(Old Version) The Blood of the Covenant

Chapter Twenty: Matthew

 Jason and Matthew stood in front of two metal gates, both feeling small in comparison to the giant brick building that loomed in the near distance.

TAFAH, Jason had called it. The Academy For Adolescent Heroes. As someone who had only ever been homeschooled, Matthew didn't honestly know why people wanted to go to a place like this. Thankfully, he would never have to.

The policeman managing the gates that had left with Jason's ID soon returned with two visitor badges, then waddled back to his booth and pressed the button which made the gates slowly creak open. And, only as they stepped through, did Matthew notice the man waiting for them.

He was surprisingly tall and of Asian origins. He had short, spiky black hair, piercing grey eyes, and pale skin. His hands were neatly folded behind his back and his dark, slender brows were knit with curiosity. The way he was dressed and the neatness of his formal attire told Matthew that he was likely a teacher, but because he had never attended a normal school, he wasn't quite sure.

"Crap," Jason muttered from beside him. "The policeman must've told one of the counselors about our arrival."

Matthew frowned. "The counselors?"

Jason gave him a curious expression, but then dismissed it. "Never mind."

As they approached the man shifted his arms from behind his back to the front, neatly folding them. His grey eyes swept them, evaluating, judging, before he said, "Welcome to TAFAH. Who might you two be?"

Matthew let Jason respond, suppressing the tempest in his anxious stomach.

"Um, my name is Jason and this is Matthew."

The man's eyes swept from Jason to Matthew, and miraculously, Matthew felt even smaller. "Hm. And what are you doing here?"

"We are here to visit with Platinum," Jason answered once again.

The man, who was still due to introduce himself, turned his piercing eyes onto Jason. "Did you call in advance? You are aware that he is a busy man, right?"

Jason was taken off guard by his sharp words. "I am, uh, very aware. This was just... last minute. He is close friends with my girlfriend White Lotus and we need to speak to him about a recent event."

The man eyed him for a moment which seemed far too long before nodding and gesturing for them to follow. "Come, I'll take you to him. You may call me Mr. Grey."

Mr. Grey. Matthew noted, wondering if that was his actual name or a name that was given to him because of his eyes. Either way, it didn't matter.

He kept quiet as he followed alongside Jason, trying not to look over at the cluster of teenagers playing tetherball. He caught sight of them as they stopped their game and stared, watching as the little group headed across the courtyard. Out of the corner of his eye he counted three of them: a girl with light hair dipped in pink dye, a redhead, and one other that he couldn't quite see out of his peripheral vision.

Before Matthew could dwell further on their wandering eyes, Mr. Grey led them through a pair of doors and up several flights of stairs. A few clusters of students flew past them as they climbed, but they were too consumed in their conversations to take notice of the strange visitors. Thank God.

When they reached the top, the stairs opened into a long hallway with large windows, a tall ceiling, and rows of doors. Unlike the other floors they passed, this floor was quiet.

Mr. Grey headed for a door at the end of the hall and suddenly pulled to a stop. "This is Platinum's office. Thankfully, he is not teaching right now. You are lucky that you came at a good time."