Young Justice: Red Beetle

Chapter 33 - Promises

—Jaime

I know Remy's awake when she starts clutching her hands to her chest. She stays still though, and doesn't cry. It amazes me how strong she is. How she is in control of herself. My arms are still wrapped around her, and that was the greatest night sleep I've ever had.

"Remy," I say.

Slowly, she looks over at me, "Jaime. You're here." Her voice is so full of relief, as if I was just a dream last night and would disappear in the morning.

"I'm here. I'm always here for you." I say.

She doesn't smile, but I see her haunted look disappear.

"Do you want to talk about it some more?" I ask gently.

Remy sits up, and I do to. She wraps her arms around me, and I respond the same way. Her head lays against my chest and I wonder if she can hear my heartbeat.

"You already know all about it. I know why I started fighting in the first place. Why I chose to become Red Beetle. To care for the weak, and fight for them. I know mostly everything about my life now, except for the secret that apparently Wanda and the Reach think I know. That secret could stop the reach once and for all, I just need to remember it."

I tighten my arms around her.

"You don't need to remember it now, Remy. You just need to take care of yourself first."

She pulls in a deep breath.

"Thank you, Jaime. I... I'm not sure what I would have done last night without you." She pulls away, smiling. It's a beautiful smile, the kind of smile one gives when they know they can make it through anything.

"Oh course, Remy." I smile back. She slides out of bed, only in her long pink pajama's and black tank top. She opens the closet and begins rummaging for clothes. Between her should blades rest the red scarab.

I get out of bed and am picking up my shirt and hoodie off the ground. I place the shirt and hoodie on the end of the bed and am about to dress, when I hear Remy walk behind me. Gently, fingers trail down my back, right over my scarab.

Her fingers are soft, and gentle as she examines my scarab. She looks at it for a long time, and I let it. Staying still.

"I never saw your scarab up close like this before." She says. Her fingers disappear and I turn around to face her.

She looks at me for a moment, then turns around. Her hands move her long crazy mess of beautiful black hair over her shoulder to better view her red scarab. Her skin is tan, but paler than mine. Just as gently as Remy, I trace the alien device that made Remy the Red Beetle.

"Jaime. If I ever get on mode, and you can't save me. I want you to kill me." She says softly.

I pull in a sharp breath. "Remy, I can't—"

"I know it's going to be hard for you, but I would rather be dead than on mode. Wouldn't you?"

"Yes," I say softly. Being on mode was like being in a nightmare. I couldn't wake up from it until Bart, Zatanna and the rest of the team saved me. If they couldn't have done that, I was already thinking about dying.

"Promise me. Please, promise me." She whispers.

I bite my tongue for a moment, not wanting to make this promise but having to. In the heat of the moment, I don't know if I could kill her. But I know that being on mode is being in a living Hell, and I don't want that to happen to Remy.