Bruce knew what it felt like to lose someone. Everyone in Wayne Manor did.
Percy had lost too many to count. Dick had lost his parents. Alfred had lost his friends in the war and then Martha and Thomas. Then Bruce lost his parents.
They all knew how hard losing someone was, but watching Percy hold the burned and bloody body of Jason, surrounded by the Team and an unconscious Joker sometimes felt like the Fates were always against them.
He was only thirteen and now he was gone. He deserved so much more.
Bruce watched as Percy moved like a machine, with an ease she shouldn't have. She held the body as she rose, towering above so many with her height, and her usually soft sea green eyes had turned to red. The dark red of the Joker's blood, pooling on the floor.
Percy's eyes strayed to Joker's form, the flash of darkness and her aura flaring before she stopped it. Bruce watched with worry and pain seeping into his heart, but not his face.
He heard the crying in the background, but he was focused on h̶i̶s̶ the kids.
They both held perfectly crafted masks, a testament to their skills and experience. Percy's visible eyes held nothing, but Bruce knew why. Any emotion in Percy's eyes when she was hurting often scared people, the dark brimming anger and flashes of fury. Dick's mouth was set in a thin line, but the twitch in his face told Bruce everything.
Bruce himself, in his Batman gear, was completely blank. He was hurting and aching inside, but Bruce was Batman. He was the man in the mask and weakness meant showing his enemies that they had won.
So he did what he always did. He pushed away his pain and grief. He hid it, stopped himself rom hurting. He was not going to let any of them die again. He wasn't going to train another one.
2 weeks later
Percy stood by herself.
She had been taken off duty two days ago when she nearly killed Joker (escaped again), only stopped by Nightwing's insistent whispering through their personal coms.
"Percy, I know you're hurting. I know you're in pain, but please don't taint your hands with the blood of a monster."
Not even Bruce could get her to stop because Dick wanted to kill Joker just as much. The only thing stopping either of them was their respect for Bruce's rules, but Percy was questioning them now. Questioning whether it was worth it, to deny her nature of revenge just so Bruce wouldn't have another death.
So, four hours later, Percy found herself at Bruce's study in the early hourse of the morning.
"Come in," he answered after her knock.
She entered, softly closing the door behind her, and walked towards the desk. She wanted—needed—to do this. She had to—wanted to—see whether Bruce could do what was best for everything.
To ride the world of a monster forever.
The conversation progressed as Percy expected. Denying her the right to retribution for Jason. For her brother.
"Then let me kill him, Bruce!"
"You never killed your mother's killer! Why must it be Jason's?!"
"Because my mother, though a badass, would never want me to take a man in cold blood just to avenge her, but Jason wouldn't mind. Jason would be searching for revenge for me, or you, or Dick, right now! He would be out there drawing blood four our sake!" Percy's patience was thinning (she never had much to begin with) and she was just about done with Bruce. Why?! Why couldn't he see this would help her find solace?
Confronting her mother's killer and seeing how pitiful he was stopped her. She wouldn't taint her mother's name for a man like that, but Jason? Joker deserved so much worse than death. Joker deserved to be turned inside out, to be condemmed to Tartarus. He deserved to be where Jason was now.
"Jason didn't deserve what happened to him. You know as well as I do that killing Joker will not only give all of us solace, but it will also remove one of the main antagonizers of Gothem from the equation." Her tirade was coming to an end. Her anger was dissipating to grief and pain. "I've never processed death and emotions well. I can make peace with their ghosts, but even I need solace. Please, Bruce, please let me kill him."
"No." And that was his final answer.
The grief and pain in Percy's eyes shifted. The waves became cold, lifeless sheets of ice. "The only way to stop Joker is to kill him. Goodbye, Bruce." And she was gone.
The next day her room was cleared, save for the blue wallpaper and bed, but personal items were gone. There were notes for Alfred and Dick, but nothing for Bruce.
She knew it was silly, but Percy needed to get away. Everything reminded her of Jason, of his bright eyes and light laugh. How he always did all his work, worked hard in school, his snarky comments and how much fun they had pulling pranks. She couldn't—wouldn't—stay somewhere that pain and darkness clung.
Wayne Manor was now a shadow, again.
She never said she was gone forever, just to find somehwre else to live. She made sure to send her adress to Dick, Alfred, and Bruce. No matter what he had said, Bruce had been there for her, raised her even, and she couldn't completely burn that bridge, but Percy didn't want to live in the Manor any longer.
That was how Percy found herself buying a penthouse in New York with her green plastic cash card she had kept from the Lotus Casino.
January 14th 2015
Dick had recovered from Jason's death as he always did. He always had a lingering shadow, but he still smiled. Not like Percy.
After she left, a week later she came back to the Cave. Her anger was gone, but there were no sprakly eyes Dick loved. Now melodious laughter that Dick had come to always try and draw out. Nothing.
She was a shell again like when her mother had died and Dick hurt. His oldest and longest friend seemed to always be on the brink of exhaustion. Her eyes seemed to always just be the simple waves, boring and common.
Now, Dick stood in the Cave with his new brother. He bit back the sour feeling. Both he and Bruce knew that Tim was good, great even. He had trained hard to be here and he deserved to be here. Percy had accepted Tim when he came part of the Batclan, after stalking Batman and... yeah.
Now, they were introducing him to the Team. He was excited to be getting to work with the other heroes, but Percy had yet t show. Dick knew why.
Dick watched Tim seamlessly join. No one hated him or looked at him with contempt. No one looked at him as if he was just a replacement, but they were also waiting. Waiting for Percy's opinion.
"Recognized: Storm, B02."
Tim—Robin—turned so fast. He and Percy had clicked quickly, Dick had noticed. Percy had never resented Tim for becoming Robin. She regarded him as a brother.
When she entered, sheathing her sword, Robin barrelled into her. He was caught easily, and Percy's eyes briefly lit up, but it was gone just as fast. Dick knew she didn't want to hurt anybody, but sometimes the dulled eyes were just how she always seemed. So when they briefly brightened into the old Percy, he loved it.
"Hey Rob," she greeted, setting the boy down and looking down, nearly three heads taller. Dick had never gotten over her massive growth spurt. He was also 6ft, but Percy had been shorter then him when she was kidnapped so her being the same height had been a big shock.
"Hey Storm," replied Robin.
Dick knew Percy had also noticed how the team relaxed, the barely noticeable tension completely disappeared. Storm didn't mind him, didn't think he was Jason's replacement, then they were fine too.
Sometimes it awed Dick how much sway Storm held with the Team. They turned to her like she was their sister. He shook his head and joined the crowd, his left hand holding Percy's right wrist and rubbing his thum over the exact place where she had the SPQR burned into her skin. She glanced at him, her eyes softening, before she turned back.
Someone shouted about a sparing tournament and another idea for a game was thrown around, and Storm was swept away.
AN: Rewriting chapter 11, but here's the update. I felt like exploring how Tim entered the Team and how Jason's death affected Percy and Bruce's relationship because you and I both know Percy would feel really annoyed with Bruce for not killing someone who deserves to die.
Thoughts on the chapter.
Yes, I added that Dick and Percy thing purely for fun. No, they are not together yet.