After all the begging, the president finally forced Asha to remove his expensive armor. It did not matter how tightly he held onto the straps or how stubbornly he tried to argue. Her decision had already been made. More importantly, she instructed the disciplinary leader to remove every single non school stationery item from his bag. One by one, his defenses were dragged out into the open. Everything he had bought the night before was tossed into the trash without hesitation.
The sound of metal clinking against plastic echoed louder than it should have, his sprays, nonchucks, taser all into the trash can.
"They're so expensive. No, please, not the nunchucks," Asha said helplessly as he watched. His voice cracked despite his effort to keep it steady. Those were not just weapons. They were his sense of safety, his thin shield against a school that had already decided to chew him up.
Then came his metal bat. Mama slowly picked it up. She did not rush. She let the weight settle in her palm, turning it once as if inspecting something fragile. Right in front of him, she bent it with ease. It took no effort at all, like snapping a single strand from a broomstick. The sound was soft, almost polite, which somehow made it worse. She tossed it into the trash can like it was nothing more than scrap.
Asha's shoulders sagged, now he looked like a normal student. No armor. No shield. No illusion of control. Just a boy standing among supers with nothing but skin and fear.
"Adjust your tie, would you?" she instructed.
Asha hesitated for half a second before obeying. His fingers trembled as he straightened it, the fabric suddenly feeling tighter around his throat than it ever had before.
"What's the time, Ryan?" she asked the disciplinary leader as he checked his phone.
"8:15, President," he replied.
"This is past 8, which means you have broken one of the school rules," she said, staring directly at Asha. Her eyes did not blink. "Ryan, as the school disciplinary, do your job and make sure he doesn't go unpunished."
With that, the president and another student followed her. Their footsteps faded as they walked back into the school premises. Asha watched her go, irritation bubbling inside him. It sat heavy in his chest, uncomfortable and sharp. He hated how easily she commanded the space, how no one ever questioned her. He was so annoyed by her authority that he did not even realize he had spoken out loud.
"Crazy baka," he muttered.
Mama stopped, no one knew why she stopped. There was no sound, no signal. Just a sudden stillness that crawled across the entrance like a warning siren.
She slowly turned. Then she walked back toward him, each step measured, deliberate. Her expression sent chills down Asha's spine. His stomach twisted as if it knew what was coming before his mind did.
"What did you just call me?" she demanded.
"What? I didn't say anything," Asha said quickly. His heart began to pound. He was not even sure why he spoke. The words had escaped him on instinct, like a reflex to danger.
"I'm sure you weren't told about my super abilities," she said calmly. Her voice was even, almost conversational. "I don't only have super strength. I also have super hearing."
She took a step forward and Asha took one back.
There was nowhere to go. His back hit the wall with a dull thud, the cold surface pressing into his shoulders.
"So, Asha Grey," she continued, "what did you just call me?"
Before he could answer, before he could even inhale properly, her hand was around his neck. She lifted him with one hand like he weighed nothing. His feet barely brushed the ground as a strangled sound escaped his throat.
The disciplinaries froze. No one moved, none spoke.
"I know 206 ways to break the 206 bones in your body," she said coldly, her grip tightening just enough to make the message clear. "What do you think will happen if mummy's little whelp suddenly can't use his vocal cords?" Asha couldn't breathe, with the pain he felt around his neck.
The world narrowed. His ears rang. His vision blurred at the edges as panic set in. His hands clawed weakly at her wrist, his body reacting even as his strength failed him. Darkness crept closer, thick and suffocating.
Then Mama realized what she was doing.
Something flickered across her face. Not regret. Awareness, she released him immediately.
Asha collapsed to the ground, coughing violently as air rushed back into his lungs. His chest burned. His throat screamed. He stayed there for a moment, curled slightly, gasping for air like it was the first time he had ever needed it.
Asha ended up in the nurse's office, where the nurse healed him slowly. It was a good thing her superpower was healing abilities, so it helped reduce Asha's pain. The mark of fingers gripping his neck was still visible, purple and angry against his skin. Ms. Hale worked carefully, her hands glowing faintly as she eased the pain enough for him to speak again.
His voice came back hoarse, fragile, like it could disappear if he pushed it too hard.
Not long after, his friends Kira and Dean entered the nurse's office. Kira paused at the door, checking the surroundings carefully before stepping inside. Her eyes scanned the hallway, her posture tense. She really had meant what she said about not being friends in school.
"Oh my God, are you okay, Asha?" Dean asked the moment he entered. His voice was low, controlled, but his clenched fists gave him away.
"You heard?" Kira scoffed. "More like the whole school knows your vocal cords were almost damaged today. Hahaha. Take a look at this, it's all over Super Gram."
She held up her phone and turned the screen toward him.
The video played. Mama's hand around his throat. His feet barely touching the ground. His face red, panicked, helpless.
"Looks like someone filmed it and posted it anonymously," Kira continued. "It already has over seven hundred views in just two hours. Bro, you're going viral."
Asha stared at the video, stunned. It felt unreal, watching himself from the outside, seeing how small he looked in her grip. Dean shook his head in disbelief, jaw tight.
Mama had not only made him waste money, she had also choked him, and now the whole school had seen it on Super Gram.
One thing Asha hated more than anything was people with superpowers abusing their abilities. Especially when they used them on him, because he was an easy target. That thought twisted his guts every time it crossed his mind. It left behind something bitter and sharp that healing powers could not touch.
If he wanted to stop the daily beatings and humiliation, he would have to fight back.
But to do that, he had to go after the one person in control.
All he had to do now was find a way to bring down the school president.
Days passed, and the bullying at school continued. Asha slowly got used to the beatings. During class, during gym, during club activities, even in the cafeteria, students used him as a pain absorber. Thankfully, the school nurse was always there to heal him and get him back on his feet, only for him to receive another round of pain the next day.
Asha did try to defend himself, using anything around him to fight back. But when they all gathered against him, he simply could not defend himself.
On a fateful Saturday, Asha was strolling through the shopping mall, running some errands, when he spotted Mama inside a jewelry shop. She wore clothes that covered most of her face, dark shades, and a cap. He could tell that everything she wore was cheap, nothing designer.
He was not going to interfere. He was already turning to leave when he saw her do the unthinkable.
Mama picked up a golden chain with diamond designs and secretly slipped it inside her blazer.
Asha smiled, for he had just found a way to survive high school.