Riley Ross-Chapter 77: JFS

[We are now live here in front of Mega Academy, where all the buses...]

[We are waiting for the fresh students of...]

[For those of you who remember, there was an incident five years ago where a terrorist organization appeared on the very same field trip...]

[Well hey there, y’all! This is Kitty comin’ to you live from the one and only Mega Academy! We are just moments away from layin’ eyes on them fresh, shiny new batch of students from the U.S. and A Mega Academy, and lemme tell ya—I cannot wait to see them sweet baby faces! Oop, hold up now—I do believe them gates are openin’ as we speak!]

There have only been a handful of occasions when the colossal gates of Mega Academy fully opened. Most of the time, students simply walked through the giant steel door as if it were water, emerging on the other side.

Yet even as massive and magnificent as the gate was, it made no sound as it began to slide open. Reporters scrambled to capture the view from behind a line of security barriers. Luckily for them, the buses weren’t blocking the view.

But while the gate wasn’t making obvious noise, the students behind it were even louder than the reporters, specifically Gracey.

"Aw shit... why does this feel so different?!" She stretched her arms to the side, letting Hannah and the others catch her as she fell back, "We’ve walken through these steel gates several times, and yet this is the first time I feel my heart pumping."

"It’s probably just because you’re binding your breasts," Hannah rolled her eyes and pushed her arm away, "And walken isn’t a word."

"...Yes, it is. Hater," Gracey scoffed before adjusting her clothes and making sure that her figure was as straight and masculine as it could be.

"I ain’t get it..." Bella, on the other hand, grabbed Gracey’s arm and started pinching and pressing on it to try and see if it was soft or not. But Gracey pulled his arm away and narrowed her eyes at her. Bella didn’t seem to care, however, only shrugging before pressing a finger to Gracey’s chest.

"...Girl, what’s even the point of comin’ out as a girl if you just gon’ go right back to dressin’ like a dude?"

"Uhm..." Pauline, who was a little uncomfortable with the large pair of sunglasses, adjusted them on her face as she glanced at Bella, "...She told it to us, not to other people. And also, I’m sure she... has her reasons."

"Aight, I ain’t got no answer to that." Bella raised both her hands in defeat, "But damn... I feel bougie as hell in this fit. This the fanciest thing I done worn since I came out the womb."

"Really?" Hannah blinked in surprise.

"Okay, nah—stop right there," Bella quickly raised her palm at Hannah before she could say anything else, "You live in a whole different stratosphere, girl. Like, us peasants can’t relate."

"Shh!" Gracey placed a finger on Tomoe and shushed her, even though she wasn’t saying anything at all and was just standing there with a blank expression on her face. Tomoe didn’t respond at all, however, and just let Gracey awkwardly remove the finger from her lips herself.

Gracey was slightly fazed, but she quickly moved her finger toward the gate,

"It’s opening! I can see the light of the outside world!" She bellowed, even though the entire campus was already well-lit by the sun in the first place, "V, are you not happy that you’re finally stepping out into the wild unknown again?!"

"...I’m not stuck in the Academy," Victoria blinked at her, "I just live here."

"Shh. It’s okay to be emotional," Gracey clicked her tongue several times before standing next to Riley, "Look at our white bunny, he looks—wait a minute. Why is your mask a cat instead of a bunny?"

Riley slowly turned to face her. The oversized black lenses on his cat mask stared silently at Gracey, and for a moment, she felt oddly unsettled. She waited for him to say something—anything. But when the silence stretched on, she squinted suspiciously.

"Wh—"

But before she could actually say what she wanted to say, Riley suddenly spoke.

"You have a good point, Gray."

Riley then pressed his finger on his temple, and when he did so, the image on his mask suddenly changed to that of a dog.

"Is it a bunny now, Gray?" Riley asked, tiptoeing and leaning closer to Gracey so that she would be able to see it closely. Gracey’s eyes started to sparkle when she saw how Riley was even tilting his head like a puppy.

"S-stop..." Gracey’s eyes twitched as she leaned away, "...Your cuteness isn’t going to work on me, you villain."

"Oh, how did you know that I am a villain?"

"Stop!" Gracey covered her face, "I am supposed to be masculine now. And no, you’re a puppy."

"Oh."

Riley started pressing the button again and again until Gracey gasped and pointed at his face.

"That’s it! Stop!"

And there it was, Riley’s holographic mask had completely turned into a bunny, even matched with the long ears.

"Ack, that’s so cool!" Bella bellowed, "Can I trade my shades for that?!"

Victoria also stood even closer to Riley, slightly tilting her body as she looked up at Riley’s mask.

"That really suits you," she giggled, "Now you really look like a bunny."

"Thank you, V." Riley nodded, "The uniform they gave you also suits you quite well."

"Really?" Victoria’s giggles became even louder, her teeth showing as she looked at Riley’s sunglasses.

"Oh my gawd, girl. You so obvious. For real."

"Hmm? Wh—"

"Look here! Everyone look here!"

Since the Baby Crew was so busy looking and checking out Riley’s mask, they were completely unaware that the gates were now completely open. But of course, they were quickly reminded of it.

"What the—"

"Please, look here! We want to get a photo of all of you!"

"Hello! We’re from YJ Entertainment! We are looking for new super talents!"

"My children are about the same age as all of you! Please say hi to them!"

The crowd wasn’t particularly close—still separated by yards of open space and several rows of buses—but their voices cut clearly through the air. Some were shouting from behind the buses, but their energy and excitement were intoxicating. The freshman students glanced at one another, smiling awkwardly, some even waving. Their enthusiasm was unmistakable—this was their moment.

But not everyone shared their cheer.

The seniors who were tasked to escort and guide them all had grim and serious looks on their faces. Hannah was the first to notice this since Katherine was close to them, and she didn’t need to ask for the reason why—as soon, the tone of the crowd began to change.

"Is Megawoman inside?! Is Megawoman hiding there?!"

"Bulwark! We miss you, Bulwark! When are you coming back to the Hope Guild?"

"Whiteking resign! Whiteking resign!"

"Hera threw my car! I went to the Hero Association, and they said to talk to the Academy! Where do I get my money back?! And she didn’t even hit the monster!"

The Baby Crew all turned to Hera, who was chaperoning the next class, and she quickly lowered her cap when she realized everyone was staring at her.

"Hurry up!" Hera pushed the students she was taking care of and quickly ordered them all to get on the bus and stop idling.

The masses behind the barricades, however, were relentless.

"Why are the new students wearing uniforms?! Are you trying to indoctrinate them?!"

"Okay, enough listening to them," Katherine sighed, shaking her head as she motioned to Class 1-V to start walking. None of the freshmen were talking anymore, even Gracey had her mouth shut as she moved with the Baby Crew and followed Katherine.

But as soon as they were about to step on the bus, a loud voice cried out from the crowd, which made them snap their heads back. Even Katherine, who was already on the step, leaned out.

"My daughter. Why aren’t any of you trying to get justice from my daughter?! Her name is Stephanie! She was brutally murdered just days ago, and you’re going on a field trip?!"

The rest of the noise died down, letting the single voice remain to linger, and linger it did.

Everyone turned to the wailing voice, only to see a woman holding up a sign that said ’Justice for Stephanie’.

Even the other senior students, who were escorting the freshmen to their designated buses, all stopped when they saw that.

"Stephanie! She was a student in your Academy, and yet we haven’t heard any of you say anything! There was also a student who died just a week before that, and yet why are all of you living your lives like normal?! Why aren’t any of you doing anything?!"

"That’s... Steph’s mom?" Pauline whispered, and before any of the Baby Crew could say anything, Katherine urged them to get in the bus.

"Come on. There’s nothing to see here, it’s not your—where’s Riley?"

The Baby Crew all looked at Katherine at first, but then very slowly turned their heads toward the direction of Stephanie’s mother, truly hoping not to see him there.

"Fuck..."

But he was.

He was now standing right in front of Stephanie’s mother.

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