A.N. Hello once again! I was so happy that I got two whole reviews! Seriously people…I need reviews to fuel my demented brain. Thanks to HumanGuineaPig (one of the most awesome people ever, by the way!) and V137 for reviewing this fic!
Anywho, no. I will not tell you who saved Coricopat. So there.
Enjoy! R&R!
The first feeling that Coricopat could consciously sense was pain. Pure, burning pain. Groggily, he blinked his eyes, beginning to view blurry shapes. He blinked once more, and things began to clear. He was in a cell, lying on a cold stone floor. A small pile of straw was stuffed under his head, the fibrous material poking his head uncomfortably. He attempted to sit up, only to have an overwhelming dizzy feeling overcome him. He let his head fall back onto the straw tiredly. He tried to adjust one leg, expecting to be brought back down by pain, but to his surprise, he was able to move it. He lifted his head carefully, catching a glimpse of a thick white bandage covering his knee. Another was wrapped around his torso, and yet another around his left paw.
Why on earth would Macavity let someone doctor him? He had been beaten mercilessly. Wasn't that what Macavity wanted. He groaned and rubbed his head. Something drifted down from his paw, landing on his cheek. Curiously, he plucked it from his face with two claws.
It was a short blue-gray hair. The base of it seemed darker in color, closer to an actual gray. Carefully, he sniffed it. It smelled fragrant, like some sort of flower, but with the sharp, rusty undertone of blood. He set it on the stone, allowing his head to fall back to the straw once more.
"Oi! You, Cori-whatever."
Against his will, Coricopat opened his eyes once more, his gaze falling on a black and gray Tom outside the bars of the cell. The Tom glared.
"Yeah you. Get up. The boss wants us to make use of you while you're here."
Shakily, Coricopat tried to push himself to stand, only to flop back down. The Tom snarled impatiently. He threw the cell door open, yanking the smaller Tom off of the floor. Coricopat whimpered from the pain in his arm. He was reluctantly dragged through corridor after corridor.
"Don't injure 'im no more," the patched Tom grumbled to himself. "We needs ta use 'im to our advantage, 'e says. Come on! Stop draggin' yer feet!"
Coricopat obeyed quietly. Soon, they entered a large clearing. Dozens of cats were scattered about; some kittens were mock fighting, and most of the older cats seemed engaged in a training session. One of the kittens, a little blue-gray Queen, bounded over. Her green eyes stared inquisitively at Coricopat, seeming to take in every detail of him.
"Hi," she chirped. "I'm Cyri. What's your name?"
Coricopat offered a gentle smile for the kitten.
"My name is Coricopat."
Cyri grinned happily.
"Nice to meet you Co-"
Before she could finish, a tall, matronly brown Queen grabbed her.
"Cyri! Don't go near that cat! He's one of the Jellicles!"
She began herding the kitten away. Cyri turned to look over her shoulder back at Coricopat.
"But Miss Kora-"
Coricopat sighed, returning his gaze to the ground. Suddenly, the large Tom pushed him into the dirt.
"Well, what have we got here?"
Coricopat looked up slowly, his eyes landing on a tall Queen, whose feet were planted firmly just a few inches away from his face. She looked down at him, a skeptical look in her green eyes. The large Tom chuckled darkly.
"This, my dear Vangie, is the boss' new Jellicle prisoner."
Coricopat was kicked in the ribs.
"You," the Tom barked. "Give the lady your name."
Coricopat closed his eyes, giving his brain a moment to absorb the pain.
"Coricopat."
The Queen nodded curtly, narrowing her eyes a bit. Her gaze flickered to the gray and black Tom.
"Bruno, what the hell am I supposed to do with this?"
The Tom shrugged.
"Boss says we gotta use an extra cat to our advantage. He wants you to train 'im ta fight for us."