This was the last day before graduating The Academy and Walter couldn’t wait for it to be over. This was his last 20-mile race, and he knew he would be last. Placed in the front of the pack for the run, everyone took turns tripping him, spitting on him, and even kicking him as they passed him. Everyone was taught to do this, to look down on weakness, to show their superiority to him.

His life had been nothing but torture day in and day out since he could remember. He had always been ranked last in The Academy and nothing he could do would ever change that. He knew why, The Academy needed a whipping boy to spur on their future heroes to greater heights and he was the one chosen to bear that burden.

His daily existence had been used as entertainment for others. In hand to hand combat, he was always placed with the strongest students so everyone could watch him get pummeled. In weapons training, he was always placed with the fastest so everyone could watch him be overrun.

The only time he excelled in anything was in the academic portions and he was mocked for that. No self-respecting student would try as hard as Walter did when it came to learning about other worlds. Their own strength and training would keep them safe no matter what is what they were taught to believe. Walter knew differently though, the last-ranked student was always exiled from the city at graduation and he was last. He wasn't strong enough for anything.

As Walter was finishing his run, he knew what was coming. He couldn’t keep the tears back as he saw the last bend coming before he would be at The Academies entrance. He slowed to a walk, his head down as he trudged along the worn path.

His instructors stood at the entrance waiting for him. The Master Chief of the school smiling at him as he walked up wiping the tears from his face. Walter steeled himself against what was going to happen.

“Good, you didn’t try to escape or hide,” Master Chief said.

“Where could I hide, Sir” he replied.

“You would be surprised at what fools think possible,” Master Chief said. Turning away he started to walk away “Come,” he commanded as all the instructors parted for them.

Walter followed as the Master Chief led him through the halls, he walked every day. Past the dormitories, they slept in, to a door that no student was ever allowed through. The instructor’s private area where they ate and slept distanced from the students.

On the table was a feast, with two places set.

“This is your reward for being a man and not trying to escape your fate,” he said sitting down at one side. “You can ask me anything you want as we eat,” Master Chief went on as he started piling his plate with food.

Walter’s stomach churned at the thought of food but knew he should eat now. As he sat down, he started thinking of all the questions he wanted to ask but one stood out.

“Why,” he started with. “Why was I treated as worthless my whole life and then given this,” he said.

Master Chief set down his fork and knife before answering, “This is the way its been since the beginning.”

“That doesn’t answer why though,” Walter said his plate still empty.

“I don’t know why we do this but don’t think of this as a curse but as a blessing,” Master Chief said. “You will be free of this city soon to forge your own destiny. You won’t be cursed to come back to this skyless city. If I knew now what I knew as a student I would have chosen to be last, to be exiled,” he said.

Walter looked down at his empty plate not expecting to ever hear that from the Master Chief. The Master Chief was the strongest warrior of the city, said to have saved the world Halo from the Scourge. And then traveled countless other worlds fighting back The Darkness before retiring to train students at The Academy.

“I don’t understand,” Walter said. “All the stories we were told about you, the countless times you left to save worlds from The Darkness. Why would you think living in Valhalla would be a curse?” he asked.

“You won’t understand until you see for yourself. Now eat,” Master Chief commanded.

Walter knew that not following commands from the Master Chief was a bad idea. He started piling his plate with food and after his first bite, he couldn’t help but gorge himself. His whole life he had only ever gotten the scraps of meals that no other student would want to eat. Most of the time his food had spit in it and was nothing but gruel. But not this meal, his last meal in Valhalla was meant for a king.

After the meal, the Master Chief asked Walter if he had any more questions.

“Just one,” he said. “Will I be strong enough to survive once I’m exiled?”

At that Master Chief laughed before answering, “Honestly you probably have the best chance. I’ve seen your test scores and they were the highest of your class, unfortunately, we don’t put much worth in those. As for the physical part, yes. You may be the weakest of your class but you were still trained in Valhalla and nothing weak comes from here.”

Getting up from his seat he beckoned Walter to join him saying, “We still have one last stop before you leave.”

Walking further into the private areas of the instructors, they entered a room with all of his instructors in it.

“This is where we apologize to you and tell you about the failures we faced as we traveled the multiverse,” Master Chief said.

Each instructor then went on to tell him of the worlds they made huge mistakes on and as he listened Walter realized that they were subtly letting him know that he would make mistakes. That even though every student is taught to think they are infallible they were. That the only reason they were taught to think this way was so they wouldn’t become attached to anyone because they were always forced to come back to Valhalla. Except for the exiles, they were free.

As they finished their stories Walter felt a little bit of pride on top of the sadness.

“It is time,” Master Chief said.

As Master Chief marched Walter to the exile ceremony he apologized again for this embarrassment.

“It's ok,” Walter said. “I will never understand why we do it this way, but I’m ok that you all finally treated me like I belonged.”

Before they stepped into the view of every student, he stopped Walter to shake his hand and say, “Not many take this near as well as you have. You have proven yourself to be a man. May The System bless you in your fight against The Darkness.”

They stepped through the doorway to the jeers and boos of all the underclassmen. They pointed and laughed at him as he stripped naked and stood in front of the portal.

“As we all know the weakest of every class shall be exiled from Valhalla. Let this be a lesson to all of you that the meek shall not thrive in this city nor will it survive! For this is Valhalla the city of Heroes and Legends and none but the strongest shall live!” he yelled as crowed cheered.

He looked Walter dead in the eye and yelled “You were born in this city naked and you shall be exiled the same, FOR THIS IS VALHALLA!” he said lifting his foot.

Walter stared the Master Chief back in the eye unflinching as he was kicked through the portal. It snapping shut as soon as he passed.