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The war unfolding in Afghanistan had nothing to do with Kryptonians.
Even though society as a whole had become noticeably more tense after 9/11, everyday life for ordinary people remained much the same.
Money still didn't fall from the sky—you had to earn it yourself.
You either cooked your own meals or went out to eat.
The people truly affected were those with darker complexions or who wore headscarves.
During this period, they often faced discrimination that ranged from humiliating to outright threatening.
The prejudice that had once been directed toward mutants had, almost overnight, found a new target.
For Henry, or for someone like Katharine Hepburn, whose appearance fit the image of a white American, it made little difference.
But Skye looked Asian.
To many people who couldn't—or wouldn't—tell the difference, or who were simply looking for someone to vent their anger on, she became an easy target.
Even though she didn't wear a headscarf.
---
Of course, this was the same girl who had survived in the sewers beneath New York.
She wasn't the type to quietly endure insults without fighting back.
So, just before Christmas in 2001, Henry was summoned to the principal's office as her legal guardian.
The last time he'd been in this very office had been to enroll Skye in school.
Now he was back again.
Oddly enough, the novelty still hadn't worn off.
As he walked through the halls, he looked around with obvious curiosity, taking in what an American school was actually like.
Most importantly...
He wanted to see whether the hallways really had those outrageous condom vending machines he'd heard so much about.
Fortunately, the school Katharine had chosen for Skye seemed to have a much healthier atmosphere.
At the very least, the students looked like students.
Not like street punks.
---
Henry was the last person to arrive.
The two children were already seated in front of the principal's desk.
The other boy's parents had also arrived.
Skye sat there alone.
Her chin was held high with stubborn pride.
There wasn't the slightest hint of remorse or self-reflection on her face.
---
The student who had fought with Skye was a boy.
He was large for his age.
Not merely sturdy...
Actually a little overweight.
His father was also a big man, though without his son's pudgy build.
He remained relatively calm.
His mother, on the other hand, was anything but.
She held her son protectively while glaring furiously at Skye.
---
Henry entered first with an apologetic smile.
"Oh, sorry. Looks like I'm late."
"I came as soon as I received the call."
"So... please blame New York traffic."
Of course, Henry had driven here instead of using super speed.
His claim that he'd come "as quickly as possible" was... open to interpretation.
The elderly white woman serving as principal, Ms. Tillman, responded politely.
"I'm sorry to have called you here, Mr. Brown.
"I'm sure this is a situation none of us wanted to see."
Henry sat down, unbuttoning his suit jacket.
"What happened?"
He had intentionally dressed in a well-tailored suit.
Putting on the armor of a gentleman had its advantages.
At least the boy's parents hadn't immediately launched into accusations.
That said...
His long hair and thick beard clashed rather dramatically with the expensive suit.
He could clearly feel them studying him, unable to decide what kind of man he actually was.
---
Principal Tillman patiently explained,
"Given the tragic events we all experienced in September, society has unfortunately become much less peaceful."
"I'm deeply disappointed that this unhealthy atmosphere has also entered our school."
She looked toward the boy.
"Mark used inappropriate and insulting language toward Skye."
"That behavior is unacceptable."
"I've already reprimanded him."
She then looked toward Skye.
"However, Skye responded with violence and injured Mark."
"That was also wrong."
"I've spoken to her as well."
"But she refuses to change her attitude."
"And she refuses to apologize."
"So I had no choice but to invite you here as her guardian, Mr. Henry Brown."
"I hope you'll persuade Skye to apologize and accept disciplinary action."
"If she still refuses..."
"I'm afraid I'll have to make a difficult decision in order to protect this school."
---
On the surface, the principal's words sounded impartial.
In reality, she had glossed over certain details.
Henry didn't point that out.
Instead, he looked at the visibly angry Skye.
"Is what Ms. Tillman said accurate?"
"Skye?"
"Hmph!"
Henry placed a hand on the top of her head.
Without hurting her, he firmly turned the stubborn girl's face toward him.
"Please answer the question, Ms. Poots."
Even Katie the tiger couldn't resist Henry's strength.
Skye certainly had no chance.
Although he wasn't hurting her...
Being forced to face Henry's bearded face at point-blank range filled her with both annoyance and grievance.
Suppressing her frustration, she muttered,
"Ms. Tillman didn't say anything wrong."
Henry released her.
"Then what exactly did he say to insult you?"
Skye immediately turned her head away again.
"Why don't you ask him?"
---
Henry shifted his attention to the chubby boy.
The child was still hiding against his mother's side.
To be fair...
His acting skills were terrible.
Henry could tell at a glance that he was putting on an act.
As for his injuries...
His clothes bore obvious footprints where someone had stepped on him.
There were also a few scratches on his face where the skin had been broken.
That was it.
No broken arms.
No broken legs.
No missing teeth.
No black eye.
No torn clothes.
No chunks of hair ripped out.
Frankly...
A little saliva would probably heal those scratches.
Was this really serious enough to require calling in the parents?
Henry addressed the boy politely.
"Your name's Mark, right?"
"I'm not asking you to repeat what you said."
"I just want to know..."
"Why did you insult a girl?"
"Did she do something to offend you?"
"What made you think that was the right thing to do?"
---
"That's not the issue!"
the boy's mother shouted.
"Your child hit my child!"
"Shouldn't she apologize for that?"
Principal Tillman also chimed in.
"Mr. Brown, we've already dealt with Mark's misconduct."
"What we're discussing now is Skye's attitude."
Henry shook his head.
"No."
"I want to know whether this started as ordinary childish friction..."
"...or whether there's a more serious reason behind it."
"Different causes require different solutions."
"You can't simply suppress the problem."
"If the adults force everything under the rug without addressing the root cause..."
"It'll happen again."
"And again."
"Eventually it'll only become more serious."
"I don't think any of us wants that."
---
The other boy's mother immediately became agitated.
"And why are you assuming my son is the problem?"
Apparently emboldened by having his mother at his side, the chubby boy also raised his voice.
"Yeah!"
"What did I do wrong?"
"She's the one with the problem!"
"And besides..."
"I know you're not even her real father."
He glared at Skye.
"Maybe her real parents were one of those people who hijacked the planes and crashed them into the Twin Towers."
"I just told her to get out of America..."
"...and go back to her own country."
"What's wrong with that?"
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