"Swindle" by Ed Alger (SecondLevelWriter)

Author's notes: All pre-existing disclaimers still apply here. No new disclaimers to report. You can go about your business. Move along, move along.

Chapter 2
Orientation

Morning couldn't have come faster for Swipe, who awoke right at the break of dawn. He jumped from his bed and drew open the window to take in a long breath of air. He then wasted no time in getting himself dressed and even properly groomed, making absolutely sure he looked his best.

The rogue took another deep breath before he opened the door, "All right. Let's go get 'er."

He emerged from his room and looked to see where the flow of students was headed, then merged with the group while keeping his eyes peeled. Sure enough, he saw a familiar head of hair that was the color of cotton candy, but shaped into the old style of the oblong "U". Swipe zipped from opening to opening, getting right behind the sorceress without her noticing.

"Guess who!" he said brightly, placing both hands upon Jinx's shoulders.

SLAP! The hex-caster whirled around and whacked the offender squarely across his cheek. The remaining students were starting to file out of the hallway while Jinx accosted the thief.

"Didn't anyone teach you not to touch things that don't belong to you?" she scolded him, her hands planted on her hips.

Swipe rubbed his cheek, staring at the girl in disbelief, "Jinxie, don'cha recognize me?" He also noticed that she was back in her old outfit now, which made him wonder what happened to that makeover she wanted so much.

She tilted her head as she looked him over, "I don't recall ever seeing you before. Did you just sign up here or something?"

His jaw dropped. How could she not remember him after everything that they did together? Just what did that headmaster fellow do to her?

Thinking quickly, he recovered from his error and replied, "Uh, yeah, I did. Sorry about comin' up behind you and everything. Ya looked like someone I knew. Erm, my name's Swindle. You are...?"

"You said it already, although I don't know how you guessed it. I'm Jinx."

The rogue extended his hand, which she hesitantly accepted, "Nice to meet ya." In that instant, a huge shadow loomed behind him, accompanied by the sounds of cracking knuckles and a deep, gravelly voice.

"Hey, Jinx, is this guy botherin' you?"

Swipe turned to face who could only be Mammoth, noting how fitting the brute's name was. Putting his hands up in surrender, the rogue took a cautious step backwards and quickly said, "Easy there, tough guy. I don't want any trouble. It's just mistaken identity, that's all."

Jinx waved her friend off, "It's okay, Mammoth. Don't get yourself suspended so early in the semester over nothing, like you did last time."

Mammoth shot a "consider-yourself-lucky" glare at the thief before turning back to Jinx, "Class is gettin' ready to start, though. I don't think ya'd want to get in it with the teach this early, either."

"I know, I know," she replied as she also turned her attention back to Swindle. "And you should be getting to the auditorium for orientation. Do you know the way there? If not, I can show you."

'Wait a minute! Why am I being so nice to this guy?' she suddenly thought. 'And why do I get this feeling that maybe I do know him from somewhere?'

"Well, if it's not outta your way, I'd appreciate it," his reply brought the sorceress out of her thoughts.

Jinx shook her head, "Nah, it's no big deal. Come on, it's just across the main hall." She added to Mammoth, speaking over her shoulder, "I'll be in class in just a few minutes. Try to cover for me until then, okay?"

The brute sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I'll do what I can. Just don't take too long."

The two students headed back into the main hall and down the west wing. Jinx then pointed to a large set of double doors at the end of the hallway.

"There's the auditorium. You'd better get going before the headmaster starts his opening speech."

"Thanks. Um, see you around?"

The hex-caster gave him a tiny hint of a smile, "Oh, probably. Don't fall asleep." She snickered to herself before waving to the rogue and dashing off to class.

She looked back at him over her shoulder and thought, 'Still can't shake this feeling that I've met him before... He is kinda cute, though...'

Swindle watched her leave, still wondering how or even if he'd be able to get her to remember him. Sighing once, he opened the doors to the auditorium and found a nice, cozy seat in the back row. In the chair was a few papers describing various classes and activities, just like any other run-of-the-mill school.

"Welcome, new students, to your first day in the Hive Academy!" a rather stately voice spoke from the front of the auditorium. Swindle looked up from the pamphlets and nearly toppled out of his chair at the sight of the headmaster. Flowing white robes with red and gold trim, a black/gold chestplate covering the shoulders, well-groomed gray hair atop chiseled features; it was the man he had guessed to be the new headmaster of the academy when the rogue saw him in Slade's cavernous hideout, shortly before his brain got psionically bent into a pretzel.

"My name is Brother Blood, and I am the headmaster of this complex. Here, we offer a wide variety of courses designed to give you the skills necessary to become successful in today's world..."

As Blood droned on with his speech, Swindle went back to reading the pamphlets to keep his mind occupied. Just when he started to wish that he had a pencil, the headmaster's voice became surprisingly clear. It almost felt like he was in the thief's head...

'You will obey only me. You shall follow my commands from this day forward.'

Swindle's eyes suddenly opened wide when he realized what was happening, and briefly flashed red as the enthrallment tried to take hold. He quickly squeezed them shut and gritted his teeth, concentrating as hard as he could to shut out the voice. He tried thinking about other things; songs that were forever stuck in his head, his best performances with the band at the nightclub, and his first dance with Jinx.

'Can't... let him do to me... what he did... to her!'

The louder the voice got, the more Swindle thought about to keep it blocked out. He became focused on his memories of Jinx and recalling everything they did together. Brother Blood's voice was becoming quieter again, until one last voice trailed off in the rogue's mind. Her voice.

'Thank you, Swipe... for everything you've done...'

At last, Swindle's eyes opened again as he struggled to catch his breath. His mind was clear, the voice was gone now, and the headmaster was coming to the end of his speech.

"... Any questions?"

"No, sir," came the monotone reply from all around the rogue. Swindle looked to the students sitting on either side of him, horrifically finding their eyes glowing red like the others. To blend in with the subverted, the rogue lowered his eyes and moved his lips to mimic their answer.

"Good. Now then, let's begin the tour of our facilities."

Everyone stood in unison and filed behind Brother Blood, with Swindle lagging in the back as usual. He took mental notes of several locations if he ever needed supplies: the cafeteria, the training rooms, faculty offices, and a few classrooms. He still shook his head a few times to get rid of the nagging ring in his head, hoping to throw off what was left of the headmaster's influence.

Once the tour had ended, the new students were dismissed for the day to have lunch and become more familiar with the grounds. Swindle entered the cafeteria and looked around for anyone familiar. Sure enough, he saw the hulking Mammoth scarfing down his lunch alongside the sawed-off technogeek, Gizmo. Jinx was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't stop the rogue from grabbing a tray, getting some food, and sitting down across from them.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him, "Where do you think you're going?"

Swindle didn't recognize the voice, so he turned to face the speaker: a dark-skinned young lady who looked inexplicably like a bee, complete with a yellow and black striped outfit and compound wings on her back. The rogue quickly had to mask the confused look on his face before he gave his answer.

"Uhm, I'm gonna go eat."

"Not with them, you're not. Those guys are two of Brother Blood's best students, and they're pretty picky about who sits with them... Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced myself," the girl held out her hand. "My name's Bumblebee."

Swindle accepted the handshake, "I'm Swindle. Nice to make your acquaintance." He indicated Mammoth with a thrust of his chin, "I've already had a run-in with the big fella over there, now that you mention it. Not exactly a friendly guy, is he?"

"When the headmaster likes you, it tends to go to your head."

"In more ways than one..." the rogue muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. In any case, if I'm not eatin' with those guys, where am I gonna sit?"

"Follow me." she replied, leading him to another table occupied by a young man dressed in a white bodysuit emblazoned with an eye-like crest on the chest and wearing a green visor that sported a single eye.

"Swindle, this is SeeMore. SeeMore, Swindle." Bumblebee made introductions as they both took their seats. She then asked the newcomer, "Have you had your entry exam yet?"

"I don't think so. All I've done is the general tour of the place," Swindle answered shortly before devouring two-thirds of the food he had in front of him while the other two students gaped. Once he had finished the rest of the food (which took all of 5 seconds), he noticed their expressions and asked innocently, "What?"

"That answered my question..." SeeMore remarked plainly.

Bumblebee nodded and explained to the thief, "We were gonna ask what your powers were. Looks like you might have some promise here, unless eating a lot is really your power."

"Super speed, actually," Swindle corrected her, even though he knew she was being sarcastic. "I just have to eat a lot in order to keep my energy up, or else I'll tire out real fast."

"Then you'd better eat a lot before..." the cyclopian started to say before Brother Blood's voice cut in on the intercom.

"Would all newly registered students and senior classmen please report to the main training room. I repeat, all new and senior students please report to the main training room. That is all."

"Looks like it's time for that exam," the rogue said as he got to his feet. "Should I take a #2 pencil with me, or what?"

Bumblebee shook her head, "You won't need paper for this kind of test, Swindle. Just your wits."

This made Swindle's eyebrows pick up. Not another obstacle course...

End of Chapter 2

In Chapter 3 - As if the Teen Titans' obstacle course wasn't bad enough... Could the Hive's course possibly be worse? Oh, probably.