"It's seven o'clock, Kyle. Their time's up."

Kyle sighed. He rubbed his hands on his student council uniform as he moved to open the door. "You may leave now," he called out to the room's occupants, almost apologetically. "Make sure to reflect on your actions in the future, so you don't return to the introspection room."

The Battlefront filed out of the bland classroom where they had been held under guard and forced to spend the night.

"My neck's killing me," Emmanuel groaned, cracking the offending body part. "Sleeping on a cement floor is the pits."

"Like, I thought that things would get easier if we didn't have to worry about Angel?" Julie complained.

Winnie was silent as the group trooped stiffly back to HQ, occasionally casting back bitter glances at their captors.

"Well, I don't know about you wimps, but the next time I see that "substitute vice-president" pansy, I'll chop him into a thousand different strips of meat-" Jake began.

"You can't," Elly interrupted. "He's a normal student, an NPC. We can't just attack them."

"Still, he's a creep," Harry interrupted testily. "What kind of normal non-adult sends his peers to reflect on their actions? He's ridiculous!"

"Probably got dropped on his head as a child," Julie proposed intelligently.

Harry immediately turned to give her a noogie. "No one asked for your input, Miss-oh-I'm-so-cold-i-need-the-only-blanket!"

"I have a fragile constitution!"

"And my toes play Sinatra at night clubs."

Hannah sighed, from a few steps behind them. "This is so stupid…"

They reached HQ without incident. Winnie gave the password, and they tumbled in with groans of relief.

Morning birdsong blasted in through the cheerful windows. Emm blinked malevolently at them, rubbing his drowsy face unhappily. "Stupid animals," he muttered, pulling the blinds closed.

"So, Fred, what do we do?" Richie the fifth asked, twiddling his thumbs uncertainly. "I mean, if we can't fight against them…"

Everyone watched the young girl expectantly. Meeting their gaze, Winnie put her thumb to her mouth, and then spoke. "How 'bout we just test the waters. Everyone, go to classes, like you would if you were a normal student. But beside that, just do whatever you want during class. Let's see just what this Albert Lecher wants."

As Mike turned to follow the rest out the door, he heard someone call him back.

"Hey, Mike," Winnie called, striding up to him. She held a radio in her outstretched hand. Mike knew that their small stock of radios had been obtained through theft. And a very costly theft it had been. "Take this."

"But… but aren't those really valuable? Why would you give one to me?"

Winnie stared back at him, biting her lip. "Just take it," she snapped. "Now, go see what Lecher's up to."

Luke looked around, sweating in anticipation. No one in class was looking at him. Perfect. With trembling, unsure hands, he reached down into his desk, and withdrew… a potato chip.

I can do this, I can do this…. With one quick motion, he brought it to his mouth, and crunched down.

I can't believe it, he thrilled to himself, chewing joyously. I'm eating in class, actually eating in class! I'm such a delinquent, ooo, I'm so bold!

Two rows to his left, four desks had been brought together. The NPC closest glanced over nervously as another yell of excitement reached his ears.

"And I'll raise you 2 dollars and can of soda," Emmanuel declared dramatically, tossing the offering down onto the table. Hehe, he chuckled to himself as the others followed suit, these chumps, I grew up playing 5-card draw, I know how to hustle anybody. "All right, show 'em!"

Jess threw down her hand simply. "Royal flush. Looks like I win again."

"WHAAAT?"

"Won't get fooled again…" TK muttered sadly.

Richie the fifth put his head in his hands. "I can't believe I'm losing to a woman."

Jess smiled at the group mischievously as she dealt out another round. "Hey, that's how it rolls, big boys. You can back out if you can't take the heat."

At the front of the class, the teacher paused, his chalk inches from the blackbird. "Um… excuse me, but could you keep it down?"

"What-oh, uh, sure," Emmanuel called, trying not to curse as he saw his hand. "We're on it,

Teach."

By the windows, there was a blur of movement. A bear-chested Elliot worked, performing pushups with wicked speed.

A hand flew up. "Teacher," Julie called in a tone that could have irritated a brick wall. "Gotta use the bathroom!"

"Go ahead…"

Arrogantly sprawled across several desks right in the front of the room, Jake napped. His halberd was tucked in at his side. The NPC whose desk was being used as a pillow tried to reach for her pencil, trapped by his ear. Jake growled softly, and she hurriedly withdrew her hand.

At the back of the room, Mike looked around happily. It sure was nice being in a class with all of the Battlefront members. "Are we supposed to be doing anything?"

Harry yawned from beside him. "Nope. We can just talk. Hey- Hannah, just what in the world are you doing?"

Behind them, a curious structure had formed. Hannah crouched on top of a stack of desks, each one placed corner to corner with each other, the leg of one desk somehow balancing the corner of the next desk. The whole contraption spun gently, their resident ninja with it. As she turned to face them, Hannah winked at Mike. "I'm simply taking this opportunity to improve my concentration."

Julie flounced back into the room, and plopped into her desk. She smiled, and the hand flew up again. "Teeeeeeach, gotta go pee!"

The teacher's chalk snapped. "Please… go."

Mike watched her depart. "What is Julie doing?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "She's being that one girl who uses the bathroom every five minutes. Ugh, she drives me crazy, she…"

His voice trailed off as Julie opened the classroom door. Albert Lecher glared in at them, flanked by two burly council members.

Julie blinked up at them, her mouth forming a perfect O. "Ooh... GOTTA GO PEE!" she declared, barreling through them.

"Aw, snap!" Emm exclaimed. They frantically scooped up their game, dashed across the classroom, and dove out the window.

"I'll be back, dude," TK declared as he dove out.

There was the sound of terrified rustling as Luke attempted to stuff an entire bag of chips into his pocket.

Mike looked around as Mr. Lecher stormed past him. The tower of desks was gone. Hannah had simply vanished.

The dark-clad student stopped at the front of the class, glaring down. Jake hadn't moved from where he lay.

"Disgraceful," Albert declared, sniffing. "Get this hooligan off to the introspection room, at once." But the moment the students laid their hands on Jake, there was a blur.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME, WIMPS!" he howled, flying up and lashing out blindly with his halberd. "Just what do I need to introspect on, huh?"

The girl whose desk he'd been using whimpered as a sharp object quivered inches away from her head. Being an NPC, Mike didn't know what she actually saw, but he guessed it wasn't a ruler.

"Sleeping in class, and menacing another student with a bladed weapon? I'm frankly surprised you have to ask. You stupidity is impressive," Albert sneered.

Mike and Harry stood up.

"STUPID, AM I? WE'LL SEE WHO'S STUPID WITH NO HEAD-"Jake was interrupted when Mike and Harry caught him in their arms. They bodily drug him out of the class, before sprinting away down the hall.

Albert watched them go, frowning. "Tisk tisk. It's obvious these delinquents won't bend." He tapped his side, and then uttered a barely audible phrase.

"It seems steps will have to be taken."