Old Tricks [Trickster]

[Catwoman]

Selina glared at her surroundings. She knew these streets like the back of her hand. She could pinpoint so many spots that held so many different memories here. She had been chased into the dingiest part of Gotham after some luck cop caught her sneaking out of a jewelry store. She had been doing a very good job at not raising the alarm. She knew what she was doing and was the best at it.

However. It only took one lucky glance.

She growled, stepping from one alley to another. More memories down this way. This was more home than any other place. She might live in a fancy penthouse apartment, but this was truly home. She had spent many a night on these streets and they had become everything to her. Whether she liked it or not, she home again.

Wrinkling her nose, Catwoman kept moving, always going somewhere. She couldn't allow the police to find her. She wasn't going to get caught, of course, but that did entail keeping on the move. She had to find safe places to hide for a moment here and there, then change location again. It was a damn good thing that she knew where all the best hiding spots were.

The next one was across the street. She stepped toward the sidewalk, green eyes scanning for signs of police. Lights blinked next to her. Toys. Right. She was passing by one of the small toy shops that East End had. Hey, even those that had little had kids. They were cheap and poorly made, but these toys would mean a lot to these children. With a slight frown, she hurried across the street, knowing that she was putting herself in plain sight, but sometimes these things had to happen.

[Trickster]

Oh, glee! Night had fallen over Gotham, and that meant only one thing: Late hour shenanigans. He didn't feel like going to the bar. No, that was too laid-back. Even the rough and tumble bars in Gotham only offered so much excitement. No, he was going to take to the streets and see what sort of mischief he could get into.

Gotham might be dangerous, but it could also be terribly exciting.

By 2 am he'd managed to catch a mugger and return a man's wallet, it was a bit lighter, of course. With the extra he'd "picked up", he bought some food for a family on the streets. Oh god, he'd obviously been listening to Piper too much. But it felt surprisingly good to do a good deed. And it certainly wouldn't hurt his karma. With a wave and a grin, he bid the family good night and carried on his way.

When the police sirens blared past him, his natural reaction was to dive into an alley. They were hot on the tail of someone else, however, and his line of sight moved to the rooftops. If the cops were after someone, then Bats might be out. He really didn't want to mess with the guy in his own city. Something else caught his eye though. A black cat running through the alley he'd just ducked into.

A very familiar, curvacious black cat.

He managed to walk over a few of the buildings to land directly in front of her in one of the deeper alleyways she was crossing. "What's new, pussycat?" Class, man, class. He gave a deep, wide grin and planted his hands on his hips.

[Catwoman]

Catwoman glanced behind her. Police were driving around, trying to find her. A car had passed by the end of the alley. Boy, she sure was glad she kept to black clothing. Not only was it a fantastic fashion choice, but it blended into shadows just oh so nicely. The fact that she couldn't be seen so easily had saved her tail so many times already. Chalk another one up for black leather. Any good self-respecting thief really should know that this was the way to go. Then again, she might have actual competition if people did that.

Ha. Yeah, right.

With a smirk, she started to turn around slowly. She wanted to make sure that no flashlights flashed down this way unexpectedly. The choice in speed was soon null. She whipped around to see who had addressed her. Pussycat? Who even called her that around here? No one. And it was still no one from Gotham. Trickster stood in front of her, loud costume demanding all kinds of attention included. A small frown pulled at her lips.

It wasn't so much James' presence, it was the fact that everything about him screamed "Here I am!" and that wasn't what she wanted right now. I'm trying to be conspicuous. Not that you can ever say the same, The thief replied, shaking her head. With a sigh, she walked forward, looking him over. Well, he was still nicely bright, meaning that the grim that was Gotham hadn't tarnished his outfit yet.

Had he been keeping his nose clean here? Nah.

Please tell me you don't have the Bat on your tail. I don't want him on mine, Selina said with a wave of her hand. The fact that the cops were onto her tonight was bad enough. What are you doing in Gotham anyway? Aren't you supposed to be bugging Zippy or something? She asked, brow raised behind her red tinted goggles. Oh god. Another thought occurred to her then. If Trickster was here, Flash might follow. That was just fantastic. She might not be able to pull any heist while the red pest was in town.

[Trickster]

He let out a laugh. "Oh don't you worry, I can disappear if I need to. But I like being in the spotlight. Kind of my thing." He offered a charming grin and stepped forward, walking inches above the ground. "Staying the the shadows is just too boring. No one cheers, no one notices. But then..." He stopped in front of her. "Flashypants and Bats are two completely different capes. It's all darkness and madness out here. Us Rogues, we put on shows. The Sister Cities are always buzzing about us." A smirk and a tilt of his head. "It's the ultimate joyride, pussycat."

He looked her down and up in one quick motion. She hadn't really changed much in appearance since there last meeting. In fact, he hadn't really thought of her much. She'd made it clear the last time they saw each other that she wasn't interested, and he had no interest in chasing a dead end.

"I don't mean to pull a loner out of her comfort zone, but we probably shouldn't be out on the streets." He would have mentioned Bats, but he had a feeling he'd been a little more than just on her tail in the past, and he so did not want to open that can of worms. Rumors get spread in the supervillain and former-Rogue communities just as much as they do top-side.

He motioned and offered a sly smile. "You've got a hideout, right?"

[Catwoman]

Selina rolled her eyes. Yeah, the Twin Cities were all about grandstanding and making yourself known. Granted, majority of Gotham wasn't exactly low key, but they weren't in it for the art of it. They were just nuts and couldn't help but draw attention. She couldn't say that she didn't get attention. She got plenty herself. Just because I don't go dance in the streets doesn't mean I don't get headlines. I haven't been called the world's greatest cat burglar just in my little circle, She said, making her point. Hell, Rome had been put through the ringer with her running around.

Slinking in shadows didn't hurt her reputation at all. In fact, it helped. No one knew who she was, she kept evading getting caught. Who wouldn't want to keep trying to crack that mystery? She liked her method better than just saying "Hey, here I am." It was too needy.

With a sigh, she stared at Trickster. Why was she bothering with this? While she had worse associates, that didn't mean that she wanted to have someone so flamboyant around. She already had Harley to hang out with. That was more than enough energy. However, she couldn't just brush him off. He wasn't that easy to get rid of.

Stepping forward, the thief brushed passed him. Yeah, yeah. Come on, blondie. She started toward another alley, deciding to take him to somewhere less than hospitable for a long stay. It was fine for no more than a night. It was close enough at least. You didn't answer my questions, circus top. While she wasn't going to tell him off, Selina wasn't going to let the fact that he was in her city go.