"Nah, Ah've got no problem with you a-havin' this here gorilla as a pet. But, see here, if he's going tah be workin' in your workout parlor, he'll be needin' a work permit and that's where we have ourselves a sit'iation." Fixing his collar, the officer took a small breath, and even that sounded like it was done in a southern accent.
Johnny sat in his office across from the inspector from Animal Control. Given how all the desks were up against the walls, there was no separation between the two of them, Johnny had always liked how informal it made the place feel. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. If he knew letting Magilla work at the gym as a spotter was going to be a problem, he would have taken him back home, but there was barely enough space there for him as his mama, let alone a Gorilla. So, for the time being, he had let Magilla sleep in the office. It had seemed only natural that the ape could work around the gym after that. But not a day had passed before the local government came knocking.
"Ah brought there-here forms for y'all to fill aht. After you bring 'em to central we can get 'em processed and it shouldn't be but two weeks or so until you get a work release approved." Said the agent.
Johnny blinked twice to make sure he was actually awake and that this was really happening. Sure enough, he sat across from a well-mannered blue dog in a straw hat and red bow tie whom had introduced himself as Officer Huckleberry Hound. Sitting in the back of the office, his mother shook her head, clearly not knowing how to help her son's minor existential crisis.
"That's not convenient for my family or work life." Said Johnny, remembering yesterday's rooftop chase and knowing he'd have to be careful introducing his mother to a Gorilla.
"Whel, Ah'm sorry, the only options you've got are to take 'im home or Ah'll be a-forced to impound 'im." Said Huckleberry, who looked down at his phone when it gave a buzz and frowned upon reading the text message. "Consarn it, those cats again? Can we a-hurry this along, Ah've got a pressin' assignment ah need to git ta."
"I guess I can bring Magilla home for a couple weeks, have him sleep in my room or the backyard. It's been fair weather of late." Said Johnny, looking over the forms.
"Didja say Magilla? As in Magilla Gorilla?" Said Huckleberry.
"Yeah, you know him?" Asked Johnny, as Huckleberry reached across the table to pick up the forms and playfully held them in his paws.
"Magilla and Ah did a circus tour with each other years back. Ah'll tell you a-what now. How 'bout we make ourselves a deal. Ah need some extra help t'day, you a-come lend me a hand, and Ah'll fast track these-here forms and git you a permit by tonight. Nah, how does that sound?" Said Huckleberry.
Weighing his options, Johnny sighed before relenting.
"You've got a deal." Said Johnny, despite looking up to see his mother frown.
"Whel now, that's just great. No point in standin' around, let's mosey on out to git this done." Standing up, the Hound made his way out to his work truck.
"I don't think you should go Johnny. We can work something out." Said Bunny.
"Just easier this way Mama." Said Johnny, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek, Johnny left the office.
Giving a quick look around the floor, Johnny spotted one of his best trainers, Tiernie Dutton helping show Magilla how to stack the weight racks. She was almost his mother's age, but the fit blonde still a knockout, that and a flawless boxing right hook from her had taught him to keep his opinions to himself and their relationship professional.
"Teirnie, I've got to run. Can you take charge until I get back?" Asked Johnny.
"I'll charge you overtime, but sure." Tiernie said with a smirk.
"Yeah, whatever that's fine. Thanks." With a nod to her, Johnny's gaze went over to Magilla who gave a salute as he left. Pausing a moment, Johnny returned the salute before going out to the truck.
"Nah what was that just naw?" Asked Huckleberry as he started the truck and turned about in the parking lot.
"Legia Patria Nostra." Said Johnny, pausing for a moment while looking out the window. For some reason, he didn't mind the second trip to LA in as many days. After a moment he realized he hadn't answered Huckleberry. "I got to talk with Magilla last night over a pack of frozen bananas. Turns out he served in the French Foreign Legion a few decades back. Didn't figure I find a fellow binome out here, let alone in a gorilla."
Huckleberry smiled softly at that sentiment and kept driving. Eventually, they reached LA and pulled out into back alleys of a tall block of apartments.
"Ah think a word of warnin'd be best. Whe're not up against any awdinary strays naw." Handing Johnny a picture of a group of six cats, Johnny saw several garbed in scraps of clothing. "That-there's the Top Cat Gang, they came out of Manhattan a few years back and have been running circles 'round animal control ever since. Mostly it's been harmless garbage diving, but Ah just got a text that they did some property damage to a residential and that was the last straw."
"This one here in the hat and vest, that's the leader?" Asked Johnny.
"Why yes i'tis. Wait, naw how'd you guess that?" Asked Huckleberry.
"Because it's a signed photograph." Said Johnny, pointing at the signature on the polaroid. Handing it back to Officer Huckleberry, Johnny looked around the alleys and could feel that he was being watched.
"Look, boys, Officer Huck's got himself a rookie. Wonder if he's going to be one of those blue flamers." A voice called out with all the tone of a mocking meow.
"He's a big one, but I guess he'd go down in one snuff." Another called out as Johnny looked up to see a pink cat in a white turtleneck confidently walking along the narrow path.
"If you're here to start a beef, just come out and say it, Huck." A brown cat with a black tie stood up from a dumpster and cracked its knuckles.
The sun was nearly right overhead, clearing most of the shadows, lighting up the alley like a city in the old west. As the final shadows cleared, a dark figure at the end of the backstreet came into view. Head and shoulders above the blue cat to his side, the yellow Abyssinian in a purple porkpie and vest slowly walked down the lane toward Johnny and Huckleberry.
"Have we been too wildin' for your boys downtown? You here to catch these hands?" Said Top Cat, lifting his paws and tilting his head to take in the measure of Johnny. "What do you got on this guy Benny?"
"I don't have anything TC. I've never seen his face in the department's records." The blue cat said timidly.
"Guess they called in backup after that job we pulled in Bel Air. Then I guess we'll just have to scrap it out. Boys!" Top Cat called out to the alley, summoning the remaining two members of his gang from out of hiding.
"Look I'm not here for trouble. Just come in quietly and we'll get this sorted out." Said Johnny, trying to de-escalate the situation. Top Cat responded with a wry frown and a bare shake of his head, which was all the signal his gang needed to attack.
Grabbing the neck of his shirt, Johnny took it off in one swift motion and threw it in the face of a lazy-looking orange Persian, while the second tabby in a scarf took a jumping swipe at him. Its claws left three light marks on his arm but grabbing the scarf, Johnny lifted it from the ground and tied it up to a storm drain.
Tucked into the back of his pants was his Karate gi, which he quickly tied on as he sidestepped attacks from the pink and brown cats which scurried behind a stack of newspapers. The Persian came back around for another attack, claws bright in the sunlight it moved to slash Johnny from behind. Kneeling down, Johnny caught its paw and twisted before tossing the cat over his head with its own momentum down onto the concrete.
"This one's a regular scrapper now he is." Said Top Cat, slowly walking down the alley. Pulling a walking stick, seemingly from nowhere, he faced down Johnny and Huck while his subordinates regrouped behind him. As he began to circle around Johnny, they spun to keep their eyes locked on one another. Standing in Johnny's Shadow, Top Cat was unable to hide his confident smile. Tapping his walking stick on Johnny's shadow he yelled out, "Get him, boys."
As Top Cat walked away, he had two shadows, Johnny was sure of it. He was unable to dwell on that thought, as the five cats all jumped at Johnny from behind, but even though their clumsy movements gave Johnny all the warning he needed, he was not even able to so much as turn around to see their attack. It was not a matter of reflexes, but rather he felt his muscles freeze. They scratched his gi, kicked his joints, and the small blue one smashed a garbage bin over his head. Falling to the ground, Johnny removed the bin from his head and looked up at Top Cat looking down on him.
"Need another lesson then?" Asked Top Cat, tapping his walking stick on the ground again, and once more Johnny saw the second shadow but in greater detail, like a second cat holding a dancing cane. With TC's signal, the other cats charged in, delivering kicks into Johnny's abdomen, biting his shins, and even headbutting him.
'What is going on?' Thought Johnny, 'I can't move, let alone fight back. These cats are pushovers though.' After a moment, Johnny could feel his muscles return to his control. Rolling away, he leaped up to his feet, swatting away the brown cat at his leg before landing on his back. Dazed from the attacks, Johnny looked up into the sky and shielded his eyes from the sun. 'Wait, the sun. Both times I froze, Top Cat went out of his way to tap my shadow with his walking stick. Is something going on with that?' Righting himself, Johnny made sure to keep Top Cat in his line of sight and well away from his shadow.
"Johnny!" Yelled Huckleberry. "Let's get-on out of here."
"You boys don't even know why you're down here in the first place. Beat it before you really get hurt." Taunted Top Cat.
"Shadows. You can freeze people by touching their shadows." Said Johnny. "It wears off if other people move your target. Tricky little cat, aren't you?"
"Figured it out have you?" Gloated Top Cat. "Won't help you win." All at once the lights in the alley seemed to condense around the cat, reflecting off his shadow until a second metallic cat stood by his side. The entity looked like a cross between Top Cat and Fred Astaire, with top hat and dancing cane, it's body was chrome and black enamel buffed to a mirror shine. "This time I think I'll finish you off myself, that should send the right message to any flunkies with the nerve to come after me and my crew. Puttin' on the Ritz!."
Top Cat leaped up to bounce off the side of the wall, easily dodging a swing from Johnny to try to catch him in mid-air.
"This is my win kid." Said Top Cap, gently tapping Johnny's shadow with his cane, this time Johnny saw that it was the signal for the second cat to latch onto Johnny's shadow with its claws, holding him in place.
"What in 'tarnation is goin' on? We need t'git outta here." Said a frightened Huckleberry.
"Should have listened to my mother's warning. Mama told me not to come." Said Johnny, who felt the air ripple around him like his spirit has caught fire and jumped from his body. As Top Cat leaped forward with another attack, the fire became solid and a fist of metal struck forward catching the cat right across its chin. As the fires burned down, an entity stepped forward and kicked away the metallic cat grabbing Johnny's shadow. Finally, in view, Johnny saw a metallic version of himself standing before him, not a moment passed before it seemed to sync up with Johnny's own movements like it was an extension of himself.
"He got T.C., jump him!" Shouted the other cats as they attacked. Turning about, Johnny saw a comb appear in the hand of his double, miming the motion of combing its pompadour, charged the attacking cats with incredible speed.
"Hya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya!" The shadow shouted as it touched each of the cats with its comb, causing each of them to fall to the ground as though they had been frozen.
"What is this? It's like my entire body is stiff. Like we fell in quick cement." Complained the pink cat.
"Hair cement." Replied Johnny, instinctively knowing what had happened to the cats.
"Ah'm not sure what just happened there Johnny, but that-there was good work." Said Huckleberry, rising back to his paws. "Let's get these-here strays into the cages in the truck, then Ah can take you back to Bravo Gym."
"Bravo?" Asked the blue cat. "Wasn't that the name of the lady T.C.?"
"I knew it was too fast to be a coincidence." Said Top Cat, struggling to move but unable to.
"Hold on now Huckleberry." Said Johnny, "How about you get the truck and I'll keep an eye on these cats. Make sure they don't get away."
"Good idea." Said Huckleberry, leaving the alley.
"Talk." Said Johnny, looming over Top Cat.
"We were in Bel Air this morning, we go there to dive through dumpsters for discarded clothes to fix them up and sell to second-hand stores. It's a good racket. Well, we've got sharp hearing, and this one house we went to we overheard the people talking. There were people having a very loud argument and talking about 'faking the will', the woman was tall, swirling purple hair, one of them I think was her son who had a head like a skunk with blond and black streaks, didn't see the second man because we beat it when Choo-Choo here knocked over their trashcans and they got wise to us." Looking over to the pink cat, Top Cat continued. "As we were leaving we saw that the house belonged to some family named Bravo, and here you are come hunting us down Mister Bravo."
From behind, Johnny heard Huckleberry pull up and park his truck. Realizing that his left fist was clenched, Johnny relaxed it and all at once the cats looked like they were starting to recover.
"Top Cat." Said Johnny, adjusting his sunglasses after the fight. "Get your gang in the truck. LA isn't safe for you right now."
"What's the call T.C.?" Asked the blue cat.
"Something tells me we're out of our pay grade here gang." Said Top Cat, retracting his claws. "We got clipped, but in the process found ourselves in the center of some world-changing circumstances. I say we play along for now because now I'm curious to see where this goes."
"You and me both cat." Said Johnny, breathing out he felt his shadow fade and disappear back inside him.
"By the way kid. Nice Stand you've got there." Said Top Cat.
"Nice what now?" Johnny asked as his eyebrow reflexively raised itself.
Stand Guide:
Puttin' On The Ritz (1982 song by Taco) - Stand of Top Cat
Power - C
Speed - B
Range - D
Durability/Endurance - C (Decent "grip strength", not really a combat stand)
Precision - C (while a precise stand, it requires direction from Top Cat)
Development - C
Top Cat's Stand appears as a metallic Cat, approximately 1.3 meters tall (with top hat). A body of chrome with a black waistcoat, gloves, and socks which have a mirror shine. When Top Cat touches a person's shadow with his cane, it's the signal for Puttin' On The Ritz to grab onto that person's shadow, pinning them in place. They cannot move on their own, but enough movement inflicted upon them from outside sources will dislodge Puttin' On The Ritz requiring it to reset.