9/8/21

…..

Cursed

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Yes You Mae

…..

I reach my hand out, touching the barrier in front of me. It has no texture, no appearance, nothing at all to indicate that it is even there. Yet it exists. It blocks me from reaching the boy, who has been trapped on the other side ever since that night at the witch's house. Believe me, we've tried to cross over. But we can't.

Whatever happened that night created a barrier between us. Figuratively and physically. Not that we ever talked in these dreams anyways, but even without knowing a single thing about each other there was still an unspoken bond. Now I can't even feel that. Sure, he probably doesn't exist. He may just be a figment of my mind. But losing him? It stings. It hurts worse than losing Leo.

Leo.

My eyes snap open, and the world of my dreams fades away. Of course. Leo. Our anniversary. It would've been today, wouldn't it? And it's the first time I'm spending it without him. Obviously it's silly to even celebrate it, now that the reason for it to exist is just... gone. It's not like he's dead and I'm mourning him or anything. He's just a douche bag. But maybe, in a sense, I am mourning something. I'm mourning the person I thought he was, or maybe the person I wanted him to be. But that wasn't who Leo was, and I can't change that fact any more than I could change him. Leo is gone, and it's for the better.

So why is it so hard for me to accept that?

I sigh, rubbing my eyes and glancing around my room. It's bigger than the one I had at the Hive Academy. More to my tastes, too. Private Hive brought us to one of his father's old safe-houses after the Academy was destroyed. He didn't really tell us who his dad was, just that he didn't have a need for it anymore, so I'm guessing he's dead. Judging by some of the belongings he left behind, I would say good riddance too. But since he's not coming back, Private gave us permission to do whatever we wanted with the place. The boys have mostly used this as an excuse to never clean up after themselves, but for me it meant something else entirely. Finally, I truly had a place to call home.

Living at the Academy with pre-decorated rooms almost made me forget how to be my own person. I had forgotten what it was like to have a bedroom with decor that I picked myself. Or that walls could be painted, and dressers and comforters didn't have to be the same uniform design that everyone else had. It feels nice. I still have a reputation to upkeep, so I made sure to go with a black and purple witchy aesthetic, but it still feels more personal and homey than the rooms at the Academy ever did. It's so odd, how I never questioned it. How did I just accept the fact that we couldn't decorate? Why was that even a rule to begin with?

I actually brought it up with Private while we were painting the walls. He just shrugged and told me that soldiers are a collective, not individuals. I wonder what he meant by that.

A knock on my door snaps me out of my thoughts. I groan, tossing my blanket over my head. Of course they need me when I'm still in my pajamas. It's almost like my teammates can't even think for themselves sometimes, and they need me to do it for them. Their dependence on me was endearing at first, but it's starting to get irritating.

"Jinx?" See-More says awkwardly. "Can we come in?"

See-More's inclusion in the group has been far more awkward than Private Hive's, even after all these months of living together. But Private didn't have the same history of standing by Angel as See-More did. Still, I shouldn't complain. As awkward as it is, he's done everything he can for the team and I would argue that he pulls his weight more than Gizmo and Mammoth combined. I briefly consider turning him away so I can wallow in peace, but something about the word "we" makes me think twice. I could use Gizmo or Mammoth's company right now, and statistically it's more likely to be one of them instead of Private.

"What is it?" I groan, peeking out from under the blanket.

Much to my surprise, when See-More opens the door all four boys walk in. I narrow my eyes when I notice the gift bag in his hands.

"Okay, what did you morons break this time?"

"Nothing! We just... wanted to give you something. That's all," See-More explains awkwardly, tossing the gift bag at me like it's a bomb. At least, I sure hope it isn't.

"Yeah, the only thing that got broke was your heart when that pit-sniffing, crud-eating, snot-nosed freak decided to-"

I cut Gizmo off. "Is that what this is about? Look, I'm flattered you remembered, but I'm fine."

"You're still in bed, Sargent."

I glare at Private, resisting the urge to throw the gift bag back at See-More. "So what? I'm sure plenty of people are still in bed."

"It's 4:30," Mammoth says.

Oh.

I sigh, rubbing my temples. Okay then. Great. This is fine. Everything is fine.

"What are you waiting for, slug brain? Just open it already!" Gizmo huffs impatiently.

I try to remind myself that he's still just a kid, and he was probably really excited to pick this out for me. I'm probably not helping anything by having an attitude, even if the gesture isn't really appreciated.

Carefully, I pick the tissue paper off the top, and I'm rewarded with the sight of the ugliest stuffed pig-cow thing I've ever seen. A small box of Valentine's Day chocolate rests in his arms- expired chocolate, if I had to guess, as it's currently the middle of November. But somehow, the sight of it makes me laugh. When I notice the wonky facial expression on the pig, I laugh harder. Clutching the bag to my chest, I flop over on my side as I struggle to breathe from my own laughter.

"Uh... Jinx?"

I manage to control myself when I notice the stares of my team. Clearing my throat, I sit up and remove the pig from the bag, leaving behind the chocolate. I'd rather not get food poisoning today, thank you very much. I avoid looking at the pig's face again, but I still set him on the bed next to Zippy and Clover.

"See, I told you she'd like Better Leo," Mammoth brags.

My lips curl up into a smile.

"You named him Better Leo?"

It comes out as more of a scoff than I intended. It's funny. Really. I think I'll keep it. This ugly little creature certainly is better than Leo, and the name should be able to reflect that. After all, Better Leo would never try to control me like Loser Leo did.

I turn my gaze back to my team. Despite my doubts, they seem sincere. Like they really cared how I was feeling about something as stupid as this. I honestly didn't expect them to even realize that today was my anniversary with my ex, but here we are.

Change of plans. Why sulk all day when I can do a little shopping? Retail therapy never hurt anyone, especially since I don't plan on paying. Besides, I'm sure the guys would love an excuse to cause a little chaos.

"Come on, let's hit the mall."

...

The first thing I notice is the ache in my head, followed by a familiar foggy feeling. A cloud forms over my brain, trying to cover all my thoughts. I mentally swim through the fog, trying to remember what happened. Leo. The mall. The Titans. Their mother. The pie. My mother...

Wait.

My mother?

I gasp, jumping to my feet in an instant. A rush of nausea hits me as I do so, but it isn't bad enough to actually make me puke. My head pounds as though someone played the drums on it, and I find myself unable to catch my balance. I lean against a gingerbread-covered wall, feeling too sick to question it. Closing my eyes, I put my head to the wall and try to take a deep breath.

"Sargent?"

I peak an eye open. Private Hive stands in front of me, holding a large metal pipe in his hand. Did... did he just hit me?

"Did... what... Private?" I manage to stutter.

My thoughts swirl around my head like water draining out of a bathtub. What's even going on?

"Sargent! You're awake!"

I find myself feeling rather irritated by Private Obvious's comment.

"Yeah I'm awake! No thanks to that pipe! Do you want me to hex you into oblivion!" I snap, finally gaining my balance.

When I push myself off the wall, I manage to get a better view of my surroundings. I almost wish that I didn't. The walls of our base have been converted to a giant gingerbread house, complete with little gumdrops and candy canes. I'm all for celebrating holidays early, but this is just taking it too far.

"What did you knuckleheads do this time?" I ask, not for the first time today.

At least, I hope that was today. There's no telling how long it has been since that memory. Waking up on my former anniversary is the most recent thing I can remember that isn't fuzzy. It's almost like being brainwashed again.

Private Hive holds up his hands in surrender. "Nothing, Sargent! Honest! It was the Witch!"

Witch?

Mother?

Panic surges through me. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to calm down. Think, think, think. If she's here, if she tried to hurt my team...

But wait. Why would my mother turn the walls into gingerbread? Surely, this has to be a coincidence. I would've known if this was really my mother, instead of some freak who, for whatever reason, forced us all to call her that. There must be something else going on here.

I take a deep breath and turn back to Private. "Where is she, and what did she do to my team?"

Private points in the direction of the kitchen. "She's in there. She's got the others tied up like babies."

"Like... babies?"

"Yes Sir! She tied our comrades up, and she was about to get me too when I hit my head and snapped out of her mind control. For some reason she refused to get near you, though. She said she would come back for you later. So I prioritized our comrades, but they wouldn't snap out of it."

"So you came back for me?"

"Sir, yes Sir! And I almost gave up hope since it didn't work on the others, but it worked!"

I smile at his enthusiasm, but the smile falls when I remember our current situation. This isn't good. We need to get the others back.

"Come on, let's go."

Private Hive seems surprised. "You mean we're abandoning the mission?"

I shake my head. "Never. But we are going to confront that witch."

After all, what else is there to do with a witch mother?

...

We find the witch in the kitchen, like Private said. She's sitting in a large, over-sized rocking chair to accommodate for how large and over-sized she is, reading a letter as she rocks back and forth. Perhaps to the brainwashed, the scene would look grandmotherly and cozy, but I see her for what she truly is now. No, this is not my mother. And thank goodness for that, as we would have a bigger problem on our hands. Instead of having pale gray skin marked with red lines, this woman has green skin covered in warts. She looks like a typical witch, the kind you would see in children's fairy tale books. My mother didn't quite look like that. I'm not sure how I came up with the witch title so accurately for her. Perhaps it was just the meanest word I could think of to describe her.

The boys, on the other hand, are stuck in highchairs. Piles of pies are sitting on the trays, and my teammates are shoving them into their mouths as though they've never eaten before. Again, fairy tale witches come to mind. The Hansel and Gretel variety, to be specific. Anger surges through me at the comparison. No one messes with my team!

A jolt of energy sizzles around my wrist, and before I know it I'm shooting hexes at the witch. The hex hits the chair, causing it to collapse. She drops the letter in surprise, falling to the ground far less gracefully than the letter does.

"Now dearie, why don't we-"

The moment her eyes meet mine, she freezes into place. A mix of fear and despair and some other emotion far too powerful to name overtakes her features. Anger continues to overtake me as I shoot another hex in her direction. The energy is red instead of its usual pink, and I realize that my arm has begun to glow a bright shade of blue. I'm losing control, and I find that I don't care. A witch took my family from me before, and I refuse to let it happen again.

"Please don't hurt me."

Her words are genuine, not laced with sugar the way everything else that came from her mouth was. The pure, genuine terror etched across her face both delights and horrifies me. In that moment, I want to hurt her. I want to make her bleed. I want despair to be the last thing she ever feels as she withers away into an endless void of nothingness. But at the same time, I remember my humanity.

"Leave my family alone, and never come back," I growl.

The witch trembles, and with a puff of smoke she and all traces of her existence are gone.

The only thing that remains is the letter.

…..

Hi again! What's this? Free time during the school year? And it's happening when I'm not procrastinating on an unholy amount of homework? Could it be possible that I have finally discovered the secrets of time management and executive functioning skills?

(I mean… probably not and it's more likely that I just got lucky this week with Monday being a holiday and whatnot, but I would like to think that I'm starting to finally get the hang of this whole college thing. I guess we'll have to wait and see.)

Minor detail about Better Leo is that I noticed him hanging out in the background of Jinx's room when I was re-watching some episodes in preparation for future chapters (Lightspeed, to be specific). I had noticed a stuffed animal in the past, hence the ones she has that get mentioned from time to time, but until that time I never looked closely enough to see what type of animal it was. And it was in fact a pig or a cow rather than anything resembling the species she has here. So… oops. It probably wasn't an inconsistency I needed to address, but I did anyways. Plus I thought the name would be funny.

There were also a few extra clues about Jinx's bio-mom in this chapter, for anyone who was interested in playing detective. Since I'm feeling nice, I'll also say that the source comic for that character is getting an adaptation soon, and I saw that she has been confirmed to appear in the series (I also saw that one of the few characters from that series that I actually like will be making an appearance as well, so I'm a little more hyped than I was originally). So keep an eye out for the [redacted comic] series on [redacted streaming service] if you want more hints. DC has a lot of stuff coming out soon so I'm not too worried about giving it away by saying that ;)

ReynardGlory, thanks for the feedback! Though the story is wrapping up soon and Kid Flash will be showing up in a couple of chapters, I will go ahead and say that Jinx doesn't leave with him immediately after the events of Lightspeed. She'll still be leading the Hive for the majority of the rest of the fic, as I think her decision to leave was something that took her a while. So we've still got time with criminal mastermind Jinx before she becomes repentant hero Jinx.

Quote of the day!

"Far from being a superhero or comic book movie, The Flash will in fact be a neo-realist partly animated documentary about the connection between two lonely butterfly collectors in the Swiss Alps." -Neil Gaiman (via Twitter)

(Speaking of DC things coming up… am I the only one who doesn't think that movie is really going to get made? Like… ever? They've been through what, 15 directors at this point?)

God bless, and may the odds be ever in your favor,

~Spectrobes Princess