catgirl ! the past (spin off)

Chapter 26

<Brooklyn's>

I don't know how I ended up here; I really don't. Out of all of the old rundown places in Gotham, I chose the one that my Brother died in.

Mental right? Especially since his girlfriend, the person who was forced to kill him, just showed up dead as a present for me from the person that forced her to kill him.

But, despite the cold Gotham air breezing through the broken glass and doors of this stupid apartment, I don't feel completely alone.

That could be because of my brother. Or that could be because of the masked, blue vigilante that has been staring at me through a broken window for a few minutes now. I want to say it was the practical latter, but I honestly couldn't say it was one over the other.

So that's how I stayed; sitting with my back against the cool cement wall, staring where my brother last stood, and feeling the gaze of one of the people I ran away from to protect.

I guess he got tired of just staring, because next thing I know, he is climbing through the already broken window, the glass crushing underneath his weight.

I don't turn to him, I just let him walk to me and sit down, his body close enough for me to feel warmer with him there.

And we stayed like that until he finally said, "Is what Cheshire said true?"

My jaw clenches as I keep my head staring straight on.

"Brooke... did you challenge him for his title? For his league?" He questions, his eyes burning holes in the side of my face.

"Yes." I mutter, my eyes casting to the ground. "I can't take it back, so don't try to change my mind."

"I'm not here to change your mind..." He says trailing off before saying, "- I'm here to make sure you are ok."

I tear my gaze away from the floor to look up to him. "I'm fine-"

"Don't lie." He cuts me off. "You forgot our conversation from earlier? You weren't ok then and no one in their right mind would be ok now."

I don't forget our conversations... but you did. "Then why did you ask?" I question.

"It was a way to get you talking... and it worked." He admits as he pulls his mask off.

"And I took you for someone who didn't care." I mutter as I mirror him and take my mask off.

He cracks a smile at that and says, "So, what's the deal with this place?"

"How did you find me?" I say changing the subject.

He doesn't say anything, he only reaches into his pocket and pulls out the small piece of my old balaclava.

The question falls out before I can even process it. "You kept a piece of it?" I wonder out loud as I take the fabric from him and rub it with my thumb.

"I figured that it would come in handy someday... and I guess I wasn't wrong." He mutters the last part and his eyes continue to study me.

I smile slightly as I hand him back the patch, "Keep it, it will help you find me."

"It's not your fault."He says suddenly, causing my eyes to snap to his.

"What?" I question, my eyebrows drawing together.

"Everything." He gets out before he starts to elaborate, "You losing your brother and Hayley and everything else that's happened to you. Ra's al Ghul is manipulative and only sees you as his property because he trained you. And us being attacked at the auction? That's not your fault; I could tell you were just as confused as Cheshire was."