8/7/21

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Cursed

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Hive Five

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I stare at the wreckage of the school I once called home, ignoring the aching in my heart. Headmistress is gone. "Headmaster" brainwashed and abandoned us. "Stone" betrayed us. Maybe this is all my fault. Maybe I should've payed more attention that night when Headmistress disappeared. Maybe I should've resisted Brother Blood's mind control. I know I shouldn't have trusted Cyborg.

Yes, Cyborg. From the Teen Titans. That Cyborg. I can explain what happened on a larger scale easily. He served as a mole for the Titans, tricking Brother Blood into thinking he was a prospective student and attacking from within. That much is easy to explain. The smaller details, the ones that are my fault? Not so much.

At first, I didn't recognize him. By him I don't mean Cyborg, obviously. No one recognized Cyborg, but I'm actually talking about Stone, the boy whose appearance and powers Cyborg borrowed for his disguise. After a few minutes of observing him, however, I remembered Stone as one of Leo's classmates from Darkway Prep. I knew from the beginning that he was probably a mole, but I was looking at it from the wrong angle entirely. I thought Stone was working with Leo to spy on me, maybe because he wanted help getting me back.

So I decided to make him jealous.

Flirting with Stone was easy enough. An invitation to the school dance here, a lingering gaze there. I even walked with him during his initiation. If I had known he was really Cyborg it would've been a different story entirely, but in the name of making Leo angry I would've done anything. I'm not sure if I was playing hard to get before taking him back or trying to send a message that we were truly over, but none of that matters now. Because maybe, if I would've payed more attention, we would still have the Academy.

The fight between Brother Blood and the Titans did a number on the building. That, and most of the teachers abandoned us here to fend for ourselves. I don't think I've seen any adults hanging around in the aftermath at all, least of all Headmistress or Brother Blood. One thing is clear- we're on our own now.

In an ironic twist, I was one of the lucky ones. My room suffered minimal damage, and most of my belongings are intact. But in a way, it might have been better if that wasn't the case. I need to leave, and I can't take everything. I frown, taking one last good look at my old room in its proper glory, and then I get to work.

I grab my suitcase from the top of my closet and carefully fold my uniforms to place inside. Zippy and Clover go in a pocket on the outside, and I stack my sketchbooks on top of my clothes. Crawling under my bed, I grab my old backpack that I had with me the day I was abducted. Reason tells me that I should empty it out first to save space, but for the same reason I took my stuffed animals along I leave the contents be. Instead I carefully place my art supplies and books among the mementos of my old life. My other backpack, the one I used here at the Academy, carries my hairbrush, a travel sized toiletry bag, and a few knickknacks I've collected over the years. Since the Academy is destroyed I won't need to go to school anymore, so I leave my textbooks behind.

Eventually, I run out of room for any larger belongings, so I move on to the next necessity: cash. Unlike most of the morons here who blow their cut of mission profits as soon as they get paid, I've been stockpiling mine. Additionally, Leo and I would sneak off for our own gigs from time to time, so I have secret money that none of my teachers knew about too. Reaching between my mattress and box springs (original, I know), I pull out a few wads of money and stick them in an empty pocket of my backpack. At least whatever happens now, I'll know that Gizmo, Mammoth, and I will be set for life if we're careful. Knowing those block-heads we won't be, but at least it will buy us some time to figure something out.

Clutching the pendant of my necklace in the palm of my hand, I take a final glance at the room I once called home. It doesn't hurt as much as it did to graduate from Junior HIVE, as more of my most precious memories were in the classroom rather than my room this time, but it still stings. This place was my home, and it was the only one I had. We really don't have anywhere else to go. Briefly, I consider going home, but Headmistress was right- my parents would never accept me the way I am now. I take a deep breath and squeeze my pendant tighter, holding on to the memory of my father giving it to me. Choking back my tears, I decide to leave before I start crying. I sling my old backpack over my shoulders and use the straps of my school backpack to hang it over the long metal handle of my suitcase. Grabbing the small throw blanket off the foot of my bed, I tie it around the handle as well in a way that further secures the backpack.

And with that, I leave.

I meet the others in the ruins of the cafeteria. Many carry backpacks and suitcases of salvaged belongings, while others yet come empty handed. Gizmo has a box of tech he raided from the computer lab. Mammoth has a few of his own things, but he has notably more of his sister's belongings that were left behind when she was taken by the Justice League. I guess I wasn't the only sentimental one.

I reach up to touch my necklace again, reminding myself that it will be okay. No matter what happens, I have Gizmo and Mammoth, and they have me. We're going to be all right.

We huddle together and wait for everyone else to arrive. The atmosphere is tense. I try to remind myself that there probably weren't any deaths, as we would've found their bodies by now and the Titans would never go that far, but my fears aren't extinguished until I see every student I at least know the names of enter the cafeteria unharmed. At last, Angel (the only classmate whose death might have actually been a cause for celebration) enters the dining hall with Kyd Wykkyd and See-More trotting behind her obediently as always.

Angel scowls, glancing around the room with her souless yellow eyes.

"And just where is Bumblebee?" she snaps.

I frown, rocking back and forth in my seat.

"She left already. You just missed her, sir."

Angel turns to glare at Private Hive, who cowers in his seat. "Don't call me sir! And what do you mean she left?!"

The Billy Numerous sitting closest to her answers the question. "He means she left. She's outta here, like all the rest of us will be in a jiffy."

This only makes things worse. Angel's lips curl into a sneer, and I can see lightning in her eyes. Not a good sign.

"No one is leaving! Period!"

Dang. Someone should really take her down a peg. Oh, wait- me! I'm someone!

I scoff, making a show of rolling my eyes. This catches Angel's attention. Good. I stand up to draw more attention to myself, shrugging off any lingering feelings of anxiety.

"What did you expect? We all have to leave at some point, Angie. Or what? Do you honestly want to spend the rest of your life rotting in this dump?"

Oh, she's angry now.

Good.

Angel huffs, crossing her arms and turning her head away. "I'm not taking advice from the little floozy who was flirting with the traitor. You probably knew what he was up to, didn't you?"

"Floozy?" I scoff. "I'm sorry, is that really the best you can do?"

Angel ignores me. "You know this is all your fault, right?"

"So what if it is? Leaving this place and becoming criminals in our own right was always the goal, wasn't it scuzz-bag?" Gizmo yells.

"Yeah!" Mammoth shouts in agreement.

"Yeah, so what if this is just pushing it up a bit? We would've left after graduation anyways. It's just happening early now," Private Hive agrees.

I've never really talked to Private Hive that much, but the enemy of my enemy is a friend. Or at least an ally. I appreciate his support as much as I do the boys (even if Mammoth didn't contribute that much- it's the thought that counts).

"Have you morons lost your minds? We have control of the school now!" Angel snaps.

"So what? Let me spell it out for you- Headmistress and Brother Blood abandoned us! They're not coming back!"

"Exactly! Which is why I'm going to be the new Headmistress!"

The statement makes my blood run cold. Angel? The headmistress of the H.I.V.E Academy? Is she out of her mind?

"What do you mean?" Mammoth asks.

Angel scowls, her voice taking on a tone usually reserved for baby-talking infants. "Well, it means I'm going to be in charge now. I thought even a simpleton like you would understand that by now, since I'm the best student this school has to offer, but apparently I severely underestimated the intelligence of neanderthals like you!"

Hexes fizzle around my hand, ready to be released at any moment. My classmates back away, their eyes wide with horror. Some of them have seen me lose control before, and while I never want that to happen again, I'm certainly angry enough to make an exception. A table collapses. I hear a microwave explode. Mammoth and Gizmo try to calm me down, but I tune them out.

"Hey! That's my neanderthal you're talking to! So unless you want to look like a bird who was too stupid to get out of the street when a car drives by, I'd suggest shutting your mouth you worthless little-"

"That's enough!" See-More interrupts. He turns to Angel and asks, "What makes you think this would work, anyways? I hate to admit it, but Jinx has a point. Maybe it would be easy to take over now, but staying at the top won't be easy. Especially with the larger H.I.V.E organization in the picture."

Angel scowls. "This is our home! We can't just leave it!"

"So what, we just stay and get brainwashed again when Blood comes back? Hard pass!" Private Hive scoffs.

"Then what exactly are we supposed to do?!" Angel screeches.

I sigh, gripping the handle of my suitcase.

"We leave. Come on boys, we're going."

Gizmo and Mammoth stand up when I do. Private Hive joins us. Without looking back, the four of us walk towards the exit of the place we once called home. Again, I ignore the sadness in my heart and push forward. It's all I can do. The experience isn't new to me- I've left home before. And just like last time, I can make a new home.

"See-More! Stop them you fool!"

Suddenly, I hear a harsh slap echo off the cafeteria walls. I turn around just in time to see Angel's hand retreating from See-More's face. He stares at her, dumbfounded. This is... new. I've never seen her hit him before.

"You know what? I'm done!"

It's Angel's turn to gape now. "What do you mean, you're done?"

"I mean I'm done being treated like gum on the bottom of your shoe! I'm leaving too! Um... well, if Jinx will have me, that is."

His quick flash of anger is replaced by embarrassment. He scratches the back of his neck sheepishly, avoiding my gaze. For a moment, I feel awkward as well. I mean, this is the kid who stood by my tormentor for a decade or so. Redemption doesn't come that easy. But seeing as it would tick off Angel...

"Knock yourself out. We could use the company. As for the rest of you? Don't feel like you have to leave with me or anything. You can leave by yourselves if you want. Just know that staying here with this brat is going to be more trouble than it's worth."

Angel and I glare at each other one final time. Years of hatred and rivalry have lead to this moment. In the end, one of us will have made the right choice. Only time will tell.

"Come on soldiers, let's go. I know somewhere we can stay for a while."

With that, the five of us leave the H.I.V.E. I may not know where Private Hive is leading us, or what we'll do after we get there, but anything beats staying here with Angel. It's time for a new chapter, one where we move beyond the Academy and into the real world. In a way, it's like we've finally graduated. I only wish Headmistress was here to see it.

….

Aaaaand I'm back! Long time no update! It's been a year, actually, and I'm really sorry about that. I decided to only work on my fics one at a time instead of alternating between which one gets updated, and there wasn't really a good way to announce this fic's hiatus due to FFN's policy against making an author's note take up a full chapter. If anyone here has a Tumblr, you can follow my writing side blog (spectrobes-princess, same as on here just with a dash) for future updates like that. But the good news is that it is now this fic's turn to be the center of my attention! My current update plan puts us at 50 chapters + an epilogue, which should be finished by the end next January. However, things don't always go according to plan, so I wouldn't be surprised if I end up breaking it up into a couple extra chapters or finishing it next summer or later (but hopefully not too much later).

(I mean, I also miiiight start working on my Firestorm/Steins;gate AU a little bit too. We'll see. But other than that I'll try to stay focused on this one.)

Quote of the day!

"What do we do with dead babies? We throw them off the porch!" -my sibling

(disclaimer: this was about a plant and not an actual baby)

May the odds be ever in your favor,

~Spectrobes Princess