A/N: Well, friends, we have finally moved on to Part Two of the story! Admittedly, this chapter didn't quite turn out the way I was expecting. I had something very different in mind for this part of the story originally. Yet, now that this chapter is finished, I actually like it a lot better than my original idea. Within the next few chapters, it is my goal to have Damiana FINALLY join the Titans East! I'm going about it differently than I thought I would, but nonetheless, she WILL end up joining them soon. So don't worry. Damiana isn't going to remain the stubborn, independent, loner forever. If you can't already tell, her barriers are little by little starting to break down ;).
Well, that is enough rambling from me. Enjoy this first chapter of Part Two! :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. (Or Walmart, or Disney music, or anything else that I might mention in this chapter).
Part II: Shadows: Chapter Eleven
Steel City: Titans East Tower
Three Days Later
It is half past noon in Steel City. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. More than anything, the Titans East would like to be outside enjoying the day together. Sadly, for them, however, this isn't the case. During the four days since their battle with Black Shadow, and the three days since Leila ran off on them, the majority of their focus has been on figuring out how to stop the shadow-using maniac.
Making the trip from Jump City to Steel City can take anywhere from three to four days in the T-car. Because of this, Bee and Aqualad have been in the Tower's evidence room practically twenty-four seven running scans, doing research, and reverse-engineering various parts of Black Shadow's machine. They may not be as knowledgeable on technology as Cyborg, but the two of them together know enough to at least get started on it before their friend from the West Coast shows up.
Mas y Menos, too, have been doing their share. Running errands, cooking meals, doing laundry, and performing any other necessary tasks that need to be completed. With Aqualad and Bumblebee putting so much work into unlocking the mysteries behind Black Shadow's device, the twins don't mind putting in some extra effort. Sure they can't bake pie as good as Bee or even come close to matching her three bean casserole, but everyone agrees that their enchiladas can't be topped; the same can be said for Speedy's ribs.
Much like the rest of the Titans East team, Speedy has also been pulling his weight. He hasn't been purely doing household chores or deciphering Black Shadow's technology, but a mixture of both. The only difference is that rather than doing Aqualad's and Bumblebee's work of decoding the villain's machine, Speedy has been dissecting broken pieces of Black Shadow's robots that they went back and confiscated.
The redheaded archer isn't on the same level of genius as his duo of English-speaking teammates, but he is very intelligent nonetheless. Can he reverse-engineer things and run intricately detailed scans? Not at all. Though he can still take things apart, see how they connect, and figure out how they work. To him, the chest cavities of broken robots are nothing more than three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles.
When Speedy isn't examining robots, he is either running errands or preparing meals in the place of the twins. At first he wasn't willing to do either of these things, but after suffering digestive issues due to Guatemalan spices and then having Mas y Menos bring back the wrong tools from the hardware store, the archer took matters into his own hands. Never again will he be forced to use a blowtorch when what he actually needs is a screwdriver! Never will he eat twelve enchiladas with extra chili powder at once again, either… He learned a very valuable lesson that day.
Right now, however, Speedy isn't at the hardware store. Luckily, he hasn't been stuck inside of a bathroom for two straight hours, either. Currently the archer is inside of a medium-sized room without any furniture or windows. The only things the room contains are a long, metal, table covered in tools; black, blue, and silver parts of broken robots; and florescent lighting. True the room doesn't contain much, but it honestly doesn't need much.
His red, fingerless, gloves removed along with his mask, Speedy uses a large screwdriver to unscrew pieces of thick metal plating from inside of the robot's chest cavity. It has taken several hours since this morning, but Speedy finally managed to make his way past the outermost coat of metal and through a jungle of wires and computer chips to the robot's core. Surprisingly, once he made it through all of that, he ran into more metal plating. This isn't like the plating he took apart to get inside, but is instead much thicker and comes together into the shape of a three-dimensional sphere.
This sphere in the robot's chest cavity is very strange to Speedy. He has looked at the innards of five robots before this one, and absolutely nothing was at their centers. There were empty spaces to prove that something had been there, but whatever it was had been completely reduced to ashes, as if by fire. Sighing internally, Speedy also knows that it could have been lightning that reduced the previous metal spheres to ashes. Lightning so powerful that it destroyed most of the robots' power sources.
This time giving an external sigh, Speedy speaks to himself aloud. "Don't think about her, Roy. Don't think about her! Leila left, and now she's gone. Listen to Bee and Aqualad, and get over it."
Taking his own advice, he uses the screwdriver along with a large pair of pliers and continues with his attempts to pry apart the plating. Of course, even with as hard as he's trying, the thoughts of the fire user don't leave his mind. They've been gone since he woke up this morning, but now that the thoughts are back, they aren't going away. Knowing very well how his mental processes work, Speedy can tell that they're here to stay for the rest of the day. Because of this, he doesn't fight them. He lets the thoughts come.
Leila lead them to Black Shadow's hideout. She revealed her superpowers to them. She fought side-by-side with the Titans East in the boldest and most fearless fashion that he has ever seen from a civilian. Then they brought her back to their Tower where she slept and used their shower. Why, after all that, would Leila even dream of leaving them?! What is it?! Does she hate him that much?! Does she feel so much loathing toward him that the very idea of them being friends is terrifying?!
"I just don't get it," said Speedy to Aqualad and Bee shortly after Leila ran away from the Tower. "We're offering Leila everything. In return, she would be helping us with Black Shadow. Leila is a part of the team now, and we need her here! Why would she run from us?"
"I'm not sure why she left, Speedy, and I really don't think we're going to find out," Bee replied with a frown. "When you say that Leila is a part of the team now, you're right, and I do think that we need her. It doesn't matter how we feel about her, though, because Leila's gone."
Aqualad also answered with a frown. "As much as you don't like to admit it, she isn't coming back, either. If Leila isn't willing to stay, then we can't say that we need her, and we can't say that she's on our team. We've managed without a sixth member until now, and we can keep managing." Pausing, the aquatic Titan added firmly, "Speedy, you need to forget about her; for all of us."
"I know, guys, and you're right," Speedy says aloud as he continues working at the metal sphere. "It's not an easy thing to forget Leila, though. Not once you've met her."
Speedy doesn't know how, but those final words are all it takes for him to shove the fire user aside so he can keep working. Carefully using the pliers, he pulls a red wire away from the thick metal sphere, and then a green one. Once the two wires are removed, he uses the tip of the screwdriver to remove one of the bolts that holds the robots intriguing power source together. After removing that bolt he removes two more, the sphere becoming slightly less sturdy. By now he doesn't even need the screwdriver. All he needs is his small pair of pliers out of the kitchen drawer to help take it apart.
Unmasked eyes lighting up, Speedy smiles proudly. "Not bad for a guy with a few tools. In one more hour, I bet I can have Black Shadow's system with these robots figured out."
Stretching his arms over his head, the archer leaves his fingerless gloves on the metal table beside his mask and exits the room. The moment he steps into the hallway, Speedy gapes at his surroundings and blinks several times. He never noticed how different the lighting in this hallway is without his mask. It isn't that he never takes the mask off. He just does it very rarely. Bumblebee, Aqualad, and Mas y Menos have all seen him without it, but even so, it isn't a common sight. The very first time he removed it in front of them, they stared for ten minutes straight. Sometimes they still do. He has grown used to their reactions by now, though.
Sauntering down the hallway, Speedy stretches his arms once more followed by his back. Hunching over for three straight hours is really something that can make a man sore. Does he really want to keep working on that robot? Not at all. He doesn't mind the work, but staying in that hunching position is a killer!
Stretching yet again and giving a grunt, the archer nears the end of the hallway. At the end is a staircase that leads down into the common room, and ten feet before that is a metal door leading into the evidence room. The evidence room is different from the room that Speedy has been trapped in for days on end. It is large, contains complex systems of computers and scanner, and has enough machinery to create a robot army to fight Black Shadow's. With the amount of worry that exists over this machine, it isn't surprising that Bee and Aqualad decided to take it there to study it.
Looking in the direction of the stairs, Speedy is about to pass the room by to go get the pliers. However, the redhead instead finds himself stopping in front of the closed door of the evidence room. He hasn't spoken with Bee and Aqualad since yesterday, and when he passed them in the hallway this morning, they appeared visibly concerned. These things considered, he should see if they've made progress or if they ran into a dead end. When taking in the amount of time they've been spending on deciphering the machine into account, this archer would place his bet on the latter.
Taking one last glance at the door's smooth metal, Speedy enters inside. Sure enough, the sight that greets him isn't anything too surprising. At one end of the room, looking over printouts of codes and pieces of the machine that were reverse-engineered, is Bumblebee. Buttons, computer chips, and scraps of metal are spread out across the tabletop in front of her, making it known that she has been at this job for a long while. Meanwhile, Aqualad has the machine under a glowing, red, beam, different images and various codes popping up on the screen of the supercomputer in front of him.
The archer gazes at the scene wearing an intent expression, already able to tell that his two teammates have more questions about the device than answers. Raising a curious red brow that can for once be seen, he saunters deeper into the room prior to speaking.
"How are you guys doing? Have you figured anything out yet?"
Not even realizing that someone new had entered the room, the duo gazes up at him from their perspective areas. When they first see Speedy's face eyes and all, like always, they do a bit of a double-take. Of course, having grown used to seeing his eyes by now, they quickly recover and begin speaking.
"Oh. Hey, Speedy. No, we haven't learned anything much," admits Bumblebee as she lowers the stack of printouts. "I don't know what the heck this thing is supposed to do, or where he got the parts for it, but Black Shadow's machine is complicated."
Looking away from the screen of the supercomputer, it is Aqualad who speaks next. "According to the scans that have been completed, the metal that makes up the machine's central core is rare. It's harder to get ahold of than kryptonite or xenothium! The thought that Black Shadow would just hand this over to us and claim to have more of these machines at his main hideout is just…crazy!"
Curiosity growing, Speedy looks at them in perplexity as he replies. "The element that makes up the power core is rarer than xenothium? That's strange. I haven't noticed anything like that with the robots. Besides the power source in their chest cavities, everything about them is standard." Pausing, he asks, "Do you have any idea what it's supposed to do?"
"Not right now we don't. The parts it has, the way they're connected, the chips and the power core, none of it is making any sense," says Bumblebee sounding defeated. Then she adds, "That's why we need Sparky here. None of us are amateurs, but his technological knowledge completely tops ours. If anyone can figure this out, it's him."
A long moment of silence passes after this, Speedy not knowing what to say or how to react. A crazy shadow man attacked them, declared war, and gave them a piece of indecipherable technology. How is a person supposed to reply to that?
It takes a moment, but eventually Aqualad ends the silence. "How is it going with the robots? You said something about the power source located in their chest cavities?"
Shifting his gaze over to the aquatic Titan, Speedy gives a nod. "Yeah. I looked at five robots before the one I'm on now, and their power sources were completely disintegrated by Leila's lightning. It took a while, but I finally found one that was intact. I was just on my way to the kitchen to grab some pliers so I can finish taking it apart."
Their eyes wide, they stare at the archer in slight surprise.
"Her lightning actually turned the power sources of several hundred robots to ashes? She may be stubborn and bit moody, but there's no doubt that Leila is powerful," states Aqualad in what almost looks like disappointment.
"I really wish that we hadn't lost her," Bumblebee confesses sadly. "Leila really would've made a great Titan. She was already starting to feel like a member of the team."
This just so happens to be one of those times when Speedy wishes that his mask was on. If his eyes weren't currently visible, then his friends wouldn't be able to see the immense disappointment reflected in his brightly-colored orbs. To Speedy, one of his greatest weaknesses are his eyes. They're like windows into his soul; all of his emotions are seen in his eyes. Not to mention that he isn't too fond of the color he was stuck with, either...
Noticing his change in demeanor, his two teammates look over at him in concern. Of course, when one of them says something to the archer in attempt to comfort him, it isn't the fish boy. Rather, it is the dark-skinned girl with the wings. Concern showing in her deep, brown, irises, she flies over to him and rests a hand on his shoulder.
"Roy, are you okay? Do you want to talk? Maybe all five of us could take a break, and we could go out for pizza."
Facing the floor so that neither she nor Aqualad can see his eyes, he gives a response.
"No, don't worry about me, Bee. I'm fine. Don't let me distract you guys." Pausing, he pulls out of her grasp and heads for the exit. "I should get the pliers so I can get back to work."
The winged girl replies while giving a sigh. "Okay. If that's what you want to do, then go ahead. Just remember that we're right here if you need us."
Speedy doesn't respond. He simply continues in the direction of the door. Right when he is about to leave the room, however, something happens to surprise him. For once, Aqualad says something in this situation in place of Bee. It isn't much, but it is just enough to raise his spirits.
"Actually, Speedy, do you think you could head over to the hardware store? A lot of our tools have been going missing, and they need to get replaced. I would send Mas and Menos, but every time I send them, they come back with something completely different than what I asked them for."
Turning around just enough to give the aquatic Titan a glance, he replies with a small smile. "Sure. I don't mind running this one errand. I actually wanted to replace some of our drills, anyway."
Catching the meaning behind Aqualad's request, Bumblebee too gives a smile at the suggestion.
"That's a good idea. Why don't you get out of the Tower for a while? Getting out of that tiny room and away from those robots might do you some good." Pausing, she adds, "And remember to put your mask back on, okay? We don't want the whole world knowing the secret identity that is Roy Harper."
Shaking his head halfheartedly, he too gives a chuckle. "Whatever, Bee. Even when I do go out in public without my mask, you know that I would never be stupid enough to let anyone find out that I'm Speedy. When I dress like a civilian, nobody ever looks at me twice."
Once this is said, Speedy gives his final goodbyes before leaving the evidence room completely. In spite of what Bumblebee suggested, he doesn't go back for his mask. Instead he changes his clothes entirely and trades his Titan communicator in for his smartphone. After this he heads down to the garage and drives away from the Tower. Not as Speedy, but as an everyday person.
Every other sixteen-year-old in Steel City gets Saturdays off, but not Damiana. On Saturdays, like every other day of the week, she walks dogs in the morning, cleans houses in the afternoon, and spends the rest of the day babysitting. The only exception to this rule would be Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On these days she sings at Lola's Café from nine until eleven thirty, and if she has to take Rick or Marissa's shift, she sometimes has to make it to the café far earlier than nine.
Tonight, however, Damiana doesn't have to be at the café until nine o'clock. Considering how she is already at her third client's house and it's only twelve-thirty, the girl is very thankful that she doesn't have to get to the café early tonight. Not only that, but her shift for this woman lasts until three o'clock, and her next shift runs from three-thirty until five-thirty. Once this is finished, she is free until her shift at the café. As strange as it sounds, this is actually one of Damiana's slower days.
Of course, even if her days are filled with labor, this doesn't necessarily mean that she hates all of her jobs. It is true that some of her employers are cruel, force her to do extra work, underpay her, and call her names such as "street filth", but this isn't always the case. They come far and few between, but there are some people who are truly kind to her. This woman, the one who's house she is at currently, is one of these rare people.
This house is a rather large one, being located in the section of the city where the sky scrapers turn to smaller buildings, and the smaller buildings to houses. The houses in this part of the city aren't rundown with overgrown lawns and rickety wooden porches, but are truly beautiful. The lawns are lush and green, the siding is clean and without cracks, and everything is freshly painted. There isn't any litter, shattered windows, or broken chain-link fences with barking dogs behind them. Put simply, this is a very quiet and picturesque neighborhood.
The house she cleans is only one of many perfect houses. It is a large, three-level, home with a main floor, a second floor, and an attic. On the outside, the house is a lovely shade of robin's egg blue, with flawlessly white shutters, and a white picket fence. The lawn, like the others, is perfectly green and freshly cut. Decorating the lawn are newly-budding rose bushes that are placed beneath the windows, and patches of soil around the trees containing red mulch and purple tulips. There is also a stone birdbath, which robins and cardinals are enjoying immensely.
As Damiana cleans the massive picture window on the main level with Windex, she views the birds and the flowers with a smile. The birds on Earth are much smaller than they were on Dabnod, and she is still convinced that the flowers are oddly shaped. Nonetheless, the sight is still a pretty one. Honestly, Damiana kind of likes the smaller birds. As a child she was always afraid that the large, winged, creatures would snatch her up. Now that she thinks about it, it was a common fear among children…
Her mind begins drifting toward thoughts of her home planet, but it doesn't have time to drift very far. She finishes cleaning the picture window, takes her Windex and paper towel, and is ready to move on to the next window. Before the girl has a chance to start on it, however, a voice comes from behind her. It is an aged voice that is filled with kindness.
"Ah, you were looking at those birds. Weren't you, Leila? They sure do like that birdbath."
Turning around, Damiana sees the face of her most favored client, Mrs. Tucker. With short white hair forming a ball-shape around her head, wrinkles on her hands as well as around her eyes and mouth, and with how she walks using a wooden cane, the woman is far from young. Nonetheless, she also wears ruby red lipstick, a lilac-colored button-up-the-front sweater, a long floral print skirt, and a string of pearls around her neck. If there's one thing to admire about Mrs. Tucker, it's that she always dresses her best no matter how much she ages.
Hearing her comment, the girl replies while smiling. "Yes. They do seem to like the birdbath. I have to admit that they look very happy."
Crossing the wide expanse of the living room, the elderly lady joins her in front of the picture window. A moment later, she speaks again.
"I would like to put out some nice bird houses for them this year. It would give them a safe place to build their nests so the neighbor's nasty old cat doesn't get to them." After a moment of hesitation, she continues. "I already have some bird houses out in my shed, but the paint is chipping, and they're falling apart. I would need a hammer, some nails, and some of that nice paint from the hardware store to even think about putting them out there."
Absentmindedly placing her cleaning supplies on one of the end tables, the girl responds cheerfully. "Fixing up bird houses? That would be a nice project now that you've finished remodeling the upstairs bedroom. I've noticed that you like to keep busy."
Mrs. Tucker gives a hearty laugh as she replies. "You're right about that. I may be old, but I'm not ready for the rocking chair quite yet." Giving another laugh, she adds, "My second husband, Tom, always said that I would live a long life because I move too fast for the grim reaper to catch me."
Damiana can't help but laugh at this statement. Tom must have known what he was talking about. Honestly, there are days when Damiana wonders if she really needs that cane, or if it's just for show. Mrs. Tucker can actually move better than some people who are ten years younger than her.
Meanwhile, the girl responds. "We'll have to go through your photo albums again sometime. It sounds like Tom was an interesting man. And the rest of your family, for that matter."
Patting her on the back, Mrs. Tucker gives a smile. "You're right about that. Family life has never been boring, that's for certain." Pausing slightly, she adds, "I actually have a spot in my newest album for you. As much as you've helped out this past year, you've been accepted into the family as one of my granddaughters. When I redid the upstairs bedroom, I had you in mind when I was doing that, too."
The first time Damiana heard her say this, she gaped at Mrs. Tucker in surprise. Of course, considering how the woman tells her this at least once a week nowadays, the girl is more than used to it. Her smile never fading, Damiana gives a response.
"Thanks, Mrs. Tucker. It makes me happy knowing that you're looking out for me. If I ever hit a desperate spot, you'll definitely be the first person I turn to." A second later, she adds, "But…"
Giving a knowing smile, the elderly lady finishes in her place. "But you still won't move in here so I can give you a stable home and get you enrolled in school." Chuckling softly, she continues. "Believe me, Leila. Your stubbornness and endurance are going to wear thin at some point. I know, because I was exactly like you in my younger years. You're more like me than most of biological grandchildren. One of these days you're going to accept help from someone, even if it isn't me."
Shrugging, Damiana turns her gaze back to the picture window and away from Mrs. Tucker. "Maybe someday, but not today. I really do appreciate it that you care, Mrs. Tucker, but I can make it on my own. I've survived this long, so I'll just have to keep pushing onward."
She doesn't see it, but the elderly lady has a certain knowing sparkle in her eyes as she speaks. "You know, Leila, that's exactly what I told my Aunt Elizabeth when I was seventeen years old and raising my younger sister. One week later, do you know what happened?"
Not knowing the answer to this one, Damiana faces her. "Actually, no. What did happen?"
The woman answers with just one sentence. "I met my wonderful first husband, Andy, who helped save me from my situation."
Damiana doesn't know how to respond to the statement. Admittedly, she knew about Andy and about how Mrs. Tucker had to raise her sister. Though, she never knew that her first husband was actually the person who helped rescue her from poverty. Later when she's done cleaning, she will have to ask to hear that story.
A few seconds later, however, it is learned that she won't get a chance to finish the cleaning today. Moving away from the picture window, Mrs. Tucker saunters over to the coffee table and picks up her small, white purse. Also on the coffee table are her car keys, which she too picks up. Knowing where this is going, Damiana moves away from the picture window as well.
"You know what? It's a nice Saturday. You shouldn't be stuck here cleaning, should you, Leila? Why don't we get some supplies from the hardware store, and get started on those bird houses?"
Damiana can't stop herself from nodding eagerly. She has helped Mrs. Tucker with many of her projects, and actually enjoys them quite a lot. Sitting outside painting bird houses really does sound enjoyable.
Her voice just as eager as her nodding head, Damiana replies without hesitation. "Sure. Why don't we? I still have a lot of time until I have to be at my next job." Snickering, she adds, "As long as Matilda can get us there."
Giving an expression of mock offense, Mrs. Tucker whacks at her with her purse in a playful manner. "Leila, are you laughing at Matilda? After all her years of service?"
Snickers turning into loud giggles, Damiana nods. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Tucker, but I really don't think that she's going to make it much longer."
Throwing her car keys in the air and catching them, Mrs. Tucker smirks. "Matilda has gotten us back and forth before, and she'll do it again." Walking toward the garage, the woman motions for her to follow. "Now let's go."
Jump City: Titans West Tower
Meanwhile…
After learning that he truly is at Titans Tower to stay until Cyborg gets back, Saeran made a quick trip back to his apartment. His goal wasn't to stay long. He simply needed to grab a few things such as extra uniforms, deodorant, his toothbrush, his alarm clock, and of course, Mr. Whiskers. The young hero has no idea how this happened, but he accidentally left his cat alone for three days without any food or water.
So in the end not only did he spend twenty minutes gathering up his belongings, but took two hours to feed Mr. Whiskers and shove him into his carrier. Then he had to stop by the pet store to buy cat litter, canned cat food, and dry cat food, which took another forty-five minutes. It would have taken less time, but they were completely out of Mr. Whiskers' favorite brand of Nine Lives pate, and he needed to figure out what else to get him.
So now, after errands as well as endless apologies to his four-legged friend, Saeran has finally returned to Titans Tower. Pet carrier in one hand and bags in the other, he enters the common room while giving yet another apology to Mr. Whiskers.
Holding the carrier so that it's close to his face, he says, "Please forgive me, Mr. Whiskers. I forgot about you this one time, but it will never happen again. From now on I will always make sure to fill up your dish and clean your litter box before leaving the house."
Mr. Whiskers responds with a loud "Meow!", as if very angry with his master. Not only this, but the cat's blue eyes are narrowed from its dark place inside the pet carrier.
"Hey, don't give me that look! I mean it!" exclaims Saeran. "I truly am very sorry."
Once this is said, Saeran is ready to announce his return to the Titans before heading to his room to put his things away and to let Mr. Whiskers out of his tiny prison. However, the moment he looks at the three heroes, he learns that this isn't a good time. Raven, Robin, and Starfire are standing in front of the large screen, Cyborg's image being seen from the inside of the T-car. Based on the panic ringing through their voices, everyone is still trying to solve the same problem that has existed for the past three days.
"I mean it, Cyborg! We still can't find Beast Boy!" shouts Robin.
"We haven't seen him since you left," Raven puts in sounding concerned.
Tears in her eyes, Starfire adds, "We are afraid that friend Beast Boy has met with some horrible fate!"
Human eye widening, Cyborg replies sounding equally panicked. "You still haven't seen BB? Man, ever since I left Jump City, everything's been going wrong! I'm starting to think that Black Shadow put some kind of curse on us!"
Mouthing opening slightly in surprise, Robin asks, "Your trip to Steel City hasn't been going well? What exactly has been happening?"
Taking one of his hands off of the steering wheel, Cyborg begins counting down the problems using his fingers. "Well, first I checked the trunk of the T-car, and half the food I brought with me is missing! Then this morning I got online and check my bank account, and it ends out that the motels I've been staying at are screwing up; for the past two nights, my account has been getting charged for two rooms! Finally, I just checked the glove compartment where I keep my CDs, and two of them are missing! It's like they just disappeared!"
All of the sudden, the panic in the room vanishes completely. Somehow everything the metal man just said answered the three Titans' and Saeran's biggest question. Smirking, Saeran holds the pet carrier closer to his face and whispers to the cat.
"It looks like it's going to be very quiet around her, Mr. Whiskers. Don't worry about there being too much noise."
Meanwhile, Robins speaks again. Slapping a gloved palm to his forehead in exasperation, the Boy Wonder sighs.
"Cyborg, out of curiosity, have you done a scan of the T-car recently? A thorough scan?"
Confusion showing in his single hazel eye, he answers bluntly. "Yeah, I did. The day before I left Jump City. Everything was fine with the T-car." Hesitating slightly, he asks, "Why?"
Robin gives another sigh. "Just scan it again. Trust me."
The man's confusion doesn't leave. "Okay. I will as soon as I get to Steel City. With everything that's been happening, I'm late getting there."
An odd sound to his voice, he replies, "Contact us once you get there, and let us know if you find anything, okay?"
"Alright. I'll be contacting you in a few hours, then. Cy out."
Once that is said, the screen goes blank and again becomes one of the windows. The entire room is silent. Not even Mr. Whiskers makes a sound. At last, when somebody does speak, it is none other than Raven.
"Now that we have the opportunity, who wants to destroy Mega Monkeys, and get rid of all the leftover tofu in the fridge?"
Back in Steel City…
There is nothing Speedy enjoys more than being out and about as Roy Harper. Civilians don't stare, there are no fangirls trying to get close to him, and there aren't any reporters asking him about the most recent crime that was stopped. When Speedy is Roy Harper, nobody looks at him twice. Even when he does interact with people, such as a store employee, a cashier, or the person in line behind him, they never have the slightest suspicion that he is actually one of the heroes that works to protect their city. To Speedy, there is nothing better than getting to feel normal.
He currently walks through a well-known location in Steel City, that is known as "Steel City Hardware". It is a rather large store that contains everything from tools, to paint, to lumber, and back again. It's very true that there are places such as Walmart that sell many of the same products that Steel City Hardware provides, but the products here are always better quality. Not to mention that the hardware store is farther away from the Tower, and Speedy appreciates the long drive. He doesn't know why, but driving is one of those things that he simply enjoys doing.
Another thing he enjoys doing is tormenting innocent salespeople. He knows that he will most likely feel guilty over this later, but it's worth it for the moment.
"Are you sure you don't have any Bobby wrenches? I heard from your coworker, Joe, that you just got in an entire shipment!"
The salesperson, a nervous-looking young man with shaggy black hair, responds to Speedy's question uncertainly. The guy can't be any older than twenty, and considering how he has never seen him working here until now, Speedy would stake his life on it that he's new.
Clearing his throat, the man speaks with a shaking voice. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't remember seeing any Bobby wrenches. We have Allen wrenches if you would be okay using one of those. To be honest, I've never even heard of Bobby wrenches."
Speedy has to force himself to hold back fits of chuckles. In truth, he has never heard of Bobby wrenches before either. Not until he made them up thirty seconds ago. Doing his best to keep himself under control, Speedy glances at his nametag which reads "Will". Putting on a surprised expression, he does his best to sound like he is in shock.
"Never heard of Bobby wrenches? Where have you been? They made number seven on the list of North America's handiest tools! My roommate told me about how great they are, and now I just have to have one!" Pausing momentarily, he asks, "Will is your name, right?"
Looking down at his nametag and then back at Speedy, he nods. "Yes, sir. That is my name."
He gives a nod of his own at Will's words of confirmation. "Good. Now listen, Will. If you can find me a Bobby wrench, I will come back to Steel City Hardware every time I need a tool. I will be Steel City Hardware's best customer!"
A smile crossing the young man's face, he gives a firm nod. "Of course, sir! I will find you a Bobby wrench right away!" With that, the young man takes off down the hallway like a bolt. Once he turns the corner, he shouts happily. "Yes! A lifetime customer! I'll make employee of the month!"
Only after he's gone does Speedy start chuckling. Does he feel bad? Absolutely. It probably won't take more than ten minutes for the guy to figure out that Bobby wrenches don't exist, though. He has pulled this fake tool trick with more than one employee at this store, so Will is bound to figure out that he has been deceived through the grapevine.
Chuckles turning into open laughter, Speedy wipes a tear from his eye before taking his cart and pushing it down another aisle. Having had his fun for this shopping trip, he digs a list out from the pocket of his navy blue jeans and continues shopping. His cart already contains half of the items on the list such as blow torches, drills, a nail gun, and an extra wire cutter. Now all he needs are a set of smaller screwdrivers, pliers, and surprisingly, paint the color of lemon yellow. Apparently Bumblebee wants to redo her bedroom so that her walls are lemon yellow instead of sunshine yellow.
Arching a skeptical brow, he wonders if there is really a difference between the two colors before going on a hunt for the aisle that contains the screwdrivers. With as much as he's in here, he really should have the layout of the store memorized. Then again, with as much as they move things around, memorizing the aisles that items can be found in is nearly impossible. It is because of this that Speedy finds himself wandering aimlessly, hoping that he will eventually run across the correct aisle.
"What kind of hammer? What do you mean by that?"
Damiana stands side-by-side with Mrs. Tucker in an aisle at "Steel City Hardware". The aisle they're standing in contains screws, nails, nuts and bolts, screwdrivers, and of course, hammers. When they came in here, their initial goal was to grab a hammer, some nails, some paint, and to get out of here in less than twenty minutes. Of course, as luck would have it, this isn't going to happen.
Being an old lady and a teenage girl inside of a place filled with tools, the two of them must appear very lost, because from the moment they walked in, the same salesperson has been at their side. No matter how much they tell him that they don't need help, he is very insistent that they do need help. Even now, after Damiana told him that they're just looking for a hammer, he still won't leave. Instead, he is going into a lengthy and complicated dialogue of the different types of hammers.
"Oh, it is very simple, Miss," says the pudgy thirty-something-year-old man. "There are many kinds of hammers you can choose from. Steel City Hardware alone has over twenty-three varieties! We have the dead-blow hammer, which hits with force. Then we have the tack hammer, which is used for nailing horseshoes into the hooves of horses. And then there is our incredibly popular railroad-spike maul hammer, which is used on railroad spikes."
Crossing her arms over her chest, Damiana eyes the man skeptically. "Right. Because every person in town needs to have their railroad spike hammer handy."
Mrs. Tucker gives a small chortle from beside her, but apparently the man doesn't notice. Neither is he able to detect sarcasm. A large, happy, grin on his face, he continues.
"Exactly! I'm glad that someone finally understands! You should also know about our blacksmith's sledge hammer! Those are also very popular!"
Smacking the palm of her hand to her forehead, Damiana gives a sigh of aggravation. The salesman doesn't notice this either, because he continues chattering away about all twenty-three brands of hammers with enthusiasm. At this point, the girl is practically ready to yank her hair out in frustration. Based on Mrs. Tucker's unusually stiff stance, she is growing annoyed at their situation as well. The twenty minutes in which they wanted to get out of here have already passed.
Damiana doesn't notice, but she and Mrs. Tucker aren't the only two in the aisle listening to the salesperson anymore. At the aisle's other end, nonchalantly looking over the screwdrivers, is a young man. He has short red hair, is medium height, and is quite muscular for an adolescent. For clothes he wears loose-fitting jeans the color of navy blue, a forest green t-shirt, and a watch on his left wrist. A smartphone can be seen peeking out from one of his side pockets, and a wallet from a back pocket.
Over all, he is a very ordinary young man. The only thing that makes him stick out is that, rather than looking at the screwdrivers, he continuously glances at the aisle's other end wearing an expression of immense surprise. More than anything, this expression is aimed at Damiana. If the girl wasn't so busy sending irritated glances at the chattering salesman, then maybe she would notice the young man.
"… but the best hammer we have available is our body mechanic's hammer! It isn't very popular, but it has several uses. One of them being removing dents from car panels!"
Nodding, Damiana continues staring the salesman down in irritation as she speaks. "Wow. Those are a lot of hammers. I bet we could find a use for each and every one of them."
The man grins widely. "That's right!"
At last, for the first time since beginning this shopping trip, Mrs. Tucker speaks up. "But as helpful as they sound, we don't need those hammers. Miss Leila and I were just going to put together some birdhouses for my yard."
Neither of them saw it coming, but somehow the word "birdhouses" triggered something else from the salesperson entirely. It nearly causes Damiana to scream with aggravation.
"Birdhouses? Oh, you'll need more than just hammers to make birdhouses! You'll need saws, and nails, and paint, and primer, and sand paper…"
At the rate the man is going at, it already feels like they're going to be here for another two hours. Exchanging glances with Mrs. Tucker, the fact that they are both growing exhausted by the salesman isn't something that is well hidden. It is because of this that, despite the fact that it goes against Damiana's conscience, the girl decides to take extreme measures.
Taking in a deep, calming, breath, the girl pastes on a smile before speaking to the man. She knows that she is going to feel bad about it later, but it's worth it for the moment.
"Hold on a minute! I don't mean to interrupt you, sir, but did you just say sandpaper?"
Eyes lighting up, the man looks at her with hopeful eyes. "Yes, Miss, I did. Were you interested in purchasing some?"
Keeping her smile in place, Damiana nods with false enthusiasm. "Absolutely! We want these bird houses to turn out good! Steel City's robins deserve only the best!"
By now the boy at the other end of the aisle isn't glancing, but is full on staring. Not only that, but mingled amongst intense surprise is what appears to be amusement. Meanwhile, she continues.
"But before you ask, we don't want just any sandpaper. I was watching TV the other day, and this fantastic sandpaper from Scandinavia was advertised! It's only the best of the best, and absolutely everybody wants it! The commercial said that Steel City Hardware finally received a shipment!"
The salesman's smile fades slightly, the man appearing confused. "Scandinavian sandpaper? Are you sure about that, Miss? I haven't even heard of it."
Giving a gasp of shock, Damiana does her best to appear surprised. "Never heard of it? Where have you been? It made the cover of that magazine, 'Home Improvement Monthly'! You have to have it! Steel City Hardware only offers quality products, after all."
Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, the man chuckles in embarrassment. "Oh, right… That sandpaper… I think I've heard of it… Don't you ladies move! I'll be right back with some!"
With that being said the guy takes off down the aisle, causing the two women to sigh in relief. It's only after he's gone that Mrs. Tucker looks at Damiana with a raised brow and a smirk.
"Scandinavian sandpaper, huh? I don't think I've seen that commercial."
Rolling her eyes playfully, Damiana gives a laugh as she responds. "You should know me better than that by now, Mrs. Tucker. Both of us know that I made it up. We had to get rid of him somehow."
She still doesn't notice, but the teenage boy at the other end of the aisle is starting to burst into fits of chuckles. Meanwhile, Mrs. Tucker laughs as well.
"Is this the first time you've sent a salesperson on a wild goose chase, or do you do this a lot?"
Smirking, Damiana shrugs. "I know it sounds bad, but I do it more often than I should. There was a saleslady in Walmart the other day that wouldn't leave me alone, and I sent her after a rare subterranean grapefruit from Argentina. She never came back to bother me, either."
A few seconds later, the boy at the other end of the aisle finally comes to Damiana's and Mrs. Tucker's attention. It isn't because he says anything to them or because they noticed his staring, but because they hear loud bouts of laughter coming from his direction. When they turn to look at him, he is seen leaning against a rack of screwdrivers holding his gut from laughter. For a moment the two women just stare, but then Damiana gets an aggravated expression on her face. Running a small hand through false brown curls in irritation, she takes several steps toward him.
Knowing that something is about to happen, something that she doesn't want to get involved with, Mrs. Tucker clears her throat and slowly backs out of the aisle.
"Leila, I'm going to the next aisle over to look at some drills. You can come over and find me when you're ready."
Damiana hears her, but she doesn't say anything. Instead she continues moving closer to the redheaded teen. At this point he still hasn't refrained from laughing. It is because of this that she rolls her eyes and scowls before speaking to him sternly.
"Excuse me, but is there something you're laughing at? Because whatever it is, I don't think it's very funny. Move on, and go laugh at somebody else. I didn't come in here to get mocked."
She has moved so far up the aisle that she is now only five feet away from the boy. Upon looking at him, her scowl fades slightly. Not for lack of irritation, but because the moment she speaks, his laughter ends. Once he is no longer laughing he straightens his posture, pushes himself away from the rack of screwdrivers he was braced against, and faces her directly. The moment their eyes meet, Damiana's scowl vanishes completely. She can't quite place this guy, but he looks familiar.
His medium height, his muscular build, the short red hair that is perfectly combed, the arrogant smirk he wears that makes her want to slap him, all of it is familiar. The only thing about this guy that isn't familiar to Damiana are his eyes. Nonetheless, even if they aren't familiar, it doesn't mean that she doesn't observe them. In fact, the boy's eyes are probably the feature that she observes the most.
The instant their eyes lock, Damiana finds herself entranced by a beautiful shade of green. They aren't just any shade of green, but are the color of shining emeralds. Mixed in with the emerald color are streaks of forest green, along with the occasional fleck of brown. Framing his eyes are thick lashes that are red like his hair, but at the same time, also contain small hints of blonde. Despite the fact that this guy was just laughing at her, and the fact that he seems familiar, Damiana finds herself unable to speak for a long moment. Never has she looked into a pair of eyes that are so…mesmerizing.
The only thing that brings Damiana out of her hypnotic trance is the sound of the guy's voice. He no longer sounds amused, but instead sounds apologetic, and…a bit nervous…
"Oh…uh…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I just saw what you did there, and I thought it was funny. I wasn't laughing at you; just at what you did. In all my life, I never thought that I would catch you sending store employees after some made up product!" A second after the words leave, his emerald eyes fill to the brim with fear and realization. "N-not that we've met before! I've never met you before in my life! You're a stranger! We're both strangers here!"
By now Damiana is no longer aggravated with him. Instead she stares at him in a mixture of shock and disbelief. She couldn't place him a moment ago, most likely due to the change of clothes and his lack of a mask, but all it took for her to overcome these obstacles was the sound of his voice. It doesn't matter where she hears it, or what he looks like when he's using it. After everything that has happened recently, the sound of his voice is encoded into her memory. She didn't think that she would hear it again this soon, or under these kind of circumstances, but she knows his voice.
Her own emerald eyes widening, emerald eyes that aren't nearly as lovely or intense as Speedy's, Damiana gapes at him. Head tilted slightly to the side, she gets a step closer while observing his features more intently. Now that she pays his features more attention, she has absolutely no doubts.
Locking eyes with him once more, she stammers in shock. "Sp-Speedy?!"
She immediately catches it when the intense array of greens that are his irises fill with anxiety. "Sp-Sp-Speedy?! Are you kidding me?! I could never be Speedy! He's a lot better looking than I am, and he looks better in tights. I'm just an average Joe shopping for tools." Stepping closer to the rack containing the screwdrivers, he removes a random package and tosses them into his shopping cart. "Well, I needed screwdrivers, I got screwdrivers, and now I'm off to another part of the store. Goodbye, stranger. If you ever do run into Speedy, tell him to never leave the Tower without wearing his mask."
Speedy doesn't say or do anything more after this. Damiana knows that he is Speedy, and Speedy is fully aware that Damiana knows this, but neither one of them acknowledges it outwardly. Taking his cart, he turns out of the aisle as if he'd never seen her. Damiana doesn't go after him, either. Yet, as strange as it is, she almost wishes that she had gone after him.
Meanwhile…
It has been a long, hard, few days for Cyborg since leaving Jump City, but lucky for him, he is only a few short hours away from his destination. At this point, the metal man honestly can't wait to make it to Steel City. He won't have to worry about people at motels charging him double, he won't have to worry about hobos breaking into his trunk and stealing his food, and he won't have to worry about randomly losing his CDs. Whatever this stroke of bad luck is, it will be over once he reaches the Titans East Tower. Life will be good once again!
Even so, Cyborg isn't too concerned with his random bout of bad luck at the moment. Instead, in order to regain his sanity after these nerve-wracking few days, Cyborg has one of his favorite CDs playing. He did have two other CDs that he liked more than this one, but those two disappeared.
Nonetheless, he still likes this one. He would never admit it to any of the other Titans, but the music he listens to while he's alone in the T-car is one of his guilty pleasures. He could sing along with these songs all day and all night! Not only that, but since he has been alone in the T-car for almost four days straight, he has been singing along with it.
Bobbing his head to the tune of the music, Cyborg sings to the top of his lungs with gusto.
"Let's get down to business to defeat the Huns!
"Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?
"You're the saddest bunch I ever met, but you can bet before we're through,
"Mister, I'll make a man out of you!"
Cyborg sings the next few lines in a normal tone, so he isn't too loud. Once he gets to the chorus, however, this changes immensely. He is so loud that it wouldn't be surprising if he could be heard up and down the freeway.
"We must be swift as the coursing river! With all the force of a great typhoon! With all the strength of a raging fire! Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!"
So distracted is Cyborg with the song, as well as keeping his eyes on the road, that he doesn't notice the little, green, beetle that crawls from the floor of the backseats to the floor of the passenger seat. The only time it comes to his attention is when loud shouting comes from the seat beside him.
"Ahh! I can't take it anymore! I have been listening to you sing Disney songs like you're part of a middle school choir for the past four days! Aladdin and The Lion King were bad enough, but now Mulan?! Gah! "
A green hand wearing a glove shoots toward the CD player, rapidly removing the disk and tossing it out of the T-car's open passenger side window. So surprised is Cyborg by this occurrence that the T-car nearly careens out of control. He gets it back under control, but when he does, he heads for the freeways nearest exit ramp and forces the T-car to a halt. Only after the car is stopped does Cyborg allow himself to freak out.
Beast Boy, who was previously spread out in the passenger seat in a relaxed fashion due to silence from Cyborg's Disney medley, pulls his legs to his chest at the sight of his enraged metal friend.
"BB?! What the heck are you doing here?! Your green butt is supposed to be back in Jump City!"
Giving an awkward chuckle, Beast Boy begins explaining. "I know that, but Frostbite's there! I figured that if he's back at the Tower, why can't I come with you?"
Flailing his arms, he responds, "Because Robin said you're supposed to stay there! You weren't supposed to come with me! I'm going to Steel City to help decipher Black Shadow's crazy technology, not to party with the Titans East!"
Looking a tad less afraid than before, Beast Boy replies easily. "Yeah, but since we're already most of the way to Steel City, does it matter? What can Robin do about it now? Since I'm with you, I'm not stuck at the Tower with Frostbite and Raven! And who knows? Even if I'm no good with technology, maybe I can help out with this Leila girl. The Titans East might need help on-boarding her. Or better yet, maybe I can help them plan her initiation!"
Giving a sigh, Cyborg scratches his head doubtfully. Nonetheless, he reluctantly agrees.
"Alright, BB, but I'm not the one explaining this to Robin and the Titans East once we get to Steel City. You stowed away in the T-car, so you're taking the heat for it. Understand?"
Nodding happily, Beast Boy replies with a compliant salute. "Yes, sir! Onward to Steel City?"
Smiling, Cyborg turns around and takes the on ramp back to the freeway. "Onward to Steel City!"
Back in Steel City…
"That was a good-looking young man you were talking to in there, Leila. Does he have a name?"
Damiana sits in the passenger seat of a car that could very possibly date all the way back to the 1970's. It hasn't left the parking lot of the hardware store yet. Instead, Damiana and Mrs. Tucker are sitting in the car people-watching, each of them enjoying a chocolate bar that they got when they went to the checkout counter. The last time she ate chocolate of any kind was over ten months ago, so Damiana does her best to enjoy it. Of course, with the conversation they are currently having, the girl barely tastes the sweetness of the candy. Instead, all of her thoughts are on Speedy, and on the way he looked at her with his deep, green, eyes.
She honestly can't decide if the fates are with her or against her. For the past two days her mind has been in endless torment over the Titans, and then this morning she finally found the courage to get over them. Now, right when she finally thinks she can move on, she runs into Speedy in the hardware store. Not just any Speedy, though. She runs into nervous, maskless, civilian, Speedy; the Speedy that is afraid of being recognized without his arrows and his costume. It's not like she can tell Mrs. Tucker who he is, though. This sounds strange even to Damiana, but she would never sell out that civilian as Speedy.
Giving a sigh, Damiana responds to the elderly woman at last. "I've met him before, but I don't know his real name. I only know him by a nickname that he likes to be called." Pausing slightly, she adds, "I try not to think about him too much, though. We barely know each other. I just met him a week ago."
Mrs. Tucker arches her brow in curiosity. "Only a week ago? That's odd. For some reason I was under the impression that you've known each other longer. There seems to be some history between you two."
Her eyes filling with surprise, Damiana looks at her. "What do you mean by that? It's like I said. We've barely known each other a week."
Patting her on the shoulder in a grandmotherly fashion, the elderly lady smiles. "In some cases, Leila, how long you've known each other for doesn't matter. A lot can happen in a week."
Returning her smile, Damiana agrees with her statement. "You can say that again. More has happened this week than you can even imagine." After a moment of hesitation, she asks the lady a question. "Mrs. Tucker, just out of curiosity, have you ever ran away from something that you regretted running away from later?"
It is here that Mrs. Tucker's smile turns into a contemplative frown. "Now where did this question come from all of the sudden? You've never asked me a question like this before."
Her miniscule smile staying in place, she gives a vague explanation. "Let's just say that I met that guy in there under some…odd…circumstances. At first I didn't like him, and I wasn't sure about…his friends…either, so I ran away from them. But now a few days have passed, and I'm starting to wish that I hadn't run off. If I had stayed, I wonder how things would have turned out."
Mrs. Tucker gives a nod, taking this information in. "So that young man and his friends offered you friendship, and you ran away from them? Is that it?"
Breathing in deeply, Damiana replies with a nod. Seeing this, Mrs. Tucker continues.
"And you didn't like them at first, but now you're saying you do? Is this also right?"
Damiana nods again. "That's basically the gist of it."
Once this is said, Mrs. Tucker gives her another pat on the shoulder and laughs. Oddly enough, the woman's laugh comforts her.
"Leila, dear, you're worrying about this far too much. If he and his friends honestly care about you, then they'll be back. You probably haven't seen the last of them. Trust me."
The woman's words causes Damiana's miniscule smile to widen. "Knowing how he and his friends can be, you're probably right. Thank you, Mrs. Tucker. I needed that."
Smiling, the woman finishes her chocolate bar and gives yet another smile. "Any time, Leila. You know that I view you as my granddaughter. Any time you need advice, feel free to come to me."
With that being said, the woman shoves the candy wrapper inside of her glove compartment and turns the key in the 1970's vehicle's ignition. Or, as Mrs. Tucker likes to put it, "Matilda's ignition". Any second now, Damiana and Mrs. Tucker are expecting Matilda's engine to roar to life. This time, however, it doesn't happen. Instead the engine turns over several times, but doesn't once start. When this happens, Mrs. Tucker appears completely and undeniably flabbergasted. Damiana, on the other hand, does not. During the year that she has been working for Mrs. Tucker, she knew that the car would give out at some point. If anything, she's surprised that this hasn't happened sooner.
After approximately ten minutes of the engine turning over but not starting, Mrs. Tucker finally gives up. When she does, she gives a sigh of discontentment.
"Well, phooey. This stinks. It sure is a good thing that I have towing service on my car insurance. It's a good thing that my son got me that cellular phone for Christmas, too." After a moment of hesitation, she asks, "Today is your longer shift, right?"
Damiana nods simply. "Yeah, that's right."
"Good. It looks like we're going to be here for a while."
A/N: Well, it looks like this is it for now. I actually planned on adding one more blurb to this chapter, but then I looked at the word count and decided that it can wait. It might take another chapter or two, but Damiana is absolutely going to join the Titans East soon. On my honor as a writer, she will soon join the Titans East! I felt like I have kept all of you waiting for so long! :,(
Also, as I mentioned in the first author's note, this chapter turned out very different from my original plan. At first I was going to have Speedy go back to the cafe, talk to Darcy, and hunt Damiana down, but after rethinking it, it occurred to me that Speedy probably isn't the stalker type. After Damiana ran out, I figured that the Titans East would probably shift their focus to Black Shadow and leave her be. So, with this being said, why not have Damiana run into "Roy Harper" instead of Speedy, and have her join the Titans East that way? It certainly makes more sense than having Speedy creeper stalk her!
So, with this being said, the plot with Damiana meeting "Roy" will continue into the next chapter. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this. :)
Until the next chapter, my friends!
Forever and always,
OCQ