Part 9: Back of the van

Roy exited the infirmary that the young German girl was recovering in. The hallways were empty, which was a sign that the 5th period had already started.

Roy entered the classroom and all of his classmates began clapping and cheering. Even the teacher rose from her seat and began to clap.

("What the hell...?")

An arm was flung over his shoulder by one of his classmates.

"God damn, man. You beat Hansel and then went straight for his sister? That's badass!"

("What the hell is this idiot talking about?")

"Let go of me or I'll punch your face in."

He backed up but still continued his praise.

"Alright, everyone. Have a seat now."

With the teacher's words, everyone sat down at their desks. Roy looked over to his right to the seat Lucy was seated in. She had been staring at him for some time.

"...?"

She quickly turned her face away from him.

The rest of the day proceeded abnormally. All day, Roy had been offered handshakes, high-fives, and hugs from nearly everyone that walked past him in the hallway.

("This shit is getting aggravating...")

On his way to 7th period, he spotted Kirsten in the hallway. He quickened his pace to catch up to him.

"Yo."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Oh, hey Roy."

<p class="MsoNormal">She had a black eye, a lump on her cheek, and upon opening her mouth, Roy noticed that she also had a tooth missing.

<p class="MsoNormal">("Maybe I went a little overboard.")

<p class="MsoNormal">"Why the hell is everyone worshipping me? It's getting really annoying."

<p class="MsoNormal">"That's when happens when you beat someone from Tarantula Block and then come for his sister."

<p class="MsoNormal">"It's not like I came to you looking for a fight. You came to me!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Well, even if you didn't fight me, there'd still be the fact that you kicked my brother's ass."

<p class="MsoNormal">"It wasn't this bad until I fought you."

<p class="MsoNormal">"...I suppose..."

<p class="MsoNormal">An idea came into the German girl's head.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Why don't we skip school for the rest of the day?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Because this is the last period?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Oh. Damn."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Anyways, I hope this dies down quickly. I don't want to have to start pounding on people to get them to leave me alone."

<p class="MsoNormal">With that last comment, Roy opened the door to his next class. As he expected, he was stared at on his way to his seat. Class proceeded normally, the few stares and whispers aside.

<p class="MsoNormal">School ended and some students stayed inside for their clubs, and others, like Roy, were heading outside to go home.

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy had walked off into the direction of BBMS (Beetle Block Middle School). He forgot about waiting for Lucy, but he didn’t want to have to bother with her right now anyway.

<p class="MsoNormal">He reached the front of BBMS and spotted Gianna sitting on the curb staring into space. He crept up behind her; he was planning on giving her a little scare.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I know you're there, Roy."

<p class="MsoNormal">He had forgotten all about her precognitive abilities.

<p class="MsoNormal">She rose from the curb and turned to Roy.

<p class="MsoNormal">"So, how was school today?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Terribly annoying."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Well, that's not good."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yeah. It's making me regret fighting that Hansel guy."

<p class="MsoNormal">Before Gianna could say a word, a big black van drifted and swerved past the curb, onto the sidewalk, and stopped behind Roy and Gianna. She didn’t see that coming.

<p class="MsoNormal">Three men in all black gear and machine guns hopped out of the van. Roy recognized one of the faces of the men.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Security guard...?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hello, Roy."

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy stepped forward, pushing Gianna behind him.

<p class="MsoNormal">"So you really DID come to bring me back to that cell."

<p class="MsoNormal">"No, kid. You're not going back there. We need you for something else."

<p class="MsoNormal">"What?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Did you forget that you assaulted another student with a deadly weapon? You should be glad that we’re not throwing you in the slammer. We need you to help us with something important."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Is that right...?"

<p class="MsoNormal">Sparks started flying from Roy's hand. He wasn't going to be forced into that van without a fight.

<p class="MsoNormal">Before anything could be formed in his hands, something grabbed his wrist.

<p class="MsoNormal">He looked behind him. Gianna had placed her hands on his wrists.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Just go with them, Roy. Don't make this a bigger problem."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Don’t tell me you actually believe their bullshit. They’re just going to haul me off to jail."

<p class="MsoNormal">"If you fight them here, you'd only be increasing your problems."

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy thought about what she said for a minute and dropped his hands.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Alright. But if I smell something fishy, I'm killing all of you."

<p class="MsoNormal">"That's the spirit, kid."

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy walked towards the van. Before he entered, he looked back at Gianna. She was motioning for him to go. He climbed into the van.

<p class="MsoNormal">The middle schoolers watched in confusion as the black van pulled off of the sidewalk and darted down the road.

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy sat in the back of the van with the 3 men. They all had machine guns in their hands and masks in their laps.

<p class="MsoNormal">"What are you taking me to do?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Relax yourself, kid. You're just going to work off your debt to the city."

<p class="MsoNormal">"The way you say it sounds suspicious. I don't trust you."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Haha. I'm here to do my job, not earn your trust."

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy remained silent. Whatever it is he was being taken to do, he wanted to do it quickly so he wouldn't have to bother with these people again.

<p class="MsoNormal">"...Where the hell are we going?"

<p class="MsoNormal">They had been driving for 2 hours now. There were no windows in the back of the van, so Roy had no way of checking to see exactly where they were.

<p class="MsoNormal">The men in the van remained silent.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Tch."

<p class="MsoNormal">Roy rose from his seat in the van. As he did this, all of the men pointed their guns at him.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Relax, kid. We're almost there."

<p class="MsoNormal">("This is suspicious. WAY too suspicious. When I get out of here, I'm killing them and leaving. Fuck the consequences.")

<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, back at Beetle Block house number 43, Gianna and Lucy were sitting at the kitchen table. Gianna had her hands on her pencil, sweating, trying her hardest to do her homework. The uneasiness was printed all over her face.

<p class="MsoNormal">"You're worrying too much about that joker. I'm sure he's fine. You should be done with your homework by now, so stop stressing yourself out over that nitwit."

<p class="MsoNormal">"It's easy for you not to care because you hate him!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"I-I don't hate him...I just know better not to stress myself out over useless people."

<p class="MsoNormal">"What did they take him to do? I wonder if he's alright..."

<p class="MsoNormal">Gianna began babbling to herself. Lucy could do nothing but look at her in disgust.

<p class="MsoNormal">("I can't believe she's driving herself nuts because that idiot got sent to do community service.")

<p class="MsoNormal">What she didn't know, was that he was not doing community service of any kind. He would be a part of a plot to take out another community.