A/N: Welcome to Part One: Chapter Nine of "Firelight"! The fight scene may be over, but this chapter is interesting to say the least. As a bit of forewarning, lot of interesting things happen in this chapter. I hope that you like it! :)
P.S.: I would like to thank those of you who have commented! I really appreciate the feedback! :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
Part I: Inception: Chapter Nine
Jump City
Later That Night
For a superhero, Frostbite's place of residence isn't big. Instead of living in a big and flashy Tower like the Teen Titans, the water user lives in a small apartment in the suburban part of Jump City. This neighborhood isn't poor, but it isn't wealthy either. It's quiet, middle class, and the neighborhood very rarely sees any trouble. To Frostbite, the section of town he lives in is nothing less than perfect.
What is the best part to the young man? What he likes the most is that when he's in his apartment alone with the door bolted shut, he doesn't have to be "Frostbite". Rather, the pony-tailed hero gets to call himself by his birth name; Saeran. His official title used to be "Saeran of the Fire Phoenix, Royal Squire of Planet Dabnod", but he hardly thinks of himself that way anymore. Dabnod is gone, he is most likely the only member of the Royal Guard left alive, and with the loss of his planet, the fact that he is from the Fire Phoenix clan is no longer important. Therefore, when he is alone, he is simply Saeran.
Unfortunately for Saeran, tonight is one of the many nights where his dreams are filled with the loveliest sort of torture. Some nights he will fall asleep dreaming that he is back on Dabnod in his family's little cabin at the top of the purple, grassy, hill. He will wake up in his old bed next to the window that faces toward the pond at the hill's bottom. After waking up, he will get dressed in his tight black pants, green tunic, and hook the belt around his waist that contains their clan's symbol; a majestic fire phoenix with outstretched wings. Then, once he's dressed, he will go into the main room for breakfast with his family.
Once in the main room he will give Mama a hug before accepting the morning meal of fresh starberry cream from her. Over breakfast he will ask Mama about how work at the Palace is going and if Queen Guayusa is doing well. His mother always responds in the positive, her lengthy hair coloring a happy shade of gold and her eyes turning amber. Following his conversation with Mama, Saeran will then turn to his beloved baby sister. Damiana always had so many stories to tell.
Every morning at breakfast, Damiana's hair would turn a lovely shade of rose red and her eyes would turn soft pink. Those were always the colors they would turn when she was at her happiest. She always had a new story to tell them about. A story she'd read in some new foreign language she'd learned from a far off planet on the other side of the galaxy. Other times it would be a story native to Dabnod that she told he and Mama about. Of course, it was never a story told in the modern language. They were always written in dead languages thousands of years old that the Palace scribes couldn't begin to decipher!
His little sister was a true Dabnodian prodigy, that is for certain. Where it took him three months to master the English language spoken on Earth, it took Damiana two weeks to learn it fluently. For dead languages that took the Palace's most talented scribes a year to decipher, they took Damiana only a couple of months. And don't even get him started on her talent with their clan's dominant element! Damiana became such a prodigy with her fire that their father and the head of the clan nicknamed her The Queen of the Fire Phoenix!
"It has been a long time since the Fire Phoenix clan saw a child this talented," said their father only a few months before his death. "With her skill, she could one day be Dabnod's next Great Queen!"
Of course, Damiana never did pay her talent much attention. More than anything, Saeran's baby sister viewed her skills as something convenient and something to have fun with. They were simply a part of her. Every morning at breakfast, both in Saeran's dreams and in what was once real life, the girl always managed to express this over the table. If not through tales she'd learned in other languages, then by telling about a new technique she'd mastered using her fire.
Damiana was always such a happy child, and he and Mama were always happy to listen to her. They were always happy to listen to him, too. Admittedly, he had his own share of stories. He had stories of intense training that he'd gone through, tales of war that he'd heard from the more seasoned Knights, and stories of quests that he'd gone on with his fellow knights-in-training. When it came to the quests, Saeran remembers telling about he and his friend, Adriel, most of the time. They'd gotten into so much trouble together as children! It's no wonder it took them so long to move up the ranks from Pages to Squires…
Currently, Saeran is having another breakfast dream. In this one, he is telling one of his many stories about he and his friend, Adriel. By the way he remembers, the dream he's having was once an actual conversation. He must have been about twelve years old at the time.
"…and after he buried him with his mud, it took us three hours to dig Master Urrvink out! Adriel would have gotten him out by pushing the dirt out of the ground, but Master Urrvink was afraid that he would accidentally crush him. He didn't want me to use my water to get him out, either, because he didn't want me to freeze him. Apparently me and Adriel don't have good enough control over our heart energy yet. That's why we're going to the courtyard today is to train some more."
Mama, who is busily stirring buttercup powder into her starberry cream, gives an irritated sigh as her hair turns a dangerous shade of midnight blue. "Honestly, Saeran! If I had a say in the matter, I would keep you and that boy, Adriel, separated! Together you're nothing but trouble!"
Swallowing a mouthful of his food nervously, Saeran shrugs with uncertainty. "We don't mean to do things like that, Mama. We just kind of…end up…in those situations."
Narrowing her sharp, dark blue gaze at him, Mama eyes him skeptically. "Right. I bet burying your Knight Master up to his chin in mud and griffin manure was a complete accident! Just like that incident last week when one of the Queen's courtiers found a nest of hatching sky serpent eggs in her wardrobe!"
Before remembering to process his words, Saeran responds in anger. "Hey, that jerk lady insulted Adriel's sister! She had it coming!"
Again, Mama gave a sigh. "I should have held off on giving you your belt with our clan symbol. Maybe your father was wrong, and you're not mature enough to wear it yet."
Offended by his mother's words, Saeran's eyes widen. "Hey, that isn't true! If Dad said that I get to wear the Fire Phoenix, then I should get to wear it! Besides. It's not like you would hold off on giving Damiana her arm cuff."
Suddenly Mama's hair lightens to a shade of pale blue along with her eyes as she smiles at her son knowingly. "Yes, but Damiana doesn't go around causing trouble, either. When she gets her Fire Phoenix cuff when she turns twelve, I'm certain that she will have earned it."
At last, after a lengthy period of silence, Damiana speaks. For once her hair isn't red, but instead it is green with confusion.
"Mama, why does Saeran get the belt? Can't I have one too? I don't want the arm cuff."
Again, Mama chuckles. "I already told you, Dami. You can't have the belt. The belt with the Fire Phoenix is for Saeran because he's a boy. When girls are old enough to start wearing their clan symbol, they wear theirs on a metal cuff on their upper arm. That's just how it is."
Her hair greener than before, Damiana asks, "When can I wear my Fire Phoenix arm cuff, then? I want to wear our clan symbol like Saeran!"
Amused by her daughter's enthusiasm, Mama smiles at her gently. "You can wear your arm cuff when you turn twelve the same as your brother. Age twelve is when you're officially old enough to become a member of the clan. You're much too young right now, Damiana."
Pouting slightly, she gave a disappointed nod. "Okay. I can wait. I really don't want to, though."
Getting up from her chair, Mama walks over to the pot on the stove top where the starberry cream is sitting. Based on how she is gripping the handle, she is prepared to offer more food to anyone who wants it. Before she gets the chance, however, deafening beeping is heard. At first Saeran is afraid that it is a warning signal to let him know that the Tamaraneans are invading, or Master Urrvink using his bell to time him and Adriel on some sort of training exercise. It is only as the ringing persists that Saeran is brought back to reality.
Sitting straight up in his bed with limbs tangled up in the covers, Saeran sees that he isn't in his old bed. Neither is this his room that faces the pond at the bottom of the purple hill. Instead Saeran is lying in his twin-sized bed inside of his small apartment room located in Jump City. Outside of the window isn't a tall grassy hill, but buildings and the busy street below. Like every other time he wakes up in this reality, Saeran feels like sitting in his bed for an hour and crying bitter tears.
Of course, once the Dabnodian man peeks over at his bedside table, he realizes that there isn't any time for that. Shoving a strand of long hair dyed blonde out of his face, Saeran sees that the time is currently twelve o'three AM. Sitting beside his digital alarm clock is his yellow Titan communicator, which is currently beeping frantically. At the sight, he quickly untangles his limbs from the sheets and reaches his bare upper torso toward the bedside table. Releasing a yawn, Saeran makes sure that he is speaking English and not Dabnodian before picking up the communicator.
"Hello, you have reached Frostbite's twenty-four-hour emergency hotline. We are happy to service you at this convenient hour of midnight. How may I direct your call?" the young man yawns into the communicator with sarcasm.
On the other end is Robin, his hair messed up from sleep. Nonetheless, despite the lateness of the hour, the bird boy has never sounded more awake. Or troubled for that matter…
"Hi, Frostbite. I'm sorry to wake you up so late, but you need to come to the Tower right now. The Titans East just contacted us. It ends out that they have news about Black Shadow." Concern filling every ounce of his persona, he adds, "I know that you don't want to hear it, but you're a Titan just as much as my team, so you need to hear what the Titans East have to say. It's important."
Steel City: Titans East Tower
Meanwhile…
Bumblebee stands in the common room in front of the table where the small, metal, device sits innocently. She just finished contacting Robin, telling him to get in touch with Frostbite, wake up the rest of his team, and that she will contact him again as soon as the rest of her own team shows up. Besides Mas y Menos who have fallen asleep on the sofa, Bee is the only one who is here at the moment. The whole time she stares at the semi-circular machine that Black Shadow gave them in a mixture of fear and curiosity, wondering what on Earth the device could be.
"Whatever it is, it can't be anything good," Bee says to herself aloud. "We'll have to tell the Titans West everything that happened, and get Sparky over here to take a look at it. If anyone can figure out what this machine is for, it's him."
The machine's blue stripes and silver buttons twinkle up at her as if challenging her to a staring contest. Losing the money they were supposed to return and letting Black Shadow escape is bad enough already. This machine and those endless robots of his only make their situation harder. Not to mention that he declared war on the hero world.
Bee sighs as she speaks to herself yet again. "I don't think anything can happen to make this day more of a challenge."
Then, as if the fates are against her, that is when she hears the doors to the common room's main entrance slide open. Her initial concern upon Speedy's and Aqualad's return is that they will come back without Leila. Based on what she has heard about her from Speedy and on what she's seen of the girl herself, there's no doubt that getting Leila to come back to the Tower is a difficult task. If anything, Bumblebee was partially expecting them to walk in without her, and to say that she ran off after the fight never to be seen by any of them again.
It is due to these assumptions that what she actually sees when they pass through the common room entrance surprises her to no end. First Aqualad enters, wearing a deep frown of concern. A few feet behind him is Speedy, who appears nothing but distraught. Certainly enough Leila is with them, but she is completely passed out in Speedy's arms. The girl is limp and incredibly pale, the archer supporting her head of strewn brown hair in the crook between his chest and his upper arm. His opposite arm holds Leila under the crooks of her knees, making it known that he is being very careful not to drop her.
Brown eyes the size of saucers, Bumblebee takes to the air and rushes toward them. Like Aqualad and Speedy, she is no doubt alarmed at the sight of their new friend.
"Oh my gosh! What happened to Leila?! Did Black Shadow's robots do this to her?!"
Descending the stairs and heading in the direction of the lengthy sofa, Speedy doesn't hesitate to explain. "They did, but indirectly. When she uses fire, Leila is the robot destroying queen who can feel no pain. It ends out that it's not the same thing when she uses lightning, though. She was able to take out every robot in the building with her lightning, but unfortunately whenever she uses it, this happens." Setting her down gently on the end of the couch opposite from Mas y Menos, he adds with irritation, "She never told me about the side effects when she suggested using it, though."
Brown eyes remaining wide, Bee watches as Leila unconsciously snuggles into the couch. At this point her skin is regaining some of its color, and her breathing is becoming deep and even. Not only that, but she looks as though she's very comfortable on the Titan's sofa. When her deep even breathing turns into soft snoring, the fact that she is comfortable is a reality rather than a presumption.
The sight of Leila sleeping peacefully relieves the three Titans immensely. She may be unconscious, but at least they know that she isn't in pain and that she will wake up unharmed.
Growing calmer, Bumblebee speaks out once more. "I guess Black Shadow wasn't lying when he told us that Leila's the one who took down the robots. It's no wonder she was knocked unconscious. Destroying all of those robots at once probably takes a lot of energy." Pausing slightly, she adds, "It's amazing that lightning is the only thing that does this to her. Leila's fire really doesn't hurt her?"
Crossing his arms over his chest, Speedy responds while gazing at the fire user's sleeping form. "No, it doesn't. The way Leila explained it to me is that her fire is a part of her that comes naturally. Since it's a part of her, her body doesn't fight her when she uses it. The reason her body fights lightning is because it isn't naturally a part of her, and it's trying to get rid of it." Scratching his head awkwardly, he adds, "It's something like that, anyway. She told me about it the best she could, but I'm still not sure I get it. I don't have crazy powers like she does, so it's probably hard for me to understand."
Once that is said, a moment of silence passes. Each of them continues staring at Leila with interest, wondering how she's going to react when she wakes up. Though none of them says it aloud, each of them knows that she never intended on getting in this deep with them. If one thing is for certain, it's that her life has most likely turned completely upside down in the three days since she has met Speedy. In a way, they feel bad that she had to get pulled into this horrific situation.
After a long moment of observing the girl, Bee speaks to the men standing on either side of her.
"I don't think she's waking up anytime soon, so we shouldn't just leave her on the couch. Let's give her some privacy, and put her in my room for the night."
Confused by her statement, Aqualad asks, "Your room? Can't we just put together one of the guest rooms?"
The winged girl gives a shrug. "We could, but all that's in any of the guest rooms are bare mattresses, and I don't feel like digging around in the downstairs closet for sheets and blankets. If she decides to stay, then we can put together a room for her tomorrow. Once we're through relaying all of our information to the Titans West, I'll sleep on the couch."
Understanding what she's saying, the duo nods. Meanwhile, she gives her orders.
"Aqualad, take Leila and help me get her to my room. Speedy, you can put Mas and Menos in their beds. I don't think that either of them will make it there on their own."
Stretching his arms over his head, the archer complies. "Okay, will do. I can definitely say that I've gotten my workout today. Who needs barbells when you have humans?"
Nobody replies to Speedy's remark. Instead Aqualad takes Leila in his arms in the same fashion that Speedy did earlier. Similarly, Speedy picks up the twins with one of them in each arm. It's a good thing that he works out, because even at a first glance it's easily seen that both of the twins together are heavier than Leila is.
Each of them with their respective people in their arms, they head off to the part of the Tower where the bedrooms are located. As they pass through the kitchen to the double doors, however, Aqualad and Bumblebee note as Speedy pauses. A curious expression on his face, he turns toward the table that contains the semicircular machine of black, blue, and silver. Having no idea what he's looking at, the redhead gazes up at his teammates.
"Bee, Aqualad, what the heck is that thing?"
Nibbling her lower lip anxiously, Bumblebee turns away from him and continues walking toward the sliding metallic doors that lead out of the common room. Even so, she still manages a response.
"It's nothing good, I can tell you that. We'll talk more about it once we make contact with the Titans West. For now, let's just take care of Mas, Menos, and Leila."
Brow furrowed, Speedy turns away from the table and follows. Nonetheless, he still asks another question.
"Can you at least tell me where you got it? I'm kind of in the dark, here."
Sighing, Bumblebee gives a short and clipped answer. "Black Shadow gave it to us as a way to taunt us. He said that he wants to go to war with the Titans and the Justice League."
It amazes Speedy how carrying the twins down the hall to their bedrooms was more strenuous than carrying Leila several miles across town to the Tower. Either he was very distracted during the across-town hike and didn't notice her weight, or the girl is practically a walking skeleton. Considering how all of his thoughts were on Leila while he was carrying her, this archer would place his bet on the latter. Sure the girl is tough as nails and knows how to survive on her own, but choosing to starve to death instead seeking help is crossing the line.
"Hopefully she won't freak out too bad when she wakes up… It would do her good to stay for breakfast…" says the archer to himself.
As he looks over at Bumblebee who is busily typing codes into the keyboard of the main console, however, all thoughts of the bony fire user immediately vanish. With Aqualad standing next to him holding Black Shadow's blue, black, and silver machine with the buttons, Speedy's mind instantly returns to the situation at hand. There's a madman on the loose who declared war on the hero world. Not only that, but somehow the machine Aqualad is holding contains all the answers.
"Right," says Speedy internally. "It looks like Leila will have to wait for a bit."
Directly after the thought, Bumblebee finishes typing and bright white letters flash across the screen. They spell out: "Connecting". As their Tower busily connects to the Titans West's frequency, Speedy uses this opportunity to question his teammates. Whatever he missed while he was separated from them must have been very important; especially if they're contacting their friends on the west coast in the middle of the night.
Brows arched beneath his mask, he turns so that he's facing both Aqualad and their team's leader. "Out of curiosity, when you say that Black Shadow threatened war on the hero world, was he serious or was he playing mind games? Black Shadow does that, you know."
Speedy does the best he can to hide his nervousness, but ultimately fails. Even so, this doesn't matter too much. In truth, the winged girl and the aquatic Titan are just as unnerved as he is. Considering how they were present during the madman's threat, this applies even more so.
Meanwhile, it is Aqualad who replies. "Speedy, even if you weren't there for all of it, you know just as much as we do that Black Shadow is serious. He escaped from the Swarzberg Prison. He's been popping up in Justice League cities all over the country. He made in-depth replicas of the cities, and tested his robots on us. The evidence is there."
Turning away from the console's screen in order to face him, Bumblebee adds, "The robots are just the beginning. There's also that machine he gave us, too. The fact that he's planning our destruction is obvious. The only thing that isn't obvious is how he's planning on doing it."
Speedy doesn't have time to reply to his teammate's statements. A second later their Tower connects to the Titans West's frequency, the face of an awake and completely alert Robin on the screen. Directly beside him is the masked man with the ponytail, clad in white and icy blue. Much like Robin, Frostbite is awake and ready for action. Of course, after giving the screen a second glance, it appears that they're the only ones.
In the background, curled up on one end of the couch while snoring softly, is Starfire. Cuddled up in her arms is Silkie, who is also sleeping. Sprawled out across the sofa's opposite end and snoring much more loudly, is Cyborg. In the middle of the sofa is Beast Boy, his feet laying across Cyborg's lap, and his head and arms snuggled into Raven's midsection. The green Titan hugs Raven around the waist tightly, looking very comfortable. The whole time Raven works to pry his arms off of her, the dark girl grumbling drowsily.
The trio of East Titans quirk their brows at the sight, paying more attention to the background than to Robin and Frostbite. Meanwhile, as they gawk, the Boy Wonder addresses them.
"Hi, Bumblebee. I got Frostbite over here, and woke up the rest of my team. We're alert and ready to hear whatever news you have to give us about Black Shadow." Turning to face his team, he raises his voice. "Right, Titans?!"
Upon hearing Robin's shouts, the teens are instantly awoken from their slumber. Starfire shoots into the air with her emerald eyes wide with surprise, accidentally tossing Silkie across the room. Cyborg wakes up as well, scurrying to his feet in a frenzy. This causes Beast Boy to fall to the ground due to the position of his feet on Cyborg's lap, forcing Raven to fall with him. When Beast Boy ends up on top of her, the dark girl doesn't hesitate to use her dark energy to send him flying much like Silkie.
Frostbite and Robin watch the scene as well as the Titans East. The only person who gets any amusement from the sight is Frostbite, who smirks slightly while speaking to them.
"I guess my middle of the night dash across the city is nothing compared to the dreaded hike from your bedrooms to the common room. A journey that causes so much exhaustion must be truly painful."
"Not as painful as fighting robots for half the night and almost running out of arrows," adds Speedy from the screen's other side. "You should try it sometime. It really tests your endurance."
Rubbing his human eye tiredly, it is Cyborg who replies to him. "Sorry, Speedy. We were waiting a long time for Bee to contact us, and I guess we got tired. It is twelve-thirty in the morning."
"It's three-thirty in the morning over here," states Aqualad bluntly. Then he adds with a shrug, "But I guess that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is telling all of you what happened tonight."
Beast Boy, who walks back on screen while rubbing his head tenderly, speaks for everyone on the Titans West side of the screen with his inquiry. "What exactly happened when you guys fought Black Shadow? If you're contacting us in the middle of the night, then it must be majorly bad."
"'Majorly bad' is an understatement, replies Speedy. "Black Shadow wasn't messing around in Steel City like he was in Gotham. We fought these special robots he invented, and they were no joke. If it hadn't been for Leila, I wouldn't have made it out of there. I'm not sure if any of us would have."
Surprise crossing his features, it is Robin who replies. "Leila? The source you left to meet with earlier? She was with you?"
Giving a single nod, Bumblebee confirms Speedy's statement. "Yep. She was with us until the end. Finding the hideout, fighting the robots, working together with Speedy to help take them down, all of it was Leila."
"It ends out that she's more than just a source. She has superpowers, too." Pausing, Aqualad adds, "Not to mention, Leila also seems to have plenty of fighting experience; she didn't even flinch when Black Shadow showed up."
Despite the seriousness of the conversation they're having, Speedy gives a smile as he explains further. "You're right when you say that she has fighting experience. She can tear apart five robots at once like they're plastic toys. She's feisty when she fights! Then again, I guess Leila is always feisty…"
Apparently it is realized that they're getting off topic, because Bumblebee quickly works to reroute the conversation. In a way, Speedy is thankful. He doesn't want to think too much about the sleeping girl when there is a maniac on the loose, and he can tell that neither does Aqualad.
"Don't get me wrong. It's a good thing that Leila was there, but it doesn't matter too much in the grand scheme of things." Hesitating momentarily, Bumblebee moves in Aqualad's direction and gently takes the machine from him. "Black Shadow's robots might be gone, but Black Shadow isn't. Right after Leila and Speedy beat his insane robots, he came out of hiding and told me, Aqualad, and Mas y Menos that he declares war on the hero world."
If the six heroes on the opposite end of the screen weren't awake before, then they certainly are now. Eyes wide with a mixture of fear and surprise, those who were previously loitering in the background move closer to the screen. Bumblebee's words hit them like a bucket of ice water. At this moment in time, Speedy can honestly say that he has never seen a group of superheroes more awake.
"He wants to go to war with us?! Dude, are you serious?!"
"Did Black Shadow mean it when he said that, or was he playing mind games?" Cyborg inquires fearfully. "Remember, one of his main tricks is messing with our heads."
"He's messing with our heads, Sparky, but not in the way you're talking about," Bee replies sounding downcast. "When he said that he wants to start a war against the heroes, he was nothing but serious. The thing with Black Shadow is that this isn't going to be a normal fight. He's out for revenge, and this whole war he's creating is one big revenge scheme."
Bumblebee pauses momentarily. As she hesitates in speaking, Aqualad takes over.
"The exact way he put it is that he's been plotting revenge for a long time now, but that it's going to take a while for his plans to come together. He also said that the war he's challenging us to is one that requires strategy and intelligence. According to him, only one of us will be left standing by the time this is all over." This time it is Aqualad's turn to hesitate. When he continues, bone-chilling dread is seen in his eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that he's planning on picking us off one-by-one like the Brotherhood of Evil tried to do. Only, this is going to be different from that situation. He's targeting the Justice League, too, so this is on a larger scale."
For the first time since returning to the Tower, Speedy is finally starting to understand the real depth of the situation. Out of all the villains he's faced, the Brotherhood of Evil leaves him with the worst memories. Being hunted down, captured like a helpless child, and ending up frozen like some kind of victory trophy is something that he never wants to experience again. Knowing that his friends were being captured and taken out the same as him made him feel more helpless than he'd ever felt before in his life.
The only thing that could ever compare to how helpless he felt while being captured by the Brotherhood of Evil and their cronies, was what it was like shortly after he split from Green Arrow. Being twelve years old and on the streets with nowhere to go is hard. There is no feeling more terrifying than wondering if someone is going to kill you while you're sleeping on the park bench, or if that day is the day you're going to starve to death or overdose. No kid should ever have to go through that…
Knowing where his thoughts are going, Speedy puts them to a halt then and there. Those days are over, as are the days where he was captured by the Brotherhood of Evil. He is a Teen Titan and one of the world's heroes. A new threat has arisen; one larger than the previous threats he has dealt with. Even if the thought is terrifying, he's going to have to face potentially being taken out by Black Shadow just like he had to face it with the Brotherhood of Evil. He is a superhero, after all.
Meanwhile, as Speedy is pulled back to reality, he hears as Bumblebee speaks once more.
"Even if Black Shadow likes to play mind games, it isn't a game this time. He's already making plans to eliminate the heroes. He might've said that his plans are going to take a while, but I think all of us know that his first major attack is already coming sooner than we're ready for."
An odd type of understanding filling his tone, it is Robin who replies to her. "He declared war on us, Bee. No matter how long his plans take, I don't think that we're ever actually going to be 'ready'. All we can really do is get prepared, and when the time comes, we need to be willing to fight to the end." Pausing, he adds slowly, "If anyone should know this, it's the Titans West. Before the Brotherhood of Evil, our little team had to stand up against Slade and against Trigon."
Finally opening her mouth to speak, it is Raven who adds to Robin's statement.
"We weren't ready to fight them, but we sacrificed everything and fought them anyway. Now, we're going to have to come together so we can handle Black Shadow the same way."
Looking at each and every one of the heroes on the other side of the screen, Bumblebee replies to them while giving a small smile. "That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say. Who better to call in a tough situation than our friends from the west?" Hesitating slightly, the winged girl holds up the metallic machine given to them by the villain as she continues. "I know this is a lot to ask, but I was wondering if the Titans East could get Sparky over here. Black Shadow gave us a victory prize after Leila and Speedy took down his robots, and I was thinking that he could take a look at it."
Exchanging surprised glances with Aqualad, Speedy can immediately tell that this is the first either of them has heard of Bee's idea. Even so, they both give smiles at their leader's inquiry. Honestly, asking Cyborg to take a look at Black Shadow's machine is an excellent idea. Being the most knowledgeable on technology out of all of the Titans, both honorary and official, there isn't anyone better to do the job.
Immediately, Speedy voices his agreement. "Cyborg looking at it would definitely be good. None of us are idiots when it comes to technology, but I doubt that we know enough to figure out what the heck that thing is supposed to do." Hesitating slightly, he adds, "Maybe he could examine some of the robot parts that we salvaged, too. Who knows? There could be a connection."
There is a moment of silence from the opposite side of the screen before one of them speaks. When someone responds, it is none other than the technology wizard himself.
"Hold on. Black Shadow is the one that gave you that thing you're holding? Why haven't you destroyed it?! He could be using it to bug the Tower, or brainwash you!"
Speedy gives a shrug despite the metal man's panic. "I doubt he would do that. The man's crazy, and he likes a good challenge. He probably gave it to us as a way to tease us into trying to figure out more about what he's planning."
"I have to agree with Speedy," Aqualad puts in. "I honestly don't think that the machine is rigged. He's too busy making bigger plans to spend all of his time focused on us."
Cyborg gives a hesitant nod of agreement, though he still doesn't appear convinced. "Well, okay... If you say so, then I guess I can take a look at it… But if I find any sign that Black Shadow did something to it, it gets destroyed!"
Bumblebee nods in comprehension. "Understood. So, you're coming, then?"
Rubbing his head awkwardly, he replies, "Yeah. As long as it's okay with Robin, I can come to Steel City. I've made the cross-country trip before, so it shouldn't be a problem."
Once the words are spoken, all eyes turn in the direction of the Boy Wonder. These aren't just the eyes of the Titans West, but the eyes of Frostbite and the Titans East as well. Noticing the stares, Robin spends a moment contemplating before responding. Luckily, his response is in the positive.
"There is no hesitation from me. I think that having Cyborg go to Steel City to look at Black Shadow's machine is a good idea. Your Tower has also been needing some upgrades, so he can get those installed while he's there, too."
Turning his gaze away from Robin, Cyborg turns to face the Titans East. "Well, alright. It looks like I'm taking a trip to Steel City. In that case I'll pack up, and I can head out sometime tomorrow."
Moving so that he's standing in between Robin and Frostbite, the metal man claps the pony-tailed hero on the shoulder. Honestly, Speedy along with the rest of the Titans had forgotten that Frostbite was present until now. In the meantime, Cyborg continues.
"While I'm gone, maybe Frostbite can fill in for me. I know that he's been dying to see what life is like in the Tower. He can play video games, meditate with Raven, and maybe even try some of Beast Boy's tofu." Grinning, he adds, "I know you like tofu!"
The frown of uncertainty on the solo hero's face tells all of them that moving into the Titans West Tower, even if it's only for a short while, is the last thing that Frostbite wants to do. When he immediately begins making excuses, this is made even more apparent.
"Fill in for Cyborg? Live in Titans Tower? Wow. That sounds…interesting…" After a lengthy pause, he continues. "I would love to, but sadly, I don't think I can manage it. I would need to pack stuff up and bring it over here, and while I'm here, my apartment won't get cleaned. Not to mention that I have a cat. Mr. Whiskers is going to get very lonely without me…"
"Then pack Whiskers up, and bring him with you!" says Cyborg happily. "Silkie will be here to keep him company. I bet the two of them will get along great!"
Frostbite doesn't have much to say after this. Instead, he gives a weighted sigh.
"I don't know. I'll think about it."
Either they were listening to his words halfheartedly, or the phrase "I'll think about it" is the new way of saying yes. Before he has time to protest further, Robin walks around to his other side and gives him a manly clap on the shoulder. This is followed by Cyborg who grips his opposite shoulder tighter, and Starfire who flies over to give him a suffocating hug around the midsection.
"Great! I knew he couldn't resist!" exclaims Cyborg.
"Welcome aboard! We can get your room set up tomorrow," says Robin with a smile.
Starfire simply shouts joyfully. "Yay! New friends!"
The whole time Raven stands back and watches the scene with a raised brow. Beast Boy stands beside her, shouting in excitement. Only, his excitement is for different reasons than his teammates'.
"Ooh! Cyborg's going to Steel City? This is so awesome! Since Frostbite's filling in, maybe I can go with him! We can have men-only road trip!"
The other side of the screen becomes so loud and filled with chaos that Bumblebee, Aqualad, and Speedy can do nothing other than stare. If there's one thing they know for certain, it's that this night has made things very interesting in more ways than one.
Meanwhile…
Damiana has no idea where she's at. The young Dabnodian knows that she is sleeping, but her dreams have never taken her to a place that's so strange. Normally when she has dreams, they're very straightforward. Most of the time she will dream that she is back on Dabnod with Mama and Saeran, either in their little cabin at the top of the hill, playing in the pond, or walking the halls of the Palace.
When she isn't dreaming about Dabnod, Damiana dreams that she is on Earth. The only difference between her dreams of Earth and of reality is that, in her dreams, she is living in a mansion with more clothes she could ever wear, more food than she could ever eat, and more money than she could ever spend, while being surrounded by people she can trust. It's strange, but in these dreams her hair isn't brown and her eyes aren't green. Damiana is fully Dabnodian, everybody knows, and everybody is accepting of her true form.
Whether her dreams are of her deceased planet or of the life she wishes she could have on Earth, Damiana never minds. They take her away from reality, and this is all that matters. Of course, right now, Damiana's dreams don't take place on Earth or on Dabnod. She doesn't know where she's at, but the girl is completely certain that her dream location isn't on any planet that she's familiar with.
For once Damiana's hair and eyes aren't false colors, and she isn't clothed in a stained sweatshirt and raggedy jeans. Instead she wears a lengthy, royal blue, dress, the hem of it sweeping the ground as she walks. The skirt of it is full but not too full, appearing stylish without being gaudy. As for the dress' bodice, it is sleeveless, tight, and has a high collar. Around the collar are lovely gems the color of the Earth's daytime sky, addling a lovely type of sparkle to the garment.
If Damiana didn't know any better, she would say that this is the exact same dress she always used to wear when she was eleven years old. The only difference are the gems around the collar, and the fact that it has been tailored to fit her sixteen-year-old form. Though it is only a dream, Damiana can't help but give a happy sigh at the feel of her favorite dress. It has been far too long since she has worn a garment that is purely Dabnodian in nature. The fabric is softer, lighter, and all the way around more pleasing to her than any of the clothes she has worn on Earth.
Very pleased with her current attire, Damiana's hair turns its normal happy shade of rose red as she shoves one of her curled tresses aside. Though she can't see them, she would stake her life on it that her eyes are soft pink. In a way it confuses Damiana that she is so happy even though she is completely surrounded by fog, but she doesn't question it. Rather, she keeps her smile, wraps her hands in the skirt of her dress, and raises it slightly so that she doesn't trip over the hem as she walks.
The fog surrounding Damiana in this strange dream realm is so thick that she can hardly see a foot in front of her. Of course, based on what she can see, it is blatant that she hasn't stumbled across Shangri-La or an exotic island paradise. The dirt beneath her feet is completely black, almost like ash. The only reason she wouldn't call it ash is because it sparkles like glass, making it look more similar in appearance to obsidian.
Surround her on every side, besides the fog, are gigantic boulders. They aren't gray or brown in color like Earth and Dabnodian boulders. Rather, they are the colors of bright gold, gleaming silver, glittery copper, or are shiny and black like obsidian. This truly is a very strange place where Damiana finds herself. Where is she, anyway? On some type of planet on the other side of the galaxy that she has never heard of? Or maybe in the rock garden of some mythical giant that she'd read about as a child?
"What kind of dream is this, anyway?" she asks aloud in her native tongue. "Usually my dreams make sense. I've never had to wander around aimlessly in a strange place before."
Looking down at her feet, it's only now that Damiana realizes she's barefoot. Yet, the little shards of obsidian don't hurt her feet at all. Somehow, it's as soft as sand.
Quirking a brow, she states bluntly, "This is so weird. Very, incredibly, weird."
Once that is said, Damiana doesn't speak again. Instead she lifts the hem of her dress once more to reduce the risk of tripping, and continues onward. She weaves around many large boulders and pushes her way through the fog. The whole time the girl's hair stays the same, stable, shade of red. The only time it changes color is when the fog begins lifting, revealing not just obsidian sand and large boulders, but the sight of an endless blue ocean off in the distance. Stretching beyond the sea and over her head is a bright, fuchsia-colored sky dotted by clouds the color of gold.
Running a hand through rose-colored tresses that are quickly turning the same shade of gold as the clouds, Damiana stares in awe. Her first assumption had been that the place she's at was a creepy one. Now that the fog has lifted, however, it has proven to be exactly the opposite. The beautiful expanse of the exotic sky, the glimmering of the ocean as it shifts to and from different shades of blue, the metallic gleam of the rocks; it is actually one of the most stunning places she has ever seen.
"Wow," says Damiana in an amazed whisper. "This one beats my other dreams. That's for sure."
The girl stands in place, looking around at the beautiful scenery as she stands here alone. With nobody else around there is no sound at all; none besides the waves of the ocean slapping up against the obsidian shore. A second later, however, Damiana learns that she isn't as alone as she'd thought.
"I really wouldn't call this a 'dream' per say. You are dreaming, but this place is real. One day, if you do things right, you could get to spend an eternity here."
Surprised by the sound of another voice, Damiana gives a startled gasp before whipping around. What startles her isn't only the voice, but the fact that the person who addressed her did so in the Dabnodian language. It has been over five years now since anyone has spoken to her in Dabnodian!
Upon seeing her frightened reaction, the voice addresses her again. "Don't be scared, Dami girl. I may be a spirit, but I won't hurt you. I would never dream of hurting you. You should know that."
The second time Damiana hears it, her eyes widen to the size of saucers and she practically collapses to her knees out of shock. She knows that voice. It's male, it's rugged, and it is filled with nothing but love. It has been so long since she has heard that voice. Almost nine years.
Her knees growing weak, Damiana catches herself on a nearby boulder as she looks in the voice's direction. A few feet in front of her is a man-sized boulder the color of copper. Emerging from behind it is a tall man with a long ponytail that runs the length of his back. He is considered tall by both Earth and Dabnodian standards, the man standing at well over six feet. The whole time he wears a full suit of silver armor with the crest of Dabnod etched into the breast plate, only adding to the tough persona given to him by his height.
Not only is the man tall, but it is easily seen that he is well built. He could almost be compared with a body-builder. He also has a thick jawline, five o'clock shadow, and a crescent-shaped scar on his right cheek below the eye. The scar is a deep one, as is an additional x-shape scar he has running across his left eyebrow. The fact that the man, appearing in his early forties, is a seasoned Knight is a fact that is not easily hidden. Of course, knowing this man, he would never want to hide it.
Most people would quiver in fear at the sight of this giant man who is covered in scars. Damiana, however, doesn't quiver. Instead her hair turns a shade of gold that is two shades brighter than before, and her eyes turn amber. Pushing herself up from the bolder she had herself braced against, Damiana goes sprinting toward the man with tears in her eyes. The whole time his features take on the same colors, nothing but joy seen in his eyes as he spreads out his arms. His own eyes begin welling up with tears as he speaks to her.
"I'm glad to see that you still recognize me, Dami girl. Even after all this time."
Tears streaming down her face by this point, the girl runs into his arms and engulfs the man in a tight and joyful embrace. He doesn't hesitate for a single second to return the hug.
"O-of course I recognize you, D-Daddy! I've missed you too much not to!"
A/N: Okay, I will admit that the ending was a bit strange, but hopefully the chapter still interested you. I've been trying to reveal a bit more about how Dabnodian culture works as well as how their physical bodies function. I feel like I have a lot of ideas for the Dabnodians, and simply haven't shared them yet. I really hope that you find all of the facts I'm revealing about Damiana's and Saeran's race interesting, as well as about their family history. Also, if you haven't noticed, I've started revealing more about Speedy's past, too. Just so you know, this story is one that is about Speedy every bit as much as it's about Damiana. Speedy's character has always been one that has intrigued me, so I wanted to dig into him a little bit, too.
Anyway, that's enough for now. I will try and update again next week, but I have assignments due, my second internship to prepare for, and we're washing down the outside of my house this weekend. Not to mention that I have two tests to prepare for. Hopefully I can get out another chapter, but even if I can't, I will try not to keep you waiting for too long. Whether or not you comment, I know that I have a decent amount of people who are keeping up with the story and would like to hear more. :)
Well, until next time, my friends!
Forever and Always,
OCQ