In DC, four garage thugs string up the vigilante hero known as Hawk. When one of them jams a lit cigarette into Hawk's side, Hawk kicks him. Another one draws a gun on Hawk and says that he's never heard of him, and a torturer comes over and says that he needs to ask Hawk some questions. They chain Hawk's legs as the torturer takes out his tools and turns on his radio, and then jams a drill bit into Hawk's side and asks who he works for. Hawk refuses to answer, and the torturer tells the thugs to take Hawk's pants down.
As the torturer takes out a pair of garden shears, the lights go out. A costumed woman drops down and takes out the thugs, and the torturer turns and runs. The woman--Dove--turns to Hawk and points out that he didn't wait for her, and they flirt briefly before she unchains Hawk.
Later, Hawk removes his costume and soaks in a tub. He gives himself an injection and takes some pills. The woman--Dawn Granger--comes in and greets her partner, Hank, Hank says that with a little sleep he'll be good to go, and insists that they have a solid plan to shut the operation down. Then they'll go to Wisconsin and "retire". Dawn helps Hank out of the tub and as he gets dressed, finds a gift on her pillow. Hank reminds her that it's been three and a half years, and Dawn opens it to find a key inside. They go out on the roof and Hank shows Dawn the pigeon cote that he made. He unlocks it with the key, takes out a pigeon, and shows it to Dawn. Hank says that it's been the best three and half years of his life and Dawn kisses him. Back in the apartment, Hank and Dove make love but Hank is unable to perform. He says that it's the stress. Dawn gets dressed, goes to the bathroom, and takes some pills.
Four Years Ago
Hawk and Dove take on some thugs and Robin drops in to help them. Once they drop the thugs, Hawk complains that Robin is late. Robin admits that he didn't tell his "boss" that he was with them even though he forbid him from seeing them.
Now
Hank asks Dawn if she's okay. She says that she's fine and hugs him.
Dick drives Rachel to Ohio and they stop at a diner in Middleburg Heights. Rachel insists that she's not a kid and orders coffee, and then explains that her mother didn't like her drinking coffee. Dick asks if what happened has happened before, and Rachel says that it hasn't and she didn't mean to kill the Acolyte. She glances at her reflection in the napkin holder, and Dick says that they're going to see some old friends of hers who will give them a place to lay low. He tells Rachel that no one is going to get her.
Amy goes to the morgue and examines the Acolyte's body. The coroner, Charlie, says that all of the Acolyte's organs burst out of his body. Charlie can't account for what happened, and points out a tattoo of a raven on the corpse's shoulder. Amy tells Charlie to send everything to her, and he jokingly says that it doesn't feel right.
Dick stops at a motel for the night and finally calls Alfred Pennyworth and says that he needs some help. Afterward, Dick goes into their motel room and notices her watching Game of Throne. He asks if she should be watching it, and Rachel ignores him. Dick goes to get pizza, and Rachel finds his case. She can't open it, and Rachel finds another case that is unlocked. It contains a computer, and Rachel does a Google search on herself. It brings up information on the police looking for her in conjunction with Melissa's murder, and Rachel checks the browser history and finds a link to how Bruce Wayne sheltered the boy orphaned by the death of the Flying Graysons.
After getting pizza, Dick drives back to the motel. Amy calls and tells him that Rachel has disappeared and the uni that took her has been found dead. He had fake ID, and Dick asks Amy to forward her everything that she has on the case.
Rachel watches a video of the Graysons' deaths and spots a young Dick. Amy's information prints and with it is a picture of the Acolyte's desiccated corpse. The corpse briefly lunges out of the picture, snarling at Rachel, and she drops it and sees her demonic self in the mirror. Rachel sits down on the floor, draws a cross on a piece of paper, and starts praying.
Dick returns a few minutes later and finds Rachel in the bathroom, praying and surrounded by pieces of paper with crosses on them. She tells Dick that she doesn't want "it" getting out, and Dick assures her that nothing bad is going to happen to her.
The next day in St. Louis, Missouri, a nuclear family are eating breakfast. Daughter and Son play Monopoly. The doorbell rings and Father goes to answer it. Dr. Adamson tells him that they're activated and gives him an envelope. Inside is a photo of Rachel, and Adamson says that she's more dangerous than she looks. Father goes back inside where his family is frozen in place, and says that they're going on a family trip. He unlocks a security-locked cupboard, takes out a rack of syringes, and gives them to Mother, and hands them to her children. They each inject themselves with the drug.
Dick tells Rachel that the Acolyte was part of some doomsday cult that believe it's their destiny to prevent the end of the world. Rachel says that as a kid, when she got too angry or scared bad things happened. She talks about how she's also an orphan, and asks Dick about his adoptive father. She says that it must have been cool, and Dick tells her that it was complicated. Rachel asks if the feeling that he got left behind goes away, and Dick admits that it never entirely does. She figures that Dick will leave her, and Dick assures her that he won't.
When they arrive in DC, Dick drives to Hank and Dawn's apartment and tells Rachel that they're old friends that he hasn't seen for a long time. Dawn answers the door and stares at Dick in surprise, and Rachel introduces herself. When they shake hands, Rachel gets a vision of Dawn and Dick in bed and draws back in shock. Dawn tells Dick that he's four years too late but invites him inside.
The trio goes up on the roof and Dick explains to Dawn that Rachel killed someone. He says that they needed somewhere to regroup because the cult has people in the department. Dawn asks about Bruce, and Dick says that he's no good with kids. She says that she and Hank are great, and tells Dick how Hank has been injured. Dick says that they should quit, and Dawn tells him that's the plan as soon as they take out the gun suppliers that Hank is obsessed with. She asks Dick to help them, and Dick says that he's out of the life.
Hank comes up and asks why Dick is there. He figures that Dick and Dawn are getting together romantically, and Dawn points out Rachel at the cote. Hank agrees to go back inside and Dawn makes up beds for Dick and Rachel. When Hank wonders what Dick is there and figures that it isn't a coincidence, and Dawn says that she's always been with Hank and always will be, and didn't call Dick. She suggests that they could use Dick's help to go out on the win Hank wants and they can get better. Hank figures that Dick won't help them, saying that he only watches out for himself, but Dawn isn't convinced.
As Dick helps make up Rachel's bed, she asks if he and Dawn are an item. Dick finally says that they were together as kids, and Rachel asks why he hurt her. He says that he didn't mean to and it's all in the past, and Rachel tells him that it isn't for Dawn.
As Dick tries to sleep on the couch, his phone rings. It's Alfred, who tells him what he requested. Dick says that he'll be there. The next morning, Dick drives to the Federal Reserve and gets Alfred's money transfer. He returns to the apartment and puts the money in an envelope, and then hides it when he hears Dawn and Rachel come in. Rachel goes to watch Game of Thrones, and Dawn tells Dick that she didn't treat Rachel like a kid. She then asks if Dick wants to take a look at their case.
Hank is watching the gun dealers move their guns via delivery fan and takes photos.
Dawn shows Dick plans of the dealers' building and says that they're moving in on the pre-teen crowd, and Hank thinks that they can take them out and break the chain. Dick brings up the building on his computer and Dawn asks what happened between him and Bruce. Before he can answer, Rachel yells at the TV from the next room. Dawn tells Dick that taking in Rachel is a big responsibility and it must be healing for him. She warns that taking care of a kid is complicated, and Dick says that he's not taking Rachel in because he's not good at the "staying with people" part. He explains that he hoped Alfred would send some money, and Dawn realizes that he wants to leave Rachel there. Dick says that Dawn doesn't know what he's become. Before he can go into more detail, his computer identifies the security contractors buying from the dealers. Dawn tells him not to change the subject and asks what he's become.
Hank comes in and assumes that they're together like in the old days. When he grabs Dawn, Dick intervenes and they start shoving each other. Rachel comes in and unleashes her demonic self, separating them. Everyone stares at her, and Rachel apologizes and goes to the other room.
Amy returns to her apartment, takes off her gun and badge, and pours herself a glass of wine. She finds a girl kneeling in the corner, crying, and asks if she's okay. The girl, Sister, calmly stands up, holding a pair of scissors, asks where Dick is. She slashes Amy's hand, and Brother comes out and hits Amy in the knee with a baseball bat. Amy crawls for her gun, and Sister stabs her in the side and smiles. Father and Mother come in and complain that their kids didn't save any fun for them. Mother grabs a knife and says that they can still have some fun.
Dick checks on Rachel and she says that it's getting worse. He says that he's the one to blame, and Dawn comes in and asks Rachel how she's doing. Dawn apologizes for Hank and says that they have to go. Dick advises her to reconsider, warning that it's too dangerous, but Dawn ignores him and tells Rachel to take care of him. Once Dawn and Hank leave, Rachel tells Dick that Dawn needs his help and asks if he helps people. Dick says that he used to think it was one of the things he was good at it, but he realized that he hurt people by helping them. Rachel tells him that sometimes her darkness coming out feels good, and figures that Dick is scared but sometimes there's no time to be scared.
Hawk and Dove take out the gun dealers and get the guns. More men arrive and open fire, hitting Hawk. They surround the vigilantes and the torturer arrives and prepares to start up where they left off. Robin grabs him and jams his garden shears into his crotch, and throws a shuriken into one man's eye. The other thugs try to run but Robin picks them off one by one. A blood-splattered Robin goes back to Hawk and Dove and recovers his shuriken, tells the vigilantes "You're welcome", and leaves.
At the apartment, Rachel finds Dick's envelope. She reads the note that he left with it and stares at it in shock.
Hank, Dawn, and Dick return and Dawn says that she's never seen Dick like he was. They go in and discover that Rachel is gone. Dick finds her up on the roof looking at the pigeons, and she shows Dick the envelope. Rachel accuses him of leaving her there when he said he'd never leave her, and figures that he lies a lot because he's good at it. Hank and Dawn arrive and Rachel shows them the envelope. Dick says that it isn't that simple and that he knows they could watch out for Rachel. Hank is angry that Dick tries to buy them, and wonders if Dawn knew about it. As they argue, Dick goes over to Rachel and says that he was going to come back for her. Rachel touches his hand and knows that he's lying.
The Family come out on the roof and Father casually shoves Hank out of the way. Dick leads Rachel to cover while Dawn attacks the Family and Hank joins her. Rachel begs Dick not to leave her, and while he's distracted Father and Sister knock him off the roof. Mother wraps a line around Hank's next, and Father throws Dawn through the cote and off the roof. Brother knocks Hank out, and the Family find Rachel.
Dick hangs on to the edge of the roof, and finally pulls himself up. As Hank wakes up, Dick goes down to the street where Dawn is laying. She's dying, and Dick administers CPR. Above them, a raven lands on the fire escape.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 19, 2018