Rowan sat at the kitchen table, zoning out. She hadn't been surrounded by silence for a while, and she was going to appreciate every second of it.
She felt like she was supposed to be somewhere else. The girl should be back on Olympus, fighting till her last breath. But, she's back on Earth.
Rowan used to crave vengeance from her father; craved it. She wanted him to pay for making her the monster she was. But, now? Now where she once craved vengeance; she now craves rest.
Rowan was tired.
She was tired of fighting battles that weren't hers. She was tired of having to deal with everything. She was tired of not being able to sleep without weird messages from the gods. She was just tired.
The girl watched the boy out of the corner of her eye, scoot back the chair next to her, and sit down quietly. He didn't make her talk or try to fill up the silence. He just sat there.
The duo sat silently for what seemed like hours, quietly soaking up each other's presence.
"You don't have to be sorry for leaving." Her head turned slightly to see him staring at the fridge, "It's not your fault."
Rowan closed her eyes, pushing back the wave of emotions that came over her, "I know, Con."
"It's not your fault."
"I said I know."
Conner finally met her eyes and found hers to be empty. How can somebody that used to be filled with life, become empty? Where does it all go?
"What happened to your eyes?"
He watched as she sucked in a breath, thinking of the right words to say, "The Algea."
Conner's eyebrows furrowed, "Who's that?"
"The Algea were the personified spirits of pain and suffering--body and mind--, grief, sorrow, and distress." The two turned around to see a brunette woman with an outfit that resembled Wonder Woman's, "They were the bringers of weeping and tears."
"Troia," Conner greeted with a small smile, "When did you come in?"
"Today," Her blue eyes met with Rowan's ember, "I came for the girl."
The boy stood up, clearly not liking the idea, "Why?"
Rowan then followed his actions, standing up. She walked forward toward the woman, against Conner's facial expressions, "Is this about Olympus?"
The princess of the amazons nodded, "Yes, you are correct. My mentor, Wonder Woman, has not questioned you about the gods, causing me to do it."
"Woah, Woah," Conner shook his head, "You aren't answering anything, Row." He looked back to the princess, "Listen, I—"
"If she has questions, Superboy," She gave him a hardened glare, "I'll answer them."
Rowan stood in the open room of the cave. She just finished the questioning with Troia, but to her surprise, it was easy to talk about it with her. The princess knew everything she was saying, even answering some of her own questions.
"Everyone ready for training?" The brunette asked the group of superheroes. They all nodded, causing her to give them a tight-lipped smile, "Any volunteers to go first?"
"I'll go." Rowan frowned slightly as Dick walked forward. They haven't spoken since the Wayne Ball and she wasn't planning on it either. But, it just seemed he wouldn't leave her alone unless he got the answers he wanted.
Dick looked stronger and she knew he had a background in gymnastics, making him flexible and fast. But, she also knew Dick wasn't equally balanced with his left foot when fighting. He seemed to favor his right foot more. She knew it back then and it seemed like the only thing that never changed about him. Well, except for his stubbornness. That never seemed to leave him.
Rowan got in a fighting stance as the boy did the same. She knew that he liked to distract her and he was doing it now as he stretched his biceps. When the hell did he get so hot?
"You okay, Rogue? You look a little distracted." He was trying to fluster her, but two could play that game.
The girl smirked at the boy, "I'm alright, Nightwing." She watched as his grin widened, "How's being the leader? Oh, wait, sorry, I forgot that Kaldur still is." Much to her liking, she heard a slight grunt from the boy, "You okay, Nightwing? You look a little distracted."
He lunged forward, preparing to tackle the girl. But, Rowan moved slightly, smacking her elbow down onto his spine. But, as she said before, he was fast for his body size. Right as she did the action, the boy turned around and grabbed her arm, pulling her into his chest.
"I guess you could say I'm distracted," Dick whispered into her ear.
A faint blush coated her cheeks, but she pushed down the emotions. As she was pulled into his chest, she lifted her knee up and hit him right in the dick. He immediately stepped away, bent down, and groaned, closing his eyes in order to control himself.
Rowan took the opportunity to run forward. Using his bent knee to hoist herself up, she jumped over his shoulder, throwing her arm around his throat, and began choking him. Dick began to gasp, but she also knew all his ways of getting out of this, causing information to once again, save the day.
The girl kicked behind his left knee, leading him to fall down to his knees. She bent down and put her mouth right next to his ear, "Next time, bird boy, remember how easy it was for me to take you down. But, I get it, I would be distracted by me too."
With that, she pushed him down, causing the floor to light up red in failure.
The team was in Central City, watching flying creatures circle above them. There were about five of them, screeching at each other. Rowan had fought only two of these in her lifetime. They were cruel and vile creatures.
Harpies.
Batman said she could go on this mission as he said, and Rowan quotes, 'You fought them. Now, teach everyone else.' That was what she was now doing.
Rowan looked at the team around her, "These things are destructive and would never show mercy." She watched as the Atlantians were confused, "They're called Harpies and are bringers of death. They escaped Olympus and we must kill them to send them to Tartarus."
Dick immediately shook his head, "We don't kill."
"For these; we do." She gave them each one of her daggers, "Only ebony daggers kill them. Once you stab them in their heart, set them on fire. That's the only way to make sure they are dead."
Once again, the Wayne boy commented, "We don't kill, Rogue."
"These aren't human, Nightwing." She looked back up at the creatures. They were human-sized and had the body of a Hawk, but the head of a woman, "They're monsters."
Nobody had enough time to react as the five harpies swooped down, screeching at them. Everyone got in a fighting stance, ready to battle for their lives.
Rowan ran forward to meet one halfway. The half-breed stalked toward her slowly, her mouth in a scowl, "Abaddon." Her voice was scratchy and hoarse, "I see you also escaped."
"Angela." The brunette spat out, "I thought I killed you."
"That was my sister, you bitch!" The Harpy leaped forward, grabbing her shoulders and lifting her up from the ground with her magnificent claws. Rowan grunted from the sharp talons digging into her skin.
The creature kept flying upward, but Rowan wasn't worried about the drop. The girl grabbed the dagger and used all her strength to lift her arm and saw off the bottom of her leg. The monster screeched but only released her on that side. She was now only hanging on by her one shoulder. How did she survive Olympus for four years?
M'gann flew up, "I'm coming, Rogue." The redhead raced toward her, causing the creature to screech. The Martian was now level with the harpy, "Release my friend or face the consequences."
The monster began to laugh, but it sounded more like a shriek, "Friend? Abbadon has no friends." Before she could say anything else, Rowan timed her movements and grabbed onto the creature's flapping wing. But, since the Harpy was so strong, all it did was push her out of the claws, and now Rowan was only still in the air because her hands were still grasping her wing.
The girl's shoulder hurt like a bitch from the claws that scratched her skin, "Why are you attacking this city?"
"Zeus wants you, my dear." Her cackle suffocated them like an itchy blanket in the summer.
Rowan grunted as she felt her fingers slipping from the feathers, but she needed answers, "I thought you got sent to The Pit because you didn't want to be one of Zeus' hounds?"
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, my dear." Her yellow eyes stared into hers, "You know a thing or two about that, don't you, Abbadon?"
Rowan clenched her jaw and decided to do something risky. She balled up her fists around the feathers and yanked, causing her to drop. The Harpy screamed as its skin was torn by Rowan, but as the said girl began to fall, she yelled out, "Now!"
M'gann flew at maximum speed toward the creature, burying the ebony knife into her heart.
Rogue felt the wind flow through her body. It was almost calming to the girl and she decided this was the best way to go. Even if she didn't die today, she thought falling was going to be the gentlest.
The wind was knocked out of the girl as she felt two hands grasp her body. She looked to her right to find Rocket carrying her. Rowan smiled slightly as she realized that the team was looking out for her.
Once they finally settled on the ground, she found the rest of them in a circle, surrounding the harpies that held knives in their hearts.
Rowan left Rocket's side and walked forward, everyone watching her movements. She looked at Flicker as she knew that he had a lighter. The boy knew exactly what she was thinking and he was on board with it.
He walked forward and placed the lighter in her hands, causing Nightwing to finally step in, "We aren't killing them!" Rowan noticed that he wasn't angry, but more frustrated. But, not at her, but at himself for letting her be like this.
Rowan wasn't Dick's to save anymore. And, that's what frustrated him the most.
The girl sighed, her jaw clenching, "It's what has to be done."
"No. We could lock them up—"
"How has that worked out for you, huh?" She stepped closer to him, "How many criminals escaped and walk free to this day?" The girl watched as his demeanor slowly became shy, "How many people have to die for you to realize that what you're doing, isn't working?"
"Row—" Wally tried to step in, but one glare from the said girl, caused him to step back next to his girlfriend.
"You're way isn't working, Robin."
Rowan didn't have enough time to realize whose name she just said before the girl lit up the lighter. She looked behind her to the others, letting them know that they could leave and don't have to watch this. As most of them began to leave, Wally walked up to her. He held a red jug in his hand and set it down on the ground next to her.
"Gasoline would probably help," He gave her a slight smile and began to walk away.
As she watched him, she yelled out, "Ask her, KF."
He turned back around with a smile, "I already got it."
Rowan stood in the medical center they had at the base with Dick. Nobody else was in the room, but they refused to say a word to each other.
She stitched the claw marks on her shoulder as he tried to do the same with the side of his torso. Rowan sighed as she watched him struggle, so she finally finished her work and walked over to him.
The girl stopped in front of him and held out her hand. Dick immediately shook his head and tried to do it again.
"Don't be stupid because you're stubborn, Dick." The said boy sighed and handed it to her to finish. Rowan wore a grey, skin-tight tank top with black shorts, while he wore a blue, sleeve-less shirt and grey sweatpants.
Instead of watching her work, he just observed her. He counted the number of scars she had on her back and legs. The boy could only imagine how they happened. He wanted to ask. He wanted to know if she was okay.
Rowan's amber eyes met his, "Stop watching me." She huffed and got back to work.
"How do you know I was watching you?" He asked with a slight smirk. The boy never thought he would get used to her amber eyes, it was just so different from what he was used to seeing in her. From time to time, he would only envision her with blue and green eyes but then would remember they changed. But, now he thinks the amber fits her better.
It showed what she had gone through and survived it. Her old eyes were for an innocent girl named Rogue. But, the amber was for a warrior named Abbadon.
"I feel your gaze," She didn't look up as she spoke, "You can ask me about my scars. It's not rude."
Dick's mouth opened, but he hesitated, "Do you hate them?"
Rowan's eyebrows furrowed, she never assumed that he would ask, "What do you mean?"
"I mean," He breathed in, "do you hate the way they are going to forever be on your skin?"
"Yes," Dick frowned slightly at her answer, "But, it's not the way that you think." She stood up as she was finished with the stitching and met his eyes, "I hate that people will be viewing me as if I'm broken and scarred. And, sure, sometimes I hate the memories they bring, but I don't despise them. They're a part of me and the reminders that they bring are sometimes the most beautiful."
"You call getting stabbed beautiful?" Their faces were only centimeters apart as they spoke. The two whispered like their words were only special to them.
Rowan chuckled slightly at the man, "No, but some bring me happiness." She pointed to one that was on her side, "Like this one, I got this after I defended Va—a friend of mine back on Olympus."
She watched as his eyes drifted to her lips and against her will, hers did the same. Rowan could feel his breath on her and something inside of her started to stir up like it did all those years ago.
"What about this one?" He traced down one that was on her collarbone, causing her breath to hitch. Her skin felt like it was on fire every time he touched her.
Rowan leaned forward slightly, "Zeus."
His eyes slowly met hers, "The god?"
The girl didn't even hear what he said as all she was focused on was his lips. Did they still taste the same as they did? They both leaned forward slightly, ready to accept how they both still felt.
"Rowan!" The duo jumped apart from each other, both breathing heavily.
The said girl cleared her throat, "Uh, yes, Thor?"
The blonde boy didn't seem to notice what he interrupted, "Earth has this thing called Marvel and this guy is me!"
"That's nice, Thor." Rowan squeezed the bridge of her nose with her pointer finger and thumb. She was trying to push down every emotion she just had. Rowan was about to make the biggest mistake of her life.
Dick cleared his throat and stood up from the bed he was sitting on, "I-I should go."
"Yea, that sounds good," Rowan nodded and looked anywhere but him.
The two walked away from each other once more.