Homecoming P.2: The Finale
The Hive: Exclusive! This just in Victor Stone has been involved in a car accident and it's not looking so hot. My thoughts go out to the involved parties, I'd hate for anyone, including my knight and shining Armani to go through this.
A body covered in blood and beyond facial recognition was being zipped into a black bag. A couple of bystanders watched as the body was carried into the coroner's van. The blue and red lights from the police cars and ambulance flashed across their shocked faces. In front of them were two cars totaled, broken beyond repair. Glass shards and pieces were scattered across the ground, and police officers place placards with numbers on them in each section of the scene. "Hey! We found the other one!" One of the police officers calls out. They all run to the unconscious body that lies near the tree and examine it.
Dick's leg bounces up and down next to Kory as they wait with the others for the doctor. Kory lays a hand on Dick's knee, "It's going to be okay," He sighs and places his hand over hers. "I-I'm scared that it's not," Wally's eyes were glued to the door in front of them. He hadn't moved since they entered the waiting room. It had been hours since they heard about Vic's accident and none of the staff had mentioned a word to them. "Should we inform Bee?" Kory asked. "I tried, but she's not answering her phone," Jinx mentioned as she walked through the door.
She took a seat next to Wally and noticed his current state. His eyes were bloodshot, it seemed as though he cried. Alfred walked into the room with steaming mugs in his hands "I took the leisure of getting coffee for you all. Who'd like some?" The group didn't answer, they were too scared to talk. "I'll put these in the other room then," Alfred walked back into the sanctuary where Bruce sat with Vic's father as he cried in the chair. "You shouldn't have called Bee," Wally muttered, "Excuse me?" Jinx asked. "It's her fault that he's in this mess. If she hadn't cheated on him, then maybe he wouldn't have gotten in the car and-and—" "—Vic was also on drugs! I'm not excusing Bee's behavior, but he needed to help Wally.
If it didn't happen now, then who knows where he'd be later?" "Why didn't you tell anyone then? Hmm?" Wally asked. His face was centimeters from hers, she could feel the anger steam off of him. "Why didn't you tell us that he had a problem? Dick and I could have helped, why didn't you say anything—" "—Alright, you two. That's enough, it's not time for this right now," Dick stepped in between the two of them. Jinx was at a loss for words, she knew why she didn't want to say anything to them; because Jinx couldn't believe it, she didn't want it to be true. Gar burst through the doors, Wally stood back up from his seat "What are you doing here?".
"Bee, honey. I know that you're wanting to catch the fastest flight out of Gotham," Mrs. Beecher watched as Bee sorted through her piles of clothes into different colors. That would always put her mind at ease, it was a weird task sure. However, something about doing laundry made her feel a bit better. "Mom, what's the matter?" Her eyes hung low "Vic's been in an accident," Her heart dropped. "Is he okay?" Mrs. Beecher shook her head. "I-I don't know. Bruce just called your father a couple of minutes ago and—" Before she could finish her sentence, Bee grabbed a coat from her clothes pile and hobbled out the door.
Principal Wilson sat opposite Mr. Malchoir, he had his head in his hands. "Mr. Malchoir, you understand that it's a Saturday right? This couldn't have waited until Monday morning?" Mr. Malchoir shook his head, "Unfortunately sir, this couldn't wait. I have some terrible news to tell you. I feel as though one of my students is being abused at home," This statement intrigued Principal Wilson to pop his head up in concern. "Go on" He listened as Mr. Malchoir explained the situation to him. His ears perking in interest.
Gar was about to answer when Kory stepped in front of him. "I told him what happened," "After you stabbed him in the back? Ha!" Jinx sank lower into her seat. "He still has the right to know," Gar placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "Kory, it's okay. I can go, I wanted to make sure he was okay," "No, you should stay. Vic would want you here," "Would he?" "Wally, enough!" Dick interjected. Wally glanced at Dick as if he had lost his marbles. "Oh, so now that you two are dating or make-out buddies or whatever. There's no room for your best friend anymore, huh?" "Wally, it's not like that. Things are getting too intense. It's not helping," "Did Vic's punch in the face knock some sanity out of you?" Jinx remarked. Wally growled at her before pulling his hood over his head and heading towards the door. "Wally, where are you going?" "Out. Call me when they have some news," Wally opened the door ready to step outside when Bee limped through. "Where is he? Where's Vic?" She asked, though her questions were not directed toward anyone.
She was too embarrassed to meet anyone's shocked gaze at her sudden appearance. No one said anything, their mouths dry. Even Wally, who had an emotional outburst before, didn't know what to say. "Bee," Kory took the initiative to talk for the group. "We aren't sure, the doctors are not telling us anything," Bee wiped a couple of tears that fell down her face. "Oh my god," She whispered. Bee held a hand over her mouth as she cried silently to herself. The breakup sent him over the edge to do this, she knew that. How could she have been so stupid, so careless with her actions? Kory removed her hand from Dick's and placed a gentle hand on Bee's shoulder. Bee gazed up at her, tears still falling down her cheeks, and smiled softly. "Unbelievable," Wally scoffed. Bee noticed that his gaze was directed at her when he said that. "Wally, I-I know I'm the last person you want to see right now,"
"You and Gar, why do you care? Shouldn't you be off with Herald?" That stung, but she deserved that. "That doesn't matter, what happened was—it's none of yours or anyone else's business what happened. What matters is Vic," "That's not the video Gar broadcasted said!" "I'd like to stay out of this, thanks," Gar stated. "Then why was it broadcasted?" Bee asked. He gulped and gave a glance to Jinx for help. She gazed at the ground, he couldn't continue to cover for her. "Well, it wasn't even me that told The Hive," The room went silent. "Yeah right, The Hive stated that it came from you. So unless someone hacked into your phone, who else could have done it?" Before Gar could open his mouth to answer. A group of doctors pushed through the doors with a patient on a medical gurney, his body unrecognizable as it was covered in copious amounts of blood and scratches.
"We have to get this kid to the emergency room immediately!" One of them yelled, the body passed by the kids. Kory held a hand to her mouth in shock as Dick grasped unto her other hand tightly. Jinx's stomach twisted, Wally gazed away, and Gar almost fainted. Bee was too stunned to look away. The body looked familiar to her, that build, the skin, could it be? "What's the patient's name?" They heard another Doctor ask. "Officers found his wallet near the damaged vehicle. Too much blood on the wallet, so the only thing we could make out was that his last name is Stone," Bee gasped. The doctors pushed him through the emergency room doors, the teens watched as they closed with a heart-shattering slam.
Rachel knocked on Mr. Malchoir's door and waited. It had been two days since he last answered one of her text messages, he wouldn't even look her way in class. To say she was worried would be an understatement, she was downright terrified. "Told you those marks on your skin would make him run away," The voice in the back of her head would say. She pulled the cardigan off her shoulder a bit, the bruises were healing. The purple and red weren't there anymore, instead, it was more of a pale yellow. The door opened, and appeared behind. He didn't appear happy to see her, his face remained stoic. "Rachel," The octave in his voice didn't raise like others did if they were happy to see someone. Something was wrong, she could feel it.
"Rorek…hi" She smiled at him, but he didn't smile back. "Come in," He pushed the door further to where she could walk inside. Rachel placed a hand on his shoulder "Is everything alright?" "Yes…we need to talk," She could feel her heart split in two. Those words, those stupid words that everyone says you should look out for when someone you're enamored with says.
Rachel knew what that meant and she couldn't help but let the tears prick in her eyes and fall down her face as she walked inside. Rachel took a seat on the couch, she forgot how comfortable it made her feel. Too bad, it'd likely be the last time she'd see it again. Rorek took a seat across from her, his arms didn't reach out to touch the top of the couch. Cold. That's what she was feeling at the moment. "Um, I thought that maybe we could discuss Ernest Hemingway's philosophies," She wanted to lighten the mood and distract his thoughts from what she knew was coming.
"Rachel…I got a job opportunity in England." Another crack in her heart. She swallowed the giant lump in her throat and put on a brave smile "That's great. Isn't it?" "I'll get to be a professor at a small university, something I've always wanted to do. I have to leave immediately, get my barrings," "What about Gotham Academy? What about your students, what about—" She bit her tongue on the last part.
Rachel couldn't bring herself into it, she didn't want to be selfish. "I know, I had thought about that. It's a great opportunity for me, I'd be closer to home," He didn't look in her direction. Rorek couldn't even look her in the eye as he said this. "What about us? We've gotten closer since the convention and now…" Tears cascaded down her face. There, he had finally pushed her over the edge. Without him, Rachel would have nothing to look forward to at school. Every day, she'd be so excited to go to his class and listen to him discuss different theories he found in the books they were assigned. His smiling, gorgeous face, beautiful eyes, soft, wavy hair. Now, it felt like a faint memory.
"I know. Don't think I didn't care, 'cause I do. You mean a lot to me—" "—But not enough to stay here and fight for us, right?" He closed his mouth. Rachel wiped the tears from her face in anger, she didn't need him, she didn't need anyone. "Rachel…this was a mistake. I let my brain stand in the way of what was right vs. what felt good at the moment," It's like he was intentionally trying to hurt her.
"So, did you actually like me? Or was it all a lie?" "I did. I liked you more than you'd ever know…but Rachel. You need help," "What are you talking about?" His gaze averted to her shoulders, and Rachel covered them in embarrassment. "You didn't do those to yourself…I know that much. I can tell the difference—" "—You don't know what you're talking about," He reached out to touch her shoulder.
Rachel scooted back and shook her head, he held up his hands in apology. "I'm sorry. That wasn't right of me. But, you have to tell me. Who did this to you?" She sat silent. That answered his question, he knew he was doing the right thing. She didn't need to know what was waiting for her at home. He had a choice to make. Give her up and let her live a safer life or keep a secret relationship with her and let her continue to go through this hell by herself.
Kory ran her fingers through her curls as she wrote inside her notebook and did homework. The words began to scramble in her brain, almost as if it was gibberish to her. She couldn't focus, other things occupied her mind: Vic, her family, and—"Wanna take a break?" She turned her head to see Dick glancing at her in concern. She almost forgot that she invited him over a while ago to study for Miss Mae-eye's test. "Sure," She closed her notebook, and Dick did the same. He took a seat next to her on the bed and ran his thumb over her fingertips.
"You seem distracted," "How could you tell?" "Cause when something's on your mind, you tend to breathe harder and play with your hair," Kory noticed her fingers were messing with the tips of her curls, and she smiled shyly. "I'm worried about Vic," "Me too. Bruce called his dad earlier, but he was pretty vague with everything," "Do you think he'll be alright?" He shrugged. "I hope he will be," Dick laid back on the bed, and Kory did the same. They stared up at the ceiling in silence, Kory had something else on her mind, her relationship with Dick.
Were they a couple? Were they just friends who got caught up in the moment? Did he harbor the same feelings that she had for him? The questions ran through her mind like a train with no tracks. She didn't know where she stood with him. "Um, Dick," "Yeah?" He turned his face towards her. Kory bit her lip as she gazed down at the plush lips she kissed a couple of days before. How were friends supposed to go back to being friendly when they kissed as they did? "Do you regret it?" She whispered. "Regret what?" Kory met his gaze through his shades, there was still so much she didn't know about him.
His eye color, his life before Bruce, he harbored so many secrets. "The kiss?" A blush crept on Dick's cheeks, he sat up from his place on the bed and Kory followed. "Um, why do you ask?" Their hands were still together, was that a good sign? "It's just that...I know it's been a lot these past couple of days and I understand. However, I can't help but think about it…and what it means," Dick didn't say anything, he swallowed, and held her gaze in thought. Maybe he felt sorry for her? Do boys who pity girls, kiss them like that? Like they were the only thing in the world that mattered. He rubbed the back of his neck "I-It's something that I've thought about too. I didn't want to rush you through, rush this,"
"Nor do I," "I mean what about Xavier?" She smiled "Dick, I only fake-dated Xavier to keep the Hive from digging more into my business and to protect you. We aren't a couple, you know that" "I do now," he laid back on her bed. She touched his shoulder, "I feel as though you regret the kiss," "No! I mean, I didn't regret it at all. I enjoyed it…a lot," Her heart swooned, that was a good sign. "As did I," She smiled. "You'll have to forgive me, I haven't been in a relationship like this in a long time. I want to make sure that it's not something we're rushing into. Cause I do…like you a lot," "I like you a lot as well," The blush deepened on both their faces. "So, what's to become of us?" "I don't want to be one of those couples that lets a relationship run its course.
I genuinely want to get to know you, all of you," She gazed through his shades, she could make out the whites in his eyes. "Me too," Dick chuckled, Kory gazed at him quizzically "What?" "Nothing, I just—-I'm kind of being a hypocrite with wearing these shades and me telling you that I want to get to know you more," "It's fine Dick, everyone has their 'thing'" "I know, but if we're gonna be more honest with each other. I need to be a bit more open with you," Dick exhaled a breath before continuing "When I was younger, Bruce told me that eyes lead people to see our emotions easily and it was a bit of a weakness. For as long as I remember, wearing these babies was something that I used as a shield. Now…I don't think I need them as much anymore," He removed the glasses off his face to reveal a pair of beautiful, sapphire blue eyes behind them.
Kory's heart fluttered as her green eyes met his blue. They were amazing, like two pools she could swim in forever. She placed a hand against his face and kissed his cheek. "Blue, that's what was behind those glasses. Gorgeous," He placed his hand over hers and smiled. "Yeah, but don't tell anyone. I'm not ready to expose them to the world just yet," "Of course, it'll be our secret," Dick brought her closer to him and kissed her. A familiar warmth filled their stomachs as their lips ran over each other. Kory removed her hands from Dick's face and into his hair, his hair was so soft. She'd wish that her hands could stay there forever. Dick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. They parted and gazed into each other's eyes, "So, what shall we be?" Kory whispered. "Well, I'm for you and you're for me," "I love that," She laid a tender kiss on his lips before smiling again.
Bee fiddled with the buttons on her blouse as she sat in Jinx's living room. Jinx had invited her over for some girl time as a way to put her mind at ease due to Vic being in the hospital. Jinx strolled down the staircase with a case of different colored nail polishes. "Okay, so I have all the materials we'll need for this girl's session. What should we watch? I'm thinking She's the Man," "I don't think romance is the best option right now," Bee glanced down at her blouse.
Jinx grimaced at her best friend's sad appearance, the guilt tugging at her stomach. She was the one who released the video and text messages to The Hive, and here Bee was blaming herself. When partially she was to blame for broadcasting it to the entire world. "I swear I'm dense sometimes. We could watch something else. Adam Sandler related,"
"Yeah, that'd be fine" Bee sniffled and rubbed her eye. "Awe come on Bee, it'll be okay," "I-I'm such a terrible girlfriend," She kind of was, but Jinx didn't want to let her know that. "You're not. It was a mistake, right?" "Of course it was! I mean Herald and I…what we had wasn't that big of a deal. It was a slip," "I know sweetie. I know," "And now, I'm leaving for Paris in a week to cool down from all the backlash,"
"Wait, what?" Jinx stared at Bee with a shocked expression on her face. Bee nodded "Yeah, I talked to my parents. We all think I should wait out this scandal elsewhere," "But Bee, we've all had problems with the Hive before and that didn't stop us before," "Yeah well, was your infidelity broadcasted to the entire city, possibly the world?" Jinx shook her head. "Exactly. As soon as I found out what was wrong with Vic and his injuries. I'll be on the next private flight out," Jinx rolled her eyes as Bee gathered herself together. She hated how dramatic Bee was being about this. Here it was that her boyfriend was on the verge of life and death, the one she cheated, and now, instead of rolling with the punches. She decides to run away from her problems.
"How the hell did Gar get that video anyway? No, the real question is who took the video?" The guilt rode her stomach, that shook her from her thoughts. "What matters now is that it's over. I'm sure Gar is sorry about it," "After everything I did for that little worm? I invited him to sit with us! I let him make his way back into the group and this is the thanks I get?" "Who knows if Gar sent it after we became friends again? It could've been way before…" Jinx stopped talking as she noticed Bee's glare.
"Why are you taking up for him? He ruined my relationship! I had it all handled. Now, thanks to him I'm crowned the school's slut!" Bee fiddled with the box of nail polish and grabbed gold from the inside. "I don't think you're a slut," Jinx tried to ease the tension. She knew how Bee would get when things didn't go as she planned. First, she'd throw herself a pity party and cry her eyes out, the next stage was anger, and if someone else caused her demise. The third stage would be—"Gar's not gonna know what hit him. He thinks he's scared now, wait til I get intel on him," Shit. Jinx bit her lip from saying anything else. She couldn't tell Bee that she was the one who told The Hive. Especially not now, Bee knew too much, and if she found out. Jinx would be done for.
Rachel opened the door to her house and her eyes traveled to the mess in front of her. A couch turned over on its side, a broken lamp next to it, a smashed television, it looks as if a tornado came through and ruined everything. She glanced at the clock up on the wall, it was a quarter past three. He would have been here by now, passed on the couch, one hand over the cushions. The other one would have an empty glass of who knows what in the other. His presence wasn't here, she couldn't feel it. "Rachel?" She heard an unfamiliar voice ask, it came from the kitchen.
"Dad?" A figure stepped out from the shadows, it was Principal Wilson. "No, I'm afraid it's not him," Her heart sank. She spotted a small bruise beginning to form on his hand, she knew her father's craftsmanship anywhere. "Where is he?" Principal Wilson swallowed "Your father…been sent somewhere for the time being. Under investigation. Turns out there was a lot more going on than what he did at home," She knew that. He had a whole drug trafficking ring in Canada. There were many things that he didn't tell her, she would learn based on the conversations he'd have with his clients. "Don't worry. I have already alerted administration and they've agreed to have you stay at a group home until this mess is sorted out," Her heart thumped through her chest.
A group home? She couldn't leave her home, there were bad memories here that she couldn't forget for sure. But, she grew up here, and memories of her mother still lie around. Principal Wilson reached out a hand to her, and Rachel stepped away. "Nothing happened. He didn't do anything—" "—Rachel, we've had multiple teachers come forward with statements about your…appearance. I can't imagine the stress you are feeling—" His words began to run together.
She couldn't register what he was saying, all she could think about was her house going into flames before them. Rachel didn't have a choice, either accept defeat and go with them to the group home or run…A hand touched her shoulder. "Rachel, can you hear me?" Principal Wilson stared her down. She shook his hand off of her and chose the option that she thought was fit. She ran.
Gar licked his palm, then pressed it against the cowlick on his head. He tried to slick it down with each swipe of the hand, but it wouldn't go down. The cowlick popped back up, his spit wasn't much help. That's what he gets for sleeping on the couch with his buried neck deep in pillows. Knock Knock. Gar sighed and pulled his hoodie over his head as he went to answer the door. Gar unlocked the bathroom door and headed down the stairs.
Knock. Knock. "I'm coming!" He opened the door and frowned at the person in front of him "What are you doing here?" Jinx stood on the other side of the door with her hands in her pocket. "Can I come in?" "Why? Do you need another knife to stab me in the back with? Sorry, they're all in the dishwasher," "Shh!" Jinx stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "It's my house,"
"I know, but we can't be too sure. I don't want anyone eavesdropping on us," Gar folded his arms as Jinx gazed around his house. "Cute place," "Get to the point, what do you want?" She sighs "I wanted to apologize. I didn't know that the Hive was gonna rat you out like that," "Why did you do it?" "Do what?" "Why did you tell The Hive about Bee and Herald? I was planning to talk to Vic after the game about it, but you decided to go a different route. Wally wanted to strangle me, as did Bee. You didn't even try to tell them," She hung her head low.
"I know…but Gar, you have to understand. If they found out it was me," She shook her head as tears pricked her eyes. That's the first time he's seen Jinx cry. For as long as he's known her, crying was something she nor Rachel ever did. He didn't think she had that kind of emotion. "Too much is at stake. It's better if they think you did it," He scoffed "So you'd rather the whole school hate me than tell them the truth. No. No way, I'm not taking the fall for you," He was about to open the door and make Jinx leave, but she stepped in front of him. "Gar, please. If Bee found out I did it, she'd destroy me,"
"You're bluffing. Sure. She'd be mad, but it wouldn't go to the point of her destroying your life," "You don't get it Gar. Bee's changed, she's not the same as what you remember from Junior High. The high school's changed her, it's changed all of us," She wiped the tear as quickly as it came. "See, there you go again. Being all secretive, why should I turn the other cheek if you guys won't let me in?" Jinx sighed again, she shook her head "Bee's moving away, her parents are sending her off to a boarding school in Paris. Maybe she'll cool off by then and it'll all blow over after winter break,"
"Jinx, it's a lot to ask of me to tarnish my reputation and save yours. I-I don't think I can," Jinx hung her head. "I understand that it's a lot to ask…but Gar. She's my best friend, she'll never forgive me. Do you ever think something was a good idea at first? You go through the motions of it being great cause you had good intentions. Then afterward, it turns out to be bad?" His mind instantly thought back to his search for Terra. He thought he was doing the right thing in trying to find her cause he could feel it in his gut that something was wrong.
However, to find her, he had to play devil's advocate and it hurt him inside. Jinx had a point, she did seem apologetic about the whole thing. Still, to take the fall for something he didn't do, just so she could keep the peace with Bee? "I need to think about this, I'm not telling you no. It's not a yes either," "I understand. Thanks, Gar," She held out her arms as she was expecting a hug from him.
"I've got chores to work on. I'll call you when I've come to a decision," Jinx stepped outside as Gar closed the door behind her. Gar grabbed hold of the broom off the wall and began to sweep Jinx's footprints off the ground. The nerve of her asking him to take the blame. Knock. Knock. "Unbelievable," He rolled his eyes and headed towards the door. "Jinx, I told you that I needed to think—" He opened the door expecting to be met with pink pigtails. Instead, he was met with a black bob, a pale, tear-stained face, and violet eyes. Rachel. Before he could say anything, Rachel grabbed hold of his neck, making him drop his broom. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she began to cry into his shoulder.
Xavier walked through the hospital doors and noticed a familiar red patch of hair peeking under a black hoodie. Wally West. He was sitting in a corner with his arms crossed "Speedster? Long time, no see," Xavier called out. Wally glanced his way, his eyebrows furrowed "Get out of here, Xavier," "Woah, what's with the hostility?" Wally got up from his seat and grabbed hold of Xavier's shirt then threw him out the hospital doors. He fell to the ground with a loud thump and grunted in pain. "You know, usually when people see each other after a while, they either give each other a handshake or a hug,"
"Your presence isn't wanted here," Wally stared down at him. "I come in peace, honest. Came to check on my good pal, Vic. Such a shame of what happened to him," "I know you're the one who sold to him," "My business isn't any of yours," Xavier bit. As he was about to get up, Wally gave him a small shove, in which, Xavier shoved him back. "You really wanna dance with me right now, Speedster? Cause I'd hate to put a shiner on that nice face of yours," He held up his hands in fists and Wally did the same.
"I should have kicked your ass a long time ago when you first started selling. Wonder what a judge would say about you selling to a bunch of minors," He takes a swing and Xavier ducks. "I don't know, he'd probably ask why a bunch of minors were looking to buy. How's your friend doing by the way?" Wally grunted before trying to swing at Xavier again. He knew that he wasn't referring to Vic.
"Struck a nerve, didn't I?" Xavier wound up his fist, ready to hit Wally when a security guard grabbed him and yanked him away. "Alright, break it up you two. Not here," Wally shrugged his hoodie over his head and headed towards his bike. Xavier rolled his eyes, "Stupid kid," his phone rang. "Talk to me?" He listened on the phone as the voice spoke, and his eyes widened. "No fucking way, he is?" He glanced back at the hospital doors. Vic would have to wait, this news is too big to pass up. He had to make a couple of stops, starting with his favorite redhead.
Kory watched as Dick got inside his car, "Are you gonna be okay without me?" He teased. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek and smiled. "I'll be okay. Thank you for spending time with me, considering everything with Vic and my parents and—" "—Kory. I like to spend time with you, even if I didn't show it off the bat," he laces their fingers together. She takes a deep breath "Okay, please tell everyone I said hello!" He kissed her fingers and clicked his teeth. "Will do! Call me later?" She nods. Dick beeped his horn as he drove off. Kory sighed in contentment, everything felt too good to be true.
"Aw shucks Princess, you replaced me already?" She heard a familiar voice say behind her. Kory turned around and noticed Xavier lying in his car. "Xavier, what did I say about calling me that?" "My bad, cutie. I got news about your parents, congrats," "How did you know?" "I have my sources. Are they okay with you dating Grayson?" Kory glanced behind her to where Dick's car was moments before. "What do you want Xavier?" "I've got the news, had to deliver it in person," "What is it?" He cleared his throat before placing his hands on her shoulders. "Psion's dead," He stated coldly as his eyes bore into hers.
"Wally, you sure about this?" Vic and Wally sat behind the dumpster near the cafeteria. Wally took a bottle of pills out of his backpack and handed them to Vic. "You said that you wanted to be good enough to make varsity, here's your chance!" Vic contemplated the pill bottle in his hand. "Where did you get these?"
"I know a guy…sort of. Okay, I asked Roy and he hooked me up," "Figures. Dick didn't want to do this?" "Are you crazy? Bruce got wind of Dick trying something, he'd have his head," Vic opened up the pill bottle and shook out two pills. Wally took one out of his hand. "Wally, this is only for football tryouts. After this, we're done," "Oh yeah, totally!" They popped the pills in their mouths and swallowed.
Wally brought his lighter up to his joint, he inhaled the fumes before exhaling it out. He glanced outside of his bedroom window at the kids playing around in the snow. His Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris were in the middle of a snowball fight, fully focused on each other's next move. The high wasn't working for him, it didn't make him feel good. Instead, it made him feel numb. After a month had passed, Wally didn't bother to associate with his so-called friends. Dick was too wrapped up in Kory's hair to give his best friend a call, Jinx rarely wants to interact with him, and no one's heard from Bee.
He was all by himself, alone and numb. Knock. Knock. "What?" He spat as he lifted the joint to his lips. Wally didn't care about getting caught, that was the least of his worries. The door opened, and in the corner of his eye, he noticed a bush of pink hair. Jinx. "Jesus Wally, have you ever heard about cracking open a window," Wally shrugged as he exhaled smoke from his nose. "Vic's gone," "What do you mean he's gone?" "His dad discharged him from the hospital last night, we should go talk to him, see if he's okay," As Jinx rambled on, all Wally could think about were Vic and him behind the school taking steroids for the first time, how naive they were.
"Wally!" Jinx snapped her fingers in front of his face. Wally glanced up at her, a hazy look in his eye. Jinx rolled her eyes and snatched the joint out of his hands, all he could do was chuckle at her. She was so cute when her nose scrunched up. "This is not fucking funny. We need to talk to Silas," Wally held up a hand to her "Jinx, chill. His dad's a scientist, one of the best. I'm sure he had a perfectly good reason to discharge him—" "—But—" "—Take a hit," He pinched the bridge of his nose. She was blowing his high, he didn't need this right now. His best friend was spending his holidays in a coma and he hadn't the faintest idea as to what he could do to help.
Jinx sighs before she inhales the smoke from the joint between her lips. She let out a puff of air, then pressed the joint in between her lips again. Wally and she went back and forth, exchanging the rolled joint between them. The worries slowly began to fade away like a cloud of smoke between them. Before they knew it, their eyes were bloodshot, their heart rates slow, and their minds at ease. Jinx sat down on the bed next to Wally and laid her head against her shoulder. "Do you think he's gonna be okay?" "I don't know," Silence. "Have you heard from Bee?" "Nope." More Silence.
"Wally, I'm scared…" She didn't say that with fear in her voice. Instead, it slipped out as if she were joking around with him. A smile crept on her face and a giggle escaped her lips. Soon, Wally joined her in laughing, "Me too," He said through the chuckles. They fell back on the bed in a fit of giggles, tears pricking on the edge of their eyes, they weren't happy tears. They continued to laugh, clutching their stomachs. Jinx turned towards Wally, her giggles calming down a bit. She glanced up at him, he glanced down at her. It wasn't so funny anymore.
Wally laid his hand under her head and pulled her close to where their lips were a mere centimeters apart. "I'll stop if you want me to," He whispered. Jinx didn't say anything as she closed the gap between them and sealed her lips to his. Wally kissed her back, pulling his body on top of hers as Jinx lay on top of him. She broke the kiss, Wally glanced up at her in confusion. Jinx pulled her shirt off of her, leaving her in a t-shirt bra. He swallowed "Are you sure?" Jinx didn't say anything as she laid a hand on his pants and tugged at it. He understood what she meant by that. Wally took his shirt off as well, Jinx ran her fingers over his abs and bit her lip. She bent down towards her, then covered her mouth with his…
"So, Principal Wilson came to your house?" Gar took the teapot off the stove and poured the tea into a mug before handing it to Rachel. She took a small sniff, then glanced up at him as if he was about to poison her. "I'm no tea expert, but Rita taught me the bare minimum. We have orange juice too," Rachel took a small sip "It's not bad, it could be better. Thanks though," "Yep." He took a seat across from her. "To answer your question, he and a bunch of police officers did," "Why?" She didn't answer. Gar noticed her touch her cardigan and pull it over her forearm. He didn't know if it was the trick of the light or real, but he could've sworn he saw a bruise. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
She gazed up at him, her eyes glazed with tears. "I appreciate it Gar," "So, what's the plan now?" "I-I don't know. I can't go home at least not right now. I have to find somewhere to stay for the night, then grab my things," He hated to see his friends down in the dumps. Rachel wasn't the kindest person to him, she thought his jokes were lame, and sometimes she'd call him mean names. Still, she was one of the most loyal people around. Despite her outer appearance that said otherwise. He couldn't let this happen to her. If he talked to Rita and Chief, maybe they could talk to Principal Wilson about Rachel's situation. It would take some convincing, but he couldn't let Rachel go through this.
"What if you lived here?" She nearly spit out her tea "What?" "Yeah! We have a guest room upstairs, it's got a bunch of old things in it and supplies for the pet shop. We could make room though!" She shook her head "Gar, I can't intrude on your place. I appreciate it, but I-I can't do that to you—" Gar placed his hand over her shoulder "Rachel, we're friends. I'm not gonna let you go through this alone," He smiled at her. Gar noticed tears welling up in her eyes, she wiped them as quickly as they came and nodded. "Thank you," was all she could say. He smiled before pouring himself a cup of tea and taking a sip. Gar grimaced at the awful taste and placed his mug next to him.
Kory blinked. Did she hear those words correctly? Psion…was dead? "Cutie, can you hear me?"Xavier snapped his finger in her face, as she held a hand to her head. "Psion's dead?" Xavier nodded. "Yeah, I was checking on this trail around Vic's accident. You know, seeing if it would be traced back to me. They told me that the accident was between Vic and another driver.
News hasn't released anything yet, but Psion was the other driver," "Oh my X'hal," She didn't know how to feel. On one hand, she felt for the people that were close to him. Knowing that someone who was once so close to you was now dead. On the other hand, she felt relieved. Did that make her a bad person? "Are you okay?" "I-I don't know. Psion was someone that I could confide in in the past "Cutie, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. He played you, him, and your sister," "I know. Still, he wasn't all bad. At least, I didn't think he was," She didn't know why she was defending him.
After everything he put her through, she should be the most rejoiced that he's gone. "Cutie, I forgot that you have such a good heart. You and Grayson are a good match," Kory blushed. "I'm sorry I used you, Xavier," Xavier shrugged. "Eh, it was our plan in the first place. No harm, no foul. Thanks to you, I've got a flock of hotties lined up at my door " Xavier pressed his car keys and his car roared to life. "Where are you going?" "Like I said, I've got a bunch of hotties lined up at my door. See ya later, cutie" He gave her a two-finger salute before opening his car door and getting inside. Kory lifted her hand and waved goodbye as he drove off.
The next couple of months passed by within a blink of an eye.
Bee's parents managed to get her into the remainder of the semester at some Paris Boarding School. They found out about her absence when Jinx went to visit her house to check up on her and bring homework. Her parents glanced at Jinx as if she had three heads attached to her. "We thought you all knew?" That was what they asked. Jinx shook her head and told everyone else what happened to Bee, half of the group was shocked that she was up and left like that; while the other half wasn't surprised that she decided to leave when things began to get tough for them.
Gar's family took Rachel in after the fiasco with her father. Rita went so far as going up to the school and explaining to Principal Wilson that they'd take Rachel in for the rest of the school year, then they'd all decide what to do after it was over. It took some convincing, but Chief agreed to let Rachel come stay with them. Making a deal with both Gar and Rachel that they were both to keep their grades up and work shifts at the pet shop, with no excuses. Rachel didn't mind this agreement she was just grateful that she had a place to call home for the time being. Gar, on the other hand, was annoyed by this. Chief knew that Gar struggled in English, now he HAD to get a tutor. Great. On the bright side, Rachel agreed to tutor him in English. If he agreed to clean the cages after they closed.
Mr. Malchoir finished his semester at school, then headed to England. He bid the whole class adieu before leaving, his gaze lingering on Rachel. She pretended to show no emotion to his absence. However, as soon as that door closed behind him, tears fell from her face. They hadn't dated for long, but he meant more to her than he'll ever know. "It's for your own good, Rachel," She could hear him say.
Their breakup wasn't the typical one you'd see in movies where the girl would fling herself onto the man in tears and beg him to stay. While the man would stand there as if it wasn't hurting him on the inside. Instead, it was a simple "I'm sorry, but you're better off without me. I did this for you," from him. Rachel didn't shed another tear, she couldn't, not in front of him. "Goodbye, Rorek," was all she said as he kissed her on the forehead. The international symbol for this is over between us. After he turned his back towards her and walked to his car, that's when she let the tears spill.
Meanwhile, Kory and Dick became stronger than ever. Moonlit walks near the beach, watching movies on the projector at the park, and study dates at Wayne Manor. Although, some of those study dates turned into make-out sessions and tickle fights. In between periods, they'd sneak kisses by the lockers and walk each other to class. They didn't know it, but Gotham Academy named them the new "it couple".
Since Bee and Vic were done, they had to find another couple to look up to; and in waltzed Dick with Kory on his arm. No one's ever seen Dick smile and laugh so much, they didn't think it was possible. However, Kory Anders had him wrapped around her little finger. And before you ask, no they haven't muttered those three words yet. Someone with dark tresses and blue eyes to die for is a bit scared of uttering those words, fear that it may jinx him.
During the holidays, Kory went back home to Tamaran, where she went from having a semi-normal teenage life to learning how to run a kingdom. She'd attend dinners, council meetings, and press appearances in her sister's absence. It was customary in their culture that the 1st in line for the throne to upkeep their presence at these events. However, due to Komy's vengeful nature, Myan thought that for the time being Kory take her place.
Kory didn't think she was the proper fit to run the kingdom, she thought much of the traditions that they held were outdated and a bit strict. She'd much rather hang out with her group of friends and Dick than learn about all the responsibilities she had to maintain as a princess. After lessons, Kory would either call Donna and they'd swap stories about their lives or she'd FaceTime Dick until the sun came up.
Ever since Bee dropped the cheer squad and left for Paris. Jinx became a candidate for "Junior Captain". She didn't know how or why they chose her. Her grades were pretty much the equivalent of shit and she sometimes loathed practice after school. What made her so special? Brooke stated that Jinx rarely caused trouble and had a no-nonsense attitude that the squad could use. Whatever floats her boat, Jinx thought.
Sometimes, when they'd practice out on the field, Jinx would notice Wally coming out of the locker room. His pecks would glisten under the sunlight, his red hair a wet, sweaty mess. Ever since that night, it was hard for her not to think about him. She'd think about his arms around her waist, throwing her against the wall, and kissing her senseless. She'd then shudder at the thought, Wally West? The same guy who'd have fart contests with Vic and Gar when they were 14 and ask her which one was the loudest. He ate like he was the biggest pig in the pig pen.
His breath reeked of onion rings, how could she be attracted to someone like that? Just thinking about all that, her stomach would twist into knots. They never talked about the aftermath of what happened that night. She refused to acknowledge it, she wouldn't. Wally fell asleep next to her, while she stared up at the ceiling, shocked at what had happened. She sat there with the sheet over her chest and her bra next to her on the ground.
Wally turned over next to her and laid his hand over her waist. Jinx couldn't do it, she couldn't look him in the eye. Before she could process it, Jinx had already grabbed her clothes, threw them on, and ran out the door. Wally's blue eyes would meet hers across the field, she knew he wanted to talk about it. He'd wave at her, Jinx pretended as if she didn't notice he was there and turned away from him.
Speaking of Wally, the guilt ate at him like a caterpillar did a leaf. He blamed Vic's accident entirely on him. Had they not experimented with the steroids in the first place, he probably wouldn't be in this predicament; hanging on for dear life with each passing moment. Every day after practice, Dick and Wally would visit the hospital, asking for updates. The receptionist would tell them that there wasn't any change. Victor Stone is still in a coma, and fighting for his life.
Wally would ask if they could at least see him, and she shook her head no. "Well, we could check back tomorrow. Kory's gonna bring a stuffed bear," Dick stated. Wally rolled his eyes as if a bear would make Vic wake up. The more days passed by, the less hope he had. He'd isolate himself from the others during lunchtime, during which Kory would ask if Wally was okay. Dick would reply "I think he just needs some space," Wally turned his head slightly to see if Jinx would say anything. She didn't. Instead, she'd stuff a mouthful of lettuce in her mouth and pretend that he wasn't watching her.
That's the other thing that was tearing him apart inside. Jinx. He expected to wake up and find her next to him after they had slept together. Instead, he found the other side of the bed, empty and cold. For the first couple of weeks, he'd text her and ask her if they could talk. She'd never reply, he knew she saw the text. It was Jinx for crying out loud. Slowly, the texts would stop as did them saying a simple "hi" to each other. Dick was too wrapped up in his relationship with Kory to notice, so Wally didn't have anyone to talk about this with.
He didn't want to say it to anyone out loud, but Jinx was his first. Shocker. She was his first and she treated the experience like it was nothing to her, as though it was a meaningless rump in the sack. Was it that bad? He'd think to himself at night as he rolled another joint to smoke away his troubles. Did they do it right? All those questions would consume his mind and here she was acting like it didn't happen. He hated that she was doing this, the game she was playing. Two could play that game.
Slowly, the popular group that everyone once envied had invisible cracks within it. Wally wasn't talking to Jinx and vice versa. No one had heard from Bee. Vic was in the hospital and Dick was in love. They didn't know it, but soon their world would come crashing down.
May
Gar placed a small bottle into a playful kitten's mouth. He rocked the kitten back and forth as it sucked on the plastic nipple. "That's it, buddy! Almost adoption time and based on those eyes. I know you'll get adopted soon," He bopped the kitten's tiny pink nose. Rachel smiled at the exchange "He's a keeper alright, have you named him?" Rachel and Gar became closer, they had to be since they shared a bathroom.
She placed her hand on his shoulder and watched the kitten continue to suck down the milk. Gar gazed down at her "Nah, if I name him. I'd get attached," She gazed up at him, and their eyes met. Something in Gar's eyes changed the moment their eyes connected. A blush crept on his freckled face, he turned away, that was odd. "Um, did you manage to get everything from the supply closet?" "Yeah, I think so. Anything else I could do?" "Hmm, I think that should be it," He checked the clock on the wall. It was about to be 3' O clock. "Shit. Come on, we gotta go." He put the kitten back in the cage with his mother as Rachel jammed a key into the register and locked it.
"Happy Birthday, Kory!" Jinx grabbed Kory into a tight hug. Kory smiled ready to hug her back, but Jinx held up her hands. "Beat ya to it!" Jinx grabbed a small gift out of her pocket and handed it to her. "Jinx, you didn't have to. What is it?" "Nah-ah. You have to wait!" Kory rolled her eyes, then nodded. The apartment door opened and Wally strolled through, Jinx's heart sank at the sight of him. "Happy Birthday, Red!" He was holding a gift bag by his side. "Thank you, Wally! You didn't have to," Wally shrugged and handed the gift bag to her. "I should put these on the table, I'll be right back," Kory walked away from them. Jinx and Wally exchanged a glance, she hugged her arms as Wally scratched at the back of his neck. "So?" "So…" "Hi!" An unfamiliar voice called out to them. Jinx and Wally gazed up to see a tall raven-haired beauty with big brown eyes staring down at them from the staircase.
"Woah," Jinx heard Wally say. The beauty trotted down the stairs and held out a hand to them. "You must be Wally and Jinx! Kory's told me so much about you. I'm Donna," She smiled. Jinx hated her already. Wally nudged her out of the way, causing Jinx to almost hit the wall. "That's a beautiful name," Wally grabbed hold of her hand and kissed her knuckles, Donna pulled her hand back. "O-kay. I'm gonna grab something to drink," She went into the kitchen. Jinx knew Wally did that to get a reaction out of her, she wasn't gonna cave in. Wally didn't look her way, instead, he plopped down on the couch and read through his phone. Unbelievable. Dick came out of the kitchen with a party hat over his head "Glad to see you guys could make it," He smiled.
Wally noticed the hat on his head and burst out into laughter, a light crimson shade appeared on Dick's face. "Oh my god, you're so whipped," "Am not! We were just—uh taking photos for the booth. You two should try it" Dick stated as he removed the hat off his head. The doorbell rang "Do they have a pony that I could take a picture with?" Dick flipped off Wally as he headed towards the door and opened it.
Gar and Rachel stood on the other side "Hey you guys, thanks for coming," Dick smiled. "We wouldn't miss it for the world," Gar walks inside, and his gaze meets Jinx. He rolls his eyes and averts his gaze to another part of the room. "Where's Kory?" "She was taking photos with me a few minutes ago, she must be mingling," He patted Rachel's shoulder, then walked back into the kitchen. Rachel, Jinx, Wally, and Gar didn't dare utter a word to each other. This was going to be some party.
Donna glanced between the two freshman twins in front of her. "So, you go by Mas, and you menos?" The twins nodded as they bit into their food. "Si" "Huh, cool". On the other side of the kitchen, Jason stood between Rosabelle and Isaiah. "There's no way you could beat me in a wrestling match," "Ha-ha, wanna bet. Little man?" Rosabelle grinned. "I call ref!" Isaiah called out. Jason gazed up at Rosabelle, his pupils getting smaller. "You know what, I yield," Rosabelle laughed and patted him on the back, it almost caused Jason to fall to the floor. Kole showed Gnarff how to put on one of the party hats, "See Gnarff. It looks nice!" Gnarff placed it on his head and smiled at her.
Galfore placed the finishing touches on the purple cake, and yellow glitter stars to match her spirit. "Looks great," Dick stated. "Thanks, Dick, I couldn't have done it without your help," "I didn't do anything," "Ha! Donna told me that you were the one who flew her down and you both made all this happen," Their gazes shifted over to Kory and Donna taking selfies. "Well, I wanted to make this special for her," "I know she appreciates it. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time, too bad Victor couldn't be here,"
"Yeah, at first Kory didn't want to have anything without Vic. I still didn't want her to miss her birthday," Galfore sprinkled gold flakes over the cake and chuckles. Dick raised his eyebrow in suspicion, "What?" "You really care about her, don't you?" Dick's stomach did a backflip. He couldn't deny that Kory's presence always brought a smile to his face. Ever since she moved here, she was all he thought about. Even if he denied it at first, she never left his mind. "I-I do. She's…special," He blushed as Galfore continued to work on the cake. The doorbell rang again, Dick eyed everyone in the room.
That's weird, he thought he invited all of Kory's closest friends. "I'll get it," Dick said as he headed towards the door. He approached the entrance and opened the door, Xavier stood behind it. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight before him. "What the hell are you doing here?" Xavier opened his mouth to say something when "Xavier!" He heard Kory call from behind him. "Hey cutie, happy birthday!" Dick growled at him.
How dare he call Kory that? Xavier smirked at Dick's fist clenching near his side, he was enjoying this. "Thank you for coming, I know the invite was last minute," She took Dick's hand in hers, in a way, it calmed him down. Not much, but her touch helped a bit. "Of course, I couldn't miss your sixteenth birthday. Could I?" He laid a hand on her shoulder, Dick wanted to rip that hand off. "Come, you're just in time for cake!" She pulled them both behind her as they made their way toward the kitchen.
Silas Stone removed the white blanket from the body underneath. He ran his hands over the cybertronic eye and steely plate underneath it. He did it, he actually did it. All he had to do now was charge him and then Victor would come back to life. Silas plugged one end of the cord into Vic's new metal leg slot and plug, then the other into the wall plug. He had to pay the nurses a lot of money to keep quiet about Vic's condition.
It was worth it, in the end. He couldn't let anyone see Vic's condition, he wasn't ready yet. However, once Star Labs got notice of him creating the first cybertronic teenager. They'd be swimming in cash and Vic's future would be set. Silas pressed a button on the computer. The monitor that displayed Vic's vitals came to life, his heart began to beat and the blue metal plates pulsated light blue veins inside.
His son was in there somewhere, all he had to do was wake up. Thump Thump. Thump Thump. Thump. Thump. "Come on, son. Wake up," He whispered as he watched the monitor. Unbeknownst to him, Vic's fingers began to twitch and his eyelid was struggling to open. Thump Thump. Thump Thump. Thump. Silas walked over and watched as Vic lie silently on the table. He had to be alive, the vitals were there. All he needed was a gentle push. Silas placed his hand over his heart and took a breath, they couldn't give up. Thump. Thump. Thump.
He came to life.
"Happy Birthday to you!" They all sang and clapped. "Make a wish, Kory!" "I wish for there to be—" "—No, sweetie. He means wish in your head, then blow out the candles," Kory nodded in understanding and thought for a moment, before blowing out the candles. "What'd you wish for?" "You, buffoon. You can't ask her that or it won't come true," Rachel told Gar. "Couldn't hurt to ask," Everyone giggled.
"Alright, we should open gifts. I'll grab the best one—mine!" Donna stuck her tongue out at Dick. "Yeah, yeah. We'll see," "Wait, Donna, I wish to say something before we unwrap the gifts," Kory stated. She cleared her throat and smiled at the friends in front of her. "I didn't think that when I came to America, I'd make some of the besets friends anyone could ask for. Although some of them may not be here presently right now, I know that their spirits are. On Tamaran, birthday celebrations weren't as close as this one. We'd have a slice of cake and presents from the subjects.
Although this year was a bit, how do you say, sticky? I'm grateful to have met you all," "Some more than others," Gar whispered to Dick, he nudged him. "I especially like to thank Dick and Donna for putting this together," "Don't thank me, Dick did most of the work," Kory smiled before taking hold of his hand. "Whipped!" Wally yelled. "Dick, what is this whipped, Wally is referring to?" Kory whispered. "I'll tell you later, after I kill him," She giggled again. "Now is it present time?" Donna asked. "Yes! It's time for the presents—" Kory was interrupted by the buzz of everyone's cellphones. Dick's heart dropped, he knew what that meant.
The Hive: "My, my, my. What a long break it's been. For those of you that rejoiced in my silence, shame on you. I'm here to stay. A little bee told me that it was someone's birthday today. Happy Birthday, New Girl. It's a shame I wasn't invited to the shindig, no matter. I still have a gift for you.
Kory Anders came to America for a fresh new start. Why, you ask? Well, she was too busy trying to run from the murder she had committed. That's right, Boy Wonder's current flame is a killer. That's not all though. She's also a princess. A princess and a murder wrapped into one, I'd be as intrigued as Boy Wonder too. They say the quiet ones are who you should watch out for. Don't worry Kory, you did it out of self-defense. I've got all my facts straight right?
I've also got some titles for my other favorite group members.
Dick Grayson - Weak.
Jinx Haiden - Liar.
Wally West - Druggie.
Karen Beecher - Coward.
Victor Stone - Non-existent.
You ask how I know and of course, I'll never tell. Though, I'd keep my eyes peeled on who's your friend and who's your foe. Say Goodbye to Sophomore Year and Hello to Junior Year. I can't wait to see what it has in store.
Ciao for Now,
The Hive.
End of Book One
Comicgeek16: Whew! Finally finished this book! Gotta say, it's a bitter sweet end. I hate to see it go, but at the same time. I'm ready for the drama I have planned next book! Thank you all for the reviews, the follows and shares! I really really appreciate it. Hopefully you all can carry over to the next book in The Hive Series. Let me know in the reviews what you guys think of part 1 & 2. Don't worry, you haven't seen the last of Mr. Malchoir ;). Please R &R. I'm happy have created this book and gotten so much feedback/praise. You have no idea how much it means. See you all soon! :).