Chapter 3 - Returning the Favor

"ARE you lost, baby girl? This is not the way to Princeton." A malicious smile registered on the man's face upon seeing Kath walking alone in that secluded part of the street.

Her class ended earlier than usual so she decided to spend her time in her favorite coffee shop while waiting for Cedric. But she got bored so she left and decided to take a walk.

"What do you need?" she asked coldly, sensing danger from the dark auras of the three men surrounding her.

"What we need? You! Will you join us?"

"I'm busy," she abruptly refused and tried to walk past him.

But one of his companions promptly grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Don't be rude! My friend is still talking to you," he said in a soft threatening voice.

"Let go of me!" she said sternly as she forcefully tried to withdraw her hand.

Instead of letting her go, the man's grasp just got even tighter.

"Hey!"

A baritone voice shouted from nowhere. She thought it was Cedric's. To her surprise, it was a red-haired guy from another school, which uniform she was not familiar with.

"Hey, Hero! Don't interfere in this!" said the man who talked to her first.

"You are in MY territory," the guy named Hero said firmly, declaring his authority over his claimed territory.

The three men laughed.

"Territory? It's already outside the Morsons' gate. You've got no authority here," said the man holding her.

Without warning, Hero rushed at him and kicked him in the face. The guy fell to the ground, loosening his grip on her. She instantly freed herself and ran towards her savior.

The other two gestured to attack Hero, but he didn't give them the chance to do so. He swiftly gave the first guy a headbutt and kicked the third man in the abdomen. The three villains immediately left before getting beaten into a pulp.

She just stood there, dumbfounded and amazed!

"Are you all right, Miss?" Hero asked her, snapping her back to her senses.

"Y-Yes. Thank you," she answered nervously.

"Nex time, do not roam around all by yourself. You do not know this place," he told her before turning around and leaving her.

Buzzzz...

HER phone's vibration brought Max back to the present while she was roaming around the campus during lunch break.

"What?" she asked her cousin coldly. He was in America with her parents.

"What's with the sour face?" he asked, laughing at her as if he could see her reaction from the other line.

"Just getting annoyed with my classmates, that's all. Why?"

"Nothing. I'm just checking up on you. How's your new school?"

"It's...public. And I'm fine, thanks."

"It's the biggest university in Casa de Oro and one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Anything else aside from 'It's...public.'?"

She rolled her eyes. "Duh..." As if that mattered to her. Then she changed the topic. "Is Daddy still mad at me?"

"Well, of course. Whose parents would be happy with what you did? You left us here without a word, " he scolded her.

She felt a pang of guilt but she never regretted her decision...

"Miss Mejares, have a seat," the principal said when she entered the principal's office.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked as she settled in one of the chairs in that long table across them. Though she did not expect to see them, she already had an idea what they were there for. "Is it about the gang fight incident?"

Kath," the principal spoke. "Your parents and I have agreed not to send you to court to protect the name of our school and your future. Besides, you have nothing to do with that incident, isn't that right?"

"How about Cedric?" she asked her father.

"He won't go to jail. Both of you were not there," he convinced her.

"And Dana's boyfriend?"

The three adults went silent and looked at each other.

She also looked at each one of them and got what they were plotting. They would use him as a scapegoat. No, she would not allow it. Her sense of justice wouldn't approve of that. His girlfriend was dead and they would blame it on him? No man in his right mind, no matter how stupid, could and would ever kill the person he loved!

"You want me to just keep quiet while punishing someone innocent?" she asked indignantly.

Her mother tried to calm her down. "Kath, think carefully about your future. You're graduating this year. If your name is involved in this case, your reputation will be ruined and..."

"Mom, that's not the point," she rebutted right away. "One student has already lost her life, and another one's life will be destroyed if I do not speak. You and Daddy have always taught me to do what is right, remember?"

His stubbornness made her father furious that he stood up and raised his voice, "This is a different situation, Kathrina! You can't ruin your life for the sake of one person who has nothing to do with you."

"Dad, I'll just testify about what I saw that day. I just want to help. How can my life be ruined?"

"You don't know anything about the real world, Kathrina. Not everyone needs your help. Sometimes you just have to leave him alone, for his own good..."

"You okay?" Cedric asked, which brought her back to her senses "Don't worry about it too much. His anger has already subsided. You know he can't go mad that long with his only princess."

She took a deep breath before she replied, "Yeah. Thanks. Please take care of them."

"You bet I will. All right, I have to go."

"Wait!" she stopped when she remembered Hero, but suddenly decided to just keep it to herself. "Ah, nothing. Be careful. Bye!" and she cut her line off.

She let out a sigh before tucking the phone back into her pocket. Cedric didn't need to know about Hero. The guy had already suffered enough, had his share of loss and misery. Maybe it's time to leave him alone and let him live peacefully.

"Hey, Hero!"

She turned around when she heard the name called by a male's voice. The voice was coming from the back of the building where she was standing. She carefully followed it and saw five guys surrounding Hero and picking on him. It was Darwin's crew. Two of them were holding each of his arms while Darwin was standing in from of him.

"I heard you're from Morsons. Do you know the Morsons, huh? It's a famous Yankee school. All the male students there are cool and brave and fearsome, not as lame as you!"

"What do you need?" Hero asked in an anxious tone. She didn't know if he's just acting or if he's really afraid of his opponents. But the latter would be too unrealistic.

"What do we need?" Darwin repeated as if thinking for a moment. "Money! Do you have any money?"

"I only have fifty pesos," Hero replied.

"Well, if you don't have any money, you have to become our servant. You will have to do as we say."

"But ..."

"What 'but'?" Darwin sneered, punching Hero in the abdomen. "You really don't know who I am, do you? Well, let me tell you. I'm Darwin, the senior high leader of Casa de Oro University and a member of the Red Eagles."

Max's forehead wrinkled upon listening to Darwin's boasting. She decided to reveal herself because she could no longer stand such a piffling scene. "Do you think Red Eagles allow bullying of transferees?" she asked coldly.

"How convenient! I don't have to call for you anymore. Max, isn't it?" Darwin smirked when he recognized her.

"I didn't know Red Eagles' standards have gone this low, letting scumbags like you join their group," she mocked in reply.

Darwin got infuriated. "What did you say?"

Before she could respond, they rushed to attack her. She met them and immediately knocked them down with her swift combat moves. Darwin was the last one she beat up. "Don't you dare use Red Eagles' name again if you don't want me to ruin your face!" she warned him as she was standing in front of him.

"Y-Yeah. So-sorry!" he answered before he got up and fled.

"Thanks," Hero thanked her after the thugs left them. "You're strong!" he added in amazement.

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't help you. I was just annoyed by them. That's all," she replied coldly, trying to maintain her gangster image despite the rapid throbbing of her heart at that moment. She actually meant to say, "I'm just returning the favor," but that would not be necessary anymore.

"Ahh ... But thank you. If it weren't for you, they might have beaten me up."

"Why would you let them if you could fight back?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing!" she replied. She didn't know what happened to him, but it seemed he'd had forgotten who he was, so she just reminded herself not to bring up the past anymore in front of him. "Next time, don't roam around all by yourself. You don't know this place."