redemption in black [g, cassandra/rose]
redemption in black
pairing: cassandra cain/rose wilson
fandom: dcu
summary: rose doesn't live her life in denial
prompt #61: redemption
word count: 500
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If Rose chooses to dwell on it, she’ll find in her heart the real reason she can’t stand Batgirl. No, wait - that’s not right. She got demoted or something by another girl. She’s calling herself Bat Black, Black Bat, Batchick, whatever. A petty good crosses her mind, while her heart squeezes something fierce like regret.
Rose thinks self denial is a waste of time, so she spends her day off from Titans Towers thinking about the girl dressed in all black. She doesn’t bother asking Kon or Robin about her because the stupid boys would get the wrong idea. A cigarette dangles from a corner of her mouth while she walks along the Bay, the wind chilly but the view pretty.
Chilly, but pretty. Rose thinks that’s the perfect description of Batgirl. Of course, she doesn’t even know what the other girl looks like, but she remembers her voice. Quiet, direct, determined, and soft. Rose was obviously too busy trying to kill her to impress "Daddy" at the time and never felt so outclassed in her life. As clichéd as it sounded, Batgirl was poetry in motion. All grace, every move perfect, her counters like child’s play. The longer she fought her, the more she felt Batgirl was getting stronger, faster.
Rose doesn’t remember much her time on the serum. Some crystal clear, she can recall the day, the weather, the people. Some are muddled and some she couldn’t remember.
Her fight with Batgirl is the one she remembers perfectly. The excitement, anger, frustration, and pain.
Rose spent a lot of time nursing hatred for her afterwards. Even when they worked together to kill their fathers. Especially when she wanted to kill her father.
What makes her so special? Rose takes a drag of the cigarette. Yeah, the other batgirl was a brilliant fighter, but so was the rest of Batman’s entourage. Those people have to be to fight the metas. What makes her special? The little Tim talks about her is either to defend her character or to say what a good person she is. Please.
What makes her better?
When she comes home late that night, Red Robin is in the den on the computer. His face is lit up by the computer screen while he types keys. He doesn’t look up as she approaches. Whatever he was doing, it takes him a few minutes to finish and look at her.
“Got a question for you before I turn in,” she says.
“I’m listening.”
“Why was the other batgirl special?” She leaves out the acid that usually accompanies that question.
He didn’t see that coming. He blinks at her in question, but after seeing her face, he answers carefully. It doesn’t take him long at all.
“She’s... always trying to make up for something awful she did years ago and, well, that makes everyone want to try harder to save others.”
Rose goes to bed that night without actually sleeping. A word rotates in her mind, taunting her.
Redemption.
pairing: cassandra cain/rose wilson
fandom: dcu
summary: rose doesn't live her life in denial
prompt #61: redemption
word count: 500
-
If Rose chooses to dwell on it, she’ll find in her heart the real reason she can’t stand Batgirl. No, wait - that’s not right. She got demoted or something by another girl. She’s calling herself Bat Black, Black Bat, Batchick, whatever. A petty good crosses her mind, while her heart squeezes something fierce like regret.
Rose thinks self denial is a waste of time, so she spends her day off from Titans Towers thinking about the girl dressed in all black. She doesn’t bother asking Kon or Robin about her because the stupid boys would get the wrong idea. A cigarette dangles from a corner of her mouth while she walks along the Bay, the wind chilly but the view pretty.
Chilly, but pretty. Rose thinks that’s the perfect description of Batgirl. Of course, she doesn’t even know what the other girl looks like, but she remembers her voice. Quiet, direct, determined, and soft. Rose was obviously too busy trying to kill her to impress "Daddy" at the time and never felt so outclassed in her life. As clichéd as it sounded, Batgirl was poetry in motion. All grace, every move perfect, her counters like child’s play. The longer she fought her, the more she felt Batgirl was getting stronger, faster.
Rose doesn’t remember much her time on the serum. Some crystal clear, she can recall the day, the weather, the people. Some are muddled and some she couldn’t remember.
Her fight with Batgirl is the one she remembers perfectly. The excitement, anger, frustration, and pain.
Rose spent a lot of time nursing hatred for her afterwards. Even when they worked together to kill their fathers. Especially when she wanted to kill her father.
What makes her so special? Rose takes a drag of the cigarette. Yeah, the other batgirl was a brilliant fighter, but so was the rest of Batman’s entourage. Those people have to be to fight the metas. What makes her special? The little Tim talks about her is either to defend her character or to say what a good person she is. Please.
What makes her better?
When she comes home late that night, Red Robin is in the den on the computer. His face is lit up by the computer screen while he types keys. He doesn’t look up as she approaches. Whatever he was doing, it takes him a few minutes to finish and look at her.
“Got a question for you before I turn in,” she says.
“I’m listening.”
“Why was the other batgirl special?” She leaves out the acid that usually accompanies that question.
He didn’t see that coming. He blinks at her in question, but after seeing her face, he answers carefully. It doesn’t take him long at all.
“She’s... always trying to make up for something awful she did years ago and, well, that makes everyone want to try harder to save others.”
Rose goes to bed that night without actually sleeping. A word rotates in her mind, taunting her.
Redemption.