"[...And that's Mr. Mackey's office. You can go talk to him whenever you have a problem.]"

"Uh-huh." The girl nodded, looking around.

Kenny scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "[Let's see... Oh yeah, the cafeteria is that way. Also, over there is the Principal's Office.]"

"You mean the scary guy with sunglasses...?"

Kenny chuckled. "[Yeah, that's the one.]"

"Hmm..." The girl pondered for a few seconds. She then pointed towards a door that read 'Cissies'. "What's that?" She asked.

"[Ah, uh... That's a bathroom. But don't pay it any mind. Just use the girl's bathroom right next to it.]"

"Okay!" She beamed, grinning from ear to ear.

Kenny couldn't help but smile, happy that the girl was enjoying herself. He figured she would get shy and nervous to be in a foreign place and around so many people she didn't know, and maybe deep down she was. But at the same time, it was visible in her eyes how excited she was to be there.

Today was Karen McCormick's first day at South Park Elementary. It took a lot of time and several visits from a certain mysterious, intimidating superhero, but Mrs. McCormick finally realized (or rather, was convinced) that her daughter should start going to school rather than staying home all day. By going to school, Karen would be able to make friends, learn new things every day, spend less time with her drunk father who paid no attention to her and more time with her beloved big brother. But, most importantly, she'd get to eat decent meals. The school cafeteria wasn't any gourmet restaurant, but it was better than eating frozen waffles on all three meals. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

Holding her hand, Kenny gave her a brief tour of the school, teaching her how she should behave in the hallways, showing her where her locker was, and so on. It was weird, but he was kind of enjoying it. The school was huge and there was a lot to see, but deep down he wished they could spend more time like this.

Several pairs of eyes watched them as they walked through the corridors.

"Kenny... Everyone is looking at us..." Karen whispered, clunging to her brother's arm timidly.

"[Don't worry, they're just curious because you're new here. They'll stop looking soon.]"

"Okay..." She said, but didn't seem any less uncomfortable. As she clung to his arm she half hid behind his back, suddenly feeling shy. He could feel her little heart beating fast as they walked; his arm held tightly to her chest as if it was a shield. Kenny smiled again. His sister was just too cute.

At the same time, however, he was worried about her. Sure, being the new kid would always suck and be awkward at first; there was no avoiding it. But Karen was someone deprived of social skills, having grown up as a shut-in (against her will) and, as a result, barely making any friends outside of the internet. As sweet and innocent she was, it wouldn't be surprising if she didn't fit in any groups.

Kenny blamed himself for that; always going out in crazy adventures with his friends and leaving her at home. Given his bad luck and tendency to literally be brutally killed at random, he figured that keeping his distance from her would make her safer. But in the process he made her lonely, forcing her seek human contact from vampire kids of all people. He couldn't forgive himself for it, even when that and her phase as a goth were over. It made him realize how terrible of a brother he was, despite his best intentions. Dressing up as Mysterion to comfort her was no longer enough. More than a guardian angel, his sister needed a friend.

"[...Come on. Let's get you to your classroom.]" Kenny said softly, earning a nod in response. He led Karen through the corridors until he reached a door that said 'First Grade'. "[There you go.]" He told her, but she didn't let go of his arm or made any sign of acknowledging his words. Her eyes were glued to all the kids talking inside. Kenny remained silent, watching her with concern.

"...It must be hard for her... I wonder if I did the right thing by bringing her here..." Kenny thought, but soon shook his head. "...No. Of course I did. Karen can't stay in that house all her life."

"Ken..." She muttered, bringing him back from his thoughts. The use of his nickname was unexpected. "What if no one likes me...?"

"[Hey...]" Kenny knelt down, staying on an eye to eye level with her. "[There's no way anyone can dislike you. You're the sweetest girl ever.]" He patted her head, gently running his fingers through her hair and being careful not to mess up her small pigtails. He then moved his hand to her face and wiped some dirt from it. "[Don't worry. I'll always be here if you need me.]"

"...Promise?" She asked timidly.

"[Promise.]" He didn't even think twice.

"...Pinky promise?" She extended her fist; her pinky finger sticking out.

Kenny smiled, wrapping his own pinky figer around hers. "[Pinky promise.]"

Finally, Karen smiled, giving Kenny a goodbye hug. She faced the door for a few more secodns afterwards, breathing deeply before heading inside. Once she was in, she turned back to wave at Kenny, who waved back. Once she sat down, Kenny finally left.

"I hope it'll be alright..." He thought, making his way to his locker. He checked his watch, and he still had about five minutes before classes started.

With his locker open, he checked the schedule taped on the inside of the door and sorted out the books and notebooks he'd need for the day, placing them inside his backpack and returning yesterday's materials back inside the locker.

Distracted, he didn't notice someone approach him. "Hey." Said the emotionless voice.

Kenny turned to meet his friend. "[Hey Stan. What's up?]"

"Nothing." Was the reply. A short silence befell them as Kenny kept managing his books, a little confused with that answer. "So." Stan started. "Done anything interesting yesterday?"

"[Oh yeah, I actually did.]" Kenny smiled, but missed Stan's frown as he kept shoving books in his backpack. "[I watched the new Game of Thrones episode. That was so epic!]"

"Uh-huh."

"[Shit's totally going to hit the fan now. I can't wait for this week's episode, though Cartman will probably give me spoilers again. The bastard...]"

"Where did you watch it?" Stan suddenly asked. The question caught Kenny off guard, stunning him into silence. "You weren't at Cartman's yesterday." Stan seemed impatient.

Kenny then remembered Cartman saying something about everyone going to his house to rewatch the episode. "Oh yeah. I wasn't really invited. Cartman is pissed at me, but I can't say I care."

Stan had a weird look on his face. "Hm. So. Where did you watch it?"

Kenny noticed the weird atmosphere, now done with his books and facing his friend properly. He closed his locker and spun the padlock. "[...At Wendy's. She invited me over.]"

Stan frowned slightly. "Ah."

After a moment of silence, Kenny picked up his backpack and motioned to leave. "[...Well, we should head to cl-]"

"I didn't know you two were close." Stan cut him off. His tone wasn't friendly.

Kenny wasn't stupid. He knew what was going on.

He sighed. "[I wouldn't say we're close. We became friends after Cartman forced me to attend her practice.]"

"Friends, huh?" Stan repeated. He didn't seem convinced.

"[Yeah.]" Kenny got serious. "[Ask Bebe, or Red, or Annie. They were there too.]" He said, hoping that by mentioning other girls his friend would back off.

But he didn't. "Huh. You're pretty popular now." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"[I guess.]" Kenny had enough, turning on his heel. "[See you in class, man.]"

"Do you like her?"

Kenny stopped, sighing. "[...We're just friends, dude. But seriously, why do you even care?]" He lost his patience, unknowingly asking his friend the same question Kyle made the other day. "[I thought you were done with her.]"

Stan's frown deepened. "I don't care about Wendy." He was quick to state, but it didn't sound very convincing even to himself. He opened his mouth to say something else, but quickly shut it, averting his gaze.

Kenny said nothing for a while. In a way he could understand what was probably going on in his friend's head, so he tried to not hold it against him. He tried to act friendly, to show there was no hard feelings on his part "[...Alright then. Come on man, we're going to be late for class.]"

With a frown, Stan just grabbed his own backpack and went ahead, without waiting for Kenny.

The boy in the orange parka just sighed, realizing it'd be a long day...

...

If curiosity killed the cat, then it was a wonder that Wendy was still alive.

She felt stupid about it, but as it turns out, Kenny's teasing was more effective than she expected it to be. She figured she would eventually forget about it and would be able to wait until the following day for an answer, but no. Her stupid brain couldn't help but interrupt her studies and her daily chores to constantly theoretize about who could Kenny's mysterious guest could be.

The most likely answer to that question would be a friend of his, but Wendy wasn't sure. While girls were starting to act nicer around him, other boys were a different story. The majority of them seemed indifferent to fixing their relationships with girls, and all of them seemed equally uninterested in their volleyball games as usual. It wasn't impossible for one of them to suddenly change, like Kenny did, but Wendy just couldn't picture it.

Her mind then crossed the possibility of there being no guest at all, and that it was all a ruse to make her confused. If that was the case, then it had worked frustratingly well. But Wendy had the feeling that wasn't the case.

Maybe a girlfriend? Nah, that was unlikely. Pretty much every girl she knew was angry at him until a few days ago, and those who weren't anymore were part of the volleyball team, so they couldn't be his guest. Maybe he was dating someone from outside of school...? It wasn't impossible, but for some reason Wendy hoped that wasn't the case. She wasn't sure why.

Sighing, she looked around the playground to try and find him, but was unsucessful. He greeted her normally once he first entered the classroom, but other than that, she hadn't had a chance to talk to him today. She had hopes of getting an answer from him ahead of time by talking to him during recess, but he was nowhere to be seen. Which was weird, considering how all his friends were playing football. Where could he be?

"I know we didn't make plans of talking about Nelly today, but... I wonder where he is." She thought as ate a few cookies. A few of her own friends were talking next to her, but she wasn't really paying attention to the conversation or even to her own snack; lost in her own mind as her eyes searched for the orange parka.

"I didn't know you were dating Kenny, Heidi." One of the girls said. Needless to say, that caught Wendy's attention, who almost choked on a cookie.

"W-What?! What the hell are you talking about?!" Heidi looked shocked.

Bebe grinned. "Don't even try to hide it. I saw you two holding hands earlier today. You clung to his arm like you were newlyweds."

Heidi blinked several times, unable to process the sudden information. "Uhhh... Bebe, I think you're mistaken."

Lola interjected. "No way. I saw it too! You were wearing pigtails and some weird make up on your face." She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You really need to work on your disguises, my friend."

"He really won you over with that hug, huh?" Bebe playfully hit the girl's arm with her shoulder.

Heidi's face was like the literal embodiment of a Windows blue screen of death. "...Girls, I have literally no idea what the fuck you're talking about."

Bebe sighed. "Geez, you're stubborn..."

"No, seriously. I'm really confused right now. You must have seen Kenny with a different girl." Heidi said. For some reason, these words made Wendy slightly annoyed. "Ask Annie or Wendy. We were talking in the classroom before class started."

All eyes went to Wendy, who nodded, feeling extremely confused herself. "W-Well... It's true."

"Well then, whoever that was, she was a literal clone of yours. She looked exactly like you." Nichole joined.

"I'm sure I'd know if there was something who looked just like me." Heidi sighed, knowing all along that this was all some misunderstanding, but glad she was starting to convince the others of that. "I don't know who you saw, but it wasn't me."

"Then who the hell was Kenny holding hands with?" Bebe looked puzzled. Admittedly, everyone was equally confused, especially Wendy.

"...Maybe... The girlfriend theory isn't that out of the question..." She thought to herself. And for some reason... It bothered her.

Eventually, she was brought back to real life when she heard a commotion. The sound of a girl screaming immediately caught her attention and that of everyone around her. Wendy turned to see a small girl running, a terrified expression to her face. Behind her, three female fifth graders chased her with sickening smiles to their faces. One of them looked like a tomboy; wearing a red cap and her brown hair wrapped in a bun. Her shirt and trousers were black, but her belt was light blue. The second girl wore blue jeans, a gray hoodie with the hood on and a green shirt underneath, but part of her brown straight hair could be seen. Finally, the third girl had long wavy hair. Wendy wasn't sure if she was fat or strong, but it was a fact that her body was slightly larger/wider than the others. She was wearing a light blue jacket with a red shirt underneath. She also wore blue jeans and a blue headband.

"These girls again." Wendy heard Annie say. "Those are the bullies who almost broke my Justin Bieber doll!"

Wendy knew them. They were natural troublemakers, always picking on younger girls and making a scene. Until some time ago, the fifth and sixth graders had their recess at a different time than those in from the first to fourth grade. But that was changed once the school office realized that there was no point in doing that unless they wanted to intentionally mess up the teachers's schedules. As a result, it was eventually decided to mix up the kids's recess, but that only gave birth to even more bullying and harrassment. What used to only happen in bathrooms and hallways now happened in broad daylight. The lack of staff left the playground mostly unsupervised, so there was little anyone could do to defend themselves against their bullies.

"Uh... Girls... More importantly... Do you notice anything weird about that girl?" Red said, pointing to the fifth graders's newest victim.

Suddenly, all questions from earlier were answered. The small girl that was being chased looked like a younger version of Heidi: Her hair color and clothes were exactly the same, but her hair was done in pigtails and she was visibly younger and shorter. Not just that, but she looked like she had some dirt in her face, which Wendy assumed to be courtesy of those older girls.

Bebe was stunned. "Heidi... Who the hell is that?"

"I didn't know you had a youger sister!" An equally shocked Lola stated, eyes glued to the girl.

"I don't!" Heidi exclaimed. "I have no idea who that is!"

She was apparently recieving a 'welcome party' by these disgusting fifth graders. Everyone was watching, but no one moved a muscle, not wanting to get involved. Everyone knew that once you became a target, you'd stay as one until some unlucky soul took your place. Or not.

The girl was terrified. She clung to a worn out doll like her life depended on it; her eyes frantically looking around for an oportunity to escape or for someone to help. But she was graces with neither, and suddenly she found herself cornered. She stood between a large wall that separated the playground from the streets and the two girls. Other girls surrounded them to watch.

"P-Please leave me alone!" The girl was on the verge of tears, but the fifth graders only found that even more amusing.

"Aww, what's the matter? Gonna cry? Piss your pants, maybe?" One of the girls mocked.

"Hand over that doll." The girl with the red cap ordered.

Wendy was sickened. She wanted to step in, but didn't want to become a target herself. Besides, she still had troubles from the time she beat up Cartman in front of everyone. She couldn't risk her position as student council president or another suspension. Her school life was at stake.

The young girl held the doll even tighter, freaking out as the two bullies stepped closer. "No!" She looked around, tears streaming down her face. "Help!"

"...Damn it! Why won't anyone do anything?!" Wendy asked herself in her mind, knowing all too well that she was being a hypocrite. The small girl cowered like a puppy; her assailants approaching her dangerously. Wendy could no longer watch it in silence, gritting her teeth in anger. "...Screw it!"

Wendy was about to yell, when...

It happened.

Something fell from the sky and landed between the three girls, causing everyone's jaw to drop. Not a single soul in that playground failed to recognize what - or rather who - had just showed up. For months, several of these kids walked on the streets at night hoping to get a picture of him. Even to this day, many still wondered about his true identity.

The enforcer of justice who protected the streets of South Park. The beacon of hope in a world gone mad.

He was in a classic superhero landing pose: leaning forward, face down, with both legs shoulder length apart, one foot forward and both knees bent; with one hand on the ground to support his weight. He eventually raised his head, a nasty frown on his face as he slowly lifted his body, standing protectively in front of the young girl. The dark purple cloak that dragged on the ground, wrapped around his neck. The bright green question mark attached the top of his head through a small spring. A black half-mask that covered his face from the bridge of the nose up. The off-lavender suit with a bright green 'M' on the front of it. Brown boots, olive-green gloves, a plain black belt and a pair of underwear briefs over his suit. There was no doubt about it.

"...Mysterion?!"

"Dude, it's Mysterion!

"Oh my god! Is it really him?!"

The crowd was in awe, not hesitating to pull out their cellphones and take photos and videos. Several kids called for the hero, asking him to look their way or sign autographs, but he didn't even spare them a glance.

The three bullies froze, confused beyond belief. "No way... Is that really Mysterion?" One of them asked, visibly altered.

The hero remained silent, aiming an intimidating glare filled with murderous intent directly at the bullies. His cape-like cloaked danced in the air as the wind blew. His mere presence had unspeakable pressure, and none of the two girls were able to even move.

Mysterion mentally sighed, both inwardly thanking himself for being prepared in case something like this happened to his sister, but also feeling somewhat annoyed with all the attention. He couldn't help but remember the last time something like this happened.

Unlike the kids in Greeley Elementary, where Kenny was sent when his parents were arrested (again) for dealing meth, everyone in South Park actually knew Mysterion. He was admired, respected and feared for his heroic deeds as a vigilante, so their reaction wasn't surprising. However, as flattering as being recognized and loved was, Mysterion knew his presence would have some kind of repercussion in the future, which was why he never showed up before despite it being almost guaranteed that he would be popular and would drown in chicks. He just knew it would end up being too much of a headache.

Sure, he too wished their franchise would be a hit and they'd get rich with movies and series, but that wasn't Mysterion's priority. Unlike wannabe 'heroes' like the Coon, Mysterion cared more about actually protecting his town and it's people than being famous. He felt that it was his responsibility, as someone who had an actual superpower, to actually fight and stand for something.

"I'll only say this once." Mysterion started. His tone was as intimidating as his penetrating glower. "Leave her alone."

Eventually, one of the bullies recovered from her shock, scofffing. "Hah... Hah! Why don't you make us?!"

"W-What are you doing?!" The girl with the gray hoodie said, clearly intimidated. "That's Mysterion!"

"Come on! There's no way that's the real Mysterion! Look closely: It's just some kid dressing up as him!"

The hoodie girl seemed to relax and regain her confidence. "...You're right! What the hell? It's just some twerp!" She laughed.

"How about you put your underwear back inside your pants and get lost, runt? Or do you want some piece of this?" The girl with the red cap cracked her fingers.

"Karen. Close your eyes." Mysterion said calmly. The girl quickly did as she was told. The hero refocused on the bullies and said nothing more. Waiting.

The bully with the red cap fumed at the kid's lack of response to her taunts. "What? Too scared to talk?" She taunted again.

Still no answer from Mysterion.

The girl gritted her teeth, shaking off her unease at the boy's calm and collectedness with a violent fit of rage. "You piece of shit!" At this, she charged at the hero, who didn't move.

The outcome of this fight was already decided. If one could even call it a fight, that is.

With outstanding agility, as soon as his opponent was within reach, Mysterion jumped and delivered a full force spinning kick straight to the girl's face, knocking her cap out of her head and undoing her bun as she was violently sent to the ground. Once she hit the floor, all the air in her lungs was forced out and she gasped, disoriented. She tried to stand on her knees, but before she had time to recover, she was she was met with another boot to her left cheek, the impact causing her to spit blood and fall face down on the dirt, groaning loudly in pain.

Just then, she was forcibly grabbed by her hair and roughly pulled off the ground. She screamed in pain, on the verge of tears herself. "Hmph. Worthless." Mysterion scoffed with disgust. He brought his face centimeters away from hers, his eyes as cold and lethal as a knife as he forced her too look at them. "Don't show your pathetic face around Karen McCormick ever again. If I even so much as think you or your friends are messing with her again, I won't be so gentle next time. Understand?"

"Y-Yes!" The girl pitifully managed before Mysterion forcefully planted her face on the dirt. The other bullies stared in absolute shock, frozen stiff. Everyone cheered loudly.

Frowning, Mysterion lit up firecrackers and ran towards Karen before they started blowing up. Using his cloak to shield his vision, he carried Karen on his back and climbed a tree in the playground. He jumped from one of the branches into one of the windows, entering the school. Thankfully, it was an empty classroom, and a quick glance into one of the doors was enough to let him know if was a second grade room. Swiftly, he rushed to the door, still holding Karen. Slowly, he opened the door and peered outside. The wallways were empty. Without wasting any time he rushed outside, stealthily making his way towards Karen's classroom. Once he peeked inside and confirmed that there was no one in there either, he entered.

He could still hear the commotion outside, with kids asking where he went. Apparently, his feat with the firecrackers worked successfully. He could also hear the fifth graders yelling profanities and threats aimed at him and Karen.

"Typical cowards. Waiting for me to leave to start talking shit." He frowned, considering going back there to give the other girls a taste of his fists. But he fought against it, deciding to focus his attention on someone who actually deserved it, like the small girl he was carrying. Carefully, he placed her down and turned to properly face her.

"Are you alright, Karen?" He asked, eyeing her with concern.

"Y-Yes..." Karen replied.

He sighed in relief. "Good. You're safe now."

"Ah... Uh... G-Guardian Angel..." Karen sobbed; her body shaking as she bit her lip. Eventually, she couldn't hold them any longer and rushed towards her savior, burying her face in his chest and wrapping her arms around him as she cried her eyes out. "Waaaaahhhh!"

Mysterion calmly returned her hug, rubbing her back in a comforting way. He said nothing as he listened to her cry, deep down glad that he made it in time, but at the same time blaming himself for her predicament. He should have seen it coming. Fifth and sixth graders picked on new kids all the time. How could he not think for a second that Karen wouldn't be a victim?! How terrible of a guardian angel- no. How terrible of a brother could he be?

"I-I was so scared!" Karen cried, weeping uncontrolably. Mysterion said nothing, at that point not even caring if someone entered the classroom anymore. "T-They wanted to t-take my doll, and... and..."

"...It's alright, Karen." He reassured her. "It's alright..."

"No, it's not!" She suddenly yelled. That caught Mysterion by surprise, who eyed her with confusion.

"Karen...?"

She said nothing for a while, wiping her tears and sniffing. "...Kenny will be mad at me..."

"...What?" Mysterion was confused. "What makes you think that?"

"...Because!" She seemed angry. Mysterion had never seen her like this "...I wanted to come to school for so long... And Kenny fought hard to convince my mom... But now...! It's been my first day and I'm too scared to come back! H-He's going to hate me...!" She mumbled, crying again.

"You think I- er, that your brother would hate you over something like this?" He knelt in front of her, gently placing a hand on her cheek. "There's no way that would ever happen. Your brother loves you more than anything."

She met his gaze; her eyes puffy and red from crying. "But..."

"Listen. I know school can be scary, especially when you're new. But you can't give up now. This is your chance to make friends. To learn new things. To have fun and to have a future. Don't throw all that away because of some mean girls." He wiped her tears.

"B-But... What if they try to bully me again?"

"Then I'll be there to protect you, as I always have." He held both her hands with his own. "...Do you believe me?"

"...Yes..."

"Then promise you'll try your best. For me, for your brother, and for yourself."

She didn't answer immediately, sighing. "...Alright. I'll try." She smiled timidly.

Mysterion smiled. "Good. I'm counting on you." He then glanced at the clock above the blackboard, and frowned. He turned on his heel and faced the window. "I must go now."

"Wait!" She called for him as he was about to jump. "...Thanks, Guardian Angel."

He said, nothing, replying with nothing but a nod and a small smile. Seeing hope in her eyes again was all Mysterion could ever wish for.

Just then, the door to the classroom opened. An adult woman entered, looking startled. It was the first grade teacher.

"You're... Karen McCormick, aren't you? What are you doing here, all alone?" She asked.

Karen wondered what she meant by that, turning back to the window where her Guardian Angel was a second ago...

...Only to find out he had mysteriously vanished as usual.

...

"...How many more times are you going to watch that video?" Wendy asked as she streched, mentally exhausted after listening to the same audio what must've been over forty times already. She didn't even have to look at Bebe's phone to know what she was watching anymore.

"Are you kidding me? This is my new favorite video of all time!" She replied excitedly. Several other girls stood behind her, watching the video from her phone with equal excitement and awe.

The look in Annie's face was one of pure delight. "I'll never get sick of watching this. Serves these bitches right!"

"I wish he'd have beaten up the other two as well." Red commented.

Bebe laughed. "I just love how he knocks her cap off."

"What does he say to her when he's pulling her hair?" A random girl in the bleachers joined.

"No idea. Too much background noise. I can't quite read his lips either; the video is too shaky." Nichole answered.

"I was able to record it from a different angle, check it out!"

Wendy sighed, rolling her eyes as more and more girls gathered to watch and discuss the video like as if they were in a book club. She didn't even bother trying to get them to focus on volleyball whenever they got like this, especially on rare occasions like this one, where she was having a hard time focusing on her exercises herself. Not only because the other girls wouldn't shut up about it, but also because she was equally amazed and impressed at what happened.

If anything, Wendy was probably even more shocked than the other girls, being one of the few people in that playground who actually knew Mysterion's real identity, which was both an honor and somewhat disappointing at the same time; given the fact that it basically destroyed her theory that Mysterion could secretly be a girl. She would have loved to see the look on the Coon's face once he realized that the hero who had been stealing the spotlights from him was someone from the opposite gender, knowing that his racist, sexist ass wouldn't be able to handle that information well. Wendy did, technically, gain that satisfaction when she herself adopted a superhero alterego and helped the New Kid solve the wave of crimes that assaulted South Park a while ago; earning more respect from her peers than the 'senior' fatass hero. But it'd have still been nice if the town's infamous vigilante were a girl like her.

Back when she was wondering what Kenny was up to, that he would dress up as his superhero alterego and give a fifth grader a nice combo of black eye and broken nose most certainly wasn't something she would ever consider. He was, after all, almost sent to jail once for revealing his face on live TV; but thankfully it was Kyle who had taken the fall for him, keeping his identity a secret from 99% of the town. Which was why showing up to school of all places dressed as Mysterion was a bold move in Wendy's eyes. What if he were recognized by other kids? By teachers? He could not only be sent to jail for his vigilantism, but also be suspended from school for the beating he gave that girl.

However, as the captain of the team, she felt like it would be inadmissable to let distractions like this affect her concentration and get in the way of her training. Which was why, despite her lack of success, she was trying her hardest to keep this out of her mind.

But considering how the boy under that superhero costume had been in her mind most of the day all along, pushing this subject out of her head was no easy task; especially when her friends would so kindly remind her of it every fifteen seconds.

And of course, there was also the fact that Kenny was nowhere to be seen; his absence only raising further questions in the girl's head.

After recess, he showed up in classroom back in his regular clothes and watched class like as if nothing happened. The way he acted so naturally was both amazing and disturbing, going as far as joining conversations about Mysterion with other kids and genuinely sounding like a mere bystander, making comments about his own stunts like as if he had read them from a comic. His acting was so perfect that Wendy even doubted for a moment if he was really Mysterion.

"Hey, look who just got here!" One of the girls said and the group momentarily took their attention away from their phones. Their jaws dropped.

Wendy interrupted her stretching exercises and turned, only to find Kenny entering the gym. She felt somewhat relieved to see him there for some reason. She had been wondering if he would even show up today, considering what happened earlier as well as the fact that he was unusually late. But what surprised everyone wasn't his presence. But rather the small girl holding his hand and shyly looking around.

It was then that Wendy realized. It was so obvious that she felt incredibly stupid for making questions all day and not noticing earlier that she already had all the answers.

Why would Mysterion risk having his secret identity exposed in front of his friends and fans? Why would he go through the trouble of showing up at school in broad daylight just to beat up some random bullies? And what about what Bebe saw in the hallways? Could Kenny and Heidi be secretly dating? And most importantly... The question she had been asking herself since yesterday... Who could his mysterious guest be? Wendy spend so much time pondering about each question that she ended up ignoring the common link between all of them.

The answer to all these questions was standing right next to him.

Just then, Wendy heard a whistle blow, and looked the other way to find the coach entering the gym through a different door.

"Alright girls, enough talk! I hope you're all warmed up!" The woman said, and it was only then that the girls realized how long they had been wasting time. Wendy rolled her eyes, knowing all too well that this would happen. "We're short on time today, so we're going straight to the sparring matches. Form your teams!" She yelled, blowing her whistle again. She didn't seem to be in the best of moods today.

The girls in the volleyball team were quick to do as they were told, but it was evident in their faces that they were beyond curious, throwing glances at Kenny and the girl, who were now sitting by his usual spot in the bleachers.

Even after the teams were formed and were now arranging themselves in the court, it was clear that their attention was somewhere else, much to Wendy's frustration.

"Who do you think she is?" Bebe whispered.

Red shrugged. "No idea. Could they be dating?"

"But she looks like she's half his age... What the fuck." Nichole joined, looking somewhat creeped out at the thought.

Wendy stepped forward, facing her teammates. "Alright girls, that's enough. I know you're all confused and curious about the whole Mysterion incident, and believe me, so am I. We'll have all the time in the world to talk about it afterwards, but right now, I need you guys to focus on volleyball." She said, but the girls didn't seem eager to follow her command. She sighed. "...You don't want to look stupid in front of someone who might know Mysterion, right?"

At this the girls widened her eyes.

"She's right." Bebe said. "Maybe that girl can tell us what that was all about."

"Yeah, we should ask her about it once the match is over." Nichole nodded. Wendy smirked in satisfaction. Her friends could be easy to manipulate sometimes.

Both teams assumed their positions. Wendy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearing her head from anything other than volleyball. When she reopened her eyes, there was no more Kenny in her mind. Or Mysterion. Or young little girl. Her eyes could only see the volleyball court and the ball she was holding.

The coach blew her whistle.

"...Let's do this."

...

"[Hey Karen... Can you put these books in my locker for me?]" Kenny asked.

"Huh?" The girl was visibly confused. "I-"

"[You remember which one is my locker, right?]" He cut her off, picking her books from her hands and handing some of his own to her. "[I'll bring these to your locker. Wait for me next to the gym, alright?]"

The girl was startled. Her brother wasn't usually this pushy. "U-Uhm... Okay, but... Wh-?"

"[But what?]" He said, almost impatiently. Karen visibly flinched at this, taking a step back. Kenny immediately noticed what he done. "[Sorry... I just... I need to see the school counselor. Your locker is on my way there, so I thought I could save you the trip. Also, my locker in on the way to the gym, so... Yeah.]" He said.

A perplexed Karen said nothing for a few moments, tilting her head as she watched her brother. She wasn't dumb. Something was wrong. "Kenny, are you okay...?"

"[...Yeah.] He muttered. "[Sorry. I just need to ask Mr. Mackey something.]"

"Not that. You're, uh... You're acting kind of weird. Are you mad at me...?" She asked with concern.

"[No, of course not. Why would I ever be angry with you?]" He patted her head, remembering what he told her earlier that day as his infamous alter ego. "[Don't worry, everything is fine.]" He said reassuringly, but Karen didn't really seem convinced. "[I'll see if I can find Mr. Mackey before he heads out for lunch. I'll meet you at the gym!]" He told her and quickly took of, leaving a bewildered Karen behind and not giving her a chance to say anything.

Once he was no longer in her line of sight, he let out an angry sigh, no longer being able to maintain a neutral facial expression. His features grew noticiably darker as he treaded through the hallways, so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even acknowledge the other kids nearby. He was lucky he didn't run into any of his friends, since he quite frankly had no energy left to try and act casual around anyone.

After a quick stop at the boys's bathroom, Kenny stopped in front of Karen's locker. It looked the same way it did from when he passed by earlier on his way to meet his sister in her classroom. The sight of it made him unconsciously tighten his grip on Karen's books, gritting his teeth so hard that it was a wonder they didn't break.

Calmly placing the books down, he retrieved the small towel he dampened in the bathroom and silently washed away all the nasty drawings and words that were written on the locker door, ignoring curious spectators.

KILL YOURSELF BITCH
DIE WHORE
JUST YOU WAIT

His movements were slow and steady, almost like as if he was doing it absentmindedly. He kept moving the towel until every trace of the markers's ink was erased without a trace. Thankfully, the lock didn't seem to be broken or to have been tampered with. He feared that Karen's possessions could have been destroyed or stolen, but they were still intact. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do about the key scratches or the several dents in the door. The wet towel was able to make them look slightly less worse, but they were still noticeable. Some of Karen's cute stickers should be able to hide them just fine though. Kenny just had to come up with an excuse as to why Karen's locker was suddenly wrecked. He would surely come up with something convincing later.

But it wouldn't be any time soon. Contrary to his calm and collected actions, Kenny's mind was filled with crimson. Like a flame, the thoughts in his head were intense. Relentless. Oh, no, he wasn't angry. Not at all.

...He was MAD as HELL.

Once Karen's belongings were properly stored, Kenny looked at the messed up door for several moments and snarled, somehow restraining the urge to punch the wall as he walked away.

Kenny was hunched over in his seat; his elbows planted firmly on his upper thighs and serving as support for his head. Clasping hands, covered his already hidden mouth and did nothing but breathe in a miserable attempt to calm himself down. His eyes were lost, not looking at anything in particular but still incredibly intense. The events from just now kept replaying in his head, and he found himself unable to forget the vandalism on his sister's locker. The words that were left for her...

Now, Kenny isn't by any means a violent person. He (usually) doesn't solve his problems with violence unless he is fighting crime or dealing with annoying pricks like Cartman. Even then, being a brains over brawl kind of person, he always calmly sought the most logical course of action rather that letting his fists do the thinking (or talking). But not this time. The fact that someone (or 'someones') went to these lenghts to torment and harrass the person he loved the most was unforgivable. And he knew all too well that the abuse wouldn't end with by simply beating up one random bully.

But that wouldn't be a problem. After all, Kenny was is the perfect mood to send as many bullies as he could find to the hospital. Or to the morgue.

And then there was the incident with Stan. Kenny should have known his friend wouldn't forget his former girlfriend so easily, even if they hadn't spoken to each other for months. Stan had always been the jealous type, to the point of literally going on a journey to find a giant clitoris just to try and make Wendy choose him over a boy named Gregory. As obnoxious and somewhat unsightly as it was, Kenny knew that his friend's obssession for Wendy stemmed from his genuine love for her. She was the first and only girlfriend the boy ever had, and they had been together for years, so it was only natural for him to develop deep feelings for her. Hell, he even became a literal goth after his first break-up.

Now, it wasn't like Kenny couldn't imagine what was going through Stan's head. If one of his friends suddenly became close friends with Tammy, or Kelly, or even his sister Karen, he would probably feel some kind of jealousy too. Regardless of whether Stan still had feelings for Wendy or not, it was common sense that dating a friend's ex was not only wrong, but also a douchebag move. There was a lot of pain behind every break-up; even the sweetest of memories carrying a lot of pain and sadness. Some people can move on without looking back even once, but some people just can't pretend it never existed. Many people genuinely just can't overcome their angst and are forever haunted by the ghost of what was once a great relationship. So when a friend - a person you genuinely trust - is the one to benefit from your misery and build a relationship of their own with someone you once loved... It hurts as much as if they had stabbed your chest. Not because their former lover moved on. Not because they're happy with someone else. But because you feel betrayed.

"But that's not the damn case here... I'm not dating Wendy. We're just friends." Kenny thought, thinking back to his conversation with Stan. But for some reason, as true as these words were... something about them bothered Kenny deeply. How come the truth sounded so ugly...? Why did it sound so weird?

"...Hellooo? Earth to Kenny?" Someone called him, snapping their fingers.

Kenny broke out of his spell and looked up to find a small group of girls standing in front of him by the bleachers. Karen was shyly clutching his arm and hiding her face in his back. Needless to say, Kenny was confused. "[...What?]"

The one who had called him was apparently Red. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. "You alive in there? The match ended a while ago, you know."

Kenny blinked a few times and looked around. Indeed, the court looked rather empty now. The volleyball net had already been dismantled and taken away; most likely back to the storage room. Bleachers were deserted save for him and Karen. "[...O-Oh. I see. Sorry, I spaced out. Do you need us to leave?]"

The girls looked at each other with uncertainty. Wendy said nothing, peering at the boy with something akin to concern. Naturally, she couldn't see his whole facial expression, but there was something odd about him today. Despite coming to watch the practice like he promised, Wendy felt like his mind was elsewhere. He looked pale and unusually distracted. His eyes were restless, conveying some emotion that Wendy wasn't able to read.

"No, not really. But hey... Who is that?" Bebe suddenly asked him. Karen stiffened, tightening her grip on his arm.

He frowned. "She must still be scared about what happened earlier..." His mind dangerously drifted back to Karen's locker, but he dismissed the thoughts for now.

"[Ah... right.]" He cleared his throat. He had a feeling that he knew why they all seemed suddenly interested in Karen, but decided to be polite as usual. "[This is Karen. She's a first grader, and today is her first day at school.]" He turned to his sister. "[Karen, this is the South Park Cows volleyball team. They're my classmates. Well, most of them.]"

Karen slowly let go of Kenny to properly face the athletes. It was then that Kenny realized that Karen didn't look afraid in the slightest. Quite on the contrary: her eyes were sparkling with amazement. "U-Um..." She smiled timidly rubbing her hands together in a similar manner to Butters and looking down, blushing.

"[Come on Kar, introduce yourself to everyone.]" He gently encouraged her.

Karen fidgeted with her hands for a few moments. "...'lo." She managed to say before hiding behind Kenny's back again.

The boy chuckled, letting go of his anger without realizing. "[Hahaha. What're you so shy for?]" He teased. Karen's face grew redder, and she replied by punching Kenny's arm. "[Ow! Hahaha.]" He rubbed his shoulder, still laughing.

Wendy had to admit that the girl was pretty adorable; as was their interaction just now. Their little moment just now brought a smile to her face... Or at least, it would have. Something about their proximity bothered Wendy, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly. Was it because of the pet name? Or maybe because she was so young? Yeah, that was probably it. The girl looked like the epitome of innocence, like as if she came straight out of a child's cartoon. The thought that they could be in a relationship made Wendy deeply uncomfortable.

Karen reached out to Kenny and whispered in his ear. He nodded. "[...Sure, go ahead.]"

The girls were confused for a moment. Karen left Kenny's side and stood in front of the crowd. "U-Um... Hi." She looked down, looking bashful. "I, uh... I really enjoyed watching you play. I t-think you're all amazing."

"Oh, is that so? Thanks! It really means a lot to hear that." Wendy couldn't help but smile sweetly, as did the other girls.

"[I didn't think you'd enjoy it this much.]" An amused Kenny said. "[We can come again tomorrow if you want.]"

Karen's eyes widened. "Can we?" She asked, to which Kenny replied with a nod. "Yay!" She beamed. It was at times like these that Kenny couldn't contest Cartman accusing him of having a sister-complex. Karen was just too precious.

Wendy glanced at the boy and smiled, then turned back to the young girl. "Is he always this nice, Karen?"

"Yeah, Kenny is the best!" Karen's shyness was overcome by her excitement and she looked more eager to talk. "He bought me ice cream earlier, and yesterday he even let me sleep with him."

Silence.

"You... sleep with him?" Bebe asked, looking actually afraid to do so.

"Uh-huh!" She replied without a second thought. "We sleep together all the time when my parents aren't home. He hugs me tight so that I don't feel scared."

Some of the girls covered their mouths in absolute shock while a few others just widened their eyes and dropped their jaws It took Kenny a moment to understand why they were reacting that way; his eyes widening with the realization. Suddenly, he was struck with an ominous, familiar feeling of portent; a feeling that was usually followed by a brutal, painful death experience for him. Kenny always found Karen's innocence endearing, and in a way it made him happy since she wasn't growing up to become someone like her parents. But hell, did she just dig his grave.

"Call 911." One of the girls said, and suddenly he had several pairs of glares aimed at him. One of the girls pulled a cellphone from her gym bag.

"[H-Hold on! It's not what you think! I can explain!]" He said. Oh fuck, they were pissed... Hold on, did that girl just crack her knuckles?

"Get him?" Someone hissed. Several nods were made in response.

"[W-Wait, damn it! She's my sister!]"

Much to Kenny's relief, his answer seemed to have the desired effect, as the murderous intent the girls were exhibiting slowly subsided.

"Your... sister?" It was Wendy who asked, for some reason feeling a huge weight come out of her chest. She had no idea why realizing that Karen was Kenny's sister relieved her so much.

"[Yes!]" An exasperated Kenny exclaimed. "[She feels scared at night, so I stay with her until she falls asleep.]" He clarified. The girls's reactions were priceless.

"Geez, tell us that sooner!" Red sighed. "We almost freaked out just now."

"[Yeah yeah, I'll be more careful next time.]" He rolled his eyes. "[Anyway, good game guys. See you all tomorrow.]" He grabbed Karen's hand. "[Come on Karen, let's go home.] He said with a tired voice, eager to go home and hoping a long, warm bath would ease his mind a bit.

"Already...?" Karen mumbled, disappointed.

Kenny raised an eyebrown "[Why? Do you want to stay?]" He asked, confused. Due to the trauma she went through today, Karen was pretty much begging Kenny to go home as soon as possible an hour ago. It was a wonder she even accepted to watch the volleyball match. Kenny had invited her in hopes of cheering her up a bit, but he honestly didn't expect her to actually accept, and especially not for her to want to stick around when it was over.

Karen seemed troubled. "...I wanted to talk the the girls a bit more..."

"[Ah, I see.]" Kenny forced a smile. "[Well, I don't mind, but the girls need to go home too.]"

"Actually, we'd love to talk to Karen some more." Bebe quickly interjected.

The small girl's eyes lit up. "Really?!" Suddenly excited, Karen didn't even wait for an answer before turning back to Kenny. "Can we please stay? Please?" She begged.

How could Kenny refuse?

"[Alright, alright. Go ahead.]" Kenny patted her head. Karen being this excited was quite a rare sight, so he felt a bit relieved himself. Karen beamed, thanking her brother from the bottom of her heart as she went down the bleachers and towards the girls.

Kenny watched her off with a smile, which soon faded into nothingness as he once again lost himself in his thoughts.

"...These people won't quit. They ignored my warning and tried to harrass my sister again. They won't stop..." He clenched his fists, the faces of the fifth-graders burned into his memories. "That's why... No matter what it takes... I'm going to stop them."

...

...

To be continued...

A/N: Hello everyone. Thank you so much for reading this far. I deeply apologize for taking so long with this update and I hope you enjoyed it. I will update this story again very soon, so please look forward to it! And again, please don't forget to review!