A/N: Welcome everyone to the next chapter of Firelight. I hope that all of you are eager to keep reading, because I absolutely LOVE writing this story! To be honest, it has been a long time since I have had this kind of passion for any story I've written, and it's a good feeling to have. I hope that you all like Damiana well enough to stay, because this story is definitely going to shape up to be an interesting one! :)
Also, as a side note, within the next few chapters I am going to dedicate an entire chapter to the Titans West. So don't worry, because I haven't forgotten about Robin and his team. Not only that, but I have another surprise waiting for all of you when that chapter comes as well. So if you're wondering if I'm going to stay in Steel City for the whole story, the answer is no. Of course, even if you're looking forward to seeing Robin, don't get too ahead of yourselves. As for this chapter, it will still take place in Steel City.
Well, that's enough blabbering from your humble author. Enjoy the the chapter! XD
(Note: If you've never heard the song "Looking for Angels" by Skillet, I would recommend listening to it before or during the chapter.)
Disclaimer: I have no ownership over Teen Titans whatsoever, neither do I own any of the songs used in this chapter. The only thing I own is the Dabnodian race.
Part I: Inception: Chapter Three
Later That Night
There are very few things in life that bother Damiana. Noisy neighbors don't bother her and phone calls in the middle of the night don't annoy her too bad. The rats that are sometimes seen in her motel room don't even get to her considering how they scurry away if she ignites so much as the smallest flame. Besides, the rats on Dabnod are twice as big. Not to mention how they have charcoal black fur, beady red eyes, and the occasional second head…Then again, those are only found in peoples' cellars when it is extremely cold outside and they have absolutely nowhere else to go. They are never in people's homes all year round like they are here. Which, to be honest, severely disturbs Damiana. So, really, rats bother her greatly… Maybe if she's lucky she can eventually live in a place without vermin.
However, it isn't the thought of returning home to rats that currently troubles her. The thing that's bothering Damiana right now is more irritating than anything she's come across during the entire five years she's spent on Earth. That thing is sitting in a secluded booth toward the back of the room with his head tilted slightly to the side, watching her intently. He left a little while ago and was gone for a good two hours. Unfortunately, now he's back. When he entered the café a second time he didn't make a big scene like before. He didn't waltz inside like a pimp with three girls on each arm. Really, it was quite the opposite. Instead he walked in through the doors quietly and discreetly, doing his best to go unnoticed. He didn't even sit at a middle table where people could see him. He chose the most secluded spot he could while still being able to see the wooden platform clearly. This is where he sits now and where he has been sitting for the past hour.
To be quite honest, when the Titan left the building earlier Damiana was extremely relieved. Out of all the people who have entered the café, Speedy was by far the most irritating. Every time she's seen him on the news Damiana automatically assumed that he was nothing but a smug, arrogant, bad boy, superhero. When she'd shared her opinion with Darcy, the waitress had told her that she could be misjudging Speedy. "Don't judge a book by its cover. You might be completely wrong about him," is what Darcy has always told her. Of course, every time she said this, Damiana persisted in her opinion that she was undeniably correct. It is because of this, despite her complete annoyance at the superhero, that it did her heart good to see him cozying up to those girls and acting like a pimp earlier.
Of course, now his harem is gone as is his smug bad boy attitude. The only thing he's doing now is sitting at the back of the room staring at her while occasionally fiddling with his bow. Once he sent his harem after Aqualad, Damiana was positive that he would finish his pie, leave, and never come back. If he did come back, the girl was certain that it would only be to see if any of the immodestly dressed females had returned to the café. These thoughts in mind, Damiana can't help but be surprised that he'd just sit here and watch her sing for an hour. Even more surprising is that a few new girls in exposing and glittery outfits have actually walked in, yet Speedy hasn't said a word to any of them. He ignored them and let them pass him by as if he didn't even notice that they were there. Damiana doesn't like to imagine this scenario, but she's beginning to think that he actually didn't notice them. It's almost like all of his attention is trained on her, making the young alien feel increasingly disturbed.
Doing her best to pretend that Speedy isn't anywhere near here, imagining that he's back at Titans Tower or at a scummy nightclub somewhere, Damiana sits in front of the platform's little piano. Fingers flying across the keys in a flawless motion, Damiana sings along with the tune without missing a single note. Strangely, in the seven months that she's been playing at the cafe, Damiana has almost never made a mistake. This is true for both her singing and the music itself. It's only after coming to Earth that the alien girl has realized that her talent for learning entirely new languages in a tiny span of time also carries over to music. Someone can hand her a random sheet of music or make her listen to a random song, and she'll have the lyrics and the melody down perfectly in anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour. This is true for this song as well, considering how someone requested it only a few days ago and how she was able to get it completely down in a half hour.
Normally the girl does her best to play the melodies of songs on her guitar, but sometimes people request songs that make more sense to play on a piano. The song that a woman requested specifically for tonight, "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton, would be one of those songs. Honestly, Damiana is quite glad that this song was requested. Normally people request mainstream songs by artists such as Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. She's even gotten some requests for Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus songs, some of which she doesn't mind much. However, Damiana just so happens to find this song particularly pretty. It almost makes her sad that she's reaching the end of the tune.
Her voice hitting the notes as perfectly as ever, she sings the song's final few lines."If I could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by? 'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just see you…if I could just hold you…tonight."
Damiana plays the last notes before bringing the number to a close. Once the song is done she turns in her seat and faces the crowd who is now clapping wildly. They don't always clap once she's finished a song, so when they do applaud Damiana knows that she did exceptionally well. As they clap they also shout out encouraging phrases. "Bravo", "fantastic", "beautiful", "you're voice is amazing", and oddly, "do you have a boyfriend". Choosing to ignore that last comment, the young alien stands and walks to the platform's edge before giving a bow. Once the bow is given she creeps over towards the microphone and waits for the applause to die down. It takes several seconds, but eventually she speaks.
Damiana smiles as she addresses the crowd. "Thank you very much for coming here tonight. I'm glad that all of you have been enjoying the music." Pausing, she adds, "I regret informing you of this, but it is fifteen minutes after eleven. This means that there are only a few minutes left until 'Lola's Café' has to close for the night. However, because you have been such a wonderful audience, I think that I will squeeze in one more song before we all head home for the night. How about it?"
The crowd once again breaks into excited applause. Also, like several moments prior, that same annoying question comes forth. Damiana is fairly certain that it is the same person that asks, because the voice comes from the same general direction as before; from a table in the second row. Upon looking, Damiana realizes that a boy with short black hair wearing a leather jacket makes the inquiry.
"Come on, girl, you didn't answer my question. Do you have a boyfriend?"
Shooting him an annoyed glare, Damiana gives a swift and bitter response. "No, I don't have a boyfriend, and I'm not looking for one either."
A disappointed frown crosses his face. "Aw, but come on. I could make you so happy!"
Rolling her eyes in irritation, she gives him another scowl. "I have some money in my pocket, a place to live, and sometimes I get free pie. That's all the happiness I need."
Several people in the crowd laugh in amusement at her response. Glancing cautiously toward the back of the room, she even sees the familiar archer with the mask give a smirk. Damiana doesn't know why, but for some reason this pleases her. After staring at her like she's some kind of strange oddity for the past hour, maybe he's starting to see her as an actual being. Or, in his case, maybe he's starting to see her as a "human". Shaking her head, Damiana rids herself of thoughts about the Titan and returns her attention to the crowd.
"Okay, so who has suggestions for tonight's last song? Anyone?"
Surprisingly, nobody says anything to her outright. Instead they face each other and murmur amongst themselves, having no idea what to suggest. Damiana sings anything from pop music, to rock, to country, so that leaves her open to just about anything. Well, besides rap music, that is. Damiana absolutely despises rap music and refuses to even attempt singing it. She doesn't really like country music that much either, but she's still willing to sing it if it's requested enough. Several more minutes pass and, lucky for her, she doesn't have to sing anything related at all to rap or country music. Instead someone suggests a song that she's never played publicly before by a group that hasn't been requested in a while. Even so she knows the song well,as she hears it often at one family's house while she cleans for them. Never has she felt luckier that this family prefers listening to CDs rather than the radio.
"'Looking for Angels' by Skillet," comes a voice from the back of the room.
Eyes widening, Damiana looks for the person that spoke. Considering how the majority of people are sitting at the front or in the middle rather than toward the back, it isn't too hard to spot him. To her surprise, the one that made the song request is none other than Speedy. As vocal as he is, Damiana expected that he'd say something to somebody at some point. However, she didn't expect that she would be the one he spoke to and in the form of a song request no less. Clearing her throat, she asks him to repeat himself. Not just to make sure she heard the name of the song right, but to make sure that it really was Speedy that spoke and not someone else.
"I'm sorry," she says. "What was the song again?"
The redheaded Titan stands up and shoves his way closer to the little wooden platform, a mutual expression covering his face. Only when he's seated at a mostly empty table in the front row does he speak again.
"I said 'Looking for Angels' by Skillet. Do you know the song?" he asks simply.
Damiana gulps at how close he decided to move to the platform. To be honest, she wishes that Speedy wasn't sitting in front of her right now. She wishes that he was anywhere else but here. When she told him to "Just forget I'm here"when he was with those girls earlier, she meant it completely. Even if Speedy doesn't seem that bad right now, she knows what he's really like. He's a smug, arrogant, playboy. He's what she would like to call the Titans East pimp. Because of this, she wants nothing to do with him. Not just him, but she doesn't want to be involved with any of the Titans. Not because of them themselves, but because of…other various reasons…
Yet, despite this, Damiana grants Speedy a response. It's only one song, after all. Once she's done singing he'll leave the cafe with everyone else and she'll probably never see him again. Happy with this assumption, she speaks to him.
"Yeah, I know the song. I know it well, actually. I've just never played it publicly before."
Speedy's smirk returns at her response. Crossing his arms over his chest, he says, "Well, I can't think of a time better than right now to try it out. After watching you sing I highly doubt you'll mess the song up either way."
Damiana doesn't return his smile in the slightest. Instead she gives a simple nod before picking up her guitar. "Okay, then. If you insist, here it goes."
As strange as it sounds, Speedy actually didn't plan on going back to the café that night. He has no doubt that what the waitress told him was true. With her knowledge and the specific brand of freedom she wields by living on her own, Leila could be a significant asset to the Titans East. Of course, even with the truth of this, Speedy still didn't want to go back and talk to her. The reason behind this isn't anything too unbelievable. Really, the reason is one that is very easy to guess. Leila doesn't like him. The young hero could tell the moment he entered the cafe for the second time that night that Leila doesn't like him in even the tiniest increment.
Why Speedy risked going back inside he hasn't a clue. All he knows is that he had to go past it again on his way back to the Tower and that he just couldn't stay away. After seeing the shocked and disgusted look Leila shot him from her spot on the platform he doesn't know why he didn't turn around and march right back out the double doors. One thing he can admit to knowing, however, is that blue mini dress girl wasn't exaggerating. Saying that Leila is a really good singer is the understatement of the century. Speedy has never heard a voice so beautiful and enchanting in his entire life. Leila's singing absolutely cannot be topped.
Speedy would hate admitting this to people, but he only stayed as long as he did so he could listen to Leila sing. "Stars Dance" by Selena Gomez, "Haunted" by Taylor Swift, "Never Too Late" by Three Days Grace, somehow she managed to hit every note of every song like a professional. Not only that, but she honestly seems to enjoy it when she sings. One can always tell when the girl reaches a part of the song that she likes, because her eyes light up and her voice starts sounding more intense. Not intense in a bad way, but in a way that makes people want to stay and listen to her all night.
Of course, despite the obvious love Leila possesses for music, it couldn't be easier to see that this is more than just a hobby. Speedy didn't pay too much attention before, but upon observing her closer he has come to realize that the structure of her heart-shaped face is excessively rigid. It almost looks like her cheek and jaw bones are going to poke through her skin. The dark circles under her emerald green eyes only help add to this appearance. The way she occasionally holds her stomach between musical numbers as if all she wants in the world is something to eat doesn't help her case any either. Of course the final nail in the coffin, the nail that everyone but him seems to happily ignore, is how the teen discreetly frowns down at the meager amount of coins and dollars bills in her guitar case.
From the back of the room Speedy was able to spot these things, but from up close they are even more apparent. Just the supposed "joke" she spat at the guy that was flirting with her should be hint enough for anyone. "I have some money in my pocket, a place to live, and sometimes I get free pie. That's all the happiness I need." Admittedly, the way she shot the guy down was pretty funny. Yet, Leila's comment seemed awfully serious at the same time… Almost like her only goal in life is survival and nobody cares enough to toss a five-dollar bill in her guitar case instead of a one; thus, the reason why Speedy requested the song that he did. In a way it reminds him of her.
Her voice as flawless and beautiful as ever, the masked archer watches as pale bony fingers strum the guitar strings. His concealed eyes never leaving Leila's tiny form, he listens as she sings.
"Walk this world alone, try to stay on my feet. Sometimes craw, fall, but I stand up 'cause I'm afraid to sleep.
"Open my eyes to a new day, with all new problems and all new pain. All the faces are filled with so much anger, losing our dignity and hope from fear of danger.
"After all the wars, after settling the scores, at the break of dawn we will be deaf to the answers. There's so much bigotry, misunderstanding, and fear. With eyes squinted and fists clenched we reach out for what is dear."
Pausing slightly, Leila goes through the next few lines before getting to the chorus. Once she reaches the chorus her emerald green eyes are filled with an intense mixture of emotions. Or…now that he's looking again…are they more of a swampy green?
"Going through this life, looking for angels. People passing by, looking for angels. Walking down the streets, looking for angels. Everyone I meet, looking for angels."
Leila goes through the chorus several more times with many other lines in between. As she sings Speedy can't help but think that she almost sounds better than John Copper. Then again…it is only "almost". In reality, it very rarely gets better than John Copper, as Skillet is one of the best rock bands the archer has ever stumbled across. At last, several minutes later, Leila nears the end of the song.
"I became a savior to some kids I'll never meet. Sent a check in the mail to buy them something to eat.
"What will you do to make a difference, to make a change? What will you do to help someone along the way?
"Just a touch, a smile as you turn the other cheek. Pray for your enemies, humble yourself, love's staring back at me.
"In the midst of the most painful faces, angels show up in the strangest of places."
From here Leila sings the chorus several more times, ending the song. However, Speedy hardly hears it. He's too busy watching as her eyes, which were emerald green to start out with and swampy green a moment later, turn a deep shade of forest green. Not sure how to react to this unusual occurrence, the boy simply raises a puzzled brow and stares in astonishment. The whole time he barely notices as the song ends and as the café begins clearing out. Then again, even if he had noticed it wouldn't have mattered either way. Speedy's already stayed for this long. Even if Leila does hate his guts, he might as well man up and talk to her.
When there's a particular person around whom she doesn't like, ignoring them usually works for Damiana. Between the adults that whisper to each other about what they think happened to her parents, the old ladies who wonder if she's getting enough to eat, and the judgmental teens that call her an anorexic hobo, learning to ignore people has become an absolute necessity. If Damiana actually took the time to listen to all of them she's certain that she would have burned someone's face off by now. Of course, ignoring people twenty-four/seven isn't always possible; not even for Damiana. Also, it especially isn't possible when the person that irritates her the most is sitting three feet away from her staring her down like a serial killer eying up his next victim.
Sighing deeply, Damiana speaks into the microphone as the people in the café begin clearing out. Hopefully this gets Speedy to leave. If he keeps gawking at her like she's some kind of oddity, the girl is certain that she won't be able to quench her temper for much longer.
Pasting on a bright and happy smile, she says to the remainder of the crowd, "Okay. That's it for tonight, everyone. Remember that 'Lola's Café' has live music on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Marissa sings from five to seven, Rick sings from seven to nine, and I sing from nine to eleven-thirty. Tell your friends and don't be afraid to come on back." Pausing, Damiana shifts her gaze to the room's lone Titans before continuing. "Right now, however, it is time to go home. Leave this place, go far away from here, and forget I exist. I am a simple girl doing nothing more than trying to live life, so it would do you well to erase me from your memory and leave me alone. There is absolutely nothing of significance about me."
Damiana doesn't notice, but those left in the room turn to stare at her. Even those who were already leaving pause in order to look at her in puzzlement. However, when they see her gaze locked onto Speedy of the Titans East they instantly know that this has something to do with him. Shrugging and exchanging glances, the people begin leaving in droves. Soon enough Damiana, Speedy, and a few waitresses are the only ones left. By this time Damiana is no longer looking at the archer. Instead she is squatted down next to her guitar case counting the money that was thrown in. Meanwhile, she speaks.
"Apparently you didn't catch the meaning behind my message. Get out of here and leave me alone. I'm not worth your time, and you certainly aren't worth any of mine."
Damiana doesn't look at him, but she can tell that he doesn't go away. Several seconds pass and eventually she hears the sound of a chair scraping against tile. Masculine footsteps follow shortly after, but they don't go toward the exit. Instead they slowly make their way across the three-foot gap between the wooden platform and the first row of tables. Damiana can see a red shirt and red fingerless gloves in her peripheral vision, but she still ignores him. At least until he replies to her comment, anyway.
"You don't need to be so hostile. I'm here as a Titan, not as a fan boy asking you on a date."
As much as the girl wants to face the archer and give him the death glare, she doesn't. Damiana keeps her attention on the dollars and loose change in her guitar case, not showing the slightest hint of looking in his direction. Once Damiana looks at him she's certain that she won't be able to look away. It will lead to shouting all of her angry thoughts at him and maybe even shooting streams of fire at his smug little face; one glance is all it would take. Titan or not, Speedy is nothing but an arrogant playboy who has spent too much time fixing his hair and playing with gold-digging fangirls. Even without looking at him, the temptation to use her fire on Speedy at such a close range is almost too great to resist. Even so, Damiana still manages to control herself as she replies to his statement.
"To be honest, Speedy, I don't care if you're here as a Titan, a pimp, or as the café's newest Music Night fan. All I want is for you to get out of here. The café closes in less than five minutes, so there's no time for us to talk either way."
One thing Damiana instantly takes note of is the seriousness in Speedy's voice. He's seemed pretty somber for the hour he's spent at the café and his voice was fairly stiff a moment ago as well. This time, however, the serious tone his voice gives off is at a whole other level. It actually causes Damiana to observe him more closely out of the corner of her eye in a curious yet suspicious manner.
"It doesn't matter if the café stays open. We can talk outside if we need to. All that matters is that I get a chance to talk to you. I picked up a tip about you earlier and I want to check into it."
That last sentence causes Damiana to forget all of her previous thoughts. Brows arched in surprise, the girl turns in the Titan's direction. Even if he sounds completely serious she is able to tell that this is the same Speedy the moment she lays eyes on him. He may not wear his typical smug smirk, but he does lean against the platform's edge with his arms crossed in a leisurely fashion. When he sees that she finally turned around, however, Speedy's smirk hints at the corners of his lips ever so slightly. Ignoring this, Damiana makes a surprised inquiry.
"What the heck are you talking about? I'm a sixteen-year-old girl who sings at a café and does mundane tasks for low pay. What kind of 'tip' could someone honestly give you about me?"
Speedy responds with a shrug. "Exactly that, actually. You're a girl without a family who does various jobs to support herself. The jobs you do are all over the city, so you know Steel City's streets better than any other resident."
Before Damiana realizes what she's doing she finds herself closing the distance between herself and the redheaded superhero. Crawling across the platform on her hands and knees from where she sat beside her guitar case, the Dabnodian flips herself around so that she sitting on the platform's edge. Her legs dangling over the side, the girl doesn't care that she's only a half foot away from him. Neither does she care when Speedy pushes himself up so that he too is sitting on the platform. The only thing Damiana cares about is figuring out what on Earth Speedy is getting at.
"Yeah… I guess you could say that I know Steel City quite well, but I have no idea what that has to do with anything. The only reason I've memorized the city's streets at all is so I can find jobs and earn money for life's basic necessities. If you Titans need someone who knows the streets well, go to the Police or get a super computer or something. No offense, but you're really wasting your time on me."
It is here that Speedy's trademark smirk returns. To Damiana's puzzlement, it seems much less arrogant and much more knowing. It's almost as if he knows something that she doesn't quite get yet.
"Believe me, Leila. If I thought this was a waste of time I never would have approached you in the first place. The Titans East do have access to the city's police force and to advanced tracking technology, but that's not what we need to catch the criminal we're after. What we need is someone who nobody's going to look at twice, someone who's sharp, and someone who knows Steel City's streets so well that they can draw a map of them blindfolded." After a momentary pause Speedy adds, "It's true that I don't know a lot about you, but I have a feeling that you're capable of doing all three."
Running a hand over her brown locks, Damiana can't help but give a laugh of disbelief. "You, the previous sidekick of Green Arrow and a member of the Titans East, would honestly put this kind of trust in a person you didn't know existed until four hours ago?! For crying out loud, Speedy! I'm a bum that has to walk dogs, clean houses, and sing in a café just to scrape by! Those girls you were with earlier, they call me a hobo on a regular basis! You say that I seem sharp, but I could be a blithering idiot for all you know! Heck, with the side of town I live on I could be a hardened criminal!" Giving another laugh, this time a sarcastic one, the girl adds, "You're not seriously asking for my help right now, are you? You actually are just 'checking out the lead', right?"
Damiana hasn't the slightest idea why, but Speedy's smile grows at her words. Not only does his smile still appear knowing, but now he also looks very pleased. If Damiana didn't know any better she would say that it almost seems like he was hoping that she would spurt something off like that. Shoving a piece of hair behind her ear, the girl narrows false green eyes at him curiously. It only takes a few seconds for him to respond.
"To be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to ask for your help or not, but now I think I should. You seem like the perfect person to help search for this guy."
All traces of laughter vanishing, Damiana gapes at the archer in shock. "I seem like the right person to help you search for a dangerous bank robber? What could possibly make you believe that?"
"Nothing much. Just the way you talk to me and your personality. You seem like the kind of person that Bumblebee and Aqualad would like for this sort of thing." A moment later he adds, "By the way, you won't even have to come into contact with the criminal. All I'm really asking you to do is keep an eye out for anything suspicious. An average person hitting it rich out of nowhere, people leaving their houses at times that correspond with the robberies, abandoned buildings that have people coming and going, things like that. You helping the Titans East wouldn't be anything big. In reality you'd just be going about your day."
Damiana purses her lips thoughtfully at the Titan's explanation. For the first time tonight she doesn't want to shout, neither does she want to punch him or burn him with fire. Her mind going back to the newscast from earlier tonight, Damiana realizes that even if he is playboy Speedy is genuinely asking her for help. Truth be told, he did seem pretty upset when he was talking to the anchorwoman in the red dress earlier.
All Speedy and the Titans East want are to catch this irritating masked criminal. Not just them, but the whole city wants this guy caught. The civilians are getting so nervous that they want the Titans East to call the Titans West for help. Nibbling her lower lip, Damiana also remembers how badly Speedy and the Titans East want to do this on their own. They no longer want to come in second place to the founding Titans. Even though Damiana doesn't like to admit it, she doesn't want them to come in second place either. Just because they aren't the original Titans, why should they be considered less reliable as heroes? Not only that, but why should Damiana stand in their way by refusing to help them…
Annoyed by all of these new thoughts she's experiencing, Damiana gives an irritated sigh. If there's one problem she's always possessed, it's that she has never been able to say no to someone that honestly seems like they need her. Not even arrogant pimps like Speedy. Crossing her arms, she shoots the young hero an annoyed scowl.
"I really don't have to go too out of my way here? I don't have to sneak around and I don't have to ask people if they've heard anything? All I have to do is observe?"
Speedy gives a nod. "Basically." After a short pause, he asks, "So is that a yes?"
Damiana gives another sigh. "Yeah, it is. I guess I'll help you Titans out. Just don't expect me to go out on a limb. Remember that I have jobs to do and rent to pay, so I can only do so much."
Speedy nods once more. "That's understood."
Silence takes over once the words are spoken. Even so, the lapse in dialogue isn't wasted for Speedy. Reaching into his back pocket, he retrieves his wallet and pulls out a blank piece of paper from within. Damiana has no idea where he pulled it from, but there is a pen in his hand as well. Resting the slip of paper on his knee, he scribbles something out across the milky white surface. More than anything Damiana would like to lean in and see what he's writing, but instantly decides against it. The last thing she wants is to appear too curious. Of course, it doesn't take long for Damiana to figure out what he wrote anyway. A few seconds later Speedy hands her the slip with a smile. Surprisingly, this smile is different from the others she's seen. If anything it almost looks appreciative.
"Wow. A sign of gratitude. The pimp truly is capable of deflating his ego by a few notches," says the Dabnodian inside her head.
Damiana takes the slip of paper and looks at it without returning his smile. Scrawled across it is a phone number containing several extra digits. Above the numbers is a single sentence written in slightly messy, but otherwise decipherable handwriting. The sentence is a bit odd, but it makes sense nonetheless: "When there's trouble, you know who to call". Tucking the phone number in her jeans pocket, Damiana looks up at Speedy expectantly. Upon catching her gaze, Speedy explains without missing a beat.
"If you run across anything, call that number. It's the Titans East Tower's special extension that barely anybody knows, so there should only be one Leila that calls it if something comes up."
Damiana gives a nod of comprehension. "Okay. I'll do my best to keep it safe."
Once that is said, there is really nothing left for the two to cover. Knowing what she's supposed to do if she spots anything suspicious, Damiana stands up and goes back over to her guitar case. She doesn't plan on counting the money right now. Instead she's decided to shove all of the money inside one of the case's zip-up pockets, head home, and count her meager earnings there. The sooner she can get away from Speedy the better. Even if she's decided to help out the Titans East, that doesn't mean that she's about to get all chummy with the overconfident redhead. Really, she wants to stay away from him at all costs.
So distracted is Damiana by her task of shoving coins and bills inside of the secret pocket that she doesn't sense the gloved arm that reaches for the guitar case's opposite end. Later after returning to her motel room the Dabnodian girl is practically shocked out of her mind. In the seven months that she's worked as a singer at "Lola's Café" she has never seen a twenty-dollar bill; let alone two twenty dollar bills in the same night. Even so, Damiana manages to ignore them and puts them in a special hiding place with the rest of her earnings. The last thing she needs is to have them in sight. If she can see them, the only thing she'll think about is the person who she knows shoved them inside her guitar case at the last minute.
It is twenty minutes after midnight by the time Speedy returns to the Tower. When he learns the time it isn't because he looks at a clock, or because of natural intuition. Instead it is an angrily shouting female that tells him.
"Speedy, where have you been?! It's twelve-twenty in the morning! You should have been back here hours ago!"
The young archer barely has time to set his bow down on the kitchen counter before the Titans East's excessively livid leader is hovering directly in front of him. He doesn't have time to spot Mas y Menos who are passed out on the sofa, neither does he notice Aqualad's absence. He's far too busy concentrating on the narrowed brown eyes that glare at him threateningly. Opening his mouth partway, Speedy is ready to explain to Bumblebee exactly where he's been. Or, exactly where he's been minus blue mini dress girl and her posse… There's really no reason for Bee to know that part, right? All that really matters are the facts about Leila.
Unfortunately for Speedy, however, the chance to cover his tracks is cut short. Not even ten seconds later, the common room doors fly open from behind them. When Bee and Speedy turn around the two Titans gape at the figure standing in the doorway in shock. The person is none other than Aqualad. With his unitard practically torn to shreds, his long black hair in complete disarray, and scratches covering his face, arms, and the revealed parts of his chest, the aquatic man is nearly unrecognizable. The crumpled up bag of fish tacos he holds in his hand makes him more unrecognizable still. Upon seeing the injured fish boy, the first thing Bumblebee does is gasp and rush over to him. Knowing exactly how this happened and predicting that his life may soon be in danger, Speedy decides to stay where he is. Even so, he can't stop himself from giving an amused smirk.
"Geesh," says the archer to himself. "Mini dress girl and her friends really did a number on him. Aqualad's fangirls are more dangerous than I thought."
Completely oblivious to Speedy's role in Aqualad's misfortune, Bumblebee voices her concern. "Aqualad, are you okay?! What happened to you?! Did you run into our bank robber?!"
To Bumblebee's surprise, Aqualad doesn't respond to the Titan leader. Instead he stomps past her with his eyes firmly locked on the redhead. In reality, Speedy should be scared out of his wits. Yet, he finds himself leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed in a relaxed manner. Aqualad continues marching toward him, giving his teammate the nastiest scowl he can muster. Speedy's trademark smirk doesn't leave his face the whole time. When the aquatic man speaks the facial expression only grows.
"I hate you," Aqualad says irately. He points a finger at Speedy and tosses the empty fish taco bag in his face before continuing. "I hate you! I hate you! I HATE you! Why would you do that to me?! Do you know that tonight has been the worst night of my life because of you?!"
Tossing the fast food bag on the counter behind him, Speedy quips, "I know that now. But hey, don't judge me. I was just doing a favor for some friends."
If Speedy didn't know any better, he would say that he just saw Aqualad twitch. "Friends?!" he exclaims. "You call them 'friends'?! They were a group of random fangirls you met at a café while you were eating pie! You probably don't even know their names!"
Shrugging, Speedy pulls a comb out of his pocket and begins combing his hair for no reason at all. "Yeah, but I don't need their names. Blue mini dress girl, black miniskirt girl, and the platinum blonde in the pink half-shirt is all I need to know."
Bumblebee looks from Speedy to Aqualad and back again. A moment is all it takes for her to turn another sharp glare on the archer.
"Hold on," asks Bee as she marches in his direction. "The reason you're back so late and the reason Aqualad looks like he got mauled by bears is because you decided to lounge around in a café eating pie with girls all evening?! You were supposed to be searching your part of the city!"
Speedy returns her glare as he works to defend himself. "Hey, I finished searching my part of the city! I just took a couple breaks!" Pausing slightly, he adds, "Also, I was the one eating pie, not the girls. One bite of that pie and that girl's blue dress would've split right in half!"
For whatever reason, Aqualad's eyes begin tearing up at that last sentence. "Not true. Brittney can eat a lot. She ate six fish tacos, and then she went and bought more!" Collapsing to the ground, he sobs bitterly as he continues. "Then she took all of us for a ride on her father's yacht and we went fishing! She caught so many fish!"
Aqualad, who was standing on two legs only three seconds ago, is now in fetal position on the tiled kitchen floor. Concerned about her teammate, Bumblebee squats down beside him and rests a hand on his back. Meanwhile, Speedy raises a forefinger to his chin in thought.
"So her name is 'Brittney'. That honestly doesn't shock me. She kind of reminded me of Brittney Spears." Eyes widening in surprise beneath his mask, he adds, "Wait just a second. The blue dress girl with the supermodel figure can put down six fish tacos at once?!"
Raising his head slightly, Aqualad says, "Do you want to know the worst part about my night? A mob of fangirls was capable of taking me down while I was surrounded by water! The only thing worse is that fish tacos are delicious!"
With that being said the broken teen returns to his sobbing, leaving Speedy and Bumblebee in silence. With the forceful glare that Bumblebee shoots his way, it's rather intense silence at that. Giving his back several comforting pats, the Titan leader stands and moves several paces closer to the perpetrator. By now Speedy's amusement has died down and he is beginning to feel genuinely nervous. Even so, he doesn't let it show. Instead he crosses his arms and returns her look with equal intensity.
"You know, for someone who doesn't want to come in second place to the Titans West, you do a pretty good job of slacking off when it's convenient for you. All it takes to distract you is food, music, and a group of slutty girls." After a moment of hesitation, she adds, "Don't get me wrong, Speedy. There are times when the Titans East would have been sunk without you, but sometimes I wonder why we even let you stay on the team. We're trying to track down a criminal that could be a danger to the city! Why on Earth would you decided to take a pie break?!"
Not knowing what to say or what to do, Speedy decides to get straight to the point. "Listen, Bee. I train hard and usually never slack off. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have stayed at the café for longer than a half hour. You have to give me credit for that much."
Sighing, the woman slaps an irritated palm to her forehead. "Fine. Most of the time, you're a reliable member of the Titans East. I don't know see what that has to do with right now, though."
"It has more to do with right now than you think," confesses Speedy. "I wasn't sitting in that café for hours on end to slack off and flirt with girls. The whole reason I was there toward the end was actually because I wanted to talk someone."
Irritation never leaving, Bumblebee rolls her eyes at the boy. "Let me guess. Another girl?"
"Yes, but this girl's different. She isn't anything like Brittney and she definitely is not a fangirl. I talked to her after the café started clearing out, and I think that she could help us hunt down our bank robber." A few seconds later he adds, "Her name is Leila."
A/N: Okay, now that introducing the whole plot of the story is over, things are about to get intense! Are you excited?! I know I am! Well, until next time, my friends. I will try to update soon :)
Forever and always,
OCQ