Assassins Acedemy: Loreley

The Academy

   About a year later, I step out of the family limo in front of the huge school. Other kids my age walk around, some with weapons already in hand. There were almost no rules at this school, except for the fact that you can't kill your classmates or teachers. Not that that had stopped incidents like that from happening. I twirl my favorite throwing knife between my fingers and sling my backpack over my shoulder before closing the door. Hadeon steps out and crosses his arms, looking at me. He had decided to get a job as a trainer here for this school year, taking a break from being a private assassin.

   "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but there's a test at the very beginning. If you don't pass, you're out. You should probably go, and I'll get your bag to your dorm. Room 116 right?" I nod, and hide my surprise at the random announcement.

   "Alright sis, go get em." I give him a lazy 2-fingered salute before turning and walking towards the freshman entrance.

   There's a girl leaning against the side of the building, a dark hood covering half her face. She has knives in her hands like I do, and a gun strapped to her thigh.

   "Ah, the great Loreley Anluan. Getting daddy to pay for your tuition? Can't get in on skills, huh?" She's two inches taller than me, and has a thick british accent that mingles with the low, threatening part of her voice. Her face is still half hidden, but her lips are twisted into a sneer. Anger flits in my stomach, and my eyes flash.

   "Watch it girl. I'm more deadly than I look" I twirl the knife faster, the blade flashing.

   She scoffs. "Sure ya are." she glances down and inspects her blade.

   I bring up the hand with the knife in it, still twirling it in between my fingers quite fast. I throw some extra menace in my voice.

   "Look girl, just because my family's got money doesn't mean you should underestimate me. It might well be the last thing you do" With that I spin on my heel and walk into the building, leaving that menace behind me. I may not look threatening, but that's an advantage when it comes to tricking your targets.

   I push open the doors of the huge building and stop short when I see what's inside. The beginning of what looks like a huge obstacle course, and absolutely no one here to tell me what in the hell is going on. The girl from earlier must have followed me in, and she walks past me smirking.

   "What's wrong? Got your pigtails in a twist" With that she vaults herself over the first obstacle with ease and makes her way through. My lips stretch into a sneer and I put my knife in it's holster before launching myself over the large log. Next is a bunch of strange spinning things, probably meant to seem like arms or legs. The girl is twisting and ducking around them in front of me, occasionally blocking one with her arm. I have to admit, she's good. I tighten my backpack straps before going in myself, dodging the flying pieces of what seems like rubber. I pass through obstacle after obstacle, crawling and climbing and dodging and punching. The girl manages to stay ahead of me the whole time. I wonder who taught her.

   When I reach some monkey bars and acrobatic stuff, I see the girl do a running jump to the first bar, then the second. I run to jump onto the first one, but her foot lashes out and she kicks my side. I hold on a grunt as I hit the mat below them, and flip her off as she continues on. Little son of a- I cut off my thoughts and climb back onto the platform, starting again. She's pretty much at the end as I reach the middle, swinging from bar to bar.

   After the bars is a trapeze, in which she flips onto with her legs, then flips off, going to the next one. She keeps going with ease, and I follow after her, gritting my teeth. My hands start to sting, but I keep going, determined to catch up with her. When I reach the end, I hear gunshots and see her running through a range of dummies, hitting every one with a black pistol that almost looks like an extension of her arm.

   I grab my own pistol and make my way through, running and shooting, running and shooting. I grin as I reach the next thing. Knife throwing with moving targets. I easily put all three knives into the targets, even adding a spin on one, and then run into the next part. I smile again, slowing my breathing. Hand to hand combat. I don't even bother with knives as I go into the simulator. Holographic people are reforming themselves after being slashed by the girl, and turn to me. I smirk before running into them, swinging and kicking. I dodge and arm and drop into a roll, popping back up to roundhouse kick one right in the head.

   The next minute is a blur, and when I jump out of the simulator to see three people, and the girl. She's leaning in the corner, as the people - judges i'm assuming- turn from a huge TV to look at me. I run a hand through my hair again to smooth it down, and straighten out the sleeve of my dark blue flannel. My breathing is a bit hard, but I quickly calm it, and take a seat in one of the chairs. The girl stays in the corner, a knife out again.

   I don't take my eyes off of her as she flips off her hood and gives me a grin that leaves a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. She has short black hair and electric blue eyes. Freckles are sprinkles over her angular face.

   "Thank you." The woman says. "You both did very well. Unfortunately, we can't just go around giving scholarships to everyone." Against my better judgement, I take my eyes off of the girl and turn to look at the tall blonde woman. She continues.

   "There is only one scholarship, and of course we have to give it to the one who finished first." she turns to look at the girl. "Alix, you have won the scholarship"