N/M Shin: Wow... (Stares at reviews) so...I guess ya'll aren't mad at me after all... hmm.

Jax: You've got some pretty great reviewers, N/M Shin...

N/M Shin: Yeah, I guess I do... (Bites into her subway sandwich)

Jax: What are you doing?

N/M Shin: Eatin' lunch (Chews loudly)

Jax: No, I mean you're supposed to put something in the parentheses like 'smiles' or 'hugs her reviewers' or something to show that you appreciate how your reviewers were glad that you're back instead of ready to kill you for not updating like you originally thought.

N/M Shin: (Takes another bite) You talk too much.

Zeph: Yeah Jax, (Bites into his Subway sandwich) lighten up.

Jax: (Looks from N/M shin to Zephyr) Did you get me a sub?

Zeph: (Sips his slushy) Nope.

Jax: Well why the hell not?

N/M Shin: You told us you already ate. We have no idea what you ate, but you said you already did. (Chews more softly)

Jax: (Grumbles)

N/M Shin: Anyway, we're back with a brand new chapter, and a new loyal reviewer! (Slurps her Dr. Pepper) This author's note goes out to Death Jester, who heroically braved reading every chapter of this story in one sitting! And reviewed every single one!

Zeph: Hurrah... (Unenthusiastic)

N/M Shin: For you, Death Jester, I have assembled a traditional Tameranean throknar, the crown of meat!

Jax: No you didn't.

N/M Shin: But I made it this-

Jax: No you didn't.

N/M Shin: Did you eat the-

Jax: No you didn't.

N/M Shin: You ate the-

Jax: Yeah.

Zeph: I can't believe you ate the throknar! You pig! (Takes a huge bite out of his sub)

N/M Shin: Oh well, Death Jester you can just have the sub we got for Jax. (Hands Death Jester a sub)

Jax: Hey!

XXXXXXXX-Jax hates all of you-XXXXXXX

"Fresh what?" Wildfire gave an incredulous look and raised an eyebrow.

"Fresh blood, probably an injured animal." Hannah licked her lips involuntarily. Darren laid a hand her shoulder, squeezing lightly.

Calm down.

I'm fine.

I'm just sayin', animals and demons are a dangerous combination.

She gently brushed his hand off. ...Thanks.

Darren sniffed again, his demon senses catching something the others couldn't sense. "I smell something else too... like...magic."

Connie walked closer to him. "You can smell magic?"

"So we have blood and we have magic," Starfire brought a finger to her chin. "A ritual perhaps?"

"Or a bleeding magician." Raven suggested.

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Jinx!"

"You're supposed to say that when you and someone else say something at the same time!" Wildfire gave a look like it was the dumbest thing ever said.

Raven put a hand to her face and shook her head. "Connie, Jinx is a woman." Star explained. "A very bad woman, if I remember correctly."

"No, she's been with Cy this whole time! She's on our side, and she was with Rob and Cy the last time I saw her!" Beast Boy defended the spellcaster.

"Finally, something we can go on," Artemis was going to change into a wolf, but decided against the predator and instead chose a horse, "C'mon, that bloods coming from somebody who needs it, and they aren't getting any back while we stand here."

The green changeling bowed. "You lead the way, oh son-of-mine."

Darren gulped. If the blood got Hannah riled up, what'll it do to Hellion? What'll Hellion do to everyone else? A bleeding woman, even in human form that excites me. Wait, what? This demon thing is getting way out of hand. He shuddered involuntarily

"C'mon kid, do that demon thing you do!" Beast Boy gave a fierce look and held his hands above his head to look like horns.

"Darren, are you okay?" He jolted when Connie's hand touched his shoulder.

It took a moment for his heart to stop pounding. "Yeah, I guess I'm just..."

"I'll bet the transformation wears him out," Hannah, who was human again, gave her brother a knowing glance, "why don't you lead, Dad."

Beast Boy shrugged. "Fine with me. Let's go team!" He turned into a husky and bounded away towards the scent.

The girls took to the sky. Hannah turned into a horse again and Darren scrambled onto her back.

Good choice.

What?

The horse, it was a good choice.

Oh, yeah, the herbivore.

...Thanks back there, I just...

I know. Now we're even.

...Should we be worried?

I'm...not sure...

XXXXXXX-Actually, Jax doesn't hate Maggles-XXXXXXX

The edges of Jinx's vision began fading to black. She was lying on the hard, cold ground, deciding it was useless to try and stand. Jinx had been walking in circles for hours, bleeding profusely the entire time; she had lost too much blood not to die.

Jinx was on her stomach, her hands at her sides. She had her face turned to her left, opposite the pile of rubble that she had previously run into. Her thoughts started becoming vague, not as much words as they were feelings. Guilt, she knew that was one of them. Desperation, that was why tears streamed down her face, she was definitely feeling that.

She wasn't feeling pain as much as she had before. This thought was pleasing, but paled in comparison to her other feelings. They were like a black ocean, thick and desolate, the bottom an abyss that she couldn't see or feel. She stood in the middle of the ocean, treading water and bracing herself every time a wave came. The feelings did come like waves, and even though they faded after awhile, the knowledge that they would come back always haunted her.

So there she lay, waiting to die.

Ch-ch-chack, ch-ch-chack, ch-ch-chack!

At first, Jinx thought the sound was her own fading heartbeat; but instead of fading out, the sound kept getting louder, nearer. She could hear voices, some familiar, some not. Those that did sound familiar, however, she couldn't place.

"I see someone!" an unfamiliar voice.

"Yeah, I see them too!" Somewhat familiar.

A green blur materialized into her sight, followed closely by a golden one.

Oh, great, there would be strangers watching her die. Why couldn't she just die in peace? Why wouldn't these feelings and strangers just let her fade away? Jinx had screwed her life beyond recognition; death seemed like a golden opportunity at the moment.

But if it was such a great opportunity, why hadn't her soul drifted away? Did she really want to die? Did she really believe that it was the only option? No, that was just the easy way out.

And since when had she taken the easy way out?

Cyborg, he was in trouble. It was all her fault and Jinx knew it, she had to do something. The easy way out wouldn't help Vic, if she wanted the guilt to pass, she would have to fix her mistake; but how?

She was dying.

The final line that separated the sorceress from a black abyss snapped, and she tumbled into darkness.

XXXXXX-He finds her war strategies intriguing-XXXXXX

"This is humiliating."

Robin growled as Mammoth and his pint-sized partner carried them off to where their employer was waiting. Robin dangled from Mammoth's caveman hands in a hog tied position. He had the Boy Wonder's wrists together in one hand and his ankles in the other, leaving Robin to dangle in front his abdomen facing the ground. His captor gave a deep laugh.

"It ain't exactly supposed to be your shining moment anyway, bird boy,"

"Yeah," Gizmo, now much taller, was walking beside his teammate. Cyborg was on a rolling cart of sorts, which was tethered to Gizmo's backpack. "At least you can twitch your legs or flail around a little." Gizmo was referring to the fact that Cyborg was unable to move. Said robot growled.

Mammoth laughed again. "Yeah, you can wet yourself too."

Gizmo erupted in laughter.

"Well, here's your stop." Mammoth dropped Robin unceremoniously on the hard stone floor, while Gizmo placed his robotic teammate on the ground next to him. Robin landed hard on his stomach, and thanked the gods that be he didn't bite his tongue off when his chin collided with the concrete. They were in a room of sorts with three gray walls; only one way out.

As soon as he could move Robin made a break for Mammoth, bird-a-rang drawn. The behemoth chuckled and pressed a button on the wall, causing a red wall of pulsating energy to close them off from their escape. Robin tried in vain to stop himself as he rammed into the wall. The second he touched it, liquid fire burned in his veins and he could feel his limbs going numb. He screamed out in surprise and pain until he fell back to the ground.

Robin laid there on his back for a few seconds, catching his breath and twitching a few times.

"Not the smartest bird in the flock, is he?"

Cyborg glared as they laughed all the way down the hallway and disappeared around a corner. Neither spoke until the duo's hateful voices had faded away and they were left in silence.

"Vic?" Robin was still breathing heavily.

"Yeah man?"

"Don't touch that wall."

XXXXXX-He seems to forget that she kicked his ass-XXXXXX

Ugh, my head, it feels so...heavy...

What's that smell? Is that...Yeah, I think it is...

Cinnamon?

"I think she's coming to."

Jinx's eyes fluttered open to see the face of a young girl looking down at her. The girl's blonde hair teased at the sides of her face, too short to hang much lower. Jinx realized that her head was resting in the girl's lap, and sat up slowly. She moaned, rubbing her eyes with her thumb and forefinger.

"Are you alright? What happened?" The girl didn't look as concerned as she sounded.

Jinx was still a bit disoriented. "...Blood, I...I lost...my rope."

"Rope?"

"It's a strong rope... All I've got is...my thread."

Hannah raised an eyebrow. The rest of the group noticed that the trail of blood didn't end at Jinx, and were following it to its source. Hannah was left to heal the sorceress and make sure she didn't go anywhere.

She had to admit, she liked the older woman's style. Her black outfit contrasted beautifully with her pink hair, which was up in a high ponytail. Jinx's eyes matched her hair, the pupils slanted, like a cat's.

"Don't worry, we'll help you find your...uh, rope."

"The others, have to find...them."

"My friends are following their trail, don't worry, they'll be here soon."

"Th-their trail...no, my trail of...blood." Her head shot up. "The blood!"

Jinx quickly and frantically ran her hands all over her body, staring at her hands every time they came up dry. "W-was it a dream?"

Hannah sighed. "More like a nightmare."

XXXXXX-This just in, Jax hates all of you-XXXXXX

N/M Shin: Sorry it's so short, but I'm going to South Carolina for a week at the beach and I wanted to update before I left. I get to bring a friend, yay! Speaking of which, I have a new beta-reader, who is easy to reach and who I know in real life.

Jax: Are me and Zephyr going to the beach?

N/M Shin: Yeah...I guess.

Zephyr: But I burn easily!

N/M Shin: Then stay inside, I don't care! Just don't drink all the coke, okay!

Danielle: I'm goin' to the beach!

N/M Shin: No more popsicles for you.

Danielle: Nanananana Nanananana, Batman!

Jax: Shut up or I'll eat your new cell phone!

N/M Shin: Jax, put the phone down! Danielle, put the machete down!

Zephyr: I like machetes.

N/M Shin: So, I'll be back next week. Until then, read, review, repeat!