What do you mean, you've never heard of me?

theslainjaybird:

bettekane:

theslainjaybird:

Walking around Bette the rest of the way, Jason came to stand before her, arms still crossed and only two or three feet between them. He was silent, watching Bette’s face for any emotion. “Finish patrol with me?” he said lowly, honestly wanting an answer as if it would give Jason a clue to how Bette thought of him. A criminal or just a dangerous vigilante. An enemy perhaps or even just someone not worth Bette’s time.

That did take her by surprise. “I-…” her demure calm broke into a grin that made her cheeks bump her goggles, “I’d like that, yes,” she agreed, more enthusiastically than she would have cared to reveal. If her tone didn’t betray her attitude towards him, the blush that soon followed did.  After a pause she added, her expression returning to flirty, “So…your turf, or mine?”

Even though the answer made his lips twitch in a smile, Jason’s voice was only flat, plain and business like. “I’d rather you stay out of mine,” he told Bette seriously. Even if Jason had asked to patrol alongside Flamebird, that didn’t mean he liked her, didn’t mean he enjoyed her company. It was still a test, a mind game if you will. At least that’s what Jason told himself, denying the fact that he missed having a little snarky banter, someone he would run the rooftops with. In his head, Jason was only keeping tabs and that was all. “You take the lead,” Jason challenged, ignoring her light tone. He had read excitement in her voice, pleasant surprise even and the coy edge to Bette’s voice tugged his lips into a smirk.

“Okay…” she tilted her head, before returning to the edge of the roof. She matched his smirk, and as her grappling line anchored into the side of a building kitty-corner from where they were, she quoted back to him a line he’d once used on her: “Try to keep up…” 

Flamebird dove through the air like a stooping falcon closing in on her prey, building up enough speed to be able to swing up to a point slightly higher than her leap-off point, using the retraction of her line to help. She never grew tired of this part, the thrill of the dive, and the G-forces as they reached their strongest point at the bottom of the swing. She might not have been as fanciful in her execution as Nightwing (who was?), but her landing in the ledge of the other building was still silent and light as a feather.

Firing straight above, she flew up another three storeys, and climbed up onto the rooftop easily. free-running across both it and an adjoining building, she cane to a stop and peered down into a familiar alley.  The light pouring out from the kitchen of the Chinese restaurant illuminated the alley well enough to see what was going on down there. This alley was a meeting place for an Asian gang that that sprung up into Gotham 2 months ago. Some of them were down there right now. “Thought you might want a heads up about these guys. They’re not far from your turf, after all…”. 

gothamsknight started following you

Hi, Batman! Nice night for patrolling, isn’t it?

theslainjaybird:

bettekane:

theslainjaybird:

“Cute,” Jason told her, smirk evident in his voice. “But I really don’t give a damn about territory unless it’s mine.” Jason walked forward, but at an angle as if to start circling Bette. His walk was laid back, almost casual as if to relax her, lower Bette’s guard a little. It was always a mind game with Jason, even when it didn’t have to be. “I’ve been fine,” he started as if they were friends meeting on the street and decided to catch up like old times. “But of course that’s really all I can tell you… How about yourself? How’s momma Bat? Haven’t run into her in a while either.”

“We’re both fine. I’ll let her know you asked after her,” Bette replied, watching him sidelong as he began his circle. She forced herself to relax; she could react quicker if she anticipated in her head, not in her muscles. He had tried to intimidate her, now he was testing her. True to his form, though, Jason was hard to predict. He might make a move early, before passing out of her periphery, or he might actually get behind and wait for the moment she moved her head…or neither one. Ah, yes, fun Batfam games. Just another word for foreplay, depending on how one viewed it. Speaking of which…Jason was looking good, save for the mask that covered his entire face. It was like talking to The Question, though redder and far less informative. 

She watched him with a sly, almost flirtatious smile from the corner of her goggles, knowing he was probably watching her watching him. As he hit the edge of her periphery she demurely lowered her eyes, but didn’t turn her head to follow him. Appearing to be coy, she was instead noting the shadow moving on the gravel before her; blood red against a brighter red of the neighbouring hotel’s neon “vacancy” sign. Jason’s long silhouette had already passed through her own as he moved; she could use it to see a sudden movement, and react if she needed to. 

Jason wasn’t an idiot, to make a move behind Bette would be classified as amateur. Cheap. He took the chance to look her over, shamelessly eyeing her long legs and would have checked out her ass if there was no cape messing with the view. Bette’s shoulders were relaxed, her breathing even. She knew how to keep calm and alert. Walking around Bette the rest of the way, Jason came to stand before her, arms still crossed and only two or three feet between them. He was silent, watching Bette’s face for any emotion. “Finish patrol with me?” he said lowly, honestly wanting an answer as if it would give Jason a clue to how Bette thought of him. A criminal or just a dangerous vigilante. An enemy perhaps or even just someone not worth Bette’s time.

That did take her by surprise. “I-…” her demure calm broke into a grin that made her cheeks bump her goggles, “I’d like that, yes,” she agreed, more enthusiastically than she would have cared to reveal. If her tone didn’t betray her attitude towards him, the blush that soon followed did.  After a pause she added, her expression returning to flirty, “So…your turf, or mine?”

theslainjaybird:

bettekane:

theslainjaybird:

bettekane:

And yet… she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rising up. Swiftly, Bette spun around to look behind her.

Jason took a wide path, planning not to be spotted until it was ideal. As he closed in he found it was Flamebird he was pursuing. Bette. A face he hadn’t seen in a while. Red Hood leapt across the final alleyway, rolling down and up to his feet to buffer the landing and muffle any noise it would have made if the roof gravel crunched underfoot. There was a moment in which Jason had not been noticed and he stalked forward, hoping to spook Bette. He stopped a few yards away when she finally turned. “Hey sweetheart,” he started mockingly, the name holding no warmth and Jason folded his arms over his chest. “Getting awful close to my end of town, don’t ya think?” It was meant to be intimidating, a warning even though Bette was only skimming the edge, not seeming to even head that direction.

“Close, perhaps, but not into it,” she pointed out, putting her hands on her hips. She was intimidated, knowing what Jason was capable of and how his mentality could make him unpredictable, but she wasn’t going to show him that. “So if I’m still in my territory, that means you’re out of bounds,” she smirked. “You’re lucky this isn’t tennis. How’re you doing, Red Hood? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Cute,” Jason told her, smirk evident in his voice. “But I really don’t give a damn about territory unless it’s mine.” Jason walked forward, but at an angle as if to start circling Bette. His walk was laid back, almost casual as if to relax her, lower Bette’s guard a little. It was always a mind game with Jason, even when it didn’t have to be. “I’ve been fine,” he started as if they were friends meeting on the street and decided to catch up like old times. “But of course that’s really all I can tell you… How about yourself? How’s momma Bat? Haven’t run into her in a while either.”

“We’re both fine. I’ll let her know you asked after her,” Bette replied, watching him sidelong as he began his circle. She forced herself to relax; she could react quicker if she anticipated in her head, not in her muscles. He had tried to intimidate her, now he was testing her. True to his form, though, Jason was hard to predict. He might make a move early, before passing out of her periphery, or he might actually get behind and wait for the moment she moved her head…or neither one. Ah, yes, fun Batfam games. Just another word for foreplay, depending on how one viewed it. Speaking of which…Jason was looking good, save for the mask that covered his entire face. It was like talking to The Question, though redder and far less informative. 

She watched him with a sly, almost flirtatious smile from the corner of her goggles, knowing he was probably watching her watching him. As he hit the edge of her periphery she demurely lowered her eyes, but didn’t turn her head to follow him. Appearing to be coy, she was instead noting the shadow moving on the gravel before her; blood red against a brighter red of the neighbouring hotel’s neon “vacancy” sign. Jason’s long silhouette had already passed through her own as he moved; she could use it to see a sudden movement, and react if she needed to. 

theslainjaybird:

bettekane:

theslainjaybird:

The sun would be rising in an hour or two but Jason wasn’t heading home yet. Instead, he leapt across the rooftops, headed for his last patrol route. As Red Hood, he’d established what one might call a ‘territory’ in Crime Alley, the civilians and crime thugs knew it was his too. Jason would otherwise alternate his patrol route, changing it slightly every night so as not to run into any Bats. Of course they were always fun to play with, but those meetings could be time consuming.

Coming to the edge of the district, Jason paused, looking over the next expanse of city. Another body was flitting across the rooftops, not heading towards him but his general direction. Glancing at the still dark horizon, he decided there was enough time to get some excitement in, not that his night hadn’t been.

“I’m at the edge now, near Crime Alley. Meet ya back at base in two hours, maybe a little more? Or do you have a hot date to meet for breakfast?” The woman on the other end curtly agreed ‘two hours’ and disconnected, making Bette smile to herself. Yup, Kate definitely had a hot date.

Flamebird landed and retracted her grappling line, and viewed the area, letting her eyes sweep the area around her on the edge of this roof she was on, then immediately below, and finally to the surrounding buildings, one by one. Periodically she would touch the edge of her goggles to adjust the magnification, or switch from regular vision to nightscope or infrared, but her views revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

And yet… she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rising up. Swiftly, Bette spun around to look behind her.

Jason took a wide path, planning not to be spotted until it was ideal. As he closed in he found it was Flamebird he was pursuing. Bette. A face he hadn’t seen in a while. Red Hood leapt across the final alleyway, rolling down and up to his feet to buffer the landing and muffle any noise it would have made if the roof gravel crunched underfoot. There was a moment in which Jason had not been noticed and he stalked forward, hoping to spook Bette. He stopped a few yards away when she finally turned. “Hey sweetheart,” he started mockingly, the name holding no warmth and Jason folded his arms over his chest. “Getting awful close to my end of town, don’t ya think?” It was meant to be intimidating, a warning even though Bette was only skimming the edge, not seeming to even head that direction.

“Close, perhaps, but not into it,” she pointed out, putting her hands on her hips. She was intimidated, knowing what Jason was capable of and how his mentality could make him unpredictable, but she wasn’t going to show him that. “So if I’m still in my territory, that means you’re out of bounds,” she smirked. “You’re lucky this isn’t tennis. How’re you doing, Red Hood? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

theslainjaybird:

The sun would be rising in an hour or two but Jason wasn’t heading home yet. Instead, he leapt across the rooftops, headed for his last patrol route. As Red Hood, he’d established what one might call a ‘territory’ in Crime Alley, the civilians and crime thugs knew it was his too. Jason would otherwise alternate his patrol route, changing it slightly every night so as not to run into any Bats. Of course they were always fun to play with, but those meetings could be time consuming.

Coming to the edge of the district, Jason paused, looking over the next expanse of city. Another body was flitting across the rooftops, not heading towards him but his general direction. Glancing at the still dark horizon, he decided there was enough time to get some excitement in, not that his night hadn’t been.

“I’m at the edge now, near Crime Alley. Meet ya back at base in two hours, maybe a little more? Or do you have a hot date to meet for breakfast?” The woman on the other end curtly agreed ‘two hours’ and disconnected, making Bette smile to herself. Yup, Kate definitely had a hot date.

Flamebird landed and retracted her grappling line, and viewed the area, letting her eyes sweep the area around her on the edge of this roof she was on, then immediately below, and finally to the surrounding buildings, one by one. Periodically she would touch the edge of her goggles to adjust the magnification, or switch from regular vision to nightscope or infrared, but her views revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

And yet… she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rising up. Swiftly, Bette spun around to look behind her.