𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗥 | the boys 2

𝘹) 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

The millisecond the word escaped her throat, a swift, sharp hand attacked her neck and threw her right down to the floor again, until a 14 year old had sat on her stomach and strangled her with all the power in her arms. While forcing the hands from her neck, Starlight noticed the desperation in her quivering lips and the tear that landed on her own cheekbone, prior to her decision that this had gone too far and uneasily turned over, paying attention to Rowan's minimal struggling as her hands were pinned above her head.

"Please just stop." She asked desperately. Worry settled into her face as the child's breath suddenly grew heavier, turning into choked heaves as her back arched against the ground. "Hey, hey, hey, calm down," Annie immediately let go and shuffled onto the ground,"Kid, look at me, follow my breathing and-"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN HERE?" M.M. roared as he set foot in the mess, eyes eventually landing on the girls by the door, both currently in panic of their own kind.

"She- I didn't-" Annie stuttered out as they were helped to their feet by him and Hughie, her thoughts subsiding as Rowan's shoulders hunched and she uncontrollably backed away into M.M., like a cat would before being sick.

"You guys okay?" Hughie panted.

"FUCK YOU!" Rowan suddenly screamed and began towards them, thankfully being restrained just in time.

"CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" M.M. yelled, holding back the growling child.

"Rowan, she's here to help us!" Hugh warned.

"Well, I'm sorry!" She retorted sarcastically,"Last time we met, she was about to fucking KILL US!"

"I didn't even say anything - she just shoved me out of no where.

Annie leaned into the young man beside her and said quietly, eyes still fixed on the adolescent,"Hughie... she's not okay. You know that, right?"

"Yeah..." Hughie's voice shook as he sighed,"She's just having a rough time."

____________________

Fields flew past the back left window - since M.M. didn't trust Rowan within reach of the wheel while he was driving and it was just polite courtesy to let the guest, Annie, sit in the front with him. Hughie obliviously stared at her red eyes and messy hair - she almost looked like the little animal he met that night while hiding behind the store counter, quivering in fear from Translucent.

With no verbal communication and, once again, mucky attire, Rowan was just the same, lonely kid. There was no Butcher at the front for her to whisper to. Hughie thought back on all their past interactions - the time she jumped in front of him on Butcher's command, the time she attacked Translucent before he had to do anything that would traumatise him, how she took all mentions of Robin so seriously... and how sympathetic she was before she had to leave him for Homelander. It was almost as if she cared since the start.

Just as Rowan began to notice how M.M. tended to let people out in junctions so much more than Butcher, Annie suddenly asked,"Does anyone mind if I put on some music?" She reached for the radio and immediately gagged at the sound of her own voice, singing the piece they gave her at Translucent's memorial. "Ugh, God."

"You have a really good voice." Hughie commented,"You can do that wavering thing like those guys on American Idol."

"Vibrato." M.M. corrected, much to the car's confusion, as Annie reached for the radio a second time. 

Rowan couldn't help but glance at Hughie as 'We Didn't Start The Fire' erupted from the speakers. She fought herself to hold back the impulsive grin when remembering the time she had recently yelled the exact lyrics at him to get him out of bed in the early morning. It seemed Hugh also remembered, because he beamed utter rays of sunshine when their eyes finally met - despite a thunder clattering through his ears as she scowled and immediately looked away.