A/N: Okay, it has definitely been a while, and for this I apologize. I absolutely planned on getting more chapters posted, but sadly, my flash drive broke! Upon losing my flash drive, I lost five chapters of "Firelight" that I had prewritten! To put short, it was devastating! :,(

So, in my depression after losing five chapters of "Firelight", I went on a writing binge for Naruto and finished my first Naruto fanfiction "The Hidden Truth", and finished some of my reader-inserts that I post on other sites. I also finished painting of all of my dressers. Of course, now that my month-and-a-half of sulking is over, who is ready for more "Firelight"?! I know I am! It might take me a while to rewrite everything I lost, though... Luckily, I don't plan on losing any of this story again, because now I save it on my flash drive, on my laptop's desktop, and on google docs. So, yeah, no more rewriting lost chapters for me! An important lesson, friends. Always save stuff in more than one location! :D

Well, that's enough of my senseless rambling for now. Enjoy the chapter! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. I only own the Dabnodians.

Part I: Inception: Chapter Six

Steel City: Titans East Tower

Currently

The day is Tuesday. The time is five forty-five in the evening. Because the Titans East have somewhere very important they're supposed to be forty-five minutes from now, they're dressed from head to toe in civilian clothing. Bumblebee is wearing plain black leggings, a dressy emerald green top, and a denim jacket in order to cover her wings. Mas y Menos are dressed in an identical fashion, wearing blue jeans and black t-shirts. The only difference between the two of them would be that Mas' shirt has the Batman symbol on it and Menos' shirt the Superman symbol. Aqualad too is dressed for the occasion, the aquatic man wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Speedy, while also dressed for their evening outing, has clothes that are very different from the rest. While he still wears jeans, they're ripped out in the knees and are extremely faded. Because the jeans appear so ragged, the clean white t-shirt he wears without a hole in sight is a steep contrast. Of course, it isn't the jeans and the t-shirt that would draw the attention of most people. What really make him stand out from the rest of the Titans are the leather jacket, the biker boots, and the dark sunglasses that hide the redhead's eyes; not to mention the toothpick he holds in the corner of his mouth. The moment they see him the Titans' eyes widen.

"Uh…Speedy?" asks Aqualad. "What the heck are you wearing?"

Crossing his arms, the archer leans against the wall with a sarcastic smirk. "My 'bad boy' outfit. At first I was just going to wear a t-shirt and my nice jeans, but then I thought that Leila might not recognize me in something like that. On my off time she probably thinks that I dress something like this. Besides, these clothes emphasize my 'bad boy stride' and my 'pimp-like smirk'."

While Speedy seems as though he's kidding, his voice sounds extremely irked at the same time. Catching this, Bumblebee rolls her eyes as she gets several steps closer to him.

"If we go meet this girl is she actually going to give us the information she has, or will you two just bicker the whole night? Even if she is a valuable source for the Titans East, I already have a hunch that you two aren't going to get along." Pausing, she adds, "Maybe Aqualad, Mas y Menos, and I should go on our own and leave you here. Things might go better that way."

Eyes narrowing behind the sunglasses, he stands up straight and shoots their leader a look. "No. You're not leaving me out of this. If you're going I'm going too. Besides, you have no idea where the café is at and you don't know what Leila looks like. You couldn't do this without me either way."

Aqualad nods in agreement. "He's right, Bee. In order for this to work, Speedy has to come with us. There's no other option." Hesitating, he looks at his other English-speaking teammate in concern. "But, Speedy, please don't make a scene. Even if you don't like Leila, try to stick it out around her without arguing."

Crossing his arms once more, the irritated look never leaves his face. "I don't see what any of you have to say about it. I'm the only person here who's actually met her."

Ignoring the curt remark, Bumblebee motions to her team as she turns in the direction of the exit. "Come on. Let's get going. We need to leave if we're going to get there early like we planned."

Speedy doesn't say a word and neither do any of the others. They simply follow Bee toward the door. However, before they have time to leave, the screen of the Tower's main console lights up. Thankfully, it isn't because of an alarm or a police report. To their surprise it is because of an incoming message. Based on the words on the screen, the message is coming from the Titans West Tower in Jump City. The moment they catch sight of the words each of them dashes toward the main console. Even Speedy rushes over to the screen, thoughts of his teammates' doubtful attitudes temporarily forgotten.

"A message from the Titans West," says Bee in surprise. "Well, it's about time. It's been two months since they've contacted us."

Nobody has time to say anything more. Less than a second later Robin's face pops up on the screen. Cyborg and Beast Boy can be seen fighting over a video game controller in the background and Raven is sitting on the sofa reading a book. Starfire isn't anywhere in sight, but her voice is heard as she shouts, "Silkie, no! Do not ingest my beloved gorka pipes!" Ignoring what the other Titans are doing, all of their eyes immediately shoot to Robin.

"Hey, Robin," says Aqualad. "You don't usually contact us. Is everything okay?"

The bird boy's demeanor, while not necessarily relaxed, doesn't appear stiff and rigid either. Based on his business-like facial expression, it couldn't be plainer that he contacted the Titans East to give them some sort of news. All of the Steel City Titans guessing this, they crowd closer to the large screen as he speaks.

"Hi, guys. And yes, everything's okay for the time being. I just thought that I'd call and give you a heads up on something; something that could turn out to be very important."

The five Titans exchange glances as Robin's demeanor darkens slightly. Apparently the West Titans are also curious at how the conversation will unfold, as the other males cease their bickering to look at the screen from their end. Raven and Starfire switch their gazes to the screen as well, the dark Titan peeking over the edge of her book and the Tamaranean flying into the shot with Silkie in one hand and alien bagpipes in the other. Not noticing the reactions of his teammates, Robin continues before any of the East Titans can reply.

"A couple weeks ago there was a large scale prison break at the Swarzberg Prison. Over fifty percent of the inmates got loose. We managed to round them up and get them back in their cells with Frostbite's help, but unfortunately there was one villain that we couldn't recapture."

"Yeah," says Beast Boy from his spot in the background, "the one that released all of the prisoners and attacked us with his creepy upgraded shadow monsters."

The moment they hear Beast Boy's words none of them has any doubts as to what villain they're talking about. Eyes widening to the size of saucers, Speedy is the first to make his shock known.

"Hold on. Is this Black Shadow you're talking about?! I thought you said he was locked up in a cell that was twenty levels underground with a level fourteen containment field and lasers surrounding it!" The archer exclaims.

"Swarzberg Prison has some of the tightest security in the country. It's supposed to be inescapable. How does a person break out of a prison like that?!" asks Bumblebee.

The Titans West leader remaining calm, he continues explaining. "We're not sure how he did it. Even with the new abilities he's gained, the level fourteen containment field should have been enough to hold him; but that doesn't matter anymore. The point is that Black Shadow escaped and that, even with our best efforts, he still managed to evade capture. Now he's on the loose and it's up to all of the Titans and the Justice League to keep an eye out for him."

Sounding incredibly surprised, it is Aqualad who responds. "The Justice League? Why are you getting them involved? Don't you think the Teen Titans can handle it?"

"Don't get the wrong idea. The Titans are completely capable of handling Black Shadow. The only reason I contacted them is because of where Black Shadow has been spotted in the weeks since his escape," says Robin, his demeanor darkening further. "Ten days ago he had a run-in with Green Arrow in Star City, and then a week after that he was seen in Gotham looking for a fight with Batman."

Once that last sentence reaches him, Speedy's ears perk up instantly. Apparently the news hits everyone else too, because all eyes turned in his direction. Even the Titans on the Jump City side of the screen gaze at him in curiosity. Not noticing the stares of his teammates or of the West Titans, the young archer speaks to Robin in astonishment.

"Black Shadow went after Green Arrow? Did he pull through okay?"

"He got a few bumps and bruises, but he's alright as far as I know." Pausing slightly, Robin adds, "But that's why we had to inform the Justice League. That way if Black Shadow tries attacking any more of them they know what they're in for. That's also why we're informing you. Somehow he made the cross-country trip from Star City to Gotham in the space of a week. Considering how close Gotham is to Steel City, I imagine that he could make it to you guys too."

Bumblebee gives a reassuring smile. "Thanks for letting us know. We'll be sure to keep an eye out." After a moment of hesitation, she adds, "By the way, I'm sorry he got away. With all five of you and Frostbite working together, I never imagined that you wouldn't be able to recapture him."

This time it is Cyborg who replies. "Yeah. We didn't think he'd get away either…"

"Especially not with Frostbite's awesome mega ice powers," adds Beast Boy from beside the metal man. Then, for the first time since they began speaking, Beast Boy nears the screen and scratches his head in mystification. His head tilted slightly to the side, he asks, "Uh…I don't mean to change the subject here, but when did Speedy join a motorcycle gang?"

Speedy doesn't say anything in response. Not because he doesn't want to, but because his voice would never be able to carry over the sound of his teammates' snickering. Feeling irritated, the young archer senses as his face reddens with irritation and as a vein begins popping. A few seconds later it is Aqualad who answers the green hero's question.

"Speedy didn't join a motorcycle gang. That's just what he wears to pick up girls," says the aquatic man teasingly.

"Yes, but it never actually works," adds Bumblebee between giggles. "The only thing it does is turn girls against him and get him labeled as a playboy."

Mas makes a remark of his own. "La chica no le gusta. Ella piensa que él es un idiota que le gustan las mujeres."

Crossing his arms, he glares at the other members of his team. "You know, for people who keep nagging me to be friends with Leila, you really aren't making it easy."

Arching a skeptical brow, Raven stares at them through the screen from her spot on the common room sofa. "Leila?" she asks in a dry monotone.

Her laughter dying down, Bumblebee explains. "Yes, Leila. She's a source that Speedy hooked the Titans East up with a couple days ago. Based on what she said when she called our extension number, she has crucial information on a criminal we're after. We're supposed to meet her at the seedy café where Speedy first ran into her. She said to wear civilian clothing so we don't stick out."

"In all honestly, we're not sure how well this is going to go. She and Speedy don't really get along. He made a pretty bad first impression at the café the other night," adds Aqualad.

Bee makes one last statement before letting the West Titans speak. "After the story Speedy told us, I'm surprised that she's willing to help us out at all."

Robin replies sounding a tad bit concerned. "You guys are having trouble capturing a criminal of your own? Who?"

"We're not sure who. He doesn't have a name. All we can say is that he's the most irritating thief Steel City has seen in a long time," replies Bee simply.

Understanding that the East Titans have their own criminal situation at hand, the Titans West leader gives a nod. "Okay. Since you have less than a half hour left until you meet this Leila girl, we won't hold you up. If you ever want to contact us, you know the frequency. Robin, out."

With that being said, the screen turns to black and the room goes silent. With the time now being six o'clock and with the café that they have to be at being on the other side of town, the room doesn't stay silent for long. Pushing up his sunglasses, Speedy turns to his teammates.

"We should get going. The café's a long way from the Tower, and you know we can't be late."

Damiana sits in a large secluded booth in the café's back corner, constantly going back and forth between looking at the door and reading a book she got from the library. She knows that she hasn't been here any longer than fifteen minutes. Yet, for a reason that she can't quite comprehend, it feels like it's been hours. Looking up from "To Kill a Mockingbird" once more, she glances at the clock rather than at the door. It's only twenty minutes after six. Thankfully there are still ten minutes left until she can officially start wondering if the Titans East will be a no-show. Finally recognizing the turmoil of her inner thoughts, Damiana gives a laugh.

"For crying out loud, Damiana!" the girl says internally. "So what if the Titans East don't show up? With your circumstances, it wouldn't be a bad thing if they didn't show up anyway. Honestly. You're a sixteen-year-old girl who is starving to death and always walking the borderline of being homeless. What group of famous superheroes would want to meet with a person like that?"

It is then that the bell above the door chimes loudly, causing Damiana's head to popup from her novel. Entering the café wearing civilian clothing, as if waiting for their cue, are the five members of the Titans East. If Damiana hadn't been expecting them or if she hadn't seen Speedy up close before, then she never would have been able to guess who they were. Without their uniforms they look like any other group of adolescents that stumbled across the café and walked inside out of curiosity. The way they look around the room as if deciding where to sit makes this seem even more the case. Of course, when Damiana spots Speedy's attire and sees how he performs an overly exaggerated "bad boy walk", the girl slaps a palm to her forehead. If she had any doubts that these were the Titans before, then all of them have just been quenched.

Shaking her head in disbelief, the girl addresses them. Or more specifically, she addresses Speedy. "I don't know if you're dressed like a biker out of a movie to annoy me or to try and make yourself stick out, but either way it's working."

Hearing her voice, all of the Titans turn in her direction. The four that she's never met before study her intently as if they're deciding whether or not she's the right person. The one that she has met, on the other hand, gives his trademark smirk before sauntering over to her booth. Knowing that this must be their girl, the rest of the Titans follow him without saying a word. Once they reach the table Speedy slides in so that he's directly across from her. The rest of them sit down as well, Aqualad and Bumblebee next to Speedy and Mas y Menos next to Damiana; although, they're much more hesitant about it than the redheaded archer.

Arms crossed over his chest in a smug fashion, Speedy is the first to speak. "I knew you would recognize me if I dressed like this. Nobody else believed me, so thanks for proving me right."

She struggles not to smirk back at him as she gives a response. "It would be impossible for me to not recognize you dressed like that. After what I witnessed the last time we were here, it fits your personality quite well."

It is here that his smug smirk turns into a frown. "You know, you're lucky I'm more dedicated to my job than to holding a grudge. I almost considered not showing up tonight."

Damiana arches a brow at his words, not feeling a tad convinced of what he's saying. When his teammates burst into giggles from their places around the table, the girl knows that he was only bluffing.

"What do you mean you weren't going to come?" says Aqualad with a laugh. "When Bee threatened to make you stay at the Tower you were on the verge of throwing a hissy fit!"

"You were the most determined to make it here out of all of us!" exclaims Bumblebee.

Damiana laughs along with them, enjoying meeting the other Titans already. The whole time Speedy sinks down into his seat, grumbling irritated words underneath his breath. A second later when their moment of laughter ends the Titan leader extends a hand.

"I'm Bumblebee, the leader of the Titans East. It's nice to meet you, Leila."

Damiana accepts the handshake enthusiastically. "Hi, Bumblebee. It's nice to meet you too."

The next to offer their hand is Aqualad, who gives her a friendly smile. "Hi, Leila. It's nice to finally meet you. Speedy has told us a lot."

Again Damiana returns the handshake, the whole time arching a curious brow. "Oh, really? Did he say anything good, or am I just that girl who snapped at him and his harem from the stage?"

"Actually, everything he said was about how you're the perfect person to help us find the criminal we're after," replies Aqualad sincerely. "At first we had our doubts that a girl he met randomly in a café would be helpful, but it ends out that Speedy was right."

"Sí," says one of the twins. "No sabemos cómo, pero estaba en lo cierto."

Having just remembered that the twins were there, Damiana turns and exchanges handshakes and multilingual greetings before turning back to Aqualad and Bumblebee. When she's facing them once more she notices that Speedy is sitting up straight, an inquisitive look on his face. The same expression paints over Aqualad's and Bumblebee's faces as well as the faces of Mas y Menos. Immediately Damiana is able to guess that they're ready to get down to business. After a small lapse in dialogue, Speedy is the first to talk.

His serious side taking over, he says, "So, is there any particular reason you contacted us in the middle of the night during a rainstorm?"

Biting her lower lip, Damiana gives a nod. "Yeah," she replies. "It was in the middle of the night during the rainstorm when I came across the thieves. I was on my way home from a late night babysitting job and I took a shortcut through the abandoned part of town. It's a lot quicker than the normal routes people use, so when I'm trekking back and forth across the city I'm in that part of town quite a bit. Anyway, that's where I was when the storm came. I was going to try and make it home, but decided to take shelter in one of the abandon buildings instead."

Before she can continue, Aqualad interrupts. "Hold on. Did you say one of the abandoned buildings? Does that mean there're a lot of them?"

Damiana gives a nod, not hesitating in the slightest. "Yeah. Like I said, it's the 'abandoned' part of town. There were a lot of factories and business there once, but most of the factories were outsourced to places like China and Mexico. The ones that weren't outsourced shut down because there weren't enough resources to keep them going. So, yeah, there are about four or five blocks filled with abandon buildings over that way."

"So is that where you ran into our criminal, then? In one of the abandon buildings?" asks Bee.

Again, the girl nods. "It took a while. A lot of aimless wandering and a lot of boredom, but we eventually came into contact. Or…I came into contact with them… I was kind of sneaking, so they didn't see me. It was tough getting out of there without getting caught, though, I'll give them that much."

Another moment passes them by, Speedy's eyes widening beneath his sunglasses. When he speaks the other Titans' eyes widen as well, immediately catching the exact nature of what she said.

"Wait a second…" he says contemplatively. "You've been saying 'them' and 'they'. As in, there is more than one criminal."

Expression dropping to one of nervousness, possibly even fear, Damiana goes deeper into her explanation. "Um… Well, yes. There is more than one robber. I only ran into two of them, but there could be more." The details of the criminals' conversation return to the girl in a flood, making her even more concerned than before. At last she continues. "Don't get the wrong idea. My goal here isn't to send you into panic mode. It's just that…this thing with the masked criminals…it's pretty serious. A lot more serious than I've been making it sound."

The fear in her features is much more apparent than Damiana originally thought, because the Titans' start looking much more concerned than they did a second ago. Knowing that what the girl witnessed must have been something major, they begin delving for details; all of the important details that she's left out until now.

"How serious are you talking? Is there a major theft operation going on?" asks Bumblebee.

"¿Qué has visto, señorita Leila?" inquires the twins in unison.

Gulping, Damiana explains. "No. There's no major theft operation. What I witnessed wasn't so much about the robberies themselves. While I was there I did some eavesdropping and it ends out that all of these thieves are working for someone. They kept talking about their 'boss' and about how this money is supposed to help buy parts to a machine." Pausing, she takes a deep breath before continuing. "Another thing they mentioned…probably the first thing I should have told you…is that once this machine is built he's going to use it to destroy the Teen Titans. I don't think it's just the Titans East he's after, either. Based on what they were saying, I think he wants to destroy all the Titans…"

Eyes widening to the sizes of saucers, they gape at the girl. While doing so they give a very loud "What?!" in unison. Damiana cringes, praying to the unknown deity that they actually believe her. She's poor, she's been homeless, and she appears wretchedly bony… If she met a person like that and they gave her this kind of news about a criminal, Damiana admits that she would struggle to believe that person. There's no doubt that she's about to run into some skepticism. Once Aqualad speaks this is proven to be true. He isn't harsh about it, but nonetheless his disbelief is plain.

"Wait a second. You're telling us that in the twenty-four hours after you met Speedy, you wandered into an abandon building, saw several heinous criminals, and discovered an evil plot against the Teen Titans just like that? That seems like an awfully convenient coincidence."

Narrowing her eyes at the girl, Bumblebee agrees with the aquatic man. "How do we know that you actually found this kind of evidence? Is what you're telling us true, or is this some sort of ploy so you can meet the Titans?"

Although she saw this coming, Damiana can't help but give a harsh laugh of disbelief. "You people honestly think that I would sink that low? I could be babysitting to get money for my rent right now! I could be out hanging flyers for more cleaning jobs!" Pausing, she adds, "Heck I could have been at home last night catching up on my sleep! I didn't have to call in the middle of the night to let you know that I found a major lead, and I certainly didn't have to take time out of my day to warn you about the dangerous criminal that's trying to destroy you. I could have easily pretended that I saw nothing and kept it all to myself, so you should count yourselves lucky."

The Titans exchange glances, unsure of how to respond to the girl's words. A moment later it is Bumblebee who finally replies. Luckily she sounds curious more than she does accusatory.

"If you have so much on your plate and really couldn't afford to help us, then why did you? It's like you said. You really didn't have to."

Shrugging, Damiana responds bluntly. "Simple. Steel City is where I live and it is the Teen Titans that help protect it. Sure I'm not too fond of the pimp sitting across from me who sent rabid fangirls to attack his teammate, but that doesn't mean that I'm about to let every last Titan get destroyed because of a bad first impression." After a moment of hesitation, she adds, "Also, I'm not about to let them keep what they stole, either. While they were talking, they mentioned checking on a secret underground room beneath the west corridor. Call me optimistic, but that's probably where all of the money and jewelry is hidden. If we can find a way to get down there and steal everything back, then there won't be any money for their boss' machine parts. If they can't build the machine, their plans will get set back and it will give you guys more time to find a way to stop this guy they work for."

Again the Titans exchange glances. When they look back at her, they do so with pleased smiles. Sure they still appear worried about the news she just gave them, but they're happy with Damiana nonetheless.

"You really thought this through, didn't you?" asks Speedy wearing a content smirk.

For the first time since meeting him, Damiana returns his smirk. "After running into two thieves in an abandon building in the middle of the night during a rainstorm, there's no doubt that I mulled over everything I witnessed. I mulled it over very thoroughly."

Crossing his arms, Aqualad speaks in concern. "I guess there's no waiting around anymore. Now that we know exactly what we're dealing with, this calls for a direct confrontation. We're never going to get anywhere otherwise."

Bumblebee nods in agreement. "My thoughts exactly. I think it's time for us to do some searching of our own." Turning to Damiana, she asks, "Leila, do you think you can show us where that building is at? You said you've been in that part of town a lot."

The Dabnodian agrees without hesitation. "Sure. It isn't a problem. Since I spent so much time in that building last night, I might even be able to guess where the west corridor is at."

Bumblebee smiles at her words. "Good. Thanks a lot."

Speedy, on the other hand, doesn't smile at all. He simply looks surprised. "Wait a second? You're coming with us? Why?! You don't have any powers, hero experience, or anything! If our bank robbers are there they could kill you!"

Damiana isn't the least bit worried at his panicked words. Instead she gives an amused laugh. "Speedy, there is absolutely no way that those people are going to kill me. I can defend myself a lot better than you think. Trust me."

An hour has passed since their meeting with Leila. Even so, their time with the girl is far from over. In less than thirty minutes they're supposed to meet her back in front of the café, and from there she is going to lead them to the abandoned building where she saw the criminals the night before. The Titans East have only returned to the Tower for a short while to change into their uniforms and grab something to eat. Leila, having stayed up late the night before and having worked the whole day through, returned to her home to get a sandwich and take a nap.

Of course, based on the bags that were under her eyes when they were speaking to her, Speedy is fairly certain that she's going to skip the sandwich and get straight to the nap. This is exactly what he's hoping for, too. If they're lucky, Leila might oversleep and miss their meeting. Having no super powers, no weapons at her disposal, and absolutely no hero experience, there is no way that this girl can come with them. If Leila goes with them to hunt these guys down, Speedy sincerely believes that she is going to get herself killed. How she didn't get herself killed the first time she ran into them, Speedy has no idea. She is either very good at sneaking or is just plain lucky. Either way, sneaking and luck won't suffice this time. Before they leave the Tower, this is exactly what he wants to convince his teammates of.

"If you're willing to let Leila come with us to fight dangerous criminals, then you're crazy! There is no way that she's going to be safe! I don't mean to sound like a pessimist, but if Leila is with us when we run into these guys, she's going to die."

The five Titans sit around the polished metal table, a box of pizza in between them. For once the pizza goes almost completely unnoticed. All of their focus is on the archer who they're doing their best to reason with. Being the Titan leader, it is Bee who does the most reasoning.

"This sounds very odd coming from you," says the winged woman. "You had complete faith in her yesterday. Now you sound like you think that she's a little woman who's going to get herself killed the moment she walks into the building."

"That's because today and yesterday have a completely different set of circumstances," Speedy replies. "I had faith in her because I knew that she could find useful information. She did, and that's great, but I thought that it would end there. I didn't know that she would insist on coming into the line of fire with us."

This time it is Aqualad who speaks. "Speedy, I'm glad that you're trying to think of Leila's safety, but you're forgetting two crucial facts. One is that we can't go without her because she's the only person who knows which building we're looking for. Not to mention that she also said that she might be able to help us locate the west corridor. Then the other fact, the one that you've been completely overlooking, is that she ran into the criminals all by herself last night and managed to escape from them unspotted. If she's able to do that, then who knows what else she's capable of?"

"Sneaking and fighting are not the same thing, you know. Anyone can hide from someone and not be seen. Kids do it all the time when they're playing hide and seek. Knowing how to fight, on the other hand, is very different. If we come into contact with these guys and a battle breaks out being able to hide and sneak around won't do her any good."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Bumblebee gives him a skeptical look. "Are you sure you're not underestimating Leila just a little bit? You told her the exact same things you're telling us, and all she did was laugh at you. Call it a hunch, but I think that she can probably fight every bit as well as we can."

Knowing that he's not getting anywhere and also understanding that he probably never will, Speedy hangs his head in defeat. "There's no convincing you guys, is there?"

Smiling smugly, Bumblebee gives a shrug. "No, not at all. Besides, if she actually couldn't fight, then she never would've agreed to lead us to the criminals' hideout in the first place."

So occupied are the three English-speakers with their debate that they don't notice as the hour grows later. The only time it comes to their attention is when Mas y Menos alert them.

"¡Se hace tarde!" one of them exclaims.

"¡Debemos irnos!" adds the other.

They turn to look at the clock upon hearing the twins' loud exclamations. Once they do their eyes widen slightly.

"They're right! We're supposed to meet Leila in twenty minutes! We need to go!" exclaims Bumblebee as she jumps up from her chair.

With that being said, the Titans rush out the door leaving over half of the pizza untouched. Speedy still doesn't think that Leila should go with them, but at this point it's no use arguing. He just hopes that if they have to fight anyone they'll be able to keep Leila safe in the process.

"This is the place? Wow. It doesn't look as creepy as I thought it would."

Damiana stands in front of the wide single-level building along with the Titans East. In the darkness and in the rain the girl remembers that the abandoned structure appeared very spooky. However, in the waning light of the late evening, it doesn't look nearly as frightening as it did the night before. With wooden boards nailed haphazardly over the double doors and graffiti covering the brick walls it certainly looks dumpy, but not exactly creepy. Of course, if they stay here once it starts getting dark, there's no doubt that this will change very quickly. It is because of that last thought that Damiana responds to Speedy's comment as she makes her way to a nearby window.

"Yeah, but that's only because we're here in broad daylight. If we were here in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm it would be a whole different story."

The Titans follow her toward the window without response and without hesitation. In a single swift motion Damiana manages to shove open the window and climb through to the inside of the building. Much to her surprise, the room is still incredibly dim even with the time of day. When Bumblebee climbs inside followed by Aqualad, then Speedy, and then Mas y Menos they notice the exact same thing. After scanning over the room their gazes shift to Damiana.

"Why is it so dark in here?" asks Bumblebee. "It shouldn't be with the sun still up."

Shoving her way past a tipped desk and broken chairs in order to get to the hallway door, the girl gives a shrug. "It could be because of the dirt coating the windows, but I don't think it really matters as long as we can make it to the west corridor and find the secret room they were talking about."

"True," agrees Bumblebee with a smile. "Let's go."

With that being said, they pursue Damiana and work their way toward the door. Once they reach it, they emerge into a dusty black corridor. While the room they were in previously was incredibly dim, there was still enough light to see by. Upon entering the hallway, however, it is discovered that there is almost no light at all. Besides the few slivers of light that filter in from the partially opened doors, the hallway is as black as pitch. For a moment Damiana doesn't do anything. She simply stands in place, contemplating whether or not she should light their path. After everything Speedy said back at the cafe about her not having powers and not being able to defend herself, the thought of revealing her fire powers is more than a little bit tempting. Of course, knowing that she shouldn't pull it out unless she has to, she turns to the dark personas of the Titans to speak.

"Uh…does anybody have a flashlight?"

It is then that two shining beams fill the room, one being held by Aqualad and the other being held by Menos.

"Sí," replies the twin. "Vinimos aquí preparados."

Damiana smiles and nods in response, though internally she's frowning. More than anything she was hoping to use her fire and show them that she isn't helpless. (In reality the only one she cares about proving this too is Speedy, but she doesn't admit that to herself). Then again, it doesn't honestly matter. If she has to break down and use her fire then she will, and if things go smoothly and she doesn't have to reveal her elemental abilities then she won't. As strange as it is, Damiana has to keep reminding herself that she shouldn't let the Titans know about her powers. The strange part of it is that she never would have considered showing anyone her powers a few days ago. It's truly amazing how much a person can change in just two days.

Doing her best to clear her thoughts, Damiana replies to Menos verbally. "Good. That certainly makes things easier."

With that being said, they start their trek through the dusty halls. The moment their journey begins Damiana instantly remembers where in the building they're located. Rather than entering inside through a window at the back of the building like she'd done the night before, they went in through a window not too far from the structure's front doors. Because of this, Damiana can easily tell that the main room she last saw the villains in is at the end of this hallway. They just have to go straight without turning off and they'll be there. Tucking a brown strand behind her ear, she reports this to the group of heroes behind her.

"I know exactly where we're at! This might not be as hard as I thought," she says with satisfaction. "Let's go!"

The group of them switches from walking to a slow-paced run at the comment. The whole time they're careful not to trip over any unseen objects. As they run, Speedy makes an inquiry.

"Where are you taking us? Did you just find out where the west corridor is at?"

"Not exactly," she replies as she continues moving, "but I do know where I saw the criminals at. Once we get there we should be able to figure out where the west corridor is based on that area. I remember the hallway they took, too, so that also helps."

A few seconds later they emerge from the little side hallway into the large main room with the receptionist desk, causing Damiana feel more satisfied than before. Ninety degrees to her right are the double doors that are boarded up from the outside, and ninety degrees to her left is another hallway. Considering its angle behind the receptionist desk, she hasn't a single doubt that this is the same hallway she was spying on the criminals from. She talks to her companions without facing them, attention still locked on the would-be receptionist area.

"When I was here last night they were talking by the receptionist desk. Once they finished their conversation they went down that hallway, so the west corridor must be in that direction."

Knowing where it is they have to go, they walk deeper into the receptionist area and head toward the indicated corridor. Damiana gives a miniscule grin, happy that she's actually being helpful to the Titans. She never planned on coming into contact with them, but since she has she might as well help them in any way she knows how. As long as she remembers to keep her powers secret and to not use them unless it's absolutely necessary, then she can say she had a successful evening. When Aqualad speaks a few seconds later, however, Damiana's smile shifts into an anxious frown.

"Guys. Look at the floor. It looks like something happened in here."

Once the words are out, Aqualad shines his flashlight on the floor near the walls and where they came from in front of the hallway. Running along the perimeter of the room in flawlessly straight lines are wide black scorch marks. The aged carpeting beneath the scorch marks has been charred to complete nothingness, leaving tiny smears of ash along with it. The moment Damiana spots it she struggles to avoid slapping herself. How could she possibly forget about the Master level technique she used to get out of here?! Sure the fire didn't burn down the room, but she should have known there would be at least a little bit of damage left. Her element is fire for crying out loud! Once the Titans begin conversing, her anxious frown deepens.

"No…" says Speedy in surprise. "There's no way… Are those burn marks?!"

"¿Como sucedió esto?" Menos wonders aloud.

"¿Hubo un incendio?" Adds Mas.

Bumblebee moves closer to the aquatic man and snatches the flashlight from him. Once she has it, she shines it on the floor's center and then moves it slowly upward along the walls. She arches a brow as she does this, appearing both curious and confused.

"Why are the scorch marks only near the edges of the floor and not anywhere near the middle? Now that I'm looking, there aren't any burn marks on the walls either. Whatever fire it was, it doesn't look like it was normal."

The rest of the Titans move closer to their leader and view what it is she's referring to. Going off of their stances and facial expressions, they're every bit as puzzled by the sight as Bee.

"You know, based on how straight and even the marks are, it doesn't even look like the fire was spreading. It looks like it was staying in one place the whole time," says Speedy as Menos shines his light back down at the scorch marks.

"How is that even possible? I'm from the ocean, and even I know that fire is supposed to spread," says Aqualad. After a slight pause he continues. "Maybe this has something to do with that machine that the mastermind behind the robberies is inventing. They could have been testing out a prototype of some sort before Leila ran into them."

The Titans turn toward her at the mention of her name, all of them eyeing her curiously. Not knowing what else to do, Damiana rubs her upper arm and nibbles her lower lip awkwardly. Having no idea what to say she stays quiet. At least until Bumblebee speaks, that is.

"Is Aqualad's theory true, Leila? Did the criminals have anything with them that looked like some kind of doomsday device?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Damiana shakes her head slowly. "No… Not really… To be honest, I don't think that the criminals have anything to do with the scorch marks…"

"Really?" asks Aqualad. "Then who does? Somebody had to do this."

Turning her back to them, Damiana heads in the direction of the needed hallway. "Look. It doesn't really matter, okay? Let's just find the west corridor and forget about it."

Sadly, before the girl can get too far, one of the Titans steps directly in her path of travel. Unsurprisingly, this Titan is none other than Speedy. He stands tall with his back straight, a firm expression painting over his features. This alone is enough to tell Damiana that he has no intention of letting her past. Sighing, she shoots the archer an intense glare.

"Get out of my way, Speedy. There are a lot of hallways in that direction, and we need to start searching. If we don't, then finding the west corridor could take us all night."

"No," Speedy replies firmly. "I'm not letting you get past me. We don't know what made those burn marks, and whatever it is could be back there. If it is and we run into it, you won't have any way to defend yourself. I'm sorry, but this is a job for the Teen Titans."

Arms crossed solidly over her chest, Damiana shakes her head at him in disbelief while giving a harsh laugh. "You have absolutely no faith in me, do you? I have been on my own for the past five years, I spent four-and-a-half of those years' homeless, and the only person who's been providing for me is me. If I can survive on the streets for four-and-a-half years, then I can walk down the hall of an abandoned building without getting myself killed."

Speedy's firm expression lessens slightly, shock taking its place. Damiana has no doubt that the shock is due to the confession she made about being homeless. Giving an irritated sigh, Damiana rolls her eyes before shoving past him.

"Now please get out of my way. I came here to help, and I'm not letting some macho redhead in tight pants stop me."

The moment she walks past him the shock vanishes and the firm expression returns. Of course, Damiana doesn't notice this until he steps in front of her once more. Like before, the other Titans don't intercede. They simply stand back and watch the scene play out.

"Look," says Speedy, "I know you're tough and I know you're smart; that's not a hard thing to figure out. But I'm still not letting you through. These are hardcore criminals we're going to be up against, and I just don't think you'll be safe."

Rolling her eyes once more, Damiana sighs in defeat. Not because Speedy is the one that defeated her, but because she has finally given in to the burning impulse that has been driving her nuts all evening. Shooting daggers at him, the girl speaks boldly.

"Okay, fine," she seethes in irritation. "Do you really want to know where those scorch marks on the floor came from? Is the desire to know eating you up that badly?"

Speedy isn't the one that responds. Instead, the answers come from behind her.

"It's eating me up that badly!" Aqualad shouts in confession.

Mas y Menos reply in unison. "¡Sí! ¡Sí!"

Taking this as the archer's answer, Damiana shifts into a more solid stance and gets into a position facing the wall. "Okay, then. I don't want anything to hit you, so stand back."

Peeking over at him, she notices the concerned look on his face. "Stand back? For what?"

Her answer is simple. "Stand back and I'll show you."

Putting his hands in the air in surrender, Speedy backs up so that he's next to the other Titans. The moment he's out of her range, Damiana takes a deep breath and focuses her energy on conjuring her fire. Luckily conjuring her fire takes less than an instant. Before the Titans have a chance to blink, let alone wonder what it is she's going to do, two long streams of fire are released from the palms of her hands. They're aimed directly at the brick wall, charring the bricks so that they're completely black. Luckily, the fire doesn't seem to do any damage besides that.

It takes roughly ten seconds, but eventually Damiana allows her fire to dissipate. She gazes at the fire's results, impressed with how her streams of fire left two perfect circles. In all her years she's never been able to draw a perfect circle with a pencil and paper, but somehow the circles her fire streams create always look flawless. Except for the tiny indentations in the middle, that is... Shoving a strand of false brown hair out of her eyes, Damiana turns around to face the Titans. Their eyes are as wide as disks and their jaws have dropped practically to the ground. Of course, she doesn't care about the rest of the Titans' reactions. The only one she cares about is Speedy. Raising a skeptical brow, she walks over to him slowly.

"Still think that I can't defend myself? It's true that I don't use my fire too often, and maybe I'm a little rusty, but I can still fight if someone crosses me. I'm not nearly as helpless as you think."

Crossing his arms over his chest and pointing his gaze to the ground, Speedy's face turns a bright shade of scarlet. "Well, yeah, I know that now! How was I supposed to know that you can shoot fire out of your fingertips like Azula's twin sister?!"

Shrugging, Damiana replies with an awkward smile. "Actually, you weren't supposed to find out about my powers at all; none of you were. The only reason I showed you is so you don't think you have to protect me." Pausing, she adds, "But in all other cases, I avoid using my powers as much as I can. When people find out that I can use fire it usually gets very dramatic very quickly."

"Dramatic?" asks Aqualad curiously. "What do you mean by that?

Again she shrugs. "Oh, nothing much. I was run out of a town by an angry mob once, a woman tried calling in the marines to detain 'the horrible fire creature' (even though I only used my fire to roast marshmallows for her children), and then there was an old man who tried to shoot me because he thought I was a witch. So, yeah. People aren't exactly fond of my powers. They think its…weird…"

To her surprise, none of them glares at her or continues to gape at her. Instead they smile, almost appearing pleased that they've learned about her hidden abilities. A few seconds later Bumblebee walks over and places a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be like that. Remember, you're talking to a winged girl that can shrink, twins that can run super fast, and a guy in a unitard that can talk to sea creatures. When you're with us, there's nothing weird about you." She gives the girl one final smile before turning and waving to the rest of her team. "Now come on and let's get moving. We'll never find what we're looking for if we keep standing around."

A/N: Well, that's it for now. Again, the chapters I lost will take me a while to rewrite, but I will still do my best to get more of this story posted. Out of everything I've ever written, this story excites me the most! It has been a long time since I have been this in love with a story! Though I still do write for Naruto, so remember that this isn't my only story. Most often I work on two different stories at a time. Now that my first Naruto story, "The Hidden Truth", is finished, I'm going to be putting some effort into finishing my reader inserts, and of course I'll be working on this story "Firelight" which I love very much!

Until next time, my friends! And just so you know, there is a big fight scene coming up next chapter, so stay tuned! :)

Forever and Always,

OCQ