I will openly admit it: I have read KF fan's recent fiction "Journal", and was very interested in some of the ideas presented in the first chapter; they gave me a new perspective on certain matters within the Titans' universe. You may recognize a few of them in this chapter, mainly concerning the Titans' position in Titans Tower (anything else was probably subconscious). I credit KF fan for these insights, and encourage you to read everything written by KF fan because each story is a gem.

If you have questions about my perceptions of Johnny Rancid, check chapter 7 of Old School. And review while you're at it. :)

Chapter 2

"Was it a fight?" Were the first words out of Johnny's mouth when he opened his door to Jinx.

She slipped her arms around him quickly for a hug and squeezed before he could shrug her off. Johnny didn't like hugs. He was probably self-conscious about people getting too close to the area where his heart wasn't. Jinx didn't care.

"Was it Billy? I know how you two get," He took her bag and set it carefully on the couch. "He doesn't mean half of what he says."

"I know. It wasn't Billy. Thanks for letting me over so late," Jinx added sweetly.

Johnny shrugged. "Whatever. You're always welcome." There was an awkward beat. "Well, I've got work tomorrow. You know where everything is. Night."

Jinx chuckled silently as he left. She fished around in her bag for her hair brush, and had begun yanking it through her hair when she realized something.

She didn't have her communicator. Or her locket.

Or maybe she did? She felt through the pockets of the bag. The pockets of her skirt. Around her neck.

No communicator. No locket.

The locket was her mother's. She had stolen it before they had sent her to Darkway Prep. She thought it had her mother's secret of hiding what she was, like magic powder or something. It didn't. It was quartz, and pretty, but it didn't do anything to her skin or hair. In fact, it was probably better if she didn't have it. She didn't need her mother's relics.

The communicator though…she chewed her lip. Even if she had brought it, she wouldn't have used it. Or at least, she hadn't planned on using it. If an emergency came up…

…She would solve it for herself. Safety lines would hold her back anyway.

Resolved, she set about making Johnny's couch comfortable.

It wasn't that Kid Flash was getting impatient. He wasn't half-speeding around town in his civilian clothes because he was looking for her. She would come in her own time. Some day. Eventually.

He wasn't getting impatient.

He was just tired of waiting.

Jinx's powers, contrary to popular belief, were not outside of her control. They certainly weren't inside her control, but it wasn't nearly as bad as some other girls. Jinx's powers came with warning signals. If something was about to blow up in her face, her trusty powers made a little ringing in her ears, and she knew to step away from the glassware.

A little ringing in your ears was very hard to detect when you were blasting Metric's "Old World Underground" over the sound of the construction outside.

Johnny's blender was in pieces, which were mostly in her skin. Of course, people broke his stuff all the time, so she didn't feel that bad about it. She knew she was lucky nothing had hit her eyes.

Lucky…oh, irony.

She winced as she plucked another plastic splinter from her arm.

She had decided to try not using her powers for a while, just for kicks. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Maybe she had just been over-exerting herself lately, with heist after heist. Seymour had suggested that one night when five of the twenty-three jewels they had made off with burst into smaller jewels in her hands. Of course, she had hit him for saying that…

She wasn't like Raven. People didn't die when she was on her period. And she was much better than Terra. She knew how to calm down, or get revved up, whatever the situation required. But every once in a while, things just happened.

There was one shard left, and it was in deep.

Jinx grit her teeth. If Billy was here, she wouldn't even have to look at these. He'd just pluck them out, one by one, lecturing her about being more careful or something, to keep her angry. Anger was the best way to stave off pain, according to Billy. He would know, being HIVE's resident medical wreck.

She tugged. Hard. It wouldn't give. And it hurt.

This wasn't working.

It had been two days. Jinx didn't want to stay with Johnny forever. Johnny was sweet, but everybody went to his place to crash. If she stayed too long, Billy would show up looking to use the couch for the night, and then the whole plan would be wasted.

She was wearing the green plaid skirt, black t-shirt, and the headband for the skirt because plaid reminded her of Braveheart and she wanted to exude brave.

If she slipped on her boots, she'd be ready to go.

And then, like a dream, there she was.

He had no idea what she was doing in one of the worst parts of town. Well, he did. But he didn't know what she was doing there with a duffel bag and that awful scowl on her face. And wearing…

"You know," He said companionably when he caught up to her. "I would not, at first glance, have taken green as a good color for you, but it works." He wondered if she would recognize him in civilian clothes as easily as he recognized her.

"Thank you, Kid Flash," Jinx replied. Yep. She recognized him. "However, my headache is already quite large and bloated without your help."

"Ah. Is something wrong?"

"Hangover. I got totally wasted last night with my man-harem, and am now walking it off."

"Really? Well, then, allow me to compliment the, uh, range you've accomplished with that."

She stopped. He obediently paused as well. "Have you ever heard of sarcasm?"

"Yes, but nobody passes it off quite as gracefully as you," He said sweetly. She gave him an ugly look, and he cocked his head to the side. "What happened to your arms?"

Jinx looked down at the bandaging. "A blender attacked me."

"I'm sorry. You look very tired," He continued.

She nodded reluctantly. "I need coffee."

"Coffee?" Kid Flash raised his eyebrows. "What for? That stuff is awful!"

"Excuse you?" She said icily.

"Well," He shrugged. "It's bitter."

"That's why you add sugar."

"Caffeine is bad for you," He continued. "Stunts your growth. Do you drink coffee a lot? How tall are you without those boots?"

She rolled her eyes and started walking again. He caught the strap of her bag. "Want me to carry that?"

"I'm a big girl, Kid," She said, tugging her bag free. "I tie my own boots and everything."

"Well," He said, "You're not going to be a very big girl if you keep drinking coffee. Are you going far?" He asked. "I could speed things up a bit for you."

"I'm not going far."

"Where are you going?"

"Like I'm going to tell you."

"Well, I'll probably find out anyway."

She rounded on him. "Did you know that even supers can get arrested for stalking?"

"But would people call it stalking? They'd probably just congratulate me for keeping a close eye on a criminal."

She scowled. "Of course they would."

"I don't condone it," He added. "Especially since that's not the case here."

"What is the case?"

"You interest me."

"Your pickup lines have taken a dive."

"Pickup lines?" He stopped, wrinkling his eyebrows. "What pickup lines?"

She sneered. "Let me guess. This is where you go, "Hitting on you? Me? I'm just naturally charming!" Right?"

Kid Flash grinned. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

She sighed. "Goodbye, Kid Flash."

"Wait!" He sped in front of her. "I'm sorry if I'm being really nosey, but you look really tired. How do I know you're not just going to collapse in the street?"

"Because I'm not going to!" She tried to duck left, but he blocked her. She turned and began walking in the opposite direction.

"Don't you need to go this way?" He called after her.

"No!"

He sped up to her. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"I didn't realize. You don't have anywhere to go, huh?" He hoped he didn't sound smug. He tried to make eye contact. "Did you just leave them?"

She glared at him for a second, but the ice seemed to melt. A little. "I left two days ago."

"You haven't been on the street?" No way. On the hunt, so to speak, the way he had been for the past day, and he hadn't noticed?

"No. I've been at a friend's."

"A friend to society?"

"Decidedly not." Now she looked smug. "He works at some garage. Every gang wants him. He's completely heartless."

"He didn't do that to your arms, did he?"

"No, he didn't!" She snapped. "I told you, it was the blender."

He crossed his arms. "How did the blender do that?"

"Because," She said. "It blew up."

"Oh." He scrutinized the bandaging. It was a pretty patchy job, as doctoring goes. "You want me to rebind those?"

"No, thank you," She said curtly.

"You want a drink then? Not coffee," He said quickly. "Tea? My treat."

He knew a café down the street. She looked dubious when they went inside.

"Have you ever been here?" He whispered.

"Never. I know better places."

"Okay, let's go there instead."

"Let's not," She said, suddenly sounding more tired than he had guessed.

"Go sit," He pushed in her the direction of the tables. "I'll order."

He was surprised when she didn't take off. He was even more surprised when he made it all the way back to the table with her tea, and she was still there.

"I guess you really are tired," He commented, placing her tea in front of her. "Anything you want to tell me?"

"The guy I was staying with really didn't do anything to me," She said. "I don't want you getting any funny ideas. He's not as bad as I was saying. Gangs want him, but he says no to everybody."

Kid Flash shrugged. "Well, good to know."

"And my leaving the HIVE Five had nothing to do with you."

He smirked at that. "Okay."

"Things were fucked up anyway. I need space. Everybody has pulled something like this before, I'm just the latest. Billy and Elliot are always---"

"Jinx," He said, putting up a hand to stop her. "Do you really want to tell me all of this?"

She frowned. "You were going to drag it out of me eventually. I might as well get it over with."

"Well…if you don't want to tell me, it's okay. I'm not saying don't tell me," He added quickly. "If there's ever anything you want to tell me, I'm all ears. I just don't want you to think you have to or anything."

She gave him an odd look. "You sound like a guidance counselor."

He shrugged, raking a hand through his hair. "If that's what you need."

She sniffed her tea and took a sip. "They used to bring in shrinks at HIVE. They're all fucked up. It's like teachers, you know? If you can't do, teach. If you're fucked up in the head…give counsel to other fucked up people."

"Um…Jinx…"

"Am I freaking you out?"

"No, but you might be freaking out those mothers over there," He pointed to a trio of concerned parents at another table. "A little less f-bomb?"

She blushed. Bless her, she actually blushed. "Sorry. Habit."

"It's okay. I don't mean to give you social cues. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly, and hoped she didn't think he was a snob.

"No, it's cool," She said, drinking deep.

He frowned. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I just said---"

"This doesn't feel right. Talking here. Too…I don't know. Exposed?"

"Now you sound like a criminal."

"Well, I might as well be. I've got things to protect. Identity and all that."

"Hmmph. And your pick of any location. I suppose you're staying in the Tower."

"Um…no. It's too big for me," He admitted. "They gave me the access codes and all, but all I have to do is check on it every once in a while."

"That's a waste of a view," She said.

"You've been up there?"

"A year or two ago. We took over the Tower."

"Oh. That's…um."

"It sucks, though, because nobody else in the city gets a view like that." She put down her cup. "They all move here for the surf and fun, and what do they get? A huge, obnoxious letter sticking out of the horizon. It really ruins things."

"It's a strategic point," Kid Flash said carefully.

"It's hella---sorry, hecka---far away from everybody else. It's obnoxious. Are they afraid they'll get people germs? I mean, what's up with that?"

"Hey," Kid Flash put his elbows on the table and looked at her seriously. "They're working out there, you know. It's not like they just picked that spot because they thought it was the best. It is a strategic point, and of course it's removed. It wouldn't do any good if the Titans got tangled up in everyday affairs; people would be put in danger. That's what we're protecting people from."

"You're not living in the Tower."

"But I'm doing everything I can to keep my private life on the DL. For people's protection. You get what I'm saying, right?" He asked. "I mean, we're not out here to make a statement about ourselves. Just to help people."

Jinx took a sip of her tea. "You make a good speech. That's not sarcasm," She clarified quickly. "I don't agree with you, but that wasn't sarcasm. Honestly, I think the whole thing is a load. You guys don't need a Tower, or half the financing you get. I know about the monthly salary, and it doesn't all go to technology engineered for fighting the bads. You guys get a bunch of fringe benefits."

"For risking our lives," Kid Flash interjected.

"Well, a fireman risks his life. All he gets is a paycheck. And with all the other bad happening, you guys are barely keeping up with your job anyway."

"What other bad?"

"Politicians."

"That is not even the beginning of fair. Politicians pay us---"

"Which makes you a form of bad, because a politician who funds the Teen Titans is going to have the popularity vote of the people. Even if his policies are ridiculous."

"And we get influence over him, and can quietly intervene if something is going off."

"You can?" She scoffed. "A bunch of kids."

"Well, a bunch of kids can rob a bank. All those Mission Impossibles and Ocean's However-Many make it look like walking through Hell."

"Language, young man," She said sweetly. "Robbing a bank is easy. People are very stupid."

"Who's afraid of getting people germs now?"

"There's more to it."

"Well, same here. So we're agreed."

"Agreed on what? We've barely started debating!"

"That's okay," Kid Flash shrugged. "We don't have to debate right now. You're tired."

Jinx laughed. "So you're forfeiting!"

"I am agreeing to disagree for the moment."

"Forfeiting. I win."

"You win what?"

"The glorious feeling that comes with winning a debate."

"But we've barely debated!"

"You forfeited."

"Who says someone has to win or lose?"

Jinx shook her head. "How old are you turning this year? That's how it works. One person wins, everybody else loses. You learn that when you're, like, three."

"What about runner-ups?"

"Fancy term for loser."

"That," said Kid Flash, "Is a very harsh way of looking at things."

"Life is harsh. We can't all hide in our Towers."

"Or our Secret Evil Lairs."

She breathed deep, and sighed slowly. "This is different than I thought you were going to be."

"You were thinking about me?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows.

She glared at him witheringly. "I figured you would be bouncing out of your seat."

"Well, I don't condone caffeine, so my self-control is pretty good in that respect." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Of course, if I ever did drink caffeine, I'd probably get so high you wouldn't be able to see me standing right in front of you, I'd be vibrating so fast."

Other girls would have giggled. He was sure of it. "Well," She drained the last of her tea. "It's been very…interesting talking with you. Really. I'm not being sarcastic. But I have to go."

"Off to secure lodgings for tonight?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"At another friend's?"

She paused. Finally, she said, "No. They all know me as a HIVE student."

"Is that…bad?"

"The guys will know where to find me."

"And that's bad."

"I was thinking about going to a hotel."

"How are you going to pay?"

"With money."

"Stolen money?"

She glared at him. "I just want space. Can't a girl get space?"

"Exactly. So, here's my idea." He smiled brightly. "Come stay at my space."