Firelight Part III: Secrets: Chapter Thirty-Four, a teen titans fanfic

A/N: Hello, all! Welcome to the final chapter of Part III! The finale of Part III: Secrets is by far the longest chapter I have ever written. It took me ages, but it was completely worth it! I had a day off from my job as an amusement park pawn *cough*... I meant an amusement park "associate"...and I took 15 straight hours to write the last few blurbs. The ending is intense, so it took a good long while to create. Because of that, I hope that you all thoroughly enjoy it! :)

After an endless two years of doing customer service, I'm starting back to college to finish my Bachelor's Degree. I will be doing college and janitorial, so I'm not sure how much that will affect the production of new chapters. Either way, I will do my best to get started on Part IV: Unraveled in a timely manner.

Anyway, enough chatter out of me! Enjoy the Part III finale! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, but the Dabnodians and Black Shadow are mine.

Part III: Secrets: Chapter Thirty-Four

Damiana was expecting one of two outcomes. A dank, dungeon-like, cell where she would end up shackled to a wall. If not that, then torture followed by death. A comfortable room with carpeting, a television set, a bookshelf, and a king-sized bed is not what the girl was prepared for. Not far from the bed is a cushy loveseat, and beside that, a door leading to an attached bathroom. Her initial reaction was a raised brow. Once the shock subsided, the girl started doing what she has been doing for the past hour; attempting escape.

Using both hands along with her mouth, Damiana does her best to burn a hole through the heavy, iron, door. She has also aimed her attacks at the walls. Whether she uses her fire breath, fire blades, disks, or whips, her efforts are futile. A peculiar, white, glow appears every time, absorbing orange flames like a sponge. When the glow vanishes, ash floats to the ground. This elicits frustrated groaning as well as a pair of midnight blue irises.

"Sweet fates! This is impossible!"

Opening her mouth wide, Damiana focuses her energy on her lungs in preparation for an especially ferocious bout of fire breath. Unfortunately, the sight of a round, shadow-like, blob sliding beneath the door brings this attack to a halt. In the space of three seconds the blob grows to the size of a human man. Arms, legs, a head, and facial features form faster than her eyes can take in. The final transformation from shadow to man is the paling of his flesh from soot-colored to pasty white. Until this very moment, Damiana nearly forgot that Black Shadow really is a person and not just a shadow.

Medium height and medium build, Black Shadow's human form isn't overly large. The black jumpsuit he wears makes his average form more apparent than it might be otherwise. Nevertheless, this doesn't seem to bother Black Shadow. Arms crossed sternly over his lean chest, the man narrows beady, hazel, eyes at her.

"Will you stop with the noise? It was amusing at first, but now it's getting annoying."

Crossing her own arms, Damiana scowls. "If you let me go, there won't be any noise at all. It will be like I'm not even here."

Tilting back a head of short, coffee brown, hair, he gives a laugh of honest delight. "That's funny. Very funny. You really know how to make a good joke! I didn't go through the trouble of having my henchmen construct a power-absorbing forcefield just to let you go."

Her response is a sickly-sweet smile. "That's a good point. Since you don't want the forcefield to go to waste, why don't you stay in this room? We can trade places. You'll stay here, and I can go on my merry way."

Black Shadow smirks. The man looks as if he is truly enjoying this conversation.

"Actually, the forcefield doesn't affect me. My henchmen designed it special. And if we were to trade places, you wouldn't escape anyway. I never leave this mine. My people dig up zenotrum while I work on compiling enough of it to power one machine. Opening rifts to different time periods and different planets takes up a lot of energy, you know."

Damiana's sarcastic grin vanishes. Sensing her sudden shift in demeanor, Black Shadow's smirk grows.

"I know what you're thinking. I don't look like much, right? Live and learn, goddess. The most unassuming people are the ones you need to watch out for."

For the past hour the girl's only goal was escaping. Suddenly, her primary goal has become very secondary. Eyes shifting from midnight blue to coppery brown, she looks Black Shadow in the face. He can't be much older than Adriel or Saeran. Yet, he has the power to destroy the Teen Titans. Not only the power, but also the desire. She wants to understand why.

"The Teen Titans never did anything to you. What makes you want to destroy us?"

Black Shadow's smirk sprouts into a wicked grin. "You're wrong. The Teen Titans are doing something. You're getting in my way." Laughing darkly, he continues. "Some people are born different. We have abilities that average, every day, people don't have. If you ask me, we have a right to use our abilities. God gave a chosen few the opportunity for divine power. Anyone who would use their divine power to protect a world full of ungrateful weasels is a fool. Instead, why not be the most powerful weasel of them all?"

Her eyes immediately shift back to midnight blue. This time the color is deeper.

"The Titans are not part of a chosen few. We're people just like everyone else, and so are you." Midnight blue bores deeply into hazel. "The Teen Titans will stop you."

The villain's eyes gain a sinister sparkle. Stepping closer to Damiana, he holds onto her gaze as tightly as she holds onto his.

"I would love to make a bet on that. If I don't compile enough zenotrum, and if my machine doesn't open a rift to an ancient galaxy filled with black holes, you win. If my machine does open a rift to an ancient galaxy filled with black holes, and if your rocky friend arrives with the Teen Titans in time for me to send you all through it, then I win." Smiling in what could almost be mistaken for genuine pleasure, he exclaims, "Isn't gambling fun? After I destroy the Titans, I should try my luck in Vegas!"

The lower half of the man's body transforms back into the shapeless form of a shadow. Damiana hardly takes notice. Midnight blue eyes have suddenly become charcoal with horror.

"I'll be back in a few hours, fiery death goddess. Maybe I'll take a break from my machine and have some dinner with you. A beautiful woman's company would be nice before sending you through a black hole." Chuckling, he adds, "Unless you want to betray the Titans and join me as my Shadow Queen. In that case, I might make an exception."

Whether that offer was meant seriously or as a joke is something that Damiana doesn't get to learn. A second later the villain turns fully shadow and vanishes beneath the door. Once she is alone, Damiana doesn't try escaping. She sits down on the loveseat and stares blankly at the wall. Her biggest hope is that Adriel, Saeran, and her team are coming up with a plan. If they jump into this blind, then Black Shadow could very well win that wager.

Steel City

Titans East Tower

Meanwhile…

Raven sits on the sofa reading a novel. Saeran's beloved pet sits in her lap. Mr. Whiskers purrs with satisfaction every time the dark girl scratches him behind the ear, both of them appearing very content. A few feet away are Beast Boy and the tiny twins. Beast Boy holds one controller while Mas y Menos share the other. A bright green racecar is currently racing against a red and white racecar, the latter significantly in the lead.

"¡Ganaremos!" exclaims Mas.

Menos laughs. "¡Esta es nuestra cuarta vez que ganamos, Beast Boy!"

Although he can't understand their taunts, the green Titan growls in frustration. "Gah! How do you guys keep winning? This is our fourth rematch!"

The noise from the video games goes completely ignored. Not just by Raven and Mr. Whiskers, but also by Bumblebee and Aqualad. The two Steel City Titans sit at the kitchen table, each with a mug of hot chocolate. Oddly, neither of them has touched the sweet beverage. They stare into their mugs with a mixture of depression and worry. This especially applies to Bumblebee. So distressed is the East team's leader that her hair puffs are drooping.

"I don't understand why we're still here. Bird Boy's undercover mission in Metropolis is turning into a disaster. They need our help!"

The first to take a sip of their hot chocolate is Aqualad. This isn't so much because of the beverage itself, but more or less to give him a moment of contemplation. Licking the remaining liquid from his lips, Aqualad responds at last.

"You're right. This mission is turning into a disaster. Just don't get so impatient. Robin is going to come to his senses and call us for backup anytime now. This can't go on for much longer."

Cringing, Bee slams a fist against the table. "Don't get on me about being impatient! Robin should have asked us for help by now! First Black Shadow gets ahold of zenotrum and escapes, then it gets plastered all over the media that the Teen Titans are in Metropolis, and now Firelight and Frostbite are aliens from a planet destroyed by Tamaran. They. Need. Our. Help!"

The Atlantian reaches across the table to touch his leader's hand. It doesn't calm her down as much as he'd hoped, though it works to an extent.

"They do need our help. We can't just hop in your car and find the rest of our team, though. Robin is leading this mission. We need to wait for him to make the right call."

"Well I hope he makes it soon! You remember our last transmission with them. Speedy came dashing back into the room without Frostbite or Firelight, and they had to end the transmission because something happened. That was almost twelve hours ago. We still don't know what that was about!"

Surprisingly, it is not Aqualad who responds. Instead it is their green friend from the West team. He is still in the middle of his game with Mas y Menos. Yet, Beast Boy manages to give a piece of valuable insight.

"You dudes are putting way too much thought into this. If Robin isn't contacting us, it's because he's busy. When he gets time, he'll let us know what's going on." Shrugging, he adds, "Until we hear from Robin and the others, we need to chill. Kind of like Frostbite's cat. Whiskers is one chill dude."

Beast Boy puts down the controller to stroke the white and gray animal's back. Unfortunately, this leads to a blue-eyed scowl followed by a hiss. Turning into a cat himself, Beast Boy sniffs Mr. Whiskers and snuggles up to him in attempt to make nice. In spite of his efforts, the results are the same. Mr. Whiskers hisses prior to swiping a paw across his face. The green Titan immediately resumes human form and dashes away from the animal.

"Okay. So Mr. Whiskers isn't chill. I guess he's only chill around Raven." Frowning, he jabs, "I guess that's the kind of loyalty you get by keeping the cat's owner's secret."

Raven doesn't respond verbally. She merely glares before returning her attention to her book.

"What? You still aren't saying sorry? I can't believe you're not sorry for keeping it a secret that Frostbite's an alien from a destroyed ice planet!"

The dark girl never lifts her gaze from the book. Her response is monotone.

"Frostbite and his sister are not from an ice planet. Dabnod didn't have winter. Aside from brief periods of rain or frost, it was spring all year round on Dabnod."

Beast Boy glowers. "I'm sorry I got the weather on Frostbite's dead planet wrong. If you would've told me that he's an alien, I could've gotten it right!"

Raising her gaze, Raven glowers in return. "You are going to have to let this go at some point. I wasn't required to tell anyone that Frostbite and Firelight are from Dabnod. I didn't betray the Titans by keeping their secret. I was being loyal to friends."

With that said, she stands to her feet and exits the common room. Mr. Whiskers rushes after her, the cat leaving them behind as well. Not one of the East Titans comment. Rather, they stare at the door that Raven left through. A moment later, they switch their eyes to Beast Boy.

"What happened to being chill?" Aqualad asks bluntly.

Beast Boy doesn't reply. He picks up the controller and returns to playing his racing game. Neither Bumblebee nor Aqualad comment on it, but the green Titan has been avidly playing video games since waking up this morning. When Raven joined them in the common room, his eyes hardly left the screen. Suddenly it seems that they've found out why.

Leaning close to the Atlantian, Bumblebee whispers. "On second thought, maybe Robin is making a good decision by not contacting us. We've got our own problems."

Onyx eyes filling with uncertainty, he asks, "What about Titans East? When this mission gets over with, will Firelight still be on our team?"

A stunned expression crosses Bee's features at the inquiry. It's as if she doesn't know the answer and has no idea how to find it. Before she can verbalize any of her inner thoughts, however, exactly the thing she has been waiting for happens. The main console lights up with bold letters that spell out, "incoming message". Beast Boy's game with the twins is forced to a halt, but none of them seem to mind. Rather, they stare at the large screen wide-eyed.

The duo rushes from the kitchen to the main console with speed that could rival Kid Flash. Bumblebee has one-hundred-and-one questions running through her mind for the Boy Wonder, as does Aqualad. It is much to their astonishment that they don't get to ask those questions. Robin's face never appears on the screen. Neither do the faces of their other teammates. Instead, green words appear against a black background one letter at a time. Beast Boy and Mas y Menos merely appear confused. The East team's leader and the Atlantian, on the other hand, drink in every word zealously.

Titans:

I don't have time to explain. Just follow my instructions.

There is a tracking device embedded into each Titan communicator in case of emergencies. See if you can lock onto each of our communicators from the Tower. You should be able to lock onto Cyborg, Starfire, Speedy, and me. You might not be able to track Firelight, but try locking onto her anyway. We need her location the most.

DO NOT lock onto Frostbite. That is an order. Don't lock onto Frostbite and don't let him know about my instructions. They need to be kept secret.

When you get a lock on Cyborg, Starfire, Speedy, and me, send a brief message of confirmation. If you're able to locate Firelight, send me her exact coordinates. If her coordinates change, tell me. Do everything in your power to lock onto Firelight's communicator.

Once you have us, track us. Someone needs to watch us at all times. Log our past and present locations. Put together a map. If we send out an SOS, you're going to need it.

I'll tell you more later. We're counting on you.

Robin

The cursor, which had previously been blinking, disappears completely. This is all Bumblebee and Aqualad need to let them know that Robin left. Whether or not the Boy Wonder is gone, however, his message remains. They read it multiple times. Once Bee prints it out on paper, they read it several more times. As they hover over the printout, the woman is the first to speak.

"I was hoping that Robin would contact us, but not like this. Whatever is going on, it sounds like they're in deeper trouble than they were yesterday."

Aqualad's reaction is taking several large steps in the main console's direction. The Atlantian is already in the process of entering the necessary information to login to the Titan database.

"Whatever theories we have, we'll have to share later. We need to get to work."

Metropolis

Monique's Belly Dancing Palace

The four heroes gather around a miniaturized version of a Titan supercomputer, staring at the blank screen intently. Each of them hopes desperately that their friends in the East Tower got Robin's message. Speedy is dressed in his full maroon and yellow uniform, bow in hand and mask in place. Starfire and Robin also exchanged their civilian clothes for uniforms, the two looking as determined as ever to rescue their teammate. As for Cyborg, his holographic rings are nowhere in sight. Apparently he won't need to appear fully flesh for this mission.

As they wait apprehensively for a response, Speedy is the one who speaks.

"I hope they answer us in the next two minutes. I don't want to leave without knowing if they found Damiana."

"Why did we not do the usual transmission so that we can see our friends' faces? It would be far easier to explain, in-depth, our current situation."

Masked eyes never leaving the screen, Robin replies candidly. "I don't want Frostbite or Adriel to hear us talking to them. They can't know about the other Titans' involvement. It could throw off our entire rescue." He adds with slight hesitation, "If worst comes to worst and we have to send out a distress signal, we'll need them for a surprise attack."

Speedy raises an unseen brow beneath his own mask. "Shouldn't we let them know exactly what we're up against if they might come as backup? I don't feel right leaving them in the dark like this."

"If we tell them everything, they're going to rush over here to help. We need them in Steel City right now. If we're able to get into the base, rescue Firelight, and escape like we're planning, the map they're putting together will be very useful for when we plan a large-scale attack."

Cyborg fixes Robin with a skeptical, one-eyed, stare. "I really hope you know what you're doing, Rob. If something happens to us, there won't be a pleasant way out."

The Boy Wonder doesn't respond. Neither do the others. Instead, they return to staring at the screen. Another minute passes, and at long last, the words "incoming message" appear. Exactly like the message that was sent, they respond with typed text. The single part of their response that Speedy was waiting for is the part that makes his heart sink.

Robin:

We found your communicator and locked onto it. We were also able to lock onto Speedy, Starfire, and Sparky. We didn't try locking onto Frostbite, and I promise we won't.

You were right. We can't find Firelight's signal. Is she okay? We hope nothing happened to her.

Raven is working on logging and mapping out your locations. Aqualad is trying to find Firelight. We won't give up on locating her signal. Did you find Black Shadow's base? Are you working on a lead? What's going on? You need to tell us!

If one of the Titans sends out an SOS, we'll be there. You haven't been very specific about what you're doing, so we'll make sure to be prepared for anything. Good luck to all of you. We'll do whatever we can to help from our end. Hope to hear from you soon.

Bumblebee

They remain silent for a lengthy period, each of them reading the message thoroughly. When Speedy speaks, it is with frustration.

"They can't find her. Isn't that dandy? Her signal is completely gone! How are we going to find her without pinpointing her location?"

"Simple. We're going to sneak inside Black Shadow's base and look for her," says Robin. "I'm sure he has an entire space filled with bars and cells. She shouldn't be too hard to find."

"And it's not like they're giving up. Bee said that they're still trying to find her. Who knows? They could send us Firelight's coordinates when we least expect it," adds Cyborg.

Toying nervously with his bow, Speedy sighs. "For Damiana's sake, I hope you're right." Clenching the weapon tightly in his fist, the archer stands to his full height and faces the door. "It's no use standing around here anymore. Let's go. Adriel and Frostbite are waiting for us."

"I'm so happy that I finally have someone to share my cooking with! I cook the best apricot-glazed chicken you'll ever eat! I also made a scrumptious side salad and a delightful blueberry pie. I went all out tonight! Not enough people appreciate my culinary talent."

Apparently Black Shadow wasn't joking about eating dinner with her. When he emerged from the center of the floor to reveal a table when he transformed into flesh, Damiana's response was astonished gaping. He faded back into shadow form only to return an instant later, this time with two folded up chairs. His final trip was vanishing to fetch plates, cutlery, and of course the meal.

Much to Black Shadow's displeasure, Damiana hasn't eaten a single bite of the food he prepared. She merely stares at it, stares at him, and then looks back down at the chicken. This causes the man to roll his beady eyes in irritation.

"What's the matter? Don't you like chicken, or is it the apricot glaze? I could have ordered pizza, but I thought it would be more chivalrous to cook something."

Damiana narrows her eyes. "Right. Kidnapping a woman and feeding her dinner is very gentlemanly. I can tell that you've watched Beauty and the Beast."

Much to the girl's surprise, Black Shadow seems genuinely offended.

"Don't act so superior. You stepped foot on my turf, so taking you captive was fair. And I didn't just throw you into a shabby little cell; those are for the male Titans. The room I gave you is deluxe, and so is this dinner!"

She doesn't reply. Her only reaction is stabbing the chicken breast with her fork, lifting it up, and observing it. The expression on Damiana's face reveals nothing but caution. It takes a long minute, but eventually Black Shadow puts two and two together. Laughing, he stands up and rounds the table.

"Oh. I see. You're afraid that I tampered with it."

Moving so that he is directly beside her, he forces Damiana to return the chicken to the plate prior to cutting it into pieces. Once it is cut up, he eats a chunk nonchalantly. The girl doesn't speak. She merely watches, admittedly wondering if any type of hidden substance will take effect. Black Shadow reads these thoughts as if they are written out.

"See? The food is fine. The salad and pie are in the same state. Healthy and not poisoned."

She glowers. "Poison isn't the only thing I'm afraid of."

For a second Black Shadow gawks, both coffee brown brows raised in shock. A second later he laughs in what seems like pure amusement.

"You overestimate me, goddess. Thievery and world domination plots were my charges when I went to prison. My only charges." Stepping behind her, he grasps a lock of hair and twists it around an index finger. When Black Shadow continues, his words are whispered seductively. "Nothing is more attractive than a consensual woman."

Color-changing eyes shifting to a strong shade of midnight blue, Damiana elbows him viciously in the ribs. Apparently he didn't expect that, because the villain cries out in pain while stumbling backwards. As he circles back around the table, hazel eyes are filled with disappointment.

"I take it today isn't my lucky day?"

Damiana's scowl never lets up. "As far as I'm concerned, that day is never coming."

Laughing once more, Black Shadow shrugs. "Oh well. That doesn't matter. I'm not after that, anyway. Destroying the Teen Titans, the Justice League, and taking over the world is what I'm after. It would be nice to find my Shadow Queen in the process, too. Every strong man has a strong woman."

Her scowl vanishes for a surprised expression. "I thought you were kidding about the whole 'Shadow Queen' thing."

He smirks. "You thought I was kidding about dinner, too. Was I?"

She sighs in frustration. "No. I guess you weren't."

"Don't look so upset, fiery death goddess. If you agree to becoming my Shadow Queen, I promise that you'll like it. You won't have to stay locked in this room forever. We can travel to Italy, Paris, you name it! I can take you out shopping and site seeing! Wouldn't that be nice?"

Damiana doesn't answer. Rather, her scowl comes back.

"Not too excited about it, huh? That's okay. I'm sure you'll warm up to the idea. Being my Shadow Queen would be far better than being thrown into a black hole. Being alone all the time with only my henchmen to keep me company can get very lonely, so you being my queen would be a win-win situation. An evil overlord can't exactly bond with his henchmen, you know?"

She doesn't remember when, but at some point, Damiana gives in and eats the chicken. Black Shadow takes so long monologuing about dynamics of his 'Shadow Queen' that the girl figures she may as well eat. Anything to make the time pass more quickly.

Speedy might be the first to descend the stairs to the kitchen, but it isn't because he wants to. The only reason he goes first is determination. The archer's quiver is so laden with arrows that it would make the average person's back break. He doesn't care, though. Speedy keeps his back straight and his bow gripped firmly. If Adriel plans on double crossing them, then the Titans won't go down without a fight. Whatever the shifty belly dancer's game is, two can play it.

Once the small group arrives, they don't move. The Titans and the Dabnodians merely stare at each other. Surprisingly, Saeran had the same thought as the young heroes. He is clad in his full, icy blue, Frostbite uniform. The icy blue tights with sapphire stripes running up the sides, along with the form-fitting, short-sleeved, shirt bearing a sapphire "F". The crisscrossing sets of dual canteens are also there. All that is missing is Frostbite's mask. When Speedy looks for it, he discovers a splotch of fabric peeking over the edge of a garbage can beside the fridge. He doesn't comment on the sight. Neither does anyone else. Instead, Saeran and Adriel stand up from the kitchen table. Saeran's expression is as troubled and desperate as it was earlier. Adriel's face remains a blank slate.

Pulling a thick, brown-red, ponytail over his shoulder, the belly dancer regards them all with an intent, cherry, gaze. This includes the unmasked Frostbite as much as the Titans.

"Are we ready to travel? If anyone has questions or loose ends to tie up, I want to do it before we leave."

Robin doesn't even hesitate for thought. An immediate question spews from the Boy Wonder's mouth.

"How are we getting to the mine? I hope you don't plan on using the same route that you took with Frostbite and Firelight. If you do, Black Shadow will have us before we can put up a fight."

Adriel answers as quickly as Robin asked.

"Don't worry. We're not using the beach this time. We don't even have to exit the studio. I'm taking you to the studio's basement, and we'll travel to the sewers from there. From the sewers, I should be able to use my rock-moving abilities to create a path to the mine. If you compare any modern map to an old one, you'll see that the sewers and the 1760's mines run side-by-side."

Robin narrows his eyes beneath his mask. Speedy can sense it.

"We're lucky we have you. You seem to have a lot of useful knowledge about the mines."

The belly dancer shrugs his shoulders. "I have useful knowledge about a lot of things." With that said, he walks in the direction of studio part of the building. "If no one has any more questions, we should get going. It's going to be a long walk."

When Adriel exits the kitchen completely, Speedy is the first to follow. On the far side of the room, in a corner beside the broken mirrors, is an unassuming door that he originally assumed lead to a closet. The instant the knob is turned and the door shoved aside, however, it is revealed to contain a set of creaking stairs. Adriel makes his way down them without hesitation. As a result, so do Speedy and the others.

At some point the archer ends up walking beside Saeran. The Dabnodian man's hair is blacker than this dark basement, as are his charcoal eyes. Uncertain of how to react to his palpable despair, Speedy does his best to offer a comforting smile. Saeran's single reaction is a glowering frown. Speedy frowns as well, though it isn't in anger. Rather, his expression appears disappointed.

A few seconds later, Adriel comes to an abrupt halt. There is brief rumbling followed by fierce shaking. It has the intensity of a small-scale earthquake. Luckily, it lasts no longer than thirty seconds. By time the shaking calms, the belly dancer is holding a flashlight. The beam reveals a large, gaping hole that leads straight into the ground. Truth be told, it looks intimidating; very intimidating. Yet, the archer doesn't hesitate to move a step closer.

"I hope none of you are claustrophobic. Until we reach the sewer, it's going to be a tight squeeze. I can't create excessively wide tunnels without overexerting myself."

"We're the Teen Titans," Speedy retorts harshly. "Our team has put up with a lot worse than tight spaces."

Adriel smiles in a manner that seems not quite genuine. "Of course you have. I was just making sure. I wouldn't be too gracious a guide if I didn't ask those sorts of questions."

"If you hadn't gotten my sister kidnapped, you wouldn't have to be our guide at all."

Saeran's tone is frostier than the icy prison he'd trapped Speedy in the day previous. Even in the flashlight's dim glow, it can be seen exactly how bitter charcoal-colored eyes are. Adriel's insincere smile instantly morphs into an incredibly sincere pout.

"Enough talking. We're all comfortable with the width of my tunnels, so we should get moving."

Adriel vanishes inside the hole he created without another word. Saeran goes in after him. At first Speedy thinks that he is muttering incoherently, but after several seconds of engrossed listening, he realizes that the water user is speaking in enraged Dabnodian.

"Naxdath. Nar nak riatheis. Nax zaetan taixxan!"

The next to enter the hole is Speedy, the rest close behind him. One thing that surprises the archer in every situation is irony. Two Dabnodians and a Tamaranean princess are occupying a single, enclosed, space. Somehow, Starfire goes completely ignored as if she is human. Every ounce of their focus is on each other. They bicker back and forth in their alien language, Saeran shouting and Adriel remaining calm.

Even as they're on their way to potential doom, Speedy wishes that he could understand Dabnodian. He would love to be able to back Saeran up.

The longer Damiana is trapped in this luxurious room, the more she wishes that Black Shadow would have thrown her into a cell. Being shackled to a wall might not be so bad. She would merely have to hang there for a few hours or days until help comes. Not to mention, if help doesn't arrive, a cell would be much easier to escape from. Iron shackles and thin, metal, bars are no barrier for the flames of a Fire Phoenix prodigy. Unfortunately, the steel door of her room along with its forcefield provide a formidable challenge. Even more formidable is Black Shadow himself, who hasn't left her room in several hours.

Henchmen adorned by black and royal blue bodysuits, as well as full blue masks, entered the room practically out of thin air. They cleared the table, chairs, and plates in the space of ten seconds, vanishing as quickly as they appeared. In truth, Damiana is upset that they left so quickly. Once they departed, it left her alone with Black Shadow on the loveseat. Damiana is still stuck here. Alone with Black Shadow. On the loveseat.

This has truly been the strangest day in her sixteen years of living. It only continues to get stranger.

"Fluttershy needs to stop being so harsh on Zephyr Breeze! What exactly does she do for a living? Taking care of Equestria's fluffy animals isn't a paid position!"

Damiana sits as far away from Black Shadow as she possibly can without moving onto the couch arm. She does her best to act enthralled by the show that is playing on the television screen, hoping that he won't touch her because she is occupied. Sadly, this has proven not to be the case. He has reached for her on multiple occasions. Three times the criminal tried putting an arm around her, and another time he tried getting the girl to rest her head on his shoulder. Each time the girl focused her energy on her shoulders, head, and upper back. Black Shadow ended up with minor burns before he could do so much as hope.

He sits directly beside Damiana at the moment, but does not reach for her. Instead the criminal gives a genuine grin that reaches his eyes.

"You think that, too? That makes me so happy! I've always had the opinion that Fluttershy is a bum! Applejack works hard on her farm and Rarity built her fashion empire from the ground up! Why should Fluttershy be allowed to laze around with her pets all day?"

As much as she tries to engross herself in the show, the girl is unable to compete with Black Shadow's enthusiasm. He has every available season on DVD. Damiana is surprised to say the least.

"We have so much in common! You like my cooking, I like my cooking. You like ponies, I like ponies. I'm going to be needed elsewhere pretty soon, but I'll have to come back later. We can keep getting to know each other. Isn't this fun?"

"Yeah. About as fun as amputating my own foot," is what Damiana would love to say. Instead, she replies with a forced smile.

"Sure. I never thought being your captive would be so…uh…interesting."

Reading her expression like an open book, Black Shadow gives a knowing smirk. "You hate me. I know you do. A fire user doesn't raise their skin temperature and burn my arm on accident."

Damiana returns his smirk boldly. "Don't get upset. I was being nice. I could've burned your entire arm to ashes."

Eyes glowing with amusement, the criminal laughs. "Then how did I capture you so easily, and why haven't you escaped?"

The girl doesn't answer; she grimaces in irritation. All of a sudden, Damiana feels truly pathetic.

Apparently Black Shadow finds this amusing, because his laughter continues. "I hit a mark with that one, didn't I? Don't get any ideas, though. If you do escape, I'll just recapture you. And when I do recapture you, I won't be nearly as friendly."

Before Damiana can process what's happening, the criminal grasps her hand with long, slender, fingers. Bringing it to his mouth, Black Shadow gives the back of it a kiss. Hazel eyes lock onto Damiana's neon green irises. Once the short, gentle, kiss ends, he immediately dissolves into a shadow only to reappear in front of the door fully human.

"I knew it. You wouldn't dare burn a man's face no matter how close it gets. That's far too cruel, even for a fiery death goddess." Smirk growing, he adds, "Read a book. Keep watching my DVD collection. Do whatever you please to entertain yourself. I'll be back in a few hours."

With that said, the criminal transforms back into a shadow faster than anyone's eyesight could process. He vanishes beneath the door equally fast, leaving Damiana alone at long last. Where he went, the girl isn't certain. She can only assume that he left to check in with his henchmen, or perhaps he plans on doing more work on his machine. Wherever Black Shadow disappeared to, it doesn't truly matter. All Damiana cares about is that Black Shadow is gone. At least for now.

Taking a deep breath of relief, Damiana stretches out on the loveseat. She runs an exhausted hand across her face while speaking internally.

"You can't stay here, Damiana. If you do, Black Shadow will have you brainwashed with Stockholm Syndrome by the end of the week." Sighing, she whispers aloud, "There has to be a way out of here."

Meanwhile…

When Adriel said it would be a long walk, the belly dancer wasn't exaggerating. Hiking through endless webs of narrow tunnels had a bigger effect on Speedy than he originally thought. In spite of his earlier remark, claustrophobia began setting in after one short hour. It is for this reason that spending nearly three hours in the pitch-black underground like a mole person was practically unbearable. Adriel's flashlight hardly helped; especially when the bulb burned out. Starfire tried lighting their path using the green glow of unfired starbolts, but this didn't help much either. In the end, the darkness was close to impenetrable.

Bee sent an additional message to each Titan communicator approximately two hours into their hike. The message's content only added to the archer's frustration.

Titans:

Your trackers say that you're 500 feet beneath the Earth's surface! What's going on? When you have time, you'd better fill us in. We're getting worried.

Aqualad and I have been working together. Still no luck locating Firelight. We'll keep trying.

Stay safe and watch each other's backs.

Bumblebee

Once they'd read the message, Speedy glanced at each of his teammates. Their expressions were all downcast aside from Robin. Above all else, the Boy Wonder appeared aggravated. Speedy knew the exact reason for their reactions, because it was the same reason for his own. There was still no sign of Firelight. Not in person, and not on the East Tower's locater.

That was four hours ago, though. Since hearing from Bumblebee, the group exited Adriel's mole-like tunnels for the open tunnels of Metropolis' sewers. Put simply, it wasn't much better. They were forced to wade through unidentifiable brown sludge, soupy green muck, and murky water. No matter what substance it was, all of it smelled excruciatingly foul. When there was a fairly clean spot without anything to wade through, there remained the dilemma of leaping over vermin and debris. By the time Adriel was forced to resume creating tunnels, Speedy almost looked forward to the unending darkness.

He didn't complain, though. They have been walking through the belly dancer's second web of tunnels for more than an hour, and the archer still isn't complaining. He was brainwashed and came close to being dissected by Brother Blood. The Brotherhood of Evil kidnapped and flash-froze him. Speedy went through agonizing heroin withdrawals in rehabilitation a few years ago. Before that, he spent some time homeless. The archer has experienced far worse than dark tunnels and sewage. If it means finding Damiana, Speedy would spend a year inside these tunnels.

Because of his internal pep-talking, a lot of things go unnoticed. Starfire and Robin whispering to each other. Cyborg whistling a spontaneous tune. Saeran glowering at Adriel. Adriel ignoring Saeran so that he can focus on where he is guiding them. One thing that doesn't go unnoticed, however, are the silent vibrations of the redhead's communicator. When he digs the device out of his pocket, emerald eyes widen beneath the mask.

Titans:

We've got a lock on Firelight. Aqualad found a way to reset her communicator from the Tower. We're sending you her coordinates.

Good luck.

Bumblebee

Speedy isn't the only one to see the message. All four Titans stop in their tracks as they gaze down at their communicators. The smiles they wear are unmistakable. The instant Damiana's coordinates appear, their grins increase tenfold.

Their lost teammate is close. Very close.

"Why is everyone stopping? Are you getting cold feet?"

Adriel stares the teens down with inquisitive cherry eyes. More than anything, the belly dancing Dabnodian appears confused.

Robin immediately quenches his curiosity. "No. We were just making sure that our weapons and communicators are working properly. There's no such thing as being too careful."

Adriel's response is a nod of agreement. "If that's the case, then you have good timing. We're only ten minutes away from the mine. We'll have to stay on our toes."

Damiana hasn't been watching Black Shadow's DVD collection. She hasn't read any of the books on his shelf or flipped through channels to see what cable has to offer. The girl hasn't done anything at all to entertain herself. All that matters is finding some means of escape.

Unlike earlier this afternoon, she doesn't relentlessly spout fire at the door. Launching desperate attack after desperate attack at the same impenetrable spot is something that the girl finally realizes is useless. It is for this reason that Damiana is taking a much quieter method. Rather than attacking the door forcefully, Damiana shoots deliberate streams of fire at select places on each wall. Fire doesn't spurt from her fingers rapidly. Instead she keeps a firm, cautious, grip on the amount of heart energy she allows to flow to her hands. A slow, steady, soundless, stream of flames is the result.

Exactly as was suspected, the forcefield around the door is strong. Near the top, bottom, as well as in the middle, the white glow is able to keep up with her silent inferno. A pile of ash builds up in front of gleaming steel, the flames subdued the moment they make contact. After what feels like several minutes, Damiana moves over by three feet. Her flames are now focused on the wall. Exactly like the exit, the forcefield does it's job no matter what area she hits. The top, bottom, and center of the wall are protected by the same impermeable glow. When the luminescence shows not the slightest hint of weakness, the girl shifts to the next section of wall to repeat the process.

The entire outside wall is revealed to be highly secure. After multiple hours of work, so are both inner walls. In a fit of frustration, Damiana exhales a short, fiery, burst at the high ceiling. Before it has a chance to activate the forcefield, it dissipates.

"This is ridiculous," grumbles the girl in Dabnodian. "It shouldn't matter if my cell is physical or electrical. Every cage has a weak spot!"

Running exasperated fingers through thick curls, Damiana drudges to the loveseat to lay down in defeat. When she touches her scalp, her fingers still feel hot. This doesn't matter, though. She continues tugging at her hair anyway.

"There has to be some way out of here!"

For the longest time, Damiana lays there. Eventually she picks up the remote to play the next episode of the cartoon that is currently in the DVD player. When a musical number begins, she picks up the remote again to press the fast-forward button. It is only while the girl's mind is zoned out and the room is quiet that she hears it. A dripping faucet. Damiana ignores the sound at first and presses play once the song is past, mindlessly watching as the colorful ponies solve the minor problem that this episode encompasses. It is only as the dripping persists, however, that she stops ignoring it. She doesn't bother pausing the cartoon. Damiana stands up and makes her way to the attached bathroom.

Until now, Damiana had honestly forgotten that she has an attached bathroom.

Shoving open the wooden door, she observes the bathroom for the first time since her capture. Like the rest of the space Black Shadow has granted her, the bathroom is nothing to complain about. The large space is fully covered by silver and black tiles. A stall for showering is placed neatly in the corner, and in the corner beside that is a toilet. A black granite sink is arranged beside the toilet in a decorative fashion, leaving plenty of room for a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom's center. Noting that the shower stall is far too spacious for a single person, and making this same note about the jacuzzi, the alien girl shudders. Realizing that her bed in the main room is king-sized rather than twin-sized brings forth an additional shudder.

Sauntering across the room, Damiana shuts off the dripping sink with a single twist of the handle. The entire time she doesn't move an inch. Damiana stands in place, observing the room that she'd forgotten about. Only one thought permeates her mind: should she try it? Mind running on autopilot, Damiana balances her heart energies with caution while routing it to her fingertips. Every wall she has tried has been thoroughly protected by the forcefield, so she doubts this room will be any different. Yet, the girl does it anyway. She aims a slow, steady, stream of fire at the backmost wall between the shower and the toilet.

For a lengthy minute all Damiana sees is that the forcefield turns her fire to ash as it connects with the florescent barrier. Another minute passes, however, and she realizes something. The forcefield definitely does its job, but ash doesn't form a rapid pile the same way it does near the frontmost wall. Soot floats down lethargically, leaving the equivalent of a layer of dust. Brow arching curiously, Damiana increases the flow of heart energy tenfold. The forcefield continues doing what it is supposed to. It simply functions slowly. Far more slowly than in the main room, at any rate.

A smile forming, the girl unleashes a stream of fire from her other hand to accompany the first. It is her greatest hope that the white glow will slow farther. Taking time to alternate between streams, fire blades, and the intensified heat of her fire breath, it finally happens. The luminescent glow no longer converts her fire into ash. When flames meet the barrier, the sizzle of smoke is seen instead. Her smile widens. Perhaps taking so much time to attack the stronger areas of the forcefield wasn't wasted effort. As her father and the Fire Phoenix elders always said, many small attacks can have the same affect as a single large attack.

Focusing on her lungs, and raising the necessary energies far higher than normal, Damiana exhales a firestorm that could char a medieval dragon. The result causes her to give an internal chant of victory. A blue, electrical, pulse overtakes the glowing barrier, causing it to flicker. It flickers in and out of existence with each bout of fire breath. With the first round of her fire breath, the forcefield goes down for half a second. The second time it collapses for an entire second. By the time her lungs recover enough for a third round, the forcefield goes down for a full two seconds.

The amount of progress being made causes Damiana to smile. Yet, she can't help feeling frustrated. The Fire Phoenix prodigy is throwing every ounce of firepower she has at the barrier, and it still won't collapse long enough to do any good.

It almost frustrates Damiana enough to pull a Master's level technique out of her arsenal.

The thought immediately causes her to falter. Backing away from the wall, which is blackened beyond recognition, the girl leans against the outside of an intact shower stall. Should she go as high as Master's level for a means of escape? The simplest technique she can think of, her fire barrier, would cause the forcefield to collapse before Black Shadow could pray to the Fates. She is more than certain that it would bring down the bathroom wall in the process. True, when she used it back in Steel City it merely trapped Black Shadow's minions in that abandon building while she escaped. Of course, Damiana had been holding back. If she used a fire barrier without holding back, who knows what it could do?

Nibbling her lower lip, the Dabnodian girl reaches a hand toward her hair. She already took out her contact lenses because she had no need for them with Saeran and Adriel. A Master's level technique will burn off her hair dye, too. Apprehension overwhelming her at the thought, Damiana considers using her lightning instead. Until she remembers how she passed out the last time she used it. Her lightning took down Black Shadow's robots, but Speedy also had to carry her back to Titans Tower… Having her hair dye remain intact would certainly be a benefit, but not at the cost of passing out inside Black Shadow's hideout.

Damiana loiters in place, lost in a web of thoughts. She would have been trapped in this web for an infinite amount of time. The only thing that brings her out of it is an echoing ping, along with the feel of vibrations coming from her sweatshirt pocket. Until this very moment, she hadn't realized that anything had been inside her pocket. The girl can't help scoffing at herself. First the bathroom, and now her pocket. Oblivion must be a side affect of kidnapping.

Reaching a small, pale, hand inside of her sweatshirt, Damiana pulls out something that she thought for certain got left behind. Her black and yellow Titan communicator. Lighting up the screen, to the girl's relief as much as her surprise, are green words against a black background. Both of her hearts are warmed by the message.

Firelight:

We've got a lock on your location. Your coordinates have been sent to the rest of the Titans. Robin, Speedy, Cyborg, and Starfire are getting close. They should be coming to your rescue any time.

By the way, you're 700 feet beneath the Earth's surface. Where are you at?! Are you okay? We're worried.

The Steel City side of this operation is helping the best we can. Stay safe. We hope to see you soon.

Bumblebee

Damiana reads Bumblebee's message twice, eyes abruptly transforming to a blinding shade of lime green. The Titans went as far tracing her communicator to find her? She had no idea that they would care so much; not about an alien. Then again, she never thought Speedy would care either. The Titans are full of surprises.

A fresh wave of determination striking, Damiana examines the charred, backmost, wall of the lavish bathroom. Golden brown curls dance in her peripheral vision, as if asking for confirmation. When she steps in the wall's direction, this is all the confirmation they need. Tucking the thick strands behind both ears, the girl forces her heart energy to the palms of her hands. She focuses intently on the floor in front of the wall, making calculations as well as perfecting her aim. It is only when she is one-hundred percent certain of herself that the girl finally does it. Taking one last glance at her golden-brown curls, along with a large gulp, Damiana places both palms against the tile.

Her heart energy levels raise so high that her veins tingle, every drop exiting through her hands. A single instant is what it takes for the entire back wall to transform into a roaring inferno. Orange and gold bathe the room in a petrifying light. This fiery glow comes not only from the wall, but also from Damiana. Color-changing eyes are consumed by amber. As for her thick locks, they look as though they've been set aflame by Hades. Accompanying the roar of flames is violent and erratic electrical pulsing. The forcefield does it's best to remain intact, but this doesn't last longer than five seconds. The white barrier twitches twice, and with the final zap of short-circuiting electric currents, it vanishes.

Even as the forcefield shuts down, the inferno doesn't stop. Damiana pumps as much heart energy as she can produce into the technique. Mild tingling starts to become extreme tingling, and extreme tingling turns into numbness. This doesn't stop the Dabnodian girl, of course. She watches as tile disintegrates and as rock crumbles away, leaving behind a gaping hole. It is only when the hole starts forming that she stands up to allow her energies to return to normal levels. As the flames fade from her hair and bright amber from her eyes, the mass of flames she'd created continues burning. A full five minutes is what it takes for her creation to dissipate. When it does, a gap large enough to accommodate a full-height Cyborg is what is left.

Allowing herself a grin of victory, Damiana strides through the newly formed exit. Instead of ending up in a dungeon or a chamber filled with evil robots, the room beside her gilded cage is nothing more than a broom closet. Moving mop buckets and various liquid cleaners out of the way, the girl shoves open the door and finds herself in a dark hallway. She lights a small flame in her hand to find that it is completely empty. No Black Shadow. No henchmen. No evil robots.

Releasing a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Damiana leaves the closet completely. If what Bumblebee said is true and if the Titans are coming to her rescue, it's no use staying put. She needs to find them as soon as possible. The sooner they reunite, the sooner they can escape the danger that this unassuming mine has become.

To Speedy, Black Shadow's hideout looks like the secret hideout of any other criminal. The hallways are dark and mysterious. It was built in a hard-to-reach location that is nearly impossible to guess in the first place. Not to mention, every hallway is completely identical, making navigation more than a tad problematic. Whatever secret hideout handbook these criminals use, Speedy wants a copy to make sure that this particular lair meets all the criteria. If it doesn't, maybe he can do a hideout inspection and shut it down.

Smirking, it occurs to the archer that Damiana could have done something scornful like that already. No doubt she would never stay captured without a fight.

Before he can ponder the thought a moment longer, however, something changes in their drab surroundings. The group reaches the end of this corridor. Rather than making a direct left or a direct right to form a single hallway, it forks into three different directions. On the left is a hallway going in one direction, on the right is another, and there is also this same corridor which continues straight ahead.

For what seems like eternity, nobody says or does anything. They loiter, wondering what to do from here.

"Which direction shall we continue in?" Starfire inquires at long last.

"I say we take a left," suggests Saeran. "You can never go wrong with left."

Speedy says nothing. His only focus is on the furrow of Robin's brow. The Boy Wonder doesn't have to speak. He already knows the exact words that will come from his mouth. When Robin locks his jaw in the form of a deep frown, Speedy knows that this assumption is correct.

"This might sound crazy, but I think that we should split up. Our goal is finding Firelight. We don't know which hallway leads to her. When one of us finds her, we can contact the others."

The archer sighs internally. Coordinates or not, he makes a fair point. They have Firelight's location, but there is still no telling which hallway will lead them to her. Even if they're sneaking around Black Shadow's lair and could potentially face him in combat, splitting up might be the best way to find their teammate. It must be better than staying in a single group, reaching a dead end, and backtracking multiple times.

Sighing again, this time externally, Speedy supports the Boy Wonder. "I second that. It might not be a good idea combat-wise, but in our situation, there's no such thing as a good idea. If splitting up will help us find her faster, then I say we go for it."

His only reply is a nod. "I'll go with Starfire. The two of us can take the middle path. Cyborg and Speedy, you go left. Adriel and Frostbite can go right."

Furrowing his concealed red brows, he is about to speak out against their assigned teams. Surprisingly, before Speedy can utter a word, Saeran is already contesting.

"I don't mean to disrespect your leadership skills, but I'm not going with Adriel. If I do, I might accidentally kill him." Narrowing midnight blue eyes at the Ground Badger, he adds, "Or purposely. If he ends up dead, we might never know."

"Alright," says Robin. "If that's the case, who would you rather go with? You aren't going with Starfire, and neither is Adriel. I thought I would make that clear."

The Dabnodian man rolls his eyes frostily. "You have no reason to worry about that. I have no intention of being alone in a dark, underground, corridor with a Troq." Midnight blue irises land on the metal man, the color lightening to honey brown. "Send me with Cyborg. He is the only person here who I don't wholly despise."

All three Titans exchange glances with Cyborg. He appears taken aback to say the least.

"Gee. Thanks, I guess…"

"Are you okay with that, Cy? Going with Frostbite instead of Speedy?"

He shrugs. "Sure. As long as we find Firelight, I'm fine with anything."

With that said, Saeran moves toward the left hallway while motioning for Cyborg to follow. The metal man goes without hesitation. That leaves Robin standing in front of the middle hallway beside Starfire, the duo staring at the only remaining two with concern. Robin doesn't make any attempt to conceal his anxiety. Frowning deeply, he makes an inquiry while staring at Adriel.

"Speedy, do you want to go with Starfire or Adriel? The choice is yours."

The redhead answers after only a second of consideration. He, too, stares at the rock-user.

"You go with Starfire. I'll take the hallway on the right with Adriel. If we find Firelight, I'll contact the rest of you."

The sensation is impossible for Adriel to miss. It is practically smothering. Mistrust is rarely easy to conceal, and in this moment, Speedy doesn't attempt hiding it at all. It is reflected in the set of his shoulders, the tightness of his jaw, and the occasional clenching of fists. This should unsettle Adriel, but it doesn't. The Dabnodian continues walking as if the archer shows no disdain whatsoever. This, in turn, causes Speedy to feel unsettled.

Nevertheless, this doesn't stop him from lashing out. Before a full two minutes can pass, Speedy speaks. His words are sharp and leak venom.

"Damiana better be alright when we find her. If she's hurt because of you, Saeran won't be the only person wanting revenge."

The Ground Badger smiles. Speedy glowers.

"The ironies of life never cease to amaze me. You hated my childhood friend yesterday, and today you're on his side. The next time we see each other, I bet you'll be on my side."

"This isn't about picking sides. This is about you. Damiana got captured by an insane criminal and could be going through who knows what kind of torture, and it's all because she trusted the wrong person!" Beneath the mask, emerald orbs contort into a glare. "I don't know why you would sell out one of your own kind; let alone a family friend. Whatever the reason is, I know it can't be good!"

It is here that the Ground Badger's smile vanishes. In its place is a mournful frown.

"Roy, you have every reason not to trust me. My actions until now have been questionable. In your position, I wouldn't trust me either. Just know that I have a reason for everything I'm doing." He pauses to look the archer in the eye. "I told you to be a pillar for Damiana. The pain she's about to experience is something that she can't survive alone. This might be confusing, but it's very necessary. This isn't about whether you can trust me. You're wrong about that. This is bigger than you could ever imagine."

Speedy's reaction is an odd mixture of anger and bewilderment. "You got Damiana captured by Black Shadow and dragged the Titans down here, and this isn't about trusting you? Then tell me what all of this is about!"

Even in the darkness of the mine, the archer sees it. Adriel's eyes transform into a color unlike any he has seen. Cherry red becomes a blinding, monochromatic, mixture of obsidian and sapphire.

"This is about the Dabnodian people. Dabnod is gone, but we are not."

The redhead clenches a tight fist around his bow out of frustration. He is about to ask Adriel to elaborate on that statement. The man doesn't just speak of the future, but he also speaks in riddles!

Before Speedy gets the chance, however, an echoing crash vibrates through the tunnel. Horrified that he has been lead into a trap and the Black Shadow has appeared to pick him off, Speedy spins around to face the noise. Bow drawn and arrows loaded, he is fully prepared to fight. Astonishingly enough, nothing is there. No henchmen, no shadow creatures, and no inky tentacles. After his moment of panic, the only thing Speedy sees is a pile of rocks. They mysteriously rolled down from the mine's ceiling and the cavern walls.

Rolling unseen eyes at his own stupidity, he turns back around to face the Dabnodian man. When the archer does this, a sight meets him that is ten times more shocking than the sound of the crash.

Adriel is nowhere to be seen.

The more time Damiana spends sprinting through the corridors of Black Shadow's hideout, the more confused she becomes. There is no particular layout to the criminal base, and each hallway is completely identical. Only a puzzle master would be able to navigate without difficulty. Damiana recalls an old Dabnodian legend about a group of thieves who tried hiding their loot in a cave. It had a very depressing ending where they became lost forever in an underground labyrinth. Hopefully her ending won't be the same as the thieves in the story.

It is right when this fear strikes that Damiana comes to a fork. Thus far, it is the fourth fork that she has come to. There are two different options. She can go around the corner to the left or continue straight. Shrugging her shoulders, the girl turns left. There is no rhyme or reason to this decision. She turns the corner blindly, hoping that it might lead to an exit. Unfortunately, it doesn't. It leads to another dark, rocky, hallway with an occasional lantern attached to the wall. Seeing nothing of significance yet again causes Damiana to sigh. If she is getting turned around by the number of forks and identical hallways, she wonders how Saeran, Adriel, and the Titans are faring?

She continues down this hallway for what could be five minutes, or for what could be an hour. Whether it is this hallway, her room, or the mine in its entirety, the passage of time never ceases to blur. Damiana isn't sure how long she has been down here at all, to tell the truth. Between entering the mine with Adriel and Saeran, getting captured, the stay in her room, and trying to find an exit, an infinite amount of time could have passed! Of course, if she had to make a guess, Damiana doesn't think that it has been longer than a day or two… Has it?

The girl takes a moment to curse these tunnels. Zenotrum or no zenotrum, she has no idea how anyone could build a hideout and live down here!

By now the turn she'd taken is long past, this hallway being the only one in sight. For the longest time, Damiana assumes that she is all alone in this bleak corridor. It is for this reason that when another person enters her sightline, the girl is shocked beyond belief. Fear overwhelms her for a split second.

What if it is one of Black Shadow's henchmen?! Even if it is only a single person, one person is all it would take to spread the word that she escaped from her room! It's only one guy and she is the Fire Phoenix prodigy, so she could probably defeat him without difficulty. Of course, finding the man passed out would still lead Black Shadow to the same conclusion… That Damiana escaped from her room!

Damiana remains frozen in place as these thoughts zoom through her mind. The only time panic subsides is when the man speaks. His voice is comfortingly familiar. She doesn't know whether to leap for joy or exhale with relief.

"Firelight, is that you? Thank God! We've been going nuts!"

A few seconds after speaking, he gets close enough for her to make out his features. Maroon tights and a maroon shirt. Yellow boots and a yellow belt. Not to mention, a bow and neat, ginger, locks. Damiana sprints in the archer's direction without hesitation.

"Roy? Sweet fates! I'm so happy to see you!"

She smothers Speedy in a bone-crushing hug. The redhead is almost unable to breathe. He doesn't comment, though. Rather, he returns the embrace with equal strength.

"I'm happy to see you, too! You have no idea how great it is that you're okay!" Pausing, he asks with uncertainty, "Are you okay? Did Black Shadow hurt you in any way, shape, or form?"

"No. He didn't hurt me. He was just being weird," the girl confesses. "He gave me a room, cooked me dinner, and asked me to be his Shadow Queen. Then we watched My Little Pony."

He takes a moment to regard her skeptically. "If you're being sarcastic, this really isn't the time or place for it. We should find the rest of our team and get out of here."

"I'm being completely serious. Everything I just shared is true," Damiana says bluntly. "Black Shadow…he doesn't need Swarzberg Prison. He needs Arkham Asylum…"

Speedy lets her words sink in. Even with the mask, his disbelief is plain. "That's insane! I'm glad you were able to escape before someone found you. It gave him less time to brainwash you."

Despite their current situation, Damiana manages a smirk. "Nobody could ever brainwash me."

"I believe you. Now let's find the exit. We can contact the others once we're out of here."

She doesn't protest. They dash up the corridor at lightspeed, Damiana trusting that Speedy knows where he is going. As they run, the redhead makes an inquiry. It is one that truly stuns her.

"I'm not going to ask how you escaped, and I'm not going to bring up your hair. All I want to know is this. While he had you captive, did Black Shadow mention anything about Adriel? Anything at all?"

Color-changing features immediately shift to florescent green. This must the first time her hair has changed color since they ran into each other, because Roy's mouth hangs slightly agape at the sight.

"No. Black Shadow never brought him up at all. The entire time I was locked in my room, all he talked about was finding a Shadow Queen. I don't even think he knows Adriel's name!"

He shifts his focus from her hair to her response. Pursing his lips, the archer asks an additional question.

"What about while you were getting captured? Black Shadow attacked you guys. Did you see them interact?"

Damiana feels undeniably puzzled. Although he hasn't said anything outright, she can feel a chill behind his queries. Opening her mouth partway, she is fully prepared to defend Adriel. That, however, is when she realizes the legitimate answer to his question. Eyes widening, she answers honestly. To Speedy, it sounds like the Dabnodian girl has just come face-to-face with some horrible epiphany.

"No. Black Shadow and Adriel didn't interact at all. Black Shadow came out of nowhere…I tried fighting him…and Adriel didn't do anything. He disappeared."

Speedy's next question is far too forthright; at least to Damiana.

"So an evil criminal showed up, took you captive, and Adriel didn't do anything? You were in a mine surrounded by rocks, and he didn't help? He ran off and left you?"

So stunned is the girl that her run slows to a jog. The current, blinding, shade of her hair and eyes could put Beast Boy to shame.

"Yeah. I guess he did."

This earns a bitter laugh from Speedy. The sound stuns Damiana.

"I was right this whole time. I knew it."

Mingling with astonishment is the slightest twinge of fear. As a result, streaks of gray sneak their way into Damiana's lime-colored tresses.

"You were right about what?"

Grabbing her by the arm, Speedy forces them back into their previous sprint. As they run, he doesn't hesitate to be as straightforward as possible.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but your friend Adriel is bad news. We split into pairs once we made it to the hideout. My partner was Adriel, and he deserted me just like he did you. One minute he's there, the next he's gone." Animosity seeps into his tone. "Deserting one person one time, and I might give him the benefit of the doubt. But deserting someone twice? There's no doubting it. He lured us down here."

More than anything, Damiana wants to argue. Yet, she doesn't find that she can. The more she thinks about it, the more logical it sounds. The fact that he knew about the mine in the first place strikes her as odd. Black Shadow using this same mine to dig us zenotrum can't possibly be coincidental…

Features shift from green to gray, and from gray to soot. "I don't get it. What reason could Adriel possibly have to lure us to a criminal's base?"

"I don't know the answer any more than you do," says Speedy. "All I know is he'll have a lot of explaining to do by the time this is over."

"If he deserted you, too, where do you think he went? Did Adriel go back to the surface and leave us in the mine?"

Speedy doesn't take time to answer. They come to one of this hideout's many unfortunate splits. There is one hallway to their right, another to their left, and a third continuing straight ahead. Damiana's initial expectation is for the redhead to choose the path he came down. Apparently he doesn't remember which corridor this is, because they come to a screeching halt. The duo stares blankly.

"I think I came from that way, but I'm not sure," he admits while gesturing sheepishly to the path on the right. "Do you want to take our chances and go with my gut?"

Damiana nods. "If think you came from that way, then it's our best option."

With a nod of his own, they move in unison toward the right hallway. Before they can fully enter, however, their progress is terminated.

"I leave you alone for four hours, and what do I return to? A collapsed forcefield and a demolished wall! I tried being a gentleman and look where it got me!"

Out of nowhere, rumbling vibrates throughout the corridor. It starts out gently, but only a second later it becomes violent. The archer and the Dabnodian girl are forced to brace themselves against a wall, both sets of eyes widening when rocks rain down. The entrances of all three corridors are effectively barricaded. A moment earlier they had three different exits. Suddenly, all that's in front of them is a single, earthen, barrier.

Damiana's hearts thud rapidly in her chest. She isn't aware of it, but her neon tresses transform into a bizarre mixture of charcoal and midnight blue. Speedy grimaces at the barred exits, appearing frustrated as much as frightened. Damiana replies to the unseen criminal first. In spite of her intense fear, her tone manages to come off as exasperated.

"If you really want to be a gentleman, you'll let us go!"

Damiana expects Black Shadow to remain hidden, the same as always. Much to her astonishment, he emerges from the ground in human form less than a second later. Based on the criminal's narrowed, hazel, eyes and crossed arms, he is more than a tad miffed.

"Women are so ungrateful! I give you an alternative option to an ancient galaxy filled with black holes, and you turn it down! I give you a nice room, cook dinner, and try getting to know you, and you throw it back in my face!" Pouting, he adds, "We didn't even get to use the jacuzzi."

Features shifting entirely to midnight blue, Damiana is prepared to launch a ball of fire in Black Shadow's direction. Before she gets the chance, an onslaught of arrows zip toward him instead. The scowl on Speedy's face is one that could only be matched by Saeran.

"Jacuzzi?! What kind of sick pervert are you?! Firelight is still a minor!"

Black Shadow transforms his entire upper torso into translucent, black, ink. The arrows pass through him with zero affect. As he converts the shadowy region back into flesh, he stares Speedy down with a goaded expression.

"Don't cross me. I haven't had a very good day. After months of planning my reign as an evil overlord, I finally think I've found the right woman to rule beside me. Next thing I know, she's breaking out of the beautiful room I put together for her, insulting me, and running off with another man. Add a taser, an angry pit bull, rename yourself Ricky, and it'll be my junior prom all over again!"

Neither Speedy nor Damiana knows how to respond. The archer pulls additional arrows from his quiver, these particular projectiles buzzing with electricity. As for Damiana, she has one fire whip created in each hand. They are fully prepared to fight, but do not yet attack. Instead, Damiana replies to the criminal's irked ranting.

"It sounds to me like you've accepted my rejection, so instead of getting upset, why don't you let us leave? We can do a quick battle, Speedy and I can escape, you can swear your revenge, and we can meet again at your next secret hideout to either defeat you or repeat the process."

This earns a chuckle from Black Shadow. Oddly, it sounds both enraged and amused.

"This is why I like you, fiery death goddess. You're so witty! So good at banter! I love it!" Shrugging, he continues, "I just don't agree with the whole 'escape' thing. When heroes escape, it creates a never-ending cycle; an exhausting cycle, really. As a villain, I prefer to do things as efficiently as possible. Considering how you turned down my Shadow Queen offer, I see no reason to let you escape. I can end you and the spunky redhead, do a quick 'victory gloat', and move on to disposing of the next heroes. Doesn't that sound better? I think it does."

As if he'd timed it, rumbling sounds off once more. This time Damiana and Speedy don't bother bracing themselves. They gawk at the corridor's opposite side, watching in horror as gargantuan boulders fill in that end as well. The ground quakes with ire with rocks could destroy Goliath himself. What was once an infinite hallway has suddenly transformed into a twenty-foot long and five-foot wide block of space. In all their lives, neither of them has felt more trapped.

Transforming his right arm into a tentacle, Black Shadow reaches for Damiana and grasps her around the waist. He tugs her closer before she can process the action. Less than a second is what it takes for his arm to convert back into flesh, a large hand grasping the girl's chin. Damiana attempts striking him with fire, but every time he transforms his torso into the form of a shadow. A few seconds is all it takes for her to cease protesting so that Black Shadow can speak.

"I would love to give you another chance, goddess. I truly would. Flames and shadows, the two work well together."

The man bores into her with a sharp gaze. It's as if he's peering into her soul, searching for the tiniest hint of submission. When no such desire is seen, Black Shadow pouts prior to pushing her away. Damiana immediately returns to Speedy's side.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. It never ends well for an evil overlord's girlfriend."

The criminal smirks while shrugging simultaneously. "Actually, you would have been my wife, but why worry about specifics?"

Before anyone can say anything more, one of Black Shadow's henchmen appear. He does not slither into the isolated area in the form of a shadow. Rather, the henchperson materializes from thin air. Tall and slender, he wears a black and royal blue jumpsuit along with a full blue mask. In their hands is an oh so familiar device. The silver and blue semicircular machine. The top is colored black, and on the side atop a royal blue stripe are three silver buttons. The first time Speedy and Damiana saw it, the machine was a complete mystery. At the current moment, however, it fills them with terror.

Black Shadow glances over at the henchperson, as if just noticing them. He grins delightfully.

"Oh. Hi, Jonas! It's great to see you! You're a little early, but that doesn't matter. The early bird catches the worm! Am I right?"

The henchman, Jonas, doesn't say anything. He gives the machine to Black Shadow, grants the criminal a military-like salute, and then vanishes into the air he appeared from. After he's gone, Black Shadow's grin remains.

"You have to love Jonas. That guy can talk up a storm! He has a great sense of humor, too." Then, like the sudden shifting of a storm, his grin vanishes. "It's kind of disappointing to do this. Spunky redhead, you're my favorite redhaired archer in maroon tights. I'll never forget you. Fiery death goddess, I'm disappointed that you will never be in that jacuzzi with me. I'll remember you tonight while I'm soaking alone. A fond farewell, Titans."

Running down the machine's sides are two vertical, royal blue, stripes. One stripe contains the silver buttons. The other contains a keypad. Raising an index finger to the machine, he types a short, four-number, code into the keypad. Speedy releases an onslaught of electrically-charged arrows. They are not aimed at the criminal, but rather, they're aimed at the machine. Black Shadow morphs both hands into charcoal. An instant later, the machine morphs as well. The arrows pass through the device without having the slightest affect. Damiana is prepared to launch balls of fire as her own method of attack, but before she has the chance, inky tentacles leap from the rocks to restrain them.

Damiana and Speedy squirm aggressively. Damiana shoots at the tentacles using her flames, and Speedy uses whatever arrows he can retrieve from his quiver to stab at them. When arrows are no longer in reach, he thwacks the tentacles with his bow. In the end, whatever efforts they make are futile. The duo of East Titans gaze at each other helplessly.

It is the sound of ear-piercing, calliopean, beeping that forces the two to look back at Black Shadow. The beeping comes from the machine. It is no longer silver, black, and blue. Instead, it glows bright white while the buttons and the keypad shine red. Setting it on the ground, the villain rolls it closer to them. Somehow, the florescent, white, shine is nothing compared to darkness in the man's beady, hazel, eyes.

For once, Black Shadow doesn't say anything. He takes his time morphing back into shadow form, slithers to the rocky barricade as a formless blob, and seeps through the cracks. Once he vanishes, as do the tentacles that bind them. Unfortunately, this hardly matters. The buttons on the machine are no longer red. They, too, have become white. With the fully-white machine comes a type of horror that neither Damiana nor Speedy ever could have imagined. The moment they get to their feet, they find themselves collapsing to their knees at the sight of it. When it happened, they don't know, but the two, defenseless, teens are locked together in a desperate embrace.

"Dear God. We're going to die. We're going to die. Damiana, we're going to die!"

"Not if we pray, we're not! Sweet Fates, forgive us for our doubt and protect us both!"

"But I'm not religious!"

What sounds like God himself tearing apart a piece of the universe is the noise that permeates the tiny space. It sounds like ripping paper, the single difference being that it is the air itself splitting in half. The machine is no longer on the ground. Rather, it floats in place like some type of mystical orb. Several feet above the device is what can only be described as a thick, black, void. Not only does it sound like the universe is splitting, but it also has the appearance. A very visible pocket rips open in the air above them, nothing seen through it but blackness.

When a rush of air accompanies the deafening sound, Damiana and Speedy embrace each other tighter. It raises them several feet off the ground.

"Are you religious now?!"

"Yes! Yes, I am! God, save us!"

The rushing wind becomes ten times stronger than before, sending them careening into the air. The black void tears open farther, sucking Damiana and Speedy toward it. Against all odds they manage to keep their grasp on one another.

In the space of an instant, the Dabnodian girl's entire life flashes before her eyes. Her childhood on Dabnod. Mama, Saeran, and Daddy. Adriel and Jaegana. Queen Guayusa. She sees all of them. She also sees years of homeless on Earth and her brief time with the Titans. Then she sees Saeran and Adriel once more, alive while she is facing the end.

For a moment she feels guilt. Then, when the suction overtakes herself and Speedy completely, blood-chilling horror takes over. One glance at the archer is all it takes for her to realize that he, too, knows that death is awaiting them.

"Damiana, if I have to die with anyone, I'm happy that it's a member of my team!"

The instant those words come from his mouth, it feels as if Damiana's legs are being encased by ice. Earthen walls are fading quickly. In another brief second, they will be completely replaced by darkness. Panic setting in, she replies with the first response that passes from her lips.

"I'm happy to die with my best human friend! Thank you, Roy!"

With that said, the rift swallows them hungrily. In the fleeting moments before unconsciousness, neither of them can decide which is more terrifying. The impenetrable darkness, or the feeling of the tear closing behind them.

Steel City

Meanwhile…

Bumblebee, Aqualad, and Raven are hard at work; they have been for hours. Raven is keeping a careful log of their teammates' locations. Bumblebee is putting together a map. As for Aqualad, he is doing research to figure out where in Metropolis Robin is leading their group. The entire time they watch the blinking lights of Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Speedy, and Firelight. When they were able to locate Firelight, that was a moment of victory for them. When Speedy's and Firelight's coordinates became one and the same, they felt even greater victory. Not for themselves, but for the Titans on the frontlines.

It is truly amazing that, in the space of an instant, all their progress vanishes like dust in the wind.

"Bee, you'd better take a look at this. This is bad. We need to contact Robin. Now."

The East leader, who'd previously been mapping out Robin and Starfire's route, gazes at Aqualad in concern. Rarely does his voice contain this level of panic. When he gestures toward the screen, Bee follows his outstretched hand. Only then does she understand. Her deep, brown, eyes are suddenly the size of saucers.

Speedy's and Firelight's signals have disappeared.

"Sweet Gotham City." Leaping to her feet, Bumblebee shouts as loudly as her vocal cords can manage. "Beast Boy! Put down the tofu and get in here! I need you to use your communicator to contact Firelight! That's an order! Mas and Menos, try getting through to Speedy. Don't stop until you reach him!"

The twins and Beast Boy rush into the common room begging for an explanation. Once they look at the screen, they understand immediately. It takes no time at all for them follow Bee's instructions. In the meantime, the team leader herself tries getting through to Robin. Never has the woman's voice sounded so frightened.

"Bumblebee calling Robin! SOS! We lost Speedy and Firelight. I repeat, we lost Speedy and Firelight!"

Bee is able to reach Robin immediately. As for Beast Boy, contact with Firelight never happens. The same can be said for contact with Speedy. Aqualad and Raven do everything they can to reconnect with their teammates' communicators. This also turns out to be fruitless.

As hard as they try, locating the two missing Titans is impossible. It's as if they disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Roy is dead. He knows he's dead. He died, and because of his last-minute prayer to God, he ended up in heaven. There is no other explanation. Despite doubting it for so many years, there is an afterlife. Otherwise, his head wouldn't be pounding, and his lungs wouldn't be inhaling the fresh, sweet, air. Air has never tasted so sweet…

It takes what feels like eternity, but at long last, Roy begins questioning himself. His body died. That would make him a spirit, right? Can spirits breath, and do spirits get headaches?

Practically against his will, the archer's eyes blink open. Even with his mask on, the brightness of the sun is agonizing. Groaning, he shades himself and sits up. Grass crunches beneath his fingers, letting Roy know that he is outside somewhere. The weather is neither warm nor cold, producing the additional information that this place has a fair climate.

"I guess that leaves out Antarctica, the Sahara Desert, and Chicago," the archer says to himself.

When his eyes finally adjust to the light, Roy takes the liberty of looking around. What he sees is more astounding than the abyss that brought him here.

Grass. Not green grass. Purple grass.

Wondering if the mask is messing with his vision somehow, Roy rips it off. When he takes a second look, he discovers that his eyesight is still screwy. The grass is an even more vivid shade of purple than before. Getting to his knees, he sees that it continues to the horizon. Endless miles of purple, grassy, hills. Off in the distance, some of them are covered in flowers. A few feet away, he notices that this hill has a scant few flowers of its own. Flowers that, oddly, have red petals with golden polka dots.

Hitting himself in the back of the head with a fist to fix something in case he's hallucinating, Roy looks up at the sky. This isn't normal, either. It is an odd combination of three colors. A deep shade of blue-violet, pale peach, and rose-colored pink. The pink, he realizes, are clouds.

Right as the archer grows used to the bizarre setting he finds himself in, it decides to throw something new his way. A dazzling bird with brilliant, orange, feathers flies over. This bird just so happens to be the size of whale! As it passes by, it forms a tornado-like gust of wind. Most people only have one heart attack in a day. By now, Roy his nearing his third.

"I'm dreaming."

The sudden sound of dialogue causes the redhead to jump. He hadn't noticed her until now, but sitting behind him is Damiana. She is on her knees, staring out at the setting in a state of zombified shock. Somehow, the sight of her is all it takes for Roy to learn that he isn't hallucinating. Whatever it is he's seeing, Damiana sees it too.

Suddenly, memories of Black Shadow's hideout, the machine, and the rift come rushing back in a flood. The dark, ice cold, rift sucked them in like a vacuum and killed them instantly. Or…at least it was supposed to… Black Shadow was going to use it to send them inside a black hole, wasn't he? If that didn't happen, then where did that maniac send them?

Damiana continues speaking, pulling Roy away from his inner musings. For the first time since reuniting with her, the archer takes in the sight of her hair. It isn't brown. Instead, it is a dazzling shade of lime green. In all his life, he didn't think he would ever see the girl without her hair dye. Then again, he never thought that they would get pulled through a rift and end up in some strange place together, either. Wonders never cease.

"I'm dreaming. This is all a dream. This isn't real." Although they don't make eye contact, she is clearly aware of his presence. "Roy, are you seeing what I'm seeing? This can't be real. This place doesn't exist."

Her tone of voice is unnerving. Furrowing ginger brows, Roy answers the girl cautiously.

"Well… What I'm seeing is purple grass. I also saw a giant bird fly over… And I'm seeing a multi-colored sky and pink clouds…" Pausing, he states with blunt honesty, "Either we're both crazy, or that rift Black Shadow sucked us into sent us somewhere. More than likely, it's the second one."

Damiana laughs disbelievingly. This frightens the archer more than her tone of voice.

"I know. Black Shadow's rift must have sent us here. I was thinking the same thing. It's just… that rift couldn't have sent us here. That's impossible. Here is gone…"

All of a sudden, more memories flood in. This time it is different memories. Memories from Damiana's picture book… From that museum exhibit… From her bedroom walls… Whether it was a painting or a photograph, each of them had something in common. Purple grass.

Roy's emerald eyes widen.

"Oh. My. God. Damiana… When you say this place doesn't exist, what do you mean?"

Emerging from her trance at long last, the girl finally turns to face him. Her features are filled with more unbelief than he has ever seen in his seventeen years of life.

"I mean that this place is gone. It exploded into asteroids and particles of dust. I watched it happen." She hesitates, as if afraid to say it outright. When Damiana finally does admit it, tears are trickling down her cheeks. "This is Dabnod; my home."

~End Part III~

A/N: I'm sorry to end it there. I truly am. I will try and get another chapter out in a timely manner. Again, I will be going back to college to finish my Bachelor's soon and doing janitorial on top of that, so that may or may not affect the production of chapters. Either way, I will do my best to start Part IV: Unraveled so I don't leave you in suspense for too long.

Speaking of this chapter, what do you think of it? Of Part III: Secrets as a whole? I would love to hear some thoughts. To those of you who review, thank you! I love hearing what you have to say! Even if you don't review, thanks for reading! To those of you who have stuck with my story for all three parts and thirty-four chapters, I'm glad you enjoy my story! :)

If any of you are curious about how many parts this story will have total, my plan is five. The parts and titles are as follows:

Part I: Inception
Part II: Shadows
Part III: Secrets
Part IV: Unraveled
Part V: Crossroads

Also, in case you're curious, Part IV will take place entirely on Dabnod. Damiana and Roy are going to spend a lot of time there, and Damiana is going to learn a lot about her planet that she didn't know. Remember that when she originally lived there she rarely left her house, and when she did she was with Queen Guayusa. Not to mention, she was only a little girl. Because of this, some things about Dabnod will be just as foreign to her as it will be to Roy. I'm so excited to write all of it!

Are you looking forward to an entire chapter that takes place on Dabnod, or do you wish I would have kept this story on Earth? I won't change the story, as I am far too excited to write about Dabnod, although I am curious to know what you think. Regardless of whether or not you're happy with my decisions as a writer, thank you so much for reading!

Until Part IV, my friends!

Forever and Always,

~OCQ