All about Flinx

Seeing is believing

A light sweat coated the back of her neck and hands. Wiping her hands on her skirt, Jinx's eyes wondered back over to the girl next to her. Kole stood tall, her pink antennas swirling in the breeze, and her blue eyes locked forward. As she walked, she hummed a tune that Jinx didn't recognize, one that she couldn't join along in.

"So," Jinx said, her pink eyes meeting Kole's for a moment before breaking away and looking to the ground. "Are you excited about the museum?"

What a ridiculous question, Jinx thought. Why did you even suggest coming here anyway? She's probably seen all the stuff inside back home with her friend Gnaark.

Then again, the fossils inside would probably still be alive.

"Yes," Kole responded, her voice ever chipper. She spoke in the same tone of voice that she had used when she had accepted Jinx's offer of a date a few days earlier. "Are you?"

"Definitely," Jinx responded.

"Oh, I can't wait to see the space exhibit! It looked so cool on the brochure." Kole's smile widened. "What are you most excited to see, Jinx?"

For a moment, she could only blink. All that she had read on the museum's brochure was the bright cover and the ticket costs.

"I'm excited about everything; I haven't been to this museum in a while." She could still remember the last time perfectly; back then, she had still been evil. Despite what Wally had said, she had never been secretly good and just hiding it. Back then, the museum had been nothing more than a place with fancy glass cases holding pretty items that she wanted to snag.

Don't think about Wally right now, she reminded herself, her eyes returning to the ground and her hands going into her pockets. What happened with him was in the past; we both agreed to move on.

Kole had dressed casually for the event, trading her usual costume for a cream colored blouse and black khakis. She looked more like a schoolgirl than a superhero, and that was probably the look that she'd been going for. Jinx, in turn, had let her pink hair down and worn a simple black T-shirt and matching colored shorts with a dark blue belt. Still, her stomach couldn't help but twist at the idea that someone - a security guard, a person selling tickets, or another member of the museum staff - might recognize her. Though she had finally managed to break the spell that had turned her skin purple, returning it to its natural dark brown color, she still couldn't shake away the fear that her past crimes would come back to haunt her. After all, not everyone was as forgiving as Kole and Wally; a lot of the Teen Titans still held a grudge against her, and she didn't expect the Jump City Museum staff to be much more forgiving.

Jinx took a deep breath, and then let it out. Whatever happened in the past had happened, and there was no way that she could change it. Backing out now would only make things worse for both her and Kole.

Kole was still smiling, ever excited about the museum trip. Jinx couldn't blame her; after today, she only had a few days left in Jump City before she headed back home underground. Depending on how well today went would determine if Kole kept in contact with her, or if her first real date since her breakup with Wally would turn into a big flop.

Make this count, Jinx thought. You can't mess this up.

Kole wrapped her hand through Jinx's own, doing it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Jinx smiled and squeezed her hand back.

The museum came into view, and the two girls walked faster. Once they had safely crossed the street, Jinx reached her only free hand into her pocket, wrapping her hand around her wallet.

Inside at the ticket booth, no one batted an eyelash at either girl. Jinx simply paid, grabbed their tickets, and the two walked in.

The large central room had a large map showing what was inside the museum. Once a few other guests had finished looking at it, the two girls walked forward. Their hands were still wrapped together; it felt so natural, Jinx's own hand fitting easily into Kole's.