Chapter Eight

Puss had actually found something very quick, a small necklace, and even better, still hadn't run into anyone. It seemed to, surprisingly, be working out for them. All he had to do was leave the same way he had come, and—

"Oh, you're here, too?"

Puss whipped around at the very irritated voice, startled, as Russell Matthew lashed out with his foot, just barely catching Puss. The ginger staggered, and Matthew reached down to grab him. Puss fumbled for his sword, but the man seized him by his throat and yanked the sword out of his reach before he could, hooking it onto his own belt.

"You think you both can just sneak back into my house to steal something?" Matthew demanded, and Puss stopped struggling. Both?

"Hmm?" Matthew continued. "Well, you thought wrong." He turned, grabbed the scruff of the ginger's neck with his free hand, and walked down the stairs and into the same living room the fight had been in before.

"Let me go!" the cat gasped.

"All right," Matthew said, far too calmly, and then carelessly tossed the ginger halfway across the room.

Matthew watched as Puss struggled to his paws, breathing hard and blinking, finally focusing. He scowled and then took a stance with his paws balled into fists in front of him. "I can still fight without a weapon," he growled, and then frowned as Matthew chuckled.

"Oh?" the man said, and then left the room for a moment. Puss stayed where he was, still positioned to attack, and then felt a horrible pang of fear nearly bring him to his knees as the man returned…now holding a motionless black and white form in his hand. Kitty!

"Let her go!" Puss shouted loudly, and Matthew rolled his eyes. "Let you go, let her go—make up your mind, hmm?"

His eyes on Kitty, Puss said, "Fine, just let her go! I do not care what you do to me."

Matthew smirked. "Oh, but you see—I do." He chuckled once again at Puss' confused expression. "I was simply planning on getting rid of both of you at first. But then, I remembered how great you were at fighting, and I got an idea."

"Did you?" Puss hissed, mocking interest.

The man ignored the sarcasm. "Do you know how much money I could make off you competing with other people?"

"Not much, considering it is illegal!" Puss spat the last word, but the man seemed not to notice in the least. "Only if you get caught," he smirked. "You'd be surprised how many people would pay to see it."

"You're sick." Puss growled, and Matthew jerked Kitty to the side, causing her to groan softly.

"Stop!" Puss shouted, panicked, and Matthew stared at him. "You will have to learn to shut your mouth, cat, or I will continue to find ways to shut it for you."

"If I agree, will you release her?"

Matthew stared at him. "You agree?"

Puss hesitated, and then nodded, answering with, "If you let her go, unharmed, right now."

Matthew smirked yet again and then tossed Kitty at him. "Wh—hey!" Puss exclaimed, holding his paws out, and Kitty hit him with such force that both of them collapsed in a heap.

"You both fought pretty damn well…" Matthew murmured thoughtfully, and then suddenly shouted in surprise as something jumped on him, causing him to hit the ground roughly, groaning.

"Hi there," Ryder smiled at him, clawing him and jumping off as he rolled onto his side, cursing.

Ryder frowned as he looked around and then widened his eyes as his gaze landed on the two cats on the floor. "Kitty! Puss!" he called, rushing over to them.

Puss was leaning over the black-and-white cat, his expression very concerned as he looked up at the Doberman. "I told you two to stay outside!" he muttered, grabbing Kitty in an attempt to awaken her. Her eyes opened a crack, and she mumbled, "Puss…"

The ginger helped her to stand, though she merely slumped against him. "We have to go!" he said, looking at Ryder, and then gasped once more as he saw Matthew slowly getting to his feet. Puss hesitated for only a second before he turned once again to the Doberman, his eyes desperate. "You have to go," he corrected himself. "Now!"

Before Ryder could say anything, Puss had lifted Kitty up as high as he could reach, and Ryder, seeing what he was trying to do, crouched down. Puss placed the black-and-white cat on the dog's back, unbuckling his belt and placing it around Ryder's neck, ignoring the Doberman's small grunt of protest. He glanced to his left to be sure Matthew wasn't trying anything at the moment, and then grabbed Kitty's paws, placing them on the belt. "Hold on, mi amor." he whispered, and her paws tightened on the leather.

Puss looked at Ryder, who straightened up, knowing what the cat was about to ask of him and wishing he had another choice.

"Go!" the ginger shouted, and then added a bit softer, "And do not come back for me."

"No," Kitty murmured, suddenly more alert, and seemed about to argue, but the Doberman nodded briefly and was off without a chance for her to do so.

Puss watched them go and, distracted, did not hear or see Matthew behind him. But he felt the man's boot connect with him, this time causing bright stars to flash in front of his vision, and he was suddenly on the ground, blinking and staring dazedly up at the blurred man.

"Quite a sorry thing you're friend left," Matthew said in a mockingly caring tone. "I could have used both of you."

Puss forced himself up despite the pain, lashing out with his claws unsheathed at Matthew's arm as he tried to strike him again. Matthew cursed, jerking his hand out towards him, knocking him down.

Puss did not attempt to get back up this time, gasping, and Matthew crossed his arms. "You must have known," he said, "when you decided to come back here, that you would not get away, right? You returned to steal something of mine; why?"

He received no response, although Matthew was not sure if it was from exhaustion or defiance. "Well, anyway, it was a good try." Matthew smirked, and then reached down to grab the cat. Puss did not move for a moment, and then gathered all his strength, lunging at him. With extremely fast reflexes, the man jumped back, and Puss hit nothing but the tile. He groaned and struggled to recover, but couldn't in time to stop the man from delivering a final blow to him and then picking him up by the back of his neck. He hung limply in Matthew's grip, spent.

"What're you—?"

Matthew whirled around, scowling, as the shout startled him, nearly loud enough to echo. Daniel Matthew stood in the entrance to the living room, the bag he'd been holding dropping to the floor as his eyes landed on the ginger in his father's hand.

"Ah, Daniel!" Matthew smirked. "Go down to the basement and get the cage, would you? We can put ten locks on it should we need to."

Daniel did not move. "Why—why do you have him?"

"He came back in an attempt to take something of mine." Matthew explained quickly, waving his free hand as if it were nothing to be cared about. "Now, go get the cage." He saw his son hesitate. "Do not tell me you are going to try to help him like you did last time," he laughed, shaking his head.

Without replying to the question or giving away what he felt, Daniel asked, "What're you gonna do with him?"

"That is to be planned very soon." Matthew answered. "But for right now, get the cage."

Daniel took a step back as if to go, and then hesitated once more. Frowning, Matthew rolled his eyes. "Do as I say, boy, or else." He caught the subtle flinch his words caused Daniel. "I don't wish to hurt you. I don't even care to hurt the cat, he just happens to give a great opportunity for a bit of money."

"You're…going to make him fight? For money?" Daniel's eyes widened slightly as he understood. "But—that's illegal!"

Matthew smirked, amused. "So I've heard," he replied, lowering the ginger slightly. "Now, go get the cage!" He had more force in his words than before, and Daniel knew he should simply do it. He had given the cat a chance to get away, and he had been foolish enough to come back. He turned to leave, and then stopped. "You don't think you have enough money?" he asked without facing his father, but got no reply, and so continued out the door.

Matthew glared at his son as he left, and then shook his head. He began to move into the hallway, and then paused. What of the other two? The second cat and the dog he hadn't seen before? Would they cause him any trouble?

He glanced at the ginger, realizing he'd fainted at some point during the conversation, and then sighed flatly. Of course they would; he couldn't simply have it easy when it came to these cats. He turned and instead headed into the opposite room, which hadn't really a purpose other than holding some of his things, and grabbed something from one of the shelves, placing it in his pocket.

Should he need it, he was very sure it would come in handy.

"Here," Daniel said as he returned, holding the cage out without meeting his father's gaze.

"Excellent." Matthew smiled, walked over to him, and grabbed it from him, tossing Puss inside and setting it down on one of the stairs. Puss groaned and raised his head, glaring at Matthew as he wrapped the chain that had been hanging from it around the cage and locked it, leaving the room momentarily to grab something from a kitchen drawer, coming back with a large handful of cable ties. Puss got to his paws and scrabbled at the door with his claws, trying to unlock it before he could continue to try to contain him in it, but Matthew slammed his fist into the front of the cage as hard as he could and then flipped it so the opening was facing the ceiling, and Puss fell back, dazed.

Matthew fastened every last plastic tie to the door as tightly as he could manage it, highly aware now that the cat could cut through practically anything and determined to prevent the door from opening. Then he turned to Daniel. "Take him down to the basement. And lock the door," he added, frowning when Daniel merely looked away.

"Fine." Matthew said, monotone, and grabbed the cage himself. He pushed past Daniel, half to prove the fact he was aggravated, and then exited the front door. The ginger hissed from inside the cage and reached out through the side of it to scratch his arm. Matthew dropped the container and grimaced angrily, glaring down at the cat and then carelessly picking him up again, taking several long strides over to the side of the fountain in his yard and slamming the cage down on the very edge of the side. Puss frowned at him, his head spinning, and the man pointed at the water. "You're very lucky I have plans for you, or I would—"

"Lucky!" Puss spat mockingly, and Matthew scowled, looking about to either hit the cage or curse at him again, but didn't get the chance.

"Let him go!"

Matthew whipped around at the familiar voice, and scowled at the two now in front of him. "Ah, come back for your friend?"

"Let him go," Kitty repeated, and took a step closer, as did Ryder. Puss grabbed onto the side of the cage with his paws and looked at them, devastated. They would have been safe had they only done what he'd asked!

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Matthew started with a slight smirk. "But maybe you'd like to join him?"

Kitty moved ever closer, changing her direction subtly so she was now heading towards Puss, but the man obviously saw it and placed a hand on the cage, pushing it just a bit more back, so it was practically teetering on the edge. "Take one more step, and you won't have to worry about him anymore." Matthew threatened, placing his free hand on his pocket.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ryder countered, although he stood his ground, as did Kitty.

Matthew scowled and yanked his hand out of his pocket, pointing the drugged dart gun at Kitty, then Ryder, and back again as he spoke. "I don't think you are in any position to argue. If—when I pull the trigger on this, it's all over. You little devil cats, and you," he gestured at Ryder with the object, "won't be able to do anything if one of you cannot escape."

He pointed the gun at Kitty once again and smirked, his finger tightening on the trigger.

"No!" Puss shouted, but his cry was mingled with another voice, much louder than his, and Matthew jerked back in surprise, knocking the cage over the edge in the process as he stared at his son, irate. "What the hell is your problem?" he demanded, and then saw Ryder about to move, pointing the dart gun at him, failing to notice the other cat.

"Puss!" Kitty exclaimed, rushing over to the concrete fountain, jumping onto the edge and into the crystal blue water. She grabbed the door of the cage and pulled herself to it, trying to find the lock and realizing it had already fallen to the bottom. She glanced at the ginger, who was struggling with the plastic ties around the opening. He had already cut five, but there were at least ten more.

Hang on, Kitty thought, and then felt something yank her back up to the surface before she could help him. Fearing at once it was Matthew, Kitty braced herself, breathing hard, but it was instead Daniel, who set her on the edge and reached for the cage, only to be jerked back by his father, who was cursing viciously at him.

"Move," Ryder demanded, and Kitty started as she realized he was suddenly right beside her, his paws scrabbling to get a grip on the concrete. She got out of the way as he bent into the water, grabbing the cage with his teeth. He staggered back on his hind legs and then dropped to all fours on the ground, setting the cage down on the grass, very relieved to hear the cat inside gasping and coughing. He yanked on the door of the cage, and then eyed the plastic ties, unsheathing his claws and swiping one twice over each remaining one, all while keeping an eye on Matthew, who was momentarily occupied with taking his anger out on his son.

"Puss," Kitty whispered, jerking the door open, grabbing him, and helping him up. Puss staggered briefly, struggling to regain his breath, and glanced exhaustedly at Ryder, unable to even the find words to thank him. The Doberman seemed to understand and nodded, and all three looked back at Matthew and Daniel, who had a hand on his cheek as if he'd been struck.

Matthew looked at the three animals and shook his head. He was utterly sick of any idea involving the cats, and he glared at them, unclasping the ginger's sword from his belt and throwing it at them. "Get out of here! Now!" he ordered as loud as he could, and all of them jumped but did not move at first, shocked and unbelieving he was letting them go after everything. Matthew immediately swung the dart gun towards them again and fired, not caring or knowing if it hit any of them. "Now!"

The three bolted off as fast as they could, not looking back, and were into the trees within a minute. Matthew watched them go for only a moment or two before he threw the dart gun into the fountain, pushing past his son.

Daniel frowned and glanced back at the house as his father went into it. Yes, it was definitely time for him to move out. He wanted nothing to do with the man right now and most likely ever again, and he would leave at once. He stared out to where the three had disappeared, and shook his head. Hope you got whatever you came for, he thought, and then walked back into the front door, shutting it softly behind him.

A/N: Only one more chapter to go! :D Hmm...I feel like this chapter could have been better...but oh well. Hope you liked it anyway, and have a freakin' amazing Spring Break! Or just an amazing week, if that doesn't apply to you :P See you next chapter!