Forced Bonds

Chapter 13

Jump City
July 22, 08:00 PST

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"Why would you ever sign up for summer school?"

Ben ignores the comment and walks up the front steps of Jump City High School. He's in his civilian clothes, slinging his backpack over one shoulder while he tries to calm the irritation growing inside of him. His dark sunglasses keep his identity a secret from the ever persisting kids behind him.

"Can I at least go to school alone?" Ben grits between his teeth.

"Nope, dude," Wally chirps. "We gotta stay with ya when you leave the tower."

"I can protect myself," Ben hisses.

"Just let us do our job, Ro- Ben," Aqualad stammers at the end. Ben rolls his eyes.

Yesterday, his old team had arrived to his home uninvited. They say they are here to protect him against threats, in particular, Deathstroke. The downside was that Batman had indeed sent an email about their arrival minutes before they got there. Robin was irate, but the fuming boy could do nothing but glower about the several older adults that are now attached to his hip.

"So tell me again why you do summer school?" Wally complains. "I mean, you of all people could be down with college by now."

Ben growls, "It stands out when a teen is taking college courses. It's also questionable when a seventeen year old is not in school. It's to keep the authorities off my trail- among other people too. Much good that did me."

"Why not just home school?" Artemis asks.

"For my citizen status outside of my hero life. I need something to balance it out all the action and an alibi if need be. It's a force of habit."

Several people come up to Ben, worried for their friend. Soon the news gets around that he's back and he is called into the office. He insists that the principle would not appreciate a gang of freeloaders who are currently breaking into his school, to accompany a boy who's been missing for a month. They all grumble but agree, some head to the classroom to "learn"- while simultaneously keeping a perimeter. Conner stands outside of the principles office as Ben goes inside.

"You wanted to see me?" Ben states the principal's office doorway.

He motions for Ben to join him. He has a feeling he knows what this is about, but he he can't help but feel nervous.

"Have a seat, Mr. Smith," He offers one of the plush chairs across his desk. Ben speaks as he sits down.

"If this is about why I didn't come to summer school, I explained it already to the police. They should've-"

He cuts Ben off with a wave of his hand, shaking his head. "Yes, yes. The police already notified us about that. This is something different."

Then what was it about?

"Do you mind taking off your sunglasses, Mr. Smith. We are in school."

Ben shakes his head, pulling out a piece of paper from his bag. He hands it to the principal like he has done with several other teachers before.

"Another eye surgery?" He asks with a raised brow. "What is this? The third time now?"

"It just keeps getting worse, we're hoping that they fixed the problem this time- but obviously there are no guarantees."

"The police stressed that you have severe medical problems, but I didn't know your vision was apart of that."

Thank the Lord for forged documentation, Ben thinks with a sigh.

"Still, we are not here to discuss you medical problems," He says, slightly pained.

"Then, what am I here for?"

The principal drums his fingers against the desk, making Ben notice him for the first time. He has seen the principle several times before, but was the first time that Ben saw him.

The principal was younger than one would originally guess. His suit is tailored to his body- not something you usually saw in a high school principal. It brings out his powerful body type, but also hides the muscle from the common eye. Robin had been trained to spot things like this and knows right away that this man was much more than just a high school principal.

"I'm concerned about your home life," he starts.

Ben wants to glare at the man, but he keeps his expression confused. Why is the principal worried about his home life? Ben realizes that he doesn't know the man's name and thinks it will be important later on... which would be when he does a background check on the man. However, he can't find evidence of the man's name anywhere in the office. Just who is this guy?

"I have no problem with you being absent because of health issues, but the fact that your parents didn't communicate that with the community, ignoring the missing notice you had, it pulls up red flags."

"There is nothing wrong with my family-"

"Ben, listen to me," he cuts him off. "Are they hurting you? Are they the ones causing the all these problems."

Ben is taken aback. "What? What the- No they aren't abusing me," he hisses.

"Ben-"

"No," Ben yells, "You listen to me, who-ever-the-heck-you-are, I'll tell you why they didn't bother-"

"Wintergreen."

"I don't care who you are- my heart stopped a month ago, I wasn't even alive when they rushed me to the hospital. I was in a coma the entire time; my parents stopped speaking altogether and they hardly left my side for a month. They were taking care of me."

Wintergreen sits forward and looked into Ben's seething eyes. His eyes narrow, and his monocle glints in the sunlight that shone through the window. Then cruelly, he says, "That's not what the hospital said."

Ben freezes.

"Wha-"

Wintergreen holds up the note that Ben had given him, pointing to the signature. "That was a nice little show you put on, Ben. Almost makes it look like you've done this thing before," He smirks. "I called the hospital, all of them, and none of them said they had a kid who was in a coma for a month- or had a Dr. Raymond sign this. Plus, you would've never had a missing notice if you were at the hospital genius. This school would've gotten at least some contact. I understand that the world is filled with idiots- just know that I am not one of them."

Ben tries hard not to run away or attack the man who had figured out his con work. "You're not a high school principal are you?" Ben asks gripping the edges of his seat.

"And you're alone, Dick Grayson."