Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis does not belong to me.

Silver Web

Shishido Ryou huffed, kicking a can out into the street. Today was the first stinking day at his new school Hyoutei. A school for the extremely rich and pompous, neither of which he was. Stupid scholarships. Baka guardians. We just want the very best for you. HA. Sure. They were just happy they didn't have to pay a dime, where any other school would have cost them. Sure as hell, he didn't know how he'd gotten a high enough score on the exams to qualify for the 'prestigious academy'. The counselor's words, not his. He must have done incredibly well from the way the counselor was dancing around, and the principal himself had shown up and tried to convince him to stay, before he found out about the offer from Hyoutei. Having a student from their school recruited into one of the top junior academies was too much free publicity to be passed up.

Shishido would rather have stayed at the half-assed junior high school; he'd already had a year and a half invested there. But 'Otou-san' was transferring to Tokyo and the family was moving with him, so it didn't matter in the end. So here he was starting his first day at a new school a quarter of the way into his second year. Scholarship parameters dictating he not get below all A's and one high B, participating in an afterschool activity to boot. As soon as he figured out where their kendo or judo club was, he was signing up. There had to be some high point to attending this haughty school. He already predicted the school was going to involve a lot of studying. Hmph. Shishido loathed moving.

……………..

Atobe sat back in his limousine, primping in the portable mirror he kept handy. He couldn't let down his adoring fans down after all. Kabaji sat across from him. There was no way he was going to let the boy go to school on his own; he was to shy for his own health. Other students had taken advantage of that the previous year when they attended different schools, which Atobe did not find out about until the year was half over. They learned the hard way to never cross a wizard's friend, though they had no clue he was a wizard. So Kabaji was firmly integrated into the circle of people Atobe cultivated, namely other non-humans at the school.

The limousine pulled to a stop in front of the school. Kabaji grabbed both of their bags getting out of the limousine first. Atobe waited until he nodded, and left the vehicle. There were no squeals from pepped up cheerleaders, only the most dedicated showed up for the morning tennis practice. While Atobe lavished in the attention of his adoring fans, it was nice to walk in the silence of the morning before his team ruined it. Already in the courtyard he could hear the hum of their incessant talking. Today they were going to run, and the regulars would play, while he made the choices for that weekend's game.

A piercing screech called out to them in the morning air. Kabaji looked upward as the falcon sped past them. Atobe stared at his Rolex. Strolled up the path to the observance area where he could look down at the courts. Gazed down, seeing all his club members goofing off in the absence of their bucho. Snapping his fingers to amplify his voice a tiny bit.

"Thirty laps!"

Freezing what they were doing, the members of the tennis club all looked up at him. Then started, jogging to the track. Except for the group behind him who gave him varying looks from different positions. Oshitari was the first one to bring himself forward, drawling,

"So what would you like us to do Atobe?"

"Oshitari and Ohtori against Hiroshi and Taki."

Oshitari raised an eyebrow at him. Atobe looked down his nose towards the stairs Gakuto was running up.

"Gakuto. Fifty laps."

"What? Why?"

The startled red head glared at him.

"You were ten minutes late to practice."

Gakuto's eyes narrowed.

"So were you!"

"Sixty laps."

Gakuto floundered turning several shades of red. Taki smothered a laugh. Ohtori avoided looking at his sempai. Oshitari hid a smirk grabbing his doubles partner and dragging him down the stairs. Kabaji approached him as they left. His presence a question.

"Wake up Jiroh. It's been awhile since you two played."

"Usu."

Kabaji nodded going over to the bench where the sleeping boy laid. Instead of attempting to wake him up, Kabaji threw the boy over his shoulder and headed down the stairs. Once on court Jiroh always managed to wake up. Atobe stared at the courts below for several minutes observing his teammates before heading to the locker rooms. There were matches to be arranged for the next tournament against Seigaku, and there was no way Hyoutei was going to lose. A smug vampire was intolerable, but even more so an emboldened lycan.

Entering the locker room, Atobe headed to the separate office for the Bucho of the team, only to see Sakaki-sensei sitting in the guest chair going over at his notes on Seigaku. Atobe observed him for a full moment, but didn't receive any acknowledgment. Lazily he strolled forward and sat in his chair facing Sakaki-sensei. Being the only registered wizard in the school, Sakaki-sensei drew a lot of prestige, from the magic using community, especially being a certified Adept, earning him a lot of envy from his fellow wizards and the mandatory attention of all fledgling wizards at Hyoutei. Making him the only person who had a guaranteed bully pass from Atobe, at his father's orders no less. Sakaki-sensei was hardly averse to using it either.

"Hmmm…Seigaku appears to be stronger than last year, though not quite at Hyoutei standard yet. Given another year and they might be. I wonder about who you'll choose to send. Of course, you will play Tezuka-san, but should you let Gakuto participate? He is over excitable about these games."

Atobe looked coolly at sensei.

"I am aware of that, but Seigaku seems to be building a formidable double's team, and alas Gakuto and Oshitari are the best doubles team we have. Hyoutei does not seem to attract those that are willing to share glory."

"Ah. A problem that the bucho of the team should fix no doubt. Let him play then."

Sakaki set the papers down on the desk elegantly. Atobe narrowed his eyes.

"Ore-sama would like to know your reason for being here Sakaki-sensei."

Sakaki raised an eyebrow, cleaning imaginary dirt from his nails.

"The ore-sama is getting tiring, Atobe-kun. What reason should I have for not being here? I am the sensei of the team. In case you've forgotten."

Atobe copied Sakaki's cynical expression.

"Ah, but the thing is when do you ever show up, Sensei? So Ore-sama supposes he did forget. Is there something the team can do for you?"

Sakaki leaned back in his chair, a small frown in his eyes.

"For the attitude you're pulling, I'm tempted to make you do this project. But fortunately for you, I don't want the young man exposed to your 'charming personality'. At least not until he's settled in."

Finally, Sakaki-sensei was getting to the point. Atobe sat up straighter. Another club member? As if there weren't enough of them.

"So what would you like Ore-sama to do? Give the boy a tour of the courts and put him into practice with the majority of the members? I'll have Gakuto do it."

Sakaki grinned mirthfully at Atobe's displeasure. It was so tempting to make him do it.

"No. I need to borrow one of the Regular's to show a new transfer student around. Not Gakuto. I don't want the boy lost on the first day."

Atobe scanned Sakaki-sensei for a long moment.

"Why exactly do you need a Regular to show a new student around? I'm sure one of the lower club members would work just as well."

Sakaki sighed.

"As their position as elite members of the most prestigious club at Hyoutei all Regular's should be exemplarily role models. Alas, we both know that is not to be. Still it would be a good show of faith."

"I repeat: why does a Regular have to do it?"

Sakaki stared at calculating for a moment.

"No reason really. I just get the sense that it should be a Regular. It would be better as events fall out."

"He is one of ours?"

"No."

"An Other?"

"I doubt it."

"Then why does it have to be a Regular?"

"I told you: it would be to our benefit to approach him right away. But I honestly can't find a connection to our world. It may be a stray future occurrence increased by his proximity to us. Moreover, other Sensei have been complaining about how the tennis Regulars having too much freedom. Either way I already told the principal one of the Regular's would do it, so get someone over to the office before he gets here,"

Atobe glowered. Why did Otou-san make him follow Sakaki-sensei's orders? Sakaki got up gracefully. Atobe followed suit.

"I'll see you in music class this afternoon Atobe-kun."

"Can I say the same about you for tennis practice Sakaki-sensei?"

"We'll see. There are afterschool tutorials after all. But good try."

Atobe's eye twitched. Adepts were more annoying than sadistic bloodsuckers and smug oversized dogs on a good day. On a bad day they were intolerable. Leaving his office, he walked out of the club heading to the rails. Watched his team playing. It would have to be someone skilled in dealing with people. So not Jiroh, Hiyoshi, Taki or Kabaji. Leaving Oshitari or Ohtori. Gakuto didn't even cross his mind.

"Ohtori! Off the courts. Ore-sama wants you up here. Oshitari! Go get Gakuto. He'll finish the set with you."

Oshitari, Taki and Hiyoshi stared up at him frowning. Ohtori looked confused and nervous. Slowly he walked off court and jogged up the steps. In the meantime, Atobe watched Oshitari set his racket down and go off to get Gakuto.

"Is something wrong, Bucho?"

The first-year looked ready to panic, clearly nervous he'd done something wrong. He reminded Atobe of a puppy.

"No. Sakaki-sensei needs someone to show a new student around. Ore-sama volunteered you. So go to the main office immediately, Sakaki-sensei doesn't want to make the new boy wait. You won't have to make up practice later. Go."

"HAI Bucho."

Unquestionably a puppy Atobe thought, as the freshman looked at him with wide eager eyes, jogging off to the office, excited to show the new student around. All that was missing was the wagging tail. Perfect choice for a new student. He had paperwork to get back too.

………………………………………………………….

Shishido glared at the ceiling. He was sitting in a chair outside of the secretary's office. Figures. He'd shown up early hoping to grab his schedule so he could find his way around before classes started. Avoiding attention as much as possible. Only to ask the secretary for his schedule and been told to wait until his 'guide' showed up. Her steely glare kept him from arguing with her. Instead he settled for snatching the schedule she'd pulled out and sprawling out in the nearest chair where he'd been glaring at the wall for the past fourteen minutes. A guide. They probably wouldn't be here until just before classes started which would mean he would enter the room late, and have to introduce himself to the class. Great.

"Um, excuse me. I'm supposed to be showing the new student around. Do you know when he'll be here?"

Shishido snapped out of his reverie. Regarded the tall boy talking to the secretary who was pointing at him. Damn. He'd been too caught in glaring at the wall he hadn't seen the boy come in. As the boy walked toward him smiling, Shishido got up. At least he shouldn't be late for class now. The boy seemed like the easily shaken off type.

"Hi. I'm Ohtori Chotarou. Sensei asked me to show you around the school. Is there any particular place you would like to see first?"

Shishido blinked disturbed by the boy's eagerness.

"Yeah. I'd like to know where my classroom is."

Ohtori's eyes widened, his mouth forming a big O.

"I'm sorry. What year are you? Class number?"

Shishido looked at the schedule in his hands.

"I'm a second year. Class 2-A. But I have a music session in room 4-A."

As he looked up he caught a look at the boy's wide eyes. Okay. What was wrong with those classes?

"What's up? Something I should know?"

The boy shook his head quickly.

"Oh no. no. It's just you must be really smart to get into the A classes. Those are only for the elite among the grades. "

Oh shit. He was in the smart class. Target number one. The boy seemed to realize his train of thought.

"No, it's not a bad thing. I'm in class 1-A myself! In fact some of my teammates are in class 2-A. 'A' class students are the school's idols. Everyone wants to be in the A class. It's a big deal at Hyoutei."

Shishido closed his eyes. Nothing the boy was saying was reassuring him. He had a really bad feeling about this year. Ohtori again seemed to read his mind and decided to distract him.

"Here, let's go find your classroom. The cafeteria is on the way and some of the club buildings it will be useful for you to know."

Shishido just nodded his head, allowing himself to be lead around. He really, really hated moving.

Hmmmm, just how bad will Shishido's day be? Will Sakaki show up to practice?

Silver Web is part of the same universe as Beacon and Awakening. It's just Hyoutei tale instead. It takes place in Atobe's second year of junior high. A year after Awakening.

Side note: Hopefully the next chapter of Beacon or Awakening should be up sometime next week. I would like to post one chapter of either Silver Web, Beacon or Awakening once a week if I can, so they might intertwine with each other a lot.

Thanks for Reading.

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False Sourires