Confrontation

Students were murmuring among each other, some of them sneaked a peek and were pointing at Dexter the next day. He felt uncomfortable with all the attention he's getting.

'Why is everybody acting like that? Did Damian spill the news?'

He got scared, everyone around him looked like wolves cornering their defenseless prey, ready to strike at any moment. He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Ah! Don't hurt me!" he used his bag to shield himself.

"What's the matter with you? I'm not going to hurt you, why would I?" A hand started to peel his shield from his trembling hands.

'Ah, it's just Leo.' He felt safer now.

"There's nothing. Let's go to class."

Leo knew something was definitely up.

During break time after classes, Leo observed everyone talking among themselves. He can eavesdrop on some parts of their conversation.

"Have you heard... He's actually poor!..."

"I know right! They say… Ehh? Is that true…"

He could not stay idle anymore and confronted the group sharing rumours.

"May I know what is happening around here?" he barged into the gossip.

"Eh? Ah, there are people saying that Dexter, the nerd from Year 2 is a beggar. Someone caught him working in a restaurant. Why would he even join us here? What a disgrace to the school! How did he even get in?"

The others nodded in agreement. Leo wasn't too happy about that.

"You should not spread rumours like that without proof. That would tarnish other people's names. Even if he's working, that should be something to be proud of. At least he's working on something. What are all of you doing except using your parent's wealth anyway?"

The group was silenced and they looked down in shame. The silence did not last long as a loudspeaker screech erupted from the school's main gate.

Leo rushed to the window to find out what happened? He saw a guy with red hair holding a loudspeaker, surrounded by a group of delinquents. Curious students were forming a circle around him to check out the commotion. Right in the middle of the circle, there's a boy with a bob cut.

'Is that Dexter?!' Leo quickly rushed to the main gate.

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Damian stood on the back of a pick-up truck as he adjusted the loudspeaker and it gave a loud screeching noise.

"Testing, testing. Hmm," he cleared his throat. "As all of you have heard by now, we have a low class among us." He looked down to the terrified Dexter and smiled. "This person dared to sully the reputation of our prestigious school. If one infiltrates our school, how many more of these maggots will infest us? We should cut it at the bud and make it a lesson for the rest of them if they dared to come in again."

His declaration was met with discussions with some of them nodding among the crowd.

A few members of the crowd started shouting, "Teach him a lesson!", "Do you have no shame?!", "Get him out of here!" The cries started to get louder and louder.

Luna was trapped in the middle of the crowd. She wanted to help but she felt so helpless. "Everyone, can we just have a quiet dialogue?" But her voice was drowned in the clamour of the crowd.

"SILENCE EVERYONE!"

The crowd silenced immediately and started to look around for the owner of the voice.

"Get out of my way... You, move aside... Make way please." Movements were seen in the middle of the crowd until Sylvia emerged from the crowd.

"What do you think you're doing here, Damian? Who gave you the authority to scrutinise another student?" Sylvia demanded. "As a member of the disciplinary committee, I order you to cease this at once."

'Tch, why is she here? This isn't good…'

Damian was about to call it off when some of the delinquents started to challenge her.

"Hey, little girl. You act all high and mighty but can you make us? Bruce Pain is here to entertain you then," one of the brutes entered the circle.

"Guys, wai…" Damian tried to stop the confrontation but he was cut off by another brute.

"I told you, Bruce. I don't like to do this troublesome task. I can't do it... Sigh, alright Clark Kant will join you too since you insisted." He began stretching his shoulders in a circular motion.

Sylvia readied herself in a stance. It would be fairly easy to demobilise both of them but since they're still students, she had to hold back her strength to avoid seriously injuring them. Fighting one twice her size handicapped wasn't a problem for her but two at once could prove a challenge.

Bruce started first by charging at her, with both his hands outstretched to grab her but she managed to dodge by rolling past him.

"Since you attacked me first, I can consider this self-defense right?"

He charged at her in the same manner again, but his untrained sluggish movements were no match for her quick and precise movements. She studied his movements closely during his charges.

'Your right is your dominant leg, huh?'

Due to their difference in size, she kept aiming for the joints such as the back of the knee. Although it did not have an immediate effect, it slowed him down and the eventual damage would demobilise him.

After dozens of strikes to his right knee, Bruce finally knelt his right leg. His face was grimacing in pain and his breath short and heavy.

"I am (in) Pain!" he roared. His roar startled the crowd and everyone froze in their places.

"Oh shut up already. Just admit that you lost to a puny girl. Sigh, how tiresome," Clark interrupted, breaking the spell on the crowd. "I see you're no amateur and you have some experience under your belt. I would not be surprised if a meathead like Bruce lost." He cracked his neck before charging at her.

Sylvia knew that the opponent was experienced and she brought her guard up. It will not be a push-over this time.

His strikes were calculated and countered Sylvia's movements well. He had been studying her movements in her earlier fight. However, Sylvia still had a slight upper hand from her years of experience and training.

The crowd of students initially cheering and making a ruckus during her fight with Bruce were now silent. They were too engrossed in the more complex exchange.

In her peripheral vision, Sylvia sensed someone participating in the fight and narrowly retreated in time. Bruce suddenly joined in with a similar charge.

"Heh, you're having similar problems too," Bruce taunted.

"Shut up! At least I didn't get beat like you! Let's get this over with," Clark wiped the sweat off his face.

"If you say so, big bro."

Bruce, as usual, did a reckless charge but this time Clark was there to compliment him and made up for his weaknesses. Sylvia was forced into the defensive from the relentless assault. Her breath was becoming haggard, battling two of them was taking a toll on her.

She knew that she could not hold for long but she would not withdraw. Withdrawing means conceding defeat and that will allow the delinquents to run rampant in the school. For the sake of her mistress, that cannot happen. She looked at the crowd, nobody was going to help her. She's on her own.

The duo kept on pressing forward and inevitably, the delayed response from her fatigue caused a crack in her defense.

'Oh no!'

She braced for impact but it did not arrive. Surprised, she looked past her raised arms and saw Bruce and Leo on the ground groaning.

"Hey, you kids! What are you doing?! Stop it this instance."

A group of teachers came running over with Luna right beside them. The crowd started dispersing like a swarm of ants to avoid being implicated.

"Damn it, let's get out of here," Clark cursed bitterly and retreated while supporting the limping Bruce with his left arm. They quickly left with the group of delinquents, Damian included.

Sylvia extended her hand to help Leo up. She had bruises and scratches all over her body. Her crisp white uniform now crumpled and stained with dirt.

"Are you ok? At least you have some backbone. I commend you for that," she smiled as she pulled him up. Leo brushed off the dirt from his clothes.

"I'm fine, I guess. Glad I made it in time. You should look at yourself first. You're a mess!"

He looked at his hands covered in dirt.

'I have been negligent in my training. Arthur would be disappointed in me after everything he taught me.'

Dexter shuffled his feet slowly towards them. "I'm really sorry everyone! Everyone got dragged into my problems and even got hurt. I'm really, really sorry!" He apologised as he knelt and lowered his head to the ground. Tears were pooling on his glasses as he felt the weight of his guilt bearing down on him.

"What are you doing? Please stand up!" Leo pulled Dexter up. "Aren't we friends?"

He looked surprised when Leo mentioned 'friend'.

'I'm considered your friend? With me?'

He wiped off his tears but a single tear started to roll down his cheek before bursting like a broken dam. The more he tried to wipe it off, the more he cried.

"Thank you for being my friend!"