"Are we there yet?" Wally West asked yet again.
"Does it look like we're there?" His father snapped.
"How should I know? It's not like I've ever been to this place."
With six people stuffed into the small car, the ride across Blue Valley (hope I got that right), in heavy traffic I might add, hadn't been fun. The Allen's (Barry and Iris) were in town, and they were taking the West's (Rudolph Mary and Wally), plus Wally's friend 'Jenny' (Jinx) out for lunch, but before anyone could eat, they had to get to this place.
So in one car, we have six people, five who aren't ex-villains, four grown ups, three regular folk, two flashes, and a partridge in a pear tree, err… a famous reporter who knows about super heroes. Corny humor aside, that's quite a car load.
"Are we-" "NO!" Rudolph yelled. "We are not there yet!" Wally just rolled his eyes, and muttered something about "Could have been there and back ten times by now."
Jenny looked at Iris, who was sitting in the backseat between her and Wally, his mom's idea, and raised an eyebrow. Iris just grinned, and jerked her head towards Barry, who was tapping his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently, and growling under his breath.
Jenny stifled a giggle by clapping her hand over her mouth. Honestly, she couldn't blame the guys. This car ride seem to to be taking an eternity, even for her.
Wally's mother, Mary Jinx reminded herself, finished glaring at her husband looked back at her.
"How're doing back there Jenny? Wally driven you crazy yet?" Jenny glanced at him, and he gave her a goofy grin, and waved a little. "Very nearly" she said dryly, looking forward again.
She caught a glimpse of herself in that little mirror in the ceiling, and practically jumped at her appearance. Maybe she had moved, because Wally and Iris looked at her. She just shook her head a bit. Iris looked bemused, but Wally smiled at her, not so goofy this time, and tugged on his orange hair a bit. Jenny hesitated, unwilling to admit she cared so much about how she looked, then nodded.
Since many superheroes couldn't go out without being recognized, which made life difficult sometimes, disguises were needed. Some people could get away with just a wig or something, but others, like Jinx, had more than weird hair. Although her looks weren't as strange as say, Beast Boy's, gray skin, pink hair, and slit pupiled eyes weren't exactly common.
Since he still felt bad about the whole HIVE incident, Cyborg had made a ring like the one he had designed for her looks. She had refused it at first, saying she didn't look that unusual, and wouldn't need it anyway, but he had insisted, and in the end, she took the ring.
Today was the first time she had worn it, and she was still getting used to a green eyed, brown haired, fair but not gray skinned version of herself. Apparently Wally was too, because he had stared at her for ten minutes straight, and even after that, she got the impression her kept peeking at her, but she refused to look.
The car grew silent again soon, with everyone looking out of the windows, uncomfortable with the silence, but not wanting to break it either.
Wally was more bored than ever. Nothing to look at outside, except the gray stone buildings inching by, no one talking, nothing. He couldn't even get Jinx, Jenny, his subconscious reminded him, call her Jenny. Whatever. He couldn't even get Jenny to look at him. Then at least he would have been able to have some sort of eye conversation, or try to get her to laugh of something.
He could try asking if they were there yet again. But his dad would kill him. He could ask Uncle Barry. That could be funny. He could see that he super-fast man was pretty tired of this ride himself.
He opened his mouth to ask, when his Rudolph turned around and said "Don't even." before turning forward again. Barry just grinned at him in the mirror. Life wasn't fair.
As they got nearer to the restaurant, the traffic began to thin, and they were able to drive faster. Wally swore he heard everyone sigh with relief. He certainly did.
Soon, he would be able to eat, and at this point, anything sounded good. Stupid fast metabolism. As if to confirm that thought, his stomach growled loudly. Jenny and Iris looked over at him, and Barry chuckled.
"Don't worry" him mom said, reaching back to pat his knee, "We're practically there."
Sure enough, seconds later, they were pulling into the parking lot of a building that looked positively ancient in the eyes of two teenagers, and who's sign declared it to be The Neon Café.
As they got out of the car, Jenny moved closer to Wally and muttered in his ear "We drove all that way with your grumpy dad for this?"
He nodded his agreement. This place looked small, grimy looking, and, as the name stated, had way too many mismatched neon lights.
"It's probably better on the inside." He whispered back.
"Or worse." she responded darkly.
He grinned and elbowed her "Pessimistic witch."
She grinned back and elbowed him much harder "Too-fast lout".
He was about to elbow her and whisper another insult, when his dad grabbed his arm. "Enough you two. I want you to behave in here."
Jenny blushed, and Wally muttered "Sure fine." Rudolph glowered, but let him go.
Jenny and Wally made sure to stay in the back of the group, as far away from grumpy fathers as possible. Wally leaned over and whispered again. "Half bald grump." Jenny grinned.
The too teen-heroes-in-disguise couldn't decide if the inside was better of worse. It was one of those weird old places with lots of black and white, antiques, and way too many buzzing lights. There were pictures of old cars, people in strange clothes, and newspaper clippings on the walls.
They must have looked pretty unsure, because Barry turned and told them, "It may look kind of old fashioned, but the food's okay. Plus your dad likes it, so he'll be in a good mood." That, Wally decided, was reason enough to come.
Soon, the entire group was seated at one of those weird tables where a circle bench this goes half way around and there are chairs on the other side. The two teens, plus the Allen's sat on the bench part, with the adult West's on chairs facing them.
Again awkward silence had descended upon the group. In an attempt to relive it, Mary began to question Jenny. Then again, maybe she was just trying to figure out what kind of girl her son was hanging out with. "So Jenny" she began "Wally hasn't told us much about you." She said this like it was some horrible thing.
"Do you go to school with him?" Dang it. This was probably going to be a full out questioning. Time to start inventing, and hope Wally could play along.
"Yeah, Mrs. West I do."
"Wonderful. Do you have any classes with him?"
Jenny didn't know what classes he had. The interrogator probably did. "No."
"Then where do you know him from?" a teeny tiny bit of suspicion laced through her voice. Was this lady protective of what?
"Oh we had a class together last year."
Mary raised an eyebrow "Wally went to a private school last year"
Jenny's mind went blank. Now what? Wally tried to save her. "Mom, she went to the same school last year too. It's not like she's a criminal or something."
Nah, not a criminal. Just an ex super villain who tried to have him handed over to the brotherhood of evil. She was doomed.
Just then, a waiter dressed like he was from the seventies came to the table with their food. Good luck. Wow.
The food distracted Wally's mother just long enough for Iris to start a new conversation. "So Mary, Rudolph, how are things here in Blue Valley?"
Jenny elbowed Wally, who had begun to wolf down his food as soon as it arrived. He looked at her, and she muttered
"You can think as fast as light, and all you could come up with was that I'm not a criminal?"
"It's true" he insisted, "You know it's true."
"Somehow, I don't think your mom would see it that way."
He just shrugged and returned his attention to eating fries as fast as he could without looking suspicious. Jenny sighed and began to pick at her own food.
Wally had heard her sigh, but what could he do? He couldn't tell his parents the truth about Jinx/Jenny without telling them who he was, and he was not going to do that. He doubted his parents would be particularly understanding about the whole situation. Nope Kid Flash/Wally and Jinx/Jenny would just have to muddle through the over paranoid parents somehow.
Everyone had finished dinner, and they were all just sitting, stuffed from the big meal. Or, at least not hungry. Wally was thinking about the issue with his other identity, when Jenny elbowed him yet again.
"Do you just like doing that?" he asked her, rubbing his side.
"Listen to your dad." she said softly. "It's kind of funny, in a weird way."
He looked at his dad, who was involved in a conversation with Barry and a man in the next booth.
"I don't know" The other man was saying "If were completely fair, no obstacles or anything…" he shrugged
"What are they talking about?" Wally asked.
Iris grinned, and Mary rolled her eyes as they said at the same time "Superheroes."
Wally smiled a bit at the oddity of the situation, something Iris and Jenny had no doubt grasped. "What about them?"
This time Jinx answered "Who would win in a race. Who is fastest."
Wally chuckled. This could be interesting. "Barry thinks the Flash would win" Obviously all of those in the know thought. "Rudolph thinks Superman would, and the other guy isn't sure."
Oh the irony. But wait, no one was arguing his case. Well duh.Everyone knows you're not as fast as them.
Oh be quiet, he told the voice in his head.
In the end, they had practically had to pull the two men away from the argument, and the continued all the way back to the car, until Iris threatened to leave without them if they didn't stop. After that, they were quiet, but you could tell they hadn't forgotten.
After a minute or two, Iris suggested dropping off the two older West's somewhere so they could have some time together.
"Oh no, that's alright" Mary said hurriedly "We wouldn't want to be any trouble for you. You're the guests here. You get the time together."
"Mary" Iris replied "We get all the time together we want. You're the ones with the teenage son." She tousled Wally's hair as she said this.
Eventually, between Iris's convincing, Wally's pleads, and Barry's stony silence over the fight earlier, they got them to get out of the car at a mall nearby.
The second the West's left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Kid" Iris said from the front seat where she had moved to. "I don't know how you deal with those two every day."
He nodded in agreement. "Sometimes, neither do I."
Anyone who knew Wally, knew that he practically hated his parents.
Jenny thought that, after today, she would be a little more understanding why.
"Oh, by the way" Wally was looking at her. "am I allowed to call you Jinx again?"
She grinned and nodded. "Yeah, most people usually like to be called by their real name. In your case however…" Iris and Barry laughed, and Wally scowled.
After a few minutes in the car however, the relief of getting rid of Wally's parents had worn off, and he was bored again.
"I hate cars!" He yelled suddenly, introducing his forehead to the back of the drivers seat.
"Me too" Barry agreed.
"Well I don't." Iris said crossing her arms, and looking stubborn. "Cars are wonderful things for those six billion of us who can't run , well… however fast you two can run." Jinx nodded. Then a thought came to her.
"How is it that you two" she motioned towards Barry and Wally "both have super speed, and you're related? Out of six billion people? Just seems a little weird." She looked at Wally, waiting for his to answer.
"Okay" his voice was a little muffled, as he was still leaning his head on the seat. "So you ever heard someone say 'lightning never strikes the same place twice'?"
Jinx nodded cautiously "Yeah, I've- wait… lightning?!" He lifted his head, looked first at Barry, who was glaring in the mirror again, then at Jinx.
"Yep. Lightning. Well if someone tells you that thing about striking the same place, don't believe them. Right Uncle Barry?" He poked Barry who growled, "Oh be quiet you." and swatted Wally's hand away.
After another minute or so, Jinx realized she had no idea where they were going, and pointed this out.
"Don't worry" Iris told her "we're not kidnapping you. Not that I could kidnap you very well, but Barry could."
Jinx grinned "Hey don't forget, I caught Wally. Maybe I'll just kidnap all three of you."
Wally joined the strange kidnap-fight. "Sure you caught me, but I got out the second you weren't looking."
"Yeah, 'cause I was talking to Madame Rouge on the whatever-Gizmo-calls-it."
"I got out twice before then! How do you think I got the sandwich and chips?"
"Wait" Iris cut in "You had been captured by a bunch of supervillans and you only escaped to get food?!"
"I was hungry" Wally muttered pathetically. "And besides, It was fun to mess with the HIVE Five, or Six, or whatever."
"So anyway." Iris cut back in "We thought we might go to this new place nearby. It's got food, a movie theater, bowling, and arcade, whatever floats your boat."
"Sounds good" Wally and Jinx said at the same time, then looked at each other.
"Normally, I would have said 'jinx'" Wally grinned "But it just doesn't seem right in this situation." Jinx hit him.
Shortly after, they were pulling into the parking lot of the entertainment complex. The large stone building was pretty impressive. It had plenty of neon itself, but it was all working, and matching.
Once inside, the group split up, Wally and Jinx (now Jenny again, since they were in public) going one way, Barry and Iris the other.
"So what do you want to do?" Wally asked as they walked through the complex.
"What do you want to do?" Jenny asked
"It's up to you. You pick."
"No, you pick." she pushed him a little.
"No way, you pick." he pushed her back, grinning.
"No you" she pushed him harder.
"You" he pushed back.
"You" push.
"No you" push.
"You pick" push, splash! As they had walked by one of those fountains you through coins in, Jenny had pushed a little too hard, and Wally, who slipped on the wet ground, fell in.
Little kids all around were laughing, adults muttering, or laughing, and security guards coming towards them, or laughing.
"Well help me up" Wally half moaned, half laughed to Jenny. She grabbed his hand, and as she tried to pull Wally out of the water, slipped on the wet floor herself. Splash!
Now they were side by side in the fountain, both soaked. As they stared at each other, the other looked so ridiculous, that they started laughing, and couldn't stop.
"Okay you two." a guard had come over. "Out of the water."
With a little work, and Wally falling twice more, they were out of the fountain, standing on the now dripping floor. It wasn't so funny now. The air conditioner was blowing, and they were freezing.
After they assured the guard they were okay, they walked back the way they came, getting lots of stares. We must look ridiculous. Jenny thought. Two teenagers walking around, soaking wet.
"There's Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry." Wally said, pointing towards a group of tables, and changing direction to go towards them. Jenny followed him, shivering a little.
As they got close, Barry seemed to see them. He looked startled for a second, then started laughing. Iris turned to look at whatever was so funny, then started laughing too.
"What happened to you two?" Iris said when they got to the table.
"Jin-err… Jenny pushed me into a fountain." He said looking, for the first time Jenny had ever seen, rather embarrassed.
"By accident." she protested "and besides, you're the one who pulled me in after."
This just made the Allen's laugh harder.
"To the car then." Iris said, wiping her eyes "Wally, you're parents are going to kill us."
"I can dry myself out before then." he muttered, not looking forward to going back home, even if he were dry.
"Come on" Barry said, standing up "Let's go." and started to walk towards the front doors, Iris next to him.
Jenny looked at Wally, and shrugged, and they started after the adults, slightly dejected. So much for the day out. Wally looked particularly upset at having his day away from home cut short.
"You okay?" Jenny asked touching his arm, "You look pretty down."
"Yeah, fine" he said a little too brightly
"Don't worry, we'll do something again soon. Your parents will let you right?"
He snorted "Like they could stop me from going somewhere. But what about your family?"
"I don't know. I ran away from home when I was like, seven. The HIVE was the closest I've had to a family in a long time."
"Oh" he seemed emberaced for bringing it up "sorry"
"It's okay. It's not your fault. Now come on, your Aunt and Uncle are getting away." And with that, she jogged to catch up to them, forcing him to follow.
Once outside, Wally went up to the Allen's, and said "You guys go on. Jenny and I will get ourselves home."
Iris just looked at Barry, and he shrugged. "Alright. We'll see you two later." Then they got in the car, and Wally and Jenny watched them drive off.
"Okay." Jenny said "Now how am I gonna' get home?"
Wally just grinned, and pulled her around the side of the building. They weren't blocked from the wind over here, and both began to shiver. Wally vibrated, and steam rose off his clothes. In seconds he was dry. Jenny just glared at him.
"I can try to dry you off" he offered, a little more perky now. "It should work, and it's not like anything bad would happen if it didn't"
Jenny just shrugged, her teeth chattering too much to speak. Wally took that for a yes and, after a quick glance at her, put his hand on her stomach. She realized he was vibrating her by the weird crawly feeling, like she was covered in bugs. Two seconds later, it stopped. Her clothes were mostly dry, as was her hair.
"Cool trick" she said grinning. He just shrugged
"Ready to go?" he asked her after a minute.
"Sure but…" she stopped when he held out his hand, like he had when he had asked her to trust him in the museum months ago. This time, she took it.
Suddenly, the world was rushing by in a blur of color and sounds. Jinx realized he had somehow picked her up before beginning to run. Her hair was whipping around, and she could barely see where they were going. How did he not crash?
Kid Flash grinned down at Jinx, who was looking slightly overwhelmed by the speed. Hmm, maybe he was going a little too fast. He slowed a bit, turning a corner that would take him to the neighborhood where he always found Jinx. Soon, the buildings became familiar, and he slowed even more. To bad she lived so nearby. He loved running, and would do it forever if he could.
Jinx felt them slow down, and then stop. Kid Flash put her down, and she nearly fell. He caught her just in time. When she felt stable, she looked around. They were about a block from the apartment she was currently living in.
"I guess you have to go?" she asked Wally.
"Yeah. I suppose I do." he sounded disappointed. "Wanna do this again sometime?"
"Do you mean going out, or running?" she asked with a grin
"Either. You choose."
"Oh, don't start that again" she said rolling her eyes
"Okay fine. But seriously, let's get together again soon. Maybe next time you can go as yourself." he gestured to her hair, which was still brown.
"That would be nice. So see you?"
"Yep. See you" and with that he was gone in a rush of wind.
Jinx smiled, and walked toward her apartment, looking forward to a nap. That had been fun, but just looking at that boy made her tired. She needed to be rested up for next time. Maybe she would push him into another fountain. That could be fun. Very fun.