Heads up. I mentioned possibly doing something like this on my spam several months ago and I was kind of joking, but then yourbrothercrutchie and JimmyJamesMadison (who I'm pretty sure has left us *cue sobs*) said they'd read it.
So this isn't my fault. Blame them for any pain or misery you might feel when reading this.
ALSO. If you haven't read my book, 'Brewin' in the Boroughs' and you intend to at any point; do NOT, I repeat, NOT read this. It contains MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR spoilers. Thank you and have a nice day.
And a disclaimer: I have never actually died(shocker) and so I don't know what it feels like or what happens after. I just made it up to be happy, okay?
***

Searing pain; that's all Mike could feel. A red hot stabbing sensation in his lower abdomen that only grew sharper as he slowly sank to his knees. His hands shook and he pressed them tightly over his stomach and he frantically looked around for someone-anyone-who could help. He didn't even know what had happened.

He'd been punched, he thought. The boy had punched him, he was sure of it. Yet this would not be the first time Mike had been hit, not even close, and it had never felt like this.

He'd never felt pain like this; not even the time Spot had accidentally broken his nose. The only thing comparable to this burning, torturous pain was that which had existed in his heart since the second he'd seen Ike on the ground...

"Mike! Mike, are you okay?" The frantic cry came from Buttons. The boy had rushed to Mike's side and was gripping his forearm tightly enough to leave bruises. Mike hadn't even noticed his arrival.

"I'm fine," Mike choked out. His words came out hushed and weak, it took everything in him to force them out. They sounded like the words of a dying man.

Mike noticed Buttons' eyes dart down to his stomach and he slowly removed his hands. Mike's eyes widened and he stared in horror and confusion at them. They were covered in blood. His blood.

"Buttons? What--what?" Mike couldn't finish. He could feel his shoulders shaking violently and he peered at his friend with fearful eyes.

"Hey, its okay," Buttons tried. His attempts at soothing Mike failed. The boy's lip quivered as he looked down at the scarlet stain on his shirt.

"Buttons, what's happening?" Mike didn't understand. He'd only been hit! The guy had hit him and now he was bleeding and it hurt to breathe.

"I don't know," Buttons whispered. He waved someone over with trembling fingers, silently begging the person to hurry. Within seconds Jojo was knelt on his other side.

"When I find that kid I'm gonna-"

"Jo, your mouth is bleedin'," Mike mumbled.

"I don't care!" Jojo wiped the blood away. In his rush to get to Mike he hadn't even noticed his split lip.

"I'm getting dizzy," Mike held his head and slumped forward.

"Lay down!" Buttons exclaimed. He and Jojo slowly helped Mike lean back. Mike cringed, another wave of pain washing over him. His eyes clenched shut as his lungs tightened even more.

"It hurts!" Mike cried.

Jojo watched on with watery eyes, wishing there was something he could do. "I know, Mike."

"It hurts to breathe," Mike managed to gasp out. He was still bleeding and he stared at the ever-growing stain on his shirt. "This ain't gonna wash out, is it?"

Buttons seemed to finally notice the blood and he pressed his hands against the wound, trying desperately to slow the bleeding.

"I'm dyin', ain't I?" Mike asked. He still wasn't sure exactly what had happened but there was no other explanation. He was dying. His heart lurched. He was dying on the streets of Brooklyn with only two of his friends for company.

Jojo gasped and Buttons shook his head in horror. "You're gonna be alright Mike!"

"No," Mike coughed. "I ain't."

"Don't say that! You're fine!"

"Don't--don't lie to me," Mike groaned. He slowly pushed Buttons's hands away from his stomach.

"Hey!" Buttons exclaimed. "Whatcha doing that for?" He quickly replaced his hand and tried to ignore Mike's wince.

"That ain't gonna help me," Mike wheezed. It really hurt now--so much that he was almost welcoming death.

"It might help," Buttons tried, but his voice was weak.

Mike tried to get Buttons to meet his eyes as he pleaded with him. His eyes watered, he needed his friend to see his pain. "It only hurts more!" His voice broke as he struggled for breath.

Buttons's hands were gone in a second and Mike sighed as the pain lessened.

The boys were talking to him, trying to tell him that they needed him and how he couldn't die. Mike wished they wouldn't; it only made him feel worse. As if each shudder and pinch in his lungs weren't enough to tell him he was dying, the boy's wouldn't stop talking about it.

He could tell they were upset and his lip trembled. He didn't want to die, it wasn't as if he'd chosen this. He was scared. What would happen to him? He hoped it would stop hurting soon.

Mike coughed again and felt something coat his lips--blood. A tear slid down his cheek leaving a clear trail through the dirt on his face. He didn't want this. Not yet! He was supposed to fight and help the boys win.

After that they were going to go home and he'd stay at the lodge for a few years more. Then he'd get a job, start a family, and live a long and relatively happy life. He'd planned it.

He'd spent years thinking about that day when things would change and his life would become better. He'd looked forward to it--even dreamed of it. Some days it was the only those thoughts that kept him going.

But now it was all being taken from him.

Jojo and Buttons were crying and Mike tried to soothe them. He had to admit that he found it strange that he was lying there in misery whilst trying to calm them, rather than the other way around.

"Don't worry about me," Mike whispered. His vision was fading, becoming blurry, and his head spun. His friends' faces were growing blurry and Mike tried to choke back the panic. "I'm-I'm dizzy. I can't see!"

Buttons's hands tightened into fists and the tears fell freely down his cheeks and Mike grew scared again. Couldn't they see that their crying only frightened him more? If they were scared without facing death, then how should he feel?

Mike didn't want to die. He didn't want it to hurt. He had no one to really help him; no one could tell him what it was like. Would he be all alone?

He hoped not. He'd almost take this pain forever as long as he could be with his friends. He'd far prefer that to what he could be facing; darkness and an eternity alone.

"Don't cry Buttons," Mike said softly, using all of his energy to squeeze his friend's arm. "Cryin's for sissies."

Thankfully he stopped and, after a minute, Jojo did too.

Then a thought hit Mike. He'd heard Jojo talk about Heaven only a few times, but from what the boy had told him, he'd gathered that it was a happy place with friends and family.

So maybe, just maybe, once he died he wouldn't be alone. Maybe when the throbbing and burning finally stopped he would be able to see his brother.

He told his friends just as much through labored breathing. He didn't bother looking at them anymore--all he could make out were there outlines anyway.

He bit his lip, trying to stay strong in front of them. He knew that since Ike had died the only thing he could think about was his death and how it had gone down. He'd wondered how much it had hurt, if he'd died without saying something he needed to say, and if he'd been scared.

He didn't want any of the boys to look back years from now and only remember him in his last minutes, but if they did he wanted them to remember him as strong.

Another piercing pain in his abdomen temporarily broke his shield and he desperately held his hands out. In less than a second each of the boys was holding one of his hands, but he needed reassurance right now.

"Don't leave," he pleaded. "Not 'til I'm gone."

"Don't worry, we ain't ever leavin'," Jojo whispered close to his ear.

A few minutes passed and they stayed. Slowly Mike's vision faded until all he could see was black. He could still feel his brothers' hands though, so he knew they were there.

Mike could feel his breathing slowing and coming out in short gasps. He shivered as cold washed over him and his eyes became heavy and hard to keep open.

Then he was warm and somewhere, far away, he could see a pinprick of light--bright and shining like the sun.

A boy was standing there in the typical newsboy attire and he began walking towards Mike. His walk was familiar to Mike, as was the way he wore his cap tight over his head and tilted ever so slightly to the right. He looked familiar and Mike squinted as he tried to determine the boy's identity.

Then he realized.

It was Ike.

"I wasn't expectin' you this soon, but I can't exactly send you back, can I?" Ike smirked.

In the back of his mind Mike noticed that Jojo was tightly squeezing his fingers, but that feeling was slowly slipping away. He took another painful gasp of air and stared at his brother.

"What? Got nothing to say to me? Man, I thought you missed me! I was waitin' up here for you all this time and you finally show up and-"

Ike interrupted himself as he stopped a few feet in front of Mike. "That's another thing! I didn't want to see you this soon! I mean, I wanted to see you, but I didn't want you to get killed for it!"

Mike could hear Buttons trying to say something to him, but it sounded distant as though Mike was underwater. He tuned Buttons out; all of his attention was fixed on his brother.

"Speaking of, how do you feel?"

"It hurts," Mike forced out.

"I'm sorry," Ike said, sympathetically. "That should go away soon."

And Mike noticed that he was right. His breathing, while still difficult, was evening out almost as though he was just going to sleep.

"Then what?" Mike whispered.

"We go there," Ike responded easily and motioned towards the light.

"A-Are you sure?" Mike asked nervously.

"Of course I am. Don't worry about it, it's safe. It's good there; happy. You'll love it. Man, I can't wait to introduce you to-"

Ike paused and looked around, then glanced back at Mike and tilted his head. He appraised his brother, then gave a sharp nod. "It's just about time now, Mike."

"Time for what?" Mike asked. He marveled at the strength he was feeling as his body relaxed and the pain dissolved. "Time to die?"

Ike gave him a small smile. "We don't like to think of it like that. More like starting a new adventure; the rest of your life. C'mon, I'll take you!"

Mike really wanted to. His previous thoughts of death and wanting to stay for his friends were fading; in fact, thoughts of his friends were at the back of his mind.

"I'll always protect you, Mike," Ike reassured. "Don't be scared; I'll show you the way."

Ike held out his hand and Mike debated for only a second before reaching forward and taking it. He could no longer feel Buttons' or Jojo's hands in his, those feelings had long since faded. All he could were Ike's fingers curling around his own as they moved toward the shining warmth.

And as Mike breathed his last breath, a small smile crossed his face.