Minx jumped on her chair then ran down the table in the direction of the snobby level 4 cretin masquerading as a human being. As she got to the end of the table, she tucked her head and pushed off the table with her legs.
Landing between the two tables, she touched the floor. Brown, thin roots sprang from the spot she touched. The offending toad slowly stood, adjusting his uniform with a smirk on his face. The others started to rise and discovered they couldn't. They were tied to their seats and the root was beginning to constrict.
"You're a feisty one, aren't you. You are also a delicious prize. I think I'll take you for mine," He reached out to grab her but she as no longer where he thought she was. She was behind him. Suddenly, he was on the floor as his knees no longer supported him due to the kicks she gave them.
Minx walked on his back and stood on his spine. He was bald and quite muscular but he didn't hold a candle to the man she had already picked from the herd. The bully started to stand but her face showed she wasn't taking him seriously.
With a stomp to the back of his head, his chin bounced off the hard floor. The sound echoed around the now silent room. It was the first fight of the term for many of them and the lower level wanted to see what threats they had. Minx smirked. She dislocated his jaw. Not too badly. He could still speak. Weel enough, anyway.
"What is your name, you ugly bane?"
Despite his injuries, he was acting as if this was foreplay, "kiss me and I'll tell you!"
She stepped off his back and directed her roots once more. A few reached over and grabbed an arm and a leg, and turned him over. It was made easy by him working on getting up, having made it to his hands and knees. Minx kicked him in the family jewels enabling the roots to finish turning him over. She wanted to say so much to him in her rage but she how crazy did she want to sound in this new school?
You know what… fuck it.
She had the roots holding his wrists and ankles. He was obviously in pain but he still had a smirk on his face as though he was hunting his prey. Minx had never experienced this first-hand but she watched the popular boys with the popular girls in disgust. She wanted the hurt this boy. Badly.
She stomped an ankle, a wrist then his stomach, "Lame…NAME," she growled.
"Dan," he responded. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"You think you're quite the man, don't you Dan… Trash gets thrown in the bin." She pointed toward the trash can, "bullying is a sin."
"I'm…. Your... superior, little girl!"
The roots holding his down got tighter and he screamed in pain. She stepped onto his stomach then crouched down, making sure her boots dug into him nicely. She pointed to the 5 on her watch then the 4 on his.
"You're a jester. If you pester me or my brother, I'll make you suffer. Touch a hair on his head and you'll wish you were dead." Her voice became more and more menacing as she spoke.
She smirked, "My name is Minx and harming that boy," she pointed at her brother who was trying to ignore his sister's standard "welcome to the start of the year" antics, "will bring you no joy. He's on the Do Not Touch List. Do you get my drift?"
His hands were turning purple and the edges of her brand-new military book were digging into this flesh. Dan attempted to demonstrate that he did to end the pain. Minx touched the root and said "wither" causing it to turn to dust. She then returned to her breakfast like nothing happened. Her brother, having experienced this at least once every year, continued devouring his food, lamenting only having grabbed two plates full.
The others at her table stared at her but she ignored them, now having worked up a small appetite. She tucked in to the food remaining on her plate noticing her brother's wandering eyeballs toward her plate.
"After class today, we'll go to the library and use their market and buy what I need to cook for us to increase our rations."
Midas knew she was speaking to him but she didn't look up. She hated the attention behaving like that earned her, but she also knew it was necessary if she was going to protect Midas. She wasn't trying to keep him from learning to protect himself. Quite the contrary, it was a skill he needed.
However, she understood if he was to get stronger, he needed to first improve his skills. A level 1 against a level 5 just wasn't a fair fight. Only the weak would choose to fight a lower level the way these bullies did.
A blond boy noticed a girl in multi-colored pigtails run down her table toward another level 5. Inside his head
Look at her! She's amazing! Raten said.
A boy in the back of his head, came forward curiously. His hair was disheveled and his face was streaked with tears. He watched as a girl masterfully trampled a boy who was rude to her. Her hair was different colors which he thought was pretty. She said something that made it sound like she was protecting her brother who was weak just like he wanted to protect Quinn who was weak. He watched as the girl taught the boy a lesson then went back to his corner in the back of the boy's mind as Minx returned to her meal. He has a smile on his face.
Revlis looked at her confused, "cook?"
Minx looked at him. "There were many times in the orphanage when we were informed we had misbehaved and were denied a meal. I learned to use my ability to grow food. I learned how to cook at 8 years old through cookbooks in the library. Ever since, we have been able to supplement our food."
"Honestly, we both agree that the food I grow is better than anything that has ever been served to us, produce-wise. I don't know if it's because I'm using my ability to grow the fruits and vegetables or if it's because we are literally eating right as it's picked but we honestly prefer it so being denied food stopped being a discouragement from bad behavior for us."
"Would you be willing to add more people? I, for one, would love to be part of extra meals?" Revlis continued. Then he tucked his head realizing he just invited himself into a family affair.
Minx smirked, "Schedules don't always link up but what I can do is this. If you are not able to meet me for a meal, what I grow in excess, I can send up to your room and you can eat them raw or cook them in your own kitchen. How's that?"
He nodded and smiled, "sounds good."
"Good. If we are all finished, we should head to class."
As they dropped their trays off at the window, the other students began to move as well. She thought them strange but left without giving them a second thought.
In class, they all sat in the seats their teacher assigned except Midas. He swapped his name tag with one next to his sister and sat down, hoping the teacher wouldn't realize it. Minx also noticed Logan was absent. Come to think of it, he was not at breakfast either…
The teacher walked in a few minutes later as the class was filling up, students took their seats. The teacher leaned against his desk and observed the students. Suddenly, his eyebrow raised as he looked at Midas and the other student. Then he shook his head realizing the boy and girl had the same last name. He decided to let it slide.
As the last student took their seat, "Today's classes will be overviews and what to expect from your time here. Brief histories will be provided and such, the same with tomorrow. I wanted to start today with any questions you may have after familiarizing yourself with campus yesterday. You've been given your materials and are able to get a head start on your lessons as a result. Does anyone have any questions? Courses, campus, library, clubs, anything?"
Minx raised her hand, "If I wanted to purchase food to cook in my room in the kitchen, where do I do that if the student market isn't open yet?"
"Great question! Your watch has a few maps preloaded. One map is of this campus. South of this campus is a town used by the military. It's family housing so you'll find stores, any sort of facility you'd find in a SMALL town. We are talking a market, barber shop, movie theater, restaurants, dry cleaners, laundry mat, which you should not need because your building is well-equipped in this regard but you may be able to get a hair style at the barber shop you may enjoy."
He continued, "oh, there is an ice cream parlor there as well you kids may enjoy. You are welcome to explore the area if you'd like. You just need to make sure you attend classes and abide by curfew. You may also want to attend to your grades. The military base is to the west of both the town and the campus. There will be occasions you will venture that way as well." he said with a smile.
"Are there any more questions?"
Minx raised her hand again, "You said the classes that produce something needed to work in the market. Can you tell us more about that or is that something we need to learn from our respective clubs?"
"That would come from your respective clubs," then Sin looked around the room.
Several other students had questions sparked from material she had yet to read. It was all good information and this class seemed like time well spent.
So far, it seemed she had a good class, good teacher, and good people to hang around. She was wondering when the other boot would drop.