Going back to school after the incident hadn't been easy. Even after taking a week off from class to get himself together, Jack felt as if he had to watch his back constantly, and that had probably been picked up by one of the hypersensitive (in the psychic way) kids in class, and things had spiralled downwards from thereon.

Furiously, Jack tapped away at the buttons on his new!3ds, as if having the player character punch the living shit out of its opponent was going to help. (It did not.) School had been awful ever since more of those superpowered rich kids started showing up with superpowered friends. His grades, of course, were complete and utter rubbish because Jack didn't give a damn about making sure he studied for exams. What was the point of competing with those who were born with genius-level intellect or were genetically gifted to figure out calculus upon looking at the question?

His game console's power light flashed red, and Jack tossed it aside after switching it off. Yeah, right. Just quit on him like that, right at this moment. Kick him while he's down, huh?

He grabbed his bookbag, shoved his trusty old ds phat into it, and stomped his way into the living room and past his adoptive father, who was filing away some stuff. Normally he'd ask if dad needed some help, but Jack was too annoyed with life

"I'm gunna get some fresh air," Jack announced, "See if it gives me superpowers. Like the ability to fuck everyone up in class."

His father pushed a file into the drawers with more force than was needed. "Watch that mouth, Jack. You don't want to say something you'll regret later on."

"Yeah, and I don't want to just remain silent for the rest of my life while the kids who never saw Arkham talk shit about how we fuck their lives up," spat Jack, slamming the door behind him.

He vaulted over the banisters, landed just fine, and stormed off into the streets. What was the point of his dad sending him to study somewhere else in Arkham if all he was going to learn was to keep his mouth shut? It didn't make any sense.

"Fuck," Jack growled, kicking the sidewalk. Pain shot up his right foot. It felt good to know it hurt; it probably meant that he was much more human than the rest of them combined. And Jack liked that thought.

lilith