#stray!jason

This time it's him that freezes- he almost forgets to breathe.

"I-"

"You... you were supposed to be safe." She moans, sounding wounded.

Selina wheezes, unconsciously clutches at her chest and ribs while she stares at him. He's not much better off, feeling lightheaded, because-

"So... so you're-?" He stutters- and it happens too fast for him to process.

Selina lurches forward and grabs him by the back of the cape collar, half dragging-half pushing him til he's stumbling across the rooftop.

"I... what're you-" he yelps, slamming on the breaks as the near the opposite roof ledge.

The woman looks manic, and the fear that had taken a backseat since he's started rambling resurfaces.

"I can't- I can't do this..." She gasps- and he feels like he's just been dumped in ice.

It must show on his face, because hers suddenly spasms, and the grip on the back of his neck tightens.

"Can, but not- not here. Move, we need to go..." She finally chokes out, and shoves.

Jason drops forward and down, tucking himself into a roll onto the rooftop below. He comes up from it alarmed, but Selina is still there, now moving past him.

He follows.

She stops periodically to make sure he's still at her heel.

He bides his time, waits for Bruce to go out on patrol- without him. Makes a show of pouting in his room, sulking in bed, to get Alfred to drop his guard.

He gives the man enough time to get well into his nightly routine before he slinks down to the cave. He's almost caught, but manages to get the suit and make his escape all the same.

Catwoman spends most of her time in the broader East End in Uptown, and down in the Diamond District in Downtown. They don't know where she lives, but he can guess that East End is a good call, especially with the Willis connection.

He knows East End like the back of his hand, Crime Alley more intimately so, so it's as good of a place as any to start. Bruce would also be less likely to spot him there as he frequented the area the least, and if by chance he was caught... well, he knows Bruce would give him a bit more leeway having stuck to the area he knows he has people he specifically wants to protect in than had he run off attempting an unauthorized full on patrol.

It's...different, being out by himself. The absence of a comm crackling in his ear making it seem all the more surreal.

Jason stops a few muggings during his hunt, unable to help himself. He sticks to the tallest of buildings, to give himself the most line of sight, keeps his ears open for any hint of chaos that he might be able to ping as Selina's particular brand. Up north her happenings were greatly different from her heists Downtown- harder to track, but on the flip side also a more sure thing than hoping she had something particular planned job wise on this night.

He's been out for hours- it's nearly 3am when he finally has any luck. He finds her perched on the hood of a car, whip wrapped around a man's throat, while one of the working girls scrambles to pull herself together. He can guess that the man was getting more than a little rough. He holds back, lets her finish up. He holds no sympathy for the bastard as she bounces his head off the side of his car, and leaves him crumpled- but alive in the alleyway.

Jason follows her as she makes her leave, not wanting to make a scene and/or embarrass himself with an audience.

Except... now that he's found her, now that he's planning his approach, the previously absent anxiety hits in full force.

He's nervous. Terrified even. What if she isn't? What if she is??? What does he even say? All of the bravado has left him, and as he flits along the rooftops half a block down from her, he feels shakey. Starts second guessing what he's doing.

He drops his focus as result- which ultimately takes matters out of his own hands, because in his panicked distraction he loses sight of her.

He panics harder as result- because nonono, what if he doesn't get another shot with the suit!?

Only...

"What's the little birdie doing out and about without the Bat?" Selina purrs from his back

Jason spins around, startled, and goes at the woman perched on the parapet behind him.

Frozen.

Her mood shifts rapidly from amusement to concern. He doesn't know what his face is doing- what of it that's visible anyway, but he swallows and tries to pull himself together.

"I... I-" He fumbles, stammering, and has to give himself a mental slap to the face. "B doesn't know I'm out... he- he took the suit from me."

It sucks, admitting it out loud. He slumps, what little fight he had left in him dissipating.

It does nothing to ease the woman's concern- her jaw grows tight.

"Something happen?"

Jason huffs, borderline hysterical. He can feel the trembling start against his will.

"Lots of things happen... Never quite stops, y'know?" His voice warbles- and that seems to be the final straw because Catwoman rises from her crouch and hops down off the parapet to approach him.

"You were following me- did you need help?" He watches her stiffen up, her eyes track back and forth looking for any movement. She's concerned- for him, not irritated, and it's what he needed to conjure up a bit of nerve to rip the bandaid off.

"No- no, no I'm not in trouble. It's just... I was looking for you. I wanted to ask you something a bit, uh... personal." He mumbled.

She's taken back by that- confused, brows raised beneath her cowl, and he can't blame her.

"Oh?"

He swallows again.