Cori looked at Alonzo's face as he slept peacefully. Cori slowly lifted his paw, resting it on Alonzo's cheek, his thumb stroking at the black patch on the side of Alonzo's mouth. Alonzo's eyes slowly opened and he looked at Cori. Cori gave a small smile. Alonzo gave a tired purr, pulling Cori against his chest. Cori rested his head against Alonzo's shoulder.
Alonzo had been with him three days now.
"You alright?" Alonzo questioned tiredly. Cori nodded against Alonzo's shoulder, sighing. Alonzo nuzzled at the side of Cori's head reassuringly.
"Everything will be fine, my dear," Alonzo murmured. Cori sighed once more, snuggling in closer against Alonzo, trying to get the comfort and reassurance he needed. Alonzo gently pushed his paw against Cori's spine as he stroked Cori's back. Cori began purring heavily, arching against Alonzo's paw. Alonzo chuckled, nuzzling at Cori happily. Cori grinned at Alonzo, looking at Alonzo's honey eyes. Alonzo smiled back at him, tilting his head slightly so he could kiss Cori. They both broke apart when the door suddenly burst open.
A brown hench-cat stood in the doorway, glaring at the two Toms who slowly sat up on the mattress to stare at him.
"Boss wants ta see ya," The hench-cat spat at Cori. Cori looked at Alonzo, his green eyes worried.
"Ya boyfriend stays here," The hench-cat sneered. Cori sighed and slowly struggled to his feet. Alonzo leapt up, helping Cori to steady himself as pain tore through his barely healing ankles. Alonzo looked down at Cori's burnt ankles worriedly.
"I'm fine," Cori reassured Alonzo. Alonzo slowly let go of Cori and Cori walked out the room, struggling slightly not to let his ankles collapse under him. Alonzo watched him go, worried.
Cori was led into Macavity's office.
"He'll be here soon," The hench-cat growled before leaving, slamming the door behind him.
Cori looked around Macavity's office, smirking slightly.
Of course, Macavity would make himself seem more important and get an office…why the hell would a cat need an office?
"Typical," Cori muttered under his breath as he walked around the room. He glanced at the makeshift desk Macavity had, which was covered in papers before he walked over to the bookshelf, examining the books Macavity had. Cori cast his eyes once more around the stone office, with the blood red carpeting, before his eyes settled on a door he hadn't noticed before. Cori slowly walked over to it, his paw drifting over the wood.
What was this room?
Cori decided to back away before he let curiosity get the better of him.
"Good choice, Coricopat," Cori stiffened as Macavity's voice drawled from the other side of the room.
"Curiosity did kill the cat," Macavity grinned as Cori turned to face him. Macavity sat down behind his makeshift desk, glancing at the papers briefly before looking up at Coricopat, who was staring at him, arms crossed.
"What do you want?" Cori asked, his voice deadpanned. Macavity's eyes grew dark for a second before he blinked and they were back to normal.
"You work for me, Coricopat…you will respect me,"
"I doubt it," Macavity hissed, standing up and striding over to Cori. He smirked as Cori recoiled slightly. Macavity grabbed Cori's chest fur, yanking him forward. Cori sunk back slightly, his small ears pressing back.
"You act so bold, yet you're so afraid, Coricopat," Macavity hissed. Cori winced as Macavity tightened the grip on his fur.
"You'll stop acting so damn bold and learn your place soon, Cori," Cori just stared up at Macavity, shocked. Macavity let go of Cori and Cori dropped to the floor, his ankles unable to support him anymore. Macavity just eyed him, smirking.
"Pathetic," Macavity hissed softly. Cori just looked down at the floor.
"Now…your job, Cori," Cori looked up at Macavity. The tall ginger Tom towered over Cori, looking down at him distastefully.
"W-What?" Cori croaked, slowly rising to his feet, wincing as pain tore through his ankles.
"You can detect when one is lying, can't you?"
"Yes," Cori whispered, knowing it was better not to lie. Macavity stared at him.
"Good…because you, Coricopat, are going to be my lie detector,"
"What?" Cori exclaimed, growling.
"I want to know who is lying to me, and you will help me," Macavity said, his voice cold and calculated. Cori lowered his head, the thoughts and emotions swirling angrily inside of him.
He knew that if he told Macavity who was lying, then they'd be hurt, maybe killed.
How could he live with that?
"Come on, Coricopat," Macavity said, his voice snapping Cori out of his thoughts. Macavity was by the door. Cori sighed before he followed Macavity from the room. He followed Macavity to a large room, a large chair was across the room, near the back wall. A large carpet led up to it.
Macavity looked back at Cori, seeing him eye the room with disgust. Macavity just a warning hiss and Cori made his face show indifference.
"You are staying here, in my lair, Coricopat," Macavity said quietly as they walked up towards the throne.
"You will respect me, and my lair," Cori bit back the retort and gave a stiff nod. Macavity smirked.
"After all, I do have your boyfriend close by," Cori hissed loudly, his hackles rising.
"Don't you dare touch him!" Cori snarled. Macavity turned to Coricopat, smirking triumphantly. Cori calmed down, annoyed that he had let Macavity get a rise out of him.
"I won't…if you do what I say," Macavity said simply before he sat down on his throne. Coricopat stood beside Macavity's throne, arms crossed against his chest. Macavity looked at Cori. Cori looked back at him, sighed, and let his arms fall to his sides.
"Good," Macavity smirked, lounging back in his chair and turning his attention away from Cori. Cori bit his lip, his fangs teasing at it as a cat was showed in by Macavity's hench-cats, pushed up towards Macavity's throne. The cat trembled nervously as he stared up at Macavity.
"Where's your payment?" Macavity asked coolly, staring down at the cat.
"I-I d-don't have it," The Tom stammered, nervous and scared.
"Why not?" Macavity growled, the anger present in his voice.
"M-My mate, s-she was sick a-and my kittens too…I-I didn't have time to g-get it, sir," Cori winced. The lies were coming thick and fast from this Tom.
"Coricopat?" Cori turned his head to look at Macavity. "Is he lying?"
"Y-Yes," Cori mumbled, closing his eyes.
"N-No, I'm not!" The cat screeched, scared.
"Take him away," Macavity snarled angrily. Cori flattened his ears down, trying to block out the sounds of the Tom's screaming and pleading as he was dragged off. He opened his eyes at the sound of Macavity chuckling.
"You're enjoying this?" Cori asked in disbelief.
"Of course," Macavity smirked. Cori bit back the snarl and turned his head away, desperately thinking of Alonzo to try and stop himself from attacking Macavity.
"Angry, Coricopat?"
"What do you think?" Cori spat. Macavity looked at him, a smug smirk on his face.
"You'll get used to it…you work for me now,"
"Doesn't mean I'm heartless like you,"
"No…but it does mean you are as low as me," Macavity smirked as Cori began trembling. Macavity looked back to the front as another cat approached him. Cori barely paid attention to their conversation as he trembled.
He wasn't as low as Macavity was he?
He was just trying to keep himself and Alonzo alive, that didn't make him bad, did it?
"Cori?" Cori's head snapped up and he looked at Macavity.
"Is he telling the truth?"
"Yes…" Cori mumbled, lying. He was shocked when Macavity leapt to his feet, grabbing Cori by the throat and forcing him against the stone wall. Cori struggled to get free.
"I knew you'd lie to me," Macavity hissed, his gold eyes flashing furiously. Cori struggled, desperate to get free.
"That's why I planted him…he was going to lie to me, but you told me he was telling the truth," Cori's green eyes saw the smirking Tom over Macavity's shoulder. Cori was shaken, the back of his head hitting the stone wall, making spots appear in front of his eyes as he groaned. Cori's green eyes met with Macavity's furious cold ones and he desperately wanted Alonzo then.
Alonzo lay sprawled on the mattress, trying not to get up and pace until Coricopat got back.
He was worried about his tom-friend, he didn't know what Cori was doing, if he was okay, if he was being hurt…he just didn't know. Alonzo sat up, looking around the room he and Cori were held in. It was a stone room, with a dark red carpet. Their mattress was pressed against the back wall, with a black blanket covering it. Alonzo sighed, looking at his paws as worry for Cori came back stronger then ever.
He shot to his feet as the door opened and Cori stumbled in. Alonzo ran over to him, pulling Cori into his arms and supporting him back over to the mattress. Cori collapsed onto it the moment his feet touched it.
"Cori?" Alonzo whispered, worried, as he fell to his knees beside Cori. Alonzo wrapped his arms around the dark Tom, holding the trembling form close.
"Cori, baby, what's wrong?" Alonzo asked, worried. Cori slowly moved out of Alonzo's arm, slowly lifting one of his arms, revealing a deep, ugly wound on his right hip.
"Oh, Bast!" Alonzo cried, running over to a cupboard and opening it. He found what he was looking for.
Cloth.
He grabbed some and ran back to the mattress, ripping it apart and pressing it against Cori's side, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Cori, what happened?"
"F-Found out what Macavity wants me to do," Cori whispered weakly. Alonzo nuzzled Cori's head worriedly.
"I'm his personal lie detector," Cori whispered bitterly. "Cats come up, tell him the reason why they don't have their payment and I tell Macavity if they're lying or not,"
"The first Tom, I told Macavity he was lying…and he was dragged off, screaming and begging…Macavity said he was enjoying this, and asked if I was angry…I asked him what he thought and he laughed." Cori looked at Alonzo, his green eyes pained.
"He said I'd get used to it, seeing as I work for him now…I told him I wasn't heartless and he agreed, but said I was at his level now," Cori whispered, closing his eyes. Alonzo paused at sponging gently at the wound on Cori's side.
"The next cat came in…and Macavity asked if he was lying or not…I said he wasn't lying and the next thing I knew Macavity had me pressed against the wall by my throat,"
"He had planted that Tom to lie to me…he gave me a warning and said if I did it again, it would be worse,"
"You did it again?" Alonzo asked, eyeing off the wound on Cori's side. Cori shook his head.
"That was my warning," Cori said weakly, nodding to the wound. Alonzo's eyes widened.
"H-He threatened to hurt you if I did it again…so I didn't lie to him again, I couldn't be caught again and risk you, I just couldn't!" Alonzo hugged Cori tight as Cori began sobbing. Alonzo shushed him gently, cooing to him, trying to get him to calm down. Alonzo gently wrapped clean cloth around Cori's side, making a makeshift bandage.
"I-I'm not bad like Macavity am I?" Cori whimpered a little while later. "I'm not evil because I'm helping him, am I?"
"No, no, no, Cori, of course not!" Alonzo said firmly, shocked. Cori sobbed against him, holding onto Alonzo's arms tightly.
"Cori, you are nothing like him…you're doing what you're doing to help me, and the others,"
"H-How am I helping the others?"
"Because if you didn't do this, Macavity would kill you…and that would destroy the tribe," Alonzo whispered. Cori nodded against Alonzo's shoulder, hugging him close.
"Alonzo,"
"Yeah?"
"Don't let me go,"
"I won't," Alonzo whispered, holding Cori close. Alonzo looked down at Cori, who was nestled close in his arms, his eyes closed.
'Munkustrap, where are you?' Alonzo thought desperately. 'Please, hurry!' Alonzo hugged Cori closer and hoped he'd just hang on until Munkustrap and the others came.
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Woo, another chapter, haha! Sorry if it's taken a while but I'm sort of…at a loss with ideas for this at the moment…and I'm writing the next story while I'm writing this, so the other story I have heaps of ideas for and this one I'm sort of…yeah…
Anywho!
Thanks to those who reviewed!
Please read and review!
Luv HGP!
