Wash Away The Pain

Terra lay on top of Byrnes, fading in and out of consciousness, feeling life slipping away from her.

Many thoughts ran through the dying girls mind. Tears were still pouring from her eyes. Blood was still running down her chin. Nothing's changed.

"Could I have done better? Could I have defeated him, and saved us? Saved the city? It's all gone now. I failed. I was a miserable Teen Titan. I was a miserable sister and a miserable friend. I just deserve to die. I just wish I could have seen my friends one more time. And maybe said goodbye. I would want to just hug Beastboy one more time, just to feel him. Just for him to say everything's OK, and that we're all fine. But they're unconscious, and Byrnes is dead. I'm dying. So does it make a difference?" Terra asked herself these questions, as she was slowly falling away from the world.

It started to rain. The dirt around them was turning into mud, as Terra and Byrnes would share the same muddy grave. It was cold, and Terra started to shiver. She huddled closer to her brother for warmth, but no warmth came from the dead body. No life was left in him. Or her. The rain came down harder now. She was drenched, draining the warmth from her body even more. She started choking, gagging for just a bit of air, but she was suffocating. Her lungs had collapsed.

"I'm sorry Byrnes." Terra choked out in her last breaths.

"I'm sorry Robin, Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and my Beastboy. I let you all down. Forgive me." Terra said, as all life left her body.

The city was ruined. The skyscrapers fell. Streets were empty and ruined. The dream creatures had raided the city, destroying everything. They had haunted everyone, and sucked the life right out of their bodies. There were survivors, they had fled town when the mayhem first started. But nothing remained. Nothing remained in the town the Teen Titans had sworn to protect. Nothing remained in a town, so happy, so free. Now empty and lifeless, just like Byrnes and Terra. The Titans would awake, to the ruins of the city. To the loss of their friends, and the face of Slade, mocking them, as he had finally won.

A single heartbeat was heard. It came from the crater. It became louder and stronger, growing faster and faster. Byrnes's eyes shot opened, glowing the ghostly white color. He took a breath of the ruined air, and came to life. He felt something around him, as he looked down at his body. His sister's arms were wrapped around him, as she lay cold and lifeless on him, just like he once was.

"Oh poor Terra, I'm so sorry." Byrnes said weakly. "I never should have let you get involved." I'll make everything right again." Byrnes said as he slowly rose, with his dead sister in his arms.

The rain was still pouring, washing away all the blood, all the pain. Byrnes gently set Terra down onto the ground. He stuck his hands out, and concentrated all his inner strength. The Shine Reaver weakly appeared in his hands. He held the sword down to his sister's forehead, and placed the tip upon her brow. He closed his eyes and concentrated once again. Everything became silent. A load heartbeat was heard. It kept growing and growing, like when Byrnes had brought Terra back from her stone form. All her cuts dried up and disappeared, her inner wounds healed. The beating stopped, as reality came back to them. Terra took a huge breath of air, like she had been holding her breath for many minutes. Byrnes fell to his knees as the Shine Reaver disappeared.

"Byrnes!" Terra yelled as she climbed to her feet and raced towards her kneeling brother.

She wrapped her arms around him, and he winced in pain, but didn't let Terra notice.

"How are we alive?" Terra asked

"The Shine Reaver brought me back, and I healed you." Byrnes said weakly

"Then why don't you act all better?" Terra asked

"Because I'm not." Byrnes said sadly, clutching his ribs

"I'm just brought back to life, but not healed. My damage is permanent. Just like everyone else's."

"Then how are you here?"

"This was the Shine Reaver, not me. It brought me back, and I brought you back. Now it's drained."

"So it's gone?"

"Let's just say, until I get better, it won't be back."

They looked up into the rain, realizing they were back from the dead. They didn't see anything when they were dead. Just black. Terra slowly raised them from the crater with a boulder, and they flew towards the ruined city. It was a wasteland. It looked like a bomb had been dropped on the city. Buildings were burning, trees were fallen, no signs of life.

"We have to go back to Titans Tower!" Terra said, "Everyone's asleep, they can help us!"

"There's no time. Slade must be stopped now, before this destruction spreads." Byrnes said, floating away from Terra's boulder.

"Byrnes, you're in no condition to fight Slade."

"What condition is there to fight Slade Terra? This is all or nothing. Win or die. I have to kill him now, or he'll always win."

"Why do you think that? We can regroup and defeat him together!"

"No, he's getting stronger, the quicker they spread, the more people the dream creatures feed on, making them more powerful. And the more powerful they get, the more powerful Slade gets. I have to stop them now."

"Why do you keep saying I Byrnes? I'm here with you!"

"Terra, if I die again, there's nothing left to bring us back. Then he'll come after you, and kill you with the creatures. And you wont come back this time."

"Damn it Byrnes, don't worry about me like that, I have to fight him too!"

"You died last time! What makes you think you can beat him now that he's more powerful? You have a life to live Terra, you have friends! You have a family. I have nothing!"

"You have me Byrnes."

"And I don't want to lose you. That's why I choose to fight him alone. For you."

Byrnes put his hand on his sister's shoulder, and brought her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, through the pain. Then without any notice, he floated away from Terra, and shot into the direction of the city. Terra didn't follow, she instead sat on her rock, and cried once again.