A/N: At long last, another chapter of Firelight is completed! Just so you know, a lot happens here. It took me ages to write this chapter with everything I've included, but it was worth it! I have been waiting forever to write this chapter, and I'm so excited that it's finally here!

Anyway, I won't ramble for this author's note. I don't want to keep you guys waiting; not with the ensuing drama that Chapter Twenty-One has to offer. Thanks again for all of your wonderful reviews, and enjoy the chapter! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.

Part II: Shadows: Chapter Twenty-One

The Next Morning

It has taken five straight days, but on the morn of day six, Damiana finally emerges from her bedroom. The fact that it has taken her this long to recover from seeing a man that looks similar to Saeran not only makes Damiana aggravated, but it embarrasses her. Following her lengthy three hour crying session the previous night, reality finally hit her over the head with how ridiculous she was being. They have a dangerous criminal to track down, his plans to figure out, and she has Phoenix level powers to learn, and she was crying because this mysterious hero she saw over a screen wasn't her deceased older brother?! For crying out loud, of course it wasn't him! Where the heck was her brain at?!

Taking a deep breath, thankful that she finally has her sanity back, Damiana ascends the hallway and nears the entrance of the common room. After sleeping for nine dreamless hours and taking a long, calming, shower, it is time for breakfast. She hasn't eaten anything besides the occasional apple or piece of toast that she snuck from the kitchen while everybody was asleep, so she is really looking forward to a good meal. Maybe she can get her hands on some eggs and bread and make French toast. She would love that! Nothing is better than French toast! Oh, and strawberries, too! Are there any strawberries around? If not, she'll have to get a hold of one of their debit cards and go to the store. On foot, of course. She really wishes that she knew how to drive!

Sighing in disappointment at the thought, she says to herself, "Even if I didn't want to live with her, I really wish I wouldn't have been so stubborn with Mrs. Tucker's gestures of kindness. She did offer to pay for driver's training courses for me. She said that knowing how to drive might come in handy one day. Why didn't I listen to her?!"

Oh well. As inconvenient as it is, learning to drive is another challenge for another day. For now, her only challenge is quenching her hunger. The thought of breakfast in mind, Damiana gains a smile as she walks through the sliding metal doors and into the common room. Much to her relief, a panicking Aqualad is nowhere to be seen, neither is the sight of rising smoke. Of course, even if Aqualad isn't here, it doesn't mean that the room is empty. Sitting on the sofa playing the Game Station on two-player are Beast Boy and Mas y Menos, the twins sharing a controller. The time is eight-thirty AM, so Damiana is surprised to see Beast Boy, but nonetheless she greets him; as well as the twins.

"Beast Boy, I didn't expect to see you awake this early. Good morning." Turning to the twins, she says kindly, "And good morning to you."

Mas y Menos reply without looking away from the screen. "Buenos días, Leila."

Beast Boy, on the other hand, does look away from the screen, and he does it with a grin.

"Leila! You came out of your room!" Giving a glance at her attire, he adds happily, "You're still rocking the uniform, too! Cool! For a while we were afraid that you didn't like it."

Looking down at herself momentarily, Damiana arches a brow at his comment. Due to everything else that has happened, she hasn't thought about it, but she has grown quite fond of her uniform. Like Marcy claimed while she was designing it, it really does accentuate her best features. Whenever she looks at herself in the mirror, Damiana has to admit that she feels womanly as much as she feels like a superhero. Of course, what she wasn't counting on was that it would have the same effect on her teammates. Or more specifically, a teammate. He was staring at her for a really long time, and after the slip-up he made with the leg comment the other day, she knows why. Admittedly, that part did make her feel a bit uncomfortable…

Then again, Damiana feels that she shouldn't be overly bothered by Speedy's remark. It's not like he was being a testosterone-filled pig, or like he was leering at her. She could tell just by his panicked and embarrassed reaction that it was a slip of the tongue. Not to mention the way Aqualad was teasing him about it. Now that she thinks about it, as awkward as that incident was, Speedy's accidental confession actually makes her feel…pretty. Honestly, with as handsome a guy as Speedy is, having him think that a bony girl like her looks good in her uniform is actually kind of…flattering.

Regaining her smile, she shifts her gaze back to Beast Boy. "Don't worry about it, Beast Boy. I like my uniform just fine." Doing her best to cover her tracks, she replies to the comment he made before the one about her uniform. "And of course I'm out of my room. I finished putting everything together, so I have no reason to be in there."

Much to her unease, Beast Boy raises a questioning brow. "Are you sure? I was with you most of the day yesterday while we were carrying stuff into your room, and you seemed depressed."

Her smile never fading, Damiana lies through her teeth in the most convincing of manners. "Huh? Oh, I wasn't depressed! I just had a lot on my mind yesterday. That's all."

Beast Boy looks at her for a moment in curiosity, but eventually smiles and turns back toward the screen. "Oh, well that's good, then! I'm glad that everything's okay."

Once that is said, his full attention is back on the screen. Less than a second later he is shouting loudly in frustration, enraged at how far ahead Mas y Menos' car has gotten. Giving an internal sigh of relief, Damiana turns away from the sofa and walks toward the kitchen. There has been somebody in the kitchen this whole time, whose aggravated grumbling rings through the entire room. The person in the kitchen is the first person she noticed, honestly. The only reason she has not yet greeted him is because he is currently occupied. So occupied, in fact, that he doesn't seem to be aware of her presence. Nonetheless, Damiana moves closer in order to view the scene.

Crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the counter beside the oven, she watches with false green eyes as Speedy digs through the refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards. The whole time he mutters irritated words to himself. Sitting on the kitchen island that separates the oven from the refrigerator, as well as the fire user from the archer, is an empty bowl and a spoon. Beside the bowl are numerous boxes of cereal, a carton of milk, and various other food containers, each of them empty. Based on the words he's grumbling, the empty containers are not Speedy's doing.

"Seriously! Seven boxes of cereal in the cupboard, and all of them empty! All of the Eggo waffles are gone, too! Unbelievable! There aren't any eggs or milk to make pancakes with either, so let's see what there is to work with." Sarcasm thick in his voice, he spats out, "A jar of dill pickles, some Nutella, and a cluster of onions. Yum."

Upon hearing Speedy's words, Damiana can't help but make a face of disgust. So much for the French toast. It looks like she's either eating pickles and onions dipped in chocolate and hazelnut spread, or like she's going hungry. Quite honestly, she would much rather go with the latter. Unless…

Clearing her throat in order to make Speedy aware of her presence, she makes a suggestion. "You know, if there are any crackers around here, the Nutella might work."

Apparently the sound of her voice takes him more off guard than Damiana thought it would, because Speedy startles and bumps his head on the roof of the refrigerator. Rubbing the sore area with care, he shuts the door of the fridge and turns around to face her. A pained expression is on his face the entire time he addresses her, but his familiar smirk is still seen underneath it.

"Well, a happy morning to you, too. I hope you didn't come in here looking for breakfast, because you won't find anything. Believe me, I've tried." Pausing, he turns to grab an unopened jar of pickles and a half-finished canister of Nutella off of the counter. Once they're in hand, he shoves them in her direction as an offering. "Pickles and Nutella? I'm sure it'll taste awful, but I bet it's filling."

Shaking her head in a repulsed manner, Damiana gives a small laugh before moving to the other side of the kitchen to dig through the cupboards herself. While doing so, she responds.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I'll pass. I'll look for some crackers instead."

Giving a shrug of nonchalance, Speedy sets the canister of Nutella down on the counter and slides it in her direction prior to twisting the lid off of the pickle jar.

"Alright, suit yourself."

With that being said, Speedy pulls out a pickle and begins munching on it. The whole time she's searching through the cupboards Damiana feels his gaze on her, most likely staring at her in amusement. At first she can't tell why, but once she moves through three sets of cupboards only to find them bare, she knows exactly the reason. Throughout the first three cupboards Damiana remains calm in her demeanor, but upon opening a fourth cupboard to find that one empty as well, the alien girl expresses her thoughts in the most aggravated of fashions.

"What the heck?! There is absolutely no food here! This is crazy! I'm hungry, and I want food!"

Speedy shrugs once more, a small smirk on his face at her bout of anger. "Welcome to my world." Extending the jar of pickles in her direction, he states simply, "I'm still willing to share."

Giving an aggravated sigh, Damiana moves away from the cupboards and toward Speedy. Removing a pickle from the jar, even if she hates pickles, she begins nibbling at it. She stands beside him in silence while eating before responding to him a moment later.

Her response is simple. "Thanks."

Speedy gives a nod. "You're welcome."

Once these words are exchanged they stand in silence for several minutes in the corner of the kitchen, watching from across the room as Beast Boy loses to Mas y Menos at their racing game. By the time they're halfway through the jar Damiana is about to pick their conversation back up, making the bold suggestion that they go grocery shopping. Before she has the chance, however, Aqualad walks into the common room. He smiles, has a happy stride, and appears downright jolly. When he greets them, his tone of voice is equally cheerful.

"Hi, Speedy. Hi, Leila."

They respond with a single, "Hi," in unison.

"You won't believe the progress we're making!" He exclaims. "Cyborg says that a few chips and wires are actually missing, and that it's going to be tricky fixing the wiring in some places, but we've almost got it figured out! We should have it finished by sometime today!"

Speedy swallows before responding, a joyful smile on his face. "Really? That's great! At this rate, we could have Black Shadow's plan figured out and have him taken down in a week or two!"

Aqualad sounds almost giddy. "I know! Isn't it great?! We're close! I can feel it!" Once that is said, he moves further into the kitchen to dig through the refrigerator. Before doing this, however, he continues. "Well, I've been up since five AM, I'm hungry, and I'm getting something to eat."

Neither Damiana nor Speedy replies to his statement. Instead they continue eating pickles out of the jar, both of them wincing as Aqualad opens the refrigerator, freezer, and the majority of the surrounding cupboards. Damiana can't help but feel bad for Aqualad, honestly. First he almost burns down the kitchen by making pancakes, and now there isn't any food here for him to burn at all. The kitchen just isn't his happy place. When Aqualad speaks out in anger after finding every cupboard bare, her assumption is proven to be correct.

"What the heck?! There is absolutely no food here! This is crazy! I'm hungry, and I want food!"

Again, Speedy and Damiana speak in unison. "Welcome to our world."

Picking up the jar from where they sat in on the counter, Damiana shoves it in Aqualad's direction. "Come join our club. There are only two members, but we offer sustenance."

"You'd better jump on the chance while it's available, too," adds Speedy. "There are only three pickles left in that jar, and if you don't take them, we're eating them."

Sighing, Aqualad slams the cupboard doors shut and grumbles to himself prior to stomping over to them. Once he's at their side, he takes the jar from Damiana and begins downing his share of the pickles. While doing this, he turns to the sofa where Beast Boy and Mas y Menos sit.

"Beast Boy, tell Cyborg and Bumblebee that the three of us are going to be gone for a while. We have some major grocery shopping to do, and it's going to take a few people."

"What the heck?! There is absolutely no food here! Man, this is crazy! I'm hungry, and I want food!"

Fifteen minutes after the departure of the fire user, the archer, and the Atlantian, Bumblebee and Cyborg went upstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat. Sure, they may be out grocery shopping, but there has to be something in the Tower! Or at least that's what Cyborg said, anyway. Now that he's actually digging through the kitchen, however, he's seeing that he was horribly wrong. He has gone through every single cupboard, the freezer, and is now searching the refrigerator. Leaning against the counter beside him is Bumblebee, the winged girl watching the mechanical man as he rummages. At some point he pulls a pickle jar out the fridge and cheers, but once he sees that it's empty save for pickle juice, he tosses it in the garbage in frustration.

"Aw, come on! Who ate all of the pickles?! Yesterday when I checked, the jar was full!"

Bumblebee rolls her eyes at him in amusement, responding to him at last. "Relax, Sparky. I'm sure they'll be back with something to eat in a little while. We can go without food for right now."

Cyborg turns around to face her, gaping as if she'd just cursed the name of his grandmother. "Go without food? Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do?!"

Rolling her eyes once more, Bumblebee walks away from the kitchen and toward the common room's exit. "I'm asking you to go for an hour or two without food, Sparky. Not celebrate Ramadan. Now come on. We might as well keep working on Black Shadow's machine. It's better than standing around in the kitchen waiting for food to magically appear."

It takes a moment, but at last Cyborg shrugs and follows after her. As they make their way down the stairs and through the various hallways that it takes to get to the evidence room, the duo resumes conversing. This time their conversation isn't about food, but is instead about Black Shadow's machine.

"You know, Bee, I got to thinking about it, and I know what to do about the pieces that are missing from Black Shadow's machine." After a slight pause, he continues, "Recently, you and Aqualad have been looking at the robots as much as Speedy. Based on what you told me, even if the machine and the robots are different, they have similar parts. The parts I need to finish the machine are basic chips and wires that connect the pieces so that they work together and make the machine run smooth. Since the pieces I need are basic, and since the robots are trashed anyway, I figure I can take some pieces from them to finish the machine."

Bumblebee's eyes light up at his suggestion. "I'll be honest. The same thing crossed my mind this morning while I was helping you and Aqualad put the last few parts into place. All of the chips and wires we need are located in the robot's chest cavity around the central core. We got halfway through one yesterday, so it shouldn't take me too long to get into the chest cavity to get you the parts you need." Hesitating momentarily, she adds with caution, "I'll have to be careful with this one, though. This is the last robot we have that's intact. If I make a wrong move, the central core could disintegrate for this one, too. If that happens, our information on Black Shadow's power source is gone, and so are your machine parts."

Cyborg goes silent upon hearing her words, a finger raised to his chin in thought. The whole time Bumblebee looks at him expectantly, waiting for a response. When Cyborg speaks a few seconds later what he says surprises her, but nonetheless the idea is a good one. It even makes her smile.

"Since the power core is so tricky, why don't we clear off a table and bring it into the evidence room? You said the reason the robots were in another room to begin with was because there were too many of them, and they were getting in the way of the equipment being used to research the machine. This isn't true anymore, though. There's only one robot left, so there'll be plenty of room!" After a slight moment of hesitation, he continues. "I'm not sure if it'll help anything, but I'll be right there if you want an extra person to help remove the chips and wires we need, and you'll be there if I want help rewiring the machine. Us being in the same room would be a lot more productive."

Bumblebee gives a cheerful nod. "I agree. It would be more productive, wouldn't it? Especially with you using parts from the robot to finish the machine. Even if I have an idea, I won't know exactly what parts you need if you aren't there to tell me." Her translucent wings flapping rapidly, Bee takes to the air and flies down the hallway in the necessary direction. "You clear off the table, and I'll go get the robot. We're close to figuring out what that machine does, and I'm not stopping now!"

Meanwhile…

Damiana had a hunch that going grocery shopping with both Speedy and Aqualad might not go as well as she'd initially hoped. Of course, even if she knew that there might be conflict, she never thought that it would start before reaching the store. Currently, Damiana sits in the passenger seat of Speedy's white Chevrolet, fully clad in her Firelight uniform. To her slight nervousness, all of them are wearing their Titan uniforms. She has never gone out in public as "Firelight" instead of Leila, so this shopping trip is going to be interesting in more ways than one.

To Damiana's dismay, however, she has to get through the drive to the store first…

"You should have turned forever ago, Speedy! This is ridiculous! You're taking the long way!"

Speedy gives an aggravated sigh as he scowls at Aqualad using the rearview mirror. Damiana, on the other hand, doesn't scowl even a little bit. Of course, this doesn't mean that she doesn't want to. Aqualad has been telling Speedy every move to make from the moment they left the Tower. He even tells him to stop for red lights! Honestly, Damiana has been wanting to tell him to shut his fish hole for ages now. She has been alone in Speedy's truck with him, and on the Speed Cycle, and Speedy is a perfectly capable driver. Yet, in spite of her feelings, Damiana doesn't say a word. She curls up in the passenger seat, keeps quiet, and allows the Titan boys to argue it out.

Shifting his gaze from the rearview mirror and back to the road, he replies irritably. "Why is it that every time someone besides you is driving, you have to play the backseat driver? You're not the only one on the team who can drive, you know!"

"Yes, but I am the only one who drives economically. You and Bee always take whatever route you feel like. You never think about saving gas!"

Though Damiana can't tell for certain, she is almost positive that Speedy is rolling his eyes beneath his mask.

"Who cares about saving gas? The point is that every time we go to the Steel City Grocery on Third Street, they're out of one of three things: my blueberry waffles, cookie dough ice cream, or the brand of ribs that I like. You should know by now that I don't do off-brand either. It just isn't the same." Pausing, he adds, "That's why we're going to the Steel City Grocery on Martin Street."

Damiana glances at Aqualad using the side-view mirror closest to her. He looks so taken aback by the archer's words that he could have a heart attack.

"You're going all the way across the city so you can get name-brand waffles?! What are you thinking?! You're wasting gas and money this way! When we get to the store, we should lock you in the men's restroom so you can flush all of your money down the toilet! You already spend money like it's nothing anyway, so why not?!"

Much to Damiana's surprise, for the first time since hopping into the Chevrolet, Speedy doesn't appear aggravated. Rather, a smug grin crosses his face. Due to his position in the back seat, Aqualad doesn't catch his expression. It is because of this that he is shocked upon hearing Speedy's words. Damiana, while she isn't shocked, she does appear curious. What exactly is he doing?

"You know what, Aqualad? I think I'm starting to understand how you see me," says the archer. "You think I'm the type of guy that likes to throw money out the window."

A long time passes where Aqualad doesn't respond. He simply stares at his male teammate blankly. When he finally does reply, it is with confusion.

"Hold on. Are you saying that you agree with what I'm saying?"

Speedy gives a shrug, his smug smirk widening. "No, I'm not necessarily agreeing with you. I'm just saying that you're right about that one fact. I do throw money out the window."

By this point Speedy's amusement isn't a secret. Freeing one of his hands from the steering wheel, he reaches up and pulls three one-dollar bills out from his visor. Once they're in his grasp he reaches over, presses a button, and rolls his window a quarter of the way down. The whole time the archer's smile only grows. It doesn't take long for the other occupants of the car to figure out exactly what he's doing. Surprised by the bold move he's making, Damiana's false green eyes widen. Aqualad's eyes widen as well, and his mouth hangs agape, the aquatic Titan effectively freaking out.

"What?! Speedy, don't! You could put that money toward gas, or groceries, or the water bill!"

Grinning widely, he holds his fist clenching the dollars bills out the window in a teasing fashion, releasing them with a shrug a moment later. "Goodbye, George! Have a nice flight!"

Aqualad gives a horrified screech as he watches George Washington's green-printed face fly down the side of the busy street, sounding as if it is his money that is gone forever. Not only that, but when he speaks, it sounds like he's talking about one-hundred dollar bills instead of one-dollar bills.

"Why would you do that?! Do you have any idea what we could have bought?! It could've been spent on anything, and you threw it out the window!" With a groan of frustration, he adds, "Did Green Arrow teach you anything at all about budgeting?!"

Much to Damiana's surprise, Speedy busts out laughing at Aqualad's inquiry.

"You're asking me if Green Arrow taught me how to budget?! Are you kidding?! He spends more money than I do!" Following another moment of intense laughter, he continues. "If you want in on a secret, I don't overspend nearly as much as you think. The owner of the grocery store on Martin Street pretty much worships the Titans, so we get discounts on our food there. That's actually part of the reason I go to it! The other reason I go to it is because of the waffles, ribs, and cookie dough ice cream. They always make sure that they have those three things in stock."

Based on the facial expression being reflected in the side-view mirror, Aqualad is prepared to respond to his statement in shock. Before he gets the chance, however, Damiana cuts him off. What she says is a bit random, especially for her, but still she says it. While speaking, her demeanor glows with joy.

"Hold on a second. If this store is willing to keep your favorite foods in stock just because you're a Titan, does this mean that they might be willing to keep strawberries in stock, too? Not the tiny strawberries that are starting to shrivel, but the big, shiny, red ones?"

Surprised by her sudden bout of dialogue, Speedy and Aqualad stare at her in unison. Raising a brow, it is the redhead who speaks.

"Why? Do you like strawberries?"

Doing her best to tone down her joy, Damiana gives a simple nod. "Yes. A lot, actually."

It takes less than a second for him to respond happily. "No worries. We can make that happen."

Meanwhile Aqualad interrupts, offense in his tone. "Wait a second. You're telling me that that the Steel City Grocery on Martin Street gives us discounts on our grocery bills, keeps our favorite food in stock, and worships us? Why wouldn't you tell me that?! All this time I could have been saving so much effort! I've been using coupons at the grocery store on Third Street, and I never even had to! So much of my life has been wasted!"

Chuckling, Speedy replies, "Yeah, I know, but don't blame me. Mas and Menos didn't want me to tell you. The more time you take couponing, the more they get to use the Game Station."

Damiana can't refrain herself from making this statement. "Mas and Menos kept Aqualad couponing so that they could use the Game Station? Those two are conniving. I'll have to keep an eye on them."

Sounding more offended than before, the Atlantian speaks once again. Surprisingly, he changes the subject entirely.

"Do you know what makes this even more unbelievable? You may be saving money with the 'Titan discount' at the grocery store, but you're still wasting gas! If you would have turned left three blocks ago, you could've made it to Steel City Grocery by going through the downtown area! That would put us there ten minutes earlier! That's ten minutes' worth of gas you're burning! Do you have any idea what fossil fuels do to the environment?! Our oceans and the ozone layer are suffering!"

Like several minutes' prior, Damiana is certain that Speedy must be rolling his eyes under his mask. Not just because of the irritated frown he wears, but because of the way he shakes his head during Aqualad's speech. At last, while Aqualad is going off on some tangent about the exact number of jellyfish that are killed every year due to gasoline leaking into the ocean, Speedy speaks to Damiana.

"Leila," he says, "If you dig around inside of your sun visor, there's a whole stack of one-dollar bills that are clipped to it. Can you remove them?"

Glancing over at Speedy with a brow raised in puzzlement, Damiana follows his instructions, reaches up, and searches her sun visor. A second is all it takes for her to unclip a stack of smooth one-dollar bills that are arranged neatly. In this stack alone, there must be more than twenty of them. Once they're in hand, she eyes the money before speaking.

"Okay, I found your money. What of it?"

Grinning widely, he replies, "Every time Aqualad makes a remark about my driving, says something about the environment or saving money, or says anything annoying, I would greatly appreciate it if you would throw a one-dollar bill out the window."

For a moment Damiana's eyes widen, surprised that he would literally be willing to throw away over twenty dollars of his money! When Aqualad makes a loud exclamation from his place sitting behind her, however, her wide eyes vanish and she starts snickering.

"What?! Speedy, you wouldn't honestly ask her to do that, would you?! That's twenty bucks you're wasting! You could use that for groceries!"

Her laughter coming harder, Damiana removes a bill from the stack. "He just mentioned saving money. Should I do it?"

Using the controls on the driver's side, he rolls the passenger side window down a quarter of the way while smirking. "Do it."

With that being said, Damiana tosses the dollar bill out the window without a second thought. This doesn't happen without loud protests from Aqualad, though.

"No! Come on, Leila, don't give into him! He's a money-waster that always takes the longest route when driving, and doesn't have any concern for the environment! He is the enemy!"

Damiana is smirking just as much as Speedy is upon hearing the aquatic man's statement. "He mentioned the environment, money, and insulted your driving all in one sentence, Speedy. Not to mention that that last thing he said was pretty annoying. Are you going to take that?"

"Not a chance," replies the archer. "Four more bucks out the window."

Counting four dollars out of the stack, she tosses the bills out the window. This earns another echoing shout from Aqualad, as if they'd just physically assaulted him. By this point Speedy and Damiana are filling the Chevrolet with laughter, no doubt finding this funny.

Somehow, Aqualad is still heard through their guffaws. "You're completely insane! Both of you!"

"You know, that's a pretty annoying thing for him to say," says Damiana with a smirk.

"I agree completely. Another dollar out the window!"

Again, Damiana obeys his request. When Aqualad protests loudly yet again, their laughter only grows. Somehow, the girl is still able get ahold of herself enough to make a humble suggestion.

"Hey! I just thought of something! How about for every five dollars that gets thrown out the window, we buy a one-pound bucket of sushi? I tried it once. It's actually pretty good."

"Fantastic idea, Leila! Between the six bucks you just threw out, and the three bucks that I threw out my window earlier, we're almost up to ten! One more dollar, and we have two pounds of sushi!"

Immediate disagreement is heard from the backseat. "Come on! You guys wouldn't do that to me! There are still fish sticks left in the freezer from that time Speedy bought an industrial-sized box!" Giving a sigh of frustration, he shouts, "I wish I would have brought Beast Boy in the place of one of you. I can't believe that you guys would gang up on me like this!"

"Wow, that entire thing he just said was really annoying," says Speedy smugly. "One more dollar, Leila!"

Returning his smirk, she says, "Will do!" Following throwing it out the window, she exclaims, "That's two pounds of sushi coming our way!"

Like before, Aqualad doesn't hesitate in protesting. His shouts of disagreement fill Speedy's Chevrolet, the only thing louder being their snickering. Damiana would never admit it, not to herself or even to the fates, but this is the most fun car ride that she has ever experience during her five years on Earth.

A Short Time Later

"I can't believe you two! Who willingly throws sixteen bucks out of a car window?!"

Speedy, Aqualad, and Damiana walk through the parking lot of Steel City Grocery, Speedy and Damiana still chuckling about the events of the drive there. Pushing the cart toward the double doors is Aqualad, the archer and the fire user walking alongside him. It doesn't take long for them to respond.

"I guess we do," says Damiana wearing a smirk.

"Stop telling me how to drive and how to spend my money, and next time it won't happen," adds Speedy smugly.

Aqualad gives a sigh of exasperation. "Why did we even take your Chevrolet in the first place? We should have taken my car!"

"I already finished changing the plate on my car by the time you made it to the garage," Speedy replies. "Change the plate on your car first, and next time we'll take yours."

Curious at Speedy's words, Damiana turns toward them both while wearing a questioning expression. "You change the license plates on your cars? What for?"

"Simple," replies the redhead. "Our Titan personas have one plate, and our civilian personas have another. The same goes for our driver's licenses. Keeping our civilian selves secret without that kind of a system would be too hard otherwise."

"It'll be the same for you once you get a vehicle," Aqualad puts in. "'Firelight' is going to have her own plate and license, and then there will be another set for 'civilian Firelight'. It's complicated and it's annoying, but it's also necessary." Hesitating nervously, he asks suddenly, "I got your Titan name right, didn't I? Bee told us the other day that you chose to be called 'Firelight'."

Smiling, the girl nods. "Yeah, you heard right. Firelight is my Titan name."

Damiana isn't sure why, but Speedy gives a gentle smile upon hearing her confirm this. "Okay, Firelight. In that case, let's get shopping and introduce the Titans East's newest member to the world." After a momentary pause, he adds, "I like your Titan name, by the way. It suits you."

Her own smile softens at his compliment. "Thanks."

Aqualad rolls his eyes and makes a gagging face at their exchange. The two of them don't notice this, though. Instead they make their way to the double doors of the supermarket, preparing for a very long and involved shopping trip. With not just the five original members of Titans East to shop for, but their newest member as well as the two visiting members of the Titans West, there's no doubt that this shopping trip is going to be particularly large. Damiana doesn't mind, though. Before today, she has never gone out in public as anyone other than Leila. As nervous as it makes her, she actually cherishes getting to be identified as one of the Titans.

With this thought in mind she enters into the store alongside Speedy and Aqualad, a feeling of happiness in the pit of her stomach.

Damiana has never been in this exact store before, but she has been in the Steel City Grocery that is located on Third Street. Much to her joy, the layout of this store is exactly the same as the one on the other side of town. The checkout counters are toward the front, behind the checkout counters are the aisles which contain various goods, and behind those are the open areas containing produce, fresh meat and fish, and the bakery. Knowing this store like the back of her hand due to the many occasions that she helped Mrs. Tucker with her shopping, Damiana is fully prepared to dive right in. She even helped Aqualad make out a list earlier, so they are completely set for this trip! Damiana still can't believe that before today, the Titans would go shopping without a list! That should be a crime…

To Damiana's disappointment, however, they don't get to jump right into the shopping. Instead, the moment they start trekking past the checkout counters and to the aisles beyond, the enthusiastic voices of young women call out to them. Or, more specifically, to one of them. Surprisingly, they don't come from a group of random fangirls like Damiana would have expected. Instead, the women calling out to them are store employees; one who was previously mopping the floor, and another who stands behind an empty checkout counter.

"Speedy!" shouts the girl from behind the checkout counter; a dark-haired girl around the age of nineteen.

The girl holding the mop, a redhead who appears to be about seventeen, gives her own excited yells. "Alright, Speedy! You're back! Thank God! If you're gone for more than a week, the store starts to lose business!"

Upon hearing their voices, Speedy turns to face them with a bold smirk. "Hey, girls! It's good to see you, too! Hopefully your week hasn't been too boring without me. I would've come in to do some shopping sooner, but what can I say? Duty calls."

The girls exchange glances and wide grins before speaking once more.

"Have you guys caught that incredibly dangerous villain yet? You said that's what you've been up to," says the dark-haired girl.

Upon hearing her inquiry, Speedy moves closer. For a moment Damiana and Aqualad stay back, but when Speedy motions for them to follow they shrug before sauntering after him reluctantly. It's only once they're standing in front of the dark-haired girl's checkout counter that he replies to her. By this point the red-haired girl with the mop has moved closer to them as well.

"Actually, no," confesses the archer simply. "We have not captured our villain yet. But recently the Titans East have attained an additional resource, so I can guarantee it that we're getting close. With the new resource that the Titans East has, we'll be able to help capture this guy for sure."

"New resource?" asks the redhead holding the mop. "What do you mean by that?"

Before Damiana has a chance to protest, or to process what he's doing at all, she feels as Speedy loosely wraps his hand around her left upper arm. Fingerless maroon glove making contact with her black sleeve, he tugs her so that she is standing directly beside him. For a moment Damiana's false green eyes fill with shock, but her surprise quickly vanishes when the archer starts talking.

"Girls, both of you should feel highly honored, because you are the first people in Steel City who get to meet Firelight. Firelight is a lethal weapon, she likes to wear black, and she is the newest member of the Titans East."

Not expecting Speedy to put her on display like this, Damiana turns to shoot him a glare. Of course, as hard as she tries, she finds that she is unable to. Instead all of her focus is on the dark-haired girl and the red-haired girl, who stare her down with sparkling eyes as if looking at some fantastic window display. When they speak, it is with immense surprise on their part.

"Hold on. Did you just say that she's the newest member of Titans East?" asks the redhead

Aqualad answers from his place standing behind Speedy. "Yes. She joined up with us about a week ago. Speedy met her in a café, she helped us get a lead on our villain, we found out that she has superpowers and that she fights well, and now she's with the Titans East. That's all there is to it, really."

Another moment of silence comes from both of them. A second later, however, they rush out from their various locations, shove Speedy and Aqualad out of the way, and crowd around her. Practically bursting with excitement, they start shouting exclamations faster than their brains can process them.

"Oh my gosh! The Titans East finally got another female member?! I had absolutely no idea!" says the dark-haired girl. "What are your superpowers?!"

Staring at them with a brow raised in uncertainty, she answers this question with hesitation. "Uh…I can self-manifest fire, absorb fire, and my body is flame resistant. It really isn't that big of a deal..."

"Not a big deal?!" exclaims the dark-haired girl. "It's a huge deal! You're a female member of the Titans East, and your powers sound awesome! I usually don't like sharing this, but I have always thought that the Teen Titans need more girls! There are way too many guys! We need girl power!"

Shoving her coworker out of the way, the redhead is the next to address Damiana. The whole time she speaks a mile a minute. Damiana doesn't see it due to her current predicament, but Speedy and Aqualad watch on in a mixture of pride and amusement.

"Girl power? Who needs girl power?! What I need to know is how do you get yourself so pretty?! Oh my gosh, your face and your hair are gorgeous! You are SO pretty!" Pausing, she adds with a giggle, "As soon as the news of you joining the Titans East gets big, the shipping is going to start! There hasn't been enough romantic drama on the Titans East team like there has on the Titans West team, so this is what we've been waiting for!"

Damiana, while she knows that she should be doing her best to be civil to these girls, can't help but give the redhead a somewhat irritated look. "Shipping? Seriously? I only met Speedy two weeks ago, and I've known the rest of them for less time than that."

"Does it matter?" asks the redheaded girl with another giggle. "Two weeks is plenty of time for romantic tension to build up!"

Aqualad, who'd remained quiet up until now, makes a statement from off to the side. A single glance at the aquatic man is all it takes for her to catch the mischievous glint in his onyx eyes.

"Actually, what you're saying is very true. Speedy and Firelight hated each other when they first met, but within the past couple weeks they've become best buddies. They were giggling with each other the whole drive here. Not to mention the taco date they had on the dock, that romantic drive they took on the Speed Cycle, and that time they were alone in the workout room. Come to think of it, they were alone in the workout room for quite a while, and it was very, very, quiet."

Before Damiana can stop it from happening, her cheeks turn bright crimson in a mixture of crossness and humiliation. Turning around to face Aqualad, she glares at the Atlantian severely.

"Quiet? You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about! There is no way that workout room was quiet! Speedy had 'Sexy and I Know It' blaring, and he was singing along with the chorus! Nothing about that was quiet!"

Holding up his hands in a mock fashion of surrender, Aqualad replies to the fire user. "Say what you want, but I'm only making a statement. While the music was blaring, you could have been doing anything. Having a pleasant conversation, sitting on Speedy's lap cuddling, making out, the possibilities are endless." His demeanor growing particularly playful, Aqualad, adds, "It won't be too long before you're snuggling on the couch, and before Speedy is whisking you away in the middle of the night on the back of the Speed Cycle. We know that you love that motorcycle."

Glaring at him more severely than before, Damiana shoves past the girls as well as an amusedly smirking Speedy, and stomps closer to the Atlantian. Jabbing him in his blue-clad chest with an irate index finger, she doesn't refrain from seething out angry words.

"Saying that I was making out with Speedy is one thing, but saying that I like his motorcycle is an entire other level of insulting. If you make one more joke about this imaginary fling I'm having with Speedy, or even hint that I enjoy riding on the back of that two-wheeled deathtrap, I'm sneaking into the garage, taking apart your motorcycle, and hiding the pieces all over the Tower so you can go on a scavenger hunt! But before that, I'm siphoning the gas tank and pouring the gasoline into the ocean! Am I making myself clear, fish-for-brains?"

Aqualad's smirk never vanishing, he confesses, "Hey, don't get too angry. This is just revenge for throwing sixteen dollars out of the car window earlier, and teaming up with Speedy against me."

It doesn't take long for Damiana to return his smile, hers being one that is both playful and devious. "If this is some revenge game you're playing, then it's on. I won't go down easy. Believe me."

Much to Damiana's surprise, she doesn't have time to get in another word. Before she knows it, she is being grabbed around the waist from behind, and picked up bridal style. The culprit for this is none other than Speedy. The whole time he does this, his trademark smirk of arrogance is firmly in place. The whole time, Damiana's trademark scowl of irritation is also in place.

"Speedy, what the heck are you doing?! Put me down!"

The archer doesn't listen to her in the slightest. Instead he turns to the two-girls, who have been watching the scene with a mixture of interest and amusement. By now they are no longer staring amusedly, but are starting to giggle.

"It's true, girls. Aqualad doesn't lie," says Speedy to the dark-haired girl and to the redhead. "Firelight is too shy to admit it, but the romantic tension is too much. There's no holding us back anymore! Now, as a declaration of love, I am going to whisk away my feisty princess on my noble steed."

Having no idea at all where he's going with this, Damiana protests further. "Would you cut it out?! We are not in love! Before two weeks ago, you didn't even know who I was! And are you deaf?! I told you to put me down!"

Speedy doesn't obey even a little bit. Instead he takes Damiana over to the shopping cart that Aqualad was pushing, sets her down inside of it, and carts her toward one of the aisles. Giving a bold two-fingered salute before disappearing, he speaks one final sentence to the girls.

"Don't you ladies wait up."

With that they disappear down one of the aisles completely, Damiana shouting objections at him the whole way. Shaking his head at the scene, Aqualad takes off after them a moment later while wearing a smile. The whole time the two store employees are left staring after the trio, feeling both entertained and excited at by sight they just witnessed."

"Okay," says the redheaded girl, "Don't tell anyone, but I recorded the whole thing on my phone, and it is going on the internet!"

"Fantastic!" replies her dark-haired coworker. "That was way too awesome not to share!"

Jump City

Meanwhile…

Saeran, Raven, Robin, and Starfire all stand in the Titans West Tower's evidence room. It has been six days since they last made contact with the Titans in Steel City. Of course, even if they haven't spoken with them directly, Cyborg still manages to keep them all informed. He contacts Robin using his communicator at least once a day, telling him everything of significance.

Yesterday when he contacted Robin, he alerted them that the parts on the machine were put together the wrong way, and that was why they were unable to decode it. As far as the heroes in the west know, the Titans East are working on rearranging all of the machine's pieces and on adding whatever parts they deem necessary, not giving up until they figure out the device's function. Now that they know that the pieces were arranged incorrectly, neither the Titans West nor Saeran spotting this technical problem, they too are working on rearranging everything.

They have been gathered around printouts of the machine's innards since late last night, each of them labeling various parts in pen based on where they need to go. There were some small disputes between them, as they didn't always agree on the others' placement of a particular piece. Nevertheless, after many hours of working, they have finally rearranged all of the pieces on the diagram successfully. Now, after repositioning them on the electronic version of the diagram as well, Robin is making fresh printouts of it. Along with this, he is printing out the codes for each of the parts. Now that everything has been placed in the correct spot, the codes will hopefully make a lot more sense.

The diagram and the list of codes should let them know what Black Shadow's machine is supposed to do all by themselves. If the Titans West can figure it out using pen, paper, and their supercomputer, then why should Cyborg and the Titans East waste their time completely rearranging the actual machine? Truthfully, it was Saeran that pointed this fact out to them. Sure, he has hidden motives for wanting to decode the machine as fast as possible, but he wants to assist the Teen Titans all the same. If they learn the function of Black Shadow's device and are able to defeat him, and if it gets him to Steel City to see Damiana faster, then the situation is a win-win.

Meanwhile, standing around a large table looking at codes and diagrams collectively, are the Tower's four remaining occupants. They have been staring at the new diagram and the newly arranged codes for less than a minute, though it feels more similar to hours. Now that there is nothing left to do, they stare at everything in its finished state, allowing the sight of the machine's completed blueprint to sink in. Robin, who had been staring at the diagram, snatches the list of codes from Raven who stands beside him. Once they're in hand he eyes them over carefully, his entire demeanor taking on a depth of seriousness that is surprising even for Robin. When the Boy Wonder speaks, what he says doesn't surprise them; they'd already noticed what he's pointing out.

"This machine is complex. Very complex. Especially for Black Shadow."

"I'm surprised that he was able to figure out what pieces he needed to hunt down to make it work," says Raven. "Putting it together when you have all of the pieces sitting in front of you is one thing, but collecting all of the pieces from scratch and trying to put it together on your own is another thing completely. How was he able to collect all of the pieces without missing something?"

Once Raven speaks her thoughts, the room turns silent. Robin continues staring relentlessly at the list of codes, as if they're his lifeline. The whole time the remaining three stare at the blueprint of the machine, picking it apart piece-by-piece with their eyes. At last, several minutes later, Starfire releases a loud gasp. Saeran rolls his eyes beneath his mask, assuming that the Tamaranean forgot to feed her pet slug, or that she left some strange concoction on the stove and forgot to turn off the burner. Much to his astonishment, however, that isn't the reason for her gasp at all. Instead, fear glowing brightly in her eyes, she reaches out a quivering hand.

In the center of the diagram, she points to a tubular piece that has several rectangular chips attached to it, the chips connected to a large gap in the center by use of wires. The gap is in the shape of an orb, and is apparently meant to hold some type of power source. What that power source is, though, none of them knows.

"Friends," says Starfire, "I do not mean to cause alarm, but I believe that this portion of the machine should be viewed more closely. Should the source that powers the machine be found, the damage caused could be insurmountable."

More than anything, Saeran would like to scoff at Starfire. What would some pampered Tamaranean who was raised in a Palace know about technology? Heck, the fact that she's even stable enough to be a Titan is a shock! However, before Saeran's thoughts can go any farther, he actually gives Starfire the benefit of the doubt and looks at that portion of the diagram. Robin and Raven do this as well. It takes a moment, but once they put together in their heads what those few pieces together could do, they too react fearfully.

"No..." says Raven. "That can't possibly be what Black Shadow's machine is for! I thought that this kind of technology was almost impossible to create!"

Robin, who is scrolling through the stack of codes, makes his own exclamation upon finding the code he's looking for. "What? No! There's no way that Black Shadow's machine is capable of this kind of destruction! He works with shadows, not technology! He never would have been smart enough to put something on this kind of scale together on his own! He's smart, but not that kind of smart!" Pausing, he releases a yell of frustration. "How did we let such a huge fact slip past us?!"

Saeran, who was about ready to shout out something of his own, pauses momentarily. Like the others, he knows exactly what this machine is supposed to do. Not only that, but it's far worse than any of them thought it would be. The fact that Black Shadow would actually know how to make a machine like this is unbelievable! The man is excellent with his shadows, and he's great at mind games and deception, but when it comes to technology the man falls short. How could he ever figure out how to build a machine that's capable of the horrors that this machine is capable of?!

All of the sudden, Saeran's color-changing eyes fill with realization beneath his icy blue mask. That last thought is all it takes for every piece of the puzzle to fall into place. He doesn't even realize it when he speaks the answer aloud. The only thing Saeran is able to process is disbelief at how blind they have been this whole time.

"He couldn't figure out how to put it together."

Robin, who had been ranting prior to him speaking, stops completely upon hearing the voice of the blue-clad man. The trio turning toward him, Robin queries about his statement.

"What did you say, Frostbite?"

Disbelief turning to cold-blooded terror, the man is forced from his trance. The instant this happens, Saeran grabs Robin by the shoulders and shakes him while shouting hysterically.

"Don't you get it?! You're right! All of you! This technology is too advanced for Black Shadow! It's so advanced that he couldn't figure out how to put it together on his own! So he used his henchmen, stole the pieces he needed, put it together half-finished—"

His own features filling with realization, Robin finishes Saeran's sentence. "—and he handed the half-finished product over to the Teen Titans, knowing that we'd finish it for him."

The moment the reality of their situation hits the Boy Wonder, not a moment is wasted on him. Breaking free from Saeran's grasp, he rushes in the direction of the evidence room's exit, shouting to those remaining in the room as he sprints into the hallway.

"Destroy the list with the codes, and destroy the schematics! Clear everything off of our database that has to do with Black Shadow's machine! I want all of it destroyed, and I don't want anything left! We can't let Black Shadow get ahold of any information about the finished product!"

Starfire and Raven jump into action, not hesitating to obey Robin's orders for even an instant. Saeran, on the other hand, dashes out of the room after Robin. Only when he is running alongside him does he speak.

"Use your communicator to try getting through to Cyborg. I'll try connecting to the Titans Easts' frequency to get a message through to their Tower. We can't let them finish the machine!"

Robin doesn't reply verbally, but he doesn't have to. He already has his yellow communicator in hand, pushing one of the buttons on the side to try contacting the metal man. Less than thirty seconds is what it takes for the duo to emerge from the hallway and into the common room, the echoing mantra of "Robin calling Cyborg!" coming from the Boy Wonder. His shouts don't faze Saeran in the slightest, neither do their echoing footsteps. The man's only focus is on reaching the main console and typing in the Titans East's frequency. There are eight people in that Tower! The odds are that someone is going to be in the common room to receive their message.

Prior to reaching the main console, Robin's panicked voice is heard. "I'm getting nothing but static! Our signal is being jammed! I can't get through!"

Concealed color-changing eyes filling with fear, Saeran gapes at him. "What?! There's no way that our signal's being interrupted! That can't be happening!"

Closing the final four feet of distance between himself and the console, Saeran begins typing in the needed frequency rapidly. Ever since discovering his sister's presence in Steel City, he has learned the Titans East's frequency by heart. To his apprehension, however, remembering the frequency isn't helping in the slightest. The moment he finishes typing it in and sends out the signal, much like Robin said about his attempt at contacting Cyborg, there is nothing but static taking over the screen. For a moment the image of the Titans Easts' common room pops up, as if the signal is doing everything it can to connect. Of course, before it can show up completely, the static returns full force. It is at this moment that Saeran learns the full extent of the truth behind Robin's words. Their signal is being jammed.

This realization hitting Saeran, he bangs his fist against the wall behind him in frustration. "Why does this have to happen?! When we think that we finally have Black Shadow right where we want him, it ends out that he has been trapping us this whole time!"

Robin, who is still shouting into his communicator, doesn't hesitate to urge Saeran onward. "We can't quit now, Frostbite! You almost got through once, and we aren't stopping until we get through again! Keep trying to make contact!"

With that being said, Robin continues shouting into his communicator frantically. The words "Robin calling Cyborg" echo through the Tower. Knowing that the Boy Wonder is correct, Saeran turns back to the console and types in the frequency urgently, desperate to get a signal through. Sadly, with as much effort as they put into making contact, both men have a sick feeling in their guts that they're already beyond the point of no return.

Steel City: Titans East Tower

"This is the last chip you need to finish putting it together, right?"

Bumblebee extends a bright, blue, rectangular, chip in Cyborg's direction using a pair of pliers. With all of the work that she and Aqualad put in yesterday, digging the rest of the way into the robot's chest cavity didn't take nearly as long as they thought it would. Quite honestly, plucking out the necessary chips and wires using her screwdriver and handy pliers didn't take longer than an hour. True, the blue rectangular chip was a bit more difficult to remove due to its position tucked directly beside the central core, but by using careful precision and having Cyborg direct her, pulling it out only took approximately five minutes.

Much to their astonishment, the glowing white orb of the central core didn't disintegrate once they pulled it out. Somehow, after removing the chip, it stayed completely intact. Right now, as Bumblebee holds out the blue computer chip to Cyborg, their eyes remain glued to the orb. What they did differently they haven't the slightest clue, but the fact that the power core is still in perfect condition is amazing! They definitely were not expecting these kinds of results!

It takes another couple of moments, but at last Cyborg responds to Bumblebee's inquiry. "Yeah, that's the last piece we need. All the other parts you gave me have already been installed. All I have to do is put this one in there, and we're good to go." Briefly hesitating, he confesses, "Or, we're almost good to go. I still don't know what to do about the machine's power supply, so I guess we're going to have to figure that part out later."

With that being said, Cyborg takes the blue chip from Bumblebee using a pair of tweezers. The robot, and the medium-sized machine with the blue vertical stripes, the black top, and the silver buttons are sitting directly beside each other on the large metal table. Because of this, Cyborg and Bumblebee are also beside each other. Stepping away from the robot, Bumblebee moves to Cyborg's other side and watches as he inserts the chip. Directly beneath the circular gap where the missing power supply is supposed to go is a space that contains a clear tubular piece, multiple wires, and several computer chips. Next to the tubular piece are green and blue wires, an empty gap where it looks like the chip could fit being positioned beside them.

Eyeing the spot with precision, Cyborg moves the tweezers there and inserts the chip. Once the chip is inside of the machine he begins rearranging the wires, making it so that the bright blue chip and the wires are connected. After double checking to make sure that everything is connected properly, Cyborg closes the hatch that is built into the device's side through use of a screwdriver. He and Bumblebee stare at the machine for a long time following this, proud of their accomplishment, but simultaneously feeling stuck. Sure they finished putting all of the pieces into place, but without a main power source helping the machine function, they still don't know what it's supposed to do.

Giving a lengthy sigh at the sight of the dormant device, Cyborg asks, "Do you want to take a look at the codes again now that everything's put together right? It isn't much, but it'll still give us a hint."

Nodding, Bumblebee is about to answer in the positive. Before the winged girl has a chance to vocalize, however, something unbelievable happens. It is unbelievable in every sense of the word, as it is something that they never would have seen coming before this very instant. The machine, which was previously sitting on the table silent, releases a deafening beeping sound. Along with this, the keypad built into one of the blue vertical stripes lights up bright red, as do the silver buttons. The blue vertical stripes light up as well, turning a blinding shade of bright white. Then, right when they think that the device can't possibly do anything more, the black top of the machine splits evenly down the center and comes open, causing it to shudder violently.

For a short moment Bumblebee and Cyborg are nothing other than stunned, but when they witness as the robot starts going through its own violent bouts of shaking, they fear that the room has been taken over a poltergeist. Of course, it doesn't take more than two seconds for them to learn that the robot is not possessed. Rather, the shuddering comes from the glowing white power core, which is forcibly pulled from the robot's chest cavity and into the open top of the machine. The moment the blinding white orb enters into it, the two sides of the black top come back together and close up. Much to their fear, this isn't the end of it either. Once the machine's top is completely closed, they learn that what they have witnessed is only the beginning.

The second the brilliant white power core has been transferred from the scrap heap of robot and into Black Shadow's device, the white glow spreads outward from the duo of blue vertical stripes. The silver areas in between the two stripes start to glow brightly, as does the machine's black top. The three silver buttons along with the keypad shift from beaming red to glistening white as well, the entire machine turning into a single glowing entity. It glows so white that it is practically blinding. Even so, Cyborg and Bumblebee don't shield their eyes. They are far too busy staring at the horrifying sight that emerges three feet above the blinding glow.

To their terror, the only way to describe the sight would be as the air itself being torn in half, like a thin piece of paper. It makes the sound of ripping paper as well, the only difference being that the sound resembles the giant living in the clouds tearing apart an over-sized newspaper rather than someone tearing a piece of printer paper. Along with this sound comes the noise of the violent rushing of air, almost sounding like the door of a space shuttle being forced open in the midst of the galaxy. While the air around them is torn in half, Bumblebee and Cyborg brace themselves against the metal table, watching as a thick black void appears in the pocket that is being torn open.

The noises of tearing and of rushing air only growing more deafening, the endless black void above the machine widens. Before they know it the air around them rushing is no longer a noise, but is a reality. Pieces of metal, various tools, stacks of printouts, and even parts of the Titans Easts' supercomputer are flying all around the room as if a tornado is spawning. The only thing attached to the floor in this room is the large metal table, Bumblebee holding onto one leg, and Cyborg holding onto another. They shout to each other, trying to find a way to shut the machine down, but they soon discover that shouting is useless. With the deafening noises echoing through the room, hearing speech is impossible. All they can do is watch in fear as the void continues expanding.

By now they no longer see only blackness inside of the tearing pocket, but constellations of stars, far off planets, and distant galaxies. Soon enough, other images begin popping up. Images of vehicles and people walking down the side of the road in the 1950's, visions of France during the French Revolution, of Kings and Queens that lived centuries ago, and even farther back than that. By the time it finally sinks in the exact purpose of this machine, they've seen back as the first ice age, and even back to prehistoric times.

Now the machine is currently flickering through more images. Some of them seem familiar, but others couldn't seem more foreign. Blue and green-skinned beings running amok through forests of mushrooms that swarm with giant insects. Images of human-sized lizards walking on two legs and speaking an intelligent language. Gray-skinned wizards with black and violet hair battling dragons with magic. Orange-skinned beings with glowing green eyes, flying through the air and battling the lizard-like creatures to the death. A strange land with tall purple grasses and feathered birds the sizes of pterodactyls flying through the air, human-looking beings with neon color-changing hair chasing after them. Cyborg and Bumblebee see all of these things, feeling amazement as much as horror.

Though he knows that Bumblebee can't hear him, Cyborg tries shouting once more. His voice is filled with nothing but fear.

"Bee, we have to shut that thing down and destroy it! If we don't, Black Shadow could use it to destroy the whole planet!"

Amazingly, Cyborg's shouts manage to earn a response. Though, this response doesn't come from Bumblebee. The instant Cyborg speaks, the widening tear that was previously spreading through the air and destroying the evidence room closes up. When this happens it happens in less than a second, as if a giant zipper is being used to pull the void closed. One second the endless black pit with the flickering images is engulfing the room and the next it's gone, the deafening noises disappearing as well as the intense suction of air. The various objects that had been flying around the evidence room clatter to the ground, the clanging of metal tools and computer parts echoing loudly. Cyborg and Bumblebee hit the ground as well, each of them giving a painful "oomph" as their bodies connect with the tile.

The whole time the machine stops glowing, going back to its original colors of silver, black, and dark blue. Like the rest of the objects, the machine is ready to meet the hard floor the moment the void closes up. Before this can happen, however, a shadowy tentacle shoots out from one of the room's far corners and catches it in the middle of its descent. Once the tentacle appears the lights begin flickering rapidly, and that oh so familiar laughter is heard. Cyborg and Bumblebee can both remember the last time they heard it, and during neither of their encounters was it pleasant. Of course, compared to how the laughter sounds currently, it might as well have been a small child skipping through the park that was laughing before.

The only way to describe the laughter being heard by the two is evil. Black Shadow's laughter has always been dark, and it has always been menacing, but right now neither of these words work to describe it. The only word that fits is evil. It is filled with so much hate, has a bite so bitter, and a darkness so black that it flows through their veins like an icy chill. As Black Shadow continues in his wicked display, the lights in the room flicker out completely, engulfing the room in a blackness so thick that it matches the undiluted evil that is heard in his voice. Apparently it isn't just the lights in the evidence room that are out, because a loud scream is heard from Beast Boy, suggesting that every light in the Tower has been extinguished.

Bumblebee and Cyborg get to their feet as fast as they can and take on fighting stances, but it is of little to no use with the impenetrable coat of darkness. Much to their anxiety, they can't so much as see their hands in front of their faces; not even Cyborg by use of his bionic eye. One thing they can see, as unsettling as it is, are the outlines of Black Shadow's tentacles as he grabs each of them around the waist and pulls them closer to the wall. It is only once they are held firmly against the Tower's cold metal interior that Black Shadow finally speaks. Using additional tentacles to grasp their chins, he points their gazes so that they are looking directly at the face of his medium-framed outline that appears out of nowhere. As he whispers, his voice contains a sickening combination of pleasure and malice.

"I have to say, Titans, I am very grateful to you. I never would have been able to put my handy little device together without your help. Never have I met a group of heroes who are more willing to sign their own death certificates." Giving a dark, spiteful, chuckle, he continues, "I gave you the right pieces to make the first move in this war, and you moved each of your pieces in the wrong direction. You better pick up the pieces you have left and put them back on the board, Titans. This war is only beginning, and there is no way that I'm backing down when I'm ten moves ahead."

Neither Cyborg nor Bumblebee has an opportunity to respond to Black Shadow. Much like the void that consumed the room only seconds ago, his outline as well as his shadowy tentacles vanish in a mere flash. The machine, which they thought for sure he'd take with him, sits in the center of the large metal table. It doesn't glow bright white, the keypad doesn't glow red, and it doesn't do anything nearly as dramatic as before. Instead a steady, constant, beeping is heard, and the three buttons located on one of the blue vertical stripes start blinking at one-second intervals. As the beeping increases in pitch and as the blinking of the buttons increases, it becomes very apparent to the duo exactly what Black Shadow is doing. He's sending out some type of signal.

Knowing that whatever signal he's sending out can't be good, Cyborg and Bumblebee rush toward the table, prepared to smash the machine to bits. It's only too sad that they don't get a chance to sprint more than three feet. Before they know it they are being grabbed around the ankles by shadowy tentacles and slammed to the ground in the evidence room's impenetrable darkness. All it takes is a few seconds for them to break free, but by this time Black Shadow has released his control over the Tower's light sources, filling the room with precious electricity. It is only a second after this that the beeping comes to a halt along with the flashing of the buttons, the machine smoking and falling apart an instant later.

A second passes and all they do is stare in disbelief, but it doesn't take long for them to shout at the unseen man. They are completely aware that he is still around. After all, even if he has released his control over their light sources, there are still particularly thick shadows in the corners of the room.

"You won't get away with this Black Shadow! We will bring you down!" shouts Bumblebee.

"You won the first round, but you're sure as heck not winning the second! Don't underestimate us, because next time we're coming at you with a vengeance!" says Cyborg sounding lethal.

All of the sudden the lights flicker slightly, letting them know that Black Shadow is on his way out of the Tower. Even so, this doesn't mean that he isn't about to get in one last thought.

"You don't have to yell at me. I believe you completely." Twisted pleasure heard in his tone, he adds, "Personally, I can't wait for the Titans to hunt me down; the Justice League, too. I always look forward to a good fight."

Once that is said the lights refrain from flickering and the room's excess shadow's vanish, all traces of Black Shadow disappearing as if he was never there. Of course, even with the dark villain gone, the damage has still been done. Tools, scraps of metal, printouts, and various parts from the supercomputer lay scattered across the room, looking as though the place had been ransacked.

This isn't the sight that causes them the most turmoil, though. What truly causes reality to sink in is seeing the machine that they spent all week trying to decipher laying on the metal table in a pile of broken fragments. All it takes is a single glance at the heap of scrap for Cyborg to sit against the wall, holding a metal hand against his forehead in agony. Bumblebee gives a similar reaction, the winged girl leaning against the wall at the metallic man's side with her face buried in her arms. It doesn't feel like their day could possibly get any worse.

That, however, is when a puzzled and angry Beast Boy stomps into the room. Nothing but fury is written across his persona as he shouts at them.

"Dude, what is up with the electricity?! I was two points away from beating Mas and Menos at Mega Monkeys! Do you have any idea—"

Upon seeing the state of the evidence room, along with the frustrated and hopeless expressions on his friends' faces, Beast Boy's previous irritation vanishes. Gaping around the expanse in shock, he steps over demolished chunks of metal and kicks smaller pieces of debris out of his path as he makes his way over to them. Giving one more distressed glance at the surrounding area, he turns to stare at Bumblebee and Cyborg in bewilderment.

"Dude, did I miss a party or a tornado? What the heck happened?"

Giving a mournful sigh, Cyborg is the one who replies. "I'll tell you what happened. Black Shadow showed up to pick up the schematics for his machine. It creates rifts in the fabric of space and time, giving him access to every planet and every time period in history, and we just spent all week putting it together for him."

A/N: Wow. I'm going to admit that this chapter took me ages to write! It took so much editing, so much re-writing, and so much proof reading! But was it worth it? Absolutely! I am SO happy with the way that ending turned out! Well...not "happy" happy, as the events of the ending are really not good, but nonetheless I am pleased. This is by far the longest chapter I've written, as I originally didn't plan on adding in the side story with Aqualad, Speedy, and Damiana going on the shopping trip, but I just decided to go with it. Was it random? Yes. Hopefully none of you mind it, though. :)

Also, for those of you who are wondering, the next chapter is the end of Part Two. I feel like Part Two needs one more chapter to help set the stage for Part Three, so that's what I'm doing. I don't want to leap directly into Part Three quite yet.

Anyway, until next time dear readers! Know that your follows and favorites are appreciated, and that I love reading your reviews! I start back to college after next week, so I'll try to get out another chapter or two before then. Hopefully this chapter was of enjoyment to you! :)

Forever and Always,

OCQ