(Hm)
--
Wells and Blyke were sitting in the library, the former with a newspaper and the latter with a book, studying for an exam. "What'cha reading there?" Blyke asked Wells.
"Some news about some of these 'superheroes' dying. Also some stock fluctuations but eh." Wells said, not taking his eyes off of the paper.
Blyke did a non-commital hum as he kept studying. A few minutes pass as a newcomer places their books on the table, complaining about the sheer quantity of exams.
"Remi!" Blyke says, surprised to see her. "When did ya get back?" He asks, placing his book down on the table.
"Late last night." She answered quickly as she sat down. "Alright, so, fill me in for what happened last week. Also hi, Wells." Wells just gave her a lazy wave as he continued reading the newspaper.
"Nothin' much, believe it or not. We won Turf Wars against Agwin, Seraphina substituting you as Queen. Also! This is a secret only Royals can know about-"
"Yeah yeah Seraphina beat Arlo's ass. Blyke it's been the daily gossip around here since this morning, are you really that entrapped in your Echo Chamber?" Wells said, placing down his newspaper.
"What?! How did they..." Blyke said, flabberghasted. Wells simply shrugged.
"Sheesh, it's about time they fought eachother! They've been having beef since like, forever! Anyway, whatever. What they do is none of my business." Remi dismissed the clearly shocking news.
"Eh?! But you're Queen, it's kinda your job to split them up whenever that happens." Blyke questioned.
"Oh come on, Blyke, we both know that I only have the title of Queen because Seraphina doesn't want it! She, Arlo and Wells are in a completely different level! I'm not getting involved in their problems anymore." Remi gave her two cents, completely forgetting that Wells was there.
"You...you do know I'm here, right?" Wells asked with no hint of anger, only confusion.
"Eh?! I'm sorry-" "No no, it's fine." Remi wanted to start apologizing, but Wells interrupted, shrugging his shoulders. "We're far enough apart that, when any of us fight against eachother, it looks like titans clashing to you guys -- not to toot my own horn here."
There was a peaceful silence for a while as Blyke decided to end it. "So, why did you go home? You left so fast without warning and..."
Remi was frozen in shock and post-traumatic stress disorder, her hands trembling.
"Re-" Blyke wanted to call her name but his mouth clamped shut, courtesy of Wells giving himself the status of Telekinetic.
[Gave Entity: "User." Status: "Expert Telekinetic."]
Wells faced Blyke as he did the universal sign of 'shut up'.
Remi had tears threatening to pour down, as she -- in a broken voice -- elaborated. "I went home...to attend a funeral...because my brother was murdered."
--
"Alright class, I will now start to hand out your report cards!" The teacher said, organizing some papers on his desk.
John was sitting down, fiddling with a traditional pencil.
**
"John, are you okay?"
"Here, let me help you."
**
Snap! John's pencil broke in half as he exerted too much force on it. At the same time, the teacher called John's name along with the threat of reading his grades out loud.
John sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he stood up and grabbed the report card, inspecting his grades.
Huh, they weren't that bad after all!
--
John was currently being interrogated by Isen, who suddenly became pushy. "How did you come to pick Wellston as your final choice?"
John was shocked by his sudden tone of aggressiveness, so he nerveously responded. "I wanted to go to a top school...it has one of the best academic programs in the nation..."
"How ambitious!" Isen caught John on his bluff. "However, you must've known that Wellston has the highest concentration of high-tiers in the country, so you must've known how dangerous it would be here...yet you still did?"
"..." John went silent for a moment, before finally responded. "My brother joined a year earlier, and I trust him to protect me. That way, I can focus on academics instead of fearing for my life."
"So a freeloader huh? And what happens when you-" Isen wanted to continue, he really did, but the hand on his shoulder prevented him. John was sitting down...
"Isen...keep talking, and you lose your hands." Someone was behind him, and Isen recognized that voice. The man behind him grabbed his clipboard and it burnt on contact immediately. Isen gulped and slowly walked away without turning around.
The door shut as Isen left, Wells addressing John. "So he managed to fool you into this 'interview', huh?" John curtly nodded, grabbing his stuff and heading back to class.
Wells was alone in the room, as he left a minute after.
--
"So, Isen, what have you gathered?"
"I got everything you need right here." He layed down a set of papers, zoomed in on John from his times on New Bostin, Past John had an authorative look. "A note, when I interviewed him, when I started touching his past he got very defensive. I would've pressed for more but..."
"But what, Isen."
"Wells stopped me."
A silence spread the near-empty room.
"Well, Wells is his brother after all, I would've been more surprised if he hadn't interrupted your interview."
"I still get the chills."
"So, this was him in his old school? He looks unrecognizable." Arlo said, examining the photograph.
"Yep, from New Bostin apparently. He studied there for two years before transferring to Wellston a year after his brother. And, to be honest, if it wasn't for him claiming cripple, I would've thought that he had some sort of powerful ability."
A smirk spreads on Arlo's face as he ripped up the school photos of John. Isen freaking out for a bit. "Isen, you have done enough. Leave everything else...to me."
--
"Seraphina, please come to the headmaster's office." The intercom voiced out as Seraphina stood up and left...not before Wells did something to future proof her ability.
[Gave Entity: "Seraphina." Status: "Diamond Skin."]
He wasn't letting Spectre enslave another high-tier.
--
John rushed outside due to the message that Sera sent to him. He then saw her, but oddly enough, with a couple of bags of her belongings.
"What's with the luggage, Sera?" John asked as he approached, Seraphina turning around to actually see him.
"Elaine ratted me out after all, so they decided to send me home for a month. But hey, it isn't all bad, I managed to fool the lie detector so you weren't dragged into this mess-" Seraphina was interrupted by John, who interrupted her by suddenly grabbing her shoulders.
"Sera! Don't act like that was nothing, because what if you got caught? Not even your reputation or the headmaster could save you...you should've just told the truth, I was the one who originally had the book...I was the one that started this whole mess." John lamentingly said to Seraphina, who lightly shook off his hands with a smile.
"None of that is relevant anymore, what matters is that we got through this relatively unscathed. And there will be no UnOrdinary once I come back, 'kay?" She finished, looking towards John, who smiled.
"Yeah, I guess so." Then, a car pulled up. "What's with the car?"
"Oh, that's just my driver, probably my que to go. I'll text you when I get home, seeya later!" Sera hopped into the matte black car, waving towards John on the inside. John waving back.
The car sped off as John turned around and faced the school, as it became ever so slightly less luminous than before...
A blue gleam could be seen through one of the windows, but John missed it.
"We let the school break him down...bit by bit."
--
Seraphina was boorishly peeking out the window, sighing every now and then. It's going to be real annoying when she gets back home...oh how would her mother react? As she was thinking this, something in her peripheral vision caught her eye. A reflection...of someone else sitting beside her.
She aimed a panicked punch to the side, but the person caught her wrist as she was now immobalized. "I mean no harm, truly. I am simply here to deliver a message." The man waved his hand, keeping his grip on Seraphina's wrist steady.
--
(Hm. Also, Merry Christmas.)