She places the white veil over her head, letting the white lace fabric cascade over her pristine, red curls that were pressed to perfection in honor of her big day. Her father stands behind her, in his militia outfit. Tears brim his eyes as he watches his beautiful daughter run a delicate hand over her gorgeous white dress. "You look beautiful, Kory." Kory turns around to him and smiles. "Thank you, Father." She whispers, taking one last look in the mirror before grabbing the bouquet of white roses on the bench. "You will make a magnificent queen." He presses a chaste kiss to her head, careful enough to not ruin her makeup. Luan steps beside her husband wearing a carefully-coordinated purple ensemble that matches her husband's. "Though she'll always be a princess to us." She smiles proudly. The door cracks open and Galfore pops his head inside, he beams once he notices Kory. "I don't mean to interrupt this beautiful moment. However, everyone is waiting." Man holds out his arm to Kory, she wraps her arm around his and they walk, Luan following closely behind.
Wedding attendants, royal or common converse in excitement as the royal Tameranean music plays. Guards open the church doors, and everyone gasps in shock at the sight before them. "She's beautiful." "What a gorgeous bride." Some of the whispers spread throughout. Kory and Myan take small, strategic steps down the aisle. Cameras flash, phones click and smiles spread. They stop at the pew, and a handsome prince-like teenager steps down from the pew to take Kory's hand in his. Man bows his head to him, then whispers "I love you." To Kory. She says the same, her gaze never breaking from the gentleman in front of her. They stand in front of the priest, their words inaudible, only the sound of the music playing. The priest clears his throat, "Do you Princess Starfire of Tamaran take this prince to be your lawfully wedded husband?" She opens her mouth to answer, but instead of words falling out of her mouth. It's the sound of an alarm going off.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Dick jolts awake, sweat dripping down his face and seeping into his shirt.
The Hive: Rise and Shine, Gothamites. It's a hot, fresh beautiful summer day and I'm about to catch some waves. Waves of gossip that is.
"That bitch!" Jinx yells, causing the whole coffee shop to shake around her. Well, it felt like it shook by the way Jinx screamed. "Babe, lower your voice. I can't be spotted here and neither can Kory." Bee whispered as she used the scarf on her head to cover her face and pressed her sunglasses higher against her face. Currently, Jinx, Bee, and Kory are sitting at a Mocha Java hut. The two called for an "emergency dish sesh" as soon as they saw The Hive blast. It was only fair, considering that they've had their fair share of scandals with the gossip site. While Kory and Jinx chose to wear simple clothes, sunglasses, and baby tees. Bee opted to go full incognito mode. Sunglasses, scarf over head, and minimal makeup.
Even though there have been sightings of her back in the city, she still didn't want to draw more attention to herself. "I'm sorry Bee, but I can't believe that Kory's sister would do that to her." Kory sipped her herbal tea, unbothered by Jinx's outburst. "I should have guessed she would do it." "Have you spoken to her since the blast?" Kory shook her head. "Komy's been out on the trips of shopping and sightseeing since the blast. The only time I see her is when she posts on her social media." "You should totally put her on the socials." "Ooh, agreed. Jinx slays when it comes to social media brawls." "It wouldn't be a good look for Tamaran if they saw two royal heirs going back and forth online."
"What about Dick, how's he taking it—ouch." Bee elbows Jinx and shakes her head, her eyes reading "Not now." "It's alright. Dick hasn't spoken to me either. He told me that he needed time to think about this." Jinx took a small sip of her coffee. "Well, sweetie. I'm not trying to be the bearer of bad news, but how else should he have taken it? You're technically engaged and he's your bf." Kory plants her face against the table and lets out a huge sigh. "I'm a terrible girlfriend." "Um actually, I think I hold the title for that one." Bee mentions as she places a comforting hand on Kory's back. Jinx doesn't say anything, instead, she takes a rather large sip of her drinking, hoping that she'll choke on it and subside the guilty feeling that sits in her stomach. "Do you even know who the guy is?" Kory lifts her head from the table and lays it against her hand.
"Unfortunately no. My parents have yet to come to an agreement for an eligible suitor. Due to my past, neighboring countries are…hesitant." Bee claps her hands together with glee. "Well, that could be a good thing! For once your past may help you!" Both Kory and Jinx quirk their eyebrows in question. "Think about it, you had a drug addiction and you did kill someone. Princes do not want princesses with baggage." "Gee, way to rain on her parade Bee." "I mean it sincerely. Dick's really worried about who you'll be married to, but if your parents can't find anyone then what happens?" Kory thinks to herself for a moment, then catches on. "The season ends and I won't be married off until next year, possibly the year after! So that means Dick and I still have time!" She beams as Bee nods in agreement. "So, all we have to do is make sure that your track record continues—"
"—Bee, she's not going back to drugs!" "No, no! I meant, why not egg it on a bit. We could get some pics of you in a new wardrobe, at a party or two, then boom! No prince." Kory contemplates for a moment, this engagement is the last thing on her mind. She didn't want to be married to a prince and have to rule an entire kingdom before she graduated high school. It'd be nice if she could spend more time with her friends and avoid drama for the rest of the year. However, drama may be what she needs to pull this off. "Alright, I'm in. What should we do first?" Bee and Kory turn to Jinx, she rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Unbelievable, I'm not that bad. I mean I do make puppies whine at the sight of me, but still."
"Jinx, you're the only one who knows how to pull this off. We need you." She scoffs again, then pulls out her cell phone. "Fine. Let me make a couple of calls to some places we can go to." Jinx excuses herself from the table to take her phone call. Bee turns to Kory, and she smiles apologetically at her. "Kory, I should apologize to you for everything that happened last year. I took advantage of your innocence and your friendship to try and clean up the mess I made. I'm going to do all that I can to mend our friendship." She holds out her hand, Kory glances down at it and smiles softly. "I appreciate the apology, Bee. You're forgiven." They link their hands together, then release as Jinx waltzs back to their table and takes a seat. "We're all set. The first stop on this mission is my favorite clothing store."
Knock. Knock. Gar opens his front door to a stoic Rachel clutching at a group of manila folders. He gulps at the sight of her as the sun hits her porcelain skin. She had her raven black hair tucked behind her ears, emitting a youthful, innocent-like glow around her. The band t-shirt that she wore, hung a bit off her shoulder but not to wear the shirt looked too bulky on her. In fact, it kind of made her even more angelic than before. "R-Rachel. What are you doing here?" He could hear his voice crack at the mention of her name rolling off his tongue. Oh, he had it bad. "Hey Gar, I need your help. Can I come in?" He couldn't muster the words to invite her in, instead, he pushed the door open wider for her to slip through. "Thanks." She gives him a soft smile before walking inside and letting her elbow brush against his arm. He felt a small rush of adrenaline soar through him, his heart rattling inside his rib cage like a rabid caged animal ready to be let out. He redirected his gaze from his arm back to the door and closed it.
—
Rachel placed the manila folders on Gar's dining room table, she ran her hand over the clasp and pinched at the opening. She hadn't opened any of the folders she found except one, afraid of what they might find. She glances over at a focused Gar inspecting a tea bag. "Gar, you don't have to make me anything. I don't think I'll be long here." Rachel blushed slightly. "I want to." He stated simply as he placed the kettle on the stove and turned on the nozzle. He approaches the table, following Rachel's gaze towards the folders spread out in front of her. "What are the folders for? Are they college acceptance letters, cause you know folders usually mean acceptance. Granted it's early, but I mean—" He stops his joking and notices a fearful expression cross Rachel's face. Her gaze remains locked on the folders, it looks as if whatever she found in that folder would be a game changer for her. It was starting to scare him. "Rachel." He whispered softly.
Rachel snaps out of her trance "What?" "I was trying to crack a joke with you and you didn't try to shut it down or anything. Like calling me a moron or a dweeb. Are you okay?" She opens her mouth to respond, but the tea kettle beats her to it, letting out a loud whistle. Gar runs over to remove the kettle from the hot stove and onto the counter. He removes a mug from the cupboard and pours the hot water into it, then carefully places the tea bag inside it. "I almost forgot about the kettle on the stove, heh heh." He chuckles. "Good thing you didn't, otherwise you'd have to explain to Chief how you blew his house up." "And that's when I would have packed my things and moved to Alaska." They quietly laugh before falling into an uncomfortable silence. Rachel picks at the envelop tape, her heart pounding in her chest and banging through her ears. Whatever was in this envelope was something her dad didn't want anyone to see. "Rachel, you've been acting weird since you got here. What's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong." She pulled a loose strand behind her head and closed her eyes to keep the anxiety from screaming out of her.
She takes a couple of deep breaths. Gar steps closer to her, where they're only a few inches apart, he could practically smell the ivory soap she was wearing. Rachel opens her eyes again and comes face to face with him, noticing the light brown freckles that adorned his soft cheeks and the cupid's bow on his upper lip. "I know when you're scared Rachel. Ever since the fifth grade, you'd do the same thing. Your eyes get wide, you clench and unclench your fists, then you close them trying to make whatever's scaring you go away." He reaches for her hand but hesitates to take it, unsure if she'll snap at him or smack it away. Instead, she takes hold of his hand and lets out a bated breath before ripping the envelope open and letting the papers spill out. "Gar, my dad he-he's not what you think he is." He doesn't say anything but gives her a firm nod. "There's a lot about me that I hide and it took a lot for me to come over here and—" "—thanks for trusting me." He smiles down at her as Rachel smiles back.
Dick tied his shoes in a double knot before approaching the track where Wally was doing a couple of stretches. "So, why the sudden urge to run today? You know it's hot as shit right?" "I just needed to vent to someone other than my therapist and this helps." He lied through his teeth. The truth is that he hadn't seen his therapist since Bruce assigned him to one. However, Dick paid the therapist to keep his mouth shut about going M.I.A on their sessions so Bruce doesn't suspect anything. "About the blast? I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff." "Har har." They began to lightly jog on the track, Wally being a few inches ahead of Dick, which they both knew would happen due to Wally being inhumanly fast.
"I take it that you and Kory haven't talked?" "I told her that I needed some space to think about this. But I mean, c'mon, engaged? To a prince? I can't compete with that." "Dude, anyone with eyes can see that both of you are totally nuts about each other. But, I get what you mean." "And you know, just when I think we're above keeping secrets from each other. There's another one from her past dropping in." "Yeah, that's quite a secret to keep. Then again, so is the murder thing—which she did out of self-defense." "I don't know what to do Wal, I-I think I'm starting to fall for her." Wally skirts to a hard stop on his jogging and whips around to Dick with a shocked expression on his face. "Woah, woah, woah there buddy. Fall for her? As in L-O-V-E?" Dick didn't say anything, instead, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck confirming Wally's question. "Someone call the police, my boy's got his heart stolen!" "Lower your voice, Wally, I don't want anyone to hear us."
"Why? You're not ready to shout it from the rooftops?" "No, and I don't need you doing it for me. I'm still kind of—on the fence about it." "Cause of the blast?" "Not just that, but I'm afraid that Kory's not telling me everything about her past." Wally scoffs. "Dude, you're keeping secrets too. Might I add?" Dick shoves Wally aside. "That wasn't just me, you were there too." He puts his hands up in defense. "I'm not disagreeing with you, but I think before you go judging Kory and dropping the l-word. You need to think about what we all did a couple of summers ago." He lets out a loud sigh and runs his fingers through his hair. "You're right, but we all agreed not to tell anyone. Hell, we swore on it." Wally falls into a lunge stretch as Dick brushes the dirt off his tennis shoes, then feels something gross, wet, and sticky underneath his shoe. Gum.
He grimaces at spongey texture. "Ugh, Wally you have a card or something I could use to get this—" Dick turns towards Wally and notices a red, blotchy patch on his neck. "What's that on your neck?" Wally quickly reaches to the spot and sheepishly grins. "What do ya think it is?" "From who?" "Not telling." "You, not telling me, that's new. Must be something serious." He shrugs, "What can I say? A gentleman never kisses and tells." Wally gives him a two-finger salute before dashing off. "But you're not a gentleman and you always tell me and Vic everything!" He yelled after him, trying to catch up to his friend in the process.
"I don't know about this Jinx, this outfit is a bit too revealing," Kory mutters as Jinx throws her different shirts to wear over the dressing room door. Bee sorts through the clothes and flings them to the side in disgust. "I'm gonna have to agree with Kory here, Jinx. Even predators give their offspring a little heads up before they go out on a hunt." "Look, do we want Kory to be married before she can legally rent a car or not?" "Yeah, but I thought we were gonna get a shot of her in a mini skirt and tube top. Not the whole shebang. Kory's parents won't be the only ones having a heart attack."
"Um, I'm not sure where I'm supposed to put my head through." "It's a cut-out top Kory, there should be a huge hole in the middle." Bee smacks her hand on her forehead. "Exactly my point. You have to ease her into this." "It's not like this is her actual wardrobe or I'm piercing her belly button here." "I'd prefer my belly button not pierced, thank you." "Look, we just need to make this plan foolproof. People get a couple shots of her in her new look, she commits to it for a couple of days, then bam! Instant train wreck, no marriage, Kory's bitchy sister can leave, and we all live Happily Ever After." "Almost done, Kory?" "I believe so? This skirt is a little tight." "It's supposed to be," Jinx answered. "Okay, so we take Kory out on the town, then what? I'm so not going to a rave." "No, no. I was thinking of having her at a bar, and we fill her glass with cranberry juice, claim it's wine. Kory acts drunk, we get a couple of pics of her dancing." "What about Dick?" "Who?"Jinx teased.
"Jinx, you know her boyfriend? The same boyfriend who nearly had a full-blown panic attack when he found out that she may or may not be engaged?" "I would like for Dick to know about the plan as well. I don't want to keep any more secrets from him." "Babes, Dick sucks at acting. Telling him will only make things worse for you, trust me he doesn't need to know. An authentic reaction will be just what we need." "Jinx, I'm with Kory. The last thing we need is to add more fire to the flame. They're already headed for Splitsville." Bee whispered the last part. "I heard that!" Kory stated as they heard her zip up her top. "Alright, I'm ready." Jinx opened up her phone, ready to press the camera button once Kory stepped out.
The fitting room door opens, and out struts Kory in a short black min skirt that cinched tightly to her butt, a dark purple cut-out top that hugged her curves in all the right places, and black heels that accentuated her long legs. She looked as if she just stepped out of a magazine. "Woah." Both Bee and Jinx said at the same time, their jaws dropped in awe. Instantly, Kory went to cover herself up. "Is it that bad?" "Damn girl, where the hell have you been hiding all of that? Forget Dick's heart attack, he's gonna go full into cardiac arrest when he sees you." "Not to mention the whole male population." Bee removed Kory's arms from her body.
Alright, now strike pose. Something casual, not like we had this planned." "Like this?" Kory awkwardly stood with her hands on her hips and an uncomfortable smile to match. "No, more like this." Bee positioned herself in front of Kory with her hands on her hips, her butt slightly off to the side, and a small, model-perfect smile. "You want to show the world that your name is Kory Anders and you're a top ten baddie with an ass to match." Kory mimics Bee's pose as Jinx nods.
"There you go, keep going." As Jinx took more photos, Kory was starting to shed the uncomfortable aura and fall more into a confident stride. "Alright, the first outfit is done. Head back inside for the next one." Kory retreats back inside. "Make sure to text Dick the plan, Jinx. The last thing that girl needs is more drama." Bee stated. Jinx opens her messages and finds Dick's name. She's about to text about the plan, then looks back at the photos of Kory and deletes the message.
After finishing their afternoon run, Dick and Wally headed towards his car. However, as they got closer, Dick spots a feminine silhouette in the distance lying on the hood of his car. "Um, excuse me. Do I know-" "-Komy, you're looking hot as usual." Wally flirted, Dick rose an eyebrow at the exchange before turning his gaze back towards Komy. This must be the sister that Kory didn't want Dick to meet. He had to say, they didn't look that much alike. Komy was a little taller than Kory, her eyes a dark violet in contrast to Kory's jade green, skin the color of milk chocolate, and straight raven hair that fell down her back.
She also wore her clothes in a more revealing way than her sister. "Hi Wally, I see you've been working out. The girls must be throwing themselves at you." "More like throwing themselves off a cliff." Dick thought to himself as Wally ran his fingers through his auburn hair and smiled. "You could say that. Would you be among the flock of girls?" "Ugh, barf." "Mmm, maybe later cupcake. I came to meet with my sister's new beau. The description Kory told me didn't do you any justice." Her gaze lingered on Dick, he could feel himself tense and folded his arms. "Nice to meet you. Um, how did you know where to find us?" It did seem rather odd that Komy popped out of the blue and he hadn't talked to Kory in a couple of days.
He needed space to think about this marriage business and she respected that. "Kory asked me to drop something off for you at your place, but you weren't there. So I explained to this older gentleman about who I was and I asked where I could find you. That led me here." Dick squinted his face in confusion. Alfred wasn't usually prone to telling random people where he, Bruce, or Jason were, this didn't make any sense. "Well, you found me. Now, I have to go. The stench and all." He wiped the sweat off his brow. "What's the rush, Dick? Komy doesn't bite, do you, Kom?" "Kom?" Dick thought as he sent a pointed look towards Wally. He'd known the girl for two days and already he gave her a nickname.
"Not unless you ask nicely." He could feel Wally rise in temperature as he eyed Komy up and down. Where's the horny spray when you need it? "Cupcake here is right. We've got time, there's no harm in me getting to know my sister's boyfriend. After all, someone from our family should be the one to meet you since it won't be long before Kory goes to tie the knot." He felt a hard punch to the stomach, Dick bit his lip lashing out. "If you're here to inspect me, trust me when I say that you won't find much." Komy flips her hair over her shoulder and smiles as if he were the prey and Komy her catch of the day. "All I'm saying is that Kory's got a lot more secrets that she's hiding from you. I came to warn you." "What are you talking about?" "All I can say is that Kory's not the innocent girl you think she is. She plays this "woe is me" act as her way to reel people in, and then with the snap of a finger she becomes typical old Kory. Chaotic, lost, terribly confused-"
"-You don't know anything about her. " He took a step forward towards Komy, her height towered over her, yet he didn't cower back. She didn't intimidate him one bit. "Do you? Dick, honestly, look how long it took for Kory to tell you about the betrothal clause. She's known this for a while, all royal family members are told when we reach a certain age. Just ask her the next time you see her. " Before Dick could retort back, Komy's phone pings. She holds up a finger to him as she checks her phone. "Boo, I gotta jet. This family of ours is toxic, the more you date Kory, the more you'll see." Komy takes a step closer to him, running a fresh-manicured hand over his cheek. He pushes it out of the way, she smirks at him before placing her sunglasses over her face. "My sister did always have great taste." Komy turns around and struts away from the two teens. One bubbling with lust, the other with anger and confusion. "Follow me on Instagram!" Wally calls out causing Dick to send a glare his way. "Sorry, boss." He mutters. Dick clenches and unclenches his fist in frustration, Komy could be exactly what Kory described, tricky. However, what had him questioning Kory's loyalty wasn't her sister, but the many secrets that she holds.
"Rachel, what are we supposed to be looking for? All I'm finding are some old receipts and photos of some hot girls." He searches through the stack of documents again and finds a risqué photo of a blonde-headed girl. "Actually, could I keep the photos?" Rachel scoffs. "Gar, that's gross." "Couldn't blame a guy for trying." When Rachel glanced back down at the documents, he pushed the photo into his back pocket. "We're trying to find anything that could tell us about where my dad might be." "I thought you never wanted to see him again." Her shoulders tensed, and she could feel herself reaching for the back of her neck where she'd often find her dad's hands gripped with an intense heat of hatred.
"I don't." She left with that as she continued to scour through the different papers. "Look for an address and phone number, then write it down. It's gonna take a while for us to find out everything." He shrugs and then continues to look through the other folders. Gar plucks a random sheet of paper and finds a photo of a familiar-looking man attached to a detailed description sheet: Mr. Malchior. "I think I found something." Rachel props her head up. Gar hands her the sheet of paper, she skims through the pages, tears brimming her eyes. "Mr. Malchoir knows your dad or your dad knows him. Either way, it's crazy." Rachel didn't say anything, instead, she grabbed all the remaining folders and stacked them together. "Rachel?" "I-I have to go." He reaches out to her, but Rachel stiffens again and refuses to look his way. Tears were already spilling down her face, she didn't want to believe what she was seeing.
Though it wasn't too much of a coincidence that Mr. Malchior and her father left town around the same time. She needed answers and the two people that she could ask were gone. "Don't you want to stay until Chief or Rita gets home? They can give you a ride to Bruce's—" "—No, it's okay. I want to walk back." "I can walk with you." "All good, see you later!" She rushed out the door before Gar could get another word in and shut the door tight behind her. Rachel pressed her back against the door, letting the tears fall some more. She covers her mouth to keep the sobs from escaping, Gar sits on the other side, his heart breaking with each cry she makes.
Jinx strolls towards the booth of Bee and Kory with flutes of god knows what liquid inside. She places one in front of Kory and the other next to her. "Jinx, I hope this isn't alcohol." Kory, already embarrassed at the new look that Jinx and Bee forced her to buy and wear outside of the store, covers herself with her arms. "Relax babe. It's sparkling apple juice, my family comes here a lot with my little cousins for special events and they serve this to the little tykes." Kory nods, then takes a sip. "So what's the next part of the plan?" "Simple we get a few shots of Kory taking drinks, then out dancing at the club next door. Send the photos to The Hive and boom all done!" "Dick knows the plan, right?" Jinx nods.
"Of course he does. Let me do my thing, Kor, you just do the acting." Kory sighs, before taking another sip of the champagne as Jinx snaps another photo. "You guys, I was thinking…about stopping by Vic's house after this." Jinx nearly dropped her phone out of her hands. "I'm sorry, what?" "Bee, I don't think that's a good idea. Last I heard was that he was still recovering." "I know, I know. But, I need to do something! The guilt is killing me and even if he doesn't want to see me, I still want to apologize." "So write a letter." "That's so 90's. Not to mention, I know Vic, as soon as he sees who it's from, he'll throw it away. I have to talk to him." Jinx grimaced at the thought of her sending the video to The Hive and the text messages, a ping of guilt flooded her stomach. "What if he doesn't listen, then what?"
"Then I keep trying until he will listen. He knows I'm ambitious." "Bee, why don't you let Dick or Wally go with you. They might be able to talk to him." "Dick hasn't talked to me since he found out about Herald and I, Wally's a lost cause." "What about Jinx?" Kory and Bee glance over at Jinx, she shakes her head. "I'm already solving one problem, now I have to solve yours as well?" "Please Jinxie, if you go and talk some sense into him before I get there. Then it'll soften the blow, he does value your thoughts." "No way! I'm not getting in the middle of this!" Even if she already was in the middle of it.
"It's simple Jinx, I'll send you some flowers. You talk to Vic and slip in there that I want to talk with him. He usually responds well with gifts, however, my dad will ask questions if he finds that I spent money on a PS4." "What if he throws me out?" "He won't. You have to convince him, please?" Jinx glanced at Bee, her hazel eyes full of pleading. Jinx did owe Bee quite a bit, after all, she did involuntarily break the two up due to her raging feelings for Vic. Even if she didn't want to admit it to him or to Bee. "Ugh fine! You owe me." "Yay! You're the best friend ever!" Her stomach twinged again as Bee planted a chaste kiss on her cheek.
"So, do you think what Komy said back there about Kory's family was true?" Dick asked as Wally munched on a protein bar in the passenger seat. "I mean, she is her sister." "It doesn't make any sense, Kory told me that Komy was...tricky and slippery." "So then what's to think about?" Dick turned the wheel to the side as he followed around the curve of the street. He didn't want to be that kind of boyfriend. The one who questioned his girlfriend's motives and had little trust in her. Still, Kory hadn't exactly been honest with him. The engagement, the secret past, shifty behavior. It's like she was sophomore Kory all over again.
"I don't know. There's a lot that I still don't know about Kory and her life in Tamaran. She doesn't like to talk about it and when I try, she changes the subject. I feel, in her own twisted way, Komy might be telling the truth." "Dude, I'm not saying that Kory has a right to keep things from you, but maybe she's just not ready to tell you these things cause of how you'll react." Dick quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean, how I'll react?" Wally took another bite and chuckled.
"You have zero chill when it comes to other people's lives. Vic and Bee, Rachel, sometimes me, and now Kory. You're always butting in and getting a little angry." "That's not true." "Hah! Case and point, when you found out Kory was engaged. What did you do?" Dick pressed his lips into a thin line and turned away, already proving Wally right. "I-I flipped out on her, then told her that I needed a couple of days to think about it." "And?" He let out a small grunt. "I called you about it." "Exactly. No offense dude, but you do get a little judgey." "I can't help it, I just want to look out for my friends." "Which is nice, but take a damn chill pill every once and while." Bzzt. Bzzt.
Wally's phone buzzes from his pocket, he plucks it out and notices a notification pop on his screen from The Hive. "Uh-oh. New Hive Blast." "Which one of us is the latest victim?" Wally swipes the notification to the side, and it leads to The Hive Website. Plastered on the front page is none other than Kory Anders, or at least a girl who looks a lot like her. She had her flaming red mane of curls on one side of her shoulder revealing a rather revealing cut-out top that clung to her chest and waist. Her toned midriff peeked from underneath the tight top, and around her hips was a short skirt that highlighted a couple of assets. Kory's caramel skin glowed underneath the blue club lights, as she sipped on a glass of what seemed to be an alcoholic beverage.
The Hive: Spotted! New Girl goes back to her party-girl roots and lets loose before school starts. Has anyone seen her boyfriend Dick Grayson anywhere?
"Why are you so quiet?" Dick asked. Wally glanced at the photo again, then closed his phone. "Um, I'd focus on the road if I were you. I kind of made this deal with God where I'd live until my 80's and I kind of don't want to break that deal anytime soon." "Your look kind of reminds me of back in freshman year when you caught your grandparents…never mind. Just tell me what it is." "Pull over," Wally stated, his tone serious. Dick sighed, then found a nearby curve to park at. "Okay, what's got you spooked?" "I don't know if I need to get my eyes checked or something, I could be wrong." He hands Dick the phone, Dick opens it and reads the headline. Wally could feel him stiffen in anger as he scrolled down to the photo of Kory. He doesn't say anything, instead, he shoves the phone back to Wally. "Dick? You alright?" "No." Was all he grunted as he pulled the car from the park to drive and began to get back on the road. This was going to be a long day.
Luan searched through the library shelves, skimming through the different titles of literature and Tameranean history. She runs her fingertips along the fine material of the book spines, then stops on a particular title: "Les Miserables". She glances around the room, then releases a breath. No one else was inside, except for her and one of the royal guards. The royal guard fiddles with the loose button on his shirt as Luan grabs hold of the book and places it underneath her arm. She clears her throat, Geoffrey stops fiddling with his shirt and turns to her. "Have you found what you're looking for, my queen?" "I did." Luan grins at him, he steps behind her as they begin to walk out of the library.
—
She closes the door to her small study and holds her back against the door. A small tear escapes off her face and onto her chest as she removes the book from underneath her armpit. Luan opens the book, scrolling through a few of the pages before landing on a large hole inside. The hole was in the shape of a rectangle, deep enough told hold a few things and small enough to be hidden from wandering eyes. Inside the rectangular hole were a couple of photos that displayed a young girl around the same age as Kory. Except her hair wasn't as long, just slightly past the shoulders and held in a crimson curly bun. Her eyes were a light violet, her skin, a beautiful cocoa brown, similar to Komy's, and dark brown freckles sprinkled across her face like Ryan's. Luan ran a finger over the girl's beaming smile, then smiled back as more tears fell onto the photo. Each tear fell on the dimly colored ballgown dress, covered in specks of gold and black. "I remember that dress." Luan's breath caught at the voice from behind. She turns up to see Myan staring down at the photo, a faint smile on his face.
"I requested for no one to bother me." She placed the photo back into the book and shut it close before shoving it underneath her dress so Myan couldn't notice. "I am the king, my orders overrule." She rolls her eyes and gets up off the floor, carefully picking up the book beside her. "We aren't due for another meeting with the council until this evening." "What if I wanted to spend time with my wife?" She lets out a dry laugh and shakes her head. "What's so funny?" "You haven't used that word in a long time." "Which word?" "Wife." The disdain in her voice shocks him enough to take a step back. He sighs to himself before placing his hand on the doorknob. "Look whatever it is Myan, it can wait." "Actually, it can't." She gazes up at him, and their eyes meet. "They've come to a decision." Luan raises a hand to cover her shocked face. "Already?" He nods, about to continue but...knock. knock. knock. interrupts him. "Come in." Geoffrey, the guard from earlier pokes his head in. "Apologies your Highnesses. There seems to be an urgent matter that requires your assistance."
"We're aware of the council's-" "-Forgive for interrupting your grace. It's not about the council. It's about your daughter." Myan's lips turn to a brim line, as Luan touches his hand in comfort. "Which one?" Geoffrey takes out his phone and shows The Hive article on display. He wrinkles his eyes in confusion, as Luan gasps in shock. He removes his hand from Luan's grip. "Have one of the advisors type up a response to the council and kingdom. Send for a maid to assist Ryan in packing and preparing the jet for a flight to Gotham." "Right away sir." He closes the door behind him as Myan runs a hand over his face.
"Myan, maybe there's an explanation." "I don't care if there is one or isn't. I should have known better than to send her back there." "We should call Kory." "I'm done making calls to her. We did this your way, now we're doing it my way." He whips open the door and steps out, before slamming it close behind him. Luan takes the book from behind her back and takes one last look at the photo. She turns it over towards the back, reading the handwriting on the back. "A Beautiful Soul that demands to be set free. - E."
Rachel sits on her bed, sniffling as she reads some of Mr. Malchior's handwritten notes to her that he'd slip her during unpredictable times.
"I have graded all of your book reports this weekend and I'd have to say that I'm impressed." He plucks a sheet of paper out of the stack that he's holding and places it on each student's desk. When he gets to Rachel, she gazes up at him, their eyes meet for a fraction longer than a second before he flips her paper face down. "What did you get?" Dick asks, she turns the sheet of paper over and notices a small post underneath it. She takes a peek, it reads: "Your eyes remind me of the fresh lavender that grows outback in my family's cottage. Beautiful, delicate, and easy to get lost in." Blush creeps upon her cheeks. "A lot better than you." She cheekily smiles at him as he chuckles. "Probably. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Malchior has a sweet spot for you."
Rachel crumbles the post in her hand and throws it across the room before plucking out her phone and typing in his number. The phone rings, and rings, and rings until…
"You've reached Rorek Malchior. I'm not near my phone right now, but please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."
BEEP. She felt her heart ready to collapse right then and there as she heard his voice for what felt like the first time. A tear falls fresh from her eyes and off her cheek.
"Hi. It's me…again. I t-think this is going to be the last time that I call…"
Kory closes the front door behind her and places the shopping bags in her hands down on the ground. "Well, well, well. Glad to see that my sister's got a backbone." Komy closes the magazine that she was reading and crosses her legs. "What are you talking about now, Komy?" "If I'm going to get comfortable in this retched town I need to be caught up on the latest trends. I saw just the cutest photo of you on this website called 'The Hive' today. I have to say, even though that top isn't my first pick for you. It's definitely caught some attention." She takes her phone off of the coffee table and shows Kory the article. Kory squints at it, then sighs.
"Yes, let's talk about how acquainted you are with The Hive. I know it was you who sent out the engagement rumor." Komy pretends to act shocked. "I would never. I know how much your relationship and privacy mean to you." "Save it. You are the only one besides Galfore that knew and last time I checked, the only account Galfore knew how to work was his Facebook." They were face to face now, waiting for the other to strike first. Kory clenched her knuckles, as she took a step forward. "Can't you see Baby sis, that I'm doing what's best for you."
Kory could hear the patronizing tone in her voice. Komy places her manicured hand on Kory's cheek and gives it a tight squeeze. Kory shoves it off and grunts in annoyance. "Why don't you save us all the drama and pack your bags now?" Kory shoves her shoulder against Komy as she grabs her shopping bags, knocking her a bit off balance. Which catches them both off guard. "Because sister dear…" As Kory walked up the stairs, she stuck out her leg causing Kory to fall and the bags to come tumbling down with her. Kory lay underneath Komy's judgmental gaze, she bent down to her level and grinned.
"That'd be too easy for you." Kory clenches her jaw as she takes a glance at the fallen shopping bag and kicks it to the side. "Remember Kor, it takes a lot to get rid of me. Whether you like it or not." Before Kory could retort, Galfore came out from his bedroom, a frantic look on his face. "Galfore, what's wrong?" Kory asks. He shoves his hands into his pockets. "I-um, just got off the phone with your parents. They saw a blast about Kory, and are on their way here to take you both back home." Kory's mouth drops, she's unable to move from her spot as she bites her lip to keep from smiling.
"…So, I-I found something and I don't want to believe it, but the evidence is in plain sight. That's why you left didn't you?"
Dick stares up at his bedroom ceiling as his phone buzzes next to him. He glances down at it and notices Kory's caller ID pop up on the screen. He clicks the phone off and turns to the side, coming face to face with a framed picture of his family next to his sunglasses. His mother and father smile, holding a tiny baby in their arms. He gets up from the bed and kneels on the floor before reaching underneath and pulling out a box. Dick opens the box, inside lies small trinkets, newspaper clippings, and photos of the Grayson family. He searches through the box and lands on a small, fresh bottle of Jack Daniels.
Dick rotates the bottle in his fingertips, unsure if he should open it. Knock. Knock. He quickly puts the bottle back into his box and shoves it underneath his bed as Alfred comes in. "Master Dick, will you be joining us for dinner?" He grabs his sunglasses off the nightstand and puts them over his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be down in a second. Thanks, Alfred." Alfred nods before closing the door behind him.
"...I don't know how I could be so stupid. I should've known something was up the moment you started to show interest in me, cause why would you?…"
Garfield turns on the faucet and rubs his soap-covered hands over the teapot brim. He digs deep inside the pot and rinses it out with water, then places it on the dish rack. "Anything eventful happens today?" He heard Rita ask as she stepped beside him, taking out an old dish rag and cleaning the teapot dry. "Rachel stopped by and needed my help with something she was doing research on. That was it." Rita playfully nudges his shoulder and wiggles her eyebrows.
"You guys didn't take advantage of an empty house? No adults around? I at least expected to walk in on a makeout session and spray you both with cold water." Gar shook his head, before grabbing Rachel's favorite mug. He noticed the small spot where her lips rested and ran his finger over it, unable to bring himself to wash it away. "Rachel and I are just friends." "I don't know, not the way I saw it when she stayed here." He squirted the soap over the lip mark and rubbed it away. "Well, I think you're imagining things." Garfield hands her the mug, Rita raises her eyebrow, then takes it and cleans it dry.
"…I told you things, things that no one was ever supposed to find out. You saw it all, me at my worst…"
Jinx stood outside of Vic's door, a vase of yellow tulips in her hand. "Okay, have you made it yet?" She places the phone between her cheek and shoulder. "Yeah Bee, I just got here." "You bought the flowers?" "Yes. Which you're paying me back for, by the way." "Thanks for doing this Jinx, you're the best friend a girl could ask for." Her stomach twisted, and she thought back to the moment she sent the text messages of Bee and Herald to the Hive. Jinx gulps and knocks on the door. "Of course Bee, I'll call you once I leave and let you know how it goes." "Alright, thanks again. Bye." Jinx hangs up the phone and puts it in her pocket.
She glances down at the flowers and knocks again, the door opening slightly. Jinx raises her eyebrows and lightly pushes the door open. "Hello?" Jinx called out as she stepped inside. No one answers, and the living room and kitchen a pitch black dark. "Vic? Mr. Stone?" No answers, she places the vase of flowers close to her chest. If a scary psycho on the loose was getting ready to pop out and slice her throat open, at least she'd use the flowers and vase as a weapon to protect her. Even if it was a weak weapon of choice. "This isn't funny! I'm armed and not afraid to use this!" Jinx turns around and holds out the vase of flowers in front of her, not noticing a pair of metal boots creaking down the stairs.
She takes her phone out of her pocket and begins to dial 911, ready to press the call button. ERGGGGGHHHHHH. "Hello?" Jinx snaps her head back in the direction of the sound, the vase shaking in her grasp. The dark shadow appears in front of her. "Don't come any closer, I-I will throw these expensive ass tulips at you. Hope you're allergic to pollen!" She throws them at the figure, the vase hits them in the chest, and falls to the ground in shambles. He grunts in pain, Jinx turns on her flashlight as he holds his chest. She shines them on the figure, and the light reflects and flashes back into her eyes.
Jinx covers her eyes as they wince in pain. "Jinx, wait—-" The figure grabs her hand, Jinx clenches her fist and hits him in what feels like his nose. The figure recoils, Jinx recovers from the flash and shines the light again to get a closer look. Underneath the light, lies a man holding his nose in metal gloves. Jinx bends her leg, ready to bring a swift kick to his stomach when the figure opens his eyes or shall she say eye since the other eye was a red LED bulb. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Jinx dreams.
"…and the fact that I've beaten myself up thinking it was something that I did to drive you away, that I was the reason that you left. Then after reading all the reports and seeing your photo. I came to see that you left 'cause my dad did, the funds stopped coming and you couldn't keep pretending…"
"…And before you ask, I didn't call the police. So, congratulations, you get off scotch-free. You're probably going to delete this message as soon as see it's from me. Good. Because I'm sure that whatever you're feeling right now, won't compensate for what you'll be feeling when and if you ever step foot back into Gotham. Goodbye, Rorek."
BEEP. Mr. Malchior removes the phone from his ear and throws it against the doorframe, a small crack forming on the screen as it drops into a thick envelope. He walks over to his phone, in the cracked black reflection shows him with his untrimmed beard and tiresome eyes. Mr. Malchior runs a hand over his scruffy beard, then picks up the phone and the thick envelope. The envelope shows his name, in thick black letters. He rips the envelope open and takes out the wad of cash, along with a note attached to it. "Here's the last payment as promised, hope it helps out with all your debt. - Trigon." He takes the note off the cash and rips it in half, letting it fall to the floor as it resembles the heart he had just broken.
The Hive: And who says broken hearts can't make up for some good drama? Looks like we'll be expecting a royal visit here in Gotham. Can't say that it'll be a pleasant one, not if the King & Queen have anything to say about it. To think, school's just a few weeks away, and my favorite bees, are already stirring the honey pot better than I expected. This honey's gonna be a sweet batch, I'd hate for all of it to go to waste. That's all for now, we'll be in touch. - The Hive.
Comicgeek16: Whew, everything is finally fixed with , hopefully it stays that way! This chapter took quite a bit, but thanks for all the patience. Hope you loved it! I really appreciate all the comments/reviews, and likes! It means so much to me and I can't thank you all enough! Another chapter should be coming in later, I won't say soon haha, sorry! Please make sure to continue to bookmark, like, review, and repost if you follow me on Tumblr! Thanks so much for everything, seriously you guys rock!