The night was cold, much to Billy's grief. Clumps of slush got caught between his claws, and despite his thick winter coat and bandana, the chill in the air made shivers go up his spine. He ducked his head, squinting against the unpleasant gusts of wind, and couldn't help but sigh quietly in relief once he saw the fence.

Green eyes glinting in the street light's wake, he took a cautious sniff, letting the familiar scents waft over him. Pickles, Spooky, and Gozer were here, but..

Their scents were tainted with the tang of fear...and something else. Billy's hackles raised and his lip curled in alarm for a split second before he decidedly pounced onto the edge of the fence and craned his neck to take in the scene, claws digging into the wood. All three cats were huddled by the Cat Condo Complex with their bodies hunkered down and pressed close to the floor, making the entire yard seem barren and colder than it really was.

Billy huffed and jumped down, digging his claws into the soil when he landed- and instantly regretting it. The dirt was cold and wet, and made his paws feel slimy. Wrinkling his nose, he stood there for a few seconds, debating.

Before he could make any sort of decision, Gozer lifted his head, and his eyes widened. Well, dang.

"It's Billy!"

Billy could feel himself stiffen as all eyes turned to him, and he lowered his head a bit, narrowing his eyes as the three walked up. The cat backed up a bit, shielding himself from Gozer's lumbering and eager stride. Despite the fear in his eyes, he seemed oddly happy.

What a weird guy. Billy lifted his chin and gazed at all of them curiously, tail giving a twitch as they stared at him expectantly.

"Well?" he asked gruffly, growing impatient and uncomfortable. "What's going on with y'all?"

"I-it was scary," Pickles whimpered, shoulders hunched, his ears pressed flat against his head as the fur along his spine raised once more. "We were all hanging out, and-"

"And this huge shadow just comes out of nowhere, and it makes a mad dash for the sashimi, and it just WHAM!" yowled Gozer, interrupting the smaller gray cat. "Takes the whole thing and carries it away."

Spooky gave a small growl, aiming a gentle swipe towards the talkative feline to shush him, their ears giving a twitch.

"It didn't take the whole thing, it took half," they uttered. "And.. whatever it was, it growled at us before taking off."

Spooky licked their chest to smooth out some fluffed up fur and gave Billy a pleading look. The orange tabby blinked.

"...And? What do you want me to do about it?" he muttered, lifting a paw and trying to lick bits of frost from in between his toes. It was just sashimi, honestly. They had plenty of other types of food out there. Pickles spoke up next.

"Oh, Mister Billy, sir, it would mean a lot to us if you could... figure out what it was. It was pretty big, and-and- what if it attacks one of us? That thing could be a danger to the whole yard!" he mewled. "What if it starts stealing other things too?"

Hm. That was a good point. Though food and possessions didn't really matter to him, they were the things keeping the yard alive, keeping the community and the other cats safe. Billy gave a sigh and put his paw down, his tail tip flicking back and forth. Giving a reluctant growl, he looked back to the fence.

"..Fine," grumbled the tabby. "I'll hang around some more, see if I can catch the critter in the act, and as for right now... I'll see if I can still trace the scent."

Spooky gave a purr and bowed their head in appreciation, kneading the ground.

"Thank you, Billy," they murmured. "Be careful out there."

Pickles was silent, stunned admiration in his watery gaze. Billy just gave a small sigh, and arched his back in a stretch before nodding silently and turning to walk away.

"Mister Billy, can I come with?" Gozer asked eagerly, shifting his weight from one paw to the other, whiskers twitching. Billy didn't even have to think about it.

"No," he answered simply, trotting up to the fence and giving a mighty leap, turing to face the crestfallen would-be companion. "This is a job for only one tomcat, Gozer. Stay here or go home."

And so, Billy jumped out of sight.