The midmorning sun rose over Jump City.
Jinx slowly closed the window to her hotel room and sighed, finally turning away from the large voids that still littered the sky.
It had only been a day since the voids to other worlds had appeared. Jinx had spent most of her time aiding both local Jump City authorities and citizens as best she could, doing her part to prepare and defend her city and the world from both current and future attacks.
Jinx changed out of her light pink robe and into her usual purple and black outfit as well as her boots. When dressed, she grabbed her Titans Communicator. Lastly, she placed her new lightning bolt necklace over her purple necklace before exiting her room. She moved across the hall and to another room, knocking on the door.
After a few seconds of silence, Jinx shook her head and moved to the keypad next to the door, typing in a code. As she finished, the buttons she'd pressed lit up in the shape of a lightning bolt before going dark as the door hissed open.
Jinx walked through the messy hotel room and over to the fridge where there was a note waiting for her. It had been written quickly with multiple revisions and large lines had been scribbled over the majority of the words.
Hey, gorgeous.
Had to make a quick run to
Steel City
Metropolis
Rosenbaum City
Star City
Russia
Be back in a Flash.
The note was signed with a few purple and black lightning bolts.
Jinx smiled. Her train of thought was broken by the sound of the television that had been left on across from the hotel room's bed.
Jinx, not looking away from the T.V., flicked her wrist. With a flash of pink, a large picture hanging over the bed fell from the wall, impacted with the pillow, and sent the remote lying on the pillow soaring into her hand.
Jinx used the remote to turn up the volume on the T.V.
"…the Jump City customer branch of Starling International Bank seems to be under attack by two criminals who escaped during the jailbreak two nights ago around the same time the anomalies that still dot the sky above…"
Jinx rolled her eyes when she saw the two criminals inside the bank.
One criminal was incredibly large while the other was quite small.
"Not again," Jinx muttered, annoyed. She quickly turned off the television, set the remote on the bedside table, fixed the bed, and placed the picture back on the wall before exiting the hotel room.
As Jinx walked out onto the street, her Titans Communicator glinting in the sunlight.
…
There's new trouble. We know who to call…
TEEN TITANS!
The old Titans, they can't stop it all…
TEEN TITANS!
With all the evil on the attack,
they won't rest until they got your back.
The world will need more heroes on patrol…
TEEN TITANS DAWN!
Now a new team must come to the light…
TEEN TITANS!
Our world will surly perish if they don't unite…
TEEN TITANS!
There's a path must be run.
A path that leads straight to the dawn.
'Cause without Titans, evil gains control…
TEEN TITANS DAWN!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
FOUR!
DAWN!
TEEN TITANS!
…
"I'm bad luck. Good was never an option for me."
– Jinx. Season 5: Episode 8 "Lightspeed."
…
"Jinx"
"Hurry up!" Gizmo urged as Mammoth tossed a few unconscious uniformed officers aside in a pile.
Mammoth brushed his hands off with a grunt. "This would be a lot easier with—"
"Cram it," Gizmo spat as he pulled two small, silver orbs out of his pocket. "We don't need her."
Gizmo threw the small orbs onto the floor where they split into two separate orbs and began to unfold. The now four objects each supported four pointed legs that were held together by a metal, green 'G'. The devices crawled up the dark green walls and onto the large vault door at the end of the room.
Mammoth took his place beside Gizmo as the child took out a small, yellow detonator.
"Fire in the hole," Gizmo said with a grin.
The devices on the vault door exploded as Gizmo activated the detonator. The vault door's hinges were blown apart. Mammoth chuckled and easily tore the vault off the wall, revealing piles and piles of money.
Mammoth grunted and threw the vault door toward the front entrance to the bank.
The vault door stopped in midair. After a few moments, it fell awkwardly to the side, revealing the remainder of the Teen Titans.
…
Cyborg and Robin stood side by side with Raven and Beast Boy flanking them.
"Should've figured it would only take you a day to get back to your crimes," Cyborg said to Gizmo and Mammoth. "But did you have to pick the most obvious target?"
"Maybe, they're just ready to go back to jail," Robin grunted.
Mammoth moved to stand by Gizmo's side again.
Gizmo grinned. "Well if it isn't Bird-Brain—"
"Maybe you should stop," Raven interrupted as she grasped her robes. "Or do you want to see the tentacles again?"
"You won't scare me again," Gizmo said, reaching into his back pocket and dropping a green, cube-shaped device on the ground behind him. "Besides, you're nothing compared to what was in Cybooger's snot."
"Yeah, don't need the memories," Beast Boy interjected.
"Last chance," Robin said, taking a step forward. "Surrender or—"
Mammoth picked up a nearby office chair and threw it at the Titans, who easily dodged the projectile.
Cyborg and Robin looked at each other and nodded, speaking together. "Teen Titans, Go!"
The Titans charged forward. Cyborg and Raven moved to confront Mammoth while Beast Boy and Robin faced off against Gizmo.
Gizmo produced a control panel from his pocket and punched two buttons. The first button activated four long, pointed legs from his backpack that allowed him to tower above his opponents. The second button activated the cube behind him, which produced two long, rectangular poles that brimmed with electricity.
Robin immediately jumped and attempted to kick Gizmo but was batted over the young genius's shoulder by one of the four legs. Beast Boy turned into a rabbit in order to dodge stabs from two of the other legs before turning into a porcupine to shoot quills from below.
Gizmo skillfully used one of the legs to block the quills.
…
Cyborg locked hands with Mammoth and they both tried to push the other back.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Raven threw two bags of money from the vault at Mammoth's back.
Mammoth barely reacted. He simply released his grip on Cyborg and backhanded the hero off his feet before throwing a nearby computer at Raven. Raven grabbed the computer with her magic and threw it back, momentarily distracting the villain.
…
Robin, seeing Gizmo's backpack charging up with electricity, ran at Beast Boy who had just turned into a gorilla in order to grab onto one of Gizmo's metal legs.
Robin tackled Beast Boy as best he could just before the electricity made contact with the young Titan. Beast Boy, still in gorilla form, gave Robin a confused look before grabbing a wooden desk for cover as two cannon's that had sprouted from Gizmo's shoulders fired at them.
The desk blew apart, sending both Beast Boy and Robin to the ground on the left side of the room.
…
Cyborg unleashed another punch with his right hand. Mammoth turned just in time to grab the hand as Cyborg turned it into a sonic cannon. The resulting burst of electricity blew Mammoth across the room and into the wall.
Raven landed beside Cyborg as he shook out his somewhat electrified metal hand.
Mammoth groaned and turned toward them, his glare turning into a smile.
Raven's eyes widened and she threw up a shield around both herself and Cyborg as the cube device that Gizmo had placed on the ground earlier buzzed loudly before one of its rectangular poles shot electricity toward them.
Instead of colliding with the shield however, the electricity turned and curled, forming into an electric cage that surrounded the two Titans.
Cyborg grunted in anger as Raven released her shield.
A half second later, the second pole shot electricity in Robin and Beast Boy's direction, wrapping them in an electric cage of their own.
Beast Boy attempted to turn into a fly to escape only to have the electricity close in further.
Gizmo smiled as he deactivated his mechanical legs and dropped to the ground. "Don't bother, stupid. This baby's linked to you barf-brains' DNA. I've had plenty of opportunities to collect samples over time."
Cyborg's nose flared in anger. "You mean you've been using my DNA?" he shouted. "You better hope I don't get out of this anytime soon, little man! Because, when I do, I'm going to teach you about boundaries!"
"This won't keep us here forever," Robin assured Gizmo.
"We don't need it too, snot-breath," Gizmo sneered.
Mammoth stood and started grabbing piles of money.
Gizmo folded his arms. "It just needs to hold you until we leave. Maybe if your alien girlfriend hadn't left you, you'd be a theat. Without her, you don't stand a chance."
"Let us out and we'd totally stand a chance!" Beast Boy argued.
"And who's going to let you out?" Gizmo taunted with a smile. He glanced at Mammoth. "See? I told you I wouldn't need the battle suit."
"Sorry I'm late," someone said through the Titans' Communicators.
A young woman with pink hair in the shape of a horseshoe cartwheeled through the door to the bank.
…
Jinx stopped, standing in the center of the room between the trapped Titans and her two former partners in crime.
"Jinx," Mammoth said, making his way behind the pink-haired young woman. "I don't suppose you're here to rejoin the H.I.V.E.… um… two… or three?"
"Not that we need you," Gizmo promised. "We're doing just fine on our own."
"You two just don't know when to quit, do you?" Jinx asked with a roll of her eyes. "Let's see if I can say this in a way that you'll understand."
Gizmo nodded at Mammoth. The large man charged.
Jinx's eyes turned bright pink. "No…"
There was a flash of pink as Jinx flicked her right wrist, causing the piles of money on the ground in front of her to flare up into a blizzard of coins and bills, temporarily blinding Gizmo.
Jinx turned slightly, waving her left arm. "Means…"
A large bag of money in front of Mammoth shifted, causing the charging foe to trip.
Jinx gracefully spun to the side. "No!" she completed as she unleashed a kick that sent Mammoth careening into Gizmo as the boy started to rise.
The colliding bodies slammed into Gizmo's machine, breaking the device and releasing the Titans.
"Nice timing," Cyborg said as he cracked his neck. He moved to join Jinx.
"Good work, Jinx," Robin added as the Titans formed up again.
Mammoth and Gizmo slowly rose to their feet.
The Titans leapt into action.
Beast Boy turned into a large elephant and charged at Mammoth.
Gizmo quickly activated the metal wings on his suit.
Mammoth was able to hold the green elephant at bay but was unprepared for a left hook from Cyborg. As Mammoth fell to a knee, Robin leapt from atop a desk and sent a kick to Mammoth's face, knocking the large man out completely.
As Raven advanced and started throwing projectiles, Gizmo hit yet another button on his control panel and holographic clones of himself appeared, concealing his true location.
All the holograms of Gizmo stuck out their tongues. "What are you going to do without your alien to blast me this time?" they taunted.
Jinx stepped forward and raised both hands above her head. Pink rays of light flew from her fingertips and collided with the sprinklers attached to ceiling. The tips of the sprinklers burst apart piece by piece and sprayed water everywhere.
Gizmo looked up as the water went straight through his flying holograms, leaving them unchanged. Gizmo himself however, was soaked.
"Crud!" Gizmo exclaimed.
Raven, now knowing which Gizmo was real, threw the boy to the ground with her magic before tearing off his backpack and throwing it away.
"Now that's fighting like a girl," Jinx said to Raven with a wink.
Raven lowered her hood and nodded her thanks.
A few minutes later, Jinx gathered outside the bank with the Titans as Gizmo and Mammoth were carted into a large, grey police truck.
"So," Beast Boy said, walking up to Jinx. "What's a 'former villain and definitely a hero in my book' like you doin' here?"
"Saw some old friends robbing the bank," Jinx replied simply. "Figured I'd pay them a visit."
"It's good that you showed up when you did," Robin admitted. "They may have gotten away."
"For about two minutes," Cyborg grumbled, glaring at Gizmo.
"Still, it's convenient that you're here," Raven remarked.
"Meaning?" Jinx asked, somewhat nervous about the comment.
"Nothing bad," Robin promised. "We've had a new development and we're looking to recruit a few people for a new team."
"Where's this team going?" Jinx asked, motioning around them. "And where's Starfire?"
Robin opened his mouth to answer when his Communicator chimed. He held up a finger and spoke into the device. "Speedy, what's up?"
Jinx tipped her head to the side. Robin moved away as Cyborg stood aside so the prison van could drive past.
Cyborg looked at Jinx. "So, where's your attachment?"
"At the moment?" Jinx asked. She shrugged. "He's keeping busy. You never answered my question about Robin's attachment."
"Gone," Raven answered.
"Gone…" Jinx repeated, confused.
"She's returned to Tamaran," Cyborg explained.
Jinx glanced at the one of the many holes in the sky, beginning to piece together what the Titans wanted with her.
"Raven," Robin called. "Speedy needs some help, they've got some interdimensional entities in Steel City. He wants to know if you have any input. Beast Boy, make sure these two get back to prison."
Beast Boy nodded and turned into a green cardinal before taking off after the truck.
"I'm going to be leaving soon too," Cyborg said with regret. "It seems I'm one of the leading experts in space travel."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Jinx said with a small smile.
Cyborg pointed toward the repaired and retrofitted T-Car that was parked nearby. "I'll explain more on the way."
Jinx nodded and started moving toward the car when she caught something out of the corner of her eye and turned.
An old woman wearing a black uniform and skirt stood near the entrance to a nearby alley. She had her grey hair in a tight bun. Her blue eyes were stern and alert. She was currently staring straight at Jinx.
The old woman locked eyes with Jinx and shook her head, almost in disappointment, before turning and moving down the alley.
Jinx's eyes widened and she ran after the former H.I.V.E. Headmistress.
"Jinx?" Cyborg called from behind.
Jinx followed the Headmistress into what turned out to be a dead-end alley.
Cyborg skidded to stop, followed closely by Robin.
Jinx, still ignoring the Titans, tugged on a locked door to the right. After a sigh of frustration, she turned and looked down at a sewer grate on the ground in front of her. She glimpsed a flash of grey hair from through the grate.
Jinx knelt and attempted to lift the grate, finding it screwed shut. The young woman slowly pressed down on a spinning screw on the edge of the grate. The screw stopped, tightening itself completely.
"What is it?" Cyborg asked.
"I saw someone I used to know," Jinx grunted.
"Who?" Robin asked.
"The H.I.V.E. Headmistress."
Robin held his chin.
Cyborg glanced at a camera over the door to their right. "Let's get back to the Tower," he suggested. "I can compile some data starting with that camera's footage."
Jinx raised her hand to open the grate using her hexes but found herself hesitating.
Robin shook his head. "Don't bother," he said calmly. "Trust me, if she went down there on this side of town, there's no way to track her."
"Are you sure?" Jinx asked, confused as to why she felt so hesitant to pursue.
"Pretty sure," Robin said with a hint of amusement.
Jinx looked at him, suddenly remembering the day she'd faced off against the Titans for the first time when, due to a combined effort between Gizmo, Mammoth, and herself, Robin had once been lost to the sewers of Jump City. "Right… my bad."
A half hour later, the Titans stood around the central monitor in the living room of Titans Tower.
"This is the data we managed to pull from the flash-freeze prison breakout the other night," Raven explained as she pulled up a grainy image on the monitor.
The image displayed Slade standing with his back to the camera and two villains, recently released, that had moved to stand at his side. One figure was skinnier.
"There wasn't much," Raven finished.
Cyborg glanced at his arm and swiped his fingers across a mini-screen. New images from the camera near the sewer grate that the Headmistress had escaped through appeared on the giant monitor in front of them.
The image, like the image at the prison, only revealed part of the skinny woman's body.
"I'm going to combine the data from both images," Cyborg said as he flicked a few switches and pressed a few buttons. "Hopefully we can get— yup. You were right, Robin."
"What does this mean?" Jinx asked, looking at a computerized version of the Headmistress' face.
"It means she may be working with Slade," Robin said. "Or she may know what he's planning."
"Any suggestions of where to look?" Raven asked Jinx.
"No," Jinx said, shaking her head uneasily.
"We'll find her," Robin said firmly. "When we do, we should be ready."
"Why should we be worried?" Beast Boy asked. "She's just an old lady."
"An old lady that trained me," Jinx clarified.
"Oh," Beast Boy said, choosing to take a step back and remain silent.
The large monitor flashed yellow and black for a moment before the Headmistress' face appeared.
"Are we being hacked?" Robin asked immediately.
"No," Cyborg said, turning to the computer. "I don't think—"
"Hush, children," the image interrupted sternly. "I knew you would look at this data eventually. So, I encrypted this message into the ally camera."
Jinx stepped forward.
The Headmistress spoke calmly. "This is meant for my former protégé," she said, seeming to look Jinx in the eye through the monitor. "You have turned your back on everything you have been taught. I am ashamed."
Jinx gulped but refused to turn away from the screen.
"However," the Headmistress' message continued. "I believe that there is still a chance for you. So I suggest you return to your roots, Jinx. There is something I want to show you. I know your new 'friends' will come as well. And I welcome it. I shall see you shortly."
The screen cut to black and returned to normal.
Everyone turned to Jinx.
"Return to your roots?" Raven inquired.
Jinx shook her head but stood tall. "It's just another mind game. It was one of her main tactics in teaching."
"Mind games are nothing new to us," Beast Boy commented.
"Mind games or not," Robin interrupted as he stepped forward. "She just gave you a clue to her location."
"It's probably a trap," Cyborg cautioned.
"Oh, it's definitely a trap," Jinx confirmed, folding her arms. "And if the Headmistress is setting it, it's not one that I want to spring."
"Why?" Robin asked.
Jinx looked down and didn't answer, still unsure of where her constant uneasiness was coming from.
"Then let us spring it," Cyborg offered kindly, placing a hand on Jinx's shoulder. "Just give us a location. We'll take care of it."
Jinx slowly nodded. "She's hiding out at the old H.I.V.E. Academy," she finally said. "The one you tracked me to when Brother Blood was in charge."
"Any ideas on what she has waiting for us?" Raven asked.
"Probably everything," Jinx said as she fidgeted with her necklaces. "Especially if she's in the old Master's office. There's one hallway in, one hallway out. She could have anything set up."
Robin nodded and turned to his team. "Let's get moving."
Raven drew her hood over her head as she and Beast Boy walked to the door behind Robin.
Jinx ignored them and lowered her gaze until she felt pressure on her shoulder.
Cyborg slowly lowered his hand. "Nobody'll be mad if we don't see you there," he said quietly. "If we could beat Brother Blood, we can easily handle the Headmistress."
"Thanks," Jinx said. She shook her head and looked out the window.
"Something's bothering you," Cyborg said. It wasn't a question.
"I don't know what it is," Jinx admitted. "I mean, when Madam Rogue made me mad, I was able to handle her just fine. But the Headmistress… my teachers always have a way of turning my world against me."
Cyborg lowered his voice. "Having been a former athlete and an undercover agent… I can understand the pull of power when the offer comes out of the right mouths the right way."
"You were never tempted," Jinx argued. "You were always a hero, no matter what you were pretending. Me… it's been a long road."
"I had friends to help me stay a hero," Cyborg replied calmly. "And I had a home to come back to."
Jinx looked away again, unsure what to say.
"Speaking of which," Cyborg said lightly. "If you're gonna to stick around, maybe you should make yourself at home. Starfire's room is pretty clean. You can move in anytime you like."
"You want me to stay in the Tower?" Jinx asked.
"Better than a lonely hotel," Cyborg said with a shrug. "Trust me, Star would want her room to be used."
"I'll think about it," Jinx said after a moment.
"Cyborg," Robin called through the screen on Cyborg's arm. "You comin'?"
"On my way," Cyborg answered.
"Good luck," Jinx said.
"See you in a bit or when we get back from kicking more bad guy butt," Cyborg said with a cocky grin.
Jinx turned and walked through the Tower until she's reached Starfire's old room. She was shocked to find two bags on the floor in front of the door.
The bags contained all her clothes. There was a note attached to one of them. Once again, it was written in haste.
Hi again, slow-poke
Robin called late last night and I heard you may be moving in. I took the liberty of dropping off your stuff on my way to Gotham a few minutes ago. Have fun while I'm gone!
As always, the note was signed with a lightning bolt.
Jinx smiled and touched the necklace around her neck before opening the door to Starfire's room.
Jinx hesitated yet again but was still unsure why. She closed the door without entering and sighed, sitting down against the wall. After a few seconds, Jinx slowly grabbed the Titans Communicator off her hip, staring at the 'T' symbol on top. I'm a Titan, Not H.I.V.E. I'm a Titan.
Jinx opened the Communicator, tapped the screen a few times, and attempted to make a call. After a few seconds, the Communicator attempted to connect a call to Gotham. A half second later, the Communicator flashed and "RE-ROUTING" appeared on the screen. Then the Communicator attempted to connect to Virginia. Then North Carolina. Then South Carolina. Then Georgia. The Communicator re-routed to Florida before an error message appeared.
Jinx canceled the call with a grunt. He needs to learn to slow down every once in a while.
After a few seconds of thought, Jinx made another call. The Communicator connected her to Steel City.
"Jinx?" asked the young woman who answered.
"Hey, Rose," Jinx said, standing up.
The young woman on the Communicator's screen had long white hair and blue eyes. She wore yellow and orange combat armor and currently had two katana's strapped to her back. Her black boots were neatly tied.
Unlike when Jinx had first met the daughter of Slade, Rose now had an air of confidence and self-assurance about her and there was no trace of her mask, be it one of anger and aggression or the physical mask that she'd formerly worn in honor of her father prior to joining the Titans.
"I need your advice," Jinx finally said. "In private."
"One sec," Rose answered. She adjusted something off-screen and a second later, only her head was visible on the Communicator's monitor. "I've never seen you nervous before. What's this about?"
Jinx was unsure of how to start. She began to pace as she spoke. "Robin wants me join his team."
"Good," Rose replied happily. "You're perfect."
"I don't think so," Jinx replied quietly.
"And you're doubting yourself," Rose observed with surprise. "That's a first too."
"Someone's come back into my life," Jinx attempted to explain. She let out a breath and stopped pacing. "Someone who trained me… controlled me. Robin and the rest of them are taking her down now."
"But you're not," Rose stated without judgment.
"She wants me to come," Jinx said. "She wants to show me something. She wants me to join her again."
"Are you thinking about it?" Rose asked.
"No," Jinx said firmly. "But… she's somehow always known me better than me. She can get under my skin and both of us know it."
There was a small hesitation on the other end of the line before Rose spoke. "What do you want to ask me?"
"Slade's resurfaced," Jinx said. She sighed. "I'm sure you've heard by know."
"And?" Rose pressed, stiffening slightly at the mention of her father's name.
"If Slade came to Steel City," Jinx said slowly. "And he wanted you to join him, what would you do?"
Rose sighed and her voice held some disappointment. "I'd let someone else handle him. Not that he's approached me. I mean, why would he start now?"
"But if he did approach you," Jinx pressed.
"Honestly?" Rose said. She hesitated again before letting out a breath. "I'd run. I may not know him, but he's still my father. He may very well know me better than anyone. And I'm not sure I'm ready to face him. That's why I turned Robin down last night when he offered me a spot in Jump City."
"I'm sorry," Jinx said, believing that Rose would have made a great addition to the team.
"Don't be," Rose replied with a smile. "They found someone just as good, if not better. And… I've got a team."
Behind Rose, alarms started blaring and the walls started to flash red and black.
"Speaking of which," Rose said with a grin.
"Let's go, people!" Jinx heard Bumblebee shout off screen.
Rose held the Communicator away from herself slightly.
Behind Rose, Jinx saw Bumblebee flying by with Aqualad and the fast-moving twins, Más y Menos running close behind. Lastly Speedy slid by, flashing Rose a small smile.
The smile Rose gave Speedy in return made Jinx grab the lightning bolt necklace around her own neck.
"Listen, I gotta go," Rose said quickly, turning back to Jinx. "My advice is that if you feel you can… You need to face her. Show her, show yourself, show the world who you truly are. Otherwise, it's only going to hold you back from being who you want to be."
Jinx looked down for a split second before returning her gaze to the Communicator.
"But, like you said to me when we first met," Rose continued. "You have a choice. You'll know when you're ready. And one day, I may have to make that choice myself. Good luck, Jinx."
The screen went black.
"You too," Jinx said softly.
After a few seconds, Jinx slowly opened the door to Starfire's room. She still couldn't bring herself to step inside. Instead, she looked beyond the room and out the window at the darkening sky.
…
The Headmistress leaned back in her chair and hit a few buttons under her desk. The yellow walls surrounding the dark office started to flip around and a few cameras and monitors that had been repaired by the Headmistress turned on.
The Headmistress leaned forward as she spotted four figures entering the mostly destroyed compound. Not spotting the young woman she was looking for, the Headmistress nodded to herself and held down another button under the desk.
"They're here," the Headmistress said simply. "Be ready."
"Yes, Ma'am," someone replied.
The Headmistress released the button and leaned back in her chair again.
…
The Titans made their way through the old H.I.V.E. Academy. The area was mostly dark, and rubble surrounded them. But their path, their exact and only path, as Cyborg was quick to point out, was clear.
Currently, Cyborg was using a shoulder flashlight to guide them through a long, curving hallway.
"Okay…" Beast Boy started. "Not that I want anything to happen…"
"Which means it will," Cyborg grunted.
"Not helping," Raven said dryly.
Beast Boy sighed dramatically. "As I was saying," he said loudly. "Not that I want anything to happen, but how is it that were walking down a hallway that was completely caved in when we left, but now it's not?"
"Let's not tempt fate," Robin said from next to Cyborg. "Stay sharp."
"BB's got a point, though," Cyborg said.
Behind them, Beast Boy gave Raven a toothy grin.
Raven wasn't paying attention. "This isn't natural," she said quietly.
"What is these days?" Cyborg countered.
"Um…" Beast Boy said, pointing up at the ceiling as they turned another corner into a long hallway. "Not that."
Cyborg widened the range on his shoulder's flashlight.
Upon closer inspection, the recently repaired floors, walls, and ceiling were seemingly held together by thin lines of green and yellow. In some cases, it seemed their environment was held together only by the colorful substance.
Robin moved forward and slowly reached out with a hand, touching a cracked tile on the wall. The tile crumbled under Robin's touch and the green and yellow substance widened, taking the tile's place completely.
"We need to keep moving," Robin said, taking a step back. He looked at Cyborg and nodded.
Cyborg moved to step forward again. Just before his foot touched the ground, a flash of pink hit the tile, the additional pressure of energy causing it to crumble to dust.
"Don't move," a voice behind them said calmly. "This isn't just another hallway."
…
Jinx walked out of the darkness and into the light.
The Titans openly sighed in relief.
"Glad you could make it," Cyborg said with a smile.
"Next time, try not to give us a heart attack," Beast Boy added.
"It's good that you're here," Robin said, throwing a glare in Beast Boy's direction. "We'll need your help."
"Do you have any idea what this is?" Raven asked, pointing at the substance holding the room together.
Jinx examined the substance for a moment. "Let's find out, shall we?"
The other Titans braced themselves.
Jinx slowly reached toward the wall, her hand pulsating with pink energy. As her hand came into contact with the wall, there was slight energy pop that pushed her hand away. Jinx repeated the process with more power. The next energy pop pushed her back a step.
"Interesting," Robin said, standing next to Jinx. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"
"No," Jinx answered truthfully. "But I don't like it."
"Then neither do we," Cyborg said.
"What does your scanner say about the path ahead?" Robin asked.
"It says there's a large room past this hallway. Beyond that is the Master's Office," Cyborg answered.
"That's where she'll be," Jinx said.
"Seem simple…" Raven commented skeptically.
"It's not," Jinx agreed, striding to the head of the group. "Look at the walls."
Cyborg shined his flashlight again. "She's right," he said. "The walls and floors are different here. They look less like tile and more like moveable panels."
"So what are we really looking at?" Robin asked.
"Turrets," Jinx answered. "Lots of them on the walls, ceiling, and floor. This hallway was used as exams for the alpha students. It was also constantly under surveillance. The Master's would use the recordings as a way of offering H.I.V.E. services."
"Really? Well, that's easy enough," Cyborg said dramatically. "Anything else we should expect?"
"Well, I doubt the Headmistress has the mechs working," Jinx answered lightly. "Slade took most of them the night he opened the voids in the sky."
"How would you know that?" Beast Boy asked.
"A smart girl does her research," Jinx replied.
"And how would 'a smart girl' get down this hallway without getting blown to bits?" Raven asked.
"Bait," Jinx answered, pointing at the walls. "The turrets are motion activated. We won't know where they are until they're shooting at us."
"That sounds like a terrible plan!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I mean, in order to activate the turrets without getting shot, you'd have to be as fast as a… oooohhhh maaaan!"
"After you," Raven said, stepping aside for Beast Boy.
"We could always rename you 'Glorious Bait'," Cyborg said, ruffling Beast Boy's hair as the green Titan turned into a cheetah. Cyborg got his sonic cannon ready. "It suited you pretty well when we were playing Mega Monkeys 4 and Mega Monkeys 4.2."
The cheetah turned and hissed at Cyborg for a moment before crouching low.
Robin gazed at the curving hallway beyond. "Alright, Raven, stay close to Beast Boy and keep him covered. Cyborg, you take the ceiling turrets. I'll take the floor. Jinx, think you can handle the walls?"
"I've done it before," Jinx said confidently, readying herself.
Beast Boy pounced, bounding down the hallway as fast as he could with Raven flying close behind.
As expected, the floor, walls, and ceiling started to shift with some tiles flipping over, turning around, or extending, revealing turrets that started to shoot yellow ovals of energy.
As Beast Boy ran as fast as he could, Raven did her best to deflect as much of the lasers back to their sources as possible. Robin ran forward with his staff and started smashing the turrets on the floor one at a time. Cyborg moved close behind, his sonic cannon flashing.
Jinx, smiling with anticipation, ran forward as well. With each wave of her arms, one of the turrets on the walls shorted out with bursts of electricity and fell apart.
Remarkably, the broken walls held due to the green and yellow substance.
As Robin stopped to hop on top of a final floor turret and Cyborg turned to deal with the turrets that had appeared behind them, Jinx moved forward and ran around the curve in the hallway.
Beast Boy and Raven had reached the door on the far end and were currently keeping the turrets along the walls occupied with small shields created by Raven. Beast Boy remained in his cheetah form, methodically taking down turrets one by one.
Jinx's eyes glowed pink as she began to flip and twirl down the hall, throwing out bursts of bad luck as she moved.
When the smoke cleared, the hallway was quiet and all the turrets had been destroyed.
"Booya!" Cyborg said as he and Robin joined Jinx, Beast Boy, and Raven. "Titans destroy H.I.V.E. Academy defenses once again!"
Robin gave Jinx a nod of respect as she turned to the door leading into the next room.
"What's next?" Beast Boy asked.
"I don't know," Jinx answered honestly. "I've never gone beyond the door."
Robin strode forward. "Cyborg, get it open."
Cyborg nodded and leveled his sonic cannon, blowing the door off its hinges.
The massive area that the Titans now entered was almost completely empty aside from a large, square pit in the middle of the room. The pit looked to be about ten feet deep. Beyond the pit was another door that led to the Master's Office.
Before the Titans could say a word, there was a large flash in the opposite corner of the room and the power went out, leaving them in complete darkness.
Cyborg shouted in pain and surprise as his entire body started to short circuit and he fell into the pit, his red eye growing dim as his blue-lit body parts turned grey and black.
"Cyborg!" Robin shouted. He jumped into the pit, throwing aside his shorted out electric discs and gadgets.
Jinx heard Raven raise her voice in the darkness. "Azarath Metrion Zinth— Ahh!"
The lights in the room came back on, lightning up the yellow and black walls.
A yellow and black hexagon shaped shield with an 'H' at its center sailed away from the now falling Raven.
Just before the Titan hit the ground, Beast Boy turned into a lion and caught Raven between his paws. He quickly turned himself and landed on his back before laying the young woman safely on the ground and resuming his human form.
Across the room, Sergeant HIVE walked out of the shadows. The muscular, militaristic former member of H.I.V.E. Academy, Brotherhood of Evil, leader of the Army Brats, and now a merc for hire, stood tall in the face of his greatest adversaries.
The majority of the soldier's body was covered in black and blue armor. Sergeant HIVE's mask, boots, and gloves were yellow and shined brightly in the dim light. Upon his chest, he wore the crest of a yellow 'H' surrounded by a hexagon. He had a similar symbol on his yellow belt that held up the same color tights.
"Remote E.M.P.," Sergeant HIVE grunted, holding up a small electronic device. He pressed a button and the lights shut off. After a second, he pressed on the device again and the lights returned. "Not much. But its first burst of power is enough to keep your mechanical asset at bay for a while."
"Cyborg's not an 'asset'!" Beast Boy snapped as he placed a finger on Raven's neck to make sure she was breathing. He returned to Robin's side as Jinx jumped into the pit. Beast Boy clenched his fists. "He's our friend!"
"Something you wouldn't know much about," Jinx added, stopping beside Cyborg's motionless form.
"That's funny coming from you," Sergeant HIVE countered, hitting a button on his wrist and drawing his shield to his right hand. He jumped into the pit. "Deserter."
Jinx didn't reply.
"I thought you didn't take orders anymore, Private HIVE," Robin taunted as he motioned to the door behind the soldier.
"It's Sergeant!" the soldier corrected loudly.
"We're going to see the Headmistress," Robin continued, reaching for his belt. "Be smart and surrender now."
"The only one getting by me is the Deserter," Sergeant HIVE spat. "Special request from the Headmistress."
Robin flicked his wrist and threw an explosive disc at Sergeant HIVE. The villain deflected the disc with his shield into the wall behind him.
Jinx gasped as the doorway began to collapse. As Robin and Beast Boy charged, Jinx ran toward the collapsing doorway leading to the Headmistress. She slid through the doorway as it collapsed completely.
Halfway through, the rubble was slowed down by the green and yellow energy that currently held the academy together. The second Jinx was through, the door was repaired and latched by the substance.
Jinx rose to her feet to find herself in the Mater's office.
…
Robin unleashed a punch. Sergeant HIVE dodged a charging Beast Boy with a flip and used his shield to deflect Robin's blow.
Beast Boy resumed his human form and ran toward Sergeant HIVE, sliding under a swipe of the shield before turning into a snake and wrapping himself around the soldiers' legs. The soldier stumbled slightly and was kicked off his feet by Robin.
Beast Boy resumed his human form again and jumped, turning into an ape with raised fists. Sergeant HIVE rolled out of the way as the fists smashed into the ground. Dodging another punch from Robin, Sergeant HIVE quickly swung with his shield and knocked Beast Boy off his feet.
"Beast Boy!" Robin called, jumping over another blow and releasing a punch that knocked Sergeant HIVE back a step. "We can't beat him alone with his E.M.P. device! See what you can do for Cyborg and Raven!"
"What about Jinx?" Beast Boy asked as he moved toward Raven.
Raven stirred slightly as he touched her shoulder.
Cyborg remained dark in the middle of the pit.
Robin ducked under another blow and jumped, kicking Sergeant HIVE off his feet.
Sergeant HIVE stood quickly. "Is that the best you can do?"
"Jinx is on her own," Robin replied to Beast Boy.
…
Jinx walked to the center of the office.
The Headmistress sat at the desk, her grey hair still bound up into a tight bun. "It seems the best student and worst graduate of H.I.V.E. Academy has returned," the old woman said calmly.
"I was always the best from H.I.V.E." Jinx said bravely. "I just found that I was a better hero than a villain."
"Is that why you're here?" the Headmistress asked. "To stop the villain?"
"I'm here to show you that you don't control me anymore," Jinx replied.
…
Robin glanced behind him and saw Beast Boy run up to Cyborg. Robin returned his gaze to Sergeant HIVE just in time to dodge another rough kick to the chest.
Robin quickly grabbed Sergeant HIVE's leg and gave the soldier a sharp uppercut, knocking the soldier off his feet again.
Sergeant HIVE gritted his teeth. He reached into his belt and grabbed a small optic device, placing it over his left eye. As the optic lit up green, Sergeant HIVE hit the E.M.P. device again, bringing darkness to the room.
…
You've just lost your way," the Headmistress said to Jinx, standing up. "Yet, here you are, still talking. That means you're really not as sure about your path as you think. I'm here to help you find the right path again."
"Not happening," Jinx said.
"Indeed?" the Headmistress replied, tipping her head.
Jinx waved her arm and the carpet under the desk was ripped outward, flinging the desk and its contents at the Headmistress. Just as the desk was about to collide with the old woman, a chunk of the ceiling fell, stopping the projectile in its path and leaving the sneering woman unharmed.
Jinx took a small step back in confusion. While her powers had been dodged or avoided, they'd never been countered.
"It's not a machine that's doing this," Jinx said, looking at the wall that was still being held together with the green and yellow energy. "It's you. You've got powers too."
"Yes," the Headmistress confirmed. "I've been cursed with the power of good, even though the world saw me as bad. That is why I chose you."
"Chose me?" Jinx asked,
The old woman nodded, taking a step closer to Jinx. "When I created the H.I.V.E. Academy all those years ago and eventually brought you here, I knew that your powers could make you greater than most of those who'd been through this school," she explained with both pride and bitterness in her voice. "You could be who you were meant to be. In fact, this place was created to help all young villains be who they were meant to be."
"Whether they would have chosen it for themselves or not," Jinx retorted. "H.I.V.E. was all I'd ever known. Maybe if I'd been given—"
"What one never knows," the Headmistress interrupted. "Can never harm."
"You're right," Jinx said, refusing to back down. "As children we were bred and trained to harm. But I'm a big girl, now. I'm embracing my powers and using them to become the hero that I want to—"
"And I want you to become the villain you should be!" the Headmistress snapped loudly. "Your powers give you strength over your enemies! However, your weakness is your empathy for those beneath you!"
"If that were true," Jinx said, stepping forward. "Then the Brotherhood of Evil would have won. But when I fought them, they lost. What does that say about my weakness?"
The Headmistress sighed. "As I said before, it is obvious that you are not here to fight me, or you would have ended this pointless debate. Why are you truly here?"
Jinx folded her arms. "I wanted to look into the face of my teacher and tell her that I am a Titan now and that's not going to change."
"And when the Titans fall?" the Headmistress asked, moving to a monitor on the wall that had begun to light up.
"They won't," Jinx promised.
"You overestimate your new 'friends'," the Headmistress stated.
"You underestimate the Titans," Jinx replied.
"Do I?" the Headmistress asked.
The monitor on the wall turned on to reveal what was happening in the training room outside of the office. The darkness was illuminated in great detail by bright shades of green.
The Headmistress stood beside Jinx and spoke as they began to watch the battle. "Let us examine that claim."
…
Robin, unable to see the soaring shield in the darkness, felt a sharp pain in his chest as he was slammed off his feet yet again.
"That was for the chicken pox," Sergeant HIVE grunted in the darkness.
"Cy!" Beast Boy was calling from somewhere to Robin's left. "Cy, wake up! We kinda need some backup here!"
Robin back-rolled to his feet and jumped into a flip, only to be hit by the shield once again and before falling hard to the ground.
…
You see," the Headmistress said, placing a hand on Jinx's shoulder. "Slade revealed himself only a day ago and already the Titans are divided around the world and therefore shall fall. Just as they did when you first battled them, then when Slade took over the city, and then yet again with the Brotherhood of Evil. The Titans always fall."
"And they always get back up," Jinx said, shrugging off the Headmistress' hand and forcing herself to look away from the monitor. "Just like they will now."
The Headmistress shook her head. "Such a disappointment you are," she said softly.
"I'm not a disappointment!" Jinx shouted with a flash of anger. "I'm exactly who I want to be!"
Jinx flicked her wrist. A ray of pink light danced past the Headmistress and hit the wall, sending an energy wave back toward them that knocked Jinx off her feet.
"You're bad luck," the still standing Headmistress stated, repeating what she'd always told Jinx during her studies. "Good is not an option for you. You can never truly be a hero."
Jinx shook her head.
"Your powers can only destroy. They cannot bring about life," the Headmistress continued. "Yet, you've chosen to side with those who will inevitably lose. I'm here to offer you the choice of your lifetime. Join Slade in his plans. Be who I taught you to be."
Jinx rose to a knee.
The Headmistress offered Jinx a hand.
Jinx slowly rose to her feet, taking a glance at the monitor to see Robin get slammed to the floor again as Beast Boy tried in vain to awake Cyborg. Raven continued to stir.
Jinx slowly turned, looking at the Headmistress' outstretched hand. She shook her head again, batted the hand aside, and jumped before lashing out with a foot. The kick was easily blocked with a flick of the Headmistress' wrist.
Jinx found herself being thrown over the desk and she landed on the floor.
The lightning bolt necklace fell upon the desk.
"Unlike your 'friends' in the pit," the Headmistress said calmly, shaking out her hand lazily. "I am willing to use my powers to their best potential. Bad has always come easily for you. Why not embrace it again? You could defeat me."
Jinx refused to give up or give in. "You want me to embrace my powers because they're 'bad'," she grunted, rising to a knee again. "What does that say about you and your 'good powers'? You never tried to do a good thing in your life."
The Headmistress gritted her teeth and marched forward. The ceiling and walls began to fall apart and rapidly repair themselves as she shouted. "I tried to do many good things! Build! Repair! Salvage! Save!"
Jinx allowed herself a small smirk. She knew she'd hit her mark.
The Headmistress continued her shouting. "I was the first real hero of Jump City years ago. And you know what I got for it? Nothing!"
The final flare of emotion caused the ceiling above the Headmistress's head to collapse completely. A gust of wind came from nowhere and threw the rubble away from the old woman.
Jinx managed to stand her ground against her old teacher and even took a step forward.
The Headmistress strode forward as all the monitors in the room turned on, revealing static. "I only ever did 'good'! Yet, I was shunned. I was called spoiled!"
More of the ceiling fell apart and was left supported only by magic.
"I was told that everything came easy to me!" the Headmistress continued. "I was told that I was an overentitled young woman who only did 'good' to flaunt her powers!"
Jinx continued to stand her ground.
The Headmistress finally calmed herself and the room went still. A small tear fell down her face and was instantly replaced by a look of both longing and loathing.
Jinx slowly reached for her lightning bolt necklace that still rested on the desk. "You trained me to be the villain that you never could be."
The Headmistress looked Jinx in the eye.
Jinx smiled slightly. "And you're right. I could be a great villain," she admitted. "My power may be bad luck, but yours is inherently good. Yet you chose to stop using it the way you should. I choose to be different."
The Headmistress's fingers twitched with yellow and green energy.
Jinx took another step forward and motioned to the monitor that displayed the ongoing battle outside the office, holding her necklace in her hand.
…
Robin was thrown to the floor yet again and rolled to the side just in time to dodge another blow from Sergeant HIVE's shield.
Robin flipped forward a few times to regain his focus in the complete darkness. After taking a short breath, he closed his eyes, chanting to himself. "Look beyond what I see…"
A second later, Robin felt rather than heard Sergeant HIVE charging from the left. As the soldier swung with his shield again, Robin dodged to the side with the fluidity of a snake before lashing out with both hands, his fingers pointed outward. The blow knocked Sergeant HIVE back a few steps.
The soldier shook his head and turned the lights back on to regain his sense of direction, confused by the seemingly impossible counterattack.
Robin called out as Sergeant HIVE turned the lights off half a second later. "Beast Boy, hurry up!"
…
Beast Boy groaned as Cyborg remained still.
Robin grunted in the darkness.
Beast Boy sighed, feeling he was down to his last option. "Please don't give him another virus," he chanted. "Please don't give him another virus."
Beast Boy closed his eyes and turned into an electric eel, landing on Cyborg's back. There was a burst of blue and green electricity as Cyborg started to light up.
With a bright and loud pop of electricity, Beast Boy was thrown backward across the pit, landing on his back next to Raven.
Cyborg's red eye lit up.
…
Robin dodged three consecutive blows from Sergeant HIVE's shield and dove forward, swiping the EMP device from the soldier's belt and hitting the button.
The lights came on as the shield flew toward Robin again. Robin spun away from the projectile but was unprepared for a follow-up punch that sent him to his knees in the middle of the pit.
Sergeant HIVE kicked Robin to the floor and retrieved the shield, raising it for one final blow.
Suddenly, the shield was no longer there. It hovered near the ceiling of the room, supported by black and white magic.
Robin looked over and saw Raven rising to a knee, her right hand held out to keep her magical hold over the shield. As Robin looked back at Sergeant HIVE, the soldier was shot off his feet by a blue sonic blast.
Cyborg's cannon turned back into a hand as he marched toward the winded soldier, cracking his knuckles. "It's payback time!" the Titan exclaimed.
Cyborg charged forward, throwing out a left, a right, another left, and then a right uppercut that sent Sergeant HIVE slamming into the wall. The soldier finally fell to the ground, unconscious.
Cyborg helped Robin to his feet and glanced at Beast Boy. "Yo, BB! Thanks for the jumpstart, man!"
"No crazy food cravings, right?" Beast Boy asked.
Cyborg shook his head.
Raven weakly rose to her feet and looked at Beast Boy. "Did you know the electric eel would work?" she asked.
Beast Boy shrugged coyly and didn't answer.
"Where's Jinx?" Cyborg asked, looking around.
…
"I guess you were wrong," Jinx said to the Headmistress. The young Titan waved her arm, shorting out the screen on the wall with a burst of electricity. "Anything else to say before class is out of session?"
The Headmistress started breathing in and out through her nose, teeming with anger and disbelief.
"I've made my choice," Jinx said calmly, stepping forward and placing the lightning bolt necklace back around her neck. "I choose the path of the hero. It's time you made your final choice."
Jinx turned and strode to the center of the office.
The Headmistress slowly turned to face her former student.
"You can go back to jail willingly, or you can test your luck against my own," Jinx said boldly. She once again stood tall as she continued speaking. "Just keep in mind that while I may be 'bad luck', my karma's got a pretty good score right now."
The Headmistress' eyes narrowed.
"What do you think about your chances?" Jinx finished.
The Headmistress looked at the lightning bolt necklace around Jinx's neck.
Jinx half smiled, placing her right hand on her hip as her left hand pulsated with energy.
After a few seconds, the Headmistress sighed and shook her head. "Such a disappointment," she repeated softly.
"Depends on your point of view," Jinx replied.
The Headmistress lunged forward, both hands flowing with energy.
Jinx stepped forward to meet her foe.
…
Cyborg stood next to Robin as Beast Boy helped Raven to her feet. After exiting the pit, they all turned to the office door.
"Think our girl could use some help?" Cyborg asked.
Before Robin could answer, a series of lights began to flash under the office door. Seconds later, the light grew, penetrating the door in a burst of green, pink, yellow, and white. There was a sudden silence as the colors combined into a bright tan before turning to a blinding white.
Robin's eyes widened. "Get ba—"
The door exploded outward, blowing an unidentifiable figure and the unconscious Sergeant HIVE into the center of the pit.
The Titans looked up to see Jinx walking out of the fading white light of the office.
"Looks like you should've done some more studying," Jinx said, jumping into the pit and stopping over the Headmistress and Sergeant HIVE, keeping a hand on her hip. "Care to retake the course?"
The Headmistress slowly rolled over to stare at Jinx.
"Where is Slade?" Jinx asked, kneeling.
"What is he planning?" Robin added as he and the rest of the Titans joined Jinx.
"I don't know the answer to… either question," the Headmistress answered weakly, seemingly fighting to stay conscious. She looked Jinx in the eye. "Don't ask, don't tell. You should know that rule."
Cyborg glanced at his arm, giving the Headmistress a quick lie detector scan. "It says she's not lying."
"She's not," Jinx confirmed.
"I can only tell you that he won't leave… loose ends this time," the Headmistress continued, breathing deeply. "No apprentices… to betray him. No team to… stop him. Slade… will win."
Robin held his chin for a moment before shaking his head. He turned to Raven. "It's time to go," he said calmly. "Can you teleport us out of here?"
"I need another minute," Raven answered weakly as Beast Boy looked around at the yellow and green substance still holding the walls together.
"One more question," Jinx said to the Headmistress. "Before you clock out, answer me this. Our powers aren't exactly compatible on a physical level, so that explains today. But, if your power is luck, how did you get flash-frozen in the first place when you were with the Brotherhood of Evil."
The Headmistress chuckled before lying back on the ground. "Ironically, the Brain's fusion device should have obliterated us all. Perhaps… in some way, my power kept that from happening. Or perhaps… my power, unlike yours, has its limits."
"Uhh, guys…" Beast Boy said, staring at the walls.
The yellow and green energy began to fade.
The Headmistress smiled weakly. "Let's see… how long… all of… our luck… holds… out…"
The Headmistress slumped, finally going unconscious.
The green and yellow substance disappeared completely.
The walls and ceiling began to collapse.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven said quickly, throwing a shield around both the Titans and the unconscious villains. She looked to her team. "I can't keep this up very long."
"Is there another way out of here?" Cyborg asked Jinx as debris started to hammer on the shield.
Jinx shook her head then looked up. "There's one," she said. She looked at Raven. "I need you to open up some of that shield."
"But the sky is falling!" Beast Boy reminded Jinx.
"We just need to outlast it," Jinx explained. She pointed at the debris crumbling to the ground. "Help me destroy as much as possible."
Cyborg and Robin looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.
"Better than being crushed," Cyborg said, his arm turning into a sonic cannon again.
Robin started grabbing explosive discs from his belt. "Just give us as much time as you can, Raven."
Beast Boy turned into a T-Rex in order to provide Raven with as much cover from the falling debris as possible.
Raven nodded and opened the shield slightly.
Jinx gathered as much power as she could and sent it upward, destroying the debris as some of it fell through the hole while the rest pounded on the shield. Cyborg shot his cannon as Robin threw his discs.
For a full twenty seconds, the three Titans destroyed the ceiling as it fell toward them. Slowly, but surely, the falling debris began to lessen.
With one final grunt of exertion, Jinx swept her hands above her, her magic applying pressure to a particularly large piece of debris that crumbled to dust as it fell through the shield. As Raven's shield vanished, the Titans knelt in relief and exhaustion, leaving them surrounded by a starry sky that was punctuated with voids.
…
Jinx and Cyborg stopped in front of Starfire's old room. The day had finally dawned with a bright sun.
"Nice work with the Headmistress," Cyborg said.
"Let's just hope she stays in prison this time," Jinx replied.
"Well, since you allowed me to combine some of my tech with your powers to create a prison cell," Cyborg grunted. "I doubt that'll be much of a problem."
Jinx nodded but didn't make a reply.
"You definitely earned that Communicator today, Jinx," Cyborg said, pointing to the device that rested on Jinx's hip. "Welcome to the team."
"Thanks," Jinx said with pride. "It's good to have a team again. A better team."
"So, you plannin' on unpacking this time," Cyborg asked, motioning to the luggage still piled up next to the door.
"I was thinking about it," Jinx admitted.
Cyborg thought for a moment. "So, I don't suppose I can get one more favor from you."
"I think you've still got a few fights that I have to make up for," Jinx said with a shrug, folding her arms. "What do you need?"
"I want you meet someone," Cyborg said, rubbing the back of his head. "A… friend of mine. She's probably not going to be happy that I'm leaving. I was hoping you could meet her and maybe…"
"Maybe keep her company while you're gone?" Jinx asked. She smiled. "I'll do it. But exactly what kind of friend is this?"
Cyborg opened his mouth to reply but stopped when a flash of yellow and red blew between them, opening and closing the door to Starfire's old room. When they turned, Jinx's luggage was gone.
They listened for a moment and heard noise from behind the closed door. A few seconds later, the noise stopped and the yellow and red blur blew out the door, traveled down the hall, and disappeared from sight.
Jinx fiddled with her lightning bolt necklace for a moment.
"That kind of friend," Cyborg answered. He motioned behind him. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to kick BB's butt in a video game before we take off."
"Good luck," Jinx said.
Cyborg walked away.
Jinx turned to the door behind her. She took a deep breath and entered the room to find it changed.
The bed boards were now intricately laced with roses. The sheets and blankets were purple with traces of light pink. The transparent blue curtains let in a soft ray of sunlight that illuminated the dark purple carpet and light pink walls. Jinx's clothes were neatly folded and set on the bed.
On the desk beside the bed was a clock, a stone bowl, and a stone vase. The bowl was for holding Jinx's necklaces and the vase already held a single rose.
Jinx smiled, put her clothes away, and exited her room.
As Jinx walked into the living room, she saw Robin and Raven off to the side looking over a few files at a nearby computer station.
Cyborg and Beast Boy sat on the couch playing a video game on their Gamestation4.
On the screen was a light blue racetrack. The background was a darker shade of blue than the track and made it easy to see the two winged vehicles on the screen.
One vehicle, Cyborg's presumably, had blue-tipped wings and was white with a blue stripe down the middle and held a rectangular rear thruster. The other vehicle, Beast Boy's, had two thrusters at the end of each wing and was mostly green with a purple stripe down the middle.
"Two ties in a row?" Cyborg said loudly in surprise. "On a best two out of three with a win each, we got two ties in a row?"
Beast Boy set up the next race without a word.
Jinx walked forward and stood behind the couch. She glanced over at Raven and Robin and spotted an image of a red substance depicted on the screen before Raven hit a button and the image changed again.
Jinx turned back to the video game as both Cyborg and Beast Boy's vehicles reached the end of the race simultaneously.
"Aww, come on!" Cyborg exclaimed. He shook his head. "BB, you totally had that! That was an easy last turn! It's like you slowed down to… to…"
Beast Boy stared straight ahead, his face unreadable.
Jinx raised a knowing eyebrow.
Cyborg slowly turned and looked at Beast Boy, speaking quietly but firmly. "Beast Boy, are you losing on purpose?"
"No," Beast Boy said, starting the next race.
Cyborg paused the game and set down his controller. "Beast Boy," he said in calm warning.
Beast Boy didn't reply.
"Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean we're never going to speak to each other again, man," Cyborg said calmly. He looked at the television. "This isn't the end."
"Starfire left," Beast Boy said softly, not looking at Cyborg. "Now you're leaving too. The one who tries to understand my jokes left. And now the one who will play video games with me is leaving too."
"Hey," Cyborg said gently.
Beast Boy looked over.
Cyborg smiled and ruffled Beast Boy's hair. "Starfire'll be back too. And I will always come back to kick your butt at video games. That'll never change."
Beast Boy slowly nodded and sat up straight. "Let's do this," he said determinedly.
"Finally," Cyborg grunted. He smiled again and un-paused the game.
A few minutes later, Cyborg turned off the Gamestation4 and stood, moving to Robin and Raven.
Jinx noticed that as Cyborg turned away, Beast Boy's shoulders sunk again.
Jinx walked behind Beast Boy and flicked her wrist. One of the Gamestation4's controller cords curled inward before sharply straightening out, sending the controller sailing into Jinx's hand.
Beast Boy turned and looked at her in surprise.
"I get to play winner," Jinx said with a small wink.
Beast Boy smiled and relaxed again.
Jinx turned back to Cyborg, Raven, and Robin.
Robin stepped back to take a call on his Communicator.
Raven turned to Cyborg and placed a hand on his shoulder before speaking. "Thanks for being the first to really accept me," she said gratefully.
Cyborg placed a hand on Raven's shoulder in return. "Thanks for keeping us in line all this time," he replied. He smiled and leaned close. "Be sure to keep BB's jokes in line while I'm gone too. That kid needs a censor."
"You can count on it," Raven said with a rare smile.
They kept their hands on each other's shoulders for a second longer before letting go.
Cyborg nodded to himself and walked with Jinx to the door where Robin was waiting.
Raven turned away and quickly drew up her hood, hiding her expression. Beast Boy stood and placed a cautious hand on her shaking back.
"You ready?" Cyborg asked Jinx and Robin. "T-Car's all turbo-gassed up and ready to go."
"I call shotgun," Jinx said quickly.
"As if," Robin replied.
They turned and left.
A while later, as they drove through the streets of Jump City, Jinx, Cyborg, and Robin talked about what was next.
"I've been teamed up with Tramm," Cyborg was telling Robin as he turned the car into a small park.
"Good pairing," Robin said, glancing out the passenger window. "But not as good as some of your previous pairings."
Cyborg grunted and held out his fist for Robin.
Robin didn't notice.
Cyborg slowly lowered his fist.
Jinx, sitting the backseat, leaned back to look through the T-Car's sunroof at the portal-covered sky above.
"Who are you planning on recruiting next?" Cyborg asked.
"You wouldn't like it if I told you," Robin replied.
"Uh-oh," Cyborg said.
"You have no idea," Robin grunted.
Cyborg and Robin exchanged a smile as the car came to a stop.
Jinx stretched as they got out of the car.
The park they now stood in was full of trees and green grass. There was a group of children in swimsuits running around a small sprinkler near the edge of the park. A young woman stood a few feet away, keeping watch over the children.
The young woman was wearing a red pair of jeans and a red, turtle-neck sweater. She had gleaming blue eyes and light orange hair. She looked up and smiled when she saw Cyborg approaching.
Jinx, however, stopped in her tracks and looked away. Uh-oh. Valentine's Day… Their date… that I ruined…
"Hi, Sarah," Cyborg said, hugging the young woman and taking a step back.
Sarah folded her arms. "Here to tell me more about my former life and the gross green things from another time and/or dimension?"
Cyborg shook his head, remaining awkwardly silent.
Sarah raised an eyebrow and turned to Robin, holding out her hand. "Boy Wonder," she said in greeting.
"Miss Simms," Robin said in return, shaking the hand. His Communicator went off yet again and he turned away. "Speedy, what's up?"
"Somebody here wants to talk to you," Speedy replied through the Communicator. "I asked why, and he said 'it's because he's ba—"
"I'll take the call," Robin interrupted.
Jinx was about to move back to the T-Car when a little girl with a prosthetic leg pulled on her hand.
Jinx looked down, confused.
"I like your hair," the little girl said shyly.
Jinx found herself smiling and ran her hand down the little girl's long purple hair as she spoke. "Yours isn't too shabby either, kid."
The little girl blushed and ran off.
Jinx took a deep breath to build her confidence and made her way to Cyborg and Sarah.
"I know I promised that I'd keep you in the loop," Cyborg was saying quietly. He looked up at the sky. "But with these portals—"
"I get it," Sarah interrupted softly, placing a hand on his chest. She smiled sadly. "I do, Victor. But…"
"I wish we could've had more time," Cyborg said.
"We both know you're needed up there," Sarah said as she turned and watched her kids running around the sprinkler. She turned back to Cyborg with a smile. "And I'll be here when you get back."
Cyborg gave her a confused look. "But… what about college?"
Sarah shook her head. "College will wait," she said, turning again to the children under her care. "These kids are scared right now. They need me. I'm not going to abandon them."
Cyborg gave her a smile and glanced over at Jinx, suddenly seeming to remember that she was there.
Jinx took another deep breath and stepped forward.
"Sarah," Cyborg said, taking her hand and motioning to the newest member of Jump City's Teen Titans. "This is Jinx."
Sarah tipped her head with a confused smile.
Before either girl could say a word, Robin walked forward. "Cyborg, someone's got a tech question," he said. "It can't wait."
"Duty calls," Cyborg said awkwardly. He walked away with Robin, leaving Jinx and Sarah alone.
The two young women stood silently for a moment.
"Soo…." Sarah said.
"About Valentine's Day," Jinx said, taking a step back. "I'm sorry that I kinda ruined you and Cyborg's date."
"Really?" Sarah said lightly. "I thought it was the fact that a super-villain was sharing Cyborg's body and giving him a virus."
"Well, that too," Jinx said, relaxing somewhat. She sighed. "So… we're all good… right?"
"Totally," Sarah said.
They both turned and watched the children running around the sprinkler.
"Seriously, sorry about your date with Cyborg," Jinx said quickly. "And if you don't want me around the kids—"
"You're a Titan," Sarah interrupted firmly. "You're always welcome. You got that solidified for yourself a while ago."
Jinx raised an eyebrow.
Sarah chuckled and motioned to the little girl who'd walked up to Jinx. "A very fast hero saved her from a burning building," Sarah explained. She turned to Jinx. "Earlier that night, he was held in captivity by a young villain and awaiting a transfer of custody to a 'Madam Rouge'. But the young villain… she had a problem with not being appreciated and let the hero go just before the fire started."
"How do you know all that?" Jinx asked.
Sarah motioned to the little girl again. "She likes to read to me from her journal."
Jinx looked at the little girl and gave her a smile and a wave. The little girl waved back and continued running around the sprinkler.
The sprinkler suddenly stopped and the children all groaned.
Jinx smiled slightly and flicked her wrist, causing the hose to build up pressure in multiple spots. The added pressure caused ten holes to appear along the hose's length as water shot up into the air.
All the children cheered and started running around the hose.
Sarah laughed. "I'm sure the kids wouldn't mind you coming around every so often either," she said, turning to Jinx and holding out her hand.
Jinx grabbed the hand and shook it without hesitation.
At that moment, Cyborg and Robin returned.
"Is it time?" Sarah asked Cyborg.
Cyborg nodded.
Sarah nodded as well and pulled Cyborg into a kiss, earning a few 'ooos and aaahhs' from the children playing a short distance away.
Jinx found herself smiling again.
Sarah released Cyborg, speaking firmly. "You'd better come back for another one."
Cyborg held up his left hand. "I promise."
"Wrong hand," Jinx commented quietly.
Cyborg quickly lowered his arm and held up his right hand. "I promise," he said again.
Cyborg, Robin, and Jinx returned to the car.
Jinx stood off to the side as Robin and Cyborg stood next to the driver's door.
"So, this is it," Cyborg said to Robin.
"For now," Robin replied with a nod.
"For now," Cyborg repeated quietly. He looked at Jinx. "You help keep these kids in line, Jinx."
"Not gonna be an issue," Jinx said.
"Thank you," Cyborg said.
"Anytime," Jinx replied.
"See you up there soon?" Cyborg asked Robin.
"Soon enough," Robin answered. "I've just been informed that next week, Speedy and I are going to be partnered up as senior strategists."
"And the team here?" Cyborg asked.
"The team'll be ready when the time comes," Robin said firmly.
"Well," Cyborg said lightly as he opened the door to the front seat. "No matter who stays and who goes, one thing will never change."
"No villain will ever be a match for the Teen Titans," Robin completed.
Cyborg and Robin each bumped the top and bottom of each other's fist before bringing their knuckles together.
Cyborg got into the driver's seat. A few seconds after he started the car, the wheel's turned over and the rims turned into thrusters, sending the car sailing into the sky as the children looked up in awe.
Jinx waited until the car had disappeared before looking at Sarah.
Sarah looked back with a small tear in her eye.
"I'll see you soon," Jinx promised.
Sarah gave her an appreciative smile.
Jinx looked around for a moment and turned to Robin. "Umm… How are getting back to Titans Tower?" she asked.
Robin grabbed a small device from his belt. "My R-Cycle will be on its way momentari— woaaaaah!"
In a blur of yellow and red, Jinx and Robin found themselves back at Titans Tower.
Jinx, having gotten used to her boyfriend's mode of transportation, remained standing.
Robin, however, went flying off his feet and sailing toward the living room window. He was caught just before impacting by Raven's powers and brought safely to the floor. On the couch, Beast Boy slowly peeked out of his turtle shell and resumed his human form.
"I hate it when he does that," Jinx said with a smile, obviously amused.
Robin grunted as he rose to his feet, shaking his head. He walked to the computer. "Back to business."
"Your very wealthy CEO friend pulled through," Raven said, pointing at the screen. "The bait's set. If he falls for it, we'll catch him."
"Catch who?" Jinx and Beast Boy asked simultaneously.
"Our next recruit," Robin answered. He leaned forward. "Looks like, if he keeps to his pattern—"
"Or lack thereof," Raven mumbled, folding her arms.
"He'll be at the Wayne Enterprise storage facility," Robin stated, leaning back.
"Then we have to catch him," Raven added skeptically.
"We'll catch him," Robin promised. "We have something he needs."
"And then you have to convince him," Raven finished.
"I know him well enough," Robin said.
"Heeellllooooo!" Beast Boy called, motioning to himself and Jinx. "Do you guys care to share with the rest of the class?"
Robin hit a button on the control panel and a picture came up on the monitor.
Beast Boy's mouth fell open. "Are you nuts?" he exclaimed, motioning to the picture. "That's a terrible idea!"
"He knows how the system works," Robin argued. "He's not affiliated with any organization and he's got the know-how, connections, and skills to get the job done."
"Not to mention a gadget to beat every one of us!" Beast Boy retorted. He folded his arms and looked directly at Robin. "Thanks for that, by the way."
"He doesn't have a gadget for all of us," Raven said, turning to Jinx.
"I already have authorization from the Mayor," Robin explained calmly. "He gave us the go-ahead. I know you don't like it, Beast Boy. But under short notice and a lack of options we don't have much of a choice."
Beast Boy groaned.
Robin turned to Jinx. "What do you think?" he asked.
"He never went up through the academy," Jinx answered, walking up to the screen. "Can't wait to meet him."
…
Deep within the depths of the most secure underground prison in Jump City, the Headmistress sat cross-legged on the floor of her cell.
With a small whir of electricity, the lights shut off for a moment before turning back on. They began to flicker slowly, switching from on to off every few seconds.
The Headmistress stood. "I knew you'd be here."
"I predicted you'd be here as well," Slade said as the light flicked on again, revealing the commando leaning against the cell wall, his arms folded. "I take it your… protégé will not be joining me."
"No," the Headmistress answered, sitting down again. "She's been corrupted. But I assure you, I have not. I told them nothing."
"Perhaps that is out of loyalty," Slade said as the lights continued to flicker on and off. "Or perhaps it is because you know nothing. Either way, it doesn't matter. You kept the Titans occupied and I was able to gather the information I needed from the Titan mainframe. Robin's next recruit could be a great asset."
"I do not believe that the Titans would recruit someone that could turn traitor," the Headmistress disagreed.
"Loyalty to me is not synonymous with being an asset," Slade said firmly, still leaning against the wall. "Although, loyalty is always preferable."
"Why are you here?" the Headmistress finally asked.
"Loyalty can be expressed with but a whisper," Slade said. "You did as I required in distracting the Titans. And because of this, you ended up in prison. I am here to offer you a choice."
"And what is the choice?" the Headmistress pressed.
"I can break you out. But then, the Titans will never stop hunting you. They will think you know more than you do. You will never have peace," Slade said calmly. He glanced at the Headmistress for a moment before looking at the floor, speaking softly. "Or you can stay here for the time being and keep silent. When my plan comes to fruition, there will be no one to hide from."
"I only need to be patient," the Headmistress said. "If I am patient, the Titans will fall and I will be free to do as I wish."
"Patient and silent," Slade corrected. "Silent. It is true, you know little of my plan and even what you know, the Titans wouldn't be able use against me. If you are silent, your loyalty will be confirmed. And not only will you be free, you will be rewarded."
The Headmistress looked down for a moment.
"As for patience," Slade said. "You of all people should know that patience or a lack thereof could be a determining factor in any operation."
The lights continued to flicker overhead.
Slade nodded spoke again. "Our time is almost up."
"Tell me," the Headmistress said calmly. "Who is this recruit of the Titans, this… potential asset."
"The world will know soon enough," Slade said calmly. He looked the Headmistress in the eye. "I'll be watching."
The lights flicked off again.
When they turned back on, Slade was gone.
