Chapter 1 - The New Path of Private Hive

"What?"
"Private Hive? I hadn't heard of him since he escaped a few months ago."
"So?" Beast Boy asked "We help him?"
"He is a person in need. Helping people is what we do." Starfire said.
"I don't know. It could be a trap. We don't have the best story with that guy after all."
"I'm not so sure? Remember last time we dealt with him? He was commanding those Army Brats and tried to take Titans Tower."
"Oh, right, when you had the Chicken Pox!"
Robin scratched his arm, not amused. Even remembering the Chicken Pox gave him a scratch.
"You're missing the point. He said he'd not abandon his men... he'd be a better leader than General Immortus."
"But asking us for help? That's odd, to say the least."
"He had no one else to go... I suppose his old buddies from Hive did not care for this message."
"One of them did" a voice said and they turned to find Jinx coming in.
"Jinx? Why did you come here?"
"I didn't know if you got the message from Private Hive. I came to talk about it."
"Kid Flash's not with you?"
"Well... we kind of had an argument. He did not agree with me in the matter of helping Private Hive... but he was a good friend."
"You know he's a bad guy, right?"
"That was exactly what Kid Flash said. Besides... I'm not so sure about the 'bad guy' part."
"Huh?"
"Before I came here... I talked to Gizmo and Mammoth. I just asked them if they had heard about Private Hive and... Mammoth told me the last he had heard, Private Hive was out of the country."
"It doesn't clarify that much... we should call the other Titans and see if they have had encounters with Private Hive lately."
"We don't have time for that! Lives are at stake!" Jinx said "Look, I'm going. Are you joining me or what?"
"I'll go." Raven said "If this is an ambush, you may need backup. If not... he sounds like he needs all the help he can get."
"Call the Herald and ask him to get a portal. The faster you get there, the quicker we can unravel this."
"May I have the honors?" Jinx asked.
"Go ahead."
"No, I have not heard of this Private Hive recently." Aqualad said "He hasn't been here in Steel City."
"Pantha, have you met Private Hive?"
"I have not seen or heard of him since we caught the Lanista."
"Any requests?" Herald asked as soon as he arrived.
"Eastern coast of Kerveria."
"Well, let's make some music!" he said and blew the horn.
"Thanks."
"Nothin' to it!" he said and they both went through the portal that closed right after.
"Jericho, have you heard of Private Hive recently?"
Jericho shook his head negatively.
"Kole?"
"No, he hasn't been up here" she said "why?"
"He requested the Titan's help. Just trying to retrace his steps to know whether he's still a bad guy or not. He simply vanished after a few months ago."
"Well, I have no idea. Sorry, guys..."

"Here we are. Kerveria."
"Can you track him?"
"I think I can... he's close, but..."
"But what?"
"...Nothing. Let us find him and deal with the rest later."
"Up there! That cliff! There's an old fort there."
"It could be the place."
"Then we should get there - and quick!"
"Wait" Raven said as she heard noise coming from some bushes "Company."
"Just what we needed."
"Identify yourselves!" a man said when he and another four soldiers came from the bushes.
"We're Jinx and Raven. We're looking for Private Hive. Have you seen him?"
"You're with that coward? GET THEM!"
"That was not smart" Raven said and they both dodged as the soldiers started to shoot.
"Pretty guns you have there, boys" Jinx said as she did sommersaults to dodge them "It'd be so sad if they went haywire, don't you think?"
And with that, she threw some of her energy bolts that broke the weapons. The soldiers instantly dropped them and went to hand combat. with two of them hitting Raven's shields while Jinx dodged another two and the commander mounted another gun.
"Don't know what your buddy did, but this doesn't look good."
And then the commander took an energy shot at Raven that broke her shields and threw her back.
"RAVEN!" Jinx yelled and then she was shot and thrown back, almost losing conscience.
"What do we do with them, sir?"
"The prison cells are filled with Hive's men. No survivors this time."
But then a shield knocked a man out right in front of her and she heard a familiar voice.
"Can't just... let you kill two lovely ladies... now, can I?"
"Private?" she asked and looked up to see him punch another one of the soldiers, but then a third one kicked him on the ribs and he fell in pain.
"No!" Jinx said and created a whirlwind that knocked off the nearest soldier and Raven threw a rock against the other one.
"RETREAT!" the commander yelled, but he was the last one standing and Raven quickly cast a blast that threw him against a tree, leaving him unconscious.
"Are you... okay?"
"I'm fine. You should get some rest."
"I... can't... my men... need me..." he said, but then he passed out.
"How is he?"
"Wow. A twisted ankle... a sprained arm... a couple of broken ribs... he should not be fighting."
"Can you heal him?"
"I can try. But not here. That old fort shoud provide us with a decent cover."

"Private Hive? Yes, I have heard of him, as a matter of fact." Red Star said, remembering.
"You have?"
"The city has been rebuilding ever since we got rid of that creature, but we had trouble - some assailants started to steal our supplies. I could not help directly, since I was in the middle of a mission..."
"Don't tell me. He was one of the thieves?"
"Nyet. One of the man financing the reconstruction hired a group of mercenaries to take down the thieves and Private Hive led them."
"He's... a mercenary?"
"I got back right after they were done and found Private Hive and his men collecting their payment. Things went a little messy, but then we cleared it out... he said, and I quote: 'messing with Titans has only brought me pain. I'm out'."
"This story gets weirder and weirder..."
"That was about two months ago. I did not think of it as important at the time. Was I wrong to judge it so?"
"It's okay, Red Star. We only asked for Private Hive has sent an SOS for us recently."
"An SOS from a former enemy? That is strange, Comrade Robin, now I understand your need for investigations!"
"Wait, we got a call! It's Raven!"
"Raven here. We found him."
"And? What's his story?"
"Don't know. We were ambushed. He's in pretty bad shape."
"Can you take care of him?"
"I'll try. But things are pretty wild here, there was a guy with a gun that broke my shield. We'll need backup pretty soon."
"Copy that. Star?"
"I'm ready."
"Good luck." Herald said and blew the Gabriel Horn.

"Star's coming. Seems the rest of them are still researching about him." Raven said, healing the man's broken ribs.
"Ugh..."
"He's coming to!"
"Jinx... and Raven? My message... arrived?"
"Yes, but it seems to me you have a lot of explaining to do. Beginning with why those guys were chasing you."
"Oh, them... they're Ricard's men. Kerveria is in a war and I got myself and my men in the middle of it."
"How exactly?"
"After our last meeting... I decided I wanted to go as far away from the Titans as possible. So I got my top students back from the Army Brats and built a mercenary group - the Hive Corps. We had several sucessful missions here and there, until we were hired by Prince Randall to take back the throne his uncle stole from him. But those guys were like nothing I have ever seen before - you saw how that gun broke through your shield. They captured my men and the last one used a smoke cannister to help me retreat... I came back to this fort, but they ambushed me here and gave me these injuries and I have been trying to hide in the forest ever since."
"And you called us."
"I had to. I sent messages to every Hive classmate I could think of, but none answered... and it did pain me to resort to you guys, but... it is not for me. It is for my men that I do this."
"That's not as bad as I thought."
"Wait! I hear something coming from outside!"
"Be careful... Those guys have stuff that can mess with your powers."
"Hey! Private! You in here?"
"Wait... that voice..."
"Mammoth?"
"Jinx? Did not expect to see you here and - whoa!" he said "A Teen Titan? I'll take care of her, take Private and run!"
"Save it. I'm not here to fight. I'm here to help."
"And in case you have forgotten, I'm a Titan now too." Jinx said, showing her communicator.
"Oh. Right. What is going on here?"
"When none of you answered... I had to call the Titans. I had no one else to go to."
"Please keep saying that, it makes me feel so welcome."
"Sorry. I shouldn't be complaining 'bout getting your help, huh?"
"Right. I did what I could, but it's best you rest for the next couple of hours."
"I'll try. Where's Gizmo and the rest of the gang?"
"Didn't come. He said that when you decided you were done with the Hive Five, the Hive Five was done with you. Not me. I thought of how good you were of a fighter and well - an enemy that's got you cornered should be a challenge!"
"He is. His soldiers have guns that can pierce my shield."
"We can't stay here for long. They caught me here once, they'll come again."
"Didn't you hear Raven? You have to rest!"
"I can't... they're still in danger..."
"Sound's like you did change. At least enough for me to stay here. I'll contact Robin."
And she turned her communicator on.
"Robin, it's Raven. Seems to me Private Hive actually changed."
"It doesn't matter. Doctor Light sealed the tower with some sort of force field and stole Herald's horn. I sent Starfire over, but we're pretty much stuck here until we get him."
"Hey, Rob! Could use some backup here!"
"Gotta go. Take care."
"One last thing, Robin."
"Yes?"
"Kick his ass for me, ok?"
"Will do. Good luck, Raven."
And he cut the call.
"And? What's the deal?"
"Star's still coming, but the others are stuck at the Tower."
"Don't tell me that Gizmo's..."
"No. Doctor Light. The coward must have waited for me to leave before striking."
"Is it enough to beat that army?"
"It will have to make do. Without the Herald, it'll take too long before anyone else gets here."
"Wait, did you hear that?"
"Wasn't me this time."
And then a soldier appeared through the door, but before he could say anything, Mammoth tackled him and left him unconscious.
"Told you they'd find me here."
"We'll have to clear out. Mammoth, can you carry Private Hive?"
"You joking me? I could lift him with one finger!"
"Hey, I can walk, y'know?"
"Your ankle is still in healing process. It's best you don't."
"Fine. But I don't like this." he said as Mammoth got him.
"Ready?"
"Whenever you are."
"Then let's get them out of here."