The Assassin Within

Part 46~Virus

Nagisa charged across the beach. He charged through the door as his eyes widened. Everyone was either on the ground or helping those who were. Nagisa ran to Nakamura's side, pushing her onto her side. "Hey, what's going on? Can you hear me?"

"I want to go back to the room and change, but I can't seem to move my body at all," Nakumra whispered as Nagisa pressed the back of his palm against Nakamura's forehead.

"You're burning up! Zen get Digit on the phone now!"

Zen nodded, pulling out his phone. He walked outside while pressing the phone against his ear.

Something was wrong. This wasn't right.

"Karma... I don't feel right," Okabe groaned as he leaned against Karma's shoulder. "Everything's spinning."

Karma held onto Okabe to stop him from falling over. "Okabe? Hey, look at me."

Nagisa turned around when he heard Karasuma's phone ringing.

"Hey there, sensei. Your precious students seem to be in a really bad way." The dark voice echoed in Nagisa's ears making him gulp. That didn't sound good.

Karasuma's own expression darkened as he spoke. "Who is this?!"

Ritsu connected to Karasuma's phone and played the conversation through the speakers on everyone's phone. "Who I am doesn't matter. Those brats aren't the only ones going after that marked man."

"You mean you did this?"

The voice chuckled darkly. "How observant. It's an artificial virus. Once you're infected, it's all over. The incubation period and initial symptoms vary, but the cells in their bodies will break down within a week, leading to death. There's only one remedy, also an original convocation, but unfortunately, I'm the only one who has it. I can't be bothered bringing it to you so you'd better come get it directly."

Kayano pulled out her phone as she held it up to Karasuma.

"There's a hotel atop this island's mountain. Bring me the one with the price on his head. Come up to the top floor within one hour. However, Sensei, you seem pretty tough yourself. Dangerous, even. So send your two shortest students still standing- one boy, one girl."

Nagisa jumped at that. If Karasuma went with the demands then he would be taken to deliver Koro-sensei.

"I've told the front desk to expect you. Follow the rules and we'll swap the target for the remedy and that'll be that. But contact any outsider or be even a little late, and the remedy will be history. I've got to thank you for immobilizing him like that. Looks like the gods are on our side." The call was terminated as Karasuma sighed.

He slammed Koro-sensei on the table as he growled.

Zen returned with an annoyed expression. "She didn't pick up."

"That's probably for the best," Nagisa claimed while taking the phone. "If she calls back, don't pick up. Let it ring out."

"What?! Why would I do that?!"

"This guy said we can't contact the outside world but by refusing to pick up we'll do the same thing." Nagisa pulled out a laptop, smirking as he typed frantically.

Kayano tried to understand what Nagisa was typing but to her, it didn't make sense.

"You won't be able to understand it. It's a code," Zen explained.

"Huh?! Where did you come from?!"

Zen ignored Kayano's question as he watched Nagisa. "Only Nagisa and Digit understand it. Whenever one is in trouble the other will create a file hidden deep in a laptop. At 8pm exactly, all files on the laptop are uploaded online as a backup. By using this method, if one of them isn't able to talk to the other, they can still get a message out without drawing attention to the message itself."

Nagisa suddenly stopped as he jumped up, forcing the laptop into Zen's hand. This time he pulled out Okabe's bag, searching deep inside. "Ah-ha!" Nagisa ran back to Okabe's side, forcing him to look up. "Say 'ah.'"

Okabe opened his mouth as Nagisa swiped the back of his throat. Nagisa started to play with different devices hidden in Okabe's back as the others watched him.

He didn't notice nor care about Karasuma's conversation with the official. He smirked as He grabbed back the laptop from Zan and resumed his typing.

"What are we gonna do? At this rate, it'll be a massacre," Yoshida shouted with a scared expression. "We didn't come here to be killed!"

"Calm down, Yoshida-kun. We won't die that easily," Hara muttered weakly. "Just come up with a way to deal with this."

"Yeah... Sorry, Hara."

"It's too dicey to do what he says. Send your two runtiest students? These two squirts?!" Terasaka hit Kayano and Nagisa's head but Nagisa grabbed Terasaka's arm. "We'd just be handin' him hostages! First off, I'm pissed at anyone who would even do this kinda thing. No one lays a finger on my flunkies! That's one simple-minded guy! I say we ignore his demands! Let's get everyone to a hospital in the city!" Terasaka slammed his hand against the table with a growl in his throat.

"I'm against that," Takebayashi announced, pushing his glasses back on his nose. "If it really is an unknown artificial virus, even the biggest hospitals won't have the antivirals to stop it. The time wasted in bringing in the sick could hurt them more."

"Say what?!"

Takabayashi knelt beside Muramatsu as he ruffled through his bag. "We'll work on treating the symptoms for now. You'd better hurry to the trade-off spot."

"Takebayashi..."

The room became full of dread as they pondered over the options.

"Don't look so heartbroken," Nagisa ordered, shocking everyone. "Hey Zen, do you remember what we were talking about earlier?"

"Er, yeah?" Zen raised his eyebrow as Nagisa scanned through the internet. The code must be done and ready as Nagisa turned his attention to something else.

"Do you remember how the problem was solved?"

"Which one?" Nagisa glared at Zen making Zen chuckle. "Sorry, yeah. ...Wait a second! You can't be serious?! We barely made it over that one! This one must be way higher!"

"Not if we use this road." Nagisa spun the laptop around to show the map. "Taking into account everyone's personal abilities and anything we might take with us, we should all be able to get to the top as long as we carry something under the weight of 3 kilos between us. But I suggest you get changed. I don't think you want to go along with this plan in an outfit you care about."

"Well, this thing has already gone through 6 hours of rowing to a deserted island, hows Zen's splattered organs gonna make it any worse," Zen joked as Nagisa smirked.

"Why do you always have to make this so hard," Zen complained as he looked up the wall.

"I've infiltrated the hotel's computers and got schematics of the interior, complete with guard locations. A large number of guards are stationed at and around the main entrance. It's not possible to enter the hotel without going past the front desk. With one exception: there is an entryway on this side, atop the ledge. The terrain is impassable, and there are no guards posted there," Ritsu explained as the class looked up.

"Hey! You guys coming?!" Nagisa chuckled as he was already halfway up.

"How's he so fast?!"

Zen chuckled as he stretched out his arm. "That's my Nagisa. Better start climbing before he starts throwing rocks at you."

"You're joking, right?" Kayano looked at Zen who shook his head. "You're joking?!"

"I would get climbing if I was you."