He knew it would come. Their hate for him. Their compulsive, emotional analysis of his actions. It was more than predictable - it was the same reaction seen for thirty years of System research, and the same sort of attitude by the student body that had kept the single strongest argument for the Corporal Punishment System's alive.

Just look at them. How can they even begin to learn, to mature, to become perfectly acceptable adults in American society when the simplest of System expectations and regulations was being treated as tyranny?

'What happened once is happening again: we enforce, and they rebel. How could their parents even let us go when that's what will come back to their homes?'

So if every administrator of the System could expect their students to react in such a ridiculous demeanor each time the rules were enforced, then why assemble them? Why collect them together to witness the punishment of five students over what many in their ranks considered pointless and benign?

Simple: to hold up the mirror and remind them of just why there is a System to begin with. That, and to recognize just how many had to be dealt with in time.

---

The assembly was breaking down into chaos - much sooner than the Director had expected. Standing in front of the crowd, Aroon Kamsing and Nero Vivienne proved their own violent tempers by striking their guards from below the belt. It was funny that the student body would most likely see each of the two guards stationed to one punished student as excessive and oppressive, but they always failed to remember the rule of cautiousness: never under estimate the abilities of even children. It proved valuable as the two were instantly struck down and recaptured.

But the mania continued. Hicks, dragged by his feet, screamed and hollered his belief in those students that were successes, and those his beliefs were unfortunately clouded by the insanity of his nearby fellows, they were not lost on the Director, who shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, his thoughts briefly turning on the loyal senior.

'I know more than you know son. Keep that soul of yours strong - we'll all need it soon.'

The crowd's heat grew with every second now, reactions to Hicks' outcry, the boys' little resistance and the 'God' comment. Navarro knew that he'd need to contain the situation in time but felt it was best to let the children turn further from their own self-image of intellect and personal morality, allow themselves to become more like animals collectively than they'd ever know. However, it was the Headmaster that reacted first, and for this the Director was satisfied.

The whistle, the amusing sarcasm and the "nice cop" attitude helped calm the situation for a short while, and the Director felt no objections to Johnson's request to replace Acabee with the scantily clad Knox girl. He simply nodded at this and eyed the girl as she strode to replace the clearly shaken Knox cadet, who made his rapid reentry into the crowd.

'His fear will serve us well. A good choice in action Headmaster.'

---

Then came the lashing and rants by the "System supporters." One boy recognized the foolishness of the student body and cried out to all of them, but as predicted, was silenced by the batter of ignorance. A similar girl attempted the same, but made a dangerous mistake - she stepped onto the outdoor platform area, immediately landing a rubber pellet by Headmaster Johnson as he enforced the clear policy of not stepping within bounds of the punishment arena.

And of course, the outcries increased as the children saw this as oppression.

'My God, have they learned nothing?'

And as expected, other responded: one massive bulk of a student attempted to "rescue" the fallen girl hit by the rubber pellet while another intercepted him for the wild notion of letting the girl revel in her mistake. Of course he was using violence to drive the point, which immediately slit his cause's value, and only further reinforcing the Director's point: violence emanated everyone in that crowd beyond, as did selfishness, ignorance and a lack of foresight or empathy. Those who didn't care at all were either excessively violent or too apathetic to try and follow the proper code of ethics; those who saw the System as justified were either drowned in their own egos when compared to the "rebels" or simply failed to recognize the entire purpose of the System's laws; and then there were the "rebels" themselves, who seemingly felt any sort of attack on their "freedoms" was an evil action worth mounds of violence or damnation.

If a faculty member used force to make a student learn, that was abuse; if a discipline officer used punishment to consequence lawfulness, that was corruption; if a Director reminded the children just where they stood in the way of all things, then he was an arrogant fool. They could not read or interpret anything; they could not see past their own flawed options, and they could definitely not see the greater effect of their mindless objections. They truly did not deserve to be a part of The Collective.

No wonder they failed to see the God in that community of schools as the Director did; they were too blinded by their own love for themselves that they thought the Director's claims were about himself. What children they truly were.

And yet, there were some like this Hicks that showed potential, and it was this that the Director kept his mission ongoing. He could work to educate the children properly - even if they failed to see it. That was for the collective good in the end.

---

After the second ring of Headmaster Johnson's authority failed to calm the cries of the student body entirely, the Director decided that enough had been said and done. He had his evidence for the Collective's insanity; all that had to be done now was turn the mirror on the children.

The sweat on his brow had become a wash, his face a glistening light as he gave more weight to his sturdy walking cane. He kept his dark gaze on the crowd for the few moments that his right hand lightly clicked across his palm, three buttons pressed in the process. The simple message sent command prompts to each security officer under Noir's command - one that had been anticipated and fully trained for.

Barking into the microphone with deliverance, the Director gave his new command: "Officers - Ready!