Under the Rose

Chapter 5

The Pizza Place was busier than normal. Wally narrowly avoided a collision with a fellow waiter as he made his way to bus one of the rare vacant tables for the next customer to arrive.

Students were pouring in the doors loudly, voices carrying across the restaurant. Wally blanched and looked at his watch. Didn't they have anywhere better to be at ten o'clock?

Rose and Brian were out on their friend date. Wally wiped the table forcefully and, after alerting the next guests to their now-clean seat, leaned his head against the section of window unblocked by any tables or chairs. He took a deep breath, and covered the cool glass with a fog as he let it out. Oops.

He snagged the dishrag from his back pocket, peeking around for Delia (who, if she had seen him even stop would have broken every bone in his body) and scrubbed his mark off the glass quickly.

"West, we need a broom in here now! Some kid spilled a parmesan shaker."

Wally groaned and grabbed the desired item from the corner, chancing one final look out the window to the dark, unopen bank.

The handle of his broom clattered to the floor, but the noise was lost among the many voices. Wally may have gasped, but the small breath was lost as well.

Two dark figures were making their way across the roof of Jump City Bank, and their intentions were most likely far from honest. One of them had a shocking hue of hair that not even the darkest nights could hide. With the busy streets that night, they were unnoticeable at best. Wally was lucky to have even caught his glimpse.

In a matter of milliseconds, he was out the door and had shed his apron, much to the surprise and anger of the other employees (and, he suspected, the wrath of Delia would be fully felt much later). There was no time to explain. In one dash he was in the alleyway and in costume. The second dash took him into the silent bank.

--

She held up her bag of money, tossing the other to her accomplice. "I'm certain that Kid Flash will come to stop me when the police see that the alarm has been triggered. You take this and go. We will meet up later, you understand? And leave that with me." She pointed to the long object on the customer service counter.

The other figure, wearing a mask and suit in black, nodded and exited the safe.

She turned to make sure her partner had left the crowbar and smiled, smoothing one of her trademark pink pigtails. She checked to make sure she had all that was wanted, and turned to leave.

As she strolled out of the safe, a red and yellow blur intercepted her, and she found her hands moneyless.

"Jinx." There was no masking the vehemence in his voice. She frowned, scuffing her toes and grasping her other arm.

"Yes," she said quietly. "It's me."

He wasn't expecting the quiet response. Flash's gaze softened and he stepped forward. "I want to explain myself, and if you could, can you explain yourself too? Things after the Brotherhood didn't happen exactly as I had wanted..."

Jinx darkened, but took a step closer to him as well. "It's been tough on my own."

Flash reached out and touched her arm. "I know."

Jinx crossed her arms and turned her head so that he couldn't see her expression.

Flash touched her other shoulder, trying to get her to turn and face him. "Jinx, I-"

Jinx reached out with one arm and grinned at him. Another arm was hidden behind her back.

"Kid Flash, you are still as gullible as ever." She grabbed the crowbar behind her and dashed it roughly across the side of his head.

He crumpled to the floor, stunned. She took off running.

It was a generous head start she had before Flash came to his senses again.

He was furious.

--

Flash dashed out of the bank, looking in all directions. There were only cats in the alleyway, and the people milling about had whipped out their cameras, blinding him with the flashes. He snarled at his own stupidity and was about to leave when the blare of police sirens stopped him.

"Flash." The Chief made his name sound like a poison. "Tell me that it wasn't Jinx and you didn't let her get away again." He motioned troops into the bank, waiting for a reply.

The speedster's only answer was a scowl, and a swift kick at the tire of Chief McMillan's car. The Chief sighed, clutching the bridge of his nose. "I want you in my office tomorrow morning first thing. It's already September. You have had two encounters, and she's escaped both. For now, get your face out of here."

Kid Flash didn't need to be told twice. Chagrined by the Chief's disapproval, he sped off into another alleyway, changing into civilian clothes.

Wally West emerged, looking far from his cheerful self, and set off at a quick walk down the street.

Need some extra luck?

It's just a legend!

It couldn't have been Jinx. There would have been that catch in his breath, and maybe that brief jolt in his stomach. But this time it was just shock. Wally knew it- that was not Jinx. If it were, she would have used her powers and not a crowbar.

She'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden, and then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding...

What an oddly appropriate song to have in his head. Wally blamed the limited music selection at Pizza Place. He fingered the knot on his head and grimaced. Thankfully, handy super-speed healing had closed the injury (thank heaven). But there was still some dried blood on the side of his face. Gross.

He rounded the corner, intent on finding the nearest bathroom to clean himself up and-

"Hey!"

In a flurry of black hair and quick limbs and green shirts and wine-colored jackets, Wally realized he had just run into Rose Thompson.

--

Er...I'm back?

:P

-Silver Miracles