A/N: Enjoy, this is my first effort at an Assassination Class story. I hope you like it. Just a warning, this story will go into some dark scenes which may not be suitable for all audiences. So keep the rating in mind. Thanks for reading!
Summary: Lovro's choices from years past put a target on Irina's back from an old friend. See how far she will go to keep those close to her safe. Loyalty comes in all forms, and Class 3E has that in spades. How will Karasuma and Class 3E handle the aftermath as Irina recovers from her injuries and must face the consequences?
Word Count: 9159
Coup De Grace
Chapter 1
Blue eyes opened slowly; her head was pounding as she tried to process what had happened, trying to get her bearings in the darkness that surrounded her and the weight she could feel that held her arms suspended above her head, and she could feel the cuffs around her wrists. Her legs were left to dangle above the ground.
What's the last thing you remember?
Irina Jelavic didn't move for a moment going limp and ignored the ache in her shoulders at being suspended above the ground. The way her shoulders protested told her it had been some time since she was hung up and whoever did it had to be of decent strength in order to get her up. Her adrenaline was also helping to mask her injuries at least for the moment. Which she was grateful for as she tried to get herself to remember, going back to the most recent memory she could recall.
She had just left the gym, there hadn't been any issues for the first mile. The park has been deserted with very few joggers or runners like her out at this hour. She slowed her run to allow her and the other jogger to pass by on the pathway they had to use on one of the trails that went past the open grassy field. She glanced away from him as he tilted his head in a nod toward her, which she returned. A movement from him, had her pushing off the ground with her left foot, to try and avoid his reach as a flash of metal caused her to pivot and bring her right foot up to slam against his arm, attempting to get him to drop the knife.
He grunted and grinned behind the mask that covered his nose and mouth. The blow didn't affect him at all. He didn't lunge for her or try to come at her as she'd expected. His arm curled around her leg and raised the knife. She knew she only had a few seconds. She threw her body backward, her hands raised to catch herself so she could spring away from him, just as soon as she got him to let go of her. Her left leg slammed against the side of his head. When neither of those worked, she pushed her body forward, her legs bending around his shoulders to lock at her ankles around his neck. The knife she varnished from the bottom of her shoe having been pulled by her left hand and stabbed into his upper shoulder as her gaze went to the knife that he dropped, her gaze unable to avoid glancing at it as it fell away.
Her victory was short-lived as something sharp jabbed into the tender skin of her neck, and a second later a burning erupted from the area as its contents were injected into her bloodstream. Her body weakened as the muscles all loosened and she fell to the ground. The last thing she remembered was his looming form over her as he pressed a rag full of chloroform over her face.
"I told you I'd see you soon, " he told her with a wide grin as he pulled down his mask, his face the last thing she remembered.
The blonde tried to move her body, testing for the extent of her injuries. The pain only intensified as her mind began to register the receptors in her right leg. The way it protested even that little bit of movement had her sinking her teeth into her lower lip to keep from making any noise as the pain assaulted her. It throbbed and pulsed as the muscles contracted to try to straighten out on their own around the broken bones. She breathed through her nose to keep from vomiting. Knowing that if she panicked, it would be over. Give your opponent an inch, and they would take a mile. She knew she'd have to bid her time. Find out if the man who held was who she thought only Dimitri had managed to get the drop on her. She'd had her enemies, but the way he had broken her tibia had her thinking of the why behind it. Whoever did this didn't want her getting away or it was a power play for someone else or she'd be tortured for information. She knew how this worked, all she could do was wait.
You didn't handle that very well. All just to see if was really him. Quite the situation you've put yourself in. Were you expecting a warmer reception? Lovro abandoned him and you replaced him, are you that surprised? You're not. Be honest with yourself you saw this coming. Why else did you go through all the trouble to cover this up?
You took care to leave just enough to lead your band of merry men here to find you after the fact. How kind of you Irina. They will find your dead body huh? Toughen up those kids of yours.
All questions she knew the answers to. No one would be looking for her; the class had ended for the weekend hours ago. Her hazy mind went back to the first note she'd received as dread settled in the pit of her stomach like a heavyweight. This was what she got for assuming she could handle it on her own. It was almost funny now that she was here, captured like someone else's prized prisoner. She realized that she wasn't ready to die; she wasn't afraid, just not prepared for that final dance. Her fingers fisted above her head and unclenched as she tried to get her blood flow back into her arms. The chains cut into the circulation; as she gave a tug on the chain above her head, the motion sent vibrations through her bruised body. Frowning, she tried to get her uninjured foot to touch the ground. She could just barely touch with the tips of her toes.
She shivered at the cold, damp air as she gave up trying to find any purchase for a foothold and decided it was best to try and conserve her energy as her vision darkened around the edges as her leg muscles clamped around the broken bones once more. The whimper of sound that passed her lips seemed to echo off the walls where she was confined.
This is what you deserve, you know. Your demons are catching up with you.
if you're not careful, you won't even make it out alive. That's what you want, isn't it? To live and do what?
As an image flashed through her mind, a life she had never dreamed of before, that she could even want something like that. She scoffed at the thought; it was stupid and never going to happen. The desire for something more in her life. When had she gotten so soft? It was laughable; she was an Assassin, one of the best despite those in her field. She killed her targets without mercy or forgiveness; no one ever saw it coming. She was one of the best; Lovro and Olga had ensured that. Her arms ached, and she knew with her injuries the likelihood of getting out unaided wasn't promising. It wasn't impossible, but whoever had kidnapped her had undoubtedly made this a near-impossible feat. She wasn't going to go down without a fight, but there was nothing like the despair of knowing no one was looking for her; no one would bat an eye.
Did you decide this as your punishment for your past sins? That your life would somehow wash away all the blood on your hands?
Maybe...
You did this to yourself, you know. You should have asked for help.
Help, are you kidding?
And be the laughing stock in front of those kids again...? No thanks. I'll manage on my own.
What about Karasuma? He thinks I can't take anything seriously.
And Dimitri? You thought you would see him again and it would be just like old times like you could change him. How well is that working out for you?
Zatknis (shut up)
As the sound of scurrying tiny feet reached her ears, she looked down and to the right toward the sounds of small squeaks causing her heart to pound. She always prided herself on being in control, and she had different, softer methods of eliminating her targets. She didn't resort to this as a rat brushed against her injured toes and another along her left foot. Irina jerked her body as black spots darkened her vision. She'd never been afraid in her life, but she had always been in control of her emotions, in control of herself and the situation. It was out of her hands now.. She always knew what to do, what smile to give, what to say, how to act. She'd never been stripped of her control before, not like this. She just had to think of a way out of this; she needed a plan.
"I thought I heard you were awake, my little Irina,"
The voice came from directly behind her. No one could sneak up on her. Not usually, anyway. Had the drugs not worked their way completely out of her system? She stiffened as fingers curled along her chin, forcing her to keep her gaze forward.
"I'm hurt you don't remember me. After everything, we've been through together. I even sent you letters…"
"I'm a very busy woman; I can't remember all my admirers."
Irina knew how to be tough, how to bluff, and play the game. She was Irina Jelavic, after all. She forced her body to relax as she laughed softly, impressed with herself as she kept the pain out of her voice.
"You can't remember?!" Anger thick in his voice as his grip tightened, his fingers digging into her chin, jerking her to look at him. His other hand was reaching around her to press against her knee cap above the broken bone where he squeezed tightly the tender bones that caused the knee to bend and the muscles and tendons underneath to seize—shooting unimaginable pain through her leg.
She screamed, took a breath of air in, and then screamed again, as he twisted his hold so it was lower right over the break. The pain was excruciating. Her back arched against it, against him. She was trying to get away from the pain. His voice was now next to her ear as she panted, trying to regulate her breathing, her heart rate, to control the pain, to keep from passing out as he let go of her leg.
"I still love you, Irina. How can you not see how much?" The question hung in the air as her ragged breathing filled the silence as he grinned down at her. It was lost in the darkness, but still, "I'd do anything for you. Those kids are a liability for you, but you care for them, care for him too. How could you replace me?! He doesn't know you like I do!"
How have you fallen so far? What happened to you? She wondered to herself.
"It's just a job, y-you know how it is, it's all an act. Those brats are out of my league." she told him hotly as she tried to twist away to put a little distance between them, but her right leg was throbbing, constant of pain. The pain with every bit of movement caused those black spots to hover in her vision again. As he pulled her body against his, she wanted to twist away but lacked the energy. As his fingers skimmed along the exposed skin of her midriff, she shuddered in disgust. Bile was quick to try and come up, a combination of the pain she was experiencing and something else. They used to be close, but this wasn't what she wanted.
"They'll notice I'm missing," she bluffed, wondering not for the first time, lately how lonely her life actually was. No one would miss her if she disappeared. This was just proof of that. It was probably for the best if she was honest with herself. She couldn't drag anyone down with her. It would just be her.
"I've already taken the liberty of canceling your plans for the day. Trust me, my little Irina. No one will miss you."
With those parting words, he stepped back, but not before his lips pressed against her exposed neck as he breathed in her scent. "I've always wanted to do this," he muttered, his voice just low enough that she heard him. Before he raised his head and let his fingers tenderly travel through her long hair. He'd taken it down while she'd been out before she'd had it up in a high ponytail and headed for the door somewhere behind her. She tried to listen as the door opened and closed, but it was so seamless she couldn't hear it. Not even a faint hiss of air. Nothing. The silence was almost deafening now that she was alone. Well not really alone, the rats were still here.
There was nothing quite like the feeling of despair that settled over her. She closed her eyes for a moment but snapped them open as faint memories filter through. She'd woken up when her leg had first been broken. That memory was hazy as though her mind was trying to keep it blocked out, to keep her from losing hope.
She leaned her head against her arm and closed her eyes. She just needed to rest for a moment. Wait for her time to strike, if she wanted to make it out alive this was her only chance, no matter how slim she had to take it. In her dreams she wished for someone to save her; it was so pathetic. It was so naive of her, but she couldn't help it. Even as she knew her chance of such a slim chance.
Irina (05:00): Hey, not that it's any of your business...but I made it to the gym. I know you're still on your run.
Irina (06:00): One missed Call
Irina (06:05): Some urgent business came up, I'll see you in a few days, I'll swing by my place and then head to the airport. Remember to take over English for me.
Irina (06:10): I'm leaving the gym. Also, I'm sorry about last night. See you in a few.
Karasuma (06:30): It's fine, don't worry about it. We'll talk if you want when you get back. Be careful.
Karasuma to Irina (06:45): Call went to voicemail
Karasuma to Irina (06:50): Call went to voicemail
Karasuma frowned as he glanced at the messages from this morning on his phone. Leaning back in his seat, he sighed and turned his attention once more to the book he was reading. He wasn't processing the words and instead set the book down after a few failed attempts. Karasuma had tried to focus on his work after getting back from his run this morning and finding that Irina had yet to tell him if she had arrived from her flight. He blew it off as she was busy, he wasn't one to micromanage her. She liked her independence. After the following hour rolled into two, he remembered that she'd mentioned something briefly about her meeting with Toka Yada and Hinano Kurahashi today. Perhaps he should mention their training would be canceled today, and yet he didn't. It wasn't his responsibility and Irina handled her own schedule very well. Still, he couldn't shake this feeling of unease, it had been lasting since this morning. Standing, he paced to the kitchen, his phone in hand. The phone skirted across the counter where he'd tossed it, his gaze linger on the last message she'd sent him. It shouldn't have set him on edge as it had, but it had been hours ago.
The dark-haired male glanced at the clock that read a few minutes after 1300. His fingers ran through his hair, and he watched the bubbles appear as a text message was typed out. He didn't know why he was holding his breath and hoping the tension would lessen, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't feel right. He wondered, though, if he was overreacting after what had happened last night. Besides, she could take care of herself. She'd more than proven that over the previous few months.
Irina (13:10): Don't wait up. I'm going shopping with the kiddos. :)
His fingers curled along the phone, and he tried to remember her ever mentioning anything about shopping, she hadn't. She'd said she'd be gone for a few days. That's not what she said this morning. He thought as he tapped his finger against the countertop. That gap between the times was a lot, one he couldn't say that he felt comfortable with as Saturday continued to tick by. He had tried to tell himself it was nothing and yet. It wasn't something he couldn't ignore.
As he pressed the button to call her, he was annoyed when rang twice and then a third time before going to voicemail. On his second call, it went straight to voicemail.
It could be a mistake...but you don't believe that do you?
He moved through the room, his fingers running over his bare arm remembering how she'd stopped him before he left for his run this morning. How she'd told him to be careful before he left. He caught sight of a small folded red piece of paper in her hand but hadn't thought to ask about it. On a whim, he wondered where she had left it. He wore a short-sleeved light blue shirt, he'd put on after his shower after his run that morning. He left the kitchen and headed into the room that she was staying in. They didn't have a romantic relationship, but it was possibly developing in that direction. He wasn't going to push it, if it happened it would happen. He couldn't say he was familiar with this dance they were playing.
As Karasuma hesitated outside of the closed door of her room before he opened it and let his gaze travel around the room that didn't have much to personally accent it. She'd kept it almost exactly as he had, but it seemed to have a feminine scent to it now, the lingering scent of her perfume. He was realizing she wasn't entirely sure what to do if she belonged here long enough to put down any roots. She was unsure where they stood with each other. It was a reason she hadn't added anything to the room. For some reason that gave him a tight feeling in his chest knowing, she wasn't sure of herself.
He walked over to the drawers and carefully opened them, looking for the red piece of paper. He spotted things he assumed all women had, underwear, bras, a variety of sexy lingerie. With the dresser holding nothing of what he was looking for he moved to the small nightstand closer to the side of the bed that was closest to the door that led to the hallway. He frowned as the top drawer opened silently, no creeks or groans of the wooden wheels over the metal as it opened. It was his originally, but Irina had done some work to it. Inside the drawer were several different types and lengths of knives. Two handguns rested in the center. His frown deepened as it seemed one of the knives was missing. As he inspected the drawer from underneath, he found the small seam that had been modified. He pressed at the tip of the seam, as he picked up one of the knives from the open drawer, he pried the small panel out away, surprised to find several small folded letters similar to what she had this morning. He counted about fifteen.
The splash of white among the red had him pausing as he picked it up. While the red letters had her name scrambled across it. The white letter was addressed to him, in her elegant flourish. She'd purposely folded it like the others, that was a sign in itself. After a moment he left for the kitchen and grabbed a plastic bag intending to put the letters in there. As he came back and sat down next to the pile of red. He chose to begin reading the red letter first, they were dated within the last two weeks, each one seemed to hold a hidden agenda, hinting at various past events Irina and this mysterious person had shared together. Some intimate, others prideful and proud of her, the more recent ones angry, and bordering on an obsession. A possessive desire to own her.
The one dated today made his blood boil and his fingers curl along the letter.
Irina,
What are you doing living with Tadaomi Karasuma? Why are you working with the Ministry of Defense? Do you think he cares about you? Do you think he can save you from me? I always find you. If you care about him, about your students you will come with me when I come for you. If you refuse, remember their blood will be on your hands. I hope you can live with that.
Dimitri
Finally, he moved on to the single letter from her. He carefully opened it and pressed his hand down along the creases before he read over it.
"Karasuma,
If you've found this it means you've been snooping around my room. It's a little late to say now, but thanks. It shows that you've cared enough to start digging. This means I've been gone long enough that even you're getting worried. I won't sugar coat this for you, you wouldn't appreciate it anyway. You know the likelihood of survival in this situation is low. I chose to do this, this was my choice. I purposely kept you in the dark along with those kids and you know who. You've more than likely read the letters already, if you haven't...well I guess you'll read them now. There are a few others in a drawer at my desk at the school. Most I've kept here. We all have our demons to face, this is mine. Be careful if you decide to look for me if you don't - that's ok. I've accepted whatever happens. You shouldn't blame yourself, I know you, remember what I said.
Thank you for these last few months...tell them that for me too. Even Koro-Sensei.
I shouldn't do this in a letter, but I wanted to say it at least once.
Thank you for believing in me. I've always liked you, even if you get on my nerves sometimes, you have a good heart Karasuma, don't let the world take that away from you.
I love you, it's horrible to say this in a letter and not to you. I guess in some ways I'm scared of your rejection. I'm sorry, one day I hope you can forgive me.
Irina"
The letter was one that he had read a second time through before he picked it up and carefully folded it back up, and placed it in the back pocket of his jeans. He knew he couldn't ignore this; he couldn't act like he didn't know anything. He had to act; he had to find her. He would find her.
He walked into his room, his attention on the closet where he pulled his gun from the upper shelf. I've let this go too far. He thought as he ejected the magazine and ensured his clips were fully loaded. He knew they were, but one could never assume anything. He pulled on his shoulder holster, placed his gun in the slot before moving over to his desk chair, grabbed the black leather jacket off it, and slipped it on easily. He was concealing the weapon easily. He tucked his badge and his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans before he slipped out the door. Heading for his car. He wanted to check a few things out first. It's only been six and a half hours...but still I can't ignore this. I have to find her.
The click of the lock and strong arms supporting her weight as she was carried out of the room. She cracked open a single blue eye to look through the mess of her hair. Gloved fingers were careful to support her broken leg in a way that kept the pressure from her broken leg and kept it straight enough that it didn't bend. Only causing a slight discomfort, but the pain was by no means gone. Irina hadn't meant to pass out; the timeline of how long she'd been gone was irrelevant, it didn't matter, and yet, she wanted to know. For the briefest of moments, she wanted to be saved; the strength of that emotion was enough to have her sinking her teeth into her lower lip. She couldn't make out his face just yet; it was hidden still by the darkness that seemed to pollute every aspect of the place she'd left and travel upward into the large area. It was a mansion-style home; that was about all that she could make out so far.
The smell of blood wasn't something anyone forgot not in this line of work. It permeated the air, and the scent of decay was another. It told her that this house had been occupied before he'd gotten here. "I can hear you breathing, my love," came his words as he began the ascent up the stairs into the upper secondary level. Irina didn't respond, but she felt her heart shutter all the same as he walked down one of the second-story hallways, passing an open room that held a body inside. It held the body of a young boy; he couldn't have been older than seven years old. "I hope you don't mind, I had to take out the trash...I couldn't have any witnesses after all. You know how it is."
Her fingers curled into a fist, and she knew she needed to say something, anything. "Of course," she muttered softly. She couldn't say she hadn't been in this situation before, where a mission went sideways. You had to make those hard choices...still, it was never done out of pleasure, out of a desire to cause harm for power. She never killed children, or anyone but her target unless necessary. What she'd seen went beyond what they were trained to do. She knew she was going soft; that little boy could so easily be one of her students...she didn't want that. She couldn't have that on her conscience. She'd grown to care for them in her own way.
She knew the game she would need to play; it was so obvious.
As he set her down on the bed, she forced herself to relax, to hide the emotion, to lock it down. A little bit of advice she'd given those kids that could work just about anywhere if used correctly. She spent a few moments in silence, locking down her emotions, her weaknesses putting them in a box, and twisting the lock. She couldn't be Irina Jelavic, the teacher, anymore. No, she had to be the Assassin she'd always been, who she'd been trained to be.
Feelings are difficult to kill, but they're a lot harder to resurrect. Remember what you can do. You can't give up now.
"Do you remember the first letter I sent you?" He questioned as he sank down into the bed next to her. His body twisted to face her, his fingers reaching up to caress her cheek before gently cupping her cheek. His other hand was pressed against the bed, beside her leg. A not so subtle threat.
"Yes-" she whispered, her mind flashing back to that day only a few short weeks ago.
~Three Weeks Ago~
She'd been monitoring the students' progress in PE that morning with Koro Sensei. Neither had much to say as they followed their movements. It wasn't the first time that she wondered if she should increase her own skillset. She used other skills to put her targets down, but when it came to a fight, there were instances where she could be taken down, overpowered. It hadn't happened yet, so perhaps it was her own ego talking that she assumed she'd be able to handle anything that came her way. After a few moments of idle small talk, she left the octopus to his supervising as she retreated back to the staff room, aware that she still had some test questions to finish up.
The door slid back easily on its hinges. Still, it was the red letter placed so neatly on her desk that she gave it pause, her gaze sweeping briefly to the door outside where everyone was gathered. With easy confidence, she walked forward and carefully avoided touching the desk as she peered at the neat, cursive that had addressed the letter to her. She checked it for traps before she lifted it with the gloves she'd extracted from the drawer at her desk as she sank into her chair and slowly opened the letter and pulled out the letter inside. It was a short script written neatly across.
"To The Lovely Irina,
Japan is a far cry from where we grew up. Do you remember our first snowfall together?
Love,
Your Secret Admirer."
Irina read over the note one more time before she shoved herself away from her desk. She tried to remind herself to breathe, to not get taken away in the past. The letter, its contents could be anything, from anyone. It would be so easy to chalk it up as one of the children, but she knew it wasn't them, it wasn't possible! No one would know about certain contents of her past, not the details she kept locked away. Those were for her alone. She curled her fingers around the note, her fingers trembling as the wave of emotion, just the possibility brought. It wasn't possible. Her heart was pounding, her emotions surging against the locks. A single tear fell down her cheek. As the kids had begun to filter into the hallway outside for their next class, their loud raucous only causing her to stand, she needed that distance, just a little bit of time. She shoved the letter inside her bottom drawer, not wanting to have anyone see it, not until she could figure this out.
She wiped at the tears as she faced the window looking out into the forest that surrounded them. Taking a moment to breathe, her fingers curled around her upper arms hugging herself. Her time was short and in her head, she counted the seconds. By the time Karasuma had opened the door, his dress suit rolled up to his elbows and his suit jacket over one shoulder. He cast her a glance, his gaze as assessing as always. "You ok?" It was an obvious question, but one that she appreciated even if she couldn't tell him the truth. No one would understand. "Of course not! Have you ever put on makeup Karasuma?" she yelled out as she flung her mascara at him which he merely caught and tossed back to her, his gaze not wavering from her own. The persona she had here was so easy, almost too easy to keep anyone from getting close to her. Which was just as well, it was for the best. Everyone at a distance. It was the only safe place for someone like her. No one would ever truly be able to understand her. She sat back at her desk across from him and focused on her notes for her class coming up. "You know it's ok if you're not." He muttered as he went back to his own work. Instead, she'd changed the subject with him and that was the end of it.
~Present~
The letters only kept up, anywhere from once to twice a day, and the times varied where it was impossible to pinpoint who it was from. As their tone changed and she began to receive them at her apartment under her fake alias. No longer at the school, which she was grateful for. Still, she was confident she could handle it. It was the letter on Karasuma's front door that had her making up her mind on how she would handle this. There was no need to involve anyone else in this. It was why she'd made some calls in the locker room after finding that most recent letter, knowing today would be her last.
"Lovro had gotten word about your capture. It wasn't that we didn't want to get you. But it was only two of us against a whole compound...we couldn't do anything, we couldn't save you. I'm so sorry," she whispered softly, her fingers reaching up to curl gently with his own that was still cupping her cheek. He wasn't at all like the boy she'd grown up with; or the young man she'd fallen in love with. This life changed them, but not to this extent. He also wasn't like how he'd been three years ago. Something had happened; something inside had broken. She couldn't help but wonder if this was their fault. Somehow they should have done something. Then again, he was placing her right where he'd been.
How have things fallen this far?
Irina was all too aware of how much was at stake. She was on her own, and it was up to her to take care of herself.
As his fingers tightened on her cheek. There was no way this wasn't going to be a delicate dance and put every ounce of her intellectual skills to test. Her eyes met his green ones, and she tried to remember if she'd missed the signs when they had been training together as children. When his care for her and their friendship as she'd trained under Lovro had evolved into an obsession, unlike any, she'd seen before.
"It was a long time ago. You got me through it, though, Irina after my capture. I knew I just had to bid my time and wait for the right moment to make my move."
His other hand rested against her thigh, bearing just the slightest pressure that sent pain against her broken leg. She whimpered, the sound falling past her slightly parted lips. It was horrible; she didn't even have to act.
"You're not thinking of such a thing, are you?" he questioned, his handsome features stretching into a grin as his blonde hair fell over one shoulder. "Of course you are. I can see your mask is up. It slips every so often, though." The grin widened as he bore weight on her right leg, watching as her features morphed into one of pain, the way her eyes widened just enough to give something away.
She bit her tongue to keep from crying out. She wasn't about to let him win. "You really have grown up, but then again, Lovro taught you how to mask your emotions, and you were always his favorite." Jealousy was thick in his voice as his large hand fisted before the blow smashed into her cheek.
"He didn't even look for me!" he snarled, his fist pulling back to slam into her cheek again. She tilted her head away to use the moment to get a better look at the room. She had been trained not to close her eyes. You learned so much more. Her blonde hair covered her face. "You think he'd look for me? Getting caught is a liability. You're as good as dead if that happens." she clenched her hands into fists for a moment trying to stifle the anger that bubbled up inside her. As she remembered asking that same question when she'd heard about it. Going to Lovro asking if they should do something. Word spread of his capture. He'd told her what she told him now. It would be too risky, and most captured by the enemy were damaged goods after all. Very few lived through the torture. He had his own desire for revenge getting him through so much.
"It's your fault you replaced me!" The next blow struck her along her jaw. As he raised his hand to strike her again aiming for her face. She made her move, her fingers slamming into his eyes, driving her nails deep and at a downward angle, before curling them upward, with all her strength that she could. He howled an inhuman, animalistic sound. She didn't stop; she couldn't stop, not if she wanted to live. Her next strike was to his solar plex with her left foot. It wasn't enough to topple him, but it was enough to give her enough distraction she needed to move away. This wasn't the first time she regretted not being stronger. There was very little way that she could compete with him in strength alone, he reminded her of Karasuma...but she'd never been afraid of either of them, but that wasn't the case anymore.
She spit out the blood in her mouth to keep from choking and forced her body to roll over. Using her arms and her good leg to put some distance between them. The bed was now her only barrier. Her right leg was swollen and bruised but raised off the ground. She cast her surroundings a single glance before she took off out of the room. Her first step faltered, and she almost felt as her broken leg tried to buckle
"YOU BITCH!" He snarled, his arm swinging out blindly as his other hand covered his bleeding eyes. His hand knocked over the lamp that was on the bedside table to his right, that shattering of glass echoed in the stillness of the house. "IRINA!" He bellowed.
"JUST WAIT UNTIL I CATCH YOU!" He growled, his large body shaking in his anger. As he buried his face into the bed to try and wipe at the blood that was interfering with his vision.
The sound of more glass breaking in the room she'd left, followed by the sound of wood splintering as he took out his rage on the furniture in the room. Had her heart hammering, and this wasn't the first time today that she was afraid. Afraid of what would happen when he caught her. I have to get out! Think, Think Irina...you can get out of here. You just need to focus.
She righted herself and forced herself to keep going heading blindly down one of the hallways, dread settling in as she realized she'd been going the wrong way. She looked at the stairs knowing she couldn't get down them fast enough. "No! Damn it, no," she whispered as she twisted around; she had to go back the way she'd come. She had to get off the main hallway. If she could get into one of the rooms...and get to a window.
"YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE MY LITTLE IRINA! I ALWAYS FIND YOU!"
The bellow of his words echoed down the hallway, knowing that no matter where she was, she would hear him. It was nothing quite like the footsteps that were slamming along the heavy hardwood coming in her direction. She jerked, twisting to look over her shoulder as she stared down the stairs unable to make it but a few steps.
A body slammed into her forcing her off her feet as her breath was knocked out of her as they began to fall—arms squeezing her midriff and applying pressure to her ribs and along her spine. The force drove them both over the spiral staircase in a roll of limbs and pain. Her head smashed against one of the heavy oak stairs as they tumbled end over end before coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.
Toka Yada (13:15): Hey Professor B, are we still on for today? Let us know. We're already here, just waiting for you.
"You don't think it's weird she's not here yet?" Toka Yada questioned, her long brown hair tied back in a high ponytail, a little different than how she usually had it. She was trying a few new styles before school started. It was one of the many things she could add to her arsenal. She pulled herself up on one of the pull-up bars by the playground. She was pausing a moment before beginning to work on some of the PE exercises Karasuma had assigned just this last week.
She tried not to get angry; it had been over two hours since they were supposed to begin; it was now almost three in the afternoon. Usually, If anything came up Bitch-Sensei always lets them know early. It wasn't as though she had ever not sent a text to them. This was the first time they'd actually been kept waiting like this, and not for the first time did she consider calling it quits and going to do something else with their day off.
"It's a little weird, kinda out of character for her. It must be necessary, though." Hinano Kurahashi agreed as she finished up some of her own stretchings. How long should we wait? She thought with a frown as she rotated her shoulders before she leaped onto the seesaw from the end that was on the ground before jumping from the upper area before it lowered and doing a front flip in the air before landing on her feet.
"Maybe-" Toka muttered as her cell phone chimed with a text. She swung herself up on the bar before she rotated her hands and flipped over the bar and landed on her feet as she dug her fingers into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out her phone as she opened the text. She frowned as the redhead crowded behind her, peering at the text as well. "What's it say?" she questioned as the message opened for them both to read.
Professor B (15:00): Sorry Love! Ran into an old friend. We will get together again in a few days. Promise! :)
"A few days...huh?" Yada repeated with a dejected look as she clutched her phone in her hand. "I don't remember her saying she'd be away on business, do you?"
"No, not that I can recall. Let me ask the others." Kurahashi said as she pulled up the group chat and was quick to ask.
Within just a few minutes, if not seconds, for those bored. The responses received varied, but all were negative. No one had heard her mentioning being away.
Purple eyes glanced at the text message again, reading it carefully. " Does this look weird to you? Maybe she's just happy...but she doesn't usually text like this." she couldn't explain the feeling; it was a foreboding sense of nerves that tended to give her a sense that something wasn't quite right.
As green eyes reread the message, she frowned as well. "Maybe it's just a coincidence, " she said softly. However, it was more like she was trying to convince herself of that. As Kurahashi's phone rang, she answered it without looking at the caller ID.
"Hey, Kurahashi! Sorry to bother you... but I was curious about your message." Nagisa trailed off the phone tucked against his ear as he leaned against the wall outside his apartment. He knew it wasn't something that he needed to worry about, and yet he couldn't bring himself just to ignore it either. His gut feeling, though, was telling him something was wrong.
"I-it's uh-" she muttered, her gaze skirting over to her brunette-haired friend, who waved her hand and the other put him on speaker. "What were you wondering about Nagisa?" Yada asked, taking control of the conversation. If she was honest with herself, the fact that he had called at all gave him a few points in her book. Everyone else was writing this off like it wasn't a tiny bit odd, but then again...maybe she was putting too much thought into this.
"Well, if you didn't think something wasn't up with Professor B. You wouldn't have asked...so what's going on?"
Yada frowned, glancing at the messages one more time. "We were supposed to train with her today, and she was late. That wasn't the weird part, though. She actually didn't show at all. She was over two hours late, and the message she sent is kinda- weird. It doesn't sound like her. Maybe it's nothing you know...b-but-" she trailed off, her hand curling into a fist at her side. "W-what if it is something?" she asked, knowing that she had to do something. Irina wasn't just the bitch she showed as a front to everyone.
"It doesn't hurt to ask, to check on her. We could ask Ritsu, Mr. Karasuma, or Koro-sensei to help. I'm sure they won't mind. We could meet at the school in say twenty minutes?" he suggested as he looked out at the school from his apartment, the mountaintop easily viewable even from here. His fingers curled on the railing as he waited for an answer.
"Sure, that would be great, Nagisa." Kurahashi stepped in her gaze on Yada, who had her fingers white-knuckling her phone, and her head bowed. "See you soon," she told him as she ended the call.
"Hey, don't worry. She's probably just busy," the ginger tried to reassure her, but even she was having her doubts as the two of them began to make their way to the school. They were hoping that Koro Sensei would be there. If he wasn't well, she wasn't opposed to bothering Mister Karasuma. The walk was a quiet one, though, as each digested the what-ifs of the situation at hand.
The gym wasn't far from his house, about two miles; she would run early in the morning before five am to the gym, work out, and come back. It was nearly clockwork. He could even admit to himself that he was surprised at her dedication. She wasn't nearly as egotistical as she acted. He'd seen only a little bit when they worked together and little moments when she thought no one was paying attention. He had flashed his badge for only a moment before being allowed to see their video surveillance footage after speaking with the manager and expressing that this is confidential.
He was assured it would be and was left alone. Karasuma frowned as he checked the video feed at the gym one more time. The time stamps lined up with everything he had so far. As a flash of red caught his attention, he rewound the tape to where she had exited the locker room, a piece of red paper crumpled in her hand. For a moment only, she looked around the area of the gym as though she were searching for someone before she tossed the paper in the trash before traveling into the lobby where she'd texted him that morning.
He rubbed at his eyes, aware there was nothing else he could do here. Standing, he paused as another of the gym patrons caught his attention on his last playthrough. It looked normal, but the man in the camera had always been keeping Irina in sight. As the man left a few minutes before Irina, about ten minutes. "That's odd," he muttered to himself. As he sat back down and combed through the footage from the last few days, it took about another thirty minutes to ensure he hadn't missed anything else. His frown deepened, seeing the same man for the last three weeks. On a whim, he went a week earlier and didn't see him at all, at least not at that time, he appeared later in the evening and seemed to be taking everything in. It's possible he's a new neighbor. But I doubt that.
Downloading the footage to the USB drive didn't take that long, and as he shifted in his seat. He opened his phone and made a call. Listening as the phone rang once and then twice before being picked up. "Miss Yada, this is Mr. Karasuma. I'm sorry to bother you on your Saturday, but I wanted to check with you and Miss Kurahashi to see if you have seen Ms. Jelavic today?"
He frowned as he heard in the background of two other students he was able to pick out. He was surprised to hear that Nagisa was with them as well. "Well, Mr. Karasuma...it's good you called. We were wondering how we might get in touch with you. We were going to see if Koro Sensei had a way to reach you. Sorry, I'm rambling, " she told him as she took a breath to steady herself. "No, we haven't seen her. She never made it to practice today. She texted about 1530 to cancel. It's just- well, the text was weird-" she would have continued forward if he hadn't cut her off.
"Where are you right now?"
"Heading to the school, we were going to see Ritsu and Koro Sensei." Kurahashi was quick to butt into the conversation.
"I'll meet you there. Don't do anything until I get there!"
"Ok- but-" the brunette started to speak up.
"We understand, Sir," Nagisa cut in, effectively shutting down the conversation. "See you when you get here."
He was already pulling the drive from the computer and moving from the room, pausing as he passed the locker rooms; he couldn't ignore the paper she'd thrown away; it was too much like the letters he had in his possession, this one wouldn't be any different and just as important. He fished through the trash by the women's locker room. The piece of paper was almost too easy to find, but he didn't open it as he walked swiftly to his car. Only opened it once he was on his way to the school at a red light.
"Irina,
I'll see you soon.
Dimitri"
His fist slammed against the steering wheel, anger coiling tight within. He needed to keep his cool. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as the light turned green. He floored it as he tried to remember any instances that he might have missed. As he remembered one afternoon about a week and a half, how she'd shoved a red-letter into the drawer on her desk. Brushing it off as nothing exciting and claiming that a girl needed some privacy. She did relent and tell him it was a simple letter from one of her secret admirers thanking her for her kissing skills. That had been a lie, but he'd blown it off as her attempts to get a rise out of him. It had worked where he'd gone into one of his speeches about professionalism. Perhaps she's been far more clever than he'd given her credit for. She'd played them all, it would seem, as the viper coiled tightly around her throat.
Did she do all this to protect them? You know she did; as much as she tries to blow it off, she's grown close to them...in her own way.
Wouldn't you do the same?
He parked his car, threw open his door, and took off up the stairs leading to the school at a dead run—the note clenched in his hand the entire way.
"Karasuma...I didn't want to worry the children, but how bad is it?" Koro Sensei questioned as he flew next to him, matching his pace with ease. "It's not looking good," he told him, shoving the letters toward him.
The other took the paper and read it in silence. "I see...how do you want to proceed?" he questioned, not sure how far they wanted to go with this; then again, Irina was a valued colleague as a teacher and an assassin himself and in some ways, he liked to think they were friends. "They would be upset if we didn't do anything. Besides-"
"We'll find her," Karasuma told him sharply, cutting him off as he hit the last of the stairs to stare for a moment at the kids who were at the top of the hill and waiting for them.
"I thought there were only three of you…" he muttered, schooling his features as he took back the note that the octopus handed him. He looked a little too smug now that he thought about it. He couldn't say this turn of events wasn't a bad thing; he wasn't sure about it, though. He really couldn't put these kids in the danger they were likely going to face, but the fact that they showed up told him something he'd always been curious about. These kids have loyalty in spades. If they didn't care, they wouldn't have shown up.
"We called them," Kurahashi told him with a bright smile on her lips as though that would explain everything.
"Where is Professor B, Mr. Karasuma?" Yada questioned sharply, cutting the attention back to him. Her hands were fisted at her side, and she regarded him with a look that told him she already had some ideas.
"We don't know, but we're going to find her," he promised as he walked up the path toward the entrance, listening as the others began to trail after him. He just hoped they weren't too late.
A/N: So if you've made it this far. I hope you like it! This is not a one-shot; it will probably be a few chapters to finish this up. This has been something I've been contemplating ever since my sister and I finally watched the Assassination Classroom. I'm not finished; I have like two more episodes or so. I just couldn't let this idea go. We will find out the backstory between Irina and Dimitri and a little insight into Lovro as well. A lot more will make sense as this story continues, this is one of the few where I'm a little ahead of the game and have 3 Chapters finished already with the fourth in the works.
