Chapter 15: I change the world

"W-Why would you do this Phoneix?! Why?!"

The sight of someone I knew, the sight of someone who had been teaching me for the past few months being the traitor. It made my heart drop.

Why did this happen?

Why was he the traitor?

Of all people, it could have been...

Why did it have to be him?!

Phoenix placed the ropes around his shoulders on the floor and set the explosives down from his back. "...I had to. The Council...they won't ever change their stance. They'll always try to make people like me feel worthless and weak."

"The council?! What do you mean?!" Marcel shared the same look of surprise like me. "What did they do?!"

"I was orphaned 6 years ago." Phoenix started. "Dominion found me and because of my ability, I was able to survive the attack that killed my parents and the people around me. I wanted to repay him so I attended Eden, my special circumstance allowing me to do it. Biggest mistake of my life! Everyone around me just saw a commoner, someone who didn't deserve to be around them...they treated me like an illness!"

"So you're angry?!" Jazmine shouted.

"Angry?!" Phoenix dry chuckled. "I'm furious! They knew my predicament yet they did nothing to change it. Time and time again I and many others, including your father tried to persuade them to change their ways but they didn't care, as long as they saw the elites, the people with money and power flooding into the school, the people they wanted to be at the top, they couldn't care less about someone like me or anyone else!"

"There has to be another way!" Harry said "...Right?!"

"Another way?!" Phoenix clenched his fist. "I've tried everything I can. This is the final one. To the council, my noble dream was nothing but a stupid thing that they would mock over and over again!

He breathed in and out before starting again. "I have to do this! It's the only way this world can be changed. Do you kids even know what it's like being mentally tormented by everyone around you for trying to be a superhero?! Do you?!"

A moment of silence passed between all of us.

"That's what I thought. Don't try to pretend to know what I've gone through, it's only my burden to take. Stand aside and let me do what I came here to do. I don't want to hurt my students."

"I do know what it's like, Phoenix."

Phoenix raised his eyebrows at me. "Wha-"

I continued. "I know what it's like to be mocked for being a superhero. Back on earth, I made the mistake of saying I wanted to be a superhero..and it earned me 6 years of misery and pain. I can't speak for everyone here but I can for some of them. Jazmine, Violet and Harry, do know what it's like. Don't think you're the only one who's gone through this."

I swallowed before speaking again. "This isn't the way you try to change things. A hero doesn't kill anyone and you're a hero, right? So stop this! Stop this and let's just go home! You can walk away from this!"

Phoenix wiped his forehead. "...I can't. What's been set in motion cannot be undone. I'm going to destroy the council of 6 and change this world!"

"Then...as his guardian and a hero, I will do what I must."

I turned sharply and glanced behind me to see Rennan holding his right hand up. I felt a burst of Heavenforce on his palm and as I stared, two blue discs appeared in a flash of light and started to spin just above his upheld palm.

Each disc whirred like a chainsaw with the disc above spinning faster than the other. In the middle of the two discs was a bright white core, almost the size of a football (soccer ball for the US peeps) bringing light to the dimly lit corridor.

"Rennan what are you-"

"Stopping this from happening."

Rennan jumped from his spot and before I knew it, he charged towards Phoenix, taking him and all of us by surprise. Phoenix threw a desperate and off-balance punch but Rennan ducked underneath it and pivoted on the spot to stand behind Phoenix.

As Phoenix looked with scared eyes, Rennan thrust his right hand out and rammed the bright white core into his face.

BSCHOOOOOOM

An explosion of bright light and sound soon followed and I covered my ears and closed my eyes. I managed to make out a silhouette of Phoenix flying through the bricked wall behind us, leaving cracked plaster and dust around us.

"Rennan!" I stood up sharply. "What was that?"

Rennan placed his now smoking right hand down and took in a deep breath. "I took care of the problem." His face turned stern as he looked at us but I felt it was more directed at me. "I'll ask you again, why are you all here instead of at home?!"

I proceeded to explain why I came here and Rennan just sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Kian, it's hard work looking after you. Why do you have to make it harder for me and your parents."

"Rennan? What happened to Phoenix?" Harry asked as he ran up to him.

"With how hard I hit him, he should be out." Rennan's hand went into his pocket. "Let me call the bomb disposal squad and -"

THIWCK!

A projectile whizzed past Rennan and pinned his phone to the wall near the door.

"I...won't...let you stop me.."

Through the same person-shaped hole in the wall, I glanced through to see a figure standing up straight. Phoenix's clothes had some light burns but he looked fine. He took deep breath after deep breath and ran his fingers through his slightly bruised forearms.

"T-that's impossible!" Rennan went rigid at the display. "My Regennance didn't touch you?!"

"That attack hurt a lot. Luckily I managed to reinforce myself with this." Phoenix pulled out a mostly filled capsule containing a crimson coloured liquid. I would have disregarded it but something about it was familiar, eerily familiar.

"Is that…?" Marcel started. "That's not…"

"It is..." Jazmine finished with wide eyes. "It's...Hellforce!"

"What?!" I asked her. "That's Hellforce?! I thought only people like us had it?!" I turned back to Phoenix. "How did you get it?!"

"ANSWER ME PHOENIX!" Rennan's amber eyes were wide with anger. "WHO GAVE THAT TO YOU?!"

"I don't know what this 'Hellforce' is but it's going to help me with what I came here to do!" Phoenix tore his sleeve up and aimed the needle of the capsule against his bicep.

"Don't do it!" Rennan shouted. "You don't know what you're messing with!"

"...Yes I do."

As Rennan charged in to stop him, the three of us (Me, Jazmine and Marcel) looked in horror as Phoenix injected himself with Hellforce, covering the whole place in bright red light forcing me to close my eyes.

I opened my eyes to see the wall in front of us now turned into nothing. Red embers ate away at the wood and standing just before us was Phoenix, a crimson aura accompanying him as his veins pushed against his skin.

Without warning, he jumped towards us and before I could even think, he clotheslined Rennan in the stomach and threw him against the closed door behind us with a sickening crunch. I immediately moved into action but he saw me coming.

With one move, he side kicked me in the chest and sent me flying into the side of the corridor and everything turned blurry. I kept coughing violently and through my blurred vision, I looked up to see Marcel and Jazmine trying their best to bring Phoenix down. Marcel threw explosions while Jazmine tried to use her speed to get a clean hit on Phoenix

"Argh!" Marcel threw explosion after explosion. "I won't let you destroy this school!"

Phoenix's eyes changed between Jazmine and Marcel as he dodged the explosions and blocked punches from Jazmine. With how coordinated the two were, I thought they were going to beat him but Phoenix had other plans.

As Jazmine charged in, Phoenix rammed his reinforced shoulder into her and sent her flying into a wall. Without wasting a second, Phoenix pivoted on the spot and blocked the explosions from Marcel.

He jumped backwards and he reproduced the same explosive orbs in his own hands.

"Wha-How can you do that?!" Marcel went stiff at the display. "I thought I could only do that!"

"You should have been paying more attention. I'm sorry." Phoenix threw the orbs into Marcel. He managed to guard in time and a cloud of crimson red smoke enveloped him. Phoenix charged in and clotheslined Marcel into the floor.

He glanced back at the explosives and walked towards them.

I tried to run, doing anything in my power to stop him from getting to it but I was just too dizzy to move. My head felt like it was filled with hot air and I kept on falling backwards

Fortunately, I didn't need to do anything.

A sudden wall of ice enveloped the bombs and it encased Phoenix up in it like a jail cell. Before he could react, he was shot with beams of light on his face and chest.

"Stay where you are!"

Leo had his misty hands on the floor in front, Harry's armour had come on and he had his repulsors ready, both of them ready and willing to stop Phoenix right then and there. shakily and started reinforcing my whole body in an attempt to stand.

Phoenix chuckled to himself. "I would be proud of you kids if you weren't my opponents."

The ice cage that Leo had built started to melt around him. Leo did the obvious and made more ice but no matter how much Leo did, it kept melting and to make it worse, he started to break out of it.

"Stay there!"

Milena jumped in and thrust her hand out. From it came an orange patterned circle which rotated and moved before stopping. Out of the center came a bright beam of orange light, hitting Phoenix directly in the face and pushing him back.

Do you know what it's like when you spray someone with a water hose? Yeah it was like that

"Yeah!" Leo cheered as he kept producing more and more ice. "Keep it up!"

I thought this was it, this was how we took Phoenix down. Unfortunately, it was not the case.

He put his hand up against the beam of light and managed to push through the obstacle again! The ice around him shattered and evaporated into steam as his steps turned into a jog and a full sprint.

"MILENA!"

Phoenix brought his fist back and before he could connect with Milena, Chris got in the way and tanked the punch with his armoured gauntlets.

WOOOOOSHHHHH!

Chris and Milena went flying at the force generated by the punch taking them out of the fight as they hit the walls. Leo and Harry followed suit with them with the speed of the wind generated as they crashed into the walls, away from the explosives.

I couldn't believe my eyes.!

All my friends were beaten so easily and all I could do was stare and groan while Phoenix beat them down one by one. What made him so strong now?! Was it the Hellforce doing that?! I knew it was strong but I didn't know it could be that strong?!

Phoenix stumbled a little but he wiped his hair and moved towards the explosives.

Drops of sweat ran down my face as I stared at him. If he managed to activate the bombs, my friends...the place that my parents built, everything I wanted to would be gone! Just like that!

I reinforced my body and launched myself at my teacher, trying my best to ignore the lightheadedness.

Phoenix turned around just as I punched him square in the face, sending a loud shockwave through the corridor. Phoenix stumbled back and regained his composure as he nursed his cheek. As I landed on the floor, he looked at me.

"Kian….you have this too?!"

I didn't answer him. I threw punches, kicks and did everything I possibly could to stop Phoenix from reaching the bombs.

"Kian, stop this!" Phoenix dodged my attacks. "If you want to stop the same thing that happened to you, that happened to us then let me do it!"

"This isn't how we change this!"

I dodged a punch and returned one of my own, hitting him square in the chest and making him cough up loudly. I thought I had him, I thought I could have won but I dropped my guard at the last minute and before I could even think of what to do next, he made his move

He grit his teeth and brought a reinforced fist, inches away from my face

If it hit, it would be game over for me.

I let the Hellforce in my body reach every part of me in an attempt to stop his fist from going clean through my face.

CLANGG!

"What the-what is this?!"

A pair of red and blue wings emerged out of nowhere and covered my face in time, shielding me from the impact of the punch. I stepped back and they unfurled themselves leaving Phoenix in a state of surprise that I took advantage of. With a reinforced hellforce punch, I hit him square in the stomach and sent him crashing into a wall. The force was enough for parts of it to fall around him and cover him in debris and dust.

I let my hand drop and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My heartbeat roared inside my chest.

What should I do now?! Should I try to beat Phoenix all on my own?! I saw what he did to my friends so...how could I stop him on my own!? Should I have come here?! Should I have stayed at home?! I'm just a kid!

"Kian...breathe."

I glanced back to where I heard the voice and found Rennan. He was in some discomfort, lying on the floor with a hand on his chest. I was surprised to see Violet was there, her hands were placed on his stomach with golden light pouring out of them like honey.

As soon as they glanced at me, their wings emerged out of their backs: a pair of honey gold wings for Violet and Silver Wings for Rennan.

"Rennan?!" I ran over to him. "Are you okay?!"

He shook his head and wiped a smear of blood away from his mouth. "Does it look like I'm okay? 6 of my ribs are broken and I think the impact broke my leg. I'm sorry Kian, I won't be of help in this fight."

"Violet!" I turned to her quickly. "C-Can't you heal him?!"

"I'm trying!" she defended herself. "I've only healed bruises...this...this is going to take a while."

"Kian, wings!"

I heard Harry but I kept my eyes on Rennan and Violet. "Yeah, what about them?!"

"Look!"

I turned to look and what I saw almost took the remaining air out of my lungs.

"Kian...why are there wings coming out of you? Am I seeing things?!" Chris said as he got up.

What was I so speechless about?

Well, behind Leo, Milena and Chris were their own pair of angel wings.

They struggled to move with the wingspan but they were there alright, lighting up the dark corridor. Leo's pair were an icy blue, Milena's was light pink and her brother had a light shade of red.

"Y-you guys-w-what is going on?!" I just stood there speechless at the sight. "H-how do you have w-wings?!"

"KIAN, MOVE!"

I got out of the way just in time, knowing exactly who threw them. Without looking, I felt the Heavenforce fly through the air. I turned in time to see the orbs hit Phoenix dead center in an explosion of crimson red smoke.

Phoenix tried to get up but a streak of orange surged forward behind me and it sent him tumbling backwards into a wall again. Before he could react, thick green vines formed from the ground up and held him in place

Jazmine appeared to my right, her orange and green wings fluttering behind her. "I thought we were supposed to keep our wings hidden?"

"Sorry," I muttered. "It just came out."

"You got a plan?!" Marcel appeared on my left, his wings angling themselves towards Phoenix. "And about them?"

"My vines can't hold him down for long," Jazmine stated. "Whatever you think off, we need it fast and now."

"I know!" I opened and closed my hands. "If I could take his Hellforce away, then we can win. The problem is I have no idea how."

"Kian!" I heard Rennan's voice behind me and turned to see him now hobbling to his feet, Violet still helping him somewhat. "Hellforce can be negated with Heavenforce traced Weapons."

"A what?!"

Rennan grimaced. "I don't have time to explain. If there's a Heavenforce traced weapon- something like your mother's knife then maybe-"

"You mean something like this?"

I thrust my right arm out and I felt the tattoo on my arm blaze with warmth. I expected a knife to emerge but instead as I pulled out the handle, a sword almost as half as me, emerged from the palm of my hand.

"Whoa!" Marcel stepped back. "Awesome!"

Rennan didn't speak for a hot second. "...I'll hold back on scolding you because of the current situation. As long as any part of the blade phoenix makes contact with Phoenix, it should negate the Hellforce flowing in his system."

I heard Phoenix struggling behind me. I knew he was trying to get out of the vines and I knew it wouldn't hold him forever.

A plan was essential.

"What do we do about the others, you know, they have wings?" Harry ran up to the three of us now. A part of his armour was dented but I think it was working properly, at least given how he wasn't freaking out about it.

"We'll deal with that later." I brushed it aside. I felt the heat on my back dissipate and I felt my wings vanish, the wings around everyone around me vanished too. "I think I have an idea how to beat him. I noticed something when you two attacked him."

"Yeah, we got beaten up," Marcel complained.

"No, not that," I shook my head. "He only copied your power Marcel but not Jazmine's. I've seen him copy someone's power before so why didn't he copy Jazmine's power too?"

"Maybe he needs a certain range?" Harry wondered.

"No, both of them were close...which means!" It suddenly made sense and I made up something on the spot. "I have a plan. Attack Phoenix. Not at one at a time but at once, don't give him time to think of what to do next!"

"Kian, what are you doing?!" Jazmine shouted at me. "Are you crazy?!"

"I might be. But I think I know how to defeat him!"

"How?!"

I brandished the sword on my right hand. "Follow my plan and I might just tell you," I smirked at her.

She just rolled her eyes and took a runner's stance, orange lightning sparking around her. "Ready when you are."

"Me too Kian!" Marcel brought his hand back and readied explosive spheres.

I glanced up to see the three others standing up. I heard the snapping of vines and I knew Phoenix had gotten free from his vine prison

"Why do you keep doing this?!" he begged me. "And what are those wings?"

I ignored the question about the wings. "I told you before, I'm not going to let my pain destroy the future of others."

Phoenix's lower lip trembled as he clenched his hands. "...Then forgive me for what I'm about to do Kian."

"You can bring whatever you want!" Marcel shouted. "We'll defeat you nonetheless!"

Phoenix brought his palms and started speaking in a language that I didn't understand. As he did, his body started glowing with red light and symbols started appearing near him. Strange symbols and a circle phased into existence.

Rennan went stiff at the sight. "That's...impossible! H-how did you know that?!"

"What is?!" I asked him.

If he did say something, I didn't get to hear it. Another explosion of bright red light followed and the entire place was carpeted in it. I got ready with my sword in hand thinking that Phoenix was about to attack with Hellforce charged punches but to my surprise, I found someone else standing there.

"Well well, isn't it the superhero wannabe?"

Varahard stood there with the sneer I was so used to seeing. He had his hands in his pockets as he stood in the red misty corridor.

"W-what are you doing here?!" I straightened up. "Your not supposed to be here!"

"What am I doing here?! Did you really think that just because you went into another world that you would escape me?!" he laughed wickedly

"That's how going to a different planet works," I replied. "I'll ask you again, what are you doing here?"

Varahard took a moment before laughing wickedly again. "Remember how many times you told me that you were going to be a superhero, that was all lies, wasn't it?! How can you be a superhero if you can't even win against me?! Do you remember how many times I won against you?!"

I fought back the sinking feeling inside my stomach as he continued laughing

"And what about now? What exactly have you done since you came here?"

"W-well I-"

"Well, what?!" Varhard brought his hands up. "I'll tell you what you've done. You've done nothing! All you've done is gotten yourself into situations where you have to be rescued haven't you?"

"N-no I haven't!" I protested. "That's not true!"

A sinister smile formed on his lips. "Really? You know it better than yourself how weak you are. The fight against that Monster on Earth, being almost killed by the Vessel killers and then the villains that invaded. Did you get out of that mess on your own?! Of course, you didn't! So how can you call yourself a hero if all you've done is gotten yourself hurt!"

"H-How did you know about that?!" My stomach was in free-fall now and I felt the heat on my face.

"You know what's funny, no matter how hard you try to be a superhero, it'll always end like this. You'll forever be weak against anyone you face Kian. The best thing to do is give up and prove me and everyone else right."

"That's not true!" I said through my gritted teeth.

"You have to know how hopeless this is right?!" Varhard sneered. "No one will help you on this journey, you will always be alone on this because frankly, why would anyone want to help a weakling like you?!"

I heard the whispers of my previous classmates, all of them laughing and all of them cackling widely around me. There were no faces but I knew their faces, each one of them I could remember vividly

I couldn't think of what to do. I just felt sick at the voices and how Varahard was somehow here of all places instead of Earth. My knees felt wobbly and the plan to defeat Phoenix fell through faster than a stone in water.

What was worse...was that Varahrd was right

I had someone bail me out when I was in trouble. Be it Rennan, the Angels watching over me or Njoro, someone was there. How was I going to get out of this?!

"And what about now. you're going to fail just like the last time." Varahard continued. "It's a good thing really, I mean his way is right isn't it? What can you do to convince them?"

"Don't listen to that thing."

I felt a hand clamp my shoulder and turned to look at Jazmine. "Jazmine! What are you doing here?!" I stepped back alarmed.

She rolled her green eyes at me. "I'm here to help you Kina." she turned to look at Varahard. "Whoever you're seeing. That's not real."

"Huh?!"

"Rennan managed to break me out of the effect," she answered. "He told me about this."

"Tell you about what? And how did you find me?!"

"Whatever you're seeing, it's a reflection of what you're insecure about. It's trying to break you down. As for finding you, your sword. It's hard to miss in this thick mist." She glanced down and I followed her eye line.

My sword for some reason was glowing, a bright white/blue colour that was glowing in the red mist.

Why was it glowing?

"~Release your Heavenforce through the Sword~"

Michael...Why?

"~Remember what Rennan said about this weapon?~"

What did he-

I got it a moment later and I gripped the handle of my sword tightly. I breathed in and out and concentrated on my breath. Using the fact that Jazmine was next to me, using her as a means of anchoring myself to reality, I channelled my heavenforce through the blade, turning it into a flaming pillar of light ebbing and pulsing with power.

"What is that?!" Varhard stepped back. "No...why-how are you fighting back?!"

"Hey, where's all that stuff about me being weak?" I asked with a smile. "If you're a reflection about my insecurity then I'll overcome you. I was never scared of you Varahard or your stupid friends. I didn't fight when you attacked because I just didn't want to show my powers off. If it was a fair fight, I would have beaten you before you even threw a punch at me."

"Lies!" Varahrd snapped. "You're weak. Do you not remember me-!"

"Whatever happened, whatever he was, he's not anymore. He's not alone and he'll never be. I know he'll be a superhero." Jazmine stared at him. "He's done more than you ever would in your entire life. No one starts strong, and he didn't either. Everything he's done so far, it's been earned through his determination and hard work."

She surprised me for a moment and so was Varahard. He grit his teeth and as he did, the faces of my ex-classmates, all sticking up their noses at me appeared around me, changing the scene to that of the classroom I had once known."

"You'll always be the freak with the disability to us. Nothing will change that." Varahard said. "That's what you'll be to us!"

"Yeah...but not to them. These people, the people that are in my class right now, they're just like me and guess what, they all like me! Good riddance everyone, I won't be seeing you again!" I brought my sword up and breathed in and out, turning my once roaring heartbeat into a gentle rhythm.

My sword turned into the colour of a clear sky and the last expression I saw on Varahard's face was sheer horror as I brought the sword down, letting free a beam of bright blue light that tore across the room.

Instead of Varahard and my ex classmates, I looked up and was Phoenix standing there, speechless at what just happened.

"H-how?!" he demanded. "H-how did you keep fighting?! That was supposed to break your spirit!"

"You should have tried harder than that." I pointed my sword at him.

"What is that sword?!" he eyed it with contempt.

"It's my secret weapon!" I smirked. "Come and get it if you want."

(Play Haruka Mirai from Black Clover)

Phoenix grit his teeth and stepped forward. Only instead of walking towards us, Chris appeared out of nowhere and punched him onto the floor. Phoenix tried to grab him but a burst of ice and a beam of orange light threw him flat against the walls.

"You alright?!" Leo rushed to help Chris up.

"I'm fine. Come on. Let's do this!" Chris got up placed his arms up to defend himself. His sister ran alongside him to join in the fight.

I just stared at the three. "What are they doing?"

"Following your plan."

"My plan?"

"Yeah!" Marcel stood on my left. "The one where we hit him with everything we have!"

"Are you sure you want to do this?!"

"We do!" Harry appeared next to me, his repulsors turned bright and his helmet closed around his face with a satisfying CLUNCK "Just say the word!"

I turned to Violet. "Keep Rennan safe okay?"

She nodded. "I will. Kian, go and save our school!"

"Kian..." Rennan started. "I can't do much right now, but if you want to win, concentrate your anger on him. Don't let your rage consume you. Let it fuel you instead. Understand?"

"Yeah...I got it. This is just like with DVK right?"

Rennan nodded. "Exactly. Now go and defeat him."

I turned back to see Phoenix getting up for the billionth time, eyes still fixed on the bombs behind me. "Please stand down…" he begged us. "Let me make this place better for you."

"I'm sorry," I held my sword tightly. "I can understand where you come from, I really do but I can't let you destroy this school, especially after my parents worked so hard for it."

And that's when the fight started.

Phoenix reinforced his body and charged at us, breaking the floor with every impact of his foot. Chris stepped forward and with the help of an ice wall behind him by Leo, stopped his advance slowly.

Unfortunately, Phoenix reinforced his body and managed to break through the ice and sent Chris flying backwards. Milena and Leo had him covered, however. She opened a portal just behind him and Leo made an ice bridge near us so he didn't get hurt when he landed and slid on his back.

Marcel was the next to try. His hands were primed with explosives and he combined them into a big sphere. Harry aimed his repulsors and both let free their attacks. Phoenix saw this coming and guarded himself and the resulting explosion detonatated around him in a cloud of grey smoke.

"Did we do it?!" Chris asked me

"I doubt it. He always guards whenever we throw something. If only-" I suddenly thought of an idea and I turned to Milena. "Milena, can you create a portal about my size?"

She nodded. "But why?"

"It'll make sense soon."

I felt a flash of Hellforce and I turned just in time to see red orbs flying through the grey smoke cloud. Using my sword, I batted the orbs with my sword, dissipating them into thin air and felt my own Hellforce reserves increase.

"Kian...that was amazing," Harry's mouth was slightly open.

I shrugged my shoulders and ignored that feeling. "It wasn't anything special."

"He's not going to stop." Jazmine interrupted us. "Whatever you're doing Kian, you better do it fast!"

"He'll be trying to take my sword out of my hands. He knows it's cancelling whatever he's using against us." I explained. "Especially with what I said."

"Then we'll stop him," Chris announced. "What do you need?"

"If you can hold him down and make him stay in one place that's how we win," I replied. "Think you can do that?"

"Yeah, we can!" Marcel stated

The grey cloud dissipated and I saw Phoenix standing there again, his dark eyes now fixated on me as he made his advance again. This time, instead of Chris meeting him head-on, everyone charged except me and Milena charged in to stop him.

They fought him bravely, dodging punches, kicks and hooks while returning their own attacks. We only knew each other for a few months but we fought bravely. Phoneix tried to fight Jazmine but Harry shot him in the face with a round of repulsors and he had to guard. Jazmine took this opportunity and ran to where I was and ran back in, leaving a trail of orange lightning behind her as Phoneix went flying from the shoulder charge. To add insult to injury, Leo put up an ice wall behind him. Phoenix slammed into it hard, given how painful and loud his scream was. Marcel and Chris finished this move off with an explosive punch.

This fight soon reached its climax when Leo trapped Phoenix's lower half with ice, enough to reach his waist. Jazmine and Harry were across his waist tightly and Marcel had his arms around his neck with the help of Chris.

"KIAN! DO WHATEVER YOU WANTED TO DO!" all of them shouted

I turned to Milena and she understood what I meant immediately. She opened a portal in front of me and through peering into it, I saw Phoenix's distraught face. I thrust my sword into the palm of my right hand and I willed it was a small knife instead of a sword.

"~So it shall be. I'll make sure it doesn't pierce his skin~"

As I grabbed the handle, I threw the now smaller knife into the area around his face. Phoenix looked terrified but he moved in a flash and he caught it with his right hand, holding the blade inside his closed fist.

Just as I expected, I felt his Hellforce all but disappear in a flash as I went through the portal. As I jumped through, the passage of time slowed down almost. I saw the faces of my friends looking up at me like I was their saviour, which in a way I was.

I breathed in and out and I gathered my rage into one moment. Everything he did to us, the fight against Auras, seeing my teacher hurt, seeing Njoro almost die that day.

That was all the fuel I needed

I looked at Phoneix one last time. "I'm sorry. But I win."

I brought my first as hard as I could to the top of his skull and put my body into it. The ground cracked and gave way and Phoenix's eyes rolled into the back of his head as his body fell flat on the floor.

The fight between us and Phoenix was over.

The school had been saved.

(Music End)

XxX

I hit the ground and landed on my stomach, rattling my head for a second. I fought back the dizziness and saw that Phoenix was knocked clean out, lying flat on the floor. His right hand had let go of the blade that I had thrown and I walked over to pick it up

"D-did we do it?!"

I glanced around to see my friends had somehow been thrown into a wall.

"What happened to you?"

"You did Kina!" Jazmine complained. "I don't know how hard you hit him but we got thrown back from the force. That's some punch you have."

Leo, Chris and Marcel all complained and groaned as they got up, wiping the dust off their bodies. The walls around us were in bad condition now. Cracks were going across them and bits of plaster covered the entire floor. There were cracks on the floor too now, going deep as maybe I think 2m?

Basically what I'm saying is that the place got trashed. Very badly.

I heard groaning from behind me and the sight took what breath I had left

"I-i...won't let…"

Phoenix got up AGAIN and walked towards me. All I could do was stand there frozen. I just hit him with everything I had and he somehow managed to get up?!

Just what was he made of?!

"I w-w-"

CRACK!

Phoenix was struck in the back of the head again and this time I think finally, he went down like a sack of potatoes.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on my students! EVER AGAIN!"

Rennan rubbed his right hand as hobbled one foot, standing over a knocked out Phoenix. He breathed heavily and glanced at me and then looked at the others. "Is everyone okay?"

Everyone agreed with nods and hmms. Rennan walked over to me and put a hand on my head. "Kian...you...you did well today."

"I did?! I did!" I beamed with pride. "What are we going to do about Phoenix?"

Rennan turned to look at him sprawled out on the floor. "...I've...I've called the police, the paramedics and the bomb squad. It's going to be fine now."

"Kian, are you okay?!" Violet ran towards me and hugged me tightly

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I returned the hug.

She pulled back and slapped my arm. "That was really dangerous you know!"

"I know, I know." I sighed. "This was the only way I had a chance of saving the school. I Had to do something dangerous, take the risk."

"It paid off." I turned and saw Harry talking. "It was a big risk but it went our way."

"Yeah, I'm with him." Marcel agreed. "None of us are complaining about what you did."

"He's right," Rennan said. "You led everyone around you and managed to defeat a dangerous villain. It's not something to be scoffed at, especially at such a young age."

The mention of the word made me turn to Phoenix. "He wasn't really a villain. I can understand where he came from but I don't know what to do."

Rennan patted my shoulder and twirled the projectile that Phoenix had thrown in his free hand. "You don't have to."

Both of us heard sirens and Rennan looked at the door and at all of us. "Come on, let's go get those injuries looked at."


Sometime later…

All of us sat in the portable beds that the Paramedics had given us while we watched the scene unfold in front of us. The media had turned up as well because well when you hear explosions in the place where an important meeting was supposed to take place, you tend to want answers about what happened.

Flashes of red and blue lit up the area around us and I saw the rest of my friends talking to each other, brushing away what happened so easily. My eyes glanced to Rennan talked to the camera's and reporters about how he managed to defeat Phoenix, the person responsible for the villain invasion a few months earlier and the attempted murder of the Council.

Why did he take the glory when I was the one who saved everyone?

Well, we were still students and we didn't even have the permission to act in situations like that yet. He promised us that he would give us less homework for the next two weeks so we let him have it this time. It wasn't like it was underserved, Rennan did help a little.

Rennan went on to explain that we were just visiting the building so we were caught up in the destruction and went ahead and told the media how he saved all of us which they ate up.

I knew one day...that I was going to be on the media with me at the front soaking up the glory from saving everyone

But I was still too young for that...at least for now.

I felt a twinge of sympathy as I saw Phoenix being dragged away, hands locked together by holographic handcuffs. He was led away by the police and he was surrounded by the crowd as they made way for him.

"Villain!"

"SCUM!"

"FREAK!"

"Why were you even allowed to go here?!"

Those were the insults I heard and they threw a few things at him. Having been through something like that I could only look away painfully. I should have felt a sense of accomplishment from defeating him but I just felt empty.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

I glanced up to see Jazmine next to me. The cuts on her face had already started healing so all she did was twirl strands of her hair around her fingers. "Come on, tell me!"

"Was it that easy to tell?"

She nodded. "Let's just call it a gift. Now tell me before I have to force it out of you."

I sighed and smiled lightly. "I don't...I don't feel like I did anything good today."

"Are you serious?!" she scoffed. "You stopped the traitor. You stopped the school from being blown up! You saved what your parents built a long time ago. How is that not a good thing?! You did a good thing today Kina!"

"Did I?" I swallowed dryly. "What was Phoenix trying to do today Jazmine? What was the whole purpose behind it? This whole elite only policy, I feel like I just let it continue."

"Well," she started. "If you trying to make a change, I don't think trying to murder the council is a good start."

"Yeah, I guess."

"What is your problem with not being happy about what you did?!" she said sternly. "You said to yourself you wanted to be a hero since you were a kid?!"

I shrugged. "Maybe I'm starting to see that this wasn't what I expected it to be."

"That does tend to happen. Dreams can be so different to reality."

"Jazmine, when you came to rescue me, what did you see?"

"What was that?"

"You told me that whatever Phoenix did, it made all of us see our insecurities right? So what did you see, what was your insecurity."

It was hard to see because it was nighttime now but I could have sworn she blushed. She brought her knees together and stared at the floor. "It was someone from my school. She had this weird green hair and these square eyes. Like an actual square. She used to put chewing gum in my hair and make fun of my hair colour."

"That must have been tough."

She stared at the night sky. "It was. It didn't help that the abuse got worst and I punched her when she pushed me over the line. It was the last day but I still got expelled for it but…" she chuckled to herself. "Best moment of my life was seeing her crying on the floor. Totally worth it."

"She's wrong." I started. "What she said about your hair, I think that colour suits you very well."

"Oh. "T-thanks." she looked taken aback lightly and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ears. She cleared her throat and fixed her green eyes on me. "Now, Kian. What did you see?"

"You know the guy I was talking about? He went on about how I can never be a superhero and whatever and how I was scared of him." I answered. "Of course that wasn't the case."

"After what you did, you proved him wrong." Jazmine smiled at me and it took me off guard. "I'm very proud of you for that.

"Wait, are you-are you being nice to me?!" I joked.

She frowned slightly. "What do you mean? I'm always nice to you."

"Are you sure?"

She chuckled and jabbed my shoulder a little. "I'm glad that I have you as a classmate."

"Likewise."

"Kian?!"

Wait, that voice?!

I turned and before I could comprehend my surroundings, I was hugged and I knew who it was from the flash of blonde hair out of the corner of my eye. I relaxed into her embrace knowing that no matter would happen next, I would be safe.

"What were you thinking?!"

My mum pulled away and she sniffled. "Leaving in the middle of the night...without even thinking of telling us?!"

I heard more footsteps and turned to see Dad walking forward too. He looked worried but once he saw me, he sighed and came over to me, pulling me into a big hug.

"How did you guys-"

"Rennan called us the moment he could. Explained everything. " Dad said. "Kina, do you know how dangerous it is-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I sighed. "I shouldn't have gone-"

Dad raised his hand and I stopped talking. "I didn't finish. Do you know how dangerous it is ...without asking us for help?"

"Wait what?!" I had my mouth open slightly. "You would have helped?!"

"Of course we would!" Mum replied proudly. "We built this place from the ground up. Don't you think we would help you if you had asked us?!"

"I'm s-sorry, I just I d-didn't know if you would help me."

My parents sighed and they sat next to me on the bed. They pushed up against me and put an arm around me. "Kian, If you ask us for help, we'll do our best to help you. We'll always be by your side."

I just couldn't help but smile widely. Mum glanced at my hand and then turned my right palm upwards to show the complex sword tattoo on there.

"Ah. I was wondering where it went. Did Michael tell you about this?"

I nodded. "What's up with that?"

"Our bodies were added with the extra feature of holding weapons within us." she continued. "We don't have to waste materials for scabbards and sheaths. I was hoping to show you how to with the Sword of Michael but I guess you figured it out on your own."

"Sword of Michael?"

"Yes. It's a story for another time."

She turned to see Jazmine and kissed me on the forehead. "I'm going to make sure everyone is okay."

"Yeah, that's fine."

While she did that, I turned to Dad. "Dad..can't you do something about this policy?"

He sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Unfortunately, even if I talk to them, the council, they would reveal that I'm a Vorakian, same with your mother being an Evian. We have our hands tied with this."

"How would you make them listen then?" I asked again. "I just want to make a difference!"

"This is going to sound corny but make them an offer they can't refuse." he smiled comfortingly. "Something they have to take you up on. Something that have to listen to"

"But what?" I sighed. "I can't think of anything."

"Well, don't tell your mum I said this but anything that can paint them in a negative light tends to make them, and pretty much anyone really listen to your demands."

"Like what?"

"Let's say Eren took a biscuit and you caught him. You know he'll get in trouble if Mun found out so you can use that to get him to listen to you."

"So blackmail?"

"Pretty much. I don't want you to use it but if someone's life is in danger, you might have to think about it." Dad continued. "Depending on the situation, we have to make the choices that we don't like to keep everyone safe."

"Ace!"

Mum walked in front of us. "Everyone's okay. I think it's time we should head back home."

"You're going so soon?!" I asked frantically. "Can't you stay and I don't know, scare the council?!"

They chuckled lightly. "I don't think we can," Mum replied. "Plus, we left Eren and Diana all alone so we need to head back quickly."

"Aren't you going to take me with you?"

"We would but all you kids have been requested to see the council. They want to know what happened." Dad stated

"Are you going to leave me with them?!" I said in horror. "I'm just a kid!"

"You won't be alone."

I turned to see Lucas near me. "We'll be there with you. All of us."

"Oh," I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

I heard vehicle noises and I turned to see cars with patrol units alongside them as they turned up one after the other. The cameras turned to them and as they got out, I knew it was the council.

"Well, that's our cue to leave." Mum and Dad said. "You're going to be fine, okay Kina."

"Yeah!" Jazmine said with a smirk. "I'll look after you."

"Pretty sure I would be looking after you." I joked. "You wouldn't have been able to do anything if I wasn't there."

"It was a team effort Kina." she rolled her eyes. "Don't take all the credit."

"I didn't/" I grinned


In the Council Room

"So...tell us from the beginning, what happened?"

The room that we were in was a hall with 6 seats. Those 6 seats were designed ornately and on them sat the 6 members of the council. One of them, Boroil, sat looking upon me and the rest of my class with curiosity.

Everyone except Leo, Chris, Milena and Harry's parents turned up so I stood next to them, making sure that they didn't feel alone and scared at the gaze of the council.

Rennan stood in the middle as he explained the situation. "Phoenix attempted to destroy this building and you at the same with the use of 5 explosives. I dealt with him and defeated him."

"And the children?" Boroil asked him

"They were...involved with the incident," Rennan said. "They were hurt in the battle and I made sure they were rescued."

"I see." One of the members said. "It's funny. You all pleaded with us to change the policy. A peasant like him we allowed in because his parents died, almost killed us. What a fool he was!"

"HEY!"

The council members and everyone around snapped their heads at me.

"Don't you dare talk about Phoneix that way! It was what you did that he turned to this!" I shouted

One of the members just laughed at me which made me angrier. "What did we did? We gave him a place to call home, a place to learn and he paid us back with attempted murder, surely even a child can see it right?!"

I clenched my fist. "You changed this school into something that caused him to turn this way!" I growled. "He tried his best to get it changed, change this evil policy but all you did was destroy his hope again and again. You're responsible for this!"

"Kian…" Lucas said in a state of alarm. "Maybe relax a little."

"Does this child know who he's talking to?!" Boroil stood up. "How dare he address us like that?!"

"I think he has a point," Njoro said casually. "If you had changed the policy, then this wouldn't have happened."

"Change it?! Do you know how beneficial it is to Locus?!" Boroil stood up. "I-it's brought so many positives!"

"Beneficial only to you," I answered. "I don't know why it took me so long but I know exactly what you are. Your bullies, all of you! You think that your money allows you to do anything you want to right?! I've seen how 'beneficial' your policy is. I've seen kids starve because of it, I've seen children younger than me being used as pawns by crime lords, I've seen people being discriminated against because of something they can't control and suffered it myself! All this policy does is fill your pockets. So, tell me truthfully, how is this beneficial to Locus?!"

A moment of silence passed as the council just sat there stunned at my speech, I didn't look at my friends because I was too busy trying to control the shivering in my legs.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO US LIKE THAT?!" Boroil roared at us. "WE CAN EXPEL YOU IF WE WANT TO!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I'll gladly leave. I will not attend a school that does not provide a safe environment. I'm sure I can find another school."

This really set their heads loose before one of them just calmly laughed and looked me dead in the eye. "Even if we did listen to you, why would we? You're just a little kid, you have no power here, you have nothing to offer. Your speech was impressive but no matter how good it was, you won't get what you want."

The mention of the offer made me remember something.

With a proud smile, I ripped the video device off my neck and pressed play, projecting the video for everyone to see in the highest quality it was able to play.

What was the video you ask?

Well, it was Marrow beating me up. The audio was cut and that helped me hide my identity of being a Vorakan/Evian hybrid. They didn't need to know about that yet.

The council members went stiff at the sight. Boroil included. "LIES! THAT IS A FAKE VIDEO! HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST MY GRANDSON DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"

"No, it's not." Rennan said sternly. "Look at the date at the corner. it matches the day where the villains invaded. This video is the real thing. Aer you really blind about your grandson after he's gained his reputation?"

"Is that what he did?" Violet had her hands on her mouth.

Yeah." I turned to Violet. "Sorry I didn't show you guys sooner?"

I turned back to the council with a victorious smirk. "The media are just outside. All I need to do is go outside and show them how one of the grandkids of this council beat up a little kid. Especially someone a victim of a villain attack. I wonder how much damage that can cause, how fast they'll hate you. You're already unpopular with the public so this can be the final nail in the coffin for your presence here. We can get new people to take your place, the universe is a big place So what's it going to be Council? Are you going to change the policy that caused the rise of Phoenix or am I going to need to show this to the media outside? It's your choice whether you stay or leave."

One of the council members got off her seat and made a B-line towards me but Njoro stood in the way. She changed the angle but Rennan blocked her again standing around me like a wall.

"You're supposed to serve us!" she shrieked. "Why are you protecting him?! T-this brat?!"

"The protection of our students and the public is a higher priority," Rennan answered. "Try and remember that won't you?"

"This brat has more integrity than you ever could," Njoro glared at her. "Know your place."

"T-then," another council member spoke up. His face running cold. "We'll expel you! Yeah, that's right! You'll never come here again and not just you. ALL YOUR FRIENDS TOO!" he cackled like he figured out a solution.

"We'll gladly leave with him." Harry stepped forward. "I've had it up to here with how stuck up you are! Everyone deserves a chance of being a hero, look at me, I don't have powers but I still fought the villains didn't I?"

"I'll leave too!" Marcel answered. "I'd rather watch paint dry than go to a school like this, run by someone like you all. I hate people like you the most!"

"As much as I don't want to, I'm going to have to follow Kian." Jazmine crossed her arms. "What you allowed is disgusting and trust me, I know what Kian is talking about, I've faced the discrimination myself."

"If your own grandson beat up Kian like that, then I have no reason to attend here!" Violet growled angrily. "You can all burn in Hell!"

The council just sat there speechless

"If you changed the policy, then Phoenix wouldn't have happened. If you do nothing about this, someone like Phoenix will happen again and again and AGAIN!" I said through my clenched teeth. "Change it, or I'll walk right up to the camera's and show them this! YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"£

"Y-your blackmailing us?!" Boroil's eyes were wide with horror. "Why?! Aren't you supposed to train to be a hero?!"

I stopped the video and just grinned. "I see nothing wrong with this. What's a little bit of blackmail if it helps others am I right. Someone once told me that you have to play the role of the villain to be a hero and if I'm the villain in this, then I'll gladly be it.


A few minutes later..

"We are...making an a-announcement.." Boroil said as he faced the cameras.

Me and my friends watched from the sidelines as he announced that by popular demand, they would get rid of the elite only policy and anyone would be allowed to join provided that they passed the tests and entrance exams

"I can't believe you did that," Harry turned to me. "You faced the people that pretty much kicked your parents out!"

"It felt good seeing them so scared of me! And I didn't even need to use my powers" I giggled at their faces. "I know I did the right thing today. Now I feel better about what happened."

"They were scumbags, especially Marrow for how he beat you up," Marcel said. "Serves them right!"

I watched as the crowd cheered and people were dancing and hugging each other when the announcement that the policy was removed, effective immediately.

"They won't know that you were the reason that they changed it," Harry stated

"They don't need to. Not yet at least." I replied. "As long as they're happy, as long as there is justice, that's all I care about."

"I'm impressed, Kian." Jazmine turned to me. "That took some courage. Especially after having to face your insecurities."

"I overcame that, or at least made a start in overcoming them," I answered her. "That was my past, now all that matters is what lies ahead."

"What do you think is going to happen now?"

"A lot of people are going to apply now. People are going to be coming in left right and centre." Violet answered. "You've been here 6 months and you've changed something that was there for 6 years. That's really impressive Kian."

She smiled at me and I beamed at her praise. "T-thanks. I felt like I had to make his sacrifice, Phoenix's sacrifice worth it. Helping people, that's what heroes do. "

"Well, I think he'll be proud of you man." Marcel patted me on the shoulder. "You did what he wanted to without the murder."

I nodded. "If he does hear about this, I know he'll be happy."

"What are we going to do about the 3 angels?"

I turned to Milena, Leo, and Chris who were talking amongst themselves. I wanted to go and talk but I felt a hand clamp my shoulder. "I'll take care of this," Rennan smiled at me. "You've done enough for today."

"Oh."

"Everyone, go home and get a good night's rest," he announced. "You all earned it after you made the council U-turn the policy that we have tried so hard to get overturned. A part of me is a bit jealous of how you did what we coudln't do in 6 years in the span of a few months. Nevertheless, I'm sure your parents Kian, are going to be very happy with what happened."

I nodded. "I know they will."

"By the way," Rennan asked me. "What's up with that "You have to play the role of the villain to be a hero" phrase?"

"Oh that, I don't know. I just thought it sounded cool, that's all." I shrugged." It was cool right?"

Rennan nodded but his expression didn't change. "I see. Go home and get a lot of sleep. You still have class tomorrow."

And that was how I changed the world with a little blackmail.