MISSION 7:

Gone Kitten Pt.1

At the Stray's base was a training room, one of the few things built by the Strays. It was initially an expansive storage room, but the team has altered it for a weapon, combat, and reflex training area. On a gymnastic mat, Ethan was in the combat area, messing around with his magic with Dante watching.

It's been a couple of days. Ethan had been focusing on his magic, shifting from his concentration lessons to his unique magic. He was mixing his blood and the energy from food to use them with some blackouts here and there. Ethan had somewhat informed Chance and Evelyn about his sacrificial ability, with the latter frowning and discussing limiting how much Ethan uses daily. When the boy appeared that he wanted to push it, Chance stepped up and harshly warned that he would throw Ethan in the cold shower to wake him up.

Ethan grins like an idiot to his magical teacher, who watched him show his two new skills. The boy seemed proud of himself and had been waiting for the right moment to show Dante when he felt more confident about it.

"So…am I amazing or what?" Ethan said, eagerly waiting for the praise.

"Pathetic," Dante flatly said and began to walk away, "You have been ignoring your concentration lessons for this?"

Ethan's mouth dropped, "Um, what? I thought you would be impressed, at least. What kind of teacher shoots down his apprentice, advancing to the next stage by himself!"

Dante stopped, sighing and looking at Ethan with a bored look, "Oh…okay. Do it again but don't use your blood this time."

Ethan flinched, "I don't-"

"Please, kit, I don't have to use my eyes to sense your dirty magic. I can smell it from here. You've been ignoring your concentration lessons in favor of fast results. No wonder you haven't improved these past couple of days," Dante muttered the last part to himself. Ethan's barrier was erratic again, and the boy was flimsily going about it. "Honestly, if I wanted a sacrificial moron, I would have picked a pig."

"Shut up! At least I'm trying here. You keep running off to wherever the fuck you go each day. I-" Ethan stopped, losing his balance and feeling dizzy. He stopped and grabbed his knees, panting as he tried to regain stability.

"Like I said….pathetic. I'm not continuing your lessons until you return to the cards and improve. I already spent enough time messing with you here."

"What's new?! Can even be bothered to teach me anything!"

Dante stopped and eyes with ferocity, making his way toward the boy, still trying to get his bearings.

"Oh, you want a lesson? Alright, try summoning a small portal in your hand but transfer a small object to your other hand. If you do it, I'll stop going out and always be with you. If not, then we remain the same we have been."

Ethan grinned and saw a ball nearby, "That's easy!"

Ethan grabbed the ball and placed it in his right hand. However, the boy froze when he realized an issue. Ethan never had two portals open simultaneously or knew how to transfer it to his other hand. His confidence dropped, and he looked at the ball in his hand.

"What? Can't do it?" Dante mocked, shaking his head at the stuck boy.

"Shut it! Give a second…." Ethan whispered, thinking about how to accomplish the challenge. His head was rapidly trying to devise a solution, thinking about how Black Gate worked and what he could do. Black Gate only acts like a door in another plane, but the object or individual must move the same distance to arrive at their desired location.

Ethan thought about something, what if he used extra magic and blood to redefine how the object moved inside. Technically it was his space, so he should be allowed to change things inside. He thought about how the ball would drop in and stop, only to drop out when another portal appeared beneath it and reappeared in his other hand. Ethan nodded his head and smirked at his teacher.

"Alright, here's a new addition to my spell. SHADOW GATEWAY!" Ethan shouted, focusing on creating an opening and exit on his hands. The ball started to slowly go down his hand on his right and gradually rise on his left hand. The kit winced but tried focusing as it took much more to do two portals simultaneously, feeling a nosebleed happening.

Dante stepped forward and clapped his hands hard in front of Ethan's face. The boy flinched, and the ball was pushed back from where it came from as if forcibly ejected from a disk drive. The ball flung itself to the top and landed back on the floor with a couple of bounces. The boy gritted his teeth at his teacher's actions.

"Hey! What the hell-" Ethan said, crashing down to the floor beneath, moaning and trying to get up.

Dante looks at the boy with a cold stare, bending towards him and tapping the floor with his claws near Ethan's face. "You wanted a lesson…so here goes. What do you think is a wizard's biggest weakness?"

Ethan turned to see the teacher's face but could not say anything.

"A wizard's biggest weakness is his mental fortitude, but let's focus on the concentration aspect of it. Think back to the squid and how you focused on crushing it. You had a complete focus at that time but lacked the skills and proper tools to use magic. You came up with hands to destroy the squid but sacrificed your body, creating a quick and brute conjuration from nothing but anger. However, what happens when you cannot focus like that or something distracts you like before?" Dante asked, standing up and heading away from the boy.

"You can't do magic, and you'll fire blanks. The cards allow you to channel magic properly and slowly treat it like second nature, like breathing. Of course, distractions and things can affect your brain, but you would be less likely to be thrown off and defeated….by a simple clap," Dante ended his explanation before disappearing.

Ethan winced, trying hard to stay awake but slowly succumbing to exhaustion.

An hour passed.

The door nearby opened, revealing Mike entering the room as he looked at his phone, looking for something. The tom noticed Ethan and quickly approached the boy, kneeling and shaking the boy.


In a secluded area in Megakat Upper Valley, where houses were miles away from each other, and the folks in this area were surrounded by the vast number of trees, stood the Furly residence. A log cabin home mixed with the current architecture, with the most impressive part of the house being the living room, where a mirror wall showed a large patch of greenery with the forest in the distance.

Inside, the home had a mix of cabinet aesthetics and new furniture. Pictures of Michael from infancy to graduation were on a wall. He constantly donned a bored look as if he was trying to get out of there. There were trophies for his accomplishment in chemistry and fighting competitions. This wall was collecting dust, and it's been a while since anyone cleaned it.

This was originally Michael parent's vacation home, but they gave it to their bright son when he graduated from the university. Michael's parents worried about him but never asked questions about their son's behavior or weird fascination with old myths, wanting to avoid confrontation or being too scared to admit that their son was off. No friends. No lover. He always prefers to be by himself.

The sound of shifting furniture is heard. Michael blocks a hidden door leading to the basement with a bookshelf. This was his favorite place to go when he was a kitten, and he would spend most of his time here when the family went on vacation. The scariest situation Michael's father ever faced was when he found his son messing with the dead carcass of an animal and strange symbols surrounding it. Of course, his father excused it and thought the boy was just curious about science, never mentioning it to his wife.

Michael was about to head towards the kitchen when he stopped, looking at the bookshelf and noticing something was off. His eyes scanned everywhere, and he checked again. Michael's eyes widened, clenching his fist when realizing a book was missing. He relaxed and started to think, retracing his steps and trying to figure out where he had left it.


At an Enforcer building at Megakat Upper Valley, Winston sat silently as a group of detectives worked on the Mia case. He mused how many resources were thrown into this case because Mia was the council member's daughter. This same effort would not be seen with ordinary citizens, only the high class that gets this VIP treatment. Usually, it would be chalked up to a child running away, but the kit would have been found already with the available resources. The parents reported that the kitten had gotten more excited these past few days and would be eager to attend school. No ransom note appeared, and it's been three days since the disappearance.

Winston would have been keen to work on the case regardless of the scope or who it was. However, that's not what he was assigned here to do. Winston sighed and slammed his head back to the wall in frustration.

"Look here, Jones, our little hotshot detective, or should I say our hotshot babysitter," Hill chimed, ruining Winston's silence and reopening his eyes to look at the annoying duo.

"Found anything useful?" Winston yawned, ignoring the duo's chime and looking towards the board, "Even our Captain has decided to help with this high-profile case. It seems the council wants this kitten found as soon as possible."

"Oh, don't you worry about it. The real detectives are on the case. You have a special task today, ain'tcha?" Jones reminded with a shit-eating grin, blocking Winston's view.

Winston scratched his ear and gave the pair a bored look, "Hmm…I wonder…has he struck again?"

Both toms' ears perked and stopped looking at the mix with annoyance, curious about what he had to say.

"Don't worry about it," Winston said, waving his hand at the pair, "Just a theory I have."


In the briefing room, everyone eyed Ethan as Mike brought him in.

The boy groggily walked towards and sat near Chance, who was eyeing him when noticing the boy's tiredness but held his tongue and thought of addressing it later.

Ethan was told only to come here if directed otherwise and to not drop again like last time. Ethan had asked Mike what was happening before arriving, but the tom just stated that June got a call in the middle of the meeting and asked him to retrieve Ethan. The boy had also begged Mike not to tell June or Chance about how he found him, worrying about the scolding and worry. Mike agreed but warned the boy to be careful or he would inform them next time.

Something was off today as June did not appear happy as she took point and waited for the boy to sit down.

"Ethan, you and Chance will be assigned a mission today as a pair," June said, seeing everyone react to the news, "You'll be heading to Megakat City Upper Valley and report to Detective Softpaw when you arrive."

Chance stood up, "Hold on a minute. I thought you wanted me to focus on the Turbo Kat. What gives?"

"Unfortunately, the council has called in, and we must answer the call," June flatly said, appearing to hold her true feeling about the mess, turning her attention towards Ethan, "It seems that they have requested the kit to come aid with the situation."

Ethan blinked in confusion and pointed at himself, "Me?! What for?"

"It seems they want to use any possible tools to assist with an investigation…specifically your new ability," June said, sighing and leaning forward. "You are to assist with finding a council member's daughter that has been missing for a couple of days."

"A kitnapping? Seriously?!" Chance growled, slamming his paw on the table, "Can't the Enforcers do anything themselves?"

"Need I remind you that the council is the only reason why you and everyone else in this room are not rotting in prison," June said, glancing at every kat. "While we can debate with the Enforcer's fruitless calls…council calls cannot be ignored regardless of the mission."

Chance wanted to argue but grimaced, knowing he had to do the mission. He glanced at Ethan, who was awake now and looking at the table below as he tried to process what June said, looking slightly unsure. The tabby flinched inside, knowing full well that the kid was not ready for this mission but needed to push it along so they could finish it. He was about to say something till Ethan looked at June.

"Hey…first mission. I better not fuck it up, huh?" Ethan said with a shaky smile. He looks at Chance, "How hard can it be?"


Ethan and Chance sat inside a car dubbed the Black Kat, a jeep-like car but rounded with black tinted mirrors. Ethan stared with wonder outside as he looked at the European-like town in the middle of a valley. It was well-maintained, very vibrant, and very high-class. Tudor-like buildings mixed with new structures. They were heading toward an enforcer building that was coming to view.

Chance wore black grey gear, a black bandana mask that covered the top of his head, and a glove that was called a glovatrix. Ethan wore similar colors but donned a black mask molded to a generic kat face, a red neckerchief, and gloves to hide his human features. The only weapon the boy had was the one card he had worked on days prior, resting in a small container on his belt.

"Say…I know I'm supposed to have a mask," Ethan said, looking at his guardian, "Chance…why are you wearing one?"

"First, don't call me by my real name while on missions. Call me T-Bone. Second, while the enforcers might know me, we want to keep my real identity from civilians and anyone we encounter against us for numerous reasons," Chance explained.

"Wait?! You have someone to protect?"

"Nope…the few kats I knew I cut off from my life. However, that won't stop those that would like to cause harm to me and would target anyone with any form of association with me. Think about it. We will hit hard against the ones harming the city, and they would be glad to hit harder with kats that we know. That also goes for the rest of the team, don't call them by their names but by their codenames. Got it?"

"Ay….Cha….urgh…T-Bone," Ethan corrected, making the adult groan in frustration.

"Crud…this is going to be hard," Chance said, parking the car and stepping out, "C'mon, let's go."

Ethan stepped out of the car, enjoying the new scenery, and turned his attention to the Enforcer building that stood out compared to the surrounding structures. He hurried towards the tabby who waited for him at the door, scowling when seeing how far Ethan was from him.

"Hey kit, enough with the sightseeing and stick with me at all times," Chance warned, looking sternly at the boy, "Don't go anywhere without me. Is that understood?"

"Fine, fine…don't lose all your fur," Ethan said, entering the building.

Inside the building, a secretary sat on her desk with a considerable enforcer logo behind her on a wall. On both sides around the logo wall, it led to the elevators with wooden walls. On the immediate left was the bathroom, and on the right was the waiting room for visitors. Chance approached her first, getting an odd look from the secretary until he showed him his badge for the Strays. The secretary did not question anything and quickly dialed their contact that they had arrived, escorting the duo to the waiting area on the side.

June had given Chance an ID to use when questioned by enforcers, allowing the kats around them not to bother them unless the council or Feral said otherwise, with the latter temporarily halting their involvement if he was around. The relationship between the Strays and the Enforcers has been mixed. It depended on how new the Enforcer was or how willing they were to get aid from them. Of course, the ones who know fully knew Stray's past criminal behaviors had their opposition to them being free and about.

The duo's contact arrived, exited the elevator, and approached them. Winston could not say anything when he noticed a small figure staring at him intently. He heard briefly from his Captain that this was the famous alien from another planet, but he did not expect him to be so small.

"What are you?" Ethan blurted out, stepping forward and looking more closely, "You look odd and-"

Chance smacked the boy's head, and his eyes widened, "The hell is wrong with you! Don't say things like that with a mix."

"What the hell, old man! I was just asking a question!" Ethan shouted, holding the back of his head in pain. "That really hurt!"

Winston blinked in confusion and stared at the pair as they angrily eyed each other. He covered his mouth, but a small chortle escaped, bringing the pair's attention back to him.

"It's alright. I don't mind the question. This might be your first time meeting a half-kat and half-cane," Winston said, reaching a hand to Ethan for a handshake.

"Wait! There are dogs in this world?!" Ethan said, shaking Winston's hand, "So you are half kat and half dog. You look so cool!"

Winston's tail wagged behind him, and he laughed, "We prefer the term canes to dogs. However, in my case, we are referred to as 'mix' or 'alches'…is a pleasure to meet you. You must be T-Bone, I heard about you, but I won't say no to help."

Chance accepted his handshake and nodded.

"However… it's all pointless," Winston sighed, indicating to follow him outside with one hand.

Both Chance and Ethan raised an eyebrow but followed the mix back outside. Winston glanced around as they began heading back to the Black Kat.

"You see, I'm stuck babysitting you two…..making sure you don't get involved with this case. Even we don't have much to go on, and even if Enforcers had evidence, they would not let us see it," Winston said, folding his ears and slumping down a bit.

"What?! Then what was the point of us coming here?" Ethan asked.

"Figures. I suspected this would happen," Chance said, sighing and crossing his arms. "But it seems that they are punishing you with this…am I correct?"

"Sort of. Honestly, I thought I would assist with this case, but it seems that's not going to happen," Winston growled, shaking his head and looking at the pair with a sad smile, "I'll treat you guys to food….on me, of course."

Ethan groaned, pulling on Chance's shirt, "Is this really it? I really wanted to test out my Shadow Resonance…I've gotten better at it!"

"Shadow Resonance? What's that?" Winston said with ears perked up and looking at the pair.

"Oh….um," Ethan stumbled, "It um…."

Chance rolled his eyes and shook his head, "The kit can see projections of others no matter the time. He needs to touch whatever the individual is wearing or using to be able to see it. However, this one can barely maintain it for a few minutes."

"It's actually ten minutes! And I just need a short break to get my energy back," Ethan said, annoyed that Chance was selling him short.

Winston's eyes widened, putting his paw on his chin and thought about it. The investigation was going nowhere, relying heavily on witnesses and talking to the nearby folks if they had seen the kitten. Of course, there are no cameras or anything to assist them since this town believes they are well-secured and safe from incidents.

"Say…this might be perfect. If what you are saying is true… then we can use this to our advantage. Screw food. Let's do our own investigation." Winston said, eyes brimming with excitement. "What do you say?"

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Aren't ya bosses going to be mad if they find out you are working with us?" Chance said, putting a hand down on Ethan's head to calm the boy, "Don't get me wrong, sitting by is not my style, and it's a whole lot better when we can screw with Enforcers."

Winston laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, all I'm doing is showing you around the town as a guide," Winston said, "I think our first spot to visit would be a lovely tour of a certain school. What do you say?"


At Mia's school, inside the library, Ethan was trailing behind the pair of adults following the school's librarian. It was not your typical library, looking like one of those prestigious libraries with wooden architecture and chandelier lanterns to light the room at night. Big mirrors are seen above, with three levels to hold countless books.

The school's librarian was surprised to get another visit from the Enforcers, eyeing all three in confusion and wondering what an odd group it was. She explained briefly what they wanted to look for and assisted them in finding the text that Mia had with her. She would express her worries about the young kit and hoped that her help could lead Mia back to her parents. The librarian stopped near a bookshelf and quickly picked out the last book.

"This was the last book the kitten had," she said softly, "I hope this can help with your investigation though I don't know what good it would do if I'm honest."

"I can't share much, but we appreciate the assistance," Winston said, slightly bowing and heading to the exit with his other companions.

The librarian watched them leave, wondering if the book would indeed lead to helping the case. She shook her head and wished the three good luck internally. However, she stopped when she remembered something and pulled out a card with the Enforcer business card.


The trio had made their way outside and were discussing where to start Ethan's ability. They were following the path kits usually took to leave the school area. A cobbled path leads to the massive town where businesses and shops are located. Some houses are inside the inner circle, but most are in the town's outer areas in the forest.

"Doesn't Mia have any extra classes or clubs she attends?" Chance asked, eyeing the mix that was thinking heavily.

"Hmm…oh no. From what I gather….Mia didn't attend anything and would head home. Her home is just a twenty-five-minute walk from the school. Until recently that is," Winston mentioned, which got a nod from Chance.

"So best guess would be that she got nabbed during her walk from school and home?"

"Correct. However, this whole thing is strange, if I'm honest. The kit was apparently happy recently, and the parents assumed she was hanging out with another kit late at night. So running away is out the window. Her classmates said she was never around anyone at school and would stay to herself. So…did she meet a friend out here? Let's assume the worst, and it was kat trying to score a ransom, knowing entirely who Mia's father is. So why not make contact and state how much money you want? Every passing day that happens…that idea is becoming less likely."

"You have a theory?"

"Of sorts. It's crazy, but have you heard of the Tail Nabber?" Winston glanced at the tabby, who frowned at the name.

"Yeah…even at the prison, everyone knew about the Tail Nabber. If he's ever found, he better hope they secluded him from the general population, or all his nine lives will be done. He'll be everyone's scratch post," Chance said, recalling an incident with a kitten killer brutally beaten by the other inmates. "Though I wouldn't mind that happening. Wait…so you think-"

Winston shook his head, "There's no evidence on this. However, if that is possible, then Mia is either alive or dead at this point. Tail Nabber leaves his victims alive for a bit before killing them. His victims' autopsy revealed that they had been fed and bound. So, does he have an MO? Like a superstitious kat who believes his team will lose if he washes his favorite ball."

"Hopefully, that's not the case and is just a theory."

"I hope so."

Chance and Winston stopped, turning to look to see Ethan reading the book but was having a hard time getting into it. Ethan scratched his head, but the text was too long and used too many fancy words he did not understand. He would lose focus and drift to another page, ignoring or forgetting what came before it.

"God, this kid is younger than me and reading things like this. This is so boring, and all I can tell is that the main character is such a weirdo…thinking about killing and just thinking. Man, why can't she have picked a comic book? At least it would be more interesting!" Ethan groaned, shutting the book and noticing the pair looking at him.

"Your gonna blow that little head of yours if you keep reading," Chance mocked, grinning at the boy. "I can see the steam already exiting your ear."

"Shut up, old man! God, you are such an ass!" Ethan yelled, crossing his arms and giving a middle finger to Chance, "Go choke on a hairball!"

Chance rolled his eyes but laughed at the boy's usual response, "I heard Valkyrie blew a fuse with you. You're not doing great on central studies, are you, you big dud."

"Hey! I'm doing better than before in other things… it's just…reading is hard for me, especially with long boring text that…. Razor and Valkyrie…. make me read," Ethan admitted, though he was not going to back down to his guardian's taunt and quickly thought of something. "At least I'm improving…not like your lame ass trying to score with Grim!"

Chance blushed at the boy mentioning his failed endeavors out loud, "That's not-"

"A pilot that gets shot down," Ethan snickered, pretending to cover his mouth and tilting his head, "Man, we must be screwed if you're the best we can find for the Strays."

"Shrimp."

"Old man."

Winston coughed, "Sorry to break this father and son drama. But can we focus here?"

"He's not my kit!" Chance corrected.

"He's definitely not my dad!" Ethan added.

"If you say so…" Winston smirked and shook his head at the pair, "Anyways, let's get started. I propose we start a couple of minutes when the school bells ring. Judging by the book's book record….Mia returned this book the day before her disappearance. So let's start around 2:40 PM and see what it shows us. You ready?"

Ethan nodded, channeling and summoning shadowy energy in his hand. Winston flinched but saw that Chance had no reaction and patiently waited for the boy to finish. The mix breathed a sigh of relief and watched the small spectacle. Suddenly, Winston's ears flickered when he heard a vehicle approaching from behind.

"Shit," Winston whispered, noticing an Enforcer vehicle approaching them from a distance. He signaled with his head for Chance to block the view of Ethan with him.

The vehicle made a stop, and three kats exited the car, two other detectives that Winston recognized and the Captain. As they approached the other trio, the two detectives had smug faces, and the Captain looked furious.

"I just got a call from the school's librarian saying a couple of my toms stopped by. I don't recall sending anyone, and I don't remember sending you three over here. Care to explain Detective Softpaw?" Captain said.

"With all due respect, sir, we wanted to assist in the investigation and wanted to follow a lead," Winston said.

"A lead?" Captain said, raising an eyebrow but shaking his head after a moment, "But you decided to go rogue…again. Worst of all, you are assisting these criminals in getting it, have you no shame bringing dishonor to Enforcers?"

"Excuse me? It looks to me that you Enforcers are struggling to find your tail," Chance growled.

"We don't need assistance from the Strays…..especially from you," Captain said with such ice, eyeing Chance with hostility. "What a joke. We should arrest the lot of you and put you where you belong."

Chance snarled, stepping forward towards the Captain, "Why I outta…."

"Try it, furball. Gives us a reason to throw you back in jail," Hill said, stepping in front of the Captain with his partner.

"T-Bone, cool it. There's no point in fighting them," Winston grabbed the angry kat.

"Oh, what's the matter? Not worth shit without your jet?" Jones mocked, raising his fist.

"That does it. I'm-"

"Can….ALL OF YOU…shut up?!" Ethan shouted, getting everyone's attention. He was still trying to channel energy and keep his eyes closed to focus, but the kats around him made it difficult for the boy. "I can't concentrate! So shut up….concentrate…concentrate….there! SHADOW RESONANCE!"

Ethan opened his eyes and tightly gripped the book. Shadow energy fell from his hands, and black energy leaking from the mask like smoke. The shadow scurried towards a specific spot, almost a bit away from the group. It stopped and slowly formed an image of Mia, paused for a bit, and then proceeded toward the town. Ethan paid no mind to the shocked adults that haven't seen his ability and walked with Chance behind him.

"That's the lost kitten!" Jones blurted out, getting over the shock.

"Yeah…though she's heading down to town. Where is she going?" Winston said, eyeing the pair that was following Mia's shadow.

Ethan remembered something and looked at his guardian with worry, "T-Bone, can you-"

"Already ahead of you, kit. We have nine minutes and fifty seconds left. Hey, if the rest of you are done sightseeing, let's go…the kit needs to remain close by, or it will disappear," Chance said, turning back to follow Ethan.

Jones and Hill started to follow the pair. Winston would have been with Chance and Ethan if a firm paw did not stop him. The mix flinched and slowly turned to face his Captain.

"Detective Softpaw, don't think I'm done talking to you. When this is done…me and you are going to have a talk," the Captain said, letting go and giving a sharp look at Winston.

"Understood…father."

"Don't call me that. It's Captain Softpaw to you. Is that understood?"


Arriving at a secluded coffee shop within the city, the Strays and Enforcers saw Mia's shadow walking towards it until a beeper went off on Chance's side. Ethan winced and looked at the tabby.

"I can-"

"No. Cut it off before you start getting dizzy," Chance ordered sharply, giving the boy a stern look, "This is good for now. Here, catch!"

Ethan caught a foiled bar, "What's this?"

"Grim was worried about you crashing again, so she created this to get your energy back thou-"

"Gah, it looks like a bunch of crap thrown into it. Please tell me it doesn't smell as bad as it looks!" Ethan said, pulling the bar close to his mask, "Crap, it does!"

"Don't get picky. Eat some of it for now, well restart again when you are ready," Chance said, eyeing the Enforcers nearby who were observing the boy. "So, it appears your missing kit stopped by here. If you want my honest opinion, the kitten doesn't strike me as someone who would play hooky."

Winston nodded and approached the pair, "Affirmative. It could mean Mia has been stopping by here. However, let's go inside and-"

"Not so fast, hotshot. You can wait back at the Enforcer building. The real detectives are going to handle this." Jones interrupted, giving a thumb pointing away from the scene.

"What? Look, let's work together on this and-"

Captain Softpaw stepped forward and signaled Jones to stop talking.

"Detective Jones and Hill, proceed inside and ask around for any information," Captain Softpaw ordered, watching his toms nod and head inside the café. He looked back at his son when they were gone, "We do not need you here. You already disobeyed my orders the first time."

Winston gritted his teeth and eyed his father with fury but slowly calmed down and looked at the floor. It looked like he was in pain and trying to swallow what he had just been told. Winston looked to the sky above and wondered if this was it.

Ethan watched intently at Winston, noticing how the mix looked and reminded him of him when adults pushed him away. Internally, the boy wonders if he could say anything to help him.

Winston looked back at his father with soft eyes, "Fine, I'll-"

"If Winston does not stay here, then I'll stop helping out," Ethan said, making all the adults look at him, "Or do you want to go back to chasing your tails when you get stuck again?"

"Are you seriously threatening me?" Captain Softpaw demanded with sharpness, eyeing the boy with anger.

Ethan felt something stuck in his throat, thankful that the mask hid his emotions as he faced the tiger before him and breathed in before continuing. "Yep, though I would prefer not to. I don't know why you are treating Winston like this."

"That's none of your concern. Need I remind you…that you are only out here because of the council. Would they like to hear that you refused to help with the investigation?"

Ethan flinched but took a step forward, "Hmm…If I remember correctly, he's the reason why we found something. I'm not refusing to help. I'm just making a simple request…I'm pretty sure that the council would side with me and this request."

Captain Softpaw let out a loud rumble in his throat and approached the boy, only to be blocked by Chance.

"You heard the kit. Unless you want his help, then Softpaw stays. I wonder what the council will say when they hear that the Enforcers stopped us and caused their only chance of getting one of their kits back to slip away." Chance reminded the tiger, pushing Ethan behind him instinctively and letting a rumble in his throat.

Captain Softpaw and Chance stared at each other with hostility, only a couple of feet from each other. Captain Softpaw was older but much taller than Chance by a foot and could still throw down with another tom without much issue. The older tom glanced at the other Stray, who was blocked by Chance's hand from approaching, almost like a parent protecting their child. Captain Softpaw glanced at his son, who gave him a beseeching look not to fight.

"Fine." Captain Softpaw said, looking away from his son and going around the duo towards the café, "He may stay, but you better give results, or I'll make sure to put it in my report how both of you failed to deliver with the council."

Captain Softpaw enters the café with the door closing behind him. Winston let out a huge sigh and smiled at the pair.

"You two really shouldn't have done that," Winston said, seeing Ethan about to say something till Chance rudely ruffled Ethan's hair in annoyance.

"Please, this kit acts first before he thinks. Also, getting to shove the Enforcers down brings me joy," Chance said, "But you don't go solo around me. Got it?"

"Quit it! Gah. I don't understand why they are so against you? You didn't do anything wrong," Ethan said, slapping Chance's hand away from his head, "It's like when they stare at me, but it's more disgust than fear."

Winston dropped his smile and looked away from the pair.

"It's because I was born," Winston slowly said, "That Captain is my pop if you can tell."

Ethan's eyes widen, "What?! That makes it worse. How can-"

Chance grabbed the kid's shoulder and shook his head for Ethan to stop.

"Don't worry about it. Let's head inside and see how we can help." Winston said, waving his hand behind him for the pair to follow him inside.


Ethan messed with the mask he wore, feeling stuffy and uncomfortable with it. He would show his annoyance to all who could see since he was told to stay at a table and wait till the adults finished their questions with the employees. The kid sighed in boredom and groaned as he wanted to help but was treated like a child.

"This sucks, this sucks," Ethan mumbled, putting his head on the table before lazily dropping to the side of the soft cushion. His eyes darted beneath the table to see old gum, pencil marks, and other things. However, the significant scratch marks caught the boy's attention. They looked like an animal had scratched the table. He raised his hands and almost touched them.

"Hey, kit, what are you doing?" Chance called out, seeing the kit messing around. "Enough daydreaming and come over here!"

"Alright! Jeez, T-Bone, you sure know how to order me around today."

Ethan headed towards the entrance of the café, noticing that two new kats were standing there, a feline and a tom. From what he heard, the she-kat was Mia's mom, Pauline Koth, who had similar fur to her daughter and wore plain clothes, hair a mess, and saggy eyes from all the crying. The kat was her father, Victor Koth, a dark blue cat with stripes on his cheeks and red eyes, wearing an undone disheveled suit and revealing his undershirt – he was also looking worse for wear and appeared not to have slept for a while. Pauline was holding a shirt in her paws and watching the small figure approach her.

"Thank you for coming all this way, though it would be best that you two returned home. The Enforcers will handle this," Captain Softpaw said softly and affirmatively.

"I don't think so. I've read the reports that the Strays give us," Victor said, looking at Ethan with pleading eyes, "That you can show us an image of our daughter. Please, we just want to see her, even if it's just an image."

Captain Softpaw gave a lax look to the distraught parent but shook his head, "I don't believe that would be wise, sir. I understand that-"

"Understand, you say? Have ANY of you lost a kit? Have you cried your eyes out every passing day….wondering if they would return back to you? You Enforcers hadn't found anything for these past couple of days. You lot are useless!" Pauline said with a sharp and cold tone.

"Pauline!" Victor shouted, gripping his wife's shoulder, "Let's not-"

"No, it's alright. It was my poor choice of words. I shouldn't casually think I can understand what you are feeling. I sincerely apologize for it. Alright, I'll respect your request. However, I must warn and ask you to mentally prepare yourself for whatever happens," Captain Softpaw said, stepping to the side and letting them approach Ethan.

The parents nodded, with Pauline stepping forward and slowly handing the shirt Mia wore the day before she disappeared to Ethan. The boy had mentioned that relying on the book would be too lousy since Shadow Resonance only shows the shadow as long as they keep the item with them, and as soon as they let go, it interrupts it. Mia's shadow was wearing a backpack, meaning that book was on her when she arrived at the café. Winston had asked his father to reach out to the Koths and see if they were willing to give their kitten's clothing she wore that day.

Ethan felt Pauline's grip on the shirt, slowly easing off and giving it to the boy. This whole thing was new to Ethan, and seeing parents like this made him wonder if this was what real parents did when their kids went missing. He felt unsure and very uncomfortable looking at Pauline's face, only nodding toward her when she let go.

Chance kept an eye on Ethan and patted his shoulder when he saw how tense the boy was, "Hey, kit, it's alright. Just focus on what you can do now, and that's it."

Ethan nodded and turned to look at Winston, "So…what time should I look at?"

"I would say…school ends around 2:30. We started the first view around 2:40, and Mia arrived here around 2:50. Judging by the distance and when she arrived home that day, around 4:54…. We are looking between a window of 2:51 to 4:19. A hour and twenty-eight minute period," Winston said but stopped to confirm something, "She never mentioned friends or someone of late?"

"No…Mia has always been a shy kitten. However….I assumed she broke out of her shell and made a quick friend…I should have questioned her about it when she kept coming home late, but I-" Pauline stopped, feeling the weight of her mistake and shaking. Her husband tenderly pulled her wife to his side.

"We wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, and we were ecstatic that she was making new friends," Victor explained.

"I see…it's a theory and nothing else, but this new friend…..might be her kidnapper. So, kit, we should pick up where we left off and see whom she talks to," Winston said.

"Right! Give me a moment," Ethan said, shutting his eyes and focusing in front of him,

"Shadow Resonance!"

The shadow image of Mia enters the café and hurriedly passes through a couple of kats. The parents gasped and saw their kitten headed towards the table that Ethan was at earlier. The group closed in towards the table and watched the scene unfold. Mia slowed down and waved at someone before sitting on the chair.

"What book are you going to show me today?... Oh, that sounds interesting….. Another of Garfield's stories?... Oh no, I'm good today, Michael-"

Every kats ear perked at the mention of the name and intently kept hearing Mia's conversation with this Michael. It was ten minutes of Mia chatting and reading the book she was handed. Nothing of note occurred, and Mia vanished when the alarm started to go off. Everyone cursed at it, and Ethan released his ability, stepping away from the group and pulling his mask slightly to bite the bar Evelyn made. Ethan shuddered at the taste and finished it, pulling the mask down. The boy glanced at the parents, who were shaking and trying desperately to hold in tears, Victor holding his wife closely as she sobbed silently.

Ethan felt guilty and wanted to say something, so he took one step forward, and Chance quickly halted him with a firm pull. The boy wanted to argue but saw Chance's disapproving face telling him not to say anything.

It took a moment.

Captain Softpaw tried his best to console the parents as best he could, guiding them towards the door and expressing how the Enforcers would handle this. Pauline shook her head and looked back to the boy, walking towards and grabbing Ethan's hands, pulling them close to hers. Ethan was alarmed but unsure what to do as she was face-to-face with the mother.

"Please help bring my baby back. I know you are not from this world, but please help me find my lost kit. I beg you…." Pauline said, tears falling and her eyes trembling as she wanted to let everything out.

Ethan wanted to look at Chance but was stuck watching this mother cry her eyes out to him. Usually, back at Finford, adults would ignore him and pay no mind to him unless they wanted to yell at him. He was no expert in comforting anyone and did not know what words would ease this she-kat. He thought he would be there to support them, and that's it, but he felt slightly different about it now. A part of him now wanted to bring the kit back and see the mother be happy again. He gripped the mother softly and looked at her confidently.

"I promise to bring her back safely!"

Every adult apart from the parents winced at Ethan's words.


Moments later, and the parents left the scene, Chance was pacing back and forth with Winston standing near. They were outside the coffee shop at the corner of its alley. They waited for the tabby to decide what to say to the maskless boy. Ethan was sitting against the wall near a dumpster. Winston leaned on the opposite wall and gave Ethan a disappointed look, making the boy worry more. Ethan shook as he was brought harshly outside by his guardian and was trying to figure out what he had done wrong.

"What did I-"

"Shut it!" Chance snapped, making the boy wince, "For once, think! Can you just think for once, or is that too hard? Who the hell promises things?! Of course, you had to open your big mouth."

"I just wanted-"

"I'm not done, don't speak until I tell you to. Got it?" Chance warned, stopping his pacing and eyeing the boy, "Is that understood?"

Ethan froze. He was used to Chance yelling at him and him screaming back, but this was not one of those situations. It was a short command, and it felt like June's tone when she was punishing him for exploding the kitchen. He grabbed his arm and tightly held it as his mouth felt like something was getting stuck in his throat.

"Yes…sir."

"Good. Now listen here. And listen well. You never promised things you could not keep, especially to kats in the council. What do you think happens if the kit is never found or, worst, found dead in a gutter somewhere? Can you confidently go back to the parents and tell them you found their dead kit? Do you?!" Chance growled.

Ethan flinched, ducking his head down and ignoring Chance's eyes. He hated this and wanted to disappear.

"Crud…is like you can't stop yourself from doing things. Your parents must have struggled with your tail, and I feel sorry for them." Chance continued, gritting his teeth and continuing his pace.

Ethan's eyes widen at Chance's remark. It was like a truck hit Ethan, and he was trying to make sure he heard right but realized that tabby had said it. His fear dissipated, and now anger replaced it as he stood up.

"Fuck you!"

"Did I say you can talk?" Chance stopped his pace and eyed the boy with fury.

"I was just trying to help. Is that so bad? Maybe I did promise something I shouldn't have, but it gives you no right to say shit like that. Don't talk to me like you know me. You don't know anything about me! None of you do!"

"And who's fault is that? Mine? Fat chance. You are right about one thing! I don't know a thing about you except what I can see. A stupid kit that can't help himself from getting into trouble. But, since you seem to be in a sharing mood…then tell me. Prove to me that I'm wrong."

"I'm not telling you shit, old man!"

"Figures. What a fucking surprise," Chance said, waving dismissively at the boy and walking away.

Ethan clenched his teeth and fist, no longer caring what he would say next and just wanting to hurt Chance, "No wonder your ex-partner hates you. You are probably the reason why you guys are stuck in the Strays and why he lost his arm."

Chance halted, ears flickering and tail stopping. He turned his attention back to the boy, but the pure rage was in his eyes as he stared at Ethan. He approached the boy with hostility and peered down at the small figure.

"You are crossing a line you should not cross. I'm going to pretend I did not hear that. You and I will not talk to each other until this mission is over unless there's a good fucking reason. Once we get back home, we are gonna have a conversation. Is that clear?" Chance warned the boy, one fist clenched as he held back his rage.

"What…you think you scare me?" Ethan scoffed, looking at the angry adult's face without care.

"Ethan…I'm warning you."

"Oh….more warnings?"

"Ethan."

"IT. IS. YOUR. FUCKING. FAU-"

"T-BONE!" Winston yelled, seeing Chance swing his fist at the boy.

Ethan flinched, ready to feel the hard fist, and heard a crack near his face. He felt no pain and slowly opened his eyes to see Chance aimed at the wall next to him. The boy shivered when seeing the hole that Chance made so easily, and his heart was going a hundred miles.

"You're lucky that I can't hurt you," Chance coldly said, watching the terrified boy beneath him, wanting to say something that would hurt Ethan, too blinded by his rage. "Who would want a kit like you? Crud, being around you is just a pain in the tail, and it pisses me off every time I see you…you remind me that I'm stuck with you. Your parents are lucky, you know. They are probably glad and celebrating that they don't have to deal with you anymore. You are just a-"

Ethan released a shaky breath, and tears fell to the ground below. He felt every word Chance said and was no longer mad but lost, as he did not know how to respond or handle his sadness. The grim reminder of his loneliness started festering, and Ethan felt like he would drown. Ethan questioned everything and thought the world was against him.

Chance was lost, his anger had melted, and he stared at the broken boy he had just hurt. His ears flattened when he heard Ethan's silent sobs and how fragile the boy looked. The tabby reached to grab the kit's shoulder but hesitated and pulled back, confused about what he was doing and wondering things.

"Shadow Gateway," Ethan muttered, drifting back against the wall and quickly disappearing from them.

"Kit! Wait!" Chance shouted, but it was too late, and the gate rejected his hand back, "Crud, I…."


Inside Shadow Gate, Ethan sat in the empty plane, sobbing and curling himself into a ball.

A few moments passed, and he shakily stood up and rubbed his eyes.

Ethan cursed Chance, thinking about what to do. The boy wanted to leave this place and return home, but a kitten and a tearful mother pushed that idea away. The council would be very displeased with him, and he would get the brunt of their fury. He tried to imagine how he could get back at Chance and hurt him as he did to him, but Evelyn popped into his head, and she would tell him to work with Chance.

"I should leave…fuck Chance and this stupid mission," Ethan paced back and forth, moving toward a specific direction but halting, returning where he started. "Gah! Why can't I make up my mind! He's such an asshole!"

Ethan stopped, thinking about the small memories with Chance. The tabby wasn't the best guardian he had. The tabby would always poke fun at him and yell at each other occasionally. It irked the kid, and he turned to walk away before stopping. On the other side, Chance had his moments, such as when he allowed Ethan to cry on him or read his comics. The boy relaxed, heading back to where he had left off.

"What should I do?" Ethan groaned, looking at the area around him.

Ethan's Shadow Gate was a soft blue-purple room with mist-like clouds surrounding him and shifting every second.

"Why did he have to yell? Okay, maybe he's right. I fucked up in promising things like that, but how was I supposed to know that!" Ethan grumbled, pacing back and forth, "God! Why am I so hung up on this?! And now I'm talking to myself like a weirdo!"

Ethan felt more comfortable letting his emotions out, and his sadness slowly faded. He lazily pulled out another bar and took a bite, wincing at the awful taste but satisfying his hunger. Ethan looked at the bar and stopped. He recalled Evelyn made it for him, and Chance ensured he ate it. He crouched down and let out a big sigh.

"Shit…"


Ethan reappeared in the café's alley, looking around to see both Chance and Winston were not there anymore. He felt relieved but annoyed simultaneously, closing the portal behind him and heading in the direction leading back to the cafe. He put his hands over his head and thought about what he should do, imagining what he should do to Chance when they got back home.

"Should I…no, his comics don't deserve to be in the crossfire. How about…yes! That sounds amazing and-"

Ethan struck something hard when he was not paying attention, and someone else grunted. Ethan hissed as he landed on his ass and looked to see whom he hit, expecting to see Chance or Winston. However, to his surprise, it was neither but a plain dress brown fur tom and the tom had to drop his book. Ethan was worried for a second but remembered he had his mask back on.

"Hey, sorry about that," Ethan said, grabbing the book on the floor and standing up, "Didn't see you there!"

"Look where you are going, brat!" Michael growled, rubbing his stomach and eyeing Ethan with curiosity. "Why the hell are you wearing a mask?"

"Ah… me and some kits are playing a game," Ethan quickly said, which earned him a strange look, "You know villains and heroes!"

"Never heard of it," Michael flatly said, looking out into the corner towards the café entrance. Finding his book in the alley where he captured Mia but seeing an enforcer and Chance at the alley a moment ago, waiting for them to leave. "Say, do you know why Enforcers are near the café?"

"Nope, I just got here," Ethan said, "Say uh….sorry again…uh-"

Michael's ears twitched, and he refused to look at Ethan, "It's…..John."

"Sorry about hitting you, John," Ethan said, eyeing Michael and watching him eye café in the corner. It was odd, and Michael reminded him of himself when he observed the corners back at Finford, eyeing any potential undercover police. "You waiting for someone?"

"Aren't you supposed to be playing with your friends?" Michael growled, turning away from the corner and passing Ethan with anger.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"You, forgetting something?" Ethan said, waving the book at Michael.

Michael's tail flicked, cursing something and heading back to the boy. He reached for the book and was about to pull it when he felt it not budging. Michael raised an eyebrow as Ethan stared at the book cover.

"Garfield?" Ethan whispered, noticing the name of the author.

"Let go of my book," Michael snapped, getting the boy to let go and walking away. "Honestly, kits these days. Go play your stupid games!"

"Hey, John!"

"What now?!"

"Do you know someone named Mia Koth?"

Michael froze, thankful that he had his back turned as it would reveal his shocked face. His eyes were in the corner, waiting for Ethan to say something else. His instincts were firing warning signs, and he asked himself if Ethan knew something.

"That name does not ring any bells. Actually…I watched the news about a kitten's disappearance the other day. It's that the name you are talking about?" Michael tested the boy, turning around with a concerned look. "Are you friends with her?"

Ethan shuddered internally, feeling his warning signs telling him danger was around, "No…I just met her a couple of days ago before she disappeared. She seemed nice, you know?"

"Oh, just nice? Tell me, was she a fan of playing games with you? Heroes and villains, right?"

Michael took one step forward, slowly making his way to Ethan.

"No…she preferred to read."

Michael eyed the boy, passing him and casually going around him.

"Seems like a smart girl, it's a shame… it looks like her parents might have done something to make her run away."

"I don't think so…. Her parents love her. I can tell."

"Ha… please…then what do you think happened to her?"

Michael completely went around Ethan and stopped to be next to the boy.

"I…." Ethan trailed off, thinking about responding, "I don't know."

Mike's tail swished behind him, and he stared blankly at Ethan. It appears that he will do something for a second until he shakes his head and moves away from Ethan. Behind him, the boy stared at him, puzzled by the interaction.

Ethan was sure something was up but felt he would regret it if he said anything else. He clenched his fist and bit his lip.

"If I had to guess, a fucking loser got her. Only some pathetic kat would target a kit."

Mike froze again, eyes hardening, and he looked at the sky above. He sighed deeply and reached in his pocket for something before turning back to face Ethan.

"I see…that's a shame. Hope your friend turns out," Michael laughed, approaching the kid with a smile, "Say…that's a neat mask. Does it actually work?"

"Huh?"

Michael sprayed a bottle at Ethan's face, and the boy had no time to react. Ethan coughed, immediately feeling dizzy and trying to turn towards the way to the café. For the boy, the world was spinning, and his eyes were darting around as he tried to focus. Ethan was about to turn the corner when an arm went around his throat and pulled him back, spraying more gas on his face. Ethan started blacking out and could barely see Michael eyeing him with disgust.

"I guess that mask was all for show," Michael grinned at the boy beneath him, grabbing Ethan's mask and pulling a knife from his other pocket. He was thinking of stabbing the boy and leaving him near the dumpster. It infuriated him that this brat called him a loser. However, as soon as he pulled the mask, his eyes widened to see Ethan's natural face.

Michael shook, dropping his knife and staring intensely at Ethan's face. The kat stopped momentarily before touching Ethan's face and inspecting every inch of it. His tail swung happily around, and he smiled as he eyed the boy like a missing toy.

"A monster…a real-life monster! Oh, how I dream of this!" Micheal said softly, washing all his anger to the boy to utter joy. He glanced around, ears perked, and made sure nobody was near. He smiled and excitedly carried the boy away, kicking the mask to the side and going down the alley….where his car awaited him.