Battle Academia (The original one)

Chapter 55: Redemption

"Seriously Jayce? THAT'S your guy?", Ezreal flailed his arms in despair as soon as his eyes were met with the boy's familiar face.

"Take it easy Jay-El or I might actually be offended by your barbaric manners", Ekko quipped as he ran a finger through his perfectly styled white mohawk. Ezreal face palmed. Hard.

"I know you're the one who set me up Ekko! Now they all think it was me that abducted these people, including the one that's standing right next to me", he said sarcastically. Katarina DuCuteau scoffed annoyed.

"Are you sure about him president?", she asked mockingly with a raised eyebrow.

"You're the ones who asked for more time", giggled Jayce and Ekko joined in half a second later.

Ezreal raised his eyebrows. Now they're having they're own little inside jokes. Fantastic.

"Jay-El. I mean Ezreal!", Ekko corrected himself. "I'm really sorry about that. Jayce explained to me what happened. But you gotta understand that at the moment you did look shady af", he sighed then placed his palm on Ezreal's chest. "Relax", he offered a comforting smile. "This is me fixing that little mishap".

"And how could you be useful to us? This is going to be dangerous. You might not make it back", Katarina said in the form of a warning.

"Chill lady", Ekko brought his hands behind his head and yawned. "I may or may not have a few aces up my sleeve", he winked towards Ezreal's general direction.

"Well then", Ezreal started, "they better be good. Cause the blood moon's tonight".

He was lying outside feeling the warm breeze under the hot sunrays. He lifted his palm, trying to block the blinding light that was stabbing his eye. But no matter how he moved, the light persisted. Vladimir let out a soft sigh as he sat up on a patch of dead grass. It was already starting to itch. He tucked a stray tuft of black hair behind his left ear. He could see the apple tree in the distance. Its leaves almost touched the horizon. He squinted his eyes to take a better look at it. Knowing that it would always be there as long as he never got too close was comforting.

"I haven't seen you here before!", a child shouted. She hopped on one foot towards him.

"Stay away!", Vladimir shouted back making the girl freeze in place.

"Why?", she shrugged oblivious.

"Stay away from me or I'll hurt you!", this time he threatened her.

The girl scratched the back of her hair then twirled her fingers around one of her long pigtails.

"I want to be your friend!", she smiled completely unaware of the danger she was in.

Vladimir felt his heart tumbling in his chest. But he knew. He was now finally old enough to understand that he couldn't have friends.

He dragged his feet along the beaten path, following the dozens of footsteps that people had left behind way before he did. He ignored the girl's pleads for him to stop and moved up his pace. If he could get away fast enough she was sure to give up at some point. As they all did. He sprinted all the way to his home. After all, he didn't like the way people were looking at him. And keeping interactions as short as possible was the only way.

"I'm back!", the boy shouted as he wiped his feet on the old rag.

He was greeted by nothing but silence but it didn't matter anymore. He was already used to it. A sense of relief grew within him when he realized he was alone.
But the peace wouldn't last for too long. This was merely truce.