Before I begin the rest of this, yes: I'm planning on continuing this story until the very end. I really like where it's going, and despite my busy schedule with work and school, I'll try to make time to write. Thank you all for the kind reviews, even after I was gone for so long.

xxGodessofMischief

Her leg was still throbbing angrily even after they had decided on a location to land at. Jinx was determined on landing in a large and busy city where they would be hard to detect. They could easily blend into the monotonous crowd of a large city, changing the Titans into normal looking (and possibly acting) children. Not to mention Jinx sort of missed the chaotic Jump City. It would be a good reminder, and maybe even a semblance of home.

But Creep had a different argument. Much to Jinx's irritation, he wanted to land someplace less populated. It was enough to make Jinx want to tear out her hair. She KNEW how to carry out this plan. She had been on the run with the law enough times to know what to do in order to remain invisible, and to hide within the larger crowd. As she scowled at him, she couldn't help but wish he wasn't such an antisocial asswipe, and that he'd just listen to her.

"We go someplace utterly deserted, and we die." Jinx said in a snappish tone. She adjusted herself on the jet seat. "With no one around, we're going to be sitting prey. It'll be just like the damned island, but instead of trees, it's gonna be concrete."

Creep glared at her, his eyes glazed over with a hint of fury. "I didn't say someplace deserted. Just less populated. It'll be easier to get around that way. There won't be the threat of getting run over by cars."

"Easier or no, that's a stupidass plan. And I've elected to ignore it." Jinx scoffed and looked towards the children, who had grown silent. They were staring at her and Creep, studying the looks on their faces with scrutiny and absorbing every word. Worry had passed over Robin's face, and the rest of the team followed suit.

Robin was still the leader, after all. Jinx had forgotten, in all the midst of hell, that the rest of the children looked up to the little Batman sidekick as though he knew all the answers. As far back as she could remember, Robin had always been the leader. Every single time she had gotten caught by the Titans, when they were an actual team of heroes, Robin would be staring at her with a little smug smile on his face that read, "Gotcha". He looked so different now with his tiny pouty face and torn clothing, the R over his breast torn away and the mask over his eyes smudged with dirt.

And right now, Robin looked unsure what to do; causing some anxiety within the group of kid Titans.

"We're fine, you guys." Jinx said reassuringly. "We're just talking."

"Not talk. Yellin." Cyborg muttered incredulously. He picked at a stray wire coming from his arm before looking upwards with a glare. His lip stuck out stubbornly.

Jinx softened a bit and shared a look with Creep. His expression wasn't any nicer, but he was silent. "It's not yelling, Cyborg. We're just frustrated. Finding out a plan to be safe is harder than expected."

"On my planwet, there is no such ting as safedy." Starfire pressed her lips together, floating a few inches off the floor. Her red hair floated for a moment before settling back on her shoulders.

Robin poked her leg. "That cuz you an aliwen."

"I wan be an aliwen.." Beast Boy whined, poking his head through the array of clothing that served as their blankets. With lazy blinking, he yawned and his green ears twitched. "Like Star!"

Starfire beamed and settled back on the ground. Robin scowled.

Jinx turned towards Creep, her lips tilted in a ghost of a smile. She was almost mocking him, challenging him and his word. She had a good plan this time. One set in concrete that she was sure would work. Cities were easy for her to get through, she knew how to travel through them easily. And when her powers came back…

Well, there would be a lot to fight with.

"Big cities will be the best bet. You don't have to come with us, but the kids are my responsibility, okay? I won't let them go through that hell again. Slade won't hesitate to follow us, and I won't hesitate to use our best sources for protection." Jinx crossed her arms smugly.

Creep looked as though he wanted to explode, a drastic change from the coolly silent Creep that Jinx had met only a week ago. "And what makes you think the children want you as their guardian? I don't think that's what Raven would have wanted…"

The name made Jinx stiffen.

How... dare he?

She swallowed, her bruised hands clasping together in unsteady fists.

Of course her and Raven were never friends. They were lukewarm acquaintances, barely knowing each other as they went into the course of their journey. Jinx had helped Raven because she pitied her, and because Slade wouldn't stop to pilfer the Titans from the rest of the world. And not to mention she wanted her revenge against her crappy-ass friends back at the HIVE, who abandoned her the first chance they got.

But that changed. She grew to enjoy Raven's presence and her dry dark humor. She realized that the dark girl didn't have many friends, and she was only trying to protect the only ones she had.

It was more than Jinx ever truly had. The sad truth: Jinx was alone in the dark world of criminals. In the villain-world, there were no such thing as friendships. It was all quick hookups, fast deals with pounds of cash and jewelry, one night stands while doing top-notch drugs, dusted clean. Playing with things like Mexican methamphetamine and grade A glass, washed down with the scent of cigars and booze, was all that she was known.

Warmth didn't exist.

And for a few moments, Jinx had felt as though she had someone there. Perhaps they weren't close, and perhaps there were some insults that flew back and forth, and maybe Raven would rather have thrown Jinx off a cliff and walk away from it, but she didn't.

Jinx had to watch Raven plunge into the abyss of an ocean, swallowed by the dark waves and turning tides. The jet had even plunged into oblivion, taking away any semblance of civilization. The unconscious Titan was washed away, her eyes shut as clear water washed over her features. Jinx had remembered nothing else but watching helplessly as the children screamed, Jinx screaming herself as she reached for Raven's cold, unmoving hand.

Not to mention the Titans- They had cried. Sobbed. They understood grief and death. She didn't know whether they remembered their Titan days or not, but they knew Raven.

"You little…." Jinx hissed, barely able to keep the fury from her voice. "What gives you the damned right to say that to me?"

Creep shrugged nonchalantly, further egging her rage. "What gives you the right to take control of the children? You aren't a Titan."

"Neither are you! You're a minion. Not even smart enough to be an individual criminal." Jinx whispered fiercely, trying her damned hardest not to yell. "But Raven trusted me enough! Which is a lot saying, because she trusted literally no one but her friends. And now…"

Creep raised a slender eyebrow, allowing his hands to settle in his lap. "And now she's gone."

"You shut up!" Jinx nearly screeched those three words, using the most of her willpower to push down her voice. The last thing she had to do right now was to flip out. With her powers still healing, there was a chance the jet would crash. And she was tired of crashing. "You. Shut. Up. She could be alive. Maybe.. You don't know that."

"All I know is the information that Slade gave to me." Creep gave an invisible sigh, his shoulders heaving. Standing up, he rubbed his gloved hands together and stretched a little. "But fine, whatever you want, Lorraine. We'll land in a large city, just like you wish. How about New Mexico? Sante Fe? We should be close by now."

Jinx felt her shoulders quake, but she managed to calm down enough to breathe normally. One look over to the children was enough to quench her rage altogether. Starfire looked as though she was on the verge of tears, Cyborg was awkwardly staring at the wall, Beast Boy was nowhere in sight, and Robin was giving her a cold stone-like expression. She stared at him for a bit longer, unsure what she was seeing.

The stare was eerily familiar to how he normally looked, right before he punched your lights out in a fight.

"What is it, Robin?" She asked gently, her voice quiet. Her voice sounded tense and uptight as though she was scared, and Jinx cursed herself for being a coward. It was just a little kid. She had spent time with him. They had had fun. There was nothing to fear.

Right?

The look lasted a little bit longer. Robin looked as though he was deciding what to say, his little mouth opening and closing like a fish. Jinx felt her arms prickle with some discomfort, but waited for a response nonetheless. Finally, Robin smiled a little bit, showing off his teeth. Jinx couldn't help but notice a chip in his top tooth. "Noting wrong." Robin said simply, letting out a quiet giggle. "You jus' looks all tired, Jink. You sit dere all tired. Like.. Like.."

"Like what?" Jinx asked, feigning annoyance. But she felt relieved instead, like a weight had been taken off her shoulders. Baby Robin was still there. No scary Titan leader right now.

Robin screwed up his face and scrambled on the seat next to her, plopping his small butt on the fine leather. He looked at her, and then back at the other Titans. "Like a... A..." he drawled.

"Like a potato!" Cyborg crowed from the back of the jet.

"Yeah!" Robin's face brightened. "Like a potato!"

"What's a po-tat-o?" came Starfire's voice from the back.

Jinx felt a laugh bubble from in her chest. "Really now? I remind you of a potato? You're silly, kid."

Cyborg joined Robin on the seat, grunting as he swung his robotic body upwards. He leaned against the wall, staring out the window. "I hate potatoes." he grumped, rubbing at his nose. "'They taste like POOP."

"I like potatoes.." Robin said quietly, fiddling with his fingers. "Batman feeded me masheded potatoes all the time."

"Poop Batman gives you poop potatoes." Cyborg justified.

Robin's face turned beet-red.

There was the sound of little paws pattering on the leather, and Beast Boy slinked past them. He looked them with wide green eyes before slowly transforming into his human form, sitting perched on the edge of the seat across from them. "Jink? Is we going home?"

Jinx sighed softly and adjusted herself a bit. Her entire body ached with pain from when she moved, and her leg wasn't much better either. Sheesh, maybe she was turning into a potato. "We're going someplace that we'll call home for a little while. Creep is coming with us."

Beast Boy's eyes watered. "I miss Raben."

"Me too." Cyborg said quietly. He tugged on Jinx's torn sleeve. "You an' Creep argue about Raben. He says she gone. An' you told us she's gone too. We miss her..."

Jinx slowly patted Cyborg's little head, the little boy sniffling underneath her touch. It was strange to have that reaction, and she almost pulled back. "I'll fix everything." She promised. "Creep'll take us someplace where we can rest for a bit. We can sleep, and we can eat a lot of food. It'll be warm and nice and there won't be any scary guys to hurt you. And we can talk about Raven."

Her voice went dry as she said that. A part of her was desperately wanting to believe in her own words. A warm, soft bed would feel so nice. Blankets. New clothes. A shower. Oh hell, a shower with hot water and plenty of soap. With lots of hot food to boot, filling their empty and nearly numb stomachs with goodness. The kids could use an actual bed to sleep in too, with new clothing that wasn't torn and stained with blood. Baths for everyone, with bubbles and toys. A hotel room would have all of those things, right? They could order pizza with soda and watch the crappy TV shows they always had on the hotel channels. Or they could rent a movie.

Things could be.. normal.

Jinx didn't remember what normal felt like. The last stable thing she had known was the HIVE academy, with their rock-solid mattresses and barely edible food.

What about the kids? How long had it been since they had been comfortable? How long were they on the run before they ran into her?

Starfire plopped on her lap, her long hair trailing down her back. Jinx winced at the incredible pain shooting through her entire body as Starfire slammed into her, creaking her bones and surely leaving behind a bruise in the shape of little alien ass. "Jink, da bad guys won't come after us, correct?"

"No, they will." Jinx said quietly, hating that the words slid so easily out of her mouth. "They're still going to try and find us. That's why it's really important we stay hidden. Once we land, you have to be normal. Well.. as normal as an alien, a changeling, a Cyborg and Batman's sidekick could get..."

"I'm not a swidekick!" Robin said infuriatingly.

Jinx gave him a soft smile. "I'm sorry. But we have to stay under the radar for a while. No using your powers unless I tell you to."

"No powers?" Starfire looked confused. She stared down at her hands, which were glowing green as they spoke. They slowly faded and she looked up at Jinx, her green eyes wide. "But.."

"I know what I said. It's just for now, okay?" Jinx sighed. Her fingers ran slowly through Starfire's tangled dirty hair, picking out leaves and sticks.

The door leading to the cockpit suddenly slid open, and Creep walked through, his purple eyes looking at all the Titan children sprawled on the seats in front of Jinx. He looked at them for a long minute before looking at Jinx, his voice quiet and steady. "We're about to land. I've pointed the jet towards an abandoned desert right outside of Santa Fe. It'll be a walk, but we'll be in the city by nightfall."

The air was hot and dry, blazing angrily with heat. The sun was unrelentless, beating down on all of them. The jet was far behind them now, landed in a crater that Creep claimed no one would find for a while. With the GPS torn out and the motor now leaking oil (thanks to Cyborg and his nifty little hands), there was no trace of them.

Now it was only them walking around in the sand, slowly making their way towards the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. All of them, except for Creep, was barefoot. Beast Boy was a tiny lizard resting on Robin's shoulder, soaking up all the sun and looking as though he was doing alright. Robin looked absolutely miserable, as did Starfire. She was being carried by Jinx and panting quietly, her sweat dropping onto her face once in a while. Cyborg hadn't said a word.

Jinx leaned on a makeshift cane she had torn from the jet's interior, using that so the pain in her leg wasn't too immense. "Where are we staying?" she said after a few moments, feeling sweat slowly run down her neck.

"Staying..?" Creep seemed utterly lost, giving her a strange look.

"We need money. You have money?" Jinx thought back to her own bank account that she had stashed away in Jump City. It was no use to her anymore. Besides, Gizmo and her old friends had probably already found it and helped themselves. She could've laughed. Friends until the end, even when they weren't together. "I'm completely broke."

"I don't have any money either." Creep admitted quietly. He kicked halfheartedly at the hot sand. "Slade didn't pay us for our work. We served him."

Jinx was quiet for a minute, listening to Starfire's ridiculously loud pants. "We're not going to get anywhere in the city without it. And we'll die in the desert without supplies."

Creep's eyes narrowed, the only indication that he was frustrated. "You don't think I know that?"

They were both silent for a moment, and Jinx sighed. There was an idea churning around in her mind, one that she really didn't want to admit.

"I know this isn't your deal, or whatever. But we could always... borrow." It was almost too easy to say. It was too familiar. Too like her old life for her to be comfortable with.

Creep's eyes flashed. "Are you serious?"

"We're literally homeless!" Jinx snapped. "So yes, I'm serious. The kids need food. My leg is all messed up, and I'm pretty sure you haven't showered in five years."

"We'll figure it out when we get there." Creep said flatly. "But I don't want to steal. If we get caught.."

Jinx snorted and nearly rolled her eyes. "Are you forgetting that that kind of stuff used to be my lifestyle? I know bank codes like the back of my hand."

There was a disapproving noise from Robin, but nothing else from the kid. Jinx had the feeling that he was too hot to lecture Jinx on her horrid career choices.

"A petty criminal. That's something to be proud of." Creep said disdainfully, kicking at the sand again.

"That's better than what you were." Jinx snarled, feeling Starfire tense up against her. "A killer. A mindless slave to Slade."

Creep froze in mid-step, glaring at her angrily. "I wasn't a killer! You know nothing of me, or my intentions!"

"I know that you're a mega asshole!" she shot angrily.

"Da.. G-guys...?" Cyborg stammered. It was the only word he had said the entire time.

Jinx and Creep both froze, angrily turning around. "What!?"

Cyborg slowly pointed a shaking finger in the distance. His mouth hung open, but no words came out.

Jinx turned her head and followed Cyborg's finger, and she felt herself nearly drop on the ground. Starfire let out a small squeal and buried her head into Jinx's head, and Robin let out a whimper.

"Oh for fucks sakes.." Jinx whispered quietly. She looked over at Creep, wide-eyed. He returned the gaze, his eyes wide with fear.

It was a huge beast, complete with a snake-like body and covered in scales. It was a black demonic looking creature, it's mouth open in a terrifying snarl that they could see even from a large distance away. The noise it was marking was horrific, sounding like fingernails on a chalkboard. The wind picked up around them, sand swirling in the heat. Jinx had never seen something like that in her entire life, much less lurking around in the desert. In all fairness, Jinx had never stepped foot in the deep desert, but this?

The creature had spotted them. It's eyes lit up with fire as it crawled towards them, slowly, surely, and with it's jaws gaping wide.

"Run!" Jinx screamed, turning around and slamming her fist into Creep's arm, who seemed utterly frozen to the spot. "Run, you idiot, run!"

They ran across the sand, like pathetic scrambling crabs in the tide. Jinx could barely move, her leg barely able to move with the deep sand catching at her bandages. Starfire flew upwards in the air, screaming as she tried to fly past them. The wind was too much for her, and she fell to the ground and tumbled over, only to be picked up by Creep.

The sounds of the monstrous creature was in their ears. Sand dunes tumbled down around them, claws narrowly missing their heads. Jinx let out a scream and tried to push forwards, using all of her strength to run forwards. The kids were literally attached to Creep, crying loudly. Beast Boy had disappeared entirely, no doubt hidden someplace on Robin. There was no fighting this creature, there was only escape.

There was no escape. The desert was too wide and empty.

They would run out of energy long before the monster did.

Jinx panted and continued sprinting forwards, using her cane to guide her. She could barely see Creep in front of her, his blurry shadow getting smaller and smaller as he ran away. She was getting left behind, she was too slow. Too wounded.

It seemed so sudden as her foot was swallowed by the sand. She was knocked to the ground, her body thumping in the searing grains of sand. She turned on her back, and the black slithering creature welled up in front of her. It looked worse up close: like a mutant millipede. Jinx let out a scream as it got closer to her face, it's jaw clomping dangerously in her face. It seemed like instinct as she shot up her hand.

It was instinct as she felt her power stirring dangerously in her body. She didn't even think.

A stream of pink shot from her fingers and into the jaw of the monster. It reared back with a scream, scrambling on all it's legs as the power stirred in it's body, destroying it. Jinx scrambled to her feet, ignoring the screeching pain in her leg. Her hand turned behind her as she shot again at the creature, scrambling to get away.

The monster was rearing, it's skin tearing away and blistering. The sound was deafening.

There was a loud boom from behind her. As she turned, she watched in slow motion as the mutant exploded. A ball of hot gas bellowed forwards, and sand exploded around her.

Jinx felt herself flying in the air, high into the sky. Screams were ripped from her throat, her arms flailing uselessly underneath her.

She landed in the sand with a loud thump, the breath knocked from her lungs. But she was alive. Battered and bruised, but alive. She scrambled upwards once more, her cane now long gone, slowly hobbling. The winds were scorching. Filled with hot sand that stung her eyes.

"Creep?!" she screamed. "Titans! Beast Boy! Robin! Starfire?!"

There was a sound in the distance that seemed to return her call. With her eyes squeezed shut, she moved towards the noise. The sand was blinding her. The open wound on her leg was painfully screaming, the flesh getting beaten by the whipping sands. She threw herself forwards and found herself crawling on the ground, desperate to breathe and get away from all the painful little grains scraping at her flesh.

When Jinx opened her eyes, she could see a silhouette of someone lying on the ground, with other small shadows beside it. She crawled forwards as fast as she could, reaching forwards. Her hand touched the shoulder, the torn cloth underneath her fingers. Something small crawled underneath her, sobbing violently. Another joined it, no sounds coming from it. Who was it? Robin? Starfire? Cyborg?

Another violent quake from the ground threw them all forwards, the ground moving underneath them.

The winds were silent after that.

Jinx slowly opened her stinging eyes, letting tears run down her cheeks as the sand had scraped her. There was sand everywhere; in her hair and in her mouth and nose. Every part of her body hurt even more. Her throat felt like it hadn't been used in a thousand years, and she didn't even want to think about what the hell they had just encountered. But from what it looked like, and sounded like, everyone was still alive.

Then she looked at her hands. It dawned on her: Her powers were back. She had saved them.

She had SAVED them.

"Creep!" Jinx said excitedly, her voice hoarse. But she was too excited and relieved to let it to go waste. "We're alive! I killed it! With my powers; it's come back!"

Creep didn't move. He remained facedown in the sand.

Starfire stirred underneath Jinx, wiping the tears and choking on her sobs. Robin did the same, pushing his way out from underneath Creep's body. Cyborg's head popped out of the sand, and Beast Boy let out a squeak from in Robin's clothing.

"Creep?" Jinx shook his shoulder a bit more. "Hey, dude..."

Creep shuddered, his shoulders moving violently. He slowly moved upwards, something falling from his face. It was his mask. Jinx looked at the fallen mask, the torn cloth lying so crestfallen in the sand.

He turned around, and Jinx felt her heart stop. "...W-what.. C-"

"What?" the voice was soft. Hoarse and tired, but soft. Soft purple eyes shining back at her.

The familiar face.

Starfire let out a soft little noise. The other Titan children sat there, stunned.

"R-Raven?" Jinx let the name escape her.

Raven looked back at her, the purple hair tousled and the tired purple eyes shining. The soft expression twisted dangerously, and Raven cocked her head in confusion. "Why are you calling me that? She's dead."

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