Taking another sip of his steaming cup of coffee, Sebastian Blood once again scanned the list of names in front of him. It was a list of names of all the students that were going to enroll this year that had chosen to take a tour of the city as well.

H.I.V.E Academy was a well respected school and the best not only in Jump City, but also in the entire state. Blood had recently taken over the academy after the headmistress retired, at the end of the last semester.

School would begin in about a week now and he was hard pressed to make sure the new arrivals were ready.

He peered once again at the list reading the names of silently in his head.

Wally West

Jenny Diaz

Karen Beecher

Victor Stone

Garfield Logan

Rachel Roth

Baron Flinders

Seamore Ize

Garth Ocean

Antonia Monetti

Mal Dunken

Kitty Moth

Roy Harper

Fang Bight

Jericho Wilson

Dick Grayson

Mikron O'Jeneus

The last three names on the list had intrigued him from the start. Grayson had been home schooled by his parents as they traveled in a circus for most of his life, and it interested him how the boy would adapt to the life of not just an official school, but also city life as well.

O'Jeneus was in fact an eight year old child prodigy. The fact that such a young, above average intellectual had enrolled at the school would boost the academy's rating greatly. So Blood was looking forward a little, hesitantly mind you, of the boy's arrival to see what exactly he would be dealing with.

The last, Jericho was interesting to him only because the boy's father had called a meeting with him himself to see if the school was "Truly the best for my son."

In fact Mr. Slade Wilson was sitting across from him at this very moment, a small coffee table the only thing between them.

Slade looked up with his one good eye and examined the headmaster. He sighed quietly to himself. The only reason his son was being enrolled here and not in a military academy like he had wanted for him, was because his old friend, General Immortus, had suggested the school saying that Jericho would prosper more from there than at some boot camp.

Although he was retired now and quite old Slade still valued his opinion and so now here he was. He took a sip from his own cup of coffee and remarked on the excellent blend.

The two men sat awhile longer lost in their own thoughts, until Blood looked at his watch and nearly choked on the coffee he was drinking. It was almost time for the students to arrive. He had chosen the Titans Towers Hotel as the gathering place for the students because it was quite a nice hotel, and he was a friend of the owner. Using it as a meeting place with Mr. Wilson was just a bonus.

"Now, Mr. Wilson I assure you that the fact that your son is mute will not hinder his studies in the least." Blood said trying to quickly wrap up their meeting so he could finish the preparations.

Slade merely grunted and nodded his head indicating the meeting was over, and watched him walk across the lobby to the front desk.

Finishing his coffee, he got up and walked over to a young boy reading a book. The boy had bright intelligent green eyes, a short afro of golden hair, and was wearing a white long sleeved shirt and blue jeans. The boy looked up from his book and stared at the man in front of him with a questioning look on his face.

They knew they wouldn't see each other for a long time, but goodbyes in the Wilson family weren't really tear jerking affairs.

Slade surprised himself by actually thinking of saying something emotional to the boy.

True he wouldn't see him for a while, but..

In the end he just told him, " Everything is set."

Jericho nodded and smiled faintly. He patted the bags next to his chair to indicate he had everything.

To others this farewell would seem cold, but for them it was the way it was. Slade barely talked to his son at all, it had nothing to do with the fact that he couldn't speak, it was just how he was.

Jericho watched he father walk across the lobby to the front doors in silence, then he turned back to his book.