew in opposite directions, cutting straight through two thin ropes. A moment later, two heavy rocks fell from the trees farther away. They loudly hit the metallic plates that had been placed under them.
The noises were enough to draw their attention. Using the sudden confusion, she jumped from her hiding place and landing on the tree next to her, before settling comfortably once again.
Safe! And now…
Many of the henchmen had reached the rocks and metal plates. One of them made a move to lift it. Considering this her cue, she activated the trap. Two loud explosions followed. Five of the henchmen were taken out when they were blasted away. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as many as she hoped she'd get.
Next one, then.
She threw some rocks at the group below her. They lifted their heads, aiming their guns at random, and she used their inattention to throw another knife. As soon as the rope was cut, the metallic net hidden underneath the dead leaves rose, trapping three more of them fifteen meters above the ground. They started struggling, but she knew it'd be a while before any of them managed to get out. She moved right away, knowing their cries and curses would soon attract attention. She carefully returned to the ground, knowing she had to make her next move count. So, once certain the two assassins weren't around, she waved to the group of seven standing farther away, trying to get their attention.
"I found her!" barked one of them.
"Get her!"
She instantly darted into the forest, the group hot on her heels. After a few seconds, she reached the location she had been aiming for, and instantly jumped on the nearest tree, careful not to touch the forest's floor. She started jumping from tree to tree and, once she got past the trap, she let herself return on the ground.
"There—ARGH!"
The first man tripped on a hidden wire, which tied itself around his ankle and lifted him off the ground. The following three also fell for it. When the other three arrived, it was only to find their companions trapped and the girl long gone.
I took out twelve of them. But why were none of them shooting? They're after my head, so aren't they supposed to try and kill me? Hidden in a tree once again, Ame was watching the temple with wariness. She had completely lost track of the two assassins, which truly put her on edge. What are they planning?
Ame was growing agitated. Things were going well right now, but she had yet to hear about the rest of the Zodiac, or even Ritsu, and it worried her. Had they encountered trouble on the way? But it didn't explain why the Artificial Intelligence didn't warn her. The sun was now disappearing behind the mountains in the distance, and Ame knew she wouldn't be able to stay hidden much longer. They'd end up finding her, and she needed to be at the top of her capacities if she wanted a chance of getting out of it.
A movement from farther away made her tense. She narrowed her eyes at the assassin that just came out of the temple, searching the forest. It was the one called James, if she recalled correctly—
Wait. He's looking at me!
Her blood ran cold as his eyes met hers, and a grin slowly spread on his lips.
It's not random. He's looking at me. How did he know I was here? What is he going to do?
He waved cheerfully her way. Then, the branch cracked loudly and, the next thing she knew, she was falling. She barely managed to catch her fall, probably spraining a wrist while she was at it. As she tried to rise back to her feet, a harsh blow behind the head sent her to eat the dirt.
Everything was spinning, a few stars dancing before her eyes. Her sight was blurred, she could hear voices but couldn't make out what they were saying. It took her a while to realize people were dragging her by the arms. The sudden pain reverberating in her skull was overwhelming, and she felt like throwing up. When she regained some lucidity, it was only to find herself kneeling in the dirt, facing the two assassins with her hands tied in her back, the rest of their henchmen aiming their guns at her head.
"So, back to your senses, kid?" mused Nighteye.
"Kinda," she mumbled, trying to stop swaying in place. Why couldn't the ground stop moving for a second? "Why- why haven't ya killed me already?"
"Curiosity," admitted James, sitting on the stairs behind his partner. "You're what, fourteen? What have you done to end up on the Government's shit list?"
"Provoked da wrong guy," she replied, finally able to focus somewhat. "How'd ya find me? Where's da damn tracker?"
"We don't know where it is. Someone gave us the means to find you, so we did. Easy money, you know?" Nighteye shrugged. "Frankly, we knew where you were ever since we got here. We just wanted to see how you were going to act, judge your skills a little."
So they weren't underestimating me. They played me without me even noticing.
"Also, don't expect help or anything of the sort," added James, running a hand through his hair. "They won't find you anytime soon."
"Ooh, wait, lemme guess: electromagnetic field or some shit like that," finally understood the teen, feeling stupid for not seeing it earlier. That kind of magnetic waves stopped any signal from reaching her phone, hence why Ritsu didn't provide support. "Wow, ya outsmarted a fifteen-years-old girl. Congratulations, really."
"Don't think we're stupid, kid. You're not just a regular girl, or a regular student, or anything of the sort, so don't go and try to play innocent," retorted Nighteye, suddenly pulling out a gun. "It's nothing personal, though, really. It's just business."
Ame gritted her teeth. If she didn't find a solution in the next few seconds, she was going to die. He pointed it at her forehead. Her guts churned painfully, ice had replaced her blood, but all she could think about was how she was going to die and oh my God it's over I'm gonna die he's gonna shoot I'm dead dead dead dead—
The gun suddenly flew out of his hand. He let out a startled cry, taking a step back. Ame's eyes widened as, all around her, the henchmen were suddenly pulled into the forest, their cries echoing around. In the blink of an eye, only her and the two assassins were left.
"What the hell?" cursed James, jumping to his feet.
"Show yourself!" barked Nighteye, pulling out two more guns and aiming at random.
There was a moment of silence. Then, Ame forced herself to keep calm as she felt the ropes binding her wrists loosening, and a knife slipping in her hand.
It wasn't a real one, though. It was a rubber knife.
Wait, then that's—
"Niryufufufu! Did you truly think I would let one of my precious students get hurt, and even more so by such amateurs?" laughed
"Korosensei…" Ame wanted to cry in relief. She knew she was safe, now.
"Where the hell are you!?" exclaimed angrily Nighteye.
"Be-behind her!"
At James' exclamation, Ame turned around to find none other than her teacher now standing behind her, his tentacles wriggling and holding all of the guns he had taken from the henchmen.
"What the hell…" Nighteye took another step back in horror. "Y- you're that monster…"
"You were right on one point. Naoki-san is not a regular girl, and she's not a regular student either," mused the octopus, starting to advance towards them. "She is my student. Do not think for an instant I will let this slide." His eternal grin grew sinister. "It's not business, though, really. It's all personal."
The black-haired girl could only watch in awe as her teacher easily overpowered the two assassins. In barely three seconds, they were knocked out and tied to a tree.
It's over.
Ame felt her heart plummet as relief washed over her, completely overwhelming her.
I'm still alive.
"Naoki-san?"
Thank you…
Her knees buckled under her weight, and she collapsed to the ground without a second thought.