Finally getting into some action:3 In which an assassination plan is carried out.

Time to Go

The lobby of the airport was a large hall tiled white with shops all around. He walked across it with a suitcase in hand, studying the vicinity with his sharp brown eyes. The suitcase that he was dragging behind him was a small one, with only a few sets of spare clothes and other personal items. However even that small load was far more than he was used to carrying though - usually he was with just a rucksack.

(Was it important to stay on the left side of the escalator?)

He study the airport with fascination, taking in the bright burst of life all around. There was people everywhere, far more than he was used to. Everything around him was so colourful and bold, jumping out at him, but at the same time everyone seemed to looked the same. Black hair, brown eyes - like his own. He recalled someone talking about Japan before but this was not how he imagined it. No ninjas.

So this is where Killua was living.

He was at the other side of the airport now, in front of the automatic doors that separated him from the outside world. They slid open.

There was a big grin on his face.

It had been a while since he saw his best friend.

Gon Freecss stepped out of the airport.

With a click, the final magazine was put in place on the BB gun.

"Ready?" The question struck through the tension of the air. A few people nodded. Those who didn't had their eyes fixed forward, as sharp and focused as a vulture. It was now or never.

The scene was a set. A large, borrowed hall, a few hundred metres under a hotel was set out with a scatter of wooden tables and chairs. White table clothes were set out with metal forks and knives, complete with folded napkins. An expensive endeavour, but hopefully a fruitful one.

Most the carefully preparation was, however, was unseen.

The floor? Fake.

The ceiling? Lined with anti-Korosensei panelling.

Even the walls were a part of their plan, full of extra nooks and crannies for the snipers set there, those who were marked off as 'ill'.

It was all orchestrated to perfection.

Killua stood a little apart from the group in the corner, who were going through the final preparations, head whirling. It was a bad habit, one ingrained into him from a young age – he kept seeing the worst case scenarios in his mind's eye, and they twisted his gut with nervousness. It was distracting.

A soft tune suddenly sounded across the group. It was not loud, but obvious among the silent air of the hall. Kataoka fished a smart phone from her pocket and swiped the screen. She pressed the flat object to her ear. Even though he was a few metres away, Killua's ears (sharpened by focused aura) picked up every word.

"Hello?" Kataoka asked. The class was watching, carefully.

"Kataoka? We're heading over with Korosensei now," the voice on the other end, a feminine, airy one, said.

So everything was going to plan, Killua assumed.

The class had split into to two groups, one that set everything up whilst the other distracted Korosensei. Of course Korosensei had figured out it was a trap by now – why else would they suddenly hold a party – but the pretence was still held. It was to feed uncertainty to his mind, keep him guessing right to the end.

It was Karma's idea.

"Good," Kataoka said. "We'll be ready soon."

"OK."

Kataoka brought the phone down from her ear and pressed the 'end call' button. Members of the class looked at her expectantly, as not all of them had heard the conversation.

"We're going by the plan," Kataoko announced. A sigh of relief swept across the hall. It was only the beginning stage, but it was something at least.

The group dispersed, a few making their way to the outskirts of the hall where they sat and talked, others choosing a table and sitting down. One of two gravitated towards the centre of the room where a line of tables had been set up with a line of sweet treats on them. There was a plate piled with candy, another with a big sponge cake and one on the end with chocolate.

Mouth watering slightly, Killua made his way over there. Glancing at the clock, Killua saw they had just over five minutes until the second group, along with their target were due to arrive. Plenty of time to relax.

His rubber boots made a soft thud each time he took a step. Underneath the floor was shiny copper – not just unusual but expensive too.

Killua ate a piece of chocolate, chewing thoughtfully. He glanced at the middle of the table where a large place had been placed. On it was a large crème caramel, edges glistening with sweet syrup. It was quite an impressive monument, almost a foot across and just as tall, wobbling but stable.

"Do you like it?"

Sucking in a sudden breath, Killua turned.

There, standing with a small smile on her lips was a familiar girl with green pigtails – Kayano. Killua eyed her wearily but she only gave him a look of blank curiosity. He let out a small sigh.

"Is everything going to plan?" she asked.

"Yep," he said, with a small nod. He must have been distracted by the chocolate in front of him. It did taste very nice.

He glanced back to the crème caramel. It was an impressive size, far bigger than anything Killua had seen before and he found a grin working his way to face with the anticipation of eating it.

"You made this didn't you?" Killua said. Kayano looked a little embarrassed, a small blush forming on her cheeks.

"Oh it's nothing. It was going to be a lot bigger, for a different assassination attempt, but your idea is good," she said.

Killua looked away, already disinterested.

Three minutes had passed.

It was time to get ready.

Looking at the room, Killua was satisfied to see that everyone else was also on the same train of thought, already where they were meant to be.

He took a seat a few tables away. From the other side of the hall, there was a quiet chime. Killua didn't even need to glance that way to know that the numbers displayed on the top of the elevator were coming steadily down. With a ting and a swoosh, it opened, revealing the small crowd inside.

"Oh, lots of people are already here!" Kurahashi, who was at the head of the group said.

"Is everyone here?" Korosensei, behind her and in the middle of the group standing in the large elevator asked.

"Of course," Kurahashi said, swinging an anti-korosensei blade at the teachers head as she did. He dodged it with ease.

They stepped out of the lift, dispersing as they entered the hall. Killua noted how Korosensei, similar to how Killua had done, went straight for the sweet treats near the middle.

Killua turned away as the group drew close, staring at the wall on the opposite way. Although he couldn't see, he could hear and sense well enough to know that Korosensei had eaten five of the brownies on the first plate.

"Don't eat too much!" Kurahashi's voice rang out. "It's Takebayashi's party, remember."

"Nurufufufu. There's more than another to go round," Korosensei said with authority but Killua noted a hint of… disappointment? Killua let a soft smirk slip onto his lips. Even the octopus teacher was childlike at times.

A soft chime echoed across the hall. Looking round, Killua saw that Isogai, one of the class reps come onto the stage set up at the front. He set the piece of paper he had been holding in his hand onto the stand in front of him.

"Er, so," he started into the microphone. His voice reverberated across the hall from hidden speakers. "Hello class."

He wore black boots with his shirt and jeans. The same black boots as everyone. Killua wondered if Korosensei had noticed that small detail.

"This is a celebration to mark the return of a valued classmate back to Class E!" Isogai gestured to his left where Takebayashi was standing a little off the stage.

Nearly there.

Killua forced himself to relax, watching the stage with everyone else. Behind him, he sensed the movement of students as they slipped into position. His mind was buzzing.

Takebayashi walked onto the stage, adjusting his glasses. There was a small smile on his face.

Isogai's eyes trailed onto where Korosensei was sitting, watching the stage intently. Under his notes, Killua saw the matt white plastic, disguised with paint to match the white paper. Isogai's thumb was on the button. Just in case anything of suspicion happened, they were ready to act at any time.

5…

Takebayashi had reached where Isogai was standing. He took the sheet of paper from Isogai and the microphone too, with it the plastic button was slipped to him. He glanced downwards, to the notes then back at the class scattered around the hall.

"I'm glad to be back in Class E…" he said into the microphone.

4…

"… From my heart, I am happy that you have hosted this celebration for me."

3…

"Korosensei. You have taught me a lot of things..." Takebayashi shifted his weight onto one foot. Killua tensed, clenching his hands into tight fists.

2…

"And so to you, I give something special," he finished.

1…

Killua stood up. Around him everyone did the same, each raising a bb gun and turning to the centre of the hall where Korosensei was. Korosensei, stood hurriedly, ready to dodge the oncoming hail of bullets. That instant reaction would make him unprepared for what would come next.

0…

Takebayashi pressed the button.

The world erupted white.

Electricity surged around them, crackling across the copper floor underneath their feet. Their rubber shoes protected them and for health and safety reasons the voltage had been lowered to non-lethal levels. That did not mean, however, Korosensei would remain unscathed. That was, at least, the plan.

The world was going so slowly, as though he was stuck in a world full of cotton. So much time to think. So little time to move.

Bullets were flying, towards Korosensei. Each shape seemed to stretch with the speed it was moving at.

Killua didn't need the electricity from underneath him. He had charged up to full potential that morning and his nerves were crackling with energy. He didn't need to worry about the other students spotting him – the crackling white light all around them would disguise it anyway.

Godspeed.

Shippujinrai.

He wasn't even thinking as the scene stretched to a blur and the muscles in his hands tensed. He was as fast as the moving bullets, no faster... He saw Korosensei's face frozen in shock.

As he reached Korosensei, he pulled his hand back, a knife already there, aiming for Korosensei's tie. According to Itona, his heart would be there. He slashed, felt the material stab through the fabric with stratifying ease. At this speed, even a rubber knife would be deadly to humans.

Without stopping he landed on the other side of the hall.

His breathing was heavy, his muscles ached. They would be stiff the next morning, Killua knew. That's what happened when you overexerted yourself.

Something was wrong. His hand ached. Looking down, he could see a long red mark across his fingers, just below the nails that were stretched into claws. He had hit something hard.

Turning round, Killua studied what damage had been caused. Korosensei was lying on the floor in a puddle of blood, hunched over like an old man. A few tentacles had been blown off altogether by the hail of bullets, and one clutched his chest weakly. For some reason, Killua hadn't managed to finish him off. Killua was intent on knowing why but now they had one chance left to redeem this. The target was still weak but he wouldn't be for long.

(Backup plan)

The second round of gunshots fired. If Killua failed then the next thing that would happen would be the next hail of bullets that came like a wall towards Korosensei's weakened form. If this didn't finish him off, Killua was out of options.

Just as the shots fired, a blinding flash of light stopped them in their tracks. Killua winced and put an arm over his eyes to shield them. There was a few seconds of silence.

When the spots over his eyes had cleared enough for Killua to get a general view of the situation, he took the time to study the vicinity carefully. The area of floor where floor where Korosensei's yellow shape had been was empty; other than the pool of dark blood that remained there, there was no indication that the octopus shaped teacher had ever been there.

(What?)

His eyes trailed upwards. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he recalled his brother telling him that up was the place people rarely looked, the obvious hiding place – to be used to one's advantage but also to be cautious of.

Suddenly he spotted something yellow on the corner of his eyes and he immediately homed in on it.

Korosesei – hanging off the corner of the ceiling, a small smile on his face. Other than the trickle of blood down his mouth and the gaping hole in his usually immaculate clothes, he seemed to be perfectly ordinary.

"There!" a voice rang out. Nagisa.

There was a little ruffle as everyone pointed their gun at their target. Korosensei's smile widened as he jumped down from his place in the ceiling and landed neatly in the middle of the room.

"Well done Killua. You successfully managed to penetrate my heart. Unfortunately, you only grazed it," Korosensei said, his breathing ragged. "I'm recovering quickly." He put up a newly formed tentacle in demonstration. His facial expression turned into a striped green and yellow. He turned to Killua and in the time it took for him to blink, Korosensei was in front of him.

"The plan was well thought out but you made one small misjudgement," Korosensei explained. "I was expecting you."

Smirking, Korosensei reached into his shirt and pulled out an anti-korosensei knife, carefully wrapped in fabric so that it would not harm him. So that was what Killua's hand had hit – if it had been placed before hand between his tie and his shirt, it would form a barrier that would lessen the impact of the blow. Korosensei hadn't remained unscathed, but he wasn't dead either.

There was that usual grin in Korosensei's face. Before Killua could say a word of complaint, he got out a hair brush and brushed down his usually puffy hair.

"What the heck?" Killua shouted and stabbed the air where Kororsensei had been, part of him knowing there was no chance.

"Nurufufufu," Kororsensei laughed. "You can't escape my cleaning. And now, shall we continue with our party?"

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