Meanwhile, in the middle of the growing commotion, Lucas was pinned against the lockers again.
Mark had one fist twisted tightly into the front of Lucas's uniform while his other arm pressed hard across his chest, trapping him against the metal doors. The lockers rattled loudly every time Lucas struggled.
John stood near the corner of the hallway, casually leaning against the wall while pretending to scroll through his phone. Every few seconds, his eyes lifted toward the stairwell and nearby classrooms, checking for teachers.
Neither of them looked remotely worried. Just a pair of walking headaches.
Mark jerked Lucas forward roughly before shoving him back against the lockers again.
"Look at this motherfucker," he muttered, glancing toward Alan through the crowd. "Lucas here says our boy Alan finally grew some balls."
Lucas immediately shook his head.
"I did not say that…"
Mark tightened his grip harder.
"Shut up."
John cracked his knuckles one finger at a time while staring toward Alan.
"Man, I am starving," he said lazily. "Let's go get lunch money from our rich little pig."
A couple nearby snorted under their breath. One student immediately lifted his phone higher to start recording properly.
"Yo, this is about to get ugly."
Alan shoved past two students blocking the hallway and grabbed Mark's wrist before he could slam Lucas into the lockers again.
"Leave him alone," Alan snapped. "Did you not do enough already today?"
Mark slowly looked down at the hand gripping him. For half a second, the hallway quieted slightly around them. Alan could already feel dozens of eyes watching.
"…Why the hell am I even getting involved?" he thought bitterly. "This is such a pain in the ass."
His grip tightened anyway.
Mark suddenly ripped his arm free and drove a punch straight into Alan's jaw.
The impact snapped Alan's head sideways into the lockers hard enough to shake the entire row. Metal doors banged open and shut from the collision while pain exploded across the side of his face.
Lucas dropped onto the floor the moment Mark let go of him.
"S-sorry, Alan…" Lucas whispered weakly before scrambling backward on shaking arms and legs.
Nobody stopped him. He grabbed his backpack and disappeared through the crowd almost immediately.
Alan barely had time to recover before his books slipped from his arms and crashed across the floor. Papers scattered underneath students' shoes while one notebook slid almost halfway down the hallway.
Gasps spread through the crowd. Phones rose higher.
"Yo, Mark just decked him."
"Damn."
A girl near the back laughed nervously.
"Honestly? He kinda had it coming."
Another student folded his arms.
"Dude acts smarter than everybody else just because he gets top grades."
"Seriously," somebody added. "I tried talking to him once and he ignored me."
Alan pushed one hand against the lockers and slowly straightened up. His vision blurred for a second before settling again. Pain throbbed through his jaw with every breath.
Mark stood directly in front of him, smiling like this was pure entertainment.
"What's wrong, Winchester?" he asked casually, tilting his head. "You lose something down there?"
John snickered beside him.
"Careful, man. I think he's mad."
Alan wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and looked down at the blood staining his knuckles. A thin red streak stood out clearly.
The hallway suddenly felt hotter. Louder. His heartbeat pressed heavily against his ribs.
"What the hell was that for, you dicks?" Alan snapped.
He had never wanted this fight. But standing here now, surrounded by recording phones and laughing students, he realized that stopped mattering the second they cornered Lucas.
Mark spread both hands lazily.
"Do we need a reason to say hello?"
Alan glanced around the hallway. Students now crowded every entrance. Some stood on benches trying to see better. Others whispered behind raised phones while pretending they weren't involved. And of course, there were still no teachers anywhere nearby.
"You assholes really think having powers lets you do whatever the fuck you want," Alan muttered.
Pain flared sharply through his back when he stood fully upright, but he ignored it.
"Lunch money?" he continued. "What happened? Your father forget to leave you cash before disappearing?"
A few students immediately reacted.
"OHHHH…"
"Damn."
John's grin vanished.
Alan pointed toward him without backing down.
"Actually, no. That explains a lot." His voice hardened. "You would not act like such a fucking disappointment otherwise."
The crowd erupted louder now. Several students started backing away instinctively while others leaned closer.
Mark stared at Alan for a second like he genuinely could not believe what he had just heard. Then both bullies burst out laughing.
Mark bent forward, holding his stomach.
"Oh my God," he wheezed. "He actually thinks he can fight us."
John rubbed underneath one eye dramatically.
"That punch scrambled his brain." He looked toward the others. "Look at him trying to act tough."
More laughter spread around the hallway.
Alan stayed still through all of it. His breathing slowed. Not from fear… from anger. Pressure kept building underneath his chest little by little.
He knew he was outmatched. No powers. No backup. No advantage except instinct and stubbornness. But he was tired of swallowing every insult and pretending it didn't bother him.
He lifted his head fully and met their eyes.
"Do not mistake my silence for weakness," he said evenly. "I avoided trouble because I did not want this bullshit."
His fingers flexed slowly at his sides.
"But if you keep disrespecting me, I am done letting it slide."
The laughter around them faded. Not completely, but enough.
Mark's smile flattened into something meaner. John rolled his shoulders once before stepping forward.
"Really?" Mark asked quietly. "And what exactly is a powerless loser gonna do about it?"
His expression darkened.
"And bringing up my father was a mistake."
John moved first. Fast.
He lunged forward, throwing a straight punch toward Alan's ribs without any setup.
Alan barely twisted aside in time. The fist scraped across his jacket instead of landing cleanly.
Alan swung back immediately on instinct, aiming for John's jaw.
John leaned away just enough. Alan's fist cut through empty air.
"Fuck," Alan hissed.
Mark instantly closed the distance from the side.
Alan barely saw the hook coming before he threw both forearms upward defensively. The punch slammed into his guard hard enough to rattle his entire body. Pain shot through his wrists and elbows while his shoes scraped across the tiles.
That single moment opened him up.
John swept his legs sideways.
Alan lost balance immediately. The floor crashed hard against his back and shoulders. The impact sent a violent jolt through the back of his skull while his breath exploded from his lungs.
"Got your ass now, bitch," John sneered.
His kick slammed directly into Alan's ribs. Pain ripped through Alan's side so sharply his entire body curled instinctively.
"Ugh… shit!"
Air tore unevenly back into his lungs while he rolled across the floor coughing.
The hallway exploded with noise around him. Some students cheered. Others backed away shouting. Phones kept recording everything.