Major thanks to Cody the Pikachu for reviewing the last chapter. So after a nasty fight and more unfair treatment of the orphans at the hands of the school, we finally get to something that allows the orphans to turn the tides. We have legal action being threatened, Milo playing more baseball, and most importantly Cassandra returning with more revelations. On that note, let's get started!

Nintendo owns Super Smash Bros. I own Milo Sullivan, his parents, his friends, and all other OC's in this story.


"Link, watch it! Be careful!" Yoshi called from the back seat of his double kart. It was a slow day at the Smash Mansion, and Yoshi decided to teach Link how to drive. Link and Mario had discussed about inviting Link to some of the racing competitions held with Mario and his friends, including Yoshi. Link showed great interest in participating and requested Yoshi teach him some driving skills. With a new friend joining in, Yoshi was more than happy to oblige.

Link slammed the brakes to Yoshi's kart one more time, making it grind to a complete halt on the racetrack behind the Smash Mansion. Luckily, there was no one in the stands to watch, meaning nobody could make fun of Link's driving skills. Taking a deep breath, the Hylian hero turned to the dinosaur at the back seat and asked, "Should we start from the top?"

Yoshi nodded, readjusting his position behind Link's driver seat. Yoshi's double kart had a green body with red wheels. The front was decorated in the shape of Yoshi's face, while a set of bars separated the front seat from the back. "Just remember to take it slow to begin with," the dinosaur lectured, "Work on controls first, then we can add speed to it."

"Oh, yes sir, Yoshi," Link responded with exaggerated enthusiasm, even snapping a neat salute at Yoshi. That got both Smashers giggling before Link released the brake, allowing the kart to slowly roll forward. "I'm just glad you guys are giving me this chance to try something new. Normally I just stick with Epona, and for my toon self, the King of Red Lions ship. Using a car is really different, but it's probably more efficient than animals."

"It is, and it'll be fun for you to try it out. If you do well, maybe you can teach Zelda how to drive too," Yoshi suggested. Link was picking up speed now, the engines revving while they entered a straight section of the track. "Just think, when Milo has to learn driving in a couple of years, I might have to teach him the same way I'm teaching you."

Link chuckled. The car slowly entered a turn, with Link easing up on the gas pedal and turning accordingly. The Hylian hero focused his eyes like lasers onto the road, making sure he did not skid off the track with his turn. Link did not relax his gaze or posture until he was finally out of the turn. "Speaking of Milo, how is he doing?" he asked, tilting his head a couple of times to loosen his neck, "Can he handle the bullying better after seeing a lawyer?"

Yoshi nodded. "When we were in the lawyer's office, Milo told the lawyer everything about the school and the bullies. The lawyer was originally representing Haley, but my uncle and aunt wanted him to represent Milo as well," Yoshi explained, shifting his hands down the length of the bars, "Milo wanted the least drastic measure to start with, so all he requested was a cease-and-desist letter from the lawyer to all the varsity team members."

"When you say varsity team members, are you saying just the varsity baseball team, or are any of the other teams involved?" Link asked, speeding up the vehicle once again, "If I remember correctly, the varsity soccer team is the one in charge of the hazing activities. They should be the ones who deserve a warning more than anyone else."

"Milo warned the varsity baseball team as well as every varsity captain not to do any more hazing or bullying," Yoshi added, much to Link's approval, "Haley warned every member in the cheerleading team to remove all slanderous comments written about her online. And both Milo and Haley sent letters to the school administration demanding them to take action to stop this nonsense. If even one person fails to comply with the letters, then Milo and Haley will sue."

Link nodded thoughtfully. He knew the school had a duty to protect all the students in its jurisdiction, so to have this happen was nothing short of unacceptable. The school either did not know about it when they ought to have known, or they knew but turned a blind eye to it. Either case would lead to the school being sued for negligence, something that nobody in a position of authority or control wanted to be hit with. "So if things go sour, the school admin is toast," Link commented, "How did the principal, the athletics directors, or even Milo's counsellor react?"

"Forget how the school reacts, watch how you react! Look out for that curb!" Yoshi yelled. Link looked up just in time to see the kart approaching a split in the road, but instead of entering one path of the other, Link aimed it straight at the dividing barrier. Swerving hard to the right, Link tilted the kart into the path on the right before grinding it to a halt. "I don't mind talking to you when you drive, but you must keep focus on the road," Yoshi warned, hopping off the kart. Right now, they were positioned horizontally on the path. If it was a race, they would be blocking the other vehicles, and would most likely cause an accident.

"Sorry about that," Link murmured, nervously adjusting his blue scarf. He scanned around the kart, realizing that it would take some technique to straighten it out. "Did Milo tell the school what's going on? Did he send the letters to the school authorities yet?" he queried.

"He did, and let's just say it wasn't pretty," Yoshi responded, taking a gander at the predicament Link got them into, "Milo and his counsellor never really got along, so when Milo told his counsellor he would take legal action, you can tell what happened. I got a kick out of Milo telling his counsellor that Milo would not follow the counsellor's advice, since everything the counsellor said didn't work. It's about time someone gave these guys a piece of their minds."

Link chuckled again. It brought him back to the current situation at Hyrule, where he and Zelda had to reconstruct the country after the last battle. Zelda wanted to use this opportunity to bring Hyrule into the future, and that included updating laws and improving the economy. Being kind and compassionate meant Zelda wanted to focus on people issues, so Zelda set standards on respecting human rights and dignity. All forms of cruel and unusual punishment were outlawed, executions were limited to only the most egregious crimes, and there were more remedies for the people against incompetent or corrupt government officials. Hyrule's future would only get better, and hopefully Milo's future would be the same.

"Okay Link, here's what I think we should do," Yoshi called, snapping the Hylian hero to attention. The dinosaur recommended that Link put the kart in reverse, slowly easing it back so there was more room at the front. "Once you do that, you can turn it to the left, which will make it straight again," Yoshi described, waving his arms to demonstrate the direction the kart should go, "We do it a few times, and the kart should straighten itself out."

"Alright, let's do this," Link murmured. Popping the kart into reverse, Link slowly edged it back, watching Yoshi's signals to see how much more room he had. Being Zelda's fiancé and Hyrule's finest warrior, Link was given a role in restructuring Hyrule's law enforcement and military. Zelda always believed in active leadership, meaning the rulers should be serving the people and were responsive to their needs. That meant addressing the people's concerns and offering solutions to their problems. For Milo's case, the authorities were not part of the solution, but the problem. Seeing this situation, Link knew what he had to do if he ever married Zelda and became prince. "A lot of work has to be done, that's for sure," he muttered.

"Now pop it into drive and go hard to the left," Yoshi instructed. Link shifted gears and turned the wheel hard, pushing it to maximum left before easing forward again. "For the record, Milo's junior varsity baseball team made the playoffs. He wants us all to go see him play."

Link couldn't help but smile. Both Link and Fox were orphans, so they knew what Milo had to go through. It was through this similar background that allowed those three to bond so well. "Milo's like my little brother, so you bet I'll be there," Link commented, slightly braking before going into reverse again, "We orphans must stick together, there's no doubt about it."

"And think how great it'll be if Milo's team wins the championship? He would have done what none of the varsity teams managed to do," Yoshi pointed out, gesturing to Link to back up again. Right now, Yoshi was determined to support Milo at all costs, and he was very happy to see so many Smashers willing to do the same thing.


"So, you're playoff bound!" Scott exclaimed, giving Milo a nudge on the shoulder. Milo got some unprecedented good press when the junior varsity baseball team playoff schedule was announced. Being middle of the pack, the first round of the playoffs would see Milo's team get home field advantage, meaning an opportunity to play before his own school. "How does it feel to get to the playoffs when so many varsity teams didn't?" Scott asked.

"At first, kind of weird," Milo responded hesitantly, holding his lunch bag just a little tighter as they approached the cafeteria, "I've been getting negative attention ever since Haley and I sent the letters to everyone on Friday. You would think Monday morning means a lot of personal attacks against us, but so far everything seems okay."

"Well, since quite a few of the varsity teams didn't even make the playoffs, I think it puts you in elite company," Scott pointed out. Varsity soccer and basketball both failed to make the playoffs, while varsity football was eliminated in the semi-finals. "Win this game and you're in the semi-finals. How cool will that be? Did you invite all the Smashers to attend again?"

"Oh, I told them, so they know about it," Milo responded, taking a seat at their usual table, "Right now, I'm not focused on anything the school or the jocks do. I'm just focusing on the playoff game, as well as our orphanage event. What the jocks think of the warning letters from Haley and me is none of my concern. All I ask is they stop acting like idiots."

Milo and Scott turned to see Haley and Mark marching towards them. Haley's swagger was back on full display, her chest proud and back straight while the defiant grin shone through the cafeteria like a beacon. The girl who was subject to intense cyberbullying and vicious slander acted like none of those things affected her, stepping over to her friends in a flourish and not even eyeing the so-called cool kids table. "How's it going, guys?" she greeted Milo and Scott.

"Hey, Haley," Scott responded with a wave, "We're just all excited about Milo's playoff game tomorrow. Just think, the Smashers will be there, and so will we! And if some of the junior varsity baseball players invite their friends, we might have a full house on that field!"

"I'm glad to hear you're so enthusiastic, Scott. If only the school withdraws the so-called punishment against me, and goes after the people who really deserve the punishment, then we can all go home happy," Mark retorted, laying down his lunch with more force than required, "There are still people out there who want to get us, guys. Just because Milo is a baseball star now means nothing to them, especially with a lawsuit still pending."

That brought Scott's good mood back down to earth. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that," he eked out with a nervous chuckle. Turning to Haley, he inquired, "Have you gotten anything from the school or the people you warned? They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

Haley shrugged. "I got some dirty looks from the cheerleaders this morning when I went to my locker, but I gave them a glare of my own and they went about their business," Haley explained, cracking her neck from side-to-side, "Most teachers haven't said too much to me, but some of the admin staff made an effort not to talk to me."

"I think these guys know they're at their endgame, so if they don't at least do something to rein in those jocks and cheerleaders, they're all liable," Mark commented, rubbing his chin in thought, "It's definitely interesting in that it pits the school against all the varsity athletes, who are the very people that will give the school a good reputation for their athletics awards and college scholarships. I think the school will have its hands full coming up with a plan that will meet all the demands listed out by Milo and Haley in their demand letters."

That brought some silence among the group, with each member mulling over the options remaining. Milo knew there was a chance that he would become hated by the school for turning against the most popular people in the student body. But for some situations, Milo felt he might have gained some friends. He knew many junior varsity athletes did not like the way they were treated by the varsity team, but few spoke up due to their need to be in the popular crowd. But when Milo sent those letters, it allowed more junior varsity people to step up and voice their grievances. He already got thanks from Richie and Willis from the junior varsity soccer team, who were sick of the way Ralph treated them. They were the first people to report the bullying to Haley, who then started the action. Once this complaint gained momentum, Milo knew it was only a matter of time before he and his friends could put an end to hazing in the school.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." The group glanced up to see Sean approach their table, plopping down at the remaining seat and opening his lunchbox. Sean was another person that Milo felt changed a lot. In the past, he was like Milo, refusing to condemn the varsity athletes and just letting them sort out the issues on their own. It was the cyberbullying event where Sean made the biggest contribution, where Sean assisted Haley in getting this before Cassandra. Since then, Sean did everything to stop the bullying, including telling the varsity captains to stand down in their fight with Mark. Sean told Milo that he would not tolerate people cyberbullying Cassandra, so he had to help Haley with her problems. Milo was very proud of Sean's changes and hoped that it would continue so no more bullying would occur to them.

"Hey, Sean," Scott greeted, the smile returning to his face, "How's everything going at the office? Did the principal or anyone else give Cassandra trouble? She did try to stand up for us before those guys pulled her off the case. How's she doing now?"

"Cassandra still wants to be back on the case, but with Milo and Haley sending warning letters to the school, that's becoming unlikely," Sean described, his hand gestures jittery and uneasy, "Cassandra also overheard the school admin planning to hold an emergency meeting this week to deal with your lawsuit. She told me there's a chance that school board officials, like a superintendent, may be involved as well. It's either they'll finally act or they'll try to fight you."

"Oh, if they want to fight me, then I'll take them on without question," Haley answered, cracking her knuckles in the process, "It's about time somebody put the incompetent fools who run this school in their place. I'd love to see the judge's reaction once we reveal that the school was siding with the jocks the whole time, protecting from punishment of any sort."

"Well, that's great and all, and I'm pretty sure whatever that comes out of the emergency meeting will be better than what we're facing right now, but I just have this weird feeling," Sean commented, slightly shivering and rubbing his forearms in emphasis, "I heard a rumour from some of the varsity captains saying that they might do their annual hazing activity sooner, just to avoid the school's actions later on. I'm guessing they're trying to take advantage of the fact that things are a mess right now, so they want to get the hazing done before they get in trouble."

That silenced the group once more, making them wonder what would be in store for them. Milo and his friends did notice that most of the varsity athletes were fairly quiet, keeping to themselves and not making any snide remarks. Even Mark, who still had cleaning duty after lunch, received nothing from those jocks. Did they have something sinister planned for one last attack? Whatever this situation was, it did not comfort Milo one bit.


"Falco, I thought you'd never show up!" Milo exclaimed as he trotted to the fence separating the baseball field from the public area. It was the day of the first round playoff game for his team, and as expected, Yoshi invited the Smashers to join in again. But this time, Fox told Milo that a special guest would show up with him, making Milo curious as to who it might be.

And indeed, Fox brought in his team's second-in-command, the anthropomorphic avian pilot Falco Lombardi. Falco leaned against the fence nonchalantly, the cocky grin plastered on his face once more. "I'm glad you find me so popular that you especially requested my presence, Milo," Falco stated cheekily, "Your buddy Fox here gave me quite a few updates about you."

"And you would have gotten them in person had you been here," Fox retorted, giving Falco a playful shove. Turning to Milo, Fox reported on the real reason why Falco did not show up all this time. "Would you believe it if I told you that Falco lost his invitation? For the whole time I thought he wasn't invited, but then a few days ago he called me to tell me that he did have an invitation. He found it in the mess underneath his bed!"

That got Milo chuckling, trying to hide his laughter behind his baseball glove. "Hey, it wasn't that messy! I just lost track of it because I had too much stuff going on!" Falco retorted, his face flushing red, "Besides, I doubt it'll be any messier than the locker room at your school. Did your varsity jerks trash the place every time they change into their uniforms?"

"No, not really," Milo responded, removing the baseball glove from his face and gently rapping his knuckles at the interior, "But they purposely leave a bigger mess and more trash for Mark to pick up in the cafeteria. It's like payback for Mark trying to fight them."

Falco shook his head at that comment. "I'm sorry your friends had to go through that treatment," he responded, his arms tightening the hold against the fence, "I know Fox and I rag on each other a lot, especially when we first met to form our team, but never did we bully each other like that. So when I heard what happened, I had to come and know what's going on."

Milo shrugged. "Well, it's getting better now, with the lawsuit happening and all that," Milo responded, returning to his stretches, "From what I heard, the school already held a meeting with all admin and athletics directors. I think something will happen because they're probably afraid Haley and I will sue. If they take action to stop the hazing or remove the cyberbullying against Haley, then we'll call off the suit. It's all in their hands now."

Fox and Falco nodded silently. Fox did everything he could to keep his team together after his father's death. Fox's father James always told Fox to trust his instincts, something that Fox did whenever he went on missions. Fox's instincts always told him that an effective team must be based on mutual trust and respect, not bullying or intimidation. To have Milo face that every day he was at that school, Fox could not imagine how bad it was for him.

"Well, look on the bright side. At least you made the junior varsity team, and you're now in the playoffs," Falco declared, waving his arms up and down at Milo's uniform. That got a smile back on the former orphan's face, which made Falco grin back as well. "You'll be fine, Milo. You got all of us here supporting you, so there's nothing they can do against you."

"Thanks, you guys," Milo responded with a nod, "Anyway, I still have to finish warming up. The coaches are saying that they'll play with matchups all game, meaning I may go in as a pinch runner or defensive replacement again. If they switch to a left-handed pitcher, I might even have to pinch hit. I have to stay focused, so I'll talk to you after the game, okay?"

Fox and Falco waved goodbye to Milo before making their way to the bleachers. To no one's surprise, Milo's parents and friends were already there, along with many Smashers who Milo got along well with. Yoshi had so many posters, air horns, and other sports fans materials that the two pilots wondered if Yoshi planned to start a cheerleading session for his cousin. "Uh, Yoshi, don't you think this is a bit much?" Fox asked, taking a seat next to Link and Zelda.

Yoshi glanced up in the midst of handing out a couple of horns. "No, not really," he responded with a shrug, "I told Milo I was behind him all the way, and this is how we show it. Besides, it was Haley who told the varsity jocks that they should observe Milo's supporters. Seeing how she stuck it in their faces, I thought we should prove it to them."

"The varsity team made it to the playoffs too, so maybe they'll try to one-up you, Yoshi," Mark pointed out, staring intently at the opposing bench. The former orphans were trying to spot for potential weaknesses that Milo and his team could capitalize on, but it felt like there were none. "It's unbelievable how no varsity captain or their team members would cheer on their junior squads. It just goes to show what absolutely disgusting people they are."

"Can you ever go to any sporting event and just enjoy it?" Scott retorted, crossing his arms and frowning at his older brother, "You make it sound like we're pulling your teeth. It's Milo's first playoff game, and we should all be happy, don't you think?"

"Oh, I'll be happy alright, when Milo gets a winning hit while the varsity team loses tomorrow," Mark spat, eyes narrowing at the players on the field, "Even with that emergency meeting, the school still hasn't withdrawn my punishment, and those idiots are still walking free. Tell me why I should be happy with that arrangement."

"Well, it's not all bad," Haley pointed out, placing a hand on Mark's shoulder, "The school isn't in a good spot right now, with an all-out fight and the evidence I gathered from the cyberbullying. If they don't act, then they're guaranteeing a lawsuit from me. And like I said before, I'd love to see how they defend themselves against these charges."

"If I remember from the lawyer's office correctly, we're saying the school is negligent in failing to stop the hazing and cyberbullying, right?" Brendan recalled, rubbing his head gently, "I know it means proving the school didn't know about these things when they ought to have, or if the school knew about it but didn't do enough to stop it. Am I even close here?"

His wife nodded. "I think you got it right, dear," Ashley explained, "If the school didn't know when it should have, that means they didn't supervise properly. And if the school knew but didn't do what a reasonable person would have done to stop it, then they're negligent as well. It's in their court now, and we'll encourage Milo to take the next step if they don't."

"It seems like the school's conduct goes a long way towards determining what you can get from the school," Mario commented, adjusted the foam finger on his right hand, "Do you think you can make a case of the school behaving poorly as a way to get more damages?"

"I think it'll depend on if the school acts now or if they'll continue delaying," Haley replied, stretching her arms and loosening her neck, "Like I said earlier, if those guys are asking for a fight, then they'll get a fight. I'm not afraid of going to court and exposing each and every dirty secret the school swept under the rug. It's about time the dirty laundry gets aired."

"Hey guys, don't talk now, but they're ready to start," Samus interrupted from the back row, pointing at the field. Indeed, the teams took their positions, with Milo unfortunately riding the bench once again. Even though he would most likely be a late-game replacement, everyone cheered on anyway. There was no denying the amount of support they would give Milo, no matter what the varsity athletes said or did about it.


"Looks like the home team is trying to increase the lead, bringing in a pinch runner in this inning," the announcer broadcasted. While Milo's team had a one-run lead, the coach decided to stay aggressive, sending out the former orphan for some speed on the base paths. Seeing their friend take the runner's sport at first base, the Smashers could not help but cheer.

"You think Milo will steal a base here?" Kirby asked, nudging Yoshi on the shoulder. All Smashers kept their eyes peeled for Milo, who took a few steps off first base and focused in on the pitcher. "You know, for all the things those varsity guys pick on Milo for, they never seem to recognize how fast he is. Don't they know how stolen bases work?" Kirby pointed out.

"I think they do, but it's just they don't think it should count when it comes to being popular and all that," Pikachu responded before Yoshi could say anything. The three friends were in the front row middle seats, all of whom watching anxiously as the batter took the first strike. There was still no movement from Milo, so they figured he was probably still waiting for the perfect time to take off. "I bet they won't sing the same tune when Milo's team wins, huh?"

Yoshi shrugged. "I've stopped caring what those idiots say about my cousin. All I care about is an end to the madness, and if it means Milo takes legal action, then so be it," Yoshi replied, watching another pitch being sent towards the hitter, "Although I have to wonder, if the school doesn't take action, and they won't let Cassandra back on the case, can't the student body itself do something to stop bullying?"

All eyes zoomed in on Haley, the proud member of the social justice club. "I know you said you wanted the club to start reporting cases of cyberbullying and such," Scott recalled, "Is that coming along well, or are you still having trouble with them?"

"Actually, they're more cooperative than I thought," Haley responded, taking a sip of water from her bottle, "We're monitoring websites run by schools and other organizations that deal with teens, making sure the content isn't abusive. We're also looking at cases of potential bullying, just trying to talk to people to convince them not to do certain things. We're even trying to invite anti-bullying speakers to the school for talks on bullying. The whole team is very supportive after what they saw me go through, and they're determined not to let it repeat."

"Sounds more like the social justice club will become an anti-bullying club," Luigi remarked, scratching his chin in thought, "Are you just widening the club's mandate, or is there more to it? Do you intend on making anti-bullying part of the social justice agenda?"

Nobody managed to respond in time, since Milo took the perfect opportunity to dash off. In a perfectly-timed steal, Milo bolted from his position the instant the pitcher released the ball, hurtling into second base so fast that the catcher's throw barely made it halfway between home and second. With the umpire signalling safe, the Smashers all roared and applauded. "He's in scoring position now," Donkey Kong observed, "An opposite field single should do the trick."

The Smashers, Milo's parents, and the former orphans all looked on, waiting for the hit that would bring Milo home. "We are kind of moving in that direction, but as I said to my club, if we can't even fight for justice within our school, why bother fighting for justice outside the school?" Haley added, her voice directed at the group while her eyes never leaving the field, "Social justice has to be for all, and that include victims of bullying against their tormentors."

"Can't really argue with that, I guess," Falco responded from the back row. The odd conversation exchange was put on hold once more when the batter made contact with the pitch, sending it through the right side of the infield. The ball rolled just between the first baseman and the second baseman, out of both their reaches and heading straight for the right fielder. Milo saw the cue and dashed straight for third base, rounding it before heading for home. The right fielder already got the ball, and prepared to unleash a dart straight at the catcher.

Milo approached home plate just as the throw got there. The catch snatched the ball out of the air and swiped at Milo, who used his small size to his advantage. Dropping down into a slide, Milo ducked his head just out of the way, allowing the catcher's tag go above him while his foot tapped home plate. The umpire signalled safe, putting Milo's team up another run. It only got the Smashers more excited, with several shooting out of their seats in applause. "Way to go, Milo!" Yoshi exclaimed, furiously clapping his hands.

Milo was jubilant, heading back to his dugout and slapping hands with his teammates along the way. Despite being the main target to all the varsity athletes, Milo managed to bond well with his team. There was no need for hazing or initiation, given how well he related to all these teammates. Yoshi and friends could only hope that, when these guys became varsity, they would not do what they condemned and criticized. "It'd be really hypocritical if they all turn bad," Yoshi commented, "Don't let the excitement make you lose control."

That remark got some Smashers thinking about what truly transpired. Surely these jocks did not start off being negative, and most of them must have started off as wide-eyed youngsters who worked their way up. But for whatever reason, they became wrapped up in this toxicity, leading to a lot of bullying being committed against innocent victims. Most of them were so caught up in the toxic culture that they did not see a need to leave it. And with every year, they would indoctrinate another group of youngster, hazing them and pushing them to think that this negativity was acceptable. Until the cycle was broken in some way, this could go on for ages.

And that brought the group to Haley, who suggested using the social justice club to stop bullying and hazing. "Haley, if you can convince some of the varsity athletes to join in your cause, would you accept them?" Pit asked, stuffing some popcorn into his mouth.

Mark snorted before Haley replied. "Seriously, Pit?" he retorted with a condescending tone, tilting back to stare at the angel with unimpressed eyes, "After all the garbage they put us through, you expect Haley to just accept them? I'd never get involved with unsupportive people who abandon their sanity for the sake of their popularity. Don't forget that some of those varsity captains got into a fight with me, so I won't be forgiving them soon. If I ran the social justice club, I'd tell the jocks to back off before I throw them out!"

"Mark, is there a need to be that rude?" Haley snapped, slapping the oldest orphan on the shoulder. Mark cast a defiant but weaker glance at Haley, who turned to the Smashers with a stunning revelation. "Maybe not the captains, but I'm willing to let any varsity athlete who wants to make a difference join in. I may not have forgiven the varsity captains and their cheerleaders for what they did to me, but I think making a difference is more important than my beef with them. So if they want to help me end hazing and clean up the toxic culture, then let them in."

That shocked everyone in the group, given how opposite it was to Haley's nature. Most expected Haley to display her fieriness, but to allow varsity athletes into the social justice club? "I never would have expected that, but the more the merrier, I guess," Scott stuttered, putting on a forced smile while rubbing the back of his head nervously.

A crack of the bat got the group's attention back on the field again. The latest batter just grounded out, leading to the teams switching positions. "Now Milo's team has to take the field," Zelda murmured, leaning her head on Link's shoulder. It prompted Link to wrap his arm around her, holding the Hylian ruler closer to him. "Let's see if they can hold on to the lead."


"This is not a good sign at all," Milo murmured, stepping back into the dugout after an awful inning. His team was up by a couple of runs after his first appearance as a pinch runner, with Milo scoring one of the runs. Things went well when Milo took the field, patrolling centre field with poise and confidence. With his team playing smoothly, Milo was sure that they could hold the lead and advance to the next round in a low-scoring affair.

But things went downhill when the other team got lucky with several bloop hits and well-timed sacrifices. Whether it was bunting, hit-and-run, or even making good contact, it gave the other side momentum. Before long, the visitors tied up the game, causing Milo to feel uneasy. It gave Milo goose bumps when he approached the plate for his next at-bat, knowing he had to do something to stop the bleeding for his team.

"And unfortunately, they knew exactly what I had in mind," Milo muttered again, placing his glove into his slot and taking a seat on the bench. Milo was hunched over with his two hands cupping his chin, watching anxiously as his team sent up their first batter of this inning. When Milo batted two innings after his pinch run appearance, he tried his usual bunting technique, sending the ball down the third base line and using his speed to beat the throw. But for whatever reason, the third baseman was positioned way closer to home plate than Milo expected. He got to the ball and threw Milo out by a step, destroying whatever momentum Milo tried to create.

The first batter of Milo's team dug in, focusing on the pitcher with an intensive stare. Milo's failed bunt attempt only gave the other team more momentum, scoring runs in the next two innings. Right now, the visitors had a three run lead, and Milo's team was down to its last inning. Unless they could score three, Milo's team would end the season right then and there. As the hitter took a first pitch strike, Milo could only rub his face nervously.

After a nerve-racking at-bat that caused Milo to fidget nonstop, the first batter managed to get on first with a single to right field. While another batter came up to bat, Milo still did not feel completely at ease. He tuned everybody out, keeping his mind solely on the fundamentals of baseball. The last week or so proved to be easy for managing distractions, especially after the entire school found out what Milo and Haley did. Despite Mark's claims that there were still people wanting to get them, many people totally avoided Milo and his friends. Milo wasn't sure if it was because the students were angry that they ruined the varsity athletes' reputations, or if the students were afraid Milo and Haley might try suing them, but nobody picked on them at all.

Another crack of the bat snapped Milo out of his train of thought. The next hitter got a hit on the first pitch, sending the ball just over an infielder's head for a bloop single. With two on and nobody out, Milo saw the coach signal for a sacrifice bunt to the next batter. Milo couldn't help but crack a smile, given the team resorted to bunting after the heat he took the first time he bunted. While Haley received harsh looks from the cheerleaders, the varsity athletes that were frothing at the mouth for what he did never even acknowledged Milo's existence. Milo knew they must be dreading whatever the school would throw their way as punishment, and while Milo did not feel sorry for them at all, he did wish they would at least own up to their acts. "Even if they're doing it to protect themselves, at least act like you care," he mumbled.

As if things just turned their favour, Milo could see the bunt being successful. Instead of going down the third base line, the bunter sent it down the first base line, forcing the defence to make the play at first rather than at second or third. Two runs were pretty much locked for Milo's team if the next hitter could get a single. "And then they'll probably bring in a pinch hitter with good numbers against the pitcher, hope that guy can steal a base, and then try to bring him in with a single," Milo observed, doing the scenarios in his head.

"Sullivan," the coach called. Milo jolted to his feet like the bench became electrified. He glanced at the coach with wide eyes and tense muscles, causing the coach to lift an eyebrow at Milo. "Why so surprised?" he asked, before waving Milo over, "I'm not bringing in a pinch hitter, so you'll take your usual turn batting, which is right after they walk this guy."

Milo nearly dropped to his knees, too stunned by the comment to respond. By the time he willed his head to turn, he could see the pitcher throwing four pitches wide of the plate to his catcher. With the intentional walk against the batter, the bases were loaded, but it was obvious what the other team wanted. Given Milo was the next hitter, and Milo had never hit the ball out of the infield, the other team was intent on getting a double play. Why would the coach even have the confidence in Milo to get in not one, but three runs?

But the coach's next action spoke louder than any words. Grabbing Milo's usual bat, he placed it in the former orphan's hands and patted him on the shoulder. "You've been swinging the bat well, and I believe in you," he stated. With that, he gestured to the steps, signalling to Milo that this was his time. Taking a deep breath, Milo stepped up onto the field.

Milo could hear the usual cheering from the section of the stands where his parents, his friends, and the Smashers occupied. He took a quick peek and saw many of them on their feet, to which Milo could not help but wave at them. After all, it was unusual enough to see Milo come to bat, let alone at a playoff game with the season on the line. Stepping into the right-handed batter's box, Milo went through his routine and tried to treat this like any other at-bat.

But when Milo glanced back up, he saw an unusual sight. One of the outfielders trotted into the infield and all the infielders shifted to accommodate him. With the catcher directing the five infielders where to go, Milo had no doubt in his mind what the other team wanted. "I have to elevate the ball, even if it's just enough to send a line drive over their heads," he murmured.

Milo barely got a chance to react when the first pitch was sent his way. There was quite a bit of movement with that pitch, causing Milo to hold up on his swing. Even though Milo did not follow through, the pitch was in the strike zone, prompting a "strike one" call from the umpire. The first two hitters of this inning both managed to hit against this pitcher, so what did they do that made it possible? "Where have I seen pitches like that?" Milo thought to himself, racking his brain for the numerous batting practices he took both in and outside of school.

Just then, it all clicked for him. Peach was the finesse pitcher, relying on movement of pitches rather than power to get outs. Additionally, this pitcher threw slightly sidearm, which was Zelda's specialty. With Milo taking a pitch for a ball, he knew exactly what type of pitch to look for. Looking at the five infielders, Milo knew what he had to do to get it over their heads.

Milo finally found the pitch he wanted, a fastball tailing slightly down and away. With a looping swing, Milo connected the pitch with the barrow of the bat, sending it diagonally upward and into the air. Even without looking up, Milo knew he had a hit, the question now being how many bases he would get. Lowering his head, Milo charged towards first base, hoping to round the bag and slide into second with the score now tied.

"Run, Milo, run!" Milo heard people in the stands shouting. He tilted his head to the outfield just in time to see one of the outfielders sprawled on the grass with the ball rolling all the way to the fence. Milo figured the outfielder tried to make a diving grab but failed, and with only one outfielder left, the defence was significantly shorthanded. Two runs already came in, and the third was inevitable. With the score guaranteed to be tied, Milo decided to take a gamble.

Milo was halfway between second and third when the remaining outfielder finally reached the ball. Picking it up, the outfielder sent it to the cut-off man at the same time Milo rounded third and headed straight for home. The cut-off man threw a dart at home plate, with the catcher's motions catching Milo's eye. Taking a deep breath, Milo stretched out his hands and dove for home plate, hoping he touched the plate before the tag was applied.

Milo looked up from the entanglement between him and the catcher. The catcher's mitt was right on Milo's midsection, the tag clearly applied but no sign if it was on time. The catcher, the pitcher, and Milo all looked on intently, hoping for some movement from the umpire. Then, as if in slow motion, the umpire stretched out his arms and held them horizontally, signalling that Milo got in before the tag. The run counted, and the game was over! Milo hit a walk-off, inside-the-park, grand slam home run, an almost impossible achievement in any league!

Milo shot up from the ground, whooping and pumping his arms in excitement. His teammates all swarmed him, enveloping him in hugs and pats on the back. From the corner of his eye, Milo could see his friends and family on their feet, applauding and cheering nonstop. Even though it did not stop the problems occurring at the school, for a moment Milo was on top of the world. Nothing could bring him down as Milo would be the talk of the athletics group at school.


"Have a seat, you guys," Cassandra greeted the group of friends, gesturing to the chairs before her desk. It was an odd request to say the least, when Cassandra requested a lunchtime meeting with Milo and the former orphans. Based on what they were told, Cassandra had been pulled off their case, with the school handling all affairs related to their issues. Why would the student body president request to see them now?

Yet here they were, seated before Cassandra, with Sean standing behind his sister's chair. It was the ball boy who informed them of this meeting, carrying appointment notes originating from Cassandra's office. The official note indicated that this meeting was of an important nature, so Milo was eager to find out what happened. "What's going on?" Milo asked apprehensively.

"I would like to inform you that the school has decided on its course of action against the individuals that you implicated in inappropriate behaviour," Cassandra explained in a strong clear voice, her hands slightly gesturing at each issue, "All varsity captains and teams will be given verbal warnings in a special meeting held by the athletics department. Since they will be preparing for their appreciation night, the coaches and athletics directors will use that preparation meeting to send the message. As of today, they should not be bothering you again."

Milo's eyes widened at that revelation. It was surprising enough that the jocks were warned, let alone being warned in such an official manner. "What does that mean, then? Does it mean if they do it again, the school will punish them for sure?" Milo asked.

"I'm still not put back on your case, so I can't give you too many details. However, the admin team told me to inform you that everything will be dealt with accordingly," Cassandra replied, her voice slightly faltering but still remaining authoritative, "All they'll say is that you have to trust them in keeping the bullying and hazing situations under control."

Haley snorted. "And how many times have we heard that before?" she retorted, waving a dismissing hand like she was swatting a fly, "If the school was in charge, I wouldn't have to go see my family lawyer. And speaking of which, what about the cyberbullying incident?"

Cassandra took a deep breath and pursed her lips. The former orphans all tilted their heads closer, as if dreading some bad news. "The principal said that will be harder to deal with, because none of that is done on school campus," Cassandra described, clasping and unclasping her hands anxiously, "That being said, they will perform an investigation, and assuming all your evidence checks out, the cyberbullies will be dealt with accordingly as well."

"In other words, a recipe for doing nothing," Mark fumed, crossing his arms and looking away in disgust, "I got into a fight with those guys, and yet I have to do cafeteria duty for an entire month. Why can't the school withdraw that punishment and go after the jocks instead?"

"Unfortunately, the admin team won't rescind that punishment," Cassandra reported, giving Mark a sympathetic look. It was the first time the orphans ever saw her with a softer expression on her face. "The principal is leaving that to the discretion of the discipline team, and those staff told me that their decision for punishment is final. You'll serve it out, and that's it."

"Um, I know I'm usually the guy looking for silver linings and such, but that's really not cool for my brother," Scott eked out, lifting a finger nervously, "Can't you do something for us? Can't you at least give the principal our side of the story? Ralph and the other captains were trying to start a fight with Mark, so why is Mark getting full blame here?"

"You know I'm never going to stand for any inequality, guys. That's why I've been helping you out since the beginning. But the admin team pulled me off the case, meaning all I am right now is a messenger," Cassandra pointed out, the strong voice now replaced with hesitation and helplessness, "My hands are tied right now, so there's not much I can do."

"Then what are we talking about then? Why are we even here?" Mark challenged, staring back at Cassandra with narrowing eyes, "Don't tell me you called a meeting just to tell us that the principal wants us to stay quiet so his varsity captains can go win games, get college athletic scholarships, and boost the school's reputation. I'm sick of people taking advantage of us!"

Surprisingly, it was Sean who prevented this meeting from becoming a slugfest. "I just want to say something fair to both sides here," he interjected, waving his hands to calm everyone down, "I can say with no doubt that my sister has been doing everything she can to stop bullying. I admit I haven't done enough, and I'll definitely contribute more. But right now, all we can do is keep playing our parts. I know Haley's social justice club is participating in its own way, but if we can all chip in, then I'm sure the principal will see what's going on."

"Right now the only way this can be stopped is if the principal takes action. Giving the varsity captains a lecture isn't going to stop them from hazing the junior varsity people or doing more cyberbullying against me," Haley responded, her finger pecking the desk like a drill, "The social justice club is already looking at cyberbullying speakers to come to the school, but with education also comes enforcement. If nobody suffers the consequences, all this will be useless!"

"The fact that a lawsuit is being threatened is something that the school does take into consideration," Cassandra replied, struggling for the right words to say. The group knew she was torn between continuing her support for them while still toeing the line set by the school, which was an unenviable position that no one should be forced into. "Can you at least give them one more chance, just to see if it'll work out? I know your trust in the admin team isn't high, and I think most of that is justified, but right now there just isn't much more I can do."

The former orphans all paused, realizing Cassandra's predicament. None of them could claim that Cassandra did not help them, as she went above and beyond expectations. It was the fault of the system the school operated under, where the administration could overrule them in favour of the bullies. Given both Haley and Milo refused to sue Cassandra, was it right to blame her for the wrongs of the school? Shaking his head, Milo signalled to his friends that they should leave it alone for now. "But before I go, I just want to give you a head's up," he told Cassandra, "There are rumours that the varsity jocks might still do their annual hazing despite the warnings. If the school doesn't want Haley and me to sue, please tell them to keep their eyes open?"


Another series of notes for everyone:

1.) Cody the Pikachu deserves a lot of praise for the suggestions he gave me regarding the school and the student body. We thought about how everyone at school will react with Haley and Milo threatening legal action, and Cody suggested that the school should give warnings to look like they took action, but not do more so the jocks are still protected. That will lead to more tension and ultimately leading to the next series of actions.

2.) The opening sequence of Link driving Yoshi's kart is based on several things. Yoshi's kart is from Mario Double Kart, one of my favourite games of all time. Link driving the kart is from the latest Mario Kart, Mario Kart 8, where Link will be a guest character. Since Link never drove before, relying on horses or (in Toon Link's case) boats, I figure Yoshi will have to coach him. Finally, Yoshi teaching Link is based on Avatar Korra's Book 3 premiere, where Asami taught Korra to drive, with similarly disastrous results!

3.) The discussion of the school's action is somewhat related to "What We Saw From the Outside" by Wavebreeze. Due to the rush Wave was under when writing that fic, she neglected to deal with the school's position regarding hazing. This is a bad move, because the school's conduct will go a long way to determine how much in damages a victim will receive in court. Since the school did not take more drastic action to stop bullying, if Haley does press forward with the lawsuit, Haley can claim more damages. Hopefully I can fill in some of the gaps that Wave inadvertently created in her fic.

4.) Falco's return to SSB is related to one of my headcanons. One thing I noticed was that Falco was not announced as a returnee until quite late, almost just days before SSB4's actual release date. My headcanon is that Falco is quite sloppy and, as a result of his messiness, tends to lose stuff. That's why when he was given his invitation, he lost it and didn't realize he made it until much later!

That's all I got for now. Do you think there will still be a hazing event going on? Or will Milo have sent enough fear into the jocks to make them back off? Find out in the next chapter!