Teen Titans: Apocalypse

~Eleven~

    

    Scarlet helped Richard carry Bruce's body to the hole the kids had dug in the backyard just before a large willow tree, next to two other disturbed places of earth before two headstones. Lloyd stood back, watching Richard and Scarlet set his body down for a moment. Panting, Scarlet stepped away and grabbed a small stone beside the pile of muddy earth that had been removed for the hole.

    She held it tightly in her arms, as though that would wake Bruce. As if she clung tightly enough to it the man would rise up, a smile upon his wrinkled face and a hysterical laugh as he, too, realized he wasn't dead, and hugged the dear children. Salty tears run down her smooth cheeks slowly at first, growing more and more with each second until small rivers began to flow from her eyes. And Richard was taking the headstone from her shaky grasp and helping her to her knees.

    Olivia looked away from the sobbing Scarlet and Richard trying to comfort the girl, a pang of jealousy turning her stomach. What had Theo been talking about? Clearly Richard liked Scarlet more. She was wrong. Nobody liked her. Suddenly, two arms wrapped gently around Olivia's middle from behind. Olivia froze, feeling a face press against the back of her purple coat. There was a muffled sound that tickled the girl. She glanced behind at Theo, noticing the bright blue glow of the girl's hair.

"You're not alone, Livie." Theo whimpered, sliding down to the ground. Olivia turned quickly, kneeling before her with wide, green eyes of concern. "Theo?"
Everyone else had turned their attention away from Bruce to the two girls, confused, worried. Their eyes wet and tear-filled, widened slightly as they looked over. Theo coughed into her hand. A warm, crimson substance glinted back at her. Olivia's mouth fell open a little.

   Jason shook his head, a hysterical smile tugging at his lips. "No. No, just no!" Everyone looked to him, Theo panting, Olivia holding her close. "I am NOT going like that! NONE of us are!"
"Jason," Destiny began, but fell silent at his order.
"No! Don't you 'Jason' me, Destiny! You can't possibly wish to go that way, do you? We already made up our minds, remember?"

   Destiny looked away, tears falling down her cheeks. Lloyd shot Jason a gentle glare and took her hand.

"We're going to burry Bruce and then we're going to do it. Right, Dick?"

   However, Richard didn't answer the distressed Jason. He was staring straight ahead at the body, not listening anymore to what was going on. Bruce had left them. He had given up. And as painful as the disease was that was slowly killing him from the inside was, and the thought of living without his beloved Bruce, the teen was unsure. He was unsure about giving up, or not. He knew it was pointless to continue on. But what if there was a way to cure them? Was he ready to just stop searching? Was he ready to give up everything?

     It had been a simple plan that he and the others had agreed upon. Richard and the other teens had accepted their fate and decided that they were going to end everything that night. But then Bruce shot himself. And Richard was no longer sure he was ready to give up just yet. It was his job as a hero to help protect the lives of the people he swore to. If he went through with their plan he would be failing those people. He and any surviving heroes were the only things that gave anyone any hope at all anymore.

    Richard looked away from the body and at his sick and dying friends. He watched Olivia and Theo clinging to each other, the younger girl hacking loudly. He saw Destiny's tearstained face lean toward Lloyd's and they kissed, trembling like scared children. He saw Jason's pained glare staring directly back at him. And Scarlet slipped her hand around his a second after. Richard had let them down. And that hurt most of all.

"You're right, Jason." Richard nodded after a moment of thought. "It's time."

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     Sweat ran down his brow like the tears running down his face. Each shovel full of wet earth was dropped lightly atop the still body deep in the hole with dull thunks. He breathed quickly, unable to fully catch his breath within his tightening lungs. But Richard kept at it until the last shovel full of dirt was dropped upon Bruce's body. And then the boy stepped back to join his friends.

    Scarlet stepped forward and planted the rock were Bruce's head was deep below the earth. Carved on the smooth surface was the words

'Bruce Wayne

Beloved father, hero, and the man who never stopped loving his family.'

   On either side of Bruce's grave was the graves of the other two people that had once been a part of the kids lives. And Richard made sure to drop a rose atop Alfred Pennyworth's grave, too, whispering one last time to him before heading back inside with Jason, Scarlet, Destiny, and Lloyd.

"He's with you now, Alfred."

   Olivia watched everyone leave before turning to the grave belonging to her mother. She smiled tearfully at Tabitha's stone. "Hey, mom." She sniffled, "thank you for all you did." Then she, too, headed back inside with Theo who had lingered silently for her friend and to the fate that awaited them.