“Hey, Louis, is something wrong?” Jake said. “Yeah, you haven't touched your lunch,” Diego said.

  “Just not in the mood. Shit happened again,” I said, taking a sip of coffee.

  I still couldn’t get over last night. Fighting for my life, escaping capture. My parents mercy-kill my brother soon. Joining a villain team, I want to rest.

  “Shut up, Candice. Louis has to do that,” I heard someone say, a table over. I saw Sasha, Candice, and Penelope. We all turned over to Eavesdrop on the conversation. Penelope was another classmate of mine, but she was much nicer than Sasha and Candice. She wore rock band clothing and jeans; her lovely black hair topped it off.

  “Yeah, he has to be Julie’s Butler for two weeks.”

  “I bet Julie will find out he is a pervert, just like Jordan.”

  “I don’t think he is a pervert. He is kind, and kind of...”

  “SHUT UP PENELOPE,”

  I forgot about that bullshit. Now, I’m some slave to Julie. I’m thinking, should I just allow the picture to get out there? But my reputation would tank.

  It is already happening with this complete debacle, but I want to get something on Julie. Sure, petty, but I believe this is what she fucking deserves.

  I saw the three turn towards us. “Hey, what you looking at!!” I heard Sasha say.

  “Can you stop shit-talking me?” I said in anger. “Aw, not my issue. You shit-talked Julie, now she has dirt on you. Womp womp,” I heard Candice say.

  “At least I have balls to shit talk in front of her face,” I said back.

  “Real funny motherfucker. You think you can just walk around here acting all high and mighty with your lazy ass doing nothing. I hope Julie finds out that you’re a lazy bum with no job, no life, and don’t care about anyone,” Sasha said.

  “Ok, Stop. This is getting out of hand,” Penelope said.

  Those words were painful, and I didn’t realize my hand was cracking the table. I got up and walked away.

  “Did you see him crack the table?” I heard from Diego. “So, I wasn’t hallucinating,” Jake said. I took one look back and saw some of the girl’s faces. I put the middle finger up at them.

  I walked out of the cafeteria, and I heard someone. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  I turned around to see my friend and crush, Zenaida. She had brown hair and was wearing a beautiful dress. “Nothing, I’m just going through some things,” I lied.

  “don’t hide it. What happened? What did Julie do?” She said. “No, my little bro. He will be...” I told her, but I couldn’t finish. I walk down the hallway away from her. Trying to avoid people today.

  “Wait, you mean he was going to die?” I heard her say. I didn't look at her today. I didn’t want this conversation to go further.

  I kept walking, then she ran behind my back and hugged me. “Sorry, please just don’t handle this alone.” Why was she persistent about this? I like her, but not right now, when I’m most vulnerable. I don’t want to ask for help, a bad idea, or let her get into this situation.

  “I don’t want to think about it. I’ve other things to worry about,” I said. However, Zenaida wouldn’t let go.

  “Please, just don’t stress yourself. You’re working every night, and now you look like a mess. I’m worried about... you,” she said.

  Ever since two weeks ago, I started just to feel like shit. Less sleep. More coffee. Just. Most villains in high school drop out for the reason of too much shit to do.

  I could feel her hugging me tightly, and people in the hall stared at us. I don’t want this attention.

  “Can you please let me go?” I said. She stopped hugging me.

  “Tell me, for these past few weeks, you have been talking less and less to me,” she said. I couldn’t take it anymore. Why? I had been planning my dropout to help my brother even before I became a villain. I should tell her.

  I turn to look at Zenaida.

  “I am just...” I took a breath to calm myself down. I need to focus on my family, so I’m going to drop out.”

  “What. You can’t. What are you thinking? You can’t be serious.” I heard her say. I didn’t reply. I stood there as if the few seconds felt like a few thousand years.

  “You’re serious,” I heard her say. She wasn’t taking it seriously. “I’m sorry, I’m out of options. My family needs me.” I apologized, and I walked away.

  “You can’t, Louis. They wouldn’t want this.” She said. I don’t care what they want. I want to help them, and if that means sacrificing my education, so be it.

  “Listen, Zenaida. My family is dying. They need me. I don’t even care about education. Why? Because I will be dead!” I said in frustration. I was mad. She was pushing further, like, seriously, I just need a break from this.

  “Don’t even. The heroes can help you. Why don’t you ask them to heal your brother?! Like you being so unreasonable,”

  I broke, couldn’t take anymore. I don’t care if Zenaida never knew. For the last ten years, she has wanted to be a hero. She believed they were all good, but those on top controlled them—the government, and the corporations. I hate all of them, but of what has done to me and others.

  “do you know what it’s like to live in poverty? My family never received help. All the heroes care about are the rich and the government. People and heroes who could have saved my brother, rejected my parents’ efforts, even though my parents worked hard and tried to cure him.

  But no, you need money. Do you know how much a prescription is for a cure for my brother? 200 fucking thousand dollars!!!!”

  I saw her face dripping with tears, but I still kept going.

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  “They barely make 4,000$ a month for rent because of my brother’s medication. I try and try to convince them. I worked from five to eleven at a coffee shop, but ‘oh no,’ a villain attacked and killed my boss and my co-worker. I nearly died without any help, no extra money, no additional benefits.

  ‘they don’t want this, they don’t want this.’ I have been busting my ass for two years, lying about my age. For the need of my family, because if not, my family would be on the street: dead.” I finished with my ragged breathing and noticed many people were looking at us. I saw tears in her eyes on the ground.

  “I’m sorry… I will just leave you alone,” Zenaida said. Then I saw her run off, hearing her cries, and I stood there.

  I regretted it, all of it. Zenaida didn’t deserve that, but she broke my limit.

  “Louis, go to the principal’s office now!!!” I heard the Dean yell as I saw him. Then he told the other teens to go away.

  I strolled, dreading my actions. This would be the first and last time I would go to the principal’s office. Who knows, maybe I would get expelled. That would be the funniest thing that happened all day.

  I walked into the main offices, but no one was there. I sat in a comfortable chair and waited to be called to the office.

  You know some villain or hero throws the car the wrong way, and I could die. I could get kidnapped off the street in broad daylight and never seen again. Hell, some villain could be strolling around and just kill me because they felt like it.

  Now, look at me. The irony is that I am harming other people around me for my benefit, knowing it’s wrong.

  I sat my head down, but before I could sleep, I dreamt away. Then I woke up and called. I entered the office and took a seat.

  “Louis Lopez. Do you know why you’re here?” I heard my principal say.

  “Yes, I made a disturbance in the hallway and yelled at another student,” I said, annoyed.

  “Are you ok, Lopez?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Just need a break.”

  ...

  I went home early. I was now on three-day suspension leave, even though it was a Friday. So basically, nothing. I won’t be coming back, anyway. It’s a bad idea to drop out of a prestigious school, but it needs to be done.

  I mostly hung out in my basement room and refreshed my knowledge about the Bitchgirls. I used to research heroes a lot before the Hero Act made all confidential information about them classified. Villains, however, don’t get that privilege.

  I mostly read through the articles to remember each member I didn’t know, primarily conspiracies or fan art. Cherry Bomb wore this bright purple latex suit with her blond hair like Candice and had the power to explode things. That sounds great if I was dead. Shouldn’t fuck with her.

  Lighting Scabert or Scabert for short. She wore dark purple and black and looked like a rock star. She can create EMPs and mess with electricity. Yeah, no.

  I rest I knew about. Volital, Serpent, Murder Jungle, Animalistic. I closed my computer.

  I inspected my blood intrigue. What is my limit? How far can I push my power?

  …

  It was 10:00 pm when I left my house and this time I came with nothing but my clothes.

  I was outside of some warehouse or something. I noticed there were no lights and no people.

  I entered the warehouse cautiously, looking around to see if someone or something would jump me. I didn’t have night vision, so I prepared my blood coating beforehand.

  The lights came on suddenly, surprising me. The building had an ample open space with some boxes and pillars. What I found the most eye-catching was the Robot in the middle of the space. It was black and blue with a white snake in the middle. The Robot itself looked to have one wheel and a circular rotating orb in the middle, which I assume was for 360-degree rotation. Then I saw it boot up and heard it say.

  “Mission... Eliminate Intruder.” The Robot shot something, and I dodged. I looked back to see an ice pellet. “Serpent's Work.” The White Serpent’s power could create technology involving ice, but she could also make regular tech like the robotic spine fragments that I have right now. Which, to be fair, was better than I imagined.

  I shot a blood arrow at the Robot. I saw the Robot casually slapped away, with blood splattered on the ground and some on its arm. Then, the blood froze on the arm. How annoying.

  The Robot shot more ice balls at me, and I hid behind the pillar to avoid the onslaught. It was like a mini-gun shooting in a Warzone. It soon stopped, and I needed to think of a plan.

  If I thought fast, I would look like Swiss cheese. Then I heard the Robot shooting something. I knew it wasn’t the ice balls, but something else. Then I heard robotic noises. I peeked out behind the pillar, but another ice ball approached me.

  Then, I felt myself getting colder. No, I was almost freezing. Even In my hoodie and sweatpants, I still thought it. If I didn’t end this fast, I would freeze to death.

  So this is what she meant by most men quitting or dying, but about the women, do they do the same thing, or do they get special treatment?

  I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard a wind blast coming from behind me.

  I looked at the floor to see if it was turning into ice, and then I looked around to see if the entire floor was ice. Shit, shit, what do I do? I wouldn’t put myself in this situation. Everything is on the line, and if you beat this challenge, what about the next one and the next? Then on and on. I can’t fail.

  If I could make my blood into a gun, a drill, and armor, I would. I used my blood to create skate shoes, but this wasn’t for the ice. I wasn’t the best at staking, but sometimes, Zenaida and I would skate for fun in winter.

  As the Robot fired at me, I skated out of my hiding spot, blocking it with my blood coating. I made a mini-gun and shot at the Robot, but to my surprise, it created an ice wall. The Blood bullets just made small cracks.

  However, I heard some metal clanging, which meant that some bullets had hit. When I skated around the ice wall, I saw no metal piercings, just minor dents. Then, I saw the Robot shoot another ice wall before me. I stopped my movement, almost falling, and then more ice balls came, which I blocked.

  If this kept dragging on, my blood would freeze on inside, and I would be dead. I looked around, this time for the things he shot out earlier. I saw some stuff on the ceiling producing cold air. They looked like oversized air conditioners.

  I shot at them, but to my dismay, mini ice balls shot from them to intercept my blood pellets. Who the fuck thinks of little things like that? Like, that’s some bullshit.

  Then The Robot charged, pulling out an ice blade, and swung at me. I ducked under it and saw it destroyed the concrete. Then I remembered something. When I was training my powers, I used a sword to cut concrete, and it sliced with ease.

  I deformed the mini-gun and made myself a sword, but I had to dodge another sword strike, which crashed into the building, and saw it stuck. While distracted, I went to the side of the Robot and quickly slashed at it.

  I cut the circular orb section, but then ice froze over it, wasting all my hard work.

  “Shit, I need something,” I said out loud, trying to think how to kill this stupid Robot. My skin nearly froze as I felt my body growing colder and colder. Then I got an idea.

  “HEY! You metal piece of shit, why don’t you start killing me or what you scared!” After I said that, it chases me. I led it towards the pillars. One by one, each pillar was getting destroyed. I didn’t know if it was an AI or someone controlling it. However, the Robot was more reckless as I saw it swinging, and I also had to block some ice balls and even punch through an ice wall.

  Then I heard a sound that could make me smile with malice as I listened to some rumbling noise. I saw the Robot stop. Then I saw the closed door. I quickly punched through it. Then I fell into the grass. I deactivated my blood coating as I felt my skin in freezing pain.

  I zoomed away as fast as I could as I saw the building collapse in front of my eyes. It was loud as fuck, and I felt the ground shaking like an earthquake. The only thing allowing me to see is the moonlight in the sky.

  I turned around and saw the three-story warehouse was nothing but rubble, and then I covered my mouth and eyes as dust and rubble came towards me.

  I don’t know how long it had been, but I saw a white fog when I opened my eyes. I walked near the site where the building once stood.

  I looked around and then heard the worst sound. The Robot.

  Then I saw it as the blue light emulated from its eyes. It looked like it had been shredded into oblivion. It walked clunky.

  I was tired and in a large amount of pain, but not to the extent of yesterday. I outsmarted the Robot, and now it looked so beaten up that I thought it was unusable.

  I knew I couldn’t beat it. It was more challenging than any opponent I had fought so far, but most people would throw a bunch of attacks to hurt it. Then, I realized that was not possible. It could patch itself up with ice. So, it needed to be down in one shot, which is what the building is for.

  I made a blood sword and finished it off by stabbing it in the eye; then I saw it shut off. Then I saw a notification: to go to a location that was four miles away.

  Welp. I passed.