Fade in…
Gathering of Defenders
"Come in, boys. We have much to discuss before the madness begins," Mr. Lupuwana beckoned, his voice strained with urgency and concern.
Hakuna entered the principal's surprisingly spacious office, accompanied by all the core members of the BBC squad (Super, Enzo, Bodega, Rems, MXO, and Freddie) and the enormous new Head Boy, Sibusiso Tshatshu. Inside the room, waiting for them with an air of poised authority, was the current Head Girl.
"Ah, Vanessa? You're the current Head Girl? I hadn't formally met you since the elections," Hakuna asked, taking in her appearance—elegant, perfectly composed, and radiating intense intellectual energy.
Psycha chimed in immediately, her voice taking on a strangely admiring quality. "She's quite pretty, isn't she, vessel? And her psychic profile is incredibly clean and stable."
Vanessa replied, meeting Hakuna's gaze with a confident smile. "Yup, I am. Are you surprised by the appointment, Prince Hakuna?"
Hakuna then spoke, shaking his head. "No, not really surprised, Vanessa. I'm just slightly shocked at how utterly typical it is. I mean, why wouldn't you be the Head Girl? You've topped the district's Scholar's Top 10 list for years now. It's almost boringly predictable."
Nolitha also chimed in, injecting her mischievous presence into his mind. "And she's smart too, Hakuna! Why don't you just marry her right now? Get some new, fresh genes into the Letebele line, my love."
Hakuna, agitated by the immediate, personal commentary from the entities in his head, thought to himself in a furious, low-frequency internal shout. "What the hell are you two talking about? Stop trying to set me up with every attractive, smart woman I meet!"
"Eh?" Nolitha snapped back in his mind, detecting his frustration. "You're the one who needs stability, Prince!"
Vanessa, missing the intense internal battle, then spoke with her usual humility. "Well, I did fall short in Term 1, I was only third on the list for two weeks. It was a momentary lapse."
Super chimed in, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. "Always so modest, aren't you, Vanessa? Even your failures are measured against perfection."
"Oh, please. Don't start, Super," Vanessa said, waving off the compliment with a dismissive hand gesture.
Enzo then spoke, shifting the conversation back to the purpose of the meeting. "Anyway, Mr. Lupuwana, we appreciate the summons on a weekend, but what exactly did you call us here for? We have patrols to run and homework to, well, supervise."
The principal, Mr. Lupuwana, adopted a grave expression. "Ahh, yes. An extremely important matter that overshadows even the sporadic demon incursions. Who here knows, truly knows, about the full history and scope of the 40 Days of Corruption?"
"The 40 Days of Corruption…?" Hakuna asked, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion. The name sounded serious, almost apocalyptic.
Super then said, giving Hakuna a look of utter pity. "I think it's fair to say everyone who has been through high school knows about the '40 Days of Corruption,' sir. It's infamous."
Hakuna then, reluctantly, raised his hand halfway. "Uhh, actually, just between us, hehe… I'm completely in the dark."
"You are pitifully sheltered, Prince. Absolutely pitiful," Super said flatly, shaking his head in mock disappointment.
"Hey, I was home-schooled and living in a semi-sealed royal fortress for most of my life! My context is slightly skewed!" the sheltered prince argued, defending his lack of common knowledge.
Bodega then took the initiative to explain the annual chaos. "It happens every year, across a certain period of time. The Matrics of almost every school in the district openly rebel. At first, years ago, it started off as simple pranks, like cross-gendering uniforms or holding unauthorized flash mobs. Then, out of nowhere, things escalated. Drastically. Hence the intense amount of vandalism, the breaking of discipline, and the sheer destruction all around the school property we see every year."
Mr. Lupuwana then continued, his hands gripping the edge of his desk. "And with that history, the rebellion intensifies every year, becoming more coordinated and destructive. Because it never properly took place last year due to the extended pandemic lockdowns, I strongly suspect that this year's 40 Days of Corruption will be absolutely historical in scope and severity. And I don't mean that positively."
"What do you mean, historical, sir? What specific threat are we facing?" Hakuna asked, his voice suddenly sharp, detecting genuine fear beneath the principal's academic tone.
The principal then said, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "The demons, even the high-level ones, are not the only imminent threat we face, Hakuna. We believe the rebellion is reaching a point of organized insurrection."
"Ah?! Insurrection?!" Hakuna muttered, shocked that normal high school students could be a bigger threat than literal Angel Blood demons.
Super then spoke, getting to the core of the principal's need. "I see. So, you want the BBC to go into the matric classes, identify the potential ringleaders, and use our… ahem… dissuasion methods to stop any potential plans of rebellion before they can start. Is that correct?"
Vanessa chimed in, correcting Super's assumption. "Not exactly, Super."
"Hmm?" Super mumbled, confused.
Vanessa then continued, revealing a surprising objective. "While there is a looming threat on the horizon, we still intend on letting the 40 Days of Corruption take place. We cannot stop it entirely; that would be worse."
"But why? If it leads to such destruction, why allow it?" Bodega asked, appalled by the potential property damage.
Vanessa replied, explaining the cultural aspect. "The true origin of the 40 Days of Corruption is largely unknown, lost to history, however, we do know that it was initially created as a traditional way for the Matrics to blow off steam. It was an institution to allow them to let loose, vent their pent-up frustrations, and forget about the immense, crippling stress of final exams and future uncertainty."
"I see. It was meant to be a controlled burn," the prince muttered, the logic making sense.
Vanessa then said, nodding. "Although, as time went on, its true, therapeutic meaning became deluded. The next generation of Matrics started finding ways to turn it into an excuse to destroy the discipline of their schools. It became an outright act of defiance."
Enzo mentioned, recalling a distant memory. "I remember now. Back in Grade 8, there was a whole morning where we were told not to leave our class for anything. There was a tremendous amount of noise outside—almost as if it was the destruction of the school itself, and the teachers were terrified."
Mr. Lupuwana chimed in, confirming the memory. "That is true. And we fear now that this year, things might go completely out of control, leading to the lower grades joining the rebels, disrupting the school in all its entirety, perhaps leading to real violence. We need containment."
"So, what do you suggest we, the BBC, do to contain this potentially catastrophic event?" Super queried, his competitive energy rising at the prospect of a challenge.
Mr. Lupuwana then declared the strategic plan. "Under the guise of the official, state-mandated matric study camps, you boys will be sharing information and resources with other schools in the district."
They all jolted simultaneously in unison. "Ah?! Other schools?"
Mr. Lupuwana continued, detailing the complexities. "Even though we do have the lurking threat that is the student rebels, we still have the demons to worry about. Therefore, a select few of the DDF students, along with the most trusted scholars, including the EXCO's, will be divided between two main schools where a collection of various other schools within the district will be gathering. This will be trying times moving forward, gentlemen, but I need all of you—the primary defense force of Milner—to protect everyone, both from the internal chaos of the students and the external threat of the demons."
Psycha then spoke in Hakuna's mind, a cynical note in her voice. "There it is again. The subtle, psychological manipulation."
"Yep, the Persuasion Talent. He's subtly framing this as our destiny," Hakuna replied to the demon, not realizing he was speaking out loud again.
Vanessa then spoke, getting back to the logistics of the split camp. "Now, we all know that not every matric has the same subjects, so we divided all of you accordingly to keep disruption minimal. Students who have Physics, you all will stay here at Milner. Those who have Life Science may also stay here, depending on their type of Mathematics, as well as the CAT (Computer Application Technology) students. Unfortunately, that means English and Afrikaans tutorials will be taken by students of Mathematical Literacy at the other location."
"Looks like I definitely won't be here, then. My math is far too theoretical," Sibusiso said, his deep voice confirming his placement elsewhere.
Enzo raised his hand, meticulous as ever. "Wait, what about Geography? I have that, but with Physics."
Vanessa then looked down at her piece of paper with all the relevant information. "Hmm…? Oh yes, Geography will also be here, along with the pure mathematics students. That is an error on my initial sheet."
Enzo then pondered the new grouping. "Hmm, that means, Hakuna, Super, Rems, and me are staying here at Milner for the camp, while MXO, Bodega, and Freddie are going to… wait, what's the other school?"
Mr. Lupuwana replied, looking down at his itinerary. "That would be New Vision Secondary. A newer, but highly organized institution."
Sibusiso then spoke, demonstrating unexpected strategic foresight. "Hmm… I guess that also means we are delegating various EXCO members to these two schools as well. But we face a serious problem, Mr. Lupuwana. Only one of our Heads has Physics in their schedule, and that is the Head Girl herself, Vanessa. Leaving leadership and coordination solely to her might prove taxing, given the dual threat of rebellion and demons."
Mr. Lupuwana responded, surprised by the insight. "I see, that is a genuine point of concern. eh…?"
The entire BBC squad all looked toward the Head Boy, utterly baffled. "Eeee-eeh? Did Sibusiso just articulate a complex logistical problem?"
Hakuna then questioned, shaking his head. "Hold on. Did Sbu just sound smart? Like, genuinely strategic?"
Sibusiso retorted, offended by the doubt. "Hey, I'm Head Boy for a reason, okay? I also pay attention to details!"
Hakuna then said, summarizing the squad's general consensus about leadership. "I know, but, Head Boys are normally just appointed due to their contributions in the battlefield, or in times before the DDF, through sheer physical charisma and sports achievements. Head Girls, like Vanessa, are the ones chosen for their intellect, combined with their beauty and political skill. No one was surprised when you were chosen, Sbu, because we all know you're not the intellectual type. And now you just did something unthinkable—a Head Boy, showing signs of intellectual capacity!"
Super muttered, utterly stunned. "Impossible! I must be dreaming."
Enzo then said, realization dawning on him. "My God, what has the world gotten to? A Head Boy thinking? Wait, I was almost chosen for the spot!"
Super replied, offering a brutal correction. "That just means you're marginally less of an idiot than him, dumbass. Now focus."
Vanessa then reprimanded them, slamming her hand lightly on the desk. "Boys, focus, please! This is serious. I'll be absolutely fine. My most trusted subordinates will be here, along with my deputy Head Girl, Tsiane Lekekela. I can manage the situation with them."
Mr. Lupuwana concluded, standing up to signal the end of the meeting. "Then it's settled. All of you here, along with the rest of the DDF Matrics and scholars, will be tasked with stopping the threat of the 40 Days of Corruption from boiling over into genuine violence, while simultaneously protecting all students from the demons."
Suddenly.
An immediate, sharp, insistent alarm suddenly began to ring throughout the entire school building, even the closed sections.
"What in the world could that be? Is it a fire drill?" Super asked leisurely, already preparing to leave.
"A demon? Did a Level 9 just breach the perimeter?" Enzo asked, grabbing his backpack.
Hakuna answered, his eyes wide with sudden realization. "No. It's begun."
They all looked at him, confused by his certainty.
Hakuna continued, his voice low and serious. "We didn't think that it was already happening under our noses. It's too early for the camps to start."
"What are you talking about, Hakuna?! Explain!" Super demanded.
Hakuna then said, pointing at the door. "Outside, there are no demons. No energy spikes. We're being attacked, right now, by rebelling students."
Just as he spoke, the massive, reinforced door of the principal's office clicked shut with a loud, ominous finality. The sound of heavy locks being dropped into place echoed in the room.
"What is the meaning of this?! Who would dare lock the Principal's Office?!" Mr. Lupuwana yelled, slamming his hand on his desk in impotent rage.
Sibusiso, using his enormous physical strength, attempted to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.
"It's locked. And it's barricaded from the outside," he said, his voice straining with effort.
Everyone entered a slight state of panic, suddenly realizing they were trapped within the school's most secure room.
Hakuna then said, with a tone of knowing finality, staring directly at the unmoving door. "The 40 Days of Corruption have begun, and they started by trapping their protectors."
Fade out…
End of Episode 50.