Blood Academy Snippets

Scene: Delta and the gang find an android

Characters
*Delta (Gas mask and former experiment)
*Quinton (nonverbal)
*Trixie (Bunny mask serial killer)
*Cherry (Wendigo)
*Seventeen (Android)

Scene
  Delta sighed, crossing his arms. He followed the class as they walked through the halls of the science facility. This was dumb. In so many ways. They were all in the middle of a human science facility. Delta was human, but many of his classmates weren't. Yes, they may all be cloaked and appear, human, even their two freaks for teachers. But they were in a science facility. And if Delta's human life taught him anything, that's that science had no limits besides a dense brain and a large ego.
  And this stupid tour was getting boring. It had no purpose unless you had an interest in human biology or the sequence of time. And Delta wasn't interested in either. Delta and his friend Cherry bet Azul only chose this fancy because they couldn't pay for an enjoyable time at a hotel like Stanley Hotel or the Biltmore. But like most pricks, the headmaster denied it.
  Delta watched the humans they passed. Scientists in their perfect white coats that meshed with the pristine white walls. It made Delta sick. It was so white, so clean, so perfect. It was unnatural. Even for monsters and serial killers. There had to be something. Something they were hiding; humans were cruel too. And Delta knew that firsthand. And he wanted to prove it. Prove that humans weren't as harmless and dumb as others say.
  But then, an opportunity. Delta spotted a group of scientists walk out of a room down a hallway, a blue microchip in hand. The scientists spoke in hushed whispers before dashing behind the class. They were in a rush, a hurry no one normal would be in. Finally. He found something.
  The class stopped as the tour guide went on another tangent. They were right next to the hallway. No one occupied it, and the doors didn't have windows. He would go unseen and unheard. But he didn't feel comfortable with the idea of going alone.
  Delta turned to his strawberry blonde friend. He nudged her, waking her up from her drowsy stare at the teachers. Cherry turned to him both confused and irritated. "What?" She whispered.
  Delta gestured to the empty hall before sneaking away from the group, having hung behind the group, not a fan of crowds. Cherry looked around, panicked, before following.
  Deep into the crowd, Quinton, a nonverbal zombie had been looking back to watch the students he knew as troublemakers. Seeing Delta and Cherry gone, Quinton nudged the girl beside him before also sneaking out of the crowd. The girl with the bunny mask, his recent friend Trixie, took his hand to not lose him and follow carefully.  Quinton quickly doubled checked no scientist could see them before ducking into the hallway with Delta.
  Noise of their class and crowd began to drift away as they moved forward.
  "The hell are we doing?" Cherry shouted in a whisper.
  Delta shushes her. He crept over to the door he saw the scientist exit from. Trixie and Quinton shared confused glances. Delta took out a key card he had swiped from a passing scientist. All the doors were locked but would unlock with the tap of a key card. Delta is almost sorry for the bugger that he took it from, only Loni, or God knows how angry the guy's superiors should be. Delta tapped the security card onto the scanner, the door making a soft beep before swinging open. Delta smiled and walked inside.
  Cherry followed, checking the room for scientists. The room was empty and messier than the halls and rooms they had gone in. Quinton followed the two rebellious students, Trixie hesitantly coming in behind him. Seeing the room empty made them all relax. Quinton shut the door, locking it behind them and then moving a chair under the handle in case scientists came back.  
  The room was large while also cluttered. Tables lined the walls by the door and many gadgets and scientific devices that even Delta hadn't seen before. None of it was chemicals, it was all technology. The other wall held some sort of capsules that looked like they came straight from a sci-fi movie. Most of them were covered by some black metal while the rest were open and empty.
  Quinton hit Delta in the back of the head. Delta turned to the zombie with a glare, his toxic green eyes glowing in the dim room. "What was that for?"
  Quinton crossed his arms and glared up at Delta.
  "Don't look at me like that." Delta crossed his arms. Quinton was severely shorter than Delta, so it felt like looking down to a child. "I'm not losing this chance Z."
  Quinton raised an eyebrow. Delta rolled his eyes and turned away from him. Quinton walked over to one of the tables and started looking through cabinets, drawers, files and papers. Quinton shrugged and started to do the same. Trixie and Cherry shared confused and angered glances before walking around the room, examining the strange tubes.
  Trixie looked up at a camera in the corner of the room. She cursed under her breath and rushed to the camera. She pulled a cord in the camera quickly, shutting it down. "Whatever we're doing we should hurry up. There was a camera."
  Delta waved her off. "Hardly anyone checks those. Normally they only look at them when they know of a break-in. We'll just be discreet."
  Cherry scoffed. "You're stealing papers Del. I think they'll know."
  Delta rolled his eyes, shoving a file in his backpack. "Okay, maybe they'll notice. But they can only see some random humans take stuff. Not the real us."
  Quinton looked at Trixie. He pointed at Delta then did a sort of thumbs up with both of his hands and pressed his fingertips under his collar bone, then a closed fist, then a held-up finger and pointed to that finger with two others. He has a point. Quinton grimaced at his last motion. Quinton was still learning ASL and would mess up, sometimes using the right word but the wrong meaning. But Trixie and his friends still understood what he meant. 
  Trixie smiled softly. "I suppose he does. But still. We shouldn't be here."
  Quinton shrugged and kept searching through things. Cherry gasped, hand flying over her mouth. Trixie quickly looked at her. Cherry stood in front of one of the tubes. What was inside the tube was just outside of her vision. Trixie walked over to Cherry. Her eyes widened. Inside the tube was a boy that looked around her age in a black t-shirt and jeans just standing there, stock-still, and asleep.
  "What the fuck were these scientists working on?" Trixie sounded both enraged and disgusted. 
  "Some type of android by the sound of these documents." Delta shrugged.
  Cherry turned to Delta and pointed to the sleeping boy. "So, this thing is a robot?"
  "What thing?" Delta turned to the two girls. His eyes landed on the boy, or android, Delta wasn't entirely sure. His eyebrows raised in shock. "The fuck."
  Quinton started to count the tubes and turned to Delta, holding up seven fingers.
  "Eight pods but seven are empty." Delta nodded, walking up to the pod. The pod had a sapphire glass door and scanner for a key card. Delta looked at the other seven pods. Five were closed and two were open. "There were more. More like him." Delta points at the boy. "Stupid scientists must have scraped the rest." Delta sighs lowering his hand.
  Quinton turned to Delta quickly, eyes wide and panicked. He shook his head vigorously.  
  Trixie nodded. "Quinton's right. We can't leave him here."
  "Oh? Okay. And uh, explain to me how the fuck we're getting it out of here?" Cherry glared at Trixie. "And why are we treating it like it's a person? It's a robot. Robots don't feel."
  Quinton hit the wendigo lady up the side of the head.
  Delta nodded in agreement. "Quin's right. Not cool Cher."
  Cherry raised an eyebrow with a dumbfounded expression. "Quin?"
  "Yeah, Quin. Did you not hear me the first-time dingus?" Delta then hit her on the back of the head.
  "Hey!"
  Trixie groaned in annoyance. "Oh my god! Ladies, shut the fuck up." Delta narrowed his eyes at her but remained quiet. Trixie ran a hand through her pearl-white hair. "Problem. At hand. Or did you two forget we are in a science facility, snuck into a locked room and now need to break an android out of here?"
  Delta sighed. "Right. My bad." He then stepped up to the pod, withdrawing his stolen key card from his pocket and tapping the scanner with it. The scanner beeped, declining the key card. "Damit. Not the right one." He turned to Cherry and Trixie. "You two, looking around, the right key card must be here somewhere." He then turns to Quinton. "Quin, pass me your beanie."
  And the three did exactly as he asked. The girls went around the room, looking under the tables, under papers, in cabinets, for the key card. Quinton took off his beanie a bit confused but didn't question the upperclassman. Delta took off his green denim jacket and took Quinton's beanie. Under Delta's jacket, Delta wore a skin-tight black sleeveless turtleneck that in Quinton's opinion went well with his wallet chains and leather gloves. Quinton gave Delta a thumbs up in approval. 
  Delta chuckled lightly, patting Quinton on the head. "Thanks, Quin."
  Trixie quickly rushed over, key card in hand. "Found it!"
  "Perfect." Delta took the key card and tapped the scanner with it.
  The scanner beeped, a light went green, and the glass started to retract. Everyone took a step away from the pod, all cautious about what they had just woke up. Or were, when the android didn't wake up. Trixie squealed when the android's eyes suddenly flew open. She quickly covered her mouth.
  The android's eyes darted from one person to the next. He was scanning them, but no files or names came up like they shoulder. He tilted his head at Quinton. "You appear to have no heartbeat. And to be oddly decaying."
  Delta snickered to himself quietly. "Well at least we know he's working." Delta held his hand out to the android. "Come on out. We're taking you somewhere."
  The android was hesitant but took Delta's hand stepping out of the pod. He was wearing shoes, good. Delta raised an eyebrow and the android's realistic skin. If Delta hadn't known the boy was an android, he wouldn't have been able to tell a difference. 
  He let go of Delta, looking around the room sceptically. Cherry tapped Delta's shoulder. "How does it know Quinton's decaying?"
  Quinton turned the android with a raised eyebrow.
  "I mean, he's a robot. Science has always been believed, by some, to be stronger than magic. And the cloaking spell is meant to trick humans. Animals can still see the true us, so maybe he's like that?" Trixie suggested.
  "So, we have no choice but to take him home now?" Delta looked at his classmates. "Is that what I'm being told here?"
  Cherry hit her palm with a closed fist. "Or we can dismantle him ourselves." He smirked with a harsh stare at the android.
  The android's eyes widened in fear. He stumbled back, tripping over a cord and falling back into the bottom of the pod, landing at a strange position that didn't look comfortable. Delta quickly pulled Cherry away, Quinton standing between her and the android. Cherry looked between the two as if they were crazy.
  "We're taking him home to stop his destruction, not cause it. Or did you forget that?" Delta glared at the slightly shorter girl. 
  A sense of betrayal flashed over her eyes before clouding over with anger. She rolled her eyes and turned away from the brunette. 
  Delta sighed and turned back to the android. Quinton kneeled to the android's level, rubbing a closed fist over his chest in a circle and then hooking his index fingers together. Delta looked at Trixie confused, silently asking for a translation.
  And Trixie obliged. "Sorry, friend." She looks at Delta. "That's what Quinton has said."
  Delta nodded, looking back at the zombie. Quinton started to help the android up. Quinton turned to Delta; hand extended to take the items of clothing. Delta gave them to him. Quinton turned back to the raven-haired boy, placing the jacket and beanie in his arms. "Put on." He spoke quietly and if it weren't for the lack of noise in the room, the three upperclassmen behind him wouldn't have heard him.
  Cherry chuckled. "I guess it does talk."
  Delta glared at Cherry. Cherry raised her hands in surrender, a smug smirk still tugging at her lips.
  The android put on the jacket and beanie, adjusting his shaggy hair. He looked like a mess. Delta sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose above the hem of his green and black gas mask. "Come here." He waved the android over, a hand on his hip. The android was hesitant, looking uncertain and distrusting t Delta. But despite how scary and odd Delta assumed this must be for the android, he walked over to Delta, stopping in front of him. 
  Delta took the beanie off his head and started to fix his hair in a way that made it all lay better and look fluffier. He then carefully slipped the red beanie onto the back of his head instead of on the top. It wasn't for function today, but for style. "You got a name kid?" Delta asked as he started to fix the collar of the jacket.
  "Seventeen. They call me Seventeen." Seventeen answered blankly.
  Trixie shrugs. "Suppose it works." 
  Delta pats Seventeen on the shoulder. "It's good enough. My name is Delta." He points to Quinton. "The zombies Quinton, and his little bunny friend is Trixie."
  Seventeen looks at Trixie and raises an eyebrow. He did a quick search of the name and turned back to Delta with confused and calculating eyes. "That's a hooker's name."
  Cherry snorted before erupting in a fit of laughter. Trixie's jaw dropped. Quinton laughed lightly. Delta smiled. "The girl laughing her ass off is named Cherry."
  "That's also a hooker's name." Seventeen crossed his arms.
  "Hey! It is not!" Cherry glared at the android.
  Delta nodded in approval. "You'll fit right in." Delta stepped away from him, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Now c'mon. We need to leave before we're caught."
  At the mere mention of being caught by people Seventeen nodded, ready to leave. Quinton picked up his bag from a desk and opened the door. He looked outside and then dashed to the corner of the hall they were in. Quinton looked up and down the halls before motioning for everyone else to follow.
  Like a chain or a slinky, Cherry, Trixie, Delta and Seventeen all quietly rushed to Quinton's side. Delta made sure to close the door quietly behind Seventeen. Delta stood behind Seventeen. Seventeen kept mostly pressed against the wall when he could. When they decided the coast was clear they all walked out into the hall and started looking for the class. Delta grabbed Seventeen by the arm and moved him into the middle of the group.
  "If anyone asks, we all went to the bathroom." Delta whispered quietly. "Say Quinton and Trix were too nervous or something."
  They all nodded in understanding. Seventeen let out a nervous breath, his head hung low. Delta looked at him. Seventeen fiddled with the hem of Delta's jacket that he now wore. Delta held Seventeen's hand gently, rubbing his thumb over Seventeen's knuckles to help calm his nerves. Leaning down to Seventeen's ear Delta whisper a quiet, "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
  Seventeen looked up at Delta and smiled softly. He was careful to not squeeze Delta's hand too hard, knowing he could accidentally snap it if he did that.
  Quinton tapped Delta on the shoulder, catching the brunette's attention. Quinton pointed down the halls, a large group of odd children and two panicked teachers at the end of the hallway. Delta nodded. "I see them, Quin. Think you can go to Grim and Lowell for us?"
  Quinton nods and runs up to the class. Professor Grim lets out a sigh of relief at the mere sight of him. He looked past Quinton and to the other four. He tilts his head confused at the sight, or sense, as his eyes are covered by a charcoal bandage, of Seventeen. "Thanatos, who is the boy?"
  Quinton turned back to the four of them. He waves his hand to urge them closer. Delta let go of Seventeen's hand, instead wrapping his arm around Seventeen's shoulders. Trixie rushed up to the teachers like Quinton did. "Don't worry, they'll help get you out safely, I promise," Delta whispered into Seventeen's ear again. 
  The android took in a deep breath, trusting Delta's word. Delta lowered his hand from Seventeen's shoulders, his palm skimming over Seventeen's back before falling limp to Delta's side.
  As the three of them approached, Cherry in front of Delta and Seventeen, they could hear Trixie explaining everything to the two teachers quietly. Professor Lowell Nyx looked at the android, Grim's head turned in their direction, but as always, impossible to know if he was actually looking at them. Nyx looked back at Trixie and nodded.
  Lowell and Grim stepped towards Delta and Seventeen. Grim extended his hand first. "I'm Professor Grim. I assume you're one of the extras that volunteered for the trip?"
  Seventeen looked at Lowell confused. Lowell motioned toward the scientists around them. Immediately Seventeen understood. Seventeen shook Grim's hand. "Yes, I am. My name is Seventeen."
  "It's nice to meet you Seventeen." Seventeen shook Lowell's hand. "Now stay close with the class this time. We don't want to lose you all again."
  The four nodded. Grim and Lowell went to the front of the class. Seventeen let out a relieved sigh. Delta pats him on the shoulder. "Just stick close, the tour should be over soon. Then we'll be heading back to the motel. Tomorrow you'll join our school."
  Seventeen nodded. "Okay."