Cattle die,
and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one's self;
One thing know
that never dies,
The fame of dead man's deeds
Hávamál
Døyr fe;
Døyr frendar;
Døyr sjølv det same
Eg veitt eit
som aldri døyr,
dom om daudan kvar
Håvamål
Remember
In front of two newly dug graves, a 16 year old girl stands. Her hair is black and long, her eyes sparkly green. The lips aren't pink, as you'd think, but dark blue. She holds a red rose and looks down at the stone with tears in her eyes.
"Remember? Remember what I said, dad? That I would take over when you grew tired. I'm ready now, dad. I'm ready now." She spins the rose between her fingers and her eyes focus on something far away, on a memory.
"Run! Keep running!" He held her hand tight and dragged her with him. Smoke filled the hallways and once in a while, the sound of walls falling apart in the floors above them filled the air. She could hardly follow the man, or, well, alien who dragged her through the ruins of what once was an office building. Finally, they reached a window, and the alien called out.
"Brain bots! Brain bots, up here!"
Then he turned to her, holding her upper arms tight.
"Remember? Remember when you said you'd follow in my foot prints whenever I grew tired? Remember?"
"Yes, dad. I remember!" she replied, scared. What was this? Was this a ... a good bye?
He nodded. "Fine, if you still want to, Minion will take you to my lair. He'll teach you everything you need to know. Call Music Man, he's probably got a thing or two to teach you."
"Dad, what are you saying?"
They stood frozen for a moment. In his eyes, were those... tears?
"I'm saying, sweetheart, that I won't be able to do this anymore."
"Dad?"
"I'm going back in after your mother! Minion will take care of you! Just as he took care of me..."
Three brain bots appeared in the window.
"Bye," he said and gave her one quick hug, too short for her to react.
"Take her," he commanded the brain bots, and they grabbed her by arms and feet.
"Wait! What? No, dad! Nonononono!"
The last thing she saw of him was his back when he ran back into the building.
"Roxanne? Roxanne? Can you hear me?" Megamind called. The smoke made his eyes run and he coughed.
"Megamind? Megs, I'm here!"
"Roxanne?" He followed the week sound of her voice. Somewhere in this room.
"Here!"
He saw her hand waiving between some rocks of concrete. Oh, her voice! It was so... thin!
"Roxanne, are you OK," he asked in panic when he found her. Her face was grey with ash and pain.
"No..." she whispered and looked down. Her legs and lower part of the torso was trapped under a huge rock.
"I'll get you out, Roxy!" he said and tried to move the concrete.
"Megs... it's no use..."
Megamind sighted and lay down beside her, tears running from his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Roxanne, I'm so sorry!"
"It's not your fault, Megs." Roxanne reached out a hand and touched his cheeks.
"You have to get out. Get out now," she commanded, and her soft glare got stiff.
"I'm not leaving you, Roxanne," he growled. "Not ever!"
She looked like she wanted to put up a fight, but he stopped her argument by kissing her.
"Sickness and health, Roxanne. Sickness and health!" he whispered when they broke apart.
She still didn't look sure, but Megamind was so determined to stay, that she didn't ask him to leave again. After all, and she cursed herself for thinking it, she wanted him to stay. She wasn't so scared when he was there.
"Did you get her out?" she asked instead.
"She's safe."
He moved so that he could lift her head up on his lap.
"That's good, Megs..."
They were still for a little while. He caressed her hair and she gazed into his eyes.
"Who'd think," she said and broke the silence. "That it would end like this."
He smiled down at her.
"Who says this is the end?"
Megamind bent down and kissed Roxanne's lips.
That was when the building fell apart.
"I'm ready now, dad. Minion brought me to your lair. It has everything I'll need. And Music Man has promised to teach me some tricks. I'll make you proud, dad!"
The girl throws the rose on the graves. For a minute she stands still in silence until a hand gently squeezes her shoulder. She turns and faces the fish. He is smiling, but the smile doesn't reach the eyes. Even though he can't cry, his eyes are red and his 'face' pale.
"Ready?" he asks.
"Ready."
She throws one last look against the graves.
"I'll always remember."
So, I just read a story about Roxanne dying of old age and Megamind's sorrow. Yes, I cried!
But then I thought- is that really how it will end? Doesn't superheros and their girlfriends alway have heroic deaths? After all, there is a lot of danger in that occupation! So I came up with an alternative... end. I'm actually sad myself...
The poem is Håvamål, a norse text. I wrote down bought the norwegian and the english version. This is only a verse from it. It's about how every thing dies sooner or later, but your reputation will never die! Well, that's a thing we can all live by!
This one haven't been beta'ed or whatever we should call it, so please tell me if you find some grammar mistakes!
