All at Sea

21: Rooftop Sessions

The cool night breeze tousled Percy's hair in that flawless sort of way that could only be managed by Percy herself. The Gotham skyline was breathtaking (ignoring the far-off screams and gunshots), especially from a tall-ish building on the outskirts of the city. Moonshine dusted the tops of buildings like snow, and Percy sat huddled up with her backpack on her chest and her stuffy uniform half unbuttoned.

After her first day back at school spent mostly dissociated, Percy asked Alfred to let her wander the city for a while. The butler only agreed once Percy promised to carry her switchblade and let some bat shadow her. Percy spent the entire afternoon letting her feet guide her through the maze of dark, looming buildings and sketchy alleys. As the sun began to set, Percy decided on a building to perch herself on to watch the nightfall.

Percy pulled her school-issued sweater tighter around her (things had begun to feel awfully cold after the burning heat of Tartarous). The night was mostly quiet, with a few watercolor-esque clouds drifting along the sky, allowing for a suspiciously clear evening. Despite the calm that wafter through the chilled air, Percy refused to let her guard fully down.

When somebody else joined her on the rooftop, Percy chose not to glance over, she chose to appear ignorant to the presence, but her instinct took over and her ears picked up on each and every movement. Once Percy deemed the presence harmless, she let herself hold on tighter to her bag.

A hand grazed at Percy's shoulders, nails catching briefly on the thick knit fabric, and a voice purred into Percy's ear: "Keep your guard up, Kitten."

Percy hummed in reply, not shifting her unfocused gaze from a particularly tall building on the horizon. The figure--Selena--clicked her tongue disapprovingly before shifting to sit beside Percy.

"Wouldn't want to get into too much trouble with B," Selena continued. Her cat-eared cowl somehow added to the seductive nature of her voice.

Percy turned her head slightly, focusing on the woman beside her and truly taking in her form for the first time since they'd met. She was slender, with long limbs that swayed hypnotically when she walked, though her silhouette was still filled in in all the right places. Selena carried herself weightlessly and calculatedly, always landing on her feet where and how she wanted, yet always floating regally. Now, Percy noticed that Selena's lower belly protruded slightly, almost unnoticeably, and that her aura of sharp seduction was rounded out by something almost kind. Percy suddenly remembered that Selena was pregnant, and she realized she had no clue what that implied.

"Do you have a name?" Percy couldn't think clearly, so those mismatched words were the best she could muster.

"They call me Catwoman," she replied dryly, not quite understanding.

"The baby," Percy clarified, twitching her hand slightly to signal at Selena's stomach.

"Haven't had much time to think of baby names, not with everything that's going on." Selena moved her arms behind her, leaning back on them to gaze skyward. They sat in silence for a second, acknowledging the weight those words carried.

"Are you gonna keep, uh, hero-ing in your, um, condition?" Percy choked out the words awkwardly. She couldn't quite voice out her thoughts.

"Pregnant, you mean? God, I-- I won't, I'm in the public eye now and it's far too easy to make the connection between the two very pregnant women running around Gotham. Even if that wasn't a concern, I don't think she'd let me." Selena cupped one hand over the bump on her stomach.

"She?"

"Nothiing's confirmed yet, but I think so," She admitted, sounding uncharacteristically vulnerable. She looked away.

"So are you just gonna, like, disappear for nine months or whatever?" Percy decided she liked Selena.

Selena barked out a laugh. "What do you think I'm doing now? Making an appearance so suspicion won't run too unchecked in the underworld."

"Why not have someone else take your place? It might not convince them it's you, but it's worth a shot to have a stand-in for a couple of months to let Gotham know you're always there, even if it's not you you." Percy really ought to get out of the habit of rambling when things grow too quiet, it never makes the situation.

"I considered it, but there's not really anyone who could: the bats are all too morally conflicted to take my role, and even if that weren't the case, there aren't that many women in this field of work." Selena sighed, crossing her long legs and swinging her foot carelessly. The poise in her demeanor was completely missed in how she talked, uncertain and weary.

"I could be Catwoman," Percy offered, only half thinking through the suggestion. She shrugged her shoulders and unwrapped her hands from around the bag and turned to fully look at Selena. "You'd be surprised at what I can do."

A moment of quiet passed, thinking through the offer. Though Selena didn't speak, Percy continued to try and convince her, only ever landing on a noncommital hum. Selena seemed to really consider the opportunity though, and as she stood up and guided Percy with her, she finally uttered something.

"Let's get you home. Maybe after some training, we'll see if you've got what it takes."

p.s. oops my hand slipped and now you've got this. enjoy and comment i love reading what y'all say
much love robin <3