Kryptonite

Bolt lay on his back in his soft patch of grass in the alley of his temporary home while gazing at the stars. He found the big dipper and wondered if Mittens could see it too. He wondered if she ever thought about him whenever she saw it. He was aware his feelings for her were resurfacing tonight, but he didn't try to suppress them this time. He wanted to enjoy it, to an extent, even if it caused his heart to ache. He couldn't go see her, even if she was alone now. It would feel wrong to him. He still couldn't believe it and he didn't want to. He wondered if he loved her as much as he did. What it felt like to cuddle next to her every night and to wake up in the morning knowing she's still safe in your arms. Why couldn't it have been him? Why wasn't he good enough for her? Why did he hold back his feelings?

He wished he could get some answers. The reason he stayed tonight was because he was hoping he would change his mind to go talk to her after all, not that he would ask her these questions anyway because deep down, he already knew them. No matter how many times he asked himself the same questions over and over, the answer never changed. After wiping the last of his tears, he rolled over to stand. It was time to go home.

As Bolt cut through the city, he heard a sudden whimpering. He followed it to a dark alley, but kept his guard up as he slowly padded into the darkness.

"Hello?" He called out as the pathetic whimpering grew louder. Thin moonlight covered by dark clouds left the alley dim so he could barely see ahead of himself. He kept going until he reached the dead end and found a dog sitting in the corner with his back turned.

"Are you okay?" Bolt went closer to inspect him.

"Oh, I'm more than okay." The dog snickered and turned to face him. The alley suddenly lit up as the clouds revealed the moon. Bolt stepped back and gasped to himself. It was the Doberman who attacked Victor. He glanced back only to see his way in was now blocked by guards. He was trapped, like a mouse cornered by cats.

"You tricked me." He growled at the leader.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to ignore your good nature." He snapped his fingers.

Two of the guards slowly started closing in on him. He bared his teeth, mentally preparing himself to fight. He was outnumbered, but it looks like he doesn't have much of a choice. The two suddenly stopped and simply laughed. Soon, they were all laughing. Bolt raised an eyebrow but didn't let his guard down.

"Hold on." The leader snapped his fingers again and one of the guards at the entrance stepped sideways. Bolt's eyes widened.

"Mittens!"

"She can't hear you." The lifeless cat laid over the Doberman's back.

"Don't worry, she's not dead. But fight back and she dies." Another guard raised his paw and softly ran his claws across her face. Bolt growled as he resisted the urge to charge for him. He had no choice. He couldn't risk Mittens getting hurt.

"Stop," Bolt closed his eyes and relaxed his body. "Don't hurt her. Do what you want with me." He yelped and fell slightly as sudden pain shot through every nerve in his hind leg. He glanced back and saw three deep cuts in his leg. The leader pushed him to the ground with an evil smile, laughing maniacally.

"You coward."

Bolt felt a sharp sting as teeth gripped into his injured leg. He suddenly felt himself being lifted into the air. His body slammed against the brick wall and he fell to the ground, landing on his shoulder. His body went numb as the air left his body from the hard impact. He felt severe pain in his shoulder. The leader went right up to his face and glared at him.

"What did you say?" He muttered darkly. Bolt gasped for breath and narrowed his eyes. Then he grinned ever so slightly and softly laughed.

"You heard me." He rasped. Annoyed with his smart remarks, he bit into the shepherd's ear with the known force of a Doberman and ripped it off without hesitation. A screeching howl of pain echoed in the alley. Blood dripped into Bolt's eyes and his vision went red. He felt light-headed as his began to lose consciousness.

It's strange, Bolt thought. He wasn't in pain anymore. Was he…? No, he realized quickly. He could still feel his heart beating. It was weak, but it was fighting.

"Bolt!"

That voice… Mittens? Memories of the black cat flooded his mind. The warm smile she would always give him. A smile that would always make him smile.

"What are we… with the cat?" Another voice went in and out. This time it wasn't Mittens. He heard a faint screaming, it grew louder and louder. He felt his senses slowly returning to him as he regained consciousness. He soon recognized the screaming, it was Mittens! His eyes shot open but the screaming had stopped. He slowly lifted his head and saw her tiny body on the ground in front of him. He could barely make out her black and white fur, now drenched in blood.

Mittens!

He tried calling for her, but nothing came out. He tried balancing on his left paw and strained himself to stand, but his shattered shoulder caused him great pain. He slowly tried standing on his injured hind leg, trying to ignore the pain. His legs nearly gave out as he struggled to stand.

"Mit…tens…" he whispered out to her.

Suddenly, he felt a strong force slam down onto his back. His body slammed back to the ground, sending even more affliction throughout his body. He looked in the corner of his eyes, the leader pinned him down with one paw on his back.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"You… bastard," Bolt muttered.

The leader went up right into his face and smiled while baring all of his teeth.

"You see, Bolt, I don't want you to die. That would be too easy." He unsheathed his claws. "I want you to suffer." Bolt grunted as he felt sharp claws tear down his spine.

"In more than one way," The Doberman chuckled. "I'll make sure you live. Alone." He released Bolt and laughed louder. "She's dead."

He felt his mind slipping away as his thoughts dwindled. The words of the Doberman echoed in his head. It's not true, he kept repeating to himself.

It's not true…