Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Bye Dad!” 

“Bye John! Have a safe trip and don't get into any trouble, okay?”

“I know dad! I'll call you when I land!”

I waved goodbye to my dad as I entered the airport.

I'm kinda excited but also kinda nervous…

Why, You may ask? Well, somehow against all odds, I got into Wellston. The most prestigious school in the country.

How, you may ask too? Well…

—--------------------------------------

I was sitting at my desk, typing away and using all of my brain power for some physics practice.

‘Stupid problems need a different equation for every single stupid question, and the stupid question has so many stupid steps, gosh I regret taking physics, even if the teacher is nice…’

My personal vendetta against physics was interrupted by a knock at the door. I looked over to see my Dad leaning against the doorframe, knuckles still against the wooden door.

“Hey, John.”

“Hm? Oh, hey Dad.”

I closed the laptop on my desk and gave my Dad my full attention.

‘Whatever he's about to tell me can't possibly be worse than physics.’

“What's up?”

Dad rubs his thin thoughtfully.

“I was thinking John, you're about halfway through high-school, right?”

I look at my dad, suspicion clear in my gaze, because he never asks questions for answers he already knows unless he's wants something.

“Yeah. I am.”

“Well, I was thinking that maybe, you should try for a different school. One that's better than New Bostin and will provide you with a good education, and future.”

I raise an eyebrow at that because…what?

“A better school? Why? I'm fine with New Bostin high, even with everything that comes with that school. And the education there isn't so bad.”

“Well, I want you to succeed in life, John. I mean, what kind of Dad doesn't?”

“Okay, but still, even if I were to switch schools, what school would accept a cripple, Dad?”

“Well, one better than New Bostin John, that's for sure. Maybe even a really nice one.”

“Dad. I'd have a hard enough time getting into a slightly nicer school than New Bostin, let alone a nice nice school.”

“Hey, you don't know that. If you work hard enough then you can get into any school. I mean, look at Wellston for example. They have low tiers below a level 2 there. Level 2 John. Do you think they got in there by luck? By they're power? No. They got into that school by working hard.”

My Dad is smirking at this point.

“And I know you can be a really hard worker when you set your mind to it.”

That's when I realized.

‘No way.’

“You…You want me to try and get into Wellston!? The top school in the country?! There's no way-!”

“And why is there no way, John?” 

My Dad looks confused.

“Because Dad…I'm a cripple. There's never been a cripple at Wellston.”

“So? You could be the first one John! The first ever 1.0 in Wellston!”

"Alright, alright! Let's say I get into Wellston, I'd automatically be a target. You know that.”

That seemed to catch him off guard.

“Yeah. Yeah, I know John.”

“Then why are you saying I should go for Wellston if you know I'd be targeted?”

“Because there's something else I know for a fact, John.”

Now it was my turn to look confused.

“What?”

“Well John…You're strong. So very strong. I've seen it.”

My dad smiles at me. It feels…nice.

“I've seen you be knocked down more times than I can count, and more times than I'd like, but y'know what? Every single time you got right back up and fought. Hard.”

My Dad's smile brightens and feels warmer.

“And that proves just how strong you are John and it doesn't make me so worried, because I know you, and I know you wont stay down, and I know getting targeted wouldn't discourage you. It hasn't before, now has it?”

Still in shock by his previous words, I took a second to answer.

“W-Well, no…”

“So John, will you try at least? Try to get into Wellston? For me? I know it'll be hard and I know it'll be tiring, but it'd put me at ease knowing you got into such a prestigious school, because then I'd be sure you would have an easier life.”

I looked at my Dad. He seemed so genuine…and so sure that I'd make it in.

“I…I'll think about it.”

When my Dad heard me say that his smile turned brighter, warmer. I didn't even know it was possible to feel this much warmth from a smile.

“That's good enough for me.”

—--------------------------------------

I continued walking to my gate.

‘After that conversation I started to study a lot. I studied so much that my brain felt like mush sometimes. Days upon days, weeks upon weeks, months even, all spent on studying.’

‘I put my all into getting into Wellston while also maintaining everything else. It was a grueling time for me. Sometimes I wanted to give up, after all, I had been studying for a probably mediocre at best chance to get into one of, if not the most, prestigious school in the country, why should I even try to get in when they might not even give me the time of day?’

‘But then I remembered my Dad and how he said that he would be at ease if I got into that school. Because of its prestigious status, I would have an easier life. I thought of my Dad's smile, how happy he was when I said I'd think about it. So just like that, the thought of giving up seemed stupid, laughable even.’

‘And I kept working hard, my dad having my back and supporting me all along the way.’

‘And I guess it paid off, all of that grueling hard work paid off. I got an acceptance letter from the Headmaster, although I still have to have an interview with him, so I'm not completely in yet.’

‘But still, it's promising.’

‘The only thing that bothers me is that I'm leaving everyone and everything I knew behind in New Bostin…’

‘Dad…’

‘Adrion and Claire…’

‘My home…’

‘But, it'll all be worth it, I just have to keep going. Keep working hard for a few more years and then I can just go back to New Bostin for a while and see everyone again. ‘

‘That's all I've gotta do, that…and endure.’

‘Wellston is a school of strong and smart, there's no doubt I'll be targeted due to me being a cripple.’

‘This is gonna be a hard few years, but there's no need to worry about that right now, for now the only thing I need to worry about is getting on my plane.’

I looked around, searching for my gate.

‘Hm…’

‘Well that and finding my damn gate.’

—--------------------------------------

I finally got onto the plane and looked for my seat. Somewhere in the middle of the plane, I believe.

‘There.’

I spotted my seat, and finally sat down. It appears I got lucky with a window seat.

‘That whole process for getting on planes takes too long and I'm exhausted…’

‘Thankfully…I can just sleep, I had to wake up early for this flight. I'm grateful to my dad for giving me one of those neck pillows. It's comfy…’

So, I put on the neck pillow thing, closed my eyes, and relaxed…it's gonna be a decently long flight, long enough to get a few hours of sleep.

And as I finally felt myself start slipping into the sweet embrace of sleep, I heard someone sit next to me…

It was a woman and her baby…

A baby that was, in fact, very much awake and very much crying. Loudly. So loud that I'm surprised I didn't hear them walking up…

‘Guess I'm not getting much sleep…unless…’

I sit up and pull out my earbuds, but I forgot to charge them, so they don't drown out the sound of that incessantly loud baby…

“Sigh...” 

‘This is going to be a long flight…’

Chapter Text

“Hm. Quite an interesting read.”

I found a novel at the bookstore the other day. It intrigued me, so I decided to read a few pages and those few pages had me hooked enough to buy it.

“Quite interesting indeed.”

A knock can be heard at the door. I look up from my book.

“Who is it?”

“It's me Vaughn.” 

“Ah. Come on in, Keene.”

The door opens and Keene steps in, a porcelain cup with a saucer beneath in his hands.

“I made you tea, just the way you like it.”

“Why, thank you Keene, you didn't have to do that.”

Keene shuffles around sheepishly.

“I'd assumed you'd like it after all your work was complete.”

“You assumed correctly.”

I decided to put my new book away in one of my drawers.

‘It would be unfortunate if I spilled tea on it.’

Keene smiles.

“So, what were you reading?”

“Oh, just a novel I found when I went to the bookstore the other day. It was compelling, so I bought it.”

“Mind sharing the author? If you like them, then they're probably pretty good at writing!”

“W.H. Doe. It appears they use a pen name.”

“Huh. I guess they do. I'm still gonna read one of they're books though.”

I stir my tea to accelerate the cooling process.

“Go ahead.”

“I will. Anyways, enjoy the tea and see you later Vaughn!”

“Goodbye, Keene.”

Keene left my office, leaving me alone to think.

 I took a sip of my tea

‘Ah. Just how I like it. Good job, Keene.’

I looked out the window to the sky, the sky always helped me think. The sky and nature, always so relaxing.

After a few minutes of pondering, my mind shifts to my new book, and by extension, the author.

‘W.H. Doe. That last name is familiar, where have I heard it before?’

I think for a while longer before it hits me.

‘This author has the same last name as the new transfer student.’

I turn back to my desk and open my file cabinet next to it. I fish out the file I have for him. 

‘The new transfer student…John was his name I believe.’

I open the file and check his name.

‘Yes, John. John Doe. The cripple. He's an interesting one.’

I look at his level to see the number “1.0”.

‘When I first saw his application and his entrance exam results I was amazed at how great they were. He must have dedicated hours to studying just to pass and get such a small chance to get in. Even though he was a cripple, he still tried so hard.’

I took another sip of my tea and continued to read through his file.

‘He did all that work for a miniscule chance, so I thought it was only fair I gave him the opportunity he worked so hard for, it would have also added a bit more diversity and a different perspective to the school as well.’

'That was what originally had me accept him, but after the conversation I had with his father, I was quite happy I had welcomed him to Wellston.’

I think over the information his father told me.

‘He had a God tier mother and his father is a cripple…and since abilities are mostly maternal, there's a high chance he just hasn't awakened his ability yet.’

‘He could be the one who changes things around here. Which means he just may be the late bloomer I've been looking for.’

--------------------------------------

I finished putting away the last of my stuff.

“Phew. All done with that. Now I can eat.”

I walked into my kitchen and took the cup of noodles I had microwaved earlier out of the microwave.

‘It's nice that Dad was willing to rent this place for me and give me the money to get all the other stuff I needed too. It's nice and quiet. Unlike how the dorms most likely would've been.’

--------------------------------------

“So, John, an important question before you leave. You wanna live in the dorms, or do you want me to rent a place out for you?”

I think about it for a moment.

“Well, I'm gonna be a target once people find out I'm a cripple, so staying in the dorms might just make it worse.”

Dad nods.

“Yeah, I agree with you. I just wanted to ask you, just in case you did want to live in the dorms.”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

Dad smiles.

“Of course, son. Now, how about we look for somewhere I can rent for you?”

I smile too.

“Sounds like a plan.”

--------------------------------------

I get another forkful of ramen and stuff my face with it.

‘Yeah…this place isn't so bad. Maybe they got boba around here too. I should check.’

I look down at my unfinished food.

‘After I'm done with this though.’

And with that, I continue stuffing my face full of ramen, enjoying and savoring every bite.

‘Mmm…Tasty!’

Chapter Text

“Ah~! That hit the spot!”

I had finished my food, feeling full after like, 3 more cups of ramen and now that I was satisfied food-wise, it was time to relax.

‘It's been a pretty tiring day, being unable to sleep because of that damn baby, and having to go shopping.'

“Sigh…”

‘Like I said, very exhausting…’

So, just as I was about to lie down and relax, of course…

Ring! Ring!

“Ughhhhhhhhh….who's calling me now?”

I thought it might be Dad, because of previous calls from him earlier, but when I pulled out my phone I saw, not Dad’s contact, but Claire’s.

‘Ohhhh. Right, I forgot to call her and Adrion!’

I picked up the phone and brought it to my ear.

“Hey, Claire! Sorry for not calling earlier, I was busy.”

“Hey, John!”

I could faintly make out a second voice, echoing the greeting Claire had given. “Hi, John!”

“Oh, are you and Adrion hanging out?”

“Yeah, we're at the boba shop. Y'know, the one a few blocks from school?”

“Oh, yeah. I know which one you're talking about. Did Adrion get that putrid pineapple boba again?”

I hear a scoff in the background. 

“Hey, it's good!” Adrian protests.

I snap back, “Or maybe you just have bad taste buds.”

Claire giggles.

“Oh come on you two. Both are good!”

I decided to back down, not wanting another boba war to start.

“Agree to disagree.”

I hear Adrion sigh.

“Fine.”

“Sooooo…John! How's Wellston?”

“Wellston? I haven't really seen a ton of it yet, but the stuff I did see looked alright. I searched up the nearest boba shop and it turns out there's one not too far from my house.”

“Nice! And how is your house?”

“It's nice, actually. Real quiet around where I live and it's not too far of a walk to school, so I can have some peace and quiet before school starts.”

“Mind giving us a tour?”

“Sure! Lemme just video call you.”

I turned on the face call feature and saw Claire's face pop up.

“There you are!”

I was a little surprised by her face popping up so suddenly.

“Y-Yeah, here I am.”

There's a moment of silence between us.

“Soooo, are you gonna show us your house?”

I snapped out of it.

“Y-Yeah, yeah, sorry.” 

I flipped my camera and panned it over the room I was in.

“This is my room, it's pretty bare-bones right now, but my Dad is gonna buy some furniture for me soon.”

Claire ‘oohed’.

“Looks spacious.”

Adrion ‘ahhed’.

“Man, I wish my room were that big!”

I walked to the kitchen.

“This is my kitchen. Same situation as my room.”

“Wow. It's nice!”

“Is that a marble countertop!?”

“U-Uh…yeah, it's a pretty good kitchen.”

I showed them the living room. 

“This is the living room, it's empty for now for obvious reasons.”

I saw Adrion's eyes widen. “Dang John! How'd you get such a nice place!?”

“Yeah, John! It's really nice. Ooooh, I can't wait to visit!”

“M-My dad paid for it. And he's renting it, he didn't buy the entire place!”

I moved to the bathroom. 

“Anyways, this is the bathroom. It's pretty basic.”

“Yeah, but it's still nice.”

I saw Claire nod in agreement.

Then I moved to the last room I had to show them. The dining room.

“And finally the dining room. Just a normal room you guys.”

“Yeah, well it's still cool as heck!”

I heard Adrion whine in the background.

“Your place is so much better than mine and Claire's! Man, you got lucky getting into Wellston…”

I heard Adrion grunt.

“H-Hey! What was that for?”

“Come on Adrion! You know John worked really hard for this! It wasn't just blind luck.”

“Ah. You're right, sorry John, didn't mean to discredit you or anything.”

“No, it's fine! Really! If anything you're right, because I don't have any clue how I did get in.”

I saw Claire pout. 

“Not you too. Come on John, you obviously got in because of how hard you worked, not because of some stupid luck.”

I smiled, appreciating her kind words.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Claire. Maybe it wasn't just stupid luck.”

And just like that, Claire was beaming again.

“Yeah!”

I couldn't help sighing at the way she just lightened up.

And then I saw Adrion in the background, smirking and giving me a knowing look.

“Tch.” 

I looked away from the screen and felt my face burn up a bit because he caught me.

‘Screw you Adrion.’

“A-Anyways, I forgot to ask, how are you guys doing?”

Claire sighed.

“It's boring without you here! I wish Wellston wasn't so far away, so we could visit whenever!”

Adrion finally stopped smirking and sighed as well.

“Yeah, it just doesn't feel the same now that you're over there. Why'd you have to work so hard and get into Wellston man?”

Adrion pouts.

“Like come on, it's always been us three! The three amigos! The three musketeers! The…uh…terrible trio?”

I chuckled at that one.

“Terrible Trio? What's so terrible about us?”

“How about the terrific Trio? I think that's better!”

I chuckle some more.

“Yeah, the Terrific Trio! Perfect.”

Adrion's pout disappears and is replaced with a bright smile.

“Yeah! Terrific Trio forever!”

“Pfftt!” 

Claire started laughing.

“Gosh, you two! You're so enthusiastic! I love it!”

“Well we can't help it! It's in our blood!”

“Yeah, Claire! It's just who we are!”

Adrion started laughing too and it caused me to laugh as well.

‘It feels like I'm hanging out with them again…I feel great.’

We continued to talk, our conversation all over the place, right up until Adrion and Claire had to go. It was unfortunate, but they promised to call again tomorrow, so it isn't all bad.

I turned my phone off and went back to my room.

‘Now it's time to sleep…’

I thought about the call and felt nostalgic remembering all the talking we did and how I got to see Adrion and Claire again, even if it was over video. I felt like I was back in New Bostin.

And I realized…

‘Today wasn't so bad after all…’

Chapter Text

“I guess this is it…”

It was finally Monday. The day I'd been dreading. I have to be in a new school with new people, new teachers, new classes, and not to mention the fact that I have to meet with the Headmaster.

It would be an understatement to say that I was just nervous, even so, I knew I couldn't stay out here twiddling my thumbs. I had to go inside and talk to the Headmaster.

But even though I knew what I had to do, didn't mean I wanted to do it.

“Here goes…” I walked through the gate, looking up at the tall, prestigious building, and just as I had walked in, I saw a man exit the front door; he was tall and had a slender physique, glasses, and blonde hair. He also looked like he might have worked here. And he was heading straight for me.

‘Shoot! Did I do something wrong?’

I was preparing to apologize for whatever I'd done to get in trouble so soon, but the man was already in front of me. Instead of the shouting and rage-filled expression I expected, I was met with a smile on the man's face and an outreached hand.

“Hello there! You must be John!”

I stood there dumbfounded before I snapped out of it and shook his hand.

“U-Uh yeah, I'm John. The new transfer student.”

The man's smile widened. “Great, follow me, I'll take you to the Headmaster. Oh! I'm Keene by the way!”

“Oh, nice to meet you, Keene.”

I followed the man into the school and up some stairs until we reached what seemed to be a waiting room. It was probably for people to wait until they had to see the Headmaster.

Keene knocked on the door to what I assumed to be the Headmaster's office.

I heard a voice from inside the office. “Yes?” The deep voice sounded wise and…kinda intimidating.

“I brought John for you!”

“I see. Send him in.”

“You got it!”

Keene turned to me.

“Go on ahead, and don't worry too much. The Headmaster just wants to chat with you real quick.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath and looked around the waiting room one last time before I grabbed the knob, turned it, and walked in.

As soon as I set foot into the office, I noticed a man sitting at a desk; he had green eyes, a shade of dark green hair, and glasses. I could tell that he was powerful and was someone who demanded respect.

“Hello, John. Have a seat.”

“Y-Yes sir.”

I sat at the seat in front of the Headmaster's desk and set my bag down. 

“You don't have to be so uptight, John. I just want to chat and ask a few questions.”

“Sorry.”

I noticed a teapot, along with two porcelain cups, a small bowl with sugar cubes, and saucers on the desk.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Oh, sure.”

The Headmaster poured himself and me a cup.

“How many sugar cubes would you like?”

I didn't know how many was the standard, so I just said- “Three is fine.”

“Okay.”

The Headmaster finished preparing my drink and handed me a cup and saucer.

“Thank you.”

I blew across the cup and took a sip. It was alright, it could be sweeter, though.

“So John, how has your day been thus far?”

“It's been fine, I mean, as fine as a Monday can be, y'know?”

There was an awkward moment of silence that followed.

“Uh…n-nevermind. It's been okay, thank you.”

Another moment of silence, before the Headmaster took a sip of his tea and spoke again.

“Yes, I know Mondays can be less than desirable for most people, and while I don't dislike Mondays, they can still be a bit trying at times.”

I was a bit surprised that he replied to that, it seemed like he was gonna take the conversation elsewhere or just not say anything, but I guess not.

“Uh, y-yeah. And how has your day been Headmaster?”

“Please, you can call me Vaughn. And to answer your question, my day has been pleasant enough. The weather is quite nice, isn't it?”

“Yeah. Nice…”

There was another beat of silence before The Headma- I mean, before Vaughn spoke up again.

“I'll get straight to the point, so you can head to your classes. I would like to know what compelled you to apply for Wellston.”

‘What compelled me? Well…’

“Honestly? My Dad. He was the one who convinced me to try for Wellston.”

“I see. Can I expect you to work as hard as you were when studying for Wellston?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Good. Now, there is one last thing I would like to discuss. I spoke with your father before you arrived in Wellston and he told me a bit about your mother.”

That shocked me because my Dad rarely talks about my mom. It's…a sore subject.

“R-Really? Like what?”

“He told me that she was powerful. A God tier, but despite that, you didn't end up with an ability.”

“Uh, yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, you see, I suspect that you may be what society calls a ‘late bloomer’ which essentially means that your ability might have not manifested yet.”

‘What? Late bloomer?’

“What…What do you mean you think I'm a late bloomer? You think that…that I might have an ability?”

Vaughn nodded. “I believe so.”

‘Me? Have an ability? No…there's no way.’

“I mean no disrespect, Vaughn, but,” I look down, staring at my hands.”I don't think I have an ability; I mean, I'm almost 18; I don't think I can manifest an ability anymore.”

“You may believe that, but certain studies have shown that the more complex the ability, the longer it would take to develop and manifest, and your father told me, while he never learned your mother's ability, that it was quite complex.”

“What…?”

“So, this brings me to my final question. If you do turn out to be a late bloomer you will most likely be powerful, potentially even a God tier. So, can you assure me that the power won't go to your head? I know the life of a cripple can be frustrating, to say the least. I know that you most likely have had bad experiences with people more powerful than yourself, and I know you must be angry at those people, but I must ask that you show restraint if you do get an ability.”

I was…a bit shocked by all of this. If I am a late bloomer, I could end up being a God tier, and Vaughn understood my struggles as a cripple.

But…

‘Who's to say I will get an ability? After all, I've gotten my hopes up so many times, like when Claire said she saw me use an ability in a vision…I always hoped it was true, but it never did happen…’

“Yeah…okay.”

‘It's best to not get my hopes up…’

“Thank you. If you do manifest an ability we will, of course, help you train it. Now, Keene will give you a tour of the school and give you your schedule. You'd best be going to your classes now.”

“Okay.” I downed the rest of my tea and picked up my bag, turning to the door. “Thank you for the tea, Vaughn.”

“Of course. And John?”

I looked back. “Yes?”

Vaughn smiled at me. “Have a good day, and make Wellston proud.”

I nodded. “‘Course. You have a good day too, sir.” I opened the door and walked out of Vaughn's office.

“See? Wasn't so bad, now was it?”

I turned to see Keene leaning against the wall, seemingly waiting for me.

“Yeah, it was alright.”

Keene smiled brightly. “Great! Now, follow me! I'm gonna show you the school and lead you to your first class.”

“Thank you.”

I walked out of the waiting room with Keene, following him as he showed me the school and where my classes were, up until we reached my first class.

“And this is your stop! Have a good day, John!”

“Thanks and you too.”

Keene handed me my schedule and walked off to who knows where.

I looked at the door and took a deep breath.

‘Here we go again.’

I opened the door and entered the classroom. It looked pretty sterile, with a few windows, and normal looking desks. There was a chalkboard and a few papers on the wall in front of the class.

The teacher looked over to the sound of the door opening.

“Ah, Hello there John.” The teacher looked back to the class. “Students, pay attention. This was the transfer that I told you about earlier.”

The teacher looked back at me.

“How about you come introduce yourself, John?”

“Okay.”

I walked to the front of the classroom. Everyone was staring at me, especially this one blonde-haired kid; he was staring daggers…yeesh.

“Hey, my name Is John. John Doe. I hope that we all can get along.”

“Thank you, John. You may sit in that empty seat in the middle.”

The teacher pointed to…

‘Great, I get to sit next to the kid who already seems to hate me.’

I walked over and sat beside the blonde; he kept on glaring at me and then looking away; it was kinda starting to piss me off…

‘This day's already turning out just dandy…’

And after a few minutes of sitting there doing nothing really, the bell rang. 

I had gone to grab my things and leave but was interrupted by the blond bastard who seemed to have a dislike towards me already.

“Hey…”

I looked over to him.

He was a bit taller than me; his school uniform was straightened with not a smidgen or wrinkle in sight, and I also saw that he had blue eyes. I could tell he was someone of importance, I just didn't know how important.

“Uh…hi.”

“You're John, correct?”

“Yeah. Whaddya need?”

“Listen, I'll get straight to the point so we dont waste each other's time, what's your ability and level?”

The class had already been quiet, with this important guy walking up to me and talking to me, but when he asked that question, it was dead silent. Not a single peep.

“Uh…why?”

The blonde boy's frown deepened. “No reason.”

“Okay, I actually…don't have an ability.”

There was a few seconds of silence before the classroom erupted in jeers and scoffs. I looked around and a lot of people looked disappointed.

“Can't believe there's a cripple here!”

“All that anticipation just for a low-tier nobody…”

A blue-haired boy, about the same height as the blondie, walked up to me and grabbed my collar.

“You better get out of here! I don't take kindly to the King's time being wasted!”

The blonde boy puts his hand on the blue kid's shoulder. “It's fine Holden. None of my time was wasted.”

“Holden” looked back at the supposed king. “You sure Arlo? I can teach him a lesson real quick!”

“Arlo”, the King, shook his head. “No, I'm sure someone else will do that soon enough. Let's go.”

“Alright…” Holden let go of my collar and walked away with The King.

‘Great. The king probably hates me and I just publicly outed myself as a cripple. How much worse can it get?’

I saw a group of students looking at me, smirks apparent on their faces.

‘I just had to jinx it, didn't I?’

Chapter Text

“Urk-!” ‘Damn, that hurt!’

I looked up at my attackers while cradling my stomach. It's a group of mid-tiers that pulled me away after class.

‘It isn't even the second period yet!’ 

I looked at their faces and they were smiling. Fucking smiling. As if they were proud of kicking down a cripple. As if they were fucking happy about it.

“Heh. I think he's learned his lesson. Let's go before we're late. See you later, cripple.”

‘They're leaving?’

I watched them walk away, joking about what they had just done to me, as if it was normal to do that.

‘I guess this school isn't all about academics…’ I sighed as I picked my things up off the floor and shoved them into my bag. ‘If this is gonna happen every day, I don't know what I'm gonna do.’

I started walking, but winced, feeling pain in my gut. I lifted my shirt to see a bruise already starting to form.

‘Fuck…Do I have any broken ribs?’

I brought my hand down and pushed on the bruise, it hurt when I did, but I couldn't tell if anything was broken or not. “Sigh, Off to the infirmary then…”

I remembered where Keene had pointed it out and headed in that direction, but I kinda got lost, and didn't know where I was.

I looked around, seeing if I could find a map of the school on a bulletin board or something, when someone tapped me on my shoulder.

I turned around to see a girl shorter than me. She had red hair put into pigtails and her uniform was wrinkled. She also had a mark on her face, along with some needles in a few parts of her face and arms. 

“Uh…hi?” 

The girl looked kinda scared. “U-Um…are you looking for the i-infirmary? I noticed you looked kind of hurt too...”

“Oh, yeah! Would you happen to know where it is?” I looked around. “I think I'm lost.”

“Y-Yes! Follow me.” The girl turned and started walking in the opposite direction. I followed.

“Thanks, uh…Sorry, what's your name?”

“M-My name's Evie.”

“Oh, Well thanks, Evie! My name's John!” I smiled.

Evie looked back at me. “J-John? You mean you're the new kid? The, uh, the cripple?”

I felt myself grimace. “News spread that fast, huh? Dang.”

Evie nodded. 

I sighed. “Well, nothing I can do about it now.”

“S-Sorry.”

“You don't have to apologize, it isn't your fault that gossip spreads like wildfire here.” I looked ahead, seeing the infirmary up ahead. “That's the infirmary, right?”

Evie nodded and then turned to me. “J-Just a heads up…the nurse is kinda scary.”

I raised a brow. “Scary?”

Evie opened her mouth to answer, but froze when she heard the door opening behind her.

“Yes, Scary.” I saw a man come out of the room, he had blue hair and yellow eyes. 

I felt a shiver run down my spine as the hall seemed to darken and the man's eyes glowed, eerily so. “H-Hello, Mr…?”

The nurse's eyes narrowed. “Just call me Doc.”

“O-Okay…D-Doc…”

‘She wasn't kidding! He's freaking me out right now.'

Doc opened the door more and ushered us in. “Go sit down. Now.” His voice was deep, firm, intimidating.

“Yes, sir.” Me and Evie sat beside each other. I looked down at my shoes, not wanting to look into those scary yellow eyes again. 

Doc sat down in his chair. “Evie, come here so I can remove those needles.”

Evie complied. “Okay.” She pulled a chair from the little waiting section and sat beside Doc.

“John,” ‘He knows my name!?’ “Drink this.” Doc handed me a cup filled with…’Is this poison!?’

“With all due respect sir, I don't think this is safe to dr-” 

“Be quiet and drink it. It'll heal you, dumbass. I'm a nurse, not a murderer.”

‘I'm not too sure about that…’

“Okay...” I hesitantly brought the cup to my lips, before I decided to just chug it. It was bitter, but it didn't taste poisonous, and I already felt a little better. “Thanks, Doc. I feel…lighter?.”

The Doc glanced over to me. “Yeah, it's supposed to feel like that.”

“Oh, okay. Well now that I'm all better I should head back to class.” I stood up to leave, but was stopped by a hand gripping my shoulder.

The Doc glared at me. “It takes a while for you to fully heal; you're waiting here until then. I'll let your teachers know that you'll be missing the rest of your classes.”

“B-But, it's the first day! I can't miss them!”

The Doc smirked. “That sounds like a you problem. Now sit, or else.” The Doc's eyes glowed that evil yellow again.

“Okay, okay! I'm sitting.” I walked back over to my chair and sat back down. “Can I at least go on my phone or something?”

The Doc was still pulling needles out of Evie, each time he pulled one out, there was a small squeak from the girl in question. “Go ahead. I don't care what you do as long as you don't break anything, don't leave, and don't be annoying.”

I sighed. “Alright…” I pulled my phone out and texted Adrion and Claire.

Me: Today's been rough. You won't believe the stuff that happened.

Chapter Text

“Goodness…I'm exhausted…”

I'd made it to the end of the week and I could feel exhaustion in my bones. 

Every. Single. Day. There was someone who would beat me up; not a day went by where I hadn't been sent to the infirmary, and to make things worse, the Doc already hated me! He already despises my presence there, and it isn't even my fault I end up there!

It’s just that I’m not the only one being beaten for no reason; some people also go after the low tiers, and I can’t just ignore them! So, I’d distract the aggressors while they got away…which resulted in me taking the beating.

It was hellish…Thankfully, I can unwind for the weekend and not have to get beat up every day. Here I can hang out with my friends on my computer or call my Dad to see how he's doing.

‘Speaking of Dad, I haven’t talked to him all week.’

So, I pulled out my phone and dialed the man himself.

It rang for only a few moments before he picked it up. “Hey, John! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hey, Dad! I just wanted to call to check up on you! Make sure you remember to take care of yourself, and all.”

"Oh. Why, thank you, John! I've been taking care of myself just fine though, so no need to worry. Anyways, how's your week been?”

“It's been…” I didn't want to tell my Dad that it was a pretty shitty week, he'd worry too much. “It was a bit stressful, you know how it is adjusting to different time zones and going to an entirely new school.”

“Ah, I see. No one's been giving you trouble, right?” 

‘I definitely can't tell him about the beatings.’

I sighed. “Just a few kids who think they're better than me because I'm a cripple and they aren't, but besides that, it's been okay.”

“Dang, there’s always gonna be someone like that, though; just don’t let them get to you, okay?”

I smirked. “C’mon Dad, you know I’m too stubborn to just take it. Let alone let it get to me.”

“That’s my Son! Now, have you made any friends yet?”

I thought back to Evie and how she’d helped me to the infirmary. Throughout the week I’d seen more of her too. She'd help me to the infirmary again or help some low-tiers I protected get away. “Yeah, there's this one girl that's been really helpful with showing me around and stuff. Her name is Evie.”

“Great! Well, I'm glad you made a friend. Claire and Adrion keep saying how much they miss you.” I could practically feel the eye-roll. “I’d say they're acting like drama queens, but then I’d be a hypocrite. Oh, another thing, I just started a new book!”

“Oh?” That piqued my curiosity “Do you have a name for it yet?”

“Nah, but I got the premise down. ‘A God-tier in a world full of zeros! Spreading wealth and, all in all, making the world better!’ I think it’s a good idea that the world needs to see!”

“Hm. Yeah, that does sound good. Lemme know when you’ve finished it, I wanna read it.”

“Thanks, John. It probably won’t be done for a few months at least though. It could take longer, so have some patience. Now, I gotta work on the book some more. It was nice to talk to you, John, enjoy your weekend, and call your old man some more, yeah?”

I rolled my eyes, “Alright, bye Dad.” I hung up and put my phone down on the counter.

I looked around the kitchen, it was pretty barren. The stuff my Dad had ordered hadn't shown up yet and I hadn't brought a ton. 

“Man, it's…really lonely here, isn't it?” I sighed for the millionth time this week. “I should call Adrion and Claire.”

I went to my room, booted up my laptop, and opened up the app we would use to video call each other. 

I went to my friend's list and saw that both Adrion and Claire were offline. “Damn. Guess I'm playing alone then.”

I booted up a poker game where me, Adrion, and Claire would all play together and decided to play against bots.

I played like that for a few hours, and each time I checked the Video call app, they were still offline. So, I just got off the game and laid down on my air mattress. 

‘This feels kinda depressing. They were offline all day and then I was playing alone…I mean, I'm sure they're just busy today, that's all. Yeah, they both probably just had a ton of homework or something…’

I couldn't help the loneliness I felt as I fell asleep though…

_____________________

I couldn’t reach Adrion or Claire for the entire weekend. They were never online, and after Sunday, I just felt like there was no point in trying to reach them anymore. 

I’d understand maybe a day of being offline, but three? They usually are online on the weekends, too, which makes it even more worrying.

So, here I am, worried about my friends, and already at school while everyone is participating in their new favorite pastime. Messing with the cripple, aka me.

‘Don’t they realize that I’m not in the mood for any of this? Can’t they just leave me alone for one day? That’s all I ask…’

“Oops.” Another kid had just tripped me. I was getting sick of it. “Better watch where you're going, cripple.”

I picked myself up off the ground and grabbed my things, before walking away. “Heh. I think he’s finally starting to learn his place.” I almost turned right back around but decided that they weren't worth the trouble.

‘None of them are worth anything, really.’

I continued down the hall and heard some snickering, along with whispers.

“Did you hear? Apparently, he’s a cripple!”

“I can’t believe they let a zero like him in here. The Headmaster must’ve been drunk or something when accepting him.”

“I feel bad for him…He’s at the bottom of the food chain now.”

‘It’s like New Bostin all over again…’

I knew that I had to get away from it all, and I knew I couldn’t just keep taking the whispering forever, so I decided to go up to the rooftop. A place that I knew was most likely empty, due to only royals being allowed up there, but when I got up there, there was a boy with an explosive ability waiting up there, guarding the place, so no rooftop for me…

I went back down to the halls and noticed they were more empty than before, but there were still a few students milling about, and as soon as they saw me the whispers were back.

“Hey, cripple.” I felt myself being pushed. “I noticed everyone else was giving you a warm welcome, so I decided I’d have to participate as well.” I heard him crack his knuckles.

I felt my breathing quicken. Why couldn’t I just be left alone for one day? I grabbed my hair and gritted my teeth.

“The hell is wrong with you, cripple? Fuck, I don’t wanna catch whatever you have. Smell ya later.” The boy walked away, leaving me there, but I’d hardly noticed. I was stuck in my own head. I felt hopeless like I was trapped in a room closing in on itself with no hope of escape.

I just need one day where I'm left alone, but I just can't even have that, why…?

It felt harder to breathe, it was like the air was being squeezed out of me, like my lungs were being forced closed, and I just couldn't…just couldn't BREATHE.

Suddenly, I felt someone gently tap me on my shoulder. I whirled around to see red hair in pigtails and concerned red eyes looking up at me. “Evie?”

“H-Hey…are you okay? You-You’re crying…”

I brought a hand up to my face and sure enough, a few tears were running down my cheeks. “I…yeah.” I could even tell that I was lying.

Evie looked like she was thinking for a second before she grabbed my hand. “Follow me.” 

I recoiled back from her. “W-Where are you gonna take me?”

Evie looked back at me. “Somewhere safe. Don’t worry.”

I debated in my head for a moment if I should trust her, but I realized that she hadn't done anything to me. So, I trusted Evie, took her hand, and I let her lead me away.

We walked through the quiet hallways for a few minutes, every once in a while passing by a few students who would whisper, but I barely noticed.

She led me to a classroom, and for a second, I thought she had lied to me, that she had led me to a trap, but then she opened the door, and I saw the room was empty. 

“In here.” She led me inside and had me sit at one of the desks. “I like to come here to calm down or hide from bullies. It’s always empty.”

‘A safe place…’

“N-No one will find us here?”

Evie shook her head. “No, I think I remember hearing that some students think this class is haunted, so no one goes near it most of the time. That’s actually how I found out about it.”

I looked around. It didn’t look haunted at all. Just a normal classroom.

Evie leaned against a desk. “It’s a pretty useful place...”

“Y-Yeah…” I kept looking around, to see if anyone would pop out or anything. I may have trusted Evie, but I didn't trust anyone else.

“Don't worry, John. No one else is gonna come in here and hurt us. I've been using this classroom since halfway through my first year and no one else has come here.”

I wasn't so sure. “You don't know if someone else will come through that door.”

Evie walked up to me and gently took my hands in hers. “I do. You see my hand?”

I looked down and saw her hand glowing. “That's my ability. Whenever someone else comes into the classroom I make sure they never come back in by scaring them off with it and making some noise, and they always leave.”

I sat in silence for a few moments. “You're sure no one else will come in here?” Evie nodded, and I felt myself calm a little, and it was a little easier to breathe. I took a deep breath. “O-Okay, I believe you.”

“Good.” We sat there for a bit, each moment calming me down just a bit more as I realized that, no, no one else would come in here. “How about we use this time productively? I can help you with homework or studying if you need it?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Great!” Evie smiled at me and took a seat next to me. “What do you need help with?” 

I smiled back. “Well, there’s this physics test coming up, and I have no idea how to do this whole thing with…”