"Welcome to the H.I.V.E." The seven cloak men said to Wintergreen and Grant. They all spoke at the same time and all their voices sound the same. The seven men came walking towards Wintergreen and Grant, but the Mistress of the H.I.V.E. is retreating back into the dome.
Wintergreen upset of the examination they put Grant through. Also noticing that the one who planned it does not even wish to speak to them more than a sentence, got under Wintergreen's skin.
"Mistress of the H.I.V.E., where are you planning to go? This is a rude gesture to make a boy kill for you and then treat him as he is nothing more than the person he has murdered." Wintergreen then feels a hand on his shoulder, it is one of the cloak men.
"Do not disturb the Mistress, she is not listening. She is hearing the bees, right now. It was not a simple rumor that our Mistress is insane." The cloak man let go of Wintergreen's shoulder and walks towards Grant.
"Congratulations, Grant. The Mistress did not recognize you as one of her bees, so she sent the driver to kill you. However, with her welcoming you to her H.I.V.E. proves that she now sees you as part of her army. Be joyous she did not see you as an enemy for killing the driver, because then you would be dead." The cloak man explains to Grant. This explanation scares Wintergreen and Wintergreen retorts to the man's explanation.
"You mean that this was not an examination, but an actual attempt to kill the boy! You know he is Deathstroke's son. If this boy died, what would you have done!?" Wintergreen shouting, upset for their actions to take Grant's life.
"We know he is Deathstroke son, we just needed to test it out. It's true, this was not fully an exam, because the mistress did not do it consciously. However the rest of us found it very useful her dilemma, to use it to test the applicants." The cloak man replies to Wintergreen's worry. But these words only shaken Wintergreen more. He excuses himself and takes Grant with him to talk privately.
"Grant, you can't come to this academy. There must be more efficient ways to make you an assassin. The academy's mistress is insane, and her devoted cult followers are letting her disease take a hold of her. She could murder this whole academy, anytime! There must…"
"Enough!" Grant's shouts, stopping Wintergreen's rant.
"Enough." Grant continues. "I want to attend this academy, because they already made me a killer this proves to me they are the best to teach me the skills. I will stay, Wintergreen."
Wintergreen startle by Grant's determination to stay in this academy. Wintergreen is anxious about Grant's decision, however Grant has a point this academy brought out his natural killer.
Wintergreen pulls Grant into a hug and kindly tells Grant "I am worried about you, because I think of you as my own son. But I will support your decisions."
Grant hugs Wintergreen back, and thanks him for all his support. He then releases Wintergreen and approaches the cloak men. "I request a tour of the academy." Grant claims to the cloak men. One of the men, volunteers to show the tour to Grant and invites Wintergreen to come along. The other men go on behind them.
Grant and Wintergreen enter the beehive dome and came to the entrance of the castle. It was a moderate castle, nothing grand. The doors open, after one of the cloak men enter a code. Then, they have to pass other secure doors.
Their security is good, but nothing compare to my father's. Grant thought.
Inside the castle is very dark, it was only lit with very few candles. They pass through a corridor, where the training rooms reside. There where training rooms which consist computers to break codes, other's where simple fighting rings, and other's where complex obstacle courses. In the rooms there were students looking at Grant, whispering, some seeing him as new meat.
"The various training rooms are constructed for the five paths the students can choose; assassin, thief, hacker, terrorist, or espionage. Obliviously, Grant will be taking the assassin path." The cloak man states, and continue to explain things in the tour. Wintergreen looks behind him and notices that all the other men have already, left to their own separate ways. The tour continues.
They continue to show him around the castle, the lunch room, the lobby, the classrooms, the teacher's corridors, and the main room where the mistress resides. Grant could hear some buzzing that was coming from the room, she seem to be buzzing to herself. They end the tour in the dorms of the students. The dorms where simple, one bed, one bath, a desk, and the room is shaped as a hexagon. This would be Grant's room and this is where he will say goodbye to Wintergreen.
Wintergreen a little sad, asked "Will there be allowed visits?"
"Of course. We need a notice before the visit, but you could visit any time. Also, the student will be able to use the computers and phones to contact you, any available time." The cloak man replies.
"I see there is many appliances the students have disposal to. There is also food, furniture, and classes. This could not all be free?" Wintergreen still has many suspiciousness about the academy.
"No worries. Our head mistress has a great amount of wealth. However, we do have students sign a contract, which will be present in the desk." The cloak man points towards the desk and Grant goes over picking up the paper.
It was a contract stating all the dangers the student could face from taking training in the H.I.V.E. to become a villain at the academy, this includes death. The student will have to check which path he/she will wish to take, this included the specific classes and dangers to each path. The student will also owe one favor to the academy, after graduation. The student will have to check which path he/she will wish to take.
Grant reading the whole contract, checks all the boxes, and signs the contract and gives it to the cloak man.
"Thank you. Your first classes will start tomorrow." The cloak man look through the contract, and notices that Grant checked every box. "It seems, you have selected every career path. Are you sure you don't want to be only an assassin?"
Grant explains "I wish to be the best assassin, and from what I see, every class can only improve my skill. So yes, I do wish to take every class possible in this academy."
"Enthusiasm. Hopefully there will be a bright future for you, and not a dark end." The cloak man steps out of the room, giving Wintergreen and Grant time to say their goodbyes.
"You are determined about becoming the best assassin, aren't you?" Wintergreen questions Grant.
"Yes." Grant replies
"Well then, I guess I won't see you until a couple of months. I have been too long away from your father, he might have suspicions, already. Oh! That reminds me, that your father will find out, eventually. Hopefully, when that time comes you will be an assassin he could be proud of. Also-"
"You are rambling on, Wintergreen. I will miss you too, but I have to do this." Grant states interrupting Wintergreen.
Wintergreen stays quiet and hugs Grant, once again. They hug each other for a long time. Wintergreen then slowly let's go, but before he leaves the room he wants to give a tip to Grant.
"Grant, I still have suspicions about this academy. Don't trust anyone, be always on guard." Wintergreen's final warning to Grant as he leaves the room, escorted out of the castle, and then took off in the limousine provided outside. Wintergreen looks back as the castle disappeared in the dome which shields the castle from anyone ever finding it.
Grant stays in his room, setting things up, and then goes to bed, haunted by nightmares about the man he killed. But there is no turning back, he could not sleep, he will just wait for his first day of classes, tomorrow.