This was something I started a long time ago and still like the idea of, but just never really got the motivation or inspiration to finish. Basically, it's after the series end, and Robin is trying to figure out what the heck he wants to do with Kid Flash and Jinx, and recruits Raven to help who isn't all that happy about it. I hope you guys enjoy this one, because it really isn't finished. Not even close.

---

"No, I won't do it."

It was more than just a statement. It was a flat out refusal, a denial, salt in an open wound. Giving the answer 'no' to a question like that was incomprehensible to him, and it was staggering that she would even consider it an option when it had been he who had asked the question in the first place.

"Raven, you need to do this for the team. I'm not asking much. Just a few days or so, since she knows so much already."

The two figures were at the counter in the kitchen. One was leaning on one side, with his back to the refrigerator, and a mug of warm liquid in one of his hands. His eyes bored flaming holes through his companion, but she did not take any notice. She was sitting on a stool on the other side, her own cup in hand, amethyst eyes glued to the newspaper that was opened to a middle section.

"If you want her to be trained so badly, why don't you do it yourself, hmm?" her eyes lifted to meet his, and there was a tinge of annoyance in them. "I'm not going to train her, Robin." Her tone made it perfectly clear that this was the end of their discussion.

But Robin would not put the matter to sleep.

"Jinx needs to be trained by somebody. She just joined the team, and we can't go gallivanting off to stop a criminal when she isn't prepared. Who knows what could happen. We don't want anyone to get hurt."

Raven put the newspaper down on the chic, smooth counter top and listened to it crinkle and settle for a moment before responding. "Then why doesn't she go join another team? I'm sure that someone would be willing to have her." She pointed out, irritated that her friend wouldn't let the subject go.

"There's been a crime jump in Jump City, you know that," Said Robin. He would have chuckled at his phrasing, but this was clearly not the time, and Raven would listen to him all the less if he started laughing in the middle of their conversation. The boy wonder needed the empath to understand, though. "Besides, Kid Flash is staying here, and she isn't willing to go anywhere without him. It's like she glued herself to him…" he murmured quietly, casting his eyes away from his team mate for a moment.

When Robin looked back, Raven's shield of stone did not look cracked. "Why does it have to be me who trains Jinx?" she queried with a snap. It was clear that the girl was unhappy with the two new presences in the tower already, and close contact with either of them too soon would become another Terra case.

Robin sighed, knowing full well that Raven was already aware of the reasons, but decided to answer her anyways. "Because you are the only one with experience in magic. You know, hexes and the like. How would I train someone like Jinx with something that I understand almost nothing about. You, on the other hand have had plenty of time to practice, and you always hole yourself up in your room with those books of yours; at least some of them have to be on magic."

The empath put her herbal tea down with a sharp clack, betraying how irked she was, but Robin didn't flinch. He knew that some of those words had probably cut, and although Raven was sensitive to jabs about herself from someone who didn't repeatedly tell jokes, the team leader couldn't feel guilty about it now. He would do what he had to, to get Raven to teach Jinx, and make amends with his best friend later.

"Yes Robin," she said icily, her tone sending spikes of cold shuddering down his spine. "Some of those books are on magic."

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two for a minute where the bird couldn't find anything to do but sip his cup of coffee that was rapidly growing cold, and try to avoid Raven's eyes. She had a way of making him feel bad about things that he wasn't supposed to have guilty feelings about. Even if something wasn't his fault, she could make him feel as though it was.

Finally, the masked boy's eyes landed on the purple ones that hadn't left him for all those long seconds. "Look, just do this, okay? I don't care how you train her, but please, for the Titans." His voice had an imploring quality to it that Robin wasn't sure he liked.

Raven clenched her teeth. "Fine. But I train her my way, alright? You don't get to interfere." She told him, challenging him to question her words.

The thought didn't even cross his mind. If he could get Raven to train Jinx, then he would readily agree to any terms that she set out for him. "Done." He told her, nodding his head. "Start as soon as possible please." And he walked out of the room without looking back, relieved to get away from Raven for the moment; she wasn't acting like herself.

Raven's gaze followed her leader's back all the way out of the room and into the hallway. She sat completely still before reaching down and picking up the newspaper again, skimming the article she had been previously reading to find her place.

---

Jinx walked into the common room beside Kid Flash, grinning hugely as she did. That seemed to be her expression most of the time nowadays. Always smiling, always happy. She suspected that it was because she could spend so much time with Kid Flash now, and she didn't have to worry about taking care of anyone else like she did in the Hive Five. Everyone here could think for themselves.

Kid Flash sped over to the cabinets, opening and closing them almost immediately, looking for something to eat. He finally found what he was looking for, and turned around, smiling at Jinx. "Want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" he asked her. "I make the best." He wiggled his eyebrows.

The bad luck witch smiled and joined him in the kitchen. She grabbed a butter knife and took the peanut butter jar from her friend. "I'll make it myself. But I'm sure we could find somewhere to eat it together." A side glance at her companion showed that he thought the idea inspired.

A slight chill blew through the room and the black magic of Raven appeared in the middle of the tiled floor. Her form solidified, and she stepped out easily, readjusting her cloak around her body. A small look of distaste crossed her face as she saw who was in the kitchen, but it was hidden almost as soon as it appeared.

Kid Flash had jumped when the empath had appeared in the room. "Jeez Rae, use doors why don't you?" he told her, staring at the witch.

For his effort to start a conversation, the speedster got a glare from Raven. She considered telling him that he was not allowed to call her Rae, but decided against it, and went straight for Jinx, who had ignored her from the minute she had felt the cold and pressure of magic. The girl was used to it.

"Jinx," Raven growled.

Jinx turned around, her sandwich half finished in one hand and the knife in her other hand. Her eyes widened in shock. Raven was actually starting a talk with her? That was new, since the girl was quite aware that Raven did not like her in the least.

"What is it?" she asked, catlike eyes trained on her magic counterpart.

"I'm to train you, since we are both the ones who know something about magic. We start today, since I want this to be finished as soon as possible, so meet me in the training room in ten minutes." With another wave of cool air and a swirl of black power Raven disappeared.

Both teens stared at where she had just been. Jinx turned to Kid Flash, confused. "Is she always so blunt?" she asked, forgetting about her sandwich.

Kid Flash shrugged. "I know as much about her as you do." He paused. "But you don't need training. You can already do magic and everything like that. Why would she need to train you?"

Jinx shrugged. "I don't know. But I wouldn't want to get her angry, would you?" the girl put down her unfinished lunch. "We'll have to do this another time, okay?" her pink eyes met his blue ones. "I promise."

The boy grinned in a very primal way. "I'll hold you to that." He assured her with a wink. The witch laughed and waved before walking out of the kitchen and through the sliding doors that lead to the hallway.

---

She stood at the door, studying the place before she ventured inside. It was the first time she really ever got to look at the training room, and she wanted to take it in. It was a very big room. There were mats covering the floor, and punching bags hanging from the ceiling. All manner of gym equipment was there; dumbbells, bench presses, treadmills and more. There were machines that she had never seen before, and guessed that Cyborg had invented them himself. On one side there was something that looked like an obstacle course. Mirrors lined one wall from floor to ceiling, and weapons were stacked neatly together, some of which she had seen Robin use against her. There were even a few shelves with an iHome, a CD player and a few CD cases lying on them.

Jinx entered the training room wearing a black tank top and purple shorts that were a bit too short to be modest. However, she wanted to have as much freedom of movement as possible, and the bad luck girl had never been one to be self-conscious. Her pink hair, instead of in its usual do, was pulled up into a ponytail, more practical, while still keeping it out of her face.

Looking around, she noticed Raven sitting on a bench wearing a tank top as well, but hers white, and a pair of black shorts. What surprised her was that there were a few piles of books surrounding her. The empath had one on her lap and was reading studiously.

Jinx approached her silently, and the girl didn't look up. "Come here," she said coldly, turning another wafer-thin page of the volume.

Once Jinx had sat down in front of her on the floor, Raven closed the tome and looked up. "How much to do you know about magic?" she asked, very straightforward. "Not just about bad luck, but anything. Tell me everything." She looked into her new team mate's eyes.

Jinx pondered for a minute before answering. "I know a lot about bad luck. I know some protection spells, and a few defensive and offensive spells. I've tried out a few black magic things, but that's it really. All I ever needed to know was the bad luck ones."

As she spoke to her new teacher, she noticed that Raven's hands and wrists were wrapped, so the girl proceeded to do that same, making sure that the knots were secure by tugging on them before looking back up at the empath.

Raven's face was blank, and Jinx found it impossible to tell what she was thinking. She fingered a book nervously. Pulling it towards her, the girl read the title. Curses and Counter Curses. She raised an eyebrow.

Raven began to speak. Jinx looked back up at her. "You're going to show me what you've got. And we're going to be having actual physical movement, so this isn't going to be like a normal fight you would have. This is a magic spar,"

Jinx would have chortled at how ridiculous that sounded, but Raven's face showed that she was not in the mood. The empath obviously did not want to be there, and Jinx was starting to feel as though she could relate. She hadn't liked the bird when they were enemies, and she didn't like her any better now. She was so icy towards herself and Kid Flash. The attitude did nothing to soften the resentment.

So Jinx opted for nodding and she stood up fluidly, lightly brushing imaginary dust off her ass. She looked at Raven expectantly, realizing that she was looking forward to a fight with someone. That aspect of her hadn't been beaten away by Kid Flash. She was still partially a villain. The thought made her grin.

The empath eyed her sparring partner and rose to her feet. A hair tie seemed to appear out of nowhere and it went to her hair, pulling it back easily before keeping it up and out of Raven's eyes. Jinx's own eyes followed the motion, wondering what about it fascinated her so much. It was nothing unusual.

Perhaps it was the methodical way that Raven seemed to do it, just as she did everything else. It was thought through and had a purpose. Nothing was ever done on instinct. Although Jinx wasn't one to sit around a lot and watch people, she was moderately observant. Had to be, to become a girl on the wrong side of the law. She had noticed things about her new roommates.

Each had their own little quirks, but Raven had been hard to place. Everything the empath did was even and there was always a reason for it. That caused her to jump around in the categories in Jinx's mind. Was she organized, or self-conscious, or perhaps even obsessed? It was difficult to tell.

A motion of Raven's hand jerked the witch out of her thoughts, and she saw that it had a remote in it. Music clicked and whirred on to begin playing a song that Jinx didn't recognize. It was slow, acoustic guitar that she had never guessed Raven would listen to.

"Stretch," she instructed Jinx, rolling her own neck and shoulders as she did so.

Jinx obeyed. She started with her neck, as Raven had, and worked her way down her body in a very thought-out, mechanical pattern. The way that she could do this without thinking or needing to focus resulted in a relaxed and partially unaware Jinx by the time they were finished.

That is, until Raven switched music to a song that Jinx immediately knew, and snapped her out of her daze. It was 'Out of Control' by Hoobastank, and she found herself smiling at the thought that Raven might have the same tastes in music as she did.

Of course, as soon as the purple eyes met her pink ones, Jinx was reminded that the two didn't like each other, and she wiped the smile off of her face as quickly as it had come.

Raven shook out her limbs a bit and explained to Jinx, "Any type of magic is allowed. Hand-to-hand is acceptable, if you can get that close. No other weapons can be used. This is for me to feel out what you know, so…" she paused and a slight shudder rippled through her body, but she continued anyway, "… try to show off."

Without giving Jinx time to draw in another breath, the empath flicked both her wrists, sending everything that was movable flying to the edges of the room, where they piled up against the walls.

Another movement of her pale arms and a muttered incantation encased the entire training room in the black magic of Raven's. Jinx's feet were shocked, as the cold soaked into them. She began to bounce on the balls of her feet, if only to try and keep them warm.

Raven turned her entire body, fully facing and paying attention to Jinx for the first time. The music could still be heard through her power, and the bass thudded through both girls' bodies, vibrating in their chests.

Raven's hands balled into fists. "Oh, and try not to break anything." She told her in her monotone, before lunging forward and surprising Jinx into defensive mode.

The witch was nimble, and jumped out of the way, whirling around to face Raven who had taken to the air. Her "enemy" spun around just as quickly and swiped at her with an extension of her black power in the form of a claw. Jinx also dodged that and sent her own waves of pink towards the bird, who easily ducked and swerved.

The gears in Jinx's mind were furiously clinking as she barely avoided being stabbed by the black daggers sent her way. They grazed across her arm, and the feeling was strange. It didn't hurt like a normal injury, but it seemed as though ice stole through her upper arm towards her shoulder at the contact. A glance down saw a tear in the skin, but no blood.

Jinx shot another wave of bad luck at Raven who dived out of the way, and then shot another in front of her, where she estimated the empath to arrive. Unfortunately, the girl had quick reflexes and managed to stop herself before colliding with the spell. Without a second's hesitation she transformed into her soul self and made a beeline for Jinx.

Seeing a large black raven that blended in with the background of the room headed for a collision course with her was not something that Jinx had been prepared for. However, she thought that considering the circumstances, she had handled it rather well.

Jinx crossed her forearms and squeezed her eyes shut. Holding her breath, she focused more than she had ever focused on an incantation before. Her head pounded with noises. The rushing of false wings, the thudding beat of the music and the words chanted in her mind for the spell.

Around her, a crackling pink barrier formed spitting with energy. As soon as this happened, Raven transformed back into herself, but she couldn't stop her body from crashing into the barrier. A cry rose from her lips as the pink energy darted in, stinging at her body until she fell in a heap on the ground.

Jinx gasped, dropping to her hands and knees, eyes still shut tight. That defensive spell had taken more out of her than she had ever imagined it would. She had never been in a fight with only Raven, and in a controlled area. No team mate's to back her up, and no other enemies to distract her. Just the two witches.

Jinx opened her catlike eyes and looked up just in time to catch a bare foot coming straight for her face. A sharp tug pulled Raven up and over Jinx's body, where she landed lightly and rolled back up onto her feet.

Jinx jumped up, still panting slightly, and the two girls went at it with their fists and legs, both on the offensive, and neither being able to gain the upper hand. However, it could be said that Raven was slowly driving her opponent back, her face dead set, steely, but strangely blank. She eyed Jinx's left leg, watching for her opportunity.

There it was. The empath ducked a swift punch and swerved to the left. As expected, Jinx was slow on that side, leaving just enough time for Raven to disappear, leaving Jinx to whirl around, disoriented and attempting to get her bearings back.

Raven reappeared behind the witch and descended upon her back, landing heavily on top of Jinx, who was pinned on her stomach. Raven grabbed both of Jinx's wrists in her hands, pushing a knee down in the middle of her back.

Both girls were breathing heavily, chests rising and falling rapidly. Sweat glistened on their bodies, running into their eyes, but neither said anything.

The music had long since changed songs, and now they listened to the words and music of it, coming back to reality out of their fighting fantasy. It was now the song 'Bodies' by Drowning Pool. It seemed fitting.

Jinx closed her eyes, and said the phrase into the cold, black floor that her stomach was pressed up against. It was a nice contrast to her warmed body. Her face turned down into the mat, words coming out muffled as she spoke them. "Okay… I give."

Only then was the pressure on her back let up as Raven moved away. The dark coating around the training room receded, leaving it feeling stifling hot and strangely empty, even though all the training equipment was piled up against the walls. The empath swiftly moved them all back to their correct places.

Jinx sat on the bench, watching her sparring partner finish this task. Next to her were a towel and a water bottle. Jinx was already using both of hers, the cool beverage washing down her throat, cold enough to be felt in her chest.

Raven joined her, remaining standing. She nudged Jinx's leg with her foot after picking up her towel, draping it around her neck, and unscrewing the top of her water bottle. "Get up," she told the sitting girl. "Sitting down isn't good for you immediately after exercising."

Jinx glared up at her, but did as she was told. The two stood there in silence, drinking their water and occasionally wiping their faces, sometimes even putting their water bottles up to their faces to cool them down. Raven seemed deep in thought, although what her opinions were about those thoughts could not be gauged.

Eventually, the empath began to speak. "We'll keep working. For now, I want you to read up on these spells and the basics of our magic. Feel free to practice, but don't do anything beyond what is in these books." With a flick of her wrist and a muttering of her mantra, three books made their lazy way over to Jinx and landed with a thump in her arms. "We'll come back here the day after tomorrow."

And with that Raven disappeared with all of the rest of the books. Jinx, stared, took one last look around the room, and walked out, leaving the door to bang shut. Two empty water bottles lay on the mats, forgotten.

---

Cyborg was sitting on the couch, not watching T.V. or playing video games for once. The teen was sitting across from Raven, quietly listening to the empath as she spoke about whatever was on her mind. Usually it was Robin who would be seen having quiet moments with Raven like this.

But just because Cyborg and Raven's moments couldn't be seen, didn't mean that they didn't have them.

Jinx registered this as she walked into the room through the automatic doors. She was carrying one of the books that Raven had instructed she read before their next training session together. The girl didn't stop to bother wondering whether she was interrupting anything, but stood before the two, and threw the book down on the cushion in between them.

Both looked up at her in varying degrees of surprise. Cyborg, upon seeing who it was, glanced away from Jinx's face before looking back, the transition so quick that the girl wondered whether he had looked away at all.

"You're making me read beginner's books!" she told Raven heatedly, pointedly ignoring Cyborg's gaze as she spoke to her new mentor.

The dark girl didn't flinch. Her expression was level as she looked up into Jinx's face. "You have to know the basics before you can learn the more advanced things. Your knowledge is patchy. This should smooth it out somewhat."

However, Jinx was not pacified. "I already know all this stuff! I thought you were going to teach me what I needed to know to fight, not re-teach me something I'm sure I can already do. This book is boring me to death." She complained, making no effort to hide it in her voice.