*Tobias: Standing Up*

Tobias sat at his usual spot in the Evergrand Penitatas School cafeteria, nibbling halfheartedly at his sandwich. Around him, the room buzzed with chatter, forks clinking against trays as kids enjoyed their lunch break. Beside him, Martha munched on a carrot stick while Bruno poked at his mashed potatoes.

Everything seemed calm—until it wasn’t.

Across the room, Tobias heard a loud voice ring out, cutting through the normal lunchtime noise. His ears perked up as he turned to see a group of students gathered around a table. At the center of it was **Connor Green**, a human boy known for stirring trouble. Connor had a smug look on his face, his arms crossed as he leaned toward Martha’s usual table.

---

*The Bullying Begins*

“Hey, floppy ears!” Connor called out, his voice dripping with mockery. “What’s it like being a carrot-chomping bunny? Do they let you live in the school garden?”

Martha, holding her tray of food, froze mid-step, her ears twitching slightly. She didn’t look at Connor, but her expression darkened.

Connor smirked, encouraged by the attention. “What, no answer? Too busy twitching your nose?”

Tobias’s fur bristled, but Connor wasn’t done.

“Bet it’s hard being a second-class pet, huh?” Connor sneered. “And don’t even get me started on your *friend* Tobias over there.” His gaze shifted to Tobias, his eyes narrowing. “What’s it like being a walking tuxedo, huh? Do you cough up hairballs when you’re mad? Maybe you and the bunny can open a petting zoo together.”

Several students laughed nervously, though many looked uncomfortable. Bruno’s ears flattened as he glanced at Tobias. “You’re not going to let this slide, are you?”

Tobias didn’t need any encouragement. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor, drawing everyone’s attention.

---

*Tobias Stands Up*

“That’s enough!” Tobias shouted, his voice cutting through the room. He marched over to Connor’s table, his tail flicking angrily. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

Connor smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Oh, look. The tuxedo cat thinks he’s a hero. What are you going to do, Rowe? Scratch me? Or maybe scam me out of my lunch money?”

Tobias’s claws instinctively extended, but he forced himself to stay calm. “At least I’m not a coward who picks on people just because they’re different.”

Connor’s face twisted in anger. “You animals don’t belong here. You think just because you can talk and act like people, you’re the same as us? You’re just freaks pretending to be something you’re not.”

The room fell silent at the harshness of Connor’s words. Martha’s ears drooped, and she stared at her tray, clearly hurt. Tobias, however, felt his anger flare.

“You’re the only freak here, Connor,” Tobias shot back. “Picking on others doesn’t make you better than them. It just makes you pathetic.”

The room was deathly quiet, all eyes on the confrontation. Connor’s face flushed red as his fists clenched, but before he could respond, a sharp voice rang out.

---

*The Consequences*

“Mr. Green. Mr. Rowe. My office. Now.”

Mrs. Langford stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, her sharp gaze silencing any lingering whispers. Connor and Tobias exchanged looks before reluctantly following her out, the weight of the room’s stares trailing behind them.

---

*In the Office*

Mrs. Langford sat behind her desk, her expression as stern as ever. She folded her hands and addressed Connor first.

“Mr. Green, bullying is unacceptable at Evergrand Penitatas School. Your comments were not only hurtful but entirely inappropriate. You will be disciplined accordingly.”

Connor shifted uncomfortably as Mrs. Langford stood and retrieved the wooden paddle from her desk. “Over the desk. Pants down.”

Connor’s face turned pale as he obeyed, lowering his pants and leaning over the desk. The paddle landed with three sharp *cracks*, each swat drawing a loud yelp from him.

“Return to your seat,” Mrs. Langford said firmly.

Connor pulled up his pants, his face red with a mix of pain and embarrassment, and shuffled to the corner of the room.

Mrs. Langford then turned to Tobias, her gaze unyielding. “Mr. Rowe, while your intentions may have been good, you know the rules. Conflicts should be brought to a teacher or staff member, not handled on your own. By escalating the situation, you’ve broken protocol.”

Tobias’s ears flattened. “But I was just—”

“No excuses,” Mrs. Langford interrupted. “Over the desk.”

Tobias’s stomach dropped as he obeyed, lowering his pants and leaning over. The first swat landed with a sharp *crack*, making him yelp. The second and third swats stung even worse, leaving his eyes watery by the time it was over.

“Return to your seat,” Mrs. Langford instructed.

Tobias pulled up his pants and sat beside Connor, his backside throbbing as the two waited in awkward silence.

---

*Aftermath*

As Tobias left the office, rubbing his sore bottom, he found Martha waiting for him in the hallway. Her floppy ears perked up slightly when she saw him, though her expression was a mix of gratitude and guilt.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said softly. “Now you’re in trouble too.”

“I couldn’t just sit there and let him treat you like that,” Tobias replied, his tail flicking. “Besides, it’s not like it’s my first paddling.”

Martha smiled faintly, her ears twitching. “Still... thanks, Rowe. You’re not so bad for a tuxedo cat.”

“Don’t mention it,” Tobias said, though a small grin tugged at his lips.

---

*A Watchful Eye*

Unbeknownst to Tobias, a pair of sharp red eyes watched from the shadows just outside the cafeteria. The black tuxedo cat in Saiyan armor—the one who had spied on him at the park—stood silently near the building’s edge, her tail swishing rhythmically.

“So, the fraudster has some fight in him,” she murmured, her voice low and thoughtful. “And a caring side, too. How... intriguing.”

She smirked, adjusting the gleaming armor on her shoulders. “This is going to be fun.”

With a quiet chuckle, she turned and slipped into the nearby foliage, her mind already plotting her next move.