Revised and edited July 5th 2017
A.N: See if you can spot the cameo reference to another T.C. fanfic I read months ago :D
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Chapter 5 –The Inside Eye
Once again, Spook's motor mouth was far ahead of his brain.
"You barkin' mad, Pops?"
Complete silence. One could drop a pin and hear it hit the ground with an almighty DRINNNG.
"Idiot," Monster hissed lowly in Spook's ear.
The yellow cat had been lounging on his 'throne', legs crossed in a manner not unfamiliar to the green feline. The lazing creature had been slowly sliding further and further down his oversized chair till Spook was busier fantasizing about him falling on his own tail than actually listening to what was being said. Until his daydreaming came screeching to a halt at G.P's last words.
Spook suppressed the chill that threatened to strip him of his spine altogether when the 'Boss' surveyed him – the 'feisty little henchman' as he was dubbed, with yellow irises that shone from under his blue hat.
"I'm quite proud of myself in how patient I've been with you all this time, Spook," drawled the cat in a deceptively calm voice. The tension in the room rose to a palpable level that Monster himself looked slightly uncomfortable. Even Saber - thatanimalIHATEhim - that had tagged along with him and Monster, shuffled back as discreetly as he could, like a scared dog.
"I don't like it when someone talks back to me," G.P went on calmly by means of explanation. "I don't like it when someone accuses me of being…not all there. I don' have no idea why I keep lettin' ya off so easy. I think I actually like ya. Spook…maybe I am 'insane' because I like ya?"
Youareinsane if you really like, think this is an actual conversation, sneered Spook internally, his face betraying nothing.
"Yea, I probably am," the cat went on to himself. "It suits me though, don'tcha think? Anyway, I've wasted enough time over you. I don't weigh the opinion of a nameless alley cat. We execute tomorrow at 9:00."
One Eighty-degree attitude shift. A trademark of G.P, Spook had come to quickly know. The anger he had barely managed to contain only flared up again at the challenging sneer on G.P's face. The bastard was playing him again. He always was. The green cat opened his mouth, to spit what he thought exactly of the crazy murderer and his crazier plot, but one harsh pull at his tail by the large red feline on his left was enough to shut him up with a pained yelp.
And then G.P. was suddenly in his face. Man, when did he get up?! Spook thought as his eyes grew wide and his fur stood on end. He couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine and hated himself for it - G.P. smelled these things even before he saw them.
Am I gonna die now..?
"What is it that you don't like about the plan, you little coward?" hissed the cat. His eyes were sharp and piercing, like daggers - no longer bored. They looked insane.
"Uh-"
A knife was at his throat out of nothing. "Uh is not a word, alley cat."
The cold, unsmooth metal did not do well to make the green cat think his next words carefully. Rather, anger and recklessness carried on relentlessly. Don't let'im smell your fear. Don't like, give'im what he wants,submission. "Why would you do it, man? Like, you know Top Cat's known all over New York! Did you like, want the police to think it was him who pulled this operation?!"
"I don't see why you care. You work for me, remember?" G.P. regarded him from under his single-striped blue hat, "or is there something else you'd like to point out?" the grin was feral.
Spook kept his paws tightly clenched to his sides and swore to himself he'll never allow the other cat to see them shake. He tried to maintain eye contact – a herculean effort.
"Unless you're like, waiting for me to say something, then no. I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, but I'm sure you do. You think it. I see it in your eyes every time you look at me; I see it rightnow. I know…it is interesting, isn't it?"
Shut up. Just shut up, you monster. I ain't gonna give ya the satisfaction.
"Boss, if I may speak," intercepted Monster, sensing a bloodbath coming in wake of Spook's reckless mouth, but to his surprise, G.P. pulled back the knife from its dangerous position on Spook's neck and sauntered back to his seat, suddenly bored. The enormous cat just sighed, much too used to his leader's unpredictable moods. But what really made him start, was Spook's quietly spoken "I'm like repentant, Boss.."
Monster glanced curiously at his subordinate – Spook never apologized for any of the things he said or did ever since he joined the ranks, but G.P. was speaking again as if that whole scene never happened.
And no one dared interrupted G.P. when he spoke. His throws never missed.
"Tell me, Spook, my hot-blooded little henchman. You seem to be used to fighting; has Top Cat ever been sore at any of the other cats in your pretty little neighborhood?"
"I wouldn't know. He like, doesn't tell me nothin' about things like that."
"Hmm."
Worry and fear bubbled up in his stomach. "Why do you wanna know about that, anyway?" he asked, in what he hoped sounded like a merely curious inflection, "Why do Top Cat's personal relationships like, matter in sweepin' Fast Paw and his gang under the rug?"
"No need to clog your pretty little head with my plans," drawled the yellow cat. "It shouldn't matter that much to you, anyway. I thought you said you were used to being told nothing."
The green cat kept his face neutral, but his paw was itching to punch a certain set of teeth.
"I know for a fact that Top Cat is rather….chummy with the policeman on the beat. Smart cat," G.P. laughed "always has been – securing stability and protection from other gangs and other policemen. It's interesting how cats have this mysterious ability to hold sway on humans, isn't it? I even heard that that emotional lug of a cop searched for days when poor Top Kitty went missing a while back…"
"You know about that?"
"I know all about everything." said G.P. with a grin that could almost pass as innocent. Spook personally thought it looked demented.
Then G.P. looked at Spook carefully for a long minute. His face showed nothing. The green cat forced himself to look right back. Don't break eye contact, man. Don't like, challenge him either, he told himself in a mantra.
"You know, Spook? The way you were so…emotional about tomorrow's mission, I decided to spare you the heartache and take you off it –"
Spook's heart siezed. The bastard! He's -!
"- I'mma gonna give ya something else to do."
No no no no nonono-
"I want ya to bring me that blue marshmallow who's always with Kitty. What was his name – ah yes! LittleBenjamin Ball."
Spook felt like screaming.
"You, apparently, are not of much use to Kitten if you don't even know the most basic things about him. He seems to favor your fat friend a lot more."
"It won' work, G.P." the blunt, raspy reply did not sound like him at all. It was the sound of a cat drowning.
"We should get this Benjamin character here and make him an offer," G.P. shifted the conversation to Monster, completely ignoring the green feline. "His roundedness hardly makes him of any use to me except being a big mouth, so he could either help me with the information I need, or I'll find another use for all that extra weight. I mean New York is full of starving dogs. Then there's Saber."
Never had he met a more manipulative bastard. Spook's green eyes burned with rage. Monster placed one large paw on the scruff on his neck in warning.
"Let him be, Monster. He's old enough to know to keep that big trap closed if he knows what's best for him," said G.P. He surveyed the enraged cat with coldly amused irises. "He's a big cat now, and he gets to make the decision this time. Either get the fat cat here by the time I'm back from Mission Mayor's Sweetheart, alley cat, or I'll make sure you remember that failing for as long as your nine lives allow you. I have eyes inside Kitty's gang."
"That is complete bullcrap and you know it!" Spook exploded without thought, shoving off Monster's paw. "None of them would ever work for you!"
G.P. smiled ominously, "We'll see about that."
"You're lying, man." Spook deadpanned, completely and utterly sure. "You're lying. They would never."
"Youdo."
"You know da-" he forced himself to stay calm. "You know why I joined you, Boss."
"And for it, you turned your back on them."
I didnotyou scumbag stop twisting my wordswas what almost came out of the green cat's mouth, but he bit on his tongue forcefully. His credit with G.P. was thinning - even he was smart enough to know that. Nothing clever came to mind, so he remained hatefully silent.
"We'll be leavin' shortly. I suggest ya get a head start; ya know as well as I do how Top Kitten will put up a fight, lame as it might be."
His head was whirling helplessly. G.P. was trying to overcome him, force him to completely submit. From what he had gathered from Monster and the other guys, he was G.P.'s very personal stress ball, but the gangster's patience - after more than four months, was wearing thin.
He turned and left the room without another word. He managed to take as many steps from the door as he could before he heavily leaned against the light-less wall of the thin hallway, his whole pelt shaking in despair. He could hear the sound of nimble footsteps pass along, but it did not register. It did not matter.
G.P. must have really wanted to know certain things about Top Cat to put up with him that long. The other cats implied that he was never this patient with anyone else. And now he wanted to get his hands on Benny.
Spook closed his eyes. He'd be a fool if he could not put two and two together. He was proving to be useless to G.P., something the latter had not anticipated, it seemed.
And his patience was wearing thin. This mission was G.P's way of sending a very serious message:
Make yourself useful this one last shot, or I will kill you. Bring in information on Top Cat, or you're finished.
Spook remembered that one time he'd seen G.P. use his favorite knife, and clapped a paw to his mouth when his stomach heaved at the memory.
oOoOoOoOoOo
"I told you the way things were from the very beginning, Chief," said Monster with a rueful smile. "He never intended to work for you from the very beginning. He's just in it for Fast Paw."
"His allegiance to Kitten is so sweet it makes me want to barf," murmured G.P., rubbing his temple. A small smile formed on his mouth "He's an idiot to think it's not so blatantly obvious."
Monster hesitated, then asked, "Do you think he's really gonna get the little cat here?"
G.P. gave him a bored look.
"I'll..take that as a no."
"I'm sending Saber and CrookedToe along to get it done. Cat's a coward; all talk and no action. It'll be a good ending to this lame comic book, turning him into an obedient pet."
"..You're having fun."
"I hadn't had a henchman this rebellious in a long time.." the yellow feline mused. "Y'know those are my favorite toys. But..he is becoming a handful. Way too insubordinate. Not very smart, too.."
"What do you plan to do about it, Chief?"
The cat didn't answer, but the way his fingers ran lovingly over the edge of his treasured, jewel-studded knife was all the answer Monster needed.
"..Call me the nin," ordered G.P. lazily.
"I'm already here," a voice spoke. Monster turned his head in surprise. He hadn't heard anyone approach; damn nincats and their weightless grace.
The door was opened a crack, and a nimble figure entered and knelt by the door in respect.
"Is this is the one who's goin' to…?" Monster wondered.
"My Nightlight," purred G.P.
"Dahling," the cat purred back.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Benny was just...so naiive sometimes.
Top Cat remembered one time when they were very little, he had plucked a clueless Benny out of the clutches of two very wrong-looking bulldogs. Benny had gone with them simply because they had bribed him with a pastrami sandwich and a golden name tag.
And then today...it was too close a call, and a painful reminder of past encounters in a big city full of similar freaks.
Being a free city cat comes at a steep price.
The blue cat - safe for now, sat on an old crater, and looked back and forth, back and forth as Top Cat paced the alley furiously. Dibble stood off to the side, un-intruding but very much alert to every movement.
"T.C? Can I go call Ma at least to tell her I'm okay..?"
"Benny. Clam it."
"You can use my phone, Benny," Dibble said kindly and seated himself on a crater. "Just don't take too long."
"Would you like to adopt him, too?" the yellow cat spat crossly as he paced by. Dibble chose to ignore him.
When Benny padded off and out of earshot, Dibble turned to the yellow feline, "Now tell me what the heck happened." he hissed urgently.
"Those gangsters are after Benny now, that's what!" Top Cat hissed. His agitated pacing picked up. "They almost kidnapped him today. And if it weren't for that new girlfriend of Fancy's – Shirley-whatsername, they would'a gotten away with it, too."
"You're gonna put a canyon in the alley if you keep this up," Dibble tried softly to ease the cat's agitation. His tail fur was on end, so the policeman ran a fist along its length as he passed by to smooth it. Amazingly, Top Cat accepted the gesture. "Benny knows they're after him, right? Why you so worried? He ain't a little kid -"
"That's where you're wrong, Dibble. Even a 'little kid' can smell TRAP when he sees one. Benny doesn't notice things like that."
Dibble shook his head skyward. "Who would wanna hurt Benny..?"
"I can think of a couple of wierdos."
"Like who?"
As if on cue, Officer Mahoney turned around the corner, humming happily as he usually did.
"Like him."
"MAHONEY?" shrieked Dibble. The redhead turned his head at the sound of his name. His face broke into a grin and happily he waved, completely oblivious.
"'Rigato, Officer Discrete," Top Cat hissed and disappeared into his trashcan.
Dibble stared at the trashcan for a while, more confused by the cat than ever, then started paying attention to the female voice talking to Officer Mahoney and another cop – Manohan, at his side.
It was a girl cat, and when he turned to look he recognized her as Shirley, Fancy's new girlfriend. She seemed like a pretty sophisticated young woman, though. Dibble took note of her neat white pelt, eloquent speech, and intelligent brown eyes. Not that it was his business, be the girl seriously seemed to be from a middle-class home at the very least. He couldn't understand why she would choose a womanizer from the streets like Fancy-Fancy for a boyfriend of all people. However, he could perfectly understand (and laugh) at all the circulating stories in the neighborhood of Fancy's countless attempts to get her attention.
Apparently, a hard-to-get girl is what fit him best. Word has it he's been actually loyal to this one cat ever since they hooked up a few months ago.
"I've been in martial arts ever since I was a kit," Shirley said by means of explanation, blushing a bit. "When I saw those thugs try to take Benny, I had to act. I'm sorry about his dislocated bowels - I honestly am, but I couldn't just stand there and let my fey-ancee's pal be catnapped like that.."
"You did good, Miss," Mahoney said encouragingly. "An innocent citizen was saved today thanks to you."
"Please, you make me blush, sir.."
"If I didn't know better, I'd call you an angel!" the cop next to Mahoney said with a laugh. "You seem to be in the right places at the wrong time lots of the time! Hey Mahoney, remember that incident with that bank robbery..?"
Dibble zoned out after that. Sadly, he had missed out on all the fun; arrived at the scene after it was all over. Two large cats were on the ground, one out cold and the other begging for an ambulance, heaped on the ground at the construction site with a red-faced, combat-poised Shirley and a scared, immobile Benny. Mahoney and Mano-whatsisname were already there, guns out and cuffs being firmly snapped shut on one cat's wrists while the other was taken into the white ambulance truck.
"I'm sorry the third cat ran away! I can only handle so much..!"he remembered Shirley pant over all the passerbys shouting on the street when he had run into the site. Dibble had then walked Benny back to the alley where they were intercepted halfway by a certain furious yellow cat.
An hour had passed and the T.C. was still angry and shaken. Dibble ran a hand over his face tiredly and shook his head to clear it. The sun was setting. Time to head down to the station house to interrogate the crooked cats on G.P. He was sure they worked for him, and he needed every scrap he could lay his hands on. G.P. was proving to be hell difficult to get information on, and Top Cat was stringent on the data-providing no matter how much Dibble tried to ease him into talking.
He turned to leave, but paused when he saw Fancy-Fancy trot hurriedly into the alley, his fur flustered (something the girls loved, it seemed – made him look wilder) and seemingly in a rush. He bee-lined towards T.C.'s trash can and rapped it three times, his signature bell-ringing. His tail swished nervously as he waited for his leader to come out, which he did.
"Hiya, T.C. Um-errr…"
"..Um-errr? Say no more, say no more," sighed the yellow cat dramatically. "You gonna ask me for some annoying favor of some sort.."
"Can you watch Bookie and Mindy for just a couple of hours?" Fancy blurted out. "I'll be back by midnight, I swear! Shirley – well, she knows that fancy place in new Jerse and I promised her last time we w-"
"Hold it right there, ya yellow page inhaler – who in the heck are those Booey and Minty characters?"
Two small pups poked from around the brown Cat's body. Fancy grinned sheepishly, but Top Cat could see the amusement in his eyes.
"They're Shirley's best friend's kids. She watches out for them is what she told me.." he trailed off at the murderous look on the yellow feline's affronted face.
"Ya askin' t'be punched, Fancy? I'm you leader, not ya baby-sitter! I ain't watchin' no infants! Take them to one of your millions of girls or somethin'..'"
"NO WAY!" Both Dibble and Fancy shouted out at the same time, horrified. Fancy snapped his head back to his leader. "No way. Those can't take care of anything! You're the only one I can trust with them, Top Cat, please! I'll be back before midnight, I promise!"
"You've been spending way too much time with women in trees..and falling on your head when you leave. What the heck am I supposed to do with these - these-"
"Are you my Daddy?" one puppy wondered aloud.
"Are you dogs cooky? I'm a cat. Didn't your mother teach you anything?"
"Have you seen Daddy?"
"No, I haven't. Now sit down and stay put."
"Top Cat, can you really be any gentler with the kids?"
"Dibble, can you really tell me what are you still doing here?"
"You know what, this is a complete waste of time!" the other puppy - a boy beagle, snapped loudly. He glared at Fancy with accusing brown eyes. "Aunt Shirley said you guys can help us look for our Dad, but obviously all you know is how to dump us somewhere to go look at a woman's body." The scarfed cat's mouth dropped open while Top Cat laughed his head off. Dibble facepalmed hopelessly.
The little beagle whirled his head around to the yellow feline "And you're no better! You're just a bum who likes to boss people around."
"Alright, alright. It's decided. I ain't takin' that loudmouth little dog, Fancy. Leave him there in a box by the alley entrance. Maybe someone will adopt him and do us all – Shirley included, a favor."
"Try it, you…you cat!"
"Tsk tsk tsk. This kid doesn't know the most basic rules of tact. Didn't your Mama teach you how to speak to your elders, boy?"
It was the girl beagle who spoke up. "No..Mommy was shot by a bad man.." she kept her shy brown irises on the ground.
Dibble knelt down and hugged the beagle girl gently, glaring over her oblivious head at the cat. Top Cat stared back with his own 'Don't you dare blame me for that' glare.
"Then what about your father? Who do you knee-nibblers live with?"
"Mama's guardians. They told us Daddy's out there somewhere, fighting the bad guys and putting them in jail! He's a police dog!" the boy beagle said proudly. "He's gonna take care of the bad guys and then come back. You'll see!"
"Uh-huh.."
The little beagle boy narrowed his eyes at the cat. "You don't believe me, do you?"
"Of course I believe ya kid, just like I believe that Santa Claus is real, and the Boogey man really lives in cupboards to scare little children, and that unicorns- oooff!"
Courtesy of Dibble's foot to his backside. T.C. turned to glare at the policemen, but Dibble only smiled sweetly and turned his attention back to the offended (and oh my God, they're tearing up) pups.
"Leave them, Fancy. T.C. will take care of them," He got back to his feet. "He's adult enough to know it's his responsibility," Top Cat glared at him in cold warning. "and he also knows…that I'll be makin' sure he's doin' it right, or -" Dibble promptly slid his finger across his throat at the yellow cat, quickly so that the children wouldn't notice. Top Cat gaped at him. Dibble nodded pointedly, grinned and pretended to pull out a tail and wrap it around his neck like a fur collar. He could practically see T.C. sum up all his willpower not to flash him an obscene gesture.
"Thank you, Officer Dibble!" the brown cat chortled gratefully "And thanks, T.C.! I'll make it up whenever, I promise!" and he was gone.
Dibble left shortly for his last round of the neighborhood, and Top Cat was left to simmer with the delightful task of keeping an eye on the pups. Two very bored pups.
Top Cat quickly learned why people were always warned before they adopted beagles into their homes. The rumors were true – they never shut up.
He laid down across his trash can lid, and made it perfectly clear that he was not listening. He slid his hat down further over his eyes curled into a more comfortable position and prepared to sleep.
"..then the weird man with the curly moustache told me – hey! Hey, Mister! Are you listening to me? Don't you know it's rude to sleep when someone is talking to you? I know you're still awake, so stop pretending! Get up get up GET UP GET UP!"
"Kid…if you don't go to bed right now and clam up, I'm gonna ground your sorry little butts."
"You're not the boss of us! Who do you think you are? I don't wanna to be in this dump in the first place! If it weren't for me promising Auntie Shirley we wouldn't move, I wouldn't step a paw inside this filthy alley you call your 'home'! You're just a bum, aren't you? You just like to boss people around to feel important! If you were a good grown-up, you would have invited us to pizza, like all of Auntie's friends do, ya cheap freak!"
"They probably did it to shut you up," The cat replied easily, enjoying the puppy's dumbfounded expression at his complete disregard for all the insults thrown at him. "Listen to me, boy – this city's not a theme park. Nasty things happen at night. Nasty people…will do nasty things…even to sweet, innocent little howlers like yourselves. They will follow the sound of your tiny, shrill little voiceboxes..and they will have no trouble silencing you to do the sick things that they do. Believe me when I tell you New York's full of those. I've seen them. I know," he looked at them dramatically with eyes that shone blue in the darkening alley. The puppies leaned closer together, looking suddenly scared. T.C. smiled wickedly to himself. Amazing what leaning your head a little to the side will do. The light coming off the bulb shining over the bowling alley's back door reflected off of his large irises, creating just the effect he needed to scare the little runts to sleep and just stop thechattering.
A brief silence, and then "Can we come up there with you?"
Top Cat glared at them "Try it and you'll be rubbing your sore little butts for a week."
Bookie muttered something incoherent under his breath, probably a profanity he wouldn't be caught dead uttering by their mother. Top Cat honestly didn't care.
Then out of nowhere, someone howled, long and sad in the distance. Whatever it was, it sent shivers down both pups' spines, and they were immediately clambering up noisily onto the trash can where they curled up next to the cat, eyes wide.
Top Cat rolled his eyes and looked the other way, but he didn't shove them off the lid like he had promised earlier.
They remained in that position until Dibble left for the night, but when the policeman passed by them again on his way out of the alley, he noticed that the cat's tail loosely draped around the puppies.
Sometimes Dibble didn't know whether the years made him understand T.C. more, or less.
oOoOoOoOoOo
They could not have been asleep for long. The sky was not the right color of midnight. Top Cat jerked awake when he felt something slink around the alley, so very silent no normal person would notice, but living in alleys gave a cat extra-sharp senses.
He jumped off, grabbed the two puppies roughly and dumped them into his trashcan, slamming the lid shut. He heard Mindy squeal in pain and Bookie swear.
"Hey Mr.! Why d'y -!"
"Get us out or I'll scream!"
"It's soooo dark!"
"Shut up!" he growled. Bookie seemed to sense the genuine danger in his tone, and shut up. "Not a peep. Got it?"
Top Cat almost wanted to squeeze in a nice doggyjab just to annoy the proud little runt, but a crisp voice spoke in his ear and something cold was pressed against his back.
"I got word from G.P."
That voice. His fur stood on end as it registered.
"He wants to see you. Now. You're coming with me."
Despite the situation, a rueful smile stretched his lips and he laughed softly.
"You sent Fancy all the way to New Jersey just to stick a gun in my back, Shirley?"