The sound of crying was heard, but everything else was quiet. No one knew how to react to the death of the young boy; most were shocked, some felt sick, and a few felt dread. He was so young. So small. He died to quickly.
The bullet pierced his heart. It went right through the R on his suit. The cocky boy with a silvertongue was now silent. And that really didn't feel right.
Wally West, Robin's best friend, refuse to speak. Refuse to eat. Refuse to leave his room. He didn't even show up to the wake. It would only make matters worse. He just sat on his bed, in the corner, knees up to his face, and dry tears clinging to his spotted face. He stared at the pile of untouched food that his mother and father would leave, hoping he would soon to take a bite. Nothing. He didn't even leave a fingerprint on the utensils.
Kaldur'ahm was an Atlantian who knew Robin for the longest of times. Hearing upon the boy's death nearly broke him. He had felt the grief of someone dying, but Robin was simply too young to meet his fate. Robin, or Dick Grayson - now that they know, was only thirteen. He could've grown up, got married, have children... But how could that be when he was dead? Kaldur didn't know what to say or do. So, he stared. At the wall, waiting. As if Dick were to walk right through it and say, "Hey, guys! Whoa, Kaldur, you look like a disaster! Heavy on the 'dis'." But he never did.
Conner Kent was angry. He broke things. He punched things. He wanted to hurt something. He wanted to hurt the guy that murdered Dick. He wanted to murder the murderer. Rip his head off. His anger was out of control - he was blind with rage. They locked him in his room. And he destroyed the walls that kept him caged. He punched, he kicked, he clawed. It didn't even look like a room anymore. He didn't even look like a person anymore. But more of an image of a monster.
M'gann M'orzz didn't take death well. She cried. And cried. And cried. Until she couldn't cry anymore. Her weeps were making the situation worse; it reminded everyone what she was crying about. Her heart was crushed and trampled on. She loved Dick like a brother. He was always there for her and she the same for him. But not always. Perhaps, if she were there, she could've stopped the bullet. She could've moved it out the way. Or something! Guilt was eating her up, and she couldn't help but be devoured.
Artemis wanted to throw-up. She was sick to her stomach because of the innocent blood that was spilled. But that just wanted to make her spill someone else's blood. What a predicament. She would kill to bring back the dead. Hell, she would even practice necromancy just to see his smile, or hear his infamous chuckle, one last time.
Now, Bruce Wayne searched. He hadn't sleep for days; his only way to keep the pain off his chest was to just work. Many times, Alfred asked him to take a break. To take a rest. Bruce refused, venom in each word he said. He was sad. Pained. He had lost his parents as a kid. Now, he lost Dick, who was practically a son to him. The whole "Batman and Robin" thing would just simply be "Batman." And where's Robin? They would probably ask. Dead. He would simply answer.
Yes. Dead. The word wasn't really foreign to anyone. But death had this way of playing with you. Had this way of taking away the ones you love the most. Red Arrow is no where to be found; gone ever since the bad news. It was hard to say how he was feeling.
The wake was quiet. Many refused to show up. It was hard to see a deceased child. To those who went, they can tell you how pale he looked. How cold he felt when they touched him. That wasn't right. He was so nice and kind. So warm at the touch. And now he was cold. Very, very cold.
It was sad.
*0*0*0*
Weeks passed. Months began. Some were coming to realize that he was never coming back. Others didn't want to believe such things. They wanted to have faith. Hope. But it was still a lost cause. Young Justice wandered around aimlessly in the cave.
What do we do now?
They had thought many times. It wouldn't feel right if they went on a mission without their youngest being by their side.
Ever since Robin died, the team noticed how odd M'gann had been acting lately. She would look behind her, eyes widening for a brief moment. Or how she would just stare in a corner for hours and hours. As if she was communicating mentally with the wall.
Just like she was doing now.
"M'gann?" Artemis asked, voice straining, but loud enough to catch the martian's attention.
M'gann turned her head, noticing Artemis bending down to sit next to her. The couch was always so strangely comfy. "Yeah?" She said with little tone.
"What's up with you? No offense and all, but..."
Conner seemed to get where this was going, so he finished Artemis's sentence, "But, why have you been acting strange?" That was somewhat a rhetorical question; there was an answer to half of the question, and everyone can understand how she probably felt.
"How so?" The red head asked, tilting her head in the slightest. She was like a robot. Her eyes were lifeless, and her voice was monotoned. She acted like some kind of puppet in a way.
"Well, you seem distant. You stare in certain places, as if someone was there. But isn't."
M'gann stared deep into Conner's eyes. She ignored the other teenage eyes that gazed at the two of them; she kept her eyes on Conner. And then her eyes began to water and she threw her head in the palms of her hands.
"I..." She paused to sob. "I... I know he's... I know Robin's dead, but..."
Wally seemed a bit offended. But? But what? He was dead. Gone. Bye-bye. He tsked and walked infront of the couch, gaining everyone's attention. "But?" He snapped a bit too harshly, making a few jump in the process.
"But I keep seeing figures. Figures of him. He..." She hiccuped and looked toward the corner from before. "I think he's still here, spiritually. He tries to talk to me, but he can't. I can't hear him."
The speedster stared at her, and then the wall. Was she seeing Dick at the moment? "Why haven't you said anything?"
"I thought I was hallucinating. That my mourning for him caused him to become an image in my mind. I don't even know anymore, though. He looks so helpless. Like we need to help him in some way..."
"You're saying that Robin is most likely here? In this room?" Kaldur finally asked.
She nodded, "Yes."
"How come we can't see him?"
"I think he is still in my mental link... Someway, somehow."
Artemis spoke again, "Can you connect us to him?"
M'gann certainly didn't think of that. Maybe she could. But maybe she couldn't. She thought about it, hesitation consuming her for a few seconds, "...I guess."
Wally grabbed her shoulders and shook her a bit, "Well, come on! Let's do it!" His smile was...maniacal. It was a smile that the Joker would be jealous of. She looked horrified at his expression, but nodded all the while and did what they asked.
Suddenly, everything felt different. To the five of them, the air felt cold and a bit eerie. They were taken aback and just stared at the floor; what a rush. It was like a brain freeze, without the freeze. And then a voice called Wally's attention.
"Guys?" Said the voice. Wally was the only one who turned.
Here I am. With another tale. YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh. I hope you like it. And whoo! Cliffhanger. Eh, yeah.