Jinx's Rose
Chapter 1
Jinx stared at the rose Kid Flash had left for her thoughtfully. 'What should I do? I can't get him out of my head.'
A knock at the door disrupted her thoughts. Opening the door, she found See-More facing her. "Hey, stranger. Long time no see."
"Hey, what's up, See-More?"
"The titans are back. They defeated the brotherhood."
"... I see. I guess they're busy plotting their revenge... ."
"We're going on a heist. We could really use your help."
"Sorry, See-More, I'm gonna pass." Jinx replied.
"You've been 'passing' a lot lately. Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine. I just don't feel too good. Don't worry about me."
"Okay. Take it easy, then." See-More stared at her before leaving.
Jinx shut the door and leaned against it for a moment. 'Now I'm lying to them.'
She walked over to the window and opened it. Feeling the cool night air calmed her slightly. She fell back when a rose appeared in front of her face.
"Hey, did ya miss me?" Kid Flash stared at her.
"You! What the hell are you doing here?! What if somebody sees you?!"
"That's why I waited for everybody to leave. Say, you look paler than usual, you okay?"
"Aside from an idiot trying to give me a heart attack, I'm fine."
"Heh, you're so adorable when you're angry." He smiled when Jinx blushed.
"You still haven't told me why you're here." She muttered.
"I missed you. That's why I took the first job I could find that brought me back here."
"Don't say weird things. Why would anybody miss me?"
"How should I know? I just found myself thinking about you a lot lately."
"That's so strange." Jinx said before she could stop herself.
"Hmm? What makes you say that?"
"It's not important. Forget I said anything."
Kid Flash smiled mischievously. "Is there something that you're not willing to say? Maybe that you've been thinking about me?"
"Stop doing that!" Jinx looked away from his bright blue eyes.
"Doing what?" He laughed.
Before Jinx could reply her communicator went off. She picked it up, "See-More, what's wrong?"
"The titans foiled our heist. We're trying to escape them now."
"Can you get away?"
"There's no way, man. They've got us backed into a corner."
"Where are you? How far away?" Jinx requested.
"The warehouses where you sent Madame Rogue packing."
"Stay put. When I lure them away, make a run for it. And be careful."
"Right. You be careful, too, Jinx." See-More replied as the transmission ended.
"You really going after them? I thought villains only cared about number one."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I can't abandon my team. As aggravating as they are, they asked me for help." Jinx shrugged as she hopped out the window.
Jinx walked for a while, knowing the whole time that she was being followed. "If you try to stop me, I'll have to hurt you."
Kid Flash appeared at her side. "I'm not here to fight. I only came to try and reason with you. Jinx, you don't have to do this."
"Quit trying to help me. I don't need rescuing."
"Just listen to me for a minute. It'll be five against one. You won't stand a chance."
"Are you telling me that you won't help your friends when they come after me?" Jinx turned and faced him with a blank expression.
"I don't want to fight you, Jinx. Please, don't draw their attention."
"After everything I did to you, how the hell can you come back here and try to save me again? I told you before, good was never an option for me!"
Kid Flash stared at her and sighed. "Why can't you trust me? I want to help you, but you refuse to let me."
"You're so stupid. I'm never going to be anything except a villain. Leave me alone!" Jinx used her powers and sent Kid Flash flying.
She stared at his unconscious form and sighed. 'They still haven't seen me. I'll target the girls and the green kid. Maybe if I knock them out of the sky, they'll notice.'
As Jinx had planned the titans came after her once she attacked them. As she raced off, she glanced back at Kid Flash. 'They'll check on him. That'll buy me some time.'
As Kid Flash woke, he saw Robin and Beast Boy staring down at him in concern. "Where's Jinx?" He asked as he sat up.
"The Hive Five got away. Are you okay?" Robin answered, offering him a hand as he stood.
"Yeah. I'm okay. Where are the other titans?"
"Back in their rooms. We're at the tower. We couldn't leave you lying in the middle of the road. Besides, you aren't the only one Jinx hit. Raven and Starfire are still out."
'Shit, why did she have to attack those two. Robin's probably angry that Star got hurt. And if I know Raven, she'll be looking for payback.' Kid Flash gritted his teeth. "Sorry, I should've been able to stop her."
"Dude, don't sweat it. We'll get 'em next time." Beast Boy clouted his already sore shoulder.
Once they had left, Kid Flash sat in silent thought until Raven joined him. "When did you get to town?" She inquired.
"Tonight. I was going to drop in after a quick errand, but that whole Hive Five thing happened."
"I see. Did you finish your errand?" She watched him.
"Actually, I didn't. I was thinking about going to get it done tonight. Do you think anyone would mind if I ducked out?"
"I guess not. Do you want some company?"
"Nah. It's kind of a personal matter. You understand, right?" He smiled at Raven.
"Sure, be careful, though."
Kid Flash raced back to the five's base and saw Jinx sitting in her window, star gazing. 'There you are. I still have a lot to say to you.'
"Make a wish." Kid Flash said as a shooting star streaked across the sky.
"Why are you here again? I used you as a decoy. Aren't you hurt at all?"
"I'm a little sore from hitting the ground so hard, but otherwise I'm okay."
"I meant your … … your heart. You reach out to me, trying to be friends and I only seem to be able to hurt you. Why won't you give up on me?"
"Because of what you just said. You regret attacking me, don't you? It's written all over your face. Jinx, It doesn't have to be this hard. Quit the Hive Five. Come with me and you can start over."
Jinx walked away from him. "I can't. I, I'm afraid of missing the guys. They aren't just my team, they're my friends. I'd miss them and worry about them."
"Jinx," Kid Flash put his hands on her shoulders, "I'm not going to give up on you. I think I may have a crush on you."
Jinx stared at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"What other explanation is there for why I can't get you out of my head?"
"I don't know. Maybe you're the type of hero who doesn't rest until all the bad guys are locked up and I'm a bad guy."
"Nah, The Flash says I'm a slacker. Besides, I don't want you to be locked up. But, I also don't want you hurting people."
"Are you referring to when I attacked Starfire and Raven? I needed to get their attention. They fell into my plan so why should it matter?"
"They could've been killed. Would you really be able to live with yourself if you'd killed them?"
"I could really care less about two heroes. If they had died, it'd be one less thorn in my side." Jinx replied after a moment.
"What about me? I'm a hero. Would you have been sad if Madame Rogue had killed me?" Kid Flash frowned as he remembered the beating she'd given him.
Jinx stared at him and thought, "Don't be stupid. You're good and I'm bad, being friends was never an option for us."
"That's not an answer. Would me dying make you sad, Jinx?"
"I … … I don't know."
Kid Flash made Jinx face him. "Answer the question."
"I don't know."
"Yes you do. I'm a hero, would you kill me? Would you regret my death? Would you mourn me? Answer me, Jinx."
"Stop asking me those questions. I already told you that I don't know!"
"Quit shouting. Somebody will hear you."
Jinx shook her head. "What do I care? They're your enemies, not mine! And I told you before, leave me alone! I don't need your help! I-" Kid Flash cut her off by kissing her forcefully.
Slowly, Jinx stilled and the kiss became sweet and gentle. "See? You do care about what happens to me." Kid Flash whispered as he released her.
"Shut up, know it all." Jinx mumbled as they heard footsteps drawing closer. "Oh, no. You need to go now."
When she looked up, Kid Flash was already gone. Then a knock came on her door. "Yo, Jinx, are you okay? I thought I heard someone in there with you."
"It was just the television, See-More. Sorry, I'll try to keep it down from now on."
Kid Flash arrived back at Titan's Tower to discover Robin waiting for him. "Where have you been? After what happened today, you shouldn't have gone out alone."
"I just had something to take care of. Besides, there was nobody out tonight. How are Raven and Starfire?"
"They're all right. Just a few scratches and bruises. Raven's actually waiting to talk to you, so I guess I'll go to bed now."
Raven walked in and waited until the door was closed. "I get the feeling that there's something you aren't saying. Want to tell me what's on your mind?"
"Can you keep a secret, Raven? I mean, if I tell you, you can't tell anyone no matter what." Kid Flash said in a low voice.
"Okay. What is it?" Raven replied after a moment.
"I think I may have a girlfriend, well sort of. I mean, I kissed her."
"You have a girlfriend? Who is she?"
"Well, that's the part where it gets a little tricky. It's … … well, ummm, it's Jinx."
"What?!" Raven gaped at him. "Did you just say Jinx?!"
"Yeah. That's where I really went tonight. Please don't say anything, okay?"
"Have you completely lost your mind?!" Raven exclaimed.
Jinx sat on her bed, her fingers tracing her lips as she replayed that moment in her head. 'He really kissed me. My first kiss... .'
At breakfast, Jinx stared blankly at the cereal in front of her. Finally, See-More's voice got through to her. "Jinx, are you okay? You're being really quiet."
"Huh? What, I'm okay. Where are the others?"
"They were here, but after about ten minutes they went to train."
"Oh. I guess I'm acting a little strange. I'm just a bit sleepy, I couldn't sleep after last night."
"Why not? We all made it back safely."
Jinx stared at See-More and tried to think. "I don't know. Maybe it was too much excitement."
See-More nodded and turned to leave. "I'm going to go play some video games. Try to take it easy today."
'Damn him. I keep thinking about last night because of him.' Jinx frowned as she slid into a hot bath. 'They're sure to notice how quiet I am being. But that was my first kiss.'
Kid Flash walked to the roof with Raven. "Sorry for making you keep my secret."
"Which one. That you're in love with a villain or that you've lost your mind?"
"Aww, you've got it wrong. Deep down Jinx is a really sweet person. She just needs to get away from the Hive Five."
"You seriously believe that? And what if she's just trying to lure you into a trap? How can you be sure Jinx isn't just acting to throw you off guard."
"I believe in her. She helped me when Madame Rogue had me on the ropes. I want to help her get away from them."
"I'm not going to tell you what to do. If you're really sure about this, then I wish you luck."
"She'll need help when she leaves. Can you convince Red X to hide her?"
Raven blushed and nodded. "I can try."
"I'd really appreciate it. I'm going to go talk to her. Maybe she'll leave the hive tonight."
Kid Flash smiled when he saw the light on in Jinx's room. 'She's a regular night owl. I guess it's a good thing. Her team is sure to be asleep by now.'
Kid Flash watched Jinx sketch for a moment. "What are you drawing?"
"Where... … how'd you get in here?" Jinx growled when she jumped.
"You left your window open. So, what do you say, want to go out?"
"What? Like on a d, date?" Jinx stammered.
"Yeah, kind of. We'll have fun, trust me." He smiled and reached a hand to her.
Jinx stared at him and took his hand. "Are you sure about this?"
He simply smiled and carried her out to the amusement park. "So what do you want to do?"
"I... … I don't know. I've never really been here before. What do you want to do first?"
"Wait, are you saying you've never been to an amusement park?" Kid Flash struggled not to laugh at her.
"Not all of us are heroes. If someone sees me, they tend to scream and run."
"That's why we came now. This place is empty now and the owner owes me a favor."
"I see. I guess you have a lot of friends. And you're probably popular with the girls, too. Am I right?" Jinx feigned disinterest.
"Maybe. What fun would it be, if I just told you?" He laughed.
"You're probably an enormous flirt. Admit it."
"I guess so. But, lately, there's only been one girl on my mind. And I was lucky enough to get a date with her tonight."
"Lines don't work on me, Romeo." Jinx smirked.
"Can we talk?"
"Sure. Let's ride the Ferris wheel while we talk."
Jinx smiled as they rose into the air and she could see the ocean more clearly. "It's so beautiful."
"Yeah. I really like this view of the city. It looks so calming."
"Is the view the only thing you wanted to discuss?"
Kid Flash hesitated. "Jinx, I … … I was just thinking that maybe you could quit the Hive Five. Raven said that Red X will let you stay with him for a while."
"You want me to just abandon them?"
"Would it be so bad? You and I could quit once it's safe and go find something else to do. We could go to college or travel to far off places."
