Jinxed
an excerpt

The museum was quiet at night. That’s the way she liked it. Silent, abandoned and easy to rob. Jinx had to contend with a few of the guards, but that had been a swift and painless affair.
There were so many choices for purloining. Jinx considered herself an expert shop-lifter. She knew which branches of the museums she visited had the best loot. Unlike other villains, she tended to favor small light pieces of jewelry that could be easily fenced for cash or worn for adornment.
This museum had an especially fine selection. There was a necklace that belonged to Marie Antoinette, and another that belonged to Cleopatra. Jinx still wished for the necklace of good luck from the Egyptian exhibit, but that had been moved from the display. Well, she could always catch it the next time the exhibit returned to town.
A flick of her wrist blasted the glass case off the shelf. She would be going with the Bourbon dynasty tonight. She had a contact that had been looking for pieces like this and this would be a perfect opportunity to buy that new dress she had been looking at.
“Is someone being a bad girl?” a familiar voice asked, whispering directly into her ear. Jinx hated how she could never sense when that annoying pest was around, he always moved too fast for her. He had been following her for the last few weeks, exchanging banter before taking her loot away. Her cash supply was starting to run low.
“Wow, you’re quick on the uptake,” Jinx hissed, allowing him to get closer. If she could just catch him off guard and finally explode the stuffing out of him until he pleaded for mercy. Then of course, she would only hit him harder.
“Thanks, glad you noticed. So what’s a nice girl like you doing on a crime-scene like this?” Kid Flash asked, putting his hand around her shoulder from behind. “Being naughty?”
“Don’t you hope so?” Jinx purred, as she powered up her detonation to knock him flat off his feet. It only took a split second for her to launch the pink bolt of bad luck. A split second she did not have.
“You could have hurt me,” Kid Flash said, stepping neatly out of the way of the light with a mock glare of indignation.
“Really?” Jinx was intrigued as she leaned against the case, hoping to slip the necklace into her pocket while she distracted him.
“No, not really. But thanks for trying,” Kid Flash grinned. “What part of fastest boy alive needs clarification?” he asked,
“Nothing. What part of “leave me alone, you are cramping my style” do you need clarified?” Jinx demanded. “I’m a thief, remember?”
“You would look awfully cute in prison stripes, but nah, I’ll let you go for now. Just return the necklace you just took and we’ll call it even,” Kid Flash said sweetly, bowing politely. “Accept my date offer and I’ll even throw in a gift from the museum shop.”
“Date? Are you out of your mind?” Jinx asked. It was not that that she objected to a red-haired blue eyed guy with obviously developed muscles and a killer. It was just the part of him being for truth, justice and the loser way that made her pause at the thought of painting the town blood red.
“Yeah, why not? It’s not like you have better choices,” Kid Flash reminded her. “I mean, the hive guys you hang out with are UGLY. Unless you are seeing one of them. Seemore is a skinny little dweeb, but maybe you like peeping eyes with no personality whatsoever. If you go for guys like Gizmo, well…enough said,” he continued, seating himself on one of the benches.
“I don’t like either of them,” Jinx growled. She didn’t mind Seemore that much, but Gizmo made her want to pound something. “And Kid Wykked isn’t bad, if you like the strong and silent type, but he has way too many issues. Mammouth, the less said the better. Body odor issues are even worse. He and Billy Numerous could smell up a barn,” Jinx sniped, before realizing how much information she was giving over to the enemy. “Stop that!”
“Stop what? Remember, I’m the innocent one,” Kid Flash said sweetly, winking roguishly. “Come on, I’m your best chance for a good date. What do you have to lose?”
“My reputation? My lunch?” Jinx asked dryly, admiring her nails. “Pick one and stick with it.”
‘You didn’t mind taking my roses or saving me from Madam Rouge. Admit it, you have a soft spot for me,” Kid Flash said, opening his arms theatrically. “People might think we’re in love,” he warbled.
Jinx was sure that this was an episode of Candid Camera. “You sing?” she asked, trying to hide her giggles. Not that Kiddo was a bad singer, but a singing superhero was even dweebier than she could imagine.
“I got dragged to a Broadway production of ‘Oklahoma’ when I was nine,” Kid Flash clarified, laughing at his own antics. “I had to wear a sailor suit and my hair was greased like a pig in spring.”
“Greased like a pig in spring? What are you, a hick?” Jinx asked, finding out that there was a geeky side to the spandex hero.
“I‘m not from Jump City, ma’am.” Kid Flash mocked, making him sound more hickish than Billy Numerous. “But aren‘t we getting a little personal? I am not sure I am willing to divulge more of my personal life if we aren‘t on a date. So what do you say? One date. I’ll pay for everything and we can go in disguise. I have the perfect event in mind.”
‘Dream on!” Jinx said. “I have much better offers than yours,” she sniffed haughtily. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll let you wallow in your own rejection.” She was surprised he let her walk away with what was in her pocket. Maybe he was stupid enough to just let her walk all over him. It was only when she got home that she realized he had already taken her loot from her.
Damn him