268. Break the Circle part 28 Final
Above the City.
Stretching from East to West.
From North to South…….
….the Night sky bled the redness away.
The natural, ever-deep blue and black returned to the horizons and gave the stars the shine they always deserved.
The vaporous streams of Destruction faded away…..
….and in its place returned a gentle, cooling frost.
Flakes of white that scattered all around….
Blanketing the battlefield….
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
The whiteness settled gently over the heads of General Calvin and his soldiers.
Men poured out of artillery vehicles….gazing upwards at the natural aura returning to the worldly domain.
Soldiers with guns hanging by their sides finally peeled off their helmets and breathed together.
Back to back.
Side to side….
Absorbing the stillness of the City.
The silence.
The cold.
The reality….as Life returned.
Over the ashes and the heaps.
Calvin lowered his own helmet.
Ran a hand through his gray hair.
And shuddered……
Face melting…
Relaxing…..
A serene…subtle smile….
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
The snow fell lightly over the Subways.
The quiet mouths to the underground tunnels….
As citizens slowly…gently walked out.
Families in arms.
Couples, hand in hand.
Children with eyes gazing.
Mixed fear….mixed relief….
But overall……serenity….
The afterglow of Hell on Earth fading into blue and black obscurity.
And though the streets were lined with rubble….
And glass shards and twisted metal shells filled the asphalt pathways….
The people of the City couldn't help but exhale….
And gasp….
And weep…..
It was over.
Daniel helped Renee to the front of the crowd…
Gazing about.
They held each other….
Arm in arm….
Renee closed her eyes, shuddered, and leaned her head against Daniel's shoulder.
He stroked her hair lovingly…swallowed…and gazed straight up at the richly dark sky….
Lisa trudged out along with her sister….Greg and Ashley huddled at her sides.
Her one eye thinned…only to be surprised by the lack of a bright, unnatural redness to haunt her only optic.
Greg and Ashley gently released their fearful hold on her and gazed up. Murmuring in cadence.
Embracing the night as eagerly as ever they did.
Finally, Lindsay and her family emerged as one under the shadow of her father.
Her mother held little Phil….cradling….soothing his cries as she gazed in wonder at the wrecked—yet living City.
Pastor Rutland whispered a long prayer.
And Lindsay gazed….gazed….gazed….and gasped.
He was marching towards her.
Slowly…firmly….across the courtyard.
A wry smile on his face.
Lindsay ran out in a bolt. Smiling tearfully.
Tempest spread his arms.
Lindsay flew into them.
The two embraced….rocking back and forth…..
Him stroking her hair and smiling….saying something that made her giggle and punch his shoulder before sniffing back a sob and burying her face in his chest.
Lindsay's family watched from afar. Blinking…..
Tempest gently held her….hugging her to him…..gazing up at the blue and black sky above the dry land.
Exhaling……..
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
The Justice League assembled in the center of Downtown where Calvin's men were setting up a post-war base.
Sending companies out to take out terrorist stragglers.
Green Arrow and Black Canary sat on a weathered bench on the sidelines…sharing a cup of coffee. Glancing at each other and laughing about one thing or another.
The Flash was telling a joke to Irons, gesturing a previous scene from the day's battle….making a dramatic expression…and laughing…
Steel laughed…slapping his knee….shaking his head and nudging Flash….gazing up towards the coldly dark sky.
Batman perched on a buildingtop above. His cape blowing. Gazing out across the snow-flaked landscape. His arms folded.
His eyeslits narrowed.
He slowly turned around….gazing at Catwoman….
She leaned against a window pane.
Examining the threads of her whip-ends.
She glanced up at Batman….sexily winked….and smiled wide.
He gazed back out at the urbanscape….shaking his head.
Cold and silent….
Wonder Woman sat with Green Lantern besides an army med unit. Examining his wounds. She looked up from Stewart's cast. So did Green Lantern.
Superman stood, talking to Calvin.
Calvin uttered something and gestured to his men—hard at work.
Superman nodded, finished a sentence, and half-saluted.
Calvin marched off.
Superman stood silent. His uniform about as scuffed and scraped as his body.
He gazed over at his two fellow heroes.
Green Lantern shrugged.
Wonder Woman nodded.
A beat.
They both helplessly smiled…..subtly.
Superman's eyes narrowed.
He turned.
He gazed upward.
Looking past a gentle drift of snowflakes towards a nearby buildingtop.
….
….
Kara stood atop a seven-story building.
Overlooking the blue and black cityscape.
Her cape twirling in the wind.
She held her black hairband in her hand.
Twirling it over in her fingers….
….without looking.
She took a deep breath.
Two….
She jolted her body and flung the hairband outward…
…into the concrete, snow-drifting obscurity.
She didn't bother to see where it landed.
Instead….she absorbed the night…
…..the still and prosperous night….
…….and she smiled.
She smiled wide.
Her eyes tearing….
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"……………."
Changeling lay limp on the lofty balcony of Kobayashi Tower.
"…………..nnnngh…."
The half-elf stirred.
He sat up….wincing.
"Mmmmmrff…grfff…."
Rubbing his head….
He jolted as soon as a flake of snow touched his face.
But that wasn't what startled him.
Rather….
His lips pursed.
He dragged a blistering finger over his forehead….
His upper chest….
And felt on his own green skin…
….warm….salty moisture.
Tears……
"……………..!"
Changeling gasped.
"Terra…………"
He tilted his head.
He looked up.
Three figures stood on the summit of Kobayashi Tower.
A pink-haired sorceress.
Two blondes.
One tall.
The other petite—
"TERRA!.!.!" Changeling shouted.
He scrambled up.
He panted…panted….
With splicing gorilla arms he rushed…climbed…..scurried up the rest of the skyscraper.
-T-T-T-T-T-
"Are we all good to go?" Jinx murmured. Perched besides a hovering platform of rock.
Pulsade nodded. "Just about."
Terra exhaled….
"TERRA!"
Terra gasped.
She spun.
The other girls looked.
The green elf was blurring up the buildingside.
Panting.
Moving as fast as his green limbs could carry him.
"Terra! W-Wait! Please! Stay….J-Just stay!"
"Uhm….," Jinx bit her lip. Fidgeting.
Terra was breathless. Staring. Her hands flexing nervously…
Pulsade took a deep breath. "Terra…," she calmly breathed. "We really need to go…."
"……………"
The British blonde placed a gentle hand on the earth maiden's shoulder. "T-Terra…."
"I know," she shuddered. She glanced sadly over her shoulder at the two rogues. "Get on the rock platform. I'll….d-deal with this…."
Pulsade nodded. "Understood…"
Jinx blinked. "Wh-What are you gonna do?"
"Come on, Jean….," Pulsade urged them both along….onto the rock platform.
"B-But…what's she going to—"
"Let them be, love…."
Terra stood firmly atop the summit.
As soon as Changeling climbed up and rounded the summit—Pl-Plant! "Terra! Omigod….TERRA!"
She bit her lip. She spun. She scurried.
"Wait!" Changeling—wide eyed—reached a hand out and sprinted across the cracked, glass rooftop. "Just w-wait a minute! I beg you!"
"Nnnngh!" Terra's eyes glowed a hot gold as she swept her hand behind her…gathered scattered bits and pieces of rock and sattelite dish-shards….and produced a sudden, impromptu rocky barrier between the two.
SCRKKKKK-KKK!
TH-THWOMP! Changeling pressed himself up against it. Gritting his teeth. Shudderingly speaking: "T-Terra…please!…..Wh-Why are you doing this?" He panted. He pressed himself against the impenetrable wall. "Terra…talk to me….!"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
She shuddered.
Hugging herself beyond the wall.
Separated from the beast boy.
"You came here to this City for a reason. You saved all those soldiers and all those people down there for a reason! And I won't believe—not for a moment—that it was just to come here, do your trick, and run off! Please, Terra. You have friends here! You know that! Why else would you have come here?.!"
Terra bit her lip. She clenched her eyes shut and turned away from the rock wall. Shuddering, she said: "I'm leaving, Beast Boy….."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"……I'm leaving. And it has to be now. Now or never."
He panted.
Eyes thin.
Tearing.
He sniffed and leaned against the rock wall.
As if hugging it.
Hugging her beyond….
"B-But wh-wh-why, T-Terra?" he choked. Biting his lip. "Who told you that you had to leave?"
"It's n-not that, Garfield……"
"Do you feel like you're being used again, Terra? Do you feel that we're using you? Terra, the T-Titans are your f-friends!"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"We love you………"
Terra hugged herself.
Fighting back sobs.
Clenching her teeth and bracing herself back against the rock wall.
"………I……love you, Terra……"
At that, she shook all the more. A cold sob escaped her lips. A hiccup…and she gazed heavenward past the height of the rock wall and spoke:
"A-And I love you too, Beast Boy….."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"………and because I love you……I can't join you. N-Not again……"
Changeling shuddered. Wiping the tears that came down from his cheeks.
Listening.
Disbelieving…
But………
……….listening…..
"……I'm not welcome here. Not in this City. Not anywhere. Not yet. I'm still a criminal. And if I rejoin the Titans now……two things will happen. Firstly, I will be restricted because of my bad rep………and second……that restriction will hold me down from what I truly need to do………from what is in my responsibility to do……"
Changeling gulped. He shakingly said: "Terra……if it's help you need with your child…..I'll be there! I-I swear it! I-I-I'll even leave the Titans to help you--!"
"No, Beast Boy. You and the Titans have suffered in the circles of my tragic life enough as it is……"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
She hugged herself tighter.
Leaning against the rock wall.
Taking a deep…..heavy breath…..
And saying:
"I'm not about to repeat that. The circle must be broken. And a new path lies ahead of me…."
Her eyes fluttered open.
Still moist…..but hard…and determined.
In an adult voice, she said: "…as you must also start on a new path."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
He clenched his teeth and fought the tears.
"N-No, Terra…please…."
"Move on, Garfield. It is for the best……it is for our best that……th-that we both move on……"
"I-I-I don't want t-to move on, Terra…..," he shuddered and sobbed. "I-I want to be with you…..please….I-I just want to be with you…."
"Someday……you will understand, Garfield. Things are meant to be this way. You and I……we……w-we have to manifest our own destiny……"
Changeling panted…panted…panted….
"I shall never……ever forget you, Beast Boy. For what you did for me…….for all you've risked for me……"
He choked.
Wiping tears away.
Shuddering.
"Bring new life to the Titans, Changeling. Be there where I cannot. And if you see Kara……tell her……"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Terra leaned against the wall.
Smiling painfully.
Tears streaming from her sapphire optics.
"…..tell her that I'm sorry…..but I hope she'll understand. She is an angel…an angel from above. And I do-so-very hope to meet her again someday. But some people….as of birth….as of destiny…….are bound to the Earth……."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Changeling heaved…panted….swallowed.
And….
Silence.
…..
…..
…..
He blinked.
Lips quivering.
He gazed at the rock wall.
"T-Terra?"
……..
"Terra?.?.?"
…….
"…….nnnngh….Nnnnngh—RAAAUGH!"
He punched at the rock wall with an animalistic snarl.
SMASSSH!.!.!.!
The wall shattered into clumps and shards.
Clearing away.
Changeling stood—panting—alone atop Kobayashi Tower.
Terra was gone.
His eyes widened….refocusing.
He gazed up.
Squinted….
….and caught the gold glow of Terra and her two companions soaring upwards into the blue and black sky.
….until Pulsade's wave of a hand cast a cloak of invisibility over the three….
And she was gone for good.
Replaced by twinkling stars.
The omniscient, mute watchers of the Earth.
Changeling gulped and let his arms dangle in elf-form at his side.
"I shall always remember you too, Terra…..," he whispered.
And lingered on against the night….
Alone.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"……………………."
Bruised.
Tattered
Sweat and blood-stained.
"…………………."
I sat—perched—on the guardrail of an overpass.
Frozen in my right hand…was the Messenger's birthday gift.
The silver and wood harmonica
Cold….silent….
Mute.
"……………….."
I stared with rounded black eyes into the blue and gray haze of the snow-filtered City.
Breathing gently.
My throat sore…right at the 'X'.
My insides cold.
And I saw her….
And she had always been floating.
And she had always been drifting….hovering in places a living person could never be….
And the spots where she showed up…translucent and beautiful….
….with her short, angelic blonde hair fluttering in some wayward Breeze from the plains of Washington…..
….and her blue eyes ever glistening….
That smile….
That smile that churned me inside.
That gave me an excuse to breathe every morning I woke up from the dead….
That followed me every screaming step of the way Eastward to my new 'Home'.
"……………."
I swallowed.
My black eyes branded with her.
Holding my hand.
Hugging me in some cold, dank alley before my left arm leapt off of me.
Saving me from Trigon in the pits of the Lich.
Liberating me in Las Vegas.
Guiding me to her bloodline in Area 51.
In each freeze-frame blur of ecstasy….
She faded away….
Back into the oblivion where she belonged.
Where I never denied her being….
And yet…..
Where I never fully let her plunge alone into….
I let out a painful gasp.
Like Dagger had finally twisted the knife into my heart…
And I dropped the harmonica to the concrete behind me…next to where Myrkblade rested on the asphalt.
And I ran my right hand through my long black longs.
The hair I had grown long to hide me from myself.
The torn, scarred fourteen-year-old boy lying in his own blood atop a rock in some god-forsaken field.
Alone.
Alone……
I shuddered.
I clenched my eyes shut.
Wave upon wave racked through me…
And the tears screamed freely…..
It's been four years, Ana……
It's been four years……and I can't for the life of myself stop thinking about you……
I know you're dead.
I know you're dead……
But……
I feel you, Ana……
I feel you……
I-I still smell you……
Jesus……I can inhale you……
And it's like the golden mist rising from the cedar forests……
The warm bark of the tree hollow surrounding us………
I could fall into your lungs forever.
Just to feel you exist.
Dear God, just to feel you exist…………
I hiss.
I wince.
The tears are like burning venom screaming out my black eyes…….
Why can't I just……let you go?
Why, oh why, can't I just let you go?
I shuddered.
I caved in on myself.
I gnarled and dug my right fingers into my skull.
Pulling at my hair's roots.
A stifled…..quivering sofb.
Because I love you……
I love you so terribly much……
And I haven't stopped loving you, Ana……
God, I miss you.
I miss you so……so much………
I miss you so much, Ana……
Please……Please………
Stay with me……
Stay with me just a little bit longer……
The Titans……th-they won't understand……
Just……
Stay with me……
Stay…………………
I shuddered.
Long and hard.
I tilted my head up.
Black eyes painfully opening…..
And she was still there.
But her blonde hair was longer.
And her blue eyes were firmer….sadder…..
And she hovered unnaturally in the air….a red cape flapping.
And I woke up again….
"……….it's only fair to….t-to tell you, Jordan….," Kara said.
I gulped.
I nodded…..listening…..
"Slade…..Slade is gone….," Kara said. Her lips bit with hesitancy regardless of the coldly delivered 'good news'. "….Slade is gone for good."
"…………..," I took a deep breath.
I know.
I feel it……
"But………….," and she fidgeted in the air. Eyes trailing. Averting themselves from me.
I bit my lip.
Somehow, I feel this too……
"…..Terra…..she's alive…however…."
"………………"
"J'onn did a mental scan of the City. He reports that she's gone. She and….Jinx and Pulsade left……….those two scoundrels snagged her away from m-me………er…..from us…..," she said. A beat. She sighed and ran a hand through her long blonde hair.
My moist black eyes nakedly blinked.
Where did her hairband go?
"I…..I-I guess I shouldn't blame them…..I know that Terra's been through so much at this point….that…….sh-she isn't one to be coerced. At least….not without a fight….and she--hehehe—would have royally schooled their asses," Kara smiled.
I smiled too. But it was a temporary smile. For somehow I knew just as she knew that I could not perceivably weather what was coming next.
"But……….But J-Jordan……," Kara looked directly at me. Gulping. "J'onn did another r-reading…..and….a-and……"
"………."
She shuddered painfully. "He didn't make it…….."
"………."
She maintained her composure….for my sake. It made me want to hug her…..
But: "Your friend…..the l-little blonde boy………..Slade ended him soon before Slade himself ended……………..h-he's dead, Jordan……..I'm sorry……."
My lips pursed.
I was breathless….
….and yet…..I wasn't surprised.
My peripheral vision caught the cold, blue glint of the harmonica.
The tracing laughter and giggle of Ana.
The cold musical tone of reality….and how it tasted rustedly of little Jericho's sweet, sweet smile. The incessant way he would always steal my sleeping spot. The way he trembled from death and pain behind me…..and how I felt so, so inclined to protect him.
When I should have known…..destiny was not on his side…..
"Jordan………..J-Jordan….please…….for once….t-tell me what you're thinking……"
I shuddered.
I gazed off into the white flakes of the night.
The ivory glaze that fell like ashes on the land of the dead.
The pieces of Construction scattered forever.
Lifeless.
Formless.
The circle was broken….
….and yet I didn't feel anymore whole than I was when I first entered this City nearly a year ago.
With whatever jerking strength I could muster in Batman's damaged prosthetic….
….I raised both hands.
And hand-signed…as the tears began to flow….
'There was no hope for 'J'……'
I gulped.
I shuddered.
I finished:
'……as there is no hope for me.'
And in the middle of my gesture, I broke out.
Shaking.
Face scrunching.
I would have teetered over and fallen off the overpass….
…hadn't Supergirl have floated over….and engulfed me in a warm hug.
And mutely….like the ghost I was…..like the ghost you are, Ana……
I wept and wept in Kara's arms….
Burying my face into her shoulder.
Dying….softly…..
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"………………………," Changeling sat cross-legged atop the summit of Kobayashi Tower.
And there, he would sit for a good two hours.
His face straight.
His expression blank.
The tears dried away as he—thoughtfully—gazed on and on into the night.
Surrounded in his loneliness…..
Assaulted by his future.
And somehow…..
In some fashion…..
It no longer hurt anymore.
"……………….."
He gently closed his eyes.
And…..as if meditating…..
He exhaled long and hard into the night.
Expelling his youth.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"……………………."
Raven's eyes……
"…………………….."
Raven's eyes fluttered…..fluttered open…….
"……………………"
She lie on her back.
Her soft blue bangs draped over her brow.
She inhaled….and calmly…..
….gazed up and over.
Into the human and robot eyes of Cyborg….
…..who was kneeling by her bed.
For better or for worse…he was smiling….
As lovingly as he could muster….
As honestly…..
"Hey, cutie……," he whispered.
"…………….V-Victor…."
Her hand shakily rose.
He grasped it….firmly.
"It's me, Rae…..," he breathed. A hand brushed aside her stubborn strand of blue silk. "….the real….me….."
Raven's lips parted.
She took a deep, shuddering breath--
"The doctors did a good job on you. You're gonna be just fine….."
Raven whispered: "Something…..h-has died…..h-here tonight….."
"……….."
"Something……h-has died……"
Cyborg's face went tight. He said firmly: "Only what had to die, Raven….."
"……….."
"Only what had to die….."
Raven took a deep breath. Her lips moved to murmur something….but nothing came out but tears.
Cyborg dried them up with a titanium finger, softly leaned over, and engulfed her in an all-encompassing hug.
She leaned against him.
Violet eyes clenched shut as she murmured against him.
"I'm so sorry…..I-I'm so sorry……"
"Shhhh….so am I, Cutie……."
She shuddered….somehow relieved at that.
"So am I…….."
They rocked together under the MASH tent in silence.
Undisturbed for hours….
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Outside the medical stations….
Where the soldiers rushed back and forth to tend to the wounded within the Bayside Plaza….
Lieutenant Smith finished talking to Chapman, Banta, and his other officers.
He walked away from the line of men and came to a halting stop as he saw…..
"…………."
The Messenger sat on a lofty bench on the second tier of shops.
Sitting cross-legged.
Gazing northward….towards the raggedy summit of Wayne Enterprises.
In spite of his scrapes and injuries…..the dimensional-hopper looked calm.
Serene.
At peace….
"………"
Smith traveled up a flight of steps….walked past scurrying guards and equipment men….and stood before the Messenger.
The Messenger was in the process of taking a deep breath.
He smiled.
Warmly.
"I……I can smell it………"
"……..," the Lieutenant smiled nervously. "And……what does it smell like? 'Rebirth?'"
"…………," the asian teen looked his way. His almond eyes opened…..and he grinned all the warmer. "No…….Change."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
At the feet of Wayne Enterprises….
Where the Holocaust began and ended….
Starfire stood up…wincing….
….and so did a bleeding…wounded Tim.
The Boy Wonder took a series of deep, wincing breaths.
He limped over…hobbling to avoid the use of his one, profusely bleeding foot.
He limped….limped….limped….and came to a stop before the fallen corpse of Slade.
Starfire looked on from behind. Her hands cupped….wringing….
….her lips parted…..
"…………..," Tim knelt down with a jolt.
He sat before the body of Slade.
"…………"
He reached two hands forward.
He grasped the edges of the cowl.
He slowly…..unpeeled……lifted…..lifted…..and removed the mask from Slade's face finally…..
Starfire craned her neck to see. Emerald eyes curiously….worriedly blinking….
…..
Tim took a good…..long…..look at Slade's face.
The Boy Wonder's expression was blank. His lips tight….and his blue eyes calmly set. He leaned his head to the side. Studying from an angle. Blinking. Gazing.
"………………"
As slowly and steadily as he began….Tim ended by sliding the cowl back over Slade's face….and hobbling back up to his feet.
Starfire limped over and stood behind him.
She murmured: "Who….Wh-Who is he, Robin?"
"……………."
"Who is Slade?"
"………….."
The Boy Wonder took a deep breath…his blue orbs locked on Red Aviary for one last time.
"He is dead."
He turned and hobbled over to Starfire. She extended an arm. He accepted it. Hand in hand…the two limped away from the corpse…
…and on into the embracing night…where they ecstatically sobbed together.