Chapter Text
Raven was making her way to one of Hive’s many training caverns when she heard an insistent bleeping from her blackbox. Incoming call - Nero.
“Yes Max?” She said as she answered the call.
“Could you come to my office please Natalya?” Nero asked.
“On my way” Raven replied efficiently severing the connection.
She changed direction taking a right turn, heading quickly towards Dr Neros office, wondering briefly why he had requested to see her.
Secretly she hoped that he had a new mission for her, she had to admit recently she was rather bored, it had been a few months since Hive had seen any action, which was supposedly a good thing judging by the fact that anytime something out of the ordinary (well as close as you can get to ordinary for a school for villains) happened it normally ended with near-life-ending situations which is not a very good thing for a school environment. Still as an assassin herself she craved the thrill of the hunt and the prospect of finally being back in the field was intriguing.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she reached Nero’s office. She knocked on the door and after hearing a response “Enter” from him she set foot in Nero’s office.
“Ah Natalya,” he said looking up as she walked in “sit down” he gestured to the seat on the other side of his desk. Raven took a seat opposite him and looked up expectantly.
“Well?” She asked after a few minutes of silence from the headmaster.
“Well what?” Nero asked although he quite obviously knew what she meant.
“Well why did you call me here?” Raven questioned.
“Ahh yes, I called you here because I just wanted to inform you of something…”
He paused. Raven raised an eyebrow.
“I just wanted to tell you…. Happy Birthday!”
“What?”
“I said Happy Birthday Natalya. You do know what a birthday is right?” Nero asked.
“Of course I know what a birthday is, but I dont have a birthday, *I* dont even know when my birthday is how could you possibly think it’s today?”
Well strictly speaking it was actually the anniversary of the first time Nero had met Raven, which is about as close to her birthday as they can get, but Nero couldn’t exactly tell the whole school that so he had told them it was her birthday instead. They had to pick a day and this seemed as good a day as any! Nero had tried a few times to celebrate but Raven never approved of it, this time however he would not be deterred!
He took a few moments to explain this to Raven. Raven sat there dumbfounded,
“Please tell me you’re joking Max.” She asked hopefully. Nero just smiled. Raven groaned she knew that look, it meant he was not joking and that it was absolutely 100% true that he had told the entire school that it was her birthday.
“Well dont you have a training session to get to?” Nero asked he knew that Wing Fanchu would be waiting for her.
Wing was the only student who Raven tutored this way and he was sure that Wing was the only student in the school that wasn’t completely terrified of her.
“Yes I should go.” She replied still dumbfounded. She sighed if Nero had really told everyone that today was her birthday then it was going to be a long day. Nero watched as Raven left his office closing the door behind her.
He opened up his blackbox to call one of H.I.V.E’s alpha stream students, Otto Malpense. When Nero had sent out a message to the whole school (except Raven of course) telling Hive’s population that in 1 weeks time it would be Raven’s birthday and asking if there was anyone who would take on the responsibility of organising a surprise birthday party, of course the students to volunteer had been Otto Malpense along with his friends Wing Fanchu, Shelby Trinity and Laura Brand. These 4 students were now in the main hall and with some help from their friends and fellow classmates Nigel Darkdoom and Franz Argentblum were adding the final touches to the grand party.
“Mr Malpense. Are the preparations complete?” Asked Nero as Otto answered the call
“we’re nearly done, Franz has just gone to get the cake” Otto informed him.
“I see” replied Nero then he stopped and frowned.
“Otto how exactly do you plan on getting Raven to the main hall? She has gone to the training cavern for her training session with Wing.”
“Don’t worry Doctor we already have a plan for that.” Otto said smiling to himself as he did.
“I see” said Nero, he was starting to wonder if giving these particular students this task was a good idea.
“Just one more thing Mr Malpense.”
“Yes sir?”
“Try not to let anything explode.” Nero said seriously you couldn’t be too careful with these students. They had after all been responsible for the near destruction of the school on too many occasions
“Of course Doctor.” Otto replied trying very hard not to laugh.
Nero just shook his head and severed the connection. He briefly wondered if this was a good idea. He knew that Raven did not like parties or surprises and he knew he was putting his life on the line for this but he hoped it would be worth it to see the expression he on her face when she found out.