My uniform was ripped, my face cut and a small crack I my mask, not dangerous yet. I had my scythe tucked into my belt. My gloves were covered in dirt and the blood seeping from a slash on my hip and lower leg.

Maybe my plan had backfired a little.

I managed to make it across the small stretch of ocean and to the front doors of the large tower before my leg gave out underneath me.

Catching myself on my hands the arm holding the tracker throbbed as if reminding me I couldn't really escape.

But I needed help and they were the only ones could go to.

The giant 'T' cast a shadow on me while I reached up to ring the bell.

Far behind the thin metal door I could hear the metal steps that could only be one person.

"Yea?" He stuck his head out the door, the one red eye glaring out.

"Cyborg?" My voice cracked. I didn't expect the swirl of relief swelling inside me. It was so new compared to the numbness of before.

He looked down, the human side of his face paling with shock.

"Grim!"

"Hi," I sighed, sinking farther to the ground.

"We've got to get you inside," he gestured me forward, turning to the inside where I heard more footsteps.

"I can't do that," I gave him a clue.

"What do you mean?"

I pointed to the small pool of red pooling around my waist and leg. "I can't."

It took only a moment for the large boy to scoop me up like the child I was. We passed a few blurry figures but I couldn't see them. The glass on my mask clinked in my ears, letting out what little air remained.

I couldn't pass out, I couldn't.

I must have passed out however. Because when I woke up I felt much better.

My head was clearer and my injured side and leg were bandaged.

When I found enough strength to open my eyes I found myself in the infirmary, my arm hooked up to an IV drip. Looking down to my body I found my cape missing and my uniform stitched up, the areas previously exposed to the air throbbing. Panic welled in me and I reached to my waist. Fortunately the scythe had not moved.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins and the heart monitor beside me yelled a warning.

Jumping at the noise something tugged on my face. An oxygen mask. It was hooked up to a huge metal tank on the floor.

Annoyed that I'd broken my mask I swung my legs to the floor, moving the tank closer. I supported myself on the bed, my bandaged leg aching horribly.

The heart monitor now sounded like an alarm system and with one flip I turned it off. Ears ringing, I didn't catch the sounds of footsteps in the halls.

"Grim!" Robin's voice cried as he and the other members of the team tumbled in.

"Hi guys," I smiled, my voice breaking.

I shouldn't feel this happy. They were just people. What was going on with me? I tried to shake the feelings away but they wouldn't leave.

"Friend!" a red haired mass threw herself at me, warm arms wrapping around my neck.

"Careful Star," I fell back on the bed, my injuries protesting the new weight.

"Oh!" she jumped back and I never thought I'd been so happy to see her eyes fill with tears. "I am so sorry my friend I did not mean to cause you harm!"

"I don't think there's anything you could do to make it worse," I re-gripped my IV drip and stood.

Cyborg smiled and shook his head. "You scared us half to death Grim. By the time we got you to the infirmary your mask had shattered and I think you bleed out half your body weight."

"Sorry," I smiled. "I didn't know where else to go."

A tiny green mass came from nowhere, thin arms gripping around my chest. Gasps of air came from him and I, slightly confused touched the top of his head.

"Beast Boy," I tried– and failed– to comfort. "It's alright. I'm ok."

He nodded, and I moved his hair back to see tears streaked cheeks.

"I missed you," he sobbed. "I thought... I thought..."

"Hey," I pushed his shoulders back and looked him straight in the face. "You know very well I am the master of death. There isn't anything on this earth that can kill me."

Beast boy laughed slightly, looking up at me.

For a moment, just one tiny moment I saw the eight year old from my world. A happy, relived little kid who was excited to see me.

"Gar–" I paused, catching myself. "Beast boy you can let go now." I suppressed my wince as his death grip loosened.

"Oh yea."

He was so close. I could do it. I could finish my mission.

My fingers tightened on my weapon. He could be dead in just one moment. But no, not with the others around. It wouldn't be safe, wouldn't be proper.

"We'll leave you to get some rest," Robin shooed the others out. "I'll bring in some breakfast if you'd like."

"No thanks," I smiled, my fingers falling from my belt. "I'll get some later."

And with that the group was gone.

I sat in my room for a while before falling asleep. This couldn't be possible. I couldn't... I just couldn't do it.

'Yes you can,' I growled out loud. 'You have to'

And with that I went back to sleep, dreams enveloping me.

BREAKLINE

"What did you have in mind for this fun?" Slade asked.

"A small outing," I tried to feel joy but only a small spark of hope that I may, once again, see the sun.

"Explain," Slade linked his fingers together.

"How much would you like to see the titans writhing before you?" I couldn't stop the words coming out of my mouth. They weren't mine!

"More than anything on this earth."

"Here is my plan," I began.

Slowly in developed in front of me. I should have felt remorse or disgust but I couldn't.

"And how will you get them to trust you after all this time you've been away?"

"No one thinks to hard when you've got an injured puppy." I smiled as I drove my scythe across the back of my leg.

"Well," Slade's unbridled joy filled the room in the form of a dark laugh. "I might enjoy this after all. My young protege."

I'm not sure how many buildings I feel off of, how many muggings I submitted myself to or why I felt the need to, once more, drive my scythe through my skin. But once done with my preparations I seemed to find my mind again.

Pain covered every inch of me. Bright violet bruises blossomed across my skin and I knew why I had been so willing to injure myself.

It was punishment for what I had done to Deathstroke. Villain he may have been but I wasn't the one to hand out vengeance.

"Death is not for us to decide. That is fate's job. We can only guide and shape it, never control it."

Who had told me that again? A dark face, covered in a cowl came to me. Who was that again? It seemed to come from another world, another lifetime.

When I woke my heart was pounding. My dream was fuzzy, pain filled. And there were so many bats. Why were there so many bats?

I rubbed my palms on my sore eyes, bumping the growing bruise on my cheek bone.

It was time to get up and leave the world of dreams behind.

BREAKLINE

My injured leg shook painfully and I ignored it. My air mask was still on, attached to the half empty tanks on the floor. For a moment my heart sunk at the prospect of carrying that down the hall with me when I saw a box on the bedside table.

Picking it up it unwrapped the poorly taped newspaper box to find a shining black device able to clip onto my shoulders. Attached with a thin, but efficient hose was a face mask.

Managing to smile I clipped it onto my uniform. It was lighter than the last one, more firmly attached to my face.

Losing the medical mask I stood.

I felt a prick in the crook of my elbow I looked down. The IV drip was still securely lodged in my arm. Several more wires hooked into my skin and I removed them without second thought.

The monitors behind me went nuts and with one deft motion I shut those off too. I limped down the hall, examining my long forgotten house. Maybe not long forgotten. But, back then, it felt like it had been eternity.

My long cape was missing, most likely thrown away from all of the rips and cuts. But somehow I still felt like a rippling shadow as I made my way down the hall. As figures rushed past me I instinctively shrunk into what little shadows there were.

Then I realized who those figures were and came back into the light.

"Hey guys!" I smiled, waving slightly.

"Grim!" Robin spun around, chest heaving. He was so alive.

"Dude!" Beast Boy's eyes were wide. "You gave us a heart attack!"

"When the monitors went out we thought you'd–" Raven was practically shaking.

"I'm fine," I smiled, never let it reach my eyes. "See?" I stepped forward again and this time my leg gave out.

"Rynir!" Starfire dashed forward and grabbed me. Her arms were steady and the name seemed to send an electric shock through me.

"Haven't heard that in a while," I looked to her. But I managed to recover enough to stand straight. "I'll be fine Star. Still waking up."

"I believe someone who is 'waking up' would be able to walk," Starfire frowned.

"Why are you out of your bed anyway?" Cyborg asked.

My growling stomach answered.

"Why didn't you say so?" Beast Boy grinned. "I'll fix you up the biggest breakfast ever!"

"No you don't!" Cyborg pounced. "I'm not having any of your nasty tofu!"

"It's not for you," BB ran down the hall, Cyborg at his heels. "It's for Grim."

Raven shook her head, exasperated.

It took a moment for me to realize that I was smiling.

"We'd better hurry," Robin chuckled. "They're probably tearing the kitchen apart."

"This is not good, yes?" Starfire asked, turning her attention from me as I managed to get my feet back under me.

"Yes, er no," Robin pulled his thoughts together. "They shouldn't be tearing up the kitchen."

"I shall check on them!" And with that she shot down the hall.

I watched her go, a little off balance from the backlash of air.

"You sure you're alright?" Raven asked, violet eyes staring me down.

Hadn't she been taller before? Or had I grown?

"Fine. I smiled. "Just hungry."

"So Grim," Robin interpret falling into step on the other side of me. "How is that new mask working out for you?"

I assessed the mask, checking the strap behind my head. It hadn't slipped but the snug fit wasn't trying to push my brains out the top of my head.

"It's really light," I commented. "But I can't really feel any difference in the air it's filtering."

"Cyborg spent every last minute of his time on that," Raven smiled like a proud mother. "Ever since you..."

She trailed off, remembering my disappearance.

"Grim," Robin's face was dark. "What happened to you?"

This time he was interrupted by an egg as it flew past his ear and into the hall.

"What the...?" Robin looked into the kitchen where a milk covered Beast Boy and an egg covered Cyborg wrestled for the frying pan.

Over head a panicked Starfire tried to calm them down. "Please friends! Do not fight. This is a simple remedy."

"Whoa guys!" Robin dashed forward.

"I have tried everything," Starfire ducked a plate which crashed on the floor.

As the red head continued to explain Raven picked the cracked utensils and put them back together.

"Come on guys," I laughed, limping over to them. "How about we just go get pizza?"

"Sounds good," Beast boy smiled and changed into a dog, shaking off the milk.

Cyborg drove the T-car, Robin right behind us in his motorcycle, Starfire behind him. Raven claimed the front seat which left me in the back with Beast Boy.

When we came out into the day my eyes burned and I shut them.

"What's wrong bud?" BB asked.

"'S just bright," I slurred, covering my eyes as they slowly adjusted.

How long had it been since I'd had any proper sunlight? Three, four months?

And if I'd had been gone that long how did the titans trust me?

"Of course you will," Raven sighed.

"Come on Ray!" Beast Boy took her hand and dashed forward, leaving both Cyborg and I in the dust.

"So..." I watched Raven follow the short green skinned boy with a smile.

"Them too?" I asked Cyborg.

"Yea," the car locked clicked shut. His face was so sour I almost laughed.

"I assume all the happy couples aren't the best atmosphere?" They vanished inside the parlor leaving the half robot boy and I alone.

It would be so simple.

His steps grew closer, along with the words that didn't quite reach me.

I would just turn and with one jab he would be helpless. My fingers twitched at my belt. I could grab my scythe right now. So simple.

"–you think so Grim?" Cyborgs words reached me.

"What?"

"I asked what you think of all the happy couples."

"Oh, yea. I agree."

"Something wrong?" His metal hand dropped on my shoulder. Even in those cold fake fingers I knew the spirit behind them was alive.

One quick jab, one swipe and he would hold still forever.

"No," I lied, smiling. "I'm fine."

"Sure," he smiled. "Should we head inside?"

"I–" my throat caught. He was happy, content, if a bit annoyed. I could stop it right now.

"You coming?" Beast Boy stuck his head out the parlor door.

"Yea," I shook my head of the thoughts, "coming."

"I know what's wrong," Cyborg helped me inside.

"You do?" My heart stopped.

only three reviews for the last chapter? I thought that twist was cool... :(

This chapter is dedicated to 3DPhantom, BrightPath2, and minerbiulder12 for being my reviwers :)