"Take off your mask."
He did as Raven instructed him. Then he felt cool fingers press ever-so-lightly against his eyelids and temples.
"This shouldn't hurt much. Azareth, Metreon, Zynthos."
He could sense Raven's aura filtering into his injured head. It was soft and kind, it spoke to him with words of healing and friendship. The calming mental aura swept through him like gentle ripples of water and he let his thoughts bath and saturate in it. Then before he knew it, Raven had removed her hands from his head.
"How do you feel?"
Speedy pulled the mask back on before blinking twice in her direction.
"A whole lot better now. Thanks," he said gratefully,
"You're welcome. Just remember your eyes need another day or two to fully recover. Don't strain them."
"No problem. I can practice blindfolded".
Starfire drifted from one patient to another as she helped Raven attend to their friends in the infirmary.
"Robin, you are not too injured?" Starfire asked, bending over Robin. He was lying in the bed next to Speedy with a strained look on his face.
"I told you, Starfire. I'm fine, really. It's just a bruise on the knee, nothing more than the usual. I'll be up and about in no time."
Speedy was fully amused to watch Robin try to get out of bed while Starfire kept persisting that he was bedbound. But she finally left them long enough to go heat up some supper.
"I shall fetch the balls of meat and boiled string for all of us!" With a flutter into the air, Stafire was gone.
Robin fell back onto his pillows and looked at Speedy. Pause. Silence
"Balls of meat?" They both cracked up.
Finally, Robin got his breath back. "So . . . think you want to stick around Steel City?"
"Why not? If I can live through Brother Blood's crazy speeches then I'm ready for anything."
Robin was relieved. "Good. Because if you didn't think it was a good idea I was going to ask Bee to disband Titans East".
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Robin went on. "Steel City looks better in the spring but you'll have to ride out the winter for now. They've got a great indoor public gym and even a rehab center."
Speedy's fist slammed into the bedside table causing the spoons and medicine bottles to rattle harshly. He was mortified. Robin realized what he had just confessed. In a lower voice he said, "I just found out while doing a background check on you. There's nothing to be ashamed of."
"That's not the point," Speedy snapped. He forced himself off the infirmary bed. "You keep playing detective like that and it'll tear these teams apart. How on earth can I trust you when you've got my number one secret hidding under your cap and waiting to go off like a ticking time bomb?"
"Because I'm not going to tell anyone. Ever," Robin said firmly. "Not without your permission."
Speedy hesitated. "What about Bee?"
"She can threaten to quit the team. But I won't tell her."
"What about your team?"
"That's not for them to know."
"What about Batman?"
"It's not his business either."
Speedy give a snort of resentment. "Y'know, for a minute there I thought you were acting just like him."
Now it was Robin's turn looked somewhat annoyed.
"Do you know how much I hate hearing that?" he snapped sharply. "Why else would I be working so hard on being a Titan? It's because I don't want to end up on the same grim dark path. I've got to find my own way in the world."
Robin rolled one of his arms back and forth, testing his muscle.
"Starfire says I work too hard and she's probably right. I'm always sizing myself up, getting caught up in my own plans. It's tough when everyone is counting on you."
Speedy was ashamed of himself. "I guess I never saw your side of the story." He watched Robin turn over the little eagle in his fingers, mulling over his thoughts.
"Mind if I give this back?"
"No problem."
"So...are we cool?"
"Frosty."
They tapped fists against each other.
A—A—A
Cyborg pointed to Bumblebee. ""You guys already have a good leader. You've just got to hear what she has to say.".
Speedy and Aqualad glanced at each other before looking back at Cyborg.,
"You sure you want to do this?"
"Positive. Its been fun, guys. But I already have my own team." He slapped them each a high five.
"Um, where are Mas and Menos?" Aqualad asked.
Speedy pointed to a cloud of dust that was being kicked up from the ground. The two pintsized boys were snarling and shouting as they fought each other while a puzzled looking Starfire looked on.
"Hey, dudes!" Beast Boy yelled from the T-Ship. "Road trip!'
Starfire floated over their heads and got into the ship. Raven and Cyborg climbed into the T-car and Robin got on the R-bike.
"And you ever need us. . ." he started to say.
Speedy pulled out his communicator. "You know where to reach us," he finished up.
The Titans' vehicles soared off onto the land and sky, the sun winking brightly as they speed back to Jump City.
Ten minutes later. . .
"All right, team. Listen up!" Bumblebee snapped her fingers for attention around the T shaped table. Four boys looked at her nervously. From the sound of her voice, Bee sounded like she was ready for boot camp.
"We just had our first victory at Titans East. We fought well, Titans. We did good. But that's not enough at all. We've got to prove that we're really Titans, to the core."
Speedy did not like where this was going.
"So guess what we're going to do for the rest of the day," Bumblebee announced.
Aqualad and Speedy looked at each other, their eyebrows twitching irritably.
"Pushups?"
"Laps?"
Mas and Menos suddenly zoomed out and popped back brandishing large brightly colored hats and plates of hot brimming enchiladas.
"FIESTA!" they shouted in unison.
Bumblebee aimed a remote at the disco ball and it began to rotate. A cheerful song was heard blasting all over the room along with the shifting colored lights.
Aqualad's mouth fell open. "Aha."
"Knock it off, you two," Bumblebee laughed. "If there's one thing I've learned, its that we've got to chill at the end of the day. So come on, lets party."
She motioned to the dance floor right below the disco ball. Bee began to move and twist to the rhythm with the sparkling lights of the multicolored mirrored sphere shining off of her skin.
"Now don't tell me you two showoff pretty boys are afraid of a little dancing," she teased them. The ebony haired boy relaxed at once from her words and smiled with delight.
"All right!" Aqualad laughed, thrilled at the change in manner. "You coming, Speedy?"
He dropped his weapons and got onto the dance floor with his teammates. The Titans East partied all night long.
A-A-A
Fast forward to present.
"I know you can bend a couple of rules now and then but jeez Robin. The guy really had you under his thumb. I hate to admit the truth but can't blame him for wanting a top class fighter by his side."
Speedy had left the Comet just two blocks away. Now he sprinted up the rickety stairs of the fire escape before climbing into an abandoned building. Talking aloud felt good when there was no one to talk back.
"And we both know I'd be a lousy apprentice. Sure, I could break into a power plant and hurt dozens of guards. But I'd do it for the girls. And the attention. And my hair would have to be just right. There's no way I'd put on a uniform that's so ugly it would-"
"Would you care to be my apprentice?" A soft fluid voice flitted past Speedy. He stopped in his tracks, straining to hear where the voice came from.
Moonlight darted around the room throwing shadows along the walls. Out of the corner of his eye, Speedy saw something dark from one corner to another.
"Depends on what perks you're offering."
The moving person finally stopped and stepped closer into the moonlight. "The very best offers, Royal." A booted foot aimed for his face. He grabed the attacker by the ankle. A female voice yelled out a battle cry and she kicked off his grip.
"HA!" She landed crouching on the ground, dark hair falling across her face. She stood up slowly, allowing Speedy to drink her in. A green fighting tunic came mid-thigh, leaving much imagination to the rest of her legs. The face was concealed by a painted mask of smirking cat's eyes and a vicious wide grin.
"Cheshire," Speedy named her.
Her hands came to her waist. Speedy did the same and prepared to pull out an arrow. Twin blades had been snatched out of her belt and were heading for him. Speedy ducked one way and another to block the weapons as he quickly went into defense mode.
In no time at all, Speedy was pinned up against the wall. Cheshire had both daggers crossed into an X shape with his throat trapped between the blades. She could have easily scissored him in half but merely giggled like a schoolgirl. Chesire pushed the mask off her face revealing her beautiful but dangerous features.
"Fair in love and war. Now your mask comes off too." She peeled the black fabric off his face and tossed it aside.
"You look well, Roy." One finger lazily traced circles across his chest. "Where have you been all this time?"
He leaned his head closer until his mouth was just against her ear. "Only time can tell."
Cheshire dropped the daggers and forced him back against the wall. Hands cupped his face, carressed them, then pulled him to her. Cheshire kissed Speedy, long and full, a deep moan of satisfaction escaping her throat.
Speedy accepted the message and responded, allowing his mouth to follow hers in the kiss. His hands had drifted down to her slim waist and wrapped around them in a secure grip. He felt long fingers slid around the back of his neck, lightly running through his hair. Prickles of energy popped out on the surface of his skin. The fingers trailed just behind his ear-and then he felt the sharp prick on his neck.
Speedy broke the kiss and staggered backwards. He clamped a hand to his neck.
Chesire wagged a finger at him. The sharp tip of her ring glittered maliciously in his direction.
Speedy felt his senses fogging up. His head reeled heavily with the drug's effect. Chesire was getting blurry in front of his eyes. He would've fallen flat on his face if she hadn't steadied his wobbling legs.
"You lose, my love."
The last thing he was aware of was Cheshire pulling him close to her, allowing his head to fall against her shoulder. There was a soft laugh, a whisper murmured in the darkness. Darkness blanketed him, thick and still as the night.
A-A-A
He woke up in a bright airy penthouse, his body supported by a magnificent four-poster bed and wrapped in silk sheets. Cheshire was very specific in her tastes and he wasn't one to complain about her lifestyle. The private home glittered with elegance and power from the thick carpeting to the crystal chantileer.
Cheshire was sitting up on one side of the bed pouring coffee. She wore a morning robe of green silk that enhanced her features and matched her eyes. "I hope you slept well."
He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Well enough for a guy who got knocked out by his rival."
"Said by a man who accepts defeat with pride." Chesire spooned sugar into his cup and stirred with the perfect poise and charm as any hostess. Looking at her, you'd assume Cheshire entertained ambassadors every day instead of taking contracts to annihilate them.
She handed Speedy the cup. "Don't worry. I haven't poisoned it."
He knew her well enough to know this was the truth. Speedy sipped his coffee thoughtfully while Cheshire cupped her face in her hands and watched him with fascination. With her experience and prowlness, it should have been easy enough to do away with the brash young man who had violated her personal code of honor.
That was some time ago. And while Speedy knew he had been given orders to arrest Cheshire the assassin and turn her over to the authorities, he had also let her slip through the net.
Neither had been successful in their mission.
He had spared her life and it puzzled Chesire. Almost fascinated her. The Agile Archer was not like other men she knew. He was positively vibrant, just glowing with a passion that was so similar her own. There was not a time when she didn't feel something stir in her bosom from watching him plunge into action.
Cheshire stretched back out across the bed and looked directly at him. They would have started to kiss again had a musical sound not snapped snapping Speedy back into reality.
"Dum da da da dum dum dum DA DUM!"
Damn. My ass is ringing.
He rolled off the bed and clumsily fell onto the carpeted floor. Cheshire rolled over to see who dared to violate her personal time with her cherished one.
Speedy pulled the communicator out from his back pants pocket and flipped the lid open.
"Bee thought you might have been in danger," were the first words that Aqualad said in a crackle of static. "She's had me swimming up the river in case they dumped your body there."
"Really? Nice to know I've been missed."
"You'd better get here soon with a decent explanation to her."
"All right. I'll be there in an hour."
He flipped the lid shut and immediately reached for his boots at the foot of the bed.
"What are you doing?" Cheshire demanded.
"I'm going. My team just called and I have to report back," he said.
"No, you don't," Cheshire insisted in a firm tone. She slid off the bed and landed next to him on the soft carpeting. Her dark eyebrows were turned down in a frown and the once charming smile was starting to pull back into what he'd recognize as a snarl.
"Don't start that with me now," he warned her impatiently. "You can't wind me around your little finger again."
"Can't I?"
He had gotten to his feet but Cheshire had simply reacted with an easy leg sweep across the ground, knocking Speedy's legs out from under him and back down next to her.
She tried to reach for his face but Speedy grabbed her by the wrist. "All right, enough with the games. Just tell me what you want this time."
Cheshire sat back up on her heels. She pushed a heavy tent of dark hair off one shoulder. "I want you to come back to Asia with me. You would be a king of everything."
Seeing his hesitation, the young woman softened her voice into sweetness and roses. "You have no one else but me," she purred softly.
The fabric of her robe had slipped off her right shoulder revealing coffee-colored skin that was aching to be touched.
"Not anymore. I've changed."
Her face twisted into a scowl and Speedy was slightly amused to find that it was jealousy.
"You're in love with another woman," she insisted.
"No, there's no one else," he admitted.
Was it really so hard to cross over? He himself had been on that side before. Speedy was known for being one of the "bad guys" in his earlier time. No, maybe he'd just act up to be a bad guy, but never truly intend to be one.
"I can't, Cheshire," he insisted. "I've got a team now."
She merely tapped his mouth with a finger. "I need you more than they do. We understand each other, Royal," she murmured as she gazed into his eyes. "We are so much like."
Her honeyed words were so tempting, so enticing, he hardly realized thh communictor had fallen from his fingers and clattered to the ground. Cheshire noticed this and took both his hands into hers. "Come with me. Come away."
A command and yet, a wish. A plea to be heard and understood. He felt himself being tugged in two different directions, between duty and desires. This was going to be a difficult choice but there was no other way.
Speedy gently but firmly took Cheshire's wrists and pulled them down from his face.
"I am part of a team now. If I go with you, I betray them."
"Everyone's a traitor, Royal," she said acidly. "They'll turn their backs on you soon enough." She stretched out her arms to him, beckoning for Speedy to come lie in her embrace. "Come to me, I'll keep you from the shame, I'll hide you from the pain," her voice crooned.
This was a mistake on Cheshire's behalf. He got to his feet and shook his head at her.
"I can't give you what you want, Cheshire. I'm sorry."
"That is your final decision?"
"Yes. I'm staying here. If you leave the country, I'm not following you."
Without even looking at him, she ruthlessly tossed him his shirt and weapons. The young woman brushed a lock of ebony hair out of her eyes and folded her hands over her chest.
"You could have been so much more," Cheshire's disappointed voice. She fingered his mask for a moment. After gazing at the black fabric longingly, Cheshire threw it at his feet with a look of contempt on her face.
"I could have been so much less," he said quietly, bending down and picking up the mask. Speedy slipped on his shirt and slung the quiver of arrows over his shoulder. He pressed the fabric to his face and his eyes were concealed once again. Without so much as another word, he left.
A-A-A
"Friends, you have been deprived of waffles!" Starfire nearly wailed out loud. Bumblebee watched the alien throw her head into every possible open cabinet and begin to toss pots and pans out right and left. One by one, the cooking utensils landed on the floor with loud banging sounds.
"We never got around to buying a waffle iron," Bumblebee said. "Look Star, its sweet of you to worry, but we're not starving."
"How can you say that?" Cyborg called from over his shoulder. "A life without waffles is a life that's-that's," he paused, wondering what to say.
"It sucks," Beast Boy concluded.
"Yeah! A life without waffles sucks," Cyborg concluded. He lifted the frying pan off the stove and tipped a mountain of hot scrambled eggs onto a plate.
"How inspirational," Raven commented from the kitchen table. The dark haired witch was quite comfortable already with her traditional cup of tea and a good book.
"We make pancakes a lot, and Mas and Menos like blueberries," Aqualad offered. He gasped when he saw what Bumblebee was doing for breakfast.
"No! Please, you can't," he begged.
"I can and I will," she said firmly. The girl smeared cream cheese all over her bagel and took a large bite of the lox sandwich. "Mmmmm," Bumblebee hummed pleasantly.
"Oh, if the people of Atlantis could see you now," he groaned with his hands to his head. Bee just laughed and poured out some juice. "So what kind of sausages do you guys want?"
"Pork links!"
"Soy patties!"
"Pork links!"
"Soy patties!"
Cyborg and Beast Boy were eye to eye, glaring at each other and brandishing large kitchen spoons. Apparently, no one was willing to back down on the heated debate over breakfast.
"Please, friends," Starfire begged. "We are guests at the Titans East house for now. We must mend your dispute at once, it is most impolite."
"Agreed. Just decide on something to make already," Raven said tensely from the table.
"We're making soy patties. You got pepperoni pizza last time," Beast Boy said.
"So what! You got to play the new Kombat Crasher game before anyone else," Cyborg shot back.
"So!"
"So, that means I get dibs on making breakfast. And its going to be pork links."
Bumblebee threw up her hands in frustration. "Isn't there any kind of food that you two will agree on?"
"How about custard crème, jelly filled, and chocolate sprinkles?" suggested a voice in the doorway.
Everyone stopped the chaotic breakfast scene and turned their heads.
Speedy was leaning against the doorway with a few large white boxes balanced in his arms. His usual smile was there on his face as much as his mask.
"SENIOR SPEEDY!"
VROOOM!
The teenager was barreled to the ground by a hurricane of red and white. The two pint sized superheroes fell on top of him and each proceeded to hug him as tightly as possible. Speedy gasped for air against the affectionate appreciation of Mas and Menos. He lifted his head up to see Cyborg and Beast Boy widen their eyes when they saw the boxes.
"DOUGNUTS!"
WHOOOOSH!
"Boo-yeah!"
"Sweet!"
They each began wolfing down the sugary pastries like there was no tomorrow. Beast Boy had crammed nearly an entire doughnut into his mouth when he saw Raven giving him a sharp look.
"Ooof. Fanks, Shpeedy," he mumbled through a thick mouth of chocolate crème and vanilla puff.
"Yeah, thanks," Cyborg said with two donuts in his hands.
"Speedy! Good morning," Starfire beamed at him. "How kind of you to get us the delicious tire shaped treats this morning."
"How nice to see everyone here," he said, balancing the other boxes. The nicety nice was short lived when his team leader flew into the air and stuck her face right into his own.
"Where have you been?" Bumblebee shouted, floating around Speedy with her wings fluttering like crazy. She sounded mad as a hornet.
"First I go into Mas and Menos' room to check on them, and they're not there. I'm worried they've been captured or hurt so Aqualad and I search the tower. THEN we see that they're safe asleep in your bed. . . so where WERE YOU?" she shrieked into his face.
"Bludhaven. I pulled into a hotel for the rest of the night," he stated simply.
"Really?" Bee demanded, her brown eyes narrowed keenly into his face.
"Really," he said coolly.
"Can someone take this off of me?" he asked, raising another large white box.
SHOOOM!
The box was whisked out of his hands and placed onto the table. Beast Boy pried it open and looked inside.
"Apple pie."
"Yeah. I got it on the house after saving a convenience store from a holdup. Is that all right?"
"Yes, it's definitely all right." Beast Boy began to cut lovingly generous slices of pie and hand them out.
"How suitable for breakfast," was Raven's sarcastic reply."
"What? Its got fruit, its got eggs, its got flour in it. What's so unhealthy?" he demanded.
Bee wouldn't let Mas or Menos eat a bite of pie until they had drank all their milk.
"Oooo, Éstas son manzanas," Menos said quite pleased with breakfast. "Apples."
"Dude, you learned something!" Beast Boy looked quite proud of himself. "I taught them some English from watching cartoons," he announced to Bumblebee.
"Oh really?" Bee leaned forward and looked at the twins, quite impressed at the news. "¿Qué usted dos ha aprendido?" she asked.
Mas looked at Menos.
"¿Listo?" asked one pint sized Titan.
"¡Listo!" his brother grinned back wickedly.
They each took a deep breath and yelled out something:
"BOOGERS!" they screamed out loud.
Bee looked stunned but the twins fell on the ground, laughing hysterically and grabbing their sides.
"Boogers. You taught them to say 'boogers,'", she said glaring at Beast Boy. He blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Boogers boogers boogers!" the twins sang over and over again, running around the room and laughing.
Aqualad's face looked a little green and he put down his fork. "I think I've lost my appetite," he said as he pushed his stack of pancakes to Speedy.
"Guys, can you say anything else?" Beast Boy pleaded.
"BUTT CHEEKS!"
"Butt cheeks! Butt cheeks!" they babbled on together.
"Strike two," Bee said with gritted teeth.
Beast Boy was beginning to sweat.
"COWABUNGA!" Mas screamed
"COWABUNGA!" Menos yelled back.
They slapped each other high fives.
"That does it! No more morning cartoons for you two," Bumblebee said out loud. But the twins looked so hysterical on the floor that her faint snickering slowly grew until everyone else was cracking up with laughter.
"Hey Speedy, what're your plans for Tuesday night?" Aqualad nudged him in the ribs.
"Um, nothing really," he said. "Why? What's Tuesday night?"
The laughter and noise dropped into dead silence. Speedy felt everyone's eyes bearing into him like bullets.
"Dude, its Valentine's Day!" Beast Boy yelled, waving his hands up and down madly.
"Yeah, Bee and I are checking out the Gotham Dance Club," Cyborg said.
Speedy's face fell and he glanced downward. "Oh. I guess I forgot."
"Forgot? You're the one that always turns at a pretty face," Aqualad chided him. "Maybe you were too busy fixing up your hair to check the calendar."
"Doesn't matter. Aqua dude and I are gonna take Raven to a wicked cool laser show," Beast Boy announced. "You got any plans, Speedster?"
"Actually, no," he said simply. They all gawked and stared at him as if he was speaking Martian.
"But Speedy, the day of Valentines' is for sharing with loved ones," Starfire insisted. She cocked her head to one side, floating a few inches off the floor. "Do you not have someone to share the affectionate day with?"
He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Its. . um. . . complicated," he stammered. "Pretty complicated."
Everyone else began to chat about their plans, but Speedy took the chance to gather up some things and leave the busy kitchen. For now, he knew that there was one person he'd feel better talking to.
A-A-A
Speedy found Robin working alone in the main control room.
"What are you doing?" Speedy asked, setting a plate of breakfast food next to Robin. He glanced over Robin's shoulder. The drawing revealed a costumed figure in shoulder length hair and had the insignia of a bird spread across his chest. Robin was sketching in the mask and the person's boots at that moment.
"Its just fooling around, really. Something about a legend of Kryton." Robin shut his folder.
Speedy propped his feet up on the table. "Who's idea was it to do brunch here anyhow?"
"Beast Boy decided to fix the toilet after Starfire dumped in too much toilet paper and washing detergent."
Speedy groaned and slapped his forehead.
"Right. So now, our Tower smells somewhat like alligators. We decided to crash here," Robin said. He eyed Speedy. "So, is she someone that we know?"
Speedy coughed and tried not to orange juice all over himself. "Um, I'm not sure what you mean, Rob."
"I do." Robin reached over and removed something from the archer's right shoulder. Looking closer, Speedy saw what it was between Robin's gloved fingers: a strand of wavy black hair. His face scrunched up.
"And you usually don't use rose oil as after shave," Robin added.
"I can't hide anything from you, can I, Sherlock Holmes?"
"Elementary, Watson. I've seen it before."
"All right, Robin. This isn't your every day girl I'm talking about. She tells me that she's the enemy in the game. But she saved my life."
"Are you sure that she can't change?" Robin asked slowly.
"She wants me to change," Speedy explained. "I can be something of a bad boy but I'm not a bad person. I don't want to be like her."
"You're a hero, just like us," Robin complimented. But Speedy only shook his head with a frustrated look.
"Sorry, but I'm not all like you. I can't just write her off when she means too much to me. Sometimes I think she wants me dead, at other times I've got to stay alive in case I can make a difference to her."
"Sounds like you care a lot about her."
"Yeah. But you're the dectective so tell me how a woman's mind works."
"Even I can't understand that."
"Oh come, I'm sure not even YOU just read about the quantum-entanglement problem all day!"
Robin managed a laugh at that one. "You're doing all right, Speedy. If you've got right attitude maybe you can make a difference to this girl."
"Cross out the idea of sweeping her off her feet. She hates the rescuing types."
Robin held his chin with his index finger and thumb for a moment, lost in thought. "Tell her how you feel, in your own way."
"How? What do I do?" the archer pleaded with him, a frantic look on his face.
Robin just gave him a friendly punch in the shoulder.
"Like I said, you've done great until now. I'm sure you'll know what to do."
That encouragement made a light bulb click on over the red headed teen. Robin gathered up his papers and started to shuffle them. Then he asked Speedy:
"Hey, I'm just wondering. . . if you ever could change your image, what do you think you'd do?"
The Agile Archer raised an eyebrow and tilted his head up to the ceiling, lost in thought for a minute.
"Well, I think I'd like to drop the mask sooner or later. Maybe pick up some other weapons besides arrows."
"How about a new name?" Robin asked with deep interest. "If I was something like say...Nightwing...what'd you be?"
He rolled a word back and forth in his head before speaking.
"Call me crazy, but I like the name Arsenal."
A-A-A
Next Tuesday night
A fire crackled merrily at Cheshire's feet. She stuck out her legs to warm them against the biting February chill. Impatiently, she drummed her fingers on the marbled table and looked at the thick leather folder that lay in front of her.
This wasn't a hard deal at all. She had plenty of time and resources to get the job done. The price tag was fine too. Though she didn't need money, just excellent cost proved how good she was at her job.
Why didn't she take the contract?
What was she waiting for?
Cheshire got up and began to pace the floor impatiently. She could still hear his masculine voice in her ears, calm yet controlled. Neither cold nor fishy. Nothing but the truth as clear and plain as crystal.
"I cant give you what you want, Cheshire. I'm sorry."
What kind of a clan, or a team, would have that kind of power to break him off from her? She kept insisting that he must have been in love with someone else, that jealousy alone could feed her curious heart and eat away at like a snake.
Cheshire looked back at the folder. She had been hesitating and hoping that he would come back into her arms. Yet as the fire log licked away its tongues of red and gold, it was a warning that the embers were going to die away soon enough.
The young woman clenched her fists together tightly and brought them to her mouth, struggling to hold back the strange feeling inside. She took a deep breath to control her emotions, praying that her mask of pride and power would not betray herself.
THUNK!
She had flattened herself to the carpet just in time. The weapon had soared through the open window and landed embedded in the plastered wall. Cheshire's lips parted and she hissed out a curse. Obviously, one of her many enemies had decided to pay her a little visit.
Cheshire noticed that no one had come through that window, so she dared to lift up her head, followed by the rest of her body. No, the windows were open but there had been not a single strategic plan to assassinate her. Not tonight, anyway.
The arrow was still quivering from the speed of which it was shot. She recognized its trademark shape at once. Attached to the weapon was a bouquet of red roses. She managed to dislodge the arrow and the roses almost instantly fell into her arms. One dozen of them, to be exact, and brimming with crimson loveliness. Cheshire buried her face in the soft petals and breathed in the scent of summertime.
There was a note inside too. Cheshire pulled out the card and studied it carefully. In sharp boxy handwriting with black letters it said Happy Valentines Day. Two hearts looped together with an arrow through them completed the signature.
A very rare smile came across her face, a smile that was beautiful for the truth which had been found. She lovingly held the flowers close to her chest and gazed up at the moon that had just unmasked itself from a thick veil of clouds.
A-A-A
Speedy threw back his head and laughed, filling his lungs with fresh clean air and a smile on his face.
The Comet coming up the hill and over there; Titans East was shimmering in the pale moon light with its silver chrome finish. The cool bay waters lapped silently at the foot of the place. Inside, he could see warm friendly yellow lights in the windows to announce the anticipation of his return.
He was heading home.
END
"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson