Chapter 5

Nathan rushes to the computer room carrying his laptop. Jette and Rey were on their way to the faculty to check what's going on. They notice Nathan running toward them.

"Hey, Nathan did you saw what happened in the faculty room?" Rey asked him by waving him to make himself noticed.

Both of them saw Nathan with a serious face. They got more curious than the faculty room. They both look at each other and agreed to follow Nathan. The chase him.

"Nathan, Wait a sec, Where the hell are you going?" Jette running behind Nathan

"Nathan slow down." Rey also-ran.

The three of them keep on running until Nathan enters a room. Jette looks at the sign above the door saying the computer room. They follow Nathan into the room

Rey catching up his breath " Na-Nathan... Can you wait for us to rest for a bit." Rey still breathing heavily stop when he saw Nathan very serious and opens the computer. he put his laptop open on the side of the table.

the room was empty due to the fact it was lunch break and with the commotion on the faculty room, the people started to crowd on the front of the building. Jette still catching up with his breath, he immediately goes to Nathan to check what's the problem. Jette first looks at Nathan but he didn't continue to ask him instead he looks at his laptop and saw a man busy typing on a holographic keyboard, busy coding.

Jette cannot comprehend what he saw thus he thinks that it was just a program or animation that looks like a man is typing a code. Jette couldn't understand the code, he calls Rey who was sitting on a chair, resting.

"Rey, take a look at this. I'm dumb with this kind of stuff!?" shouted at Rey because he is pissed just looking at the code just popping up fast.

"what the hell!" Nathan was shocked from Jette shout

Jette and Rey were also shocked by the scream of Nathan. Jette thought it was the opportunity to ask Nathan what happened. "Nathan, what happened?" Jette ask

"I don't have time to explain but Mary and Jannah are in danger." goes back to his computer waiting to open.

"What do you mean in danger? aren't they just fighting at each other?"

Nathan was about to answer Jette's question when he stops midway and finds the application that can start to code. Nathan began typing fast. Jette didn't grasp the whole situation he then looks at Rey who was still sitting on the chair, busy looking on his phone. Jette waves at Rey to come to him.

"Why did you call me?" Rey asking for Jette. Jette just points to Nathan. Rey just gives an annoyed look at Jette and Jette also gives an angry look, ready to beat up someone. Rey just calmly accepts the request of Jette and looks at what is Nathan doing.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rey looks at the coding of Nathan. "Isn't this a code to hack something."

"what do you mean?" Jette ask again

"It directed to the address on the faculty. But I don't know why he is hacking there."

Jette and Rey keep talking on why Nathan is hacking the Faculty I.P. address. Until one of their classmates notices them in the computer room. "Guys the teachers need help to open the shutter!"

"what shutter?" Jette asks

"wait, you didn't hear the news."

In a tall building. In a dark apartment, only a dim light coming from the computer lightens the room A mysterious guy, eating his chips while looking at the comment section of a post. with the smoke of a cigarette on the ashtray, making the room a little foggy. He then receives a notification on his computer.

Your bot has been destroyed by an unknown person on this address. that was written on the notification. "what do we have here." the guy put his chip and put his cigarette on his mouth. he was about to click the application until another notification pops up.

Two bots have been destroyed completely.

"shit, this guy started to massacre my carefully crafted babies." the guy snaps his finger, and begun to type on his keyboard. "well isn't it the address of Mr. Reyes school. Didn't it was the school that I just hacked a while ago?"

the mysterious man started to retaliate on the guys whose hacking on his computer. another notification again pops up with the same sentence. the guys began typing super fast and open another application to help him hack the other person. Another notification pops up again. "It's impossible. did the authorities already at the school. Didn't it just a simple high school. How the hell this guy destroying my bots."

on the campus. Nathan still busy hacking on the shutter while Rey and Jette just received the news about Mary and Jannah. Their classmate explains the whole situation. "I gotta go. I still need to help the teachers to bust open the shutter."

Their classmate went on. "Don't tell me. Nathan who making code is to hack the shutter's system." Rey immediately goes to Nathan to help him. but he didn't still know how to hack.

"Damn it...! I can't do a single thing..."

"Brat, I'm already connected on Jannah's phone, you can talk to her." the weird A.I. speaks in the quiet room.

Rey and Jette heard the voice, looking for it where it came from but they didn't find someone.

"where the hell was that noise?" Rey looking around

"Enough of that. We should call the authorities." Jette grabs his phone in his pocket and starts calling the police.

It keeps on ringing but didn't reach the police. "what the hell is going on!?" Jette tried again but it didn't reach. the teachers on the faculty office tried to call the authorities but it didn't reach them but they still keep on calling, reaching the hope that it would reach the police.

"Hey Jannah, can you hear me?" Nathan low static voice

"Nathan...? please help us..." Jannah crying on the phone "Mary is in danger."

"I know... Is the room dark?"

"Yeah, but my eyes already adjusted to the dark."

"Okay, I'm gonna tell you what to do, so be sure to listen carefully." Jannah wiping her tears while talking on the phone.

Mary who was choked, hanging on air by the hand of Mr. Reyes. Mary trying best, punching the arm and kicking the body of Mr. Reyes, trying to getaway. "How many to you punch my arm. you won't get away from this. So instead, start your prayer because you're going to need it."

Mary couldn't speak due to the choke and still punching the arm of Mr. Reyes. Until losing her strength from the choke. her consciousness is slowly fading away. suddenly, A vase was thrown on the back of Mr. Reyes. "who the hell interrupted my joy?" Mr. Reyes looks to the place where the Vase comes from.

A sudden switch on the lights made Mr. Reyes go blind for a sec. Jannah rushes towards Mr. Reyes and thrust her phone on his neck, electrocuting him. Mr. Reyes loses his grip on Mary's neck, releasing Mary from the choke. Mary took this chance to kick on the back of the head of Mr. Reyes. "Knocked down you freak!" the kick of Mary was strong enough to hinder him for a sec, kneeling on the ground with his hand on the back of the head. " You little shits...! Run if you can...!"

Mary's knees give out and unwillingly sits down on the floor, coughing, catching up her breath. Jannah rushes to Mary to help. " Argh...!" Mr. Reyes is standing up slowly from his sheer will and his shout vibrated the shutter of the room.

"the shutter is now open! Girls are you okay...!?" A shouting voice was heard from the opened shutter.

Jannah helped mary stand up and saw a light from an opened shutter. they slowly walk towards it.

Mr. Reyes standing up straight but the damage he took from the electrocution and kicked made his vision wobbly and walking stagger, chasing the two girls. "You won't escape from me...!" Mr. Reyes is slowly recovering, his stagger walks slowly turning to run.

Jannah and Mary got out of the building, the teacher and students help them. They heard the shout of Mr. Reyes and saw a figure running towards them in the dark. They prepared themselves to fight the enrage, Mr. Reyes until the shutter closes down. It trapped Mr. Reyes. He punched the shutter a couple of times making a fist formation on it.

the loud crash of the shutter made the student who was watching the situation quietly, until a siren of the police coming heard. the crash sound slowly disappears.

"Are you both okay?" Mr. Art checks on his two student

Mary who was holding on his consciousness, fell asleep because they felt relieved from the people who saved them in front of the building. "Is mary okay?" Jannah talking on a scared tone until she saw the sleeping face of mary, she then falls asleep.

in the hospital, Jannah was sleeping comfortably until her face changed. Sweat was falling from his forehead and her eyeball keep twitching. she was deep in sleep until a nightmare came.

"Jannah please help me..." Mary's voice echoed, with a sad face.

"She's gonna die...!" Mr. Reyes crushing the neck of Mary slowly until a big snap was heard

"No...!" Jannah shouted

Jannah woke up from his hospital bed. Breathing heavily, looking on his front, thought to herself that it that the place is different. She then looks around. when she remembers the dangerous situation, she can't seem to calm down, as if she was looking for someone until she saw Mary sleeping beside her in another hospital bed.

She then calms herself and let herself fall down on his bed, staring on the ceiling. The nurse who was taking care of them arrives a couple of seconds. she made a call on the doctor that the patient was already awake.

and after a couple of minutes, Jannah's parents arrived, crying. "Are you okay?" Her father checking all over her body. "I'm fine dad." Jannah was hurting from the grab of his dad but she felt the shaking hands of his father. her tears slowly falling on her cheeks.

"Jannah, is everything alright? are you hurt somewhere?" Her mom checking on her also, can't help her mom's tears also falling. "doc, is there anything wrong with her?" His dad asked the Doctor of Jannah. "She's in great shape but still needs time to recover from the stress."

Both of her parents look at her again, with a worried face" I'm alright..." Jannah gives them a big smile while her tears slowly fade away.

Both of his parents felt relieved and they felt that something big clinging on their chest was gone. Jannah saw the gratefull eyes and face of her parents, can't help to cry again.

After talking for a while with her parents. Jannah was worried about his friend. " Doc, Is my friend alright?"

"She is alright but she also needs a lot of rest. her throat will be hoarse for the time being but it will be gone in no time. She will be waking up in a couple of minutes." Mary is waking up, begun to stretch and yawning. " Are you okay Mrs. Saranillo? I've already called your parents and they're on their way." the sudden talk of the doctor made Mary surprised and throws a punch hitting the face of the doctor

"I'm really sorry..." Mary talking in a hoarse voice. Mary has taken notice of this. "what happened to my voice?"

"It's completely fine. It's because of the crushing of your voice box but it will completely heal for a couple of weeks. You just need to hinder yourself from extensive shouting that could hurt your voice and the rest is fine." Doctor talking while looking at his papers. "By the way, I still need to talk with your parents regarding your admittance to this hospital."

"argh..." Mary's head hurts a little bit and a couple of minutes, she then remembers what happened to her. "Is my friend alright?" grabbed the doctor's medical coat, talking on a tiny hoarse voice. Mary looking worried as she remembered the situation with Mr. Reyes. She can't help herself calm down. The doctor didn't hear what Mary said, he just guessed by Mary worried face and the situation she's in.

"Your friend is alright and you just didn't notice she's beside you." Mary looks at her side and saw her best friend. She looks embarrassed with her best friend and her parents looking at her. She just slowly lay down her bed. Until a police siren was heard coming towards them. Slowly increasing it's volume and stops near the hospital building.

"Dear, look outside the window, Did you see what happened?" Jannah's mom grabbed the hand of Jannah making sure she is safe. "there's no problem from what I can see?" looking around.

A shouting voice was heard in the hallway slowly coming to the room where Jannah and Mary reside. Mary's palm face embarrassment due to the fact that she knows that voice.

"Mary!" Sudden slams opened the door and a sweating police officer, chasing his breath. Jannah's dad goest to him angrily. " What the hell are you doing? You're disrupting the rest of my daughter." pointing his finger touching the wet shirt of the police.

"He's my dad!" Mary trying hard just to be heard. Jannah notices it. "Did you say he's your dad!?" Jannah's dad stopped his rant on the police officer when he heard it.

"I am very sorry for my actions a while ago." Mary's dad gracefully bowed his head. "You don't have to do that. I'm also sorry for my rant on you."

Mary's dad remembers his intention, he then rushes towards her. "are you okay my little sweetheart?" grabs the hand of Mary and gently stroke her head. "didn't I tell you not to call me by that name in public!" small hoarse voice comes out on Mary's mouth, punching the face of her father.

"You shouldn't shout Mary! you're are still pretty hurt." Jannah cute angry voice "Isn't our little angel is cute...?" Jannah's father looking like a maiden in love with his hand supporting his head. "yes she is." Also the same with Jannah's father.

"could you stop that?"

"haha, are you just the same with me?" Jannah's couldn't hear Mary but her gesture that laughing, made think that she was mocking her. "If you're like that, I won't talk to you." Jannah pouts his face.

The statement of Jannah that she won't talk to Mary just broke something important on mary's heart. "Not just that..." Mary begged Jannah. "hahaha..." Both of them just laugh at their idiot conversation.

"Sorry to interrupt you good conversation but it seems you are fine." Mary's father talking seriously. "I'm going now to my work, I just slip away when my superior when he's busy with the aftermath of the situation on your school."

Mary remembers Mr. Reyes and was curious about what happened to him. She was knocked unconscious didn't remember what happens after Jannah help her walk toward the opened shutter. "Pa, what happens to Mr. Reyes?"

"If you're looking for the guy, he's already gone when we arrive. There was another shutter that was opened and apparently left the scene going there and his name is not Mr. Reyes. It's Francisco, he's a notorious criminal who's on the run after he successfully escapes from the prison. He's record is mostly murder and his hacker on his back made him impossible to find due to the constant change of name and address..." Mary's father stopped midway when he looks at the wall clock.

"I've gotta go now..."

after what her father said Mary felt scared to the fact that no one notice is that their kind teacher was a killer after all. Jannah just covered her mouth from her shock to the real identity of the teacher. Jannah's father goes outside of the room with anger on his face. Her mom soon follows him. "where are you going dear?" stops Jannah's father from his tracks. "I'm going to the police station and make a complaint."

Mrs. Silverio, which is Jannah's mom didn't stop him, she just looks at him walk away on the hallway. She just went back to Jannah's room to look after them.

On the school, the class was suspended and the police began their investigation of the situation. The police began interrogating the teacher one by one. Nathan and the others just look at the scene while drinking their drinks.

"I can't believe that it just happened so fast in our school." Rey sits down on the bench on the front of the faculty building but far enough to stay away from the work of the police. "If my call didn't reach the police station, I don't know if Jannah and Mary would be in different situations."

A couple of hours ago.

"Why my call can't reach the police...! It just rings...!" Jette calls back again the police hotline.

"I'll try to help bust open the shutter..." Rey just rushes to the faculty.

Nathan was busy typing to hack on the shutter system. "Hey, brat...? you can't connect to police hotline...? I've just heard it from your friend on the phone." The A.I. busy typing some codes

"Yeah... can you do something about it?" Nathan busy typing on the computer laptop and didn't bother to look at the weird A.I. " I could do something about it but the one who hacked the shutter is defending himself from hacking. I don't have room for hacking on the cellphone line. You just need to break your capabilities on the coding department right now."

"I'll head outside Nathan to get a better connection." Jette left the room leaving Nathan

The A.I is busy typing while Nathan is slowing down his pace on typing the code. He was scared that if he fails to hack the cellphone connection there would be no police who would arrive to help. Nathan is confused, it could visibly saw on his face the worries and fear of failure. eventually, he stops typing, his hands are shaking.

"I don't have still the skills to hack on a system let alone a cellphone line. If I fail my classmate will die..." Nathan thinks to himself

"Snap out of it Nathan! If you don't do it now. Your classmate will be gone now!" The A.I shouted at Nathan.

Nathan slowly regains himself as he starts again to type the codes unto the computer. Regaining his focus and started to multi-task on hacking the shutter system and the cellphone line.

Jette goes out of the campus to get a better connection. "Please... Please... Please connect..." but it still didn't connect to the Police.

A man was approaching Jette carrying a sling bag. he was pretty depressed, face glooms and he let out a huge sigh. He grabs his wallet and looks at his remaining money. when he grabs a bill a sudden gust of wind and flew towards the Jette who busy on his phone.

"Oh no... That's my money" He dives himself to catch in the air. When he grabs it in the air, he didn't notice Jette in his front of him. headbutting him in the stomach.

"Oof...!" Jette immediately lay down on the floor from the pain. while the man slides his face on the ground, grinding it.

"are you okay?" The man immediately goes to Jette to look if he's fine.

while Jette was agonizing the pain, he toughs it up, stands up and trying to call again the police hotline. "argh! why I can't connect to the police hotline." goes back to call on the police hotline and didn't get connected again. "what's wrong with the signal in this place. It should be high but now it so low."

"wait, what do you mean?" The man grabs his phone and looks at the signal strength. " I've been walking around this corner but the signal wasn't this weak."

After a couple of phone calls, it still didn't reach the police. "by the way, why are you calling for the police hotline? Shouldn't you be inside the school? it's should be school hours right now." man tries to help him by calling also the Police. "Maybe something wrong with this place signal strength. There is only one signal here in this place. Maybe I should check it." The man grabs a laptop on his sling bag and tried to enter the signal tower.

"What the... Someone just hacks the tower system without the authorities noticing causing it with the slow and low signal connection." The man keeps typing on his laptop while Jette notices the man keep typing but he didn't pry the man instead he keeps trying to reach the police.

A couple of minutes have passed, the phone call of Jette finally reach the police.

"It's the police department, what is your emergency?" a female voice was heard.

When Jette heard the word police. His happiness cannot contain anymore. It exploded and reply "YES!" A loud yes was heard by the policewoman who was on the call. "Is this a prank? I'm going to end the call." The policewoman ends the call.

Jette called back to the policewoman. "wait, wait, wait... I'm not pranking you. we need some help here at our school. One of our teachers just go berserk and held two of my classmates inside the building. We need real help right now." Jette explaining the situation, due to his panicking. The police didn't get the point of the call, she just acts that she will send a team there.

A couple more minutes, the police didn't come. Jette was waiting for the police but they didn't respond. He tried to make another phone call, it reaches to them but didn't pick it up. Instead an ambulance arrives at school.

"What happened at the school? why is there an ambulance? wait a minute, why did you call the police in the first place" The man didn't think why the kid keeps calling on the police.

Jette explains the situation. " why the heck am I explaining it to you...!?" shouted at the guy.

"then why the hell did you explain it to me in the first place?"

A muffled ringtone was heard. both of them look around for a phone until the man notices it was his phone. There were 10 miscall already. "Oh shit... I'm going to die if I stay here anymore longer." the man rushes and stops more than 5 meters away from Jette.

the man remembers the face was similar to his friend. "by the way, what's your name kid?" the man jogs in place.

"It's Jette, Jette V. Bantilan..."

The man just smiles when he heard the full name of Jette "what a coincidence... I already help you... there's no need for me to fix your phone for you..." the man left. Jette didn't get what the man said but the time when he looks at his phone, it was full of cracks.

"WHAT THE FUCK OLD MAN!?" by the time he looks again, the man was already gone but he notices something weird on the statement of the man. he already helped him. "Don't tell me he hack the tower just to help me..."

the man was waiting for the people rescued the students who were trapped. Luckily they are not injured and didn't notice the time

Inside the police building, the policewoman. " That damn kid, Did he think that I don't know that I was pranked. Too bad, he's facing a mighty force of justice. " eating his chips while doing some work in the files.

"aren't you supposed to make that call. It keeps on ringing." one of her coworkers who works beside her. her superior keenly watching them at the back, looking down on their work. until the coworker phone hotline ring. It was the same location as a call on the policewoman a minute ago.

"Sir, we have an emergency. There is an accident happen in a high school. isn't it a phone call from you sis?" the coworker talks to the policewoman.

"Enough with the chitchat, calls for the police who are around right now and dispatch to the school. You should call also Mr. Saranillo. His daughter is in that place. He could get some valuable information with his connection on the school." the superior talking in a domineering voice.

"You... into my office right now. we have things to discuss." the superior point on the policewoman. "You call yourself a mighty force of justice. Can't even discern calls." he talks while he goes out of the room.

"I'm so dead..." the coworker and the policewoman stare at each other.

The ambulance was first to arrive. The police team and Mary's father only saw an ambulance came from the direction towards the school. they thought it was a small situation. they've arrived at the scene. They started to investigate and apprehend the culprit but by the time they open the shutter again. the culprit was gone, a shutter was open on the backdoor.

"So what really happened here, sir?" Mr. Saranillo asks Mr. Art what happened.

The teacher explains all the situation until he told that there were 2 female students was locked up inside with the culprit. Just to be sure on Mr. Saranillo's side. He asks what is the name of the student.

When Mr. Saranillo heard the name of his daughter he immediately runs towards the police vehicle and drove as fast as he can towards the hospital.

one of the member of the team that arrived at the scene noticed that one of them was gone. He then goes to Mr. Art. "where is the one that interviewed you?"

"He goes on with his face feel with wrath and worried when I said that one of my students got hurt. Her name is Mary J. Saranillo."

The policeman just let out a big sigh. "I hope this case just ends here." The man goes back to his work and investigate.

It was already late in the afternoon, the sun is slowly sinking down on the horizon as the color of the sky turns into an orange. Nathan already arrives at his house laying on his bed. It was still blackout.

His hand was still shaking from the extensive typing to hack the shutter's system and cellphone line. he couldn't believe that he just saved the life of his classmate. he then thought to himself that he wants to brag it to the A.I.

He goes on his bag to check his laptop. when he grabbed the bag. It was hot that he almost drops it. luckily he's reflex was fast enough to grab the bag. he grabs it tightly to his chest and let out a big sigh. He doesn't notice that it was hot and drop it again but this time he doesn't have time to grab it.

He uses his feet to make the fall much slower and safer but the heaviness of the bag hit the feet of Nathan but it wasn't just feet. It was the corner of the bag where also the corner of the laptop hit the toe.

His shout was so loud that his neighbor also heard it. His mom rushes to him and knocks on the door. "Are you okay there, Nathan?"

"argh... I'm fine." Nathan forcing his voice that he was fine. His mom left, he wanted to shout the pain and thought to scream with a pillow on his mouth. "Damn it!" muffled shout

He opens the laptop "what the heck are you doing? I only have a small battery left on the computer and you dare to exhaust it!" The A.I. shouted at Nathan.

"can you tone it down, my mom gonna hear us. It so quiet."

"kay, fine... so what do you want?" sit on the floor inside the monitor

"Did I just really hack both the cellphone line and the shutter's system? if that's the case I'm a genius."

"Nah... you just hack the shutter's system only." The A.I. yawn while talking he was tired that he had to hack and defend at the same time.

"what do you mean the shutter's system only. Didn't I just hack the cellphone line?" Nathan was confused.

"You didn't hack the cellphone signal. there was someone who helps us hack the signal. I know that guy because I saw the way the code structured."

"wait, you know the guy?"

"No..."

"what the heck is wrong with you..."

"but just call me when you need me... The battery is precious for me. last thing before I go. Mr. Reyes didn't wasn't caught by the police."

"Wait. what?" Nathan was shocked that Mr. Reyes is still on the loose.

"when they were still opening the shutter. Mr. Reyes was already gone, escaping from the back door."

"Didn't I hack it already..."

"it's not that simple, there was still some bot left in the Faculty server, an enemy hacker manages to hack one of the shutters making Mr. Reyes escape."

"He's still on the loose... what if he assaults another innocent victim by what I think from Mr. Reyes's action, that he can kill you in any given moment."

"But don't worry, I already know where he should go."

"but how... you were busy defending on the enemy hacker."

the A.I. laughs on his own, showing some docs file on his hand. "I won't let them get away."