1/25/22

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Cursed

Chapter Forty-One: Destiny's Call

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I take the rose from the vase, admiring it carefully. On the rare occasion that Leo would buy me flowers, I would always break them. My luck would cause the petals to fall before their time, or the stems to snap in half when I would come near. Maybe it's because I was younger then, and my grasp on my powers was less secure. Or maybe its because despite knowing Leo for more than just one measly day, I don't feel as insecure around Kid Flash.

Maybe it's because we're connected.

I've tried not to bring it up. I've tried to hide what I'm really feeling around my team. But deep inside, I can't shake the fact that Kid Flash is the boy who has been haunting my dreams for the past decade. Part of me yearns to know if he's been going through this as well, but I dare not bring it up. My pride is at stake here, and there's nothing that will get you labeled as crazy faster than telling a perfect stranger how you've been dreaming about him.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I catch him speeding away. I smile to myself, taking the hint and following him into the nearby alleyway. It's a leap of faith, that's for sure. I wouldn't just follow anyone into a dark alley, but given that I just betrayed Madame Rouge for him I think I can make an exception.

I try not to think about the bridge I just burned. The Brotherhood of Evil was supposed to be my ticket to true villainy, to finding my purpose in life. Madame Rouge was supposed to take me in, to replace the hole that was left in my life by the Headmistress's disappearance. But now that I turned my back on her, I'm not sure what to do. She did say she would be in touch, though. Maybe I can hold onto those hopes, despite the way her words cut into me like a knife.

"Good, you actually came," Kid Flash pants, leaning against the wall.

He still seems pretty drained from the containment field. I try not to feel bad about it, seeing as he trashed my room and potentially ruined my chances of joining the Brotherhood of Evil. Then again, destroying the containment field and protecting him from Madame Rouge was my choice, not his.

I'm so confused.

"Are you okay?"

"Aww, are you worried about me? I'm touched."

"It's not like that," I huff, crossing my arms. The rose's stem brushes against my sleeve, a thorn poking through the fabric and stabbing me painfully. I ignore it, being used to such accidents by now.

"Then what is it like? Because you sound worried to me," Kid Flash smirks.

I roll my eyes.

"I just wanted to make sure you were feeling strong enough to run back to wherever you came from and stop bothering me."

Lies. All lies.

"Which is why you followed me?"

I sigh, closing my eyes.

"Who are you? Really."

"Kid Flash? Fastest boy alive? I think I said that already."

I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I mean, why are you doing this?"

"Said that already too. There's something different about you. I don't think you really want to do this."

He looks so genuine, as if he's really seeing right through me. I feel self conscious about it. I turn away, trying to avoid his gaze.

"If I didn't want to be evil, why would I be leading a group of villains? Geez, do you even have a brain?"

Kid Flash smirks. I'm still not looking at him, but I know he's doing it because I can practically hear it in his voice.

"Nope, you caught me. I played Fiyero in my 8th grade production of Wicked, so I had my brain surgically removed as part of my method acting."

I roll my eyes. "Seriously?"

"I'm serious. There's a video of me dropping our Galinda and everything. She still won't let me live it down."

This is getting nowhere. I turn around to face him, trying to think of something, anything, to say.

"Besides," he adds, his expression returning to that soul-piercing gaze. "If you didn't want to change, why did you let me go?"

Crap.

Now we're getting somewhere, but it's definitely not somewhere I want to go. Why did I follow him? Why did I let him go and save him from Madame Rouge? Why am I still chasing the Brotherhood even after everything Madame Rouge said to me? I know the easy answers, that I wanted revenge against her, that evil is all I am, but I know if I dig deeper the answers will change.

I'm just not ready for that.

"Look, the real reason I followed you is to tell you to just give up already," I sigh. "You don't get it because your powers are made for good, but all mine are good for is destruction. My own parents didn't even want me, so this minor setback with Madame Rouge isn't going to hold me back. I'm used to the people I care about disappointing me. And on that note, my team may be useless but they're still mine. I'm not going to give all this up just because some guy in a onesie has a savior complex."

Kid Flash stares at me, wide eyed. For once, he looks like he's at a loss for words. I almost feel bad for raising my voice at him.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?"

"Jinx, I-"

Kid Flash is cut off by the beeping of a communicator. It's not my Hive communicator, so it must be his. He fumbles with it for a second, trying desperately to stop it from beeping. He finally manages to stop it by answering the call and immediately hanging up. I smirk, tilting my head.

"What's that? I thought you said you work alone," I laugh, sticking a hand on my hip.

He actually looks pretty nervous, as if he's telling me something he shouldn't. "I'm just alone right now. That's all."

I give him a Look.

"So maybe the Titans asked me to watch the city while they're out fighting the Brotherhood. And maybe I got into a little fight with my uh... with The Flash. So we're giving each other some space. That's all."

Ah yes, The Look. Aka the "spill everything right now" look. Works every time on my team.

"If you're giving each other some space, why is he calling you?"

Its Kid Flash's turn to look away sheepishly now. Good, let's redirect this conversation away from my own morality.

Never mind the fact that I was technically the one who came here to talk.

I frown, trying not to think about it too much. Let's think about The Flash instead. This idiot has my old childhood hero on speed dial and for what? Just to ignore him? I think not.

"You should call him back," I say quietly. "Don't miss your chance to make up like I did with my parents."

Great, that's twice I mentioned my family. If he didn't already see me as some weak little girl who needs rescued from the big bad villains, I've definitely sealed my fate now. Kid Flash turns to look at me again, with a sad kicked puppy expression. Actually, it's worse than a kicked puppy. He looks like a kid whose goldfish just died after he dumped the entire container of flakes in its inhumanely undersized bowl, like he feels like there's something he could have done to help but its entirely out of his reach now. It makes me feel guilty, even though I didn't do anything.

"Maybe its not too late."

"I don't even know where they are," I sigh. Why? Why do I keep ripping these walls down today? "Besides, its not like they'd want me. Bad luck, remember?"

"Come with me, then. We'll find them together."

Once again, I feel it. The same magnetizing pull I felt during our first conversation in the museum, when he asked me to run away with him. The word "destiny" pops into my head, and it refuses to leave. Once again, he holds out his hand, waiting for me to take it. It feels natural, as if there's a force guiding my hand into his. But I can't do it. I pull my hand away, this time without hexing him.

"I can't. The Hive Five is my family now. I can't just leave them."

Once again: kicked puppy face.

"I understand," Kid Flash says, heartbroken. It's hard to look at, even if I'm not sure why I care so much. I feel like I should comfort him, or even go with him because of our connection.

Oh. Right. That.

Maybe I should bring it up.

I don't want to. I'm worried he'll think I'm crazy. He should think I'm crazy. Maybe I am crazy. But crazy or not, I have to know if he's been having these dreams too. Maybe talking to him will help me get some answers. Or if he doesn't know anything, we can find out the answers together. Clearly if we really are connected, there would have to be a reason behind our connection. Maybe it even has to do with my powers. Maybe it's even the key to getting rid of them. And then, just maybe, I won't have to have my bad luck looming over my head for the rest of my life.

Maybe I could even go home.

"Look, before you go, there's something I wanted to ask. You'll probably think I'm crazy but-"

Once again, at the worst of times, a communicator starts to beep. Only this time, it is mine. I let out a scream of frustration, chucking the offending device onto the ground. This does nothing to stop the beeping. Of course it doesn't, Gizmo made these things to be practically indestructible. Kid Flash has the audacity to laugh, only for his own communicator to start beeping as well.

"Maybe we should take a rain check on the heart to heart conversation. I'll be around for a while so we can meet up later. Just don't rob any banks to get my attention, okay?" Kid Flash teases.

I roll my eyes. "No promises."

Kid Flash laughs, apparently thinking it's a joke. It's not. He zips away, leaving me staring pathetically at the spot he has vacated.

Get a grip, Jinx.

I shake my head, somehow hoping that it'll shake out the feelings I'm catching. It doesn't. Great. I've been down this road before with Leo, and it only led to heartbreak. Some part of me hopes that it can be different this time, but I know it can't. We're on different sides of the law. It just wasn't meant to be.

Or is it?

I remember that feeling I've had every time he's held out his hand. The pull of destiny itself. I don't know how I know that. After all, my powers allow me to manipulate luck, not see the future. But what I do know is that if I'm going to lead my team to the Brotherhood of Evil, I'll have to fight this feeling.

I collapse to the ground in mental exhaustion, leaning against the exterior of an old decrepit building. The buildings around here are all destined for demolition, much like myself if these feelings continue. My communicator rings again, and this time I answer it. The excited faces of my team appear on the screen, and the sight makes my worries melt away. Yes, this is where I belong.

"Hello?"

"Jinx! What took you so long! It's important!"

I yawn, hoping Mammoth will get the hint to tone it down a bit. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean, what's going on? Are you dense!" Gizmo laughs, bouncing up and down in excitement. "You caught Kid Flash, didn't you?"

"No, why?"

"Well, whatever you did, it impressed the Brotherhood. Madame Rouge just left a message!"

A message? But why? Does she just want to scold me again?

"Ignore it. She's probably just messing with us," I sigh, twirling the stem of my rose. The moonlight illuminates the flower, adding to its beauty. Kid Flash has good tastes, I'll admit to that.

See-More grins, his face beaming with excitement. "But Jinx, it's an invitation!"

My jaw drops open in shock as the rose falls from my hand. I'm barely aware of it as it hits the pavement. I turn my gaze to Mammoth, who nods in confirmation.

"She wants us to join The Brotherhood."

…

Hi again! I actually feel kind of proud of myself for updating within the general time frame I planned. Let's hope this continues. Next chapter should be posted within the first two weeks of February.

With this chapter I was really trying to show the mental tug-of-war going on in Jinx's head. Part of her wants to go with Kid Flash and become a hero, or better yet just go home to her family. But at the same time, there's another part of her that still wants to follow in Madame Rouge and the Hive Headmistress's footsteps, even after they both disappointed her, and stay with the new family she has found in the Hive Five. I don't think abandoning her team was something that Jinx took lightly, and I wanted to show that.

Which leads me to why I think Jinx at least temporarily joined the Brotherhood of Evil before going with Kid Flash. I don't think her teammates would have been willing to join without her, since she was the only one who really seemed interested. Additionally, there's the scene at the end of Homecoming that shows the full lineup of the Brotherhood of Evil. I was always under the impression that this scene happened much later than the rest of the episode, after the Brotherhood had already gathered their forces, and Jinx's dialogue in Lightspeed about trying to impress the Brotherhood enough to join at all seems to confirm this. In conclusion, we still have some time with Hive leader Jinx.

Quote of the day!

"It's like I'm always telling you: start doing meth*! That'll wake you up!" - my professor's less than perfect solution to 8 AM classes.

*Disclaimer: Here at Spectrobes Princess Incorporated we do not in any way, shape, or form condone the usage of this method. Instead, if you find yourself falling asleep in class, we suggest the alternative method of reading fanfiction or playing spider solitaire instead of paying attention to the lecture. Ruin your grades, not your life. This has been a Princess PSA.

May the odds be ever in your favor,

~Spectrobes Princess