Cat page 3

Terry looked over when he caught a glimpse of Tac out of the corner of his eye. Bruce had finally let him take the grade placement test. His rigorous teaching paid off when Tac was placed in advanced classes. So even though he was in the tenth grade most of his classmates were in the eleventh. Terry didn't expect Tac to sit with him, Max and Dana during lunch. Tac had complimented Blade's new Manolo Blahnik's during his math class with her and the girl instantly fell in love with him.

"That's Tac?" Dana asked. "Why is he here?"

"Bruce wanted to put him in private school but he thought this would be better to develop his...people skills." Terry said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I wasn't talking to you." Dana said and looked at Max. For some reason she always knew more about Terry than anyone else.

"Yeah, that's him. I was expecting someone taller." Max said. "Terry usually goes for the ones with lots of leg." In an attempt not to spray Dana with his soda, Terry swallowed his mouthful in a hard gulp.

"What?" Dana asked glaring at Max and then at Terry.

"I'm just teasing." Max laughed. "Dana, Terry and Tac are having what they used to call an 'emotional affair'. It's nothing physical. The only thing they find attractive about each other is the connection they share. Tac only has his grandfather and Terry. And Terry's only other male friend is Howard. Cut him some slack." Dana looked at Terry for validation of this theory and he smiled.

"Fine." Dana said with a sigh. Terry breathed one of relief. Part of Max's theory was true. Terry was growing attached to Tac but for more than just that reason. They wouldn't understand. They hadn't seen Tac fight. The way he moved when he was spliced. The good effect he had on Bruce's health. The cute way he curled up in a chair to get comfortable.

'Wait, cute?' Terry thought as he looked at Tac again. He was showing off his navel ring to Blade and Chelsea. Cute wasn't a word Terry usually used to describe other men. 'Oh Terry, what a mess.' Tac basically had 'do not touch' written all over him. Grandson of his employer. Partner in crime fighting. Lots of emotional baggage. But despite all these valid reasons Terry found himself wondering if there could be something more. 'You're already a guy who dresses up like a bat. Let's not add 'homo' to that.'


Terry found himself in Tac's bed more than he cared to admit. To himself or anyone. The boy was a good alarm clock. And listening to his soft snoring was better than any sedative. It kept the crazies from invading Terry's dreams. And having Tac cuddle up to his side wasn't the worst feeling in the world. Tac would always start out on his side of the bed but once he entered a deep enough sleep he'd move around. Sometimes putting his elbow in Terry's side and other times resting his head on Terry's shoulder.

Terry jumped when something cold touched his bottom lip. He didn't realize he had been so lost in thought. He looked at Tac when he giggled. He put the ice cube back in his drink and set it aside. "Sorry, couldn't resist." Tac said. "You were staring so hard my hair was about to catch fire." Terry just bit his lip and glared at Tac. "Don't give me that look. You said you wanted to speak to me. And we only got about five seconds before both our 'hags' come over here and demand our attention."

"Dana isn't a hag." Terry countered.

"Yeah well I beg to differ." Tac quipped.

"And you're just a joy to be around all the time." Terry said sarcastically.

"Never said I was. At least I admit I'm a bitch."

"Maybe that's why I like you." Terry muttered to himself. "I just wanted to see how you're doing. Lately we've been doing that 'two ships' thing. The most I see of you..." Terry trailed off as he looked at Tac. 'Is when I watch you sleep.' he thought.

"Terry." They both looked up when Dana approached their table. She shot a glare at Tac.

"Something you wanted to say?" Tac asked.

"Believe me I've got a lot to say to you." Dana answered with a roll of her eyes.

"Too bad I don't care about what that might be. Do you mind? We were having a private conversation." Tac said.

"Not anymore." Dana said as she sat down next to Terry. "Besides what's so private that you can't say when I'm here." Tac rolled his eyes.

"The hag has spoken." He said as he stood up.

"How dare you!"

"No, how dare you! You don't even know me- you haven't even taken the time to say two words to me and all you do is scrunch up your little pie face and glare at me all the time. I have half a mind to kick your ass." Tac snapped as he pointed a finger in Dana's face.

"Half a mind is right. Why does a sixteen year old need someone a year older than them to look after them? Ever since you fell from the sky Terry has been more strapped for time than ever!" Dana yelled as she batted his hand away.

"You think I tell him to follow me around? If you got a problem with his job I suggest you talk to his boss. Or better yet, how bout you talk to him instead of constantly screeching in his ear about how he doesn't pay attention to you! Maybe if you let him get a word out he'd explain how sick of you he really is!" Tac yelled without thinking. "All I ever hear is 'Dana won't give me a break' or 'Dana yelled at me again today'. It's no fucking wonder he's sleeping next to me five nights out of the week. It's to hide from you!" Dana's face went red and before Terry could stop her she grabbed his drink and threw it in Tac's face. "You're dead bitch!"

"Holy crap!" Terry jumped out of the way when Tac leap across the table and tackled Dana to the ground. He pulled back his fist and Terry caught his wrist before he could punch Dana. "Have you lost your mind?" He pulled Tac off of her and pushed him away. He helped Dana up and stood between them.

"This is very much not worth it." Tac growled before he walked away. Terry sighed.

"Are you okay?" He asked Dana. She just shoved his hands away and walked in the opposite direction. "Great." Terry sighed and went after her.


"Hmm...seems I didn't completely eliminate the aggression problem when I refined his serum." Bruce said after Terry told him what happened at school that day.

"His behavior has nothing to do with the drugs. He's just a hateful person." Terry said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Dana is not even talking to me. Chelsea told me she was in the bathroom crying all day. How come every time I think I'm in a good place something comes along to kick me in the ass."

"Try not to be too hard on him."

"Bruce he was going to beat up an innocent girl-

"A girl who has never suffered a day in her life beyond an occasional paper cut or scrapped knee. Tac watched his only family die from a long, painful illness. Spent six years being abused and beaten for no reason. And two years over dosing and having to steal to survive. The only thing I'm surprised about is that it took him this long to finally snap on her."

"Why are you defending him? If he were anyone else you'd have-

"Yeah, if he were anyone else I would have booted him back on to the street months ago. But he's not. I have a responsibility to him and Selina." Bruce said as he turned to glare at Terry. "I've already had this conversation. If you want a better explanation of Tac's behavior - he's up in his room."

Terry sighed before he started upstairs. Bruce had a point, Tac had been through a lot but that didn't mean he could get away with doing what ever he wanted, to who ever he wanted. To be fair, Dana had thrown the first punch. And Terry had to admit that what Tac had said was true. He didn't even realize he had been hiding behind Tac. Using his job responsibilities as an excuse to stay the night all the time.

'Why?' He thought as he climbed the main staircase. Behind Tac's anger had to be a good person. If he wasn't he wouldn't bother going on patrol. He'd go back to being a criminal or he'd find someway to steal from Bruce. Truth be told as much time they spent together Terry didn't know what Tac really wanted. To do good things? To keep the people he loved safe? To be a sumo wrestler? Terry stopped when he came to Tac's room, the door was open and Tac was sitting on his bed, picking at a tray of food. Terry knocked on the door frame and Tac jumped.

"Terry?"

"You sound like you weren't expecting to see me." Terry said as he entered the room and closed the door.

"Well I nearly beat up your girlfriend. I'm...surprised you're even talking to me." Tac said.

"You're surprised but not sorry." Terry said as he sat down on Tac's bed. He looked down at the tray of food - it was just a turkey sandwich, some potato chips and a soda - more than likely something Bruce made to comfort him. He moved the tray out of the way and moved closer to Tac. The blond boy brought his legs up and hugged his knees. Closing himself off and telling Terry to keep his distance.

"She started it." Tac stated simply. Terry sighed.

"You're not making this easy."

"Not making what easy?" Tac asked.

"Liking you!" Terry said louder than he meant to. "I mean, I want to get along with you. In order to be on the same team we'll have to. But if you keep acting like this-

"Like what? I don't know how else to act, Terry. Not everyone had a regular childhood. I'm trying to be all normal but when normal is splicing yourself and fighting guys dressed up like clowns it's really hard!" Tac yelled. "Something that girlfriend of yours will never understand, even if she were to step out of her posh little world." Terry just stared at him for a moment before he sighed.

"I understand." Terry said as he laid back. Tac raised an eye brow at him. It was an odd change in tactics. He crawled to Terry on all fours and looked down at the older boy as he relaxed into the mattress.

"You do?" Tac asked as he trapped one side of his hair behind his ear. Terry looked at him.

"Of course I do. My folks split up and then one of them died. It's not the same as years of abuse but at least I understand pain. I understand being damaged." Terry said. Tac just looked at him for a moment. Terry let his eyes flutter shut and he absently licked his lips as he laid there.

"Ok, you're gonna have to stop doing that." Tac stated. Terry opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Stop doing what?" Terry asked.

"Stop being so...attractive." Tac answered.

"Huh?"

"I'm not going to be able to be your friend if you keep making yourself so attractive." Tac said. "You're all blue eyes and sweet understanding. Turn it down a notch, Terry. I'm only human."

"Oh." Terry said. He suddenly sat up "Oh...Oh! I...I didn't know you felt that way about me-

"Well, you'd think I'd be off sex forever considering what happened to me. But after I got away from Randy I found someone who helped me...cope. Showed me sex isn't all forced. What intimacy really is. How to let someone touch me without flinching. The splicing was a big part of it." Tac rambled on. Terry just looked at him.

"I didn't know you liked me, liked me." Terry said. Tac blushed. Terry thought it looked odd on him. When they first met as enemies, Cat managed to pin him to the ground. In a true testament to how he was a different person when he was spliced - he straddled Batman, ground their hips together, put their lips an inch apart and told him 'No bondage on the first date' before he trotted away. And here was the same boy before him, blushing over a crush.

"Yeah well...you make it easy." Tac said. They looked at each other for a moment before Tac suddenly lunged forward and kissed Terry on the lips. It took Terry a second to get over his initial shock. But a few seconds later he leapt up from Tac's bed.

"Whoa!" He said. "Don't do that!"

"Why not? I thought you-

"No. No. No!" Terry said quickly. "No-

"Are you alright? You're all red." Tac said as he stood up. Terry jerked back when he moved closer.

"I-you-no." He said before he hurried from the room. Tac frowned as he listened to Terry stumbled down the stairs. That had not been the right thing to do.

"Idiot. Now he'll never stay over again." Tac said to himself. Tac jumped when Terry suddenly came back into his room. He rushed to Tac and kissed him. It was Tac's turn to be shocked. Terry's grip on his chin was almost painful and he wasn't ready when Terry's tongue suddenly slid into his mouth. For a few moments Tac's mind was swimming in the sensation. It seemed whatever had possessed him to kiss Terry had transferred into the older boy. But all too soon Terry pulled away and ran from the room again. "What the hell...what was that!" Tac yelled after him as he rushed down the stairs and through the living room.

"I was making sure!" Terry yelled back.

"Of what?"

"I have to go!" Terry was through the front door before Tac could catch him.