Staring up the looming building that towered over him gave David mixed feelings. Anxiety, fear, yet also longing and excitement. He had no idea what to expect once he would officially begin his studies at Destiny's Hope Academy. He'd be the first of his family to be accepted into such a prestigious academy, and he knew his parents were especially proud of him.

He could remember receiving the acceptance letter, and all the emotion that came with it. He wondered where it had come from since he had never applied, and thought there was some mistake. How could he, one of the most ordinary people he knew (and he had met a lot of boring people), been accepted into this astounding institution just for sitting at a computer all day? The letter termed him the "Super High School Level Web Designer," and he would've laughed at the name if he hadn't realized that this school was completely serious, and completely legit. Of course, he'd heard about the sister academy – Hope's Peak, located all the way in Japan. But this place was fairly new, only having about ten classes before his, and open to mostly American students who were exceptionally talented.

In regards to his "exceptional" talent...sure, he loved what he did, and he did make some money off it, but he'd never think he'd get invited to a school like this just from an eye for detail and mediocre coding. He had many orders from customers all over the world, some of them regular people, others more widely known. He'd even been approached by several organizations, once from the United States government itself (seeking to make their website "pop," as they said). His parents simply assumed it was a hobby, and encouraged it as he was homeschooled and didn't really converse with others that weren't on his computer screen. In fact, his laptop case was tucked under his arm now, nice and snug. David wondered how the school could help cultivate a talent like his, but he didn't dwell on it- he was sure the administrators knew what they were doing.

When he opened the mail that fateful day, his mother had been overjoyed at the news, immediately running to go get his father while David clutched the acceptance letter with shaking hands. The school year would start in roughly a week and he was expected to have an answer by sunset of the next day. He was initially apprehensive, but he warmed to the thought of attending the place. As he knew, social interaction wasn't something he was used to and he had been homeschooled, so he knew it would take some adjusting. But graduating students already had spots open for them in some of the country's most important and glamorous jobs; indeed, to enroll at the school meant guaranteed success in life. It wasn't an opportunity to pass up, even if David didn't acknowledge his talent as being particularly special, or even if he didn't make any friends.

And now he was here, a week later, standing at the front gate. The cool Fall air was cutting harshly at his skin, making him wish he had brought his jacket to cover his arms. He thought casual attire would be fine for the occasion – a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans, with his favorite pair of checkered converse. David wasn't one for glamor, even if it was for one of the best schools in the world.

Speaking of which, he decided it was time to stop gawking and go inside. The entrance ceremony would take place within the next hour. He took a step past the gate and into the school courtyard when he heard a rumbling noise originating from the sky. He looked up to see a black army jet soaring past, on it's way east. It was a peculiar sight for this time of day, but David couldn't ponder it.

That was becuase the jet was the last thing David saw before his world vanished, and he collapsed.

"Where do you think he gets his hair gel?" Voices were pushing into the depths of David's consciousness. This one was light and airy.

"That's really not the thing to be worrying about." Someone with a slightly deeper (but not by much) voice replied.

"But his hair is so curly and-and…whooshy!"

"Peggy, please. Oh look, he's waking up.

David's eyes crept open and he yawned, still half asleep. It didn't fully register to him that he was lying on a cold floor being stared at by two strangers until one of them poked him.

"Oi. Get up."

David finally heard the slightly deeper voice and jumped, knocking his head on a nearby desk in his haste to stand. He rubbed the back of his cranium, groaning as he took an eyeful of the boy and girl watching him. They looked like an odd pair, and David wondered who dressed them. The girl looked young, about 12 or 13, and wore childish clothes to match her childish features. A frilly yellow dress with a poofy skirt and pink leggings, and black hair hanging in two pigtails over her shoulder. Her jade green eyes looked into David's curiously. The boy was much taller than her, but not as tall as David. He had blonde curls and icy blue eyes that seemed to pierce the web designer's soul. His name brand brown sweater vest and tan slacks betrayed his obviously wealthy background. His skinny, crossed arms and pinched mouth betrayed the look of uneasiness in his expression.

"You all right, there? That knock sounded nasty," the boy said. David hadn't yet found the words to say, so he nodded, still rubbing his head. "You looked pretty knocked out anyways. I'm sure a good hit was what you needed to get you up." The boy grinned nervously, showing perfectly square, white teeth.

"Wendell! Hurting yourself doesn't help anyone!" the girl said, placing her hands on her hips and puffing her cheeks.

"Well we found him on the floor when we got here. I'm pretty sure he fell out of the chair, and if that didn't wake him up, then a good hit would've been the only thing-"

"Found me?" David squeaked, finding his voice. Well, not really. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What do you mean? Where am I?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," the boy said, shrugging meekly. David guessed it was another student, and while not showing his uncertainty in this new situation, he still seemed as afraid as David. The girl...not so much. She was casting furtive glances towards the door, looking impatient.

David turned, taking a look at his surroundings. They were in a standard sized classroom, with wooden floors and cream colored walls. One desk, which David had been sitting in, stood in the middle of the room, in front of the teacher's desk, full of papers marked in red ink and textbooks. Some kind of high-tech blackboard hung on the wall behind the desk, and under a clock. David found it strange there were no posters hung up, or other desks for the students to use. But the weirdest thing were the windows.

"You must be confused," the boy spoke. "Trust me, we all are."

David ignored him, lost in his thoughts as he noticed the steel plates reinforced with thick screws that covered the windows. They let no light in, as the ceiling lights that hummed quietly illuminated the entire room. The plates made David's spine go cold: they ominously seemed to whisper to him. You can't escape, he could hear in his mind. You'll never get out.

It did not feel like Destiny's Hope. It couldn't be.

The girl's whine brought him out of his horrified stupor. He looked at her as she looked towards the door.

"We need to go! I bet the others are back and I want cake!" she screamed, bounding out of the class like a bunny on a sugar rush. David raised a brow and the remaining stranger shrugged, yet again.

"If you couldn't tell, that was the Super High School Level Baker. Welcome to Destiny's Hope Academy."

Wendell led David out of the strange room and into the brightly lit hall, taking him towards the foyer of the school where he claimed the "rest of them" were gathered. David had gotten over his initial shock of being thrust in this anything-but-normal situation, and realized he had never properly introduced himself. He also realized Wendell hadn't either. In fact, the two walked in mutual silence. It was abnormal to David because he was used to a hall full of loud, bustling bodies on their way to class. This was an eerie quiet, one that, as his grandmother would say, was for the dead. Even their footsteps were soft pats on the hard wood floor. They were both walking light.

Soon enough, they found their way to a wide entrance hall, still dimly lit but expansive. The point of interest was the thick, metal doors that made David feel like he was stuck in an oversized safe, and appeared to be the only exit. He wrenched his eyes from it to cease the dread spreading in his stomach and observed his other surroundings. There was a significant number of people interacting with each other, inspecting the walls, or just mulling about. A few of them noticed him, giving smiles, or chose to ignore him. He guessed that they were all fellow Ultimates, based on the look of them. Some were engaged in activities one normally wouldn't see high school students doing in mixed company (one girl was making strange trilling sounds and another kicked at a pillar repeatedly, getting upset it wasn't breaking). There was a huge variety of character and dress in the room: everyone stood out. Some of the outfits were outrageous, as were the owners. And yet, no one was looking particularly enthused to introduce themselves. He turned to his left-Wendell had gone to mingle.

Great.

The girl closest to him, crouched down and currently too focused on a shrub to notice his entrance, pulled out a notebook and began writing in it madly. Her hands were quick, and David wondered what could possibly be so interesting about the plant to write a quick essay on it. He pondered interrupting her so he could give her his name, but he didn't have to think too long. The girl looked up from her pad with a small yelp.

David could finally see her features. She was striking, with long red hair pulled back into a ponytail and amber eyes that seemed to glow. Her white blouse was cleanly pressed, with one button undone and no wrinkle to be seen. Her pleated skirt was black like her tie, which also had a decorative gold trinket on it. Upon closer inspection, David realized it was a tiny, shiny goldfish.

"I didn't see you there!" she said accusingly. Was she blaming him for surprising her, or reprimanding herself for not being more vigilant? David couldn't figure it out. Once again, his words had left him. His eyes flew to her pin.

"Nice fish, "David muttered, cursing his social skills. He was used to e-mails and instant messages from clients. Not flustered teenage girls. "I used to have a fish myself," he said, leaving out the part where it died 2 weeks after purchase.

"Thank you. I suppose," she tucked the notebook into her boot, along with the pencil. There was no telling how she could do that, her footwear hugged her legs tightly. "You must be the last student."

The last? David did a quick count of the other assembled bodies in the room. Sixteen, including himself. This was his class. "Oh," he breathed, not quite sure if he should be relieved or frightened that others like him were in the same situation he was. "I was sleeping. I think."

"We all were," the girl said, a pensive look crossing her face. "You woke up in a classroom alone, right?"

"Well, there was, uh…a guy and his friend-" David stuttered. He was not on his game today. The girl knew this, too.

"That'd be Wendell. We sent him and Peggy to look for you after doing a headcount a few minutes ago. Quite a nap, huh?" she grinned, and David felt a little more relaxed. The girl was shorter than him and smaller than him, but her fierce expressions had intimidated him immediately. By all accounts she'd seemed like she wanted to eat him alive, but now the twinkle in her eye suggested a mischievous soul.

David scratched the back of his head, looking down at the floor. "It's not like I meant to…" he trailed off.

The girl snickered. "It's okay. Well, not really." The thoughtful look came upon her face, yet again. Her eyes watched the vaulted ceiling lazily. "We all woke up in a random classroom."

David perked up. "Everyone here?"

"That's what I said. Some ceremony huh?" the girl smiled, extending a hand. "But I've heard this school isn't known for it's orthodox protocol."

David took it, giving her a firm shake. "I suppose you're right. We're classmates, then?"

"Yep, as stated before. Nice to meet you, David. My name is Cassandra."

David blinked, trying to keep his composure. He was positive he had not told this girl his name yet. Was she a SHSL Psychic? "Uh-"

"-I do prefer to be called Cass though. Cassandra is just my T.V. name."

"Uh-"

Cassandra, or "Cass," as she wanted to be named, tucked a loose strand of her long bangs behind her ear. "I'm a reporter. Apparently a Super Duper one or something like that."

David blinked again, realizing that he had yet to let go of her hand. He jerked it away from her grasp, and she gave a funny look before shrugging.

"Sorry," he muttered, jabbing his now sweaty hands into his pockets. "I don't mean to be rude. I'm not prepared for all this."

Cass placed her hands on her hips. "That's to be expected. You don't really go out much. I could hardly find out any information about you when I started my file."

"File?"

Cass retrieved her notebook, flipping through a few pages before finding what she was looking for. "It's not a legitimate file, obviously. But that's what I call them because they're so good, they might as well be one. A reporter's gotta have her notes."

She handed the book to David, who studied the page curiously. The girl had just about everything on him. His birthday, eye color, height, family members' names, even his blood type! He had forgotten he was AB. "Where'd you get all this?"

"If I told you then I'd have to kill you. A reporter's got contacts, is all I can say." She plucked the book back and stuffed it in her boot. "I was actually going to ask the school if I could make my own little radio show here, to report on school life and whatnot. My first broadcast would be about my fellow classmates!" She gestured to the idle students, only a handful of them registering the fact she was talking about them.

"So you've got the dirt on everyone?" David asked warily. A girl who knew more about him than he did was bound to be trouble.

"Almost everyone. I won't go into details. And it's not dirt – I'm not some trashy gossip magazine. These are hardcore facts." She took a step forward, getting even closer to her prey. "I must say, you were more difficult than most. You hardly leave the house, you're home schooled, not a lot of friends. I had to break out some old tricks just for you."

David furrowed his brow, suddenly feeling defensive. "Maybe it was none of your business."

Cass narrowed her eyes, getting even closer to him. Their noses touched. David stared right back, slightly shaky but not backing down. After a moment, she stepped back, and nodded. "You passed the test."

"What test?"

"The reporter test, dummy! I went pretty easy on you, but you still showed you're not as much of a push-over as you look." Cass beamed, clapping her hands together. "We'll get along great, I just know it!"

David stopped trying to pretend he knew what to expect from this girl.

Author's Note:

Whew! First Chapter! This is the first story I've ever posted online, and it's from one of my favorite game universes, so I'm super excited to share it with you guys! We'll meet new characters, have some fun, and experience some despair, too! Upupu...

Alright, update schedule. It may be pretty sporadic at times, but you can count on at least one update a month and, more than likely, at least one every two weeks. I also plan to finish the story to the end, even if there's some long hiatus or pause in updating (which I hope won't happen but, it's a possibility). I'm also making this fanfic heavily audience influenced, meaning I want to have you guys vote on who David can spend his Free Times with, vote on who will die next or who you think the murderer is, or give me any questions, concerns, or comments in PM or when you review! I'm opening this up to everyone, so take advantage of it because every vote counts! (also, we'll meet the rest of the students soon, meaning voting will start soon, too!)

So, this is AU signing off. See you in the next one!

**General Update: Originally this chapter was much shorter, but I decided to combine this one with the second part of the Prologue and added a few things, to get a better flow and also have a bit more relevance. Hope you like it!