FFM7: Stopped Short

At that very moment, it was not one of those times. Jinx threw his feet over the edge of the cliff as his ass hit the ground and sat there, staring out into the nothingness before him. He was as far from civilization as he could get, and it wasn't far enough. He rolled the handle of a ka-bar between his palms. It was company issue, with the usual nicks and grooves of repeated use.

A darling child of heartless gods, Jinx existed in conflicting extremes. Always too hot and too cold, too much and too little, there was no balance for him. 'It'll get better's and 'Just give it a chance's started as just enough, and became not enough's far too quickly.

He could do it, this time. Jinx could jump, shatter a few bones when he hit the very solid ground beneath, and maybe bleed out before his body caught up, before the damage was reversed. Or he could do it right here, and hope a fool's hope. One where Hel pretends to never see his death certificate come across her desk. Where she doesn't stop what he's done, because he's 'got so much potential' and would be 'such a shame to lose'.

Jinx was tired. That's all there really was. The demigod was tired of feeling, tired of never getting it right, tired of trying. The ka-bar was weighted in his hands, and it wasn't entirely physical.

"Go away."

"No." Deciet's boots clicked upon the barren rock face. It was not whom Jinx was expecting, and this showed on his face.

"Why are you here." He didn't say that he'd been expecting anyone, or any of the fifty other questions on his mind. Jinx wasn't sure if he had to, if he wanted to. This girl was known to be one best left untrusted.

"A favor for a friend." She sat down on the edge with him, not too close and not far enough. "Newt sends his regards."

"Where is he."

"Engaged with family matters." She said it in a kind way, and Jinx knew. No one could decline a request from a god- even their children. It’s the only reason Newt would have had to have set a contingency on such a close matter.

"Why did he send you."

"You know why." Her expression showed nothing but Jinx, well. Jinx had the sinking feeling that Newt had told her everything. He did not know how to feel about it. Angry, hurt, betrayed- they were dead giveaways. Newt had outsourced his best friend’s aid.

"You can't stop me."

"I don't want to." This threw Jinx for a loop.

"Why not?"

"It's your choice." She paused, turning to look directly at him. "Who am I to talk you out of it?" Jinx did not have an answer for this.

"Then why did you come?"

"Because Newt asked me to check on someone that's important to him." For a moment, he thought she would leave it like that, but thought better of it. "And someone that's important to my friends is important to me."

"Why?"

"Why not?" She paused again. It seemed to be a habit.

"How did she stop you?" Newt asked, stealing a sweet off Jinx's plate. The demigod was sure the gift of sweets was something between a ’I’m sorry’ and ’Have a pick me up, you look like you’ve been hit by a truck’, but had accepted it anyway.

"She didn't try. She just... talked."

"Oh?" The powder stuck to his fingers. "And that's enough for you?"

"It's enough for now." Jinx confirmed. "Anything else is too far to worry about."