Disclaimer: The series Evil Genius is written by author extraordinaire Catherine Jinks, not me. I simply wish to elaborate on her phenomenal plot line.
What if Cadel didn't meet Sonja (aka Kay-Lee)? What if he met a girl at the Axis institute instead? This is where my story comes in. This is an alternate universe for the story Evil Genius, although it will stay within the main plot of the story. It's my first attempt at writing for this fandom, so I make no promises. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment on the reviews page :)
Cadel waited outside the lecture theatre with a notebook tucked under his arm, pretending to read a notice about the campus bookstore as he covertly studied his new classmates. Clive was your average loud-mouthed brute, his nose wrinkled in what could either be anger or constipation; it was never clear with bullies. The twins Jemima and Niobe were blond, tanned beauties with perky smiles and bubbly voices, their skills easily underestimated—which is exactly what they wanted. Kunio, a tall, military man who didn't know a lick of English was silent, posing no obvious threat. Doris was dull eyed and terribly unattractive, a shiver of repulsion shooting down Cadel's spine whenever their eyes met. The oddest-looking classmate had to be Gazo, resembling an astronaut more than a student of the Axis institute with his puffy yellow air-tight suit and gap-toothed grin. Finally there was Abraham, the only worthy opponent in Cadel's class, although with his sallow skin and dark rimmed eyes he resembled a corpse more than an intelligent student.
The class of eight stood in uncomfortable silence, their distrust for each other evident in the wary glances they exchanged. After only one day, each student had learned to keep to themselves and avoid their comrades at all costs. In fact, to enroll in the Axis Institute, one had to abhor human company, which Cadel could see most of his classmates did—excluding Jemima and Niobe, who descended cooing and fawning over Cadel the moment he appeared yesterday. This was not unanticipated. Cadel knew all about his peers thanks to a brief from Thaddeus the evening before his first class and was confident he would not suffer any tremendous surprises during the course of his school year.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
Every ear became alert when the corridor echoed with approaching footsteps, the students expecting their Professor to round the corner any moment. Instead, a mid-height teenage girl with bright eyes and bouncy chestnut locks appeared, a shiny new copy of Basic Lying pressed to her breast. She slowed her pace as she was hit by eight curious stares and her pale face flushed slightly in embarrassment, the girl lowering her amber eyes as she came to a halt on the outside of the group. She absentmindedly tucked a brunette curl behind her ear, seemingly fascinated by the tile pattern on the floor although most likely shy in front of her new classes. Cadel wondered who she was, trying to recall whether Thaddeus had mentioned her. Clive was the first to break the awkward silence, sneering, "Who're you?"
Either the girl didn't hear him or decided to ignore him, because she shifted the book in the cradle of her arms and glanced at the digital clock mounted on the wall. Annoyed by her indifference, Clive broke away from the circle outside the lecture hall door and sauntered up to her, stopping a mere foot away. The girl looked up as Clive repeated, "I said, who're you?"
"No one particularly important," she countered in an accent that sounded almost American, flicking her eyes down to her toes. Clive reached out and gave one of her smooth curls a pull, letting it spring back. She visibly flinched, stumbling back a step in surprise and Clive grinned maliciously. He preyed on the weak, and she had just made a fatal mistake by showing her fear.
"Are you scared of me?" Clive demanded condescendingly, advancing toward her when she backed up. His hand reached out and landed on her lower back, pulling her to him as he lied, "I won't hurt you."
Cadel's eyebrows rocketed up his forehead at Clive's unmasked advances and he barely quelled the desire to help the girl. He didn't want to get on Clive's bad side any more than he already had, and since she got herself into trouble, she could get herself out.
He prepared to turn away as Clive's hand edged down the girl's backside, but Cadel froze in surprise when the girl thrust her book into Clive's abdomen corner first and the bully doubled over, cursing loudly. She stepped back from her work with shock on her face to rival Cadel's own, unable to believe what she had done. Clive squinted up at her from his position and bared his teeth, snarling, "Why, you little bi—"
At that moment, Thaddeus came strolling around the corner looking as calm as ever. He slowed when he saw Clive bent over clutching his stomach and the clump of students goggling at him, although Thaddeus showed no particular concern. Clive, one arm wrapped around his middle, straightened slowly and accused with a pointed finger, "She attacked me!"
Cadel of all people knew that Thaddeus showed compassion for no one, and scoffed at Clive for seeking empathy from his Professor. Thaddeus pretended to consider Clive's exclamation as he observed the girl who looked fairly chagrined under the scrutiny of her Professor. After a long moment, Thaddeus addressed the whole class with barely contained amusement in his voice, "I advise you follow Miss Carmen's lead: Whatever you do, don't get caught."
Without another word, Thaddeus unlocked the lecture hall and opened the double doors wide for his students, ignoring Clive's indignant splutters. The class trickled in quietly, only Jemima and Niobe conversing in loud whispers as they eyed the new girl. Cadel couldn't help peeking curiously at her as he found a seat in the centre of the seventh row, wondering why she wasn't in class their first day.
He quickly noticed that he wasn't the only one watching her. From his vantage point, Cadel could see Clive glaring at the back of the girl's head as she boldly descended the steps and took a seat halfway down the front row. She ducked out of sight to set her glossy book on the floor under her feet but reappeared a second later, settling comfortably into her chair.
Thaddeus waited until his students were seated before briefly running down the list of rules for the Axis Institute for "Miss Carmen's benefit", which mainly consisted of three subjects: Explosives, poisons and secrecy. If a student didn't take unauthorized poisons or explosives on campus and kept their mouth shut about what happened at the school, they would most likely survive the Axis Institute.
"Oh, and before I forget," Thaddeus added, looking directly at Cadel. He felt his pulse quicken as every pair of eyes turned to him, his blood burning just beneath the surface of his skin. Not again! Thaddeus's diction was very clear as he said, "A reminder for most of you: we are joined this year by Mr. Darkkon, the son of the Institute's founder and one of my close associates."
He paused to run his eyes over each student before explaining, "As I mentioned yesterday, he is not to be harassed by anyone. You may do as you please to each other, but touch him and there will be hell to pay. Do I make myself clear?" Silence ensued, which Cadel took to be an affirmative. The smile that graced Thaddeus's thin face as he made eye contact with the new girl made even Cadel's skin prickle, a tremor of dread shaking Miss Carmen's shoulders.
"Good. Now, since yesterday's class was taken up by a lecture from Luther and the Maestro, we'll start today's lesson with a game," Thaddeus said brightly, clasping his hands behind his back and striding slowly from centre stage to the far left. "Since this is a Basic Lying class, it makes most sense that we do an exercise in lying, so I may assess your abilities." Thaddeus looked out at the small crowd, making sure he had his students' attention before he carried on. "Each of you will come up and say three things about yourself, one of which is true. Your classmates will decide which one that is."
"Why do we have to figure out which one's true?" Clive demanded obnoxiously from his seat, his face creased in confusion. Although Cadel wouldn't admit it, he was also bemused by Thaddeus's exercise. He was unsure of his Professor's motives, but Cadel was certain that this was not simply an assessment of their ability to lie. Thaddeus already had everything he would need to know about his students on file. What was Thaddeus's angle?
Thaddeus smiled indulgently at Clive, replying, "Because before we can formulate convincing lies, we need to be able to identify what characterizes the truth. And since you seem so interested in our little game, why don't you go first, Mr. Slaughter?"
Clive groaned and heaved himself from his chair, clomping down the stairs until he reached the stage. He mumbled a series of almost incoherent words, but based on his hesitation coming up with the second and third statements, Cadel easily—and correctly—deduced the first was the truth. Thaddeus beamed at Cadel, applauding, "Well done. Care to give it a try, Mr. Darkkon?"
Cadel nodded and stood from his chair, feeling eight sets of eyes on him as he walked down to the stage, passing an annoyed Clive on his way. He marched across the stage and stopped in the middle, turning to face the ocean of red chairs and his impatient audience. Cadel moistened his mouth and began what he had prepared on his way to the stage: "My mother died in a car crash when I was five, I can decipher an encoded message in less than a minute, and I've won medals for competitive cycling."
The class sat quietly in thought, looking uncertain of Cadel. He suppressed a smile, pleased that he was able to lie so well, although it helped that he had baby blue eyes and the face of a cherub. Thaddeus waited an entire minute before he asked the class, "Show of hands, how many think the first is true?"
Every hand went up except one. Cadel's heart fluttered nervously and he swallowed, hoping the remaining voter would guess wrong. "The second?" Thaddeus intoned, his eyes trained on the girl in the front row. Cadel zeroed in on the mysterious girl as she meekly raised her hand, his eyes shooting daggers at her in hopes that she would lower it. No such luck. Thaddeus's face was drawn in what Cadel interpreted as disappointment as he said "The third?"
Only Gazo Kovacs's hand went up, and sighing wearily, Thaddeus reminded him, "You already chose the first option, Mr. Kovacs."
Gazo looked pensive as he replied, "I just fink that Cadel looks more like a cyclist than a kid wif a dead mother."
How wrong you are, Gazo, Cadel thought to himself, his eyes fixed on the girl in the front row. Thaddeus looked at Cadel expectantly and he sighed, saying through clenched teeth, "The second was true." The girl in the front row looked pleased, her smile vanishing as she met Cadel's burning glare. He stalked back to his seat and plopped down in the red chair, his mind clouded by irritation. He was so overcome with anger that he couldn't even enjoy guessing right each time another student went up. He didn't even find it amusing when Gazo stuttered something about meeting a mermaid. Finally it was the girl's turn, and she rose purposefully from her seat to take to the stage. She paused for a moment as Thaddeus whispered something inaudible to her and nodded, then moved to centre stage. Cadel gave Thaddeus a questioning look, but the psychologist remained aloof. The girl stared out at her class and after a moment spoke in a melodious voice.
"I'm an exchange student from Massachusetts, I live on a farm that specializes in dairy, and I'm in the poison department of the Axis Institute," she said smoothly, her face showing little expression as she waited for a guess. In this case, Cadel had nothing to go on; she didn't have a student file, and this was only the second time he had heard her speak. His brow furrowed in thought as he reviewed her introduction, looking a waver in focus, a twitch of the mouth, a stutter or stumble, anything. His photographic memory gave him little insight, although he did remember that she tucked a curl behind her ear as she said the first statement—a nervous habit. Cadel realized that her vowels weren't harsh enough to belong to an American accent, which eliminated her first statement. That only left the second and the third. After mulling over her words, Cadel concluded that she hesitated too long when naming her department at the Axis institute. The second had to be the truth.
Cadel raised his hand excitedly and Thaddeus smiled at his favorite pupil, saying, "Go ahead, Mr. Darkkon."
"The second is the truth," he answered triumphantly, smiling with self satisfaction at the girl. Her face showed no sign of disappointment or smugness as she levelly returned his gaze. Thaddeus titled his head and asked Cadel to explain his reasoning.
"Firstly, you don't have an American accent, so you can't be from Massachusetts," Cadel began, seeing her eyebrows rise slightly in approbation. Encouraged by her reaction, Cadel went on to say, "Also, when you said you major in poison, you hesitated, meaning you had to think about it, and showed no enthusiasm, meaning you have no interest in the subject. Therefore, the second is true."
Thaddeus turned to the girl and urged, "Is Mr. Darkkon correct?"
She looked directly at Cadel with her bright eyes, her lips forming the next word carefully: "No."
Cadel's face visibly fell and he leaned back in his seat, wondering where he had miscalculated. The problem was he didn't know enough about her, and if he had he would have easily been able to decide which statement was true. Thaddeus smiled at Cadel's disappointment and instructed, "Tell the class which one was true, Miss Carmen."
The girl looked up at Cadel again and said with a sheepish grin, "They were all false."
A flare of rage rose in Cadel, but Clive was much faster than he; the bully leapt from his seat and squawked, "That isn't fair! She didn't do it right!"
Thaddeus raised a bony hand, commanding Clive to return to a sitting position, although the brute did so grudgingly. When the murmurs of disgust had subsided, Thaddeus enlightened his class. "I asked Miss Carmen to do the exercise like this in order to teach you a lesson: you can't trust anyone. Not even if you believe they are concerned with your best interests, because life is a test to see who will come out on top. It is about conquering your enemies and winning at all costs. Don't ever forget that."
With that, the class was dismissed. Most of the students filed out chatting idly about the lesson, but Cadel sat rooted in his seat, glaring straight ahead. How could she have known? It couldn't be more than a good guess, right? These questions swirled in his mind, becoming an indistinguishable blur when the girl neared him with her textbook tucked in the crook of her elbow. She caught his eye and the corners of her mouth turned up in a gentle, sincere smile, her freckled cheeks dimpling with the motion. Cadel felt his stomach do a tiny flip and quickly dropped his gaze, feeling the back of his neck heat up. He refused to raise his head until he heard the doors click shut behind her.
When he lifted his head, there was Thaddeus. He was looking down at Cadel with an odd expression on his face, though Cadel sensed the bitter, metallic taste of disappointment. Thaddeus's voice was unusually quiet as he asked, "What do you think of our new student, Cadel?"
"Who is she? She wasn't onli-on the roster you showed me," Cadel swiftly amended, hoping Thaddeus wouldn't notice his slip of the tongue. He had taken the liberty of skimming through the Axis Institute student files the night before his first class and didn't want Thaddeus to know, although he suspected the psychologist would approve his infiltration of the school system as opposed to frown upon the action.
"She registered late," Thaddeus replied casually, and Cadel furrowed his brow, pondering this for a moment. When he didn't speak, Thaddeus smiled wolfishly at Cadel and teased, "You aren't interested in her by any chance, my boy?"
"N-no!" Cadel quickly retorted, sounding a bit too defensive. Thaddeus's brows rose sceptically and Cadel calmed his voice before he explained rationally, "I just think she could provide useful data for my scientific formula on human behaviour."
Thaddeus's grin softened, his eyes dancing mischievously as he said to Cadel, "You'll have to do some digging of your own to find out about her. I suggest you start with the specialized student files and work from there. I trust you know the computer's password by now?" Before Cadel could open his mouth to speak, Thaddeus ghosted out of the room, leaving Cadel alone with his thoughts. A plan was already forming in Cadel's head. He had learned from Thaddeus that the best way to defeat your opponent was to study their systems and find its weakest point, which could then be easily taken out with a tactical strike. But in order to do that, he first had to get close to her.
Very close.
Uh oh! Cadel is thinking again D: When that happens, people always end up dying or disappearing…or both.
Who is this mysterious girl? Where did she come from? Why is she here? Why do I always use rhetorical questions? Those answers and many more are coming up in my next chapter…that is, assuming the first goes well. Any thoughts? Put them in a review! Thanks so much for reading, and don't forget to check your closets for monsters! Have a wonderful day :)