Fighter 🦇STYDIA🦇

Pain

YEARS LATER

TODAY

Pain. Excruciating and agonizing pain. I have a cold, dull pained feeling in my stomach. Right...I was shot in the stomach, forgot. I have to get up. With a pained effort, I sit up and grit my teeth. The metallic taste of blood in my mouth tells me that I either bit my tongue, or I lost some teeth. Gingerly using my tongue to feel around my mouth, I search for any missing teeth. None are gone. Must have bit my tongue or something. "Dammit." I groan as I rise to my feet, feeling every bone that was broken remind me that they were, in fact, broken. My head is pounding. Not a good sign. Might have a concussion. "Sonuva—" I start before sway on my feet unsteadily, my vision blurs. Definitely concussed.

I nearly collapse to the ground as the torrential rain pelts my body like pebbles. I notice that the rain has sent my pooled blood down the alleyway and into the street. My own river of blood.

I need to get home. I need to survive. I have to. I need...I need...

Shit, I'm blacking out. I can't, not now. I have to finish this. For him.

I ain't ready to die yet. You can have me when I'm ready, Death. But not today. Not...today. Fuck.

SOME MONTHS BACK

"Have you been working out, Bird?" A gruff voice asked. "Shut up, so I can concentrate and save you, asshole." I spat as I half-dragged/half-carried the annoying son of a bitch. "Come on, Bird. We both know how this is gonna end, kid. Only one of us is getting out of here alive. And it sure as hell ain't gonna be me, bud." My brother said with a pained groan. I try not to let the nickname get to me. I couldn't, not now. Too much was on the line. I'd be damned if I let him die. "Dude, I swear to God, if you don't shut up, I'm gonna kill you myself." I snarled pushing open a titanium blast door.

His older brother chuckled as he hung his head low. "I always liked you best, dumbass." The sibling announced. "Tell me about it later, we have to get out of here before it explodes." I stated as I carried him down the long hallway. "We're almost out of here, I've got you. Don't you quit on me now, you bitch." I muttered as I noticed he went silent.

"Hey! Dude! Wake up!" I exclaimed slapping him lightly in the face with the back of my hand. "Shit." I breathed before a deep rumble came from below the building. "Oh God." I said breathlessly. I hurriedly dragged the unconscious form of my brother down the rest of the hall towards the exit.

A loud crash erupted behind us as the overhead lights shook, swayed, and went out. I pushed as hard as I could before I finally reached the door. I pushed on it before I realized it was locked. I went over to the keypad and punched in the passcode. No luck. "NO! FUCK!" I exclaimed slamming my fist on the keypad, destroying it.

I looked over at my wounded brother-in-arms. I looked around for an exit point, but to no avail. This door was the only way out. That was closest to us, anyways.

"-obin—ou—opy?" My breath escaped my lungs. "Oracle?! I'm here! God! We're trapped. You gotta find a way to open the door." I explained. Static. "Oracle?" I sounded. "Oracle, do you copy?" I questioned. "I've got it, but it will only open half way, Robin. You have to crawl out. And fast, the building is coming down." Oracle explained.

A beam of light came from the door as it began to rise slowly. I ran to my brother and picked him up. "Come on, buddy. Let's get out of here." I said dragging him to the door. I felt an intense heat at my back. I looked over my shoulder and found a storm of flames racing down the hallway.

"Open! Open! Open! OPEN FASTER YOU STUPID DOOR!" I shouted before it stopped moving. A chuckle caught my attention. "You're arguing with a door." My brother said with a laugh. "You. Shut up." I snarled as we moved towards the exit.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think this is going to end the way you think it will, bud." My brother whispered. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "You're gonna do good things for the world, Mitchell. But you aren't gonna do much of anything, if I hold you back and let you die with me." He explained. "No, shut up. Stop talking." I spat shaking my head.

"No! Listen to me, Mitchie! I'm not letting you die. That door is only wide enough for one person to go through at a time. And we don't have enough time. And I hate to do this, kid. But—I'm sorry." He voiced. "What are you..." I started before I was shoved forward. I turned around to find the door was being pushed down by my brother. My partner. My hero. My family.

"Do me a favor and don't get over me too fast." My brother said with a smirk. "No! You dick!" I shouted with tears in my eyes. "Catch you on the other side, Birdboy." He voiced before he was engulfed in flames and I was sent rocketing backwards through the air.

I got to my feet and let out a scream that tore through my throat. "JASON!!"