Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I sat at my desk, my computer on in front of me and my pen and pencil to my side. My heart quietly beat in my chest as I waited for any replies. It seemed ridiculous, but one of my roommates and best friends, Karen Beecher, had suggested signing up for a dating website since I was 25 and still single. Truthfully, I was a Professor at Steel City University and had barely any time for dating, nonetheless all of my other duties. At first I laughed at the idea, but after, I kept seeing happy couples everywhere and both of my roommates had boyfriends. Karen was dating a jazz musician, Malcum Duncan, who also happened to be a History Professor at the university I worked at, and Krystal Weathers, was dating a sweet and silent guitarist, Joseph Wilson, who also happened to be the Universities therapist. Yes, I had set both of them up with the guys that I worked with and both felt the need to pay me back, but they didn’t need to, and it was getting quite annoying actually. Several times, they tried setting me up with their own co-workers, but none fit my standards. Finally, I decided to sign up for this stupid website and it had already been a few days   

“Jess, come on, we’re going to be late” I heard Karen yell at me for downstairs.

“No, we’re not” I yelled back, twisting around in my chair and standing on my feet, my eyes meeting Krystal, who was standing in my doorway, gently smiling. I had told her about the website, but I hadn’t told Bee yet.

“Any luck?” she asked sweetly and softly. She was wearing her usual black legging pants, royal blue, long sleeved top and flats, her light blue crystal necklace hung around her neck. Kole was a petite and innocent girl, only a year younger than me and a little shorter than myself as well. Her short blonde hair was beautifully waved with a crystal barrette on the side of her head. She reminded me of my little sister, though I had none, and her light cream skin matched my own. When we were out together, people would often call us sisters and one guy even thought she was my daughter. Needless to say, that guy got a black eye and a throbbing head.

“No” I sighed, walking to my closet and picking out my purple pea coat to go over my white, button up, short sleeved shirt. “Do I have anything on my skirt?” I asked, slowly twirling around. Under my skirt, I was wearing my usual black sheer tights, closed toed heels and my silver and crystal pentagram with its single purple gem in the center hung around my neck.

“No, you’re good” she assured me. “How have you not gotten any suggestions yet?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips as I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bag from my bed.

“Maybe it’s for the better” I thought “I mean, I am going to be busy this whole year with all my classes and everything else”

“Jess, you’re a 25-year-old Professor at the top University and you’re still single…how does that even happen?”

“I don’t know” I laughed “but with everything we do and with the group that we’re a part of- I don’t think it would be safe bringing anyone into the picture” I shook my head

“Oh, that’s BS and you know it” she replied. “I have Jericho and Bee has Herald-”

“They’re both Titans too” I pointed out “they’re not regular people”

“Okay so that was a bad point” she admitted. “Jess, what about the Titan’s Ball? It’s next month, maybe you’ll meet someone there- and you won’t have to worry about bringing a normal person into the mix”

“Yeah right” I spat out “Birdbrain would never allow it” I pointed out. “’Keep your job and personal lives separate’” I mocked him, making Krystal laugh. “Kole, I just- I don’t want to rush anything” I reminded her.

“That’s a load of BS too” she pointed out. “Bee and I are mixing work with our personal lives, and so is bird brain. Remember, he’s dating Kory” she reminded me.

“Yeah, but you guys don’t have the back ground I do. You didn’t graduate top of your class at HIVE Academy or do all of the bad things I did. If it wasn’t for Vic and Bee, I wouldn’t be here.” I could- and would- have said more, but Kole’s eyes lit up as the computer beeped.

“Oooo” she squeaked, rushing to the desk and clicking the message icon. “Wallace West” she read “he’s a scientist at Star Labs, 26 years old, looking for a long-term relationship and- oh he’s so cute” she smirked back at me, making me laugh and roll my eyes, walking back to my computer. “He wants to know what your phone number is, so he can call you” she added. I stood frozen in front of the screen. He was not just cute; he was way attractive. His red hair was matched with eyes as blue as Kole’s crystal. I started to read more of the details he had put on; he was a track star in HS and a valedictorian at Gotham Academy, he went to the University of Star City and mastered in Biochemistry with a minor in chemical engineering. He seemed good enough, then again, they all do at first. “Oh please” she begged

“Go ahead” I told her before she typed my phone number in and sent it.

“What is going on in here?” Karen burst in, “it sounds like a teenage girl’s movie in here”    

“She got a hit,” Kole squealed, making me shake my head and Bee to drop her jaw.

“Got a hit on what?” she asked with a laugh, crossing her arms over her chest and making her way over to us.

“I may have followed your suggestion of signing up for the dating website and-”

“And who is he?” she impatiently asked

“Wallace West,” I answered, and her eyebrow went up. “What?” I asked. “Something wrong?”

“No, it’s just- that name sounds familiar,” she answered, a smile tugging at her lips. I knew that she knew something, but I decided not to push it,

“Okay,” I decided to shrug it off and walk out of my room before they started on a speech that would surely make all of us late.

Chapter Text

Unfortunately, for the rest of the night, I couldn’t get away from the comments about me, “Finally finding someone,” as Karen had sweetly put it. And with each comment came a big gulp of whatever drink I had. First, I started off with sweet margaritas and mixed drinks, then those became bitter glasses of wine, which eventually turned into a smooth glass of whiskey on the rocks. I knew I was going to dread more than the alcohol the next morning. And I did. I walked into my morning lecture with a water bottle in my bag, a ham and cheese croissant in one hand, and a Venti coffee in the other. My students seemed to get the reason why, which stopped them from asking. But it never stopped Joey or Malcum from laughing at me during lunch.

“We told you not to drink that much” Malcum laughed as he bit into his sandwich.

“A drink for each comment any of you made about you know what” I replied, gulping down the last of my cold coffee.

“You mean how you have a date?” Joey signed, wiggling his brown with a soft smirk.

I groaned. “Will you guys just leave it already? I know that it’s a miracle that I that I gave the guy my number, but it doesn’t mean I have a date. He hasn’t even messaged me or anything.” I lied. Truthfully, I did get a text message from the guy, but I would never give them the ammo against me. That would have made the night 100 times worse.

“But you want him to” Malcum responded, taking a sip of his drink. “By the way, none of you mentioned what his name was.”

“Wallace West” I answered. As quickly as it fell out of my lips, he choked on his drink, nearly spitting it all out, and Joey just froze. “What? His name sound familiar to you two?”

“You could say that,” Malcum wiped his mouth.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” My brow raised as I leaned back in my chair. Joey was watching Malcum carefully, seeing what he would do.

“Just that he’s a guy that I’ve known for a while. But we kinda lost contact when I moved here. I only talk to him every once in a blue moon.”

“Flake?” I asked.

Malcum shook his head. “Nah, we just both got busy. That’s all I can really say without Karen chewing my head off.”

“So, Karen knows him?” He nodded.

He took a sip of his water before continuing. “Yeah, she worked with him once. We all did.”

I only nodded, deciding to leave the conversation at that. “So, Joey, how’s Rose and Leo?” Now it was Joey’s turn to choke on his drink, offering a sad smile. I knew he wasn’t happy about his baby sister dating anyone, but I knew he was happy that it was Leo.

Luckily, any headache from further comments and dehydration had faded before my next period. Like any other day, I went along with my business; I gave tests, graded papers, gave lectures. before lunch, i had gotten a text from Malcum, asking if i was going to join them like every day. I didn’t feel like being around them at the moment, so i answered back with a simple ‘Brought food and have a lot of things to grade,’ hoping it would be enough. Luckily, it was.
‘Good Luck,’ he replied.

I set my phone on my desk, face down. I sighed and ran my hand through my long hair. my stomach growled, reminding me that I never brought any food to work. I picked my phone up again and quickly ordered something from a new restaurant that was nearby. within a half hour, there was a knock at my office door. my stomach growled again, knowing food was close by. Setting my pen and papers down, and grabbing money from my purse, i walked the few feet to the door and opened it.

“Hey, how much-” I began to say, but I stopped. No one was there. The hallway was completely empty except for a small vase with various flowers; regal blue irises and vibrant stargazer lilies. My eyes narrowed as I bent down and picked it up. I looked up and down the hallway once more, silence. I searched the flowers for a card, but there was none. No clue as to who the sender was. Pink energy flared from my fingers, as my hand hovered over them. I couldn’t sense any magic or poison, explosives or anything else that would mean it was sent from any of the Brotherhood. I turned and brought them into my office, closing the door behind me. I leaned against my desk, my fingers brushed against some of the soft petals.

There was another knock. I looked toward the door and could see a dark silhouette through the tainted door. I quickly sent the flowers on my desk and walked to the door. Opening it, i found a young student with a bag of food in his hand.

“Delivery for Ms. O’Rodagh,” he announced, holding the bag out.

I nodded, thanking him and taking the bag, giving him the money before he walked away, toward the elevator. The smell of garlic bread and Alfredo pasta filled my office as my stomach became filled with warm food.

Another hour passed before my next period, then another one after that. By the time I was able to get home, it was already 7:30. Luckily, neither Kole nor Karen were home yet. As i entered my room, i threw my bag on my bed, quickly changing out of my clothes and into a pair of yoga pants and a loose t-shirt. I turn on my computer, checking any emails. A familiar ‘bing’ sounds and i realize that i, throughout the day, i had heard nothing from the one person i was being teased about.

‘I’m going to be in town tomorrow’ the first message read. ‘Care to grab dinner with me?’

I paused for a moment before replying with a ‘You can pick me up at 6.’

“Who ya messaging?” Karen’s voice spoke from behind me, making my whole body jump.

“No one,” I lied.

“Uh-huh,” her smirk grew as she leaned against the doorway. “So when’s Mr. West taking you out on a date?” I groaned, turning back to my computer and closing the tabs out. “Oh come on, he has to have asked you by now.”

“Tomorrow night,” i quietly answered, my back toward her.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” she asked, stepping closer.

‘It’s now or never’ my brain told me ‘they’re going to find out sooner or later’. “Tomorrow night,” i told her, loud enough for her jaw to drop in a large gasp, that i also suspected was a laugh. “Oh, and by the way, thanks for telling be that you actually worked with the guy,” i added, making her mouth click shut.

“Mal tell you?” she wondered. I nodded. she cursed something under her breath, then looked back at me with pleading eyes. “Jess, I’m sorry, but i thought that-”

“That i would immediately turn him down because of all the other horrible choices?” I interjected. she sighed and nodded. “Don’t worry, I'll give him one date. But if i don’t like him, you are done trying to choose people for me.”

“Technically, I didn't choose him for you, the dating website did,” she countered.

“Which you and Kole set me up on,” i laughed.

“Whatever” her hand swiped at the air between us. “I have a feeling you’ll like him,” she proudly smiled. “Now, i gotta get some work done before bed, did you need anything before that?”

“No, why would I?” i asked.

“Mal said that you skipped lunch. you okay?”

I nodded. “I skipped lunch with them because i was tired of all of the teasing. I’m fine,” I told her. She nodded, seeming satisfied, then left to her room.

A breath escaped my lips as I sat on my bed, looking at the last text i had gotten.

‘See you then’ he wrote back.

Chapter Text

Sleep finally consumed me after a cup of cream filled coffee, the strike of 1:00 and the last stroke of my red pen against the stack of papers. Whoever had said that teaching was fun and easy was lying in order to get me to work with him. I made a mental note to chew Malcum out the next time i saw him.
“It’ll be fun” he sad.

Sure, i loved the subject of myths and legends, but grading papers and giving tests was a huge bad point of the job. I was usually content with giving a mid term and a choice of a paper or test at the end, but the school had demanded we give our students a certain amount of tests and papers to make sure they were up to date with everything. Each myth and legend had become a part of me, like the pink energy that hummed throughout my body, and like the Fey who i had come to call my brothers and sisters.

My alarm had come too soon in the morning, signalling that it was time for work. i made sure the papers were in my bag and that i grabbed a cup of coffee before heading out and never thought twice about what was to come later that night. that it, until Malcum came into my office and reminded me through a childish mock.

Wally, i was going on a date with Wally West, the guy who i had met online. Was i supposed to be this excited to meet a complete stranger? Sure, we had chatted through small text, but nothing more. And every time i tried to squeeze something out of my so called friends, they changed the subject. Why? What was so secretive about this guy?

Classes had gone by smoothly, i had answered any questions there had been and even put one of my classes into groups for their big project. Soon enough, i was home and being ushered into a chair at my vanity; my hair being pulled and my face getting covered in colored powders.

Bee had taken the liberty to pick out my outfit; a nice button up top with a pair of jeans a nice pair of my ankle boots. when their work was complete, and they were satisfied, i was finally able to relax and look at myself. Luckily, they hadn’t gone too overboard. My dirty blonde hair was in soft waves and Karen had stuck to neutrals for my eye shadow. She finally stuck with my motto of ‘Simple is perfect for me.’

The doorbell had rung just before 6, and Karen’s voice shouted for me not a moment after.

“Someone’s here to see you,” Kole sang as she passed my door.

I rolled my eyes and stood up, grabbing my purse and jacket on the way out.

“Yeah, i’ve been good,” a velvet voice danced through my ears. “Not much has really changed since your last visit,” i had said, probably talking to Karen.

As i reached the bottom of the stairs, my eyes fell upon a tall red-head with a slim, yet fit body. He was dressed in a pair of nice jeans and a button up. His hair was slightly messy, but perfect at the same time. His back was toward me since he was at the kitchen counter. Karen’s eyes met mine and she smiled.
“Bout time, girl,” she began. The man in question turned around and our eyes met. His were a mesmerizing shade of blue. His mouth was open, as if he wanted to say something, but the words died on his lips as he turned around fully. When he saw me? “Jess, this is Wally, an old friend of mine.”

“And apparently your date for tonight,” Wally spoke.

“Well, you are the one who asked me, so i hope so,” i softly replied.

“Well, i would hate to keep you waiting,” he save a sweet smile. “Shall we?” he asked, gesturing toward the door.

“We shall,” i opened the door as he walked toward me. “See ya, Karen,” i shouted over my shoulder before i closed the door. “So what do you have planned?” i looked up at the red-head.

“I thought a dinner and a walk in the park would be nice,” he answered.

“Classic,” I smiled.

It was nice, really nice. Together, we walked and talked, laughed and smiled. He was charming. That was the first thing I noticed. His eyes would light up when he smiled, and even more when he talked about his family and his work. His laugh was infectious when we talked of our experiences with our friends, mainly Kole, Bee, Mal and Joey.

“She terrified me when i first met her,” he said.

I laughed. “Yeah, she has that effect in some people.” I thought back to the day that i had met her. She had transferred in about half way through the HIVE Academy school year. She was new, but knew how to command a room. In just about a week, she had become one of the most popular girls at HIVE. I remember thinking how well she would do as a villainess, but that was never her intention. She, as well as one of the other new students, was only there yo shut HIVE down. And soon enough, it was, and she left back to the good side, Cyborg right behind her. “In all honesty, i think i actually admired her back then,” i quickly looked up at him, “but don't tell her that,” i quickly added.

He laughed softly and shook his head, “Wouldn't dream if it. I don't want her already big ego to grow.” I smiled and agreed. “So why Myths and Legends?” he wondered, taking a sip of his drink. “I mean, why that instead of English or Literature?”

I shrugged. “i guess you can say it’s in my blood,” i smiled at my inside joke. “I always knew that there had to be something more out there in the world.”
“More than heroes and villains?” he softly chuckled.

I nodded. “More than them.” Whether Meta- human, alien, Mythical being or regular human, there was always something more. “I mean we know that aliens and other universes exist, why not vampires and werewolves and witches,” the last one came out more like a whisper.

“So you’re saying that things like Mothman, Bigfoot and the Hydra exist?” i couldn’t tell if he was happy about it of if that smile was him laughing at me. I chose the later.

“I’m just saying that there’s a possibility,” No, i wasn’t. I was telling him that they all existed. “Besides, i’m pretty sure Mammoth- that big Hive guy- is a descendant of Bigfoot,” i joked, though i was half- serious.

He laughed and i could feel the tingle in my cheeks begin. His laugh was so addictive. “So what’s your theory for why we haven’t seen any of them? why we don’t have proof?”

He was testing me. i shrugged and took a sip of wine. “Maybe there’s a secret team that keeps everything out of the public eye.” His laughter slowly died down as he just stared at me. I couldn't help that the tingling in my cheeks had amplified ten fold when my eyes met his.

“Okay, so you’re a teacher. Have any stories of bad students?” he grinned.

I let out a single laugh as my head nodded. “More than enough,” I replied. “About a year and a half ago, i had this student that never came to any of my lectures, and never took any of the tests. At the end of the semester, he tried to bribe me into giving him the credits, and when that didn't work, he tried to hit on me.” I sighed at the memory, “i found out later on that Kole and Karen had actually paid him to do so. they thought he would be a good date,” i laughed.

“So what happened to him?” he asked, sipping on his scotch.

“I flipped him on his back and told him to retake my class if he wanted the credits. Naturally Jason was pissed, but i handled him pretty well.” At the name, Wally seemed to freeze.

“Sorry, what was the name?”

“Uh- Jason. Jason Todd.” i answered. “Why?”

he shook his head after a moment. “No reason,” he just shrugged it off.

“So what about you?” I began. “How does a 26 year old end up at STAR Labs? i thought they were very picky with the people that work for them.”
“I work as a Thermonuclear engineer. My uncle actually works there and helped me get the job. He’s been a mentor to me since i was a teen.”
For the next hour or so, we had eaten the food that the server had brought, order another drink or two, and chatted and laughed. He had said how he met Kole and Bee, Malcum and Joey, and how he was a track- jock in high school. He went to Central City University, which wasn’t that surprising, and he started in as an intern for STAR Labs at the ripe age of 18, only grabbing a full- time job there when he graduated with a bachelor on Thermonuclear engineering, and a bachelor in criminology. He had also mentioned that he was in town for a few weeks to find a place to live.

“Are you thinking of moving here?”

“Only for maybe a year or two, then i’ll probably head back to STAR Labs. But i’m here to help set up a Lab that would work with STAR Labs. It would kina be like a sister Lab to STAR.”

“You mean NOVA Ria?” i had heard of the new lab being built, but never thought much of it.

He nodded. “It’s going to be as high-tech as STAR is.”

“So, any ideas of where you want to live?” i asked. “The East Side is Beautiful, but the South is where most of the fun is.”

“I was hoping that i could get some help deciding,” he said with a flirtatious grin and wink.

“Well I know someone who would be more than willing to help,” I flirted back, leaning in.

“Oh really?” he grinned, leaning forward as well.

I hummed and softly smiled. “It might take some convincing but-” I trailed off.

“But?” he questioned.

I grinned and sat back in my char. “But i’m sure Kole and Joey would be thrilled to help”

He sighed and shook his head. He looked down at his hands, but when he looked back at me, he let out a laugh that seemed impressed. “And here i thought i was going to be graced with your presence again,” his lips turned into a soft grin and i winked.

“That has been yet to be determined,” i held my glass up in a cheers.

Soon, the food had been consumed and the check had been paid for.

“Care for a walk?” he asked, standing from his chair when we were ready to go. I only nodded in reply, taking his arm. The walk was quiet for the most part, but it was comfortable. Every once in a while, one of us would speak about our crazy friends or something that was relevant at the time. There had been a few times when i could feel the warmth in his smile, in his eyes and the arm that was wound around my waist.

As we entered the large park that was in the center of town, screams erupted from around us. people started running and my eyes flew everywhere.
“Where is she?” a loud voice boomed. “Jinx, come out come out wherever you are.”

My eyes snapped to a grassy area where three familiar figures stood. One was a giant red- headed oaf that towered over one of the others, a small little bald boy that was in his usual green suit and metal spider legs. The third was an idiotic man in a full red jumpsuit, a silver mask covering his eyes.

“Jinxy,” the third’s southern accent mocked.

“Oh no,” I silently groaned.

I stood dumbfounded, trying to figure out what to do. I could run, leave them up to Kole, Karen and the boys, and they would understand, right? I would be keeping a civilian safe. Or, I could stay and fight, cutting my date short and possibly outing myself to Wally.

My decision was made for me when Mammoth spotted us, throwing a rock in our direction. Luckily, he had bad aim at the moment and didn't recognize me. None of my old team knew what I looked like out of costume., and for that, i was happy.

“Jess, get out of here” he shouted, pushing me to the side while he ran the other way. I shook my head, then jumped behind a tree and snapped my fingers. Pink waves engulfed me as my jeans and top morphed into my black leather and lace dress. The tops of my boots elongated to my knees, as my legs became wrapped in sheer tights. With my energy flowing off my fingertips, I stepped out from behind the tree and sent the energy toward my old team. They turned, all with smirks on their faces.

“We were wondering when you were gonna show up” Mammoth chuckled, stomping toward me, the others following behind.

“Well here I am,” I stood tall. “Now what do you idiots want?”

“We want you to pay for everything you did,” Gizmo said in his high- pitched voice. I huffed and rolled my eyes, landing them on the little pest. “But Psymon wants you alive and unharmed” he finished, going to grab me with his metal claws.

“Does your mom know that you’re out, Giz?” I joked, swiftly doing a back flip before they could pin me.

“No,” he whined. “Billy,” he shouted. My eyes shot to the multiplier, and he grinned before surrounding me with annoying copies of himself.

“Oh, like any of you can stop me” I laughed. “You boys could never beat be in practice, training or anything else, which is why I led you morons.”

“We’re not gonna beat you” Billy chuckled, “She is.” His eyes shifted to a gap he had made, one where a new girl stepped through. She was wearing, what looked like a leather corset with belled long sleeves and a pair of black leather pants. Her red hair was cut short and messy and her heeled boots gave her a few more inches, bringing her up to the height of Mammoth’s lower chest.

“Jinx, meet Shimmer,” Mammoth introduced.

“Nice to meet you” I lied. “You as annoyed with them yet as I was?”

“Oh hon, I’m way past that” she grinned, “But as annoying as they are, I won’t betray them like you did” she growled, getting into a fighting stance.

“Just wait” I laughed, energy flowing through the tips of my fingers once more. “Now, we gonna get this over with?”

“Not yet,” a male voice yelled, confusing us all. Before I knew it, a streak of red and yellow had gathered all of the Billy’s up, tied Gizmo’s legs together, and had tied Mammoth up with a thick metal beam. I had to blink a few times. “Sorry to crash” the voice came from beside me. I jumped to the side, looking up at a guy that I knew only from the news, Kid Flash. He laughed. “Wasn’t a fair fight” he shrugged. I shook my head and looked back toward the new villainess, but she had vanished with a gasp.

“Uh” was all I could say.

“Dang, she got away” Kid Flash lightly cursed. I turned to face him.

“How did you- why did you- I had it covered” I lightly snapped.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I could see that. You were surrounded by pea brain over there” he said, pointing to the pile of knocked out Billy’s, “And you still had Gigantor and Whiner running free” he finished, pointing to Gizmo and Mammoth. “It was an unfair fight.”

“And if they had three more people, maybe it would be even,” i shot back. “I had it handled. I could have taken them all down without your help” I snapped. I sighed and calmed myself. “Look, I appreciate what you did, but they were my old team. I know how they think, I know their moves and weaknesses, and I also know how impulsive they can be. They don’t think before acting. It would have been an easy take down after what’s-her-name” I gestured to the open space where Shimmer had been standing.

“But Shimmer isn’t like any of them. She was trained by the best, and with the best. She can transmute any element or compound into any other.”
“I still could have taken her” I insisted. “Look, I’m sorry but you don’t know me or my powers, so you don’t know if I could have taken them all on or not, which I could have. So, I appreciate you helping, but it wasn’t needed”

“Well noted” he tried to charm me with a grin. “Now, uh, how are you gonna send them away?” he wondered, obviously thinking that I couldn’t possibly send them all away. I rolled my eyes and waved my hand toward my old team, making them vanished into prison cells at Bell Rev. I looked up at him and his jaw was dropped. I laughed and started to walk away.

“Told ya” I called over my shoulder before disappearing myself.

When I appeared again, I arrived in my room and fell on my bed.

“Jess, that you?” Karen called from downstairs.

“Yeah” I called back, taking a deep breath before walking down to meet her and Krystal in the kitchen. I smiled when there was already a drink for me.
“Heard what happened, you okay?” Karen asked.

“Yeah, it was no big thing” I narrowed my eyes, thinking of the encounter. “It was weird though. I didn’t really fight any of them. The most I did was a back flip to avoid Gizmo after an energy wave to get their attention, and a wave of my hand to send them to Bell Rev.”

“Really? How?” Krystal wondered.

“Kid Flash showed up while the morons were introducing their newest member to me; a girl by the name of Shimmer. By the time I knew it, he had taken them all down, leaving me and Shimmer. Then, he tried to sound all nice by saying he helped me, when I really didn’t need help, and tried to peg himself as a chivalrous knight or something.” Bee’s eyes were wide and Kole just looked at her, trying to get something answered. “What?” I asked.

“Nothing” she shook her head, her lips tight and her cheeks rising. “It’s just- KF is usually in Central City with Flash, Vibe and Jessie Quick. I guess I should have known he’d come though. Mal was talking about meeting up with him some day this week.” I nodded and took a sip of my drink before letting out a sigh. “But enough about that, how was your date?” I must have blushed a bit since I got a squeal from Krystal and an excited giggle from Bee.

“He was sweet and funny, and I did have a good time with him-“ I started.

“But-“ Kole waited

“But when he saw Giz, Mammoth and Billy, he pushed me to the side and told me to run, while he ran the other way. It just- it was kinda weird. Usually guys would just run and leave me or pull me with them.”

“Sounds like something we would do,” Kole quietly said to herself, earning an elbow from Bee.
“Yeah it kinda does” I laughed.

“Would you go out with him again?” Bee asked

“Maybe, I mean I did have fun with him” I said before taking another few sips. “And our date did get interrupted so rudely,” I laughed, making Kole and Bee smile. “What are you two happy about?”

“We’re just happy that you’re happy,” Kole simply responded.

I nodded, grabbing my drink. “Well reap it while you can, because i have papers to go through. Not to mention a warded to call about his new inmates.”

“I'll call Norton, girl. You go grade those papers” Bee suggested. I nodded and thanked them before heading up to my room.

I groaned at the stack of papers beside my keyboard. Tonight was going to be a long night.

Chapter Text

The days passed like normal. I lectured my classes and give them testes, then grade said tests, and i would beat the bad guys week after week. Wally had stuck around for the weeks that he has said, but Kid Flash had stayed, unfortunately for the same amount of time. It seemed like every time the Brotherhood, HIVE, or other random villain, Kid Flash was there. At some times, i was grateful, like when Kole, Bee and I were surrounded by Brotherhood goons. Herald and Jericho were on their way, but Kid Flash had gotten there first.

As i tried to cast a curse on XLT, Plasmus had come out of nowhere and knocked me down. I tried to do a back flip to land on my feet, but Phobia had gone in for an attack and knocked me to the ground. Out of breath and sweating, backed into a corner with my pink energy flaring out, and Kole and Bee cornered themselves, i thought it was the end.

I felt the cold wind push passed me before i saw anything. I heard him make a snarky comment about what a mother did or not teach Plasmus, but all i could focus on was our chances. In a second, i waved my hand toward Phobia and shot her down to the ground.

“Go get the collars.” I yelled to the speedster. He did, and within moments, each of the villains were tied up, wearing a power inhibiting collar. As my eyes confirmed that they were captured, my knees fell to the ground exhausted from the day. Kole and Bee had run my way, yelling my name, but Kid Flash was the first to get to me. He had knelt down and helped m up, my breath still heavy.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “Just need a minute. I’m a bit tired, but i should be good to go in a few..” I told him.

“Then think you can- you know-” he gestured, mocking one of my own spells.

I let out a small laugh and nodded, waving my hand to send them all to Bell Rev.

“Man, i hate the Brotherhood,” Bee groaned, walking towards us with her hand on her bruised side. “Thanks for the assist, KF. We really needed it.” I couldn't help the slight nod of my head.

With my breathing back to normal and my energy almost so, I stood on my own and created a small portal a few feet from us. “Jinx, where are you going?” I heard Kole softly ask.

“Base,” i simply responded. “I need to tell Nightwing about everything that happened, you know how he is about records.”

Kole and Bee had nodded, but Kid flash shook his head. “Don’t even think about it, Jinx.” My brows raised at his stern voice. “You look like you’re about to collapse. Go home and get some rest.”

Bee sighed. “He’s right, girl. I can take care of the report. You need rest.”

“I’ll make sure she gets home,” Kole stated, walking to my side.

“You guys are the worst,” I grumbled.

“I could always speed you there,” the speedster suggested with a small grin.

“You don’t even know where I live, and if i have to, then i’ll just use my magic. It’s as good as Herald’s portals,” i shot back.

“Just get home safe,” he replied. His smirk had completely vanished when he said it. He was as serious as i had ever seen him.

“C’mon, we have to go,” Bee grabbed his attention, gesturing to the portal. He nodded and she took a step through it, vanishing into the pink energy.

He made a move to follow, but stopped at my voice. “Speedster,” i called out. He tuned to me curiously. “Thank you,” i quickly said. With a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, he saluted and stepped through the energy. With a snap of my fingers, the energy vanished, and with a turn of my heels, i came face to face with a softly smirking Kole. “Not one word.” I demanded. She only giggled and shrugged as I waved my hand one last time, sending us to our living room.
There were other times when his smirk was the last thing i wanted to deal with.

I had already spent half of my morning grading the rest of the most recent test i had given, and i had spent nearly 5-6 hours getting dragged to shop after shop and trying on dress after dress until Karen and Kole had finally chosen that my dress for the Titan’s Ball was absolutely perfect. Honestly, they weren’t wrong. I did look good in it, but I didn't get why they cared so much.

When it had neared 6, i told them that i had errands to run, and quickly took my leave before either could pull me in for more shopping. All i had to do was pick some things up from the pharmacy and run to the back to deposit some checks. Easy, right? Wrong.

While in line, waiting for the teller to call my up, three men in masks ran in, their guns firing in the air. While one had knocked the guard out, the other two had pressed on to the counter, yelling demands at the terrified people behind the glass. I cursed my luck, or lack thereof, as my eyes scanned the room, desperately trying to find a place to change.

I managed to call for backup before one of them had spotted me and shouted at me to get on the ground. Not seeing another way out, i complied and knelt down, putting my hands in lap, away from any viewers. with my eyes pinned on them, my fingers did a small dance, causing their guns to jam up and act-up.
“Shit,” one of them shouted, dropping his gun on the ground.

“Let’s go,” another shouted, beelining for the door. A small smile played on my lips as my fingers danced again, locking the door. They panicked as we all heard the distant sirens, but before they could be cuffed by the police, a wind blew through the room, tying to three up. I glared at the figure beside them, dressed in his signature yellow and red. Everyone had cheered as he stood there, I scowled. Of course he would be the backup they sent.

Before zooming off, he spotted me and winked. “Show off,” i muttered under my breath. I almost felt bad for the amount of ranting i had done to Bee and Kole. I would have been truly sorry for them, if it wasn’t for their obvious smirks.

The next day was barely better. The only thing that saved it was the dinner i had planned with Wally. My heart had actually fluttered at the thought. When i saw him standing in my doorway, his hair unkept and his smile reaching his eyes. His hands were in the pockets of his jeans, the same hands that i leaned into during the horror movie we had chosen to go see. Though I knew i didn’t need his strong arms around me, i liked how they felt. Every time something came on screen that people had screamed at, i pushed myself closer and closer into him until i could feel his breath on my ear. We had both jumped a time or two, but had laughed about it after the film was over. It felt so odd to be so happy and peaceful. For the time, i had no worries. That is, until dinner.

“Jess,” he had begun, “these few weeks have been amazing with you and, when i move down here, i hope we can continue this. But-” he gulped hard, “but i wanted to ask, there’s this company thing that i have to go to and- and i wanted to know if you wanted to go with me, as my date.” My eyes lit up and i smiled, beginning to not. “It may be short notice, since it’s next Saturday, but-” Wait, Saturday? Every word had my heart soaring, but that one word made in plummet to the ground.

“Next Saturday?” My voice shook slightly. He nodded slowly. I sighed, dropping my eyes to my hands as they played with the napkin. “I- I can’t,” i whispered. That was the night of the Titan’s Ball, and Nightwing would have my head- Bee would have my head if i didn’t show. “My company is hosting its own- event,” i partially lied.

His brows knit together. “Mal never said anything about the college doing something.”

“That’s because it an exclusive event. Only a small group of us could be invited and, unless you’re invited, you don't hear about it.” Luckily he didn’t push it. “Rain check?” i sadly asked.

He only offered a sad smile and nod. “Some other time,” he promised me. After that, our conversation turned to recent events and the news. “So i heard that Kid Flash stopped a robbery yesterday.” i snorted at the memory. “What, you don’t like him?” he asked.

“I’ve met him a time or two and i have to say that he’s not what most would expect. I was there and he didn’t really do much. The guys were already panicking and running away.”

“You were there? that must have been scary,” he brought up.

i shrugged. “the guys were kinda idiots in masks and the cops were around the corner when Kid Flash showed up.”

“And you didn't like when he showed up?” he questioned.

“I don’t really have anything against him, i mean he’s a hero and he has gone against some of the big baddies, but-”
“But?” he wondered.

“But he seems cocky and too flirtatious. I mean, before he left, he winked at me- and most of the other girls,” i quickly added the last point.

“I don’t know if he winked at every other girl, but i can’t blame him for picking you out,” he smiled, taking a sip of his drink.

Chapter Text

“Come on, we’re gonna be late” Bee called up the stairs, just as I was putting in my last earring

“I’ll be right down” I laughed, shouting down to her. I grabbed my coat from my bed, checking myself in my mirror one last time to see if everything was perfect. It was. My one strap dress was just my style. The black on satin top hugged down to my waist, where the side was gemmed, showing some skin on my side. The bottom flowed out, slit on my right side to grab some fierceness in all of the elegance and the bottom faded to a beautiful shade of purple. My black heels were open toed with a strap going down the arch of my foot, and my hair was neatly curled into a bun, letting my silver earrings sparkle as they hung down.

“Come on, the limo is here” Bee called up more urgently.

“I’m coming” I laughed, grabbing my black clutch purse and heading out of my door and down the stairs to meet Bee, Kole, Herald and Jericho.

Bee was wearing a gorgeous black and yellow strapless, high to low dress with black heels and her own black coat around the arm that wasn’t around Malcum’s. Kole was wearing a beautiful and delicate, short crystal blue and lace dress that had a sheer cover that flowed beyond her blue crystal belt that hugged her tiny waist. Jericho was wearing nice pair of black suit pants with a white jacket and a purple vest and a tie to match his black and purple shoes. Herald opted for his all black suit and his dark blue tie, matched with a grin.

“No date tonight?” he asked, making Bee elbow him in the ribs.

“She was going to bring an outsider, but Nightwing wouldn’t have let her” she reminded him in a way that was like they were hiding something from me. But I brushed it off and shook my head.

“Shall we go?” Kole interpreted Jericho’s signing.

“Let’s,” I took in a deep breath and headed out the door, the two couples following.

As we pulled up to the Ball, my jaw dropped. It was a gorgeous and large mansion with 3 floors, and a ton of windows. The driver stopped, and the door aligned with a red carpet that led up to the curved cement porch, which was a nice break in the dirt path, and up to the large wooden double doors that had a rustic feeling. Lights were placed around the base of the house, shining up to show the grandness of the cream painted walls. The door opened, and I stepped out, my jaw dropped and my feet frozen.

“Come on” Bee laughed, snapping me out of my shock and dragging me inside.

As we passed through the threshold, I was even more shocked, though, I don’t know why. There were two marble staircases that led to the open second floor, and in the middle, more wooden double doors. It was so grand and amazing, that my heart stopped and I couldn’t help but think of Wally and how he would have loved this. Apparently, my shock had lowered my smile since, the next thing I knew, Bee had her hand on my shoulder with a worried expression.

“You gonna be alright girl” Bee asked as we hung our coats up by the door.

“Yeah, I think I am” I told her as we headed for the grand marble staircase. How bird brain managed to snatch this place, I will never know. I mean, I knew he was rich, but not this rich.

“Good, because I think there’s someone who wants to meet you” Bee chuckled as Herald opened the double doors to the ball room that was already filled with Titans.

I managed to recognize Victor, aka Cyborg, and his girlfriend, Sarah, who was also a tech girl for the Titans, almost better that Cy himself. I recognized Argent, Beast Boy, Raven, Dolphin, Aqualad, Speedy, who was now Red Arrow, and Angel, Wykyd and Seymour, who were villains with me and turned good with me as well. Then there was Wondergirl, Superboy, Bushido, Mas and Menos, Pantha, and, of course the Host and Hostess, Nightwing and Starfire. I was expecting them all to be here, since they were Titans, but there was one person who made his way to us. His red hair was neatly slicked back with his black suit and yellow jacket with a red vest and tie over his white, button up shirt. Once again, I found that my jaw dropped, but it wasn’t from shock, it was from confusion.

“Ladies” he smiled and tipped his head to Kole and Bee, who smiled and tipped their heads back. “Herald, Jericho” he laughed as he shook their hands. Then he turned to me, but he smiled softly. “Jinx” he kissed my hand. I didn’t say anything or respond, I just stood there and stared at him.

“We’ll just leave you two alone” Bee quietly told me as Herald led her away, and Jericho did the same to Kole.

“Can you say something?” he asked, almost scared of what I might say.    

“I don’t know what to say” I replied after I took a deep breath. His hand still held mine and he looked worried.

“Just- say you’ll dance with me” he said. I shook my head slowly, taking in a breath, and a light smile grew across my lips. Absentmindedly, i nodded and he took my hand, leading me to the dance floor.

I felt like I was dancing on autopilot, swaying and moving in his arms. If it wasn’t for his strong hand on my back, or  hand clasped in mine, i would have thought i was dreaming. memories and clues flooded my mind. Bee and Mal and both stated that Wally was an old friend of theirs, Kole had mumbled something under her breath about how Wally pushing me away was something that we would have done, and Kid Flash had appeared right after Wally had, and he only winked at me during the robbery.

My eyes shot open wide and I looked at him and quickly took in a breath. “I said that you were cocky right to your face.” It almost came out as a whisper.

He only laughed and pulled me closer.  “Yes you did,” I could feel him nod, “was that the first thing you thought of?”

I shook my head, “I thought mostly of all of the obvious clues that I completely missed.” I sighed, “How did I not catch this sooner?”

He shrugged, ”guess you need me after all.” My jaw dropped in a tight laugh, as I playfully slapped his shoulder. “But since we’re here,” he began, “has your answer changed?”

All I wanted was to kiss that smirk off his lips. Instead, I smiled and nodded. “I would be honored,” I answered with a smile.

After that I lost track of how many dances we went through. One, two, three, six? All I knew that was I was happy and content in his arms. As one of the songs ended, he twisted me one last time and we turned to the front, clapping in unison with the crowd of Titans and their guests, thanking the band. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. I still had so many questions for him, and yet, so many of my previous questions had been answered. He glanced down at me and in an instant, I grabbed his hand and dragged him into the corridor. I was going to start asking the many questions I had, but he had a different idea, as soon as we rounded the corner, entering into another room, he closed the door and pushed me against the wall.

His lips pressed hard against mine and in that moment, all of my questions vanished out of my mind and all I cared about was that I was kissing the one guy I wanted to, the one guy that ‘tamed the villainess inside of me’, the one person who I had fallen deeply in love with over the span of only a few dates. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss and tangling my fingers in his locks of red hair, he softened the kiss, but it grew more and more passionate. It was less forceful and more loving, it became soft but strong, and it felt so good. One of his hands was on my side and the other was pressed against the wall. His lips moved from mine, only to trail down my jawline and to my neck. My back arched into his strong chest and he took that chance to slide his hand to my back, his fingers running over the black lace. His lips made their way back to mine, growing even gentler with one last kiss.

“Sorry” his deep voice whispered in my ear, “I’ve wanted to do that since I first met you” he grinned, and oh how I loved his smile. I gazed into his blue eyes kissing him on the nose before he kissed my forehead. His hand slid down the wall and down my soft arm, eventually twisting his fingers with mine, just as the other did. He softly kissed my lips again before pulling me forward as he walked back.

“Kid, I-” I began but he smiled, sitting on the couch that I had finally noticed was there. Without his lips against mine, I was able to look around the room easier, noticing even the tiniest things. There were three couches around a fireplace, with a glass table in the middle and an old -fashioned carpet on the floor. There was a bird cage with no bird and old paintings hung on the walls. On the other side of the door from where we were, there was an armoire with mirrored doors and an intricate design on the top. But what surprised me the most was that the fire was already lit and burning brightly, lighting the room just enough to be romantic and enough so I could look into his bright blue eyes.

“Call me Wally” he corrected

“Wally, I think we need to seriously talk” I told him, sitting next to him was he wrapped his arms around me.

“Yeah” he huffed “I was expecting you’d say that. What do you need-or want to know?”

“Did you know?” I asked without a blink of hesitation. “Did you know I was-”

“Jinx” he finished and I nodded “Yeah” he confessed. “It was actually all part of a plan” he laughed

“Plan?” I looked up at him and he smiled.

“Yeah” he chuckled “apparently our friends set us up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that Bee thought we would be good together and apparently talked to Kole, Nightwing and some others about getting us on that website, where they made sure we got each other and-”

“How do you know all of this?” I giggled

“Well if you’ve been friends with Rob- I mean, Nightwing long enough, you can easily see if he hacked your account.” He pointed out and I laughed again. “When I found out, I talked to him about it and he said to just give you a chance”

“Which you did”

“And I’m glad I did” he kissed the top of my head. “Anyway, that was before we even met, but I had also heard a lot about you from Bee and the others, and I saw you on the news.”

“So you even knew about the- bad times?” I meekly asked

“Yeah” he chuckled “And I even fought with you and the others to get rid of the Brothehood- and I wanted to talk to you then too, but, before I got the chance to, you were gone.”

“Yeah, no one really got to talk to me after that,” I sadly said, my eyes drawing to my hands that were folded in my lap. “Bee and Cyborg had only convinced me to switch a few days earlier and- to be honest, I still had no clue what I wanted to do, or who I was. I had been bad for so long that things started to confuse me, and I started to question myself on everything. That’s why I ran after they were all defeated. I needed time to sort things out with myself.” A smile tugged at the corners of my lips and I looked at him again. “After about a month or so of being on my own and traveling the world, I finally got back into action, and that’s where Bee, Cyborg and Kole came in. They helped me get back on my feet. That was- well- 9 years ago.”    

“And after that, you managed to get your Masters and you started teaching with Mal and Joey?” I nodded. “What about your powers? I mean, how did you get them?”

“I was born with them. Blood said that my parents left me when I was a baby, and he raised me from there, helped me control my powers and taught me how to fight. I never understood my full potential ag the HIVE Academy, but i did during the month i was alone. I found a group that was like me. They said that they had been watching me and that they could help me.  I had declined for that whole month, but once i joined the Titans, i decided to give them a chance too. The uh helped me unlock powers that i couldn't have dreamed of.”

“What happened to them?”

I grinned, thinking of them and how they might have been watching me as I spoke. “I still see them every once in a while. The ten of us are connected in a way that's hard to understand. We're not related, yet our powers all come from these ancient Feys that cursed or blessed our families hundreds of years ago. You might have seen some of them when I was fighting a few times. They join me from time to time.” He hummed and nodded. I watched him as he stayed silent. His eyes were soft, but there was something in them that I couldn't pinpoint. He smiled and I blushed. “What?”

He shook his head. “You're just full of surprises.” He laughed softly.

“Some that will be revealed through time,” I grinned flirtatiously.

“Does that mean you'll give us a try?” He questioned with a grin.

“Maybe if you offer me another dance,” I said, standing from the couch.

“I would love to,” he stood up and held his hand out for me. With a smile and a laugh, i took his arm and me walked back to the main room.

“And maybe help me get back at our friends,” I joked.

“I'm afraid what would happen if i said no,” his laugh rumbled in my ears.

“Don't worry, you're safe for now,” I laughed, kissing him on the cheek before we entered back into the grand room.

The End