Despise ⇢ Dick Grayson

eleven.

I SWIM IN AND OUT of consciousness. Pain radiates across my entire body, down to my toes. At the same time though, it's like I can't feel anything at all. I am numb to my surroundings, blissfully unaware of the horrific, world-ending event occurring outside this quaint, little farmhouse.

When the fog in my head starts to clear, I look down and inspect the wounds on my stomach. They are covered by so much blood that I can't really see anything. My hands are coated in blood as well, my shirt ripped and tattered from the knife. My head lolls back and I get a glimpse of Rachel behind me. She's...standing. Alive. Decidedly not dead.

My heart hammers in my chest, hope blossoming. I try to crawl forward but am stopped as that temporarily displaced pain comes rushing back like a tidal wave. My teeth sink into my lip in an attempt to stop myself from crying out. I don't think I have the energy to scream anyway.

Hands shaking and head spinning, I claw my way across the room, my fingernails scraping along the hardwood floors. I see the smear of blood I've left in my wake and drag myself forward another foot.

I'm not far from Rachel now.

"Rach..." I breathe out and she looks over her shoulder at me. Her eyes are black, a red gem shining in the middle of her forehead. "No, no." The hope in my chest dies a quick and painful death as I slump further onto the ground, the last remnants of my energy bleeding out of me. It was my job to protect her and I failed...

I cough up blood, the metallic taste bursting in my mouth. Rachel crouches down in front of me, her head tilting to the side. There is no emotion on her soft features. It's all been drained out of her, stolen by Trigon and his brainwashing ways.

Before, I made fun of her for believing in the power of love. But now, it's all I have left. "Rachel, please. Come back to me. Please, Rach." I reach out and touch her hand and I remember every moment that led us here, the good and the bad.

I remember the first day I met her, in our high school's parking lot, when I defended her against some pathetic bullies. I remember the first time we laughed together and the first time she cried on my shoulder. I remember hugging her and finally feeling like I had someone who was mine, someone who loved me as much as I loved them.

My fingers wrap tightly around hers and she gasps, the black veins beneath her eyes fading away. Her face returns to normal, emotion flooding in. "Will!" She drops to her knees and cups my cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she cries but I shake my head.

"We have to—have to stop your father..." my voice trails off as I slump onto the floor. Rachel quickly moves her hands down to my stomach, hovering over the stab wounds. She closes her eyes and her face morphs into one of concentration.

It takes a few moments, but the pain begins to dull, slipping away from me until it is gone completely. I feel my skin stitch itself back together and then I am rejuvenated, my energy returning. I sit up quickly and pull up the remnants of my shirt. Blood still covers most of my stomach, but the wounds are gone. I'm healed. Rachel clasps her hands into mine and helps pull me to my feet.

"You need to defeat your father. You're the only one that can," I tell her and she nods, looks over her shoulder.

"I need to get Dick back first," she says. "You reached me. There has to be a way to reach him."

I decide against expressing my doubts and watch as she approaches him. She touches his elbow and he turns on her, demon-like eyes startling enough to make me flinch. It takes everything in me not to instinctively pull her away, out of danger.

"Dick, listen to me. You taught me how to let go of the darkness. You have to let it go too. This isn't you. You have to remember who you really are." Her eyes slide shut and she presses her fingers against his temple. It's quiet for a few moments.