Looking around the sterile, empty classroom, Max quickly confirmed that they were alone. It was currently the lull between lectures, a brief interlude where the hallways were usually bustling but the secondary rooms remained vacant. He knew that at any moment, a fresh wave of students could come storming in to claim their seats for the next hour, but for now, the silence was his ally.
’Well, I can deal with him quickly enough then,’ Max calculated, his mind shifting into a cold, tactical gear. ’It’s a good thing there are no witnesses yet. I’ll just have to beat him to the point where he won’t go crying back to his soccer buddies. I need to make sure he’s significantly more terrified of what I’ll do to him than he is of whatever Donto or the seniors might say.’
The entire situation was triggering a heavy sense of déjà vu for Max. It reminded him vividly of the days back in high school when he had first inherited this body, a time of constant friction, where he had to navigate a world of bullies and physical hierarchy.
However, there were two fundamental differences this time. First, he now possessed the raw, overwhelming strength required to never feel an ounce of fear when facing down an opponent, no matter their size or status. Second, he had learned the hard way from his past mistakes. He knew that failing to get involved early on could lead to catastrophic consequences down the line. Now that he possessed the ability to stop atrocities before they fully manifested, he wasn’t going to stand by and watch something happen in front of him that he didn’t like.
It looked like Sylan was gearing up for a beating, and Max found himself almost looking forward to it. It had been quite a while since he had been able to deliver a full, unrestrained beatdown on a person who truly deserved it.
A soft, pained groan drifted from behind Max, originating from the only other person in the room. Jono’s eyes were half-open, clouded with a mixture of shock and lingering agony.
"What the... is that Max? And Sylan... right, I remember," Jono whispered, the memories of the podium hitting him like a physical blow. He remembered the humiliation of being used as a message-board for the seniors, and he remembered the surprising sensation of Max lifting him off the floor. At that moment, he felt a surge of gratitude that someone had actually tried to rescue him, but it was quickly overshadowed by an intense guilt. He had dragged a bystander into his nightmare.
’Well, one witness to this whole thing isn’t too bad,’ Max thought, glancing at Jono. ’I can manage his silence.’
Almost as if his words were a curse on the quiet room, the door burst open with a loud bang. Max’s eyes narrowed as he saw Talia entering the room, her face pale but set with a desperate kind of courage.
"Sylan!" Talia cried out, her voice echoing off the chalkboards. "Is this really necessary? You’ve already seriously hurt one student. Don’t you think you’ve gone way too far? There are dozens of witnesses who saw what you did at the podium... and... and if you don’t stop this right now, I’ll have to go to the principal and the police!"
The vein in Sylan’s forehead throbbed violently, turning a dark, angry purple. He let out a sharp, mocking bark of laughter.
"Why is this year’s freshman class filled with such total idiots?" Sylan sneered, turning his predatory gaze toward her. "Do you really think a situation like this hasn’t happened in these halls a hundred times before? And now you’re threatening me with the police? You see, the law is very interesting when it comes to contradictory statements made in public spaces."
Sylan stepped toward her, his presence looming. "The moment doubt starts to set in, when half the witnesses are adamant that the other half is making stuff up, the police stop pursuing the case. We have the numbers, freshman. We have the influence. And for wasting my time and annoying me, I think you’re the one who deserves to get it first!"
Sylan spun around with a sudden, violent agility, raising his fist and throwing a heavy punch directly toward Talia’s face.
Jono, watching from his slumped position, felt a wave of self-loathing wash over him. He hated that he was so weak, so broken, that a woman trying to help was about to get hurt right in front of him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the sound of the impact.
But as Sylan threw the punch, his arm suddenly jerked to a halt mid-air. It looked as though he had hit an invisible brick wall.
When Sylan looked at his arm, his eyes widened in disbelief. His wrist had been grabbed in a vice-like grip, and despite the full weight of his athletic frame, he couldn’t move his hand even an inch forward.
’What is with this damned grip?’ Sylan thought frantically, his shoulder straining. He looked behind him and saw Max standing there, his expression as calm and flat as a frozen lake.
"Alright, so you really want to get hurt first!" Sylan shouted, pivoting to throw a desperate kick at Max’s ribs.
Max’s response was a blur of efficiency. He lifted his own foot and kicked Sylan’s shin back down hard, the force of the collision echoing through the room. Immediately after, Max swept the back of Sylan’s supporting leg, and the senior’s entire body was lifted into the air by the momentum.
Max didn’t let go of the wrist as Sylan dropped toward the floor. The impact was heavy, the air rushing out of the athlete’s lungs.
"For someone who talked a lot about beating others, you sure do suck at fighting," Max claimed, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Sylan scrambled to move, to roll away, but Max used a single hand to push down on his chest, pinning him to the floor with a terrifying, effortless pressure. Max continued to push, his fingers digging deep into the soft tissue near the chest bones, stopping just on the edge of breaking the sternum.
"I’m going to need you to listen to some requirements, and that goes for everyone in this room," Max claimed, his eyes flicking between Jono, Talia, and the pinned Sylan. "You see, it’s best if everyone just thinks you beat me up. You beat me up so badly that I’ve had to go to the hospital, and I won’t be able to make it to this senior event tonight."
Max leaned closer to Sylan’s face, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "And if I find out that you didn’t pass on this information, or if you lied about what happened in here, then something like this will happen to the rest of your body."
As Max held onto Sylan’s arm, he gave a sudden, controlled pull. An audible, sickening pop filled the entire room as Sylan’s shoulder was wrenched from its socket.