Beast Boy is dying.
He's lying in my arms as we are surrounded by a sea of red.
The sky turns to crimson.
The Oceans churn up blood.
And every single living thing is turning to stone. Twisting, granite corpses. Frozen forever in tortured, writhing poses.
The redness is creeping up towards the splotch of concrete where Beast Boy and I are sheltered.
In the distance, the demonic laughter of my father echoes across the hellish theatre.
Beast Boy twitches. Blood seaps out from his lips. He quivers and clutches a mess of lacerations dug into his neck. The mark of a demon...
"J-Just stay calm, Beast Boy...," I pant. I murmur. My long blue hair waves in the hot air as the redness seaps closer... ...closer... "I'm going to think us a way out. Th-There has to be..."
"Nnngh...Sllppp... .. ...R-Raven...," he whispers at me. Choking on blood. He twitches. "Nightwing.. ...Starfire.. .. ..a-and Cyborg.. ... .. ..they are still out there... .. ..If anyone c-can do anything... .. ...it's you and them. Slpp--snkktk.. .. ...d-don't waste y-your time.. ... .on m-me..."
"No...No!" I hold tighter to Beast Boy and look around us, hyperventilating.
The red aura is creeping up the slab of a buildingside we're one. Heat and sulfur boil. Scraps of plants and dead insects are turning into tortured stones in a wave towards us.
We are trapped.
"... ...I'm not letting all of you suffer...," I seethe. "Not again!"
"Raven... .. .."
"I... ...I-I brought this upon the world.. .. ..I should be able to get us out--"
"Raven.. .. ...n-neither one of us...snkkt... .. ..is st-strong enough to f-fly... .. ...and b-b-besidesssnkkt...," Beast Boy wheezes. He tilts a sickly head towards the redness creeping up the slab. "... .. ...the blood... ...snkkkt... ... ..remind me again... ...wh-what happens... ... ..when I t-turn to stone... .. ...?"
I bite my lip...
He looks weakly at me. ".. ...it is Hell, isn't it? Slpp---Everyone t-turned to stone... .. ..lives h-his nightmares inside h-his head... .. ..slppp... ...for eternity, or something, r-right...?"
I clench my eyes shut. "... ...Yes... ...Yes, Beast Boy... ..."
His lips quiver. He leans into me and gurgles. "I... .. ..I-I would r-really not want that to happen... ... .." He stares at me for as long as he can.
I start to shake. And to shiver. I bite my lip and slowly... .. ...slowly nod...
Beast Boy exhales. He falls limp in my grasp and chokes on more blood.
I gently.. ...gently reposition myself so that my hand is holding him up by the back of his head and my other hand is resting on his chest.
"Snkkkkt... ... ...pl-please... ...please, Raven..."
Flassssh!
The red touches his feet. His toes and ankles turn to stone. The torturous granite travels up his body, metamorphasizing him into agonized marvel. Slowly, inch by inch.
He shudders as tears roll out of his bleeding eyes. "P-Please..."
I take a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Beast Boy...," my hand travels slowly up the front of his body. "... .. ...I'm s-so sorry..."
"Snkkkt... ...D-Don't be sorry...," Beast Boy whispers with a distant, infantile voice. He leans his head back as his knees... ..thighs... ...and waist turns to stone. I can feel the short green hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. ".. ...y-you are an angel, Raven... .. ..only th-that..."
I take a sharp breath. My hand travels up.. ...and clamps over his face. Two fingers digging into his forehead. I meditate...Meditate...
"Sllpp... ...T-Terra...," Beast Boy wheezes as a final tear rolls down his eyes. "... .. ..Terra... ..I-I'm so sorry I cannot join you..."
The stone transformation is up to his shoulders.
I take one breath... ...two...
"... ... .. ..."
POW!.!.!.!
A wave of black telekinesis surges through my wrist.
Beast Boy's skull implodes just seconds before the stone can consume him.
The granite transformation stops just inches below the meaty remains of his cranium.
And he's silent.. ...
And peaceful... ...
Forever...
I fall to my knees.
Shaking.
Tears rolling down my pale cheeks...
"... ... ... .. ..."
"... .. ...my daughterrrr..."
I inhale sharply.
His voice rumbles through the world and shakes me.
".. ... ..you know perfectly well.. ... ...you cannot save ALL of them... .. ..."
A wave of dark magic pulses over the sea of blood.
Sulfur and ash rise.
And what's left of Beast Boy's body roasts before my very eyes.
"Hrhkkk-hah hah hah HAH HAH HAH HAH!"
I forget how long I am screaming.
There is no sleeping in this land of echoes.