For ordinary citizens of Liberty city today is much the same as any other. Yet for the children attending St. Cecilia high today is the first day back after a harrowing attack on the school dance! In the wake of the attack, one young lad has become a minor celebrity in his own right. As he walks up the steps he stands next to the school's other hero just days after that boy's hospital visit and his miracle recovery. Together, the pair resemble a team straight out of a comic book!

Sans costumes of course, for this pair may look like a set of square-jawed, jejune, justice-defending young men but for all the hopes (and dreams) of certain ladies, they lack the telltale costumes of true heroes. This and despite his miracle recovery, Theo Trelio still sports a pair of crutches that facilitate his hobble into school. At least they would, were it not for the young lass under his arm supporting him with an ease that speaks volumes to those aware of how much his muscled frame really weighs. Indeed, although we have not seen her for some time, this is none other than Haley Juniper Penze a.k.a. Eldritch Maiden!

With Jake supporting Theo's other side that leaves just one final member of this morning clique dutifully carrying along his crutches. Pleased with her comparatively light role, Missy Anderson chatters away, ignoring the envious looks of her female classmates for the time being. After all, many of them would welcome the chance to carry crutches if it meant spending time with these two young lads.

"Soooo, I hear you snuck back to the hospital the night of the dance and stayed in Theo's room all night huh Haley?" Missy mentions offhandedly.

Quickly ducking further into the recesses of her large burden to conceal her blush, and a hint of a darker expression, Haley replies, "I just forgot something in the room and they locked me in was all. Once I was inside I figured I might as well just stay the night."

Wincing slightly as they go up the stairs Theo chimes in, "Imagine my surprise, I wake up and it's like God left a gift laying on the bed next to-"

"Hey now!" Hailey cuts him off in a panic, "I was in the chairs! I know better than to interfere with the medical equipment."

Tauntingly, Theo looks down at her, "Oh really? That's the story you want to go with? Because as I recall you were collapsed next to me when I woke up." Then he frowns, "In all seriousness, it was a bit worrying. No matter what you told the doctor I swear I didn't imagine some of those bruises I saw on your stomach."

Using her free hand to wave his comments away, Hailey replies, "Okay, okay, nobody needs to hear anything about me lying next to you!" Then she shrugs and continues, "Besides, like I said the chairs were just super uncomfortable and I had to sleep in a weird position. I had some marks but nothing serious."

Then she twists Theo around before he can say anything and makes eye contact with Missy who she gives a suggestive look to before glancing slyly at Jake and then sliding her eyes back to her friend, "So I hear this lunk was being all heroic and stuff at the dance huh?"

Missy huffs, "Well I had to do most of the work but yeah he was kind of brave for a bit." With a shy smile, she looks back at Jake who sports a self-satisfied grin.

Flexing his free arm, Jake replies in a nonchalant tone, "Yeah I might ‘a been pretty awesome. It's all bout the football training Miss. Speaking of, ya only going to miss a couple games right Theo?"

Still looking at Hailey with a hint of a worried expression, Theo turns back to Jake and shakes the look out of his eyes with a nod. Then he replies, "Yep, the doctors were amazed but turns out my injuries healed a crazy amount over the weekend. They told me the first night that at best I might make it back for the last couple of games, now I'm only missing homecoming this weekend. So either God is a bigger fan of us Martyrs than our record would indicate or or it's just magic!"

At this Hailey gives a ghost of a smile. His recovery is indeed a mystic miracle, one she alone knows the secret.

Then Missy pipes up, "Hey Hailey, I hear we've got a new student today, who do you think it is?"

"How should I know? She's new silly." But her sly smile betrays her. Hailey knows more than she is saying!

"She? So you do know! I thought I saw you talking to Mrs. Andrew earlier! Out with it girl."

Laughing, Hailey replies. "Okay okay! Let me just say she's not quite as new as you might think."

At this, the pair shares a meaningful look. "Ooooohhhhh, her again?" Missy whistles.

As the crew arrives at Theo's locker Missy passes back his crutches and Hailey and Jake escape the smelly confines of his armpits. Then Jake asks, clearly lost by the exchange of the two girls, "So what are ya two talkin' 'bout?"

"Ginny Napp, that's who." Missy replies smartly.

"Ginny who?"

"Napp, as in Napp Corp.?" Missy says with an incredulous tone.

Jake shakes his head slowly. At this Missy sighs, for all that he lacks in brains he makes up in heart ten times over, but every now and again she wouldn't mind a man with more muscles in his head than his arms. Then she speaks, "Napp Corp. They're like super rich."

"How'd ya know that Miss?" Jake's affable confusion drags a smile out of Missy before she replies.

"Her dad throws a police fundraiser ball every year. I always end up babysitting the daughter when she decides to shake all her toadies for the night. She's pretty nice but she has a tendency to act out a bit and she has no sense of how much things cost or what real life is like. Seriously, one year she gave a cop her Lamborghini because he mentioned his car needed an oil change and she thought he wouldn't be able to drive it to the shop because of the terrible damage. She was horrified to hear that he even had to take it to the shop in the first place and told everyone it was 'just inhumane' that the mechanic wasn't willing to come to his house to work on his vehicle."

"Lifestyles of the right and famous huh?" Theo says as he spins his backpack around his shoulders and the group sets off for class.

Then Hailey continues the story, "She gets into trouble without trying. At one school she bought a bulldozer to push cars out of her spot, not that it was reserved or anything she just wanted the one closest to the entrance so she wouldn't have to walk in the mornings. So she's bought a bulldozer and hired a crew to drive it out to the parking lot and clear out a whole row of prep school cars so she can park in peace. Obviously they expelled her, but father Napp is richer than most countries so he just donates money to the school until they agree to overlook her record and take her back."

Missy chimes in, "But in the meantime she's stuck in a different school. Old man Napp ran out of private schools to shuffle her off to sometime in her middle school years so she shows up every so often here in our little public school where she sticks around for a month or so and then the check clears, some school gets a new library, and she's back in class."

Hailey resumes speaking, "He never wants to openly admit that she's why though, so he usually donates to every school in the area and calls it pure charity. I heard a rumor from Mrs. Andrew that he paid for the Pope Gregory Arena as a thank you for letting her come back here so often."

At this Jake grins, "Yo Hailey call it what it is, you mean the Cathedral. Nobody calls it 'Pope Gregory Arena' but the teachers."

With a huff, Hailey continues speaking. "She even said some of the schools have received more money from Napp in the past few years than all the taxes bring in. So I guess it all works out. Ginny's a nice girl deep down, we've spent a lot of time around her because every time she comes through here she slips a few thousand to the office and she ends up in the same classes as Missy and I for the month or so she's in school with us."

Jake shakes his head slowly, "So ya sayin' all I had ta do was git Mrs. Andrew sum cash an’ I coulda been in class with ya two this whole time?"

Missy laughs for a moment, then replies, "Not for long ya big lug! You wouldn't last a day with Mr. Laurisden, let alone Mr. Whitacker."

"Well I got Mr. Jello an' that's bad enough! I heard bout them two an' I ain't switchin’ sorry babe!"

"You mean Mr. Gello." Theo chimes in.

With a confused expression, Jake replies. "That's whut I said T, Mr. Jello."

Theo shakes his head. "No no, it's Mr. Gello. He's Norwegian."

"He's a vegan? Well that'll explain ta accent."

At this, Theo and the girls shake their heads collectively for a moment and share resigned looks.

Reaching a fork in the hallway the four share one final look and spread out, ready to face the day. School itself is quite the challenge and while we may consider our set of four teenagers blessed, their teachers may not! For these four have quite the day of class ahead of them, even with the welcome reunion of Hailey, Missy, and Ginger. So as they struggle through trigonometry and the mysteries of the English language, we turn our attention back to one Melvin Jacobson.

For, dear reader, should you follow back the threads of time you may recall that when Belinda the Brave received her freedom from Belinda Athow, the current companion of our very own Eldritch, her curse of chains fell upon the closest passerby. That passing citizen was none other than Melvin Jacobson, an upstanding young man attending the local Liberty University on a scholarship. Or, was attending Lib-U, for the curse has slowly drained him these past months of his desire to study and succeed. Replacing this fervor with an equal passion for one singular obsession, domination!

Indeed, the insidious will of the chains that lie wrapped about his heart now consumes Melvin Jacobson's life and as they slowly worm their way into his spirit and consciousness the only defense he has is the steady thrumming of his own powerful soul. But after these long months, that soul lies in ruins. Now, the tattered remnants of his will is in full retreat from the power that seeks to break him.

So pleading sickness, he remains ensconced in his dorm for the duration of the day, trying desperately to identify the illness that has plagued him of late. But even as his eyes scour the internet for any hint, the chains themselves overwhelm the last of his defenses!

For an instant, he stands, wavering and reaching desperately for the phone to call for emergency services, then he tumbles down and lies alone face down on the floor. If only for an instant more his fingers might have reached that cellular device and through the mysteries of medical science averted the crisis about to come dear reader, as is we must simply watch as Melvin's final moments pass. His decaying spirit cries out in desperation to any that may hear under the cruel burden of the chains that loop about his form.

From the beyond a horrible paw -no, a decayed, rotting set of digits contorted into a vicious grasping claw reaches out and seizes Melvin. The hand, scarce able to bend to a normal human form, perfectly spears the soul. The prize secure in hand, within scarcely an instant it drags back into the beyond vanishing as it goes.

Then the convulsions pause and Melvin lies still. No more does he cry out. All that remains is the steady thump of a heartbeat, but this beat is mechanical. It is almost as though the chains themselves move his chest without permission or aid from the slack muscle.

The body below begins to contort and writhe as muscles burst from the fragile man's form. Rolling about the ground Melvin grows nearly a foot as his physique transforms from bookworm to bodybuilder! Finally, after a few minutes punctuated by the telltale crack and repair of bones Melvin's eyes open. They shine with an unholy gleam that comes straight from the shimmer of that monstrous manacle.

Then a set of blackened chains burst forth from Melvin's arms, wrapping about his torso and limbs to form a kind of black armor. Snaking slowly now they assist his rise as he forces himself up off the floor assisted by the push of the chains. Finally standing he begins to laugh, his voice giving off an unholy echo as it reverberates throughout the dorm room.

Then he sits down on a chair that springs up from the floor formed by those black fetters and reclining he begins to mutter to himself.

"Today marks the end of Melvin Jacobson, no longer will I be known by that weak man's name. Today marks the birth of a man who will fulfil the destiny of these chains in a way that foolish wizard, Thorm Athow, never could. Today is the birth of... THE CHAUVINIST!"

Infected by the twisted desire of the chains to rule over others and the perfidious magic of Thorm Athow Melvin Jacobson a.k.a. The Chauvinist now seeks to impose his will upon the women of Liberty City, whether they will it or not! Join us next week, dear reader, as The Chauvinist's reign of terror begins in... "School's out Early!"