Trigger Warning for suicide.
Time heals everything, that's what they tell you. What they don't tell you is how it progresses the inevitable.
It was one week since the Lunch bag kid killed Joker. The school and government are trying to cover it up. Isen, Arlo, Remi, and Blyke are recovering in the hospital. Sera and John are on their way to visit. "Hey, are you okay?" Seraphina asked as John looks down, he hasn't recovered from his trial that God sent him through, not fully at least, a small part of him is horrified by what he did to the one person who trusted him in the world. No matter how many times he was told him it was fake, John's mental state still never changed. "John? John?" John heard his name called over and over but felt nothing. "Yeah?" John asked. "It's okay you know, whatever happened there won't ever happen here. You're safe now." John shakes his head as he hits his pen. He looks out into the city horizon "Sera, I, thanks, I'm scared." Sera sits next to John on the roof as she plucks the pen out of John's mouth.
"Hmm, how?" She asks rather curiously, hoping she could get to the bottom of John's issue. "I almost lost you, three times, the kidnappers, those mid tiers, and that-" Sera cuts John off. "Hey, listen, they're gone okay, you even made sure of that." She reassures John as another cool breeze comforts the two. "Hehe, yeah, you're right, I'm sorry." Sera hugs John as he shakes like a washer. "Hey, let's just forget about it." Sera's warmth makes John feel calm.
"Okay, what floor was it?" Sera asks as she and John climb several flights of stairs. "Here" John confirms as the two enter a wing of Wellston Medical Center. "Arlo!" Elaine screeches as she rushes to hug Arlo in his bed. "I was so worried for you!" She says as she runs her hands through his hair. The two have a rather sweet moment as they fondle each other's faces when suddenly the curtain dividing Arlo from another patient is ripped open. "Hehehe, oh this is funny." Elaine gets startled by a flash of orange hair. "Cut it out Isen!" Alro roars as Isen matches his roar with one of his own made up of laughter. "Aww man, hey Elaine." Isen says playfully, waving to her as he winces from the pain of moving around. "Isen, you're here too?" Elaine asks as soon as she recognizes Isen. "I was in the fight too, dawg what?!" Isen asks himself annoyed. The nurse enters the room to discharge Isen and Arlo. They get dressed and pack their clothes. The three head out to the front desk to check out and visit Blyke and Remi. "Okay, you two are all set, your friends are in the south wing, room 403."
Sera and John walk in. "Sera!" Elaine yells as Arlo and Isen look. Arlo and Isen look. "Oh, hey there." Arlo says casually while Isen waves. The group then head to Remi and Blyke to the south wing. "Man, if only John was early, then we wouldn't be in this mess. No, I shouldn't be so hostile, something must have happened to him that took his time, and well, it's not like anyone in the history of ever had to deal with this. Maybe-" The door swings open. "Heyyy, can we come in?" Isen asks. "Oh, hey guys." Remi yells with a smile and some charm. However the pain causes her smile to fade as she stares at the group blankly, unable to maintain the facade.
"I brought flowers." Sera says as she hands them to Remi. "Thanks. So, how's it going in Wellston?" John leans against the hospital wall. "Well, the authorities are covering everything up. They're soiling themselves now, this is bigger than Ember." Remi sighs "Why am I not surprised?"
"Hey, how's my little man doing?" Isen asks as he walks over to Blyke who's buried under his bed covers. Blyke flips Isen off after he gets poked. "Woah, chill my guy." Isen then turns as Arlo begins to speak. "How you feeling?" He puts one arm on Remi's shoulder as she sits up in her bed.
"Pretty crappy, it was a bad loss. We needed a rescue." John sighs. "I'm sorry guys, this is all my fault." Guilt courses through his body as blood. Everyone, including Blyke looks at John with surprise. "If I just took authority and told you all to butt out of my superhero life, you all could've been out of this unharmed. I should be in the hospital right now. This is my problem now becoming everyones." Remi shakes her head. "No John, this was something I wanted to do, I may not be able to speak for all of us, but I wanted to get involved, your troubles are too much to handle alone." John looks at Remi rather bitterly, as if to call her naive. Yet he wishes she'd stay safe and keep to herself. "But they're my troubles, not yours, so you shouldn't have too-" Remi returns the bittersweetness as she gives John a glare back. "JOHN, ENOUGH!" The group turns to Blyke, finding it was actually him who yelled.
"We got involved because we're your friends, we care about you, end of story, so don't try and go down that guilt trip. This affects all of us, we all live in this world after all." Blyke sits up. "After all, if you didn't tell us at all. I'd be pretty pissed off." Blyke smiles, looking directly at John. "Well, I'm not satisfied, John." John looks at Arlo. "I agree with you John, we have a responsibility to protect this school from itself, and with us out of commission, people are gonna be uprising now more than ever. I get that you have a responsibility to society, but to take us away from ours was pretty rash." The rest of the group give Arlo a glare for his bold take. Sera grabs Arlo's arm rather aggressively. "Arlo, that's enough!" John decides to de-escalate the situation. "Hehe, it's fine Sera, I get it completely."
"So John, I think you owe us your strength as a Royal now." Arlo only adds fuel to the fire. "Arlo!" Sera snaps back. "No Sera, it's fine." John starts to walk over to her for comfort. John finds himself tensing up as his eyes dart around the room. "It's my fault once again."
Everyone but Remi and Blyke start to leave. John being the last as Sera and Remi talk. The two hug before the room is finally empty. Remi looks over to her left and finds Blyke sulking. "Blyke?" She asks. "Well this was a huge eye opener, even though I'm a high tier, I'm weak." Blyke says out loud. "No you-" Blyke cuts Remi off. "NO, I almost lost you and Isen to that Ember, you know, and lost to Joker twice, and on top of that, if I had a worse aim than what I had, you and Isen would be...." Blyke starts to tear up. "Blyke?"
"You'd both be dead."
"Blyke, you're just focusing on the losses, what about Lance, dealing with his goons." Remi reminds him. "Yeah well, one win isn't going to cut it. If I'm going to have friends, I'm gonna have to be able to defend them too." "Blyke, you're an elite, don't beat yourself...." "Don't you get it?! THEY LIED TO US, WE ALL COULD BE STRONG IF WE WORKED ON OUR ABILITIES!" Blyke snapped. "What?" Remi asked. "We were all told the same lie, you're born with what you have, and it develops naturally over time, then you're stuck with what you get. Nothing else, not but you can work on it by using it more. None of that crap."
"Well, what if everyone did like you said, think of the chaos.And why are you shocked about the government. Didn't like history class tell us the nine worst words where "Hi we're the government and we're here to help"? Blyke I don't understand where this is all coming from?"
"Bullshit, we're a pretty advanced society, the fact that we couldn't figure out a solution to work on our ability." Remi and Blyke look down at their beds. In the realization that the truth was there right in front of them, and yet they refused to address it. "I can't be trusted to look after others if I can't even look after myself."
Later that day Gavin is walking on school campus when someone appears behind him. He could feel the cold glare of a stranger pressing into his skin. The mystery man's eyes glow yellow. "Hey, what the-?" Gavin asks as he turns around, only to find Joker standing right behind him he dashes at Gavin, Gavin runs for the hills as Joker fails to keep up. "What's is going on? Why is he after me?:
Meanwhile John is at school in the press room, his hands behind his head, feet on his desk when someone enters the room.
You… John says with an intense glare.
"John, what's going on?" Cecile asks. "Why would you care?" John asks back. "I still go to this school? And I'm worried that…"John gets back up and walks calmly towards Cecile before he headbutts her to the ground. "WHAT WAS THAT, YOU ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT SOMETHING, OR AM I JUST FREAKING HIGH RIGHT NOW?!" John's body shakes as he relives the nightmares she's put him through at Wellston like a shell shocked soldier. Cecile looks up at John with her bloody nose, she covers it to hide the blood. "John listen, please, I'm not here to do anything, but there are people running around with masks on, the one Joker was wearing." John scoffs as he looks outside. "No shit Sherlock, think I haven't noticed?!" Cecile takes a moment to compose herself. "Well, I was just-" John turns right back to her. "Cecile, you don't get it, you're lucky I haven't exposed your ass to the WPD. You're wanted, you know. Cecile smiles cockily.
"Oh I am now? I think we know the real answer to that." Cecile tells herself. "What's with that smile?" John asks. "Oh nothing, a cocky bratt just said something funny to my face." Cecile says as she stands back up onto her feet. "I see, you're used to that kind of stuff." Cecile ignores John's comment. "Sorry for trying to make small talk here." Cecile throws some more files on John's desk. "I broke into the federal intelligence agency for these, your welcome." John looks at the files as he hears Cecile while she walks away. "That's what I get for helping out." John then looks back at Cecile. "Why are you doing this?" He asks. "You wouldn't understand." She says back. Cecile then closes the door. She too relives her life as the war on her sanity rages on.
Ten years ago in New Oklahoma city, Cecile was in her living room watching a kids program. Her parents were fighting over the phone. Her Mom and dad had just separated. Then the sirens play, giant metal poles are walking, she and her mother look outside, only to watch a horror show.
The giant metal poles that would contain human flesh were moving, they played loud siren noises, tornado warnings to nuclear bomb warnings. A giant hand breaks off the roof of their home and takes her mother. "MOMMY NOOOOOO!" Cecile would scream as the large pole figure sticks her on a hook alive, the sheer horror of this would stay with her for the rest of her life. As she cries alone she looks to see a bunch of pole people guarding a little girl surrounded with blue aura.
"And to think they'd come back with crazed followers too."
They always do
Later that day John is looking at the files while he heads out to go home, Sera follows him and they soon begin to talk. "Hey, watcha looking at?" Her head tilts a little as she tries to get a peak at John's files. "Some files Cecile gave me, I'm heading back to my dorm, these look important." "Can I tag along?" Sera asks rather happily. "Yeah, I'd like that actually." John says as the two exchange smiles.
Later in John's dorm.
"Look, more devil men Keon didn't tell me about." John says as Sera gets off his couch. "Ohh, who are they?" "One guy named The BodyGuard, he's actually a rogue one who knows the city like the back of his hand, a failed experiment that the agents abandoned there after they tried to artificially create these guys. That's all this gives me about him."
"Wow, anyone else?" Sera picks up the man's file. "No, just files on this guy, sounds like he might help us." John says as he sighs and leans back in his chair. "Hmm, well nothing my adorable Golden God can't handle." John blushes as he tries to flirt back with Sera. "Aww shucks, you're the real cutie in the room." John and Sera start to get huggy and touchy. John leans on Sera and starts to peck at her lips. The two find themselves on the floor, suddenly Sera interrupts the moment and stares into his eyes. "So, do you trust Cecile?" John laughs. "NO, why would I, she's the reason you're a cripple. I hate her for that." Sera looks away for a moment. "Well, if we can't trust her, how about Keon?" John laughs. "Are you fucking kidding me, he tried to put you in those classes."
Sera rolls her eyes as she grows frustrated with John. "I don't care if I have to do this alone, I won't let you guys get hurt, and I won't work with snakes." Sera however wasn't having any of it. "John, maybe Cecile changed?" John snapped. "NO, I won't let her get another chance to hurt us again. To hurt you. Sera you're too important to me, I'd rather watch the world burn than to watch you burn for the world." Sera starts to space herself from John. "John, please don't do this alone, you have friends." John shakes his head. "Wellston needs you guys though, but don't worry, I'll manage."
"You sure?" Sera asks. She just finds herself staring at John as he looks back into her eyes. "Please, even if it's a lie, just say you are." John didn't speak one word. Just silence.
Meanwhile in Cecile's dorm.
"Mom, I..." Ceciloe struggled to speak as she had flashbacks. "Honey?" Cecile looks up at her mother with tears in her eyes. "Why did daddy leave?" She asked in a shaky voice. "Well sweetie, sometimes when a mommy and daddy are two different ranks, they tend to fight a little, and spend time apart." Cecile wipes her eyes as her mother holds her. "Will I be a high tier, just like daddy?" Cecile's mother smiles. "Fingers crossed sweetie, I hope you're not a low tier like your mommy." Cecile and her mother hug as one third of their household remains missing. Cecile in real time starts to break down, crying at her mother's death. "Why wasn't it dad who was eaten, I HATE HIM!" She throws her pillow with her energy ropes as the stress of Joker's cult finally breaks her. Cecile's inner thoughts come into play.
Cecile, you act like a victim, but you treat those beneath you like trash, what happened?
"Helping others is a waste of time, where was my help when I needed it, when I was alone huh?"
Cecile, your mother was a low tier, she was one of the very people who you treat like shit. WHY HUH, YOU'RE SUCH A HYPOCRITE YOU-!
"Stop it, you're nothing, how I treat people doesn't affect you!"
Your hopeless, just kill yourself.
Cecile looks at the roof of the dorms as the voice begins to scream horrible things into her ears.
"You're right, I am a horrible person, maybe, maybe this is right for me."
The sun starts to set as Sera and John fall asleep in each others arms. John finds himself at peace as he drifts away, when suddenly the fear of God himself activates his ability.
THE ROOF! GET TO THE ROOF! John's mind screams as he rushes out of the room. John then looks out and sees someone on the roof, they start to lean forward and fall as their eyes begin to glow a strange color, John opens the window in Sera's room and jumps down. He runs under the falling body and catches a girl with short green hair. "CECILE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Cecile opens her eyes to find a shirtless idiot catching her confused; she realizes she just lost consciousness and was about to kill herself. "Why the hell are you trying to kill yourself?" John felt rage as he held Cecile, yet he restrained himself from going too far. "Well it's not like you care anyways?" John looks around before standing up. "Then tell me so I can." Cecile sighs as she begins to cry. An hour goes by as John finally lets go of his hatred for Cecile. He takes her back to his place as he goes to grab the files she gave him.
"Come on now, what's going on?" John asks. "Well, I guess it all started when Rein took my mother with her walking p-poles. I can't live with this anymore. Nothing matters." Cecile then looks at John with watery eyes. "How do you do it?" John crosses his arms. "Poles? Walking?" John asks not meaning to dismiss Cecile. "I guess you never saw them, Rein made most of us forget, but I still remembered, they had sirens on them, they would make terrible noises, it's why the government never uses sirens to evacuate people." John's eyes widened. "She's right. The government rarely uses sirens for evacuation." John then looks back at Cecile. "John, she's just one of many."
Cecile tells John everything she went through, she became a bounty hunter for Ember because she hated the human race, they took everything, she wasn't strong enough to fight them. She's too scared to fight them. So she preys on the weak out of vengeance. Despite her mother being a low tier, she looks down on those weaker. "Cecile, I'm sorry, I didn't know, I should have helped you, not keep fighting you." Cecile shakes her head. "No John, I'm sorry. I don't blame you if you don't forgive me." John sits across from Cecile. "Cecile, I might need some time, but I'd like to try." Cecile wipes her eyes. "Yeah well, thank you, for at least hearing me.
Anytime.
Morning comes and Gavin is talking about his experience with a friend. "Dude, it was terrifying." A boy with green hair responds back. "You mean to tell me, the kid who just died, came after you, even though you two don't know each other?"
"Dude, he was a spirit I swear, plus he could have been someone I att-" The two start to look at each other realizing that they're not entirely sure who the new mystery man is. "I gotta find Zeke!" Gavin yells as he goes off running off. Meanwhile Sera is practicing with Evie, Sheene, Jake, and Roland. She punches Roland in the nose. He goes down. "Do you expect your attackers to do easy on you?" Roland shakes his head. "I, umm…" Sera cuts him off. "No, that's what I thought, now get up." Evie, Terrance, Sheene, and Jake go to Roland to check on him. "Damn, what's up with her?" Roland asks as Evie runs to Sera to see if she's alright. "Hey Sera, what's been bothering you?" Evie asks.
"Why, because I punched Roland in the face?" Sera asks back looking Evie dead in the eyes. "Uhh, well.....Well, it's just that, you've been more aggressive lately." Sera sighs. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I just, I'm tired of feeling defenseless, I wanna be strong, for him, for John." Evie smiles as she takes a seat next to Sera. "Sera, you are strong, you don't need to be anything for anyone."
Suddenly the world around Sera freezes. Sera gets up and sees the world as a black and white still frame. She waves her arms in front of Evie before suddenly she jumps, she sees a frozen Evie, a frozen world. Just her, and someone who she recognizes. "You ask for strength. I will give you challenges." Sera turns around to see a glorious light. Her eyes widened.
It's you.
To be Continued....