I ran out of the building and scaled the nearby news press building. I wanted to shout out and just run away, run away to somewhere dark and quiet, away from the world. Energy popped and discharged around my body, a side effect from The Republic torturing me and from my anxiety.

"He doesn't look that tough." A person said. I spun around and looked at the source of sound. Three kids my age or older circled me, they looked over me for any sign of threat and then stopped. "So, you're the so called new mentor?" The tallest one asked. His body build told me he belonged to the Brawn tree of the academy and he probably had some sort of energy attack as a backup. His Pompadour (Yes an 80's Pompadour) didn't even move when he laughed.

"Get real Brady, this can't be him." Brady looked at a smaller guy, he was skinny and wore a mask over most of his face. My brain said that he was a speedster but except my gut screamed danger. He was an assassin, a dagger hung from his belt and a P99. The third was a girl and not just any girl but Shauna-- but something told me she wasn't all there. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked bruised. Her arm. The arm! My mind screamed. My assumptions were correct, a crude hole rested on her arm. She was injected with some type of drug, narcotics probably. Her arm dripped with blood and her face was bruised.

"What'd you do to her?" Brady chuckled, his pearly whites showing. "We just tested a little something, something. Some doctors know it as a mood manipulation medication but many know it as Blood Red, it can cause extreme aggression and power enhancement. She was very submissive so we didn't have to force her."

"Damn it..." Blood Red is very like LSD,but instead of feeling trippy and happy you get very furious with anything around you and you are much easier to manipulate. "You're no better than the Republic. Drugging people just to serve you and abusing them!" Shauna held her head and crouched, screaming and twitching. She swung at the apprentice assassin and caught him in the jaw with some sort of red energy. The poor kid flew off the roof and luckily landed on a lower building.

https://youtu.be/uS0CNULwuAc

I flicked my fingers in Brady's direction and blasted him into a wall. I turned to Shauna and held up my hands. "Shauna...I'm not the enemy, I just wanna help you." Shauna gripped her arm and backed away.

"Get away! I don't want to hurt you." I sighed and held up my hand, moving her arms to her sides and making her sit down. "Im gonna get help." I pulled out my phone and clicked on Alice's contact name.

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzz. "Hello?" Alice said. "Alice get to the press building, Shauna has been drugged with Blood Red and don't tell anyone." There was the sound of stumbling in the background and a then a yelp.

Clumsy girl

"On my way!" I clicked the hang up button and sighed. I sat down with Shauna and leaned back. "..how are you so strong? You're able to hold me when so many telepaths can hardly move a bale of hay." Shauna was still feeling the effects of the drug but her condition seemed better.

"I'll tell you when you are stronger..." She growled at me. "I mean in willpower and mentally." She relaxed and her expression softened. "Sorry I-I shouldn't have done that or any of this." I released my control and sighed in relief, she was resistant at least. The door to the roof flung open and out came Alice and Grace.

Grace gasped when she saw Shauna's arm and her face. She ran to her and wrapped her arms around her. Alice knelt down next to me and caressed my face, her face filled with concern yet hidden with a smile. "Alice, its ok. I'm staying." She hugged me close and smiled. "I'm glad but I'm more worried about you, so much is already riding on your shoulders and it hasn't been a full day." She wasn't wrong, the sun had only begun to set now.

"Well, a wise man once said that you can't be willing to help if you aren't willing to risk something to do so. Alice, I've seen first hand what these guys can do and if I cannot be willing to risk everything then its hopeless. So what if I'm the main guy on the field, I'll do best till the day where I die or till we win because its all or nothing and if I'm the only hope then so be it, I won't be selfish." Alice grinned and kissed my cheek.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you? Always playing hero." A warm reminder of my childhood flashed in my mind.

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It was in our hometown of Serenity, Florida where Alice and I were walking back home from school when four bullies surrounded us and teased us. One of them slapped Alice and threw her to the ground. Since the town was new and scarce for awhile, no one was nearby to help us and to make matters worse we were on a nature trail because of the scenery and the flowers so almost no one came there.

Alice popped one of them with a weak amount of voltage but enough to run one of them off and I struck one in the stomach, making them fly back at least thirty feet.

The other two retaliated and held me down while the other beat on Alice. I shouted out and released a blast of energy from my body, knocking out my attacker which gave me time to set fire to Alice's bully's pants. The bullies ran off and left us, injured and tired.

I grabbed Alice's hands and helped her up. "You ok, Rosie?" Alice nodded and smiled. I wiped a tear off her face and gave her a hug. Never had I felt so inclined to protect someone in my life other than that one moment, I was always beating up other kids for being mean to others whether they were gifted or human but this time kids had the audacity to touch my friend, Alice Callaway. Alice kissed my cheek,which had me stuttering for awhile, and walked with me home, the sun setting behind us.

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https://youtu.be/xFWLe9_R2Fc

"Lets go, Rosie." I said playfully. Alice kissed me on the cheek and helped carry Shauna through the building and back to our clan house. They set her down on the couch.

"Zack! We need your help!" Grace shouted. About five minutes later, a rather indignant and offended individual leisurely walked out over the railing of the second floor with a book in one hand, he kept reading and toying with his blonde bangs, he wore a white shirt and black cargo pants. "What idiot injured themself this time?" I scoffed and yanked him off the second floor with a jerk of my fist.

"Listen here you piece of trash, get your spoiled behind over to this girl and help out however you can before I singe your fingertips." He nodded and scrambled over to Shauna. Alice lightly tapped me and scowled. "Did you have to do that?" I smirked and shrugged. "Shauna is gonna be fine, correct?" Alice rolled her eyes but grinned slightly.

"How did this happen?" Zack asked me rather firmly. "Her clanmates injected her with Blood Red." I replied cooly. "Grace, who's the nutter?" Grace pinched her nose bridge in annoyance. "This is the new mentor. I suggest you play nice unless you fancy your behind burnt."

"This is going to be marvelous."
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Hello guys, Peter here with a new update. Im gonna be releasing more often and with longer chapters!

Love y'all, PeterAC