The jewelry store's alarm wailed into the night as Hikaru smashed the display case with his elbow. Glass shattered across the floor in glittering fragments, reflecting the distorted light from the holographic projectors disguising his appearance. He grabbed handfuls of expensive watches and necklaces, shoving them into a black duffel bag with deliberately clumsy movements.
Two weeks of this, he thought, letting frustration color his actions. Two weeks playing desperate teenage criminal, and finally—
"Impressive display."
Hikaru spun, letting panic flash across his features. A man stood in the doorway—mid-forties, expensive suit, briefcase. The gold and black insignia on his lapel pin confirmed everything.
H.I.V.E.
"Who—" Hikaru started.
"Relax." The recruiter raised placating hands. "I'm not here to stop you. Quite the opposite, actually." He stepped into the store, glass crunching under polished shoes. "You have potential. Raw power, clear desperation, and absolutely no direction."
Hikaru tightened his grip on the bag. The holographic projectors Cyborg had modified into rings, maintaining his disguise—black hair instead of blonde, devil horns protruding from his temples, red eyes instead of gold. His wings remained hidden, completely retracted and under a dark jacket.
"What do you want?" Hikaru made his voice wary, young, scared.
"To offer you an alternative to juvenile hall." The recruiter pulled a card from his jacket. "H.I.V.E. Academy for Extraordinary Young People. We provide education, training, purpose. Everything a young metahuman needs to reach their full potential."
"Sounds too good to be true."
"No catch. Just opportunity." The recruiter held out the card. "Unless you'd prefer waiting for the police to arrive?"
Sirens echoed in the distance, growing louder.
Hikaru snatched the card, scanning the address. "What if I say no?"
"Then I leave, and you face the consequences of tonight's choices alone." The man smiled. "But something tells me you're smarter than that."
Hikaru let a beat of silence pass, then nodded. "When?"
"Tomorrow night. Nine PM. Come alone." The recruiter turned toward the door. "Oh, and bring your real name this time. We'll need it for registration."
"Lucian," Hikaru said quickly. "My name's Lucian."
The recruiter's smile widened. "See you tomorrow, Lucian."
He disappeared into the night, leaving Hikaru alone with the shattered glass and wailing alarm. Hikaru dropped the duffel bag—all costume jewelry Robin had acquired for this exact scenario—and slipped out the back entrance.
Finally, he thought, spreading his wings once clear of security cameras. Two weeks of staged crimes finally paid off.
The following night Hikaru arrived at a building that looked abandoned—cracked windows, faded paint, condemned notices plastered across the entrance. He approached at 8:47 PM, dressed in civilian clothes, he caught his holographic disguise in a broken window. The black hair and devil horns felt strange even after two weeks of testing, an uncanny valley reflection that wasn't quite him.
A side door opened as he reached the steps.
"Punctual. Good." A different woman this time, clipboard in hand. "Follow me."
They entered what appeared to be an old school building, halls lined with broken lockers and peeling linoleum. The woman led him to a maintenance elevator, pressing a button sequence on the panel. The elevator descended, and descended, and descended.
Underground facility, Hikaru noted. Makes sense. Harder to find, easier to defend.
The doors opened onto something completely different.
The underground campus sprawled before him—sleek corridors with LED lighting, training rooms visible through reinforced windows, students moving between classes. It looked like a legitimate school, minus the ominous color scheme and advanced security systems.
"Welcome to H.I.V.E. Academy," the woman said. "Orientation begins in five minutes. This way."
She led him to an auditorium where six other teenagers sat scattered among the seats. All looked around his age—some nervous, some excited.
An instructor walked onto the stage—muscular man, military bearing, H.I.V.E. insignia prominent on his uniform.
"Welcome," he said, voice carrying authority. "You've been selected because you possess something special. Powers and abilities that set you apart from ordinary humans. Here at H.I.V.E. Academy for Extraordinary Young People, you'll learn to harness those abilities and achieve greatness."
He outlined the rules—mandatory training sessions, required classes, restricted areas, lights out at eleven. It sounded almost normal, like orientation at any boarding school.
"You'll be issued student IDs, and your class schedules momentarily. Classes begin tomorrow morning at oh-seven-hundred hours." The instructor's gaze swept across them. "Work hard, follow instructions, and you'll find H.I.V.E. offers opportunities you won't find anywhere else."
Like becoming career criminals, Hikaru thought, keeping his expression neutral.
They received their materials, ID card with his "Lucian" alias and a terrible photo, schedule packed with classes like "Theory of Mayhem" and "Applied Strategy."
The first days blurred together in a carefully orchestrated performance.
"Theory of Mayhem" taught strategic planning—analyzing targets, identifying weaknesses, coordinating multi-person operations. Hikaru took meticulous notes, pretending to absorb the lessons while actually cataloging H.I.V.E.'s methodology.
"A successful operation requires three things," the instructor said, writing on the whiteboard. "Planning, timing, and knowing your opponent. Fail in any of these, and you fail entirely."
Robin would ace this class, Hikaru thought, hiding a smile.
Combat training proved trickier. He had to be competent but overly so. He relied on the sword skills Lucifer had taught him—elegant parries, calculated footwork, strategic positioning. His enhanced physique gave him an edge in speed and strength.
"Better," the instructor noted during his first week. "Your improving, Lucian. Keep practicing."
Good, Hikaru thought. They're buying it.
Socially, he integrated carefully. Meals in the cafeteria revealed the student hierarchy—regular students like a girl named Angel who had adjustable size wings, and a guy named Kyd Wykkyd who could create portals and looked like a teen vampire met Batman, occupied the main tables, while an exclusive group sat separately near the windows.
The H.I.V.E. Five.
Hikaru recognized Jinx immediately, pink hair styled in distinctive points. Mammoth's massive frame made him unmistakable. Gizmo's diminutive size and tech-covered body contrasted with See-More's visor-covered face and Shimmer's elegant appearance.
"That's the Five," Angel whispered during lunch. "Headmistress's favorites. Top students. Don't mess with them."
"Jinx is crazy powerful," she continued. "I heard she took down three seniors in a training exercise without breaking a sweat."
Hikaru kept his distance, careful to avoid recognition. He'd fought Jinx twice—he had a feeling she'd remember him if he got too close, disguise or not.
On one afternoon cafeteria buzzed with its usual chaos—students trading food, comparing training scores, gossiping about instructors. Hikaru sat with Angel and Kyd Wykkyd, picking at something the cafeteria optimistically called "meatloaf."
"So your horns," Angel said, gesturing with herfork. "They real or part of your aesthetic?"
"Real enough." Hikaru touched one of the holographic projections. "I was born with them."
Kyd Wykkyd made a gesture that Hikaru couldn't quite follow.
"He says they look cool," Angel translated. "Very devil-chic."
"Thanks… I think."
Movement caught his eye—the H.I.V.E. Five rising from their table. They moved as a unit toward the exit, Jinx leading the entourage with confidence. She passed within ten feet of Hikaru's table.
Her pink eyes flicked toward him for a fraction of a second.
Then she was gone, the Five disappearing into the corridors.