Phoenix slowly awoke to the sound of a low, heavy rumble. It was a pleasant sound, like something soft and sweet and close to him, and he found it rather comforting, and slightly familiar. However, the relaxed feeling was short lived as his eyes fluttered open, presenting him with a view that was very plainly wrong. The rumble tapered off abruptly. Not that he noticed; he was preoccupied with more urgent issues. Such as the fact that he was lying on the ground outside the police station. Or the fact that the entire world around him seemed to have grown by several times. A jolt of fear traveled down his spine, and he struggled to his feet.
That is, he attempted to do so. The fact that his balance seemed to have abandoned him at the same time these other changes took place caused him to fall onto all fours, unable to stand on just two feet. Odd, he thought, hands landing on the cement. It was a strangely natural feeling, as though it was how he always stood – as though it was the only proper way to stand. And the coarse cement didn't scrape his palms as he'd expected. The paw-pads are probably responsible for that, he mused after a moment. Then he froze.
Paw-pads? In a flash of alarm, he looked down at his hands. Or, to be more accurate, he looked down at what should have been his hands. Instead, his gaze feel upon a pair of little paws, covered in soft black fur. His panic increasing tenfold, he hastily examined the rest of his body, eyes and paws roaming frantically. Nothing he discovered was comforting – every inch of him seemed to be covered in fur, his ears had migrated to the top of his head and become rather pointy, and sprouting from each cheek were whiskers. Now thoroughly terrified, he let out a long, screeching and definitely inhuman yowl.
When the cry tapered off, his breath spent, he forced himself to calm down, hoping that there was somehow a reasonable explanation for this completely unreasonable situation. People didn't just randomly turn into cats, right? He'd certainly never heard of anything like that happening. What if that's just because no one knows that they did? came the whisper from a corner of his mind. A hint of panic crept back into the forefront of his mind at that notion.
The sound of a low voice, muttering in agitation brought Phoenix away from his dark thoughts. Looking up, he saw a tall figure leaving the precinct. The glowing mask was unmistakable; it was ex-Prosecutor Godot – or, rather, Diego Armando, Phoenix corrected himself. He stared up at the man, transfixed by the man's size in comparison to his own tiny body. However, he was soon snapped out of his trance when the man's mutterings stopped and his head tilted down. He was looking straight at Phoenix.
"What is this?" he asked aloud, stooping down to get a better look at the small creature in front of him. Phoenix backed up instinctively, suddenly feeling very anxious. "A little gatito, hm?" He smiled. "Ven aquí, little one," he said gently, beckoning towards himself with a hand. When Phoenix did not move, he sighed and knelt on the pavement. "Where did you come from, little one? You should not be wandering around at night, mi pequeño amigo. It is not safe." Phoenix was confused for a moment; night? It seemed bright enough to him. Until he recalled that cats had excellent night vision. He glanced around, and saw the unmistakable glowing aura around the nearest street lamp. So it was night, then. Phoenix swallowed hard as Diego again beckoned. Little as Phoenix wanted to admit it, the man was right. Phoenix didn't know why or how he'd transformed, but he did know that the city was filled with enough animals who'd be happy to snack on a defenseless kitty without a second thought.
Forcing back his worry, he took a hesitant step towards Diego, and then another. Before he knew it, the man had scooped him up, and Phoenix suddenly found himself held against a warm chest, head resting against a stubbled cheek. This isn't so bad, he thought, fears abating somewhat. He won't hurt me. Who would hurt a kitten? Diego's fingers snaked up and found a magic place under Phoenix's chin, and it was barely a moment before he completely melted in the man's arms, purring for all he was worth. Part of his mind protested, insisting that he needed to try and explain to Diego just who he was, so that he could help find a way to turn Phoenix back into a human. But he ignored that voice in his head – at this moment in time, he could think of nothing more wonderful than being a cat.