X. CATS

IF I HAD KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT, I WOULDN'T BE HERE

From a sign Benito Mussolini mounted under a fish he caught

Within us all lies a soul that we barely use, and yet we feel it's pain. We do not put our souls to good use. They are only there to sustain the injury given to us. If we look inside of us, we will see our will, our courage, our pride: bruised, injured, beaten, wasted, tattered and shamed, like the rags worn by only the poorest of peoples. It is the folly of those whom have not fought in wars, those whom have not been beaten around the legs or about the head or beaten down; such is the folly of the rich and poor: the proud and the brave all die while the cowards and the frightened and the heartbroken are very much alive. A damning shame; such is the folly of man. But, one must suppose: weltings of the skin are felt in the soul as well?

But now, it does not matter. Now, Koitsumi does not feel pain at all. Instead, he feels something quite the opposite. A cold, watery sensation runs throughout his arms and chest all the way down to his fingers. He shivers, but it feels better than pain nonetheless. He can't breathe through his nose. There is something covering his eyes. One of his arms seems stuck to his torso. When he tries to get up, his back is so stiff it's not even funny. His mouth, however, is free, along with his right arm. He gropes about, trying to find something that isn't bed, railing, or sheet.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he cries.
"Minako, he's awake!" a voice calls.
"Who's there?"
"Minako!"
"Who are you? Where am I?"
"Nobody, now hush. Usagi, get in here!"
"Tell me, damn it: where am I?"
"Oh, just be quiet..."
"Bite me, man. Help me up! You're under damn arrest!"
"..." a long silence.
"Hello? Are you still there? Help me! Help me get up!"
"Uh... hello?"
"Yes, hello! Get me up! I have to go, damn it!"
"... you can understand what I'm saying"
"Of course I frickin' can, why couldn't I?"
"... a few reasons you shouldn't"
"Help! Someone help me, I've been kidnapped! Heeeaaalp!"
"Be quiet. Be quiet, damn you!"
"Look... just stay calm, man. I'm a police officer. I got backup..."
"You were found lying on the side of the street with your face beaten in"
"Look..."
"Don't try to fool me, officer. Listen to what I have to say and this wil be all the easier for you"
"Alright, fine"
"You're not to mention you're a cop to the girls. If you do, I swear, I will have them kill you"
"Are you Zaibatsu?"
"... Not exactly"
"What's going on up there?"
"He's awake, Usagi. Tell everyone to come up"
"Just a second, I need to shake off my mom and dad"

Something lands on Koitsumi's chest. Someone grasps ahold of what is covering his eyes. Someone rips it off... something stands on his stomach, holding what seems to be a bandage. It is a cat; a snowy white cat, of eveyrthing Koitsumi wanted to be around. It has big blue eyes and a moon on it's forehead.

"Now, do we have an accord?"

"Well? I swear that these girls will kill you if I tell them to"
"I... hear you"
"Excellent. Now..."
"You're talking"
"Yes, and that's why..."
"You're talking to me"
"Yes, what else would I be doing?"
"You're a cat that's talking to me"
"You were expecting something else?"
"Quite honestly, a white guy with an afro"
"What..."
"Where am I?"
"In a house. It's all I'm allowed to tell you"
"A teenager's house?"
"... No"
"What happened?"
"You've suffered many injuries. You're lucky to be alive and without pain"
"Obviously; there's a cat talking to me"
A door closes in the distance. "Pretend you are sleeping"

Something lands on Koitsumi's chest, startling him. However, as a shuffle of loud thuds sound out as the door to the room, he feels compelled to silence. The door flies open, and in pack what appears to be a group of people. They are entirely silent. The air in the room is extremely tense. Koitsumi can't feel but gulp. He feigns discomfort, and buries his head under the pillows.

"Was he awake?" a girl asks.
"No. He's on his way, though" says the cat's voice.
"Anyone know what his name is?" another girl asks.
"He said his name was Hiroto Koitsumi, but I'm not really sure"
Koitsumi's heart did a cartwheel. "Methinks he's a cop"
"If he's a cop, we should kill him"
"No, we shouldn't. He hasn't done anything to us"
"No, no, see, he hasn't done anything to us yet"
"She's right"
"Don't you see, guys? He's not just a danger to us; what about our families?"
"They won't be implicated..."
"How the heck do you know that, Mako-chan? Have you even been watching the news?"
"Last week you said that the news was corrupted and all lies"
"Trust me; they like to brag about keeping their precious order"
"Point taken; he's a danger alright... but what do we do with him?"
"Simple; Mina, hand me that knife on the counter"
"Mina, don't hand it to her..."
"Mina, you ditz! Now she's gonna kill him..."

Someone took Koitsumi by the face and pressed his lips flat. Koitsumi kept completely stiff, still feigning sleep. The second he felt the dirty, crusty, cold steel of a knife that smelled like blowfish cut into the inside middle of his mouth, he can't bear it.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" he says. He tastes blood.
"I had a feeling he was awake" says the girl with the knife.
"Are you insane?"
"That's what everyone tells me. Mina, I thought you said he was out cold"
"He was" says Mina.
"Damn, you didn't have to scare him half to Hell" says a girl in the corner
"Yeah, well, he deserved it, the despicable little weasel"
"God, what happened to his face?" says another girl.
"Seems as if he was assaulted, don't you think?"
"I don't think she needed you to tell her that... I figure"
"Oh, bite me"
"No thanks; I'd rather take a bite out of Mamoru"
They all laugh.
"Ladies!"
They all look at Koitsumi. "Who the hell are you?"

Before any of them can speak, another voice sounds off. This one is distant, as if coming from an odd angle. Koitsumi looked about until he twisted to look behind him at the bed's heading: balanced atop it was another cat. This cat was dark in color, with big red eyes of sincere reproach and distrust. Koitsumi merely stared.

"You know damn well who they are"
"... I suppose"
"No, no, you know who they are. You can't keep your secrets any longer"
"Secrets?"
"Yes. No more secrets, I'm afraid, between you and us"
"You're talking to me"
"Well, yes. What else would I be doing?"
"Meowing?"
"You're confused"
"I know I am"
"Or are you?"
"I'm wondering... what secrets?"
"You are an undercover police officer. You are tracking down the Sailor Senshi"
"Yes"
"Do you feel close to them?"
"I guessed as much"
"How so?"
"The other guy was talking to me too. He said I'm not supposed to hear him"

The cat looked up at the girls in the room. Koitsumi looked as well. Their faces were all amazement. Two of them had hands over their mouths, the other two looked angry, and Mina was laughing under her breath.

"Artemis, why didn't you tell them?" the black cat asks.
"I just thought..." the white cat speaks
"Luna, you have to admit... this is kind of weird" says Mina
"'Kind of weird'? He can understand them, Mina!" says a big girl.
"Another remnant? That's... that can't be true"
"Why is it a man?"
"Oh, perfect. We just need the fuzz on us 24/7..."
"So that's why you followed me from school"
"Everyone else out" says the black cat.
"Luna... you don't have to..."
"I said out. Take them out, Usagi"
"Um... 'kay. Guys... just for a sec..."

They all file out, looking over their shoulders, whispering, murmuring, giggling. The cat's voice is grave and darkened. Koitsumi looks up at the ceiling. It is patched, as if there were a hole before there. He closes his eyes once again. He can't see them when they speak to him.

"Do you have any idea the amount of trouble you're in?" the black cat says.
"Story of my life" says Koitsumi.