My name is Tigger. Two 'G's–at least that's what the girl who took me in called me. She may be referencing someone from a moving drawn picture that she views from a box, because the name she had given to the stripped feline was also a name that was usually spoken by the box.

The cat's memory was hazy because it's been so long since he's heard someone call him that name – though his meowjesty called him that secretly, but only when they were alone.

He, Tigger, had ran away from home once the people of the household wondered why their cat didn't seem to age, didn't seem to act like one of the older, natural cats. Because while all the other older cats grew old and died, he merely grew old.

It was a natural progression to cats like him – the magical kind. Especially since the day he woke up and found that he had grown an extra tail. His sense of magic came next: a humming, thrumming, buzzing existence that sang in the air whenever he was excited or angry. It only took a matter of hours, under the gaze of the full moon when the humans were asleep, for him to control that magic. Not that it was an accomplishment: most were actually able to reel it in within minutes.

Then, after that, he left his home.

"You're meowjesty, these humans are interesting, no?"

He and Jenifurr were carried by Billy and Megan respectively, whilst being carried by the man who called himself Spider-man.

"Were there humans like this when we were kittens?" his [King] asked.

"No, I do not think so."

The man who carried them, who the cat could only compare to a frog and a bird who leapt yet flew at the same time, spoke, "You're cats are weird."

Billy looked at Tigger. "He couldn't understand us because he isn't magic."

"He said you're not magic that's why you can't understand them." Billy said, looking up. He and Megan were squished not uncomfortably into a ball-like web with their cats firmly between them, as Spider-man lugged them to their destination.

"Yeah, well, we're close."

"Are you sure about this?" Mirajane asked, placing a warm cup of tea in the table.

This was the second person who raised this concern, but it is two accounts too many. The witness was a man who appeared to be in his late twenties, with ash-colored hair, a beard, and green eyes. He came to her to report a demon sighting in broad daylight. Not that demons died from daylight but it's really gutsy considering that the Sorceress Supreme lived nearby.

The first account, Mirajane asked if Baekho could investigate, to which Baekho replied with 'Sure, I'll investigate'.

That left Mirajane alone in the café, attending the customers with Ted. The community mostly found it odd that the [King] who was literally an existence that was above others, worked as a server in her own café next to her own booming business.

Status quo simply shifted to customers, only appearing if they were in need of their [King]'s guidance. Or if they needed to file a [Request Form] for her [Guild] business.

The second one came from the family member of one of her employees, who came in looking like all the life was sucked out of him. "Can you tell me more?"

"I-I was walking home after my night shift when I caught sight of them." He tried to hold the teacup but his was too anxious to lift it properly. "They looked like wolves, and had a dead look in their eye. They were chasing after the neighborhood cats."

"Uh-huh." To an average person this was a trivial matter, it was simply a dog chasing a cat, "and?"

"And these wolves, they… started to breathe fire. Like-like flamethrowers."

Mirajane took note that the news were vigilant about fires appearing out of nowhere, some already spreading in the suburbs and the residential areas, and that a serial arsonist was on the loose. There might be more to this arson that meets the eye. Even though they were merely just cats, all life was precious. Natsu, Wendy and Gajeel didn't treat them as familiars but almost like family members.

The second time this was raised to her, with Baekho and Bob out, Mirajane called for Ted's attention. "Ted, I'm going out for a walk."

The man nodded, gave the finishing spiel to the person who made the request, and ensured that the café was closed all before Mirajane could change into a more appropriate clothing.

Baekho was still not yet back from the errand Mirajane made him do, and Bob was with… no, Bob can take care of them. She believed in him, just as she believed in Baekho and Ted.

But this place… her new home. She needed to protect it. It wasn't like her old home where the people she trusted would protect it from harm. There was no Guild Leader Makarov, or Mystogan, or Laxus or Cana, or Erza to take care of things during her absence.

"Ms. Strauss, already done for the day?" the front desk employee that Mirajane was just starting to get to know looked at her with concern.

"No, unfortunately something came up." Mirajane made a beeline to the elevator.

"Hey boss! Everything okay?" Travis the bellboy asked as the elevator opened. Mirajane smiled at him but it didn't reach her eyes. Ted caught up to her just when the door was closing. He wasn't out of breath but that doesn't mean he didn't look disheaveled.

The people here, while not really like her family, were definitely more than just an acquaintance. She needed to protect them too – not because they were hopeless, but because she didn't want them in danger.

"Sitri." The demon appeared. But unlike before where they were making a statement with theatrics, this time the demon appeared with no ceremony.

"My King." He stood on the other flank of Mirajane. Sitri to her right, Ted to the left.

Mirajane turned around, and instead of the majestic mythical creature that he'd donned before, this was replaced with a beautiful man. Long-limbed, lean, immaculate, and with symmetric features, this was his other form.

Then again beauty was in the eye of the beholder so maybe other people saw him differently.

"I leave you as this place's guardian."

The demon wanted to protest for a moment before choosing to swallow his queries. "If that is what you wish."

The elevator's bell ding-ed and on cue, Mirajane started to get undressed.

"M-my king!" Ted wasn't used to a determined Mirajane.

Sitri however took it in stride, catching Mirajane's apron and blouse.

She was just in her bra when Mirajane looked at Sitri. "I'm not punishing you, Sitri. It's more like I believe you could protect this place more than the others."

"I'd rather be protecting you," Sitri said as he caught Mirajane's pencil skirt who had tossed in out behind her. "But I understand."

Ted found the ceiling very interesting. Mirajane was officially parading around her penthouse suite in her underwear.

"Baekho and Bob's not yet here and I doubt Ted here's going to let me leave alone. The less time I argue with hiccups, the more time I'd have to handle this threat." The three burst into her room where Mirajane went straight for her closet.

Grabbing a tee and some jeans, and changing into some sneakers, Mirajane double-tied her bangs with a hair tie.

A few moments later, Mirajane was out on her balcony in her casual get up. She added a denim jacket because of the cold but she was ready.

She concentrated power.

Bob ran with the woman.

After fighting in a stalemate, the two started talking. He explained their circumstance, but the women thought it ridiculous. They fought some more and Bob tried to get her to listen. It was a never ending cycle that couldn't really be broken because while Bob was agile and fast, the woman was battle-hardened and experienced. She played her strengths and covered her weaknesses.

While it was pitch black below, you'd think a vampire would be in his element. But this woman knew how to fight in darkness as well.

That is until they arrived.

The woman wasn't able to sense it but Bob could. Plus he could see them with absolute clarity.

At first the woman didn't believe him until fire started to appear out of nowhere.

Then her comrades arrived, all just as anthropomorphic as her. They told her that the telepaths and empaths were getting weird vibes that something was with them. Something malicious. Though they were 'alive' they weren't really 'living'. As if they were dolls filled with dark emotions and energies.

That's when the girl really listened to what he has to say.

"Are you sure you haven't seen anything?"

"I didn't think you would ask me that off all people."

Baekho was going around the city asking around. Currently he was at Nelson and Murdock, because the first incident appeared nearby. Since Mirajane thought highly of the masked vigilante here, he thought he'd start with him.

Of course Matt Murdock tried to hide it, with comedic effect but all Baekho had to do was namedrop his boss and he was all for talking.

"Well."

"I'm blind." He tapped his visors that hid his eyes.

"Cheeky, but that's not what I meant."

"Is Mirajane in trouble?"

Baekho shook his head. "No, but she is worried. This is her city after all."

Matt nodded like he understood, "I still can't believe it." He leaned back into his seat and exhaled, "What do you people even do?"

Baekho sighed. A dead end huh. "We do what out [King] tells us to do. But since you're asking for a demonstration." He let it rip. His power; the bloodlust, the qi – a percentage of it.

It was enough for Matt to do a double take.

Baekho was already walking to the door, "I bid you a good day, Mr. Devil."

Before the vampire was out of the room, he felt it.

Mirajane's powers.

Spider-man's sense was going haywire. Not that it was unpleasant, but it tingled everywhere. In all directions, especially down below.

They were still airborne, swinging from building to building, but there was this… unseen thing that however above them. Okay not thing, things.

"This isn't my day, is it?" Spider-man said to no one.

"We heard that." One of the voices in the spider web cocoon yelled.

"What happened to helping stuck cats from trees?"

sh-snap!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He realized that he had begun falling face-first into the ground. His reflex then kicked in. Tightening his grip on the ball of web on his hands, he used his free hand to shoot his webs to the nearest building.

Alright, cool. But they've descended so far down to the ground that Spider-man just had to drop them to the ground.

On the ground, Spider-man had to compose himself. The only time his Spider Sense acted this way was when he was up against boss-type enemies.

"Hey!" A voice from the ball called out. "A little help please."

Spider-man obliged, and untangled the group. "What was that? Very few things were able to cut through my webs."

The first one detangled was the female mutant. In her arms was the tabby cat. The cat then meowed into his direction.

"The cat says that it was probably demon flame."

"A what?"

The boy thanked Spider-man as he was brought out of the web. "It's a magical fire that doesn't work the same way as conventional fire. Or so says the cat."

"So much magic you guys are serving today."

"We don't need your salt." The girl said as she walked towards him. Spider-man didn't flinch nor did he take a step back when she got way to close to his personal space. So close in fact that she raised the cat in her hands to his face.

He still didn't flinch when the cat licked his nose.

"For the record, I prefer dogs more."

"Well, spiders don't taste good, so there's no love lost there." The voice was a new voice–the cat was talking.

"Holy shi–

Megan was in so much trouble.

Laurie Collins was having the day to herself (which consisted of doing basic things like updating her instagram theme, looking at tumblr aesthetics, and generally keeping to herself insider her own room) when Sofia Mantega rushed into her room saying that Megan was, in her friend's own words, deep shit.

Apparently, Sofia heard from Julian Keller who heard it from another mutant that Megan's picture surfaced in a Spider-man subreddit thread.

"Pics or it didn't happen." Laurie was snuggled comfortably in her bed when her friend came in unannounced.

Sofia didn't pause and showed Laurie said picture. It was her, Spider-man and some boy. They had determined faces and carried cats in their arms.

"What the hell is Megan up to? Spider-man is not someone she should be hanging with. And who's this guy?" Sofia asked, grabbing her phone back.

"Has any of the professors seen this?"

"I don't think so but it's only a matter of time."

Laurie brought out her phone and tried calling her. No dice. Tried it a second time. Nada. "Have you tried calling her?"

"I have and she didn't answer me too."

"Her phone's battery must've died." Which was definitely a Megan thing. "But this picture worries me."

"Right?"

"So what do you think we do? Tell this to one of the professors?" Laurie Collins got up from her bed and grabbed a hair tie.

"And get her into more trouble? The picture is just speculation, for all we know it could have been just a coincidence that she was there when a picture of Spider-man surfaced in the internet."

"Good point. And there's no camaraderie in ratting out your friends." That's the unspoken rule in the Academy: protect the others from the professors and they'll protect you too if the time comes. It's actually the first thing the senior students taught to the new students.

"We have to find her even though we couldn't contact her." Said Sofia.

"Yeah, but that just leaves telepathy."

"So we need a telepath who is strong enough to locate a specific person that's more than a kilometer away from where we are."

Laurie mind registered that checklist and came into one conclusion. "Oh no. Please no."

Sofia came to the realization to. "We have to, it's for Megan."

"But they're so… weird and unnerving."

Sofia giggled, "You were weird and unnerving to when you first arrived."

Laurie harrumphed, but nonetheless stood up. "Yeah but… okay you're right." She secured her hair into a tight ponytail before leaving her room with Sofia beside her.

Their destination was not far because the room they were going to was just a few doors from hers.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come in." The voice was female. Airy. Eerie. And was said in chorus.

"Okay, I believe in magic now." Spider-man leaned forward as he eyed the cat in the girl's hands.

"Finally." She turned to Billy who checked on his phone. "How close are we?"

They were again in an alley because earlier, Spider-man's presence again caught a lot of people's attention.

The boy looked at his phone, "Very close, I'd say three-four… and my battery died. Great."

He looked at the group, "Well? Any other options?"

"Well you told me that it's near the 57th Street, right?"

The boy nodded, "Yeah. I even know what the place looks like."

Spider-man clapped his hands, "Great so all we have to do is get you guys there. Easy peasy."

"I don't think you should be saying that. I'm Billy by the way."

"Why?"

"Well, doesn't that attract bad luck?"

"Well…" his Spider Sense tingled again.

Damn luck.

Megan. The pinkette looked around when she heard someone call her name.

Oh, telepathy.

The voice(s?) in her head was female. Definitely not hers. But feminine and female. Yes, Sofia Mantega and Laurie Collins asked to locate you.

Kinda busy at the moment. She was running again. Spider-man ran not far behind Billy and her since slinging from building to building became dangerous after these small floating eyeballs with laser beams shooting out from their irises appeared out of nowhere.

Female. Telepath. Strong enough to locate a mutant from the Academy to the city. Did they have to ask the Stepford Cuckoos just to get in touch with me?

Yes they did. The telepathic group answered in unison. And yes, we can hear your thoughts.

"Hey, hey!" Laurie was on her phone, "there are news saying that there's something going on in New York. Twitter's blowing up too." She looked at the triplets. "Can you ask Megan if she's in the middle of this mess?"

Then again, there's always something going on in New York every other week. There's Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, Spider-man, and the Avengers to name a few. It's kinda like, every New Yorker's been conditioned that something is always going on in the city.

One of the triplet, the one who wore a tank top, had a faraway look before her eyes glazed over and said, "Yes, she says she running from it.."

"What does that even mean?" Sofia as she leaned into a wall. "Is Megan in trouble."

Another of the sisters, this time the one wearing a blue sweater, scrunched her nose, "Going over with telepathy alone, there's something… animalistic chasing after her. Not just one too, a whole lot of them. If we could amplify our power we could get a clearer look as to what is happening."

"We're not sneaking you into Cerebro, that's too much of a risk."

"Yes, that is indeed risky, but also we're saying that our powers have a limit." One of triplets said.

"Megan, you are in so much deep shit." Sofia said, crossing her arms. "What do we do now? We can't just abandon her. Do we tell a professor?"

Laurie wanted to but it was the Stepford Cuckoos who answered this time, "Student solidarity. We try our best to help her without alerting a professor."

"But–"

"Megan says so too," the third triplet (who was under the covers of her bed, a facemask on her face) said.

Megan exhaled mentally. Spider-man, Billy and her were closer to their destination but too far for them to be complacent. The girls over at the mansion agreed to her plea that they shouldn't call the attention of any of their professors. Yet. Everything's fine.

Everything is fine. EvErYtHiNg'Z fInE. Am I meme-ing myself?

Spider-man tried to buy them time earlier by distracting the monsters but the moment Spider-man was a couple of meters away from them, he could no longer see their pursuers.

"That's because my magic only works when you're close to me." The cat said, as Billy carried the feline.

Currently, they were hiding behind a dumpster (like, ew). Spider-man fought a couple earlier and stuck them to a wall nearby.

"We need a plan."

"Isn't going to some hotel our plan?" Spider-man asked.

"I mean, a plan to get there." Megan spoke. Wait, since when did I became the leader here?

Who am I talking to? Celeste? Phoebe? Or Irma? You know what, it doesn't matter. I need your help.

The three sat straighter. We would need something more than a make-up palette.

I'd pay using an unused tube of liquid foundation, my favorite concealer that I've recently opened and my lip toppers that I haven't used yet. How's that?

"What going on?" Sofia asked when the three girls looked at each other. Like those knowing child characters from horror films.

"Megan asked that we help her with locating a hotel." One asked.

"But we simply told her that we do not have the means of guiding her to her destination." Another said.

"We could help her if we had something Google Maps or something."

"Well, uhm, no phone?" Laurie asked as politely as she could. The Stepford Cuckcoos were a trio of mutants with mysterious origins. It's a known fact that they don't have parents. Phones were somewhat of a status symbol of having parents here in the Academy. If a teen has one, that kid most likely has a parent who cares for them.

"That's what we told her." The one wearing a face mask replied.

"But we could use one of your phones." Said the one in a sweater.

Can you link me to Laurie or Sofia? I need to talk to them.

One of the three triplets blinked. You're already talking to them.

Fia? Laurie?

Megan?

Oh thank God. I thought I was losing my mind.

What are you up to? Where are you? I was worried. Sofia's brows were knit.

I can't talk right now. I need your help.

Should we call the professors? I don't think Student Solidarity is still applicable here. Laurie crossed her arms.

I doubt they could be of any help.

Why? Are you in trouble? With the authorities? With a syndicate? Sofia asked.

Think fantastical. But we're getting… of… topic!

Megan?

Sorry. I'm being chased right now. I had to duck, roll over and jump there. It's a miracle I can talk to you like this with all the action I'm doing right now. Why I–

Megan? Megan are you alright?

Megan? Megan can you hear us?

"What happened?" Sofia turned to the sisters.

The triplets had their hands on their temples as if they were nursing headaches.

"Are you guys okay?" Laurie approached one of them.

One of the sisters, the one with the face mask, sat up. "The connection got cut."

"Are they out of range?" Sofia asked worriedly.

Another scoffed. "For us, difficult is finding someone in the next state. No, someone forced our connection apart."

"Uncultured swine." Another said. The one with the tank top looked at Laurie and Sofia, apologetic, "I didn't mean you guys, I meant the bitch who broke the connection."

Laurie felt a chill run down her spine as she saw one of the triplet's face turn so… hateful.

"Everything okay, Megan?" Billy noticed that Megan's focus was elsewhere.

"Hm? Oh, I was communicating with one of the mutants over at the Academy but it seems that I couldn't reach them anymore."

Billy was once again out of breath. This was their fifth time taking a break. He was aware that he was the weakest link among the three but he's part of the group and Spider-man and Megan vehemently shot him down when Billy said that they should leave him. They were after the cats after all.

"While that is true, there is also no guarantee that they will leave you alone once we leave you behind, meow." The tabby cat said.

"I agree with Tigger, we leave nyow cat behind." Jenifur stomped her paws on the ground.

"Oh!" Megan perked up before looking at the sky.

"Megan?" Billy asked.

Spider-man scouted the area from a nearby light post, oblivious to their conversation.

"Shhh." She placed her index finger on her lips.

Billy? Billy can you hear me?

The boy turned to the pinkette, "What?"

I'm trying to talk to you via telepathy. You should try doing it to. Try thinking of the words inside your head.

Still running, Billy did what he was told, Like this?

Yeah, I can hear you loud and clear.

Ooh! Boyfriend? The third voice came from a different voice – different from Megan.

Woah! What–Billy began but stopped.

No way! Their group took a turn to the right. Billy, the voice you're hearing are a bunch of telepaths over at the Academy. They're here to assist us.

Telepathy? You mean like reading my mind! Isn't that… like, an invasion of my privacy. While mutantkind has been known globally for more than a few decades, a niche group of mutants have an attached notoriety on it. Telepaths, while few and far in-between are considered to be more intrusive than anthropomorphic mutants. When one's privacy is threatened, humanity has a tendency to fear, misunderstand and abhor it.

Hey! I'll have you know that we are NOT like that. We wouldn't dare go over one's memories without permission.

The fact that you could scares me, that's all. Sorry.

Wow, you're actually brutally honest, Billy. Never thought you had it in you. Megan and Billy panted while Spider-man scouted for more demons.

GPS says you're fairly close. A new voice said inside Billy's head.

How close, Fia?

Around three more blocks. I suspect tha–

Huh? Hello? "What happened?" Billy turned to the mutant, giving Spider-man a thumbs-up signaling that he can run again.

Megan shrugged before running again, Billy a few steps behind. Okay, I am so not fit for all this running.

Why? what do you look like? The voices were back inside his head.

Are you guys okay? Why does our telepathic link keep getting cut?

Someone is trying to actively sever our connection. Whatever it is you're trying to run away from, it probably has telepathic powers. Said telepath's voice.

Billy peeked at them from behind to see if they were still chasing them (they were) and if they needed Spider-man to propel them a farther using his webs (they didn't).

Eww… what is that? Are those really dogs? And are those flying eyeballs? Said the same (or is it?) telepath's voice. Billy was confused. If it was a bunch of telepaths, then why do they sound the same?

Why do you girls sound the same? Billy asked.

We're sisters.

Triplets really. I'm Irma.

Phoebe here.

Call me Celeste.

And you are kinda cute. This came from one of the triplets, though Billy couldn't tell them apart even though they had names – they sound the same after all.

Huh? Wha– Megan's brows were knit. Don't tell me you've hijacked my eyesight.

Makes it easier for Sofia here to see where you are and where you need to go. Laurie's about to be back with their phone's chargers.

I heard my name being called. This came from a third (or fifth, but, again, Billy couldn't tell the triplet's voices apart) voice. I'm almost there. Megan, I nicked your charger because Sofia's room's too far.

Sure, Laurie, just be sure to give it bac–

"I'm not used to this." Billy whispered to himself.

"Hm? What is?" Tigger asked.

"Running" Billy quickly replied. And voices inside my head.

You're not crazy, let me remind you that. We're telepaths. This is kinda what we do. One of the sisters said.

We gotta do something about the telepathic link getting cut. I'm worried why they might do to you telepathically. Another sister explained.

What do you mean? Billy asked.

It feels as if, this being chasing after you is toying with you. Mentally at least. If they can sever telepathic links, which is a high-skill ability for telepaths, then who knows what they'd do if they're serious.

You got a point. Megan asked.

We need to use Cerebro.

Sofia looked at the three sisters, aghast. "I'm sorry Laurie, did I hear them say 'use Cerebro'?"

One of the sisters, the one wearing a face mask, stood up. Listen. Megan and this guy are dealing with at least a telepath who is just as, if not, better than us.

Worst case scenario, they could be on Professor Grey or Professor Xavier's level. Or worse… Thought the second sister.

The queen bitch of telepaths… thought the last, but Billy felt that the curse wasn't directed at any of the people around.

Well shit. Billy thought as the made a tight curb. Billy may not be a mutant activist and he may not know who this 'queen bitch of telepaths' is but to name drop the telepath and his protégé, that's saying something. There was a slight mayhem all around them as the mundane took sight of an established masked superhero running among them while they were tackled by invisible beings.

Well your safety is really ultimately not our concern with or without Cerebro but we're just saying that you two will be much safer with us protecting you telepathically with the Cerebro's help.

What even is this Cerebro, anyway? Billy asked. It sounds familiar like he may have read this in those reddit threads, saw a picture of this supposed object(?) or place(?) in 4chan, or watched it from one of those mutant conspiracy theories made by some Youtuber.

"Argh!" One of the triplet's hands went to hold her head, in pain.

"Celeste!"

I'm okay. It's just this time, whoever we're dealing with knows about us – telepaths. That was a preemptive strike.

Sofia looked at the four women: the Stepford Cuckoos were checking if the other sister was alright while Laurie was sweating bullets.

"Okay fine. We're sneaking into Cerebro."

WHAT? Fia, are you crazy? Megan asked.

It's that or you getting lobotomized, probably. And this is no longer your decision to make.

While you're at it, maybe you should also inform a professor. Megan thought sarcastically.

"Too bad professor Xavier and professor Grey are out."

"Cool," Sofia said as she, Laurie and the Stepford Cuckoos exited the room.

One of the triplets snapped her fingers as she left the room, Wait was that Spider-man?