Changes (Discontinued)

Chapter 12

No one's Pov

Inside an Internet café, a sigh could be heard as Remi scrolled through the various news articles, regarding the recent attacks of EMBER.
She was glancing at the articles searching for the most recent and relevant ones to help her locate volcan.

Generally she would have done the searching in her dorm room, but she couldn't risk getting found out. So she opted to choose a place where she continues her search without getting in the risks of being found out.

Her eyes felt tired, reminding herself of the strain she was putting on herself, due to the lack of rest.
Even though Arlo has told her to put an end to the investigation she knew that she can't bring herself to do it.

She remembered Isen's refusal to take part in the investigation any longer. But she didn't blame him. It was the first time they have witnessed someone's death in front of them.
Moreover, she was nearly killed during her fight with Volcan. If it wasn't for Blyke and Isen who rescued her she would have probably died by then.

But she didn't want to quit now!!
Not after when she was so close to catching her brother's murderer.
They were high tiers for God's sake. If they do nothing then who would?

One by one superhero are getting killed and no one seems to care about them. It's as if their hard works are in vain. Even the authorities are not making any efforts to investigate their murder. She thought bitterly as memories of past resurfaced in her mind.

A familiar headline caught her attention which seems to have been posted recently.

Click

The page loaded to show the picture of a person's dead body which was in the same condition as Rei.

"' Hurricane', a well-known vigilante was found dead this morning near the harbor. Evidence shows that the victim's body was covered in second-degree burns and multiple stab wounds. And like all the other EMBER victims a very prominent brand of its logo was marked on the corpse.  Authorities are not releasing any more information on the subject other than the culprit has not been found. Cheif police officer Keene XXXX has yet to comment on the murder that has occurred a few days ago. It follows the same criteria of the X-static murder case that occurred less than a month prior..."

Remi's Pov

'So that psycho killed again' I raged, anger evident in my eyes. I curled my hands into fists and rested it on my thighs.
After jotting down a few things in my notebook I shoved in my bag. Slinging the bag half-hazard on my shoulder, I headed out of the Internet café and walked towards the bus stop.

After everything that has happened at this point, I could easily tell that the EMBER is backed up by the authorities. It was clearly evident in the way the news about Alana's death was manipulated to make it look like an accident.
Furthermore, someone as dangerous as Volcan is freely moving in the city killing superheroes. The thought alone is unsettling to me.

I felt charged boiled in my veins.

There's no way I'm going to let her go this time.
I'm done grieving. It's time she paid for her actions.
My mind was lost in thoughts, due to which I ended up colliding into someone making the other person fall.

Upon realizing what I've done, I immediately apologized to that person.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to trip you!".

"It's alright" that person assured as he stood up.
"Oh! It's you" he exclaimed on seeing me.
A look of recognition flashed across my face as I identified the raven-haired teen with burnt golden eyes in front of me.

"You must be Seraphina's friend" I exclaimed, "John right?!!"

"Yeah." he grinned."Nice to meet you!" he said extending his hands.

"Likewise" I said as we shook hands.

"So ...What are you doing here?" he said, awkwardly trying to start a conversation. I couldn't blame him as its the first time we're talking with each other, even though we've bumped into the hallways a few times.

"Oh well! I was going to visit my hometown."I answered"But it seems like I will not end up catching the bus in time" I said, dejectedly.

He seems to have realized my problem as he thought for a while
"I think I can help you with it. I knew a shortcut towards the bus stop" he said confidently, motioning towards the park.

My face brightened on hearing his offer.
"That will be great. Thanks"I smiled at him.

"Don't mention it" he said as he led the way, while I closely followed him from behind.

While walking I noticed that my burned arm was still visible, so I tugged on the sleeves in hopes of hiding it from him. It frustrated me to see that it hasn't fully recovered yet.
Fortunately John didn't seem to notice it, as he seemed a bit lost in thought. His face was hidden by his bangs and he was biting his lips as if resisting the urge to say something.

"Is everything alright John?"I asked, noticing his nervous state, which startled him.

"Umm...Remi I have something to tell you," he said, avoiding my gaze.

"What is it?"I asked, a bit curious.

"I-I .. am sorry for hitting you t-that day" he said, his eyes downcast.

'Oh! So that's what he was worried about'I thought to myself. I couldn't help but smile at his awkward display, of trying to apologize.

"It's alright John. I already forget about it."I assured him.

"But it was wrong of me to do that when you're only trying to help"he protested, a bit unsure of my response.

"John" I said firmly, looking him in the eyes "It's not your fault. You were clearly having a rough day and on top of that everyone was bullying you. So it's reasonable why had you snapped like that.  Don't worry about it now."

No one's Pov

John was surprised by her response. He didn't really expect her to forgive him that easily. If it had been any mid-tier or any other high-tier then they would have held the grudge to his grave. Yet she brushed it off like its no big deal.

'Maybe I was wrong about them.
If that incident would have never occurred then perhaps I would have friends much earlier '.

From a distance he easily could spot the bus stop.  By the time they have reached there, the bus hadn't arrived much to Remi's relief.

"Looks like we've reached in time"  he informed, glancing at the clock.

"Thanks to you "she said, in a cheerful tone. Her eyes widened in shock, when her gaze fell on his eyes.

For some reason, his eyes greatly resembled with volcans
He's a low-tier while Volcan is a high-tier there's just no way that's possible.
John seemed to catch her change in expression didn't pry much as he remembered he had to deal with some unfinished business.

"I should get going"  he informed her, as she nodded in response.

"Sure.  See you around John..." her voice trailed off as he sprinted towards in the opposite direction.

She was still feeling a bit uneasy after that sudden observation. Her mind was torn in an internal conflict.
"It's must be a coincidence" she tried to convince herself but deep down, a part of her mind still held onto the possibility of John being related to Volcan.

____________________________________

Sorry for the late update everyone.

I was preparing for the exams now that they are finally finished I could easily devote my time to my story.
I was a bit nervous to start again after such a long time.

This chapter dealt with what would have happened if John had apologized to Remi about that incident. As the chapter was done in a hurry so there will be common errors which I will rectify sooner or later.

Thanks a lot for reading.

Hope to see ya soon.