Not for the first time, Danny was regretting the day he ever met Vlad.
Everything the man did was to spite him. Everything the man stood for was about stepping on him and crushing him into the dirt. The day Danny walked into his house and spotted the man sitting on their couch, he knew he was in for punishment.
And boy, was he ever.
The curt, crisp ring of the morning bell interrupted his thoughts. Even that felt different from what he was familiar with. Danny sighed heavily as he broke his gaze from the building in front of him to stare at the starched and stiff pants of his new school uniform.
At first blush, at second blush, at third blush Murakami High School was prim and proper and oh-so very polished. And the faculty demanded the same from the students. It was the kind of school that would’ve welcomed Jazz with open arms if she’d applied for a scholarship. And as for him?
Honestly, he was surprised they let him in at all. Even with Vlad’s money lining their pockets.
His parents were thrilled about him coming here. They thought it was a great opportunity. Vlad was thrilled too, for some reason Danny had yet to figure out. It unnerved him.
The only thing he could appreciate about a boarding school like this was that it was in Jump City, Danny thought as he threw one last curious look over the tall, wrought iron fence to the distant tower he could vaguely make out through the high-rise buildings.
Danny went to push through the front door, but just as he did, a shiver crept up his spine.
——-
That’s Terra in the background. I didn’t kill her I swear. Danny’s ghost sense is just going off for other reasons.
So, this au branches off from the Things Change episode of Teen Titans. Or actually: set before it. Danny meets Terra. Maybe she remembers, or maybe her memory comes back later. But either way eventually she and Danny end up bonding over hiding their powers and attending school right under the Titans’ nose.