Will's POV

Will had just arrived in the cafeteria. He had been delayed because Mr. Boy, the sidekick teacher, had wanted to talk to him about his dad. He was still upset from that conversation. Mr. Boy warned him of the prejudice against sidekicks. And that his grandfather had been very against them. While his father was backing Mr. Boy's initiative to combine sidekicks and heroes for combat classes, he still viewed sidekicks as inferior or something to be pitied. Will didn't want to know which his father would see him as.

So when he entered the cafeteria and saw Sarah tense as a bowstring and Warren standing behind her with Wren next to her, he jumped to defend her.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

Warren's POV

We're having a conversation. "So what's your power?" Warren continued, ignoring Will. Sarah's eyes darted around, trying to figure out how to avoid the question.

"Can't you guess?" she asked.

"My guess is you have some version of future sight. But I can't see what would be worth hiding about it. Being a seer is very useful."

"It's not so much the 'occasional' vision," Sarah mumbled.

Coen went to grab her hand and Will's hand shot between them.

"Back off," Stronghold growled.

Warren moved to stand between Will and his friend before his friend did something he'd regret to his mate's friend. "You do not want to do that."

"Is that a threat?" Will asked, clearly, the prejudice against Warren's dad was affecting Will.

The stupid boy was still ranting, Warren noted. He was mostly tuning him out until a phrase caught his attention.

"You're just like your dad," the boy practically screamed.

That. That crossed a line. Warren was done. This kid clearly didn't know when to stop. He stormed in, jumped to conclusions, and was spraying angry nonsense. Warren wouldn't admit that he was scared Will was right. Not in this situation, but sometimes Warren's temper got the best of him. So he pushed his insecurities to the back of his mind as the idiot kept talking.

Will's POV

"Nobody talks about me father," Warren growled lowly, grabbing Will's shirt and setting his hands aflame. Will backed up slowly, suddenly realizing that while he was trying to be a good friend, he still didn't have any powers.

And maybe he should have thought about that before picking a fight. Honestly, he was surprised Warren hadn't been fighting back, but he apparently crossed a line.

Warren threw a fireball at Will. Will grabbed a tray and used it as a shield. Apparently, it would only work once, because the tray now had a large melted hole in it.

Uh oh.

Will dove towards a table, praying Warren would not follow him under it. It may have been undignified, but he didn't have invulnerability like his father. Or super strength. The only reason he was in this school was because of his parents. Maybe he'd get his powers, but he didn't have them yet.

Fireballs rained on the benches beside him and he dodged the heat of each one. Will was desperately trying to think up a plan. He was running out of table and the gap was too skinny to turn around.

Sarah's POV

Sarah wasn't going to say she condoned such behavior, but Will certainly deserved it. He jumped to conclusions, crossed several lines, and to top it all off was being an ass. Sarah almost thought Warren was going easy on him. Clearly, he was holding back. Hitting the benches instead of melting through the table? Clearly scare tactics, not an actual intent to burn. Intent to harm, sure, but not burn.

"Mr. Boy! Do something!" Layla said desperately.

The man stopped sipping at his cup. "I;m on it!" The man threw down his cup and sprinted from the cafeteria.

"Principal Powers! Principal Powers!" he skidded into a wall, knocking over a bench, and turned the corner.

Sarah decided it was about time for her to step in. While Warren was totally right with what he was doing, she didn't think anyone else was noticing that it wasn't an attack but a defense.

Will had attacked Warren. Psychologically, physical intimidation, attack on his moral character. But if they didn't stop soon, the principal would get there and they would both get in trouble.

Sarah stepped forwards but suddenly, Will lifted the table with Warren on top of it, pausing in disbelief at his strength. The idiot had been so scared that his powers manifested to protect him from perceived danger.

"Will!" she called but he was already throwing the table and therefore Warren.

He turned towards her.

"Think I can't take a hit?!"

"Screw this," Sarah muttered before charging into the fray.

She managed to get between them. Contrary to what most people would have thought, she put her back to Warren and faced Will.

Warren's POV

Warren stopped attacking in shock. He was full flaming and mad, attacking her friend, and she felt safe enough to turn her back on him? And was she protecting him…from Stronghold?

"Will!" she snarled. "Back the fuck up and think for a minute! You obviously crossed several lines and he wasn't even attacking you!"

Warren was startled. She had noticed? How smart was that girl? Everyone else thought that he was trying to kill the boy.

Stronghold, meanwhile, was looking at the girl like she was crazy.

"You really think he couldn't hit you if he was trying? You were trapped crawling under a table at a slow pace. A sitting duck. And he wasn't hitting you. Now both of you need to calm the heck down before the principal gets here and you get into even more trouble!"

She pointed at Will and Warren was impressed by the girl. The boy was practically cowering. "Your stunt with the table broke through the wall, broke the table, and could have hit bystanders!"

Warren could see the shame practically radiating from the newly superpowered boy.

"And maybe you should thank him! While it may not have been his intention, his scare tactics allowed you to gain your powers. And your words might have earned you a few righteous burns. It's not like your family can't afford superpowered healers."

Warren watched, ready to intervene, as the boy got back some of his anger. He was only slightly surprised when the boy deflated and turned to Warren. "I'm sorry," he said. Warren nodded. Only time would tell if the idiot really meant it.