“The hell you mean I’ve been dead long enough?!?” I exclaimed, voice raw with disbelief. + 

“Yup! Now let’s go and save the world!” Death replied, a chillingly cheerful tone cutting through my shock. + 

Save the world? What the hell is going on? I stumbled to my feet, following Death into a scene of apocalyptic devastation. A city burned, choked by flames that clawed at the sky. Everywhere I looked, buildings crumbled, and the air tasted of ash and despair. But it was the sight of Cass with Clayface that truly froze me. Clayface…and he didn’t look like himself. + 

“What’s going on?” I asked Death, my voice barely a whisper above the roaring inferno. + 

“Sooo this evil version of Timmy showed up and claimed to be from the future, and some new bad guys showed and began to turn your dad's new group of heroes against each other…” Death explained, her tone casual as if describing a particularly messy brunch. + 

“That still doesn't explain what’s happening with Cass and Karlo,” I pressed, using his real name. + 

“Just keep watching.” + 

Clayface’s form flickered, momentarily solidifying before dissolving back into flowing clay. Cass watched him, her face etched with a grief that was almost tangible. They were best friends, closer than siblings. I still didn’t understand what was happening, but the undercurrent of pain was undeniable. + 

Batwoman stood atop a ruined building, gun raised. The weapon was her father’s, a final gift before she’d left to protect what she could. + 

“Cassandra, I want you to close your eyes,” Batwoman commanded, her voice steel. + 

“Batwoman?” Cass asked, her voice small. + 

“Close them NOW.” + 

Batwoman fired. A single shot to Karlo’s head. Cass screamed—a raw, animalistic sound that ripped through the silence. I watched in horror as her friend’s body slumped, clay dissolving into ash. Now I understood. The need, the desperation…and why they needed me. I only prayed it wasn’t too late. + 

------------------- + 

“Someone please remind me why we’re in Nanda Parbat?” Jason growled, leveling his guns at a swarm of assassins. + 

“To prevent my mother from reviving Y/N using the Lazarus pit,” Damian replied, kicking an assassin into a wall. + 

“Awww, demon spawn has feelings!” Tim taunted, dodging a blade. + 

“Shut it, Drake. And besides, she’s the only person I tolerate in this family,” Damian retorted, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. + 

They fought their way across the island, a whirlwind of lethal grace and controlled fury. Each assassin fell before them, dispatched with ruthless efficiency. Finally, they reached the chamber housing the Lazarus pit. Chanting echoed from down the hall—a guttural, rhythmic drone that signaled the ritual had begun. All four boys surged forward, desperate to stop it. + 

Talia’s guards were already lowering my body into the glowing green pool. I was inches from the viscous liquid when Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian burst into the room, shattering the ritual’s quiet. + 

“NO!” The four of them roared in unison as the guards released my lifeless body. + 

The entire room erupted into chaos. Weapons were drawn, stances taken. Everyone braced for the coming storm. + 

“How could you!” Damian demanded, his voice laced with fury. + 

“I only what’s right, my son,” Talia explained, her voice calm, almost serene. + 

Then, bubbles began to rise from the pit. At first, just a few, then a swarm—rising, falling, swirling around the submerged form. + 

“It worked.” + 

---------------------- + 

“So?” Death asked, her voice a cool whisper in my ear. + 

“Right, what do I need to do?” + 

“Nothing! Just wait.” + 

“What do you mean just wai—AGH!” + 

A searing pain exploded in my chest, a crushing pressure that threatened to shatter my ribs. It felt like my heart was tearing itself apart. + 

“What… Wha… What’s going on…” I gasped, my voice a ragged plea. + 

“Oh, what you are feeling is the pain of being revived through a Lazarus Pit,” Death explained, her tone disturbingly calm. + 

The pain spread, tendrils of fire licking at every nerve ending. I collapsed to the ground, screaming as everything burned. After a minute, the initial wave subsided, leaving a hollow ache in its wake. I sat up, searching for Death, but she was gone. Then, the pain returned, only this time it was crushing—a weight pressing down on my chest, suffocating me. I let out a blood-curdling scream, collapsing back onto the ground. The pain intensified, spiraling into a vortex of agony. I lost my breath, my vision blurring. I closed my eyes, surrendering to the overwhelming darkness. + 