ROGUE| DICK GRAYSON

xii. guide to quitting

Rogue sat on the edge of the building, holding a piece of paper. It was drawn by a little girl named, Lola. Rogue had been visiting her for awhile now, just checking to see if she's okay.

There was a house drawn with Superman flying over it and the two girls smiling at the bottom. Rowan knew she would treasure it forever.

"It's not the best, but-"

"What are you talking about, kid?" Rogue faced the little girl, "You should be an artist!"

Lola giggled next to her, "Really?"

"Of course!"

Rogue had snuck off from Black Canary, just saying a random excuse. She knew that the blonde was probably getting suspicious, but she checked it off as teenager angst.

The teen looked out into Gotham, watching the people walk below her with caution. Rowan was never one to believe in bad luck, it was just fate from the gods. But, the girl had some doubts. The gods have never helped her once, never even tried to save her from her father. So, are they even real? But, Cain Blake had drilled them into her head even before she turned one. 

Rowan began to speak, "Do you believe in the Gods?"

The girl shrugged, "My mom believes in God, while my father doesn't really believe in anything. I've never had a real interest or need for believing in a higher power."

"That was a grown-up answer, Lola."

"Thanks, I guess?"

The brunette looked at the freckled-faced girl, "Are your treatments going well?"

Lola White had a deadly cancer that spread throughout her body. She often complained about how much she lived in the hospital, but Rowan wanted her to get help. She began to get too attached to her and it scared her to a point, but then Rowan realized she needed to get over her fear of attachment. This young girl was fighting for a life that she doesn't deserve at such a young age and Rowan was fighting attachment issues. Which one is worse? It's pretty fucking easy.

So, Rowan's not only fighting for herself, she's fighting for a girl she saw as a younger sister.

Lola looked away, "I guess, but I don't wanna do it anymore." Rowan gave her a questioning look, so she continued, "I have so much to experience and do. But, I'm just sitting around, not living."

"What do you mean?"

The young girl huffed, "I'm spending so much time trying to survive, that I'm not actually living. I feel like I'm drowning and I'm trying so hard to kick my legs, that I don't realize that I could float."

Rowan stayed quiet, trying to understand her words. She was an intelligent ten-year-old, Rogue would give her that. And once Rowan finally understood, she began to feel the same about her life. Rowan feels as if she's dangling off a cliff and the team is there, trying to pull her up. But, Rogue is too afraid to realize that they are helping her instead of trying to push her off.

Rowan threw her arm over the young girl's shoulders, "You don't wanna continue the treatments, do you?"

Lola sniffed and cuddled into the brunette's side, "Would you be mad if I said no?"

"Kid, I would support you no matter what, okay? You can talk to me or not, but I'm here for you."

It took a while for Lola to say anything, but Rowan waited patiently. She understood that it was a hard thing for Lola to talk about. But, in the silence, Rowan already knew the young girl's answer.

Lola was quitting her treatments.

Rogue watched citizens walk below her as she paced the roof of the building. Lola had gone down to her apartment, so she could sleep and Rowan had been pacing the roof ever since. She was worried for the girl, but she couldn't express her anxiety to anyone.

As she looked out to the building across from her, she spotted a person. Not a regular, normal person. No, it was somebody in a grey suit with a white mask and a grey hood. The person was watching her.

They saw Lola.

Without any hesitation, Rowan grabbed her grappling hook and swung over there. The stalker started to run, but Rogue instantly tackled them to the ground. She punched their face, eliciting a groan from them. It must've been a wannabe superhero as they clearly had no practice. 

As she went for a second punch, they grabbed her fist and pushed her back. The creep started to stand up, causing Rogue to sweep their legs to get them back down. When their back hit the concrete, Rogue was already on top, ripping their mask from their face. It was in every Scooby-Doo episode, so why wouldn't she? It might be a unspoken rule in their world to not to do so, but she liked to believe she was the main character in that fantasy world.

Once she pulled off the mask, a tanned face with puppy-dog eyes was revealed. Her eyes grew large once she realized who it was. His dark curls was sprayed across his face and an awkward smile took over his lips.

"Hi-i?"

"What the fuck?"

Cain Blake walked along the beach. The sand seemed to cower as it moved away with every step he took. He had a stern look on his face as his grey hair was blown by the fastly growing wind. The sky grew darker as a storm was coming. 

Small droplets of water fell onto his black suit, but he didn't care as he stepped onto the fishing deck. It went a few feet out into the ocean and some wood planks looked as if it were about to fall off.

Cain went to the last plank and looked up into the dark skies that were covered with clouds. A few droplets fell unto his face, but he didn't dare touch them. The man kneeled down with a grunt. He wished for his wife to come back to him, but he knew that she was long gone by now.

The man looked back into the Heavens and leaned back unto his back legs. He put his hands in a praying position and closed his eyes, his head still looking up.

"If you are listening, Gods. Please, please, let us talk." There was no sound except the crashing waves and a few seagulls. So, he tried again, "My-my daughter is almost ready and I realize that she must leave in a few months." He listened for anything, but nothing was returned. No seagulls, no waves. Just silence.

He waited there. The man didn't care if he had to wait all night, he needed answers.

Suddenly, there was a booming sound in his head, causing all the seagulls to fly away and the waves to crash hard against the wooden deck.

"Why have you come?" The voice was deep and harsh.

"My daughter is almost-"

"I heard. You mustn't question us, Blake. You owe us, we don't owe you."

"I understand." He paused, "How will my daughter get to you?"

There was silence for a while, "Take her here and we will do the rest."

"Will-Will I get my wife back?"

"She's in Valhalla."

Cain suddenly grew angry at him, "You-you gave her to me! But, then she left because-"

The voice grew loud and thunderous, "You drove her away! I warned you, mortal, about what happens to her once she realizes that the love is fake. Now, as the deal said, you owe me your first daughter and she must be here once the sun rises on her sixteenth birthday. No later. No earlier, or there will be a war between our worlds. Understood?"

Cain hung his head in frustration. He didn't care about his dead daughter or his gonna be deceased daughter. He just wanted his wife back.

"Understood."