DC/Marvel
Title: Strangers Like Me
Characters: Wolverine, Batgirl
Rating: PG
Word Count: 540
Disclaimer: Batgirl is DC's, Wolverine is Marvel's.
AN: For 7_crossovers, prompt #2- Forsaken. Kinda follows current canon (that Batgirl mini and recent Astonishing X-men).
She reached the summit and looked out at the infinite land around her. Everything was so different from what she was used to. There were no skyscrapers to jump from, only towering trees. No dirty sidewalks, only luscious green grass under her feet. No immense manor to get lost in, only a small, dingy dojo where everything was visible to all.
She glanced up. The early morning sun had disappeared behind grey clouds announcing rain would fall shortly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Wanting to detach herself from everything she’d left behind, this was the first place she thought of. It was as far away as she knew how to get. She exhaled. Slow and deliberate.
She focused on each breath, the cold, crisp air like nothing anywhere near Gotham. Batman’s mission, Nightwing’s uncharacteristic harsh words, Robin’s surprising understanding, and every member of the Outsiders all were becoming a distant dream.
She opened her eyes, feeling near cleansed of it all, yet wishing she wasn’t so completely alone. Wishing there was someone she could share the moment with… That’s when she looked down the long, narrow stairway and saw him sitting cross-legged under a cherry blossom. Had he been there all along or newly arrived? She placed her small satchel on the first step and set out to find out.
Half way down the long stairway, she heard the familiar snikt! She knew he was ready to pounce on her without a moment’s noticed, but she didn’t hesitate and continued heading down. Three more steps and the claws would disappear once he recognized her scent.
“What’re you doing here, kid?”
They always seemed to run into each other by this deserted spot, miles away from the nearest rural town. She had only spent a few hours with him in the three years she had known him, yet perhaps having worked with another similar tempered person was the reason that she didn’t find his gruff manner at all alarming, but rather enjoyed it. There was no silly wasted emotion with him either. Everything was straightforward without complications.
“Needed to be alone,” she replied and her voice sounded strange to her ears. It had been a long time since she had used it. Her one-time team had abandoned or cast her aside. And in a world without friends, words were hardly required.
He made no move to leave despite her reason for showing up and only nodded once in understanding. He knew the need to get away. To leave everything that was a reminder of what and who had been lost especially when you couldn’t simply rip your heart out or tear out your soul to forget the agonizing pain.
He arched an eyebrow bothered that someone so young had the same necessity. A sideways glance at her feet was all he could manage at the moment. Her red laces had him thinking of fiery, flowing hair and he growled away the memory.
“You okay?” she asked, not looking at him, but sat down at his side cross-legged.
He didn’t reply. She didn’t ask again. Together they sat watching the hills and valleys down below. Small, white and pink buds rained on them as a cool, gentle wind blew.