This was such a pain to write. She wasn't supposed to wake up for another few chapters, and Starfire wasn't supposed to even show up until the final reunion.
I hate myself for this now...
(Also, I hope you don't mind, the next chapter will be to flesh out our traumatized red archer. It'll also hint who our mystery 'she' is.)
"Never. I've never had those feelings. I should have just ignored you! If I'd ignored you, then I'd be with people who actually care!" she breathed heavily out her nose, glaring daggers at the red-headed speedster.
"I did care!" he retorted. Anguish washed away all feelings of hope as he watched her glare at him. Her hands alighted and words strung together in a loud chant, resulting in a cold wave that only seemed to harm him. Zatanna stood with wide eyes as she watched the sorceress sneer at her ex. These were spells that should never be used against a teammate, ones that caused very uncomfortable chills and hallucinations. They could drive some people insane!
But the chants didn't stop there. She'd managed to break the wires (and the monitor they were attached to) and get changed before he stopped her.
"Jinx, don't do this. Just talk with me. We can work this out." She looked at him as if he had two heads. Slowly, she slid forward until she was pressed against him, both hands against his chest.
"oh yeah, because we did a wonderful job of that last time." she hissed, keeping their gazes locked for a moment longer before pushing him out of the way. "Don't follow us." She yelled over her shoulder, sauntering out.
Her outfit had certainly changed over the year. Her once iconic witch's dress had been replaced by a dark purple tuxedo, yes it had tails, and matching black pants. Underneath was a white cinched corset with purple ribbons tying it together. White gloves stood in contrast to her dark attire.
Yet Starfire remained unchanged. As she floated behind her friend, and one could only assume teammate, Wally admired the way she seemed to make such a skimpy outfit seem innocent.
"You can't out run me, Jinx!" he called out cockily. He couldn't resort to desperation. She would never accept that.
"Just watch me, Flash boy!" she paused, looking back. Her eyes flashed for a moment before a look of fear crossed her features.
Once Wally got a better look, he noticed just why she'd stopped.
Artemis had a sharp arrow pointed straight at her chest. With less than five feet between them, there was no chance she'd miss. The arrow was dead-set for her heart.
"I know who you are." The blonde hissed. "You're that little girl who appeared at their feet. Begging for forgiveness."
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Jinx replied. The arrow snapped in an explosion of pink sparks, startling Artemis momentarily.
Jinx continued one, with no one in her path. Until Artemis cried out something that stopped even the fearless female villainess.
"Stop her!" she said as she pulled another arrow from her quiver. "She's a league of shadows assassin!"
~S~
The large holographic screen filled with reports of a pink-haired sorceress attacking them. Case file after case file scrolled across the screen.
Robbery, attempted arson, attempted murder. Wally read them all numbly. They ended abruptly about a month ago, leaving him rooted to the spot in confusion.
"So, I'm being interrogated now?" Jinx called out to no one in particular. The wristband that adorned her wrist was flashing red and emitting a low beeping sound.
"Yes, new acquaintances," Starfire called out from her chair. "Friend Jinx and I have something important to do." Her wrist plates flashed as well, showing that they wore the same insignia.
A black metal cross covered in strange markings was attached to them, and in the middle sat a red light. What else it hid was beyond them.
"So, it that your team insignia?" Robin asked. He couldn't gather up the courage to look down at it, in fear that they might both disappear.
"Yeah." Jinx answered for her friend. Her voice held a bored tone, and her fingers twitched restlessly.
"And this team you belong to?"
"Misfit Island. No one wanted us, so we went there."
"And who exactly is 'we'?" He made air quotes with his fingers, putting emphasis on the 'we' part of her sentence.
"None of your business, Traffic light boy." The name didn't seem to phase him as much as it once had, instead leaving a cocky smirk on his face.
"Not exactly a traffic light anymore now am I?"
Silence. Met by more silence. She just seemed to be sizing him up. She could escape easily, just mutter some words and blow stuff up. But blowing the mountain sky-high wasn't on her to-do list just yet. First she had to get in their minds. They'd saved her, sure, but this mission was too precious.
But really, they were getting in her mind. Miss Martian stood with the rest of the team, save Artemis and Wally, trying to enter the girl's thoughts. What had happened in the brief ten or so minutes that they'd been gone was beyond most members, but one had noticed. Kaldur. Nothing could escape their leader.
They'd obviously been kissing, or some other sort of inter-course that Kaldur really didn't want to know about, although that was highly unlikely for such a short amount of time…
He shuddered. He'd noticed the moment Wally got back just how dishevelled and torn he'd appeared. His lips were swollen and his pupils were dilated. Telltale signs of attraction and kissing. But it still did not explain their behaviour. Surely if they had been kissing then they were a couple? And Kaldur did not think of those two to be the kinds of people to keep their relationship to themselves.
For some reason, every time Kaldur thought of the word 'relationship' in the same sentence as Wally and Artemis, he felt his chest tighten slightly. As if someone were squeezing him to hard. He didn't understand why, but pangs of jealousy seemed to jolt through him momentarily, and then cease.
He must be going insane.
"She's got quite a shielded mind. Someone is blocking it for her." M'gann paused.
"Perhaps we should ask her to let you read her-!" Kaldur was cut off by the disgruntled sorceress who'd caught sight of the same dishevelled speedster.
"Dammit Jinx!" he shouted. At first he'd been worried, then he'd been confused, not he was just plain pissed. "Why?" screw calm and collected. Right now, he could be as angry as he wanted. "Why would you do that?"
"The same reason I did it the first time." she grumbled.
"And why was that?" he was in her face now, so close that their noses were almost touching. His knuckles had gone white, clutching the chair she sat in to the point where it might snap under any more pressure.
"Because I was abandoned!" she snapped. "You just disappeared!"
"I never abandoned you!"
The ropes binding her tore apart in many different sections, leaving only frayed and burning remains. She leapt up, forcing him back, but keeping their faces close.
"I never saw you! You ran off and became the flirtatious play-boy I hated! The one that always left me feeling self-conscious and scared. The one that laughed at me. The one that told me that I was nothing but another in a long line of Exes!" she practically screamed at him.
"You could have said something." He whispered.
"I tried." She was about to step back, but was stopped when he did something unexpected and outrageous.
He grabbed her by the waist and held her tight, holding her as if she'd be ripped from him at any moment.
"Let go of me." she growled. But her voice sounded feeble, choked and thick from the tears that threatened to spill. "Please just let go."
After a short pause, he nestled his face in her shoulder and muttered three words.
"As you wish…" he let go numbly, lifting his head from its nest. And she just stood there, staring at him in shock.
"I take it back." She murmured, pulling him to her. "Don't let go."
He chuckled sadly, wrapping his arms around her small frame.
And they just stood there, motionlessly content. Every now and then one of them would make a small murmuring noise, as if they were communicating that way.
It was all cut abruptly short, when the two black crosses began wailing hysterically, accompanied by a flashing red light. A loud voice called out for them, presumably their leader.
"Jinx, Star? I need your help." The voice paused. "They've found me."
The two girls stood rigid in fear. Jinx pulled away from Wally to look at Starfire, who'd rose up high and torn herself from the chair.
"Guardian's found me."
I had to search so hard for someone good/evil to find them. And I now have a crush on Guardian because he's almost as sexy as a certain nephew of his (I could not stop smiling each time Guardian appeared. I just kept thinking, That's Roy, He-he) *Fan-girl*
Anyway, I have an important *spoiler?* for you. O.C's will appear as main plot characters. In fact, one will be in a relationship with a certain short-haired hero/sidekick/taco-loving (JK) guy who wears red as one of his primary colors. Pretty obvious now isn't it? /shot.
Thanks to all my reviewers! Especially the famous .Relax, the author of Don't mind my death.