Raven walked along the long winding corridors of H.I.V.E. It was long past curfew, so all the students were in their rooms. The teachers were all busily preparing lessons for the next few days, the hallways emptied long ago. A security team walked past, not looking sideways at Raven wandering down the hallway. A few moments later, a student hurriedly walked past, looking around nervously. Raven stayed still, just waiting for the student to pass her. The student, an Alpha stream no doubt, rounded a corner. Raven walked around the corner and sprinted silently through the shadows to the turn at the end of the the second corridor. The student looked around again, and Raven stepped out. The student jumped in horror, and turned to run, but not before Raven had put a hand out and grabbed the jumpsuit of the student. He hovered a few feet above the ground, his feet aimlessly trying to run. His feet slowly came to a stop, and he looked up to see the face of Raven. The face of fear. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
"And what are you doing out of your room after curfew? You know what the punishment for that is." The boy's face glazed over for a moment, no doubt he was remembering the introductory video the Contessa had shown a few years before. A second later he shuddered, and he opened his mouth again.
"I was just, I mean I-" He just couldn't spit it out. Raven dropped the boy.
"There's a security team just around the corner. I suggest you run now, or risk getting caught." The boy rolled his eyes. He was too sure of himself.
"They're not coming, I sent them on a false trail." Raven raised an eyebrow and listened for a moment. There was a clattering of footsteps, and voices. The boys' eyes widened dramatically, and the colour faded from his face. Raven smiled, and the boy took off. He ran faster then he probably ever had, or ever would again. Raven stepped back into the shadows as the guards ran past, and then she continued walking towards her destination. She was walking towards Nero's office when she heard a disturbance to her left. She sighed. She backtracked a few steps and saw the small furry figure of Ms Leon trotting down the corridor.
"Ms Leon."
"Raven. You have a meeting with Nero I assume?" Raven nodded.
"That's where I'm heading, yes." Ms Leon smiled in the only way cats can. She purred.
"So what do you two actually do at these meetings?" She emphasised the meetings. Raven was taken aback for a moment.
"Uh, we discuss problems." Silence. Raven realised how wrong that could sound.
"I mean-" Ms Leon turned around.
"I get the idea, Raven. Have fun discussing your…problems." Ms Leon ran off.
"Stupid cats" Raven muttered under her breath. Raven sighed and walked the rest of the way to Nero's office. She took a deep breath, and walked in.

Raven knew as soon as she entered Nero's office that something was up. Something that she was fairly certain she didn't want to know.

"Good evening Natalya." Nero tried and failed to keep the smile off his face. "I have an assignment for you."

"Oh?" Raven tried to keep the nervous look off her face, with a bit more success. Nero smiling while telling her he had an assignment for her was never a good thing. The last time that had happened she had had to supervise a student training exercise to the Arctic.
"Do I want to know what it is?"

Nero's smile grew bigger.
"Do you remember Conrad Johnston, Natalya? He graduated a few years ago."Raven frowned.
"Red hair, green eyes, six feet tall?"Nero nodded.
"Well, one of his recent operations has been successful, to say the least. Long story short, Conrad Johnston, once a scholarship student, is now very, very rich. He is the newest member of the GLOVE ruling council and wishes, as most new council members do, to show off his new found wealth and power."

"OK..." said Raven, not quite following.

"He is throwing a dinner party, a formal affair of course," Raven was still confused. "Tonight as a matter of fact. I plan to attend."

"Oh" Raven sighed, somewhat relieved. "You want me to come as your bodyguard" Raven allowed herself to relax a little. Big mistake.

"No Natalya, I want you to come as my date." Nero leaned back in his chair, taking in the look of absolute astonishment on Raven's face. He would leave her to her assumptions for a few moments.

Raven opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come. She was sorely tempted to throw a shuriken at Nero's head.

"You and I would know of course, that it wasn't really a date." Nero clarified. "It's all for appearances."

"Yes but Max, the rumors. You've heard them all before.," Raven finally found her voice. "This will only make the rumors worse." She insisted.

"The ruling council does like to talk." Nero admitted with a sigh that made Raven think she was getting off the hook. He grinned, and looked straight at her.
"So it's a good thing I don't particularly like to listen."

"Very well," Raven gave a sigh of defeat. What could she say? Nero was her boss. "What time will we be leaving?"

"Three hours. I suggest you go and start getting ready now." Nero's smile was so big now he looked a bit like the Cheshire Cat. "I have taken the liberty of providing you with some more-appropriate-attire. Dismissed."

Raven turned and practically ran from Nero's office. She knew she could take a lot, but this? She didn't know if she could. She closed the door behind her, and she began to panic.