Okay, another chapter, another adventure. This one is one of the most interesting and that is due to Glyph whose snark is my god and I shall worship happily. This and the next chapter mark a huge turning point for me, this and half of the next chapter are really arc one and the second arc is going to blow you all away. So I'm really excited. And most of the second arc is prewritten so updates will be frequent updates even though law school admissions, masters and journalism is eating me alive.
Now have some fun, y'all. And special guest appearance by a Titan and one of my personal favorite ones. Enjoy!
When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)
I am the fountain of affection
I'm the instrument of joy
And to keep the good times rolling
I'm the boy, I'm the boy,
You know the world could be our oyster,
You just put your trust in me,
Cause we'll keep the good times rolling
Wait and see, wait and see...oh wait and see!
His exaltation, a sweet disintegration.
A few discolorations, then it comes along
up is why he chooses, the kisses and the bruises
There ain't nothing he refuses, then it comes along
It comes along, and I am lifted, I am lifted, I am lifted!
-Great Big Sea
CHAPTER 21
Wally lay on his stomach, trying not to whimper with pain as Jinx rubbed salve into his back. That witch had really laid into him; Wally could still feel the welts from being flogged like that. Still, lying shirtless with Jinx's sweet hands massaging him was rather pleasant. "A bit harder," he asked, relaxing under her tender care.
Jinx began kneading his shoulders, making him moan with pleasure. "You know…I don't see why you should be the one having all the fun in this situation?" she remarked, as she began working on his spine.
"You have a superhero flat on his back, completely at your mercy," Wally said, as a tingly feeling crept through his body. "Aren't you satisfied?"
"Not yet. I'll be satisfied as soon as the pain killers kick in and you stop needing my constant care," Jinx said, playing with a lock of his hair. "I have a lot of plans for tonight. Where do you keep the handcuffs?" she asked.
Wally's sweaty forehead just felt warmer. "Umm…under my bed, next to my underwear drawer," he mumbled, feeling like the situation was getting out of control. They had been officially dating for approximately twenty minutes, and so far, it didn't seem bad. He was just dating Miss Take Over the Universe, Batman was hot on his trail and he was still in a significant amount of pain but would be soon engaging in something…very good. So far, so good.
"Perfect. I'm going to take a nice hot shower. You can join me if you want," Jinx said, finishing up with his treatment. "I'll…be waiting." She winked as she walked off to his bathroom, sashying her perfect hips. It was a wonderful view.
Wally gulped and tried to remember everything he knew about sex from sneaking magazines with Dick. He could feel his body wanting this very badly, but he had to keep his head…ack, no more bad puns. He needed to stay focused on anything but how much he wanted to tackle-kiss Jinx.
Okay, first he needed to deal with the mentors. After that, he could concentrate on his girl. And he knew just the person to cool his scent a bit and give him some time to work out a plan.
Dialing his phone, he quickly filtered into the Titans home phone. "This is Spandex boy, calling for Bird boy," he mumbled, still humiliated by the stupid childhood nicknames they had chosen. He had wanted to be Lord Avenger but Robin said that was too obvious. "What's up, bro?"
"Nothing much. We're still fighting some bad guys in Tokyo. We should have the situation under control." Dick's voice always sounded so calm and in control. Wally blamed years of life under Batman's stoic care. "Something going on with you?" he asked in a careful tone. Somehow, Dick always had a premonition about when things would be getting dicey.
"Just girl trouble," Wally said, knowing he had to be careful. Dick would keep his secrets through death and torture, but he wasn't sure if his friend could survive a solid grilling with the Bat or Uncle Barry without spilling his guts.
"You're girl crazy. Batman always said that was something you need to work on," Dick scolded, sounding like the annoying geek of a brother that Wally had given many wedgies to.
"I know. You don't have to remind me. Just kick the lecture and listen. As much as it pains me to ask, I need your help," Wally said, wondering how this conversation would go.
"Are you doing something you shouldn't?" Dick asked, in a low tight tone. All those years with Batman had made him suspicious of everything. Or maybe he just knew him too well.
"Do you really need to ask?" Wally said, trying to sound charming. He had talked Dick into doing so many stupid things; surely, this wouldn't be much of a problem for him. "Don't you trust me?"
"Only as far as I can through in wrestling practice," Dick said, his tone warming up slightly.
"So you don't trust me at all? I'm heart-broken," Wally joked, unable to resist the jab to his best friend. Since Wally moved faster than Dick's eyes could follow, fights tended to be…very competitive and end up in very dangerous wrestling matches that nearly got them both killed. Uncle Barry and Batman had winded up dragging them apart by the ears half the time.
"It's not my fault Bruce makes you fight in enough lead weights to sink a ship," Dick said, sounding very affronted. That made it very hard for Wally to speed up and even harder for Dick to throw him. "When the match is completely fair, I've thrown you clear across the Bat Cave. But you still haven't answered my question."
"Why do you need to ask?" Wally asked, feeling the lead weights now in his stomach. If Dick backed out on him, he was screwed royally. If Batman wasn't thrown off his trail, he'd be caught, and grounded before he could blink. And he blinked fast.
"Because if you are, don't tell me anything you don't need to. I don't need to be questioned by the mentors. But make sure I know how to cover for you. And remember, standard rules apply. Your mentor or mine decides they want the answer now, we give each other up with no hard feelings." Nothing was worth their wrath.
Good old Bird brain, Wally knew he could count on him. "Thanks." He felt more at ease now. If he was careful, it wouldn't come to do that and he would come out of this with his sanity intact. "I owe you big."
Dick growled angrily. "Yes, you do. And just know I plan to disapprove stringently of whatever idiotic thing you are doing," Dick snapped, sounding most peeved. "How do you always convince me to get involved in your idiotic schemes?" he demanded.
"This is just like the time we stole the Batmobile. And we survived that," Wally assured him. Okay, maybe that was a bad example. Both of them had spent the next three months on complete lock-down and sitting down had been a major issue for the better part of a day.
"Barely. Just barely," Dick said, gritting his teeth. "And one day, I will still get you for that. Fine, do your idiotic antics. Just promise me you aren't in any danger. And I mean it, if you need help, I'll be right there. I can duck out," he offered, being the best friend Wally would do anything for. And he hated having to lie to him. Even though Jinx had gone good, he knew no one would believe that for now. He still had to hide everything.
"I'm fine. Just…have a girlfriend and she's been distracting me and I've been slacking off. I don't want the mentors finding out. So just make up how I'm becoming much more of a good boy and I'll do your trig homework for a month," Wally offered.
"Fine. And make that two months," Dick said. "Darn. I need to go stop Starfire from painting Raven's room pink as a welcome home gift," he mumbled.
"Wally, the water is getting cold," a voice said, loud enough for Batman to hear, all the way in Gotham.
Wally could feel the air crackle. "A girl is waiting for you in a bath tub?" Dick asked laconically. Wally knew that this would be ending with much mockery. "What are you, Green Arrow?"
"Just shut up and cover me," Wally mumbled, knowing the definition of hell. "And I'm being a gentleman." Wow, if he had a penny for every lie he was telling, he'd be wealthier than the Luthors. "Unless you want the Bat finding out about the time when you and Babs…"
"You're resorting to blackmail? What are you, becoming a rogue?" Dick grumbled. "Next thing I know, you'll be dating a villain and calling yourself Wicked Flash or something."
Wally's stomach sank to the bottom of his bare feet. Suddenly, he really didn't feel very good anymore. "Yeah…that would be funny. Well, gotta go shower." Click.
Jinx was standing behind him, in a bathrobe. Her long pink hair was now wet and hanging over her shoulders like a cape. She looked beautiful and sensual and he was really pondering about that shower offer. "Couldn't wait for you forever. Your loss," she scolded.
Wally didn't know if he should be disappointed or relieved. Life was becoming too confusing. "I was just…on the phone."
"With the boy blunder, making sure no one knows of me. My knight in shining armor," she said, with that cryptic smile. "I suppose you have been stalkerishly protecting me a bit, which is creepy but cute. You saved me from that friend of yours, Speedy, the one who tried to nail me with an arrow. I appreciate it."
"Well, I couldn't let him haul you away to prison," Wally said tenderly, brushing a tendril of pink hair from her face. She had such delicate white skin, like a princess in a fairy-tale.
"Don't worry, he won't do it again soon," Jinx purred. She also reminded him of a newly tamed tiger, incredibly beautiful but those claws and teeth were still sharp and ready to be used. And apparently, they had.
Wally gritted his teeth as he remembered that she was not a tame girlfriend. "Should I even ask?" he said softly. His guilt about this didn't really need Speedy's pain and suffering added to it.
"I may have broken his wrist. And his middle finger." Jinx's grin never faded, even as she discussed criminally violent acts. It was something that scared him…a lot.
"May have?" Wally was suddenly very sick to his stomach. Not that Speedy was a tenth of the friend that Robin was, but it was general bad policy to approve of hero-bashing. "Did you?"
"Well...most likely." Jinx fluttered her pink eyes innocently. "He shouldn't have been waving it around in a battlefield." Wally debated if he should be mad someone hurt his friend or laughing. 'My girlfriend kicked your ass' was a wonderful insult that he could know use. Of course…dating the girl who had done those things might become a problem.
"Could we avoid destroying people who owe me money?" Wally demanded. "You know, it will make double dates harder if you keep trying to kill off my friends."
Jinx laughed. "It's not personal. In the last year, I beat up Robin. I hexed and nearly destroyed Raven. I've tried to kill the Titans. I really wanted to, but they just seemed to have this terrible luck of getting away. So it's nothing big that I maimed Speedy. I hate all Titans besides you. It's just…the natural order of things. It would give me great pleasure to watch them breathe their last. But I've stopped trying to kill them now because of you."
Wally was beginning to understand the headaches of being responsible for someone else, especially someone who had fits of evil and random destruction towards others. "Ummm...do you regret anything? At all?" he asked softly. He really wanted to remember the spark of good inside her and not the homicidal maniac who sometimes frightened him.
Jinx nodded. "Of course I have regrets. It would have been better not meeting you a few days later so I could have finished the jobs and then fully devoted myself to you,"
she explained.
"So you would have preferred destroying my friends before dating me?" Wally asked. Okay, the breaking out of her good side would require a little bit of work. "Why don't you tell me all the bad things you did, so we're on the same page?" he offered.
Jinx's brow creased. She thought for a long moment before counting a few times on her fingers. "How long do you have?" she asked.
"As long as it takes," Wally said, wondering if he would be here for a while. He had a bad feeling that she had a very long rap sheet.
"Well, let's start with the last year. I've been driving without a license and driving without insurance. I've had numerous counts of forgery, burglary, espionage, racketeering blackmail, tax evasion, and treason. After a few stray hexings, I have had attempted murder repeatedly added to my booking sheet, along with multiple counts of shoplifting, breaking and entering, fraud, assault and battery. Do you also count criminally tight clubbing outfits?" Jinx asked, a smile spreading on her face as she recounted her sins.
Wally really needed aspirin now. "Maybe you should stop. I could be made to testify against you." She had admitted to doing all that and he hadn't hauled her adorable butt to prison. Batman would have had his head on a platter.
"You wanted to know the truth. The truth isn't always pleasant," Jinx reminded him with a smirk. She had a point there.
The young hero decided to change the subject before he was forced into betraying everything he believed in. "Doc Hamilton's out for the day, so I have a few hours before anyone wonders where I am," Wally said, after he lightning speed-changed into jeans and a T-shirt. He ignored the headache and the pain in the rest of my body. "So what would you like to do?" he asked.
"We still can't be seen together without being arrested," Jinx reminded haughtily, as she fixed her hair out of horns and into a high ponytail. Dressed in an old t-shirt of Wally's, she looked like an ordinary girl who didn't commit felonies for fun. "So that does limit our options."
"Do you want to go to an amusement park? I need to get my mind off this," Wally asked. He could use some hot-dogs and cotton candy to remind him that there was hope for his future.
"I have a better idea. It's Purim, the festival of Masquerade. We should visit the Mittlemans in costume," Jinx said softly, a big smile on her face. She always had the best ideas!
"It's a Jewish holiday. There will be plenty of food," Wally said, returning the smile. "Count me in. I just hope they have enough for the other guests." All he knew from days at Uncle Hal's house was plenty of great food and lots of fun games with spinning tops.
"Mind your manners or I'll maim you," Jinx said sweetly. "We'll need to go in some form of disguse anyway. We could go as ourselves, if it wouldn't be risking discovery. It would have been fun to pretend to be us in public for a few minutes." Yeah, but it would have been a little too close to revealing secret identities for comfort. Even though it would be wonderful to go public with their relationship, it would still be suicidal.
"We could go as clowns," Wally said, making what he hoped was an endearing funny face. He loved costume parties, given that a lot of his life was spent in disguise. And clowns were usually fun.
"I did threaten you, didn't I?" Jinx asked, rolling her eyes. "I have given up thievery, but I never gave up random acts of violence against those who annoy me," she explained.
"We could go as my favorite comic book heroes. Spiderman and Black Cat," Wally suggested, fingering the plastic clad books. "Or maybe Cinderella and Prince Charming." He would love to see her in a ball gown, all dolled up.
Jinx shook her head. "Cinderella? Where's the fun in that?" she demanded. "I'm not exactly Happily Ever After material."
"Would you prefer to be the Wicked Witch of the West?" Wally asked, tossing a towel at her. He knew it was a low blow but he supposed she would take it in good fun or hex him.
Jinx caught it deftly and threw it back at him. Score, no hexing! "You're…trying my patience. But I have an idea that is actually workable. Let's go as Batman and Catwoman. You know, forbidden love and all that," she said with a shark-like smile. "I think that's pretty appropriate."
"You want me to go as Batman?" Wally gulped, imagining the consequences of mocking the Dark Knight with a villain, especially after being warned to be on his best behavior. He'd have to hide in main-land China for life. According to the latest word, even Hong Kong wasn't safe. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. And I don't think giving credence to the rumors is a good idea."
"Still scared of him? Why so serious?" Jinx asked, rolling her eyes. She hadn't been so cocky when she heard his voice on the message machine. Wally winced again. He knew that saying and it gave him nightmares. "And yes, the rumors are true. They sleep together. A lot. With their masks crazy-glued on," Jinx said with a wink. She wouldn't be lying, would she?
Wally really wanted to ask more, but he was too tongue tied to speak. His hero also fell for a villain? So it wasn't a sin against God, Country and mentors. It actually was…somewhat normal. "Wow." He really wondered now why villains fell for heroes and vice versa. He supposed not many people would understand the appeal of the suit and secret life.
"It really is a good idea. I would look really good in skin-tight leather and a whip." She admired her figure in a mirror. "So I guess you're more like the big guy that you thought."
Ordinarily, that would have been the greatest compliment possible. But right now, Wally really didn't need to be reminded of how many lies he was currently juggling. Today was a happy day, Jinx had agreed to go good and he had survived death. He did not need anything depressing. "You would, but I am not dressing up as my mentor. I prefer all my limbs intact."
Jinx threw herself on his bed and stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "You're such a kill-joy. But I suppose we could skip it. I'd hate to see you glared at. And by your expression, going as Harley and Mistah J isn't going to work either. And I would have so enjoyed dying your hair green. We would have been the coolest couple at the party."
Wally wanted to ask if she considered the Joker her hero. But if she said yes, he wouldn't be able to deal with it. No one could admire the Joker and still be sane. "The Joker?" he asked. "You….think he's cool?"
"When you're on the streets, cold and hungry and afraid, you want people to be afraid of you so that they don't gut you. No one guts the Joker," Jinx explained, her face becoming weary. She was remembering things she didn't like, painful memories most likely.
"I'm not going to let you go hungry again." Wally was very serious about that. His parents had left him with serious amounts of cash and Wayne Industry preferred stock had made him quite well off. He had more than enough to spare to take care of his best girl. "And I've seen what the Joker did. There's nothing good about him." He had the scars on his shoulder to remember.
"And besides, I can't be the Joker. If I slapped you around like he did Harley, you'd cut me to ribbons. You're too cool for that," Wally said warmly. He was starting to understand why Jinx went to crime. Without money or food, morals started being too heavy of a burden.
Jinx returned the smile and kissed him lightly. "Yeah…I am. I think I could get used to you being my knight in shining armor." She looked so genuine and Wally decided to trust her at face value.
"Maybe I'll be your samurai and you can be my lady. You'd look lovely in a kimono and you can carry swords. See…being good means I can trust you around heavy weaponry," Wally explained. He could go as Himura Kenshin. When his hair was straightened, it was long enough to put in a ponytail and he rarely had a chance to wear a purple costume without having his masculinity questioned. And although he couldn't see his jaded girlfriend as Kaoru, he could just let her be some evil female warrior or something.
"Sounds pretty…" Jinx said. "I always did like Japanese costumes and it's modest enough for the party. But I think I have the perfect costume in mind, one that both of us will like."
--
"Today is Purim, tomorrow no more, so give us some treats and then show us the door," Wally and Jinx recited, as they both knocked on the door with their free hands.
Regina answered the door, dressed as a clown. Her brown hair had been covered with a pink wig. She looked different from the wedding but still the kind faced girl who had shown Jinx such humanity. "Hello, Layla. I'm so glad to see you again, dear. And Ira?" she asked, giving him a wide smile. "I called Ellie and she said that you should say hello to your friend Wally for her. You two know people in common, it seems. I told you finding new family would work."
Wally's face matched his hair, under the laurel leaf. His former babysitter was too smart for his own good well being. And if she knew…well, hopefully Robin would do the job right and make sure Batman didn't join the group of people in the know. "Thank you. Happy Purim." Happily, the inside smelled like heaven and brisket!
"Happy Purim to you two as well. Caesar and Cleopatra, what fine costumes," Regina marveled, admiring Jinx's slinky white gown and gold headpiece. They had decided to go the Shakespearean route, due to their literary beginnings. "You look positively divine."
Jinx smiled. "Yeah, I do," she said, squeezing Wally's hand affectionately. "And I feel that way too." They were in public together and they were enjoying themselves. No one was condemning them and judging them for their mistakes. It was just them, a wild party and lots of good food.
"And don't forget to hail Caesar!" Wally reminded, enjoying his toga far too much for his own good. Even the laurel leaf crown that he didn't deserve still seemed perfect on him.
"Of course, you look wonderful as well. We were hoping you two love birds would show up. So, you are finally a couple?" she asked, giving them a sly wink.
"Yes," Jinx confirmed, looking radiantly happy at that moment. "I think so." She looked so happy that Wally felt his heart beating faster than normal and for him, that was something.
"Excellent, something else to celebrate. You're a lucky boy to get such a fine girl. Come on in, we've just started dinner, you must have some," Regina said, motioning them to come inside, to a beautifully decorated room filled with people. In the center of the room, people were dancing to some poppy Israeli song. They all smiled at him as he and his girlfriend entered. He wasn't geeky Wally West, he wasn't a hero, and he was just a normal guy on a normal date. And none of them knew a thing about what he was doing. For a few moments, he was free of his guilt, and content with the girl he loved.
And in that moment, all of his welts barely hurt. He had never felt so free. "May I have this dance?" he asked, bowing to her. Jinx smiled and nodded. As he whirled around, he found himself unable to stop smiling. Life was good! "You look beautiful," he whispered.
Jinx laughed. "Tell me something I don't know," she challenged, looking luminous as his desert queen. How could her family have turned away such a wonderful person and set her on such a dark path? He'd love to track them down and give them a piece of his mind.
"I love you," he said, meaning it with his whole heart. He was crazy, but he was crazy in love. And considering what he learned about Batman today, he was actually starting to feel justified in what he was doing.
"I love you too, you idiot," Jinx said, giving him her prettiest smile. He learned in and kissed her in front of everyone, not worrying about crime and punishment. He had to admit it felt very good right now.
AN-Aren't good times fun? Now this would be a perfect way to end, but you know that would be too easy. So don't worry, much more is on the way.
