The Hive: Sun's out, buns out! I've been working on my tan this past couple of months and I must say that I've never looked better. Then again, I've always been one Hot Bitch.

Jinx inserted the last button into its slot and straightened out her blouse. She sat up on the bed and checked her phone for messages. Three missed calls from Bee. "Shit" Jinx whispered while running her fingers through her hair. Wally sat up on his elbow behind her and ran his fingers over her back, sending a chill through her spine. "Damn, I did a number on your neck," He pointed out the two red spots on her neck. "Yeah, well I wasn't complaining,". Wally pressed his lips against her cheek and Jinx pulled away in shock.

"What?" "Wally, I told you—" "—I can't even give you a kiss on the cheek?" "No. We agreed, this thing between us," She made a gesture that went between the two of them "Is just hooking up," He sighed and laid back against the pillow. "It was a heat of the moment thing, nothing major" His voice didn't sound as if he believed it to be just what he said. Ever since the summer began and the weirdness between them peeled away. Jinx came to Wally with her tail between her legs and head hung low asking him "What if" they started a summer fling, just for the hell of it.

No strings attached, friends helping each other out, that's it. Who knew that as the days dwindled by and the clothes going along with it, they'd become closer in a way? She knew his likes and dislikes, the movies he'd prefer to watch, and his food preferences. Getting to know more about him, makes Jinx see him more—human. However, something was clawing at her stomach.

Summer was almost over, tryouts were on the horizon. Sooner or later this arrangement between them would come to an end. The question that she had in the back of her mind as to whether or not she wanted it to.


Garfield searched and clicked through the different search engines on his computer. All had the same question that he'd been itching to figure out since he had teamed up with them in the past—"Who is The Hive?" So far he had nothing, nada, zilch, or squat on the gossip website admin. Instead, he found articles surrounding his friends. "Who are you?" He thought to himself as he continued to type, the computer shined a dim light in front of his face and ignited a small spotlight on the wall behind him. On the wall featured photos of suspects with red Xs over their faces, the targets, common words they'd use, and a yearbook that was torn to shreds. All leading him to the same conclusion he's come to—nothing.

Ever since that post The Hive made on Kory's birthday, his being framed for Jinx's post, and Terra's absence. He had no choice but to stop searching and try to put a stop to this before things got messier. Knock. He closed his laptop quickly as the door opened and in came Rita with a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies. "Garfield, how long are you going to be on the computer? It's a beautiful day outside, go hang with your friends. You could even check and see if Rachel—" "—No thanks, I'm good. I have tons of homework to catch up for a—uh summer program that I entered in," He smiled cheekily, revealing his pearly white teeth and lack of braces on top of them. "You and summer programs? Since when?"

He darted his eyes around the room as a small sweat drop dripped off his face. Thank the heavens above that the door hid the evidence wall and Rita didn't bother to check behind it. "Uh-I thought that you know, since I didn't have the best grade average last year. I thought that I'd maybe step it up," Rita eyed him suspiciously "Hmm, fine. I'll bite for now. I cooked you some cookies," "Thanks Rita," She handed him the plate and took a look around his room as if she was trying to find something. He bit into the cookie to keep himself from blabbing anything and swallowed. "These are great," "Thanks, it's a new vegan recipe I tried. I'm glad you like them," She headed towards the door, her hand touching the doorknob. "It's a beautiful day outside Garfield, you should be outside," She stated as she closed the door behind her. He laid back in his chair and sighed in relief.


The Hive: Spotted. No longer a new girl, but instead a princess. Kory Anders has had quite the summer from what my sources tell me. Although the princess has kept a tight lip, no shock there. If there's one thing I know is that eventually secrets are bound to come out. You can't keep that lip buttoned forever, my dear. Not while you're in my city.

Kory closed the door behind her as a herd of flashing lights from the camera splayed by her window. "Kory Anders!" "Princess Starfire!" She heard the photographer's muffled shouts say as they began to drive off. There's one thing she didn't miss when leaving Gotham—her newfound fame. The news and media outlets weren't as crazy or sporadic as the ones in America. Due to The Hive's post about her being a princess and technical murderer, they wouldn't leave her or Dick alone. They'd follow her everywhere she went: dates, flea market shopping, her apartment complex. It never ended and the more they'd follow, the more she'd go on to grow a strong hatred for them. Dick didn't seem to mind them as much, he told her that they were something she'll grow to get used to.

Kory didn't have to acknowledge their presence or even smile for their photos. Yet, what was she supposed to do when they were waving a camera in her face and flashing a painful light into her eyes? She didn't expect her privacy to be pawned off and thrown into a pack of rabid flobnorbs, but The Hive always did the unexpected. "Thanks for picking me up from the airport Uncle," She patted the seat in front of her as Galfore fixed the rearview mirror. "Of course, bumgorf. How was the vacation with your parents?" He expected Kory to have a smile on her face and state that everything was wonderful.

However, her face showed something different. "It was as expected," Gaflore placed both his hands on the wheel, "Did you get to play with Ryan at least? He must have been happy to see you," "I saw him during the evening time, but Father had a lot planned that I didn't get the chance to see Tamaran like I wanted," "I'm sure he had your best interests at heart," She placed her hand under her chin and glanced out the window as the trees zoomed by. "It was the furthest thing from his mind," She whispered to herself.


The Hive: Meanwhile, our favorite teenage heartthrob not only has one girl in his life but now two….

"Need some help?" Dick knocked on the door. Rachel unpacked a large stack of books out of the box "Nah, I think I'm fine. Shouldn't you be meeting your girlfriend at the airport?" She placed the books on her black nightstand as Dick grabbed a box from off the ground and put it on her bed. "Kory insisted Galfore come and grab her, she thought it'd be safer that way. I'm meeting her at their apartment though," He checked the watch on his wrist. "It'll be a while before I make my way over there. So again, do you need help?" Rachel inspected the huge, dark-colored room around her. Dark brown walls with no crack or bug in sight, a tall black bookshelf on one side of the wall, and her queen-sized bed on the other.

If someone told her that she'd be living with Bruce Wayne and his proteges. Rachel would probably give them a dirty look or think they were lying. But here she was, in Wayne Manor. With her room, a warm bed to sleep on at night, and food at her beck & call. "You should probably be getting your girlfriend flowers or chocolates, you know, what boyfriends do," His cheeks turned a bright crimson red, and he ran a hand over his neck and grinned. "Should I hire you as my relationship guru?" She bit back a chuckle. "I charge $100 by the hour, so choose your sessions wisely," "I will," He glanced down at something inside the box and took it out.

It was an all too familiar book that sent chills up her spine. Tell-tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe. Mr. Malchoir's face flashed through her mind as she stared at the cover. "You forgot this one," She stepped back and hugged herself, Dick stepped towards her in concern. "Are you okay?" She shook her head and put on a false smile. "Yeah, fine. I-I think there's a draft here, it's kind of cold," She pretended to shiver as Dick felt the air. "Hmm, I'll go find the thermostat and turn it up," He turned around and left the room. Rachel let out a shaky breath and glanced over at the book on the bed. Her heart squeezed with ache as images of him flew through her mind.


The Hive: Anyone heard from the Knight and Shining Armani, Victor Stone? You know, tall, handsome killer biceps that you could sink your teeth into? Last I heard, he's on his feet again, and thank goodness for that. Yet, he has to show his face. Come out, come out wherever you are.

Vic placed his hand over the red glass eye and metal plate. His hand didn't cover up as much as he thought it would. Great. It's been three months since he woke up from his accident to find himself with a new body and face. This wasn't him, this couldn't be him. He was Victor Stone, a popular high school football wide receiver that had the hottest girl on the planet and was on his way to the big leagues. And now, that didn't mean shit. Once he woke up, everything came flooding back to him. The drugs, the fights, the accident. Bee. His blood boiled at the image of Bee and Herald rubbing their hands all over each other, the text messages she'd sent him, and the nights when she told him that she was busy with homework. It all made sense and he didn't want to accept it. This was what the universe thought he deserved, metal plates where some of his skin used to be, circuits that acted as his veins, and a computer chip that resided in a part of his brain. He clutched his fingers together in anger, he couldn't leave the house without eyes staring and watching his every move.

Not now, not ever. They'd bury him, he could see the headlines now. "World's First Half-man, Half Cyborg!" "AMERICA'S PROBLEM", it wouldn't end. He could picture his friends' faces when they saw him, shock and fear. He could kiss his social life goodbye, after all, The Hive and Gar, technically, ruined it for him. Had Gar not sent out that post and talked to him about it instead, then maybe things would be different. Maybe he wouldn't blow a gasket and run off the rails, nearly killing himself in the process. He got up from his bed and trudged over to the closet, he wasn't used to his new limbs either. Vic opened his closet and searched through his clothes, taking out a black hoodie. "Hopefully this still fits." He stated before pulling the hoodie over his head, the fabric stretching in the process. He could hear the little threads start to snap as the hoodie sank lower and lower over his body. "Come on, come on." He managed to put the hoodie over his torso, though he was holding his breath. Vic turned around and took another look in the mirror, he was semi-normal.

His metal hands still popped out from underneath the sleeves, but at least his cyber tonic body was hidden. RRRIIPPPPP. The hoodie ripped in two and fell off his body like a sheet of paper. Vic growled as they made their way to the floor and banged his fist against the mirror, shattering it into tiny pieces. The glass shards sat on the ground, he took a look at one of the shards and was met with an angry gaze. His half-robot, half-human angry face. He could hear his father run up the stairs and open the door in concern. "What happened? Are you okay?" "Fine." Silas investigated the room, his eyes instantly setting on the mirror shards. "What happened to the mirror?" "I broke it." Silas sighed and stepped over the shards before placing a hand on Vic's shoulder. "Vic, I know that you're not used to this—new look of yours. It may take some getting used to, give it time." He stiffened.

"What if I'm never used to this body?" Silence. "What if I'm considered a freak and forced into solitary confinement? The government's new weapon, a zoo animal? I can't take that chance." "Vic—you can't think like that." He removed Silas's hand from his shoulder. "It's what will happen. Accept it. Face it, Victor Stone died in that car crash from a drug overdose and broken limbs to go with it." Silas's eyes lowered, not wanting his mind to wander back to when he first saw Vic on the medical gurney. Tears pricked his eyes and he blinked them away, "Vic—" "—Dad. Can you leave?" Vic's voice sounded cold and distant, that's how he's been since he woke up. Silas nodded his head and stepped back over the shards, then put his hand on the doorknob and glanced at his son. Vic didn't glance back at him, instead, he lifted the sheets off his metal bed and put them over his body. Silas shook his head and closed the door.


Kory opens her door to a bouquet of Lillies and her dashing boyfriend, Dick Grayson. She bit back the frown that was making quickly its way to her face and instead replaced it with a smile. "You brought me flowers. My favorites." She took the bouquet out of his hands and pressed her lips on his cheek. "Partially Rachel's idea. Partially mine." Kory took a whiff of their sweet scent. "Maybe I should give Rachel a thank you kiss as well." He chuckles, "Don't say that around Wally." "Why?" "He likes the girl-on-girl action, his words, not mine." Dick put his hands up in defense as Kory playfully rolled her eyes. "He fails to shock me anymore. How was his rehabilitation?" "Good. His uncle chipped into getting him a great therapist and the coach agreed to give him a chance for the fall. He's on probation though and will have to take a drug test every week." They made their way to Kory's kitchen.

Dick pulled a seat from out under the table as Kory went to the cabinets in search of a vase. "And Jinx?" "Haven't seen her much. She claims to be very busy every time I call her." "That's not like her. Maybe something's wrong. Are you thirsty?" He shook his head. Kory filled the vase with water and placed the flowers inside. "I think she's been trying to lay low since The Hive blast. We all have." Kory's heart sank, an image of the shocked looks on her and her guests' faces when the news dropped flashed through her mind. Dick noticed her shoulders slump and got up from his seat. He placed his hands over her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault, Kory." "I know. It's just that…now that everyone knows who I am. I can't afford to make any more mistakes." She turned around to him and glanced down to meet his sapphire eyes. He smiled up at her, "What's going on?" He knew her, her, and her emotions.

Dick knew when she was sad, or when something was on her mind, even when she was sleepy. Anxiety. That's what was written all over her face. Kory wrung her hands, then fiddled with her shirttail. "My parents weren't too pleased with the blast." "What happened?" She took hold of his hand, her fingers brushing against his. "They demanded that I tell them who this 'Hive person' was and when I didn't have an answer…They thought about having me sent back to Tamaran. For Good." "Aw, Kor." She nodded and continued. "I told them that I love America and my new life here. Father thought that being an 'American Teenager' had gone to my head. I assured them Galfore was taking care of me, I have made friends, and of course…you." He laced his fingers with hers.

"I feel like there's something you're not telling me." She shook her head. "That's all there is to tell. Any more scandals, then I'd be in trouble. Possibly going to a Swedish boarding school like my sister." They giggled. "Well, Miss Anders. Is there anything you'd like to do today? We could go to the beach and grab an ice cream or grab some dinner. There's this great pizza place near the manor that I have to show you—" "—Actually, could we order in? Galfore's out with some friends and I'd really love it if we watched a movie and ate a bunch of the 'junk food' on the couch." Dick tapped his chin in thought.

"Alright, fine. You pick the food, I'll pick the movie." "Deal." They walked over to the couch, hand in hand, and content smiles on their faces. He sat down, Kory following after and laying her feet over his lap as she handed him the remote. Dick flipped through the movie channels, while Kory dialed a number for pizza delivery. As the phone rang, she glanced over at her boyfriend and smiled sadly to herself, the guilt eating away at her stomach. She wasn't hungry anymore.


"Are you planning to go to Vic's tomorrow?" Wally asked Jinx as she drove. This was sort of their unofficial routine. Plan to meet up for sex, have sex, find a place to eat after sex, then go home, and repeat. Since Wally got out of rehab, his family thought that he wasn't in the right state of mind to drive around. So, she was in the driver's seat and he was the "passenger princess''. Even though that term felt a bit too 'coupley' for her tastes. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?" "It was just a question. Making light conversation." He held up his hands in defense, she cursed her attitude. She had to stop acting so on edge whenever Vic or Bee's name was mentioned. "Guilty girl," She thought to herself, unknowingly pressing a bit too hard on the gas pedal.

The car began to gain speed, though she didn't notice. Instead, her mind thought back to the night when she sent the text to The Hive. "You almost killed Vic." Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the wheel. Wally raised an eyebrow as he felt the car's speed quicken beneath him. "Some best friend." Her mind went blank, not noticing that she was passing through stop signs. "Jinx! Watch out!" Wally broke her out of her trance, she stepped on the brake pedal quickly. Her car stopped with a loud SKRRT. Jerking both her and Wally forward. Her car was only a few centimeters away from hitting another vehicle. "Bitch!" She heard the driver say as the drove past and flipped her off. "Yeah, well tell that to my ass. Piece of shit!" Wally gripped his shirt as his heartbeat sped through his chest.

"Jinx, what the hell? You could've killed us!" Kill. There's that word again. "Sorry, my foot must've slipped." "Yeah, uh-huh. You're so lucky I can't drive right now." He laid back against the seat. "Shut the fuck up, you can't drive to save your life." " Can too." "Can not. Remember when you were practicing for your driver's exam and had both me and Dick in the car. You're reckless driving caused Dick to hurl." "He lived, didn't he?" She rolled her eyes as they pulled into a fast food drive-thru behind a line of cars. "Great, long line." "You wanted Fatburger."

"Sex makes me crave Fatburger cause a certain someone has a fat—" "—Don't finish that sentence." Jinx glanced around the parking lot and noticed a group of girls that looked strangely familiar. A sparkly pink headband glittered in the moonlight, her eyes widened. Kitten Moth. "Shit! Get down, get down!" Jinx tried to shove Wally's head down further into the seat. "What? What is it?" "Kitten, she can't see us together. She sees us and we'll be all over The Hive by the end of the day," Wally grumbled to himself as he slid down the seat as Jinx glanced ahead. Kitten and her gang of scatterbrains sashayed to the door. "Kitten Moth at a Fatburger? No way." Jinx giggled. "Maybe they're ordering salads. Kitten screamed her head off last year when they served her a hamburger and not a bean burger at our cheer comp. last year." "I'd have paid to see that." "Trust me, her reaction was worth it." They pulled forward.

Jinx rested her head against the seat. "Do you think Vic will be happy to see us?" "We're his best friends, of course, he'd be…unless he has amnesia. Then that'd be a problem." Was it bad that she wished he had amnesia or some form of it, where he had forgotten what happened at homecoming and the group could go back to normal? Bee and Vic all over each other, Dick and Wally repulsed at the PDA, and then there'd be Jinx, in the middle of the chaos.

Happy for them. At least she used to be. Now, Bee was a cheater, Vic nearly met his maker, and she threw Garfield underneath the bus. All because she couldn't deal with the feelings that she had for her friend, Vic. Scratch that, her best friends, now ex-bf, Vic. "Jinx, you're next." Wally pointed out the window. She raised her eyebrow in confusion, "Huh?" "In line. To order." She shook her head. "Right. My bad." Jinx laughed it off before rolling down her window.


Rachel pulled out a chair from the dining room table. She gazed at the unfamiliar surroundings. Wayne Manor was beautiful beyond recognition. Brass-covered frames with pictures worth thousands of dollars inside them. A charcoal fireplace that had photos of the generations of the Wayne family on the mantle. Crystal chandelier hanging above the dining table, smack dab in the middle of the ceiling where everyone could stare at it in awe.

She didn't realize how easy Dick and Jason had it, they'd never know how easy they'd have it compared to her. "Did you get your things settled?" Bruce asked as he approached the table, phone in hand. She nodded "Yeah, thanks for letting me stay with you guys. I know my life isn't the easiest to deal with." Rachel didn't like to mention her family issues, especially around wealthy class members such as Bruce Wayne. It's already bad enough that they took pity on her and let her live with them. She didn't need to add anything else to her already heavy baggage. "Trust me, it's no issue." He pulled out a chair across from her and sat down.

Rachel tapped her fingers against the table, she felt like she was in a meeting with the principal. "So, I hope you don't mind. Dick mentioned a bit of your—situation to me." Her heart sank, waiting for the worst to come. "I did the liberty of bringing in my private eye to look for your father's whereabouts. Unfortunately, we haven't found anything about him. He knows how to hide his tracks." She almost relaxed in her seat, but she held a firm stance. "Oh. That's okay." Lies. Would it be bad for her to hope that they'd never find her father? She hoped he somehow fell into a shark-infested ocean and never came up for air.

That's how much she hated him, loathed him. "Dick was just looking out for your best interests. He gets that from me." Bruce chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood. Rachel glanced around at the empty dining chairs. "Are Dick and Jason joining us?" "You rang?" Speak of the devil. Jason waltzed into the dining room with a smirk on his face as his gaze met Rachel's. "Jason, lovely for you to join us. All of a sudden." Bruce stated as Jason took a seat next to him.

"Plans were canceled, so I'm free for the evening. Lucky you," He tapped his fingers against the table, his gaze not leaving Rachel's. "Wish I could say the same for Dick. Where's twinkle toes?" "He won't be joining us this evening." Jason rolled his eyes. "I forgot, Kory came home today. They're probably making up for lost time." He put his arms around himself and puckered his lips, then made kissing noises. "I don't need that image in my mind, thank you." "Ditto." Alfred exited from the kitchen with plates of grilled chicken, asparagus, and mashed potatoes.

Rachel's mouth watered at the sight and the smell nearly made her float out of her chair. He placed a plate in front of them and took a seat of his own, next to her. She lifted her fork and dug into the small mountain of hand-mashed potatoes, placing it in her mouth. She moaned in satisfaction. "I take it that it's good, Rachel?" Bruce asked. She felt her cheeks heat up, Rachel swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, these are great. Thanks, Alfred." "Of course, Miss Roth. Anything you want to eat, all you have to do is ask." "Hey, how come when I ask you for buffalo wings, egg rolls, and deep-fried Oreos? You tell me no?" Jason asked, his mouth filled with food, and the contents spraying unto the table. "Because Master Todd, you have a sensitive stomach and I'd hate for the maids to clean up after that." Rachel stifled a laugh, that's the first laugh she's had in weeks. She hadn't laughed like that since staying with Garfield.

She hated to admit it, but a part of her did miss hanging around with Garfield and his family. When she moved in, they treated her as if she was one of the family. Chief would bring her books that he'd thought she may like. Rita found old clothes of hers and brought them to her and mended all her tattered ones to look brand new. Then there was Gar. Strangely, the string bean kind of grew on her. He'd find ways to tell her about these jokes he found, even though she never laughed at one of them. He showed her photos of animals that he'd randomly find in the park.

One of them was a wolf pup with a splinter in his paw that he had to take out. Trying to keep the bathroom that they shared semi-tidy and sneaking one of Rita's cookies under the door during her "quiet time". It wasn't much, but Gar and her grew closer as friends. At least until a couple of weeks ago when Dick asked her to stay with him and his family at the manor. When she approached Gar about it, he acted as if it wasn't a big deal. However, she couldn't help but feel as if he was keeping something from her. Rachel lifted the glass of water to her lips and took a sip. This was her life now, staying with friends, catching up on sleep that she had lost, and eating until she couldn't anymore. She just hoped that this dream would never end and her father wouldn't be there to wake her up.


"Here you go, little guy!" Gar handed the duckling a piece of lettuce. The duckling took hold of the food in his bill and guzzled it down. Once he finished it, his flock of brothers and sisters swam behind in hopes of getting a piece of this action as well. Thankfully, Gar had a huge bundle of lettuce leaves for them to enjoy. "Aw, how cute!" He glanced up to notice a young couple that looked around his age staring at him and the ducklings. The boy and girl were holding hands, smiles on their faces, and practically hearts in their eyes as they stared back at each other. Gar sighed as he ripped off another piece of lettuce and fed it to another duckling, his mind drifting elsewhere…

"Hey Dick, can I talk to you?" Gar asked. Dick sat up from his seat on the workout bench and nodded. He grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off his back while Gar took a seat on a weight-lifting machine. "What's up?" Gar fiddled with a loose thread on his t-shirt. "Do you think…Rachel could live with you?" Dick's eyebrows rose, "Everything okay with you two?" Gar swallowed, things were less than okay. The other day, Rachel was coming out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel, and he couldn't keep his eyes off her legs. "Um yeah, it's just…well…I just think that Rachel would be more comfortable living with you." That didn't sound convincing at all.

"Why do you say that?" Gar couldn't say that he was developing an attraction for his good friend since the age of eight. Dick wouldn't understand, he'd probably laugh in his face "Chief! I mean, chief's kind of wondering about her dad and stuff and—" "—And?" He couldn't take this anymore, Dick would figure it out eventually. "I think I'm starting to like her!" Gar covered his mouth as soon as the words escaped. Dick bit back a smile "Rachel's cool, what's so wrong with that?" "You don't understand, it's just that when I'm around her I—" He trails off. "Oh, oh! I see what you mean, it's like if Kory were to live with me,"

"Exactly! I mean, no. I mean I don't know. You know what, never mind. Look, could you talk to Bruce and see what you can do?" Dick nodded. "Sure." "Thank you! Thank you! Not a word of this to Kory or Rachel. They don't know about any of this." Dick zipped his lips. "I'm not gonna do that to you. Thanks for coming to me." Dick pats his shoulder.

He shook the memory out of his head and continued to shred off pieces of the lettuce and threw it into the water. Ugh, he couldn't believe that he was developing feelings for his best friend, and what's worse is that she'd be utterly repulsed if she found out. "I'm such an idiot." He grumbled to himself and put his hands on his face. Gar didn't notice a pair of footsteps walking towards him. "Gar?" The person asked. His ears perked in recognition. That voice, he knew that voice. It's the voice he thought about months ago and couldn't get out of his mind. That voice that he yearned to listen to when they laughed and spoke. The voice that made his heart do a 360, double loop, drop, and drum solo all in one. He glanced up from his hands and met the gaze of a girl with crystal blue eyes. "Terra?" He whispered.


The Hive: I love the smell of Chanel No. 5 and a hint of grapeseed oil in the morning. You know what else I love? My favorite Drama Queen is coming back to grace us with our presence. God, they just don't make girls like her anymore.

Bee scoured through the piles of last season's clothing, throwing them in any and every direction throughout the room. "Ugh! School starts in a couple of weeks and I have nothing to wear!" She let out an exasperated sigh before plopping herself on the bed. Diane opens the door with a soft crack. "Honey, I know that you're still a little jet lagged, but your father is wanting to know if you'd like to join us for dinner this evening?" "If it's not La Fromage, then no thank you." She sat up, noticing the playful look on her mother's face. "Ah! It is! I'll probably need to borrow something of yours then, especially if Page Six might see." Diane shook her head.

"Karen, we've talked about this. You promised that when you finished a semester at boarding school, you'd come back changed and focus on college." Bee gulped. Her mother was right, last year was a total shit show thanks to her antics and now she had to crawl out from the depths of scandals, a changed teenager. She had to be a role model, focusing on her grades, and not the latest gossip piece on a website. This was going to be a royal pain in the ass. No one had called or texted to check on her. She didn't blame them…much. Bee wasn't exactly the best friend or girlfriend.

What gives them the right to call her when she nearly caused a wreck in the friendship? Not to mention, she hadn't spoken to Herald since the incident happened. He called her, texted, and went to her house so many times. With each time he came, Bee had another excuse to throw at him. Eventually, the phone stopped buzzing and the visits were non-existent. The truth was that she was utterly embarrassed and didn't know how to deal with it. Now that she was back in Gotham, she realized that it may have been an overdramatic sudden thing to do.

She should have finished the school year out like the bad bitch she was supposed to be and hold her head up high. Not cower in the slums like some crackwhore. Paris was far from the slums, but still. Vic almost lost his life because of her and she didn't want to be like that ever again. Herald didn't deserve her treatment either. She had to make this right, at least for her parent's sake. "Do you still want to come?" Bee glanced back at the scattered clothes on the ground. "Yeah, I'll go."


Dick closed the door behind him and stepped into the foyer. He gazed around to find no one in sight, that's odd. Usually, Alfred would be near to greet him at the door and ask if he needs anything. He checked the time on his watch, it was around 10:30. He came back right on time as Bruce asked him to. Weird. "Alfred? Bruce? Jason? Rachel?" Dick called out. Nothing, no sounds of a door cracking open or Jason's obnoxious voice to greet him.

Something's off. "Dick." He whipped his head around to see Bruce with his hands behind his back and a stoic expression on his face. "Bruce, I didn't hear you. You've got to stop doing that, I almost died of a heart attack." He held a hand to his loud beating heart. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I-uh—there's this letter for you." Bruce plucked a crumpled envelope from out of his pocket and handed it to him. He grabbed hold of the envelope and opened it, his mouth went dry when he read the first sentence.

"Dear Mr. Richard John Grayson,

The Seattle Judicial System is asking that you appear in court to testify as the key witness to the murder of John and Mary Grayson. The arbitration will be held on August 16th, 2023. Please respond to this letter to confirm your appearance through the email that's provided at the bottom. Thank you for your time."

"Dick." He hear Bruce say, his voice was soft and concerned. Dick's hands shook as he read the letter over and over again. His eyes stopped at the mention of his parents' names. "T-Testify…they're asking me to testify?" "I'll be there with you every step of the way if you'll let me—" "—I need to go." Dick crumpled the letter in his hands and ripped it apart, the pieces falling to the floor. "Where are you going?" Dick didn't answer as he shoved open the door and ran outside to his car. "Dick. Dick!" He could hear Bruce's voice yelling after him, but he didn't turn back. All he could focus on was the street ahead, as tears fell down his face.


Xavier shuffled through the wad of cash in his pocket as a pair of footsteps approached him. He glanced up and grinned at the person before him. "Well, well. You got everything settled. Gotta say, you better come up with a good story as to how you got that scar or Pop's will get suspicious,". The person took off his hoodie, the dim light casting highlighting the scar that resided over his eyebrow. "He's too busy worrying about his company to care what me or Dick do with our lives," Jason took the bag of money out of his hoodie pocket and handed it to Xavier.

"Dick's pretty observant. He could say something." Xavier counts the bills out of the bag, then slides back a couple of bills to Jason. "He's in love. Dick doesn't know jack shit. As long as Kory's around, I can do whatever the hell I want," "True. It's a shady business though, next time. Try not to get into a cage match with my clients. I've got a business reputation to keep up." Jason rolled his eyes, "He threw the first punch." "Drugs can do that to you. It's the addiction talking to him. Be careful next time." Jason nods before shoving the money into his pocket and shrugs his hoodie back on.

"See you tomorrow?" "Yep. I need you to hit the pier tomorrow." Xavier takes out a couple of bags of pills and throws them his way. It lands on the ground with a soft plop. Jason picks it up and observes the different types of pills in bags. "Narcotics. It's big in the market right now, especially with teens. If the bag is gone by the end of the night. You're looking for a good payout my friend." "I plan to," He pushes the bags into his pockets. The light above them flickers "Time for you to go, baby bird." Jason rolled his eyes at the nickname and waved goodbye to Xavier as he began to walk back home.


A young woman with dark chocolate skin that looks as though she's been blessed by the highest of gods steps out of a limousine. She runs her perfectly manicured purple nails through her hair and whips it behind her. She bats her eyelashes at the mesmerized driver and smiles. "Thanks for the ride, sweetie." She blows him a kiss before closing the door behind her. The limo drives away as she gazes up at a familiar apartment building. "Hope my sister doesn't mind me dropping in.". Komy stares up at the apartment building, a sinister smirk blossoming upon her lips.

The Hive: It's the last leg of summer vacation before the swimsuits are folded and put away. The sun's not the only thing heating Gotham. Welcome back to a season of betrayal, lies, drama, and death. I've missed you all and hope you've brought more than your boogie boards. This wave's coming crash down. Ciao for now.

The Hive.


Comicgeek16: I'm back lovelies! Here's the first chapter to season two! If you have stumbled across this little book of mine and don't know what the heck that's going on. I recommend checking out my first book/first season to get up to speed! The rest of you V.I.P.'s that already know the story, welcome back. Thanks so much for reading the first chapter of the 2nd installment in my series, I hope you enjoy. Feel free to review and follow for more! See ya soon.

**ALSO: The finale of Book 1 will be addressed in later chapters, trust me. I didn't forget ;).