CHAPTER 5 – Did it

"You should talk to her" I told Dick.

Rachel locked herself in a chapel at the Sisters who turned out to be a convent of nuns. They sheltered her and her mother when she was a baby and they were hiding from the father.

"I don't think it's a good idea"

In any other circumstances I would've agreed. Every inch of me itched to comfort her, but I knew I wasn't the one she needed.

"Come on, she won't bite" I teased him with a half-smirk. He raised his brow sceptically as I couldn't help but chuckled. Our eyes locked and for a tiny part of the moment everything felt normal, like a few years ago.

"Be right back" He said, his mood darkening as he entered to meet Rach, leaving me alone.

I was never a religious type. My parents only believed in science. And anyway what kind of god would allow such horrible things happen? No, we were on our own. I looked around in the corridor. Many nuns passed me, sending a warm smile to me even though they probably had no idea who I am. All of them seemed content and strangly at peace. There was not a single loud noise, no chaos, no argument. I guess there were some benefits of having a stong beleif.

"How is she?" I asked eagerly when Dick finally re-joined me.

"She'll be okay. She just need some time alone" He summed up as I nodded. She's a tough girl. She will make it through.

I wanted to thank him for checking on her, but a suspiciously familiar engine roared through the quiet air. We both run out with building up tension.

Yup, Dick's car was nowhere to be found and so did Kory disappear.

"For fuck's sake" Dick swore, running his fingers through his hair. "Can you track her?" He turned to me, but I shook my head. I didn't know her, I had no idea what to look for. "Shit!" He noted frustrated, already typing something on his phone.

I was sure he has some gadget to find the vehicle.

We located the car not so far from the convent. Kory parked with it at the storage unite.

"Hey! You stole my car. I like my car." Dick marched in annoyed as I followed him up close.

"How did you find me?" Kory asked amused.

"There's an app for that." He enlightened her.

I looked around. This building was weird. It was kind of a collection of info about Rachel…

"This place yours?" I asked walking up to a wall.

"Think so."

"How long you been looking for Rachel?" Dick asked looking surprised.

"A few months, I thought."

"Seems like a lot longer than a few months." I noted bewildered. It must've take years to come up with all this, not to mention the early childhood pictures of her.

"You think?" She teased me.

"This yours, too?" Dick questioned looking at some papers. Whatever it was, it was written in a foreign language. I haven't ever seen anything like that. "What's that writing?"

Kory started to read it out loud, but that made no sense. It wasn't even familiar, yet I've heard a good few different languages while I lived on the streets. But I couldn't recognise which group it should belong.

"What does that mean?" I asked frowning.

"I have no idea." She said honestly.

"Where did you say you were from again?" Dick tried, but it was no use.

"I didn't." Kory shrugged again genuinely, looking just as confused as we. This was getting worse and worse. "Raven is the first species of birds to be mentioned in the Torah." Kory told me as she noticed what I'm watching. It was a sketch of a bird.

"A man came after Rachel. He had a raven tattoo on his back." Dick said as I continued reading all the facts that was pinned up on the wall.

"Rachel's birthday..." I started puzzled, but Kory beat me to it.

"The mortality rate spikes every year on that day. Ever since she was born, over 200,000 additional dead worldwide. I think she's part of a prophecy." She assumed as I scoffed. This was bullshit.

"I don't believe in prophecies."

"She's the Destroyer of Worlds." She added making me roll my eyes. She was only a little girl who happened to get a power she had no idea how to use or control. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less…

I was about to let them know my opinion, but a huge explosion from the distance stopped me. What the hell? We hurried out to see what happened.

"Rachel." I murmured as an enormous fume-cloud appeared on the sky right where the convent was…

I'm not going to lie, almost half of the building was blew up, there were a lot of injured people, and the paramedics were already doing there jobs when we arrived.

"She must've lost control. Maybe she's still here." I suggested.

"Try to find her, we're going to talk to the Sisters" Dick nodded, understanding me in an instant.

I stepped aside trying to find a relatively quiet place as I closed my eyes, focus on Rachel. Noise. Ear-splitting noise. That's all I could hear as my face distorted in pain. There were too many people, with crazily thrwirling thoughts. I sighed, taking a deep breath, taking another attempt.

We just wanted to keep her here. Keep her safe.

There's no stopping it now. There's no stopping it now.

Oh, God. God, forgive me.

God, forgive us all.

I groaned in frustration, deepening the meditation. Come on, Rach, where are you?

"Why did you leave her here?" Kory's sharp voice came through without asking for permission.

"In a convent full of nuns? Yeah, seemed real dangerous. You know, you're the one who stole my car and drove off." Dick defended himself.

Come on, you can't be that far.

"Yeah, I thought you could handle her for a few minutes, but I should've known better considering you ditched her in DC." Kory retorted as I frowned wanting to shut them out desperately.

"I didn't mean to ditch her, okay? I was trying to..."

"You just couldn't handle her, so you left her with your friends. It's pathetic." Kory lectured him as I was snapped out irreversibly. Wasn't he able to handle me either back then, I wondered instinctively.

"For crying out loud, can't you just shut up?" I yelled at them embittered. This was so not helping! "Can we argue about this after we find her?" I asked looking at them questioningly as they both fell silent. I can't find her, Dick, it's impossible. I started getting worked up.

Don't worry, Ror, we'll try it again, later. He calmed me, gently stroking over my forearm. I pulled away abruptly like I've been struck by a lightning. All my cells electrified at his touch. I looked at him startled as disappointment and shame mingled in his deep brown eyes.

"She's getting more powerful." Kory noted not noticing anything about our little exchange.

"Yeah, but she's still a kid. Alone and scared and on the run." I said concerned. I understood her too well.

We decided to check the precinct, maybe they had some info on her. Or someone maybe saw where she went.

Can you try to locate her once more? Dick asked softly as we arrived. I nodded slightly, not being too confident. Good. He sent me a small smile. I saw him hesitate for a moment, perhaps wanting to squeeze my hand but eventually he decided not to. I really had no reason to act like the way I did when he wanted to comfort me, I was just surprised. It has been too long since he last touched me.

"You girls behave" He noted as he get out of the car.

I tried my best. I concentrated so hard that my head started to hurt like hell, but nothing. Even though it was a lot more peaceful here, it felt like I've been blocked.

I touched my face feeling something warm. Great! Now my nose was bleeding too…

"God, Rory" Dick arrived back at the best moment, handing me a tissue.

"It's okay." I ensured him. It wasn't uncommon. When I used my ability too much, it get the better of me. It was the downside, every power had it, yet I haven't experienced it quite a while now. "I just need a little time"

No more searching, Ror, we are doing it in an old-fashioned way. He declared it strictly. "A hunter saw a tiger in the woods." He informed us both. "With a girl with purple hair." I guess that was Rachel.

"A tiger?" I asked stunned. It wasn't exactly the area of tigers.

"Yeah, a green one." Dick added making us even more shocked. Something was obviously going on.

He managed to get the address of the hunter so we drove there right away until the lead was hot. It was a small cabin in the woods and the sun was already setting when we arrived there.

Dick knocked on the door curtly then a man in his late thirties opened the door.

"What do you want?" He asked obviously not being in the best mood.

"Need to talk to you about the girl you saw in the forest." Dick showed him his badge.

"What?"

"Did she say anything? Did you see where she went?" He asked autocratically, but our hunter wasn't too impressed.

"You know, I already talked to the cops, so you can fuck off." He tried to close the door, but Dick stopped him harshly. "Hey! You can't do that!"

"I'm gonna need you to answer my questions." He declared it coldly.

"You better back off!" He picked up a rifle to threaten us, but Dick was fast as always. He grabbed the gun, taking it away while he pushed the man in so hard that he fell. They started to struggle as Kory and I stepped in the house too.

"Did you see where the girl went?" He pulled the man up by his collar. "Answer me!" He yelled in his face demandingly.

"You're a psycho!" He shouted back as Dick threw him back. The man hit his back at the coffee table, but regained his presence quickly. He grabbed a bottle of beer wanting to hit Dick's head, but he reacted without hesitation. The glass shuttered on the hunter's forehead.

"Did you hurt her? Did you touch her?" Dick asked losing his temper. The man hasn't answered so Dick punched him in the nose a few times. "Did you touch her? Did you hurt her?" He started again as now his knuckles were all bloody. The hunter was in a bad shape, I could tell he was barely hanging on, but still refused to talk.

I looked away nervously. This was going to get out of control, I thought as I froze. In the kitchen stood a small boy, watching the scene horrified as Dick was beating the shit out of his father.

"Dick." I stepped closer. "Dick!" I tried again, but he was in the zone. "Dick, stop!" I finally grabbed his arm preventing him from delivering another hit. He was panting hard as he looked at me confused.

"Daddy?" The little one asked hesitantly then he ran in as I pulled Dick away from the man. "Daddy!" He jumped in his father's arm hugging him as tight as possible as a quiet sob squeezed past his mouth.

Dick looked at himself, almost terrified then he turned his back, hurrying out of the house apparently being troubled by his actions.

"I would never hurt no girl. No kid." The man said rocking his son defeated. "The only place out there is the old Caulder house." He added.

"Where?" I asked fighting with my tears.

"It's out on Danny Street. But it's all locked up. Ain't no one there." He told me spitting.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly. This was extreme. Even from Dick.

"Fuck you." He cursed me and it was the least we deserved…

We travelled silently to hopefully our last destination. This was enough of a nightmare already. I just wanted to find Rachel.

Still, I couldn't get over Dick's behaviour. I've never seen him like this. He was unstoppable. He could've killed that man if I didn't interrupt him.

"So we are not going to talk about it?" I asked eventually, being quite upset at his nonchalant attitude.

"I thought we are focusing on Rachel." He quoted me.

"Seriously, Dick?" I turned to him irritated.

"You were not interested in what I said before. Now suddenly you are curious?" He mocked me scoffing. I looked at him trying to read whether is he serious but he was. He was dead serious.

"You're unbelievable" I murmured under my breath, fuming in myself as I've heard Kory giggling behind us.

"Get a room you two" She noted still grinning. My cheek probably would've flushed if I wasn't so angry. But for now, we just both sent him a death-glare.

We soon arrived to the house the hunter mentioned. It was creepy for sure but abandoned? Highly doubted it. The light was twitching as we entered, just like in a haunted house.

"Hello" I greeted anyone who lived here, but no answer.

We slowly moved in, room to room, but no one was there to find. Maybe the man was wrong…

"Get out" I've heard from behind as I jumped, turning back immediately. "Get out!" A woman showed up in front of me. Well, saying woman was probably too generous. Her face – and whole body - was melting. There was no better word for it.

I took a few steps backwards as I bumped into something. Or more like someone. I let out a small cry.

"It's okay, Ror, it's me." Dick ensured me as I found myself in his secure arms. In any other circumstances it would've bothered me deeply, but now I was rather grateful. Soon we were surrounded by weirder than weirder creatures. One man who was wrapped in bandages, just like a mummy, a tin-man with only his eyes lighting and the melting woman… They approached us hostile when we heard a blood-freezing scream.

Rachel!

"Go" Kory told us as Dick rushed ahead.

I followed him not much further but when I arrived I stopped petrified. The thing that lived inside of her controlled Rach completely as it was opening up a portal while all the black matter circled around the room.

"Get out of here, before it's too late." I've heard her foreign, almost aliened voice as she warned Dick who reached her meanwhile, holding both of her shoulders. I considered going down there too, but I knew how much Rachel like him, so I just crossed my fingers hoping that he won't mess up this time.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't wanna hurt you." Rach said tears rolling down on her face.

"Listen, I was wrong. When I told you no one can help you." He continued determined.

"Dick, you need to leave. Please." She pleaded desperately.

"At the church, when I said you're on your own." Dick said making sure she's listening. "Okay, I was wrong. You're not on your own. Okay? You have me. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm not going anywhere." He repeated now hugging her tight. "Here I am. I'm right here." He whispered as the portal slowly shrunk. "It's okay." He sighed relieved as Rachel pulled him in harder. She was completely herself again.

You did it. I smiled at him repressing my tears as he looked at me. You did it. I repeated surprised, but being truly grateful.

We did it, Ror. He corrected me, still comforting Rachel.

He committed himself, and I knew, this time he meant it. Otherwise Rachel wouldn't have believed him. Then why did I feel so miserable?