Sad Beautiful Tragic | Dick Grayson [ON HOLD}

4

Gotham City, New Jersey

Ashley figured she was a horrible human being. She lied to Dick about going to Wayne Enterprises, figuring she needed time away from him. She had turned off her phone and left it in the Wrangler she had brought down to the beach she had come to all the time when she needed to get away from the chaos of Gotham, deciding that the spray of cold water as the waves crashed and distinct salt taste that never really seemed to go away while she would sit on the rocks under the cliff was her best option at figuring her own mind out so she could better commit to her father's cause, the cause she had been left. The bitterness that ate at her insides no matter where she was had eased and her mind didn't feel clouded. It was clear, concise, and written in front of her in a way that only she could understand. Ashley closed her eyes and bent her head back peacefully as she listened to the sound around her, lulling her into an unforeseen state of calm despite the rising feeling of panic she had been experiencing at the Manor and in the city. "I figured you'd be here" The familiar voice of Clark Kent said, startling the woman.

"You really like showing up out of nowhere" Ashley commented, moving over a bit as Clark joined her.

"One of us has to check in" Clark commented. "And quite frankly, you didn't sound too great" Clark said honestly.

"Am I supposed to?" Ashley shrugged. "I can't fucking keep up and it's too loud in my own head" Ashley shook her head. "I was raised better, it shouldn't even be a problem" Ashley sighed.

"I thought you had the quarterly today" He commented to get her mind off of everything.

"That is today, I had the CFO take over, citing Jason's funeral as Dad and I's excuse for not showing up" Ashley pinched the bridge of her nose. "And then I'll be taking over, I just have to get my head screwed on straight" Her hand stopped down and the Kryptonian noted the distressed look on her face.

"How bad?" He asked.

"Dad's not great" Ashley before Clark interrupted her.

"I meant with you" Clark cocked an eyebrow. "Usually you're taking the world over, one conference room at a time. Now you're sitting on a rock in a city you hate" Clark noted.

"I don't hate the city" Ashley shrugged. "I actually love a lot of things here. It's the people I don't like" Ashley snorted and shook her head. "If I see Barbara one more time, I might hit her with my car" Ashley grumbled. Clark laughed and Ashley cracked a smile.

"Even after as long as it's been?" Clark asked her curiously.

"I would rather choke on my own spit and die than hear another word come out of her mouth" Ashley sighed. "But I have to figure it out since I'm chained up here" Ashley sighed.

"I'm sorry" Clark said to her.

"What're you sorry for Uncle Clark?" Ashley sighed. "It's not your fault all this shit happened."

"I know you wanted out" Clark raise his brow. "Though it seems you always get dragged back here."

"I don't know" Ashley sighed and put her head in her hands. "Maybe I'm just destined to die in this hellscape" Ashley said, dramatically dragging her face out of her hands.

"Now you gotta talk" Clark said. "This is the first time I've heard you talk about dying in any capacity since Johnny."

"I don't know what's going on up here" Ashley said, pointing to her brain. "I drive over a bridge, I want to drive off of it. I sit up by the cliff, I want to just throw myself off. I wake up, and it pisses me off that I'm the one who woke up. It shouldn't have been Donna who died Clark" Ashley admitted and wiped the tear that fell. "It should've been me, and to top it all off I can't even fulfill her last wishes. How pathetic is that?" Ashley rolled her eyes and pulled her knees up to her chest and put her on her knees.