Freedom Scouts School for Powered Individuals

Staring Down the Barrel of a Gun

Eren's eyes were shut tight and his hands had flown up to protect his face. He opened his eyes after a minute and sat there staring at the bullet that was stopped just in front of him in place. All the blood had drained from his face. He looked down at his hands and realized.

"I would say congratulations on protecting yourself, but I can't do that," Pixis said before turning to look at me, "Mr. Ackerman please let Eren learn to protect himself," He said before a force field appeared around me. The bullet dropped to the floor and I knew my powers wouldn't work outside this bubble.

"Now, let's try this again," Pixis said and I watched as Shadis reloaded the gun.

"You have to use your own power this time. Your friends won't save you," Shadis said before he started counting. "1." No stop this. Could this be the terrible thing that was coming? "2." Stop. Please stop. Eren you have to stop the bullet. "3." The shot rang out and felt myself start to hyperventilate when the bullet was nowhere in sight. Did he get hit?

Eren's arms were blocking him and I couldn't see any sign of blood anywhere. Eren opened his eyes and looked around. He didn't seem to see the bullet anywhere either with the look of confusion on his face. He patted his arms and chest for a moment before looking at me to see if I stopped it again. The forcefield around me dropped.

"Well, you failed to save yourself," Pixis sighed, "I thought it would take longer for us to introduce the fail-safe we have put in place," he said before pointing at the teachers behind Eren.

"That's why they are here. They are using their powers to make sure that even if you can't stop the bullet they will. None of you are in danger for this test, but we need you to act as if you are." He let out a sigh. "I hate that we have to do this in the first place, but there have been so many school shootings in recent years and they are only increasing. God forbid it ever happens here, but on the chance that it ever does we want you guys to be able to protect yourselves, even if we can't."

"I'm sorry for scaring you so much," Pixis said to Eren before addressing everyone, "I need you guys to be as scared as he was, to act like it's real. Even if this isn't real this time one day it just might be. I hate that this is something we have to go over, but it's the only way I can think of to make you guys safe without placing a million different security systems on the campus. I know no one wants that.

He was right. We hear weekly about school shootings. The other schools put in more cameras, metal detectors, and guards. Those schools always sound more like a prison than an actual school. No one wants to be watched at all times during school, not to mention 24 hours since we live on campus.

"Another reason we are doing this is because we noticed a few students say that they plan on working with the police in order to do so you will have to know how to protect yourselves in that aspect as well," Shadis added.

"Now, please, take this seriously. We are going to be going over a few different things, this is one of them," Pixis said before calling me up.

"I know you can already do this since you just showed me you could, but that was for protecting others, we have to make sure you are able to protect yourself," he said and I nodded. "Thank you for trying to protect Eren, that does make me feel better about all of this even if I had to restrain you," he whispered before backing up. I just gave him a smile and a nod.

I looked straight ahead as Shadis loaded the gun. It was nerve-racking to be staring down a gun even knowing that I was perfectly safe. He gave me a count down and when he fired I stopped the bullet right after it left the barrel of the gun. It barely left the gun when it stopped dead in its track. That was until I pulled it towards me and grabbed it. I handed it to PIxis and he nodded.