John walks up the dorms, he heads into Seraphina's dorm room.
John: Hey, what's going on, why are you acting so distant?
Sera: John, I need you to tell me somethin-
A loud crash is heard outside campus. John pulls out his mask and rushes outside to see what happened.
Sera: Oh great, what the hell?! Right when I was gonna get somewhere.
John jumps off the building's roof with his mask on over his face, his eyes are glowing bright as ever, watching students fight each other with their own abilities. Some masked students are fighting Holden. Joker is seen in the distance walking away.
John: Holden can handle himself. I need to end this now.
John rushes towards Joker and tackles him. Joker turns around and blasts John with a laser.
Joker: Ahhh, I see. You think you're the actual hero of the story now?
John: What the hell are you talking about?
Joker: You don't remember now? All your peers you hurt? The kids in New Bostin?
John goes into a fighting stance when everything around him turns black like a void.
Joker: Okay then, let me help you remember!
John looks down at Claire, he just beat up half his class to death. Claire is visibly shaking at what she just saw.
John: Hmph, did you really think rallying a bunch of people against me would help? I thought you had more foresight than that? After all, you knew I would become king long before we met, isn't that why you helped me? Well congratufuckinglations. I played right in your hands, and now you're responsible for all the parents who will age without a kid.
Claire: Shut up, you're the one who beat them all up! You've abused the shit out of this school! You took the power you were given and abused it! You're a tyrant!
John hits Claire.
John: WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!
Claire: I thought I meant more to you? Who was I huh, just some lap dog. You used me for my foresight.
John slaps Claire and pushes her to the ground.
Claire: Screw you, you did this to yourself! Take a good look at what you have become, whatever happened to treating everyone with respect despite their ability. Or was that just because you didn't have one! I wish I never saw you the first day we met, I wish you never went to school here, I WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN! I HATE YOU JOHN DOE!
John: SHUT THE FUCK UP CLAIRE!
John knocks Claire out.
Joker: Or that time you beat up your only friend left.
John sits on New Bostin's roof. Adrion approaches John rather timidly.
John: Make it quick Adrion.
John says as he sees his "best friend" shaking before him.
Adrion: I-it's Claire, she's gathering people behind your back, I even saw Zirian with her.
John: Is this a joke, quit lying you sack of SHIT?!
John beats Adrion to the ground, causing Adrion to cry.
Adrion: It's about Claire. She's rallying people behind your back to try and dethrone you.
John: Bullshit, how dare you mock me.
Adrion: Please just listen, she used you the whole time. She didn't care about you!
John: LIAR!
John keeps beating Adrion until he flees off the roof, his eyes watery from the pain of his best friend betraying him.
Adrion: I was with you from the beginning! I was loyal to you, you piece of shit!
John: I don't need loyalty, I'm so fucking powerful I can take on the whole school. Fuck off you worthless piece of trash.
Joker flashes back to him waking up in the infirmary.
Joker: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, WHY DID YOU HELP ME?!
He punches Arlo square in the face.
Arlo: Who the hell do you think you are, don't be so full of yourself! I don't know what delusional world you're stuck in, but wake up and take a good look at who you just hit. Lucky for you I'm patient and don't act on impulse. I despise people who don't learn their place. The next time you lay your hands on me, I won't be so lenient.
Joker: Guess what John, we're both shitty people, We both fucking suck. HAHAHAHAHA
John wakes up in a violent jolt in his dorm bed. He looks around in his dorm as sweat drips down his entire body.
John: Ugh, it was just a dream. Jeez, my head hurts.
John wakes up to make breakfast, he takes it to his room and sits on his computer. Trying to forget what he just went through. Hoping what he just saw wasn't the near future.
Meanwhile Sera is looking through John's papers.
Sera: Okay, before I talk to him, I need to call Claire. Isen said she was his friend when he first moved to New Bostin.
Seraphina dials the number in her phone.
Sera: Hello, am I speaking with Claire?
Claire: Uhh, hello, who is this?
Sera: Hey, I'm a classmate of John Doe, and I....
Claire: How did you find out my phone number?
Sera: I just need your help and-
Claire: Look it doesn't matter I don't want anything to do with that kid anymore. Last I heard he went to some snobby prep school.
Sera in her head: Oh snobby huh?
Claire: Can't you go ask them to help you out with John.
Sera: I am one of those kids.
Claire: Oh uh, that's awkward.
Sera: Look I need help, he's acting violent and out of control.
Claire: Oh wOw, tHaT's nEW.
Sera: Look can you tell me what happened over at new Bostin, he's brutalizing students here, like there was some people who were picking on me, and well, they're in critical condition right now.
Claire: Oh, well don't you guys have really strong students over there?
Sera: Sigh, he's our number one, he wouldn't use his ability and it ended up driving him insane. Please just help me, can we video chat?
Claire: Alright, let me just find my computer.
Later that day
Claire: Hey, this might be a while. Cute outfit by the way.
Sera: Thanks, I have all day so just take your time.
Claire: Okay then, just hear me out. It all started when he was getting picked on the first day of middle school.
HAHA, look how weak this kid is.
Three kids continue to beat John up.
Come on, let's get out of here, this loser has had enough.
HAHAHA!
Claire walks over to help John up.
Claire: Are you okay? Here, let me help you.
John: Thanks, not a lot of compassion these days.
Claire: Hey, us low tiers have to stick up for each other. Am I right?
John: Yeah.
Claire to Sera: We also had a friend named Adrion. The three of us would get along because we were all outcasts in the school. We all stuck together, John could fight but Adrion was still the protector, he had a weak power so he could only do so much.
Claire, Adrion, and John are in the park with their drinks.
Claire: Hey John, is something wrong?
John: It's just unfair, that people get to do whatever they want to us without repercussions. Beat us up. Call us names. No one cares either, it's messed up.
Adrion: Hey, cheer up, it's just how it is. It's not that bad.
Claire to Sera: John had trouble accepting certain realities. However during our final year of middle school, I had a vision of John.
I went to John's house to tell him what I saw.
Claire: JOHN, GUESS WHAT?!
John's house of cards falls over.
John: Don't you know how to KNOCK?!
Claire: I SAW YOU USING AN ABILITY, YOU HAD AN ABILITY!
John: Claire, if this is your idea of a joke, then you're not funny.
Claire: No John, I'm not kidding, you have to believe me. You shot a ray out of your hand.
John: Yeah whatever.
Claire to Sera: Looking back he thought that sounded stupid. I'd often catch him trying to create a ray though. He couldn't stand being powerless. One day it didn't work and he got so stressed that he tried to kill himself.
Claire: JOHN NO!
John jumps off the roof but Claire pulls him back and slams him to the roof.
John: Oww, that hurts.
Claire: NOT AS MUCH AS IF YOU FELL OFF!
Adrion: What the hell man?! Why would you do that?!
John: Because I'm sick of this fucking world, I was born worthless.
Adrion: Dude, no one was an accident, God has a plan for you.
John rolls his eyes as he looks up at Adrion.
Claire to Sera: Adrion would often be the religious one, it gave him hope, in a world that treated him like nothing, he thought the idea of a higher being looking out for him was comforting. I didn't agree with the idea but I'd never try to take it away from him. It's all he had left. He was quite religious, all another reason kids picked on him. You don't find a lot of religious people out in the world these days.
John: Don't you get it, there isn't a GOD! If there was why the hell are we born different, Why would I be born a cripple and my neighbor a fucking Demi God. It's not fair!
John starts to break down, Claire and Adrion hug John tightly as he bawls like a baby. As the three leave the roof a group of kids jump them, they beat up John. Some purple haired kid uses his ability against John.
Purple haired: Little cripple wants to act tough, fuck off, I saw your red eyes you cry baby.
John throws a punch but gets hit back and thrown back against the wall.
Purple haired: Let me show you what having a useful ability looks like. Watch closely.
At that moment John starts to give up, he sits against the wall ready to get shot by his laser. Then he remembers his fathers words before he left school that day.
John: Dad, why was I born like this?
William: Listen, your power level doesn't mean jack squat, just know that the world wants you to give up, so as long as you don't give up, you're the winner in life.
John hears these words in his head and stands up. A voice in his head starts to talk to him.
Well done my child, you're ready.
John in his head: What the fu-, who are you...?
The purple haired kid points his beam at John, as the laser ball fires John's eyes do the unimaginable.
They Glow a beautiful Gold. A gold that will shake the world where it stood.
John shoots a laser beam out of his hand, it hits the kid in the face. His nose bleeds as he lands on the ground.
Claire to Sera: That's where it changed, the John we knew would disappear forever. I would start to have more visions of him.
Claire to Sera: I would see John use all kinds of abilities, I would often rush to his house to help him train, we would help him get better, next thing you know he became one of the strongest students in our middle school. A 3 is pretty powerful in New Bostin. He would practice on Adrion and become stronger that way. Then when our freshman year came, John was ready to get stronger, I should have seen the red flag, he would go around and start fights for "training purposes' '. High school was a lot different than middle school. People were more aggressive. That didn't stop John though, he would get better by the week, day, hour, minute. He grew to the top so quickly it was so- unnatural. He was a fast learner. We became the very people we swore to destroy, ganging up on people, beating them up to rise in the ranks, we just watched John hurt people and didn't even bat an eye. Yet I felt so proud, so happy for my friend. One day he was fighting someone in the locker room.
John: Not so tough now huh?
John said as he beat an acquaintance to the ground.
Oliver: What the hell? How did you get so strong?
John: Does it really matter, I have you beat.
Oliver: Oh shut up! Don't flatter yourself, you're nothing but a fraud!
John: What did you say?
Claire: Come on John, he's just trying to get under your skin. Just ignore him.
Oliver: Yeah that's right, walk away, at the end of the day you're nothing but a cripple!
John rushes back to beat up Oliver. Slamming his head in the lockers until a teacher had to come and split it up. After getting detention for the next two days, all he could say was that it was worth it.
The next week was Hell to watch, all he would do is hurt people. No one was really that strong in New Bostin, so being a 3 is like a big deal. He beat kids like it was breathing, all in the name of training, but since he was always getting picked on I thought he was just getting built up anger out of his system.
John: Hey Claire, I think I wanna become a royal.
Claire: Wait, what?
John: Yeah, then I can do turf wars and get some more experience. Plus everyone who ever picked on us we could boss around. It would be the perfect revenge.
Claire: I would often brush off all the violence that happened. I would often feel kinda nice around John, he would look after us, he didn't let the power make him ditch us, but that wasn't why he eventually did though. One day during the beginning of our Sophomore year some kids were picking on me and roughed me up, John came to my rescue, ever since then we became closer. It only blinded me to the pain he was inflicting on others. He would stop the whole world for me. We felt a bond every time we would train. It got to a point where my heart would skip a beat every time I would find him near me. I never knew if he felt the same though. Until one day....
John: Don't ever let me find you picking on her again, or I'll fucking.....
Claire pulls John off of her bully.
Claire: Brian stop, let's go.
The two run out of the school.
John: Claire, why would you do that?
Claire: John thanks for that back there.
John: Yeah of course.
Claire hugs John really tightly.
Claire: Just, go easy on them, the whole school knows that you're powerful now.
John gets closer to Claire.
John: Claire, can I tell you something?
Claire: Yeah?
John: You know why I get so mad at people?
Claire: ????
John: It's because they put these on your pretty face.
John strokes her bruises in comfort. Claire blushes.
Claire: John, can I tell you something? I, I've been liking you a lot lately.
John: Yeah?
Claire: Yeah, like a lot.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGG!
John: Haha, yeah well we should get going. hehe.
John cringes, not knowing where all of that came from.
Claire: Wait!
John stops when Claire grabs his hand.
Claire: You didn't tell me how you felt.
John: Felt is past tense, you mean feel which is present tense.
Claire: Um yeah I knew that, but it was the fact that you were gonna leave, you knew exactly what I was talking about blahblahblahblahlbah hmph!
Claire got interrupted mid sentence, John pressed his lips against Claire, he held her tightly for a hug while he kept kissing her.
Claire: John, you....
John: What?
Claire starts to blush. She looks to the side, John grabs her chin and genitally moves her face to look toward him.
John: I meant it you know, when they make that gorgeous face of yours black and blue, it makes me wanna kill them all.
His eyes glow gold. Claire hugs John tightly.
Claire: John, you won't leave me right, no matter how powerful you get.
John: I won't...
Claire to Sera: He never said never.
Claire to Sera: After that we started to date more. The downfall started one day when he challenged the King directly. His name was Zirian.
Sera to Claire: Wait a second, isn't he the....
Claire to Sera: The Killer Wolf. Yeah. They called him that because his crescent slash would often resemble claw marks on his victims. He got his ass kicked because at the time he was only a 3. Zirian was a 3.7. But When John got back at him twice. It drove him mad. Then he ran away to Quinton where he well… we know the rest.
Yeah, you tell him Zirian!
Zirian: Now that you've gotten strong, you want to terrorize students for your own satisfaction.
John: Shut the fuck up asshole, don't act like you know me!
Zirian: Kid, you're easy to read, like an open book, a monkey could even figure it out.
Claire: John, are you okay?
Zirian: You're an angry, petty little brat who doesn't care about anyone but yourself.
John: Yeah keep talking shit, wait till I take your throne asshole.
Zirian: Bitch, you wouldn't even make the cut for the Joker. Freaking poor excuse for a mid tier. You're like a mindless robot. Plus as long as I'm here, you're not laying a finger on this throne. Know your place trash.
John: What did you call me? You piece of shit, just wait till I beat your ass to the ground!
Claire: John just quit it already. That's enough you're hurt!
Claire to Sera: John hated losing, the cripple life didn't mix well with his new power. Every time he lost he got what seemed to look like an episode from his powerless days, but then he would use his power and seriously hurt someone. As time went on he would get a shorter temper. We stopped acting affectionate after a couple of weeks because all he could focus on was his power.
John: Come on, don't you have another vision?
Claire: No John, my ability isn't something voluntary.
John: So now, is that it? I'm just gonna be stuck this weak?
Claire: What do you mean, you got this far in such a short time, give yourself a break. Be proud of yourself.
John: I still lost to that Jackass.
Claire: John, you're not gonna beat everyone, there will always be a bigger fish in the sea.
John: I took a beating for so long, I'm not taking anymore. From now on I'm gonna win for as long as I live.
John walks away.
John: Dammit, if only I could just copy your ability, life would be so much easier.
Claire to Sera: One day I just woke up in the middle of the night with another vision of John. I went to him the next day and told him what it was, he was able to control the amount of aura in his body, basically he shot straight up from a 3 to a 7 within that moment. He could use more powerful versions of people's abilities. Making him one step closer to unstoppable. After weeks of testing his aura out and practicing on Adrion, he challenged the King again, only this time the king didn't stand a chance. He dodged his crescent slash and made his own that was more powerful, he made a giant X on Zarian and knocked him out cold, making him the new king. People would talk shit in front of him, their mistake. He would beat anyone senselessly if they even looked at him funny. We were too powerless to stop him.
Claire starts to get emotional.
Claire: Then one day, I went to ask for an apology for him pushing me.
John: You're really gonna whine about a push? Just suck it up buttercup, if anything I should be complaining about you. I'm the new king, I don't want some low tier telling me what to do all the time.
Claire: But I'm just looking out for you. I didn't want you to get in trouble.
John: Psh, I'm the strongest in the region, what are they gonna do to me? I'll be fine.
Claire: At that moment, John made it clear he only cared about power.
And it broke my heart.
To be Continued...