Catgirl: Young Justice BOOK 3 (EDITING)

CHAPTER 30

TW: Substance Abuse

|Blüdhaven
|April 1 2016, 21:10

"Katherine, if you're staying with me, you need to let me help you-"

"That's why I'm staying away from you.", Katherine smiled down at Nightwing from where she sat on one of his warehouse's support beams, "I don't want to be helped, Birdy. Feral, remember? Let me go."

Nightwing narrowed his eyes up at her. He could get to where she was on his warehouse's support beams, but he wasn't sure he'd get back down- alive, anyway.

Even if she was different this time, she was still feral.

Felix was also not in the picture, and as much as Nightwing hated to admit it, the only person that could truly manage Katherine while she was feral was her brother.

"You're so serious now.", Katherine laughed down at him, "Remember when you used to be fun?"

Nightwing clenched his jaw, his patience already at it's limit. "Just come down before you hurt yourself, please.", he calmly asked, momentarily leaving her to open the door for their guests.

Katherine waited until he'd went outside to the docks before she jumped down, naturally failing to stick her landing from the drink she was 'functioning' on.

She'd rediscovered substances helped keep her feral side at bay.

It was under control again, without Felix.

She used her hearing to try listen in to what Nightwing was doing. He was talking to someone outside- she wasn't exactly sure who, her powers somewhat unpredictable from her idea of self care.

He'd be busy long enough for her to escape though.

That was all she needed.

**********

Going back to Gotham, where Felix would be, felt a little futile after all the avoiding. So Katherine decided to stick around in Blüdhaven instead.

Katherine hadn't really been in Blüdhaven since Nightwing became Nightwing. That was, what, a few years ago now? Truthfully, she couldn't remember. She preferred not to remember anything that happened around that time. It only made it hurt more anyway.

Blüdhaven seemed a little better now than it was then though. Sure, it was Gotham's sister city for a reason, but the crime rate had visibly gone down since Nightwing started patrolling the streets.

Now the streets were much quieter. Katherine wouldn't say she exactly felt safe, but definitely safer.

It made her feel...bored.

She needed to change that.

**********

Several hours had passed since Katherine took off. It didn't surprise Nightwing as he was stupid enough to give her to opportunity to run, but it still disappointed him.

More than anything, it concerned him.

Katherine was feral. Not only that, she'd relapsed; she was drunk the last time he saw her. She also hadn't used the zeta system, which meant she was still very likely in the area.

In his city.

Blüdhaven had been his ever since he quit being Robin and became Nightwing. It was close enough to Gotham to quiet the overwhelming homesickness, but also different enough to allow him the fresh start he needed, away from his harsh mentor, Batman.

His relationship with Bruce had got much better. They definitely became closer after Jason, but it still wasn't perfect; Batman still had his doubts about Nightwing being able to take on the burden of managing a city of his own.

Nightwing doubted Batman would ever see him as 'ready' or 'worthy' of what he had- whatever that was supposed to look like.

That was why Nightwing needed to find Katherine, before she could do anything that'd 'justify' Batman coming over from Gotham to take her away himself.

He'd been waiting for an excuse to lock her up the second she reappeared, feral. Even though he knew, deep down, that she was different this time, it didn't matter. Not enough to avoid betraying her- and that was exactly what Nightwing saw it as: betrayal.

After everything Katherine had sacrificed and lost, she deserved better.

Even if the person Nightwing was currently tracking wasn't the Katherine he knew, she was still in there.

He knew she was.

She didn't deserve this.

"C'mon, Katherine, pick up...", he muttered, her phone going to voicemail again. He would've called once more, but knew it was futile; she was either ignoring him, or had lost yet another phone.

Nightwing managed a smile to himself, remembering just how useless she was with phones. Technology in general. She was just a few years older than him, but needed help working the most simple of devices. How she coped without him, he didn't know. Really, he wasn't sure he wanted to think too much about how she'd been coping without him. From what he'd seen just earlier tonight, she needed him now more than ever.

He felt angry at himself for not doing better- doing more- anything to help her these past couple years.

The guilt of knowing he just accepted her 'death' and didn't question it still ate away at him. It felt like it always would.

He should've known better.

"Please pick up.", he called her phone once more anyway, "At least let me know you're ok." He hung up voicemail, knowing she wasn't. "Katherine!", he yelled into the open, hoping she'd hear that instead, "Katherine, don't run from me! Let me help you!"

Nothing.

If she heard, she didn't care, and he couldn't exactly blame her.

He kept trying to track her anyway, even though he knew if Katherine didn't want to be found, she wouldn't.

There was still a chance she did.

Word Count: 900

A/N: I've finally got my Ao3 account set up. It's "Fandumtrash" the exact same as this account so you can easily find it! I am yet to post anything but once I figure everything out and have the time to upload my works I will update you on here and instagram! Thank you for the support I hope to see you there! <3

Edit: I was very tired and it resulted in this chapter having more typos than other chapters so I fixed them. Nothing else has changed. I'll eventually fix it on Ao3 too.