Broad-Spectrum Assassin

Memory 2: The First Lesson

He falls over and blood drips from his mouth.

"You shouldn't flaunt your weapon." Tendrils jut out from Teacher's body and cut each of us on the leg. "Think of each cut as a lesson. By the time it heals, the lesson should be carved forever in your mind." Teacher's tendrils come back into him like noodles being slurped up.

I'm hungry.

I forgot what this felt like.

I raise my hand. "Umm. When can we eat?"

Teacher's body twitches. It hunches over and starts muttering to itself. "Boy interrupted me. Should be punished. But! Boy asked important question related to survival. Should be praised. Punish or praise. Which is it?"

The girl who was pacing around suddenly turns and tosses her knife at our captor.

Teacher catches the blade while still muttering. It then turns to her. "Throwing your weapon should be a last resort, not the first move."

The girl steps up to him with intense energy.

Acid drips from the blade and teacher drops the knife.

The girl grabs the blade as it falls and then plunges it into his head.

Teacher's body morphs into a cage around her. "Well played but you guessed my weak point wrong. You're dead." The cage recedes on her, crushing her body.

She exhales sharply but says nothing.

Suddenly every thing looks so bright. Her features, from her little nose to her fierce eyes all radiate together. My heart starts racing.

She's beautiful.

Eyes appear all along the cage, starring at the girl. "You must be WarWolf correct?"

She nods.

"Your parents named you after a cursed abomination." Teacher releases her. "You've got talent." His tendrils grab her legs and a loud snap is heard.

She screams out in pain and tears fill her fierce eyes.

"Consider that your handicap." A crying face grows from Teacher's back and gazes at me. "You must be Weech."

I nod and back up toward the wall.

A fan of black gooey hands come out from teacher's cloak and then come together. "The classes are getting smaller every year. As pathetic as most of you are, you should take respite in knowing that you are all special. You were selected for your gifts but these gifts do not guarantee survival. Not once has every member of a class survived up to graduation. But if you're the first then I'll get so much praise!" Teacher bounces with joy and then turns to blades. "That means if you fail, then I'll be washed down the drain with you. Were connected." His shadow stretches out and wraps around our hands. "Don't think of failing on purpose to spite your teacher. Do that and I'll cut myself free of you tumors. Well, my little killers in training. Your first task is to uncover a secret from one of your class mates. Best have a secret ready by the time I return."

"When will you be back?" asks BunBun, looking to the floor.

"That will be a surprise as will your punishment should you fail." Teacher carves a portal in the air and crawls inside.

"Umm, so maybe we can trade secrets," says BunBun, looking at the other kids.

BladEagle glares at her. "Did your parents drop you?"

"Leave my parents out of this," she says, waving her knife at him.

WarWolf, who is sitting due to her broken legs, beckons the other girl to her. "I'll trade with you."