Inertia

《 H. E. R. O. 》

_{Location: East Flank Hospital -> Brookside}

---

---

Maxwell Matthews had just returned from visiting his sister, Juliette, in the hospital. He hated the fact that his sister couldn't spend time being a kid- doing what she wants. His mind flickered to his 'parents' as a frown stitched onto his face. Screw them, I got better things to think about. Right, due to his parents' money stipend declining and his sister's hospital bill racking up; he had steeled himself to become an actual 'hero'. Max didn't exactly think he was suited to it. Who would think they were suited to being a hero? Being the one responsible for saving actual human lives and stopping bad guys. It was alot of responsibility for one person, so he had a healthy respect to those who were heroes.

Max had little idea of how 'strong' his power actually is. He'd never really gotten into any spats that warranted the use of his power. Lifting a finger, he focused his power on the tip of his finger; the wind whistled as his powers manifested. How powerful could his power, that he learned on a curious whim, actually be? I can make atleast D-tier, right? Hopefully that'd pay enough. A drawn-out sigh escaped the boy's lips. He pushed these thoughts out of his mind as the taxi stopped and arrived in Brookside.

Max handed the driver money before nodding and steeping out of the car. Why was he in Brookside; one of the criminal hotspots of Castleburg? Well, he was starting one his part-time jobs was there. Not many places really accepted a college student drop-out. He took three part-time jobs to cover his sister and his own expenses. Still, this was Max's first time at Brookside. The atmosphere was choking. He walked through the weirdly empty streets. Is this related to the bird, EAGLE thing I saw on the hospital T.V.?

A shriek scratched his ear. Without a moment's hesitation Max traced the sound despite already being late to his job. A huddle of yellow-garbed men faced off against another group of men that Max couldn't make out. Before he knew it one thing led to another and shots rang throughout the street. A group of teenagers caught up in the crossfire between these two gangs.

Max pulled his hoodie up and placed a hospital mask on his face. With an action that would forever surprise him, he jumped right next to the group, propping up two shrieking walls of wind. The wind walls faced both sides of the gangs, causing bullets to deflect away safely, some even ricocheting off and hitting the aggressors on their feet.

"Hey. You four, run that-a-way." Max said bluntly. He pointed to the open pathway he made that led into an alleyway. "Er- ah, don't touch the wind."

The teenagers wordlessly ran through the opening before disappearing into the alleyway. The other group who faced against the yellow-garbed men had retreated, apparently suffering from the stray shots more than the other gang.

A taller gentleman walked up to the wall, his glare bearing down on Max. The boy kept his face as neutrally as he could as the man seemed to size him up.

"Who the fuck are you? Some kid playing hero?" The man spat, his veins visibly showing. Needless to say, he was pissed.

Not many people I have crane my neck up to. Max thought uselessly. "Well, I'm Ma-" He stopped himself. He wasn't a hero yet and what he was doing was technically illegal, he thought atleast. What was that name his sister gave him as she cooed about his choice of being a hero? "Wind... song?"

Max blushed and cringed at his own reluctance. He had to own it, dammit. He quickly changed the subject. "So, who are you guys, endangering people all willy-nilly?"

"You really don't know who Iron George and the Brookside Bruisers are-" George was visibly getting angered as the conversation continued.

"Nope." Max replied flatly. He wasn't exactly versed in the criminal underworld, hell he didn't even know Brookside was a hotspot for it.

One of George's gang member has had enough and tried to forcibly pass through the erected barrier. The man was only met with endless cuts, dropping to the floor as me made it through

"Woops." The purple-eyed boy said. He dropped the wind walls, the whistling turning into a lull. "I did warn you guys not to touch the wind. Better get that dude some medical attention, eh?" Max actually warned the civilians and not them.

Guns trained onto him now. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to drop the wall. He erected a circular barrier around him. He noticed some of the gang members eyeing a duffel-bag he was next to. "Is this what you want?" Max asked incredulously."Seriously? You had a shoot-out in-front of people just for this?"

Max's anger bubbled. He had half a mind to simple tear up the bag and throw it into the ocean but decided against it. "Piss off before you get it worse than that guy."

"Who the fuck do you think you are, kid?" George piped up, now beet red in rage. "Open this fucking wall up and give us that duffel-bag."

"No thanks." Max replied once again. "I'll give you three seconds to get lost."
3...

Iron George now lived up to his namesake. His skin turned iron as he tried to push his whole body through the barrier.

2...

Max stared blankly at Iron George. He had to hand it to him, he had some durability. He figured that he wouldn't die from what he was about to be subjected to.

1...

Max slashed horizontally, the deafening whistling intensified. A scythe-like slash of wind pushed out from his barrier and collided against George's iron skin. It sounded like a buzz-saw was going off on his chest; the pain likely being comparable. The rest of his gang looked on in horror as George was pushed back and violently thud against the wall. The wind ceased as the man slumped over, bleeding from his chest. Max was right. Iron George had impressive durability, even if he did tone down his power's cutting.

The gang tripped on themselves as they ran way. Fortunately they took Iron George and the other unconscious gang member with them. Max kept the wind's whistling as they scurried away, only stopping once they were out of sight. With a sigh, he slung the bag over his shoulders. Phew. That was exhausting... I should probably hand this over to the police or something?

Max knew that he was likely fired. Whatever. He had to get this duffel-bag to the authorities. But what a day it's been. Hopefully no one would be mad at this bootleg act of vigilantism. It's just some drugs... right?

Wait... How was he supposed to explain how he got this bag full of drugs to the police?

《 H. E. R. O. 》

Windsong

Name
Maxwell Ezekiel Matthews

Hero Name
Windsong

Nicknames
Max
Matt (Close friends)

Gender
Male

Age
21

Date of Birth
16th October

Physique
Max stands a little above average height of 5'10 for his age. He is surprisingly toned and well-built for his frame and height due to training every day in his youth during his 'blank' period. Multiple large, clean and gash-like scars are found all over his body. Other than that he has a darker, chocolate-brown complexion which serve to make his purple eyes stand out.

Blood Type
O-

Occupation
Hero

Side
Hero

Affiliation
H.E.R.O.

Tier
A-

Personality
Max has a near-chronic case of resting bitch face. He can't help it, it's just how his face morphs when not expressing any emotion. Adding to this, he has very little social experience due to his upbringing and tends to be awkward when interacting with others. He has a tendency to speak his mind, even edging on brutal criticism at times. He does this to anyone, irregardless of their ranking or tier. One thing you can always expect from Maxwell is his honesty. Many people end their interactions with him leaving annoyed at best or an open dislike at worst. This trait is likely inherited from his teacher's blunt manner of speaking. However, he does try and befriend those who can put up with his loose tongue.
Max actually has a sense of child-like wonder in him and gets annoyed when he isn't able to sate his curiosity. Anyone or anything that can stroke will not be left alone by him until he himself feels satisfied. He is surprisingly observant, able to pick up body language and cues quite easily. Max has a habit of forming a tertiary, surface-level psychological evaluation of anyone he meets. Even if (usually) wrong he finds it fun to do so.

He is fairly introverted, tending to keep to himself and being adverse to areas with large crowds and noises. In general he just likes comfortable silence and being left to his own devices. Despite this and his sharp tongue, he has a genuine desire to help others. He doesn't mind doing others favours, even going out of his way to do so, as long as they're willing to help themselves.

Max has a strong sense of responsibility. Due to caring for his sister for most of his life he is mature for his age. This attitude extends to his heroic responsibilities. He doesn't mind helping against any kind of crime, from petty to high-stakes crimes. Saving a cat from a tree or catching bag thieves, he'll do it all. He did sign up for it after all. Though he tries and follows orders, he usually forgoes them if a civilian is in danger. He'd choose the saving someone over his original mission. Life is the highest priority for him, even willing to take risk his own just to save someone else.

Backstory
Maxwell's childhood was, well, lonesome. His parents worked abroad and sent him money for as long as could remember. Max had to practically raise himself; he had to make his own food, clean the house and study by himself. Other than living by himself, it was normal. Well as normal as a kid who spent his childhood by himself could be. The standout during his childhood, after turning 12, he met an oddly familiar man. The man claimed he was the only one he could 'pass' his ability down to. The man didn't mean it literally, he wanted to have someone else learn unique art of aerokinesis. It was like the man knew of his powers before Max did.

Max felt like he knew the man but he couldn't quite place it. Despite this, even he knew of stranger danger and began walking away. All of a sudden the wind began whistling, a unique sound that he had never heard before. He had watched countless heroes with air control powers and he had never heard their powers sounding quite like that. As easily as that, his curiosity was peaked and he deigned to be taught by him.

Max was indeed compatible with aerokinesis, much to his surprise, and he even had some talent in it. However talent wasn't quite enough. The tutelage was harsh and uncaring. He would be left battered and injured after training, his teacher again citing it as 'important' for their 'art'. Max always felt like this was bullshit but didn't say anything. The training was where he earned most of his scars. It would be a year in before he could even produce a sound remotely similar to his teacher. However his teacher would disappear during the fifth year of training, on the day Max turned 17.

Though Max didn't show it, he was distraught. His mentor was his only 'real' parental figure growing up. His own parents were still absentees. Their biggest surprise came in the form of his younger, 10 year-old sister, Juliette Matthews. Apparently she had stayed with his parents abroad. Max didn't even know he had a little sister. They stated that work had left them very busy and that he was to take care of her. His resentment of his parents began to bubble, he couldn't believe that his parents kept this from him and now they dump their expectations on him. Despite this Max still took care of his sister to the best of his abilities. Over time he would enjoy having someone else in the house and he would even grow to dote on his younger sister. In turn she would be very affectionate with her brother.

Over time the money Max's parents sent began to decline. This caused Max to begin to look for part-time jobs alongside his education. This was adequate until his sister got into an accident at 15. He begged his parents to send over more money for her hospitalization but they didn't do so. It isn't easy to piss off Max but his parents managed it. Luckily he still practiced his powers every day, even if lessened due to his part-time job. He would join H.E.R.O., hoping that he would receive a high enough rank to pay for his sister's hospitalization fees.

Powers

Aerokinesis/Wind Manipulation

Short Version: Max can control winds.

Long Version: Max can manipulate and control winds to attack. The winds he controls spin rapidly in place, causing a distinct yet almost melodious whistling when used. Due to the spin, his winds have high cutting power but can prove dangerous as he himself is not 'immune' to his own winds and can cause frequent self-injuries.

Techniques

[Aer's Celeritate] Burst: In combination with air pressure and reduced air resistance Max can propel himself at remarkable speeds, giving him fantastic speeds in short bursts.

[Ventus Carmina] Wind's Dance: Max can form and throw scythe-like wind that he can then throw at enemies from medium distances. The endless gyrations of the wind gives it a deadly sharpness. Though old fashioned, he also can form this wind around any weapon he has on hand, increasing it's cutting power and reducing risk of injury to himself.

[Caeli Murus] Wind Wall: Max can channel a partition of air infront of him. The winds are very turbulent, able to divert and ricochet projectiles. People that try to pass through the walls may suffer cuts due to the nature of his winds.

[Aer Inanis] Vacuum: Max forms a dome-like area around him by forcefully expelling the bulk of the air outside of the dome. Inside the area individuals begun to feel lightheaded due to the finite amount of air left. They begin to lose energy rapidly. Max himself is not averse to the effects, he would also be extremely worn-out due to executing the skill. He is still training himself to get used to the different pressure and the low amounts of oxygen in the dome.

Weaknesses: The risk of injury from his own winds is very high. The endless and quick spins of the wind favour no one and cuts through anything that comes in contact with it. This type of wind control tends to use up alot more stamina/energy compared to the traditional way of using wind. He also can't 'generate' wind and only manipulate existing wind, but that's not much of an issue. But in true 'vacuum-like' areas, he's somewhat of a sitting duck.

Others:

• Max can actually tone down the gyrations of his winds and use it more traditionally but does not do so in any serious engagements. Mainly he uses it to not rip up the clothes he's drying or not give himself a nasty haircut, and just cuts, blowing his hair.
• Still trains daily as his teacher advised him too but he's unsure of any 'new' techniques since his teachers abrupt exit. He does try and come up with new techniques but most end in failure and alot of cuts.
• Believes his training is 'incomplete'.
• Self-taught by books in a few different martial arts. If he's good is left to be seen, not many situations where he's unable use his powers.
• He has used his powers to mince vegetable before, it was very effective.
• Juliet once asked him to teach him how to use wind like him, but he refused to put his sister through the same crap he went through to even get baseline competent.
• Despite his powers he was fairly content being an 'average citizen'. He felt like the heroic life was too much for someone like him.
• "Why are all our moves in Latin? So weird... and kinda edgy."
• Max's mentor is actually his estranged uncle, looking out for his nephew and niece in his own way.
• Likes to whistle.

Maxwell's Test Scores

Maxwell Ezekiel "Windsong" Matthews
HERO Entrance Exam Results
Chief Proctor: Jeremy Irons

Test #1 (Physical) Score
76
Subject is shown to be incredibly fit. His most impressive physical asset is his stamina. Subject's stamina is remarkably much higher than others in the same physical bracket. Subject seemed to barely break a sweat during the 1500-meter run and only looked slightly winded after the 5k run. Performed well above average for other events. Subject is in top physical form and even showed disappointed at his scores.

Test #2 (Intelligence) Score
60
Subject displayed average performance on most facets of the questionnaires. Subject's knowledge Bio-Engineering and related sciences was notable. Subject was shown to answer related questions at a near PhD level with some difficulty. Otherwise, as stated above, is shown to be average in all fields other than those related to Bio-Engineering.

Test #3 (Potential Power) Score
80
Subject appeared apprehensive at 'destroying H.E.R.O. property' but eventually acquiesced after being reassured. Subject's aerokineses seem much more destructive than other wind-based heroes from H.E.R.O., one proctor stated that it was like a much deadlier sawblade whose blades didn't dull. Subject easily tore through the earlier material quickly. The harder the material got, the longer it would take to cut but eventually it would. Subject eventually gave up when reaching the harder material, stating that hearing it cut that long would damage his ears.

Test #4 (Non-Power Combat) Score
45
Subject seemed to have some grasp of the fundamentals of fighting outnumbered. Subject managed to knock out one assailant with a Brazilian hook kick as soon as the test began. Subject then was able to keep all of them in his view by continuously backing away and never letting any assailant reach behind him. Subject was eventually overwhelmed and while able to break out of a few holds, eventually tapped out after a few more. Subject then stated he needed to work on his fundamentals.

Test #5 (Power Combat) Score
76
Subject paired against A tier hero 'Professor Steel'. Subject was able to cut through the metal plates that Steel formed. Steel soon folded metal to be more thicker, making Subject's powers take longer to cut through. Steel attempts to fling metal objects at Subject which were deflected with a wind wall. Test was about to be ended until Subject used one of his strongest abilities. Steel's precision and power began lowering due to lack of oxygen and soon fainted. Subject also seemed to follow suit two minutes later.

(Proctor note: Subject seemed to hold themselves back in fear of hurting his fellow hero.)

Test #6 (Field Aptitude Combat) Score
25
Subject entered the factory through the roof, using his powers as a jump boost. Subject began fighting the guards with ease, though Subject's power output was noticeable lower than observed earlier. Subject also ceased fighting when one of the guards began threatening the safety of the hostage. Subject shows immense fear for hostage safety and gave up soon after. When asked by the head proctor about his dismal performance, he stated that in a real situation he would've used his powers to maim or lacerate the kidnappers and get the civilians to safety. Due to the nature of his powers, Subject showed fear of hurting H.E.R.O. employees and potentially maiming/dismembering them. Thus Subject chose to give up.

Test #7 (Psych Eval) Score
35
Subject possesses a strong moral center and values civilian safety above all else. Even to the extent where the subject seems willing to be injured and forgo orders to save lives. When asked the trolley problem, Subject avoided the question by stating that he'd used his powers to push the trolley out of the track. When psychologist stated that there were people in the tram subject stopped for a moment and began formulating a plan to somehow cushion blow and have the trolley stop safely. Subject seems incredibly self-sacrificing. Subject needs further therapy on their sense of self-preservation and how important their own life is.

Cumulative Score
397
AVG: 56.714

Meadow University

_Sunkissed~

_{Location: Downtown -> Lone Palms bar -> Bonfamille Manor}

The past few days have been hectic, to say the least. Classes for Meadow had begun in full swing and the whole Theo incident was still hot to the touch. The teachers and parents seem to be breathing down the students necks, the atmosphere was almost surveillance state-like. Connor, however, was grateful for the sense of 'normalcy' that classes had provided. Hell, he was glad to see his favorite professor again. Anderson pretty much left Connor to his own devices and spent most of his time helping other students. Though he was present for when he needed help. Connor will forever be grateful for the one night where the professor sent him messages dead into 3:00 AM to help him iron out some bugs and kinks during his final project. Said professor frequently attended the bar that Connor attends to part-time, and needless to say he hooked him up with some free drinks here and there.

Connor was out, helping out with clean-up. Partially cause he felt guilty and the other half was his parents endless badgering at some 'community service'. It was mostly wrapped-up but the Blond stuck around, entertaining idle thoughts. ... No the snitch had to be a freshman... Connor rested his back onto a bench, head tilted towards the darkening skies. Crap, heh, no way to know huh... No way- wait Prof Anderson? He should know something. He glanced at his phone's clock and noted that Anderson should still be there for his weekly, sometimes daily, drink. It seemed like a good shot and Connor didn't have much to do, so what the hell?

Connor jumped out of his seat and jogged his way to the bar he worked in, Lone Palms bar. It was close, luckily, and he was there in ten minutes. The ever-present smell of cheap liquor and faded dreams hit him on the way in. With a deep breath he took it in, it was comforting somehow. Craning his neck, he spotted the familiar figure he was looking out for. The hunched over, slightly tipsy Professor Anderson. Connor made his way over the table and slapped his back, the teacher struggled to keep the drink in hand from spilling.

"How's my favorite professor?" Connor spat with a shit-eating-grin. "Real fancy meeting you here."

"Son of a bitch, Connor, this drink ain't free when you're not serving. Real unlucky that you didn't this week." Anderson replied. "Yeah sure, real fancy, eh? You know when I come here, so spit it out, what do you want?"

"Skipping right over foreplay, I like it." The Blond said. "Y'know that whole Theo Bonfamille incident?"

"Theo incident?" Anderson said, Connor could almost swear his face straightened and sobered up.

"Yeah, well, any idea whose behind it all? Or rather, the snitch?" Connor continued. "You owe me one, prof."

Anderson frowned. "Look, Connie, I can't be talking about stuff that's strictly university business out here, much less to a goddamn student."

"Crap. Well I figur-"

"Hell, I ain't even part of the inner circle, so fuckin' childish-" The professor stopped himself. "Well, I wasn't supposed to let that slip either, so forget I said that."

"Hmm, well if ya ask me, it's gotta be one of yours right? This bash o' yours." He shrugged lazily. "I don't know."

"One from my year? No way." The Blond was surprised at the revelation that there was some sort of high-school ish inner circle between the staff. Before he could ruminate further on his phone vibrated with a message from Theo inviting him and Shiloh to come over for some hijinks at his manor.

"Leeching off the Bonfamille food and wine?
Do you even have to ask?
Count me in, red."

"Gotta run Prof, we aren't finished with this conversation."

"We sure as hell are- hey! You owe me a drink!" Anderson's voice faded as Connor walked away.

---

Connor's car pulled up outside the driveway. The house was large, while Connor's family had similar lodgings, he hasn't visited his house in years so seeing the utter scale of Manor was awe-inspiring.

He trod up the rocky pathway to the door and knocked. The head butler, Edgar, greeted him in. "Edgar! How's it hanging, the kids, wife... dog?"

Connor usually tries to strike up friendly conversation with the butler but is usually just shot down with short sentences or a nod. He's never seen Edgar emoting either. Damn Bonfamille and their stringent butler training.

He was led from room to room before finally spotting the redhead. The Blond raised his hand in a greeting. "Yo Theo, house is as swanky as the last time I was here."

Meadow University

_Sunkissed~

_{Location: Cafetaria -> Toilet}

"Yeah, it's spread like wildfire." Connor replied and shrugged before continuing. "I was thinking something along the lines of the originator being a freshie. Couldn't have been someone in our year, right?"

"I don't know, but they broke the unspoken rule of the bash." The blond said, taking the last sip of his soda and then crushing the can to enunciate his next words. "Probably be hard to track whoever it was, though."

"Hah. It's good to have friends in high places, I wager." Connor said. Mac had already finished off her food and was bid the blond a farewell. He shot her a smile and nodded as she went her way. "Left as abruptly as she appeared, typical Mac." He murmured to himself. His phone had been blowing up for awhile now. Gerard, his brother had elevated the panicked text messages into phone calls. The blond opted to ignore it in favour of replying to Shiloh's text. She had been under the weather for quite a bit.

Pausing for a minute he began typing a reply; 'Yo Shi. Yeah you've texted me this for the third time now. You doing alright?'. This was actually the first time she's texted him about the 'pain candy'. It was classic Connor, genuine concern salted with a side of 'screw with your friends a little bit'. He sent the reply with a chuckle.

Gerard called his phone for the fourth time. Connor groaned audibly. Returning the call is likely his best bet. Gerard may just fly out to Meadow and appear infront of Connor. The blond believed his brother was crazy enough to do that. He moved into an empty toilet for some semblance of privacy. With a sigh he internally braced himself for the eventual tongue lashing his brother would give him.

"Hey bro. Missed ya."

"Why did it take you so long to pick up the phone, Connor."

"Love you too, Gerard."

"Save it. What the hell's this about a goddamn probation!? You know Mom and Da-"

"Mom and Dad? HAH, don't even start with that, all of a sudden they give a crap? I fucking doubt it, Gerard."

"They do, Connor. You getting kicked out of Meadow isn't good for you right now! It'd bring up all sorts of issues with Mom and Dad."

"All sorts of issues!? Like what? They act like I didn't exist for years and all of a sudden they give a shit?"

"They really DO care, Connor."

"... Ohh I get it. Don't they have that shareholders meeting; they're trying to get more investments from the stakeholders?"

"It's not like that Conn-"

"The only time they acknowledge my existence is when I might make NOT them any money. I fucking get it. Alright, just tell Mom and Dad I'll be on my best behavior, I won't get kicked out. Then everything can go back to normal- with them ignoring me, right?

"Let me finish-"

Connor dropped the call. It took everything in him to not throw his phone against the wall. With a few deep breaths he tried to calm himself. The blond has not been riled up like that since, well, the last time he and his parents and brother conversed. He buried his face into his palms. He needed to relax, he has no idea why his parents trigger him that much. It's something deep-rooted inside him; even when he'd tried to reconcile or make amends it would just be another shitty excuse and him flipping out. Fuck, am I still a child? He figured that he would send Gerard an apology after he's calmed down.

"So much for that tongue lashing I thought Gerard would give me."

Meadow University

_{Your soul~}

_{Location: Cafetaria}

Connor flicked through the pictures and videos of the bash. Idiots, the lot of them. He grumbled internally. Taking pictures and videos... atleast leave your goddamn accounts private or something.

Every other minute he would swipe away one of his brother's message or call attempt. His brother seemed to be awfully persistent today, for good reason likely but Connor didn't want to deal with that at this moment. The day was already overbearing, so he'd prefer not to pile on any additional stress. With a final, weary sigh he finished off his sandwich as a familiar figure approached him.

"Oh hey, Mac." Connor greeted her before flinching as she slammed her tray onto the table. "Er- academic probation, right? My annoying-ass brother has been pinging my phone nonstop."

"It had to be one of the freshies, this didn't happen during the last 'Great Bash'." The blond never thought he would ever see anyone eating 'angrily' but there Mac was. Connor had to stifle his laughter as it gave him flashbacks of how his childhood pet gerbils ate food. "Couldn't agree more. Can't say I'm really digging all this extra attention I'm getting. Do we even know who took the video originally?"

"How'd your parents take the news?" Connor asked idly, ripping a can of soda open. He took a sip before continuing. "Not well? Also, hah, did you get the text message from Nate? Think he groped Jasper during the Bash'. Nate's gonna start a fight right after the probation."

"Ah, speaking of the bash, sorry bout' what happened that night." He choked on his words. "I would've stopped er, Theo, if I knew he was that pissed off. Gotta say that Cassian didn't help but... nah that's just an excuse, sorry."

Meadow University

_24~

_{Location: Dorm -> Meadow University}

Connor's phone lit up the dark room, buzzing endlessly; soon a groan came from the moving lump of mattresses. "What the hell." He mumbled to himself. With half-lidded eyes he saw a cascading wave of notifications from Instagram. There were even text messages from people he knew on a friendly basis. His brows furrowed, spotting a message from his brother, Gerard. In short it was something about disappointment and the 'viral Instagram video'. The blond swiped the message from his brother away. Instagram? He barely used it, mostly for memes and following a few people from campus. Sure there were a few photos here and there but nothing that would explain the sudden amount of tags.

That was answered relatively quick as he opened the Instagram video. The video had fifty-thousand views, already semi-viral for their university. It was the fight between Theodore and Cassian. Connor found himself in the video standing slack-jawed as the two men fought each other. "Fuck. Who the hell recorded this?!" He sent off a text message towards Theo, asking him if he'd seen the video. Another notification pinged about an assembly that's going to be held in an hour or so. With a sigh he got up for a shower to prepare for the day.

---

Connor noticed people shot him glances whilst whispering among themselves as he passed them in the halls. It was likely due to his close association with Theo but he did not like all this extra attention heaved on him. He pulled his hoodie down, a weak attempt of moving around incognito. A jittery chill ran through him as he trod down to the auditorium; the whole scenario reminded him the isolation he felt in high-school. Yup, he definitely hates it. He found a corner seat, away from as many people as he could. The ever stoic headmistress began her speech.

Soon it was announced that everyone was being punished for the actions of those who attended the Great Bash. What kind of archaic, bullshit punishment is that. Connor thought angrily. A few other students whispered loudly among themselves with a few gasping in surprise. The blame was clearly gonna rest on Cassian and Theo, most likely Theo since he instigated it. As for the blond, he was slightly indifferent on the probation; though he'd obviously prefer to not be kicked out of the university since his parents will likely get on his case again.

Walking out of the auditorium he felt a few eyes on him. Ugh, this isn't going to be fun. Connor wandered aimlessly around, he didn't have any classes till much later so he had free time. He spent his time thinking on how this probation would affect the students, particularly Theo and the like. As he went through the comments on the video he received a message from Nate; a sort of friend/acquaintance. It was about him grabbing Jasper's 'things' at the party. He typed up a reply- 'Wrong person there Nate, don't think I got groped during the bash.' and sent it before realizing that Nate had sent that message to ALL of his contacts.

"... Alaric's not gonna like that." Connor said nonchalantly, unwrapping a sandwich he procured from the cafeteria.

Meadow University

_{An @Altered Tundra & @Inertia Collaboration
featuring Theodore Bonfamille & Connor Kennedy}

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“Man, I can’t figure her out.”

Theodore felt like shit. His head was pounding, neck and shoulders felt sore as shit, and he was pretty sure a few of his ribs were bruised. In what was probably his second most idiotic idea ever (the first being when he consumed the mystery drink thanks to his best pal), Theo was left in the eye of the shitstorm that all started because Cassian Lee couldn’t take a hint. He just had to keep on pushing Theo until the point of no return and now, as royally fucked up things were, the cherry that topped it was Mac.

Fucking Mac.

Never in Theodore’s life had he felt such an intense, not to mention simultaneous, confusion and anger when it came to someone like MacKenna Diedrickson. She was an absolute bombshell, but hell be damned that he understood her. In his mind, what he thought he did was noble. It might have been macho and maybe on some level, he did it because he hated Cassian and not because he wanted to defend Mac, but for her to react how she did was, well it was confusing. Cassian was rude to her and disrespected her without a moment’s hesitation, so Theo came to her defense. Yet, after it was all said and done, Theo was still given the third degree.

As he exhaled, wincing from what was obviously internal pain, Theo glanced at Connor with a weary expression, one that was the visual definition of ‘I’m so done’. “I’m ready to blow this joint.”

Holy hell. Everything exploded around Connor in a blink of an eye and the situation escalated in the worst way possible. The brawl ended quickly, quicker than Connor could react to. The blond was the last person that’s allowed to be judgemental but he’ll be damned if he thinks Theo handled it well. Connor simply shot an apologetic look towards Mac at her final words. With a sigh, he held his hand out towards Theo.

”Man, that wasn’t how I saw the evening unfolding.” Connor fished out his pill bottle, offering the Bonfamille a few. From experience, he’s seen Theo lose it but never to this extent. The whole situation reminded him of a few things in his past. ”Jeez man, what happened back there, Theo? I know Cassian can be a bit much at times- well, most times, but he’s mostly all bark.”

As he stood up and walked a few steps to a nearby table, he grabbed a handful into a bucket of melted ice and Theo downed two of the pills that Connor offered him with a handful of ice-cold water. He shook his head from just how chilly it was and winced with every motion his neck made. “I don’t know man. I just...lost it,” he sighed, turning back to Con. “All I know is that piece of shit Cassian Lee pushed all the right buttons and got what he wanted. Not only does he have the judgemental Lola Russo on his side, now even Mac is less to me and more towards him.”

Connor initially planned to just sleep in his car after the party, let the drunkenness fade. However, his mood to party has all but disappeared. As expected of the Great Bash. His mind drifted to how childish Cassian was acting, nearly playground-level insults. What was worse was how Theo reacted. He sympathized with him, if he was still his old self the situation might’ve played entirely the same. Lastly, Connor couldn’t help agreeing with what Mac said.

There was an awkward tension that filled the air; the gawkers pretending to be occupied were giving them both leery glances. Connor had sobered up quickly, what little buzz he had going was entirely gone. ”Don’t worry about that. Mac probably went away with worse opinions of both of you.” He said sharply. ”Fuck what Cassian and Lola think of you right now, worry about yourself. Are you alright? Do you need me to drive you home or to the hospital or something?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about me, bro! I’m a little banged up but I can walk.” Theo might have felt immense pain in his upper body but he wasn’t seeing stars, which he was thankful for. “But what I will need your help getting my ass away from these annoying ass onlookers who DON’T KNOW WHEN TO MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS!” Immediately after he shouted, all of the progress he made to find himself comfortable and in a place where he wasn’t wincing every five seconds went out the window.

Theo waited for the pain to subside and when he wasn’t wincing as much, he stepped a few feet closer to Connor. “Since I royally screwed up your chance to be my wingman, I’m giving you a different job! You’re going to be my escort and your first job is to get me from this cabin to campus without me dying.”

Connor winced at Theo’s sudden shout at the onlookers. Seems like he’s still letting it all out. The blond tossed his prescribed paracetamol bottle at Theodore. ”Keep it. Seems like you need it more than me. Just don’t tell my private doctor.” He half-joked, trying to lighten up the somber mood. ”Come on, lean on me. We’ll head back to campus. The party’s a blowout anyway.”

The blond fished in his pockets, surprised to find a ping pong ball there. The duo was pretty far from the beer pong table now. ”One sec.” He threw the ball, with another high arc it cut through the air and strongly landed into the cup. ”I’m telling ya, Theo, that was an easy win...” Connor said as the cup shook violently, threatening to fall over. He didn’t look back as it stabilized itself. With a chuckle he let the redhead lean on him again.

Theo couldn’t agree more and he walked with Connor, pushing through those who tried to get a piece of the person that Cassian Lee showed mercy to (their words, not Theo’s). “So much for this being the biggest party of the year,” Theo murmured, it being the last thing he said while at the party. This was when he and Connor disappeared into the darkness of the woods, disappointment on their minds and a gentle reminder that hype is often just that.

Meadow University

_{Come true~}

_{Location: The Hawk's Nest}

Connor breathed an internal sigh of relief as the situation has seemingly settled. The tension, however, seemed to have decided to nestle uncomfortably into the background. Cassian's piercing stare towards their table didn't help. The game was a go, as Mac's ball plopped into one of the cups. Soon Alaric would follow up with a shot that narrowly missed. Connor fished the ball out of the cup; the harsh smell licked his nose. A stroke of genius (or stupidity, depending on how you look at it) crossed the bespectacled boy's head.

Keeping his eyes shut he gulped the disgusting drink down as quick as he could, not wanting the taste to linger. The drink burnt his throat yet it somehow gave him a chill. The blond shook his head; the drinks got worse as time went on. "Good god." He failed at holding back a gagging cough. "Before we continue, let's- ...fucking hell. Let's make it interesting." He paused in between words, a bad attempt to hide his true intentions. "How about... both people in the winners team gets a favour from both losers?"

"I mean a favour from me wouldn't be worth much." Connor turned towards Theodore and winked. "But a favour from a Bonfamille? That's another story." The blond grabbed a ball; crap, the drink had affected him way more than he thought it had. Still he released the ball with another high arc and continued. "So-" The ball landed in the cup as he enunciated the next words. "... how about it?"

Connor was nothing if not a showman.

...atleast while he's tipsy.

Meadow University

_Sunshine~

_{Location: The Hawk's Nest}

"Might be a bit too late about that whole bartender thing, Theo." Connor slyly grinned beneath his cup.

The game ended before it began as a familiar voice called out to Theodore and Connor. Who would've guessed it to be Mac? Connor's roommate- Alaric bound right behind her. Mac challenged the duo to a beer pong game. It seemed like they were gonna play twos. The blond couldn't hold back a smile as he observed Theo's 'playing it cool' strategy.

"Alaric. Mac. How's it hangin'?" Connor greeted the two. "No hard feelings when we destroy you two."

Mac's clumsy self managed to slam herself onto a tall, dark and familiar figure. Cassian, an acquaintance Connor knew from working a few classes and projects together. Connor acknowledged his presence with a nod as they met each others gaze. Though trying his best to hide it; Theo's anger began radiating around him, hitting Connor in waves. Oh boy. The tension was palpable, you could almost cut it with a knife. He knew all three at a personal level but if push came to shove he'd have to back Theodore up, even if he'd rather the situation not escalate to anything more than petty jabs and passive aggression.

Mac CAN tell, right? He thought, watching the situation unfold. For now he would sit back, if it went to far he'd try his hardest to de-escalate it. However one look at the three men who look to be pining for the same girl shows that might not be possible. Hell this whole event had already formed a small peanut gallery, gawking and giggling amongst themselves as they watched.

Meadow University

_{Find my way~}

_{Location: The Hawk's Nest}

"Smart, save it for later." Connor replied, rubbing his shoulder in mock pain. "Gives me more time to google how to be a half-decent wingman."

"Magnifique!" He enunciated, mustering up what little French he knew. "A Bonfamille to add to my lists of victories tonight."

Connor felt a bit tipsy, but it was all the more reason to come out on top, triumphant. "Ruthlessly destroying a Bonfamille? Should probably put that in my C.V. under special skills." A mirthful chuckle escaped his throat. He adjusted his glasses back onto his face before fixing the table. It took him a few minutes to set the table, mixing some of the beer that was on it with the whiskey that Theodore brought. His nose wrinkled; atop those tables sat the foulest drinks he's smelt in a long time. A fitting punishment for the stakes.

The blond smirked and stood across the redhead. "Ball's in your court, T." He said simply. "I am, after all, a gracious host."