The Hive: Awww, it's almost time for me to close this book and start some fresh new chapters for myself. However, what's order without a little chaos?
*A/N: The italicized paragraphs are told from Kory's POV of what she recalls that one night in the past summer. Don't worry! More of it will be revealed in the next chapter!
Kory swung her hips to the beat of the music, he stood behind her and ground against her. She giggled, although, it wasn't a giggle that a girl did when she was having fun. It was the type of giggle that you couldn't control, an intoxicated one. He leaned against her and placed his lips close to her ear "What do you say, we get out of here?" Kory nodded her head as he dragged her away. His crew was whistling at the two of them making their way to the exit, Kory could hear the faint words "Get a room!" And "My man's about to get some!" They left out the club so fast, that the scene was a blur. She could feel the drugs run through her system, they were pushing her to act this way, differently.
Kory couldn't decide whether or not she liked it. The door slammed open, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pushed her against the wall. His lips ran across her neck, and all Kory could do was hum. His hands pawed at her ass and legs for them to wrap around him. "Say no, Kory," She thought to herself, but she couldn't bring herself to. The drugs were too strong, they didn't want it to stop, and she did. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, bzzz. bzzz. "Thank X'Hal," she thought. He stopped himself from going any further as Kory grabbed her phone from out of her pocket. A call from her father, she glanced at the time in the top right corner; it was almost midnight. Kory took a deep breath before pressing the answer button. "Where are you?" His gruff voice shook from the phone. Kory glanced at him, he ran a hand through his buzzed hair. "I-I'm on the way, father,"
"You better be if the press finds you out at night-" "—I know, I apologize. I was hanging out with friends—" "—With him?" Kory bit her lip, her father had warned her about the crowd she was hanging around with lately. Komy had told him, she just knew that's what happened. Now he's keeping a close eye on her, they agreed before that the palace guards would be 100 feet away from her off palace grounds. However, now that he knows where she's been and who with, they were watching her like a hawk. Thankfully, they managed to escape them a couple of hours ago and she would be able to have freedom.
"We'll talk about your activities when you get home. As well as your security, come home at once," "Yes father," Kory hung up the phone and turned around to him. "Lemme guess, King daddy dearest wants you home?" She nodded. He fishes his keys out of his pocket and juggles them in his hands. "Your dad didn't say how long it would take for you to get back," He placed his arm around her shoulder and brought her close, she could smell the smoke on his breath. Sober her would gag at the smell of it, but intoxicated her thought the scent smelled kind of sweet. They walked hand in hand away from the club's entrance and towards his car.
Here he was standing in front of her, his smile crooked and eyes empty. He took the black hoodie off his head, revealing a red stripe over his buzzed head. It was a common characteristic found within his gang, The Citadel. Another common feature is that all the boys had been branded with the alpha greek symbol. "Come on, Kory. You didn't miss me?" Kory was too stunned to answer, she couldn't believe he found her. What was she to do? Yell, scream, cry, all three? She had to get out of there, immediately.
"H-How did you find me?" He chuckled darkly, she always hated his laugh. "Your sister helped out a bit, didn't realize you both weren't very close," Kory sighed, she knew her sister was behind this. It was the icing on the cake of Kory's demise and removal from the royal family in Tamaran. "What do you want, Psion?" "You know what it will take for me to shut up," Kory watched as he lit a cigarette and shoved it in his mouth. "Money, lots of hush money," the cigarette lit up as smoke billowed from his mouth and into the night air. "How much?' Kory swallowed harder, her throat was starting to burn. "Around five hundred million," Her mouth dropped. "I-I can't get you that kind of money, at least not right now," He grinned, then let out another cloud of smoke "That's why I'm giving you until Friday," "B-but—," He pressed a dirty finger to her mouth to quiet her, Kory bit back a whine.
"Have the money to me by Friday or there will be hell to pay…starting with that guy you've got your eye on," "Xavier doesn't deserve this—" "—I wasn't talking about Xavier," Her heart sank, she knew who he was referring to. Dick. How did he know about Dick, she tried to keep her distance as much as she could. There wasn't any way that he'd know about him unless he followed The Hive. "Don't look so shocked princess, I've got eyes everywhere. You get me that money and I won't hurt your precious boyfriend," With that, he left into the night. He put a hoodie over his head and ran towards a black car. Kory pressed a cool hand over the hard beating in her chest.
"How could you be so irresponsible and inconsiderate! Do you not care about the fate of your country?" Her father, Myan, yelled at her. Kory didn't glance up at him, her head hung low, and tears brimmed her eyes. The drugs were starting to wear off, much to her benefit. Although, she wishes that she could disappear from this lashing. "I-I was only out for a couple of hours," She whispered. "That doesn't matter! Our reputation is very important in this country! If something were to happen to where you ended up on the front page…again," Her father continued.
She could picture her mother, Luan, stepping forward and touching his shoulder. "Kory, it doesn't look good on our part when the country thinks that we can raise our teenage daughter. I know the palace walls can be a bit much, however, your sister and Ryan manage to do well without," Kory rolled her eyes on the inside. Komy was anything but innocent in this. Who do you think gave her the pills in the first place that made her act this way? Komy was out later than she was and she never got caught. Somehow, Kory would end up getting a finger wag from her parents.
"I understand mother and father, I apologize," Kory lifted her head and blinked back the tears. Her father placed a finger under his chin, then glanced at her mother. "You are dismissed, it's late. We'll talk about this more tomorrow after the ball," Kory nodded, then headed towards her room. She heard her father snap his fingers behind her, then the sound of heavy footsteps. Of course, he sent the guards to make sure she made it to her room safely. They didn't trust her enough to go by herself.
"Woah…" Vic sat back against his chair. His eyes were glued to a screen covered in Kory Anders if that was even her real name. He averted his gaze towards a mugshot of Psion, next to him were articles of Kory and her party days. Under a news headline was a photo of her family, she was royalty. He had to tell someone what he just found, he would tell Dick but he doubt that he'd make a trip back over to his place.
Wally wouldn't be able to keep a secret like this from Dick, cause of loyalty and shit. Bee would confront Kory on the spot as would Jinx. There was another option, even though he was friends with Kory. Although, after he found this out, maybe he'd be silent about it. It's a strong maybe….Vic took his phone off the desk and dialed a number.
Gar stared at the computer screen for what seemed like an eternity. He had waited on The Hive's response to the gossip he found out and there was no response. "You'd think they'd have better customer service," He tapped the screen "Please answer," Gar sighed and laid back in his chair. His phone rang, he checked the caller id and spotted Vic's name across the screen. "What could Vic want at this hour?" He answered the phone. "Hey Gar, You need to see this…"
Vic opened the door to see an out-of-breath Garfield on the ground. "Wow, that was fast," "Y-you asked and I came running. W-What is it?" "Come check this out," Vic pulled a chair up by his and Gar took a seat. His eyes read through the computer screen, his eyes widened as big as saucers. "Woah, Kory's a princess?" "Yeah and apparently she's affiliated with this gang. Look at that guy," "Woah, no wonder she left Tamaran. This is big," It was big alright, The Hive worthy too. He'd know where Terra was for sure if he sent this to them.
However, he doesn't think he could betray Kory like that. She was his friend and she supported him in anything he put his mind to. When the others had their backs turned against him, Kory still wanted to be his friend. This secret was being taken to the grave, he wouldn't do that to her. "You think we should tell the guys?" "The guys?" "Yeah, the gang?" Gar was a part of the gang again? He couldn't believe what his ears were hearing, they were accepting him back in. "I-I don't know dude, this is Kory's secret and she wouldn't like it if we spread her business like that—" "—I know, but she could be in danger. Think about it. Kory's been jittery since she got here, why do think?" "Big Scary Blue Guy does look scary, to be honest with you," Vic rolled his eyes, then laughed and clicked on another photo of Kory. She was downing a bottle of cristal as a crowd cheered her on.
"Damn, I wonder how Dick would react if he saw this," "Probably kick a tree for not being the first one to know," They laughed again. "Very true," as Vic clicked on more photos, Gar noticed the photo of Bee and Vic sharing a kiss, and his stomach twisted. "You have to tell him," Gar thought to himself. "No way, if Dick would kick a tree, imagine what Vic would do?" Gar gazed up at him. Vic and he were starting to become friends again, he didn't want to jeopardize it because of Bee. She should be the one to tell him everything, why was he the one to break the news?
Gar gulped down the lump in his throat "So, are you and Bee excited for homecoming?" Vic shrugged. "If I'm being honest, I don't care about homecoming as much as Bee does. Don't tell her I said that," "Cross my heart," "She looks great as always and we have a great time, but I don't know. I don't want our whole relationship to be shaped around our status in high school," "That's valid," Vic picked up the picture Gar noticed earlier and sighed. "Sometimes Gar, I feel like we're on two different parts of the world. She's got these big plans for us and I—" Before Vic could finish his phone rang. He picked it up and stared at the screen. "Speak of the devil," Vic answered the phone, then presses it to his ear. "Hello, my sugar plum," Vic gets up from his seat at the desk and heads out of the room. Gar shook his head, guilt pulling at his stomach and tying it in a knot.
The Hive: Time's Ticking Garfield...are you loyal to your friend or your love life?
Kory closed the heavy doors behind her. "Ehemm," She heard someone clear their throat behind her, and her heart dropped. Kory turned around with her fists balled and ready to punch. The figure let out a small chuckle before coming forward toward the light and revealing himself. Xavier. "You have scared me, Xavier" She stated as she dropped her fists and grinned. "Sorry, cutie. I wanted to see you before tomorrow," "Don't call me that. How did you get by the palace guards, this place is heavily guarded," "He shrugged. "I've got my ways," He patted the seat of the ottoman as he sat down.
Kory sat next to him. Xavier removed something from his pocket, it was round and had brown bumps on it, a cookie! Kory took it from his hands, then took a bite. "Mmmm! This is delicious! Where did you get it?" "My mother baked them before we boarded the plane," "You must tell me what the food is like in America. It sounds like a great place, my uncle would send me postcards and photos. However, I'm sure it's different from the real thing," Xavier placed a hand on his chin "It's greasy food, the weather's different in each section, people have different vibes, lots of drugs are illegal, anything else," She punched his arm, Xavier winced and rubbed his arm. "Cutie—" She glares at him, and he clears his throat again.
"Sorry, Kory. I meant to say why do you care about America so much? Every time I come here, you always want to hear stories about it and I never have much to say," "I bet there are tons to see! I always wanted to go, but my father would never let us. He frowns on their political system," "Ah. I know someone who'd love your enthusiasm," "Who?" "Doesn't matter, it's not like you'd meet them," He glanced at her eyes, they were still cloudy from the drugs. "Kory, are you okay?" "I-I'm fine—" "—I know that look. A couple of cli—people I know have that same look in their eyes. Are you a druggie?" Kory shoved herself off the bench and turned away from him.
She hugged herself "I only use it for my anxiety. They make me feel better," "I don't know Kory, I've seen people take anxiety medicine. They don't make your eyes look like that. Maybe you should talk to your folks—" "—No! I-I can't talk to them! My father will be ashamed of me…what will my mother think. A princess isn't supposed to—" Kory stopped herself as she touched her cheek. Tears were falling down her face, she didn't realize she was crying. Xavier gets up from his seat on the bench and touches her shoulder in comfort. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you that way. Maybe you're right," Kory wrapped her arms around Xavier, he didn't know if he should hug her back. As he heard her sniffle into his shoulder, he knew that what she needed now was a friend.
4 Days til Homecoming…
"Good afternoon, my beautiful voters. It's going to be an amazing next couple of days! Homecoming's almost here, bitches!" Bee gave Vic a fat kiss on his cheek as she took her seat at the table. Vic kissed her cheek back. Jinx watches their whole exchange, her stomach did a somersault. Dick searched around the cafeteria for Cathy, she usually sat at the "mid-popular" sophomore table. Bee's words, not his. However, the girl was nowhere to be seen. His mind drifted to Kory's whereabouts as well, she'd come in right after Bee and Jinx with her lunch tray in hand. That didn't seem to happen either. He shook his head; he couldn't think about Kory right now. "What's everyone wearing to the homecoming dance? Shopping after school together, Jinx?" Jinx was in the middle of nibbling on her carrot, she nodded slowly. Her stomach did another somersault.
"Uh, sure. I don't want anything to frou-frou though," "Puh-lease. When I'm done choosing your outfit, you'll be flawless!" Vic rubbed his hand against Bee's and smiled Jinx's way. "I'm sure whatever Jinx wears, she'll look great in it," Woah. Jinx's stomach did more than a somersault at that, and her cheeks began to heat up. She stuffed the carrot into her mouth and chewed it slowly. Bee glanced between the two of them, and her eyebrow rose, "That was odd," She thought to herself. "Wally, who are you taking to the dance?"
Wally stretched his arms out and wrapped them around Jinx. "I was thinking about taking my girl Jinx here," Jinx shoved him off. "I told you, that you get one dance. Idiot," "Can it be slow—""—Nope, you're getting the fastest song the DJ throws out," "Aw man," Wally kicked the floor, then took a bite of his chili dog. Vic averted his eyes towards Dick, he hadn't talked to them since that small spat at his house. When they were in the locker room, Dick didn't utter a word to him. Instead, he'd talk to Wally, and laugh with him. Vic knew Dick was doing this because he didn't want to hear about Xavier and Kory. However, he needed to know what was going on with Kory and soon.
"Huh? I wonder where Gar is? I invited him to sit with us at lunch—"Wally spit out his chili dog. "Wally, ew!" Jinx exclaimed. "You did what? Bee! Gar can't sit with us, once he starts to sit with us, he'll get closer to us, and when he gets closer to us, the closer he'll find out about—""—It's just lunch, Gretchen Wieners. It's a thank you from me to him, he won't find out," "Says you" Wally stated under his breath. "Wally, it's lunch. Gar and Rachel won't know. We'll all make sure that they don't know," Everyone, except Dick, nodded. Jinx searched around the cafeteria as well, "Come to think of it. I haven't seen or heard from Kory all day. Should we be worried?" Vic noticed Dick's shoulders twitch at the mention of Kory. He could tell that Dick was trying hard not to show that he cared about her, but Vic knew Dick better than anyone. He cared about her a lot.
"She's probably making out with Xavier somewhere," Wally joked. Dick excused himself from the table, shifting it off the ground and causing it to make an eerrrghh sound. "I'm going to look for Cathy," Dick walked across the cafeteria and towards the other tables. Vic, Jinx, and Bee glared at Wally; he shrugged his shoulders. "What? What did I say?" "You know Dick's sensitive about K-O-R-Y, right now," Bee explained. "He likes Cathy, he just went to go find her!" "Yeah, but we all know Dick only likes Cathy like he likes chocolate. Not a lot," Jinx took another bite of her baby carrot. "Vic, help me out here," "I'm staying out of this one," He held his hands up in surrender.
On the other side of the cafeteria, Gar held his lunch bag by his hips and strutted towards his usual lunch table. He spotted Kole examining her crystals on the table while Mas and Menos munched down on a plate of nachos. Rosabelle was in a conversation with Isaiah, and Rachel…was nowhere to be seen. Weird. "Hey, you guys! Where's Rachel?" Kole popped her head up from her crystals "She said something about tutorials," "But Rachel never needs tutoring," Gar thought to himself. She was one of the smartest people he knew in school, she always had her head in a book and always did her homework after school. What did she need to go to tutorials for? "Aren't you going to join us?" Mas asked.
Gar glanced at Vic's table in the middle of the cafeteria and shook his head. "I'm actually going to hang out with Vic and the guys for a today. Kinda promised," He rubbed the back of his neck. "Can we come with?" Kole asked. Gar felt his stomach drop, "They only invited me—I'm sorry! We can hang out later today if you guys want," Kole's eyes lowered as did Mas and Menos. He could tell they were hurt by this, and he wouldn't blame them. Bee didn't know them as well; he was sure they would get along with the popular kids. However, baby steps…he had to make sure he was back in their good graces to get more intel for The Hive and to find Terra. Also, the information that both Vic and he found on Kory was too big to pass up.
He knows that their friends and everything, but he wanted to hear her side of the story before he judged her. Kory wouldn't do any of those things without reason, that wasn't like her. "Enjoy lunch with those popular kids, Gar," Kole's tone sounded icy, it sent chills down his spine. "I'll see you guys later, I promise! Let's hang at the pet shop," He walked backward with a metal smile at them. They went back to the things they were doing before, munching down nachos, crystal examination, and conversation, as if he wasn't there.
Gar approached the table his eyes set on the seat next to Vic. As if she senses he was coming, Bee jumped up from her spot "Gar!" And gave him a hug. "It's so great to see you! Isn't it great to see you guys?" She didn't have to make it such a big deal, Gar would have been just fine with a couple of heys. "Yeah. Totes," Wally mocked. Bee growled at him, he cleared his throat and smiled, even though it felt fake. "H-hey Gar, how's life been?" "Good, I guess," He took a seat next to Vic who gave him a wave. Bee took her seat back down next to Vic and wrapped her arm around his. "So, Gar…are you going to homecoming?" "I'm the mascot. It's a requirement for me to go," "I meant to the dance,"
"Oh…ummm. I haven't thought about it, no one's really asked me—""—You could take Rachel! I always thought you two would look cute together," Gar almost spit out his hummus sandwich, he gulped it down "Rachel? As in Rachel Roth? The girl who hates school spirit?" "Yeah, it'd be fun if the old gang got back together and hung out like old times, she's coming to join us isn't she?" Gar shrugged and took another bite into his veggie hummus sandwich. "Beats me, she had tutorials," Everyone glanced at each other in confusion, so it wasn't just him who couldn't put Rachel and tutorials together.
Wally grimaced at the hummus that drooped from the sandwich. "Ugh, I can't believe you still eat that. I haven't seen that thing since eighth grade," "Don't knock it til you try it," Gar grinned, Wally playfully rolled his eyes, then laughed. It was a genuine laugh; they were warming up to him! "Come on man, you're as thin as a string bean. Try the burgers," Vic teased, Gar stuck his tongue out. "As if, I gag anytime they're in my sight," The group chuckled.
It felt as though nothing changed between them. Like everyone was still friends with each other and the past years were crazy nightmares. "Hey everyone," They all turned their heads to see Dick linked arm in arm with a redhead girl who strongly resembled Kory. Gar watched as Bee and Jinx exchanged looks, it seemed along the lines of "Is he fucking serious right now?" He couldn't tell. "I'd like to introduce Cathy, my date to the homecoming dance," He smiled.
Kory sat her head against her bed frame. She pretended that she was sick and wouldn't be able to go to school. Thankfully, her uncle bought the lie and left her alone. "He asked for how much?" Donna asked on FaceTime. "500 million and there's no way I could give him that kind of money right now," "What about your parents?" Kory shook her head "They'd force me to transfer out of the country immediately, I can't leave. Not right now," She found herself thinking of all the friends she made. Vic, Gar, Wally, Jinx, Kole, Mas, Menos, Rosabelle, Isaiah, Rachel, and Dick. Especially Dick. Donna noticed the far-off look in her eye, she knew why Kory didn't want to leave as well. Even if Kory wasn't ready to say it out loud. "What are you gonna do?" Kory thought for a moment. Her parents did have a bank account filled with a trust fund for all their children. However, based on how much they had put into the bank account, if she removed a large sum of money, something would alarm them for sure. "I'll have to find something to do and fast, he gave me until homecoming. I can't ask Xavier, he's already in enough trouble. Donna, what am I going to do?"
That night
She sat in front of a large mirror as the maid behind her brushed out her curls and twisted them into a neat, beautiful bun. "A couple more minutes Princess Starfire," The main stated as she continued to fix the loose tendrils into place. Inside palace walls, she was to be addressed as Princess Starfire and nothing else. However, when she'd escape to the outside, people would address her as Kory. A name she had grown very fond of having. Her father thought of it as her spitting on heritage as did her mother. Blackfire thought it was a break from her identity and to keep it around. Kory didn't crack a smile, her eyes wore bags under them, and her skin was a bit paler than usual.
Her maid didn't ask her any questions, why she wasn't talking, what's gotten into her, instead she finished her duties. Very few talked to Princess Starfire within these palace walls, if she was curious about something, no one would look her in the eye. They'd instead quip that she'd ask her father about such things. Which was no use, as he'd tell her to work on her assignments or play with Ryan. Kory touched the purple dress that lay against her skin, a nice silk quality to it. The dress had long sleeves with silver pendants at the bottom, and a small slit placed at the end of the dress to give her room to show off her gladiator heels that wrapped around her legs. Her maid placed a small silver tiara with a single emerald gem in the middle on top of her head. "You're so beautiful, Princess" Kory glanced at herself in the mirror, she wasn't the wild girl from the night before, but a well-mannered princess in the mirror. "Thank you," Kory whispered her eyes didn't leave the sight in front of her. The maid bowed and left the room as Kory took a deep breath.
"Beautiful! Just beautiful!" A fellow royal council member praised them as they greeted the royal family at the top of the stairs. He gave Princess Starfire a kiss on her knuckles, she nodded as if unbothered by the whole ordeal. However, on the inside, she wanted to slap his hand away. Next to her was her sister, Princess Blackfire, better known as Komy. She was taking this exchange better than she was, the crowd adored her. Komy was wearing a similar style to hers, except the dress was black, and had a few more jewels on it.
Wildfire or Ryan, stood by their parents, his hands clasped behind his purple tuxedo. For an eight-year-old boy, you'd think that Ryan wouldn't be able to control himself in front of the crowd, yet he knew better. Her mother, Luan, placed her hand around her son's shoulder. The emerald marriage ring gleamed under the fluorescent lights. Luan wore a violet gown that accentuated her tall frame and complimented her golden caramel skin tone. Its lavender accents lie underneath the gown, bringing out its features. Her red hair was like hers, except in front of her face, a couple of curls hung. On top of her head was a diamond-encrusted crown filled with the most precious jewels.
She looked beautiful, a true queen to those before her. Lastly, their father, Myan, didn't smile as much as the others. His grin spoke volumes for his silence. Anytime a guest would pass by him, he'd give them a simple nod and a thank you. Kory knew that anger brewed beneath him, he caught her from being out last night. He didn't yell at her, but she knew that the yelling was coming, and it scared her. Cameras flashed around them as they continued to wear fake smiles and regal-like poses. At least Kory's smile was fake. She searched through the crowd with her eyes and looked for a source of comfort if only her uncle was here. He'd make this a better occasion. Her eyes landed on Xavier Redd, he noticed her back and waved. Kory nodded at him, finally someone she recognized. Her father cleared his throat, he took a step forward, and the crowd hushed. "My family and I would like to thank you all for coming to this event. This event highlights the beauty of Tamaran and its citizens as well as its strengths…" Slowly Kory drifted away from her father's speech and let her mind wander.
Kory rushed into the restroom and pulled at the dress's collar. "Why is this thing so itchy?" She thought as she pulled at it again. The door pushed open, and Komy strolled inside, humming a tune to herself. She notices Kory near the sink and smiles "Aw, sister dear. What's wrong? Are you having a bad comedown from the pills you took?" "Komy!" "Oops silly me. It's not like anyone can hear us. This restroom is reserved for us only," "I know, but what if father hears us?" "He won't, he's too busy schmoozing," Blackfire peeks her head out of the bathroom door and spots their father in conversation.
She retracts her head back "Yep, I figured." Starfire exhaled a breath, then slid back against the wall, letting her purple dress flood around her. Komy took out a case of altos' mints, then opened them, and plucked out a small pill. "Anxious?" Kory nodded. "It's very overwhelming, I don't know how you survive," Komy hands her the pill, but Kory shoves it away. "If that's what I think it is, I don't want it," "Come on Star, you're such a buzzkill," "I can't do it again, I don't like how I feel after "—This is a better one, trust me. Do you want it to go away? The panic attacks, the sweats, shaky hands," Kory put her head in her hands.
She thought about the first time Komy gave her the pill. She said it would calm her down and make her anxiety go away. Kory took it and felt like a completely different person during the pill's effects. However, the crash was awful, and Kory could only remember a select few things from the night before…. the bad things. "Fine…I need a minute," Kory took the pill from her hand, popped it in her mouth, and swallowed it down. Her head started to sway; this was different from the ones before. The room spinner around her, Komy's face was distorted, and all she could recognize was her smile. "Wha—what did you give me?" "You'll be fine darling, let the pill settle," Kory tried to get up from her spot on the ground, but ended up falling. "See you in a bit, hun!" "Komy…wait!" Komy didn't turn around as she left out the door.
Kory took a deep breath as she held the phone in her hands. This was her only option, she had nowhere else to turn. She dialed a number; the phone rings a couple of times. Ring. Ring. Ring. Then no answer, Kory glanced down at her phone. That was strange, one of the maids usually answered the phone for her. Knock. Knock. Kory glanced at the door, then shoved herself under the covers and pretended to be asleep. The door opened, and heavy footsteps walked in. "Kory," She heard her uncle say, his voice sounded deep with regret and worry. Kory pretended as if she was waking up for the first time "Uncle, is everything alright?" She saw the look in her uncle's eyes, something was terribly wrong. "Uncle?" "I just received notice from the kingdom, something terrible's happened to your father. We need to fly to Tamaran as soon as possible," Those words broke her crumbling heart.
Bee blinked as everyone, apart from Wally was awestruck at the sight of the new couple before them. "Hi-Cathy, was it?" Cathy nodded "Yeah, my name's Catherine. My friends call me Cathy," "Right! Right," Bee held out a hand to Cathy. Cathy shakes it and smiles at her. Dick could see right through Bee's act; she wasn't being friendly. Bee was being cautious towards her as if she wasn't sure Cathy would make a great addition to the group, even if it was temporary. "Great to meet you, do we have any classes together?" "I don't think so," "Aw, what a shame," Dick gritted his teeth under his mouth, and through his shade, he was scowling at Bee. "Why don't you sit with us, Cathy? Let's get to know you," Vic interjected. Thank God for Vic. Dick and Cathy waltz over to the other side of the table and took their seats next to Jinx. Silence. Dead silence.
Dick noticed Gar's presence at the table "Hey Gar, I didn't know you were sitting here," "Oh yeah, Bee and Vic invited me," He shrugged, and Dick gazed between them with an eyebrow raised. "Hey, you invited people here too. No offense, Cathy," Bee stated. "None taken, I know what it's like when a couple of strangers come into something they have no idea about," "Except, Gar's not a stranger," Vic chimed in. Dick smacked a hand against his face, this is going terribly. Gar pulled at Vic's shirt as he whispered something in his ear, Vic whispered back. "What are you two over there gossiping about?" Wally asked. "N-nothing! Gar's coming with me to pick out a tux for homecoming," "Why didn't you ask Dick and me to come with you?" Vic folded his arms. "I don't know, lately, you two have been doing everything else together. Excluding me—"
"—That's cause someone doesn't want to let a certain thing go," Dick hissed. "Maybe that certain thing is all a lie to cover up something else that's trouble and I was trying to help," "What do you mean by trouble? She's fine—" "—No, she's not!" Vic covered his mouth in shock. Dick sat back in his chair, steam was coming off of him. Why wouldn't Vic let this go? Kory and Xavier are a thing, what's the big deal? She wasn't into him, and she never will be, why does Vic think this is all for a show? "Am I missing something?" Cathy asked. "Yeah, what the hell are you two bozos going on about?" Jinx added. She glanced at Wally; he shook his head. "I was told to shut up,". Dick got up from his seat again and urged Cathy to do the same. "Come on Cathy, we're leaving. Let's go somewhere else," He pulled her by the hand before she could say anything.
Bee turned to Vic and Gar; her arms crossed over her chest. "Alright you two, spill," "Yeah, what the hell was that about?" Vic glanced at Gar, then sighed. He took a hold of Bee's hand "We promised we wouldn't keep any secrets from each other. Kory's in trouble," "What do you mean she's in trouble?" As Vic continued to talk, their eyes widened at what he said. Unbeknownst to them, Dick was heading towards the table to grab his backpack and could overhear a part of the conversation. "So, the whole thing with Xavier is an act?" Jinx asked.
Vic nodded and continued "Turns out they've known each other for a while. Xavier's dad used to be an ambassador on their council. All those videos of Kory that were on Bee's phone are apparently a small fraction of the story. Kory's got a lot of history; she's affiliated with some sort of gang. There's this guy that she used to go out with and he's scary as hell. That's all I know though, I think she's in trouble" "Woah," Dick took a couple of steps back from the table. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, the fact that Xavier and Kory weren't dating or worse, that she was in trouble. His stomach twisted, and he felt like absolute shit. Dick lashed out his anger at her towards his friends, they didn't deserve that. Kory didn't deserve the silent treatment she was getting from him. He acted like a complete ass, and he had to drag a nice girl like Cathy into his stunts. He had to make this right. The best way for him to do it was to talk to Xavier in person and get to the bottom of this.
The Hive: Boy Wonder vs. The Bad Boy, a showdown between two hotties that I wouldn't mind getting myself into. Will X squeal on his precious gem to the one her heart desires most? Or will he keep her for himself?
Dick pushed forward the kickstand on his motorcycle as he parked it in the motorcycle parking spot. He glanced up at the bar in front of him and walked in. Inside the bar was booze, drunk idiots, and drugs everywhere, what kind of place is this? The bartender noticed Dick and waved him over, Dick shoved his hands into his leather jacket. "What can I do for you, Pretty Boy?" Dick fixed the shades on his face. "I'm looking…for X?" The bartender nodded towards the door in the back. "Thanks," Dick shoved his way through the crowd as he made his way toward the back door…
…This place was much quieter, the music vibrated through the walls as a couple of people sipped their glasses quietly. He could tell these people weren't to be messed with, they had stolen jewels around their necks the size of his eyeballs and scowls to match. Dick searched the room and saw a small group of people in a booth with cards in front of their faces. In the middle of them lay a large pile of drugs and money, what a shock. "Alright boys, play nicely," he heard a familiar voice cackle. He shuffled towards the table; the group glanced up at him.
Their eyes were red and dazed, "Already high," he thought to himself. Squished in between two goons was Xavier. Dick spotted the bruises on his neck and face, the cut above his lip, and his shiny black eye. "You look like shit," Dick stated, Xavier glanced up from his cards. "I could say the same to you," Dick folded his arms across his chest. "I need to talk to you," "If it's about Kory, you can forget it—" Dick out a large wad of cash from his pocket and throws it on the table, everyone except Xavier gasped. "Is this enough for the buy-in?" Xavier sighs then snaps his fingers. The goons remove themselves from the table, Dick takes a seat across from Xavier. "Didn't think you cared…that much," "It's strictly business between us X,"
"I thought you had your eye on someone…Carey something," Xavier took a sip from his beer on the table. "Her name is Cathy, and this isn't about her right now. I want you to tell me what you know about Kory," "Why should I tell you anything?" Dick pretended to pick a piece of lint off his shirt and observe it. "Cause, I know that you know she's in trouble and you're the only person who knows why," Xavier cackled back in his seat "Who told you that, Bruce?" Dick rolled his eyes under his shades. "Bruce doesn't know anything—" "—Ha! Who do you think pushed Kory over to me? He's got eyes on her, told her to stay away from you or he'd tell you everything," Dick's eyes widened.
Did Bruce know about Kory too? Of course, he knew, he was Bruce Wayne. If Bruce didn't want anyone to mess with his plans, he'd find something to keep him away. This explains so much to him. The way Bruce acted when Dick brought up Kory, how he'd tell him to be careful. It's all coming together in front of him, he shook his head and got up from his seat. "This isn't over," He pointed a finger toward Xavier and Xavier smacked it away. "Yeah, whatever. I'm keeping the money by the way, pleasure doing business with you," Xavier snatched the huge wad off the table and counted the money with the lick of his finger. Dick rolled his eyes before pushing himself out the door.
Psion searched through the contacts on his phone as he stared ahead at Gotham Academy. Riiiing! He answered the phone, a smile grew on his face. "I take it that the girl went according to plan?" The voice on the other line asked. "Yep, she's scrambling to find the money as we speak," "Perfect, now that I've shot her father, the kingdom of Tamaran will have no choice but to fall to our graces and rule under Citadel. Well done Psion, the prince would have been pleased with your work," "It is my honor to serve the kingdom of Citadel," Psion turned around and discovered the school sign. The sign displayed "Homecoming this Friday Night at 7! Go Tigers!" Psion took a photo of the board and saved it in his library. "Anything else I need to do for you?" "Just wait, you'll know the next part of the plan later tonight. For now, find a place to hide, they may strike." "Yes Captain," He hung up the phone. Kory Anders prepare for the downfall of Tamaran.
Dick shoved his way through the doors and into Bruce's office. He gazed throughout the area to see if anything was out of place or a clue to Kory. Knowing Bruce, it wasn't likely that he would let something slip in plain sight. Dick locked his gaze on the file cabinet with a safe code on it. Bingo. He thought to himself as he averted his gaze toward the numbers. If I were Bruce Wayne, what would the numbers to the safe be? He punched in his birthday, and the code beeped. ERRGH. "Okay, that's not it," Dick whispered. It must be something important, something that Bruce wouldn't want anyone to figure out.
He pressed another set of numbers as the door behind him opened, Dick didn't notice the figure behind him as he continued. "What the hell are you doing?" He heard Bruce ask. Dick's shoulders hiked up as he felt his adoptive father's presence behind him. Dick swallowed, then turned around. "Dick, I asked you a question. Why are you in my things?" Dick knew he wouldn't be able to escape this confrontation with Bruce. "Tell me what you know about Kory," He folded his arms as Bruce's facial expression remained the same: stoic. "I told you what I know, be careful with her," "I know that you know more, tell me—" "—Dick—" "—Bruce, I deserve to know!" Bruce sighs as he pressed a random numbers into the safe key locks and opens it.
He takes out a thick file with Kory's name on it and hands it to Dick. "I warned you—" Dick takes the fold out of his hand before he could finish and opens the file. Dick read through a couple of the articles and their headlines, his eyes widened at the lines "Murderer" "Gang-affiliated" and "Princess Starfire". She was a princess in line for the throne. Did she murder someone? No wonder Kory was so jittery around them, any second could be her last.
So who was Kory really? Was she someone sweet, a bit shy, and giddy? Or was she a princess with a wild side and a secret crime record? He had to find out himself from Kory, the real answers and he wasn't taking denial. Dick closed the file and shoved it inside his jacket before leaving Bruce's office. "Dick, where are you going?" "Out." "Dick, you are not going to find that girl. Now that you know the truth—" Dick stopped in his tracks and snapped his head at Bruce. "You have no right to have kept this from me. I don't know who you are anymore, but you sure as hell aren't my father," Dick slammed the door behind him, leaving Bruce in shock.
Dick climbed up the stairs toward Kory's apartment and knocked on the door. He had to know from her, she wasn't this girl. She couldn't be this girl inside this file. There was no answer at the door, Dick knocked again. "Come on, come on," He thought as he waited for someone to open the door. Below the apartment was an old man walking his Pomeranian, he glanced up and noticed Dick at the door. "Young man, are you looking for Galfore?" Dick turned around to see him and nodded "Yeah, I'm a friend of his niece's!" The old man shook his head "You just missed them; they ran out of there not too long ago. It seemed urgent, the girl was crying on the way to the car," Hell. "Do you know where they went?" "Beats me, I didn't have the chance to ask. He continued to walk with his Pomeranian as Dick stared at the door. He just missed them, and she didn't even say goodbye.
The Hive: Poor Boy Wonder, looks like Juliet decided to catch the next flight out of town. The questions I'm asking are where & why?
comicgeek16: What's this? Another chapter? You don't have to wait another month for the next update? Surprise! After I released the previous one, I had to write this one immediately. Season One's almost coming to a close, but don't worry a bunch is gonna happen in this two-part finale! Everyone will make appearances, it may be others last. We'll see ;). I really enjoy the reviews, you guys! They make me so happy to see people enjoying this story! Please follow the story, write another review (if you can), and recommend! See ya, later!