Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He can feel it, roaring in his veins. His rage, bubbling up and threatening to consume him. He takes a deep breath, feeling the agony of his injuries sink into him. The pain grounds him, helps him focus on anything other than his fury at those who had wronged him.

He’d already gotten his revenge. Ventus and Meili would probably need to go to a hospital, even If Arlo called Elaine like he had told the bastard to. The words he gave the ‘King’ of Wellston are still echoing in his mind.

The pain of his injuries is nearly consuming him, they are still fresh after all. Though, he has no doubts that the one beneath him is in just as much, if not more, pain than he is.

He places his foot on Arlo’s face, adding enough pressure to make the ‘King’ grit his teeth, “If you tell anyone, I’ll dethrone you. This could’ve been so easy, but you really just had to try and drag me into your bullshit.”

He sneers, tempted to spit on the boy beneath him, but he chooses not to, “Call Elaine. Your lackeys certainly need her help, and so do you. But remember, tell her nothing.”

And with that, he had left.

Looking up, he can see his dorm just ahead. Really, he shouldn’t have walked this far with his injuries, but there was no way in hell he was waiting for Elaine in that damn field. Honestly, he couldn’t fucking stand that two-faced bitch.

“John?”

Looking up, he sees Seraphina, his best and only friend, waiting on his doorstep. Shit. Wasn’t she still suspended? How the hell was she here?

John’s injuries strain, a fresh wave of agony running though him, causing him to fall to his knees. Sera is there to catch him, helping him gently to the ground.

She meets his gaze, worry filling her beautiful eyes, “John, what happened?”

He can’t handle it. She’s here, worrying over him, treating him as her top priority, even though he’s done nothing but lie to her. He can’t stop it, the dam breaks. Tears begins streaming down his face.

He looks down, unable to meet her eyes, “I’m sorry…”

Seraphina blinks in surprise, “John, what? What happened to you? What are you apologizing for??”

Using his good arm, he pulls her closer, desperately craving an embrace he knows he doesn’t deserve, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! You… You’ve been so good to me, and I’ve just been fucking lying to you this whole time! I’m sorry!”

Seraphina is stunned. She… she doesn’t know how to react to this. John had always seemed so strong to her, able to take the treatment Wellston gave cripples and even give some punishment back. But… seeing him like this, so utterly… broken… It doesn’t sit right with her.

He said he’d been lying to her… About what? She decides that doesn’t matter right now. He’s hurt, and she can’t just leave him out here on the sidewalk.

Carefully, she lifts him up, “Come on John, let’s get you inside now. If you have something to tell me, it can wait until you’re healed.”

John swallows roughly, still unable to meet her eyes, “Okay…”

Helping him inside, Sera quickly call Elaine and gives her the address of John’s dorm.

When the blue haired girl arrives, she locks eyes with John and immediately shouts, “What’s he doing here?!?”

John has recovered enough by now to give a snarky retort, “Bitch, I live here.”

Sera lets out a chuckle, glad that John is feeling good enough to make remarks like that, “I need you to heal him Elaine. Usually we’d just go to Doc, but as I’m sure you’re aware that isn’t currently an option.”

Begrudgingly, Elaine accepts the task as Seraphina steps into the other room. Looking at John’s injuries, she wonders how the hell he got himself so hurt. There’s blood everywhere and his right arm is positively fucked.

Looking at it, it almost reminds her of Arlo’s reflective damage…

Her eyes go wide with realization. Looking up, she can see John studying her with a small frown. Oh god, he knows! He knows she’s figured it out, and now he’ll-

With a tired sigh, John gestures to an empty couch, “Sit down. I was about to talk with Seraphina about this, but I might as well let you listen in so you don’t go blabbing to someone else about something you don’t understand. And don’t worry about my injuries, I already know you won’t be able to fully heal them.”

Elaine nods fearfully, afraid of what he might do if she disobeys.

Seraphina comes back in and eyes them curiously, “Elaine, why’d you stop? He’s still hurt.”

John waves it off, “Leave her. She doesn’t have enough Aura to fully heal me right now. She’s had to deal with a few other big injuries today.”

Sera quirks an eyebrow but nods and takes a seat, “So… do you want to talk about what you said earlier?”

John nods with another sigh, “Yeah. I’m not gonna like it, but it needs to be said.”

He takes a breath, mentally preparing himself for what he’s about to do, “Alright, here we go. As I said earlier, I’ve been lying to you, for quite a while now. Let’s start with the one that’s easier to talk about. I was, in fact, not home-schooled. Never have been, never will be. Instead, I went to public school back home in New Bostin.”

Seraphina nods slowly, “Alright then… but why did you lie about something like that?”

John shifts nervously, “To try and deflect any suspicion about the next thing I’ll be telling you about. I didn’t know if anyone knew any rumors about what happened back there, and I didn’t want to risk anyone connecting it back to me.”

John takes a moment to think about how to phrase this next part. He opens his mouth a few times, only to close it again swiftly afterwards, a myriad of expression crossing his face.

Eventually he just gives up, groaning in exasperation before muttering, “Fuck it.”

He locks eyes with Seraphina and… they ignite, Aura burning a brilliant gold as he holds her gaze.

Elaine lets out a gasp beside her, but Sera stays quiet. She’s unable to tear her eyes away from John’s. Something about it, the way he looks at her… She always thought he had nice eyes, but seeing them like this? She’s mesmerized.

John holds a hand up to himself, a black glow surrounding it as Aura pulses through him. Before their very eyes, his injuries mend fully, looking like they were never even there.

Seraphina gulps as the Aura fades, the glow in John’s eyes disappearing, “You have an ability.”

John nods slowly, “I do. It’s called Aura Manipulation. I can change the shape of my Aura to mimic other people’s abilities. I can even combine them and boost some of their stats.”

Elaine is shaking, afraid of what John might do. All this time… All this time he’d had an ability. From what she could gather, he was strong, devastatingly so. He was this far above her… and she’d treated him like shit.

Elaine pipes up, her voice shaking, “H-how… How strong are you?”

John rolls the shoulder of his previously injured arm, frowning at the question, “Been a while since I’ve had that checked, but if I had to guess? Somewhere in the mid sevens.”

Seraphina’s eyebrows shoot up. Damn. He was stronger than just about everyone at Wellston, except for her. And he just… hid it. She doesn’t fully understand why but… he has to have a reason.

John turns to Elaine, who’s trying to make herself look as small as possible, “You can go now. Oh, and don’t tell anyone about this. At least, not without consulting me first.”

Elaine shoots to her feet, nodding rapidly, “Uh huh! You got it! Yes sir! Bye, please don’t kill me!”

She runs out like her life depends on it, the door quickly slamming behind her.

There’s a moment of silence before John and Seraphina burst out laughing. They can’t help it, Elaine being so timid around John of all people was something neither of them expected, and it brings some levity to an atmosphere that had grown pretty tense.

After their laughter dies down, Sera meets John’s eyes, “So… I… I’m a little confused, honestly. You’re so strong, stronger than basically everyone… Why did you hide it?”

The smile that had formed on John’s face quickly dies as he looks down. The memories come rushing back. The beatings, both given and received. The ambush Claire had setup. Those… ‘readjustment classes’…

He takes a shuddering breath. It hurts, damn does it hurt to think about, but he has to tell her. Seraphina is his best friend, and she’s still here, even after he admitted to having lied to her the entire time he’s known her. She deserves to know why he was like this.

And so he tells her. He has to stop a few times as the emotions and memories overwhelm him, but he eventually stumbles through the entire story. By the time he’s done, there are tears in both of their eyes. Swiftly, Seraphina stands and makes her way over to John, practically tackling him in a crushing hug.

He’s quick to return the embrace, glad that she’s there to ground him, to keep him from drowning in the memories. He vaguely wonders to himself how this would have gone if he hadn’t asked his dad that simple question, all that time ago.

He had recently finished his dad’s new book UnOrdinary after returning from his readjustment classes. It had been a wonderfully written story and… something his dad had written for him. It gave him a lot to think about, and let him consider his actions in a new light.

That night at dinner, he asks a question that would unknowingly alter the course of his life drastically.

“Hey dad? What do you think about signing me up for some anger management classes?”

Chapter Text

After the two of them finish sobbing in each other’s arms, John breaks away from the embrace. Standing he decides he needs to get these damn clothes off. Quickly, he sheds the jacket and vest, the shirt following soon after.

He gives a stretch, trying to get that weird feeling out of his newly healed muscles. Suddenly, he hears a low whistle and turns to look. Sera is staring and… is she blushing? She quickly realizes John is looking and averts her gaze.

Clearing his throat as he feels his own face heating up, John says, “I’ll uh… I’ll go get changed.”

Seraphina nods, “Sounds good.”

Hurrying off, John slips into a more comfortable outfit before coming back out to rejoin Sera. Taking a seat beside her, he leans against her and decides to rest his eyes for a bit.

“Hey John?”

He cracks an eye open and looks at her. She has a conflicted expression, almost like she isn’t sure if what she’s about to say will be the right thing.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

Sera shifts a bit before she continues, “Do you… Do you think you’ll start using your ability again?”

He frowns, sitting up to get a better look at her. She’s nervous, something entirely unusual for her. Based on the context, he thinks he can guess why. She thinks the question might offend or trigger him in some way, but she still thinks it’s important enough to ask.

He takes a moment to consider before answering, “Maybe. I’m not entirely happy with the idea, but I’m not an idiot. I know something could come up that’ll force my hand. Mostly I’m worried about losing myself in it again… But I might not have to worry about that anymore.”

He gives her a small smile, “If I start getting out of control again, this time I’ve got a kickass best friend who can knock some sense into me!”

Sera laughs at that, “Well, I hope it doesn’t have to come to that. But if it does, just know that I’ll kick your ass lovingly.”

John gives his own laugh, “That’s very reassuring of you.”

“I know.”

She looks him up and down, “Alright, here’s another question. This one should be easier. Are you gonna stop with the damn helmet hair now?”

John rolls his eyes fondly, “Well, since you asked so nicely! In all seriousness, yeah, I’m done with it. I know how ridiculous it is, and hair gel is fucking expensive! It also takes way too long, and I’m kind of tired of waking up at basically the ass crack of dawn just to do my damn hair!”

Sera chuckles, “Good, you look much better without it.”

They sit together, making some mindless conversation while Sera plays a game on her phone. Suddenly she shoots to her feet, which isn’t good for John, since he was leaning on her.

He looks up at her from where he’d fallen onto the couch, “Rude! What the hell was that for?”

She winces, “Sorry. I just remembered you said your phone got destroyed. We should go ahead and replace it. Don’t want Arlo's dumb ass to keep us separated when you have to go to school.”

John nods, getting up, “Yeah, that’s a good plan.”

His eyes go wide for a second before he winces, “Oh yeah, I should probably call my dad too… He’s probably worried about me.”

Sera chuckles, “Well, let’s not worry him any longer.”

Their walk to the mall is nice and peaceful, and they even stop by Woba Boba for some drinks after getting John his new phone. Deciding not to make his dad wait any longer, John gives him a call on their way back.

That proves to be a mistake as William’s voice immediately blasts through the speaker for all to hear, “John, what happened?!? You stopped returning my calls after suddenly hanging up on me! I was worried sick!!”

John lets out a tired sigh, “Sorry about that dad. I got in a fight and my phone got broken while I wasn’t paying attention. Took me a while to replace it too.”

“Geez, another fight?”

John scowls, “Hey! I didn’t start it this time! They came at me first!”

“Alright, alright. I’ll get off your case. Oh, right! I almost forgot to mention, I’m coming over to visit tomorrow!”

John blinks in surprise, “Wait, seriously? I thought you were swamped with deadlines?”

William gives a low chuckle, “Yeah, but I think I can get away with one day off.”

John gives a small smile, “Well, it’ll be good to see you again. Is there anything else, or do you have to get back to work now?”

“Nothing else that I can think of, so I’ll let you go now. Love you son, goodbye.”

“Love you too dad. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After the call drops, John turns to Seraphina who’s smirking at him. She moves a bit closer to him and lightly elbows him.

“Well, guess I know where you get that dorky attitude from.”

John rolls his eyes, “You hush.”

The walk back is filled with some playful conversation as they just take a moment to enjoy being together again. It’s nice, and it puts John at ease, finally having his best friend back with him.

Getting back, they quickly resume their earlier positions on the couch and start messing around on their phones for a while. Of course, that is until John get a particular set of notifications.

Royalty, Bitches (+ Friends)

Ace has added UnknownNumber

Ace has changed UnknownNumber’s name to Joker

Ace: Sorry, not sorry

Taking a moment to glare at Sera, who’s quietly giggling to herself, John looks down at the groupchat on his phone with a sigh. This would undoubtedly stir up some chaos, which was just like Seraphina.

Queen: Sera, who’s this?

King: And why did you invite them to the Royals gc?

Ace: lol

Ace: He fits the ‘+ Friends’ part pretty well

Ace: Plus, we already have Isen and Elaine in here anyways

Ace: So it shouldn’t matter that much

Joker: …

Joker: Sera, what fresh hell have you dragged me to?

Ace: lol, I thought you’d enjoy being home for a change

Joker: I escaped for a reason you know

Ace: … fair

Queen: @Joker, who are you?

Joker: John Doe

Jack: Hey!

Jack: I’m assuming you’re a Wellston student

Jack: So treat your Queen with respect and answer her damn question!

Ace: Pfft-

Ace: I can’t

Joker: …

Joker: I hate you so much rn

Ace: Awww!

Ace: Ily2!!

Joker: …

Joker: <3

Ace: <3

Ace: Btw Blyke, he did answer Remi’s question

Ace: His name is actually John Doe

Ace: Did none of you know his last name?

Jack: Wait, John?

Jack: As in, the Cripple John?

Joker: Jeez, way to rub it in

King: …

King: Seraphina, why the hell would you think this is a good idea?

Ace: Oh don’t worry

Ace: He already told me about your little ‘disagreement’

Ace: I’ll be kicking your ass for that later by the way

Ace: As for why I thought this would be a good idea?

Ace: I didn’t, I just wanted some more chaos in my life

Joker: Btw

Joker: Before Blyke yells at me for it or tries to kill me again

Joker: I am sorry about smacking your hand Remi

Joker: I was hallucinating at the time so I couldn’t tell who was who

Joker has deleted one message

Queen: I-

Queen: Apology accepted

Queen: But can we address that last bit??

Joker: What last bit?

Jack: Idk, maybe the part where you talked about fucking hallucinating??

Jack: The fuck is up with that??

Joker: …

Joker: I plead the fifth

King: We aren’t in a courtroom John

Joker: Idk, it seems like we are with how much you judge everyone

Joker: You fucking petty ass giraffe

Ace: Pfft-

Ace: Oh god, I can’t breathe!!

Newsie: BAHAHAHAHAHA

Newsie: Oh god, I can’t!

Jack: And how long have you been here Isen?

Newsie: Oh, I’ve been lurking since Sera added John

Joker: …

Newsie: PLEASE DON’T KILL ME

Newsie: I HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN TO CONFESS

Newsie: I DON’T WANT TO DIE AN UNLOVED VIRGIN

Jack: WTF???

Jack: Why are you so scared of the Cripple?

Newsie: Uh…

Newsie: No reason!

Ace: Probably because John could fucking fold him in half

Ace: Like

Ace: Swole.jpg

Joker: Wait, you took a pic???

Joker: The fuck Sera?!?

Ace: Sorry

Ace: Couldn’t resist

Queen: Oh wow

Jack: Dude

Jack: The hell is your workout routine??

Joker: I’ll tell you later

Joker: For now though

Joker: Isen.

Newsie: Y-yes??

Jack: Tf?

Jack: Why are you stuttering through text?

Joker: Don’t even think of doing anything with that pic

Newsie: Y-you got it sir!

Jack: ??

Jack: The fuck is going on??

Jack: I get that he’s jacked

Jack: But why the hell are you so scared of him??

Jack: And why hasn’t Arlo said anything????

Joker: Arlo has no right to interfere with this

Jack: Watch you mouth Cripple!

Jack: He’s King for a reason!

Joker: Yeah

Joker: And Sera will break him if he even thinks about touching me

Joker: Same goes for you

Ace: Can confirm

Ace: If any of you hurt him they won’t find your body

John takes a moment to give Sera a smile. Reaching down he squeezes her hand with a quick ‘thank you’ before going back to the chat.

Joker: Awww, thx bae!

Joker: <3

Ace: I gotchu boo

Ace: <3

Jack: I…

Jack: What???

Doctor: They do this sometimes

Doctor: I’ve seen it in Sera’s chat history a couple times when I looked over her shoulder

Doctor: I can’t even tell if they’re serious or not

Doctor: bc they’ll do this shit

Doctor: But then get into like, the most heated argument ever??

Doctor: And then switch back like nothing happened????

King: …

King: These are the people I willingly chose to work with

King: Except for John

King: But I’m stuck with him now

Joker: Hah, get fucked

Joker: You deserve it you traitorous mop

King: …

King: You are a menace

Joker: Why thank you!

John starts to cackle, which quickly ropes Sera into it until they’re both on the floor laughing their asses off. When they can finally breathe again, John pulls Sera in for a hug, just to really soak in her presence.

Yeah, this is nice.

Chapter Text

Seraphina looks up from her phone, “Hey John?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you tell me a little more about your ability? If you’re comfortable with it, that is.”

He takes a moment to consider before shrugging, “Eh, what’s the harm? Besides, knowing about it could help you if the worst does come to happen.”

Sera frowns at him but waits for him to continue. She didn’t like him talking like losing himself was a foregone conclusion. They’d have to talk about that later.

John sits up, “So, as I’ve already said, I can manipulate the shape of my Aura to mimic other people’s, which is how I copy their abilities. Now, do you have any specific questions or should I just start talking?”

Sera purses her lips and takes a moment before a question comes to her, “How exactly does the change in your Aura work? Because from a bit of what you’ve said I can guess that you don’t retain them permanently. Do you have to grab the same ability off of someone every time?”

John nods, “Yeah. So, the way my copying works is that I need the template. I need to have their Aura nearby so I can change mine to match it. It isn’t something that’s like, a meticulous process or anything. They power up, I sense their Aura, I want to copy it, and my Aura changes to match. It wears off after about a day, so I don’t get to just keep these things in my back pocket.”

Sera nods, “Alright, do you have a limit on abilities you can copy?”

“Do you mean how many I can hold at once? The answer to that is… kinda. It’s not exactly a hard limit, but it’s more about how I can divide my Aura reserves between them. The stronger the ability is, the more Aura it takes up by default, especially if I amp it. And I always amp them when I can. As for the other interpretation of your question, there are actually abilities I can’t copy. Mental abilities are impossible for me. Never done it, and I doubt I ever will.”

“Hmm… You said you amp when you can. Are there situations where you can’t?”

John nods, “Yep. That’s circumstances where the original ability’s base level is higher than mine. Like, if I copied your Time Manipulation for instance. Not only would I be unable to amp it, it would actually be weaker than the original because your level is above mine. It wouldn’t be by much, but if we fought and that was the only ability I had copied you’d still probably win.”

Sera takes a moment to digest the information, “Alright then. Only a couple questions left, so I can stop bothering you about it soon.”

John smiles, “I appreciate the concern, but it’s really not a bother. It’s not my ability that gets to me, it’s the things I’ve done with it.”

Sera nods slowly, “Alright… So, since you’re a High-Tier, what’s your passive?”

John takes a second to think about how to explain it, “So, you said Remi’s passive lets her detect electrical currents, right? Like, she can’t see them but she knows they’re there?”

Sera nods along as John continues, “Well, it’s like that, but with Auras. If someone is powered up while in a certain range, I can sense them. It’s also the range I can copy abilities from.”

Sera nods, “Definitely useful in your case. Wait… Is that how you knew about our little invisible stalker?”

John chuckles, “Yeah. I’m surprised you weren’t more suspicious about that.”

Sera sighs, “Jeez, I thought I was a little more observant than that.”

John shrugs, “Eh, heat of the moment. The excuses I came up with probably didn’t help either.”

She rolls her eyes, “You got that right.”

Sera takes some time to think about her next question. She opens her mouth a few times to talk, before promptly shutting it again.

Seeing how she’s acting, John takes a guess, “You’re about to ask me if we can fight, right?”

She sighs, “Yeah. Wasn’t sure how to word it though.”

John chuckles lightly, an amused smile on his lips, “Don’t worry about it. And to answer your question, maybe. If I do accept, it won’t be for a while though. I’d like to get more used to using my ability on the regular before doing something like that, and that would probably be after the reveal…”

Sera nods, “That’s fair. I don’t wanna push you before you’re comfortable.”

Before John can reply, both of their phones start going off like crazy. They share a look. This could only mean one thing.

Royalty, Bitches (+ Friends)

Jack: Isen!

Jack: Where the hell are you?!?

Jack: Get back here so I can kick your ass!

Queen: Oh boy, what did he do this time?

Jack: That little shit poured ice cubes down my shirt and then ran like a coward!

Ace: Oh wow

Ace: Does he never learn

Doctor: Seraphina, It’s Isen

Doctor: Of course he never learns

Joker: Oh, hello Elaine

Doctor: !!!

Doctor: Please don’t hurt me!

Joker: Tf?

Joker: I wasn’t even trying to be threatening that time

Joker: I literally just said hi

Seraphina nudges John with a raised eyebrow, “I thought you hated her?”

John sighs, “Yeah, but I guess I want to be more open about the possibility of other people changing. Now that she isn’t gonna bitch at me every time we talk, I thought I might be able to get through to her… But her being scared shitless isn’t exactly any better.”

Seraphina’s eyebrows go up, “Huh, well look at you. Trying to be mature.”

John rolls his eyes fondly, “Oh hush! Like you’re any better.”

She sticks her tongue out at him before they both turn back to the chat

Doctor: Oh…

Doctor: Well uh…

Doctor: Hello to you too John

Joker: :D

Ace: Pfft-

Ace: Dork

Joker: You know you love it bae <3

Ace: Yeah, I do

Ace: <3

Newsie: Okay but like, are you two dating?

Newsie: Because y’all keep dropping shit like that

Newsie: And It’s kind hard to tell with you two

John feels his face heat up a bit as he types his next reply.

Joker: No?

Joker: This is totally normal best friend behavior

Ace: Fr

Ace: Don’t act like you, Blyke, and Remi don’t do this when y’all ain’t fighting

Doctor: Is it just me, or did it suddenly get a lot more southern in here?

Joker: Yer darn tootin!

Ace: John

Joker: Yes bae?

Ace:

Joker: Omg, did you even have to ask bae??

Joker: Of course!!

Newsie: Damn

Newsie: You’re right, this does remind me of us

Jack: Oh, Isen~

Newsie: Oh god, I’m dead

Newsie: Blyke using a tilde always means death

Joker: Isen, you’re literally in the school’s top 10

Joker: You should have some more confidence in yourself

Newsie: I-

Newsie: Thanks??

Newsie: But like

Newsie: Why are you complimenting me???

Newsie: I thought you hated my guts???

Joker: Oh the broken wrist?

Joker: I mean yeah, I was pissed at the time

Joker: But I’m trying to believe people can change

Joker: I mean, Sera did

Ace: Aww

Ace: Character development looks so good on you honey

Joker: Aww, thx darling

Joker Ilysm! <3

Ace: Ily2! <3

Jack: …

Jack: Okay, originally I was gonna go beat up Isen

Jack: But I’ve seen enough today

Jack I think I’ll just get a drink instead

Jack: !

Jack: Of uh… coffee!

Jack: Yeah! Coffee!

Joker: ?

Joker: Oh wait, you think I’ll snitch?

Joker: Nah, fuck that

Joker: I know how stressful this shit is

Joker: I’ve actually got a stash myself

Ace: I can calidate that

Newsie: Calidate

Jack: Calidate

Queen: Calidate

Ace: Fuck! I meant validate!

Ace: I swear if anyone continues this!

Joker: …

Joker: That’s calid

Ace: …

Ace: You’re dead to me

Joker: Bae no

Joker: Pls don’t do a necrophilia

Queen: I-

Queen: ???

Queen: What the frick???

King: I agree

King: WHAT

Ace: …

Ace: I’m sorry boo

Ace: You know I can’t stay mad at you

Joker: :D

Joker:

Ace: Ily2 bae <3

Queen: ???

Queen: This is so weird???

Queen: But also kinda wholesome???

Queen: And like

Queen: Makes me think they’d be such a cute couple???

John turns away so Sera can’t see how much he’s blushing, but out of the corner of his eye he can swear he sees her face is red too.

Queen: And don’t deny it!

Queen: I’ve seen you two together!

Queen: And I always think ‘how are they not dating???’

Ace: …

Joker: …

Ace: Well shit

Ace: Denial is our usual coping mechanism

Ace: So what now

Newsie: Pfft-

Jack: This is nice and all

Jack: But I don’t know if that’s possible

Jack: People won’t take too kindly to someone without an ability dating Seraphina

Jack: And that would probably just make John’s situation worse

King: …

Doctor: …

Newsie: Well...

Ace: You see…

Joker: About that…

Sera turns to John, “I know we’re being kinda obvious and messing with them, but are you actually okay with them knowing? They might guess with how we’re talking. They aren’t exactly idiots.”

John looks over to her, “Do you trust Remi and Blyke?”

She answers without even thinking about it, “Yes.”

John smiles at her, “Then that’s good enough for me.”

Joker: Yeah uh…

Joker: That whole cripple thing?

Joker: That’s a lie

Jack: !!!

Queen: !!!

Queen: What???

Queen: But…

Jack: Why the hell would you willingly let yourself get treated like a cripple?!?

Joker: Trauma

Joker has deleted one message

Queen: I-

Joker: Look

Joker: I already unloaded my emotional baggage onto Seraphina

Joker: I don’t want to talk about it again for a while

Joker: Let’s just say ‘reasons’ and leave it at that, okay?

Queen: …

Queen: Okay.

Queen: I won’t press it

Queen: But I’m glad you feel like you can tell us

Queen: After keeping it secret so long

Joker: Seraphina trusts you and Blyke

Joker: So I’m willing to give you the same chance

Jack: Wait

Jack: Just me and Remi?

Jack: Then why say it here?

Joker: Because everyone else already knew

Jack: I-

Jack: What???

Jack: Isen?!?

Newsie: I’m sorry okay?!?

Newsie: He’s really scary!

Joker: I didn’t even intimidate him for that

Joker: He convinced himself of that one

Joker: He dug through my school records

Joker: They don’t say nice things about me :P

Newsie: ???

Newsie: How’d you know that?!?

Joker: I did a favor for Kalisa

King: You know Kalisa?

Joker: Yeah?

Joker: How the hell do you think I got the alcohol?

King: Touché

Jack: Can we get back to the fact that everyone knew except me and Remi???

Jack: Why’d they keep quiet???

Joker: Isen intimidated himself over it

Joker: I asked Elaine not to and my BDE had her quaking in her uggs

Joker: Arlo… I still have an agreement with Arlo, so I’ll just say I asked him not to share

Joker: And Sera wouldn’t share bc we’re tight like that

Ace: <3

Joker: <3

Newsie: This is so straight

Newsie: It’s killing me

Joker: I’m pan but ok

Ace: I’m bi but ok

Newsie: …

Newsie: Never mind then

Newsie: I retract my previous statement

Joker: Thank you

Newsie: Ofc!

Newsie: I may be a sniveling coward

Newsie: But I’m bi too

Newsie: So I could never disrespect

Joker: You a real one Isen

Newsie: !!!

Newsie: Oh my god!!!

Newsie: A God-Tier complimented me!!!

Jack: !!!

Queen: !!!

Jack: Again with the surprise reveals???

Joker: Sorry

Joker: Got a little distracted

Joker: But yeah

Jack: I-

Jack: Okay then

Jack: I think I’ll go get that drink now

Queen: Can I join you?

Newsie: If I apologize can I also join?

Jack: …

Jack: Yes to Remi

Jack: And Isen…

Jack: Fine

Newsie: !!!

Newsie: Thx bae

Jack: No problem boo

John look over at Sera with a smile, “Hey, wanna have some with me? Can’t go too far since my dad is coming over tomorrow and I still have school, but it’d be nice to take the edge off.”

Sera gives him a smile, “Do you even have to ask?”

The drinks taste so much better with Sera there.

Chapter Text

Sera is relaxing on John’s couch, playing another game on her phone. She’s… unusually bored today. John’s still at school, it had barely started, but… Damn, she misses him. That dorky attitude and his bright smile…

A blush comes over Sera as she remembers him taking his shirt off the other day. That had been… enlightening. Could he carry her? That’d actually be pretty hot…

She’s taken from her confusing feelings about her best friend by a notification from the Royals chat. In a bit of irony, it’s a message from John.

Royalty, Bitches (+ Friends)

Joker: So

Joker: Someone who knows Kalisa a bit better than I do

Joker: How fucked am I?

Ace: That depends

Ace: What did she do?

Joker: Well

Joker: She walked up to me

Joker: Which is already unusual

Joker: And then proceeded to ask for a favor

Joker: But not before dropping my full government name???

King: …

King: John.

King: I know you hate me

Joker: That’s an understatement

King: But for the love of Seraphina and all you hold dear

King: Please tell me you didn’t say no to her

Joker: I asked her to let me think about it

Joker: And then walked away to ask for advice

King: Whatever she asked you to do

King: It doesn’t matter what it is

King: Do it.

King: The collateral damage of you refusing would be catastrophic

Joker: …

Joker: I’d really rather not though…

Newsie: What did she even ask you to do?

Joker: …

Joker: She wants me to pose for her friend’s art club

Queen: That doesn’t sound so bad???

Newsie: Oh Remi, you sweet summer child

Newsie: You know not of the horrors you speak

Queen: ???

Newsie: Okay, so

Newsie: That club usually advertises in the school paper when they need people to pose for them

Newsie: And uh…

Newsie: They’re doing anatomy today

Queen: Oh…

Joker: That’s for Sera’s eyes only

Ace: Ordinarily I’d agree with you

Ace: But this is Kalisa we’re talking about

Ace: I’m sorry John, but you have to do it

Doctor: …

Doctor: Again

Doctor: Are you SURE you two aren’t dating???

Joker: What are you talking about Elaine?

Joker: Best friends see each other naked all the time

Newsie: Can confirm

Newsie: Right Blyke?

Jack: …

Jack: Shut up…

Queen: …

Queen: First off, can I talk with you two later?

Jack: Sure thing honey

Newsie: Of course dear

Queen: Secondly

Queen: John, I’m sorry for your loss

Queen: But it’s for the greater good

Joker: …

Joker: FUCK

Joker: She better give me something good for this

Sera can’t hold in her laughter. She isn’t exactly… on board with the idea of so many people seeing John like that, but on the other hand… Kalisa can be fucking terrifying when she wants to be. At times like these it’s better to just give her what she wants… Even if that’s John naked.

…

Sera buries her now red face in her hands. What the hell was she thinking??? It’s not like she’s John’s girlfriend, she doesn’t have the right to be possessive in this circumstance. Sure, he’d said for her eyes only, but that was just their normal play flirting, right??? He’d joked about it, but they’d never actually seen each other naked before!

She lets out a frustrated groan. Did she… did she really have feelings for her best friend?

…

She’d need some time to think on that.

Later with Remi, Blyke, and Isen, Remi pulls her best friends off to the side so they can talk in private. She takes a moment to study them. Isen is a little nervous about the conversation, while Blyke just seems curious as to what they’ll be talking about.

Remi mulls over how she’ll broach the topic before taking a breath, “So, normally I wouldn’t do this, but the way Blyke reacted got me curious. So uhh… Did you two actually…?”

Blyke and Isen share a glance, faces slightly red now that they know what she’s talking about. After a moment, Isen lets out a sigh.

“Yeah, we did. It wasn’t exactly on purpose, but we have seen each other like that.”

Remi blinks in surprise, “Ah.”

Blyke pinches the bridge of his nose, “We’re still trying to forget about it.”

Isen looks away, mumbling, “Well maybe you are…”

Oh shit, they’re staring at him now. He’d spoken too loudly.

He can’t meet their eyes, “Well- I-! … Look, Blyke, my dude. You’re hot, okay? With the way I am, I doubt I’ll really be pulling any dates, so I take what I can get.”

Blyke’s eyes widen, “Dude, what are you talking about? You’re a funny guy, and actually pretty smart when you put your mind to it! That’s not even talking about how hot you are too!”

Remi nods, “Yeah! There’s a lot to like about you! Your skill as a writer, your dedication to your friends, and your handsome voice! John was right, you need to be more confident in yourself!”

Isen looks between his two friends. They’d both just said some… pretty great things about him. Even with the blushes on their faces, they’re still keeping his gaze. Remi’s brilliant red eyes imploring him to think better about himself, and Blyke’s soft yellow supporting him… You know, maybe John was right. He did need more confidence in himself, and this would be a good first step.

Isen lets out a chuckle as a smile grows on his face, “Jeez, you’re both too much. But… I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’ve both made my life so much better just by being there, and I can’t thank you enough for that. But, as a start, maybe you two will let me treat you to dinner tonight? I’ve got some money saved up for an occasion like this, and I can’t think of anyone better to use it on.”

Blyke’s eyebrows shoot up. Had Isen just asked the two of them on a date? Damn, for him to do that despite his fear of rejection… Isen must really have a thing for him and Remi.

Meanwhile, Remi’s whole face goes red. Isen wanted to go on a date? With the two of them? This was… Fantastic!

Remi nearly tackles Isen with a hug in her excitement, her grip a bit too tight in her excitement, “Yes, yes, YES! I’d love to go!”

Blyke steps forward to join the hug with a grin on his face, “Me too! Jeez, you must really have it bad if you’re the one who asked.”

Isen smiles softly at the two of them, “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

Remi suddenly remembers something and breaks from the hug, “Crap! I forgot I needed to go speak with one of our teachers! I’ll see you guys later, bye!”

She gives the two of them a quick peck on the cheek before running off, leaving the two grinning like idiots. Quickly, she arrives at the classroom she needs and heads inside, not noticing the sign posted on the door.

Art Club meeting.

Chapter Text

Royalty, Bitches (+ Friends)

Queen: efbisafjfeawn

Queen: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Queen: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’M SORRYYYYYYYYYYYY

Joker: Remi

Joker: It’s… not that big a deal

Queen: But it issssss!!!

Queen: AAAAAAAA

Queen: I can’t believe I did something like that!

Ace: What happened?

Newsie: Remi

Newsie: Sweetie

Newsie: Darling

Newsie: It’s been like 10 minutes since Blyke and I saw you

Newsie: What could you possibly have done in that time?

Jack: ^

Queen: I-

Queen: Well…

King: Why do so many of us treat texting like we’re speaking aloud?

Queen: So, you know how I needed to go speak with a teacher?

King: Guess I’m being ignored then

Queen: So…

Queen: Turns out that our English teacher helps oversee the Art Club…

Newsie: Oh

Newsie: OH

Queen: I’m so sorry John!

Queen: I should’ve stopped and read the sign!

Joker: Again

Joker: It’s fine Remi

Ace: …

Ace: How much did you see?

Joker: Sera!

Ace: What?

Ace: I’m curious

Queen: …

Queen: Everything…

Ace: Damn, I’m jealous

Joker: Sera, there were like 15 other people in that room

Ace: And I’m jealous of all of them

Jack: Remi I-

Jack: I’m so sorry you had to go through that

Joker: …

Joker: Damn, okay

Joker: Treating seeing me naked like it’s a goddamn tragedy

Joker: I see how it is

Joker: Guess you aren’t getting that workout routine after all

Jack: Wait nO

Jack: THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT

Joker: No, I get it

Jack: NFEGNIOEFCSF

Jack: JOHN PLEASE

Queen: Why do you want his routine so badly?

Newsie: He wants to get buff and impress us

Jack: JDWIFN

Jack: ISEN

Queen: awww!

Queen: I think that’s sweet!

Joker: …

Joker: I’ll consider it

Joker: But for now I need to get back to my apartment

Joker: My dad is visiting today

Queen: Tell him I said hi!

Joker: You don’t even know him

Joker: But ok

Seraphina is pulled away from the groupchat by the sound of the door opening. Looking up expecting John to be back, she’s surprised to see an unfamiliar man instead. Looking him over, she can see a resemblance to John. This must be his dad.

The man stares in surprise, “You aren’t John.”

Sera snorts, “And neither are you. Based on the resemblance I’m guessing you’re his dad?”

The man nods before a realization dawns on him, “Wait… Purple hair… Ah! You must be Seraphina!”

She nods and goes to shake his hand as he continues, “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you!”

Sera gives him a smile, “It’s nice to meet you to Mr. Doe.”

He chuckles, “Oh please, no need to be so formal! Just call me William!”

William gives Sera a look, “What are you doing hanging around here? And where’s John?”

Sera chuckles, “Well, school just let out so he won’t be back for a bit. As for why I’m here, I’ve been suspended.”

William’s eyes widen, “Wha- Suspended?? Just what kind of trouble have you been up to?”

Sera shrugs, “Nothing much, just got caught with a certain illegal book. You may have heard of it, it’s called UnOrdinary.”

William flinches, guilt written on his face, “Oh, sorry to hear that. Don’t they usually expel students who are caught with it?”

Sera gives a smirk, “Oh please, they’d never get rid of me.”

William lets out a sigh, “Geez, he wasn’t kidding when he said you were very powerful. Just out of curiosity, which of you two is stronger?”

Sera takes a moment to consider, “Well if we’re going strictly by level, I’m ahead, but only by a little bit. The two of us haven’t really fought, so I’m not sure if I can give a definitive answer on that.”

William hums softly. Before he can continue, the door opens and John steps through. There’s a beat of silence before a soft smile grows on John’s face that absolutely melts Sera’s heart.

John instantly pulls his father into a hug, “Hey dad, I missed you.”

William chuckles as he returns the hug, “I missed you too, kiddo.”

“Remi says hi, by the way.”

“Who?”

Chapter Text

John’s confident smirk grows slightly as he pushes the chips forward, “Raise 50.”

His dad sighs in defeat, “Too rich for my blood, I fold.”

Sera stares at him intently, thinking through her next move before she goes forward, “Call.”

John raises an eyebrow, “Are you sure about that? A wrong move here could lose you the game.”

Sera rolls her eyes, “I’m sure, John.”

John shrugs, “If you say so.”

The cards are revealed, and… Yeah, she lost. Badly.

John chuckles to himself as he collects the pot, “You’ve got the basics of the cards down, but you’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to reading people and their tells.”

It’s a great night, despite Sera losing so much she still has a lot of fun. It’s a shame William has to leave so soon, but it’s not like he couldn’t visit again.

Even worse though, the next day John has to go off to school and she’s left by herself again. Her suspension will end when school lets out, but she really wishes she could just go back now.

Deciding that basically anything would be better than sitting around by herself all day, she takes a trip to Woba Boba to get herself a nice drink. This would prove to be a horrible mistake.

The attack. Those strangers. What they did to her ability. The injuries they gave her. The drug they gave her.

She’s doing her best to stumble back to John’s place, but she can feel herself fading. She’s barely able to get through the door and slam it behind her. She pulls out her phone to try and call Elaine, but it slips through her fingers, her consciousness following soon after.

Royalty, Bitches (+ Friends)

Joker: All of you. My place. Now.

Joker: We have an emergency on our hands.

Joker: Hurry, there isn’t much time.

John sends his address soon after. He has no idea how he managed to stay calm enough to send that, but it works. Ordinarily he might’ve just called Elaine, but since this is Seraphina hurt so badly… He doesn’t want to think about what sort of person or group could do such a thing.

John does his best to keep pressure on her wound, to keep her alive long enough for help to arrive. John curses the long walk between his housing and the school. Ordinarily it gives him a chance to calm down and clear his head, but now it’s possibly endangering the life of one of his friends.

Hearing a knock at the door, John bolts over and throws it open, “No time to explain! Elaine, in here now!”

John grabs her arm and pulls her over to Seraphina. Elaine is shocked to see her roommate like this, but it certainly explains why John was so commanding in the groupchat. Nodding, she gets to work as John copies her Ability and helps her out. With his amping of her Ability, he’s able to find the injection sight.

Arlo grimaces, “She was drugged. It would explain why she hasn’t woken up yet. But who could catch Seraphina to do something like this to her?”

John scowls, “It was probably a surprise attack. Get her before she can properly activate her Ability and fight back. God-Tiers may be strong, but we aren’t invincible.”

The other three are stunned. To see Seraphina of all people like this? It’s more than worrying, it seems flat out terrifying that someone so strong could be reduced to this state.

John turns to address the group, “I think it’s best if you all stay here until she wakes up. I don’t know if whoever did this to her followed her or has some way to track her down, so strength in numbers and all that.”

Arlo nods, it only makes sense, “Shouldn’t we report this to the Authorities as well?”

John growls, “No. No Authorities. I don’t trust them.”

Before Arlo can question it, Remi jumps in, “I agree. They’ve been seeming pretty shady lately, and I’d rather not trust them with anyone’s life…”

Arlo certainly has his own opinions on the matter, but looking around he can see he’s outvoted. Whatever, they can just inform the Headmaster and he can pass it along for them.

John sighs, “We’ll get her to Doc in the morning. He won’t be happy, but it’s necessary.”

Isen starts sweating nervously, “Dude, what do you think we can do?!? If they can take on a God-Tier, how are we supposed to help?!?”

John suppresses the urge to call Isen out for his cowardice. In any other situation, he’d likely have a point in doing that, but here and now Isen has a right to be afraid. Even so, they need the strength of numbers.

John takes a breath, “They won’t have the element of surprise this time, we’re expecting them. Besides, we have two conscious God-Tiers, a High-Tier, two Elite fighters, and an Elite healer. With a group like this, we should be able to take whatever they throw at us.”

Blyke nods seriously while Remi pipes up, “Exactly! Not only do we each individually have a lot of power, but we’ll be even better if we work together! We can do this!”

Isen gulps. He’s still afraid, terribly so. But… he can’t run away from this. Someone he knows is in danger, and people he cares about are putting themselves on the line to help her. Besides, like they’re saying, he won’t be alone. They can do this.

Isen lets out a big sigh, “Fine! I guess I can’t leave you all to do this by yourselves.”

Blyke grins, “See, it’s not so bad!”

Isen shoves a finger against his new boyfriend’s lips, “SHHHHHH! Don’t say anything else or you’ll jinx us!”

Remi giggles, “Alright, settle down. We need to be ready for tonight. Should we set up some sort of watch rotation? That’d probably help.”

John smiles to himself. It’s… nice to have people he can count on.

Chapter Text

It’s late now, and John is doing something he hasn’t done in a while. Meditating. It’s a skill he’d picked up long ago, even before his anger management taught him to use it for relaxation. Meditation sharpens focus, and more importantly can help focus Aura. It’s something anyone can do, but for someone like John it’s a vital tool for using and training his ability. To feel the Aura flow through his body, to attain a conscious understanding of his Aura Channels. That is the strength meditation can provide him.

A breath in, the Aura flows out from its origin point, up to his head, out through his arms, and down through the rest of his body. A breath out, his Aura flows back the other way, making the return trip to where it started. This repetitive cycle that fuels every Ability on the planet, this ebb and flow. It sharpens his passive, allowing him to push its range farther than before.

And then the flow is stifled. His Channels actively shrink, throttling how much Aura can properly flow through them. What… Is this what they had done to Sera? Is this how they got her? Whatever is causing this, an ability or some sort of Aura Tech… it’s most definitely in the wrong hands.

John shoots to his feet, dashing into the living room to see… Arlo holding down someone with a cloth mask and a knife. The same kind of knife Sera had brought with her when she stumbled her way to John’s place. Yeah, this is them alright.

John scowls, “Well I can see you know we have company. Stay on your toes, our abilities are compromised.”

That gets everyone’s attention quick, Isen shouting, “WHAT?!?”

John glances at Arlo’s Barrier, which he can’t detect, “Whatever they did before getting inside fucked with Aura Channels. My Passive is gone, and I think it’s a safe bet that you’re all in similar situations since they would have no way of knowing to target me specifically.”

Elaine glances down at her wound, which she can’t muster up enough Aura to heal, “He’s right. My Healing isn’t working properly.”

Hearing something behind him, John whirls around. Someone had come through his window to get Sera. Charging them with malice in his eyes, John copies the man’s Ability and uses it to follow him out the window. Arlo throws up a Barrier, preventing the man from escaping.

The man comes to a stop, putting his knife to Sera’s throat, “Stop right there! You and your friend both power down now!”

John takes another step, growling, “Or what?”

The man holds the knife closer to Sera’s throat, drawing blood. John grits his teeth, deactivating his Ability as he slowly raises his hands. He has to play this right, or else… he’d rather not think about what could happen.

He looks back at Arlo, making a gesture with his chin while raising and eyebrow. He can only hope the blonde giraffe understands the signal.

It would seem Arlo can use his brain sometimes, as he nods slightly to John before letting out a scoff, “Really? You want to just let these people get away? As if I’d risk that.”

John lets some of his real anger at Arlo bleed into his voice, “Excuse me? Did you not hear what he’s gonna do if you don’t?!?”

The attacker lowers his knife slightly, “Are… are you two seriously arguing right now? I have your friend’s life in my hands!”

Arlo ignores the man, playing up the petty as he smirks, “No, you’re not excused John. And do you honestly expect me to believe the empty threats of a weakling like him?”

The man growls at that, “The fuck you sa-”

He lowers his knife enough for John to act. In a split second John activates his Ability and is on top of the man, grabbing the knife by the blade. There’s murder in John’s eyes as he whispers to the man.

“You’re dead.”

A solid punch sends the man flying away from Sera as Isen and Elaine swoop in to get her back to safety. Good, with her safe John rushes the man again and buries the knife in his shoulder. Pain can make people talk, break them down, something he’d learned the hard way.

“Who the fuck do you work for?”

The man chuckles, “Like I’d tell you. I don’t matter enough to hear names anyway, I just do the dirty work.”

Before John can respond, the van the attackers arrived in slams through Arlo’s Barrier and rams into John, sending him flying back. A few people pile out to help their ally, glancing warily in the direction of the house as Remi and Blyke appear.

“We gotta go! There’s too many and we’re almost out of time!”

John staggers to his feet, fury roaring through his veins. These fuckers think a van can stop him? He’s been through so much worse. He wants to chase them down, beat them into the ground, and find their employer so he can burn them down too. But he knows he can’t. Multiple people are injured, and Sera needs someone to look after her until she wakes up. So he lets them go.

Staggering over to where Sera is, he glances at Elaine. Her healing seems stronger now, and he can faintly feel her Aura flow. Lifting Sera up, John carries her back inside despite his own injuries. After laying her down on the couch, he teams up with Elaine to patch up the wounds some of them sustained during the attack.

John glances around, “So whatever they used to mess with our Abilities is on a time limit. Even so, it’s pretty powerful. To remove my passive… at minimum they’d have to drag me down to Elite Tier, which means I was working with about half strength. I’d hazard a guess Arlo was in the same situation considering what happened with the van.”

Arlo scowls, “A tool or Ability that can halve a person’s Level. Something that should never have been created.”

John nods, “But that leaves the question, if they have something that can temporarily halve an Ability Level, what does that drug do?”

After a small moment of silence Isen pipes up, “My question is how the fuck did you just walk off getting hit by a van?!?”

John sighs, gaze darkening as he remembers, “I’ve been through worse.”

That does nothing to put the group at ease.