Cat and Mouse

Christmas Special

        Snow fell in flurries outside, clinging to rooftops and sidewalks. However, once it reached the ground it morphed to a muddy slush under the boots of passerbys and the ongoing tires of snow-dusted cars. Despite the ominous shadow cast by the graying clouds, it was only midday. Even so, I was still inside my cramped apartment pulling the spandex suit over my body, adjusting my utility belt and tail so they rested in place. Every vigilante knew Christmas Eve was one of the most dangerous days and that all crime-fighting had to start early. Luckily, I had convinced Mr. Wescott to give me the day off work, claiming I was visiting relatives out of town. And it was a good excuse to not face Andrew today.

I pulled open the window leading to the fire escape, feeling the cold wind nip at my exposed neck and abdomen. I cringed slightly, but huffed a breath of air and hoisted myself over the window sill, landing softly on the grated fire escape. Smiling to myself, I climbed up to the top before beginning my scouting.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The street was riddled with carolers, busy shoppers and traffic. Pickpockets weaved through the crowds, picking up their own gifts from the pockets of passerbys. However, none lasted more than a block or two before being taken down and tied up by myself, allowing someone else to stumble upon them before they suffered hypothermia. Now the crowds were waning as dinner ended and the children moved home to eagerly await Santa.

"Man I hate this holiday" I sigh, my breath escaping in cloudy wisps as I rubbed my gloved hands up and down my triceps in an attempt to warm myself up. My toes were numb from trekking through snow and my cheeks were tinted an ugly shade of pink due to the biting cold. Snow clung to my windswept hair, knotting it further.

"You can say that again," a boyish voice commented from behind me. I whipped around in time to come face-to-face with Robin, the signature smirk igniting his face and melting the cold atmosphere.

"Hey, you haven't been freezing your butt out here for seven hours, you have nothing to complain about" I hiss, watching my breath cloud over once more.

"Well I'm not the one with poor fashion coordination" Robin pointed out, arching and eyebrow while I scoffed, crossing my arms over my orange, fuzzy chest.

"Buzz off! You can go home, I can handle it out here on my own, why don't you celebrate with the Big Bat and the rest of your family?" I questioned as I returned my gaze to the street in time to see a late-night pickpocketer pull a wallet out of a last-minute shopped. I scowled, pulling out a batarang-like contraption from my utility belt.

"Maybe I wanted to spend my Christmas with you?" He said and I froze, losing my focus long enough for the pickpocket to sneak away from my line of vision.

As I regained composure, I tssked in frustration. "Can we discuss this in a few minutes, I'm still on duty." I say, raking my eyes over the alleyways to find the pickpocket. Robin was silently watching as I located the criminal and moved to a closer vantage point. Now fully in the game, I hopped down from my perch to land in front of the perpetrator.

"Merry Christmas, now get on the floor with your hands behind your back," I warn, narrowing my eyes. He glanced at me for a moment, obviously caught in shock due to my sudden appearance. It took a moment before he snapped back to reality. He took one look at my armed hand before turning tail and running. I chased after him quickly, my tail whipping around behind me as I gave chase. He pushed through the alleys, toppling over garbage cans in an attempt to get rid of me. I grit my teeth as I jumped over an overturned trash can.

He was a fast runner, I'd have to give him that. Down four separate alleys and he still kept up his stamina. I was wheezing softly, obviously too tired from standing rigid in the cold for too long. Huffing a breath, I turned to another corner just as a shadow caught my eye. I watched it jump down and block the path of the criminal. The pickpocket stopped, slipping slightly on the ice as he slowed his momentum to avoid collision with the other vigilante.