Got Your Back, Always

IV.VI

Dick quickly placed Rachel on the ground.

"Is she going to be okay?" Gar asked.

Conner says, "Her heartbeat's steady."

Cassie joined the others on the RV and thought for a moment.

"Rachel, can you hear me?" Dick asked leaning closer to her.

Kory felt Rachel's skin, "She's so cold."

"I have an idea," Cassie opened a drawer and pulled out an epi-pen. "Let's hope this works." She plunged the epi-pen into Rachel's thigh, but only gave her a small bit of adrenaline, just enough to wake her system up.

Rachel's eyes started to flutter open, and gasps, quickly sitting up.

"Hey, hey, easy easy," Cassie says gently holding onto Rachel.

Rachel breathes heavily, "What happened?"

"We were attacked," Dick answered. "You got hit pretty bad. Are you okay?"

"No. I can't feel you."

Cassie makes eye contact with Dick.

"Let's get some food in you, and some rest. We will figure out exactly what happened later." Cassie said helping Rachel stand, "How are you feeling?"

Rachel's brows furrowed, "Off."

Cassie sighed.

Dick had found a better spot to park the RV, and everyone had gotten some rest.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Dick asked Rachel.

"Yeah, I just... I feel empty. Like there's something, you know... missing. But it... it's so big that I can't feel it all at once."

Cassie ran a hand through her hair, "I ran your bloodwork and your vitals are normal. So medically you are ok. What that woman did to you... I don't know how to reverse it without that staff she used."

"I want you to rest. Okay?" Dick told her. "We don't know what happened to you, and until we do-"

"It's my soul-self. It's just gone."

Gar asked her, "How can your soul be gone?"

Cassie sighed, "Powerful dark magic." Her mind started to spin with theories. 

"Who the hell was that?" Conner asked. "She just took us all out. It's like, we didn't stand a chance."

Dick says, looking at all of them, "Look, we're all here, okay? We're all alive. That's all that matters. Somehow what Kory did drove her off, which means she's not invincible. We're gonna find out who she is, how she fights, what her powers are. The next time we see her, we're gonna be ready. Cass where are you on that front?"

"Running my algorithm now, but it takes time. Especially when it comes to magic users and types," she sighed. "But I do know magic typically doesn't respond well to other magic, especially when it's a completely different type." She gives him a look, and he nods in understanding, knowing who Cassie was talking about.

Dick sighs, "Gar stay here. Keep an eye on Rachel. Tim, I want you back at S.T.A.R. Labs with Cass."

"Why?" Tim asked.

"'Cause, you almost died last night. I can't risk losing you."

"So... I'm off the team?"

Cassie input, "No that's not what he's saying."

"No. You start your Robin training today. You're gonna finally learn how to use that Bo staff."

Tim laughs, "Okay."

"Kory and I have an errand to run."

"We do?" Kory asked.

"We're gonna go meet someone. Someone who can help us."

Conner got up, "Dick wait. She uh... she caught me off, guard. Next time I'll be faster. I uh... I know there's a way I can beat her."

"Don't take this on by yourself. We're a team. We do it together."

Cassie got up and followed Dick and Kory out of the RV.

"Hey, be careful with her ok? She's... a wildcard," she sighed as Dick got the car out.

He turned and looked at her, "I know how to handle Jinx, don't worry."

"Mmm, see that's where you're wrong. She knows how to handle you, not the other way around. She's only going to agree if she gets something out of it."

Kory chuckled, "I've got him Cassie don't worry."

Cassie nodded.

Dick furrowed his brows, "What's wrong?"

"I just... have a bad feeling. I can't really explain it."

Dick gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek, "It's ok. We'll figure things out, together. We'll be back soon."

"Be careful."

Kory smiled at the two of them, "You be careful too."

Cassie smiled and headed back into the RV.

"Ok, Conner and Tim, S.T.A.R. Labs with me. Rachel you get some rest, Gar you keep an eye on her. I will call every few hours or so to check up on the two of you. Does that sound good?" She looked at them.

Gar rolled his eyes, "We know the plan Cassie. Go train Tim, I've got her."

Cassie sighed, "I'm serious Gar, the slightest thing you call me immediately."

"I promise I'll call."

Cassie started to fidget with her ring but nodded anyways.

Tim looked at her, "Is something wrong?"

Cassie froze and stopped fidgeting, "Yes. A lot of things are wrong. But one thing at a time. Training, that is what you need to focus on. Come on, let's go."

Tim turns around holding his staff to face Conner. He clinks his staff on the ground, grunts, and starts to spin it around. He hits Conner, but it does nothing. He grunts and stabs. He hits him in the shoulder, again nothing. He turns around and swings, hitting him a few times.

Conner sighs, "Am I supposed to fight back or..."

"No, just let him tire himself out," Bernard says taking a bite of his apple. "Then we can actually get started."

Conner sighed and turned back around, as Tim hit him while giggling.

Cassie turns to Bernard, "His stance is all wrong. Too wide, not loose enough. And his hand positioning is too rigid. We have our work cut out for us."

"Let him have his fun before you go off critiquing. You can show him how a master does it soon."

"Master? Hardly, but at least I know the basics."

"Mmm."