Karma was leaning on my desk today as I was reading a new book. "Neh, (Y/n). Isn't your birthday coming up here in a few days?" I leaned back I thought.

Pursing my lips slightly. "Let's see... to day it October fourteenth and my birthday is on... yeah I guess it is. Three days from now actually. Hadn't really thought about it, why?" I asked looking back into his eyes. He just smiled but said nothing more on the matter, instead just waving goodbye as he left the room. "What was that all about?" I muttered before returning to my book.

Now that I think about it most of the class has disappeared. Ahh... don't get involved. Whatever it is just won't end well. A while later Karma took me by the arm, the whole class was outside the teachers break room. He held a finger to his lips, guess I was listening in on something. "Hey, Karasuma, listen to this!"

That sounded like Irina, but why was she angry? "Nice timing, Irina. Happy Birthday." Eh? "Sorry I'm late. Things got busy." I turned to glare at Karma, so that's what everyone was doing. He just smirked at me while shrugging. "I do want to mark the occasion. This is probably our first and last birthday celebration."

This guy.... was tactless. "What do you mean, 'our first and last?'"

"It stands to reason. Either our mission ends or the world does. One of the two. Either way, it'll all be over in less than half a year." I let out a sigh, it's not like he was wrong. I almost had forgotten about that myself.

The window slammed open beside me, Irina looking down on the whole lot of us. "I figured it was something like this. No way would that square think to give me flowers for my birthday. (Y/n)... I'm a little disappointed to see that your part of this." I shrugged ready to walk off. "Did you enjoy yourselves? Stringing along a pro assassin, watching her get her hopes up?"

Korosensei got up after having been shot. "That's not it, Miss Irina. The students acted out of pure affection to-"

Or so he tried to explain. "Save your lame argument, octorazzi!" I glanced to her face, that smile was one that I hadn't seen coming from her before. She slammed the flowers back against Karasuma. "You've opened my eyes. Thanks fir the best present ever." Just like that she left the school. Karasuma knew, his views were a bit harsh. 

It's been three days since the incident and she hasn't come back. I was sitting at my desk with my head in my palm so that I could look out the window. "(Y/n), want to go somewhere with me for your birthday today?" Karma had asked me that earlier this morning... I had said sure but wasn't really feeling it. 

Everyone in class seemed troubled by Irina's dissappearance. The Octopus left us to go to a soccer game in Brazil. One of the other girls had tried calling her as he left. No answer. Not only that but Ritsu had looked for her on GPS and Public surveillance cameras. Nothing. "She wouldn't leave over something like this, would she?"

Then I felt it, something off. MY eyes turning to a man just walking into the room. "That's not it. There's still something you need her to do." My body went ridged seeing how relaxed everyone was. Karma's eyes turning to me with worry for just a moment.

Why was everyone else so relaxed with this man just walking right in here? "Right? And besides, it's fun having her around."

Karma leaned over taking my hand in his, he looked like he was going to ask something. "Yes, you've bonded nicely, you and her." My eyes never left him as he moved to stand behind Korosensei's desk. I could feel my whole body trembling. "My preliminary research has already verified that much. All I'll do is exploit that."

I was on my feet quickly in the next second, my chair clattering on the ground. Just in that same moment everyone else noticed that he didn't belong here. Even Karma was staring in shock, his gaze turning slowly to me. Barring my teeth I stepped forward. "Just who the hell are you?" The words left my mouth in a more stern tone, my eyes locked on his.

He just smiled. "I'm the assassin known as the Reaper. I'm a little surprised you recognized my presence when I walked into the room little (Y/n). And now I have a lesson for you all." I stared this man down, the blood lust that came from him was subtle but there. "A flower's beauty negates human caution and opens the heart. Just like I told you guys, Nagisa. But the original reason flowers evolved to be lovely and fragrant... Ritsu, bring up the image I sent you."

I turned my attention slowly to Ritzu's screen on it was a picture of Ms. Irina tied up and most likely unconscious. "You want to attract us like insects?" I asked turning back to look at the man who called himself the Reaper.

He nodded. "I'll cut to the chase: If you want to keep her alive, you must all come to the location I specify.. and not a word to your teachers. You don't have to if you don't want to. I can send her to you. To each of you, equally, in little pieces. And my next flower will likely be one of you."

It was getting hard to breathe, as I stared at this man with wide eyes. My knees giving out causing me to fall backwards. Karma was up and out of his seat catching me before I could even hit the floor. How did no one see this man coming? "Hey, hey mister. We have no real obligation to save that bossy bitch. Plus... did you think we wouldn't give you a beatdown right here, you kidnapper?"

Terasaka, you idiot. If this guy can walk in here without any of you knowing, what makes you think you can take him down? "That's incorrect, Terasaka. Wrong on all counts. You all like her more than you think. Also, if you don't come I'll just take the girl that collapsed instead, (Y/n) was it?" My eyes widened slightly, my shaking becoming more apparent. "And a human could never cut down the Reaper." He threw the flowers in the air, petals floating around the classroom like a typhoon. "Fear not. The Reaper only cuts people down."

Just like that he was gone and my world went dark. I could hardly make out Karma calling out my name. I woke startled about thirty minutes later laying on Karma's lap. "Hey, it's okay... he's gone, for now at least. Are you okay, can you move?" I nodded sitting myself up.

Looking him dead in the eye I knew what I needed to ask. "Are we going? If so I need to get ready." He looked hesitant to tell me, but knew that no matter what he said I was going so he nodded.

I got ready and at six o'clock we met up with the others at the specified location. I had left a voicemail on my phone, telling Korosensei to look in my desk if he couldn't get ahold of me. Inside I'd left the map and a note telling him that was were we were as a class. Nothing more, nothing less. "Is that the way in?"

Our attention was on the small building. "I did a loop-around from above. No sign of anyone in the area." This place was quiet, and a little ominous, but what choice did we have? Ritsu was given instructions to tell Korosensei what was going on if we weren't back before midnight.

Next thing we were all on the move. We were silent as we entered a large open room, but there wasn't anyone in sight. "That's all of you? Okay, then: I'm closing it up."

I was standing beside Karma looking around when the speaker came on with his voice. "Hmm. So you can tell what we're doing? "Reaper?' More like 'Peeper!'" I chuckled slightly, but tried to hold a straight face. The girl with long hair said that we had kept up our end of the bargain. Now all he had to do was hive us back our teacher and it would all be over. 

I knew it wouldn't be that cut and dry. So when the floor shook and I fell into Karma I wasn't really all that surprised. The whole room was going down. Just behind a barred wall stood that man. "Trapping complete! Doing it all at once like this keep the risk to a minimum." Just behind him was Ms. Irina. "It's all right. If he comes quietly, no one gets killed."

Some of the other kids were hitting the wall looking for a hallo spot we could exploit and make an escape. I just stared the Reaper down. "If we go the defiant route... you won't get mad enough to kill?"

That damned smile, I hated it. He was to confidant, even for someone of his status. "Nope. You're a little too scared, even for a kid. Though I will admit, I do love her expression."

Out guy smiled. "Actually, I'm a little relieved." That's when one of the boys found it. After deploying a smoke bomb and blowing a hole in the wall we made our escape.

I stared at our path ahead, this was the only way to save our teacher and get out. Still, we had to be ready for anything. "Can you hear me, E class? The truth is, I'm very pleased you escaped. It'll be the warm-up before the unknown big game. I expect great things from you."

This was a game of life and death. This man was on a no holds bars, and like hell was I just going to let him win. "Let's intercept him here. No matter which way he comes from, we'll have the upper hand if we outnumber him." Isogai said, I had to agree but also dissagree. Even if we outnumbered him, he was still a professional. And the top of his class.

What made it worse... Ritsu was hacked and therefor unable to send a request for back-up. Just.. the way she acted after she was hacked I was a little shocked... and disturbed. Seconds later I heard footsteps, turning my head slightly to the direction they were coming from. Everyone knew that he was there, we just weren't prepared for what we saw.

Or in this case, didn't see. He looked like a dark ominous cloud, to hide himself like this I can only imagine what kind of skills he has. Terasaka's goons were the first to rush him, but were quickly taken out. "The first skill I honed upon becoming an assassin was head-on combat. Justice went down next, with just one hit. "It's ninety-nine percent unnecessary for an assassin, but without it, the remaining one percent of targets would get away. If you're looking to be the world's best assassin... it's an indispensable skill." He ran right past us before attacking Kayano. "Females are so very fragile. Can't be treating the rest of my hostages so carelessly."

I moved beside Nagisa, pushing Karma out of my way. "Move aside, everyone. We'll take him." I nodded standing at Nagisa's back, cover his blind spot was what Lovero had told me. I could tell that Nagisa was angry, I could feel his bloodlust. As we approached Nagisa moved to take him down but a loud clap emitted in my ear. Nagisa was stunned but I took the change to attack. I can't wait for the opening like when we were fighting Taokoka.

The Reaper throwing hits at me that I dodged carefully. I had been having Karasuma teach me his hand-to-hand combat method. Especially when it came to defense. So when his arm reached past me I took it using it as leverage to fling myself onto the Reapers back. Just like with Taokoka I had the Reaper in a choke hold. This time, nothing was going to make me let go.

Even when the Reaper started hitting his back against the wall trying to get me off. Even when he tried grabbing my shirt, I just held on tighter. Then I felt it, the Reaper jumping into a spin. If he landed he would smash my head in on the floor, I closed my eyes using the momentum to swing us slightly faster so that he landed on his feet. This caused my grip to loosen, and I almost fell off.

He just smirked slamming me into the wall a few more times, before pealing me off of him. I coughed, the feeling of being unable to breathe again. Even when I felt his fist make contact with my face, three times. I wasn't going to give up. Placing my hands on his wrist I pulled myself up long enough to kick his chest. He dropped me, and I hit the ground hard.

I moved to stand when his hand hit the back of my neck. I fell forward unable to move anymore. Damn it. I closed my eyes letting my consciousness fade from me. When I woke up again I was propped up against a wall, Karma standing a bit further away. "I don't know how you're going to try killing Korosensei, but will it really all go according to plan? I mean just a little longer an my girl woulda had you there."

Why was Irina standing beside that man? "No matter how poor my intel, I'll still get results. That's the worlds best assassin for you. As for 'your girl', she was a little tougher than I expected. I thought she would go down with Nagisa, or after the first hit. It's a shame someone like her will die soon enough. I would have loved to take her under my wing. Oh?"

I could see him looking at something before showing it to Irina. Apparently Karasuma was here now. That man wondering how he knew. "The octopus. Said if there was ever a wall his students couldn't get over... then it'd be his turn." As Itona said that I moved to stand, out of breath by the time I made it to my feet.

I guess Karma must have seen the movement because he was by my side in the next moment. "Oi, oi, take it easy. We don't have your medicine with us, if something happens to you we can't stop it." I knew he was right, but we also needed to get out of here some how. "Besides, Korosensei and Karasuma are here. You're aloud to relax a little bit." He was right. "Besides with our hands tied there isn't much we can do."

I nodded sliding back down the wall, Karma stayed standing beside me. "Karma... can you answer something for me?" He looked down and nodded. "Why was Ms. Irina standing by the Reaper?"

He froze slightly, looking away from me. "Because their working together. She is an assassin after all, she was going to betray us at some point, so I can't say any of us were really surprised." I nodded, everyone in the room had grown quiet.

I was a little surprised when Korosensei came falling in from the roof. Then so was everyone else. "Class. Is everyone unhurt?" Korosensie got up looking at all of us. I lowered my head slightly.

Karma took a step forward. "(Y/n) is. That Reaper got her a few times." I felt the tentacle tilt my head up. Rubbing the marks on my skin, his expression not all to plesant. I was just having a hard enough time believing he had gotten captured.

After a few seconds he touched the bars, his 'finger' melting off. "Bars made of anti-me material, eh? It's tricky stuff, to be sure... but my body has finally over come it!" The whole class was a little surprised. We just weren't expecting... "Now to reveal to you... my secret internal-organ weapon!" He started licking them with his tongue. I dead panned. "I made this tongue with a coating of digestive juices. Give me half a day and I can lick these bars away."

I felt my eye starting to twitch. "Say... Keep licking like that and I'll detonate everyone's neck bombs." Geh, this guy. "Now, then... better hurry. I'm about to flood this place with water. This is a drainage channel. On my command from the control room up above, two hundred tons of water per second will squeeze you into noodles against these bars."

I scowled and started coming up with a plan D. A-C already failed. "Wait! You intend to kill the students, too?" Karasuma asked taking that man's shoulder.

The Reaper just smiled. "Of course. It's too late to wait." Karasuma was angry. I don't think he knew what to do.

Even as he turned to Irina. "Irina! You knew as much, and yet..." She wouldn't even look him in the eye. She knew he was disappointed in her, and she genuinely liked him.

I moved to stand again. "As a pro, I just prioritized results, that's all. Isn't that what you wanted?" I walked closer to the bars.

The Reaper shrugging off Karasuma's hand. "True, it may be a little harsh... Or should I let our best chance of saving the world slip away before our eyes?" I smirked pressing my head against the bars.

"Saving the world, huh? Is that what you think you are doing by killing twenty-eight students? Only three people in this room are monsters, buddy. Korosensei, you and little old me. Unlike Korosensei I don't have to worry about two hundred psi water squeezing me against these bars. I just have to get out, and if you think I almost had you before, well your in for a treat next time." I let a crazed psychotic grin grace my face, sending all of my classmates and even Korosensei stepping away from me. "I know the perfect way out of this little trap, and seeing as I'm really the only one that will fit. I guess I'm just going to have to take you out."

Karasuma and Irina looked a startled, the Reaper just smiled at me. Turning to walk away. "Here's how the government sees it." Karasuma punched him. "The lives of twenty-eight people are weightier than the earth. If you still plan on killing them, too... I'll stop you." Talk about getting his composure back in just a few seconds. I let my smile drop, wondering if Karasuma really could take this guy out. "And I'll tell you this, Irina: Being a pro isn't quite so carefree." He turned his head slightly to look at me. "(Y/n)... stay safe. Don't think I will go forgiving you if you die in there."

I nodded looking back to the Reaper, who chose that moment to flee. Karasuma went running after him. "Hmph. How rash. Karasuma may stand apart from others... but he goes even further. Just look at how easily he trapped that octopus." I scoffed rolling my eyes. She seemed to be getting some sort of communication from the Reaper and left us.

Korosensei turned to me. "So... do you actually have a way out of here?" I laughed.

Everyone was looking at me as I did so. "Nope." I had a huge smile on my face. "That doesn't mean we can't find a way out." With that we started on our plan, let's call it camo-hide-and-seek. When we heard an explosion everyone was worried. Irina was buried under rubble, so we asked him to rescue her.

We knew that life was like a puzzle, and without all the pieces it can warp your sense of what to do. I knew that myself after all, a few of my own puzzle pieces were missing. Once we finished out desguise  I hid on the ground with Korosensei. Now we just have to wait. We heard a splash come from the water.

Korosensei... is a terrible play-by-play announcer. Still though, that told me enough to know that Karasuma was facing off against the Reaper. Next thing we saw, Korosensei was sneaking one of his tentacles through the bars and drinking juice. At least it saved Karasuma. Once we were freed we got a good look at the Reaper.

He... didn't have a face. "The man had marvelous skills, but put too much faith in them." I wonder... who made a man like this.

"Whoever influenced him was a fool. He could have used his skills to follow a much straighter path." I glanced up to Korosensei and Karasuma.

"Sparing people or killing them... It's all up to the person and the world around them." I wonder what that means. Even as I felt Karma take my hand, pulling me closer to him.

Korosensei placed a tentacle on Nagisa's head. "Yes, exactly. Right, Miss Irina?" Oh, that's right. I almost forgot about that stab in the back from her. She was still trying to sneak away even after our attention turned to her. Some of the kids grabbed her making her kneel before the whole class.

I just watched in stunned silence for a moment. "Argh! Just do whatever you want! The boys with their usual pent-up animal lust, the girls with their usual envy of my beauty... just let it all out in an explosion of sexual violence!" Everyone in the class was deadpanning at what she was saying. 

She went from zero to ten in a matter of seconds. Terasaka was the one who spoke for the rest of us. "Look, just come to school like always. No more shirkin' your duties for days on end." Everyone was going about the stories she was telling and keeping things she lent them. 

She seemed.. a little surprised. "You know I was this close to killing you all." We knew, and we didn't have any problems with it. As four-eyes said, backstabbing and treachery is what made her a bitch. 

I did take a moment to walk towards her, stopping just in front of here. "Just so you know... I will no longer be calling you by your name. I've decided to join the class, Miss Bitch."

 She looked a little troubled by this, but when Karasuma gave her a rose, she light up. While this was happening Karma pulled me to the side for a moment. Pressing my back to the wall. "Now I know we had plans for your birthday, and this wasn't really ideal but I at least want to give you your present." Reaching into his jacket he pulled out a box with red wrapping paper.

I gave him a bit of a confused look but gently took the box from him. Inside there was... a glass rose. It was Red and if I remembered the meaning correctly it meant love, passion, beauty, courage and respect. I blinked as I picked up the cool white glass stem. I was surprised, not really sure what to think about it.

My eyes moving from the rose to Karma. "There's more, then I'll tell you why I gave it to you." I nodded looking back down into the box. Under where the flower had been there was a necklace. This one had a rose that was yellow with red tips, so... falling in love? He picked it up moving my hair slightly as he put it around my neck. "I gave you two different roses for a reason. The red one is because while flowers usually show the value of life, this one cannot die and I want you to remember that. The yellow one is for me, to show that you're mine."

He leaned closer to my face, which by now must have been pretty red. Still though... "I love them, thank you Karma." I smiled up at him, but was feeling rather tired at the moment... wait, no. Tired is the wrong word. "I think you should hold onto this for a second though. Umm.. Korosensei, I think-" Before I could say anything else I felt myself falling.