Ian: “Um, Uhh…Can – can you let go of me please?!”

Mr. Abrams: “…”

He didn’t waste time responding. This time around, he already knew the general situation and merely wanted to confirm there wasn’t anything entirely brand new to add to the mixture. He flashed his pale-blue irises, causing yet another student’s irises to clouden.

The world disappeared…and he was taken to a scene where the three boys separated from the others, fully in favor of avoiding the forest exploration that the others were opting for.

Following this brief momentary semblance of peace, Mr. Abrams offered no sound as he was forced to endure a familiar explosion. And following that familiar sound, came a not so familiar scene – more specifically a conversation. Perhaps they were curious, or perhaps they needed reassurance that everything was going to be all right, but the kids sought each other out and together they waited for something new to erupt. Perhaps a gas leak caused that blast? Perhaps a teacher was headed their way right now at this very moment in order to fix it?

…Or perhaps this was all wishful thinking. Deep inside Ian’s newly chosen dorm room, the boys huddled together and gazed at a big screen that’d popped out of a small and thin box.

They each watched on as the duo of villains, one wearing spiked shoulders and the other a little witch, plotted the trio’s demise. Some arguing ensued before Ian felt guilty. More arguing, then he and Brennan both turned around. He watched and saw. Li Shun took out a villain! One single punch crushed the man’s neck!

Mr. Abrams was startled upon this revelation. Before he had the chance to celebrate, he noticed from Ian’s point of view the battle immediately shifting back to the villains’ favor, all thanks to a gun. Ian rushed back and forth from one window to another. This simple act not only helped Ian to keep track of the ensuing fight, but also allowed Mr. Abrams to witness one side of the invasion he had no knowledge of. For somebody with practically no skills in fighting, Li Shun wasn’t bad!

Of course, that was merely judging him at the same basic standards as every other non – combatant. His file claimed he had ‘real life experience’ against villains, but only dodging and rescuing civilians. He seemed to be fully conscious of what he was and was not allowed to do, as an unprivileged and ordinary civilian. He never struck the villains, not even once.

That was, until today.

Mr. Abrams: “Li Shun…You did well. You did very well just defeating that villain once. So, this girl…6, I believe her codename was? According to Ian’s little spy cam. I’ll need to remember to confiscate it later as evidence. Now, Ian…if you two escaped, then why did I see you inside of the building once again? Were you ambushed, or-?”

…Mr. Abrams received his answer nigh-immediately. Why? Ian opened the nearest window beside him, which happened to be the room he chose as his Dorm room. His teammate collapsed to the floor for a full minute, and this was most likely the last chance he could afford to make his move.

Ian opened the window, plotting to sneak in and make his move, until he and Brennan saw their buddy snatch up a piece of rubble and…!

.

.

.

Throw it.

It was a clear David versus Goliath moment for him! 6 was knocked down!

Mr. Abrams: “Pffft! How many normal people can claim to have taken out not one villain, but TWO villains?! One by throwing a piece of broken debris, no-less?!”

Ian was ecstatic, Brennan was ecstatic, Mr. Abrams was ecstatic…but only for a microsecond…give or take. He swiftly remembered their deaths and knew. This was a bad ending.

And he was right. Another BANG! Resounded aloud and Li Shun Collapsed in scorches and blood. Well, this prompted Ian to sneak right back out of that window!

Or at least he would have, if he didn’t happen to overhear some particularly juicy information…

[|6: “You...fucking BRAT! Do you have ANY IDEA how much that HURT?! Luckily when using my healing powers on myself, it’s extremely fast! But NOW – I can only use it 2 MORE TIMES for the ENTIRE day!! I’ll personally kill you!”|

…

Ian: “...She can only heal...2...more times…? For the WHOLE day..?”

Ian: “So...she means to say that… if they heal anybody TWO more times for ANYBODY… then she’s completely out of healing..?

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Hehehehehe. so...if fireman over there eats his own flames...and that gunning witch HAPPENS to shoot a bottle of highly flammable liquid… Then…”

…

Brennan: “That means that those two heals will be forced to be spent on...hehehe”]

…

.

.

.

Shortly after watching Ian sneak back in through his bedroom window, Mr. Abrams resolve himself for the next scene. Shortly after Li Shun was shot by some odd bullet that no doubt had been magically empowered…the woman revived the fire man and sent him to finish their foe off.

…And shortly after the shortest child in his class assumed responsibility for his younger peer by grabbing two strange bottles and sending one Brennan’s way, did he resolutely charge forth!

Just moments prior, Mr. Abrams asked why he saw Ian back inside of their Dorm Hallway being killed.

.

.

.

The next scene both answered his question, yet startlingly made the older man question his own sanity.

…

[Ian: “EAT MY MOM’S RUBBING ALCOHOL, BITCH!! IT’S FLAMMABLE!”

…

…

…

5: “...What the fuc-”

*BOOM!!*]

Clear liquid made direct contact with the villain’s fiery palm, burning away at most of his body. Mr. Abrams looked on in disbelief. What is this? What did … Did Ian plan this?

Mr. Abrams couldn’t help but gaze intensely at the amazing deed his students had just accomplished. In a sense, these boys managed to achieve something AS impressive, if not even more so, than both Noel and Rise.

This is not an attempt to undermine the two superpowered new teens, but to precisely clarify how overwhelmingly great it was for two civilians and one Z Grade superpowered reject, essentially failures, cripples or dregs of society, to actually deal damage to these murderous monsters not once, not twice, but MULTIPLE TIMES in the same fight! Sure, two were both surprise attacks, but incredibly SUCCESSFUL surprise attacks!

However, the surprises in store for Mr. Abrams didn’t end there.

5: “DAMN YOU – AAAAHH! My – my face! You fucking shi-AHH!”

6: "FIVE!! Hold on, I’ll shoot him dead right n--”

*Kachak*

Brennan: “Heheh, you completely fell for it!”

*Throws!*

6: “...Wh-What…? Just where did… you all come from?”

*BANG!*

.

.

.

*BOOM!*

…A two – staged attack. 6's bullet pierced the normally hard container. More importantly, those bullets were devastatingly explosive. And like the first bottle of fluid, its contents were flammable.

They carried Li Shun away, not even bothering to look back at the damage they managed to cause.

Mr. Abrams: “…Ian. Brennan. Li Shun. Really, these kids… *Clenches fist.*”

Ian ran to a nearby room, opened its window, then grabbed Li Shun again along with Brennan and headed for the boys and girls divider. Mr. Abrams immediately understood what was going on even without listening to Ian’s silly bragging.

Mr. Abrams: “Smart. Normally the right call for these kids to make. One would have sent their location to his daughter if they tried escaping for real. But even so…”

…

[*Kachak*

Ian: “...No...im...impossible! You...you should be…!”

Brennan: “In...in the… forest…”

6: “Hm~ Shoulda, coulda, woulda. I was going to go...but it felt a bit ‘wasteful’ to go without confirming you guys aren’t still on the first floor. And I’m glad I did~

Ready to die?”]

…

[Ian: “Not...Not quite. Activate drones 1-5! turn on high pressure water cannon mode from backpack! Utilize cleaning gun! Fire the alcohol blaster once more!”]

They struggled valiantly.

[6: “...What are these supposed to do-pthew!”]

Yes.

[Li Shun: “If we...work tog...ther we… can beat her!”]

Yes…

[Brennan: “Oh, you’re sounding better, too bad you’re drooling blood. Just shut up and stay asleep.”]

Valiantly…

[Li Shun: “N-No! We cannot...fall here! We…can’t... what...do you two specialize in that...can be...*Cough!* *Cough!* ...useful?”]

But their end soon came. Faster than any of them was prepared for…colder than any of them desired…

[6: “Unfortunately for you, I’ve been trying to only shoot you BELOW the head, but my bullets are too powerful. If I screw up here though and let you all make a monkey out of me any further, then I’ll REALLY be a laughingstock among the other numbers. So~ I’m no longer caring about the rules. Bye – bye you fucking pests!”

*Kachak*]

Mr. Abrams quelled his clenched fist. He didn’t know… He didn’t have any idea these children fought so hard; so desperately to survive…just to have it wiped away from them. Snuffed for a pair’s selfish yearning to trade student lives for their loved one.

[Brennan: “You know…”

Ian: “Now’s not the time!”

Brennan: “Heheh… even though I was so eager to leave this place and run away… There’s this one thing that I always wanted to become. One single thing that people laughed at me for, and said I could never achieve with a Z-grade power. I only wanted to leave this place because...Well, I can’t accomplish my dream if I’m dead.”

Ian: “...What was your dream?”

Brennan: “Hahah…….I always… wanted to be a hero.”]

Ian: “(…To be a hero…I also wanted that.)”

...

*BANG!*

---