Blyke heads out with John, then the two part ways. John heads to the school while Blyke heads over to the girls' dorms. He walks in to see Remi and Isen sitting down looking up information on Ember.
Blyke: Hey guys.
They respond back with a hey.
Blyke: Isen, how did your meeting go?
Isen: Arlo fired Cecile and made me head of the press.
Isen in his head: Twice.
Blyke: Congrats dude, this is huge, John's also gonna be glad to know our target doesn't have control over the press anymore!
Remi: I said the exact same thing.
Blyke: Huh?
Isen: Guys, I don't want this kinda responsibility. I just like writing articles, not trying to run the press.
Remi: Name one other person who's more qualified. Your articles are black and white gold. You know how to grab people's attention.
Isen: Yeah well, that's not my point. I don't wanna be stuck in some stupid leadership position.
Jack Blyke and Queen Remi look at each other.
Blyke in his head: Really.....
Remi in her head: ...Stupid leadership position.
Blyke: So, you're lazy?
Isen: Shut up, you're just jealous of my freedom.
Remi: Anyways, Look Isen, remember when we all fought Ember with John, I stopped by Brandish and Blyke stopped by Newside?
Isen: Yeah?
Remi: Well they wrote an article about me, this will get something right?
Isen hands him the article to read, and it only takes him a minute to give feedback.
Isen: Are you kidding me? This is literal crap, we aren't gonna get anywhere. Ember will never be able to find us at this rate.
Blyke: Wow, way to be rude asshat!
Isen: Okay smart ass, I could get us five stars and I'm not even out of high school.
Remi: Then what do you suggest?
Isen: Let me handle that, I'll get John to help us.
Remi: Isen, you know he won't be on board with that.
Blyke: Yeah dude, he made it clear that we aren't safe, he'll just slow us-
Isen: Not if he's with us.
Remi: Well I'm willing to do whatever it takes.
Blyke: You better not screw this up.
Isen: I got this guys.
Later that day John is waiting around outside with his backpack. Sera is walking around campus when she runs into John.
John: Hey there!
Sera: hey. You're up pretty early. No helmet today?
John: Uhh, what helmet?
John asks as he remembers his grease ball of a haircut.
John: Oh nah, it takes too long every morning. Not worth it. Anyways, you looked kinda stressed. How are you feeling?
Sera: Oh, just peachy. I love losing my ability. I couldn't be happier right now.
John: Strange, thought having no ability would make you all sad and shit.
Sera gives John the most blankest bruh stare to have ever been dealt.
Sera: I tried to take a nap but I couldn't fall asleep. I just feel like something's constantly eating at me, at my soul. I just always feel sorry for myself. John, later teach me how to fight. Please?
John smiles.
John: Let's do it now.
Sera smiles a little back.
Sera: Okay.
Sera goes to open the door but it's locked.
John: Get on my back.
Sera: Huh?
John takes Sera and puts her on his back, she starts to get a feeling of warmth over her, the same with John. Sera wraps her arms around John, her head against his shoulders. She breathes on his neck, her hands start to slip teacher lower and lower by the second. John jumps up, his eyes glow grey, lasers shoot out of his hand propelling him and Sera to the roof of the school.
John: HANG ON!!!!
He yells as Sera yelps from the shock of the sudden thrust into the air. They land in the center and Sera gets off his back.
Sera in her head: What the hell, what came over me? Oh God I hope he didn't notice that.
John in his head: Jesus Sera you trying to get me aroused?
John asks remembering her breathing on his neck.
John: Now, have you ever had any combat training? I assumed all high tiers would at some point.
Sera: Yeah. My parents assigned me an instructor when I was young, that was a while ago. When I got my ability I was forced to put all my efforts into my ability. A lot that did for me. Endurance, focus, and pain tolerance.
John: Yeah, same here, except I never needed formal combat until I decided to become a cripple, by amplifying abilities I would often find myself overwhelming the enemy.
Sera: Yeah well, so much for that now.
John: Hey, cheer up, I'll get you refreshed and caught up in no time. Let's start with the first combo my dad ever taught me. It works on pretty much any mid tier who fights at close range.
Sera: Yeah right.
John: You don't believe me? Come at me then give me your best shot.
Sera sighs, doubting John.
Sera: Okay.
Sera charges at John, she throws a punch. John parries it and grabs her arm, he stops his fist at her stomach to show the counter punch.
John: Counter punch. See, didn't that work?
Sera: That was fast.
John: Yeah but you'll see it's not that hard to counter that, I'll teach you that later.
Sera: Ha, that's funny, after these fighting classes we'll conquer this wasteland together!
John: Yeah, haha! eeehhhhh.
John chuckles uncomfortably as memories of his time in the Agwinian wasteland days before enrolling into Wellston flash before his eyes. He shakes it off, staying strong so that he and Sera can continue their lesson.
John: Why don't you give it a try.
John swings at Sera's head, Sera doges, but doesn't do a follow up.
John: No follow up?
Sera: I just didn't expect you to move so fast, I'm just not used to being so slow, I'm sorry.
John: Aww don't sweat it, this will take a bit of practice. Took me a couple hundred times before I got used to it, it's about using every bit of muscle wisely. Not wasting any energy. It will come naturally.
Sera: It's just a couple of moves, so how is it so effective?
John: Oh yeah, you'd be surprised how cocky some people are, if you're really lucky you'll get some low tiers, people think that you're helpless and start attacking you.
John pauses, his eyes grow dark as Sera looks at him with shock.
Joker: But once you get em on the ground, that's when the fun begins.
He then snickers a little.
Sera: John?
John starts to laugh a little louder.
Sera: John?!
John snaps back into reality to the sound of Sera yelling at him.
John: Wait, what was I saying, guess I zoned out again?
Sera in her head: John, what did you do? What is Joker doing to you?
Then a kid with grayish purple hair walks through the door.
John in his head recalling back to Sera's description of her attacker.
Sera: A green-haired girl with buns on her head pushed me down a flight of stairs. Snapped a picture and ran.
John's eyes widened as they made contact with two green balls of hair.
John in his head: No, no fucking way!
You're dead bitch!
Sera: John, John!
John: Huh?
Darren walks to the teachers lounge.
Sera: What were you looking at?
John: Oh uh, I was thinking about visiting the infirmary.
Darren hears John and turns right back around away from his place of employment with the most dead look on his face.
John: Haven't had a chance to heal my hands today, they're super stiff.
Sera: How do you even get into so many fights?
John: Hey, at least I got out right?
Sera: Alright, I'm gonna head home and try to get some sleep.
John: Alright, be careful.
Sera: Yeah, sure.
John sees a text from Doc.
Doc: Come in the morning.
John responds.
John: Oh I'm not the one who's gonna need to.
Doc: You're gonna wait till tomorrow morning either way.
John: Fine.
The next day John and Isen are walking down the hallway.
John: Not so sure that's a good idea.
Isen: Aww come on, it's not like you're gonna be able to stop Remi, we might as well help you.
John: Yeah well I have a lot on my plate, I'll think about it.
Isen: Hey man what's the hurry.
John: You mind looking up someone's schedule first?
Isen: Alright, who is it?
John: A girl with green hair named Juni walks in.
Isen: Oh, yeah I know her, she's got a free period now.
John: Bet, thanks Isen. Wait how did you know about this
Isen winks at John.
John: Never mind.
Isen: Why do you need to know?
John: Just, some "SuperHero" stuff tehe.
John runs off.
Isen in his head: Aww fuck, I might have just been responsible for a murder. I can't tell anybody about this.
Meanwhile Juni is walking with her orange haired friend, the two are talking about their next period.
Juni: Alright let me know how the test goes.
She heads off to the cafe to grab a bite to eat, when a silhouette figure is standing in the corner, waiting for her to cross his path.
Joker swings his two fists at her, Juni uses her ability to predict Joker's movement.
Juni: Who are you?
She asks as she watches Joker stumble from his heavy attack.
Joker responds with a fist to the face, he kicks her but she doges and he misses. His dark eyes pour fear into her soul like water in a glass.
Juni in her head: This guy, he doesn't seem like someone with a crazy ability, but if I attack him he will parry and attack back. If I run he'll trip me down the stairs, what the hell do I do?!
Joker punches but misses Juni. Juni tries to take the mask off of Joker but Joker slaps her hand away, he lifts her up and throws her down the stairs. She breaks her arm on the landing, she gets up and runs away bursting into the cafe.
People give her strange looks wondering what she was running away from. John walks through the double doors.
Aww look at him, it's the big bawd scawy cwipple.
John looks at her, he gives her a sinister smile before he walks away acting casual.
Juni in her head: But that guy, he was just behind me. Oh well, I should get out of here just to be safe.
John gets back up once he sees Juni leaving the cafe, he gets up to follow her out. As he does so two kids in the lunch line are fighting with their abilities over who cut who. John takes note before leaving the cafe.
Juni in her head: Okay I should be safe, if I just keep my ability active then I should be able to sense....
At that moment Joker reappears.
Juni in her head: Shit, how was he able to find me?
Joker dashes and hits Juni from behind. Leaving behind a streak of dark black and white as he moves with haste. Juni at this point is on the ground crying.
Juni: Please let me go, I don't know what I did to deserve this, but whatever it is I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, please just let me go, I'm just a lowly mid tier!
Joker keeps slamming his knuckles into her face before glaring at her through his lunch bag one last time.
Juni: No please, I'll do whatever you want!
Joker punches Juni until she can barely maintain consciousness. As she pleads for mercy Joker keeps punching her. He kicks her body several times before leaving. Her school identity falls out of her pocket.
Juni
2.5
Flash Forward
John: Interesting.
The following afternoon.
Holden (over text): Arlo, meet me at the gate after school, I have something important to tell you.
To be Continued....