Word of what happened had spread fast. The lesser-known 'celebrity life project' became a prominent topic of discussion among the students. Many were enraged that individuals were enrolled because of character and not aptitude. Because of this, the two remaining celebrity classes, one in the Lions faction and the other in the Sharks, were at risk. Since two people so easily leveled the entire Dragons class, the campus understood the other two would be just as easy to eradicate.

Vin, Figgy, and Mr. Dover were escorted to the primary offices after the incident and fronted their faction's principal. It was a rectangular dark gray office, cold and gloomy, just like an interrogation room. Ito Nibui, an icon from japan, had remarkably dark features. He looked, perhaps intentionally, like an embodiment of death. His skin was grayish in tone, his irises were plunging red, and his black hair was long and tied up with a golden dragon clip. He didn't look pleased; he looked like he was never happy. The type to keep a straight face during their wedding and even as their child was birthed.

Ito sat across from the three while two men stood behind him. Vin recognized one as the fellow he spoke to during registration; the other was likely Figgy's office worker.

"You're fired," Ito said promptly. There was no surprise since Mr. Dover had received that role after failing to meet his quota while scouting. It wasn't that he was at fault for the invasion; it was just that there was no longer a class to teach, so he wasn't needed.

Since Vin was asleep through most of the class, he didn't have an inkling of the situation, so he sat there and examined the speaker.

"In addition," Ito added. "The Lion and Shark faction will continue their media project, but I'm voiding the program for the Dragons. As such, any student enrolled through that undertaking will be withdrawn from the university."

....

After his notice, an image taped itself to the forefront of Vin's mind. It was a completed family portrait; in it, he, his sister, mother, father, and Miyo was smiling happily. The visual was momentary, and soon, a ruby fire engulfed it. Reduced it to ash.

"Withdrawn?" repeated Vin. He was still young and out of sorts with his emotion. He had his father's temper, and even scarier, he shared it with Miyo.

A warmness grew where the phoenix hid, right over his heart, and the more the man spoke, the warmer it grew. "Terminated," Ito reiterated, shutting his eyes firmly on the decision.

Vin could only breathe in rapid increments. He felt ensnared. His anger was indisputable, like slowly being pulled down into a pit of quicksand. As the sand buried his mouth, his body jolted from the seat. Then, the sand engulfed his nose, and he slammed his balled fist into the table. As he lost the ability to breathe and became suffocated by the grainy emotional pit, he grew more frantic.

"I didn't. Do anything. Wrong. I. Earned this." Labored for breaths, Vin's stress showed. Each time he slammed against the table, the room's temperature rose more, bringing those present to sweat.

Collected, Ito removed his outerwear and dropped the first three latches on his crimson button-up shirt. He held up his coat, and the employee behind him looked at it in question before realizing his purpose and collecting it.

Vin wanted to grasp the man's face. Consequence aside, he felt a terrifying urge to bash their head into the table. And, he may have if Mr. Dover hadn't spoken up.

"Sir, it's- God, it's getting hot. Sir, it's worth mentioning Gavin's merits. When two martial arts students invaded, he played a large part in subjugating them."

Ito exhaled toward the table, softly palmed the surface, then pushed himself up. "I am aware of Gavin's merits. They simply don't compensate for the problems he provokes."

"Our school is still in a volatile time. Being newly established, we have yet to work out the border between new and senior classes. The difference between first and second-semester students is too great to allow them to clash this soon. Or, will you replace the next group that gets wiped out because of the target placed on this student?"

Mr. Dover peeked at the floor. Then he glanced at Vin before scowling at his disrespectful and childing behavior. He also regarded Figgy, who was stiffly arched over and anxiously squeezing his knees.

It was looking like a clean sweep for everyone involved. At the very least, Mr. Dover had a spec of intent to save the two students. This was because he was devoted to the idea of a perfect University. One that managed and nurtured talented youths. As the two survivors of his class, he could retract his previous statements about them being self-entitled waste of space.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

He beseeched Ito to allow them to transfer to a regular course, but the man's back was already turned and nearing the exit. Ito's egregious unconcern for them ruffled Vin to the degree that he roared, grabbed the edge of the desk, and flipped it. Even that earned him no regard as Ito opened the room's door.

An abrupt 'AHHH' sounded when the door was pulled, and a woman's body tumbled face first at Ito's feet. Someone he knew because the man immediately denied her before she could speak. "You don't have any say in this," he said.

The woman jolted up when addressed, holding her aching forehead. Her disheveled, fiery orange hair and juvenile ambiance dampened their authority. Yet, Jane popped up and dusted herself off before scoffing. "I know; you can manage your faction however you want."

"BUUUUT," continued Jane. "I'm proposing, as your rival and friend-"

"We're neither of those things," interrupted Ito. Jane puckered her lips and booed him for the rude remark, then motioned toward Mr. Dover. "BUT, as I saying- if Hueigh is vouching for them, there has to be something there. After all, he was against the project the most; aren't you curious about what overhauled his beliefs?"

"I'm not," replied Ito, tapping Jane's shoulder with his finger as if she had a contagious disease and gesturing her out of the doorway. "Since you're so inclined, you can have them."

Jane lowered and shyly tapped her fingertips together. "Well... Castiel presented the same request, though that would cause internal strife within my faction."

Their complication referred to Vin, so Figgy, who had no real relation to him, bucked forward and raised their hand. "What about me! I haven't caused any trouble for your faction!"

Jane awkwardly grinned, shrugged, then shook her head in his direction. "Sorry, kid, you're sorta a package deal now."

Rock slides of anguish could be seen crashing onto him all at once. His face froze, then his arms limped before he thumped back into his heated chair. Like Vin, Figgy had his own circumstances for enrolling at that school. It wasn't known to anyone then, but he was also an older brother. To four younger orphaned siblings nonetheless.

[[

A low roll of the dice had cast them into a life of drudgery. As the sole provider, Figgy had little to nothing to offer except for being the affectionate, doting figure his siblings needed.

He was the person to walk them through life's many questions and challenges and comfort them when misfortune struck.

On the second eldest birthday, he dived through several dumpsters for a gift deserving of his younger brother, who'd helped with caring for the rest. That's when he fished out a chipped but mint skateboard. Needless to say, it was a smash hit that his brother loved. Unfortunately, they weren't very good at it, but they enjoyed watching Figgy bust his butt while learning tricks for them. They said jump, and he'd ask, "how many times should I spin while up?"

After months of practice, Figgy became so good that local skaters invited him to parks. He mostly refused, so they would visit him and record his original tricks on their phones. And eventually, he became popular enough that income started to roll in. Enough that he could abandon his name. No longer Finnegan, the dumpster diver, but Figgy 101, the tutorial YouTuber.

Using the wealth acquired from his channel, he moved his family from the orphanage, put a roof over their head, and kept them fed. It was only the bare minimum, and he knew they deserved more. So when a bizarre university invited him with promises his siblings would be taken care of, he asked, "when do I start?"

]]

The 'butterfly effect' is a peculiar but widely understood concept. Rewinding only one day before, we have Vin, who went shopping at the local megamall. The location where he met Crow.

An impulsive urge led him to run through the mall with Miyo. If he was slower that day, Crow would have found another sucker for his devious scheme. Accordingly, Vin wouldn't have met him and become caught up in their faction's crossfire. The same fire that led to his class being attacked and leading to Figgy's expulsion.

Alas, this was the reality. The unfavorable timeline he currently undertook.

Their fates appeared to be sealed; however, a final "but" from Mr. Dover provided a remnant of hope for them. He admitted that he shamefully played no part in removing their class invaders and that the two students handled it alone.

To that, Jane laughed.

She didn't need his testimony. There was no speck of doubt in her mind that he was useless in that situation. After all, the two attackers were promising members of her faction; she knew a retired NASCAR driver couldn't have defeated them.

With that, it was decided. Vin didn't leave without a fight though; he made them sweat; scared a few workers in the office on the way out. Even after previously being denied, Mr. Dover pledged to correct things. He explained nothing but requested they come with him instead of giving up and flying home. The man's words should have meant nothing to Vin; however, he was never let down before.

Between his father and Soap, when men made promises, they kept them. The alternative was to return to his hometown with no place to live. So, he had no other choice but to rely on the stranger he'd met in a past life.

Vin and Figgy cleared out their dorms, which were still practically empty. It took longer for Mr. Dover since he'd already lived on campus for months and settled into teacher housing.

The man met them at the university gates with a truck, loaded everything, then departed. As they drove away, Figgy sulked in the middle of the vehicle while Vin looked out of the rearview mirror at what could have been a normal college life.