Insert standard disclaimer.

Jinx’s eyes fluttered open as a firm hand shook her shoulder. There was a figure sitting beside her. Glowing red eyes, grey (nearly blue) skin illuminated in the light seeping in between the blinds.

She rubbed her hazy eyes–it just COULDN’T be.

“…Kyd…?” She asked, blinking to get a better focus as she suppressed the hex bolt itching to come out; “Is that really you?”

He nodded, and spoke in the way he always did –images and feelings sent telepathically.

Through her mind, she felt a greeting. On his face was the smile he reserved for very close friends.

“It’s like… it’s like 3AM…” she said, throwing a glance at the digital clock, “What are you doing here?”

He looked away before sending over himself searching through her neighborhood –teleporting in and out of homes to find her. Of them talking

“Well, can’t it wait?”

His mouth tightened before he shook his head. Jinx frowned –realizing he truly meant it. Still, it was way too early.

“Nothing is this important, Kyd. Unless someone’s dying, and they’re not, leave me alone.” She made to pull the covers over her head before he grabbed her wrist.

He looked at her with a desperation she’d never seen in him before. With a sigh, she decided she would at least humor him. “Fine. What do you want to talk about?”

After a pause, he pointed questioningly to the ring on her finger.

“Oh, yeah, I got married a year ago.” She laughed awkwardly. “We’re still arguing over kids.”

The mouth hung open a little as he frantically questioned if she did have any children, was pregnant. It was very odd, Jinx thought, how urgent he was making this.

“No, not for a while yet,” she told him plainly, watching him visibly relax. Maybe she just wasn’t remembering him right –but wasn’t he wearing too much emotion on his sleeve?

There was another long, awkward pause. “How long were you frozen?” She asked, making him stiffen, “You look… younger than you should be.”

It was true. Back in their days in HAEYP, he had only been a year younger than her at most. Now… he was still a teenager when he should have been well into his late twenties.

In fact, he’d barely changed from what she remembered. His face was a little colder, his frame far thinner. And that’d been… how long ago was that?

He shook his head again. He sent over the images of her out in the field. The feeling of a question.

“You mean… how is the hero thing going?” He nodded with a smile. “Oh, it’s going well. Kind of nice, you know, dealing with cops who are in a good mood.” She sat up on her elbow and motioned with a jerk of her thumb to the man (once known as Kid Flash) sleeping next to her. “He usually doesn’t sleep this deep. Your doing, I assume?”

He nodded, showing her how he’d numbed Wally’s senses. Showing him sleeping for many hours. Kyd smirked awkwardly for a second. He sent the idea that this would have been a much better way of capturing him. Jinx laughed and shrugged.

“Probably. Shame we never thought of it, huh?” They laughed over that before it trailed into nothing.

“So… why are you really here?” She asked. He paused for a long while, looking everywhere but at her. “…Kyd… seriously…”

He stood and nervously paced the room.

What followed was something she’d never expected from him. Shaky and strained, as if he’d never done it before.

What followed was what might have been his voice, or it might have been what he wanted his voice to be. Either way, it was coming out stressed and quick in her head.

“Why didn’t you help us?” he asked, his face pained as he looked over his shoulder.

Jinx laughed nervously, “Kyd, don’t do this. You know I couldn’t just have let you run…”

He shook his head, “No, not that. Trust me, we’ve been over that again and again and none of us hold it against you.” He smiled at her as reassuringly as he could.

That threw her. She had been sure that’s what they were so upset about –what with the stunned silence and looks of horror and all.

He sighed, “I could see you leaving us there for a year, even two. Hell, maybe we deserved it.” He narrowed his pure red eyes, “But I never actually thought you would forget us.”

Immediately, it became clear where this was leading. Gritting her teeth, Jinx pulled up a hand to fire a hex bolt.

His eyes narrowed to slits. With one movement, he de-materialized her chest and grabbed her heart. Jinx screeched in pain, firing hex bolts wildly. Kyd winced at, but ignored, those that actually hit him.

“No! You are going to SIT and you are going to LISTEN to me!” His voice roared in her head. “After TWELVE YEARS, I think I deserve speaking my peace!”

The hex bolts came stronger than before. With a furious snarl, Kyd squeezed harder until she couldn’t continue any longer.

“It’s MY turn, Jinx. If you don’t do that anymore, I’ll let up a little. Deal?”

A single tear of pain rolled down her face as she stared into his soulless eyes. She nodded her head once, and true to his word, his grip loosened but didn’t leave.

“There are some things in life that are unforgivable, wouldn’t you agree?” He asked. She nodded once, her breath coming out in pants. “All those villains there, remember? They were THIEVES, Jinx. Nothing they did deserved what they got. You could have stopped it, and you’re gonna pay.”

Jinx laughed nervously, shaking her head, “It was just like jail, Kyd…”

His face grew wild as he picked up a lamp off the dresser and smashed it against the wall. “It was NOT like jail!” he bellowed, “In jail you aren’t kept completely isolated! In jail, you’re allowed luxuries like MOVING! In jail, your organs don’t just decide stop working! Or if they do, you get medical treatment! In jail, they don’t just let you die!” He squeezed fiercely for a moment. Jinx screeched.

He showed her images of the HIVE FIVE defrosting people one by one –Billy and Mammoth having to drag away unmoving bodies. Showed her the long line of them. Zoomed in on Angel in particular.

He gave her the feeling of rage. Showed Mammoth beating her to death. Billy with his hands on her throat –crushing her under ever increasing weight. Gizmo shooting her to death, and worse.

And then himself with her, stopping the organs slowly and letting her drift off to sleep.

“If you let me,” he said softly, “It will be very peaceful. But you do need to let me.”

“See-More…” she breathed, “He… he doesn’t…”

Kyd frowned and spoke bitterly, “Oh, funny you should mention See-More. He was de-thawed right after me, so I got to see him fall over dead.” He paused to show her exactly what he meant, “Gizmo (who’s not doing well, by the way) thinks he died a few years back.” Whether intentionally or not, his grip was tightening.

Jinx shook her head, “You’re lying… It was… it was safe…”

He looked at her gravely, “It was a machine created to kill people, Jinx. Believe it or not, the body count is up to ten and still rising. You could have prevented this, but you didn’t.” He paused and looked at her for a long while.

This panting murderer in front of him with tears of pain rolling down her face…

She was still Jinx.

The girl who loved to sit and make fun of bad movies. Who’d found the perfect roof top to watch fireworks from. Who had found him to give him a home.

Their leader and protector.

“Just tell me why… Please Jinx…” He begged, “Just give me a reason…”

She said nothing. Faintly, her eyes began to glow in a last-ditch effort.

Kyd frowned sadly. “Goodbye, Jinx.” He put a hand on her forehead and stopped her brain function.

Without a power center to command the body, she was dead in a minute. He’d shut down her pain receptors, so she hadn’t felt a thing.

Kyd let a single tear fall from his eye as he lovingly shut her eyes and mouth, to look as if she was still asleep. Ran a gentle hand over her cheek.

Wiping away the tear, he narrowed his eyes and turned to the man that had ruined her. He walked around the bed as he looked him over.

What exactly would be a fitting punishment? He could think of all sorts of horrible deaths, but which one?

With a sinister grin, he decided.

Moving in close, he snapped his fingers; simultaneously turning back on the senses and shutting down the lungs.

Wally’s eyes snapped open as he desprately tried to suck in air –clawing at his throat.

From where he stood just out of arm’s reach, Kyd waved a hand for attention. When Kid Flash looked over Kyd gave him a small, bitter smile.

“The HIVE FIVE say hi.” He kept that smirk and stood until he was very sure his enemy was dead.

And then, it was over.

He stood for a long while, breath heavy, and looked over his work. Rubbing his eye to suppress another tear, he kissed Jinx lightly on the cheek and teleported out.

A singular Billy was standing outside waiting for him, solemnly leaning against a tree and cleaning his nails. He looked up without lifting his head as he saw Kyd approach.

“It done?” he asked. Kyd sighed and nodded. Pulling a corner of his mouth tight, Billy walked over to put a comforting arm around Kyd’s shoulder. “The body count’s up t’ twelve. She chose this, Kyd. It had to be done.”

Kyd tilted his head in a way which said that he knew that, but still… it didn’t feel right. He sent over the image of liquor –lots of it.

Billy nodded, “Yeah, me too. Come on, let’s get o’ of here before they fin’ out we’re in the country.”

Kyd nodded. With one last look at the bedroom window, he teleported the two away.

AN: There will be at least one more chapter. The HIVE try to make up for killing her by honoring her. A eulogy gets read -Billy Numerous style.

And I know, Kyd talks a hell of a lot in this. But it's special circumstances. Other than this, Kyd is his normal, mute self.