Perrito refused to leave his spot.
It's already been several hours since the town dealt with the arson, and since the sky wasn't burning an awful glow of red and orange, nor the maniac that the locals called the Goblin was seen terrorizing anyone in particular with his onslaught of pumpkin bombs, he supposes it's okay to assume that those matters were being handled.
Handled as best as they could, supposedly.
Everyone was gathered around a plaza that's now been established as the disaster management center. Groups of hypourgoi and hypocrisies, the town's local nurses, tended to the injured and since the arson occupied a massive scale of the land, they were severely understaffed. Who would have thought someone was planning a disastrous attack after a happy and joyous fiesta? Celebrating the death of Jack Horner nonetheless. Was that terrible? The guy was terrible. Nobody expected to be dragged into hell with him.
It was either karma or the pie baker's soul that swore vengeance.
Either way works.
It took some convincing on the dog's part to move to the disaster center, especially from the worrying glances of the people that easily melt at the sight of dogs. Kitty had left him somewhere with a group of family, making sure he wasn't alone, and even initiated a short conversation with them to know that they were at least good people to start with before taking off to find Puss.
"I'm sure your friend is a smart gal. She'll connect the dots and figure out we moved there for protection." Mister Omare told him politely, and Perrito knew he was eager to rush his family there since the sight of smoke can be seen billowing three blocks away from them. It took him several tries before the dog finally agreed, of course, he only ever left after writing a note and leaving it under a rock for Kitty and Puss to read. If they could find it, that is.
"Hey! Tell your bodyguard to back off!"
On his left, Perrito saw the familiar figure known as Sandy. Her form was spread in a mini wind storm across the disaster center, growling particularly over a group of local guards.
"Is that thing smart enough to know we're helping her boss?"
Ah, the dog remembered that Doctor Otto was around. The last time he saw the poor cat was over by the bakery with the panicked couple, a moment away from passing out. A spark of lightning decorated above the center, the cloud of sand swirling aggressively, and some of the people being tended to screamed in terror. Well, might as well work out some of his therapy charms until Puss and Kitty could get here.
Perrito quickly rushes over to the swarm of guards who had the brilliant idea of provoking Otto's friend even further, not really knowing how that could end up messily on their part. He skids to a halt right between them only to be greeted by Sandy's molten red eyes.
"What is that dog doing? Get back!" One of the men shouted behind him, Perrito only gave them a swift glance and shook his head. He then turned to the manifested face of the tiger before him.
"Hey, do you still remember me? I know Doctor Otto! We talked back at the camp," He introduced himself in a polite manner and tried to ignore the group of guards and their panicked behavior. "You're Sandy, right? Well, I'm Perrito!" He extended a paw to the sand creature, which she curiously tilted her head in response. "I was with Kitty before when she helped Doctor Otto from the burning camp. You probably didn't even notice me."
THE DOG?
She echoed loudly for everyone to hear. Perrito was the only individual to beam at her, his head nodding vigorously and tail wagging from the recognition.
"You actually remembered! That's great!"
WON'T LET ME PASS
A cloud of sand manifested above the guards' heads, crackles of lightning threatening to strike each of them down. One from the group bravely threw their sword toward the sand creature only to fail epically.
"Sandy—Sandy—It's alright!" Perrito was trying to calm her down, at the very least, standing on his two feet to get her attention. "They're just protecting Doctor Otto from uh—other bad visitors! He was attacked, remember?"
At this, the tiger seemed to mellow down, the terrifying glow of their eyes dimming.
TRAITORS
She was probably referring to both Gaston and Petey. Kitty might have mentioned that Otto saw them being close before.
"I'm really sorry about them, Sandy. They don't deserve you and Doctor Otto," Perrito moved close to her, eyeing the sand storm lessening in mass and forming down on the ground gently. He could hear the sound of relieved sighs from behind him once the sky cleared from a nasty grain hurricane. "Look, I'm waiting for my friends to get here, and by the time they do, I'm sure Doctor Otto would be fine as rain!"
SANDY HATES RAIN
The sand tiger sniffed begrudgingly.
"Oh, that's okay! Not everyone likes rain!" Perrito assured her, casually patting her solid sand form. "How about we wait it out together? We can talk about topics you like then! It can serve as a nice distraction until Doctor Otto is back and better."
Sandy didn't respond, only sitting on the ground and ignoring the rushing hypourgois running around her and going after the newly arrived people.
"Okay," Perrito voices out, gently leading her to somewhere less crowded. He wasn't fond of someone tripping over her bulky form nor was he eager for someone else to accidentally rile her up. "We don't have to talk. It's fine."
There was nothing wrong with silence, even the dog himself appreciates the occasional tranquility life offers him. There was enough chatter and messy dissonance going on around the area, with people crying over their loved ones being hurt and a couple of nurses arguing with each other and loudly barking orders. Perrito makes sure to spy on the people pouring in by the hour, his eyes watching out for two felines with the fur of orange and black.
He was attentive to Sandy silently moping beside him when suddenly, there was a moment where he felt an unsettling chill run over his entire being. His skin started to crawl and there was an itch as if a swarm of fleas had devoured him. The sight of those being tended to on the ground flashed a horrible image of decaying bodies filled with pus and dark rotting skin. Even Perrito felt himself being affected by its absolutely devastating decay—
"Do you mind if I sit here?"
As if someone brought a lamp near his face, he was dragged back to reality.
Perrito blinked just in time for an injured elderly woman, probably in her late thirties or early forties, to sit beside them. He wasn't one to stare rudely at others, but her skin was swelling with a condition that caused an unbearable amount of rashes popping all over her body, or at least where it was exposed where no bandages covered it. There was blood smeared in those dressings too, it was probably for a while since it looked dry. Perrito couldn't see her eyes properly, specifically her right. Her long, dark, and tangled hair fell over the other side of her face like a thick curtain, making her partly an enigma to understand.
He can feel Sandy's uneasiness beside him, grains of sand shivering as the lady inches closer to them. Perrito, on the other hand, only smiled brightly, although he couldn't help but feel the same unsettled feeling he had over Puss' friend way before in the dark woods.
"I don't mind!" He tried not to let it bother him, unperturbed by his animal senses silently going off in the background. "You should probably ask some nurses to help with those, though. Were you—Were you caught by the fire?"
Perrito's throat suddenly felt like it was burning.
She ignored him, easing herself to a contorted position by the ground, back arched in a way that seemed like she was missing a firm spine.
"Ah, I'm afraid I was already born with this sickness," Was that—What was that on her mouth? There was something lurking there but Perrito couldn't tell what it was. The woman scratched the side of her cheek, her fingers were lacking nails and it was only a dried patch of skin pulsing red underneath. "Are you waiting for someone?"
"Uh—" Yes. Yes, he was, but all he did was cough in reply. He moves his paw to scratch his throat. It was so itchy and uncomfortable.
There was something moving.
"You are a very cute dog," The woman complimented, her lips twisting to a nasty smile. "Even cuter with a parasite down your throat."
She opened her mouth and then he saw it.
He feels it crawling up and its disgusting slimy skin grazing his tongue. Perrito wanted to vomit it out but he couldn't move. His eyes strained to peek from the corners, noticing how everything had been paused like time was frozen.
He feels the woman's hand tipping his chin to meet her eyes.
"Your friend has something interesting with him, one that particularly affects immortal beings,"
She wipes a finger across his fur and Perrito could feel his skin burning with rashes. "And I, for one, couldn't wait to meet them myself. But for the time being, let's keep this as our little secret, kay?"
She smelled of nasty and noxious sewer and that of a mucky rainforest filled with a swarm of infectious mosquitoes. Perrito couldn't even blink nor flinch a single muscle from her intimidating aura, and she seemed eager to relish in his fear.
"You are a sweet one indeed. I distinctly remember my brother pleading to spare your soul. You are lucky Life took pity on you," She licked her lips and let go.
The amount of nausea and dizziness left the dog reeling and the next thing he knew, those delicious pastries and biscuits he ate came plummeting in a disastrous acidic content on the ground, his chest heaving after throwing it all out. Perrito could feel Sandy trying to rub his shoulders, confused by his sudden sickness.
The dog trembled, the memory of the woman seemed foggy and distant already.
Was that whole thing real?
He tries to wipe his mouth desperately to be free of whatever it was she stuck underneath. He not so subtly checked from all around him, trying to look for the strange woman that apparently just disappeared into thin air.
Who was she?
Was she after the symbiote that bonded with Puss?
He doesn't know what to make of it.
He honestly doesn't know what to make of it.
He wishes to see them both now, hoping that the encounter with the woman was an estranged nightmare brought upon by his lack of sleep.
"Shoot," Kitty's eyes lingered at the partly burned note under a rock with Perrito's writing.
Hey Kitty! Don't be alarmed! We just moved to the disaster center five blocks away from here! I didn't want to go but Mister Omare convinced me since it's much safer there.
P.S. Hey-a Puss! Hope you're doin' alright!
P. P. S. I'm gonna assume you are, mister Legend!
P. P. P. S. See you guys there :)
-Perrito
"Since when did he have the time to go fetch a pen and paper?" Venom was squinting from over her shoulder and Kitty almost jumped on reflex.
They stare at each other uncomfortably before the tuxedo cat decides to shift her gaze to a forlorn looking stray a few feet away from them. That poor dog was either abandoned or was a lone survivor in the streets. She tries to ignore the penetrating stare that was burning holes in her back.
Venom tilts their head at her questioningly, eyes going from the stray and then toward the note left by Puss' pet. It wasn't like they were bothered by Kitty's silence.
Not at all.
Not one bit.
But if she continues to look distraught by their presence then there was a slight chance that she would tell Boots of their eccentric behavior and it may or may not damage their symbiotic relationship just when they worked it out. This was a mess, a very apparent and jumbled mess they needed to clean up just until the orange cat can wake after they successfully finish stabilizing his vitals.
The poison that still lingered in his body was becoming the least of their problems since it was the first matter they handled, next were the fractures and his lungs…and considering the situation with the fire—a day or two would suffice before they could get the feline's body up and working properly again.
That was enough time to connect with Softpaws and get rid of the tension between them.
Not that they were looking forward to it.
Kitty adjusts her sash instead of focusing her attention on the alien in the room before marching immediately toward where Perrito was currently staying.
"Let's go." She didn't even turn back to look whether they were following after her. Besides, where else would they go? She just needed to keep her composure just until—
"We have enough strength to swing us across the rooftops in order to get there faster!" Venom chirped radiantly, popping a few inches to her left like a ghost ready to haunt her sanity. "To save us time and all."
Kitty tries not to look perturbed or even annoyed. She hoped they hadn't caught the muscle spasm in her right eye, but by being this close in her space, there was a chance that they did and maybe it just flew past their head.
"No," She said sternly, leaning away from their bright, eager, and toothy face. "We should just walk there."
"You want us to walk five blocks?" They sounded like a little kid who didn't want to do any exercise.
"The houses around here aren't stable, okay?" Kitty tried to reason, gesturing to one in particular that swayed unsteadily. "You already got Puss almost burnt alive a few minutes ago! I'm not risking him any more injury after the stunt you pulled."
"We miscalculated," Venom huffs with a roll of their eyes. "The fire wasn't even the worst of it! Right now, we are handling poisoning and multiple fractures in his body and does he look dead to you?"
They counted on their fingers as if they were recalling a shopping list.
"Wait—Poison? What poison?" Kitty's face immediately paled. "Puss got poisoned?"
"Fractured bonesand lungs as well!" Venom beats the ginger cat's chest as if to prove their point.
"Since WHEN?!" Kitty grabs their face with one hand, ears pressing flat behind her. "Why was he poisoned?!"
"Uh— Chameleon," Venom responded through squished cheeks.
"And you let him get poisoned?"
"Let him?!" They gently pried away her paw, trying to be more careful this time so as to not escalate the situation. "That buffoon went for it! Drank it all in one go because it was in his favorite leche!"
They made a face as if they tasted something vile in their mouth.
"And you didn't stop him?"
"He took our control away!" Venom's cheeks darkened in embarrassment, they looked like a kicked puppy begging for scraps. "We did our best to warn him but he was stubborn."
"Ay dios mío… " Kitty sighed, closing her eyes and imagining the scenario playing out. For once, she didn't blame the symbiote for Puss' idiocy. "That Chameleon guy is gonna pay." She muttered from under her breath, feeling for the hilt of her sword. Nevertheless, Puss was her idiot to protect. She would go down fighting if it meant he gets to live a little longer.
It wasn't just him either. There was Petey, that flying thing in the sky with bombs—that one made her lose her Gatito blade—and that goldfish who was a master in illusions. She might have also caught something from his spiel when they were trying to let Puss and Venom join their little squad. The Terror Four.
She was bitter considering how it sounded cooler than Team Friendship. Then again, she'd rather stab herself than change the name and end up disappointing Perrito.
They needed to keep an eye on them at the very least.
"We as well shall seek vengeance," She turns to look at Venom lashing out his tongue in a threatening manner.
" We have to work around that fire problem of yours first, " Kitty advised, recalling their brush of death moments before. "You get hurt then Puss gets hurt," She wrinkles her nose at that specific information. That meant keeping Venom safe in order to keep Puss safe as well. Terrific. Fantastic. Gods, she was so tired. "That's like taking down two birds with one stone—"
"Venom is enough to eat two birds with one bite!" The symbiote defends proudly, snapping their teeth with an incredible bite force that almost scares the living daylights out of Kitty. "But birds aren't enough for our diet."
"Remember to bring that up for later," The cat responded evenly, sounding tired and turning around to continue walking. "We're low on supplies and your…wild, eccentric taste," She waves a hand in the air, gesturing to the absurdity of needing human brains. "Might add a few more items to the shopping list."
From what she could understand, Venom was carnivorous. Maybe chicken or pork would be a nice substitute for…their preferred menu. She hopes. Gods, she hopes.
Venom effortlessly strides right next to her suspiciously. Their sudden comfort with trying to get close to her only raised a red flag that Kitty was looking out for.
Were they planning something?
They kept their hands behind their back and casually bumped her shoulder. Kitty glared at them then.
"...What?"
"You know, our offer still stands," Venom gave her a toothy grin. "It'll be faster to get there."
"No."
"We are beinggenerous here! "
"If you keep pestering me then I'm telling Puss."
"This is the last time we will be kind to you!"
Perrito kept tapping his paws anxiously against the ground for the past several hours until he finally spotted them.
"They're here!" He announced a little too loudly, startling a moping Sandy from beside him. He quickly scrambles for an apology. "Sorry! But is it okay if I reunite with them for a quick second? I promise I'll be back for you."
She gave him a hesitant nod. The dog only left after absolutely making sure she was okay before speeding across the distance and tackling Puss first and foremost. His back skidded against the floor from the force as the dog then happily licked his face.
"Welcome back, legendary hero!"
"Is thisnecessary?"
"Eep!"
Perrito jumped back on reflex, surprised by the echoing growl in his voice. When he notices who it was, he calms down slightly.
"O-Oh, it's you!" The alien's smell and aura still felt threatening as before. It was a bit hard to adjust and not intercept them as something dangerous to his instincts. Maybe for some time, Perrito can find that adjustment and convince himself that he was safe when the alien is around. "Did Puss allow you to take over?"
"Boots is… out of commission for a while, " Venom grunted, swiping the dog's saliva off their face.
"What do you mean by that?" He asks curiously when he feels someone patting him on the head. He recognizes those tired eyes immediately.
"Kitty!" Perrito beamed, his tail wagging some more when she pulled him into a hug, her face buried deep into his fur. "How did you find him?
"It was a pain, chiquito, " She murmured, silently glaring at the other individual who quickly stuck their tongue at her. "I'm so glad you're safe."
His memory flashes back to the sickly woman. He must have frozen because Kitty was pressing her paw right next to his forehead.
"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice lacing with sudden concern. "You seem…tense."
"Uhm…" Perrito clears his throat, feeling for the uncomfortable burning sensation from before, and sighs in relief when it wasn't there. "Just—I was just worried for you two, that's all."
She inspected his mask, looking for the truth stuck behind his lips. The dog tries his best to look sickeningly cheerful.
"Did you get any sleep?" The cat decided to ask another question, sensing an uneasiness from her companion and thinking it was best not to press him further for details. "When was the last time you slept?"
"When was the last time WE slept?" Perrito playfully jabbed Kitty in the ribs, laughing nervously. "Am I right?"
Bawk! Bawk! BAWK—
The duo, along with a few near their proximity, turned to the horrific sight of Venom half devouring a chicken, its puffy legs actively kicking past his clamped mouth until the symbiote made sure to snap it with his powerful jaws one last time, ending its life. He met their eyes at the scene of the crime. Kitty had her paw hiding her face in shame like a disappointed mother while Perrito had his jaw partly dropped.
An old man quickly ran between them, hugging as many chickens as possible in his arms.
"Help! This psychopath just ate three of my chickens!" He gestured with his head accusingly toward the unperturbed symbiote who only glared back in response. "Someone please detain him!"
"Puss in boots?!"
The commander of the local guards arrived then, two other men hurrying beside him.
"You made it," The man breathed out in relief. "We thought the fire got you! The Goblin and the Chameleon escaped—"
"Aren't you gonna put him in handcuffs?!" The older man exclaimed, eyes frantically eyeing the symbiote cleaning their face casually that was smeared with blood.
The commander blinked at him in surprise. "No. This cat here tried to fend them off while we were busy being tricked by the Chameleon," He grimaced, remembering how hard the feline was proving himself to be the original. "We owe our mistakes to him. If we had just listened then maybe we would have had the Chameleon and perhaps the Goblin by now."
"Are you serious?! He's covered with blood!" Venom didn't bother wiping away the rest of the red-stained liquid, showing his pointy teeth littered with feathers guiltily to the old man. "Look at him! He's begging to be put behind bars! He's guilty!"
"Of what?"
"Of eating my chickens!"
The commander walks over to him and offers a heavy pouch of money. He grew quiet then.
"Accept this in exchange for his freedom. I'm sure eating your chicken was a genuine mistake," He looks just in time for Venom's tongue to slither out and lick his fur clean of chicken remains.
The guard tried not to shudder. He takes a deep breath and strode confidently towards what everyone knew as the fearless hero.
"If you would allow us to host you, Señor Boots, there is an inn close by, undamaged by the fire. You and the rest of Team Friendship can recuperate there while my men and I will handle the rest of this mess. I assume that the Terror Four might be planning another attack so in the meantime, let us protect you while you and your team tend to your injuries."
"Hm," Venom hummed, placing a hand on their hips and scratching their chin evenly. "We are receiving special treatment, you say? "
The commander noticed the slight difference in his voice, but otherwise, didn't let it deter him.
"You were the only one who almost went toe to toe with the Goblin. That thing has been terrorizing several towns in its wake. With your help, maybe we can take it down for good."
"Well, they don't call us a Legend for nothing," Venom played with the cat's whiskers, amused by the man's offer. "How drastically will you bend your dignity when it comes to pleasing our requests?"
The commander can't help but arch a brow at his bold statement. "What—What kind of request do you have in mind?"
Venom raised their sword dramatically, surprising the guard.
"We will have every head of your captured criminals and we want it fresh!" The symbiote then points to the panic-stricken old man previously trying to get them arrested. "And we will have every chicken they own! Every single one!"
Kitty manages to sneak on them without their notice and whack the back of their head for good measure. She turns to the head of the guards, heavy bags under her eyes. The cat was physically and emotionally exhausted.
"We'll gladly accept it, commander."
"...Alright, then."
"Minus the whole heads of the criminal thing. You can just forget he said that. A few chickens will be nice, though."
"...Duly, noted."
It was around 5 AM when Kitty finally crashed right on top of a comfy bed in which she could immediately sink her very sore muscles. She tries to lazily kick off her boots but the left one refused to budge and she was too tired to care so she gave up, burying her face on the soft mattress instead.
"I wish we could bring Sandy here," Perrito said, sounding forlorn. "I feel bad leaving her there."
"...it wasn't like we didn't try," Kitty spoke through the bed, sneaking a glance at the worried dog. "She wants to be there once the doctor wakes up, so let her be."
Perrito wasn't satisfied, not at the least, but the sand tiger wouldn't budge and it wasn't like him to force someone against their will.
There were currently three beds in their room, each to their own, the commander wasn't kidding when he mentioned about them having special treatment. It wasn't like he contributed much to the whole Goblin fight since it was only Puss and Venom who did all the work. Oh, and Kitty was successful in stabbing the Goblin's eye during mid-flight, that was there too. He only got in since he was part of the team.
There was nothing to be sad about, next time he'll contribute something important. Next time for sure, maybe when he isn't too busy worrying about the ghost of his past.
He tries not to think about that uncanny encounter with the woman before. Every time he did, his mind felt hazy as if his own sanity was questioning whether it was real or not. Another thing was how simple it is to blame it on sleep deprivation but the mention of the symbiote being with them was just a highly specific detail to be brought up by his messy imagination.
The door to their room was kicked open by their new teammate. Kitty quickly buries her face back on the bed again and Perrito could swear she was groaning tiredly like she was sick of dealing with their new member.
Kitty doesn't like them all that much but if they were good in Puss' book, they were good in Perrito's. Then again, even without the cat's approval, Perrito would welcome them anyway, aside from the unusual aura and feeling that makes his instincts crawl.
"Oh, hey Venom!" He greeted them warmly, having remembered their name from Kitty as the symbiote strode in with Puss' body. "How's your uh—how's your chicken?"
They ignored him, preferring to soar over the other bed and plop themselves like a king.
"It's very comfy, right?" Perrito jogs over to their bed, pawing at their sheets as he quietly admires the fabric. "They come in the finest of purple too!"
Venom looked up at the dusty but otherwise sturdy and non-flammable ceiling and blew a raspberry, their arms folding behind to pillow their head as they swung their left leg over their right. Perrito tries not to judge them for not taking off their boots.
"You're not very sleepy, are you?"
"Are you always this chatty?" They finally spoke without looking at him.
"Ha-ha, that depends! Am I too much for you?"
"Talk more and we'll find out."
"Oh, so you won't mind if I pop you a few more questions?" Perrito hopped eagerly at the edge of their bed, but he stopped once the symbiote growled when he got too close. "Oh, I see. A man of personal space! Or should I say, an alien from space! Ha!" He slaps a paw to his knee, hysterical at his pun and shrugging off Venom's hostility.
"No worries, I'll stay right here!" Perrito assures them, pointing to his spot on the bed.
"This is our bed," Venom hissed. "Get off. "
"If I recall correctly," Perrito continued, completely unbothered. "I think I heard you call Puss Boots earlier? Is that a nickname? Did you give him a nickname? That's so sweet!"
Venom tries to kick him off with one foot but the dog thinks they were playing so Perrito only wagged his tail and karate chopped their leg.
"Ha-Yah! Gotchu!"
They kicked him with their other foot and grinned once the dog disappeared from under the bed. The next second, someone threw a plastic hairbrush at them.
"Lay off him, will you?!" Kitty Softpaws, drained of energy, somehow found enough strength to raise herself with only her arms just to glower at them.
"Oh, we thought you were dead."
"If I were, I would haunt you for the rest of your life, never giving you a moment of peace," Kitty grumbled, dragging a pillow for her head to rest in. She laid sideways so she could keep her eyes on them. "If you push Perrito off the bed again I'm grabbing the matches. The keepers have them inside these drawers."
"Shiver me timbers!" Venom mocked, raising their upper body and pretending to gag.
"That's not even how people react when they're scared, Dios mío !" She reached for her remaining boot and it soared past Venom's head. A single black tendril whipped across the room and threw it back to her. Kitty ducked before it could hit her squarely in the face.
"Oh! Oh! Pillow fight!" Perrito screamed, rising from the shadows under the bed and lunging two pillows at once in both of their directions.
Kitty was aghast.
Venom was unimpressed.
The dog had an extra pillow in his mouth, tail innocently wagging at their reactions.
"Perro, shouldn't you be asleep by now?"
"Sleep is no reason to lose in a pillow fight!" He barked at her eagerly only to be hit by an onslaught of fluffy cushions.
Venom stood there on their bed menacingly, tendrils moving around like an octopus and fetching several items at their disposal, including Kitty's left boot.
"Y-You put that down!" Kitty stammered nervously, the last drop of sleep immediately vanishing.
"Know that both of you will perish for inciting this challenge!" Venom proclaimed.
"You can't hit us with a drawer!" The cat went to grab a table lamp in her grasp. "Are you planning on knocking us out?!"
"Oh…is this a fight fight ?" Perrito asked after recovering. "Like is this level two intense?"
"FEAR US IF YOU DARE! "
The symbiote lunges at them then.
The sun was already high up in the sky when the innkeeper went to check over the noise of their room, peeking casually from the ajar door and finding a literal warzone before her. She tries to close it quietly without waking up the passed-out individuals, thinking that it was better not to question it and let the commander handle the budget.