Hellschool – War Pt. 1
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The days came and went yet it felt as if the world had simply stagnated after the raid. The members of Umbris either left never to be heard from or sat in silence waiting for their short meager lives to end. Gwen wasn't available as she was busy grieving over her lost lovers and the rest were resigned to their fate leaving max utterly alone and devoid of a person to lean on. The clan had thrown itself into disarray no weapons were available leaving max defenseless while the other members fought over food rations and what little water they had left.

 

The day of the war was a solemn one, the once twenty-two members of Umbris had been whittled down to a measly seven with max, and Gwen at the forefront. Being the only person to warn about the rat incident she was unofficially the new leader seeing as Gwen seemed to be too depressed to even leave her room. Unsure and hasty max could do little more than wince at the idea of leading the clan, yet her feet slammed against the linoleum bolstering a confidence that she knew she will never truly have. Walking through the halls to the center courtyard max watched as the other clans made their way as well. The MVPs were already present their armor looking like a mix of sports gear and riot armor covered in varying shades of black and red while their weapons looked as if they were ripped from a zombie apocalypse field guide. The Melior stood proud wielding crossbows and slings while others wielded taser gloves, and even the Crylics were present their bodies dipped in a menagerie of colors while they wielded savage art pieces in the shape of clubs, knives, and hammers. 

 

Everyone was on edge each waiting for the other to make a move, it was clear that the pops weren't going to do anything seeing as they were protected by the MVPs but with the Herbodia clan nowhere to be seen it only prompted more questions. Eying each of the massive clans Gwen could see why some of the members left, they were clearly outmatched in not only numbers but equipment as well. Soon max felt her phone buzz along with the orchestra of bells and noises signaling notifications and pop-ups. Opening her phone max only felt a grimace as she read the text on screen.

 

<Announcement: The War will begin in 5 minutes. Please read all following requirements to participate>

Rules:

  •  One must be within the battle zone to qualify
  • One must lock in their clan to qualify
  • One cannot leave once locked in
  • One member must be appointed as the leader
  • If the leader dies or surrenders they are eliminated from the war
  • All must know that there are no retries

 

 

[Message: The winner of the war will receive a special gift courtesy of the committee]

Reward: ???

 

After reading the rules max could see some of the members begin edging their ways away from the site and she was tempted to do the same but the thought of a prize was too tantalizing for her to refuse. Her stomach lurched at the thought of eating good food and her fears were dashed away as quickly as her remaining followers who were sprinting for the exit. Yet as they banged on the pneumatic doors they stayed shut, as something bared them from leaving. Rapidly the notifications came scrolling across her screen in a flash while the timer whittled away.

 

[ANNOUNCEMENT: THE <MVP> CLAN HAS JOINED THE WAR]

 

[ANNOUNCEMENT: THE <POP> CLAN HAS JOINED THE WAR]

 

[ANNOUNCEMENT: THE <MELIOR> CLAN HAS JOINED THE WAR]

 

[ANNOUNCEMENT: THE <CRYLICS> CLAN HAS JOINED THE WAR]

 

Spying towards her fleeing legions max desperately tapped the join button before they could leave greedily glaring at the words sprawled across her screen.

 

[ANNOUNCEMENT: THE <UMBRIS> CLAN HAS JOINED THE WAR]

 

Max knew that her clan would probably try to sabotage her so they could leave but by this point, she couldn't care less. She’d been starved for days, denied a feasible weapon, and had her friends stolen from her by an arrogant leader who was crying in a closet like a coward. Max was done with wondering what others thought, it was time to take what she wanted. 

 

As the clock wound down the numbers dwindling from 3 minutes to 1 max gripped her small shiv and readied herself whit phone in hand until a noise cut through the tense atmosphere. It started far but with time it grew louder, it was a faint whistling that was both foreign and yet oddly familiar. That is until she remembered the footballs the jocks used to have, they always whistled when they were thrown just right sounding more akin to a missile than anything else and just like that the idea clicked.

 

Stunned she didn't even fathom that the MVPs would think of using artillery as an attack, staring at the jocks across the way she noticed their looks of similar confusion. 'Wait if they're not doing this then who-' just before she could complete her thought the footballs touched down releasing plumes of red smoke that blanketed the entire courtyard. Panic erupted like a volcano as clans made desperate bids to get inside to no avail, soon the smoke dissipated and max was frozen by the oh so familiar imagery that now surrounded her. The once wild green grass began to wilt and wither turning a horrid shade of gray brightened only by the crimson dew that seemed to highlight its very form. Chunks of meat littered the ground and while most just seemed like rough bloody lumps of crimson some had skin.

 

Fingers with bloody stumps, eyes that seemed to ooze a dark viscera, tongues that flailed like beached fish they littered the ground while the walls heaved with raspous life. Trickles of blood flowed down the building's exterior with each rattling breath leaving everyone in a state of sheer terror and panic until a piercing scream broke the haunting silence that overtook the students. 

 

Max turned to see the pops backing away from the wall as a girl franticly pointed at the window with a feverish urgency. Unable to make out what they were pointing at the other groups began fleeing the walls, unsure of whether to join them max heard the small thump of a hand on the glass. Whipping her head to the source of the sound she saw a boy on the other side of the window pale, scrawny, and small a typical rat but he was different. His face was covered by a paper white mask, strips covered and layered his face removing his mouth in favor of a blank white canvas but the eyes were shredded and torn with dark stains turning the meaningful spaces into abyssal holes from which no emotion could escape. His hand held tightly onto a pair of shears yet he held them like two swords as the conjoining piece had been removed, soon another rat appeared in the next window. A girl brandishing a shovel stood rigid as she stared at the Umbris members like an unwavering monolith. 

 

Backing away with her clan max refused to take her eyes away from the wall as more and more masked rats filled the empty windows. Soon the clans were almost huddled together as they faced their startling attackers though still hesitant of each other the rats seemed to pose a greater threat. After a minute or so the doors to the courtyard opened rats filed out in droves forming a small herd while a few stayed in the windows, quietly parting as three figures approached the huddled masses. Max knew whom she was facing but the little she learned seemed fruitless in a time like this. Two of the trio were girls with one brandishing a fire ax and the other holding a spear while the leader soundly strolled forward brandishing the blade of a paper slicer. His coat was unmistakable but his mask put him apart its eyes were ripped into dark x's while a jagged sloppy smile sat twisted beneath, the girls had similar masks as well but their eyes were more slit-like than anything else. 

 

Standing before the clans the boy was quiet before leveling his blade to the rest of the students “for far too long we have been shoved to the side, treated like disposable pests that can be discarded at a whim but no more. No longer will we stand by as those we trust betray and berate us. Today we will be seen and no one is going to get in our way". Max could feel Daniels eyes sift towards them, towards her the annoyance and rage in his voice carving through the air like a jagged knife. Slowly pulling out his phone with the casual ambiance of any normal person caused the rest of the clans to brace themselves in anticipation, tapping his phone for a few seconds the device sat deftly in his hand as if it was nothing ". Bells, buzzes, and ringtones went off and while everyone else was checking their phones max couldn't help but stare at the boy before her. This wasn't a raid or some small skirmish this was a real battle. Finally looking down to her phone the words filled her with nothing but dismay.

 

[ANNOUNCEMENT: THE <VERMIN> CLAN HAS JOINED THE WAR]

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