Catgirl: Young Justice BOOK 1 (COMPLETE)

CHAPTER 63

|The Batcave
|October 4 2010, 23:49

"Ah!" Dick winced, getting off the operating table.

"Well, if you told me you were fighting Joker, I could've helped!" Katherine narrowed her eyes at him, "But like everyone else you thought it'd be too much for me to handle and that I'd go feral on him."

Dick frowned, "Katherine, it wasn't like that..."

"Then how was it?", She crossed her arms, "Why else didn't you tell me what was happening?"

"You were in the Flea and-"

"You know how to get there and you know where Felix's apartment is."

Dick hesitated but gave up trying to lie. "Fine.", he admitted, "I didn't get you because I did think it'd be too much for you to handle. The last time you saw Joker he...he almost killed you, Katherine.."

"But he didn't.", Katherine stood her ground, "And I can resist my urge to kill. I've done it so far."

"Katherine, the only reason you aren't feral now is because Batman moved-"

"This isn't my mom!", Katherine snapped, "It's Joker! He fucking deserves it!"

Dick flinched at her but kept a soft expression when talking to her, "I know what he did to you...and I know you spent months at Mount Justice after it..but revenge isn't the answer-"

"You don't get to talk to me about revenge.", Katherine poked his bruised ribs, making him wince again, "Your parents' killer died in prison, and his guys wasted from drugs and gang related activity. You didn't need revenge, fate did it for you...but me-"

"You're a hero now, Katherine.", Dick reminded her, cupping her face with his hands, "This may be the only chance you get at redeeming yourself, ok? You can't be mad at me for protecting you; if I didn't, who would?"

Katherine glared at him but couldn't argue.

As much as she wanted to say he was wrong, he wasn't; if she did go on that mission, the chances of her emotions getting the better of her were high, and Joker would find his death funny if it meant she couldn't stop hurting others after him- ironic even.

Dick pulled his hood back on, mumbling, "You know I can't watch you go feral again."

Katherine's looked away from him, still guilty about it all.

He still blamed himself for causing her to go feral last time.

"It wasn't your fault.", she mumbled back, forcing herself to look back at him, "Those people, their blood...that's always gonna be on me."

"But-"

"You pushed me to the edge.", Katherine shut him down, "I went over it on my own. I made the choice, and no matter how much you don't want me to, it's only a matter of time before I make that choice again. You can't stop it from happening, and the longer you delay it the worse it'll be when the time does come."

Dick looked back up at her desperately, "There must be another way. I don't want to lose you again, Katherine."

Katherine softly laughed at him and shook her head, "Silly Birdy." She went up to him and booped his nose, "You never had me to begin with."

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Word Count: 532