The next morning, Arlo awoken to a lockdown. He rushed out of his room to see police officers outside his dorm. "Uh-- yes? Can I help you?" Arlo asked.
"Excuse me young lad, we have to bring you down for questioning since we've recieved multiple assusations about you." The police officer said. Arlo was confused, why would someone-- oh. Cecile probably released another photoshopped picture...
"Okay." Arlo said, the police officer led Arlo down to an empty classroom to be interrogated. Over the an hour, the police didn't get anything useful to the crime and had told Arlo they needed to ask around more.
On his way out, a lot more people accused him of killing the poor young woman.
John was also in the crowd, but he came over, looking worried. "Are you good, Arlo?" He asked and Arlo shook his head sadly. John symathetically patted his back.
A student walked up to them both, "Hey, if you stay so close to the king, you'll be murdered next." A student taunted John.
He glared at her, "Why do you assume that Arlo's the one who killer her? What's your reason behind that? Don't tell me you're just assuming." He scoffed, the girl glared back at him with a smirk on her face.
"Well, unluckily for you, I do." She laughed, "The person who died was the one who was spreading rumors about him. Killing her would silence her." She rolled her eyes.
Emma walked her way over to John, "I still believe that he didn't do anything." Emma sighed. "Besides, if the other rumor wasn't true, it wouldn't do him any good anyways." He recongnized her as the person who stood up for him last time. The one who yell at her friend... just to stand up for him.
Another person stood up, "Yeah, well, maybe he's the sadistic person. Maybe he likes hurting innocent people. Maybe he wanted pleasure."
"Ew, that's sick." The girl looked at the man in disgust.
John wanted to laugh yet he wanted to strangle the two. Emma laid a hand on John's shoulder, he looked at her. "No, don't." She said softly. She knew what John wanted to do, she knew it all too well.
John let out a deep sigh. "Believe us now?" The male rolled his eyes.
"Nope." Emma said with a chuckle, "If you're so quick to accuse the king, then who will lead the school? See, you haven't thought this through, are you suggesting that you, a elite-tier lead the whole school into the ground?"
His face turned red, "That's not--"
"Well, it sure sounds like it. You'll affect the whole school like that, just by a rumor." She laughed, "Then Wellston would finally fit it's title--" She became quiet.
She didn't realize she went off board.
"Don't talk to me like that!" He bellowed, raising his fist to attack her.
Emma didn't move an inch, her lips curled up into a smile.
His fist crashed into a barrier, inflicting the pain back onto him in an instant. Arlo had activated his ability.
"Honestly, stop with all the pathetic lies. That's what's going to be this school's downfall." John waved off. He glanced at Arlo to make sure he's okay, and he was. A little better than before.
"Um... actually, I believe you, John." A female student emerged from the crowd, stumbling a little. It was a girl who had pink little pig tails on either side and a shy personality. She looked at John in astonishment.
Who was this again?
"Honestly, me too..." Another student with blue hair admitted. "It doesn't make sense if Arlo would kill anyone, he is the king after all."
John walked over to them, he didn't recognize either of these two. He slowly patted her head with a gentle smile.
"Amazing, the king had a little army of protecters, that are low tiers." She looked at him in his belief, she turned away in disgust. "As if they can protect you."
"Yeah." A mid tier grabbed Evie by the arm, pulling her, "Look at this weakling." Evie squealed, flailing her legs and arms.
Emma froze. Oh dear god. Her heart dropped into her stomach, she needed to take action before John does. She landed a punch square in the mid tier's face, knocking him down to the ground.
He let go of Evie and John placed a firm grip of her, making sure that she didn't stumble over and fall, "Are you okay?" He asked.
"Uh-- yeah." She muttered, "Yeah."
Emma was beating the mid tier into the ground, but, she was also terrified for the guy. John might actually torture this guy to death.
"Emma, stop." John said softly. She didn't. "Emma!"
Emma kept on punching the male harder and harder. "Oh god! Call a teacher! This is getting out of hand!" A student shouted.
Arlo had to physically pull Emma off of the man, he was bruised and swollen. Blue and red everywhere. "Arlo... let me go..." She said, shaking a little. Arlo assumed that it was from anger and tighten his arms around her waist.
John didn't like that. Now he has to live in the hospital and he couldn't get the chance to murder him. He glared at Emma, and she instantly froze up from fright. "Sorry..." She said to John, but they all assumed to the man.
A teacher finally reached the scene, she called the ambulance and the man had to be taken away on a stretcher. Emma was suspended for a week after that.
Later in questioning with Arlo, his roommate arrived. "Sorry to keep you waiting," He huffed, his face was a little red. "I was with Arlo that night." He said, walking over to the table where the officer was.
"Then..." He turned to Arlo, "Then why didn't you say anything?"
"There was no point, you probably wouldn't have believed me anyways." Arlo shrugged, looking a little donw for some odd reason.
He feels something else in his heart too, he knows it's something for John. A sense of belonging? Or is it a sense of security? Or is it... love?
As soon as the police officer let Arlo go, he thanked his roommate, who was shocked. He didn't think that Arlo would ever say something so nice to him, let alone with a smile like that.
He tried to find John, and finally met him in he cafeteria.
"John!" Arlo shouted from across the room, startling John a little. He ran over to him in a hurry, a little breathless, "I need to tell you something quick." He said, grabbing John's hand and pulling him out. The rest of the students looked at the two questioningly.
The girl from before chuckled, with a bitchy additude, "Fucking gay assholes." She laughed, and the whole school gave her a death look, silencing her. They've learned the outcome if Arlo leaves as the king, currently, Blyke isn't here to take over since he got suspended.
If Arlo were to be taken to prison for a rumor that might or might not be true, then the whole school might collapse and fall apart. They didn't want that.
Arlo was blushing, he was a little confused but more sure thna ever that, he likes John back. Arlo led John to a secluded area of the school, he gripped John's hands. A little excited and nervous, "John..." He said, a little out of breath.
"Uh... yes?" He asked, he didn't think this of something special, he already told his dying heart that Arlo isn't looking for a lover. He's not ready, he kept telling himself that. "What's wrong, Arlo? Did the rumor get to you?"
"No, John." He held his breath, "I just... I like-- er, love you. Actually." His face blushed like a tomatoe.
John arched an eyebrow, this was too good to be true, so he assume it was friendly love. A smile rose up to his face, "Yeah I know, I love you too my bestfriend." He patted Arlo's back.
"No John! I like-- love-love you." Arlo was trembling with excitement.
Thump
Thump
Oh god, his heart's beating. It's beating to fast that he feels like his heart's going to fly out of his chest. "Se-seriously?!" He shouted, he pulled his hand out from Arlo's grasp in suprise. He's confused, a bit confused, a bit excited, a bit nervous.
"Yes. Honestly, yes." He said, pulling John into a tight hug.
John's cheeks flushed harder than before, redder than before, hotter than ever. "Oh my god, oh my god--" He mumbled, burying his face in Arlo's shoulder. He hugged Arlo back, with a bit of tears wetting Arlo's shoulder. "Are you... serious...?" John asked, gripping Arlo's shirt.
Arlo hugged tighter than before, "Yes. I'm sure." He breathed, quieter than a whisper.
***
A week later, Seraphina, Remi, Blyke and Emma were allowed to come back to school. John was so happy that they were back, mostly Seraphina. Now, he was finally able to get back to hurting Remi and Blyke.
Isen was gone, even he couldn't find him. Perhaps he moved to another state and was just gone forever, he doesn't know, and doesn't really care. Easier for him.
Seraphina was told that Arlo and John started to date, and she was shocked. She didn't know either of them was homosexual but she didn't really mind.
And apparently, Remi didn't learn her lesson. She planned another meeting, and was now open to Arlo and John about. They had a discussion on the roof top.
John listened in on the conversation, but he didn't know that they managed to unintentionally convince Arlo. He wanted to take revenge apon EMBER for destroying his life.
After school ended, he walked up to Remi's dorm, and he didn't tell John since he would ne against it. "Remi." He said, tapping her on the back.
"Yes? What's up Arlo?" Remi asked, with a small smile on her face.
"I'd like to join you as well." Okay, that was a little unexpected.
"What? You-- you mean my superhero gang?" She questioned and Arlo nodded. "Well... okay then.
We do have a few new rules though. If you want to join us, you have to sneak out by yourself and avoid any cameras.
Then you have to have appropriate clothing.
And you have to stick with the main group at all times, unless I am sure that you can handle yourself." She started to list off the things that was required and Arlo basically got them all.
"Okay, okay. So-- tonight?" Arlo asked. Remi nodded.
"Yes tonight. Be on alert, I have a feeling that things are only going to get more complicated from now on."
Arlo nodded and they went off their own way.
***
John is taking the two little idiot out again, but he doesn't really mind, because he is a more happy mood than ever. "What's gotten you so happy, John?" Valentina laughed, "Is it because you got a girlfriend?" She teased.
John smiled at her, "Not really, I got a boyfriend instead."
"Woah~ That's hot." Valentina joked.
Ren looked at her, "What the fuck." he cursed, looking at her with perplexed expression.
"It's a joke~ It's a joke~" She waved off. They headed to the place and inserted their ID to be let inside. This time, it was a more chill commander, with a history of teasing others. She's actually very friendly and easy to get along with.
"Hello~" She waved at them, with a grin on her face. "I have two jobs for you guys. I have these new dangerous injections that's very dangerous. They're still in testing and we thought it would be cool if you could try it on some random person."
"Uh-- okay. What does it do?" Ren asked, with a bit of admiration.
"Well," She chuckled, "It's honestly very interesting. This," She picked up an injection with red liquid in it, "If it enters the blood stream, it will quickly eat away the body. It's very dangerous and it's not an adic. It will be okay if you got some on your skin, just never ever let it get into your body."
"Or you'll be a skeleton?" Valentina asked, and the Commander nodded.
"Exactly. I bet you'll find it very useful." She turned to John.
"But they can still identify the skeleton to know who's it was right?"
"Yes, but it will take them a little longer than normal." She handed the drug to Valentina, who stuffed it into her pocket.
"Well, not really, but I guess it has it's uses." John shrugged.
The commander's gaze landed on the bag and a bunch of organized paper, "Ah, yes. I almost forgot," She lifted up the bag and handed it to Ren, "These are the drugs that needed to be delivered. It's not much so I expect you to be finished by tonight."
Ren nodded.
The commander turned around to pick up the paper when her eyes scanned something, "Oh!" She grinned, "I almost forgot~!" She laughed, turning to John, "Do you remember when you were little? Oh~ That was the best times!" She smiled at the nostalgic moment.
"Uh... no? Why?"
"Look at this!" She grinned, handing John the papers, "These were the few families out of tens that you murdered with your mother!"
Valentina and Ren both glanced at the paper in John's hand. He flipped through them quickly, until he froze at a specific one. His heart dropped down to his stomach. Oh god, he felt sick.
He felt like his heart was withering up and he couldn't breathe. Tears. Tears started to drip from his eyes, his lip started to quiver as his grip tightened on the paper. Oh god. Oh god no...
He read it over three times to make sure he wasn't reading it wrong.
...deep in debt. Murdered because they couldn't pay back....
Oh god, oh god no.
"John?" Valentina asked, dipping her head low to see John's expression. "What's wrong?" She asked, patting his back.
Arlo, he murdered Arlo's parents? Was that why his mother was silent on the ride? Was he the reason why Arlo's living this shitty life? It's him, it was all because of him and his mother...
He forced a smile, "Oh goodness, the good days." He said slowly, laughing. Valentina could tell it was forced, "What did you want us to do with these?" He asked, wiping the tears that were still left from his eyes.
"Burn them. We already have it recorded on the computer so there's no need for these hand written papers."
"Okay," Ren nodded, a little concerned about John. "We'll be on our way now." He waved back at the commander as they left.
***