The Pulse Pt. 03

Looking around quickly I made sure that the coast was clear.

Pulse.

Red power flowed through me and I half-ran and half-jumped at a ridiculous speed around the back of the school blocks. Thankfully they backed on to woods. I just had to take the chance that most other people had gone. The music block was on the other side of the school and I ran as hard as I could.

As I came to the science block I realised that some of the classrooms still had people in them. I pushed both feet into the tarmac and jumped for the roof of the three storey block. Not knowing how much power to use I almost undercooked it and just scrambled up onto the brick edge of the flat roofed building.

I was across the science block in seconds and over on to the roof of the music block before skidding to a halt at the edge unsure quite what to do to get down again! I took a deep breath and jumped from the rooftop, down the three stories and used my power to cushion the fall. It felt just like a gymnastics roll as I came up by the padlocked back door.

Pulse.

I forced red power through the padlock. It held for two seconds before bursting apart with metal flying in all directions.

I rushed down the corridor towards the music hall and heard a girl scream,

"Help!"

I ran to the door which was still shut and forced myself to stop.

Pulse.

I reached for the blue threads that linked me to the ape and his cronies. I blended purple and immediately I was in the next room. Two of the oafs were waiting either side of the door, holding chairs as improvised weapons. The noise of the padlock bursting must have alerted them that something was wrong.

Waite had Tina's wrists in a tight grip and was pulling her forwards across a desk. Her face was bruised and tears streamed down her face as she looked in desperation towards the door. Her blouse had been torn off her shoulders and was in rags. Her enormous tits were mashed against the desk and her skirt was thrown up exposing her jiggling arse. Her panties had been used to tie her ankles together.

Behind her stood Adam with his trousers around his ankles and his dick out.

The two other members of the crew didn't seem quite as into it and seemed unsure about how far things had gone.

PULSE.

I drew all five threads together and forced blue power into the heads of these excuses for human beings and then... pulled.

Waite and his cronies simply fell to the floor.

In a blaze of anger I pulsed green and put the most nightmarish creation I could imagine right in the face of the janitor. It was mixed parts of the Alien monster, a tentacled monstrosity and a dash of flaming dragon thrown in. I had it dominate all parts of his vision, slashing at his eyes and tentacles crawling into his mouth, nostrils and ears. Every one of them was on fire burning into his skull as my petrifying creation appeared to devour Adam whole.

He started screaming blue murder. Tina looked back over her shoulders at him and fainted. He soiled himself and with his trousers around his ankles and his cock sticking out he ran headlong into the wall knocking himself out.

I looked around the room at the devastation that I'd caused. I surveyed the mess and staggered slightly under the sheer expenditure of power.

I gritted my teeth against the migraine that was threatening to split my head open and went to go and help Tina. I untied her feet and pulled her panties back up her legs and over her rather beautifully voluptuous rear end. As I did this she stirred and jerked away from me, throwing her fists at me and shouting,

"NO!!! Please No!"

"Tina. You're safe. It's Jake. You're safe.

She turned her teary eyes towards me. And then looking around the room and seeing all of her torturers flat out on the floor, she threw herself into my arms, shaking and crying with relief.

"Oh Jake! I was so scared."

I held her until the tremors running through her body had calmed down and then I gently sat her down on a nearby chair.

"You need to wait here Tina. You're in no state to go outside. I need to find a phone and call the police."

"You can't leave me!"

I went over to a rack of instruments and picked an electric guitar up.

"Here. If they move a muscle then hit them with this. I'll be two minutes."

Tina took the guitar and stood there in glorious disarray looking like some Anime character. Her hair was messed up, her makeup streaked down her pretty face. Her school shirt was just rags around her shoulders, her bra snapped and broken on the floor, and her amazing breasts standing proud in front of her as she held the guitar like an axe. She looked like every teenager's idea of the goddess of rock.

I drank in the view for a little too long and then blushing I turned away and ran off to find the phone in the department heads office.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The police sergeant looked at me long and hard. She was understandably skeptical that one person, even with the benefit of surprise, could manage to incapacitate six other people, scaring one of them so badly that he soiled himself.

The scum happily weren't any help.

Waite and the other would be rapists were struggling to even form words. I had essentially stretched their brains, pulling their thoughts and learning pathways into a jumbled mess. They may or may not recover and to be honest I didn't care. Anyone that was a party to that could go to hell as far as I was concerned.

Adam Keane was a special case. He had quite literally gone mad. He jabbered on and on about the fire and the tentacles and the burning.

It was the same police woman that I'd seen at the assembly who had investigated the assault on Harry Youle. The headmaster was in the background doubtless worried about the PR disaster that was about to hit the school.

Sergeant Tolbert looked at her notebook and read my testimony.

" 'I heard screams from the music block as I was passing and ran to the door. I ran down the corridor and seeing my friend Tina in serious danger I neutralised the threat.' That's it is it?"

"Pretty much yes."

"And how exactly did you 'neutralise the threat' without getting a mark on you from five, first fifteen rugby players?"

It was the third time that she'd asked me the question and I simply had no idea what to say. I started to panic and then for the first time in a while it happened without me reaching for it.

Pulse.

And without stopping what she was doing she began to speak, adding to my testimony in a monotone voice.

"When I kicked open the double doors, two of the attackers were knocked out by the forceful impact. I used the broom near the door to sweep two of the other attackers off their feet. They banged their heads and were knocked unconscious. The attacker by the desk had got up but tripped and fell over the girls bra, knocking himself out and the attacker in position to rape the victim was so scared that he soiled himself and ran into the nearest wall, also rendering himself unconscious. You then comforted the girl and called the police."

I seemed to have tapped into her experience and she had pulled together the only semi-reasonable theory as to how I could have pulled this off.

"Well, that seems to be in order. Thank you for your cooperation and bravery in saving that poor young girl. You're free to go."

She then got up and moved over to the door of the practice room that she'd been interviewing me in and held it open for me. By now my head was pounding and I badly needed sugar, food and rest in that order. I severed the blue thread to Sergeant Tolbert and my headache receded slightly.

I headed back out through the hall, surreptitiously leaving fingerprints on the broom handle as I went past and headed out of the main door.

There was an ambulance outside and sitting on the tailgate was Tina. Some kind soul had given her their jumper. She sat with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked quite pale and was unconsciously biting at her lower lip.

As soon as she saw me she rushed over and threw her arms around my neck, hugging me for all she was worth.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou.."

She just kept repeating it over and over. I held her tight and then slowly shushed her.

"I'm just glad that I was in the right place at the right time, Tina. Aren't you going to let the paramedics make sure you're alright?"

"She wouldn't let us do anything until you came out mate. Nice lass that," said one of the paramedics.

Tina blushed and finally submitted to their checks all the time insisting that she was fine. I waited for her and once we were past the police lines I saw my parents waiting and I assumed other parents of those that had been involved including what looked like a reporter.

My Mum grabbed me in a huge hug.

"Thank God you're alright! They said you were OK but it's been such a long wait. We were really worried."

"I'm OK Mum, honestly. The police needed to do their job. I'm just really tired. Can we go home now?"

"Of course, love."

We turned to go and found Tina's father standing waiting for us. He thrust a meaty hand forward and through his attempt to break my hand tried to convey how grateful he was.

"I...we...can't thank you enough. If anything had..." and he choked up.

"You're welcome Mr Lathan. I'm just sorry that something like that could happen."

He drew himself up to his full height and cleared his throat as he fought for control.

"The headmaster will be hearing from us. My older daughter had run in's with that Keane a few years ago. I'm stunned that he made it past any of the checks they have for new employees. My lawyer will be in touch with the school you'll see."

Tina came over then, very obviously wanting to hug me but restraining herself in front of her parents.

"I won't be in school tomorrow. I've been told to see a support team. But my music exam is next Tuesday. Will I see you then?"

"I'll be here Tina."

We swapped phone numbers and I finally headed home. By the time we got the bike in the back of the car and we arrived home my head felt like it was set to split in two. I forced down a coke, some toast and two paracetamol before collapsing into bed.

I dimly heard the phone ring as I drifted off and heard my mother explaining to Jamie the bare bones of what had happened. Then I heard no more.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I woke the next morning feeling surprisingly rested. I lay there with my eyes closed and didn't sense anything like the same pulling feeling. Maybe severing those threads had stopped that draining sensation..?

I stretched and opened my eyes to find bright daylight pouring into the room. My mother was sitting on the end of the bed waiting for the daylight to wake me.

"You looked so peaceful sleeping, Jake. But, if you're up to it, then it's still an exam day. Do you want us to contact the school to rearrange the paper?"

I looked at the time but with some relief realised that it was only seven thirty. So long as I ate something I thought I'd be OK. In fact if the daylight hadn't woken me, my stomach would have.

"Do we have any bacon Mum?"

She threw her head back and laughed.

"One full English coming up."

I got through the shower and went through my maths revision cards as I got dressed. When I got downstairs there was a mountain of food on my plate. As ever, my mother had decided to show me how much she loved me by piling my plate high with my favourite things.

Dad had got the front wheel back on the bike and it was ready and waiting for me as I headed off to school. Both parents waved me off before getting ready for work themselves. It had been an idyllic start to the morning though I was going to be late if I didn't get a move on.

As I cycled into school I wished I'd taken up my parents offer of rescheduling the exam.

"Is that him?"

"This one?"

"Turn the camera on!"

The reporter from the local paper had filed a sensationalised version of the story based on some leaked information. About all he knew was that a final year student had rescued a girl from a very serious assault and there was a long range grainy picture of her hugging me by the ambulance. But the picture told the story by itself.

That in turn had got the local news stations interested and they had all paid kids to point me out to them as I came into school. It was horrific.

I instantly knew that nothing good could come of this so I ignored the reporters as much as possible, only answering that I didn't want to talk about it and that I had an exam to get to. The kids surrounding me all wanted to know what had happened but rumours that I'd taken out the whole rugby team had begun to circulate so when they didn't get any answers they just let me through.

As I finally got through the gate and locked my bike up, I noticed the headmaster standing there looking happily at all the coverage that his school was getting. He was in a smart suit and one of the camera crews was getting ready to interview him. And I realised that this was the leak. This was him managing the public relations problem by focusing on "the hero".

I saw Jamie waiting for me near the Maths block entrance with an arm around Susan and a wry smile on his face. She started to come towards me.

"Oh Jake!"

"Please, not out here. There are so many cameras pointed at me right now."

"OK, yes. You're right."

We went inside and she hugged me and thanked me over and over for her friend. Jamie waited his turn before looking into my eyes long and hard.

"You OK? Are you sure you're alright?"

"You've tutored me so well for Maths Jamie I can't not take the exam."

"OK, but you need to dish the details because if you don't Jake, while they do say that verbal insults hurt more than physical pain, they are, of course, wrong, as you will discover when I stick this..."

"...toasting fork into my head!" I grinned at him and we set off to the exam hall together.

When we arrived there was a round of applause from the other students and I blushed bright red before settling down into my allocated seat.

Mrs Thorne gave me my Maths paper personally with a whispered 'good luck'. If positive energy could have passed an exam I would have waltzed my way through this one. As it is I managed to work through the majority of it with only one section that I knew Jamie would tell me I'd messed up. Hopefully it would be enough.

Looking at the mass of people still outside the school gates, we headed around the back of the school to sit in the sun at lunchtime. A number of kids did try and start up conversations about what had happened but were soon warned off by my expression. Word soon got around that I wasn't going to talk about it.

Susan grabbed a sandwich from the dining hall and joined us outside. I went through a pretty seriously edited version of what happened.

I told them that I had overheard Waite in the toilets talking about the assault and that they planned to do something soon. I'd gone over to the music department and heard a scream. The rest of it was pretty much as per the police report to slightly incredulous noises from my audience.

"A broom? You have to be fucking kidding me!"

"Look, the police understood. Maybe you just had to be there to see what happened."

"And then you gave her a guitar as a weapon in case any of them came to, after the hellacious beating that you laid on them?"

"Yeah," I said dreamily, remembering her standing there, "she looked like the goddess of rock or something."

Susan was drinking in every word, her eyes wide as saucers, doubtless ready to replay the whole thing to Tina. I realised that I didn't know whether I could rely on her to keep her mouth shut.

"Susan..."

"You don't have to worry about me Jake. I'd never do anything to hurt Tina. I just want to make sure that I get everything right for when I see her later. Maybe you should come over too..?"

"Thank you. But probably best not for now. I really don't want any of this notoriety."

At the end of the day I was asked to come to the headmasters office. He was there with the deputy head and as he waved me in to the office I heard him saying to her,

"...I've had some of those boys in my own front room! We were talking about their university plans. They had amazing futures! Now look at them! They were shining examples of the sort of people we want at this school. I don't understand."

With the press leak and now this total misjudgement of the people that had made the last six years of my life at school a misery I couldn't help myself.

"Well perhaps if you actually listened when people tell you about bullying and then did something about it then none of this would have happened. Waite was the most feared bully in the school and there are even plenty of teachers that he intimidated. And here you are blabbering about not being able to understand? You're not fit to run a school."

The deputy head gained massive points in my mind by not even bothering to smother her laugh. Mr Potter, the headmaster just stood there with his mouth opening and closing in shock.

Out of sight behind the door the local reporter piped up,

"Any comment Mr Potter about intimidated teachers?"

I turned on my heel and left them.

As I stamped my way out of the Heads office and threw open the door heading for the bike shed I nearly knocked Jennifer over.

"Jennifer! Hey, I'm sorry I didn't see you there."

"Stay the hell away from me, hero!"

That last word was drawn out and full of vitriol.

"Will you please just wait? I just want to talk..."

"We have nothing to talk about."

And with that she was gone, rushing away towards the main gates. I was devastated. Why couldn't she see sense? And just hear me out?

I got my bike out and was about to brave the scrum at the gates when Mrs Thorne pulled up.

"I can fit your bike in the boot and there's a blanket in the back if you'd like a lift."

"You're a saviour Mrs T!"

I threw the bike in the back and she ran the gauntlet for me, driving through the press of reporters still hoping for more details about the story.

"It's safe now. Where should I drop you?"

"The top of the hill please. And thank you so much."

"You're very welcome. And if you need anything from me; a reference; tutoring; you name it, then ask away."

"Thank you Mrs T but..."

"Let's just say that those rugby lads had more than a few blots on their copy books and leave it at that. Plus Mr Potter's had that coming for a long time. So as I say, you come to me if you need any help at all and I'll be there."

"Thank you Mrs T."

"Valerie."

"V-Valerie, then."

She dropped me off a long way from the furore and I slowly cycled home.

The next day was a work day and I was glad to be out of sight and away from the spotlight. Sadly rumours had followed even this far but the warehouse guys simply presented me with a Superman badge that I had to wear all day. Their simple acceptance and good humour went a long way to helping me relax.

I caught a brief glimpse of Fiona once or twice during the day but we were run off our feet with a busy day of deliveries and customer support tasks.

Towards the end of a busy day I went upstairs to the finance office to collect my pay packet. All conversation stopped between the three girls as I entered the room. It couldn't have been much more intimidating if they'd tried.

"Err...hi everyone."

"Hi Jake," said Fiona, looking every bit as good as I remembered.

"I err...just thought I'd come and get my pay," I said stupidly to the room in general.

I felt like a piece of meat in the shop window with the other two girls watching my every move. It made me wonder what Fiona had said to them.

"Well, you'd best come over then," said Fiona. She was trying very hard to control a smile. As I went over to get the pay packet she stood and grabbed my head, giving me a smouldering kiss to loud whoops from the other two.