-Karma and Control-

I'm not sure why, but Jinx has always been a rather perplexing case to me. Every living being has a palette of emotions that they draw from—mixtures of happiness, sadness, and anger that make up more complex feelings. But not Jinx.

I'm not sure how, but the hexer is totally… blank. It's not that she doesn't experience emotions, but that the spectrum that she displays is completely different from anything I usually come into contact with. It's difficult to explain.

I'm also not sure what's worse: being inexplicably trapped within the confines of my own mind-my safe haven when the outside world gets too idiotic-or having to put up with not one, but two quick-witted villainesses who have it out for me.

The verdict's still out on that one.

What I do know is that I'm alone here and all I can rely on is my own wits to get out in one piece... Not that that's any different from how things usually are.

Jinx is talking amicably to her more elaborately dressed self, which is... strange. And that's coming from the daughter of a demon. Part of me is irritated by how easily the pink-haired nuisance takes everything into stride while the other part is honestly impressed.

I hadn't realized how potent her strange powers were until now, but I'd be paying special attention to them from here on.

Know thy enemy.

I flinch when an arm is thrown around my shoulder, eyes glowing an unearthly white from beneath my hood as I round on-

Another Jinx. This one has pink hair twisted into a long braid and her outfit, if it can be called that, consists of navy boxers and a thin white tank top.

She grins lazily. "Sup?"

Before I can even formulate the sarcasm for my response, the first Jinx snaps, "Would you behave yourself, Sloth?"

"Mmph." I'm released nonetheless... only to be tackled by another Jinx-this one about a head shorter than her original and dressed in a frilly skirt and a long-sleeved dress shirt, both of which are the most obnoxious shade of pink imaginable.

"Omigosh, it's Raven! We've heard sooooo much about you!"

Had they really?

Jinx (the original) mutters something under her breath and her prim and proper doppelganger sweeps the mini-me away with a wave of neon.

"The same goes for you, Happy."

"And you are?" I inquire curiously, not exactly seeing the link between her appearance and her roll in Jinx's psyche.

She smiles slightly. "Karma, my dear. I take on many forms, but this overly-complex one seems to be the flavour of the month." The hexer mutters something else and Karma's smile widens. "Then it's a good thing you have company to assist you, hm?"

"Company, yay!" Happy chirps. "I'll go get the others!"

"That won't be necessary." The pastel pink of the sky gives way to an almost crimson shade and Karma's expression becomes deadly serious. "We don't have much time. Raven, you're here because we need your help."

"No, we don't." Jinx doesn't meet our gazes—mine questioning and Karma's furious—as she crosses her arms over her chest. I don't need anyone's help."

"Are you listening to yourself?!" she thunders and the fine hairs at the nape of my neck stand on end. There's a shapeless form looming behind her, a dark shadow that twists and dances ominously. "Our very existence is in jeopardy, yet here you are being stubborn?!"

The shadow surges, coalescing into a towering, humanoid shape, and reaches towards Jinx with clawed fingers—

Without thinking, I tap into my powers, chanting, "Azerath… Metrion… Zinthos!" and creating a barrier around the hexer; the instant the creature comes into contact with it, its eyes glowing red, bolts of black crackle forth, tearing through the rosy atmosphere and sending fragments of sky raining down like glass.

'Jinx!'

When I come to, we're standing in the clutter that was once the Titans' living room and the very first thing Jinx does is make a run for it.

Naturally, I'm ready for her: tendrils of inky energy lash out, capturing the nimble criminal by her waist and lifting her up into the air.

"H-hey, is this completely necessary?"

At once, we're surrounded by my housemates... Who all decide to speak at once.

"Friend Raven, you have returned!"

"Raven!"

"See, man? I told you she'd be fine!"

"You've apprehended Jinx... Good work, Raven."

Before the Boy Wonder could further apprehend my, er, apprehended criminal, I jerk her out of his reach, squeezing a disapproving squeak out of the pinkette. When he gives me a suspicious look, I shrug nonchalantly.

"I need to have a talk with her before you have the justice department deal with her."

She scoffs. "You know we'll be out in no time, right?"

We all knew that—even the officers. By now, locking up metahumans was more a force of habit than anything.

"That's changing very soon." Robin's smirk is unsettling and Jinx frowns.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They've increased security measures in The Penitentiary for Metahumans and Other Supernatural Beings with the help of Cy here."

Cyborg grins. "You and your boys are going away for a long, long time, baby! No hard feelings."

I'm the only one who can feel the sudden wave of unease that floods her, though her body language doesn't reveal anything as she rolls her eyes. "Please… You boys are all bark, no bite."

"You wanna say that again?"

I don't know what it is about her, but the mood in the room instantly goes sour, the sudden dip an unnaturally extreme reaction for such a simple barb. It's as though she's a conductor for negative emotion.

"Did I stutter?"

I lift a hand, intervening before the situation can get out of hand. "Enough. I'll give you a full report when I get back, Robin."

"… Fine."

Darkness wraps around us, taking on the form of a massive raven, and rendering us intangible as it phases through the wall and heads east. Over time, my control over my powers has grown and it's spells like this that make spending almost an entire year in my head worthwhile.

But that's a story for another time.

This place… A rocky projection from which a waterfall thunders into a naturally formed basin located just in the outskirts on Jump City.

I drop my passenger unceremoniously onto the earth, hovering beside her and closing my eyes reflectively.

I haven't been here since—

Wide blue eyes and blonde hair fill my mind and fragments of rock around me levitate into the air, surrounded by an inky aura. I don't typically let people in… And since she betrayed us allI haven't made that mistake again.

"Raven…?" I sense worry… And the way my chest constrict irritates me immensely.

There are several dull 'thud's as the cluster of pebbles return to their rightful place and I open my eyes, pinning the girl sitting near my feet with a dull glare. "What?"

The prick of concern I sensed bleeds out and she's back to being impossible to read. "Never mind. You wanted to talk to me?"

Right.

"Why were you trying find my mirror?"

"No reason."

"This would go a lot more smoothly if you actually cooperated. You're free to go once I've gotten the information I want."

"Who said I want things to go smoothly?" She smirks, crossing her legs at the ankles and tilting her head back to look up at me.

This is already off to a great start.

"Do me a favour and pretend."

"Hmm… What's in it for me?"

"How about I let you keep all of your limbs?"

Jinx arches an eyebrow, but the challenge evaporates from the expression the moment I grin, my teeth replaced by rows of jagged fangs; she pales when I lick my lips hungrily with a long, forked tongue.

"Holy—!"

I didn't often let Wrath—the source of my demonic traits—out, but now seems like an appropriate time.

"Am I clear?"

"… Crystal." I can tell by the iron in her spine that she doesn't appreciate being threatened (who does?), but there's no time to feel badly about it. That thing lurking in her psyche… Either she had somehow not seen it or she was in denial that it existed and couldn't see it as a result.

Whichever it was, that creature is extremely dangerous.

"Good. Where are the H.I.V.E Five hiding out right now?"

"…"

I can almost see the cogs in her mind turning, attempting to find a way out of giving away classified information and jeopardizing her teammates while also trying to avoid the consequences of failing to cooperate.

Her loyalty is oddly… sweet and it's with a healthy new amount of respect that I explain, "I need a way to reach you."

"Why…?"

Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to frighten her with the shapeless terror that was feeding off of her powers just yet. Right now, she was less than willing to listen to me and news like that would destroy any chance I had at understanding what was going on here.

"From what Karma tells me, your life is in danger."

"She was wrong."

I frown slightly, puzzled. Why is she being so pigheaded? It's as though she knows something I don't… "How are you so sure of that?"

"Just am." Something flickers in wild pink eyes. "Why do you care so much, anyway?"

There's no easy way to answer that. Why does this situation pique my interest so?

"You need my help, Jinx." Even though it isn't something I should be offering to one my teams' mortal enemies.

Her expression goes utterly blank in an instant, the convoluted twist of emotions behind that placid mask making my stomach roil in protest. "No, Raven, I don't."

The wind howls passed in the silence that follows and I heave a sigh. Jinx is stubborn and clever and fiercely independent. I'm not going to get to her treating her like a charity case, neither am I going to get very far by twisting her arm. Perhaps it's time for a different approach. "Fine. You're right."

"… Huh?" I can practically hear her think, 'that was easy…'

I shrug. "You know what's best."

I sense the upsurge of misfortune before the girl even seems to be aware of it and wave my hand, making the air between us crackle and hiss with the repulsive forces—mine control and hers chaos.

'Interesting...'

Jinx's expression is stunned. "How did you..."

"Control." I clench my fingers and the light show desists immediately with a plume of smoke. "You lack it."

She tenses, sitting up a little straighter. "You can't control bad luck."

As if to prove her point, her eyes glow fuchsia and the mountainside trembles, her powers manifesting in the only way they know how—destructively.

I scoff, unimpressed. "Is that really what you believe?

"You don't understand."

No one does...

Her lips hadn't moved, but that had been her voice, clear as day; it reverberates powerfully, an echo within my mind, and my temples throb.

Whatever Jinx is feeling is incredibly potent-to the point that it eclipses all other emotions. I can't quite put my finger on it...

"... Where are you going?"

"You said I was free to go." There's a new edge to her voice. "Or did you have more pointless questions for me?"

I had, hadn't I?

Though it went against my better judgment, I nodded and watched as Jinx scampered off into the night. Robin would be furious, of course, but...

With a long, heartfelt sigh, I draw my hood up over my head, drawing some small comfort from its familiar weight.

She'll be back.

-End Chapter-