◇°•》 Đeath ₩idow 《•°◇

ATRAMENT // 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 Nine

"I'm afraid your grounded," Trigon says plainly, "no more magic."

"Don't do this," Rachel warns him, her voice pleading for her magic back.

"Let me - you did this, you brought me here, Rachel. Your purpose was to bring me into your world. The whole journey you've taken with your friends, it's all been to make this moment happen."

"I couldn't be more proud," Arella adds, quickly joining her husband's side, wrapping her arm in his. "You've given this world a gift."

"That day, you said you loved me..."

"Oh my dear girl, this is so much more than love."

"Just let him go," Rachel whispers.

"Look around you daughter, all around you is loss, betrayal, and decay. Everyone you love will leave you by their own hand, their own ashes," Trigon explains, Arella taking a step back from him. "Nothing lasts. The only thing that awaits you is disappointment! You will lose everyone. It's heartbreaking isn't it?"

Trigon smiles. Gar unlinks from Larke's arm, giving her a look, and she gives him a small smile, but only with her eyes, not her lips.

"Let your heart break. Then you'll be free to join me. Our future will be glorious."

"Uh, hard pass." A new voice joins the conversation, a male one. "Rachel, we gotta go."

"Gar-"

"Run!" Larke yells, taking Rachel's hand. She pushes her forward, letting Gar and Rachel take hands, Larke taking the rear.

They don't hear Trigon's final sentencing of Rachel's grounding.

"Fine. She wants to do this the hard way. You know what to do." Dick nods, following his orders, taking off after the teens.

As he leaves, Arella confesses to her failure at preparing her daughter better. Trigon understands her, understands where she's coming from. But her apologies won't get her much farther.

Jason Todd. The boy without a care in the world.

He stands at the bottom of a flight of stairs, conversationalizing with Dawn Granger and Hank Hall. He's skeptical at first, confused as to why these two people are in the same house as him. And why they are asking for help from him. And how they know Dick Grayson.

"Why should I care?" He asks.

"Because we're friends with Dick Grayson." Hank explains.

"What kind of friends?"

"Friends that know about the big scary cave downstairs." He makes a gesture with his hands, making them look like upside-down 'ok' signs with his hands, putting them over his eyes. "Ring a bell?"

He tries to make his best bird mask with his hands. Whether he failed or succeeded isn't up to me.

But Jason rolls his eyes, chuckling slightly as he walks up the stairs.

"Just tell us where your Dad's at kid," Hank asks, referencing Dick. But Jason isn't Dick's kid. And Dick definitely isn't Jason's father. God no -- that would be chaos that not even Trigon could match.

"Ah, Bruce is halfway across the world with the rest of the Justice League. Alfred too," Jason laughs, leaning against the railing pole, "I've got this place all to myself."

"Oh really," Dawn mutters, sharing a look with Hank.

"Whatever you want, Dick needs help, I'm your guy." Jason gestures to himself. "One Robin saving another, I'll never let him hear the end of it."