Chapter 4

The next day...

Ray, Caitlin, and Nikolai walked back into the class the next morning. There was not much to say about the beginning of this new day, as they had resolved not to talk about the kidnapping incident to anyone else in the school. The three of them, after all, were the only Mutts in there. At least, that was as far as they knew. There could be more of them, hiding their abilities from everyone else in an effort to live a normal life. Or, they just didn't know that they were Neu-Volke, and were yet to manifest any kind of power.

Either way, there was one notable difference about them right now. Every day from now on, a pair of suited bodyguards would be waiting outside the school gate with a black SUV that also had bulletproof glass. Caitlin's mom was taking every necessary precaution in order to ensure that her daughter and her friends don't get carted off by some mystery men for experimentation. There were going to be paid agents watching them from afar, acting as distant protectors that would spring into action should there be another incident. These agents are going to be inserted along the way, disguising themselves as simple janitors and passersby that sipped on Starbucks. This last part was not disclosed to the trio, though, as Therese did not want them to feel excessively watched. They will just be followed and kept safe, that's all.

There was one thing they can't protect the kids from, however.

Bullies. The inside of the school was completely out of the jurisdiction of the suited bodyguards, and the agents were not to intervene unless absolutely needed. Bullies was certainly something they could live with at the moment, right?

It was now lunch break, and the students have all spilled out from the classrooms into the cafeteria. Ray at the moment was standing at the beginning of the line; despite appearances of his short stature, he was a fast runner, and usually got into the cafeteria faster than anyone else in the class. Some say that he uses his 'freak powers' to get ahead, but in reality, he had fast feet and hurried steps. "Can I have another of those scones, please?" 

The lady at the other side of the counter gave a smile as she put on some plastic gloves and took one more scone out and placed it on Ray's plate. "That's all going to be three dollars."

"Oh, my." Ray shook his head, looking down at his nearly empty wallet, with only a few more bucks to spare after this meal. Handing the money, he leaned a bit forward, speaking to the lunchlady with a half whispering voice. "Prices have really gone up, huh?"

"They really have. The economy got wrecked last year." The lunchlady nodded and gave him the receipt. Prices for food had really gone up after the pandemic back in 2020. Looking back, that tumultuous year was one of the worst in his lifetime of 16 years. The threat of a  world war, a virus, and the economy shrinking had all reared their ugly heads last year. Thankfully, the world had recovered since then, and better yet, powers were no longer a made up thing. Sadly, though, those who gained them were feared and discriminated against. Hell, friendships ended because one of the parties involved started manifesting. Oftentimes, the Neu-Volke would just stick together, as they understood each other best. 

Walking back towards the table he and his friends set themselves on, Ray sat down, and waited. Caitlin and Nick were still on the line, as the two of them were a bit slower when it came to walking. Besides, they kind of had a spark between each other, and Ray liked to leave the two of them alone just to see how they would act with each other when he was out of earshot of their conversation. He could see them right now; Caitlin whispering to Nick's ear, and vice versa. Hopefully nothing too drastic was going on in there-

"Hey, Mutt, you alone in here?"

Not these idiots again. "I'm waiting for my friends, Terry." Ray snapped at the person talking. Terry, the boy in question, was rather tall, a white six footer, wearing a sports jacket and brandishing a rather ripped and muscular frame. "And you dumbasses are not my friends. So I suggest you leave me alone before you do something stupid."

"Ohhh, talking back now, are we?" Terry grinned evilly. "You can't use your powers to hurt humans like us. That's against the law."

"Hmph..."

Terry frowned and looked down at Ray. "Freak, you shouldn't be here. You're not human, you don't belong here."

"Shut up, you good for nothing idiot."

Terry's eyes dilated in anger, grabbing Ray by the shirt. "Hey, that's not very nice, Mutt."

At this point, some of the other kids were starting to put their attention on this growing commotion. It wasn't exactly a subtle thing, anyway; Terry had a rather loud voice, and his cadre of jocks weren't well hidden in a bustling cafeteria. Ray held up his hand, telekinetic force beginning to gather on his fingers. "Let. Me. Go."

"I don't think so-"

"Let him go."

A female voice growled from behind Terry and his group. It came from a rather tall girl with puffed up blond hair, purple checkered jacket, and jeans. She was rather buff for a 16 year old girl, and was holding a lunch tray of her own. And she did not look happy.

"What was that, Emma Psykes?", Terry dropped Ray a little back down on the bench. Nikolai and Caitlin had just noticed that Ray was being threatened by the local bully squad, and rushed towards the table, setting their trays on it rather hurriedly.

"You heard her, Terry." Nikolai glared with a hateful expression. "Let Ray go."

"Hmph." Terry set Ray back down rather roughly and walked towards the mystery blonde girl. "I don't hit girls, so I will let this slide." He then looked back at Ray. "You're lucky that you're not the only freak here."

Emma Psykes smiled and whispered to Terry. "This is what you are going to do." She locked eyes with Terry. "Walk away. Go home. Sit on your house cactus with a bare ass. And then roll on the grass of your lawn like a dog for an hour. And then forget everything that happened in the last week. Go." Terry froze for a second, as if he had seen a ghost. However, to everyone's surprise... he walked away, went home, and as someone would discover a few days later, sat on a cactus with a bare butt and rolled on the grass like a dog for an hour. That would be so embarrassing. And he won't remember a thing.

"Hey..." Ray stood up and went towards Emma, putting his hand on her arm. "Thanks... you're Emma Psykes, right?"

"That I am." Emma nodded. "Don't worry. He won't be bothering you for a week, at least."

"That was... wierd." Ray looked down at the floor for a second and then gazed back at her. "What did you do to make him leave me alone?"

Emma chuckled. "Just a freak helping another freak get along with life." She then flashed Ray a smile and went towards her... sisters. There were three of them, and they all looked alike. Wait a minute... triplets? And could it be... they're all telepaths? That's new. So there were six of them in the school now. It was dazzling how powered people could hide in plain sight.

Still, Ray's heart fluttered as Emma went back to her table. He blushed to himself, and smiled with an embarrassed expression. Was this love at first sight?

"Ohoho." Nick snickered as he placed a hand on Ray's shoulder and leaned forward to look at his face. "I see those eyes and that blush. You got an instant crush on Emma Psykes, huh?"

"I guess..." Ray simply answered, gawking at Emma and her sisters. "I'm not sure if I would know that I would know who to approach... there are three of them..."

"Oh please." Caitlin nudged him at the side. "Just ask! But!" She pointed at their lunch. "Let's eat first. I'm hungry and we need to prepare for Geography Class."

"Point taken." Ray said with a smile as he walked back to his seat where he had been so rudely interrupted. "Nikolai, you got to be my wingman..."

Nick winked. "Anything for you."

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"Assets are in position around the pen. Are targets in place where we need them?"

"Yes. There are all in one location; exactly where we need them. Ten targets in place. Commencing operation in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."