The walk to school felt heavier than usual. Jason kept his hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets, his jaw clenched, and his thoughts spiraling. He knew exactly what was waiting for him when he got there — rumors. After yesterday's event, there was no way it hadn't spread like wildfire.
He was right.
The moment he stepped onto school grounds, heads turned. Conversations hushed. Eyes locked onto him like he was some sort of mythical creature. The whispers began almost instantly.
"That's him. The guy who took on twelve guys by himself."
"Dude, I heard he broke like… six of them in half."
"No way, bro. My cousin said he didn't even get touched. It was like some John Wick stuff."
Jason clenched his jaw and kept walking. Great. Exactly what I didn't want.
He could practically feel the eyes boring into his back. It wasn't admiration — it was fear. Just like yesterday. Just like what Detective Nolan said. It made him sick to his stomach.
"Jason!"
He paused, recognizing that voice immediately. Turning his head, he spotted Alex power-walking toward him, her face a mixture of irritation and concern. Her usual sharp, analytical gaze now looked like she was about to lecture him — hard.
"Oh, boy," he muttered under his breath.
She caught up to him, falling into step at his side. "I need to talk to you."
Jason sighed. "I figured."
"No, like now," she emphasized. "We're skipping first period."
He blinked. "…What?"
"Don't argue. Just come with me." She grabbed his arm and started dragging him toward the back of the school. Jason barely had time to process before he was being led away from prying eyes.
---
Back of the School – Empty Bleachers
Alex finally let go of his arm, spinning around to face him with a look of pure disbelief. "Okay, what the hell, Jason?"
Jason ran a hand through his hair. "I'm guessing you heard."
"Heard?" she scoffed, eyes wide. "Jason, the entire school's talking about it. The news even mentioned it! Twelve guys. You took on twelve guys and walked away without a scratch?"
Jason shifted uncomfortably. "It's not as cool as it sounds."
Alex's glare intensified. "Stop deflecting! What were you thinking?! You could've been killed! Or worse — you could've killed someone else!"
Jason's heart sank at that last part. He knew she was right.
"I didn't have a choice," he finally said. "They were assaulting a woman. What was I supposed to do? Walk away?"
"No! But—" Alex groaned, pacing. "Jason, you don't get it. People already look at you like you're some… fighter. Now you're like a legendary street brawler. People are scared of you!"
"Yeah, I noticed," he muttered bitterly.
Alex stopped pacing and looked at him carefully. "…Does that bother you?"
Jason hesitated. "…Yeah. A lot."
Her eyes softened slightly. "Then why'd you do it?"
Jason exhaled, struggling to find the words. "Because I had to. I can't just watch something like that happen. I didn't think. I just… acted." His fists clenched at his sides. "And I went too far. Again."
"Again?" Alex latched onto that instantly. "What do you mean again?"
Jason froze. He realized his slip and immediately tried to deflect. "Nothing. Forget I said that."
"No, Jason," Alex stepped forward, her tone sharper. "You've done this before, haven't you?"
"…It's complicated."
"Uncomplicate it."
Jason hesitated, his internal conflict raging. He wanted to keep her out of this — to not scare her off like he did with everyone else. But the look on her face was persistent.
Finally, he relented. "…I've always been like this. Fighting's always come too easy for me. I don't know why. But when I see someone in danger… I can't just not do something."
Alex's anger slowly morphed into concern. "…And it doesn't scare you?"
"It does. It scares the hell out of me." He took a shaky breath. "Yesterday? I lost control. I didn't even feel like I was me. I broke those guys like they were nothing — and I didn't stop until they couldn't stand."
Alex stared at him, her throat tightening. "…Jason."
"I'm trying to be better," he admitted, his voice low. "I made a promise to my mom. No more street fights. No more scaring people. Only in the ring or if someone's in real danger."
Alex didn't know what to say. Part of her was still frustrated that he risked his life like that — but another part… couldn't ignore the sheer torment on his face. He wasn't proud of what he did. He hated it.
"…You saved that woman's life," she finally said softly.
Jason scoffed bitterly. "Yeah. And made my mom cry while I was at it."
Alex winced. She could only imagine how Sophia must have felt seeing her son come home coated in blood — not his own, but still.
"…I'm sorry," Alex finally said.
Jason blinked. "For what?"
"For being mad at you. I just—" She sighed, crossing her arms. "I get why you did it. But I also get why people are scared now. It's not fair, but… it's real."
Jason exhaled, his jaw clenched. "Yeah. I know."
A long silence settled between them.
"…You know you're gonna have to explain it to the rest of the Dunphys, right?" Alex finally said, forcing a small smile. "My mom's already told everyone about what she saw."
Jason groaned. "Fantastic."
"Phil's probably gonna think you're a superhero. Haley's gonna think you're a criminal. Luke's just gonna want to see you punch someone again."
Jason actually chuckled. "Yeah, sounds about right."
Alex hesitated, then spoke softer. "…You're not a monster, you know."
Jason's heart skipped a beat. "I don't know about that."
"I do," she said firmly, meeting his gaze. "You didn't enjoy it. You didn't do it for fun. You did it to help someone. That's not what a monster does."
Jason swallowed hard, her words hitting him harder than he expected. "…Thanks, Alex."
She shrugged, trying to play it off. "Don't mention it. Besides, I still need you to ace this chemistry project with me. So don't go getting arrested or anything."
Jason actually laughed. "I'll try my best."
As they walked back toward the building, the tension between them eased — but Jason knew it wasn't over. The world still saw him as a menace. A threat. And he'd have to work twice as hard to change that perception.
But as long as he could keep his promise to his mom — and now, to himself — he'd find a way.
No more unnecessary violence.
Only in the ring.
And only when absolutely necessary.
And maybe, just maybe… Alex wouldn't look at him like he was a monster.