Fate's Own Rose
.Do I Trust Him.
.Mammoth.
As I continued watching random commercials, it was already the third night since See-More has been contacting Madame Rouge, and the tenth night since Jinx refused to help us rob any banks. And we were all getting sick of it.
"Jinx!" I whined as I stomped my feet, causing the skinny sorceress to bounce in the air, "We need to go! I mean, you know you wanna," I said as I playfully elbowed her in the arm and raised my eyebrows. "The taco hut is celebrating it's 12th day without incident, I say 12 is too big of a number."
Gizmo snorted. "Maybe for an idiotic neanderthal like you! Besides, the electronics store down the street has been on a 24 day streak!"
Billy Numerous added his own complaints as he and Gizmo began arguing of the importance of keeping the city on their toes. "I say that even if Miss. Jinx over there doesn't want to steal anything, she may just want to watch us trash the place like CRAZY!" Billy shouted as he put emphasis on 'crazy' by multiplying himself into several dozen Billys and sticking his tongue out and waving his arms.
Turning back to Jinx, I never got to see what expression she had, because me, Gizmo, and every one of the Billys were knocked into the furthest wall by one of Jinx's purple waves as her eyes glowed in rage. "Do what ever you idiots want!" She screeched as her fists clenched together. "I'm going--"
"PILLOW FIGHT!" Billy and Gizmo shouted in unison as they threw couch pillows at Kid Wicked, who had been reading quietly on the edge of the couch.Kid Wicked retaliated with a larger cushion, and, immediately forgetting about Jinx, I joined in, taking the cushion out of the couch and slamming it hard on Billy Numerous, who had a pillow posed over his head as he was ready to smack Gizmo up the chin.
From out of the corner of my eye I saw Jinx smack her head and button up her trench coat as she went to leave again, and I saw See-More staring curiously after her.
.See-More.
Something about Jinx has changed lately... something, big. And I would bet anything that it's that Kid Flash's fault! That's why...
"See-More! It's Madame Rouge!" I heard Gizmo call with a note of fear in his voice as he called to me from the communications room. Not that he needed to call me. I could hear her voice cackle from the opposite end of the room. Hurrying over, as much as I hated Madame Rouge, she was the only one I knew would help me.
"See-More! Hmph. I should have expected amateurs to not be able to stage a receiver on the end of their-- aack. Never mind. I have called again, as I said, and I trust you have rid of this failure of a sorceress?" Madame Rouge asked in a cold and shrewd voice, causing Kid Wicked, Gizmo, Mammoth, and Billy Numerous to give out a shiver.
Barely able to keep myself from barking at her for calling Jinx a failure, I suppose it was just as easily said to the rest of us. Through clenched teeth, I confirmed that Jinx had left the premises.
"Good," she murmured. "I shall be in place soon, as you've said. Just make sure you have her tracker on. We can't screw this up. You are very lucky the Brotherhood of Evil will do anything at all to help you rid of Kid Flash," she said icily, her voice heavy in accent. "Now I wish for you to begone!" At that, the transmission ended and the others just shrugged and ran back into the living room to watch whatever informercials they could find while I readied myself with my end of the tracker...
.Kid Flash.
Sometimes, it's like Jinx wants to be found. I mean, why else would she just be wandering around aimlessly in the middle of Jump City..?
.Jinx.
"Surprise!"
Rolling my eyes, once again, it was no surprise at all who could possibly pull off a stunt like that. "You know, as a villain, it pains me to point this out," I started as Kid Flash stepped out from behind me with a quizzical look on his face as he quickly adjusted his walk to my faster pace. "I mean, as a law breaker, I have to know the laws there are to break, and you are aware that stalking is one, right?" I asked with an eyebrow raised.
Opening his mouth to speak, he stuck a finger up in the air as if ready to point something out, until he exhaled and had no response. I gave a small laugh before continuing on, my hands clasped behind my back as I took my impromptu walk with no beginning nor end.
"Why haven't you left them yet?" Kid Flash asked out of the blue, his sapphire eyes piercing mine causing me to look away. He walked and stood in front of me, making me stop to avoid contact. "I mean, you do want to, don't you?"
I scoffed, not sure if it was with sarcasm or if I was asking myself why I hadn't left the HIVE Five yet. "What makes you think I would leave?" I asked, trying to avoid the question as I turned away from him and turned my attention to a small jagged rock on the ground.
He shrugged, his arms raising as he continued to wait for a true response from me. "It just seemed like you might have reasoned it before." I rolled my eyes. "I mean, you're different than them. You can be something better than they will ever be."
Words. That was all they were; words. Picking up the small jagged pebble, I held it for him to see. "This," I said, waving the pebble around as its sharp edges pinched my thumb and pointer finger. "This is what I am." He looked at me, his head slightly cocked to the side as I continued my explanation. "A worthless rock, easily replaceable. Rough on the inside and out with nothing special about it at all." Glaring at the rock, I threw it aside and took a step to the side and forward, therefore passing the barricade Kid Flash had made.
"No, this. This is what you are," he said quietly as he held out a black rose. I knew the breed of black roses was limited on this planet, so he must have gotten it from some vendor that skips from planet to planet. "Unique... one in it's own..." As he held the rose for me to see, I tried looking away at first, but found myself soon marveling at it's beauty. "Rough on the outside," he said as his fingers were pricked by the harsh thorns growing on the stem of the plant, "but beautiful nonetheless."
Biting my lower lip, I took another step, then another, trying to put as much distance as I could in between me and Kid Flash. Hearing his footsteps come up from behind me, I didn't even turn around. Taking my hand, I sent a quick jolt of pink energy at Kid Flash which, by the sound of him hitting a cement wall several feet away, hit dead on. Unfortunately, it didn't phase him much, because after a matter of seconds he was beside me yet again.
"Sheesh, I take it not alot of guys give you flowers," he said with a grin as he handed me the black rose.
I took it without noticing, like my arms had a mind of their own. "Look, you don't get it. I can't leave."
"Can't or won't?" He asked me quietly.
How would I answer that? "Maybe both..." I said in an almost inaudible voice as the voice trailed off into the night.
"If you are worried about where you will go, I can find somewhere! I mean, you and I are just in high school, but I'm sure there are plenty of good places we could afford for you! And think of it this way, no more spending big bucks on repairing the whole headquarters," he added with a grin.
I opened my mouth to talk but a flyer suddenly blew with the nipping cold wind and it landed in Kid Flash's face. Rolling my eyes, for someone so fast, he could be quite slow. He took the flyer off of his face, read it, and before I knew what was going on, he put his hands under my knees and neck again and raced off to who knows where. Closing my mouth, it was something that I learned from my last experience. With your mouth open, who knows what will fly in.
When we finally stopped, I opened my eyes to see swirling lights and annoying music flooded my ears as I staggered to stand. My right hand went to my head as I slowly tried to regain my balance as my left hand went out to grab whatever I could to stabilize myself, which happened to be Kid Flash's arm. Looking into his eyes, there was pure fun and excitement in them. With a sigh, I looked around to see where he took me.
.Kid Flash.
"Ta da!" I said triumphantly as Jinx and I reached our impromptu destination.
"The Jump City carnival?" She asked with a tone of surprise as well as... boredom. My expression dropped for a second, but I stayed true to my optimistic self. "Come on! It'll be fun! It might take your mind off your team!" I said with a grin.
She sighed and smacked her forehead in annoyance, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her in. Despite the fact she didn't seem to be in a good mood, I think that bringing her here was a good idea. Thank you whoever made that flyer flap into my face!
Pulling Jinx by her hand, I weaved the two of us in between the crowd as they lined for various food stalls and vendors, I stopped when we reached the hall of mirrors. "I used to love this when I was younger," I pointed out as I practically dragged her in.
As we passed by the mirrors, I was barely aware that I still had her hand. As I laughed and pointed at each of our goofy reflections, I could have sworn Jinx smiled at least once, that or the trick mirrors were extremely deceiving.
"Didn't you love the carnival when you were little?" I asked with a grin as I stuck my tongue out at my reflection. "My Dad used to take me here all the time before he died."
It was a little while before Jinx spoke, and a couple of times I turned to look at her as if to check if she was still there. I gave her hand a squeeze as I awaited a response. "No. I've... never been to a carnival before," she said quietly. She dropped my hand as her eyes glowed pink and I watched as every mirror shattered, causing a few people to scream and run out of the hall of mirrors. A black cat or two ran by and I was sure that part of this was her own doing, whether it was voluntary or not.
I reached my hand out to touch her shoulder as she turned away from me but stopped. "You can't leave, can you?" I asked quietly, my voice hushed, almost a dull whisper.
She shook her head. It seemed like she was fighting off steaming with fury and bursting into tears. I suppose that is what she should be feeling. Biting my lip, I waited for a bit before moving.
However, before I could even plot a next move, Jinx began to stomp her way out of the hall of mirrors, sending pink waves of energy into anything standing in her way.
"AWW! Jinx! Come on!" I shouted as I easily caught up to her, ignoring the several gwaking stares the pair of us were receiving from the crowd outside. Her hands were clenched into fists as her teeth gritted together when she saw me beside her. "You can't leave yet! Where are you going to go?" I asked, genuinely worried about what would happen to her.
"BACK WITH THE LOSERS I BELONG WITH!" She screeched as her hand tugged away when I tried grabbing it to make her stop.
I tried again and was successfully able to make her stop. "Who ever said you belonged with them..? Why do you think that they can do anything for you? Or will do anything for you?"
.Jinx.
(Flash Back)
(Mysterious Voice) You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. Come back when you're worthy.
(End Flash Back)
Kid Flash's hand grabbed my upper arm and made me turn around to face him, but that didn't mean I had to look at him...
"Where else would I belong...?" I asked in an almost inaudible voice, my eyes seeming to drain of life as I stared into space. "I don't expect anything of them, but I need to show I'm important! That I'm not some petty thief! No one does anything for me in the real world, it's every person for them self. Who'll ever do anything for me?" If you want anything done, you have to do it yourself...
Looking at Kid Flash, I was ready for a look of humor, as usual, or a quizzical look, expecting that he, like all others, wouldn't understand a word that left my mouth. But instead, there was a look of understanding in his eyes as he looked at me almost thoughtfully. "I'd do anything for you..." He murmured, but it was so quick that I almost didn't catch it. "Hey Jinx, tell me... Will you go on one ride with me before you decide to destroy the entire carnival?" He asked with a grin as he slid his hand into mine and began pulling me off again. Rolling my eyes, he had a definite way to change the mood of a place completely with one idiotic sentence. But maybe sometimes it was funny...
As Kid Flash pulled me around almost the whole carnival, things weren't exactly 'fun' for me. Kid Flash stepped on a half opened pack of ketchup which sprayed itself all across my black boots, I ended up walking by the dunk tank while someone went under and was soaked, some little kid bumped into me and a glob of cotton candy got stuck to my sleeve, and to top it off, Kid Flash was still holding my hand...
"This is it! The only ride you have to go on with me before you can run away again," he said with a laugh as we stopped in front of the Ferris wheel. I eyed it with suspicion, but, once again, Kid Flash took advantage of my hesitance and pulled me onto the ride. As the safety bar slapped down across our waists, I squeezed his hand, partly for comfort, partly because of the extremely loud squeal I heard when the ride started.
"Scared?" He asked me when he felt my body stiffen.
I shook my head. "No, I'm completely comfortable when metal squeal like it hasn't seen lubricant in its life," I said sarcastically. He laughed and squeezed my hand back, which reminded me. "Do you mind?" I asked as I yanked my hand back and sat as far away from Kid Flash as I could. "No matter what you may think, I know that I've only known you for like a week or two, so don't think I trust or anything," I pointed out. Kid Flash looked like he considered it.
Instead of asking me why, he changed the subject. "Look at the view from here," he said to me as we both peered over the edge of the Ferris wheel's cart at the carnival and city below. I looked in awe as I admired the view; the city at night, the stars sparkling around the ebony backdrop, the sparkling lights of the city and carnival. It almost made me forget the fact I was Jinx...
"Is that the only thing you are afraid of?" Kid Flash asked me suddenly. The question was completely out of the blue and I had to wait for further explanation before I could provide an answer. "I mean, if all you need to do to leave is have a place, I'm sure that won't be that hard..."
I looked at him with a serious yet puzzled look. "Why do you care so much anyway? I mean, I don't even care that much..."
He shrugged his shoulders and gave a slight smile. "You really are different, in a good way," he added quickly. "But, it really seems like the whole villain thing is holding you back... And that maybe you have more to offer than you seem to show..."
I gave his words some thought, and began to think more and more about why I haven't left the HIVE 5 yet... Was it that I had no where to go? No one to go to? Or maybe it was my pride...
"Have you heard of Private HIVE?" I asked as I referred to my old teammate. Kid Flash gave me a blank look which was exactly what I could have expected. "He used to be one of the original HIVE Five. Private HIVE, Mammoth, Gizmo, See-More, and me."
"Five," Kid Flash said with a smile as he turned to face me and listen intently.
"Yes, five," I murmured. "Well, he did the same thing you want me to do, he left the team and... things didn't go so smooth," I said as I recalled hearing of his fate. I knew Kid Flash wouldn't be able to guess what I mean, so I continued on, but it was like I needed to re-explain it to myself. "Well, Private HIVE left the group because he just didn't want to be a villain any longer. He told the rest of the HIVE 5, and, to this day I don't know who, but someone alerted the Brotherhood of Evil. And, as you may know, the Brotherhood of Evil does not let an enemy go by for long..."
"They got to him, didn't they?" He asked as he guessed the future of my story. I nodded my head in agreement and kept silent.
In truth, this was one of the last things I thought of when I considered making the HIVE 5 only five again by leaving, but it was one thing which had always been lingering in the back of my mind. "Madame Rouge is the one in charge for cases like those, and I'd rather not have to confront her again," I murmured as I remembered the state she had left Kid Flash and me in. "Besides, I need to show that I'm not just a useless curse after all."
Suddenly, my eyes narrowed. I had no clue how, but Kid Flash just seemed to always get me to spill my guts out to him whenever he asked me a simple question. How he did so, I doubt I would ever know.
Just then, the Ferris wheel stopped as it sounded like the wheel itself had rusted itself over, stranding Kid Flash and me on the top of the Ferris wheel. "What luck," I muttered bitterly, wincing at the irony.
"Well, whether you care or not," Kid Flash said, "I say that this night was more interesting due to your powers--"
He couldn't even finish his sentence before a pair of black gloved hands clasped a necklace around my neck. Before either of us could unclasp the necklace, the gloves were already grabbing my forearms in an attempt to pull me straight out of the Ferris wheel. It was then when we both saw the face of our attacker and froze.
"Uh oh..."
A/N: Yay! Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I LOVE feed back from my readers:) And, as some asked me, "Why is Jinx still in the HIVE 5 in your story?" Well, truth is, I really don't think Jinx would have given in and quitted so eaisly, so a lot of this fanfic is her leaving, kind of, with much more. :D After this the plot really comes into play (major fight next, tee hehe) and the Titans and the Titans East do make appearances. :D Wow this one was longer than it seemed...
Ooh, I want to know what you guys thought of about my little 'Private HIVE' thing. I remember he was part of the HIVE 5 during the episode 'Mother May-Eye' and was gone after that, so I am guessing that thatis why it was the HIVE 5. Because there was originally five, and not because it 'sounds cooler'. I wanna know what you think about the Private HIVE thing and if it was believeable. Lol.
Well, more reviews are always welcome:D Thanks!
-Phoenix
BTW: The title kind of hints at Jinx's attitude, she's debating to trust Kid Flash or not... :D