The Young Justice

11

Her new design. If you look at the knee pads closely, you'll notice some greyish lines. That's how I made it seem like the knee pads were a mix of celestial bronze and adamantium steel.

Wayne Manor

December 26th 2010, 11:36

Percy stared at the steaming hot cup of jasmine tea. She took another sip, not acknowledging Bruce entering.

"Ok, Percy, let's talk," he said.

"There's nothing to say," Percy answered, still blankly staring at the wall. The spark in her eyes completely gone, and a darkness that Bruce had never seen before hung over her.

He looked over the figure he saw as a daughter, noting the greyish-white strand of hair and the newer scars. The more prominent muscles and sighed.

Sitting next to Percy on the bed, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him.

"You can't push us away forever. It will only hurt more," Bruce said after some minutes. "I know what you're going through Percy, we all do, but blocking us out will only make the pain worse."

Percy felt herself anger at his words, the tea in her cup bubbling. She cooled herself then looked away because it was not Bruce she needed to direct her anger towards.

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"Because she was important. She was strong, brave, kind and an incredible woman who raised you. Who taught you things some mother's could never. Who helped you and was there for you. It hurts because your happiest memories are with her," Bruce answered softly.

"I couldn't cry. I sat by her body for hours and couldn't cry. I feel so guilty for not being able to say goodbye. For not being able to actually speak or do anything except sit there."

Bruce felt anger spike. He knew why Percy couldn't cry. It was abvious because Bruce had met Gabe. He had seen Percy covering her scars and always hiding away from the man.

Ever since the age of six, Bruce had never seen Percy shed a single tear.

"Gabe was a fool. If you need to cry, cry. That is how you release emotions," Bruce told her and Percy felt her eyes watering again.

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"It hurts because you loved them. Because you made precious memories with them, and sometimes losing someone you love always hurts the most."

Percy started sobbing into Bruce's shoulder, and he hugged the girl back.

"Do- does it ever g- get e- easier?"

"No, it doesn't. However, it gets better when we remember and honour their deaths. When we remember them and always try to carry on their legacy," Bruce answered quietly. He held his best friend's daughter close and them tucked her in when she fell asleep.

That night, Percy hacked into the camera footage for the past week and found the culprit. He was, of course, a petty theif, as Percy had predicted. She was exempted from patrol for that night, so Percy easily slipped out in her new suit and her new weapons — sword and second dagger.

She had wanted to kill him so badly, but when faced with the whimpering excuse of a human she couldn't be bothered to use her sword just on a pathetic man. In the end, she broke several bones, snapped his wrists, took back the prized necklaces and jewelry of her mother that he still had and left him new scars as a souvenir.

Another two days later was the funeral, where Percy attended in a black suit. She was constantly given looks of pity and sympathetic pats from some of Sally's friends that attended, but none of that made her feel better.