Chapter 1
My paws thud down the hall, tail and head drooping with exhaustion. When I pause outside of my room, I raise my paw and grasp the doorknob, turning it in and pushing open the cat sized door. Lila is laying on her bunk, reading a newspaper. Where did she even get one of those?
"So, they finally let you out huh?" Lila says, turning a page.
"Are you kidding? I practically had to beg." She chuckles, as I jump onto my bed, kneading the blanket. Kneading can be a little awkward with opposable thumbs, but it's not that bad.
"What do you want for dinner?" Lila asks, walking over to the wall, and pressing a
few buttons on the touch screen. "Lets see, they've got pasta primavera, a couple burgers, and, ooh, steak."
"Steak for me. I'm feeling gourmet tonight." I say, rolling over onto my back.
"As you wish, Mr. Milo." The bad French accent really sets things off nicely.
"What are you getting?"
"Ehhh, I don't know. Maybe pasta."
"You get pasta every night."
"It's my favorite."
"Really? I hadn't guessed."
"Oh, the sarcasm, Milo? Do you really want to get into a battle with the sarcasm queen?"
I groan. "No thanks."
"It's coming for you."
"I'm certain."
"I'll pull out the laser pointer."
I gasp in mock surprise. "You wouldn't dare."
"Just watch me Milo, watch me." Lila taps the screen a couple more times before crossing the room in just a couple strides, and flopping herself onto the bottom bunk.
"What'd you get?" I peer down into her bunk.
"Tacos."
"Wow, changing it up a bit."
"Ehh, I decided I was feeling Mexican tonight."
"Technically, you're always feeling Latina. You are Latina after all."
"I was feeling American Mexican food."
"Ah, I see." Well, sort of. I settle back onto my bunk, pulling out my tablet. I play games, my mind wandering until an electronic ding fills the room, and the wall slides open to reveal to platters, one with steak, mashed potatoes and carrots, and the other with three hard taco shells, and little bowls filled with all the taco fillings anyone could ever want. Lila drags herself off the bunk, pulls out the table and a couple chairs, before sitting at the table herself, and pulling her tacos towards her. I push the tablet away, before carefully crawling down the ladder. I jump up onto my chair, slightly higher than the average human chair, before pulling my own meal towards me and picking up my silverware.
I guess I should explain the whole "cats with opposable thumbs" thing, huh? So about 20 years ago, humans began to notice changes in their cats. Suddenly, cats had gained opposable thumbs, and began to talk. We gained human vocal chords somewhere in our evolution. We rose upwards in society, after being taught English, and eventually cats and humans became equal members in the social ladder. We got jobs, gained positions in government, and cat sized doors are now part of every store and building. However, social status and thumbs weren't the only things we gained. We gained what humans would consider superpowers. Telekinesis, teleportation, x ray vision, and invisibility. Well, most of us did.
That's why I'm here, with Lila. I live in a lab. Of my own free will, mind you, but a lab all the same. I am one of the few cats born without apparent superpowers. And so my life is test after test after test, and hopefully someday, I'll be able to live a regular life, but for now, I'm happy where I am.
With cats in power now, society is a better place. Our government is much more open with its citizens, we have been at peace with the world for many years, and for the most part, our country is a better place. Without judgement, and hate crimes, and Justin Bieber. People are free to love who they love, be who they are, without judgement.
I grab my silverware and cut into my steak, juicy and delicious. I stuff a big piece into my mouth and Lila almost has to whack me on the back to save me from choking. Almost.
I shovel food into my mouth as Lila crunches into her tacos. I start on my mashed potatoes.
"Hungry are we?" Lila asks with a smile, before biting into another taco. I nod, unable to speak through the mashed potatoes. I swallow.
"You know, you'd be starving too, if you were forced to swim, climb monkey bars, and run on a treadmill all day." I take a huge forkful of mashed potatoes.
"I'm just worried you're going to choke on all that food, if you don't slow down. Or you're going to get a stomachache." I shrug as I cut myself another few bites of steak. "Whatever. But if you do, I'm going to say I told you so." I open my mouth to speak, when the lights go out and the room plunges into darkness.
Chapter 2
I immediately drop my fork, and in the silence, the crash it makes as it hits the table is rattlingly loud. All I can hear is Lila's and my own breathing. Lila pushes her chair back from the table, cursing all the way.
"Where are you going?" My voice trembles a little, even though I can see Lila moving through the darkened room.
"Flashlights."
"Flashlights? Those are ancient!"
"They're our only option."
"But why do you even have them in the first place?"
"Dr. Williams gave them to me in case of emergencies. Like this, for instance." Lila opens the closet, and pulls out a trunk before popping it open and rifling through it. "Ah hah, there you are!" Lila pulls out a small white box, with a little handle on the side. She opens it, and I jump down from my chair to see it too. Flashlights, first aid supplies, some food and water, a radio and a phone.
"Are we really going to need this?" The box makes me nervous.
"The doctors prepped me on this, and yes, we probably will." Lila switches on one of the flashlights, and holds it between her teeth, while she moves aside the food packets. At the bottom of the box, a knife shines white, reflecting the narrow beam of light. Lila pulls out the knife, folds it up, and sticks it into her bra. She also pulls out an earpiece from the box and sticks it in her ear. She grabs the radio.
"This is Violet, over." I can't make out the response that comes in through her earpiece. "Yes, ma'am. I understand. Yes, he's still here with me. Absolutely." I break in when she stops speaking.
"What is this all about?" She looks at me, with slight exasperation.
"Milo, you're in danger. Haven't you guessed that already?" The box, the ancient technology, the codenames, the way Lila reacted, not shocked or scared, but stoic, and angry. Yes I had guessed. I just didn't want to believe it.
"Milo, listen to me. We've suspected they'd come from you for a while now. It was only a matter of time. "
"But...But why me?" My voice is desperate, almost whining.
"You're special. We know that. But we don't know exactly why they want you. But we can do this. Ok? You're a special cat, Milo." I can hear footsteps coming down the hall, boots and ...high heels? Lila curses. "They're coming. Hide in the closet. If you go all the way back, there's a panel." I nod, following her to the closet. She stops and pulls out a staff. "Go, now."
Then, a pounding on the door, and suddenly the door bursts open. Beams from the flashlights blind me, but I can smell dogs and perfume?
"The cat." A voice speaks from behind the lights.
Lila stands, stoic, in a fighting positions with her staff clenched in her hands. "Over my dead body." She leaps into action, kicking and punching and whacking people with her staff. A swift kick from a burly man knocks the staff out of her hand, and it soars through the air, before clattering on the floor. She kicks the man in the stomach, but two other men sneak up behind her grab her arms, dragging her backwards as she kicks anything with in leg's reach. A man still cloaked in shadows grabs her face, and puts a rag over her mouth. She struggles, before eventually sagging and they drop her to the floor. The men encroach on me, and I attempt to run and even swipe with my claws, but they manage to grab me anyway. The put the same rag over my mouth, and as my eyes begin to close, the last thing I see is a pair of hot pink high heels.
Chapter 3
The first thing I am aware of is pain. Literally everything hurts. Especially my head. It pounds, and I force my eyes to open. I groan.
"Milo! You're awake!" Lila's voice comes from my left and I turn my head, ever so slowly so as not to aggravate anything.
"Where are we?" My voice comes out scratchy and rough, like it hasn't be used for a while.
"That's the thing. I don't know." Lila not knowing something is unprecedented. If she didn't know something, she at least immediately look it up and find out. "No one will tell me anything."
I look around at my surroundings. A dank, dark cell, like in an old prison. It looks like some I've seen in pictures. One of the old abandoned ones. After the cats came to power, new ones were built, better ones. Most were demolished but some were left untouched. Like this one, apparently.
The next thing I notice is that I'm tied to a chair. I struggle, trying to at least get a little wiggle room.
"It's no use. I've tried. Believe me." I sigh.
I lower my voice to a whisper, in case we are being watched. Who knows what's going on or who could be listening. "Do you still have the knife?" Lila nods.
"I'm not gonna use it just yet though. I wanna keep it hidden until absolutely necessary."
The sound of the door, scaping open, brings us both to a halt. Lila tenses. Two big burly men walk in, feet thumping against the floor. Behind them file in several dogs. A woman walks in, in all black, wearing a mask, and staying just out of the light enough to hide her face, but not her hot pink pumps.
"So. Milo, Milo, Milo." The woman sounds, bubbly, like a high school valley girl. "I am the Alpha. And I see you've met my dogs." The dogs growl, teeth flashing. "I want to know. Why do you think you're here?" She comes forward into the light more.
"Well, you obviously want me for some reason. And you'd stop at nothing to get me."
"Observant, sarcastic. Oooh, I like you better by the minute."
"Leave him alone!" Lila shouts and struggles against her bonds.
"Oh Lila, dear sweet Lila. You should know you can't help him." She runs her hand down the side of Lila's face. Lila stares at the Alpha with blazing fire in her eyes.
The Alpha turns back to me. "So, Milo. You're a smart kitty. I think you've put together, why you're here, the dogs, the secrecy, the kidnapping."
I have. She's right. As a young kitten, I was told stories of the Resistance. A group of dogs and people mixed together, fighting to bring dogs to power and leave cats behind. I'd always thought that they were old wives tales, and that they should really have come up with a better name than the Resistance.
"You're the leader of the Resistance."
"I told you he'd put it together." The Alpha speaks over her shoulder, speaking to whom, I cannot tell. She turns back to me. "We are fighting to take cats down. Leaving them behind like you did with dogs. And you, you are instrumental to our cause." The Alpha turns, gesturing for her guards and the dogs to follow her out. She turns back to me. "Until we meet again."
The door slams shut, leaving Lila and me alone and tied to a chair. Lila curses, spewing expletives like they were watermelon seeds.
The door opens again, and a dog enters, a golden retriever I think, pulling a cart. He comes around behind us and unties the ropes. We get up, rubbing wrists and arms, stretching them out.
"Are you guys hungry?" He sounds pretty sympathetic. I nod. I hadn't realized I was hungry until he said it. "It's not much, but its food."
I grab a plate off the cart, and start eating.
While Lila and I eat, the dog says, "I'm Tad." He lowers his voice to a whisper. "And, I'm gonna get you out of here. I'm a spy for the cat government. I'm like you. No powers."
The powers he's talking about are different from cats' powers. Dogs evolved too. Just differently. They gained the ability to talk, and also they got opposable thumbs, but their powers were more...militaristic. They developed great strategy, and planning skills, but along with that, the developed a great bloodlust. They love to hunt, to kill to wound. Basically, you don't want to mess with them.
Lila and I just kind of stare at him. I find my voice first. "But, why?"
"Well, I feel sympathetic. Also, you're kind of my mission."
"Why should we trust you?" Lila speaks for the first time in a while.
"Personally, I wouldn't if I were you. But tonight, we're breaking you out of here. Just watch, and wait. So, here's the plan."
Chapter 4
Lila and I sit and wait. We wait and wait and wait and wait. When a knock on the door to the pattern of short long long short short long long (Morse code for L and M), Lila springs up and knocks back to the same pattern. Tad opens the door. And around him stand several cats and a couple humans. They all wear black, and stand silently. The humans are even armed with guns. The cats have a couple knives each.
"Come on. Now's our chance." One of the masked cats speaks, and we nod. A dog barks in the distance and we all set off running. The humans each pull out a handgun and take a couple shots towards the direction that we came. The hallway is dark, I can barely see where I am putting my paws. I can hear gunshots, the pounding of footsteps, barking, and my own heartbeat pulsing in my ears. The light of the outside shines closer and closer. We run out, temporarily blinded by the light. We orient ourselves and run the fence, the humans still shooting, but now the Resistance is shooting back. We dodge bullets, and I hear the thump of something much heavier than a foot fall to the ground. I look back, and immediately wish I hadn't. A dog lies, blood pooling on the hard packed dirt. I almost faint then and there. We make it to the edge of the woods, jumping into the armored car parked there. One of the humans jumps into the drivers seat, and sets the car to auto pilot after setting the map.
"So. Why did they want me?" I manage to gasp out between breaths. I'm still trying not to faint.
"You're a threat. To them at least. We've had an inkling of your powers for a while now. They wanted you to use your powers in their favor."
"Why didn't you tell him about his powers?" Lila is restraining herself from punching this cat in the face. I can tell.
"We've done many studies about cats without powers. It's not for us to tell him. lt has been proven that a cat has to discover his own powers, otherwise, they never form to the full extent and can even harm the cat." Lila sighs.
"I've read some of the reports about studies like that. I thought that'd be the answer."
"Milo." The cat turns back to me. "Get some rest. You're going to need it."
He doesn't have to tell me twice. There is a blanket on the seat. I curl up, barely able to tuck my nose under my tail before I fall asleep.
Chapter 5
I can feel someone shaking me as I open my eyes.
"Oh good, you're awake." Lila picks me up and cuddles me against her chest. I snuggle into her, and begin to purr against her. She strokes the top of my head. The car door opens and one of the human agents stands there. Lila puts me down onto the seat of the car.
"They're ready for you." Lila nods.
"Come on little man. We've got a debriefing to do." Lila jumps out of the car and I follow her. Across the pavement and into the white building. The dome is gold, reflecting the sun. The columns hold up the roof above the marble slab. I recognize this as a Roman design, very popular with government buildings. I follow Lila through the door and down hallways, the marble cold against my paws. We reach a set of wooden doors, deep mahogany colored, reaching the high ceiling. They open and Lila and I walk in. The President sits in the middle, staring down from a high marble bench, like the one a judge sits behind. The Vice President sits to her left, the Secretary of State to her right. The rest of the seats are filled with members of the Cabinet, and the heads of the government intelligence agencies. Similar to what the CIA and the FBI were in the twenty first century, but improved.
"Milo, Lila, have a seat." President Simmons speaks. Lila and I take the chairs in the center of the room. "As I'm sure you've gathered, Milo, the Resistance is not just a story. And it's alive and well today. And thanks to internal information, we know that they are ready to wage war on us, our government, and that they know what your powers are. That's why they kidnapped you. To either eliminate you, or use you against us. They are coming. Soon, in fact. Very soon. We want you to help us fight them. Now, this will hopefully allow your powers to reveal themselves, but also, you will be a great asset to us."
"There's one problem with that." I squirm a little under the gaze of everyone. "I'm very squeamish. I almost always pass out at the sight of blood, and guts, don't even get me started." I shiver.
"We can deal with that. We'll keep you off the front lines, back here. Safe. Unless you want to be out on the front?" President Simmons asks.
"I don't want to be hiding in a room somewhere. But I don't want to be out on the front either. Do we have a place along the walls that I could be?"
President Simmons smiles. "That can certainly be arranged."
A black cat comes rushing into the room. "Madam President! The Resistance is approaching!"
"Then we better be ready to meet them. Everyone, suit up! War has come. And it's not going to be pretty."
Chapter 6
The stone walls are rough beneath my paws. I finish strapping my vest on, and check my weapons. A gun, several knives, a couple grenades. The troops stand at attention. Cats and humans mixed together. The march of footsteps from around the bend in the road, stirs the troops. They all tense, paws and hands resting on weapons. The snipers along the walls are ready. Everything is in place. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I open them as the dog army stands at attention at the other end of the bridge. The Alpha steps forward, still wearing her pink heels.
"Last chance to surrender Milo. Or things get ugly real fast."
I have to steel myself before I can respond. "See, I was about to say the same thing."
The Alpha smiles. "Attack!"
"Attack!" Lila strokes Milo's head.
"You're doing great. Stay strong." I nod. I take out my radio.
"Launch the tanks." I close my eyes again. Over the noise of the battle, I see a map in my head, showing the strategy of the Resistance. They have more troops waiting just around the bend. And snipers. I gasp and open my eyes. "That's it. That's my power. Military strategy. Ability to see the plans of the enemy. "
"What?"
"Lila! My powers! I figured them out!" I grab my radio. "Hold back on those tanks. Snipers, there are enemy snipers along the wall and up in the trees. On the bank of the river there are four and all the ones in the trees are right next to the bridge. Take them out."
"They have reinforcements. And..." I close my eyes. "And artillery that would take out a tank no problem. We need to hold back. Their information is wrong. They aren't betting on us having our own artillery." I open my eyes. I grab my radio again. "Prep the artillery."
"Milo, are you certain?" President Simmons voice comes crackling through the radio.
"Positive, Madam President. I've figured out my powers, and that's what needs to happen."
You can hear the smile in her voice. "Alright. You heard him. Prep the artillery!"
I turn to the window again to see the fight, and have to fight back a wave of nausea. I turn away again, and close my eyes. They are sending for the reinforcements, all of them. They're leaving the artillery unmanned. They need every fighter they have. I open my eyes.
"Send out the tanks now."
"Absolutely, Sir." I can hear the rev of the engines and they begin to cross the bridge. They fire, shooting out the artillery. I know that the Resistance is close to surrendering. They are severely outnumbered, even with the enforcements, and are beginning to lose hope. The Resistance begins to run away, slowly, but then only a few dogs are left fighting. The Alpha stands in the middle of the bridge.
"Surrender!" The Alpha gets to her knees, and puts her hands on her head as a couple humans put cuffs on her and drags her into the city.
Chapter 7
"Excellent work, Milo." President Simmons smiles down at me. "We knew you'd come into your powers eventually. And for your great work against the Resistance, we would like to appoint you general of the army. Congratulations, General Milo." Vice President Brown slips the medal over my head.
"Thank you very much. I would love to accept." Lila smiles from the side lines.
"The Alpha has been apprehended and is awaiting trial. Life in prison is an almost certainty."
"If I may, who was she really?" President Simmons sighs.
"Unfortunately, she was once a one of us. A member of our government. And I have a more personal connection to her. She is my daughter." There are gasps and looks exchanged throughout. "In no way do I condone anything that she has done. However much evil she has committed, however, she is still my daughter, and I still love her. If you have no more questions, you are free to go, General Milo."
Lila walks over, and we walk in step out the door and down the marble floors.
"The Alpha is President Simmons' daughter?"
Lila shrugs, "Apparently."
We walk in silence through the halls of the building, not speaking again until we reach the street.
"So, now that you have your powers, you don't really need to live in the lab anymore huh?"
"Neither do you. You are still assigned to protect me though."
"I know."
"How's the apartment hunting going?"
"I found an excellent apartment. Room for three, even." I pause to look at Lila.
"Three?" Lila blushes.
"Yeah. My girlfriend and I were thinking about moving in together. We want to see how it goes before we move the relationship any further. And if it works out, I'd like to get married, someday."
"I'm really happy for you."
"Thank you." Lila smiles. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"
"Of course not! So, have you told her all about me?"
"No, I haven't. Of course I have, silly." Lila rolls her eyes. "I've packed up already. Actually, I've already bought the place."
"Great. Where is it?"
"You're standing in front of it." Lila points up to one of the upper apartments in a brownstone. I look at Lila.
"How much did it cost? These brownstones go for big money!"
"The government paid for it." Lila opens the door and we climb up a flight of steps. The air is full of silence, but not a heavy one. A light one. No need to speak. Just being in each other's presence is enough. The apartment is furnished nicely, and for a while, Lila and I just sit in the silence. Drinking it in. After a while, I decide to break it.
"So. When do I get to meet your girlfriend?" Lila just smiles.
Chapter 8
A circle of birds, sit in a clearing. The forest looms dark and foreboding around them. The birds come in all shapes, sizes, colors. Some nod heads, others scratch their talons in the dirt. An argument is being had. Lots are cast, votes taken. The leader, a black bird, confirms the consus. A cat is drawn in the hard earth, a circle around it's head. The black bird slashes its talon through the drawing.
I gasp, sitting up in bed, panting hard. I throw back the sheets, running down the hallway to Lila's room.
"Lila! We have a problem." Lila sits up in an instant. "I need to talk to President Simmons. Immediately." Lila nods, jumping out of bed and pulling on a sweatshirt. She presses a button on her earpiece.
"This is Agent Lila. The General and I need to speak with President Simmons. Yes. Immediately." She turns to me. "They're waking her up as we speak."
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"President Simmons!" She turns, still wearing her bathrobe.
"Milo, I do hope this is important. It's two o'clock in the morning."
"Madam President, the birds are coming." She blanches, turning the color of a sheet. I continue, "And, I'm not sure we'll be able to stop them."