John/Season 2 pt 2

### Discord

Back to the way things were...if only. Despite her promise to be there for him should he ever lose himself to anger, Seraphina had begun spending a lot of time away from John. Whenever he asked her to hang out with him via text, she always replied that she was too busy. Without her good company, John found himself surrounded by people who were sorry he came back. The gossip about whether he would restart old feuds was so annoyingly blatant that on one occasion he found himself calling others out on it. But there was one other student who was happy to see him again. The problem was that the student was Zeke, so the feeling wasn't mutual. John narrowly avoided an embrace with his old crony and told him to state his business. Zeke told John that Safe House's influence was everywhere now thanks to Seraphina. The story was that the club's leaders were drafting all the students they encountered, and that Zeke's posse were dogged relentlessly by members. Zeke implored John to step in and put Safe House in its place. John acknowledged Zeke's woes, but answered that he had zero interest in even hearing the words "Safe House" ever again. Zeke begged John to not leave him in his hour of need, and attempted to coax John into action by getting him to recall how much he hated the club because Seraphina inspired them to defy his rule and nearly get him expelled. This line of reasoning reminded John that he still needed to ensure that Zeke understood one simple fact: crossing Seraphina was suicide from here on out. He then literally turned his back on Zeke and his insignificant problems.

John headed to the roof, and saw that Seraphina had lulled off to sleep. He woke her up and informed her that she missed second period. It was no big deal to her, and she asked John how his return to school was going along. John griped that all the stink-eye he'd been getting was a real drag. Seraphina felt that it might go away if he took some of his trademark initiative and simply told them that he wasn't out to crush them. John replied that even if that approach wasn't a futile waste of time, he wasn't interested. For even if he could no longer go about pretending, he could still resume achieving the personal goals he set for himself when he first enrolled. Seeing that Seraphina approved of his plan, John said that she could join him if she *really* wanted to make it like the good old days. When she declined, he asked her what she could possibly want to do more than goof off with him. She would only say it was "personal business." Seraphina said that if John wanted, they'd be able to keep each other company if he joined her for a quick patrol around Wellston. This sounded way too "Safe House" for John's liking, so he turned her down. John may have regretted doing so, as after she left, he came to realize just how little they saw of each other ever since he came back.

John happened to have personal matters of his own to attend to, so he went to the headmaster's office. When Vaughn asked what brought him around, John answered that after doing much thinking back in New Bostin, he decided that he wanted to relinquish his title. So Vaughn summoned Seraphina, Arlo, and Remi to his office. When they arrived and saw John, only one out of the three greeted him. It was an awkward moment, so John cleared his throat and got to the point. After breaking the news, he shot an offensive look towards Arlo. To everybody's surprise, the former King did not want the title back. His last year at high school was almost over, and the evolving school needed somebody more flexible than himself in charge. John asked who was supposed to take on such a responsibility, and Remi proposed that Blyke might do well as King. The only thing John knew about Blyke, other than their mutual disdain for each other, was the fact that the ex-Jack never backed down from the threat he posed. Seraphina asked John if he was against Remi's choice. He relaxed and claimed that he could see no issue with it. Since Arlo agreed as well, the issue was resolved and everybody was excused.

As they were leaving, John noticed that Remi continued to look at him with distrust. But he was thrown for a loop when she abruptly took her leave to get back to matters of Safe House. John was prepared to leave with Seraphina, but she suddenly asked him to wait outside so she could speak confidentially with Arlo. John reluctantly did so. He waited outside the door for them to emerge, which took a while. When they finally showed their faces, a surprised Seraphina asked him if he missed any class due to his vigilance. After briefly trading glares with the departng Arlo, John replied that his block was free. He asked what they were talking about. Seraphina claimed that it was just simple Safe House matters, and tried to get him to just put it behind them and get on with their day. But John couldn't. Seraphina didn't make Remi stay behind for the discussion, so it *couldn't* have been about Safe House operations. John wondered what could drive Seraphina to keep secrets from him.

The cold shoulder Seraphina kept giving John was more than he could stand. He realized that Arlo spent enough time with her to know what was going on, so he sought him out the next day. But Arlo went through big changes of his own: he uncharacteristically refused to betray Seraphina's trust by sharing her secrets! Or did he? John ~~wondered if Seraphina and Arlo were plotting against him~~ shook any notion of conspiracies out of his mind, having nearly forgotten that no good came from clinging so stubbornly to them. John was about to try asking again when he was interrupted by some Safe House members who heard about Arlo's decision to go on the club field trip and wished to plan accordingly. Witnessing the encounter got John wondering on a potential follow-up step. But only as a last resort.

Later that day, Blyke returned from *his* suspension to the dorm they were sharing again. With him were Isen and Remi, who had celebrated his promotion to King with him along with the rest of Safe House. Their high spirits were dampened at the sight of John, and they turned away. But after yet another text of Seraphina turning down an offer to hang out, John heaved a sigh and called for them. He asked them how he'd be able to join the Safe House field trip. Blyke started to tell him off for such audacity, but Remi took over and asked John why the sudden interest. Keeping his true concerns to himself, John claimed that it felt like he was missing out on something big. Remi told him that it wouldn't do for someone with his rap sheet to lurk around and frighten the other club members, which sounded like exclusion to John. Remi elaborated that if he *really* wanted in on their business, he'd have to convince the rest of Safe House to accept him as one of their own. This was a big decision, which John needed time to mull over. Without another word, he turned in for the night.

John gave talking to Seraphina another go. He found her on the rooftop, looking miserably curled up. When she realized he was there she tried to mask her feelings with the excuse of school life draining her. John told her that if that was the whole story, she wouldn't have passed up the chance to hang out during her free time. He urged her to share any struggles she was going through with him, but she remained guarded. She put on a smile and encouraged him not to worry and live his own life for a change. But John's primary goal in life was to ensure Seraphina's was free of strife. So after she spoke her intent to scope out the school grounds for issues, he insisted on joining her. She was astonished, but he snidely remarked that he was still willing to do things he hated if he did them with her. Seraphina seemed geniunely bemused. A promising start.

As Seraphina walked John through her process, students gawked at the sight of the duo spending time together at last. John clearly heard their fearful whispers, but a few of them approached anyway so they could report to Seraphina (or even just to say "hello"). When he brought up the subject with her, Seraphina explained that she took a more active role in trying to understand the students. And during the month he was away, she regained their trust, which held strong regardless of the company she kept. John was amazed, yet melonchalic, that she seemed to have evolved beyond him. But before he could talk about it more, he felt an aura encroaching upon him! He turned around, but saw nothing except students afraid of what his sudden movements meant for them. He was almost about to brush it off as his imagination when his passive alerted him to a figure who was definitely using an ability to keep out of sight!

John took stock of this invisible stalker for a moment. He had a nagging feeling that this wasn't the first time he felt this ability's aura. Then it clicked that this figure had followed him and Seraphina from the mall! He tried to rationalize this assailant's unexpected return, but this served to give the creeper ample time to split. John hastily told Seraphina to go on ahead of him while he took care of an urgent matter. Despite her protests, he gave chase. John was hungry for answers, but his quarry was just too fast. Just around the corner at the top of the stairs, the aura vanished...right outside the closing door of Room 224. The only lead John gleaned on this repeat stalker was that they had managed to infiltrate Safe House. He wondered whether he should enter in order to continue the search. Before he could decide though, Blyke walked out. The new King blocked the door the minute he caught sight of John. He asked what he was up to. John decided that the scars he left on the club were too raw for him to just waltz in there on a personal matter. He claimed that he was just passing by, and broke off his pursuit.

After a late-night shower in the dorm he once again shared, John poured over everything that happened. He wondered why the Invisible Assailant would reappear, and what business they had lurking around wherever he happens to be. Moreover, the guy somehow knew to keep their distance lest they be detected by his passive, and ran off as the moment they went past minimum safe distance. He wondered if he was researched as a target, but then his mind shifted to a more frightening possibility: the stalker was following Seraphina, who was with him both times! Everything that happened to her after that time her ability was gauged, the unseen menace was a big part of it. And Seraphina being fully aware of the situation would certainly explain why she seemed so down since his return. He then thought about why she never shared any of these matters with him before...only to realize she tried, but he selfishly disregarded her plight. Realizing too late that his old foes were only trying to help her uncover the mysteries about her lost ability, John kicked himself for acting so awful that he lost the trust of his only friend in town. He vocally cursed his blundering and threw his towel against the wall. He racked his brains for a way to help Seraphina in spite of her trying to keep him out of it. He then recalled that Remi did give him one recourse.

1/2
John's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Blyke kicking the wall from the other side, yelling at him for being so noisy. With little alternative, John prepared to do whatever it took to become a fully-fledged member of Remi's club. His first step was to seek advice from the prominent member he was rooming with. He walked over to Blyke's bedroom and knocked. When he answered, John asked him on how he could best fit in to Safe House. Blyke was offended by John's audacity, and tried to shut the door on him. John held it open, and insisted that he needed to join the trip more than anything. When asked why, John explained that something nondescript was going to happen. His not-at-all dodgy reasoning didn't convince Blyke, who then asked John how on Earth Safe House was supposed to embrace him after he tried everything to wipe them out. John feebly said that he wasn't able to think straight back then, but Blyke shouted that was no justification for all the harm. John could not ague with this, so Blyke said one last thing: John was lucky that Remi chose to give him the slimmest chance of joining. Otherwise, Blyke would have done everything to ensure John's total exclusion from Safe House. John then got the door slammed on him, forcing him to plan his stakeout unaided.

The next day, John just took the direct approach. He walked into Room 224 and asked if he could sit at one of the desks. Since Remi was supervising, his request was granted, but she warned him that one false move would get it revoked. Save for everybody else moving to the far side of the room to avoid him, John's first day as a Safe House member was rather uneventful. Seraphina later popped into the room looking for him. John said hello to her, only to be grabbed by the arm and led outside for a talk. John said that he was simply trying to be a part of the club, but Seraphina told him that his approach left a lot to be desired. John retorted that no strategy would make him seem any less monstrous in everybody else's eyes, but Seraphina told him that he couldn't just force his way into the fold either. She directly asked him why he doubled-back on his decision to not get involved with Safe House. John sighed and told her about his disconcerting realization that the invisible stalker was following her around school, adding that she probably already knew. John continued by saying that she must have asked Arlo to join the trip because she needed backup, and offered to join the team in exchange for being told what was going on. Seraphina continued to insist that it wasn't anything worth appealing to Safe House over, and told John he was better off finding a more suitable way to readjust to a regular school life. John disagreed vehemently, and saw turning his back on a clear and present threat as the worst way to pay Seraphina back for her help. He stated that it must be difficult for her to trust him to not fly off the handle in a crisis based on his track record, but that wouldn't stop him from trying to earn it. John swore that if she didn't want to tell him what was going on, he'd find out some other way. He walked off, taking a moment to tell everybody in Safe House that he'd be returning.

And so he did. John waited around in that room for any sign of that stalker, though it was hard to focus on his mission with everybody else theorizing about his alleged change of heart. After correcting a flagrant misconception that huddling over to one side of the room was his idea instead of theirs, things quieted down a little. Eventually, John's attention was drawn to to the arrival of a student, addressed as Terrence by his friends. As the two of them exchanged looks, John became consumed with trying to recall just where he had seen that face before. Then it hit him. The first time he felt the stalker's aura was when he was on his way to the bathroom during school hours! John slammed his desk and shot out of his seat, focusing his glare on Terrence. But he quickly realized that his sudden shift in demeanor wasn't doing him any favors in building trust with the panicked members of Safe House. He sat back down, forced to wait until after he was on the field trip in order to nail this inocuous menace. In the meantime, he might still be able to gather new intel.

He searched for Arlo, and found him coming down from the rooftop. Arlo told him Seraphina was still up there, unmoved by John telling him how futile talking to her proved to be. But John managed to get his attention by dropping Terrence's name, along with his ability and habits. Arlo even put his hand over John's mouth before he could elaborate on a possible connection Terrence had with Seraphina's ability-loss. After taking back his voice, John asked what the big idea was. He heard that talk of Terrence could spell doom for everybody, but John still insisted that Arlo elaborate on what he and Seraphina knew on the matter. Arlo suggested that John ought to mind his own business if he knew what was good for him. John replied that it was too late for that. He knew too much about the disabling and kidnapping, but not enough to help. Arlo reminded John of just how unwilling he was to be of any help to anybody beforehand. It was an unpleasant truth that John didn't contest. Instead, he took a deep breath and pointed out his observation that Arlo was fretting about being unprepared to deal with this renewed conflict.

This point wasn't enough to compel Arlo to tell John anything juicy, so John was forced to try something drastic. He threatened to disregard Arlo's plea for discretion on all things regarding Terrence. HE BEGAN TO ASK QUESTIONS LOUDLY. **QUESTIONS ABOUT SERAPHINA'S ABILITY LOSS AND SUBSEQUENT RESTORATION.** ***THE RESPONSE ABOUT HER NOT GETTING HER ABILITY BACK*** got him to quiet down. John asked if Arlo was playing him again, given that they both saw her match his strength last month. Arlo seemed like he would finally spill his guts. But Seraphina came down just in time to put an anti-climatic end on their exchange. Arlo began to speak out against her methodology, so she forced him to shut up by freezing him in place. John was disturbed, and asked her to explain in Arlo's stead. Seraphina replied that she had proven that anything Arlo might have said was blown out of proportion, and that the two of them go get lunch. John followed her, taking one last moment to take in the dread on Arlo's still-moving eyes. Seraphina maintained her stance at lunch, dismissing any of John's friendly attempts to broach the subject further, much to his chagrin.

Later at Safe House, John sat at his new usual spot wondering just what the display he saw on the stairwell meant in the long run. More importantly, whether Seraphina's constant shunning of him was because she shared Arlo's opinion on his trustworthiness. If so, then was their making-up just a sham meant to placate him? The thought that Seraphina was of one mind with the people in the club with him at that moment made John tense up with frustration, resulting in him accidentally snapping the pencil in his grip. Supervisor Blyke accused him of doing so as an act of intimidation. John calmly fibbed that his action came about because he was struggling with a really tricky math problem. Blyke told him to handle such struggles more gently. John acknowledged his poor trangression, and raised no further fuss. It soon came time to leave, and John exited the room and failed to notice Arlo before bumping into him for the first time in a long time.

Soon he was outside, and sent another text to Seraphina asking her to speak with him after school. As he was crossing his fingers for her to agree to his invitation for once, he heard a loud tussle in progress around the corner. It was Zeke and Mardin, a couple of the usual suspects, taking the chance to lash out without immediate retribution from Safe House. In their sights was Alden's outspoken friend, along with a blonde boy John didn't recognize. As Zeke raved about how much he hated Safe House and what it stood for, John remained out-of-sight. He was compelled to maintain his usual policy of not risking losing himself in this fight and walking away. But the words of his father telling him to use just the necessary force came to mind in the nick of time. John told Zeke to knock it off with the tired routine and release the duo. Zeke implored John to reconsider his stance for old time's sake, but it was a failing proposition. When Zeke and Mardin had gone, John looked at the two beat up students. They didn't look like they wanted further help from him, despite their condition. So he left. To his surprise though, the blonde one thanked him for the assist. When he was walking alone again, his phone went off. Seraphina had replied that she had to turn him down again. This was the last straw for John, who decided to overstep personal boundaries.

Donning a special disguise hat bought from Adrion's workplace, John followed Seraphina all across town. This trip took him to the Metro Station and onto a train, with Seraphina none the wiser. The trip took John through Hilford Park. He kept a short distance from Seraphina, ducking out of sight any time she stopped in her tracks. Eventually, from a vantage point in the bushes, John saw Seraphina approach an older university student. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but John assumed that he was intruding on a date. After sparing an angry thought for Arlo misleading him, John became downcast at the thought that Seraphina didn't trust him to take the news of her new love life well. He prepared to leave as quietly as he came when a familiar aura stopped him in his tracks. Seraphina had activated her ability, but something was clearly wrong. The effort seemed to exhaust her, yet her aura was definitely not running anywhere near full throttle. The mysterious stranger placed a hand on Seraphina and whisked her away with an ability John recognized as Teleportation. He emerged from his hiding place and checked the vicinity, but couldn't determine where they went.

John went to Safe House the next day to mull over what he witnessed. Forced to concede that Arlo was telling the truth, John wondered how long that stranger had been dealing with Seraphina's condition for it to seem like it was business as usual. To his frustration, John still found himself lacking crucial information he needed in order to aid Seraphina. His thoughts were interrupted when somebody asked for a moment of his time. It was Evie, who John recognized as Seraphina's close companion, holding a deck of cards. To his surprise, she invited him to join them for their next round of New Texis Hold'em, having heard he enjoyed the game. John glanced at the participating group and saw the blonde boy he rescued from Zeke the day before. He wondered if it was that guy's idea before accepting the invitation.

With his poker face and knack for spotting bluffs, John busted out one competitor after another. Eventually it was down to himself, Evie, and his new fan Dylan. Evie folded, and John sized up his remaining opponent. It was clear to him that Dylan was no good at bluffing (he always tugged at his tie whenever he wasn't feeling confident). John saw the chance to end the game on a perfect winning streak if he just called the little dude out. But then it occured to him: there would be no fanfare for him if he did win. Everybody watching was rooting for the underdog. It was unlikely that he'd be welcome on the trip if he didn't sacrifice his image of an immutable, merciless winner. And so, John folded, congratulating Dylan on his victory over him. The whole room was in a happy uproar, and Dylan asked John to join them for another round. John accepted.

Then came the day to see whether all of that playing nice paid off. John took to the calm, isolated school rooftop in order to wait out the suspense. Remi found him there later, and she told him of the vote the club held. (Having assumed that the leaders just had the final word on all matters, John was marveled by this novel "majority rules" concept.) John wasn't surprised to hear that the club preferred that he stay behind. Remi tried to console him by saying that there were some who would have liked to have him along for the ride. John was quick to say that Seraphina didn't count. But Remi surprised him by mentioning that Arlo, *of all people*, voted in favor of giving him a spot on the field trip roster. Remi gave John props for giving it his all, and said that he'd alway be welcome at Room 224 before taking her leave. But the only thing on John's mind was just how f\*cked up things had to be for Arlo to swallow his pride and ask for his help. With Seraphina's safety at risk, John knew what he had to do.

Safe House may have voted that John couldn't come with them to Rowden. But they never said anything about him taking his own personal holiday in the exact same location as them. So while the club was busy boarding *their* bus, John packed his bag and looked up rides to Rowden that he could work into his budget.

### Infiltration

It took a different bus, a train, and a taxi before he reached a fancy hotel in Rowden, but John still had no idea if he was in the right place. He called Seraphina in the hopes that she might be able to guide him. But she chewed him out for tailing Safe House, which might have used up the rest of his phone's nearly depleted battery. As luck would have it, his lack of foresight and forgetting his charger wouldn't be the end of him. The sight of Remi and Blyke in the hotel lobby let him know that he was where he wanted to be. Blyke angrily demanded to know what he was doing at their vacation spot when he was voted to stay behind. John had started to defend his actions when his stomach started growling. Remi stepped in and said that nobody had the energy for this, and said that John should eat something. She said they should get a good night's sleep in order to deal with the situation in the morning. At that moment, Seraphina had arrived downstairs and took John away so he could explain himself.

She treated him to a late lunch in the resort's cafe as they discussed the situation. The disappointed look on her face prompted John to plead for her to stop being upset with him. She told him that while it was a mistake for him to have come, she wasn't angry about the past. It was a concern for what might happen to *him* in the future that drove her to push him away recently. John was disturbed that she was afraid a threat to his personal safety. Still, he told her he was willing and able to do anything except backing off, even threatening to sleep in the lobby if he had too. But beyond expressing her apologies for not being forthright with him, Seraphina did not change her mind either. She told John that she wanted him on the first morning train bound for Wellston, to his immense frustration. Their talk was cut short when Remi arrived with a room key for John. Seraphina bid him farewell before going to bed.

John begrudgingly went to his "temporary" sleeping quarters. He walked in and found that he would be sharing the place with Blyke and Isen (who was still frightened of him). John asked where he could leave his stuff, and Blyke said any out-of-the-way place would do. Then, out of the bathroom came John's third roomie: Arlo. John was immediately bombarded with more questions about his being there. (Arlo didn't seem too grateful for the effort put into making his wish for help come true.) John was just starting to needle Arlo again for specifics when Blyke told them that it was supposed to be quiet time. John forgot about this when he was told that he was expected to sleep in the same bed as Arlo. Blyke angrily reminded him that the arrangements were last-minute, and that he shouldn't even be present. John was told to sleep outside if he wasn't willing to share a bed. Isen tried to accommodate the comfort of both of the strongest students, which got Blyke riled up and noisier than the others.

Ultimately, John got a bed to himself, but he couldn't sleep. Seraphina told him he was in too much danger, yet Arlo was welcome to stay and help? And then there was the unbelievable vote. The mysteries kept him up for a while.

When morning came, Blyke's alarm clock woke up everybody. John traded nasty looks with Arlo before his attention turned to something even nastier: the fact that Isen goes to bed wearing socks.

After one last reminder not wait too long to eat breakfast, the two ex-Kings had the room to themselves. John asked Arlo to elaborate on some of the info he gathered while following Seraphina (Arlo shamed him for his actions, but John deflected the hypocrisy). Arlo started off by saying that Seraphina distanced herself out of concern, but John felt his own concern took precedence. After all, Seraphina chose to save him despite terrible abuse, and she deserved no less than complete loyalty for it. Expressing such personal feelings to Arlo may have been too bold on John's part, so he implored for the insider's knowledge.

At long last, Arlo shared those secret details. Seraphina got involved with a shady organization known as Spectre in order to get her ability restored. When John asked why she would stick around after she got what she wanted, he learned that Spectre didn't easily give back what they stole. Seraphina, like many other high-tier victims, was being forced to slave away just to keep from being totally helpless. Curious about Arlo's role in all this, John asked if he too was disabled. Arlo answered that he was there when Seraphina got the offer. Spectre came close to claiming him, and would certainly try again. Arlo then emphasized that Spectre did not tolerate knowledge of their existence. John was confused at the risk Arlo was taking going out in the open. He was even more baffled to hear that, since Rowden was where Spectre's upcoming job was, Arlo agreed to accompany the club in the event extra muscle was needed to fend off threats. (Turns out, Arlo actually cared about some people). When John was told that two high-tiers would not be enough, he at last understood why his presence was sought. All that was left was for him to choose between fight or flight. It was a no-brainer.

The two of them marched up to the door of Seraphina's room and knocked. Elaine answered, and the sight of the unlikely duo shocked her and her roommate. After Elaine was sent away, John told Seraphina that he forced Arlo to tell him everything. She was not happy, even with John's continued willingness to help. Seraphina asked if he was now aware of the danger he was going to confront. He promised to be careful, but his nonchalant attitude on the matter failed to impress her. She stressed how devastated she would be if he lost the ability he only recently began to embrace again. John refused to budge on the matter. To his satisfaction, Seraphina finally accepted his help.

The three began to plan a strategy. As John was *supposed* to be ignorant about Seraphina's affiliation with Spectre, they had to keep up appearances. John understood the need to travel separately, but protested having to maintain contact with Arlo. Seraphina forbade him from contacting her, as she feared that her phone was tapped. John was horrified at the lengths these people would go to keep others under their thumb. As a precaution, the trio determined that they ought to be close enough in case anybody needed rescuing. Of the three priority students each would watch over, John was assigned as Blyke's guardian. Again, John whined about having to act as a helper of somebody who hated him, and asked to trade. Seraphina responded by asking if he was serious when he offered to help out however he could. John couldn't argue with that.

And so John wasn't far behind Safe House as they made their way to Rowden Park. Clad in his stealth cap, John entered the park incognito. The first thing he did was get himself lost again. He texted Arlo about his arrival, asking for the wherabouts of his charge. Arlo replied that they were in line for the Obelisk, but wouldn't help John find it beyond telling him to get a map. Resentfully, John went off to do just that.

John's map seemed to lead him right into Seraphina. She pulled him aside and told him that his cap made him stand out. He coyly retorted that it kept him anonymous once before. Seraphina told him to stop messing around and to get to his post while she did the same. The sight of Seraphina allowing Spectre to turn her into her old, joyless self was too much for John to bear. He seized her and said that they should take the opportunity to unwind a bit with some of the park's attractions. She was hesitant, as it might result in their distraction getting taken advantage of. John insisted, saying that Arlo could hold his own protecting the others until the two of them came to back him up. He managed to convince her, and the two of them cut loose.

The chance for John to spend some real quality time with his best friend after a long while was a treasure. Seraphina seemed to feel the same way, save for his handling of the spinning teacups. The fun was capped off with a relaxing ride on the ferris wheel, just the two of them. In the relative privacy of their booth, John proclaimed how glad he was it was that it wasn't his faults that had been agitating her. Spectre's frightening countermeasures against high-tiers was something he'd rather she didn't face without him, a sentiment that made her smile. John got Seraphina to enjoy the view from up high while they were still able. He solemnly swore to himself to do everything to help her escape Spectre's clutches.

When they were back on the ground, John was pleased to hear that Seraphina thought his idea was a good one. But now that they've had their fun, they should get serious again. She went off, urging him to be careful. John took a look at his phone, and was abashed to see that Arlo made several attempts to contact him. He belatedly called back, and was greeted by unfriendly (yet concerned) outrage. John asked about the Obelisk, only to be told that they moved on hours ago. He was to head to the merry-go-round, with specific instructions not to take any detours. Resigned to duty, John went straight away.

On the way there, John got a call from Seraphina. When asked where he was, he cautiously replied that he was back in Wellston. Seraphina told him that it was pointless to worry about wiretaps at this point. His snooping in Rowden was no longer their little secret. Aghast, John was urged to just join Arlo's group for everybody's sake. Seraphina promised to touch base with them as soon as she could, and hung up before John could ask her for some advice on how to approach the others.

When John arrived at the merry-go-round, he was greeted by shocked stares. Arlo stepped forth for a private word, during which John informed him of the unsettling developments. He told him to convince the others to allow him to intrude. Arlo thought it sounded difficult too. Remi asked John why he hadn't left town like they had heard. John claimed that his trip would have been a total waste if he didn't treat himself to a trip to the park before leaving. With his smoothest social graces, John suggested that they might have fun together. Blyke took offense to the thought of indulging such a fancy. John tried to resolve things all civil-like, but Blyke cited several of their past encounters as a sound argument for John to leave them all alone. There was no real counter for the reminder of the utter disregard he showed for others' kindness back then. Blyke took his leave since John wanted to stay, but the idea was for the group to have each others' backs. John was forced to run after him.

John eventually caught up with Blyke, who thought the hostilities from before made the idea of the two of them suddenly becoming chums totally ludicrous. (Deja vu?) Blyke wanted them to continue resenting each other from a distance, but John said that was no real solution. He admitted that he was wrong about all the Royals being awful. He confessed that Wellston was long overdue for a club like Safe House. John formally renounced all hostilities with Royals, and asked for the chance to show Blyke how much he changed over his suspension. He didn't get an answer before Blyke's phone started ringing. The alarm in Blyke's demeanor made it clear the call was urgent. He asked for a location and headed off immediately. John was getting pretty sick of having to chase people after him all the time.

John soon found out that Blyke was answering a call for help from Dylan of all people. Four teenagers started a commotion that threatened the safety of everybody at the park. Security was out of their league with the bunch. John stood by and listened as Blyke confronted them. Their entitled and arrogant manner of speaking made John dislike them instantly. But he stayed quiet, content to let Blyke deal with them.

The quartet turned out to be Rowden's Royals. John began getting nervous. If he were to get dragged into another fight with Royals, he'd surely regress into something he hated. Fortunately, Blyke was willing to accept their challenge to fight for the right to banish them from the park. It was a King-vs-King match. The minute the green-hair activated his armor ability, John had him all figured out. He warned Blyke not to underestimate the guy's speed. The advice helped immensely, and Blyke admirably fought his way to victory. But instead of leaving like they promised, the losers decided to gang up on Blyke. John shouted warnings as soon as he sensed active abilities, with mixed results. The injured Blyke was faced with three elite fighters and their healer. The latter had to be dealt with first and John told Blyke to do so. Blyke responded by questioning John's sudden passiveness in the face of hostility. Still wanting to avoid the risk of losing control, John assured Blyke he was good enough to literally run circles around them. Blyke seemed to conclude that John had a good head for battle. Unfortunately, so did the Rowden Royals. John pointing out their weaknesses was intolerable, so they all rushed over to silence him. The sight of charging Royals paled in comparison to the memories of the New Bostin saga that came flooding in. The frozen John was pulled out of harm's way by Blyke, who proceeded to yell at him for letting a bunch of clowns make fools of them both. Blyke tried riling him up to fight back, and got punched out by the enemy King for being distracted. The sneer in the guy's face did the trick. John found himself asking what could be more important than putting these four f\*ckers in their place. Oh right! Blyke!

John copied the healer's ability and used it to speed up his unlikely comrade's recovery. He then handily overpowered two others with blades superior to those of the queen. It got to the point when Dylan blurted out that the Rowden Royals had been messing with two of Wellston's kings. The jack mocked the school and its Kings, describing John's reign as the absolute worst. Incensed that worthless trash would dare lecture him on etiquette, John made it plain that smack talk would not slow him down.

He fired up the ability sampled from Blyke, and brought the king and queen to their knees. He then headed for the healer, but had to take out the interfering jack first. The healer lost all confidence and began to beg, but John slashed and bashed him. When he began stomping on the unconscious healer, the King demanded him to stop. John turned and snarled that one doesn't start a battle only to back out when defeat rears its ugly head. He promised to teach them that firsthand.

John rushed towards his helpless prey, but stopped in his tracks when he noticed a Barrier had been summoned to contain him. He saw that Arlo and his posse had arrived, looking at him apprehensively. John finally realized he had gone off the deep end again, frustrated at the ease at which he let it happen. He powered down in a display of nonagression. Arlo in turn let him walk free. John walked past the Rowden king and queen, and the former nearly socked him when his back when turned. But Arlo threw up another bubble to keep John away from any new fights.

The battle was won, but John's continued fear of his personal demons left him a quivering mess. A member of security got his attention, saying that he and Blyke had to come with her.

Being cuffed again brought back memories, and not the good kind. John's greatest fear remained being arrested and sent to Keon again. Blyke, unaware of what he was thinking, told him that they'd be released soon. John asked what made him so sure, and learned that being a high-ranker from Wellston comes with get-out-of-jail free privileges. It was a cold comfort. Blyke asked John why he seemed to be of two minds when it came to fighting. Too timid to start at times, too angry to stop at others, and never settling on one or the other. It seemed to be an exhausting way to live, never embracing his ability like everybody else. John admitted that he often wished he stayed a cripple. Blyke pointed out that he must have thought differently once if his proficiency remained sharp in spite of the hiatus with using it. John unsuccessfully tried to deny it, and Blyke accurately guessed that his early days of ability practice were full of pride with every success. John only answered that his mistakes made him ashamed to parade around like his peers.

Blyke spoke of his own similar experiences in wasting his potential. He wasn't truly aware of how disgraceful behavior like that was until he found out how it impacted certain areas. Low-tier districts faced devastation every day, and there was nobody they could rely on for help. The citizens barely managed to run their neighborhoods, and their fragile lives could be upturned in a single night by a power-hungry high ranker. It inspired him to turn over a new leaf and be the positive leader the masses needed instead of waiting for someone else to take on the role. John realized that he himself spent a lot of time waiting for the likes of Blyke. The brief revelation gave way to a curious discrepancy. John asked Blyke how he managed to learn about social injustices as a student who couldn't stay out late. The question made Blyke nervous, and he claimed that it was because he fell asleep on long train rides. John realized that Blyke was a terrible liar, but chose not to pry any further. The guard who apprehended them soon arrived and told them they were free to go, and were advised not to cause any trouble. The Rowden Royals, on top of getting the same treatment, didn't lose their park visiting privileges. Blyke was mad, but John was numb to such a trivial part of the ways of the world.

Outside the station, then found Isen waiting for them. John realized that he hadn't looked into where he was going to spend the night, but he learned that he wouldn't have to. Isen told them that after Safe House found out about his big fight in the plaza, another vote was held during their time in park custody. Unsurprisingly, most still wanted him gone. But Seraphina and Arlo had stressed the importance of Safe House evaluating John's new stance on the club and its values, which strongarmed them into letting him hang around for the rest of the trip. John couldn't believe they did that for him.

They went back to the hotel, and the boys spotted Dylan regaling some other Safe House members with his eyewitness account of the battle against the rival royals. Remi approached them and told them that the buffet was waiting for them. Isen and Blyke hungrily headed there, but John didn't have much of an appetite. It was hard to enjoy a good meal with everybody staring and gossiping on whether Arlo and Seraphina really meant what they said about him. Thankfully, Seraphina was there, and still willing to keep him company as he ate. At their private table, John thanked Seraphina for sticking up for him, despite the fact that not many people seemed convinced of any change. Seraphina assured him that they would come around eventually, and was just he wasn't vulnerable to any ambush. John couldn't help but feel bad about blowing his cover over some two-bit gang, but Seraphina remarked that those nasty royals were asking for it.

John was way too in his head to take in what she was saying, and barely managed to take a bite of his meal. Seraphina seized him by the wrist and made him focus on her words. She was glad he cared enough about her to go this far, but he couldn't afford to be so demure any longer. Should there be a brazen attack, then she needed him to defend himself and everybody else with everything he had. John had little reason to give her his word, and asked why she was colluding with an organization she was clearly wary of. It was their fault she got disabled. Seraphina asked him to follow her outside.

They sat by one of the hotel swimming pools to talk about it further. John made a counter-proposal: she ditch Spectre, and he would make the effort to be the responsible high-tier she wanted him to be. They'd find some other cure for her condition, while he protected her. Seraphina explained there was more to it than regaining her ability permanently. She also sought to understand their ability research and development. Not to mention she had faith in their overall objective, which John found most incredulous of all. But Seraphina swore that their initial goals were the stuff of dreams. They too wanted a world where power levels don't dictate everything. And they slowly amassed a major following across the world in secret to make it a reality. Things only took a turn for the worse when some heads decided they'd be more comfortable using their scientific breakthroughs for personal gain, causing a major rift within their ranks. John understood that Seraphina was supposedly on the Spectre team that didn't plan that kidnapping thing, but his doubts weren't cleared. How was something that had fallen so far ever supposed to return to a bastion of equality ever again? To that, Seraphina answered that she'd have to work her way up the ladder and gain enough influence to steer the proverbial ship on its original course. It didn't sound simple to John, but Seraphina said she wouldn't be discouraged. The discussion ended when their Wellston peers showed up for a dip. Evie and Dylan waved hello to the two of them. John observed as Isen shoved Blyke into the pool, confused that they were friends.

Seraphina then got a call from work, and had to step out for a minute. The concerned John watched her leave. He didn't interact much with the other students, preferring to sit in place and observe them from a distance. Remi's swimming lessons were getting pretty humdrum though, so his attention shifted to a gathering of excited club members swapping ghost stories. Evie orated a tale about a haunted motel with a killer spirit, and ended with a bright light under her ghoulish face. John was so terror-stricken that he fell over backwards. The group heard his reaction, and Dylan asked if he wanted to sit closer. John said yes, and later regretted it. The stories made him all nervous and jumpy. As he walked back to his room, an unexpected voice from behind startled him terribly. He elbow jabbed it reflexively, but it turned out to be Arlo. The unfazed defense king asked if he had frightened him. John denied it. After calming down, he learned that Seraphina wanted to talk to the two of them, so they headed to her room.

They were informed that she had her first assignment all lined up. It started early the next morning, which was the opposite of the nocturnal secret agent life John had always pictured. Seraphina explained that it seemed easy enough, and expected to reunite with the rest of Safe House by 10 AM. All the same, she would be busy until then, which meant their friends still needed to be supervised in case of emergency. She embraced them both and expressed her gratitude for them enduring discomfort for everyone's sake.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 235
2. ↑ Chapter 236
3. ↑ Chapter 237
4. ↑ Chapter 238
5. ↑ Chapter 239
6. ↑ Chapter 240
7. ↑ Chapter 241
8. ↑ Chapter 242
9. ↑ Chapter 243
10. ↑ Chapter 244
11. ↑ Chapter 245
12. ↑ Chapter 246
13. ↑ Chapter 247
14. ↑ Chapter 248
15. ↑ Chapter 249
16. ↑ Chapter 250
17. ↑ Chapter 251
18. ↑ Chapter 252
19. ↑ Chapter 253
20. ↑ Chapter 254
21. ↑ Chapter 255
22. ↑ Chapter 256
23. ↑ Chapter 257
24. ↑ Chapter 258
25. ↑ Chapter 259
26. ↑ Chapter 260
27. ↑ Chapter 261
28. ↑ Chapter 262
29. ↑ Chapter 263
30. ↑ Chapter 264
31. ↑ Chapter 265
32. ↑ Chapter 266
33. ↑ Chapter 268
34. ↑ Chapter 269
35. ↑ Chapter 270
36. ↑ Chapter 271
37. ↑ Chapter 272
38. ↑ Chapter 273
39. ↑ Chapter 274
40. ↑ Chapter 275
41. ↑ Chapter 276
42. ↑ Chapter 277
43. ↑ Chapter 282
44. ↑ Chapter 283
45. ↑ Chapter 284
46. ↑ Chapter 285
47. ↑ Chapter 286
48. ↑ Chapter 287
49. ↑ Chapter 288
50. ↑ Chapter 289
51. ↑ Chapter 290
52. ↑ Chapter 291
53. ↑ Chapter 292
54. ↑ Chapter 293
55. ↑ Chapter 294
56. ↑ Chapter 295
57. ↑ Chapter 296
58. ↑ Chapter 297
59. ↑ Chapter 298
60. ↑ Chapter 299
61. ↑ Chapter 300
62. ↑ Chapter 305
63. ↑ Chapter 306
64. ↑ Chapter 307
65. ↑ Chapter 308
66. ↑ Chapter 309
67. ↑ Chapter 310
68. ↑ Chapter 311
69. ↑ Chapter 317
70. ↑ Chapter 318
71. ↑ Chapter 320
72. ↑ Chapter 321
73. ↑ Chapter 325
74. ↑ Chapter 327
75. ↑ Chapter 328