Christmas in Blüdhaven: The Naughty List
by Smitty
Cassandra Cain had special, black, place in her heart for those cowardly and superstitious criminals who dared steal from the Salvation Army Santa.
Little matter that it had taken Barbara three tries to adequately explain their presence on the street corner. The people in the silly red suits were doing something nice for other people and for that they were afforded special protection. Her protection.
The criminals knew better in Gotham and if they didn't, they learned quickly. But Blüdhaven crooks were bold and mean and they suffered for their attacks on the few brave souls who rang the bell.
"Enough."
He looked down at her, the twinkling Christmas lights casting his face into a sinister, drawn shadow. He hadn't been eating and it was starting to show.
Cass released her prey reluctantly and secured its hands and feet.
Last year, he would have stopped her out of compassion. But not now. Now he lacked passion in all its forms and his decisions were as cold and calculating as the man who had inspired him.
But this time, he was wrong.
It wasn't enough. Not for this town. If she could learn charity, so could this ugly stepsister of Gotham.
Author's Note: Christmas in Blüdhaven is written in the same general style as Jingle Bells, my attempt to write 24 200-word ficlets--one per day until Christmas, sort of like an Advent calendar--with characters from around the DCU. Christmas in Blüdhaven differs, however, by each of the ficlets being loosely linked and progressing toward a greater conclusion. The title was derived from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas in Sarajevo" because everything and everyone in Blüdhaven is currently something of a wreck.