Epilogue - Things Change
He felt strange. It was the first time in years that he went somewhere wearing a suit. But he felt he had to do so out of respect. And he found Prince Randall there.
"You again?"
"Hello, Your Highness." Private Hive said.
"I already paid you. We're done."
"I'm not here for that. I'm here to pay my respects as well. I almost had to bury twelve good men... and could not even do so for the one that saved them. Is that your father?"
"Oh. No. It's my uncle. I hated him so much for taking the throne, but... it was never him. I'm here to ask for his forgiveness."
"He must have already granted you. Death... it makes us see how much petty some of the things we fight about are."
"You are wise. I am sorry I misjudged you."
"The doubt is not what matters, sir. It is the decision that comes from it that does."
And that brought him to his own doubts. The Hive Corps. was destroyed, but with the now Kerveria King's payment he had much more than enough to rebuild it or do anything... even nothing.
So what path should he follow? Should he rebuild Hive Corps and be the leader of a mercenary squad again? Should he team up with Mammoth and become a villain, this time just for the adrenaline rush? Should he follow Jinx and become a Teen Titan as a way to thank for all their help? Or go in a complete opposite direction and do something else different altogether?
He had no answer for that question so far.
"Those were beautiful words."
"A friend said them to me once, sir. I misjudged him as you did with me, yet in the end he saved us all..."
And he looked at his own shadow and could swear for a moment that he saw a smile on it.
He smiled back and suddenly, the weight of that choice was lifted from him.
He knew what to do from now on, the path he wanted to follow.
And the world felt like a better place now that he knew.