Demon under the Hood

The other side

« Did we ever see it coming?
Will we ever let it go?

We are buried in broken dreams
We are knee-deep without a plea
I don't want to know what it's like to live without you
Don't want to know the other side of a world without you»

-Is everyone out already?

The archer's voice was almost inaudible underneath the sounds of the raging fire and the successive explosions occurring inside what was left of the Titans base.

-No... Dick and Rachel are still inside. I will go and find them... -Kori said and tried to a stood up before falling back to the ground, her leg was bleeding more than a few seconds ago.

-No, Star, you have to wait until your skin heals...- Roy suggested and Gar turned into a hawk.

-I will look around and see if I can find them... take care of Starfire.- He commanded and flew away, to search for their friends.

Inside, Raven was on her way out, looking around the rooms to see if someone was left or maybe something of importance.
She was holding a wooden small box between her arms, keeping it close to her chest, like she was afraid she would lost it.
Raven was afraid indeed... enough to ignore the sound of Garfield, calling her from outside the windows that hadn't been shattered yet.
But she heard something else, someone hardly breathing, coming from the living room.
She appeared herself in there, the flames were consuming the furniture and beyond those, Nightwing, unconscious on the floor.

-Dick! -the demoness shouted and appeared next to him, letting go of the box for a second to wake him up.

-Rach...?- Grayson said and sat up quickly.

-We have to get out of here... now. Everyone is out, we are the only ones in he--

Before Raven could finish her sentence, the ceiling collapsed over them.
The girl's eyes brightened with her magic, and she rose up her hands, to create a shield over them.

-Rachel! -The team leader said and tried to move towards her, but she looked at him and shook her head in denial.

-Stop there... don't move...

Her eyes were fixed on his, fear and desperation all over her face as she spoke to her friend with no words.
They both knew what was going to happen next.
The team was already outside of the building waiting for them.
And Rachel knew she couldn't do both, held the structure or send him through a portal, away from the flaming up place.

Dick shook his head slowly, like begging her to find another way but the demoness knew she was running out of time and strength.
Her lips curved, forming a half smile before muttering goodbye to Grayson, as she extended one of her hands towards him.
A purple portal opened up underneath his feet and he screamed her name while falling into it.

Just a second that he felt like a blink, and he was being held up to his feet by Kori while Garfield and Roy asked where Rachel was.
Nightwing looked up to see the building collapsing to the ground a few meters away from them.

He couldn't shake the memory of her eyes before letting him go, and facing what was going to happen next.
Dick ran up towards the ruins, with the hope on his heart that she might have had time to create a portal for herself, another shield over her head and she was safe and sound underneath the crumbled structure.

As soon as the rest of the team understood what had happened, all of them followed him, helping him to search for her.

A green Dog climbed up and down the debris, and sniffed all the rocks and the twisted irons until he finally found what he didn't want to.
The team reunited around the spot he marks, as Gar shapeshift into a larger and stronger animal, and with the help of Kori's strength, they finally get rid of all the things between them and their partner.