Work Text:
Stupid
That’s what Lloyd was.
Not an evil mastermind. (no matter how hard he tried) not a ferocious beast that spread fear into others. (he was trying to be, he promises!) Not even smart like Brad or Gene.
No
He was only a child. A stupid. Idiotic. Child.
“ are you listening boy!” shrilled Miss Ethril.
His cheek was too numb. It didn’t hurt anymore. It didn’t even matter if it was anyways . Lloyd was used to it.
He had to be in a place like this.
“ I’ve told you this a thousand times already and I’ll tell you again!” She grabs his chin and yanks it towards herself. “ we do not do good deeds at this school!”
It’s probably gonna bruise with how hard she’s squeezing.
“ Especially not you, of all the people in this school I would have expected Garmadon’s son to be at least at our level of-“
Lloyd focuses on the way her mouth moves, It feels like a deep frog is rolling over his brain. Fast and sharp, like a swordfish.
He knows about those because the nurse, Dean something, had one that hung over all the medical cabinets.
He feels like he’s being kept in a plastic container.
A way to scare the younger kids so that they got in trouble for showing, “ weakness.”
Everything is muffled.
He thinks he can hear something.
Yes.
He’s being yelled at.
Everything feels fuzzy.
Like looking through a clear glass that’s filled with water.
Fuzzy.
***
“ -after decapitating them, you would then remove the Laryngeal stratified squamous epithelium. The tools you would need in order to do so are listed on the blackboard. I will read them aloud-“
Sally hated Anatomy & Physiology class. It was boring and stressful and gave her an icky feeling that spread from her head to her toes.
She wouldn’t say it wasn’t useful though. The things they learned would definitely help them one way or another in the future.
Or in the present.
It was boring though. Their teacher, Mr. Evens, never seemed to shut up, he was really talkative for someone who hated anything or anyone that made even a little bit of noise.
Which often always left the classroom, utterly silent of all but his long rants.
Like she said, boring.
Overall, it was probably the second dullest class, right next to history, which used to be her favorite. You would think that learning the anatomy of a human being to use it against a human being, would be interesting. You would think.
It’s not.
Especially when the teacher is a psycho. Like every single other adult in her life. Honestly after being at this school for two years you would guess she would be used to the weirdness darkness, abuse, fear, of it all. You would think that, wouldn’t you.
Well, turns out people think a lot of things that aren’t true.
She learned pretty quickly that Darkleys was a strange school. Not just because of the goals it had for its…. Pupils, but also because of how it was set up. The classes, for example. You had knowledge classes the ones where you learned things on paper and active classes, where you got the real experience. Hands on and all that.
It was, interesting to say the least.
Very interesting.
Another weird thing was how simple it was to get people to listen to you. For the school of the cruel and evil, everyone was pretty good at listening.
After all, it only took about two months for people to get that no Sally was not a boy, no matter what the teachers said, and if you didn’t get it through your thick skull that it would do you good in the long run to just call her by Sally and not use that name. Then chances were high that you would be found three days later in one of the kitchen cabinets with your head stuffed into your ass.
Multiple boys definitely weren’t found like that throughout those two months of, as she’s heard some people say, her Reign as empress.
Which was kind of stupid because she wasn’t in charge of anything or had anyone under her power.
It was definitely cool though. That people were scared enough of her that they thought her their ruler. Or, something like that.
So cool, but kinda weird.
The lunch bell suddenly, but greatly appreciated, ringed, dismissing them from their little two hour mental torture session.
Sally sighs, picking up her backpack and pushing her way through the crowd of depressed zombie children.
Time for lunch, time for dealing with the dumbasses. Who she totally did not adore. Definitely. 1000%. No 1,000,000%. Yep. She despised the little gremlins, no love or attachment there.
STOP LOOKING. NOW.
She wondered how the day was going for them.
Probably like shit
***
Well, she guesses she was on point for Lloyd, the poor kids day was not only shit but he also looked like shit.
“ so… what happened to you?” She decided to ask. And she feels a little bad when the child flinches. She could’ve probably said that a bit softer. Oh well. Not like it mattered now.
“ I-umm, well-“ Lloyd mumbles and she can’t help but roll her eyes. Such a kid. A really sweet one.
Brad quickly buts into the poor excuse of a conversation. “ the dummy decided he was going to shake hands with death today and said good morning to Miss Ethril! “
Oh. Mmm. That was worse than she had initially thought. “ why… did you do that… if I can ask..?”
Lloyd mumbles something under his breath. FSM she swears if that kid doesn’t get better at talking soon she was gonna rip his tongue out. “ speak louder. I can’t hear you.”
The boy turns his head up and looks her in the eyes.“doesn’t matter. It happened. It’s done. Mind your own business.” Sally can’t help but smile. “ there’s the little vampire. Finally got your lil fucking spark back huh.”
The kid quickly covers his mouth, muffled giggles vibrating his frame. Her work is done here.
“ daaaaamn, I’ve been trying to get rubies to laugh all of lunch and here you are coming in and doing it like a fucking pro” she smirks at Brads complaining and his little pouty face turns into a grin when they bump shoulders.
“Aaaugh, guyyys, stop babying me!”
“No can do rat eyes, if you’re going to do something stupid then we might as well treat you as such if only for a day.”
He sticks his tongue out as he jumps up to pull some of her hair, and out of the corner of her eye she can see Brad laughing his little ass off.
Oh, who is she kidding, she fucking loved these morons.
***
Gene could feel the way the kids pulse slowed under his hands, the way his body jerked and twitched. Still, he didn’t stop. Not until strong arms were ripping him off the boy, throwing him to the side and then walking away.
Adrenaline corsed through his veins thumping like a rabbit’s foot as he lay still on the ground.
What a fantastic feeling. Adrenaline, it was like a drug. Seeping into your bones and igniting something in you.
He loved it.
His stomach fills with something, not dread, not guilt, but numbness. It starts there then slowly reaches to the rest of his body and soon, he’s filled to the brim. Gene flips on to his back and turns his eyes up to look at the sky. There’s an airplane with one of those big plastic sheets attached to it, advertising who knows what.
If he looks closely he can just barely make out the words “ Ramen” in big bold fancy cursive. What restaurant would pay for a plane to fly around a big thing of plastic hardly anybody could even read properly. Stupid.
Ramen does sound good right now though. He hasn’t eaten Ramen in a long time, he should go see if I can get steel some from one of the teachers for lunch tomorrow. If they have any that is. He’s certain he deserves it.
He huffs a breath as he picks himself up and into a standing position. He was going to miss lunch. Dammit.
Whatever, that kid deserved it. Nobody talks back to him it doesn’t face the consequences. This was a school after all. Really he was only helping the teachers out by dealing with the extra parasites that weren’t going anywhere in life. So good job him.
He shakes his head, it was illogical to think more on the student. It didn’t do him any good to bask in his victories.
Glancing at the watch on his wrist, Gene inquiries that he should probably make his way to his next class, better to be early than late.
***
He’s late. Dammit. Fuck Brad and his there little pet friend for distracting him.
He’s dead, Gene knows it. The school was going to contact his parents, his father, and he. Was going to. Die.
He hasn’t even got his PHD or masters or anything in maths or science or robotics or engineering or- yeah. The list goes on.
And on top of it all off this was his least favorite class; social economics. And he didn’t even hate social economics as a whole. It was the fact that the stupid teacher had a pet mountain lion and those just happened to be cats…
Which surprise! He’s allergic to.
Awesome.
This day was just getting better and better. Wasn’t it?
***
“ I still can’t believe you did that! You’re such a airhead idiot!”
Lloyd scoffs as he swings around to face his friend companion.
“ oh shut up Brad! I bet on the fucking moon you would’ve done the same”
Brad was tall for his age, which was 9. He himself was only 6. At least Lloyd thinks he’s 6. liked to tell people otherwise.
He can feel a presence behind him. “What did the dumbass do this time.” It’s Gene, he can tell by how the voice cracks at the end.
They had hit a rough patch in their… whatever relationship they had.
Friendship, they were friends, just like Brad and Sally were.
He didn’t mean for it to get bad or something.
Gene was a useful ally. Less people liked to mess with Lloyd knowing he walked around with someone so high in the social status.
But he definitely had mixed feelings about the guy.
he was rude and brash, mean. A complete teachers pet. And Lloyd honestly really wanted to hate him.
But he didn’t, at all. It felt Infuriating.
Gene should be his arch nemesis. All the teachers loved him and he was far better at being evil than Lloyd ever was.
He was probably gonna get his father’s attention before he did.
He really wanted to hate Gene.
Brad turns his head
Up
Up
Up
To look at the ceiling.
“He fucking said good morning to a teacher! Who the fuck does that!”
Lloyd bites back a snood comment about how last week Brad helped a kid up from being pushed and was punished so badly he only got out of the infirmary three days ago.
Instead, he just looks at the ground. The dull. Dull. Colorless. Ground.
“WHAT, that was him!” he hears Gene laughing, a mental image of how the boy looks right now only makes him feel sicker than he already did before.
Brad pinches the bridge of his nose. “ don’t laugh. He’s still learning I guess.” Lloyd slowly looks up. “But yeah. What the fuck were you thinking?”
“ I…well” how was he gonna explain this. “ wouldn’t you like to fucking know!” answer: he wasn’t.
“Oh shut the whining bitch.” he really wants to punch Gene right now. Like a lot. What he said didn’t even make sense. He wasn’t even whining!
“ we’ve been helping you since you got here, you can at least give us a little respect!” he was here before either them.
Idiot.
All three of them startle, jumping suddenly at the sound of the bell, it rings echoing all around them. Bouncing off walls like a rubber ball.
“ shit” someone in their little group of three says. It might’ve been him. “ that’s the late bell”
And they’re running. Feet slamming against the floor is the only sound, along with their labored breathing, they hear as they race against time. Time that’s practically run out.
His day was going to bad, wasn’t it.
***
Fuck
Fuck
Fuck
Fuck
FUCK
He was gonna kill someone. Someone was gonna die. Someone was going to be choked and hung up on the flag pole in the middle of the courtyard so all the other kids would mock and beat the crap out of whoever thought it was a good fucking idea to put dead rat carcasses on his plants.
Yeah. Someone was gonna regret being alive. Or being born. Or ever being an idea. Or a prospect. Or anything. They definitely were going to regret messing with his plants children.
Honestly, the day had been pretty good. He had been out from the infirmary for three days now and he could successfully say that the left side of his stomach didn’t hurt anymore. It was only a bit sore yes buuuuuut, that was a million times better then burning hot pane that made you feel as though you were being electrocuted by an eel.
Not that he’s ever been electrocuted by an eel. The point is pretty obvious though.
Anyways, Brad’s day had been solid. Woke up. Had a few classes. Had lunch. Chewed out Lloyd for being an idiot. Shared lunch with Lloyd. Had more classes. Beat a kid up. More classes. Had dinner. Shared dinner. More classes. Now he was on break.
Well, it wasn’t much of a break now that he had to basically murder someone.
Now, any logical person would realize that Brad, did not, in fact, need to murder someone. What they probably don’t realize is that any logic is thrown out the window the moment anybody stepped into Darkleys.
Ergo: someone was going to die. Or at least get tortured. Or beat up. Or something because who the fuck thought it would be a good idea to mess with his fucking plants.
Brad should take a deep breath. He knows. They’re just plants. they’re really not.
It’s ok. He can just figure out how to plant new ones. Without getting caught. Or running into anybody. Or wasting valuable time. Or-
He opens the door to the hallway. Grip so strong his knuckles turn white.
Somebody was going to hell today. No, that’s a blessing. They’re already in it after all. So maybe not hell. He was definitely going to make their life worse than it already was.
He was really fucking pissed.