Wunderhein Academy: Book 1- Awakening

“Hey, Lexie!” A happy laugh made Aleksei lift his head from the notepad he had been writing furiously on. He dropped his pen as he glanced at Dmitri, keeping his other hand on his open textbook to mark his place.

“Dmitri, quiet.” He hissed before indicating to the spot next to him where Kitten was sleeping on her folded arms on the table.

Aleksei didn’t miss his friends’ double take. Nor did he blame him. This wasn’t meant to be sleeping time. If it had been anyone else on his team Aleksei would have chewed them out.

“She’s in my spot.” Dmitri muttered instead, sitting on the other side of Aleksei at the Mess Table. “Awe cute. She’s a drooler. Can we keep her pa?”

“She’s not a pet.” Aleksei reminded, looking back down at his textbook and marking off a line of words. “And stop staring at her.”

“Hey, check out her book.” Dmitri leaned across Aleksei and tapped the page of Kitten’s notebook. “She folds the sides too.”

Aleksei felt himself shiver. “I’m going to talk to her about that.”

“Yeah?” Dmitri picked up the book and paged through it. “What ya gonna tell her? Bookmark 101?”

“She’s a girl.” Aleksei snapped. “She should know how to take care of a book.”

“Don’t work like that.” Dmitri stopped on the page he was one for a moment. “She’s studying this?”

“Only because she was a class filler.” Aleksei stretched. “I know I said not to take it easy on her but…”

“But…” Dmitri looked up from the book in his hand with a slight smirk on his face.

“She needs it.” Aleksei begrudgingly admitted. “She’s eleven and they stuck her in classes of fourteen-year-olds and older. Luckily it’s not even an advance class she was thrown in. She never would have made it there. She has no concentration.”

“So when’s the new schedule coming.” Dmitri’s eyes lit up. “Am I still walking our pet? It’s fun.”

“She’s not our pet.” Aleksei glanced at the sleeping girl next to him. “I was promised the new class schedule once the Grunts in admin file everything officially stating she’s with us. It took me all morning to sign the forms and I still have a bad feeling that I’ll have to go back.”

“Not all morning.” An evil smile lit Dmitri’s face. “I heard ya had a fight with the ‘Little Gorilla’ Pasha.”

“Word got around fast.” Aleksei went back to his work, underlining more words. He picked up his pen and scribbled a few notes.

“I got my ways.” Dmitri pretended to browse the book he was holding a bit longer. “Heard ya beat him good.”

“He moved stupidly. It was an unfair fight to begin with.” Aleksei hovered over his notepad before looking up at Dmitri. “You do know I just went up in rank right? He was a level above me.”

“B’lyad! Ya right.” Dmitri growled, snapping Kitten’s book shut and tossing it on the table towards her sleeping form. “Now I need to try and beat ya again.”

“I have faith in you.” Aleksei waved absently before looking back at his work. He shook his head then glanced back at Kitten. She really was a drooler. From the way her face was facing him, he could see how light her eyelashes where. It had never occurred to him that she would have ones the color of cookies. The mark on her face looked like a bruise in color, a purple color that was healing but big enough to show off that it had been a worthy fight. He sometimes forgot that it was there since she kept a fringe covering her face even though she tied the rest of her hair up. He wondered if it hurt like a bruise. For a moment, he itched to touch it and find out.

Instead, he turned back to his books, grabbing them and ramming them into his school-bag.

“Maybe that guy at that table.” Dmitri was busy muttering to himself as the Mess Hall began filling up.

A yawn caught their attention. They both turned to look at Kitten who was rubbing her eyes sleepily. Her hair was a mess. Most of it had escaped the pony-tail she had tried to make with the shoelace Dmitri had given her. She looked far from focused

“Where….” She blinked before jerking up in her seat. “I wasn’t sleeping. Honest.”

“At ease Kitten.” A smile made its way to Aleksei’s face, dis-spite himself. “It’s lunchtime. Why don’t you put your stuff away.”

“Ya might wanna clean ya face there.” Dmitri gestured to the side of her mouth.

She obeyed, rubbing her jersey covered arm across her face. Aleksei flinched. No doubt she had learnt that trick from Boris.

“Told ya girls weren’t all cute.” Dmitri laughed, his fist banging the table. “That was priceless.”

“What was priceless?” Boris asked, slipping in the empty spot next to Kitten.

“None of your Business.” Aleksei scowled at the youngster. “When Kitten’s done packing her things, the two of you can grab something for Dmitri and I to eat. The elders have to talk.”

“WHAT?” Kittens eyes widened. “That’s not fair.”

“No one said life was.” Dmitri sniggered from his side of the table, before reaching out and stealing the tray that had been in front of Boris. “Give it up Rat, I’m starving.”

Ivan said nothing. Instead, he took a seat at the end of the table and placed his tray of food he had just collected on the Mess Hall table.

Kitten opened her mouth to argue but shut it again as Boris placed a hand on her arm.

“Come on Kitten.” He called. “Wait till you hear what you missed in class today.”

“I’m coming.” She called out to Boris as she finished stuffing her things into her school bag and kicked it under the table. She looked at Aleksei and snarled. “I’m poisoning your food.”

“Thanks for the heads up.” Aleksei watched her run off to follow Boris. The two easily found a place in line and from the looks of it, Kitten’s bad mood evaporated thanks to Boris. He had begun chatting like crazy and waving his arms like a maniac to explain whatever he was telling her, making Kitten laugh. For a moment, Aleksei felt a low growl starting in his throat.

“Ya okay there?” Dmitri’s question pulled Aleksei’s attention. He turned to focus on Dmitri and Ivan.

“Yes,” Aleksei slipped his last book into his bag before placing it under the table. “Sorry.”

“Sure?” Dmitri’s eyes went up slightly. “Maybe ya need a nurse.”

“You know I don’t do nurses.” His head jerked up.

“Easy.” Dmitri held up his hands. “Just to check on ya. It’s them or a med.”

The last word came out filled with disgust.

“I’m fine.” Aleksei insisted.

“Ok Lexie.” Aleksei heard the doubt Dmitri was hiding in his voice. For a moment, it stung. “So what’s up that you wanted to talk about?”

“Have you two heard news recently? Real news.” Aleksei searched for his friend’s faces, trying to decide what they were thinking. Ivan was expressionless. Dmitri’s already bored. “I’m not interested in gossip around Pasha.”

“More like gossip around ya.” Dmitri chuckled before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up. “Islands busy changing again.”

“What do you mean the island’s changing?” Aleksei snapped towards Dmitri.

“There’s been some more kids gone. Sleeping Mantis along with them.” Dmitri replied, blowing smoke in the air. “The nurses have changed again too.”

“I wonder what happened this time.” Aleksei reached for the stray pencil left on the table. “They stay for three months at a time at least.”

“Dunno.” Dmitri shrugged. “Last time this happened so early…”

“When that Nurse killed herself a month ago.” Aleksei slipped the pencil into his mouth. He halted as his tongue played with the smooth edges. Something didn’t feel right about this. He quickly spat it out before holding it up and examining it. Great. It had been Kitten's pencil. Now he owed her a new one. He stared at the item before his frowned deepened. “Wasn’t that when Kitten arrived?”

“Not sure.” Dmitri moved closer. “I’ll have her records checked if ya want. I know a guy.”

“Do not blame her.” Ivan spoke up, shaking his head. “There are other reasons. The Island madness.”

“True. Remember there was that teacher that blew up his class,” Dmitri raised a finger. “And the Lab-Coat poisoned those Brawn in the medic ward.”

“We also lost Maxim.” Aleksei noted. “When that Lab-Coat murdered him before committing suicide.”

“Pish.” Dmitri snorted before taking another drag of his cigarette. “I warned Maxim not to trust a Medic, even a Lab-Coat. Their all the same in the end.”

“You can’t blame him Dmitri.” Aleksei lowered his voice. “Maxim believed the man was his father.”

“Bah. Ain’t no dad that’s a good dad.” Dmitri flicked his head in Kittens’ Direction. “Ya can see it with her.”

Aleksei wanted to protest but had no words too. Changing staff was to stop attachments between the kids and adults. This didn’t feel right at all.

“Island madness Lexie.” Dmitri broke into his thoughts. “Just Island madness.”

“What’s Island madness?”

The three jumped back at the question. They turned to find Kitten and Boris looking at all of them. Boris had his mouth wide open but Kitten had her head tilted, waiting for a response.

“Madness that we took ya both in.” Dmitri sneered. “Ya were useless at training yesterday. Even Boris did better when he was new and he’s a weak runt.”

“Boris didn’t have you as a partner.” Kitten stuck her tongue out at Dmitri before sitting down. Boris slipping in besides her. “You just want to smoke and drink all the time. No wonder I hurt myself with those weights.”

Dmitri laughed.

Aleksei found it far from funny. He had tried the usual terrains but she seemed useless with everything.

“You need to keep up.” He warned her. “My teams usually on a stricter pace. You’re holding us back.”

“Give me a break.” She frowned, her cheeks puffing up. “I fell off the monkey bars because they were wet. And my knees are still scrapped from the soccer game.”

“You didn’t even touch the ball.”

“You were all too fast!” She countered back before picking up her fork. She was about to tuck into her food when Aleksei stopped her. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

She blinked for a moment before rubbing her hands on her jersey to clean them. Boris copied her actions.

“Ya short a tray.” Dmitri smacked the back of Boris’s head. “Dumb rat.”

“Owie.” Boris’s hands flew immediately to rub his aching skull.

“Don’t complain.” Dmitri warned. “It wasn’t that hard.”

“Dmitri.” Aleksei shook his head in warning before looking at the two youngsters. “Well? Where’s mine.”

“We forgot.” Boris began, jumping up.

“Get it yourself.” Kitten interrupted. “We’re not your slaves.”

A chuckle from the end of the table caught Aleksei’s attention. Ivan tried coughing but it was obvious he was enjoying the spark Kitten was displaying.

“Do you know what we do with cadets that don’t listen to their captains?” Aleksei’s eyes narrowed as he leaned closer towards her.

“I don’t care.” She leaned towards him too. “I think you’re a monster. An arrogant, pain loving jerk that thinks Boris and I have to jump when you say so.”

“Kitten.” Boris gasped from his side of the table.

“Just tell me when ya want me ta eat her.” Dmitri licked his lips theatrically. “Been a while since I had cat.”

“Alright enough.” Aleksei stood up and slammed his hand on the table, catching the attention of some of the kids nearby. “Listen Kitten, I am your Captain. If I say Jump you will jump. If I say stay on the ground, then you stay on the ground. You will do anything I order you to. Do we understand each other?”

“No.” She stood up and glared back at him. “You’re not my papa. I don’t have to listen to you.”

Aleksei opened his mouth to reply when a recording began over the loud speaker.

“All units from A to G report to the medic ward for your check up and flu shots. A healthy unit is a strong unit. All units from A to G report to the medic ward for your check up and flu shots. A healthy unit is a strong unit.”

“This rubbish again.” Aleksei rolled his eyes.

“Think I might have developed something contagious since the last check-up.” Dmitri chuckled, linking his fingers together and stretching.

“Check-up?” Kitten asked, her head tilting to one side.

The whole table looked at her, then at each other.