Chapter 1: Play Pretend

Martin rushed through the crowded streets of Alcada, ducking through the pedestrians. It was his first day at his new school, Syncade High, and he wanted to make a good first impression on his teachers and peers. If he could get the chance, anyway. Maybe it wouldn't even make q difference. It would be hard to make a good impression when his father was...but he’d try his best. That was the whole point of moving, right? A fresh start, a chance to get away from his unfortunate reputation, garnered at no fault of his own.  

He couldn’t help who his father was – he wasn’t even raised by his father! – yet people still liked to judge him over it. He was an outcast, bullied throughout his entire life. You would think that as the son of the most dangerous and powerful supervillain, people wouldn’t pick on him for fear of retaliation, but no. The moment people found out who he was, if they didn’t already know, his life turned into hell. Lonely, miserable.  

It wasn’t enough for people that he was raised by a sweet couple, bakers. His adoptive parents had no powers of their own. He grew up in a loving home, learning the appropriate ways to use his powers, learning right from wrong, and grew up with a desire to help people, not harm them. That wasn’t something he’d learned from his parents, not really. His mother said he’d just been born that way, always wanting to help. Of course, his parents helped him to grow with it, and now at 17, he was a loving, kind person.  

But people couldn’t see that. 

They couldn’t see how badly anxiety controlled his life. They couldn’t see that he could never even dream of hurting a fly, let alone another person. 

They couldn’t see that he wasn’t his father. 

Martin crossed the road, glad that the school was so close to his home. He lived above his parent’s new bakery which was almost just across from the school. He got to the steps at the front of the school with 10 minutes to spare, looking at the groups of people around him.  

His anxiety spiked in his chest, but he did his best to keep his face open and neutral, trying to keep his heartrate calm in order to avoid having a panic attack there in front of everyone. A panic attack was not the way to make a good first impression, as it was horribly embarrassing when he shut down and started crying. 

He kept a small, easy smile on his face as he walked up the steps and into the school. Already, people were staring, whispering. He was pretty sure he even saw someone take a picture.  

They recognized him, then. So much for a good first impression. His reputation was already decided, with no chance for negotiation. 

Maybe they already knew he was coming. Of course they would. They were probably warned about the son of Scarlet Demon joining their school. Perfect. Fucking perfect. Would he never be given a choice? 

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Martin made his way up another set of stairs up to the classrooms floor.  

He had to have a meeting with the principal, Mr. Peterson. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Sean watched his father from across the needlessly long glass table. His father had requested that they have breakfast together, something that seldom happened.  

He’d been sitting here for almost 10 minutes, and his father still had yet to even look at his son, let alone say anything to him. God forbid Gabriel would ever say good morning.  

Tired of the silence, Seanasked, “Father, may I ask why you requested we eat together this morning?” His father nodded, and placed his tablet on the table. Gabriel neatly folded his hands together in front of him on the glass, and leaned forward slightly.  

“It has come to my attention that Martin Caster will be joining your class, yes?” His father asked, less like a question than statement. His voice was cold and steely, he wanted no answer, so Sean gave a small nod, more to himself than his father.  

Everyone had been ‘warned’ that the son of Scarlet Demon would be joining the school, and that he would be in Sean's class.  

His father went on, unaware of the thoughts brewing beneath Sean’s cool exterior, “I want you to keep eye on it.” It not him .  

Of course he did. It was a bunch of bullshit, really. He didn’t want to have the responsibility, but he had it anyway, as always. Alcada’s golden boy. He was expected to always be on his best behaviour, do all these photoshoots to promote this, promote that. The next face of the superheroes of Alcada. He was through with it, and now this?  

“Do not disappoint me, Sean.”  

“Yes, father.”  

                     

What the whole of Alcada didn’t realize, was that Sean was completely unhappy. What everyone else saw was a happy, good guy who always went out of his way to help others. He was expected to uphold his father’s image, his legacy. He didn’t want to, and yet he did. 

Beneath the surface, was a boy desperate to break free, to defy his father. To finally have some fun. 

He couldn’t, though. If he stepped one foot out of line, he was horribly beaten by his father, attempting to beat perfection into his son.  

What nobody realized, was that their beloved hero was a horrible, cold person.  

Driving up to school that morning, Sean took a deep breath before opening the door and saying good bye to his driver and bodyguard. He’d had the bodyguard since he was a young boy, before his miraculous manifested. Though he was more than capable of defending himself after it manifested last year, his bodyguard had become something of a good friend to Sean, and he just liked having him around.  

He still had just under 10 minutes until school officially started, so he went and found his friends.  

His girlfriend, Lauren, found him first.  

Lauren was the daughter of the mayor, and though the mayor could be a bumbling push over at times, he was a capable and powerful hero, so Sean and Lauren had known each other since birth with the intention of them getting married once they were older, to create powerful superheroes.

It wasn’t up to them, but Lauren didn’t mind, she seemed absolutely obsessed with him, and was quite possessive.  

And Sean really, really didn’t like her most of the time. She was mean to everyone, annoying, and just a downright horrible person. She almost bordered on being a villain, even though she was adamant that she would be a wonderful superhero. 

His best friend Aaron was close behind Lauren, who had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, hanging off of him. He removed one of his hands from the blonde’s waist to give Aaron a fist bump.  

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Aaron was one of his only true friends. He was a great, funny guy, who, much to his father’s dismay, appeared to be without a miraculous just yet. Of course, Aaron was younger than Adrien, and still had a few months until 17, at which the window for a miraculous manifesting would be officially closed.  

Aaron being powerless didn’t bother either of the friends, as Aaron had dreams of being a comic writer anyway, with no use - or even desire - for miraculous powers. 

Aaron's girlfriend, Cyra, was close behind, giving Sean a smile. She adjusted her glasses, a tell that she had news. As an aspiring reporter, she always had some sort of gossip to tell her friends, which Sean guessed would have to do with Martin today.  

“I just saw Martin come in to school. You just missed him; he went up to Peterson,” she said, nodding her head up to the closed door of the principal's office. “Did you know he has blue hair? Last year he had black hair, I guess he dyed it. It looks kinda cool.” She shrugged.  

Lauren unwrapped herself from his neck to groan at Cyra. “Why are we talking about the freak anyway? He’s obviously dangerous, I don’t know why we need to deal with him at our school, it's not fair! I’ll get my daddy to deal with it,” she complained. Typical. 

“Oh hush, Lauren. He doesn’t seem so bad yet. He looks more nervous than anything,” Cyra shot back, her eyebrow raised beneath her glasses.  

“It’s definitely an act. He’s a literal demon spawn, he’s obviously evil and dangerous. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you know. And besides, he should be nervous. There’s no way he’s lasting here.” Before the two girls could continue fighting, the bell cut Cyra off. Lauren  smirked and flipped her blonde ponytail, before strutting off to class.  

Sean rolled his eyes at the other couple and followed her.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Martin waited with the principal outside his class, nervously fidgeting as he listened to the warning lecture he was getting. I haven’t even done anything . He thought as he listened, knowing even still why he was receiving such a warning.  

“We’ve taken a big risk accepting you into the school, so please, don’t give a reason to make us regret that decision. Don’t mess with or antagonize the other students. Given the nature of your miraculous abilities, you are not to use your miraculous under any circumstances, or we will be forced to expel you.” Martin’s nostrils flared at that, knowing that no such rule was in place for the other students.  

They aren’t dangerous like you are. They aren’t the demon spawn. His thoughts mocked him, using his insecurities to make him feel worse about himself.  

‘The demon spawn.’ That had always been an insult hurled at him, everywhere. Online, they always referred to him as such. In real life, people yelled it at him like a chant, every insult was accompanied by calling him a demon, or the demon spawn. It wasn’t technically a lie, but it gutted him every time, given the meaning behind just its literal wording.  

Martin barely nodded; his eyes glued to the floor. “Yes, sir,” was all he could say.  

“Very good then. And Martin, welcome to Syncade High,” the man said as he opened the door to Martin's first class.  

He nervously flicked his eyes up for a moment to look around at the people staring at him, before losing whatever nerve he’d had and looking down at the ground again as he was introduced.  

“Students, please say good morning to Mr Peterson,” the teacher said, nodding her head in greeting to the two men who’d entered. A chorus of ‘good morning’ rang out before the teacher went on, “Now, as I’m sure you’re all aware, we have a new student joining our class today. Please welcome Martin.”  

No one did.  

He didn’t react, his eyes stayed fixed on the ground. 

“Right,” the teacher said with a slightly awkward air, “Well, Martin, welcome to Syncade High. I am Ms Thorale. Would you please introduce yourself to the class?” 

Martin swallowed and nodded, raising his head to face everyone. “Uh, hello. I’m Martin,” I’m sure you all know who I am already he kept from adding. “I’ve recently moved after my parents opened a new bakery nearby. I apologize if my presence makes you uncomfortable or fearful, I’ll try not to bother you.”  

Ms Thorale smiled, but it looked almost forced. No one spoke. “Thank you, Martin. It’s wonderful to meet you.” Her eyes seemed to scan the room for somewhere to seat him, landing on a spot beside a pretty girl with glasses. “Cyra, would you mind if Martin sits with you? I’m sure you can take care of him for his first day.”  

“Oh! Yes, Ms Thorale, of course. Come sit beside me, Martin.” The girl, Cyra, smiled, though her eyes betrayed her worry at being sat with him.  

Martin just nodded, shuffling to sit where he’d been told as the principle left and the lesson began, all the while feeling stares tracking him the whole way, not leaving even when he was sat down. Sitting in the second row from the front didn't help how easily he could be stared at. People found it less shameful, less embarrassing, to stare forward. They didn't have to turn around, but it didn't stop the blonde sitting in the first row across from him from turning and looking.

“Hi. I’m Cyra,” The girl beside him said softly, almost sweetly, and Martin nervously nodded, something he seemed to be doing a lot of today.  

“Thank you for letting me sit beside you, I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.”  

“No, it’s ok. I don’t mind.”  

Martin wasn’t sure that was true, but her gave her a small smile anyway.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Sean wasn’t sure what to think of Martin right now.  

He wasn’t anything like he was expecting, but even then, he wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting. Someone mean? Someone stereotypically evil or supervillainy? Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t this. Although, it could easily be an act, an act to seem more defenceless and weak than he actually was. 

It almost didn’t seem like an act, though. He almost seemed genuine, which he supposed was the point. Adrien was good at his own act, after all, and his act certainly seemed genuine.  

Perhaps they were both playing pretend.

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