The boys slowly made their way down the long, foreboding halls; their feet
scuffing the pristine floors and their sighs echoing throughout. Silence
reigned among them, none daring to break the grasp it held; after all, what
was there to say? They had just been through a life altering ordeal, and
now they had come to a place where Robin was sure they would be able to
rest- together. Apparently, that was not the case. If anyone was going to
voice a complaint it should have been him; first, at any rate. He didn't
want to pressure the others to like this place when even he could not; he
should have been strong enough to speak; and yet, he wasn't.
The memory of Starfire's tears still lingered in his mind, the haunting image swirling around with all the others that consumed him. Surely, he must have been mad; and maybe he was seeing things as well. To him it seemed a shadow was following him, in truth, it made him nervous. And the vice principal, Mr. Gautier, where had he gone? Others had that same ability, to vanish, but few could do it without any outward sign of feeling it. Unless he had only become invisible and was following them now, watching at their heavy steps carried them towards their destination. A shudder over came Robin as he stopped abruptly, turning around and squinting the receding halls. Beside him the other two came to a halt, watching uneasily as their leader scanned for a sign or anything unusual.
"There's nothing there, man," Beast Boy said softly, putting his hand on Robin's shoulder and slowly turning the Boy Wonder forward; it would do no good to dwell on the past.
"I guess you're right," Robin offered with a frown, finally turning his gaze from what he couldn't see; from what wasn't there. Nothing had been following them, but his senses were honed in on anything unusual; and this school was certainly not usual. The two started up their walking and after a moment's hesitation Robin joined them, his head held high. He was a proud male, and not even the unnerving sense of the nonexistent would make him lower his gaze. He submitted to no one. Their aimless walking finally took them before a door, barely distinguishable figures moving behind it.
They were there.
The door, a fogged glass, seemed to mock them, beckoning them into the mouth of the uncertain. Would they take this risk? They could always go back, grab the girls, and go...no, running away was not something Robin was good at. Little did the boys know, though, that even if they had tried to run back and leave they would not have been able to. Once you come in, you can't go out. But how were such confused minds supposed to know that? They weren't, so they would live on in ignorance, for a certain amount of time anyway.
"Ready?" Cyborg questioned, his booming, yet pleasant, voice breaking between them; shocking them to their senses. Beast Boy gave an affirmative nod and stuck out his check faintly, almost to show as if he wasn't afraid at all. That was a lie, though; Beast Boy was just good at hiding things. "Robin?" Cyborg asked gently, catching the masked boy's attention finally.
"Yes," he replied while taking a deep breath of the sweet air that surrounded them. "Let's go."
Cyborg nodded and opened the door, blocking the way so that neither Robin nor Beast Boy could see what was inside. It seemed like an eternity before the half robot creature finally moved from the door, but when he did Robin wasn't all too sure he wanted Cyborg to move. The room the door had revealed was decent sized with beds in rows, or what was meant to be rows. They were bunk beds, some lingering in the center of the room while others were fastened to the wall; built in as it were. The lighting was dim, only a few lights actually hung from the ceiling, and it took a second for Robin's eyes to fully adjust to what he saw there.
Five faces were turned towards the boys; three looking exactly alike. Only two boys wore questioning looks, two of the identical ones looked blank, for lack of words. Almost as if sensing Robin's question the two bodies blinked out and the remaining identical one (since there were three) stepped forward, platinum hair ruggedly hanging into grey orbs. A hint of a smile lingered on his face as he extended his hand to Robin, who had, once again, taken the lead (so to speak).
"Name's Clone; you must be the Teen Titans," he said. His voice was incredibly smooth, and if Robin's ears weren't fooling him the boy's voice was sarcastic as well. But why? What should he have against them?
"Part of the team," Robin answered gruffly, his voice catching in his throat as he thought of the other two. Where were they? "I'm Robin," he said in a stronger voice so it would carry to the ebony haired boy that was perched gracefully on the top bunk bed. "That's Cyborg and Beast Boy," he added as if the other two weren't capable of it. It wasn't that they weren't, it was just that Robin was so used to being the leader.
"So you're the Boy Wonder," the raven haired student said mockingly, jumping from the top bed with a cat like grace. "We've heard a lot about you. I'm Nox," he said arrogantly, his hand extending to take Robin's outstretched one. "Pleasure I'm sure."
Robin gave a curt nod to show his agreement before his eyes started to wander once more over the room. The room was amazingly simple, the only shades were black and white; now that he thought on it, the boys were both in black and white: uniforms. His eyes wandered to the neatly made beds as he mentally counted the amount of people in the room compared to beds; people were missing.
As if reading his thoughts Nox said, "We had more roommates, but they've been moved out. Turns out not everyone is cut out for this school."
"How many others are there?" Robin asked vaguely, his attention finally returning to the pale skinned boy.
"Only fifty or so, but we don't interact all too often. I've only talked with about twelve people, including you all," he said smoothly. "We don't know if there are more, and the teachers won't tell, so don't bother asking," he added, stopping any questions Robin might have had for later. "And classes, well, this is our class," he said motioning to the only people there.
"Oh yes, it gets so lonely," Clone said mockingly. "I was getting very bored with Nox here, he's no fun," he said lightly pushing the other student.
"Is that really how you feel?" Nox replied, a pout forming on his stunningly red lips. "I see how it is. Well, in my opinion then, I'm glad others are here as well. I was growing tired of you constantly making others and talking to them; I am able of a conversation-"
"-Not a good one," Clone broke in with a grin, only then remembering the others in the room. "Choose almost any bed you want; only the top two in the back right corner are taken, other than that it's all good," he said with a shrug. It wasn't as if they had anything to leave off or put down, so did it really matter where they slept. "And you'll have to change," he added as an after thought. "Uniforms are the only thing besides skin that's worn here."
Robin nodded in comprehension and made his way towards the back of the room, the left corner. Here away from Clone and Nox he could speak freely, well, almost freely. He was almost positive this place was bugged so he wasn't about to say anything important. Beast Boy and Cyborg followed, Beast Boy lightly springing up onto a top bed and looking down on them with wide eyes.
"What now?" he asked softly, well aware the both Nox and Clone were intently staring at them.
"We get changed," Robin said as easily as he could. He wasn't fond of the conformity of uniforms, but he would make due. Grabbing the bed under Beast Boy's as Cyborg took a top one he opened a compartment on the wall. It held a uniform and other essentials, but beyond that there was nothing. Not seeing a bathroom anywhere, and Clone had admitted to walking around in nothing, he began to strip off his clothing as the others did the same. Soon the uniform was on; the silky texture brushing against his skin and whispering with each movement. The uniform was looser then his other attire, but then again it looked more like what a regular person would wear, not Robin. Actually, it looked quite dressy with the black shirt and white slacks; black shoes and white tie. This school was very organized, almost to the point of peculiarity.
"We have dinner now," Nox informed them once they were all changed. "Time to see the school."
The memory of Starfire's tears still lingered in his mind, the haunting image swirling around with all the others that consumed him. Surely, he must have been mad; and maybe he was seeing things as well. To him it seemed a shadow was following him, in truth, it made him nervous. And the vice principal, Mr. Gautier, where had he gone? Others had that same ability, to vanish, but few could do it without any outward sign of feeling it. Unless he had only become invisible and was following them now, watching at their heavy steps carried them towards their destination. A shudder over came Robin as he stopped abruptly, turning around and squinting the receding halls. Beside him the other two came to a halt, watching uneasily as their leader scanned for a sign or anything unusual.
"There's nothing there, man," Beast Boy said softly, putting his hand on Robin's shoulder and slowly turning the Boy Wonder forward; it would do no good to dwell on the past.
"I guess you're right," Robin offered with a frown, finally turning his gaze from what he couldn't see; from what wasn't there. Nothing had been following them, but his senses were honed in on anything unusual; and this school was certainly not usual. The two started up their walking and after a moment's hesitation Robin joined them, his head held high. He was a proud male, and not even the unnerving sense of the nonexistent would make him lower his gaze. He submitted to no one. Their aimless walking finally took them before a door, barely distinguishable figures moving behind it.
They were there.
The door, a fogged glass, seemed to mock them, beckoning them into the mouth of the uncertain. Would they take this risk? They could always go back, grab the girls, and go...no, running away was not something Robin was good at. Little did the boys know, though, that even if they had tried to run back and leave they would not have been able to. Once you come in, you can't go out. But how were such confused minds supposed to know that? They weren't, so they would live on in ignorance, for a certain amount of time anyway.
"Ready?" Cyborg questioned, his booming, yet pleasant, voice breaking between them; shocking them to their senses. Beast Boy gave an affirmative nod and stuck out his check faintly, almost to show as if he wasn't afraid at all. That was a lie, though; Beast Boy was just good at hiding things. "Robin?" Cyborg asked gently, catching the masked boy's attention finally.
"Yes," he replied while taking a deep breath of the sweet air that surrounded them. "Let's go."
Cyborg nodded and opened the door, blocking the way so that neither Robin nor Beast Boy could see what was inside. It seemed like an eternity before the half robot creature finally moved from the door, but when he did Robin wasn't all too sure he wanted Cyborg to move. The room the door had revealed was decent sized with beds in rows, or what was meant to be rows. They were bunk beds, some lingering in the center of the room while others were fastened to the wall; built in as it were. The lighting was dim, only a few lights actually hung from the ceiling, and it took a second for Robin's eyes to fully adjust to what he saw there.
Five faces were turned towards the boys; three looking exactly alike. Only two boys wore questioning looks, two of the identical ones looked blank, for lack of words. Almost as if sensing Robin's question the two bodies blinked out and the remaining identical one (since there were three) stepped forward, platinum hair ruggedly hanging into grey orbs. A hint of a smile lingered on his face as he extended his hand to Robin, who had, once again, taken the lead (so to speak).
"Name's Clone; you must be the Teen Titans," he said. His voice was incredibly smooth, and if Robin's ears weren't fooling him the boy's voice was sarcastic as well. But why? What should he have against them?
"Part of the team," Robin answered gruffly, his voice catching in his throat as he thought of the other two. Where were they? "I'm Robin," he said in a stronger voice so it would carry to the ebony haired boy that was perched gracefully on the top bunk bed. "That's Cyborg and Beast Boy," he added as if the other two weren't capable of it. It wasn't that they weren't, it was just that Robin was so used to being the leader.
"So you're the Boy Wonder," the raven haired student said mockingly, jumping from the top bed with a cat like grace. "We've heard a lot about you. I'm Nox," he said arrogantly, his hand extending to take Robin's outstretched one. "Pleasure I'm sure."
Robin gave a curt nod to show his agreement before his eyes started to wander once more over the room. The room was amazingly simple, the only shades were black and white; now that he thought on it, the boys were both in black and white: uniforms. His eyes wandered to the neatly made beds as he mentally counted the amount of people in the room compared to beds; people were missing.
As if reading his thoughts Nox said, "We had more roommates, but they've been moved out. Turns out not everyone is cut out for this school."
"How many others are there?" Robin asked vaguely, his attention finally returning to the pale skinned boy.
"Only fifty or so, but we don't interact all too often. I've only talked with about twelve people, including you all," he said smoothly. "We don't know if there are more, and the teachers won't tell, so don't bother asking," he added, stopping any questions Robin might have had for later. "And classes, well, this is our class," he said motioning to the only people there.
"Oh yes, it gets so lonely," Clone said mockingly. "I was getting very bored with Nox here, he's no fun," he said lightly pushing the other student.
"Is that really how you feel?" Nox replied, a pout forming on his stunningly red lips. "I see how it is. Well, in my opinion then, I'm glad others are here as well. I was growing tired of you constantly making others and talking to them; I am able of a conversation-"
"-Not a good one," Clone broke in with a grin, only then remembering the others in the room. "Choose almost any bed you want; only the top two in the back right corner are taken, other than that it's all good," he said with a shrug. It wasn't as if they had anything to leave off or put down, so did it really matter where they slept. "And you'll have to change," he added as an after thought. "Uniforms are the only thing besides skin that's worn here."
Robin nodded in comprehension and made his way towards the back of the room, the left corner. Here away from Clone and Nox he could speak freely, well, almost freely. He was almost positive this place was bugged so he wasn't about to say anything important. Beast Boy and Cyborg followed, Beast Boy lightly springing up onto a top bed and looking down on them with wide eyes.
"What now?" he asked softly, well aware the both Nox and Clone were intently staring at them.
"We get changed," Robin said as easily as he could. He wasn't fond of the conformity of uniforms, but he would make due. Grabbing the bed under Beast Boy's as Cyborg took a top one he opened a compartment on the wall. It held a uniform and other essentials, but beyond that there was nothing. Not seeing a bathroom anywhere, and Clone had admitted to walking around in nothing, he began to strip off his clothing as the others did the same. Soon the uniform was on; the silky texture brushing against his skin and whispering with each movement. The uniform was looser then his other attire, but then again it looked more like what a regular person would wear, not Robin. Actually, it looked quite dressy with the black shirt and white slacks; black shoes and white tie. This school was very organized, almost to the point of peculiarity.
"We have dinner now," Nox informed them once they were all changed. "Time to see the school."