Bonds

After everything with the medics and the police, Hirowa and Ichisuda returned to the academy with the 5 remaining students. Izume and Zuno had been taken to the hospital due to the nature of their injuries. Izume had also lost consciousness shortly after Yagita left.

As soon they got back to the academy, Hirowa took the students to Dr Hirime to make sure they were okay. They were all fine, except Rani who had light bruising on her neck, which Hirime healed quickly because she had to attend an emergency meeting.

Hirime was the last one in the staff room. She already knew it was not going to be a pleasant meeting based on the expression on principal Fujimoto's face.

As she sat down, he began speaking.

"This is the second attack on the academy and students in a matter of months. This is not going to go well with the government officials in charge of education. I fear we may have to assume the worst."

"Which is?" Hirime asked

Fujimoto paused for a few seconds before responding.

"The academy might close down. We were warned that if the children were put in harms way again, there'd be consequences"

"There's an obvious question no one here is asking. So, I'll ask it " Hirowa said, with anger written on his face.

"On two separate occasions, those guys knew exactly where we were going to be. They knew Yashiro and Zuno were both going to be out after their meeting with Akanori and they knew all of the students were going to be at the museum today. So, the question is, how did they get hold of this information?"

The room went completely silent.

It had been on everyone's mind that someone was leaking information to the enemy but no one had said anything about it until Hirowa asked the question.

Fujimoto responded first. "Careful where you tread, Hirowa. The last thing we need right now is in-fighting. Why would any of us leak information to that group? What you're suggesting is impossible."

"Respectfully, Sir Fujimoto." Takari said, "there is one way to make sure none of us are traitors. I sat around last time and the academy was attacked from the inside. Not this time.

My solution to the problem Hirowa just raised is to use my ability to question everyone here."

Fujimoto looked around the room, no one was objecting

"very well" he responded. "Do what you must"

Takari went around the room one after the other, using his mind control ability on every member of staff there, asking two simple questions.

The first was, "Are you affiliated in any way with the Order of Blight?". The second question was,"Did you leak any information about the students of the academy to anyone outside?"

Everyone said "no" to both of these questions, and the meeting continued.

Takari spoke first.

"I'll have to question Zuno and Izume when they get back but based on how serious their injuries were, and the fact Izume was moments away from potentially losing her life. I doubt they're working with that group." The other teachers agreed.

"Now, that just leaves you, Takari" Tokiho said, in a calm voice. "Everyone here has been questioned, including the principal. All except you. How do we now know it isn't you?"

Takari smiled.

"There's no way to prove it is or isn't me. However, suspecting 1 person is much better than infighting, just like principal Fujimoto said but, for what it's worth, I'd never put the children in harms way"

The room went silent again.

"We've taught together for a few years now" said Hirowa. "You've given us no reason to not believe you. This just means they're getting the information another way."

"that should be everyone's priority right now." Fujimoto added, "while I deal with the government officials, you should all put your heads together and figure this out. Luckily the media don't really know what exactly happened at the museum so this isn't going to be a big deal like last time. However, we still have to talk to their parents and let them know. Hopefully, they have not completely lost faith in us."

Meanwhile, after the kids finished at Hirime's office, they went back to their dorms where their friends were waiting.

Rani explained what happened after Hayasato returned to the academy with everyone else. Including their impromptu plan to defend themselves against Lance's attacks.

Everyone was impressed they managed to come up with a plan that efficient in a short amount of time and especially Chibi's power up.

"you must've been scared" Chino said, addressing the 5 of them.

"We were" Rezu responded, "I'm just glad we were able to work well together. Understanding each others abilities really helped with that too."

Yashiro nodded in agreement. He was also wondering why no one had mentioned the fact that Rani was nearly taken. He assumed she was embarrassed and decided not to bring it up.

The students briefly spoke about how unfair it was for the police officers to ask about permits first because it gave the indication that they would've rather punished the teachers and potentially the 5 students, instead of making sure they were all fine. They returned to their respective rooms shortly after.

*

After Lance escaped the scene, he stopped for a few minutes to catch his breath and recover from the hits he had just taken.

He was annoyed he had escaped without capturing anyone one of the students but he hoped that somehow, the rest of the group had better luck because he was told there were twenty one students. Which meant there were sixteen more unaccounted for.

He tried to reach them on his radio and phone, which unfortunately were both fried from Zuno's attack. He kissed his teeth and threw them to the ground.

[worthless junk] he thought. [I hope they at least managed to leave with one or two kids]

Just then, several police cars drove past him. He glanced briefly at one of them and was very surprised see Lace's face pressed against a window.

"Lace?" he exclaimed. "What is going on?"

Seeing that made him think back to his teenage years. To his first encounter with law enforcement.

He had gotten into a fight with a member of a local gang. He wasn't in one himself but he decided he was not going to let himself be picked on. Things escalated, and Lance disarmed then stabbed his enemy, critically wounding him.

Unfortunately for him, someone had already called the police, so a uniformed officer was already near the scene and witnessed the stabbing. This resulted in a foot chase which didn't last long as the officer was faster.

Lance wasn't completely used to his abilities yet, so the officer easily slammed him to the floor.

Lance couldn't help but picture himself in jail or if he managed to escape his current situation, a life on the run as he had wounded someone who had the backing of an entire gang.

It was just Lance and the police officer at the car park because everyone had cleared out when they saw a police officer.

The walk to the police car was the longest of Lance's life. Tears rolled down his face as he realised he was about to be put into jail.

Just as he was about to be forced into the back of the car, there was a loud squelching sound.

What he saw as he turned around caused him to fall to the floor in shock.

There was a blade sticking out of the neck of the officer. He fell to the floor, his blood spraying out of him like a sprinkler. He reached for his radio but before he could make the call for back up, he breathed his last breath.

He looked up and stood in front of him were six individuals. Lace, who had stabbed the officer. White, Black, Red, Blue, and stood in the middle as if he was the leader, 5.

"You good?" Lace asked, while white and black picked him up.

"I'm good" he said, as Lace got him out of the handcuffs.

"You did good" 5 said, with a smile on his face. He looked like he was in his mid twenties, with a full head of hair. He still had a menacing smile on his face, one that suggested he enjoyed violence.

He continued speaking, "Taking down a member of the Tiger gang takes balls. Stick with us. You'll be alright."

He finished speaking just as Lace took off the handcuffs.

He looked around at his potential new friends, and at the now dead officer. He was grateful that they had rescued him and it also meant he now had a crew who he knew would go above and beyond to help each member of their little family and he liked the idea of this. This was the start of their companionship.

Lance was brought back to the present by the sirens of the police cars. Unfortunately for him, Rani's poison was starting to take effect. He felt a little dizzy. Yet, he crouched and sprung himself forward, twice as high and fast as before. There were 3 cars in front of him.

He went for the one in front first and landed on top of it. This caused the driver to swerve a bit. He turned his biceps and forearm into a spring and smashed his fist into the windscreen of the car. Though it was made to be bullet proof, the force generated from Lance's spring loaded fist was enough to smash it to pieces. He grabbed the steering wheel and caused the car to swerve right while the second officer in the car shot at the ceiling of the car but to no avail.

Lance jumped off right before the car crashed. The driving officer hit hit his head against the steering wheel while the other smashed his head against the dashboard and by this time, the two cars behind had stopped and 4 officers got out pointing guns at Lance.

He smiled, as this was the the reaction he expected.

Hasu shouted from behind his car door, "Get on your knees and put your hands in the air."

Lance sighed, calculating his next moves, thinking [I've got to do this in one go]. He squatted and looked around then started springing.

He bounced with great speed from the ground to the police car, leaving a giant dent in the side, then to the building opposite.

From there he bounced to the second police car, breaking the bricks of the wall as he did this.

He kicked Hasu in the head and immediately he landed, jumped to the other side and also kicked Hasu's partner in the head, hard enough to incapacitate him.

[2 more] he thought, just as a bullet ripped through his shoulder blades.

He fell to the floor, holding his left shoulder, crawling away to the front of the second car where he was protected from the hail of bullets coming his way.

The officers from the third car left their cover, and walked towards Lance. One on the left and the other on the right.

"Come out with your hands in the air" one of them said.

Lance sighed and looked to his left and took a deep breath. He jumped back to the building, and back off again, significantly increasing his speed as he did this. He spun around and kicked the first officer in the head.

He lunged at the second immediately his foot touched the ground and punched him in the jaw.

Over the years to fully utilise his ability and achieve ultimate efficiency, Lance practised what parts of the human body to hit to instantly knock them out.

The results of this training was evident as he stood around the unconscious officers.

He breathed heavily, his vision becoming blurry as his heart rate accelerated the effects of Rani's toxin.

He quickly searched one of the officers on the floor and found the key. He unlocked the backseat of the third car. Lace smiled at him.

"My hero" she teased.

He unlocked her anti-powered gauntlet and she gave him a high five. "You okay?" she asked. He fell face fist into her arms before he could respond. The toxins had finally taken full effect.

"I've got it from here, Lance" she said, as she gently put him in the back of one of the police cars before going the free the rest of her group.

Red was the only other one who was able to move about.

Black and White who had received minor healing before being arrested, were still reeling from Zuno's lightning blast, and Blue had been taken to the hospital because of his broken jaw. While Lace looked for a vehicle big enough to fit everyone, Red walked up to Lance and laughed to himself.

"This guy is fucking crazy" he said.