"...The Great Alter occurred 224 years ago, in the Year 2041. It all started a flash of light that engulfed our ancestral planet, 70% of the original 9 billion died, whilst some mutated and gained abilities. We are the descendants of the few that lived.
These abilities allowed for the rapid technological and medical advancements for the progression of the human species. However, it was also a dark time for humanity. As the people of Planet Earth lost their morality, and caused major destruction. Some abilities were S class, having the ability to wipe out nations, but most were insignificant with no potential.
The world was being desecrated day-by-day, by the disorder these unrestrained abilities created. The ancestral archives show us that most of the powerful and stable governments collapsed, whilst new powers rose and took their seats. Earth was under a never ending war from both fronts, as humans weren't the only ones that mutated, so did the animals. The Crawlers overpopulated the Earth, and some Fiends emerged. Our ancestors were forced to make a decision.
Which was to abandon the Planet Earth for greater worlds."
She paused, and turned away from the holographic whiteboard, to scan the classroom of impatient and unruly kids. They seemed pretty lethargic, all anxiously watching the clock, waiting for the class bell to dismiss Grade 9.
The short history teacher, Mrs. Reeds, was a caring teacher in her late thirties that worked at Greendale National School in Luskin City. She had taken leave for a year, due to grief. Her husband, a soldier in the frontlines, died soon after they got married. Everyone comforted their teacher after hearing the news when she returned, and some cried with her. She had brought warmth into most of the kids depressingly sad lives. Greendale School was one of the twenty schools in Luskin City, it was also known to be on the bottom of the National League Table.
Two boys stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs. One was sleeping behind his opened textbook. The other had a melancholic expression, as his desensitised magenta eyes viewed the scenery outside. He peered out from the class window, from the corner of the claustrophobically tiny room.
The soft green colours of the rural landscape burst out into the scene, contrasted by the abject commoners and poor farmers in the background. Their faces were marked with sorrow and misery, as if discarded by society.
Mrs. Reeds continued the lecture, unfazed by the students' reactions.
"Can anyone tell me what Crawlers and Fiends are?" She asked.
The classroom became was deathly silent.
Irritated, Mrs. Reeds eventually indicated at a young dark-skinned boy with curly white hair, bright scarlet eyes and a red horn in the middle of his forehead.
Tom Fraser was mortified.
He turned his head to look behind him, trying to find help, only to find a his friend, a short kid that looked around 7, out-cold on the table. The boy's face looked stiff and hollow, he looked as dead as a corpse in a freezer.
"Zzzzzz."
Tom shook him like a rag doll, attempting to gain a reaction from his fellow classmate, but his inanimate body lay there. Suddenly an exhausted voice burst into his mind, '...Okay, I'll tell you the answer!'
Mrs. Reeds had enough of the drama in the classroom, her body multiplied in size, whilst her grip around the pen tightened, until...
Crack!
It was made out of Obamium, a material used for many holographic board pens due to its durability that was comparable to tungsten.
It was also classed as one of the largest mineral exports from the BlueDelta star system, a place of commerce for interstellar merchants. Obamium was dark-yellow ore, that had a wicked and sinister glow, that generated a lot of profit due to its strength and other properties.
The students grimaced at their teacher's ape-like strength, and were once again reminded not to get on the teacher's bad side. They shivered picturing their teacher breaking their spine in half. Feeling sorry for the fool that attracted the ape's wrath, some student burnt papers from their work books, for Fraser's journey to the afterlife.
"Mr. Fraser, you may answer!" Her tone made it seem like a command.
"Erm...Well Crawlers are usually large beasts that are dumb, but have abilities ranging from F-Class to D-Class. And Fiends are devious creatures that have abilities ranging from SS-Class to C-Class... and they are intelligent."
The class was dumb struck, the answer was too suspiciously good, as Fraser barely cared about studying and only for combat. It was the model answer for the question.
"That answer was... passable." Mrs. Reeds replied.
The mechanic chime of the bell rang, cutting the lesson short. Sighing, the teacher signalled for the class to be dismissed. Large torrents of kids spilt onto the corridors, from their classes, flooding in large waves towards the canteen. They all carried an exuberant energy from leaving the soul-sucking cruel classrooms. Most students rushed to the meet with their pals, as if they were separated for many years, and quickly get their foods. Whilst some sat alone and hungry, they were the rejects.
The sleepy mute kid, Oliver Freemason, was dragged by Tom to go and get their food. Oliver was the type to starve himself, if he slept for too long, causing Tom to worry about him.
The canteen was a large hall with hanging crystal chandeliers, that served food of medium-grade quality that barely pacified the students' hunger. However, there were always some sadistic students that enjoyed preventing the weaker students from getting their food.
The bullies weren't afraid of the school's authorities, as they mostly turned a blind eye towards their bullying. If the students went to their parents, they would just act ignorant of the situation. This was since usually the parent was also being bullied by their superiors. Sometimes a student would be pushed past the brink of no return. Even after the bullied student's death, memes would still be passed around at school; his demise would be seen as a joke.
Oliver's small figure followed Tom, as he floated right behind him, into the humongous hall to join the progression of people getting their food served.
Tom noticed, 10 meters away, a scruffy-looking kid in the front of the queue being dragged out from the queue.
The thugs grabbed his shoulders roughly escorting him outside. Their faces was twisted up in ecstasy; as they couldn't wait to relieve their stress. The black-haired kid cried out for help, as he knew what was in store for him.
Tom Fraser was irritated. He left his spot on the line to Oliver, as he went to deal with the Grade 10 bullies. The person that was holding the scrawny boy in his clasp was William Douglerglass, the Headmaster's Son, who had a Class-D ability called Poison ivy. Just as Tom was about to start a fight with William and his Crew.
Thump!
The sound of the boy collapsing echoed throughout the Canteen. Everyone surrounded the frail pale boy, out of curiosity, as he lay sprawled on the linoleum floor. Blood streamed down his nose like the River Nile.