Author's Note: This is one of my favorite pairings and felt that for this merry season (yes, I'm talking Christmas folks) they deserved a decent one-shot. Not to say there aren't any. There just aren't enough. I'll probably come up with a sequel and/or companion but I'd appreciate reviews and constructive critisism.
Disclaimer: Not only do I not own Teen Titans, or Simple Plan's "Welcome to my Life" lyrics but I don't own a car either. And yet life moves on.
Also the T rating is for mild thematic events or innuedo.
Short, pixie-cut, bubble gum pink, frame-your-face hair was shoved under a washed-out grey, badly-woven, shmuck of a hat. Three thin-as-paper, dollar store quality, neutral-colored shirts were layered over her thin frame allowing her naturally twiggy bones to almost stick through her skin. Dirty, thirty year old, wool was draped over her narrow shoulders, ending at the boots that stuck out of the bell-shaped bottom of her faded blue, hip-hugging, flared, made-for-tweens jeans.
Her hands were rough from use but graceful in shape and covered with scratchy, black gloves with the fingers worn off. She pointed them at the graffiti-covered barrel that held this alleyway's fire. The flames weren't enough to heat her fingers; one day she'd probably lose them to frostbite. A grimy hand pushed through the general order of the girl's clan of homeless, shoving her aside like a sack of potatoes. A bad expression to use here since anyone there would've killed for something like a sack of food.
Pink orbs of light illuminated her eyes as the girl let a few curses flow from her lips. An older mother covered her child's ears. She muttered an, "Oops." There was once a time when she would've literally cursed him, have him drop into a pothole and sustain life-threatening injuries. This wasn't that time though; that phase of her life was over. Cue in the glamorous life of a villain drop-out, now turned good and living not-so-large.
Yes, this was the outcome of the formerly notorious Jinx. After being rejected from every honest job offer she'd earned because of her reputation or looks she had to resort to the streets. Unable to hide her true self she simply chopped off her hair so it was more manageable and hid it under a hat. Most people didn't stare too badly and the regulars who knew her didn't care.
While she was contemplating, idly, which one of her fingers would fall off first a wind blew by. Its speed was phenomenal but its cause was even more amazing. Kid Flash, the teenaged hero himself, had come to the streets on duty. For what Jinx didn't know but had no intention of finding out. The second she felt the strange breeze she started for Georgia, a sweet older women whose relationship to her was like an aunt's to her favorite niece.
"That's the guy, Georgia. Please don't let him trick me again; I'm through with his smooth talking." Jinx pleaded with large eyes.
Georgia kept a firm face but nodded with affirmation, "Stay behind me, Jinx. Let Georgia take care of this for ya."
The bright red and yellow suit of his blurred as he went from alley to alley, searching amongst dumps and slums. Georgia charged when she saw an opening and beat her fist at his chest gorilla-style.
"Hold up, hold up!" The boy tried to calm the woman down, "I'm doing a job here and would appreciate less distraction. Do you have something against guys in spandex or what?"
Georgia gave a grim smirk as she spoke to the girl hovering behind her, still looking straight to Kid Flash's face, "You're right. He is a smooth-talker."
"Smooth-talker, is that such a… Jinx?" Kid Flash stopped his reply short when he realized the girl bending behind the obsessive-compulsive woman was his old friend, Jinx.
"Don't you lay a finger! I've heard all about you, young man and I won't have any hanky panky in my alleyway! Not on my Jinx." Jinx was restraining the urge to hug Georgia on the spot for doing such a terrific job protecting her 'virtue'.
It took Kid Flash a moment to compose himself before cracking a single chuckle and asking, "Jinx, what did you tell this lady?"
"Don't even talk to 'er! Don't look, speak, breathe, or do anything but pray I don't strip the flesh from your bones, ya leech." Georgia moved in close so that she whispered her threats in such a way that Kid Flash's blood ran cold. "I suggest you be leaving now."
Kid Flash stepped away but for good measure left a message with Jinx.
"I don't know what's going on, but obviously you don't want to talk. I'll come back when your place is… less crowded…" He eyed Georgia -who was cracking her knuckles- warily and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
His message did everything to fuel Georgia's almighty fury but when she turned around Jinx was picking up a rose that had appeared on the ground and stroking it tenderly.
Just as the older woman was about to speak Jinx did for her with a hint of a tear in her eye.
"You were wonderful, Georgia. I have to think this out, though. Thank you." Jinx left her wool covering on the ground as she slinked through an urban jungle of fire escapes to come out on a roof top.
Autumn was almost over but still left its traces by the chill breezes, cool enough to caress your cheek but leave what felt like burns. Jinx let the single tear she'd held in her right eye's tear duct fall down her cheek. The Kid Flash was just like autumn. He was an amazing friend and the only soul who ever believed in her but once she set foot in the real world he was gone, stripping away layers of her self-esteem and much of her credibility. It hardly took minutes for him to arrive; Jinx figured he would.
"Thanks for the lecture on morality, Jinxy. I swear I won't touch you." The Kid Flash grinned cheekily.
Jinx let out a broken, "Too late for that."
The boy glanced past his yellow mask and into the pink eyes he once held so close to him. It had been months since he'd seen her, which was his own fault but he was realizing that distance truly does make the heart grow fonder. The eyes were still a bright fuchsia but darkened in the time of evening and dulled by hard times. Just by her appearance it was obvious her turn of identity hadn't done her any good. At least on the exterior, he thought hopefully.
"What's that supposed to mean? And what's with the anorexic look?" So much for his word on not touching her because he was pulling on one of her numerous shirts, measuring her stomach out, "You getting enough to eat or what?"
Before she could say anything he interrupted with an invitation.
"How about we get something to eat somewhere nice and you can tell me what's been happening?"
Everybody always gave you what you wanted
You never had to work it was always there
You don't know what it's like, what it's like
Jinx's subtle chuckling at the irony of the recent events turned into maniacal cackling. No doubt he'd take her somewhere swanky and try to convince her how easy it was to turn good. Everything he wanted was hand-fed to him; everything she'd ever wanted was pressed up against her nose before being ripped away. Ying meet Yan. Go somewhere nice and eat? Her witchy cackling died down but she was still holding her sides to prevent further laughing.
"We're not going anywhere to eat. I propose we sit on this cold and hard-as-nails roof and try to talk amongst the chattering of teeth against the winds of November." Jinx said grandly, sitting her rump on the edge of the roof as to demonstrate.
Kid Flash, being the laid-back, spontaneous guy jumped on next to her in… well… a flash…
"So, how's it been going?" He tried to pick back up where he left.
Jinx's expression turned sour as she tried to come up with words to sum up her present living situation, "Well, I'm not anorexic by choice if that explains anything."
"Then why turn down dinner?" He was flabbergasted.
Jinx stood and looked towards the full moon, "Everything fell apart. What did you expect? I'm not going to be spoon fed the laid-back good cop bad cop thing and then be pushed out on my own twice. I'll most likely rot in this alley." Kid Flash's mouth was agape at her sadistic monologue. "Anyhow, what brings you here? Getting another idiot to fool into the hero business?"
Okay, bitter didn't cover it.
"Actually Speedy's what brings me here. He's been going through rough times but finally turned around. I'm on a local mission to bring down the guy who was selling him his smack." Kid Flash said casually.
Jinx pumped her legs, "I hate to think what Speedy on drugs would look like. So you think the dealer was down my alley?"
"Hold up, who said it was your alley?"
"Hey, whatever I've been able to get a hold of -and that happens to be this alley- I dominate. You expected anything less?"
This made Kid Flash laugh; a real deep chuckle from the back of his throat. Jinx, despite her cool demeanor was trying to keep her heart from escaping out her throat. That was the one thing that had made Kid Flash real to her: his sincerity. Everything he did was sincere but his laugh was especially. A hearty laugh that you couldn't help but laugh along with. Not that she would; maybe inside her head but nothing more.
"Any more conversion offers?" Jinx asked, getting more chilled than usual and hoping to speed the conversation up.
"How do you know I'm not here just to hang with you?"
"That's not the way you work." Jinx started climbing down the first fire escape.
Kid Flash dangled his legs in front of her face as she went down each step but eventually when her back was turned he began following.
"Listen, tell me you can do the hero job and I'll get you a roof over your head. It's the least I can do. You've been off the map a while; the Titans will take you."
To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
"I have my pride. You've taken everything else away from me. Don't put me on your level." Jinx hopped off the second fire escape and dropped the last three or four stories.
"My level?" He shouted but he was talking to himself; Jinx had been swallowed by the shadows of the night.
Welcome to my life
Long, loosely-spiked, rosy red hair sprouted from behind Kid Flash's stark yellow mask. His eyes were a cerulean blue that reminded most of a deep sea and they were swiveling back and forth lazily. With his lean arms crossed behind his head and -besides his boots- his entire hero get-up still on, he mulled over Jinx's words. Ironically the sunset was broadcasting bubblegum-pink clouds across the sky only deepening his Jinx-inspired daze.
What was his life? What was her life? Besides the obvious, what was the difference? He lived in a decent apartment and she lived in an alley. He was a hero and she was too flighty to start her own good deeds. They were both somewhat cocky but he obviously trumped her in that area. They both had skills but he felt she trumped him in that area.
He sighed; they were from such different sides of the tracks. He'd known that when he first met her: it was what attracted him, but it seemed like it was more prominent now than ever.
Why wouldn't you turn into a hero when offered? She was… starving, right? He cringed thinking of her stomach making the slightest rumbling. There was something hidden between that level quip she'd made but what was it? The problem with trying to think like Jinx was that they were too different. She'd been through such rough times and her background was probably just as sketchy, unlike his which had been absolutely cushy compared… eureka! Kid Flash kicked on his boots and started running. Molecules began to blur.
Jinx stood, shivering beside her same trash can. The flames were dying down and cold was nipping at her every end, even her choppy pink bangs. She pulled on her wool blanket, its rough texture reminding her of worse times.
She was in her childhood, as tantalizingly real as it had been the first time, in India. The only mother she'd ever known was offering her to a sorceress. The preparations were to be put in a scratchy off-white blanket and presented. Once dressed up Jinx was thrown into slavery and eventually experimentation at the sorceress'. But that was years ago; she was young when she escaped to the States.
Reality jolted her; it was a small girl in need of a blanket to ward off the cold. Jinx gave a grim smile and leaned over to share. The girl was the tender age of five with a few teeth missing. Her hair was a dirt-brown and her shut eyes, when opened a deep black. Jinx gazed longingly at the little one's skin: a beautiful tan was spread all about her. This is what she should've looked like at age five. Yet as her hands stared back at her all she saw was a sickly pale color; completely unnatural. It was sad, the girl had done nothing wrong but automatically Jinx was repulsed.
Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies
While deep inside you're bleeding
An oddly-warm burst of breeze grazed a patch of Jinx's exposed skin. Her impassive face turned into a scowl and she promptly left the blanket for the little girl to have herself. Talk about persistent! Jinx gave a low growl as she stomped through a maze of alleyways, she was tired and didn't look forward to arguing more with her flame-headed stalker. Thus she was avoiding him as long as she…
One stomp forward and there was Kid Flash with what looked to be fourteen or so boxes of Chinese take-out stacked dangerously on top of one another.
…could
As she gathered the fury to witch-slap Kid Flash her wrists were grabbed and in a sickeningly fast whirl she was seated on a rooftop somewhere near the central area of Jump City. In front of her was a TV tray with a small piece of checkered blanket used as a table cloth. She smirked; talk about corny and cliché. While she noted that she was sitting in a comfy fold-up chair food, in between yellow and red flashes, was being set up over plates, dishes and silverware. While two seconds ago she was pulling together her strength to slap the boy now Jinx was seated at a beautifully-simple dinner with tasty-looking oriental food spread before her chapped lips.
Kid Flash began to speak, a red glow forming around his freckled face, "Granted it isn't the kind of nice place I'd like to take you to but I figured we'd compromise."
Jinx was thinking up some sort of sly comeback when she noticed something.
"How'd you know I like Sesame Chicken?" She asked, genuinely curious and somewhat disturbed.
"Well, adding together what I know about you: you like the colors purple and black, your favorite flowers are roses and one of your pastimes is sketching unicorns I figured Sesame was the way to go." He said smoothly.
"Stalker." Jinx's glare was unrivaled.
"That too." Kid Flash managed between the chills flying up and down his spine.
Jinx glanced from the tomato red Kid Flash to the mounds and heaps and piles of delicious-smelling food to the crowded vase in the center of the tray with a single rose. Although her heart was tugging her between hexing Boy-Wonder to Canada and jumping into his arms, Jinx's body seemed to be doing something of its own. Jinx gained her own shade of red when she realized that she was shoveling food into her thoroughly parched mouth. At the rate she was swallowing she could hardly taste the food as she hurriedly pushed it down her throat.
"Woah, if you eat at that rate you might not be able to keep this stuff down, Jinx!" Kid Flash laughed good-naturedly.
//"Whaw aw yew tawkin'm abouw?" Jinx put her hands on her hips but her words betrayed her; she sounded like she was talking in some foreign language since her mouth was so full.
In a colored blur Kid Flash was gobbling a hogie as fast as she was, //"Yew haven'm gow supah spee. Yew eat fis fas yewl upshuck your foo."
//"Momsense'f, fop worryin' bout me." Jinx said, looking irritated.
// What are you talking about? // You haven't got super speed. You eat this fast and you'll upchuck your food. // Nonsense, stop worrying about me.
The moment she was able to pause a deep rumbling burst in her stomach and suddenly her insides were like an ocean at storm. Flash was immediately at her side as she yanked herself over the roof and wretched up everything she'd poured down her throat. Some poor unfortunate soul got in the way and started yelling profanities at the kids for dropping vomit all over them. Jinx frowned: she was used to people screaming at her, what bothered her was the awful aftertaste in her mouth. Flash saw the face and the next second she saw he'd gotten a six-pack of lemon lyme soda and cracked a can open for her. She hesitantly took it and sipped some. Perfect, she breathed a sigh of relief before swishing some in her mouth and spitting so the taste was completely gone. There was a splashing sound and that same person started screaming again but all Jinx and Kid could do was laugh.
"You were right. This time." Jinx said hoarsely before sipping at her soda.
"Well, in a few minutes maybe you can try to eat a dumpling or two. S-l-o-w-l-y though." Kid Flash emphasized.
Jinx leaned over the rooftop randomly, "I feel bad for the guy below us."
"Yeah, you have some great aim."
"That wasn't me. I'm bad luck? Remember? It isn't like I can control certain aspects of my powers. I told you before: being good was never an option for me. It still isn't. Not yet anyway." Once Jinx had explained she started eying an egg roll cautiously.
"Well, deciding to live life on the streets is more like a step back from the hero goal. Why didn't you get a job or something? You seemed so self-sufficient when I left you."
"Yeah, the first twenty four hours were fun. It was when I started looking for an honest job that I ran into trouble." She hesitantly nibbled on the outer edges of an egg roll, "Everyone thinks I'm some sort of witch punk (which I suppose I am…) or that I'm still a villain. The alley knows better but no one else. Sometimes I'd reference you for good measure but you never showed up."
Kid Flash felt like slapping his forehead, "Why didn't you call a Titan? Anything?"
"You forgot to leave the emergency numbers on the fridge." Jinx said, sourly. "Anyway it wasn't long before I found the alley and started to save up spare change for the little I have."
Jinx, somewhat ashamed but beyond embarrassment, gestured to her trashed outfit.
No, you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me
Kid Flash felt the same heat of ashamed feelings rise up to his face. For more than sixty days he'd left Jinx to fend for herself. It was true that he couldn't have helped leaving her: he was helping his Uncle on a classified mission, but that didn't stop him from feeling stupid. He'd had no idea what she'd gone through as he raced around the globe with the legendary Flash.
"If I had known…" The Kid Flash trailed off, at a loss for words.
Jinx gave a sad smile, "If you had known… what? You would've tried to hand me to the Titans. I think they're just like the rest of the city, unfortunately."
Kid Flash looked at the pained face Jinx was trying to fake as a smile and felt anger bubble up and finally surface. Sometimes it seemed like justice was exactly the opposite of what it was supposed to be.
"But they're wrong! Everyone is! If you're a changed person people should believe it. Your past included: haven't other heroes had bad pasts?"
"Adult heroes maybe." Jinx said darkly. "Flash, it doesn't matter what you think if the entire city thinks differently. That's an unlucky set of odds."
"But I feel like I'm living like a king compared to you and you're trying so hard to be good... you've changed but you'll still try to return to the alley after this… I can't let that happen…" The Kid Flash jumped off his own fold-up chair and began pacing at an inhuman speed.
Colors shot past Jinx's eyes as she attempted to watch him pace to and forth between the roof's length. His bright, primary-colored outfit only blinded her. In her temporary blindness she could hear him rattling off about how justice should be. How rights should be wronged. How if he tried hard enough he might turn the earth upside-down. She let a dreamy smile enter her face. She'd accepted fate long ago, that she would lead a life of misery even if not in evil practices, and somehow it was refreshing to see someone so clearly in denial.
She tried calling Kid Flash back, telling him to come and sit before he wore a hole in the roof but he kept up his pacing nonstop.
"Flash! Kid Flash! Flash!" Jinx breathed in deeply, "WALLY!"
Wally Weston, AKA Kid Flash, stopped in his tracks -where he had indeed worn the roof's cement- and turned to face Jinx. He was red from her use of his civilian identity.
"It's okay… welcome to my life."
Kid Flash looked saddened for a moment but after another moment's thought he realized what Jinx had said had double if not triple meaning. With that he flashed another one of those genuine smiles and Jinx pretended not to hear her heart hammering.
Welcome to my life