Earth Quest 3 - Get Help

You inhale through your teeth as you consider the point Fin made not a minute earlier. "Alright, Johan. I'll give you the opportunity to help me."

Johan nodded slowly. He watched you turn and begin walking forward again, following after you. The odd wording hit him after a few seconds.

"The... opportunity to help you?" He seemed dumbfounded by the turning of the phrase and wondered.

`Is this really the attitude of someone being bullied?`

You stopped at the door into the courtyard. You had seen Mark slip through earlier after noting that you were approaching with Johan. You pointed with your thumb.

"Alright. So we're going to team up on these guys. You back me up. Since you're technically stronger than me-" You smirked, placing a hand on the confused boy's bicep through his jacket. He looked down at where you were touching, bowled over by your attitude.

"You get to do most of the work!" You tried to make it sound like it would be an opportunity, and not a job. As you turned and placed your hand on the handle of the door he shouted.

"Wait!"

"Hm?" You looked back at him. His face was a little flush and he was holding his hands up. It suddenly hit you.

`Finn wouldn't act like this, probably? How would he...` You searched your thoughts and feelings, desperately, eventually arriving at something.

"Uhm... I mean... If you want to, I guess you could beat on them. I don't know what I can do to help." You offer, trying your hand at sounding like a wounded animal.

Johan was even more confused by the sudden shift. "Beg your pardon!" He exclaimed suddenly, startling you.

"But I have no intention of fighting."

"Huh?"

"I am going to speak with them. I will ask them to stop and leverage my position to force their hand."

"Will that work?" You asked sceptically.

"I am certain it will." He stated sternly.

"Alright, then..." You opened the door to see Mark and his crew waiting. Their faces turned when the goliath that was Johan stepped out behind you. For whatever the boy's intentions were, Mark and his goons seemed to get the wrong idea without the threat even having to be made.

"Hey, I dunno what he told you-" Mark gave you a hard look, threatening you if you said anything. You were unaffected by the threat and knew that it was basically meaningless. At the very least, there was nothing for you to gain by submitting.

"These are the guys that made me buy food for them out of my allowance. They beat me up if I didn't do what they wanted. They're also blackmailing me. The picture's are on his monolith device. That's hard evidence~" You winked at Mark. Every word was accurate, so it stunned him to hear it so much that he could barely offer a rebuttal.

"Seriously? That is a lot..." Even Johan was surprised. He looked at Mark.

"This seems pretty clear cut. If my people were to speak to your father-"

"Fine! Fine... Ugh... Whatever, I don't care anymore." He waved a hand dismissively.

"You think it can end with that? Blackmail is illegal so it goes without saying that it would be against school policy." Johan warned harshly.

"If the victim desires, he could press charges and I will become a witness." The boys exchanged nervous looks. Mark did not seem worried, but did show annoyance.

"The victim doesn't care because I don't feel blackmailed by that, anyway. I just want him to free me and the other guy."

"Other guy?" Johan lifted a bushy blonde brow to regard you curiously.

"He bullies one other guy with blackmail. I wanna take him under my wing, instead." You smiled, trying to look endearing, but it must have come off as being somewhat wicked.

`I'll turn that guy into my own runner, since he'll be indebted to me. I'll keep the leverage over him and make him mine.` You chuckled.

`Shit. They're looking at me weird. Acting...` You cleared your throat and wiped your eyes.

"I-I just want the bullying to stop for me and my friend."

"Oi... " Mark's eye twitched.

"Does this guy seem like someone that's getting bullied?"

Johan ignored the question, leaning down while resting a hand on your shoulder. He stared into your eyes sympathetically as you desperately tried and failed to make them water for effect. It did not matter. He bought it anyway.

"You are so brave, and noble for wanting to save your fellow victim. I will respect your wishes." He offered in a determined tone.

"Thanks Johan." You beamed, catching the rabbit 1 coming through the door to encounter the wild farce playing out. He stood in stunned silence, alternating a glance from you, to Mark and Johan. You placed your arm around his shoulders.

"Congrats. I freed you." You walked him inside. Johan gave the bullies one last warning look before following you both inside. He let the door shut behind him.

"What the hell?" He uttered.

"What did you do!?" He tried to get away. You tried to hold him tight but your weak body and his got into a stalemate that exhausted you both until the two of you were panting and a bit tired. He blushed, eyes growing misty.

"It's only gonna get worse now..."

"I disagree." Johan interjected.

"We've handled the issue. I'll stake my title and reputation on keeping you safe from him at this point. I have already promised to do so." He bowed his head.

"W-what?" The boy almost seemed more upset.

"What's the problem?" You grinned.

"You're free!"

"This is bullshit..." He clenched his hands into fists and shook.

"I did so much and asked for help already. Nothing worked. Then you come around, run into the right person, say the right things... It all works out? How is that fair? This is bullshit! There's no way it was as easy as just asking someone else!"

Johan sighs. "The issue is that you gave up and resigned yourself to it. I am not diminishing what you went through, but..." He looked at you.

"I'm D- Finn." You quickly corrected yourself.

"But Finn seems to have never given up."

"That's not true, though!" The boy you searched your memory for and found to be named Maurice glared at you. He lifted his hand and pointed accusingly.

"He did! He did give up like I did! Something changed drastically. It's like you're a completely different person."

You gulped, averting your gaze. "Well... I just decided that enough was enough."

"Yeah? Then what's with that way of speaking? You talk and act completely different."

You shrugged, closing your eyes while shaking your head. "I just decided to be different... I guess."

Maurice blushed. He opened his mouth, then closed it after a few seconds. His lip quivered. As you looked at him, you could clearly see that he was quite a bit like your type. Not exactly, but the right shape. Short, twinkish. Wild red hair and freckles. He wore glasses as well, which was not to your tastes.

"How do I do that?"

Johan smiled, exhaling lightly through his nose. "I'll leave you two. Please, either of you come to me if anything else comes up. I will be reached through the Student Council offices, even if I am not present."

"Thanks Johan." You wave him off.

"You also come to me if you need anything." You offered forwardly.

He was confused by the offer but nodded politely. "S-sure."

You handed Maurice a drink from the vending machine. He had sat for a little while to cool off. You decided to stick close to him, since you wanted to recruit him as a potential minion. Before he grabbed the drink you pulled it back. He stared up at you curiously, since he was in the process of grabbing it.

"Hold on, I wanna try it first. Never had one of these before..." You opened it, surprised by the hissing pop.

"Woah! What is that!?" You held it away from you.

"Carbonation?" He lifted a brow.

"You never had soda before? Did you hit your head or something?"

You took a sip from the can and shrugged. "Too sweet." You handed it over while wiping your lips. Maurice stared at the part of the can your lips had touched. He turned it around to drink from the other end. You tried to think of an explanation.

"To be honest, I had some type of mental break, and that when it all started being different." You nodded slowly.

`I can use that as an excuse, since it's technically true.`

He looked at you sympathetically. "Woah... I'm sorry, I didn't know. Hadn't quite got there, yet. To be honest, you being around saved me a lot of hardship." He smiled weakly.

"I felt bad for being thankful that you were around to absorb most of it. Mark seemed to really 'like' you. You were having a hard time and I didn't do anything. But then you solved it for yourself and me..." He sighed deeply, taking a long drink from the can.

"How'd you do it?"

"Luck." You admitted.

"Eh?"

"Yep. Some girl named Asuka threw water on me. Johan saw it and assumed it was part of me being bullied or something."

"I guess since it was happening in the halls it was something that would be seen. So it was really just a chance that led him to see it... That's crazy lucky." Maurice stared ahead in thought.

"That guy is scary. He's a Prince. It's rumoured that he got a scar from duelling."

"Nah. Don't spread that rumour around. He hates it." You ordered.

Maurice looked taken aback. "Oh, sorry. I won't spread it." After a few awkward minutes where he was just finishing the drink you gave him he asked pensively.

"Uhm... Is there anything I can do to th-"

"Yes! In fact, I know there is something you can do."

He looked a bit lost as he stared up into your confident expression. He could tell you were just waiting for him to ask and suddenly felt a wave of regret for asking. Maurice shuddered.

"Okay? What?"

"I want you to work for me." You claimed grandiosly.

"What does that mean? Were students... Work for you how?" He was becoming noticeably nervous that he had just gotten in bed with another Mark.

"Relax. I just need someone to help me gather information about the world. Miscellaneous things. If you can try to look for an answer to any question I have and assist me in miscellaneous stuff related to that I'll consider us even."

Maurice took a second to disassemble what you just said. Finally he looked at you strangely and asked.

"You need someone to study for you?"

"I suppose."

He stared back at you blankly. "Your test scores are higher than mine. At least... They were. Even before either of us got caught up with Mark. Yours are actually way... way higher than mine by a lot. So why-"

You tapped your head. "Mental break."

"Ah..." You felt satisfied to see that he bought it. It was an easy catch-all it seemed, though you still thought that it would be better to act less bombastic to draw less attention.

"Also! I want you to help me act more like my old self."

"Sure. That's fine... But am I really the one you should be asking? You have friends. Or... Had them, right? Why did Asuka throw water on you?"

"I'm honestly not sure. Maybe I should try and figure it out..."

"That would be a good idea. The people most likely to help you in that way are people you knew before the-" He paused.

"Mental break?"

"Yeah." He nodded, averting his gaze awkwardly at the mention.

"Anything you want me to work on right away?"

"Do you know anything about John Dee?" You expected very little from such an important question.

"A bit... He's an English Occultist from centuries ago. Advisor to the Queen."

Your eyes widened. "You're a more accomplished scholar than I gave you credit for!"

"I mean... It's just wikipedia knowledge, mostly."

You pointed excitedly. "Good! Good! Use that special power of yours... Wi- ki- pedia? Use that to find anything you can on John Dee and Magic in general. Can you do that for me, Maurice?"

"Yeah." He shrugged.

"I can do that." After a small pause he asked.

"Is that for one of your classes?"

"Hmm... Yes. Yes it is." You lied.

"Got it." He smiled and seemed a bit more assured by that answer.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you. I can tell this is the beginning of something wonderful." You stated warmly. Maurice blushed and scurried off.

"Let's see... Asuka, huh?" You shut your eyes and searched your mind for any other friends. When you opened them you were left with the conclusion that you barely had a handful of acquaintances. Of them, the girl was the one that knew you best.

"Fine. How should I do this?" You wondered.