Summary: Batman offers comfort to a mopey Catwoman, while Batgirl watches
Location: Uptown, Gotham City
Participants: Batgirl, Batman, Catwoman
Rating: PG
With the past couple of nights having proven to be failures where her 'work' goes, Catwoman has found herself horribly thrown off of her game, a rare and unwelcomed feeling for the normally successful and confident catburglar. It has resulted in her mood to become rather dour and her mind to be wrapped around things besides the jobs she has been hired for and the Bast statue she's been coveting since it's arrival in Gotham. Currently sitting on a ledge that overlooks one of the city's more expensive shops, she finds herself succumbing to the urge to brood, that too an alien event for her.
Batman's been watching her for a while now, waiting for her to make a move to do the old last-minute interruption. To make matters worse, his feminine protégé is with him, and forced to play stake out. Eventually, though, it becomes clear Catwoman's not moving. She's just...moping. Which, all things considered, is not her. Finally deciding she's not trying to edge him out...he comes out. Yay, logic, but he silently makes his way to the edge of the same roof that she has made her perch for the evening. He doesn't say anything, merely stands there, making his presence known as the wind catches his cape.
Ever since the other night, when things went 'bad', in Bruce's perspective, Cassandra hasn't been exactly keen on following him around. However, chance has it tonight that she is moving over the rooftops and ends up meeting where Bruce and Catwoman are. She alights on the roof as well, wondering if Batman is going to need her assistance with this one, though she doubts it. Selina's body language is - very confusing. It's not something she sees in a villian, or costumed person very often
It's the sound of his cape getting caught in the breeze rather than the sight of it that catches Catwoman's attention, it drawing her out of her head and back into the 'real world'. "Going to throw me off of the roof again," she asks Batman while looking up at him, her expression as annoyed as her tone is. His presence is a salve to her aching soul but with how she's feeling right now it's impossible to convey joy over his being here now. "I can make it easy for you and just jump." Trying to brighten things up with her mood being the first and foremost, she quickly smiles although she really can't get it to stick and she's back to frowning. "What are you doing here?" Cassandra's arrival's not noticed quite yet.
"Actually making sure that you aren't going to jump," Batman explains, sounding only like he's half-joking as he takes a step back, giving Catwoman plenty of room to get her feet. "J'onn told me you had a run-in, told him that he was right to stop you." He pauses. "And for the record, I didn't throw you off a roof. I tackled you off a roof, so that we could swing away from safety; that roof wasn't stable, especially once they started shooting at us." He doesn't add the whole 'I saved you life' bit; he'll let her fill in the subtext.
For now, Cassandra is good to remain ignored. She is still, and observant of the exchange of Batman, and his counterpart. Watching, and studying their actions and movements, and reading their languages. Talk about complicated, and complex. With learned paitence, she remains still, however, utilizing her skills learned from multiple sources to take whatever information she can.
The melodramatics are spent on words and not action so Batman is spared from having to save her from certain death as she swan dives to the ground below, Catwoman annoyed and perhaps even a bit depressed but she's far from suicidal. Using a grasp on his leg, she gets onto her feet while looking up at the masked man's face. "Yes. That's true. And I should say thank you, now shouldn't I?" Yes, it has dawned on her that she's alive and uninjured now because of his being quick of thought and movement. Chewing her lower lip, she leans in a little while smiling, her more playful and seductive nature showing through again. "I'd love to repay you if you'll let me, Batman."
Batman reaches down, offering a hand to help support Catwoman up, steadying her until she seems comfortable on her feet...and honestly, maybe a few seconds longer than needed. Eventually though, his arms fall to his side, the cape draping over as he stares down into her face. He doesn't move, either backwards or forward, remaining stark still as he looks down through his mask. "I'm sure you would. And right now, I can only think of one way that you can possibly pay me back," his voice low, gruff, but perhaps carrying a bit more passion than he's used to showing. Certainly more than Cassandra has ever heard.
That causes Cassandra to give the man an odd look beneath her own full-faced cowl. She remains still, perhaps either uncaring she may be spying on a private moment - but, this is certainly a side of Batman she's never seen before. She's seen it in others, of course. But she watches the contact, the language, reading from it perhaps more than either of them know of the exchange.
"Let me guess," Catwoman chuckles breathily. "I can pay you back by going straight, never to live the life of a cat burglar ever again. As much as I know you would like that, I just can't. Sorry." For what it's worth, she actually sounds a bit regretful but at least she's honest. As long as she has her cause, that being the charity she has set up, and needs the money for it, she will continue to live the life of crime. "So since I can't, how about a kiss instead?" A hand is lifted and she grabs for one of his arms, fully intending to tug him close enough to make good on that.
Batman actually cracks a small smile. Hopefully Cassandra's head won't explode as he shrugs his shoulders. "Sorry to be so predictable," he says, sounding a bit apologetic as he takes a small step backwards. "But your skills are too good to be wasted on theft. At least what you're doing. Breaking into museum and honest retailers? Why not take that money from the actual rich of this city, the corrupt. Become a leather-clad Robin Hood," he suggests, tensing up as she moves in, threatening to kiss. He hestitates longer than he should before putting a hand up, resting it softly just between her chest and the shoulder. "Don't...please..." he says, softly, pleading.
No head 'splode tonight. However, she is certainly learning something. Not only is Batman her honestly first real male role model, save her biological father who doesn't really count, but she's never seen this side of him. She finds herself distracted with it all, and focused entirely upon the situation unfolding between him, and the Cat Thief.
Catwoman shakes her head and smiles, that being when he apologizes for her being able to figure out what he was going to say. "You say you're sorry over some of the silliest things," she half-teases, half-chides the Caped Crusader. It'd be a subject she'd further tease him about but she finds herself thrown for a loop, this time when she's denied what it is she wants from him. "Why not," she asks while letting her gaze filter down only to then stop when she sees just where he has placed his hand. There's a sigh from her then which causes the material under it to shift and her shoulders to rise slowly, the woman sounding just about as disappointed as she feels.
Batman takes a few solid steps back, turning his back. "Batgirl, go, I need some time alone," he orders, seemingly to the darkness. Then he turns back to face Catwoman, shaking his head. "You know why not. And yet you've pressed this before, and again here now." He squints, his features that stern anger he's so famous for. "You know what I need, for that. You know that, and yet you refuse."
There's a sound of a zipline being launched, and then Catwoman will see the feminine form of Batgirl in her full-body and facemask suit, swinging past the city towards more buildings to finish off her patrol. Eerie, she, when she doesn't speak like that. Or, she can come across that way, at any rate. She knows better than when to question Batman, sometimes though. And this, clearly, was one of those times.
Catwoman's head snaps to the side and she sighs, the fact that Cassandra has been able to go without notice from her for so long off-putting. It winds up being dismissed as something of little importance for now as she's got something else to address, that being the fact that Batman is still here and is, as almost always, angry with her. "At least I can be honest," she says while stepping away, her posture tense. "I have things I need to see through before I can stop. Don't you understand?"
After the silent figure is far away, Batman nods his head. "Yes, I do understand that. More than you will ever know." He grimaces deeply, fighting back the urge to cry. Batman doesn't cry. "But I also know that things like that, these goals and missions? Those will never go away. They consume you." He shakes his head. "I know its unfair of me to ask you to change who you are, when I am so unwilling to budge. But understand, whatever you want between us...remains impossible as long as you're targeting innocent victims, and getting paid by other crooks." After another short pause, he takes a step forward. "You're not the same as the others. Joker, Riddler, Ivy: they're sociopaths, sick men and women who wish to see the world crumble. That's...not you." One more step forward, now within reach. "At least, I hope it isn't."
She can't explain what it is she does as to do so would give herself away and God only knows what'd happen if Batman were to discover who she is. At the very least it'd put an end to her ability to continue to raise money for the cats she desires to protect and, at the worst, she'd wind up jailed and without him in her life, most likely. "I don't do it for myself," she utters while looking into his eyes, her own tear-filled ones obscured by the lenses of the goggles she wears. "I use that money to help." That is left at that as to say anymore would reveal her secret. Instead, when he steps closer she does as well, she too pausing after a few feet. "Of course I'm not like those...fools," she adds, a small reassurance. Hopefully it will mend the rift between them even if only slightly.
Batman nods his head slightly, and stands still for a few seconds befor his arm slowly rises from beneath the folds of his cap and reaches out, and actually touches her. Not grabbing, or gripping, or even holding on to her to save her life. Just choosing to reach out and touch the side of her arm, and then rub up and down softly. Petting, almost. "I'm glad to hear that...I knew that, but I'm glad to hear you say that."
The tension is so thick it makes it almost impossible to breathe, the inability to do so made more pronounced as she feels his fingers against her arm. With an ache welling in her heart, Catwoman can't do anything but watch him. After a moment the emotions get the better of her and a single tear sneaks its way under her goggles' frame to run down her cheek, it left alone to do as it will as she is not moving anymore. "Maybe someday," she offers. "Maybe someday I will be able to stop and we both can be happy."
The single tear rolling down her cheek softens Batman's heart, just slightly. His hand rolls up the side of her arm, over her shoulder and cupping the side of her face. "Maybe," he offers, most of the gruffness from his voice. "Until then, accept this as a small consolation." And then he slowly leans in, his mouth traveling towards hers. Hovering above her lips for just a second, hesitating, he finally breaks the professional plane, allowing himself this one moment of happiness as his lips meld with hers, gloved fingertips softly stroking at her face as he gives her a longing, lasting moment of connection.
"Maybe," she echoes before she finds herself kissed, that coupled with how he cups her cheek with his hand causing her to melt. For her part she keeps it mostly chaste although she can not help but to nip at his lower lip lightly, a bit of a tease to add to the romantic moment the pair allow theirselves. A hand is brought to the back of his head, fingers pressed to the back of his cowl, just one more level of intimacy and urgancy to add to what has already been building between them. She lets it linger but it soon becomes too much for her to stand and she is leaning back after a moment, her half-lidded eyes holding to his face. "You're so dangerous," she whispers.
Batman breaks away from the kiss slowly, but cleanly, leaning his forehead against hers. His breathe isn't shallow, but his hand travels over her back, cupping her by the small of the back and pulling her a bit closer for a short embrace for a moment. "Too dangerous," he offers as a judgment unto himself, before pulling away from her, hand trailing along her backside as he turns. "Consider my offer," is all he says before he starts walking, but soon is at a full sprint before leaping off the building, wings spread. After a moment, a wind current picks and he's soaring. Apparently he's made an upgrade to the cape, as he glides his way across the city, and away from her and that kiss.
Of course she's now left with even more on her mind which has Catwoman feeling all the more lost and confused. "I'm sorry," she whispers as she watches Batman fly off, her voice wavering when she apologizes to him. At least he isn't there to hear how close she is to crying. Uncoiling her whip, she uses it to swing down to a building below and she too makes her exit, the leap from rooftop to rooftop swiftly carrying her home.