A/N: I know. It has been ages since I last updated this story, and for that, I apologize. Due to two months of frantic job searching, "Firelight" had to get shoved aside for a while. As much as I missed writing this story, it was worth it because I am now happily employed! I work as a parapro in elementary and middle school classrooms with special needs kids, and this summer while the schools are closed, I have a job waiting tables at a hotel cafe. I feel like such a productive member of society! *happy tears*
So, now that I'm employed, I am happy to announce that I am back! I missed writing this story so much! It feels good to be back at it!
Enjoy the chapter :)
Note: I created a cover for "Firelight" a while back and finally decided to use it. If you're interested in getting a closer look at it, (because part of Damiana has been cut off), I am FullMoonBloodbender on deviantart. You can search my gallery for the cover. I would just link it, but unfortunately this website does not allow links.
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
Part III: Secrets: Chapter Twenty-Eight
Steel City: Titans East Tower
The Next Morning
"You've spent two days searching the museum, and you haven't found anything? Are you sure, Cyborg? With all three of you working, you should have at least found something small."
"I'm sorry, Rob, but we haven't found a thing. We've searched the building high and low without any luck. We're going to keep looking until the rest of you get here, but don't be surprised if we come up emptyhanded."
Saeran stands in the common room of the Tower on the East Coast, facing a large screen bearing Cyborg's face. On one side of him is Aqualad and on the other is Raven, the latter holding the pony-tailed man's cat. Prior to coming upstairs, Saeran and Raven had a lengthy conversation regarding his beloved pet. While he is away, he made it very clear that someone needs to watch after Mr. Whiskers. The Titans East Tower is unfamiliar territory, after all, and is teeming with water. Luckily, it didn't take much to convince the dark girl to watch his cat. She took the feline from his arms and complied with ease.
As they stand together in the common room, however, Mr. Whiskers is the last thing on Saeran's mind. When Robin contacted Cyborg, more than anything Saeran expected to hear that progress had been made. During the time that he has known the Titans, it has come to his attention that Cyborg is intelligent, resourceful, and highly capable. If anyone should be able to figure out what Black Shadow is after in such a short span of time, it is him. Not to mention that his baby sister is there, too. Damiana is intelligent in her own right and is very perceptive. If Cyborg didn't uncover anything, Damiana should have for certain. It is for these reasons that Saeran is caught very off-guard upon learning that zero leads have been found.
Glancing over at the Boy Wonder, the man isn't surprised to note his rigid posture. Even less surprising is his frustrated scowl. Robin isn't the only hero who is in this state. As he observes the rest of Titans, it is seen that each of them appears distressed in one way or another. This even applies to Beast Boy, who wears a troubled frown in place of his usual smile.
When someone replies to Cyborg, it is the green Titan. He sounds nothing short of fretful.
"You, Speedy, and Firelight really haven't found anything? But that museum's huge! With all the stuff that's there, you can't find one thing that Black Shadow might want?!"
The metal man, who currently appears as his usual self rather than the image projected by the holographic rings, frowns at Beast Boy's remark. Based on his position as well as the background, he seems to be sitting on the edge of a bed in a hotel room as he reports to them.
"I'm sorry, BB, but we really haven't found anything. Speedy and Firelight have been working as hard as I have, and if either of them came across something, they would've told me." Sighing deeply, he adds, "Just remember that we're not finished yet. We're going back to the museum today and tomorrow. There's still a chance that we could dig something up."
Beast Boy's frown intensifies. "I hope you dig it up before Black Shadow gets to it. If he gets to whatever it is first, the Titans are toast."
Bumblebee, who stands directly in front of the screen beside Robin, is the next person to speak. Unlike the others, she sounds inquiring more than she does concerned.
"Are there any places in the museum that you haven't checked yet, Sparky? I'm not just talking exhibits that are open to the public. Are there any closed exhibits or off-limits areas that only employees would be able to get to? If Black Shadow is after something dangerous, chances are it isn't going to be in plain sight."
Cyborg quirks a brow at Bumblebee's suggestion. "Yeah, actually. I have thought of that. I never mentioned it to Speedy and Firelight, though. I wanted to go through the public areas of the museum before doing any rule breaking." Hesitating momentarily, he continues, "Of course, I guess there isn't much of a reason to hold back now. We already broke one rule by sneaking into Justice League territory to track a criminal, so I'm sure they won't mind breaking a few more by sneaking into off-limits sections of the museum. If they're not awake in twenty minutes, I'll go into Firelight's room, wake them up, and tell them what our new plan is."
Opening her mouth partway, the winged girl is fully prepared to respond. Before the words can leave her lips, however, she comes to an abrupt halt. She gawks at Cyborg in shock with brown eyes wide and mouth hanging agape.
"Hold on just a second. Where did you say Speedy and Firelight are at?!"
Saeran feels as his own eyes widen at Bumblebee's inquiry. With the hood of his gray sweatshirt down and blue contact lenses concealing his color-changing irises, his saucer-sized orbs are on display for everybody to see.
When he first saw that Speedy and his sister weren't present, it had been Saeran's assumption that Damiana was in her room while Speedy was eating breakfast and flirting with waitresses somewhere. Now that Cyborg has brought up the reality of their location, however, it hits Saeran that his hypothesis had been entirely wrong.
As Cyborg grants Bumblebee's question a blunt answer, Saeran's blood nearly begins boiling.
"They're in Firelight's room. They've been there since I got back from the auto shop last night. The two of them got into a fight or something yesterday, but it looks like they made up now."
Aqualad gives a laugh that is both scoffing and amused. "Yeah, it definitely sounds like it."
Nobody misses the glower that overtakes his face. The aquatic teen's remark only causes the livid expression to deepen. Shooting Aqualad a piercing glare, Saeran moves out from between him and Raven and marches closer to the screen. He shoves past Beast Boy and Starfire roughly, who are blocking his path. The entire time the group of adolescents gape in a mixture of fear and shock, wondering what could have set the twenty-one-year-old off. When he shouts furiously at the robotic man from beside Robin, their surprise only increases.
"Cyborg, please tell me that you're pulling my leg! You did not actually allow a seventeen-year-old boy and a sixteen-year-old girl to sleep in the same room all night!"
Single hazel eye staring, he replies hesitantly. "Uh… Yeah. I did…" Clearing his throat sheepishly, he adds, "What was I supposed to do? Tell them no? It's none of my business what they get up to in their spare time, and even if it was, I don't think they did anything bad. As far as I know, they were binge-watching movies and fell asleep."
This doesn't work to calm the Dabnodian. Face turning the exact shade of a lobster, he shakes his fist and shouts more irately than before. Saeran doesn't see it, but Mas y Menos are cowering behind Aqualad and Starfire clings to Robin frightenedly. Then there is Beast Boy, who practically appears on the verge of soiling himself.
"'As far as you know'? Cyborg, you idiot! 'As far as you know' are the key words! Who knows what they were doing?! Speedy is a horny teenager! He is a Class A playboy, and you let him sleep in the same room as Firelight! If that pervert laid a hand on her last night, I am not going to let you off easy!"
A vein in his forehead is visibly throbbing. Along with this, Saeran's posture is rigid and the expression on his face is lethal. If a man ever appeared like an angry father on prom night, then in this moment that man is Saeran.
In his anger, Saeran hardly processes his movements. He turns around, exits the common room, and heads toward the garage. Before exiting completely, he grabs a set of keys off the kitchen counter. While doing all of this he speaks to Robin and Starfire, knowing that leaving without them isn't an option. Even so, this doesn't mean that the thought isn't tempting.
"Robin, Starfire, come on! We're leaving for Metropolis right now! The last thing I need is for Firelight to catch an STD or STI from a man whore! I don't care if it takes all day and all night to get to Metropolis! I'm going to McDonalds, buying the largest caramel frappe they offer, and driving!"
With that said, he leaps down the stairwell leading to the garage with keys in hand. The Titans gawk, their shock increasing as well as their fright. A long moment passes where nobody moves. All anyone can do is stare after the pony-tailed man.
When someone amongst them finally speaks, it is none other Cyborg from the screen's opposite end. "I wonder why he's so worked up; especially about some girl he doesn't know. Usually Frostbite's as cool as ice!"
Gaze pointed toward Saeran's path of travel, Starfire adds her input. "I confess, this is not the first time that friend Frostbite has acted strangely. When he saw our new teammate from our home in Jump City during a transmission, he fled from the room while doing the crying. Then, shortly before our departure, he did the angry shouting after we showed him the video on the YouTube about friend Speedy and friend Firelight."
The majority in the room narrow their eyes curiously at her explanation.
"Now that you mention it, Firelight acted weird during that transmission, too. Do you think that Frostbite and Firelight could know each other from somewhere?" inquires Aqualad.
Unfortunately, no one responds to the aquatic man's comment. The loud blaring of a car horn echoing through the Tower from the garage is far too distracting.
"Robin! Starfire! I don't have all day! Either get in the car, or Starfire is flying you to Metropolis!"
The Boy Wonder doesn't give much of a response. Not to Saeran or to his teammates. All he does is furrow his brow in puzzlement. Bewilderment never vanishing from his features, he moves toward the staircase leading to the garage while motion for Starfire to follow.
"Let's go, Star. I'm not sure what's going on with Frostbite, but maybe we can figure something out on the way to Metropolis."
The Tamaranean gives a gentle nod and flies after Robin without a bit of reluctance. It is only once they are gone that someone else speaks. The person sharing their thoughts is Raven, and for once she appears distraught rather than impassive.
"Am I the only one concerned about Speedy? If Frostbite's remark about him being 'a man whore' is any indication, then he is going to die…"
Meanwhile…
A long time has passed since Damiana has felt relaxed while sleeping. Since coming to Earth, the girl has never been able to sleep undisturbed. Not even since joining the Titans. On an average night she will awaken approximately four times to be sure that no threats are near, no doubt a byproduct from her days of homelessness. Last night, however, Damiana didn't wake up once. Though she normally wakes up before seven o'clock AM, it is after nine AM and she is still in no mood to stir.
While Damiana should be surprised by this on some level, she isn't truly. A saying that she has heard since coming to Earth is that confession is good for the soul. For the longest time the saying seemed nothing but nonsense. It was only after staying up late into the night with Roy, telling him everything she remembers about Dabnod, that this saying became a reality for Damiana. Now that she finally has a friend that she can trust with her secret, everything feels much lighter. The surrounding air even seems easier to breathe. Along with this, slumber is finally coming without effort.
Breathing deeply through her nose, the girl moves closer to the source of heat lying beside her. This isn't so much because she wants to, but because the heat source pulls her closer. Of course, in her state of unconsciousness, Damiana doesn't find that she cares. With the bed's covers beneath her body rather than covering it, she quite enjoys the sensation of warmth. It is for this reason that, as she feels her small form being tugged into an embrace, she doesn't struggle. Instead, she leans her head of askew brown curls against a solid, male, torso.
Soft thudding is the first thing that comes to her attention. It is a sound that she has rarely gotten to hear up close. The thudding is strong, steady, and constant. In an odd way, it is very soothing. As a result, Damiana snuggles closer of her own free will. Also flooding her senses is a unique combination of smells. Overpriced hair gel, a specific brand of cheap cologne, and a type of polish used for things such as weapons. In truth, Damiana doesn't mind the smell. The feel of warm arms holding her honestly manages to make it appealing. Not to mention, it wasn't a bad smell to begin with.
When a chin gently nuzzles into the top of her head, Damiana relaxes all the more. The strong, steady, beating of his single heart. His smell. His body heat. Damiana never imagined that a person's nearness could be so pleasant. This feels nice.
For a long moment Damiana dwells on this thought. Then, suddenly, it is this thought that causes her to awaken. Color-changing eyes shooting open, the girl gapes widely. Talking to Roy late into the night she can understand, but why is she getting so much pleasure out of snuggling? What is she even doing snuggling with him?! Didn't he go back to his room last night?!
Finding herself staring directly into Roy's chest, which is clad by a wrinkled green t-shirt, Damiana immediately has her answer. He never went back to his room last night! As the girl enters farther into wakefulness, she remembers that she and Roy had grown drowsy at one point. As a result, they laid down on their stomachs while Damiana finished explaining about Queen Guayusa. She'd gotten as far as telling him about the Queen's Royal Counsel, so they must have fallen asleep around then.
As soon as it sinks in that Roy slept in her room all night, a pang of panic strikes.
"Roy spent the night in my room? Sweet fates! What is Cyborg going to think?! If Bee and Aqualad find out, what will they think?! Oh, fates, this looks bad!"
Knowing that they can't stay like this, that they need to explain to Cyborg before he spills the beans to the other Titans during this morning's transmission, Damiana does her best to wriggle free from Roy's grasp. At first she isn't expecting the task to be difficult. How tightly can an unconscious teenage boy hold onto someone? However, following thirty seconds of squirming, she learns that escaping won't be nearly as simple as she thought. Roy has both arms wrapped snugly around her waist, effectively trapping her small frame against his torso.
Damiana shoves at his arms in attempt to loosen his grip. Along with this, she pokes him in the chest while saying his name. To her disappointment, none of this works. The redhead's only response is incoherent muttering. Adjusting her arms is difficult with her head trapped beneath his chin, yet she manages to grasp him by the shoulders and shake him lightly. Somehow, this is even less successful than her previous methods. Roy shifts positions as he sleeps, trapping her arms using his own and nestling his face into the crook of her neck in the process. This causes Damiana to unleash a frustrated sigh. The whole time she does her best to ignore the feel of his breath on her collarbone, as well as the sensation of his disheveled hair brushing against her skin.
Doing her best to sound aggravated rather than embarrassed, the girl squirms against him with heightened determination while protesting harshly. Part of her frustrated speech, predictably, is in the Dabnodian language.
"Naxdath, Roy! Nar raenathan! For crying out loud! Wake up!"
Roy gives a response, but unfortunately it isn't at all what she is hoping for.
"Why are you making me pay my fine? You never make Bee pay hers. Just give me my tacos."
Damiana sighs once more. He is so out of it that he isn't even making sense! Persisting in wriggling against his snuggling embrace, she speaks to him once more.
"Nar nakan! Roy, wake up! This is getting ridiculous! Nobody sleeps this heavy!"
Nestling his head further into her neck, he makes another illogical statement.
"I'm going up the street to Ben's Burrito Barn. You people are jerks."
It is at this point that the girl relinquishes her struggle in defeat. Giving in to Roy's embrace, she speaks aloud in aggravation. Her tone has an edge of sarcasm to it.
"Out of all the people I've met, the last person I expected to be the snuggling type is you. If you fell asleep in my room, I wish you would have brought a teddy bear or an extra pillow!" Huffing slightly, she continues. "Naxdath! Why won't you let go of me!"
To Damiana's astonishment, Roy grants her frustrated rant a response. Though his tone sounds drowsy and far away, it is nevertheless a coherent answer.
"Too much AC in here. You're warm."
Damiana blushes profusely at his response. Though he seems to be asleep for the most part, the idea that Roy's snuggling is partially a conscious effort makes her a tad uncomfortable… She already doesn't like the idea of having slept in the same room with him all night. Having him hold her so close brings her discomfort to an entire other level. If Cyborg walks in while they're in this position, it will look bad on numerous levels…
Clearing her throat, Damiana speaks once more. Hyperaware of his head resting against the crook of her neck by now, she chooses her words carefully.
"Roy…I understand that it's cold in here…but you have to let me go. You're extremely close to me. It's…eh…uncomfortable."
For a long moment Damiana is afraid that the redhead is going to remain asleep. Fortunately, her explanation manages to rouse him. Though she can't see his face due to their current position, the feel of eyelashes fluttering against her neck is unmistakable. Also unmistakable is the transformation of his deep, even, breaths to the shallow breathing pattern of wakefulness.
It takes a minute or so for the archer to wake up fully, but once he does, his coherence couldn't be more apparent. An instant is all it takes for Roy to release Damiana from his grasp, the boy sitting straight up and leaping to the other side of the bed away from her. He unleashes a surprised shout in the process, gaping at her with startled emerald orbs. While gaping his face reddens visibly, suggesting that surprise isn't the only emotion that he is currently feeling…
Meeting Roy's gaze, she speaks to him sounding hesitant rather than aggravated. "Uh… Good morning? With all the information I shoved in your head last night, I hope you slept okay."
Crimson never fading from his cheeks, Roy replies with a small nod. "What you told me didn't really effect my sleep. I slept fine. So fine that I guess I fell asleep in here…" Raising the back of his hand to his mouth, he coughs in discomfort prior to continuing. "By the way, I am very sorry for anything I might have done. If I touched you anywhere, said something weird, or did anything to make you think I was on a LSD drug trip, remember that I was unconscious. When I'm sleeping, I have no idea what's happening." Pausing, he asks, "Falling asleep in the same room as a girl and doing something potentially offensive isn't…say…an unforgivable insult to a Dabnodian, is it?"
Adorning a cold expression, Damiana responds bleakly. "If you really want to know, spending the night in the same room as a woman from one of the Monarchy's favored clans would be considered an ultimate crime on Dabnod. Considering how you slept on the same bed as me, you would be publicly shamed and sent to the glass mines with a mild sentence. If given a major sentence, you would have been encased in ice and killed by my elder brother."
Roy doesn't respond verbally. He stares at her wide-eyed, appearing incredibly frightened by the information just shared with him. The expression on his face is one that is priceless to Damiana. Due to the shock and the tremendous fear shining in his grass-colored orbs, the girl is unable to refrain from laughing. A few seconds is all it takes for Damiana to release loud bouts of giggles. For a moment Roy is confused, but once she begins explaining, his puzzlement morphs into a mixture of relief, minor irritation, and humor.
"Oh, sweet fates! I wish you had a mirror! You should see the look on your face!" Setting several seconds aside for laughter, Damiana gets part of it out of her system. When she resumes speaking, of course, it is through snickers. "There was no such thing as the glass mines, and the Monarchy never would have allowed my brother to kill you. In reality, we would both get in trouble with our guardians and would end up mopping floors. So, no. I do not feel insulted."
Raising one of his red brows, the archer eyes her while smirking. "You're going to use this alien thing against me now, aren't you? Now that you have nothing to hide, I'm sure you're thinking of one-hundred-and-one ways to trick me with made up stories."
Returning his smirk, she shrugs in confession. "Yes. To be honest, I'll probably use fake stories to tease you a whole lot." Smile fading, she adds seriously, "You did sleep in my room all night, though, and that's real information. Don't forget that Cyborg is here. Unless you want him thinking the worst of us, or unless you want him telling the other Titans, we need to come up with a story."
Damiana's words strike him hard and realization crosses his features. Jumping up from the bed and standing rigidly in the floor's center, he responds anxiously.
"Crap, you're right! I never went back to my room last night, and Cy wanted to contact everyone in the East Tower this morning! If we're not there when he contacts them, we're dead!" Fear filling his emerald irises, he adds, "I'm sure Bee will take the news fine in front of Cyborg, but once she gets us alone back in Steel City, we're both dead! There's no way that Bee won't kill us!"
Turning around, Roy glances himself over in the dresser mirror across from the bed. Removing a comb from his pocket, he swiftly straightens out his hair before sprinting toward the exit. He says one final thing as he steps out the door.
"Go put in one of your extra pairs of contact lenses while I talk to Cy! We can talk more about Dabnod later. Right now there's still time for damage control, and I'm taking advantage!"
"You told them that I slept in Leila's room last night?! Why would you do that?! Do you have any idea how bad that makes us look?!"
Cyborg rubs the back of his neck while chuckling apprehensively. Leaning against the wall of their shared hotel room, Roy meets his single hazel eye with a scowl. The whole time Cyborg forms a response with increasing anxiety.
"My goal wasn't to make you and Leila look bad. I thought you were watching movies and fell asleep. When I told everyone else, I thought they would think that, too." Faltering, he adds with an additional laugh of discomfort, "Of course, based on everybody's reactions, I guess I explained it the wrong way. Sorry about that. Thinking back, I kind talked before thinking."
The redhead's scowl doesn't diminish for so much as instant.
"Thanks a lot. If we survive this mission, then me and Leila get to return to Steel City to be enrolled in a high school health class courtesy of Bee. Knowing her, that's only after the lecture."
Apprehension vanishing, Cyborg smirks. "What are you so worked up for, anyway? Is it because you and Leila actually did get up to something?" Chuckling, he adds, "Don't get me wrong. I know it was nothing major. If you tried anything with her, Leila probably would've broken a bone. That doesn't mean that you didn't get up to some smooching and cuddling, though."
Glower deepening, Roy does his best to give the metal man a livid retort. However, when he tries, nothing comes. Instead, it takes every ounce of the redhead's effort to conceal embarrassment.
It's bad enough that he fell asleep in Leila's room. Even worse is that he actually did cuddle up to her. Really, it wasn't even cuddling. He grabbed hold of Leila and wouldn't let go! If the way she looked at him when he woke up was any indication, then it was pretty severe… Roy would never share this aloud, but more than anything, he views the incident as Leila's fault. If she wasn't warm, soft, and if she didn't smell so nice, then maybe he wouldn't have grabbed onto her!
Not to mention the conversation they had before falling asleep. Somehow, the fact that she is from the late planet of Dabnod makes Leila even more enticing than when he first met her. The Dabnodian culture, the landscapes, their government, the Knights and Scribes, everything Leila told him is fascinating! As for her color-changing eyes and those instances when she speaks in her native language, it makes Leila positively alluring.
One of these days Roy would like to learn more about Dabnod. How the planet was destroyed, Leila's role as Queen Guayusa's pet, why her clan was so highly favored by the Monarchy, he would like to ask her the big questions. Along with that, Roy is dying to see Leila without the hair dye. Her color-changing eyes are already breathtaking. The thought of what her hair must look like without dye coating its follicles nags at his mind already.
It is far too soon to dig deeper into Dabnod's secrets, and he already knows how Leila would react if he asked her to get rid of the hair dye, but still. The more he learns about Leila, the more he needs to know. For every answer he receives, two more questions emerge. Amazingly, this doesn't bother Roy. It allures him.
"You two did get up to some cuddling, didn't you? I can tell by the look on your face. That's the same look Robin gets whenever I ask if he kissed Starfire on one of their dates."
Cyborg's voice shakes him from his thoughts, forcing Roy to look at him. The expression on his face is smug. As a result, Roy retorts in aggravation with cheeks dusted pink.
"Why do you care if we were cuddling? It isn't any of your business! The point is that you told the other Titans, and now Leila and I are going to have to deal with the consequences!"
The redhead doesn't hear it, but in that moment the hotel room's door comes open. A second later it shuts with a firm thud, forcing him and Cyborg to turn toward the entrance. Standing inside the room wearing a fresh change of clothes, new contact lenses, and with neatly brushed hair is Leila. Her false green eyes are narrowed into an intensive glare, not aimed at the boy, but directed at the metal man. Crossing her arms over her chest, Leila glances at Roy with an irked inquiry. While in the midst of the question, the girl turns her glower back on Cyborg.
"I'm sorry, Roy. I just showed up five seconds ago, so I'm not sure if I heard you right. Did you say that Cyborg told the other Titans that we slept in the same room last night?"
He explains without looking at her, his gaze trained on the man in front of them with equal intensity. "Yes. That's exactly what I said. During this morning's transmission with the Titans in the East Tower, which would be every Titan on the East and West teams besides the three of us, it somehow slipped out that we fell asleep together. Because of this, I'm pretty sure that they think the worst of us."
Running fingers through her thick, brown, curls, Leila releases a frustrated sigh. So aggravated is the girl that a small puff of fire leaves her mouth during the exhale. It isn't enough to damage anything, though it is plenty to make he and Cyborg nervous. When her glare turns harsher than before, Roy is certain that her eyes must be midnight blue beneath the contact lenses.
"Sweet fates, Cyborg! Why would you tell that to our teammates?! Have you forgotten that Roy is a boy and that I'm a girl?! Even if all we were doing was watching movies and reading books, it looks bad! Knowing Aqualad and Bumblebee, they automatically assumed the worst!"
Appearing more nervous than he did with Roy, their large teammate waves his arms defensively. "Hey, hold on! Like I told Speedy, my goal wasn't to make you look bad! We were discussing the next move the three of us should make in our search, and the information slipped out. It wasn't on purpose!" Pausing slightly, he adds, "I was so focused on how we're going to stop Black Shadow, that I guess my filter stopped working. I'm sorry if it causes any trouble with Bee."
Leila releases another sigh, this one without flames. "What search method were all of you talking about? If it was about splitting up and searching the museum's exhibits, we've been there done that. We haven't found a thing! What special search method is so amazing that it caused you to tell everyone on our team that Roy and I spent the night in the same room?!"
Roy's own green-eyed scowl sharpening, he supports her inquiry. "Now that Leila mentions it, that's a good point. What changes in our mission plans were important enough to make you forget to keep our location a secret?!"
Astonishingly enough, the reason the metal man gives is valid. It is so valid that it causes both of their angry expressions to vanish.
"What's important is that we're ditching the methods we've been using. Bee said it's time for us to search closed exhibits and restricted parts of the museum, and I think she's right. If Black Shadow's after something big, I doubt it'll be easy to find. We need to dig deeper." A frown graces Cyborg's features as he continues. "The only problem is sneaking inside restricted areas without getting caught. With cameras and museum employees lurking everywhere, it's going to be hard. We're civilians in Metropolis, not Titans, so we're not about to get any free passes."
The archer hasn't the slightest idea why, neither does their six-foot-four group leader, but Leila no longer appears angry about their previous conversation. For some reason, the girl smiles.
Monique's Belly Dancing Palace
A Short Time Later…
The stairs in this building creak, it is drafty, and it is far too large for a single person. Yet, Adriel doesn't complain. He walks down the winding staircase to the kitchen. In one of his hands is a radio, and as he passes a bowl of fruit sitting in the center of the table, he retrieves an apple using the other. His lengthy, reddish-brown, ponytail swishes as he walks, brushing against his bare back. Aside from a loose-fitting pair of forest green pants adorned by silver tassels, Adriel wears nothing.
He takes a large bite of the apple, a loud crunch echoing through the gusty building. Somehow the sound makes the belly dancing studio seems far emptier than it did previously. Sighing in something akin to despair, Adriel sets the half-eaten apple in the center of the countertop and exits the room. The day is cloudy, thus, the room appears dim when the twenty-year-old enters the section of the building containing mirror-filled walls and wooden floors. Though the switch to the overhead lights are directly beside him, Adriel doesn't turn them on. He crosses the expanse in the direction of the mirrors. As his reflection grows nearer, stormy gray irises never disconnect from it.
Although his unhurried steps show little determination, Adriel eventually makes it so that he is a foot away from his destination. He sets down the radio so that it is at his feet. Once his hands are free, he doesn't move. Adriel stands fully upright and stares blankly at his reflection. He has changed since leaving Dabnod. He is taller, more muscular, is required to shave more often, and his hair has gotten a tad thicker. Yet, even after five years of living on Earth, one thing hasn't changed. Whenever Adriel is alone, whenever he is not forcing himself to remain cheerful, it is there. It never truly leaves. When around others, it merely hides.
Every time he looks at himself in the mirror, he sees it. Wide, hollow, lifeless eyes. His eyes have seen things that no man should ever have to see, and are aware of secrets that few individuals have ever gotten the chance to uncover. Nobody who is left alive knows it, but Adriel's eyes have seen many, many, things. Because of this, Adriel's eyes are always haunted.
A single tear trailing from a storm-colored eye down to his chin, words once spoken echo through his memory. Hardly a day has passed where Adriel hasn't remembered them.
"…No matter what strategy she has, everyone knows that it is going to be something meant to defeat the Tamaraneans. It doesn't matter how big it is. If it gives us enough power to defeat the Troqs, then we should do it no matter the cost."
Amber eyes, a golden ponytail, and a joyful smile flash through his mind's eye. It was one of the last times he saw his best friend and squadron mate. Whether or not Dabnod survived, Adriel is now aware that it would have remained one of the last moments spent with his friend. Best friends or not, he and Saeran were different people with very different ideas.
"No matter the cost? That's a steep price to pay, Saeran…"
Adriel sighs sadly. Tears streaming down his cheeks, he removes his gaze from his reflected eyes and shifts it to the left pectoral of his chest. Etched deeply into bare skin, contrasting starkly against his pale flesh like a gruesome scar, is the charcoal image of a waning crescent. As he stares unwaveringly at the black sliver of moon, Adriel has the same horrendous thought that he has been having for half a decade. Even now the thought startles him, but nonetheless, he accepts it.
He is glad that Saeran is dead.
Facing him these days would be impossible for Adriel. Saeran was a good Knight and his closest friend, but in the end, he was blind to Dabnod's secrets. Even if he knew what they were, Adriel is certain that it wouldn't have changed anything. Knowing Saeran, he would have remained loyal to Dabnod no matter the cost. As for Adriel, his loyalties are to the symbol etched into his chest.
The thought of not having the memories of their friendship, of having memories of hostile disagreements and separation in their place, it pains Adriel unlike anything else.
Taking a deep breath through the nose, Adriel wipes away tears using his arm and straightens his lengthy ponytail. Every morning he goes through this, but nevertheless, the man always manages to pull himself together. The studio's morning students are coming in less than twenty minutes for the ten AM to noon class, and Monique can't be here. Because of this, Adriel should really get in some last-minute practice before they show up.
Before Adriel can do so much as turn on the radio, however, his phone rings from the kitchen.
"What do you mean you need to borrow my phone? Who are you calling?!"
If Damiana could, she would give an in-depth answer to Roy's question. She mentioned Adriel in passing during the previous night's discussion, though she never explained the more mind-boggling details. The fact that he survived the destruction of Dabnod, that she met him at the museum, and that he works there, all of this was kept secret from the redhead. Now that Damiana thinks about it, she doesn't even recall telling him as little as Adriel's name. She'd simply referred to him as her elder brother's squadron mate.
Of course, this doesn't mean that the girl was afraid to mention Adriel. She was merely hesitant. Roy had just learned the day before that she herself is an alien. Learning that his new teammate is an entirely different species from a destroyed planet is overwhelming enough. Telling Roy that there is another alien refugee in Metropolis? Put simply, Damiana didn't think that it was a good idea. There was no need to astonish Roy too much. Along with that, she found herself enjoying their conversation. She didn't want to ruin Roy getting to know the real her by mentioning Adriel.
Right now, however, Damiana finds that these factors scarcely matter. Last night, as well as earlier this morning, it felt as if their mission didn't exist. It was her, Roy, Dabnodian literature, and all the time the world had to offer. Although, as she stands in the hotel room beside the archer and across from the robotic man, everything immediately snaps back into perspective. The fact that Roy knows she is an alien suddenly doesn't matter. The other Titans being aware that she slept in the same room as Roy no longer bothers her, neither is the girl angry at Cyborg for allowing the information to slip out. Most of all, Damiana does not care about Roy's reaction to learning about a second Dabnodian.
Cyborg said that he wants to take their search from primary exhibits to off-limits areas of the museum. The three of them have made zero progress pinpointing what Black Shadow is after, and because of this, Damiana knows that Cyborg is right. The time has come to expand their search. Thus, she is determined to use every available resource.
Even so, Damiana is less than thrilled about informing Roy that her brother's squadron mate is alive; not to mention that he is a museum employee! She honestly wouldn't blame the archer for being upset that she withheld such information from him…
Glancing beside her at said teammate, she watches as he stares uncertainly at the phone that hovers in the air between them. Roy grips the object tightly, as if doubtful about relinquishing it to the girl. As his inner battle ensues, Damiana responds to his prior question. Though, with Cyborg in the room, she does so carefully.
"I know that you're attached to your phone, Roy, but you have to trust me on this. If we're going to search off-limits areas of the museum, then making this call is crucial." Moving a step closer, she narrows her eyes in a secretive manner. "The person I'm calling is something like…um …an old friend…"
Apparently he notes her vast change in demeanor, as well as her hesitation during that final sentence, because an instant is all it takes for him to furrow his brow inquisitively. When someone speaks, however, it isn't the redhead. It is Cyborg who makes the inquiry.
"An old friend? What do you mean by that?"
Turning to face her metallic teammate, Damiana does her best to answer his question as discreetly as possible. Meanwhile, she also attempts explaining additional details to Roy.
"The person I'm talking about is someone I knew during my childhood. He was a very close friend of my older brother. They were in the…military…together. While they were serving, something happened, and my brother's squa—ah…unit was massacred."
A small frown crosses Damiana's features as she takes in her explanation. Though it wasn't her intention, massacre really is the correct term. While they were embracing on the cool tile of the museum floor, Adriel told her about the slaughter that happened during the last hours of Dabnod's existence. He called it a bloodbath. Before Dabnod exploded into fiery bits, the Tamaraneans commit mass slaughter on the Ground Badgers and many others.
Out of nowhere, Damiana finds herself wondering about Saeran's death. Did he die in the explosion, or was he tortured by Tamaraneans? Damiana feels her body shiver at the thought. She'd always assumed that he died quickly and painlessly, but what if he didn't—
Suddenly remembering that she isn't the only person standing here, and recalling that her explanation is not yet finished, the girl shifts her gaze back to her teammates. Her thoughts must have been outwardly visible, because each man stares at her in concern. She is unable to decide who appears more worried, Cyborg or Roy.
Shoving thoughts of her late older brother aside for now, as she has dwelled on Saeran far too many times before, Damiana forces a smile and continues. Of course, her smile does little to erase their concern. It is only as her words hit them that their expressions change.
"I thought that my brother's friend was killed along with the rest of his unit, but ends out that I was wrong. I ran into him our first day searching the museum. It ends out that he escaped the pla—ah…island…alive."
There is much more for her to tell them, but for some reason Damiana falls silent. The only thing she can do is eye the two men as they gape at her. The majority of her gaze rests on Roy. It doesn't surprise her in the slightest upon noticing that his astonishment outweighs Cyborg's. A second later when he appears miffed as much as awestruck, Damiana gives somewhat of a flinch.
"Hold on. This guy you're talking about, your 'brother's friend' who was born and raised in the place as you, isn't dead?! The guy is alive?!"
Flinching once more, this time less subtly, the Dabnodian girl nods in confirmation. "Yes. I have no idea how it's possible, but my brother's military buddy is still alive. Even if he did survive, I never would have imagined running into him by coincidence, but it happened somehow. Adriel is alive, he's doing well, and he lives in Metropolis." Moving away from Roy by several steps, she nibbles her lower lip reluctantly with this next confession. "To top it all off, he works at the museum we've been searching and offered to help us out if we need it. That's pretty shocking, right?"
Glancing at Roy, she sees that he looks irritated more than he does surprised at this point. Grass green eyes narrowed, he replies sounding less than pleased with her.
"You're right it's shocking! Your brother's friend that you told me about last night, against all odds, is alive! Not only that, but he lives in Metropolis and works at the museum that we've been busting our butts searching!" Unleashing a groan of frustration, he exclaims, "Is there any particular reason why you wouldn't tell us that valuable piece of information sooner?!"
Meeting his distraught gaze with a vigilant one, her response is simple. "Why would I tell you that Adriel is alive along with everything else I shared? I didn't want to overwhelm you! Plus, I didn't want Adriel helping us unless it became absolutely necessary. Until three days ago, he was dead to me. The last thing I wanted to do after reconnecting with him was ask for favors."
Only a second after she finishes, Cyborg speaks. Damiana almost forgot that he was present until now.
"You're telling me that you were an hour late to the meeting spot our first day of searching because you met a friend who you thought was dead?"
Turning to look at the man, Damiana notices not irritation in his gaze, but rather, astonishment. Unaware of his thoughts as he makes this inquiry, the girl is uncertain of how to respond. As a result, she answers with a "yes" and a nod. When Cyborg gives her a kind smile, she can't help feeling relieved.
"Well why didn't you tell me? If I would've known that you ran into your brother's army buddy, I would've made every exception in the book. He was a friend of your family, and you thought he was dead! Of course you'd want to take some time to talk to him!" He saunters across the room to rest a large hand on Damiana's shoulder. "Since he knows the situation and is willing to help, that's even better. The Titans have a new ally."
Looking up at him, Damiana returns his smile. "Thanks, Cyborg." Shifting her gaze to the redhead, her smile diminishes into something more anxious. "So…can I borrow your phone?"
Roy, while he still seems mildly irritated that she didn't inform him about Adriel before this, gives her a small smile and a nod of approval.
"Fine. Since this is crucial to our mission, you can use my phone to call this guy."
Smile broadening, she snatches the device from his grasp without hesitation. The whole time Roy makes an additional remark.
"I wish you would have mentioned it last night that he's alive though. It would have made for some interesting conversation."
"Our conversation was plenty interesting with or without mentioning Adriel. I would've told you about him at some point either way." Damiana isn't sure what possesses her, but as she ignores Roy's background of Erza Scarlet to type in Adriel's number, she gives the emerald-eyed archer a teasing wink. "You're just jealous because whenever I fell asleep somewhere as a little girl, it was Adriel holding me instead of you."
Roy gapes at her with reddening cheeks, fully prepared to defend himself. Meanwhile, Cyborg releases her shoulder and chuckles in amusement. Of course, Damiana hardly pays them any attention. She shushes each of her teammates, waiting patiently for Adriel to answer.
"Of course, Dami! I am absolutely willing to lend you, Cyborg, and Speedy a helping hand! When and where do you want me to meet the three of you?"
Adriel leans against the kitchen counter, the tile cutting into the skin of his lower back as he finishes his half-eaten apple. Damiana's voice is heard from the phone's other end speaking flawlessly in English. She introduced herself as Leila when he answered, though this didn't puzzle him in the slightest. He was informed of her human alias when she told the story of how she got involved with the Teen Titans. The name Leila doesn't contain near the beauty that Damiana does, but nevertheless, Adriel will refer to her by that name in front of her teammates.
Now that he thinks about it, perhaps he should have told her to call him by his own alias. Did he ever inform her that he goes by Adrien on Earth instead of Adriel? It probably would have been good for him to tell her that…
Meanwhile, Damiana replies to his eager words. She sounds happy as much as inquisitive.
"Thank you so much, Adriel! You have no idea how much I appreciate this! We'd like to meet at your place, if you don't mind. I remember how to get there, so it isn't a problem for us if it isn't a problem for you." Pausing momentarily, she asks, "By the way, do you work today? We're very limited on time, and Cyborg wants us to meet with you as soon as possible. Within the next couple hours, as a matter of fact."
Although she can't see him, Adriel grins. His eyes gleam the stunning color of cherry red as he responds chipperly.
"Actually, Damiana, you're in luck. I work this morning, but not at the Metropolis Museum of History and Astrology. The owner of the studio, Monique, is taking her sister to a doctor's appointment. It has something to do with prenatal vitamins... Anyway, because Monique is gone, I'm taking over her morning class. The class is from ten o'clock to twelve, so stop in around that time, and I'm guaranteed to be here. It'll have to wait until after I'm done teaching, but we'll be able to talk."
Damiana sounds uncomfortable, to say the least. To say the most would be to confess that her voice sounds pained.
"You're teaching this morning? Please tell me you're kidding…"
Again, even if he isn't seen, he shrugs nonchalantly. "Nope. I kid you not. I am teaching Monique's morning belly dancing class. I know I'm not the best belly dancer in Metropolis, but I have to say that I can do a pretty good hip shimmy and a fantastic belly roll!"
The adolescent girl can be heard sighing from the phone's other end. Unsurprisingly, this doesn't bother the ponytailed man. He tosses the core of his apple into a nearby wastebasket and walks to the other side of the kitchen to retrieve a second one. The whole time she sounds mortified.
"In that case, we'll stop by around one o'clock instead. You'll be busy with your class. We wouldn't want to intrude."
Swallowing a large bite of his second apple, Adriel gives a response that sounds almost gleeful. "Intrude? Nonsense. You're my best buddy's baby sister. You could never intrude!" Grinning, he adds, "That, and stopping by at one in the afternoon is a bad idea in general. Rachael, the single mom who lives next door, shows up on my doorstep on my days off and hits on me about that time. If she has her way, we'll be at Starbucks chatting over coffee before you can reach the studio's front door. So, I would recommend showing up around the time of my class so you can call dibs on me."
Damiana sighs once more, sounding more pained than she did previously. "You're telling me that if we show up after your class is over, you'll end up at coffee with the neighbor lady? Why can't you tell her no?!"
Adriel can't refrain from laughing in amusement. "Rachael doesn't take no for an answer, Dami, and honestly, I don't like saying no. She has a very convincing smile."
An instant is all it takes for the girl's tone to shift to disgust. "Really, Adriel? You aren't serious."
The man laughs once more. "Don't judge me. You've never seen Rachael's smile. It's dazzling! She has nice hair, too. It's very thick and shiny."
By this point, Adriel is unable to tell if Damiana is feeling awkward, disgusted, or amused by the path of their conversation. For all he knows, she is feeling each of these things. When she responds, he can almost see his best friend's younger sister rolling her eyes. A habit that, admittedly, she'd never had on Dabnod.
"Okay, fine. You win. We'll show up before one o'clock. During your class." Embarrassment overtaking her voice, she asks, "What are you going to be wearing when we show up? Some halfway decent clothes, I hope."
Pausing in the consumption of his apple, Adriel glances down at his attire. Giving another shrug, he answers with indifference.
"I'm wearing pants, if that comforts you. They're green, and they have tassels."
She releases a groan. "Are you wearing anything else?"
Taking another bite of the red-skinned fruit, he chuckles. "I'm a male belly dancer. Do I need anything else?"
"I would say yes and I would tell you to change your clothes, but then I remember that this is Adriel that I'm talking to." Her tone becoming lighter, Damiana says one final thing before hanging up. Despite her distaste at having to show up during his belly dancing class, she sounds happy at the thought of seeing him. "Cyborg, Speedy, and I will be on your doorstep in an hour or two. We'll see you then. Even if you're wearing pants with tassels, I'm sure they'll be glad to have you as an ally. Just, please, don't show us any dance moves."
Interstate 95
Meanwhile…
"Please, friend Frostbite. Do tell Robin and I what is making you feel so much anger. Perhaps we could be of assistance!"
In the backseat of the rental car is Starfire, and in the passenger seat is an uncostumed Robin. Beneath a pair of dark glasses, Robin's eyes are wide with horror. Starfire, on the other hand, eyes the enraged young man behind the wheel in concern. None of them have mentioned this aloud, but at the speed they're driving, they will be in Metropolis by either early tomorrow morning or late tonight. With the man's livid determination as a fuel source, the time they reach their destination will most likely be the latter.
False blue eyes narrowed, Saeran glances at Starfire using the rearview mirror. While doing so, he speaks to her in a seething tone.
"Starfire, don't talk to me! Just stay in your seat and shut up! There is absolutely nothing that can be of assistance to me! All I want is to get to Metropolis so I can give arrow boy a piece of my mind! If he did anything at all to Firelight, Black Shadow won't be his only enemy!"
Robin, who is normally the boldest of the Titans, appears truly frightened at the older male's behavior. When he speaks, it is with a tone that is so cautious that the uncertainty the Boy Wonder feels couldn't be any plainer.
"Uh…Frostbite? I hope you don't mind me asking this, but is there any particular reason why you hate Speedy? Or, for that matter, why you're so protective of Firelight? I'm feeling very in the dark. Like I'm missing something important."
Taking a massive gulp of the large caramel frappe that was picked up from a McDonalds drive thru, Saeran passes the car in front of them. While doing this, he responds to Robin's uncharacteristically nervous inquiry. In the midst of his response, he passes several more cars.
"Listen to me, Robin, and listen carefully. Why I'm so protective of Firelight is none of your business. My connection with her is for me to know about and nobody else, so never ask about it. As for my hatred of Speedy, that should be more than obvious. The kid is an arrogant, overconfident, playboy who shows off his hero skills for girls and can't keep his arrow in its quiver. Teenage boys like him are the bane of my existence. They make me sick! The very thought of him being near Firelight makes me physically ill; I'm nauseous just thinking about it! So, with all due respect, don't ask me any more questions on the subject. By now, I've answered all the questions that I'm willing to answer."
Eyes widening farther behind his sunglasses, Robin makes a remark. This one is far more daring than the previous.
"I understand how you feel about Speedy. I just don't understand why. You barely know him."
Taking another gulp of sugar-infused caffeine, Saeran shoots the Boy Wonder a glare.
"You're saying that now, but wait until you have a niece, or a daughter, or a sister! Saying that you trust a teenage boy you've never met to refrain from touching her will be next to impossible! Trust me. Protecting her will be like a second job."
Upon hearing Saeran's words, Starfire responds from the backseat. The Tamaranean girl sounds powerfully curious.
"For what reason are you explaining this to Robin? Is friend Firelight the close female relative that you feel it is your job to protect?"
Realizing his slipup, Saeran's posture stiffens. Robin stares at him inquisitively the entire time, his brow furrowed. Of course, even with his error, the man makes no moves toward confession. Instead, he sighs and grants Starfire a brief, irritated, retort.
"Starfire, I already told you to be quiet. My connection to Firelight isn't any of your business."
A/N: That's it for now. I know that this chapter probably seemed a bit slow, but I enjoyed writing it either way. I absolutely love writing scenes with Saeran and Adriel, and it gave me joy to include them. Not to mention, I love developing the changes in Damiana's relationship with Roy now that he knows that she is a Dabnodian. Slow chapter or not, it was fun to write! :)
Within the next couple of chapters the split story line is going to come to an end, too, and all six heroes (plus Adriel) are going to be together in Metropolis. Also, Black Shadow is going to get involved again pretty soon. So, with the way I'm planning everything at this point, this chapter is the calm before the storm.
Hopefully I will be able to post another couple chapters sometime in April. Even with as much as it happens, know that I hate keeping all of you waiting!
Until next time, everyone, and thanks for reading! :)
Forever and Always,
OCQ