I have the third chapter up and the fourth is almost finished! Thankfully, no writer's block has yet emerged for this fic, but I still need to sort out a few sub-plot plot bunnies XD

Raven was sat on the edge of her bed in her apartment, polishing her swords, her mind wandering as she did so. She'd heard about the party from Nero and had been astonished but also secretly pleased that he'd agreed to it.
Briefly she smiled a little, this was without a doubt the strangest thing she'd ever thought about whilst polishing her katanas. Raven was deciding what to wear for the party.
She paused for a moment as an idea struck her, and her smile widened a little as the idea grew. By the time she'd finished polishing her swords, she knew what to wear.

Nero sighed for the fifth time that morning as he flicked idly through the letter which had been piling up outside his door over the past few days. The students had taken it upon themselves to write Christmas letters to Nero and were also busy making suggestions about food for the buffet, music and also, the all important party clothes.
Nero wondered, not for the first time, why on earth he'd agreed to this idea. But it seemed to be going down well with the students, security guards, and even the teachers at HIVE. He'd also received a few calls from members of the ruling council and people who were high up in the GLOVE hierarchy, apparently they wanted to join in the fun.

At HIVE all that the students had been talking about was the party. Curfew was almost practically ignored due to the fact students were busy making preparations for the party and Nero had to dispatch security guards to round up the zealous students so they'd be back in their blocks at a fairly reasonable hour.

'Maybe I should give them a few days off before and after the party,' he mused thoughtfully. It would be useful, a few days to focus on preparing for it and a few days after to clean up. He nodded he'd do that.

He reached for his blackbox and was about to flick it open when music suddenly blasted through the PA system, he bit back an exclamation of surprise and hastily opened his blackbox as the opening lines to "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid started to play.

'HIVEmind!' he snapped as the A.I.'s face flickered onto the screen, 'Why is that music playing over the PA system!'

The A.I. blinked, looking a little puzzled, 'I'm practicing,' he replied.
Nero was silent for a few moments, confusion on his face, 'Practicing?' he echoed.

HIVEmind nodded, 'Yes sir, didn't you hear I'm to be the DJ for the party?'

Professor Pike looked up from the desk, 'Ah Nero,' he said with a smile, 'Nice of you to drop in.'

'What is this I hear about HIVEmind?' asked the man darkly.

'Oh that,' said Pike breezily, 'Nothing to worry about, he seemed to want to do something for the party so I put him in charge of recruiting workers and sorting out the music and song requests.'

'You made him a DJ,' said Nero flatly.

Pike shrugged, looking a little puzzled, 'I don't see that there is anything wrong with that.'

Nero stared at his friend unable to come up with a coherent reply.

'Anything else?' prompted Pike.

Nero coughed and cleared this throat, 'What are you doing?'

Pike glanced round at the piles of wiring, circuit boards, and electrical components before staring back at the headmaster of HIVE and shrugging a little, 'Just wiring up some lights for the party,' he paused for a moment before quickly adding, 'Oh yes, and the snowmachine.'

'Snowmachine?' mouthed Nero looking stunned, his blackbox suddenly started beeping and the blinked, startled out of his shock and quickly pulled it out of this pocket.

'Yes?' he asked as the face of a guard appeared on screen.

'The packages you sent for a few days ago are here sir,' responded the guard efficiently.

'Very well, I'll be right there,' replied Nero snapping the blackbox shut.

'Packages?' queried Pike with an interested expression on his face.

'Packages,' confirmed Nero and marched out of the room.

Wing and Shelby were circling one another, hands raised up in a guard position. Shelby suddenly let it rip with a roundhouse which Wing deftly blocked, he was about to in for a spinning Backfist but Otto suddenly charged into the room, 'What?' sighed Shelby.

'The clothes are here!' he announced grandly.

'We'll come down in a few minutes,' replied Wing turning back to Shelby, she wasn't there.

Wing blinked.

Otto smirked, 'I believe your girlfriend doesn't agree,' he remarked as Shelby charged out of the room shrieking with delight.

As Nero approached the hanger he gradually became aware of voices shrieking ahead, he slowed his steps, listening. It sounded a lot like girls shrieking ecstacy.

Not likely here at HIVE, Nero almost immediately contradicted himself, there were plenty of girls here who would charge through the icy wastes of Siberia just to get to a proper clothes shop.

As he rounded the corner he discovered the noises source. Indeed, it was shrieking girls, girls from all streams were crowding the hallway, trying to get in the hanger bay, only several guards bared there way, Nero had a feeling that the guards might want a few reinforcements.
Briefly, Nero considered turning around and heading to the relative safety of his office then decided maybe it was a bit to late for that.

He eyed the crowd of girls with some trepidation before sighing and plunging into their midst, miraculously, they parted to let him through, smiling at him.

One girl stepped forward and for a terrifying moment Nero thought she would try to hug him, instead she just grinned massively and said, 'Thanks you Dr. Nero.'

There was an immediate chorus of agreement from the group gathered and Nero even saw a few of the guards nodding. With a feeling of bemusement Nero squeezed his way through the rest of the girls and stepped through the hanger door which had opened for him.
'Well,' he remarked to himself once her was through the door and it had closed behind him, 'That was fun.'

'Otto have you seen Shelby?' asked Wing peering into the tech lad.

His white-haired friend looked up from the long chain of Christmas lights he was busy fitting with coloured bulbs, 'No,' he replied shaking his head, 'At least not since she charged out the gym.'

'She's picking up our clothes.'

'Clothes?' asked Wing looking a little confused.

Laura shot the tall Asian boy an exasperated look, 'Yes, don't you remember Otto saying that the clothes had arrived.'

Wing's face cleared, 'Oh, those clothes.'

'What are you boys wearing by the way,' asked Laura with a grin.

'That information is confidential,' replied Otto with a smile, 'We made an agreement not to tell each other after all.'

Laura threw up her hands in mock-surrender, 'Alright, you've got me, I'm just curious,' she was silent for a few moments before looking up at Wing, 'So who are you taking?'

Wing frowned looking puzzled.

'I mean, who are you taking to the Christmas party.'

'Oh, I'm taking Shelby,' he replied, his cheeks flushing red, he turned to his friend, 'and what about you Otto?'

Otto fitted the bulbs at a faster pace, his cheeks burning red.

'Otto?'

He coughed, still staring down at the chain of lights, 'I don't know,' he mumbled, deliberately not looking at Laura who was staring at Otto hopefully.

Wing raised an eyebrow, 'Very well,' he turned and walked out the room saying over his shoulder, 'I'm going to find Shelby and see if she needs any help,' leaving Laura and Otto alone in the room.

Laura raised her eyebrows at Otto, 'I don't have anyone to take me,' she said softly.

Otto flushed an even deeper red, finally looking up from his job, 'Really?'

The pretty Scottish girl shrugged, 'Well a few boys asked me, but I didn't want to go with them,' she gently placed her hand on Otto's.

Otto stared at her hand for a few moments, a slight smile hovering at the corners of his mouth, 'Would you like to come with me?'

Laura smiled, 'I'd like that a lot Otto,' she said softly.

Otto's smile widened, his cheeks flushing red, 'Alright then.'

For a few moments they both sat in silence smiling at each other until Otto gave an embarrassed cough and scrambled to his feet, almost falling off the chair in the process, 'Well I guess I'd better go sort out that…urrmm…thing that needs sorting.'

Laura smothered a laugh and nodded seriously, 'You do that.'

Otto hared it out the room his cheeks still glowing red, 'Idiot,' he muttered to himself.

Awwww...a nice little bit of Otto/Laura there to finish the chapter off nicely...you know what to do when you've finished reading, PRESS THE BUTTON!