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i'll always come back to these ;)
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Published:
2022-09-27
Completed:
2025-08-17
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87,520
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93/93
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Strawberry Fields Are Not Forever

Chapter 32: Sadie: Hedging My Bets

Summary:

Previously:

A change takes over her body, she stands more confidently, and a dark smile full of schadenfreude curls her lips. My hand relaxes on her skin. “Those who are selfish remain, and those who are weak are culled. I smell it on the winds, Half-Blood, and I smell it in you. The universe requires balance and when it is not given, it takes it. So be wary, little demigod, and trust in the monstrosity of all; you have a choice to make.”

With that parting message, she rips herself off of my blade and flies away, listing a little from all the missing feathers and occasionally dripping blood.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

After health, we had Maths. A class in which both Superboy -sorry, Conner, and Megan managed to earn themselves detention. I’m not entirely sure how, I think it was something to do with Conner’s temper and Megan backing him up. Megan got out of it with cheerleading, though, so… Yippie for favoritism and sports?

Look, I get that we’re teammates, and I should care about them; but after being blackmailed to join the team… Ok, maybe I’m still feeling a little jibbed.

Other than the detentions, the school day was a cliche out of the most basic Disney movie. Though, now that I think about it, isn’t getting detention on the first day a cliche too? Man, talk about bad role models.

Reaching the room my detention slip indicated I would be spending the next hour in, I slipped inside, followed by Conner. The teacher assigned to watch us is already at the front of the room. He’s kind of short and his legs look bent a little funny, and he’s wearing a baseball cap on his head. When he turns to face me, I see a whistle hanging from his neck. Great, Coach.

The coach looks around quickly, before locking the door. I tense, stepping in front of Superboy and preparing for a fight. What monster wants to rumble now?

Coach clears his throat. “Sit down, Cupcakes.” He booms.

I push Conner into a chair. Better to play along until I can get a better read on what kind of monster he is. Could he be Greek? Has Percy’s smelliness rubbed off on me? I start trying to access the duat for my gear.

The Coach starts pacing at the front of the room. “Now, you all know me as Coach Finstock. That is an assumed name. I am here as a personal favor to Diana, on behalf of the League. End of story. I will be incharge of getting you out of school on the occasion a mission occurs during the hours you are mandated to attend here. Any questions?”

His asking for questions sounded largely rhetorical, so I deemed it necessary to ask some. I cleared my throat and Coach swiveled to me. “Alright, if you are here as a favor to Diana, Why are you telling us now? And who’s Greenberg?”

“I have chosen to inform you now, because you have a mission. It was supposed to be the three of you and Kid Flash, but apparently Miss Preppy has better things to do than save lives. As for Greenberg…” His cheeks darken slightly. “She’s my niece. By marriage.”

“Who are you?” Conner speaks up, his brain finally seeming to have caught up to the conversation.

Coach grins savagely. “Didn’t I mention, kid? Name’s Hedge. You can call me Coach Hedge.”

Notes:

Anyone see that coming?

So, Coach Hedge is married to Mellie the cloud nymph and I figure cloud nymphs are invisible to most. So, Greenberg is invisible! Plus, I figure Coach Hedge would love Coach Finstock.

Any predictions for the quest?