After hearing what the masked man just said, all the students were shocked. Class 1-B didn't know what that meant, but class 1-A could never forget the dreadful final exam Sam had to take.
"Canvas?"
Kaminari voiced out, remembering that name.
"Like what… Sam was calling himself back then?"
Sero also chimed in.
They were not dumb. They understood that this person before them was a figure from Sam's past.
"I don't recall ever meeting you. Are you a newbie?"
Sam said, still on one knee, holding his wounds.
He never took his eyes off the new enemy, fully aware that this situation was beyond the other's comprehension.
Eraserhead and Vlad were about to jump into action.
Bang!
"I wouldn't move if I were you."
The man said, the artificial voice changer not making the man any less eerie.
His Glock 17 was smoking again. The two teachers flinched after hearing the bang. The students yelled in fear and ducked.
Sam still kept his eyes locked on the figure.
Aizawa and Vlad felt around their bodies for any bullet wound, but found none. However, he noticed a tree near them had a clean hole in it.
"What a terrible shot, surrender villain or else-"
"No! Look at the hole."
Aizawa interrupted Vlad, motioning for him to see the bullet hole again.
Vlad saw what Aizawa saw and shuddered.
The bullet went right through the tree. Cleaner than a hot knife through butter.
The two heroes were trained and experienced when facing armed opponents. But that Glock was military grade weaponry. Most definitely modified, which is why they couldn't even see the bullet when he fired. The bullet was too fast.
But the worst part, was that the shot was not random. Behind the tree, was a squirrel. Dead.
The man shot from a great distance and killed a squirrel that was hiding behind the tree, as a warning.
"What the fuck…"
Vlad could hardly believe it. Not even snipe could be that skilled in marksmanship. And that gun was incredibly strong.
Sam was still looking at the man, not taking his eyes off of him for a second.
The students were still ducking, slowly getting up after realizing they weren't hit.
"It seems you two understand your place. Good. I'm only here for Canvas."
The man said, addressing the two heroes who were now on high alert, fully aware that they were dealing with an expert.
"So? Why am I still alive?"
Sam interrupted, putting attention back on himself.
The students were now all back to standing up, but Kirishima was anxiously standing in front, ready to harden the moment another bang is heard.
"My mission isn't to kill you."
Sam narrowed his eyes.
"You want to take me back to Africa."
This shocked and worried the students and teachers.
The man nodded.
"Of course. You made the leader very upset, Canvas. Even more so when he learned you didn't die with that girl in that forest."
Sam gritted his teeth.
The others looked worried as they saw Sam shaking and clenching his fists.
However, he took a deep breath.
"I'm not going back there. Canvas is dead."
Sam resolutely said.
His friends sighed in relief, happy that Sam is determined to stay here.
"That's not your choice. In case you forgot, you are the leaders property."
"He's nobodies property!"
Kirishima yelled, willing to stand up for his friend.
"Yeah! Sam's our friend!"
Mina pitched in.
The others of class 1-A started to cheer with them.
Sam can't help but smirk a little, before refocusing on the man.
"If you children wish to go home unharmed, stay out of this. I have no qualms killing you."
A murderous intent could be felt by everyone.
The students, who were so brave a moment ago, now couldn't move.
"T-this is just like Stain!"
Iida pointed out, remembering the time Stain released his killing intent.
Even Aizawa and Vlad were shaken.
But Sam? This was familiar to him.
"So… who are you supposed to be? I'm familiar with most of the operatives of the Pale Hand. I never seen you before."
"Just like you, I only have my callsign. You may call me Ra."
The man said, unconcerned about revealing this information.
Sam didn't like this. The person before him was definitely trained just as rigorously as him.
"I take it you were my replacement?"
The man's grip on the gun tightened.
Sam could tell that slightly bothered him.
"Enough. Come with me and I'll spare the children and the two heroes. Otherwise I'll kill them all."
The murderous intent only grew worse. Now, even Sam was sweating.
'Oh yeah, this is definitely one trained by the leader personally. Just like me.'
Sam shakily got to his feet. The gun followed him as he rose.
Aizawa and Vlad also barely stood up, but they were shaken by that killing intent.
Sam felt burning pain in his leg as he stood up, but he couldn't care less about it. Right now, Ra had his full attention.
"Tick Tock Canvas. I don't have all night."
Sam just stared at Ra, and Ra stared back. Both waiting for the first move.
Sam watched and waited. His hands were at his sides, his fingers twitched, getting ready to act.
Ra noticed this, and kept his aim on Sam.
It was like a cowboy standoff. They both watched and waited for the other to make a move.
Sam quickly grabbed the gun he tucked into his pants and aimed it at Ra.
Bang!
In an incredible speed, he quick-drew the revolver and fired.
However, to Sam's shock and dismay, Ra dodged the shot. Ra was already expecting an attack, but he was shocked that Sam had a firearm in a hero camp.
However, that shock was brief.
Sam clicked his tongue and rushed at Ra.
He was taking a gamble. If his thought process was right, he wouldn't die from this rush.
Bang!
A much louder bang hit everyone's ears.
Squelch!
Heat exploded through his stomach. His breath vanished. For a second, the world went white.
This time, he got hit right in the abdomen.
'So, they really need me alive. He could have shot my vitals, but he is only aiming to incapacitate.'
Sam noted that and despite the sharp pain in his abdomen, he kept running at Ra.
Ra was shocked, not expecting him to keep charging.
Before another shot could be made, Sam reached for Ra and grabbed the Glock 17 and aimed it upwards before another shot was made.
Bang!
A misfire, aimed at nothing.
Sam was struggling to take the Glock, feeling his shoulder scream in pain. Despite that, he is giving all his strength to wrestle the gun out of Ra's hand.
However, Ra's free hand shot to Sam's wounded shoulder and clamped down.
"Gahh!"
Sam screamed as he felt a hard grip on his shoulder wound.
He saw that Ra's hand was digging into the bullet wound on his shoulder.
"Give up."
Sam gritted his teeth in pain.
"I'm not… going… back!"
Sam declared with pure rage.
He spit right into the eye hole of the mask, making Ra flinch.
Taking advantage of that, Sam fired his last shot from the revolver point blank into arm of Ra.
Sam heard a grunt followed by a kick to his abdomen.
"Argh!"
Sam nearly collapsed as Ra kicked his abdomen that was shot.
Ra tried to raise his arm, but the bullet wound was making raising the heavy Glock difficult.
Sam saw this.
"What's wrong? Aren't you gonna use that?"
"Tch."
He heard a slight tongue click from Ra.
The students and teachers, who were stuck in place from that killing intent, watched in shock. They were mortified seeing the gunfight before them. Along with hearing Sam's screams.
Sam was barely standing, feeling his eye sight blurring from the pain and blood loss.
"What are you waiting for? Do it!"
Sam was bluffing. Trying to act strong.
Ra stared at Sam, seeing the bleeding wounds he inflicted and he looked down at his arm that was gushing blood, making lifting the Glock nearly impossible.
"It seems I was careless. I should have accounted for the fact you were a dirty fighter. That was in the report, but I overlooked how crude you could be."
Ra said, which despite the voice modulator, everyone could hear the annoyance in his voice.
Sam narrowed his eyes, trying to stay standing.
Ra just stared for a few more seconds.
The tension was felt by all the observers. Nobody dared say anything, they just waited.
Aizawa felt pissed at himself.
He was the teacher and yet he froze the moment the murderous intent washed over him.
Vlad was thinking the same thing.
The students, who were once ready to fight, could only feel shame at freezing.
Just as the tension was at its highest, they heard a click from the gun.
Luckily, it was just the click from holstering it.
"I have obtained valuable information tonight. I'm sure the leader will be pleased to know you still are competent."
Ra ominously said, before walking into the darkness of the forest.
"Next time, I won't underestimate you."
When Ra left, everyone had a breath of relief as they could move again.
Thud!
Sam finally collapsed when he felt that Ra had truly left the area. He was badly injured.
"Damn…"
Sam tried to get up.
But he just collapsed back to the ground again.
"Suzuki!"
""Sam!""
Aizawa rushed over to Sam, taking off his scarf and wrapping his abdomen with it.
The others quickly circled around looking terrified seeing the bloodied Sam.
"Oh my god! I-Is he okay, sensei?"
Mina felt tears well up in her eyes, shaking.
Kirishima next to her also had tears in his eyes.
The others of the class were just as worried.
"Sam…"
Iida was worried. But most of all, he was ashamed.
'This is just like what happened to Tensei. But this time, I did nothing. Damn it!'
Iida felt like he failed his friend again.
Aizawa felt Sam's pulse.
He then sighed.
"He's only sleeping. The wounds seem to be hit in non-lethal areas. Likely because Ra was intending to capture him."
The students sighed in relief.
Even Vlad and some of the students from class 1-B felt relief wash over them.
"However, he needs to get to the hospital immediately. Help me take him back inside."
Aizawa carefully put Sam's arm around his neck and Vlad got the other. They carefully lifted him up and walked inside the building.
Sam, meanwhile, was barely conscious still.
'Ra… you will never take me alive.'
Sam swore this in his mind, resolving himself to fight until the end.
Samuel Suzuki would never be Canvas again. He was here to stay.