I arrived in a room of at least forty students. Teacher guided me to my chair and a few minutes later the exams were passed out. Unlike teacher’s tests, there were no multiple choice answers. Everything was fill in the blank, which made narrowing down the truth difficult.

There were some I knew the answer to, but others had at least two proper answers and I wasn’t sure which to go for.

As soon as we finished the tests, we were divided back into our original teams.

WarWolf looks at BladEagle nervously. “I got mixed up. I think I put your answers for some of the questions instead of the text book’s answers.”

He puts his arm around her. “It will be fine. They’re looking over our tests now.”

BunBun scoots up to me after making sure the others aren’t looking. “Did you remember what we studied?”

I nod. “Thanks for helping me.”

“We’re totally going to pass this together.”

About half an hour later, the teacher had finished grading our papers. The first to have their test results was Goopy.

“Goopy, fail,” says the teacher.

He holds his shameful face in his hands and sobs.

BunBun pats him on the back.

“BunBun, fail.”

“What? But I studied. I tried really hard! Was I close?”

The teacher doesn’t even turn to her direction. “It doesn’t matter how close you were. You failed.”

“Weech…utterly failed.”

BunBun holds my hand.

“It’s okay. Don’t blame yourself. We’ll study more next time.”

“WarWolf, pass.”

WarWolf smiles big but then tries to hide it when she notices the rest of us looking at her.

BladEagle hugs her tightly.

“StarBorne, perfect score.”

BunBun turns to him. “We studied together. How did I fail.”

StarBorne holds her hand like a big sister. “If anyone failed you, it’s me.”

BladEagle looks solemnly at the ground. “No it’s my fault. I taught you what I knew. I didn’t mean to confuse everyone. I really messed you all up.”

My chance at being a master assassin is gone. He stole the love of my life and my dreams. I want his blood to coat the classroom floor.

“BladEagle, fail.”

BladEagle stands up. “I would like to defend my answers.”

“The truth is clear cut. One truth. There’s nothing to debate.”

“I know all the answers! I just can’t…write down lies.”

“Silence or you will be punished.”

“Give me a blank test. I’ll prove I can pass right now.”

The teacher signals her assistant to hand BladEagle another test sheet and he gets to work.

Teacher comes to us, dripping with depression. “I’ve failed as your teacher.”

BunBun climbs on the desk and pats his head. “You did great. I’m just dumb.”

“Four of my six students failed. We’ll never see each other again.”

BunBun grabs onto him. “No. I’m never letting you go.”

“I’m sorry. I should have been more motivated,” I say to Teacher with my head lowered.

“You’ve already won favor with Department Head VirtueVice. Your future is secured. BunBun, Goopy and BladEagle have no future as assassins now.”

Am I really safe if I utterly failed the test?

“Done!” BladEagle approaches the test instructor and hands her the paper.

She flips through the pages in absolute silence. Once finished she looks up at him. “Perfect Score?”

“Yeah, that’s right. And give me three days to tutor the kids who failed. I guarantee they will all pass. If they don’t then you can fail me.”

“Why risk yourself for the sake of others?” asks the instructor.

“I’m going to run this place someday, so I’ve got to prove myself.”

“I will discuss it with the Department Head. Take your seat.”

BladEagle bows. “Thank you, instructor.”

Teacher trips BladEagle and drags him into an embrace. “You may have just saved my life.”

“You mean your job and all I did was try to fix a problem I created.” He scratches his head in embarrassment.

Teacher hugs all of us. “I hope you’ll put what you learned to good use. The practical exam will begin as soon as the final test score has been evaluated.”

The other teachers look at KillStreak curiously.

“Hugs are a form of positive reinforcement!” he exclaims, squeezing us tightly.

They turn away and continue to discuss with their class.

“You never mentioned a practical exam,” says Goopy, wiping his nose.

“You’re KITs. You have to be prepared for unexpected confrontations. I’m only allowed to explain the basics. Eight classes of six students each. No outside help. No weapons. Three points for each student defeated…one point for those killed.”

BunBun chirps in surprise. “Killed?”

Teacher looks at her and pets her lovingly. “Killing is discouraged, but it’s not forbidden. You all need to be wary of your surroundings. Getting knocked out is negative 5 points. There are no rules beyond that. Of the eight teams, only the top four will pass. Get as many points as you can quickly or try to survive to the end to avoid point loss. No matter what happens, I’m proud to have taught you all.”

StarBorne bows to teacher. “I’ll ensure we all return safely.”

Teacher nods and then carves us open a portal.

I hold BunBun’s hand and we enter together.

The long green trees we’ve only seen in textbooks appear as far as I can see. The bottom of the floor is coated in mist, making me think of the smoke that coated the floor when I fought SparkuPine. There was a small lake behind us that had algae floating on the surface.

Every thing about this place is a new experience! A perfect site for my first date with BunBun.

StarBorne took in a deep breath. His muscles tense up as he stands tall as our leader. “BunBun, you will be in charge of providing us with clean water. BladEagle, we will need you to gather food for our team.”

“I can go with him,” says WarWolf.

“We need someone going out to gather points for the team. With no weapons, you’re our best bet.”

Goopy wipes his eyes and sits up. “We can make weapons. No rules against that.”

“Always thinking outside the box. You truly have mastered that skill. Can you carve weapons for the team?”

“Yeah but I don’t want to be alone. I’ll go with BunBun.”

“I’m actually going with BunBun,” I say, grabbing her hand.

“You’re staying with me and digging for bones.”

“What? Why are we doing that?”

“To create a means of distant communication. I believe we can carve whistles from them.”

“Then everyone would know where we are.”

“Oh, good point.” StarBorne scratches her cheek.

For a prodigy, she sure can be dense sometimes. I guess we aren’t really all that different.

Goopy stands up. “Maybe that’s our edge. Making a ton of noise. If everyone hears us, then they’ll know that others will be there to get the points. That means we’ll only have to face the hot-headed assassins and avoid encounters with the cautious ones, as well as the traps they set.”

“In that case, Weech, you will stay with Goopy and I’ll join BunBun in surveying the area. Leadership isn’t my only talent.” He pulls out a piece of paper and a pencil and begins mapping out the area. “We will meet back here in an hour.

Goopy and I carve bones into whistles and test them out.

“You seem to be doing better,” says Goopy, using one bone to carve the other.

“Yeah. I was in a real dark place but BunBun pulled me out.”

“You’re really fortunate to have someone. Nobody really talks to me in class. I don’t think anybody would care if I died.”

I give him a sudden hug.

“You’re not going to stab me too, are you?”

“I’m sure your parents would care.”

“Nope. Raising me is torture for them.” His eyes go wide.

“Did you hear that?” he asks.

I pick up a rock and throw it at a tree.

The bushes rustle nearby.

Goopy grabs onto me. “What if they try to kill us?”

“Then we kill them.” I place the bone knife back in his hand.

Why did I get stuck with the coward? I should be with BunBun.

Someone stands up from the bushes, they raise their hands. “Two classes can pass right? So if we work together then we can insure we both have enough points to win.” The girl has long blonde hair but her face isn’t nearly as cute as BunBun’s.

Goopy wipes his tears as he approaches the girl. “You mean…you’re not gonna hurt us?”

“You’re the team with StarBorne, right? How about I help you win and you hook me up with a date,” she smiles and offers Goopy her hand.

“You’re definitely gonna help us win. Where is the rest of your team?”

“Not too far. I can lead the way.”

“My name is Goopy and you’re really pretty.”

“Thanks. I’m BlasToad. I like explosions.” She giggles and Goopy takes her hand.

He slides his blade up her body, cutting her shirt open.

She freaks out and covers her chest, allowing him to put a blade to her throat.

“Kills are worth extra points, right?”

She gulps and shakes her head. “No. They’re less points.”

“Too bad because my blade is soooo itchy.” He cuts her arm.

What the hell is he doing?

I stand up. A knife suddenly zooms by me.

“Her whole team is here. She was trying to get us to lower our guard. Hey! Either you give up or she dies!” yells Goopy with a face full of tears.

Idiot! He’s escalating the situation. They might kill us to keep their classmate safe.

“Go ahead and kill her,” says a tall boy in the tree above me. He has an arrogant look like BladEagle. He drops down on me and holds his knife to my throat. “We don’t need her to win.”

Goopy took a moment to wipe his eyes.

BlasToad suddenly throws him to the ground. “Let’s knock these creeps out and get our points.”

No way. I failed already. No. No. No. No!

Blood sprays my face.

Whose blood is that?

I look at the tall boy’s face, it’s twisted with fear.

He’s looking at me with blank eyes..

I look at him curiously. “Did I do that?”

He faints in terror.

Goopy takes the moment of surprise to plunge his knife into the girl’s hand. He then swipes her knife from her hand and slices her. “How many more are nearby?”

“It’s just us. We were going out to get points. But I meant it. We really can work together.”

“Yep. I actually have a great idea how you can too.” He grabs her head and rams it against a nearby stone repeatedly. Once she’s knocked out, he exhales sharply. “Geez that was terrifying. Hey, do you smile on purpose when you cut people?”

“Heheheh. It’s nothing creepy I promise. I just smile when I’m nervous. I’m going to try and seal his wounds. Don’t want him bleeding away our extra points, right?” I use some of the big leaves to wrap his wounds. “The air here is so amazing, right?”

“Yeah, you’re really amazing.” Goopy smiles. “Okay so let’s bend the rules a bit.” He takes the unconscious girl and drags her to the river by the rocks. “Oh, I should check if she’s hiding any other weapons.” He checks her pockets and finds a sling shot made from wood and a few rocks in her pocket. Goopy lifts her skirt and underwear. “No way someone would ever strip for me. Oh, and yeah, no other weapons.” He blushes and puts her skirt back on.

I practice with the slingshot while he dunks her underwater. “What are you doing? Killing is only worth one point, remember? Plus, I think maybe you and her could hook up.”

“I’m getting us a new recruit.” Goopy gives me a thumbs up.

The girl coughs underwater and he brings her up. “What the hell did you do?”

“I accept your offer to join teams.”

“After you nearly kill me?”

“Well, it was the only way I knew how to knock you out. But hey, now you’re up again and can still win points for your team.”

“We lost ten points already because you defeated me and DandyLion.” She looks down.

“Not necessarily. You only lose points for KOs right? Well if DandyLion happens to die, then you only lose five points for your loss,” he says.

“Oh! That’s a great point. If she really wants her team to win, she could get a bunch of points and then kill herself to keep her team from losing points!” I exclaim.

“You two are insane! Just leave me alone.”

Goopy presses the knife to her back as she gets up to leave. “You’re the runt of your team too…aren’t you?”

She nods. “I’ll help you, just please don’t kill them.”

“Why not? They don’t care about you, right?”

“Yeah but…we’re still a team. Please, I don’t care if we lose anymore. I just want all my classmates to come out of here alive.”

“Your team can still pass without having to sacrifice anyone. They only lost two members and you can still gain points for them. Two knockouts will put you back on the board. But really the whole point system is a rouse. We’re assassins. The top two teams pass and if only two teams survive, then they become the top two.”

My body starts shivering. I swallow my fear.

Remember what Mother said. When you get nervous, think of killing like a game. No consequences. Urgh! It’s hard, Mother! They’re kids too. Can I really kill them just to win?

I step up to Goopy. “I’m not going to be a part of that. You have your partner. I’m going to track down BunBun, alright.”

“Okay! I already thought of a great way to get another teammate!” Goopy ties a slippery animal to the back of DandyLion.

“He’s a BlasToad. They are amphibians that explodes when they feel threatened, but they’re resistant to their own heat so they miraculously survive the blast. They can repeatedly burst up to five times a day.”

“You’re the smartest person I know, Goopy.” I smile at him.

Goopy blushes. “I’m so scared. Being in this jungle with KITs after me, but at least here I can really shine. It’s kinda refreshing. I’ll whistle if I’m in danger okay. You’d come rescue me, right?”

I smile. “Of course I will!”

The tension leaves Goopy’s face and he then turns to the girl. “Help me out and I won’t blow up your friend.”

She nods with tears and a terrified face.

Everyone in our class is amazing.

I meet back with StarBorne on the hill where he watches over us. “Where is BunBun?”

“She told me she wanted to be alone and that I should watch over everyone from here.”

“Contact me if you find her and give these to the others.” I offer her three bone whistles.

StarBorne gracefully takes them from my hands. “You’re injured.”

“Goopy and I got two enemies. He actually woke them up and is now using them to help us get more points. But he also figured something out. If six teams are dead, then the last two remaining teams automatically pass.”

“How absolutely dreadful. We must be extra cautious in case another team takes up that strategy. One whistle blow will mean you took down an enemy. Multiple will mean you’re in danger.”

“I’m going to find BunBun. Do you know where she is?”

“She went past the river and into the misty portion of the swamp just north of here. I’ll give BladEagle and WarWolf their whistles and share what you told me.” StarBorne holds my hand. “Don’t put gaining points above your safety, understood?”

“Yeah.” I nod.

“Oh, and here’s the map so far.” She hands me one of three drawings she’s holding. “If you’re being chased, head to the misty section here. I assume that’s why BunBun went there.”

“Thanks for everything. I’m sorry for stabbing you. WarWolf just felt like she’d never beat you and I wanted to make her happy.”

StarBorne holds my hands to her rosy cheeks. “Well now I don’t feel so bitter about it. Love gently, Weech. Attachment is dangerous for an assassin.”

“Thanks. I’m in love with BunBun now.”

“No you’re not, sweetie. You’re just afraid of being alone.” He releases my hand.

I rush down the hill.

I do love her! He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I love her and I’m going to rescue her.

I find BunBun near the misty zone. She is holding hands with some boy I don’t know while two other guys watch the area around them cautiously.

Oh no. She got captured.

BunBun blows kisses at the other two guys and then leaves with the first guy into the bushes.

Those bastards are making her kiss them!

I rush down.

The two guys jump me and start beating me with the large sticks they are holding.

BunBun tiptoes behind them and then stabs two thick thistles into their necks.

The boys fall down unconscious.

I lift her up in a tight embrace. “I was so worried! If I hadn’t come along…”

BunBun blushes. “I didn’t get captured. I came to them.” She lifts her shirt, showing cuts. “I hurt myself so they would think I was attacked. And I told them all sorts of false information about my team. I was so scared but they had no idea. I’ve become such a great actress!”

“But why would you run off? It’s not safe.”

“Assassins tend to work alone, so I thought I’d see how I’d do.”

I grab her hand. “From now on we stick together.”

“But what about the points?”

“I care about you. Not the points.” I kiss her deeply.

She loves me and I love her! StarBorne is wrong.

BunBun zones out.

I pat her cheeks and we both giggle.

BunBun then hops. “I forgot to tell you! Okay. Don’t freak out.”

“I’m fine as long as you’re fine.” I pat her head.

My girlfriend zones out and then pats her cheeks to come back into awareness. “StarBorne is in danger. That boy I was pretending to like, he told me about a plan. Two of the classes are planning to kill StarBorne.”

“Why would they want that?”

“This is gonna sound crazy but…they got hired.”

“By who?”

“I dunno.”

“Those idiots are being tested and they don’t even realize it. We gotta save StarBorne.”

BunBun hugs me tightly. “How are we gonna save him? I only split up cuz I knew I could seduce this team. But no way am I gonna fight people who actually want to kill.”

“Wait you took out the whole team?”

BunBun nods. “Yeah. It all started with a teary-eyed tackle hug. A lot of them were scared so I offered emotional support in return for protection. I never kissed the guys cuz you’re my guy. But I kissed the girls a few times before taking them down. Sorry.”

“Using your lips as a weapon. You’re truly a unique assassin.” I rub noses with her.

“We both are, Weechi.” She snuggles my cheeks.

I hand over her whistle. “Blow into it six times. One for each enemy you took out.”

“Wow…I really did it. I guess I am good enough to be your girlfriend.” She holds her cheeks.

I place my hands on her cheeks. “We’re both awesome and we’re absolutely going to rescue StarBorne! The Assailants aren’t just going to win, we’re going to dominate!”

“They could kill us if we get in the way. Do you really love StarBorne enough to die for her?” BunBun looks down with teary eyes.

“Nah. I just want to impress you. This may be our only chance to go on a date.”

BunBun flares up and hides her piping hot cheeks.

I pat her cheeks but she doesn’t wake up. Only when I tickle her does she pop back to awareness.

“We’re really on a date?” She leans against me.

“Yeah. And what’s more romantic and awesome than saving our great leader!”

BunBun chirps and snuggles me. “Let’s do it!”

We’re all going to make it out of here alive.

I was so hopeful back then. So happy, hopeful and utterly blind to the truth.