Square One is the twenty-fifth story arc of unORDINARY and the eighth arc of Season 2. It began with Chapter 218 and ended with Chapter 234. It was the last arc before the mid-season finale of Season 2.
Prominent figures all over Wellston Private High School have suffered the pain of watching their hard work come undone. As bitter their disappointment might be, their failure yielded important lessons. Two stubbornindividuals in particular are forced to reevaluate what they believed in. When faced with terrible setbacks, there's nothing they can do but learn from their mistakes and start over.
Vaughn interrogates Blyke about the origins of the amplifier vial. Blyke narrates all his vigilante adventures, up to the point where he was broadcasted on television in the cafe. Blyke is willing to accept any necessary punishment by Vaughn, but requests the headmaster to allow him to tend to the shattered Safe House, and explains his motives. Vaughn is pleased with Blyke's sincerity and benevolence, and so grants his request. Outside, Remi assures Blyke that she is not angry at him, but at herself for letting Blyke become so troubled about the school's affairs. Later, she goes to the Safe House, where she is surprised to find Arlo. Arlo tells her that he will support the Safe House from now on.
Arlo tells Remi that he found out that the Authorities were involved in the murders of Rei and all the other vigilantes. Arlo reflects on how much respect he had for Rei. He urges Remi not to give up on her idea, and swears he'll support her. After school, Seraphina bids Evie farewell and meets up with Kayden, who teleports them to a laboratory. Leilah greets her while decked out in lab garments. Leilah thanks her sister for trusting her, but Seraphina corrects Leilah's misconceptions, telling her that it's not trust that coaxed her to this arrangement, but she's willing to put all that beef aside if she could move forward with her life. Seraphina changing into a hospital gown and lies down on the operation bed. Leilah asks how long it's been since she's been drugged. Seraphina answers that it had been two long months, during which turmoil racked Wellston School. Seraphina speaks of a friend who happens to be very lost right now, and desperately needs her help.
John is sitting in his dorm, rolling in lament as to why he was always in the wrong according to everyone. The next day, as Cecile dismisses the Press for the day, Isen goes up to meet her, mustering enough courage to do so, knowing well that John might also be in the same room. John is not there however, and so Isen asks Cecile why she is so insistent on targetting the Safe House. Cecile tells him that it is nothing personal, and that John is forcing her to do it. If she refuses, she will face yet another beatdown. Isen tells Cecile that she has become John's puppet, and he hates to see her produce biased propaganda rather than her usual quality content in the newspaper. Cecile ponders over this after Isen leaves, and decides to leave John's side. Meanwhile, Arlo runs into Blyke, who thanks him for joining the Safe House. Arlo inquires about Blyke's injuries, and Blyke assures him that Darren healed him properly. Blyke also remarks that the fact that Darren still worked in Wellston was remarkable, given his tremendous workload. The two High-tiers bid each other goodbye. Outside the school, John hears rumours of Arlo rejoining the Safe House, and wonders what the old King is up to.
John finds out that Cecile hasn't published an anti-Safe House article that she was supposed to, and decides to storm the Press Room with Zeke. He demands to know why she didn't do as she was told. Cecile replies that she didn't consider the article necessary, given her experience in handling the Press. John walks up to her and reminds her that she has no say in anything, and she was brought back into power because of him. The bitter Cecile quits her post in front of John and begins to leave the room, but is blocked by a powered-up, smirking Zeke. Cecile tells John that she is quitting because he treats her poorly. John is in no mood for hearing her out, and menacingly walks up to punish her with the full brunt of his might. Cecile can only watch as her imminent doom approaches. Arlo and Remi are in the courtyard, discussing new plans for the Safe House, when John and Zeke appear. At first, Remi and Arlo try to avoid a confrontation, but John blocks their path. Arlo asks John what he wants. John demands to know why Arlo rejoined the Safe House. Arlo said that he had his reasons, and they were in no way related to John. John refuses to accept this, and uses vines to fasten him to his spot, telling him that he isn't going anywhere until John says so.
Arlo struggles to escape but to no avail. John fires a series of vine daggers at him and Remi. Arlo is able to tank the attacks thanks to his passive, but Remi is forced to use her ability to dodge the attacks. Thus, John can now produce electric vine daggers, which are considerably more dangerous. Now, John begins to attack Remi and Arlo together. Remi is able to ground John's lightning attacks, enabling Arlo to not use his Barrier for a while longer. She cannot however, stop his electrical vine daggers, and Arlo is eventually forced to use his Barrier. John now goes all-out, inspite of Remi begging him to stop. He tells Remi that she is trying to bargain only because she knows she is losing. John finally shatters Arlo's Barrier, and just when it looks like Arlo and Remi's fate is certain, they disappear. Seraphina appears in the courtyard, now fully able to use her ability: she stopped time and saved Arlo and Remi from John's attack. She tells John that they need to talk.
Arlo and Remi silently wonder how Seraphina got her ability back so soon. Seraphina orders Zeke to leave, and the elite-tier gladly obliges. John sneers at Seraphina, telling her his suspicions of the authorities helping her regain her ability. Seraphina bats these aside, and tells John she risked a lot, something John deoesn't believe. Seraphina tells Remi and Arlo to leave. Though, Remi resits, Arlo silences her, and they begin to leave. John attempts to block their exit with electric swords, but Seraphina stops time and shatters these, allowing the Queen and the old King to escape, but takes tremendous damage in the process. John and Seraphina then have a cataclysmic showdown, where the two relentlessly attack each other, with no clear winner. Seraphina takes enormous damage each time she tries to smash John's barrier or his electric swords, but she heals her injuries by rewinding time. John keeps withstanding Seraphina's powerful attacks, but takes tremendous reflective damage himself. Seraphina pleads John to open his eyes, telling him that he is hurting himself gravely. John refuses to believe any of this, and clutches his hands to his head, fortifying his barrier by wrapping it with vines, blocking any view of him. Seraphina calls out his name desperately.
John has effectively shut himself out from the outside world. But his prison can't keep out the memories that plague him with guilt. Unwilling to stand by as he watches his past self attack Adrion and Claire, John tries to crush the worst side of himself once and for all. John may as well be fighting a ghost, but his attacks pose a real threat to Seraphina outside. Despite the risk of jeopardizing her recovery, she is unwilling to quit on her best friend in his greatest time of need. She forces through his barrier, using all her remaining strength and convinces John that he is not a monster. John finally sees that he has changed, and collapses, crying. Seraphina, exhausted from her efforts, falls into John's arms unconcious.
Vaughn arrives to the aftermath of the fight just in time to prevent Zeke from making a bad situation worse, and has Seraphina and John escorted to the infirmary. Having to heal four Royals within the span of a single afternoon drives Darren to the breaking point, but the reprieve he's been longing for may finally be in reach. In his office, Vaughn tells John that this outburst cannot go unpunished. Wanting to get away from the school altogether, John requests an immediate suspension, which the headmaster agrees to. He stops by the infirmary before leaving, and doesn't let the fact that Seraphina is unconscious stop him from thanking her for never giving up on him.
John spends his first days back home for suspension stuck in deep thought. Seraphina's continued belief in him only worsens the feelings of guilt he's had since his reeducation. Upon hearing his son exclaim how hopeless he feels in his own redemption, William urges John that only by moving forward and taking responsibility would such a dire outlook change. John simply can't believe this, leaving William wishing that he had an ability of his own with which he might have saved his son from walking down this path to begin with. John walks through town, and the sight of his old stomping grounds brings back bitter memories. But those don't compare to the chance encounter he has with somebody he betrayed.
Awkward as it is, John braces himself to properly reacquaint himself with Adrion...and apologize for what he did two years ago. Though the sight of John still frightens him, Adrion is astonished by John's uncharacteristic remorseful demeanor. When asked if he'll extend the same courtesy towards Claire, John becomes outraged. It's at this point Adrion reveals that John was very mistaken about who his enemies were.
John contemplates what Adrion told him, that Claire was always on his side. In his current psyche, John refuses to believe this. When he talks with William about this, he is shocked to hear William echo Adrion's words. He informs John of Claire's visit several years ago, telling him about John's incessant violence. He also tells John that he was too stubborn to ever accept that he was in fact being overly brutal. John is disappointed in himself and begins to criticize himself. William points out that it is more important that John learn from his actions. John decides to visit Claire to get the answers he needs.
It's the moment of truth for Claire. John is at her front door demanding answers, and the time has come to find out whether Seraphina's influence made him receptive to what others have to say. Will he finally acknowledge who was really to blame for what went down in New Bostin two years ago?
William gets more and more concerned about his son's experience in Keon's re-education classes, and convinces him to focus on the present and apply what he learnt from the past. Claire rings up the now healed Seraphina and informs her of John's visit. John is working on his homework, when he notices that Seraphina is free to chat. Before he can decide whether or not to call her, she calls him. He sees his friend unharmed and concerned for him. Seraphina assures him that she believes in him and will stay by his side through his dark times.
Despite the encouragement of his father and Seraphina, John's fear of losing control prevents him from becoming a fighter that others can rely on. Thus, he decides to try dealing with another of his flaws: his lifelong tendency to blame others for his actions. He sets out to re-visit his old New Bostin friends in order to take responsibility and make amends.
John goes to U-Mart to meet Adrion, but instead finds his friend being harassed by the BOGO Boys. John confronts the duo, unsure whether to trust his ability. Eventually, John lashes out, and swiftly defeats the duo. He is about to brutalize them further until Adrion convinces him to stop. John relaxes, and leaves them.
After John saves Adrion from the BOGO Boys, Adrion admires how awesome John is. Gleefully, Adrion tells John that this was the first real victory he had in a long time, since when they were together in New Bostin, John's victories were so brutal that they didn't feel like victories anymore. Adrion then rushes back to his job, but not before telling John that they should hang out sometime, to which John happily agrees. William greets John at the apartment, and on seeing his disheveled physique, asks of his whereabouts. John tells him of his adventures, and of his fear of his ability, to which William remarks that John only uses his ability when he's about to snap, and therefore he will always associate it with destruction. William finally asks John about his re-education classes, convinced that they are responsible for his defeatist attitude. John tells his father about how his memories were replayed every day in order to make him repent his actions. William is shocked at learning the trauma John went through, and hugs him, reassuring him that his life is his own now. John later ponders over what his father said, and agrees. Three weeks later, Vaughn calls John early in the morning, asking if he is willing to return to Wellston.
John returns to Wellston Private High School. As expected, his mere presence causes apprehension amongst the student body. But he's relived that there is at least one student who's glad he's back. Elsewhere, multiple investigations are underway. Valerie has been looking into three adolescents she ran into in Lewes, while William learns that a lead has come up in his search for Jane.
Characters Introduced[]
Characters introduced in this arc in the order of introduction
