Rachel had vanished from the chapel, gone with the explosion. A giant crater had been left by the left-wing, hints of ashes and smoke lingering in the air. They had tried fetching information from the Sisters, but all they got was nonsense spoken by those believers. The Mother had been the reason why they had rushed out of that place. She yelled about the world's doom, now that the teenager had escaped their grasp; that their attempts to protect her and those around had failed.
Other than the devoted cries, the trio had sped away from there empty-handed. The police were no good either, as both women had expected. Dick had had the great idea of storming inside the precinct, flash his shiny badge, and shake out anything that would help them find their girl. He returned with senseless words like green tiger, drunk, scotch, shot himself, and surprisingly, they formed a whole crazy story.
For some reason, the first time they had lost Rachel, it had been way easier to track her down, even across the many States.
Giving in to a hunch that raised from their hopeless feelings, Robin sat upright on the backseat ―where she was forced to go since her body was the smallest― and gave a small suggestion. An idea for them to take into consideration. "No," had been Dick's initial response. "Absolutely not. We could be wasting our time over here. I say we go visit this man."
"It worked before, remember?" She leaned into his seat, speaking unnecessarily loud in his ear. He grunted, recalling following her instincts back in Detroit, but then again, it did not seem Supernatural as she affirmed. Yes, he knew she had powers, but not like these. "You're trusting a drunk guy, supposedly saw Rache and a green tiger, I shall remind, over me? You're unbelievable, Grayson."
He angrily tapped his thumb against the wheel, listening to her opinion on their approach. His other digits traveled around the ignition key, waiting to start the car once they decided what to do. "All I'm saying is, we can give him a chance, hear his whole story."
"Sure, let's give some stranger a chance to prove himself. Why trust our fellow friends?" She threw her arms in the air, adding drama to their argument. Artemisia leaned back, sighing loud enough for him to hear. He copied her actions, sharing her exact thoughts.
"Kory?"
In unison, the pair turned to the black woman, wishing to hear her opinion on the matter. She sighed, running a hand through the front of her hair, "I can't believe I'm being dragged into this," their desperate glares pushed her to give an immediate answer, making her choose between black and white, forbidding a third option. "Just do both. Hear his story and follow Robin's instincts."
"Fine, I'll start now," she reached for the door handle, attempting to pull it open, but with every try came resistance from the lock. Her ears caught the work behind the leather panel. Furious, she snapped, "Dick, stop closing my fucking door."
He let out a heavy breath, stopping yet another attempt to break free from the car. "I can't do that. You're not going away alone," his words meant nothing to her, she knew he still denied to follow her path, he strived to convince her to stay, do things his way. "We cannot do this without each other."
Robin's eyes rolled at his speech, feeling a sass grow in her head, controlling every word she spat out. She had to admit, she kind of liked it. "Actually, I can. And I will," her hand tugged on the handle one more time, facing the same resistance. She repeated her move, using more strength, willing to break his door if she needed to. "Let me go."
"I can't do this without you, okay?" Robin scoffed at his actions, she would not give in to such fake emotions. Dick Grayson did not seem like the guy who needed someone to keep his head straight. "If I were alone, I'd lose my shit, give up by now. I'm trying to do what's smart, use the brain not the heart, but you do it the other way, balancing us. Let me just get us a headstart of where to search."
His voice. His expression. He could not be faking them. Especially not those pleading eyes that watered as he spoke.
"Okay, I'll stay," Artemisia accepted, her grip loosening from the handle, already regretting the thought of breaking it to get out. "Just to keep an eye on you," leaning back on the seat, she darted her gaze to the rearview mirror, noticing a pair of irises staring her way. She cracked a supportive smile, receiving something close to that.
"Good, now drive," Kory demanded, giving an end to the discussion.
Dick nodded, started the car, and began following the path his GPS marked. Quietly, in the back, Artemisia connected with her core, surveying for any sign of Rachel. It took about ten minutes of nothingness, from their surroundings and her powers, to reach the solitary cabin in the woods.
All three scrambled out of the vehicle, heading for the home, ready to get some answers and leave that sketchy place at once. If there was anything more terrifying than abandoned buildings, it had to be foreign woods at night. Dick climbed into the porch, analyzing the rocking chair that sat in the wooden flooring. His fist reached for the door, knocking loudly twice, enough to get anyone's attention.
Dogs barked at the dry noise, alerting the owner of their unexpected visit. As the door opened, one of them ran out, bumping into her legs, almost making her chuckle at the great amount of energy it carried. She had to bit into her cheek, keeping a professional posture as the man's gaze moved over them, inspecting his guests. "What do you want?"
Dick showed his infamous badge, which would lose its shine any time now from all the exposure he chanced. "Need to talk to you about the girl you saw in the forest," over with this story, the man wearing a stereotypical outfit rolled his eyes, giving little interest in the questions. "Did she say anything? Did you see where she went?"
"You know, I already talked to the cops, so you can fuck off," the man tried to shut the door on their faces, keep them away. For someone who assures they're all brain, Dick acted out of emotion, stopping the door from closing and stepping inside the house. "Hey! You can't do that!"
"I'm gonna need you to answer my questions," he pushed, with both words and physique. Striving to protect himself from the violent man, he reached for his revolver. Ending violence with more violence, great move. Dick took the weapon from his clutch and tossed it aside, lurching over the man, both bodies dropping to the ground.
Stunned by the outburst, Artemisia tried to stop them with words, hoping they would listen and break apart. Only a quiet hey left her lips, overpowered by the man's panting as Dick threw a blow in his face.
"Did you see where the girl went?" Both his hand grabbed the man's collar, pulling him from the floor. He was still confused by the hard punch he received. "Answer me!"
With impressive strength, Dick threw him over a small coffee table in the living room. In seconds, he was hovering over him again, his fist tinting with crimson that left the man's nose. "Did you hurt her? Did you touch her?" Another punch and the young Asian woman gasped in horror, noticing the running blood. This had gone too far, the man did not even have a chance in that position. And she did not mean to fight back, but to explain himself, maybe admit his rude actions should not have happened.
"For the love of God, stop it!" And she does not even believe in God, but the desperation made her try anything.
A young boy appeared in one of the doors, his face pale with fear at the sight of his father beaten up. He watched silently as the stranger shattered a glass bottle on his father's forehead. Kory stepped up, insisting on Dick to stop. The detective heard nothing, ears probably erupting with the pumping of his blood, careless of anyone else.
"Richard!" Bellowed Robin, her voice shifting with an uncommon tone. She had never heard it before. It seemed to caught Dick's attention, too, giving a moment of hesitation long enough for Kory to intervene, her hand gripping around his wrist, preventing another blow. Still startled, Dick turns to the black woman, searching for any explanation for what just happened. She only pointed with her chin towards the boy.
He moved away, stumbling next to Artemisia Robin, looking for some kind of support after putting the poor child through serious trauma. His eyes watered in anger, regret, fear, when he saw the kid run into his father's arms unsure of what had gone down. Turning to him with a judgemental glare, Robin spat out: "What is wrong with you?"
Shaking his head, he strolled out of the house. The dogs barked yet again at his unwanted presence.
"I would never hurt no girl. No kid," at last, he had the freedom of speech, defending himself from the accusations. His shaking hand rubbed the back of his kid, soothing him as no other person could, "the only place out there is the old Caulder house."
Kory licked her lips in anxiety, being left behind to deal with a mess they hadn't created. "Where?"
"It's out on Danny Street. But it's all locked up. Ain't no one there," nodding along, taking every bit of information, Kory sighed, reaching into her pockets. From there she snatched a couple of hundred dollars, handing them over as an apology. Doubting for a second, he reached for it, taking it from her hands before she regretted it.
Finding herself feeling awkward, Artemisia reached into her back pocket, removing a decorative pin of a red flower, a tiny touch to match her innocent-looking disguise. "Here, keep this," she handed it over, receiving no response. Smiling nervously, she placed it over the table, cringing at the man's uncontrollable flinch from the proximity, "as a reminder to never become a person like that."
Her eyes brightened when the kid reached for the pin, holding it in his chubby grip.
Assuming their job was done, the pair of women traveled outside, not without Artemisia taking notice of a red pen that laid in a basin of random objects. She took the cylindrical piece and turned to the man, "can I take this?"
"Yes. Just get out," he replied, hugging even stronger, his innocent kid. Smiling compassionately, they walked out just in time to see Dick still trying to manage his anger, slamming the car door shut behind him.
The ride was yet another event with mixed feelings, the silence was loud enough to express the discomfort Dick had caused. And even when Kory attempted to speak about the uncontrolled violence he unleashed, his answers were short, answering to get it over with. His mind rejected any help, pushing it away. She was left angry nevertheless, and just like Dick, she dropped an emotional bomb in the car, "you've got serious issues, I didn't know you had it in you."
"Yeah, thanks for pointing it out."
Artemisia huffed, folding her arms over her chest, "listen," she said with confidence, "we may not know your entire story, but I can tell by the way you push people away, you think you trusted the wrong people. What I'm trying to say is, no one manages alone. And your advice to Rachel might have drawn her away, you can still correct your mistakes. It's not late."
"Let's hope you're right," Dick let out a breath, his hand slipping from the wheel as the car stopped, "we're here."
Ahead, behind the tall gates, was a great mansion, windows covered with nailed wood, keeping things secretive. This only made it more interesting. They wondered why no one entered the place, what kept them away. "I'll get it," Robin muttered, quickly removing her seatbelt and getting out of the car, hit by the cold, winter night wind. Fighting the weather, she stormed towards the creaking gates her warm hands freezing against the oxidized surface.
Noting there was no lock keeping them shut, she gripped both sides and shook them as hard as she could, using strength to force them open. At last, they gave in, both gates were pushed out of the way, allowing them passage. Suffering from the freezing airflow, she trotted back to the car, teeth chattering. As soon as she climbed back inside, taking in the amazing heat from the vehicle, Dick stepped on the gas, speeding up. Every second lost could take them apart from Rachel.
He didn't take the time to park, as he usually did, stepping on the brakes as the car slid through the mud. All lights around them twinkled, synchronized with the electricity zapping. The three rushed out of the vehicle, their feet firm on the slippery ground as they marched to the house. Dick kicked the door open like it was nothing.
The inside was exactly how one would picture it by the outside looks. It was decorated with old furniture, loud floorboards, and the scent of history. "Hello?" Echoed the sole male voice through the empty rooms, they were not abandoned, as Robin expected, it was still warm and the smell of fried potatoes reached their noses.
Deciding the go for the more illuminated area, the trio entered another room, where the lights flickered strongly. Robin found herself wandering away from Kory and Dick, directing her legs towards a dark hallway, her eyes on the metal door by the end. Her trance broke when the light went out, leaving them in pure darkness, disoriented. A hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her away from the path.
"Get out," a voice gently ordered. Gasping, they veered in direction of the sound, where they caught sight of a woman the blink in which the lights returned. Frozen on the spot, they waited for the next opportunity to look at her in the eyes, explain their situation. But when the lamps stabilized, a deformed creature stood in her place, face flowing onto her vintage, dotted dress. "Get out!"
This time, they were startled, attempting to run the other way when another group of extraordinary people appeared before them, blocking their escape route. Robin ran her eyes through the additional two, wondering who the hell were they. A robot and a mummy were the short descriptions she gave them before a scream reached their ears. All heads snapped to the hallway, worried. "Rachel," Dick muttered, fists clenching by his sides.
"Go make things right," Artemisia pushed him forward, past the two adults, "down that hall, go". They all reacted defensively, making sure no one else moved. Her eyes followed his figure until it was absorbed by the dark, leaving him with his fate.
Somehow knowing where to look at, the man covered in drapes and wearing sunglasses threatened them, "don't make me fight you. You don't wanna see what I really am."
"Makes two of us," Robin grinned, permitting just a sliver of her powers to come out. Her eyes turned red, the aura that surrounded her body, burning. Beside her, Kory took the cue, flashing her emerald eyes proudly. The man took a step back, shocked by the revelation. Taking it as a sign of respect, she absorbed the energy around her, returning to normal, "we're here for Rachel. We'll take her and leave. That's all."
Taking their moments to consider her explanation, the robot man nodded, mechanical noises resulting from his movements.
Smiling at the pair, Robin held Kory's hand, pulling her down the dark hallway, her chest aching to meet the power that engulfed Rachel. It was the light to illuminate her darkness. The black woman's heels clicked against the metal floor, resounding louder than the eerie noise that came from Rachel.
Taking notice of a spiral staircase, Robin was willing to race it down, get to Dick and Rachel before anything else could. She knew that the purple portal that was opening behind the girl was no good, someone had to stop it. Kory grabbed her arm and pulled her to the railing, making her look down at the scene. Soon, the three strangers joined them in watching Dick reach out for Rachel, "At the church, when I said you're on your own. I was wrong. You're not on your own, okay? You have me."
Rachel collapsed in his arms, hugging him as the kid did to his father, back in the cabin. Around her, the materialized darkness vanishes, the violet waves imploding, leaving no trace of the near catastrophe.
"I'm right here. It's okay," he soothed over her loud sobbing, hands rubbing her back. Artemisia smiled at the sight, seeing him show his soft side did things to her head after witnessing a raging man. He pulled away, eyes darting to the unconscious body on the floor, blood dripping from his mouth, "we need to leave, okay?"
Rachel nodded, her light eyes traveling upwards to meet Kory and Robin, who waved awkwardly at the sudden attention. Dick held out his hand, helping the girl on her feet, aiding her in anything she could need, proving his point that he was there for her. Soon, they had reached the top of the stairs, and a pair of arms wrapped around Rache, filling her with love and company.
Holding her hand, they were guided outside by the inhabitants of the house. The lights had gone back to normal, shinning on the chilly night. Robin pulled the girl closer, keeping their warmth between their small bodies. They headed for the car, ready to leave it all behind, again.
Rachel looked over her shoulder, watching the sad expression painted on Gar's face. She stopped, dragging the woman along with her actions. Turning to face the group of misfits, they caught sight of the robotic man nudging the boy forward, his voice not having the option of quieting down, "go. Go with them. Go have a life."
"But the Chief―"
The man bandaged from head to toes placed a hand on his shoulder, muttering some words to his fellow friend. Unlike the cyborg, he was able to lower his tone. Gar's face began changing at his words, replacing the sadness with doubt. As he stepped away, the beautiful woman grabbed both his arms, holding him for the last time, convinced him to let him go. With her bright smile, complemented by the red lipstick, she encouraged him to move forward.
For last, the robot, who Robin expected to be emotionless, wrapped him into a hug from behind, taking the boy by surprise. It lasted no more than five seconds, yet it was enough for Gar to understand they wanted the best for him. "All right. Now get going, will ya?" He pushed him from the last step, caught by Artemisia's quick reflexes. "Green fool."
"Everyone, get in the car," Kory demanded, opening the back door for them, insisting on their speed. Rachel jumped towards the seat by the window, followed by Robin, who regretted going right after, and last, Gar, another lucky teen to avoid sitting in the middle. There was barely space to breathe, their legs finding a comfortable way to bend in the tight room. Dick started the car, looking through the rear mirror, taking a peep at Robin trying to think positively about her situation. "Whenever you're ready."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I don't have much to say today, except maybe educate yourself in whitewashed history! You'll be surprised by the many things they changed.
Bye <33