The movie had just ended, and fans were crying and taking pictures. They proclaimed it the best movie of the 21st century, though a big argument broke out over the movie's ending.
Phoebe noticed that Nas had been gone for almost an hour and missed the better parts of the movie. Concerned, she pointed this out to the group. It wasn't like Nas to miss something like this, he was the most excited. They decided to look for him and soon saw him emerging from the alley, covered in injuries and bruise. Ademola and his friends laughed as they saw Nas, and the group immediately understood what had happened. Michael was about to attack them, but Phoebe stopped him.
"He wouldn't want that" she said firmly.
"But..." Michael began to argue, but then he saw Nas smile at him and they ran to help Nas.
"You really are stupid, you know that? Considering your skills, you could have easily taken them. So why let them do this to you?" Michael asked.
"They're not worth it. I already fought once today. If I fought again, while still in our school uniform, it would be bad for my mom, and I'd be on my last strike." Nas explained.
"That's true. Sorry about that," Phoebe said softly.
"Let's just go home. Tell me what happened in the movie. I want to hear all about it," Nas said.
Soon, Victor pulled over in front of the cinema.
"The future stepdad has arrived," Ademola and his friends chorused mockingly. Victor shot them a deathly glare, and they shrieked and ran in the opposite direction.
"Your mom's going to kill me" Victor chuckled.
"Sorry" Nas said as he got into the car, and Victor drove off.
"Now, you all know what to do" Phoebe said as Victor's car disappeared into the distance.
"Yes" the rest of the crew chorused.
"I know we're going against Victor and we'll probably get in trouble, but no one treats my friend like that and gets away with it" Phoebe said with a straight face.
It was already dark out, and Kendra had just returned from the clinic. She hadn't been told what had happened to Nas, and when she went to check on him, he pretended to be asleep. She left him alone, thinking he was resting.
Meanwhile, Ademola and his gang had just finished soccer practice and were heading home. Ademola drove his sports car through the quiet streets of the Government Residential Area. Suddenly, an unknown force struck his car, causing it to flip over and catch on fire.
Ademola blasted a door open with wind and escaped, leaving his goons behind without a second thought. Just then, an arrow made of earth shot at him, and he narrowly evaded it. He ran for his life, unable to see his attacker(s), as watched his car explode in the distance. He didn't care if his goons made it out. He only stopped when he reached a dead end. Turning to face the opposite direction, he called out for his attacker, his body engulfed in air, injuries covering him, and a deep cut on his head.
"Show yourself" he commanded, a hint of fear and panic in his voice.
Phoebe emerged from the darkness opposite him, and Michael leaned against a wall, shocking Ademola.
"You made a big mistake going after our friend. We tried to warn you, but you didn't listen" Michael smirked.
"So you decided to ambush me? Some guts you have" Ademola sneered, bursting into a loud almost cynical laughter.
"I love it when you try to act tough. You know you can't take an Elementor and a water mage on your own. You're just a wind mage, nothing more" Phoebe said.
"You wouldn't attack me. You'd be going against your teacher" Ademola retorted.
"Well, the person you attacked is practically family, so screw the rules" Phoebe cracked her knuckles.
"You're not even related by blood" Ademola scoffed.
"And who said blood is the only way to claim relations? No wonder your grades are so bad" Phoebe shot back.
Ademola tried to use a wind attack, but Michael, being an Elementor, canceled his attack.
"You know, your selfishness is astounding," Michael said, stepping forward. "Did you even notice your goons are probably dead back there?"
Ademola's face twisted with disdain, shock and confusion. "They were pawns, nothing more. If they had to die for me to escape, then they served their purpose."
Michael shook his head. "That's exactly the problem with you, Ademola. You treat everyone like they're expendable. You don't care about anyone but yourself."
"Why should I? Power and money are all that matter," Ademola spat. "People are tools. If they break, you replace them."
Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "my God, you're so disgusting. You think you can walk all over people and get away with it? No wonder you're so despised by people."
"Despised? By whom? Weaklings like you?" Ademola scoffed. "I have the power to crush anyone who stands in my way. What do they have. The only reason anyone would despise me is jealousy. I am the object of their envy, the landmark of everything they strive to be."
Michael's expression hardened. "And that's why we're here. To teach you a lesson. No one treats our friend like that and gets away with it."
The rest of Nas' friends were hidden in the shadows. Waiting, just in case things go south.
"We've come to return the favor you did our friend, a thousand times over. Prepare yourself" Phoebe said, manipulating water from a nearby gutter before stopping and taking a martial arts stance, beckoning Ademola to attack.
"That bastard... That useless dud wouldn't ask you to do this. He'll be mad when he hears about this" a scared Ademola said.
"His name is NASYA. I guess I'll have to make you incapable of speech" Phoebe replied, charging at Ademola. Michael canceled Ademola's wind attacks with his own.
Phobe appeared in front of Ademola and with one powerful punch to his chest, he coughed blood. Michael had increased her speed with wind magic by manipulating the air around her. Before Ademola could find his footing, Phoebe went under him and delivered an uppercut that sent him flying. She immediately punched him in the stomach, sending him crashing a distance away.
Phoebe walked to Ademola, who had pissed himself from fear and tried to run. She used water from the gutter she'd manipulated into ropes to hold him still, then sat on him. He tried to scream for help, but she continued punching until he was a bloody mess. His eyes were swollen, his nose broken, his face covered in blood, and his voice nonexistent, preventing him from yelling. Michael finally stepped in and stopped her, recognizing that, like Nas, Phoebe also had anger issues. Let her continue and it might end up turning into a murder case.
Phoebe managed to regain her composure, and Michael, with a gentle whirlwind surrounding him, approached the near-unconscious Ademola. His voice carried a tone of firm warning, tinged with the authority of his elemental magic
"Listen carefully, Ademola" Michael began, his words cutting through the silence of the night. "If you ever even think about going near Nas again, you won't get off as easily as you did tonight."
Ademola, battered and defeated, groaned weakly in response, barely able to comprehend the seriousness in Michael's voice. The wind around Michael intensified slightly, emphasizing his resolve.
Phoebe stood nearby, watching the scene with a mixture of relief and lingering tension, ready to act if Ademola made any move to defy Michael's warning. The message was clear: Nas was under their protection, and any threat against him would be met with swift and decisive action.
After Phoebe had subdued Ademola and Michael had warned him off, Adrian, Alexei, Peter, and Flourish called for an ambulance to take care of Ademola and his friends who they'd saved from the car before it exploded.
On their way home, Phoebe let out a sigh, remarking how challenging it was to act like a villain. She admitted that facing someone whose powers were unknown to her had been nerve-wracking, wondering aloud what might have happened if Ademola had been stronger than her, thanking the heavens he was a lot weaker than they'd expected.
Michael reassured her, explaining, "That's why I went with you. Mages like Ademola, who think they're invincible because of their magic, family name and wealth, often neglect training their bodies and honing their skills. That's what makes them weaker compared to someone like Nas, who could be considered superhuman if ranked as an athlete, due to his rigorous training of both body and mind."
Phoebe smiled, relieved. "That's another bully out of the way."
"Yeah" Michael agreed, "let's keep protecting him until he's able to protect himself."
As they continued their journey home, the weight of their actions settled in, knowing they had taken a stand to protect their friend against those who would harm him.
Their phones rang simultaneously, interrupting the aftermath of their confrontation with Ademola. Each checked their screen to see it was their respective mothers calling. Alexei bid them farewell and swiftly departed, jumping into the sky with an elegant leap. Flourish drew his wand and summoned his broom, gracefully mounting it and soaring into the night sky. Meanwhile, Adrian, Michael, and Phoebe waited for their drivers to arrive and pick them up.
"Sure is nice being a wand mage, getting to fly on a broom like that" Phoebe remarked, watching Flourish disappear into the darkness.
"I'm not sure it's as easy as it looks, but it does seem pretty cool" Adrian replied thoughtfully.
"Yeah, we should ask Flourish if we can ride it sometime" Michael suggested.
Adrian chuckled. "There's no chance of that happening. He's been waiting for that broom for ages. I doubt he'll let anyone else touch it."
They all shared a laugh, the tension of the earlier encounter with Ademola easing into camaraderie.
"Wait, isn't he an elf? Why is he using wand magic?" Phoebe asked, curious.
Adrian explained, "Oh, that. Flourish has trouble controlling his powers on his own. You remember all those times he'd show up with injuries from accidentally harming himself with his magic? The wand helps him focus and manage his abilities."
Phoebe looked surprised. "Did you all know about this?" she asked Michael.
Michael nodded. "Yeah, we did."
"Why didn't you tell me? I thought there were no secrets between us" Phoebe retorted, a hint of frustration in her voice.
"It wasn't our secret to tell, and we assumed you knew" Adrian explained calmly.
"We? So everyone knew, even Nas?" Phoebe asked incredulously.
Adrian nodded. "Even Nas. You just never asked."
"So the one person who has no connection to magic knew, and I didn't? Does that seem fair?" Phoebe questioned, feeling a bit left out.
Their conversation was cut short as Adrian's ride arrived. He offer to give Phoebe and Michael a lift, but their rides were already close by.
"Well, if it isn't the GOLDEN ELEMENTOR" said a man who blended with the darkness.
The voice emerged from the shadows, carrying a hint of amusement and a touch of menace. It echoed around Michael and Phoebe, causing them to tense up, sensing the presence of someone who knew them well enough to recognize Michael's elemental prowess.
Michael's expression hardened as he scanned the darkness, trying to pinpoint the speaker's exact location. Phoebe instinctively moved closer to him, ready to defend against any threat that might emerge.
"Who are you?" Michael called out, his voice steady despite the uncertainty. He knew that encountering someone who addressed him as the "Golden Elementor" indicated a familiarity that could mean trouble.
The figure chuckled softly, the sound reverberating through the night air. "Oh, Michael, you know very well who I am. Let's just say I'm here to make things interesting."
Phoebe glanced at Michael, her eyes narrowing in concern. They both knew that their encounter with Ademola might have drawn attention from unexpected quarters. Now, faced with a mysterious figure in the darkness, they braced themselves for whatever challenge lay ahead.