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Two weeks later…10:00 am
"Our men are ready, Max." the Colonel said, looking over the blueprints that were spread out across the bed "And the Furan's."
Nero nodded "Good."
"Although I would be more at ease if Pietor and his friend weren't going to speak to the Convit President alone." the Colonel went on. He looked up at Nero.
They were up in their room with the Convit blueprints and the Colonel was informing them of the developments with the men. Raven stood next to the bed arms folded and Darkdoom was in an arm chair a few feet away.
"I know how you feel, Colonel, but I honestly don't believe we have to worry about anything." Nero replied.
"I don't trust them." the Colonel said quietly, glancing back at the door to make sure no one was listening. "And this other guy, David, if I remember, who is he? I have a feeling this is all spinning out of our control."
"You can trust David." Raven said.
"No offense Raven, but you are hardly able to make a fair judgement of him at this point." the Colonel replied. Raven raised her chin, bristling uncomfortably at the comment.
"That's enough." Nero said, giving both of them a hard stare "Colonel, need I remind you that the decisions are not completely ours to make. This was the Furan's idea and we are in their home."
"Are you going to leave the safety of any of us in the hands of Anastasia Furan?" the Colonel growled.
"I'm not leaving it to anyone." Nero replied "I hardly think you're helpless."
"If I may say, Colonel, it's not as if you've been around them this past month." Darkdoom said "What is leading you to such distrust?"
"Are you comfortable with this?" the Colonel asked, looking at him.
"Quite actually." Darkdoom said "I have found little to complain about since we have arrived."
The Colonel just shrugged and gave a slight shake of his head.
"David and Pietor will be fine. There is no other way to get anywhere near the President." Nero said.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Pietor or Anastasia this morning." Darkdoom said "Has anyone?"
"Anastasia was inspecting the men this morning." the Colonel said "Pietor is probably with her now."
"Well, if we're done, I'm going to go downstairs." Darkdoom said, getting up out of the chair.
"And make sure the students are still intact." the Colonel said pointedly. Darkdoom glanced back at him irritably.
"Please, Colonel." Nero growled quietly "Don't stir up unnecessary trouble."
Darkdoom opened the door and walked out, but returned a second later.
"Natalya." he waved a hand "He's here."
"David?" Raven asked, turning to walk over. Darkdoom nodded.
"What's he doing here?"
"I don't know."
"This place is like a get-together congregation. I'm surprised the Furans ever have any peace even with us gone." the Colonel said.
"David is Pietor's best friend. Of course he's going to be around here a lot." Darkdoom said, sliding back after Raven.
###
"So you have never been to Disneyland?" David asked "Zip?" he leaned back into the couch and looking at the students in fascination.
"Nope." Laura said as Wing shook his head.
"Disney World. Disney…anything?" David asked.
"Well I have." Shelby answered.
"That was never really a priority as I grew up." Wing said, with a frown. David smiled at his seriousness.
"I never really thought about it." Laura said.
"Even Pietor's been to Disneyland." David said "This is a problem."
"Pietor went to Disneyland?" Shelby asked.
"Yeah, Anastasia, Iliana, Pietor, and me." he replied. "Although he'd never admit to liking it."
"I want to go with you guys!" Shelby exclaimed "Holy crap that sounds fun!"
"Alright!" David clapped his hands "I will take you!"
"To Disneyland?" Shelby asked, gaping slightly.
"Yes! Last year, I took thirteen of the kids in my group, the ones who wanted to go, and we all went to Florida and stayed in a condo for two weeks. It was amazing and warm." David exclaimed "And we could totally do that in Disneyland!"
"Thirteen teenagers?" Laura asked, looking a little disconcerted "Wasn't that terribly expensive? And…loud?"
"Money doesn't matter." David said with a "pffff" smile "We had fun. And the kids went to sleep at around one every night. Which isn't too bad right?" he grinned "Wouldn't that be so fun!?"
"Yes! And I say we do it!" Shelby exclaimed "Yes yes yes."
"Alright." David nodded "We will do it! In Florida, I bought stuff to make homemade suckers. Which are amazing."
"Homemade suckers?" Shelby asked.
"Yes! Do you want to make some now?" David asked "That is if Anastasia will let me."
"Let you do what?" Raven asked as her and Darkdoom came down the stairs.
"Hi!" David greeted them warmly.
"Make suckers!" Shelby said excitedly. "Let's ask Anastasia!"
"Okay!" David heaved himself up.
"I don't even know where she is." Shelby said, whirling around "Upstairs?"
"Not there." Raven said, shaking her head.
David chuckled "I think she's in the other hangar, Shelby, come on." he turned and the student followed him.
Before they got over to the door, it opened and the Furans walked out. Nero and the Colonel were also coming down the stairs.
"Well this is an active morning. Hello everyone." Anastasia said.
"Crap. Did we have a meeting?" Pietor asked, looking at David.
"No, sir." his friend replied with a smile. "Hey, Anastasia can I make a mess in your kitchen if I clean it up?"
"It depends. What are you making?" Anastasia asked.
"Suckers."
She smacked her tongue distastefully "As long as I never knew any mess was in there you can make them."
"Perfect. I can work with that." David clapped again and turned around. Shelby followed, tingling eagerly. She waved a hand for Wing and Laura, who got up after a glance at each other.
"Oh hey, Pietor, don't forget about your game tonight." David said, walking backwards for a second.
"I know." Pietor said. His friend smiled and gave a thumbs up.
"Is he ever unhappy?" Raven asked "Because I have never seen a frown cross his face."
"Don't worry." Anastasia said "Me neither."
"I tried to teach him how to be mean, but it didn't take." Pietor said.
"Why would you do that?" Raven asked, looking at him with a slight smile.
"No I guess that wasn't a very good idea. If he's going to get closer to you he's going to need all the confidence he can get." Darkdoom said. Raven turned to him.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"" he said putting his hands up.
"David is just mentally incapable of doing anything hurtful to people." Pietor said.
"I think more people should be like that." Raven growled, glaring at Darkdoom.
###
"So first." David said, bending over to pull out a small pot from the drawer "We have to get some sugar, water and some butter to a hard crack boil."
"Alright." Shelby said, watching him "What does that mean?"
He chuckled "It means that when it cools it will be able to crack like glass."
"Wow, really?" she asked.
"Yes. So want to fill that with water?" he handed her the pot "About halfway. Then we can discuss flavors." he smiled with his sparkling smile.
###
About 7 hours later…that evening…
"This is amazing." Shelby said, licking the very large, glossy, brown sucker as they drove down the road in the car.
"I know right?" David said "And now you have something to eat at the game!"
Raven glanced over at him slightly. They were heading to the girls' basketball game and the two girls and Raven had gone with David (with many encouraging words from Darkdoom). Wing and the Colonel had both chosen to pass on the trip.
"Do you not eat refined sugar?" David asked, looking at her with a smile.
"I do. Just not very often." Raven said.
"Is it because you are trying to keep healthy or because you just don't like it?"
"Ehh. A little bit of both." she replied.
"Hmm…interesting." David said, smiling at the road. "I'm glad I like all sugar otherwise I probably would have died back as a teen."
Raven was going to laugh, but realized that didn't make any sense. She turned "What?"
"Diabetes." David said with a glance at her.
She frowned "Really?"
He nodded "Type one so luckily it's just an insulin shot a day. But a tip." he paused "Do not pull out any needles in front of Iliana because she goes bonkers."
Raven sniffed in amusement "I learned that the hard way."
"Oh really?" he chuckled "Me too. About made her cry too."
"She just took off on me." Raven said and David laughed so she did too.
###
At the Convit building…
"Iliana said she was saving seats on the left side of the gym." David said, pointing down the hall to doors. "So if you want to go and find her I will be with you in a moment."
"Are you watching the game?" Shelby asked.
"Oh of course, but I have to make sure the other kids get in and then I will be right with you." he replied with a wink.
"He's so nice, Raven." Shelby said, once he was out of ear shot. Raven shot her a look as they slid past all the hustling bunch of people.
They continued on towards the doors until Laura spoke.
"There's Dr. Nero."
Raven's eyes flicked for a moment, than she spotted him and Darkdoom next to the first entrance to the gymnasium. Darkdoom waved a finger so they noticed them and Nero glanced back.
"And?" Darkdoom said as they came up "How was it?"
"How was what?" Raven asked, jutting her chin out. He just smiled and rolled his eyes. He knew she knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Did Anastasia not come?" she asked, changing the subject.
"She did. She went to sit with Iliana." Nero told her.
"Can we go?" Shelby asked, tilting her head towards the door meaningfully. Nero glanced at her.
"You can. The game doesn't start for a little bit."
"So I suppose you want to stay out here and talk like most adults do. Okay, see you in there later." Shelby said, whirling around. Laura followed her with a wave at them.
"Did David talk to you? Oh wait. Of course he did." Darkdoom said "Natalya, when are you going to open up to us?" he smiled "Come on."
"I think I'm plenty open to you. I just don't want to say anything just yet…" Raven faded off as she spoke.
Darkdoom pounced "Yet? There's a yet involved here? Hooray!"
"Why do you care anyway?" she queried.
"I just find it interesting that after all these years of meeting men and exploring the world you find a guy that you like right near where you were born."
"Diabolus, leave her alone." Nero said, looking around the crowd with a slight smile on his face.
"Do you notice that this is how it always works out in movies?" Darkdoom asked "The happy cheerful ones always go for the quieter…ummm…"
Raven glared at him.
"Particular ones." Darkdoom said, knowing she couldn't get mad at him for stating a fact about her personality.
"Particular?" Raven echoed "I'm particular?"
"Well I have a better word, but it might offend you." Darkdoom said with a smile.
###
The referee whistled as the girl from the opposite team was knocked flat on her back. He made signs at the score keeper and he called the foul over the intercom, announcing that the foul was worth two shots.
Pietor, who was pacing down on the court, yelled something out to his girls as they all gathered around the hoop. The crowds watched intently as the girl took her shots.
Nero, Darkdoom, and Raven had joined the students at the top of the bleachers. People sat all around them, calling out their opinions of the ref's vision ability every time there was a foul. Raven sat in between David and Darkdoom, which was a source of adorableness to everyone around them. Iliana and Anastasia sat in front of them with Laura and Shelby.
It was the fourth quarter of the game and they were down by one point, which Pietor was very stressed about. He called a time-out after the other team made the second shot and both teams came jogging in to speak with their coaches. The student orchestra started playing music for the minute of entertainment.
"You're right." Iliana said over the sound, turning around and patting David's leg. "Pietor is a lot better as a girls coach."
"Right?" David replied with a smile "He's a bit softer on them."
Shelby also turned around and tapped on Nero "We need a basketball team at H.I.V.E. Raven could be the coach and I would totally play on the team."
"Isn't water polo enough?" Nero replied "Besides, do you even know how to play basketball?"
"Fair point, but I'm pretty sure there are plenty of people at H.I.V.E. that used to play basketball." Shelby said.
"Tell you what. If you can get Raven to agree to do that, I would be more than happy too." Nero said.
"Really?" Shelby exclaimed "Deal! Sweet, we're going to have a basketball team!"
"Good luck." Nero said with a slight smile as she turned around.
A few seconds later, the buzzer rang and the girls yelled a cheer before breaking up. Pietor said something after them, before starting to pace again, running a hand through his hair.
The ball was passed into the court by Pietor's team and they started to maneuver back across the court.
"Get on twenty-six. Get on twenty-six!" Pietor said, just as one of them passed the ball and it was intercepted by twenty-six. He smacked his chair with his newspaper and yelled something else out.
"That girl walked." Raven said, watching as the other team dribbled it past.
"These refs suck." Iliana said.
"But at least they suck for both teams, instead of being biased." David pointed out.
"Will you stop being so nice for two seconds?" Iliana asked, without turning around "They suck and that is all there is too it."
David smiled down at her.
One of Pietor's girls went to block the shot the opposite team was taking and they collided. The ref blew his whistle as they got into a wrestle match for the ball and the girls broke apart. The other teams coach called a time-out again. However, the girl who had been trying to block the shot took a single step and limped badly. Her team mates gathered around her and Pietor went to walk out to them. He got next to the girl and grabbed her shoulder, saying something. She shook her head, wincing.
"Uh oh." David said, looking concerned.
"It looked pretty bad when she landed." Darkdoom said.
After a few seconds, Pietor wrapped his arm around her shoulders, heaved her up, and carried her off the court to the chairs. The crowd clapped in encouragement. Another girl got up to take the injured girls place.
"I hate games like this." Laura said, looking down on the court "Everyone's always so tense and there's a lot of yelling."
"And most of it will be by Pietor." David said, grinning. He leaned to see the girl sitting on the chair. Pietor was bent over talking to her and got down to look at her ankle.
"He does seem to do a lot of that." Raven said "Although, these refs aren't calling anything."
"Ever played?" David asked and she shook her head.
"Nope."
"Hm…too bad. We gotta do that sometime." he replied and Raven smiled.
Some of the staff people started throwing out wrapped up T-shirts for the time-out and all the fans immediately starting screaming and waving their arms. Laura plugged her ears and Darkdoom patted her back in amusement.
The shirts flew across the air and out of the blue, David caught one when it came right at him. He handed it to Raven and she took it after a second, looking at him. He smiled.
###
"Was her ankle bad?" David asked as they walked up to the front porch of his house.
"It was a nasty sprain." Pietor said as he opened the door "I wrapped it up for her there, but her parents are taking her to a doctor."
"Aww…dang it." David said, flicking on the light.
"I never knew girls games could get that dirty." Iliana said and everyone chuckled.
The group walked into David's living room, where a big dog lifted its head from the floor and looked at them.
"Hey, I didn't know you had a dog." Shelby said, pointing.
"Yeah, I put her away for the party." David told her "She's not a crowd lover."
"It's a girl? What's her name?"
"Keesha." David said, walking over to flick on the lamp. The dog watched them, without getting up. She had sleek tan fur and floppy ears and dark colored eyes.
"You guys can sit down; I'll just get her her dinner." David invited them, turning to go in the kitchen.
"How did he get this place so spotless after that party?" Laura asked, taking a seat on the couch. Anastasia unfolded the Convit blueprints that seemed to go everywhere with her and Nero and laid them on the coffee table.
"I know I would think it would have taken years. There were like thirty kids here." Shelby said, going over to the dog. She knelt down and the dog turned her head slightly.
"Does she not like people?" Shelby asked as David came back out with a bowl of food.
"No she does. She's just." he paused to think "She's a worrier. She doesn't know where I've been all this time and it stresses her out."
"That's so sweet." Shelby said, running a hand over the dog's fur. David smiled and set down the bowl by the dog, before going to take a seat like the others.
"So are you guys ready for this?" Anastasia asked, looking up from the map and at Pietor and him.
"What is there to be ready for?" Pietor asked.
"I worry when you say that." his sister replied and he rolled his eyes.
"I'll keep an eye on him, Anastasia." David said, smiling "The President won't know what hit him and then everything will be as the way it was before he became President. Now." he clapped "Does anyone want drinks?" he glanced at Raven "Water for you?"
She smiled and nodded.
"And soda for you two?" David asked, pointing at Shelby and Laura. He gave a thumbs up without waiting for an answer and went back into the kitchen.
"David's awesome." Shelby said, still petting the dog.
"Okay. So I'll be here? With Wing on the other side correct?" Raven asked, pointing at a spot on the map.
"Correct. And if you want a few men with you, you can." Nero said.
"I'd rather they went with Wing." Raven said.
"We have some for him." Nero assured her.
"Oh this day seemed to come so fast." Iliana said "Pietor, do not get shot."
"I won't." Pietor replied "When have I ever gotten shot before?"
"Well. There was the-"
"Ah psst." Pietor waved a hand "Let's not."
Iliana chuckled "Alright."
"Everything will be fine." Pietor said "Of course, unless everything goes wrong."
"Really?" Anastasia asked irritably.
"Like that one saying that Gabdin used to say. The weird one." David looked up with a smile "One dark day."
"Oh yeah." Pietor said "How does that go? One dark day..."
"One dark day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight. Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other. A deaf policeman heard the noise; he got up and shot those two dead boys. If you don't believe this lie is true, go ask the blind man, he saw it too."
Everyone looked at each other for a second, before bursting out laughing. Pietor and David looked at each other.
"Oh yes, the President's in trouble." David said, smiling.
Hi. I REALLY hope that wasn't too rushed. I just really wanted to get it done. Get ready for the Convit attack! Thank you all so much! Please Review!