The Unlikely Hero

As Agaba stepped onto school grounds, he spotted Ahmed pacing anxiously beside his desk.

The moment their eyes met, Ahmed sprinted towards Agaba, grasping his arm with an air of urgency.

"Come on, we need to talk!" Ahmed exclaimed, nearly dragging Agaba away.

"Hey, slow down! What's got you so worked up?" Agaba asked, trying to shake off Ahmed's grip.

"Did you see the news?" Ahmed's voice trembled with concern.

Agaba's expression turned somber."Yeah, it's crazy. My neighbor was even possessed! He almost attacked Nneka and her mom".

Ahmed's eyes widened. "Is Nnenna okay?"

Agaba teased, "Oh, you're worried about her, huh? Looks like someone's got feelings!"

Ahmed's face flushed. "Shut up, werey! I just care about her as a friend".

Agaba chuckled, then turned serious. "We need to investigate what's going on. Twenty people died in one night - we can't let that happen again. Let's sneak out during break and scout the town for any leads on these beasts".

Ahmed's confusion gave way to determination. "Alright, let's do it. But how do we even start?"

Immediately Ahmed was done talking the morning bell pierced the air, signaling the start of the daily assembly, Agaba and Ahmed had no option than to go to the gathering.

Today's assembly felt different - a sense of anticipation hung in the air.

The principal's stern expression hinted at a serious matter, and the students' chatter was laced with curiosity.

As the principal began to speak, her voice and aura commanded attention.

"We have a student who has broken the school rules, and he will be disciplined publicly as a reminder to all of you". the student, visibly nervous, was escorted to the stage and forced to kneel.

The principal's words painted a shocking picture:

"Last Friday, a disturbing incident was brought to my attention. This student…" - she gestured to the kneeling boy - "…was accused of brutally beating eight of his classmates, leaving them hospitalized".

Gasps and whispers swept through the assembly, with many students exchanging disbelieving glances.

The accused student's physical appearance - skinny, thin, and short - seemed to contradict the principal's words, fueling doubts about the truth.

Mr. Audu, the school disciplinary officer, stepped forward, his voice firm. "Quiet!" he bellowed, silencing the murmurs and restoring order to the assembly.

As the assembly hall fell silent, the principal's voice took on a grave tone.

"I must admit, I was skeptical at first, just like many of you. But the witnesses took me to the scene of the incident, and what I saw was nothing short of horrifying. Eight students, brutally beaten and left for dead, their bodies wracked with pain. Two of them, were knocked out cold".

The principal's eyes locked onto the two witnesses, her voice commanding. "Risikat, Ann, please come forward and share with us what you saw that day".

The two girls hesitated, their eyes darting nervously around the assembly hall.

But with a deep breath, they stepped forward, their voice trembling.

"We…we saw him", Risikat stammered, pointing to the student kneeling on the stage. "He was fighting them, hitting them and kicking them. We were afraid to do anything, as we peeped and watch the entire incident from a corner, he was too strong and fast".

Mr. Audu, the disciplinary officer, boomed in, his voice dripping with bravado.

"Don't be afraid, girls! No one will harm you while I'm around. Not even this little troublemaker!"

He shot a stern glance at the student, who looked like he was about to collapse under the weight of the accusations.

Risikat's voice trembled as she began her account.

"Ann and I were walking home after Friday classes when we heard a commotion coming from a nearby corner. It sounded like a fight. Ann gripped my hand, and we quickened our pace, but then we heard Chinonso's desperate cry for help".

Risikat's eyes locked onto Jordan, her voice growing stronger.

"I rushed towards the scene, with Ann following close behind, despite my warnings for her to stay back. What we saw was horrifying.Jordan was squatting over the battered bodies of eight boys, taunting their weakness. His eyes gleamed with a mocking intensity that sent shivers down our spines".

Ann took over, her voice steady.

"We tried to flee, but Jordan caught up to us, begging us not to report the incident. He even offered to bribe us by doing our geography assignment. We agreed, not because we wanted to cover for him, but because we wanted to escape his clutches".

The assembly hall erupted into chaos, but Ann raised her voice to restore order.

"We didn't want to leave those boys suffering, so we ran to the principal's office and brought her to the scene. If you don't believe us, check Jordan's bag - the assignment copies he offered to do for us are still there!"

Ann's eyes blazed with determination as she concluded, her right hand pointing accusingly at Jordan.

The principal's voice was firm but measured. "thank you, Risikat and Ann, for your bravery. Mr' Audu, please retrieve the assignment from Jordan's bag. We'll be charging him for five offenses: bullying, participating in a street fight, bribery, cheating and lying. While these charges warrant suspension, we've decided to show leniency due to Jordan's previously good record. However, he must understand that this behaviour will not be tolerated".

The principal's words hung in the air, leaving Jordan stunned.

No opportunity to defend himself, and the girls' testimony had been laced with half-truths.

Mr. Audu's menacing smile sent shivers down the spines of the students.

His massive frame and infamous cane seemed to grow larger, casting a intimidating shadow.

The students murmured, some showing pity for Jordan, knowing the agony of Mr. Audu's caning.

"Stretch out your tiny hands, little man"

Mr. Audu sneered, his voice dripping with malice.

"I wonder how you managed to take down eight boys".

The students watched in anticipation, expecting Jordan to cry out in pain by the third or fourth strike.

But others wondered if he would prove to be tough nut, capable of withstanding the punishment.

The air was thick with tension as Jordan received 15 strikes, his hands remained calm after each strike.

In the treacherous hierarchy of high school, one name commanding respect and inspired dear: Idibia.

His gang was the epitome of power, with aspiring members clamoring for acceptance.

But when Jordan took down eight of Idibia's minions, the gang's aura of invincibility began to crumble.

Jordan, still reeling from the morning's events, sat alone as usual during lunch, his eyes scanning the cafeteria with a mix of paranoia and annoyance.

Risikat, Ann, and their friends, all classmates of Jordan, occupied the table behind him, their hushed whispers and stolen glances fueling his irritation.

Just as Jordan's frustration was about to boil over, a tap on his head broke the tension.

He turned to find Ahmed and Agaba, the dynamic duo notorious for their opposition to Idibia's gang, standing behind him.

Agaba, known for his charisma, flashed a disarming smile.

"You were stupid out there, hope you know that…"

This fueled Jordan's simmering anger. "Oh, great, the legendary Agaba. What brings you to this neck of the woods? Oh, yea, to mock me, I thought you were too cool to mingle with mere mortals".

Jordan's sarcasm was palpable, his eyes narrowing as he awaited Agaba's response.

Agaba let out a deep sigh, his expression tinged with humility.

"I'm not that popular, I just happened to be at the assembly today to see a display of foolishness…"

Jordan cut him off once more, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"cut the insults, is it about the fight…"

Agaba held up his hands, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"Dude, stop interrupting me! Can't you see, that those two girls are blabba mouths, why trust them to keep a secret, dude, you're so gullible, a big simp!… how did you even take down those eight guys all by yourself? Is there a secret ninja move I don't know about?"

Jordan's eyes darted around nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.

"I know I was foolish in trusting those two… uh, it's just a special skill I have, I guess. God was on my side, you know!"

Agaba's eyes lit up with excitement. "Whoa, I want to see this special skill in action!"

Jordan's face lit up with a grin. "You want me to show you?"

Agaba nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, for sure! Let's meet outside".

Without another word, Jordan jumped off the table, abandoning his lunch, Ahmed watched the exchange, bewildered by Agaba's sudden interest in the first-year student.

As the trio headed for the field, a sweet voice pierced the air, stopping them in their tracks.

"Agabaaaa!!!" Nnenna yelled, her voice carrying across the hallway.