The Sage and Shield

Chapter 8 (Done)

Mikey and Faith felt a lack of threat since his bet with Jake: there weren't any major outbursts, thinking everything was calmer now.

It also helped Jake spread a rumor he claimed everyone was the smartest one in the class.

"You're not worried?"

"Well I made a promise to come to school so I can't afford to lose. Besides, even if he does better, I'll probably make him owe me one."

"You thought ahead," laughing. "Um, question."

"Shoot."

"If and when we find and stop the other grimoire users, are you going to leave?"

He yawned. "I don't know," shrugging. "I just wanna help you out for now," looking at her paper. "You sure this is right?"

"Really?"

"Only thing I'm worried about is Hela taught me some of the techniques before class, so I'm not sure it'll count?"

"Why not dismantle and rework it with Ms. Onest's methods?"

"Good idea."

The day of the test, Mikey and Jake glared at each other before everyone received the test. He stayed focused. At the end of the day, everyone got their scores back.

Ms. Puckett asked them not to reveal their scores but as she and Ms. Onest turned their back, everyone revealed them.

Jake pulled his paper up. "Ha, seventy-five!"

Mikey sucked his teeth. Jake grew satisfied, as Mikey lifted it up.

"Ninety-five?"

Faith turned to see hers at ninety.

Kathy: eighty.

Jeffery and Janiya: eighty-five.

Maria's made him gasp.

"One hundred?"

"Hey, you passed."

"Mikey gets to stay!"

"Hooray," Sanae responded with no enthusiasm whatsoever.

"Oh yeah, I never gave you my win condition. You have to be quiet for an entire week unless you need to pee or ask something."

"What?"

"You lost."

He slammed his pencil on the floor. "Abdul, Rebina, this is your fault, you were supposed to help me study! You're both dumber than Maria? What a joke!"

Spike Garden laughed. "The problem's with you, not them!"

"Who asked you for your ugly haircut? I'll choke you out again!"

"Try it!"

Jake took the challenge and reached for his neck, and Spike kicked and punched to try and get them off, hitting Rebina in the face completely by accident. Ms. Onest told them to stop, trying to get in.

Mikey and Kathy pulled Jake off while Altair and Jeffery did their best to separate Spike.

"I'll take Rebina to the nurse's office," said Abdul, picking her up. She looked at Spike with contempt as her friend walked with her out of the room.

Half an hour later came dismissal, and while Mikey was a bit concerned for Rebina's condition, the scolding they got from Ms. Onest made it clear she wouldn't let that happen again.

Ms. Puckett let those who walk home go, leading the duo to walk the same path while Maria checked her phone before running away.

"Today was a little scary."

"Yup. We're too ego. They turn on each other one day and go back to being friends the next. It's disturbing. I'm just glad you weren't hurt."

Those words were soothing. But she saw the way he acted with Maria and Kathy compared to her and the speed at which he went to stop the fight.

"Do you really hate your classmates?"

Before he could answer, Faith's grimoire pulsated. A huge burst of air flew above their heads. The two of them saw a ghost figure in a hood carrying a scythe. Mikey wondered why it wasn't going after them when she gasped.

They weren't the target.

Maria was.

He knew she took the A train from Queens to Brooklyn to get home. And so did Jake: the perfect motivation to do so.

"The grim reaper's going to catch up on her before we can!"

"No they won't," telling her to boost her speed and follow him. He took her to his apartment, picking up the hang glider. "Hold on tight!"

They made a running stop and jumped off the balcony, steering it towards the train station. She gave them a boost to hover in the air far higher than he ever reached before.

"This view is incredible! Right?" He was basking in the warm sun coded with the adrenaline pumping from the wind, not realizing she was looking at him with the same admiration.

"Yeah." They reached the station too late as she entered, spotting the Grim Reaper flying through the train cart to get to her.

"How are we going to get inside?"

"I know! Magnet!" The spell attracted them to the top of the train, allowing them to run to the head cart, spotting Maria and the grim reaper approaching her.

"Phase!" She grabbed him and the two floated through the metal, able to attack the phantom before they could reach Maria, bringing it to reality.

"What are you two doing here?" Mikey explained it best as he can watch to her frustration.

"He sent the Grim Reaper after me because I did better than him on a test? He's such a baby!"

"Didn't you threaten our teacher once because you were losing in jeopardy?"

Faith dragged them down to the floor to avoid the blade.

"We can debate about me being a hypotenuse later!"

"Don't you mean hypocrite?"

"Could we argue about this later," creating a wind barrier to protect the three of them. The reaper slashed it apart with the same amount of force, but Mikey pushed Maria away, forcing it to shift directions.

The few people on the train weren't sure if this was serious or if some kids were messing around. Hearing the commotion, Mikey treated it like a performance, swinging on the pole to kick the reaper and push him into the train ceiling.

But the spirit's hunt for Maria was too strong, making him hit the train doors and pole in the center, Faith attempted to shoot the scythe out of it's hands, but the reaper threw Mikey off and knocked her away.

The two tried getting up as the blade dragged through the ground, about to hit Maria.