Ficlet: A New Friend
Jogging. She likes jogging. Moving in general. But jogging is good, especially since no one looks at her funny while she checks out the area around her apartment building. Which is what Cass Cain is currently doing, an hour before the sun sets. But there are no new dealers on the corner of Winslow and Burt. And no one is trying to shake down Mr. Camly who owns and operates the little food mart on Gladston. Everything is pretty normal. Well, normal as Gotham gets. But in true Gotham style, it often surprises the people there.
At the moment she is stopped at a street light, waiting for the walk signal. A few whispers and a woman hanging out her second story window catches the Asian girl’s attention. There was no worry from those around her, rather an overall sense of pleasure and amusement. Walking up the street she caught sight of it. A fluffy grey mother cat is leading her three kittens across the street. The only car on the road has stopped to let them cross and everyone watching is smiling. Cass smiles too.
No, not three kittens. There is a fourth, a deep orange tabby, smaller than the rest and doing his best to catch up on his short little legs. The others are almost across as the strangler is jsut hopping off the curb down on the road.
A screech. Noting out of the ordinary in this area. But fast and coming....
Cass is moving before she thinks. She’s running for the little orange kitten as the car careens around the corner, revving it’s engine to even greater speeds. She sees it, but only peripherally as she aims for her target: the panicked little bit of orange fluff that’s frozen in place. A hand closes about the tiny body even as her legs push off, leaping up.
There is a screech of tires. And with the kitten cradled close, she is landing on the hood of the of the skidding car, her other fist slamming down hard enough to dent the metal. The car pulls to a jerky stop and Cass hops off. She has a mind to say something to the idiot driver but the others that had been watching are already moving on the driver. Fine, she needs to.
But the mother cat and her other three babies are long gone. Cass heads over to the last place she saw then and sure enough there is an alley, but as she walks in there’s no sign of them. The little kitten in her hand mews, high and pitiful, but there is no answering sound. Her heart sinks. He holds up the tiny beast and looks at him. Her expression is one of regret. Not that she grabbed him, but that his family left him. She knew something of that.
Large green eyes in a little face look at her, trusting, expectant. She leans in and presses her lips to his fuzzy head. The little beast squeaks are her and struggles. A small but very sharp claw catches her palm and she reflexively loosens her grip just a bit, just enough that the beast can squiggle free. But instead of diving the ground, it goes up, clinging the shoulder of her clothe jacket then working his way into the hood where he promptly curled up.
Trying to glance over her shoulder really doesn’t work as she can’t see him, but she can feel his weight. A slight smile tugs at her lips. So that’s how it’s going to be, hmm? Well, that works. Cass turns around and begins to retrace her steps. The pet shop where she bought Bat is only two blocks away. She can get some kitten formal there. And advice.
At the moment she is stopped at a street light, waiting for the walk signal. A few whispers and a woman hanging out her second story window catches the Asian girl’s attention. There was no worry from those around her, rather an overall sense of pleasure and amusement. Walking up the street she caught sight of it. A fluffy grey mother cat is leading her three kittens across the street. The only car on the road has stopped to let them cross and everyone watching is smiling. Cass smiles too.
No, not three kittens. There is a fourth, a deep orange tabby, smaller than the rest and doing his best to catch up on his short little legs. The others are almost across as the strangler is jsut hopping off the curb down on the road.
A screech. Noting out of the ordinary in this area. But fast and coming....
Cass is moving before she thinks. She’s running for the little orange kitten as the car careens around the corner, revving it’s engine to even greater speeds. She sees it, but only peripherally as she aims for her target: the panicked little bit of orange fluff that’s frozen in place. A hand closes about the tiny body even as her legs push off, leaping up.
There is a screech of tires. And with the kitten cradled close, she is landing on the hood of the of the skidding car, her other fist slamming down hard enough to dent the metal. The car pulls to a jerky stop and Cass hops off. She has a mind to say something to the idiot driver but the others that had been watching are already moving on the driver. Fine, she needs to.
But the mother cat and her other three babies are long gone. Cass heads over to the last place she saw then and sure enough there is an alley, but as she walks in there’s no sign of them. The little kitten in her hand mews, high and pitiful, but there is no answering sound. Her heart sinks. He holds up the tiny beast and looks at him. Her expression is one of regret. Not that she grabbed him, but that his family left him. She knew something of that.
Large green eyes in a little face look at her, trusting, expectant. She leans in and presses her lips to his fuzzy head. The little beast squeaks are her and struggles. A small but very sharp claw catches her palm and she reflexively loosens her grip just a bit, just enough that the beast can squiggle free. But instead of diving the ground, it goes up, clinging the shoulder of her clothe jacket then working his way into the hood where he promptly curled up.
Trying to glance over her shoulder really doesn’t work as she can’t see him, but she can feel his weight. A slight smile tugs at her lips. So that’s how it’s going to be, hmm? Well, that works. Cass turns around and begins to retrace her steps. The pet shop where she bought Bat is only two blocks away. She can get some kitten formal there. And advice.