Chapter 8 - Don't Mess With Me

THE next day was Cas-U's culmination day for its week-long Foundation Day celebration. Max was walking alone to the campus after dinner when she heard the familiar noise of motorcycles behind her. She did not need to turn her head to know who they were.

She made a left turn going to the Frisbee field just outside the exit gate of the campus. The Bikers followed her lead and stopped when she stopped walking. Then they surrounded her for a while before they turned off the engine of their bikes.

"Ganging up with a woman? How pathetic!" she mocked, showing a malignant sneer on her face.

The guys climbed down from their vehicles and walked towards her. She scanned their faces. Vince wasn't among them, and she was more than sure it was Clint's idea.

"I thought your leader, Vince, said you mean me no harm," she confronted them, but she was looking at Clint, indirectly reminding him of the embarrassment she did to him the day before.

"Do you think I'd let what you did to me yesterday slide just like that?" he answered indignantly.

"Yeah? So now you're doing sh*t behind your leader's back just because you wanted to get back at me?" She provoked, enjoying the snuffy look on his face as if wanting to eat her alive right there and then.

"He won't know unless you tell him, and I'll make sure you won't be able to tell him," he swore, his eyes piercing dangerously into hers.

But she wasn't scared a bit. Nothing and no one could scare her anymore. "Oh, yeah?" She raised an eyebrow and sneered. "Well, you gotta do so."

Clint raised his hand on the air, and with a 'go' sign, his comrades attacked her altogether.

Suddenly her vision went dark as memories from the past started resurfacing in front of her: how her bestfriend hated her and wanted her out of the school; how her schoolmates treated her like a criminal; and worst, how her parents didn't believe nor defended her. She had no one to turn to, to depend on. She only had herself--and only herself.

Triggered by the anguish and hatred that had built up inside her heart, Max subconsciously knocked every one of them as if they were the ones who hurt her and caused her those one year's worth of nightmares and sufferings.

"I'm gonna kill you, bitch!" Clint growled.

Only then was she snapped back to her senses. She looked around and saw bodies lying on the ground; each of them was groaning in pain. She lost control of her strength again. Was it like this for Hero? Was being stronger than anyone too much of a burden for him that he just quit fighting?

Her mind was still busy with a lot of things on her head that she didn't notice Clint's kick was coming for her. A powerful blow hit her in the chest and sent her flying a few meters away from him. She groaned in pain as she held on to that part.

Clint walked towards her. "What a shame! You are undoubtedly beautiful, but I will not hesitate to rip your face off and break your bones until you beg me to kill you." His voice was threatening, like a lion ready to shred its prey to pieces.

"You don't need to say it out loud. I know I'm beautiful." She slowly got up on her feet and showed no fear as she looked back at him in the eyes. "But I'm not as weak as you think!"

In a blink of an eye, she leaped towards him and gave him a hard punch on the face. The impact made him took a step back. But he seemed unaffected. "I haven't tasted it in a long time," he said, tasting the blood that's coming from his cut lower lip. A wicked smile lit up his face as he looked at her.

She stood up straight and gave him a look that she's ready to take him at any time.

-

HERO had been standing on the campus ground for more than an hour and looking around everywhere, but he had not seen Max yet. He wondered where she might have been again. Her stubbornness was really getting on his nerves. She declined his offer to come together to watch the shows then left without saying a word while he was still washing the dishes after dinner.

It wasn't as if he really cared about her or something. His aunt had not returned yet, so he had to take care of all her responsibilities, and that included babysitting Max even if she didn't need to. His aunt specifically asked him to watch over her while she's gone. And it's not like she couldn't defend herself, but given her attitude, somebody like the Bikers would surely not let her go in one piece.

Bothered by his conscience, he decided to go around looking for her. When he was sure she wasn't among the crowd on the campus ground, he went on to search in every building.

"Looking for someone?"

He turned when he heard a familiar voice. Vince was leaning against the concrete wall of the shower room in the swimming pool area.

"Hey, Vince!" he greeted as if surprised to see him. "Oh, yes. I'm looking for my friend."

"Max, the daughter of your aunt's boss?" he guessed.

He did not answer immediately. He felt uncomfortable around him, yet he still maintained his cool. "Oh, yes. Have you seen her anywhere on the campus?"

"No. But what I know is that Clint is also looking for her."

"Who's Clint?" he wondered.

"My comrade. They had a little misunderstanding yesterday."

His face darkened. "Did Clint cause that bruise in her hand?"

Vince dropped his cigarette on the floor and put it off with his shoes. "I think he didn't mean to tighten his grip on her."

When he realized he was about to blow his cover, he bid farewell to him.

"I didn't know you were THAT Hero from Morsons."

He stopped at what he said but did not look back.

"So you were pretending to be weak all this time?"

"I don't know what you're saying, Vince," he said. "It's getting late. I still have to look for Max. Good night!"

"I think at this time, Clint and Max are already fighting each other."

He stopped walking again. This time, he turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

"I heard you stopped fighting. So what can you do when you got there? They'll surely beat you up. Instead of helping Max, you will be just a hindrance to her. Don't you think?"

He did not like what he's saying, so he interrupted him at once. "Thanks for your information. Good night!" He slightly bowed at him before quickly leaving him.

He went outside the campus and looked for Max in every corner that the Bikers would likely take her. He also asked those he met if they had noticed Max or even the Bikers. No one saw any of them. Feeling desperate, he shouted her name as if he had lost a dog in the depths of the night.

"Hero!"

He stopped when someone called to him from the other side of the road. It was Darwin riding in his scooter with some other classmates on the other two motorcycles. They crossed the road and stopped in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Darwin, I don't have time to fight with you right now."

"You're looking for Max, aren't you?" he interrupted.

He looked at him. "Do you know where he is?"

"She's in the Frisbee field at the back of campus. She's fighting against the Bikers. We're about to go there and watch," he answered, his tone expressed excitement as if they were going to watch the NBA finals.

"What did you say?" he asked incredulously.

"If you run fast now, you might be able to catch it," Darwin said before starting the engine again and driving off. The two vehicles followed him.

He wasted no more time. He ran back to Cas-U and went to the Frisbee field. He was still panting when he arrived. A lot of people gathered on every corner like boxing spectators. On the center were Max and a guy - maybe Clint - fighting each other.

Max was winning. People were screaming as she gave Clint a roundhouse kick. Clint fell on the ground but still determined to get up. Max didn't give him a chance. She hit him again with a powerful blow in the face.

People there might be enjoying the show, but he was not happy at all. As soon as he got his breathing back to normal, he interrupted, "Max, that's enough!"

Max was bending on one knee, one clenched fist up and ready to smash Clint's face once again. She turned to him and gave him a dangerous stare.

The spectators groaned in disappointment and gradually left the scene.

He approached Max. "That's enough. Let's go!" he commanded like her big brother.

Max lowered his fist and stood in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering her question, he said, "Don't you care if the admins learned about this? You might get expelled, you know."

"What do you care? Let them do what they want!"

"You don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I'm saying!" she insisted. "And I know better what I'm doing, so don't preach to me," her tone was full of emphasis and resentment.

"Max, please? Let's just go home. I will accept whatever punishment you'll give me," he pleaded.

Her heart started pounding again when she looked at him. It was as if only Hero could ever pacify her, could calm her down but not her heart.

She looked at Clint and saw how badly she had beaten him. She gradually got up on her knees.

"Let's go!"

They turned to that familiar voice at once. It was Vince again. He walked towards Clint and calmly approached his comrade to help him stand up. He then took the key from Clint's pocket and threw it at Hero, who abruptly caught it. "We'll get it back tomorrow," Vince told him before turning away.

"Come on! I'll drive you home," he said to Max when Vince's group disappeared from his sight.

"No, thanks. I'm walking. I can go home alone," she refused stubbornly.

"And then find another trouble at the next corner? No!" he answered authoritatively, revealing a bit of his old self. It made Max glared at him again.

"Please?" His tone immediately shifted from vehement to plaintive.

"Whatever." She sighed and rolled her eyes before heading to Clint's motorbike.

He smiled and followed her.