Updated on 9/3/23 for grammar and fixing some plot points for future chapters.
I'm back with a new story and universe idea that has been nudging me to go forward! Plus one of my best friends said to 'do it'. I haven't completely given up on Bad Omen. I'm probably going to work on that on the side as I develop this story and then surprise everyone with the completed story one day.
Please note, that this is my reimagined Teen Titans, so some of the characters' origins may differ slightly from those in the OG. But it's all part of my master plan. That's why we love the multiverse, right? I definitely would love some feedback as I develop this story because I want this to be the best story it can be as an alternative universe.
Also note, that this is in Starfire's point of view, and with this being an AU, I'm giving her a more mature and diplomatic tone. She's still going to be naive and going to be that fun-loving, free-spirited girl we all know...just a little different and how I've always imagined her to be and sound.
So ummm...Enjoy!
Rated T for language, some crude humor, violence, and frightening scenes.
Genre: Sci-Fi/Suspense. It's not so much romance-focused on this one. But there will be plenty of 'crush-like' moments.
Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, don't own Teen Titans as they still belong to DC Comics and Warner Bros...but do you think I'll be allowed to produce my own fan animation?
Chapter One - The Woman in Red
It was raining again. Usually, I would have preferred the sun, for my body relies on it for energy. But when it rains here, everything seems to turn grey and gloomy. Which matched my current state of emotions as I was getting chartered off to another unknown location. I should have been used to this since I spent most of my life being told where to go and what was expected of me because it was my duty as a princess. However, I was not being sent to a planet for my warrior and diplomatic training. I am being sent to an Earth school for "gifted" young individuals. At least, that was what my older sister told me where I was going. She did not allow me to know more than that.
My younger brother, Ry, was asleep with his head resting on my shoulder. The gentle swaying of the transportation vessel must have rocked him to a peaceful slumber. And for that, I was grateful. I did not know how much longer I could have endured his crying. Our current circumstances were already heartbreaking enough, and seeing him so upset did not help with the grief.
My brother, sister, and I have been recently marked as fugitives from our home planet, Tamaran, as it is currently under siege by the Gordanians. We have been at war with the tyrant race for years, and our armies have been able to keep the war away from our planet until they took us by surprise and attacked the palace before the King and Queen, our parents, were given word of them approaching. I regrettably do not remember much of the attack as I must have at some point gone unconscious during the battle, and the events after that had eluded me. All I remember was screaming, children crying, hands pulling at me telling me to get to safety, the taste of blood in my mouth, and then I was shaken awake by Ry on a sandy beach in the city known as Miami.
Now, I am on something known as a train, as the Earth people, or humans, call it. I believe other forms of transportation on this planet would have gotten us to our destination faster. Still, my new 'caretakers' thought it would be best for our safety since there was more documentation for air travel than for boarding a train. Attempting to secure documents for three young aliens from a different galaxy might create suspicion among the authorities on this planet. Again, this information only came from my sister, and every time I had questions, she would wave them off and tell me to trust her and that soon, my brother and I would be safe.
I would have liked to believe that, but when one has royal blood running through their veins and manages to escape power-lusted captors who now most likely have a high reward for anyone who returns us, I do not think we would ever be safe while the Gordanians are in control of Tamaran. I tried to push that thought aside as I leaned my head back against the soft, cushioned seat Ry and I were sharing. I was studying one of my textbooks for the school I would be attending, but I could feel the pull of my eyelids tempting me to sleep and decided to follow through. I closed my eyes, hoping that some sleep would ease my troubled mind, but just as I was drifting into slumber, I heard the door of our train cabin roughly being opened, startling me, but Ry remained asleep, thankfully.
"Oh good!" My sister, Kom, said with a grin, knowing that she had ruined my chances of getting any sleep. "You are awake! I heard that we are only ten minutes away from Gotham Station, and your new guardian will be expecting you as soon as the train arrives."
"You mean the school's principal." I corrected her, even though I knew she was saying 'guardian' on purpose to bother me. She knew I was not favorable to the idea of separating, and I was not pleased with having to live at an academic establishment and sharing sleeping quarters with other adolescent humans. That is why she would use the words 'new home' and 'new guardian' as if accepting the fact we would never be able to return to Tamaran ever again.
"Same thing, I suppose." She rolled her eyes. "I do not know exactly what the different titles here mean."
I inwardly sighed at my sister's fake, foolish behavior. "A school principal is someone who has executive authority over a learning establishment and is in charge of all its daily activities. A guardian is legally responsible for someone unable to manage their affairs. And since I am able to manage my affairs and there is no legal contract of this school principal being responsible for me, they are not my guardian."
"X'hal, Kory!" Kom sighed exaggeratedly as she flopped down on the seat directly facing Ry and me. "I didn't ask for the word-by-word definition from whatever Earthly textbook you read. And what do you mean you can manage your affairs? Do I need to remind you that you are the reason why we are in this mess now?"
Another attack on me. I turned my head away from her to look out the train window. "Be that as it may, but I do not see the point of you reminding me when I cannot defend myself."
My sister always felt the need to constantly make me aware that the fall of Tamaran was my fault. My last clear memory of Tamaran was breaking fast with the royal court. However, according to Kom, I was supposed to be helping the royal guard with their watch that morning, but I was 'goofing off,' and the Gordanians somehow flew over the kingdom's walls with my knowing. I found that story hard to believe as I take my responsibilities on guard seriously, and it would have taken a lot more than one person to miss an entire reptilia army invading the kingdom walls, but she insisted that was what happened.
Kom shrugged, "Not my fault you can't remember anything." She said while rummaging through her purse for a piece of gum. It was a human trait she picked up and would partake in frequently since she knew I could not stand the sound of her chewing on the rubbery substance. "But I do, and I guess you have no choice but to take my word for it."
Once she found her chewing gum, she proceeded to unwrap her piece and then rolled the wrapper up in a tiny ball to throw it at Ry. "Wake up, runt," Kom said, "We're nearly at Kory's stop."
Ry groaned as he sleepily rubbed his eyes. They were still red from crying. "Are we there already?" He asked with a small voice as he sat up to look out the train window to see what new Earth environment we were in now.
We quickly discovered that Earth had many different terrain biomes, unlike Tamaran, which consisted of mainly only sand dunes and orange rocky canyons. Here on Earth, there are multiple forms of large bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and my favorite, the Ocean. There were mountains, valleys, deserts, forests, and different weather cycles that I had never known existed. It does not rain on Tamaran, and we were so fascinated when we first witnessed water droplets marking the sidewalks with dark little circles. With his childish innocence, Ry thought the sky was crying and begged me to make it feel better.
We also quickly discovered that our way of learning languages from other cultures and species was not an acceptable way to acquire a new language. Tamaraneans can learn languages through lip transfiguration. However, little did we know that lip contact on Earth had a more intimate meaning, and it was a romantic expression instead of a utilitarian action. You could only imagine the look of shock we received from the poor bystander after three strangers each 'kissed' them on the mouth. We then decided it would be best to learn languages the human way to draw less attention to ourselves that we are not from this planet.
When we were not committing acts of the 'faux pas' behavior, we were surprised with how well we could blend in. Earth is one of the most populated planets I have ever been to, with many diverse-looking people. We were fortunate enough to look very close to humans, minus the fact that we had orange skin. But even then, we found many people in Miami who had purposely made their skin that way. Apparently, the orange tint they sprayed on themselves made them more attractive. Why? I could not tell you. Humans are fascinating creatures.
Kom was the one that looked most human as compared to my brother and I. While we inherited the red hair and green eyes that most Tamaraneans were born with, Kom had black hair, velvet eyes, and paler skin. With her appearance so different, rumors had started on my planet that Kom was a bastard child and the Queen had an affair with one of the Green Lanterns. But my parents quickly put that rumor to rest by letting the people know that Kom was born with a defect. That had quieted the rumors for some time, but the royal court had still decided that Kom was unfit to be the heir to the throne and that the title should be given to the nextborn child, which happened to be me. My sister had always resented me for this, but with everything that has happened, it does not matter anymore, considering that there might not be a throne to inherit.
Kom was also the best communicator of the three of us and tended to understand the strange 'lingo' humans used. That was why she was in charge of most of the talking whenever we interacted with others while navigating around this foreign planet. Of course, she would have put herself in charge regardless of understanding the language better since she was the 'older sister.'
I must admit she did well with getting us a nice hotel room to stay in while we worked out a plan to remain hidden from the Gordanians. The hotel room we stayed in was quite luxurious and reminded me of the castle we grew up in. How could she afford that room, I did not ask. I assumed she must have gotten a hold of some of our family's fortune and traded our gold for human currency. I was surprised to find out that gold had a high value here, and we were able to secure our wealth by tenfold. However, Kom would not give us a portion of the money she was harboring. "I'm the adult here!" She would hiss every time I asked.
While I looked after our brother in the hotel room we were staying in, Kom would go into the city and buy us food and any essentials. One day, as she was leaving the hotel to shop at one of the food markets, she said that she met a 'nice lady' in the elevator who had observed that we were an unsupervised group of youth and asked where our parents were.
Instead of telling the story that our parents were on a trip elsewhere and were coming back to meet us in a few days, my sister had dumbly told her the truth. I was furious when I discovered this and feared our position would soon be revealed to the Gordanians. She had said that this woman seemed trustworthy and was in the business of housing and educating young people in 'special circumstances' like us and wanted to help us.
Since my brother was only eight earth years of age and my sister was 18 and was considered a legal adult, I was the only one of age to attend the school that this person my sister met was in charge of. During this conversation, Kom had 'made a deal' with this stranger by giving her a large portion of our financial resources sufficient to have me attend the school for four years and find living arrangements for me during the summer months when school was not in session. Kom had also told me that this woman would help find arrangements for Ry.
I refused to talk to her for almost a week after she had announced this plan. I was so upset that she had made these hasty decisions for all of us before discussing this with me. I was the one who was going to have to attend this school for four years away from my family when we should have been staying together in case we heard that it was safe to go back to Tamaran.
"I believe our beloved planet is done for, sister," She told me when I protested her plan. "I'm only doing what is best for all of us. We can only survive off the money we have for so long; once that money is up, we will have nowhere to go. At least I'm giving you a chance for a warm bed, meals, and an education, so maybe you can make something of yourself here on this planet."
"My place is at Tamaran!" I told her angrily, "We should be there to defend our people instead of hiding like cowards!"
"There is no more Tamaran, Kory! X'hal, why can't you understand that?" Kom said and then added to quiet me for good. "No thanks to you."
And then, for the entire week leading up to our departure from Miami, I barely spoke to Kom. I had spent the remainder of my days reading books I bought with the money I took from Kom's expensive-looking Earth purse when she was not looking. If she was going to make life-altering decisions for me without asking, I did not feel justified to ask for the money that was rightfully all of ours.
There were a few moments where I thought about taking the remainder of our money and sneaking out of the hotel one night with Ry while Kom was sleeping, and then I would try to find a way back to Tamaran. But I quickly changed my mind as I did not have the slightest idea where we would go to find the transportation to get us back to Tamaran, which could be galaxies away. My little brother's life would also be in my hands, and if something were to happen to him, I would never forgive myself. At least there was a place for us to sleep, and there would be food if we continued with Kom's arrangements.
Feeling defeated about the situation and coming to terms with the fact that Kom's plan was the best option we had at the current moment, I continued to read books to familiarize myself with English better and study up on what I would be learning in the next coming months. I have learned from one of my fighting teachers that to defeat your enemies, one must know everything about them, from their battle strategies to how they wake up every morning and their daily routines. In case we were in traitorous territories or living among allies of the Gordanians, I wanted to be prepared if this plan turned against us so that I would be equipped with the knowledge I needed to face any opponent.
What I thought was going to be an easy task to study Earth's culture quickly turned out to be more difficult than I had imagined. Upon arriving at the bookstore, I was overwhelmed by the different subjects humans had studied. There were subjects that I had already mastered with the teachers I studied with on Tamaran, like mathematics, geometry, algebra, physics, biology, and chemistry. But on Earth, there were books on economics, geography, psychology, philosophy, political science, social science, computer science, and business, and a large area of books dedicated to something called fiction, which had its own sub-subjects as well.
Thankfully, this woman that Kom had talked to had sent a few of the school textbooks to our hotel room so I could get a head start on my studies. That narrowed down what subjects I needed to prepare myself with, and I quickly read through most of the textbooks and comprehended the material quickly. The only subject I found difficult was French, the foreign language I was expected to learn. With Tamaraneans being accustomed to learning a language through lip transfiguration, our minds were not designed to learn them by textbooks. With our diplomatic positions among other planets, we could not afford to spend much time learning every language of species we encountered.
But now the time had come where I was aboard this train as we were getting closer and closer to my fateful destination. I felt Ry tug on my arm. "Can I go with you, Kory? I can help you study and protect you from any Earth monsters that try to attack you."
Kom snickered. "You? Protect Kory?" She started to laugh. She fell back on her train seat, almost in tears.
I glared at Kom for being so cruel and then returned to Ry. "That is so kind, Ry," I told him softly. I could see the tears starting to form in his eyes again. "And I know you would slay any scary monster that crosses my path, but you are not old enough to attend this school yet. But do not worry. Your older sister will ensure you attend one of the finest schools here on Earth until you are old enough. Right, Kom?"
Kom was not paying attention at this point. She was too busy inspecting her nails until she realized she was being addressed. "Oh right...of course I will."
I did not feel too comforted by her response. "Kom, are you certain-" I started to say but was interrupted when a robotic female voice droned through the train's intercom. "Attention, passengers. We are now arriving at Gotham Central Station. Please remain seated until the train has come to a complete stop. Once the train has stopped, please take any luggage you brought and check to ensure no items are left behind. "
"Well!" Kom started as she happily jumped up from her seat. "We've finally made it to your stop! Here, let me grab your bags for you!"
For as long as I can remember from my childhood, I do not think I have ever remembered Kom offering to help me with anything, except maybe during our sparring matches when she would offer to help me up from one of her attacks, only to throw me back on the ground again. I quickly learned that there was always an alternative motive with Kom when offering to do anything for another person. And I kept trying to ignore the nauseating feeling in my stomach as I suspected she had some ulterior motive now. She was too enthusiastic about everything. It almost seemed she was looking forward to having me sent away to this school.
Once we gathered our luggage, Ry and I followed Kom off the train to step outside on a platform at what I presumed to be Gotham Station. The rain had stopped but did not improve the gloomy mood that seemed to hover over this new city. In Miami, it seemed as if the sun had shined every day with a few patchy white clouds that would pass over as quickly as they had arrived. But here, the clouds were like thick grey woolen blankets that masked the entire sky. I then wondered if the sun actually even existed here. Even all the colors seemed duller as the people here were dressed in dark clothing with somber faces to match.
"Gotham seems more dreary than Miami," I observed out loud. After I said this, a tall man in a long black jacket with a green hat with what looked like black question marks all over it bumped roughly into me and kept walking without saying a single word. "And the people here seem to be most impolite," I muttered, watching the man whisked away quickly in the sea of people on the platform.
Kom did not seem to hear me, or she was ignoring me. She seemed too busy trying to find whoever she was passing me along to. I sighed and squeezed Ry's hand, which was clutching mine with a force that might have easily broken a human's hand. I was pleased with this, knowing that the Tamaranean strength was starting to develop in him. X'hal help any Earth child who tries to initiate a fight with him at whatever school he attends. That thought comforted me as I smiled down at him as we followed Kom. He looked up to return a weak smile. I could tell he was trying to remain strong and not cry again.
"Everything is going to be ok, Ryand'r," I whispered his full royal name to him. Reminding him of its meaning. 'The wildest flame among the fire'. I hoped that gave him some strength.
"Ah, there you are!" I heard Kom exclaim warmly. As if greeting an old friend. We had approached a very tall woman with what I assumed to have the 'hourglass figure' that the men on this planet I heard are attracted to. However, I was still trying to figure out if the top half of her was real or artificial. I read in an Earth medical book that there are doctors who specialize in body alterations for women who feel like their breasts are too small. I did not want to ask if this was so for this woman, for that might have been too personal of a question. But the woman also had bright golden hair that was pulled back into a bun with her makeup done like those women I would see on the front of the magazines I would find at the bookstore. She was dressed in all red. A red jacket that barely held her chest in, a red skin-tight skirt that fell just above her knees, and red high heels and red jewels that hung from her neck and ears to match. I think red may be her favorite color.
"I thought maybe you have changed your mind," Kom told her and smiled. To the people who might be observing us, Kom may have appeared to have a charming smile. But from my perspective, her smile was wicked.
"I would never," The woman replied, flashing her pearly white teeth behind the red lipstick that matched her outfit. How she sounded and pronounced her words differed from any other humans I heard speak. Her voice sounded harsher and stern, yet her face was still kind. "After you told me about your sister and her amazing talents, how could I not enroll her at the school?"
I am sure Kom had lied about these 'amazing talents' to make me appear the perfect candidate so she no longer had to be responsible for me. I was starting to get that nauseating feeling again. Something about this interaction seemed...off, but I could not tell what it was. It could be the way this woman spoke, or maybe it was just Kom being overly joyful for probably the first time ever.
The woman's eyes met mine, and her face immediately brightened. "Ah, and you must be Miss Kory Anders!" She said, strolling over to me and hooking her index finger under my chin to lift my face to look into hers. "You were right about her beauty. She does have brilliant eyes and a sweet face. Like a doll, for sure!"
I felt violated. If this woman were to attempt this on Tamaran, she would have been executed on the spot for touching the princess without consent. I pushed her hand away and took a step back. "I am not a child's toy," I growled at her.
"Of course you are not," the woman chuckled, "My apologies, Miss Anders. I did not mean to offend you. It is not very often that I see an alien from another planet who looks as beautiful as you. I meant that to be a compliment. Not an insult."
I did not reply. I was still trying to decide whether I could trust this woman. How she casually mentioned how she has come across other aliens concerned me.
"Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself!" She said, "I got so carried away with the excitement of having you attend our school I forgot to say who I was! I am Ivana Petrov, the school principal at Titan Academy. But the students call me Miss Petrov. And I am the one who had set up this little arrangement with your sister when I was on holiday in Flordia."
I suppose it was time to be diplomatic, as my parents raised me to be. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Petrov," I reached out to shake her extended hand. This was a formality I observed when humans met one another for the first time. "I must thank you for your arrangements to keep my siblings safe during these troubled times. I trust my sister has explained to you why we are here."
"Feisty and charming," noted Miss Petrov, "And yes, your sister has told me everything. But do not worry! You can trust me as your secret is safe with me. Even though it may seem that I am only a humble school principal, it is also my business to house and protect those who are...let's say...not quite human."
She winked, and then I had at least a hundred questions that surfaced in my mind that I wanted to ask. "Do you mean that you know of other outworlders here?"
I was startled as a train whistle blasted and the last call announcement bellowed over the station for passengers to board the train before it departed.
"Oh, would you look at the time!" Kom cried and roughly pulled Ry away from me, who was still clutching at my hand. "Ry, we need to get on that train! We are heading to Connecticut for your school next!"
Ry screamed, "Kory! No!"
I turned and knelt down so that we were eye to eye. "Everything is going to be ok, Ry. We will only be separated for a short while until it is safe to return home. Think of this as a training excursion mother and father would send us on to become stronger warriors. We will be home before you know it."
I could see his eyes starting to water, but he smiled bravely. "Ok," He said. "And when we return home, I will be the mightiest warrior and fight off all those Gordanians."
My heart swelled with how brave he was. "I know you will be." I told him, "Because we are And'rs. And the fire burns bright in our family. Burning through any obstacle in our path."
He continued to look into my eyes as he nodded and then wrapped his arms around my neck to embrace me. I returned the gesture by holding him for as long as I could. Not knowing when I will embrace my little brother again.
I could sense Kom growing impatient, and then I felt Ry getting ripped from me. "We'll miss our train if we don't leave now!" She said and then dragged him by the collar of his shirt.
I did not get the same goodbye from Kom. As she pulled Ry with their luggage back toward the train, she said, "Have fun at school, Kory!"
And then they were gone. Lost in crowds of people rushing to catch the train before it departed. I was alone. Probably thousands of light years away from my mother and father on Tamaran, separated from the only things that made me feel connected to my home. I could feel my throat tightening as I tried to hold back my tears.
"You need not worry about them, my dear." I heard Miss Petrov carefully approach me. "I and a few others in the faculty have contacted some sister boarding schools within the neighboring states to house your brother and educate him while you take refuge here on our planet. As for your sister..."
"I know she will be fine," I interrupted the school principal, still not looking at her. Something I do not often do when communicating with others of authority, but knowing where my sister was going did not matter to me. The betrayal of this secret transaction was still making me bitter. "I am more concerned for my brother. Kom is of the age to take care of herself. My brother is still a child and has not completed his training to defend himself properly. I can only give him words of encouragement and hope that is enough."
"It seems like you cherish your family greatly." Miss Petrov said kindly. She was trying to be diplomatic as well. Using conversation to build trust.
"They are all I have," I said, watching the train jolt forward as it glided across the tracks. "Were...all I had."
I turned back to my now-school principal, daring not to look behind me for fear that I would try running after the train as it left the station. "How far is the school from here?" I asked.
"It is about an hour north outside of Gotham. I have a car waiting for us in the parking lot." Miss Petrov said, "And we probably should start heading there now before it gets dark so that you can see the school in all its glory! Here, allow me to help you with those bags."
I did not have much, considering all my armor and gowns were left at Tamaran. I had one suitcase packed with two sets of the school uniform I was required to wear, and a couple of casual outfits my sister bought that did not fit me well. And there was a backpack that was filled with all of my books, which must have looked heavy to Miss Petrov as she reached to try to take the backpack from me.
"It is fine," I told her, "It is not that heavy for me. I am used to carrying packs a hundred times my weight on my back for my warrior training."
Miss Petrov looked shocked that a girl my size could bear such weight upon her back but then shrugged. "Very well, then. I will take your other bag."
I followed Miss Petrov from the station silently. I had a lot of questions for her, but I was unsure what to ask first. I suppose we would have time on the way to the school, but I still felt a little uneasy with all these pleasantries. Everything was too civil and proper for a fugitive alien to be so casually transported with very few questions asked.
"I am happy that the uniform we sent you fits." Miss Petrov said, trying to keep the conversation alive.
"What?" I asked. I forgot that I was wearing the Titan Academy school uniform. Since I did not have many other outfits with me, I opted to wear the uniform in case it was required the moment I was in front of a school official.
"Oh yes. This thing." I said disapprovingly, glancing down at the many layers I was forced to wear.
The uniform consisted of a black blazer with a silver badge with a 'T' inside sewn on the right side of the chest. I assumed this was the school's emblem. Under that blazer was a white shirt with a black tie. It took me a long time to figure out how the accessory worked. After hours of trying to find the right resource at the bookstore, I pathetically sulked up to the cashier and asked if he could recommend a book that would help me learn more about the slender cloth that was crumpled in my hand as I showed it to him. He took pity on me, showed me how the accessory was worn, and taught me the complex art of tying a tie. The outfit seemed quite masculine, if not for the black skirt that swished above my knees with black skin-tight pants underneath to cover the rest of my legs.
The whole outfit was suffocating. I had never worn so many layers of clothing in my life. Tamaraneans wore limited clothing so that their skin could absorb UV rays from the sun. This was our energy source, and if provided enough sunlight, we could go for days, if not weeks, without sleeping. This ability had been very advantageous in any war we were called to fight in as we would not tire battle after battle, but our enemies would.
"I'm sure you are not accustomed to wearing these types of outfits." Miss Petrov said, trying to sound sympathetic. "You would only need to wear the uniform during school hours or whenever you are to volunteer for community service in Cold Springs. There are other uniforms you will be required to wear for different training exercises, but those will be handed to you when you attend those classes."
"What is Cold Springs?" I asked.
"Oh yes, that's the neighboring town about three miles outside the school grounds. It's a quaint little town with family-owned restaurants and shops. Students are permitted to visit the town between the hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are transportation services to the town for students if needed."
11 a.m. to 8 p.m.? That was a strange range of time for students to be allowed to visit a town. I was about to open my mouth to ask why there was a curfew when we stopped in front of a freshly polished black car. This car looked different from the other cars I have seen on Earth. This one looked like it came from a different time on this planet. 'Antique' was the English word that came to my mind, yet it still looked like someone from great wealth would own it.
"Your chariot awaits Miss Anders!" Miss Petrov said, presenting the car. "Thanks to our most generous sponsor at the school. He has donated one of his cars for such occasions when welcoming a new student to the academy."
I wondered if this 'sponsor' also picked out the school uniforms since I was beginning to see a colorless theme with everything related to this school. Well...everything besides Miss Petrov. I could have prodded more about the sponsor, but talking about another wealthy man did not interest me. I have heard that enough in conversations and gossip in the royal court.
"This does not look like a chariot I have ever seen. Where I am from, they are bigger and usually drawn by two G'anafkiks." I said. Pointing out the fact she had used the word 'chariot' instead of a car.
Miss Petrov forced an uncomfortable smile. She might have been confused about why her chariot did not impress me. "It is a figure of speech we use here, Miss Anders." She said as a tall, lanky man in a black suit to match the car stepped out of the driver's seat, took my suitcase from Miss Petrov, and motioned towards me to hand him my backpack.
The man did not say a word as I slid the heavy backpack from my back and easily handed it to him. There was a grunt when he grabbed my bag, and with great effort, he slung a strap over his shoulder to walk off with my luggage toward the back of the car, still saying nothing.
"It seems you humans have many of those here," I said irritably when Miss Petrov opened the door for me, and I crawled into the vehicle.
I did not mean to act the way I was with my new caretaker. Usually, I am pleasant and grateful for any service or gift given to me, but all these new dramatic changes were taking their toll on me. It could be that I was moody from not being in the sunlight or from all the scratchy clothes I had to wear now. Or it could be that I was still upset with my sister for making this arrangement. Whatever it may be, it was not fair to Miss Petrov. She was only trying to be hospitable.
I then decided it would probably be best to be more grateful and charming on our way to the school when Miss Petrov slid into the seat next to me in the car. The car rumbled and vibrated, and then I felt it start to move as we trekked toward my new 'home.' But now I was not sure what to say. All the questions I had ten minutes ago were forgotten. I looked around the car for inspiration, but everything was black, from the velvety material wrapped around the car's interior to the leather seats and carpet of the floor. I hoped the school at least would have a little more color. "This is..." I started, searching for that Earth word, "the fanciest car I have ridden in since my arrival on this planet."
I realized I could have chosen a different topic to start with, but my fatigue had clouded my mind. But it was enough to please Miss Petrov.
"I'm happy that your majesty approves!" Miss Petrov said with great relief that I initiated the conversation, "Of course, I would not expect lesser quality from Bruce Wayne. He certainly has an eye for priceless antiques and cars."
"Bruce Wayne..." I suppose I was going to seem interested now. We did have an hour-long ride to fill the silence with. "Is he the sponsor for Titan Academy?"
"One of the sponsors, yes." She said. "A few other wealthy elites have been quite generous in funding many of the school's programs, but Mr. Wayne contributes the most. Being a billionaire and the wealthiest man in Gotham, I'm sure it's no trouble to him at all. Plus, it's an investment in his son's education as he also attends the academy."
"What kind of...programs...does the school have?" I asked. I was not really interested in learning more about the billionaire's son, for I knew how most children in noble families were, and I imagined on Earth that it would be no different. I wanted to know more about this school and what it would teach me. "Is this a school for warriors?"
Miss Petrov chuckled. "In a way, yes. We do provide classes to teach students how to...defend themselves. However, that is not really the primary focus at our school. Our main mission is to ensure that our students have a proper education in a safe atmosphere where they can develop and hone their unique...talents." She paused and contemplated the word talents. "I understand that you come from a long line of warriors and would be naturally interested in our combat classes. The student representatives will teach those."
Noted. Then, the questions I wanted to ask earlier resurfaced again. "You mentioned before that you had never seen an alien or outworlder like me. Do you mean to say that you have met others that are not from this planet? And are there students at Titan Academy who are like me, and that is why you are trying to keep them safe?"
"Yes, I know several aliens from different planets. And you would be surprised how many of those aliens are currently living on Earth and keeping their true identities hidden." Miss Petrov stopped and smiled when she noticed my surprised expression. "You'll soon discover that several others on this planet have special abilities or 'super powers' as the humans here will call them. That's what Titan Academy embraces. Young people who are gifted with those abilities. Though you may be our only student currently from another planet, you'll meet students from different worlds kept in secret in our own. Other dimensions that humans think are only folklore. So don't worry about being a non-human at the school."
I was quite shocked. Earth had a lot more mystery and depth than I thought. "You said that it is your mission to keep them...us safe. Are you saying that non-human students are in danger?"
"Not so much in danger," Miss Petrov said, "But misunderstood. We found that young people with these special abilities who attend schools with average civilians have a harder time fitting in with their peers. With no one to relate to since their story, whatever that may be, is drastically different. And then they are outcasted since civilians may fear them. That's why Titan Academy was created. It is a place where these gifted individuals can belong, learn, and grow beside others who are like them."
That sounded ideal and might be the perfect school for someone like me, but I still had so many questions. "Do you have a special ability?" I asked. Wondering why a perfectly normal-looking woman would want to help a group of outcasts, as she put it.
"A magician never shares their secrets," She winked, and I almost asked her what that meant until she reached her arm out across me, and I watched it stretch like rubber before my very eyes. With her back still resting comfortably against the leather seat, she expanded her arm toward our driver, plucked the hat off his head, and retracted her arm back. She did a little flip with the hat and then placed it on her own head.
I gapped at her in amazement. I had never seen anyone do that before, and suddenly, I was finding myself less interesting. I only had superior strength and the ability to learn languages through lip contact.
She must have noticed my astonished expression as she lifted one finger to her lips and made a 'shhh' sound. "Not many students know I have the ability to do that," Miss Petrov said, "So perhaps we can keep that secret between us?"
I nodded dumbly and gave her a small smile. Her ability fascinated me, but I was not ready to let my walls down completely. I was still in a foreign territory and needed to learn as much as possible about my caretakers before I could trust them fully.
The further we drove away from Gotham, I noticed the number of people traveling in cars and large buildings had decreased. The living dwellings were getting further and further apart, with large fields and dense tree lines separating them. 'Rural' areas were what I remember reading in a book about the ecosystems on Earth. Miss Petrov continued talking as she must have felt like we were familiar enough for her to lead the conversation with various topics involving the school. She was trying to build my excitement, and I responded with the appropriate words at the right times to indicate that I was listening when I was really only half listening.
Exhaustion must have hit me again as I felt my eyelids getting heavy as Miss Petrov enthusiastically droned. As I was about to close my eyes completely, I heard screeching sounds while my body violently jolted forward. Thank X'hal for the invention of the seat belt. Otherwise, the momentum of being thrown forward would have landed me in the front seat with the driver.
I felt my heart pounding and noticed that the car had stopped. "What is happening?" I gasped and looked up to find a person in a white raggedy gown standing directly in front of the car. I then knew why we had stopped so abruptly.
Miss Petrov said something in a language I did not understand under her breath. She almost sounded annoyed. No, actually, she sounded quite angry. Once she mumbled a few more words, she turned to me, and her tone changed as if flipping a switch. "No need to worry, Miss Anders, everything is fine. I will take care of this."
I watched Miss Petrov leave the car, and then she slammed the door hard enough to shake the whole car for a moment. I turned back to see if the person in front of the car had moved, but they were still there. Staring directly into the car motionlessly. I believe it was a man, for he had masculine features, but something about him...was not right. At first, I thought he was looking directly at me from the front car window, but the way he stared...it was as if he was looking through me. I felt a chill go up my spine. I may be new to this planet, but this was definitely not normal behavior.
I could not take my eyes off this man. His hair did not look like it had been brushed or cut for a long time. His face looked like it had sunken in at the cheeks. And I could hear the rhythmic clicking from his jaw as he repeatedly opened and closed his mouth with teeth bared.
My hypnotic state was interrupted when I heard other voices approaching. I blinked a few times to observe where we were. Two other men in matching white outfits approached the strange man with one on each side and then guided him away from the front of the car. There was a conversation between the matching men and Miss Petrov, but I could not distinguish the words as they seemed intentionally hushed. I could hear some desperate apologies, and then Miss Petrov said something about being too close to the school.
I looked around me and noticed we were on a narrow road with a forest of trees lining each side. As I looked past the silent driver's shoulder, who had not moved since turning the car off, I could make out a large painted wooden sign a few yards ahead that said 'Welcome to Cold Springs.'
I watched the two men carry the strange-behaving man past the sign and was curious about where they were taking him, and then I heard Miss Petrov's voice snap me back into attention. "I do apologize for that, Miss Anders. There should be no more interruptions now."
"What was wrong with that man?" I asked. From the time I asked Miss Petrov that question and then turned back to see where the group of men was going, they had already disappeared.
"He was just a patient who slipped under the guards' watch at the local hospital." She said casually but with a hint of an annoyed undertone. "The workers from the hospital had told me that the patient was scheduled to be transported to a psych clinic tomorrow. Unfortunately, having a small hospital with limited staff, we are not all well equipped for mentally ill patients."
"Oh," I said, still slightly rattled from what I witnessed. "I see."
"The good news is that we are nearly at the school now!" She said, flicking that mood switch again and changing the subject. "We just have to drive past the town now."
The car started to move again as we passed the welcome sign, then passed a clearing and a road that looked like it led to the town, and we were back surrounded by more trees again. After a few minutes of thinking about the strange man I saw, I felt the car stop. This time, a large iron gate stood tall in front of us. A black gate, of course, with the metal twisting to form a 'T' toward the top of it. I wondered if the silent driver would get out to open the gate for us to enter. But after a few moments of waiting, the gate slowly creaked open, and we were allowed entry.
I glanced at Miss Petrov, who was beaming and proudly admired the sight before her. Without looking at me and continuing to gaze forward, she said, "Welcome to Titan Academy, Miss Anders."
I hope you like it so far! And thank you for making it to the end of this chapter! I know it's a lot of dialogue and lore-building right now, but since this is a new universe I'm creating, I feel like I have to be more descriptive of Kory's origin story.
Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe! Oh wait...this isn't YouTube. Favorite, review, and follow! Hehe, there we go.
Until next time, friends!
