Author's Note: If you're comfortable with the events of last chapter, feel free to skip ahead to Chapter 111. For those scratching their heads, or deeply concerned for the welfare of Barbara Gordon, take heart and read on…
The previous chapter "For the Man Who Had Everything" presents the last two temptations of Bruce Wayne by Trigon as a part of "The Deal". It's important to realize that Trigon was the corrupt mastermind behind all these presented realities to tempt Bruce. The first scenario was actually with Talia al Ghul in the server room where Bruce could have inherited a dead world to rebuild in his own image with a devoted Talia, but instead chose to be with Raven and face Trigon.
The second scenario was Bruce as a child where his parents did not die in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. However, when Bruce was about to compare his mother's gentle kiss to Raven's, Trigon "fast-forwarded" the tape to Bruce's thirteenth birthday party. Then to sweeten the deal, the world's worst father-in-law threw in a young Zatanna Zatara to distract Bruce from thoughts of his wife. When Bruce recognized that if he were to stay in that reality, he would lose his memories of Raven, he chooses not to remain and return to her.
The third scenario is truly the most frightening. Bruce is offered a reality without Trigon. To help secure the deal, Trigon has thrown a terrified Barbara Gordon at his feet, having shown her a future of what would happen if Bruce were not to accept his final offer. In this timeline, Clark dies, Bruce is killed, Raven is reduced to just her demon half, and Barbara is continually raped by Trigon until she bears him a son at which point she will finally be allowed to die. Very traumatic for anyone.
Trigon's character is horrifically evil. He is DC's equivalent of the Devil. The images he has subjected Barbara to are among the worst fates imaginable for anyone, but especially a woman. But it's important to realize the horrors he has shown her did not happen.
Nor will they.
While the Great Tormentor is still within the bounds of "The Deal", he may craft differing scenarios to sway Bruce's decision, and that is what he has done with Barbara… presented her with a fate so horrible that she would beg Bruce to choose a world where it could never happen. That's not to say Trigon wouldn't do something like that, but you're going to find out next chapter he has a limitation and could not attack Barbara like that.
Bruce however realizes that a Universe without Trigon is a Universe without Raven - and also (being a very clever guy), that there would be a heavy price to pay for Trigon's 'generosity'… more on that in the chapter.
It's OK. Barbara will survive.
With Raven's help, she will recover from this terrible attack upon her psyche and come out swinging. She's a fighter, she's a lover, she's smart, and she's resourceful. But her true strength is her indomitable strength-of-will and her ability to think on the fly - as you will learn in following chapters…
CXI
Sisters-In-Arms
As her husband and evil father suddenly disappeared into the webs of Fate, Raven went immediately to a prone Barbara Gordon to cradle the dispossessed woman's body in her arms. Barbara's soul had been dislodged by Trigon himself, of that she was certain. But what she discovered when she held her was even worse…
The taint of Trigon's evil flooded Barbara's emotions - crashing fear, despair, and pain against the shores of her battered consciousness… Raven understood what had happened then. She had stipulated that she herself could not be used as leverage in Bruce's decision, that his wife could not be used to influence his choice that would decide her future. To her regret, she had mentioned nothing about Barbara Gordon…
"Barbara, come back to me… Get him out of there."
She attempted to pull out the immense fear from the shaking woman who had been caught in the crossfire of their deadly game. Raven knew that Barbara's life was in immediate danger - on the verge of shock. Every muscle on her coiled frame tightened in profound terror. Her heart wouldn't take much more. Even though Trigon had never actually touched her, his was a power so dark it could corrupt lives with a mere thought and make them beg for the release of death. What had he done to her?!
Raven extended all of her power to bring Barbara back to this reality. She was so, so far away from her. She pulled with everything she had, to bring her tortured friend back. The soul could only leave the body for so long…
Finally, pale, frightened blue eyes opened as nervous energy coursed thorough Barbara's reclaimed body…
"Shhh... Barbara, you're back with me. You're here. It's over. It only happened in your mind…"
"No. He showed me!… He showed me the future! Bruce will let it happen…"
"No… he won't. Bruce has the power to change Fate. And you have the power to change your own fate. That's why you're drawn to one another."
"Raven … It was so real. He… did horrible things to me… He... broke me." Tears formed around Barbara's eyes, recalling the atrocities the demon had subjected her to.
"He did not break you. He only tried. You returned, you're alive..."
"Raven, if you die in these next few minutes… You have to take me with you. Promise me! Those things he showed me… I can't…."
Raven took her hands in her own. "I promise, Barbara. Our souls will escape."
"I wanted Bruce to live a life without you, without Trigon. He would have given us a world where he never became Trigon… My God, he's killed a trillion people…. They would all be returned. None of this would have happened… Bruce just had to pull the red cord of fate from that world and it was done…"
"But it would still happen for you. The Barbara Gordon of that world would have been spared from Trigon's wrath, but you are not her. There are 52 main branches of the Great Tree - each a separated Universe. We exist as different versions of ourselves within these branches - different choices produce different outcomes, but the structure remains the same. Had Bruce chosen to pull that thread, you would not have been spared, Barbara…"
"But Trigon said… He lied."
"The Barbara Gordon of that world would be spared. But you, as you are now Barbara, would be returned here. The deal was only for Bruce and Bruce alone…"
"Oh my God… Raven… I… betrayed you…" Barbara took Raven into her exhausted arms as the tears began to fall once more. She had almost destroyed her best friend's wife for lies.
"He is the God of Corruption, Barbara. And you… are my friend."
Raven embraced her, with all the peace and love that she could muster pouring from her into Barbara's fragile soul. Her friend had been through a terrible ordeal – the only raw pain that Raven had ever felt comparable to this was when one thousand Azarathian souls had converged on her in blind terror, leaving her comatose for days.
"Raven… I wanted him to pull that cord so badly."
"Then let us thank the Gods that he did not… That cord was to be my thread. Had Bruce chosen to remain in that world, there would have been two Trigons in this one; father and daughter. His choice would have doomed our Universe to die by my own hands… That was the deal."
"Oh God… I didn't know…"
"You could not. I am not without faults. It was I who struck the bargain."
"What was the deal, Raven? Will Trigon leave us?..."
"No… the stakes were much smaller. My father cleansed this world of Bruce's engine of destruction before it destroyed all breathing life on this planet. It was the only chance left to us before the moment of the dawn.
In exchange, Trigon was given three chances to make my husband abandon me, to manipulate fate where Bruce would choose another life without me. Had he chosen either of the three, I was to inherit my father's destiny."
"That's… horrible."
"Yes…But I could not live to see him destroyed by regret. I couldn't, Barbara…"
The tears began to fall in Raven's eyes as well as she remembered how close Bruce had come to being a man destroyed by guilt. As bad as the future Trigon had employed against Barbara, there had been another vision just as desolate that had driven Raven to strike the bargain she had…
In her mind, she had envisioned walking the lifeless world with Bruce by her side after the engine had deployed… each and every dead body a reminder of his guilt, driving him to a madness she could never heal… until she was left alone in the Universe in regret… unable to deny her violent destiny any longer…
"Raven… if I had half the courage you have…. I would have never… It's been such a crazy day… Richard's funeral, getting teleported, knocking out Lex Luthor, crash landing in Elysium, meeting Clark's dad and formulating a plan that would seal Ra's al Ghul… and Jor-El's fate."
"You have as much courage as I have ever had… more. This was never your fight, and yet you have allied with us from because of your love…"
"I kissed him!" Where did that come from?! She really hadn't meant to let that slip… ever. It was as though fear had left her…
"Kissed who?..."
"Bruce… I had to see if there was anything between us…. It was all spur of the moment… it's just that I had been carrying a torch for so long… and it was the end of the world… and… I'm really sorry, Raven."
"What happened after you kissed him?"
"…I knew that his heart belongs with you. It was like he was kissing a sister. He… let me down easy."
"Then I shall call you sister, Barbara Gordon. There shall only be love and devotion between us." She embraced this brave woman once more, thankful for her honesty.
"…Thank you, Raven. You're the best sister I could ever ask for."
"Thank you, sister. And I will be by your side, always…"
"Raven… shouldn't Bruce and Trigon be back by now?" Barbara turned to look at where Trigon had stood only moments before.
"Yes… They should."
"Raven… Oh God…Is that Clark?! It's like the vision he showed me…" It was the first time she had turned around, the color drained from her cheeks once more.
"It is Barbara. He's still alive… but hurt very badly."
"Can you help him?!"
"I can try, but the miracle he needs will come from another."
"He can't die, Barbara…. If there's anything I can do to save him…"
"Keep hope alive in your heart, and keep your formidable mind sharp. I need your wits and courage more than ever. You're the only thing keeping me from falling into darkest despair right now… I need you to anchor me, sister."
"You… saved me… didn't you? You took my fears and terror into yourself…"
"I did. They were… substantial."
"Raven, I promise you… I'll find a way to beat that bastard… I won't let him destroy this world... or you."
"Then hold my hand while I see what we can do for Clark… sister."
Next Chapter: Bruce Wayne vs. Trigon!