Battle Academia (The original one)

Chapter 11: The Intruders

Principal Yuumi was getting better they had said. Slowly but steadily her health would be once again restored. Students had flooded her hospital room with flowers, candy and handmade cards, wishing for a speedy recovery but they weren't allowed to visit her.

Ezreal decided to sneak into the hospital room. With his gauntlet this would be a piece of cake. At least that's what he thought.

He didn't want to talk about his plan with Kayn. The boy didn't look okay. Recently he had started to mumble things to himself at night. And the metal material in his arm seemed to be spreading through his entire body. Day by day. The corruption had reached his eye.. It was red. Like it was bleeding.

Most of the students had left the school dorms it seemed. Their rich parents wouldn't allow them to stay in such a dangerous place as the Durrandal God-Weapon Academy was deemed unsafe. Aristocrats, nobles and powerful politicians, had picked up their kids the moment the news of Principal Yuumi's attack had become known. They might have seemed stuck up but at least they cared about their children, Ezreal thought.

He hadn't seen Lux since that day in the pavilion. But it was true that she made him feel a little bit better about himself. That he could not deny.

While school was closed he would sneak into the Battle Club by himself and target practice. He was slowly getting the hang of it. Beams of blue light were flowing through his gauntlet with ease now.

Sometimes he could spot Zoe spying on him out the corner of his eye but he didn't react to it. He would only embarass her, so he left her alone.

He couldn't hit the target every single time though and when he got tired the shots were far less powerful. But that didn't mean he wouldn't keep trying. He had decided that instead of lying about who he was to make himself look good, he would become the man of his lies. He would become courageous and strong enough to protect himself and his friends. That was his resolve.

And perhaps one day.. If he worked really hard.. Maybe he could become someone equal to Lux. Someone she could actually count on. But his priority was to find out who he's up against. And that's something only the Principal knows.

He put on his brown jacket. His goggles on his head. He had missed the sensation and the smell of his blue scarf. He finally felt like he wasn't hiding who he was. The plan was that he would made his way through the parking lot walls and from then on he would find Principal Yuumi's room to get the answers he needed.

He was ready to get inside when he saw him. Ezreal sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Why did you follow me dude"?, he whispered annoyed.

"Thought I'd give you a hand", said Kayn holding his scythe with his clawed hand.

"How did you know I was going to do this"?

"I'm not as stupid as you think I am, doofus", the boy replied gently shoving Ezreal on his shoulder. His upper body was out in the open.

"Why the hell are you half naked? At least put on a shirt or something! We look like a bunch of weirdos"!

"Sorry man but my shirts don't fit me with this hand anymore"

"Yeah right you sick exhibitionist", Kayn bursted out laughing.

"Just tell me the plan".

"You're not coming", Ezreal said seriously. "This could be a waste of time. And the punishment we could get over this will no doubt be severe. We could even be expelled". He stopped. "Maybe you should go back to Ionia until this thing is settled".

The boy with the black hair was silent before he said. "I can't go home. I have nowhere to return to. Even if something were to happen to me no one would even bat an eye. Trust me".

"Wait what do you mean?", Ezreal asked.

"I don't have time for this", he replied nonchallantly. "Just know this. This Academy is my home as much as it is yours. And that's the only reason why I'm coming with you whether you like it or not".

"Fine", sighed Ezreal defeated.

Ezreal had seen Kayn walk through walls many times before. But after he had acquired his Darkin scythe he had become faster. Stronger. More agile than before. He could slide through the walls. Almost as if he was flying through them.

They found the room easily. It was the most heavily guarded after all. The gave each other a devious grin. It didn't matter. Their skillset seemed to be destined for this kind of operation.

Ezreal used his arcane shift and froze. A moment later Kayn appeared next to him. He was still smiling but his grin quickly faded when he saw it.

Principal Yuumi was covered in bandages from her mouth to her chest. Machines were beeping at the same pace as her heart. She was sleeping soundly with an oxygen mask strapped to her face. The room was packed with "get well" balloons and flowers.

They looked at eachother confused as they slowly approached her bed. On her nightstand, a once beautiful bouquet of roses had started to wither. The red petals had fallen to the floor. If she's better now how was she like before?

Ezreal saw her paws and noticed that her nails were broken. She fought back..

"Ez look at this", Kayn whispered and pointed towards Yuumi's chart hanging from her bed. On it there were names of a dozen different kind of meds she had to take and the times of each dose.

Doctors notes on the first pages, revealed what had happened. Bitemarks. Three major bite marks had caused her to bleed both internally and externally. She also had a few broken bones. But she fought back..

Without a word they decided to leave. She wasn't in a position to answer their questions anyway.

As they got out they heard a gun clicking. Ezreal could feel the cold barrel of a shotgun on the back of his head.

"End of the line", they heard a husky yet familiar voice say as they raised their hands simualtaneously. "Turn around. Slowly".

Professor Graves was caught off guard. "Shieda? Lightfeather?", he asked puzzled. "What the hell do you think you're doing"?

"Professor-", started Ezreal.

"We came cause we want to know what we're dealing with", Kayn cut him off.

"We? You're not dealing with anything boy. Let the grownups handle this. You two will only be a burden", replied Graves still pointing his shotgun at them.

"We saw Yuumi. We know about the bites. Just tell us who did it", continued Kayn completely unphased.

"You know I could just shoot the both of you right now and get it over with, but we're supposed to protect you. Just get the hell out of here and I might forget this ever happened".

"We can help. We're more capable than you think Professor and we have to know!", said Ezreal.

A storm of footsteps was approaching them. "What is going on Graves?", they heard someone saying.

"Get out. Now", Professor pushed Ezreal away and threw a cannister on the floor. A few seconds later the room was filled with smoke.

Kayn and Ezreal got out. They were both with their backs against a concrete wall. But they were safe and good to go.

"We're screwed", Kayn said and Ezreal couldn't help but agree.