Here is crying boy.

Uh... Something like that...
On with the story now.
I apologize in advance for spelling errors. I ask you to point them out to me.

"Mikey? Y-your name is Mikey, right?" I asked him.

The boy nodded.

"Yesssss..." As he whispered this sentence the purple acid slowly maneuvered away from the team and back towards the boy. As it got closer to him, the liquid would start swirling around itself, faster and faster as it got nearer to the boy. By the time it reached Mikey, it was a fast moving vortex that drained itself back into his eye. It wasn't long before there wasn't even a trace left of the substance.

I shuddered. If that didn't scream "creepy", I don't know what would.

"Okay then..." Robin drawled, "Anyway, it's settled, we'll help- errr, save you. But from what exactly? What are you so afraid of?" Robin asked.

Mikey seemed to think for a minute, then hummed to himself. The tune of the song was beautiful. I didn't recognize the song, I don't think I've ever heard it in my life, but suddenly, it seems familiar... I feel almost as if I've always known it.

The humming became louder, not from the boy, but within my head. My mind played the tune in sync with Mike. The tune of the humming from Mikey seemed to slowly shift into a more feminine tone, and it soon sprouted words. I was able to make out the song.

"Don't you dare look out your window,
Darlin' everything's on fire.
The war outside our door keeps raging on.
Hold onto this lullaby,
Even when the music's gone,"

The singing became louder and more clear as it continued, as if a person were singing it right next to me, words and all. But this is all in my mind, right? How do I know these words?

The world around me spun and danced, before going completely dark.

~•~•~•~~•~•~•~•~~~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

"Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down.
You'll be alright,
No one can hurt you now.
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound."

My eyes shot open and I sat up with a gasp.

"Oh, good morning Dear, I'm sorry to wake you, but you were having a nightmare. I figured I'd be best to wake you with something familiar." I looked up at a young woman. She has tanned, white skin, brown hair, and blue eyes. She was probably in her early thirties.

"Thank you, Mommy, but can I go back to sleep? I'm still really tired." This time it was the voice of a boy. Nobody else was in the room, though. Did it come from me? It felt like it did... But I didn't say anything. What's going on?

"Okay, Sweetie, just don't sleep too long. We can't have you staying up all night. Sleep well." The woman kissed my forehead and left the room.

I suddenly felt myself slowly stand, although not of my own accord. I seemed short... Well, shorter than usual, anyway. Am I in control of my body at all right now? Is this even my own body?

I glanced around the room. It looked like a young boy's room. Perfect match to the voice. There were three doors, two opposite of the bed that stuck out against the center of the wall it was next to, and one to the right of left of the bed. The door on the left is the one the woman left. The room itself had light blue walls, with a rocket ship and stars painted professionally all over the right wall. Against the right wall there was also a book shelf full of children's toys and trinkets. Against the right wall was a dresser. All around the room boxes filled with toys and random unattended toys lay around. The carpet was a light tan and there was one of those race car track play rugs sprawled out at the foot of the bed.

I felt myself cross the room to the door on the right that was opposite of the bed. The door was opened to reveal a small bathroom. I got a quick glance at the mirror and was startled. I was met with a young boy's face, around the age of nine, with brown hair and blue eyes. What startled me is the face seemed oddly familiar...

Seconds later it hit me. This was Mikey. Before his... Death? I don't really know what happened to him. I guess He is sharing memories with me right now. Perhaps I will learn what happened to him?

Right as that thought entered my mind, the scene before me twisted and shifted. I closed my eyes as a nauseating feeling came over me. When I opened them again the image before me had changed.

There was a lake sprawled out in front of me. On either of the lake there was dense forest, but across the lake was a grassy clearing.

"Mikey!" A man's voice called.

I turned around. A male with brown eyes and black hair stood next to Mikey's mother.

"It's time to go inside. Lunch is ready." The man, presumably Mikey's father, said.

The memory Mikey started running towards his dad. At the same time, the memory began to fade and twist. I was plunged into darkness as soon as a laughing Mikey jumped into his unsuspecting father's arms, who now also laughing at his son's antics. I looked around as I seemingly floated through the darkness. For a third time the scene changed. I was standing in a flower filled meadow. I could see Mikey playing a ways in front of me. He didn't seem to see me, and it looked like the Mikey I saw in the mirror, so I guessed I was still seeing past visions.

Run, Michele.

It wasn't a person who said the words, but more of a whisper on the wind. I shivered. The voice was chilling. Mikey seemed to have the same reaction, because he stopped playing and looked around fearfully. The voice had brought a dark aura to the once happy area. The sun that had once bathed the field in gold suddenly seemed to have been covered by a cloud. It was cold, and shadowed now. Even the flowers seemed to wilt below us.

Wake up. Escape.

Wait... Wake up? So I'm having a vision of his past dream? But why does someone, or something, want him to wake up? What's about to happen?

Before it's too late. Get up. Run.

Escape.

He'll get you.

He's got them.

It's to late.

Save them.

WAKE UP!

My eyes shot open and I sat up with a gasp. At first I thought I had been released from the visions, but as soon as I looked around the room I was in, I knew I wasn't.

It was still dark outside. Vision Mikey looked at the clock; 2:13 AM. Mikey yawned and rubbed his eyes.

A scream pierced the quiet night.

Mikey shot out of bed. Out here in the forest, there was nobody but him and his parents, since the scream was feminine, it must have been his mother.

I have a bad feeling about this.
(The narrative is hard to follow, huh?)

Mikey ran out the door to his bedroom, but then stopped in the hall. The shadows against the walls and doors could hold anything. That must have scared him. He slowly crept down the hall the his parents bedroom. The door was open.

Vision Mikey and I saw the inside and had the same reaction. We gasped and took a step back. I felt tears gather in Mikey's eyes.

The room was a blood bath. The horrible red liquid stained most of the bed and it's blankets. The carpet beside the bed, the headboard, and the wall beside the headboard was also splattered red like a disgusting art work. A lifeless, still lump wrapped up in a white, now red, blanket lay discarded on the floor beside the bed. Another form, a little less lifeless but soon to be as dead as the other lay on the bed, staring sightlessly with glazed eyes up at the figure looming over her. Said figure turned around. It's eyes locked on Mikey. The vision was so real, these feelings were so real, it's as if I'm standing here, being preyed upon, like Mikey once was.

The shadowed figure let out a sound that was probably a chuckle, but was deep enough to be a growl. It's definitely Male. The man stood up straight from where he had been leaning over Mikey's still mother. He turned to face Mikey completely before slowly walking towards the boy. Mikey stood routed to his spot, paralyzed with fear. I would be too. The man kept walking towards him. Me. Us. I don't know anymore. Now even my brain is jumbled. How must Mikey have felt? Seeing his parents dead bodies, then being approached by their killer.

The man was close now. To close. The man began reaching out to grab Mikey. "Looks like the fun ain't over yet." He growled with sick delight in his voice. Through the dark of the room I could just barely make out some of the man's face. He was bleach blond, and had a strong, almost pointed facial structure. More notable though, was the impossibly large grin stretched across his face and the crazed look in his emerald green eyes.

It was that moment that Mikey came back to reality, because he turned around and darted out of the room and back down the hall. Not seconds later he heard foot pounds and breathing behind him. The man was getting closer. He was moving faster than us.

Mikey had reached the start of the staircase leading downstairs when he was stopped abruptly by a hand on the back of his pajama shirt. Mikey was yanked backwards into the man, who quickly elbowed the boy's back where his lung was. Mikey had tears flowing from his eyes as he gasped and sobbed, trying to get his breath back.

The man pushed Mikey's back against the wall. The grin he had in the bedroom had yet to fade. There was a window filtering in moonlight behind the man, allowing Mikey and I to see the man more clearly. He was wearing forest camo hunting gear.

The man took a knife out of the sheath that was strapped to his waist. He put its tip against where Mikey's heart was.

"Goodnight." He whispered as if a parent to a sleeping baby.

The man slowly began pushing the blade into the Mikey's chest. Or was it my chest? At this point, I couldn't tell the difference between us. blade pierces skin and then heart, Mikey took his final breath. His heart stopped. In that moment, I was almost certain my heart had stopped too. I just experienced what it's like to die. It's not the peaceful passing of a soul into the spirit realm, content with there fate. No, your soul is dragged out of you, kicking and screaming, wanting to feel the high of life forever, but is forced to move on.

The man chuckled quietly to himself as the boy went limp. He dragged Mikey's body down the stairs, through the kitchen and living room, and out the front door. He dragged it across the clearing, then promptly dumped it in the lake. He brushed off his hands that were now covered in blood. Scoffing, he walked back into the house, shutting the door behind him.

Mikey's soul was just about to finish passing. It was over for the boy. He is dead. But... How was he-

My train of thought was cut off by a whisper on the wind.

Avenge us. Revenge.

~•~~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~~~~~~•••••~~•~•

I was floating in the black void again. There was something wet on my face. Tears. I reached up and wiped them. I looked at my hand. The tears were purple.

I'm in pain. My lungs. They hurt. I can't breath? What's happening? Now I feel something soft. It's below me. My fingers sift through it. I still can't see anything.

I hear a faint noise. It's distorted. I can't tell what it is.

I hear it a couple more times, it gets clearer in clearer, until-

"JAGGY!"

I gasp and fall to my knees, breathing heavily. A hand is set on my shoulder, and I look up to see who it is. Robin looks down at me, the concern is clear on his face. I sigh I relief. I am finally out of that nightmare.

"Are you okay? You were totally spaced out for a full minute there, then you started crying, without actually sobbing." Artemis commented.

"It was kinda freaky." Wally stated.

"What happened?" Robin asked.

I sighed again, then looked around the clearing, everyone, including Mikey, was where they were before my visions. Except Robin, of course. Not much time has passed then. I noticed Mikey was watching me carefully.

"I don't know exactly. Mikey showed me visions of before he died. He showed me his parents. He showed me the night he and his parents were killed by a man wearing forest camouflage hunting gear." I mumbled, partially to myself.

"Killed? So he is a ghost?" Superboy asked with a raised eyebrow. Wally scoffed and rolled his eyes, but must have opted not to say anything. I shrugged.

"Mikey," I looked back at the boy, who still watched me, "Please, tell us what's going on here? Why did you show me those visions? Why are you doing all of this?"

Mikey blinked once. Twice. A third time. Then he spoke.

"When camo man killed me and dumped me in the lake, I was reborn. Not as a spirit, or a human, but a sort of... Demon? Not a bad demon, my purpose was never to be evil. The spirit that created me was an embodiment of the idea of death. The camo man has killed many times before me, and always got away with it. Death was sick of the carnage he caused, so he made me to seek revenge for all the people he has killed, and try to save the people he will kill. The camo man took over my home and has stayed there for months, killing people in the forest. I try to scare them away, to keep them safe. This place was once a save haven for lost travelers. It had been given a gift thousands of years ago, and now all lost travelers are guided to it. My parents used to show lost people the way back to town. But now this place is tainted. My job it to wipe this place clean of its taint, and avenge the fallen."

"So you wanna kill camo man? Is he in the cabin now?" Artemis asked.

"Yes." Mikey replied simply.

"Well, why haven't you stormed in there and finished him already?! It should be easy with you powers." KF exclaimed.

"It's not that easy. When camo man took me out of the house after he killed me, my soul had not yet passed. Since my soul wasn't in its place of death, it wasn't forced into the spirit realm like it usually would be. That's the only reason Death could make me like this. But, once I left the place I was killed, I can never return. I can't get back into the house. As for when he goes out to hunt lost travelers, I can't get him then either, he always carries around the knife that he killed me with. I can't get to close to that either. The camo man knows about me and has figured out what I'm trying to do. He always makes sure there is no way I can get to him." Mikey explained.

"Well, now you've got us to help you." Miss Martian smiled.
(Don't fall into my plot holes, everybody.)

"Hold on, I have a question," Wally began, "If you are supposed to be good, then why did you attack that Yassen guy? You burnt his face and made him lose an eye!" He exclaimed, cocking a suspicious eyebrow.

"Yes, I really regret that mistake. There was blood on him, animal blood but I didn't know that at the time, and he was wearing camo hunting gear. I had convinced myself he was the man I am after. I didn't notice it wasn't him until too late, but stopped myself just in time. I should have known better though, camo man would have never been stupid enough to leave himself vulnerable like that. I am truly sorry about what happened." The boy looked down with a sigh, saddened and ashamed by what he had done.

Robin cleared his throat, "I suppose that is in the past now. I'm not exactly sure what is going on here, I don't any of us are, but one thing is clear. There in a man murdering innocents and we must stop him. How can we help?"

Mikey smiled. Thank you so much. Perhaps we can finally end this. If we work together that is. We need to get him-" he was cut off by a deep chuckle.

"Well, well, well." A voice drawled slowly, "I knew you'd get smart and get help eventually kid, but I never expected it would be the help of super-children." He said sarcastically.

Superboy growled at the man who emerged from the same bushes we had come from.

"Not that I'm not prepared..." The crazed grin on the man's face radiated confidence.

Superboy scowled, "Prepare for this!" He charged the man with a shout of rage. Camo man neatly stepped to the side, dodging superboy. Superboy kept moving with his momentum, and just before he reached the tree line, he tripped over an invisible force. There was a small phut, and I caught glance of something that whizzed out of the bushes. It hit superboy in the arm, and not seconds later he was unmoving, breathing, but out cold.

Tranquilizer dart. Superboy walked, or rather charged, right into this man's trap. Camo man chuckled.

"One down."

Robin's eyes narrowed, "Kid, Artemis, take the left. Megan, you and I have the right. Surround and conquer. Jaggy, hang back and assist only if necessary. It's your first mission, after all. Move!" Robin ordered.

As the four went in their respectful directions, I backed away, stopping once I was standing beside the boy. We silently watched as the four circled (squared?) around the man.

Artemis drew back a shock arrow with her bow, "Give up! Your outnumbered." She demanded.

"Outnumbered, yes. Out matched?" The man pulled out a sword and pressed a discreet button on his belt, "Not so much." The man rolled to the ground as a line of darts shot from the woods this time. Wally, Robin, and Artemis were able to dodge them all, but Miss Martian wasn't so lucky, being the slowest and least athletically train than the others. She collapsed to the ground.

Robin growled, "that's it, no more games. This ends now!" Robin threw several bird-a-rangs while Artemis shot her arrow. The man ducked under the bird shaped weapons and cut the arrow in half with his sword. Wally ran at and tried to tackle the man from behind, but he slid sideways on one foot, leaving the other out which tripped Wally. KF tumbled forward, but rolled over in a summersault and landed back on his feet. He was now next to the collapsed Megan.

Wally huffed, "For a homicidal psycho, this guy is pretty good."

The man smirked. "Yes, I was training to be an assassin, but I wasn't patient enough to wait for killing jobs. So, I'm out on my own." Now the man grinned crazily. "Now I finally get some excitement."

Robin glared at him. "Jaggy! How about you help us out here? We won't underestimate him again."

I began to walk forward, but Mikey's hand on my shoulder stopped me briefly. "See that Sheath on his right leg? There's a knife in it. Get it and get rid of it." He said, "I'll handle the rest." I blinked at him, then turned towards the man. Seeing what Mikey was talking about, I nodded and began running forwards.

I got to them just in time to see Robin attack the man, aiming to punch him in the gut. The man grabbed Robin's arm and threw him over his shoulder and into Artemis, who had been about to shoot another arrow. Wally tried as well, but got the same result as Robin, the three were in a pile. I shifted into my jaguar form and silently crept towards them.

Robin suddenly untangled from the others and leapt at the man, who quickly grabbed him and pinned his arm behind his back. Robin gritted his teeth and groaned in pain.

"Foolish boy. Your asking for a broken arm." The man growled at him.

That attack didn't seem like Robin at all... It was certain to fail, he would have seen that. It was sloppy. There was something more too it.

I saw his gaze flicker to me, and in that moment I knew. A diversion. Robin is giving me the opportunity to strike. I could knock him out and we would take him to jail. But... Mikey wants me to take his knife so he can do his job. Complete his purpose. The right thing would be to take him to jail, no matter how crazy he is. Something told me to trust Mikey, though. Call it a gut feeling.

Well, ya gotta listen to your gut.

I took to bounds forward and pounced on the man. He was knocked forward with a Yelp, letting go of Robin, who stumbled into Wally's arms. Before the man had time to recover, I ripped the sheath with the knife off the man's leg and ran. I was about 5 yards away from him when he regained his bearings. Camo man quickly got up. When he saw what I took her growled in rage. "Get back here, you runt!" He shouted. He pulled out a gun and started shooting at me. He had gotten three shots before he was tackled by kid flash from behind.

That was enough, though. I dodged the first two bullets, but I felt the third one tear straight through my hind leg. I whimpered, but didn't stop running. Although, I was slowed significantly by my limp.

I was 15 yards away from the man and Mikey when I collapsed. I turned around to look at him, he had pushed off kid flash and grabbed his gun, aiming it at me. He laughed in triumph. His finger moved to pull the trigger, the others wouldn't be fast enough to stop him. Somehow, I knew he aimed to kill.

The shot never came, but the scream of the camo man did. He dropped his gun as his hand was enveloped in the burning, purple acid. The liquid dragged the man across the ground, closer and closer to the boy. Soon, camo man was right in front of Mikey. He was screaming in agony. The man reached for the sword he had resheathed a while back and threw it perfectly to skewer Mikey. A wall of purple came up to protect the boy. The sword went into the thin, purple mass, but never came back out. It looked as if it had went through a portal, but in reality, it hand been instantly melted down. The liquid lowered itself slowly. Mikey glared at the man. Both of his masked eyes turned completely black, a purple pinprick glowed in each black orb.

A look of pure terror passed over the man's face.

"Goodnight." Mikey whispered.

The man was then completely covered in the purple liquid, and in moments, his agonized screams of pain had faded. He was gone, obliterated, just like that.

For a second, I thought it was over. Then, out of the mass of purple liquid burst a red, horned, demon-like creature. It roared in fury, it's teeth gleamed like blades and its jaws opened and shut, as if it was prepared to rip something, or someone, to shreds. There was no way to describe this beast, but if you imagined the worst beast out of your most dark and terrifying nightmares, it would come nothing close as to as horoscope as this beast. For a moment, I was certain we would all die here, and be dragged with that thing to the depths of Hell.

The earth seemed to open up beneath the creature, an it was unwillingly sucked down. It's screams of fury were the last thing I heard from it before the pit closed up again.

Then the clearing was silent.

"What on earth just happened?" Artemis asked.

Nobody answered her.

That is, until a black shadow lurked out of the forest.

The shadow was transparent, with glowing, white eyes. It had a humanoid form, but the exact shape continuously shifted and changed.

"I believe I can provide you with some answers." It's whispering voice sounded familiar. It seemed to... Float on the wind.

"Who are you?" Robin questioned suspiciously.

The figure walked, or maybe floated, over to Mikey. "I am the embodiment of death. I believe the Crying Boy mentioned me? Good work, Michel. It was about time that demon was put away."

"Crying Boy?" Wally asked.

"Yes, that is what he is called by beings who aren't personally familiar with him."

"Okay, but what exactly did happen?" Robin asked. I shifted into my human form,band began to feel dizzy. I didn't know why, but I brushed it off. What could be more important than this?

"Ah, yes, well you see, that man you battled was supposed to die many years ago. Before his soul could pass, it was consumed by a demon who took over his body. The demon's influence made him bloodthirsty and insane. He killed many people. That is why I made crying boy, to kill the man so the demon could be sentenced back to the underworld. Anything else you may ask s irrelevant." That last part was said to cut off the challenge Kid Flash was about to make.

"So what happens to Mikey?" My voice was small. I was in pain, but I couldn't remember why.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot." The shadow muttered while making its way over to me. It loomed over me briefly before it reached out a glowing, white hand. Death placed the hand on my leg. Oh yeah, I had been shot. A electrifying a current jolted through me, and in a matter of seconds I felt like I could do anything, like I was high on life. As quickly as it came, the feeling faded. I looked at my leg. It was completely healed.

I stood up, testing out my balance. It was as good as new. "Thank you." I bowed to him. He nodded back.

"It's the least I could do after you put your faith in Michele's cause. As for what will happen to him, that is his choice. He can choose to pass on to Heaven, or he can stay on earth if he has a proper cause." Death stated.

Mikey stepped forward at this, "sir, I respectfully request to stay stationed here. After all, someone needs to show the lost travelers back to town now."

"Very well, you may stay. As for you six kids, perhaps you should stay the night in the cabin. It's late, and you've had a long day." Death suggested kindly. Mikey nodded in agreement.

The team and I exchanged looks. "We would like that." Robin spoke for us all. One thing was certain. We would sleep deeply tonight.

I'm not sure I liked how this went... It seems to... Unplanned, and unrealistic. What do you all think? This was the end of the mission, next chapter will have a small scene of them leaving, but other than that, it's over. I don't know what will happen next yet.

The song was Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. I don't own it. I was bullied into using it. *cough cough, slaps Lilly*

Sayonara