Selina's Sidekick

part twelve

Cat is out of the bag ;) 

For BlackCat2907 I hope you enjoy it!

((Also totally didn't mean for a month to go by without an update))

"I just don't understand how you can find that man attractive." Jason made a face at Selina as they walked through the streets of Gotham to their favorite brunch place, maneuvering their way through the crowd. 

"What? He is a very attractive man." Selina defended herself. 

"Yuck." Jason pretended to fake barf, putting a finger in his mouth. "Blegh. You dishonor me."

"Are we now back in feudal times or something, where honor was everything? 'You have brought honor upon the Kyle name, Selina! I banish you to a lifetime of namelessness! Begone!'" The feline thief snickered, earning an eyeroll from her teenage son. 

"So not funny." 

"I thought it was clever." Selina shrugged, opening the door to the little café for Jason. The mother son duo walked inside and took their favorite booth, waiting for a server to come take their order. It was quiet for a moment as they perused the menu, until Selina spoke up with a question. "So. It has been like two weeks since you and Tim got into that nasty little brawl. Have you two...spoken at all?"

Jason rolled his eyes, closing the menu with a huff. "Yeah, a little. He apologized, I apologized. We decided to take a break from talking for a little bit. That was that." He narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what his deal is. I mean, it was way out of character for him to verbally attack me like that."

"Hmm. Sometimes, our hormones - "

"La la la! No! We aren't doing this!" Jason cried out, covering his ears as Selina started chuckling. Jason groaned. "I already know all about hormones and stuff. I did have health class, you know. I know all about puberty and stuff."

"I don't doubt it." A server came up and took their order a moment later and the duo switched conversation topics away from puberty and hormones to something less embarrassing and much more fun. "So, Gwen called me about a potential job. One I think you would absolutely adore."

Jason perked up. "Oh? Do tell."

Selina leaned forward on her elbows, looking around with her eyes to make sure that nobody was eavesdropping. Not that anyone in Gotham would care, it was Gotham after all. Once she was satisfied that their conversation was totally private, she proceeded to tell Jason about the job in a hushed voice, watching as the interest in his eyes grew and a devilish grin broke out on his face, one that was very contagious. Selina grinned back at her son when she was done telling him about the job. "I take it by the look on your face that you want it?"

"Uh, hell yeah." Jason scoffed. "That is like, my dream job."

"Good. I'll text Gwen and let her know." 

A moment later their food arrived and they dug in, a silence falling over them as they ate, the clinking of utensils the only sound coming from their table. 

The bell above the café door rung and a group of people walked in, chattering among themselves as they walked by Selina and Jason. 

"Hey,  I know you." Jason froze when he heard that voice. He looked up to see the well dressed man from months ago, the one whose watch he stole and gang he and Robin beat up, staring directly at him with narrowed eyes. The rest of the group the man was with stopped as well but the man waved them off, looking only at Jason and Selina. The man eyed the two of them. "She's your mentor?"

Jason stuck his jaw out defiantly, clenching his fists. "Yeah, what of it, pal?"

The man scoffed. "Kid, my boss heard of you and what you did to me and my boys. He was impressed, says the offer still stands. And he will pay much  better than whatever Catwoman is offering you, believe me. So, what do you say?"

"Buzz off." Jason crossed his arms loosely over his chest, a smug smirk forming on his face. "And tell your boss I said that too. I'm happy where I am, I don't need nobody else but my mom. Got it?"

The man shrugged, something glinting in his eyes. "Its you guys' funeral." He walked off, leaving Selina to stare at Jason with wide, spooked eyes and two shades paler. 

Upon noticing the look on his mother's face, Jason furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?" Selina said nothing, she just threw down some money and grabbed Jason's hand, tugging him from the café towards their apartment in a tense silence. Jason tugged his hand free, forcing Selina to stop and stare at him. "What is going on? Why do you seem so shaken?"

Selina took in a deep inhale. "Jason, that man back there? You shouldn't have told him I am your mother."

Jason felt his heart shatter. He took a step backwards away from Selina. "W-why? Are you ashamed of me?"

Selina shook her head, walking up to Jason and wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "No, never. That is not what I meant to imply at all."

"Then why can't I tell him your my mom?" Jason croaked, hugging Selina back.

Sighing, Selina kissed his hair. "Love, that man...is very dangerous. Well, his boss is, anyways. And his boss has it out for me. We have a sort of...we have bad blood between us." Looking up at his mom with a confused expression, Jason asked her to elaborate. "The man from the café, he works for a criminal named Black Mask. He is incredibly deadly and wants to destroy me in every way possible."

Nodding slowly, Jason hugged Selina tightly. "Well, we'll take him down first."

"No, no we won't. I'm not dragging you into my mess." 

He snorted. "Too late. You adopted me. Your mess is my mess and my mess is your mess. We're family."

Selina smiled down at her son. "You're right, you're right. But still, we aren't going after Black Mask. That is way too dangerous and risky."

"But if he wants you de - "

"No buts. We are to leave him alone unless we are provoked to retaliate. Understand?" She looked sternly down at Jason, who grumbled an agreement. "Good, now let's go prepare for your mission."

That put a smile on Jason's face.