The Laws of Motion

9:30 AM – Hallway Tension

Elias wasn't expecting trouble this early.

But then again, this was Blackridge.

He was on his way to the faculty lounge, coffee in hand, when he noticed the shift in the hallway.

Students moving aside. Murmurs. Some whispering.

And then—

A group of five blocking the way.

The one in front? Kane.

Captain of the basketball team. Local thug-in-the-making. Six foot three. Built like a tank. Expelled twice.

And currently standing in Elias's path.

"You got a lotta nerve, Teach."

Elias took a slow sip of his coffee.

Then exhaled.

"...Is this about the marker?"

Kane cracked his knuckles. "Nah. This is about you."

Elias tilted his head.

"Me?"

"You embarrassed Zane in class. Now you're gonna pay for it."

Elias sighed.

"I see. Newton's Third Law."

Kane blinked. "What?"

Elias took another sip.

"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You're upset because I introduced logic to your friend's empty skull."

Kane's jaw clenched.

"Oh, you got jokes?"

Elias adjusted his tie.

"Mathematics is the language of the universe. You, however, are an error."

The hallway erupted.

"OH SH*T—"

"HE REALLY SAID THAT?!"

"NAH, TEACH IS DEAD."

Kane's face twisted.

"You got one chance to apologize."

Elias set his coffee down.

"No."

Kane grinned.

"Good. 'Cause I wasn't planning to let you walk away anyway."

Then—

He swung.

---

9:31 AM – First Collision

A punch at 25 mph.

Kane was big, but predictable.

Elias shifted just enough. The punch whiffed past his face, Kane's knuckles grazing the air.

A miscalculation.

And math punishes mistakes.

Elias grabbed Kane's wrist.

Twisted.

Applied torque.

Kane stumbled forward—momentum betrayed him.

And Elias?

He drove a knee into Kane's ribs.

THUD.

The hallway fell silent.

Kane staggered. Eyes wide.

And Elias?

Didn't even look impressed.

"Momentum is mass times velocity." He adjusted his tie. "You had the mass. But your velocity was garbage."

Kane coughed.

"...You son of a—"

He lunged.

Elias moved first.

Ducked under. Grabbed Kane's collar.

Rotational motion.

Redirected the force.

And slammed Kane face-first into the lockers.

BAM.

Gasps.

Phones out.

The crowd couldn't believe it.

Kane collapsed.

Out cold.

Elias rolled his shoulders.

Then, without hesitation—

Picked up his coffee.

Took a sip.

And kept walking.

Class was about to start.

---

10:00 AM – The Fallout

"You WHAT?!"

Mercer stared at Elias, horrified.

"You—" She lowered her voice, rubbing her temples. "You put a student in the hospital?"

Elias calmly flipped through his lesson plan.

"Incorrect. I put a student in the lockers. The hospital part wasn't my choice."

Mercer looked ready to scream.

"Mr. Clarke, you can't just—"

"Defend myself?" Elias finished.

"YOU BROKE HIS NOSE."

Elias sipped his coffee.

"A real tragedy."

Mercer clenched her fists. "Do you even feel bad?"

Elias tapped his chin.

"...I feel bad that his center of gravity was so easily manipulated."

Mercer groaned.

"Mr. Clarke, you don't get it. Kane's connected. His brother's in the Phantom Crew—one of the biggest gangs in the city."

Elias finally looked up.

"And?"

Mercer stared.

"Are you seriously not worried?"

Elias adjusted his tie.

"I don't fight for ego." He stood. "But if someone interrupts my lessons—"

He took his coffee.

"Then they've declared war on mathematics."

And he walked out.

---

11:00 AM – The Warning

Elias returned to his classroom.

The energy was different.

Students were actually quiet.

Even Zane looked… concerned.

Elias placed his coffee down.

Picked up a piece of chalk.

And started writing.

"F = ma."

He turned to the class.

"Today, we talk about force."

A single voice interrupted.

"You got guts, Teach."

Elias turned.

The speaker?

A new face.

Leaning against the doorway, arms crossed.

Leather jacket. Scar over his eyebrow.

Tyrell.

Kane's older brother.

And a high-ranking member of the Phantom Crew.

"That was my little bro you messed up," Tyrell said.

Elias adjusted his tie.

"Yes. He failed a physics test."

Tyrell chuckled.

"Oh, you got balls, Teach."

He stepped forward.

"Just letting you know—we'll be seeing you soon."

Elias took a sip of coffee.

Then, as calm as ever—

"Then I suggest you bring a calculator."

Tyrell blinked.

Elias underlined the equation.

"Because I always show my work."

The class erupted.

Tyrell grinned.

"Alright, Teach. Let's see how smart you really are."

And he walked away.

Leaving Elias alone with his students.

The class stared at him.

And finally—

One kid whispered:

"Yo… this guy's a monster."

Elias picked up his coffee.

"Open your books to Chapter 2