Wunderhein Academy: Book 1- Awakening

“Blyad, I hate this place.” Dmitri snorted once they were outside the Medic building.

“That makes both of us.” Aleksei muttered, raising his hand to the sensitive spot around his eye for a moment and dropping it just as quickly as pain shot through his face. “At least Ivan went easier this time.”

“It still looks good.” Dmitri grinned. Aleksei watched as his friend pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

Immediately Aleksei held out his hand. “Hand it over.”

Dmitri’s smile went wider, making him look scarier if it was possible. Without comment, he handed the stick to Aleksei who stuck it in his mouth and took a drag, hating the taste but thankful for something that seemed familiar beside the throbbing pain on his body.

He had been lucky this time.

He took another comforting drag and heard Dmitri’s lighter flicking to life again. With mild detachment, he watched his friend light another cigarette. Normally he enjoyed watching the display. Normally.

Nothing was normal about them being there right now.

In fact, if he was honest, nothing had been normal since the day he added Kitten to their team but it was unfair to blame any of this on her.

Aleksei inhaled more of the strong substance that Dmitri favoured and found his stomach began to settle. His brain didn’t feel much clearer.

“Heads up.” It took a few seconds for Dmitri’s words to register.

It also took a few seconds to register the fact that two people were heading straight towards them. One was a giant with a serene face that usually appeared on statues in the lone art book in the library.

The other face was pale and unsure, trying to decide on its’ expression as it slipped quickly into surprise, followed by a frown as it spotted the object in his hand.

By force of habit, Aleksei’s hand moved back to hide the cigarette behind him. As a rule, he hated smoking in front of Boris. In that case, it should be bad manners smoking in front of Kitten too.

Aleksei gritted his teeth and felt the surge of pain hit his face as if he had just run into a wall.

Screw it. He was a captain, not an idol to worship. He deliberately raised his hand to his mouth, inhaling as deeply as possible just as the two reached them.

It felt exhilarating.

“Lexie,” Kitten began once she reached him. “You smoke?”

“Ever since we were kids.” Dmitri laughed loudly, making Aleksei smile.

“I do it when I need to.” Aleksei commented, flicking the ash from the tip as he tried mimicking the way Dmitri always did it. That was his one regret. Dmitri at least looked cool when he smoked from all his years of doing it. Aleksei still felt like he was pinching his first one from a pack member.

“You shouldn’t be smoking.”

“Hey!” Aleksei protested as Kitten took a step forward, reaching out to grab the item in his hand. He managed to side-step away from her before attempting to frown but hissed instead from the pain shooting his face. “What do you think you’re doing? I’m your superior.”

“You’re supposed to be in bed.” Her eyes narrowed. “Not out here acting like some idiot.”

“I’m fine.”

“You have a concussion.”

“How did you –“ Aleksei looked at Ivan who continued to stand silently in his spot. “It was a mild concussion. The doctor let me go.”

“What?” He watched her mouth drop open in disbelief. “He can’t do that. You need bed-rest and soup and...”

“Look just stop.” Aleksei held up his hand. “I don’t need what-ever home remedies your mother drilled into you. I’m fine. Dmitri just needs to watch me when I sleep tonight.”

“Already have a list of ways to do it.” Aleksei didn’t miss the giant smile on Dmitri’s face. A slight shiver went done his spine even though he knew he was being silly.

“As long as it’s not that dumb water one.” Aleksei muttered out loud. “I hate that one.”

“Awe, don’t be like that.” Aleksei felt Dmitri’s arm slip around his shoulders. “My ‘Water Wake-up’ needs just a bit more fixing and it could be the perfect thing to torture people with.”

“Are you two insane?” Kitten burst out. “Aleksei’s been hurt. You’re not supposed to torture him.”

“Look, we know what we’re doing. This isn’t the first time it’s happened.” Aleksei slipped his free hand under his jersey into his pants pocket. For a second, he wondered why he was even wearing the jersey. The day was cool but manageable without one. He also preferred his jacket. “The concussion I mean. You get hurt fighting. It happens. I’ll just have to keep an eye on my sensitivity to light for a while, check how I concentrate and keep track of any headaches I get.”

“You should be in bed.” Kitten hissed through clenched teeth, looking almost feral.

For a moment, Aleksei wondered if he should return to bed. He looked at the jersey he was wearing and felt uncomfortable.

“Why are you here?” He looked up at Kitten again.

“What else would we be doing here? We came to see you.”

Her response took him by surprise.

“Why?” He frowned slightly, careful of the bruise around his eye.

“What do you mean why?” She was shaking now. He could smell the anger on her, like burning marshmallows. Sweet and bad and promising something better if you kept looking. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to keep looking, that was the thing. Not if Dmitri was right about the eye.

“I mean, why did you come to see me at all?” He tried again, almost hating himself. “I’m not sure what happened but I did something bad that hurt you didn’t I?”

She blinked. “Are you kidding me?”

Aleksei checked around to make sure no one was around them listening. He flicked the cigarette in his hand once more, wondering what to say when voices came from behind him.

“Bit me. Can you believe it?”

“Maybe you’ll scar. That will be a good story.”

“That was Vernonich.” Dmitri mentioned quietly. “I managed to get the story. He was in a card game and bit that guy he was playing with. Took three guys to hold him down.”

“Another one?” Aleksei asked.

“Another one.” Dmitri confirmed.

Kitten looked back at the teens that had walked past before turning back to them.

“Another one of what?” She demanded. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a bug going round that is making the guys weird.” Aleksei replied. “I don’t know how it happened but I was hit with it. I don’t recall anything at all that happened since yesterday morning.”

“What do you mean you don’t remember anything since yesterday?” The question was like a volcano exploding. He could smell the fire and anger now. Fear too. He noticed her hands clenching and her arms twitching, like she wanted to punch him herself. He didn’t blame her he supposed.

He glanced at Dmitri, wishing his friend hadn’t been evasive how he got the black eye. This time all Dmitri had been willing to do was shrug and say it was from Ivan because they had a fight over Kitten. It had been the betrayed look on Boris this morning that had given away that something bad had happened. The youngster had entered his room for a few minutes with some snitched food from the canteen, most likely on Dmitri’s orders. Boris had hardly looked at him or said two words to him the whole time. Not even to ask if he was alright. That had already set off Aleksei’s warning bells. Boris was never silent.

“Well?” Kitten’s question drew his attention back to her.

Aleksei hesitated, wondering what would be the best way to answer. This was still his team. He still had to protect them. He tried to rub the bridge of his nose and touched the shiner around his eye. For a moment he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. He was worried about them while he was the one that had been beaten up by his own team member.

“I mean the last things I remember was our early morning training session.” He began. “Where the Mad Doc arrived to watch us. I thought it was strange since he never oversees any training himself.

Then I thought how well you were managing to keep up with the drills even though I knew you were terrified of him being there. I was proud of you.”

“Why proud? I was so scared.” Kitten muttered. “I don’t even know how I managed through the drills yesterday.”

“Being brave isn’t about not being scared.” Aleksei responded. “It’s about still doing things even when you’re so afraid you feel like you can’t breathe anymore. For example, trying to get out of bed when it feels like the hardest thing in the world but you still manage to do it, that makes you brave. In this place, braver than anyone here. What we teach you just helps keep you alive.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Aleksei nodded before frowning once more. “After training, I remember grabbing breakfast and running up to the fifth floor for the meeting they called for. That was a waste of time and Kitten’s paperwork still is wrong.”

“She’s still eleven?” Dmitri chuckled.

“My applications for the age change is in process.” Aleksei rolled his eyes. “I doubt it’s being fixed anytime soon. Remember, we’re dealing with Adults.”

This earned a hearty laugh from Dmitri and even a slight grin from Ivan. Kitten looked slightly devastated. “I have to stay eleven?”

“Don’t worry, I’m sorting it out.” Aleksei tried to calm her. “It’s just taking a while.”

“Don’t worry Kitty.” Dmitri winked towards their team-mate. “Ya the sexiest eleven-year-old I ever seen yet.”

“Dmitri, don’t.” Aleksei began although he turned to study the girl. He had to admit, she did look good in her oversized outfit slipping off to reveal one shoulder. They had cheated with the pants and managed to get a pair that fit her. It worked out better for training but now Aleksei could see the past few months she had been with them had helped shape out her legs. For a moment his mouth went dry and he turned back angrily at Dmitri. “Just don’t ok?”

Dmitri just shrugged. “Not my fault ya all don’t appreciate pretty things.”

“So that’s all you remember?” Kitten pulled Aleksei’s attention back, changing the subject.

He thought for a moment, raising his cigarette partly to his lips but stopping before inhaling the familiar substance once more.

“I recall Wunderhein.” Aleksei nodded slowly. “He came over to talk to me. He had another offer for you.”

Kittens jaw dropped open.

Now that he looked at it, she actually had a cute mouth.

“What do you mean offer?”

“He wants you on his team,” Aleksei inhaled the last of the dying cigarette in his hand before throwing it to the ground and stepping on it to kill it. “He keeps making offers for you.”

“What was it this time?”

“Ranking us up to the top ten.” Aleksei muttered quietly. “All of us.”

Dmitri whistled. “That’s a big income.”

“You’re getting rid of me?”

“What?” Aleksei’s head shot up. “No. I don’t care what he offers; I don’t trade my team-mates.”

He could almost see her mind clicking away over what he had just said. Aleksei shook his head slightly before continuing. “I also remember hearing the thunder when the storm began. I was on my way to class when it happened and I stopped to listen. It was like a lone wolf calling out to its pack.”

“No.” Kitten corrected. “It was like an explosion in the sky. It was terrible.”

“Regardless,” Aleksei frowned, ignoring the pain in his face. “After that, I don’t remember anything.”

“You don’t remember it raining so much that we ended up in your dorm and you began asking questions?” She bit the side of her mouth, her brow narrowing as she hunted for some word. “Reports I think you called it.”

“That was fun.” Dmitri chuckled, leaning closer towards her. “We should practice for the next one.”

Aleksei tried to think but was distracted by her shifting away from Dmitri. “Pass.”

“I don’t remember.” Aleksei lifted his hand to rub the bridge of his nose, hissing softly. “All I know is something happened. Boris is mad at me and Dmitri says Ivan and I had a fight that you were stuck in-between. Whatever it was I’m sorry both of you. I really wish I remembered what happened.”

“You tried to treat me like a Pretty Boy.” She shot out.

Aleksei went silent for a moment before swearing. “Are you serious?”

“Do you want the details?” She sounded angry again. And hurt. He knew she wouldn’t lie about something like this. Aleksei went silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry.” He finally spoke up. “I don’t know why I did that.”

“Ivan says you wanted to. That you all want to.” He heard her swallow. “Is it true?”

Aleksei glanced at Ivan who was still standing at Kittens side. Close enough for support, yet far enough so she could fight her own battle.

For a moment, Aleksei felt like killing him. That is, if there was a chance to even beat the giant.

“It’s complicated.” Aleksei began, wondering what was the best way to end the conversation.

“No it’s not.” Kitten burst out. “It’s either yes or no. I want to know the truth!”

“The truth?” Aleksei snarled, stepping forward so his face matched hers. He didn’t miss the hint of fear that hit her eyes or that he could now feel her breath almost touching his skin. He also didn’t miss the fact that Ivan had unfolded his arms and taken a few steps towards them.

“The truth is you don’t need to worry.” Aleksei chuckled, his eyes narrowing. “Your safe from me little Kitten. You’re not a girl remember? I prefer those.”

He forced himself to turn away, guessing that he might have hit a nerve from Ivan’s grunt. Even Dmitri seemed slightly surprised.

Just slightly.

Enough to make Aleksei’s mood drop even further.

“I’m going for a walk.” He told his second. “I’ll be back in time for supper.”

“Don’t go falling into any fights.” Dmitri replied coolly. “I ain’t taking over the team if something happens to ya again.”

“Glad to know you want me alive at least.” Aleksei didn’t bother looking back at the other two, walking away annoyed instead.