The Shrink Program

Chapter 23

Defeating the Joker is like trying to catch a unicorn.

Since the beginning of the Hill, the Joker card has never been taken by a challenger.

It has always been inherited, given to a successor when the previous Joker graduates.

He was chosen. Despite being the nicest guy I know, Nigel was deemed worthy of becoming the most dangerous person in the school.

Sure, he was slow to start a fight.

But he could quickly end one.

He was fast, agile, and brutal, having little sympathy for the pain he inflicted on the people who challenged him.

He was also too stupid for mind games and wouldn't stay still long enough to for anyone to actually trick him out of his place on the Hill.

From the Jack to the Ace, all of us agreed that there would only be one way of beating Nigel in a fight.

You had to completely cripple him before the fight even started.

I stared at Nigel pinned on his knees, feeling just as stunned as I had felt when I found myself being arrested from that crime scene.

They had gone straight for our weaknesses, defeating us before we even knew what was happening.

Whoever had planned these attacks knew what they were doing.

The sound of someone slowly clapping their hands sent chills down my spine.

And had stood back to watch the show.
I turned to see as a pale boy walked into the courtyard.

He wasn't what I expected an evil mastermind to look like.

The newcomer was.... petite. Really short for a guy, not tall or muscular at all.

His uniform was done up lazily, with the jacket of it tied around his waist. His black hair was cut short at the back, long at the front with the fringe covering his left eye.

The other pale green eye conveyed only boredom as he surveyed the scene in front of him.

Worst of all, he had a lollipop in his mouth.

"Well, that turned out about as well as I expected." He murmured quietly, sounding anything but excited. "Great."

I blinked at him in confusion, hands still pressed against the glass in front of me.

There is no way this guy could be the one responsible for planning all this... I could have been defeated by a puny, lethargic lollipop sucker ...

Right?

Well. Couldn't hurt to ask nicely.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?!" I demanded. The new kid didn't seem to hear me through the glass. Or you know, he was ignoring me.

Fine, don't talk to me. You'll regret snubbing me when I'm rich and famous.

I glowered at him in silent fury, unable to come up with the fire needed to throw a real fit over his bad attitude.

Yay, his lack of energy is contagious

Without looking at us, Short-stack made his way lazily over to Nigel, walking with his hands in his pockets.
He stood in front of kneeling boy, staring down at him silently for a long moment. Nigel stared back, nervous.

"I'm challenging you." The boy announced bluntly, formally initiating the challenge. Skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point.

"If you struggle, I'll have to settle for taking the Jack instead." With his back mostly to us, I was unable to see what sort of expression he made.

What made Nigel stiffen was the boy concluding "And I won't be gentle."

There was no sense of gloating or threat in his words. He said them calmly like he was stating a simple, somewhat boring, fact.

Arrogant little...

"Understand?" The Boy asked, actually waiting for Nigel's answer.

Nigel glanced past him, over at me.

"Don't you dare let him take your card!" I hissed, knowing he couldn't hear me at this distance.

I glared at him, telling him with my eyes that if he gave in, I was going to kill him myself.

Because losing your card meant more than losing your place on the Hill.

Losing your card meant being expelled from the school.

Immediately.

Despite my protests, Nigel turned to smile hesitantly up at the guy in front of him.

"You're kind of intense huh...?"

I slapped a hand to my face, nearly cringing at Nigel's sheepish chuckle.

"Well, I don't really mind. You wouldn't mind introducing yourself first though would you?" Nigel looked almost bashful as he quietly admitted. "I get kind of nervous when people take fighting me too seriously..."

The dark-haired guy paused as if processing the words.

"Apollo." He finally answered, crossing his arms.

Eww, I just threw up a little bit in my mouth...

Nigel's smile brightened at the... Encouraging response... And he nodded towards his own pocket. "See, much friendlier. Go ahead and take my card Apollo. I promise to behave."

He winked at me reassuringly, making it very clear he knew what exactly was on the line if he decided to act up.

I answered with one of the many hand signals only delinquents knew how to perform, making Nigel wince.

Just because he couldn't feel pain, didn't make him immune to torture.

Without another word, Apollo lent forward, reaching into Nigel's breast pocket, and pulled out the Joker card.