A/N: Well, friends, another chapter of "Firelight" is here! I know that the chapters have been long these past few updates, but I hope that you don't mind. Personally, I like writing longer chapters. They feel more fulfilling. Not only that, but I only have two weeks until my second internship starts, so I feel like I should get out more material while I still can. During my internship I would like to keep up my weekly updates, but there are no guarantees. As much as I would love to spend all of my time writing, there are still life necessities that have to be fulfilled. I can never be a social worker without interning and attaining my degree, am I right?
Well, enough rambling from me. Enjoy the chapter! :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, but I do own the Bobby wrench ;).
Part II: Shadows: Chapter Twelve
Never has Speedy felt so embarrassed. Neither has he ever felt this demeaned or incompetent. He has gone out in public as a civilian before, and what happened all of those previous times? Nothing. Nothing at all. Then, the one time he goes out in public after swearing to Bumblebee and Aqualad that he won't get recognized as Speedy, what happens? Somebody is able to place him. To make it even worse, this "somebody" wasn't just anybody. As if the universe is against him, the person that recognized him just so happened to be the person that he has been trying to forget about the most.
The moment he saw that familiar head of long, brown, curls, he knew that he should have grabbed the screwdrivers he was looking for and made a run for it. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't. To be honest, he wasn't even sure that it was Leila at first. Running into her out in public, let alone after a mere three days of separation? What are the odds? Of course, after hearing her familiar note of sarcasm when talking to the salesperson, as well as recognizing her ratty jeans and tiny form, there was no doubt about it for the archer. The girl at the other end of the aisle was, in fact, Leila.
Oh, how Speedy wishes that he would have ran once her identity was confirmed! Staring her down like some kind of maniac, watching her send the salesman off on some wild goose chase, and then bursting into laughter at the other end of the aisle? What was he thinking?! Of course she was going to put it together that he's Speedy! A change of clothes and removing his mask would never be enough to trip her up! She is Leila, after all. If there's one thing he can say for Leila, it's that she's smart. All it took for her to recognize him as Speedy was one look at his facial features, and the sound of his voice.
Giving an aggravated sigh, Speedy scolds himself inside his head. "Good job, Roy. Way to go! She has your whole identity now, eyes and all. Congratulations. To screw yourself over even farther, why don't you prank call Batman claiming to be the Joker, and see if he thinks it's funny?"
Finally making it to the front of the line after ages of waiting, Speedy begins piling the items in his cart onto the counter. He's pretty sure that after "Roy's" run-in with Leila that he grabbed the wrong type of screwdrivers, but he honestly doesn't care. If Aqualad is that upset about it, he can come back here on his own time and exchange them.
Glaring at the screwdrivers and thumping them down on the counter, the archer grumbles under his breath. "If the universe wants to throw anything else my way, so be it. It's not like anything weirder can happen today."
It takes a couple of minutes, but eventually all of his items get scanned and he is given the total price. Really, Speedy doesn't even hear what everything he bought amounts to. Removing his wallet from his back pocket, the redhead takes out his debit card and is ready to pay for however much it costs. There will most likely be enough in his account to cover it, anyway.
Before he has a chance to slide it through the machine, however, that is when something happens. Something that is truly unexpected.
"Sir! Please don't leave yet! I found what you're looking for!"
The voice is so desperate and echoes so loudly that when Speedy hears it, he can't stop himself from turning around to stare. It isn't just him, but everybody in line behind him and in the lines of the surrounding checkout counters stares as well. Upon hearing the voice, Speedy's initial assumption is that the person calling "sir" is calling out to either a middle-aged business man demanding excellent service, or to an elderly man who needs help tracking something down. It is because of this that when Speedy sees the young, shaggy-haired, salesman he was talking to earlier, Will, his emerald eyes widen to nearly an impossible size.
Will weaves his way past shoppers and around floor displays, sprinting in Speedy's direction wearing an unmatchable grin. In Will's hand is an odd type of tool that, admittedly, he has never seen before in his life. As the eager store employee gets closer, Speedy is able to place it as an oddly-shaped wrench. This causes the unmasked archer's eyes to widen further.
"No way," Speedy whispers to himself in awe. "You have to be kidding me."
Less than three seconds later, Will sprints his way to the front of Speedy's checkout line. For a moment Speedy thinks that he's going to run right past, but when he jumps to a halt approximately three feet in front of him, this assumption is proven wrong. The whole time Speedy doesn't move, neither does he speak. All he can do is stare at Will in disbelief as the man shouts out victoriously.
"I got it for you, sir! It was a bit of a hard find, and I had to do a lot of searching, but I found it! I found the Bobby wrench!"
Not only are Speedy's eyes wide, but his jaw has practically dropped to the ground. Gaping in complete and utter bafflement, he looks from the wrench, to the salesman, and back again. It takes a moment, an incredibly long moment, but eventually Speedy regains the ability to speak. The whole time the archer doesn't even try to hide how shocked he is that Will found what he was looking for.
"That thing you're holding is actually a Bobby wrench?! You're telling me that you seriously found one of those things?!"
His smile growing wider, Will nods eagerly. "That's right! I found it! Oh, and you were wrong about the list of North America's handiest tools. It actually made it on the list at number four!"
Expression of shock never fading, Speedy gapes at the tool once more before looking up at the salesman and taking it from his grasp. "Well…in that case…thanks a lot? Uh…I never would have found it without you."
As he replies, Will's smile remains intact. "There's no need to thank me, sir. That's what I'm here for." With that, he disappears from the checkout line and scampers off to another part of the store. As he leaves he can be heard shouting. "Yeah! I love the world of customer service!"
There is a long moment of silence after that, Speedy staring after the salesperson in shock. The only thing that breaks him free from his disbelief is an obvious question from the cashier.
"Sir, would you like me to ring that up for you?"
Turning to face the cashier, Speedy gives a nod and passes it over the counter. Only after the item has been scanned and placed in a plastic bag does he ask this question.
"Just out of curiosity, do you know that guy's manager?"
Raising a puzzled brow, the cashier nods. "Yeah, I do. Why?"
"Put in a good word for that guy," says Speedy simply. "He deserves a raise."
With that being said, the archer takes his bags and heads out into the labyrinth of cars that is the parking lot. He doesn't realize it, but Will showing up with the so-called "imaginary item" slowed Speedy down just enough to make his day even more interesting.
After digging through her purse, and then the glove compartment, and then under the seats for her phone, Mrs. Tucker was finally able to contact her insurance company to ask about getting her car towed. Once she'd contacted them, she spent approximately fifteen minutes arguing with the desk lady over the phone about whether the insurance company would cover the whole cost of the tow, or if they would cover the partial cost.
Once Mrs. Tucker reluctantly accepted that they would cover fifty-percent of the costs and that she would have to pay for the rest, the insurance company finally sent the tow truck. The entire process, from finding the phone to getting the tow truck to arrive, took forty-five minutes' total. Once the tow truck arrived, Damiana and Mrs. Tucker assumed that their troubles were over. Sadly for them, however, their assumption was off by a long-shot.
"Call for a ride? What do you mean we're going to have to call for a ride? Mrs. Tucker is already being cheated out of half of her money by you people. You can't just leave a seventy-two-year-old woman in the middle of a parking lot without a way to get home, too!"
The tow truck driver, a grease-covered man with a beard who appears to be in his early fifties, looks over some paperwork attached to a clipboard as he responds. "I'm sorry, Miss, but we're not allowed to give people rides; not to their homes, or to the auto shop. It's company policy."
False green eyes burning with fury, Damiana can no longer refrain from shouting. "Oh, so it's 'company policy' for you to leave an elderly woman stranded in a parking lot without a vehicle?!"
Looking up from his clipboard, the man glares at her. "Listen here, you punk little know-it-all. It isn't my fault if you and your granny, here, don't have a ride. If my company says that I can't give you a ride, then I can't! If I do, then I'll lose my job!"
This time it isn't Damiana that speaks, but Mrs. Tucker. When she speaks, she does so in a much calmer fashion than the Dabnodian.
"I'm sorry, sir, but Miss Leila isn't trying to offend you. She's just concerned about me. The only relative I have living in Steel City anymore is my youngest son, and he's away on business. Without him and without my car, I have no way home."
The bearded tow truck driver rolls his eyes in an aggravated fashion. "Listen, lady. I don't care about your son, and I honestly don't care about how you're going to get home. That's your problem. At the end of the day, all I care about is fixing peoples' cars so I can get my paycheck."
At the conclusion of his agitated speech, he tucks his clipboard under his arm and walks off toward the tow truck. The whole time Damiana gapes at the man in disbelief. Even after spending five years on planet Earth, she still can't believe how cold some humans can be. Then again, there were also many Dabnodians who could be cold, but this is currently beside the point.
Shoving a dyed brown ringlet behind her ear, Damiana shouts after him with a question. "If you can't give us a ride, can you at least lend us a phone book or something so we can call a taxi?!"
Jumping up into the driver's seat, he stares the girl down with cold eyes. "No!"
With that being said, the tow truck man slams the door shut and drives off.
Speedy pushes the passenger seat of his white Chevrolet forward as he shoves item-filled bags into the backseat. The whole time he has his smartphone out, looking at the time in disbelief. After spending so much time hunting down items, running into Leila, spending ages in the impossibly long checkout line, and going through that strange ordeal with the Bobby wrench, it is somehow going for two-thirty. He knew that shopping might take some time, but he had no idea that it would take him this long! Bumblebee and Aqualad are going to start thinking that he ditched them for the rest of the day!
Tucking his phone into his pocket and shoving the last bag into the backseat, Speedy shoves the seat back into its original position and shuts the door. There is a cart corral not too far away from here. He should get his shopping cart put away so he can get back to his truck and back to the Tower.
This thought in mind, the redhead takes his cart and makes his way across several rows of cars to the cart corral. Knowing that he has to get back to finish examining that robot of Black Shadow's, Speedy has this goal in mind and is determined that nothing is going to keep him from it. There's no doubt that Cyborg is going to be in Steel City soon. Having the information on the robots' power cores will probably be beneficial to him. The less work he has to do, the more Cyborg will be able to focus on cracking the code behind Black Shadow's machine.
As Speedy makes his way across the parking lot, however, he gets distracted from his goal. Somehow the sound of people talking, of engines running, and of car horns doesn't distract him a bit. Yet, there is one sound that is louder than all these other things, and it manages to distract him very easily. It is a familiar sound that, once it is heard, is not easily forgotten. This would be the sound of an angrily shouting fire user.
"Go ahead! Drive away and leave an elderly woman stranded in a parking lot! Greedy capitalist! I hope that the fates punish you!"
The moment he hears the voice, Speedy is instantly able to recognize it as Leila's. Not only that, but if he looks past the cart corral and through the row of cars in front of him, he is able to catch a glimpse of her tattered blue jeans and long, brown, curls. Beside her, he sees the floral-print skirt and wooden cane of the old lady he saw her with earlier. How they know each other and why they hang around together, Speedy isn't sure. All he knows for sure is that he'd heard Leila call the woman "Mrs. Tucker" earlier, so that suggests that she isn't a relative.
Meanwhile, as he haphazardly shoves his shopping cart into the corral along with all of the other empty carts, he hears the voice of the old lady. He has no idea what's going on, but he is instantly able to tell that their situation isn't good. It is because of this that rather than making his way back to his white Chevrolet like a normal person, Speedy weaves in between parked cars and gets closer to the duo.
"Leila, dear, you need to calm down. Getting in a huff over this isn't going to do either of us any good. We need to calm down so that we can figure a way out of this situation."
Peeking out from in between a red Honda and a black Toyota, he sees as Leila and the old lady come better into view. Once he is able to see them both well, he takes note that both of the ladies are standing in an empty parking space. The whole time Leila is seen staring after a tow truck with disdain. The truck is towing an old 1970's-looking car. Based on how they are standing in the parking lot aimlessly and on how they appear rather stressed out, Speedy's first guess is that the car being towed was their method of transportation.
He knows that if he was smart, he would walk away. Leila is strong. She is independent. She will be able to find a way out of this. Yet, Speedy being Speedy, he doesn't walk away. Instead he stays where he's at and continues listening. He already got caught eavesdropping when they were talking to that salesman, and was identified by her as Speedy. At this point, what more does he have to lose?
In the meantime, Leila turns away from the tow truck and faces the elderly woman known as Mrs. Tucker. She no longer appears angry. Rather, the girl appears frustrated.
"Calm down? Mrs. Tucker, I'm not trying to offend you, but I honestly don't think that calming down is going to help. Your car just got towed, your son is gone from the city, and all of the money you had with you was spent on supplies for the birdhouses. It's true that I have some money on me, but I'm not sure if it would be enough for a taxi to get you home. It might only be enough to get you halfway."
Concern is apparent in Mrs. Tucker's voice. "Me? But, Leila, what about you? You aren't honestly considering walking home and letting me take the taxi, are you?"
Speedy sees as Leila runs a hand through her thick, brown, curls in exasperation. "Of course I'm considering that! I can't just let you walk home! Me, I know that I can make it back to my motel room on foot. I walk anywhere from ten to fifteen miles a day. Making the trip won't be a problem for me. It's you that I'm worried about."
Mrs. Tucker looks at her sternly once she is through speaking, and gives a sigh. "Leila, I'm aware that you're a stubborn girl with a good heart, but I can't let you spend your money on me and then walk all the way back to your motel room. First things first, you need that money for your rent. You can't go getting yourself kicked out. I never want to catch you sleeping on park benches and in alleyways again! You're going to get yourself killed! And secondly, you can't walk home no matter how much you say you can do it. It's almost thirty miles across the city! Even you can't walk that far!"
Running her hand through her hair once more, and this time giving it an aggravated tug, Leila sighs. "Then what do you suggest we do, hitchhike or panhandle? The choice is yours. The fates haven't done me any favors so far, and the deity I've been praying to hasn't sent me that angel I've been asking for, so I can't think of any other options."
If Speedy was unable to walk away before, then he definitely can't walk away now. He wouldn't be able to walk away if somebody paid him.
Massaging his temple using his middle and index fingers, Speedy speaks to himself internally. "Leila, you are definitely something different. Until today, I honestly can't say that I've met a person who would be willing to walk thirty miles across the city just so an old woman can take a taxi."
Shaking his head, he whispers to himself aloud. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Bumblebee and Aqualad aren't going to be happy, and Leila is probably going to think that I'm some kind of stalker, but at this point who cares?"
Deciding that it's now or never, the redhead takes a deep breath and steps out from in between the two cars. He is now approximately ten feet behind the two women, but they don't notice him. Rather, they are busy bickering amongst themselves. He doesn't hear what they say, though. Instead, after looking at them for a moment and taking one last deep breath, Speedy loudly clears his throat. Somehow, clearing his throat is all it takes for them to cease their arguing and look in his direction.
When they first hear him, both of them jump slightly before turning. Upon noticing him, one of them gives another startled jump while the other simply stares at him curiously. The one staring in curiosity is, of course, Mrs. Tucker. She eyes Speedy from head to toe with one of her eyebrows arched. After getting a good look at him she turns to face Leila with a smirk, a twinkle in her eye that appears to be a mixture between teasing and knowing. The whole time Leila doesn't even notice the look the lady gives her. She simply gapes at Speedy in shock.
He doesn't know if she looks startled, annoyed, or embarrassed, but if one thing is obvious, it's that she isn't exactly overjoyed to see him. She looks at him for a second, her emerald eyes widening and her cheeks reddening. A long moment passes where their eyes lock, Leila's light shade of emerald meeting Speedy's vast and vivid shades of green. As he looks at her, he sees that her eyes aren't filled with annoyance like he thought they'd be. Instead they are filled deeply with embarrassment. He doesn't realize it, but his own eyes are filled with nothing but kindness.
Apparently she realizes that their gazes have been connected for too long, because after the longest three seconds of Speedy's life, Leila allows her hair to fall in her face and she shifts her gaze to the ground. Even through her curtain of curls, Speedy is still able to see her crimson cheeks.
"W-what do you want?" she asks in slightly quivering voice that lacks its usual strength. "I thought that you would have gone home by now."
Giving a smile that matches the kindness in his eyes, Speedy moves closer to them by several feet. "That was my plan at first, but some stuff happened that set me back. It's a good thing, too, because I was just putting my cart in the cart corral, and it looks like I ran across a friend who needs help." After a slight pause, he continues. "Not that I was trying to eavesdrop, but I overheard your conversation, and it sounds like both of you are in a tight spot. If you want, I could give you a ride."
Sighing deeply, Leila looks at him once more. Upon doing so, she asks a simple question. "Why? Don't you have things to do?"
Doing his best to meet her gaze through her curtain of hair, he gives a nod and a smile that contain a hint of teasing. "Yeah, but does it matter? I can't just leave you here. If I drove off knowing that you're both stranded, I would feel guilty for the rest of the day. If I feel guilty for the rest of the day, I'll feel guilty for the rest of the night, too. And if I feel guilty for the rest of the night, then I will be awake tossing and turning, wondering if my dear friend, Leila, is out in the Hardware Store parking lot with her elderly lady friend cold and hungry all because I didn't offer them a ride." A mischievous glint in his vibrant emerald orbs, he adds, "You don't want that on your conscience, do you?"
It is only now that embarrassment is replaced by uncertainty. Uncertainty can be seen all over Leila's face at this point. Even so, the girl doesn't have time to express it outwardly. Instead, the elderly lady called Mrs. Tucker is the one who responds. Before words, however, comes laughter.
Moving several steps closer, her laughter softens to chuckles as she speaks to him. "If I doubted it before, then I have no doubts about it now. You are definitely one of my Leila's friends. Your sense of humor matches her's to a T!" Giving another chuckle, she asks, "What's your name, kid?"
Eyes' widening slightly, Speedy hesitates at this question. The whole time, in spite of her indecision at accepting his offer, Leila can be seen eyeing him curiously. For some reason, even though he knows that he shouldn't, he answers the lady's question honestly.
"My name's Roy." Giving another smile, he turns and waves them in the direction of his white Chevrolet. "If you want a ride that's free of charge, then follow me. My truck's not anything too charming, but it gets the job done."
For years now, Damiana has been with the opinion that the fates don't care about her. After today, however, she's starting to think that they're laughing at her expense. There she is, stranded in the hardware store parking lot in the one of the most desperate situations that she has ever been in, and who shows up to rescue her? None other than the playboy archer. There isn't a single doubt in her mind that the fates must be laughing right now. Only they would allow her to look this helpless and pathetic in front of Speedy.
Sighing mentally, Damiana gives herself a reminder. "That's right. He isn't 'Speedy' right now. He's 'Roy'. Or…whatever his actual name is... There's no way that he would give us his real name!"
Her legs pulled up to her chest, Damiana gazes out the window from the backseat of his truck in attempt to avoid looking at him. When Mrs. Tucker offered her the passenger seat, the alien girl declined in a very blunt fashion before climbing into the back amongst Speedy's purchased items. It's bad enough that she has to degrade herself by accepting his act of charity. There's no way that she's sitting directly next to him on top of that. The closer she is to him, the more opportunities he has to cause her brain to malfunction with his bright, emerald, eyes, flecked with brown.
Ready to yank her hair out, Damiana grumbles internally in aggravated Dabnodian. "He has to know that his eyes are pretty. Who knows how many people he has used those eyes on?!"
Damiana feels as "Roy" gently forces the vehicle to a halt in front of a red light. There are people walking in and out of stores as well as children happily running down the sidewalk. Yet, Damiana doesn't see a single one of them. Instead, all of her focus is on listening to Mrs. Tucker as she chatters happily. They've been in his truck for less than ten minutes, and already she and Speedy are hitting it off.
"So you met Miss Leila at that café she works at, and you made a song request, huh? I'm surprised that she hasn't mentioned you before today."
His voice light and cheerful, she listens as Speedy responds easily. "Yeah, well I'm not surprised by it. We kind of got off to a rocky start. Really, I can't say I blame her for not mentioning me."
Brow raising slightly at this remark, Damiana is tempted to turn in the un-costumed archer's direction. Of course, still feeling very uncomfortable in the backseat of his vehicle, she doesn't. Instead, she continues listening as the light turns green and as the truck begins moving once more.
Giving a short laugh, Mrs. Tucker replies to the archer's statement. "It's easy to get off to a rocky start with Leila. Sometimes she can have more bite than my late Uncle Billy's pet goat!"
Blushing crimson, Leila pulls her hood down so that it covers her face and slumps down in the seat. She is sitting directly behind Speedy, so she is fairly certain that he's looking her over in the rearview mirror. When Mrs. Tucker continues speaking, Leila tugs her hood over her face even farther.
Giving another laugh, she says, "But I'm not going to be too hard on her. Leila is kind of like those SourPatch Kid candies on the commercial. When you first meet her she's sour, but once you get to know her a bit, she's sweet. You just have to get past the sour first."
Speedy gives a response that sounds a tad surprised. "Is that so?"
Unable to keep her gaze pointed out the window any longer, Damiana lifts her head up just enough to shoot Mrs. Tucker an irritated glance. She doesn't know if it's the rearview mirror or one of the side-view mirrors, but apparently the elderly lady can see her in one of them.
Sounding amused, Mrs. Tucker says, "Don't you give me that look, Leila. You know it's true. Out of all the young girls I've had clean my house, none of them have been as sweet as you."
At last, for the first time since climbing into the vehicle, she wills herself to speak. "I don't know about that, Mrs. Tucker. I'm not exactly a ray of sunshine."
The elderly woman scoffs playfully at her comment. "That's nothing a piece of hooey, and you know it. You're a bright girl with a kind heart and a good sense of humor. So stop pretending you're not!" A second later, she adds, "And will you take that hood down, and buy some hairclips so you can pin some of that hair back? Let Roy over here catch a glimpse of your pretty face. He's quite the looker. I wouldn't let him get away from you."
Her face more crimson than before, Damiana groans in discomfort and faces the window once more. Much to her dismay, she sees tall buildings rather than houses. They still haven't made it out of the inner city. Upon making this discovery, she releases an audible groan. The whole time Speedy can be heard releasing soft chuckles. He doesn't sound mocking or deriding, but rather, he sounds amused; maybe even flattered. At this, she releases another groan. This is going to be the longest ride of her life.
The drive to Mrs. Tucker's neighborhood feels like the shortest drive of Speedy's life. In the past, due to the fact that he has been called "teenage filth" and "a no-good punk", he has never been too fond of old ladies. After today, however, Speedy has to say this is no longer the case. In truth, he rather likes Mrs. Tucker. She's happy, nice, and most of all, she has a sense of humor. Until now, the majority of elderly people he has met have been bitter, and if not bitter, they have pure hatred toward today's youth. It is because of this that meeting an elderly person like Mrs. Tucker is nice for a change.
"… If you think that an industrial-sized box of fish sticks killed him, then you should try bringing sushi back to your roommate! I have a cousin that won't eat seafood for the life her; she's convinced that it's doing an injustice the creatures of the sea, or something of that sort. Anyhow, a few months ago when I went to visit her, I brought a whole bucket of sushi with me. You should have seen that look on that geezer's face! She looked like she was ready to have a stroke!"
Looking around at the picture-perfect houses lining the street, Speedy responds while laughing loudly. "Sushi? I don't know why I haven't thought of that! That's genius!" A moment later he asks, "How did you think of sushi, anyway?"
Humor glinting in her eyes, Mrs. Tucker responds smugly. "Actually, the idea wasn't mine. It was Leila that thought of it. My cousin came to visit me about a month before that, and she bought me four two-liters of diet soda even after I told her that I don't want to get near the stuff! After that stunt she pulled, Leila and I decided that it was payback time!" Guffawing loudly, she adds, "Leila came up with the idea to buy my youngest son a burial plot at the local cemetery for his forty-eighth birthday, too. That was after he got me a shiny new urn from the funeral home for Christmas."
Laughing, Speedy glances at Leila in the rearview mirror. Her hood is pulled down so that it hides the majority of her face, her legs are pulled up to her chest, and her cheeks are growing redder by the second. He can tell that she is embarrassed by all of the information that Mrs. Tucker is revealing about her, yet Speedy can't help but find all of these new facts about the fire user amusing.
Removing his gaze from Leila's reflection and turning back to the road, he speaks out sounding both pleased and surprised. "Leila came up with those ideas? That's awesome!" Peeking into the rearview mirror once more, he says to the girl, "If you'll let me, I'd like to start going to you for material. Together we could have endless fun putting Aqua—ah…m-my roommate…through torture!"
For some reason, that single slip of the tongue is all it takes for Leila lift her gaze. Despite the misery she has been going through during this drive, she gives him a tiny smile.
"I'd really rather not. Sure you put 'your roommate' through torture, but I'm sure that he finds plenty of ways to retaliate against you." Smile fading, she adds, "Just because I can think of a few good tricks, and because I helped you out recently, doesn't mean that I should join up with…your…group. It's true that I have…similar abilities… but it doesn't mean that I'm like the rest of you. If I...go…back…with you, you don't know what you're getting…your group…involved with."
Shrugging, Speedy looks back to the road once again as he replies. "You know, you're putting too much thought into this. Instead of thinking, maybe you should act. Things could turn out better."
A long moment of silence passes once those words are spoken. Speedy drives at twenty-five miles per hour, careful not to hit any of the children that are out playing in the street. Though he isn't looking at her, Leila is sitting rigidly in the backseat. Her hood is starting to slip down, her pale features revealing an expression that is both serious and thoughtful. Never has there been a duo of teenagers who appear more serious and more silent than these two.
The whole time Mrs. Tucker looks back and forth between the two youths while wearing an odd expression. She understands that the way they just spoke to each other, in code, was very intentional. Why they addressed each other in code, the elderly woman doesn't know. All she knows is that there is a lot more to their relationship than they're letting on. Not only that, but the elderly woman is starting to become convinced that there is more to the teenagers themselves that she doesn't know about.
Solemn expressions on their faces, Speedy drives for five more minutes before someone breaks the silence. The person who breaks this silence is none other than Mrs. Tucker. When she speaks, she isn't laughing or smiling for once. Instead, the lady speaks in a firm tone.
"Roy, dear, let me out here. My house is right up the street, so I can make the walk."
Surprised by her request, the two teens jump slightly before turning to face her. Both sets of emerald eyes are wide with shock.
"Are you sure, Mrs. Tucker?" Leila asks from the backseat. "We're so close to your house already that letting you out here doesn't make sense."
Taking a deep breath, Mrs. Tucker gives a stiff nod. "I'm sure, Leila. I want to get out here." After a moment of hesitation, she continues. "Leila, I'm not sure who this young man is or how you know each other, but I can tell that your relationship with him goes beyond my comprehension. Whatever is going on here, you two need to talk about it. No talking in code. No use of caution. You need to talk openly. With me sitting here, it's clear that this can't happen."
Speedy doesn't know when he did it, but at some point during Mrs. Tucker's speech, he pulled his white Chevrolet over to the side of the road. Now he is gaping at Leila, and Leila is gaping back at him. Neither of them knows what to do or what to say. All they know is that the elderly woman, Mrs. Tucker, is completely correct in what she just told them.
Unlocking her car door, the woman lowers herself out of the truck as the adolescents stare at each other hesitantly. Before shutting the door, she makes one final statement.
"Leila, honey, don't worry about missing your next job. Whatever those people pay, I will pay you double for taking some time to talk things out with this young man. Take a drive. Go somewhere. Just talk to each other."
With that being said Mrs. Tucker shuts the truck's passenger side door, and heads off down the sidewalk. Speedy doesn't take off again right away, half expecting Leila to get out and go sprinting down the middle of the road in the opposite direction of his vehicle. A moment later, however, Speedy finds himself surprised beyond words. Leila does move, but it isn't to get out of his truck. Instead she unbuckles her seatbelt, braces her arms against the headrests of the driver's and passenger's seats, and swings her body so that she lands in the seat directly beside him.
Pushing back her hood and running her fingers through her hair, Leila faces him. When she speaks she doesn't sound upset or angry. Instead, she sounds nothing other than confused and stressed.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Speedy, Mrs. Tucker is right. We need to talk about everything that happened. I can't take this anymore."
Damiana sits curled up against the leather of the passenger seat, allowing Speedy to drive them wherever his heart desires. Now that she's actually paying attention, his truck is really quite nice. It isn't brand new, but it isn't old either. The inside of it is clean without any dirt or food wrappers laying around. Nothing is dusty, and none of the vents or buttons on the dashboard are broken. Based on the glimpse she caught of the outside, it is washed and waxed as well. If this truly is his vehicle and not Aqualad's or Bumblebee's, then she has to say that she's impressed.
Of course, outweighing how pleased she is with Speedy's vehicle is the fact that Damiana is surprised at herself. Speedy was pulled over on the side of the road for almost five straight minutes. She had plenty of time to hop out of his truck and dash down the street. To be honest, Damiana was actually thinking about it, too. Yet, she didn't. Instead she jumped into the front seat, confessed that she wants to talk things over with him, and agreed to let Speedy take them wherever.
As the alien girl curls up in the passenger seat, she goes back and forth between staring out the window and glancing over at Speedy. Sometimes when she's looking out the window she can feel his eyes on her, and occasionally when she glances over at him Damiana catches him taking glimpses. Somehow, in spite of how much he glances at her, Speedy's driving remains very smooth and watchful. That's another thing that is surprising to her is what a good driver Speedy is. For some reason, Damiana thought that he would be more reckless.
Approximately fifteen minutes passes, and neither of them speaks. Instead Damiana watches out the window as they turn onto a main road, and as the houses transform into small shops and a scant few restaurants. As far as she can tell, they aren't going back to the inner city, but are actually heading in the opposite direction. Several more minutes pass, and eventually Speedy speaks, but it isn't to say anything too significant. Truth be told, she didn't even know that they pulled in somewhere until he rolled down the driver's side window and a nasal female voice spoke through a speaker.
"Hello! Welcome to Mijo's Tacos! Can I take your order?"
Suddenly becoming aware of their surroundings, Damiana sees that they're going through the drive thru at a Mexican-themed restaurant. Or more specifically, a restaurant that has several locations in Steel City known as "Mijo's Tacos". Wondering why they're here, Damiana looks at the speaker and then at the redhead with a raised brow. As a response, Speedy doesn't say much. He simply gives a shrug before asking a very basic question.
"Do you want anything? If you do, then I would suggest getting tacos. They're great here!"
Damiana's brow remains raised. A little over an hour ago she was at the hardware store with Mrs. Tucker looking for supplies to fix birdhouses. Now she is sitting in the passenger seat of one of the Titans' very nice cars, taking a drive, and getting lunch with an out-of-costume Speedy. This day is turning out weird…
It takes a moment, but at last she replies. "Sure, I guess I'll have a taco. Make it chicken."
Giving a swift a nod, he turns back to the speaker. "I'll take four tacos, two chicken and two fish. I'll also have two medium cokes."
A few seconds pass, but eventually the nasal female voice responds. "Your order comes to sixteen ninety-five. Pull up to the window when ready."
Without another word Speedy pulls up to the window, removes his wallet, and begins counting out the correct amount of money. Watching him intently, Damiana speaks as he does this.
"If you want, I can pay for my half. You don't have to pick up the tab for me."
Giving a smile, he replies, "Hey, don't worry about it. The tacos are on me. Think of it as my way of saying thanks for not running away again." Pausing, he adds, "Besides, I haven't eaten since this morning, and you probably haven't either. Odds are that we're both pretty hungry."
Damiana doesn't argue with him even a little bit. Accepting his generosity, she gives a nod as he hands a woman in her mid-thirties cash through the order window. In exchange, she hands him a takeout bag and two sodas. Putting the sodas in the cup holders and the bag of tacos in Damiana's lap, he exits the fast-food restaurant's parking lot and drives back out onto the road.
Where he's taking them, she doesn't know. Much like earlier, where they're going still doesn't matter to Damiana. Instead she watches out the window as the buildings become scanter, and as the road grows narrower. She has never been in this area before and should be questioning where they're going, but she doesn't. The only time that she cares about anything is when Speedy brings the car to a halt in front of a red light. When he stops, the archer uses this as his cue to speak.
"You know, I probably shouldn't jump into this so fast, but I honestly don't think I have much to lose. This question has been eating at me ever since you left, and I need to ask it." Speedy hesitates for a long moment, but then he continues. "It's hard to explain, but you're acting different from when I first met you. When I first met you, you were an angry ball of fire that was ready to explode. But now…now you're completely different. Ever since that fight with Black Shadow and his robots, you've been different. Why is that?"
Not knowing what to do or how to respond, Damiana gives a small sigh as she attempts redirecting the subject. "I haven't been acting different. I don't know what you're talking about."
Much to her disappointment, Speedy doesn't believe her for an instant. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Leila. You used to be bold, and cold, and angry, but now you're not. If I didn't know any better, I would say that you've been acting like you're scared." A few seconds later, he asks, "What changed exactly? Are you scared of Black Shadow? Scared of getting close to the Titans East? Scared of being friends with some 'pimp' that you met in a café? What is it?"
Directly after Speedy finishes his string of questions the light turns green, and he steps on the gas to urge his truck forward. The whole time Damiana doesn't know how to respond to him. She simply stares in disbelief. He is much more perceptive than she thought he'd be. It is because of this that Damiana surprises herself yet again by responding with sincerity. That is why she decided to skip her next job to go with him, isn't it?
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she speaks. "To be honest, Speedy, I guess I'm scared of…everything. I'm scared of this villain you're after, I'm horrified that I came out and told all of you about my powers, I'm scared at the thought of joining the Titans East. All of it scares me. For years now, I have been making it on my own without saying a thing to anybody. Besides the name 'Leila', nobody knew a thing. My personality, my powers, the details of my life, all of it was kept secret. But now, in less than a week, I feel like the Titans are digging up everything that I try so hard to keep buried.
"Not only that, but I thought about what you said the other day, and I'm starting to feel like you're right. Somehow, through everything that has happened, Black Shadow has become my villain too. This also scares me! Until four days ago, I've never had a villain to fight. I've never had a real reason to use my powers, or people who encourage me to use them. With meeting you, meeting the rest of your team, and fighting Black Shadow, I guess it feels like my life is changing."
Once Damiana is through speaking, a moment of silence passes. By now all of the buildings have vanished completely, and they are now driving on a road along the rocky coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. The sun is shining brightly and reflects off of the water brilliantly, making it a pretty sight despite the jaggedness of the coastline. Damiana has never seen the coastline before even if she does live in Steel City, so getting to see it for once is nice.
Meanwhile, after mulling everything over with contemplative emerald orbs, Speedy gives a response. "You make it sound like your life changing is a bad thing, but is it really? According to what you just told me, you have been struggling through life by yourself for ages now. No offense, but working yourself into the ground to survive and avoiding people like the plague sounds like it sucks."
Damiana has no idea why, but his comment doesn't offend her in the least. Instead, she replies while giving a shrug. "Yeah, well, it isn't exactly a picnic at the park. I get by, though, so it's okay."
"But don't you want to do more than get by? You're sixteen, Leila! Spending time with a friend, talking, and eating tacos is something you should be doing every Saturday! Sure the Titans have responsibilities that other teenagers don't have, saving the world from evil being one of them, but other than that we're pretty normal. Bee, Aqualad, and Mas and Menos aren't just my teammates, but they're my friends, too. We watch movies, go out for pizza, do stuff at the park, argue over who's doing the dishes, and everything else that normal roommates do."
Not understanding his point, Damiana looks at him strangely. "Why are you telling me this?"
Shrugging, Speedy pulls off of the road and into a parking lot surrounded by rocks and foliage as he replies. "To let you know exactly what the Titans are like. If you do come back to the Tower at some point, you need to know that the Titans are friends as much as superheroes." Pausing slightly, he adds, "To be honest, we already consider you a part of our team. Once you fight side-by-side with us, you become one of our friends."
It is here that another moment of silence passes, the two of them sitting in Speedy's truck without getting out. A few days ago, Damiana would have ran like a bolt upon hearing his words. Heck, she wouldn't have been willing to stay in his vehicle in the first place! Yet, for a reason that not even she herself understands, the girl doesn't move. Instead she takes in Speedy's words and turns them over in her head before responding.
"After helping you fight one villain one time after just meeting me that day, the other Titans really think of me as their friend? You think of me as your friend?" Pausing slightly, she adds, "You guys are awfully trusting of strangers."
Giving a smile followed by another shrug, Speedy gets out of the truck and shuts the door behind him. It doesn't take long for Damiana to follow suit. Once they're out of the truck, Damiana follows Speedy away from the parking lot to a small trail that leads off into the rocks and the foliage. A few seconds of walking are all it takes for her to notice a fork in the trail up ahead. One side of the fork leads to a grassy area containing trees and foliage, and the other side of the fork leads downhill to the rocky coastline. Amongst the coastline, the alien girl notices a wooden dock that overhangs the water.
In the meantime, Speedy replies to her prior statement with amusement gleaming in his eyes. "You know, you may be pointing that finger at the Titans, but you have three pointing back at yourself. You barely know me in the same way that the Titans barely know you, but who is the person that hopped in my truck, stayed when she had the chance to leave, and basically gave me permission to take her anywhere? Not to mention that you let me buy you tacos, and that you're willingly taking a walk with me down to the dock."
His words hitting her like a bolt, the girl suddenly realizes how true his accusations are. Face blushing crimson in discomfort, she does her best to explain.
"This doesn't count! You see—" Unable to think of where she's going with this statement, she cuts off and begins another one. "But—"
This time it is Speedy that cuts her off. He doesn't do so with words, but with amused laughter. Emerald eyes twinkling, he laughs lightly as he catches her gaze. Like several other times today, his half-dozen shades of emerald green flecked with brown enchant her as he gives a response.
"'But' nothing."
Hesitating in his steps, he moves closer to her and takes the bag of fish tacos. Opening it up, he removes Damiana's chicken tacos and hands them to her. The two that are his he keeps in the bag. From here he walks a couple feet ahead up the path, turns around to face her, and motions for Damiana to continue following.
"Come on. You'll love the dock. Nobody ever comes here, so we can talk without worrying about anyone overhearing."
Out of all the places to bring her, Speedy still can't figure out why he brought Leila to the dock. Sure it's quiet and there's nobody around, but it's also several miles outside the city. Not only that, but because of the lack of scenery and nothing to do besides stare at the water, most people find the dock painfully boring. Of course, due to the fact that he was acting on impulse and that this was the only place he could think to take her, here they are and here they'll stay. At least until they're done talking, anyway.
Lucky for him, however, Leila doesn't seem to be responding negatively to his choice of venue. She sits on the dock's edge, one leg tucked under her and the other dangling over the water. She eats her first taco slowly, looking out at the ocean while wearing a mildly pleased expression. The girl hasn't done a whole lot of smiling today, so the fact that she appears even a little bit happy is a good sign to the archer.
It takes a few seconds, but after chewing and swallowing a bite of food, Leila finally speaks.
"I probably should have asked this a lot sooner, but what exactly happened with Black Shadow? Based on the way you've been talking, it doesn't sound like the Titans have caught him." After a short moment of hesitation, she adds, "I know that I'm not a part of your team, but I can still tell that Black Shadow isn't like other villains. He seems worse."
Swallowing a bite of his own taco, he replies instantly. "That's because he is worse. He's the only criminal on record that was able to escape from an underground prison cell surrounded by lasers and a level fourteen containment field. He's the only criminal the Titans have faced who figured out a way to evolve his powers, and is crazy enough to plan revenge on a massive scale. He's evil, manipulative, he gets inside peoples' heads, he's crazy…" Trailing off, Speedy sighs and takes another bite of his taco. A moment later he adds, "It's been a while since the Titans have faced an enemy this extreme."
More than a minute of silence passes, the duo looking out at the water as sunlight shines off of its wavy surface. Now that Speedy is actually looking at the scenery, he's starting to realize what a good impulsive decision it was to come here. With the seriousness of their conversation, watching the waves and listening as they slap against the rocky shore has a wonderful calming effect. According to the intent way that Leila watches the ocean, the view soothes her as well.
After several moments, the girl speaks at last. "I know that the Titans take on common criminals like bank robbers and drug dealers, but you've also taken on incredibly dangerous criminals, right? Criminals that want to destroy the Titans, gain unlimited power, and take over cities?"
Taken off guard by this question, Speedy gapes at her with surprised, green, eyes. The whole time Leila returns his gaze, nothing but curiosity seen across her features. As they stare at each other, the girl slowly chews another bite of her taco while waiting for him to respond. At last the archer speaks.
"Yes, actually. We have. The Titans have taken on criminals just as dangerous as the criminals that the 'big Justice League heroes' have taken on." One moment of contemplation later, he continues. "Before the Titans East formed, the Titans West had to take on a villain called Slade; twice. He was the Titans Wests' criminal, so we really shouldn't know about him, but Robin talks about him sometimes. According to Robin, he was forced into being Slade's apprentice, and then another teammate that they had for a while, Terra, was also forced into it. Slade was such a big threat that he took over Jump City, and the only way to defeat him was at the cost of Terra's life."
Swallowing the bite of food that she was chewing, Leila stares at Speedy openly in surprise. "The Titans West had a teammate that died? I didn't know that."
Speedy nods in confirmation. "Whether or not you know about her, she was real. You've probably never heard of her because the people in charge of Jump City try so hard to cover Terra up. She was on the Titans West team for a while, but ended up siding with Slade. He deceived her, used her to take over the city, and then she died helping the Titans West defeat him. In the end Terra was a hero, but she still sided with Slade for a while, so Jump City acts like she never happened." After a miniscule pause, he adds, "At least that's the story according to the Titans West. I wasn't anywhere near Jump City when it happened. I was on a mission in Russia with Aquaman, Aqualad, and Black Canary."
Leila doesn't speak for a long time after this. Speedy watches as she stares out the water wearing a solemn expression, taking all of this new information in.
Eventually, Leila asks another question. "And the Titans East? What villains have you taken on? Were any of them as dangerous as Slade?"
He answers without hesitation. "Oh, absolutely! The whole reason the Titans East formed in the first place was to help take one of these villains down." Knowing already that she's going to ask what villain this was, Speedy continues. "Cyborg and Bumblebee infiltrated the HIVE Academy for a while. The HIVE Academy was basically a school for villains, and they wanted to gather information on the head master, Brother Blood. By the time it was all over Blood and his robots infiltrated our Tower, we got brainwashed, we were almost dissected and turned into robot-human mutants, and the Titans West had to come bail us out."
Her eyes widening once more, Leila stares at him. Before she has a chance to say anything, Speedy chuckles and speaks in her place.
"What? Are you surprised that my unbreakable willpower and fantastic biceps weren't enough to break Blood's hypnosis?" Giving another chuckle, he adds, "Honestly, I was surprised by it too."
Surprise fading from her gaze, Leila rolls her eyes at him in irritation. At the same time, the un-costumed archer is almost positive that he sees a smirk.
"Don't give yourself too much credit. I didn't come here so I can lust after you, if that's what you're thinking." After another bite of her taco, she continues in a more somber fashion. "I just didn't know that the Titans have faced these kinds of criminals before. If this is the case, then I guess that makes Black Shadow one more villain that needs to get defeated so he can be added to the storybooks."
This time Speedy is the one who lapses into silence. For once, he has absolutely no idea what to say. More than anything, he would like to confirm Leila's statement. In a way, what she's saying is true. Black Shadow is just another criminal that they have to defeat so he can turn into another story. Of course, her words are also a way of simplifying what is currently a very intense situation for the Titans. Sure Slade and Brother Blood are just stories to them now, but at the time they were real criminals who put them all in real places of danger. It is because of this that Speedy responds the way he does.
Giving a weighted sigh, he speaks. "Leila, if there's one thing you need know, it's that it doesn't matter what enemies the Titans have fought before. I could go on to tell you about how the Brotherhood of Evil tried taking out young heroes, and about how we all came together to defeat them even though it looked impossible. To be honest, I would love to tell you about Brother Blood and the Brotherhood of Evil with detail, because the stories are amazing. But that's exactly what they are now; stories. They don't matter anymore.
"Sometimes you need to forget the past so you can focus on the present. A year from now he's going to be like Slade, Brother Blood, and the Brotherhood of Evil; another story. But right now he isn't. He declared war on the hero world, he's a real threat, and it's up to the Titans to stop him. If we don't stop him, then we can kiss the world as we know it goodbye, because Black Shadow is going to destroy it. I know he will. As soon as the world's heroes are gone, that psychopath is going to unleash chaos."
Again, like many other times today, the girl's green eyes widen. "He really declared war on the hero world? His goal is to destroy all of the world's superheroes?"
Giving a nod at her question, Speedy replies without missing a beat. "That's exactly his goal. He told that to the rest of my team himself while we were on the upper floor destroying his robots. He declared war on the hero world, and said that it isn't going to be over until only one of us is left standing. The man's demented, but that doesn't mean that he isn't smart, and it doesn't mean that he won't be able to put his plan into action."
Speedy pauses a long time before continuing. He doesn't realize it, but when he speaks, he does so in a manner that changes the young fire user's opinion of him forever. It's a good thing that he isn't wearing his mask, because everything he's saying is reflected in his eyes.
"You're probably not going to believe me, Leila, but just because I flirt with a few girls in a cafe doesn't mean that I want to take them to bed. And just because I like to tease people and have fun doesn't mean that I don't know when to be serious. When it comes down to it, I am a Titan, and I would sacrifice anything to keep this world safe." Pausing, he adds, "So, before you join the Titans, ask yourself if you're willing to push away the past and sacrifice anything. If you can honestly say yes to both of these things, then that's how you know that you'll make a good superhero."
Leila doesn't say anything in response once he's through speaking. First she looks at him, and then she shifts her gaze to the ocean. Speedy's first note of observation is that she no longer appears shocked, neither does she appear frightened. Instead her face sports an expression that is both intent and thoughtful, as if deeply mulling over his words. Honestly, Speedy doesn't mind the silence. Sitting at the end of the dock, watching the water, and finishing their tacos without speaking is a nice thing to be able to do. If he could, he would stay here for the rest of the day.
It's only too sad that this peaceful time of eating lunch at the end of the dock has to come to an end. Before he has time to down the last bite of his second taco, his smartphone sounds off loudly. This startles him so badly that the boy leaps to his feet out of terror, causing him to throw the rest of his taco off the end of the dock and into the water below. He doesn't know if it is his sudden movement that does it, or the sound of "It's Not Me It's You" by Skillet coming from his pocket, but Leila too gives a startled jump.
Of course, knowing whose ringtone this is, Speedy has more of a reason to be scared than the fire user. If Bee knew about the ringtone he uses whenever she calls, then his fear would be even more valid. Bumblebee finding out about her ringtone would be even worse than that time Aqualad figured out that his ringtone was that song from The Little Mermaid, "Under the Sea". Gulping nervously, Speedy digs his phone out of his pocket and sits back down as Leila stares at him oddly.
Holding the phone approximately six inches away from his ear, he answers, "Hello?"
Three seconds are all it takes. The shouting is so loud that his phone doesn't even have to be set to speaker for both he and Leila to hear every word clearly.
"Roy, where the heck are you?! You were supposed to be back here hours ago! You better not be flirting around with slutty girls and eating pie again!"
Sounding calm, almost cheerful, he replies easily. "Oh! Hi, Bee!" Pausing, he asks, "So how's the research going?"
This only causes her to grow angrier. "It would be going better if you were back here doing your share of the work! You were only supposed to be at the hardware store for an hour, and you've been gone for three-and-half! Don't tell me that the hardware store is so great that you decided to spend the day there! The screwdriver aisle can't possibly be that interesting!"
His gaze shifting to Leila, he replies sounding even more chipper. "Actually, Bee, it was more interesting than you think. You'll never believe what I found! Trust me."
"What you found better be something good, because you're not getting off easy this time! When you get back here, you are getting straight to work!"
"I understand, Bee, and I promise that I will be back soon. For now, however, I have to bid you farewell. Believe me, this is as sad for me as it is for you."
By now steam can practically be heard pouring out of her ears. "Roy, don't you dare hang up the phone on m—"
Unfortunately for the girl on the other end, she never has time to finish her sentence. Before she can say another word, Speedy hangs up on her and shoves the phone back inside of his pocket. The whole time, Leila gapes at him.
"Uh…Speedy? Are you going to be okay back at the Tower?"
Shrugging, Speedy stands up once more. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. This isn't the first time Bee has been mad at me. Or Aqualad, for that matter. Knowing him, he's probably angry, too." Taking a few steps forward, he says, "Come on. I'll drive you home."
Knowing that the time to leave has come, Leila stands up from her spot on the dock and follows after him. With as quiet as she has been today, Speedy expects the walk back to his truck to be completely silent. However, once they're halfway up the path, she manages to surprise him.
Eyes filled to the brim with curiosity, she asks, "Speedy? I don't know if I'm overstepping my boundaries here, but is 'Roy' your actual name?"
Hesitating in his steps, he looks at her with brown-flecked eyes sparkling a half-dozen shades of emerald. "What do you think?"
He doesn't say anything more, and he honestly doesn't need to. Somehow that is all it takes for her to know the right answer.
A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter, folks. With the two weeks I have off, I was going to try getting some serious writing done. Even so, there are no guarantees for when the next chapter is going to be out. Within another chapter or two I was finally going to have Damiana join the Titans, and figuring out how to go about doing this might be difficult. I try to have everything happen in a very believable fashion in "Firelight", and because of this, getting chapters done can take time. For me, I prefer quality over quantity. Nonetheless, I will still try to get the next chapter posted as soon as time permits.
Until next time, friends! :)
Forever and Always,
OCQ