Saint Joseph School

"I still do not see why zhis must be learned. Alors, le professeur says it shall even be on zhe exam!" She threw her books into the locker with three distinct thumps. "C'est tres stupide, ma fille. I shall protest!"

A smile ghosted across Jane's face.

"You can protest if you like. But it's still gonna be on the test next week."

"Zhat does not make it any less stupid," the shorter girl fired back. She banged the locker door closed as if giving her opinion of teacher lesson plans, flipping her hair at the same time. "All zhose tables to memorise! I shall die, cherie, it is much too much like work."

"You mean you are lazy and you don't want to do any work at all." Jane ignored the shriek with the ease of practice, leaning against an adjacent locker. "Pica, you're not going to pass anything by selectively deciding what you feel like learning."

"Zut. I do not see why I must learn anything at all. I am going..."

"... to marry a very rich boy, I know, who will love you long time. And you won't need to know anything except how to look pretty and you already know how to do that." Jane shifted position and crossed her arms. "Don't you think maybe you should have a back up plan happening, in case Prince Charming fails to show up on schedule?"

Picayune shook her head. "Non, non! He shall be most perfectly on schedule. Zhere is no other way it can be. He and I, we will be as kinsmen!"

This time the grin on Jane's face stuck around. "Kismet, Pica. You and he are kismet."

"Alors, we are kismet. Destiny. Fate, cherie!" Pica snapped her fingers as if to conjure the guy out of the aether. "Tu serais ma demoiselle d'honneur at my wedding and we shall both eat a tremendous amount of cake. It shall be a most wonderful party!"

Jane wasn't impressed. "Then we shall both be very fat. And you won't fit into your costume afterwards."

Pica looked horrified at the prospect for a moment before a smile twitched the corner of her mobile mouth. "Well... perhaps not zhat much cake." The firebug measured a distance between thumb and forefinger. "Only zhis much? I should not like to be fat."

"That looks about..."

"Pica! Hey!" A boy with a mess of dark curls sped up, his face burning. "Hello, Jane. Heads up, there's something going on down on the first floor, english side - Simon says there's gonna be an unmarked van coming up the drive in about ten minutes. He couldn't see into it, which is pretty cool. Wanna go check it out?"

Picayune clapped her hands, instantly distracted. "Oh, oui! What do you zhink it is this time, Carlos?" Her bright eyes were alive with curiousity. Jane rolled hers.

"Probably just Brayder's next crop of things in jars."

"Ma fille!"

"You're never gonna pass science class either if you don't learn to dissect stuff."

"No, um, I don't think that's it. I don't think Simon'd put out an APB for stuff in jars." Carlos looked back and forth between the girls before settling on the face of the one that was smiling. "Pica?"

"Mais oui!" She took his arm and laughed. "Zut! Let us go check out Simon's third eye. Perhaps zhis time it shall be something funny and ma fille can stop looking like she swallowed too much cake."

Jane sighed and heaved herself off the locker. She started walking to the stairwell. It would probably take close to the ten minute warning to get to that wing anyways. "Don't bother trying to figure it out, Carl. It'd take too long to explain."

_____

"I cannot see anything."

"Tried opening your eyes?"

"Ma fille, you are being very cruel today." Pica stood on her tiptoes and then pouted heavily. There was no way she was going to be able to see anything over the craning necks of the other students. Simon's third eye was pretty popular and by the time they'd gotten to the side of the school that housed the english classes, a fair chunk of the student population was trying to hide in the shrubbery.

With Picayune's distaste for dirt, they'd ended up trying to peer around a corner of the building. Problem was, so were about six other people. To make matters worse, the predicted truck was just coming around the drive, right on their prophet's immaculate schedule. Jane sighed.

"C'mon. Up." She crouched down.

"Alors?"

"C'mon, Pica. Piggyback." She was gonna regret this, she knew it already.

"Merci!" With a crow of triumph, her friend scrambled up, wrapping a slim arm around around Jane's throat, peering high over her shoulder. "Oh, zhat is so much better! I can see everything now!"

"... Great." The shapeshifter settled weight a little better. Pica's knee dug into her hip.

The van was unmarked. No, not just unmarked but unnervingly devoid of characteristics. Neutral gray, understated tinted windows, nearly silent motor even against the quiet noise that marked St. Joseph's school. Like a ghost it drifted up to the side entrance, turning its nose to its backtrail in a neat spin. Gravel crunched.

The driver and his passenger got out. Neutral expressions, devoid of anything resembling personality. Longbow colors.

"It's Longbow, ma fille!" Pica pounded one of her shoulders and Jane winced. "I wonder what zhey are doing here?

"Slumming?"

Picayune giggled. "Zhat is not likely, cherie."

The two men, unware or ignoring the covert surveillance, walked to the back of the nondescript van. One stepped back and to the side, a hand out of sight behind him. The second unlocked the doors with an economical motion. Another Longbow appeared, scanning the area with swift precision.

Three bushes rustled in a breeze that touched nothing else, one tree suddenly developed palsy and everyone else plastered themselves to the wall. Squashed against the brick, Pica held her breath. Had they been seen?

Somebody sneezed. In concert everybody shushed the hapless soul and one of the girls whacked the guy in the back of the head, like that was going to help. Then they were all peering around the corner again.

The government agents had spawned two more, making a total of five. If there were more they stayed discreetly in the van, but more interestingly, they now formed a cordon around a smaller, sixth figure.

"Ooooh," Pica breathed out. "Cherie, what is zhat do you zhink?"

Jane grimaced. "I have no idea, 'cherie'. You're the spy eye in the sky, remember? All I can see at the moment is a whole lot of people's backs. A little respect here, guys!" Nobody moved though.

"I think it's a prisoner," offered one of their fellow conspirators.

"No way," said somebody else. "I think its a new student. Betcha five bucks."

"Betcha ten."

The firestarter put a hand on each of her friend's shoulders and boosted herself higher, threatening to topple them both over with the action.

"Ma fille, zhere are five of the Longbow, looking very handsome in zhere uniforms. There is a small person, at least I zhink it is a person, it is very hard to tell, in some sort of metal suit. Two arms, two legs and I zhink it has a head. The arms, they look very odd though, something in wrong with zhem."

"Yeah, sounds like a person." Jane tried to straighten up a little more. "What are they doing?"

"Well, zhe tallest man, he is walking to the school and zhe others, they have the metal person between them. Oh, alors! There is something written on the suit!" Pica craned her neck and Jane cursed under her breath, shifting both their weights. "I cannot read it, ma fille. I see only zhe letter "Z" and a number, je pense. 3065."

Jane narrowed her eyes. "Ziggurat. Ziggurat and a prisoner number. Looks like you pegged it, Tam."

"Hah!" exclaimed the girl with the black hair. "Pay up my ten bucks, Andy."

"Zut!" Pica crowed. "Comment tres delicieux. Zhe arms are welded to zhe suit. Zhat is why this person-not-person looks so very strange." She watched for another moment, nearly bouncing with excitement. Metal people under heavy escort did not happen every day. "Cherie, zhey have all gone into zhe school now." Picayune wrapped her arms around the neck of her friend in a hug and rested her chin on the top of her head. "Who do you zhink it is? Why should there be a prisoner brought here? We are not a prison!" Somebody snorted at that.

Jane shrugged, then let go of her grip on Pica's legs, sliding the other girl unceremoniously to the ground.

"Who knows. Maybe its a lab experiment for us to dissect."

"Ma coeur! That is a terrible thing to say. Tu es impossible!" Pica shook a finger. "I expect it is a very handsome boy under the silly metal suit."

Jane sighed and eyed the other girl with jaundice. "The entire world is not made up of handsome boys waiting to meet you, petal. Especially if they come from the Ziggurat."

Pica looked up from under long lashes. The smile that curved her lips was coyly wicked. "Ah, mais cherie? If I do not expect zhe best, how else shall I know when I have found it?"

"Never mind. Forget I said anything." Jane thought for a moment, a frown compressing a line on her forehead. "C'mon. I bet they're taking the prisoner to Winston's office. Race you there."

"Ma fille?"

But Jane was already gone, soundless thunder ringing in Pica's ears as her friend shot into the sky. With a chirp of delight, Marie blurred into motion to follow.

"C'mon Songbird, Simon says there's something going on down the hill!"

Jason opened his eyes, looking up at the face of Heather Talbot. Not an altogether unpleasant thing, except she'd interrupted "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables". Jason removed the earbud headphones with a slightly put off smile, one eyebrow arching as he looked up at her. "What was that, Heather? I was half asleep and enjoying my music."

"Oh! Sorry, J. I mean, Jason," The girl flustered, and Jason's other brow raised matching the first as he looked up at her, waiting with an amused smirk, "Word's going around that Simon's saying something's coming, arriving in an unmarked van. Practically the whole school is going to go watch." Heather started off, tossing a smile over her shoulder to him. "You're going to be late!"

He sat there for a moment, lying in the grass, music still playing in one ear, enjoying the unseasonably warm, sunny weather, debating whether to go or not. On one hand, he'd find out what it all was later. On the other...Simon was hardly ever wrong about something interesting, and if he'd spilled the beans about this to enough people that there was a huge buzz..."Ah, hell." Jason peeled himself reluctantly off the grass, and stowed his iPod in a pocket. He started to run off in the direction of the entry, and then recalled his own entrance to the school. If there were that many students, and he was already late, he'd never get close enough to see anything.

"Well, if it's anything but a new student, I'll find out about it later. Any new student is going to have to go to Admin." Jason grinned and with a low hum of sonics took off towards the Admin building.

At first he was expecting to see someone heading for Admin, and Gemini's office, but seeing the entourage that surrounded the new arrival heading for Winston's office, he changed course. "Well, Simon, once again, your talent hasn't failed. I need to hire you to tell me which roles I should audition for." Jason spoke to noone in particular as he quickly flew around the side of the admin building, and settled down with his back against a tree close to the wall that stood between the outside world and Winston's office.

He slipped the earbuds back in place, and then closed his eyes, and focused his ability on the wall and window to the office. Concentrating he filtered out the hum of electronics. His face tracked slightly, turning his head a slight bit up, then right, focusing....THERE! The vibrations in the walls displacing the normal sonics. By focusing he could make out what was being said. Jason grinned. To all the world it just looked like Jason was enjoying his music, like he did as a regular routine. He settled in and waited for things to get interesting.

Michael exhibited a manageable impression of a salmon, moving upstream of the steady current of students that eddied and swirled towards Winston's office. He tried to ignore the snippets of conversation.

"...Zigg..."
"...see the restraints..."
"...serial killer, I bet..."
"...supervillain..."
"...great...another one..."

As he neared his class, a meaty arm swung around his shoulder, propelling him back towards the lockers, and his ears picked up a familiar chuckle.

"Hey, Biff," he mumbled, placing his back to the bank of lockers out of habit. Hannigan, school bully and football star extraordinaire mimicked him, folding his arms as the other students drifted towards the admissions office, hoping to catch a glimpse of the hoopla.

Biff stood silently for a moment, then turned his head to regard Michael. "You ain't interested, Edward Scissorhands? I figured you'd be all happy to see one of your little playmates from the Zig coming all the way out here to see you."

Biff was obviously trying to pump him for information under the guise of a "friendly chat." Great. "None of my business," he uttered, watching the floor.

"C'mon, it'd be just like old times....maybe you two could swap stories about dropping the soap in the showers...or recipes for hooch...or..." the list continued on, until Biff dissolved into his own brand of "infectious " laughter. Students passing in the halls laughed along with him, although they hadn't heard the joke. Infectious all, right. Like a virus.

He sighed. "Biff, I don't know anything. Why don't you go look for Sam?" The SJS equivalent of telling someone to take a hike, seeing as how Sam was invisible. The response he earned was a heavy hand mussing his hair, then knocking his books from his grasp onto the floor.

"You're a waste, Corde. I thought you Black Masks all had some secret handshake crap going on." Biff propelled himself into the crowd.

"I'm not a Black Mask!" Michael yelled over the crowd, as he stooped to gather his books. Some of the students turned to watch him as they drifted down the hall to the spectacle. Some of them were talking amongst themselves.

Biff stopped in the hall, parting the students before him like Moses and the Red Sea; pointed a thick finger at Michael. "You keep telling yourself that!" Biff replied, allowing the flow of students to carry him away.

"Timothy! Timothy! There's a new student and he's from the Zig! Quick, quick, come on!!"

Timothy found himself almost knocked over as Barjnal came crashing into him out thin air. Barj gave him a quick hug, then pulled him to his feet in an attempt to get him to follow.

"Barj, I was trying to--" He sighed. It wouldn't matter what he was trying to do with Barj being this excited. Pulling his arm free from Barj's grasp, Timothy collected his books into his bag and let Barj lead the way. "So what exactly's going on, anyway?"

"The whole school has come to see what's going on!! I can't believe you're missing it, Timothy. Everybody knows about it." Barj giggled as they raced through the halls.

Timothy frowned. "Yeah, well, sometimes people don't tell me anything." Though he was surprised he hadn't caught a hint of this while invisibly eavesdropping. "It's just a new student. A lot more of them come from the Zig than people seem to realize. Are you sure this is worth racing through the halls, Barj?"

"But but! Simon saw it in advance, and he couldn't see into the unmarked van, and the new student has guards, and I can't get close enough to see, and they're headed to the headmaster's office!! Can't you get us close enough to see what's going on?"

Timothy laughed. "Alright, we'll see what I can do."

They left the building and headed towards the Admin building. Of course, given the huge crowd, they weren't able to get very close.

"See Timothy? We can't get any closer." Barj frowned, looking at him with pouty eyes. "Can't you do sooomething? There they are!" Sure enough, a crowd of Longbow were escorting somebody, probably heading towards the headmaster's office.

Rolling his eyes, Timothy went invisible. He whispered to Barj, "Hook into my mind, like we've been practicing. I'll let you see and hear through me." He waited until he felt Barj's overexuberant presence in his mind, then teleported himself across the student crowd to the entrance of the building. He slipped through the doors, then waited to follow them. Most Longbow couldn't see invisible people. The headmaster didn't seem to be able to, either.

:This better be worth it, Barj. Who knows how much trouble I'll get in if I get caught.: Timothy pretended to be irritated, but in truth, he was as curious as everybody else.

(( Those of who may remember me I am an old SJS member, I was not around for a long time and had to leave due to RL issues, I am back now and looking to start over. This thread was a colaboration between me and Pica and am bumping it for my return with the next part.))

I could sense them... I paused to look around. My peripheral view was hindered by the glass visor and metallic helmet enveloping my head, but I could feel their curious eyes watching me. Who were they? Residents of this massive building towering before me? Maybe. What interest did they have in me? I guess it didn't really matter.

"Keep moving!", One of my heavily-armed companions barked agressively and pushed me forward. I didn't let his hostility bother me. Even if I wanted to, there was nothing I could do. I was covered from head to toe in thick steel, my arms bound behind my back. The suit was designed specifically for me. I could feel it leeching my strength, making me weak. It was made to supress my physical abilities, and it worked...

We continued our march towards the glass doors of the institution. When we reached our destination two ordinary, unarmed security guards were waiting to greet us.

"The perimiter is secure" One guard informed my captors, who only nodded in acknowledgement.

Opening the glass doors they led us into the building and down a long hallway. The rent-a-cops went ahead making sure there were no passer-bys traveling through the area and assuring any who came near that there was "nothing to see".

All this trouble for little old me. I couldn't help but release a giggle that echoed throughout my hollow helmet. The soldier who had yelled at me not too long ago shot me an intimidating glare.

After what seemed an eternity we arrived at our destination. There was a big wooden door with the name "Sir Arthur Winston III" spelled out on a plaque across it. One of the Longbow stepped forward and planted three swift knocks on the door and retreated back. Almost instantly the door opened and there in the doorway stood a stern, yet somehow friendly looking old man.

"Ah there you are! I've been expecting you." the man exclaimed in a low, soothing voice. "I am, Sir Winston, the current Headmaster of Saint Joseph's School. Come, come on in and have a seat." he beckoned us into his office. Two of the four Hero Corps warriors escorted me inside, closing the door behind them while the other two stood watch outside.

The man sat down behind his neatly cluttered desk and gestured towards a chair in front of it. Hesitating for a moment, the soldier to my right placed a hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me downward. It was slightly uncomfortable sitting there with my arms still fastened behind my back. I squirmed a bit before finding a suitable position.

"Do you have the paperwork?" The aged, yet sturdy gentleman asked raising a fuzzy grey eyebrow. The soldier to my left non-chalantly tossed a file onto his desk. Sir Winston shot the rude Longbow a displeased glance before turning his attention to the file, opening it and looking over it carefully.

After a few minutes the man looked up. "Ok, everything seems to be in order. Now, let's get a look at you, shall we?" nodding to my keepers.

Reaching over to my the red and white soldier pressed a few buttons on the front of my suit. With a click the helmet unlocked, followed by the whirr of some automated system as it began to retract to the back of the suit, resting in place leaving my naked face to greet the warm office air around me.

Half-expecting the principal to gasp in horror at the sight of me, I was surprised to see him flash me a calm smile. As if reading my thoughts he told me, "Don't worry miss... Three-Zero-Six-Five? Despite your abnormal appearance, you will feel right at home here at St. Joseph's i'm sure."

There it was again... that number. All my life I've been nothing but a number. Experiment 3065, that's what my creator dubbed me. I was nothing more then a tool to him, less then human and undeserving of a name. And then at the Ziggurat, they labeled me Prisoner #3065. I guess they figured I would be accustomed to that number.

And now here I was again. A new chapter in my life yet still defined by meaningless numbers rather then a name like any other living, breathing thing. This man seemed to have good intentions, but in the end he was no different from everyone else in my life. I spaced out for a few moments, the numbers echoing in my head, haunting me.

I Snapped out of my trance, the world came rushing back to me. The sound of the Headmaster speaking to me came drifting into my ears.

"What a dreadful thing to be known by, don't you have a real name?"

"No, sir, that's what they have always called me. Although I do recall the newspapers mentioned something about me being a "Chimera" of some sort." I said, not really sure what a Chimera refered to.

"I see... well how about if we call you Kaimera for now then? Then perhaps later we can come up with something more comfortable, would you like that?"

"I don't really mind." I told him, but I actually did mind. Anything was better then being called a number.

"Well then, Kaimera it is. But keep in mind any names you might like to be called. You are not some animal to us Kaimera. Here at Saint Joseph's, everyone deserves utmost respect.

Having settled the matter, one of the long bow interrupted. "I trust the accomidation are already prepared?"

"Yes, a secure room has been established in the science wing, as per your request."

"Excellent, now if you could kindly show us the way so that we can begin setting up, it would be much appreciated."

"Why don't we have someone show our newest student around the school in the meantime?"

"That can wait, we will escort her around the premises once we are all set up and ready to go."

"With all due respect, this is a school not a prison. We cannot have armed guards roaming the halls. Surely it would worry the other children and place them in a state of panic. Besides, im sure our young friend here would be far more comfortable with a peer to show her around." The Headmaster winked at me to let me know he was on my side.

"And what about that dreadful suit of armor you have her in? She very well can't go around wearing that massive thing all day now can she? After all, we do have a dress code here at Saint Joseph's."

The two soldiers pondered the matter for a moment before looking to each other for advice. After reaching what appeared to be a non-verbal agreement, both nodded and one spoke up.

"Very well... but the muzzle stays on, for the other student's safety as well as her's" He proclaimed before turning his attention to me. "Remember, we will be watching you. Behave yourself, we are giving you a second chance."

His threats didn't worry me one bit. I had no intention of bringing any more attention to myself then I could avoid. Nor was I willing to blow this oppertunity I had been given.

Sir Winston reached down under his desk and pulled something up, placing it in front of me. It was a uniform of some sort. He gestured over to a door to his left and told me, "That's my personal bathroom, you may change in there."

Before I could remind him of my predicament, one of the Longbow spoke up. "Call for Sheila, so that she can help Three-Zero-Six-Five remove the suit and dress herself."

"Yes, Sir!" The other replied as he walked out of the office.

The three of us sat quietly waiting patiently. Finally the headmaster broke the silence. "Excuse me, one moment" he raised his index finger in the air towards us. Picking up a microphone and pressing a large red button on his desk he spoke into it. His words were amplified by the speaker on the wall behind his head.

"Attention all students and faculty. The science wing will be closed for the remainder of the day. All classes associated with the area are canceled until further notice. Also would Picayune please report to my office. Thank you"

After a few more minutes the door finally opened and in walked Shiela. She was a familiar face that always put me at ease. Her job was that of a scientist who also served as my personal physician. None but my the man who created me understood how I worked better than she did.

Straightening out her lab coat and placing her hands on her black skirt she knelt in front of me. Looking into my eyes she smiled. "Hello there sweetie." She was so beautiful, deep down I longed to look like her. Normal. Her lovely face was hidden behind thick glasses and her hair was tied back in a messy, blonde ponytail. Her bangs had escaped from their scruncii prison and were dangling in front of her face.

Shiela was the closest thing to a mother I've ever had. She treated me so kindly and seemed almost maturnally protective of me. She was the only one who had ever looked at me as a real human being. Howerever, her job came first and she was always careful not to get too personal. I didn't blame her though, perhaps it was better for both of us that way.

The headmaster explained the situation to her. She just nodded and smiled again before helping my to my feet and leading me into the bathroom, closing the door behind us.