𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 (𝙗𝙭𝙗)

Chapter Ten

Cody P.O.V

Heroes are supposed to save the day. But that day, they were worse than the villain. Seeing the brightly clothed heroes, relief seemed to flood throughout the room; faint cheers erupted as my classmates were filled with a sense of safety, thinking that people were here to combat the raging villain.

The two heroes, one pyrokinetic, the other with super-strength, quickly launched an assault against my father. In a flash, the streets were devoured in flames. The cars parked on the curb immediately caught flame, dark smoke mixing with the wide-spread flames. I watched as my father glanced down at the heroes, his facial expression hidden beneath his mask. I shouldn't have looked away from the heroes because the next thing I knew, burning cars were being thrown at my father. My father dodged the cars, each thrown with horrible accuracy. The flames proceeded to spread to the point that nearby buildings were starting to catch on fire, some because of the street, others because of the dodged cars.

"Students, please evacuate through the nearest exits and proceed to get as far away from the flames and destruction as possible; I repeat, please evacuate through the nearest exits and proceed to get as far away from the flames and destruction as possible." In seconds, all of the relief from the arrival of the heroes disappeared as everyone started running towards the emergency exits, well, everyone but my table. None of us moved, though I seemed to be the only one that noticed. The newbies and Hannah were still sat, staring at the fight outside.

Unlike my human peers, I had no reason to be afraid. My father would never hurt me; if anything, the biggest threat to me at that moment was the heroes. I don't think my father knew that he was fighting right outside my school, and I don't think the heroes cared. Isn't that horrible? The heroes are causing damage as fast as my father is, but no one will care since they are heroes. Just another reason to hate superpowers.

When the superheroes ran out of cars, they moved to throwing pieces of the building that were on fire, pieces that had crumbled to the ground. The effect of the fight was getting closer and closer to the school, as flaming debris started landing on the front of the school grounds, threatening to catch the school on fire. Hannah seemed to snap out of it, finally acknowledging the overhead announcement and just how dangerous the situation was. She turned sharply, clearly not expecting me to be still sitting there. I logically should have been planning my escape, but I couldn't leave Hannah behind.

"We got to go!" She stood sharply. I gave a final glance towards my father, fighting midair against the two pitiful heroes, before following Hannah's suit. My calmness in such a situation should have been a red flag, but they seemed too preoccupied to notice. I should be happy that they weren't paying me any attention; if they did, they'd definitely notice that I wasn't freaking out as any normal person would be in this situation. Heck, even Hannah, who I knew for a fact had super abilities, was freaked out, even though she was attempting to conceal it.

The school was empty as we ran through the hallways. It had turned into a ghost town during the span of the few minutes that we had remained in the cafeteria, lost in the fight. I had been convinced that we'd manage to get out of the school unscathed and get away without a hitch. That is what should have happened, anyway.

We had just made it onto the second floor when overhead, a loud cracking noise could be heard. We all stupidly halted, glancing up only to see the ceiling above us, the floor we had been on moments prior, beginning to collapse. I leaped backward as the ceiling directly in front of me crashed down, a mixture of metal bars and desks fell. Within seconds of realizing what happened, fire and dust filled the air.

"What the f*ck?" I flinched, startled by the voice, before remembering that I hadn't been alone. Hannah. I panicked, looking around, hoping to see her. I didn't. The part of the ceiling that collapsed created a blockage in the hallway.