Back at Class 3-C...

Elijah: “Noel? They called you up on stage, you know...”

Noel: “...Mm, does anyone wanna trade places? I'm kinda..heheh...not a fan of standing out all that much, if it can be helped.”

Alyandrea: “Shoulda thought of that before joining high school while only being 12. As much as I'd love to, I don't think I can take your place.”

Noel: “...Anyone Else?”

Ian: “Nope! Nope! Not-uh! Neeever~ Not in a million years even IF I can trade places with you I NEVER would! Phew! Finally, after the really horrible luck I faced today, things are FINALLY looking up for me!”

Aly: “Hey! Stop bringing that situation up! It wasn't her fault it was MINE for pushing her too hard!”

Ian: “That wasn't the only thing I was talki-”

Aly: “Huh?!”

Ian: “Meep!”

Rise: ”What, chickening out all'a sudden? Just say it loudly! That you'll kill em all if they mess with you! Hehe.”

Noel: “Kill...”

Rise: “...(Thought so. He's really weird. These weaklings probably think like me-) *BANG* Ow!”

Aria: ”Oops, sorry! It's just... you shouldn't give bad advice like that to a child!”

Rise: “Oh come off it! He's only two years younger that's not that youn-”

Aria: “Ophelia... a-again!”

Ophelia: “Okay.”

Rise: “*BONK!* Oww, damn gorilla arms!”

Aria: “Rise! That's also bad! But worse than that, if Noel threatens to kill everybody in Hero High School... Wouldn't bad things happen to him?! ...By the...the Heroes?!”

Rise: “...It's just a figure of speech, ya know...to intimidate the lotta them. Haven't you heard of the realist students? He's a piece of chicken meat for those guys.”

Aria: ”...”

Ophelia: “Noel is not that weak. When he needs to be, he can be strong. Right, Noel?”

Wayne: “Noel..! Le-Let go!...Grrrh, why are you harder to move then Oliviera?”

Noel: “No! Trade places with me!”

Ophelia: “...”

Elijah: “Haah, I realize going up there is difficult, but think of it like this: The sooner you face them all, the faster you can leave this area and go back to being unnoticed. You said you don't like attention right? Well, you were already called up, everyone's expecting you now. Just run up there, say a quick greeting and leave just as fast!”

{Screw your intentions AND your thoughts! I don't wanna go! That's the exact OPPOSITE of being discreet!}

Noel: “If it's so easy why don't you replace me?”

Elijah: “Unfortunately, I wasn't called~”

{Grr. It's surprising how fast his personality changes from embarrassed to happy. Haah, and here I was trying to keep my promise to dad. First there's the fight, then Aeron doesn't give me proper intel about today's assembly hall...well, I did pull a fast one over him. Heheh.

Speaking of that, he attacked me! That led to the teacher finding out about my last name, and finally there's this new kid.... Why do things always have to get complicated when I try and do something?? Damn it all.}

Mr. Abrams: ”NOEL! Get. Up. Here. Now.”

Noel: “Mmmmmh, fine! Fine then, I'll go!”

.

.

*SMACK!*

Noel raised both hands to his face and concurrently slapped each cheek.

Noel: “Let's just get this over with then. Even though it was SUPPOSED to be everyone together... that way I don't stand out...”

While grumbling his way up the stairs, his ever sweet classmates started to wonder how long it would take before the audience broke him down.

Brennan: "...5 says he's going to get chased off before he can even introduce himself."

Rise: "Wha-?! That's easy money! ...10 says he get's scared away but the teach catches him! Heh.

Aria: “Poor Noel...”

Ophelia: “He's going to be fine.”

Ian: ”You keep saying that, but he didn't look okay just a few seconds ago.”

Ophelia: “...Even if the others doubt him, I still believe. Trust in him, Aria.”

Aria: “...Okay. If you're sure...then I will!”

…

The riled crowd finally began to settle as a little boy made his way up the stairs, and onto the front edge of this inordinate stage.

Random student #1: “Bring him ou-uh. What the..?”

Random Parent #1: “Hey! Whoever lost their child, go and bring him down from there! We're trying to finish this useless assembly and move on, but you're making it take longer! That's very rude!”

Random student #2: “Haha! That middle schooler's got guts crashing this assembly, Let's bet on how long it takes before security removes hi-”

Principal Leyman: “Everybody! Pay attention now. This, young man, right here, is Noel. He is 12 years old, and the newest Freshman of Hero High school. He managed to skip two whole grades to be here with us today!”

Random student #3: “...Still...still wanna take bets?”

Random Student #2: “...No.”

Random student #4 “What the hell, did this school become a fucking daycare center or something?!”

{...I'll just ignore that one. I don't wanna see them anymore than they apparently wanna see me.}

Random Parent #2: “Aww, He's so adorable! Jackson why can't you be as smart as him?!”

Jackson: “...I hate you, Noel.”

Cheerleader: “Uh! My heart...cute... he's too cute! Like a freaking teddy bear! Girls, *Sniff!* bullying him into quitting..I... I can't do it!”

Second Cheerleader: “*Slap* get – a - HOLD of yourself! We drive them away...for them! Not because we love to do it!”

Third Cheerleader: “I love to do it. Gimme 5 minutes with him~ Huhuhu, I'll have him crying back to preschool or wherever he skipped grades from!”

{...Okay, kind of hard to ignore blatant threats.}

Reporter: “A grade-skipper, huh...

So, you had a secret weapon up your sleeve, Principal Leyman... but, huhuhu~ if you think this boy is enough to deter me... you. Are. Wrong~”

Principal Leyman: “Noel is this school's pride. At 12 years old he's already prepared to survive in a place where he will always be looked down upon.

Where some of you will try to drive him away, while others only seek him out as an opportunity to show off in front of a hero seeking a protéjé, just to get noticed and be scouted by them. He's prepared to do what so many adults shy away from, what so many of you would be too afraid to accomplish, in his shoes.

Without powers or combat skills to support him, he still wants to help you all, to assist in any way possible at shaping you all into wonderful heroes, even if it means putting his own life at risk.”

{Thank you, but if you keep on talking, I'll never leave!}

Random student #5: “Woah, Woah! You make it sound so grand! Isn't he some snot-nosed brat that came crawling in here to get closer to us future heroes?”

{Pffft, haha. My brothers and sisters have almost all killed real heroes before. I'm not interested in kids that can't even defend themselves properly when compared to them.}

Cheerleader #1: “Shut up, scumbag! As if you're going to be a hero. Maybe try not flunking first, 'kay~?”

{...I kinda like her.}

Random student #5: “The fuck did you say?!”

Cheerleader #3: “As a REALIST, you're supposed to AGREE with him, Cassandra. Not attack him.”

Cassandra: “But... but..! *Sniff!* It's HARD ..! I don't know if I can, Betty!”

Principal Leyman: “...You there, student.”

Cassandra: “Me?”

Principal Leyman: “No.”

Betty: “Me?”

Principal: “No.”

Random student #5: “M-”

Principal Leyman: “NO-- Er, wait. I mean AHEM! Yes. Yes, you.”

Random student #5: “!!!”

Principal Leyman: “Don't be too nervous: I won't suspend you for speaking freely – at least not until AFTER the orientation games have concluded.”

Random student #5: “...Yes, sir.”

Principal Leyman: “You said that I was...making his actions sound 'grand', correct?”

Random student #5: “*Nervously nods his head*Ye-Yes sir, I did say something like that. Is there a problem?”

Principal: “There is. A big problem, indeed. THAT is the wrong way to view a non-combatant: and the very word to describe their strong-willed actions as...GRAND! They knowingly and WILLINGLY put each and every one of their lives at risk during mock Distress classes in order to give each of you real life simulated training. How can that be anything BUT grand?”

Reporter: “I have to disagree with this decision of yours Principal Leyman.

Sure he may be a genius who advances quickly in school, a 7th grader capable of testing at the high school level is a remarkable feat no matter where you go – but this isn't an ordinary high school that necessarily needs such geniuses. This is a school for heroes: Hero High. If he gets injured... who will be held liable? What good will this brat... I'm sorry, I mean little boy, serve that a...sturdier gentleman, for lack of better words, cannot provide your students in his stead? Letting other kids...rescue him? Students like him will only serve to get in the way of actual learning for ACTUAL talents. Furthermore, I heard an interesting rumor that you're hiding a... much more fitting student back there, to represent this class. I would truly love to meet him. Huhuhu~”

Principal Leyman: “Ms. Grover. I'll have you know, that my students do NOT get in the way o-”

Before he could finish, Noel walked up to him, and stuck out his hand.

Noel: “Give me the mic.”

---