Hello yet again on another chapter of the fanfiction. This one's rather long, and is filled with flashbacks. So if you want to see Jinx at the H.I.V.E. again for a few times, now's your chance. Tried to add in a little more Flinx due to the lack of it in the story. (And I know how much you people love it.) Enjoy.

Disclaimer: If I owned the Teen Titans, I'd be secretly collecting all of your fanfics to turn them into reality. Some of this stuff is good. ^-^

A Haunting Memory Returns

Chapter Five: Bloodletting the Past

They both sat down on the uncomfortable hospital beds. The nurses patched Kid Flash up, it wasn't anything major, but if Jinx hadn't stepped in he would have quite a few broken bones. They both had blisters from the fire, and Jinx had trouble seeing from the blinding light from the blast. The doctors said it wouldn't be anything permanent. As for the injected fluid into Kid Flash's body, the doctor's were dumbfounded by it. It wasn't anything they've seen before, they said whoever created it was practiced in medical fields. No surprise there. However, they both had to rest, especially Kid Flash. But he was a horrible patient. He refused to rest and stubbornly objected to every demand the hospital staff made.

"Stop getting out of bed, resting is the only way to help heal."

"I'm rested enough, thank you very much."

He slept for three days straight after the encounter, Jinx was scared to death that he was in a coma. Who would annoy her when she was enjoying her time? Who would constantly go through her sketch book while she wasn't around? She was desperate, and even prayed for once in her life. Of course, he turned out fine.

"Open wide and say 'ah'."

"Aaaaah! Dear God! When was the last time you brushed?

"Please change out of that spandex, it's dirty and burnt up."

"Oh. So now there are two females who disagree with my fashion sense? I don't need this!"

He finally told them that he and Jinx needed some time alone. The staff reluctantly left, and Jinx could hear the last nurse slam the door on the way out. She felt nervous, because she knew what was coming.

"Who was he?"

It was a simple question. Who was the guy in the mask? Jinx knew that the answer would be much more complex. She had given Kid Flash most of her past, but Dracul was a secret. She sighed and confessed.

"His name is Dracul. He was a professor for the H.I.V.E. Academy."

"So he's a teacher? Nothing more?" Kid Flash coaxed.

How did he always know when she was holding back information? It made her feel like a backstabber.

"We were close…" Jinx responded.

Kid Flash looked like someone just stuck a knife up his stomach.

"Oh now it's on."

Jinx's surprise turned to anger. She glared at him. How could he suggest something like that?

"No you idiot!" she said in gritted teeth.

Kid Flash grinned and Jinx was about to hex him into next Tuesday. She stopped when he groaned from pain. She forgot all about Dracul and his beating methods.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped." Jinx apologized.

"It's okay, I've gotten used to that sharp tongue."

She gave him the "One more word and I'll hex you to oblivion" look. He'd gotten cocky all over again, what was the point in her worrying?

"Go on now." Kid Flash said.

"He was my father figure." Jinx continued.

"Do you think I need his approval to date you?"

"Shut up."

"Seriously."

"You're going to need a lot more than his approval if you keep this up."

"Aw… but you could never get rid of me."

"I forgot, you're an insignificant, persistent, little bug."

"Is that why you were crying while I was in a "coma"?"

"Wha- what? I wasn't crying!"

"Yes you were."

"How would you know, you were asleep!"

He gave her a sly wink, and Jinx didn't know whether to throw Kid Flash out the window or kiss him on the cheek.

"Okay now, back on topic."

"He was the only family I ever had…"

"Even more than the Hive Five?"

"Of course! Dracul is an adult! Which means that he's not lazy, he's intelligent, and mature! Unlike those sloppy idiots I was stuck with back then!"

Thinking about it caused a flashback for her. Jinx was back at the H.I.V.E. Academy. She felt depressed and ridiculously bored.

"What's your problem slugface?" a squeaky, all too familiar voice asked.

"Don't you think there's more to this Gizmo? Blood's been in charge for awhile now and there's been no success. I want something more than this. I'm tired of robbing vending machines." Jinx replied.

"I don't know what you think but Blood's awesome." Gizmo said.

"How? He let two bases crumble and is saying, 'Third time's the charm' as if it'll work." Jinx retorted.

Gizmo looked offended, and why not? Blood was his idol. His pathetic, sloppy idol.

"What do you think Mammoth?" Gizmo asked, looking for support.

"I think this sandwich needs more mayo. Be right back." Mammoth replied.

Gizmo twitched at the answer. Jinx tried to sneak away before she was caught in the middle of the little Poindexter's rants. Too late.

"How is it that he always thinks about food? No wonder he's always falling to those snotnosed Titans!"

But that's all she heard as she walked away sighing. Why was it that her cohorts were the stupid ones? She shrugged it off as them being boys and walked to next period. She sat down and watched as Blood explained the laws of backstabbing. Gizmo took down as many notes as he could, but she didn't know why he bothered. Seeing as Blood couldn't even sense backstabbing in his own school. It's been about a month since Cyborg destroyed the first base. Only a week since Bumblebee and the other Titans did the same to the second. Now they were sitting down in a third waiting for something else to go wrong. She was unimpressed. Jinx would much rather go into the big leagues, and actually manage a true crime. She daydreamed about Rouge accepting her into the Brotherhood of Evil when the bell rang signifying the end of the day. She and her immature peers sat down at their signature table for dinner.

"This is pathetic. We should leave." Jinx suggested.

"I'm okay with that. It's getting pretty boring here." Mammoth agreed.

Gizmo wasn't so warm to the idea.

"Why leave when we're being taught by a genius?" Gizmo said.

"Look at the big picture Gizmo. If he's a genius then how did he fail to realize the backstabbing?" Jinx asked.

"You fell for it too." Mammoth added in.

"If I recall, you fell for more than that." Gizmo taunted.

Jinx wasn't sure what she should have done. Hex them and run away so no one could see her blushing or try to deny all of it. The latter seems like a more tempered action. One that wouldn't get her expelled.

Jinx rolled her eyes.

"Bull."

"Whatever, let's finish this course of lessons at least." Gizmo suggested.

"I wish Professor Dracul was here. His lessons were always interesting." Jinx sighed.

"I hope that gas bag died in the most inhumane way possible. What a jerk." Gizmo grumbled.

It was always obvious that Dracul and Gizmo had a rivalry. It was entertaining to watch too. Gizmo would constantly interrupt trying to show him up, but Dracul always knew what to say and it ultimately ended up in Gizmo's face. He still wasn't over it.

"He made fun of my skills!" Gizmo pouted as Jinx snickered.

"No he wasn't, he was telling you that you didn't have the heart." Jinx replied.

"I could murder someone if I wanted to." Gizmo muttered.

He couldn't. And they both knew it. None of them could. She had to wonder what happened to Dracul to make him such a coldhearted monster. To take someone's life. He had to be one of the coolest people she'd ever seen. Maybe even cooler than Rouge. But she was sure that Rouge killed some people in her day.

Jinx returned back to the hospital. Compared to the Hive Five Dracul was much more like family to her. Family who wanted to murder her at the moment.

"Jinx. Jinx!" Kid Flash snapped several times.

"What?" she asked.

"You droned out." he explained.

"Oh. Where was I?" Jinx asked.

"Dracul was your only family or something like that."

"Yeah."

"What changed?"

"I don't know. After awhile he became, different. Sort of crazy. Uncaring. I still remember that incident…" Jinx's voice trailed off.

She was back in a flash back again, this time farther back. Blood was just appointed headmaster about a month ago. He gave Dracul some sort of chore to perform. Nightfall came and Dracul was outside doing whatever it was he was supposed to be doing. Jinx went to see if she could help out.

"Need any help?" she asked eagerly.

Dracul sighed.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Trying to help you." she replied.

She watched as he tampered with some weird device. She didn't know what it was. It looked like a giant box with antennas pointing out of the front.

"What are you doing?" Jinx asked.

"Blood has a special job for me." Dracul responded.

She thought she heard him grumble something else. She was sure that it wasn't a compliment towards Brother Blood.

Dracul put his hands to the antennas and was immediately electrocuted. Jinx watched in horror as her professor lit up like a light bulb. He let go and growled in pain.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

She reached for him but he pulled away.

"Bloody tin man better show up soon, sick of this bullshit." Dracul growled.

Of course, she didn't know what the statement meant at the time, come to think of it, was Dracul some sort of psychic?

"So do you need any help?"

He simply stared at her with those dead eyes. As if she was some strange specimen that had never been discovered, she was surprised he didn't start writing down notes and poking her with a pen. Finally he spoke.

"Actually," Dracul mused, "Go into that forest there."

He pointed at an area dense with trees and shadows.

"I left my knife in the center of the forest on the large tree stump. Go and retrieve it."

Jinx knew where he was talking about, and didn't see this as a challenge.

"Okay." Jinx said walking into the woods.

She slowly went through the forest and soon got lost. It would have been a beautiful place if it wasn't so dark. Shadows cast by the trees gave an eerie sense of danger. She looked around and to her surprise found that all the trees were dead, which was strange since it was early summer. She looked around and didn't find a knife. The tree stump was engraved however.

"Vita è inutile. Gli esseri umani hanno un solo scopo, e continuano a creare illusioni, fino a coprire. Ci sono prodotti della scienza, e il nostro scopo principale è di soffrire." was carved into the stump.

She didn't know what that was supposed to mean, and was too confused by Dracul's intentions to muster an inch of curiosity. Why did Dracul send her here if there wasn't a knife in the first place? That's when she detected movement, and turned to see a giant bear. The bear growled and knocked her down with its paw. Jinx looked up to find the bear on its hind legs, getting ready to hit her again. She rolled out of the way and found a deep print in the ground in her original spot. The bear ran after her and got ready to slash, this time she wasn't so lucky. Jinx screamed in pain as she cradled her arm. She saw blood everywhere, staining her clothes the ground and even a nearby tree. The bear grunted and got ready to send the killing blow. Jinx's life flashed before her eyes. Her hexing arm was useless after being struck by the bear. She closed her eyes and braced for impact, but it never came. She looked up to see the bear run in a different direction. She tried to get up and slowly walked straight, in hopes of at least making it out of the forest. After about fifteen minutes she got out and saw Dracul in the same spot being electrocuted. When he let go he began to twitch uncontrollably.

"The thought of no pain, incomprehensible!" he yelled.

Jinx slowly walked to him and glared.

"There was no knife in the forest. You lied to me."

Dracul turned around to find her and began to laugh.

"What gave it away?" he asked pulling out the knife.

Jinx couldn't believe he'd do this.

"You sent me out to die! What's happened to you?" she demanded.

"I don't have to answer to you."

Jinx stomped her foot like she did whenever she was angry. It usually intimidated people, but Dracul was unaffected.

"It's like I don't even know you anymore!" she yelled.

Dracul snickered at her anger. He held out his hands and asked, "Recognize me?" before bursting out into more laughs. Violent laughs.

Jinx stomped off to the base straight to the nurse's office, who didn't ask what happened in the first place. Jinx doubted that anyone cared. She ended up walking to her room in a cast. The next day came quickly into view and Jinx remembered its events as well. Jinx was once again sitting with Gizmo and Mammoth. Gizmo looked at Jinx nervously seeing that she was fuming.

"Um, anything wrong?" he asked weakly.

Jinx turned her head to him and dared him to say another word. Mammoth excused himself saying he had to use the bathroom. She could hear him whistling all the way there.

"I'm ready to be done with all this garbage. I'm sick of being an underling and having to answer to everyone's commands." she said.

"I don't know. If we stay long enough we won't have to be underlings." Gizmo replied.

"I don't want to wait Gizmo. My life has been a disaster and just as things are looking up…" Jinx's voice trailed off as some commotion started.

She saw some Nazi looking soldiers walking to Brother Blood.

"Where is he?" one asked.

"Right here" Blood grinned pushing Dracul towards the soldiers.

"You are so afraid of the truth that you wish to cover it? How pathetic?" Dracul said.

"Stop with that bologna, I'm not a failure, besides, the Brotherhood are dying to see you again."

Dracul rolled his head at this statement.

"Nobody leaves the Brotherhood of Evil Dracul; you can't just leave after joining." Blood told him with a smirk as the Nazi soldiers led Dracul away.

"I don't live under present laws Blood." Dracul had replied calmly.

Jinx stared in disbelief as the Nazis took her "father" away. She knew that she should be happy, but despite his strange behavior he was still the only family she had.

"What are they doing with him?" she asked Brother Blood.

"They're going to kill him." he smiled, "About time too; I'm getting sick of him."

Hot tears crept out of her eyelid and down her cheek. He was the one who jumped in and helped her sort everything out. He was the one who let her walk a ramp instead of using the stairs. He was the one who made this place worthwhile. Or was he? Dracul sounded like he cared for her and no doubt he did. But for some reason, a new Dracul stepped in, and she certainly hoped that he would die and let old Dracul come back. Now he's gone though, and she'd never see him again (Until the present). Who was she supposed to trust now? For once she wished a hero would swoop down and save her from this awful story sewn together by God knows who. Jinx found herself in the hospital bed once more.

"What incident?" Kid Flash asked.

"Nothing. Sit down!" she said.

Kid Flash was obviously waiting for all the juicy details and had sat up in his bed. Jinx sighed. Sometimes she wondered how she even got hooked up with this idiot. Because he filled the empty hole Dracul left behind.

"Fine. But what did he mean by you've considered his words?" he asked.

Jinx knew this one was coming, and had no choice but to tell Kid Flash about the events the night before.

"Last night when you left to fight off the Hive Five I was going home. I went through an alley and was attacked by some figure. They knocked me out and tied me up. Next thing I knew I was being interrogated by Dracul." she explained.

"And what did he say?" Kid Flash asked.

"He said that he was aware of my treason and thought it was pathetic that I even considered myself a hero." Jinx continued.

"And…?" Kid Flash asked.

"And he said that he would kill me if I don't make the right choices." she finished.

"Anything else?"

"I think he might be working with Levi." Jinx suggested.

"That explains the scene at the pharmacy." Kid Flash mused before staring back at her, "Jinx, I know that you're past isn't the best, but you were meant to be a hero. I could tell. You wanted to be good; Dracul's just messing with your head."

"I don't know Kid Flash… maybe he's right."

"Don't think like that Jinx."

"Look at all the things I've done, my hands, have been used to hurt people. They were made for it."

"Come on Jinxy, you're letting him get to you."

"You don't understand!" she cried out, "I'm bad luck. Look at what happened to you! It's all my fault!"

She felt the stupid, inconvenient tears come down again, and she hated to cry, and hated it even more when others where near. Kid Flash felt all shades of sympathy for her.

"Maybe this will help ease your doubt." he offered, before pressing his warm lips against hers.

The kiss was filled with passion, and filled her up with good feeling all around. Someone actually cared for her! Something she hadn't felt in a long time. For once she didn't care about Dracul, or where he'd strike next. Several more kisses followed…

End of Chapter Five

That's another chapter done, and I'm bloody exhausted. Tell me, better ending? Tried to leave it on a happier note than other chapters. And tell me, did I improve on the romance? (Because I felt that some of the earlier chapters' romance was cheesy as heck.) Anyway, I'm curious; do any of you know what the message on the stump actually means? (Hint: it's Italian.) Try using Google Translate or something along those lines. If you do happen to figure it out, please let me know by posting the meaning. (You don't have to if you don't want to) Anyhow, all reviews are accepted. Thank you for your time.