Special thanks to Glyth who wrote the Catwoman scene for/with me, I owe her everything and her weight in gold! Okay, I finally reveal the person and I hope it's someone you find irony in. Next few chapters will be a lot of fun, but dark, very dark!

They

Who made up all the rules?
We follow them like fools.
Believe them to be true;
Don't care to think them through/

I'm sorry, so sorry.
I'm sorry it's like this.
I'm sorry, so sorry.
I'm sorry we do this.

And it's ironic too...
'Cos what we tend to do
Is act on what they say,
And then it is that way.

-Jem

Black cats and bad luck, right? Too bad superstition never said anything about purple. The woman had no superpowers whatsoever, and still she managed to slink out of the shadows silent as Kid Wykkid.

"Catwoman?" Jinx would have killed for some good luck for a change. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Yeah, that sounded all threatening and villainy.

"A cat goes where she pleases," the villainess sneered. "And she answers to no one. Naughty little girls, however, have no such rights." She circled the wary, weary Jinx, cat stalking her prey, and huffed with irritation. "And you are nothing but a little girl. Promising though it is how much chaos you managed to cause, somewhere in there you crossed the line into my territory."

"It's still none of your business," Jinx hissed defiantly, hands glowing in threat, as if she wasn't at the edge of desperation. "I did what I had to do." And she was prepared to do the same thing now.

"And that's where you fail as a rogue. A true rogue never has to do anything. She does what she wants, no more, no less. And right now, I want this over with." The whip was uncoiled in her hand faster than Jinx could blink. She tilted her head and considered the girl. "Just because I don't kill," she informed her silkily, "doesn't mean I'm not about to leave you on a doorstep as a present."

There was a snap of movement, and Jinx found her wrist was caught fast. She hissed with pain, and tried to shake it off. "Leave me alone." It came out half snarl, half sob. The ground beneath Catwoman's feet cracked dangerously.

She laughed delightedly as she flipped, yanking Jinx into a wall. "I love games." She sobered abruptly, a chilling expression on her face. "And I always win."

Jinx held her breath to hold in the scream as she hit the wall, hard. She would have been able to block it, had she not been so hungry. "And I cheat." She concentrated, drawing what last reserves of power she had and tried to stay on her feet, trying to avoid having to fight a hand to hand fight. She was smaller than her opponent and hungry.

"There's a coincidence. So do I," Catwoman said, easily flipping over the boxes Jinx's power had thrown at her. "But I do get bored easily. You're tired and off your game. You've lost. Accept it and just faint. It will make the pain easier."

"So you've gone legit?" Jinx asked, breaking the whip with her powers. "Trying to leave me on Batman's pillow for a dish of milk?" This person had made a hero/villain relationship work, without going soft. How she wished she would have to her for advice before this whole fiasco happened.

Catwoman didn't seemed perturbed by the insult or the breaking of her equipment. She licked her paws. "I don't need to do him any favors to get my cream."

Jinx blasted back, trying to land a blow to the face. Catwoman leapt forward and Jinx screamed as claws raked across her arm and a hard hit landed on her stomach. Happily, Jinx had kept her head long enough to use her powers at the same moment. The explosion of the garbadge can smelled horribly, but it did temporarily blind her.

There was no more time for banter, she would have to get away and keep running until she found shelter or collapsed.

She ran as fast as she could, adrenalin pumping through her veins as she tried to get as far away as possible. If Wally was here, he would have taken her in his arms and sped her to safety.

You killed him. So he can't rescue you. You are all alone.

Damn the voices in her head. She had to concentrate on anything but the pain in her stomach and the pain in her belly and in her arm. She was losing blood and quickly. If she didn't find rest soon…

"Tired of running?" a voice asked, in front of her. "Because I'm not. I can do this all day."

Jinx panted, trying to catch her breath, and tried to steady herself for one last blow. She staggered, falling to her knees hard.

"Don't feel bad. I'm just taking you to prison. The Justice league would tear you limb from limb," Catwoman whispered softly, as she approached, heels sounding angrily in the attack.

"Surely, this is beneath your dignity," Jinx whispered, as the world swirled before her eyes.

"You are right," Catwoman sighed. "As much as it hacks me off to use a police force that relies on a pack of high school brats, what can you do?" she said softly, as Jinx felt a whip handle to the back of the head.

It was all over quickly.


Wally hated sitting still. He had to run, the speed force inside him was calling to him and lying in this bed was driving him insane. If he just wasn't hooked up to the machines, he would be halfway to Paris and back already.

He was healing fast, but he still was on bed rest. Which meant that besides a slow trudge to the bathroom, he was flat on his back and not in a very good way. Which brought him back to the subject of Jinx and how much he missed her. He had made Robin promise to take her in alive and he knew his friend would keep his word. Dick was honest like that. "And you're a lying bastard," his conscience reminded him. Was Jinx even alive now?

"Well, someone is awake. I thought I would find you up and glaring," a pleasant female voice said, as Aunt Iris walked in, holding a tray of steaming hot soap. She always brought food and a smile, always there to make him feel better.

"Good morning, fair maiden," Wally said, giving her a wink. "You have the figure of a goddess, you know." The Hippo goddess was a deity too, no? Of course, if he said that, she was liable to spill the soup on his lap and that would be a waste of a delicious meal.

"You aren't going to leave this room, Mister. You can flatter me all you want, but I know all your tricks. Taught you most of them myself," Aunt Iris said, giving him a gentle pat.

"Like the time you put hydrogen peroxide in that girl's shampoo when she tried to steal Uncle Barry from you?" Wally reminded, with a smile. His aunt was as ruthless as she was wonderful.

"I don't recall admitting I ever did it. The fact that it happened was just a happy coincidence," Aunt Iris retorted, giving him a flick on the nose, before spooning some soap into his mouth. "And considering you just gave us a heart attack, you're one to talk."

"I did say I'm sorry," Wally mumbled, as he began the guilt trip. At least he had Oyster Chowder to keep him company on it. "You know I didn't mean to get myself halfway killed."

"I know, love. If I thought you had been foolish, I'd have given you a tongue lashing for now and figured out some horrible punishment for later. But you really should be more careful," Aunt Iris said, giving him more of the soup.

"I promise, I will," Wally said, finally giving his word to something he could keep. He would definitely be more careful now. "So, where's Uncle Barry? Still plotting the best dungeon to lock me in?" That would be funny, if Wally didn't deserve exactly that.

"Your uncle is lecturing at the university. I insisted he go and take out his frustrations on his students. I think I heard him mumbling about a surprise quiz," Aunt Iris said, resisting a laugh. "If his grad students get their hands on you, they will not be happy. You know he torments them when he's mad at you."

"I will bring them cookies for the holidays to make up for it," Wally vowed, trying to look angelic. "I mean, they do save me from a horrible fate. Copying dictionaries hurts my hand."

"Yes, and them being loaded down with lab work isn't a problem? Besides, I thought we could get some quality time together. If you don't mind hanging out with your old auntie," she said, giving him another spoonful. "I know I'm not a hero and all…"

Wally groaned. He had been spending less time with his aunt when he had gotten his powers. He had not wanted it to happen, but he had just naturally grown closer to Uncle Barry, with the whole shared powers and saving the world thing. There was so much to talk about when you both moved at super speed and fought villains. He had really been taking her for granted. "You know you're still number one," he said, trying to look extra cute. "And you have me as a captive audience."

"Although I don't like the circumstances, I'm glad to have you," Aunt Iris said. "Having you around is like…" she trailed off, as she continued to feed him soup.

Wally bit his lip. "Dad. Yeah. I know." The subject of Wally's father was still a sore one.

"I know you hate me bringing it up. But I just couldn't help thinking of them and how proud they would be of their son, who helps save the world,' Aunt Iris said, shoving the dagger into his heart. "You had a rough semester, but you've been doing well with your grades, living on your own. You're making us so proud. I just wish Rudy could have seen this."

Wally was wondering if she knew the truth and was doing this just to torment him. "I'm just me," he said softly. "That's it." He was someone who deserved to be clonked over the head repeatedly. Why did everyone have to find him lovable?

"I know. And that is why I am going to make you a milkshake with ice cream in it and we're going to play video games all day. You deserve a big reward," Aunt Iris said. Video games had been banned three years ago by the order of the head of the family, who had decreed it a horrible waste of time. Wally still referred to it as the day the world nearly ended. "I got Spiderman vs. Carnage. I remember he was one of your favorites before the ban, right?" she asked, giving him a wide smile. "Never let it be said heroes aren't rewarded."

And Wally had another chance to confess everything, to tell his loved ones the truth and accept the punishment of their anger. He would finally have it off his conscience and he would actually be able to do something about his mistakes. He could just tell Aunt Iris, she would be angry, but then she would help him soften the blow. She would help him calm down his uncle and she would be his best advocate.

He looked into his aunt's eyes and tried to figure out how best to phrase this. He should start at the beginning and not stop until he finished. He should not leave out any details.

The next words out of his mouth made him nauseous. "You guessed right! Let's start playing," Wally said, chickening out immediately.


Lalya Jennson, prisoner 24601 stared at the barred window, the blank concrete walls and she knew she had hit rock bottom. She was doomed and she knew it.

It wasn't that she was in prison. She had spent half her life in and out of barred places, this was nothing. In fact, she had been due for a brief stint in juvvie, so this was right on schedule. Actually, the prison had often been the only constant thing in her life, she was always running away from something, always stealing something and ending up behind bars.

She should be rejoicing right now. She had done what the Brotherhood of Evil could never do, she had killed a hero. She should be happy. The Brotherhood of Evil would honor her as a hero when she broke out of prison. She would be automatically accepted and she would be happy. She would have found her place. The world would know of Jinx, the slayer of Kid Flash, the girl who had taken down someone too fast to be touched. She was victorious.

Of course, she couldn't stop thinking about a cocky smile and curly red hair, about blue eyes that sparkled with a joy and zest for life. She had spared him once from Madam Rouge, she owed him nothing more. Yet, did he really deserve to die? All he had done was be stupid enough to be kind to her, to care about her and to trust her. It was a mistake that cost him his life.

"Criminals murder people. It happens," she whispered to herself. She just had this terrible feeling that she was dirty now and nothing would ever let her feel clean again. She hadn't killed Kid Flash…Wally in battle. She had sneaked him poison and let him die in a fire, trying to save people.
"Bad guys don't play fair," she told herself. She was bad luck, she had no shame in cheating or lying or doing anything bad. Just…murder seemed so final. So wrong. So terrible and cruel.

She had done her best. She had killed Kid Flash. She had done what she had been ordered. Even though she didn't get the communicator, she had done whatever she could. It would have to be enough. She had sacrificed her soul and happiness. What more could she be expected to give?

"Everything" would be Brother Blood's answer. To be a true villain, one had to fill oneself with nothing but ambition. Betray those who are weak. Fight till the end for your cause and do what it takes to win. There was nothing but the strong and the weak, the predator and the prey, the hero and the villain.

She debated how she could ever return to the outside world. The Titans would hunt her down mercilessly. She had seen that look in Robin's eyes when she was fighting and had hurt one of his stupid friends. She would never forget that look of maniacal hatred that vowed that the next time he saw her; she would be going down…badly. She had always considered the Titans her enemy, but now that she had killed one of them, she had to always watch her back.

Life had returned to what it should have been. She was on the run and she could trust no one. It was better off this way. She wondered if she would miss the roses, the dates, the kind looks and the corny jokes. There would never be anyone else. She had been hurt too badly, to ever love again. She would grow powerful, she would become the next super villain. But she would never again open her heart again.

That would be a pity. There's so many guys in the world that you could fall for and then kill. That could be your new name, Black Widow. You seduce them, then you reduce them by a head, Wally said.

"You don't exist," Layla whispered. "And I'm in prison now. I'm being punished. So you can stop going Charles Dickens on me." She missed talking literature with him, a lot. "Are you going to haunt me forever?"

I did it in life. I can do it in death. You realize, I don't exactly have much else to do. I did have hopes and dreams before your kiss of death," Wally said, smirking at her. Besides…don't you torturing me?

Tears filled Layla's eyes. "I love you," she whispered. "Did you know that you made me love you?"

Look what that got me. But why did it screw your life up? You're the one who is going to be called a queen among villains. I'm still dead. Why are you so depressed?

"I don't even know who I am anymore. You just destroyed me, you made me weak. Why did you do that? Why couldn't you have just hated me and treated me like the criminal scum I am?" Layla demanded.

I didn't think you were scum then. But I always had my suspicions, which is why I never introduced you to my family. Now they don't have to know my biggest mistake. You're my biggest mistake.

Layla sank into her hard cot. "You're in my mind. You don't exist. You're dead. I won't listen to you."

I hate you. I wish I never met you. My family was right, you are trash, you are worthless, you are retarded. You always make trouble wherever you go.

"Stop it!" Layla screamed, clutching her head, sobbing. "I am a villain and the world will feel my pain. I'm bad luck. I'm chaos. I am everything that people fear. In fear, I have power," she whispered to herself. It was the words that gave her strength when she had been alone and on the streets. It was what gave her strength. She would make everyone who hurt her have bad luck. She would be never be powerless if others feared her.

The voices had stopped. There was nothing human left to her anymore.

She was Jinx again, a weapon.

AN-Sorry for the brevity of the fight scene, Jinx's starving and Catwoman…can take on Batman. I wanted to show her out of her league.