Project Infinte

12

*Cate*

We walked into Dick's room. The entire bat family and a speedster and a clone were waiting for us.

"Well look who decided to finally show up after 3 hours. What were you doing? Making out?" Dick asked.

"Wh-What?! Why would you think that?!?! I'd never do that and especially not with Cate! She's like a sister and another mother figure! Gross, Dick!" Tim sputtered. I blushed as well.

"Any way, you guys ready to tell us what you want us to know? " Bruce asked. We nodded.

"I wrote it in a song. Here it is. Cate, hit it!" Tim said. I began to strum a guitar and softly sing.

Cate: Hey, how you doing? Well, I'm doing just fine. I lied, I'm dying inside. (throughout the song)

Tim: I've been hurt in the past. I've been hurt in the present.

The smile on my face ain't the feelings represented in my head.

Oh, I'm sorry I'm alive.

I been wishing I was dead from a very young age.

So tell me how you feel.

Well I'm feeling just fine.

That's a lie I've been telling my entire freaking life.

I feel sluggish.

I feel tired.

I feel worthless.

Uninspired.

Every time I wake up in the morning I just wanna fall asleep again. Every time I wake up in the morning I just wanna fall asleep again.

Fall asleep again, yeah fall asleep again.

Cate/Tim: Hey. How you doing? Well I'm feeling just fine. I lied, I'm dying inside. Hey, how you doing? Well I'm feeling just fine. I lied, I'm dying inside. Hey, how you doing? Well I'm feeling just fine. I lied I'm dying inside.

I lied, I'm dying inside.

"Tim, is that what you really feel? Does this have to do with your insomnia?" Gale asked. I nodded.

"That, and how I feel about you babying me. I'm not a little kid anymore and can take care of myself. It's like, Dick gets all the injuries but when I get a small cut or bruise, it's the end of the world. Honestly, Dick has them worse and never once have I seen you go crazy over him. I just want to be treated like a big kid, an adult." Tim confessed. He immediately was covered in hugging arms.

"We'll try to stop treating you like a baby. It's just, you're still young and we don't want you to grow up to fast. Damian already has." Bruce said. Soon the hugs stopped.

"Cate has something to say too. Cate?" Tim looked at me. I gulped.

"Ah, yes. Well you see, life within the Light wasn't fun or easy. The training was hard and so were the missions. If I failed to do something right during a mission, I was punished. Same with training. But I pushed through and here I am. What also made it hard was that Dad, didn't really want me there. He actually wanted me to be with Conner and the team. Why? Because since Damian had been under Batman influence for years, he was out of the question to be the heir to the throne of the League of Assassins. Since, I had only finished my first mission with heros, Ra's thought I would be the best person to be his heir." I explained.

"There's something you're not telling us. What I want to know is why you disappeared after training and missions for hours at a time." Damian asked. I internally moaned. I don't want to talk about that.

"Well, my punishments were kind of harsh. Like they'd whip me on my back, or making me do extra chores, or extra training drills. And I had to undergo other training that might help with missions." I answered.

"What kind of missions?"

"Undercover seductress."

"And who watched you do these punishments and training?" Damian asked. I hated the answer I had for him.

"Your grandfather."

*Damian*

"That man! I'm going to kill him! How dare he do that to my sister! I don't care if he's my grandfather, his head will be mounted on the wall!" I yelled.

"Damian, you can't go kill your grandfather. That won't change the pain he already put her." Father said.

"Yeah, but it can prevent him from doing it to other girls. She's my pseudo- sister. I hate seeing her in pain. I want to make it up to her for not knowing what was going on." I said.

"Dami, you can help her by just being there. She's in need of a comforting presence. Since you know her best, you can comfort her." Gale said. I nodded and headed for Cate's room.

"Percy? Can I come in?"

The door opened and there sat Cate on her bed. I walked over her, climbed on the bed and embraced her in a hug.

"Percy, I'm so sorry that I let Grandfather allow those people to hurt you. I'm very ashamed of myself for not noticing. Tell me how I can help you feel better and I will do it. Even if it means to allow Wally to steal you away for hours." I said and ended the hug.

"Awwee, thanks, Dames. But I think I want to be alone."

"But keeping your emotions bottled up isn't healthy. Tell me what happened and I will be able to stop it from happening again. You're like a sister to me, so it's my job to protect you." I told her.

"Alright. But brace yourself for a gruesome tale. Those whips had rocks at the end of them so they ripped my skin off."

"I'm going to kill my grandfather if it's the last thing I do!"

"Don't you dare, Damian! I don't want you kill your grandfather for me. I should have fought harder to free myself from that situation. We will take down your grandfather, but not yet. I need time to heal from the shock and pain I endured." Cate said. I sighed.

"You're right. What was I thinking? Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thanks, Dames. I'm glad we're surrogate siblings, even though we already have real siblings." Percy replied and hugged me. I hummed in response and hugged back.