Chapter 25 'Tricked'

"On the bright side we know that there are only three villains left right?" Kid Flashed asked sending Jinx an encouraging smile.

After their encounter with Gizmo and mammoth the other day the speedster could tell the pink haired girl was feeling pretty down on herself. If fact it was taking everything he had to keep a conversation going with her because she tended to just stare off into the distance and ignore him whenever he spoke.

"And I'm pretty positive there are like…eight titans left. So the odds are pretty good!" He babbled on. "Who knows, maybe we won't even have to see Gizmo and Mammoth anymore…maybe someone else will take care of them for us!"

Jinx looked up at her teammate slowly with a solemn expression written on her face. "I've been thinking…" she began.

"So that's why you've been so quiet?" Kid Flash joked.

"No, I just…didn't want to say it out loud till I was sure it was what I wanted," Jinx confessed.

Kid Flash's happy expression seemed to drain from his face at this comment. "Jinx, you're scaring me here, what's going on?"

"I think we should split up," Jinx declared.

Kid Flash's eyes seemed to bulge out of his mask at this comment. "What? Jinx why would you want to-."

"They don't want you, they want me. I'm putting you in danger by staying with you in these games," Jinx confessed trying to avoid eye contact.

"You're crazy if you think I'd just leave you alone out here so they can come find you to kill you off!" The red-headed boy yelled.

"I know, that's why I'm going to leave you," she stated.

"You're not thinking this through Jinx!" Kid Flash continued to yell. "You know I can catch up with you in two minutes as soon as you hit five miles."

Jinx rolled her eyes at him. "Don't threaten me Wally," she snapped.

Kid Flash knew she was serious; she only used his real name when she was serious…or pissed off. So, really she could have been either but he tended to cringe at the idea of her being pissed off at him.

"I don't want you coming after me, I don't want to drag you into this mess with me and them. I couldn't stand to know that I put you at risk," Jinx said as she turned her back to him.

"Jinx, you didn't put me at risk, Slade put me at risk. As well as everyone else in these games," the speedster reached out and grabbed hold of her hand trying to pull her back to him.

"My mind's made up," Jinx stated as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. She angrily pushed it away with her free hand and turned back to look at her fellow titan. "Keep safe," the sorceress whispered before grabbing hold of the red and yellow clad teen and planting a deep kiss upon his lips.

Before Kid Flash could think to reach out and hold on to her to keep her with him, she had already took off into the jungle, leaving him standing there dumbfounded and never feeling more alone.

Robin stared at his downtrodden girlfriend unsure of what emotion to express to her. The revealing of the killings the night before had sent Starfire into a downward spiral. Seeing so many of their friends gone was hard on both of them but what had done her in most had to have been the news of Blackfire's death. Sure, the girl was pure evil as far as Robin was concerned but she was still Starfire's sister. And losing her must have shaken something inside deep inside the core of the Tameranian's heart. He could only image how she would react if something happened to Raven, Cyborg, or Beast Boy…or him.

Robin quickly dismissed that thought from his mind as he caught up to keep a steady pace with her as they traipsed through the jungle keeping their eyes peeled for one of the three remaining villains. "Did you want to stop for a food break anytime soon Star?" The boy wonder asked.

"I am afraid that I am not very hungry…but if you wish to stop we could-."

"No I…I was just checking on you. You…haven't been talking very much," Robin stated.

"I do not have very much to say," Starfire replied sadly.

Robin's mask seemed to wilt at this comment, displaying the sadness in his own eyes. "I know it looks bad Star but…we can get through this."

"I do not understand," Starfire answered in a soft tone.

"We can get through anything together Star all we have to do is-."

"No, I mean I do not understand how you think we can get through something like this. Our friends have been killed and my sister is gone as well and I…I do not know how we can simply 'get through' something like this Robin. You do not just get through losing people who are important to you! I cannot just forget them, they are our friends!"

Robin gently reached out and put a firm hand on her shoulder, hoping she took it as a comforting gesture. He knew as their leader he could be very unsympathetic when times called for it but he had to make her believe, it was the only way they were both going to survive unscathed.

"You don't have to forget them. In fact we're better off winning these games for them!" Robin exclaimed watching as the alien princess turned to him with her full attention. "You don't want their deaths to have happened in vain, so what we have to do is win, if we win we can strike the source of the reason behind their deaths."

Starfire stared at Robin in shock, to be honest she wasn't sure why Slade hadn't blown him to pieces for that threat. Although if he had it wouldn't have made him look very good to the audience would it?

"I know you are right Robin. I am just feeling so much sorrow in this moment that I'm not sure I can manage my powers to defeat-."

"Would you rather the remaining villains strike Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg next? If we want to protect our team and the rest of our friends we need to act fast," Robin replied in his leaderly manner.

Starfire's gaze hardened. "No, I do not wish for that at all."

Robin could tell he was getting through to her. "And what happens if we're attacked Star? What if I can't hold up the fight on my own?"

"Then I will fight," she replied as her normal tone returned. "We are a team; I would never allow something to happen to you Robin, as well as our friends. You are correct, I should not have been so selfish I…I believe we need to find our friends."

Robin sent the redheaded beauty a smile as he quickly reached down to clasp her hand in his own. "Do you think you have enough energy to fly us over the trees to get a better look at our surroundings?"

Starfire nodded at him before rising slowly off the ground only to come crashing back down and send them both face first to the jungle floor. Only, it wasn't Starfire's powers that had done so. Looking behind them they realized who was behind their malfunction: Mumbo Jumbo.

Jinx glanced back at the pathway for the fifth time since she'd made her decision to leave, which had been over an hour ago. She'd had an uneasy feeling about running off when she'd done so in the first place but she had assumed it was only because she was still worried about her ex teammates taking their anger on her out on Kid Flash.

Now it had been over an hour and she was still having the same feeling. Checking around her surroundings she wondered if maybe her mind was telling her to turn back. Perhaps Gizmo and Mammoth were hiding deep in the trees just waiting for her to walk into her trap. The pink haired girl let out a small sigh and turned around beginning to back track a bit. At least she knew that area of the jungle was safe.

…unless they were following behind her.

"You're being so paranoid," she whispered to herself as she shook her head trying to whip her thoughts from her head.

Suddenly, as if her mind was right on cue with the games a haunting scream rung out in the distance. Jinx's eyes widened, not for her own safety but because she knew that voice, she knew it too well. The voice the scream belonged to was none other than that if Kid Flash.

"No," the enchantress whispered feeling her whole body go numb. "No!" She yelled a little louder this time taking off in a full sprint towards the last place she had seen the speedster.

She ran at a speed which she thought even thought Kid Flash might be proud of. In fact, he'd probably compliment her on it when she got to him to help him defeat those two goons that had been stalking them during these games.

Hearing another loud wail pierce the air only motivated her to run faster. He wasn't too far off by the sound of his voice. In fact he seemed pretty close. Leave it to the fastest kid alive to go stalking her after she'd clearly told him not to. Although right now she was slightly happy he did, there was no way she'd get to him fast enough if he hadn't. Pushing herself through the nearest clearing she stumbled and flew forward as she caught herself with her hands. However, when she looked up she'd slightly wished she would have stayed down.

Llying in the middle of the grassy area where she had landed was the speedster. He was unmoving and seemed almost dead but Jinx knew there had been no canon fire so he must still be alive. The large stab wound in his chest told her things were serious though. Pushing herself to suck up her emotions she hastily crawled over to him and attempted to shake him awake.

"Wake up Wally, please…wake up," she pleaded.

"Jinx," she heard a raspy voice murmur from under her.

Looking down with her wide pink eyes the sorceress stared at him slightly unbelieving. She didn't know what she had been hoping for, maybe that it was a trap that Gizmo managed to rig where there was a decoy Kid Flash to lure her into the area? She just couldn't believe it was really him, he was so weak…so…not himself.

"You're going to be okay," Jinx stated. "You have to be okay."

Letting out a weak laugh the masked boy gently reached up to touch her face. "Jinx…I think it's too late."

"I can't do this without you. I'm so sorry I left, I was stupid and selfish and-."

"They didn't want you Jinx," Kid Flash replied cutting her off.

"What?" Jinx asked her voice ceasing its pleading and growing serious.

"They were after me all along…they were just trying to make us think they wanted you to drive us apart…which they did. I guess they're…smarter than we gave them credit for."

Jinx's mind reeled, absolutely horrified at what he was saying. It all made sense now, they never intended to hurt her, they were trying to lure Kid Flash into the open because he was a threat to them. With him around Jinx was a good guy, one of the titans. But if he was gone they assumed she'd come crawling back. Well, she'd show them…

"Maybe I can find Raven or something…she could heal you and-."

"By the time you find her…it'd be too late," Kid Flash answered in between breaths.

"No," Jinx snapped. "Don't talk that way, I need to do something, I can help you! I -."

"Jinx, just…stay with me okay?" Kid Flash asked taking hold of her hand.

"I'm so sorry, I should have stayed, I-."

"I love you Jinx," the speedster whispered. "I…should have told you sooner…I was always afraid you'd hex me though," he replied with a weak smile.

Jinx stared down at him trying to hold back her emotions, a few tears managed to slip through as they rolled down her cheek and plopped onto Kid Flash's uniform. "I love you too," she said.

"Stay strong for me Jinx. Don't you give up now. We'll see... see each other again someday...alright?"

The pink haired girl choked back a sob but managed to give him a nod before leaning down and pressing her lips to his one last time before the canon sounded.

Hardest. Chapter. I've. Had. To. Write. Yet. I'm like nearly crying for killing off Kid Flash. Ugh, I'm so upset with myself. But I do hope you all enjoyed it.

Also I'm really sorry it's a little late this week, I've been fried with homework and studying but I finally got time to take some me time Thursday night…well technically some time for you guys because I didn't want to keep you lovely people waiting any longer.

Xoxo-Megz