Into the Depths – Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One
Illuminating Agony

“Koriand’r, get up.”

What?

“I have a surprise for you.”

A surprise?

Green eyes flickered open. For some reason, Starfire expected to feel pain. But there was none. Why? Shouldn’t there be pain? But why would she think that? Why must there be pain? There needn’t be any pain. Everything was well. Oh. Who was that voice? Something in Starfire’s heart pulled and tugged and begged and pleaded. But for what purpose? Something was missing. Something dear to her heart was missing. It was a name, wasn’t it? Someone had a name. That someone was dear. That someone was special. But… What is dear? What is special? These terms, these words, Starfire didn’t know.

She couldn’t remember.

Starfire noticed light around her. She sat up, looking around at her surroundings. She was home. This was Tamaran. It was grey. There was no color. Shouldn’t there be color? What was color?

A hand grabbed her by the arm.

“Get up.”

Starfire allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. Once standing, she looked up. It was her sister, Blackfire.

Emotions poured through Starfire’s soul. They were numerous, they were so conflicting, she couldn’t understand what it all meant. She wanted to reach out to her sister, every element of her soul thrilled to see Blackfire alive. Why would that be wonderful? Why would that bring her joy? What was so important about being alive? Why, at the very same time of these glowing emotions, did fear and trepidation crawl upward, poisoning and tainting them?

“Sister, you are alive,” whispered Starfire, smiling at her. How foolish. There was no reason to feel fear. There was no reason not to trust her sister. Blackfire was the one who protected her as a child. Blackfire had been her companion as a child.

There was no reason to trust fear and doubt.

Dark grey eyes glimmered with the shadows.

“I have a surprise for you, my dear sister,” said Blackfire, an element of mocking in her tone. Starfire ignored this. Her sister always said cruel things. It was simply who Blackfire was and Starfire accepted it. Her hair was black, thus her name. Her eyes were grey. Were they always grey?

“A surprise?”

A dark smile lifted Blackfire’s face.

“Oh, yes. A surprise.”

ooOOOOOoo

“Garfield.”

Huh?

“I have some bad news, son.”

Son?

Beast Boy opened his eyes. Grey entered his vision. He was lying down. Shouldn’t he be hurting? He had landed on his butt, hadn’t he? Why was everything grey? That’s not cool. Green was a much better color. He turned his head. There was a man standing beside his bed. Why was he there? Beast Boy knew this man. No, he didn’t like this man.

Wait a minute…

“I’m sorry to say that your parents have died in a boating accident,” said the man. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Beast Boy laid there on the bed. The man didn’t sound sorry. He didn’t even sound sad. They were just words he was forced to repeat, weren’t they? They were required. They were polite. But they weren’t polite. They weren’t needed. They were useless. Being sorry wasn’t going to bring them back. His parents were gone. Beast Boy wanted them back. Garfield wanted his Mom and Dad back.

Dark grey eyes glimmered with the shadows.

There were something missing. Beast Boy knew it. There weren’t supposed to be beds here. Where was the lava? Where were the rocks? Where was the monster? There was a monster, wasn’t there?

The man smiled. Beast Boy wanted to crawl beneath the covers.

“You remember me, don’t you, son? I was a friend of your parents. They assigned me guardianship in the case anything should happen to them.”

Don’t call me son.

Beast Boy nodded. He knew this man. He didn’t like this man. His name made his skin crawl. He wanted to burrow beneath the covers. He wanted to change. Why couldn’t he change? He wanted freedom. He wanted flight. He could fly. But humans couldn’t fly.

He didn’t like this man. No, he hated him with every cell and section of his soul. This man only liked money. He only wanted money. He did everything in his power to gain more money.

“Yeah, I know you, Mr. Galtry.”

You’re the one who killed my parents.

ooOOOOOoo

“Victor.”

What?

“Victor, please wake up. Please.”

I haven’t been called that for years. What’s going on?

Bright light shone. Cyborg opened his eyes. One eye felt strange. The other eye felt normal. One eye viewed the world in grey. There was so much grey. That wasn’t normal. That was weird. His other eye displayed the world in red. Blood red.

So much blood.

Mom…

So much blood. So much blood. So much blood. No, no, no, no, no, don’t leave me. Mom, stay alive. You’ll make it. We’ll get help. Hold on. I’ll save you. I can do it. Don’t die, Mom!

“Oh, Victor… You’re alive!”

Cyborg turned his head. His heart iced over. He didn’t know why. Why would he have that reaction to his father? It was Dad. His father would help his mother. Dad would save Mom. Everything would be okay now. He’ll stop the blood. He’ll patch Mom up. He’ll protect them. He’ll save them.

Blood, blood, blood, so much, so much, blood, blood, blood.

Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. No more.

No more!

Cyborg moved his arm. It felt different. It didn’t feel any more. Something was missing. He wasn’t himself. Where was the pain? Where was the color? Where was his mother? Where was Mom?

Dark grey eyes glimmered with the shadows.

“Now, Victor, you might see some changes, but it was the only way to save you,” said his father. He was smiling. He looked so happy. No, he was proud. Like he had won a grand prize.

Cyborg lifted his arm. Color entered his vision. It was the only color that existed. Blue, white, steel grey, and dark chocolate entered his view. There wasn’t enough of that color. Why were blue, white, and steel grey ruining his skin color? That wasn’t normal. It was supposed to be from the tips of his fingers, all the way upward over his arm.

“Unfortunately, very little of your actual body remains, except for some important vitals. Other than that, you are now fitted with mainly prosthesis.”

His father looked so happy, so pleased with him, as if he had done Victor the best favor in the world.

Cyborg lifted his other arm. It was the same as the other one. He detested it.

“I also fitted you with multiple weapons technology. You’re a fighting machine now!”

The man was beaming. Like he had won the top lottery.

Machine. Machine. Machine. Machine. Machine.

Not human. Not human. Not human.

Not normal. Not normal.

FREAK.

ooOOOOOoo

“Sarah Rose.”

It’s Rose, ya idjit! Dang it, why does no one get that?!

“Rosey, what you doin’?”

Oi, that’s not much better.

“What you doin’ on the floor?”

I’m on the floor? I thought I was fighting.

Wait. Fighting? Why would she be fighting? Rose opened her eyes. It wasn’t normal. Why was there no color? It was all grey. Everything. Light grey. Dark grey. White. Black. Why was she thing only one in color? What happen to the color? Where did it go? There was one color Rose knew well. She remembered it. Her vision had seen through it for over nine years. Everything had been tinted with that one color. Her soul had been torn through it.

Red. Red. Red. Red. Red.

Blood. Blood. It was the color of blood.

Rose bolted upward, gasping. She glanced around, desperately trying to remember. Without a doubt, something was wrong. She knew it. She knew it without a doubt. But she didn’t know what it was. Then, she gasped again, clutching at her chest.

A little girl stood in front of her. She had short grey hair. It was bobbed and it framed her young, slightly pudgy face. Yet, the child wasn’t overweight at all.

She was familiar.

She was supposed to be dead.

“Ashley?” whispered Rose, staring at the grey eyes of the little girl. Ashley smiled.

“You’re weird. Why you on the floor?”

On the floor?

Rose pushed herself up and stood on her feet. She towered over the little girl. Yet Ashley didn’t seem to think this was odd or strange or different or something which shouldn’t be happening. No, Ashley took Rose by the hand. The touch was cold. It wasn’t warm.

“Happy Birthday, Rose,” said Ashley, smiling brightly through the sea of grey on her face.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no – NO!

There was no happy. There was no birthday. This was the worst day of Rose’s life. This was the day her soul died. No, she didn’t want to relive this. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. This was fake. This was an illusion. Someone was messing with her head, she knew it. She only had to break out. There was a way. It was possible. She could do it. She could free herself of this colorless, terrible world.

It wasn’t real.

Dark grey eyes glimmered with the shadows.

“Make a wish, Rose.”

ooOOOOOoo

“Joseph.”

Who?

“Little Joseph Wilson. Son of Slade Wilson. Son of Deathstroke.”

The voice giggled darkly, a sound so odd in the voice of an adult male.

A chill shivered through Joey’s body. He opened his eyes. Everything was grey, from the ceiling to the floor, from skin tone to clothing color – everything was colorless. Except for himself. But that didn’t bother Joey. He already knew something was wrong. Why? He knew this man. Joey knew this wasn’t real. This man couldn’t be standing over him like this.

This man was dead and by his father’s hands.

“Jackal,” whispered Joey. His voice was clear and unmarred. There was no power in it. It wasn’t young, as it should be, if this were real. Thus, it wasn’t real. He wasn’t eleven any more. He wasn’t a child. He’d been through too much. He wasn’t afraid. He had spent years and years struggling. This wasn’t frightening.

Steel gleamed in the light. A knife twirled within the man’s hand.

“Will your father show up?” asked Jackal, his smile widening.

This is just a dream.

“Will he save you?”

This will all be over soon.

“You know, I’ve always hated your father,” said Jackal, his colorless eyes narrowing. “He was always so arrogant about everything, like he was invincible. Well, today is the day I take everything away from him.”

Ignore him. Just ignore him.

“Did you happen to see what I did to Grant?” whispered Jackal. “I did the neighborly thing and sent him back in a box. I have a picture, if you’d like to see. I’m afraid there won’t be anything left of dear little Sarah Rose. I was a little heavy with the explosives.”

Dark grey eyes glimmered with the shadows.

She hates her given name. She insists on just Rose. She’s crazy, but I love her.

The knife laced over Joey’s skin, the edge of the blade teasing his Adam’s apple. A sting glanced over his skin; a bead of blood streamed down the edge of the blade. But this wasn’t real. It shouldn’t be hurting. Why could Joey feel the sting of the blade?

“I’ll cut you up, one piece at a time, little Joseph,” whispered Jackal. “Just like I did to your dear brother.”

The man held up a photograph.

A tear slipped down Joey’s cheek.

Oh, Grant.

ooOOOOOoo

“But, Sister, I do not understand. Where are you taking me?” asked Starfire. She didn’t stop Blackfire from pulling her along. Something told her she should fight, but that was silly. She trusted Blackfire. This was her sister. Yet she was lost. Why was she lost? This was Blackfire. She wouldn’t be lost.

“Oh, Starfire, it’s a surprise. You’ll just have to find out,” said Blackfire, her smile wide and filled with an element that sent strange, unusual shivers down Starfire’s back. Starfire frowned, unable to understand nor recognize such an emotion in her sister’s face.

“Okay,” whispered Starfire. She followed in silence. The scenery around her was blurry and out of focus. There was nothing solid for her eyes to set upon. The hand which held her tightly felt cold and shapeless. That wasn’t right. Hands were supposed to be warm.

In fact, Starfire felt as if she should know more warmth. Wasn’t it supposed to be hot now? The air was clear. It wasn’t like that before.

What was before?

What is now?

Worry and panic drew through Starfire’s heart, yet she couldn’t place where they came from. A flash of red overwhelmed her senses. She had been in a place of red. In a place of color. She had been in a place… of…

Death.

What? What is that? Why couldn’t she remember? She was missing something, wasn’t she? There were pieces that she was missing, that had to be it. Her land wasn’t grey. Her world wasn’t colorless. Her sister wasn’t colorless. There was more to that. There was a world of color. She was missing that.

A smile broke through Starfire’s thoughts.

It was a boy. He looked familiar. His eyes weren’t covered. Why would they be covered? Usually they were covered, weren’t they? Crystal blue eyes shone brilliantly through a young face. He was happy. His smile showed that. He was laughing. Why was he laughing? Where was he? Why did her heart long for him? Why did she desire to hug this boy, to hold him in her arms? Why did she love him?

What is love?

Blackfire would know. Her sister would know. Blackfire would give her the answers. Wouldn’t she? Yes, she had to give answers.

Starfire’s heart recoiled.

Despair entered there.

Something was wrong; something was terribly wrong.

Blackfire turned, her face afire with a sinister smile. It glowed through the grey, through the colorless eyes, through the colorless skin, through the monochromatic clothing – and it was then Starfire realized what was going on. Everything came back to her heart and mind with a startling clarity.

It was a memory.

It had to be.

Dick, where are you? Please be okay! I shall never leave you!

ooOOOOOoo

Tears streamed down his face. Words flowed through his memories. He was in trouble. He’d been bad. He had disobeyed. He brought displeasure. He wasn’t good enough. He would never be part of the team. He was alone. He wasn’t loved. No one would love him again.

Obey orders.

Do as you’re told.

You’ll never learn.

Why can’t you ever listen?

Why can’t you obey a simple order?

You’ll never be part of this team.

You’re a disappointment.

Cruel words hurt more than any punishment. They wounded the tender soul. Beast Boy sobbed into his knees. There was no one to comfort him now. Mento would never allow him in the team now. He messed up too much. Mento would never love him like a son. He would never hug him. He would always be harsh.

Maybe if Beast Boy did better, then he would be worthy of the man’s love.

Something tugged at his heart.

Something wasn’t right.

Love wasn’t earned. Somehow, Beast Boy knew this. He didn’t have to earn Mento’s love. He was good enough. He’d always been good enough. He had been loved and he was loved, even now. A friend told him this. A friend told him of his value. This friend was a brother, even without having the same parents. There were others. They were a family.

Family.

Love.

Beast Boy stopped crying. He lifted his head from his knees. He was sitting on his bed – but that didn’t make sense. His bed had been destroyed. Some monster was sitting his oversized butt in it. He’d never get the smell out of his stuff. He wanted nothing more than to kick that oversized butt to kingdom come.

Red flashed over the sea of dark grey. That’s right. There was a colorful world out there. There were people out there. There were friends out there. Blue, brown, red, green, black, violet.

Violet eyes smiled at him. But the girl who bore them never smiled. She was always sad, wasn’t she? She never laughed. She never smiled. She always looked in the distance, as if counting the days, as if counting the days until the end came. She knew them. She numbered them.

Beast Boy wanted to save her. He cared about her. She was a special friend. She was more.

Yet, all he could hear of her were her screams as the end of the world destroyed her body.

ooOOOOOoo

Why is he smiling? How can he be smiling around that man?

Why are we in his kitchen? Why aren’t we taking this jerk down right now? What is this, a tea party? Robin’s been missing for like six months. Why is Robin stalling? He looks so different. His hair isn’t the same. Why isn’t he wearing the mask? He looks like a kid, like an everyday teenager. Was he normal underneath that uniform? But none of us are normal.

We’re all freaks.

That’s what makes us great.

That’s why we get along.

If we weren’t freaks, we wouldn’t get along. We’re too different. Too many differences. Too many cultures. Too many languages. Too many races. Too many skin colors. We could never get along. We could never understand each other. But we’re different in the same way. So it works.

It’s our connection.

Jealousy ravaged his heart. Robin was smiling around that man. He was looking to him, like a child or a teen would to their parent. It was weird. It was wrong. There had to be something more. Cyborg knew it. Slade must’ve done something. Brainwashed him. Lied to him. Changed him.

No one can change.

The heart can’t soften.

Evil was evil. Good was good.

They never crossed paths. There was no grey area. People wanted things. They sacrificed good for their own selfish desires. Cyborg was the product of that. He had personal experience with it. He only wanted to protect Robin. His friend was delusional. He couldn’t see what Cyborg saw.

You could join the army now. You could be a great asset to them.

Slade was evil. He couldn’t be good. He couldn’t change. He couldn’t learn. He was the same as before. He was tricking Robin. Robin needed to know that. He needed to awaken. Then, everything could go back to normal. They were freaks. They didn’t change. They would always be the same.

Think of all the things you can do, simply because you have weapons installed in your arms. It’s amazing!

He couldn’t grow. He couldn’t change. He couldn’t learn. He couldn’t get stronger. He couldn’t get weaker. He was the same. He would be the same tomorrow and the day after that. Nothing would ever change.

You’re my son and I made you.

It was an endless cycle.

Stagnant.

Freak.

Stagnant.

It was an endless cycle

You have to do what I say.

Why couldn’t he grow? Why couldn’t he change? Why couldn’t he learn? Why couldn’t he get stronger? Why was he the same? Why would he be the same tomorrow and the day after that? Why wouldn’t anything ever change?

It wasn’t fair. He wanted more. He wanted life. He didn’t want Cyborg. He wanted to be free from the metal, from the electronics. He didn’t want to be the machine. He was incomplete. He was broken. Victor Stone was gone. Only Cyborg remained.

Jealousy remained. Why could Robin change? Who was Dick? Had he always been there? Why did he hide? Why did they all hide? Were they always freaks? No, they had once been normal. What was normal? Why couldn’t they be normal now?

You have no choice. Obey me.

It wasn’t fair.

There were no tears; his systems didn’t compute.

ooOOOOOoo

Rose raged.

Rose thrashed.

Rose screamed.

She was lost. She couldn’t find her way. She was locked in a world that wasn’t her own. Someone had control over her body. It was herself. Yet it wasn’t herself. The world was red. So much red. There were no other colors. They were tainted. They were hidden.

She was haunted.

Her own soul hated her. It wouldn’t let her back in. It wouldn’t let her leave. She just wanted to be free. But her soul wouldn’t allow it. Trapped. She was trapped.

So, she screamed.

Explosions blasted around her. Screams tore through the air. Life was snuffed out. So many lives disappeared, like the tip of smoke within the billowing flames. Pain lavished over Rose. She screamed and screamed and screamed, only to cry and cry and cry.

Everything was gone. Her friends were gone. They died. They were dead. They wouldn’t come back. She killed them. It was her fault. She didn’t know why. She just knew it was her fault.

She was the only one who didn’t die, after all.

She wasn’t normal. Her soul knew it. It was in agony. She wanted to help it, but she was powerless to do anything for it. She couldn’t ease the pain. She couldn’t reattach her soul, like the reattaching of a shadow. She couldn’t sew. There was no thimble. There was no kiss. There was only the kiss of death. So much death. All around her. So many screams.

Rose curled into a ball, hunching over her knees. Her arms wrapped around her chest. They were in the way. She didn’t used to have them. When she died for the first time, there was nothing there. No, she was more now. She was power. She had a gift. She had more. She could tear apart her enemies now.

Rose opened her eyes. The fiery world was grey. Nothing was in color. The world didn’t smell of flames. The world didn’t burn.

It wasn’t real.

She had the power to change things now.

ooOOOOOoo

Helpless.

His mother sat at the table, empty bottles and empty cigarette packs littering its surface. She sat hunched over, her hands drawing through her unwashed and tangled hair. Sometimes, when she thought no one was looking, she would break down and sob hysterically.

Joey always knew.

His little sister sat on her bed. Dolls lay torn apart, scattered across the floor like a macabre plastic version of the aftermath on a battlefield. Plastic arms, plastic legs, and plastic heads were underfoot. Stuffing was scattered over the bed. His sister was hugging a large teddy bear, its head completely torn off. Her red eyes shone brightly through the darkness.

Joey couldn’t do anything.

He was weak. He was the man of the house. He was fatherless. He was motherless. He was lost. He had to do something. He had to save them. What could he do? He had no one to guide him. He had no one he could rely on. He was alone. He was broken. He was helpless. He was worthless.

Joey couldn’t speak.

It was gone. His voice wouldn’t come out. It was locked away. He couldn’t make a sound. While his mother sobbed, while his sister raged, while his brother’s blood cried from the dead, he was silent.

He couldn’t do anything about it. He could only watch.

Yet, this world was grey. Joey’s world, though voiceless, wasn’t colorless.

And Joey knew. This was all in his mind. It was in his control. He wasn’t helpless any more. He had gained power. His voice had poured forth. Where it once was silent, now it could be heard hundreds, even thousands of feet away. His voice could touch the hearts of many. His softness was power. He could dissuade anyone from arguing and fighting. He could rally his allies and boost their confidence.

He could fly.

He wasn’t helpless. He became something more. He was needed. His leadership was needed. The world had fallen. It needed someone to save it. He was alive for a reason.

Truth would be revealed.

ooOOOOOoo

June 21st, 2009. Sunday, 10:23 am.

Starfire gasped. Pain raced through her limbs and she found herself welcoming it with all her heart. The terrible smell of the air assaulted her senses; she put a hand over her mouth and nose, her watery eyes scrunching together. The atmosphere was unbearably hot and yet, once again, the sweat on her skin, the dirt on her clothes, the color within her eyes – everything was most assuredly welcomed.

Tears slipped down her cheeks, the memories fresh and painful as they once were. Her sister had betrayed her. Her sister had sold her away, like a object to auctioned off to the highest bidder. It was only afterward, when Starfire learned her parents died of broken hearts. At the time, Starfire had been confused and unable to truly understand what was going on. But then, once the pain cleared, once she knew exactly what her fate meant, she fought with every energy of her soul.

She would not allow her sister to win.

Just like she won’t let Trigon win.

Her body ached, but Starfire still pushed onward. Her head rolled to the right, as she slowly pushed herself to the side. She turned onto her stomach and lifted to her knees. Her hair was limp and stringy, matted with dirt and grime. It stuck to her face. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and pulled the stray strands out of her face. Her makeshift hair band had become loose.

Starfire looked out across the horizon. It was the same as before; they hadn’t won the battle yet. The others were sprawled on the ground nearby. Cyborg and Rose were moaning in agony, but they didn’t move. Beast Boy whimpered softly, while Joey moved slightly, as if trying to break free.

Across the fiery sea of lava, which was once a lively deep blue, Trigon sat upon his throne: their beloved tower, their beloved home. The front had been smashed in, making the exact dent for the beast to position his leathery hide.

He cracked an eye open. He smirked at Starfire. Then, when he closed his eyes, Starfire knew the message he silently sent her – and it stabbed her heart, loosening all emotion within her soul.

Insignificant.

Starfire got to her feet. She rushed to Beast Boy’s side, as he was the closest one to her. She dropped to her knees and shook Beast Boy by the shoulders – but he didn’t wake. Sweat and dirt covered his skin. His eyebrows were furrowed in his sleep. Gentle, pained whimpers faintly whispered from his lips.

And then, Starfire became horribly aware of just how young Beast Boy was – and how young they all were. In the trapped sleep the boy was under, she could see the youth in his face. He was so young, a child even – the rest of them were older than him. She hadn’t noticed it before. When did they ever think such things? She was fifteen. Beast Boy was thirteen. Dick was fifteen. Raven was sixteen. Cyborg was the eldest at seventeen, nearly eighteen.

They weren’t even adults, not even to the standards of her home.

Even the most powerful and the most wise of all the warriors who had ever lived upon her planet, not even such could overthrow this demon.

Despair.

All the strength left Starfire’s body. She hunched over, her hands digging into the dirt. Her head bowed deeply. Her shoulders shook with her sobs; the tears streamed through the grime on her face. Finally, she sat back on her heels and dropped her face into her hands. Her sobs became painfully audible.

Thoughts raced through her mind. Her strength slackened. With every muscle that lived and breathed her power, they now were weaker than a brittle branch. She had once vowed never to be weak like this, to never allow her emotions to weaken her to this point. After her sister had betrayed her, she never wanted to lose her strength, the very element that was her essence.

And yet, here she was, groveling in the dirt, her soul pleading, begging for something to change – for something, anything to give her a piece of hope, to promise her efforts would not be in vain, that everyone will survive this, that somehow, someway, everything would rise above the terrible depth of despair her heart bore.

Dick, can I do this without you? Can I get up? Can I try again? Do I have that strength, that power you have?

I want it.

But I am tired. I am weak. And so are our friends.

Is it over?

Something touched Starfire’s shoulder.

It was a glancing touch, but it was real. Starfire’s sobs stopped; her head jerked upward and turned towards the touch. There was nothing on her shoulder. Her eyes lifted upward, trying to see if someone stood over her. Yet, still, she couldn’t see anything. Her head whipped around, searching for the one who had touched her.

Something else touched her other shoulder.

She should’ve been afraid. She should’ve been nervous, alarmed, worried – something had touched her, not once, but twice now and yet there was nothing there. But within her heart, a peace had entered with overwhelming warmth which flowed through her body – all from those gentle, loving touches.

A glimmer of light shimmered. Starfire stared at the space next to her right shoulder, the side which felt weighted by this touch. The light shimmered like a specter, its shaped that of a human. At first, there were no defining features. Then, it felt as if something had lifted from Starfire’s eyes, like a barrier had fallen.

The specter held no color, but was shimmering white. But Starfire recognized those features – those features which blended with another to form two sisters and one brother. The woman lifted a finger, placing it over her lips. Her eyes were soft, filled with an overpowering love.

“Mother?” whispered Starfire. The woman smiled. Her eyes glanced to Starfire’s side. This directed Starfire to turn her head. Another specter stood at her side, his hand resting on her other shoulder, just like the woman. A mustache blanketed his upper lip, which lifted in a tender smile. “Father?”

Both parents looked out at the fallen group. Starfire looked forward and nearly gasped in surprise as two other specters had knelt down in front of Beast Boy. These two Starfire hadn’t seen before in her life, but somehow the woman’s gentle features and the man’s mischievous flare reminded her so much of the young boy who laid on the ground in front of her.

Then, there were more.

One knelt beside Joey, a boy who vaguely reminded Starfire of Dick with his bright eyes and impish smile.

Many smaller, shorter specters gathered around Rose, their young faces bearing both innocence and wisdom.

One knelt beside Cyborg, a woman who tenderly looked down at the young man with both pride and sorrow in her eyes.

All of them glanced at Starfire and lifted fingers to their lips. Their eyes spoke of knowledge. The boy next to Joey at her winked playfully. Starfire wanted so much to hear their voices, to hear what they had to say, to hear of their wisdom, of their love – and she wanted her friends to hear them, too. However, they remained still and silent. Then, they each placed hands on the pained sleeping others.

The woman cupped Cyborg’s metal cheek.

The boy touched Joey’s forehead.

The children all placed hands on Rose’s face and shoulders.

The mother touched Beast Boy’s hand, while the father touched his arm.

Starfire felt squeezes from both her mother and father.

Power surged through the air. It took Starfire’s breath away, yet not an element of the earth changed from its wave. The four sleeping Titans opened their eyes. There was only a few seconds from that moment to the moment where every specter disappeared. The weight on Starfire’s shoulders faded with the others. However, not one had faded until their chosen one had caught a glimpse of them.

Joey sat up first, bolting upward and staring at the vanishing wisp of shimmering light that was the boy who looked a little like Dick. There was a choking sob from Rose as her eyes darted from each fading figure. Beast Boy stared at the smiling pair beside him.

Cyborg murmured, as the light faded away, her loving expression the last thing to be seen, “Mom?”

Then, their visitors were gone. The weight of their departure bore heavy on Starfire’s chest. She felt emotionally drained, and yet the warmth and light they had brought with still burned inside her heart – as if someone had taken her by the hand and lifted her out of the darkness.

“What just happened?” whispered Beast Boy. His eyes were wide, tears leaking from the corners. He looked up at Starfire with pure yearning to know and understand. But Starfire could only shake her head.

“I do not know,” whispered Starfire in response, her voice unable to lift too high above the permeating silence. She helped the boy sit up and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He leaned against her side as she carded fingers through his dirty hair. She didn’t mind.

“That was Grant,” whispered Joey, his voice clear of power. “He was here. He was standing right there. But…”

Rose shuddered, before she rolled onto her side, curling her legs to her chest as she hid her face in her hands. She cried softly. She didn’t react when Joey dragged himself to her side and placed a hand onto her back. Cyborg stayed silent as he sat up. His expression contorted for a moment, as if in agony, before he visibly forced an impassiveness to cover it. He looked down; his hands were clenched.

Those people…

They had been loved ones to her friends, hadn’t they? The ones that had been lost… weren’t they? Obviously, Starfire knew of her parents. The two who had knelt beside Beast Boy must have been his parents as well. The woman who had touched Cyborg’s cheek, she looked like his mother.

As for the others…

Starfire knew little about her friends and their pasts. But it was apparent that their visitors had special meaning to each. They were the loved ones who had been lost. At young ages, they all had experienced loss. So, they had come from a reason. For something that should have been impossible – the dead appearing among the living – then, there must have been a great purpose in their coming to overcome that impossible.

Had they saved them from the despair?

Did that mean there was hope?

Could they win?

Hadn’t they come when all had been lost? Hadn’t they come when Starfire had given up? Hadn’t they come when all her strength had disappeared? Did that not mean there was still something to save?

They could defeat Trigon.

“We must fight,” said Starfire. She squeezed Beast Boy against her side. “They came to help us. They did not want us to give up.”

Cyborg’s face contorted. Pain entered his human eye. His jaw clenched. Beast Boy looked up at her, a glimmer of hope filling his eyes. Rose’s cries softened, until they stilled. Joey swallowed once, fear, yet new determination entering his expression.

“It means we can win,” whispered Starfire. “It means we have a chance at more than simply surviving. We can win.”

A dark chuckle rumbled against the surface of the land. As the group looked towards its source, a trickle of fear slid through Starfire’s heart. But she forced it down and faced their enemy. Trigon did not move from his stolen throne.

“Your efforts to overcome are quite entertaining,” said Trigon, his deep voice vibrating the very elements of the earth. “I am impressed you broke from my power, even with help from the other side.”

Those red eyes glowed.

“But even with them, you are nothing,” whispered Trigon; his voice pierced all hearts who heard his words. “You are weak. You are powerless. You cannot win against me. However… If you insist on giving me a battle, I have a much better, far more entertaining idea.”

Trigon lifted an enormous hand, his palm facing upward. At the tips of his fingers, black lightning crackled into life. The black power formed erratically until a small sphere gathered together. Then, it shattered into five pieces and shot towards the group.

“Come forth, my servants.”

Pain.

It was beyond anything Starfire had ever felt in her life. It overpowered her senses. It was too much – every little detail of her physical body screamed in the unrelenting pain, as if a raging fire had been lit in her veins.

Then, the pain exploded. Something crawled from her head, the pain making her dizzy and lightheaded. There was no torn flesh, nor was blood spilt, yet Starfire wanted nothing more than the pain to stop.

Finally, the pain climaxed – Starfire cried out as she was thrown to the side. A connection broke; something disappeared. The void was noticeable, yet Starfire still felt connected to it. She moaned, her head rolling limply. She forced herself up, when she saw the same thing had happened to Beast Boy and Cyborg.

However, for Rose and Joey, they still screamed in pain.

It seemed like an eternity, before Rose and Joey collapsed, the silence of their voices leaving an ominous imprint. Starfire tried to call out to them, but her throat burned. As Beast Boy and Cyborg stirred, a new enemy appeared in front of them.

And Starfire could only pray their lost loved ones knew of this possibility when they put their faith in them.

Standing in a group of three were the grey versions of their own selves. Grey bodies, grey clothes, grey down to their very skin, they held themselves with confidence. They were duplicates, yet they were not the same. Terrible, horrible red eyes shone with malevolence.

Trigon laughed deeply. “You are your own worst enemies,” he said, his tone filled with dark amusement. “Who better to fight, hm? Can you overcome your own selves, your own dark secrets, your own weaknesses?” He glanced at the fallen, unconscious figures of Rose and Joey. His eyes narrowed.

Dark Cyborg smirked. “Raven wasn’t the only one with a bad side.”

“Getting rid of you will be so easy,” said Dark Beast Boy, grinning slyly. “You are the weaker side, after all.”

“No one will help you now,” said Dark Starfire, striding forward. She stopped a foot in front of Starfire. “And when we’re done with you, we’ll tear your other friends apart, limb from limb.”

Starfire’s breath caught in her throat.

“You once said that, didn’t you?” whispered Dark Starfire, leaning closer, her voice lacing outward in a seductive hiss. “Are you really sure you’ve been working beneath righteous fury?”

Glowing red eyes glimmered with the shadows.

ooOOOOOoo

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