Chapter 93

See-More PoV

It was strange just how safe I felt in H.I.V.E. academy. As if it really was a home I could go back to. Despite being a den of villainy, there was just something about how things were running here that made it just so…warm.

The headmaster was very direct in how he saw us students as nothing more than assets to be molded and sold off to the highest bidder. Or at the very least to make us pay off our debt to the school for everything they’ve provided.

It was…rough, yeah, but it was because he was so blatant about things that it was obvious where his values were. He was honest and upfront about everything. Something that a lot of students and villains were. Because what was the use in lying to others about what you wanted?

Though there were…other reasons that this place was as pleasant as it was.

I trailed towards the exercise training room that Jinx had started to frequent. A class that almost everyone in her team started to attend after we got whipped by the Titans a ways back. Jinx hadn’t ever gone to physical training classes before then, whereas Billy and Kyd Wykkyd predominantly took such classes.

But even then, their attendance was incomparable to what they were doing before. Each member of the H.I.V.E. five seemed to be driven in their own ways after we got beat up by the Titans. We were going to make sure that we wouldn’t ever fail again.

…I just wish we didn’t have to endure the ridicule from the other students because of it.

Students from Jinx’s class had filtered out. Familiar faces passed me by on the way causing me to smile a bit. Jinx usually stayed behind in the class for a bit for some extra training. Which meant she’d usually be all alone.

She’d be all mine…for a few minutes, at least. Hehehe…

I traveled over to the door before hesitating to open it. Forcing myself to go over a checklist before mustering the courage to go in. Breath mint? Check. Deodorant? Check. Brushed hair? Check. Surprise chocolates? Check. C-condoms just in case…uh…you know…things go…just, absolutely crazy! Check.

I cleared my throat before walking through the d-

“-Is unacceptable! I don’t know why you’re suddenly underperforming, miss Jinx, and frankly I don’t care. Either shape up and get those numbers back up, or I’ll have a talk with the headmaster about if you’re really ready to be a leader. Do you understand?”

“…Yes ma’am.”

Jinx answered the teacher back in a strangely subdued manner, causing the teacher to scoff before she started to walk somewhere…

I jerked back in surprise as the door suddenly slid open. Revealing the wrinkled crone that teaches the class. She gazed at me suspiciously before rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath before continuing to walk away.

My eyes traveled back into the classroom towards Jinx, who wasn’t even looking in this direction. Instead, she seemed to be lost in her own little world. Staring forward at the wall in front of her with a small frown. Holding her arm with her other hand.

I…

I didn’t like seeing her like that.

“Hey, Jinx!”

Before I even knew it, I had already moved forward. Calling out with a wave of my hand, and a smile on my face. One that wasn’t even fake, considering Jinx never fails to make me happy.

She paused for a moment before slowly looking over at me. Her expression not changing in the slightest, making me hesitate for a moment…before carrying on.

“…Oh. Hey, See-More.”

She answered, before starting to look back at the wall. Giving it a thousand mile stare as she lost herself in her mind. Thinking about…something. Well, probably that threat the teacher gave her. I mean, I know just how much being the leader meant to Jinx. She’s worked pretty damn hard to earn it, and that wasn’t even including everyone’s attempts to sabotage or coerce her so they could get it instead.

And of course such things are looked past by the staff, because that’s exactly how they want us to go about things. We were supposed to be villains after all.

…It’s why I never made the move for leadership. I just…I don’t think I could ever handle it. Not just the whole ‘people’s trust in you’ thing, but with everyone constantly gunning for my position I’d be too stressed out to think about anything else.

It…it wasn’t easy for Jinx at all.

“Heard uh, heard what that teacher was saying earlier. You know, I don’t think she’d really do it. Probably is just trying to motivate you in her own way.”

“…Mmhm.”

Jinx answered back. Her eyes still locked on something far away. My nerves caused me to rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. I wasn’t really sure what exactly I should do in order to cheer her up.

The teacher had said something about her performing worse than normal, right? Maybe…maybe there was something on her mind?

“Hey uh, you know, if there’s something you want to talk about, you can always talk to me. That is, if you want to…Jinx.”

Her eyes finally drifted over to me. Several minutes went by as we just locked eyes with each other as she slowly came to a conclusion. The conclusion that I’d always be there for her and that maybe, just maybe, she…she felt the same?

“…See-More, what would you give for power?”

Huh? For power? That’s a weird question. Can’t say I’ve really thought about it. But if I had to give an answer off the bat…

“Time and money, I guess? I mean, that’s kind of what we’re doing here, isn’t it?”

Jinx met my answer with a blank stare. Digesting my answer before finally giving her own.

“I see.”

…Huh? That’s…it? Was that the right answer or not?

Ah, I wish these things were easier to understand. Why did women have to be so difficult!?

“…You know, I hate authority.”

Jinx said. Her eyes returning back to the wall as she seemed to retreat back to her own thoughts. Yet still holding out a lifeline by continuing to talk to me. For some reason though…her tone was making me a bit uneasy.

“O-oh, really? I’m kind of surprised. You’ve never showed any anger or annoyance towards the teachers, or even the headmaster. Even when they were ordering you.”

I commented. Causing her to almost immediately respond.

“Yes, because I’m not stupid. If I don’t act this way, then I won’t ever be able to grab enough power to be truly free. To never be ordered around by others again. Because that’s want. To do whatever I want, without anyone being able to stop me. Without answering to anyone. True freedom.”

…Huh. That was…wow. I-I think she was actually opening up to me! O-okay See-More, don’t mess this up. Play it cool. Play it suave. As long as I help her, then maybe she could open up about other things, and then we’d…we’d-

“Do you understand what I’m saying See-More? I don’t really care about money, fame, or anything else that much. I like it sure, but it’s not the end all be all. What I really want is power. And for that…”

She trailed off. Pausing for an uneasy moment before finally looking back at me. But this time…this time there was something wrong with her gaze. Like it was lacking something that had once been there before, but was gone now.

I’m…not really sure what that is.

“And for that?”

I questioned, attempting to help her finish her sentence, which caused her to frown, and close her eyes.

“…I don’t know. Every time I’ve been in a situation where I had to trade something for it, I’ve always accepted. No ones ever really pushed me into seeing just how much I’d give up for it.”

She reached out. As if to attempt to touch the wall in front of her, but it was too far away to actually do so.

“Are you…regretting going to this school?”

I asked, gulping slightly anxiously. Only for Jinx to shake her head, and allow me to relax my shoulders. Alright, so she wasn’t talking about the school then. Good. Good…

“What scares me isn’t what I’ve already done, but what I might be willing to do. Who I might become.”

…Oh. I see. She was talking about the more…dark aspects of the criminal side of things. That stuff could be pretty rough. I have to admit. Thankfully the headmaster doesn’t force such missions on people who are unwilling or squeamish, like me. Though that does mean we have to take classes to…desensitize us to some stuff.

As well as making a bit less for commissions, but…that was fine for me.

I placed a hand on Jinx’s shoulder, and she didn’t even so much as react. Her body not even tensing up at the action. Which made me even more nervous, considering I hadn’t even thought about how that might make her feel.

Ahhh! Stupid! How could I be so stupid!? I was moving way to fast! J-just play it off See-More, and everything will be fine.

“I-it’s alright, Jinx. No matter what happens, you will always be you. As long as you are true to yourself, it doesn’t matter what you do or what you’re faced with. I…I know you can overcome anything.”

Immediately as the words left my mouth, I found myself blushing heavily. Oh man, that was so freaking cheesy! She was going to think I’m a total dork after this.

Instead of laughing in my face however, she seemed to just…pause. Contemplating the wall once more before finally seeming to snap out of it. Her prior confidence and easy-going stare once more locked onto my position with a slight smile. Causing me to sweat profusely.

She smirked before nodding.

“Well said! How about we get some lunch?”

…Did…did she just ask me out!? Oh man, oh man! It was just lunch in the cafeteria but, but that still counted! Woohoo!

“Uh…yeah, that sounds great. Cool, even. I’d be down. Er, that’s fine with me.”

I commented, causing her to give me a once over in confusion. Her eyes seemingly scanning me before dawning with realization. Her hand flying to her pocket as she spoke.

“Oh, I completely forgot to ask why you even came here! Sorry, you wanted some more Boosters, right?”

Jinx asked, before pulling out a bottle of said pills. I’m not sure why, but just looking at them made me…itch. Jinx has been giving them out to a ton of students, and making a tidy profit from it. I was pretty sure that some of the staff must have noticed as well, but just didn’t do anything about it.

Maybe because they were the ones who supplied her with them in the first place? Hmm, no, I think they’d just sell them off themselves if that were the case. Could be that Jinx paid them off to look the other way…

Though it made even more sense that they just didn’t care. Especially when it was helping the other students get better grades in the other classes. And in the end, results were all that mattered in H.I.V.E.

“Um, yeah! Man, I had totally forgot as well…”

I answered back laughing a bit. Not having the courage to admit the truth to her. Instead slipping her several twenties for some Boosters. Now that I was looking at the pills, it reminded me of something that I was thinking of earlier.

As Jinx was slipping the cash into her pocket, I spoke up.

“So hey, uh, do you think that you could maybe…stop giving Boosters to Billy?”

Jinx froze. Her expression suddenly turning into a frown as she looked up. Causing me to take a step back in surprise at the sudden hostility.

“Huh? Why?”

It took me a few seconds to find my words. The pressure coming off her felt like it was coming down in waves. I pulled a bit on the neck of my shirt in order to get some air.

“Well, um, he just seems to be kind of…aggressive. I mean, he’s always been kind of a jerk, but he’s never really been one to actually physically push around others. He’s even shaken down some of the newer students for their cash. I don’t know, he just feels like he’s…changed.”

Jinx paused. Continuing to stare me down with daggers before finally opening her mouth.

“…That’s not against the rules.”

“Well, no, but-“

I started, only for Jinx to look away. Her expression changing causing the tense atmosphere to finally cool off. Letting me breathe a sigh of relief.

“No, no. You’re right. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him a bit.”

She placated, causing me to feel even more relief. As expected of our leader.

“That would be very helpful. Thanks Jinx.”

“Don’t mention it. I got to take care of my team, don’t I?”

Jinx said before winking one eye and moving past me. My face flushed in response. Was…was she flirting with me? Was that a signal? Oh man, it was so hard to tell with these things!

“Come on, I’m starving!”

Jinx mentioned in an upbeat tone, causing me to chuckle a bit under my breath as I followed. It didn’t take Jinx long to immediately fall back into her more playful and normal personality. Charming others with the way she talks, and overall, just playing the role as the queen of the school.

…But, even so…I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of unease. As if something was a bit off.

But that didn’t make sense.

See, I was very well versed in everything about Jinx. From how she walks, the way she talks, the way her lips move, the way her toes flex…

Uh, a-anyway, I knew a lot about Jinx. So, I’d have picked up something if it was different. But nothing actually was. She was acting like the same old Jinx as before. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel as though something was definitely different…

Oh right!

I had planned to compliment her new accessory, hadn’t I?

“By the way Jinx, I like your new choker.”

Jinx’s eyes went wide. Her face becoming strangely stilted before immediately relaxing into a kind of seductive grin as she touched it.

“Oh? Are you flirting with me right now, See-More?”

Oh shit! Abort! ABORT!

“Uh, no! I mean, I know you’re too busy for stuff like that, er, I mean, not that I was actually…what I mean to say is-“

I started to backpedal, only to dig a deeper and deeper hole. One that seemed damn near inescapable. But she merely laughed and continued to walk away. Causing my heart to beat a million times a minute.

That…that was close.

…Huh. Strangely enough, that uneasy feeling still hadn’t gone away. Was it not the compliment then? Was I forgetting something else, or was something actually different that I couldn’t think of?

Actually…

Come to think of it, Jinx…never said she was actually going to stop giving Billy the pills, did she?

W-well, it’s fine as long as she handles it. I’m sure she’ll do what’s best for the team. Because that’s just who she was.

The best leader anyone could ask for.