MISSION 16
Trinity Point Pt. 1
A year ago
The sounds of soft sobs could be heard in a gathering. Kats were mourning the loss of loved ones and sitting down as one of the surviving employees gave a speech to remember them. Pictures of the dead were located near a stage. There were no bodies that were recovered, which made it impossible for these kats to bury them.
Baxter felt like the world was crumbling around him. He felt tense and could barely hear the current speaker, shutting his eyes and trying to ignore everything around him. Baxter had no interest in others' explanations of why things occurred. He just wanted his sister back.
As the kat opened his eyes, he realized that the ceremony had ended and only a few kats were there. He rubbed his face, cursing himself and heading towards the exit. Baxter had no idea why he came. His body moved independently when he got the invitation, like being strapped to a rollercoaster and waiting for it to end.
Baxter made it toward the door, opened it, and saw a couple of kats down the stairs.
"Sorry for your loss. I just wished I'd done more," said a grey kat, towards a couple before eyes glancing up to see Baxter.
Another day ended, with students getting ready to rest in the dormitories, with a few staying up as long as possible before they were told for the lights off. A rather rowdy pair were going at it with draw poker, with Ethan's tower growing as he kept winning against Kyle. Ethan grinned as Kyle scowled at him, trying his best to win against the sore winner.
"Gosh, what will I do with all your money?" Ethan said, playing with his messy pile and looking at Kyle's remaining chips. "I guess I can give some to the less unfortunate."
"Bite me, Milko!" Kyle fumed, scratching his head in frustration and thinking if he should throw certain cards away. He put cards to trade and almost gave his excitement away when he had four aces. His heart sank when Ethan raised, making him question if Ethan had some excellent cards or if it was a lie. Kyle shook his head, "I raise!"
"You sure you want to continue?" Ethan laughed, seeing Kyle sacrifice his last remaining chips.
"Shut it," Kyle said, seeing Ethan put his chips down. He smirked and revealed his hands, almost fist bumping when seeing Ethan's ear flatten. "Ha! Try to beat-"
"Hmmm, such a shame," Ethan said, showing his true colors and revealing a royal flush. He laughed when Kyle lunged at him and playfully blocked Kyle's attempts to sock him. "Better luck next time!"
The boys wrestle for a bit, with Kyle taking control as he is bigger, playfully biting Ethan's ears and face. Ethan was alarmed when Kyle did this the first time they played fight but soon realized kits would do this to each other and sometimes with their parents. Ethan grunted, trying to get a better position, softly scratched at Kyle, and hissed when the boy pulled on his ear.
"Okay, okay….I give," Ethan huffed, hearing Kyle chuckle and let go of him. He shook his head and flicked his ears, instinctively licking his paw and cleaning his hair. It felt like his body was on autopilot. "Pull any harder, and I feel like you would bite my ear off!"
"Don't be such a wimp. You are acting like a girl!" Kyle said, mimicking Ethan as they sat on the edge of the bed. His smile dropped, and he gripped the bed, "Say….if neither of us gets in or if only one of us does…..we won't see each other…."
"Huh? Oh….yeah," Ethan said, realizing tomorrow was their last day.
Nothing had occurred in the last couple of days, frustrating Ethan and everyone else trying to uncover the reason for the attacks. John and Alex had been rechecking and scrubbing through everything, finding no issues or talks that would raise an eyebrow. From Ethan's glimmer of knowledge, it seems like the politicians and leaders are getting antsy, and some arguments have occurred. Eyes and ears were on tomorrow's festivity, where many of these kats would be attending to show their 'support' by glaring and pointing fingers at who they think is responsible for the attacks.
"I mean….maybe we can….." Ethan stopped, realizing that was foolish to say, almost forgetting his situation and his limited freedom to go out. Apart from the mission, Ethan was having fun with someone his age for once and not worrying about getting betrayed like an ex-friend. It was still shocking for him how normal he acted, not worrying about scoring money or being vigilant for cops in every corner.
"My ma will probably chew me out for not getting in, probably ground me for the rest of my nine lives," Kyle joked, leaning back and patting the bed. He looked at Ethan, "I wished I had parents like yours…..they don't seem stuck up with things."
Ethan nodded, looking away and thinking about his 'parents.' Wondering what they were doing at this very moment.
It would have been a quiet night at the hotel if not for the sound of water running through the bathroom and the hearty laughter of a certain tabby. Chance slapped his knees as he watched an episode of Scaredy Kat in his room. No matter how many times he rewatched this show, he would always find enjoyment in it, and it would be a nice break from his life. However, the tabby's eyes did drift toward the bathroom where Evelyn was showering, seeing that the door was slightly open, almost like the gods above were testing him.
Chance shook his head, refocusing on his entertainment until his ears flicked when the shower was turned off, and hearing the glass door open. He tried to remain strong and not be a perv, but his curiosity was winning, and his eyes slowly glanced toward the opening. Seeing Evelyn's naked body for a second felt like ages as he saw her slender body, breast, and wet hair. Chance looked away, feeling hot, and pulled his shirt to release some steam.
A few moments later, Evelyn stepped out, drying her hair and wearing a simple white T-shirt and pajamas. She wrapped the towel over her neck and saw Chance staying quiet, which alarmed her as she was sure he was watching his favorite show. Evelyn heard the character explode and the trumpet playing, confirming it was still happening.
"Everything alright?" Evelyn said.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, just thinking about something," Chance grumbled, rubbing his face and shaking the bit of heat before looking at the she-kat. She was a bit too close and sat on the other side of the bed. "Say…..want to grab something, or should we order food from the hotel?"
"Let's order food from the hotel. We might as well enjoy our last night together?" Evelyn said, almost wishing she had rephrased it since it sounded romantic. She sighed when seeing Chance grinned at her. "Don't. Say. Anything."
Chance chuckled, putting his hands up and sheepishly wanting to say something. His face faded, looking away as he recollected his time with Evelyn these past few days. Apart from the mission and her worry over Ethan, they spent a reasonable amount of time alone and explored the island. Of course, as friends, they ate, talked, or checked out shops.
"Hey, you good?" Evelyn said, touching Chance's forearm and head tilting when seeing the tabby's expression.
"Yeah….just thinking about our time here. It was a lot of fun, if I'm honest…..a good break from the monsters or someone shooting at us," Chance said, giving Evelyn the most heartfelt smile she had ever seen. "I really enjoyed it, especially with you."
Evelyn paused, blushing and smiling at Chance, staring at the tom's face, which was comforting and sincere. She could not disagree with the statement. It was fun spending time with the tabby and a fresh experience as they went out. Chance would guide them around and try new spots without much hesitance. Evelyn looked briefly at how Chance was in the past, the type of kat others would love to be around, confident, and always ensured everyone was having a good time.
"Same here," Evelyn said, shifting to sit closer to Chance. A thought occurred, and she giggled when remembering their visit to a particular animal shop.
"What's so funny?" Chance asked, seeing Evelyn throw him a sly look and cover her mouth.
"Sorry…..I just didn't expect you to be scared of bugs," Evelyn admitted.
Chance's eyes shifted, crossing his arms and looking away, "Not funny! Gah….how can you pick up those slimy things with their many tiny disgusting legs?"
"Well, I know what to do if you piss me off one day," Evelyn joked, getting a good laugh when seeing the muscular tom shiver at the thought. "I'm kidding….maybe."
Chance rolled his eyes, grimacing, rethinking how the shop had different kinds of insects, some bigger than his hand. It was not fun for the giant kat, freezing and recoiling when Evelyn grabbed one, unaware of his fear, and putting close to his face. Luckily, Chance didn't break anything when he jumped back, almost knocking a couple of cages and getting yelled at by the store owner.
"Please don't tell the team about that," Chance said, shaking his head and leaning back against the bedboard. He chuckled, slyly pulling Evelyn close, "I can't believe tomorrow, is it. It seems like I have to say goodbye to my wife soon….can you tell Sophia that Nicholas had a great time?"
Putting a paw up, Evelyn pretended to wipe her face, "Hello, Chance. Have you seen my husband, Nicholas?"
Chance copied her, "Hello, love, it seems the end is near. BUT! Let's end our night with some wine and food….all paid thanks to our lovely sponsors, the Enforcers."
"Then call away. We Milko's only drink and eat the finest things," Evelyn said, pretending to act high class and amused when Chance made a pretentious face. She watched Chance grab a nearby phone and the nearby menu.
They would allow themselves peace tonight, despite the looming threat of nations going to war and the lack of answers on their part. It was tomorrow's problem, and they needed a couple of drinks to wash away any worries. As the old saying goes, a couple of drinks never hurt anybody,…right?
Dante's eyes opened, seeing the rocky floor beneath him before his eyes drifted towards the top, seeing he was back in his world. He groaned, shuffling to his side, slowly getting up and looking at his arm to see it had been fixed. For the mentor, it felt like he got out of a bad hangover, and his eyes were trying to focus as he stood up.
"Ooooooh…you wretched litte…I'm going to make you pay. That I swear," Dante grumbled, taking a moment to focus before lifting his arms. Usually, a portal would start forming, but nothing was coming out of Dante. "Damn….why can't I?"
Dante winced, dropping to the floor and panting, looking at his hands in disgust before huffing. The tom crossed his legs, watching the nothingness around him and waiting till he was recharged to move. He slouched forward and closed his eyes.
"Damn….Ethan, don't…engage," Dante whispered.
Shuffling some notes around, Baxter sighed as he finished his notes for today and headed out of the theater. He had the whole day free until tonight when he had to conduct the students for the visiting kats. Baxter shook his head and wished he could give them a piece of his mind, but whenever the thought of killing someone festered, the tom would shiver at rethink of the kitten who killed his mother.
"Maybe….he's right," Baxter whispered, turning a corner. "I'm such a coward."
Baxter eyed the building where the event would occur and grimaced at the thought of entertaining these powerful kats.
It was supposed to celebrate unity in tonight's festivity, but that was a lie, and Baxter knew it. It was just a show; they only cared about appearances, and none would back out due to pride. He wonders if someone would start something there today, knowing he was pushing these kats' buttons and they were too eager to show their fury.
"Maybe if they worked together…..they could have stopped me sooner," Baxter said, stopping and looking at his paws. "I don't think…..I can-"
"AH! There you are!" a voice called out, making Baxter look up to see Principal Bond, a relatively short and big-bellied individual, heading toward him with a suited grey-furred tom walking beside him. The tom had a severe face, appearing military, and with a scar on his cheek.
Baxter's eyes widened when he recognized Leo San, knowing he was one of the kats in charge of negotiating with his sister's killer. The same person he saw down those stairs a couple of months ago. He would have reached for his violin if he had not left it in his office. Baxter felt his whole body shake, and he clenched his fist, wanting to hurt this kat but felt he would lose when seeing how big and powerful the tom looked.
"So this is your conductor for tonight's entertainment," Leo said, lifting an eyebrow when seeing the bit of intensity from the tom, "Name's Leo, massive fan of classical music. I'm a bit early, but I wanted to check the school and look around for…..any problems."
"Problems? I wouldn't worry about things here at our school," Bond quickly said, dabbing his face with a handkerchief and trying his best not to show his worry.
Leo chuckled, firmly holding the principal, "It doesn't hurt to be extra cautious. Plus, my country won the right to secure tonight's security. However, I'll let them worry about that. I'm just here to enjoy tonight with my wife."
"We'll make sure to make it a night you won't forget….right? Professor Baxter?" Bond said.
"Huh….right…." Baxter said softly, nodding and walking away, "If you two will excuse me."
"Just a moment. You don't mind if the professor shows me around?" Leo said, making Baxter freeze.
"Not at all!" Bond said, sighing in relief and heading toward Baxter. "Show him a good time, please."
Baxter wanted to slap the principal but stayed quiet as he left them. He looked back at Leo, who was already close to him and eyeing him. Baxter cursed under his breath and attempted to smile.
"So….what would you like to check out?"
"Hmmm….nothing really. I'm actually curious…..do I know you?" Leo asked. He poked out a claw and tapped his chin, "You seem to be aware of me."
Baxter froze like a statue, feeling he had heard wrong but knew he did not, which disgusted him inside.
"No…but you probably remember my sister, Rose Bowson," Baxter revealed, expecting Leo to recall and for it to hit him of his failure to save her.
Leo stopped, carefully thinking about things before shaking his head. He eased up and rubbed his head.
"Sorry…..that doesn't ring a bell. I meet a lot of kats in my line of work….was she part of the force in Atheau?" Leo asked.
Baxter's face went blank. Internally, he felt the boiling heat of a volcano, and he wanted to scream at Leo for him to remember.
"Of sorts…..just wondering if the stories about you are true," Baxter lied, seeing Leo scoff and shake his head.
"Listen. The force at Atheau is strict. If she has any complaints against me, she can file them and have them reviewed by the board," Leo said, waving goodbye to Baxter. "My doors are open if she wants to say it to my face. Have a good day, and see you tonight."
Baxter watched Leo leave his view, stunned as he avoided trouble and how close he was to one of the responsible kats for Rose's death. As he shook, he gritted his teeth and punched his legs, feeling cowardly and lack of action.
Baxter recalled the aftermath of the explosion and the segments on TV where they mournfully said they did their best and asked for forgiveness from the families that lost somebody that day. One of the faces was Leo, who appeared sorrowful and ashamed in front of the cameras. 'I'll remember each one of them? What a fucking lie!' Baxter growled.
Baxter and his sister lost their parents, so they only had each other and supported one another to achieve their dreams. His big sister was brave, and he was always timid when dealing with situations. Baxter wished he could be like his sister, but he was not courageous and kept his head down when it counted.
"I can't do anything…..I'm such a coward…..I can't do-" Baxter stopped, looking towards the building where his violin was. His hands dropped, his eyes shifted, and he licked his lips. Baxter shook and proceeded to head towards the building.
The afternoon had arrived at the hotel, with the first one awake being Chance. The tabby yawned as he awoke. He groaned, feeling the booze from last night, and touched his head as he felt a sting. Chance wondered if the she-kat was okay and would have glanced to the other bed if he did not feel something snuggle to his chest, feeling the extra kat in his bed. He looked to see Evelyn there and resting on the poking fur on his chest area, similar colors to his stripes.
'Wait, where's my shirt?' Chance thought, looking at the floor and seeing more than his shirt.
Like a slow-moving train heading to a wall, Chance began to realize a couple of things. One, Evelyn wasn't wearing clothes, which went double for him as he lifted the sheet to confirm. Two, he could see a small bite mark on Evelyn's neck. And finally, the lingering smell of sex and each other's scent on their fur.
Chance had no time to think when he heard the groan of the she-kat, and she slowly opened her eyes. He kept quiet, preparing for what came next as he felt her hands grab his chest and slowly pat it when she realized it was not a bed. His eyes met hers, and she slowly realized what had occurred, quickly feeling the she-kat lift herself and look at him in fear.
Evelyn's mouth began to open, but she stopped and tried again. After a short awkward silence, Evelyn got out of bed and grabbed her clothes, heading to the shower as she silently processed this morning. She glanced back at the tabby, who had sat up and looked at her with concern, making her look away and close the door behind her.
Letting a defeated sigh, Chance cursed himself and wondered what had occurred last night, drawing blanks as he could only recall them ordering food and drinking a little too much. He groaned, holding his head and feeling a slight headache.
"Crud!" Chance muttered, finally getting up from the bed and grabbing his boxers. He put them on and energetically headed towards the bathroom door. He was about to knock but stopped momentarily, thinking what he should say before finalizing his thoughts. Chance knocked on the door. "Hey, can we talk?"
There was a bit of silence, "…..Sure."
"I don't remember last night," Chance admitted, leaning his head against the door. He rubbed his head, "Just…..I just want to make sure you are doing okay."
"…I'm fine….just dealing with a hangover….hold on," Evelyn said. "Let's not do this in separate rooms. Just let me finish up here, okay?"
It was a bit before Evelyn opened the door, still wet, as she dried herself with a towel. She and Chance looked at each other, taking a side of the door frame as they internally thought about what had happened between them. Chance rubbed his neck, trying to say what he wanted but struggling to say one word.
"I…..don't remember last night either," Evelyn said. "Just need some time to think with myself…."
"That's a relief," Chance sighed before looking at the bite, "Does it hurt?"
Evelyn touched her neck, "Not really…..especially with this headache. We went a little too crazy last night."
Chance glanced towards the room where a couple of bottles of wine were located, wincing and nodding as he thought about it. He remembered them eating and talking for a while. After a certain point, it became a blur, with him faintly remembering they were talking freely as the drinks continued. However, these conversations were locked, and the subsequent actions were nowhere to be found.
"Yeah….not my greatest landing," Chance chuckled, attempting to ease them and leaning back. "God…. it's been a while since I drank that much."
"Same here."
Chance and Evelyn stayed quiet for a bit, with Chance looking back at the bed.
"Technically, we could ask Ethan to show us what happened…." Chance trailed off.
Evelyn shook her head, "Yeah….Let's not do that. We are two consenting adults who were a bit carried away last night. That's….that."
Chanced exhaled, nodding his head and wishing he could remember last night. However, another looming fear occurred to him, and he licked his lips.
"…..so, I don't carry a condom with me…..did you have one by chance?" Chance said.
"I wouldn't be worried about that," Evelyn quickly said, walking towards her bed and sitting down. She frowned when looking back at the tabby to see his confused expression. "I…..can't have kits anymore."
"Oh….oh!" Chance said, heading towards her and sitting next to her. "Well….I guess that's good…"
Evelyn nodded, smirking, "I would probably cut your balls off if that happened. Or better yet, I could torture you for nine months with bugs."
Chance rolled his eyes, "Thank the higher gods. But…..you sure you are okay?"
"Chance….yes. Again it was a one-night stand that we don't remember," Evelyn said, looking at the clock, "You should take a shower….don't want to be late for Ethan's last day."
Chance agreed with her, grabbing some clothes and preparing to take one. He took one last look at the doctor before heading inside.
Evelyn eyed Chance's back, seeing his stripes and well-toned back. She would be kidding herself if she were to say she was not looking at Chance with lustful eyes. Chance was strong, broad-chested, and burly, making the doctor squirm as she fantasized about a particular old high school football captain. She patted her cheeks to get a hold of herself and wondered what happened last night.
"Shit," Evelyn whispered.
Ethan walked around the school with his hands behind his head, wondering what to do as he waited for his teammates to show up. He wished he could spend more time with Kyle, but his mother kept him longer than usual, and he felt bored alone. Ethan was near the center when he saw a couple of kats walking around, heading towards a big building where a big ballroom was located, making the last finishing touches to prepare for the gathering of certain kats.
The boy would have gone to explore, but security was already set up there and would shoo anyone that did not belong there. So he opted to walk towards the clocktower where he was supposed to meet the pair.
It was a short walk with Ethan leaning on the wall and counting clouds to entertain himself. He got bored quickly, glancing at the few passing kats and lazily walking towards the corner to walk around the clocktower for entertainment. This was a mistake, as he smacked right into someone's head, with both parties yelling and rubbing their heads.
"Shit….my bad," Ethan said, opening his eyes and seeing whom he hit.
"Watch where you are going!" Wyatt spat, glaring at Ethan with hostility.
"I said my bad….you know what? I take it back, you prick!" Ethan said, crossing his arms and eyeing the kit. He lifted an eyebrow when he noticed the kit's strapped book, "Huh, what kind of book is that?"
"None of your business," Wyatt said, going around Ethan and eyes shifting around, looking for something. For a brief moment, he felt magic when Ethan hit him, but now it was gone, making him wonder where it went. He would have walked in a direction if his paw had reached for his book, feeling nothing on his side. "What the-"
Wyatt heard a page flip, making him glance back at Ethan.
"Hmm….what kind of language is this?" Ethan mused, looking at the first couple of pages with strange symbols. It was filled with many lines and pitch-black handwriting, with nothing but more signs as he skimmed through the pages with half of them just blank. The loud rumble near him made him look back at the kit.
"Give me my book back," Wyatt coldly said, putting his paw out and trying to push his urge to use his medallion.
"Jeez, don't get so worked up…..here," Ethan said, putting the book in Wyatt's hand.
When Ethan and Wyatt connected, Wyatt felt the energy again, and he soon realized it was coming from Ethan's ring. His ears perked. Taking the book back and feeling magic disappear as Ethan lets go. Wyatt watched Ethan ignore him and begin to walk away. His eyes were fixated on the boy, following behind and reviewing the kid before him.
Ethan sensed he was being followed, looking back to see the kit but ignored him as he saw the intensity in Wyatt's eyes. Ethan rolled his eyes, wondering what he wanted, stopping and looking back at Wyatt with a glare.
"You need something?" Ethan asked.
"Where did you get that?"
"Huh? Oh, this?" Ethan said, raising his hand with the ring. "I made it….pretty cool, right?"
"You made that?"
"Yep."
"Here at this school?"
"Oh no…..back at home at Megakat City," Ethan said, shifting a bit and raising an eyebrow when noticing Wyatt was not looking at him but at his ring. "Everything good?"
Wyatt's eyes finally let off the ring and stared at Ethan, shaking his head and reaching for his amulet. He would take both in, handing them to the wizard council to decide what to do with this new development as soon as he finished his mission here.
"Hey, kit!" Chance's voice was heard, making both kits look at the approaching tom.
Ethan turned to face Chance, glancing briefly at the kit to see him gone. He shook his head, wondering what Wyatt's problem was but refocused on the approaching tabby and she-kat. Ethan followed them around the school, arriving at an empty area and looking around before talking.
The sun was slowly descending, heading to mark another fruitless day and darkness taking over.
"So, what's the next step?" Ethan said, leaning back against the wall and opening his communication.
"John and I haven't seen much of anything on our end. Shit….scrubbing through hours of footage is such a hassle," Alex said, sighing and the sound of her shifting her chair.
"Nothing on our end either. We have asked a couple of the staff if there were any signs of problems or issues with the current kits…but they just gave the same old answers," Chance said, crossing his arms and looking at the floor. "Anything from the kit?"
"Negative, he does not remember anything, and he's not in the greatest mental state to dive deeper," John said.
"Hmm…..have you ever dealt with a situation like this?" Ethan asked.
"There have been technological tools that allow others to control others. However, those are experimental, and if the victim's will is strong, they can break free from it," Evelyn said, putting a hand on her chin.
"Oh, what about hypnosis to control kats?" Ethan asked, eyes widening in excitement.
"No, hypnosis does not work like that. Not every kat can be affected by it. Usually, it's done for minor assistance like treating depression, but this usually needs to be done under so many sessions," Evelyn corrected.
"It would be easier if a colossal monster influenced these kits," Chance grumbled. He shook his head, "This whole mission is such a mystery. No clues. All the staff have clean records. And all we have is that all the victims attended this school. Crud….and we have to worry about some politicians starting wars over this."
Everyone stayed silent, mortified about the possible outcome and hoping things did not escalate. Nobody was ready for another Mega War. The last was brutal, with little heroic moments like Blue Manx, who stopped the Red Lynx. Everyone would love to avoid wars, but there were always the few kats who would love to escalate things to achieve something.
"We will have eyes and ears in the ballroom thanks to Ethan," Alex mused, "Let's hope things don't escalate there."
"HEY! Fallen Princess, whatcha doing over there!" Kyle shouted, making the trio snap out of their thoughts and see Kyle in the distance. He ran to them, waving at the adults, "Hope your day is going well. Mind if I borrow your kit?"
Ethan grinned, almost ready to go, when he recalled that he needed to pack up and leave. June told them to exit immediately and report to the Strays on the final day. His ears folded as this was the last day he would have a chance to talk to Kyle, and he was about to make some excuse.
"Sure, just please come back before it gets dark," Evelyn said, getting a shocked look from both Ethan and Chance. She ignored them and briefly patted Ethan's head, whispering, "Go have fun with your friend. Don't worry. I'll make up some excuse for us….just be careful."
Ethan smiled, nodding his head and hugging Evelyn, "Your one awesome she-kat. I will…thank you!"
Ethan quickly went towards Kyle, following the kit, and both waiving at the adults as they ran off to enjoy their last day. Evelyn softly smiled, watching the boys leave and turning to face Chance.
"What?" Evelyn asked, smirking as Chance shook his head.
"You beat me to the punch…..wasn't really expecting that from you," Chance said before touching his ear. "You two….don't say anything about this."
"Hmm? Oh, what are you talking about," John said.
"Yeah….I'm not sure what you are referring to," Alex replied.
"Thanks….you two," Evelyn said before focusing on Chance and grabbing his paw. "Come on. Let's pack Ethan's things and wait for him there. I'm kind of interested to see his room."
Sitting on his desk, Baxter watched as the sun almost reached down, and it would be dark in an hour. On his desk was his violin, the faint glow of Umfrey's powers would briefly show and glint on the strings. His paw touched it, inspecting it, and his hand slowly reached a point where someone marked it a carving of a rose. His sister gave him this violin when he landed a job here.
It felt empty now, wishing he could have his sister back and be able to see her one more time. He remembers almost quitting this school, but he felt his sister would be disappointed with him for giving up such a sweet gig. Baxter shook his head, thinking about a sad couple of months when he attempted to drown himself in his work, only to be reminded about the situation when one of the survivors thanked the negotiators' attempts and said they did their best. Of course, she was saved due to who her parents were. He had never felt such fury before, throwing whatever was near him and breaking the television. It was a day he wished he could punish the elites and make them suffer.
On that fateful day, lightning struck, and Umfrey called upon him. The sound of sadness and regret brought Baxter to the underground, where he met the spirit. At first, he wanted to run, but Umfrey quickly showed his capabilities by spinning Baxter around and keeping him there. The spirit told his tale of being a court musician with a vendetta against the kings and queens who punished him and his family after messing up during a ceremony. Umfrey has been waiting for someone to find him, his burning passion and will to get even with those that have their head above the clouds.
Baxter stood from his chair and put his hands on his desk, peering down at the violin and frowning as he thought about tonight. He felt sick in his stomach, a knot as he felt his heart pounding as he reflected on his next decision. Baxter closed his eyes, letting only the ticking clock ease him briefly. He exhaled and opened his eyes, his heart closing and his last worries fading each minute.
"I'm sorry…..Rose."
Ethan raised an eyebrow as Kyle led him to the garden, expecting them to do something else but kept quiet as he followed the kit towards the maze. He had noticed Kyle had brought a small bag sling over his shoulder. For a brief moment, Ethan touched his head, feeling that he had been here before and had already done this.
"Everything okay?" Kyle said, seeing Ethan's expression.
"What? Oh yeah…..just feels like…..nevermind," Ethan said, shaking his head and continuing to follow Kyle. "So what is it that you have to show me?"
"Just follow me, and you will see!" Kyle said with a grin, pulling a couple of flashlights and handing one to Ethan.
"Uh-huh," Ethan said, making the final turn and seeing a split rock in the middle. Some caution signs were set up there, with Kyle blowing past them and signaling Ethan to follow him. "I don't-"
"C'mon princess, don't be a scardey kat with me," Kyle joked, already half his figure going down the broken stairs. He waved for Ethan to follow and proceeded to disappear from view before Ethan could stop him.
"I should be fine, right?" Ethan muttered, clicking his ear.
"Huh…. there are no records of this," John responded, "Strange…..keep an eye on the kit and turn back if it appears dangerous. You understand?"
"Oh, so I have permission to explore a secret tunnel but not walk around the hotel alone?" Ethan grumbled, shaking his head and quickly walking towards the opening.
It was pretty dark, with the walls close to each other and Kyle's light already a far distance down. Ethan froze at the sight, gripping his flashlight and staring at the space below him. He shook his head, turning his flashlight on and taking a few steps cautiously. He descended the rocky path, glancing at times back to see the distant fading light.
"Hey, can you guys hear me?" Ethan said.
"Still here. Why?" John said.
"Just checking."
Ethan turned his head again, seeing he was far away from the entrance, and when he looked back down, he could no longer see Kyle's light or how far he had to go down. He let out a slight whimper and froze.
"Can you guys….talk to me?" Ethan whispered, feeling his heart in his ears and the light source shaking as he gripped it tight.
"Huh? What are ya scared or-"
Ethan heard a smack, and John hissed in pain.
"Of course, darling," Alex said, "Say….we haven't really talked about ourselves. What do you like to do in your free time?"
"Uh…read comics and play video games," Ethan said, exhaling and thanking Alex. He continued down, cautiously stepping and ignoring the walls around him. "What about you?"
"Hmm….read books, do yoga, and walk around aimlessly around the city," Alex said, "How about you, John?"
"None of your business…GAH…..fine….just like to keep to myself, build computers, and watch my favorite TV shows…..happy?" John growled.
"Very," Alex said.
"Say, what shows do you like?" Ethan said.
John grumbled something under his breath, "Don't! Fine….Galactic Kat!"
"Oh! My friend likes that show! It's alright…..though sometimes a dialogue goes on for too long when they explain things. We watched the first movie at the mall," Ethan said, focusing back to the front and seeing he was a few more steps away from the flat surface.
"Ah, that brings back memories…Mike invited me to see it during our high school days," John said.
When hearing John say the name, Ethan took the last step, almost stumbling as he tried to process what he had heard. Before he could ask, someone shouted at him at his side, making him jump to the side and let out a little yell. What soon followed was Kyle busting out in laughter and holding his stomach as he watched the terrified Ethan on the floor.
"You fucking dick!" Ethan screamed, standing up and punching Kyle on the shoulder.
"Sorry….I couldn't help it," Kyle laughed, "You were going pretty slow, and I got bored of waiting around."
Ethan hissed, already planning how to get the kit back, and looked around the surrounding area. It was dark but more spacious, with a singular path leading somewhere. Kyle had already begun to move in that direction and waved at Ethan to hurry up. Ethan groaned, sprinting after the kit and following him.
It was slanted down, and the pair carefully descended the path until they were back on a flat surface. Kyle chuckled, running with a more beat on his step, and seemed excited to turn a corner. Ethan wanted to avoid another jumpscare and followed behind, turning the junction with the kit and eyes widening when he saw a vast open space and broken buildings some distance away.
A single stone bridge led to the other side, towards the buildings, and a substantial dark drop on each side.
"Woah! What is this place?" Ethan said, seeing his friend already walking across the long bridge. "Hold on! That doesn't look safe!"
"It's perfectly fine, come on!" Kyle said, stopping halfway and looking back at Ethan. "Don't tell me you are scared of heights?"
"I'm not! Just give me a moment," Ethan said, walking and reaching for Kyle. "Stop for one second…..jeez, how did you find this place?"
Kyle rolled his eyes, "I didn't…..I saw Baxter heading to the maze yesterday and followed him for a bit. Of course, I stopped at the stairs since I didn't have a flashlight then."
"Baxter? Huh, what do you think he was doing here?"
"Don't know," Kyle said, taking Ethan's hand and leading him down the path. "But the weirdest thing is…..when I ask other teachers about this place….they say they don't know what I'm talking about."
"Really? Kind of hard to miss this place," Ethan said, seeing the old buildings better and their old dark ages structure. They were already across the other side, "I wonder what happened here?"
"Don't know…..but doesn't it excite you?" Kyle said, grinning and clenching his fist as he looked around. "I feel like Markus Jones!"
"Who?"
"It's a book about an archeologist that goes around the world, uncovering old treasure and taking down no good kats along the way!" Kyle said, imagining himself in that role and flashing his light around. "It's been my dream to be like that….but…."
Kyle's ears flatten, exhaling and looking at the floor. Ethan felt Kyle's pain and put a paw on the kid's shoulder.
"Your parents?"
"Yeah…..they want me to become a politician…I don't want that," Kyle growled, shaking his head. "It's always about what they want! I hate it. The Steel legacy must live on….what a load of bullshit."
Ethan stayed quiet, scratching his head at this was foreign to him. His birth parents did not care what he did, and Zoe would push him to do what he wanted. Kyle had parents forcing him to do things and laying out a plan for the kit to follow.
"So….why not just do your own thing?" Ethan said, getting a look from Kyle. "I mean….in five years we will be adults…..they can't force you to do things."
"It's not that simple. They'll cut me off, and I won't have their support if when I decide to go to college," Kyle said.
Ethan frowned, hating to see his friend so down and wanting him to smile again. He thought about Zoe and what she would have said to him in this situation. He tapped his toes and thought.
"Well….it seems you must decide what you want to do. My mom once told me….sometimes life gives you options… an easy or hard route. You can go the easy route but regret not taking the risk with the difficult path. Of course, you can take the hard route and have wished you had taken the easier path," Ethan stopped, softly smiling as he thought about Zoe. "Ultimately, what matters is what makes you happy and which regret you are willing to swallow down the road."
Kyle snorted, raising his head, "Since when do you give sage advice? So either live how they want me to and be stable or…take a risk and go at it alone."
"Well….I'll be cheering you on regardless," Ethan said, beaming with hope for the kit and grabbing his hand. "You have my support!"
Kyle blushed, moved his hand away, and walked a bit, "Stupid! Don't say things like that!"
"Huh?"
"Nothing…just….let's go over there," Kyle said quickly, heading towards a building near a cliff.
The pair ascended the stairs, approached the door's entrance, and walked inside. Their eyes were greeted by broken instruments around the room and a kat skull on top of a stone podium. Kyle whistled at the sight, heading toward the skull and wondering what occurred in the past. Ethan followed him, eyeing the instrument on the floor and seeing a few symbols on the walls.
"I wonder what happened here?" Kyle said, reaching for the skull.
"Ethan, I'm…you-"John's voice cut in, fizzling out as he attempted to reach the boy.
Suddenly, Ethan's fur bristled, and his whispers were warning him to get out of there.
"Kyle, DON'T!" Ethan shouted.
A green flame appeared, making Kyle jerk his hand back and fall back on his ass. The flame roared, and a green face appeared before the terrified boys. Umfrey's image looked down at the intruders, snarling when he noticed their uniform and was about to do something till his ears flicked up. The specter grinned as he looked above, hearing Baxter's call for him, and looked down at the students.
Ethan had already grabbed Kyle from the floor and aided the boy on his feet, guiding them towards the door. Umfrey chuckled, quickly shooting green flames toward a nearby drum and flicking a beat that sent a green wave toward the kits. The wave passed the kits, appearing not to hurt them, but they soon froze in place, turning their bodies back towards Umfrey, who flicked another broken instrument that made the pair return to him.
"What good little nobles," Umfrey laughed, head turning towards the window and seeing the dark abyss. His ears flicked again, and he sighed as he wanted to play with these kits, but Baxter was calling him. "Stay here! You'll be the dessert after I'm done on top!"
Umfrey's skull floated up, guided by the green flames and zooming out of the room, leaving the hypnotize pair in the room. His cackle could be heard as his skull went to the top of the cave, using a small hole to get towards his new body quickly.
A couple of well-dressed kats were enjoying their time inside the ballroom, but a sense of tension could be felt as certain kats eyed others with passing glares. Certain nations were grouped, showing which were allied with others and which were not. A few security were set there, observing for trespassers, but with strict orders not to agitate the attending members. A pair of hired staff carefully moved around, serving and offering drinks to attending guests.
Bond was getting antsy as he drank from his secret flask. Being a principal and serving these bigwigs is such a stressful job that he needs something to ease his mind. Eating was his first escape, but his wife and doctor warned him to stop, so drinking is his new vice until they tell him something. He frowned, wondering what kept Baxter, wishing the professor could hurry up and start playing something with his students.
"Hopefully, some kits playing will ease our minds," Leo said, suddenly appearing on the principal's side, who jumped a bit. "Well….maybe you need it more than us."
"I'm terribly sorry," Bond sighed, "I just want everything to go smoothly tonight."
Bond waved at Leo's wife, who nodded and had her hands around her husband's arms.
"I just hope-" Bond stopped, noticing a figure walking towards the center. He felt relieved and angry, quickly excusing himself and heading towards a hooded Baxter. Bond hissed, tapping the tom's side, "Where have you been? It's-"
"Shut up for once," Baxter said, swishing a free hand as if conducting a note which drew a small musical note and hit the principal.
Bond froze, nodding his head, and tightened his mouth.
Baxter smiled, pulling his head robe back and revealing half his face was covered by a skull, a mask slowly overtaking his head. His right eye was already glowing green. Baxter held his violin with his other hand and walked towards the center. He flicked some notes toward the waiting kits and told them to leave.
Security was already on the move, noticing the small display of magic and telling kats to back up. Baxter did not flinch, summoning a green violin bow and playing a bit of his violin, which sent a few notes toward the guards.
"It seems my security has arrived, don't let the adults leave!" Baxter commanded, which the security obediently did, turning around and heading towards the doors. He smiled towards the crowd, eyeing him cautiously and some looking towards the exit. "Hello folks, I'll be your entertainment for tonight. You'll never forget tonight…..that I am for certain."
"Everyone get down!"
Leo growled, drawing a hidden gun, and shot at Baxter. However, the teacher was ready as he flicked his fingers and summoned a large sheet of paper, blocking the attacks. Baxter then played a minor tune that hit some kats, and they quickly disarmed him. The teacher laughed, approaching the tom and looking down at him.
"I wonder if you remember me now?" Baxter said.
"Why are you doing this?" Leo grunted, trying to wiggle out of the hold as the toms held him on the floor.
"As I said, I'm going to make this a night you kats won't forget," Baxter said, looking around the crowd and smiling. He lifted his violin towards a she-kat, "You there! Head outside and call every embassy….we will replay a little scene and see who is worth more."
The she-kat tensed up when she was pointed at and looked at her partner, only for him to nod and tell her to go. The she-kat shook, heading towards the door and exiting the room.
"Worth? What are you getting at? You crazy-"
"Oh, I love where your head is going!" Umfrey voice spoke through Baxter, sounding cheerful and cackling as he spun around. He shook his head, "However…. too tepid for my taste. So let's add more logs to the flame."
"I don't think that's necessary," Baxter said, taking control and grimacing as he saw Umfrey's idea."Let's just-"
"Weak….so weak. How are you going to teach them a lesson? For them to fully understand your pain….we must strike fear!" Umfrey said, lifting his violin and playing a tune that struck a few kats. "Starting with-"
Every adult's eyes widen, feeling their stomach drop as a few kats nod and head outside. She-kats gasped, and toms shivered, hearing Umfrey's order and knowing today would not be a good day. Baxter returned frowning but keeping quiet, unable to argue against it and praying it did not escalate to that point.
At the dormitories, Chance looked at the nearby clock and sighed. He shifted a bit, looking out the window and hoping to see Ethan coming their way. Glancing toward Evelyn, to see her sitting on Ethan's bed and tapping her cheeks as she thought about the same thing. He scratched his ears, grumbling in annoyance as the communications were cut off, and clicked on it to check again.
"John? Do you copy?" Chance said, hearing some buzz and silence on the other end.
"Hey…..can you?... There!" John's voice came on, becoming more precise and clean. "Chance, can you hear me now?"
Chance blinked, hearing a bit of worry from the usual carefree munchkin. His eyes tensed up and signaled Evelyn to turn on her communication device.
"What's wrong?" Chance asked, almost unsettled as he felt he would get bad news. "Is Ethan-"
"He's okay! I think! I don't know! However, he's not responding or moving from his position," John said, with him clicking on his keyboard and turning around. He cursed, "Shit….even cameras near the ballroom aren't working…there's some interference going around this area. What the hell is going on?"
"Forget about that! Where's the last place you saw Ethan?" Evelyn cut in, growling and standing up.
"Right! Sorry….he and his friend went to this underground cave near the gardens," John said.
"What! Why did you let him…oh forget it. Chance, let's go and-" Evelyn stopped when noticing Chance focusing on the outside. She looked out to see some kats with boards and gasoline coming to them. "That can't be good."
"Affirmative," Chance said, focusing on the kat's eyes to see a bit of glow. "Something's up….John, can you track what's happening around the school?"
"Sure, just give me a second….."
With John, his eyes darted around and switched camera feeds to every available angle. His brain processed the information and gathered a few spots where kats were boarding up the dormitories and sealing themselves inside while others were dousing oil or creating makeshift Molotov cocktails. John grimaced, sweating as he could understand what these kats were planning, and watched them stay in place as if waiting for orders.
"Shit! Not good! Chance and Evelyn, we have a situation! Kats are getting ready to create fires all around the dormitories!" John growled, turning to look at Alex, who was taking a call from the room's phone.
Alex put a hand up, grimacing as she heard from her Captain the news, and she looked at the monitors that showed the static camera feed of the ballroom.
"Negative. We have no eyes in the room. Yes. Yes. I know. I'll keep you posted if anything changes," Alex said, putting the phone down and sighing. "Well….we have a hostage situation, and kats are preparing a bbq…shit."
Sitting carefully on top of the clock tower, Wyatt looked around at the evolving situation below him. He appeared uninterested and pulled out his book from his side, chanting some spells and getting images around him. A white orb expanded and showed a live picture of Ethan from different angles.
"Good thing I placed a tag on him," Wyatt mumbled, eyes glancing down and sensing that the kit us underground. He looked towards the ballroom location, where he could feel the other magic user in the area. "Hmmm…..what should I focus on? Or should I wait and…."
Wyatt glanced back at the image of Ethan, "Then again….I could let this play out. Strange one, what will you do now? How will you break free from the spell?"
Sitting more comfortably, Wyatt kept an eye on Ethan, musing that he would give the kit some time. Of course, if things did not happen, he would sweep in and deal with the two problems.
