A cool breeze blew through the city, rustling the leaves of the trees and swirling into alleys. The sunset painted the sky a brilliant array of pinks and oranges. It was a calm evening, just like any other. It wouldn’t be for long, however.

Atop a brick building twelve stories tall was a woman, perched precariously on the edge. She was of average height and slender build, with modest curves accentuated by the full body navy blue catsuit she wore. Her long raven black tresses waved in the wind.

What truly set her apart was the rest of her outfit. Crowning her head were a pair of black cat ears attached to a headband, and on her face she wore a black masquerade mask, which framed her bright green eyes perfectly. The whole ensemble contrasted her pale skin, which almost seemed to glow in the waning light.

Cat burglar, phantom thief, lady thief. All were apt titles for Carmen Hayes, the Moonlighter, the greatest larcenist of the modern day. She breathed in the cool air, let out a dramatic sigh, and grinned. Practically flawless in every way, she had never been caught. And she didn’t plan on changing that fact.

Broken from her reverie by the sound of police sirens, Carmen glanced down the street. Unmistakable red and blue flashing lights, made even brighter by the dimming daylight, filled the streets and painted the buildings.

She appraised the pursuers, counting the vehicles as they snaked their way towards her. There must have been at least three dozen in that first wave alone. She wouldn’t have been surprised if the whole force was out looking for her.

She turned and hopped down from the building’s edge, and walked over to a nearby duffel bag. The bag contained all the tools of her trade. Ropes, grappling hooks, wire cutters, you name it. All that and more was at her disposal.

The bag also contained her current spoils. She knelt down and unzipped the bag, pausing to gaze at the object laying on top: a massive blood-red ruby. Worth millions.

Only an hour beforehand she had stolen it from the museum exhibit it was on display for. It was almost laughable how easily she had slipped past the dense security assigned to guard the prize. It had been her most daring heist to date.

Unfortunately, she had been so focused on the ruby that when passing through another exhibit on her way out, she had made the mistake of tripping an alarm. She wasn’t entirely flawless, after all. Just practically. She had managed to make it as far as she had only because she had a head start, but very soon they’d be upon her. She needed to hide.

That’s where the rest of the duffel came in.

Pushing the ruby aside, Carmen reached in and took out a bundle of clothes. A plain green blouse, a pair of jeans, and a brown newsboy style cap, with a stiff visor and full body. She then removed her eye mask and cat ears. They helped hide and distract from her face to obscure her identity, a good way to avoid the authorities in daily life. However, they were also rather conspicuous. She didn’t want to risk having her costume recognized.

Next she stripped out of her catsuit, unzipping it down the front, revealing the black sports bra and panties she was wearing underneath. She stowed her thieving outfit in the duffel before quickly changing into the new ensemble. After closing and hoisting the bag onto her shoulder, she looked back over the building’s edge.

Across the street was the largest shopping mall in the city, and one known for having a confusing, convoluted layout, with plenty of back exits. It was the perfect place to pass through. The sirens were getting close, so she rushed to the alley side of the building, belayed down, and rushed across the road.

“And like that, she makes her escape!”

——————

“We will not let her escape! Do you understand me? Moonlighter isn’t getting away this time! Over!”

Detective Diana Pearce barked into the radio of the cop car bringing up the rear of the wave of police rolling through the city. She slammed the radio into its holster and sat back into the passenger seat with a huff.

She was a tall and stocky woman, with large arms and a strong jawline. Her honey brown skin matched well with the brown of her trench coat, as well as her short, somewhat spiky dark brown hair.

She ground her teeth in frustration. For years she had been chasing after Moonlighter, and every single time the thief always managed to just barely slip past each and every trap and security measure placed in her way. Every time, the trail that Diane followed would go cold. But this time, Moonlighter had finally made a big mistake, triggering an alarm. This time was different.

“Has she left the rooftops yet? There must’ve been some citizen who saw something…”

“Er… Nothing yet, Detective,” the officer driving the car responded. “You’ll be the first to know, I’m sure…”

Diana sighed, frustrated. “I was being rhetorical. Talking to myself.”

“Oh.” The driver wilted.

The radio crackled to life, and Diana snatched the receiver. “What is it? Found something? Over.”

“Yes, ma’am. A citizen has reported a woman with long black hair and a strange bag heading into the shopping mall with unusual speed. Over.”

Diana’s eyes lit up. “She’s getting sloppy. Inform all units!”

——————

Carmen stood on the second floor of the shopping mall, attempting to decipher a large display showing a map of the building. She hadn’t had the opportunity to scope out the building beforehand. The neon pink “You are here!” marking did little to help point her towards a suitable exit.

“Hm. Perhaps I’ve bitten off more than I can chew here…”

Suddenly, she heard a commotion coming from the floor below. She rushed over to the nearby guard rail and glanced down. Below her at least a dozen police officers were rushing across the floor from a nearby entrance. One had grabbed the arm of a woman with long, straight black hair, who was protesting loudly. Carmen noted Detective Pearce, who walked up to the two and defused the situation. The woman walked off with a huff.

“Damn…” Carmen swore under her breath. Diana was Carmen’s nemesis. She was most likely the only person in the world who’d be able to keep up.

Carmen quickly retreated from the edge and ducked into a nearby bathroom. It was apparent that a simple change of clothes wouldn’t be enough to shake off her pursuers. With Diana in the picture, her small mistake had become a catastrophic one. This time was different. Unlike all her previous heists, she was in a bind. It was time to bring out the big guns.

She entered a stall and quickly stripped down to her undergarments, and jammed her clothes into her bag. She then retrieved a strange, folded bundle of hair and pale flesh-colored material from underneath. She felt a shiver of excitement as she held up the material, letting it unfold to its full glory. She was the perfect thief. An expert climber, acrobat, lockpicker… and master of disguise. The object she held looked like the deflated face and neck of a woman, a full-head mask capable of hiding her identity.

Carmen flipped the mask upside-down, holding it by the sides of the flap that formed the false clavicle. The hair of the mask dangled, nearly brushing against Carmen’s toes. The weight of the hair caused the face to distend, its mouth hanging agape and its empty eyes open wide in a look of bizarre shock. Carmen, however, was more focused on the large opening of the neck.

She ducked down as she hefted the mask, meeting it halfway. She grunted as she reared back, flipping back her new locks. The rubbery mass of false flesh bunched around her forehead, but with gravity on her side she was able to slide it down over the rest of her head. She took hold of the mask’s jawline and pulled, pressing her face into her new features.

Her nose caught first, slotting in perfectly. Next her brow met the thin material. Carmen shifted her hands to the mask’s throat and rolled her jaw, letting her lips and chin catch and settle properly. She adjusted her ears, then finally pressed down on the edges of the mask around her clavicle and nape. The material tapered off, making it unnoticeable to the average observer. Even then, it would soon be covered.

Carmen quickly smoothed out any imperfections, running her hands all over her new visage. She then changed into a different set of clothes from her bag. A modest beige knit sweater and tight black pants formed her outfit. She took a thin brown hair tie, and tied up her hair, appreciating how it pulled snugly against her scalp. She emerged from the stall a new woman.

She sauntered over to the sink, pulling out a pair of blue colored contacts which she quickly slipped into her eyes. She smiled at her reflection. The image of a pretty, thirty-something woman with a light complexion and a mid-length brown ponytail smiled back. Changing her identity like this was a great way to avoid the authorities in daily life.

“I think I’ll call you… Emily.”

Emily giggled to herself, and blew a kiss to herself before turning to exit.

——————

“We’ve set up checkpoints all along the first and second floors, and are identifying all routes to the third.” an officer reported while wiping sweat from his brow. “This place is like a damn maze.”

Diana nodded her head and grimaced. “Will it be possible to have checkpoints on the third as well? Moonlighter won’t sit still.”

The officer shook his head. “It doesn’t look like it, we’re spread thin enough as it is. Unless we want to entrust a route to a single pair of eyes, we’d need more backup.”

Diana sighed. “Alright, well, keep an eye out, and keep HQ on speed-dial.”

“Yes ma’am!”

Diana turned from the officer, walking over the guardrail separating the second floor from the open space leading down to the first. She swept her vision along the floor, and glanced at each checkpoint she could make out. Various shoppers who matched the vague physical description they had were being inspected as they made their way out.

She then raised her eyes, looking out across the second floor. More check-ins were occurring. Just across the way, a woman with a brown ponytail in a beige sweater greeted a pair of officers with a smile, exchanged a few words, then turned and left, hefting her duffel bag on her shoulder. Diana sighed. No progress.

A thought struck Diana. Hadn’t the witness said Moonlighter had a duffel? Her eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute…” She jogged around the floor, approaching the officers.

“Hey! You two, what did that woman speak to you about?”

“Hm?” The older of the two responded. “She was wondering what all the hubbub was about. Wanted to know what floors to avoid, and what exits she could use. Didn’t want to get in the way.”

“What?” Diana blinked. “You didn’t find that suspicious?”

“Uh… Well, I suppose it was an odd question.” The officer shifted uncomfortably. “But she doesn’t look like Moonlighter.”

Diana looked at the retreating form of the woman, and her strangely large black bag. Diana was suddenly thrown back, memories from years ago resurfacing. She had been brought onto a case where guests at an upscale dinner party had discovered that pieces of their jewelry had suddenly gone missing.

It had taken countless hours pouring over surveillance footage for Diana to realize what had happened. Moonlighter had taken the appearance of a waitress, then walked right out of the party in the guise of a guest, stolen goods in her purse.

“That’s her,” Diana asserted.

“What? Detective, she—”

“That’s her!” Diana barked angrily. “Moonlighter can disguise herself as other people! Her bag is the same, how could you not realize?”

“Ma’am, she’s running!” the younger officer exclaimed.

“Damn!” Diana turned to see the distant woman break into a sprint. She must have heard the yelling. Another pair of officers moved to intercept the woman, but she threw down an object, creating a large puff of smoke. By the time Diana reached the two coughing cops, the woman was gone. Nearby, however, was a door to the stairwell, still swinging closed. Diana growled.

“You’re not getting away. All units, focus efforts above the second floor!”

——————

Emily bolted up the stairs, and her heart felt like it was going to burst. Detective Pearce was a force to be reckoned with, to be sure. Emily didn’t think the detective would find her out that fast. She certainly didn’t expect Diana to be standing right there. She must have come to the second floor while Emily was still in the bathroom.

As she reached the next floor, Emily composed herself before carefully opening the door. When she stepped through, she could already hear the bustle from below. She walked at a moderate pace, fast enough for the urgency of the situation, but slow enough as to not arouse suspicion. She’d need to change identities again, and soon.

She also had to do something about her duffel. It was too recognizable, but she couldn’t just leave it behind. Her options would be limited without it, and it contained too much evidence.

Luckily, she soon spotted the perfect place: a clothing store, and within it, a set of changing rooms. Entering the store, she deftly avoided the sightlines of two clerks, picked up a large designer bag as she went, and made it to the changing rooms undetected. She slipped into the first available room and closed the door with a delicate click.

She removed the tags from her new bag, opened it up as wide as it could, and forced the duffel inside. Hopefully, that would disguise it. As for herself. Emily had other plans.

She stripped down once again, this time to the nude, and placed her outfit into the bag. She then reached up to her face, grabbing the top of her scalp and pulling forwards. Her face became distended as her forehead peeled away, her eyes became empty sockets, and her nose and lips popped loose and caved in on themselves.

She continued to pull, the edge around her neck coming loose. The material snaked upwards, and with a dull sucking sound the Emily mask relinquished its grasp on Carmen’s head and flopped listlessly from her hand. She let out a sigh and shook her hair out.

With the disguise fully removed, she hastily put it back in the bag. She had no time to worry about wrinkles. That was a problem for later. She searched through her bag, appraising the other identities available to her. She briefly lingered on another face mask, but shook her head and moved on. That would need to be a last resort.

Making up her mind, Carmen grabbed a different mask. This one however had a bit more to it. She needed something more drastic.

This face had a dark tan and shoulder length, wavy blonde hair. What truly set this mask apart, however, was that it continued past the neck. It featured a whole upper torso, with a generous bust that was very apparent even in its limp state.

Carmen turned the mask around and took hold of a small, flesh-colored zipper at the base of the mask’s neck, imperceptible if one was not aware of it. She unzipped the mask, splitting the torso down to the opening. She then put her arms through the shoulder openings, much like wearing a vest. She took special care to align her breasts to the pockets within the massive mounds of the suit.

She then took hold of the mask’s face and flipped it over her head like a backwards hood. She wiggled and she pulled, aligning herself with her new features.

Even after pulling on the face, the mask’s chest caused the rest of it to stretch and distend. Zipping up the mask alleviated that issue, however, and after running her hands all across her face and torso to remove any remaining wrinkles, ner new visage was complete. She gave herself a stunning smile in the changing room’s mirror, struck a quick pose, and watched with satisfaction as the suit’s fake breasts jiggled and swayed as if they were real.

“Hello there… Olivia.” she said with a high class matronly tone.

Olivia turned back to her bag. She extracted a pair of what appeared to be a set of ballroom gloves, but rather than fabric they were made of the same faux flesh as her face and chest. She bunched up the gloves and slid in her hands, then rolled them up her arms to just past her elbows before pulling them tight. She flexed her fingers, ensuring her new hands were properly situated.

The sports bra wouldn’t cut it, so instead she put on a lacy pink full-cup bra, and matching panties. Additionally, her skin tone now clashed with itself, so she’d need to cover up more. For her top she wore a long-sleeve off white button-up with a blue scarf around the collar, and for her bottoms she wore loose dark brown pants that extended to her shoes.

Olivia strode out of the changing room, confident in her disguise.

——————

“That’s right, check everyone with a bag. Whether it's a man or a granny, I don’t care, I want every shopper in this whole damn mall cleared before the day’s out!”

Diana tapped her foot impatiently as she gave the orders, and watched as the officers dispersed. They moved across the third floor in pairs, pushing through the forming crowd and checking each bag along the way.

Diana shook her head. “We’re gonna need backup. Call the neighboring cities, more manpower’s gonna be required to check everyone in time…”

Out of the corner of her eye, Diana thought she saw some movement. It wasn’t much, but something about the way the form flitted stealthily through the commotion made it stand out to her.

When she turned to look, she didn’t see anyone. What she did see, however, were a nearby pair of escalators. The officers assigned to watch it were halfway through taking each and every toy out of a bag held by what appeared to be a mother of two, the nearby children watching curiously.

The escalator lay unwatched. Diana stormed towards them angrily. “And maybe I’ll have competent officers then to boot!’

——————

Olivia cursed her own naivete as she ducked behind a large fake potted plant at the top of the escalator. She was sure Diana had seen her. It wouldn’t be long now before the cops followed. Olivia cursed to herself again as she set off, weaving through the tables of an expansive food court.

It should have been obvious that they would start searching bags. If they knew she was able to change her physical appearance, it would be natural for them to expect her to disguise the bag as well. This persona had been a waste of time. She huffed with exertion, her large breasts bouncing as she speedwalked. That aspect of the disguise didn’t do her any favors at the moment either.

“Er… Ma’am? The court’s closed for the night, and there’s some police business goin’ on. You should probably head downstairs.”

Olivia froze mid stride and turned to face the average looking young man who had called out to her. He appeared to be a sort of custodian, and was standing in front of a door marked “Lounge: Employees Only.” He shifted uncomfortably as she looked him up and down.

“Police business?” Olivia asked innocently.

“Uh, yeah. The cops seem to be lookin’ for someone. They want the staff to help ‘em look, even,” he replied.

Olivia took mental note of that. “So everyone else’s downstairs? So we’re all alone?”

A devious plan popped into Olivia's head, and she took a confident step towards the man. She was very good at reading people. She had a feeling he’d be a pushover.

The man blinked, confused. “Yes?”

Olivia closed the distance between them, and leaned forward seductively. “Y’know, I recently had a bad breakup… I’ve been downright depressed, hun. And now with all this bustle, I think the stress is getting to me. Think you could let me in that room and help me… Unwind?”

She reached out a hand to the man, who took a nervous step back. “B-But, er… You mean… But I’m at work…”

Olivia gave a soft chuckle and retracted her hand, using it to undo the top button of her shirt. “You said everyone else is downstairs, ain’t that right? What’s the harm?”

The man tried to protest again, but his complaint caught in his throat as she undid the next button, revealing her generous cleavage. She noticed the bulge beginning to form between his legs, and she knew she had him.

“How ‘bout you open up that door, hun, get us some privacy?”

The man stood for a second in stunned silence before coming to his senses. He quickly unlocked the door and pushed inside, holding it open for Olivia as she entered, then turned to lock it behind him.

Olivia surveyed the room as she undid more of her shirt buttons. Ever the planner, she had prepared various not-civilian outfits, including a security guard and police uniform, as well as some more specialized ensembles. However, she hadn’t brought something that would make her look like a mall employee. The room was a break area, with a row of dented green lockers for storing uniforms. Perfect.

When the man turned away from the door to face Olivia, he was greeted by the sight of her unhooking her bra, freeing her breasts and letting them droop out of her shirt’s opening. She took care to keep the edges of the mask covered by cloth. She beckoned the slack-jawed man forward, and rewarded his obedience by tossing the bra aside, completely revealing her chest to him.

She cupped her breasts provocatively, moaning as she grasped them by the sides and thrust them forwards. The man gawked at the display, staring directly at her quivering nipples. Noticing his focus, Olivia shifted her hands and started to rub her pointer fingers around her areolas.

The nipples of the suit, as a result of their false nature, were perpetually in a state of semi-hardness, a feature which made them particularly suited for performances like this. Olivia purred. “Close your eyes for a bit, hun, and then I’ll show you… Everything.”

She dropped a hand to her crotch. The man, understanding the implication, squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could.

Olivia smiled and removed her hands from her body. She leaned down and reached into her bag, retrieving a rag and a bottle of liquid. She dabbed the liquid onto the rag, being careful to hold her breath.

She sauntered to the man, then grabbed the back of his head while simultaneously pressing the cloth to his mouth and nose. He only had a second to open his eyes in shock before the chloroform knocked him unconscious. He fell forwards into Olivia’s breasts, bouncing slightly. She chuckled, stroking his hair for a moment.

“Sweet dreams, hun.”

Olivia carefully set the man down on the floor, ensuring he’d be fine during the time he spent unconscious. With that taken care of, she fulfilled her promise and finished stripping, fully revealing herself. A shame the man couldn’t appreciate her exposed pussy.

She grasped at her nape, taking hold of the zipper. As she pulled it down her back, the weight of her breasts lost their support and began stretching her pretty features. Carmen grunted as she stumbled forwards, yanking the mask off her head and letting it slide free from her arms. The mask fell to the floor in a crumpled heap with a dull thwap.

It was moments before Carmen had the mask in her arms. After removing Olivia, it was time to change into yet another false identity. She rooted through her bag. She grimaced as she realized she only had one option left besides her last resort. She’d have to make this identity count.

With haste, Carmen extracted a bundle of dark skin, larger than the ones she had used previously. Once unfolded, the object she held looked like the whole deflated skin of a woman, a full-body suit capable of concealing her more completely than anything else.

She turned the suit around, spreading the slit that ran all the way down the suit’s back. She stepped inside, filling up the suit’s leg with her own, wiggling her toes to make sure they were snug. She adjusted the waist, making sure the anatomically correct crotch lined up with her own. She hefted the suit upward and slit her left arm inside, then her right, and flexed her fingers. She took great pleasure in the way the dark material covered her lighter complexion.

She took hold of the suit’s breasts, also anatomically correct. They were roughly the same size as her natural ones. They were difficult for her to see, as the suit’s full-head mask sagged down onto her chest, so she had to go by feel to make sure they fit correctly. She lifted the mask, spread the opening wide, and ducked her head inside. She pulled the material tight against her face, reveling in the feeling as her chin, nose, eyes, mouth, and ears all slotted into place.

Finally, she reached back, zipping up the suit. Similar to Olivia, the zipper’s color matched the false skin, and was undetectable once fully closed. The feeling of the suit as it pulled tight against Carmen’s body sent a shiver down her spine.

With the suit fully on, the completely new woman named herself Roxanne. She was moderately curvy with brown skin and frizzy black hair. After a quick search, she obtained the uniform of a food court from the nearby lockers and slipped it on.

She knelt down next to the man’s unconscious form, and retrieved his keys. She smiled with newfound confidence. Now in the guise of an employee, she’d be in on the search. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” she laughed in a sing-song voice.

As she stood, however, she heard the sound of a muffled siren. Moving over to a nearby window, her heart sank as she looked down at the massive crowd of police cars swarming the mall. She counted at least three more cities’ worth of units. As if that wasn’t enough, the custodian’s radio crackled to life, tearing Roxanne’s attention away from the window.

“All employees report to the first floor. All employees. Officials want a full check of everyone. Over.”

That cinched it. Shoppers were being checked, employees were being checked. She was out of generic skins and civilian clothes. She doubted what she had left would work.

Unless…

Roxanne looked back outside, down into a parking lot swarming with officers from disparate units intermingling. Officers who had never met, and wouldn’t be off-put by seeing a new face among them. A new idea began to form.

——————

Diana stood among three city’s worth of officers. The sea of blue uniforms filled Diana with confidence. With this many cops, they could lock down every nook and cranny of the mall. No civilian would be able to slip past.

“The final dance starts now, Moonlighter!”

——————

A pair of officers standing at one of the mall entrances looked out at the crowd of new individuals pouring in from the roads, blue and red light strobing from every direction. They knew there would be even more coming from the other direction.

Their vigil was broken as they were approached by a policewoman from within the mall. She had dark brown skin and frizzy hair.

“Officer Roxanne Powers, East City 3rd Squad. Everything good here?”

The younger of the two officers turned and responded. “Yup. No civilians have tried to come or go through these doors. Even if one had, we’ve got so many officers watching the lot there’s no way anyone could escape.”

“Sounds good.” Roxanne nodded. “How are the roads?”

“We’ve got them barricaded a few miles down, nothing’s getting past.” the officer beamed.

“Excellent. Well, I’ll leave you gentlemen to it. Good luck!” Roxanne smiled.

“Yeah, thanks.” The two officers waved as she jogged past, out into the hustle and bustle.

Several minutes passed. Suddenly, the older of the two stood bolt upright. “Hey, Bob, what unit did she say she was with?”

“Um.. East City 3rd Squad, I think. Why, Frank?”

“East CIty didn’t send any squads.”

At that moment a series of yells ripped through the night air on the east side of the mall as a car roared to life, speeding full throttle out of the lot straight down the nearest road.

“Shit, she got us!”

——————

Diana spun to face the car tearing away from the mall, officers yelling and diving for safety. It broke through a small barrier erected at the parking lot’s entrance and onto the road leading out into the night. She spun and yelled.

“Don’t panic, we’ve got her now! That road’s barricaded! Move, move, MOVE!”

——————

A group of assorted officers from different squads were huddled together between two cruisers, listening to a flood of frantic radio calls coming in from each of their receivers. Each report was slightly different, and it was near impossible to tell what was happening through all the crosstalk.

“Dammit.” one of the officers swore. “Of course all the action’s happening on the east side of the mall, and we’re stationed here.”

“Be patient.” another responded. “We can’t leave any escape routes unattended.”

The first officer groaned. “It’s been almost five minutes since the commotion started. I bet they’ve already caught Moonlighter by now.”

The group’s focus was broken as a voice called out to them, getting closer. The first officer turned, relief washing over their face. “Good, now we’ll get some answers! We heard the car, what’s happening?”

Detective Diana Pearce sprinted towards the group, panting heavily. “Moonlighter has fled in a vehicle towards East City!”

She looked at the two vehicles at their disposal. “I need you all over there, stat! All hands on deck! You take one of these cruisers, I’ll take the other and inform any stragglers. Get going!”

The officers gave a flurry of salutes, happy to be seeing some action, and piled into a cop car. They left the other to Diana. She hopped in, and turned the throttle.

——————

A police car screeched to a halt behind a number of others. The driver quickly got out and began moving towards the large smoking wreck of metal that was the getaway vehicle. “Hey, what happened here?”

A nearby officer responded. “They say Moonlighter drove like a woman possessed, didn’t even try to shake us, just gunned it. Didn’t even slow down for the barrier. Doubt she survived.”

“Man. I know she didn’t wanna get taken in, but damn,” the first cop replied, scratching their head.

“Yeah.” The second officer gave the first a sidelong glance. “Hey, I recognize you. What are you doing all the way over here? Weren’t you stationed on the west side of the mall? I thought you guys were on standby.”

“Yeah. But Detective Pearce sent us over.” The first shrugged.

The second shook his head. “Detective Pearce? That’s not possible. She was the first one here, practically caught up with Moonlighter before the crash. She’s been inspecting the scene, hasn’t said a word over the radio, or at all, really.”

“What?”

The driver’s eyes widened. They began pushing through the crowd, making it to the wreck. Diana was indeed there, covered in dust and staring blankly at the crash while more officers inspected it. She seemed to be in shock at the loss of her nemesis.

“Detective! What are you doing here? Weren’t you back at the west side?”

She didn’t respond for a second, then suddenly snapped to attention, glaring at the officer. “Say that again.”

“W… Weren’t you just back at the West side?” the officer gulped.

Diana's eyes widened. She darted forwards and grabbed the officer’s collar, hoisting them off the ground. Just then, a yell came from the impact site.

“Detective! There’s no one inside! The gas was weighed down!”

Diana let the officer go. She fell to her knees, and released a primal shout.

“MOONLIGHTEEEEEEEER!”

——————

Miles and miles to the west, “Diana” breathed a sigh of relief. Her cruiser was parked in an alleyway, with everything turned off. It would still be trackable, however, so that was where she had to leave it be.

She smiled, and reached into the collar of her shirt. She pulled up an apparent flap of skin, and worked her hands underneath. As her hands went farther in and up, her face separated from her head, her features snapping away one by one.

With a final dull sucking sound, Roxanne unmasked herself. She tossed the Diana mask into the nearby open duffel, on top of the police uniform. That quick change had been her most impressive to date.

“Ah, there we go.”

She exited the car, bringing her bag with her. She quickly removed the replica of the detective’s trench coat she was wearing. It was padded to emulate Diana’s larger build, but it was far from a complete disguise. Thankfully, all the chaos had let her get away with mis-matching hands and pants.

“I knew that would come in handy someday!”

She stepped away from the cruiser, into the shadows. She quickly unzipped and peeled away the Roxanne suit. She returned it to the duffel and retrieved her original ensemble, a plain green blouse and jeans. She closed the duffel, a sense of finality welling up in her.

Before leaving the alley, Carmen took one last glance back, and caught her reflection in the window of the cruiser. She squinted, noticing something off.

She reached up and grabbed the corner of her mouth, pulling it away. Her skin stretched unnaturally, a different face beneath the Phantom Thief’s visible for but a moment before she let go, snapping her visage back in place.

Carmen flashed a smile. Practically flawless.

The best way to evade authorities in daily life, of course, was to not exist at all.

She hoisted her bag, feeling the weight of the ruby within, turned, and disappeared into the night.

“And like that, she makes her escape!”