Chapter 14:
The new movie was popular across town. It was all the kids talked about at school. Anyone who'd seen it had seen it more than once. Her friends were not talking about the new Terrance and Phillip movie. It was the new Marvel movie playing at the same time.
"Isn't Kitty Litter's costume just the cutest!" Bebe squealed with excitement.
She almost spat her coffee out. A movie? This was the first she'd heard of it and this movie was about her alter ego. Kitty Litter. "What?"
"I know right!" Esther's lunchbox had her picture on it. "They should make a sequel featuring Callgirl. We could use more female superheros."
"Kitty Litter and Callgirl would be the best crime fighting duo!"Jenny said as she sipped on her apple juice.
"I don't think Callgirl and Kitty Litter have ever worked together before."Wendy said as she tried not to blush. They hadn't. The only Freedom Pals she worked with before were Mysterion and The Shadow when they were rescuing Karen McCormick from the Vamp kids at Casa Bonita.
"T-there's a Kitty Litter movie?" She'd been preoccupied with Terrance and Phillip and the research into her weird dreams and visions to notice the other movie at the cinema. The beast from the sky is coming. The devil hides behind a familiar face. UNITE OR DIE!
"Kitty Litter must be rich like Batman."Annie added excitedly. "Let's all see it again."
"Yeah."Her friends agreed in unison.
She was shocked. Not only was there a movie about her she didn't receive royalties from it. She wasn't rich like her friends thought. Her parents burned through the money they stole from banks and casinos. She never saw a sent from them or her own franchise. Her friends all had lunchboxes, water bottles, backpacks, purses plush toys of her cats and even shirts with her trademark logo on them. The only funding she got was from Mayor McDaniels. She spent the last of it on her school lunch. She couldn't even buy food for her cats. They would have to live on mice until she could either steal what she needed or work up the courage to actually ask for help.
"Come on Kat!"Bebe dragged her by the arm. They were going to the cinema after school.
"I-I can't go."There were lots of things she couldn't do with her friends because she didn't have any money. She longed to go shopping with them. Wendy and Bebe were great stylists. They were nice enough to give her their old clothes so at least she wasn't a fashion disaster because her Bogan parents had no taste. "I don't have any money for a ticket."
"I'll cover you and we'll all go."Wendy suggested.
She didn't protest against their insistence on covering her ticket and her snacks. They were sleeping over at Wendy's that night so she didn't have to worry about dinner. She wanted to see her movie and wondered how they portrayed her. She also really needed a girl's day out.
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She was surprised. The new Kitty Litter movie titled Catitude featured her along with Classi and Big Gay Al. The media followed Kitty Litter everywhere so she wasn't surprised by the accuracy in Kitty Litter's portrayal in the film. Actors even played her husband and son. There was no sign of The Coon in the film. As far as she was concerned the fat turd didn't deserve a film franchise or to be called a hero. He was a pest. Nothing more.
She knew she would have to talk to the kid after she set up her office. She hadn't been back to city hall since her failed election campaign. For the longest time she wouldn't go near it. In the movie she took her power back and in real life she was going to do exactly that. She knew Kitty Litter wanted her back in office.
"Who are you?"They shut the door behind them and blocked the exits. She had a pistol in one of the boxes she hadn't had the chance to unpack yet and a taser in her coat pocket.
"I'm Bulldog and these are my K9s."A large balding man in a pompadour hat and a blue suit approached her. He held onto a leashed bulldog and she immediately guessed the names of his toadies based on the dogs they had with them. "I had hoped to become the mayor of South Park, but I see you've already beaten me to it."
Bulldog was overweight. Heavier than her husband and Jimbo Kern combined. His colleagues packed heavily artillery and she knew they weren't playing games. They might have a stupid gang name, but she knew they meant business. That didn't mean she wasn't going to stand her ground. She wouldn't let him take her job after she gained the courage to take it back for herself. She sighed heavily. It was the Japanese mafia all over again. Some of his men where as heavy as Bulldog, two – identical twins – were obviously bodybuilders. They could easily over power her. The elderly managed to take over her office when they wanted their licences back.
"What the hell are you doing?"Bulldog put his arm around her to prevent her from trying to escape while the muscle he brought with him searched through her belongings. He gripped her shoulder so she couldn't move and she became nervous when he held a gun to her chest.
"I'll be straight with you Mary."He knew her. It creeped her out. "I want the mayoral position. You're going to step down and you're also going to tell me where the cat bitch is."
She rolled her eyes. She wasn't about to tell him shit. "I wouldn't tell you where she is even if I knew."
She couldn't tell them. Kitty Litter might be a vigilante, but she was still just a child. She had to protect her.
He pressed the gun against her cheek and demanded answers. "I know you know her. I have sources telling me they've seen you give her money. Where is she?!"
"I don't know!"She honestly didn't know. Kitty could be anywhere in town. She only knew of a few places she might be and she wasn't about to give the information to Bulldog. Kitty Litter was just an innocent child.
"I'm in charge of this town now lady!"Bulldog took over her position in office before she even had the chance to sit at her desk.
Before Bulldog had the chance to intimidate her further one of his K9s collapsed in a crumpled heap. His demonic voice reverberated around her office. "I'm coming! This planet is mine! The human race will fall!"
"The fuck's wrong with you Doberman?!"Bulldog demanded. The other K9s didn't know what to do. She used the situation to her advantage. She disarmed Bulldog quickly and fled the building. Calling the police when she made it to the safety of her SUV.
XXXX
"Hello Kitty Litter."She froze. She didn't think anyone was behind her. He scared her. She looked to see if she were in costume. She was horrified she was in civilian clothing.
She wore pink leggings and a purple dress which belonged to Wendy and a black winter coat that she borrowed from Bebe. She wasn't aware anyone was watching her as she pocketed cans of cat food, candy bars and anything else the shop keeper wouldn't notice.
"C-Cartman?"She turned to face him.
"Katherine Marie Holloway? Or is it Millicent Jane Bodnar? I've heard conflicting reports." A malevolent smirk broadened across his flabby face. She was nervous in his presence.
Her face paled. No one knew she was in the witness protection program. She became Katherine Marie Holloway just before she moved to the US. Her new name was on all of her documents and had even been changed on her birth certificate. How did he know?
"H-how did you know?"Her face dripped with sweat. She started shaking. She was done. Once he released this information to the media she was finished and she'd likely be deported since being a vigilante was against the law.
"My new friends."His smirk became wider. He laughed at the fear etched on her face. "They hacked the Australian Government's data base."
She backed away from him or at least she tried to when he put his arm around her. "What do you want?!"
"If you want to be a hero you have to join Coon and Friends, you need to sign up for Coonstagram and you have to fill out your character sheet."He gave her little choice. He knew her true identity. Her skin crawled while she was in his company.
"I don't really use social media for that stuff."In reality she was always on social media. She had Tumblr, Deviant Art, Facebook and Instagram accounts. She played mobile games without spending a cent on them. She refused to go on Coonstagram because she wanted nothing to do with Eric Cartman. She also didn't understand why all the heroes – even Mysterion – had social media accounts. Didn't they know their IP addresses could be tracked? They weren't protecting their identities very well.
"I could also use a sidekick. A girlfriend."He continued. "Once you're a member of Coon and Friends you have to play superheroes my way."
She grimaced with disgust. He was the last person she'd ever go out with. "After what you did to Heidi? No fucking way!"
"That movie of yours is pretty good." He continued without caring. His creepy calmness after she rejected him made her nervous. "How much has that made in the box office? I bet you're rolling in money."
"I don't get any money from that movie."It wasn't a lie. She didn't even know there was a movie about her until she saw it with her friends the previous weekend.
"That money by right belongs to The Coon and Friends franchise."He was blackmailing her. She needed help. She didn't know what to do. "I could tell the shop owner that you're stealing. That's a hundred dollars worth in your pockets."
She disappeared in a puff of smoke. She had to find them. They were the only ones who could help her.