CH #9 - Harsh Truth (Part 1)

"Oh?" He lifted his left eyebrow, letting all front teeth show. "It's about time someone wanted to play the hero. I would be bored after a while, anyway."

"Oh, do both of us a favor and shut the fuck up…" Ryan locked his teeth against each other, still not believing in the manic and sickening situation.

He raised his fists in combat stance. As he did, everything Ryan thought about while watching Cast and Lira cut through his mind like lightning. It was like a prediction.

That's what he didn't want to find out – a person whose life commitment was to bring disgrace to others with those powers. Looking back now, the boy realized that he had only been deluding himself all this time.

After all, who wouldn't do something like that? It is human nature to want to take advantage of the bonuses they have over others. People will seek to dominate and satisfy their deepest desires at any cost, if the chance is given. Add a special feature to the formula, and you would have an unimaginable development of events.

"I was really a big idiot for thinking things stay as before forever."

Ryan bit his lower lip, and once again witnessed the scene to the side. He hoped that this scenario would be enough, and that this alone would be the thing he should remember when thinking about the cruelty of the world. Only this tragedy, and no other.

The point is, it wouldn't be long before that happened right before him once more. Ryan also gave up on thinking he could live a peaceful life without any tragedy.

"Not with this whole madness swallowing to the whole world..."

He already suspected that all these events had something to do with his condition. Ryan started thinking seriously about it from the moment he met Cast and Lira, his so-called "group". If they existed, it was only a matter of time before more of them appeared.

"So, how is it going to be? Are you going to keep staring at me with that idiot face or you'll be doing something about it, little hero?" He chuckled at the end, lifting objects into the air. "Don't keep thinking that just pointing your face at me will do anything!"

No. Ryan's intention was not to turn back. He set himself the goal to finish him, whatever the cost. And then the Savoia would find out what he needed about himself and that increasingly bizarre and mad reality that enveloped the entire world.

"Oh, but I'm not leaving here until I'm done with you…" Ryan let himself speak. "You have no right to do this..."

"As always, arbitrary justice. You mean you can punish me and I can't do what I want? What gives you the right to think you can 'make me pay' and even kill me? Simply because you saw me doing that?"

He pointed to the bloody, tearful conglomerate in the corner of the room.

"The justice you preach sucks, man. And I'm here to do my own justice, after all, I can do whatever I want, and no damn structure is going to stop me from being what I am!" He started talking in a rather peaceful way, which gradually turned into a shout of authority.

Ryan couldn't believe what he was hearing. That value judgment was flawed in itself, not to mention that it was impossible to hear without feeling enormous disgust.

"So you really want to compare yourself to people who have never killed anyone…?! You speak of arbitrary justice, but you are the most hypocritical of all... Don't compare yourself to the victims, you bastard...!"

That had been Ryan's turn to scream as loudly as he could. The internalized feelings boiled over, and he stomped on the floor with his left foot, sending a terrifyingly loud echo through the classroom.

The sound startled the other students a little, and with that, the delinquent smiled to himself.

"That's right. Hypocrites can talk about whatever they want because they are what they are, you see?" He then raised his hand. "But enough of talking. All this chitchat about moralism is already making me bored. Since you want to join them so badly, I can do that."

***

"Ghk...!" He jumped to the side, thinking how crazy the situation was. Ryan had literally dodged in the last millisecond.

Ryan managed to dodge the large amount of tacks thrown by an invisible force. Small, sharp objects clung to the ground they have touched firmly. That's what that student could do.

It wasn't very easy to dodge those projectiles. The speed of each was basically the same as a shot fired by an average firearm. By a margin of a few thousandths, he managed to duck and avoid having his eyes pierced by those tiny nails.

"This ability... So there can really be something this lethal?!"

Until then, Ryan figured that these powers didn't do much – in the Savoia's mind, they were merely little aids and individualities that helped with one thing or another, and not that they could, by themselves, kill people.

It was just the two of them in that hallway. There wouldn't be any interruptions to the fight, considering there was still an excess of time of almost half an hour before the students went upstairs again. The space between them was the only thing that really separated the combatants, and so it would be until the end of that clash.

Everything there indicated that one of them would have to end up in the worst shape.

He, still holding that laugh, looked at the newcomer, lowering his hands into the pants pockets. He wore a black sweatshirt that was somewhat shabby, and generally disorganized.

"Oh? Aren't you surprised? Not even a bit scared? This is new... Who are you?"

Ryan rose with some difficulty, still a little in awe of the power.

"Oh, you don't know a thing…" Ryan jabbed a finger at him, his body indicating that he was ready to run at any moment. "I'm scared to death! I can barely stand up in front of this madness...!"

Ryan backed up a little farther, his legs visibly shaky around his knees. He wanted to flee, but he knew he would be followed if even the slightest attempt was made, and that, most of all, the moment he turned his back and attempted an escape, that all he would feel would be the painful punctures of various other small objects. The amethyst-eyed boy had nowhere to go.

And it wasn't like he wanted to go anywhere, anyway. It was ideologically impossible to escape.

"... It turns out that the desire I have to finish you is even greater than this fear...!"

Adrenaline rushed through the entire extent of his body, and with that, the boy with the violet eyes like amethysts steadied himself in place, barely able to do anything else.

But even in this scenario, he found himself obliged to keep asking, in order to buy some extra time or a possibility of counterattack. Any small chance would be most welcome.

"How… How do you manage to do this? How can you move these objects like that...?!" He pointed a shaky finger at the delinquent. Ryan's unstable posture was unconvincing, revealing the real reason behind all the force put into those words.

The point was, it didn't have to be convincing, and the last thing the boy wanted to indicate was some level of seriousness in the face of this barbarity.

Noticing the questioning profile of his combatant, the troublemaker soon realized that the new boy was much more than just someone ordinary.

"You don't seem more scared of me than anyone else would... In fact, if I had to judge, I'd say you're way too calm." He brought a hand to his chin, scratching it for a few seconds. "So you really are one of us after all, huh?"

Ryan sharpened all his senses when he heard that one word - "us". This expression was commonly used in the context of plurality, which could only mean that there are others besides him. Ryan couldn't contain his curiosity for more information and desire for more time.

"'Us'...?! What do you mean by that?! Does it mean that there are others like you here inside the school?!"

Ryan could no longer maintain any level of seriousness and much less wanted it, however superficial it was. That revelation was too much. The guy who destroyed the entire 1-D room was not even impressed by that posture, after all, everything somehow seemed to be part of a plan.

He then removed his hands from his pockets, placing them calmly at his sides.

"If you want to hear words about this come out of that mouth... Defeat me like you promised yourself so much that you would!"

"Damn it...!"

The scream of the last expression spread throughout the corridor. Inside the room, there were still about three students confirmed alive, and who knows how many injured to suffer, who every minute lost a part of their chances of continuing to live, all freshmen who decided to stay in the room after lunchtime, just like him.

Ryan couldn't take it for granted. Even if he succeeded in saving his own life, there would be no telling what would happen to those innocent students if he wasn't the victor.

"Damn, I just wanted to live a little bit normal weeks...!" He shook his head to the side, dodging a few tacks then. The responsibility of carrying the lives of others was too heavy.

While running, however, Ryan felt several small objects hit the left side of his face and the fist with which he prepared the punch he was going to try. Something extremely small and sharp had hit him at that moment. He stopped, and looking at his own hand, was surprised by what he witnessed.

"Graphite sticks ...?! Seriously?!"

Several thin graphite sticks were driven into his hand and face by that force. Ryan pulled one of them from his cheek, noticing how deep they managed to penetrate his skin. With his tongue, he felt they were able to completely break through the skin.

"But what is this?! How fast does this power shoots these things?!" He wondered, pulling one by one of the painful gray needles. "This thing crossed my cheek!"

If any of these had hit one of the eyes, the Savoia's vision would be permanently impaired. The depth managed to reach by those thin and fragile objects was nothing short of terrifying. Each of the objects handled by that delinquent was quick to the point of being invisible and capable of causing great damage, considering their small size.

Noticing the pause Ryan had taken, he couldn't keep still.

"What's the matter now, little hero? Did you really think I was going to face you head on? You came all determined with that punch, prepared to punish me with your justice... Did you really imagine that I would respond in kind?!"

There, Ryan realized that he was at a huge disadvantage. His skill wasn't necessarily useful for combat, and mixed with the fact that this enemy figured as someone who could fight from a long distance and still maintain complete safety, all indicators pointed to his defeat.

"What the hell...!" The Savoia complained, disgusted with his chances.

The troublemaker laughed once more. It was that same cold, unenthusiastic laugh, mocking directly at his opponent, showing that this was a fight won from the start. He wasn't even doing his best for the moment.

He opened his hand, displaying the small plastic wrapping where the graphite sticks used to be.

"I think you've already figured out what I can do. Fine, guess it doesn't hurt to tell you, since you're going to lose here... You won't even be able to touch me!"

His self-confidence was immense, and Ryan could only bring himself to watch as blood trickled down his left cheek and hand, staining the polished yellow tile floor of the place.

"This is bad... This is very troublesome...!" Ryan saw the blood running down his cheek as well as he could feel the metallic taste filling his mouth.

"I can manipulate small objects. I don't know and I don't give a shit about the science behind it... If there is even any! But that's what I can do. Be it pencils, erasers, graphite or even small pebbles or powder material. I can control the placement of these objects in space and attack using them. The speed is very close to a pistol shot and allows me to deal good damage. It's a shame it doesn't work with anything bigger or heavier than a regular school rubber, but it's already pretty cool."

He kept talking.

"It's very useful when it comes to hiding or keeping a nice distance. It was fun to fill the faces of those guys in the street with sand! Their faces were all cut up by the grains!"

"You…" Ryan stands up at that. "Since when did you use this to hurt people?!"

"And what's the problem with that? Anyone with superpowers would do something like that!"

"That's what everyone says..."

He looked down at the ground, and as he turned his eyes towards the enemy, that glow could be seen taking them. A purple light, like two glowing amethysts. That was the sign that it was not the time to hold back.

"...But don't compare stealing snacks with killing people...!"

In his hand, Ryan held one of those pencils he had thrown between his fingers.

"Oh, but now I'm done…" Ryan revealed, bracing his fists. He had just called out for the maximum potential he could reach with his power. "After hearing that one coming out of your mouth... All I want is to fill that mind of yours with so many artificial traumas that you'll never be able to be at peace again...!"

Ryan made up his mind. He was determined to show what would happen to someone who threatened the lives of other people for silly causes.

"Now are you going to play vigilante instead of hero? Has the scare gone by so quickly?" He asked, clearly mocking the rookie.

"Oh no… I'm not altruistic enough to think about these things! All I wanted was a little bit of time!"

"Time?"

"I can even be a lazy and relaxed guy with life, as well as an incompetent who can't do or say anything heroic, and that sucks in reassuring people. I know I'm not all that smart as I may think and capable of keeping myself calm and unshakable in any situation, always thinking with a clear head..."

For a moment Ryan's imagination traveled to where those two figures were.

"So using my damn courage against anyone who hurts my ethical sense is all I can do...!"

Ryan revealed the pencil he picked from the floor, hurling it like a throwing knife at a nearby lightbulb. The impact was enough to break the glass and generate a flash of light. To protect himself from the falling pieces, the troublemaker closed his eyes. A few seconds were gained.

"I'm going to make sure you need about four plastic surgeries to undo the damage to your face...!"

He managed to land some well-aimed blows in the face of the delinquent, who fell, rolling down the stairs. That would at most likely buy a minute or two. He should make wise use of this time.

Ryan immediately entered the classroom, and hurriedly climbed onto the desk used by the teacher, drawing the attention of those who were still there at the time.

"All of you! Listen! For those who can move, evacuate the room quickly! Get out of the room!"

The students were too scared and traumatized to take a stand. The place was dark, and they just huddled closer together, hugging.

"You have to run! Listen to me!"

There was no reaction. The trauma caused by all that destruction and possible death was too great for any of them to think of anything, or remotely take action.

... ... ...

The sound of laughter coming from the door took over.

"Dude... You really managed to piss me off..."

He entered the large room, being strangely lit by the very glow of his eyes, but just enough for everyone to see what was going on there.

The boy with dyed blonde hair made his way, and upon entering, the cries of despair and crying of the freshmen students, all completely unaware of what was happening, followed this event.

He covered his bloody face with his right hand, and there was a noticeable lack of a front tooth in his jaw. An indisputably pained laugh escaped through his bared teeth.

"You've taken me out of my coolest side now... Enough of this game...!"

And then a legion of pencils, pens, and other school objects rose up behind him. The number of these was almost immeasurable, quantifying in several dozen sharp objects, ready to be launched.

"I never imagined that someone would be able to hurt me like this... I was stupid enough to underestimate you, but now that won't happen... Oh, it really won't! Because I'll be making so many holes in you that even your soul will feel them... After you die!"

"Damn it...!" Ryan thought, seeing that his efforts had been fruitless. "Now he's coming all out…!"

The newcomer to the town got down from the table, and almost anticipating what was to come, used maximum strength and speed to lift the table, using it as a shield.

"Hide yourself using your desks!" Ryan yelled, addressing himself to the students watching the scene, transfixed with dread.

"Die!"

The bully raised his hand, and a flurry of projectiles was hurled at the table commonly used by the professor. Ryan asked with everything he could for that material to prove itself able to withstand the real shots that were being fired at him.

The classroom had become nothing less than a total representation of madness. Pencils and other small objects being thrown like rifle bullets chipped pieces of the wooden table Ryan used to defend himself. Everything indicated that the object would soon lose its protective functionality.

"This is pure insanity!" Ryan watched as one corner of the table was completely destroyed by a speeding pen.

The ricochet of the "bullets" startled the others. When they hit the table, most of the objects broke into smaller pieces and these were scattered all over the place, causing even more damage. Students would have to hide or they would eventually get hit.

"What's the matter?! Did you like it?! In no time did I say that I couldn't increase speed and increase impact force! These things can go so fast that this table, no matter how strong it is, will fall down!"

Several holes were continually drilled into the walls. The classroom was no more, unusable after that.

"I have... to think... of something...!"

Ryan's ability required bodily contact to be accomplished. Such must be uninterrupted for him to be able to do something to his opponent's mind, and that was not the situation he was in at the moment.

"If I get hit by one of these projectiles... I'm finished!"

"Huh! Glad you already discovered this! ... You are at the mercy of my attack zone!" The enemy responded, laughing like a madman.

Objects kept coming. Ryan continued to defend them, but his defense would not last any longer. Cracks were already visible in the wood and a small part was already chipped and destroyed. He was really in the hands of the enemy attack.

"I have to think of get some idea on what to do...!"