Arlo's Birthday!

Part 18: Freshman

Julie: Hey... I just saw your schedule and you have the same class as me next! We can go together!

Anya smiled, and nodded. They walked together, talking about classes and about how living in Wellston was like so far. Anya felt someone tap her shoulder, and she turned around to face Zeke.

Zeke: Hey new girl... I heard you're Arlo's cousin?

Anya looked at him without fear, and Julie looked at Anya.

Julie: You're Arlo's cousin??

Anya sighed and nodded. She didn't want people to obsess over Arlo and make him uncomfortable with too much attention.

Julie: If I'd actually fought you, I'd have died!!!

Anya rolled her eyes in a playful way when Zeke spoke again. 

Zeke: Well, I'd like to ask you to fight. 

Julie gasped, and Anya blinked. The first day of school, and she was getting into fights already. She was not going to do this today. 

Anya: Sorry, but maybe later. Bye.

She whipped around and started to walk when she felt someone dash behind her, toward her. Her ability activated instinctively, and she changed her back into steel when Zeke's fist slammed against her. 

Zeke: Augh!

Anya whipped around to see Zeke holding his sore hand. Anya made her arm into steel and slammed her fist on Zeke's face. He spun in midair twice before landing on the ground. Anya deactivated her ability, then grabbed her binder and left with Julie trailing behind her, incredulous. 

Julie: What the heck?! You just beat Zeke so quickly, and he's a elite tier! You must be one too, or maybe even a high tier! I'm only a 3.4!

Anya shrugged. She'd worked hard and researched many ways to train her ability. It hadn't just come for free. But it couldn't hurt to help Julie train. 

Anya: You know, I could help you train. I'm pretty good at it. 

Julie's eyes lit up, and she nodded furiously. 

Julie: My dream is to become a royal. Since you're stronger than me, I can become Jack one day! Anyway, my ability is called Ice. 

Anya nodded, and they both walked throughout the school with each other when John saw Anya. 

Is she Arlo's cousin?

John stood, looking at her when he saw Zeke on the ground. He walked up to him, and looked at him in the face. Zeke was unconscious, face bruised. John almost laughed. Zeke deserved this. John looked back at Anya. 

I wonder if she likes hierarchy just like Arlo. But if she doesn't, maybe she can help me. 

He looked at her till she disappeared up the stairs.

***********

Isen sat at the head table of the newspaper club, and waited for people to ask him to publish something when Terrace came up to him. 

Terrace: I saw... something today. Please read this. 

He handed him his article and proof. Isen held it up to read it when Terrace poked his wrist.

Terrace(whispering): In private please. 

Isen looked at Terrace, then put the article and proof inside a folder. He'd read it later if Terrace really wanted him to. 

*time skip*

Isen opened the article and read it. Very well written, but the problem was it simply wasn't true. Skrev being Joker? John was Joker. But maybe this could boil down John's anger? Why was John so angry anyway? Nevertheless, John wanted his identity secret, so this could mask him. But he needed Arlo's permission for this. 

*boop boop* *bringg* *click*

Arlo: Yes, Isen?

Isen: Someone wrote an article that Skrev was Joker. Should I publish-

Arlo: Yes. 

Isen: Oh... ok then! Thank you!

*click*

Isen held his phone. Why did Arlo want this to be published? 

********** 

Remi had been practicing her ability so much, but it seemed that it was capped at 6. This was the strongest she'd ever be. She was being greedy, wanting to be even stronger.  Could she become stronger? 

She sighed as she sat down in a booth at Woaba Boba to rest. 

BREAKING NEWS

EMBER STRIKES AGAIN

SUPERHERO VENOM FOUND DEAD IN AN ALLEY NEAR WELLSTON

EMBER... wasn't that the reason she was becoming powerful? To get revenge? And those power dampening drugs and the amplifying ones.

Amplification drugs...

Remi stopped short. Why hadn't she realized it before?

EMBER.

Was Claire part of EMBER?

Remi had fallen in her trap. She had taken the freaking amplification drug as if it was a gift. Technically it was, but the thing was a trap. It had to be. Who else had these drugs? Was she trying to recruit her into EMBER? Maybe Volcan was trying to make her come for more of these drugs. 

But she now had a lead. Claire was a part of EMBER.

She was going to bring EMBER back to her. She was going to defeat EMBER once and for all.