Normally, I'm all about plot and action, and drama/romance later. Then I wrote a Teen Titans fic. This is a character driven story I guess... It is also a Yuri fic, which means that a couple-like relationship will develop between two females. Don't like? Then don't waste your time reading it. Flames get you-know-where fast with me. Criticism is welcome! Don't hold back.
(A.N.) Sorry if the format has been messed up for the past couple chapters. With my Firefox web browser the 'breaks' I put between scenes are removed, but with internet explorer they remain. I have no idea why.
And thanks for all the reviews! I really do appreciate 'em.
Chapter Four
"It's Gizmo and Mammoth," Raven said in a marked manner. With this statement proven true by the screens that showed Jump City, all turned their curious eyes toward Jinx. The pink haired girl only smiled as if they were talking about candy.
"Are you ok with this?" Robin had to know. They were about to engage her former friends in combat.
"I told you already, I rarely get attached to people," Jinx lauded. While the other Titans digested this, Raven held a leery gaze on Jinx.
"If it's so easy for you to drop a group I wonder what you have planed for us," Raven voiced her opinion.
"Hey, I said 'rarely,' not never. You guys are one of my few exceptions," Jinx proclaimed happily.
"That works for me!" Cyborg said – an attempt to keep the conversation somewhat warm.
"We should be so lucky-" Raven started.
"All right," Robin cut her off, "Let's get down there."
"Titans, GO!" Robin ordered his super powered friends on the battlefield of rooftops. Mammoth and Gizmo were fleeing the scene of a science convention; stolen goods tucked under Gizmo's little arm.
"Crud! They got here faster than I thought," Gizmo complained.
"Pleasure to disappoint you." Robin replied.
"Well if it isn't miss Benidick Arnold!" Gizmo snarled at Jinx, "Brother Blood has been irate since you left."
"Well, if that's how it is, don't expect me-" Jinx began, summoning her power, her eyes began to flare pink.
"JINX! NOW!" Gizmo shouted at her. All the Titans turned their attention the latest addition to their roster only to find her in a similarly confused state.
"Made 'ya look losers!" Gizmo laughed, throwing a new and improved flash light bomb at their feet. The world went blindingly white for each of the Titans. When colors and shapes finally did return, they found no trace of Gizmo or Mammoth.
"Unbelievable and unacceptable," Robin fumed an hour later. The teens were still atop the roof and with out a clue as to what Gizmo might be up too or where he went.
"Simple yet effective," Raven added.
"Can we go now?" Jinx whined, "My eyes hurt from looking at nuth'n,"
"I don't think we're going to find anything y'all," Cybord stated. Raven settled for glaring at Jinx. Or she seemed to be. As her expression was usually dry as sand it was hard to be certain.
"What?" Jinx felt defensive. "It's not my fault I'm nice to look at."
"Oh!" Cybord exasperated, slapping his head, "You're starting to sound as bad as Beast Boy." He and Jinx then giggled like children.
"Dude? What's that suppose to mean?" the changeling demanded.
Raven was glaring for sure now. A gust of wind caused her cape to wave in the air for a second. The sky was cloud impaired and everything under the sun was victim to its full power. Anything white or pale was bright and almost harmful to the eyes. Especially after a scientific technology wizard blinded you with a flash grenade.
"Come on Raven!" Jinx said bolding marching up to the dark sorceress. "Why don't you just cuss me out or something? It'd be funny as hell!" the others looked on with worry as the distance between her and Raven vanished.
"Do NOT make light of my concern about your convictions!" Raven roared suddenly and her black energy frizzled like electricity all over her body. There wasn't a sane creature in range that wasn't scared out of their wits now.
Jinx held a momentarily stunned expression, and then recovered. Finally after letting the girl that caused her to join the Titans in the first place have treat her like less then half a person for so long, she fought back.
"You wouldn't have to be concerned if you'd just trust me!" she fired back. She immediately felt bad after saying that but she didn't know why.
"You have to earn my trust," Raven rang back in a serious but low tone.
"I've been with on your team for a month!" Jinx yelled, throwing her arms in the air. It felt great to let Raven have it, but equally horrible at the same time. Did that make sense? Was it fair? Should she let Raven treat her so negatively and not say a word? She had already been doing that. She was now in a fierce glaring match with Raven. Crazy! She never wanted this!
Just before Robin finally came between them. Jinx felt something rolling towards the tip of her tongue. It was apology. She wasn't use to uttering such things and hesitated.
"I think that's enough," Robin warned them.
'I think I really screwed up today,' Jinx's thoughts began to whirl like empty soda cans trapped in a tornado.
She knew it was coming. The only thing that surprised her was that it hadn't come sooner.
"Raven? Can we talk?" Robin's voice reached her ears the moment she stepped outside her room.
It had been exactly three hours since her altercation with Jinx. When the team returned home, both combatants fled to their rooms.
"I don't trust her," Raven said, ready and willing to plunge headfirst into the matter.
"It has been four weeks," Robin pointed out.
"Shouldn't have been even that long," Raven said, crossing her arms.
"I know you mean well, but we have to take risks sometimes Raven. If we never give our enemies a chance to give up their line of work, or ever go away, how do you expect to get rid of them?" Robin asked her critically.
"Better locks," Raven said flatly.
"Even if they did stay behind bars, there's always someone else who just can't wait to take their place," Robin explained. Raven didn't respond to this.
"We've got to do everything to discourage follow ups and copy cats. Showing them they can do other things with their powers is one way."
Raven motioned to say something but he continued, "And maybe she will betray us. Maybe pull something worse then Tera did. It's admirable that you're concerned. No one faults you for that, but we can handle her if worse comes to worse Raven."
Raven was silent for several long seconds.
"All right..." she gave in, lowering her hooded head. "But if she raises my suspicion once more, I will be the first in line to take her out."
Robin smirked and said, "You won't have to."
"I screwed up, huh, boss?" Jinx pouted, pulling her knees to her chin as she sat on the bottom bunk. Robin stood in the doorframe of her room. She had time to think about her actions and came to the conclusion that she was probably in the wrong this time, like many other times in her life before the Titans.
"Hmm ... No. Not really. I can see you want to earn her respect in your own way, but just take it easy, ok? Getting into a sparring match with her will just give you both a trip to the hospital."
"More like me in a coffin and her in a recliner," Jinx mumbled.
"I don't like the sound of either scenario," Robin told her. She looked up at him quizzically. This "touchy, feely, there for each other crap" wasn't anything she had much experience with. So far, it wasn't as bad as she imaged. At least they weren't hugging or nothing and she had to admit, she was relieved he wasn't too upset with her. She really did want Raven's respect.
'So now I have name for what's wrong with me?' Jinx thought liking this word 'respect.' Could she really narrow her feelings down to just respect? So far it was easier than admitting she had feelings for another girl, even if this wasn't the first time. 'I'm a repeat offender and a...a...'
"Just be patient. I know she'll come around," Robin said and departed.
Jinx watched him for a moment then called to him, "Thanks boss!" Robin paused and tried to beat back the smirk and remain indifferent to the title she insisted on using. Glad she couldn't see his face, he nodded and walked out. Her giggling told him he had failed.
'Hmm...' Jinx thought. Could she really can her obsession and call it respect? 'Stupid! What does a criminal need with respect? I came here because I respect the way she always kicks my $$ and throws me in jail,' Jinx thought lying on her side. 'Yeah, right. That still doesn't explain her always being on my mind. I'm a whatch ma' call it!' she cried pulling her pillow over her head.
Starfire was reminded of a flamingo as she watched Jinx perform her stretches. The light of the brand new day framed her as she stood before the large glass wall in the middle of the room. Jinx stood with the bottom of one foot facing the ceiling, the other was flat on the ground. She was doing the splits standing up. With a hop she effortlessly traded one for the other. She then turned on the ball of her grounded foot until she faced the back of the room; she brought it down her raised leg in a swift kick that passed her sedentary foot. It came to rest pointing at the TV in the front of the room. The girl herself now too was the shape of the tower she lived in.
"What's up Starfire?" Jinx asked the Tamaranion who had been silently observing her for a full three minutes.
Starfire grinned from ear to ear, seeming from simply hearing her name. Sweet was defiantly the best word in Jinx's vocabulary to describe the alien. Sweet to the point that Jinx was surprised the girl didn't make herself sick. Jinx was amazed she got along so well with this often times naive, peppy and credulous girl. She was sure she wouldn't if they where in a more natural environment. Say, normal teenagers attending public school. She imaged she be too negative to get along with "girly-girls" and pick on her peers to pass the time and probably cover her own insecurities. Hey, that was what she used to do and it wasn't that long ago!
'Man I feel old. I wonder if I'm losing my edge. I'm all tame here and crap...like a spayed kitty,' Jinx reflected.
"Beast Boy, Robin, and I will be journeying to the mall-of-many-markets and wondered if you would like to come," Starfire said, a flawless smile still pasted to her orange face.
"Um...That's ok. I already went there with Cyborg yesterday, and two other times this week," Jinx said, sounding uninterested. Besides, she had no money. Nearly her entire cut of the Titans allowance, given to them by the city, went back to the city to repair damage she had done during her criminal days.
"Very well. Perhaps latter you and I can perform braiding maneuvers on each other hair again?" Starfire suggested.
"If you want," Jinx said, now more interested in the universal remote on the coffee table. Starfire grinned pertly as Jinx reached for the remote and used it to navigate through the sixty CDs stored in the large stereo system hooked up to the big screen TV. A couple of hers were in there somewhere.
"We shall see you 'later dayz' as Beast boy would say!" Starfire said, and then left. Jinx thought to correct but didn't.
"The hell with English grammar," Jinx snickered, "Starfire's got the right idea."
It took her a couple minutes, but finally Jinx had one of her own CD's, filling the living area with heavy guitar rifts and strained vocals. As she turned to go back to her stretching near the window she bumped into a solid figure that wasn't there a minute ago.
"Ah!" She yelped. Her
heart didn't slow down much when she realized it was Raven. Raven
said something, but Jinx couldn't hear her over her own music. When
both realized this Jinx grinned impishly. Raven growled and lowered
the volume until the room was
silent again.
"Music should be relaxing and have few if any words," Raven said dryly.
"What if someone doesn't want to relax?" Jinx quizzed.
"They should live alone on a deserted island," Raven said more to herself still looking at the stereo. Jinx studied the girl before her for a moment. This sounded more like a realization on Raven's part.
"Orrrrrrrr... you could just kill everyone and make everything quite here," Jinx suggested. Raven looked at her, expression as plain as paper. Then, astonishingly, a smirk developed. The eerie sight caused Jinx to blink several times.
"So...you want something?" Jinx asked, unconsciously playing with her fingers. Raven turned her piercing blue eyes to look into Jinx's usually hard pink ones. They were soft and fleety now. The ex-criminal flinched and stepped back. "W-what is it?"
"Nothing," Raven said, "I just wanted to see something."
"Oh," Jinx said flatly, sounding a little disappointed that Raven's interest died away so easily.
Raven couldn't make sense of her. All she had to go on was her logical belief that villains never truly reformed, but here was one standing in her living room threatening to replace Beast Boy as the most annoying person on the team. She had ample time to pull something and yet, she had not. She had no passion for her work, not the kind of passion she thought a hero should have, but she still did as she was told. Every time. It didn't add up and yet...Maybe Robin was right. At least if she let her guard down she wouldn't go paranoid with the waiting.
"You are an anomaly," Raven said as she drifted back over to the couch. Feeling the weight of her intentions fall from her shoulders like cement bricks. She felt somewhat relaxed already. It even showed as she flopped down on the "U" shaped couch.
"I am? Um. Thanks..." Jinx said, revealing she either didn't know the meaning of the word, what Raven meant by it, or both.
Raven's gaze fell on her again. She didn't really understand her, but come to think of it, she didn't really understand Beast Boy and his zany obsessions. Thinking hard on it, she didn't understand most of her friends to some degree in one way or another. What's one more?
Jinx was bewildered by Raven's drastic change in nature. She just stood there not knowing exactly what to do. Finally she decided to make conversation and see what happened.
"I think there's an song on here with no singing," Jinx said pointing at the oversized stereo system with the remote, "Wanna here it?"
"Sure. But I probably won't like it and tune it out," Raven warned her. It was an instrumental and did have words, but they weren't sung, they were spoken. The voice sounded like a narrator from an old black and white movie which suited the title "Vampires" well.
"Few creatures of the night have captured our imagination like vampires. What explains our enduring fascination with vampires?"
"I don't like vampires," Raven revealed, "They're overdone," She paused as the voice continued. Jinx had to agree but didn't want to risk sounding like a groupie by agreeing with everything Raven said.
"What is it about the vampire myth that explains our interest? Is it the overtones of sexual lust? Power? Control? Or is our fascination with the immortality of the undead? What dark and hidden parts of our psyche are aroused and captivated by legends of the undead...The legends...of the undead."
"Hmm." Raven made the sound as if about to chuckle, she didn't.
"The mystery of the undead will continue to fascinate the living."
The song was nothing but drums and guitar rifts and the occasionally the narrator would repeat himself. Finally it ended. Jinx was silent then just standing there in deep thought.
"What's wrong with you?" Raven asked her, "Besides the obvious?"
"Obvious?" Jinx began to whine, knowing that was a joke, but then felt her confusion become paramount. "Just wondering when you took me off your hit list..." she trailed off not knowing how else to put it...She had a winsome voice that went with her winsome face, but was never really a winsome person.
"About ten minutes ago," Raven told her, un-phased by Jinx's parlance.
"Robin and I had a talk," She said in a finite tone, as if that was all she needed to say, and this was Raven, so that probably was all she need to say.
"Oh," Jinx said trying the gauge the merit of this "talk." Robin was the leader and there for the lucky guy who had to keep the team together.
"So Robin said you have to like me or he'll kick you off the team?" Jinx rationalized. Raven face showed a slightly irritated expression, but not nearly as murderous as usual.
"Something along those lines," Raven stated, showing that she wouldn't let the volatile teen get to her as much anymore. Jinx would have to work harder from now on to get Raven's goat.
Jinx felt elated inside. This was really looking up. The ice queen was melting a little! Now what?
"Great. Let's shake on this," Jinx said extending her hand to Raven.
"Why?" Raven asked looking at the hand that was nearly as pale as her own skin. She could only see the back of it.
Jinx frowned, but was feeling to good to feel upset.
"Aw! You found me out," Jinx said turning over her hand. A gag electric ring was displayed. "Love the classics."
"Don't try anything like that again," Raven warned her.
"I thought you just said we were friends," Jinx said crossing her arms. Inside she could hardly believe she got to say these sort of things.
"If you want it to stay that way don't bring me to the point where I have to kill you," Raven said raising her hood till it's shadow covered most of her face, standing and leaving.
When Raven left, Jinx did a cartwheel to the TV and stereo system and turned it up full volume.
I don't own the song 'Vampires'. That belongs to Godsmack.
