Singing Blues

"-see, you have no idea what this will mean for humanity in the future."

He had some terrible past few weeks, but thanks to them he had been able to evade this for a short while.

"Are you even listening to me?!" she shouted trying to rip his notepad from his hand.

"I am Dr. Case," he said pulling it back before he kept walked through his own little tour of her private lab at the lowest level of the building. There were a lot of things which could revolutionize the world, but all unfinished.

"Then what are you waiting for to leave?" she snapped at his heels as he kept taking notes. He spotted perpetual motion prototype to generate cheaper and cleaner energy, but also unfinished.

"These Nanites, what is their purpose?" he said stopping in front of a large tank.

"Well, they are the next generation of technology of course," she said snobbishly.

"I know of their importance, but they are useless unless you program them. No better than very expensive dust," and from the size of the tank, it was a lot of expensive dust.

"You- you!" and he hit a raw nerve.

"Are they compatible with living tissue?" he asked Khaji Da more than her.

"Of course!" she shouted confirming Khaji Da's own evaluation.

"Then why aren't-" they could be doing a lot of good with this.

"Shut up! You think you can come in here and judge my work! You! Kord's bastard!" she shouted at the top of her lungs before they were wrapped in an ominous silence. He turned around to face her and she flinched back. He was exhausted from his work, patrolling, and helping build the Titans tower. He barely had time to sleep so he had no energy to hide from her how angry she had just made him.

"What did you say?" he said slowly and saw the woman fighting not to take another step back.

"Why else do you think Ted left you all of this? He probably met your mother at-" she started rambling before he cut her off.

"You can say and insinuate all you want about me, but I won't allow you to insult my mother or anyone in my family Dr. Case. I don't care if you are our brightest scientist," he told her before turning around again and continuing to take down notes.

Melody Case continued to follow him but now in silence. He would ask her questions now and then before writing notes of what would be needed. At the end of the whole tour, they sat across from each other as he wrote more notes.

"With the emerging skin cloning techniques we could be talking of one of the greatest inventions in medical science to start if we could incorporate the Nanites," and then they could look into healing another type of injuries or even surgeries.

"Each Nanite needs individual programming. We don't have a computer sophisticated enough to do this," she said taking his notes and reading them. A frown appeared on her face, clearly having difficulty believing how much he understood of her work. He took his notepad back from her.

"I see," he said writing it down, "what will you need?"

"What?" she asked him.

"It would be a waste of funds just to leave the Nanites like this until someone else comes up with such a computer. We need to work on it now," he told her.

"You would need the best-" not one person alone could do that.

"We have many talented biomechanical students through the country. We could run a competition for the colleges to come up with the best designs. Besides that, the first places could win a vacancy with Kord Industries," he believed they needed more competitions like that one.

"And thus assuring the brightest for the company," Dr. Case said thinking of the implications. Someone else would be dealing with her work.

"Oh, and a scholarship, the way things are that will be a great motivator. Are you fine with this?" he asked her.

"Me?" he owed the company, why was he asking her.

"They are your Nanites," she could only nod, "great, now this is a-"

"I thought you were a mechanic's son," she said interrupting him.

"I am, and proud of it. But I am also a biomechanical student," he wondered if she didn't know this. He thought Angela Revere would have told her by then.

"Why?" she asked him.

"Well, a few months ago a thug shot my dad on the leg-" and though he had healed, his father still had to walk with a cane. Medical science as it was now couldn't take away completely the damage done by that bullet.

"What I mean is why did Ted leave you his company? If you aren't his kid, then why?" she slammed her hands on the table.

"Oh, I can't tell you much about that Dr. Case, but I assure you that it's not for devious reasons. I didn't know Mr. Kord, but every person I have met has told me he was a great and brilliant man," he really hoped she didn't start crying. He had no idea how to handle crying women.

"It's because of the Blue Beetle, isn't?" she said after a moment.

He didn't answer. By then she already knew of the previous Blue Beetle's hideout underneath the building.

"He wanted you to turn Kord Industries into another Batman Incorporated," she said with a frown.

"I wouldn't go that far. He wanted to help people; I want to help people," he said thinking of the Titans. Angela Revere was already working on turning them into one of their official sponsors so they wouldn't be questioned on the help they provided.

"Why didn't he trust me?" but she wasn't asking him but herself.

"Dr. Case," he said taking one of her hands between his so she would look at him, "I don't know why Mr. Kord didn't tell you. Maybe he was trying to protect you. Maybe he had other reasons, but what I do know is that he trusted you with the brightest of his company. Every single thing I have seen here can make the world a better place when you complete them. You got my support because I also trust you."

She stared at him wide eyed before pulling her hand from his and then wiping away one stray tear.

"I am sorry about before," she said in a small voice.

"Water under the bridge," he said "and I would appreciate being told of your progress. Your work is amazing."

"Flattery won't work on me," she said with a shaky smile, then her smile froze and her eyes widened. She was a genius after all. Ted died in El Paso, the same place where the latest Blue Beetle had first appeared. Also, said Blue Beetle was now working from San Francisco, where Jaime Reyes was now living. Jaime never met Ted, but that didn't stop him from looking after his company and looking up at him.

She didn't say anything else when the young man left.

888

"He left you the company, huh?" Superboy said as they sat at the top of the Titan Tower looking over at the city of San Francisco that morning "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"I am sorry you are the last one to know," he said pulling his knees under his chin, "I just wasn't sure how to tell you guys."

"You need to trust us more," Superboy said, "and yourself too."

"I know, I know… how do you do it? I mean, you go to school, the news blog you started with Lori, and this," and yeah, he had other powers he didn't but it was more about keeping track of things in his mind. He thought his head was going to explode with everything that was going on lately.

"Take one step at the time Blue," Superboy told him getting up. "For starters, you can tell that girl the truth."

"She will kill me," or, at least, curse him until he wished she would kill him.

"Or she might be upset at you for a while and then give you a chance. She accepted our invitation, you know?" Superboy had been the one to insist they did when Red Robin tried to turn the idea down. She had helped them as much as the rest in building the tower.

"I know," he said knowing Red only wanted him to stop trying to recreate his dream from the sand.

"M'gann is coming," Superboy said looking at the sky, "I will go buy some stuff."

Before he could ask what was the problem he was gone. He knew it had something to do with their powers, but it was kind of odd to see them evade each other so much. He went back inside and looked at all the ingredients they had at their new kitchen. What if he told Tracy that night? He asked himself as he started the batter. The tower had a very romantic view towards the city. He was sure it would make her hate him a little less if he told her then.

"Blue! This place is amazing!" Miss Martian said carrying more bags into the kitchen. She had been away the last few days of the construction because of Team business. "I would join you guys just because of this kitchen. Well, that would be true if Mr. Super-grumpy pants didn't run away every time I was around."

"You two are still friends, right?" he asked as he helped her empty the bags.

"Of course," she said with a smile, "we just get on each other's nerves because of our powers. It isn't as bad as before. He has gotten a lot better in damping them. Sometimes distance is the best thing to keep friendships."

"Tell me about it. It has been like six months since I don't see Brenda, just after she came back to El Paso," the past few months they had talked on the phone, trying to keep their friendship from dying.

"She is La Dama's niece, right?" Miss Martian said with a slight tilt of her head as she cracked some eggs with her powers over a bowl.

"And one of my best friends since we were kids. Relationships ruin things like that," he remembered how upset Paco had been at him from dating Brenda while investigating her aunt at the same time.

"Isn't that true," Miss Martian laughed, "La'gaan didn't talk to me unless necessary for a year and Conner, well you know. You should try to see her."

"Won't that be weird, like, oh hi Brenda I just came to see if you want to hang out. Not like in a date because I totally blew that one, besides the point that you literally crushed Paco's heart," he said as started to preheat the oven.

"When you put it like that," Miss Martian laughed harder, "maybe going out with the rest of your common friends would be a good idea."

"That might work," he said with raised eyebrows.

"Of course, it will. I learned from the best teen sitcom that ever existed," she said with a smile.

Over the next hours, the tower started to be filled with voices and laughter. The Titans were all there, Superboy had even dropped by to bring them a bag of chocolate chips for the cookies. He and Miss Martian had a friendly banter until she threatened to shift into him and go around the tower giving cookies away while wearing an apron.

"You wouldn't," Superboy said with narrowed eyes.

"Don't try me, now put the cookie down," she said before he did just that and left muttering about evil shapeshifting Martians and their wicked treats.

"And that just happened," he laughed taking out the last tray with French vanilla cream puffs. He had been scaring away speedsters and other gluttons from them. He made up his mind to tell Tracy that night, and if he had to bake her a hundred pieces of her favorite desert for her to forgive him, he would.

Almost everyone was already at the Tower by the time Tracy brought in the last few with the help of Zachary and Zatanna Zatara.

"Get lost geek," Tracy said going around Zachary who was trying to talk her into doing a 'trick' together.

"Are we really related?" Zatanna said before she spotted Nightwing "have you been talking to him?"

"I am innocent," Nightwing said with a not so innocent smile.

"Are those…" Tracy stopped on her tracks when she spotted the trays with pastries.

"French vanilla cream puffs," Miss Martian said removing her apron, "Blue's recipe."

"Really?" Tracy asked with a slight frown.

"Just because a guy can shot energy blasts that don't mean they can't cook," he said, "go ahead and try one."

"Oh, okay," she said picking one up and giving it a small bite before her eyes went wide before eating the rest in two bites.

"Good?" he asked her as she reached for another one. She simply nodded as she ate another one.

"What did you put in those?" Static asked picking one, "oh, wow."

"Let me try," Solstice said before a wide smile appeared on her face.

"I know, right!" Tracy said putting a few on a plate with a wide smile.

"Blue, you think you made enough?" Miss Martian asked him.

"Yeah," he said with a smile and watching Tracy walk with a full plate and fending off anyone who tried to take one.

888

As the night drew around them things started to get lively. He stuck to keeping people from getting into places they shouldn't. More than once he had to scare people out of the bushes and away from the bedrooms. He got the stink eye quite a few times, but he promised Red he would keep things from getting too rated R. As he was returning to the living room to check on the damage he spotted a girl he had come to know as Spoiler picking around a corner. He picked at where she was looking and saw she was watching Red.

"You know he knows you are here, right?" he said the girl jump.

"Don't do that," she turned around and slapped him on the chest before she cradled her hurt hand.

"He was trained by the best detective in the world. You will have a better chance going to talk to him," he said walking back into the hall intending to check on the roof. Some of the guys that could fly were testing who was the fastest.

"I don't like him," she said following him.

"Then why are you watching him?" he asked her.

"I am not, I… I was looking at Aqualad," she said starting to turn red.

"He is dating Tigress," he said.

"Nightwing?" she said with a skew smile.

"You don't want to go there," he said with a short laugh. She was really funny. He thought it would be good for Tim to date someone like her.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked after a while.

"Yeah," he said patting the short girl on the head, "but you won't accomplish much just watching him."

"I don't think he likes me," she said with a troubled frown.

"Really? He is one of the nicest guys I have ever known," and he usually didn't like bad guys.

"He treats me like I am a pest," she said as she followed him into the elevator.

"Oh, I guess he is worried about you. You are new at this, right?" he had seen she had been messy back when they fought at Coachella Valley.

"Yeah…" she said looking at her feet. She reminded him of her little sister who still hadn't had the chance to visit him with all that had been going on.

"He will lighten up once he sees you gain more experience," he told her as the doors opened and they stepped out.

"So… you are close friends with him, right? What does he like? Hanging out in dark places in the middle of the night?" she asked crossing her arms as they watched Stargirl and Beast Boy compete on a race.

"That's cheating," he said with a smile as Beast Boy dived back down as his infamous peregrine falcon.

"Aww, c'mon! I will help you if you help me," Spoiler said with a devious smile.

"What makes you think you can help me?" he asked her.

"I saw how you were looking at Tracy, and it just happens that you know what her favorite desert is? I don't think so," said the fifteen-year-old smugly.

"Are you sure you aren't a bat?" he asked her.

"So, what do you say?" she asked.

"He likes eighties horror movies," he said in a low voice.

"Seriously?" she asked a little mistrustful.

"Very, let that be a warning of what he would subject you to," at least, everyone in the Titans had already been forced to watch a few of them with him.

"Alright, what do you want me to do? Ask if she is seeing someone? What other desserts she likes?" she asked clearly excited to help him too.

"Tell her someone will be waiting for her at the balcony of the North wing by midnight," he told her.

"That's so romantic!" she squealed before everyone on the roof turned to look at them, some looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"Ehm, she is just happy to be here," he said with a nervous smile before whispering to her, "go before they accuse me of being a cradle robber."

She left giggling and laughing. He watched as others raced, among them a girl that could turn into mist. He had heard about her, but could barely believe his eyes. Then, he heard through his communicator that there was trouble at the gallery where Cisco was playing music. He rubbed his temples ready skip the elevator and just fly there. However, he only made it half way down there before he met with a severe looking Aqualad and a muttering Lagoon Boy.

"Blue, we need to borrow the Super-cycle to get to the Zeta Beam in Los Angeles,"

"No problem, she is this way," Blue said guiding them to Sphere's very own room, all at the insistence of Superboy. Sphere had been playing with David and Daniel who were the youngest of the whole place. "Sorry guys, la necesitamos un poco," he told them before the kids shrugged and left to play somewhere else. He really worried they kept coming all the way there from their town in Guatemala. He flew with them towards the city to help Sphere back home. There had been cases where she went to wonder on her own and they didn't want to risk it that night. He wanted to ask what the problem was since La'gaan kept muttering and Kaldur looked like he would prefer to be anywhere else.

"Blue," Kaldur was the one to break the silence, "are you really happy with the Titans?"

He was taken by surprise by the question, but he answered sincerely, "very."

"If you like working with traitors, I guess it works fine for you," La'gaan said before Kaldur threw him a look that told him to keep quiet.

He understood then that this happened because of La'gaan not liking Supergirl because of what happened a few weeks ago with H'El. He wasn't the only one, but it was just that Artemis and Duncan weren't so vocal about it. They pretty much stayed out of each other's way.

"I was there," he told them, "I saw what H'El was doing to her. That's why I am not angry at her. Besides, if the Earth was gone, and someone told me I could get my home and family back, well, I don't think I could be as strong as she was and give that up."

"But-" La'gaan started to say, but he clearly had no idea what to say to that. He was sure the same went for him.

"I guess the Titans need you more," Kaldur said watching for his expression, "the League was talking about having you join us."

"What?" La'gaan shouted what he was thinking.

"You have proven yourself very capable," Kaldur said.

"That's nice," he said trying to sound sincere but failing miserably. "If they had asked me half a year ago I would have said yes right away," he admitted, "but they do need me more."

"It was worth a try," Kaldur said with a shrug.

8888

Now he was seriously thinking of leaving the Titans.

"Thorax, please," he tried to reach Thorax before the song started. He cursed in his mind at whoever gave Kid Flash a karaoke machine as a present.

"There," Thorax said in triumph before a fast tune started.

"Oh, I know that song!" Miguel said with a smile. He was ready to hand him the microphone Kid Flash pushed to his hand a moment ago.

"Wait your turn love," Gabe said pulling Miguel back.

"Aww," Miguel said before giving Blue an apologetic look.

"Just so all of you know, I will have my revenge," he said taking a deep breath.

(AGAIN AND SO ON by Kinky)

Days wearing uniforms

One by one in a line

If you don't like yourself go fit the bones of someone else

All clocks hanging on walls

Should be in a countdown

Cause I don't care what time is it but how much time we've got

8

And every second I'm just living and living it up

And every second I'm just living and living it up

I can't believe it how I'm living and living it up

I'm still standing while I'm living and living it up

And again and so

And again and so

8

I got nothing to loose

I've got nothing yet

The sweetest thing is people trying for a whole new breath

My heart is becoming loud

I can't hear other sounds

A single wail from you will launch me far away from ground

8

And every second I'm just living and living it up

And every second I'm just living and living it up

I can't believe it how I'm living and living it up

I'm still standing while I'm living and living it up

And again and so

And again and so...

8

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Kid Flash said with an arm around his shoulder.

"Revenge," he muttered.

"That can wait, now who has number two?" Kid Flash said never losing a beat.

"I do!" Bumble Bee said waving the small piece of paper. Bart had the great idea to assign numbers to see who would sing next. "It also says to pick to someone to sing a duet with whoever got number one!"

"What?!" he shouted before trying to get hold of the speedster, but he was already gone.

"I pick…" Bumble Bee said looking around the room until her eyes landed on Thorax who was pointing at someone standing in front of him. "That girl?" Bumble Bee said before he started to rub his eyes. He had to be dreaming because there was no way she was here.

"Hey… ehm Blue," the red head said walking up to him.

"Brenda?" he asked confused.

"Like old times, right?" she offered him a nervous smile. She was as unsure about this as him.

"Right," he said trying to sound sure. He recalled the many years both spent in the chorus. He hated it but stayed only because of her.

"What about this one?" she asked selecting the song. "You really liked that song."

He still did. He used to listen to it all the time after his grandfather died. He remembered Brenda used to sing it with him.

"Alright," he said before she took the other microphone as the tune started, "acoustic?"

"Is there a better one?" she said with a wink.

(Where do the dead go? /A donde van los Muertos? By Kinky) (Bold/Jaime, Italic/Brenda, Bold Italic both)

La, la, la, la, la, la, la

La, la, la, la, la, la, la

Where do they go?

Where do they go?

Where do the dead go?

La, la, la, la, la, la, la

La, la, la, la, la, la, la

Where do they go?

Where do they go?

Where do the dead go?

They go around the world

The destination is unknown

They fly as owls

Looking for the deepest

Love me, love me, love me, love me

Love me because I fade away

Love me, love me, love me, love me

Love me that time is smoke

I beg you, we must die together

I implore you, let's die together

To die is to swim around the world

Without having to come out to breathe

…to breathe

La, la, la, la, la, la, la (x3)

Life is about to run us over

In the crosswalk

In heaven flowers rain

Here the cemeteries are filled

Love me, love me, love me, love me

Love me because I fade away

Love me, love me, love me, love me

Love me that time is smoke

La, la, la, la, la, la, la (x3)

Love me because the void is reaching us

Love me because everything is impossible

Let's avoid tomorrow there are more memories to be erased

Love me, love me, love me, love me

Love me because this is absurd! (x4)

Uhhhhhhh

Uhhh Uhhhh

Uhhhhhhhh

8888

Tracy had known some of the best detectives in the world, among them her father. She had trained under them most of her life. Something all of her teachers had told her was to follow her gut and right now her gut was telling her something wasn't right about watching the Blue Beetle and Brenda Del Vecchio singing together. Instead of listening to the song, she listened to those around her.

"Blue is usually so shy," she heard Zatanna say to Bumble Bee.

"I know, but I heard he has a story with that girl," Bumble Bee said, "she is really pretty."

"Who is that?" she heard Kid Devil ask Beast Boy.

"I think she is Blue's friend," the green teen said unable to look away from the red head.

Thorax seemed to be the best source of information as he was the one to bring the girl.

"He will thank me tomorrow for it," he said to another teen she had come to known as Tye. He came from El Paso and was an old friend of Jaime's according to his parents. She hadn't known he was a Meta until the day of the fight and saw him form a giant body of light.

"Isn't Red Robin going to be like royally pissed you brought her?" Tye asked Thorax.

"It was his idea or Miss Martian's. I don't know. They thought Blue needed to see his old chorus body and see? They still go it," Thorax said proudly.

"You used to make fun of them all the time," Tye said in a deadpan.

"That's only because I also had a crush on her and can't sing for shit," Thorax said calmly.

"You are not serious… actually, you are right. You used to act like a five-year-old does when they like a girl" Tye laughed wrapping a hand around his girlfriend's waist.

"And he used to hang on to every word she said," Thorax laughed,

"It's kind of sad they didn't end up together," Asami said with a sigh, "they make a cute couple."

"Nha, that ship already sank deeper than the Titanic," Tye said.

She turned to watch the singing duet. Blue Beetle no longer seemed to care that no one was singing as long as Brenda Del Vecchio was with him. She had talked to the girl a few times when visiting Madame Xanadu at the House of Mystery. The girl was apprenticing there and was very pleasant. She didn't get to know her better until she asked her about Jaime's well-guarded secret. She remembered she seemed uncomfortable at being questioned about him and she asked her why.

"We used to go out together," Brenda admitted, "he was also helping to capture my aunt because she was threatening his family. After that, we sort of just stayed friends. I don't think he would appreciate it if I went on telling his secret."

"So he does have a secret," she said with a smile. So, Jaime Reyes wasn't playing hard to get, there really was something he didn't want her to know.

"Please don't tell him I said anything. He is like one of my dearest friends since I was little," Brenda said wide eyed realizing her mistake.

"Do you still like him?" she asked her.

"Not like that. He is just a really nice guy. Besides, he doesn't see me like that anymore. I did something very stupid and almost killed one of our friends. He will never forgive me for that," so, she had given up, but that didn't mean the feelings weren't there.

As she watched them sing she didn't need any more proof to know the truth.

"You can leave if you want, I will tell Blue," Red Robin said behind her almost making her jump out of her skin. It took her a moment to realize he had planned this. He wanted her to find out about Jaime's secret, but she couldn't start to understand why. What did he gain from her knowing? From her watching her perfect guy sing in perfect sync with his old flame? Whatever it was, she didn't like it. She didn't know Red Robin that well but something seemed very off about the way he wanted her out of the way. Was he against them being together?

She nodded and started to leave, but she wasn't leaving the tower. She needed some space to clear her mind. It made sense now. The thing on Jaime's back was not magic, it was alien and that's why it felt like a void to her.

"Tracy, are you okay?" she turned around and found Thorax looking at her worried. He seemed to have realized something.

"Yeah, it's just a little crowded in there," she said leaning against the wall.

"Oh, do you need water, anything?" Thorax asked her.

"You are Paco, right?" she asked before the armored hero froze. "So that is Jaime," she sighed.

"I am sorry. I didn't think you would- It's not like he doesn't want to tell you. He just doesn't know how. I don't think I have seen him so happy as when he is with you," Paco said.

"You mean like when he is with Brenda?" she couldn't help rolling her eyes at him.

"He doesn't like Brenda like that anymore," he told her.

"Could have fooled me," she said turning to leave.

"She crushed my heart, literally. I already forgave her, but Jaime… Jaime just has a hard time letting go of things like that," Paco said following her.

"What do you want from me?" she said stopping.

"Please give him a chance to tell you," Thorax said.

"I don't know," she said with a frown.

"Listen, he really doesn't feel about Brenda like that anymore. What they are doing now is just venting off. That's the way they are. They don't like shouting or fighting, so they… well, listen," he said before she tuned in their words.

(Dark Day/ Negro Dia by Kinky –fragment-)

I see you coming

And I don't like it one bit

Had me under your control

I didn't expect it

The disillusion breaks me

But collecting the pieces from the ground

That's what finishes me off!

"The rest doesn't realize it because they don't know them that well," Paco said, "please just give him a chance."

"Fine," she sighed heading to the kitchen to get away from their voices.

My day has come

Another dark day for the two of us

My day has come

Another dark day for the two of us

But the Titan tower had a great echo. She could still hear them. She got to the kitchen and found there were no more cream puffs.

I'm going back to the den

To the same origin

At the same sidewalk

Where everything is born in any way

I don't deserve you or you me

Who is the bravest puts an end to this

My day has come

Another dark day for the two of us

My day has come

Another dark day for the two of us

As a buzz I leave

But I stay in your ear when you wake up

As a buzz I leave

But I stay in your ear when you wake up

After a long night of dancing

Dancing, dancing, dancing, and dancing.

Finally, they were over with the stupid song. Why couldn't they just talk things out like normal people?

"You okay Tracy?" Secret asked coming through one of the walls.

"Please don't do that," she said trying to calm her heart.

"Sorry," the young ghost like figure said, "you just seem sad."

"I am fine, don't worry Secret. Why don't you go with the rest?" she didn't feel like talking to anyone as she rummaged through the Titans fridge.

"I rather not, those two are just getting angrier by the second," Secret said with a fake shudder.

"Really?" she asked the girl.

"Yeah, it's hard to explain. But there is a lot of anger and regret and at the same time, they seem to be healing. I wonder what happened," Secret said with innocent curiosity.

"Oh, believe me, you don't want to know," she said feeling like she was going to get a headache.

"Tracy!" someone shouted her name scaring her for the third time that night.

"Spoiler, right?" she turned to find the blond vigilante looking at her with a wide smile.

"I have been looking all over for you," she announced excitedly.

"Why?" she asked her.

"Well, someone wants to meet you at the North balcony at midnight," her smile just kept on growing.

"Really? Who?" she asked wondering he Jaime's chance would be tested sooner than later.

"I can't tell," Spoiler said giggling like a fifteen-year-old, which she was.

"Your name is Spoiler," Secret said before she realized how contrasting the girls' names were.

"But that would be a bad spoiler," Spoiler said.

"Aren't all spoiler's bad?" Secret gave the other girl a superior smile.

"Not necessarily," Spoiler said looking like she was trying to think of an example.

"Was it Blue?" she asked her.

"What? How did you know? Wait, you like him too?" she feared her face would get some sort of permanent damage from smiling so much.

"It's more complicated than that," she told her before Spoiler's smile went down a few notches. "I will go," she said checking her cell and realizing she only had a few minutes. Note to self; don't hire Spoiler to deliver messages. "Make sure he doesn't know I know and that I will be there."

"Got it!" the girl said before running off.

888

His throat hurt and he swore he would have his sweet vengeance against Bart and Paco. Though it was fun to sing with Brenda again, in a few songs everything started to come out between the verses. At the end, neither could sing anymore and they pushed someone else to do it not caring about Bart's corrupt number system. He left Brenda to catch up with the rest while he went outside to get some air only to almost be tackled by Spoiler.

"Tracy said she would be there," she said with her wide smile.

"Really? Thanks," he said checking the time and realizing he had to hurry.

"Good luck!" Spoiler shouted at him.

"What was that about?" he heard Red Robin ask.

"Oh nothing, say do you have some horror movies around," Spoiler said. Smooth spoiler, really smooth.

He spotted Tracy at the balcony looking at the city. He froze for a moment. Should he go to her with the armor or without it?

"Blue Beetle?" she asked turning around. It was too late to decide now.

"Hello Tracy Thirteen," he said asking Khaji Da to keep him from making some stupid expression.

"You can call me Tracy, is there something wrong?" she asked him.

"Well, there is something I need to tell you," he started.

"You better stop it then. I am seeing someone," she said starting to walk away.

"I know. It's about that," he said taking hold of her hand. She gave him a look before he let her hand go. "I really don't know how to, though."

"It's getting late, make it fast," she said crossing her arms.

"It's about who I am," he told her before she raised an eyebrow at him in exasperation. "You see, a few years ago I was crossing this parking lot on my way home from the skating park and then there was this explosion that knocked me off my board and caught my sweatshirt on fire, and then I found this strange bug on the ground and it attached itself to my back and then it gave me this armor and then I-"

"I still don't get what you want from me? You want me to remove it? Because as far as I know that thing is more War of the Worlds than the Exorcist" she told him tapping her feet.

"I… the person who is under this armor," his throat was closing and he recalled the sand induced dream. How she didn't want him being the Blue Beetle and how he left her behind.

"Well?" she asked.

"Forget it." he said taking a deep breath and turning to stand on the balcony, "among the worst, I am the worst of all."

"Is that another song? Because I swear if you break into a song now I am sending you to an endless pit," she said behind him.

"That would be kind of nice," he said with a bitter laugh, "in the darkest room is where I feel best"

"Stop," she said hitting his arm.

"I am insufferable and unbearable; my defects are endless," he sang looking up at the moon.

"I said stop! Why can't you talk to me like a normal person?!" she said hitting him repeatedly.

"But, the moment of seeing you in the distance; your eyes fire a flash. My whole world stops completely" he said turning around to face her.

"I am not Brenda!" she shouted at his face.

"I know. And an angel takes the controls of my body. And to love you soft and delicately," he cupped her face with his hands and started to shed his armor.

"Jaime…" she breathed out when he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I am the best," he said before connecting their lips together. He had kissed her before, he had even kicked Paco out of their place so they could make out, but nothing like this. It was as if both of them were desperate to take each other's tongues.

Adrenaline, testosterone, and Phenylethylamine levels have increasing. Khaji Da announced before he asked him to stay out of it.

"Why do you have to be so difficult," she said releasing his lips for a moment before licking them, "you know you can-"

But he didn't let her finish. She wasn't pulling away from him. He kissed her again, this time pushing her against a wall before his lips slipped to her cheek, then her neck, and then her collarbone. One of his hands roamed the flatness of her belly while the other slipped up and down her leg.

"Jaime, wait. You are going too fast," she breathed out before he pulled back wide eyed. What was he doing? "no, wait Jaime. I didn't mean-"

"Sorry, I don't know what-" but seeing her swollen lips and heated face told him what happened to him. She happened to him. In that dream that felt forever ago, he had already seen her in all her glory and he almost had her. He was given a taste of heaven and refuted it. He was such an idiot.

"It's okay," she said taking his hand, "I just… don't want us to get caught out here and you know?"

"You sure?" he asked her.

"Ask me that again and I am leaving," she told him before he guided her to his room in the tower. He should take her to his apartment, but he didn't think he could wait or even concentrate to open a tear on the Bleed. He did his best not to run as they went to his room in a different hall. When he turned on the light he was thankful he had at least made the bed. Everything else was still in boxes. He started to take off his shirt and almost lost to it before Tracy helped him out of the treacherous thing. What he saw next undid him. She had already taken her shirt off and was smiling at him as if asking if he liked what he was seeing.

He ignored her outraged cry and picked her up before pinning her to the bed and returning where he left on her neck. Her complaints were soon replaced by little sounds that made his insides tremble as he worshiped her skin with his lips, teeth, and tongue. He loved those sounds almost as much as he loved the perfection of her body against his and he wanted to hear more of them and he wanted to feel more.

Her hands undid his belt and pants before he started doing the same to her, never once allowing his lips to let go of her skin. Had he always thirsted this much for this, or was it just for her? He couldn't stop his hands from touching and exploring every cranny of her body. He couldn't stop his body from responding every time she ran her delicate fingers through his skin before she ranked his skin with her sharp nails. He called her name though they were right next to each, but couldn't get enough. Her lips were searing hot and he wondered if it was magic or just his senses asking him to drench his thirst for her.

At one point, one of them turned off the light. He couldn't recall who, but remembered it felt like an eternity before their skins were touching again. His mind slipped and he no longer knew where one started and the other ended in the darkness. He kept calling her and she kissed him every time he did. He was going mad or he was dying. Nothing in life could feel or taste this good, but he was wrong. He was so wrong that he almost started laughing when he found what he had been thirsting for as her body squirmed underneath his.