A/N: Okay, here is the next chapter! Just so you know, this story isn't just about the Titans East. The Titans West are also going to be getting involved. For this story, I wanted to bring both teams and Damiana together to fight against the story's main villain. So, don't worry. More heroes than just the Titans East are going to be getting involved. More is going to happen in this story than you can even imagine. Thus, why I've split it into parts.
Well, that's enough prattling from me. Let the second chapter of part one begin! :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. Teen Titans is the property of DC Comics. The Dabnodian race, on the other hand, is of my own creation.
Part I: Inception: Chapter Two
Steel City, USA
Five Years Later
In the rundown part of town, located on the corner of Fourth Street and Southern Avenue, is a little café. Sitting in the dimmest section of the dining area is a girl. Due to her spot hidden in a booth, nobody sees her. Even if they did see her, they would simply pass her by. Wearing faded blue jeans with holes torn in various places and a dark blue sweatshirt with one too many stains, she seems like nothing more than another lowlife bum. Of course, this doesn't bother the girl any. If she truly wanted attention, all she would have to do is put down the large hood that conceals the majority of her face.
Underneath the hood, the girl's face appears to be around sixteen years old. Although sixteen is a tad too young for her features to appear little more than girlish, the girl has a type of beauty that almost seems unearthly. Her skin, which is quite pale, has an odd tint to it. If someone were to observe her closely, they might say that it almost has a golden cast. She also has full lips the color of roses, a small nose, and a perfect heart-shaped face. Her eyes, which are large and lovely, are a dazzling shade of emerald green. There is also shiny hair that hangs in long golden-brown curls. When people look at her from an unbearably close distance, they can almost see the shades of green changing and streaks of odd colors occasionally appearing in her hair.
Of course, right now, nobody sees any of this, and the girl doesn't see any of them. All of her focus is on a blue spiral notebook and on a slice of cherry pie. The lead of her yellow pencil is worn down, as is the eraser, but still she writes. While writing, she shoves a bite of pie into her mouth and chews hungrily. There isn't a lot on the blue-lined pages, but what is written is good, nonetheless:
"The woman walked down every alleyway and sauntered down every street.
She peeked around corners and inside dusty windows, hoping one day they might meet.
The familiar ruffling of a tunic, or of laughter, in the breeze; anything would do.
As long as there was the smallest chance of seeing someone she once knew.
Whether they appeared as flesh or phantom, it did not matter.
As long as she might, one last time, feel the love behind their chatter…"
Swallowing the bite of pie, the girl gives a halfhearted shrug while staring down at her notebook. She whispers her thoughts aloud while pondering the next line.
"It's not much, but it's a start. I just hope that people don't find this one depressing…"
"Don't talk that way, Leila. Depressing or not, your songs are always beautiful."
So stooped was the girl in her task that she never heard the gentle patter of footsteps approaching the booth. Looking up, she sees exactly the person she expected. A young woman, no older than twenty-one, with pale blonde hair pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. The woman is adorned by a blue waitress uniform the same crystal blue color as her eyes. She is a medium-framed woman with an innocent and youthful face, probably making her appear younger than she is in reality.
Happy at the sight of her, the girl gives a gentle smile. "Thank you, Darcy. I certainly hope that you mean that. This song is for next week."
Darcy beams, "Really? That's fantastic! I've been wondering when you'd write another one! You have no idea the number of music night regulars we've gotten since then!"
Stabbing at another chunk of pie, the teen can't help smirking. "Actually, I know the exact number. You've told me at least ten times, and that's today alone."
The waitress returns her smirk. "Oh, tee hee. If it isn't Leila, the sarcasm Queen."
"Sorry," the sixteen-year-old apologizes. "I just think that you're giving me too much credit."
Darcy waves a hand dismissively. "Nonsense. It's only since we've hired you for live music that we've gotten more customers. Credit is due where credit is due."
A brown lock escaping from her hood, the girl twirls it around an index finger awkwardly. "Yeah, I know… Just don't make a fuss over me, okay? I'm just doing my job and enjoying my hobbies."
Ruffling the hair under her hood in a sisterly manner, Darcy rolls her eyes. "Alright, fine. If you insist, I'll allow you to be modest. As long as you don't quit showing up for work."
It is here that the teenager's smile morphs into a miniscule frown. Not a frown of anger or sadness, but one that seems to hold a dark secret. The expression may be nearly invisible, but it nevertheless exists. "I'm not quitting anytime soon, Darcy. Believe me." Hesitantly, she adds, "I'll be here tonight at eight. An hour early just like you asked."
The young waitress grins widely. "Good. I'm looking forward to it." With that, Darcy turns in preparation to leave. Before she does, however, her blue eyes skim the girl over carefully. She raises a surprised brow. "By the way, I love the purple streaks that you put in your hair! You look like a rock star!"
Once the statement is made, the woman finally walks away. It's a good thing she does, too, because otherwise she would have seen the purple streaks shift to lime green. Releasing a frightened gasp, the girl tucks every solitary piece of hair under her hood with precision. A few minutes later, when she's certain the strands are covered, she flips to a page in the notebook that contains a shopping list. In all capitals in the top margin, both underlined and circled, she writes "hair dye".
Meanwhile…
"I don't understand why we're doing this, Bee. Wherever this guy is at, he's probably long gone by now. We're not going to catch him."
Speedy stands in a dark alleyway, his Titan communicator in one hand and his bow gripped in the other. He' has been wandering through the southside of town for the past half hour, hoping to find a man with a blue and black mask and a sack of money. Unfortunately, he hasn't seen anything of the sort. The only things loitering around this side of town in the growing dusk are bearded hobos sleeping in dumpsters and pimps smoking joints on street corners. Knowing that their man probably isn't here, Speedy contacted their overbearing leader. Of course, as he expected, she is far from happy.
Chocolate eyes narrowed into a glare, Bumblebee scolds him loudly through the device. "Listen to me, Speedy! The rest of us are working just as hard as you are, so don't think I'm letting you get off easy! This guy robbed two jewelry stores and three banks in less than a week, and the city's depending on us to catch him! So the next time you check in, it'd better be because you're done searching the southside or because you found him and need backup! Understand?!"
Irritated, the redhead gives a sigh. "Alright, fine. I'll finish searching the area, but if I don't find him, I'm heading back to the Tower. I'm not wasting my energy looking for someone I'll never find."
Bee rolls her eyes. "Fine. Just finish your share of the searching and report back."
"Will do."
Speedy shuts his communicator before the woman can say anything more. He can't stop himself from feeling excessively annoyed. Not just at Bee, but at the masked criminal they're after. He doesn't like to admit it, but this has to be one of the hardest villains the Titans East have faced in a long time. With the kind of powers the guy possess, capturing him is nearly impossible. As a matter of fact, just fighting him is far from easy.
Shoving the communicator back in his pocket, the redheaded Titan grumbles to himself. "Well, I guess I'd better keep looking. It's not like it'll do any good, though. Even if I do find him, it's not like the other Titans are going to get here in time to help me catch him."
The curtains are pulled, the lights are off, and the motel room door is bolted shut. Normally at this time, Damiana would be eating a peanut butter sandwich in front of the TV and watching the Evening News. Instead, she stands inside the bathroom observing the hair which she thoroughly colored in panic. Most of the sixteen-year-olds on this planet don't live quite like she does. They don't have to work themselves to death just to afford a vermin-infested motel room, they don't have to go out of their way to avoid actual jobs because they lack a social security number, and a quarter of their monthly income doesn't get spent on colored contact lenses and hair dye. Now that Damiana thinks about it, humans in general don't have half of the problems that she has; such as explaining to the owner of the motel why there's a scorch mark on the bathroom floor where she tried killing a rat…
Spotting the reflection of the charred tile in the mirror above the sink, Damiana sighs. How on Earth she is going to explain it to Mr. Peterson, she hasn't a clue. Shifting her gaze back to her reflection, the alien stares at her newly colored tresses. This morning she'd had the slightest hunch that the dye was starting to wear off, but her highest hopes had been that it would hold out for a few more days. The highest quality hair dye on the market, and it still doesn't last for more than two and a half weeks. It used to last for four, but recently it hasn't been doing the job quite as well. It's incredibly frustrating, to say the least.
Running a hand over wet and completely brown tresses, the girl whispers to herself in her native tongue. "Relax, Damiana. Your hair is fine now. Nobody saw besides Darcy, and nobody ever will see." Stepping out of the bathroom and into the dwelling's main section, she switches to English. "I need something to eat before I leave. I'm starving!"
Damiana turns on an old and slightly staticky TV before sauntering over to the tiny fridge and pulling out a container of leftover macaroni. It's from three days ago, but she assumes that it isn't spoiled. Even if it is, the girl is stuck with it either way considering how she ran out of bread yesterday and cereal the day before that. After dying her hair only moments ago, there isn't any hair dye left either. Maybe if there's time between cleaning houses and dog walking tomorrow, she can get around to that shopping list.
Grabbing a metal fork from the dish rack, Damiana makes her way over to the room's single twin-sized bed and grabs the remote control from beside her. Shoving a fork full of macaroni into her mouth, she turns up the sound on the TV, which always happens to be on the News Channel. Not so much by choice, but more or less because it's either this, the Golf Network, or QVC. Then again, Damiana doesn't mind much. Seeing what is happening in Steel City, in America, and in other places on this planet is really quite interesting. TV never existed on Dabnod, so neither did the News. Viewing the screen intently, Damiana watches as a blonde anchorwoman in a red dress appears.
"Good evening, Steel City. I'm coming to you live from the local Fifth Third Bank which was robbed only one hour ago. Astonishingly, this is the third bank robbery this week and is a result of the same criminal. Similar to this week's other robberies, the Titans came on the scene only to have the perpetrator evade capture. After speaking with the bank's owner and Steel City's Police Chief, we got permission to show this footage from one of the security cameras. Roll the film."
A second later, the anchorwoman's image is replaced by a large vault. The vault is wide open, an average sized man wearing a tight black body suit standing directly in front of it. At first it only shows him from the back, but once he turns, a thick royal blue stripe is showed trailing down the center of his torso. The man also wears a black and royal blue mask that covers his entire face. Much like the body suit, the royal blue stripe trails down the mask's center.
Moving several steps closer to the opened vault, the man pulls a large burlap sack practically out of thin air. One moment there was nothing in his hands at all, and the next he's holding the sack wide open for money, gold, and jewels to fly into. Damiana has no idea how it happens, but all of the vault's contents are being sucked into the bag like a vacuum cleaner. It makes Damiana wonder if he is shrinking the valuables down somehow, or if the burlap bag is really some type of hidden portal to another location. Shoving another noodle into her mouth, she watches as the vault empties out and as the criminal gives a maniacal laugh.
A moment later, he speaks in a deep, scratchy, voice. "That was much easier than usual without those pesky Titans around. It looks like they're not even going try stopping me."
Knotting the sack shut and tossing it over his shoulder, the man appears ready to flee. Before he can, however, an arrow shoots past him and knocks the sack of valuables from his arms. Due to the arrow's force, the bag flies halfway across the room and ends up pegged to a wall. The villain turns in the direction of the weapons fire, clearly surprised. It takes a moment, but eventually five people come in sight of the camera. These people being a confident-looking Bumblebee, a tough-looking Aqualad, the fast-moving twins Mas y Menos, and a smug-looking Speedy. Damiana can't help but roll her eyes at the redhead. Despite being the only member of the Titans East without powers, he certainly knows how to act full of himself. When he speaks, this only helps to confirm her thoughts.
"I guess you though wrong. I hope you didn't miss us," Speedy says with an arrogant smirk as he pulls out several more arrows.
Bumblebee speaks next, sounding like the leader she is. "You're not getting away from us this time. We were going too easy on you before, but now we're not holding back." To the rest of her team she exclaims, "Titans, go!"
Before Damiana can count to two, Aqualad is shown breaking several of the building's pipes, aiming the rushing water at the masked man in the form of a wave. Speedy shoots several more arrows at the bank robber. It goes beyond the alien teen's comprehension, but somehow the weapons manage to freeze the water. Thus, this freezes the criminal as well. Once he is trapped in the ice, Bumblebee flies over to him.
"There is no escaping now, so it's time to give up and tell us who you are."
"Is there any particular reason you've been stealing this many valuables this many days in a row?" Aqualad inquires aggressively. "Not even the most daring criminals are willing to go this far out of their way."
The masked man laughs mockingly. "Listen to yourselves. You think you've got me right where you want me, don't you? I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but sadly, that just isn't the case."
Wearing the same smug smirk, Speedy remarks, "No offense, but you're not really in a position to hold out on us. You're frozen in a block of ice."
Although his face can't be seen, it is clear to Damiana that the bank robber is annoyed. "Of course," he retorts with seething sarcasm. "I'm helplessly trapped. Woe is me."
What happens next nearly causes Damiana to drop her small container of macaroni and choke on the food in her mouth in the process. Normally when someone gets frozen in a block of ice, there is no escaping. (Or at least this is true for humans. Damiana could easily melt herself out if she were ever to get caught in that predicament… Then if it were Saeran, he could simply re-liquefy the ice into water…) However, being encased by ice doesn't hinder the criminal in the slight. The royal blue stripe on his mask begins glowing white. Then, an instant later, the thief is gone. Damiana doesn't see him disappear. He is simply there one moment and gone the next.
The video pauses, rewinds, and plays the part where he vanishes again. Damiana doesn't know if they do this for dramatic effect or simply to retain the viewers' attention, but it works very well to accomplish either task. At last, the anchorwoman's voice returns, followed by her location in front of the recently robbed bank. Her professional tone never wavers.
"Upon viewing such evidence, it has become clear to city officials and civilians alike that this nameless criminal could prove to be a danger to Steel City. On five different occasions, the Titans have attempted to capture him and have failed. Is this criminal one so dangerous that the Titans East might not be able put a stop to him? Right now, the question being asked is whether or not the Titans East can handle this masked thief by themselves. Will they need to recruit help? We asked them this very question directly after the criminal's fifth escape, and this is what they had to say:"
The anchorwoman's image is once again replaced by a video. It is the exact same spot, the only difference being the slightly different position of the sun and the police officers milling around in the background. Another difference would be the five Titans who stand side-by-side as the lady wearing the red dress shoves a microphone towards them; or, more specifically, towards Bumblebee.
"Bumblebee," asks the anchorwoman, "this is the fifth time this criminal has escaped from you and the Titans this week. Is this correct?"
Doing her best to hide her embarrassment behind professionalism, Bumblebee gives a nod. "Yes. This is the fifth time he has gotten away from us. As the only criminal to ever escape from the Titans East, I can definitely say that this guy is going to be a difficult one to catch."
The blonde woman smiles sheepishly. "Ah, yes. I see." After a moment of hesitation, she continues, "Bumblebee, civilians have been wondering if the Titans East can handle this criminal alone. Do you think that you can do it, or will you need the help of the Titans West?"
The Titan leader opens her mouth partway, prepared to respond. However, that is when Speedy makes a snide remark from his place between Aqualad and Mas. The remark causes Damiana to sigh and slap an irritated palm to her forehead.
"What?" asks the archer. "You don't think a team of secondary Titans can handle tough villains as well as the 'original' Titans from Jump City? It's good to know that you have faith in us."
The anchorwoman's eyes widen, and Bumblebee shoots her teammate a scowl. Aqualad and Mas y Menos, on the other hand, simply watch and keep out of the potential argument. Meanwhile, the woman does her best to temper the irritation of the upset Titan.
"Of course not, Speedy! That's not how Steel City views the Titans East at all! The Titans East have been very successful in protecting the city. There are simply those civilians who feel that the Titans West are better equipped to handle a criminal of this caliber. The Titans West has five team members each with different abilities. While the Titans East also has five people, your effectiveness might be lessened due to the fact that there are only four different abilities available to you."
Crossing his arms over his chest in aggravation, Speedy snarls, "That's exactly what you're saying, isn't it? You think that the Titans East comes in second place to the Titans West. We're just as capable as them, you know. If we weren't, then Robin never would have selected us to create another team. The Titans West are our fellow Titans and our allies; not an emergency button that we can press whenever we think we might need it."
Bumblebee, who'd previously been glaring at the redhead, furrows her brow in consideration. "I don't say this a lot, but for once, I'm siding with Speedy. The Titans East can handle this criminal on our own. If something happens where we absolutely cannot capture this guy without help, then we'll call on the Titans West."
The anchorwoman's eyes narrow in concern. "You're absolutely positive that you're going to be able to capture him on your own? Even after five failed attempts?"
"Yes," replies Bumblebee with a smile. "I have faith in this team, and I know that we can do it."
She gives a jovial laugh. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Being the only lady on the team, it's a wonder that you haven't gotten irritated and left."
Bee, too gives a chuckle. "Trust me. Being the only girl can be more irritating than you think. The idea of having another girl on the team is almost enough for me to consider adding another Titan."
The anchorwoman, still all smiles, supports her statement. "Hey, that might be just the thing, Bumblebee; another lady Titan. Maybe all you need is more girl power."
With that being said, the video from earlier in the day pauses, and then it switches to the live footage of the newscaster.
"Since speaking with them, the young Titans haven't rested. They're searching the city at this very moment in search of the criminal. Currently, it looks as though they won't be contacting their fellow Titans at the Titans West Tower for support. Because of this, their success in capturing the criminal is still in question. According to the Police Chief, if the Titans don't capture him in the next forty-eight hours, the Steel City Police Force will be taking their own measures to ensure that he is detained. Until then, stay inside, keep your doors locked, and trust the Titans. This is Barbara Harris, and I wish all of Steel City a safe and uneventful evening."
The newscast ends, and commercials start. Up next, it looks like there are going to be news stories about the Titans in Jump City, about the Justice League, and about events occurring in places such as Asia and the Middle East. Damiana is looking forward to all of it. However, upon glancing at the digital clock on her bedside table, the young alien learns that there is no time for this. It's already twenty minutes after seven. If she's going to be at the café by eight o'clock, then she needs to leave now. Getting from her motel room to the café is an extremely long walk even when taking shortcuts. Sighing in disappointment, she puts the lid back on the container and crosses the room to shove it in the fridge.
"I wish I could show up an hour later like on all of the other nights. After caring for animals and cleaning houses all day, the only thing I wanted was to sit down," Damiana grumbles in Dabnodian. Then she adds, "Oh, well. I shouldn't complain too much. It's because of this job that I'm no longer homeless."
Nightmares of park benches fresh in her mind, she walks over to a small dresser and pulls out a black hooded sweatshirt. She throws it on over plain green spaghetti straps, changes into a pair of jeans with a few less holes, and pulls a second-hand guitar out from under her bed. Making sure that the guitar case is zipped up and that the strap is adjusted properly, Damiana puts it on over her shoulder while walking toward the door. Before exiting the motel room, the girl can't help but wonder how full the café is going to be tonight. It seems like every time she shows up to sing, there are always more people there to watch her. Darcy has even mentioned knocking down a wall and adding more seats to the seating area. Damiana can't help but shake her head at the thought.
"Humans can be so strange," she whispers in her native tongue. "On Dabnod, being a good singer mattered about as much as being able to put your leg behind your head. It's weird to think that something of such little importance would eventually help me so much."
With this thought running through her mind on repeat, Damiana saunters out the door and into the early night.
Speedy has absolutely no idea why this dumpy little building caught his eye. It could have been because of the sign reading "Lola's Café" in neon pink letters, making him wonder if the place has pie. It might have been the unusually large amount of people heading in through the double doors chattering away in excitement. "The music here is, like, fantastic!" exclaimed a blonde girl wearing a tight turquoise mini dress. "I swear, that Leila girl is, like, the best singer ever!" Or it simply could have been because Speedy is Speedy; therefore, he has a natural curiosity. Like many other occasions, Speedy's curiosity and his charm have served him well. Sure Aqualad and Bumblebee wouldn't say the same, but they just don't understand his methods. Sometimes getting useful information and personal enjoyment can be one and the same. This especially applies to this moment in particular.
"Like, oh my gosh! OH MY GOSH! Are you, like, seriously Speedy from, like, the Titans East?"
Speedy sits in the center of the café at a wide circular table. In front of him are a slice of cherry pie and a Mountain Dew. On every side of him, both sitting and standing, are numerous young ladies. Sitting directly beside him, much to his pleasure, is the blonde in the turquoise mini dress. Out of all the girls, she has been doing the most talking. Not just to Speedy, but to people in general. She seems very social and can be heard clear across a crowded room. Based on this fact alone, the blonde could very well serve his purpose.
Smirking arrogantly, Speedy replies, "Yes, I am. I'm the real deal, and I have the bow to prove it."
Taking a bite of his pie using one hand, the masked archer uses the other to hold up his bow. When he does this, the girls begin squealing and screaming in delight. Once he motions to the quiver on his back, this is even more the case. Eventually, the teen in the mini dress speaks again.
"Wow! Like, you actually are Speedy! Like, what are you doing on this side of town?"
Smirk never leaving, Speedy explains, "Nothing much. I'm just searching this section of the city for a dangerous criminal. I've been looking for him all night now." Pausing, he inquires, "The guy robs banks and jewelry stores, has a black and blue costume, and is incredibly dangerous. Have you heard of him?"
Turquoise mini dress girl exchanges glances with several of her friends who are adorned by an assortment of short-shorts, miniskirts, midriff tops, and low-necked blouses. Their faces are caked with makeup as well, making Speedy wonder what their actual faces look like. It takes a few minutes, but eventually one of them answers.
"Like, we're sorry. We, like, haven't heard of him," says a brunette in a black sequin miniskirt.
The mini dress girl takes back over. "We'd help you if we could, but like, we're not even allowed on this side of town. Like, if any of our parents found out, they'd totally kill us."
Taking another bite of his pie, Speedy nods in understanding. "Nah, it's okay. Don't worry about it. You ladies seem like the sociable type, so I thought you'd know something, but I guess it doesn't matter if you don't. The other Titans and I will catch him."
Much to Speedy's enjoyment, turquoise mini dress girl sidles closer to him and puts a hand on his knee. The brunette in the black sequin miniskirt gets closer to him as well and places perfectly manicured fingers on each of his shoulders. If Speedy's smirk wasn't smug and egotistical before, then it is doubtlessly that way now.
"Well, duh! Of course you will! You're, like, the Teen Titans!" exclaims the brunette.
"You're totally cool and are, like, the greatest superheroes ever!" says the mini dress girl. "There's no way that you won't catch him!"
Another girl, a platinum blonde wearing denim short-shorts and a fuchsia midriff top, forces her way closer and pays the hero her own compliment. "You guys are totally awesome! I watch the Titans East on the News, like, every night! All of the villains must be, like, totally afraid of you!"
Grinning like a little kid at a candy shop, the archer turns to face them. "Thank you, ladies. You know, I wasn't too happy about having to search this side of town tonight, but meeting lovely women such as you has made it completely worth it."
Once again, the girls burst into a fit of screams, squeals, and giggles. The whole time, they hug Speedy from the sides and from behind. Making his rounds, he is careful to give them each a pat on the hand or back. Bumblebee will certainly kill him for this later, but it's worth it for the moment.
Grinning wider still, Speedy calls to the throng, "It's okay, ladies, don't crowd me. There's enough of Titan Speedy to go around."
Several eternal seconds pass, the crowd continuing on in their fangirling. They all pay various forms of compliments, not to him specifically, but to the Titans East as a whole. All comments are along the lines of "You guys are the best", "Tell Bumblebee that she kicks butt!", "Mas and Menos are adorable", and oddly, "Will you sign my stomach?!" It is because of this that one comment in particular catches him really off guard. Not just because of the phrasing, but because it causes all of the other girls to stop what they're doing.
"Guys, don't look now, but you totally have to get a load of Leila. Her face is, like, hilarious!"
Everyone ignores the words "don't look now", because they immediately cease fawning over Speedy and turn their gazes in one general direction. Curious at who they're referring to, Speedy looks in the same direction. The first thing that comes to his attention is a small platform built against the café's back wall. On the platform is a stool, a microphone, a piano, and of course, a girl. She stands to the platform's far right, tuning a simple and unelaborate guitar. As she tunes it, he notices that she isn't dressed like any of the others.
She isn't dressed in exposing clothing or in garments that are extra glittery. Instead, she wears a pair of faded jeans with holes in the knees and a black hooded sweatshirt. Now that he's observing them more closely, the articles of clothing are a tad bit worn. Even her shoes, which are a pair of black converse, look like they're ready to fall apart. Aside from her clothes, however, Speedy has to say that she looks normal. Really, normal is an understatement. With golden-brown tresses that reach her waist in soft curls, dazzling emerald green eyes, and a petite frame, she is really quite pretty; very pretty, actually. Honestly, she is far prettier than the majority of females surrounding him now.
Wondering if the girl he's looking at is the one they're talking about, he asks, "Leila?"
"Yeah, Leila," says mini dress girl. "She's the anorexic hobo holding the guitar. She sings, like, really well, but under the sweatshirt she looks like she's about to, like, die or something."
"She was just rolling her eyes and scowling at us," adds the brunette in the sequin mini skirt.
Speedy nods and continues to observe her. "What do you mean hobo? Doesn't she have a family?"
"We don't think so. As far as we know, she has been on her own for years now. She might have even been homeless up until a few months ago."
The redheaded archer doesn't speak. He simply continues to watch the girl completely mesmerized. Based on her features, she must be around sixteen; possibly seventeen. How has someone so young been on their own for years now? Wouldn't someone like her be in an orphanage or in foster care or something? Wandering around this part of Steel City alone must be dangerous for a teenage girl; especially for one as pretty as her. Several moments pass and he is still watching her, as are the girls surrounding him. The only time Speedy is broken out of his trance is when Leila looks up from the task of tuning her guitar. The instant she spots their intense stares, she rolls her eyes, shakes her head, and shouts across the room.
"What are you people staring at?! Leave me be! Go back to your fangirling! And, Speedy, I watched the News this evening! If you really don't want to come in second place to the Titans West, then you'd better start searching for the bank robber! Hasn't he escaped from you guys five times already?!"
The archer's eyes widen in shock underneath his mask. Out of all the civilians he has had the pleasure of coming into contact with, none of them have ever spoken to him so bluntly.
Shooting her an irritated look, Speedy responds from his spot at the table. "For your information, we've been trying to find this guy all night without any luck, so don't think you can get off on calling us lazy! If anything, you're just jealous because you're stuck up there and don't get to hang out over here with me."
Once the words are out, Speedy is expecting Leila to set her guitar down on the platform and stomp her way over to their table. Either that, or he expects some form of verbal abuse. However, the girl manages to surprise him. Rather than retaliating, she sighs and shakes her head in disbelief. The whole time, her tone remains calm and even.
"Okay, whatever. Just forget I'm here. Return your attention to your harem."
Speedy shoots her one last scowl before doing exactly that. By this time turquoise mini dress girl is clinging to his arm, and sequin miniskirt girl has her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Normally Speedy would be in celebrity heaven, finally getting the attention from the ladies that he deserves. Usually Aqualad steals all of them away and leaves him with the weird obsessive ones. Yet, for some reason, he doesn't feel quite as satisfied as he did before. In fact, avoiding looking at Leila is a struggle. It is only when mini dress girl speaks yet again that Speedy is able to forget that the girl exists and relax.
"Speedy, you're friends with, like, all the members of the Titans East. Right?"
The archer's arrogant smirk returns. "Yes. As a Titan myself, I would say that I'm friends with all of them."
"Really? That's great! We were, like, totally hoping you'd say that!"
Another girl, the one in the fuchsia midriff top, makes an overly joyful inquiry. "Does that mean that you can introduce us to Aqualad?! Because we would totally love that!"
Speedy's eyes widen beneath his mask, and his jaw drops so far that it nearly breaks. An expression of shock quickly morphing into a grimace, he shoves the ladies' arms off of him and gets to his feet. He glares at them in rageful disbelief. "Hold on. The only reason you've been hanging onto me like leeches for half the night is because you were hoping that I'd set you all up with Aqualad?!"
The girl in the turquoise mini dress nibbles her lower lip apprehensively while giving a hesitant nod. "Well…yah. You're, like, really nice and, like, super cool, but Aqualad is crazy hot!"
"Yeah," adds the platinum blonde in the midriff top. "Aqualad's the awesomest! He has these cool water abilities and can talk to sea creatures, but you…you just have your arrow thingies..."
Speedy gives them each the worst scowls of their lives. Pointing at them with his bow, he exclaims, "Yeah? While my 'arrow thingies' have helped save Steel City more times than you can count!" Pausing, he adds with a mocking smirk, "Actually, that really doesn't say much. How high can you count?"
The girls give startled gasps at the insult while several of the surrounding onlookers snicker. Speedy doesn't realize it, but one of the people snickering is Leila.
Appearing extremely insulted, turquoise mini dress girl turns to face her friends. "Come on, ladies. Like, let's get out of here. Our mission, like, totally failed."
Shooting Speedy a mixture of nasty glares and disappointed frowns, the harem saunters toward the cafe's exit. Before they can leave, however, Speedy makes the crack decision to stop them. Not because they're forgiven; far from it. Instead, he stops them for a different reason entirely. After all, nothing is better than playing a friendly prank on his good pal, Aqualad.
Transforming his mocking smirk into an apologetic smile, he rushes over to block the ladies' path of travel. "Hold on, girls! Wait up!" Speedy completely ignores the dirty looks he gets and continues. "Listen, I'm sorry about offending you, and I'm sorry that I wasn't more understanding. All you girls want is to have some fun with Aqualad, right?"
Their faces immediately brighten. Exchanging glances, the ladies mutter amongst themselves before turning back to the Titan. As always, it is turquoise mini dress girl that speaks first.
"Uh…yah… Hanging out with Aqualad is, like, totally what we want."
Beaming, he moves closer. "See, that's exactly what I thought! That being the case, why should I be bitter because you girls prefer Aqualad over me? As Aqualad's friend and as a friendly guy in general, how about I tell you exactly where you can find him?"
The girls burst into fits of squeals and delighted shrieks before he has a chance to finish the sentence. Removing his wallet, Speedy pulls out a twenty and a five-dollar bill.
"Aqualad is down by the docks. Not the deserted docks where people go fishing, but the section where people put their yachts and fancy boats over by Main Street. You ladies know the place?"
Eyes dancing with joy, turquoise mini dress girl jumps up and down excitedly. "Ooh, yes! I totally know the place! Like, that's where Daddy parks his small vacation yacht and, like, the big one too!"
Putting a gloved hand to his mouth, Speedy gives a gleeful gasp. "Oh my gosh! That is, like, totally great! Aqualad will be, like, totally happy to see you guys!" Taking turquoise mini dress girl by the hand, the archer tucks the twenty and the five inside of her palm. "Here. Take this and buy yourselves some fish tacos! They're Aqualad's favorite! What's left can help pay for the cab to the docks."
The throng squeals and jumps up and down in perfect unison. A few of them even give Speedy swift hugs around the neck.
"Thanks, Speedy! You're the best!" says the girl in the black sequin miniskirt.
They run out the door of the café, shrieking and squealing like the crazy fangirls they are. Strutting back to his table, Speedy picks up his fork to finish the pie he'd started on.
He chuckles under his breath. "At least they think I'm the best. I'm sure Aqualad won't think so after tonight."
Taking a bite of his pie, Speedy once again directs his attention to the small platform. To his surprise, Leila isn't tuning her guitar. Rather, she sits in front of her microphone with her guitar ready. Based on the giggles that she attempts to hide by coughing, and on how she intently avoids his gaze, she saw everything and is doing her absolute best not to laugh at Aqualad's coming misfortune. For some reason, the fact that she found his cruel joke funny makes him smile. It isn't an arrogant smile, but a happy one. So focused is he on Leila that he doesn't catch sight of the waitress milling around his table. The only time he notices is when she speaks.
"You don't have to pay for the pie or the Mountain Dew. It's on the house."
Startled, Speedy jolts prior to looking up at her. Once he sees her, he is immensely thankful to see, not a teenage girl in a miniskirt, but a blonde and blue-eyed waitress in her early twenties. The look she gives him isn't a smile necessarily. More or less, her expression is one that is knowing and secretive. The fact finally sinking in that he doesn't have to pay for the pie, he is about ready to thank her. Before he can, however, she speaks to him in an incredibly low whisper.
"Also, if you're after leads about that bank robber or where he might be hiding, I would suggest asking Leila. She has no family, she lives by herself, and she does various jobs for people all over the city. She hasn't lived here long, but she knows the streets of Steel City like the back of her hand. Trust me."
With that, the waitress walks away as if she hadn't said anything. Once she's gone, the only thing Speedy is able to do is keep his gaze on Leila. He's not sure why or how, but somehow he knows that what the waitress said is the truth. If anyone can help them track this criminal down, it's that girl, Leila. Speedy can't explain it, but there's something about her that's very different.
A/N: That concludes the second chapter of Part One. Also, I'm sorry if the story is starting out a bit slow. I would make it go faster, but I don't want to speed the plot along. If I start trying to force it, then the story isn't going to flow properly, and it won't turn out natural. But just so you know, I promise that things will start to get more exciting once the plot details and everything are set. Also, don't be afraid to leave comments. I enjoy getting constructive criticism on how I can improve my writing, and I also enjoy being told what I'm doing well. Again, please comment. Feedback is how writers grow! :)
Until next time!
Forever and always,
~OCQ
