Van sat on a bench, taking in the warm and cool morning breeze that caressed his face. "Hmm... I like the air here," he mumbled to himself. It was only 11:30, and he had already grown restless in class. As someone who preferred to keep strangers at arm's length, Van felt out of place among his new classmates. Fighting was a different story, but casual interactions made him uneasy.
Just as he was lost in thought, a girl from music class walked up to the bench and sat beside him. Van hadn't noticed her approach, and her sudden presence startled him. "Hey!" she said, breaking the silence.
Van turned to face her, his eyes locking onto hers. "Huh? Oh... Uhm, hey, I guess," he replied, still looking a bit shocked. The girl smiled brightly, and Van's initial wariness began to fade.
"Hey!" she said again, her smile still plastered on her face. "Quite the show you put up, huh?" She chuckled, and Van stared at her, confused for a moment.
'Was she in the class? I hadn't seen her though...' he thought, studying her face for a few seconds.
"Uhm, I didn't mean to," Van said, scratching his face. "I just get sorta... a thrill when I'm in such situations."
She stared at Van, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes, before leaning in closer. "You know, when I saw you today, I thought you were a bit interesting," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The way you handled Vin was something I didn't expect... something cool." Her gaze lingered on Van's face, filled with curiosity.
Van's eyes widened slightly as he recalled the earlier incident. 'Oh! She was the one with Vin from earlier!' he thought, making the connection.
"Well, like I said, I get all pumped up when I'm in such situations," Van replied, forcing a nervous smile.
Just then, Vin happened to be passing by with his group of friends. One of them pointed towards Van, and the group's attention shifted. "Isn't that Mary and the new guy?" one of them asked, their voices carrying across the courtyard.
Vin's expression twisted in disgust as he adjusted his sunglasses for a better look. 'How did Mary, of all people, fall for this piece of trash?!' he seethed inwardly. Although he didn't particularly care for Mary, seeing her fawn over the guy who had bumped into him earlier made Vin's blood boil.
Without hesitation, Vin stormed towards the bench, his anger boiling over. "You piece of crap!!!" he yelled, grabbing Van by the collar and flinging him towards a nearby tree.
Mary watched the scene unfold, a serene smile still plastered on her face. Her gaze shifted from Vin to Van, who was mid-air, his body twisting to regain control.
Van managed to land on the tree, his leg finding purchase on the bark. He attempted to propel himself forward, but instead, the tree trunk snapped, sending splinters flying everywhere. Vin's eyes widened in shock.
'Was it the force that broke the tree, or...' Vin's thoughts trailed off as he stared at Van, his mind reeling with the implications.
'Tsk, it seems this guy is strong,' Van thought to himself as he slowly rose from the ground. He attributed the tree's demise to the force of Vin's throw, oblivious to the subtle signs that hinted at a more extraordinary explanation.
Vin, despite sensing something off, allowed his ego to propel him forward. He cracked his knuckles, ready to take on Van. The wisdom of most people in this world was indeed peculiar, often blinded by their own pride.
Van's gaze locked onto Vin, and with a sudden burst of speed, he sprinted towards him a wide smile plastered on his face.
Van sprang into the air, kneeing Vin in the nose, but Vin managed to block the attack just in time. However, the impact sent a shockwave through Vin's palms, leaving him reeling in pain. 'What the hell is this guy's bones made of?!' Vin thought, his mind racing with alarm.
Undeterred, Van, still mid-air, aimed another knee strike at Vin's head. Vin blocked it again, his reflexes proving to be quick and sharp. 'Hmm, his reflexes are good...' Van acknowledged, impressed despite himself.
However, Vin seized the opportunity to grab Van's hips, holding his belt. 'Hmm?' Van thought, momentarily caught off guard. Vin lifted him up and slammed him onto the floor, but Van managed to react in time, using both hands to grip Vin's neck tightly. His back hovered mere inches from the floor as his legs trembled.
"Tsk, fucking pest!" Vin cursed, his face reddening with rage.
Mary watched from the sidelines, a smile playing on her lips as her eyes intently observed Van. "He's got talent, alright..." she mumbled, chuckling to herself as she enjoyed the sight of Vin struggling.
Vin, still gripping Van's waist, lifted him up again. Veins bulged on his right arm as he hoisted Van into the air with irregular strength.
'He's a gripper, huh?' Van thought, analyzing Vin's fighting style. He found such fighters particularly annoying, as they were too up-close and personal, never giving him a chance to strike. Not that Van had ever actually landed a strike on a person before – his two months of debut and two years of training had been surprisingly strike-free.
As Van hung suspended in mid-air he began contemplating his next move, he scanned his surroundings, taking in Vin's position and the distance between them. Van's eyes locked onto Vin's arm, his gaze intensifying as he focused on the point where Vin's hand gripped his waist.
With a sudden burst of strength, Van flexed his abdominal muscles, using the momentum to swing his body upward. His legs coiled, ready to strike, as he aimed a precise kick at Vin's exposed arm.
Vin, anticipating the attack, tried to adjust his grip, but Van's movement was too swift. The kick connected, and Vin's arm buckled under the pressure. Van seized the opportunity, using his free hand to grab Vin's wrist and twist it, attempting to break the grip that held him captive.
Vin's eyes widened in alarm as he felt his wrist straining under Van's grip. 'Fuck! It'll break if he exerts even a little more strength!' he thought, sweat dripping down his neck. The prospect of a broken arm sent a chill down his spine; his hands were his lifeblood, and without them, he'd be unable to fight.
Just as Vin was about to plead for mercy, Mary intervened, her voice calm and measured. "Van, please, that's enough..."
However, as she approached, she saw Van's face contort into a manic grin, his eyes gleaming with a wild intensity. Mary's words trailed off, and her eyes widened in realization. She recalled Van's earlier statement about getting a thrill from intense situations, and a shiver ran down her spine.
'If such situations appeal to him, then...' Mary's thoughts hung in the air, unfinished, as she stared at Van in a mixture of fascination and trepidation. Van's grip on Vin's wrist tightened, his smile growing even wider as he seemed to savor the moment.
-CRACK!!!
Then it broke and next a scream followed...
***
I kept my promise today... Please vote I need the PS for the ranking even though this is just a fan-fic i would like to see it rise as I create other fan-fics along the way.
If you guys can get 50PS I'll create a fan-fic that gets the most votes even if I know nothing about the anime.
I'm still recovering thanks for wishes especially Damian!