Flint and Steel: A Warren Worthington III Series

Chapter Four: Investigation

A new day comes, and with it, new responsibilities. You're going to have to make good on your mission now, which means that you and Warren will be forced to blend in with the other students lest you be discovered.

This, however, seems far more difficult that you had first envisioned. Although you didn't entirely know what to expect from this Transformative Academy, you figured it would be something like Xavier's, where it's easy enough to find new people to talk to and ask questions about any details on life around campus. You couldn't be more wrong.

Your first sign that something isn't quite right arrives when you leave your room in the morning. Just as you finish getting ready, you hear a knock on your door, and open it to find Warren waiting outside, arms crossed. You feel yourself straighten up slightly, prepared to rehash the argument from last night, but he doesn't say anything about it. Instead, he just mentions that you two should probably get going before it gets too late.

You grab your backpack and head out the door with him, ready to go to class. You and Warren were provided with schedules before you left, so you at least have a vague idea of where you're going. You do notice that you and Warren have different classes for the first period, and don't know how to feel about that. You're happy that you won't have to deal with him this early in the morning, sure, but he's your last tie to safety, your one ally here. Isn't it better to at least have him close if necessary?

As you and Warren walk, though, you start to stop thinking about class schedules and focus instead on what's going on around you. Back at Xavier's School, you've grown used to the near constant din of conversation from all of the students, a noise that echoes up to the rafters and lodges itself firmly in each room. Here, though, it is absolutely silent. The few students who dare to walk in groups do not say a word to each other, not even a greeting. They keep their eyes trained forward and their faces blank. It's kind of eerie.

You glance over at Warren and notice that he seems to be noticing the students' strange behavior as well. You wait until your voice can be safely hidden by the sound of everyone descending the stairs to whisper something to him. "Is it just me, or are these guys acting like robots?" Warren nods, leaning over so he can speak without drawing notice from the others. "It looks like they've been brainwashed, in a way. I don't like this." You couldn't agree more. "Neither do I."

This odd activity continues to the classroom, where Warren utters a brief, hushed goodbye before leaving you standing outside the door to your first period class. You watch him go for a second, as if the sight of him disappearing down the hallway could bring you some sort of comfort in a place like this, then gather your courage and head inside.

You barely take two steps in the room before the teacher descends upon you, smiling so forcefully that her cheeks must ache. "You must be Y/N L/N, the new student. Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are so excited to have you here. You can take a seat in the front left section, there's a desk with your name on it."

You smile, trying to hide the way you want nothing more than to get as far away from this woman as possible, and slink back to your desk. Sure enough, it's labeled with your name in stocky block writing. After a few minutes, the last of the students arrive and class begins. You surreptitiously look around you, trying to see if anything is unusual, and you're not disappointed.

Every student sits ramrod straight, as if their spines were an iron pole. Not one foot taps, not one finger drums. Everyone is still and silent. They do not wave to friends or pause by others' desks to talk like Xavier's School, or any school you've ever seen in your life. When class begins, all heads swivel as one to face the teacher. You shiver in spite of yourself. If you stay here too long, will you be like this as well?