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The walk to the principal’s office felt like an eternity—a slow, dragging march where every step echoed with tension, unspoken accusations, and the faint scent of blood clinging to the air. The group moved in an uneven line, each of them processing what had just happened in the cafeteria in their own way.

At the front, Green walked like he was leading a damn victory parade, his heads held high, shoulders squared, still riding the adrenaline high from the fight. He wasn't ashamed, not even a little. If anything, he seemed proud of the chaos they'd left behind. Behind them, Red and Second walked with heavier steps, their bodies stiff, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. And at the very back were the two boys— the other still in the nurse's office— who had started this whole mess, still smirking like they had somehow won.

And then there was Purple.

Purple trudged along, arms crossed over his chest, a look of pure exasperation twisting his face. His eyes darted between his friends, brain still trying to process how exactly he had ended up being lumped into this disaster.

"I don't get it". Purple muttered loudly, throwing his hands in the air. "Why am I being dragged into this? I didn't throw a single punch! I didn't even stand close enough to catch one!".

"Because you were there and you're their friends". The teacher said sharply without even glancing back.

"Standing there is illegal now? Great. Guess I'll just hover above the cafeteria like a ghost next time!".

"You probably got dragged in because of your face". Green called back over his shoulder, his voice laced with amusement.

"What's wrong with my face?". Purple snapped.

"It exists".

He said with a snicker, his smirk widening as Purple made a choked noise, his face twisting like he was seriously considering throwing himself out of the nearest window. Red, walking beside them, was laughing quietly at the exchange, but his amusement was cut short when Second's voice broke through, sharp with concern.

"Holly fuck. Red, you're bleeding!".

Second's sharp voice cut through the air like a blade, snapping the group's attention away from their banter. His eyes were locked onto Red's arm, his body tensing with barely restrained concern. Small droplets of blood splattered onto the white tiles, trailing down from Red's wrist in a slow, steady rhythm.

Red blinked, caught off guard. Bleeding? But then he looked down at his sleeve, where blood had started to soak through.

"Oh". He said simply. "Guess I am".

"Guess you are?! What—Red, let me see". Second said, his tone sharp and a bit mad.

Red instinctively pulled his arm back, his body stiffening. Panic flashed in his eyes—whatever Second was about to do, he knew it would reveal something he had no intention of showing. But Second was faster, grabbing his wrist then pulling up the sleeve and exposing the scars lining his forearm. The scars were unmistakable—jagged lines criss crossing Red's arm, some faint, others deep. One of the older scars had reopened, the fresh blood dripping steadily onto the floor.

"Red…What. The. Hell?". Green's expression darkened when he saw them, just as everyone else.

No. Not here. Not now!

Red's face had gone pale. He could feel their eyes burning into him—taking in every line and every scar. Without a word, he yanked his arm back, pulling his sleeve down so fast it was almost frantic. He turned slightly away from them, shoulders curling inward, his jaw tightening as he forced himself to act unaffected.

"It doesn't matter, really… can we just go?". He muttered under his breath, his other hand gripping the blood-soaked sleeve.

"No". Second snapped, his voice sharp and furious. Red looked up at him confusedly, he never once heard Second's voice like that. At least not to him.

"It does matter. How... Who hurt you?". He asked again more firmly, taking one more step towards Red. Even Green, who usually stayed out of these things, stepped closer.

"We're not letting this go, Red. Tell us".

Red looked at them—Green, Second, standing around him and demanding answers. Answers that Red himself wished to forget, wished to never have to deal with them again, to one day wake up and find those ugly scars gone for good. He couldn't bring himself to say it, not here at least.

Before Red could answer—

Laughter.

Low. Mocking.

"Wow. That's a lot of damage. What'd you do to deserve that, huh? Bet someone had fun carving you up". He sneered, his tone dripping with mockery, taking everyone's attention.

Something inside Red cracked.

He stared at the boy, the words hitting him like a punch to the gut. His chest tightened, and for the first time, he couldn't think of a single comeback. But the boy sure had more to add to make Red feel even more miserable.

"Guess you're used to people grabbing you. Bet you didn't even feel it. Or maybe you did and liked it. Some people are just born to be—".

The words never finished.

Before Red could even react, Second was already moving, his body a blur of rage-fueled instinct. He slammed into the boy with such force that the lockers behind him rattled violently, the metal groaning under the sudden impact. His usually vibrant green eyes glowed with something unnatural, something dangerous.

"Oh, we're doing this again?". Green said, cracking his knuckles. "Don't mind if I do".

Green didn't hesitate. With a grin that was equal parts rage and satisfaction, he dove in as well, landing a solid punch to the boy's stomach.

Purple, meanwhile, threw his hands in the air as he watched his friends turn the school's hallway to a wrestling ring.

"For the love of— CAN'T WE GO FIVE MINUTES WITHOUT VIOLENCE?!".

The teachers, now in full panic mode, rushed in, shouting over the noise, scrambling to pull the boys apart without getting hit themselves as some students came rushing to see and, either gasped in horror or cheered at the unexpected hallway brawl.

But Second barely registered the shouting. He had the boy on the floor now, his knee pressing down on his chest, his voice dangerously low.

"You think you're funny? Say something like that again, and I'll show you what real pain feels like".

And the terrifying part? He meant it.

Amid the chaos, Red stood frozen, his arm still throbbing, his heart racing from the boy's words, the shock still gripped his body. But as he looked at Second, his fists flying with pure fury, something in Red shifted. If he doesn't do anything, all of them would get in real trouble, even expelled. He didn't want that to happen, especially not to his friends. He had to do something!

"Second, stop!". Red shouted, finally rushing forward and grabbing Second's arm just as he swung again, pulling him back.

"You're going to get expelled!".

"He deserves it!". Second shouted back, his voice breaking as he tried pulling his arm back without hurting Red.

"It's not worth it and you know that. Just let go". Red said firmly, but to his surprise, all Second did was chuckle darkly and turn to look at Red, who barely had time to react as Second's glowing eyes locked onto him, emerald-green burning like a wildfire, like something ancient, something not entirely human.

"Oh, trust me. It is".

Red was stunned, his grip on Second's arm loosened up a bit and it was enough for Second to continue beating the ever living hell out of the boy. Eventually, it took three teachers to hold Second back, as Green was pulled away by Purple, but the boy didn't seem fazed. If anything, he looked amused, wiping the blood from his lip as he laughed.

"What's the matter? Did I hit a nerve?". He said, looking straight to Second.

"I said, enough!”. The teacher said, now glaring at the boy with warning eyes. Of course, Second heard him and tried to shoved his way past a teacher, his face twisted with rage.

"Say one more thing, I dare you!".

The teachers struggled to restrain them all, forcing Green and Second to step back. But the boy wasn't done. He turned his attention to Red, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement and Red tried hard not to flinch.

"Let me guess. Daddy dearest, huh? Bet he was really proud of his handiwork. Maybe next time, your old man should aim a little higher".

Red didn't move. He didn't breathe. For a moment, everything around him blurred. His mind replayed the boy's words, and his stomach churned. He couldn't shake the cold truth: none of them knew it was his father who had done this to him. So how does this one know? His heart pounded as he stared at the boy, unable to speak.

Second and Green lunged again, shouting curses, but this time the teachers were quicker, holding them back before they could get close.

"You're done for, ya hear me!". Green shouted, his voice cracking.

But Red… Red had enough.

Before anyone could react, he stepped forward, his movements sharp and precise. With a quick twist, he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, his foot slamming into the boy's chest and knocking him to the ground with a loud thud.

The bully let out a pained groan, his hand clamping down on his bruised ribs as he stared up at Red with a mix of shock and seething anger

The hallway went silent.

A few feet away, Purple blinked slowly, his eyes momentarily wide before– as if on cue, let our a low whistle—a sound both incredulous and impressed.

"Well, damn. Red just went full Bruce Lee. Didn’t know you had that in you".

"Neither did I". His voice carried a subdued awe, his gaze still fixed on the injured boy sprawled on the floor, though his expression had shifted from anger to a calm, almost detached curiosity.

"I mean, I knew he was tough. But this? This is next-level badassery". Purple murmured, drawling with a lopsided grin that spread slowly across his face.

"Purple, shut up". Green said, though there was no real anger in his voice, but it only made Purple continue like he heard nothing.

"Oh, come on. You've got to admit, that was awesome!".

Meanwhile, the teachers—still recovering from their own shock at the unfolding spectacle—rushed forward in a flurry of orders and hurried steps. Their voices, rising above the lingering silence, commanded the students as they dragged the battered bully to his feet. At the same time, that same teacher glare swept across the group like a cold, measuring force. His eyes landed on Red, whose demeanor had transformed during the melee; where once he had appeared frightened or anxious, now he exuded a detached, almost icy composure.

"Everyone to the principal's office. Now! No more fights, you hear me?!". He yelled at them, mainly to Red, who rolled his eyes and walked. Green, as well, rolled his eyes in annoyance, his face masking a ‘shut the fuck up’ feature as they started walking next to Red. Not to be left behind, Purple picked up his pace and hurried to catch up. Leaning in close, he whispered conspiratorially into Red’s ear, his breath warm against the cool air of the corridor,

"You know, if this whole high school thing doesn't work out, you've got a real future as a vigilante. Just saying".

Green was about to shove Purple and scold him again, but then they saw how Red, despite everything that had happened, was giggling softly. His cheeks were getting rosy, the blood dripping now forgotten, and his eyes were a little watery. They couldn't tell if he was really laughing or just losing it. The group stopped, glancing at him. For a moment, they all just stared at each other, then slowly, one by one, they smiled warmly.

"We're asking him later". Second whispered next to Green, making sure that Red wasn't listening to them and instead listening to Purple's nonsense.

"Yeah. Definitely". Green nodded.

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(Annnd, done! What do you think? The chapter 'Exposing The Ugly' might be the longest chapter to write, it freaking took 3 parts!
It was slow, I'm aware of that, but I was thinking of making things a bit faster, especially between those two. But I guess I'm making progress because they finally know about Red's scars, all we need to do is make Reddy confess and Ta-da!!

Hope you enjoyed reading and see you next time, friends).