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Alex let out a soft groan as he blinked awake, his messy blonde hair sticking up in odd angles on one side where his head had been laying. He could see how messy his hair was from the reflection of the glass table he was bent over. He let out a soft wince as he sat up noting that he had fallen asleep on top of the table, meaning he had stayed in the same position that caused his back to hurt for at least a few hours.
He reached up with hands and rubbed his neck, trying to get the soreness that he was sure would cause a headache later to go away. He made a face as his fingers brushed over the bandage that was placed over the large cut on the side of his neck.
The cut was at least two weeks old and deep enough to where it had barely held yet. The memory of how he had gotten the cut was still fresh in his mind.
Alex let his fingers run across the white bandage for a moment, remembering the pain that he felt when Ice Maker had picked him up by the back of his neck like a puppy before slamming him against the wall. He remembered the pain of Ice Maker keeping him pinned against the wall as he bright one of his sharp black claws into his neck letting his blood spill all the while Ice Maker was giving his grand speech about how Alex’s blood would help bring the lady of his obsession back from the dead.
“What an asshole,” Alex whispered to himself as he moved his hand away from the bandaged place before lifting his arms up over his head and stretching before he tried to pop his back.
Alex let a slight yawn leave him as he looked around at his surroundings, and it didn’t take longer than a few seconds for him to remember where he was.
He’s in one of the conference rooms at the Farmhouse or The Library, as his friend Sid liked to call it.
“Your life is kind of like Buffy The Vampire Slay in a way,” Sid’s words from a week ago echoed in his mind as the group that was made up of himself, Sid, and their other friend Paul had their quiet conversation. “You even have blonde hair and a soon to be scar on your neck,” he justified with a shrug as he took another bite of his eggs. “It’s only normal to call it The Library,” He stated much to Alex’s confusion since he didn’t truly understand his friend’s reasoning but he let it be.
Alex shook his head at that memory a small smile forming on his face as he thought back to his friend’s words unable to help but think he had a small point.
The Farmhouse was just the code name that this section of the Polidorium was called. The Polidorium was a secret organization of monster hunters and which Alex was allowed to be apart of. It wasn’t that he was a Van Helsing that let him be apart of the Polidorium; instead, it was that he had proven himself by helping defeat and capture one of the strongest clan leaders Lord Byron or as he was called by the Polidorium Ice Maker. The very same Ice Maker that Alex had let his mind wander to when he touched the bandage on his neck.
“So you’re finally up?” A male voice from behind him asked causing Alex to jump a little as he turned his upper body around to look behind him. As he turned his body to look at the man that had snuck up on him his hand slipped across the glass table trying to find any sort of weapon he could use to defend himself.
Alex soon relaxed though as he finally saw the man and instead of it being a creature of the night it was none other than his mentor Sangster who had an amused look across his face.
“Mr. Sangster,” Alex breathed out relaxing a little as he saw the black-haired man before him.
“You know if you’re trying to defend yourself in a fight it’s best not to panic like that,” Sangster said as he motioned to where Alex’s hand was still pressed against the conference table. “It’s also best to actually have something to defend yourself with,” He said, causing Alex to turn his head to where his hand was to see what he should have already known that the conference table was empty and there was nothing around him.
Alex felt a small wave of embarrassment wash over him, and he could tell from the burn of his cheeks that he was blushing.
“I-I’ll keep that in mind,” Alex said as he reached up rubbed his neck, flinching slightly as he pushed against the bandaged place on his neck.
“See that you do,” Sangster said with a nod as he walked farther into the conference room closing the door behind him as he headed towards one side of the room. “We don’t want a repeat of how you got that mark,” He said as he motioned to where Alex still rubbing the slight stinging place on his neck. “Expect this time with worse results than that cut,” He explained, giving Alex a look that he had been giving the youngest Van Helsing ever since the Ice Maker incident.
Now Sangster was hard to read most of the time, but Alex knew what the look he was giving him meant. That look meant he was unhappy with what Alex had done, but what he didn’t know is that it also meant he was unhappy that Alex had gotten himself hurt in the process.
“Got it,” Alex said with a firm nod as he looked at his teacher who was now standing in front of the tiny kitchenette that Alex was sure every conference room in The Farmhouse had.
He watched Sangster with curious eyes for a moment trying to figure out what he was doing but that was soon made clear to him as he watched his mentor reach into one of the two top cabinets to pull down coffee grounds. Once that cabinet was closed Alex watched him reach into the second cabinet and pull out a simple black coffee mug. Once Sangster had gathered these two things he swiftly moved over to the cheap coffee machine that was placed on the counter of the kitchenette at all times.
“Um... What time is it exactly?” Alex asked after a few seconds of watching Sangster begin to make his coffee.
“Around five-thirty-something,” Sangster explained as he kept his eyes on the coffee he was working with. He also kept his back to his Protégé so Alex wouldn’t see the small smirk that crossed his face as a groan filled the silence.
Alex groaned as he let his head fall back to the glass table it had once been on, he had truly been hoping that the pain he had been feeling in his back from leaning over for hours had been a lie. He was hoping that it was still late at night and that he could go back to his school and back to his, Sid, and Paul’s room to curl up in the little makeshift bed they had created for him and sleep.
“So I technically have to be up in two hours?” Alex groaned as he moved his head to the side to look over at Sangster who was now leaning against the counter and looking at him with an amused face.
“That’s correct,” Sangster said as he watched his Protégé let out another groan of annoyance. “Which means we’re leaving in another thirty minutes,” He said as he looked back at the coffee machine that was nearly done with his coffee. “I just came in here to wake you up but seeing as you were already awake I decided to get coffee instead,” He said as he reached beside him to grab the black mug he had pulled out of the cabinet.
“All right,” Alex said as he sat up once more and leaned back in his chair to look at his mentor. “If I fall asleep in your class today what will happen?” He asked looking at Sangster who had an eyebrow raised at his student’s question. “Hypothetically, of course,” He said as he watched his teacher shake his head but Alex could see the little bit of smile that was starting to show on his face.
Alex looked at his mentor waiting to see what he would say but Alex already knew what the answer would be. Sangster might be a little more laid back when he was a Slayer which Alex found slightly strange but Sangster the literature teacher expected more from his students and because Alex was now his protégé he expected more from him than the other students.
“Whatever you say,” Sangster said as the coffee machine finally beeped signing to the both of them that the coffee was ready to drink. “Don’t even think about Van Helsing,” He warned giving Alex a stern look that told the young slayer that he wasn’t going to get away with falling asleep in class at least not in his class.
Alex let out another groan this one more dramatic than the others as he looked at his mentor he didn’t seem to care about how dramatic.
“Fine, I’ll try not to fall asleep,” Alex promised as he watched Sangster make his cup of coffee and he couldn’t help but notice how bitter the man seemed to like his coffee since he put no sugar and he put no cream into his drink. “Can please at least have some coffee?” He asked as he looked at his teacher hoping the man would cave and give him some.
Alex hadn’t had coffee since he arrived at school and he swore up and down that it was slowly killing him.
“Are you even old enough to drink coffee?” Sangster asked with a slight chuckle as he looked at his blonde-haired student.
“I used to drink it all the time before I came here,” Alex said with a shrug ignoring the wave of homesickness that wanted to wash over him since he didn’t want to deal with thoughts of home right now.
“That doesn’t mean it’s good for you,” Sangster pointed out as he turned towards the cabinets above him to grab another mug it was clear that despite his words he was going to give Alex the coffee he had asked for.
“Neither is fighting vampires,” Alex piped up as he watched Sangster eye him for a moment before making another cup of coffee for the young slayer.
“Now if I remember correctly you were the one that wanted in,” Sangster said as he placed the last bit of coffee fill up Alex’s mug before he picked it up and moved towards him with it.
“I did want in and I still do,” Alex said as he looked up at Sangster letting out a small yawn as his mind begged him to go back to sleep. “I’m just saying there are a lot worse things for me than coffee,” He said with a shrug as Sangster placed the mug down in front of him.
The moment the mug was placed in front of him Alex’s hand instantly wrapped around the warm mug and brought it to his mouth where he took a few quick sips of the caffeinated drink.
“Yeah, I know,” Sangster said softly making Alex look up at him for a moment as he watched Sangster sit down in the chair next to him.
For a few seconds, all was silent and Alex wondered if there was anything he should say at this moment but he didn’t know what that could be.
Before he could even think of something Alex was brought out of his thoughts as a rough, calloused hand reached up and ruffled his blonde hair making the rest of it just as messy as the side of his head that he had slept on.
“Finish your drink, kid we’ve got to leave soon,” Sangster said as he pulled his hand away from Alex’s head and leaned back in his own seat to finish his own coffee.
Alex only nodded his head as he began to drink his coffee again.
Both sat in silence as they drank their coffee so they could finish it and head back to the school.