Puzzle 37

[hintcoinplz]

[Action - Outside the high school]

[Luke dreaded coming to school. Not so much that he hated his homework or his studies - though they were things he wasn't too thrilled about. It was because everyday he had to look forward to being picked on for whatever reason: being too small, looking like he was much younger then he really was, the way his was dressed...

But the thing they teased him about most was the fact that his parents were not his real parents.

Rumors start fast in a school, and it didn't take the other kids long before they figured out he was adopted by two teachers in the school. It wasn't unusual for him to get comments like "so why did your parents really give you up?" and "I heard they left you on the side of the road". The stories varied, and The comments were hurtful, sure, but for the most part he learned how to deal with it. He didn't know why his real parents left, although he heard that maybe they went to Westport, and it drove him mad that he couldn't figure out the real reason behind it. But about a year later of being given up for adoption, he found his way into a family who reassured him that he was loved and for the most part he was able to work through the bitterness.

Then when his adoptive parents got divorced, the teasing only got worse.

As class lets out, Luke gets stopped by another boy who seems to have beaten him to his bike. Luke swallows nervously.]

...Give me back my bike, all right? I don't want any trouble.

Come on, Luke, I was just thinking about borrowing it for a minute. I'll give it right back.

You can't have that bike. My dad gave me that bike.

Your dad? You really think your old man cares about what happens to your bike? He doesn't seem to care about you too-

No, shut up! You shut your mouth!

Hey, I'm just saying that-

I said shut up!

[And Luke lunges for the other boy, rolling across the sidewalk with the two of them kicking and punching at each other.

Interrupt the fight?]

[Around Town]

[Luke will be taking his damaged bike home, along with a black eye and bloodied lip. He looks like he's in a sour mood and he's not paying attention at all to where he's going. He's not too eager to rush home, but he's not entirely sure where to go.]

Comments

[Mayfield High School]

[questionauthority]

[Before long, there's a pair of strong hands diving into the thick of the scuffle and dragging Luke right off that other kid.]

That's enough!

[Mayfield High School]

[hintcoinplz]

[As Luke's being pulled off, he's going to take one more swing at the other kid.]

I'm gonna make you sorry!

[questionauthority]

Settle down.

[Eddie tightens his hold on Luke's shoulders, a bit of a squeeze to try and snap him out of it. He then glares over Luke's head, from the damaged bike that lies alongside them to the little brat still lying on the ground.

Edward's never been especially fond of bullies.]

[hintcoinplz]

[With Edward's grip, Luke finally does calm down. His nose is bleeding, and he quickly wipes his sleeve across his eyes.]

Around Town

[bread_goes_bip]

[When she doesn't consciously think about it, Death's appearance has taken to defaulting to being quite... grandmotherly.]

Luke... sweetie, what happened?

Around Town

[hintcoinplz]

I...

[Luke freezes. He's torn between lying or being honest, and he really doesn't want Death to think badly of him for getting into a fight.]

I um, fell.

Re: Around Town

[bread_goes_bip]

[Of course you did]

Let's get you cleaned up, okay?

Around Town

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke nods quietly, with his head down, before following behind her.]

Action ; Around town

[balzams]

Luke! You okay!?

[Latvia comes running up behind him, obviously concerned about his current state. The soft, eastern European accent he once had has now been replaced by an American twang that sounds obviously forced]

I heard the other kids talking, that said you got into a fight...

Action ; Around town

[hintcoinplz]

I'm all right...

[Luke doesn't quite look up as Latvia approaches.]

But that's right, I socked some other kid right in the nose.

Action ; Around town

[balzams]

Heh, at least you got 'em back!

[He gives somewhat of a half-hearted chuckle, knowing that his poor attempt at cheering Luke up probably would not work]

I guess they're not going easy on you, huh...

[High School]

[inthebones]

[A hand falls on one of the boys from behind. The grip is not gentle.]

That's quite enough of that.

[The words are mild, but the edge is of steel. Even without obviously betraying her heritage, Susan Sto Helit has a Voice and a Look that can induce anything short of a Patrician to obey, a voice that spoke of standing in dark corners and rulers across the head and going without supper for days straight.]

Re: [High School]

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke struggles in her grip only a moment, wanting more then anything to get the last strike, but he immediately stops when he realizes who is pulling him off the other boy.]

[inthebones]

[Susan reaches for the other one now, and manages a solid purchase on his head. The two are calmly pushed apart while she steps between them.]

The two of you have ten seconds to explain why we shouldn't be marching straight for the detention room. Five seconds each.

Go.

[Rule 1 of being a schoolteacher: never show partiality.]

[School]

[strike_you_out]

[ooc: This could be a different drone kid for continuity sake. Doesn't matter to me.]

[Why interrupt when you could join in? Which is exactly what Slugger does as he approaches the high school after having just left the neighboring junior high and elementary school (technically, Luke is the older brother now and the only one officially in high school.)]

Luke! [He races up to the fighting pair, bat in hand and a look of excitement in his eyes.] Watch out!

[However, Slugger's idea of "joining in" actually refers to helping his brother beat up the other kid by bashing the kid with a baseball bat whenever the opportunity presents. It's highly effective. Also satisfying.]

[School]

[hintcoinplz]

[Really, he should be used to this by now. He really should be.]

Slugger!

[Instead of finishing the fight, Luke leaps out of the way as soon as the bat connects with the kid's head. And immediately the kid goes down, not moving.]

Did you...did you kill him?

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger nudges the motionless body with the blunt end of his bat. Receiving no response, his attention shifts to Luke.]

Maybe.

[He isn't the least bit concerned, though he's pretty sure he didn't land a killing blow.]

What happened?

Town

[motheringnation]

[Yekaterina is just out for a walk when she see's him. She then rushes over.]

Luke are you alright? What happened!

Town

[hintcoinplz]

I'm fine, I'm fine! I just fell, that's all.

[likescats]

[Well this isn't good. He falls in step with his great grand kid.]

"WHERE ARE WE WALKING?"

[hintcoinplz]

I don't know, wherever [Luke squints at the street sign] Beulah Street leads to.

[likescats]

"DID YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT TODAY?"

In the Hall of Doom

[hintcoinplz]

[He discovered the underground bunker by accident - well, sort of. It was almost like he knew it was down here, but he wasn't sure how that was possible when this was the first time he's come across it.

After playing with the jar of nails, the door opens revealing a dark staircase. Against his better judgement, Luke gives into his curiosity to go downstairs to investigate.

It wasn't at all like he was expecting a bunker to look like - it was huge and brightly lit, as if it were something straight out of one of his comic books. He feels a very strange feeling of familiarity down here, and he starts to navigate through the lair and - why does it feel like he knows where he's going.

If it wasn't spooked before, he is when he comes across a small room, an office. A record player in the corner, and a broken question-mark shaped object laying on the floor. He goes to investigate the broken trophy, and it isn't until he picks it up that his hands start shaking.]

Re: In the Hall of Doom

[bread_goes_bip]

[So this is where he got to. THis might get... interesting. She pushes through the headache to focus. Not going to be easy to avoid this one.]

Luke?

In the Hall of Doom

[hintcoinplz]

H-hi grandma.

[He shakes his head, trying to get his trembling under control.]

I-I think I found one of dad's trophies. He won it at...won it at...

[Something's not right here. What was this thing?]