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Shad's Apartment, Boston, Morning, Shad's PoV
I woke up to my damn alarm clock again, the bane of my mornings. This time, I decided to screw the consequences and hit it with Spider Shot, then threw it out the window for good measure. The wrappings would cushion the fall. Probably. I got dressed in my usual clothes, a black t-shirt underneath my brown leather jacket, a pair of blue jeans, and my running shoes. Mom and Sapphire were eating breakfast, and I saw Sapphire was already good to go. She was wearing a blue shirt, red pants, black shoes, and her signature necklace. As I dropped her off at school, I couldn't help but feel proud of her. She was taking everything so easily, and she was really recovering fast. Just hope no one was giving her problems. I don't trust my sudden whirlwind of a temper to hold back against a kid.
I had no trouble on the way to school, ever since I killed my bullies. No one ever talks to me now though, since Jake left the school to focus on the team's gear. It was getting really lonely lately in there. Well… except for today. On my way to school that day, I was slammed into a wall by none other than my brother Tom, who was probably waiting me out on his way to school. "What the hell is your problem, Shad?!" he growled at me. "You decked dad for no reason!"
"The hell are you talking about?" I questioned. "I hit him for trying to take my daughter away from me!" I shoved him off me and balled my hands into fists. "If he-"
"He never said anything like that!" Wait, what? "He was trying to tell you he didn't think it was a good idea and shouted about listening to reason! He was looking out for you, and you decided to punch him then threatened him with death? What is-"
"Time out," I interuptted. "I heard him say he didn't want me taking care of her and being way more agressive and angery. That's why I hit him." Now we were both confused if the look on his face was anything to go by. *sigh* "Look, we both have to get to school, and I need to figure this out. I've been feeling a bit off lately so I'll come back when I figure all this out, alright?" I didn't even wait for his response before heading out. I felt sick. Did I seriously hit dad and say those things for no reason? The guilt and disgust almost made me loose my breakfast, but I powered through it and went straight for the middle school.
Well, I got to class on time for once at least, which made me feel slightly better. As the teacher droned on about pointless things (to me anyway) I thought about that armor I brought back to take my mind off the mental torment I was putting myself through. It looked similar to the armor that the Big Sister I met was wearing. Jake convinced her to take a shower and patch herself up in the bathroom a couple days ago, so I got a better look at it while I could. 'I wonder if-' "Class we have a new student today," the teacher announced, bringing me out of my thoughts and causing me to look up. The new student was a girl around my age, red hair, brown leather clothes, and glowing yellow eyes like mine. The second person I've met with my kind of eyes. There some kind of epidemic going around or something? "Her name is Rose Thornwood. Don't ask her any questions, she's mute."
'Blunt as ever teach,' I thought to myself, bringing my attention to the new student, who decided to sit next to me. I felt sorry for her. First day and she was going to be bullied to the breaking point for the same reason I almost was.
Boston Middle School, Downtown Boston, Afternoon, Shad's PoV
As I walked to lunch, I heard one of the slutty girls who were the girlfriends of my former bullies, just as bigoted and cruel too, insult someone. When I went to check it out (damn curiosity) and I stopped dead in my tracks as I rounded the corner. They were trying to break Rose down into one of their 'slaves' on her first day. Now, I was honestly thinking of walking away, let someone else handle it, though I doubted it would happen. 'But then again… I could help her out,' I rationalized. 'She is new after all, and I do need a new friend. Screw it.' I decided to help her out; she looked like she's been having a hard time lately and needed to catch a break. "Hey you damn whores, leave her alone!" I yelled at them, drawing their attention away long enought to do what I needed to.
Before they could react, I ran over, grabbed Rose, and ran away like the devil was on my heels. When they gave chase, I took a quick look around for cameras and, seeing none in the vicinity, I sprayed a Spider Shot into a net attached to the walls before they could see me. They fell for it perfectly and got caught in the web, tearing it down and leaving the three of them trapped until someone cut them lose. "That's what you get for picking on the new girl," I scolded while walking by with Rose to the cafeteria. Then I got an evil idea. I rush over to the three walking STDs, wrapped them up with the leftover material, and tossed them in the broom closet. A pleasant surprise for the first person to find them. Me and Rose ate lunch after that and I immediately learned she communicated with a pad of paper when she thanked me for the save. I also learned that she lived with two of her friends at the moment, and that she suffered from amnesia. She chose the name Rose Thornwood herself, supposedly. I'm not going to take everything a stranger says at face value, potential friend or not. After we finished our lunch, she dragged me out of the cafeteria and to an unpopulated part of school. Then she did something she wasn't supposed to be able to, according to our teacher this morning. "Thank you for the help earlier," she whispered. "I just wanted to thank you properly for sparing me as well." Then it clicked. The eyes, supposed muteness, her steel will, her fashion sense, it all fit. She was the Big Sister I saved.
Boston Middle School, Downtown Boston, Afternoon, Shad's PoV
'Finally, schools over,' I thought to myself after the final bell rang. I walked to the elementary school to pick up Sapphire, Rose joining me at the entrance with a soft smile on her face. Both of us ignored the conspiratorial whispers and rumors revolving around us as we walked past the other students and into the alleys so we could have a decent conversation without people's ears bleeding from her voice. I knew it was a good idea to help her out. Now I had someone to talk to at school, whether it's with that little notepad of hers or not. When we eventually came upon Sapphire's school, she was reading her book from the school library on the stairs. She looked up the moment I shouted over to her and saw us, then ran over and started to walk along side us after giving us a hug and a greeting. She was being a little too nice to us for my taste, but then again she was a kid and my daughter. Then, as we were turning a corner to the base, Jake called me on my cell phone. "Hey Shad, have you seen the Big Sister you saved? She isn't at the base and I'm a bit worried she might try something."
"Yeah, don't worry, she's with me. She started going to school and I helped her out with some bullies," I explained. Wait a minute… "Don't you know about it? She didn't get a transcript from nowhere." Rose and Sapphire were talking about their day with each other up ahead of me. Heh, I guess they're called 'Big Sisters' for a reason, they were acting as if they were actually related. Actually, for all I knew, they could be. Though I doubted it.
"No, I didn't. Why don't you swing by the base so we can discuss it, I have some new equipment for you anyway," he told me. That reminds, me Rose needs a home now too. Unless she wants to live at the base with Jake and Simon anyway.
"Thanks, we were on our way there in the first place, so that saves us a good bit of time," I agreed before signing off. We continued to the base, but Rose stopped me short just as I began pulling ahead of the two Sisters. She forced a syringe with purple plasmid in it with a serious look in her eyes.
"Use it if you ever need a hand in battle," she told me before going to catch up with Sapphire. I shrugged and injected myself with it thinking I'd try it later. A feeling of safety, as if I had a guardian angel protecting me, swept throughout my body after I did so, along with a pleasant warmth. It felt… nice.
