Get it? Capture the Flag - Capture the Witch?
Enjoy!
"Yeah I suffocate quick
Does that make me a bitch?
I don't really care, no."
-Echo (The Story of My Life ;D)
Chapter 9
"Capture the Witch"
Red X (?):
Robin hadn't said anything against targeting someone. That was exactly what I was going to do.
Jinx wasn't easy to find, I'll give her that. It took a about fifteen minutes of picking up where we started to guess where she might have gone. As much as I hated to admit it, she and I probably thought the same when it came to hiding. So eventually I headed to the third most obvious hiding place to find nothing, which is what I expected. But I knew she'd been there, so picked up her trail from there.
The rest of finding her took, in total, about half an hour.
She was waiting in the graveyard. I mean, she was hiding of course, but I'm pretty sure she expected me to try and find her specifically. Admittedly the graveyard was a bit too full for my liking but I tried to keep the shivers out of my spine, glancing around with an emotionless expression, thanks to my mask. My eyes narrowed at all the names of people most likely not remembered.
"Well," I muttered to myself. "This is awfully cheery."
"Do you make it a habit to find the most depressing place on the property?"
To let you know, this was not Jinx. This was Robin. How Boy Blunders duplicate found me was no real guess. If he was anything like the Robin I'd come into contact with then I almost should have expected him to keep an eye on the criminal.
I looked at his approaching figure over my shoulder before turning fully. "Do you make it a habit of stalking people on the same side as you?"
He shrugged, looking out at the graves. "Creepy, isn't it?"
Eventually I nodded, wondering what he was getting at. "Yeah. I make it a habit to stay out of places like this, but I'm guessing someone's probably hiding somewhere around here. If you're gonna play, play to win, right?"
"Winning isn't everything," Robin replied.
I snorted, "That depends on what side you're one."
Robin smirked. "You just said you were on my side, didn't you?"
I opened my mouth to argue when we both instinctively turned in the same direction. A figure darted out and started running, too quick to distinguish, and too much of a shadow to really see.
"Ha, I knew someone was hiding in here!" I shouted smugly. Robin didn't respond and together we took off after them, catching up quickly.
What we saw was definitely not what we expected.
Well, I found Jinx. You've got to give me credit for that, at the very least. Unfortunately, she was unconscious in a rather unfortunately familiar man's arms. My eyes narrowed and I heard Robin pull out weapons beside me.
"Slade," He growled. "I should've known you wouldn't go down that easily."
Said man turned slowly, holding the limp form of Jinx in his arms. He seemed desperately cold, like a man who had nothing left to lose. Those were one of the most dangerous people to be messing with it. You couldn't pay me to deal with someone like that.
"Its almost a disappointment, Robin," Slade replied in the same voice I was familiar with. Creepy how people from whole other dimension could be so similar to one another. "Ah well, I've always believed in getting another chance at things."
"What do you want with Jinx?" Robin demanded. I stood, as if bored.
"Her skills are known well enough," Slade replied. "Once I convince her to join my side, she'll be a much better apprentice then you ever were."
Robin lunged and I barely saw the hit his larger adversary did, slashing viciously at Robin's ribs. He collapsed onto the floor, clutching his sides and gasping for air. With a sigh, my weapons appeared in my hands. I may not have been the good guy, but I know how to be. Just because Jinx and I had a bit of unsettled business didn't mean I was going to let her get kidnapped by a psychopath.
"So the brother fights for the sister," Slade sneered.
I scoffed, tensing. "I'm nobodies sibling."
And the moment I swiped a hollow thump was heard. The next thing I knew I was on the floor as well, but I'd felt my X collide with something hard. I hoped it wasn't Jinx as my vision began to tunnel. When I heard Slade begin to swear I smirked and allowed the darkness to take me.
Jinx(?) AND Jinx*:
If there was ever a nightmare as terrifying as this one, may Heaven have mercy on the child or adult who it was given to.
"We can call you Jinx . . ."
At the strange, melodic voice I sat up only to find myself in darkness.
"You've got to hide before they . . ."
Looking around the area I saw a strange, faint white light.
"I saw, but there wasn't anyone left . . ."
"Hello?" I called, frightened by the hauntingly familiar and different voices that spoke words I wished to forget. After a moment of eery silence I propped myself up on my elbows, reluctant to remain still and undefended, I extended my arms until I was completely upright. Gradually, on shaky feet, I stood.
Only to be knocked onto my knees by a crushing force.
Terrible, indescribably horrible images filled my mine, with the voices to go with the scene. Everyone was telling me different things. Most times buildings were falling, people were dying, or there was some type of fire. A few images were happy, only to show later how that one moment was the only good thing to have come from that situation. I felt like a ghost. While I saw these images, other phantom feelings of my body convulsing and violent jerking limbs registered.
Suddenly my phantom body was my body. This happened within a moment and the vertigo sent my head spinning as I was abruptly brought into the waking world, my shuddering body sat up. My vision was haywire, further suffocating me in this vast uncertainty. Everything was a large blur of color and migraine-inducing light. I groaned and found feeling in my shuddering hand, blocking my eyes from the unnerving feelings this situation brought with awakening.
"Ah, you're awake."
Intense adrenaline fear further strained my body, making everything immediately clear. This next sudden change was beneficial though, for the adrenaline quenched any side-effects that might be brought with it. The headache dulled and even if it still hurt, it was pushed to the back of my mind.
I just stared.
He walked forward from the darkness and I finally noticed my surroundings without any obscurity of perception. I was on a table one might put a corpse on, entirely from metal and under something similar to a spotlight. Surrounding me, from what I could see that wasn't shadowed, it very well appeared the table and I were the only things that existed in whatever place he had taken me to.
"I must apologize for my earlier conduct, Jinx, but as I expected, you are not the same. In aspect, body and probably soul, you are a perfect replica. But in thoughts, past, and possibly attitude, you are not." He seemed to be making an effort to calm her fear. "I want to make it official and clear, Jinx. I want you as my apprentice. You are different, better than the other, and isn't that all you've ever wanted to be? Better than what you could've been?"
I stared in dumbstruck amazement. Was that really . . . what I wanted? But hadn't I already done that by becoming a hero instead of some petty villain who continued to get thrown in jail? Wasn't I past being good enough?
He made it sound otherwise.
Slade continued, nonetheless. "You will, though, have to prove my theory correct, if you wish to accept this offer."
Somehow, I found my voice, though it sounded timid and weak. "Meaning what?"
He seemed pleased at my curiosity. "Prove to me you are not what I thought you were. Do something the other would not, something you think is uniquely you."
My paralyzing effects returned to me and I sat back, realizing I had been leaning forward. I stared blankly at the wall, ignoring the odd sensation that had a hold on my chest, in the center of my collarbone. It felt heavy but suspiciously inconspicuous. Nonetheless, I chose to ignore it, allowing my thoughts to drift to this decision at hand.
"I'll leave you to yourself," Slade said, but I barely registered it. There could've been a click, but I couldn't have been troubled**.
The weight in my chest lifted just a bit, and I had the insatiable urge to close my eyes. Gently, sliding back down onto the metallic surface that suddenly was so inviting and iridescent. My eyes began to drift shut and I let them. I lay on my side, my palm resting beside my face. With unconsciousness came knowledge from my subconscious.
I knew what I had to do.
*Yes, the same situation was happening to both of them at the same time. You understand, I'm sure.
**Jinx has been drugged, in case you didn't noticed.
INCREDIBLY shorty chapter, easily the shortest I've ever written, but I'm getting bored with this story. My inspiration is coming to a loss. My spastic mind has spat another idea at me and the urge to write that one over this one, essentially abandoning this story completely, is a strong one. But have no fear, I'm a stubborn child and refuse to ever discontinue a story. Despite this, you all have a decision to make.
Would you rather me make the rest of these chapters incredibly short, for an extended period of time, or do my preferable choice and write two last, long chapters that, while they would answer most questions, would most likely forget a few details and leave a bunch out.
Either way, this story will be finished and be the last of the series. If you're curious as to what stories I plan on writing next, there's three, two being Teen Titans fanfictions, one being a Red X/Jinx/Kid Flash story divulging into the untold tale of Jinx switching sides in the real cartoon, the other being a Red X/Blackfire (most likely) story that's also out of scene. The third would be an Artemis Fowl out of scene story (I seem to be getting into the habit of those) about Artemis/Holly.
Until later, my readers. I hope you tell me your choices soon.
