The Fallen Empath - Welcome to the Villain's World

Chapter Ten: Mutual Aggression

 "Myah?!" Grim jerks back at Ace's sudden change of behavior.

Ace breaks out in laughter. "I can't hold it anymore! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Come on, you're the ones who turned orientation into such a fiasco, right? The girl summoned by the Dark Mirror who can't even use magic, and the monster no one summoned at all! It took everything I had to not burst into laughter right in the middle of the ceremony!"

"Sorry." I mumble as I look away.

"H-hey! You don't have to be a jerk about it!" Grim shouts.

"So in the end, neither of you got admitted, and now you're janitors? Ah ha ha! SO lame!" Ace wheases.

"What did you just call me?!" Grim growls.

"And you're both so clueless you don't even know who the Great Seven are. Not a one of them! Maybe before you try getting into the academy again, you ought to take a second crack at kindergarten."

I notice the flickers of blue fire escaping from behind Grim's sharp teeth.

"G-Grim, remember what Mr. Crowley told us." I try to calm Grim down.

Ace wipes a tear from his eye. "Anyway, just thought I'd tease you a bit. And man am I glad I did. It's been a blast! Unlike you, I actually have classes to get to, so I'll let you get back to picking up trash. Bye!"

"Myah-uh! You ain't walkin' away from me! It's too late for that! Myaaaaah!" Grim shoots out the blue fire he was storing up.

He just barely misses Ace as he jumps to the side with a yelp.

"Grim, you could have hurt him!" I raise my voice.

"No one makes fun of Grim, Master of Fire! I'm gonna make that explodey-head of yours explode all over again!" Grim readies another fireball.

"Explodey-head?! You wanna throw down with me, shorty! You got some guts. You wanna talk hair, huh? I'm gonna shave you like a toy poodle!" Ace gets out a pen that looks like the one Riddle used during the ceremony and deflects Grim's fire."Oh-ho! How do you like that?"

"H-hey! His magic winds are blowin' my fireballs off course! No fair!" Grim whines.

"Guys, you're going to get in trouble!" I try to defuse the fight, but it doesn't seem like either can hear me over their magic and the cheers from the forming crowd.

"Awww," Ace deflects another fireball. "Can't hit me with your little fireballs?"

Ace's taunts fuel Grim's rage even more as he fires off more fire. This is getting out of hand, but I don't know how to stop it. They're not listening to me.

Grim growls. "You better believe I'm about to! Take that!" Grim shoots a rather big fireball towards Ace.

"Pfft. All it takes is a little gust to—Hah!" Ace heavily diverts the fire...right into the statue of the Queen of Hearts.

"Oh no! Now the Queen of Heart's statue looks like it's been flame-broiled!" Ace jumps back.

"That's your fault for tryin' to divert it! You shoulda just let it burn you to a crisp!"

"Grim!" I look down at the cat monster.

"Who in their right mind would ever do that?!" Ace glairs.

"What is going on here? Cease this at once!" We all tense and look over to see Mr. Crowley and by the look on his face, we are in a lot of trouble.

The crowd quickly dissipates.

"Oh no! The headmage!" Ace takes a step back.

"No more lashes of love! We gotta get outta here!" Grim turns to run.

I stay put as the other two try to run from Mr. Crowley. They don't get far when he snaps his whip on the back of their knees. They both fall in pain.

"Myaaaaah! And I'm still sore from yesterday too!" Grim cries.

"As if the likes of you could ever flee from me!" Mr. Crowley lets out a sigh. "Did I not just warn you, 'no more incidents'? And now you've charred one of my statutes?! It's almost as though you WANT to be expelled!"

"No! Forgive me!" Ace pleads.

Mr. Crowley turns to look at me. "And you, Solace. You were specifically told to keep Grim under control!"

"I'm sorry." I lower my head in shame.

"This will not do. And you! State your name and grade." Mr. Crowley turns back to glare at Ace.

"Ace Trappola... Freshman." He sounds just as ashamed as I do.

"Then listen well, Trappola. You too, Grim and Solace. As punishment for today's infractions, you are hereby ordered to wash a hundred windows!" Mr. Crowley declares.

"Myah?! That's what you get for makin' fun of me! This is all your fault!" Grim glares at the orange-haired boy.

"Whaaat? I have to do it too?!" Ace sounds surprised.

"Of course you do. You will meet in the cafeteria after class. Are we clear?" Mr. Crowley states firmly.

"Yes sir." We all say in unison.

"Ugh, I just can't catch a break!" Grim huffs.