The Beginning. (3)

I found myself tied to a chair, with Mr. Brown standing before me in a bare room. The only other furniture was a table and chair for him to sit in. Panic coursed through my veins as I struggled against the ropes binding my hands.

"How do I get out of this situation? God why does this garbage always have to happen to me, I don't even know what they want from me," I muttered under my breath.

"Sora, you understand the situation that you are in right now, correct?" Mr. Brown asked with a menacing tone.

I refused to give in to his intimidation. "If you don't tell me what you want you aren't getting anything," I spat back.

"I'll be right back, I have to go grab some tools," Mr. Brown said as he left the room.

As soon as he was gone, I began to burn the ropes off my hands. It took a good two minutes of intense heat, but I was finally able to break free.

"Absolve," I whispered, swinging away from the premise as quickly as I could. My heart was pounding in my chest as I sprinted home, the fear of being caught chasing me every step of the way. How had Mr. Brown discovered my full name? I knew for a fact he wasn't a government official.

When I reached my house, I knew it was too dangerous to stay. If Mr. Brown could find me once, he could find me again. Instead, I made my way to Leo's house, hoping he would let me stay the night.

I knocked softly on the door, feeling exhausted and scared. "Sora?" Leo asked in surprise as he opened the door.

"I was wondering if you could let me stay at your house?" I asked urgently, feeling like I was on the verge of collapsing.

Leo looked at me with concern. "I mean sure, but what's the reason?"

"I really don't feel like explaining right now, just let me in," I said, pushing past him into the safety of his home.

Finally, the weight on my shoulder was lifted as I collapsed onto Leo's couch. I knew Mr. Brown could still find me, but for now, I was safe.

"Sleep tight Sora."

**The Next Morning**

Leo and I walked towards school together, trying to shake off the lingering sense of unease that came with Mr. Brown's looming presence. However, as we arrived at school, our worst fears were realized - Mr. Brown was waiting for me. My heart sank as I realized that there was no avoiding this confrontation.

"Sora, I suggest you come with me before we make a scene at the school," he said, his voice dripping with malice.

"I'll gladly make a scene at the school, you'll be taken down in mere seconds," I retorted, trying to mask the fear in my voice.

He simply smiled at me, unfazed by my threats. It was clear that this man was not playing with a full deck of cards.

"If you come with me, I'll tell you what I want," he said.

"I don't care what you want, because you aren't getting it," I replied, trying to sound defiant.

"KNEEL," he commanded.

Suddenly, an immense pressure fell upon my back, causing me to buckle and fall to my knees. I felt like I was being crushed by a boulder. I had no idea what this man was capable of, but I knew I did not like where this was going.

"You will give me what I want because I am above everything else in this world. My authority reigns above even God," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, PLEASE!" I begged, my voice trembling.

Suddenly, all eyes were on us as the other students started to arrive at school. Mr. Brown seemed to grow more agitated with each passing moment.

"YOU FOOL!" he roared, grabbing me by the neck and squeezing so hard that I could barely breathe. "I'll just kill you right here, right now."

That's when Leo sprang into action. "JET CANNON!" he shouted, unleashing a high-powered shot of water that sliced off Mr. Brown's arm and sent him reeling.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" Mr. Brown growled, turning his attention to Leo.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" I screamed, my voice filled with anger and pain.

Mr. Brown simply smirked and turned back to me, punching me hard in the face. I could feel my cheekbone cracking under the force of his blow. I doubled over in pain, trying to hold back tears.

"What do we have here?" Ms. Smith asked, arriving on the scene.

"I would advise you to step away from this, miss. This fight is for me," Mr. Brown said, his tone menacing.

"You are fighting 12-year-old children, who are you trying to impress?" Ms. Smith said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she began to laugh hysterically.

Mr. Brown's voice rumbled with anger as he glared at Ms. Smith, his eyes filled with malice. "Don't test me woman," he growled, his fists clenched in rage.

But Ms. Smith was unfazed by his threats, and she delivered a scathing retort. "Not only are you fighting two 12 year olds, YOU ACTUALLY LOST AN ARM FROM FIGHTING THEM BAHAHAHAHA!"

Mr. Brown's face twisted in fury, and he lunged towards Ms. Smith, his arm drawn back to strike. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" he roared, his eyes blazing.

But Ms. Smith didn't back down. "Now you try to hit women? You are truly the lowest of the low, you are the scum of the earth and you are irredeemable."

Mr. Brown seethed with anger. "You laugh at me as you watch your students get pummeled by some 40 year old man, but as soon as I hit you, your shit gets flipped?"

Ms. Smith was unflappable. "These children aren't getting pummeled by you, look at your arm. These kids know what they are doing and I am not laughing at them, I am laughing at YOU."

Mr. Brown was done with the talking. "I'm sick of this chatting," he snarled. "Could we just get to the part where I beat your ass to a bloody pulp and make you beg for mercy."

Ms. Smith's eyes gleamed with determination. "I'd be honored to beat the shit out of you."