Chapter 156: The Great Power The giant metal bleacher was still held high above Hugo’s head. Veins were bulging from his forearms, his biceps, his neck, thick and rope-like, pulsing under his skin like vines fighting to break free. And Dipter? He could only stare in disbelief. No amount of training, no matter how many years, how much strength, how much pain, could get him that level of power. It wasn’t just physical. It was inhuman. All around the yard, inmates had stopped breathing. The boys near the basketball court, the ones who had laughed and joked just minutes ago, now stood frozen. Wide-eyed. Silent. There was fear on every single face. They weren’t just wondering what Hugo could do now. They were wondering what he was about to do next. Suddenly, a loudspeaker crackled to life behind them. “Hugo! Place the stand down, now!” The announcement echoed across the yard. The guards’ voices sounded strained, like they were trying to sound calm but were barely holding it together. “They’ve learned their lesson! They won’t come near you again. Don’t make this harder for yourself. There’s no reason for your time here to be extended.” Dipter turned to look toward the guard station, and what he saw chilled him. Most of the guards were locked inside the building. Not preparing to come out. Not standing ready to intervene. Hiding. They weren’t even trying to stop Hugo with force. Their only weapon now was negotiation. And judging by the looks on their faces, the few who were outside, they had no backup plan if that didn’t work. They were screwed. “Hugo,” the voice came again, a little more desperate this time, “you’ve done so well to make it this far without incident. We know you weren’t the aggressor. We’re prepared to let this go. Just put the stand down!” Everyone watched. Hugo stood there for a moment, breathing heavily. In and out. Chest rising and falling in deep, steady waves. Then he shifted. Slowly, he turned his body to the side. The massive bleacher platform tilted with him, still balanced above his head. And then, in one fluid motion, he hurled it. The structure slammed into the yard with a deafening crash, steel scraping across the concrete as it skidded to a stop. Dust rose into the air. Metal creaked. But no one was hurt. The ground shook. But the threat had passed. The negotiation had worked. Hugo stood in silence for a second longer, his shoulders still rising and falling. Then, without a word, he turned and walked calmly toward the portion of the bleachers he hadn’t torn apart. He climbed back up, reached the very top step, sat down, and rested his elbows on his knees. Same position. Same silence. As if nothing had ever happened. Follow new episodes on the "N0vel1st.c0m". What Hugo had just done burned itself into everyone’s memory. Etched in their minds like a scar. “The rumors were true,” someone whispered. “No kidding. No wonder no one messes with him. That strength… is that even human?” “Yeah, man. It was like watching a real-life superhero.” “But that’s what doesn’t make sense. Why would someone like that be locked up in juvie? With the rest of us?” “For real. Shouldn’t he be in the news or something? Or like… kept in some secret government facility with other superpowered freaks?” “That wasn’t superpowers,” another kid chimed in. “I bet my dad could do that if he got pissed enough.” “Does your dad turn green too? ‘Cause if so, I’ll believe it.” Laughter cracked through the tension like a crack in glass. But Dipter didn’t join in. He couldn’t. His hand was shaking. And when he brought it up to his face, he realized something strange, his lips were pulled into a smile. Why am I smiling? he thought. And then it clicked. Now I understand what Popper meant. If I could get Hugo on our side, convince him to join us, everyone else would fall in line. No one would dare challenge it. With that kind of strength backing us… We could actually do something real. A part of him did wonder, how did Popper even know this? Why was he the only one who seemed to know what Hugo was really capable of? But the main prize was sitting right in front of him. And Dipter wasn’t going to waste the moment. Without hesitation, he started walking toward the bleachers, toward Hugo. Up near the control tower, one of the guards slammed his fist on the railing. “What is that kid doing? We just avoided a full-blown disaster, and now he’s going to start another one?” The other guard squinted, shaking his head. “No way. No way. No one would be that stupid. Not after what we all just saw. He’s not going to fight him… right?” Neither of them moved. Even if they wanted to stop it, they knew they wouldn’t reach Dipter in time. Dipter climbed the stairs, every step heavier than the last. When he reached the top, Hugo hadn’t moved. Not a single twitch. Not even after what just happened. Still calm. Still quiet. Still watching the world like it didn’t matter. Dipter stood in front of him. “The kids that came up here earlier,” Dipter said, steadying his voice. “I was the one who sent them.” And for the first time, he saw something. Just a twitch. A flicker in Hugo’s ear. He heard me. “What they said, it was true,” Dipter began, standing tall in front of Hugo. “I wanted you to join me. To help create something real when we got out. Something that meant we wouldn’t end up in a place like this again.” He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head at himself. “Someone told me if I got you on board, we could actually make it happen. Back then, I thought it would be me leading. My crew. My name.” He looked up at Hugo, calm, unmoving, like a mountain carved from silence. “But now I realize how foolish that was.” Dipter’s smile faded into something more honest. “It’s not me they’d follow. It’s you.” He gestured out toward the yard, toward the crowd still frozen in awe from earlier. “With the kind of strength you have… no one would question it. Everyone here would follow you. Not because of some speech or some plan, but because of what you are. That’s why I’ve changed my mind.” Dipter took a breath. “I don’t want you to join me. I want to join you. I want to help you build whatever vision you have.” He stepped closer. “So… can I ask? What is it you want? What’s your goal when you get out of here? Because if you help me build what I’m working toward… then I’ll do everything I can to help you get what you want too.” Dipter didn’t know if any of this would work. But for once, he wasn’t strategizing or calculating. He was just saying what was on his mind, truthfully. And maybe, just maybe, no one else had ever been brave, or dumb, enough to ask Hugo that one simple question. What do you want? Hugo finally spoke. His voice was softer than Dipter had imagined. Not deep, not monstrous. Just a kid’s voice. A teenager’s voice. Just like them. “What I want?” Hugo said, barely above a whisper. Then his tone hardened. “When I get out of here… I want to take down the one who taught me this. The one who gave me this power. The one who showed me everything the world had to offer, and then abandoned me. Left me here to rot.” His hand clenched into a fist, knuckles turning white, veins popping once more. Dipter didn’t flinch. “Then… I’ll help you do that,” he said quietly.