Author's note: Thanks so much for stopping by, whether it be due to boredom, curiosity or both.
The following is a collection of one-shots not really having any real connection other than the fact that they're all Top Cat related. Updates will most likely be sporadic, as I'll update whenever I'm struck with a new idea for a oneshot. I'll also be happy to take ideas for oneshots from readers, so don't be afraid to suggest something. Critique is also welcome, so feel free to leave some if you'd like. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoy.
It was a stupid idea. The dumbest idea he'd had yet.
Thinking he could find her on his own, and in such a big, scary place.
The kitten chided himself as he scurried along, trembling and looking up with wide, helpless eyes at all the frighteningly tall people passing by. They were so big. They could very well flatten him. At least that's what he pictured in his terrified little mind.
His mews went ignored as large feet shuffled past him, stepping into buildings and cabs. Lights flashed, dizzying him, and as if the booming steps and lights weren't frightening enough, the sounds of the deafening, honking horns had the kitten shaking twice as hard. He never thought he'd think it, but he actually wanted to go back to the orphanage. He had at least felt safe there.
Fat lot of good it did him to think it now though, as he couldn't remember the way back. He was stuck. Lost again in this giant, intimidating metropolis, and still without his mother.
"..m-momma..."
Pathetically, he dragged his tiny feet further out of the way of the giants walking past, ducking behind a mailbox. He would have dried his eyes with his paws as he went, but he was using them to cover his ears from all the blaring noise.
Once off the sidewalk, he crawled onto an empty stoop that turned into an empty alley.
The sun had set hours ago, and even though the street lamps were lit, it was still entirely too dark for the kitten's liking, night vision or not.
The alley was quieter, thankfully, but the temporary peace didn't do much to make him feel better. He sat there for a moment, shaking and chastising himself in his head, until finally rearing his head back and doing the only thing he could honestly think to do at a time like this.
He bawled.
He wailed and sobbed, filling the alley with an ear-piercing mix of whimpers, meows and cries for "momma!" Goodness, what a sorry sight he was. His dirty fur became utterly drenched with tears, but he was certainly beyond the point of caring.
He was going to die here. The kitten knew so for sure. He would surely starve if a stray dog didn't come along and gobble him up first.
Why did he ever wander away from his mother? Why did he have to be so stupid?
He'd skipped away from her for only a moment to catch a glimpse of a tantalizingly scrumptious looking hotdog sitting beautifully on a vender's cart. It had been surrounded by several more just as tantalizing looking dogs, and the smell had been so strong and delicious, it pulled the hungry kitten over without him even realizing. He turned eagerly back to his mother to ask if they could buy one, but he was met with the sight of no one standing beside him. His mother's plump, round little figure had simply vanished into the crowd.
"I'm sorry, momma.." he cried, burying his wet face in his paws. "..I... I s-shoulda listened to ya.. I shoulda held your hand lika ya said..."
There was a shuffle in the alley, but the kitten didn't hear it over his own wails.
"I want my momma!"
Another shuffle. Still, the kitten didn't notice. Tiny footsteps began to draw near, but the blue kitten didn't look up from his sad little spot on the stoop.
"I'm never gonna see momma again," he wailed, sniffling and coughing until his sentences finally dissolved into inaudible heaves that continued to ring out through the alley. He would have probably kept it up all night if not for-
"That's impressive, kid."
Benny stopped.
The sudden second voice made his current sob die right in his throat, and the fear he'd felt on the street immediately returned, like a shot straight up his back, upon realizing that he wasn't alone. His face was still in his hands, and he was too scared to look up at whoever was standing in front of him.
Perhaps that stray dog he'd fearfully thought of earlier was here to gobble him up.
The blue kitten gulped, and peeked through his shaking fingers.
He felt the closest thing he'd felt to relief since getting lost when he saw it was only another kitten. One just slightly bigger than him, but still rather small. He was thinner too. At least as far as he could tell from underneath the oversized shirt the kitten was wearing.
Said kitten sneered at him in annoyance from beneath a straw hat that was several sizes too big for him. Though despite having to push the hat back several times due to it constantly falling over his eyes, the scruffy yellow kitten still managed to look intimidating.
To a tiny, scared, orphaned blue kitten, at the very least.
Benny whimpered under his glare, fear returning. He shrunk back and curled up into a trembling ball, wishing he'd never gone down the alley at all. After a moment the sentence the kitten had sourly muttered earlier registered, and Benny very meekly asked in a pitiful squeak of a voice, "...w-what's impressive?"
The yellow kitten raised an eyebrow underneath his hat.
"How somethin' so tiny can be so loud. Clam it, would ya."
Benny felt like breaking down into a whole new wave of sobs, but he bit his tongue and kept it in, lip quivering away as he did, indeed, clam up.
"Yeesh," the kitten ran a paw down his annoyed face, walking off to the left. "Save the cryin' bit for when folks is actually awake, would ya? That ain't gonna get ya a pity buck now, kid. Just a boot to the head."
The kitten peered up at the apartment buildings above them, scanning for any movement.
When no angry tenants appeared with things to throw, the kitten stomped back to the whimpering ball of blue fur still quivering away on the porch and gave him tired, half lidded look of irritation."
"You want yer momma so much, then beat it and go home."
"...I.. I can't. I'm lost."
The kitten rolled his eyes and groaned. "'Course you are."
He crinkled his nose and walked off, seemingly leaving Benny alone. Benny didn't know whether he felt relieved or not.
After a moment of silence, and feeling certain that the yellow kitten wasn't returning, Benny broke down crying once again, though this time not as noisily. He wept and wept until he was nearly completely out of tears, at which point he simply sat there on the cold steps silently as his final lingering tears ran down his face.
He stared down at the ground with dulled eyes, ready to give up on whatever tiny shred of hope he had left until a half empty box of crackers was suddenly pushed towards his face.
The blue kitten jumped back in alarm, and gaped up at the yellow kitten in confusion. He was back, and held the box of crackers out to him with a bored look on his face.
"Here, kid. Maybe this'll shut you up."
Benny blinked, unsure of whether or not to take them.
"I'm guessin' if you're lost, you're probably hungry, right?"
A grumble from Benny's stomach relayed the answer for him, and also managed to get a small smirk out of the yellow kitten, who quickly forced his face back into a cool frown.
"Yep. I was right."
Benny looked away, embarrassed, but somehow willed himself to reach out for the offered food. He was honestly surprised when the yellow kitten didn't snatch the box away. Seems it wasn't a prank after all.
The crackers were stale, but after a day and a half without eating, anything tasted good to him. The yellow kitten's eyes actually widened in bile fascination and a little disgust as Benny scarfed them all down in two large gulps.
The smaller kitten let out a tiny belch, chuckled sheepishly, and then uttered a timid, "thank you."
"Uh. Suuure."
Benny licked his paws, clearly still hungry, while the yellow kitten sat himself down on the stoop beside him. He leaned back against the railing, getting into a comfortable slouch, before giving the smaller orphan a quick look over.
"You got a name?"
There were no more crumbs left to lick, so Benny instead twiddled his stubby thumbs shyly. He didn't dare look up at the kitten, still feeling far too intimidated by him.
"…B-Benny."
The yellow kitten gave a nod of acknowledgment. Benny felt a little awkward though, when he didn't say anything more.
"Um..." Benny meekly started, eyes looking up curiously, but only for a second before he forced his timid gaze right back down. "W-what.. what's your name."
His companion on the stoop gave a shrug. "Don't got one."
Benny looked terribly confused, and his round face certainly didn't hide it at all. Another brief moment of silence passed before he mustered up the courage to speak again.
"What do people call you then?"
Another shrug. "Dumb cat. Pesky cat. 'Insert adjective here' cat."
"What's an adjective?" Benny asked without thinking, then immediately regret it when the kitten snickered.
"Nothin' kid, forget it. Probably too big a word for ya."
Benny frowned, gaze falling back down to the ground. The yellow kitten, on the other hand, began giving his claws a bored glance over. "I ain't got no more food," he suddenly started. "But I can get some more tomorrow."
He paused, turning his glance upwards from his nails onto the blue kitten. "Could probably get twice as much if I had an extra pair of hands though."
It took Benny a good minute or two to put two and two together.
"Um.. w-what can I do?"
The yellow kitten actually gave a smile. Benny wasn't sure yet if it was a friendly one, but it was oddly nice just the same.
"Not much, kid, but if you listen to me, you'll be able to do tons."
Benny perked, and again didn't know whether or not this was a good thing.
Food sounded good though, and the strange confidence the other cat gave off actually seemed weirdly encouraging, so he gave a trembling nod. The yellow kitten's grin widened, but then turned into something almost resembling concern as he mistakenly took Benny's shaking to mean he was cold. "Jeez, that little jacket ain't doin' much for ya, is it?"
Before Benny could answer, the kitten stood up and dusted himself off with an odd air of class, not at all befitting someone homeless and living in the gutter.
"I got an extra blanket, kid. C'mon. Just don't start up with the cryin' noise again, you got it? Save it for the old ladies at the park tomorrow."
He hopped off the steps in what was almost grace, and strode back over to the trashcans waiting on the other side of the alley. He stopped mid stride to look back at Benny, with a look of tired impatience.
Benny immediately leapt up and followed without thinking, displaying not even a tiny fraction of the grace the yellow cat had displayed. He stumbled over himself clumsily until he was at the kitten's side, and looked up at him shyly for approval.
The yellow kitten only rolled his eyes and smirked before giving a yawn and leading his new clumsy ward to his home beside a telephone pole.
