Clean-Up

Michael was panicking because he could not let the paramedics do a check-up. However, they insisted on it and ignored his protests.

Michael noticed a high ranking police officer walking towards them. He looked at the name badge and found the cop to be Sergeant Anthony.

" What is the issue here?" The Sergeant asked; he was making rounds while checking on all the victims when he noticed Michael and the paramedics making a scene. Anthony immediately recognized the hero that crushed the shooter with unconventional means.

" I am being forced to participate in a Medical Test. I did not give consent and I have a phobia of needles." Michael complained. He hoped his persuasion skill would work at this crucial time.

" I had ordered the medical tests so that the waiting parents would know the status of their child. If you do not want a free medical test then you are not obligated to participate." Anthony sent the first responders away. He continued to chat with Michael. He even offered Michael a medal from the city mayor; however, Michael turned it all down.

Anthony shook his head at the shy teenager and walked away. He had more responsibilities to carry out and did not want to linger with the tight-lipped hero.

Michael breathed out his worries. He was worried that his special circumstances would be discovered. Michael knew he would not always get this lucky; he turned to the system. " System is there anyway I can turn off the body armor skill?"

[ Just like the Night vision for your eyes, the body armoring skill can also be toggled on or off. However, host should continue to upgrade your combat skills; with upgraded regeneration skill you would not even have to go to hospitals. ]

Michael breathed out and calmed down. He was glad that the skills given by the system were so accommodating. He turned to his soaked clothes; the soda had spilled all over him so he needed to get a shower soon. Michael walked out of the cafeteria; however, someone reached out and held his hand; Michael turned around and found the culprit to be Jennifer.

" Thank you for saving me, I am sorry for yelling at you." Jennifer replied. She was having guilty feelings about Michael; she regretted being so arrogant in the past. She looked down on him in the past. However, he still saved her life without holding a grudge; she felt like her attitude was childish.

"Don't worry about it. It isn't a big deal." Michael replied. He mostly saved her because he did not want his first employee to die right in front of him. Besides, he was never in any danger in the first place.

"Umm… Do you want to get lunch sometime?" Jennifer asked while fidgeting with her finger. What if he says no? She was afraid of being rejected.

Michael was taken back by the sudden request. Was she asking him out for a date? He had never been on a date before. Furthermore, Michael intended to get closer to Jennifer to see if she can serve him as a loyal subordinate. He decided to use the time to evaluate Jennifer and find ways to pull her in. They exchanged numbers and promised to get in contact in the near future.

On the way out Michael was approached by reporters; However, Michael remained silent and did not answer any questions. The reporters were helpless as they watched Michael drive away. They turned to other victims who were more talkative.

The incident had made it all the way to national news. The shooter was being criticized from all angles. Politicians were holding debates on gun control while taking zero action. The college canceled classes for the rest of the week.

Michael drove home and quickly took a shower. He sat down on his couch while thinking about today's events. It reminded him that there truly was no such thing as absolute safety. Even in the modern world, there are murders happening every day. Michael was glad that he had the system; perhaps without it, he too would be another number on the list of victims. He spent the rest of the day meditating.

The next day Michael trained all morning and then texted Jennifer to see if she wanted to get lunch. She agreed and sent her apartment's address to him. Michael was nervous, he did not know what to wear to a date because he had never been on one before. He ended up choosing a pair of khakis and a polo shirt. He decided to maintain a professional look; Looking at all the keys he decided to take the Aston Martin today.

Michael drove to Jennifer's apartment and waited for her. She came out of the house in five minutes. Jennifer was wearing a blue dress; The dress was perfect, not too short to give everything away yet short enough to keep you interested. Michael opened the door for her and let her in. He drove to an upscale Italian restaurant

The drive was awkward at first but fortunately, Jennifer started a casual conversation. They got to the restaurant and occupied a corner table.

*****

Jennifer was having a hard time keeping a conversation with Michael. She was impressed when he picked her up in an Aston Martin; He even opened the door for her. But her impression went down when she realized he really could not talk to a girl properly.

Fortunately, once they started talking about Business the conversation flowed smoothly. Jennifer was surprised to find out that Michael was not some rich heir. He did not go into too much detail but hinted that he did not grow up with his parents. It seemed that they had a lot more in common than she thought. She appreciated someone that worked hard and achieved success by themselves.

Perhaps the most attractive aspect of Michael was the way he made people around him feel safe. She remembered the way he defended his friend when they first met and then how he protected her yesterday at the shooting. She felt safe around Michael.

Jennifer realized that wealth and fame meant little if one could not protect their own life. She appreciated someone like Michael who trained life-preserving skills. Perhaps others might consider it a waste of time in the modern day; however, yesterdays incident had opened her mind. Maybe I should join his company? Jennifer thought to herself.

After a while, Michael drove Jennifer home. When she stepped out of the car.

"Hey Jennifer, Still got a spot for the tournament? If you do, sign me up." Without waiting for her response Michael drove off.

Jennifer stood in the driveway stunned for a couple of seconds. When she woke up from her daze she jumped up in the air and rejoiced. They finally had a chance to win the state tournament. This time the Aggies were going to get a tough fight.

The University resumed normal schedule shortly after the shooting. Although, there was increased security for a few weeks after; soon the incident was forgotten. The weeks flew by as Michael trained and attended school. He would occasionally grab lunch with Jennifer. Finally, the day of the Tournament approached.