:: Attempt 15 | Impostor ::
"It's coming undone, this world that I made,
I feel it descending now.
The place that I run, or what I run from,
The boundary begins to fade.
"Every word's a trap to your lies;
Every life you try to save dies.
You hold the truth like a knife,
You couldn't leave it behind."
- "Impostor" by RED
x + x
There is always a split-second of calm when you see everything; a brief vision of predictability.
Everything appears to be laid out in slow motion, offering the chance to view even the smallest detail: the glint within the opponent's eyes, the shift in footwork, even the slightest intake of breath.
She's known to take advantage of such situations. It's been ingrained into her training, after all—the art of observation, enough so she can conceive a reliable path to completing her mission.
Now, however, in the presence of an inhuman being; in the moment she propells herself into the air, she sees nothing else other than her face, her smile.
Blood trickles from smiling lips, from the bullet hole lodged in her chest. The light—once so bright and exuberant—dims in her brown eyes, and yet she still smiles.
Her mother smiles as she falls to her knees, and a tear skims her cheek. There is a scream—and she realizes it's from herself just as the trigger is pulled once again.
She narrows her eyes, swinging her blade down to be joined with its twin in the middle of its descent. The creature wobbles backwards, a strange vocalization escaping its wide mouth.
"N-nuyaaa—?!?"
She spins, twisting sharply on her heel as soon as she lands upon the balls of her feet, aiming for the crescent-shaped moon upon its necktie. (The irony of the design doesn't fail to strike her dulled sense of humor, but she doesn't laugh, opting for a devilish smirk in its stead.)
It swerves to the side at an impressive speed, dodging each of her strikes with a peculiar ease.
Scarlet tinges her vision as she strikes with a roundhouse kick to its yellow blob of a head, her skirt flying up at the motion. Aoi can care less; all that matters is this—this abomination's death, and she's sure as hell going to be true to her mission.
'I am the huntress. I am one of the Sibyl's blades. To kill and to conquer—that is my vow.
'None of my prey is allowed to survive.'
If she fails, she will die. The Head doesn't need rusted tools in his arsenal. That is the truth she's been reminded of all too well.
If she fails and she dies... Well, her usefulness has come to an end then, no?
She shakes her head, clearing her mind of useless thoughts. There is no use for if's and maybe's. She adjusts her grip upon the weapons' respective hilts, throwing herself to the side to avoid a frantic copy.
All that matters is my mission. It is my purpose. It is my duty.
It is my reason—my justification for my existence.
"H-Hanazono-san—" The being attempts to speak even as Aoi rushes in, wielding her knives in a whirlwind of ferocity. A fierce glint enters her usually cold azure eyes, an amused smile claiming her lips as she lets a dagger fly, her entire figure subsequently dropping to a crouch as her other hand—still gripping her remaining knife—swings up towards a wriggling tentacle.
"N-nuyaaaaah!"
Two sharp, distinct pops resound, followed by several flushing noises as the stench of sulfur permeates the air.
Where two of the creature's tentacles used to flail about, there remain two stumps, the redhead staring at them with barely concealed morbid fascination.
Stunned, unabashed silence cloaks the entire classroom at the sight, slack-jawed students gaping at the spectacle before them. Aoi draws herself up to her full height, dusting off her uniform—as if she hasn't mercilessly attacked her new 'teacher'.
"I did say that it's a pleasure to meet you, didn't I—Korosensei?" She says rhetorically, clasping her hands behind her back as a strange chuckle emanates from the octopus-like figure.
"Nurufufufu.. You are the second one by far who's managed to harm me, Hanazono-san." An orange O shape flashed through its bulbous head, to be replaced by a large purple X as it continued, "However! Attempting an assassination during class hours is not acceptable!"
Aoi rolls her eyes, placing a hand on her hip as she studies the class through an analytical gaze. Some of the students consciously look away. "As if I care."
"Oi! Who the hell're you?!" A voice shouts from the back, presumably from a rather loud-mouthed-looking boy with strange, dyed hair.
Then again, her own hair color is of a noticeable shade, so she shouldn't be complaining.
Probably.
"Oh, that's right!" The octopus exclaims, gesturing to a bored-looking Aoi with a wiggling tentacle. (It appears as if it can regrow those... Tentacles after a consequent period of time, she notes.) "We have a new student transferring in from the main campus today!"
"From the main campus?" A blonde mutters, tapping a pen against her desk. "When tomorrow's already the midterms?"
"Everyone, meet—"
"I can introduce myself just fine," The redhead interrupts, crossing her arms under her chest as soon as she retrieves her fallen weapon.
Aoi glances at the class, scanning rows of faces one after another. Most look uneasy, others having confusion with a mixture of slight, almost unnoticeable awe—most likely from her short demonstration nearly five minutes back. (She clicks her tongue in displeasure at the thought, barely able to keep herself from furrowing her eyebrows. Displaying her annoyance at their reactions isn't something she wants to do.)
"My name..." She pauses, swallowing thickly.
There's a lingering hint of bloodlust in the air—not hers, most definitely, as she's long learned to conceal it. No, it's from someone else... Someone who doesn't like to keep their true intent under wraps.
Her gaze lands upon a mischievous-looking redhead in the very back of the room, an amused—yet somehow wicked—grin curling his lips. She clears her throat, her stare flitting away from the evident source.
No, it's not just from him... Aoi bites the inside of her cheek, scanning each of the students, one by one. No—there are two sources, not just one.
It isn't nervousness she's feeling—it's foreboding. There's someone else in this room..
Someone who has raw, yet still unrecognized potential to be an assassin.
She narrows her eyes, zeroing in upon the only familiar person in the room: the blue-haired androgyne she keeps noticing out of the corner of her eye each and every time. He seems to recognize her, a curious glint in his eyes.
Realization flickers through her gaze, but she wills it away. Interesting..
"My name is Hanazono Aoi. Until a certain incident recently, I was in Class 3-A. I look forward to working with you all from now on in order to—" her voice takes on a darker undertone, though she still keeps a small, amiable smile upon her face. "Destroy this monster—I mean, 'teacher'."
She bows, clutching at the strap of her messenger bag in a futile attempt to ignore the cheeky grin the red-haired boy's most likely trained upon her.
Seriously. He reminds me too much of—
She shakes her head imperceptibly, clenching her hands into tight, white-knuckled fists. Now is not the time to think of that son of a bitch.
"Your seat will be in between Karma-kun and Terasaka-kun at the back, Hanazono-san." The octopus—rather, Korosensei informs the internally irritated redhead, who obediently walks down the aisle, keeping her gaze fixated upon her assigned seat.
Why does it feel like it clustered together those with the strange hair colors? She thinks as she releases the strap of her bag in favor of drawing out her chair. As she takes a seat, she glances at the redhead at her left, murmuring under her breath:
"Mind toning down your stifling lust for bloodshed? It isn't exactly attractive."
At her words, the boy looks over with a lazy smirk, golden eyes seemingly cat-like in the dim light. "Does it bother you~? Ha-na-chan~?"
Aoi resists the urge to draw out her hidden knife from within the confines of her bag, forcing a tight smile upon her lips. "I'd rather not spend my time with a blood-crazed idiot on my left and a short-tempered, amateurish gangster on my right." Her eyes darken as she continues, "Besides, an intense amount of bloodlust isn't always the key.
"It just shows how much you desire to kill, to have your hands be stained with another's blood. What is important is how you wish to exploit that same want, and how to show it through your actions."
Her gaze flickers towards the boy once more, the fake smile gone from her visage. "Do you understand?"
The boy raises his hands up in a half-hearted gesture of surrender, a brief glimmer of irritation passing through his mercury gold irises. What does she even know about killing, anyway?
"Alright, Hana-chan~."
In the same instant, several copies pop into view in front of the class, multiplying almost immediately. One approaches her desk, taking on a blue hue with a cat-like mouth.
She nearly drops her head onto her desk. Really? Of all things, why Happy?
"So, Hanazono-san, do you mind telling Sensei your least preferred subject?" The copy asks, to which Aoi simply sighs, resting her chin upon her open palm.
"That would be Mathematics, Sensei." She replies, sarcasm lacing through the honorific as she speaks.
Perhaps this will prove to be interesting.
x + x
I take back what I said about this.. This sort of torture being interesting..
I rest my head against my palms, very nearly letting loose a slew of colorful obscenities as the damnable abomination proceeds with another set of numbers and letters jumbled into the curse called polynomials.
Why is it that striking a vital organ is easier than answering a parade of these mathematical problems? I mutter yet another curse, tapping my pen against the surface of my once-blank notebook.
A sigh escapes my lips as I lower my head in defeat, much to the amused chuckle to my left. "Bastard." I hiss, only for the red-haired boy to resume his malicious snickers.
Oh how I want to jam this blade right down his god-awful throat.
Right now, however, I sorely wish to strike this octopus in front of me.
After several minutes of uttering profanities under my breath as I answer the damnable questions being set forth one after the other by the aggravating Korosensei, most of the copies finally vanish, leaving the aforementioned octopod exhausted upon its chair. I rest my head against the palm of my hand, tapping my fingers to the beat of RED's "Impostor".
To be quite frank, I only obliged to plug in my headphones after this infuriating bastard—I'd rather not know his name, though I'd long surmised it's most likely Karma or something along those lines—kept pestering me with his maddening laughter.
What is so humorous about seeing a girl with the same hair color as his struggling over math problems he answers effortlessly, I can give less of a shit about.
"Tell me that you were never real; you need another soul to steal," I sing softly under my breath, watching as several students huddle around the collapsed students.
"You're my impostor; you tell me that you were never real." As the song finishes, I halt the playlist, removing my headphones and settling them around my neck.
"Nurufufu... This is all to raise your test scores." Korosensei speaks, almost as though it is wistfully dreaming of some far-fetched fantasy.
Most likely thinking of his students being so damn grateful to it that they won't kill it after. I let out a brief, incredulous laugh. In my case, that won't do any good.
"..It'll be like that. The danger of being killed would disappear as well, so it would be two birds with one stone."
So I'm right. An amused smile curls my lips. How transparent of you, Target-san.
The other students glance at one another, before one says, "Nah.. We're better off doing that than studying."
"Yeah." Agrees another student—a girl, this time. "Well, if we kill him, there's the reward of the ten billion yen too."
Apparently, these sorts of replies aren't what the octopus wants to hear.
I expected this sort of outcome.. However, it is rather naive of these students to think that after the assassination, they'll be able to do as they wish with the money. Education—as much as I might like to disagree—is an important asset, even to an assassin.
I smile wryly as Korosensei bursts in a series of indignant exclamations.
'Treis' will never let these students pass her curriculum if they are like this. I clasp my hands, resting my chin upon my intertwined fingers. Well, 'Novem' will most likely be more lenient with the academics, though he is quite ruthless with the more physical aspects. It's a wonder 'Miles' even survived.
I sigh. You can never underestimate anyone who has a firm resolve and a reason to keep living, I suppose.
"We're the E-as-in-End class, you know," A boy says in response to the octopus.
"We have a better chance of assassinating you than doing well on a test."
"What idiots." I mutter under my breath.
"If they're idiots, then what about you, Hana-chan?" Again, he never seems to stop annoying me.
I turn to the unknown boy beside me, narrowing my eyes.
His easygoing—albeit mocking—grin doesn't falter beneath my questioning stare. "You've been placed in a class where most couldn't keep up with the ways of the main campus. So doesn't that make you an idiot too?"
I force a smile. "I'm not an idiot, unlike the rest of you. Why I was placed here would be because of the irritating fangirls who stalk my boyfriend's each and every move. I simply talked them into knowing their place. Apparently that was equal to a horde of death threats in their limited understanding."
He blinks, still looking very much amused. "Heh~, that's interesting."
"As far as I can recall, there isn't anything in what I said which can be taken as 'interesting'. Perhaps your sense of humor is screwed up."
With that, I turn away, still aware of the curious gaze he fixes upon me. I very nearly bristle.
I'm not a toy for this boy's amusement.
Meanwhile, the target stands, a purple X etched across its face.
"As you are now, you are not qualified to be assassins." It says, pausing before the doorway.
"All of you, come out to the courtyard. Please call Karasuma-sensei and Irina-sensei as well."
I narrow my eyes. What is it planning to do?
I suppose I will soon find out, whether I want to or not.
x + x
Apparently, it isn't planning to play soccer. Or any sport, for that matter.
"Irina-sensei," it calls out to Jelavic, who seems surprised at the attention. "I have a question for you, as a professional assassin."
Professional assassin, huh? I hide a smirk, amused.
"What's this all of a sudden..?"
"Whenever you are on the job, do you have only one plan prepared?"
Even an idiot or an amateur knows to have at least one backup plan. Not everything goes the way you want it to.
"..No. Just as you'd expect, rather than one preferred plan, it's better to have a few possible routes.
"For assassins, it's part of the basics. To construct thorough backup plans in advance, should any unforeseen circumstances arise."
For once, her response sounds intelligent. I think sarcastically.
And then she just has to eliminate whatever intelligence I may have thought she possesses.
"Of course, your case is so far from the norm that all the plans I'd prepared were all thrown into disarray, but just watch, next time for sure I will succeed." Jelavic utters smugly.
"That's impossible." The octopus replies, much to her evident aggravation.
"Now then, next is Karasuma-sensei." Korosensei turns to the said man. "When you teach knifework to the students, is the first blow the only crucial one?"
I raise an interested brow. He teaches knifework here? During Physical Education, perhaps? I shake my head slightly. No, wait. That's not the important point here.
I look up, waiting for the man's reply.
"Of course the first blow is the most crucial, but the movements afterward are just as important.
"Against a formidable opponent, there is a high probability of your first blow being dodged. The precision between your second and third strike... Can mean the difference between victory and defeat."
And there are times that when you lose, you die. That's all there is to it.
Life is simply kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. Humans kill cattle and livestock for eating—if we don't eat, we will starve, and then we will die. When we die, our bodies rot and are decomposed by bacteria and other organisms for their own use.
And there aren't always enough people to remember all those who've died.
"What are you getting at.." A boy with rather pale orange hair questions, to be cut off as the target starts to... Spin?
"Just as the teachers have said. If your next move is assured, you can become an assassin full of self-confidence. And what about all of you?"
Its spinning is becoming faster now. I narrow my eyes, squinting to see it clearly.
"Thinking: 'We'll be fine since we have the assassination.' You have only lowered your studying goals. You are only.. Averting your eyes from the cause of your inferiority complex."
This may ring true for these Class E students, but does it for me? I shake my head, a grim smile on my lips as I watch Korosensei spin faster as each second passed.
"If one's justification for existing is to kill—to have blood upon one's hands—is it still called 'living'?" I whisper under my breath.
No one can reply to such a question—after all, there is no logical answer.
"I guess not."
Leaves flit through the air, gusts causing some to stumble back from where they used to stand.
"What if I were to escape from this classroom? What if another assassin killed me before you could?"
I hiss as a random twig gets caught in my hair, irritably taking it out before it can entangle itself even further into the crimson mess it is.
"Having lost the assassination you think of as a contingency plan, you would be left only with your sense of inferiority as Class E.
"Here is some advice from Sensei, to all of you who are so insecure."
It doesn't know shit about me, but why do I seem so affected by its words?
The tornado the target appears to have built grows even larger, its voice resounding even above the harsh wind.
"Those who do not possess a second weapon... Are not qualified to call themselves assassins!!"
As I watch, futilely attempting to remain standing, the gusts gradually lessen in ferocity, dying down as several clumps of what look like grass and soil drift to the ground.
"There were many weeds and uneven grounds on campus." The target utters calmly, an unreadable glint in its eye. "I have cleaned it up a bit."
Indeed, the once overgrown field has been cleared to create a perfect oval.
"Sensei is a super creature capable of erasing the earth from existence." The set of its features resemble more of a demon's insane grin than its usual cheery smile. "Levelling this area is simple for me."
Uneasiness oozes from each and every student, some even showcasing abject terror in their eyes. I swallow thickly, the bitter taste of bile creeping up my throat.
"Unless you have confidence in yourselves and show that you have a second weapon I will consider there to be no assassins in this classroom who deserve to be my opponent. And will level all of you along with this school building before leaving."
"A second weapon.." A student voices rather hesitantly—the blue-haired boy I had noticed earlier on. "How long do we have?"
Korosensei seems to grin even wider at the boy's words. "That has already been decided. Until tomorrow."
Tomorrow..? My eyes widen. Isn't that—
"All of you, please score within the top 50 on tomorrow's midterm tests."
Everyone seems surprised—rather, astonished at the announcement. I shrug carelessly, twisting the cord of my headphones around a finger.
All will be well if I can score higher than my usual in Mathematics... English and Social Studies are no problem, though I may reread my notes some way or another. Home Economics and Japanese Literature might become a pain in the arse though. Damn.
"I have already cultivated your second weapons. Sensei does not use a slow, dull teaching method... That would be inferior to those of the main building teachers.
"Wield that weapon with confidence, successfully complete this mission, smile without embarrassment, and hold your heads high... As assassins and members of Class E!"
x + x
The sun starts to set, painting the edges of trees' canopies in various shades of red and gold. I set foot upon the recently trimmed lawn, carefully making sure that the metal gates swing shut behind me. Locking the bar in place, I shift my bag higher up my shoulder, fixing my headphones so the upbeat music filters properly into my ears.
"Do not run away donna toki demo na,
The pride and dignity mochi tsudzuketeruzo!
"Narihibiku kane ga kikoeruze Biggu Ben!
Yotsu no oto de shougo no toki wo shiraseruze
Rekishi to moraru wo mamori tsudzukeruze
Ladies & Gentlemen kagayakashii eikou wo yogoshi wa shinai ze.. [1]"
I look up to the skies, pausing just before the steps. I sigh, shaking my head as I make my way into the house.
"Saikou daze orenchi no koucha wa
Gooruden ruuru de iretara shifuku no ajiwai
Yuugure no Rondon tatazumu Tawabuuriji
Tea & sightseeing subarashii miryoku wo esucooto suruze! [2]"
The skies here are different. I withhold another heavy exhale. I never thought I would miss London's overcast skies, not even after living in San Francisco for the past years...
"A-Aoi! I've been looking for you this afternoon.. Where have you been?" Tsubaki questions as I place my bag upon the couch, briefly bending down to rub Momotaro's head as he nudges at my knee before I take a seat.
"Do not run away donna toki demo na,
The pride and dignity mochi tsudzuketeruzo!
"Kaze wo kiri hashiru Yuurosuuta mitai ni
Mukai kaze mo kinisezuni susumi tsudzukeru ze
Itsumademo kawaru koto no nai sutairu de
Oorudo to modan wo kaneawase ikuze
"Narihibiku kane ga kikoeruze Biggu Ben!
Yotsu no oto de kyou mo toki wo shiraseru ze
Utsukushii Kottsuuoruzu shinpiteki na Sutoonhenji
Ladies & Gentlemen kyou to iu kagirareta jikan wo tanoshimouze.. [3]"
I fiddle with my phone, pausing the playlist when the song ends before I look up, running a hand through my hair. "I was transferred to Class E, where the target is."
She stops in her footsteps. "Really? So that's why... Was the tornado its doing?"
I nod, unzipping my bag and taking out my notes immediately. "Say, can you help me out with Japanese Literature?"
Tsubaki looks at me, tilting her head slightly to the side. "If you help me with Social Studies." She grins slyly. "I know you've been marathon-watching Hetalia: Axis Powers recently, so I know that you know a lot about history and all that stuff." She pauses, "But why do you want to study for the exams? Last I checked, you weren't all concerned about your academic standing in the academy—if we're going about this logically, you're literally a year ahead of the students when talk about your studies, so you don't really need to exert effort in the examinations. So why?"
I smile slightly. "I have an additional mission to complete, and that requires me to ace these exams." I shuffle my notes, glancing up at Tsubaki, who has taken a seat beside me.
"So where do we start?"
-To be continued.
[Word Count: 4,105. (Notes not counted.) Originally written May 3rd, 2016. Edited March 25th-27th, 2017.]
[1-3] These are lyrics from the fourth character song of the character England/United Kingdom/Britain from the anime, Hetalia: Axis Powers, as performed by Sugiyama Noriaki. Simply put, the Author chose this song because of the little nostalgia Aoi feels for London. :) (Also because it's been mentioned that Aoi likes Hetalia.)
Let's Enjoy Today — Performed by Sugiyama Noriaki (Voice Actor for England, Hetalia: Axis Powers)
(Romaji and English Lyrics taken from the Hetalia Archives.)
[1] "Do not run away donna toki demo na,
The pride and dignity mochi tsudzuketeruzo!
"Narihibiku kane ga kikoeruze Biggu Ben!
Yotsu no oto de shougo no toki wo shiraseruze
Rekishi to moraru wo mamori tsudzukeruze
Ladies & Gentlemen kagayakashii eikou wo yogoshi wa shinai ze..
["Do not run away, no matter what happens,
Keep on carrying with you the pride and dignity!
"I can hear the resounding chimes of the Big Ben!
And 4 quarter bells telling me that it's mid-day
Ladies & Gentlemen, protect our history and morals
Don't dishonour our shining glory..]
[2] "Saikou daze orenchi no koucha wa
Gooruden ruuru de iretara shifuku no ajiwai
Yuugure no Rondon tatazumu Tawabuuriji
Tea & sightseeing subarashii miryoku wo esucooto suruze!"
["The black tea from my house is unrivalled
If you brew it with the Golden Rule, the taste is supreme
In the twilight of London, Tower Bridge is standing tall
Have some tea and do some sightseeing,
You'll be escorted to the wonderful charm there!"]
[3] "Do not run away donna toki demo na,
The pride and dignity mochi tsudzuketeruzo!
"Kaze wo kiri hashiru Yuurosuuta mitai ni
Mukai kaze mo kinisezuni susumi tsudzukeru ze
Itsumademo kawaru koto no nai sutairu de
Oorudo to modan wo kaneawase ikuze
"Narihibiku kane ga kikoeruze Biggu Ben!
Yotsu no oto de kyou mo toki wo shiraseru ze
Utsukushii Kottsuuoruzu shinpiteki na Sutoonhenji
Ladies & Gentlemen kyou to iu kagirareta jikan wo tanoshimouze.."
["Do not run away, no matter what happens,
Keep on carrying with you the pride and dignity!
"I will continue moving forward, heedless of the headwind
Just like the Eurostar that runs like on wings
As always, my style will never change
Combining the old and the modern, I will carry on
"Today I can hear the resounding chimes of the Big Ben!
And 4 quarter bells telling me the time still
The beautiful Cotswold and mysterious Stonehenge
Ladies & Gentlemen, let's enjoy today with the limited time we have..."]