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CATGIRL'S POV
I pull my head in my hands as Artemis processes everything I just told her, "He is going to be so mad." I repeat over and over to myself.
"He won't-" I cut her off.
"I told him I didn't want any more lies between us!" I look up at her, desperately, "But I couldn't tell him, how do I tell him when he barely started to trust me?"
She puts a hand on mine, stopping me before I can talk again, "You didn't lie... you just didn't tell him or us. I know how you feel. Trust me, I didn't mean Wally to know about my family." She says, her eyes fill of understanding. "Dick trust you. He knows you, we know you. You won't do anything to hurt us, I know that. And they know that too." She reassures me.
I blink at her, feeling like I am going to throw up from being so nervous. I lay back my head on her couch and groan, "He is going to hate me." I run my face.
"I didn't know you cared this much about what he thought of you." She says watching me with an amused expression.
"It surprised me too, trust me," I mutter, "but I do care." I sigh.
"I know. I guess it was building up all this time." She smiles trying to help by switching the subject.
"I guess you couldn't tell when I was ignoring him, or fighting with him." I laugh humorlessly, playing with my hands.
She watches me for a moment before he says, "Don't worry, you will be fine. I just can't believe you are more worried about how he will react, than that you are being hunted." She exclaims.
I shrug and give her a forced smile,"Yeah. I think I will tell him tonight." I look at my phone. 7:49 p.m.
I came here around 3:00, and have been trying to tell her everything. It took sometime for me to actually explain what happened.
"Where is Wally?" I ask confused that he hasn't come back yet,"He has been gone for nearly four hours."
"That's normal, his favorite food is everything." Artemis laughs, shrugging.
I laugh,"Of course. He probably told Dick I was here, didn't he?" I ask biting my lip.
"Yeah..." She replies awkwardly, "Stop worrying! You will be fine, promise."
"Ok. I would have never thought I would ever worry about this." I sigh.
"Me either. I mean you hated each other." She agrees.
"Yeah, I remember thinking I never wanted to be even friends, let alone his girlfriend." I laugh.
Artemis eyes widen, "Girlfriend?"
My eyes widen, "Don't act like Wally didn't tell you! I know Dick told Wally."
"Oh, it's just, I didn't think you would say it." She pauses, "That and Wally told me to act like I didn't know..."
I laugh,"It's ok, they are best friends... just don't tell anyone else." I still want to keep it in between us, for now. Especially now that I am dealing with Ra's al Ghul.
"Yeah, I kind of told M'gann..." She admits.
"I figured, she was acting weird." I laugh, "Thanks for listening to me. I just thought you, out of everyone, would understand."
"I do understand. Now we can be ex-league-of-shadow-member buddies," She jokes causing both of us to laugh.
"Of course... and I want to tell the team together, and I would appreciate if you were there for that too." I say.
"Of course," She nods before she pulls me up and pushes me closer to the door, "Now go, before it's midnight and you psych yourself out!"
"Jeez, are you in a rush?" I ask, looking back at her.
"Just go!" She laughs.
I hold my hands up in fake surrender,"Ok, Ok. I am going."
Right is I say that, Wally walks in with his arms full of bags. A lot of bags and more in the car.
"You are still here!" He says happily.
I smile, "Sorry, I am leaving now."
He nods, "Where are you going?" He asks innocently.
"You can tell him I am on my way to the Cave." I put my hands on my hips.
Wally's happy expression changes to a guilty one, "So you know?" I nod. "Well, he isn't at the Cave. He is at his apartment in Blüdhaven, I can give you the address." He speeds into the kitchen and puts the bags down, then finds a piece of paper. "Here!" He runs back handing it to me.
"Brooklyn?" I hear Artemis say, stopping me. I look back at her with a questioning look. "You will be okay." She gives me a reassuring smile.
I nod as Wally gives her a questioning look. She shakes her head at him, telling him not to ask.
"Thank you both!" I call as I walk out and quickly make my way back to the Zeta-tube, typing in Blüdhaven.
When I get there, I look at the address and start making my way to the apartment, my nerves coming back with every step closer I talk.
I am afraid he will hate me after this, that he will be mad that I never told him. I just had so much going on with Rogue I didn't me think.
I take a deep breath to try and calm down. He could be fine with it, that's the best thing that could happen. It's also the least likely.
I stare at the ground as I walk. Why did I let this go on so long? I should have told him in the alley that night, not now. In a way, I did warn him, but he didn't listen, he didn't care. He cared more about me.
It's dark out now. Maybe I will run into him as Nightwing. Just the thought of seeing him twists my stomach, making me feel queasy.
I shake my head at look forward, seeing the moon in the dark night-sky. It's crazy how everything can seem perfect when it's not.
A light post flicks off in front of me, making me slow down. My senses strain as my mind jumps to conclusions.
I stuff my hands into my hoodie and look around hesitantly.
Suddenly, I hear a sound like a gun being loaded.
Adrenaline rushes through my body as I start walking faster. I can't lead them to Dick's house, I have to loose them. My breath hitches as I hear the click.
My nerves get the best of me and I jump into one of the alleys as bullets ricochet off the wall. I duck behind a garbage-can.
"Shit!"
The bullets stop, and I hear the attacker cuss, then someone rustling around.
I press myself to the wall and breathe out. Mentally debating if I should follow, I decide not to. It would be stupid, and make Dick even angrier.
I push off the wall and hope that he actually left. My hands shake as I start to run to his apartment. I need to get out of the open, not that, that would help with the kind of people
I find the right door and knock. I look back to see if anyone is watching. Turning back as the door is open, I see a confused and slightly upset expression on Dick's face.
When he sees the look on my face, the expression softens into a worried one. "What's wrong?" He asks immediately.
I ignore my uneasy feeling at seeing him and look back again, "Someone..." I trail off breathing shallowly for a few moments. "Can I come in?" For once, I am actually scared for my well being. He nods and grabs me, pulling me in.
The apartment looked normal, other than the computers and his suit in the closet secret door. It was actually pretty clean too, telling me his doesn't spend much time here. There were some Chinese take-out boxes on the table, though. Maybe he cleaned before I came, because Wally told him I was coming.
He guides me to the couch and sits down. I stay standing, till he drags me down beside him. "Brooke? What happened?" He demands making me look at him.
"Someone was-"
He cuts me off, "Following you? Why didn't you tell me, last night?" He asks angrily, clenching his jaw.
"They didn't just follow, not tonight." I shake my head.
He calms down, seeing that I am shaken by what happened. "Are you okay?"
"They missed." Is all I say and look away.
He tenses, "You mean... they tried to shoot you when you were Brooklyn?"
I nod and bite my lip, "I dodged them in an alley. I need to tell you..." I trail off.
Me being here is dangerous now. Whoever it was could have followed me.
He waits, but I don't speak, too wrapped up in my thoughts.
"How do you know Damian?" He asks. Bruce probably wanted him to ask that first.
"It's a long story, are you sure you want to hear?" I ask not meeting his eyes. In answer, he takes my hand in his and intertwines our fingers.
My queasiness feeling comes back, when I know that I am about to tell him. I just want to go into a dark corner and never come back. I fight down the strong urge to run, and swallow, my mouth feeling bone-dry.
"It started when Rogue killed him... I stopped talking, eating, being Catgirl. I stopped living my life. Everywhere I went reminded me of him, his face, his smile, his laugh..." I shake my head slightly, "It got so bad that I didn't leave my room. I just sat by the window and watched everyone live their lives." I take a deep breath, my eyes flickering to his, "Catwoman was worried about me, she could get me to eat, but not talk. One day she got an offer from another villain..." I pause before I slowly say, "Ra's al Ghul, he said he could help. Catwoman thought a change would be good for me, so she said yes."
His hand tightens around mine, but I not look up at him. I study my other hand, turning it up so I can see the palm. "I didn't know what was happening, I just let it happen. I didn't care what was happening. He had me train to keep my mind off of everything, at least that's what he told me," I scoff lightly as if it it was funny, "I believed him, and that's what I did. I trained. I learned his fighting styles, I learned different languages, I learn how to hack and so much more. I didn't question anything."
I look back up to his eyes again, "That's how I met Damian. He was very young, still is. I would see him training sometimes. He finally saw me and we talked. I told him everything that happened and he gave me a summary of his life, minus the Batman part. A few days later, Ra's al Ghul asked me to see him. When I walked in there was another assassin." I pause, remembering the scene like it was yesterday, "Ra's al Ghul, Talia and Damian were to watch me fight him. I did and won, but Ra's al Ghul asked me to kill him."
My hand tightened around Dick's, "That's when I snapped back. I couldn't kill him, I just saw Ben die. I refused, making him furious. He said,
'You will see the light soon enough.' I thought he meant, I would soon agree. Now, I think he may have wanted me to be part of the Light." I almost became a monster, I almost became a weapon to use against the team, the people I would give almost everything to protect now.
"After I refused, I ran away and back to Catwoman. I stopped being Catgirl for a few years after that, to keep him away. When he didn't come for me, I thought I was safe, and started being Catgirl again. It was stupid of me. I knew he got hurt when you all tried to take down the Light, but I should have known." I shake my head again at how stupid I was to think that he would just let me go on with my life.
I look away from Dick, not wanting to see his reaction before I continue, "I heard someone follow me last night, but I didn't think it was too important. You were busy and I was tired and we didn't exactly have time to talk today. And Damian wanted to talk, because he knew that his Grandfather is coming for me." I finish, closing my eyes and waiting for him to say something, to say anything.
I feel his hand leave mine and my stomach falls, as a pain shoots through my heart. He is mad at me, he isn't going to forgive me this time.
I swallow hard, feeling a lump in it. He is mad at me. I stay still, not opening my eyes. I don't want to see his upset expression.
"Brooke..." He says, surprising me with a soften tone. I feel a hand raising my chin to look at him, "Look at me."
I open my eyes to find his electric blue orbs staring back at me. He looks pained, but not mad.
"I don't care what you almost became. I care about what you are now." He shakes his head, a small reassuring smile on his face, "You aren't that person they tried to make you. Conner, Artemis, M'gann all almost became part of the Light, but trusted the Team with their secrets. You chose to trust me with this." He takes my hand back, looking at them together. "You aren't a killer, and won't ever be." Then looks back at my eyes,"The Team won't let him take you. I won't let him kill you, I promise."
He pulls me into a hug as a few tears fall down my face out of pure relief. It feels like a weight is off of my chest, and I am free.
I wrap my arms around his torso, him my shoulders, and lay my head on his shoulder. "You know, Selina told me the reason she sent me was, because I was broken. I didn't think I was till I told you what happened, but I don't feel broken anymore." I pull back from his warm embrace, wishing I didn't have to.
"I should have been there to help." He mutters to himself, while running a hand through his hair.
"Robin couldn't have helped, he was too far way. And I doubt he would want to, he hated my guts," I say making us both laugh, "And the feeling was of course mutual, don't worry. Plus no one knew what was happening, and I couldn't tell anyone what I was doing." I pause to look down at our hands before I say, "Besides, if it never happened, maybe this would have never happened."
"I know." He sighs, "Just tell me if something happens, please?"
"I promise." I bite my lip, not wanting to say what I think I have to. "Dick, I think it would be a good idea for me to leave." I say in a soft, weak voice. He could get hurt, and I don't want that. It's the whole reason we ended up kissing in the alley, so not talking clearly didn't work.
"What? No!" He says his voice raising slightly. "You will be safer here, not alone." He points out.
"You won't be safe, if-" I try, not wanting to fight again.
"Brooklyn, no. If you do, I will personally hunt you down with them." He crosses his arms and gives me a 'just try me' look.
I sigh, "Ok, I get it. But if it gets too crazy, I am going and you will let me." I mirror his expression and cross my arms. We stare each other down, trying to get each other to crack.
Finally, he sighs. "Ok, but I have to agree if it's too crazy. Agreed?" He leans closer to me. My breathing hitches from him being even closer, feeling warm tingles shoot up my hand. My mind fogs a little.
"I don't agree." I say even if I got distracted for a minute. I don't think he meant to do that, but either way it didn't work. Or maybe he did and he is picking up on some of my tricks.
"You are stubborn." He shakes his head. He would have to do a lot more than that to make me forget what is happening.
"If I do leave, I promise we will talk before I do." I compromise.
"Deal." He looks away, "Just tell me if you even think someone is following you." This time it's him who looks down at the floor before he says, "Sometimes, it seems you don't care what happens to you, even when you know it would crush the people you do care." His voice strains.
I look to the side, closing my eyes for a moment before I look back to him, "I do care. But it would hurt me more if anyone else got hurt because of me. Better me than them." I say, and I know we are both talking about each other at this point. We just don't want to flat out say it.
"Yeah, but what if the other person thinks that, too?" He presses his head to mine, forcing me to look at him, "Just be careful, and do what I say for once? It would help me feel better." He mutters, looking straight into my eyes. Just that action alone makes my stomach flip with anticipation.
"Ok, but we will be okay. Right?" I ask, using my brothers few last words.
While I hate hearing them sometimes, other times it brings me comfort. Saying it and hearing it make me feel like he is here with me.
"Right," He replies with determination in his voice and pulls me closer.
I give in as he brings one hand up to cup my face, making me look straight at him. Tingles shoot through my cheeks, when he does this, making my heart beat faster and my mind feeling foggy.
His thumb rubs against my cheek before he kisses me. It's short and sweet, a reassurance that we would get through what we are about to go through.
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A/N:
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did you think it was a good and understandable backstory?
who do you think is watching/trying to kill her??? who would know her as Brooke?
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thanks for reading, don't forget to vote & comment !!
xoxo, author