Superheroes are just like everyone else: we are just the same, except we have super-powers. We also goof-up just like everyday people.
While Fred (the human super-hero) was assigned to watch over me in my initial assignments, simple rescues such as kittens in trees or animals lost in the bush were left to me. My super-hearing and eye-sight and my flying capability were all that were necessary for such easy tasks. Of course, should the rescue require more assistance, I could call on headquarters through the inbuilt communicator in my abdomen.
"Puppy lost" came the call around 11 o'clock one night. After receiving details of its last seen location and a description of the puppy - a black and grey Chinese hairless crested, I quickly dashed there realising that the cold night air would be harmful to the youngster.
This little guy's long, sharp looking nose twitched as I nudged it out from inside its shelter. Still shivering, it gave me a look that I can only describe as "puzzlement," but I may have been mistaken in the moonlight.
"It's ok," I said, "I'm here to rescue you."
Grabbing the pup by the scruff of the neck, I flew to its home, half a street away, and quietly scratched at the door of the home.
The mother poked her head out through the dog flap and shivered in the cold-night air.
"Come in," she said hurriedly, glad to go back inside the warmth.
Leading the way to the kitchen, she called quietly back over her shoulder, "Have a drink or something to eat before you go, if you like."
I followed her as she dropped herself into her basket. Two puppies pulled themselves to their mother and began suckling.
It was only after I dropped the lost puppy into the basket that I began to suspect something was amiss.
The puppy I picked up was certainly similar in shape and had a sharpish nose like its mother, but that's where the similarities ended.
Yawning, the mother leaned over the pull the arrival in closer, but let out a yelp of surprise.
"What on earth is that?" she cried, as she pulled her two other puppies away.
"Isn't this your puppy?" I asked.
"Anyone can see that's not a dog," she snarled. "Get it away from me."
The creature I had rescued had by this stage, stopped shivering in the warmth and said, "What is going on?"
I squealed in surprise. This appeared to be an adult of some kind of animal. But I could see quite clearly now, that it was not a Chinese hairless crested puppy. It appeared to be a rodent of some kind.
"Your not a dog are you?" I asked.
"Don't be an idiot," the creature said, opening its mouth to display sharp pincer-like teeth.
"Someone had better explain to me what's going on, or I shall bite someone," the rodent growled, standing on its hind-legs and looking rather fearsome.
The mother dog whimpered as she pulled her puppies out of the box away from the frightful creature.
"Um, I seem to have made a terrible mistake," I replied. If cats could blush, I think I would have been showing a lovely rose tinge through my ginger fur.
"Sorry mate, but I'd better take you back to where I found you," I replied reaching over to grab him with my mouth.
"Uh uh! You are not going to carry me back in that undignified fashion," he scowled. "You can just carry me on your back."
"Oh, of course. Yes. Why didn't I think of that," I mumbled.
Turning to the mother dog, I apologised for my error, and she gave me such a look of disgust, I felt about five centimetres tall.
Jumping onto my back, the rodent grabbed hold of my back with his sharp nails.
"Ouch!" I said, "That hurts."
The creature barely loosened his hold.
Out through the dog-flap we went and in a moment we were air-born. The take-off startled the rodent so much, he grabbed hold of the scruff of my neck with its teeth!
"Yow!" I screamed in pain.
Fortunately the flight was quick and I dropped him back to where I'd had found him.
"Maybe you should get your eyesight tested," he muttered as he scurried beneath his log.
I squirmed inside and took off to look for the real pup.
When I took him back to his mother, she shot me the filthiest look, grabbed the pup through the dog-flap and went inside.
She didn't say a word. She didn't need to. I already felt like the world's dumbest cat.
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