Buildings and clouds were falling upward all around me. Broken glass shards made cuts in my suit and punctured my skin. I could smell the city as well as I could see it: a delicate fragrance of sewer water mixed with the slight smell of a dead rat if you found yourself unfortunate enough to be walking in one of its severely barely developed parts at the time. The smell of vehicle fumes and burnt rubber is almost universal and its prevalence was so severe that it wasn't uncommon to see some folks wearing masks around. Yes, this is the grandiose flair of American life. It puts itself into this city's blood. It was bright, expansive and filled with advertising. Commercials for the newest shoes, perfumes, and feature films turned into an endless stream of flashing colors as I made my way to the concrete inevitably waiting for me below.

As I fell, I noticed the air carried a smoky, polluted haze that one would imagine from any normal burg. But this wasn't normal; this was Battle City. And just like any other city, its streets were filthy and full of garbage, and they reeked of decay. But unlike them, the crime wasn't reduced to simple gangs or crooked cops. There was a whole damned conspiracy, and I had to go and stick my nose into it. This is what I got myself into by coming here, isn't it? A place where the biggest gang of all, the mother of all gangs, came and hid out, and what did I expect? A parade filled with flowers and hugs? No. I was their enemy, and they treated me as such by throwing me out of their window. I cursed the day I ever met the Shadow Clan, and I cursed the day I ever decided to do more than be another innocent bystander.

Except that I will not.

Because today, I will become the same optimistic fool you inspired me to be. I won't let something like death stop me from completing my destiny. Hell, it won't make a dent, because we have been together through a lot of tough shit, Jen, and this is just another one of those times, and like all those other times, I'll get us out of here. The only question is, how will I escape this? With every fleeting second, I feel myself getting closer to my cement carnage. The end of me reflects my beginning: violent and unnecessary.

It was springtime. The sun was shining down on the tiny town I lived in, and the trees were starting to bloom with vibrant, green leaves. I was standing next to a small creek at the edge of the forest behind our house. My parents were sitting across from each other on the porch swing. It was the happiest memory I have of my family.

It would also be the last.

I remember my mothers' final words,

"It's suppertime, sweetie! Come inside!"

Enthusiastically, I got up from where I was and began the long trek to my house. It was dark, but I knew the path better than the back of my hand, so I got there without a problem, and that was to be expected. What wasn't expected, however, was what I saw at my house:

It was coated in flame! I heard screams. Violent, bloody screams coming out from my humble little home. Its light blue paint became blacker and more decrepit with every step I took. The simple shingles were falling off and being torn apart with fiery decimation. There were bright bursts of yellow and orange light roaring against my face, and I discovered that youthful horror, as well as my fight-or-flight response welled up within me. I did not know if it was a sense of courage, or stupidity, or both, but just as quickly as I saw it, I ran towards the burning home, confident somehow that I could save one, if not both, of my parents. I grabbed the back door's knob, and the metal scorched me! The singing pain buried itself deep into my hands, yet I was undeterred. I was able to get the door open, but I could not see anything past the smoke and flames. If Hades were a real place, I imagine it would be only slightly hotter than my home at that moment. I cried out desperately for mother, or father, or even God if I thought he would listen, instead I was met with toxic fumes and black smoke. As I felt my consciousness fade, I could see someone: a man. He looked at me, then ran away. He was the one who did this! The one who started the fire! I tried to say something to him, but it all became too much, and I passed out without making a sound.

I awoke inside the hospital. I had a vague memory of being in an ambulance, then nothing until this moment. My head was pounding, and my throat felt like sandpaper when I tried to swallow water. I noticed my grandparents were in the room with me, but not my parents. That couldn't be good.

"Hey," Grandpa said as he walked over and gave me a hug that nearly knocked me out again.

"You okay?" He asked. The look on his face told me everything: something bad happened while I wasn't conscious.

My grandmother sat down next to him and put her arm around both of us. She looked at me with tears streaming from her eyes; she knew what had gone wrong too. It didn't take long for them to tell me about how all they could find in the ruins of my house was me, and two charred, blackened skeletons. The skeletons of my parents.

"They had shielded you in their last moments," my grandmother explained, "they didn't want their baby to be taken..."

That's right...my mom and dad wanted me safe. They died so that I would have a chance at life. And now here I am, alive thanks to them sacrificing themselves. There are no words strong enough or loving enough to thank someone who does such selfless things. I had decided on something before I could speak to them.

"Grandma. Grandpa," I began, "I would like to make a private prayer. Would you please leave for a minute?"

"Of course, sweetie." The two of them got up and left the room. True to my word, I sat up in my bed, bowed my head down, and began to speak, but not a prayer, but an oath.

"Mother and Father in Heaven above, I speak to you now to tell you my promise. I promise to find the one who did this to you. I promise that your sacrifice will not be in vain, as I will live each of my days to the fullest, and finally, I promise to find a way to make this world a better place and save the people of this world the way you saved me. The evils of this world will know my name, and they will learn to fear it. I promise."

The following days, weeks, and months were torture. I grieved for my parents constantly. In doing so, I had become quiet. When people did not respect that, I became angry. I had gotten into many fights. The first few months in my new life, my teachers told my grandparents that it was "normal" for a seven-year-old to be upset, given my circumstances, but eventually they decided to act. A psychologist was called in to talk to me, and after a week of listening to her tell me about things I didn't want to hear, she suggested that perhaps I should spend more time with my grandparents. She also said that if nothing else helped, maybe we could try medication. My grandmother agreed immediately; my grandfather took some convincing. He wanted me to stay on track academically as much as he possibly could—he felt like school would help keep me grounded while everything around us seemed chaotic.

So, I would study, and study, and study. I became a high honors student in a matter of months, but even with most of my time taken up, my mind never escaped from the visage of the man: the one who took everything from me. While I was at school, I had also found a way to live up to my promise: I stood up for bullied kids. If someone hurt them or threatened their safety, even if they were bigger than me, I'd stand between him/her and his victim until something happened. It worked out well enough most times, though there have been instances when the bully has just run away without saying anything. Other times, the bully and I would have a fight. This is one of many possible reasons I'd be kicked out of a school. But no matter how badly it ended, I always made sure to do what I promised. Sticking up for those who couldn't help themselves, that's a way of making the world better...right?

By the time I was 13, I had been transferred to three different schools on account of my "violent tendencies." My habit of picking fights with other kids, who were bullies for the most part, led to getting suspended multiple times. It wasn't always my intention to befriend bullies, though. At each school, I'd become friends with someone at the school. Then I would realize they were bullies, and I hated bullies, so then I would fight them, prove that good would always triumph over bad...and then get expelled.

Finally, after moving from school-to-school multiple times in a single year, my teachers decided that I should be sent to a boarding school, because there weren't any other options left. They gave me the choice between this new place called Beacon Hill, which was run by nuns (I was not a Christian, so I would not have enjoyed it), or a former military school-turned-private academy called The Warborn Academy for Gifted Youths. I had heard about it before from my previous school, Park Valley Middle School, and apparently, it's a very strict place. People had taken to calling it "The Castle" so I imagined for a time that instead of a principal, the school was run by a king! In the end, though, I would rather deal with a king than a group of nuns, so I chose Warborn.

The first day I got to the school, I understood why people called it "The Castle". It had a large, finite stone construction, layered in a fortified manner. Hints of moss either suggested the age of the place, or its' lack of a proper janitor. And I could have sworn I saw what looked like a drawbridge at the entrance.

"Nope," I thought to myself, "just the entrance design."

Large wooden gates kept the outside world away from here. If I did not know better, I would assume I came to Hogwarts by accident. Fortunately, I did know better, and I went inside with nary another thought about my circumstances. Once I got inside, however, my perception of the place had changed. It was decorated like a palace. With a large chandelier on the roof, and portrait paintings hanging on each wall of the lobby, I had to admit that I was impressed. The staff were also dressed nicely; they wore suits and ties, even if some were slightly disheveled. Soon enough, I found myself standing outside a large classroom. The teacher inside looked to be middle aged. He had white hair, a large, bushy mustache, and he wore a blue suit. I could smell his cologne. I believe it was Santal 33 by Le Labo. If nothing else, it told me the teachers at this academy were paid VERY well.

"Good morning," greeted the teacher as soon as the door shut behind me.

"Hello," I responded. "My name is Skyler Forsyth."

"Yes," he nodded. "I've seen your application form. We have several new students today, so I thought it best to give them a tour of the school while we wait for everyone to arrive. Follow me."

I got in line with a few of the other new students: a kid in a hoodie, and a kid with short, messy black hair and crooked glasses. They seemed to be quite close...

We took turns introducing ourselves. I figured out the boy with the glasses' name was Brose, but for some reason, the kid in the hoodie didn't feel like giving out their name. Brose had told me she wasn't in a particularly good mood that day, so I at least figured out it was a girl. Then there was another student: one who I knew from my previous school, and his voice bellowed in the classroom like a gong,

"WELL WELL, IF IT ISN'T SKYLER BOY!" Timmothy Ballard always knew how to greet someone: rudely. "WATCHA DOING, MAN?! I HAVEN'T SEEN YA IN A HOT MINUTE!"

Everyone else in class got annoyed, like they'd known him a while too. Did they?

"Why do you have to bother us today, Timmy?" A boy named Justin asked, "Can't you just go away a minute?"

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, dickweed! I'm only here to see my bestest friend in the whole wide world!" He pushed Justin to the side and got up into my face. "So, tell me, Skyler Boy, whatcha doing here?!"

"I was just... getting familiar with my new class."

"Oh yeah? Well, where are you gonna go next? Let me tell 'ya: nowhere!" He raised his fist and went in for a punch, but I realized it never made contact. Instead, it was blocked by the kid in the hoodie.

"Well, well well..." Timmy grinned more obnoxiously than usual, "I thought that hoodie would be enough to tip me off, but now with this, this is just the icing on the cake. Jennifer St. Cloud is here too! And now that I can see him, so is Brose Christopher Hurt!"

Brose got defensive, "Don't call me Christopher!" He shot him a death glare.

Timmy ignored him and turned to me instead. "Now, tell me, what are YOU doing here?"

I sighed. "My grandparents enrolled me here. They said they wanted me to actually learn something, and everyone wanted me to pick between this place and a Catholic Boarding School, so I chose here."

He snickered, "It would do you right to go to a catholic school, Skyler. After all the crap you used to pull, you need Jesus!" He laughed and slapped his knee. He clearly thought he was the funniest shit in the world.

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever, asshole."

He pouted, "Aw come on! Don't talk to me like that!"

"And don't act like you're my friend when you're not. I wasn't the only one who made mistakes at Park Valley, and you know it!"

Timmy raised his hands up and backed away, "Hey man, I'm not tryna fool anyone. I did wrong! Let's just do each other a favor and not mess with each other anymore, alright?"

"Believe me, I'd love to," I replied, "but I can't say the same about you. I'm sure you'd love to sock me again! Try and not get caught this time!"

The hoodie girl, Jennifer St. Cloud, finally spoke up, "Don't be starting fights! Not trying to get expelled here, right?"

She was right, so I just unrolled my fists and took a deep breath.

"Just leave, Timmy. I don't want to do something I'll regret."

With that, Timmy left our sight and went to his desk. Everyone else was trying to digest what happened.

"Why is he like that?" Brose asked Jennifer.

Jennifer looked back at him, "He's a douchebag. If you don't stand up to him, He'll just keep annoying you." She turned her attention back to me, "Sorry about him."

"No need to apologize. I know him well enough to know this isn't new. Thanks for sticking up for me, though."

Her hard, grim look softened to a smile, "No problem."

There was a break between classes to go to the library. A group of kids I knew were sitting together at a table, so I figured I'd join them. Brose and Jennifer were among them. As soon as I sat down, though, Jennifer turned to me, clearly upset.

"What was that? With Timmy? You got a problem?

I looked at her, offended, and told her off.

"No, if anything, he seems to have a problem with me. Sure, I hate the guy, and so should everyone else, but I didn't start anything, and I think you know that. He's cocky, arrogant, and completely full of himself! I went to school with him before, and if you knew what I knew you would've knocked his block off yourself."

Jennifer got a little mad, and stood up, "You think I didn't want to? I hate that prick!"

One of her friends, Kristen, spoke up and calmed Jennifer down, "We all hate him. We just can't do anything about him. If we do we get expelled, if we don't, we get picked on by him again. It's a lose-lose."

"That's not true!" I exclaimed, "I could kick his ass!"

They stared at me. I couldn't help but feel like I had stepped into the Twilight Zone.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Brose asked.

"Of course! I mean, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because he's a giant musclehead who probably outweighs you by fifty pounds!" Brose argued.

"Well, yeah, but still. With some proper training, I could get him down...take him down a notch, you know?"

"Sure," said Justin, "but which of you guys knows ANYTHING about how to fight?"

Jennifer raised her hand, "I do."

I looked at her, "Then why didn't you do something before. You blocked his punch, right? You couldn't hit him back?"

Jennifer looked down. Brose looked sad for her too, then looked at me, "Come meet us in the cafeteria later, and she or I will explain, but for right now, we should just get back to class."

I agreed, and we headed out of the library.

Before long, the bell rang for lunch time. Students around me, behind me, and in front of me took off like sprinters at a 10k. There was a small gap of silence, but it wasn't a picnic from there. I made a feeble attempt to get to the cafeteria, but I was met by typhoons of students who kept spawning in my path, causing uncurable stress to build up inside me. No matter how much time passed, students still flocked the halls like sheep, and the noise from their conversations whirled themselves into my ears like cyclones. Evidently, I had to sit down. I could not handle much of the madness any longer. Blame my sensitivity or whatnot, but I felt I needed it.

I sat there for what seemed like half an hour. No one stopped to ask me if I was okay. I kept getting hit by handbags or somebody's leg. Then the room was empty. I looked at my watch:

12:47

"I think now might be a good time for me to get to the cafeteria." I told myself.

I made my way to the cafeteria. Along the way, I bumped into someone. It was Jennifer, and... she didn't have her hoodie on!

"Oh sorry!" I began, "I didn't mean to bump into you, I just..."

She giggled before cutting me off, "It's alright. We can't always look in front of ourselves, right? Accidents happen!"

In the place of her grey hoodie and sour demeanor was a beautiful smile and colorful clothing consisting of khaki shorts and a baggy t-shirt with an image of Optimus Prime on it! I knew that because I loved Transformers!

"I love your shirt!" Was the first thing that popped into my head, "You like Transformers?"

She smiled, and laughed an admittedly cute laugh, "Like? Try LOVE! I have since I was old enough to hold anything!"

"Same here!" This was the truth.

We both laughed at fond memories. Then she looked at me apologetically,

"Sorry about earlier. I was still tired from this morning, and Timmy got on my nerves. We heard each other's names, but I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves. My name is Jennifer St. Cloud," she reached out her hand, "What's yours?"

I took her hand and shook it, thinking about Timmy now, but getting over it just as quickly, "He gets on my nerves too. Also, I'm Forsyth. Skyler Forsyth."

"It's nice to meet you, Skyler!" Jennifer smiled sweetly. Her teeth were perfectly straight and white. She began to sit down, and I followed suit.

Now that her hoodie was off, I could get a better look at her. She had big blue eyes, and a boyish haircut. Her lips were plump and her nose small. She had freckles dotted all over her face like she caught a case of chicken pox. At first, I thought it WAS chicken pox, but then I figured she would not come to school with pox, unless it was to infect Timmy...

Anyway, had she not told me her name, I would not have been convinced she was a girl. All the kids in our age group sort of looked the same, whether you took that as meaning all the boys looked feminine, or all the girls looked masculine, that is up to you. I stand by my word. Regardless, things were going swimmingly until I said something stupid:

"You're a pretty girl."

Her face scrunched up at my words, but she did not seem angry. She just looked at me in confusion before playfully punching me on the arm.

"Don't be stupid," she said, looking at me like I was an idiot. "Are you stupid?"

I thought about it for a moment, but I got so flustered, I did not know what to say.

"Yes! No?! Maybe? Sorry, I don't know. It's just that I don't see a lot of pretty people besides myself... I mean not like anyone else is pretty, it's just..."

I tried to explain myself, but she laughed and punched me on the arm once again. Then, she put her finger to my lips.

"It's okay," she said. "I know I may not be as pretty as you, but to be fair, I make up for it by being cute! Of course, now that I've met you, I think you're cute too!" She shyly pushed her hair to the side, looking away from me for a second.

I could see that she was telling the truth. Her face was straight. No obvious signs of stress or nerve manipulation to show she was lying, but maybe she was just hiding it behind her freckles. Then she looked back at me with anticipation in her eyes:

"Tell you what, Skyler, the offer Brose gave you still stands: come sit with us at lunch today. That way, we can all be properly acquainted!" She winked and gave me two thumbs up.

I could not believe my luck. A few days ago, something like this would never have happened to me, but now a pretty girl was inviting me to eat lunch with her and her friend! I couldn't help but blush.

"O-Okay...It's a date!"

Jennifer playfully punched my arm again and smiled. "Can't wait!"

I wanted to cry! I did not mean it as a date, but I think she knew that and was just messing with me, but before I could say anything else, she waved me off and went on her way. I looked at her and thought that, for the first time in my life, I could not wait for it to be lunchtime.

I thought about skipping school initially, but I decided against it. Not for the prospect of a friendship, or a potential romance, with Jennifer, but merely because I'd like to see how things unfolded. I stopped to think about it for a second, but then came to an unquestionable truth: This was a bad idea! I cannot have lunch with someone I just met! I do not have the right! In this entire world I do not have the right! But why? Because I am worried that I might become weak? That I will let my guard down and be rejected? Maybe. After all, it would be the most humiliating thing that has ever happened to me. Then, I felt a firm hand on my chest. It was Timmy.

"Looks like your girlfriends' not here to save you now, huh?" He had the same, charmful demeanor he puts on when he wants someone to like him. I am not one of those people.

"She's not my girlfriend, Timmy!" I got a little mad there, but would you blame me?

Then he said something that really pissed me off, "That's really sad, Skyler boy. The one girl in this school who gives it away to everyone, and you can't even get a pity slice!"

With that I lost it! I took my fist and slammed it right across his jaw! It was...gratifying. He landed on his side. I even saw a few teeth fall onto the ground by him. Timmy looked at them, then at me, horrified.

"N-NO!" He got onto his knees and picked up his teeth, "MY TEETH! MY TEETH!" He got up, lifted me by the shirt, and pinned me to a locker.

"YOU'RE DEAD. FREAK! YOU HEAR ME? DEAD!"

He then dropped me. Then he and his boys went to the nurses' office. All I could think was: I'm in deep shit now. I also realized I just started trouble again. The first day of school I punched a kid! Why can't I control myself?! All I could do now was hope and pray that Timmy wouldn't report me, as I really don't need that.

I sunk my shoulders down to the bottom of my chest. Just as I was about to head through the doors to my third class, I noticed Jennifer walking past me. She gave me this look as she moved. It was a smile that spread from ear to ear. Maybe I was quick to judge her. I mean, she seemed fine with getting to know me, so why didn't I feel the same about her? I decided to take a deep breath and try to calm down. I think I might be worrying too much.

The time had come to go to lunch. I went to find Jennifer and her friend, but there were so many kids to see past I did not think it would be possible. The cafeteria of a school like this is exactly like what you've probably imagined: tables, chairs, and benches are all set up in rows facing the large windows that let in plenty of natural light. A small counter stands in the back, and at its center is an employee who seems to be running everything. The students' commerce as you'd expect, and if you thought what I heard in the hallways was bad, this was about 10 times worse! I was relieved when I found an empty table. It really surprised me as this school was, quite literally, packed like a suitcase. Then I saw Brose, in all his indistinguishable glory, so I went to the table he was at. Surprisingly a few other kids there, like Justin and Kristen from before, as well as a few other kids I had never met before.

"Hey Brose." I said almost apathetically. As soon as I said it, though, he turned to me as if I was a long-lost friend he hadn't seen in years.

"Sky! Can I call you Sky?" I nodded, and he continued, "Welcome to The Loser's Table!"

"The Loser's Table?" I asked confusedly.

"He's only joking," Kristen pointed out, "he likes to do that a lot."

"It is a joke. Know why?" Justin began, immediately rolling up his sleeves and showing off his biceps, "because cool guys take this table too!"

Kristen and Brose both rolled their eyes. This was obviously something this group was used to by now, so I simply chuckled at their expense.

"Okay, tough guy, roll your sleeves back down. Last thing I'd want to do is lose my appetite!"

Brose, Kristen, and the other kids at the table laughed at my little joke. I had to say that I wasn't expecting that, but I'm glad I received it anyway. Then a voice from behind me caught everyone's attention:

"Hey Brose! Hey guys!" It was Jennifer, "Skyler! You came!"

"Of course," I begin, "you invited me."

The others chuckled at my smart-alecky replied. Jen merely rolled her eyes and sat in the space between Brose and me.

"So how have you been doing since we last spoke?" she asked me, genuinely curious.

"Oh, you know...same old. Still trying to make my way around here. Haven't gotten any further than that."

One of the kids whose name I didn't know, responded to me, "Hey man, you need a friend? I'm your man!" He put his hand out to me, "Name's Michael, but you can call me Mike!"

I took his hand, "Pleasure to meet you, Mike. I'm Skyler."

Mike was a pleasant looking man. He donned red, neck-length hair that slightly covered up his full, smiling face. He had expressive green eyes that were set elegantly within their sockets. His clothing consisted of a T-shirt depicting the band Nirvana, on top of which was a denim jean jacket. He was wearing black jeans with a chain in one of the pockets, and leather shoes. Overall, he looked like he was in his early 20s. Then that girl from before, Kristen, interjected:

"Nice to meet you, Skyler," Kristen said, extending her hand to me as well, "I'm Kristen."

"I know. We met on the tour around the school, remember?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I get forgetful sometimes..."

We both laughed. Kristen was pretty cute. Her hair was short and brown, like mine. Though she wore it tied into two pigtails. She was thin, but not skinny. She wore a simple shirt with some sort of cartoon character printed across it. On her feet she wore sneakers. She was shorter than most people I knew, but still taller than me. She was wearing jeans that matched her shirt, but they were tight enough that they showed off her figure. Overall, she was quite attractive, but not as attractive as Jennifer...not that I think she's attractive or anything!

"Well, nice meeting you, Kristen," I told her.

"Likewise. And you too, Skyler."

As we all began talking about things that were going on, I noticed a boy walk over towards us. I couldn't tell much about him except for that he seemed extremely nervous. He was dressed in a plain white shirt, and dark blue pants.

Mike waved his hand up to him like a maniac,

"YO BRIAN! GET OVER HERE MAN! COME MEET SKYLER!" He called out. Brian came over, albeit a little nervously.

"Hi. I'm Brian," he said awkwardly.

"Nice to meet you, Brian. I'm Skyler."

Brian shook my hand. He was a bit shorter than me. Almost as tall as Brose. His clothes looked fairly normal, although there was an unusual design stitched onto his shirt. It was a picture of a wolf with wings, standing on its hind legs.

"I see you're a fan of wolves, huh?" I asked him.

"Not really. I just saw the design on the shirt and thought it was kind of neat. So, uhm...what are you here for today? You already met everyone else."

"That's right," I answered, "I did."

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess I'll go sit down somewhere else then, unless you want me to come join your group."

"OF COURSE, MAN!" Mike interrupted my opportunity to speak to him, "YOU KNOW YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE, BUDDY!"

I could see Brian blush. Poor guy's probably the most embarrassed he's ever been. I know I might have been with a friend like Mike, but I would also be flattered that he'd want me around as much as Mike seemingly wanted. I decided to cut our conversation short.

"It's nice to meet you, Brian."

He nodded, "Same here. See 'ya later."

Then he went back to where he'd been sitting before. As I watched him leave, I felt a familiar presence near my side. I turned to look and found Jennifer staring at me. She smiled softly at me, and I returned the gesture. After a few moments of silence, she broke eye contact and started eating again. Am I going crazy, or is she into me?

A girl from our table picked up on it too, "Ooooo, I see that Jen's got eyes for the new guy! Ahaha~"

Jennifer looked at her for a second before turning away, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Jen. Everyone knows that you've been crushing on this guy since yesterday! Don't lie to me, Jen!"

"If you don't keep your mouth zipped, you'll get my fist between YOUR eyes, Megan!" Jennifer snidely replied. Megan raised her hands in Faux surrender.

"Sorry, just thought I'd point out the obvious!"

Megan and the rest of us, minus Jen and myself, burst into laughter.

"Alright, alright! Just chill out, guys. It's not THAT funny!" Jennifer pointed out.

I shrugged, "Guess she's just trying to make light of what's happening here, y'know?"

Jen gave me a forlorn glance. I couldn't read her expression, but I was thinking it was a pleasant one. Was she thinking something along the same lines I was?

After lunch, Brose took me to my next class. It was Algebra. Lucky that I shared each class with at least one member of my new friend group. It's nice to get some backup, but I can't help but feel I'm still somehow alone. Maybe it's because of my mission? Maybe it's my own paranoia? I can't let personal feelings get in the way. If the time comes where I have to make a choice between these kids and my mission, I will abandon them...I owe it to my parents to see my plan through.

When I entered the room, I found Mike and Brian already there. They both had their heads buried in their textbooks. Brose and I sat down next to them. The teacher walked in and the whole classroom fell silent.

"Good afternoon, Class 3-B!" She announced loudly, "Today we're going to start off by reviewing everything you learned last year. Then, we'll begin learning the basics of advanced mathematics! Who's ready?!"

The room erupted into cheers. All the students in the room knew they were about to learn stuff that no other school taught, so naturally, they all wanted to be the first ones to master it.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I wasn't HERE last year, so I don't exactly know what we learned." I pointed out this fact because before I came here, I was at Park Valley, and we learned a whole different kind of math.

"Yes, I understand," she said kindly, "But the concepts behind the material should still be applicable to you. Now, if anyone has any other questions, please raise your hand so that I may address them."

She paused for a moment while she scanned the crowd. Nobody responded. Finally, she spoke again, "Very well. Let's begin. What's two plus two?"

"Four!" shouted a kid in the front row.

"Correct! And how do you know that's correct?" She asked.

"Because I told my brain it was four, and I always tell my brain things are true, so it must be true." He answered confidently.

"Ah yes, the 'brain trick'! That's a good technique to remember answers, and even better if you use it to answer questions you know anything about, but you should never use it to answer a question when you DON'T know the answer."

Seriously? 2+2? Were we not in an advanced academy for gifted youths? We were supposed to be smarter than this!

"Well done, Jacob!" The teacher, Mrs. Hill said warmly, "That's exactly why I chose you to answer my question! You've demonstrated great intelligence and an understanding of the lesson today."

"What. The. Fuck?" I asked Brose right next to me. He simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea. Honestly, dude, if I didn't know better, it's almost like this school pays the teachers to keep us occupied instead of teaching us anything. Brose took the words right out of my mouth.

"Well, I can tell this'll be another boring lesson. Wake me up when it's over, will 'ya guys?" Mike asked desperately. I nodded. "Thanks, bro." And like that, he went out like a light.

Mrs. Hill began to explain how to solve equations using the distributive property, which is basically when you take an equation that involves multiplication or division and apply the property to it to make a new equation involving only addition or subtraction.

It was awfully hard to pay attention to the lecture given by a woman who looked like she could give birth at any minute, and whose hair smelled as though she hadn't washed it in a week.

As I tried to stay awake during the lesson, I couldn't help but think about my mission. How was I supposed to find out who the baddest criminals were in this town? The Shadow Clan? I haven't heard from them in years. Then I thought about the school. Yeah, a small step towards the bigger picture. And who's the biggest bad in this school? Timmy Ballard! In fact, just before class, he was picking on a stocky fat boy for his lunch money. So, I guess now would be an enjoyable time to talk to him, right?

Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I'll go talk to him after class. But before that, I need to get through algebra.

Algebra was the most painful thing ever. It made my head hurt so much! Why did I sign up for this stupid class anyway? I already knew it all. All the class really was to me was a repeat of that first 2 + 2 situation again: stupid answers followed by unnecessary appraisal. I suppose that's the world we live in. One where we celebrate the act of existing as opposed to challenging work. Rather than listen to mind-numbing trash, my mind kept thinking about how I was supposed to track down a criminal gang and figuring out whether I should let Brose, Jennifer, Mike, and the rest of our group in on it.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that I had gotten a text from Jen.

"Hey, Skyler. Are you in math right now? I'm at the ladies restroom, and I really need someone to talk to...can you come meet me there?"

I quickly typed back to her. Normally I would be appalled at her suggestion, but my gut told me this was a serious situation.

"Of course. I'll be right over."

When I got to the restroom, Jen was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed and tears running down her face. I walked up to her and put my arm around her shoulder.

"Oh my god, Jennifer! Are you alright?" I asked.

"No..." she said quietly, "I'm not."

We stood together for a few moments, holding each other.

"What happened?" I wanted to find out what made her so upset like this.

"It's Timmy," she whispered, "He started a really bad rumor about me...and people are starting to catch up on it...I'm worried about what other people at this school will think of me."

I looked around this restroom. The stalls were lined with graffiti, most of it consisting of profanity.

"Whatever it is, it'll be better than what can be said about these vandals!" I joked. She chuckled, but it was light. She was truly depressed about this rumor, whatever it was.

"You're right." She sighed.

"So, what kind of rumors?" I asked gently.

"First he said I slept with some guy on the first day of school. He then told everyone I was a prostitute. Now he's saying I killed a girl last summer and buried her body under my house."

She paused and took a deep breath.

"And it's spreading. Everyone thinks I'm a slut! I can't even look at my friends without thinking that they might believe it! I-I..."

I put my hands on her shoulders, "Look at me, Jennifer. Do not believe what other people think. The only people whose opinions matter are yours and the opinions of those that you love and trust, do you understand?"

She shook her head and wiped away more tears.

"That's easy for you to say. You don't have to worry about things like that."

I smiled, "True, but I've never been one to worry about what others think of me. What I do worry about, however, are the feelings of my friends. I haven't had many in my life, so I appreciate you, and all the people you've introduced me to in my brief period of time here. You truly mean a great deal to me, and I wish to see you as happy as you have made me feel."

She sniffled and leaned into my chest. I put my arms around her and held her close.

"Thank you, Skyler. For being my friend, coming into my life, and helping me out when no one else would. I'm sorry for being such a jerk earlier..."

I looked at her, "It's alright, but I have to disagree with one thing: I believe one of your friends would have helped you. Megan, though she acted as she had at lunch, seemed like someone who one could rely on. Or Kristen...she's weird, but okay I guess."

Jen laughed. Then she began crying again, but this time it wasn't because of her problems. This was happiness.

"Skyler..." she whispered, "You know, if you hadn't shown up today, I probably wouldn't have made it through another class. Thank you so much for being there for me."

"Well, I'm glad I could help." I smiled and stood up from where I was sitting. She followed suit.

"Let's get you back to class, shall we?"

She nodded, wiping her tears away. "Yeah...I think I'm okay now..."

As we left the bathroom, we passed several students standing outside waiting for their next class to begin. None of them looked at us, but rather focused their attention on themselves or each other.

"I wonder how long until they start calling me 'the killer'?" she muttered to herself.

"They won't, Jen. Not now. Not ever." I assured her.

After that incident, Jen seemed to calm down. Her mood became lighter, and she was able to make jokes about what had occurred between us earlier. As I suspected, none of the other students believed her story. It made me mad. I had to seek counsel from Brose. I texted him, asking me to meet me at an empty table, come lunch period. If asked why, he would say he had a book club meeting. He agreed. When the time came, I found him at a lone table. It was in the corner of the lunchroom, where no one sat. I sat across from him, and he looked up to me,

"Well, this is a first," Brose said, "I see you all the time, but I think this is the first time we've actually...hung out together."

"Yeah, well I need your help, Brose." I looked to him. He stared back concerningly, "with Jennifer."

I told Brose everything: the bathroom, the rumor, Timmy. He got madder and madder with every word. By the time I finished his rage turned to sorrow. He smiled a sad smile.

"I get why she wouldn't tell me...I'm just glad that Timmy and I weren't there with you guys. I don't care if I'm smaller and weaker than him, I'd smack his ass to high hell!"

We both laughed, and I realized that Brose genuinely cared about her. I'm glad she has a good friend like him.

The two of us spent the rest of our lunch period talking about her. He gave me advice, which was mostly telling me to stay by her side. When we went back inside the building, he pulled me aside.

"Listen, Skyler, you're a good guy. Your hearts in the right place, and you always try to do the right thing when you can. I also know that sometimes you just aren't aware of all the consequences. But I think I may be able to help you. Follow me."

He walked off toward the bathrooms, then stopped suddenly, looking back at me.

"What?" I questioned.

"Just follow me. Don't ask questions, don't question anything, and keep walking." Brose took me to an abandoned locker. He put in a code, and it opened. Only when it opened, it wasn't a normal locker's insides. It looked like...a tube?

"Get in." He instructed.

I did so. Once inside, I noticed there were lights above me, but they didn't seem to work.

"Why am I in here?"

"It's called an elevator. And it'll take you wherever I want us to go."

I had to resist making a comeback to his obvious sarcasm, "How does it even work?"

"Don't worry about it."

He took a remote out from his pocket, and he pushed a button on it. The door closed and ZOOM! We went through a large, dark slide filled with twists and turns! Did Brose make this? It's insane!

A few seconds later we arrived in a room completely different to any of the rooms I had seen before. It was small and dark. There were no windows anywhere. I looked around and discovered a single chair in the middle of the floor. A table stood next to it. On top of it was a computer. Brose sat down and typed something into the keyboard. I stood next to him and watched as the screen lit up.

"Okay, now look at this." Brose said, pointing at the monitor.

He entered a code into the password box, "PHOENIX", and the whole room started to shake. Panels on the walls flipped around, revealing lab equipment. Shifting and turning made the single desk that Brose was using convert into a large lab table, complete with a chemistry kit, multiple monitors, and files, among other things.

"Welcome...to my lab!" Brose beamed, gesturing the entire room around us.

I looked at the screens and saw various tests running. They were testing liquid, which I assumed was blood. Some of these tests required chemicals that I couldn't read. There were a lot of them, and most were labeled with strange symbols.

"This is amazing, Brose." I gushed, "You built all this?! Where have you been hiding it?!"

Brose grinned widely, "Oh, I'd tell you, but I thought you already heard of it. Thing is, you haven't heard about this, haven't you? That's because...NOBODY does! Not even Jennifer!"

I was in shock, "Jen doesn't know about this! Brose! I never took you for a mystery man!"

"Well, I must confess, I have an ulterior motive for this place. See, I have always wanted to do some good for this city, but I didn't know how. I built this lab out of an abandoned classroom hidden under the school. The hard part was putting in entry ways across the school, as well as in my home, but this is my humble abode! In here, I'm constantly working on finding something that will make this city better!" Brose truly blew my mind. I couldn't believe this place. It looked like the kind of place that would belong to the hospital my grandfather worked for. I had only been there a few times, but all the tech was virtually identical. I couldn't wait to see what else he could do.

"So, you've done all this stuff without Jennifer knowing? How long has this place been here?"

"Years! Years ago, before I first met Jennifer, I knew that I would need a place where I could work without interference. At first it was only schoolwork, but as I got better, and quicker at it, I used this for some...bonus credit? In my spare time I'm working on things..."

"What kind of things?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Try the cure for cancer!" He beamed.

"You're serious?" I was in awe. How smart WAS this guy?

"I am, and I've come quite close!" Brose chuckled, "But that's not why you should listen to me."

I nodded, "Yeah, yeah. What is?"

"Look," Brose began, "I've known Jennifer for a while now. I'm going to lay the truth onto you: she was a boxer, but she can't fight anymore."

"What happened to her?"

"She got hit one too many times and developed a brain injury. The doctors said that she could risk killing herself if she got hit anymore. Her solution, after quitting boxing, was to never fight again. I've been working to try and rectify that injury, and thus restore her ability to fight, but now my plan's changed..."

"Huh?" I blinked.

"As much as I hate to say this, Jennifer will never be back in fighting shape, but you? You're perfect! What we can do, we can make you a new identity. You can be a masked defender of this school and help stick up for Jennifer without getting yourself in trouble! The last thing we need is for you to be expelled again. Oh yeah, I know all your history!"

"How did you...-"

Brose interrupted me, "I hacked into the school's student files the first day you came here. You got into some bad fights in the past, yeah? The reason you got suspended was because you fought as you. But if you were someone else..."

"There'd be no one to punish!" We both said at the exact same time.

"I know," he pats himself on the back, "It's brilliant! The only problem is how we'll develop your persona...do you have any ideas?"

As a matter of fact, I did. I put my backpack on the lab table and dug out a piece of paper: the superhero costume I drew when I was 8. The one I showed to my grandmother, and she made and gave to me. She thought it was ridiculous, but it was a labor of love. I couldn't fit in the suit anymore, but I still have this drawing. I carried it all these years...to be inspired, and to continue going through each day, in the hope that one day the picture I drew would be reality again. I whole-heartedly believe that day was today.

I pulled the paper out and unfolded it. As I did so, Brose's eyes grew wide in wonder, and his jaw dropped.

"Wow. You really think this will work?"

I nodded, "Yes. Believe it or not, I planned this all out for years."

Brose looked confused, but took the paper from me, "I'm not really surprised to be honest, but this suit...it looks awesome! I'd love to make it. See what kind of damage we can do. I believe I have the materials down here and everything! The only question is: when all is said and done, we can't just call you Skyler anymore...so... what will we call you?"

I looked at Brose and smiled, "I've got that figured out, too." The next morning, I woke up early and headed over to the gym. There I saw Jennifer sitting on a bench, with her head resting in her hands. She wasn't doing anything. Not even lifting weights.

"What's up, Jen? Come here for an early morning sulk? Most people lift weights here, you know?"

"No," she groaned, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright, fine then." I turned around and walked towards the locker room.

"Skyler, wait!"

I stopped short. She ran to catch up to me, "Please don't leave! Please, please, I need your advice!"

"Ok, well...what do you need help with?"

Jennifer sighed, "This morning, during class, I had a terrible nightmare."

I sighed back, "I'm not exactly a dream expert, Jen, but I'll help however I can."

Jennifer looked back at me and smiled.

"Okay, so...in this dream, I was dying. I was being held by some...masked superhero or something? He was wearing green and orange...there was a ninja? And he was wearing armor? It turned out the guy in the green suit was you!"

I raised my brows, "Me? Why me?"

"I don't know...but you were holding me...telling me that everything would be okay. We were in danger, with that guy in the ninja outfit, but you didn't care. All you cared about was me. Was it...was it a sign, Skyler? A vision of the future?"

"I... I do not know." I had to admit, I heard some strange things in my time, but that might've taken the cake.

"You sure?" Jennifer asked, looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

"I am not. Fate is a strange thing, Jennifer. Dreams do not determine your fate. Nothing can. Your dream may seem real, but I do not believe or know if it is true or not, but what I know is true, is that I do not believe in dreams. They are merely illusions of the mind created during the REM process of sleep. Nothing more."

Jennifer almost looked disappointed with my answer, but my words were true. My belief is my belief, and that's my six cents on dreams.

I saw Brose in the hallway after class.

"Brose?"

He turned to me, and beamed, "What's up?"

I figured I would tell him the truth. He's given me no reason to keep it from him. He showed me his lab and offered to help me build the suit after all.

"I wished to ask Jennifer about training me...in martial arts."

Brose blinked, "Oh, yeah! That makes sense! How long have you been wanting to learn martial arts?"

"All my life, actually."

"So, you're really serious about the superhero gig, huh?" He put his fingers to his chin, almost dreaming of the prospect. I put a gentle but firm grip on his shoulder.

"I showed you my suit and told you about my plan. Of course, I am serious!"

Brose shook off my hand, "Don't get all high and mighty with me! You're still just a kid! You haven't proven yourself yet. So don't go thinking you can take advantage of me because you have a clever idea!"

"I am not. I simply wished to learn under her...I'm just not sure if she would teach me."

Brose made a coy smile, "Are you sure there's no... ulterior motive?"

My face got hot, like the face of a minimum-wage worker operating a fryer at a fast food restaurant, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!"

"Well...You and Jen. Alone. Getting all the time to bond...Doesn't take a genius to see you guys have chemistry." Brose was sneaky. He was tricking me into trying to admit that I had romantic feelings for Jennifer!

"NO! NO! No ulterior motives here!" I said as forcefully as I could.

"Hey man," he laughed, "Relax. I'm just messing with ya. If you want to learn martial arts, then do it. Just ask her during lunch period! I'm sure Jennifer would love to teach you. She hasn't done anything with it since the injury, but with you she could channel her Mr. Miyagi for your Daniel-San!" He made a karate chop and I laughed at his silliness.

"Perhaps. Just grant me a favor and keep our discussion between us?"

Brose nodded, "I can keep a good secret! Count on it!"

"Thank you. I will see you at lunch period."

Brose waved me off, and I went to class.

Lunch period came around. The hallways were empty, the classrooms were silent. I found the group at the usual lunchtime. As I expected, Mike was acting up.

"Alright, listen up people! This is the deal. When we leave this school, we want to look good. Right now, we are average students who have a bit of potential, but nothing special. We need to change that, and I mean right now. So, let's start with you, Skyler."

Mike pointed to me. I felt like the ground dropped out from beneath me.

"Skyler, you are going to be the leader of the team." He had this large grin on his face that told me he drank too much Kool-Aid.

"What are you talking about, Mike?"

"This isn't just any old club, people. It's gonna be the most badass thing ever! Ever! And you are the one who will lead us, Skyler."

"But why me?"

"Because you're the biggest, scariest guy out of all of us, but you've also got the biggest heart. A gentle giant, you know? You're not tough like an action movie hero, but more like...like tough enough to be gentle! Every good team needs a leader with that kind of attitude, and I think we all think you fit that bill!"

That was high praise, but I didn't feel worthy.

"But I'm not even the best fighter!"

"No, but you are the strongest. There is strength, and then there is STRENGTH!" He grabbed onto my bicep and began to squeeze it, "The boys just need to be disciplined a bit, but you can be the guy this school really needs: someone who actually gives a damn about it!"

I didn't know what to say, so I stayed quiet.

"Look, Skyler, you'll make a great leader. Hell, I bet you'd be the perfect president or something. In the short time you've been here, you've won us all over. You knew how to talk with Timmy when most of us wouldn't say a thing."

Everyone else nodded.

"You're the kind of guy who looks after us...we heard about what happened to Jennifer..."

I looked at her.

"You told them about what happened?" I asked curiously.

"I did," she replied, "and you were right. They didn't think less of me because of those rumors."

"We know that you've probably got something planned for Timmy," Mike began, "And we don't know what it is, but if you say the word we'll follow, right guys."

Everyone at once raised their drinks, "YEAH!"

It wasn't quite as cool as in the movies, but it was still cool.

"I'm glad you guys think so highly of me," I began, "but to be completely honest my plan kind of sucks."

Mike looked at me and patted my shoulder, "Let me hear it before you say that, at least!"

"Okay. My plan is to ask Jennifer to train me in her boxing skills. Then I would challenge Timmy to a fight, wherein if I won, the people of this school wouldn't be afraid of him anymore. They'd be under my protection."

There was silence.

"Sounds like a solid idea to me," Mike smiled.

"But what happens if you lose?" Brose questioned.

I thought about that.

"Then I will try, and try, and try again." I stood onto the table and looked at all of my...my friends, "No one ever said I had to win the first time, or the second time, but when I do win...that will be a sign that the reign of a man like Timmy will be gone! The reign of goodness will prevail over evil! Over corruption!"

I could see many people looking at me as I spoke.

"I want to make this school, nay, this world, a better place. If beating Timmy is the first step to that, I don't care if I have to get kicked off of a cliff or pushed into the side of a mountain. I would fight, and fight, and fight, until I finally got that all-consuming punch that'll let the good kids of this school know that WE WON'T TOLERATE THE BULLYING ANY LONGER!"

My words seemed to echo throughout the cafeteria. Everyone applauded me.

"Yeah, Skyler! That's what I'm talking about!" Mike slapped me on the back.

"So, what do we do next?" Brose asked me.

I got off of the table and put my hands into Jennifer's, "First, I have to ask you if you would train me."

"On how to box?" She asked.

"Yes," I nodded, "and if that goes well, maybe there's more?"

She nodded. "Okay, but before I do though, I need you to make a promise for me."

I nodded, and she took my hands:

"Do you promise that you will never use your power for evil?" She said, partly as a joke, but I complied anyway

"Never. Not now, and not in a million years." I was determined to see it through. The energy from my own words fueled me.

"Well, then I guess that makes it official."

She took my hand and led me out of the cafeteria. We passed by Timmy and his goons. Timmy gave me a thumbs up. Which he immediately turned into a thumbs down. I went to him.

"I'm through with you, Timmy. It's time we settled our old differences. The old-fashioned way."

"What," he replied, "like a fight?"

I nodded, "Exactly. Two months from now. You want to bully people. I want to help them. I will get stronger, and then I will beat you. The winner will take the glory and the loser will not act again!"

He laughed.

"Fine! But you'll regret it! You'll wish you hadn't challenged me!" He turned around and walked away.

"See ya later, losers!"

As soon as he left, I walked back to Jennifer.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

I nodded. She placed something in my hands: a piece of paper.

"Good. Meet me at my house after school."

After the lunchtime encounter, school went by at a snails' pace. The whole vibe of the school was like slow-motion. Or dead. Eventually the bell rang, and I was set to leave.

Jennifer told me that I should meet her at her place after school for training. Her address was 1045 Rosepull Avenue. It wasn't too far from here. I reckon about a mile or two.

The house wasn't too shabby looking:

It was an average size homemade of brick and wood, with white shutters covering its windows. There was also a garage, which was a bonus.

I knocked on the door, and it opened at once. The house was not as nice looking as it was on the outside. The carpet was worn and stained, the wallpaper peeling, and chipped paint. Yet, for all its flaws, there was beauty here too. Things that made this house a home. Various family portraits hung on the walls. The image of a happy family...Jennifer's family, brought an image to mind: What would life be like if my parents survived the fire? Would I become the spoiled child that I most like me would be? Would I ever have met Jennifer and Brose and all my friends? Would I still be attending Warborn?

Would I still be me?

I shook these thoughts out of my head, because I didn't want to dwell on things I couldn't change.

My mind immediately switched gears when I saw Jennifer. She had on some tight-fitting workout clothes and sneakers. They were white with a blue stripe down each side.

"So, you actually came?" she asked in a joking manner.

"Of course, I couldn't miss it! You know, you look amazing!" I complimented her, "I can tell that you've been hitting the gym hard."

Jennifer blushed, then smiled warmly, "Thanks, you're looking pretty good yourself. Now let's get this show started!"

We walked inside the house. It was an average size, with a sofa and armchair facing a large, flat screen television. There was a kitchen area off to the left with a table and chairs. The rest of the house was filled with bookshelves and bookcases. In fact, there were shelves everywhere.

"My parents love to read," She looked back to me and winked, "And so do I!"

Jennifer led me into her backyard.

"This is where we'll be training!" She beamed, "Every day after school, until the day you decide to fight Timmy, this is where we'll be!"

The yard was big enough for us to have plenty of room. We set up mats, gloves, pads, and other equipment. Then Jennifer went over all the basics with me again. We worked on footwork, blocking punches, counterpunching, defense, and everything else I needed to learn before I fought Timmy.

By the end of the second hour, I was exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to take a break, but I knew if I did that, I would lose momentum.

Jennifer looked at me curiously.

"What's up?" I asked her.

"W-well...this is a bit embarrassing..." She started.

"If it's embarrassing, you don't need to ask me, if you don't want to."

"N-NO!" She shouts, but then goes into defense mode, "This is just something I'd like to ask you. You know, out of curiosity..."

I was intrigued as well at that point. What did she need to ask?

"A-at your old school..." She began, "Did you...by chance...have a...?" She was stepping over herself, trying to figure out the right phrase.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Did you have a girlfriend?" she asked me, in a voice so quiet I could barely hear her.

"A girlfriend?" I replied, asking for clarity.

"... yes..." She looked as though she wanted to bury herself in her own backyard. It was certainly big enough.

"I do not." I admit, "Truthfully, I never have. I hope you do not judge me for this."

Jennifer laughed awkwardly.

"Oh no, no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it! I was simply curious!"

She said that last part a little suspiciously, but I went along with it.

After another long pause, she finally continued, "...Well anyway...

I guess that's okay, you know?" She shrugged, "I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to offend you or anything. If I did, I apologize."

"No need to apologize," I assured her, "I'm used to it."

"To what?" She asked.

"To being offended. It's nothing I can't shrug off, you know?"

"I suppose..." Jennifer seemed uneasy.

I decided to change the subject, "How are you holding up? Do you need a break?"

"No, we can go for a while longer, I think." She took a deep breath, "Let's continue, shall we?"

Jennifer showed me a few more moves. By the time we stopped for the night, I felt confident that I had learned everything I needed to know to beat Timmy.

As the days passed, I found myself growing stronger physically and mentally. Jennifer trained me every day, pushing me past my limits. It was getting harder and harder for me to stay awake during class. My mind wandered away from my classes, drifting to my upcoming match against Timmy.

Jennifer told me about how she got into boxing. She explained to me how she always loved the idea of martial arts movies, especially those featuring Bruce Lee. She was also a huge fan of the Rocky films. Her father had shown them to her when she was younger, and they were her favorite. When she saw the movie Creed, she thought it would be cool to train with real boxers, so she tried out for a local club team. After joining, she quickly fell in love with the sport. She had gotten many trophies, all of which she had shown me in her case.

"My pride and joy," she softly rubbed the glass with the palm of her hand, "I hope nothing bad ever happens to them..."

I put my hand on her back, "Nothing will! They'll be perfectly fine in this case!"

"Really?" She turned around and looked at me, "You're such an optimist sometimes..."

We both burst into laughter.

It was Friday afternoon. The day of our second practice session.

I walked through the door of Jennifer's house, wearing a simple pair of jeans, a white shirt, and my black sneakers.

Jennifer came down the stairs dressed in similar clothes. She wore a pair of shorts, a sports bra, and tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, held together with a rubber band. I had to admit she looked gorgeous.

"Alright, time to get busy!" She smiled a prideful smile, and we went into her backyard. What I see before me is...interesting. It was a punching bag, with...a face drawn onto it?

"Ta-daahhh!" She gestured to the bag, "do you like it?"

I couldn't shake my head or nod, I was just confused, "What is it?"

"It's Timmy!" She beamed, "Or, at least a dummy of him! Since you'll be punching the real thing any day now, it's good to get familiar with punching something like him before then."

The dummy stood there, motionless. Its head tilted slightly to one side. Its expression remained blank. It almost reminded me of a zombie, but I shook that image from my head.

"What is this supposed to do? Timmy is no sandbag!"

Jennifer gets annoyed at this point, "Just punch it as hard as you can until you knock it over!"

I comply. I punch the dummy as hard as I can. I feel every bit of force I've exerted go back against me. This made me mad, so I punched the dummy. Again. And again. And AGAIN, until my hands were swelling up and turning red. By the time I couldn't punch anymore, they were reminiscent of lobster claws.

Jennifer watched me as I finished.

"Wow...that's a lot of power... You must be really strong if you could knock it over after only ten hits..."

I was surprised. "Only 10 hits?" I look at my fists. They're still redder than an albino man at the beach.

She nods, "Yeah, I bet your arms hurt right now, huh?"

I shake my head, "No, not really."

She laughs, "Oh come on, you can tell me! Your hands are practically glowing red!"

"They aren't red yet." I lied, "But yes, they hurt."

Jennifer sighs, "Fine. How does it feel?"

"It feels like I was punching a bullet train going at full speed."

Jennifer giggles, "Well, let's try again!"

So, I repeat the process of punching the dummy as hard as I possibly can. My body is screaming for me to stop, but I ignore it and keep going. This time, I made it to 30 punches without stopping. Then 40. 50. 60. 70. 80. 90. 100. 110. 120. 130. 140. 150. 160. 170. The poor dummy's crudely drawn face became a blot of ink on my knuckles. It mixed with my blood to make a dark red. Almost a wine color.

I stopped punching. My fists felt like two balloons filled with liquid lead. I didn't care though. I looked at Jennifer.

"How did I do?" I asked her.

She smiles, "You hit that damn dummy over 300 times!"

"Shit."

I knew I was determined, but would it be enough for me to stick with a fight against Timmy? I nodded. Someone needed to make an example of him, and anyone who wished to be like him. Let them all know that bullying will never again be tolerated at Warborn. Then, once I get that message across, I will take my fight to the streets of Battle City and take it back from its' bully: The Shadow Clan!

The next few weeks passed by quickly. Training sessions with Jennifer continued. Each day, she'd give me a new challenge to complete. Most of these challenges involved me fighting some sort of dummy or completing an obstacle course.

"It's all about reflexes," she said when I did my first one. Things would come at me from all sides, whether they were swords, or nunchaku, or any other sort of weapon you could think of, attached to a mechanism designed to swing them at me.

"I take it you borrowed these from Brose?" I asked, trying to keep myself intact in the process.

"I think of it more as a commission, " She replied.

I tried to focus. I blocked a sword strike from one side and dodged another from the opposite direction. I caught a third from behind with my left arm, while my right hand grabbed a fourth that flew past my face.

"Love the stimulation, but what does all of this have to do with a boxing match against Timmy Ballard?" I stared towards Jen, once again ducking and dodging the onslaught of ninja weaponry.

Jen sighed, "Look around you. If you want to beat Timmy, you need to be able to dodge everything he throws at you. You also need to be able to defend yourself."

"He's not throwing anything...I think? It's a boxing match!" I argued.

"Exactly, and you need to be ready for everything he throws at you."

"Like what?"

"Anything! Swords, axes, knives, whatever the fuck he throws at you. The guy's an asshole, do you think he's above cheating?"

I shook my head and kept on dodging. After about ten minutes, I finally got through it unscathed.

"Impressive, but don't think that'll last long in a real fight." Jen smirks.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because no matter how good you are, there's always someone better out there. Just because you're skilled doesn't mean you won't get fucked up if you're in a fight."

I nod.

"Then I'll just have to become the best."

"That's the spirit," she claps her hands together, "Let's move onto the next challenge then."

We spent the rest of the week doing more training. But before we started, she made sure to explain to me that it wasn't just about getting stronger, it was about learning how to use my strength effectively.

"Timmy is going to be a big, strong dude, so you should learn to use his size against him. You can't win if you can only punch, kick, and grapple. There has to be something else you can bring to the table."

I nod. I've already figured that much out.

"Alright, this session, we start off with grappling."

"Ugh..." I groan.

"Don't worry, you can still punch and kick too. It's just that most of your strikes are coming from grapples and chokes.

I frown. I hate grappling. I'm not great at it, nor am I bad. It's just that I prefer to fight from a distance where I can see my opponent's every movement. That way I know exactly when to attack. When I have to wrestle, it feels like I'm taking away from the power of my blows.

"If you want to beat Timmy, you'll have to learn how to deal with people who are bigger than you." She sighs, "Besides, it might help you avoid a lot of bruises."

I roll my eyes and shrug, "Alright, fine. We'll do some grappling today."

We spent the next hour rolling around on the mats. I have to say, it was strange for Jennifer to be getting so...physical with me. I have no problem with it, but my...hormones...are going crazy.

When we finish, she takes a deep breath, "Well, let's hope you learned something."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for all your help," I replied.

"No prob. Now go shower and meet me downstairs. We've got dinner reservations tonight."

"D-dinner?! Why?" I was confused. Was she...actually asking me out on a date?

Jennifer chuckles, "You'll find out soon enough." With that, she leaves me alone in the backyard.

I shower and change into my normal clothes. Jennifer was waiting for me, wearing a really pretty dress.

"Do you like it?" she said, twirling around for me to see it all.

"I do...but why are we doing this?"

Jennifer smiled at me. God I can't resist her smile, "Think of it as a pre-celebration."

"It's unwise to celebrate before the fight."

She punched my arm, "stop being a jackass and go with it, okay?"

"Fine."

"Good, now follow me."

I followed her to the front door.

"Where are we going?" I asked nervously.

"Someplace special."

I shake my head, "Is this part of the training?"

"Nah, you're gonna love this."

The restaurant is on the edge of town. A lovely place to eat, but nothing fancy or expensive. The kind of place where they serve tasty food, and the waiters aren't snooty.

"How did you know about this place?" I asked. The smell in the air was fantastic: crepes and croissants. Earl Grey Tea and Fruit Punch...

"My dad used to take me here when I was younger." She smiles, "I guess I never left."

The host leads us to our table, which happens to be right by the window. I look outside and see the sun setting over the patio.

"So, tell me about yourself, Skyler." she asks.

"There's not much to tell," I respond, "I've told you some of my story, and you inferred a lot of the rest. Like how I live with my grandparents."

She chuckled, "Come on, you gotta give me more than that."

I put my hands up in surrender, "I don't know! I've got quite a childhood!"

"Like what?" she giggles.

I sigh, "Well...my parents had died when I was only seven years old...I spent most of my life in therapy. I had never been to a school for longer than a year on account of me getting into fights. I... I had this vision for my life that I both wish to embrace and am also partly afraid to admit."

She sits back in her chair and stares at me intently, "Tell me about it."

"Well, I always wanted to get strong, and I thought that would make everything better. My therapist tried to talk me out of it, but I had this plan in motion...a plan to avenge their deaths. To do right by them in my own way."

I pause and stare at the ceiling. I didn't want to say the last bit out loud, but I couldn't lie to her anymore. She deserved an honest answer.

"I went through all these different things to try to get stronger...no... I wanted something else. I wish to tell you my secret. Something I have told no one else, save for my grandparents."

"Go ahead."

"I don't know if you can understand, but I feel like...I need to become powerful to show everyone that I can be trusted. That I am worthy of love, of friendship, of having people care about me...I wish for them to protect me, so I wish to be their hero. A superhero. So, I could protect them, too."

She nods slowly, "And how does that relate to you wanting to train with me?"

"Because..." I hesitate again, "I'm scared. I'm terrified that I will fail. That everything I had ever wanted to do...all the promises I made to my parents, would be for nothing. If I lose against Timmy, then how will I be able to take that next step...how could I fight crime...commit myself to battling and defeating dangerous terrorists and mercenaries...if I can't even beat a kid my own age?"

She smiles at me, "Well I'll tell you this...win or lose, you WILL be a hero. People will be inspired by your example to try and set things right. I... I already think you are a hero. The way you are around people...the way you stand up against Timmy...the way that you helped me when I needed it most. You didn't even hesitate to enter the girl's restroom when you knew you could've gotten in serious trouble. Instead, you went in and comforted me...reassured me things will be better...no one else would take risks like that for me, or anyone else, but you do."

"Thank you, Jennifer."

"No problem. But...what is it you really want? What do you hope to accomplish from all this training?"

"I wish...I wish to defeat the man who killed my parents."

"That's a pretty lofty goal, isn't it?" she says.

"Yes...but it is a dream of mine...one I have carried with me since I was a boy. I remember seeing him running from me...I could see him hesitate, like he wanted to take me, or hurt me...but instead he ran. He could have stopped it...helped them...changed his ways somehow, but he ran. He started the fire and then ran. He took my family, left me alive knowing I would suffer the rest of my life, and then ran. I want to find him, let him know of the monster he created...and put him where he belongs."

She looks at me curiously, "You know there is a chance you might never catch him, right? Even if you manage to track him down...it might take months before we actually manage to apprehend him."

I sigh, "You are right, but I will always be alert...he WILL pay for what he has done, though, that is a promise..."

We then stood for a while in an awkward silence. I could practically hear the sweat pouring out of my body. Both of us just shrugged off the tension and went back to training.

The next day came, and I shot a quick text to Jennifer.

"Today's the day."

"Today?" She replied instantly, "R u gunna challenge Timmy 2day?"

"Yes."

With that I went to school filled with confidence. Not helping my ego was the barrage of kids complimenting me. They kept talking about my hair, my muscles. They made comments like, "Who's the new guy?" Or "never seen a cutie like him at school before." I ignored them. Only one person was on my mind.

"Timmy Ballard!" I pointed to him. He looked at me, almost clueless, but then he flashed his obnoxious grin.

"Well well," Timmy gave a slow, sarcastic clap, "looks like the Skyler Boy wants to be a man. What's the matter? Your girlfriend not here to save you?"

"She's not my girlfriend, Timmy," I began, "and furthermore, I'm not here about that. I'm here to challenge you to a fight. For too long, you've had a reputation as a bully in this school, and I won't stand for it!"

Timmy seemed surprised by my comment, but continued to mock me, "Okay, pal. I accept your challenge. It's just sad about Jennifer, though. The one girl in the school who gives it away to everyone, and you can't even get a pity slice!"

With that I lost it! I took my fist and slammed it right across his jaw! It was...gratifying. He landed on his side. I even saw a few teeth on the ground. Timmy looked at me, horrified.

"N-NO!" He got onto his knees and picked up his teeth, "MY TEETH! MY TEETH!" He got up, lifted me by the shirt, and pinned me to a locker.

"YOU'RE DEAD. FREAK! YOU HEAR ME? DEAD!"

All I did in response was stare him down. "After school. In the old gymnasiums' boxing ring."

He put me down, still steaming mad, "I'll make your funeral public." Then walked away.

Later that day, the two of us met up at the gym. Except we weren't alone. All the bleachers in the school were filled!

"Are they...are they here to see us?" I asked Timmy.

He nodded, "They're actually here to see ME whoop YOUR punk ass!"

I looked at him with a deadly glare, "I'll see you in the ring."

As soon as I got up ringside, I could see Brose,

"Hey Sky! Can I call you Sky?" I nodded. "Good to have you here man! Almost afraid you wouldn't show."

I looked to him, "It'd be weird if I didn't."

"Well get in there! Jen and I will have your back!" He smiled, and I complied, getting into the ring.

"Hey man, you ready?"

Timmy was standing next to the ring waiting for me. He was wearing his blue shorts, gloves, and shoes.

He looked confident but I knew he wasn't. He knew I was coming for him today. I stepped into the ring and faced him.

Timmy smiled, "You're going to lose." His smile faded quickly though, "Oh yeah...and your girlfriend's going to get hurt!"

I didn't say anything. I just circled around him. When I got to one side of the ring, I threw a jab. Timmy blocked it with ease. I followed up with another jab, which again was easily blocked. I continued moving around the ring. I waited for an opening, and then went to work.

I tried throwing jabs while circling, but they were blocked by Timmy's gloves. I switched to left hooks. They too were blocked. Finally, I landed a right hook. It caught Timmy on the cheek. He stumbled back, letting out a yelp.

"How'd you like that?" I asked.

He wiped away blood from his face. "It fucking hurts!"

I charged towards him, landing a right cross on his jaw. He grabbed my arm, trying to break it, but I twisted it hard and broke free.

As he fell to the ground, I kicked him in the gut. He doubled over, gasping for air. I stood over him, looking down, "Come on, who's next?"

I could hear Jennifer yelling from outside ring, "NO MORE, SKYLER! YOU'LL KILL HIM!"

Timmy was breathing heavily. I looked at him and said, "I don't know who taught you to fight, but they didn't teach you how to win, either."

I could hear venom pouring out of him. I didn't care. I proved my point, with a little help from my friends. Jennifer was right. This was the only way Timmy would learn.

Suddenly, Timmy got up and ran towards me. He punched me three times in the stomach. I bent over and felt the wind leave my lungs. I lifted my hands up, showing that he should stop.

He stopped hitting me and stood back up. He held his hands out, palms facing each other. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Then he made his fists into tight balls.

Before I could even react, he threw a punch. It landed perfectly in my face. I was dazed, but I knew I had to show no weakness.

I punched him straight in the mouth. He fell to the floor, clutching his teeth.

"Ow," he yelled, "You son of a bitch! What the fuck was that for?!"

I opened my mouth to speak, but Jennifer said what I was thinking before I could:

"Because you cheated, Timmy! You deserved it!"

Timmy got up and threw a punch. I blocked it with my left hand and knocked him to the ground.

"You got me there," Timmy said, sitting on the ground. "The guy has skills."

Jennifer scolded, "Don't give him credit. That was all you, Timmy."

Timmy pushed himself off the ground and walked past Jennifer and me. I watched him go, wondering if he was going to try and get revenge later.

"Are you okay?" Jennifer asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to eat something. My head hurts."

She helped me out of the ring and onto the bench inside it. She handed me a bottle of water.

"So, how did I do?"

She laughed, "You did great! You hit like a girl, though."

I chuckled and said, "Thanks. I'll consider that a compliment."

We both laughed. She looked at me and said, "Thank you for sticking up for me. I know there was a lot of risk involved."

I looked at her, and smiled, "It wasn't just for you. It was for the whole school. Since I know that I can do this, there's something I want to ask you..."

"Is it about your goal?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"Then ask me."

I hesitated for a moment, but I figured there wasn't a time like the present:

"Jennifer, I was wondering...I saw your trophies when I was training with you for boxing. Do you still know martial arts?"

She smiled, "I do, but I haven't done anything with it in a long time."

I nodded, "Is it possible for you to teach me?"

She shook her head, "I don't know..."

I practically begged her, "Please, I know you can teach me! You already taught me how to box, and I got the hang of that pretty well!"

She seemed to contemplate the notion, then looked at me sternly.

"I need you to understand this is not the same thing. The training will be far more intense, and I will be willing to help you out under one condition..."

I looked at her wonderingly, "What is it?"

"You tell me why you want this."

"I already told you! My dream. My parents...everything.

"I get that, but do you really feel you can pull it off? It would be very difficult, considering the intensity of your dream."

I asked her, "How?"

"Skyler," she began, "I know what you're capable of. If I teach you, I could put your life in danger. In fact, I might be putting others' lives in danger. So, before I agree to teach you, I want to know your plan. What will happen if you fail?"

I took a deep breath and thought about it. "If I failed, then everyone else would die."

She looked at me, "Really?"

I nodded.

"Then I guess we have a deal," she said finally.

I smiled, "Thank you!"

For the next few weeks, every day after school Jennifer and I trained. We would spar in the gym, doing jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts. Jennifer would push me with all her might, making sure I never lost focus. She was persistent, and I began to realize she was right. Just because I knew how to box, didn't mean I knew how to fight. So, for the next six months, Jennifer and I trained day in and day out until I was proficient enough to beat her.

By the end of those six months, I was a different person. I was stronger and faster than ever, and I knew how to fight.

I was unstoppable.

When I went into school the next day, I was complimented for my muscles, my hair, my clothes, everything. The Castle was seeing a better, improved Skyler Forsyth from before. What they don't know is that I'm looking out for them as much as they are for me. I thought my problems with people at this school would be over, and I could go onto the next phase of my plan, but then Timmy and his goons were back. He had bandages all over his face from our last fight.

"I see the Skyler boy isn't so boy-ish anymore..." Timmy was still putting on that charismatic act, as if he didn't look like he was wearing a bad mummy costume.

"I have told you," I began, "That I would do whatever needs to be done to help people. I trust that you kept your word."

He nods, "Yeah. No one's been taken by me, but I want something from you."

I folded my arms, "What makes you think I would do anything for you."

Timmy smiled, "because if you really want to help people, shouldn't the first step be to forgive those who have wronged you?"

I rolled my eyes, "Is that supposed to work?"

He sighed, "Trust me, it does. And the reason I brought it up is because I know somethings' going on in this school that will blow your mind!"

"Go on." I continued. If Timmy knows something, I want to know it too. He may be a bully, but that doesn't make him stupid. He knows what goes around, so it would be nice to have him as an ally, even if it is temporary.

"What if I were to tell you," Timmy began, "that this whole school is a cover-up?"

"A cover-up?" I questioned him, "for what?"

"The Shadow Clan." Timmy concluded, "they're using the school to make new recruits.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Timmy expects me to believe the Shadow Clan is using Warborn to make its soldiers?

"Why should I believe that?"

"Look around you, Skyler boy." He gestured all around, "the teachers aren't REALLY teaching, are they? Went into Math the other day and you wouldn't believe the stuff this so-called "advanced school" was teaching us."

I thought about my Algebra class the other day, and how weird it was that the teacher was asking about 2+2.

"Another thing, how many schools do you know that have BOXING RINGS?" He looked to me, "that may be a coincidence, but it doesn't seem right to me."

I had to give him that one, but then, it was just a good coincidence, if anything. The 2+2 thing was strange, but that doesn't make the school fake, right?

"Go ahead and ask your friends." Timmy bellowed to me, "Ask them if they've experienced some "strange things" happening at this school. It's not like any other school in America. Guarantee it."

I gave a nod and walked away.

"Follow the money, Skyler boy. Follow the money."

I did what Timmy asked me to do. I questioned Brose and Jennifer about strange things happening at the school.

Jennifer said she heard people talking about the Shadow Clan too. She told me that her other teachers weren't really teaching much either.

"There's no way the Shadow Clan could use our school." I argued back with her.

"But it would be a good way to get recruits," Brose pointed out, "Young, naiave children are perfect for the task. Like, what if they're giving subtle hints to us in class that we're not picking up on?"

That made sense to me. If the Shadow Clan was going to recruit students, why would they tell them outright?

Brose also mentioned something else:

"Maybe the teachers are being forced to do this. That's why if we were to ask about it they would deny it."

"Well there's only one way to know that for sure, and that's to ask a teacher ourselves!" Jennifer exclaimed excitedly.

So I decided to go talk to Ms. Rodriguez, my English teacher.

When I got to her classroom, I saw her sitting alone at a desk writing down notes from the board. There wasn't even a student in the room!

She didn't see me come in so I stood next to her. She seemed lost in thought.

Finally she looked up and smiled warmly at me.

"Good morning, Mr. Forsyth." Her voice was soft and gentle, almost like she knew me personally.

Ms. Rodriguez was tall and beautiful. With long black hair tied into two braids, blue eyes, and a slender frame. Even though she was older than most girls, you wouldn't think that based off how young and pretty she was.

"Morning ma'am."

Her smile widened. "It's nice to see someone here before first period starts. Can I help you with something?"

I looked at her with intensity. My eyes bore into hers, and I could tell she was getting slightly nervous. "You can," I replied, "I want you to tell me about the Shadow Clan."

Her eyes grew wide, and she got defensive, "I have nothing to say about that topic!" She started to stand but I grabbed her arm.

"Please don't leave yet." I begged.

She turned away from me and stared at the ceiling.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I believe there's something going on in this school and I want to put a stop to it!"

Ms. Rodriguez's eyes shot daggers, "and how exactly could you help, should help actually be needed? You're only a kid!"

My heart sank when she said that. It felt like she had just told me that no matter what happened, I couldn't do anything. But then...

Something sparked inside of me. A fire burned deep within my chest, and I found myself saying, "No, I can help, and I will, but not if you won't tell me anything. Nothing you say will go to the police if that's your concern. This information will stay between the two of us. Besides, I highly doubt that anyone WOULD believe me if I told them. Most can't trust the word of a recent student, right?"

Ms. Rodriguez nodded cautiously, "Okay, well I probably shouldn't tell you this, but you are right. Something IS going on in this school..."

"And it involves the Shadow Clan?"

She nods.

"Tell me everything."

"Okay," she gave, "but I would rather speak of this moment...in private. Please go and close the door."

I complied, and shut the door that linked her class to the hallway. Then, Ms. Rodriguez sat down across from me. She seemed uncomfortable. I thought she might start crying any second now.

"So, where do we begin?"

I smiled, "Well, why don't you start by telling me how you know about the clans' involvement with the school."

"Alright, let me think about it for a minute..." She began, "The school made a deal with the clan that went something like this: in exchange for protection from other vicious gangs, we would hand them children we believe would be of good use to them."

I grabbed a chair from one of the nearby desks and sat down, "who consists of that?"

"The expected," she replied, "kids with bad grades, bad habits...the troublemakers."

I was surprised, "Why didn't you report this sooner?! What were you waiting for?!"

She sighed, "It's not so simple. See, the clan has us under their thumb, and if any one of us decides to stop...they'll come for our families! They know most everything about us. If we move, they'll find us, and they don't back down from anything. Ever."

I sigh, "That sounds terrifying...you must have been terrified every time you came here!"

"Oh, yes," she laughed bitterly, "we all fear the day they show up at home."

"They won't." I replied. I didn't know why I sounded so affirmed in my stance, but I stood by the words anyway, "I know of people who can help us with this..."

"Really?" She replied. I could see a smile form from her. One of hope, and not just what I would assume to be a mask, "that's fantastic!"

"Yes. Now all I need is to contact him.

A few days later, after I had spoken with Ms. Rodriguez, things started happening. It wasn't long until there were rumors around school saying that someone called 'the Grandmaster' was looking for students who were likely to become future Shadow Clan recruits.

"They say he's coming to the headquarters on Main Street." I heard one boy say in the hall.

"I heard he has a bunch of creepy masks," said a girl, "and that he believes all of them can grant him powers!"

"Why would he need kids for, then," her friend replied, "he could just use those to conquer the world, right?"

I kept walking in disbelief. The man behind the biggest gang in Battle City was coming to the school. Can't let that happen. Maybe today's the day I can act.

As my thoughts circulate on the prospect, I get a text from Brose:

"Meet Me The Lab." It said.

"Wat's up?" I replied.

"Have sumthing 2 show u."

With that, I headed to the locker he took me to the lab with the first time. I recalled the combination, and stepped into the elevator, being careful to close it behind me. I then pressed the down key on the control pad, and I was off!

The elevator eventually stops, and the lab reveals itself to me. Brose stood centre stage, with a look I could only describe as...creepily optimistic.

"Brose. What's going on? What is it you wished to show me."

Brose put his hands on my shoulders, "It is done!"

It? I took a moment to process what he...

"The suit?" I asked him.

"Come and see." He took off like a rocket, I quickly followed suit. Sure enough, we ended up at a long table.

"Behold...the suit!" He had a remote that, when pressed, caused the table to rise. Strapped onto it was a suit of combat armor. It matched my drawing to the letter. The suit in question was black and white, with white boots and gloves, a white cape, a utility belt, and a shield-shaped logo on the chest, with an "SB" logo on it. The most unique part of the ensemble was the mask: a black, faceless mask that only had two white, dome shaped lenses. On the top of it was what looked like a shark's fin. It was my idea, because I believed at the time that sharks were the scariest thing around, so I wanted to reflect their most intimidating physical feature into my suit to be like them, in a way.

"What do you think?" He asked. I could see he was begging for my approval.

"This," I began, "is EXACTLY what I needed!"

We gave each other a high five. I then told Brose about the Grandmaster situation.

"So you want to take him on? Do you think you can? He asked me cautiously."

"I think I can, but I will need information."

"Okay," Brose replied, "but from who?"

"Timmy."

"Timmy Ballard?!" Brose shockingly asked, "What makes you think he'll give us any info."

I knocked on the metal suit, "I never said he was giving it to me."

Brose had a mischevious grin on his face. And so did I.

The end of that school day, I had a plan: Brose, myself, and our group of friends would meet Timmy in the woods. Turns out that that's where he and his buddies like to go after school. Kids say its so they can smoke. Time to test that theory's mettle.

I had donned my new suit. Brose had made a makeshift one, consisting of one of the la b coats he kept, as well as a bandanna to cover his mouth. Our other friends wore something similar, only with hoodies, vests, and coats rather than lab jackets. They were all armed with baseball bats, crowbars, and various other blunt objects. I, on the other hand, had Brose create for me the utility belt, for which I can store various weapons and gadgets, including smoke pellets, batons, tasers, and more. One of our friends, a boy named Pablo, had a pickup truck that he said we could use to get to the forest.

"Is there anything that needs to be addressed before we go after Timmy?" I asked all of my costumed companions.

No one responded at first, until finally one spoke up, "Well, what if he doesn't show?"

Another kid chimed in, "He won't! We're gonna beat this guy down!"

They seemed pretty confident, and I couldn't blame them. It was time to make things right once again.

The forest was about what you would expect. The greenery was breathtaking. The trees extended to the high heavens. Everywhere you looked appeared like something out of a Disney movie. But despite how beautiful it was, there was no sign of Timmy. Not even the smell of weed wafting through the air. That wasn't really surprising though, considering that we were early.

"Alright, everyone. Find a hiding spot. When Timmy and his guys show, I'll hop down from this tree." I point to a tree right behind me, "if he doesn't get scared by that, then you guys will come in. He won't have any choice but bawl like a baby!"

As soon as I finished saying that, everyone started to hide. A few climbed trees as well, while some, including Jennifer and Brose, took shelter in some bushes. No sooner than that did I hear the familiar call of a homo erectus...I'm sorry, I meant Timmy.

"Yo, bros!" His voice echoed throughout the area. There must've been five kids around him. All wearing different outfits, except for one girl, whom I assumed to be Timmy's girlfriend. "Check this out!"

He picked up a stick and started waving it around, "someone wanna sword fight? I'm rather good with sticks!"

"That's what she said!" One of his friends replied. Everyone, sans Timmy, laughed.

"Har har, Taylor." Timmy replied, "you're pretty funny for a GUY namd TAYLOR."

The group laughed even harder at that. Poor Taylor. If only he knew what was about to happen in a minute.

Timmy continued to wave the stick around, trying to look tough, when suddenly he noticed someone standing above him.

"What the..."

Then I drop. All of the kids suddenly panic. I saw a few of them run away, and one I believe peed himself.

Timmy was the worst of them all. I swore I saw tears come from his cheeks, "Who-...Who the hell are you?!"

I grabbed him by the collar and pinned him into the tree, "I bet you could make a wild guess."

He choked as soon as I said that, then replied with a slimy stutter, "Sk-sk-skyler boy?!"

You wouldn't be able to see it, but I grinned under my mask.

"That's right, Timmy. From now on, I. AM. SKYLERBOY!"

I threw him behind me. He landed face first into the dirt. He spat some out before trying to crawl away.

"Where do you think YOU'RE going?" I picked him up by one of his legs, and held him up high, ensuring his eyes would meet the eyes of my mask.

"What ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

"ANSWERS TIMMY! TELL US ABOUT THE GRANDMASTER!"

His mouth opened wide. It seemed like he couldn't get any words out. I let go of his leg, and dropped him back onto the ground.

"H-Hey!? What the hell's wrong with you?"

I stared him down. The fear in him was more than apparent. He looked behind him. Turns out some of his friends stayed.

"Well don't just STAND there?! KILL HIM!" He yelled, and without any free will of their own, his friends did what Timmy commanded, to no avail.

I was ready for them, though. A single punch sent two of them flying. Their bodies smashed against the ground and knocked them out cold. One tried to kick me, but I ducked and swept his leg from under him. He fell and got knocked out.

"Shitshitshitshitshit!" Timmy was trying to get up, but I took one of the tools from my belt, an S-shaped shuriken, and threw it at him. My aim was excellent, as it caught his sleeve and pinned him back down.

It didn't take long for him to start screaming.

"Please! Please stop! PLEASE STOP HURTING MY FRIENDS! JUST LET ME GO I DON'T KNOW 'NOTHING!" His cries were almost heart-wrenching, but now's not the time for tears. I got closer to him, and put my foot on top of his chest.

"Tell us what you know about the Grandmaster, and I will let you go."

Timmy began crying again. "N-No... NOOO! NO WAY IN HELLS OR HEAVENS WILL I TELL YOU!? CAN'T YOU EVER LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"NO! Not until I get what I've come for!" I press my boot down harder. I can hear him struggling to breathe. "TELL ME NOW!" I growled menacingly.

He continued sobbing. I could feel the blood rush to my head, and I felt myself getting angry. This bastard knew something about the Grandmaster, my gut is clear on that.

"WHY WON'T YOU TELL US!"

Then Timmy said something that shook me to the core:

"BECAUSE THEY HAVE MY SISTER!"

"What?"

"Th-The Shadow Clan...they have my sister!" Timmy was full on sobbing now. The mix of blood and tears left puddles on the earth around him, "If I tell you about them, I'm scared they'll kill her!" he cried hysterically.

This wasn't good news. If this guy had information on the Grandmaster then we might be able to find where he was hiding out. But if these bastards have his sister too, I won't rest until I get her out, and the Grandmaster behind bars. I let go of Timmy. He got up and started breathing heavily. I then put my hand on Timmy's shoulder, but he smacked it off.

"I..I apologize, Timmy. I did not know that your sister was taken." That was sincere.

"If you asked..." Timmy began.

"You wouldn't have told me." I replied. Timmy nodded.

"I will help you get her out." I told him. Timmy rubbed his eyes.

"You...you mean it?"

I thought about it a moment, then nodded, "Yes."

Timmy got up and did something that surprised me: he hugged me.

"THANK YOU MAN! THANK YOU! I-I...I...I'm sorry..."

"You do not need to apologize..."

"Yes," He released me, "I do. For being a giant prick. My sister, she means the whole world to me, and when she got taken by those...those goons...I got so mad, and I took it out on all the wrong people."

"You are forgiven. And I am sorry for hurting you. Please, tell me anything you know about the Grandmaster, and I will go find him and your sister."

Timmy smiled, but then gave me a concerned look, "I will, but how? You don't have a car, do you?"

With that, all of my friends came out from their hiding places. Timmy was in shock again. "I guess THEY do?"

I nodded.

"Alright, alright..." Timmy began, "The Grandmaster is going to be at the Main Street Headquarters, though somehow I think you already knew that?"

All of us nodded.

"Okay, well I bet you didn't know he would be coming at 7:30 tonight." He looked to his watch, "and it's currently 6:51. If you want to get there, you'll have to do it fast."

I pat Timmy on the back, then took something out of my belt: an ice pack. I gave it to him, "Use this. You look rough."

Timmy took it graciously, "Thank you, and good luck!"

With that, all of us headed out of the forest and into Pablos' car. We were off.

We arrived at the Main Street Headquarters shortly after seven o clock, and we found ourselves outside the building waiting for our target to show up. It was now 7:25. We all headed inside the large, imperial-era doors. They were lined with jade and gold, just like the rest of the place. It resembled an Ancient Chinese Temple. The interior didn't look any different. There weren't many windows, and most everything was made of marble. The main hall had two columns holding up the ceiling, and three huge pillars stood along each side. At the front of the room sat a massive statue of a man sitting down, reading a book.

"I was hoping you would show." He said, not taking his eyes off of the book.

"Who are you?" I asked defensively.

"Why," the man began, now looking up at us. His eyes were as green as the jade of the doors, "I am the Grandmaster."

Without another word, all of us charged at him. He pulled out a sword from a sheath behind his back and was able to guard against all of us at once.

"Fool." He began, "attacking the leader of the Shadow Clan? Without a plan, no less?!"

He swung his blade around wildly, trying to knock us away before we could strike him. After several seconds, we finally managed to get close enough to attack him.

My first blow landed perfectly between his legs, causing him to fall forward onto the ground.

"Most impressive." He commented.

"Shut up, old man!" I barked, "Where is the girl?"

The old man, still smiling, asked me, "What girl?"

"Timmy Ballards' sister!"

He then laughed an evil cackle, "AH THE BALLARD GIRL! SHE IS HERE, BUT YOU WILL NEED TO DEFEAT ME BEFORE YOU CAN GET TO HER, HERO!"

His next swing hit me square in the chest. I flew backwards and crashed through one of the columns, cracking it. I got back up quickly, though. My opponent was much faster than he looked. I ran towards him again, but this time I ducked under his arm and grabbed hold of his ankle. With my other hand, I punched him in the face. He fell over backward, dropping his sword. Brose then tried to swing at him with a staff he picked up off a wall, and smacked him with it. It broke.

"Damn," he looked at the broken staff, "how tough is this guy?! He looks like he's 80!"

We continued to try attacking him until we realized that our attacks weren't doing any damage whatsoever. We had been fighting for nearly ten minutes straight, yet there wasn't so much as a scratch on him. Even when we knocked him down, he just got right back up without even seeming tired.

"This isn't fair." I muttered angrily.

"Life is not fair, young one." He looked at me, "I had a wonderful thing going here, and you come along and try to ruin it. Good news, you will not survive! And neither will your friends!"

"NO!" I shouted, running past the Grandmaster, and running up a flight of stairs behind him. I reckoned the Clan wouldn't keep a captive on the first floor, so I figured I'd check the second. Then I heard the Grandmaster shout from the first floor:

"MEN! DEAL WITH THE INTERLOPER! I SHALL DISPOSE OF THESE INFANTS MYSELF!"

With that, a horde of shadow ninjas came from all the darkness around me. There were about 30-40 of them altogether, and I knew I couldn't take them on alone. But what choice did I have? If I stayed here, I would be killed, and if I went upstairs, I might die anyway. So I fought, and surprisingly I took quite a few of the ninjas down. I got to 20 before one of them had a brilliant idea: there was a window nearby that I could not see before, as it was covered with a tarp. He grabbed me and threw me at it, breaking it and sending me falling.

So here I am, falling. Broken glass shards made cuts in my suit and punctured my skin. I could smell the city as well as I could see it: a delicate fragrance of sewer water mixed with the slight smell of a dead rat if you found yourself unfortunate enough to be walking in one of its severely barely developed parts at the time. The smell of vehicle fumes and burnt rubber is almost universal and its prevalence was so severe that it wasn't uncommon to see some folks wearing masks around. Yes, this is the grandiose flair of American life. It puts itself into this city's blood. It was bright, expansive, and filled with advertising. Commercials for the newest shoes, perfumes, and feature films turned into an endless stream of flashing colors as I made my way to the concrete inevitably waiting for me below. I could feel my life going from me, but I was not going to give up! Not today!

I searched around, finding another one of the gadgets I requested for Brose to put into the belt: a grapnel gun! I aimed for the flagpole at the top of the temple and shot at it, a hook launching and wrapping itself around the pull. A neat feature of the gun was that if I pressed the trigger again, it would reel the hook back into the gun, so it would reel me to the window I fell out of! Once I got inside I kicked a ninja in the face. Then I was able to take on the rest!

"What a workout!"

Then I heard a scream. A female scream!

"Timmy's Sister!" I ran towards the source of the noise. As soon as I saw her I gasped. She was tied to a chair, naked and bound, and she had bruises all over her body. Her hair was disheveled, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she screamed.

"PLEASE HELP ME!"

I went to her, took out one of my shurikens from my belt, and cut the rope holding her to the chair. She fell and kept on crying. I made sure to get her something to cover herself up with.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded slowly and looked at me with eyes full of fear.

"Y-Yeah...I-I'm safe now...thanks to you." She said between sniffles. This poor girl. I can't even imagine how long she's been here, or what she's been through.

"Well, I'm going to get you out of here. I'm going to reunite you with your brother."

Her eyes beamed, "Timmy?! Did he send you?"

I nodded.

"Oh, I KNEW he cared! You're my hero! Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me just yet, ma'am. I still have to get you out of here, and stop the Grandmaster!"

She huddled in fear, "HE'S NOT DEFEATED YET!?"

"I ran past him to get to you! Now I have to go back downstairs and help my friends defeat him!"

"But what about me?!" She rightfully asked.

I scanned the room and saw a man-sized storage locker.

"Hide in there! I'll come back as soon as I'm done! Promise!"

"I will!" She replied, complyingly entering the locker, but not before emptying it of its' contents. "Thank you, Mr..."

"Skylerboy." I replied, "And you're welcome!"

With that, I ran back downstairs. I saw the Grandmaster standing over all of my friends. They've been defeated! This guy is FAR more powerful than he first appeared!

"Then there were two!" He looked back to me, and tried to throw his sword at me! Luckily, I was quick, and able to dodge it. It pierced the wall mere inches away from my head.

"YOUR REIGN OF TERROR ENDS HERE!" I jumped up and launched a shuriken at him. It hit him, causing him to stumble backwards. Then I threw another one, hitting him square in the chest. He stumbled again, then turned around. I couldn't see where the other shurikens landed, because he used a different sword to block them. He threw that sword at me, too, although this time I could tell he wasn't really aiming for me.

"HA! YOU MISSED AGAIN!" I pointed out, but the strangest thing happened: he laughed."THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO HAPPEN!"

This guy was insane! First he tries to kill me, now he's saying his failure was intentional?!

"You see, Skylerboy: this, all of this, was a test!"

"What. The. Fuck..." That was Brose. I saw him get up. Turns out the Grandmaster didn't kill any of my friends, as one by one, they all got up.

"Yes," continued The Grandmaster, "I wanted you all out here, why else would I make the headquarters so easy to find? WHY ELSE WOULD I NOT KILL YOU WHEN IT WAS SO EASY TO DO!"

I didn't understand. If he did not want to kill me, then what...did he want?

"The reason you're here. The reason I let you all live," The Grandmaster continues, as he puts his hands behind his head, "is because you are to arrest me!"

I furrowed my brow in frustration, "WHY?! WHAT'S YOUR GAME?"

The Grandmaster laughed even harder, "Because all of this is unimportant. There's only one thing that matters. I will have what I've come for. I am only here to tell you ONE THING." He pointed at me, "One thing that will change the course of your life for the rest of time itself!" \

Everyone put their weapons down, I believe it was Mike and Brian who grabbed him. I figured that, with him surrendering, I might as well humor him.

"Humor me," I asked The Grandmaster, "What is this truth that will change everything I know..."

The Grandmaster motioned for me to come closer with his head, "Come to me, Young Forsyth, and I will tell you the one word you will want to hear more than anything. The REASON for my plan!"

Wait...how did he know my name?! What was all this for? MONEY? POWER?

It's all the same with these supervillain types. Yet, to humor him, and because he couldn't escape us now, I leaned to him, and he put his cold, wrinkly lips against my ear, and said something that, for some reason, shocked me to my very core:

"Excellion."

I had stepped back. Brose and Jennifer had caught me as I was about to fall.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" Jennifer yelled at the Grandmaster.

"Young Miss Cloud, I only enlightened him. Now do what you must to me!"

"SHUT UP CREEP!" She punched him across the face. "Tie him up and take him to the truck."

I realized something at this moment. How could Jennifer fight with us?

"Jennifer. I appreciate you being here with us, but how are you able to fight with us? Don't you have a condition?" I asked her.

She looked away from me, "Yes...but I figured that you would need all the help you could get, and I was willing to take any risk...You did the same for me. Back at the bathroom..."

I nodded, than gave her a hug, "Thank you, Jennifer."

She hugged me back, "You're welcome."

With that, we had put the Grandmaster into the trunk of the truck. We took him to the local police. They were overjoyed, and couldn't thank us enough. It seemed like everyone knew about our encounter with The Grandmaster, and they wanted to see justice served! As we drove off, Pablo felt like talking,

"So I couldn't help but hear that the Grandmaster spoke to you?"

I nodded.

"What was it?" Megan piped up, "what did he say?"

I was a bit somber thinking about it, but I decided to be honest, "He said, "Excellion." "

"Excellion?" asked Brose, "What does that mean?"

I stared ahead of me, seeing only the view of passing cars and trees,

"I do not know, but what I do know is this: the battle today is won...but the war...is far from over.