8/12/15
(The next day, at 2pm)
Kat smiled to himself as he watched from his seat on Millie's lap, her happily moving her little piece on the gameboard.
"Your turn Coop!" She said happily. Coop rolled his eyes as he unenthusiastically rolled the dice and moved his piece across the board.
This was Millie's new attempt at cheering everyone up. Playing a board game. Coop and Dennis had tried to get out of it, but seeing the way Millie had been pouting at them they had conceded to her demands.
Kat was content in sitting in her lap as they played the game. Especially since he had a clear view of the little light on the side of his food dish.
It only took a few more minutes of waiting for the light to flash green and with that he sneakily climbed off Millie's lap and out the back door, making sure not to make a single sound that would draw any unwanted eyes.
As soon as the door was closed he made a break for it towards the landing site. Megan would be landing soon and there was no way he was going to be late. With more speed then he had used in a while, he cut through the air and past the trees as he rushed to see his sister.
. Time Skip .
Kat sat with impatient excitement as he waited for Megan's ship to land. Just as he was about to try calling her to see what was taking so long there was a soft humming sound and rush of wind blew through the grass. Looking up he saw a small purple ship hovering overhead.
Kat's face broke out into a huge smile as he saw Megan's ship land and a ramp extended itself from the door to the ground. Kat barely had time to run up to the ramp before the door opened and Megan came rushing out of the ship and grabbed him in a one armed hug.
"Mmm! I missed strangling you with hugs!" Megan said.
"I missed seeing you too." Kat said almost tripping as Megan dragged him up the ramp and into her ship.
"I have something really exciting to show you!"
As she pulled him to the far side of the room he tried his best to get a look at his surroundings. It was one large round room with various tools and equipment on one side, furthest from the door, and a bed and eating area on the other. He barely had time to make a joke about how messy the place was when she suddenly stopped in front of a large something or other being covered by a sheet.
"Now that I've successfully pulled your arm out of it's socket, I would like to introduce to you," She said, pausing for dramatic effect. "The Gene Splicer!"
Megan pulled off the sheet to reveal a machine consisting of a large control panel sitting in front of a much larger and wider metal container with glass doors and what seemed to be a metal pad on its floor. On its inside was what looked like a large round lights on every side of the box but the doors.
Kat allowed Megan to pull him up to the control panel and explained the machine.
"The Gene Splicer does exactly as the name suggest. It splices genes. Except instead of just mixing the dna, you can control what physical and biological features the results have. For example, if you wanted to have a creature with the legs of a cheetah, the body of a gorilla, and the venom of a snake, you can! You can just pick and choose what kind of creature you want to make and it'll do it. Well, provided you have those animals on hand that is." She said with a rush of excitement. She spun around to face him and Kat was greeted with a blinding smile.
"What do you think!?"
Kat stared dumbly at her for a few moments before his mouth opened, spewing all kinds of technical questions on how it worked, what it ran on, and how long it took her to put together. Megan answered all of them with the same amount of enthusiasm. They went on like this for ten whole minutes or so before they stopped to take a breath.
"How much longer until it's fully functional?" Kat asked in between breaths.
"Well, that's the bad part. I had ran into a bit of trouble on the way here and my ship got tossed around. Now don't worry. It wasn't anything serious, but with the ship being shook back and forth my stuff got thrown around and things got damaged." She said waving a paw at the messy room. "I need to replace a few parts as well as finish what I hadn't before."
"Oh Aiden, I can't wait until I get this thing up and running." Megan said as she lightly placed her paws on the control panel. Kat smiled at her obvious pride until he noticed something a bit peculiar about her right paw. Squinting at it he now noticed it was swollen and a few shades darker.
"What happened to your wrist?"
"Huh? Oh, you mean this." She said looking down at it. "That issue I mentioned occurred while I was working on this. When the ship got jostled back and forth my paw had gotten caught in between some parts. Hurt like hell pulling it out." She explained with a shrug.
"What exactly was this issue?" Kat asked.
"Remember those pedestrians I said I hit? Well, they were in a ship, and I wasn't hitting as much as shooting at them."
"Pardon?" Kat asked. Megan sneered and started to explain.
"Ah, some assholes had rear ended my ship, and when I told them off they decided to bash into me some more. Bastards didn't realize I had weapons on the ship." Megan said with a toothy smirk. "Let's just say they are now somewhere in the middle of random space without a ride home."
Kat laughed but it faltered a bit as he thought of her injured paw. Megan though, seemed unfazed.
"Anyway, here's the important thing. Will you help me finish it? I've got the rest of the parts coming in and I need some help putting it all together, especially with the programming parts. You were always better at that than me." Megan with a big grin.
Kat hesitated for a moment, thinking of Megan trying to work on things (especially on something as complicated as this must be) with her injured paw, and he knew she would. He also knew he couldn't say anything because she'd just brush it off. That's when an idea came to mind.
"Definitely. You think I'd miss out on this! But I have one question."
"Yeah?"
"You still interested in seeing where I've been staying for the last year?"
"Well, yeah! All I've seen are pictures and the inside of your lab."
"Then it's settled. You come and live with me at the human's house while we finish the parts for 'The Splicer'." Kat said with a smirk. Megan's eyes were huge with excitement at the idea of exploring the human home.
"Yes!" Megan yelled.
"Good." He said turning around and headed for the exist. "Follow me."
. . .
Millie smiled as she moved her piece to the end of the board, and with that she pumped her fist in the air and listened to the boy's groans of frustration.
"You have to be cheating somehow. How do you win every time?" Dennis asked as he looked over the board.
"It's not cheating when you have an awesome lucky charm like me." Millie said as she helped her daddy pick up the die that had fell onto the floor.
"What lucky charm?" Dennis asked.
"Why Mr. Kat of course." Millie answered, then stuck her tongue out as Dennis gave her an eye roll.
"I think I'd rather have a rabbit's foot."
"Yeah." Coop said as he passed his dad the box. "At least the rabbit's foot doesn't look like a naked rat."
"Says you. Mr. Kat happens to be the most handsome cat on the block, and once I finish making his new outfit he'll look even better."
"Well, if he's your good luck charm." Dennis said looking around the kitchen. "Then where's he at?"
Millie's eyes widened as she glanced around the kitchen but didn't see him.
"He probably ran after hearing about the outfit." Coop whispered to Dennis at the table. Millie turned around and gave them both a glare before heading towards the door.
"Daddy, I'm gonna look in the backyard for Mr. Kat." Millie said. Burt looked up from where he was putting away the board game to give her a thumbs up.
"Okay, just make sure not to leave the backyard."
"Alright."
Millie slid the door opened and walked to the middle of the yard, just a few yards away from the edge of the forrest.
"Mr. Kat! MR. KAAAT!" She yelled as her head looked back and forth across the yard. She was about to yell again when a soft meow interrupted her. Looking over at a couple of bushes she noticed her purple kitty crawling out from them. Her face broke out into a big smile as she ran over to him.
"Mr. Kat, there you are! Where have you b-" Millie stopped short as out of the bushes next to Mr. Kat emerged another feline. Millie gasped as a cat of the same breed came out from the bushes and walked up beside him. With its right paw lifted up, it slowly limped its way towards her, all the while yowling in pain. Millie gasped again as she knelt down in front of the small cat. It was smaller than her Mr. Kat, definitely not something that could put up a fight. Another animal must have hurt it!
Millie turned on her heel and dashed back into the house, startling the others.
. . .
Coop watched with a start as his sister zoomed in from the back door and rushed up the stairs. He was about to ask what was going on when he heard the sound of the bathroom door being opened.
"I'm going to go check on Millie. You boys stay here." Burt said as he made his way up the stairs.
Coop looked over at Dennis and gave a shrug. She may be his sister but trying to understand her mood swings was like trying to solve a murder mystery.
Getting up from the table they both walked over to the door and looked out over the lawn. Coop's eyes practically popped out of his head from what he saw.
"What the-?!" Dennis exclaimed.
"KAT!" Coop yelled as he swung the door open and rushed out into the backyard. Coop stopped a few feet in front of the cats and got into his fighting stance.
"Okay cat, you have five second to get out of here before I start kicking tail!" Coop threatened, locking eyes with the new, smaller cat.
But instead of responding the cat blinked up at him owlishly, tilted her head sideways in confusion and meowed. Coop glared harder in frustration.
"We know you're playing dumb, so cut the act." Dennis said from beside him. Again the cat blinked at him and meowed.
"Alright, times up cat!" Coop said, but before he could take more than one step towards it he caught the split second sight a smirk and the cat let out a loud high pitched yowl.
Coop and Dennis jumped back immediately in shock just as they heard the sound of the back door sliding open and Millie ran out, shoving them both out of the way.
Millie gasped in shock and glared daggers at Coop and Dennis.
"What did you do to her!" Millie yelled as she went to gently scoop up the injured feline.
"We didn't-" Coop started but was cut off by the entrance of their dad.
"What's going on?"
"Dad, this cat-"
"Daddy, they hurt Mr. Kat's new friend, now she's limping!" Millie yelled pointing an accusing finger at them.
"What?! No we didn't!" Dennis yelled back.
"It's faking! We didn't even touch the stupid cat!" Coop added.
"Liars!"
"Enough!" Mr. Burtonburger yelled, gaining everyone's attention. "I don't know how this cat got hurt, but we should try to help it." Mr. Burtonburger said as he bent down on his knees beside Millie, taking a closer look at the cat. He slowly moved his finger to lift the injured paw. The cat yowled softly in pain.
"It seems like its paw is sprained at the least." Mr. Burtonburger said. "We'll need to take it to a vet."
The cat's ears flattened down on its head and it directed its pitiful gaze up at Millie.
"But daddy, why can't I take care of her? Mr. Kat hates the vet and she won't like it either. Will you little kitty?" Millie said looking down at the cat in her arms. Said cat yowled softly and snuggled further into her dress.
"See? She doesn't like the vet. Besides," Millie said showing her own big eyes to her daddy. "I can easily take care of her myself with the help of my feline assistant." She said waving her free hand towards Kat.
"What!? No way!" Coop yelled, but was shut down by a disapproving look shot from his dad. His dad turned back to look at Millie with a sympathetic gaze.
"I don't know sweetie. Taking care of an injured animal is a pretty big job."
"No need to worry! Nurse Millie will take care of everything." Millie said giving him a salute with her free hand.
"Dad, you can't!" Coop interrupted. "We already have one cat! We don't need two!"
Mr. Burtonburger looked at him for a moment and nodded his head.
"Coop's right Millie. We don't have enough money to feed two cats." He said looking down at Kat. "Especially with the way Mr. Kat eats."
"But daddy, she's hurt. I can't just leave her!" Millie said with tears in her eyes.
"Millie-" Mr. Burtonburger stopped short as Millie started to whimper. Just as she was about to open her mouth and scream, Mr. Burtonburger placed his hand over her mouth.
"Okay, okay! How about this? We'll keep the cat only until it gets better." Millie jumped up in excitement, while Coop and Dennis frowned. "But as soon as she gets better we have to take her to the shelter. Agreed?"
Millie squealed happily in excitement before giving their dad a tight sideways hug with her free arm. While Coop on the other hand groaned and glared daggers at the 'injured' feline.
"Thank you daddy! Thank you! I'll take really good care of her!" Millie said as she swiftly made her way back into the house with Kat right on her heals. Just as Coop was about to try to persuade his dad again, the other cat popped it's head over Millie's shoulder and smirked devilishly at them.
Coop's eyes practically popped open in shock before he glared at it more fiercely, as if doing so would make it burst into flames.
This isn't over cat! I'll find out what you're up to and put a stop to it!
He turned back around to his dad and pointed at Millie's retreating form.
"Dad, did you see-" He however stopped short at the glare he was currently getting from his father. "I-um."
"What part of go no where without an adult did you two not understand?"
"I-"
"We're sorry Mr. Burtonburger. We just forgot." Dennis explained.
"Oh, I see. Well since you both forgot to follow the rules, you two can forget about coming out of your room for the rest of the day." Coop's dad said as he steered the boys back towards the house.
"But-"
"No buts! I'll be bringing you two your dinner later, but until tomorrow I better not see either of you two out of that room. Have I made myself clear?"
They both hung their heads as they responded with an affirmative. Nodding back at them, Mr. Burtonburger walked them up to their room and shut the door behind him. Coop let out a long frustrated groan as he kicked the side of his bed.
"Tomorrow we need to find a way to get rid of that cat. One is bad enough!"
"Yeah, and now he's brought a friend. Whatever he's planning must be big if he's calling in the reinforcements." Dennis said as he sat down on his sleeping bag. "But Coop this time we're going to have to be really stealthy. Your dad's really serious about keeping an eye on us."
"Okay, but we can't exactly go snooping around outside, and we know that's where they're doing whatever it is they're doing."
"Well, the way I see it we can just follow them around here. Think about it. If we stay on them while they're in the house…" Dennis said.
"Then we can stop them from going out and getting to their hiding spot!"
"Plus, with Millie playing doctor on that other cat, she won't be letting it out of her sight."
"And, if it's always inside with Millie, then dad will be close by if it ever tries to attack us, and he'll see what they really are." Coop said, giving Dennis a high five.
"See what happens when you calm down for a bit?" Dennis said, reaching for a pen and paper to write down their plans. Coop blushed a bit and scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. It's just… with everything kind of piling on us like this I… I've just been losing my head." Coop said uncomfortably. Dennis stopped his writing to look up at his friend.
"Coop, I get it. You feel a lot of stress and it's messing with your judgment. You think a few mistakes are gonna make me give up on you or something?" Dennis laughed as he continued writing down some things about the cat they saw. Coop laughed a bit too as he plopped himself down next to Dennis.
"Of course not. Now, lets see what we've got so far."