《A Hero Among Us》Chapter 81 "Choose"
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Jace launches himself and Boom straight into the air.
Boom: AHHHHHHHHH!
Boom faints.
Jace: And you call yourself a pro?
Jace lands on the ground with Boom passed out in his arms. Ash is freed from her trance.
Ash: I got the feather!
Jace: Uh… Ash?
Ash notices Boom.
Ash: Oh… Yay, we did it!
Angel lands on the ground next to Jace.
Angel: Nice work, buddy.
Jace: Th- thanks…
Angel: Hm? Something wrong?
Jace: No… it’s just… I haven’t heard that in a while… that’s all.
Ash runs over to Jace.
Ash: We’re going to pass the test!
Jace: Oh yeah, right… he kind of has to give us the purple orb… right?
Boom is drooling.
Ash: Yeah…
A portal opens, Walker steps out.
Jace and Ash: Mr. Walker!
Walker: Don’t worry, I’m just here to provide you with the orb you’ve earned for defeating Boom.
Walker pulls a purple orb out of his pocket and hands it to Ash.
Walker: Congratulations.
Ash takes the orb.
Ash: We did it!
Jace: Hell yeah, we did!
Walker looks over at Justus and Silver.
Walker: Silver, Justus, your injuries haven’t been deemed severe enough for us to pull you from the exam, but if you wish to be taken to the infirmary early, I can accommodate that request.
Justus is slow to his feet.
Justus: I’ll pass.
Silver can’t move.
Silver: No, I want to see this to the end.
Walker is skeptical.
Walker: So be it.
Walker takes Boom from Jace.
Walker: Hopefully, I’ll be seeing you guys again soon.
Walker leaves with Boom.
Jace: I can’t believe we actually beat Mr. Boom!
Angel: Well… I wouldn’t say “beat”... more like we scared him…
Ash: A win is a win!
Silver: Angel...
Angel looks over at Silver.
Silver: Mind helping me out here?
Angel: Oh, sure.
Angel picks up Silver and carries him over his shoulder.
Jace: Are you good, Justus?
Justus: I’m fine.
Justus is clearly in pain.
Ash: Here, let me help you!
Ash runs over to support Justus as he walks.
Justus: You don’t need to do this, Ash.
Ash: Shut up. We all know you’re tough; you don’t have anything to prove.
Justus blushes and looks away.
Ash: That’s what I thought.
Angel walks over to Jace.
Angel: Mind giving me our end of the agreement?
Jace: Oh, right.
Jace takes out their blue orb and holds it out for Angel.
Angel: Uh…
Angel rips off one of his sleeves and uses it to wrap the orb when he takes it from Jace.
Jace: Wh- why are you so fixated on not touching that orb?
Angel: Just don’t touch your eyes.
Jace: Wh- what if I already did?
Angel: Oh boy…
Demetri has found a white orb machine with a few white orbs missing.
Demetri: (Screw Kevin! I’m tired of taking orders from a guy that doesn’t respect me at all! I’m passing this exam on my terms! He can thank me later!)
Demetri shoots his strings at the machine and grabs hold of the white orb.
Demetri: (With my quirk, this’ll be too easy!)
Demetri begins reeling in the orb triggering the machine’s alarm system.
Demetri: (What!)
Fatal hears the alarm blaring and starts heading in its direction.
Fatal: (These kids have been slick with their retrieval of the orbs… I guess it's a sign that we taught them well. However, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop checking.)
Demetri starts to panic.
Demetri: Wh- what do I do! The pros will be here any minute now!
Demetri frantically looks around for a place to hide before spotting a dumpster down the alleyway he’s hiding in.
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Demetri: (Please don’t have trash! Please don’t have trash!)
Demetri opens the dumpster. It’s filled with bags of dried dog poop.
Demetri: *tearing up* No…
Demetri can hear someone approaching.
Demetri: The smell… I can’t believe I have to do this...
Demetri climbs into the dumpster and closes it behind himself. Fatal arrives in the street and sees the machine.
Fatal: Alright… let’s see.
Fatal turns off the alarm and checks the orbs to see which one is missing.
Fatal: (Let’s see… it looks like Kevin, Demetri, and Isaiah’s orb is gone now.)
Fatal looks around the street.
Fatal: (They shouldn’t have the ability to get away that fast… they must be hiding… but where?)
Fatal spots the dumpster.
Fatal: (Well… it’s worth a look…)
Fatal approaches the dumpster.
Fatal: Come out, come out wherever you are...
Demetri audibly gags inside the dumpster.
Fatal: Huh…
Demetri: (OH SHIT!)
Fatal powers up her quirk and winds back her fist.
Fatal: That was a costly mistake. Now it’s time for you-
Kevin punches Fatal in the back of the head, sending her flying through the alleyway.
Kevin: Demetri, get out now!
Demetri doesn’t move.
Kevin: NOW!
Demetri scurries out of the dumpster.
Kevin: Orbs. Now!
Demetri takes the three orbs out of his pockets.
Kevin: Give.
Demetri hands Kevin the orbs.
Kevin: You're pathetic.
Kevin staches the orbs in his pockets and grabs Demetri by the ankle.
Demetri: Woah! Woah! Woah! What are you doing!
Kevin: Leaving!
Kevin jumps onto the roof of the building they’re standing next to and begins leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Demetri: AHHH!
Fatal gets to her feet and sees Kevin jumping away.
Fatal: (That was some hit… there’s no way he could injure me at anything less than 60%... which means he’s only got five minutes at best… and if that’s the case, he only has one option…)
Fatal leaps onto the rooftop and starts chasing after Kevin and Demetri.
Fatal: (I’ll increase the output of my quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calf muscles.)
Fatal’s jumps begin to cover a larger distance.
Fatal: (He’s not outrunning me!)
Demetri pukes.
Demetri: COULD YOU ATLEAST CARRY ME PROPERLY!
Kevin: No!
Demetri sees Fatal gaining on them.
Demetri: Uh… Kevin… she’s getting closer!
Kevin: I realize!
Kevin continues jumping from roof to roof.
Demetri: Are we not going to worry about that!
Kevin: We can’t beat her. We have to get to the center!
Kevin veers off course from the center.
Demetri: Uh… you kind of just contradicted yourself!
Kevin: We need Isaiah!
Isaiah is struggling to drag their supply bag through the street.
Isaiah: I can’t!
Isaiah trips and falls on his face.
Isaiah: *muffled* Why did they leave me behind…
Kevin: Heads up!
Isaiah picks his head up.
Isaiah: Is that?
Kevin lands next to Isaiah.
Isaiah: Kevin! Demetri! I missed you g- wait what are you do-
Kevin grabs Isaiah’s ankle with his other hand and leaps back onto the rooftops.
Isaiah: AHHHHH!
Demetri: Welcome to my world…
Fatal is mere steps behind Demetri and Isaiah.
Isaiah: Kev!
Demetri: Kev!
Isaiah: Kev!
Demetri: Kev!
Kevin: *frustrated grunt* I hear you! Now Shut Up!
Fatal cocks back her arm.
Fatal: You’re not getting away from me!
Kevin starts whirling Isaiah and Demetri around like helicopter rotors.
Demetri and Isaiah: AHHHHHHHHH!
Fatal: What the hell!
Kevin: Team Attack: Idiot Beyblade!
Kevin begins slapping Fatal with Demetri and Isaiah over and over again.
Fatal: *grunts* (It’s not hurting me at all, but all of their crying and screaming is annoying!
Demetri and Isaiah: AHHHHHHHHH!
Fatal grabs Isaiah’s head, halting Kevin’s attack.
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Isaiah: OH GOD, WHY ME!
Demetri: HAHA! I’M SAFE!
Kevin tries to bash Fatal over the head with Demetri.
Demetri: NOOOOO!
Fatal grabs Demetri by the head.
Demetri: OH GOD, WHY ME!
Fatal begins applying pressure to their skulls.
Demetri and Isaiah: AHHHHHHHHH!
They’re both flailing their arms, screaming in agonizing pain.
Fatal: GOD, THESE KIDS ARE ANNOYING!
Demetri and Isaiah: THAT’S NOT WHAT A TEACHER SHOULD SAY TO HER STUDENTS!
Fatal: I’m teaching you heroic honesty!
Kevin rips Demetri and Isaiah free from Fatal’s grip. Both of their heads are smoking from the friction.
Fatal: You’re going to run out of time soon, Kevin. If you want to pass this exam, you’ll have to beat me quickly.
Kevin: Yeah, yeah, I know…
Kevin tosses Demetri and Isaiah aside.
Kevin: (Running isn’t going to work… with her quirk, she can outspeed me easily… I only have one choice…)
Kevin powers up further.
Kevin: (75%!)
Fatal: (I have to be careful with this one… even though he’s just a student… At full power, he could surpass my strength.)
Elsewhere, Saige leads Hayze, Blair, Eve, and Jake through the city.
Eve: Does she have any idea where she’s going?
Jake: The center.
Eve glares at Jake.
Jake: Yes.
Hayze: Trust me, Saige knows what she’s doing.
Eve: Well, that’s great and all, but I don’t see why she thinks it’s a good idea to walk through the streets like this! What if we get attacked by the teachers or another team?
Hayze: Saige isn’t worried about that…
Eve: Why not?
Hayze: I think you can piece that together.
Blair and Eve look at each other.
Blair: H- Hayze?
Hayze: Yeah?
Blair: You’ve trained with Saige a lot… right?
Hayze: Yeah… why?
Blair: Well… it’s just.
Eve: We’ve never seen her in a “real” fight… she wasn’t around for the Sports Festival or the forest incident. How strong is she exactly?
Hayze is silent for a few moments.
Hayze: I’ve fought Saige about… thirty times? I’ve never beat her once.
Blair and Eve are surprised.
Blair: She beat you every time!
Eve: (He’s not much, but he was tactical enough to defeat Silver way back then… to lose to her that many times…)
Hayze: Saige left you and Wes to fight Bruno’s team because she wanted you guys to get opportunities… ones that you wouldn’t have gotten if she was there.
Blair: You think she could have beat them herself?
Hayze: Handily. Saige has an ego, but it’s anything but fragile. She knows she’s powerful, and she doesn’t need to prove anything to herself or anyone else. So a basic rule of thumb when you’re with her, if she’s not worried, don’t worry.
Eve: (I guess that makes sense, U.A. usually is strict with its 40 student limit for the hero course… for them to make an exception for her… she’d have to be worth their while.)
Blair: (She’s… that strong? If what Hayze is saying is true… she could probably take me down in seconds…)
Blair clenches her fist.
Blair: (I’ll have to do something about that.)
Saige stops walking, and the rest of the group follows suit.
Eve: Why are we stopping?
Saige: We have friends to greet!
Eve: Fr- oh goddammit!
Sydney, Desiree, Talon, Ester, Fabio, Hailey, and Verity stream out onto the street and surround the five of them.
Saige: Yay! Fun!
Eve looks around.
Eve: Well, this looks fun...
Blair spots Verity.
Blair: (OH GOD!)
Blair runs to Jake and starts shaking him.
Blair: TELEPORT ME AWAY NOW!
Jake: No.
Blair starts choking Jake.
Blair: Would you like another try at that?
Jake: *choking*
Verity: Where is the dumb one?
Blair: RIGHT HERE!
Verity: You are secretly afraid that Jake is smarter than you.
Blair chucks Jake against a wall.
Blair: I HATE THIS CHICK!
Hayze: Uh…
Saige: She can read minds when she makes eye contact with someone.
Hayze: Gotcha.
Eve: That sounds like a dumb quirk.
Verity: You hope nobody noticed you just farted.
Eve stares at Verity.
Eve: I’m going to kill her.
Sydney steps forward.
Sydney: Give up your orbs, or we’ll take them!
Hayze: Sydney? You lost your orb? To whom?
Dead silence.
Verity: Demetri and Isaiah.
Sydney: VERITY!
Blair and Eve burst out laughing.
Saige: I like these guys. They’ve entertained me so much already!
Talon: You shouldn’t mock us; there’s strength in numbers!
Eve: Yeah, well, take a look at us, jackass…
Hailey: Seven versus four isn’t exactly a perfect situation for you guys!
Saige: Five of you have already fallen at my team’s hand, so it isn’t exactly a perfect situation for you guys either.
Hailey cracks her knuckles.
Hailey: Well, we’ll see about that.
Fatal boosts her Biceps, Triceps, Rotator cuff muscles, Deltoids, Obliques, and Lats.
Fatal: Boosted Barrage!
Fatal continuously punches Kevin over and over.
Kevin: *grunts*
Fatal’s punches damage Kevin, but he’s hardly feeling the pain thanks to his quirk. However, the extreme ferocity of Fatal’s attack is keeping him from counterattacking and pushing him back away from Isaiah and Demetri.
Fatal: (He’s powered up! I can’t take my foot off the gas!)
Fatal intensifies her barrage.
Fatal: You may not feel any of this, but that doesn’t mean your body isn’t!
Suddenly Fatal is hit in the back by a death beam from Isaiah.
Fatal: AHHHHH!
Kevin grabs Fatal and starts slamming her to the ground repeatedly.
Kevin: *roars*
Isaiah turns to Demetri.
Isaiah: Demetri! Are you alright!
Demetri is slow to get up.
Demetri: I’m fine…
Isaiah: Good cause we’ve gotta help, Kevin!
Demetri sees Kevin beating Fatal into the ground over and over.
Demetri: Yeah… he needs help…
Isaiah: Kevin will run out of time if we don’t act quick!
Demetri: Oh… right… that’s a thing…
Isaiah pulls out Kevin’s adrenaline suppression syringe.
Isaiah: You restrain him, and I’ll poke him!
Demetri: Where did you get that!
Isaiah: Kevin gave it to me a couple of nights ago just in case something like this came up!
Demetri: And where was I for this!
Isaiah: Bitching!
Demetri stares at Isaiah.
Demetri: Alright, fine, I’ll get him.
Demetri fires off his strings and restraints Kevin’s arms and legs.
Kevin: *roars louder*
Isaiah: Nice! You got him!
Demetri: Move, dumbass! Go inject him! I can only hold him for so long!
Isaiah: O- oh right!
Isaiah charges at Kevin.
Isaiah: Heyah!
Isaiah stabs Kevin.
Kevin: AHHHHH!
Isaiah: Oh boy…
Demetri: Jesus Christ, dude!
Isaiah stabbed Kevin in the eye.
Kevin: AHHHHH!
Isaiah: M- m- m- m- my bad!
Kevin’s adrenaline levels return to 0%.
Kevin: WHAT THE FUCK!
Isaiah: I- I- I- I’m sorry!
Kevin: OF ALL THE FUCKING PLACES! AHHHHH!
Demetri releases Kevin.
Demetri: God, you suck…
Isaiah: Hey! At least I didn’t run away like a bitch!
Demetri: What did you say to me!
Isaiah: You heard me! Your unearned ego was so bruised that you ran away with your dick between your legs with our hard-earned orbs!
Demetri: I helped get those damn orbs! I should have a say in what we do with them, and I wasn’t getting one!
Isaiah: Yeah! “a say,” not the say! Look at the mess you put us in!
Demetri: Shut the hell up! I knew what I was doing!
Isaiah: No, you didn’t! Kevin had to bail you out!
Demetri: *frustrated grunt* You’re telling me you’re okay with that asshole bossing you around!
Isaiah: No! I’m not! And that’s why I don’t listen to the asshole in our group!
Demetri: Why, you little!
Kevin: Guys.
Isaiah and Demetri: What!
Fatal starts to get back up.
Kevin: You’ll have plenty of time to fight after we’re expelled…
Fatal gets to her feet.
Fatal: Nice barrage, Kevin. I can tell you’ve been practicing your higher percentages, but unfortunately for you, I can withstand much more than that.
The three guys look tense.
Kevin: (90% wasn’t enough to beat Justus… there’s no way I can beat Fatal without using 100%... but I’d need time to recover, and even then, I’d undoubtedly need to be removed from the exam… and that would leave everything up to Isaiah and Demetri…)
Fatal looks at the three of them.
Fatal: (This exam… I’ve been going all out, but it feels wrong… how can they be expected to defeat me? This isn’t a test…. this is a beating…)
Fatal starts thinking
Fatal: (So maybe I should turn it into one...)
Justus, Angel, Silver, Ash, and Jace are having their orbs verified at the center building by Walker.
Walker: Congratulations, you all have passed the practical portion of the final exam.
Ash: Yes! We did it, Justus and Jace!
Jace: Alright!
Angel: That feels good to hear out loud, Mr. Walker. Do you mind if I ask if any of our classmates have finished the exam yet?
Walker: Only one team has checked in from your class so far. They’re upstairs in the lounge, where most of you should be going. There’s still one full day left of this exam, so you’ll hang out there until it’s officially over. Recovery Girl can heal all of your wounds, and there are food, showers, and fresh clothes for all of you.
Jace and Angel: Alright!
Ash: I can’t wait to finally be clean after all this!
Walker: Just take the elevator in the middle.
Walker walks through a portal and leaves.
Angel: Alright, let’s get these two to Recovery Girl and then go wash up and eat.
Ash and Jace: Yeah!
Wes is lying in his hospital bed.
Wes: (I can’t believe I got taken out of the exam early… even my wins come with shame…)
Wes looks around his room.
Wes: (I wonder where this is? Am I back at U.A. or?)
Wes hears someone jostling the doorknob, trying to enter his room.
Wes: Huh?
Aaron blasts the door open.
Wes: WHAT THE FUCK!
Aaron: There you are!
Wes: WHY!
Aaron: Why what?
Wes: WHY DID YOU EXPLODE MY DOOR!
Aaron: It was locked!
Wes: SO YOU DIDN’T THINK TO ASK ME TO OPEN IT LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING?
Aaron: Why would I want your help?
Wes: Fuck you…
Aaron: And there it is!
Aaron pulls up a seat next to Wes’ bed.
Wes: So you passed the exam, I see…
Aaron: Yeah, it wasn’t too bad, but now I wish we didn’t finish so early because I’m bored out of my mind. I was hoping Alexis would be here by now, but she’s still out there, so I decided to come bug you.
Wes: Thanks… have Blair and Saige gotten here yet?
Aaron: Nah, nobody from our class is here yet, but I’m sure they’ll start trickling in soon.
Wes: That’s good… you worried about anybody?
Aaron: Neh, they’ve probably spent the last couple of days beating on those 1-B morons. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if that class is leveled by the end of this.
Wes: Yeah… wait a second.
Aaron: Hm?
Wes: H- how did you know I was here?
Aaron: I knew you’d get your ass kicked out there. My bet was on day 3… was I right?
Wes: Fuck you.
Aaron: I know you too well.
Wes: Are you at least going to ask how I ended up like this?
Aaron: No. Actually, the reason I came here wasn’t to check in on you. I wanted to let you know I will be leaving for a while.
Wes: Wh- what? Why?
Aaron: Remember back before the mall incident how you said I might be getting weaker? I lost more times than I won out in that forest… that’s not what I expected in this exam, and it makes it clear to me that I need to go train under a mentor again. So I’m going to see if Big Tank is willing to take me under his wing again or if he can recommend someone to me.
Wes: Damn… well, good luck, man. It’ll be weird without you around.
Aaron: Yeah… it sucks, too, I’ve been planning to ask Alexis out after the school year ends for a while, but I guess that’ll have to wait.
Wes: Eh, she seems like a pretty calm girl. I’m sure she’ll be okay with it.
Aaron: True, but that doesn’t mean she’ll like it.
Aaron stands up.
Wes: Leaving already?
Aaron: Well, I’m only technically supposed to visit recovering students who have passed the exam, which is why your door was locked, so I should get out of here before someone comes to investigate the explosion.
Wes: Wait… why aren’t you allowed?
Aaron: Don’t know, cya.
Aaron leaves.
Wes: Yeah… cya.
Kevin clenches his fist.
Kevin: (Maybe I could try to hold her off and try to give Isaiah and Demetri an opening to escape… ugh, but there’s no way they can pass the red orb challenge on their own… we’re stuck! There isn’t-)
Fatal: Alright, guys.
Fatal takes out a purple orb.
Fatal: You want this, right?
Demetri: Hell yeah, we do!
Isaiah: We need that to pass!
Fatal: Okay… alright, even though I think this question’s answer is obvious… Tell me… which of you is the leader?
Isaiah points at Kevin.
Isaiah: Kevin is!
Fatal: And Demetri?
Demetri groans and reluctantly points at Kevin as well.
Fatal: Okay, Kevin, then it’s time for you to choose.
Kevin: Huh? What?
Fatal: It’s a leader’s job to make hard choices that nobody should have to make. As it stands now, I’ll defeat all three of you, and you’ll fail the exam. Thus, ending your hero careers.
Demetri and Isaiah gulp.
Fatal: But I’ll give you this orb, the golden ticket to passing this exam, if you do one thing for me.
Kevin: And what’s that?
Fatal: Choose one of your two teammates to be expelled from U.A. on the spot.
Demetri, Isaiah, and Kevin are shocked.
Demetri: What! That’s not fair! The rules say-
Fatal: The rules say I should beat you three to a pulp and eliminate you. I’m allowing two of you to pass. The only catch is that Kevin has to decide who fails the final exam.
Demetri: *frustrated grunt*
Isaiah looks terrified.
Isaiah: K- Kevin?
Kevin looks frozen.
Fatal: You have two choices: Isaiah or Demetri. Whoever you pick will be disqualified from the exam and removed from the hero course.
Kevin is shaking.
Kevin: (Wh- what do I do? This school is prestigious in its hero education. If you get kicked out of here… no other school will take you… you’re done. If I pick one of them… their career is over before it even begins. They may not be the best guys on the planet… but they have dreams… dreams that I’ll crush with just one word from my mouth… but if I don’t choose… we all fail…)
Demetri: Kevin…
Kevin looks back at Demetri.
Demetri: I know we haven’t ever seen eye to eye… but please… don’t… I want to be a hero… don’t end my dream.
Kevin: I- I-
Isaiah: No! Kev! Don’t pick him over me! He’s the one who put us in this mess! Don’t make me fail because of his mistakes!
Demetri: Shut up! I never wanted any of us to fail!
Isaiah: Yeah! Well, now my dream is hanging in the balance, thanks to you! Kevin! Please don’t pick me! I don’t want it to end here! I promise I’ll never do anything perverted again!
Demetri: M- m- me neither! I’ll be a model citizen from here on!
Kevin grinds his teeth.
Kevin: (I’m not built for this… I’m not now… and I never have been!)
A flashback begins. A younger teenage Kevin and his parents are driving through the mountainside.
Kevin (Naratting): Every year, my parents and I would vacation in the mountains. It was always a blast and a ton of fun for an adrenaline junkie like me, until one year…
Kevin wakes up on the ground in the middle of the night.
Kevin: *groans*
Kevin looks up and sees his family’s car crashed against a tree.
Kevin: *gasps*
Kevin’s mother and father are passed out in the car's front seats. Kevin gets to his feet.
Kevin: Mom! Dad!
Kevin notices gas is leaking from the car, and a small fire has ignited next to the vehicle.
Kevin: Oh no!
The fire spreads due to the gas and surrounds the car. Kevin looks through the shattered rear window at his parents.
Kevin: I… I… I can only save one of them.
Kevin looks panicked.
Kevin: I… I! Who do I-
The car is engulfed with flames.
Kevin: No!
Kevin runs to his father’s door, opens it, and pulls him out of the car. He brings his father to safety.
Kevin: Maybe I have time to-
Kevin looks back at the car as the flames seep into the car, and it subsequently explodes, sending Kevin flying and knocking him out cold.
Kevin (Naratting): When faced with choosing who lives between your father and mother… Most people would prefer their mother, but I didn’t. When faced with the fact that they were both going to die if I didn’t act in the next second, I chose on instinct. I didn’t think with compassion; I thought with selfishness. My father was a hero, and I looked up to him… growing up, I wanted to be like him… and most of all… I wanted to beat him someday. I don’t have some sad motivation for why I want to be a hero… I just want to fight the biggest and baddest people I can come across, I love the rush of being in an intense fight, and I always want to prove to myself that I’m strong by defeating strong opponents. I wasn’t thinking about my mom or dad in that split second. It was all about me; I was thinking about how I would never get the chance to beat my dad in a fight like I always wanted. My mom died because of me. That night scarred me. I never wanted to be put in a situation like that again. It’s why I say I’m no leader… it’s because I can’t make the hard choices… I only think of myself.
The flashback ends.
Fatal: You’ve got ten seconds to choose. Otherwise, I will take you all out… 10… 9… 8… 7…
Demetri and Isaiah are terrified.
Fatal: 6… 5… 4… 3…
Kevin starts to stand up.
Fatal: Ready to choose?
Demetri and Isaiah gulp. Kevin gets to his feet.
Kevin: (That night… I found out what kind of person I am… a selfish one… and although this won’t make up for what I did… it’ll be a start.)
Kevin holds out his hand and points to himself.
Kevin: I choose myself.
Isaiah and Demetri are both surprised.
Fatal: That wasn’t an option.
Kevin: Remember what you said?
“ Fatal: I’m allowing two of you to pass. The only catch is that Kevin has to decide who fails the final exam. “
Kevin: It sounds like I’m an option.
Fatal: You’re really willing to give up your spot in U.A. for these two? You know what the ramifications of this are, right?
Kevin: Yes, I do. But they said I’m their leader… and what kind of leader sacrifices his teammates for his own gain?
Demetri clenches his fist.
Demetri: (Me…)
Isaiah: Thanks, Kev.
Fatal smiles.
Fatal: Good, Kevin.
Fatal tosses Kevin the purple orb.
Kevin: Wh- what?
Demetri: Huh?
Isaiah: Come again?
Fatal: You win.
All three of them are silent for a few moments.
Kevin, Isaiah, and Demetri: HUH!
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- In Serial20 Chapters
On the Road to Elspar (Book 1)
The year is 1329. The Huntress' War has entered its tenth year, inflaming competing nationalisms and pitting the Confederacy of Caldrein against one of the continent's superpowers, the Tenereian Union. Desperately outnumbered, the Confederacy has relied on the prowess of its famed Caldran mercenaries, with highly-trained and experienced warbands returning from foreign conflicts to the defense of their homeland, and it is on their backs that Caldrein has successfully mounted a valiant defense for a decade. But they are losing, and day by day, with all the grace of a sledgehammer, the vast Tenereian armies take one more bit of Caldran territory, one footstep at a time. Sixteen-year-old Neianne from the village of Caelon has submitted herself to Faulkren Academy, one of the centuries-old institutions established to train the next generation of Caldrein's elite soldiers of fortune, to learn the ways of wars for three years before embarking upon the defense of her country. Her dryad family once hailed from reclusive woodland communes isolated from Caldrein's complicated mainstream society, and her upbringing leaves the shy village girl unprepared to suddenly train alongside other apprentices from backgrounds as low as the dirty slums of Caldrein's cities and as high as the halls of aristocratic power. Yet the war is eroding the norms and traditions that the Caldran people have long considered part of their national mythos, and the tensions within the confederacy that have long simmered under the surface - race, class, community, identity - are slowly but surely dividing its people, and Neianne must grow and discover who she really is, even as the war that she is steadfastly training for comes to its inexorable end... On the Road to Elspar is a fantasy quest - a work of interactive fiction wherein readers get to vote on what happens next at critical junctures - that is the first entry in a story that follows Neianne of Caelon, which first began on July 20, 2016. Originally a three-part in medias res prologue to a larger story titled On the Elsparian Road, it was eventually decided that this section - which covers Neianne's three years at Faulkren Academy - become its own independent story due to length, structural, and accessibility reasons. Despite this being a reader interactive work of fiction, due to logistical and verification concerns, voting will only be counted on its thread on the forum Sufficient Velocity, where this story originally began. As such, the content here on Royal Road serves as a story-only archive. You are, of course, entirely welcome to enjoy On the Road to Elspar as a conventional work of fiction, just as you are welcome to comment, discuss, and provide critique. But if you would like to participate in the voting, then I would be honored to welcome you on Sufficient Velocity. To facilitate accessibility and to ensure the best reading experience, this story-only version of On the Road to Elspar will be updated at a periodic pace, even though further content exists, so as to not overwhelm new readers on Royal Road. If you enjoy this story, wish to binge it, and/or want to participate in voting immediately, you may of course read all additional content via the link provided above. This paragraph will be removed once the content on Royal Road catches up with what has already been posted in its original thread. Cover artwork by DreamSyndd.
8 337 - In Serial55 Chapters
The Tragic Tale of a Zombie Survivalist
Tragedy is something that most people would not want. Watching their family die or their friends disappear and not have the strength to change the outcome can change people. Break them, even. Not everyone can have the mental fortitude of a champion, the courageous heart of a leader, or the heavenly fate of a hero.Watch as one man tries to change that. Observe him as he comes to terms with what it means to experience tragedy. The tragedy found in everyday life, the tragedy experienced by others, and the tragedy one faces when courting death.=======================================This is just another Zombie Apocalypse with game elements. But, the game isn't just an RPG, it's a mobile game as well!Chapters are short but this means I can post daily. Your thoughts, comments, and concerns are welcome!
8 178 - In Serial6 Chapters
Against The World!
In life, some people are born lucky… They are born in good families, They study in the best academies, They bed the prettiest girls, and go through their days living out their fantasies. Since birth Ethan had been given everything he ever wanted no matter how expensive, how rare or who the owner was, everything had a price. This was how Ethan's life was supposed to go, but alas, fate had other plans for him. Abruptly, everything he loved and valued was taken away from him in just one day. Without even a reason, his whole life was changed. After that day, Ethan swore to himself that he would take back control of his life. He would fight back and not allow the world to dictate his fate. Ethan made a choice. He chose to go against fate. He chose to go against the world! One Chapter a Day
8 130 - In Serial14 Chapters
The Key of the Ancient
This is my first attempt in writing a light novel. I hope that you would take time in reading this, and if possible, give comments if you like it and constructive criticisms if there is anything I have to improve. Note: The picture I used as the cover of my story is not mine. And there are some mild curses included in this novel, so please be advised accordingly. Synopsis:12 Worlds. 12 Races. 12 Nations. 12 PeopleOne longing for democracy, others looking for power.One looking for vengeance, others looking for vindication.One looking for home, others looking for family.A story of hope, betrayal, and vengeance.Join Alcee and his 11 companions as they tread the path of destruction and restoration, crossing realms and dimensions as they covet the greatest treasure: the path to Immortality.
8 151 - In Serial32 Chapters
Betsu no Sekai ni Mezameru
If you were given another chance to spend time with your dead family, would you take it? Would you be interested in living a lie, knowing that reality isn’t that kind? Are you like me also dreaming that reincarnation is real, that life would start all over again? 5 years since the outbreak of the deadly Chivu virus, only 2 people left who had the symptoms of the mysterious infectious disease. Fukuda Surrivan Akira, A 24-years-old NEET otaku had just received a text message regarding Fukuda Akihito's condition, his father. With the sudden message, he felt indifferent towards the death of his last living relative, he was tired, since the last 5 years of the pandemic, every member in his family died. With the feeling of boredom due to his inability to sleep he opened the T.V., "July 18, 2025, the last person who had symptoms in regards to Chivu had already been cured! IT'S OVER!" With bitterness in regards to the news, he turned the T.V. off and went to bed, several hours later he had fallen asleep. The moment he woke up, he was already in a world full of magic and mystery. With the name Surrivan Akira Pridesworth, Sura for short, he began to question reality itself. Born to a new world, Sura saw this chance to live life with his family, loving it like his old ones, but Reality isn’t too kind… Inspired by the works of Rifujin na Magonote's "Mushoku Tensei" and Chugong's "Only I Level Up" Authors: Mottotte Shinji & MalamignaTubig Illustrator: Andreas Rocha
8 107 - In Serial58 Chapters
Noble Assassin
When I died on death row, that should've been the end. Except I was transported to a new world with a System where I was the forgotten third son of a powerful duke. I tried to live a normal life, but I was executed for my family's treason. After that, I regressed back to when I was 17. Six different times. So it's time to try something different─like learn magic and exploit this stupid System to Hell. Maybe literally. Whatever it takes, right? Unfortunately, the System might already be exploited to Hell and I’m this world’s only chance at saving itself from being annihilated by demons. All I have to do is kill the strongest one of all. Read the author's notes for noble *ss jokes, memes, AI-generated art, commissioned art, and shilling. Cover illustration by Emily McCosh.
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