Part Four: Through the Grapevine

In which we learn to be careful of rumors.

The theatre was neutral ground for the heroes and villains, when they occasionally put aside their differences because they had ended up watching the same show at the same time. It was one of the few activities they both commonly enjoyed at the same time in the same place, for the most part.

During the intermission of one of these times, both groups headed out to the lobby. When they got there, Starfire turned to Robin with a curious expression on her face. "Is it true?" she asked.

"Is what true, Star?" asked Robin.

"Is the rumor of Kid Flash and Jinx getting caught in an abandoned room of this theatre in a compromising position true?" elaborated the alien princess.

"Compromising position?" asked Beast Boy.

"Yes, that is what I heard," replied Starfire. "So is it true?"

"Let's ask them," said Cyborg.

They asked Gizmo first.

"…and they were kissing or something," ended Beast Boy.

"No, you snot-brains. They were hiding from Madame Rouge, who happened to come by." Gizmo glared at them for asking him the question.

"Are you sure, midget?" asked Cyborg. "Because maybe that's just what they're saying---"

Aqualad wandered over with Lianne, a Truth Teller girl from another world who also happened to be Melicus' mother somehow, on his arm. They were both from water-islands, so the two had spent much time together talking to each other about their homes' histories. "No, it's what happened," assured the Atlantean. "We were there."

"You were there? Why weren't you caught by the security also, then?" wondered Robin.

"We were under--- well, we found a better hiding place."

"We can breathe underwater," explained Lianne vaguely. None of the others seemed to understand.

"Why were y'all wandering around the theatre, anyways?" asked a Billy Numerous clone.

"We felt like taking a walk…" trailed off the Atlantean.

"Okay… if you say so…" said See-More dubiously.

Lianne and Aqualad walked off slightly. "The things people believe…" muttered the girl of Asian appearance.

"We shouldn't have said we were there. Rumors about us all having an orgy or something similar will happen next…" thought Aqualad aloud.

"We would not something like that to get out to people's ears," commented the girl with a shudder.

Hotspot approached Kid Flash.

"I heard you had some adventures in the theatre and got caught by security," started Hotspot. "You and Jinx were in an abandoned room. The Truth Teller and Aqualad were also there, but they managed to hide. Is that true?"

"Yes, why?" asked the quick runner with a bored look on his face. "Who told you?"

"I heard it from Bumblebee, who heard it from Speedy, who heard it from Starfire, who overheard it from Aqualad and the Truth Teller alien talking."

"I see…" said Kid Flash. "Well, Jinx and I got caught. Aqualad and Lianne got away. We had been waiting for Gizmo and Little Luck, but they weren't there, so they got away."

Hotspot stared at Kid Flash. "Gizmo and… Jinx's sister?" he asked weakly.

"Yeah… oh, let's go. The show's starting again."

Cyborg and Beast Boy were playing video games they had sneaked in when they overheard voices.

"Did you hear about the Jinx and Kid Flash thing?"

"Yes, I did."

"That's not even all of it. Aqualad and the alien person he talks to were also there. And guess what next? They were waiting for Gizmo and Jinx's sister."

There was a short laugh. "That's just a rumor. People get really creative with them."

"I know, but Kid Flash said it himself."

"Isn't Jinx Little Luck's big sister and the alien Little Luck's mother?"

"Yeah… Jinx, Little Luck, and that Truth-alien have a weird family."

Beast Boy and Cyborg gaped at each other when they heard the very interesting news.

Jinx wondered why the Titans and her teammates were giving her peculiar looks. Whenever she asked Kid Flash, he just made one of his usual smooth remarks to make her forget. The same thing happened with Lianne, but she did not ask anyone why people were staring at her.

It was not until dinner that either of them found out.

The Titans and HIVE FIVE had decided to all have dinner in the theatre in the restaurant there, so it was still on neutral grounds. They also decided to sit together.

Speedy, who was sitting next to Lianne, said, "You know, it isn't nice to arrange an orgy and not invite all your friends." It was directed towards Aqualad and Lianne.

Jinx and Lianne gasped.

Aqualad and Kid Flash squirmed uncomfortably.

"Yes, that is very selfish and not nice!" declared Starfire passionately. "You should have invited us all to the orgy you were to have arranged."

Melicus tugged on Robin's hand, because he had happened to sit next to her. "What is an orgy?" asked the six-year-old rather loudly. It was not entirely her fault for drawing attention, for we must remember Melicus was only six, but two things immediately happened:

The Boy Wonder, who was generally courageous, blanched at the question.

And everyone else in the restaurant turned to look at them.

By the end of dinner, all the Titans and HIVE FIVE (and most likely everyone who had been in the restaurant at the same time) knew that Kid Flash, Aqualad, Gizmo, both the luck-witches, and the Truth Teller had weekly orgies every Saturday in a spare room of the theatre that was declared neutral grounds. An additional rumor circulated that they also did strange things underwater. Five of them denied the common knowledge and the youngest did not understand.

The results were mixed. Little Luck learned nothing, because no one explained any of it to her. Gizmo had an even lower opinion of the intelligence levels of the people surrounding him. Aqualad and Kid Flash became very uncomfortable being around the other Titans for a while. The Truth Teller, Lianne, wiped her memory of the incident after documenting it, for her mind became too horrified over it. And Jinx… well, she promised seven years' worth of bad luck to whoever started the story. No one volunteered when she asked who did it.

Eventually, the rumors faded away, and it became a topic for casually joking about.

Author's Note: To Meiriona, I am afraid I do not know what books the "In Which" chapter beginnings come from. I think, but I am not sure, that it comes from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I have never read anything from that series, but I remember reading a crossover of Tamora Pierce and the EFC... and the chapters began with "In Which." I ended up liking the style.