"Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. they live inside us, and sometimes they win."

Stephen king

Dick and Persephone were heading to the hospital. Thankfully they knew which room it was and didn't have to ask. Persephone went straight through to comfort Hank. What she hadn't spotted was that Dick was having a flashback.

He was broken out of his memories by the arrival of Hank. He had let Persephone sit in the chair while he went to talk to Dick.

"I'm so sorry, if only I had fought a little harder, not been surprised or done something anything maybe you would have needed up like this. I'm so sorry," Persephone cried.

Persephone felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. It was Hank. "It's not your fault," he told her, "none any of us could have done anything. We were caught unexpected and underprepared."

Persephone got out the chair for Hank just as Dick came in the door. "I have a lead. Persephone and I are going to follow it," He told them before walking back out.

Hank and Persephone had a hug before she left. They understood each other she needed to go with Dick to catch the people who did this will Hank needed, to stay with his girlfriend, in case anything happened.

Persephone caught up with Dick just as he was leaving the hospital. "Where are we going?" She asked him.

"a gas station not too far away."

"That's no matter. We will hopefully have enough time to talk about what the hell you thought you were doing," Persephone stated matter of factly as she got in the car.

They did as well. Dick told her what he was thinking and, she told him what an idiot he was. Most importantly, they made up. After that, they lapsed into content silence, with Dick remembering how he got his car and Persephone thinking about how to get Rachel back.

Before too long, they pulled in to a gas station bustling with police and firman. This Persephone found very odd. Dick quickly hopped out of the car and came round Persephone's side to open her door for her and help her out.

They then headed in the direction of the burnt stall with Dick flashing his badge at the local police so they wouldn't think that he was a curious reporter. No one questioned Persephone with the protective arm Dick had around her shoulders and the way that he glared at anybody who even remotely looked at her funny.

The only time Dick finally let her go was when they reached the office. Persephone stayed outside to work as a lookout while Dick went inside to get the security feed.

He was quickly done and came back out to Persephone. He wrapped his arm around her waist this time and walked her back to the car. Persephone hoped in the passenger seat and opened the glovebox. She then pulled out Dicks bat computer and passed it to him. He started rapidly clicking round till he could find her.

"I have her," He suddenly exclaimed, "she is at Saint Puls Convent."

"Why is she at a Convent?" was Persephone question "wait, never mind, I don't care as long as she is safe, and we can find her."

They set off in the Convent direction with Dick driving and Persephone keeping an eye on the Bat Computer to work out where they were going. They were halfway there when Persephone notified Dick that the car was now at a local rollerskating rink.

Before too long, they pulled in to Scooters roller skating rink. Dick and Persephone got out of the car as quickly as they could and headed inside. Dick made a beeline for the Magenta haired woman. On the other hand, Persephone scanned the room, looking for Rachel.

When she finally spotted Rachel, she left Dicks side and practically ran to Rachel. Rachel turned around upon sending Persephone ran in her direction. The two met in the middle and collided into a hug.

They only broke apart when Dick appeared the Magent haired lady. At Dick arriving, Rachel wasn't happy. She knew, of course, that if Persephone was here, then Dick wasn't too far away, but a girl can hope.

"Hey, come on. We're going." That was the first thing he said to her.

"What are you doing here? Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy to see Persephone, but you less so." Rachel was unimpressed with Dicks attitude. He was acting like she left him and not the other way around.

"Now's not the time, okay? I'll explain everything to you outside," Dick replied, trying to avoid the conversation.

"I have had words with him. I promise what he has to say is worth you hearing." Persephone pleaded.

"Fine, but only because Persephone asked nicely," Rachel responded, giving Dick the death glare.

Dick walked off, leaving the others to follow. The magenta lady turned to Persephone, "I'm Kory." she said, extending her hand.

"I'm Persephone. The idiot is my husband, Dick. Thank you so much for saving Rachel," Persephone answered, shaking Kory's hand.

Kory smiled at her before going to catch up with Dick. Persephone linked her arm through Rachels, "so, who was the cute boy you were talking to?"

Rachel laughed and swatted at Persephone, "don't be annoying, his name was Gar" Rachel loved the way that Persephone made her feel normal.

Laughing, they caught up with the others in time to hear Dick accusing Kory of kidnapping Rachel.

Making Rachel angry, "She didn't kidnap me. She saved me." She then looked up at Persephone, "how's Dawn?"

Persephone was trying to work out how to word her answer. She was interpreted by Kory, "Who's Dawn?"

Persephone was working out how to answer the question when she was interrupted by Dick "We really can't talk about this right now, okay? The cops are looking for you. They think you killed your mom." He stated, gesturing to Rachel. He turned to Kory "they're looking for you, too. Assault on multiple officers. Arson. And not to mention kidnapping."

Persephone warned, "Dick drop it." at the same time that Rachel said, "As I said, she didn't kidnap me. She saved me."

"I'm not going without her," Rachel told Dick, knowing that Persephone wouldn't mind.

"What she said," Kory agreed with Rachel. She wasn't going to let her only hope of getting her memories back slip through her fingers.

This was all clearly too much for Dick, "can you please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"You left me," Rachel told Dick.

"No, I didn't," Dick said, trying to defend himself.

"You might as well have. You were going to." was all Rachel stated, shrugging.

"Rachel, I wasn't."

"I read the note."

"Look..." Dick tried again.

"You were just gonna leave me with them?"

"I just need time to figure things out."

"Stop," Rachel pleaded with Dick. When Rachel yelled, "stop lying!" in a demonic voice as all the glass in the cars around them explode. The moment it happened, Dick threw himself in front of Persephone. Making sure that his back was facing Rachel so that no harm would come to his wife.

Dick just wanted to get out of there before anyone saw them, just nodded. "Okay."

"Okay, come on," Persephone repeated, grabbing Dick and Rachels hands before dragging them to the Porche. Kory and Rachel hopped in the back then Persephone got in and threw the door closes. Dick then screamed out of the parking lot as fast as he could.

✯🌻✯ 

Persephone sough Dick out after talking to Rachel. She was about to walk over to him when he stopped to have a word with one of the Nuns. When he had finished, he walked towards her. He had just reacher her and puller her in for a hug. He dropped his head, so it was resting on her shoulder. They stood like that for a bit when they suddenly heard the sound of the Porsches engine revving.

Dicks head shot up so fast he nearly hit Persephone, "Kory," they both said, looking at each other.

"You go, I will stay with Rachel," Persephone told Dick. He nodded at her before running off.

Persephone headed into the room that Dick had left. It was strange being in a church. She had never been a religious person. She sat down next the Rachel, who was leafing through the bible.

They were sitting in companionable silence when a nun came in with two cups of hot chocolate a doll under her arm. Persephone smiled politely up at her. The nun sat on the other side of Rachel and passed them both a mug of hot chocolate. "here you go."

"Is it okay?" Rachel asked.

Persephone was about to ask the same question. She didn't know the rules about the church.

"Hmm?" The nun didn't know what she meant.

"To drink in here?" Persephone added

"Oh, I won't tell if you won't." The nun said conspiratorially.

Persephone smiled at her. She seemed nice.

Both Rachel and Persephone took a drink from the mugs. Persephone thought it was good hot chocolate. It had lots of chocolate and sugar in it. The nun smiled at them, "feeling better? Your friend said you needed some time."

Rachel smiled up at the nun, "yeah. Thank you, Sister." Rachel was enjoying the feeling of being loved and cared for. She had Persephone on one side and a caring nun on the other.

The nun smiled at Rachel and pulled the doll out from under her arm, "you slept with her every night."

Persephone thought it was sweet. She was starting to feel drowsy. She put it down to not getting enough sleep lately, "oh, this is just so unexpected. Seeing you back here. The truth is, we should never have let you go in the first place." Persephone thought that that was a strange comment but, she could muster the energy to care. She heard the nun say, "but you're safe here. And you always were."

Her last coherent thought was 'Dicks going to be so worried' before she dropped into oblivion.

✯🌻✯ 

Persephone came to consciousness in a small cell. Panicking, Persephone tried to work out where she was. As she looked around, Persephone could see the multitude of crosses. Taking a deep breath, Persephone realised that she was still in the Convent. But just in a small cell-like room.

With no way out in sight, Persephone took a deep breath. The best plan seemed to warn Dick that something was wrong before coming up with a plan. Closing her eyes. Persephone took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth. Mustering up her power Persephone worked on seeing a Red Columbine to Dick. The flower meant Anxious. And Persephone knew that Dick might not exactly know what the flower meant, but he would know that something was wrong. And he had his phone on him so he could look it up.

Thankfully for Persephone, it was working. Not too far away, Kory was talking, "she's the Destroyer of Worlds." She told Dick when he felt something touch his hand. Startled, he looked down.

Dick could see a scraggly red flower desperately trying to break through the concrete as it tried to grow up his arm. His head snapped in the direction of the Convent. "Something's wrong with Persephone," he told Kory. If she was confused as to how he knew this, she didn't say anything.

Not a second after Dick had said this, they heard an explosion and then saw a plume of smoke come from where they were looking. "Persephone," Dick cried, running in the direction of his car and at the same time that Kory whispered, "Rachel."

Just as Dick reached the car door, they saw hundreds of ravens flying in the opposite direction. His thoughts immediately went to Persephone.

The explosion had broken one off the walls in Persephone cell. As the dust cleared, she could see Rachel standing on the other side. Persephone ran up to her and grabbed her hand "we have to go now," she told Rachel.

Before dragging Rachel off, the two ran across the open land heading to the forest as fast as they could.