Lucas's grip on Xavier's collar tightened, his cybernetic fingers digging into the fabric. "You're going to regret that," he growled.
Xavier met his gaze without fear. "I doubt it," he said, his voice steady. "Because unlike you, I don't need enhancements to be good at something."
The confrontation hung in the balance, the air thick with tension. Around them, students watched in stunned silence, the usual background noise of the academy absent in this moment of high drama.
[Today's task completed- Provoke the bullies]
[Task completed- 2/10]
Not only Xavier had provoked Lucas and others, but he had also completed the task which he had triggered after his meeting with the hacker.
Now, all Xavier had to do was run as fast as possible from the bullies and lure them to the space training room. But could he really run from them with his weak body? It was time to find out.
He stood locked in a tense standoff with Lucas and his cronies. The courtyard buzzed with anticipation, students sensing the confrontation about to explode. Then, with sudden movement, Xavier bolted.
Xavier purposely ran into the crowds and other obstacles to slow down Lucas and others, as he was only one, while they were four. He could go anywhere he wanted, and they had to chase after him.
Xavier didn't want to make it obvious by going straight to the space training room, so he took a circuitous route through other classrooms
It was there. The space training room, right in front of Xavier's eyes. However, Xavier had run out of stamina. He had slowed down drastically, and he was caught by Maximilian, who was the fastest among them.
He dragged Xavier by his hair and pulled him back. Xavier was in pain, but he didn't stop. He had to go to the space training room if he wanted to end everything. Pain lanced through Xavier's scalp, but he couldn't stop. Not when he was so close. He waited for Maximilian's grip to loosen slightly, then gathered every ounce of remaining strength. With a desperate lunge, he broke free and stumbled into the space training room.
Meanwhile, Oliver had witnessed the chase unfold from the courtyard where he'd been checking sports scores. And he had informed the hacker about it. Actually, since they were aware that the time for the academy's system was going to go online, Oliver and Xavier had meticulously planned this moment - timing Xavier's provocation and escape to coincide with the academy system's brief vulnerability window. There would be no second chances.
The space training room's sterile white walls seemed to pulse with the rhythm of Xavier's ragged breathing as he collapsed against them. The automatic door hissed shut behind him with finality. He'd made it - but the real test was just beginning.
Xavier forced his exhausted body upright, dragging himself toward the space chamber. His limbs trembled with each step, his vision swimming from exertion. The chamber's glass door stood before him like a gateway to salvation or doom.
Behind him, the training room door burst open with a metallic clang. Lucas and his cronies stormed in, their faces twisted with rage. "You think you can hide in here?" Lucas snarled, his cybernetic fingers flexing.
Xavier turned slowly, putting on a show of defiance. He reached for the chamber door, pretending to try slamming it shut in their faces. Of course, they shoved past him with brutal force, their enhanced bodies making resistance futile.
The beating began immediately. A fist connected with Xavier's ribs, sending him crashing against the chamber's glass wall. Pain exploded through his body as another blow landed on his stomach.
"Who do you think you are?" Ethan spat, grabbing Xavier by the hair and slamming his head against the reinforced glass. The impact sent stars bursting across Xavier's vision.
Leonardo joined in, his cybernetic arm pistoning into Xavier's gut. The breath exploded from Xavier's lungs as he crumpled to the floor. Maximilian delivered a vicious kick to his ribs, the sound of cracking bone echoing in the chamber.
"Still feeling cocky?" Lucas sneered, hauling Xavier up by his collar. He drove a knee into Xavier's stomach, doubling him over. As Xavier gasped for air, Lucas grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back with mechanical precision.
The pain was excruciating. Xavier's vision blurred as they took turns delivering blows. A fist to his kidney. A knee to his thigh. An elbow to his temple. Each impact sent fresh waves of agony through his battered body.
They picked him up and slammed him headfirst into the floor. The impact sent shockwaves through his skull. Blood sprayed from his split lip as they twisted his limbs in unnatural directions. His old wounds reopened, fresh blood mingling with the old.
Xavier's consciousness flickered. The world went dark for a moment as they lifted him by his hair and drove his face into the chamber's control panel. The impact shattered his nose, blood gushing down his face.
They weren't finished. With brutal efficiency, they hoisted him up and threw him against the wall. His body crumpled to the floor, his breathing shallow and erratic. For a terrifying moment, his chest didn't rise at all.
He was bleeding from everywhere. His head, his mouth, his ears, and even his old wounds had opened up.
Satisfied with their work, they activated the space chamber's functions with a few taps on the control panel. The door hissed shut, sealing Xavier inside. Without another glance, they left the training room, their laughter echoing down the corridor.
Alone in the chamber, Xavier's broken body lay motionless. Blood pooled beneath him, his breathing barely perceptible. The chamber's systems hummed to life around him, the sterile white walls now stained with crimson.