I'm Surrounded by Fakers!

Prologue: Quitting

(Anthony Kennedy walks out of the principal's office, clutching his backpack and his resignation letter. He had made up his mind. He was leaving Union Academy, the prestigious school for the gifted and the elite. He couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't stand the injustice, the cruelty, the oppression that the powerful inflicted on the powerless. He couldn't stand the hypocrisy, the corruption, the lies that the administration and the teachers perpetuated. He couldn't stand the apathy, the fear, the silence that the students displayed. He had tried to make a difference, to stand up for what was right, to protect those who needed it. But he was outnumbered, outmatched, and outcast. He was a descendant of Kratos, the god of war, but he felt powerless in this place. He made his way to the cafeteria, where he knew his friends would be waiting for him. They were the only ones who understood him, who supported him, who cared for him. They were also the only ones who knew his secret: that he had inherited a his ancestor's divine power, that he could summon weapons and armor at will, that he could unleash devastating attacks with a single blow. He always fought back against the Union Bullies. He knew he had to fight back. He had to leave. He spotted them at their usual table, in a corner of the crowded room.)

Anthony: Hey guys.

Friends: (unsion) Hey.

(He sits down next to Rena, who wraps her arm around him. She was his best friend, his confidant, his crush. He wished he could tell her how he felt about her, but he knew it was too late.)

Camie: So you're really leaving?

Anthony: Yeah.

Jaune: Why?

Anthony: You know why.

Ruby: Because you can't stand to see people being bullied?

Ren: Because you can't stand to see people being hurt?

Coco: Because you can't stand to see people being killed?

(He looks at them with a pained expression. They knew what he was talking about. They knew about the incident that had pushed him over the edge. The incident that had happened two weeks ago, when a group of bullies had cornered a powerless kid in an alley and beaten him to death. The incident that had been covered up by the school and the police as an accident. The incident that had haunted him ever since.)

Anthony: Yes.

(He reaches into his backpack and pulls out several letters.)

Weiss: What's this?

Anthony: A letter...

Ichika: A letter?

Anthony: A farewell letter.

(He watched as they opened their envelopes and read their letters. He had written them last night, pouring out his heart and soul into each one. He had thanked them for their friendship, for their loyalty, for their love. He had apologized for leaving them behind, for causing them trouble, for breaking their hearts. He had expressed his hopes for their future, for their happiness, for their freedom. He had signed them with his name and a symbol: a sword crossed with a lightning bolt. They finished reading their letters and looked at him with tears in their eyes.)

Azuki: Anthony...

Anthony: Don't, I have to go.

(He turned around and walked away from them, ignoring their cries and their pleas. He walked out of the cafeteria, out of the school, out of their lives. He didn't look back. He walked until he reached the city limits, where a bus was waiting for him. He boarded it and paid the fare with some cash he had saved up. He found an empty seat and sat down. He looked out of the window and saw the skyline of Union City fading away in the distance. He felt a pang of nostalgia and regret in his chest, but he pushed it away. He had made his choice. He was leaving Union Academy behind. He was leaving Union City behind. He was leaving everything behind. He was going to find a new place, a new life, a new purpose. He was going to find others like him, others had the power to change the world. He was going to join them, to fight with them, to live with them.)

(He was going to be a true hero.)

(He closes his eyes and smiled.)

(He is Anthony Kennedy, descendant of Kratos.)

(And he is now free.)