Chapter Text
“Honey, what is going on?
Rachel was standing in the bathroom, breathing shallowly. She looked in the mirror, seeing her face, her black-blue hair.
“I am in here”, she said, looking down again on her white knuckles.
A woman in black enters the room. Melisa.
“What is going on Rachel?”, she asked, looking worried.
“The kids in the school… said I am weird. Strange.” Rachel felt how the tears were pricking in her eyes. She was getting angry.
“Oh darling, please calm down. You know you shouldn’t be so emotional, it’s not good for you.”
“But why Mom? Why? I know something is wrong with me, but why they have to bully me?”
Melisa got on her knees, taking her hands in.
“You are one of God’s special creations…let’s pray together…”
Rachel jerked her hand away. “No, mum! I want an answer, not more excuses…”
“Rachel”, Melisa got up and took her face in her hands, “you will be normal again, it’s just phase…”
Rachel shook her head, tears rolling down her face. “No, it isn’t, I can feel it. It’s a part of me…”
“God loves you whatever will happen…”
“But why aren’t loving me?” Rachel's question hung around the room, Melisa only looked at her, mute and pale. The light above the mirror cabinets flickers. Suddenly Rachels felt how she’s been pulled into an eddying.
“Rachel…”
Someone is touching her arms softly. She opened her eyes and looked in the face of a worried Dick, bend over her. Her cheeks are wet and she felt the salty taste of tears on her lips. Her eyes are searching the background and she remembered again. They were on a plane to Gotham.
“You have been crying in your sleep”, explained Dick. “You want to talk about it?”
“It was nothing….” Quickly she wiped her face clean.
“Rachel…you can talk about everything with me. It doesn’t matter what happened the last few days or that you run away…I will never judge you.” He looked her straight into her eyes.
„ I am here for you, always.“ He squeezed her hands.
“I … can’t, Dick. Not now…not what happened. Just…give me time, okay?” He nodded and she turned her head to look outside of the windows seeing the lights of Gotham in the night.
“Rachel!” Garfield ran up to her and closing up to her in a surprising hug.
“Gar…hi…”, she said surprised. She didn’t know that he’s been a hugger.
“It has been some crazy tower, believe me. The tower is blown up. Did you see it?” He asked and sounded almost excited about it.
“We should get into the house”, said Dick pointing them in direction of the white mansion. They were an hour outside of Gotham, in one of Batman’s safehouses. They would later meet the other superheroes later in a secured location. They moved to the house, where Kory, Dawn, Hank, and Donna already have been waiting.
Kory looked at Rachel and gave her a warm smile. “Nice to have you back, Rach.”
Rachel nodded and avoided looking at them. She felt guilty about what happening and at some point, she better got an apology worked out for running away.
“Bruce is already waiting for us.” Donna cleared her throat.
“So, we are going finally to meet Superman?” Gar looked between Dick and Donna.
“You are not coming. First, we can’t assemble ourselves anymore in one place; too much of a safety risk. And planning out a strategy against Psimon is the only thing for the leaders of the group and their replacement.” Donna looked at him, her face apologetically.
“That means only you and Dick are going”, concluded Gar disappointed.
“Yep. But believe me, if you don’t need to meet Superman, it’s a good sign, that means you are not that much in trouble.”
Dick patted Gar on his shoulder lightly. “Kory, Dawn, and Hank will stay with you until we will return and have a solution for this mess.”
“Dick.” Bruce greeted him with his deep voice, looking somehow glad and stern about his appearance. “You had rough times.” It was a statement without any doubts.
“Yeah, I did.” It was no use to argue with Batman.
“We will get through this”, Bruce said, giving him a short nod with the head. He turned around to Diana, who already was standing at the console. It was only Diana, Donna, Dick, Bruce, and Kara here, the rest of the people were connected through a secure video line.
“My friends”, started Diana, “we are heading to troublesome times.” She took a deep breath and focused her eyes on the video camera. “As you all witnessed Psimon made his promise reality and let nightly from San Francisco spread over the world. Every night between 9 pm and 1 am local time hell breaks loose for the citizen of targeted cities. We as superheroes and protectors of humankind are fighting endlessly to keep this under control. But it’s not something we can upkeep for much longer.” She nodded to Bruce, who took the place beside her. “Diana and I – acting as a representative of the Justice League – have made a plan to fight against these attacks and also prevent them by revealing Psimon's actual plan.” Bruce Wayne’s deep voice sounded through the whole room. “As we know over intel work of our good friends in Starling City discovered the last few months he obducted people with supernatural skills. Nobody which was known to us, mostly there are people with only very restricted skills and the most of them are in difficult living situations. So his operation wasn’t discovered by the authorities or us. He is collecting these people to something bigger and he doesn’t want us to interfere, that’s why floods the streets of the cities with criminals.”
Diana jumped in again.
“As Psimon is short on actual criminals, he started to recruit people from the street. People with no money and perspective, who just try to survive. He bribes or blackmails them into being a disturbance to the law system of the countries. This uprising of these people will lead to shifting the politics in the direction of repression of the same kind of people. Our utmost goal is to prevent this by stopping the recruiting process. Batman and I made a plan for this operation.”
Bruce stepped forward again.
“We will split up into two different groups. One is the defenders; they locate potential recruiters going around and keep the violence at bay in the night. These will be bigger groups to be more efficient. The other groups are the investigators. These are people who will investigate the disappearance of the people with supernatural skills and prevent them and get to Psimon by tracking down his trails. These are only small groups of 1-2 persons as it would be too much of a safety risk.” He paused and looked around. “This is a long shot, we suspect that we will need at least one year to get through him. We have to be disciplined if we want to get through. You all should get an e-mail with a list of which group you are assigned to. We think it’s the best decision if the Justice League handles the organization and coordination of the groups. Any questions?”
“What is with the girl he mentioned?”, asked Clarke Kent.
“We think he will go after her even he doesn’t need her to finish up his plans. But we have already a strategy for her”, answered Bruce.
When they ended the video conference, Bruce waved at Dick. “We have to talk about Rachel, Richard.”
“How are you holding up, Rach?” Garfield’s eyes lingered on her face. They were sitting in the living room in front of a widescreen TV, playing Mario cart.
“As usual, I think.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“Aren’t you angry what he said about and your dad?”
Rachel frowned. “Who?”
“Psimon in his speech!”
“….I didn’t see any speech”. Rachel looked at him puzzled. Gar took his phone out and opened a video. He scrolled forward and gave it to Rachel. She saw that weird guy talking about her father and how they had a bad relationship. “So, fly my little raven, I will be there to catch you and break both of your wings.”
She looked down on the guy and feeling empty. Just empty. Before the video ended she gave the phone back to Gar. He looked at her confused, put one hand on her forearm.
“Did it scare you Rach?”, he asked worriedly.
“No…I am beyond being scared…it’s something else…I…Gar. I can’t talk with you, sorry. I need some fresh air”, she got up and when Gar wanted to follow her, she lifted her arm, “I need to be alone. I am in the backyard if someone is looking for me.”
She went out of the room and Gar left behind puzzled. Kory entered the room, gave him a suspicious look on her face. “What’s going on?”, she asked.
“I…I think I did something wrong. Or I just don’t get it.” Gar looked at her, sighing.
“Rachel…?”
“She’s in the backyard, but she wants to be alone.”
Kory lifted her eyebrows. “Okay…I tell Dick when he returns. That sounds like a talk he should have with her.”
“So, Boy Wonder, what did you get?”, asked Donna when they were back in the car in direction of the safehouse.
“What did I get?”, he asked, looking confused. He was still in thought about his talk with Bruce.
“Which region and with whom are you going to defend?” She sounded excited.
“Oh, you mean the list. None.”
“What? Why?”
“I am on the investigation team. With Rachel.”
Donna looked stunned. “Oh, what? I didn’t see that coming. I thought you would be on defending duty with Bruce. Put Rachel somewhere in a safe location.”
“I thought too, but he had a better idea. He thinks I am more resourceful if I help to investigate and we should keep Rachel in movement anyway as she isn’t going to be an easy target for Psimon. And how Bruce put it…it would help a lot to our relationship if we team up together than rather be a part of a larger group.”
“Batman is giving you parental advice?”
Dick chuckled. “I couldn’t believe either, but he did.”
“And you gonna take it?”
“The advice or the task?”
Donna scrunched her nose. “Both I guess?”
“He’s right, for once, so I will do.”
“Okay. I am impressed…I think you would be rather fighting against bad people than scooping around.”
“I am a detective, after all. It’s kinda my job.”
“You’re right. I am looking forward to my group and task.” Donna’s face lit up.
“What did you got?”
“All the female power…Diana, Kory, and Dawn in the Midwestern.”
“That sounds like a camping trip for you?”
“Hell yeah.” She grinned. “I mean, it serious and exhausting at all, but at least I don’t have to quarrel with kids about playing nice, and having Diana onboard is good. It’s way more organized than the last week been.”
“I am sorry btw that I haven’t been there.”
Donna lifted one eyebrow and gave him a disapproving look. “Dick, you were looking for Rachel and have been blowing up by a car bomb. It’s not like you vacationing in Hawaii.”
“I know, but you know me…I always feel guilty.”
He parked the car in front of the house and they both got out. Kory came out to meet them halfway. Donna raised her left arm to high-five her. “Koooory, did you see the list…?”
“Of course, I did. Girl power!” She gave her high five and Dick rolled his eyes. Donna laughed and went into the house.
“Kory…” Dick touched lightly her arm.
“Yes?” she turned around to face him.
“Donna told me that you have been the reason that the kids aren’t dead because of Psimon. Thank you for your foresight on the matter.”
“You’re welcome.” She shrugged. “I just saw this dipshit face and thought it would be a good idea to get out of the tower. It was a hunch like I said to Donna.”
“That hunch save a few lives back there.”
“Good thing I get them from time to time.” She smiled and wanted to turn away. Dick again touched her arm lightly. She turned around again, looking him into his eyes.
“I hope we get some time together…I know the past few weeks were incredibly stressful, not only for me and Rachel but also for you. We didn’t have the time to…catch up.”
“That’s right…but I am pretty sure it won’t be less hectic the next months.” She smiled sadly but then she put her right hand on his arm. “But we will make time, I am sure. If you need to talk to somebody I always try to lend you an ear.”
“Thank you, but I am not the…”
“…the big talker, I know. Still, the offer stands. “ She lifted her right index finger. “By the way talking, you should talk to Rachel. She’s in the backyard. I think something happened between her and Gar.”
Rachel was sitting on an old wooden swing, hanging down from a massive tree. She was starring in the distance, warm tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn’t sob, she had no power to it.
She felt empty and even more robbed of her identity than a few weeks back.
“Rachel.”
Dick was standing behind her and she twitched automatically and turned her head. Remembering that she had been crying, she wiped quickly her face.
“You’re back. I didn’t hear you coming. How was the…”
Within a few steps, he was in front of her, crouching down and taking her hands.
“Don’t tell me it’s nothing, Rachel. Just talk to me.”
She looked at him, with puffy eyes and shook her head.
“I can’t…Dick…I just can’t let you in.”
He looked at her with sad eyes. “Why not; Rachel?”
“You heard him….you’re all in danger because he likes to hunt me because I am Trigon’s daughter. I will always be just my father’s daughter.” She felt how a sob started to build in her throat.
“That isn’t true and you know that.”
“Dick…you almost died because of this stupid car bomb. I almost couldn’t relive you. I blacked out…because I didn’t have enough power to do it. What if…if happens again? What if you die and I can’t save you…just because he likes to break my wings? Because it’s fun to kill you?” Her tears were falling down her cheeks, wetting her black shirt.
“Hey…hey…calm down.” He cupped her face with his left hand. “What Psimon has said or has done, is not your fault. You are so more than just your father’s daughter. You are our Rachel, the powerful raven of the Titans. You are my Rachel, who I love so dearly, it probably is going kill me one day.” He smiled and she smiled back. He took her in his arms, hold her tight.
“Whoever is coming to you, whatever is going to happen to you, never I will give up on you. Never. I knew this car bomb scared the shit out of you but we managed to survive it both. We will continue to survive by supporting each other and do our best do not to get in this situation.” He looked back into her red face, already swollen from the tears she was crying.
“No running away from me, okay? Not literally and nor figuratively. We are a team, we belong together. Whatever it is I am always here for you and never judge you for it.” He crouched down on her. “And the most important thing: I always love as you would be my own blood. It doesn’t matter where you come from, it does matter what you make with it. I am so proud of you, what you have achieved, and we are going to achieve so much more. Together.” He laid his right hand on her heart and the left hand on his. “You always be in here. Always.”
Rachel let herself slip down from the swing into his greeting arms. They hugged so tightly, Rachel was feeling like every drop of air was pressed down of her body. But it didn’t matter. She was in Dick’s arms and that was the most important thing. He was on her side, whatever would come. No matter who she was or who wanted to get to her.
*************
“And you are sure this is a good idea?” Rachel was packing her things into a suitcase in a hurry. Dick was not happy about her start packing just now as their flight was supposed to go in five hours.
“We will be fine, Rachel. It was Bruce’s idea to put us both in the investigating team and I agreed. You need that one?” He held a dark hoodie with several wholes up.
“Yes! It’s my favorite hoodie!”
He critically examined it. “It has holes in it. A lot of holes.”
Rachel crawled over the bed and took it away from him. Quickly she put it in her suitcase which was starting to overflow.
“I thought you would put me into another safehouse and lock me away.”
Dick shook his head. “That would include a lot of effort just to make you an easy target and anyway…you wouldn’t stay. It’s better if you coming with me.”
Rachel rolled her eyes, but she smiled. She was glad he was coming with her.
“But flying on fake passports as uncle and niece? Don’t you think it will raise suspicion somewhere?”
Dick smiled, handing her over some towels. “Believe me…we will get through this. It, not my first time using fake aliases and it’s mostly cake. Especially with the authorities. But…we should start to figure out the legal situation around you.”
“Meaning what?” Rachel frowned.
“Meaning as I should apply for being your foster parent. At some point, I have the hope to give a real school education again.”
She looked at him questionably. “Pretty sure that won’t happening the next months around.”
He sighed. “We will see. I still hope we get through this quicker than we all are thinking.”
“I don’t know…I have this feeling something big is coming ahead. This isn’t going to be easy at all.” She laid down on the bed, stretching her limbs and closing her eyes.
Dick crawled on the bed, lying beside her.
“However this will pan out, I am here, Rachel. We will get through this after we put this …dipshit…away, I want you to have at least something resembling a normal life. This most definitely includes school. Maybe even college afterward.”
Rachel rolled her eyes again. “Why? You didn’t go to college, did you?”
“Of course I did. And now finish packing. Or I will start to eat all your cookies in the kitchen.” He winked at her and got up. Rachel groaned and slowly straighten her up. “I am already on it.” Dick smiled and left the room. Rachel observed how he left and started to sigh.
She couldn’t just shake the feeling that this whole operation against Psimon would take much more longer and would be more difficult than they imagined. It was a hunch, one of the hunches Kory normally had. It was a hunch that was sitting deep in her stomach, making feel her all twisted up and wide awake at night.