Several days had passed since Shenzi had returned to training for the upcoming battle. She had worked hard to prove herself to Hunter, showing him that he had made no mistake in allowing her back in. Though the remaining training sessions had only been ones that showed the trainees fighting techniques, she was much more alert now, and whenever she got paired up with her leader, she performed excellently. She even managed to pin him down a few times.
Her main concern had been her nightmares, but surprisingly they hadn't returned for a few days. Only on this final night before the battle did they return, but not in a way she had expected. In her dream world that she had grown so accustomed to, Shenzi stood in a thick grey mist, seemingly alone. There was a foreboding silence all around her, but she wasn't entirely scared anymore. She had grown used to what these mysterious dreams brought her, and as morbid as they may be, she was ready for whatever message was brought with them. After all, they had to be messages, otherwise why else would she keep getting the same kind of dreams all the time? As she gazed around her, her attention was suddenly drawn to the area in front of her, where suddenly she heard pawsteps approaching. A large, familiar tom stepped in front of her, gazing at her coldly. Beast.
Shenzi's caretaker stared her down, his eyes narrowed. "What did I tell you? You can't be in this fight! Why are you so keen on ignoring my wisdom? I have lived on this world longer than you, and I know when things don't seem right," he growled at her, his eye flaring.
Shenzi huffed, feeling not one bit threatened by his presence. After all, this was just a dream. "There's no reason why I can't be in this fight! Banzai and Ed are going and you haven't said anything to stop them! Do you not think I'm capable just because I'm a true Siamese cat?" she hissed at him, her tail flicking in annoyance. Even in her dreams, his personality stayed true to reality.
Beast continued to stare down at her, his expression still cold. "You shouldn't even be here! You were never meant to be with them! You're not supposed to be in this fight! Listen to me, just once!" he insisted in an almost desperate tone, but it was so subtle Shenzi thought she might have imagined it.
The Siamese she-cat blinked up at him, confused by what his tone suggested. This couldn't be the real Beast, somehow entering her dreams to further enforce his message? Don't be rat-brained Shenzi, she scolded herself for thinking such a thing was possible. But even so, it unsettled her how he had said what he did. "What do you mean I wasn't supposed to be here?" she asked in confusion, narrowing her eyes.
Beast didn't get the chance to answer her. He shut his eyes and opened his maw, but before he could speak his voice was drowned out by a frenzy of barking; loud, menacing barking. In the next moment large paws slammed into his form, causing his body to vanish like dust into the air.
Shenzi yelped and just barely managed to dodge the brute's pounding paws. He wasn't her only concern. All around her, more dogs howled and barked as they ran past her, not showing any signs of noticing her presence. At first they sounded confident, triumphant even, but it was soon replaced with frightful whines. The dogs that Shenzi had watched vanish into the distance suddenly turned and came sprinting back towards her. They crashed into each other and tripped, losing their footing several times before quickly getting back on their paws, fleeing from something horrible. It was the dark foreboding that always appeared in her nightmares, except this time, it was much worse. Bam! The dreadful sound echoed loudly, making her fur stand on end. Whatever had made that noise was coming closer and closer to her face, while Shenzi remained glued to her spot in fear, until finally…
"Shenzi! Shenzi!" Rapida's voice jolted the Siamese she-cat out of her dream at the last second, leaving her panting heavily in her nest amongst her brothers and her friend. Her vision was blurred at first, but soon enough she shook her head and cleared it of her initial morning fuzz. "Did you have another dream?" She turned her head to see the grey she-cat looking down at her worriedly as she always did during these nights.
Shenzi took several moments to respond, still catching her breath. Whatever had been coming towards her in her dream, she had been certain she was facing her death, even when she knew it was a dream the whole time. As she stared past her friend for a moment, she was surprised to see a bit of sunlight seeping into the tent through the entrance. She was even more astounded to find that she didn't feel exhausted like she usually did after one of her dreams, but that was most likely because of the adrenaline rush she had suddenly gotten as she woke up. She quickly got to her paws and shook out her pelt, turning to face her friend. "I'm fine. I did have another dream, but I'm fine," she reassured firmly. This was the day of the fight, and there was no way she could show any sign of weakness, otherwise Hunter might try to remove her at the last second.
Rapida didn't look convinced despite the Siamese she-cat's burst of energy, but she didn't question her any further. "If you say so. I guess it's convenient you woke up now. We all have to get ready anyways. Today's the big day," she finished with a grin and gestured with her tail to the other trainees who were slowly starting to awake, thankfully not because of Shenzi for once.
Shenzi's paws tingled with excitement. It was finally time! The entire moon of training had at last led her to where she had wanted to be. The day Killer had appeared at Witch's den while she had been injured by her own dog fight seemed so far off now. Now she was trained by none other than her leader for this day where she would finally get revenge, even if it wasn't the same dog she would be facing in battle. "Banzai! Ed! Wake up!" she exclaimed, soon noticing that her brothers were still fast asleep. She quickly nudged Ed roughly to wake him up, while Rapida did the same for Banzai.
The two toms groaned and writhed in protest, slowly opening their eyes simultaneously. "Ugh...Shezni? Rapida? Why are you waking us up?" Banzai grumbled as he blinked his eyes sleepily at them.
"Because today's the day of the fight! I mean, you could stay behind and keep sleeping if you really want to…" Rapida snickered with a gleam of mischievousness in her eyes as she backed away from him and climbed out of their scoop in the ground.
Ed was much easier to convince, his ears perking up as he was reminded of the news. He barked excitedly and climbed out after her, Shenzi soon to follow. "H-Hey! Wait up!" Banzai exclaimed quickly as he scrambled after them.
"Keep up! Otherwise I'm gonna assume all brothers are as slow as mine!" Rapida called back to him teasingly as she led the way out of the tent, the others right at her heels, as well as some of the other trainees.
As they stepped out into the open, Shenzi observed the sky and weather conditions. The sky above was clear and blue, with only a few wisps of clouds here and there. It seemed like a perfect day to go into battle. She lowered her gaze and continued to follow Rapida, who led them into the main portion of the alleyway. Already the hunting group was out and about, setting out the fresh-kill so that those participating in the fight could eat well before they left. Hunter sat on top of the Bonehill as he always did, observing the group silently while Killer mimicked him, as stoic as ever as he sat rigid at the base.
Shenzi scanned the group of hunters as she and her companions started to approach the pile of prey. She spotted Glaze amongst them, but as soon as her eyes met with Beast's she immediately turned away. She hadn't spoken to the tom since their quarrel after she had been allowed back into the training, and at first Banzai and Ed were going to avoid him as well, but she soon told them not to. After all, Beast's quarrel was with Shenzi alone, and it shouldn't affect the relationship he and her brothers had formed over their moons together. Even so, it still pained her to see him get along well with her siblings and treat them as fondly as if they were his own kits, yet he hardly gave Shenzi the light of day.
"What do you want to eat?" Rapida's mew jolted the Siamese she-cat out of her thoughts, and she blinked to see that the prey was right in front of them.
"Hm...I think the four of us should share a two big rats, so we get our fill, but not too full," Shenzi answered with a brief nod. She reached forward and pulled one of the larger rats from the pile, blinking gratefully as she felt Rapida come in to help her carry it away so others could pick their meals. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Banzai and Ed mimicking their actions, following them to their usual spot.
The quad stopped and set down their rats nearby, already crouching down and tearing into the flesh of their meal. They sat quietly together as they ate, focusing on merely gorging themselves as well as the mutual acknowledgement that after this fight, this could be their last morning meal in the main alleyway. After all, each outsider had their own specific home to go to once this was all over. Shenzi wondered what it would be like to go back to the small alley in which she, her brothers, and Beast had lived in. It had been several moons since they had gone back there, considering they temporarily lived in Witch's den, then came straight here. Before she could dwell on the thought much longer, Hunter stood up and let out a caterwaul to draw the attention of those near.
"Welcome, my brothers and sisters. The day has finally come for our kind to show that we are truly in charge of these streets we call home," Hunter paused and, for the second time Shenzi had ever seen him do so, smiled with pride down at the gathered group of eating trainees. "When you first arrived you were all inexperienced in your own ways, but through my vigorous training you have made it far. Even those of you who have gotten eliminated from the battle are now more knowledgeable than you were before you arrived. Whether you fight today or not, know that each and every one of you will serve a purpose today that could change the entire course of the battle. My fellow fighters, today I shall lead you out to find one stray, a stray in which we will intimidate with the size of our group, and let him blindly lead us right into the heart of where the strays like to gather. Together we shall defeat those mutts inside their own walls. We shall come back to our home victorious," he announced, causing the trainees to yowl their agreement with eager waves of their tails.
"However, it is not only the fighters that shall ensure our ultimate victory. Those of you in the hunting group now serve a more greater role today. You shall be constantly alert, waiting for the return of your brethren. It is your duty to take them to Witch's den outside of the Large Twolegplace so that they may be treated and live on to bask in their victory. Those with more severe injuries will be top priority, followed by everyone else," Hunter explained, receiving murmurs of acknowledgement from the hunting party.
Killer suddenly got to his paws, his eyes narrowing at the cats. "Though I told Hunter that I should stay behind and monitor you all, he insisted that he wanted me by his side in the battle, so I trust you all can take care of yourselves and make smart decisions without supervision," he snorted as he gazed about all of them before sitting back down again.
Hunter nodded down at his second-in-command with approval before returning his gaze to the former trainees, now his battle companions. "Eat well, and then we shall set out at sunhigh for the fight. After those fighting have eaten, those who have hunted can take their own fill, but not before. Be patient," he instructed simply before leaping down from the Bonehill and meeting with Killer, calling off the assembly with a flick of his tail as he started to discuss something quietly with his companion.
Shenzi watched her leader for the entirety of his speech before returning to her meal, tearing into the flesh diligently. She cast a side-glance at the hunting group, somewhat surprised that they had to wait for the trainees to finish eating before they could even pick out their prey. It almost felt like their small band was being treated like royalty.
"Are you nervous?" Rapida inquired after swallowing a mouthful, drawing Shenzi's attention back to her companions.
The Siamese she-cat thought for a moment. "I guess you could say we all are. No matter how much Hunter has trained us, the outcome of the battle is still uncertain. I trust his judgement though, and I know the last thing he would do is lead his cats to their deaths," she answered sincerely.
Rapida had taken another bite of their prey, chewing it thoughtfully before swallowing. "Well, I don't trust Hunter's full judgement," she snorted before leaning down to take another bite.
Shenzi stared at her friend in surprise, but before she could respond Banzai got to it first. "Why not?" the tom blinked, licking his chops for any remains of his meal that clung there.
It was a few moments before Rapida responded, choosing to
continue eating until she had her fill and pushing the remains towards Shenzi. "Well, leader or not, no cat can have perfect judgement. Not that I'm saying Hunter isn't a reliable cat, after all, some cats have better judgement than others, and I do agree that he's up there considering he's our leader but...I just know that he can't be right all the time, or 'know what's best for us'," she answered simply.
Shenzi and her brothers exchanged a glance before the Siamese she-cat spoke up. "Are you sure this has to do with the fight, Rapida? I mean, every cat knows that you two have become friendlier with each other, so are you sure your opinion isn't formed on personal issues?" she questioned with a tilt of her head.
Rapida's fur fluffed out and she shot a glare at her friend. "I don't have any personal issues with him! I'm just being honest! You can take it or leave it," she huffed, shutting her eyes and sticking her nose in the air.
Shenzi rolled her eyes but shrugged and returned to her meal. "Whatever you say…" she mumbled as she dug her teeth into the rodent once again and tore off a chunk of meat, swallowing it thoughtfully. With how Rapida reacted to her accusation, it was obvious that what she had said was a personal issue, but she just wasn't going to admit it. The real question was why were the two suddenly butting heads. For the past moon ever since the first day of training, Rapida and Hunter had seemed to form a small bond. However, ever since almost a quarter moon ago, the grey she-cat seemed to always have a snark statement to say about their leader. Putting the thought to the back of her mind, she continued to eat her fill until she was satisfied before kicking away any remains.
Shenzi lifted her gaze to see that Banzai and Ed had also finished their breakfast, and as she looked around she noticed that so were all the other trainees. She brought her gaze to the sky to see that it was also almost time to head out. Her pelt tingled with mingled excitement and anxiety. Soon, they would be heading out to battle, and she didn't know what to expect. All she knew was that whatever happened, she would fight hard for the sake of her kind so they could live the best possible life out here on the streets.
Hunter's eyes shifted over the trainees, quickly noticing that they were all done with their meals. He bunched his muscles beneath him and leaped back up onto the top of the Bonehill in one go, his gaze falling beneath him once again. "The fighting group have taken their fill, and now it is time for the hunting group to gorge themselves," he announced. "Sunhigh has also arrived, and the time has come for what you all have been training for. Naturally, as your leader, my word is final, but you must obey my orders diligently out there if you want to live. I trust that each of you are smart enough to understand that. Now, say your farewells, and meet me outside the gates as soon as possible," he called, dismissing all the cats with a wave of his tail as he leaped down from the Bonehill. Together, he and Killer departed from the alleyway towards the gates.
The cats started to disperse as soon as they were given permission, many of the hunters first went to grab their meals, while most of the trainees searched for their friends and family among them to say their goodbyes and receive words of encouragement and good luck. Rapida was amongst them, of course searching for her brother Glaze. The two siblings brushed their heads together lovingly once they found each other, and from what Shenzi could see from a distance, they seemed to exchange a few words before Rapida started to make her way back to the Siamese she-cat.
Shenzi glanced to her side, and saw that Banzai and Ed were hesitant at first, but even they couldn't leave without saying goodbye to Beast. Shenzi wished she could feel same, but she didn't care one bit about saying anything to him at this point. If he truly cared about her, he would make the first step, but naturally this wasn't the case as she heard her two brothers returning to her side, and when she looked up, she saw that her caretaker had vanished into the crowd of hungry cats. Figures, she thought with a snort as she nodded to her companions and got to her paws, leading the way to the alleyway's entrance.
Shenzi narrowed her eyes at the harsh sunlight as they stepped out into the open, no longer shadowed by buildings on either side of them like they were in the alley. Hunter glanced back at the four and gave a brief nod before returning to his rigid position, waiting for the others to join him.
Rapida made it quite obvious she was trying to sit as far away as she could from their leader, while at the same time sticking close to her friends. The grey she-cat sat behind Shenzi, keeping her gaze away from Hunter as she gazed about the streets, pretending to find them much more interesting as she watched the occasional Twoleg walk by across the street or monster drive by.
It wasn't long before the rest of the fighting group emerged from the alleyway as well, joining the gathered cats as they waited for everyone. No one bothered to converse, as if it would ruin the serious atmosphere that had formed amongst them. They all knew that all their training would lead up to this moment so long as they weren't eliminated, but now it was finally happening, and Shenzi was sure that most of them could hardly believe it, herself included. After all, she had gotten eliminated, and by luck she had gotten herself back in. I can't fail Hunter now, she thought determinedly.
Hunter rose to his paws and gazed about the group, checking to make sure everyone was here and accounted for. "Alright, my brethren. The time has come. Let's move out," he nodded to them and gave them one encouraging smile that lasted for all to see before he turned away and started to lead them away from their home.
Shenzi followed at her leader's tail, Rapida right at her paws while Banzai and Ed shouldered her on either side. Killer as always was right next to Hunter's side, and the rest of the trainees were gathered behind them. In total, there had to be at least twelve of them. Is this really a big enough group to take on some dogs? she wondered suddenly, anxiety creeping into her pelt as she glanced at their small militia. Sure, they were all well-trained now, but would that matter in the long run if they were outnumbered by their enemy? She quickly shook her head to clear it. Rapida's remark from earlier is just getting to me. Hunter wouldn't send us to our deaths. Would he?
The group plodded along the sidewalk in silence, hardly taking notice to the different lives occurring all around them. Twolegs yowled at one another, monsters drove by, and more Twolegs walked back and forth on the sidewalks now that the cats were starting to head into the busier parts of the Large Twolegplace. Usually every outsider liked to watch in curiosity how Twolegs interacted with each other, where they went into those strange "shops" and got more pelts, or where they sat down inside other places where other Twolegs would serve them fresh prey. It was always fascinating, but today no cat bothered. They were too focused, too apprehensive of what was to come. Even for the larger group traveling together, the Twolegs themselves took almost no notice. Occasionally a few would glance at the cats, but they merely continued on their way, or sidestepped to avoid the cats as they walked on the same sidewalk as them.
The group continued to trudge onwards as the sun continued to move about, and for a brief moment Shenzi wondered if Hunter even knew where he was leading them. Before she could dwell on her doubts, the cats unanimously froze as they heard a distant bark up ahead. Their leader stopped as well, and narrowed his eyes. "Alright everyone, this is it. If this stray is alone, Killer, Shenzi, Banzai and I will take it on first. It won't take much to take it down and start to chase it away. The rest of you will work on intimidating it and keeping it from running into back into the streets. We don't want to lose it. If we force it to flee into the alleyway, it will be more likely that it'll lead us straight to some other strays," he growled back at them softly before taking the lead.
The dog continued to bark in small spurts, and as they moved forward the barking grew closer. A small alley appeared up ahead, the obvious source of the mutt's bays. Shenzi's fur instinctively started to fluff up. With each pawstep closer, she was getting closer to the reality of their situation, and she had been picked amongst the small group to take on the first dog. She dared to glance at Banzai, who held a determined gaze, though she could see his pelt was also starting to rise. She briefly pressed against him reassuringly as they moved closer to the alleyway, until finally, they stood around the entrance.
Inside, rummaging through the garbage, was a lean, long-legged white dog with ginger patches. It still hadn't taken any notice to the ambush that was about to occur as it continued to search for food, growling softly as it tore apart wrappers and other plastic coverings to reveal the small morsels within.
"Form a wall around the entrance," Hunter hissed back at the group, and slowly they did so without question, trying to block off as much of the dog's escape route as possible. With that, the leader turned and took the first step toward the dog, Killer right at his side. Shenzi and Banzai exchanged a glance, but they knew there was no backing out now. They slowly took a few steps forward after them, but remained behind the leader and second-in-command. "Hey, you big brute!" Hunter yowled loudly, causing the mutt's head to shoot up and glare at the cats. "Do you all think you can go on killing my brethren without consequence? Well, now it's time to see what it feels like yourself!" he snarled. Even though it was obvious the dog would have no idea what he was saying, the challenge in his tone was clear enough to provoke the mutt. Snarling, the dog soon charged forward, and the fight commenced.
It first lunged for Hunter, but the tom neatly rolled over and lashed out with his hindlegs at the dog. It yelped and growled, aiming to pounce on the his opponent again, but Killer was right on his other side, leaping onto the brute's back and digging in harshly with his long, sharp fangs. The dog howled and jerked its head around, desperately trying to snap at his attacker, but Banzai was right at its muzzle, slashing his claws across his face and splattering the creature's blood onto the pavement.
Shenzi stood frozen for a moment, but she knew she had to participate as well. They was no way the dog was going to win against all four of them! She let out a caterwaul and charged for its side, raking her claws across the mutt's sleek flank. It howled once again, and seemed to grow easily exhausted by the onslaught of attacks. Killer still held on strong, and had started to rip at its flesh with his teeth as he climbed firmly onto its back, digging in his claws to keep a tight grip. Hunter had also joined in again, nipping and scratching at its legs. It wasn't long before the dog had had enough, shaking his pelt desperately to try and get his opponents off of him. "Pull back!" Hunter commanded and jumped back a few tail lengths, while Banzai and Shenzi mimicked his actions. Killer however gave the dog one last bite before leaping off its back as well.
Just as predicted, the dog started to pelt to its escape into the streets, but the remaining cats were on their feet, hissing and spitting threateningly. Ed and Rapida seemed to be the most fierce, eager to push the dog back. The mutt skidded to a halt and flattened its ears against his head in fear. It yelped as it backed away before quickly bolting in the other direction as it desperately tried to escape.
"After him!" Hunter yowled and took off in the direction of their fleeing target, Killer right at his side. Shenzi and Banzai sprinted after them, and the Siamese she-cat soon heard the pawsteps of their companions charging behind them.
The group rushed ahead to keep up with the dog as much as they could, not wanting to let it get too far ahead or worse, out of sight. Sure, they could easily follow its scent or the blood trail it was leaving behind, but it would throw their whole plan down the gutter. Despite her paws starting to ache and her lungs growing sore from pushing herself so much, she forced herself on, knowing that only the first phase of their plan was complete. They had to finish it entirely, or their endeavor would be for nothing.
"This way! I can see it going deeper into the alleyway!" Hunter called back his encouragement as he charged forward, panting heavily despite how his muscles rippled beneath his pelt with every stride. Up ahead, the group seemed to become more alert as they ran as a series of barks sounded up ahead, barks from more than one dog. Their plan had worked! The dog had led them straight to the heart of the strays. The cats turned a corner before skidding to a halt, led off by Hunter, at the amount of dogs gathered.
The dog they had chased here was no where to be seen, but all the dogs that were before them now were huge and furious. There were five in total, but all of them had a vicious snarl and bulky, muscular bodies. It was obvious that they too had been hardened up from living on the streets. The biggest stepped forward, a black dog with distinct rust-colored markings. He let out a single, loud bark, and behind him the other dogs growled were their teeth bared and their lips drawn back.
Hunter remained silent, his ears flattened against his head and his eyes narrowed as he gazed at their opponents level-headedly. Meanwhile, every cat looked at him expectantly, waiting for his orders. No one dared move a muscle without his authorization, and the only cat who looked calm was Killer, squinting at the dogs before them in disgust. Their leader quickly glanced at their surroundings and took a step back. "Lead them into the streets! Now!" he yowled, and no cat needed to be told twice as they turned and pelted down the alleyway, where the light of the sun touched the main streets. Hunter's announcement seemed to have triggered the dogs, as they let out a frenzy of barks and ferocious snarls as they started to charge after the fleeing group.
"When we get out there, turn and fight! It is time to fight for the sake of your brethren. Don't hesitate! Do everything you must to take these brutes down!" Hunter called encouragement to the group fleeing ahead of him, pounding on further and nudging those in front of him roughly to signal them to pick up the pace as the black and rust-colored dog started to gain on him.
Shenzi's lungs burned from all this running, and internally she wished Hunter had given them a session on how to build up stamina. She didn't feel relieved when she and the other trainees burst into the street, as now it meant the real fight was about to commence. She skidded to a halt and turned around, arching her back with a hiss at the oncoming dogs. Rapida and Banzai were pressed at her side, and Ed was next to their brother as well, as the group made a small formation at the mutts, and Hunter was at the lead of the group once again. The black-and-rust dog slowed as well, facing the cats with narrowed eyes. "Outsiders! Attack!" Hunter roared, leaping forward and launching himself at the large dog before him with a battle cry.
The rest of the cats and dogs broke into utter chaos. Killer was right at Hunter's side, viciously helping him fight off the apparent leader of the small group of strays. The other dogs soon shoved themselves out onto the sidewalk, charging towards the nearest cats they could find. The group broke apart, each finding a dog to take on in pairs or more.
A large golden dog with missing patches of fur was heading towards Rapida, but the grey she-cat snarled at it and lashed her claws across its muzzle. It flinched back for a moment, but Rapida was naturally fast, and she shot herself underneath its belly, climbing out and scoring her claws against its hide. The mutt snarled furiously and turned on her, and Shenzi saw her opportunity to leap in, pouncing onto the dog's neck and biting down. She raked her hind claws against him, just barely ducking away as the brute snapped its drooling jaws at her to rip her off. I'm not falling for that trick again!
"Leave my friend alone!" Rapida growled fiercely as she leaped up onto the dog's other side, digging her teeth into the tender flesh of its ear. The dog howled and shook its pelt violently, trying to shake her off. Rapida held on firm though, and with a ferocious tug she ripped a piece off and jumped from his body, causing the dog to wail in agony. Shenzi also leaped off, feeling the dog's muscles tense in defeat, and sure enough the dog pelted off yelping into the safety of the alleyway.
Rapida watched the dog go with a snort of satisfaction, spitting its ear onto the concrete. "That'll show him. Nice teamwork!" she purred with a wave of her tail as she glanced at her friend.
Shenzi nodded her agreement, but she knew this wasn't the time to celebrate, after all, the fight was still continuing all around them. She spotted Hunter and Killer still teaming up against the black-and-rust dog, covering for each other whenever one of them was knocked down or struck, but despite their bleeding flanks, they still fought valiantly. That's a dedicated friendship, or loyalty. One of the two, Shenzi thought before scanning the rest of the fights quickly, looking for somewhere to jump. She spotted Rapida just as she took off to aid one of their fellow fighters, who was pinned to the ground by a ginger and white dog with a curled tail. She looked around for anyone else who may be in danger, but so far all the fights seemed to be evenly matched, even Banzai and Ed's as they fought ferociously against a large grey and white dog. For a moment she was indecisive on how to contribute, but soon her ears were met with a series of different barks that set her fur on edge. More dogs were coming! She whipped her head around to see the dogs charge out of the alleyway, three more to add to their enemies, thus outnumbering the cats greatly. We can't fight all these dogs! It was obvious none of the current fights were close to ending, which meant the tide would soon turn in the favor of their opponent.
Before Shenzi could brace herself to take on one of the newcomers, she heard something else that made her glance around in alarm. Twoleg yowls! Of course. How could they expect to fight on the open streets without drawing attention to the Twolegs? Even if they naturally ignored the strays and the outsiders, this was something they just couldn't pretend wasn't there. They were gasping and speaking diligently to each other, moving in closer to the scene but not too close as to avoid risking their own lives. Some held up the strange devices they spoke into up to their ears, while others held it up in front of them as they watched in pure shock.
Shenzi was jolted out of her thoughts roughly as one of the newcomer dogs leaped on her, pinning her to the ground. She writhed roughly, spitting as she saw the mutt's drooling jaws try to catch around her throat, but she quickly jerked her head and bit down into his foreleg until she felt bone. The dog yelped and loosened its grip long enough for Shenzi to let go and squeeze out from under its paws. She didn't think she would ever have to fight a dog on her own after her first mistake, but it didn't seem like she had much of a choice. She had no idea what had happened to the other two dogs, but she focused on her target, dodging to the side as the mutt tried to snap and pin at her again.
Shenzi continued to dodge, struggling to find an opening to attack without someone else helping her distract the brute. Just as she was about to take a leap of faith onto the dog's shoulder, she glanced upwards as she saw a clear bottle go flying and crash right into the dog's back, causing it to shatter and send the clear stone flying onto the ground. The creature wailed and collapsed against the ground. Shenzi saw where what she now recognized as glass had pierced its skin, causing blood to form from several different spots and drip down its pelt. She quickly gazed in the direction the bottle had come from and saw a group of Twolegs laughing with delight at their accomplishment. It was clear from their wide smiles and the noises emanating from their mouths. Were the Twolegs helping the cats?
The thought lingered in her mind for only a moment as she saw more Twolegs start to join in and repeat the first Twoleg's actions. They grabbed the nearest waste bottle they could find and started to chuck it into the battle, aiming at random and sending more of the glass shattering across the backs of the dogs, while some shards managed to pierce the pelts of the cats as the glass went flying. These Twolegs weren't helping! They just thought it was funny! Fury burned inside her of the cruelty of these creatures that lived amongst them. She watched as the fighting broke out into even more chaos, with both cats and dogs trying to fight each other while avoiding the the glass shards that would damage them both just as equally. Everything's going wrong!
Yet another new sound met with Shenzi's ears, but this time she was almost relieved. They were the sirens that those monsters with the flashing lights made. She knew that usually it meant danger, considering they always appeared when Twolegs were misbehaving, and then the Twolegs in the blue pelts would show up and discipline them firmly, sometimes with violence. It would be helpful now so that these Twolegs no longer interfered with the fight and allow the outsiders to win once and for all.
As soon as the area became cloaked in the flashing red, blue, and white lights from these monsters, her ears perked as she heard a yowl from Hunter. "Outsiders! Retreat! Quickly!" he commanded. Shenzi peered through the still fighting animals to see her leader and Killer keeping the defeated black-and-rust dog beneath them in case it decided to shoot back up into action. Upon hearing the command, the cats desperately tried to obey and tear away from their fights, but dogs didn't have much of a code of honor and didn't allow them to go so easily. Banzai and Ed tried to scare their opponent away with vicious hisses and swipes of their paws, but the mutt continuously tried to snap at them as they tried to back away towards their leader.
Just as Shenzi was about to come to their aid, a loud bam made her jump and flatten herself against the ground in fear. It was the same sound from her dreams...She glanced around as she spotted the blue-pelted Twolegs surround the fight. One of them held up something to the sky and the same noise repeated itself, making Shenzi's ears ring. She had no idea what it was, but she knew it couldn't be anything good. She saw that one Twoleg was carrying a strange stick with a loop on the end of it. It quickly wrapped the loop around the nearest dog, which Shenzi realized had been fighting Rapida. "Rapida!" she called desperately, but lost sight of her friend as the Twolegs stomped ever closer to the scene. The Twoleg that had gotten the dog had tightened the loop around its neck, nearly choking it as it started to drag it away. The other dogs glanced around fearfully at this, and started to flee desperately, pushing past the gathered Twolegs into the streets.
"Shenzi! Come on!" Hunter yowled from where the cats had backed away into the darkest shadows of the alleyway to avoid being seen. She could just barely see them herself. She guessed that most of them had already retreated while she had been rooted to her spot in fear. Quickly she got to her paws, ready to sprint to safety until a shadow suddenly loomed over her. "Look out!" Hunter hissed quickly, but by then it was too late.
The leader of the small band of dogs, whom she guessed had been released by its victors, had come back to claim one cat for revenge. He lunged quickly before Shenzi could dodge, biting into her back right below her neck and lifting her off the ground. The Siamese she-cat wailed and desperately tried to escape the brute's jaws, but it held a firm grip, biting into her flesh deeply and shaking her violently back and forth. Shenzi's vision was blurred, and she felt herself slipping out of her dizziness, but she knew well that the dog wasn't going to let go. Her paws wouldn't reach its muzzle to fight back, and it was shaking her too roughly for her to process what exactly was going on. Was this how she was going to meet her end?
Bam! The sound that had filled Shenzi's nightmares countless times roared into her ears, and suddenly the dog released its grip on her, dropping her to the ground. She landed with a thud, feeling blood trickle through her fur and down her shoulders from the nasty bite the brute had given her, but she forced herself into somewhat sitting position. She needed to know why he had suddenly let go. Shenzi's eyes widened as the dog's body shuddered and twitched as it whimpered desperately, and located right in its flank was a gaping hole, where blood easily flooded out in large amounts. "M-My dream…" Shenzi was frozen to her spot, unable to move even if she did have the energy. Despite being nearly killed, she felt a surge of sympathy course through her. If her dream had been accurate about the pain that it had caused, she knew that the dog was suffering greatly, and could possibly be dying from the blood loss.
"Shenzi! Shenzi, look out!" Banzai's wail met her ears, however as she weakly turned to face him, she overshadowed once again. She wailed pitifully as she felt the familiar texture of Twoleg paws reach down to grab her and lift her off the ground.
"Let me go!" Shenzi hissed, but even she knew it didn't sound the least bit intimidating. She didn't have the energy to wriggle out of its grip, but she couldn't let herself be taken away to who knows where. "Help!" she called out desperately, to Banzai, Ed, to Hunter or even Killer, to come to her aid, but still she was carried off. She tried to move her head around the male Twoleg that held her, desperate to see if at least one cat was coming to her rescue, but before she could see she was suddenly shoved into a small crate, surrounding her in darkness. She vaguely recognized being in one of these before whenever her former Upwalkers had taken her and her brothers to the vet. She desperately tried to get to the exit, but by the time she reached it the grate was closed firmly. "Banzai! Ed!" she wailed, unsure if they would even hear her anymore. She could hardly make out anything as she was suddenly shoved into the back of a monster, the two doors shutting her in complete darkness as it closed on her. "N-No…" she breathed weakly, her body aching with all she had done in such a short time. Her deepest wound was still bleeding heavily, and she felt her eyelids shutting on their own. Just a quick rest…, she thought in exhaustion, allowing her aching tiredness to take over as her mind fell upon the true darkness of unconsciousness.