1.11 – Driveaway to Drivethrough while enjoying a Drive next to a Driver who happens to be Driving

The rest happened almost all too quickly. Vermilion Strike did indeed arrive at the front door of the university, and she flew off with the last living student of the class 2-A. Nathan knew it wasn’t her fault, but he still couldn’t suppress a feeling of anger when he thought about how she left. The idea that the student would most definitely die if he didn’t decide to stay for a little while longer chafed at him strongly.

But without an outlet for his anger, he just did what he’s always done: let it simmer inside him. It was kind of funny how a person could become acquainted with suppressing their own emotions when they needed to do so as often as he has. No, he was not thinking of this as if it made him cooler or anything of the sort. He knew that eventually it would overcome him, but as humans do, he just pushed the limit of what was normal to the best of his capabilities.

Thankfully, Alicia stayed nearby the whole time, and she looked even more dumbfounded and shocked than Nathan. He considered taking her to the psychiatrist that Strike mentioned was on the second floor, but in the end he decided not to. Not because she didn’t need it, but because of the simple fact that an announcement came from the school speakers placed all over the hallways.

All students are required to leave the school premises immediately.

A new dangerous situation has arisen, and so all of your classes today have been suspended. Please calmly proceed to your nearest exit and head home.

Further instructions will be given out today by email. All of the details concerning this situation will probably be covered by the media in under an hour.

Please have a safe travel home.

A weird chime sounded after the speech was over, and then even more people filled the halls, most of them heading straight towards the lockers or towards the door.

“Come on, Nathan, let’s go.” Alicia called him, her head bumping in the direction of the door. “You plan to stand there till tomorrow or what?”

“Just trying to understand this whole situation,” Nathan replied, shaking himself and then walking forward. This all felt like too much. In a single day, he had seen far more death than in his whole previous life of twenty years. Not only death, but he trudged through the blood of his peers. Hell, the stench was still attached to him like a shirt, and his socks were still soggy, but he probably saved a life.

At least he hoped that he did, and that made it all worth it.

Also, strangely, he had a new window that he didn’t find time to inspect. It still seemed interesting; however. Originally he thought that only his stats would get increased, but now that it seemed that it wasn’t the case. He wasn’t quite so sure on what to think anymore.

A shop could mean a thousand different things, and he needed to sit down and inspect calmly to know what his steps forward would be. For now, he only walked behind Alicia, trying to orient himself in the giant swarm of bodies.

“Where are we going?” he asked as he followed Alicia to her car.

“Home. I don’t wanna go anywhere else today.”

“What the actual fuck was that even?”

“Yeah, don’t even wanna talk about it.”

Nathan agreed, as he sat in the front seat once again. “I wish we had overslept so I wouldn’t have to see that.”

She sat on the soft seat, looking in front, her gaze glazed over. “What… who…. what…. WHY? Why would anyone do such a thing?” She stumbled over her words, visibly agitated as she sat behind the wheel. She still had yet to start the car.

“I don’t know, Alicia.” Nathan shook his head. “Probably some weirdo? Maybe that organization that the teacher was talking about this morning?” He sighed and looked out of the window, not being able to look at her sad face any longer. “That was so fucked up though. They were our age, just unlucky to find themselves in the better class.”

“Yeah, we live because we are the fucking worst class of the Academy, the ones nobody really thinks will become heroes, even.” She scoffed, “I’ll show them all.”

“If we become heroes, a sight like this will not be just a thing we see once or twice. As much as I hate to admit it, the fact that I saw that classroom today probably helped me to know what I’ll have to face in the future.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Heroes don’t face shit like this often, Nathan. Did you see teachers? Did you see Vermilion Strike? She looked like she was ready to puke as well, and she’s been a hero for almost a decade. This, this was something bad happening, Nathan. That’s what I’ll tell you.”

For the first time… Well, not actually the first time, but this was definitely the longest conversation Nathan had with Alicia that didn’t involve a joke or two. It would be out of place, yeah, but still, he was mildly surprised by the fact that she knew how to carry on a conversation like this at all.

Talkative and not that evil Alicia. Good-natured Vermilion Strike. And now the class 2-A destruction.

Something was up.

Alicia pressed the button to start the engine and slowly drove away from the academy gates, slower this time than their morning rush. Was she actually driving like a normal human being that valued her life for this time, checking the corners and if anyone was coming from a side street? At any rate, maybe Nathan wouldn’t have to die in his second life because of a road accident as well.