Fuck
That was all Jinx could think.
Fuck is what she thought as soon as the power had cut out.
Fuck is what she thought as soon Gizmo said it wasn't a normal power outage.
Fuck is what she thought when they figured out the SME was activated in Central City.
And Fuck is exactly what she thought after Luthor called them.
Because not knowing who would go against you is troubling. But not knowing who would go against the supers and Luthor….
…..Fuck
Jinx clenched her eyes close, pushing away any and every bad thought that littered her mind.
When she snapped them open, she glanced at Gizmo. "We have to assemble a list. The League of Doom has made plenty of enemies as has the Justice League. We just need to cross-examine who hates both of them and-
"That won't work" Gizmo interrupted, fiddling a bit with his computer as he spoke. "Luthors no saint or Mr. Popularity but he is feared. He has connections and he's no idiot. Whoever did this… I can't imagine they aren't as well.
Jinx paused. He couldn't be fucking serious.
"..So what you're saying is they probably covered their ass so we shouldn't look? That's the dumbest shit you've ever said Giz. One fucking call with Luthor and you're playing it safe. I get that you fanboy the fuck outta him but could you please keep it in your pants for a minute.", Jinx sneered.
Harsh she knows but Gizmo's 'whatever bro' attitude was pissing her off.
To his credit Gizmo didn't even pay her the slightest bit of attention. Instead, he walked over to a table and began fiddling with one of his inventions.
It was a clock, projector..thing. Whatever, she didn't know. All Jinx could understand was he was pissing her off more, and on purpose too.
Fed up with his nonchalance, she quickly sent a surge of pink to Gizmo's working hands. The boy yelped, stepping back a bit as the invention lit up and exploded.
Angrily he whined," What was that for"?
"Stop ignoring me" Jinx bit back.
Gizmo rolled his eyes, thoroughly annoyed. "Luthor and his men are probably combing the servers right now. The Justice League is probably doing the same as well as the UN and countless other factions. All I'm saying is we should wait".
"Wait for what Giz?! For Luthor to figure it out. For headquarters to give us the next operation. They won't tell us shit and you know it." Jinx replied.
Again Gizmo rolled his eyes. He gets it really, an SME is a big deal, but still.
" God, Jinx I'm not saying wait for Luthor or the League! I'm just saying let whoever did this pick up their trail first", Gizmo exclaimed, he then frowned rolling his eyes at her puzzled expression. "Think about it, much easier to catch your prey from behind then forward."
Ugh, Jinx pouted. As irritating as it was…..Gizmo did have a point.
Granted it's going to suck waiting. But chances are if they let the Supers pick up the heavy load they can just breeze past.
Plus if they played this right, the enemy would be so enamored with evading everyone else they wouldn't even see her team coming.
"Fine, I don't like it though" Jinx murmured.
"Me neither. But the bright side is while everyone's figuring out the who we can focus on they why", Gizmo smirked, pulling up various articles and images as he spoke. His mouse lingered a bit on the more graphic images before he finally pulled up the blueprints to an SME.
Jinx snorted, " Not that I want to ruin your Sherlock moment but think it's kinda obvious. The hey I have the most destructive weapon in the world bow down to me narrative. Kinda fits".
"Careful, Pinky! You keep showing that sense of humor people might think your not a total batshit psycho", a voice quipped.
Instantly Jinx steamed.
That fucking voice. She knew that fucking voice. She hated that fucking voice.
Almost as much as she hated that stupid nickname.
Slowly, she turned her eyes to glare at the intruder.
Speedy.
The irritating junkie who she's somehow allowing to live in her base.
The same fucking junkie that happens to be a superhero.
The bane of her fucking existence.
Fuck.
Beside Speedy was Red Hood and while normally Jinx would enjoy his company. She didn't particularly like his new shadow.
She loathed him actually.
For the past two days, Speedy had been nothing but irritating.
He distracted Hood from training. Flirted with Supergirl non - stop. Got in arguments with literally everyone else. Question her authority constantly. Injured Icicle Jr. multiple times.
Not to mention the idiot had the fucking nerve to put a dartboard in every room.
Ugh, loathed wasn't the word. She hated him.
"Say Hoodie what part of 'keep your junkie out of the lab' don't you get", Jinx asked, making sure her disdain dripped with each syllable.
Speedy glared back instantly, "Not a junkie, you'd think with your background, you'd know the difference".
"Still in the denial phase I see", Gizmo murmured, only to receive a disapproving glare from Red Hood. He then sheepishly shrugged, opting to focus again on his computer.
Jinx choose to follow Gizmo's lead, turning her head back to the computer as well. When seconds passed and she didn't hear the door shut, she sighed. As she turned back around she met Red Hood's gaze "Something you need Hood? New gun, titanium knife….another mop for your junkie".
"Again addict not junkie", Speedy sings, smirking a bit as he places one arm around her. "But ya know I would like a flatscreen for our room, maybe a vacuum too. Hey Harlot you getting this or should I write out a list".
"Aren't you suppose to be sniveling and vomiting somewhere." Jinx bit back, removing his arm almost immediately. She then turned to Hood glaring, " We talked about letting it roam around. Don't blame me if I decide to just up and kill the fucking liability".
To make sure they both knew just how serious she was, she let her hands glow just the slightest.
Speedy, ever the comedian he is, decides to mock her by placing his hands on his face and sarcastically biting out. "Oh, I'm so fucking terrified Pinky, truly".
Red hood for the most part ignored them. Moving between the two feuding teens to talk to Gizmo instead. "I'm guessing you know who's behind this Shrimp. From experience I can tell you clowns and bombs aren't a good mix. So just tell me who to shoot and we won't have to worry about countries blowing up".
Gizmo smiled, opening his mouth for what probably would have been the longest and most narcissistic little speech in the world. Well, it would have been, had he not been interrupted.
BAM!
"Ahhhhh fuck", Speedy groaned, as he picked himself up from the metal carnage.
An entire table, as well as three inventions, were blown up into little chunks of scrap metal. Apparently, Jinx had shot Speedy into the left side of the room.
Red Hood wasted no time. Shooting Jinx a dirty glare as he helped Speedy up and checked him over for serious injuries. After he was sure there was no internal damage, he dryly spat out " Why the fuck are you two trying to piss me off. I don't have enough fucking bullets to play around with you lunatics ".
"Dude why the fuck are you yelling at me! I ain't do shit to Pinky except ask her about her tattoos. Can we say crazy bitch" Speedy huffed.
Jinx growled, they are not fucking tattoos. And she doesn't want to talk about them with anybody, especially stupidass Speedy.
Plus who the hell was he calling a bitch.
She lit her hands up in pink energy once more, this time with more ferocity than the last. Just when she was about to aim right at the junkie's stupid fucking face, Red Hood pointed his gun at her.
"An SME takes precedent against your shitty attitude don't ya think. You two should at least be able to ignore each other" he grunted.
Jinx frowned. Her attitude? She did not have an attitude.
She is very professional and calm.
Speedy just had a knack for getting under her skin. Scratch that he had a fucking talent for getting under her skin. It didn't help that his very existence threatened her entire life as a member of the League of Doom.
But still, Hood wasn't exactly wrong.
She sighed, letting her hands flicker for a bit before the pink light is gone.
Her frown still etched on her face, she doesn't even wait for Hood to remove the gun from her direction before turning her body away from Speedy and rejoining Gizmo at his computer.
She doesn't have an attitude. She can ignore the junkie.
He doesn't even fucking exist to her.
"She is more...angsty today huh. What happened Pinky, that time of the month" Speedy asked, grinning a bit towards the end.
Screw it, she did have a fucking attitude.
And she planned to show Speedy every inch of it.
Before she could stalk back over to the irritating ass archer, Gizmo's voice brought her back.
"Two seconds and Shimmers already ran her goddamn mouth," Gizmo whistled, " I underestimated her".
Red Hood scoffed, "Shimmers beating the shit out of Numerous while See-more and the Sasquatch hold her back. I'm just not an idiot".
Inwardly Jinx sighed, of course. Of fucking course, little Hoodie would know everything. Which means the Bats probably knew everything, which meant the League knew everything.
And she...she was wasting valuable time.
So as much she wanted to throttle Speedy, she'd rather focus on the problem at hand. "Giz, and I are handling it Hood. Just take the ju-Archer and go please".
Behind her, Red Hood glared, "Not gonna happen".
Ugh. Leave it to Hood to be difficult.
The bastard's MIA every time she needs him for something but now, oh now he refuses to leave. Just her fucking luck.
"Why the fuck not. I don't need you or your pet pincushion to distract us." Jinx bristled.
"Ya know Pinky I'm starting to think this little attitude of yours may be personal. Did somebody have some childhood trauma they'd like to share with the class", Speedy quipped.
Jinx smirked, a nasty retort at the tip of her tongue.
Thankfully Gizmo stepped in between the two before she could utter it out. "Enough! Stop baiting her! This is not the time for you two to have another petty squabble".
Speedy chuckled, "Munchkin, should you really be the one to talk. I've seen you fight with Shimmer over a vowel ...and lose".
Now it was Gizmo's turn to glare at the archer." Look Pinhead-
Red Hood rolled his eyes, it's a sad day in hell when he's the mature one.
"Oh my god! Just shut your fucking traps!", Hood exclaimed, he then sighed, calming his temper just the slightest. "Look. The rest of the fucking wackos may be in lalaland but we can all agree an SME is too big to ignore. We should work together to figure out who has it".
It was silent for a minute no one said anything. Not because of Hood's tone or his anger but his words.
Don't get it wrong, Hood was completely right, they should work together.
But still...the fact that HE was the one to come up with the solution.
"Uh did Ra's rewire the zombie's brain again? I thought he hated working with us" Gizmo quietly whispered.
Apparently, it wasn't' quiet enough. In the next moment, Hood was glaring at him and a gun was to his head. "Call me a zombie again, I dare you gnome".
Before that could turn into a really messy, and completely unnecessary fight. Jinx stepped in between the two urging Hood's gun down as she did. " You just said we should work together instead of fight remember? Look, you wanna help, fine. Pull up a chair, we're figuring out the why right now. My guess was power move".
Red Hood nodded, pulling a thoughtful look as he did. "Fine….We should probably be more specific though. Research why Central and all that".
Gizmo hummed, "Perfect! let's each compile a list of ten guesses and regroup".
So that's how it started, for ten minutes it was silent. The only sounds were the shuffling of papers and the clicks of the computers.
Well, that and the occasional shaking and sniffling of Speedy.
"Move away from me….now", Jinx said after a particularly bad shake had caused her papers to fall on the floor.
Beside her Speedy glared, "Oh yeah 'cause I totally did that on purpose. Look just deal with it, and pray to whoever that it ends soon. I sure as hell am".
Before Jinx could rudely remind him, she didn't have to fucking deal with his stupid fucking issues, Gizmo glanced up from the computer. "Withdrawl should last ten days, he's done almost four. A couple of minutes in the chami-chamber can supersede that last six"
Red Hood glared, "I already told you-".
"Wait spend a few minutes in your little porta- tube and I'm done with the fucking shakes and shit", Speedy quickly asked.
"Speedy", Red Hood warned.
Unfortunately for him Speedy completely ignored him, already running towards the nearest pod. "Fuck that, sorry bud but ya know. Kinda tired of waking up in my own vomit….. Shut up Pinky".
So, while Speedy regenerated in the chami-chamber, Hood got reacquainted with Gizmo notes.
He apparently is much smarter than Jinx gives him credit for.
Granted he is a Bat but still, who knew he could read that fucking fast. Once he was done, he started spouting some nonsense about how the SME wasn't a power move after all.
And she takes it back, he is a fucking idiot.
They started arguing, this time with fewer threats than usual. It only lasted a minute, as a loud ding rang through the lab silencing the two of them.
Seconds later the chami-chamber opened, a pool of gas creeping out of it.
"Ugh, I feel so much better. Like I'm 8 again in Star City ", Speedy exclaimed, stretching his limbs a bit as he left the pod. He instantly moved over to Red Hood, smiling as he leaned the majority of his weight on the shorter teen.
And to Jinx's surprise, Hood smiled back.
He smiled a real smile. One with all teeth and high cheeks. One that she's sure would crinkle his eyes if she could see behind the domino mask. One that was so bright, so surreal, she's sure she imagined it.
And maybe she did.
When she blinked, Hood was no longer smiling. Instead, he had his usual frown etched on his face, as he tried to push Speedy's arm off of him. "Gave you back your baby fat, that's for sure. Get off me you fucking lard".
"You wish, this is all muscle and you know it", Speedy cheerfully argued. He then turned to Gizmo, "Thanks shrimp".
Gizmo nodded, half listening and half not as he meticulously took more notes on his pad. "The chamber fast proceeds healing so your past the withdrawal state physically but mentally you're still there. Take this into consideration Arrows".
Speedy rolled his eyes but nodded. "Yeah yeah, I get it munchkin. So what I miss".
Gizmo smiled, pausing a bit in his note-taking to look up at the redhead. " Hood and Jinx were debating if this power outage is a power move. Please continue".
Jinx didn't even have to look at Hood to know if he was glaring at the boy genius.
Clearly, Gizmo was enjoying their little argument too much.
"Uh dude I may have been out of commission for a bit, but that's totally how they used it. Central City, Star City, Gotham, and Metropolis are damn near in shambles. Major cities plus destruction kinda leads to the whole fuck yall power troupe" Speedy grimaced.
Ugh, she's on the same team as fucking Speedy. Kill her now.
Red Hood sighed," It's an SME. These things aren't even in the market because the UN banned them. Plus the materials needed to make one are found in some of the most selective countries in the world. One of the materials is so rare it said to only be available one day of the year".
Jinx's eyebrows furrowed. So what the fucking material are rare."Is that supposed to mean some shit Hoodie? Giz said whoever did this is well connected, probably more than Luthor".
"Which is fucking terrifying", Speedy added.
"Your focusing on the who again, stay on the why", Gizmo hummed. Carefully fiddling with some invention as he spoke.
"Ugh none of you are fucking listening! Power move doesn't make sense. Why the hell would someone go through all the trouble of making an SME to create a little blackout. Sure it's a power move but a small one compared to what it could have been had they decimated a country instead" Red Hood exclaimed.
"And who's to say they won't later," Speedy argued.
Red hood glared, opting to shift his feet onto the desk as he pulled up a graphic. "That's the thing with a SME. According to Shrimps notes, once paired with a polar magnet an SME becomes basically just a fucking light switch. The ions a neutralized and no more bomb power".
Wait. So it isn't a bomb anymore.
Well, that's one problem solved.
Because damn did a fucking ion powerbomb scare the living shit out of her.
Especially one with an unknown owner.
But back to the matter at hand, "So what your point Hood. Not a power move, then what"?
Red Hood bitterly shrugged, "That's the shit I don't get. What kinda crazy fuck builds the most dangerous fucking weapon in the world and use it only for a blackout? I would say scare tactic but again, why not just use the bomb. They clearly don't care about killing, why not decimate a country? We're missing something".
Again Jinx frowned. Because fuck, he's right. They were missing something.
Seconds pass, no one said anything.
They were missing something. Some clue, some info.
What the fuck were they missing.
Gizmo apparently bored with their current silence, groaned. "Oh come on it's not that hard. Seriously, you guys it's right there! Just ask yourself why".
Why?
Why an SME?
Why would someone go through the trouble of making the most dangerous weapon in the world and use it for a blackout?
What would they gain?
Suddenly Jinx's eyes widened. Of fucking course. It was so obvious.
Why else would somebody organize a large blackout, one where cop cars, security cameras, and planes literally shut off.
"They stole something, something big", she murmured.
Gizmo nodded, opting to put his invention down and pull up various articles once more. "At face value that's what it looks like. A bunch of labs were raided…. But here's the thing an SME and a polar magnet can stay connected for 14 minutes and then they both become useless. Because of this, the power outage should have lasted for 14 minutes, and by my calculations, this one lasted 4 minutes and fifty-seven seconds ".
Speedy frowned, "Meaning…..what? They can do another blackout for 10 minutes"?
Again Gizmo nodded, this time more eager than the last. " Exactly Arrows! Another blackout will be happening soon! But here's the thing idiots, ask yourself why would they need a second and much longer blackout".
Why indeed.
Fourteen minutes is plenty of time to steal something.
And no one wants to hit the same place twice.
So why would they stop the blackout just to do another one later?
Red Hood paused, "Whatever they wanted to steal they didn't".
"Or couldn't! My guess is they probably were a millimeter off and set the SME in the wrong city. So whatever they were trying to steal wasn't in the blackouts range. Ha, what fools", Gizmo chuckled.
His chuckles instantly turned to high pitched giggles, which later turned to a full-blown laugh.
That apparently really pissed Speedy off.
"Ignoring the fact that your laughing at a miscalculation that still cost thousands of deaths because ya know I expect that from psychopaths but umm Squirt why the fuck does it sound like you knew the why the whole fucking time" Speedy bit out fuming as Gizmo continued to chuckle.
It was only when Gizmo didn't answer him and continued to laugh that Speedy truly lost it. He let out his best growl and started chasing after the short boy, all while throwing whatever he could grasp in the munchkin's direction.
Gizmo welcomed this, still cackling as he tried his best to avoid every one of Speedys throws.
"Come back here you gremlin" Speedy yelled.
"Oh come on Pinhead it's always funny to see how your minds work" Gizmo yelled back, ducking just the slightest as Speedy found yet another item to throw.
As usual Jinx and Red Hood ignored the two, opting instead to look over the SME map once more.
"Okay, so our SME mastermind wanted to steal something. They used the SME to create a blackout in major cities to hide their tracks. But they set the SME off in the wrong city. That explains why the blackout was so short", Jinx summarized.
Red Hood frowned, "But it doesn't explain how they were able to get an SME in the first place. Or what they wanted to steal."
Jinx nodded, turning her head just the slightest to glare at a still chuckling Gizmo. "Giz stop playing with the archer and focus. How are we going to find out what city they were trying to steal from?" she asked.
This time Gizmo and Speedy ignore HER, choosing instead to still chase one another around the lab.
Three jabs and a couple of warning shots later, they finally ceased their stupid game of tag.
"Uncalled for" Gizmo huffed as he rubbed his now sore head.
"Super un fucking necessary" Speedy added.
"Not sorry", Hood replied with an unenthused shrug. He then motioned back to the map, "How do we find the city nerdling".
Gizmo pouts a bit at the name, muttering slightly about Shimmer's influence. He then walks back towards his desk shuffling a bit so he can proudly shove a heap of metal in the air.
The clock, projector thing Jinx had destroyed earlier.
Gizmo smirked, huddling the invention close to his chest as he spoke. "This baby is going to transfer the surface area to scale on my computer so you three idiots can see every city that wasn't affected by the blackout".
Speedy narrowed his eyes, confused to the fullest. He then turned his stare to Red Hood.
"It gonna put the picture he drew of the SME circle over a real map" Hood drawled.
"Okay... but why" Speedy drawled.
"To figure out what city they were trying to steal from".
"But ….how" Speedy drawled again.
While Hood explained the invention once more to Speedy, Gizmo finally configured the SME circle over a map of America. It was crude, and not his best work but due-able.
Definitely due-able for them at least.
"So we'll have to comb through every city within 100 miles to be safe", Jinx asked while peering up at the SME map. To her right, Gizmo zoomed-in adjusting the screen just the slightest.
"I'd say 15 at the most, no way they were that stupid. Whatever they were trying to steal was super close" Gizmo retorted. "And bonus because well I know going over 200 cities might be too much for you losers. I've already eliminated 199".
This time it was Hood that glare at the boy, " You knew the fucking city the whole time" he spat out.
"Well not the whole time, duh. I did have to go through the other 199 and that took like 10 minutes. Then I had to check that over with an actual map and that took like 2. ", Gizmo happily reminded.
Steaming Hood began to stalk over to the small boy.
"Mhmm, Giz, before Hood shoots your ass and mine the city please" Jinx chuckled, protectively standing in front of the shorter teen.
Undisturbed Gizmo once again beamed. "Hub City! It's my last one! I've been researching them based on labs, technology, and influential figures. I can show you guys my system if you-".
"Okaaay, we each take a sector of Hub city. We pinpoint the most important stuff and people and we come back to converse deal", Jinx interrupted.
Hood simply nodded, while Gizmo pouted.
Speedy ever the annoyance he is, decided to mutter out a small "Bossy".
And that brings Jinx, to where she is now. Hours later into this fucked up research. Googling about Hub city like a goddamn tourist.
Does it have ancient magic- Nope.
Old artifacts- Nada.
High tech- Not anything extraordinary.
This place didn't even have a goddamn resident villain.
"This has got to be the most boring city ever", Speedy grumbled.
"Thank you for stating the fucking obvious" Jinx muttered as she rolled her puffy sore eyes.
Hours, they had researched Hub city for hours.
Jinx sighed, at least they were almost done.
"Okay Hoodie, next sectors all yours go head".
Red Hood groaned, " It's a dud, a fucking dud. Let's move the fuck on please".
"We can't skip any sector, that leaves way too many anomalies and chances for error" Gizmo whined. He was probably the only person enjoying this little mini-search party.
Instantly three pairs of eyes glared down at him.
After a few seconds, the pink pair lowered. "He's right Hood. Just say the damn report".
"Fine fucking fine! North sector 5, including the major streets Lamon, Terces, Harington, Blethorn, and my fucking least favorite Covington. Nothing the fuck there but damn grocery stores, rich fucks, parks and culdesacs" Red Hood angrily finished.
Jinx tiredly nodded, eager to move to the next sector. "Alright, Giz-
"Wait wait! Blethorn I know that street" Speedy quickly said.
Jinx glared, "Happy for you, now Giz-
" No you don't understand. Blethorn is important. 345 Blethorn street is a really fucking important house".
Red Hood sighed, glaring a bit as he read over his report. "345 Blethorn is a damn grocery store Speedy".
Speedy angrily waved him off, typing frantically on Gizmo's computer instead. When his data search finally came through, his head snapped up and he proudly yelped. "I knew it! Grocery store my ass. Guess which jackass lives in Hub city".
Gizmo shrugged, always up for any guessing game. "Doubtful you'll give us any heroes address and I know all the villains….Plus Hub City is on the expensive side so I'm going go with...what is a very important political leader?".
Beside him, Jinx sighed. This was not the time for his little nerd humor.
Speedy unfortunately didn't share her thoughts. The shaggy redhead beamed, nodding his head hurriedly. "Ding ding! 35, 000 for the munchkin".
Through the side of her eye, she saw Gizmo beam before she heard him cackling.
Idiots. She is teamed with idiots.
Apparently, her glare as well as Hood's, was enough to stop this little budding bromance, as Speedy instantly stopped laughing and started explaining. "Okay, so the guys a fucking judge. Names Toler. He's the one who helped Ol- look he's one of the reasons I was in Melvot. I know the web said that's a grocery store, but I know for a fact that's his address. I've seen it".
Ugh, he can't be serious.
"Mhm, your personal vendetta aside we should care because," Jinx asked, slowing her word purposely towards the end.
Petty she knows, but it's 2 am and she is damn tired. Plus she's 90 percent sure Speedy little judge is a waste of her time.
Before Speedy could send back his equally petty retort, Hood shifted his feet off the desk he had been occupying and started his own search on Judge Toler. " Superior Court Judge William P. Toler. Multiple connections, multiple businesses throughout the world."
Okay, so he's powerful. Big whoop. That doesn't mean arrow boys right.
"Prior-seat on the UN. He's heavily decorated and celebrated as a crusader against crime. Ugh, why do they always use that corny ass headline….. And here we go, he's sent countless villains to rehabilitation centers and prisons. Notably, Blackgate, Stryker Island, Arkham, Crab Shell, and Melvot" Hood finished, looking towards the others as he did.
His stare was an obvious question. What do you think?
And honestly, if she wasn't on 2 hours of sleep Jinx would have held back her groan.
Maybe Speedys little judge isn't a complete waste of time.
Gizmo hummed, "He's definitely a person of interest. And him masquerading his home as a grocery store is really suspicious".
Fuck. Fine, rolling her eyes Jinx reluctantly looked back to Speedy.
Ever the annoying gimp he is, the redhead actually waited for her to nod before speaking."When I was in Melvot there was no proceeding. No court date, nothing. I was in my fucking mask for christ's sake".
"No wonder I couldn't find your identity in the inmate records, shame" Gizmo murmured idly.
To his credit, Speedy only half glared at him before continuing. "As I was saying! Toler made a deal. He got paid to kidnap me and keep me secret in Melvot. Only a selected amount knew I was there. I had no contact, nothing for two whole fucking months."
"Okay, so Toler gets paid to harbor people in the prisons he has connections to. And if he did that to a hero, imagine what he did to villains. I know a few who would cash out to be sent to Arkham instead of Blackgate, dude must be loaded." Gizmo added.
Red Hood snorted, "And knowing Gotham's resident scum, fools will pay in jewels worth millions without even knowing it".
"That it? I once knew an idiot who paid for silence with a yellow lantern ring. Imagine what you could do with a yellow lantern ring" Gizmo exclaimed.
Speedy chuckled, "Let's not even get started on the goodies he must have got from Star City creeps".
"You don't think he was fucking stupid enough to keep it all at home do you" Hood sarcastically asked.
"Guess we won't know unless we go and see," Jinx said with a smirk.
It took about ten minutes for Jinx to wrangle everyone she needed for this little mini-mission.
Twenty-five if you count the fifteen minutes she had spent arguing with everyone else.
"I still don't see why I can't go", Speedy angrily murmured, as he watched Red Hood, See-More, Jinx, and Puppet King suit up.
Okay, make that twenty-six.
Rolling her eyes, Jinx stopped her small planning with Gizmo to once again sneer at the redhead. "You're not a member of the team, hence we can't be seen with you. For the last fucking time".
"You wouldn't even know about Toler if it wasn't for me Pinky. I think that warrants a visitor pass. Besides what the fuck is stopping me from walking out of your little fucking base", Speedy sneered back.
Instantly a cuff shot through the room. Like a magnet, it latched onto Speedy's ankle and like a magnet, it stuck to Gizmo's lab floor.
"What the fuck is this" Speedy yelled as he aimlessly tried to free himself from the cuff.
Gizmo beamed, "I call it the Nano-cuff, see it has a nanochip that sticks the wearer to small nanobots placed around the area. Cool right!".
"Get this shit off of me!" Speedy angrily yelled. He tried and tried to pull on the cuff, but no matter how hard he tried it didn't budge. It was like the shit was made from fucking Superboys grip.
Gizmo shrugged, "Sorry, but I can't have you alerting headquarters of your presence. Plus Hood told me to watch your dumbass ".
Speedy ignored him, still pulling on the cuff as he yelled out " Robin! Dude I'm not fucking playing tell the munchkin to take this off now".
"I told you to quit calling me that…..Look you should be resting, your better but not over it Speedy. The mission shouldn't last long." Hood murmured, reloading his gun and checking the eye hole as he spoke.
Instantly Speedy tried to refute this.
He's no fucking civvy. He's no fucking damsel. He's been a hero since he was 8 damn it!
He's two fucking years older than Red Hood! At least four years older than Gizmo.
They can't tell him shit!
Besides he feels damn great since the chamber thing. He already is better!
And he hates being told what to do. He hates feeling hopeless.
Jason of all people should understand that.
He tried to tell Hood this but was instantly ignored as Shimmer decided to begin her own whining once more.
"Okay so arrow boy can't go, but why the fuck can't Baron and I.", she spat.
See-More grimaced, "Uh isn't Mammoth asleep. I- I'm sure you already know this, being his sister and all but he's not exactly a morning person...especially at 3 am. I don't think you should wake him up for this".
" Did I ask you what you fucking thought Specs" Shimmer angrily steamed.
See-More flinched, spinning around quicker than one could blink. "No, no you did not, my bad Shimmer".
"Don't let dat darn red-haired demon scare ya See- More! Be a man" Billy Numerous pipped up. He then multiplied himself thirteen times just to give See- More a chorus 'yes men'. The copies like the original were loud and annoying and everything Shimmer hates.
So it's no real surprise that in the next few minutes Shimmer was beating them senseless.
And it's not really a surprise that Jinx didn't stop her either. It's not like Shimmer was really hurting Numerous much. And they both clearly needed to expel some energy.
She simply watched their little fight with mild interest, half-listening to Gizmo reiterate the plan as she did.
Suddenly a cold chill ran up her spine.
She didn't even need to turn to know it was Icicle Jr. He was standing behind her like the ice cube he is, just radiating sub-zero fucking temperatures. Besides him was XL Terrestial and like the freak he is, he was somehow not shivering.
"I think you've managed to make Giz's lab colder than Antarctica," she said while rubbing her arms.
Looking not the least bit sorry the blue-toned boy only shrugged, " Maybe if you let me go out for once in my life..I wouldn't be freezing the lab".
Jinx rolled her eyes. Leave it to Icicle Jr to be dramatic.
"Icicles and Shimmer's delivery is off but their message is valid. I understand not taking the new members, but a team of four is risky. Besides that.. you're clearly tired. You should take more of us" XL Terrestrial added.
Ugh. Seriously, Jinx had no idea what was with them.
Half of the fucking time, no one wants to do missions unless they're getting some shit. Now the one time she tries to keep it small everyone wants to go.
Fuck that.
Loudly and much to Gizmo's dismay she blew up the nearest inventions gaining the attention of every screwed-up member in the lab, "Look I'm not discussing this anymore. This mission is only gonna be me, Puppet King, Hood, and See-More. The rest of you should just rest up, you'll need your strength".
"Fine by me" Billy Numerous cackled. He was one of the few that was fucking ecstatic to not be picked.
Speedy huffed, "But not with me".
"Or me! Give me one fucking reason why I can't go" Shimmer bit out.
"Maybe it's because you repeatedly keep hurting your teammates", Icicle Jr. smugly replied.
"Dat 'dere does sound possible" Billy Numerous exclaimed as he rubbed over his bruised jaw.
Shimmer growled out at the two of them, coating her hand in the hardest metal just to wave it threateningly in their direction. "Can it dweebs ! For I black both of your eyes, again".
The two boys paled, Icicle jr. even took a moment to move farther away from the terrifying teen. Running he grabbed Gizmo up by his backpack and held him up in front. "Don't come closer, She-Devil or I will use the Genius".
Gizmo rolled his eyes, shivering just the slightest from Icicle Jr's cold fingers," I'm not a shield, Cameron. Put me down! And the rest of you, a team of four is the best option. Stop talking our ears off because you weren't picked. It's a covert operation, that means sneaky silent mission.".
"I'm covert" Shimmer and Speedy yelled back. Instantly Hood, as well as Jinx, sent them a pointed look.
"Okay..fine. I won't go. But why are you having the little shit babysit me? I'm not four ya know" Speedy asked, as he once again pulled at the cuff on his leg. He looked nonchalant as he said it. Like it wasn't important but Jinx knew better.
Because she knew, just as much as Hood knew the reason Speedy was being confided to Gizmo lab.
Hell, she's surprised Speedy didn't know.
Throughout her short time knowing Speedy, Jinx had come to the conclusion that while annoying, he is well-liked by Hood.
When he wasn't cleaning up after the druggie, Hood's eyes shined for Speedy in a way she had only really seen with Nightwing.
She could tell that to Hood, Speedy was family.
So she knew, the reason Hood wanted Speedy to stay in Gizmo's lab was because he wanted Speedy safe.
Safe from the rest of the team, because they weren't exactly hero friendly.
Safe from Headquarters, because Gizmo was the only one who could succeed in hiding him.
Safe from the drugs, because Hood wouldn't be here to watch him.
She knew that, but Speedy didn't. So when Hood sent him another pointed stare, all Speedy heard was ' I don't trust you'.
And when Hood did everything but explain what he truly means, Jinx had to turn away from that trainwreck.
Fixing her eyes back on Shimmer she idly watched as the beautiful brute argued with Gizmo.
Apparently, Gizmo said something to really piss Shimmer off, because in the next second she angrily coated her legs in shiny metal and kicked the fuck out of his computer
The boy genius glared, crying out the worst profanities he could think of before pointing his laser googles at her. It didn't hit her, instead, it hit Numerous. Numerous who embodies immaturity, of course decides to throw something back. The next second nearly everyone was fighting, chuckling as they tore up Gizmo lab.
She should probably stop them.
But at 3:00 am Jinx decided she really didn't care. Besides she had other things to worry about.
When she turned her attention away from her team, she went over the plan in her head.
Simple mission really, they go in, find whatever Toler has, and get out.
She and Gizmo were confident whoever had the SME would wait a while before initiating the second blackout. With all the supers on their ass, why wouldn't they?
That left them a small window to get whatever Toler was hiding before the SME mastermind.
Should be easy.
Gizmo already mapped out the area of Toler's little "grocery store".
It's secure, but nothing she can't get past.
High trained security.
Ultrasonic microphones.
Heat-seeking cameras.
Should be easy.
Should be fun.
She once again tore her eyes away from the plan to look over at her team. They had stopped their fighting and were somehow acting semi-decent.
Icicle Jr was teasing Puppet King as he froze the boy's beloved crown.
XL Terrestrial was enlarging and shrinking himself on See-Mores arm, despite the teen's obvious discomfort.
Hood was reloading another weapon. Speedy chained next to him looking as pouty as ever.
Numerous and….Another Numerous were mock fighting, while Gizmo tried his damnest to save whatever invention they 'accidentally' knocked over.
And Shimmer was laughing because pain is always funny to her. Especially Gizmo's.
In that moment Jinx let herself smile just the slightest. This weird little bunch, this team.
Her Team.
They were chaotic, but cheerful and lively and if you exclude Speedy she kinda liked them.
She's not sure when she started thinking missions were easy.
But she knows, she didn't think they were fun until she met them.
And that was her mistake.
She was usually more practical, usually more cautious. But she had been slipping as of late.
It's a shame really. The second she lets her guard down, things turn for the worst.
Perhaps if she had kept it up, perhaps if she had not let herself fall into the ease that is….maybe then she would have known.
The Toler mission would not be fun.
It would be one of the worst missions she would ever go on.
Dangerous, and disastrous in more ways than one.
It would not be easy at all.
Queue Dramatic pause …. DUN DUN DUN!
Okay so I'm back and I bring you an uber long Jinx chapter! I'm sorry for the late uploads, will try to be better!
But anyway Chappie 15!
I told yall the SME was a problem lol. But how many of yall expected it to take that turn? I hope it wasn't confusing basically somebody used the SME cause they're trying to steal something in Hub city.
Please give me your guesses on what you think they are trying to steal! And who you think our SME mastermind is?
In this chapter, I really wanted to focus on the Chaos Club's dynamic. Not everyone was featured but I think yall get the gist They are well chaotic, so many times writing them kinda seems like a rollercoaster ride. Everyones got their issues and it's never a straight line with them. Always the detours and the arguments. They are never focused lol.
Also gave you a bit of some Speedy v Jinx, because I love their banter in the comics. They irritate each other so much, it's always a treat. Jinx may seem a little extra in her hatred of Roy here but that's just because she see's him as a means for her end. She does not like the fact that they're harboring a hero in the base. Roys attitude doesn't exactly help either lol.
Speaking of Roy, I give you... Roy. I feel like this was the first chapter where you guys really get to see him, see him. Ya know through his own lens. I love writing him! He's such a witty asshole with major anger problems and the biggest heart. Ugh and if Ollie really knew what went down in Melvot he would've never sent Roy there. But I'll tell yall more about that in a later chapter. Gizmo is such a fucking brat! I love him lol. Dropped a little more info about Hood as well did yall catch it? Jason storyline is slowly coming into the full story and I'm geeked about it. Speaking of which our poor Jaybird sucks at feelings, its a running theme with our Bat family.. Gonna cause a lot of problems lol. No Wally here, I know tragic. But eh he's the MC so yall know he'll be back soon. Btw any guesses on what's gonna happen on the mission?
Ah well anyways, I'm rambling atp. Thanks so much for reading, please review.
Review Responces
Grungekitty
Thank you! I'm glad the plots got you pumped! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Falconress
Thank you so much! Artemis is so interesting to write, she'll be back soon with more of her POV. Hmmmmmm….idk are they lol? Keep reading to find out! Who caused the SME! Biggest question ever! Gimme your guess lol. I'm glad you like the feels in the last chapter. It was a lot emotionally for Wally as a charcter, so I'm glad you felt it as a reader. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Pankatoffel
Thank you so much for your kind review! I'm glad you like my mixmatchinesss lol. Kyle is so interesting and fun to write, glad you like him. That is so sweet, truly that made my day! So so so many plotlines lol. Because I'm extra and will never settle for one lol. I will definitely finish it! Hope you enjoyed the new chappie!