Heroic Acts

Twenty Four

Everyone who didn't run away screaming stood there and stared at the man, fear in their eyes. Some people passed out, others wanted to cry. Both Darien and Seth listened carefully to what this man had to say or show off, knowing exactly who they were dealing with. Seth held Caroline tight and she buried her face in his chest, frightened. He may be a villain, but he'd never hesitate to protect her. Andy and Darien were holding onto each other, Andy more confused than anything.

What the fuck is he doing? Seth thought. This never came up as a plan!

"I suppose you're wondering what my purpose here may be," Z began. "I am here to tell you that I suspect the Blue Warrior is among all of you. Why do I care? Because I am the one calling the shots behind the Phantom. I am looking for you, Warrior. I will find you, and I will kill you. If not with my villain, I'll do it myself."

Darien began to sweat, his heart skipping a beat. Fuck, how was he narrowing it down so quickly?! He started to suspect his own safety was in major jeopardy, that he could be found out at any moment in time. Z was close, too close, and honestly, Darien was afraid to die. He held onto Andy tighter and did his best to play it cool.

Wait, really? My rival is here? With me? This close? It couldn't be. It doesn't seem realistic, Seth thought. He looked down at the girl in his arms and rubbed her back slowly, trying to keep her calm. So many thoughts were racing through his mind. Had he met his rival? Did he have class with him? Has he even seen him before, or was he a stranger? It was mind boggling.

"Consider this your warning, Warrior," Z said, laughing a hideous, evil laugh before disappearing just as quickly as he showed up. The whole ballroom fell under an eerie silence, with the exception of a sniffle or two from the emotional. Caroline emerged from Seth's chest and looked up at him, her make up slightly smudged. She had been crying. Seth gasped quietly and helped her clean off the smudges from her face and held her arms, looking her in the eyes.

"Don't cry. Please don't cry anymore. He's gone, okay? You have nothing to worry about. I'll always protect you," he said to her. She nodded and smiled at him nervously, her little lip quivering a bit. He sighed with relief, pulled her in for a hug again and kissed the top of her head.

Darien felt like bawling. Between Seth and Z, he was overly stressed and confused and emotionally drained. He looked to Andy for some comfort, reaching for his hands.

"This is crazy," Andy said, accepting Darien's hands in his. "It's like a real life comic book unraveling in our universe. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Darien said. "Just a little shaken up, but I'm sure the majority of the people here are." He squeezed Andy's hands, uncomfortably looking around. There was a tapping noise on the microphone at the DJ's station, and everyone turned to face it in response to the feedback. The Dean was standing up there, waiting for everyone to pay attention.

"Students," he began. "I apologize for the incident that has occurred at our Harvest Dance this evening. It was unexpected, and it appears that any and all danger has evacuated, minus the broken glass, which is being cleaned up immediately. I know this dance has been something everyone's been looking forward to, so I will leave it up to you all. Section off the broken window and let the fun commence, or call it a night."

Everyone quietly looked around at each other, nervous to speak up or make any decisions out loud. Finally, one of the stoner kids decided to speak up for the entire party.

"WE'RE HERE FOR A GOOD TIME, NOT A LONG TIME, BROS!" he shouted. The crowd shook off their nervousness with some laughter and a few cheers. Smiles appeared on more and more faces, including Caroline's. It made Seth much happier.