Sweeney Todd's Story

The morning hit the grand windows of the School of Saint Kleios’ academy. Students roll out of their bedrooms in their dorms some more reluctantly than others. To regular outsiders they look like regular high schoolers, to the well informed they know the truth.

They are clones.

Every student roaming these halls are clones of some historical figure, infamous and famous alike, the good and the bad and the in between.

The music halls are filled with songs their originals wrote. Books are being written that people once thought the authors wouldn’t be able to write again. New theories are coming out by scientists. Some clones do not yet know their place. Others know it to well.
The clones are well provided for with exquisite food to suit their taste from vegan, to vegetarian, and everything else. There is even a small salon where they can go to get a shave and a haircut or new hair style.
But there rumors going around about a few non clones, that for the first time since the academy were created, would be allowed in. Fear and excitement mix with the ramble, some happy, some mad, and others unsure.

Though all know one thing.

This year will most certainly be different than the others.

Frédéric François Chopin woke up to the birds chirping out his window. He let out a soft yawn as he pushed himself out of bed and checked the schedule for today. He sighed as he looked at his first thing to do, his black wavy hair covering his eyes briefly. “…So today is the check up for me? I thought it was tomorrow…” he muttered his voice soft and light. He quickly took a shower and got dressed drying his hair with a towel before combing it and looking on his desk, mainly at the black sheet music there and seemed almost to have a scornful look on his face. “How can they ask me to write a new song on such short notice? There is no inspiration here… I am not even allowed to go into the park in the city… and the courtyard is closed off for renovations for another two days… which by then it will be to late…” he thought to himself.

He quickly hung the towel to dry out and exited his room where he headed straight for the doctor’s office. He hated going there, always afraid they’d tell him his pulmonary tuberculosis has become active and there was nothing they could do. He still didn’t understand why they couldn’t just take the disease out of his DNA when he was cloned, but then again he was no scientist. He got outside the school gates and made his way to the Doctors’ building, separated from the rest of the school notes of music flooding his head as he did so, though he’d yet found the right places for them.

Frédéric saw in the distance the small salon run by one of the students, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber himself and wondered what he was doing at the moment. “probably waking up like me, he is the early riser.” he thought to himself. He didn’t mind Sweeneys’ company in fact he enjoyed it, Sweeney was actually a very nice young man, though he sometimes did have an episode of anger. Then again who didn’t here? “After all we have been stuck in this school system for most of our lives…” he thought to himself as his minds then turned towards the rumors of non-clone students that may start to come here. “I wonder if that is true…” he wondered as he slowed his steps and rubbed his hands against a brick wall as he neared the doctors building, he knew he was just stalling for time, but he couldn’t help it. He always got a little afraid here. A slight shiver runs up his spine.

Sweeney Todd, The demon Barber of Fleet Street opens his eyes and groans as his headache kicks in. “Bloody Hell…” he muttered to himself as he rubbed his head. This is not the fearsome Demon Barber himself of course, but his clone. “Ugh I stayed up too much last night reading that Penny Dreadful again…” he muttered as he let out a huge yawn and looked around his yellow eyes blurry, he was confused at his surroundings before he realized where he was, the penny dreadful in question was on his chest and in front of him was a meat pie from last night.

“The salon of course… I somehow always wind up sleeping in one of the barber chairs when I stay here too late.” He muttered as he stretched his arms over his head and look in the mirror. “…I look like hell…” he muttered as he say his wiry black hair sticking out of the place, the one white streak was of course messed up. He looked at his pale skin and the black rings under his eyes before he shook his head and took out his personal comb and sorted it out quickly as he went to his office in the salon and quickly put on an apron over his usual clothes and played the CD Player he kept on him to pass the time as he cleaned up for the next day.

He frowned as the song started to play; it seemed someone had switched his CD with the sound track to Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The song was on Epiphany, from the voices he gathered it was the Johnny Depp Version. He had seen the movie, though the teachers hadn’t want him to do so, thinking it might influence him in some way. He only sighed and let the music play, he liked the beat of the song. In fact he found himself humming it as he swept the floor clean and polished the mirror. He was cleaning when he bumped into a desk and knocked over a box. He immediately picked it up and checked if they were damaged, he flipped open the top and sighed in relief, the items of course were silver late seventeenth century razors, the murder weapon of the real Demon Barber.

For a second a crooked grin crossed his face before he shook his head and took out two placing them in their holster on his belt. The song changed to ‘my friends.’ As he listened to it he heard the Actress playing Margery Lovett and tilted his head, “I wonder how she is doing…” he pondered to himself before shaking his head. “her original poisoned herself and because of that my original was hanged…though he did deserve it…will I end up like him? Will I be hanged? Did the original Lovett do it to incriminate my original or to protect him? Or did she do it for another reason? …there is no way to know the answers… we are not the same people after all…” he brooded to himself as he ran a hand through his hair and went back to his office and placed his school uniform on the desk of his salon to change into after he had cleaned up the salon, just because he ran the salon doesn’t mean he was free from classes. “Oh yeah the rumors say non-clones will be coming here… they will probably think I am a monster… ah well.” He muttered as he headed to the door of his salon.

Gaius woke up. This was a good sign, and he tried to remain optimistic. It meant he was alive, and it meant he had gotten some sleep. How much, he did not know. He slowly opened his eyes and became aware of his surroundings. He was sitting in a chair in the library in front of the statuette of two horses. He... couldn't exactly remember how he had gotten here. His head was resting on a book and his arms were sprawled out on the table. He slowly sat up, sore from sleeping in such an odd position. The book flapped closed and Gaius stretched, looking at it. Suetonius: The Twelve Caesars, the cover said. Oh. He had probably been researching his original to see if there was any hope for himself. He slouched back in the chair and picked up the book, flipping to the part where he had left off: the middle of Volume 4: Caligula. Five lines in particular caught his eye:

"Summoning once to the Palatium, in the second watch of the night, three men of consular rank, who feared the words from the message, he placed them on the proscenium of the stage, and then suddenly came bursting out, with a loud noise of flutes and castanets, dressed in a mantle and tunic down to his heels. Having danced out a song, he retired."

Nope. There was no hope for him. He would just go crazy. There was nothing for it. With a sigh, he looked around the library. There was nobody else in there except for the librarian, who was typing furiously. She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. Gaius thought that was weird. He didn't even know her that well. 'Finally awake?' she asked in a voice that could only be described as syrupy. Gaius narrowed his eyes. He hated it when the adults talked down to him.
A terse "Yes." was all she got from him.
'You were acting a little strangely last night.' she continued. Gaius froze. Oh, no... he thought. What could have happened that I don't remember? And why the hell don't I remember it?? 'Going on and on about your original and how...'
Gaius swallowed. "How what?" he urged her on weakly.
'Well, how... different he was...' she finished lamely.
He stared at her for a moment, trying desperately to remember last night. Wait... He raised a finger. "Um, did I happen to be mumbling?"
The librarian blinked. 'Yes, but... I thought you were just tired...' she furrowed her brows. 'Are you okay, Gaius?'
No. No, he was not okay. He was slowly putting the pieces together. The sleep-walking must have started. That was really bad. He must have walked down here in a semi-somnambulant state. He recovered himself, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine." He wouldn't tell the school psychiatrist. They would just call him crazy and diagnose him with yet another mental problem. He would keep it a secret. "What time is it?" he asked.
The librarian looked at her computer and told him the time. He jumped. He would be late if he didn't hurry. "Uh... thanks, bye!" he gathered up his bags and rushed out of the library.
As he came to Sweeney's shop, he saw Ami peeking in and Sweeney humming to himself. There was a new girl he had never seen before trying to get Sweeney's attention. Gaius walked up right behind her. "Hello." he said, trying to sound amiable but ending up sounding creepy. "Who are you?"

Samuel surveyed the school with a critical eye. Not bad. Not bad at all. It suited him. He had arrived early for the express purpose of wandering around the campus. And that he did. He soon came to what appeared to be a barber shop. Odd. he thought. Why would they have a barber shop? Is this more than a school? He saw some sort of scene happening in front of the shop. There was a weird looking kid inside of it, a spunky looking kid peeking in, and a lost looking kid trying to get the weird looking kid's attention. As Sam watched, a lanky looking kid stepped up behind the lost one and said something to her. He was totally invading her personal space. Great. So the socially handicapped come here, too. He rolled his eyes. This was supposed to be one of the most prestigious schools in the nation. His father had told him so. So why was this ridiculous scene occurring? He pushed his thin, black glasses further up the bridge of his nose and started forward to see who these weird people were, but something held him back. What if they didn't like him? Did he need their approval? Would they see right through him, into the freak he really was? His foot fell back next to the other one after a moment's hesitation.
"What are you doing?" That old familiar voice that no one else could hear drifted across his psyche. "They won't like you."
Sam weakly resisted. "But what if they do? What if I can fit in here?"
"You can't fit anywhere, you pathetic bastard." It shot back, "That's why you were enrolled here in the first place."
Sam closed his eyes and drooped his head, sighing. He knew it wasn't true, what the voice said. But it was enough to hold him back for the moment. He decided to watch and wait, coming in at the most opportune time.

Sweeney blushed as he turned around to spy Ami looking at him…catching him sing to his own song. Well now…that was highly embarrassing, he rubbed the back of his head causing his wirey hair to stick up even more so.

“Good Morning Amelia. Do you need a trim?” he asked with a soft smile as he brushed his hands on his apron. “Or am I running late…again?” the boy inquired jokingly it was known that Sweeney was an early bird. Though it appeared he had not even changed into his school uniform. “Also have you seen Marge?”

Sweeney tilted his head as he heard the voice of…no one he recognized, why that was odd! He blinked as he saw the girl. “Ummm I do believe I can help you? Miss….?” He glanced at Ami, perhaps she would know, after all Sweeney did not have many friends that were girls…besides his very dear friend Margery Lovett, but that was to be expected after all their originals were very close.

He turned as he heard Gaius, “Ah Gaius! There you are…” he remarked with a smile. “Stay up again?” he inquired as he saw another figure, a male this time, my his shop was crowded! And so early in the morning too…he wasn’t even ready to open it yet…and that would have to wait until after his classes…

He knelt down as he turned off his CD player, cutting it off on the song ‘Have a little Priest.’ “Now then how may I help everyone? Gaius you need a trim soon, Ami, your hair seem fine love the short hair on you…Miss that came for me to help, I will be more than willing to do so…and you as well sir, you both seem a bit lost…tell me…are…” he drifted off. “Are you two…new here? Apologies if that is a rude question, but well… Saint Kleio has not accepted anyone new in…well I haven’t heard of our school accepting anyone new actually!” he proclaimed, were the rumors correct? Were non clones coming here?! He just hoped they were…more open minded than some of the clones here. He cleared his throat, “If it is help finding some place than please allow me to change into my uniform…I would not want to get in trouble with the Headmaster after all.” He explained, “Ah yes I am called Todd by some.” He explained with a smile. Deciding not to take the route where he said his name was Sweeney Todd.

Gaius watched the girl spin around and look at him. He analysed her every move. She was a new person, and that meant new competition. She was also a girl, and that set him on edge. He made a new folder in his brain called 'Darcy Hollis' and logged everything she did or said in it, making a mental note that anything she said could and would be used against her. But then he thought for a moment. He had never heard of anyone named Darcy Hollis in history. This must be a non-clone! he thought. He stared at her. He listened as Sweeney simply introduced himself as 'Todd.' He must have caught on, too. Gaius noted her playful smiles. This new girl was just a bundle of sunshine, wasn't she? Gaius smiled an exaggerated mockery of her smile and kept talking, even though she wasn't paying any attention to him. He started out in a chipper tone. It was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. He wasn't even sure he knew. "Well, you can call me Gaius, Hollis Darcy Hollis. Or, you can call me Julius... or Gus... or Cal... or..." his voice trailed off as he noticed the other kid lurking on the edge of the conversation. He was tall and wore glasses. Interesting... I don't recognize him, either. Maybe we have two non-clones. This would be fun.

He heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Jack and Anne about to collide on the sidewalk. Gaius smiled. He hated both of them, since Anne made a point of making him uncomfortable all the time and Jack made a point of knowing everything there was to know about Caligula to torment him with. He let them crash and fall. They had it coming.

Wow. This must be a really amazing school, if it has its own barber shop. Sam thought. He watched as the kids interacted and then one called another one Gaius. What kind of name is that? Sam narrowed his eyes. A really snobby one, probably. The first kid was going on about everyone's hair, and then he turned to the girl whose space was being invaded and himself. Sam jumped. They're talking to me... He thought to the voice. What do I do? No answer.

He watched as the girl finally noticed Gaius the Creeper Toothpick, and then responded to the barber kid. Sam listened to Gaius as he went on and on about what they could call him. But no one was really paying attention to him. They were all looking at Sam. "Oh, it's nice to meet you, Todd, Darcy." He said as jovially as he could. It was then that Sam realized that Todd had been playing some music from Sweeney Todd. Oh, that's funny. Sam joked to himself. Todd must be a nickname 'cause he's the barber. How cute. I wonder if he has anger management issues... He chuckled slightly. "I just got it. Nice." he laughed a little more, mostly from nervousness. He noticed that the kid named Gaius was staring at him strangely, as if he could see right through him. That might have had something to do with his weird bulging eyes, though. It set Sam on edge. He looked back to the new girl and Sweeney. "I'm Samuel, but some people just call me Sam." he swallowed. He heard footsteps behind him. Grateful for the distraction, he turned around. An average looking kid with long brown hair was walking down the sidewalk, obviously in some sort of intellectual reverie. A girl with flaming red hair - also deep in thought - was about to collide with him. "Um, hey!" he shouted, "Watch out -" but it was too late. They crashed. Sam winced. That looked like it hurt. Golly, was everyone incompetent around here?

Sweeney smiled at the new girl as he heard Ami introduce herself to her, well then it was a new student! A non-clone by the name, so…the rumors were true. “Pleasure to meet you Darcy…or do you prefer to be called Hollis?” he asked as he leaned on his broom a bit. “A map or a guide? Well I can provide the guide, I am afraid I do not have a map on me…Amelia do you?” he asked. He blinked as he heard the other male say he ‘got it’ he tilted his head to the right a look of confusion…and worry was on his pale face, “G-got it?” he whispered di he guess he was a clone of Sweeney?! Is that what he got.

He was distracted soon as he heard a ruckus.

He turned around to see Anne Bonny collide into Lewis causing him to wince. “Ah…Anne…” he whispered with a shake of his head, “That girl really needs to not run in the halls so…” he whispered as he looked at Gaius, “Gaius are you all right? You seem a bit pale…then again that could just be my old eyes playing tricks on me.” He asked as he heard the other male introduce himself “It is a pleasure to meet you Samuel, I will help you find where you need to go as well as Miss Darcy,” he said with what he assumed was a kind smile…but it could come off as a bit…creepy or malicious. “I think I will be forgiven for helping out new students if I am a tad late.” He explained as he gave them a smile, “But again please let me change first.” He said as he headed back into his salon, going to the back as he changed into his uniform. Leaving two off his razors behind, the other in his school bag…he just didn’t want it to be stolen…and it gave him an odd comfort, not that he would ever dream of using it of course!

He soon came out all ready to go as he looked at the people, “Well than shall we? And as Amelia said, keep your guard up and you shall do fine you two.” he commented to them with a light chuckle. “hopefully I will bump into Marge on the way…” he thought to himself.

Gaius smirked as he watched everyone bustle about Anne and Jack. They deserved it. "Smooth moves!" He piped up. "Oh, and by the way, Jack, hatred's not destructive. It builds progress!" He said, calling the boy by his nickname just to irritate him. He knew he didn't like it, and he took every opportunity to use it. Gaius frowned when Sweeney asked him if he was okay. He hated when his friend did that. It made him look weak. "I'm fine." he snapped. But then his voice softened. "Thanks."

Samuel answered Todd. "I'm just off to Latin. I... don't suppose you could help me find it? I know you're busy..."

Gaius perked up. "Hey, I have Latin first, too! That means we'll be in the same class..." He thought about what this could mean. Well, it certainly meant that he could have more time to observe this weird kid, this kid who seemed hesitant to even speak. "And yes, my parents loved ancient Rome!" he said, turning to Hollis. "They loved it so much that they named me all those names. Every single one."

Samuel made a face at Gaius's sarcastic remarks. There was no need to be rude. Hollis had just asked a question. He wasn't sure he wanted to be in the same class as this kid.

Gaius shrugged. "Either that, or I'm Emperor Caligula come back from the dead. Or maybe I tiiiime-traveled." Gaius wiggled his fingers in front of the girl's face mock-mysteriously. He loved messing with people. Yeah, it made him look like a jerk, but he didn't care. At least, he pretended not to...

'Oh? You're up, Caligula? I thought you'd be in bed, or better yet, visiting the school doctor, you know, especially after last night's escapades in the library. I'm sure there's some medication he can give you that can stall insanity.

Gaius paled, brought up short by the quick response. I should have known not to engage C.S. Lewis in a battle of insults, he berated himself. He opened his mouth to respond, but found that no words came out. He looked nervously back at Hollis and Sam, praying that they hadn't figured it out already. "Um..." was all he got out at that moment. His face turned an angry shade of red. "I..." He swallowed. Why did this always happen to him? "How did you know about the library?" he squeaked.

He couldn't think of anything but that this was unfair. It wasn't fair that Jack had such an amazing original, known throughout time for being a sane, witty genius. And Gaius had Caligula. The wacko, horse-loving, sexually crazed, seashell-loving emperor of Rome. And now he was paying for it. He was also paying for his own idiocy, but he would never acknowledge that. He just thought the whole situation was unfair, not his fault, no question. He glanced again at Hollis and Sam. Oh, God, please don't let them figure it out. Why does this always happen?

Sweeney Todd heard and Lewis bickering, soon joined by Gaius as he sighed, “Would…everyone please not bicker in front of my shop? It makes me…anxious.” He muttered as he sighed, “And for those of you who are not bickering I thank you kindly.” He commented as he took a small breath. “Now then I believe I was asked some question of why I am called Todd yes? Well the Sweeney Todd comment is clever and I do love the music as you can see…er hear…” he muttered, “My last name is actually Todd…so it is a coincidence my first name is….”

“Oh bloody hell should have thought of a fake first name….Wait maybe….” he quickly thought of one. “Benjamin…Benjamin Todd.” He said with a smile. Now then Samuel and Hollis we should go on to the office to get you set up…and calculus is with Einstien I think. No relation to the real Einstien.” He explained quickly as he started to move to lead them when he saw a welcomed face. A smile touched his lips as he walked on over to Margery.

“Marge! There you are, I was going to head on to find you but…” he glanced at the group. “…well they stopped me.” He muttered, “Not that I do not mind the people…but…um I am not used to this many at once…” he explained as he rubbed the back of his head. “How have you been? Cooked up anything new?” he asked with a tilt of his head. He had a surprise for her…but that could wait. “Ah…um do you want to accompany me on…taking the two new people to the Headmaster? And hope we don’t run into Richard?” he asked her nodding at the non-clones.

Ah yes Richard…Richard Blunt to be exact, the clone of one of the men that helped capture his and Marges’ Orginal, it was a well-known fact that Blunt did not like the two…or Anne for that matter, he was all about upholding school rules, and he thought the more… ‘infamous’ clones were always up to no good, in fact he made it a point to try to catch them doing something wrong or provoking them.

Sam watched what followed with wonder. These people were so weird. He cocked his head to the side when Jack called Gaius "Caligula." That was weird. Sam knew all about Caligula, because he loved history. And the name seemed to fit. I mean, he had the brown hair, brown bulging eyes, lanky arms and legs, creepy personality, and... weird Roman names. In fact, he had said that Hollis could call him Julius or Gus or Cal. Gaius Julius Augustus Caligula. The only names that were missing were Caesar and Germanicus. Sam started to get a little freaked out by the resemblance. But what was even stranger was the kid's response to Jack. He didn't laugh, as one might at a fun nick-name, but he paled. He stammered, and then asked Jack a question. He kept on looking back at Sam and Hollis. What was going on? Then Sam looked back at Todd. That was weird, too. Who were these people, history nuts? Then Todd seemed to blank on what his first name was. He quickly recovered though and called himself Benjamin. Then he greeted a messy looking girl who had walked up behind them. And her name was... Marge, apparently. Marge? Like Margery? This was getting a little too weird.

He was distracted out of his thoughts by Hollis, who said that she also had Latin. But apparently they weren't in the same class. "Yes." Samuel said. "I suspect that would be because I am in a higher level of Latin than you." Then it occurred to him that Gaius, who's nickname was apparently "Caligula," took that same level of Latin. This is too creepy. Something was telling him that something was very wrong here. Then Benjamin mentioned that the math teacher's name was "Einstein." Samuel blinked. That was the last straw. His breath seemed to run short as he looked at all the faces. Amelia, Caligula, Todd, Margery, Jack, Einstein. And Todd was a barber, no less. And "Jack" was writing books and theses about souls. And "Caligula" was acting like some weirdo. And Margery seemed to have some sort of connection with Todd. And Einstein was the math teacher. Amelia wasn't really creeping him out, but her name was. He took a step back, grabbing Hollis's arm. "Hollis..." said, his voice shaky. "I think your comment about the TARDIS was not misplaced." He swallowed. "Now, I am a little bit crazy, I'll grant you that, but I think this school has... time-travel."

Gaius watched as Sam began to look horrified by something. Oh, God, no...

'Hollis...' Sam said, his voice shaky. 'I think your comment about the TARDIS was not misplaced." He swallowed. "Now, I am a little bit crazy, I'll grant you that, but I think this school has... time-travel.'

Gaius burst out laughing, his high-pitched, strident laugh getting on his own nerves. This caused a chill to run down Sam's spine. "Time-travel??" He laughed again, getting more and more nervous. This couldn't be happening. Whose idea was it to bring non-clones to this school?? Whoever it was, Gaius wanted to murder him slowly. "That is so ridiculous!" Gaius tried to calm down, but found himself becoming hysterical quite quickly. His breathing became accelerated. "I mean, I just can't believe you would think that! Claudius wouldn't even think that, and he's an idiot!" He gasped, choking on his own words. Now you've done it!

Sam looked worried. "Claudius?" he asked, "Is an idiot?"

Gaius's eyes widened. Why did this twerp have to know so much about history??? "Well, that's just what we call him, he's not actually..." He looked at Sweeney, the words 'save me!' written all over his face.