…

Random student # 1: “Hey, psst! Hey, Hey! Did any of you guys and gals hear about that major battle 3 days ago? They say security fought off a whole bunch of mercenaries in the middle of the night!”

Random student # 2: “Yeah, like, duh I’ve heard it, of course I’ve heard about the fight! Who hasn’t? It’s the only topic everyone keeps bringing up…! But, I guess a lot of folks aren’t too troubled when those mercenaries come knocking on our doorstep, because people sound happier than mad.”

Random student # 1: “Well, yeah. That’s because they all wanted a piece of the action. You agree too, don’t you? Fighting off villains and helping to thwart those crazy bad guys…

The exhilaration…

The rush…!

The experience we could gain from fighting against people like them: it’s what all of us are being trained to do!”

Random student # 2: “Get real. If we go out there, we’d only die that much faster, you can forget about showing off. Those security folks are all experienced fighters or gun – handling experts. Nearly the entire detail is comprised or freaking war veterans for crying out loud! Yet even THEN, they still had casualties! And let’s not forget how the school is going to react if you were to try and throw yourself into harm’s way! Forget detention, you might even be facing expulsion for causing worry for the security teams at the scene back then. Oh yeah, that’s right – you might even be taken hostage and used against them! What are you gonna do in that sort of predicament? HUH?!”

Random student # 1: “Wha- grr… don’t yell at me! Just stating my opinion doesn’t give you an excuse to bite my head off! Who the fuck do you think you are?! Besides, COWARD, we’re ‘Heroes - in – training! We don’t have the luxury of staying quiet and playing it safe! We have to learn how to fight back against villains whenever we can! Or else it will be a missed opportunity!”

Random student # 2: “I’m no coward, just keeping it real – If you stand NO CHANCE against professional hunters, murderers, and killers, then you should just play it safe and LET THE ADULTS DO THEIR FREAKING JOBS!! How are they supposed to keep the rest of us safe if they have to take care of excess baggage who’s far too busy trying to show off for the glory of being called a ‘Hero’? Use your head.”

Random student # 1: “First: You are a coward! You’re entire speech awfully reeks of cowardice! You can’t worry about the nitty-gritty when trouble arrives, SO STOP FUCKING SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF, and face reality already!

Second: you definitely got that from the shortie freshman at the assembly on Orientation Day! You definitely stole that from him!”

Random student # 2: “I’m not a coward, you’re just a dreaming idiot! Here’s no way, NO WAY – absolutely no fucking way that the teachers and other school staff would approve of us BARGING IN on security’s fight. Not only did they do fine at defending the school; but even if we went there under the pretense of wanting to help protect those we care for at Hero High, THEY’LL JUST MAKE US EVACUATE!!”

Random student # 1: “You’re just a coward!”

Random student # 2: “I’m not a coward, you’re just stupid!”

Nilia: “…What are you both doing? I am trying to enter class before the bell rings, but I can’t DO that because both of you are blocking the entrance with your senseless arguing! Please move out of my way so that I can make it to class on time…!”

Random student # 1: “Oh – o-okay! I’m terribly sorry, miss Nilia…!

*Whispers*: Oh, my gosh, Oh my GOSH BRO! It’s … it’s her, it’s fucking HER! the strong freshman in Hero High, the one above the 10 kings! She who claims the newest title of strongest and undefeated … The Rage Queen that confessed to the previous number two, who she beat… or sneak attacked. It’s unclear now, as of three days ago. Nilia Eseria!!! I can’t believe I’m carrying a conversation with her like this!

But, why is she so snappy…?”

Random student # 2: “Sure thing, Nilia ma’am! The two of us will move right away!

*Whispers*: I can’t believe it either – she SPOKE to us! But… I agree. She seems very irritable today for some reason. Maybe she slept wrong?”

*CREEEAKK!*

She ignored the young pair while making her way to her prestigious classroom for the top – qualified heroes among the students here at Hero High school. Classrooms at the very top of the Hero division of buildings are praised as being reserved only for the best. And everyone who has ever graduated after having been taught in these classrooms has moved on to become a ranked Hero among the top 500 Heroes in the continent. Her class is in the top floor of the Hero division’s first Wing. This Hero division building is shaped with six wings sticking outward; appearing in close likeness to a six pronged star. Each wing represents a ‘Grade’ such as Freshman for first, Sophomore for second, Junior for third, Senior for fourth, and the others differ depending on whether you’re graduating as a Hero or Sidekick. However in the center of those six wings, A projection resembling a tower stood high. The majestic outer design drew attention from every passersby who first held it in their eyes. Its height that barely reached into the clouds dominated the skies around this city, warding off those that dare to harbor ill intentions in its territory!!

.

.

.

...At least, normally, it does all of this. Normally, it’s power as well as the symbol it represents, acts as wonderful deterrents against villainy.

Normally… it represents the forces of good, and not just brute power, but idealistic and moral righteousness.

And normally, the leader of this tower and head teacher of the school’s future top graduates is the Vice Principal of Hero High School, Rein…

NOT a newly appointed board of trustee, unaffiliated neutral party member and non-Hero: Nilia’s grandmother, Aleatha Eseria!

Nilia gazed at the tower’s base that she could barely see from a window at the top of the staircase in her Hero Division’s freshman wing. She gazed for 3 short seconds, then, with a heavy sigh, Nilia turned away – continuing her lengthy ascent.

That pair’s loud conversation reminded her of the news she’d received from her spy. A close friend of hers that works for her grandmother. Much news her grandmother knows about, reaches this man’s ears. Furthermore, after her parents disappeared from Spes Nova; he secretly raised her. Not in the sense of providing a home, but in actual upbringing, training, schoolwork and of course, even more training. This was all don under the guise of being her grandmother’s order, but in actuality it had been a self-imposed duty, as a friend of her parents. He was the one that told her a little about her grandmother’s devious affairs back then, taking advantage of the Balance Lands’ real leader entering into a coma-like sleep, and pulled heavy strings to become the next leader. Furthermore, she arrested those that protested on behalf of it’s true master, because in her words: “We must keep the peace properly, not fall into a state of ruin due to a negligent leader.”

But the Balance Lands weren’t designed to ‘keep the peace’ or even get involved with mortal affairs. No, however it mattered - not anymore: because the new leader chose to change its ways, in favor of eliminating chaos and villainy. She orchestrated the ‘breaking’ of the Balance Lands’ biggest rule: to remain impartial and oversee; unless the ‘end’ is near, formed a secret alliance with the ‘at the time’ small Realist Faction of Superheroes, and the Order Alliance that promised to take care of her granddaughter.

She wasn’t always like this. But ever since the disappearance of her parents – this woman’s personality took a very strange series of turns.

Which leads to the second piece of new she learned from her pseudo father. Her grandmother has been… brainwashed! She’s practically a hostage! That’s not all, either. The man she trusts, he was ordered to ‘brainwash’ Nilia too! Obviously he didn’t, but she must pretend to follow every order given by her grandmother for the time being. She must pretend, that she is brainwashed too. That’s why it mattered to her when she was caught acting flustered with Elijah – because that wasn’t an ‘order’ she’d been given.

Luckily her grandmother waved such a childish act off and didn’t suspect a thing.

However, if she continued to act foolishly, like, trying to actually apologize to her target, Elijah, and reveal what her grandmother made her do to him…

She could lose her last remaining family member. She didn’t want that. She had to change. Until they can get help… she had to hold it in – to endure!

...But, then Nilia learned of her grandmother’s involvement with those attacks a few nights ago… Her grandmother and many other brainwashed adults had not only kidnapped the principal’s only son, Eric Leyman… forcing him to comply with demands, but many other trustees are dancing in her palm by now. That aside, Nilia learned from her grandmother’s sources that two of the non – combatant students were in critical condition after that attack!

Nilia: “I heard they’ll be staying at the stadium… that’s good then. After class today at twelve thirty, I have a match to undergo in the Colosseum – now that it’s been fully repaired. I’ll try paying them a visit before that.”

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