A/N: Okay, here is the next chapter of my FIRST EVER Teen Titans fanfiction, Firelight! Again, I am SO excited for this story! Never have I ever written anything like this, so it's definitely something new! :)
Also, just so you know, this story isn't just about the Titans East. The Titans West are ABSOLUTELY going to be getting involved. For this story I wanted to bring both teams and Damiana together to fight against the story's main villain, and I might even bring in some of the Justice League heroes like Superman and Green Arrow. So, don't worry. More heroes than just the Titans East are going to be getting involved. Just to give you a heads up, more is going to happen in this story than you can even imagine. Thus, why I've split it into parts.
Well, that's enough useless prattling from me. Let the second chapter of part one begin! :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. Teen Titans is the property of DC Comics. (The Dabnodian race, on the other hand, is completely mine. So don't steal it!)
Part I: Inception: Chapter Two
Steel City, USA
Five Years Later
On a dirty street in the rundown part of town located on a dark corner is a little café. In this café sitting in the most shadowy part of the room is a girl. Due to her spot hidden in a booth nobody sees her, but even if they did they would simply pass her by. Wearing faded blue jeans with holes torn in various places and a dark blue sweatshirt with one too many stains, she seems like nothing more than another lowlife bum. Of course, this doesn't bother the girl any. If she truly wanted attention, all she would have to do is put down the large hood that conceals the majority of her face.
Underneath the hood, the girl's face appears to be around sixteen years old. Even at sixteen the girl has a type of beauty that almost seems unearthly. Her skin, which is neither too tanned nor to pale, has an odd type of color to it. If one observed her closely, they might say that it almost has a golden cast. Along with that she has full lips the color of roses, a small nose, and a perfect heart-shaped face. Her eyes, which are large and lovely, are a dazzling shade of emerald green. Then she has lengthy hair that hangs in long golden-brown curls. Strangely, when people look at her from an unbearably close distance, they can almost see the shades of green changing and streaks of odd colors occasionally appearing in her hair.
Of course, right now, nobody sees any of this and the girl doesn't see any of them. All of her focus is on a blue spiral notebook and on a slice of cherry pie. The led of her plain yellow pencil is worn down as is the eraser, but still she writes. While writing, she shoves a chunk of pie into her mouth and chews it hungrily. There isn't a whole lot on the blue-lined pages, but what is written is still good nonetheless:
"The woman walked down every alleyway and sauntered down every street.
She peeked around corners and inside dusty windows, hoping one day they might meet.
The familiar ruffling of a tunic, or of laughter, in the breeze; anything would do.
As long as there was the smallest chance of seeing someone she once knew.
Whether they appeared as flesh or phantom, it did not matter.
As long as she might, one last time, feel the love behind their chatter…"
Swallowing the bite of pie, the girl gives a halfhearted shrug while staring down at her notebook. She whispers her thoughts aloud while pondering the next line.
"It's not much, but it's a start. I just hope that people don't find this one depressing…"
"Don't talk that way, Leila. Depressing or not, your poems are always beautiful."
So stooped was the girl in her poetry writing that she never heard the gentle patter of footsteps approaching the booth. Looking up, she sees exactly the person she expected. A young woman no older than twenty-one with pale blonde hair pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. The woman is adorned by a blue waitress uniform the same crystal blue color as her eyes. She is a tiny-framed woman with an innocent and youthful face, probably making her appear younger than she is in reality. Happy at the sight of her, the girl gives a gentle smile.
"Thank you, Darcy. I certainly hope you mean that. This poem is for next week's poetry reading."
Eyes lighting up, Darcy beams. "Really? That's fantastic! I've been wondering when you'd recite another one! You have no idea the number of poetry night regulars we've gotten since then!"
Stabbing at another chunk of the pie, the teen can't help but smirk. "Actually, I know the exact numbers. You've told me at least thirty times, and that's today alone."
The waitress returns her smirk. "Oh, tee hee. If it isn't Leila Johnson, the Queen of sarcasm."
"Sorry," the sixteen-year-old apologizes. "I just think that you're giving me too much credit is all. This doesn't just apply to poetry night, either."
Darcy waves a hand dismissively, completely ignoring her protests. "Nonsense. It's only since we've hired you for live music that we've gotten more customers, and only since you've been reading your poems that more people attend poetry night. In the end, credit is due where credit is due."
A brown lock falling out from inside her hood, the girl twirls it around an index finger awkwardly. "Yeah, I know…" she says hesitantly. "Just don't make a fuss over me, okay? I'm just doing my job and enjoying my hobbies."
Ruffling the hair under her hood in a sisterly manner, Darcy rolls her eyes. "Alright, fine. If you insist, I'll allow you to be modest. As long as you don't quit showing up for work."
It is here that the teenager's smile morphs into a miniscule frown. Not a frown of anger or sadness, but one that seems to hold a dark secret. The expression may be nearly invisible, but it nevertheless exists.
"I'm not quitting anytime soon, Darcy. Believe me. I couldn't even if I wanted to." Pausing, she adds, "I'll be here tonight at eight. An hour early just like you asked."
The young woman grins widely. "Good. I'll be looking forward to it."
With that said, Darcy turns in preparation to leave. Before she does, however, her blue eyes skim the girl over carefully. A moment later she raises a surprised brow.
"By the way, Leila, I love the purple streaks you put in your hair! You look like a rock star!"
Once the words are out, the woman finally walks away. It's a good thing she does, too, because otherwise she would have seen the purple streaks shift to bright green. Releasing a frightened gasp, the girl tucks every solitary piece of hair under her hood with precision. A few minutes later, when she's certain the strands are covered, she flips to a page in the notebook that contains a shopping list. In all capitals in the top margin, both underlined and circled, she writes "hair dye".
Meanwhile…
"I don't understand why we're doing this, Bee. Wherever this guy's at, he's probably long gone by now. We're not going to catch him."
Speedy stands in a dark alleyway, his Titan communicator in one hand and his bow gripped in the other. He's been wandering through this seedy part of town for the past half hour, hoping to find a man with a blue and black mask and a sack of money. Unfortunately, he hasn't seen anything of the sort. The only things loitering around this side of town in the growing dusk are bearded hobos sleeping in dumpsters and pimps smoking joints on street corners. Knowing that their man probably isn't here, Speedy contacted their overbearing leader. Of course, as he expected, she is far from happy.
Brown eyes narrowed into a glare, Bumblebee scolds him through the device. "Listen to me, Speedy! The rest of us are working just as hard as you are, so don't think I'm letting you get off easy! This guy robbed two jewelry stores and three banks in one week, and the city's depending on us to catch him! So the next time you check in, it'd better be because you're done searching that part of town or because you found him and need backup! Understand?!"
Irritated, the redhead gives a sigh. "Alright, fine. I'll finish searching the area, but if I don't find him I'm heading back to the Tower. I'm not wasting my energy looking for someone I'll never find."
Bee rolls her eyes. "Fine. Just finish your share of the searching and report back."
"Will do."
With that, Speedy shuts his communicator before the woman can say anything more. The whole time he can't stop himself from feeling excessively annoyed. Not just at Bee, but at the masked criminal they're after. He doesn't like to admit it, but this has to be one of the hardest villains the Titans East has faced in a long time. With the kind of powers the guy possess, capturing him is nearly impossible. As a matter of fact, just fighting him is far from easy. Shoving the communicator back in his pocket, the redheaded Titan grumbles to himself.
"Well, I guess I'd better keep looking. It's not like it'll do any good, though. Even if I do find him, it's not like the other Titans are going to get here in time to help me catch him."
The curtains are pulled, the lights are off, and the motel room door is bolted shut. Normally at this time Damiana would be eating a peanut butter sandwich in front of the TV watching the evening news. Instead she stands inside the bathroom observing the hair which she thoroughly colored in panic. Most of the sixteen-year-olds on this planet don't live quite like she does. They don't have to work themselves to death just to afford a vermin-infested motel room, they don't have to go out of their way to avoid actual jobs because they lack a social security number, and a quarter of their monthly income doesn't go out on colored contact lenses and hair dye. Now that Damiana thinks about it, humans in general don't have half the problems she has. Such as explaining to the owner of the motel why there's a scorch mark on the bathroom floor where she tried killing a rat…
Spotting the reflection of the charred tile in the mirror above the sink, Damiana sighs. How on earth she's going to explain it to Mr. Peterson she hasn't a clue. Shifting her gaze back to herself, the young alien stares at her newly colored tresses. This morning she'd had the slightest hunch that the dye was starting to wear off, but her highest hopes had been that it would hold out for a few more days. The highest quality hair dye on the market and it still doesn't last for more than two and a half weeks. It used to last for four, but recently it hasn't been doing the job quite as well. It's incredibly frustrating to say the least.
Running a hand over wet and completely brown tresses, the girl whispers to herself in her native tongue. "Relax, Damiana. Your hair is fine now. Nobody saw besides Darcy, and nobody ever will see." Stepping out of the bathroom and into the dwelling's main section, she switches to English. "I need something to eat before I leave. I'm starving!"
Damiana flips on an old and slightly staticky TV before going over to the tiny fridge and pulling out a container of leftover macaroni. It's from three days ago, but she assumes it isn't spoiled. Even if it is, the girl is stuck with it either way considering how she ran out of bread yesterday and cereal the day before that. After dying her hair only moments ago, there isn't any hair dye left either. Maybe if there's time between cleaning houses and dog walking tomorrow she can get around to that shopping list.
Grabbing a metal fork off of the dish rack, Damiana makes her way over to the room's single twin-sized bed and grabs the remote from beside her. Shoving a fork full of macaroni into her mouth, she turns up the sound on the TV which always happens to be on the news channel. Not so much by choice, but more or less because it's either this, the Golf Channel, or QVC. Then again, Damiana doesn't really mind much. Seeing what's happening in Steel City, in America, and in other places on this planet is really quite interesting. TV never existed on Dabnod, so neither did the news. Watching the screen intently, Damiana sees as a blonde anchorwoman in a red dress appears.
"Good evening, Steel City. I'm coming to you live from the local Fifth Third Bank which was robbed only one hour ago. Astonishingly, this is the third bank robbery this week and is a result of the same criminal. Similar to this week's other robberies, the Titans came on the scene only to have the perpetrator evade capture. After speaking with the bank's owner and Steel City's Police Chief, we got permission to show this footage from one of the security cameras. Roll the film."
A second later the anchorwoman's image is replaced by a large vault. The vault is wide open, an average sized man wearing a tight black body suit standing directly in front of it. At first it only shows him from the back, but once he turns a thick royal blue stripe is showed trailing down the center of his torso. The man also wears a black and royal blue mask that covers his entire face. Much like the body suit, the royal blue stripe trails down the mask's center.
Getting several steps closer to the opened vault, the man pulls a large burlap sack practically out of thin air. One moment there was nothing in his hands at all, and the next he's holding the sack wide open for money, gold, and jewels to fly into. Damiana has no idea how it happens, but all of the vault's contents are being sucked into the bag like a vacuum cleaner. It makes Damiana wonder if he's shrinking the valuables down somehow or if the burlap bag is really some type of hidden portal to another location. Shoving another noodle into her mouth, she watches as the vault empties out and as the criminal gives a maniacal laugh. A moment later he speaks in a deep, scratchy, voice.
"Well, that was much easier than usual without those pesky Titans around. It looks like they're not even going try stopping me."
Knotting the sack shut and tossing it over his shoulder, the man appears ready to flee. However, before he can, a random arrow shoots past him and knocks the sack of valuables from his arms. Due to the arrow's force, the bag flies halfway across the room and ends up pegged to a wall. The villain turns in the direction of the weapons fire, clearly surprised. It takes a moment, but eventually five people come in sight of the camera. These people being a confident-looking Bumblebee, a tough-looking Aqualad, the fast-moving twins Mas y Menos, and a smug-looking Speedy. Damiana can't help but roll her eyes at the redhead. Despite being the only member of the Titans East without powers, he certainly knows how to act full of himself. When he speaks this only helps to confirm her thoughts.
"I guess you though wrong. It looks like we showed up in time after all. I hope you didn't miss us," Speedy says with an arrogant smirk as he pulls out several more arrows.
Bumblebee speaks next, sounding like the leader she is. "You're not getting away from us this time. We were going too easy on you before, but this time we're not holding back." To the rest of her team she exclaims, "Titans, go!"
Before Damiana can count to ten Aqualad is shown breaking several of the building's pipes, aiming the rushing water at the masked man in the form of a wave. An instant later Speedy shoots several more arrows at the bank robber. It goes beyond the alien teen's comprehension, but somehow the weapons manage to freeze the water. Thus, this freezes the criminal as well. Once he's frozen in the ice Bumblebee flies over to him.
"There's no escaping now, so it's time to give up and tell us who you are."
Aqualad moves closer to the criminal while making several inquiries. "Is there any particular reason you've been stealing this many valuable this many days in a row? Not even the most daring criminals are willing to go this far out of their way."
The masked man doesn't answer right away. Instead he releases a laugh, sounding as though he's mocking them. "Just listen to yourselves. You think you've got me right where you want me, don't you? I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but sadly, that just isn't the case."
Wearing the same smug smirk, Speedy steps closer as well. "No offense, but you're not really in a position to hold out on us. You're frozen in a block of ice."
Though his face can't be seen, it's obvious to Damiana that the bank robber is rolling his eyes under the mask. "Of course," he says with seething sarcasm. "I'm helplessly trapped. Woe is me."
What happens next nearly causes Damiana to drop her small container of macaroni and choke on the food in her mouth in the process. Normally when someone gets frozen in a block of ice there's no escaping. (Or at least that's true for humans, anyway. Damiana could easily melt herself out if she were ever to get caught in that predicament… Then if it were Saeran, he could simply re-liquefy the ice into water…) However, for this guy, being encased by ice doesn't stop him in the least. All it takes is a single instant for the royal blue stripe on his mask to transform into glowing white. Then, an instant later, the thief is gone. Damiana doesn't even see him disappear. He is simply there one moment and gone the next, making it completely unknown how he accomplished such an action.
The video pauses, rewinds, and plays the part where he vanishes again. Damiana doesn't know if they do this for dramatic effect or simply to get the viewers' attention, but it works very well to accomplish either task. At last the anchorwoman's voice returns, followed by her location in front of the recently robbed bank. As she speaks her professional tone never leaves.
"Upon viewing such evidence, it has become apparent to officials and citizens alike that this nameless criminal could prove to be a danger to Steel City. On five different occasions the Titans have attempted to capture him and have failed. Is this criminal one so dangerous that even the Titans East might not be able put a stop to him? Right now the question being asked is whether or not the Titans East can handle this masked thief by themselves. Will they need to recruit help? We asked them this very question directly after the criminal's fifth escape and this is what they had to say:"
The anchorwoman's image is once again replaced by a video. It is the exact same spot, the only difference being the slightly different position of the sun and the police officers milling around in the background. Another difference would be the five Titans who stand side-by-side as the red dress lady shoves a microphone towards them; or, more specifically, towards Bumblebee.
"Bumblebee," asks the anchorwoman, "this is the fifth time this criminal has escaped from you and the Titans within the past few days. Is this correct?"
Doing her best to hide her embarrassment behind professionalism, Bumblebee gives a nod. "Yes. This is the fifth time he's gotten away from us. As the only criminal to ever escape from the Titans East, I can definitely say that this guy is going to be a difficult one to catch."
The blonde woman gives a nod. "Ah, yes. I see." After a momentary pause she asks another question. "Bumblebee, civilians have been wondering if the Titans East can handle this criminal on their own. Do you think that you can do it, or will you need the help of the Titans West?"
The female hero opens her mouth midway, prepared to respond. However, that is when Speedy makes a snide remark from his place between Aqualad and Mas. The remark causes Damiana to sigh and slap an irritated palm to her forehead.
"What?" asks the archer. "You don't think a team of secondary Titans can handle tough villains as well as the 'original' Titans from Jump City? It's good to know that you have faith in us."
The blonde's eyes widen and Bumblebee shoots her teammate a scowl. Aqualad and Mas y Menos, on the other hand, simply watch and keep out of the potential argument. The whole time the anchorwoman does her best to temper the irritation of the upset Titan.
"Of course not, Speedy! That's not how Steel City views the Titans East at all! The Titans East have been very successful in protecting the city. There are simply those civilians who feel that the Titans West are better equipped to handle a criminal of this caliber. The Titans West has five team members each with different abilities. While the Titans East also has five people, your effectiveness might be lessened due to the fact that there are only four different abilities available to you."
Crossing his arms over his chest in an annoyed fashion, Speedy shoots her a frown. "That's exactly what you're saying, isn't it? You think that the Titans East comes in second place to the Titans West." Pausing, he adds, "We're just as capable as them, you know. If we weren't, then Robin never would have selected us to create another team. The Titans West are our fellow Titans and our allies; not an emergency button we can press whenever we think we might need it."
Bumblebee, who'd previously been glaring at the redhead, begins furrowing her brow in consideration at his words. At last, she replies to the anchorwoman. "I don't say this a lot, but for once I'm siding with Speedy. The Titans East can handle this criminal on our own. If something happens where we absolutely cannot capture this guy without help, then we'll call on the Titans West."
Eyes narrowing in concern, the anchorwoman makes an additional inquiry. "You're absolutely positive that you're going to be able to capture him on your own? Even after five failed attempts?"
"Yes," replies Bumblebee with a smile. "I have faith in this team and I know we can do it."
Smiling, the anchorwoman gives a laugh. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Being the only lady on the team, it's a wonder that you haven't gotten irritated and left."
Bee, too gives a chuckle. "Trust me. Being the only girl can be more irritating than you think. The idea of having another girl on the team is almost enough for me to consider adding another Titan."
The anchorwoman, still all smiles, supports her statement. "Hey, that might be just the thing, Bumblebee; another lady Titan. Maybe all you need is more girl power."
With that, the video pauses. A moment later it switches from the video to the anchorwoman's current image. Sounding completely the concerned newscaster, she speaks.
"Since speaking with them an hour ago, the young Titans haven't rested. They're searching the city at this very moment in search of the criminal. Currently it looks as though they won't be contacting their fellow Titans at the Titans West Tower for support. Because of this, their success in capturing the criminal is still in question. According to the Police Chief, if the Titans don't capture him in the next forty-eight hours, the Steel City Police Force will be taking their own measures to ensure that he is detained. Until then stay inside, keep your doors locked, and trust the Titans. This is Barbara Harris and I wish all of Steel City a safe and uneventful evening."
With that the newscast ends and commercials start up. Up next it looks like there are going to be news stories about the Titans in Jump City, about the Justice League, and about stuff going on in places such as Asia and the Middle East. Chewing her macaroni thoroughly, Damiana is looking forward to all of it. However, upon glancing at the digital clock on her bedside table the young alien learns that there is no time for this. It's already twenty minutes after seven. If she's going to be at the café by eight o'clock, then she needs to leave now. Getting from her motel room to the café is an extremely long walk even when taking shortcuts. Sighing in disappointment, she puts the lid back on the container and walks across the room to shove it in the fridge.
"I wish I could show up an hour later like on all of the other nights. After caring for animals and cleaning houses all day, the only thing I wanted was to sit down," Damiana grumbles in Dabnodian. Then she adds, "Oh, well. I shouldn't complain too much. It's because of this job that I'm no longer homeless."
Once that's said, the girl walks over to a small dresser and pulls out a black hooded sweatshirt. She throws it on over plain green spaghetti straps, changes into a pair of jeans with a few less holes, and pulls a second-hand guitar out from under her bed. Making sure that the guitar case is zipped up and that the strap is adjusted properly, Damiana puts it on over her shoulder while walking toward the door. Before exiting the motel room, the girl can't help but wonder how full the café is going to be tonight. It seems like every time she shows up to sing there are always more people there to watch her. Darcy has even mentioned knocking down a wall and adding more seats to the seating area. Damiana can't help but shake her head at the thought.
"Humans can be so strange," she whispers in her native tongue. "On Dabnod being a good singer mattered about as much as being able to put your leg behind your head. It's weird to think that something of such little importance would eventually help me so much."
Once that's said, Damiana heads out the door and into the early night. The young alien doesn't realize it, but more is going to happen tonight then she could ever imagine.
Speedy has absolutely no idea why this dumpy little building caught his eye. It could have been because of the sign reading "Lola's Café" in bright neon pink letters, making him wonder if the place has pie. It might have been the unusually large amount of people heading in through the double doors chattering away in excitement. "The music here is, like, fantastic!" said a blonde girl wearing a tight blue mini dress. "I swear, that Leila girl is, like, the best singer ever!" Or it simply could have been because Speedy is Speedy; therefore, he has a natural curiosity. Like many other occasions Speedy's curiosity as well as his bad boy charm has served him well. Sure Aqualad and Bumblebee wouldn't say the same, but they just don't understand his methods. Sometimes getting useful information and personal enjoyment can be one and the same. This especially applies to this moment in particular.
"Like, oh my gosh! OH MY GOSH! Are you, like, seriously Speedy from, like, the Titans East?"
Speedy sits in the center of the café at a large round table. In front of him is a slice of cherry pie and a Mountain Dew. On every side of him, both sitting and standing, are many numerous young ladies. Sitting directly beside him, much to his pleasure, is the blonde in the blue mini dress. Out of all the girls she's been doing the most talking. Not just to Speedy, but to people in general. She is obviously very social and can be heard clear across a crowded room. Based on this fact alone, the blonde could very well serve his purpose.
Giving an arrogant smirk, Speedy responds to the girl's question. "Yes, I am. I'm the real deal, and I have the bow to prove it."
Taking a bite of his pie using one hand, the masked archer uses the other to hold up his bow. When he does this the girls begin squealing and screaming in delight. Once he motions to the quiver on his back this is even more the case. Eventually the teen in the dress speaks again.
"Wow! Like, you actually are Speedy! Like, what are you doing on this side of town?"
Smirk never leaving, Speedy explains. "Nothing too much. I'm just searching this section of the city for a dangerous criminal. I've been looking for him all night now." Pausing, he adds, "The guy robs banks and jewelry stores, has a black and blue costume, and is incredibly dangerous. Have you girls heard of him?"
Blue mini dress girl exchanges glances with several of her friends who are dressed in an assortment of short-shorts, miniskirts, midriff tops, and low-necked blouses. Their faces are caked with makeup as well, making Speedy wonder what their actual faces look like. It takes a few minutes, but eventually one of the girls responds.
"Like, we're sorry. We, like, haven't heard of him," says a brunette in a black sequin miniskirt.
The mini dress girl takes back over. "We'd help you if we could, but like, we're not even allowed on this side of town. Like, if any of our parents found out, they'd totally kill us."
Taking another bite of his pie, Speedy nods in understanding. "Nah, it's okay. Don't worry about it. You ladies seem like the sociable type so I thought you'd know something, but I guess it doesn't matter if you don't. The other Titans and I will catch him at some point anyway."
Much to Speedy's enjoyment, blue mini dress girl sidles closer to him and puts a hand on his knee. The brunette in the black miniskirt gets closer to him as well and places perfectly manicured fingers on each of his shoulders. If Speedy's smirk wasn't smug and egotistical before, then it is doubtlessly that way now.
"Well, duh! Of course you will! You're, like, the Teen Titans!" exclaims the brunette.
"You're totally cool and are, like, the greatest superheroes ever!" says the mini dress girl. "There's no way that you won't catch him!"
Another girl, a platinum blonde wearing jean short-shorts and a fuchsia midriff top, forces her way closer and pays the hero her own compliment. "You guys are totally awesome! I watch the Titans East on TV, like, every night! All of the villains must be, like, totally afraid of you!"
Grinning like a little kid at a candy shop, the archer turns to face them. "Thank you, ladies. You know, I wasn't too happy about having to search this side of town tonight, but meeting lovely women such as you have made it completely worth it."
Once again the girls burst into a fit of screams, squeals, and giggles. The whole time they hug Speedy from the sides and from behind. Making his rounds, he is careful to give them each a pat on the hand or back. Bumblebee will certainly kill him for this later, but it's worth it for the moment. Smirking wider than ever before, Speedy speaks out.
"It's okay, ladies, don't crowd me. There's enough of Speedy to go around."
Several long seconds pass, the throng of girls continuing on in their fangirling. They all pay various forms of compliments, not to him specifically, but to the Titans East as a whole. All comments are along the lines of "You guys are the best", "Tell Bumblebee that she kicks butt!", "Mas y Menos are adorable", and oddly, "Will you sign my stomach?!" It is because of this that one comment in particular catches him really off guard. Not just because of the wording, but because it causes all of the other girls to stop what they're doing.
"Guys, don't look now, but you totally have to get a load of Leila. Her face is, like, hilarious!"
Apparently everyone ignores the words "don't look now" because they immediately cease fawning over Speedy and turn their gazes in one general direction. Curious at who they're referring to, Speedy looks in the same direction. The first thing that comes to his attention is a small platform built against the café's back wall. On the platform is a stool, a microphone, a piano, and of course, a girl. She stands to the platform's far right, tuning a simple and undecorated guitar. As she tunes it, he notices that she isn't dressed like any of the other girls.
She isn't dressed in exposing clothing or clothes that are extra glittery. Instead she wears a pair of faded jeans with holes in the knees and a black hooded sweatshirt. Now that he's observing them more closely, the articles of clothing are a tad bit worn. Even her shoes, which are a pair of black converse, look like they're about ready to fall apart. Aside from her clothes, however, Speedy has to say that she looks normal. Really, normal is actually an understatement. With wavy golden-brown tresses that reach her waist, dazzling emerald green eyes, and a petite frame she is really quite pretty; very pretty, actually. Honestly, she is far prettier than the majority of females surrounding him now.
Wondering if the girl he's looking at is the one they're talking about, he asks, "Leila?"
"Yeah, Leila," says mini dress girl. "She's the anorexic hobo holding the guitar. She sings, like, really well, but under the sweatshirt she looks like she's about to, like, die or something."
"She was just rolling her eyes and scowling at us," adds the brunette in the black mini skirt.
Speedy gives a nod and continues staring at her. Meanwhile, he asks, "What do you mean hobo? Doesn't she have a family?"
"We don't think so," says a random girl from behind him. "As far as we know, she's been on her own for years now. She might have even been homeless up until a few months ago."
The redheaded archer doesn't speak. He simply continues to stare at the girl completely mesmerized. Based on her features, she's only about fifteen or sixteen. How has someone so young been on their own for years now? Wouldn't someone like her be in an orphanage or in foster care or something? Wandering around this part of Steel City alone has got to be very dangerous for a teenage girl; especially one as pretty as her. Several moments pass and still he stares at her, as do the girls surrounding him. The only time Speedy is broken out of his trance is when Leila looks up from the task of tuning her guitar. The instant she spots their intense stares she rolls her eyes, shakes her head, and shouts across the room at them.
"What are you people staring at?! Let me tune my guitar and leave me be! Go back to your fangirling!" Pausing, she adds, "And, Speedy, I watched the news this evening! If you really don't want to come in second place to the Titans West, then you'd better start searching for the bank robber man! Hasn't he escaped from you guys five times already?!"
The archer's eyes widen in shock underneath his mask. Out of all the civilians he's had the pleasure of coming into contact with, none of them has ever spoken to him so bluntly. Because of this he can't help but be offended.
Giving her an irritated look, Speedy responds from his spot at the table. "For your information, we've been trying to find this guy all night without any luck, so don't think you can get off on calling us lazy!" Pausing, he adds crossly, "If anything, you're just jealous because you're stuck up there and don't get to hang out over here with me."
Once the words are out, Speedy is expecting Leila to set her guitar down on the platform and stomp her way over to their table. Either that, or he expects some form of verbal abuse. However, the girl manages to surprise him. Rather than retaliating she sighs and shakes her head in disbelief before returning to her previous task of tuning the guitar. The whole time she talks in a calm and even tone.
"Okay, whatever. Just forget I'm here. Return your attention to your harem."
Speedy shoots her one last glare before doing exactly that. By this time blue mini dress girl is clinging to his arm, and sequin miniskirt girl has her arms completely wrapped around his shoulders. Normally Speedy would be in celebrity heaven, finally getting the attention from the ladies he deserves. Usually Aqualad steals all of them away and leaves him with just the weird obsessive ones. Yet, for some reason, he doesn't feel quite as satisfied as he did before. In fact, avoiding looking over at Leila is a struggle. It is only when mini dress girl speaks once more that Speedy is able to forget that the girl exists and relax.
"Speedy," she says, "You're friends with, like, all the members of the Titans East. Right?"
The archer's arrogant smirk returning, he replies, "Yes. As a Titan myself, I would say that I'm friends with all of them."
"Really? That's great! We were, like, totally hoping you'd say that!" she exclaims.
Another girl, the one in the fuchsia midriff top, makes an overly joyful inquiry. "Does that mean you can introduce us to Aqualad?! Because we would totally love that!"
The moment the words come out, Speedy's eyes widen beneath his mask. Not only that, but his jaw drops so far that it nearly breaks. Expression of shock quickly morphing into an angry scowl, he shoves the ladies' arms off of his body and gets to his feet. Taking several steps away from the group of traitors, he glares at them in a mixture of shock, anger, and disbelief. The whole time the girls cower slightly, blindly hoping that Speedy will still hook them up with the aquatic Titan. Meanwhile, Speedy speaks to them sounding incredibly offended.
"Hold on," he says. "The only reason you've been hanging onto me like leeches for half the night is because you were hoping I'd set you all up with Aqualad?!"
The girl in the blue dress nibbles her lower lip before giving a hesitant nod. "Well…yah. You're, like, really nice and, like, super cool, but Aqualad is crazy hot!"
"Yeah," adds the platinum blonde in the midriff top. "Aqualad's the awesomest! He has these cool water abilities and can talk to sea creatures, but you…you just have your arrow…thingies..."
His jaw drops once more. A moment afterward Speedy gives them each the worst scowls of their lives. Pointing at them with his bow, he exclaims, "Yeah? While my 'arrow thingies' have helped save Steel City more times than you can count!" Pausing, he adds with a mocking smirk, "Actually, that really doesn't say much. How high can you count, anyway? Maybe to five or six…"
The girls give startled gasps at the insult while several of the surrounding people snicker. Speedy doesn't realize it, but one of the people snickering is Leila. Appearing extremely insulted, blue mini dress girl turns to face her friends.
"Come on, ladies. Like, let's get out of here. Our mission, like, totally failed."
Shooting Speedy a mixture of nasty glares and disappointed frowns, the harem appears ready to walk out the door of the cafe. Before they do, however, Speedy decides to stop them. Not because they're forgiven; far from it. Instead he stops them for a different reason entirely. After all, nothing is better than playing a friendly prank on his good pal Aqualad. Turning his mocking smirk into an apologetic smile, he rushes over to block the ladies' path of travel.
"Hold on, girls! Wait up!" Speedy exclaims loudly. Once in front of them he completely ignores the dirty looks he gets and continues. "Listen, I'm sorry about offending you and I'm sorry that I wasn't more understanding. All you girls want is to have some fun with Aqualad, right?"
Immediately their faces brighten. Exchanging glances, the ladies mutter amongst themselves before turning back to the Titan. As always, it is blue mini dress girl that speaks first.
"Uh…yah… Hanging out with Aqualad is, like, totally what we want."
Smile growing happier, he gets a few steps closer to them. "See, that's exactly what I thought! That being the case, why should I be so bitter because you girls prefer Aqualad over me? As Aqualad's friend and as a friendly guy in general, how about I tell you exactly where you can find him?"
The girls burst into fits of squeals and delighted screams before he even has a chance to finish the sentence. Removing his wallet, Speedy pulls out a twenty and a five-dollar bill.
"Aqualad is down by the docks. Not the deserted docks where people go fishing, but the section where people put their yachts' and fancy boats over by First Street. You ladies know the place?"
Eyes dancing with joy, blue mini dress girl jumps up and down excitedly. "Ooh, yes! I totally know the place! Like, that's where daddy parks his small vacation yacht and, like, the big one too!"
Putting a gloved hand to his mouth, Speedy gives a gasp of false excitement. "Oh my gosh! That is, like, totally great! Aqualad will be, like, totally happy to see you guys!" Taking blue mini dress girl by the hand, the archer tucks the twenty and the five inside of her palm. "Here take this and buy yourselves some fish tacos! They're Aqualad's favorite! What's left can help pay for the cab to the docks."
All the girls squeal and jump up and down in unison. A few of them even give Speedy swift hugs around the neck.
"Thanks, Speedy! You're the best!" says the girl in the black miniskirt.
With that they run out the door of the café, screaming and squealing like the crazy obsessed fangirls they are. Going back to his table, Speedy picks up his fork to finish the pie he'd started on. The whole time he chuckles under his breath.
"At least they think I'm the best. I'm sure Aqualad won't think so after tonight."
Taking a bite of his pie, Speedy once again directs his attention to the small platform. To his surprise Leila isn't tuning her guitar. Instead she's in front of her microphone with her guitar ready. Based on the giggles she tries to hold back and on how she intently avoids his gaze, she saw the whole thing and is doing her absolute best not to laugh at Aqualad's coming misfortune. For some reason, the fact that she found his cruel joke funny makes him smile. For once it isn't an arrogant smile, but is instead a happy one. So focused is he on Leila that he doesn't catch the person milling around his table. The only time he notices is when she speaks.
"You don't have to pay for the pie or the Mountain Dew. It's on the house."
Startled, Speedy gives a small jump before looking up at her. Once he sees her he's thankful to see, not a less-than-decent teenage girl in a miniskirt, but a blonde and blue-eyed waitress in her early twenties. The look she gives him isn't a smile necessarily. More or less, her expression is one that is knowing and secretive. The fact finally sinking in that he doesn't have to pay for the pie, he is about ready to thank her. Before he can, however, she speaks to him in an incredibly low whisper.
"Also, if you're after leads about Steel City's most recent criminal or where he might be hiding his loot, I would suggest going to Leila. She has no family, she lives by herself, and she does various jobs for people all over the city. She hasn't lived here long, but she knows the streets of Steel City like the back of her hand. Trust me."
With that, the waitress walks away as if she hadn't said anything. Once she's gone the only thing Speedy is able to do is keep his gaze on Leila. He's not sure why or how, but somehow he knows that what the waitress said is absolutely true. If anyone can help them track this criminal down it's that girl, Leila. Speedy can't explain it, but there's something about her that's very different.
A/N: Okay, that concludes the second chapter of part one. Also, I'm sorry if the story is starting out a bit slow. I would make it go faster, but I don't want to speed the plot along. If I start trying to force it, then the story isn't going to flow properly and it won't turn out natural. But just so you know, I promise that things will start to get more exciting once the plot details and everything are set. Also, don't be afraid to leave comments. I enjoy getting constructive critcism on how I can improve my writing, and I also enjoy being told what I'm doing well. Again, please comment. Feedback is how writers grow! :)
Until next time!
Forever and always,
OCQ