A/N: Back at it again with the regular updates! But three does not a pattern make, so hold me accountable. Enjoy!
The Titans linger for a few days, taking down the few morons who are dumb enough to threaten the city while there are thirty Titans in town. In the interim, Kid Flash lingers, hanging out with her, reminding her to eat, and just generally making things light. On the fourth day of this, Jinx realizes he's trying to prove to the other Titans that she can be trusted.
People approach her slowly, barely warming to her. She's fine, she'd been expecting this, but it still stings a little.
On the fifth day, Titans begin to take their leave, heading back to their own cities. Finally, it's just Jinx, the original Titans, and Kid Flash. They're all sitting in the living room, the boys playing video games while Starfire cooks and Raven leads Jinx through a meditation exercise. Somehow, it's easier to meditate out here, instead of cooped up in Raven's room, cool as it might be. Jinx can admit she finds the demi-demon intimidating.
"Are you sure the Flash won't mind, KF?" Robin asks him. "I'm sure Central City needs you."
"Nah, I'm alright here," he answers breezily. "Better to beat your high scores."
"Not a chance," Robin promises him, wicked smirk on his face. Of course, Cyborg kicks both of their butts.
"You need to relax more," Raven says, her voice a low, gravelly rasp. "Are you sure you don't want to go up to the roof?"
"I'm more relaxed in here." The whole point of the meditation is so that Raven can get into Jinx's head with her losing control of her powers, so she could understand Jinx's true intentions and whether she was planning on betraying them. The first time Raven had tried this, Jinx had lost it so bad, she'd ripped a hole through one of the containment room walls. That hadn't done her any favors in the trust department.
"He can come with if you like," Raven concedes, eyes flicking to where Kid Flash is waving his controller above Beast Boy's head, zipping away anytime the changeling makes a move.
"I don't need him to hold my hand." Jinx's voice is a near-snarl and she sighs. So far, this being nice all the time thing is proving difficult. "On second thought, let's go to the roof."
"Wait, please, friends!" Starfire chimes in. "I too will partake in the meditation." The alien in question floats after them, hovering inches off the ground. Together, they make their way to the roof, sitting in a triangle on the practice ground. They sit cross-legged, backs straight, and palms up. Raven insists it's good for energy flow.
"Think of something calming, passive," Raven suggests, eyes closed. "Allow yourself to lower your guards."
"Easy for you to say," Jinx mutters. "You're not the one being mind-scanned."
"Please, friend Jinx," Starfire says softly. "It will not be painful, I assure you, but it must be done."
"I know," Jinx mumbles. She feels like a real ass being mean to Starfire, the friendliest person she knows. She's also the only person who's completely let go of their past together. For that, Jinx is grateful. She knows firsthand just how dangerous Starfire can get.
Jinx takes a deep breath, dropping her shoulders and holding her spine straight. She focuses exclusively on calming things. The smell of lavender… debugging lines of code… sapphire eyes.
At the edges of her consciousness, she can feel Raven's energy, but Jinx focuses harder on her calming things, keeping her guard down. It's hard work, she can feel the beginnings of physical pain coming on, but she ignores it resolutely. Fresh art supplies… unblemished canvas… brilliant wide smiles against faint freckles.
"You can release now." Raven's voice sounds far away and tinny, like it's coming through an old speaker. Jinx forces her eyes open, and suddenly, she's being bodily slammed back into consciousness. She gasps roughly, curling in on herself.
"Friend Jinx!" Starfire's voice is fleeting. Jinx can feel her own energy ripping through her insides, begging to be let loose. Jinx clamps down on it, holding tight. She won't blast the Titans, she won't.
"Focus," Raven urges, "find your control."
"Friend Jinx, you must not let your power control you. Embrace it and control it in turn," Starfire says. She sounds closer, somehow. Jinx sucks in a breath, finally getting a hold of her powers. She lets the energy crackle over her skin for a moment before pulling it back, like flexing a cramping muscle. Jinx sits up, breathing hard.
"I think I need some water," she croaks. To her absolute surprise—and utter embarrassment—Starfire sweeps her up in her surprisingly strong arms, floating away with Raven on her heels. The alien beauty turns a deaf ear to Jinx's protest.
The float in the living room, where Kid Flash spots them, zooming up with a worried look on his face.
"What's going on?" he demands. "What happened?"
Jinx squirms with all her might, doing everything short of shooting a hex at Starfire. That would be pretty badly received, no matter how embarrassed she is.
"I think you can let her down now, Star," Cyborg chuckles.
"I'm fine!" Jinx insists before Kid Flash can ask. Raven hands her a glass of water with a wry smile on her lips.
"Robin," she says simply, pointing her chin in the direction of the door. Robin follows Raven out, an uneasy expression on her face.
"What happened?" Kid Flash asks again, stepping closer to her.
"Ooh, did you get mind-scanned?" Beast Boy asks. "That always blows."
"I'm fine," Jinx repeats. Cyborg catches the look on her face, and maybe it's because he knows her a little better than any other Titan, but he gestures for everyone to back off, dragging Beast Boy and Starfire back to the video games. Kid Flash stays where he is, watching her drink. It should be creepy, but Jinx finds it almost sweet.
"Sure you're okay?" he asks softly. Jinx allows herself a peek at his pretty blue eyes before side stepping him to put the glass in the sink.
"Are you going deaf?" she snarks at him. Before he can respond, Raven and Robin come back into the room, expressions unreadable. Instantly, whatever good mood Kid Flash had managed to create dissipates as she waits for their verdict.
"Jinx," Robin says, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. "We'd like you to stay for training. We think you'd be a great asset to the team."
Jinx learns quickly that being a Titan is no picnic. She wouldn't call Robin a tyrant, exactly, but her vocabulary is sparse when it comes to describing someone who makes her wake up at the crack of dawn to train for hours.
After Robin's said she's done enough for the day—and this varies, she can never predict when he'll stop—she's sent to Starfire and Raven, to work on her hexes. They're a little more lenient, but Jinx suspects it's only due to Starfire's excitement for another girlfriend.
Their taking a water break when Starfire asks after her hair.
"Please, Jinx, take no offense, but I must ask, why shape your hair like that?" Jinx can't help the giggle that escapes.
"Their supposed to be pigtails," she explains. "The hair bands have built in insulators, so it was either this or a vertical ponytail."
"So, there will be no making over of the hair?" Starfire asks dejectedly. Jinx shakes her head, secretly relieved. She's not every good at this whole "girlfriends" thing. There were only a select number of girls at HIVE Academy, and they all hated each other.
Jinx can't help but notice that none of the girls here hate each other. They don't get jealous of each other and they don't fight, save for the occasional squabble. Raven and Starfire have very little in common, but they get along great.
"You can paint my nails if you want," Jinx offers shyly. Starfire lights up, giggling like a child. It's awfully sweet.
"Starfire's very good at that," Raven says in her gravely deadpan. Jinx has yet to decipher if she's kidding or not.
Just then, the door to the practice room opens up and Kid Flash, Robin, and Beast Boy come in, all laughing at someone's joke. Robin puts on a serious face and nods at Starfire.
"How's it going?" he asks.
"Very well, Robin!" Starfire says. "Jinx has learned much and her powers are getting stronger."
"Good to hear," Robin says with a smile. He and Kid Flash take the floor, so the girls move off to the side, exchanging quizzical looks. Robin's smile melts into a smirk as he faces the speedster. "So, who wants to watch me thrash KF?"
Raven rolls her eyes, producing a paperback from seemingly nowhere and flicking through the pages to find her spot. Beast Boy plops down besides Jinx, grinning from ear to ear, fangs on full display.
"Ten bucks Robin takes him out," he says. Jinx smirks, appraising the two young heroes circling each other.
"Easy money," Jinx says. "Kid Flash has superpowers."
"You're damn right," the hero in question says, shooting her a wink. Beast Boy shrugs good naturedly.
"I don't know, I've seen Robin win a lot of fights," he says teasingly.
"I agree," Starfire adds, sitting beside them. "I will also cast my vote for Robin."
"Raven?" Beast Boy asks hopefully.
"I don't bet," she deadpans. She's pensive for a moment, setting her book aside and watching the boys. "Are you guys going to start or not?"
"Sure," Robin says. "Beast Boy, call it."
"Fight!" he yells happily. Kid Flash charges Robin with everything he has, and in less than a second, Robin's sprawled out on the floor, wheezing. Kid Flash turns to Jinx with a smirk, flexing and preening like a superpowered peacock. With all his antics, he doesn't see Robin pop back up and launch himself through the air, land squarely on Kid Flash's back. They tussle for a moment, before Robin produces his bo staff, whacking Kid Flash soundly over the head.
The fight carries on for a few more minutes before Robin entangles Kid Flash in his grappling net. The speedster thrashes as fast as he can, but the friction doesn't burn through the ropes. Eventually, he goes limp, conceding. Robin turns to Starfire with a brilliant smile, obviously looking for attention. Jinx hides a smile at the idea of the Titans fearless leader with a schoolboy crush.
"Pay up!" Beast Boy crows, turning on the spot and doing a victory lap around the room in cheetah form. Mock-grumbling, Jinx fishes her wallet from the pockets of her dress and hands him the promised ten.
"Nice," she snarks at Kid Flash, who grins sheepishly at her. He comes to stand next to her, throwing a casual arm around her shoulders. Jinx goes stiff, but she doesn't push him away.
"Couldn't embarrass Robin in front of his girl," he explains. Jinx rolls her eyes.
"Oh, sure, you let him win out of the goodness of your heart," she deadpans. She wants to ask if he cares that she was watching, but Jinx has a feeling he'd never let that go.
"What can I say, I'm a saint," he says with an angelic smile. "Come on, Cyborg's making ribs!"
With that, Jinx is led to the main living room, where Cyborg is indeed whipping something up in the kitchen. It smells pretty amazing. Beast Boy, who Jinx has learned is vegan, pulls out a block of tofu and an obscene amount of condiments and spices.
"Don't get that tofu where I'm cooking!" Cyborg chastises, dodging the tofu like it might come alive and eat him.
"Don't get that meat where I'm cooking!" Beast Boy echoes. Raven floats lazily above the kitchen, like she's keeping watch.
"After we have the lunch, we will do the painting of the nails, yes?" Starfire asks, coming to sit next to Jinx on the couch. Before she can agree, Robin shakes his head.
"Sorry, Star, but I have a job I need Jinx's help on," he says. His expression is inscrutable behind his mask and it makes her a little nervous. Kid Flash, lounging next to her, straightens up.
"What's the job?" he asks. "I can lend a hand."
"Thanks, KF, but Jinx'll be enough," Robin says cryptically. "But I do need you later."
Kid Flash nods like he understands, sinking back against the couch cushions. Robin, who's got the remote, flips channels until he gets Jump City News.
"After a strange few months of not seeing the Titans, they're finally back in their tower. And what's more? They've got friends with them."
Pictures of some other recently dubbed Titans come onto the screen, complete with a little stats chart. Kid Flash grins up at his own picture.
"They picked a good one of me," he says. Robin snorts.
"It's not hard, you're always hanging around the press," he teases.
"I do not," Kid Flash exclaims, mock-outraged. "Besides, you just admitted that I look good."
"Man, you've got an ego the size of Metropolis," Robin tells him matter-of-factly.
"Food's up," Cyborg calls, already doling out portions of ribs. He heaps up two plates especially, keeping the bigger one for himself. Kid Flash smirks, a troubling glint in his eyes. In a nanosecond, he zips across the room, snagging Cyborg's plate and settling across the room.
"Thanks, Cy, looks great," he says smugly. Cyborg mutters darkly, snatching the plate meant for the Speedster. Jinx takes a plate and sits with Raven, picking at her food.
"You don't have to worry," Raven says softly. "We trust you; you're meant to be here."
"I…' Jinx sighs, forcing a smile. "Thanks." Raven quirks an eye, disbelieving, but she doesn't say anything else.
After lunch, Robin gestures for Jinx to follow, leading her into a computer room. It's a pretty solid set up, stations for each of the titans, each equipped with triple screens and the most powerful processors Jinx has seen.
"So, what's the job?" she asks. Robin gestures for her to take a seat at Starfire's station, booting up the computer for her.
"I've been creating a database for years now, of resources, knowledge, outside help, things like that," Robin explains. "I'd like you to help me update the villain's database with whatever knowledge you have."
"Sure," Jinx says, secretly relieved. This seems easy enough.
"It'll be sort of time consuming, but no one else has the knowledge you do," Robin says apologetically. "I'll keep you company. I have work to do too."
A/N: Alrighty! Let me know what you think, comments, concerns, whatever!