Aaron slams his fists against the U.A. fountain.
Aaron:
(First Hayze… now Alexis… does the word “Trust” mean anything to these people nowadays? Between them and the Vanguard nut jobs, do I even know any of these people anymore?)
The visual of Alexis kissing Silver is stuck in Aaron’s head.
Aaron:
*frustrated grunt* (After everything we’ve been through together… I really thought… I thought she was my girl.) *sighs* (And why did it have to be him?)
Angel watches Aaron from a nearby rooftop.
Angel:
*chuckles* (It looks like my plan went perfectly. Aaron’s outburst will destroy his credibility as a leader and cause his classmates to doubt him. And now Alexis, one of the more trusted members of 2-A, is being looked at as a troublemaker.)
Angel laughs hysterically.
Angel:
(The old Angel would have never allowed himself to have this much fun at someone else’s expense! It feels great to finally be bad!)
Aaron stares at his reflection in the water.
Aaron:
(She’s the one that helped me find myself after I ran down the wrong path. She did everything in that fight to prove I was making a mistake. She even forfeited the match to make her point. Before we had that falling out after the Final Exams, I just thought she was a cool, hot chick that was easy to talk to and tough as nails. But after she did that for me in the Licensing Exam… I thought we had something special. I guess I was wrong… and I hate being wrong.)
Aaron hears the sound of footsteps behind him.
Aaron:
If you’re wearing a black cloak, I’ll make your veins my new shoelaces.
Voice:
Ooh, so threatening.
Aaron:
Huh?
Aaron turns around to see Alec.
Aaron:
What are you doing here?
Alec:
Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing. You know, it’s dangerous for you to be out this time of night. You never know when the Vanguard will strike.
Aaron:
I’m not afraid of them, and the same goes for you.
Alec:
Oh boy, someone’s touchy. I didn’t even say anything to imply I wanted a fight.
Aaron:
Then what do you want?
Alec:
To see if you needed a handkerchief for those tears.
Aaron grabs Alec by the collar and winds his fist back.
Aaron:
Listen here, bitch, I don’t cry, got that?
Alec laughs.
Alec:
I could have said much worse, but you got violent immediately. Someone must have
really
ticked you off.
Aaron releases Alec and shoves him back.
Aaron:
You can crawl away now, cockroach.
Alec:
Whatever, I don’t understand how a guy like you could be sulking by yourself.
Aaron:
And why is that?
Alec:
You’ve got that absolute babe, Alexis. Why aren’t you with her?
Aaron doesn’t answer.
Alec:
Ohhhhhh, I see why you’re here now.
Aaron:
Buzz off.
Alec:
You know, she might not be here right now if it weren’t for me.
Aaron:
Huh? What the fuck does that mean?
Alec:
I kicked her team’s ass in the Final Exams and took their orb.
Aaron:
Yeah, I know that, so what?
Alec:
If I had left them in the condition they were in, that girl, Karma, would have been pulled from the exam. They would have been orbless and down a member… they would have never passed.
Aaron’s interest is piqued.
Alec:
Before I departed, I patched up her wounds. If I didn’t do that, blondie would have had to go through the remedial training class and potentially end up kicked out of this school.
Aaron:
You, of all people, helped her? Why?
Alec:
Because that chick cauterized her own wound, inflicting such severe pain to herself that she lost control of her bladder, just to stick it to me. That’s one badass woman right there.
Aaron recalls Alexis’ scar from that event.
Aaron:
Yeah…
Alec:
That’s also the moment I fell in love.
Aaron:
Huh?!
Alec:
I just couldn’t bear the thought of letting a woman of that caliber get expelled. Oh well, I guess you could call me weak for that. I don’t really care; I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Aaron:
Why are you telling me this? I thought you hated my guts.
Alec:
Oh, I do.
Aaron:
Then wh-
Alec:
If she’s available, I’m jumping all over that.
Aaron laughs.
Aaron:
Like she’d go for a guy like you.
Alec:
She went for a guy like you, so I like my chances.
Aaron:
*frustrated grunt*
Alec laughs and starts walking away.
Alec:
You found a golden goose, loser, so don’t let it go. Otherwise, you might not like who catches it.
Alec leaves.
Aaron:
(He’s an asshole… but… he’s got a point.)
As Alec returns to his dorm, he passes by a tree, and Tobias is standing behind it.
Alec:
Were you there the whole time?
Tobias:
Why did you give him that advice? You hate him.
Alec:
I wasn’t helping him.
Tobias:
Hm?
Alec:
I was helping her.
Alec continues walking.
Tobias:
(You’re a strange one, Alec.)
Saige knocks on the door to Silver’s room.
Silver:
*muffled* Come in.
Saige enters Silver’s room, sitting on his bed, holding the bruise from Aaron’s punch. She tosses him an ice pack.
Saige:
How’s that punch feeling?
Silver:
Not great, thanks.
Saige:
So… how long have you and Alexis been a thing?
Silver:
We’re not.
Saige:
Then why did she kiss you like that?
Silver:
I don’t know, you’d have to ask her.
Saige:
Well, Alexis made it sound like she was so lustful for you that her body moved on its own. Care to explain that?
Silver:
I have no explanation; I don’t know why she did that. Or why on Earth she would do it in front of Aaron.
Saige:
Yeah… that was pretty stupid. You are the most attractive male available, so maybe she chose you by default to fuck with Aaron.
Silver:
Thanks…
Saige:
Still, it doesn’t make sense why she would do that.
Silver:
Who knows, but if she was doing it to rile up Aaron, well…
Saige:
Well, what?
Silver thinks for a moment.
Silver:
I was going to say I’ve lost a lot of respect for her, but just before you guys entered the room, I was riling him up myself.
Saige:
So that’s what that was about. What were you doing?
Silver:
We had a disagreement… about something Hayze did.
Saige:
Oh, you mean getting the Masked Girl, Ivy, off the lamb?
Silver:
Wh- huh? You knew that?
Saige:
Hayze is literally my favorite person; I know everything about him.
Silver:
So, I assume you’re okay with it?
Saige:
Yes, because I trust Hayze.
Silver:
That’s what I was trying to argue to Aaron, but I…
Saige:
Spit it out.
Silver:
It’s like it was my instinct to immediately start questioning him and his motives. I called him out for acting foolishly about the situation. I was enraging him further for no good reason. It was stupid of me.
Saige:
If Aaron acted like a jackass, why do you feel bad for calling him out?
Silver:
Because that’s not what a leader should do.
Saige is taken aback.
Silver:
With Hayze gone, someone needs to take charge of this class. We’re a sinking ship like this; we have no direction, are struggling to maintain order, and have no plan. Hayze would have formulated a strategy to wipe out the Vanguard by now and handled the situation with Aaron far better than I did. He would have handled it like you did.
Saige:
Hm?
Silver:
You defused that tense situation with ease; it was incredible.
Saige:
Well, Aaron’s a man of his word, so if you get him to agree to walk away, he will.
Silver:
Why don’t you lead this class, Saige? You’re powerful, and a brilliant tactician, plus you’re almost always levelheaded. The job suits you.
Saige:
Man, you really know how to compliment a girl.
Silver:
I’m not joking; I really think you would do a great job.
Saige:
*sighs*
Saige sits down on Silver’s bed beside him.
Saige:
There are two big problems with that.
Silver:
Huh?
Saige:
I don’t want the job.
Silver:
But you might be our only choice.
Saige:
That’s great, but a leader with no motivation to lead isn’t going to get us far. Ambition is an essential part of rallying troops and inspiring confidence. It would become apparent quickly that I don’t want anything to do with giving orders. Once everyone figures that out, they’ll lose faith in me, and then it’s all downhill from there.
Silver:
I see what you mean… but wait, what’s the other reason?
Saige smiles.
Saige:
I don’t like seeing you give up that easily.
Silver:
Huh?
Saige:
You’ve always wanted to be in charge, why the change of heart?
Silver thinks for a moment.
Silver:
Because I don’t know if I’m the man for the job anymore.
Saige:
Antagonizing Aaron really discouraged you
that
much?
Silver:
It’s not that. It took me a long time to realize that all of you aren’t just my classmates; you’re my friends. If I make the wrong decision or let my pride get the better of me like it did with Aaron, it could result in my friends getting hurt.
Saige:
So you’re afraid?
Silver doesn’t answer.
Saige:
Alright then.
Saige stands up and starts walking to the door.
Silver:
That’s all you have to say?
Saige:
If you can’t see what’s wrong with that statement you just made. Then I don’t need to say anything.
Saige leaves.
Silver:
(What?)
Hayze, Justus, Ivy, and Zach arrive at U.A.’s front gate and enter the campus.
Ivy:
(This place…)
Ivy flashes back to the day of the Showcase.
Ivy:
(It feels strange being here.)
Zach:
Ah… it feels good to be back home.
Justus:
It does feel like it’s been a while.
Hayze:
I know this is a homecoming for you guys, but it’s not exactly the same as when you left.
Zach:
I mean, I’m sure you were just exaggerating when you said there would be swarms of-
Suddenly, a swarm of Vanguard 50 first-years converges upon them.
Vanguard A:
Battle me!
Vanguard B:
Battle me!
Vanguard C:
Battle me!
Zach:
Jesus! You weren’t kidding!
Justus:
They’re wearing that same outfit Jace has.
Hayze:
Yeah, it’s basically their calling card. Come on! We’ve gotta move before they surround us!
The four of them start running away, attempting to avoid the swarm.
Zach:
Why don’t we just fend them off? Most of those kids are from the Support and Business classes; we can handle them!
Hayze:
Of course, we can, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop. You’ll need a break at some point, and that’s when they’ll get you.
Justus:
Are we even safe at the dorm?
Hayze:
Yeah, they’re not allowed to trespass, so we just have to-
Suddenly, another swarm of 50 Vanguard students cut off the group, with Killian at the forefront.
Killian:
Where do you think you’re going?!
Hayze:
Ah crap…
Justus:
This doesn’t look good.
Zach extends his bone claws.
Zach:
I guess we’re gonna have to fight our way out!
Killian punches his palm.
Killian:
You’re damn right! And you’re gonna lose!
Impulse appears beside Hayze.
Impulse:
(Mind giving me the reins for a moment?)
Hayze:
(Sure, but what do you have in mind?)
Impulse:
(Just watch!)
Impulse takes control.
Impulse:
Don’t worry, boys! I’ve got this handled!
Justus:
Huh?
Zach:
What are you gonna do?
Impulse:
Justus, touch my shoulder.
Justus:
Okay.
Justus does as he’s told as Impulse places his hand on Zach and Ivy’s shoulders.
Impulse:
Bye, bye!
Suddenly, Impulse, Justus, Zach, and Ivy seemingly disappear into thin air.
Killian:
Wh- where the fuck did they go?
Killian frantically looks around.
Killian:
*frustrated grunt* Fan out and find them!
The Vanguard groups disperse. Impulse, Zach, Ivy, and Justus reappear.
Zach:
Jesus… What just happened, Hayze?
Impulse:
I’m Impulse, not Hayze. I vibrated our molecules so quickly we looked as if we had disappeared.
Justus:
That’s amazing.
Impulse:
Yeah, it’s cool, but it comes at a cost…
Ivy:
What cost?
Impulse feels a pain in his heart; he falls to his knees in pain.
Justus:
Hay- I mean, Impulse!
Ivy:
Are you alright!
Impulse:
Yeah… I’ll be fine.
Zach:
I assume this is because you used that technique on four people?
Impulse:
Uh-huh, but it was necessary for our escape.
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Ivy:
Let me help you up.
As Ivy helps Impulse to his feet, Justus stares at him.
Justus:
(Sometimes, the capabilities of that quirk seem so… I’m not sure of the word. But I’ve never seen a quirk that leeches off its user to this extent. If Hayze didn’t have this healing quirk as well… he would have died a long time ago.)
Impulse returns control back to Hayze.
Hayze:
(Thanks, Impulse…) Alright, let’s split up.
Zach:
Huh? Why?
Hayze:
Well, for starters, we live in different dorms.
Zach:
Oh… right.
Hayze:
And, second of all, those guys will be after us again soon. It’s easier to stay hidden in pairs than in a group.
Justus:
I agree; we can’t allow ourselves to be cornered again.
Hayze:
Ivy and I will go to the 2-B dorm, and I’ll try and rally the troops over there. You guys are gonna need to bring everyone in our class together.
Zach:
That shouldn’t be too hard!
Hayze:
We need to take them apart piece by piece and revert everyone back to normal. 2-A and 2-B fighting together. This is gonna be a war on two fronts.
Justus:
Right.
Zach:
Hell yeah!
Hayze:
I’ll keep you guys posted on our progress. Good luck, guys. I’ll see you around. Let’s go, Ivy.
Ivy:
Okay.
Hayze and Ivy start walking away.
Justus:
Hayze, wait.
Hayze:
Huh? What is it, Justus?
Justus:
You’d better not let yourself get assimilated. Otherwise, I’ll have to kick your ass.
Hayze smiles.
Hayze:
The same goes for you, buddy.
Hayze and Ivy leave.
Zach:
Man, this is hype! We’re finally going to get everyone back!
Justus:
Don’t get too excited; this will be a tough battle.
Zach:
Oh- y- yeah, yeah, I know… I just miss our friends.
Justus:
Me too, now come on. Let’s go home.
Justus and Zach walk off.
Ivy:
Do you think the “2-B” students will allow me to stay at their dorm?
Hayze:
Of course, there are a bunch of empty rooms right now. You can borrow one for the time being.
Sydney, Grace, and Verity are walking back to their dorm.
Sydney:
I can’t believe that bitch of a woman made me balance on a freaking buoy all day! What kind of training is that!
Verity:
The fact that you’re asking that question is the exact reason why you were subjected to that torture.
Sydney:
What the hell do you mean?! She wanted us to answer her question honestly, and I did!
Verity:
That’s the point; your honest answer was unsatisfactory.
Sydney:
How!
Grace clears her throat.
Grace:
Sydney, motivation is a vital part of success. If you have no reason to fight, then why should we believe you’ll battle as hard as someone who does? We’re up against a foe comprising our peers, a.k.a. Our friends. They’re brainwashed, and their personalities have been completely reprogrammed. We have no idea if that’s permanent or if they’ve been lost forever. Ms. Fatal is concerned that you don’t care about what’s happened to our class or what could happen to the rest of us if we fail. If she can’t trust you to fight with all your heart, then why should she assist you in getting stronger? She’s making you balance on that platform until you find a reason to fight deep within your heart because she knows one exists.
Sydney and Verity stare at Grace.
Sydney:
I hate you.
Grace:
I love you too, Sydney!
Verity:
At least now you can’t complain about not understanding the training.
Sydney:
I hate you too!
Verity:
That’s a lie.
Sydney:
No, it isn’t!
Verity:
Sydney, you know my qu-
Sydney:
YES, I KNOW YOU CAN READ MY MIND, AND I DON’T CARE!
Grace:
*excited gasp*
Sydney:
*frustrated grunt* What? What are you getting excited about?
Grace:
Look!
Justus and Zach are approaching the girls.
Sydney:
Hm? Them?
Verity:
They must be back from the hospital.
Grace:
I wonder if CJ wants to battle!
Sydney:
Did you even listen to what Verity literally just said?
Grace:
No, why was it important?
Sydney:
I hate you so much.
Ash, Blair, and Eve are walking through campus, too, transporting Alden and Wes to Recovery Girl’s office.
Blair:
I really can’t understand why Alexis would do that.
Eve:
Who knows, maybe she wanted to get back at Aaron for something he did.
Ash:
I don’t know; Alexis never struck me as the vindictive type.
Eve:
Yeah, either way, she did it for some reason, and it was really fucking stupid. The last thing we need right now is tension amongst those of us who are still sane.
Blair:
True… should we talk to her again?
Eve:
Her answer was stupid before, but we should give her a second chance to explain herself.
Ash:
We should do that when we get back. I don’t want to go to training tomorrow with everything tense.
Eve:
Ah crap… I forgot about that with all the commotion going on…
Blair:
*sighs* It’ll be a tough week for us…
Ash notices something in the distance.
Ash:
Hey! Look!
Blair and Eve see Justus and Zach with Grace, Sydney, and Verity.
Blair:
Justus and Zach are back!
Eve:
Thank god.
Angel is flying through the air above them. He has his bow out.
Angel:
(Hm… this could be fun.)
Angel aims at Justus, Eve, and Zach, adding them to his body as tattoos.
Angel:
(Zach’s known for his loyalty and reliability, let’s see if we can tamper with that.)
Angel loads Zach’s arrow into his bow and aims at Sydney.
Justus:
What are you girls doing out at this hour?
Sydney:
Walking back to our dorm.
Verity:
Ms. Fatal gave the girls a training session today at your dorm.
Justus:
And it lasted until this hour?
Verity:
It was rather… hardcore.
Zach:
Ah, man! I want in on that!
Verity:
You- you can’t.
Zach:
Why not?!
Verity stares at Zach.
Verity:
I couldn’t think of a reason.
Zach:
Glad we’re on the same page!
Grace:
CJ! You and I need to fight!
Justus:
I’d rather not.
Grace:
That sounds like consent to me!
Justus:
There’s… so much wrong with that sentence.
Sydney turns to walk away.
Sydney:
Let’s just go.
Zach:
Be careful; a big group of the Vanguard is on the prowl.
Sydney:
So what? We can handle-
Sydney gets struck by Zach’s arrow, paralyzing her for a moment.
Verity:
Sydney? Are you alright?
Justus:
(What just happened?)
Zach:
Hey? Are you good?
Sydney turns around and kisses Zach, shocking everyone, including Blair, Ash, and Eve watching from afar.
Sydney:
(AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!)
Verity:
(That’s strange… I’ve never detected a hint of Sydney having feelings for this boy.)
Zach:
Woah… that was-
Sydney kicks Zach in the balls and storms off.
Zach:
*high pitched* Ow…
Grace:
Nice work, Tsundere!
Verity:
Sydney, wait.
Grace and Verity follow after Sydney. Justus kneels beside Zach, who is writhing in pain on the ground.
Justus:
Zach? Are you okay?
Zach:
*high pitched* I think a ball burst.
Eve clenches her fist.
Eve:
What the hell is Zach doing?! Why would he make out with that whore!
Blair:
(First Alexis and now Zach? Something’s going on here…)
Eve tosses Alden aside and storms toward Justus and Zach.
Eve:
I’m gonna give that bastard a piece of my mind!
Ash:
Eve! Wait!
Angel loads Justus’ arrow.
Angel:
(Now, here comes the fun part.)
Justus notices Eve coming at them.
Justus:
Eve? Hey, it’s been a whil-
Eve:
Zach?! What the fuck was that?!
Zach:
*high-pitched* I have no idea!
Eve:
Listen here, you little shit! I’m gonna make you regret doing th-
Angel shoots Eve with Justus’ arrow, paralyzing her for a moment.
Justus:
(Hm? Again?)
Blair:
(What’s going on with Eve now?)
Eve approaches Justus.
Justus:
Eve? Are you alright?
Eve kisses Justus.
Blair:
(Alright! What the fuck is going on!)
Ash:
Wh- what?
Ash runs off.
Blair:
Ash! Wait!
Eve’s face turns red, and Justus has a surprised look on his face.
Justus:
(What the hell?)
Eve:
I- I… Uh… fuck you!
Eve storms off and returns to Blair.
Blair:
What was that about?
Eve:
Don’t talk to me.
Eve picks up Wes and resumes walking to Recovery Girl’s office.
Eve:
Let’s just go.
Blair:
Oh… okay…
Blair follows after Eve. Zach regions his composure.
Zach:
What just happened?
Justus:
I have no idea…
Inside the Vanguard dorm, Jace, Isaiah, Lilith, and Tyson celebrate their newest member with a crowd of Vanguard grunts and 2-B students surrounding them.
Jace:
Now that you’re one of us, Magician, your task will be converting your former classmates to our ranks.
Tyson:
That shouldn’t be too hard. With my new abilities, I’m the new top student at this school!
Tyson laughs maniacally.
Jace:
Soon, they will all see the light. There are only four remaining strongholds of students, classes 2-A, 2-B, 3-A, and 3-B. With the Magician on our side, the third years will soon fall. So now it’s time to shift our attention to our former classmates, right Temperance and Empress?
Lilith:
Of course.
Isaiah:
Do you still want us on our original tasks?
Jace:
Yes, Empress, you’re in charge of showing Verity Larson the light. Temperance, you have to target the weaker members of Class 2-A. Like a dragon, we’ll attack their soft underbelly and destroy them one at a time.
Isaiah:
Yessir.
Killian enters the dorm.
Jace:
Welcome back, Chariot.
Killian:
*frustrated grunt* I had some of those bastards cornered, but they got past me somehow.
Jace:
It’s okay. There will be more opportunities to convert them in the future. So don’t lament this failure.
Angel enters.
Jace:
How did your mission go, Lovers?
Angel:
It went well; the tension between them is building. They’re growing to hate each other, allowing us to conquer them while they’re divided.
Jace:
Good news.
Karma also returns.
Lilith:
Looks like the whole gang's together now.
Jace:
You’re back empty-handed, Moon?
Karma:
It turns out that we have a new enemy on our hands.
Jace:
Hm? Who?
Karma:
The masked girl. She’s on their side now.
Angel, Jace, Lilith, and Isaiah are surprised.
Lilith:
She could be a problem.
Isaiah:
Should we do anything about her?
Jace:
Not right now. It’ll take a while for her to gain the trust of 2-A. We just need to stick to the plan, and everything will turn out alright.
Jace holds his fist up.
Jace:
Vanguard, we’re going to war!
All of the Vanguard members cheer.
Jace:
(And we will win.)
Hayze and Ivy arrive at Class 2-B’s dorm.
Hayze:
Let me sit for a second.
Ivy:
O- okay.
Hayze sits down on one of the steps.
Hayze:
So, to bring you up to speed. Those cloaked guys are known as “The Vanguard”; they're a group of students that have been brainwashed. Most of my current class has been converted into their cult, so few of us are left. None of them have interacted with you, so I don’t know how they’ll respond to meeting you.
Ivy:
Are you sure it’s alright for me to be here? I’ve done… bad things here.
Hayze:
Depends… do you
not
want to be here?
Ivy:
What do you mean?
Hayze:
At first, I thought letting you stay at my house would be best, but thinking more about that, it’s probably better for you to stay here so I can help you adjust to regular life. I won’t be able to visit you very often if you’re off-campus. But that’s just my opinion. If you don’t want to stay here, you don’t have to. It’s your choice; I won’t push you either way.
Ivy flashes back to her time as a soldier for Iota and Scarlett.
Ivy:
(My choice…)
Hayze:
So, what do you want to do?
Ivy:
I’ve done horrible things to you, your friends, and others. With some of those things transpiring right here on this campus, but if I stay… I can help you save your friends from the Vanguard and make up for what I’ve done. I want to redeem myself; that’s my choice.
Hayze smiles.
Hayze:
Then I’ll do my best to help.
Ivy:
Thank you… for everything.
Hayze:
You’re welcome.
Alec:
Well, well, well, what’s this?
Alec and Tobias have returned to their dorm.
Alec:
You brought a visitor? And she’s attractive? You’re alright, Hayze.
Hayze:
What are you two doing out this late?
Tobias:
We’re allowed to walk where we’d like.
Alec:
Yeah, and we’re not afraid of the roaming gang of losers.
Hayze slowly stands up.
Hayze:
Yeah? Well, maybe you should be.
Alec scoffs.
Alec:
Yeah, right.
Hayze:
They’re getting stronger by the day, and they won’t stop until everyone in the school, including you two, is one of them.
Alec:
So what? They couldn’t beat me if they tried!
Hayze:
Could they beat Aaron?
Alec:
Of course, that guy’s a loser.
Hayze:
Well, he beat you twice, so once they get him, it’s game over for you, right?
Alec stares at Hayze.
Alec:
Wait… let me another crack at that.
Verity:
Sydney, wait a second.
Sydney, Verity, and Grace approach the front of the dorm.
Sydney:
No! I’m going straight to my room and ordering the sharpest knife I can find on Amazon, so I can castrate-
Sydney notices the group out front and stops.
Sydney:
What the hell are you all doing out here, and who is she?
Hayze:
I’m trying to explain to these two why it’s time for us to do something about the Vanguard.
Verity:
And how’s that going?
Hayze:
Ever tried removing a zip tie without scissors?
Sydney walks past Hayze.
Sydney:
Well, good luck with that; I’m going to shower.
Grace:
I’ll join you!
Sydney:
STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!
Hayze:
Sydney, I need you to listen to me too.
Sydney:
Why the hell should I do that?
Hayze:
Because we won’t get anywhere if we don’t work together.
Sydney:
How are you so sure we’ll defeat them as a team?
Hayze:
Huh?
Sydney:
Say we all band together to fight the Vanguard; what happens if they start overpowering us? Will you still have this same confidence, then?
Hayze:
That won’t happen.
Sydney scoffs.
Sydney:
That’s what you have to say? Why are you so confident?
Hayze:
Because I have faith in this group. Why don’t you?
Bruno, Gavin, and Romeo walk out the dorm's front door.
Bruno:
What’s all this commotion?
Romeo:
Sydney! You’re back! *sniffs* And why do you smell awful?
Sydney:
WE WERE TRAINING!
Hayze:
Look around at this group and give me one reason why we couldn’t beat the Vanguard.
Sydney:
Because all we are is a blind guy, a sadist, a masochist, a twat, a hardass, a farting idiot, an emotionless girl, and me! What about that group inspires any sort of confidence?
Romeo:
Hey! I’m not a hardass!
Bruno:
Romeo, that one was me.
Romeo:
Wh- wait a minute….
Sydney:
See? This class sucks.
Hayze thinks for a moment.
Hayze:
You might be right about that.
Sydney:
Good, I’m glad we agree. I’m going inside now so I can-
Hayze:
But that has nothing to do with who you guys are.
Sydney:
Yeah, right.
Sydney tries walking inside, but Bruno blocks the entrance.
Sydney:
Get out of my way!
Bruno:
Hear him out.
Sydney:
*frustrated grunt*
Hayze:
I think I finally see what’s wrong with this class. Why my class was always better than yours.
Alec:
Oh, yeah? And what’s that?
Hayze:
You don’t want to be heroes.
Everyone’s curiosity is piqued.
Sydney:
What the hell do you mean by that? We’re attending this school to become pro heroes.
Hayze:
You just want the job; you don’t care about what it means. If you wanted to be real heroes, you wouldn’t be selfishly trying to protect your own asses.
Nobody says a word.
Hayze:
A hero protects those in need and saves those who need rescuing. A hero doesn’t sit around and watch their friends get assimilated into a brainwashing cult and say, “meh.” That’s why you guys always lost and couldn’t keep up. Because being a hero means nothing to you. You’re just in it for the paycheck.
Hayze looks around at the 2-B class members.
Hayze:
Based on your silence, I assume that you see my point.
Alec:
You’re right, but I don’t really care. Nowhere in the job description does it say you have to be the “traditional” version of a hero. So, I’ll do things my way.
Romeo:
Yeah! Me too!
Alec:
Shut up, Romeo!
Romeo:
Oh, come on! I agree with you!
Sydney:
Alec’s right; even if you’re making a good point, we have no obligation to change our ways.
Hayze:
Even if it means constantly losing? Being second best?
Sydney:
Maybe as a group, but I’m perfectly fine with how I am as an individual.
Hayze clenches his fist.
Hayze:
But you-
Tobias:
I’ll join you.
Everyone looks at Tobias with surprised expressions.
Alec:
Wh- really? You’ve been silent this whole time, and then you say something stupid like that?
Tobias:
The only one stupid here is you. He just outlined a way for you to get stronger, and you’re denying it purely because you’re too proud to listen. I want to be the best hero I can be, and what Hayze says is true. A real hero would be chomping at the bit to destroy the Vanguard and free our classmates… like him.
We
are not real heroes, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for us to learn. That’s why we’re at school.
Tobias walks up to Hayze and offers him a handshake.
Tobias:
Do I have your word that we’ll win?
Hayze shakes Tobias’ hand.
Hayze:
Of course, we’ll save every last one of them.
Tobias:
Then I’ll follow your lead, but just remember…
Hayze:
Huh?
Tobias:
I may be blind, but that doesn’t apply to how I follow orders. You have my trust now, but you can lose it very easily.
Hayze:
Right. Well, I know Verity and Bruno are with me. What about the rest of you?
Grace:
Do I get to fight a lot?
Hayze:
Yes.
Grace:
I’m in!
Gavin farts loudly.
Hayze:
Is… is that a yes?
Bruno:
The pitch was pretty high, so yes.
Hayze:
al- alright…
Romeo:
Well, I don’t want any part of your plan.
Hayze ignores Romeo.
Hayze:
Well, Alec? You’ve followed my orders before.
Alec:
Yeah, but that was for personal gain.
Hayze:
Who says this can’t fall under that same category.
Tobias:
Yes, Alec, are you sure there’s
nobody
you’d like to protect from the Vanguard.
Alec:
*frustrated grunt* Fine, but don’t expect me to follow any stupid orders!
Hayze turns to Sydney.
Hayze:
Well, you’re the last one.
Romeo:
Hey! What about-
Hayze:
What do you say, Sydney?
Sydney:
Buzz off.
Hayze:
I’m not asking you to like me; I just want you to trust me.
Sydney:
And why should I do that?
Hayze:
Because I trust you.
Sydney:
*frustrated grunt* Why?! Why do
you
trust
me
?! I’ve never done one nice thing for you! You should hate me!
Hayze laughs.
Sydney:
Why are you laughing!
Hayze:
Because we’re not that different, you and I.
Sydney:
How?
Hayze:
You don’t like that I’m nice to you because nobody is. That’s of your choosing because you don’t think you deserve to be appreciated. Self-hatred is hard to overcome; I should know I have an extra personality to prove it.
Hayze walks up to Sydney.
Hayze:
I like that you’re tough as nails and willing to do anything to win a fight. I like you, and I consider you my friend, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. I know that pisses you off, but deep down, you really appreciate hearing that.
Sydney punches Hayze in the face and storms inside.
Hayze:
Alright, Sydney is in!
Romeo:
Wh- huh?
Verity:
That was, in fact, a yes.
Romeo:
WHAT?!
Hayze:
We’ll start planning for our first mission tomorrow.
Alec:
And what would that be?
Hayze:
We’re bringing back members of Class 2-B and saving them from the Vanguard.
Tobias:
I think I know who we should start with.
Hayze:
Yup, it’s time this dorm got back to normal. Get ready, everyone, because this class is going to war!
