Teen Titans © DC Comics

2. Complicated

"Uh…hi, Jinx…"

She crossed her arms, glaring death at the cybernetic teenager. "Is that all you've got to say?"

Cyborg winced, knowing how badly he hurt her. They were at the party for the Brotherhood of Evil's defeat. It had been a while since they last saw each other, keeping their safe distances after he "betrayed" her as the makeshift villain Stone. When he was at the H.I.V.E Academy, Cyborg could not deny the fact that they were attracted to each other. Even today, he had a crush on Jinx, but he now only thought of her as a pretty friend. Yet, when he was Stone, he understood Jinx had a major crush on him, thinking he was a real-life Prince Charming with all of the right qualities.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for leading you on like that. It wasn't right," Cyborg lamented as Jinx stiffened.

"You can't understand how horrible I felt, realizing that you tricked me," Jinx murmured, lowering her gaze. "Heck, Mammoth was starting to like you."

Cyborg offered a timid grin. "Well, Gizmo would never like me no matter what I did."

"Because you beat him at, well, just about everything," she replied, smirking.

He laughed gingerly as they began walking away from the Titans. Robin, forever suspicious, asked where they were going, and Cyborg replied he was going to show her around. Taking his chance to impress Jinx, Kid Flash wrapped his arm around Robin's shoulder and steered him away. Kid Flash glanced over his shoulder, watching curiously as Jinx and Cyborg vanished behind the doors. Knowing Cyborg to be a good person, he decided to let Jinx go.

"I haven't been here since Mammoth, Gizmo, and I took over this place," she sneered, glancing around the metal walls and closed doors.

"Yeah, and I almost became left-handed because of it," he grumbled, flexing said hand's fingers.

She chortled, amused. "Should've been more careful."

Cyborg stopped in front of a mechanical door. Pressing his hand against a lock next to it, he smiled and ushered her inside as the door slid open. "This is my room. You ever been in it?"

"No, I haven't. Gizmo couldn't crack the security." Jinx stopped, staring inside blankly. "Cyborg, you have guests."

"What do you-?" Cyborg frowned, hand slapping his forehead. "Get out. Just get out."

"What?" The Herald asked, stopping his make-out session with Bumblebee.

"Use your horn to get your butts outta here before I blast both of you," Cyborg snarled, pointing at them.

They muttered obscenities under their breaths, reluctantly trudging past them. Bumblebee shot a harshly suspicious glare at Jinx, uncertain on where she stood. Jinx put up a strong front glowering back to Bumblebee wordlessly until she left. Sighing to herself, she shook her head and muttered how much of a 'witch with a b' Bumblebee was.

"Don't let Bee get to ya. She's a hard nut to crack, but when you earn her trust, you've got a reliable friend," Cyborg urged, ushering her inside.

Jinx smiled gently at him before taking an interested gander at his room. It was so much like a teenager's that it shocked her. The room had little possessions, including several framed pictures, a metal table with his tools, a bed, and many computers. For a moment, she thought she was in Gizmo's dark lair. What directed her attention away from picture of her and him at the H.I.V.E Academy's Sadie Hawkins dance was the countless trophies. They glimmered, gold, tall and proud behind a glass container. Each one was a first place for all sorts of athletics and even some educational courses. Jinx pressed her hands against the glass, staring at them in shock.

"You won all of these?" she mused.

He nodded, smiling faintly. "When I was in high school, I did everything. Gave everything a hundred percent and more no matter what. Sports, sciences, whatever. I did all that, but…"

"The accident?"

Cyborg's head snapped toward towards her in grimness. "You know? Lemme guess, Blood."

"When he read your mind, yeah. He told the H.I.V.E kids, and some felt pretty bad, but Billy and Gizmo thought it was hysterical."

"Jerks. I'm so glad we froze 'em."

"While they weren't exactly innocent, they were still my friends."

Cyborg sighed "I get ya, Jinx. I noticed you let See-More go."

She winced, sheepishly looking away. "He was like my brother. See-More was the only one who really looked out for me. I couldn't let him-"

"It's okay. I won't tell Robin. Not like See-More can do anything too bad."

Sighing in relief, she smiled at him gratefully before pulling over the photograph of their dance. "I noticed you still have this, Mr. Stone."

Blushing, Cyborg chuckled nervously and meekly stuttered, "Oh! Uh, yeah, that. I-I still got that, don't I?"

"Very sweet, Cyborg! I can't believe you kept this," she giggled, smirking.

"Aw, shut it. Made me feel like I was back in high school." Cyborg sighed, taking the picture and pulled another off the shelf. "Just like this one."

Raising an eyebrow, Jinx accepted it and gasped slightly. It was all of them, every single H.I.V.E student all posing for a midterm picture. As Stone, he had boot on Gizmo's back while Mammoth was flexing his muscles with a massive grin. Jinx was on Stone's back, giving a backwards peace sign. See-More leaned against Stone's side, smirking with a wave, even though his gaze was directed towards Jinx as if looking for approval. Billy Numerous multiplied to make a pyramid of himself behind the group with the real one on top with a thumbs-up. Kyd Wykkyd shyly tried to hide behind Mammoth, but Angel dragged him with a cherub, but sly smile. Private H.I.V.E stood up straight and saluted, face beaming with confidence. Jinx flipped the picture over, reading the caption.

"H.I.V.E Academy Midterm Exam after picture. Me and my buddies."

"You thought of us as friends?" she whispered.

Cyborg nodded. "Yeah, I did. It was hard for me to freeze them, but we had to. They were putting everyone on ice."

"And it's my fault. I wanted to be like Madame Rouge, and I urged the boys to join the Brotherhood." She hit her forehead with the palm of her hand, hissing, "Ugh, I'm so stupid! If I just left my obsession with Madame Rouge alone, they would be here."

"Yo! Don't say that! You weren't at fault at all!" Cyborg urged as she put the photograph back onto the shelf.

"Oh, really? I'm the one that blasted them. I was so wrapped up in the moment at Paris that I actually hurt my friends. This whole hero thing is something I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with."

Cyborg paused, staring at the saddened, gray girl. A light grin tugged at his face, replying, "Jinx, you're one of us now. Just like how I tricked you, I gotta say, you fooled me. Deep down, you were always a good girl. Guess it took Kid Flash to make you see it."

"To think, Blood almost had you converted," Jinx sneered, nudging him. "Uh, Cyborg?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being there for me. At the H.I.V.E and now."

"No problem, Jinx. Just remember, if KF ever does anything stupid, call me. I'll make sure he's stuck in a hospital for months."

At Cyborg's wink, Jinx laughed. "You really are the Tin Man with a heart, Cy! Thanks."

"So, Robin's gonna turn the music on soon." He offered his hand, smirking. "Wanna dance for old time's sake?"

"I'd be delighted," she murmured earnestly, accepting his hand as they exited the room. Throwing a final glance over her shoulder to the Academy picture, she grinned and left her past life behind. She could start over, just like "Stone" did, and she could finally be accepted.