Chapter Two: Match Made

I was furious.

I am too intelligent for this.

The HIVE leaders were fools to agree to take part in this… Breeding Program.

What is this Breeding Program other than a ploy to obtain some meta-human children to ensure the future of villains? I even more seriously considered Kid Flash's offer to join the Good Side after hearing about this nonsense, but the next line crushed my small thought. The speaker said that everyone of age is evaluated and categorized. That includes villains. And heroes. If only they had kept their prejudices about heroes having bad genes for children…

Only three days later, I was informed through a letter that I had a match. It sounded tragically like Valentine's Day fund-raising event, where they announce you have a match in a high inflated voice. Actually, I preferred this. At least I know the Breeding Program will not and is not going to pick someone who is completely brainless and only has good looks to recommend himself.

By the way, my "match" is a civilian. Wally West. Apparently, the Breeding Program people think that civilian has recessive genes for super-speed.

The letter wasted my time.

I should have been writing a story.

The story would be about some old villains who are half-insane but are leaders of the HIVE. In my tale, they threaten their talented, gifted students with the prospect of marrying or mating with civilians because they decided to join a Breeding Program--- with us! On the other hand, they have some guidelines mentioning youths only, so I will not end up being maltreated by an old man who has one eye, three teeth, and not all his vital organs.

That is a good thing.

At any rate, I am better off than Kyd Wykked. He was matched to Raven, of the Teen Titans. I pitied him when I saw his letter. According to the words that were written, the Breeding Program thinks any child of those two may become a high-powered magic user. I wondered if the Breeding Program considered a slight problem… Raven needs to speak to use magic and Kyd Wykked cannot talk or uncontrolled havoc is wrought---unintentionally, of course. I wonder if their possible future child will be able to use magic at all…

I hoped that those dim-witted Breeding Program people would leave us all alone after the first letter, but they did not. I received another letter after the first one. It informed me that I would be posing as a civilian as well to capture the heart of Wally West and marry him and bear a child. Then, I would be free to get rid of him in any way I see fit or divorce him… truthfully, it only said that I would be posing as a civilian.

If I joined the Good Side, where Kid Flash is, would I still be a part of this Breeding Program? I asked myself this question, and then shuddered as I thought about what might happen instead. It was highly likely that someone would eventually be matched to me to try and give me a child for this program. I vaguely wondered about who it might be when I suddenly realized that it could be anyone. Mammoth, Gizmo, Billy Numerous… anyone. At least I had an overly normal person with this civilian, from the description.

I ran through the halls of the underground H-Tower to my own room, trying not to run into another messenger from the HIVE or elsewhere. Elsewhere meaning the Breeding Program. Luckily, I managed to get to my own rooms while ignoring the guests and the messengers. We had visitors who were studying us, but they would be gone soon… I hoped. Nothing good has come of their stay. Absolutely nothing. (The only thing of interest we learned was that See-More is not a human but actually an alien called a Cyclopes, but we probably would have found that out eventually, anyways.)

While walking, I was trying to understand that sooner or later, I would be married or mated to a civilian all for the sake of a Breeding Program some people decided to establish. And not just a civilian! A womanizer. I greatly dislike those types. They just go philandering about and ignoring people's feelings the majority of the time. I had to convince a philanderer to have children with me!

All right, so mayhap he is not a philanderer yet. However, he is a flirt, which is why the plans are for me to be betrothed to him.

When I was finally in my room, I discovered that I have yet another letter left on my desk. Hum… who could it be from? Why, naturally, the Breeding Program!

I did not read it then, though, because there was a knocking on my door that interrupted me. I opened it angrily with the full intent of scolding whoever dared to disturb me--- but I found Kyd Wykked and an unknown Asian girl… Cheshire, I believe she is. It was difficult to tell much about her based on facial expressions, because she wore a mask covering her entire face.

I let them in.

After some conversation, I found that we are all "matched" (Read it as "potential breeders") to someone on the Other Side.

We all had orders on what to do, along with other information.

Cheshire was the silent and dangerous type. She has no meta-powers, but her agility and intelligence were considered exceptional. "Morphers of all types are generally difficult to control," said Cheshire's letter, "so you will kill him once you have ascertained that you are with child." Her voice was soft and fatal when she read aloud. It gave the impression that she was slowly dripping poison into the air somehow, so that her chosen victims would breathe it and die. I gave a visible shudder, which brought a quiet-but-harsh chuckle from her and a short stare from Kyd Wykked's glowing red eyes.

Kyd Wykked was still on stand-by, but a vague outline for him had been issued. He would gain her trust, get a child, and then come back to serve the elder villains again. Truly exciting.

Mine, as I stated before, was to play out my betrothal to a civilian with recessive speed genes, get a child, and then everything else was my choice. Why did I have to get married? Because apparently, Wally West was a more wealthy civilian and him having an illegitimate child would not be any good for the less-than-reputable reputation of the villains or him. And his reputation for being a ladies' man. He will most likely be a "catch" since there is all this trouble to get his genes. He would probably be blond haired, blue eyed, wealthy, admired…

And stupid.

And arrogant.

And a flirt.

And I loathe flirts.

It was in that direction my thoughts were taking when Kyd Wykked telepathically told me to listen because Cheshire was explaining how we were all related in this situation. The cat-masked assassin was going to Asia where she would steal some ingredients for bombs. Our superiors (also known as the Board of Idiots Who Want Us For Their Breeding Program) would be sure to slip out that Cheshire had a weak point in fighting shapeshifters accompanied with a subtle note implicating that animal shapeshifters were her main weakness. Naturally, the Teen Titans would be in a hurry to send someone over, but since most of their team will be preoccupied here and the older heroes will also be occupied and be unable to send assistance, Beast Boy, the idiot green human and animal shapeshifter, would have to go alone, whereupon he will be murdered after his use is complete.

So I am not the only one given an elaborate plan to obtain the genes the Breeding Program wants. They must be quite desperate, because most meta-gifted children are snatched up by the Heroes for training if they are discovered by the Good Side.

Anyways, we went on discussing things and I was sent off to Wally West's home with a convincing document that stated I was practically betrothed to him because of some arrangement his father had made long ago with my father (who, by the way, is imaginary in this case) that specified that they both desired their children to marry eventually. Most people honor the requests of dead relations quite seriously.

I arrived at the West Estate later today. It is not in Jump City but in the countryside surrounding it. One servant told me to go and take a walk on the grounds. "Breathe the fresh air," he said. I arrived at their lake. I had my writing implements on me, so I started a letter to Cheshire after looking warily around for anyone watching.

I dropped a letter I was writing to Cheshire when a misshapen dog ran into me and knocked me into the lake. Naturally, my paper turned into wet strips with ink stains and I became completely wet. My clothing, a carefully chosen black dress, also got wet.

I was beyond furious.

So, I walked out of the shallow water I had fallen into and looked at the person on the other side of the leash. I proceeded to pull him into the water and then to kick him.

In between the kicks, I heard him yelping for me to stop.

I pitied him.

A little.

"What--- are--- you--- doing--- Ouch!"

"You just ruined my letter to one of my friends!" I shouted.

"Stop kicking me!" he retorted. He somehow got up and threw me to the ground before I knew what was happening. It seems that he did have some of the super-speed genes that were supposed to be recessive for him. "Who are you?" he questioned as he eased himself onto my stomach. I had an instinct to blast him away with some bad luck, but I had a feeling that I should not.

I sniffed haughtily at him. "It does not concern you, but Guenever Felinus."

Almost instantly, he stiffened before releasing me. I took the chance and pushed him off my body. Then, I stood up and dusted myself off. "And who are you?"

"Mister West, I am pleased to see that you have already met Miss Felinus," interrupted a cheery voice. It was the servant who suggested I take a walk.

I gaped for a moment. This… idiot… was who I had to eventually marry. Well, this was Wally West. His blue eyes had an indignant and egotistical look in them. He was also frowning. My first guess was almost all accurate. He was blue eyed, wealthy, admired, stupid, arrogant, and a flirt. He had red hair instead of blond, though. Although one could protest that I did not and do not know enough about him to make a judgment, all I have seen of him so far announces that I am most likely correct.

Mister West got up and pushed me into the lake. In front of his dog and his servant.

Then, he laughed loudly.

I detest him.

An entry from Jinx's Journal, found amongst her possessions.