Reviews :

FireSong-Writes : Thank you so much friend, I feel bad that people can relate to him, because that's exactly where I am, and it's not fun. But at the same time, the camaraderie has really helped. And, yes, if the loading bar is at fifty percent, it means the baby is fifty percent loaded, the half way point of gestation. Thanks again!

Burgie : Yyyep. Poor guy never gets the memo unfortunately.


Song Listened To :

Blade Runner 2049 by Synthwave Goose

do not ask me why I paired this chapter with this song. I have no clue. I'm just vibin'.


*Chapter 55*

"Gideon, pass it!" Chase hollered as him and Gideon blurt in panting, hefty laughter on Pre-Academy's sunny, gorgeous green quad, one of which that seemingly spread for acres.

With a grunt, Gideon clenched his teeth and managed to kick the soccer ball, that him and Chase were playing with, clear across the stretch, rocketed past Chase at rapid speeds and messily began to rocket itself right in the direction of a nearby patch of bushes and trees of which securely housed a few student groups of all sorts of Pre-A ages. Gideon felt his pupils tighten with hot realization, he scrunched his shoulders tight to his head and furiously grit his teeth as their soccer ball rocketed into a nearby bush, leveled the top, splayed leaves all over and eventually bounced into someone's back with a thud. Chase gaped, blurt a hard, boyish laugh and joined Gideon in rushing over to sheepishly retrieve their ball across the field.

"Sorry guys!" Chase called out; said mixture of students were a combination of eight and nine months, though inside said group was Nemi and Zee, something of which had Gideon feeling the itch to get in, grab the ball and hurriedly head out.

"Guys, watch it," An older student called in hot irritation as they began to clean their area of the splayed leaves, said bark of a retort had Chase slowing his movement and now nervously looking about the cobbled area for their ball.

"Who's the culprit?" Zee nastily called with a snide smile as he took off his black beanie and picked bigger leaves out of the fabric.

"Who do you THINK?" Someone snipped, Gideon felt his airways tighten with embarrassment as he was quick to source the ball, of which had unfortunately rolled underneath the table Zee and Nemi were sitting at.

"It's between the agile lizard or big foot himself, I mean, seriously, you're asking that question?" Nemi muttered with a dark, sassy little grin, her vivid eyes hooked into Gideon's like knives.

"C'mon, let's go," Chase tenderly encouraged, as he began to back step, and as Gideon rolled his eyes, grunted to source the ball and did what he could to grapple it into his bigger fingers, Zee meanly nudged it away with his heavy shoe.

"Guys, knock it off," Gideon grumbled. Although he was well aware he could feel Ralph's loving, gentle-giant qualities so easily soak his existence, something else was now hungrily brooding at the forefront, something that made his veins shake like a taut tightrope.

"Knock it off," Someone else nearby mocked with a joined roll of snickers that hung in Gideon's ears like wasps.

"When're y'gunna get a haircut, Gideon?" Zee loudly wondered; it was clear that the group was now riding off of each other, the desire to fit in and get in a final, game ending jab was something everyone at the medium sized concrete table was eager on doing.

"A haircut?" Gideon grunted in an exasperated, irritated stab as he finally clutched the soccer ball and took a nervous, wobbly step or two backwards, though his hurt and confused eyes glossed the group before him.

"Yeah, that MOP on your head is looking really wild," Nemi muttered into her hand, everything she ever said was behind a veil, as if she wasn't brave enough to come out with said teasing.

"Gee, thanks," Gideon muttered loudly as he shook his head, rolled his eyes and now nervously swiped his messy auburn hair out of the sweat on his forehead.

"You're welcome," Zee grinned, "Then maybe you can see just where you're throwin' those meatloafs around, y'know? Can't even aim a soccer ball, the easiest thing to do."

"I'm the last person you should be mocking," Gideon now growled, he clenched his fists and thrust the soccer ball behind him in a grunt of a chuck, something that had Chase urgently recoiling to.

"What, y'gunna hit me?" Zee wondered in a mocking show of fear, he put his hands up and pretended to quiver while the group howled with laughter, "Get suspended? Not very Prince-like, there, your highness."

"I don't have to, I can just manifest a pool of lava underneath you," Gideon stated in dark, grinning cheek, his pupils drew tight in pin-point accuracy, as if his body was assuring him he was locked and loaded, though as he opened his palms and was very ready to go to war for himself, due to no one else showing signs of wanting to do so, he huffed a shaky breath and felt cold dread fall over him. The raw fact that powers were fully muted beyond Academy's walls had him urgently recoiling into himself in the stark nosedive into full-fledged, morbid embarrassment. On cue, the silent group before him suddenly erupted with laughter, causing Gideon to soften from his tirade in a flinch, though before he could turn heel and silently admit his defeat here, he clenched his teeth and delivered Zee a nasty notion of departure, "If I ever see you outside of Academy, it's over."

"Oh, is it? Is it maybe GAME OVER?" Zee cried with laughter, as did everyone else, "Is this before or after your haircut?!"

"The pit of lava is maybe the void where he goes for said haircut," Nemi loudly whispered; everyone was lost in laughter, and though Gideon was well aware he had both of his feet proverbially in his mouth at this point, he urgently brought Chase into this mess.

"Chase has seen my powers, he can vouch for me! You'd ALL be screwed!" Gideon shouted, he could feel the veins in his forehead begin to want to burst, and as he desperately peered his becoming-scared and crazed golden eyes tight to Chase, he bobbed him an assured nod and gestured his bigger hand to the group, as if to beg Chase to speak up, "RIGHT?"

Chase nervously swallowed a tight gulp and peered his scared eyes tight to the group who fell into grinning silence in mocking, baited wait. Just before Chase could open his mouth and very clumsily assure the group that he has, indeed, seen Gideon's manifestation powers, both Chase and Gideon largely flinched the second the group loudly began to howl with laughter once more.

"Why don't you stick to your soccer practice, Giddy-no-shoes," Zee barked with a wide, mean grin, and though Gideon could swear he could feel the Arcade bevel underneath the harbored, terrifying power he held, he clenched his teeth in full, bubbling wrecking anger and did whatever he could to convince himself to turn heel. Whilst Gideon fervently brushed past Chase, Zee cupped his hands over his mouth and loudly called out to Gideon's disappearing figure, "I'll set you up that haircut appointment ANY time my friend! Just let me know!"

"Yeah! We just care about your mop-head!" Another one of the guys called, and the second they darkly laid eyes on Chase, as if to potentially wonder if Chase was sticking around for more torture treatment, Chase stiffened and hurried to turn around and follow after Gideon.

"Gideon," Chase called nervously as Gideon stormed off, though before both boys could properly reconvene and figure out just what the hell happened, the bell sharply rang. Chase huffed a breath, urgently scampered on all fours and was successful in reaching Gideon much quicker, though upon doing so, Chase gently gripped Gideon's lower arm and tilted his head to gain eye contact, "Gideon, c'mon, don't listen to those jerks."

"You didn't defend me, dude," Gideon suddenly barked, his eyes were glassy, and though Gideon was doing a wonderful job of concealing his sadness, it was very clear that one mental misstep would have Gideon in a crumpled mess of tears.

"I-I'm... I'm sorry, I froze up," Chase uttered nervously, though Gideon spat a hard exhale of disapproval and shook his head, "I figured you had it, I didn't think you'd try and actually USE your powers AGAINST someone like that."

"I clearly stood alone, what other option did I have?" Gideon stabbed darkly, to which Chase furrowed his brow in confused apology and shook his head.

"Sorry, man, I just... I didn't also want to be mocked," Chase admitted, to which Gideon darkly grinned and looked off in cynical acceptance, both boys were due to parting ways as Gideon was on his way to Flint's office, and Chase was on his way to class.

"It's all good, I took the brunt of it," Gideon grinned a wide, deceiving smile and tenderly rested his bigger hand on his broad chest. He narrowed his eyes and mockingly smiled broader for emphasis, "Don't worry about me."

"I-I'll... See you in class, then," Chase mumbled with uncertainty, to which Gideon bobbed a hefty, sneakily sarcastic nod and saluted Chase as his powerful, predatory stride pressed on towards Flint's office.

"Sure thing!" Gideon chimed with a dark smile, though Chase confusedly peered after him and now couldn't decipher if Gideon was being sarcastic or not; in loo of hoping for the best, Chase shrugged and turned heel, so to properly head to class.


Flint cutely hummed a deeper tune, his black tail swished a few times as he stood with his back to his desk. He wrinkled his snout in aimless thought as he swiped his paw pads over a nearby shelf, of which he noticed began to gather dust. He further wrinkled his nose and flattened his ears, and with a mental note to clean his office after hours, amidst his now near-sandy paw pads that rubbed together, he wildly flinched in hot surprise the second his office door ripped open and heavily slammed shut. Flint stiffened, his narrow, slit, fox pupils tightened in a draw of adrenaline, and as the fur all along his spine stood on end in hot surprise, he sagged in sorrow and took note that Gideon had exploded into his office, however delicately and contained as he could. Flint clutched his chest and choked a shaky noise.

"Well! I'll be damned, Gideon, thank you for reminding me that I need to get my heart check by my primary," Flint's voice cheekily trailed shaky laughter, though as he heaved a trembling, settling breath and softened his gaze to the bigger, bumbling adolescent that stepped into his office, he very quickly realized just how truly big and menacing Gideon simply looked. Gideon stood with his shoulders mildly scrunched, he heavily panted through his nose and peered his glassy eyes down at the ground, and though Flint was well aware Gideon wasn't a threat, he knew, full well, that he was becoming a subject of mild bullying, as of late. This being the third time he had stormed into Flint's office, due to this, Flint's ears sagged in soft dread and knew he'd now have to somehow bring the adults into his mess, with just how riled Gideon looked. Flint gently gestured to the cozy chair on the other side of his desk and gave Gideon a look of warm understanding, "Go ahead and sit, my guy, it'll be okay... Talk to me, tell me what happened."

"I forgot you can't use your powers at Academy, what was I thinking! I'm such an IDIOT!" Gideon sharply hissed at himself as he firmly sat down in the chair and shoved his first two fingers into his forehead in full-on self-berating actions, "Stupid, stupid!"

"Hey, lookit me, c'mon now," Flint warmly advised as he returned to Gideon's position with a disposable cup of fresh water. Gideon peered his sorrowful, teary, dejected eyes tight to Flint's and felt the draw of Flint's hypnotizing, lovely eyes, his easy, warm demeanor, every fur on his body glowed with reassurance, he was everything Gideon needed as a counselor and mentor. Gideon visibly sagged and politely took the cup of water from Flint, though Flint gestured to his chest and lifted his head up a little, "C'mon, deep breath in..."

Both Gideon and Flint inhaled deep, long, steady breaths through their nose, to which Flint smiled and bobbed an easy nod.

"And, let it go," Flint assured with a nod as Gideon heaved a healthy, long, drawn out sigh of molten frustration. His fiery eyes sagged to the glossy wood flooring of Flint's lovely office, to which Flint took a seat at his desk and gave Gideon his whole, undivided attention, "Alright, break it down for me... You were wanting to use your powers?"

"I accidentally kicked the ball in Zee's and Nemi's direction while they were sitting under the trees," Gideon rushed tiredly, tears forever hung in his golden eyes, threatening to fall, "They just... Don't shut up about my hands and feet, and even this time added that I needed a hair cut."

"Do YOU think you need a hair cut?" Flint muttered, as if to turn the whole thing on its head and prove to Gideon that other people's opinions didn't matter.

"I... I mean I never even thought of it, but NOW I am," Gideon barked, his voice trembled, to which Flint gestured to the water in his hand.

"Take a few sips of water, friend, it's okay," Flint's deep voice cooed in a scoop of paternal care, to which Gideon took a few drinks of the water. As if to remind his brain that he was potentially dehydrated, Gideon raised his eyebrows and now heartily downed the bigger cup of water. Flint chuckled and perked his ears, "Figured you were thirsty, all that running around can put your brain in a fog. Alright, so... They said some mean things, where do your powers come into play? How come that came up?"

"I forgot I can't use my powers here," Gideon now nervously glanced at Flint, "I-I... I was just trying to protect myself."

"Did they physically threaten you?" Flint cautioned, to which Gideon now began to feel a sag of regret hit him.

"Well, no..." Gideon nervously mumbled.

"You know violence isn't the answer, my friend," Flint tenderly warned, "That's why powers are muted... It'd be too easy to let emotion get away from you, some gamer's powers are stronger than others. You have glitching and wrecking, right? Woulda wrecked the teeth right outta him, surely..."

"I have manifestation, too," Gideon lazily grumbled, and although he was well aware his brood of wrecking family would agree that wrecking was the top tier golden power of all powers, the end-all to destruction, Gideon narrowed his gaze and was very well aware that his imaginative manifestation blew that all right out of the water.

"... Manifestation," Flint hissed in confusion, to which Gideon raised his eyebrows and escaped his own head, for once. Gideon's and Flint's eyes hooked in a draw of understanding, Gideon felt it odd that another being suddenly seemed so incredibly drawn to this notion, "Wait, like... Y-You can conjure up like... Anything?"

"... I mean, yeah, I guess," Gideon furrowed his brow and felt confusion hit him. Although he had done it a ton, now that it was all being put into words, right in front of him, he wondered if this was maybe a lot more obscure than he knew.

"What kinds of things can you manifest, Gideon? Tangible things?" Flint pressed, he tried not to seem to eager with his curious side-eye.

"Um, yeah like... Water, food," Gideon dared to let the edges of his lips curl, "Chase came over the other day and I manifested a HUGE cube of jello that he dove into. It was funny."

"So like... If you REALLY wanted to, you could manifest, say... New clothes, or... Pretend you WERE outside of Academy when you and Zee were talking," Flint tucked his chin to the tops of his hands as he pressed his elbows to the wood of his desk and interlaced his clawed paws, "What kind of thing did you want to manifest, then?"

"Oh, I threatened a pool of lava he'd fall into," Gideon mumbled in hot regret, he rolled his eyes and looked off.

"And... It'd ACTUALLY be a pool of lava, like, Zee would actually fall into a tangible, hot-as-shit pool of lava and that'd be the end of him," Flint asked darkly as he flattened his ears; Gideon swallowed hard and felt the reality of it all hit him between the eyes.

"Yeah, but... I-I'd never want that, I just..." Gideon staggered on his words and finally hiccuped a breath as emotion rushed his veins, his heart squeezed with the mental agony as tears finally flowed from his eyes. He tightly grimaced and bashfully looked down, "Was upset... But I-I'd never do anything to hurt anyone, I just hate those mean comments towards me... I can't help the way that I am."

"Damn, Gideon, I had no clue you had that kind of power," Flint ushered warmly, he smiled to Gideon as they both caught eyes, "I mean yeah, using those powers for destruction and malice isn't good whatsoever, but... It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders."

"I just want the bullying to stop, I wish he'd just ignore me," Gideon tried his hardest not to let his words come whimpering out of his throat; he coughed and desperately tried to regain as his lip quivered a little, out of his control.

"Maybe the thing to do is to ignore him, the quickest way to get back at someone is to pretend they don't exist," Flint mumbled, he shrugged and sorrowfully looked down at his desk, "Unfortunately, Gideon, I may have to bring your's and Zee's parents into this. Wanting to use powers for-"

"No, User, PLEASE don't, please," Gideon's deep voice huffed in a shaky attempt at revival. He shut his eyes tight and stiffly shook his head, "I would so much rather not give Zee more ammunition, like that, he already has it out for me. If he thinks I'm just running home to mom and dad... Flint, I DON'T want his attention, you HAVE to understand-"

"Okay, Gideon, okay," Flint rushed in sighing defeat as he gestured his hands downwards in tender compliance, "Gideon, this can't keep carrying on... Sooner or later, one of you two are going to erupt and, powers or not, Gideon, Zee is probably certain he is absolutely no match for you... User, no one would be, powers or not..."

"...What do you mean?" Gideon raised an eyebrow in a glimmer of tender confusion, to which Flint scoffed a noise and shook his head.

"Gideon... You are a Game Over fever dream, I mean, genuinely," Flint huffed, almost as if it were to be a secret, "Y'know that show?"

"Yeah, I love that show," Gideon felt the edges of his mouth curl into a curious, confused little smile as tears hung on his strong jaw line.

"Manifestation? Anything you can dream of? Any power, any advantage?" Flint hissed as he flattened his ears and shook his head in awe, "If only Zee knew, he'd be running for the hills... You really, truly need to see your worth. The worth of your time, the worth of your character, it's not something you should be giving to Zee."

"I guess... I was trying to prove that to him, but," Gideon trailed off, narrowed his gaze in the switch up and really marinated in Flint's words.

"You don't need to prove yourself to him, my guy... Your powers are that of the top dogs," Flint huffed a chuckle, "Powers like those would win you Game Over a hundred times over."

"I wouldn't win," Gideon largely rolled his eyes, having never even considered the lot of the idea, "It's just a show. User even knows where it's all filmed. Isn't it scripted and staged, anyways?"

"I have no clue, I'm just saying," Flint lazily leaned in his seat, shrugged and shook his head, "You have the stature and the worth of it all. Power of the big leagues. You REALLY think you should be wasting your time and energy worrying about whether Zee has an opinion of you or not?"

"... No," Gideon huffed in shaken renewal, he sagged in Flint's lovely words and eased a mildly exhausted smile, "Thanks, Flint... No one's... Ever really hyped me up, like that. I've never seen it from that perspective."

"I mean REALLY? You can manifest a cheeseburger at will, money, diamonds!" Flint gestured his paws and widened his eyes, "My guy, you're a gold mine walking. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. And don't stoop to their level. You're great, as is... You don't need to outwardly prove that to us lowly Academy goers."

Gideon heaved a long, hard sigh through his nose, narrowed his gaze and looked down at his palms in the gape of his lightly spread legs. With his elbows firmly plowed into his knees, hunched mildly over his lower body in the cozy chair of Flint's office, Gideon's eyes trailed the wooden pattern on the ground his bare feet were on and truly pondered Flint's words. As if to open a door in Gideon's brain he hadn't even considered, he furrowed his brow in further contemplation and never even thought to manifest himself valuable items such as money or jewels, let alone delicious, greasy fast food or life-ending powers. Feeling big, Gideon inhaled a revived breath and was sure that, due to being the only one in his whole lineage with this kiss of a gift, he smiled into Flint's eyes and felt as if his drive and endurance to press on, through hard times, was now limitless, boundless.