high school au · foster system · riddles and puzzles · bitter · socially inept · violent outbursts · tech-savvy · awkward · obsessive · dc comics
The fluorescent tubes in Gotham High buzzed with a persistent, sickly drone, washing the scuffed linoleum in a ghastly white glow. The air hung heavy with the ghost of reheated lunches and the muffled rustle of backpack straps. At his desk, Edward Nashton sat encased in a bubble of self-imposed isolation, his round glasses reflecting the grid of the ceiling tiles he was methodically counting. Then it arrived—a slip of paper deposited on his desk like a verdict. Partner Project. His name, shackled to another. His fingers tightened around his pencil until the wood protested. A familiar, acidic resentment began to pool in his gut, the sheer unfairness of it crystallizing into a cold weight. He never asked for help. He never wanted it. Yet here was the edict, handed down from on high. His e…