Teen Titans: Shattered Reality
Fractured Future
Coming Home
By: Russell Bynum/Osyris Diamond
A cool breeze gently flowed across the grass of a city park as the sun neared the ocean along the western horizon. A large water fountain highlighted the park's interior. Upon a nearby bench sat a dark-skinned young man, whose tragic past was quite evident from the cybernetic that had replaced most of his body. As he gazed up into the afternoon sky, he slowly opened his clenched right fist. In his palm was a ring. The young man stared at it briefly, before closing his fist once more and releasing a deep sigh. A mixture of emotions and memories flashed through his mind as he stared into the waving grass beyond the walkway that encompassed the fountain. Soon, a large black beetle caught his eye as it made its way an unknown destination. Suddenly, a puff of what appeared to be pink energy wafted along by the gentle breeze. It danced about as it passed over the beetle, before dissipating completely.
The beetle suddenly lost its balance on the blades of grass and tumbled onto its back. Its legs clambered about as the young man watched intently. Despite all its efforts, however, the beetle could not right itself. Then, another puff of pink energy appeared and flowed over the now helpless insect. With little effort, the beetle was suddenly able to right itself. After a moment, it revealed and spread its wings, before taking off into the clear-blue sky. The young man watched the beetle until it was carried off by a sudden gust. He then turned his face into the wind, which was blowing from the west. Unable to see anyone or anything of interest, he got up and leisurely began to walk into the breeze. His stroll took him out of the park and through the city. As he followed the falling sun, he soon reached the boardwalk, which outlined the shore.
The sun had just begun to sink behind a tall T-shaped tower, which stood like a lone sentinel upon an island that appeared to protect the harbor, as the young man paused for a moment at the boardwalk's edge. Before he could choose a direction in which to continue his walk, more strange pink energy appeared in front of his face and brushed his nose. With a twitch from an itch, the young man suddenly sneezed, quite loudly, too. As he sniffled and rubbed his nose, something caught his attention. He turned his head to the left and saw a lone figure sitting on a bench not too far from him. It was from there that the puffs of energy were coming from. As he cautiously approached the figure, he could tell it was female. She wore dark clothing and sat hunched over, with her left hand holding her head up and her right hand pointed towards the ground.
Her extended index finger was the source of the intermittent puffs. The young man instantly recognized the young woman, though she did not notice him at all. He stopped a bench-length from her, watching as she took aim towards a nail that had been raised halfway up from its wooden abode. The young woman shot another puff of pink energy towards the nail, which then drove itself back into the wooden plank from whence it arose. A brief smile appeared on her face, before slowly fading back to a gloomy frown.
"You should really take more pride in what you do," smiled the young man, after a moment.
The young woman jumped and instantly sat straight up, only then becoming aware of her audience, "Wait, what? Cyborg? What are you here doing? How long have standing there you been?"
As she stumbled over her words, her face became flustered.
"Long enough to see a friend in need," replied Cyborg, "Haven't seen you in a while, Jinx; how've ya been?"
"I've been better," replied Jinx, composing herself, "What brings you out here?"
"Well, I do live across the bay," reminded Cyborg, pointing towards the T-shaped tower, now barely visible as the sun descended into the horizon, "Mind if I join you?"
"No; please," smiled Jinx as she scooted to the left.
Cyborg then took his place beside her, "Actually, I noticed some of your pink energy floating on the breeze and figured you were back in town. Then, it was just a matter of walking into the wind."
"Oh my; really?" inquired Jinx, astonished, "I didn't know it could do that."
"Neither did I," admitted Cyborg, leaning back, "You didn't seem to be very focused on what you were doing; somethin' on your mind?"
"A lot, actually," confessed Jinx, lowering her head.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with K.F., would it?" inquired Cyborg, "I thought you two had somethin' going on. You seemed happy together."
"I was," explained Jinx with a sigh, "We were..."
"What happened?" asked Cyborg, now very concerned.
"I don't want to talk about it right now," explained Jinx, looking away.
Cyborg got the message, "So, how's life on this side of the law?"
"Not all that it's cracked up to be," said Jinx, sounding a bit more enthused about this topic, "Especially with a history like mine; but you get by. A change of scenery defiantly helped me, too; but I missed this city too much. I had to see her again."
"So you're not plannin' on stayin' then?" asked Cyborg.
"Don't know yet," replied Jinx, "Kinda in limbo right now."
"I see," said Cyborg, "You know you got a place over at the Tower when you need it, right?"
"No, I didn't," admitted Jinx, "It sounds so strange to hear."
"Hey, you chose to turn your life around," reminded Cyborg with a smile, "And you've stuck to your word. By-gones are by-gones. Just remember that."
"I'll try," assured Jinx, half-heartedly, "A lot has happened since we last talked like this. How is everyone doing?"
Cyborg took a big breath and sighed.
"That bad, huh?" surmised Jinx, watching Cyborg's pain-filled expressions, "I saw what happened to Terra; and Beast-Boy's reaction. How's he holdin' up?"
"We just got him off the I.V.," informed Cyborg, doing his best to keep composed, "After what happened, B.B. just sank into a deep depression. He wouldn't sleep; he wouldn't eat; all the life just left him...he almost died because of it."
Cyborg tried hard to hold back his tears.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was that bad," apologized Jinx, realizing her mistake in topics.
"No... it's alright," assured Cyborg, composing himself, "You didn't know. It's just so hard to see your best friend go through something like that; but I made sure that Bitch Rogue Paid!"
Cyborg growled and he stared at his clenched fists. Jinx was taken by Cyborg burst of anger.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," apologized Cyborg, after closing his eyes and taking a big breath, "It's not often I lose my temper like that."
"Don't worry, I understand," assured Jinx, placing her hand on his shoulder, "What she did to Terra helped me decide which side I'd fight for. So, I take it she didn't recover?"
"No," replied Cyborg, opening his eyes, "Her memory was completely erased; she didn't even remember her own brother. It was bad enough, loosing someone you love like that; especially after all they went through; but after Brion took her, Beast-Boy just seemed to die inside."
"So, where is she now?" asked Jinx.
"Back in Markovia," explained Cyborg, "Geo-Force thought it best for her to live there; and I had to agree with him. If he hadn't taken her, I don't even want to think of what Beast-Boy might-might... it was tough enough for him, sitting by her bedside all those long weeks; only to find the person he once loved was gone forever. After she left, we'd already marked him for a suicide watch; but then he just shutdown. Soon, we were forced to put him on fluids. Oddly enough, after this happened, Raven started watching over him; like he did Terra. If there's a positive aspect here, it's that. I've guessed she's had a thing for him for a while, but she only started showing it after he was bedridden."
Cyborg paused to collect his thoughts. The sun, by now, had sunk below the horizon and the lights along the boardwalk had flickered on. The sky was still a bright fiery orange, though it was slowly fading into twilight blue.
"I guess you could say he was a sweet-talker," abruptly began Jinx, "And I fell for him. Flash is nice guy and all but not in any position to be in a relationship. He was just too high-strung for me. His mind was always somewhere else. When we first met, he was so charming; so debonair. He made me believe in myself again. After the Brotherhood's defeat, we hooked up; and it was great... for a while; but then things changed. It was bad enough, having to deal with my former H.I.V.E. classmates when I changed sides; but the hardest thing I did was leaving Mammoth and Gizmo. They were like brothers to me. I remember what Mammoth told me just before I left; he said that he was proud of how I'd grown to be a fine young lady and that he respected my decision, even though he didn't agree with it. Gizmo felt betrayed and refused to speak to me when I tried to say goodbye to him."
Jinx took a deep breath, "Flash was a welcomed relief from the pain I felt. Now, I wonder if I just wasn't using him. Well, regardless, things started going south a few weeks ago. He just had so many things on his mind. It's as if he was never satisfied with life. I wanted to believe that he felt bad when I finally called it off, and maybe he truly meant it; but I hurt too much to care. Maybe I was just a fool looking for an easy way out. I don't know. When I left him, there was only one place I could go: home. Even if I didn't have a place to stay or people I could trust, it was better than being there. I was surprised when I ran into Mammoth the other day; and more so when he put me up at his place. It seems most of the H.I.V.E. students moved on after I had left. Mammoth said Gizmo had gone to Metropolis. With their tech-heavy industry, I wasn't surprised. What's really crazy is that Mammoth seems to have cleaned up his act."
"A lot has changed," agreed Cyborg with a reassuring smile, "With our alliance of new Titans, we seemed to scare off most of the troublemakers. Honestly, it's been hard getting use to not having to combat crime all the time. Sure, there's some hardcore villains still about and even some new faces; but it's just not the same. As he must have told you, Mammoth works for the State Forestry Service as a Search and Rescue squad leader. Never saw that comin'; said he was inspirited by you after Gizmo left."
"Hmm," pondered Jinx as stars began to fill the darkening sky, "No, he didn't tell me that. All he said was he'd found a steady job."
Cyborg became slightly flustered after hearing this.
"Don't worry," giggled Jinx, "I doubt you'll be in trouble for telling me. Though that does explain why he suddenly disappeared this morning, which was part of why I looked worried when you first found me. I've also been working on some new magic. But it seems my natural hexes are still too powerful to overcome."
"I don't think so," smiled Cyborg, "When I first noticed your wayward puffs of magic, I did see what would amount to bad luck; but then I also saw good luck, too. Just keep practicing."
This helped Jinx smile, "Say, you wouldn't know where Rex is, would you?"
"We sent him a message concerning Terra shortly after we defeated the Brotherhood," replied Cyborg, "So far, no response."
Jinx looked baffled for a moment, "Why would you do that?" This caught Cyborg off guard, "What? You mean Rex never told you?"
"Told me what?" asked Jinx, now intrigued.
"I guess that makes sense," thought Cyborg out loud, "Well, long story short, Rex is Terra's brother. Don't ask me how but just trust me."
"That explains why he hired us," concluded Jinx, "I can see why he kept it to himself, though."
"He kept a lot of things to himself," remarked Cyborg, "Shortly after we first ran into the Brotherhood, we got a message that Blackfire and him had found a ship off this planet and were heading to parts unknown. Undoubtedly, part of their journey will lead them to Tamaran. We tried broadband and a narrow-band frequencies in the direction of Tamaran in hopes they they'd somehow pickup our message. Now, it's just a matter of waiting. When Rex hears of what happened to Terra, he's sure to return."
"Well, when you see him, tell him I say 'Hi'," requested Jinx.
Cyborg nodded.
"So what about you? Have you found anyone, you know, special?" inquired Jinx.
This took Cyborg completely by surprise, "Umm, well... not really..."
Jinx giggled, forcefully, "Well, I know there's the leader of Titans East; what's her name... Bumblebee? Yeah, Bumblebee. What about her? You two seem like a good match; and I hear she has the hots for you. I'm surprised you haven't made a move on her."
"Well, she's really not my type," explained Cyborg, rubbing the back of his neck.
Jinx tried her best not to smile, "Really? Why not?"
"Well, umm, she's just, you see... there are a lot of reasons," stuttered Cyborg, "Yes, she is quite the woman, but she's too independent and self-determined for my tastes."
"So what type of woman are to your looking for?" asked Jinx without thinking.
"Heh, I don't really know," admitted Cyborg, oblivious to the implied meaning of her question, "Never really thought about it. I guess someone who's my equal, who I can rely upon when I need her but who is not above coming to me then she needs help."
"And so Bumblebee isn't this?" inquired Jinx further.
"Guess not," surmised Cyborg, turning a bit red, "She's ah… very commanding; not one to show her more vulnerable emotions. I guess you could say we're too headstrong for each other."
"Ah, I see," said Jinx, relieved, "Well, it's getting late. Guess I should be heading back to Mammoth's place."
Jinx then got up and stretched.
"Hey, wait a minute," said Cyborg, also getting up, "I was going to grab a bite to eat before heading back to the tower. Since we haven't seen each other in a while, I was thinking, maybe you'd like to join me?"
Jinx lit up with a big smile, "Sure!"
Cyborg smiled.
The two then began to walk towards the north.
"So, how are Robin and Starfire?" inquired Jinx.
"Ah, those two," sighed Cyborg, shaking his head, "Some days I really feel sorry for Robin. Tamaranean customs are something to behold, especially when it come to relationships. The battle against the Brotherhood really tested them, but somehow they managed to stick it out. While Robin's judgment has been clouded by it on more than one occasion, he's still doin' better overall. Both have really matured, too."
"That's good to hear," said Jinx, looking up at the stars, "So much has changed. It will be hard to get use to life here again."
"So does that mean you've decided to stay?" inquired Cyborg.
"I'm still not sure," clarified Jinx, "Well, it's like they say, 'You can never go back home.' It's crazy just how true that is."
"Indeed," smiled Cyborg, "Even if it's just for a little while, it's still nice to see you again."
The two once again exchanged smiles. Suddenly, Cyborg tripped on a loose wooden plank, causing him to face-vault into the boardwalk. The ring, which he had held clenched in his hand for so long, flew out and rolled down the boardwalk. Jinx was too preoccupied with Cyborg to notice the ring as she scrambled to his side, trying her best not to giggle at the spectacle at hand.
As Jinx helped Cyborg up, he realized something was missing from his hand, "Oh, no; the ring! Where is it? Where is it?"
Jinx franticly looked about, unsure as to what he was referencing.
"There it is!" yelled Cyborg, once he had located it a few meters in front of him; but as he ran over to it, he tripped again.
His fall then launched the ring over the side of the boardwalk and into the bay.
"No!" cried Cyborg in defeat.
Jinx then realized why he had been tripping.
"Sorry about that," apologized Jinx as she helped him up again, "You can blame this one on me."
"It's not your fault," said Cyborg, walking over to the edge of the boardwalk and peering down into the bay, "This thing's been around since Jump was founded. I'm kinda surprised it hasn't collapsed entirely."
"No, those boards were out of place because of me," admitted Jinx, loosing what joy she had, "I was so preoccupied with trying out some of my good luck charms, I forgot to undo what I did... and now you've lost your ring. Wait a second, which ring was that?"
Cyborg turned bright red, "Umm, the one... you know, on that day. The pair you and I share."
"Oh my," gasped Jinx, before clapping her hands.
Pink magical energy began to leap across her hands as she slowly separated them. She then closed her eyes and mentally directed the energy into the water. Cyborg watched in awe as within a few seconds, the ring floated up, covered in a pink aura. Jinx then opened her eyes as the ring rose up and returned to Cyborg's hand.
Cyborg was impressed to say the least, "Wow... umm, thanks. See, told ya you had it in you!"
Jinx blushed and smiled as she then reached inside the top of her dress and pulled out another ring, held around her neck by a black thread.
"I guess you were right," admitted Jinx, "Maybe I do have what it takes. To be honest, you've been my inspiration for all of this. Even when I was with Kid Flash, I still kept this around my neck; in memory... of that day."
"Can't believe it's been so long since then," said Cyborg, as they both leaned against the boardwalk railing, "I still remember it well."
"You know what really prompted me to call you out there that day?" asked Jinx.
Cyborg shrugged.
"It was because of that night, when you were sleepwalking," admitted Jinx, walking away from the railing, "Still don't know how I summoned the courage kiss you; but afterwards, Rex told me that if I wanted to... awaken my sleeping prince, I had to choose what I really wanted out of life. Haven't quite figured out what I want to do with my life yet, but I do know on which side of the law I stand. And I think I know where I want to be."
"And where is that?" inquired Cyborg.
"Here, with you," replied Jinx, now bright red.
"Are you sure that's what you want?" asked Cyborg.
This caught Jinx off guard, "Wha-what do you mean?"
Cyborg was confused himself when he could not give an answer. An uncomfortable silence then filled the air, as the two tried not to make eye contact while they tried to figure out what to say next.
"So-so you don't have feeling for me?" stuttered Jinx, as a blank stare took hold, "Was I wrong in assuming that's why you kept the ring?"
"Oh, umm... no, I didn't mean... what I..." fumbled Cyborg, unable to form any cohesive sentence.
Jinx fell to her knees, as tears began to slowly fall from her eyes, "All... all I ever wanted... was to be loved... by someone. To be accepted... by someone... who... who didn't care about what I looked like... or how different I was... H.I.V.E. gave that to me; but it wasn't enough. I wanted something more... but I didn't know what. Then I met you... or Stone... or whoever; and for the first time, I felt like I had found someone I could trust... with my heart. Then I found out you weren't the person you claimed to be; and I was crushed... but something about you still lingered inside. I could never explain it, though. Maybe, the real you was what I fell in love with, not Stone. Then I found you sleepwalking that night, and I wondered if seeing the real you would change anything. It didn't. It was then that I understood that I was truly in love. So when Rex told me I had to rethink things, I did; but I realized that I wasn't ready to change what was required in order to have what I wanted."
Cyborg was at a loss for words as Jinx continued, "So when I called you out to the park, it was really to say goodbye; but that choice has haunted me ever since. I always questioned if I did the right thing. Could I have turned things around sooner? Then Flash showed up. He helped me see the path I didn't see that day; and when I saw what Madam Rouge did to your friend, that sealed my decision. Afterwards, I clung to Flash as I did Stone. Maybe it was my fault things didn't work out. I'm always bad luck, even to myself. When we finally split up, I felt dead inside... with no place to go. Home seemed so far away; and with everything that had happened, even home felt so hostile and foreboding; but then I thought of you... and hope somehow was renewed within me. With nothing left to loose, I came back here... And For What!? To have the only thing I had left to live for shown to be nothing more than a flight of fancy!? I was a fool... A Damn Fool!"
Jinx balled bitterly as she bowed her head in shame. Cyborg knelt down in front of her; moved to tears by her words. As he tried to comfort her, she violently slapped his hands back.
"Stay Away! Just... leave me to die!" Jinx cried.
"No!" replied Cyborg sternly, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders, "I'm not going to let it end like this. Jinx, of everything that's happened to me, meeting you was the most unexpected, even more so than my accident. You made me feel things I never thought I could feel. For a time, I even thought of leaving the Titans to be with you. Nothing has ever made me consider doing that; before or since; but this was also the barrier that kept us apart. I knew my teammate would have none of it. I even questioned it myself repeatedly; but each time I was brought to the same conclusion, I loved you. I had to; otherwise, nothing I felt made any sense. When we met in the park, I was finally able to confirm what had been slowly eating away at me ever since I went undercover at H.I.V.E. I accepted it as inevitable when you choose to stay your course that day."
Jinx tried to resist Cyborg as he spoke, but he words soon touched her, "After we parted way, I made my way down to this very boardwalk to figure things out. I didn't want to fight you; I just wanted to be next to you. After a while, I was forced to put it in the back of my mind because of the Brotherhood. When I saw you had hooked up with Kid Flash, I was crushed; but with everything else going on with Terra, I didn't have much of a chance to feel it. After things got worse with Beast-Boy, I fell into a depression myself; though for the sake of the others... and maybe myself, I did not show it... at least not to them. During this time, I found myself always returning to the park and to the fountain where we last met. When I saw your powers floating on the wind, I was beside myself. I didn't know what to think... or what to expect."
"You're not making any sense!" yelled Jinx abruptly, still crying bitterly, "Why did you ask me that question?"
"Because I do love you!" snapped Cyborg.
Jinx suddenly stopped crying and looked up at him, completely dumbfounded.
"The one thing I can't stand is seeing someone take advantage of another's emotional distress," Cyborg clarified, "That's what I cannot forgive Brother Blood for; that's what I cannot forgive Slade for; that's... what I can't forgive myself for. Jinx, I've taken advance of your emotions far too many times. Maybe we were just dumb kids back then but that doesn't excuse it. I don't want our relationship based off assumed feelings and shattered nerves. You've been through so much; I want to be sure that this is what you truly want. I don't want to see you cry like this again. I don't want to be the source of your pain any more. I just..."
Cyborg was cut off as Jinx raised herself up and kissed him; time stopped.
"This is what I want," explained Jinx as they stood up a few moments later, "And I am ready to do what it take to be by your side."
They both closed their eyes as they wrapped their arms around each other.
"This is what I have dreamed about for so long," explained Jinx, "To be in your arms."
"And I in yours," added Cyborg, "No more worries, no more questions, no more regrets."
"Come on, you two, get a room!" snickered a strangely familiar voice.
This snapped the lovers out of their trance. They then turned to see Mammoth sitting on the boardwalk railing, smiling.
"Mammoth?" thought Cyborg out load, "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough," replied Mammoth, wiping a tear from his eye, "But you'll have to forgive me; it's hard to watch your 'little sister' grow up so fast."
"So I take it you're done... doing whatever it was that you were doing?" inquired Jinx, holding Cyborg's right hand.
"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you sooner," apologized Mammoth, "Didn't figure it meant that much."
"By the way, I like your outfit," smiled Jinx. Mammoth blushed slightly, "This old thing? It's just the standard squad jumpsuit issued by the State."
"So, whose ass did you have to save this time?" asked Cyborg with a grin.
"You two won't believe who!" chuckled Mammoth, pointing over to the roof of one of the boardwalk shops.
Cyborg and Jinx both turned and were amazed to find Gizmo.
"Gizmo!" smiled Jinx, "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," grumbled Gizmo, "You know; you two make me sick! Getting all mushy like that; take it inside!"
"Glad to see you, too," said Jinx, "How'd you find him?"
"He got himself buried beneath a rockslide," explained Mammoth with a grin.
"It wasn't my fault!" protested Gizmo, "If those damn S.T.A.R. Labs punks hadn't interfered with my testing, none of this would have happened!"
"What were you doing that had S.T.A.R. Labs' interest?" inquired Cyborg.
"As you can tell by the blue jumpsuit and 'L' logo on my pack, I work for LexCorp!" grinned Gizmo.
"Why am I not surprised?" sighed Cyborg.
"It seems old-man Luthor had a use for someone with my talents," gleamed Gizmo, "I was testing some of our new weapon systems when I ran into some interference from S.T.A.R. Labs. I almost had them, too, until their cruddy android caused the rockslide. Those punks dug their toy out but left me... they even had to nerve to call for help!"
"Dude, when we found you, you were in no position to get yourself out," reminded Mammoth, "Your pack was severally damaged; you weren't goin' nowhere."
"Whatever," sassed Gizmo, leaping down off the roof, "As hard as it is for me to believe it, it's good to see you again, Jinx. I see you're still head-over-heels for this tin-can."
Cyborg growled.
"You can't change your heart," smiled Jinx as she knelt down, "But it's good to see you, too."
Gizmo grumbled as she gave him a loving hug.
Mammoth then leaped from his perch and walked over, "I'm glad to see you finally happy. So, does this mean I have room to house this small fry?"
"I don't know yet," replied Jinx as Gizmo grumbled over Mammoth's comment, "But something tells me yes. Thank you for everything. I'm glad to see that both of you are making it on your own. I've missed you both so much."
"He might not admit to it," said Mammoth as Jinx embraced him as well, "But you've been a real inspiration to us... or at least a motivator."
"Ok, we've seen her, now can we go? I have a pack to repair!" complained Gizmo, before walking off.
"Looks like it's time for me to head home," sighed Mammoth, before turning to Cyborg, "I doubt I'll have to worry, but I'll tell it to you all the same. You take care of her, and you treat her right; or else! Got it?"
"I got it," affirmed Cyborg with a confident grin as the two locked hands in agreement, "I'll keep her safe, with my life."
"Take care of yourself," requested Jinx, "And don't be a stranger."
"I will," assured Mammoth before turning around and following Gizmo, "Catch ya later!"
"Well, that was unexpected," remarked Cyborg, "Funny how things come together."
"I use to ask myself if my luck would ever change," said Jinx, leaning back on Cyborg, "Today, I finally know it has."
"So now what?" asked Cyborg, looking down at Jinx.
"Well, I guess we should tell the others," replied Jinx, "What do you think?"
Before Cyborg could respond, however, his stomach began to rumble.
Jinx giggled, "I felt that one."
"Well, I guess you got my vote," smiled Cyborg, slightly embarrassed.
"I see," smiled Jinx, "So, how about Walko's Wieners?"
"Are they open this late?" asked Cyborg.
"It's not that late," giggled Jinx, "Come on, before you wither away."
"A woman after my own heart," grinned Cyborg as they slowly strolled towards the north, hand-in-hand under a star-filled sky.