Paladin's Academy

Act III, Chapter 1: In School After Math

After the attack on Avalon's facility,  the Paladins administration has administered a two-week break for the students and the staff. It was a quiet day when Class Sword returned. Everyone heard about the villain's attack, but they can't seem to believe it—an actual villain raid.

In the years since Overlord's defeat, organized villainy dropped to an all-time low. Most heroes of the current era only faced random crimes and the occasional Void-Born rampage. But with a sudden spring in united villain action, a quiet fear spreads among them. Could this be the spark to light the flames of tyranny? Could this be a signal to all villains, past and present, that the heroes have gotten weak, that the clock may strike Twelve once more?

For the past few days, the medical bay has been swamped with inquisitive students. Each wants to see the damage the villains have done and ask the victims about their battles. This incident caused the clinic to be barred from visitors. Only teachers and authorized visitors, such as family, can enter. Currently, Streetwise watches over both Glance, Aegis, Sure-Shot, and Double-Trouble. 

He slumps on one of the bedside chairs, briefly yawning and stretching his arms. His mask rests on his legs as his tired eyes relentlessly watch the IV monitors, checking if anything is out of the ordinary. He scratches his head, not sure about what he's looking for, until he slowly lowers his head, finally getting some rest...

KABOOM!

A massive shockwave shakes the ground. Hundreds of glass shards hit Streetwise's body, pushing him against the wall. He reaches for his mask using his light ropes, but they don't appear. He looks to his hand, only to find it covered in blood. He desperately tries to rub it off, but the stain remains.

He changes his plan and rushes to the clinic beds, only to find them empty. Well, not entirely empty, as he sees a pool of blood dripping from the frame. His heart sinks, but as a Superhero, he knows he can save the others.

Explosions ring outside the school grounds. Chris continues running, passing by multiple deceased students all around. As he exits the halls, all he sees is Paladin's Acadamy in ruins. Flames engulf the broken buildings. Bodies of hundreds, if not thousands, of students and teachers lie motionless on the ground. Up in the sky, a crimson-eclipsed moon glimmers in the night. Chris falls to his knees. His entire body draped in the blood of his allies.

In the middle of it all, a hulking behemoth towers before him. His royal purple cape bellowed in the wind. His silver and black armor was adorned with golden chains and scarlet liquid. His silver mask only highlighted his golden eyes and sinister grin. On his feet rests Sparkplug and Ms. Winter, their lifeless eyes staring into his soul. 

Before him stood the mad king of villains, the archon of calamity, the harbinger of destruction, the OVERLORD of the new world. Chris could only listen in horror as he screamed,

"Tremble in fear, for I AM HERE!"

Streetwise jolts awake in the middle of the night. The monitors continue beeping and displaying the vitals of each patient. The silent hum of the air con calms him down just a little bit. He grabs his chest and notices his heart beating way too fast, so he steadies his sharp breathing.

"You good?" A kind-sounding woman asks. Her long pink hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, and her soft blue eyes carefully observed the patients. This is Remedy, the chief nurse of Paladin's Academy.

"Oh, hey Rem," Streetwise nods, "yeah, I'm good. Why?"

"Because it is twelve degrees, and you're sweating a sauna."

"This?" Streetwise wipes his sweat away, "it's nothing. Probably just a little hotter here by the window."

"Mhmm," Remedy says, "You know I've seen this before, right?"