The Beginning of the Beastmasters

Hard Work Undone

I thank KatherineOzawa of Wattpad for helping me.

"Buckle up, jerks!" From there, Deuce began going feral and animalistic on the two. Although he was outnumbered two to one, his strength made up for it. In just thirty seconds, he had not only given the first guy a dislocated arm and black eye, but the second one a bloody nose and broke a tooth.

The two delinquents picked themselves up from the ground. "This guy's outta his mind!"

"Bwah! L-let's get outta here!" They started running down Main Street, begging for mercy as Deuce kicked up the dirt.

"Next time you eat an egg, you better apologize a hundred times, you buncha chumps!" Deuce spat out as they kept running.

"D-deep breaths!"

"Whoooooa..."

Deuce panted roughly until he froze, realizing what he did. "Huff, huff... Urk!"

"What's wrong?" Grim shouted, still in shock.

"You acted like an animal back there!" Niho followed.

He hung his head in shame, grinding the heels of his palms into his eyes in frustration. "I did it again, didn't I...? ARGH! I was dead-set on becoming an honor student this time, too!"

The two shared a confused look.

Deuce told them everything. "When I was in middle school, I was pretty wild. I cut school all the time and got in fights. I called my teachers names, hung out with bullies, bleached my hair... I blasted around tight curves on my Magic Wheel... I'd show off my magic to kids who couldn't use it yet... I was a total punk."

"So you were only a little more annoying than you are now?"

Niho shook her head. "That's hard for me to picture."

Deuce pushed the tears in his eyes away as he kept going on. "But one night, I saw my mom talking on the phone to my grandma. She was trying to hide from me, but I saw her, and I could tell she was in tears. She was saying how she must have been a horrible mom, and that maybe she never should have tried to raise me by herself. That had nothin' to do with it! She hadn't done anything wrong. It was all me. When the carriage came to take me to Night Raven College, she was so happy for me. I decided then and there that this time, I wouldn't do anything to make her cry. This time, I'd become an honor student- someone she could be proud of. And I already messed it all up!" he beat himself up.

Grim and Niho look at one another. "I mean, did ya, though? Is putting up with jerks what honor students do?"

Deuce looked up at them with confusion.

"Even I, Grim the Magnanimous, was ready to pound those losers into tuna paste! You just got to 'em first." Grim supported.

"Yeah, Grim's right!" Niho nodded.

"You guys..."

Niho put her hands on Deuce's shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile. "Even honor students get angry sometimes."

Deuce seemed to be relieved at her words. "Heh heh... I guess you're right! I just hope those chicks can rest in peace." he sighed.

However, one thing, said with a snicker, crashed down on him. "I hate to say this but there won't be any chicks. Those eggs weren't the type that hatch." Niho broke it to him.

And Deuce began an existential crisis. "Wha- WHAAAAAT?! Are you kidding me?!"

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Back in the kitchen, the three made it back in one piece with their things in hand.