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girl wonder. chapter twenty five
"DICK, wait!" I exclaim, but it's too late. He's already disappeared. I take off after him with no hesitation, but I don't phase through the barrier as easily as he did. In fact, I don't phase through at all. To my confusion, I merely bounce backwards.
"What?" I mumble.
Donna and Kory rush forward, but they're met with the same result as me.
"Dick got through. Why can't we?" Donna demands.
Finding the answer is the least of my worries right now as I examine the strange forcefield and lay my hand against it. It feels like nothing, that is until I lean harder and start to feel its pressure. With both hands pressed against the barrier, I push forward, and hard. Every fibre of my muscles, every cell in my entire body is tightening when all of a sudden my hands begin to break through. Thoughts of Dick urge me to keep going and I allow the adrenaline to take over until my body starts to feel numb.
Then, I'm shot backwards.
I gasp for air, picking myself up off the ground as Donna and Kory stare at me with concern.
"Are you okay?" Donna asks me.
I sigh, slamming my fist against the barrier in frustration. "I'm fine. I'm just frustrated because we're so close yet so far. It doesn't make any sense."
We're silent for a moment. My arms are crossed as I come to the realisation that if Dick slid past the forcefield as if it was was non-existent, whatever it is that's keeping it up simply doesn't want us inside.
However, Kory's in denial. She blasts a flame from her hands, aiming it at the wall. When it doesn't budge, she pauses, but it's only a few seconds before she shoots at it again. It's all in vain.
Donna rolls her eyes impatiently. "Would you just stop blasting it? You're wasting all your power."
"Rachel is in there," Kory breathes out desperately. "Anything could be happening to her."
"Says the woman who was sent here to kill her! Okay, now that she and Dick are in there with some intergalactic demon, maybe you could try something that might actually work," Donna exclaims.
"Like what, Donna? Or were you hoping the sheer force of your criticism would save her?"
"At least I'm not draining my powers just because I can't sit still," Donna spits, stepping forward so that she's inches from Kory's face.
"Says the Titan who quit."
"Guys!" I screech. "This conversation — no, wait, this argument — has brought us approximately nowhere nearer to getting inside. At this point, I don't think anything will bring us nearer."
"What are you talking about?" Donna asks. Kory's tugging at her own hair.
"Dick was able to run through the forcefield like it wasn't there. There must be a reason why it's keeping us out like this," I say.
"So what do you suggest? We just sit around?" Kory shrugs her shoulders.
I pause for a moment, staring down at the ground. "There's nothing else we can do except wait for some sort of opportunity."
Just as Donna opens her mouth to protest, a truck pulls up to the house. A moment later, my heart drops when Robin climbs out of the vehicle and I have to remind myself that Dick was replaced. Trailing behind him are Hank and Dawn, and I let out a relieved breath I wasn't aware I was holding.
"Hey, don't stop on my account," Jason exclaims. "I like where that was heading."
"Jason?" Kory asks, confused.
"That's right! The goddamn cavalry has arrived." He's strutting forward like he owns the entire world.
"What the fuck is that? And why is it wearing Dick's costume?" Donna taunts.
"The new and improved Robin," Jason brags.
"The annoying new Robin," Hank corrects him.
"Who's your friend?" Dawn speaks up. She looks in pristine health and more beautiful than ever. Her skin almost glows, which makes sense seeing as she's had weeks of sleep.
"Um, Hank, Dawn, this is Kory Anders. She's an alien," Donna introduces the woman. "That's Natasha Santiago, an —"
"Actually, we're all familiar," I cut her off, smiling at Dawn lightly. "I'm glad you're okay." She returns a gentle smile and nods gratefully.
"Well, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances," Kory says.
"Why are you guys here?" Donna questions.
"Uh, Rachel got inside of her head at the hospital," Hank explains, glancing at Dawn.
"Yeah, I think she woke me up from my coma." Dawn's grinning, but her face fills with sadness when she looks at the glistening air. "She's in there, isn't she?"
"Yeah," I confirm with a regretful tone.
"So what the fuck is going on here?" Hank asks.
"Rachel's father is a being called Trigon. And if we can't stop him here, he'll destroy your world. And move on, destroying countless others. Our scripture states Trigon can only fully inhabit your world after he breaks Rachel's heart," Kory tells them.
"We're talking metaphors, right?" Dawn says almost naively.
"We don't know, but if we don't get through that forcefield and into the house there... I'm afraid we're never gonna find out," Donna sighs.
"Kid should've asked us to get fucking Superman," Hank quips. Maybe so, but I still have doubt in my mind that that would have worked.
Next, a hole opens up in the barrier and blinding light flashes before us, causing me to squint.
"Oh, great, that's not concerning," Hank dead-pans.
"It looks like someone's inviting us in," Dawn observes.
"Invitation accepted!" Jason squeals excitedly.
"Titans?" Donna begins, stepping forward. "Let's go." Then, she's swallowed by light. One by one, Jason, Hank and Dawn enter the void of white until only Kory and I are left.
"Well, you were right," Kory admits.
"What?"
"About waiting." She stares into my eyes with an unfamiliar softness, almost like she's saying goodbye.
"Yeah, I can be wise sometimes," I chuckle. For a moment she turns back to stare at the light and I open my hand. She takes it in her own and we grasp one another tightly as we walk forward together.
