The Assassin Within

Part 23~Here we go Again

"So, am I gonna ask or just accept?" The familiar silver-haired boy appeared from the roof, jumping down into the street. His eyes travelled over the students before landing on the blue-haired boy that had called him here.

Nagisa didn't look up, instead of focusing on the large book in his hands. "When a member of your group has been abducted," he read, stopping on the desired page.

Zen did not appreciate being practically ignored but was too intrigued- and horrified- by the book to care. "Please don't tell me you let him put together your guide book."

"No, we're not that stupid," Karma growled, sitting up with the help of Okabe who had magicked up a bag of ice out of nowhere. "It's Koro-sensei's."

"Really, it looks like one Vi would come up with. Lots of worst-case scenarios." Zen wrapped his arms around the smaller teen, peering over Nagisa's shoulder to look at the book. "Though 'how not to feel lonely after seeing a lot of intertwined couples along the Kamo River' does not sound like one you would bother with. What is it you said when Okabe was lonely last time, 'get over it or I'll throw you in the river' something like that?"

"Yes, thank you, Zen." Nagisa sighed as he turned the page. "Come on, we got people to rescue."

"We can play together again when we get back to Tokyo. And we'll have pictures to remember everything. Ahh... They're here. Our camera crew." The thug turned to the door only to find said camera crew beaten up and barely conscious.

"Surviving the school trip, page 1243. 'What to do when a member of your group had been abducted. If there are no clues as to the identity of the abductors you should first attempt to distinguish if they are locals or not. Observe their conversation and accent. If they aren't local and are wearing a school uniform, go to page 1244. It's quite possible that they too are students on a school trip looking for trouble.'' Nagisa walked forward, flicking through his book to read out the information.

"Guys!" Kayano smiled brightly at the sight of the familiar group.

"What?! You... How did you figure out where we were?" The thug looked way too shocked for such an easy job.

"'Those who are unfamiliar with the area won't travel far after an abduction. They are likely to find a place nearby where they can hide. In that case, go to appendix 134.' This abductor's countermeasure map- which Koro-sensei created at Mach 20- should come in handy." Nagisa held up the map, smiling sweetly while his hair fell down to sweep across his eyes.

"Wow, that is pretty useful, not as good as yours, Vi, but still." Zen walked forward with a smirk. "You should keep it."

"So... what now? I know, how about we put you in the hospital for the rest of your school trip?" Karma tilted his head, a murderous aura surrounding him.

"Make that the rest of their year." Okabe cracked his knuckles, joining his boyfriend's side.

"Ha, tough talk from a junior high kid. Here come my buddies. Now they'll be ten of us." The thug smirked as Nagisa raised his eyebrow. "And they're the kind of rough guy's goody-goodies like you have never met before."

"You sure of that?"

"They're not that rough. After you polish them up a little," Koro-sensei announced while wearing a black veil. His tentacles held the men by their necks, their uniforms straightened out and glasses on their faces.

"Koro-sensei!"

"Since when were we goody-goodies?" Okabe shrugged his shoulders as Zen shook his head in confusion.

"Sorry, I'm late. while you check out this place, I shared all the other likely hideouts. I brought extra copies, check page 1791. Your guide can be repurposed as a heavy blunt object." Koro-sensei dropped down the books for the students to read.

"That's... their teacher?! This some kind of joke?! What's with the stupid costume?" The thugs ran forward but of course, Koro-sensei could stop them.

"Is this some kind of joke? This is a joke. I'm laughing at your feeble attempt to fight us." Koro-sensei whipped out his arms and pinned down the thugs. "But don't you dare touch my students with your filthy hands and you're slow-as-molasses punches."

"Tch... Elite kids even get special teachers. Every one of you is always lookin' down on us 'cuz we're from a vocational high school." The thug pulled out a knife, growling each word he spoke.

"You're wrong. These students may come from a prestigious school but everyone else there considers them losers, dropouts, rejects. But they're all working hard on their personal challenges. But unlike you lowlifes, they would never try to drag others down with them. Schools and status aren't important. A fish in a river or a swamp will grow beautiful as long as it keeps swimming forward. Now students, let's polish these students up. I think it's time for a little book learning.

The four young students jumped up and hit the thugs in the back of their heads.

"Kanzaki?"

"Yeah?"

"Just seeing how you're doing. Looks like you've put this behind you."

"I'm okay. Thank you for everything."

"It was nothing. Okay, fishies there's more to see in the ocean!"

"Yeah!" Zen jumped up, wrapping his arms around Nagisa's shoulders. "We've earned it!"

"Oh have you now. As far as I remember you didn't do anything." Nagisa spun to hold onto Zen's arms.

"I thought it would be best to let you newbies learn how it is done."

"Oh really? You just didn't want to bother with saving us 'newbies'."

"Of course not. We can't let you new assassins getting hurt now can we."

"Somehow I doubt you would have done anything."

"I would have it if you were getting hurt."

"And the class?"

"Maybe."

"You're such an idiot."

"I'm your idiot." Zen leaned in to nuzzle his nose against Nagisa, getting a giggle out of the smaller teen.

"Who are you?" Sugino raised his hands to try and get the others attention but received no response.

"Don't bother. They won't notice you. Trust me we've tried everything. Once we grabbed a rocket launcher and pointed it straight at them- even pulled the trigger- they just ducked down and continued," Okabe stated bluntly.

"Wait, what?"

"What?"