THE BAD GUYS IN: raising princess

The New Bad Boy of the School

(A request from Flashbolt157ninja )

It was a crisp, overcast Monday when Diego first walked into Princess's school. His presence immediately drew attention, even more so than the usual crop of new students. With his sleek, muscle-bound build, fierce amber eyes, and intimidating aura, he was impossible to ignore. Girls turned their heads, whispering to each other as they checked him out, but Diego barely noticed. He walked through the halls like he owned them, shoulders square, eyes forward, and never once breaking his stoic expression.

Princess stood in the hallway with her squad—Claudine, Laura, Kira, and Zoey—waiting for the bell to ring, when she first saw him. His dark, brooding energy reminded her so much of someone she tried so hard to forget. Ash Smith, the snow leopard who had once stalked her, used to carry that same dangerous charm. The way Diego carried himself silent and aggressive if you poked at him was like a haunting reminder of everything she'd suffered.

"What's up with him?" Kira asked, leaning in slightly to get a better view.

"New student," Princess replied quietly, her eyes still on him. She didn't need to say more. They all knew who she was thinking about.

"Whoa," Zoey muttered, eyes widening. "He's like a walking storm cloud."

Princess clenched her fists, trying not to let the flashbacks get the better of her. No, she thought. He's not Ash. He's not the same. Don't let him mess with your head.

Before she could say more, the bell rang. They all made their way into class, but Diego wasn't done making his presence known.

At lunch, Princess and the girls sat at their usual spot in the cafeteria. Diego walked in with a quiet confidence that made the entire room fall silent. His eyes scanned the area as if looking for something anything and when he spotted an empty seat at the long cafeteria table, he simply strode over, sat down, and immediately started eating.

Bowser, who had been sitting at the table with his usual pack of friends, saw Diego and sneered. He was used to being the biggest, baddest guy on campus, and nobody nobody stepped into his territory without some pushback. He nudged one of his friends, signaling them to get up and give Diego a hard time.

"Hey, new kid!" Bowser yelled across the room, his voice laced with smug arrogance. "You think you can just sit there like you own the place?"

Diego didn't even look up. He took another bite of his lunch, unfazed by the challenge.

"I'm talking to you, freak," Bowser taunted, now standing and making his way over. "You don't belong here."

Diego's green eyes flicked toward him for just a moment, but there was no hint of fear or respect in his gaze. Instead, there was a barely contained anger like a predator sizing up its prey. He stood up slowly, towering over Bowser, who was only slightly taller than the average guy. The whole cafeteria had gone silent by this point, watching the tension unfold.

Bowser, seeing that Diego wasn't backing down, stepped in closer, trying to push him. "You think you're tough? You're nothing but a loser," Bowser sneered.

Then, without warning, Diego's fist shot out with terrifying speed. It collided with Bowser's jaw with a sickening crack. The force of the punch was so powerful that Bowser stumbled back, clutching his face in shock, blood trickling from his split lip. He fell to the floor, groaning in pain.

"Don't mess with me," Diego growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The cafeteria erupted into whispers. Some students were shocked, others were impressed. But all of them took a step back. Diego didn't speak much, but he didn't need to. His reputation was already forming: tough, no-nonsense, and ready to fight when pushed. And now, Bowser was off the map humiliated and clearly defeated.

Princess watched the scene unfold, her heart hammering in her chest. She couldn't help but notice how Diego had handled the situation no words, no drama, just action. Like Ash, she thought. No, not like him. He's different. He's not the stalker who haunts her dreams. He's just a guy with his own baggage.

After a few moments, Diego returned to his seat and continued eating, as if nothing had happened. The whole cafeteria was quieter now. The other students seemed to be unsure whether to fear him or admire him, but one thing was clear Diego was not someone to be trifled with.

Soon after, whispers started circulating about him. Some saw him as a bully, but in reality, he had only defended himself. Still, that didn't stop rumors from spreading. But that was just how it worked at high school people like to create stories, even when they don't know the full picture.

But Diego wasn't concerned with any of that. He didn't care what people said. He wasn't here to make friends. He was here to survive and maybe, just maybe, to build something of his own.

It didn't take long before he started making allies. One by one, they came to him: Lenny, the larger and more rotund sabertooth tiger, who had his own rough reputation. Lenny had always been a little out of place, despite being one of the saber-toothed tigers. He was more focused on food and hunting, but under Diego's lead, he seemed to find purpose. Together, they formed a small but growing pack a group of guys who followed Diego with a quiet loyalty.

Lenny might have been a little too eager to please at times, but Diego didn't mind. Lenny was reliable. And for now, that was all Diego needed.

But things got complicated when Lenny started showing interest in a female—Shira. She was a white saber-tooth tiger, lithe and strong, and Diego could tell she was something special. He caught Lenny staring at her more than once, but the pack leader didn't say anything. He understood the hunger for companionship, especially when you were surrounded by so much chaos.

Eventually, Lenny gave up on wooing Princess after multiple failed attempts, and turned his attention fully on Shira. Diego noticed this change but didn't comment. His own thoughts were elsewhere. He had a reputation to build, and it was getting stronger by the day.

As for Princess, she watched from the sidelines. Diego wasn't Ash. He wasn't stalking her, but there was still something about him that left her on edge. She'd have to keep her distance—but deep down, she knew that sometimes, the dangerous ones were the hardest to resist.

And Diego? He was just getting started.