010
— the dead walk amoung us —

HAZEL HAD NEVER FELT THIS MUCH ANTICIPATION AND ANXIETY IN HER ENTIRE LIFE. The recorder started to spin, the all too familiar blaring alarm sounded from the recorder, but through it all was the soft voice of the witch, "Please. I can hear you. Please help me." Hazel pushed herself off the wall, stepping closer to Tim, her heart rising into her throat. The sound of tearing metal broke through the sounds of the alarm.

It all played in her head like a scene from a movie, watching herself tear the door off its hinges and see the woman inside, tied to the floor terrified. But it was fake. Listening to it all again felt like knowing the plot twist to a story, internally screaming at the character. But all she could do was listen as slowly the others started to understand.

"Hazel!" Rachel's voice echoed.

"Haze!" Gar repeated.

Then Hazel's voice cut through the blaring horn, "Fuck."

Rachel turned, staring at Hazel; eyes wide, mouth dry but Hazel couldn't look away from the tape player, listening to her rushed words. "If you go down the far hall, there's a back entrance."

And like clockwork, her arm tensed up as if someone had grabbed it, just like the witch had grabbed her. "Wait, girl. I took it to get out, but it couldn't get me out." There was the bang of the door, just leaving the ear-piercing alarm. Hazel expected Tim to lean forward and switch the tape off, but he let it play and not a moment later the woman from the first tape started to speak.

"Was that the Sunarr?" Hazel's eyes widened and she leaned closer, her hands gripping the table tight.

The witch hummed, "You can see it in her blood."

"Are we not taking her now?"

"She will come back, she will bring her brother, and sister."

Hazel leaned forward and clicked the tape off. Cole turned and stared at his sister as she moved her hand back to grip the table. Hazel took a long, slow breath, feeling the tension in her body as she focused her eyes on the smooth surface of the table in front of her, her nails scratching the paint. She could feel Dick and Rachel staring at her but she couldn't dare face them. "She recognised you, on the road," Kory said softly.

"I didn't know, I—" Hazel cut herself off, her nail breaking as she continued to pick at the paint. "I couldn't hear her once the door closed," Hazel whispered.

"Oh well that's alright then," Jinx cheered, clapping her hands.

"Shut up Jinx," Cole hissed, turning to glare at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry was this going to be a thing we just skip over—"

"I said shut up!' Cole raised his voice, pushing his seat out as he stood. His eyes flashed red and Jinx's words died in her throat, her mouth slamming shut.

"Cole!" Dick shouted.

Hazel raised her hand and Tim grabbed Cole's arm, pulling himself back into the chair. "Easy Cole," Hazel said softly. He looked at her, forcing the power from his eyes and Jinx gasped, cursing out Cole.

Hazel straightened, thinking of how to explain herself when a power ran through her bones, sparks of light sparking out from her skin. It was odd, almost chilling her bones like death had taken her hand but it felt so similar to her own power. Hazel looked up at Terran, catching the way her eyes flashed a bright white. "Did you feel that?" Terran asked, her voice shaking.

"What is it?" Tim asked, looking up at Hazel.

"Stay here," Hazel ordered. She stepped around the half wall that made one of the two entrances to the small office. Hazel walked across the large open area and toward the single door at the other end of the room. Just as she reached halfway the door slammed open and dozens of people started to walk through with no signs of stopping. Hazel spun on her heel and raced back to the others. "There are hundreds of zombies coming through that hall."

Kory's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "What?"

"That's why we both felt it," Terran muttered. She, Rachel, Sebastian and Tim stayed at the table as the others moved to the entrances of the office, Conner and Gar by Hazel's side. The zombies surrounded the offices, blanked faces. They stood head to toe in body armour, holding power tools and gardening supplies. They refused to move as the Titans stared, even as Hazel took a step closer to get a better look at the tattoo on the man's arm; a mess of black swirls that seemed all too familiar.

"I got this," Kory said, taking a step forward. She pushed her hand out and her blue light surged forward through the lines of people but none reacted to it, phasing through them as if Kory had done nothing at all.

"Oh, blue light therapy, nice," Jinx laughed and Kory dropped her hand, looking at her palm in confusion. "I think you cleared up their acne."

The closest to her shouted at the top of her lungs, lifting the pickaxe high over her head and the zombies rushed forward. Hazel ran out, throwing light from her hands on instinct. Unlike Kory's blue light, the zombies reeled back, shouting in pain as the red light burnt their skin. Hazel looked at her hands and smiled. "My light works! Cole?"

Cole spun under the zombies shovel and grabbed the man's arm, dark purple lighting spilling from his body to tase the man. The zombie shook and started to smoke before falling to the floor. "Lighting's a go!" Cole shouted.

"Cole swap!" Terran shouted, running out to Kory's side. "I can't use my sound in that small a room."

Conner slammed a zombie into the wall, the silver bat falling from his hands but Gar was quick to grab it, swinging it at the zombies getting too close to Hazel as she fought. A zombie managed to slip under Hazel's light and through to the entrance, running at Tim. Cole spun in an instance, he grabbed Tim and kicked the zombie back in a second. Tim's hands wrapped around Cole's arm, holding himself steady. Cole sent a shockwave of lightning at him, slamming him into Conner's back. Conner felt the thump and yanked the zombie up, throwing him into Hazel's light.

Conner stood in the entrance, blocking the zombies from getting any further as Gar spun to fight back. "How many people work here?" Conner complained as a dozen swarmed him and swung at him.

"Too many!" Gar yelled, pulling one from Conner's shoulder.

One zombie ran at Dick with a chainsaw and Terran picked up the sound of the engine, making the chainsaw blow up. The sound broke up and spread through the room, knocking another handful down.

Just as quickly as it started, it stopped, the zombies freezing in place. Hazel's eye jumped around, watching the zombies closely as she cautiously dropped her hands, letting her light disappear. Hazel looked at Gar who stood beside her and he looked back at Jinx and her magic. He flipped the bat in his hands and smacked it against the zombie's helmet. "I can only hold them for a few seconds," Jinx stated loudly.

They turned to follow Dick, but Hazel called to Kory. "Do you recognise this?" Hazel asked, grabbing a zombie's arm, pulling back the man's sleeve, showing off the twisting mess of black tattoos that ran over his arm.

"The man that killed your mother," Kory mumbled. Hazel nodded softly then the zombie twitched and they quickly turned, running to catch up with the others.

The tunnels seemed to take on a life of their own, twisting and shifting until the titans burst into an abandoned room, sun shining through the windows. "So what's the plan? We're gonna try and kill 200 zombies?" Kory asked, slamming the door behind her.

"Uh, yeah, that's the plan," Dick nodded.

"Gar, give me the bat," Cole ordered. Gar tossed the bat his way and Cole slid it through the door handles before twisting his hands, the lightning pulling it into an odd shape to block the handles. He looked up at Terran and shrugged softly, "Eh. . ."

"Follow me," Dick yelled and they ran through to an open storage room, with only a dozen crates stacked near the entrance. "All right, Here's the plan. We let 'em through five at a time. Hazel, Cole, and Terran cause as much damage as possible. Conner, Rachel and Gar, you're the principal head removers. Me and Kory will work the front door."

They all nodded in agreement but Tim looked around Dick. "Uh, Dick," Tim called softly, motioning towards the exit.

They all turned, eyes widening as a very dead Deathstroke strolled through the door. Blood had dried around the stab mark Rose had left all those years ago when she had killed him but he was walking toward them as if it had never happened. "Deathstroke," Dick muttered.

Deathstroke started to raise his automatic rifle and Gar shouted, "Zombie Deathstroke!" The others dived for cover as Hazel and Conner stood in front of the crates; Conner letting the bullets bounce off, Hazel using her light to melt the bullets.

"This is my fault," Sebastion groaned. "It's all because of me."

"No," Rachell insisted.

"Look, there's no time for that right now," Terran yelled.

Sebastian scoffed, "I think this is exactly the right time," Sebastion yelled. "I need to do something."

"Sebastian, no," Rachel ordered. "No."

"I gotta do something." Yells for Sebastion to stop echoed but Sebastion was faster as he ran out, holding his arms wide. Hazel had to jump back, forcing her down before it burnt him. "You want me?!"

Deathstroke lowered his gun, tilting his head softly. "They won't shoot him," Rachel realised. Conner grabbed Sebastian, throwing him back to Rachel and Terran. Deathstroke started to shoot again and Hazel jumped back out.

"Dick," Conner called. "I got this."

"Conner," Dick warned.

"Dick, come on."

"Okay, go!" In a second Conner rushed at Deathstroke, striking his head off with a single punch. The bloody head rolled across the floor and the rifle slipped from his hand.

Conner turned back and Tim cackled, "Dude! Headshot, motherfucker."

Gar gave Conner a thumbs up and laughed. "Let's get out of here," Dick ordered.

Deathstroke, who had yet to fall, turned on his feet. "That's not good," Hazel huffed. Deathstroke walked over to his own severed head and plucked it from the ground, placing it back on his mangled neck, the flesh and bone fusing together again. Gar flipped his hand, giving Conner a thumbs down.

Conner turned back to Deathstroke as he unsheathed his long sword, turning back to the Titans. "Shit," Conner complained. Deathstroke and Conner ran at each other again and as Conner went for the headshot again Deathstroke ducked and stabbed Conner in the stomach, the end protruding out his back.

Conner yelled, blood spilling over his hands and staining his jumper as he twisted the blade. "Conner!" Cole shouted, springing to his feet.

Hazel ran forward tearing Conner away from Deathstroke. Cole ran to Hazel, taking Conner and pulled him behind cover with Tim and Gar.

Hazel looked at her hands, Conner's blood staining her skin. Deathstroke grabbed his rifle again and Kory shouted Hazel's name. Hazel whipped around, throwing her red light at the zombie. A flash shot through the room and if Kory hadn't shouted for everyone to cover their eyes, it probably would've blinded them.

Dick opened his eyes, looking up at Hazel first, the others doing the same. There was nothing left of Deathstroke, or anything that had been stored there, just ash and dark black burn marks covering the walls. "I think you got him," Terran muttered.

Hazel looked down at her hands, sparks of light still swirling between her fingertips. She took a breath, but she couldn't shake the feeling of the zombies wandering around just down the stairs. She looked up at the others and shook her hands out, "Get Sebastion and Conner out of here, I'll handle the zombies," Hazel ordered.

Gar turned to her as Hazel walked past him and back to the door. "Hazel—"

"Go, you understand me," Hazel said, barely looking back as she moved to the doors. "I'll be as fast as I can."

❁

SHE WAS ENTIRELY DRENCHED IN BLOOD. Hazel dragged a hand down her face, wiping the sticky blood from her skin and flicking it from her hand. A zombie groaned, wheezing and gurgling as it reached for the closest weapon. He made a final run at Hazel, but a branch raced at the zombie, impaling its torso just a metre shy of her. It joined the hundreds of others strewn about, some torn to shreds by vines and venoms, some disintegrated from her light, entire limbs missing or mutilated.

A voice cut through the silence, "Well, that was quite the show." Hazel spun around, her eyes landing on the witch and the staff in her hand. She had switched the dark leathers of Mother Mayhem for a red blouse and blue jeans but she had the same demonically sweet smile. "We have not been properly introduced. My name is May."

In an instant Hazel conjured her golden lights and sent them charging at the witch. May raised the staff and the lights attached to dark magic of the staff itself and Hazel quickly took her hands back. May smiled and slammed the staff into the floor, the light transforming into a powerful force.

Hazel raised her hands in defence, but the force slammed into her body like a brick wall. Hazel crashed to the ground, the hard concrete sending shockwaves of pain through her already exhausted bones. Hazel tried to stand but the witch was already looming over her, the shape blades of the staff dangerously close to her neck.

"I know I cannot simply kill you, but I would have some fun trying." The witch shook her head, "But to be truthful I don't want to."

Hazel looked at the blade and took a shallow breath. "Can I stand?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. May nodded and Hazel pushed herself to stand, the witch keeping the blades in place. "What do you want?"

"Exhilarating, wasn't it?" She questioned, her tone almost proud.

"What?"

May's smile widened as she continued, her voice laced with a chilling satisfaction. "The rush of killing, the thrill of control, the intoxicating power. . ." Hazel felt her stomach churn with unease at the words, her throat squeezing tight. May tutted, her smile dropping into an almost comical frown, "And then it all comes rushing back. The realisation." May tipped the staff, the blades grazing the very edge of Hazel's skin making her instinctively flinch. "You just enjoyed killing someone. Taking their life." Hazel gritted her teeth, the knots in her stomach tightening.

Without thinking, she lunged forward trying to force the staff from May's hands. But to her astonishment, her hands passed through the witch as if she were nothing but mist. With a quick kick, May knocked Hazel back, her blades once again poised threateningly at Hazel's throat, drawing blood with a sharp cut against the skin of her collar. Hazel hissed in pain but the witch tutted at her.

"I could take it all away, all the guilt and pain, I could make it as though it all never happened," May continued. "Losing your mother, all the times you've been killed, every time you killed someone. I can take that all away. No more grief. No more nightmares." The offer hung in the air, tempting Hazel with sweet words. No more nightmares. . . She hesitated, her gaze flickering with uncertainty, thinking through the tantalising deal.

Suddenly Hazel's hands felt heavy. May nodded and she looked down, gripping the leather book in her hands. The edges were burnt and when Hazel flipped it open an old yearbook photo of Hazel fell out, completely discoloured. "I saved it before your Tamaranean friend could burn it the second time," The witch explained, there was nothing behind her words, simply telling Hazel the truth. "That book, a useless waste of ink and paper, brought you so much pain all because a mere human didn't understand it."

"If you say the words, I can make sure no pain can ever affect you like that ever again," May promised. "Just say the words."

Hazel fingers traced the ridges of the leather.

"Azarath. . ." Hazel looked up at May and she nodded.

Hazel took a breath. "Metrion. . ."

Hazel snapped the staff in two. It happened so quickly May had no time to react at all before Hazel seized the bladed half of the staff and plunged it into the witches stomach. The witch let out a terrible scream but Hazel ignored it all and drove the sharp blades deeper into her flesh and muscle.

"Go. To. Hell," Hazel hissed through gritted teeth.

As May collapsed to her knees, desperation etched on her face, she frantically reached for the other half of the staff. Just as quickly as Hazel had snapped the staff, the witch stabbed the other through her chest. Hazel gasped, her breath running short as the broken metal tore into her skin and bones, spilling blood over her clothes and May's hand. Agony shot through Hazel as the sharp ends pierced her heart, her hands grasping desperately at the metal staff, but the witch drove the staff deeper.

Gasping for air, Hazel's vision blurred as she crumpled to the ground, life slipping away with a final thud.

❁

IT WAS NIGHT WHEN HAZEL GOT BACK TO S.T.A.R LABS. Hazel stepped out of the small car she had taken, pulling the jacket she stole from the supermarket tighter around her, trying to hide her blood-stained clothes. She had managed to clean the blood off her face, but she was more focussed on rushing back to the others.

Gar had been waiting by the front doors and when he saw Hazel, he ran to her, calling her name. She tried her hardest to smile as he stopped in front of her, but it was entirely useless. Gar's hands squeezed her arms, and he cursed as he looked at her. He met her eyes and Hazel swallowed hard. "What do you need?" Hazel tried to make an excuse, but Gar whispered, "Let me help you."

Hazel crumbled. "I need to shower, but I don't want anyone to see me like this."

Gar nodded and took her hand, leading her to a security entrance that a guard opened up after Gar bribed him with an autograph. They took the stairs up to floor 3. "The director's taking his week off, so the whole team does," Gar explained before laughing softly, "Talk about benefits." They walked to the bathroom, looking just as modern as everything else.

"Why do they get showers?" Hazel asked.

Gar shrugged softly, "Pyrotechnics division. They get covered in ash a lot." Hazel gave a quick smile and Gar hummed. "I'm gonna tell the others on your back, you took so long because you stopped a mugging. You weren't going to, but you needed to clear your head. You're on call with the police filing a statement."

Hazel laughed as she stared at him, "Since when do you lie Mr Logan."

Gar shrugged softly and turned for the door, "I'll come check on you in a bit."

Gar closed the door behind him and raced back to the ninth floor, headed for the secerity room where Tim and Cole were but he ran into Terran first. "Have you heard from Hazel yet?" She asked, almost stumbling over her words.

"Hi to you too," Gar teased.

"Sorry," Terran said, dropping her head into her hands. "I was headed downstairs to find you. I'm starting to panick."

Gar smiled, nodding softly. "She just got back, stopped a pretty bad mugging. I think she just needed to clear her head. She's talking to the chief though, she'll be down soon," Gar explained and Terran nodded, sighing in relief. "Can you spread the news, I gotta do a few things."

"Okay, thank you," Terran nodded quickly and turned, making her back down the hall. 

She turned into the security office and walked to Cole and Tim who sat at the computer. "Hey Te," Tim called, tossing the bow staff in his hand.

"Hey guys," Terran said with a smile, stopping between them, resting against Cole's chair. "Just talked to Gar, Hazel's back. Stopped a pretty wicked mugging on the way." Cole slumped in his seat, his entire body losing all its tension. Terran squeezed his shoulder softly. "I'll tell her to come down when I see her. Anyway, how's everything on your end?"

Cole groaned but pushed himself up all the same. He nodded at the camera footage of Rachel and Sebastion playing some sort of Superman themed board game. "Six more hours and we're home free," Cole hummed, leaning forward to lean his elbow against the table, propping his chin on his palm.

"Or, we're living through the end of days," Tim said in a sour voice. "Cool."

"Be positive Tim," Terran insisted. She pushed herself off of Cole's chair, turning for the door. "M'gonna go find Kory and Dick, let the know Hazel's back."

"Send her our way!" Cole shouted after her.

— rapture —