AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay guys, I have some good news and some bad news. I know a lot of you are probably wondering why this update took so long. Well, the reason that is because I got two writing gigs. One is for a gaming website called epicgamingnetwork/dot/com. And this morning I got an e-mail from brilliantbias/dot/com to write for them as well. I've also been working/planning some short stories to start turning in into magazines to get paid for writing.
The bad news is this will leave me with less time to do my fan fiction. Yes, this story will be finished. I will continue to do my best to give you guys a weekly update. Do know, however, I may not always be able to do this. I'm very excited to have these new writing opportunities because if they work out I will actually be able to make a living doing what I love. I'm still going by the username I use for this site on these other sites I have begun to work for. So keep an eye out for me. ;p
Oh, and while it hasn't been published it I wrote an article on brilliantbias called "Fan Fiction Saved My Life" which means a lot to me. In the article I basically explain my entire reason of why I got into fan fiction and how it helped me. I've been writing fan fiction ever since I was in middle school. I thought you guys might like to read it because I've met so many wonderful people on this site over the years. I've even made quite a few long lasting friendships as well.
So, thank you guys, for being awesome. And please, enjoy you're weekly fill of this fic.
Chapter 3
"I'm not going!"
"Yes, you are. This is not up for discussion, Connor."
"Make me, then."
"Connor…"
"I'm not kidding, Bruce. I'm not going in there. You can't make me. You keep preaching about how I can make my own decisions. The minute I do you insist on me following your orders."
Bruce sighed running an irritated hand through his hair. He was distantly reminded of having to deal with Dick when he had been this age. The boy had been defiant at every turn, even when it was for his own good. At least there was no chandelier for Connor to sit on and glower down at him. When he chuckled at the memory he sensed the teen tense up beside him. They had gone in together to the school. Krypto had remained at home since Bruce had calmly insisted the dog would only cause problems if they brought him along.
They had come to Yorkshire High School two days later after the small birthday party. After talking with the counselor on the phone Bruce had finally managed to arrange a meeting. Connor would be given his new class schedule along with a tour of the school. Beside him he felt the teen muttering underneath his breath as he led Bruce across the school grounds. Passing by a large iron wrought gate as they headed towards the front office. He felt as if he were going to prison.
"Where is everyone?" Connor asked looking around. Bruce sighed as he walked his arm looped with Connor's.
"They're all on break, I imagine. The next quarter doesn't start until tomorrow. You'll see people your own age then."
"What if I get lost?"
"Ask for directions."
"What about if the teachers are mean?"
"Connor…"
"It's a legitimate question."
"I understand that. I don't appreciate you being aggravating just for the sake of annoying me. You'll be fine. Besides, you act as if you're going to get jumped." Bruce said calmly with a tired sigh. Connor huffed indignantly as they reached the office. He released Bruce to open the door for him.
His servant went in tapped the cane Connor had made for him. Before they had settled down in their farmhouse Bruce had taken the teen and Krypto to the beach. There Connor had come across a piece of driftwood just the right size for Bruce. He had sanded it down to a high polish and figured out how to attach a handle at the end. Despite the fact he could have bought one the blind man preferred the one given to him when they went out. Usually only using it when they could not bring Krypto along.
Inside there was small waiting room with comfortable chairs to sit in. Connor glanced at the coffee table seeing outdated magazines of National Geographic. Behind a large desk which wrapped around in a semi-circle a woman was busy typing. She was pleasantly plump with large spectacles on the bridge of her nose. Connor thought the woman looked a bit like a pig, but didn't say so. When she heard the bell ring she looked up from her computer at the two men. Then blinked again as she tilted her head back even further to gaze up at the younger man.
"My, you're a tall one! You must be Mr. Graves and this is your guardian, Mr. Walker I presume?" The woman asked as she got up. Bruce gave the woman a genial smile as he held out a hand to her. The woman smiled back reaching across the table to shake the offered hand.
"A pleasure, ma'am. Please call me Bruce, and this is Connor. He's a bit nervous about school I'm afraid. Is Ms. Hawthorne in today?" Bruce asked politely. The plump woman glanced at the silent brooding figure beside the blind man. She had been informed there were special circumstances surrounding the two down in the village. While she said nothing she was tempted to ask Mr. Walker how in the world she dealt with such a boy with his condition.
"Right in the back, sir. Her office is just around the corner. Would you like me too take you there?" She offered kindly. Connor clenched his fists reaching out to take Bruce's hand. Being sure to be gentle as he began to lead him away.
"No, we can manage by ourselves." Connor snapped brusquely. Bruce hit the back of Connor's hand lightly but the teen only ignored it.
"Be polite, please."
"She was making fun of you."
"No, she wasn't. She was just trying to helpful. Some people just don't know how to react to others who are different from themselves. It doesn't mean being to them if they're a bit shy." Bruce lectured him quietly. Connor frowned but said nothing.
When they reached the office they found the door ajar. Connor peered in hearing the woman talking briskly on the phone. He was surprised to see the petite form of the woman who called herself Ms. Hawthorne. She wore a simple dress shirt and blouse, and wore sharp black spectacles. Her nails were painted a light shade of pink and were neatly trimmed. She pursed her lips as whoever she spoke to said something she didn't like. She looked up when she heard a soft knock at the door.
"Yes, that will be fine. Yes, yes, but next time it's expulsion, ma'am. No exceptions. Good day. Hello, you must be Connor. Please, come in." Ms. Hawthorne said hanging up the phone. Her dark brown eyes flickered warily when the teen walked in. He held the door open wider for his guardian to come in. She glanced at Mr. Walker wondering how best to proceed with these matters.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Walker. Please, both of you, feel free to sit down. I wanted to discuss a few things considering you're a special case for our school." Ms. Hawthorne invited them. The blind man sat down with hardly any trouble. Connor, on the other hand, didn't seem to want to sit down. Rather he sat perched on the edge of the chair looking as if he would rather bolt then be attending school.
"Yes, we talked about it over the phone. You said there were certain conditions you wanted to discuss in person?" Bruce said calmly. He could sense the irritation in Superboy but made no sign to show he knew this. Ms. Hawthorne took a deep breath to keep herself from sighing heavily. Leaning forward she folded her hands across the desk peering at the two intently. The boy met her gaze head on as if daring her to say anything else. A troublemaker, for sure.
"As you are aware, Mr. Walker, we run a very prestigious school. While I do recognize the fact Connor is-"
"Excuse me, Ms. Hawthorne. I'm right here. Don't talk about me as if I'm not present." Connor cut in angrily. For a moment the counselor gazed at him for a second. Then reaching up she took off her glasses and set them on the desk. Her eyes sparking angrily as she glared at the young man.
"Young man, I do hope you don't speak to those in charge in such a manner on a regular basis."
"Only when they treat me like I'm not here." Connor shot back. Bruce reached out and grabbed Connor's wrist to get the teen's attention.
"Connor, why don't you go wait in the hall?" Bruce said. Connor blinked shocked at the tone in his servant's voice. Bruce's brow had furrowed into a hardline his tone sharp when he spoke to the teen.
"But Bruce she-"
"Now, Connor." Bruce said his tone growing harsher. Connor stared at him a second longer then got up. Walking out of the room and down to the other end of the hall. With a tired sigh Bruce turned his head back in the direction he had heard Ms. Hawthorne speaking.
"My apologies, he's been through a lot. His father wasn't precisely kind to him. He always set the boy aside in favor of his work." Bruce explained. Ms. Hawthorne sighed putting her glasses back on already irritated.
"Does he act out like that on a regular basis? I can't have him disrupting the other students during the learning process. Has he ever attended a normal school system?"
"I'm afraid not. Up until now Connor has always been homeschooled or had private tutors. Which is why his mother took full custody of him. She wants him to experience a normal life."
"Where is his mother now?"
"In the states, I'm afraid, settling legal matters. There was a threat to Connor's safety which is why she requested I bring him here to England to live with me."
"I suppose I can understand his situation. I would appreciate it, however, if you discussed the proper manners with him when it comes to those in authority." Ms. Hawthorne said shuffling some papers on her desk.
"I will as soon as we get home."
"Do you mind if I ask why you chose to take up caring for this young man? No offense, Mr. Walker but you are…well…" Ms. Hawthorne said unsure of what to say. Across the desk Bruce adopted a look of shock reaching up to touch his face.
"Oh, my god, am I blind?! However did that happen?" Bruce said. He heard the woman let out a small gasp then a soft chuckle. He smiled kindly glad to have brought her onto better grounds.
"It's quite alright. I'm rather surprised you waited until now to ask me. I was in need of some assistance around the farm. Connor helps me to simply run the farm and buy supplies at the market once a week."
"How is he at home? Are there any problems?"
"He's rather quiet, believe it or not. As you saw for yourself Connor has a bit of a temper. But…" Bruce said pretending to hesitate when he said the next part. As if unsure if it had any real value to the conversation.
"The boy is just protective of me I guess you can say. He's very compassionate, almost to a fault. He cares deeply about other people, but at the same time it takes him a long time to trust others." Bruce explained gently to the woman. Ms. Hawthorne nodded then realized the man could not see her. She agreed verbally while in her head she wondered where in the world this odd couple had come from.
"Does Connor play any sports at all? Any special interests, or hobbies?"
"Not that I can recall. He enjoys music, but he tends to blast it from his room. I have a dog he likes to play with. From time to time he'll read aloud from book for me. I think he does that more for my benefit than his own enjoyment. As for sports, I do believe he's never shown an interest in any." Bruce answered.
They continued to talk back and forth for a little more than half an hour. As they spoke Ms. Hawthorne found she had more questions than she did answers. While she could say for certain Mr. Walker seemed like a pleasant man she got the sense he was hiding something. Not to mention Connor who kept looking up every now and again to glare directly at her. As if he could hear everything they were saying. While she refused to be intimidated by a child the woman had to admit to herself the boy's attitude worried her. He was just so…big. She could see the muscle rippling beneath his leather jacket and wondered how in the world a man like Bruce kept control of him.
After they had everything in order the counselor thanked Bruce for his time. Noticing they were getting up Connor pushed away from the wall coming over to his servant. He felt sour over being dismissed so easily, but he softened when Bruce rested a hand on his elbow. Reaching up the teen patted it as they headed outside. He still didn't like the idea of attending the school.
They were halfway across the campus before Bruce frowned. Stopping the man reached down and patted his pockets. Connor waited patiently wondering what in the world was wrong now. After a minute Bruce sighed turning his head towards Superboy.
"Connor, can you go back to the office and get your class schedule? I thought Ms. Hawthorne had given it to me, but I believe I accidentally left it on the table." Bruce asked.
"Yeah, wait right here. I'll be right back." Connor assured him. He left Bruce standing near the entrance and walked back to the office.
It didn't take him long to get the papers. He was forced to wait as the plump old woman at the front desk printed out his schedule. She offered to walk him around the school, but Connor declined. He didn't want to stay there a moment longer than necessary. He waited an extra ten minutes as the woman fussed through her desk searching for a folder to put his papers in. Finally, after what felt like forever he had his class schedule in hand.
When he headed back outside Connor wondered if he should make a complaint to Mercy. For the past couple of months Bruce had slowly, but surely, begin to regain some of an "old flame" as his mother liked to call it. She did not say what this was or even hint at it. Only that if Bruce told him to listen he should. Superboy often found himself at odds with his own servant. Not wanting to follow his instructions but at the same time knowing he had too. Connor always felt an edge of guilt whenever he denied Bruce. As if he had physically reached out to hit the blind man for speaking up. Of course, his servant had his good days and his bad days. This was one of Bruce's good days, thankfully.
As he walked around the corner Connor noticed to his alarm Bruce was not at the front entrance. He felt his heart skip a beat as he scanned the parking lot. Their truck was still there where they had left it. Another check revealed Bruce had not wandered off down another path either. Where had his servant gone?
It was then he heard a loud clashing sound. He gritted his teeth at the sound wondering where it was coming from. Having no other clues Connor headed in the direction of the grating sound. His eyes flickering from side to side as he continued to scan the area. When he walked around the corner of the campus he found Bruce. His servant was not alone, however.
A group of four teenagers had come across Bruce. One of them held the flat top of a trash can. Banging it with Bruce's cane as they circled the blind man. In the center of the circle Bruce stood stock still his blind eyes narrowed. He kept turning his head trying to determine a way out. He would begin to move away from the noise only for the teens to yell and scream at him. Driving him back as the one with his impromptu torture device banged the lid even harder.
"Come on, fairy, get out of the circle!"
"Yeah, fly away why don't you? Come on!"
"I don't think he can hear us, mates. We need to be louder!" Their leader shouted. A ragged cheer came up from the group of boys.
Connor felt a sharp cold fury go through him. Before he knew it he was storming towards the group. Grabbing Bruce's cane and yanking it out of the teen's hand. Some blond with a ratty T-shirt and jeans the teen turned in surprise. Seeing who it was rather than be scared the teen gave Connor a wide grin. Showing off blackened teeth as he laughed aloud at the furious teen.
"Get. Away. From. Him." Superboy hissed shaking with rage. He actually had to check himself from cracking the cane over the teen's head. The boy laughed, giving Connor a coy look as his cohorts stopped their hollering. Waiting in quite anticipation for a fight to break out between the two.
"Make me, mate. Not my fault you and blind man got something going on. Come on now, everyone knows it ain't natural. Got yourself a bit of a rich hubby, do you?" The teen asked.
Connor clenched his fists ready to punch the other. The boy was a few inches shorter than himself and skinny as hell. He took a menacing step forward towards the other teen. Meaning to punch his face. Knock his rotten teeth out of the other's bloody skull. Imagining cracking the cane over the other's head and demanding to know how he liked a taste of his own medicine.
A hand on his chest stopped him. Glancing down Superboy noticed Bruce had come towards him. With gentle pressure Bruce attempted to move the teen back. Whispering softly to him as he urged him to back down.
"Don't, Connor. He's not worth it." He said quietly. Superboy felt his mouth go dry at those words.
"But Bruce, they just…I'm going to kick your ass!" Connor shouted at the teens. They cackled at him as Connor began to push forward. Instead of moving Bruce stood firmly in front of him refusing to budge. Not wanting to hurt his servant he put a hand on the older man's arm meaning to move him.
"Connor, trust me, they're not worth it. Let's go home." Bruce insisted quietly.
"Yeah, go home wanker! You two can bump uglies when you get home!" The teen cackled.
Superboy grit his teeth wanting nothing more than to beat the teen's face in. Grabbing Bruce he led his servant back towards the truck. Behind him he could hear the teens yelling obscenities at their backs. Once they were in the truck Connor revved the engine. Pulling out of the parking lot in a screech of tires and taking off.
The entire car ride neither of them said nothing. Connor had a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel and had to check his strength so he would not accidentally rip it out from the car. He forced himself to breathe through his nose in order to keep his cool. Beside him in the passenger seat Bruce said not a word. Only lightly running his fingers over his hand carved cane in deep thought.
When they reached the house Connor got out of the car. Slamming the door as on the other side Bruce stepped out carefully. He stormed into the house and went up to his room. Bruce sighed and shook his head sadly when he heard the door to Connor's room slam. He knew the boy was angry, but he would have to learn to deal with such issues like this.
"Connor? Connor, do you want to talk?" Bruce called. His voice was met with nothing but silence.
