Kingsley

The drive to Kingsley wasn't too long, taking about 15 minutes at most. The school was roughly the same size as any other high school and most people wouldn't think anything is strange in that regard, but this school is the equivalent to a private school, meaning it has a fraction of the number of students compared to most other schools.

'This place is huge when you think about how many students actually attend, it's just overkill.' Jacob thought as he stopped the car as close to the entrance as he could.

"At least there isn't anybody standing around, it's the only reason I can drop you off so close to the entrance. Can't have people connecting the dots about you and the gang just yet, y'know?" Jacob said with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah but it also means I'm late." Alex said with a sigh as he opened the door to get out.

"Wait! Here, so nobody asks about the burn." Jacob quickly pulled out a square shaped band-aid that was large enough to cover the mark and handed it to Alex.

Alex looked at the band-aid for a moment, surprised that Jacob would give him one, before placing it on the burn.

"Thanks, Jacob." Alex said as he started walking away.

"No problem, Mr.Rune." Jacob replied before rolling up his window and driving away.

'Mr.Rune? It feels strange to be called that but whatever, I won't tell him to stop being respectful if he wants to do that.'

Upon entering the school, Alex headed for his classroom on the second floor of the building. At this school the teachers are the ones who move to different classes, not the students, so there was no need to try and figure out what class to go to based on the subject he needed to attend.

Alex passed by his locker and grabbed his backpack from it, placing the folder Marcel gave him inside the front pocket, before heading to class. He had no reason to take his books home over the weekend so he just left everything at the school to lighten his load on the walk home.

"You're quite obviously late, Alex." An elderly man said from the front of the class as Alex entered through the door at the back of the room. Brief glances were directed at Alex as the teacher mentioned his arrival but nobody really cared enough to look more than a few seconds, apart from 2 people.

"Sorry, Sir. It won't happen again." Alex replied as he went over to his seat and the teacher continued on with the lesson. Alex sat close to the middle of the class but was 1 row closer to the windows on the left side of the room.

"I thought you were going to skip out on school when I didn't see you this morning." Tom whispered from the seat to Alex's right, the perfect middle seat for the class.

"Yeah, sorry." Was all Alex whispered in reply before he slumped back in his chair and pulled out one of his books and a pencil. He then proceeded to use neither as he stared forwards in boredom while thinking.

'There's nothing I hate more than people treating me like I'm below them because they have more wealth or power. I can't do anything about Marcel and the other Users at the gang right now but someday...'

<Sigh> 'There's no point thinking about that now. I'm supposed to kill somebody again tonight... will it bother me afterwards this time or will I feel nothing like with Oscar and the guy from the alley? Should I be concerned that it doesn't bother me, or grateful since it makes growing stronger easier?'

'I always thought that killing someone would feel no different than if I were to kill a spider but that was before I actually did it. Everyone believes they could kill someone if they had to but most people would falter when the moment comes. Not only did I do it, twice at that, but I felt nothing both times.' Alex's thoughts were interrupted as he noticed someone was shooting glares at him from across the room.

When he initially entered the class there were two people who looked at him far longer than anyone else. One of those people was Tom, as he was excited to see that Alex had come to school, albeit late. The other was a boy named Richard, who was currently glaring at Alex with some form of resentment in his eyes.

'Will this guy ever grow up? He's been hassling me for years and still hasn't gotten over what happened.' Alex thought as he glared back, causing Richards eyes to flare up in anger before he turned away. 'Childish asshole.'

After around 2 hours and 30 minutes the bell rang, signalling the start of the much needed break the students needed before the second half of the day's classes began.

"I'll meet you at the cafeteria in a bit, I need to go to the bathroom quick." Alex said to Tom as he packed up his stuff and headed for the bathroom with his backpack over one of his shoulders.

The halls filled with students as soon as the bell rang and Alex weaved his way through the crowd expertly, allowing him to arrive at the bathroom quickly and proceed to do his business.

As Alex was concluding his business at the urinals, a group of 4 entered the bathroom and a voice echoed out from their 'leader'.

"Everybody out." The boy said with suppressed rage in his tone.

Alex turned around to face the boy and saw the exact faces he was expecting to see. Everyone who was in the bathroom quickly cleared out, with the last person to leave closing the door behind them.

"You didn't even try to leave this time by acting dumb." Richard said with a smile on his face as his 3 friends snickered behind him.

Richard was a bit shorter than Alex, coming in at 1.76 meters tall (Just under 5ft8). He had dark brown hair, that was almost short enough to considered a buzz cut, and dark green eyes. He was a burly young man that played as a prop for the schools rugby team, meaning he was far heavier and stronger than Alex.

"Why would I do that? You would've just said some stupid shit like 'Not you, obviously' like you always do, isn't that right, Dick?"

"I told you not to call me that! When will you get it through that tiny skull!? Looks lik-" Richard shouted back, his tone seething with rage as Alex cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. Let me guess, you were about to say 'Looks like you need another beating!', right? I'm sick of hearing shit like that so lets make a deal, how about it?"

Richard squinted at Alex as he pondered the idea for a moment before replying. "What kind of deal do you have in mind? Are you planning on giving me money to leave you alone or something, because I could just take it after I beat the shit out of you so I don't see the point." The 3 boys behind Richard snickered at his reply.

"It's way more fun if we take it by force, giving it to us is just boring!" One of the 3 shouted.

"Yeah. let's beat him already! I'm getting bored!" Another replied.

"I'm not going to give you money." Alex suddenly said, an annoyed expression appearing on his face.

"Then what kind of deal do you want to make? What could you possibly offer me?" Richard asked with a snarky tone.

"I want you to fight me, and I really do mean just you, not all 4 of you ganging up on me like a bunch of cowardly children, like you usually do. I know you must be oh so very scared of me considering you always bring the three idiots with you whenever you attack me, but surely you aren't so cowardly as to refuse a one on one with someone half your size. Hmm, on second thought, you definitely are that cowardly." Alex carried nothing but mockery in his tone as he spoke these words.

Seeing their faces twist in anger as he provoked them was the only solace Alex had whenever they would beat him in the past, but today would be different.

"Trying to provoke me isn't going to work, Alex, but fine, I'll accept on one condition."

"What condition?" Alex asked with caution and curiosity.

"When I win, you have to run through the school naked before the end of break." Richard said with a sadistic smile on his face as his friends laughed behind him.

Alex's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses and his face turned serious. "Then when I win, you and your friends have to leave me alone for good. No more ambushes in the bathroom or anywhere else."

"Deal." Richard said, the sadistic smile not leaving his face for a moment. "Go stand outside guys, I'll be out in a minute."

"Good luck, Alex, you're gonna neeeed it~" One of the guys said as the 3 left the bathroom, closing the door behind them.

"Now that it's just us, let's hurry and end it. I want to enjoy my lunch after I watch you take a run through the school." Richard said as he lifted his hands up like a boxer ready to throw a punch.

He took a quick step towards Alex and lifted his right arm to throw a punch when he suddenly felt something slam into his torso, knocking the breath out of him.

His body was pushed backwards from the force, causing him to stumble into the wall behind him as he tried to catch his breath.

"For once I agree with you. Let's end this quickly." Alex said as he pulled off his sunglasses and aimed his open hand at Richard.