World Hoppers {book one}

Tal

Noan's next idea turned out even worse. He took Ollie up to the exam room and handed him a pair of glasses, "It'll generate someone from your memory that you dislike for you to fight." Ollie nodded and slipped on the glasses. He looked around, he was back in Roman's apartment, on the ground again as his dad lay next to him, dead. Natalie wasn't here though.

He climbed to his feet, the sound of Roman's voice made him sick. "Fight me." The goggles must have mixed the dying image of Roman with his living one because he flickered between them as he jumped on the counter. Ollie was thrown to the ground, he climbed to his feet and managed to get behind him, grabbing his head and holding it against his chest. "You nearly killed Natalie, I'm glad your dead." He snapped his neck and dropped him.

Forgetting he was simply in a simulation caused by the glasses, he didn't remove them, instead he looked through the apartment until they were ripped off. "Who in the worlds did you see? Are you alright? You really-" Ollie looked at his hands, he was shaking. "I saw Roman. I killed him." Noan's features twitched, "Did you see him die?" He wasn't looking at him anymore, he was staring at the wall behind him. Ollie shook his head, "Only after Honic stabbed him." Noan nodded, "What's wrong?" Noan shook his head, "He was supposed to be good, I trained him since he was little." Ollie paused, "You taught him all that?" He pulled away from him, "No he-" He grabbed Ollie and pulled him back toward him, "He ran away when he was ten, they taught him that, not me."

Noan didn't want to fight any of the kids and he wouldn't put them through Eri or the goggles so he ripped up his notes and threw them in the trash.

Supervisor was not happy about this. He yelled at him during his weekly visit, loud enough that they were both crying. Noan sighed as he wiped tears from his eyes, Natalie was walking away fast with Blue in her arms. "It's one of the kids, whenever he cries so does everyone around him." He sat back down and Supervisor began yelling once again, "And I wasn't informed? What else haven't you been telling me?" "Well I can tell you He doesn't like yelling which is why-" he wiped his eyes, "this." Supervisor frowned, "I might just have you replaced! I want a full report on everything you know about these kids by tomorrow night. Goodbye Noan." Noan laughed wall to Natalie and Ryan, they were both in shock, probably having been eavesdropping.

They brought in another man, this one older. His name was Tal, he liked to yell which didn't fair well with any of them. He called Naomi into his office first, she sat in the chair, feet hanging over the armrest. "Tell me about yourself Naomi." Naomi stared back at him, they'd all previously agreed not to say a word to him. "There's no note of you being mute, speak!" She shrugged and reached out to the desk and pushed over a stack of papers. He gasped, "Out!"

None of them said anything to him, but he wasn't gone yet. He called all of them into the classroom, including the kids. "We're not leaving until you all acknowledge me." They shrugged and began talking to each other instead, "How's your day Blue?" Blue eyed the man, "I don't like him Nat, he's nasty and mean." Natalie purses her lips, "Your right."

They sat in the room for hours until finally the Supervisor was called in. "Sit in your seats." He ordered. They reluctantly moved back from their various seating arrangements around the room. The door opened and Noan poked his head in, as if they were a hive mind everyone greeted him. He smiled, waved and looked at the Supervisor, "I just came to grab the stuff from my office." Tal scoffed, "What's the difference between us! Why greet him but-" Noan laugh, "You mean they don't like you? Bummer." Tal boiled and went to move toward him before the Supervisor held out a hand in warning.

"You kids will respect Tal and I. Noan will never be your teacher again. He has disobeyed and been removed." York booed him. He looked at her in disbelief as the others stared in awe, the Supervisor was beyond intimidating. They made everyone draw closer to each other. Ollie and Cas was holding hands, June and Atti were holding each other, Blue was holding onto Nat, and Naomi, York, and Ryan sat close enough to touch each other. "That's not respect!"

Blue squeezed Natalie tighter as she tried to dig through her pocket for the headphones she'd bought on their shopping spree, she handed them to him and he put them in. She hooked them up to her phone, which she'd previously discarded due to it having been in dead, but she'd managed to get a charger during their spree. She put on music for him and he quieted.

The Supervisor stared at her, "He won't be able to hear me with those in." Natalie nodded, "That's the idea." He glared at her, "Take then out." She shook her head, "Tal." Tal advances, he moved toward the back row but he didn't quite get there. Ryan held out his foot and he fell flat on his face. Blue glanced up, Natalie ran fingers through his hair and he laid back down. "You come near him I will cut off your hands." He hesitated in grabbing for them, "She's not kidding." Ollie added, "Bring back Noan." It became a chant, even Blue took out a headphone and joined in, soon "BRING BACK NOAN!" was being yelled at full volume. "FINE!" The Supervisor yelled, "Tal, get out. Get Noan."

Tal left the room and Noan walked right back in, "Hello again, how are things going? Why is Tal leaving? I thought I'd never be their teacher again!" The Supervisor grunted, "We decided to restore your position," he smiled, "Thanks, much appreciated."