《Modern Day Avatar》 The legend gets saved by his grandma Year: 2012 "HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME YOU LITTLE SHIT!" "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH WE SUFFER FOR YOU!? HOW MUCH WE BLEED!?" Blow after blow after blow rained down and once again and all the boy could do was curl up and endure it. He had already said every insult he could think of before the kick to his jaw, scratched and bit until his fingers bled and thrown everything that wasn''t nailed down. But inevitably they had caught him just like they always did when they were feeling angry. At this point the nine year old boy simply tuned out the excruciating pain a useful trick he had learned how to do a long time ago. "ARE YOU INGORING ME!? LOOK AT ME WHEN IM TALKING TO YOU DAMMIT!" A hand fat, rough, and dirty lifted his limp body up from the floor like It weighed nothing at all. Which wouldn''t surprise him, they barely ever fed him anything. He was lifted until he came face to face with the trash that had sired him. A balding head on top of an ugly face with too much facial hair on his neck and enough acne scars to play tic tac toe with. He would know, that''s why they were beating him this time. He was still smiling even through the likely concussion he was sure he had. In hindsight that wasn''t the smartest thing to do in his situation. The pig mans beady eyes practically glowed with rage and this time he raised his fist but the flesh had a greenish tinge to it and instead of flabby fat there was bulging muscle. Fear filled the boy for the first time, breaking through his concussed thoughts and snapping awake the little animal in the back of his brain, whispering a chilling promise of death. the rough, hairy, green fist grew closer and closer as time seemed to halt. He knew it now. He knew it in a way no nine year old should ever have to comprehend. He was going to die. The fear threatened to overwhelm him to take his mind like a vice and squeeze every coherent though out of him and drag him screaming into the depths of hell. Along with the fear came a creeping chill colder than any winter night. Then it all just suddenly stopped the fear dissipated but the chill remained. An icy coolness spreading from his brain down his spine into his heart and through the rest of his body. He knew he was about to die but he wouldn''t let his terror take him in his last moments.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. You have resisted the Terror of Death +50xp bonus for being under normal mature age +80xp Congratulations you have reached level two! And suddenly he didn''t have to ignore the pain so much as it simply washed away like water in a ducks back. What replaced it was a feeling of power he''d never felt before suddenly he knew what to do. As if on reflex the boys left arm raised to meet the giant fist rocketing towards his head. A dark purplish mist sprang into life like a ghost shrouding his arm. From the mist appeared several interlocking, thick bones surrounding the boys arm and hand. This happened in an instant and just as quickly the giant green fist met his raised arm a loud teeth rattling bang echoed in the small dingy home. The man and woman both froze staring at the unexpected sight. Finally the man tore his eyes from the arm and stared at the boy he held aloft. Then he sneered. With a crash the boy landed on the dining room table groaning the boy stared at the mist dissipating from his arm joy filling his eyes. For the first time gen looked like an ordinary nine year old kid. That was stamped out in an instant when gen felt the ground shake. Slowly the boy raised his head. What stared back at him was a seven foot tall mountain of green muscle the now very pig like face he stared at had the ugliest sneer he had ever seen. "So you hit level two did ya? Well then maybe you''re good for something after all now do you see? How hard we worked!? We only hurt you so that you could Ben special. Don''t you see? AREN''T YOU GRATEFUL?!" The orc mans roar shook the house like a hurricane the woman who had been forgotten since long ago suddenly stepped forward and pinned the boys arms to the table. The boy kicked and bucked but no mister how hard he fought he know gen could never stand up to the strength of his mother who was a level six with his puny level two. "Now if the first beating could help you hit level two before you are twelve imagine how long it will take to hit level three can you see it? Imagine it a nine year old level three! We will be famous! NOW AREN''T YOU GRATEFUL TO US!" The giant green mans fist rose again and this time the boy knew even with his newfound power he couldn''t block it. Suddenly a foreign sound entered into the room. Unconsciously three heads turned to the source of the noise. There stood a trembling old lady leaning on her cane a gentle smile on her wrinkled face. The orcs pig face turned a sickly pale green. "Mom w-what are you doing here?" The old woman''s smile seemed to grow a bit wider. "why I just came to visit my dear sweet grandson" her eyes which until now had been closed in a gentle smile opened a bit. Those cold blue eyes lacked any of the warmth or frailty the rest of her suggested. "And I arrived at the perfect time too, so Ryley you''re level two now oh I''m so proud of you my boy" the old woman stepped into the room her movements fluid and graceful like a tigress one hand fell to the middle of her cane while one stayed grasping the top. With a gentle pull the cane separated and cold steel gleamed in the dim lighting. "I also came by to tell my sweet little grandson that it''s time to WAKE UP YOU LAZY BUM!" The nightmare faded away as I realized what all this was. Simply an old memory. The legend really likes his bike I shot up in an instant, instinct and years of training guiding my body as I quickly remove my combat knife hidden under my pillow. I swing at the presence beside my bed in a single fluid motion. With a thump the other half of the knife sticks in the floor point first. I look up into the eyes of my greatest personal terror...my angry grandma. I glanced up just in time to see the hidden blade being reconcealed in her cane. You''ve started the morning bright and early with a healthy bit of accidental attempted murder of your Grandma! +400xp ...sometimes I really wonder if the universe has a sense of humor. "Now then if morning games are out of the way I believe your aunt would like to have breakfast together before you head off to your first day of school." I hop out of bed and carefully try to pull the other half of my knife out of the floor. "And this was a Christmas present from her too." Eventually giving up as the knife was thoroughly embedded in the floor. I walk into my closet to begin changing. Inside is a full length mirror on the far wall. I pause for a moment to look at the reflection. For just a shadow of a second I see a gaunt nine year old, eyes like dirtied emeralds looking at the world as if watching paint dry. And just as quickly he was gone. Instead there stood a 6 foot 1 inch seventeen year old with black hair grown long enough to touch his shoulder, emerald eyes that saw right through you, and a lean, chiseled frame. Scars big and small dot my torso andlegs although the most prominent one ran along my right cheek. Some came from a childhood best left forgotten, others from years of making sure that said childhood doesn''t happen again. Stretching I dismiss my lingering thoughts and pull on my favorite clothes which consist of a pair of combat boots, jeans, a white muscle shirt and a black jacket. I rush down the hall before they start eating without me. I can tell I made it just in time as I see my uncle Raj with a piece of toast still in his mouth reaching for the plate in front of the only empty chair. "Nice try uncle Raj why don''t you try stealing from one of the ladies plates at least they have a fighting chance?" Uncle Raj chomps down the rest of his toast before shaking his head pityingly at me. "Oh my dear, sweet, naive nephew I do it to only you for that exact reason...that and you are the only one who won''t literally take my hand off." I smile as aunt Natalie with a kind smile on her place and eyes on her phone casually reach out and twists my uncles ear. Almost immediately he falls off his chair, his skinny 6 foot 5 frame hitting the floor with what looks like exaggerated pain. I know better. The only person scarier than aunt Natalie is Grandma. Who has been calmly eating her scrambled eggs this whole time. "Oh don''t be such a baby Rajesh Sturner, Natalie could easily heal a severed hand in a few minutes." Unsurprisingly uncle Raj didn''t exactly seem comforted by her words. Sitting down I begin eating while uncle Raj gets back in his seat After a few minutes aunt Natalie sets her phone down and meets my eyes with a sunny smile. "So Dimitri let you off for the week since it''s your first time going to school, how nice of him, I should go by and thank him." I smile a bit forcefully as I pictured Aunt Natalie showing up at my construction job only to find the whole lot empty. No one wanted to be near her after old Joey tried to take a swing at me as Aunt Natalie came walking around the corner...let''s just say he has good health insurance. "Really, it''s okay Aunt Nat besides I''m pretty sure Dimitri is out of town for the week, he must have put Jeff in charge while he is gone." Aunt Nat frowned a little but let it go after a moment. We finished the rest of our breakfast in peace with only uncle Raj occasionally complaining about his ear although that stopped after aunt Nat gave him a kiss and whispered something in his ear. After that he was all sunshine and rainbows for the rest of the meal. You have consumed a hearty breakfast with your loving family +200xp "Thanks for the delicious food as always aunt Nat I should probably get going, I still need to talk to dean Rivers before I go to class." I stand and begin making my way to the garage when Grandma reaches out a wrinkled hand and touches my arm.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I stop immediately and turn to look at her. I had made the mistake of ignoring that gentle hand when I was a little boy. Let''s just say I learned my lesson. Grandma looks up at me with a glowing smile on her face. "Now you have a good first day Riley and if anyone gives you trouble..." The temperature in the room suddenly drops, aunt Nat''s smile grows a little wider and uncle Raj''s eyes change for a brief moment. "...well you just let us know okay?" I smile reminding myself that I''m lucky to have such a great family. "Sure thing Grandma just don''t break a hip trying to get up the school stairs." I bolted a second later, uncle Raj''s laughter following me until the sound of something hitting the floor interrupted him, likely his butt. With a smile on my face I pull my keys off the hook and plug them into the ignition of my baby. With a loud pur I start up my Yamaha yzf r6 and roll out of the open garage door. Man do I love having a wealthy family. I decide not to wear the helmet since I''m going slow enough that the wind won''t really bother my eyes much. I''m not worried about protecting my head either since I have a way to shield myself without the helmet. For a moment my mind turns back to the day that I hit Level Two, probably one of the proudest moments of my life. Unfortunately I now had lost time to make up for which means that while everyone else my age had hit Level Five I was stuck at Level Four and therefore I was unable to summon my Avatar. Nobody knows what their Avatar is before Level Five but at every level you gain new abilities that hint at it. For example my ability to create a layer of bone armor over my body. It is very tough but I can''t cover my whole body with it either. My guess is that will change when I hit Level Five. I also gained two more abilities when I hit Levels Three and Four. On top of my overall abilities increasing. Lost in my thoughts I almost didn''t notice as I turned the next corner and caught sight of my new school, or should I say my first school. The place was massive and well organized the three story main building and all the others around it were surrounded by a high wall on all sides. The only entrance lay in the front of the building next to the schools parking lot. To be honest I wonder why they didn''t include the parking lot inside of the building. But then again I was just a part time laborer at a construction site so I wasn''t exactly an expert on building planning. Slowing down to school zone speeds I got in line behind all the other nice insanely expensive cars moving in and out of the parking lot. Oh yeah I kinda forgot this was a super rich or famous people only kind of private school. While thinking about pretty pointless things I finally manage to make it into the parking lot where a surprising number of parking spots remain open. Choosing one at random I turn into it before cutting the ignition. I hop off the bike and begin to make my way into the school. Suddenly an unnecessarily loud horn blared out right behind me. A voice quickly followed it. "GET YOUR STUPID LITTLE BICYCLE OUTTA MY FUCKING PARKING SPOT YOU STUPID FRESHMEN!" I turn around to see some dumbass poking his out the window of a nice looking Mercedes Benz. I hold the idiots eye for a long moment before turning around and walking in the direction of the school entrance. For a moment I almost thought he would just back down. I was proven wrong when a second later the sound of squealing tires filled my ears. My head snapped around just as the front of his Mercedes entered the parking space. An inch away from my baby. The world slowed to a crawl. No one.Fucked.With.My.Baby. The sound of glass breaking and metal bending filled the parking lot attracting the attention of all the passing students in the area that weren''t already watching the spectacle. What they saw was the crumpled hood of a Mercedes benz folded around a REALLY pissed off Riley Sturner. Black armor covered my right arm up to my shoulder and a pair of black greaves also covered my legs to absorb the impact. Purple-black miasma drifted of my body like steam. And I know my eyes were glowing like emerald fire. (aunt Nats words not mine) The idiots expensive sunglasses fell right off his face. To his credit though he recovered in a second and hopped out of the ruined car. Marble seemingly replaced his skin up to his neck and his body seemed to get a few inches taller. He opened his mouth probably about to say something else stupid when a dull thud interrupted him. Like a tree his body crashed to the ground. Behind him stood a decrepit skeleton. In its hands clutched a decrepit sword and tattered leather shield. The skeleton looked at me with its hollow eyes before bowing and turning into that purple black miasma. You''ve taught a stupid punk the valuable lesson of not running over the guy with armor +670xp "Idiot should learn to cover his damn head." A slow clap began right behind me. So close I could smell the cologne of whoever it belonged to. It smelled pretty nice real high quality stuff. My fist whipped around held tight to my body. Whoever they were I couldn''t kick from such a short distance so a tight left uppercut would do. I completed my turn my fist whipping out without any wasted movement. A moment last my fist impacted an immovable wall. In other words the mans hand. A very well dressed man with combed back blue tinged hair smiled at me charmingly while casually holding my fist with one hand. "My apologies Mr.Sturner I was so impressed by that display of skill that I forgot myself for a moment." The man stepped back while letting go of my fist. I only just now noticed that it was really starting to hurt. "Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am the dean of this modest institute of learning Alfred Rivers." I froze. Great not even my first day and I knocked somebody out and tried to do the same to the dean. Rivers apparently noticed my apprehension as a calming smile graced his features. Before I even knew it I was already calming down. The apprehension a distant memory. "There is no need to worry we understand and even encourage your right to use your Avatar abilities especially to settle your own differences the cost to repair anything broken always falls to the school so long as it''s done on school grounds." I breath a sigh of relief. I can''t believe Grandma didn''t tell me this, its''s probably her idea of a prank. Dean Rivers upon seeing that I have calmed down gestures toward the school for me. "No need to worry about young Oliver here some nurses are already on their way, both his head and his car will be as good as new by second period, now I believe I should tell you a bit about your classes before I let you go start your first day here at broad river academy." I follow him as we walk towards the school entrance. I wonder for probably not the last time if going to this school is really such a good idea. Crossroads of Fate "Now then I apologize for the rough beginning to your first day here but I would suggest you get used to it happening." I follow dean Rivers as we make our way past the schools entrance. The dean nods a good morning to the gate guards as we pass before turning his head to look at me. "I understand how this may sound but as I have previously mentioned before, we here at Broad River academy feel that since you were born with these gifts you should exercise the right to use them. No need to worry though, any damages incurred can be easily fixed before the eighth bell. That includes both property and students." I nod my head mutely, i''m not all that big on talking unless I have to and something tells me dean Rivers was more interested in the sound of his own voice anyways. The dean continues to speak as we make our way towards the front entrance of the main building. Along with us comes a steady stream of well dressed students. Occasionally a student with wings will fly by overhead or someone would teleport though the crowd. I see one really short girl grow long mechanical spider legs from her backpack and walk above the crowds heads. I notice all of this from the edges of my vision but keep my focus forward. As uncle Raj likes to say, "Let the improtant ones drone on and think you''re listening, even if you''re really not." As we near the front entrance I notice a small group of students off in one corner glaring at a slightly smaller group that glared right back at them. It was clear a fight was seconds away from breaking out. I glance at the dean but the man just keeps walking, droning on about the schools achievements or something equally irrelevant. He doesn''t even glance the groups as we pass them and only the younger looking guys watch him walk past. Without incident we make it into the school entrance which is basically just a long very grand looking hallway leading into the auditorium which has several branching hallways. Above the front entrance hung a large banner with an image of a siren sitting on the shore and staring into the waves as her feet. I only stop to look for a moment as dean Rivers doesn''t seem interested in pausing to let me sightsee. As we make our way down the hall and into the auditorium the sounds of Avatar combat reaches us. I choose to ignore it as dean Rivers leads me down a hall while glancing at a piece of green paper in one hand. Along the way I try to keep my eyes trained forward as much as possible. Grandma once tried to teach me the arts of stealth...emphasis on the once. I did however pick up an interesting little skill. As Sun Tzu said, "knowing your enemy is half the battle." I may suck at being stealthy but in return I got pretty good at noticing when someone was watching me...and right now I was getting enough "casual" glances to send chills down my spine. These guys were nowhere near grandmas level. Lost in my thoughts I almost fail to see the old janitor walking past me. With a subtle shuffle I place my broader frame out of his path. So imagine my surprise when a moment later I feel a bony shoulder gently bump mine with surprising force. Then the world turned to hell. Like a flip being switched my entire being seized as the world lost its color. Before I knew it I was on the other end of the hall. Miasma pours off my body like steam off boiling water. Void black armor covers me from the neck down and an old, rusty crown sits crookedly on my head. Six decrepit looking skeletons surround me in a tight circle. I don''t need to see to know my eyes are glowing an otherworldly green. For several long moments I stay there crouched like an animal caged. Chills brush my spine like the caress of death. Even in my armor I didn''t feel safe. Reflexively I extend my hand out to my side to summon my trump card. Just as i''m about to color suddenly returns to the world and I realize the entire school is staring at me.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I may be thick skinned but having that many eyes staring makes even me blush. I stand up while dismissing my armor and Skeleton Minions. For a second i am completely invisible as everything I summoned turns into miasma and covers me. Smoothly I shuffle several steps back and to the left. I''m glad I did as a moment later the miasma dissipates. In its place is the old janitor, standing exactly to the right of where I was just a moment ago. The old man looks deep into my eyes for a moment before laughing gently. Suddenly I couldn''t even comprehend why I had been so scared of him. I didn''t let that thought take hold, I knew better. The old man turns around all the while chuckling softly, I don''t take my eyes off of him until he walks all the way to the end of the hall and turns towards where the fight still raged out front. I finally release the breath I didn''t know I was holding and stand up. Ignoring the many stares still pointed at me I turn my head, looking for dean Rivers. I find him all the way on the oppisite end of the hall still looking at the green paper while droning on about the school...he didn''t even stop while all this was going on. I decide it was wiser not to say anything and simply rush to catch up with him, I pointedly ignore the numerous stares around me as I try to fix my now much looser backpack straps. Damn armor is awesome but it always ruins everything that isn''t directly covering me...favorite birthday present jackets included. After finally getting the straps tighter I notice something...missing. Raising my head I look around, students pass by talking on their way to class but that''s not what has my attention. Neither is it the short girl with the mechanical spider legs coming out of her backpack now walking along the ceiling. Suddenly I realize what it is, I can''t hear the sounds of fighting coming from out front anymore. A chill shoots down my spine and I keep my head pointed forward and my body ramrod straight the rest of the trip...I made extra sure to stay clear of the more elderly staff that I passed. You''ve been confronted by a force so much older and more powerful that the earth beneath your feet trembles at its might. For not only recognizing but impressing this entity you gain a bonus. Second bonus achieved for impressing another much less mighty being...your school dean. +5000 EXP +10000EXP +1000 EXP Three turns and a flight of stairs later I find myself in front of an open classroom door. Students are filing in all around me as the dean finally turns to look at me for the first time since I got here. "All right then young man i believe, now that you know more about our illustrious institution of learning that you are capable of beginning your first class with us." I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off as dean Rivers pushes the green paper into my hands and immediately walks off. "Well that was certainly an eventful walk to class." I mutter sarcastically as I walk into my classroom. Inside is pretty much what I always expected a normal classroom to look like. Along the wall opposite to the door are a row of windows giving a nice view of the football field and track. In the front of the room stands a plain wooden podium and crammed into the corner of the classroom next to the podium is what I can only assume is the teachers desk. I notice that all the seats are in pairs. Looking to the elderly man behind the podium I fearfully respectfully open ask him where to sit. The old man glances up at me and smiles in a way that only the elderly can, like he wants to pinch me on the cheeks and tell me about the "good old days" at the same time. Grandma does the same thing...only her idea of the "good old days" is...different. Coming back to reality I realize the old teacher is gesturing towards an available seat close to the windows. There was a guy probably my age already sitting at one of the desks with his eyes trained down on his phone. I nod and thank him before moving down the row of desks towards the pair i''m sitting in. Along the way I hear quiet whispers from the students settling into their own seats. "So that''s the new guy?" "Heard he beat down Oliver..." "Yeah apparently he trashed the guys car too..." "...Hey he''s kinda cute isn''t he?" ...I''m sure that last one was just wishful thinking on my part. While lost in my thoughts (i''ve been doing that a lot lately) I suddenly realize that i''m already at my desk...this is totally going to be awkward isn''t it? It is only just occuring to me for the first time that i''ve never really talked to anyone my age except for Miroku. Just as i''m sweating over my newfound social anxiety the guy raises his head up for the first time giving me my first good look at the man that would soon become my closest friend...and worst enemy. "Nice to meet you, the name''s Kade.¡± This is why he shall go down as Legend (part 1) A hand is outstretched towards me. The owner, a friendly looking guy my age. Smiling with a bit of relief I give him my firmest handshake and introduce myself. "Nice to meet you. Name''s Ryder." Kade grins good naturedly and scoots his seat forward so I can sit down on the seat closer to the window. "I heard there was a new guy coming and figured you''d want a window seat." I smile before moving into my own seat. As I sit down I get my first good look at my new deskmate. He has casual clothes and pale skin that doesn''t get much sun and looks kinda nerdy with his large glasses, his shirt hints at a sense of humor with the words And Satan said "let''s put the alphabet in math!" On the surface everything about Kade told me he wasn''t anything more than what he seems. However, I saw a bit more under the surface. Underneath the sweats and long sleeves shirt was a lean martial artists frame. The way he balanced perfectly on two of his chairs legs with no trouble was another hint. Although I guess not everything under the surface is what stands out to me. Without a doubt the most eye-catching thing would have to be his grayish white hair. I don''t mean to say that it was white like he dyed his hair wrong. No it''s like someone tried to paint a white canvas with gray and gave up part of the way through. ''tap tap tap'' I was cut off from further thought by the elderly teacher tapping his walking cane gently against the podium. "Good morning everyone I hope you all had a nice weekend, now before we get to the lesson for today, as I''m sure some of you have already noticed, we have a new student today." A halfhearted round of applause follows his announcement. Wow, I''m really feeling the love here. Kade seems genuine at least. He gives me a thumbs as the "applause" dies down, I return it. "Now Riley has been homeschooled all his life so this will be his first day at school ever, let''s be sure to give him Broad Rivers warmest welcoming okay?" This time I notice the atmosphere is a little different, the teachers smile is a few degrees colder and the students are decidedly more enthusiastic about clapping this time. I also notice that Kade doesn''t join in. Unconciously I gather a small bit of miasma around the palm of my hand hand and tuck my feet under the desk. What no one can see under the desk is the ground distorting slightly, like ripples in a lake. I was ready to summon a Skeleton Minion at the drop of a hat. Several long moments pass before the elderly teacher finally drops the sinister smile and replaces it with a quiet laugh. Gradually all the students drop the sinister looks and laugh a little to themselves. Relaxing a little I start to let the miasma dissipate. A hand suddenly firmly grabs my wrist. It takes an iron will not to break it out of habit. I glance at Kade without turning my head. His face is still casual as he browses though his phone with one hand. I notice that he''s typing something as he tilts the screen in my direction. "Don''t let your guard down just yet" I nod fractionally without ever fully looking at the screen. As I look back up I see the teacher getting into the swing of things, introducing himself (obviously for my benefit) as mr. Berkeley.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Quickly he launches into an explanation about the math assignment that was given over the weekend and going over the answers. I clue in for the first ten minutes or so...but I''ve already figured out exactly what kind of problems he gave the class and the answers to all of them. I don''t even have to look at Kade¡¯s paper next to me which he keeps in between us so that I can see it. Aunt Nat was a very...studious teacher. She was adamant about not only making up for lost time but then surpassing all the others my age after she discovered that my parents took me out of school early. To be honest I should really be in an AP class but grandma insisted that I join the regular classes first, "to adjust a little easier" she had said. Somehow I''m starting to get the feeling there''s more to it than that... As I''m once again thinking to myself I suddenly notice something...off about the students surround Kades and my desks. Everyone of them is smirking or taking glances behind me. I don''t hesitate, I fall backward and turn my landing into a roll backwards as I do I hear the sound of something sharp slamming into my desk with a loud THUNK. Immediately I let the miasma pooling under my feet grow until it''s as wide as my shoulders. As I do I roll a second time to the left right as another object firmly stabs into the ground. I can already tell another one is coming but this time I don''t dodge. The object firmly slams into the rusty, decrepit looking shield held stoically above my head. I stand up, now flanked on both sides by Skeletal Minions. I glance around the room as I casually pull the sharp kunai out of my Minions shield with a firm tug and throw it in a single smooth motion at a darker section of the roof near a corner. As I do the shadows part and a boy with bright red hair falls out of it and lands with cat like grace a kunai clutched in one hand. It''s only now that I notice a desk that was near the back is suddenly missing it''s occupant. I begin to draw more miasma around myself in preparation for a fight. First I''ll throw my chair at him to distract him and- TAP TAP TAP Like a war drum echoing right next to my head a loud banging fills the room. Students clutch their ears to block the intense sound. I turn and glance at the source of the banging and there stands mr. Berkeley his walking cane still in one hand and the now dented podium to his right. WHAT IS IT WITH OLD PEOPLE AND THEIR WALKING STICKS IS THERE A MAGAZINE FOR THIS KIND OF THING?! WWW.ORDERYOURMURDERSTICK.COM?! While letting my abused inner monologue do it''s thing i allow the miasma to dissipate and unsummon my Skeleton Minions...after making sure ninja boy does the same with his knives. Mr.Berkeley nods his head in approval as he watches my miasma dissipate like a black fog. "Very interesting, ah please excuse that little prank just now it''s something of a ritual for new students and you were never in any danger I assure you." I remain silent for a moment before just nodding my head noncommitaly and turn back to my seat next to Kade. But a surprise is waiting for me before I get there. You''ve made a strong first impression and smoothly countered a planned sneak attack +1000 EXP Without letting the exultant screaming voice in my head show on my face I smoothly walk back to my desk. When I get back to my desk I pick up my tipped over chair and tug the extra kunai out of my desk. Without actually looking at him I throw the kunai at ninja boy. He catches it out of midair with ease and returns to his own seat...still in his ninja Avatar. Kade sees me eyeing him suspiciously and gives me a reassuring smile. "Don''t worry about it he never takes the damn thing off." I nod in acknowledgement but keep my guard up for the rest of class all the same. After an hour the bell rings and everyone starts filing out of the classroom. I stand at the same time that Kade does and we begin making our way out. "Since you''ve got this class that means you¡¯re in A lunch with me, i''ll take you there." I nod in appreciation and we start making our way down the crowded hallway. Kade¡¯s POV Ryder''s an interesting guy, definitely knows his way around a fight i''ll give him that. Honestly I was more than a little intimidated when he first loomed over me. His large frame and the prominant scar on his face giving him an intimidating visage. I was fully prepared to break his hand during that handshake if he tried something. I''ve been in enough fights to know it''s always best to expect the worst. I''m relieved it didn''t come to that since I wouldn''t have a chance against him with those Minions of his backing him up. After all- "So you haven''t hit Level Five either huh?" I trip on my own feet when Ryders voice suddenly finishes my own thoughts. I look at him with a bit of caution but he just stares back steadily no contempt or superiority in his eyes. I try to match his emerald eyed stare for a moment but eventualy look away. Those eyes feel like they can see right through me. "Nothing to be ashamed of i''m also Level Four, some of us just need more experience than others, i''ve found that the benefits outweigh the cost." A part of me appreciated his honest understanding and attempt to cheer me up. The rest of me cringed...would he still say that if he knew I was still Level Two...and that it took me fifteen years of blood sweat and tears just to get there...and all i got for that effort WAS MY HAIR TURNING WHITE! Ryder must have seen something in my face as he let it go and kept walking in companionable silence. I was just starting to get my cheerful mood back when an obnoxious voice cuts through the background chatter of the students filling the hall. "Hey new kid it''s time for round two you jackass!" This is why he shall go down as legend (part 2) MC POV Ya know in hindsight it''s kinda obvious this was going to happen. I mean you have the classic dumb punk that doesn''t learn his lesson and a school that promotes their student NINJAS to attack the new guy as a form of welcome. So it shouldn''t come as a surprise to me that Kade and I are surrounded by six idiots in the hallway and not a single person-student or staff-bats an eye at the obvious fight brewing. Standing in front of me is said idiot although even from here I can see the shining bump on the back of his head...and the front of it where his face must have met the concrete. Apperently the nurses didn''t try too hard patching him up. I try really hard not to laugh...I really do...for all of two seconds. "pffffft hahahaha, Oliver *gasp* what happened *gasp* to your head hahaha!" I didn''t break first, I held strong, no Kade was the one to break first, I crumpled soon after. Suddenly we were bent over laughing with tears in our eyes holding each other up while pointing at what''s-his-face. The first blow came surprisingly without any monologuing. Of course that might have something to due with them not being the ones to make the first move. Still bent over Kyle''s foot lashed out behind him with perfect accuracy taking one of the smaller ones in the groin. I move in the same instant taking Oliver in the chin with a perfect right cross. Pivoting I turn to the goon on the right who I notice has animal claws instead of hands. I take a crisp step forward and raise my right leg before bringing the heel down and across on his right knee. With a swift crack his leg folds and goon 2-as I have so generously named him-goes down like a sack of bricks. I duck intuitively as a large rock covered fist flies through the space my head just vacated. I roll right and turn to face Oliver who has a bit of stone on his chin where I punched him. "Huh and here I thought that punch hurt cuz of your thick skull." Oliver grins condescendingly and breathes in deeply, probably to say something he practiced in the mirror all first period.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I encase my arms and legs in pitch black armor, miasma drifts off my body and trails behind me like the tail of a comet as I shoot forward, Oliver tries to step back while encasing his body in stone. To be honest he probably would have succeeded too.That is if Goon 1-the guy Kade kicked at the start-didn''t slam into Olivers back. Abruptly Oliver is forced a step forward, the surprise also prevents him from completely covering his body, that''s all the opening I need as my armored fist slams into his solar plexus. With a "whoosh" the air fled from his lungs. His legs crumple under him as I step past him, with an almost contemptuous move I backhand his head where the bump I gave stood proudly. I keep walking as Oliver crumples to the ground like a sack of bricks. As I stride forward I see two goons down for the count and two holding onto an obviously broken limb. One is the guy who''s knee I broke. The other has a lizards tail growing from his spine and is sporting a black eye and a broken arm. Unfortunately things don''t stay all sunshine and roses as my gaze lands on the last two of the goons. One of which is holding a barely conscious and heavily bleeding Kade by the throat. This one has a long reptilian tail growning out of his spine. So big brother then, the other goon has a white robe on and is crouched over one of the goons on the floor. Cold fury rushes through my veins and the miasma around me starts to float along the floor like early morning fog. I step forward as my black armor covers me completely from the neck down. It''s lucky it covered me when it did as a bored voice cuts through the conflict. "Hey I''m trying to get to lunch before the lunch line gets to long so could you dumbasses get out of my way?" A second later searing light fills my vision and dimly I can feel my body go flying though the air before I smash through something that slows my fall enough that nothing breaks when my body impacts something that I can only assume is the floor. I really do want to just lay here and wallow in the many pains and my likely missing eyebrows but then that annoying little buzz called my conscience starts to nag at me as I remember Kade who likely doesn''t have any sweet black armor to protect him. And maybe breaking that assholes nose also appeals to meenormously slightly, so I pick my still steaming body up off the floor and walk through the huge hole in the wall I made. As I step out of the hole I notice that some of the students that had been watching the fight were also caught in the blast. As I glance around my eyes land on a single figure. The goofy shirt is actually a little on fire still although there''s so little left of it that it probably doesn''t matter. The owner of that shirt however should really do something about all those serious looking burn marks on his chest. Oh look at that he''s got some ash stuck to his hair...to his white...hair. I''m not sure when it happened but before I knew it the whole hallway floor was obscured by miasma. The degrees dropped far enough that I could see the breath as it left my mouth. Still none of this occupies my attention as I turn to look at the only other person still standing in the hall. His piercing blue eyes watch the miasma around his feet as if looking at a particularly interesting magic trick. However he quickly seems to get bored of it as he continues walking toward the cafeteria. "WheRE dO YOu ThINk YoU ARe GoiNG MOTHERFUCKER" This is why he shall go down as Legend (part 3) A loud boom echoes through the top floor of the school. The sound so loud that even in this school people look up with curiosity. If those people just so happen to be in the cafeteria and they happen to look up then they will be treated to the sight of me go flying over their heads. With a loud crack I land on one of the long wooden tables sending food everywhere. For a moment the whole cafeteria freezes before laughter starts to bubble up and mix with loud conversation. One guy who I think owns the spaghetti in my hair doesn''t seem very impressed with my entrance. "Hey what the hell man, you owe me a new lun-" My fist in his solar plexus takes care of that problem and just in time too. Through the throng of students I see blondie enter the cafeteria. He doesn''t even glance at me he just keeps walking towards the lunch line. "All right then asshole round two." Skeletal hands burst from the miasma coating the ground and drag the rest of their body with them. Without pause all six skeletons sprint straight for blondie. He doesn''t even look up he just raises a hand and let''s heat and light build in his palm. "Sorry but I''ve already seen that trick from you twice." With a boom I jump off the ruined table. Miasma thickly coating my legs I leap so high I could touch the ceiling. Midair I turn so my feet are touching the roof. Bending my knees I pour more miasma into my legs before pushing with all my strength leaving a dent in the ceiling as I plummet straight down on top of blondie. The relaxed demeanor falls away immediately as blondie watches my little acrobatics trick. He''s not slow however and immediately points his hand which now has pure heat and light concentrated in it straight at me. Thankfully that moment of surprise is all I really need. My skeletons still a little to far away to attack all throw their swords the second he turns is eyes up. Noticing this blondie gives up his offensive and does a backwards handspring( okay so I¡¯m not the only acrobat here apparently) but only four of the six swords clang to the ground. Deftly I catch the other two right before I spin with my momentum in midair and land feet first on the ground. The impact is hard enough to shake the whole cafeteria floor. Ignoring the cracked tiles at my feet I burst forward closing the distance between us in a second. Blondie still has that light in his palm and smoothly points it at me, I grin.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With another boom that shakes the cafeteria floor an intense flash of light fills the room for a short moment before disappearing. With a murmur some students and several faculty edge closer to the smoking hole we left in the floor. "Damn I had no idea it hurt that bad." Right in front of me blondie opens his mouth. There are no injuries aside from his ruined shirt. "Well that didn''t work like I planned it." I sit up from where I landed on the ground my armor steaming and uncomfortably hot to be in right now. "No no it was a great idea, my light grenade can''t really damage me but I''m not decked in any cool black armor so between the two of us I''d say I took the worst damage. It''s true that the force of the blast and the fall itself did some damage to him but considering he hasn''t even summoned his Avatar it''s not very encouraging. With a sigh I stand up while trying to dust myself off. Looking around I realize that we''re standing in the choir room...or, you know what''s LEFT of the the choir room. "So what''s your name anyway I''m betting you''re new here or you''d have known better than to attack me. Ignoring him I glance up the hole we left in the floor. Ok those are some very pissed off looking teachers I''m just going to look away now. All of a sudden I realize blondie''s still talking. "Oh the strong and silent type I get ya. Anyways my name''s Pierce-" My fist sails through the air his head just vacated as he smoothly ducks under the punch and keeps talking. "Johnston and I''m one of the eleven Alpha''s here at the school." He sidesteps my kick to his knee joint but has to block my jab and right cross with his arms. Shaking his arms out he backs up a few steps. "Unfortunately I don''t have a Beta just yet, nobody has caught my eye you see. You however have definitely impressed me, whaddya say to teaming up with me?" I blink then blink again then I blink a third time just to justify the first two blinks. "What the hell are you talking about?" His eyebrows raise up in surprise. "Wow you''re really new huh? Okay then here''s the quick run down of things you''ve got your average students the Mobs followed by the Betas who are the right hand man-or woman I don''t discriminate-of one of the Alphas." He pauses to see if I''m following so far but doesn''t pause long enough to actually check. "Next up are the Mini-Bosses we''ve only got seven of those guys but above them are the five Bosses, the bigshots in our little student hierarchy." Here he sweeps his hands out in some kind of grand gesture. "And I want to be the sixth member of that prestigious group, sadly I''m lacking any dependable followers." Here he points at me a wild look in his eyes and a wide grin splitting his face. "And that''s where someone capable like you comes in." I nod slowly as if pondering over what he is saying. "So what about my friend you left smoking in the hallway on your way to lunch?" He plants a fist in his palm like he has just solved some great mystery. "Oh was that lizard guy your pal? My bad, they were beating on that lazy reject Kade but I just wanted to help speed things along a little ya know?" I''m sure he had more to say, and who knows maybe it was something totally reasonable too. I guess I''ll never known since that''s when my skeletons finished getting into position. At once all six leapt down the hole swords pointed at one blonde dumbass. Without looking Pierce raises his right hand and fires a beam of heat and light that directly annihalates my skeletons and singes the eyebrows off one poor girl that got too close bravely trying to get everything on her phone. Thankfully her sacrifice-and more importantly my skeletons-was not in vain. As Pierce lowers his arm he gives me a cocky smirk right in time to meet my armored fist. With an echoing boom he sails through the back wall like it''s made out of paper. "Damn that felt really good." Unfortunately I don''t get very long to enjoy it as a loud roar suddenly echoes from the hole. This is why he shall go down as Legend (final part) BOOM ¡±Jeez how long has that fight been going on now?¡± a balding middle aged teacher said from next to his younger counterpart in the now wrecked cafeteria. ¡±I don¡¯t know but I¡¯m pretty sure the whole reason we built the cafeteria on the third floor was to discourage fights all the way up here.¡± As the younger teacher responded to his seniors remark he unconsciously waves his luscious mane of brown hair behind his shoulder. He fails to notice the murder in his companions eyes. He does notice, however, when an even more handsome man in a lab coat walks in. The mans short blonde hair and bright green eyes complement his appearance and the glasses on his face only seem to make him look more sophisticated. As the younger teacher takes notice of him so does the older one. Immediately he grabs the younger teachers elbow and steers him in the opposite direction without even hesitating. ¡±Stay away from him there is something seriously wrong with that man.¡± As the older man dispenses his advice he unknowingly leads them closer to the hole in the floor of the cafeteria. The younger teacher looks at him skeptically and opens his mouth to say something before glancing at his companions shining head then his own long hair then the handsome mans blonde hair. He opens his mouth with a look on his face like he just had an epiphany. He kept that look until he realized that he was suddenly looking at the ceiling, and it was getting farther away. CRASH Several heads turn to the hole in the floor only to see a middle aged teacher walking away happily while whistling innocently to himself. ¡±Huh, I guess mr. Barnes is in a good mood today.¡± Remarks the blonde man to himself. In the school office: "Hi i''m here to drop off my nephews lunch, silly kid forgot it at home in his rush to get here." The desk lady smiles politely as the exotic looking man that practically reeks of ¡°bad salesman¡± enters the office and drops a delicious smelling brown sack on the table next to the door. "I see well then I will just call his classroom to let him know he can come pick it up what is your sons name?" "Ryley Sturner" The desk lady''s eyes turn into saucers. "Your kid is the one who has been picking fights since he drove up here?" "...what?" The mans polite smile turns a little forced. A loud boom suddenly echoes from deeper in the school. The mans head turns slowly toward the direction the sound came from, after several long seconds the man begins walking slowly in the direction of the sound. Seeing this the desk lady stands up a little alarmed. "Sir, wait, please stop i''m sure it''s just a silly rumor, your child isn''t the one making all that racket, it''s just...tennis practice."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The man stops and glances over his shoulder st her clearly believing her brilliant lie, at least that''s what she desperately told herself until two gossiping girls came walking right into the school clearly very late. "Hey did you here about the new kid that''s fighting one of the Alphas, talk about suicide am I right?" "Yeah I here that he''s already gotten shot through the floor and a couple of classrooms." Suddenly an echoing BOOM interrupts the girls, this one being even louder than the first. "oooooh that has to be them come on I wanna record this newbie getting owned!" The girls run off completely oblivious to the bomb they just dropped in the office, and like nothing happened the man continues walking steadily forward deeper into the school. With a sigh the poor desk lady picks up the phone next to her. "Hello security, we''ve got an issue.¡± In a long forgotten scorched hallway: Useless. Once again I get sidelined just because I don¡¯t have any fucking powers. How many years did I work for it? How many hours of the first twelve years of my life did I spend pushing myself time and time again just so that I could hit level two? I remember how I honestly believed that the long wait just meant that I was special. Of course little me didn¡¯t always think that way, no I had grandpa to thank for that. He pushed me only as hard as I want to be pushed. He pushed until it felt like I would break. And I asked for more. In the end I did it, there was a big celebration and everything, I was so proud of myself my rich parents famous siblings even came down to see me for the first time since the funeral. I still remember the looks on their faces when all I got was a permanent hair dye. Honestly it was almost funny, especially when grandpa picked uncle Roderick up by his pansy ass and showed him the door. Yeah, almost... Damn this sucks. on the second floor: I duck just in time to dodge razor sharp claws aimed for my head and respond with a heavy right hook to the body. My hand bounces off his abs. ¡°Damn what kinda crunches do you do?¡± The beast before me huffs in a way I take as mocking laughter. Honestly I don¡¯t know why I am so calm this is actually pretty scary. Most people don¡¯t have anywhere near this level of destructive capability. But then again most people aren¡¯t clearly pyromaniacs. And this dude is even worse. Before me stood a hulking wolf on two legs. Hard muscle stood out on his body like steel cables. But that¡¯s not actually the worst part. You see he doesn¡¯t have fur. He has fire instead. So in front of me stands a seven foot tall werewolf coated in flames. I was having the time of my life. I deflect a jab from those knife sized claws with a gauntlet covered hand. Even through the ethereal armor I can feel my hand blister from the heat. But I was learning. Every second this fight went on I was adapting and learning better ways to fight. A single flaming palm hovers close to my chest. I can feel the heat rising and know I only have a second to react. If this was just a few hours ago I would have tanked the hit on my armor. If this was a little over an hour ago I would have flooded my torso with miasma to reinforce it. Instead I annihalate all the armor on my upper body. With my weight reduced I push of with my armor clad feet enhanced by miasma I rocket to the left just as a fireball blasts through the space I just occupied with a resounding BOOM. I clad my arms in armor again and use my leftward momentum to do a handspring killing off most of my remaining momentum and allowing me to land on my feet right in front of the wall at the end of the hallway. The beast turns intelligent blue eyes pinning me with their stare. ¡±gosh if you keep looking at me so intensely I might blush.¡± Steam rises from his nose as heat and light start building deep in his throat. ¡±Whoah nice dragon impression ten out of ten.¡± Hah I can see a vein throbbing from all the way down here. Damn this is great! In the school office: ¡°Please sir at least let the disciplinary committee do what their club is made for and make sure those two down destroy any more school property.¡± Within a wonderfully furnished office say dean Rivers and his head of security Ronald. ¡±Oh come on Ron we¡¯re getting a complete refurbishing tonight anyways. What they¡¯re doing now will be impossible tomorrow anyways.¡± Officer Ronald Wendy Mcfrie simply lets out a deep sigh in response. ¡°Besides we quarantined their fight to where the school is empty, the second years are on advisory and the first years have lunch.¡± Ronald wants to make another attempt at stopping this madness but is interrupted by the door slamming open. In the doorway stands his best subordinate and most capable guard. In all his years working with him Ronald had never seen the man get flustered. ¡±Sir there is a salesmen currently making his way though the school and dispatching every security officer who tried to stop him myself included, with all do respect sir I need a raise.¡± Ronald doesn¡¯t even have the energy to sigh anymore. Instead he just wearily turns his head to stare at his boss. He got at least some satisfaction as dean Rivers finally wore a look of nervousness. ¡°Well I¡¯m sure that this is all easily resolved, Ronald please go find mister Sturner and assuage his worries.¡± ...Ronald decides that he really needs a vacation.