I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
~Hurt ~ Johnny Cash~

...April 29, 2012...

"Team, come to the mission room," Batman calls them.

Each forlorn team member enters one by one.

"Please don't tell us you have a mission for us," Wally says. "I don't think I could handle one right now."

"No," Batman answers. "I didn't call you for a mission. I brought you here because of these." He pulls out a stack of letters. "Aura gave these to me a few months ago and told me that if she ever dies to give them to each of you after her funeral." He hands them out to each team member.

Each member looks at the letter in their hands, reading their name neatly written in her handwriting. Each member leaves in their own thoughts, heading to a secluded place to read their letters. A few she wasn't very close who didn't get a letter such as Zatanna, Raquel, Barbara, Garth, Tula, Donna, Freddy, and Mary stay in the mission room watching each member leave. Batman pulled out a letter that was meant for anyone who didn't get a letter and began to read that.

Kaldur leaves out the front entrance of the cave into the forest out to a clearing on a small cliff overlooking the ocean. He sits down, letting his legs dangle off the side. He sits there for a few minutes before opening his letter to read. Dear Kaldur, our leader... As he reads through his eyes begin to water and he quickly wipes at them so he can continue reading.

Conner heads to his room, locking the door behind him to read his letter. He sits on the edge of the bed, placing the letter beside him. He stares at the letter for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and opening it.

Megan leaves to the seclusion of her bioship, hoping it will make her feel somewhat better. She takes a slow decent to the floor in the middle of the ship, not wanting to sit in a chair. She's already tearing up at Aura's handwriting. She lets out a few sobs. The bioship reacts and the floor surrounds her in an embrace. She slightly smiles before opening the letter and losing it again.

Garfield turned into a bird, taking off to a little cave he found on the outside of the mountain. He turns to normal, dropping the letter from his mouth to his hands. He immediately rips open the letter to read. Tears begin to fall onto the paper before he realizes.

Artemis left to go sit in Aura's old room of the cave.

Dear Artemis,
Take care of yourself and my brother. I fully believe you two will be married one day. He really loves you. Don't tell him I told you this, but he would always talk to me about the different ways of how he could propose to you one day. He can never make up his mind. That's our Wally for ya though. Though, he's not the reason you're reading this. Obviously I've passed. As I said take care of yourself and my brother. This is expected as what we do everyday is incredibly dangerous. Death is something that's hard on everyone, but it's a natural thing to happen. Some it happens to earlier than others. Some get to grow old and some don't. It's a part of life. I've never believed in God, but I do believe in heaven. Live and love for me, dear sister. We will meet again one day. That is one thing I can promise.💚

Love Always,
Aura, one day your official sister

After Batman finishes reading the letter he leaves for the Watchtower, heading to give Barry his letter. He finds Barry in the cafeteria, eating away his sorrows. Batman sits across from him, sliding the letter towards Barry. Barry gives the letter a curious look before noticing the handwriting.

He quickly swallows his food. "This is Aura's handwritting."

"She wanted me to give this letter to you after her funeral. She gave me all these letters a few months ago incase anything happened to her."

Barry takes hold of his letter and speeds off to his room of the Watchtower, entirely forgetting about his large pile of food left behind. He doesn't wait to open his as he sits on his bed.

Dear Uncle Barry,
Thank you for everything you did for me. Thank you for not giving up on me when you discovered me with Joker and Harley. Bruce told me what you said. That you said you wouldn't believe that the Aura you knew could ever be a villain. I hope I lived up to your expectations. You are who I looked up to ever since I woke up from a coma. Not Batman, not Joker, not Harley, not any of the other leaguers, not Cisco or Caitlin or Wells, YOU. You were my mentor. You always were. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you. I wish I could've made up for it. I was just a stupid and scared child. I saw that you kept my first uniform in one of your equipment caches. It made me tear up but was quickly distracted cause that was when I was taking care of baby young justice with Red Arrow. I'll miss you and Iris. Keep fighting!❤️💛

Much love,
Aura

Jason takes himself to the grotto, burying himself in the farthest corner to hide.

Dear Jason, my little Jaybird,
I'm sorry to leave you alone, Jaybird. I wish Bruce and Richy would give you the true love you deserve. But they do love you, they just have a weird way of showing it. Bruce and Richy had a fight, it happens. It kinda makes them uneasy around each other. They'll get over it one day. Take care of Richy and Bruce, they need it more than they choose to believe. I know Alfred loves you just as much as I do. Eat his cookies for me. Stay strong, little brother. We'll see each other again one day. I promise. I love you. ❤️💛💚🖤

Love Always,
Aura, forever your big sister

Jason brings his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and crying.

Wally races all the way home to sit in Aura's room at the house. He takes in the room that his team helped him create. He hasn't been in this room since a few weeks before Aura's death. He picks up the picture that they took together, moving to sit on her bed. "I miss you, sis..." He sets the picture gently beside him on the made bed. He picks up the letter to read.

Dear my big brother, Wally,
Obviously you know why you're reading this. Please, though I'm gone, ask Artemis to marry you when you're older. You two are so hopelessly in love.

He lets out a breathless chuckle. "Not as much as you and Dick were..." He sighs continuing to read.

I'm so thankful that you became my brother. I don't think I'd of ever become myself again without you and Richy's help. I'm glad Barry decided to let me become apart of your family. I'll be forever grateful. This is so hard to write. Right now, you're in my room with me, asking me which way you think it'd be best to ask Artemis to marry you for the future. You're so cute when it comes to her. You know I love you, Wally. You will always be my big brother. Those we love are never truly gone. We have our memories. Remember all the fun not the bad. Goodbye to the best brother I could of ever had. Goodbye does not mean the end, it means that we will meet again someday. Tell mom and dad I love them too. 💛❤️

I love you big bro,
Aura

Dick headed up to the outlook over the ocean where the two would always stargaze at night when they couldn't sleep. He sighs, looking across the bright ocean. He hesitates before opening his letter.

Dear Richy, the love of my life,
I decided to write your letter last. Wow this is hard... I've already begun crying. I gonna miss you just as much as you'll miss me. God, Richy, you're my whole world. You are the one who was able to help me through everything, but this one thing was one nobody could've prevented. You have a place in my heart no one else could ever have, you complete it. You are the most special person to me. I know I've never been one to express my feelings and I'm sorry I have to do it like this. You've given me everything. I wouldn't be here without you. I would've still been with Joker and Harley. I'm grateful for you. Protect those you love. Protect Wally and Jason. Move on from me when you're ready. Don't let me hold you back from your choices. I love you and your sexy ass. ;P Everything will be alright. I promise we'll see each other again. I love you with every inch of my being. XOXOXO

💙I love you forever and always,
Aura
P.S. I fear little happiness remains for me here; yet all of my life my happiest was centered in you. Goodbye, Richy.

...~~~...
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤
Book 2 is out!
'A Little Unsteady'
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