Got Your Back, Always

I.XXIV

They are stumbling into the room, Gar shouts, "Real-life horror movie! Real-life horror movie!"

"Oh! Thank god." Rachel sees their friends. "You got in. You're here."

"Uh," Cassie starts not liking how still they were.

They all turn around and look just like Dick.

 "No."

"Your children, aren't they beautiful?" Angela walks in with Trigon.

Trigon walks closer to Rachel, "I have only one child. And to her, I would give the world."

Cassie pulls Gar and Rachel behind her.

"Rachel, what the hell?" Gar whispers.

Dick smirks from behind them, "Don't fight it, Rachel. It's perfectly natural. It's who they are. It's who we all are inside."

"Don't listen to him. That's not them. They're still in there," Gar tries to reassure Rachel.

"Rachel, I believe in you. I know you won't fall into Trigon's hands," Cassie whispers to her. "Gar, I need you to try and get you two out of here."

Gar whispers back, "Cassie no-"

Cassie lunges forward, trying to cause a distraction.

Trigon laughs, forcing her the freeze in the air. Cassie groans in pain. "You know I think I'll just drain this one of her strength, wouldn't hurt to have a little extra-"

"Rachel! They're still in there! I know you can reach them!" She gasped and all color and saturation drained from her. Trigon took every bit of strength Cassie had and tossed her aside.

Gar and Rachel both screamed, "Cassie!"

"No. Cue the final betrayal. You know what to do."

The others all step towards them.

"Uh."

"Gar."

"Uh, hey, guys. It's me, Gar." He ducks as Dawn tries to hit him. They all begin to beat him up.

"No! Stop!" Kory holds Rachel back then slings her across the room.

Rachel runs to Dick, "Dick, please listen to me. Back in Detroit, remember, it was just you and me, and I found you, and I asked you for help, and you said yes." Rachel sobs, "You said you would. You said you would. You promised. You promised. And if you can hear me now, please help me. Please, please, stop them. Please. Please." Dick looks at her.

He nods, Gar groans and rolls over, he is covered in his own blood. Dick walks over to Gar and makes him get up, then he takes him by the throat and lifts him into the air. Dick throws Gar into a shelf.

"No!" she runs to Gar and sobs. She stands up and walks to her parents, then she screams breaking things around her, "Save him."

"Not this time. I told you it would end. You should have listened to me. Maybe he could have lived. Now his death is on your hands. Your friends are murderers all because of you. You're a monster inside. A bringer of death. That's all you are. All you've ever been. Just... like... me."

Rachel sobs, "No."

"I'm sure it breaks your heart. Yes. I can see that it does. Good." He reaches into her chest and pulls out her heart. Rachel falls to the ground. Trigon shoves the crystal into his daughter after transforming into his true self. "With this, you have the power to rule the world with me."

Rachel wakes with the gem still in her forehead, and in her distorted voice, "I understand now."

"That's my girl. We are a family now, and the world belongs to us."

Trigon makes his way outside, followed by Angela. Before they move any further Trigon snaps Angela's neck, ice begins to cover the ground when Trigon walks.

Inside a very green snake slithers away, then turns into Gar, who is still covered in blood and bruises.

He grabs a blanket, wraps it around himself, then grabs Rachel's hand, "Rach. You're still you. Come back to me. I know you're still in there, Rach. Please. Come back to us. You've gotta fight it, Rach. Please don't give in."

She gasps and snaps out of her trance.

"We've gotta stop your father."

"I need to get Dick back first. You reached me. There has to be a way to reach him."

"I think maybe we're past that."

"No. This started with a dream I had about him. Before all this. I was supposed to find him. That's what the dream was telling me. My dream was the key. It's all in the dreams."

"Rach, no," Gar groans softly, in pain.

Rachel grabs Dick's hand, "What happened to you? Remember." She goes into his mind. "Dick. It's me."

"What's with the new look?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"What are you doin' here?"

"I came here to save you."

"Do I look like I need saving?" Dick scoffs.

"Yes, you do. What just happened, what you just did, it was all planned by Trigon. He's been pulling the strings the entire time. Dick, you would never kill Batman."

"Are you kidding? I've been dreaming about this since I was 12 years old. My only regret is waiting for so long."

"You taught me how to let go of the darkness. You have to let it go, too."

"I have a better idea." In a distorted voice, "Shut your fucking mouth!"

"This isn't you. I had a dream about you."

He scoffs, "What dream?"

"I saw you at the circus, with Cassie. The boy from the circus. That's how I found you. We're supposed to save each other."

Dick grabs her throat and begins to choke her. "I'm sorry, Rachel. You caught me on a bad day." She grabs his hand and brings him back to the circus.

"I'm coming to you. But if I die here, I die for real. Is that what you really want?" She swings, and Dick catches her at the last second.

They both smile.

"I missed you."

Dick gasps, "Rachel."

"Welcome back."

Gar coughs, having put clothes on, which hurt his already bruised, possibly broken ribs.

"Dick can fill you in. I think I need a minute alone with my father."

Dick nods at her and she walks outside towards Trigon. Dick notices Cassie's state and walks over to her.

"She'll be ok," Gar reassures him.

The two men follow Rachel outside, one more reluctant than the other.

Rachel unleashes her power, and a large burst of energy is released, freeing the others from Trigon's hold and sending him through a portal. The others groan and all stand up. Cassie sits up, having gotten some of her strength back, and joins the others outside, still leaning on the railing though. Dick runs over to Rachel as she comes out of the smoke, the two hug. Cassie pulls Gar into a hug when she notices the state he was in, the teenager gratefully returns it.

Dick and Rachel hug again and the others make their way towards them, Cassie and Gar pulling up the rear, both leaning on the other.