Under the Mask - An Unordinary Fanfiction

(4) Beast

A deathly silence overtakes the room. John's heart sinks in terror. 'Who the hell... posted that...?!" The raven-head wondered in panic. Now the entire school knows about him... All the work he had put into hiding his power and avoiding the hierarchy entirely is gone... just like that.

A nervous laugh escapes Remi's lips as she awkwardly tries to fill in the silence. "Heh heh, yeah... I was so surprised that I came running back here." Remi explains. "Blyke seemed really reluctant to come along though, and he quickly ran off somewhere. Well, I suppose its to be expected..." Her eyes fall on the troubled John. "After all..." She trails off, not feeling the need to finish her thought since the room seemed so tense.

After a moment, the bedridden Ace looks up from the article to the shaggy-haired student. "John... is this true?" Seraphina asks, feeling rather betrayed as she recalls the time when she had returned from her suspension. "So back then, when Arlo ganged up on you, that's what really happened...?"

The guilt-ridden John silently nods in response. "But, it wasn't all a lie!" He quickly defends with hopeful eyes that she would forgive him. "I just didn't tell you the rest of the story..."

Seraphina frowns, her expression somber. She had always trusted him with her life... To find out about all the things he has lied about breaks her heart. 'It must be for a good reason, at least.' She convinces herself to ease her worries. 'John wouldn't hurt me on purpose. I know he wouldn't.'

"To think that the so called cripple would be able to beat both Ventus, Meili, and Arlo in a three against one fight is unbelievable..." Remi admires the boy in awe. Unlike most, she seemed to be more amazed than afraid, which John found to be very strange. Then again, Remi was quite an eccentric person.

In anger, she turns to the blond leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" After not receiving any response, her expression softens. "What are you going to do about this, Arlo?" She asks in concern.

The blond's expression transfixes into one of discontent. "First the article ruining Seraphina's reputation, and now this?" He sighs in frustration, not bothering to answer the question. "Just what is Cecile trying to accomplish?"

John pauses. His breath catches in his throat. "Wait, Cecile was the one who posted that article...?"

"Tch, obviously." Arlo's eyes close shut in annoyance. "Who else would it be? Even after I demoted her, that girl still thinks she can do whatever she pleases."

'So she was the one...' John's teeth grit together, his eyes narrowing in a burning rage. 

"That bitch..." They all turn to the seething John at the sound of his menacing voice. Everyone, aside from Arlo and the Doctor— who seemed to be in his own world staring at a picture of Leilah—  nervously watch the searing boy as his fists clench tightly.

"I'm going to kill her..." His eyes shine a bright golden orange as he seems ready to storm out of the room to fulfill his deadly promise.

Before he could do so, however, Seraphina grabs a hold of his arm. "Now wait a second, John!" He stops to look at her. "If you go out there in the state of mind you're in now, you might really hurt someone." She warns him with worry.

John's eyebrows furrow together. You could practically feel his overwhelming rage, his golden eyes sparkling with pure hostility. "She asked for it. I'll never forgive her for what she's done." Even though Cecile has just ruined his life as a cripple, he was far more angry at the fact that she was the one who revealed Seraphina's ability loss to the entire school.

She was the reason that Seraphina was beaten!

Seraphina desperately searches his eyes for any trace of the easygoing John she was familiar with, unsure of how to contain him. However, she finds nothing but rage clouding his vision...

It was like trying to tame a wild beast that was just unleashed from its cage.

Elaine, Remi, and Isen exchange panicked glances, too afraid to butt in. If they got in John's way, who knows what he'd do to them.

John is about to bolt out of the infirmary as he marches towards the door, until a familiar yellow barrier stops him dead in his tracks. He turns around, only to find a certain blond watching him with glinting azure eyes.

"Beating her senseless won't do anything but cause more chaos!" Warns Arlo with a bad tempered expression. "You need to think instead of acting on impulse, you fool."

John only glares at him. "You need to control your damn subjects." He retorts coldly. "You call yourself King, yet you couldn't even stop all of this from happening in the first place?"

Arlo silently glares at him in response.

Seraphina stands up from her bed, having had enough of all the arguing. "John, Arlo is right..." She agrees, concerned for her friend. "There must be a better way to handle the situation."

John's expression softens ever so slightly when his orange eyes fall on Seraphina. "I'm sorry, Sera, but you can't stop me from doing this."

Seraphina looks at him in surprise. "John..." It was still new for her to see John's eyes light up in such an intense gold... Seraphina had to admit, it was rather intimating. She even wondered if John might have been King at his previous school, judging by how authoritative he has shown himself to be lately, figuring he likely lied about being homeschooled.

John's expression hardens once his gaze falls back on Arlo. "De-activate your barrier, Arlo." He orders the blond with eyes like daggers. "Or I'll break it down myself."

"No!" The concerned Seraphina stubbornly protests, not wanting him to hurt Cecile. "Don't listen to him, Arlo!"

After a moment of reluctance, Arlo sighs. He was tired of trying to control the boy. Maybe letting the beast roam free would be a good thing?

Hopefully he wouldn't regret this.

"Fine, but don't blame me for what happens next."