~000~

The Special Two

Chapter Two

Learning to Have a Lion heart

~000~

Tears that had fallen during the night had long dried, making my face feel sticky and tight. I rubbed at my face quickly not liking the feeling and shut the alarm off that I set on my phone. I rolled out of bed grudgingly, feeling as if I did not get enough sleep from the night prior. I yawned out, covering my mouth with my hand and scrambled towards the light switch that was attached to the wall.

My foot banged into something hard and I holler out my obvious pain. I started to hobble on one foot around my cluttered room, trying to silent the curses that slipped past my lips as my toe ached in agony. I was sure my uncle wasn't up just yet and figured that I shouldn't be the one to wake him, seeing him in the morning with his eyes dazed and bloodshot with his blond hair messy in knots was scary enough, and let's not mention his grim demeanor. Once the pain subsides I gingerly stepped over towards the door that led to the rest of the loft and switched the light on.

I looked around to see what my big toe had smashed itself in and groaned at my laziness. It was probably the heaviest box I had in my new room with all the Cd's I collected over the years.

I wait until my toe lessons with the throbbing pain before I take my bag of bathroom necessities off of the top of my dresser and I strip out of my pajamas, tossing the articles of clothing behind my back lazily, mentally telling myself that I would take care of it later that day, imagining myself slipping on one of my discarded article of clothing later, and cursing at myself once again for my carelessness.

Once I had finished my shower, I wrap a towel around my waist, then ruffled another on my soaked hair. After my hair wasn't dripping with water anymore I reached over to my bag I had set on the glassy sink and pulled out my blue colored toothbrush and minty paste that went with it. I looked into the mirror, wiping away the thin layer of fog covering the glass and met piercing green eyes.

I was ivory-skinned with the excuse of my ginger locks that were just the right length that suited me just fine. I was slender but had a runner's body from my powers that made me look athletic.

I ran my fingers through my damp hair, trying to smooth it out sometimes it would lay funny and be messed up for the rest of the day if I leave it be. I stared at my face through the mirror and sighed. It must have been the light, but I looked very unhealthy. My skin was almost translucent. Even the freckles that littered across my body were beginning to lose their color. The only color I seemed to have left was my eyes and since they were such a bright green color that held a hue of yellow it made my appearance seem unique. Since most of my fellow redheads have dark brown colored eyes.

All I wanted to do was to blend in.

After I finished with my morning routine, I got dressed feeling utterly uncomfortable, I feel naked, and not in the fun way. I think quoting Artemis, a teammate on the Young Justice team that always got under my skin. I still really don't understand what she meant about that, but this feeling must be it. The khaki dress pants were a completely different texture than my usual blue jeans felt against my legs and the plain white dress shirt seemed tight and constricting against my arms. I shrug on the navy blazer and smile a tad since this was the only article of clothing that actually fitted nicely on my body.

I struggled with the crimson tie and soon gave up, grabbing my school bag I walked out of my bedroom and into the kitchen to find my uncle, surprisingly already up and making breakfast. My aunt was nowhere to be found which wasn't surprising since she was probably already at Gotham's news station starting out at her new job as a morning news reader.

This is new. I muse since he usually is still in bed at this time because when we were back in Central he would work third shift at the labs as a police scientist.

"How did you sleep?" Barry asks his back facing me. I watched him crack open an egg and the yolk slide out of the shell and into the pan, immediately sizzling.

"Fine," I lied, stifling a yawn with my palm and sat on one of the high chairs, leaning on the counter that separated the kitchen and living room.

Barry didn't even bother to look up from his cooking as he asked, "Up all night, sending texts to the boy wonder?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, I was not. Just couldn't sleep in a foreign place."

It was something I shouldn't have said this early in the morning and I knew I really needed to watch what I said sometimes. Sometimes my mouth just flaps out words without my brain giving it permission to say.

I watched feeling in the pit of my stomach a guilty feeling that I always hated when I did this to either my aunt or uncle. I watched as Barry stopped in his actions of preparing food and looks over at me, giving me a sympathetic look and sighed out,

"Wally your aunt and I only want the best for you and we believe Gotham will be, a new place where you can start over Kid."

I felt my fingers interlock with each other and I mumbled an apology. I know they were just doing what they thought best for me, and I appreciated it. I was so very thankful for them regardless for taking me in.

No one else would.

"It's quite alright kiddo." Barry told me, giving me a slight smile that I returned and he continues, "Now when does school actually start?"

I checked my watch and sighed. It was still pretty early, "Eight something and it's only five-thirty."

"Well at least you have time to eat your fill." Uncle Barry said, turning back to his food he was preparing and slides the prepared eggs onto a plate. I watch him makes us up the breakfast he had cooked and doesn't hesitate to take the plate he offers me. The plate was full of buttered toast with scrambled eggs just hanging on the side, and a jar of strawberry jam to spread across Uncle Barry's and my toast.

"I think I'd rather use the extra time to sleep in than eat my fill." I tell Uncle Barry uncharacteristically watching as he pours himself a glass of orange juice and turns to give me a look just as I let out another yawn.

~000~

Finding the school wasn't difficult at all, the apartment building was only a block away. I supposed some days I could walk to school if I really wanted to, but that was a very slim chance if Uncle Barry was willing to take me to school.

I looked out the window, gazing at the school I was now attending. The entrance of the prep school had gargantuan gates that looked outrageous. I knew I was in Gotham but even a gate like that wouldn't hold back any of the psychopaths that lurk in the city's alleyways.

The main buildings were archaic stone edifices, reminiscent of a castle. Complete with courtyards, gaudy fountains, and a handful of spires (seemingly for good measure). The academy's appearance was almost cliché in its opulence, and I utterly loathed it.

I was about to step out of the car when I felt my uncle's hand upon my shoulder and I looked at him, wondering if he was having sudden second thoughts about this school.

"Your tie is crooked." He said leaning over to fix the tie as I felt my cheeks suddenly heat up. As I watched students begin to arrive.

"Okay, okay!" I said, waiting impatiently as he fixes it hoping no one could see us. After he removes his hands from the tie I grab my shoulder bag from the back seat of the car and opened the door.

"Good luck Kid. Make good decisions and all that jazz." Barry said with a wink and I uttered a forced thanks then shut the car door, waving him off as he pulled out of the lot. I turned and sighed, squinting as the sun shone brightly in my eyes. The sky was so blue it simply didn't look real. It seemed as if the storm that hit yesterday didn't even happen.

I kept my head down as I walked through the crowd of teenagers laughing and shouting hello to each other, wondering what the others did on their summer vacation. I was glad that I didn't stand out like a sore thumb with my freckles and ginger hair. Most of the other teenagers were either sporting tans or also had freckles across their cheeks and nose.

I pulled out the slip of paper I received when Uncle Barry and I went to the main office earlier that morning and decided to hang in the parking lot for a bit before school was to start. I looked down at the document while my uncle changed the station on the radio. It told me my schedule and had a map of the academy clearly printed on the page. I had also obtained a sheet that I was required to get signed by all the teachers I was to have for the semester, and I guess I was supposed to return it back into the main office after school was over.

I looked down at my schedule by passing any collisions with any of the other students as they walked to their classes or lockers. I had English first hour and that was in building four. I followed the directions on the map and passed classrooms where teachers were getting ready for the start of the day.

Once I got around the maze of this academy, building four was easy to pick out. There was a large block '4' on top of an archway and I walked through it finding the classroom with the numbered 305.

The classroom was rather large with individual desks in rows that lined up perfectly. I walked up to the teacher, a bald man, who seemed to be in his mid-thirties. The nameplate on his well-organized desk indicated his name was Mr. Wilson. I routed out the paper for him to sign out of my bag and handed it over.

He gave me a strange look when he read my name, and I felt my face flush. Wallace wasn't a common name actually it was just a plain weird one.

Thanks Mom. Thanks so much Dad.

I said, "If it's alright I'd prefer to be called Wally rather than Wallace."

He nodded still giving me a bewildered look as if he was fighting the urge to ask me if Wallace was my real name. He seemed to be able to fight this urge (which I was most thankful) and he signed my slip. I take it back and walked towards the back row of seats. Nobody said anything to me and I was grateful there didn't seem to be a seating chart.

When the bell rang my fellow students took their seats, talking to each other until Mr. Wilson cleared his throat clearly stating that it was his time to talk.

"I hope everyone had a wonderful break. Welcome to sophomore English. I am sure that every one of you will have a great year if you follow instruction well. Now let us welcome our newest Gotham Academy's student, Wallace West."

I felt my face and ears turn a bright red as judging eyes snapped towards me. I waved a little then stopped when no one else waved back and I keep my eyes down, reading the list of books that were expected of us to read this year. None of them I was familiar with and I sank back in the chair a little, barely listening to Mr. Wilson explain a bit more of what the class would be like in the future.

The bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound. I almost laughed thinking that all schools must all have an annoying bell system. Then an energetic guy suddenly turned around in his chair to look at me with a wide grin. He was breaking out badly with acne and had short unkempt brown locks. Glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose and dark brown eyes.

"You're Wallace right?" he asked in a manner that screamed out that he wanted to be friends with the new kid.

Which was me… Perfect. Play nice West. I think irritably.

I couldn't help cringing at the sound of my full name being spoken. I corrected him by saying in a slightly annoyed tone, "Uh, I prefer Wally."

It seemed the students were waiting for me to speak as everyone in a three seat radius turned to stare at me, just like they did at the beginning of class.

"Where's your next class?" He asked.

I pulled my schedule back out and checked, "Uh, U.S. History with Boyd, room 506 in building six." Everywhere I looked I was met with stares looking at back at me so I stared down at the desk instead.

Don't they have class to get too? I wonder.

"Cool, I'm heading over there for graphic design. I can show you the way." he gushed his smile widening. "Tyler." he added extending his hand towards me.

I shake it and thank him then followed him out of the classroom and he started to ask me questions to get to know me better.

"So where are you from?"

"Central City." I responded then added, "I used to go to Keystone High."

He nodded then gave me an odd look, "But that's a public school. How did you end up here?"

"Scholarship." I said looking around to the students that were walking in opposite directions.

"Oh, me too. It's a nice school, I got in last year. There are nice people but you just got to be careful with some."

"Why?" I ask as we walked out of building four and headed to six.

"Seniors always get restless." was Tyler's response. I raise an eyebrow but don't respond. We passed the cafeteria and my stomach gave a growl and Tyler asked me if I skipped out on breakfast. I said yes, lying about my metabolism had become second nature to hide my secret identity.

He walked me to my class, though I could have found it since it was clearly marked with the room number.

"Well, have a good rest of the day Wally." He said, saluting me farewell, "Maybe we will have another class together." I gave him a vague smile and walked through into the room.

The rest of my morning classes followed the same pattern as my first. My algebra teacher, Mrs. Mead who I would've liked if she hadn't made me stand in front of the whole classroom and introduce myself was a slender woman with blond hair in a tight bun on top of her head. She seemed uptight and strict that I didn't want to get her on her bad side. When I stepped up in front of the class I was a stuttering fool with her bad attitude looming over my shoulder and looks of you don't belong here. from my peers. After I introduced myself I returned to my seat, tripping over my own two feet. Which sent the whole class to laugh at me.

After two classes, I began to recognize faces that had been in my previous classes. There was always someone with a lion heart that would come up to me and asked who I was and how I was liking Gotham. I tried being nice but the fact is I had nothing nice to say. I lied about how I felt. It seemed to make the person I was talking to pleased.

~000~

"Did you find him yet?"

I heard as I opened up my bagged lunch that Alfred had packed for me and began to unwrap the chicken sandwich that was made the night before. I bit into it tasting fresh lettuce with tomato and a splash of ranch against my taste buds. I noticed I was absorbed in the butler's amazing cooking skills rather than answering the question that had been asked. I looked around to see Barbara sitting next to me, opening up her own lunch.

"No not yet. It's not like I can say anything when I do anyway. I pretty much have to pretend I don't know him." I said opening up my water bottle and took a swig from it.

"That's a shame. You know Bruce should understand that you trust Wally and really like hi-"

"Babs!" I cut across her looking around to see if there was anyone that had heard. There was no one near us to hear and I turned back to her, opening a bag of lays sour cream and onion chips. I reached in and popped one into my mouth.

"Don't talk about that here. Anyway you're the only one I told about how I feel about Wally and you said you could keep it to yourself."

She gave me a look and then started to chastise, "Don't talk with your mouth full. I thought you were going to talk to Bruce about it? About you being well you know."

" Didn't think I had to." I responded taking another bite out of my sandwich.

"Well." She starts, something out of her bag and set it on the table. I groan then rolled my eyes at the cover. "In this month's issue of Teen Vogue it has an article, stating that kids today need to talk a lot more to their parents to-"

"Barbara enough of the magazine stuff. I swear you shove that crap in front of me every time you get a new issue. I am totally going to suggest to Commissioner Gordon to stop giving you money for that magazine." I said and Barbara looked like she was going to give me the finger.

"Well Richard you can stop being a dick at any time, that would be oh so great." she said and we both start laughing.

"What classes you have for the rest of the day?" she asked as she wiped under her eyes at the tears had appeared when she was laughing.

"Chemistry since I tested out of Biology this summer then Italy's culture class."

"Why are you even taking that?" she asked as she bites into her baby carrots and I shrugged.

"Easy class and I suppose they have always taken the class to Italy to visit." she nodded and handed me a carrot, which I take and bite into it. She rants how unfair that is. I shrugged again and listened to her rant until the bell sounded in the cafeteria, telling us our break was over. I dump my trash in the nearest garbage can. I bid Barbara a farewell then headed to my class.

I started to wonder what I would do if I saw Wally. I couldn't very well go up to him and start acting like I known him for years. I sighed as I stepped into class and took a seat. Sometimes I really did hate my job of being Robin the boy wonder.

~000~

Two more classes keep it together Wally. Just two more hours to endure.

I entered my Chemistry class with my other classmates, looking at the black topped tables sort of like the ones back at my old school had. With the exception of the much more advanced technology. All the seats seemed to be taken except for one. I dropped my bag down not taking notice of my neighbor who had his head down reading a book and walked up to the teacher's desk to get my paper signed.

Once I got it signed and my chemistry teacher handed me the class book. I went to the seat thankful that this teacher wasn't going to have me introduce myself in front of the class and began to take out the essentials for the lesson.

Suddenly from the corner of my eye I saw the boy next to me become very rigid in his seat. I looked up at him and gave him a half-hearted smile. He looked very young to be in this class unless he had tested out of Biology and Earth Science. He honestly looked too young to even be in high school. He was very slender and I wondered if the boy had even eaten anything in the last couple of days. I trailed my eyes upward and noticed that he had ebony colored hair that was slicked back away from his face. His face was clear and his cheeks were slightly tinted pink. That's when I noticed his eyes.

The dark azure color that simply drew me in. I stared into them, getting lost in their depth until I noticed that I had been staring at him for too long and my face began to heat up. I looked away quickly and cleared my throat.

"Uh, hi I'm Wally." I said holding out my hand for the younger boy to shake who like me had a reddened face.

He looked hesitantly at my hand then at my face and back towards my hand. I watched as he bit his bottom lip as if contemplating what his next move should be. As though I might bite him if he made the wrong move.

"Don't worry." I assured. He jumps at the sound of my voice, looking up at my face, "I won't bite. Well maybe not too hard."

I watched him give me a smile and shake my hand as he stuttered out,

"Rich-Richard Grayson."

That's when I noticed something was off. His touch sent the strangest sensation, like tiny little shocks, throughout my body. It was weird I only got that reaction when I would use my abilities. I couldn't help but stare at those eyes they were so captivating that I got lost in them once more.