My Counterattack System After Reborn

Chapter 17: All Hell Breaks Lose

Todd’s calm demeanor surprised his classmates. He looked at the kid that had been making all the noise, and he said, "I didn't expect the news about my family’s private affairs to spread so quickly. I can understand why, though. My father is a giant around town, and if you think that that can change overnight, you will find yourself sorely mistaken. So, if you want to mock me, go ahead. Mock me. I am a big boy. I can take it. But keep this in mind: I will be taking notes, and when the table is turned back around, I will remember who stood by me, and who did not.”

Having said everything that he had intended to say, Todd pushed a path through the students and entered the teaching building, and once he was gone, everyone began to speak at once. The newspaper had said one thing, and Todd had said another, and nobody knew what to believe. There were very few of them, though, that took his warning seriously.

By the time the first break came around, it seemed that Fatty was the only one who remained loyal to Todd, and when he asked about what was going on, it was because he genuinely cared. “Is the news true?” he wondered.

When other students heard Fatty’s question, their ears twitched, and they all went quiet. The news was juicy, and they were anxious to hear Todd’s side of the story.

Todd smiled when he saw the expectant looks on their faces. He knew that they did not care about him, so he gave him the answer he knew they wanted. "They are right,” he explained. “My dad is bankrupt. D.S.G. Unlimited is lost. That is the truth of it."

"Oh my God!” Fatty exclaimed. “How much of his debt will you have to bear in the future?"

Todd rolled his eyes and said, “What year do you think we are living in? A son does not have to pay his father's debt. It is all handled by the bankruptcy. Do you understand limited liability?" While answering Fatty’s question, he was also explaining the state of things to his peers, and Eve was among the few that was relieved to hear that Todd would be taken care of.

"Do you still have enough money to buy a steamed stuffed bun for me?" Fatty asked.

Todd cursed. “Are we friends,” he asked, “or are you just using me to get food?!?!”

When their classmates heard this question, they laughed.

“It’s not that.” Fatty looked down in shame and he began to cry. "My mother says that I am too fat, so she only sends me with enough money for two steamed stuffed buns. But look at me. I am a big boy. I will starve if I don’t have enough food….”

After hearing that, their classmates began to laugh harder than ever.

***

After the break, it was time for exercises in the playground., and once they were done, the students returned to their classrooms in a prearranged order. Todd’s group was one of the last to go in, and when it was just about their turn, a few boys approached them.

The boys were wearing school uniforms with strange patterns painted on them in various colors. Their hairstyles were exaggerated. One of them had blond hair, and he had a peculiar hairstyle.

The boys walked to the front of Todd's group. They looked at the girls in the class and blew their whistles. When they saw Eve, they all shouted, “Look at her hot eyes!” 

“Wow!” exclaimed the leader of the group. “This campus belle, Eve, really deserves her reputation." He reached out and tried to touch her face.

Eve took a step backward, and although she was able to avoid his palm, she still felt violated. Her face turned pale from fright. Her group was very well-behaved. They had never seen such behavior, and they were all shocked.

There was a slightly obese girl standing next to Eve, and she walked over and gave her a hug to comfort her. Then she turned to the boys and said,  "You are not a part of this group. If you do not leave, I will go to the teacher. Don’t you feel embarrassed when you bully girls?”

The boy glared at the fat girl. “What is your f*****g problem?” he hissed. “You disgust me. You are fat and ugly, and I dare say that you are not much of a girl! Why are you defending this girl anyway? Are you dyke?"

When the two people behind the boy heard this, they laughed so hard that the people around them were disgusted with them.

The fat girl scowled, and her face turned red from anger. It looked like she was going to hurt the boy, but Todd stopped her. He smiled at the girls, and then he walked over to the boy. “Aren’t you here for me?” he said.

“We are,” the boys agreed. “Let's go. Our boss wants to talk to you." The boy put his arm around Todd's shoulder so that he could lead him away. Todd refused to go, though, and no matter how hard they tried to move him, he would not budge.

"What if I don't want to go?" Todd asked. “What will you do then?”

“Who do you think you are?” the boy shouted. “You may have once been the son of Edmonton's richest man, but those days are over. Do you hear me, motherfucker? You should do what we say because, if you do not, you will regret it.” 

Suddenly, a heeler emerged. He had tattoos on the back of his hand, and he looked very intimidating. “What’s going on here?” he asked.

Todd shrugged and said, “You tell me. It looks like this is your operation…”

The healer tried to grab Todd by his collar, but he was too slow. Todd stepped aside and slapped him across the face. Since learning Proficient in Fighting Skills, his reaction speed was faster than the average human. To him, the tattooed man's actions appeared to be as slow as a tortoise, and although from the outside it appeared that the man had the advantage, it was he who was pushed to the ground.

The boys in the renegade group were shocked. The blond boy stepped forward. "You bastard!” he cried.  “How dare you hit him?"

The healer looked at the blond boy and said, “What are you waiting for? Hit him!”

The blond boy snarled as he ran towards Todd.

Meanwhile, the tattooed man used a carp kip-up to launch himself into a fighting stance. At that same moment, two other boys attacked Todd.

The blond boy wrapped his hands around Todd’s neck and began to apply pressure.

Todd noticed that he was being strangled. He saw the other two boys approaching him, and that the healer was back on his feet – and he smiled. He had faced worse odds since his rebirth the day before. He had not been afraid then, and he was not afraid now.