Mike sighed as he walked home from another day of school. It had been the same routine for the past few years - he would get excellent grades, the teachers would praise him, and then the bullies would attack.
Ever since he could remember, Mike had always been one of the top students in his class. He absorbed information like a sponge and his test scores were off the charts. But that also made him a prime target for the other kids who didn't try as hard or weren't as intelligent.
Led by Brad and Terry, the two biggest and toughest guys in his year, Mike was regularly humiliated and beaten up. They would steal his books, shove him in the halls, and mock him for being a "teacher's pet." No matter how hard Mike worked to keep his head down, they always seemed to find a way to torment him.
Deep down, Mike knew the real reason they bullied him was because of jealousy. But that didn't make the punches and insults hurt any less. He desperately wanted their approval and acceptance, so he tried everything to please them - he stayed late to help clean the classroom, he let them copy his homework, and he even tried engaging in their crude jokes and behavior. But it was never enough.
One day he stumbled across a video while scrolling through his Instagram,
A certain bald guy was talking to someone on a podcast-
>Play<
"---Yaa ya ya, I get where you are coming from but you gotta do the things that needs to be done to break through the matrix "
"One of the things my dad always used to say like whenever I lost to some dwork in chess when I was a kid as it goes ' "You are never going to have any of the things you want if you do not get them yourself. Nobody cares about you enough to do it for you."'"
"NOBODY!" He said while pointing towards the screen while holding a fat cigar.
"Adversity builds men. It is your duty to challenge yourself and craft your own world."
>Pause<
Mike decided to change and watched a ton of Baldie's videos....
After 6 months....
The day Mike joined the gym was the day his metamorphosis began. Each drop of sweat on the gym floor was a testament to his determination, each strained breath a whisper of the strength he was building.
"Fuuu~ don't be a pussy 5 reps more!"
"Haa! Haa! Haa!"
Martial arts became his solace, the dojo his sanctuary. He learned to channel his frustration into precise kicks and punches, the discipline shaping his once-timid persona into something formidable.
Every day after school and on weekends, Mike poured his heart and soul into training. He pushed his body to the limit with grueling workouts, perfecting his technique with hours of practice. His slender frame began filling out with lean muscle, and a newfound confidence shone through in his squared shoulders.
His transformation did not go unnoticed. Brad and Terry, who had grown used to tormenting the weakling "teacher's pet," sensed a shift in the status quo. Their jeers grew louder and more pointed as Mike walked the halls, muscles straining against his clothes. But this time, there was no fear behind his steady gaze.
One day, it all came to a head. As Mike was changing for gym class, Brad shoved him from behind. "Think you're big and tough now, do ya?" he sneered. Something inside Mike snapped. In a flash, he slammed Brad against the lockers, his forearm pressed to his throat.
"Touch me again and you'll regret it," Mike said low and even.
"You Fucker!" Terry launched an amateur right hook toward Mike but Mike just dodged to the left and punched Terry's face with full force,
"Ugh... you.. you!" Terry tried to stand up from the floor but Mike gave him a stern kick to his head making him unconscious.
Mike then looked at Brad who had lost consciousness due to lack of oxygen, "Ohh! forgot I was choking this guy, Just kidding~"
"Eww! Did this asshole pissed?" With a shove, Mike released Brad and walked away.
But-
Retribution was swift.
Mike's family was summoned and coerced into a humiliating apology by Terry's powerful father, who claimed his son had been "violently assaulted."
Compensation was demanded to soothe the family's wounded pride. Mike knew now that no amount of strength could overcome the influence of wealth and status...or could it?
That evening, Mike dragged himself home, dreading the inevitable confrontation. As soon as he walked through the door, his father exploded in fury.
"Ohh, dear, look who finally came home!
What the hell do you think you're doing?" his father roared, tossing the TV remote in the air with force.
Mike tried to explain, but his father was having none of it. "I told you to focus on your studies, not waste your time at some dirty gym. And now you've embarrassed this family with your foolishness."
His mother chimed in, "And I see you watching those videos from that Andrew Tate man. Filling your head with nonsense! No son of mine will behave so violently."
Overwhelmed, Mike shouted back, "It wasn't my fault, they've been bullying me for years! I was just defending myself." But his pleas fell on deaf ears.
"Enough excuses!" thundered his father. "Do you even know that his father has connections with my Boss? For the 1st time in my life, someone HUMILATED me like this! Because of my OWN son! I won't have a hoodlum for a son. You've brought nothing but trouble since starting all this fighting nonsense."
Grabbing Mike by the collar, his father threw him towards the door. "Get out and don't come back. I won't have you shaming us further. You're on your own from now on."
*Slam*
His father slammed the door in his face.
Now truly alone, he wandered aimlessly, the city lights blurring with his tears. But deep inside, a flame of Hatred, on Brad on Terry on their parents on his own parents..... on HIMSELF.
"AAAAAAHHHH! FUCKING ASSHOLES! ACTING LIKE THAT TO ME COZ I'M WEAK!"
"GOD, SATAN, ANGELS, DEVILS..... "
"EVEN IF I HAVE TO SELL MYSELF, EVEN IF I HAVE TO SELL MY SOUL, MY LIFE!"
"I DON'T CARE! JUST GIVE ME POWER! POWER MIGHTY ENOUGH NO ONE CAN LOOK DOWN ON ME!"
After ranting to the night sky and venting all his anger Mike sighed, he laughed at himself for shouting like a kid.
Like hell something like that even exists,
*ding*
His phone suddenly had a notification,
Having nothing to do at the moment he unlocked his phone and looked,
|Would you like to gain Power?|
"Wow, people say Google listens to all but look at this, it really listened and a scam ad popped!"
At this point, Mike's brain had started sensory overloading, he was laughing at his own damned situation,
But he had not lost all his senses, the pop up seemed like a scam so he pressed NO.
But another notification popped-
|Are you sure you want to reject the offer?|
|Would you like to gain Power?|
At this point he just wanted to throw the phone, in anger, he tapped on the yes button.