She slowly opens her eyes, and stretches before she realizes that I’m looking right at her. “Aiden? You’re awake.”
“Yeah,” I reply soberly.
“Do you remember what happened?” She asks while adjusting her hoodie. “You were attacked.”
“Right, by Von. I remember. It looks like Dox really was his thing. You were right.”
“Of course, I was,” she says with a half-smile.
“How long was I out this time?” Her expression flattens.
“Two days. You were hurt a lot worse than before, but Mr. Hoover stepped in almost immediately. A bunch of the other medical staff stepped in when we got you here. They worked around the clock. I waited outside while they worked...they said this time you could have actually died. You weren’t healing fast enough, but you pulled through. Von damaged some of your vital organs and broke multiple bones. The tendons in your forearm were blown out from your last attack, too. You should be fine now, but you need to rest. Most of the damage should be gone. Mr. Hoover said that you’re getting stronger. We all are, so our bodies will naturally begin to adapt to things like this...the injuries that come with the job.”
“To an extent...but nothing like this.”
“Yeah.” Her gaze breaks away from mine, and she looks at her blanket. It’s almost as if she knows what I’m about to ask next.
“What about the other students? Are they okay?”
“Fourteen students, two classrooms, and one teacher were injured from Von’s rampage. All of them were able to get immediate medical care from other students or from teachers or the medical staff. Out of the fifteen that were hurt, only two were hurt worse than you. They were struck by debris... They’re still recuperating, but the healers say that they’ll be back on their feet by the end of the week, full recovery...hey, it’s not as bad as it sounds. There would have been more if you didn’t do what you did and tried to protect everyone.”
“You saw?”
“No, not all of it, but I’ve heard. There was some initial talk about holding you responsible for some of the damages, but that was waived once the other teachers were informed of the situation.”
“It was self-defense.” I groan. “The other teachers didn’t know about Von?”
“I’m sure they know of him, but we’re only freshmen. Mr. Hoover and Ms. Cosgrove stepped in and explained the situation, and if that didn’t help, more than a couple dozen students saw everything.”
“That would have been ridiculous if I woke up and had to defend myself to a board or something. I don’t think I would have been able to handle that.” I place my hand over my forehead and ease back into my pillow.
“I don’t think anyone would have let that happen. You saved lives by stopping Von. Part of the reason that the response from the teachers was so slow was because they were busy helping the injured. You bought them time.”
“...How is he, by the way? Is he al—”
“Alive? Yeah, he’s alive.” I exhale a sigh of relief. “He’s currently being treated, but under watch. Restrained, too. They are going to let him detox and recover a bit before having him stand trial. No body died, and everyone’s supposed to make a full recovery, but he still hurt a lot of people and destroyed school property. He also tried to kill you. The full weight of the academy will be down on him... There really isn’t anything that he can say that can work in his favor. It goes without saying that he’s getting kicked out.”
“Does it make me a bad person that I’m glad about that?”
“Not at all.”
“Good, because I definitely don’t want to go through that again. I thought I was going to die. My suit couldn’t do anything against him. He was too strong.”
“Yeah, it’s in shreds. I remember when I saw it, I noticed how your own attacks seemed to be messing with the integrity of the materials. I was talking to Kaci the other day, and she brought up the same thing. Apparently, she noticed the problem way back when you blasted Tristen when you first activated your powers.”
“Time flies, doesn’t it?” I chuckle, but it’s cut short from my pain and transforms into a groan.
“Sure does... Mr. Hoover wants to propose upgrades. The suits are in a constant state of repair, and they may be beginning to show their age.”
“I wouldn’t doubt it. We don’t have custom ones. They’re high-tech hand-me-downs. It’s only natural that they lose their effectiveness overtime. They weren’t really made for fights to the death, anyway.”
“Ms. Cosgrove and Mr. Hoover are working on a fix in the meantime, but until then, classes have been closed to deal with the damage and the emotional wellbeing of the students involved. A widespread initiative against Dox and other performance enhancing drugs has also begun on campus to ensure everyone’s safety.”
“Well, that’s a plus,” I muse.
“Yeah, I’ve been cramming for this Chemistry test nonstop. It’s the only upside to this mess.”
“I was talking about the Dox...”
“Ugh, you’re such a dweeb.” Summer laughs. “I liked you better when you were sleeping.”
Same here.
****
I spent the next few days in the infirmary to give my body time to fully heal. Waking up was only the first step on my road to recovery. One of the doctors on staff informed me of my injuries the following morning. Apparently, I had significant internal bleeding and bruises, a few broken bones, stress fractures in my forearms, and a severe concussion. Without the provisions of the academy, I would have most likely died from my injuries. I didn’t even realize that I was hurt as bad as I was. My life was on the line, and my adrenaline was flowing full throttle.
The fight I had with Von sent waves through the academy, and because of it, the suits that Summer told me about when I first woke up got approved. The research and development division already had some ideas in mind, but there wasn’t really a need until now. We hadn’t finished the school year yet, and we were already strong enough to render the suits obsolete. Granted, it still took a considerable amount of strength to do so, but it was clear that things were going to be different for our class. Maybe for the academy as a whole moving forward.
Two days after I’d woken up, the board decided to try Von for his actions against the students and the academy. Even though his body was naturally resilient, there were complications from his Dox usage that needed to be addressed. I wasn’t present when he had to speak on the events of that day, but there were rumors that the psychosis from Doxing was so great, that he began to scream out his delusions about the academy and how they didn’t have our best interests at heart. I only heard bits and pieces from the staff, and Summer and Kaci when they’d visit me, but it sounded a lot like what Summer said to me when we ventured out to the park after our first win.
I never had a chance to ask her if she truly believed what she said or if she was just joking, but hearing about it a second time caused me to feel a bit uneasy. I talked to Mr. Hoover about it a bit. He tried to convince me that I had nothing to fear, that it was the Dox talking, but what was unspoken was that something had to push him into using Dox in the first place.
Even with Von gone, the academy is still dealing with the aftermath of his actions. Classes are still postponed for rebuilding and solace, and a widespread initiative has been put into action against Dox and any other potentially dangerous substances that students can gain access to. Classes will resume, and when they do, I know I’ll have more work to do.
I’m finally able to stand alongside my peers without feeling like a burden, but there are still more mountains to climb. I’ve earned their respect and I know my parents would have been proud, but I can do better. There are still heights I’ve yet to reach. I don’t know what’s coming next, but I do know that whatever comes my way, I’ll do my best to prepare for it.
The school year is far from over, and my career at the academy has only just begun.
The End
The Story Continues: Aiden Cr
oss Academy Outcast 2: The Prodigy
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A Note to the Reader
I want to take the time to thank you for reading my story. I’m an independent author so having my work read by even one person is a step forward in chasing my dream.
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Thank you very much.
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Other Series by Alex Villavasso
Blaze Monroe: The Hunter Who Lost His Way (Same Universe as Sailor’s)
Sailor Ray: The Pact (Same Universe as Blaze’s)
The Last Light
All of them are in Kindle Unlimited. Be sure to check them out!
About the Author
Alex Villavasso was born and raised in Louisiana where he first found his love for fiction while reading through the summer months. When he is not working on getting his thoughts out of his head, Alex can be found doing things that everyone tends to do, like sleeping, catching up with friends, and spending copious amounts of time on Netflix.
Alex hangs out at AlexVillavasso.com. You can connect with him on Facebook at Facebook.com/AlexVillavasso and on Twitter at @AlexVillavasso. Alex can also be reached at [email protected] if you prefer to contact him through email.
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Thanks for reading!
The Loner Page 15