Got Your Back, Always

I.XVIII

"Cassie?" Rachel gasped the rest of the group right behind her.

Cassie made a note of how awful all of them, but Rachel looked, "Oh, hey guys. Really glad to see you, shall we get the hell out of here?"

"Come on. We can get out through here. Hurry," Angela points down the way.

A few guards show up blocking their path, "There they are. All right. You kids just stay right where you are."

"I got this." Dick yanks something off of the wall and starts fighting the guards.

Cassie moves to stand in front of the others, knowing they are in no fighting shape.

The guards shock Dick and he yells throwing them off him.

Cassie sees one going to make a move while Dick is turned she she throws a scalpel, it lands in the guard's hand, half of it sticking out of both sides. He yells, and Dick takes the opportunity to knock him out. Dick goes on a rampage, taking all of the guards down, with Cassie occasionally throwing well-placed scalpels and scissors to even the field.

Dick nods at her, and she places a hand on his arm.

The others silently walk over the bodies leaving.

Dick pants, "Get out of here."

Rachel nods grabs her mom, and they all leave.

"Wait. Listen. You got enough? All we need is a spark," Dick looks at the pipes and then to Kory.

A doctor goes down that way, sees them, drops her clipboard, and runs away.

Kory looks at Cassie then to him, "We're doing this?"

Dick drops the object, "It all has to end." Cassie gently places a hand on his arm again, wanting to grab his hand but knowing he wouldn't want her to, with the blood and all.

"All right, then."

Dick and Cassie leave and Kory lights the place on fire.

"Thank you, for the backup, Cass," he looks at her, trying to figure out what they did to her. "I hate that you had to though."

"I'll always have your back Gray, but I just-just want to know that you're ok."

"No, but I will be."

"That's all I can ask. And you know I will be here every step of the way."

He smiles at her and takes her hand, to which she smiles at. They both look back at the burning suit.

"You know he's going to be really upset with you? I can hear it now 'How dare he burn my suit? He could have just sent it back to me! I could have reused that material, it's very expensive you know!'"

They both chuckled.

Kory walks up, "You gonna watch til the bitter end, or are you ready to get out of here? "

Dick looks away and they all leave. 

When they get back to Chicago everyone pretty much heads straight to bed. Cassie heads up to Dick's room after having checked on everyone else first. She helped Angela figure out the shower, and made sure both Gar and Rachel got hugs and assured them she was there whenever they needed her. She also checked on Kory who didn't really have much to say but did accept Cassie's hug, which surprised both women. 

"Gray?" Cassie gently knocked on his door. 

He looked up from sitting on his bed, "Hey Cass."

"How are you feeling? I know that serum stuff was pretty nasty so I wanted to come and check up on you." She sat next to him on the bed.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Are the others?" Dick knew she had already checked up on them, she always did after things like this, no matter who the group was made up of. 

"They are hanging in there. They are a strong bunch, so they just need time."

"Are you okay though? You have that distant look in your eye, the same one you have every time you visit your parent's graves. Like you're in pain but don't want to show it."

She gently chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, I'm ok. I just have to keep reminding myself that it isn't real so that's what matters."

"Do you want to talk about it? I know you aren't really used to being out in the field, so I know tonight was a lot."

She hesitated, Cassie really wanted to tell Dick about the Joker, but she couldn't bring herself to. She knew he would beat himself up for not being there to rescue her, so she just hasn't told him, she didn't think it was the right time, and didn't think it ever would be. "No, not really. Thank you for being here though."

"Cass, you are always there for me, so the few times you actually need me I ought to try to be there," he chuckled, pulling her into a side hug. 

She grinned, "Yes, but you also have to understand that you can't always be."

"I don't like that though." He sighed, "Will you stay in here tonight?" 

"If you take a shower, then deal." They laughed and got ready for bed.