Family Ties

I'd just like to say welcome. That and I hope you enjoy reading these just as much as I have writing them. :D
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ENJOY!

Otto glanced down the shadowed corridor, biting his lower lip. If they were caught here, blood would be spilt despite the fact that Nero was out on business. Beside him, Laura flicked on a torch, shining the light towards the door handle. Wing stood further away listening for the sounds of footsteps.

"Hurry up Shelby." Otto hissed between his teeth. She knelt in front of the door, probing the keyhole with some slender wires, her eyes closed.

"Don't rush her." Laura whispered back at him.

There was an audible click and the door swung open. Shelby looked at Otto and grinned.

"Never doubt the Wraith." She said, before standing up and stepping into the abandoned office. The others followed.

It was dark inside. Wing, the last to enter, flicked the switch by the door. A range of strip lights on the ceiling flickered to life.

Photographs lined the room inside, depicting images of students long since passed. To their left stood a mahogany table, complete with a desktop computer. Behind that sat a steel chair. But directly opposite the group was a line of six metal cabinets. They headed towards them.

"Right. Do your magic again." Otto said to Shelby. She rolled her eyes and neatly unlocked a drawer halfway down the third cabinet.

"Who's first then?" She asked with expectant eyes.

"Laura is. Search under B." Otto replied, leaning against the wall. The girl quickly and efficiently filed through the folders before pulling one out.

"Here we are." Shelby said, flicking it open. Otto snatched it from her hands and began to read. Within a couple of seconds he was done with the whole file.

"Well?" Laura asked anxiously.

"You're fine. It doesn't have a single negative thing to say about you." Otto grinned. The girl visibly relaxed. "Except that your scottish accent tends to get on the nerves of the teachers and that Nero will be hiring a linguist to see if he can't sort that out." He continued, laughing at the look on her face.

"Otto! That aint funny." She said, thumping him on the arm.

"Here's Shelby's." Wing said, surreptitiously pulling out another report.

"Give it here." The girl said, lunging for it. But the boy was just too tall. He held it out of her reach and passed it to his roommate.

"Hmm." Otto said reading it. "Says here that you don't do the stereotype justice."

"And what stereotype is that?" She asked, hotly.

"The one about blondes being dim. Your grades and IQ are very low indeed." He replied, stifling a smile.

"Says you. I've probably exceeded everything you've got." Shelby said, tersely.

"Probably? Don't have much confidence in yourself do you?" The girl glared at him.

"This is my girlfriend you're talking about Otto. Unless you wish to find yourself with a broken arm, I would lay off the teasing. That's my job." Wing said, face completely neutral.

"You know I'm willing to bet that your report consists of the words "needs to consult with a professional comedian". Because that just wasn't funny." Otto replied.

"Guys! Look at this. Nero's parents are dying." Laura said, looking at the computer screen on the desk. Shelby and Wing moved over to see what she was on about.

"Hey don't you want to see what's on my report?" Otto asked, frowning.

"Nah. It'll be empty." Shelby said, reading over Laura's shoulder. The boy rolled his eyes and pushed the drawer shut before making his way over to them.

"What's this then?" He asked, peering at the screen.

"It's an email from Nero's mother. His dad has just died. That's probably where he's gone. To the funeral." Laura explained.

"We should go." Otto said, suddenly serious. "It's not right to read this." He began to turn towards the door.

"Hey. Look at this. 'I should have told you sooner but I didn't want you to be angry with me. You have an older brother Max. It was painful for me but I had to give him up. Do not hate him. I've enclosed an image and I hope that one day you'll meet and learn to love each other. His name is Theodore Silverman." Shelby read.

"What?" Otto asked, interest piqued. "So he has an illegitimate brother. Let's see this picture."

"But you just said that we shouldn't be looking at this." Laura said with a smile.

"So? We've come too far now. Might as well go all the way." He replied with a grin. The girl shook her head, but clicked on the attachment anyway. As the image loaded up, they all gasped eyes wide.

"Otto. Why did Nero's mum send him a picture of you?"