felicia hardy is (felinesque) wrote in rooms, @ 2015-04-28 11:03:00 |
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Entry tags: | !marvel comics, *log, felicia hardy, peter parker |
log: cat & bug - jewelry store.
WHO Spidey & Black Cat.
WHAT spidey's got a bee in his bonnet about a certain thief.
WHEN recently!
WHERE Marvel: NYC.
WARNING nada~
It was funny how putting on the mask could make all his problems go away for a while. Not permanently, that’d be too easy. But Spider-Man didn’t have to worry about girls or college or a job, nope, he was all about fighting the good fight and looking out for the citizens of the city he called home. It was freedom. It was adrenaline, the rush of air and the feeling of flying, with nothing but a line of webbing between him and the ground. And doing his part to stop crime? Well, it felt right.
He warmed up a little first. Stretched his legs. Webslinging around the city helped him get into the right mindset, and swinging down just above traffic made him whoop with joy, like a kid on Christmas, and then he started actually paying attention. Sirens were usually a pretty good heads-up, but prevention was important too. Why show up to the scene of a crime when he could stop one from even happening? Maybe he’d find a mugger. A couple of thieves. Hey, that cat burglar might even be prowling around. She was good-looking, apparently, but Spidey didn’t let something like looks sway him from doing his duty. Nope. The internet could have their fun, but he was made of stronger stuff.
She liked jewelry stores, that one. So that seemed a good a place to start as any, right?
Felicia was in a precarious sort of situation that was, truthfully, a little thrilling. Suit by day, jewel thief by night, and she was fully aware that it was a fine, fine, dangerous line to be toeing. She still wasn’t too familiar with this New York, though she had spent many nights lately scouring the nooks and crannies for her next place to hit. She was a woman with an adrenaline problem; she knew that. She was addicted. Her nightly activities were not something she was going to give up though. Felicia Hardy was so far from apologetic about it.
That didn’t mean she wanted to be caught, and thankfully the secret identity was kept in tact so far. Black Cat. She really loved the sound of that, and oh did she just adore the attention. Internet posts multiplied since her first outing. Fanboys drooled and obsessed. News outlets tittered about whos and whys. And Felicia just came home every night with her loot, smirk crawling as she ran her hands over glittering emeralds and diamonds and rubies, only to return to work not much later and play the perfect assistant to Harry Osborn -- Mr. Osborn.
The corporate life felt droll though, and that was why she crawled out of her window that night, sleek black and shining blonde, for another hit of her drug. It was a tinier jewelry store in midtown that had fairly lackluster security. A warm-up for the bigger jobs later on in the night, to be sure, or maybe she just felt like taking it easy this night. Regardless, the spike of happiness she felt as her fingers closed in on that expensive pearl necklace from the display was the same. She pulled it up to the light, a lush red smirk on her face as she examined each inch of it.
Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was his trusty spidey senses. Maybe it was just logic; the night was young and the big jobs were never the first places hit anyway. Whatever the reason why, the end result was the same: Spider-Man was in the right neighborhood. To the unsuspecting bystander it was quiet, devoid of much activity, but he was pretty sure he’d seen a glimpse of movement near--what else--a small jewelry store across the street. And since business hours were over, it wasn’t a customer heading inside. Besides, customers used the front door. The owner? Maybe. Maybe not. He figured it was worth checking out, better safe than sorry or whatever.
The security was a total joke. Somebody really needed to talk to whoever ran the place, but that could wait. He slipped inside, and, jackpot!-- The figure in slinky black definitely didn’t belong. He watched her inspect the necklace upside-down for a few seconds, just hanging on the ceiling, before he struck. Snick went one of his webs, right for that pretty little string of pearls that didn’t belong to her.
“Didn’t you see the sign? Look, but don’t touch.”
Well, she certainly wasn’t expecting that.
The Cat’s neck snapped in the direction where the pearl necklace flew, and she spied a little bug hanging from the ceiling. A flip of cascading blonde hair away from her face (a graceful movement that looked something out of a Sports Illustrated photoshoot) revealed a lush smirk crawling up her mouth. Oh, this would be fun. She looked amused, crouching atop the glass case and hovering over more prizes to grab. Her head tilting to the side, she regarded the itsy bitsy spider like someone cute or fun, but not threatening. Oh, so not threatening.
“Oh, did it say that? Must’ve missed it.” A flicker across her face that said she was oh so silly before that red smirk found her lips once more. She had heard about this mask on the news in this New York as well as the bug that protected the city back home. Spider-Man. No, he certainly didn’t intimidate her, but like a kitty who found some yarn, she’d have some fun playing with him. She leaned a little further in his direction, ensuring that he could catch how the sleek black hugged every curve, how that neckline dipped down, down, down, far past appropriate. “But it’s so much more fun to touch than just look.”
This particular bug wasn’t blind. Far from it. Sure, she was a pretty kitty, but what kind of superhero would he be if he cut her a break for that reason alone? A thief was a thief. Luckily, his mask concealed his face and whatever expressions it wore. If he was staring--which he wasn't, but if, entirely hypothetical--she'd never know. The Spider may have snatched her pearls, but he doubted the Cat would call it quits and slink away that easily. The smirk on her lips? Was trouble with a capital T. Maybe she thought he was amusing, a toy to bat around, but he took great pride in being a pain in the neck to lawbreakers and criminals all over. If he had anything to say about it, which he did, she was going to end her night empty-handed.
"Better keep your eyes open, cat. Who knows what else you might miss?" The grin in his voice was audible, and he webbed down from the ceiling with ease, landing lightly and straightening up to his full height. Eyes on her face, yep, he could manage that. "Maybe you're looking in all the wrong places for fun," he suggested.
She looked pleased that he was playing along, the curve in her mouth proof of it. All she’d had to toy with so far was the occasional lucky owner or police officer that stumbled onto her before she vacated the premises. A blown kiss or a wink or a flirty exchange, and she would leave. Felicia was not planning on getting caught after all, and for the most part, she rarely lingered around the scene of a crime. But, the bug could be fun, and if not? She would go find somewhere else to play. The pearls were forgotten for the time being, but she kept a flickering gaze on the other pieces in the display case underneath her.
“What’s the fun in that, itsy bitsy spider?” After a moment, she flipped off the case, a smooth, graceful movement (thank you, cheerleading), landing a few feet away from the Spider. Her blonde hair spilled across her shoulder, and her hips swayed to and fro in almost unnatural exaggeration as she stepped closer. “I hope that’s your way of offering to show a girl the right places.” She eyed him, green eyes sliding over each muscle with clear appreciation. Oh, she could eat him up with a spoon. “I don’t think I’m missing a thing right now though.” He was, of course. Before he’d even crashed her party of one, she had snatched up other pieces. Where they were? He would have to work out for himself.
Spider-Man left the tall, dark and brooding schtick to other heroes; he preferred to keep things lighthearted. Hey, he could be serious when he needed to be, but most of the time there was no need to be a total buzzkill. She was a thief, this Cat, not some kind of murderer... plus he was a little tired of being miserable. He tipped his head to that side, grateful that the mask hid his admiration for her little flip off the display case; the girl had skills. "What's the fun in keeping your eyes open?" He sounded amused. "Better than being blind, I'd think. Or am I wrong, kitty cat?" He folded his arms over his chest as she approached, like he was completely undaunted by the sway of her hips. She had some nice moves, sure, but so did he, and his webs were quick.
"Sure. We can get out of here, and I'll give you the grand tour." Flippantly. "But first, we're gonna make sure everything in this place is right where it belongs. Sound good?"
The Cat slowly closed in on the bug, that careful movement of her hips accompanying the
click, click of her heels. Her red lips curved up, and it was clear she was nothing but trouble. “Oh, but I love when there’s a good blindfold is involved, don’t you?” She purred, close, practically within reach. Green eyes sharp and observing, almost as if she was trying to figure out who was underneath the mask. They stared at the whites of those big, bug eyes of his mask for a long string of moments, before she grazed one of those claws gently down his jaw, then hooked a finger underneath his chin to tilt it up.
A tut-tut. “Sorry, bug, but that’s not my style. Why should I leave all these pretties here just so people can stare at them. I’ll make much better use.” Without another second of warning, she swept her foot to the back of his, kicked him in the chest, and ran. Out the closest window and scaling up the building. Snatching, of course, a couple more prizes on the way.
He was pretty sure this kitty was used to wrapping men around her finger, but he was determined not to fall into that category. Trouble came in all shapes and sizes and if there was one thing the Spider could do, it was adapt, thank you very much. “Ummmm, can’t say blindfolds are really my thing,” he quipped. “But hey, to each their own.” Unless she had x-ray vision (which he was pretty sure she didn’t, fingers crossed) there was no seeing through his mask, and he couldn’t say he knew anyone as Peter Parker who might moonlight as a cat burglar. But then again, he was sure people who knew him would never think he’d be fighting crime in red and blue either. He studied her even as she studied him, but tensed up a little when she grazed those claws down his jaw. And when she tipped his chin up, that had him taking a step back. Distance, but--as he’d realize in a few seconds--not enough.
Of course she wouldn’t just give up. Still, it was worth a shot. “Actually, people buy them. You know. With money. See, there’s this thing called the law, and--” His lecture was cut off mid-sentence with an oof of air when her foot connected with his chest, the sweep meant to knock him off balance, he was sure, and he caught himself at the last second with a well-timed web. But the Cat had bought herself some time, which was annoying. Stubborn to the very end, there was no way he was just letting her escape; he had to at least try to give chase. He didn’t admit defeat that easily.
“Rude!” He hollered after her as he pursued, hauling himself over the windowsill, out, and up.
He could hear a laugh, something warm and teasing, echoing down from above as his rude! reverberated into the night, bouncing off skyscrapers and being swallowed whole by sirens and city noises all over. By the time he was out of the window, she was halfway up the side of the two-story building, her loot still hidden in nooks and crannies. Claws digging into the grooves between bricks. A rush of adrenaline pulsed through her veins, creating that sweet little high that she loved and that buzzed through her head delightfully. Heart racing, mind fuzzy, grin splitting her face, she pulled herself over the roof’s edge and kept running, not giving herself a moment to catch her breath.
She was getting away with something tonight, even if she had to get a few scratches in the process. But, that didn’t mean that she didn’t want to play with the bug a little first. “That the best you got, bug?” she shouted over her shoulder, blonde tresses flowing in the wind in waves. Good boys could be so boring, but at least this one was playing along for the moment.
She could climb pretty well for a Cat that wasn’t really a cat, and he wondered if it was pure skill or something else. Maybe both. But he could figure that out later-- now, the chase was on. Adrenaline pumping and blood rushing as he scaled the side of the building, just like the Spider whose name he’d taken for himself, and he was just as determined to catch her as she was to get away. Maybe it was more like a game than an actual pursuit of a criminal, but who said this schtick couldn’t be fun? And it was fine. He hated losing, there was no way he was letting her slip through his fingers. He webbed up and over the edge of the roof, landing lightly on his feet, but there was no time to stop. Not when she had a head start and she wasn’t slowing down anytime soon either.
“You haven’t seen anything yet, Cat!” She had speed and claws but he had webs, and he planned on using them. He aimed for her feet and shot off a succession of webs, little balls of sticky intended to trip her up.
The cool spring evening air stung sharp in her lungs, and she grinned over her shoulder as she heard the thwip of webs over the roof’s edge and a spider landing on his feet. She hadn’t seen this one in action beyond clips on the Bugle website or snapshots on Tumblr, but she was intrigued. The Cat winked at him, pushing herself to her top speed across the wide tarmac-covered rooftop towards another low building. But, just as she was about to bound onto the edge to leap the gap between buildings, she lost her footing. SLAM, and her body hit the roof hard, wind knocked out of her and head smacking against tarmac.
A string of curses escaped her lips as she looked down to see her boots covered in a sticky substance. She tried once, twice to yank her feet out of it, but to no avail. So, she began clawing at her feet with those razor sharp nails attached to her black gloves.
Aw, she was cute. Not a physically attractive kind of cute--yep, not even letting his mind stray in that direction--but thinking that she could outrun him, winking like she had the upper hand. The Spider would have winked back if he could've but, you know, the mask. Kind of made that impossible. Oh well, watching her go down was satisfying enough. Bingo. Not because he wanted to hurt her or anything, but his plan worked. Thank you, webs, for being so irritatingly sticky. It bought him time to catch up, too, since she had to stop to free herself.
"Whoops, looks like you're a little stuck." The kitty had claws, but he was on it. All it took was a running start, really, and he tackled her while she was busy shredding his webs. Thieves didn't get away with the goods on his watch.
The Cat scrambled a little quicker as she saw him bolting towards her across the roof. Her claws didn’t do enough to release her, however, by the time he reached her. Oof, and Felicia felt her head smack against the hard roof. Stars beneath the lids of her eyes, she gritted her teeth, bright green eyes opening to take in the spider holding her down. But suddenly, the tension in her mouth melted, and she smirked up at the man (boy?) in red and blue. “Now, that’s not any sort of way to treat a lady, bug. Where are your manners?”
One of those claws skated down his arm, tracing the edges of those muscles as she tried to figure out how to wiggle away from this situation. Her feet were loose, but not loose enough. She wondered if she could distract him enough to break free. Besides, he didn’t know where all that jewelry was hidden. The ones she’d hastily grabbed while fleeing were in a pouch a feet or two away from where she laid. Other pieces? Well, he’d have to just feel around to find out.
Okay, so maybe he felt a little bad when the Cat smacked her head against the roof. But luckily that knee-jerk apologetic wince was hidden safely away behind his mask and he pinned her down without much trouble. Of course, once she got her feet free, things would get trickier; he had to move fast. "I'll make it up to you later," was the Spider's flippant reply. "You know, when you're not trying to make off with stolen goods." Speaking of which, he saw the pouch. Good. He could at least make sure those pieces were returned, but the rest... he was pretty sure the rest was on her. And frisking criminals really wasn't his thing. At all.
He tried not to jerk back when her claws slid down his arm, because the second she knew touch made him jumpy she'd use it against him. "Listen, you can either pony up the rest to me or the cops. They probably won't be as nice when they show up."
The back of her head throbbed, and her eyes glassed over for a long string of moments before she could focus on the bug atop of her again. Feet still wiggling slowly, she felt a little more leverage. Webs getting stretched little by little, and she could feel freedom a few short moments away. The Cat chuckled, lips curling up and smirking, one of those claws digging into his forearm. “You’re spoiling my fun, bug. Can’t you just treat a girl right?” And ah, there. Her feet were free enough. She waited for a moment though. No risky moves yet.
“Oh, you caught me though. I’ve been such a bad girl,” her voice purred, and she jutted her chin towards the goods. “They’re all there, little bug. Scout’s honor.” And before he could react or frisk her for more, she slid her legs up, kicking him off of her and bolting once again. Jumping off the edge of the building with a flair of someone who had practice.
Unfortunately his webs wouldn't last forever, and the Cat didn't seem inclined to give up the rest of the goods. Sigh. Letting her go didn't feel right, it was like giving up, but realistically he wasn't going to start feeling her up looking for jewels; she probably knew that, too. "When your fun breaks the law, kitty cat, I've got an obligation to spoil it." His brow furrowed behind the mask when her claws dug in, but otherwise he gave no outward reaction. Seriously, though, ow. "Hey, I'm giving you a chance," he said. "Don't waste it." Because yeah, reasoning with thieves was the way to go.
He rolled his eyes when she purred that the bag was all she'd stolen. "Sure," he said sarcastically, but before he could do anything else she'd kicked him off and he was rolling to get back on his feet. "Hey!" He webbed the bag to him, just in case, and there was a split second in which he had a choice; let her go, or try to pursue.
"Ugh." The Spider muttered under his breath and took a running leap off the edge of the building, shot out a web, and swung.