Let me tell you a tail

[heeeyadora]

WHO: Catra, OTA
WHERE: Billy's fantasy city
WHAT: The life of a Cat Burglar
WHEN: Superhero Event
WARNINGS: Violence and bad puns



The Classic

Catra dropped down inside the store, eyes glowing as she looked around to be sure the coast was really clear. The jewelry sparkled dully in the dark, and she grinned, fingering a sharp claw and scrapping a hole in the nearest case. This was too easy.

She filled her bag 'til it was bursting, certain she'd gotten away with it as she climbed back out onto the roof, only to spot a damn hero.

"Ugh, you’ve got to be kitten me, it's you. Don't you have anything better to do?"

The Corporate

This was bigger fish than a simple jewelry store. These people had the cash to throw around on real security. But Catra enjoyed a challenge.

She dropped down on a wire, eying the laser grid with a smirk. Was that all? She could do lasers in her sleep.

She typed the security codes into the computer terminal and they shut off, Catra purring as she dropped down to the ground and unhooked her harness. But a moment later alarms suddenly started blaring. Apparently those codes hadn't been quite as up to date as she was led to believe.

The Personal

This wasn't really the sort of job Catra normally worked. This was personal, to someone at least. She slid in through a back window, scanning the room and making her way through the space. She'd been instructed to take nothing else, in and out, no one the wiser.

Which would have been simple enough if not for the sudden sound of key in the door. Catra froze. They weren't supposed to be home yet, she'd timed this out perfectly! What had gone wrong??

Comments

Classic

[plate_builder]

Honestly, it was something that Reeve had been putting off too long. He was tired of this one, tired of the way she was ruining his reputation. So he'd sent his cat-bots out, going to find the burglar at last. And he'd waited, by her clear escape route, arms crossed over his chest.

Nor was Reeve alone. A whole clowder of cat-bots prowled the roof around him, ranging from recon units barely larger than kittens, to the life-sized black and white panther named Cait that was the Meowchanist's constant companion in the field. Many growled at Catra, metal teeth gleaming.

"Normally, yes. Far better things. But you see, your little escapades are clawing up my reputation. Two cats with one stone and all. I can't let that continue."

[heeeyadora]

Her hair rose on end, and Catra growled right back, eyes flitting about to take in the full force she was up against.

"You're such a sourpuss," she accused with a glare, shifting her bag and eying her best escape route. She swung her whip in an arc to clear herself space before taking off at a run and leaping onto the next nearest roof.

[plate_builder]

"Unpurlievable," Reeve grumbled as he threw himself after her. The cats streamed forward as well, making jumps or scattering to the road below so they could try and cover Reeve's path and run recon.

"Going to leave you collared and declawed, you fleabag!"

[heeeyadora]

"You and your copycats have to catch me first!" she called back, skidding under a duct and hooking her whip with another flick of her wrist to help swing to the next building.

There was an explosion of sleeping pigeons, and Catra cursed, shooing them out of the way so she could carry on.

[plate_builder]

Really, woman, you should recon your areas better. The pigeons sleeping there was so easy to know.

He ran after her, and instead of going low under a duct, he jumps right over it and then grabs Cait's collar as the robot jumped right between the buildings with ease. Reeve got his feet under him again and kept running.

"You're going to find yourself pawsing over how easily I do it."

[heeeyadora]

"Leave the puns to the purr-fessional," she bit back, landing delicately on an old rusted fire escape that shuddered and groaned, before leaping across the alley way to perch on a small ledge.

[plate_builder]

"All I see here is a fleabitten kitten thinking she can prowl with the big cats."

She has to land on the escape and head for the ledge. Reeve? He's got Cait to carry him over again, even as other cats scramble down the wall toward the ledge.

The Personal

[demjiin]

It wasn't actually a key in the door but a set of slender lockpicks making friends with the lock. The owner of said lockpicks calmly enters and shuts the door behind him. He walked with a cane but still had a sense of grace, or at least dexterity.

"Please finish your business. Don't let me stop you."

When he spoke there was a rough, abraded sound to his voice. Like an old man speaking from a teenager's mouth."

[heeeyadora]

"..." Catra blinks her mismatched eyes, posed to strike but confused by that casual response. Her tail twitches behind her and she frowns.

"Who the hell are you?" she demands. And how did he know she'd be here if he's not the home owner? Was he the contractor?

[demjiin]

He's a gang leader, owner of a gambling palace, con man, thief, and killer.

"I'm a businessman. And I have a business offer for you; what would you say to being a thief of secrets? By which I mean listening at doors and windows. Hearing conversations, looking through papers left on desks, finding bank account numbers, or innocuous things like shoe sizes and favorite childhood toys."

What Kaz knew of Catra was found by watching her in Temba. But he would not mention Temba just yet. Better to get her answer first. He didn't introduce himself by name either.

"You're already an accomplished thief and I have no doubt you could be just as good at never letting others know you'd been there. Compensation would be determined on a case by case basis, of course."

[heeeyadora]

She narrows her eyes suspiciously, not relaxing, but listening at least. She hasn't fled or attacked quite yet.

"And what's in it for me?" Compensation, yes, but she gets that now without having to listen at doorways, "What are we talking? I'm not cheap."

[demjiin]

Kaz kept both hands clasped on the head of his cane and gave a small shrug, continuing to smirk.

"While I do offer money, I also offer something much better and much more subtle in the holding; power. If you know a person's secrets you then can control them provided it's a big enough secret and there is someone or something they want to keep that secret away from.

Working as a thief of secrets for me, in turn, would allow me to gather more information. Make mental connections. See vulnerabilities, and thus gather leverage. You would be the one to gather the information and I would be the one to make proper use of it."

While a lot of people had gained new superpowers lately, there were still plenty represented in Temba already. Kaz also was purposely trying not to remark on this new reality because he intended for Catra to still work for him when he could find a way out of this particular trick of the city's.

[heeeyadora]

Honestly, it wasn't a bad deal, but she bristled at the notion that she couldn't make proper use of it on her own. Maybe it was true, but she didn't like hearing it.

"And what's to stop me from doing all that without the middleman?" she wondered with a pointed look.

[demjiin]

This would be tricky, he would have to refer to Temba without mentioning Temba. For now he kept the smirk.

"Did you wonder how it is that I found you tonight? It's because I've learned many of your habits and I already know so many in this city, at least a little bit, but I would like to know many of them better.

Perhaps someone you don't remember, but know all the same. Someone who is very fast. Someone with white hair. Or is it black hair? Or even brown? Perhaps it's aged enough to be greying."

Kaz gave another coy shrug.

"Perhaps it is all of them with different names to go with each face? If you want to find out what I know then you will have to work for me to find out."

Corporate woes...

[sinistral]

Bucky typically didn't work jobs like this; private security didn't really fall under his jurisdiction. But when that security related to government property, it was a different story. It was his third night waiting quietly, far enough back to not trip any alarms but close enough to be on the scene in seconds.

And when he got there, he wasn't even surprised. This kind of break in did fit her usual modus operandi; it wasn't the first time he'd tangled with the Cat Queen of Crime.

"You've gotta know, kitten, that I can't let you get away with this one." It wouldn't be so easy, but he had to try.

[heeeyadora]

"Tsk, you say that like you think you can actually stop me this time," she purred, "That’s hiss-terical."

It was a whole lot of bravado considering she hadn't even gotten to her objective yet, and she smirked easily, taking off on all fours.

[sinistral]

"Just gotta slow you down." The alarm had been tripped, and other safety measures were in place. Bucky just had to keep the cat burglar busy enough for the lockdown process to complete, keeping her prize away from her.

Not that she was ever going to make it easy. Just once, he really wanted to be surprised; for now, all he could do was take off after her.

[heeeyadora]

With a normal human that threat would have meant nothing to her, but Bucky had always proved a thorn in her side, easily able to keep up with her.

"How'd they even purr-suade you to take this job? This is a bit below you, isn't it? Security for hire now?

She skidded under a closing shutter, knocking over a pair of bins in his path to hopefully stall him long enough to lock him out.

[sinistral]

The job really was below his skills but Bucky tried not to let the taunting get to him. The target was important, after all, and he just needed to keep her busy for long enough.

"Bit below you too, isn't it? Petty thievery?" He cursed at her path, leaping a bin and flinging the shield to stop the shutter enough for him to hit the ground and slide under it. Just one of these days a criminal was going to come quietly. Bucky would probably have a heart attack from the surprise of it.

[heeeyadora]

"Aww, you know nothing's too low for me," she purred, giggling and shaking off the familiar feeling that she's said that line before now.

Damn. She looked back to see him slide under after him, and snapped her whip to try and drive him back. "Do we really have to keep playing cat and mouse?"

Classic, cause we need Batman and Robin vs Catwoman, lmao

[foundlingfather]

The Hunter and The Kid had been on nightly patrol around the city, when they'd spotted a some what familiar form, climbing her way onto a roof. Would she never learn? Thus The Hunter, with the help of his jetpack, dropped down from the sky, to land on the roof top, not too far from Catra's exit, with his cape dramatically flapping behind him. He straightened up from his landing, putting his shoulders back, and hands on his hips as the helmet tilts down to regard the cat burglar.

"I could ask you the same." The deep, calm, yet some how slight aggressive voice resonating through the vocoder. "We should stop meeting like this."

[the_child]

The Hunter always liked to make an entrance.

The Kid may have helped make sure the cape flared out perfectly as he floated down by his side. There were some perks to having powers, after all. His ears twitched as he watched Catra. Meanwhile, he tried to sense if there was anyone in the building below them who might need their help.

[heeeyadora]

"You have claw-ful good timing, don't you?" she grumbled. There were probably at least half a dozen crime going on at any one point, why did they always have to pick on her?

Her ears twitched right back at the kid, eyes narrowing, before she turned tail and leapt off of the roof top and down onto the neighboring one.

[foundlingfather]

"That depends on your perspective." Because clearly the other heroes in the city were taking care of those other criminals, leaving these two with Catra. The helmet turns to look at Grogu.

"Anything?" He asks TheChild. But then Catra's making her break for it, and he sighs. "Why do they always run." Meaning criminals in general. It's like they think they can get away. TheHunter soon takes off after her, jumping down onto the next roof, and across.

[the_child]

No.

No one downstairs they need to help. Aaaaand she's running. The Kid flies after them, aiming to get in front of her. Even if he can't stop her, he might be able to slow her down.