Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. I only own the plot and the original characters.
Time after Eternity
Darkness; nothing but darkness waits. The experience was a roller coaster of pain for Jinx, as the shattering waves abused the girl with no end. The waters crashed and toiled once more, plunging the girl deeper into the unknown. Jinx had no energy left; she barely had enough to keep her eyes open. For the young girl, death was unfair.
She was only 16 and about to die. Though she didn't show it physically; mentally, the woman sobbed hysterically. The fact knowing the reaper would appear soon already scared her, but what really made her eyes shiver was the thought of an afterlife. Would she be tortured in the depths of the Inferno? Or will she arrive in front of the gates of paradise? Well, if anyone up there is keeping records of her deeds for the past year; the numerous attempts at the Titan's lives are not exactly helping out.
But is it really that simple? Will they banish her to burn without considering the different circumstances? It was not her fault her guardians were killed a long time ago. It was not her fault HIVE gave her a home, food, and clothing when she was thrown out to the streets. Who among the masses wouldn't accept that type of charity?
"I just hope they understand."
And then, the dormant Jinx saw a bright ball of light swish by about 10 feet away. She followed the ball of light, and noticed that it was following someone, or something. The light generating object suddenly stopped, and launched out about 5 coils at the shadowy figure. Jinx silently witnessed the struggle unfold, "That must be a robot of some sort, chasing the swimmer."
The coils wrapped around the limbs and neck of the figure, proceeding to cut off his air supply, eventually forcing him to drown horribly. While Jinx herself was slowly drowning, she charged up what little energy was left, and released a wave of hex at the robot. The wave computed the robot's self-destruct sequence, and exploded into a marvelous bluish fire explosion.
The impaled sorceress produced a weak smile at her act of heroism, "Funny…If only there were 100 more robots maybe I can rack up enough points to get into the most magical place on Earth."
I-I-I-I-I-I
"Did she just…save me?" The man thought, brushing away the severed coils attached to his clothing. He has been swimming for about an hour now, and has been lucky to outsmart the three circular droids earlier by clever hiding spots, but the relief was short-lived as the bots resumed their chase. The young man started to get dizzy; the kinetic energy used to fuel his movements now gone, and with the two remaining attackers closing in, the probability of survival is slim.
"I can't die now! It is my fault in the first place to go here! Without me, I would put the entire place in danger!" He looked at the wrist communicator, and then hopelessly saw the droids dashing towards him, weapons raised for destruction.
Biting his lip from the unavoidable doom, he took one last moment at the astral reflex, knowing fully that he will never go back to see his friends, his family, his home, and more importantly, his Kris. His lungs started to fill with water; a signal that time was running out fast. It was too late for him, but he didn't care about that. Guilt began torturing him, as he knew without the astral reflex; the rebels would have no chance to gain freedom.
"What a way to go. I drown even when that falling woman used whatever the hell she used to help me earli…" His eyes amplified, realizing that there is still a chance to put a stop to the world's destruction. A coil ripped through the waters, ensnaring him in the throat tightly. He had little time for error, and had to act swiftly. With his hands still free, he programmed the hand armament correctly. Gritting as the strength gradually faded away, the man gripped the amulet, and pulled it out painfully. Blood seeped out his wrists like red mini clouds, but the stinging was the least of his problems. Another droid followed the other's actions and constricted his arms. Withstanding the coils grabbing his arms, the man palmed the glowing blue amulet, "Damn better hurry, Telepathy, do your work!"
I-I-I-I-I-I
It was only a matter of time now; she couldn't feel the oxygen reach her breathing organs. As Jinx's body fell deeper, she felt her soul rise higher. It wouldn't be long now. She kept her eyes closed, listening to the graceful music notes in her mind.
"Hey you... hey."
Jinx raised her feline eyes, "I must be going crazy… I could have sworn that…"
The voice interrupted her thoughts, "You are not going crazy! Let me ask you something: Do you want to live?"
Jinx's heart would have jumped out of her chest if it had the chance, "Are…Are…you god?"
"Me? No, just answer the damn question! If I can give you another chance at life would you take it?"
Her mind replayed Raven's attack. It reminisced on the Titan's eyes, the smug, satisfied look on that woman's face for ruthlessly injuring her, "Though it is hopeless, why not? Of course I would!"
"Good, just reach out your hand and I'll do the rest."
"Who are you? Why are you talking to me?"
"I owe you back for destroying that robot back there."
Jinx gasped, "You are the person who was being chased?"
"Yeah, cut the chatter, I don't have much time to live, and I know you don't have much left either. So raise your palm out."
Silently, Jinx hoped that this mystery person is telling the truth. She is not normally a religious person, but hell, after being stabbed by a steel rod and thrown into the depths of the deep; she basically made up five months of church mass prayers in a span of 2 minutes.
Jinx did what was instructed, "I am ready, but I don't think my lungs could work any longer."
The voice reassured her, "Hold on. Now listen to me, make sure the blue light hits your hand. I'll be honest with you, your wrist is going to hurt like a bitch, but it's brief. The second you see a green light, click the button on the left side. Okay? Get ready here it goes!"
Jinx keep her palm raised, trying to fight off the drowsiness overcoming her senses.She stared up in the eternal void, no light in sight to drop down from the heavens. She started to retract her palm back, when out of no where, a blue flash appeared, getting bigger and brighter in Jinx's eyes. She stuck out her hand with the greatest extent, the azure energy growing blinding, until sight was too painful to do.
The light crashed into Jinx's hand; the girl had no clue what was going on, she didn't know whether to be celebrating or worried. After the light made contact, the girl didn't do any of these actions, she instead screamed out in distress, as her hand felt a sensation never felt before. The feeling was compared to a branding iron buried beyond the skin, scorching through the muscle tissue and eroding the bone.
Jinx held her damaged wrist tightly until the tormenting feeling turned dull. She had to act quickly because at that moment she started to suffocate; the poor woman saw a green aura emitting from her wrist amulet.
"Let's see if this person tells the truth." Jinx thought, as she pushed the button on the left side. Suddenly, she saw the green light illuminating her surroundings, revealing the sea creatures, the lands and the plants present in the ocean. Still overwhelmed by the sight, Jinx was only conscious for a second as the light burst out conically like an explosion, engulfing the girl and the land with millions and millions of emerald particles.
I-I-I-I-I-I
The man no longer struggled against the tentacles; his arms lost feeling a while back, and his eyes began to lose focus. He was going to drown, but despite the tragedy waiting to happen, he cracked a huge smile. A green light ascended from below and it covered both him and the robots. The robots imploded as it passed by and shot out into the universe. A second later, the water murdered the man; his body floated lifelessly to the surface.
I-I-I-I-I-I
"I don't about this Jinx; the Titans are not weak like last time."
The slim, pale skinned woman grabbed a portion of her hair and styled it using the head bands. Mimicking the same method for the other portion, she beamed at her unique hair style. She spun around like a ballerina, turning back to the gigantic individual, "Don't worry Mammoth. With me on your side, the Teen Titans don't have a chance. We will be reinstated in the HIVE before you know it!"
FLASH
Raven's eyes flashed red, "By the way Jinxie, its Quote the Raven: Nevermore!"
She had the still-impaled staff under her control again, and with one twirl of the fingers, sent the staff (and the girl stuck to it) rocketing off the roof, flying towards the dark ocean waters.
Jinx tried to charge a hex wave to help pull out the staff, but the descending speed was too fast, and quickly crashed into the water. The girl shouted in agony underwater; she almost felt her bones shattering like a mirror, unable to comprehend the thought that she was going to die.
FLASH
Jinx's blood spurted out like a broken facet as Robin's staff embedded itself into the ribcage.
FLASH
The pain was unbearable; the body reacted instantly and tried to save itself using its natural mechanisms. Pain was something Jinx praised; it was sign that she was still alive.
FLASH
Jinx kneeled on the floor, the gaping hole in her chest affecting her movement significantly. She lifted her head straight into the crimson eyes of her strongest adversary. Raven laughed at the pathetic mage, and began increasing her height until she was about 30 feet tall; the tendrils of darkness sprouting out under the blue, cold cloak.
Jinx's expression turned menacing, and tried to run after the gothic witch, but stopped noticing her closest team mates were withering in Raven's grasp.
"Please, let them go…" Jinx whimpered; turning away slightly from Gizmo's and Mammoth's choking forms.
Raven let out a laugh, "You fool. You were never strong in the first place. I'll let them go when you can stand a chance against me, or if you proclaim yourself as nothing."
Jinx's eyes filled with tears, "I… I am nothing! There are you happy, now let them go!"
"Repeat after me: I am a waste of oxygen. I deserve no existence. I only serve you, mistress Raven. "
"I…I am a waste of oxygen. I deserve no existence. I… I… I only serve you, mistress Raven. "
Raven laughed at the girl's words, "Good girl. Since you are mine now, you don't need your friends."
Two sources of screams emitted from Gizmo and Mammoth, the sound excruciating to the poor hex girl's ears. She pleaded to stop, but all was drowned out by her friends' yells.
SNAP!
Raven let the lifeless vessels fall to the ground. Jinx lost her ability to breathe; she stared in disbelief at what happened. After letting her tears splash on the black floor, she grabbed her head and produced an earth shattering scream.
The cloaked girl smirked, "I like how you sound when you are in pain. It feels so ecstatic. You shall feel it for an eternity." She started to tower of the cowering Jinx, letting the darkness devour the girl…
"AHHHHHHH!" The girl sprung upright, her long pink hair swaying by itself. The girl's forehead was saturated in sweat, as she attempted to regain back her breathing. "It's only a dream. What the hell was that about! That was wrong on so many levels!" Jinx said but stopped to look at her surroundings. She was in a bed, suffering from a major headache and a weak pain coming from her wrist.
She looked at her right arm and saw the amulet attached firmly onto her skin. The circular object had a black screen with the numbers 9999.99 on corner. She laid there confuse for a second, until the past memories quickly knocked down the door of uncertainty, "I was in the water… with that guy. This must be the amulet he threw at me! My wound! My chest wound!"
Jinx quickly threw off her blanket, and looked down at her grayish white chest to see a wide scar where the staff was lodged. She touched the spot, unable to understand how or what happened, "I…I am alive?" She shed tears; tears of appreciation, sobs of happiness, and finally, a whisper of "thank you" to the young man who promised her life.
She observed the room and found everything to be built in wood; surprisingly no technology was present like a television or a radio station. Jinx wondered to herself, "Okay, this is definitely not like the usual Jump City house." The room was decorated by flowers, tropical fruits and trophies of big fish. There was a window with a push up blinds, the sounds of chirping birds scattering around the roof. Jinx got off the bed, and proceeded to walk down the stairs, strangely feeling an unusual tingling on her body.
She put a hand over her leg and instantly blushed like a ripe tomato, "Oh my, I have no clothes. I almost walked in public naked, great first impression Jinx." She surveyed the place, but couldn't find her traditional blue and black jumper anywhere.
Trying to cover her nudity, the girl found some garments next to the bed. She picked up the clothing, and blushed that among some of the articles included intimate ones "If these fit perfectly, I am going to be very angry if the supplier is a man."
After finished dressing, Jinx studied her handiwork thanks to a large mirror in one of the corners. She didn't like the colors, but it's better than running around in her birthday suit. Jinx wore a strapless black top with a bright purple skirt. The skirt was long, flowing and covered her ankles. She twirled her fingers through her hair, and expressed a frown on how her pink hair suffered from gravity.
Jinx couldn't find a jar of gel or hairspray anywhere, so she had to settle with long hair. "At least I can make it straight" she muttered, grabbing a brush and straightening out the bangs until it was at competent. She threw her hair back, watching the pink strands stop at back length. The sorceress did her traditional whirl, with her hair flapping on its own, leaving the girl seeing light pink. "Argh, I hate long hair!" she yelled out, re-fixing the pink locks, and made her way down the stairs.
Jinx's stomach knotted; She is about to face reality. It was bad enough that she has no idea where she landed, but what was more disheartening was how the people will react to her. Even if the assumptions that this city is near a beach (hypothesizing that way the house is set up), there is still the chance, a very slim probability that Jinx landed into an alternate universe where the sulfuric fiery gaps of hell are outside this very house!
Jinx sighed at her idiotic thoughts, "Well, it could happen. Ah whatever."
The room downstairs was deserted; the only inhabitants were the shadows that entered with the help of the leaking sunrays. The gray-skinned female walked down slowly, admiring the different fixtures in the room. It looked like a lair or sort of a wizard. There were the mysterious jars pushed in the cabinet, the wind chimes hanging in the doorway to another room, and a big carpet containing an exquisite constricting serpent symbol in the middle. The girl's heart began to beat at an irregular pace, because it looks like theory two is becoming true. Jinx stepped in front of the door, tugging at her purple skirt, and looking at her black top. She hesitated for a few minutes before opening the door to a new beginning.
I-I-I-I-I-I
The moment she stepped outside, her senses were penetrated by the unique combination of cool breeze and radiant sunlight. She opened her mouth in awe at the environment itself: there was lush green vegetation cradled by the bluest sky that would be considered a clone of the ocean. Jinx stepped off the porch and walked around the small village, observing every inch of the island.
"Paradise?" she questioned to herself, looking at the atmosphere this "mystery" place. It was considered too perfect by her standards: A crowd of smiling people, a large faction of little children laughing and playing without a care in the world, and the sight of young teenagers gossiping near the beach relaxing endlessly. Also add in the beautiful tropic trees and amazingly comfortable weather in the equation, one could consider this as paradise.
The long pink haired lady continued her little own private tour around the place, when suddenly her arm was being pulled. The pressure applied to her arm was aggressive, one used by criminals for mugging purposes. Jinx turned around against her will and on instinct, retracted her free arm and did an elbow strike to the person's temple. The girl's exposed grey arm was blocked, and the intruder ducked down, sweeping her off the ground with his right leg.
Jinx's skull rattled lightly, staring up at the most beautiful crimson eyes she has ever seen. The medium built male glared back, towering over her seriously. The wind danced with his long black locks that made it move in various directions. She thought that he was involved in martial arts by the long loose black pants, and the matching gi he wore. Jinx kept her sights at the man, fascinated but at the same time wondering whether did guy was going to kill her for just walking around.
She was about to speak but was beat to the punch, "What are you doing here?"
"I woke up and decided to take a walk outside. Is there something wrong with it?"
Standing at full height, it is obvious that this man was a little taller than Jinx, which slightly made her nervous.
He scoffed, "Look you, I don't know where you came from, but remember that I am watching you."
Jinx replied, "I am from Jump City! Where is this place anyway, Hawaii?"
"I see that you are trying to confuse me with places that don't exist huh? Admit it, you were the one who killed Abel and stole his astral reflex teleporter!" he screamed pointing at the trinket on Jinx's wrist.
Sure she was confused, but being considered guilty without stating facts sent her temper soaring, "WHAT?! For your information, I was given this by…"
"AHHHH!" A screamed broke the argument of both individuals. The gate was forced open, revealing a hulking mutated Rhino-looking beast barreling inside trampling several villagers. The men grabbed their arms, which consisted of most melee weapons and simple pistols, which unfortunately did little effect to stop the beast from continuing its murderous rampage.
The stranger male next to her sprung into action, "Damn! Another wild Armodrone! These animals! Stay here!"
Jinx ignored the command and ran over to the man's direction, watching him execute a twirling flip in mid-air followed by a striking downward kick. The beast growled temporarily, suffering from a mixed series of straight kicks and flips from the red-eyed individual. The Armodrone stomped on the earth, producing a shockwave that put everyone off-balance. The martial artist rolled to the side as the animal trampled its way through. The villagers retreated to a safe spot, watching the rushing large mammal go back towards the beach.
"My child! My child!" a middle age woman wailed, pointing at the crying little 7 year old girl too afraid to move.
"Crap! I got to get there!" the long haired fighter gasped, but the distance was too far away.
The beast's feet caused the Earth to rumble ecstatically, its eyes set on the little crumpled form on the ground.
The mother started to run onto the field, attempting to prevent the child's unfortunate fate.
The little girl closed her eyes and screamed loudly, raising its hand forward, as if she tried to make it go away like the "boogie man."
The animal came closer, the tremors more fierce, and its jaws unhinged open, preparing to devour its quick snack.
A heart beat.
Suddenly, a purple figure did a face first baseball-style leaped across the beast's path; the little girl was swept off her tiny feet as the figure embraced her with a defensive roll.
The next sound in the air was defining silence.
Everyone was shocked; especially the martial artist who accused her earlier.
The slim woman stood defiantly as the beast turned around annoyed at the missed opportunity. Her pink jewelling cat irises reflected against the sun, creating an odd destructive aura to it. The wind blew its long shimmering light-pink locks to one direction, adding the dangerous element to the individual.
Jinx bent down smiling at the sobbing tiny form clenching at her dress, "Its okay, go over to your mommy. Hurry up so you can go back to playing your games again." The adorable child silently nodded at the grey skinned girl, and then ran off to enter her mother's inviting arms.
Jinx's heart melted from the Kodak moment, which was regrettably cut short from the Armodrone running its path towards the light-cherry haired girl. Everyone in the village started to grab their weapons, warning the girl to seek shelter immediately. The beast's odor grew stronger as it made its way nearer Jinx, who merely raised a glowing pink palm, releasing the waves like a shotgun shell, "I command you to STOP this instance!"
The waves impacted at the Armodrone's legs, delaying the kinetic energy for a moment, causing one of the legs to trip onto the other. The surprised animal smacked his face hard on the ground; stars flying around its head from the definite impact. Jinx dashed forward, leaping high into the air with her leg right lifted high. She blushed for a moment, realizing that the updraft caused her skirt to lift up but there were more important matters right now. When she reached the apex of her jump, she rotated her hip a bit, and with a little help from gravity, executed a straight kick that stung the beast in the eye.
As Jinx landed, she took advantage at the animal's recovery, jumping on top of its head, flawlessly performing a front-flip, landing on the other side. She didn't waste a single second, running to the sandy shore with all her energy.
She didn't even have to turn around to know that the Armodrone was following her, she could tell by the ground tremors, "I almost didn't get to pull that off. Stupid skirt."
When she felt her feet being molded by the ground, Jinx swiftly confronted the charging killing machine, launching sand in every angle. She bent down and placed her palm directly on the sand; a shockwave of pink rippled out to the beast. Suddenly, a furious gale made its way to the beach, causing a large whirl wind to trap the animal in place, shooting its delicate eyes with the shore's sharp little grains. The beast was so overwhelmed by the small sand tornado that it laid down on the ground, covering its face with its two front legs.
After the tornado disappeared, the beast felt both embarrassed and irritated. It let out a piercing war scream, its eyes locked onto the beaming slender girl standing in the ocean bank. Jinx charged up another serving of hex energy, talking loudly to herself, "Ah you got all dirty! Allow me to help you wash up!" The mage swiped her hand toward the horizon and immediately ran out of the way. The beast's growling ceased upon seeing the ocean producing its own war cry, its waves rising more than 30 feet in the air. Armodrone's animal instincts told it to run, but it wouldn't run far, for the waves applied its Thor Hammer strength on it, instantly snapping the skeletal structure like twigs. After the giant wave fell down (which didn't hurt the village), all that was left of the beast is a lifeless form with dislocated limbs.
Jinx walked out to the light, finding the entire villagers staring directly at her. She shyly looked away from the uncomfortable looks, and began to retreat slowly.
CLAP CLAP CLAP
The group's eyes turned to the sound, finding a white cloaked elder woman applauding Jinx's show. Gradually, she made her way to the standing young hex princess, until she was within talking distance.
The strange woman waved away the others, and they obeyed the rule resuming their own business.
The man Jinx met earlier quietly dragged the dead carcass of the beast back into the marketplace.
Jinx studied the cloaked woman and predicted that she was about 80 years old. She smiled with gray eyes that shown hints of wisdom throughout her youth. However, Jinx couldn't help but shiver at the woman's weird cloak get-up was similar to Raven's.
The woman was first to speak, "I see that you are fully recovered. I was afraid you didn't make it from your serious wounds."
"Are you the one who healed me?"
The elder nodded, "Yes. I am also the one who gave you those clothes. My name is Teresa. I am sorry that I couldn't get your normal clothes back, they were in shambles when we found you onto the beach."
Jinx blushed at the fact there were more than one person who participated in the rescue, "We? As in more than one?"
"Haha yes. In fact, it was Shoma who carried you to my place for healing."
The girl's face morphed into 10 different shades of red at the thought a man carried her naked body to the house. What the woman said next just created a whole new meaning of blush, "Yes, you seemed to have met him earlier. He is the long haired 17 year-old who accidentally attacked you earlier."
Jinx's heart stopped; she almost died from embarrassment. Her face changed contrast from light red to the darkest red compared to an apple. She clenched her fists together, and calmly changed the subject, "Funny. Anyway, I humbly thank you for everything you have done for me. I am sorry Abel is dead; I heard that he was from this village. But assure you that I give my eternal thanks to him and you forever."
The elder woman smiled, "Yes, I know Abel is gone. He was such a good young man. But if he gave you the astral reflex, then you must have been one special girl."
Jinx accepted the compliment, and then looked at the circular object still attached to her wrist. She tried to give it a pull but it sent a wide range of painful receptors that caused her to shout.
Teresa looked utterly confused at what was happening, "What are you trying to do child?"
"I am trying to give this back to you. I know this is Abel's and you would probably want it back as a memento."
Teresa giggled, "But you need that amulet. Aren't you going to live here with us?"
Jinx politely replied, "I appreciate the offer but I have a home already. It is in Jump City at the HI… academy. If you could point me at the right direction or maybe an airport, I will be on my way."
Teresa let out a hearty laugh which put a questioning look on Jinx's face, "Jump City? Young child, those ruins haven't existed for a long time."
Her words made Jinx's mouth fall off, "Wait… What do you mean?"
"Didn't Abel tell you the warp date before you activated it?"
Jinx meekly shook her head.
It was now Teresa's turn to turn red, "Child, this is the year 2154. It is 50 years since the mainland war."
The lungs of the slender sorceress suddenly expired of oxygen. She remained fixated on the sand; her legs no longer have the strength to keep her standing. Jinx's eyes brimmed with tears, still astonished at the informational bombshell dropped upon her, "I am…I... did she just say 150 years… in the future?"
Preview of the next chapter:
Jinx shouted, "What do you mean I can't go back into my time? What do you mean I DON'T EXIST? How can there be a world without a Hot Topic? AHHHH! I was expecting floating cars, food pills, and green zeroes and ones by now. Not a society straight out of Gilligan's Island."
Everyone in the room just stared as if her brain was sucked out of her ears.
Shoma couldn't help but whisper in Teresa's ear, "So this is our savior?"
"Yes she is Shoma."
"Then I better go train. When I die and see Abel in the afterlife, I can kick his ass for causing the world to end."
Author's note: Constructive Criticism is accepted. Please review if you want to.