-A week later-

Kyd Wykkyd leafed through a comic book. Mammoth was taking a shower, Blackfire was sleeping, and Jinx was exercising. Red-X said he had some errands to run. Therefore, Kyd was alone in the base.

As he read through the comic, his mind drifted to the H.I.V.E. and what would become of him. He was, after all, Mammoth's charge and a freshman. What woudl Brother Blood say if he found out that three of H.I.V.E.'s students were going rogue? No, not if but when. Brother Blood was tens of times smarter than most of them. It would only be a matter of time before the headmaster found out about the group and dealt with it.

Kyd smiled as he finished his comic. Jinx had stolen it for him. It was about a man with spider powers. Yeah, right. Kyd thought as he reviewed the way the character, Peter Parker, had gained his powers.

Kyd heard footsteps coming from the North Entrance. Red-X came into view. He was carrying a package. "Hey, Kyd. Wanna see what I got?" Red-X asked as he moved the white skull-like faceplate up.

Kyd felt special. He was the only one on the team to see Red-X without his mask. Of course he still hadn't told him his name, but Kyd felt that soon his surrogate brother would reveal this in time. Their relationship had quickly become "Brother-Brother." Red-X seemed fine to teach the willing Kyd everything he knew about crime and the world including secrets of important people. As a result, the two could communicate quite well even through their minds.

Red-X opened the box and dumped the contents out into Kyd's waiting hands. "There you go." Various trinkets of the rich and famous of Jump City filled Kyd's arms. The younger thief's eyes lit up with joy and villainy.

"It was easy. I didn't even have to teleport anywhere." Red-X began making gestures with his hands which Kyd easily deciphered as the layout of the vault Red-X had "visited." "Camera systems were predictable the guards were half-alert. The list goes on, really. It is a simple matter of-"

He suddenly threw a handkerchief in the air and Kyd's hand flashed up instinctively to grab at it. Once he had the cloth in his hands, he handed it to Red-X, who in turn handed Kyd back his belt. Kyd looked at his belt-less waist. Red-X had stolen his belt in a matter of moments.

"-diverting ones attention," Red-X finished his statement with a chuckle then placed the skull face-plate over his head again. Two minutes later, Blackfire entered the main room, joining the two males.

"Good sleep." she yawned. She looked at Red-X "Having fun?" she asked.

Kyd nodded, but Red-X said nothing.

"Aw, c'mon, X. I won't bite if you just talk to me." She sashayed to Red-X's side. "Or at least, not hard,"

Kyd laughed silently. His laugh didn't die when Red-X shot him a look.

The moment was saved as Mammoth dragged an unwilling Jinx into the meeting room. "We have-ta go!"

"Ugh!" Jinx wrenched her arm free of the burly teen's hands, "You are such a goody-two shoes! You know that?"
"Oh, I am not!" Mammoth retorted, "Do you know what could happen if Brother Blood found out about this?"

All of Kyd's thoughts about the H.I.V.E. returned and his face sulked.

"You were so for it last week, Mammoth." Blackfire shook her head. "What's wrong? Is the novelty wearing off? Or are you just afraid?"

Mammoth spun around and slammed Blackfire into a wall, pinning her between the wall and his sausage-sized fingers wrapped around her head. "I could squash you like a bug right now, Tamaranian." He warned, "But the headmaster... is one you should learn to revere. He has a tight hold over the majority of the student body. And even those that don't fear him know not to cross him!" He released his new friend and apologized for the rash outburst.

"It's cool," Blackfire awkwardly twirled her hair, "Look. Go do what you have to do. If it makes you feel better, go back to the school and say whatever." Her fist lit up, "But if you say one word about this team to the man, even if you quit, I will find you and I will kill you."

Mammoth chuckled, "I'm not quitting! Are you serious? This is the best thing that has happened to me!" Then his voice went serious again, "But I don't need Brother Blood breathing down my neck, either. The last team I was on for him wasn't doing so well and he nearly killed us. We don't need that kind of attention."

"So we stick to the shadows. The small odd jobs that we know we can do perfectly and leave no trace."

Mammoth gave a single nod of agreement to Red-X's statement.

"Ugh, and last week? What about that?"

"Just say it was a way to put those Titans out of commission for awhile." Blackfire shrugged. "Pretty sure you three will be in his good graces again for that."

Mammoth narrowed his eyes at the alien girl but agreed. "C'mon Jinx, we're goin' for now."

Jinx stayed put. "I'll go when I am good and ready to go."

"Fine. I'll see you back at the dorm?"

Jinx winked.

Kyd came beside his mentor and the two left through one of Kyd's portals.

Red-X sat in a chair at the computer, "So when's the marriage?" He asked bluntly.

Jinx blushed and wheeled around. "What are you talking about 'marriage?'"

"I'm pretty sure everyone else can see it," Blackfire winked at the living hex.

"Oh don't you start, too!" Jinx whined, "Bad enough that I had to deal with Gizmo's teasing."

"Hey, we're all friends here," Blackfire opened her hands, palms front, in a symbol of peace.

"Right..." Jinx threw her knapsack over her shoulder, "Just try not to break anything while we are gone." And she left

"Finally, thought she'd never leave." Blackfire plopped down on Red-X's lap. "What have you got?"

"An alien on my lap."

"Oh, good one."

"I don't recall offering you a seat."

Blackfire smiled, "You must have forgotten, then." She turned her attention to the screen and leaned back. "Why don't you like me?" she pouted and wrapped her hands about his neck, lovingly.

"I don't like people. Period."

"People refers to humans, I'm not human."

"You're close enough."

"Hey! I am soo not like a human!" Blackfire shot out of his lap like a rocket.

"Name one way in which you are not like a human aside from flight and laser beams."

She sat back down on his lap and traced the red x on his chest then the one on his faceplate. "Let's just say I have more endurance."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She flashed the super-thief a dumb look then pointed to the corridor that led to the bedrooms. "We're alone. Why don't you find out first hand?"

"Get. Off."

She swore that his mask's eyes narrowed but she swallowed her fear. "Is that a yes?" Blackfire purred.

"…"

"I see." She stood up. "Fine, what about Kyd? You have with him and he is human. Sort of."

"Not even close, that half-demon half-alien teen is as far away from humanity you can get. Aside from me." Red-X noticed that Blackfire was slowly approaching him, again.

"And just what makes you so 'unnatural?' Or will I have to…" She wrapped one hand around his neck, "pry that info from you?"

"Let's just say to do what I do effectively and to keep balance, I have had to strip myself of hindering emotions and reign them in."

She was closer to him now and he reached out and embraced her without thinking. "Well then," Blackfire started to move the faceplate away, "Let's just see if I can bring those emotions back…"

"Wait…" But the rest or Red-X's resistance was lost in her violet eyes. They leaned in and…

Mammoth and Kyd entered the hallway of H.I.V.E. carrying shopping bags filled with stolen goods. "I'm telling you," Mammoth insisted, "That store owner ripped us off! Look, we got all this food, but he had no animal crackers? What is up with that?"

Kyd silently fumed at the same fact. He loved animal crackers and found it surprising that the store did not carry any.

"You're late." The statement nearly shocked them out of their skins.

"Br-Brother Blood!" Mammoth and Kyd Wykkyd spun around and faced the school's headmaster.

Kyd stole a side-long look at Mammoth then back at his leader.

Brother Blood waited a moment, then Jinx came around the corner, "There you guys are, I was beginning to wonder-" then she saw Brother Blood, "Oh... shitbricks."

Brother Blood's eyes narrowed, "You three. Auditorium. Now." Then he turned and left.

Mammoth and his friends gulped. "Sounds like public humiliation again"

"Gee, what gave that away?" Jinx sarcastically asked.

Kyd nervously and silently laughed, uncertain. Then he made a few gestures.

Mammoth understood the signing and responded, "Let's just say this isn't the first time we have been in trouble."

Kyd rolled his eyes and sighed but kept on trucking.

Eventually the three were behind the curtain of the auditorium. On the other side of the thick red cloth, they could hear their classmates mumbling, talking, and laughing. Jinx winced at a voice she recognized distinctly as Gizmo's. "He's gonna have a field day with this..."

Brother Blood's speech started. It was the basic: blah blah blah, do well, blah blah, success is about ambition and an opportunistic mindset, blah blah blah. Finally came the part they were sure was about them.

"As you may or may not have noticed," Brother Blood continued, "Three students have been missing from our ranks for about two weeks now. Well, they have returned that their game of 'hookie' is over."

"'Hookie'?" Mammoth asked.

Jinx shrugged, "Thought you'd know."

Before Kyd or Mammoth could respond, the curtain whooshed open and revealed them to the auditorium.

"...crap..."

"These three students saw it fit to leave the H.I.V.E. without any proper orders." He frowned at them. "They brought before me a whole heaping of trouble and annoyance. Recently in the past, I have been disappointed in Jinx and her team."

Jinx's head bowed low.

"But this time, I am impressed,"

Kyd's face lit up in surprsie.

Mammoth's big mouth spread into a proud grin.

Brother Blood's face did not change, "Over the past few weeks, these three have been making hell for the Titans and have also gained the trust an help of two very ambitious and worthy prospects." He flicked a switch and the overhead projector flickered to life. "The intergalactic Exile known as Blackfire as well as the Smooth Criminal and superthief Red-X have both created a working relationship with Jinx and her new...team," Reluctance was in his voice but Brother Blood continued, "and, through them, a working relationship with the H.I.V.E." He placed a heavy hand on Jinx's shoulder and looked at her.

Though he was smiling down at her, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. If he was proud of them, really proud, she wasn't getting that vibe at all.

A/N: Sorry about the late update (kinda) But this isn't my main story so it doesn't have my attention most days. My main story is Justice Lords Limitless :3 check it out! And don't forget to read and review this story!