Chapter Twenty One
The way my hands trembled as I held the white stick in my hand. Looking to the door way Dick stands leaned against the frame with his hands in his pocket. The soft smile on his face has a slight look of I told you so. I hated that he was right, especially about this,
"Oh Bruce is going to lecture the hell out of us." I burn bright red as I stare at the pink plus sign.
"I'll deal with him." He continues to smile.
"We've only been together officially for a few weeks, why are you so happy?" I sit the test down
"What is being upset going to do?" He shakes his head, "nothing. So let's just accept we're having a baby. We'll have to accept it sooner or later."
"What if you're not having a baby." I cross my arms in embarrassment.
"If he wants a DNA test we will do one. But as far as I'm concerned, that baby's mine." He walks to me. Hugging me from behind.
"You're girlfriend is such a whore." I push his hands off of me. "I'm so embarrassed"
"Don't be." He puts his hands back fast. "I love you so much" he kisses my forehead.
"I love you too" I cling onto him.
We head to bed shortly after and Dick falls asleep fast. I toss and turn and find trouble sleeping. My mind consumes of my predicament and I can't sleep. When I finally doze off, I jolt awake at the dream with an alien moving inside of my skin. Noticing Dick still peacefully sleeping I decide I'm done trying. At 3am I'm awake for the day. Dressing into my gym clothes I head down to the gym. Running a few miles I zone out in a book transcript on audio. The book isn't my cup of tea and I'm already ready to veto it. It's not written well, with too much of a back story. Deciding my run is it for the day I continue to the elevator to return home.
As I make it to the elevator my body is grabbed from my walking. Jerked into a wall a hand covers my mouth. Holy shit am I being kidnapped?
The wall hits me hard as I'm slammed into the wall. The laughter starts as I see his face. His goons have ahold of me and he watches his chaos begin. The joker laughs, "hello Rach." He laughs. "I figured killing 2 birds with one stone was my best approach." He cackles louder. "Get it! 2 birds!" He slaps his leg.
"Ha." I squint my eyes as the men hold my arms. "You got me." I sigh, "now what?"
"Oh big plans." He coos, "plans that bring your 2 boys together." He smiles from ear to ear. "Ah, the conflicts of brothers! Both in love with the same whore."
My stomach knots and I feel sick. Pooling my energy, I throw the men off of me. His pouty face holds as he realizes I'm a meta human. I turn to run, but his cane cracks me in the head. Shit. The blow makes me fall to the ground. Before I can regain another blow comes to my face, knocking me out. Holy shit, Dick is going to be pissed.
My eyes flutter and I feel sore all over. Surveying my surroundings I'm bound to a chair by barb wire. The notches dig into my skin and the pain burns through me. I try to use my powers to get out of it but a shock runs through my neck. Holy shit. Looking up I see a dusty mirror revealing my fate. He stuck a inhibitor collar on me. I was useless right now. I couldn't use my powers at all.
"That was cute." He grins ear to ear. "The look of horror on your face is priceless." He laughs. "Don't worry, your boys will be here soon."
Looking away I survey my surroundings. The old warehouse was on the water, rotting out and on the verge of sinking. The boards the chair I was bound to were cracked and placed strategically. Holy shit I was above the water. Maybe a 20 feet drop into the cold November bay. My anxiety rose. I hated water, ever since Tera almost drowned me. It was a big fear. I almost started trembling with the water below. But new horrors awaited me. His laugh rang through the ware house. I tried to talk but the rag was tight over my mouth.
"I figured maybe you'd want to share something with Jason." He walks to me with his sinister grin. His eyes manic and the green hair combed back. The appearance of the joker was menacing, but not as much as the object he welded.
The brand he wielded was red and smoking. Oh shit. I try to scream as he inches close but to no avail. Pressing the poker onto my chest I scream in pain. The sizzling and burning lights my skin on fire. Tears roll down my eyes and I feel like I could pass out. Removing the brand I look down with my tears. The "J" burned into my shirt, all the way to my skin, deep and red. Holy shit the pain seared and I looked up with tears running out of my eyes. The cackle of his laugh made my ears hurt as he witnessed my pain. "Now for the fun part." He grins. Turning to his table of supplies he sits the brand down, but returns with a crowbar.
My eyes go wide and I suddenly remember how vulnerable I am. I'm pregnant now. And he was going to beat this baby out of me before I could even figure out how I feel about it. I press back in the chair but the boards creek, sharing their weakness.
"Touch her, and you're done" I look behind the joker to see a gun drawn. The red helmet fitted to him. Jason. I breath a sigh of relief.
"Agreed" Nightwing leans against the wall. I can feel his emotions and although he looks calm, a storm runs through him.
"Aww but I gave you two matching scars." He laughs as he walks around me with the crowbar. Jason's anger is already out of control and I feel it seething as joker touches me. "I was really rooting for you to win." He laughs. He grabs the gag pulling it off of me. "Tell me who did you choose?" He laughs. I turn looking at him and spit in his face. I smile as his hand comes up punching me in the mouth hard.
A shot goes off and the joker groans as his hand has a bullet hole through it. I look to Jason trembling, he's about to cross the line. And he's trying to hold back. Nightwing is pissed and is trying to inch closer. You two belong together." He grumbles, "no manners! Tell me Nightwing, how do you lay beside her," he creeps behind me, sitting his head on my shoulder, "knowing she will always love him." He cackles. I wince at the pain in my ear at his laugh. Suddenly I jerk my head back slamming into his nose. I gasp as the board under me breaks and the chair falls to the side. I'm a board away from falling into the bay. My head sits looking at the water and my eyes are wide. Nightwing takes off running and joker cackles. Swinging the crowbar, nightwing dodges. Slamming joker into the wall behind. Jason rushes to me, but it's too late. The board falls and before his hand can grab me I'm falling.
The scream lurches out of my throat as the warehouse leaves me. Jason is in the air falling above me. His arms reaching as I slam into the water. The cold hits me and I panic as my head falls under the water. Holding my breath I look to the surface. Falling behind me I see his red hood. He swims fast to me. I hit the bottom with a thud. My eyes are wide as Jason gets to me.
Pulling out a tool he begins to snap the wire from the chair. There's so many that it's taking too long. I look up as I feel my air running out. He looks at me and I can tell he's trying to tell me something. One arm done and the blood circulates around it. Beginning the other one I feel my heavy eyes. I feel my body failing. Holy shit. Im drowning. The water fills my mouth before Jason notices and my body goes motionless. My eyes half cracked I see him starting to panic as he notices me. The pain that radiates in my arm is gone as my heart stops. I can feel my body being pulled up. I feel the air hit my skin. The sand of the beach. Jason starts screaming immediately.
"Rachel!" He digs his fingers into my sternum with no reaction. "Don't fucking do this." He shakes me. Suddenly his lips fall onto mine and I feel him pushing air into my lungs. His strong hands land on my chest and push hard. The cracking of my ribs hit my ears as he pushes down on my chest, over and over again.
Before I can think I'm standing over him. Standing over me. I'm watching my blue lips take his air, his heavy hands press on my chest. My heart beats as he does CPR. But the moment he stops, so does it. How I wish the damn collar was off so I could use my powers to heal me. If I wasn't too far gone that is. I notice Jason's face. The redness in his eyes. The panic expression as he pumps into my chest. "Rachel!" He screams, "come on." He demands I wake up.
"Fuck!" He screams. Grabbing his helmet he connects a wire on the inside: the helmet starts beeping and flashing a Batman logo. I look up to see Dick at the top of the hill, rushing to me. His logo lit up and flashing. This was a mayday call. Jason just called the entire Bat family. Back on my chest he pumps.
"Rach!" His tears drop on my face as his hands bounce on my chest. "Wake up!" I look at my pale skin. Damnit Jason, get the collar off. I start to scream as I stand outside my body for him to take it off.
Dick rushes to the ground falling beside me. His panic is high and he immediately pulls out tools.
"What are you doing?" Jason screams as tears roll down his face.
"We have to get the collar off." He yells and I notice the tears forming in his eyes.
Digging into the side a shock hits my body. I feel myself faze for a minute. Do it again. Keep shocking me. I scream to them. Suddenly behind the black bat mobile pulls up in a skid. The men don't notice as they work on my body. Dick fights off the shock and pushes into the collar again. A stronger shock hits me and I'm no longer standing over them. I feel my body again, feel my shallow heart beat as Jason continues pounding into my chest. Another shock and my eyes fly open. The cough is wet and I can't breath. Jason quickly rolls me as I start to vomit water out of my stomach and lungs.
"Holy shit." I feel Jason's relief as he pats my back.
"That's my girl." Dick breaks down into tears fully.
My eyes watch the men as I breath in and out heavy. Their emotional distress is evident. Holy shit that was close. Jason rolls me over and looks to Dick in a relived expression.
"Is she okay?" I hear behind the group. Jason slowly turns looking a Bruce. His cowl over his head and his expression grave.
"She needs to go to the hospital." Jason admits, "I think I broke some ribs."
"Then you did it right." Bruce states.
The conversation goes away as my trans starts to heal my body. I don't feel or hear anything. The pain melts away as my power consumes me.
Waking up days later the pastel of the hospital room gives me the creeps.the beeping of the monitor draws my attention as I look around. "Hey." A soft voice comes closer. The bags under his eyes are prominent and his eyes show evidence of crying.
"Hey." I softly reply. "That really sucked."
"Yeah." He smiles shaking his head, "really fucking sucked. How are you feeling?"
"Better now. Powers kicked in pretty good." I smile lightly. "How long have I been out?"
"About 22 days." He admits.
"Doctors have been redoing tests everyday and seeing you improve." He admits.
"Ah, so whose working on my meta human ass?" I roll my eyes, "I can't wait for the journal on my powers to be released."
"Didn't plan on writing anything." A familiar face comes into view. "Hey sis." The cybernetic smiles.
"Oh thank god." I smile.
"I knew you'd rather be here." Dick admits.
"Where are we?" I look around.
"The Justice League." Cyborg smiles, "when I told you to come visit, I didn't mean like this."
"I wouldn't have chosen this." I lean up as Dick helps me. My ribs are still sore and I hiss in pain. I look to my arms to the scars I need to heal later. The hardwire holes are healed but now scarred into my skin. Sighing I move the hospital down looking at the burnt on J. The deep scar Is going to take a lot of energy to heal.
"I've got to get back to work, but I'll check in on you later." Cyborg excused himself from the room.
Dick smiles as he sits on the bed next to me, leaning in hugging me.
"I love you so much Rae." He holds me.
"I thought I was a goner Dick." I admit.
"Me too." He agrees.
"Where's Joker?" I ask.
"In a body cast, healing in Arkham." He smiles lightly as he releases the hug. I nod lightly. "Here." He smiles big.
Dick pulls a set of pictures out of his jacket pocket. The staticky white photos are hard to make out, "what is it?" I look confused.
"Well." He scoots up to me wrapping his arm around my shoulder, "see that?" He points to the black hole.
"Yeah?" I question
"That's our baby." He smiles. "And they have a pretty strong heart beat fluttering around."
"It's okay?" I look in shock. "I assumed-"
"No." He smiles, "they're a fighter like their mom"
"It's alien looking." I smirk.
"Kinda." He kisses my cheek.
"Does he know?" I sigh
"No. Jason is a crime lord, he's not going to be walking into the JL." He smirks."and Bruce doesn't either. Just us and Cyborg."
"Jason okay?" I sigh.
"Yeah. Him and Bruce had a solid conversation. I don't think he'll be coming to family dinner yet." He smiles, "but it's a step in the right direction."
"Good" I smile.
"And we can do DNA in about 4 weeks if you want." He folds up the pictures. "You're 8 weeks now." He smiles.
"Okay." I hesitate. "Dick, no matter what I'm yours." I smile. "No going back."
"No going back." He leans over kissing me.