Teen Titans: Apocalypse

~Three~

Richard made his way back to his room after seeing Olivia to hers. He clutched the folder protectively in his arms. He didn't dare risk loosing all the research. He couldn't let Lloyd or the others down. They were counting on him.

As the vampire made his way to his bedroom, his mind wandered off to what if's and maybes. What if Lloyd ended up like them? What if he was already like them, and Bruce was lying? Richard already knew the man was lying about Lloyd's health. It was clear as day to the teen. He knew Bruce well enough to know when he was lying. So... What did that mean? Was he already too late?

"Dick!"

Bruce's shout up the stairs startled Richard. The teen gasped, jumping back and dropping the folder. Papers spilled all over the floor, scattering in all directions. Rather than gather them up, Richard hurried to the top of the stairs, his stomach clenching with panic. Bruce stood at the bottom, his eyes large, his face as white as a ghost. Richard swore and scrambled down the stairs.

"What?! What's-" he froze the second he saw her. Scarlet was on the floor, beside the stairs, coughing up a sticky red liquid. "Holy shi-" Bruce threw a hand over Ricard's mouth before he could finish. "We don't need to alert everyone, Dick." Bruce hissed, dropping his hand. Richard nodded, shaking. "Y-yes, Bruce." And then he stumbled to Scarlet's side.

"I'm right here, Frosty." he soothed, placing a tentative hand upon her back. "You'll be okay." Scarlet suddenly grasped Richard's other hand, squeezing it tightly. "It... it h-hurts!" She choked out. Scarlet's hand felt like fire. Little flames danced off her exposed arms. Beneath her, ice began to spread across the floor. The temperature within the room plummeted dramatically. But Richard did't let go. "Just hang on."

Bruce raced down the hall, breathing in gulps of air. 'Not her', his mind screamed, 'not my Scarlet, too!'

Bruce skidded into the small table in the hall, nearly knocking the phone off the stand in the process. He fumbled with the receiver, his hands violently shaking. As he dialed, he heard Scarlet's agonized yells. He hated listening to the painful shouts of the girl he had cared for for so long.

"Hello," the unusually chipper voice greeted on the other end, "you've reached Wayne-"

"My daughter is sick!" Bruce exclaimed, cutting the woman off. "She's experiencing the first symptoms!"

"Very good, sir. We'll be sending our team over right away."

"Hurry!" Bruce demanded hysterically before slamming the phone down and falling against the wall. It was a moment before he realized it was quiet. No more screaming. No more panicky yells. "Crap." Bruce shoved off the wall and hurriedly made his way back.

Bruce found Richard cradling Scarlet in his arms, curled up like a frightened child on the floor, clinging to her protectively. Stains of crimson glinted from the pale light in the hall, on the floor, and all over the two teens. Bruce knelt down, watching as his little girl breathed raggedly. Richard looked up and over at Bruce.

The teen's lip was cut open at either side, trickles of blood running down his plump bottom lip. The sweet smell of Scarlet's blood was overwhelming to the teen. Bruce gazed guiltily at the boy.

"You alright?" He inquired, reaching a hand toward the teen, brushing his wild, jet black hair back. Richard nodded, although shaky and trembling. "She's asleep." the kid admitted, "I was able to calm her enough."

Bruce smiled sadly at the boy. "Thank you, Dick."

The two were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. The next second, people in hazard suits were flooding into the manor. Richard tightened his hold around Scarlet, while Bruce stood.

"Mister Wayne," one of them spoke, nodding in the billionaire's direction. Bruce returned the nod, although unenthusiastically. The other people in the suits stepped toward the teens.

"This is the second time, Bruce." The man in the suit spoke gently; in a sympathetic way toward the billionaire. "Two victims under the same roof. It isn't safe here, sir."

Bruce glared coldly at the young man, daring him to try and ask them to leave. The young man gulped and stepped back. "Just think about your family, Sir. Any one of them could be next. Your house is infected."

Richard stared up at Bruce, worried and exhausted. The man could see the fear swimming within his sky blue irises. His heart broke. Maybe it was time they leave.

The people in the suits pried Scarlet's sleeping form from Richard's grasp and carried her out of the house. Bruce and the teen followed as they went, watching her be loaded like an animal into the back of the white van marked with a big 'infected' on the sides. Bruce wrapped his arm around the boy.

"I'll tell the others tomorrow. Let them sleep tonight."

However, watching from her window upstairs, Destiny saw Scarlet be loaded into the van. She watched with a heavy heart knowing that anyone could be the next to go.

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The next morning was met with an uncomfortable silence around the breakfast table. Scarlet's absence was definitely noticed by the remaining teens. Bruce hadn't said anything to them yet. But he didn't need to. They already had an idea of what had happened the night before.

Richard stared numbly at his plate. His stomach hurt, tightening every few seconds the more he thought of Scarlet and Lloyd. Destiny was just as silent and numb, looking over toward Richard occasionally. Jason was the only one who felt a need to talk, but kept it all to himself for fear of upsetting everyone. Olivia was absent from the table; as she didn't want to join them for breakfast.

"Kids," Bruce sighed, breaking the silence. All eyes fell upon him instantly. The billionaire averted his gaze, unable to look them directly in the eye. "It has come to my attention that we are not exactly safe here. Scarlet fell sick last night. So it may be safer if we... leave."

The man looked up, surprised to find the teens smiling gently. "We don't want to leave, Bruce." Richard spoke for them all. The other two nodded in agreement.

"We've decided to stay. No matter what happens." Destiny added.

"This is a safe place." Jason cut in, "we've never felt safer anywhere else."

Bruce couldn't help but smile at the children. He loved them more than anything. He wanted them to be safe. But he knew he couldn't make them leave. They were determined and stubborn teenagers. Once they chose to do something, they'd do it. And Bruce would't force them to leave if it made them unhappy.

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Olivia made her way toward the front door, listening to the silence in the dinning room. She knew last night something had happened. The screams had awoken her from her sleep. The screams that Lloyd had done a week before. And the screams the boy had done at school.

She had to get out for a while. She had to clear her head. But she knew Bruce wouldn't let her leave on her own. It was a rule started soon after the outbreak.

Olivia unlocked the front door, holding her breath when the satisfying click was louder than she expected. However, nobody heard. She let out a sigh and pulled open the door, slipping out and closing it behind her. "I'm sorry, Bruce." The girl muttered before slipping off.