Catgirl: Young Justice BOOK 1 (COMPLETE)

CHAPTER 39

A/N: If for some reason you still don't check the dates of each chapter, I seriously hope you take the time to read the author notes so you know that this chapter has a flashback in it. If you've read this, thank you and you're welcome. Katherine is 5 here, she was born on the 31st of October 1993 in this book series, for future reference. (But everything date-wise you need to know will be in the books timeline, which I'll post at the end of the book after it's complete!)

TRIGGER WARNING: CHILD ABUSE

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|Gotham City
|September 21 1999, 05:01

"Hey, Kath!"

Katherine turned around and giggled at her goofy older brother. He'd found a tiara and several necklaces, and had put them on to lighten the mood. "Think I'm pretty?", He posed dramatically, showing off the stuff he'd stolen.

"No!" Katherine laughed, running over to him and reaching out for the crown.

"Ouch.", Felix faked offence, softly laughing to himself as he took off the crown. He put it on her head, along with the necklaces, which he carefully placed around her neck.

Katherine closed her eyes and gave a wide grin, showing off her baby fangs- complete with missing teeth here and there. "Me?", she asked, opening an eye to see Felix's reaction.

Felix smiled, "Very pretty."

He swiftly took off the jewellery and tiara Katherine was wearing as their mom walked in, and stuffed it into the bag their mother had given her, switching the nearly empty bag with his own even quicker.

Catwoman found them. She soon stood infront of them, looking down at the bags they were holding.

She looked Felix's almost full bag, which Katherine proudly held, with a pursed smile. Catwoman's smile faded completely when she looked over to Katherine's almost empty one, which Felix nervously held.

"Is this a joke to you, Fred?"

Felix raised a brow, "Fred? Mom, I'm Feli-" Catwoman grabbed his throat and pinned him to the nearest wall before he could even finish.

Katherine screamed and dropped her bag, the contents spilling onto the museum's floor.

"Mommy no!", Katherine tearfully begged, "Mommy stop!"

Catwoman ignored her and narrowed her eyes as she dug her faux claws into Felix's neck, keeping him raised against the wall. "I keep you around, feed you, clothe you, and what do I ask for in return?", She asked, also ignoring his gasps for air and struggles to break free. He opened his mouth to try answering, but no words came out.

Katherine covered her eyes with her hands, not daring to remove them to look at her brother or mom. She'd long learned how to block out their fighting.

Then, after what seemed like forever, there was a thump and the sound of struggling stopped.

Katherine slowly removed her hands as their mom walked out with the bags of stolen gems, jewellery, and crowns.

Felix was on his hands and knees, gasping for air between violent coughing.

Katherine tackled him to the floor and sobbed into him.

Felix steadied his breathing and embraced her, shushing her as he rubbed circles into her back, "It..it's ok...I got you...I got you.."

"Mommy hurt you!", Katherine sobbed, "Mommy doesn't love us!"

Felix closed his eyes tight and held her closer, "I'm sorry Katherine...so sorry. As soon as I get the formula right...I'll give you the life you deserve...I promise you..she'll never hurt us again.."

|Wayne Manor
|Present Day (August 11 2010, like the last chapter :p)

"Felix...", Katherine's eyes went back to the gun in her hands- his gun.

She found it hard enough to open up about her past at Wayne Manor. That hurt enough. For her to talk about her past before that? Katherine had vowed to herself she'd never bring it up again. It hurt too much.

"Where...where do I even start?", She looked back at Dick with her glazed over eyes.

"How about truthfully?", Dick suggested, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Hiding the truth doesn't make it go away."

"I know.", Katherine whispered, afraid if she talked any louder she'd start crying, "But I can't tell you this sort of stuff, I need to show you."

"Show me?" Robin glanced back at the bullet hole she'd put in the wall. He became wary at the thought of her showing rather than telling when it came to her past after that. "Do you have to show me?"

"Yes.", Katherine insisted, going back under the floorboard to remove a bag of cocaine, "But I'll tell you as much as I can about this on the way."

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Word Count: 776

A/N: This chapter is shorter but I don't feel like it's too short? I'm writing a few other books right now (attempting to make them 'normal' lengths) so was wondering what you, my readers, consider to be the most enjoying chapter length. I've been told by other writers here that 1000-3000 is the best length; long enough to be worth reading, but not long enough to be too much. Let me know what you think. Maybe I just need to stop adding so much into the little realities I create lol.