Oh, wow, sorry this took so long to update! But things have been kinda crazy. I hope you all had a very very Merry Christmas! And I hope you all read my NEW KF/Jinx fic, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. Its a holiday fic, but ppl seemed to like it, so it might be worth checking out for some extra KF/Jinx fluff. lol.
and! this chapter may have the characters acting a LITTLE OC, so dont kill me. i tried, but the story must keep moving, so i might have accidentally made them act a little different than they normally would, but oh well. beware of chp. 6: itll be different, definitely. read more about it at the end of this chappie!
So, now, for the usual disclaimers:
I don't own Teen Titans. No matter how much I want to, I don't. And now, just saying that has depressed me, so I must go hire a shrink.
Now read! lol
Stop tell me where you're going
Maybe the one you love isn't there
You're going under
But you're over it all so you don't care about all that I had to see –
I'd watch and wait until you'd come around –around –
Don't close your eyes
You need to see it all
It's no surprise –
That they break you down
Least they won't give you up…
-Better Luck Next Time, Lifehouse
Jinx
I think…I'm getting...sick…
Hold it in, Jinx, you can barf on him later in revenge if you have to, just hold it in for another minute…
I can't even count how many times Kid Flash has picked me up and whisked me off in the last 24 hours. Or, maybe I can…let's see now, when he first found me in the alley…then twice on our way to 'Lightning Alley'…and now…
4 times! That's it; I'm keeping a tally from now on. He wants to run me around at the speed of light? Fine by me, but he's paying me a buck for every time he does. So, run, Kid Flash, but do so at the risk of your bank account folding.
And then, just as we get to our destination, he just stops really fast, and we've slowed down enough so that I can actually see somewhat again, although there are two of everything that I look at. But I don't see any robberies in progress, until I realize that we haven't completely stopped, we're just skidding for like, 50 yards. And that's when I see it. There's a small building with a neon diamond hanging above the doorpost, alongwith a sign that says, "Star City Fine Jewelry and Watches," and there are about 3 police cars parked outside, the chief yelling through a megaphone to let the hostage go. There aren't a lot of other people there, maybe 4 or 5 civilian cars parked outside, hoping to get a front-row seat of the drama. Then Kid Flash ducks into an alley that looks like it just popped up out of nowhere, about 20 feet from the jewelry shop.
He puts me down, and grabs a hold of my shoulders. I guess he can tell that I'm a little disoriented, first from him spinning me around like a freaking ballerina, then just grabbing me and running off again.
I put a hand up to my head to try to keep it from falling off. I feel like a bobblehead, or something. I look up, and there are two Kid Flashes in front of me, smiling.
...Ok...2 Kid Flashes? I could barely deal with one! I can feel my sanity slipping from my grasp...oh, the horror!
"You really need to stop doing that," I tell him, irritated, as I hold my head in place to keep it from shaking.
"And you really need to loosen up a little," he says with a small chuckle. "It's hard to carry you when you're squirming around."
"Really? I'm so sorry to have inconvenienced you," I snap at him sarcastically. But he ignores me nd he switches into game mode, right then and there. I swear, the guy's bipolar. First he's laughing, and then he's issuing orders like a drill sargeant.
"Ok, Jinx, I know what you're thinking right now--"
"Oh, really? Enlighten me," I say coldly. I'm not exactly happy with him about how he tricked me into….into…
It's so bad that I can't even say it out loud. But maybe if I whisper it…
...I can't believe he tricked me into doing a good deed. Jerk.
But, because Kid Flash is a boy, he doesn't give a second thought about what I really am thinking, so he completely misses the mark.
"I know that that was the most thrilling and self-fulfilling experience you've probably ever had-"
That was one step too far.
"It was NOT!" I yell at him, readying myself to make something explode, but he smirks and ignores me anyway.
"-but right now we've got to stop this robbery. There are maybe 5 or 6 guys, but they're all heavily armed and they've taken a hostage. It's a jewelry store, so all of the glass in the place is bulletproof, but we're not taking any chances. Same procedure as last time…well, except for the part where you came in 10 seconds sooner than you should've…"
I opt to glare at him instead of yell, and, hoping he'll get the message, I make one of the little lightning bolts on the side of his head catch fire at the end. But he just puts it out with his fingers, and keeps talking very fast. He's just babbling now, so I say, "Kid Flash, you're wasting ti—" but he cuts me off.
"—but it's alright if you want to kick their butts like you just did. That part was pretty cool. So, is that ok? I disarm and grab the robbers, and you take back the hostage? You've got have my back and I got yours.Ok, all good? Excellent. And…we'd better head in now, we're wasting time." He's still smiling, completely oblivious.
I just smack my forehead in exasperation. I'm still a little queasy, so I'm trying to keep my mouth shut as much as possible, in order to avoid throwing up on him or something.
I really don't want to go through this again. Last time was bad enough…I'm still getting over the shock of actually being accused of doing…of…you know. My girl scout deed-of-the-day, as he would probably call it.
But before I can discreetly step backwards into the shadows and make a run for it, he grabs my hand tightly and starts dragging me along again, first just walking then picking up speed, but not going so fast that I can't keep up, and we stop at the back of the jewelery shop. From what I can tell, the cops didn't even see us arrive.
Ok, well, so much for the escape plan.
By now I realize that it's pointless to fight against him for the sake of my arm (..and freedom, I guess) until he's actually distracted enough that he doesn't notice me slip away, so I'm just going to go with him on this and try to make it look like I'm trying.
…'Try to make it look like I'm trying." Hows that for your oxymoron of the day? Would this imply that I'm actually putting effort into this...? Hmmm...
He pulls me to the back of the building, which is nestled between a bakery and a stationery store, and we stop outside for a minute before heading in. Just for a moment, I peak my head around the corner, where the cops are still trying to get a safe delivery. Then, he just whispers, "hold on to me," which is pretty pointless seeing as he is holding my hand so tightly that I'm losing feeling in my fingers. But just to be safe, I guess, he wraps his arms around me (and, for the record, he's standing behind me, so it feels like he just hijacked me), and, before I know what he's doing, he starts vibrating. Fast. Here comes the dizziness…
I can feel us moving backwards, and then it just stops. We're inside the storeroom now, so he must've actually…phased us through the back door!
…Even I have to admit, that was possibly the coolest sensation I've ever—
Ahem, Jinx. Stay focused.
Once we're in the back, Kid Flash lets me go, and he puts his finger up to his lips and whispers, "Sssh." Then, in a literal blink of an eye, he zooms into the front room, and from the sound of metal parts clashing to the floor, he's just disassembled one of the guns. Someone yells, "Get him!" and there's shooting, and a scream. That's my cue, and although it comes sooner than either Kid Flash or I expected, I go for it anyway. I hope he didn't honestly think I'd stick to his plan...
I burst into the room and scan quickly for the hostage. I find him huddled in a corner, being safeguarded by one of the robbers. He's old, maybe about 50 or 60, and he's got a little red toupé that I'm sure Kid Flash would think was funn-
Oh, yeah. Hostage. Right.
There're bullets flying everywhere now, but nothing actually shatters, because of the bulletproof glass. Diamond rings and necklaces and other jewels are rolling all over the floor. Kid Flash is barely even visible, he's running so fast, but I figure he could use a little help, so I call for distraction.
"Hey!" I yell to the guy holding the clerk hostage.
He—she. The robber is a she! And, even worse, she's completely ignoring me.
"No, no, don't just shoot anywhere!" she yells in frustration, clearly angry at her team. "USE THE HEAT SENSORS TO PICK UP HIS TRACKS, THEN SHOOT!"
But the rest of the guys aren't listening, and they just keep firing at Kid Flash, who is dancing, of all things, just doing the Running Man as he dodges bullet after bullet, laughing the entire time and saying, "C'mon, can't you do any better than that? It's Ok if you can't, you keep trying, there's this Irish jig I've been dying to try..."
And then I realize: he's providing the distraction to cover me. He could take out all these guys in a literal second, but he knows that the girl could turn on me, so he's not taking the chance. That's...kind of sweet of him. It's business, sure, but he cares, I guess. So I try to use my time carefully.
Turning to the lady, I say, in an attempt to get her attention "Um...ahem. Your team isn't very good, is it?" She turns around and faces me, her gun still in the air, and her hand still holding onto the petrified shop clerk. She…kind of looks like me. That's weird.
The girl sighs and sounding annoyed, says, "I know, they're the most idiotic—hey, what do you know?"
I don't say anything; she looks me up and down, and her expression changes completely. Then, she almost blows out my eardrums with a high-pitched, girlish squeal.
"Are you Jinx?" she asks me excitedly.
I'm sorry, what?I nod, dumbfounded. She squeals again. "Oh, my God, I'm your biggest fan!"
Silence between just the two of us.
…
….
…...Cricket, cricket...
"Oh…that's…er…nice?" I say politely, hoping she'll forget about the guy behind her. Even if I am a villain, which I am, I don't actually want anyone to get hurt when something like this happens. And, if she really wants to be a successful villain, she wouldn't, either. "What's your—er—name?"
"Me? I'm Quickshot, that's Q-U-I-"
I turn for a second to see Kid Flash looking at me funny. Out of the corner of his mouth, I see him whisper, "What're you doing? Go!"
So I cut her off and say, "Listen, Quickshot, it's nice to meet you and all. I'm, uh, glad you're a fan. And hey, listen, could you do me a big favor and hand this guy over to me, please?" I'm thinking as fast as I can, making up some crazy story that'll hopefully get her to turn over the hostage. "I kind of need to get back to the Hive Five, and I'm supposed to take this guy over to the Brotherhood later--"
Quickshot looks so excited, it's making me sick. Since when is anyone this happy?
…Oh, right. Says the girl who's been hanging out with Kid Flash all night. I mean, seriously. He's hardly ever not grinning.
"Really? So you're on officialBrotherhood of Evilbusiness? Ok! Here! Take him!" she pulls the man up from under his arm, hisses, "Get over there!" and pushes him towards me. As he tumbles into me, I say in my coolest voice, "Thanks, kid." And then my eyes glow, and the unsuspecting robber accidentally falls backwards and hits her head on one of the cases, knocking her out. What can I say? I had to do it. She was really annoying.
That's when Kid Flash makes his move, grabbing each of the guns and tossing them aside, and then, ignoring the cowering man behind me for a minute, I send a few waves of pink energy to trip all of the rest of the robbers, and they fall over, defeated. Kid Flash is now running around, collecting the ripped bags of jewelery they attempted to steal, and then placing them back nicely in their showcases.
Upon seeing that Kid Flash and I just…(note to self: I must think of an evil-sounding synonym for 'helped!')… him, he stops whimpering, looks up at me, and throws himself at me, his toupe flying off in the process.I'm caught off-guard for a minute, and I realize that the now-bald guy is hugging me.
Out of gratitude.
...uhh... major awkwardness...
...That's when it hits me. The cold, hard, damaging truth. I never quite understood it before now, but after spending sometime with Kid Flash, his rubbing off on me (as much as I hate to admit it) I get it that I actually just saved this helpless, innocent man's life…
…and it felt good.
Kid Flash
I've never really actually been in a jewelry store before, so I have no idea how all this stuff was set up. But, I figure, it doesn't really matter where it all goes, right? All I know is that it's jewelry and...
oooooo, shiny ring!
...it never really hit me before now that I have, like, no attention span. But that's ok, I'll just try to hide that, seeing as the girls get annoyed if you're not focusing on them all the time.
It's funny, isn't it? It's, like, the opposite for Jinx. But then again, Jinx isn't most girls...Or most villains, for that matter. In fact, after what she's done tonight, as I watch her looking completely confused as to why some bald guy is hugging her, mouthing to me for help, I think Jinx has finally outgrown her supposed status as a villain. The look on her face...the utter bewilderment...priceless. I know, because that's the same look I had on my face when I first saved someone's life. I can tell,she was cut out to be a hero, and tonight just proves it. She thinks she hates this life, but deep down, she doesn't think it's all that bad.
Now I just have to wait for her to realize it on her own.
After I finish putting all the jewels and stuffback in their cases, I joinJinx, who has, in the meantime, managed to get the guy to let her go. "I think he busted a rib," she whispers to me as she clutches her side. I smile. It's the best feeling in the world, when someone is so thankful to you that they'll hospitalize you for it.
"Ok, sir, now that you're safe, we need to get you outside to the police," I say, helping the man up as Jinx massages her side. "They don't know that we've taken out the robbers, so you're going to have to go out first. Keep your hands above your head, and don't run, or they'll shoot. Do you understand? Once they lower their guns, you can tell them what happened."
The man just nods at me, still looking a little bit dazed, but goes to the front door and walks outside, his hands in the air. "Don't shoot!" he yells to them, and I can take it from the sound of more footsteps that they lowered their guns and that he was walking towards them.
"Here, Jinx, you rested up enough to help me get these robbers outside?" I ask, turning to her. Her face is kind of blank, just like when I kissed her, but there's a ghost of a smile behind it. Her mouth twitches, and I laugh, but don't say anything because I think she's having a train of thought regarding the end of her evil-ness.
She nods at me, and walks over to the nearest unconscious robber, and after a few tries of trying to heave him over her shoulder, she gives up and her eyes glow pink, the guy rolling over a few times towards the door. As I watch, she turns her head up and smiles at me, a very small smile, but a smile nonetheless.
Being the courageous and strong macho man thatI am, I easily lift two of the other guys, and I walk towards the door. She pushes it open, and we continue on outside to the police line, where the bald guy is giving his statement. A few other policemen run over to meet us, where they cuff the robbers we're carrying. After we hand them over, I zip back inside and pick up the girl who was in charge of the team, then run back again, turning her over to the police as well. Jinx is standing next about 10 yards away from the line, now, and after the police thanks me, I go to meet her.
We sit in silence for a moment, just watching as the robbers are loaded into the back of the police car.
"They really appreciate it, don't they? I mean, the people you save." She says it so quietly and abruptly that I do a double-take. I look at her; she's still staring at the man she helped, who is being handed a blanket.
But I regain my composure quickly and respond, "Yeah. Yeah, they do. Why?" She turns to face me.
"I think I get it now," Jinx says slowly, as if she's trying to be careful with how she forms her words. She's a little reluctant, I can tell, but she's trying, and that's all that matters.
"Get what?" I think the psychic in me knows what she means, but I need to hear it from her.
"I think...I think that I get why you help people now," she tells me quietly. YES! I want to jump up and down and dance and fly and sing and suffocate her with roses (although that may come off a little too hostile), because she GETS IT! And being the incredible, intelligent, beautiful, awesome, funny, amazing girl that she is, I bet she can tell what's going on in my head, but she keeps talking anyway. Like, if she can't get the words out now, then she never will, and I can tell that she wants to. "They can't always defend themselves. They need...help...sometimes...because there are actual villains who want to hurt them for no reason..." and her voice kind of trails off.
C'mon, Kid Flash...must...contain...excitement...
But it's too late, I lose that battle. I just...pretty unexpectedly, yell, "YES!"
She looks at me funny for a minute, then says, "What are you yelling about? Calm down, already! It's not like I'm a hero now, it's just that I'm definitely not a villain anymore!" But the little smile on her face totally contradicts what she's saying, so I'm gonna trust the body language instead.
"Oh, sure, sorry I forgot," I say, still grinning. I swear, my mouth is about to fall off, it's taking up almost my entire face.
"But seriously," she says, still smiling slightly, "I get it now. It even felt...good." She says the word "good" quietly, as if she can't believe that it actually came out of her mouth.
And, again, I get this weird impulse that's just telling me to do it again...
"As good as this?" I say, kinda cocky, as I kiss her again. I couldn't help it-I'm so damn proud of her! I even just swore for her, which is kind of against the Hero's Code of Ethics, especially if you're the kind of hero who's as cute and charming as me.
She doesn't seem nearly as surprised as she did before, but she breaks apart for a second and whispers, "Flattery will get you nowhere, Kid Flash." I grin again, knowing that it actually does. She'll need to hear positive things to coax her over to the good side. And, at the risk of sounding arrogant, she'll need me to be saying them.
But something's wrong.
As I start to lean in again, I see a hand snaking around Jinx's wrist.
Oh, not now...ANYTIME but now...! This could ruin EVERYTHING!
NO!
Oooh, cliffie! Are you all intrigued/worried/angered now? Yes, yes, I think you are. Lol. Hey, Im gonna be nice about this one. Review soon, and I'll update soon. And it'll take much less time for me to update than it did for this chapter, because I had some trouble deciding how to write this one. The next one wont be so hard. Be prepared for drama and shock, and maybe even a guest star, in chp. 6! lol.
But ill try to keep it kinda light and a little fluffy, but not so much that it ruins teh mood im working so hard to create. lol
Ok, so: review responses.
ImaginaryFriendsRule123: Disagree with? I'm intrigued. What exactly do you disagree with? I mean, I know the characterization was a little OC in chp. 4, but otherwise? do let me know, and ill see what i can do to fix it. and thx for the review!
the King of Flames-lol, thanks! and sry this took so long to update!
Flying Green Flamingo-you know something? I thinkall of your reviewsare single-handedly making my year. lol
Demon Daughter-sorry it took so long for ur update!
Lily23-lol, thanks! I really appreciate that! thx for the review
Meiriona-lol. did you know that it actually takes about 47 muscles to smile and around 32 to frown? guess im going to turn you into a wrinkly old lady! lol, jk. that sounded funny. and im glad you liked it!
Rose Red2.0-ya, sry it took so long! glad you enjoyed it
WHOCARES?-thanks! and yes, I know "Maybe I'm Amazed" was originally sung by Paul McCartney (who I adore! i love paul), but I also love Jem's cover of it, (plus the fact that she changed some of the words around to make its place in the chapter make some sense), and i thought more people may have heard her version of the song (it was on the OC and stuff). but wotevr, ill try to be more accurate in future chapters. lol
PureAngel86-im really glad youre enjoying it. thx for the review! and glad the Kid Flash/Jinx ship is getting more support!
Shadow929-lol, I know. but it happens again in this chappie too! what is the world coming to? lol
Heroine of the Valley-ya, i was worried about everyone who was getting angry about the whole 50-review fiasco, so i figured that i had better update fast (seeing as i hit the total of 50 review mark pretty quickly), and that i didnt want anyone to kill me before christmas. lol
.X.Phoenix.X.-thanks! I think that im slowly turning into a fluff monster...hmm, that should be the name of a villain...lol, jk.maybe for parodies, though. :-D
DiamondLil829-glad youre enjoying it! i get the whole 'first person weird' thing a lot, but i totally agree. its kind of awkward to read it (if not more to write it), but, as i have explained previously, i cant imagine it being written another way. for me, at least. lol. and, mery xmas to u too! even if it already happened...but o well. lol
Child of Blood-i do my best to make it fluffy enough to stuff a pillow, and i hope that this was enough fluff to sustain you for a little while. lol
Deathgirl997-thanks! and yes: Kid Flash and Jinx will LIVE FOREVER! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Itsy-Evil-Spiders-thanks! And, i loved your oneshot. it was really cute! (i encourage everyone else to read it as well...hint, hint...lol) and, may i ask, what does "Kawaii" mean, exactly? It sounds like a compliment. lol
Valda-lol, thanks! i desperately need to go to Britain one day, its like, my life goal. lol. sry, that was random. thanks so much for your review!
Silver Miracles-glad you still like it! and yeah, i thought jinx's reaction was kinda priceless myself, at the risk of sounding bigheaded.but honestly, how else would she react, considering the situation i stuck her in? lol
OK! Now I have 2 BIG ASSIGNMENTS FOR YOU ALL!
#1: Review! and i even have a challenge for you. the first reviewer who can guess accurately what Kid Flash seems to be so worried about at the end of this chapter will be mentioned in the actual story! yay! lol. heres a hint: Consider who the people nearby. :D
#2: I WANT YOU ALL to go write to the following address to Save Season Six! Because, my dears, if we don't have a season six, we might not see Kid Flash and Jinx again, and therefore, the only thing you will have to thrive on are fanfics like these! ...Plus, im too emotionally attached to Teen Titans, so I will cry and cry and cry all the way through the New Year if they dont save it. :'-
Cartoon Network Official Mailing Address:
SAVE TEEN TITANS! Big and Bold!
Cartoon Network
1050 Techwood Drive
Atlanta, GA 30318
...Now go write and review!
Love always,
Cara