The best friends approached their room and waved their new bracelets in front of the pad on the outside of the door.
*BEEP*
The light switched from green to red and the door slid open. Atreus and Finn sprinted inside to see their new living room. To their left was a small sink, fridge, oven, and microwave. Light ray wooden cabinets laid on top and bottom of the counter housing the microwave, a slight contrast to the dark gray of the walls.
Finn rushed to the fridge and swung it open. It was stocked to the brim with the various foods they'd requested as part of their onboarding to the Academy.
"So this is what it's like being with the rich kids, eh? I can get used to this!" Finn said as he filled his arms with all the food he could carry.
"Imma go check out my room!" He scurried to his left and barged into the room with his name over the door frame.
Atreus nodded and further surveyed their living room. An array of small black leather couches dotted the open space. On the wall opposite the door they entered, a large TV was mounted on the wall and a small black cabinet sat underneath it.
"Finn, we gotta figure out how we want to arrange these couches!" Atreus shouted as he sat on one of the couches.
"Gotcha!"
"We should decorate it a little too, it feels kinda dead."
"Alright, we can do it tomorrow. But tonight, WE FEAST!"
"Chill out, we still have to get to Miss Polly's before 7:00. We gotta leave in like, fifteen minutes to give us time to find the Design building."
Finn popped his head out of his room, Pocky sticks jutting out of his mouth.
"Oh shih, I fhurguh abuh thah!"
"Stop talking with your mouth full, it's gross man."
Finn grinned as he chewed and swallowed the snack.
"Oh shit, I forgot about that!"
Atreus shook his head, stood, and turned to go explore his new room.
He opened the door and was greeted with a loft bed that sat in the corner, opposite the door to his bathroom. Underneath was a desk and large drawers. On the walls was an array of posters of his favorite Heroes and musicians that had previously adorned his room at Aunt Ruby's house.
'Oh shit, Aunt Ruby! I forgot to let her know I'm here.' He quickly took his phone out of his bag and typed;
'Finn and I got to Gladiator City earlier today, we made it to the Academy safely. Call me when you're off work, love you."
He sighed and sat at his desk. He opened the drawers to find all his clothes folded and organized neatly.
"Thank God I didn't have to do any of this myself…I hate packing and unpacking,' he thought.
He kicked his feet up on the desk, put his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes.
'I haven't had a second of rest since I got off the air train…maybe I'll just see Miss Polly tomorrow…'
He shook off the notion quickly and steeled himself.
'If I'm gonna be the greatest Hero, my resolve needs to be stronger. No need for downtime.' With that, the white-haired boy stood and walked to Finn's room. He pounded on the door loudly.
"Finn! Let's head out now."
"But you said fifteen minutes!"
"We might as well leave now, there's no point in waiting around. You can be lazy after dinner. Let's go."
"Fiiine," Finn groaned as he walked out of his room.
.
.
.
The two boys walked out of the elevator and waved to Dissera as they approached the exit. Atreus stopped in his tracks as a thought crossed his mind.
"Finn, hold up."
"HUH? First, it's 'hurry up,' now it's 'hold up,' what do you want from me?!"
Atreus rolled his eyes and walked up to the android at the desk.
"Dissera, how come we haven't seen any other students in the dorm?"
Her glowing blue eyes fixed on Atreus.
"Hello, Atreus Wolfe. The group you arrived with are the only underclassmen of dormitory Delta. Your upperclassmen are participating in back-to-school festivities in another area of the campus. I am told it is tradition." She gave an awkward smile.
"Got it. Do you know what part of campus?"
"I do not!" She smiled at them blankly.
"Aaaalright, thank you Dissera," Finn said as he ushered Atreus towards the door.
"I'm telling you, there's something off about her bro," he whispered once they were outside.
Atreus dismissed the comment and took out his phone. He found the picture of the campus map he had saved.
"Okay so, we're here…" He pointed to Delta on the map. "...and we need to get here…got it. Let's go."
"Take the lead, big dawg. I'M gonna be on the lookout for baddies on the way!"
.
.
.
The two trekked through the campus, admiring the architecture and aesthetic of their new home. The setting sun washed their journey in orange. After ten minutes of walking, they'd arrived.
The Design building loomed tall, skinny pillars supporting the triangle roof. It looked much like the Pantheon, but the mosaic of colorful designs embellished throughout made it distinct.
They walked between the pillars and through the modern sliding doors. The foyer looked like an art museum; paintings were on display, glass cases with Hero suits both made and worn by current students and alumni lined the walls, and sculptures were roped off in the center. Smooth jazz softly reverberated through the space.
Aurora was already inside, gazing at some of the costumes with her arms crossed. She shot the boys a glance, and they both silently knew it would be better to just leave her alone. The boys instead wandered around, in awe at all of the art around them.
'So much talent…' Atreus thought.
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by repeated loud *CLACKS*.
"Hello hello, my lovelies! Right on time! Come now! We have business to conduct!"
The sound of Miss Polly's heels was like gunshots in comparison to the tranquil ambiance of the museum. She opened a door at the end of the hall and motioned for the students to follow.