Micky had feared that something terrible would happen, however, nothing seemed to have happened at the party. Nobody died from poisoned wine. He was prepared to go to school happy and healthy without a worry in the world, except school, school is a worry… nevermind.

Anyway, personal issues aside, he was glad to have the noble plot off his back for now… so color him surprised when he arrives to the school a mess. Oh the party was off without a hitch. No, after the party was the problem. They were hit by cultists. Maymay was ok, thank the system, but many of the nobles were hit. Coincidentally John was ecstatic. As if Micky didn’t know it was his plan.

The thing was, John, did nothing. ‘How’ was he to know that the cultists and terrorists would plot against several noble scions, not that it helped them, instead drawing noble ire upon them. No, the protection details of several noble scions were compromised last night. Having two important parties to smoose at left them with a difficult choice. This forced them to split their protection detail, who were the only ones that could represent them at the other party, leaving them open for attack and vulnerable.

These noble scions were then pounced on like the prey they were. The blood that ran through the streets to quell the noble’s rage that night was enough to create rivers and waterfalls on the lower levels.

But Micky realised that his part in the play was… nothing. He didn’t do a damn thing, and he pieced together that John also did, nothing. The cultists and the nobles chose to do what they did. Not to mention that the damage was fairly indiscriminate, and affected many different factions, not to mention the power vacuum. Though it also stirred up trouble, small as it may be, in the highest echelons of power. Many a voice was complaining about some of the king’s policies, though this just caused the king to pluck wax from his ears… literally, or so Micky was told, the retelling of the stories even made it sound elegant and regal.

The upper levels were not flummoxed by the events at all, though it was something the students would be talking about for weeks to come. For an event to hold the students attention for that long made it legend.

This only made Micky more nervous, though nothing came for him, no inquisition, spanish or otherwise, so he was fine.

Micky was able to piece together the whole plot through hearsay though. The wine was to start two competing parties that would force the split between different people. Later he engineered a weakness that wasn’t a technical weakness in security. He just changed what data was getting stolen and leaked by the terrorist ops. This data was then sold anonymously on the black market. It’s oddly cosy, the black market, like some kind of super W store that sold literally everything, even had greaters, unpaid interns that made sure you day was spectacular!

Anyway, the data was itineraries of different young scions. By making sure the right one, yes it was all for one noble, though Micky didn’t figure that out till later, was on the itinerary the terrorist/cult leaders had the information they needed. Such organisations' entire purpose is spreading inane plots while aggregating agro. By doing this they fuel the departments of state that fund them and recruit easily indoctrinated simpletons into their pyramid scheme.

Now there was both vulnerability and a dedicated task force to carry out the plan. None of which was related to John in any way. At best they could state that he created a structural weakness in the military power and police control of the capital. In itself a crime but the severity of which would be a slap of the wrist, even less due to him being a noble of decent standing. The system knows most nobles have caused similar things with far less planning or plausible deniability… that may have been accidental.

So that’s why Micky tried to stay low throughout school, ironically not that hard to do, since nobody really wanted to deal with the pink mage, especially right now when there was such cool shit to talk about.

Pagebreak

John found this situation familiar. He was being beaten up in an alley in school. Different alley this time though, ironically most of the dark alleys were being used right now for some reason, so it was actually a little known or used back alley of the school. The guards standing around the ends of the alley convinced people not to show up, they knew what was going down, and didn’t really give a shit about other people.

“You had to do it John, you just had too.” Said the other student. He had kicked John in the ribs this time. John had to admit, they were getting better. They had kicked John’s ribs till they broke, and continued to kick them in the same place. He could still go to classes tomorrow but he wouldn’t be able to move around much. However, John didn’t think it was so much them getting better, as them just getting so pissed they repeated themselves and couldn’t think of a new way around a problem.

*Cough* “And what’s your problem- *Wheeze* -hu? How does this affect you, eh?” John was able to wheeze out between breaths. He actually had a lot practice breathing and talking with broken ribs.

“Do you know how stupid you are? People know how you did it. Hell there were even people from your own faction in the attack that got killed. You have no backing on this, none whatsoever!” Stated the other student as they passed.

John couldn’t help it, he cackled in spite of the pain. Oh this was rich, no, the fact that there were people in his own faction were part of what he was going for. No, with this not only were they [Dead], probably even sacrificed horrifically to some forgotten eldritch abomination with too many tentacles, but now they knew he existed. Sure, as an enemy, but getting known is an uphill battle itself. But now that he was known, even if only backroom channels, then he could only rise up from there. Better than being a boi toi nobody that doesn’t even exist. Plus, you know, his worst enemy, and the bully he hated most in the school was brutally murdered, and he got away with it, mostly. Can’t go wrong with having vengeance, cold, hot, or vicarious. The fact that others were murdered including, cough, ‘innocents’ was just literally icing on the cake. Especially considering they were in on most of it anyway. Afterall, if school, it’s better to do the kicking than be the kicked, right?

“You know what you did. Don’t involve them again or else.” Stated the other boy.

“Or else what? Ha, you can’t even talk to them. You expect that to be a real threat?” John didn’t know exactly when to shut up, but if he did, it would probably be before he started taunting his attacker. The several kicks to his growing bruise did improve his learning though.

“I don’t need your excuses, or your remarks. You will stay away, they are mine not yours.” They said. John just cackled some more. Well, they have used them as needed, but John wasn’t really someone to bow to threats. Hard to torture someone in a higher position when you bow down just because your aware they have a secret fund to higher murderers and evac teams to escape that you can’t do anything about and that they will likely be torturing and raping your family before you can even rip off something important.

Luckily John never gave in to such pressure. He trusted his friends and contacts, and if they weren’t enough, he was screwed anyway regardless. He was aware he was the low man on the totem pole, with everyone standing on top. No, the truth is, as the family executioners for those above, he wasn’t even worth it, and that’s why his family was never wiped out. There was never a need. But they were also never going to rise until there was a reason to wipe them off the face of the planet. So instead he decided that he was the one from his family to rise, and he had his father’s full support unlike some people.