CHAPTER NINE

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Carter paused at the open door, studying the class turning as one to look at the new kid. His hand tightened around LIE's short leash, knowing she would sense his growing tension...and the quickly darkening mood of the classroom. Curious gazes turned to anger as they flicked from him to her and back again. Carter was wishing for his mask but obscuring your identity in class was against the rules. Didn't stop Carter from hiding behind a wall of indifference as he guided LIE along the side of the room to a seat in the back. His classmates' heads turned to follow him, then back to the teacher expectantly then back to him like some strange, restrained version of the wave.

At the desk, LIE growled as Carter commanded her to crouch. Her body was rigid, skin paling so the blue veins under her skin were becoming more prominent.

Carter snapped his fingers in front of her face claiming her attention. "You will remain calm and play your game."

LIE's pupils were too large, crowding out the sedated blue and she growled again, returning her classmates' stares with narrowing eyes.

Carter snapped his fingers again, almost on the end of her nose and her head drew back in surprise. She looked up at him reproachfully but he did not soften his tone. "You will crouch here quietly and play your game."

With a curt nod, she tucked her feet under in her usual crouch, hair still hair and skin regaining its a healthy tan. Her pupils were still dilated but the sedative remained active, keeping her in this form. Carter breathed a sigh of relief. They were only halfway between scheduled shots of sedative and Carter did not like when he had to give her unscheduled shots. However, when upset, her body would burn through the sedative quickly, almost as fast as the negation formula. Worse, when it happened, since she was upset, it was much harder to bring her back under control than when he used the negation serum. Either way, though, he would end up having to give her more sedative and the possibility of an overdose worried him...not that just keeping her sedated all the time made him comfortable.

The serums had to have side effects. Everything did. What they might do to her in the long run...well, that's why he desperately needed Professor Fix-It's help to either get her off the sedatives completely or make them less damaging.

The class was still switching its gaze between him and the teacher, expectantly as he juggled his backpack around to get it on his desk without releasing LIE's leash. Carter continued to ignore them as he pulled out the large padded tablet and handed it to LIE. She immediately grabbed it and began the game, maybe prodding more aggressively than usual but quiet and still.

Carter fished out one of the official Bellville Memorial University notebook, pen and the Heroic Ethics textbook that Fortress had provided along with Carter's class schedule. A dorm room and tablet computer preprogrammed to work with the university specific programs and a handbook with instructions and explanations of what that included rounded out Carter's first day of school.

Who knew the legendary hero who had destroyed German Panzers barehanded could be such a mother hen? That most of the class was obviously younger than him did not help dispel the 'first day of school, play nice with the other kids' feeling of the day. He didn't have good memories of high school the first time around, he doubted he would develop better ones this time.

Settled, Carter looked across the still silent classroom to the pink and blue haired teacher, Master Yin, one of the people who had watched Carter's evaluation.

"Class, as you can see we have a new student," The expectation of the class was a physical weight, anticipation crackled in the air. "This is Carter and his companion is LIE. She will not be participating in the class and I expect you to have enough discipline that her presence will not be a distraction."

"Why not?" The demand came from the pink and yellow costumed Gizmateer. Carter recognized her from Fix-It's memories though the bright colors of her costume were more garish in person. "Just because he wants to act like she's an animal."

A low murmur and nodding heads spread through the classroom.

Carter shifted in his seat, positioning himself to exit the desk quickly. He altered his grip on LIE's leash to give it more play then wrapped it twice around his hand for a more secure grip. His other hand slipped into a belt pouch and he palmed some smoke pellets. If this went badly, added confusion and decreased vision would benefit him and LIE.

Master Yin held up her hand, demanding attention. "Enough. You have made a mistaken assumption." The class quieted, focussed once more on their teacher. "LIE is a special case. Due to the nature of her augmentations, the restraints are an appropriate precaution and the tablet she is working with is geared specifically to her educational needs."

Close, Carter thought. It was geared to finding out her needs which could then be met. Still, he saw no reason to correct the assumptions.

The class looked back at him with less anger but no welcome. Gizmateer wrinkled her nose. "But, isn't there a better way than a collar...and a leash?"

A man in a silver and light purple costume with brown wings edged in a light gray nodded. "Or at least put some clothes on her? I mean this isn't the Playboy Mansion."

Gizmateer turned toward her winged classmate, "You mean it's one of," She lowered her voice, "Those outfits?"

Carter briefly closed his eyes to mask rolling his eyes. Oh this was just going to be so much fun. The Paragon program was mainly developed for young heroes just discovering their powers which meant he was surrounded by teens and and new adults.

Master Yin's cool voice cut across the giggling. "Again, you are making assumptions and talking around someone who has the answers rather than talking to them. This lack of information gathering can be very costly in the field. Assumptions lead to mistakes. Mistakes lead to accidents. Accidents lead to unnecessary harm. Something that you are in this class to learn to avoid."

The winged man, probably still too young to drink, raised his hand. "But he looks like villain, keeping someone on a leash like that. We're not supposed to talk to villians, we're supposed to beat them."

"Yeah," Gizmateer was quick in her support. "Peregrine is right. How did he even get into the school?"

Master Yin crossed her arms, feet apart and set. She looked as solid as a granite mountain. "I already told you the way I expect you to get your answers."

His classmates began looking at each other, waiting for someone else to ask.

Carter slipped the smoke pellets back into his pouch so he wouldn't accidentally break them in his annoyance with the entire situation.

Finally, the winged man, Peregrine stood up and swaggered toward Carter's desk. Face set and chest out in a very classic superhero look. Carter wondered if the guy practiced in a mirror. Peregrine approached from the side LIE was on so Carter laid a hand on LIE's hair, stroking it in hope that she would ignore the approaching hero.

He had hoped too much, LIE's head raised while Peregrine was still 2 rows away and she hissed softly, pushing up on her toes. Carter stroked her forehead with a quietly murmured, "LIE, stay."

Peregrine stopped one row away, crossed his arms in a very heroic fashion, right off the cover of Time's Hero of the Year, and firmly demanded. "How did you get into this school?"

Carter remained seated, letting the guy take the usually intimidating higher position. "None of your business."

Peregrine's cheeks reddened. "It is always a hero's business when they see someone being mistreated or when someone is not where they are supposed to be. Now, explain yourself."

Carter hooked his fingers through the steel ring at the back of the collar on LIE's neck. "Not to you."

Violence seemed inevitable as Peregrine's body coiled for action, his face clearly announcing that Carter was stomping all over the Peregrine's last nerve. However, Master Yin chose that moment to interrupt. "Everyone will return to their seats now."

Carter mentally scoffed. Everyone? Peregrine was an everyone?

Once the winged hero was seated, Master Yin again addressed the class. "That is a good example of how not to approach someone for information. Write a five hundred word essay on a better way to have approached this situation due Friday. Collaboration is encouraged."

First day here and he already had homework...and the start of a headache. Releasing his hold on LIE's collar, he leaned down to tap her tablet. With a last look around the classroom, she resumed playing her game and Carter made a quick note of the homework assignment.

At the front of the class, Master Yin continued. "Today, we are going to review the recent events in Iron Plains, Texas."