A/N: This chapter is more of a filler chapter hence the title and the almost randomness of it. Enjoy!

Chapter 12/Hiatus

I stared up at the wooden planks that held Connor's bed above me. He had switched beds now however, and Gabriel had moved in. Taking up the permanent marker that lay beside me, I added a few more lines to the bat that now graced the board directly above my head. It had been three weeks now since I had joined the academy. I had gained some weight and had become stronger physically and mentally and emotionally. I had not cut again since that one breakdown, and now only sketched in my spare time when I was not fighting Connor in the ring or practicing with Violet and Dr. Crypto.

Gabe dropped his head over the edge of the upper bunk and stared at me, his spiky hair pointing to the ground and his necklace flipping forward to knock against his nose.

"What are you drawing this time?" he asked, displaying his pointed teeth in a slightly disturbing grin.

I pointed to what I had just finished. "A bat."

He strained to see it and ended up flipping off of the top bunk onto the floor. Fortunately for him, he twisted in mid-air as lithe as a cat and landed on all fours, seemingly not hurt at all. I blinked at him.

"You okay?" I asked.

He nodded without a comment and crawled over to look up at the bat. He slowly grinned. "Sweet. You're really good at this drawing thing Alex."

I shrugged. "Thanks, I guess."

Gabe stood up and sat down on the edge of the bed, I sat up as well. He stared at me a moment and I frowned slightly, chewing on my lip ring which had completely healed by now.

"What?" I asked after a while.

"Is it true that Megan dumped Josh for you?" he asked calmly.

I frowned. "No." I said darkly.

He shrugged. "Okay."

There was silence. No one else was in the room except us. Karl and Adams were both training. Gabe was on his free period as was I. I tapped my chin with my black marker for a few minutes before turning to him and grabbing the back of his neck to tilt his head to the side, baring the right side of his neck towards me. He did not resist but only closed his eyes and stuck out his tongue between his teeth slightly.

I began drawing on his skin, unsure really of what to draw, but drawing nonetheless. People do strange stuff when they're bored I guess. The lines fleshed out into the face of a tiger, teeth bared in a cross between a growl and a feral smile. Perfect for Gabriel with his spiky (now orange) hair and slightly pointed teeth.

I let him go and he leaped up and ran to the bathroom to get a good look at it. He started laughing once he saw it but I knew it was not mocking laughter.

"Totally awesome!" he said, coming back into the room and sitting down on the ground in front of me. "I wish it were real." He sighed and stared up at me.

I stared down at him. An unofficial staring contest ensued.

"This is stupid," I growled softly, still not blinking.

"I know," he said off-handedly, not blinking either.

My eyes began to water. Gabe slowly grinned, seeming to know that he was winning. Just before I gave in however, Chanel burst into the room. Gabe and me both jumped and blinked.

"You blinked first!" Gabe was quick to say.

I shook my head stubbornly. Chanel looked at us both as though we had both grown two heads. She rolled her eyes.

"Staring contests are so immature," she said, before sauntering over and sitting down very close to me. I let her. I had grown used to her attention and no longer pushed her away. It had gotten too stressful.

She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair before letting her hands rest on my shoulders. She began to massage them and I had to admit that it felt good.

Gabriel pouted at the attention I was getting. "Hey, I won the contest, that's got to count for something!"

I just smirked at him. Chanel gave him the finger before returning to me. I rolled my head and just let her work my back, the muscles relaxing after their hard work out earlier. Gabriel pouted a bit longer before snatching the marker from my hand and lifting my pant leg to draw little doodads on my white ankle. I let him.

Several minutes of silence passed. Gabe was paying close attention to his drawing on my ankle, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth. Chanel was traveling a little too close to my pants so I stopped her by leaning against her. She wrapped her arms around my chest and laid her head against mine. I tried to ignore her pungent smell.

"So it's not true about you and Megan?" she whispered in my ear.

I sighed and closed my eyes, shaking my head slightly. Her arms tightened around me and Gabriel looked up from his drawing.

"Yeah, it was a lie, Chanel. Don't worry; you've still got your precious Alex." He stuck out his tongue playfully at her.

She kicked at him but planted a kiss on my head. I groaned slightly inwardly but still did not pull away. I was a supervillain now . . . or at least one in training. I had to keep up my presence of CC&C. Still, enough was enough. I still did not like her like that and doubted I ever would. I sat up and shook Gabriel away from my ankle, leaning down to pull down my pant leg before standing.

"Where are you going?" Chanel asked, a pout in her voice.

"Training," I said shortly.

I left the two of them and stepped out into the white hallway, taking a deep breath before I started for the dome where I would meet up with Violet Walker.

When I arrived in the room, she was stretching against the far wall. I crossed my arms and stood watching her until she finished up. I could not help but admire her agile and nimble body. How she could twist into those strange positions I had no idea. I think she knew I was watching for she threw in a few extra moves. My lips twitched as I tried to hold back at smile.

She turned and flashed me an almost cheeky grin before shifting into her tiger form. She ran around and around the dome, muscles rippling underneath her black and orange fur. Her legs were powerful and they carried her swiftly and gracefully. She then ran a couple more laps before approaching me. She stopped short and gazed up at me with big green eyes flecked with gold. Her lips pulled back and revealed her sharp dangerous teeth. I reached over and stroked her head.

"Nice kitty," I smirked.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement before she shifted back, standing up and facing me. Without warning she struck out with her fist. I blocked her easily. She kicked at me and I blocked that as well. Before I really knew what was happening we were battling hard. Grunting and sweating, around and around the dome we went. Finally I knocked her down, placing my foot on her stomach and leaning on it slightly.

"Any last words?" I asked, sneering but not really meaning it.

She raised her eyebrows. "Meow?" she said, batting her eyelashes. I laughed but did not let up. I leaned down and gently touched the side of her neck.

"Touché," I said softly.

She nodded, smiling slowly. "Well done."

I got off of her and held out my hand to help her up. She consented and stood. Dropping my hand, she reached up to redo her hair.

"You've come a long way these past three weeks," she said approvingly. She lowered her arms and reached out to give my upper arm a squeeze. "You're not scrawny anymore and you actually beat me. Well done, Alex. Well done."

I bowed slightly. "It is my honor, Miss Walker."

She swatted at my head but I dodged it swiftly. She laughed and punched my arm gently.

"I've got a surprise for you coming soon," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

I raised an eyebrow. She put her finger to her lips and shook her head. "Can't tell you. Stop begging."

I sighed and walked out of the dome with her. Moving over to a bench, I picked up the bottled water that I had placed there and started chugging it. Before I could finish it however, Violet grabbed it out of my hands and did herself. I let her, a smile playing about my lips as I saw her smirking mouth drink the rest of my water.

When she was done, she tossed it into a trash can that was nearby. I nodded appreciatively.

"Nice."

She shook her head carelessly. "I try."

Then she left. Just like that. She never said goodbye. Watching her leave I thought of Magenta. Did she know her sister was in a villain academy? I had never gotten the chance to ask Violet yet why she stayed here. She always seemed way too nice to be the villain she was supposed to become here. But then again, I had seen her act pretty vicious toward other students.

I made my way back to the room. Karl was there, seemingly taking a nap, but Gabe and Chanel were no where to be seen. I stepped into the bathroom and got ready to take a shower. I looked at myself in the mirror before I did. Violet was right, I had filled out nicely. I curled my arm and admired the bulge that appeared as a bicep I never thought I'd have. I let my arm drop and observed my face.

I was still as pale as ever (and as I was still not allowed above ground I figured I would have to stay that way), and my hair was sticking to my face with sweat. My dark eyes no longer looked haunted. They looked resolved, cold almost. The dark liner that I still applied religiously stood out in my white face, giving me the look of a hardened punk of some kind. I liked the look; it made me feel stronger somehow.

I turned my gaze down to my lower arms. The scars there were still a painful reminder of my past. I traced one softly. They no longer hurt, but I knew they would be there forever.

I started the water and stepped in when it was warm. For a few moments I just stood there, letting the water wash over me, warming me from the outside in. Closing my eyes and tilting my head back, I felt the water pour over my face.

When I was finished I felt tired. My muscles still ached slightly from the work out so I quickly got dressed, ran a comb through my hair, reapplied my eye makeup and returned to the room. Karl glanced over at me and I froze. His face was covered with bruises. I stared at him wordlessly and he stared back.

I walked forward and knelt by the bed. Reaching up, I brushed some of his blond hair off of his forehead.

"Who?" I asked quietly.

"Does it matter?" he asked in reply, twitching slightly. "I was training and I wasn't quick enough. So I was punished. That's how things go around here." He twitched again, more violently this time.

I frowned. I knew the other kids had it a lot harder than me and sometimes I wondered why. Most of the kids thought it was because I was Megan's favorite. I figured it was because I just had Violet. She was different than the cruel trainers I had seen Karl and Gabriel work with. She never yelled at me, cursed, or beat me when I wasn't quick enough to grasp a concept or move. She patiently walked me through it, watching carefully for mistakes and then fixing them.

I realized again how much she stood out from the others. She was patient, she was kind, she never boasted nor bragged about her abilities, and she worked with me as a friend not as a dictator. How in the world had she come to be in this place?

Reviews are most welcome. :-D