Why storm shadow was my favorite during the war against the Tyrant Barbie:
P.S. 78 Elementary school Bronx NY. My experience with bullying during elementary school was tough. There was a particularly cruel kid named Devon who seemed to take pleasure in tormenting me. He did things like picking his nose and launching the boogers at me with a makeshift slingshot. He also trapped me in the bathroom once, hitting me repeatedly while taunting, "What you gonna do?" He found out about my crush on a white girl and mercilessly teased me about it, calling me a traitor and cracker lover.
Then, a new student named Hugo arrived midway through the semester. He was of Asian descent, though I suspected Hugo might not have been his actual name. He showed an interest in me over time, despite his rather plain and blunt way of speaking that lacked the usual charm, I liked him. We talked about life outside of school, sharing thoughts on cartoons and favorite heroes etc.
Around two months later, during breakfast in the cafeteria, Devon targeted me once again. Unexpectedly, Hugo calmly walked up and struck Devon in the face with his metal tray from behind, causing the room to fall silent. He shouted in an unfamiliar language, perhaps Chinese, Japanese or Korean, at Devon, who began crying and clutching his mouth. I was amazed at how unexpected that was. Amid the chaos, Hugo turned to me and handed over a Storm Shadow toy, simply saying "here." Then, he turned back to Devon, and preceded to beat the breaks off him.
Teachers eventually intervened, breaking up the fight and escorting both Hugo and Devon away. I never saw Hugo again after that, but Devon's bullying ceased entirely. Ironically, the bullies who had once hung around Devon started targeting him instead. Following that, we moved to a different area of the Bronx, and it was then that we became neighbors with a kind individual who completed my toy collection. Among all the toys I had, Storm Shadow held the most unique and memorable history.