The first call to duty happens unexpectedly

Tanou's first day of school had not been easy at all, he had barely managed to arrive at lunch with his sanity intact, each person in that school followed him with their eyes, talking about him, but not daring to talk to him, Kim explained to him that normally everyone felt intimidated by the residents of Cloudhouse and that they surely considered him someone problematic for confronting Ryan, although of course, none of those innocent students understood the context of that discussion, if they understood it they would think him an idiot, also brave at a suicidal level, but an idiot after all.

As the cherry on the cake of disaster was there a rule in the mafia? sect? Or whatever he was part of now -Tan didn't know what to call it- that prevented them from interacting with people outside the members of The House, that added to Kim's insistence led him to try to eat his lunch surrounded by the rest of the residents and the heavy aura that caused the anticipation.

"How was your first day Tanou?" asked one of the redheads, maybe Marie.

Tanou ignored her without much desire to start a conversation when a male voice answered for him.

"Nice try Marie, but this awkward situation exceeds the power of your kindness" Malik replied somewhat sullenly. Marie bowed her head in distress.

"You don't have to be a jerk, she's just trying to help make this lunch more bearable for everyone" Mila intervened in defense of her sister

"That's impossible," Nivi said as she stirred her noodle soup dejectedly "All of this", she waves her hands in circles pointing at everyone "it's so screwed up"

"Sure. Thanks to whom? Says the girl who thought it wise to hit them in front of the whole school" Malik attacked again.

Tanou tried to concentrate on eating his meatballs calmly, trying not to be forced to comment on the fight he started because of him.

"It wasn't the most prudent thing to do, but I couldn't let him continue saying things that he would later regret, I didn't see that you were doing anything either" Nivi answers, raising the volume of his voice slightly and leaning his body forward, staying as close as possible. he could from Malik.

"Stop Nivi, we can't get into another discussion at school, we've already damaged our image enough today, we'll meet at home and solve it" Evie interrupted holding Nivi's arm and pressing gently making him go back to her place.

"I knew it was best to shoot him right then," Ryan muttered.

Tanou could not explain in words how much that comment bothered him, but before he opened his mouth to curse him and his ancestors Kim held his hand under the table, where no one else could see him, somehow that conveyed an A hint of calm, then Kim turned to the blonde and responded with a neutral tone of voice.

"Ryan, whatever you need to say, say it at the house, where I can smash your face."

☁️

"The best is to report him to the authorities" stated Ryan, slapping the table in front of him "this idiot put the entire organization at risk."

Nivi approached and pleaded in a conciliatory way: "We have to think about it, we have to give it a chance, it wasn't easy for anyone here to adapt."

"It's obvious that he's scared," Luk pointed in his direction. "Look at him, he hasn't even said a word, he regrets what he did."

Tanou mentally begged that they please not look at him, he just wanted to curl up on the couch until it was all over.

"I don't understand what's wrong with you guys, Wad was here for a year and no one cared what happened to him and now everyone is going crazy for this kid." Ryan snapped "Let's turn him over to the authorities, get him shot and we'll find others."

"Don't get Wad into this, you know what happened was a huge emotional blow to some of us." Evie scolded facing the blonde.

"He is different, we need him to be here," Mila said.

"Exactly, you have no idea how difficult it was to find him, it's much easier to replace you." Ginger alleged referring to Ryan, who already seemed ready to start a fight, approached her with fast and firm steps

"Repeat it princess, and you'll go with him." She threatened the blonde.

Despite her short stature, far from being intimidated, Ginger stood up and clasped her hands, waiting to receive the first attack.

"I'm sick of this!" Ohm exclaimed standing up, took Luk by the arm, and they headed for the stairs "we're off"

But before the pair of boys could climb the stairs, Ryan and Ginger hit the ground and the discussion continued; Candace hurriedly burst in holding a tablet that she was looking at carefully.

"Guys, you can fight later, now is the time to get ready."

"Don't tell me that ..." Tanou said fearfully to finish the sentence.

"Yes, we have a mission" replied the woman confirming his fears.

Upon hearing the confirmation, all the boys ran to the most remote part of the library, hidden behind the fire extinguisher was a small board with a fingerprint reader, Evie, who was the first to arrive put her finger there and sounded a weak confirmation beep, Malik pulled one of the shelves, and it moved like a door, revealing a secret elevator, Kim pulled him inside, as Tanou continued absorbed in surprise at what he was seeing, he felt like inside from a spy movie, the twelve boys took the elevator down and Candace didn't follow. After what he calculated as two or three floors underground the elevator stopped, Ralph was waiting for them on the other side as soon as the doors opened.

"Well let's do it like always, Tanou you have to adjust, Ryan will guide you through today." Ralph ordered to the regret of both young men "Go to the locker room, then go through the armory and see you in the main room. Run!"