BadGuys

Sarah sat on the ground, tied up, her breathing unsteady. Norvin stood before her, his face hard and serious. He leaned closer to her, his voice low and intimidating. "What's going on?" he asked.

Sarah stared back at him, defiant. "Why should I answer?"

Norvin pulled out a razor blade, aiming it at her neck. "Either I get my answer, or you lose your life." His tone was cold, his expression unwavering, as if he'd done this before.

Sweat began to drip down Sarah's face. She cracked under his intensity. "Alright, alright, I don't want to die young," she said, her voice trembling.

Norvin pulled back the blade slightly. "Good. Now, answer."

Sarah let out a shaky sigh. "It's kinda obvious. We're targeting Brad."

Norvin's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"He betrayed us," Sarah admitted.

"Betrayed you how?" Norvin pressed.

Sarah hesitated. "It was a contract Brad signed…"

Norvin watched her silently before speaking again. "A contract? What kind?"

"I can't disclose that—" she began, but before she could finish, Norvin moved swiftly, slicing off a lock of her hair.

The strands fell to the ground in slow motion. Sarah froze, her face growing pale with fear.

"Next time, it won't be your hair," Norvin warned, his voice low and menacing. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him as he aimed the razor toward her mouth. "I'm in control here. Don't test me." His eyes burned with murderous intent.

Meanwhile, with Brad and Ned

Ned supported Brad as they walked, Brad limping slightly. "What's going on here?" Ned asked, concern in his voice.

Brad sighed. "Later. Let's find a place to rest first."

Ned nodded, and the two made their way to the school warehouse. Once inside, they sat down, Brad leaning against the wall with his shirt and jacket off.

Ned broke the silence. "Brad…"

Brad sighed again. "Alright, alright. To sum things up, this school is about to be attacked by an evil group. Scary, right?" He smirked, his tone light.

"Don't joke around," Ned said, his concern growing.

"I'm not," Brad replied, his smirk fading.

Ned's brows furrowed. "If that's true, we need to contact the school staff! And the principal!"

Brad chuckled darkly. "You can't. The principal is dead."

Ned froze, his eyes widening in shock. "W-what?"

"Don't joke about something like that!" Ned shouted. "Why hasn't there been any news about it? Why would they keep it a secret?"

"I'm not joking," Brad said, his voice now serious and grave. "After my fight with Jason, when they sent everyone back to class, I ran straight to the principal's office to confront him." He adjusted his glasses.

"When I burst through the door, I found him there, sitting lifelessly in his chair. A gunshot wound to his head. There was a gun in his hand."

Ned's voice trembled. "Could it be… ?"

Brad shook his head. "No. That's not the type of person he was. Even under pressure. My theory?,He was executed."

Back to Norvin and Sarah

Norvin pressed the razor closer to Sarah, who was now trembling. Tears streamed down her face.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you everything!" she sobbed.

"There was a contract," she began, her voice breaking. "The principal was working with some organization. I don't know what kind, but they had a weird symbol on their left sleeves. Like a bird—a black one. Maybe a crow."

Norvin's grip on her chin tightened. "What kind of organization?"

"I don't know, I swear!" Sarah cried.

"Is that so?" Norvin said coldly. He let go of her chin but kept the razor in view. "Continue."

Sarah sniffled, trying to compose herself. "The principal had been working with them for years, even before we got involved. He offered us a deal: join him, and we'd get special treatment. No need to attend classes, automatic good grades, free status—everything a high school student could dream of. For some of us, who came from struggling families, it was too tempting to pass up. Others… they were blackmailed into it. At first, the tasks weren't hard."

Norvin crouched down, his eyes narrowing. "What tasks?"

Sarah's voice wavered. "We were told to sell their products."

"Products?" Norvin asked. "What kind of products?"

Sarah hesitated before answering. "There are different types, but here, we only deal with two."

Both Norvin and Brad were beginning to piece the puzzle together. The answers they'd been seeking were finally coming to light.

After Brad revealed to Ned that the principal's death was an execution, Ned was left speechless. Brad continued, his tone serious.

"They probably made the principal's death look like a suicide. The school is hiding it to protect their reputation and avoid being shut down. The government owns this building."

Ned's confusion deepened, but Brad went on. "You might be wondering who 'they' are. It's a group that sells a bunch of dangerous shit—like that gas bomb they used when I was attacked. Black smoke that weakens people's strength. And there's also this wake-up pill—a drug that keeps you awake and alert, way stronger than caffeine. It's really popular among students."

Back to Norvin

As Norvin interrogated Sarah about the products, her voice shook as she answered, "A gas bomb that weakens people… and a pill that wakes you up. That's all I know! I swear!" she yelled.

Norvin moved closer, his death stare freezing her in place. "What about the kidnapping?"

The question hit Sarah like a brick. Her heart pounded as she thought, *How does he know? Did that fat bastard fail to cover it up again? Shit.*

Norvin, his patience gone, pulled out his razor blade. "Alright, I've had enough," he muttered before slicing a wound across her left cheek. Blood trickled down as Sarah screamed.

"OKAY, OKAY! I'll tell you!" she cried. "The Crow group—or whatever they call themselves—kidnapped the daughter of some important man. From what I heard, they were trying to blackmail him for funding. We let them do their business near the school because we could cover it up. But this time, we failed. There was this one student… I don't know him well, but his name is Ned, I think."

Norvin's blade inched closer, making Sarah panic even more.

"We sent Brad to finish him off," she continued, her voice cracking. "But for some reason, Brad betrayed us and didn't do it. Then he said he wanted to quit. That's why Jason and Brad fought in the cafeteria! After that, we decided to kill him quietly so he wouldn't talk. But Brad, out of sheer arrogance, fought us head-on!"

Back to Ned

Brad continued speaking, while Ned listened carefully, his mind racing.

"The group is called The Black Crow, or TBC for short," Brad explained. "They've been working with the principal for years, even before I got caught up in this mess. One day, that fat bastard called me to his office and asked me to join him. At first, I hesitated. But then he handed me a piece of paper with terms and conditions—what I'd get if I helped, and what would happen if I betrayed them. Execution." Brad's face hardened. "For some reason, I joined. I don't even know why."

Ned's mind flashed with familiarity at the mention of crow, though he couldn't pinpoint why. Finally, after a long silence, he asked, "You fought them earlier, didn't you? That means you betrayed them. Why?"

Brad stood up, his muscles tensing. "Because they're losers. I hate them for what they do. I might be a bully, but I have my reasons." He paused, his voice dropping. "You saw it, didn't you, Ned? That kidnapping."

Ned's eyes widened, but he forced a laugh. "What are you talking about? I was just daydreaming—"

"Don't lie," Brad interrupted sharply. "If you're talking about the security cameras, the principal deleted the footage. I was sent to finish you off, but that's when I decided to quit. I'm not going to take orders from those losers. When I said I wanted out, they tried to kill me. But I don't run. I fought them head-on."

Ned, now understanding the truth, felt a sense of relief wash over him. He wasn't losing his mind after all. "So, that's why you were fighting them at the gate?"

Brad nodded, his tone firm. "I'm going to destroy them." He pulled out a small switch. "This will send them a message." Turning to Ned, he smirked. "Why don't we join forces? They're after you too, so you don't really have a choice, right?"

Ned hesitated, a flood of thoughts racing through his head. His life had never been great. No one really acknowledged him, and no one would care if he died. Finally, he let out a grin. "Alright. Let's do this."

Brad pressed the switch.

Back to Norvin

Sarah cried, her voice trembling. "W-will you let me go now?"

Norvin stood up and chuckled darkly. "That's sad, isn't it? I'll let you go. But don't worry—I'll take out Ned for you guys."

Sarah stared at him, confused and disbelieving. "What?" she whispered, watching Norvin laugh. But his laughter stopped abruptly when he heard a noise.

A baseball rolled toward them—the same one Brad had left behind during the fight. Norvin's instincts screamed danger, and without hesitation, he bolted from the construction site, leaving Sarah and the popular kids behind.

Sarah screamed as the four baseballs exploded, the blast so massive that the building collapsed. Heavy metal poles fell, sending shockwaves toward the school and destroying it completely.

Back to Brad and Ned

Ned heard the loud crash and rushed outside, his eyes widening as he saw the school reduced to rubble.

Brad followed, his voice calm. "Don't worry. There was no one inside. Before we left, I played an audio recording of the principal to evacuate everyone."

Brad walked up to Ned, extending his hand for a handshake. "Let's do this."