The Hunt

Penny, along with all of her friends, could only stare in equal parts dumbstruck amazement and unfathomable horror at what had just played out before them. Mr. Rex, father of the toughest girl in school and ruthless overseer of Elmore Wrecking Yard, had been practically beaten to a bloody pulp, all in a matter of seconds. By this…large cat!

What even was it anyway?

Like all residents of Elmore, Penny and the others were no strangers to how wide the variety of individuals could be in this town, but this creature possessed traits that threw even their expansive expectations off kilter. Apart from the bizarre coloring of its fur; navy blue, with occasional red streaks, this thing was so much larger than any known species of big cat. Any species in general actually.

Very few people ever got this big, depending on their lineage.

And this thing had just taken down such an individual, who even outclassed it in the size department actually.

The group of children were finally broken from their stupor when a scream of terror shattered the night, but it came from none of them. At the door of the mall, Larry, the box headed guy who wears several hats throughout Elmore had walked out of the mall; most likely having gotten off of one of the shifts from his many numerous jobs, and had just seen the carnage wrought in the parking lot.

"MONSTER! IT'S A MONSTER!" he shouted backwards into the mall. "EVERYONE RUN! IT'S A MONSTER!"

His frantic words had the proverbial effect of opening the floodgates on a dam. Unlike Penny and the others, all the other patrons of the mall had lost interest when they saw it was Mr. Rex who was in the parking lot, most of them used to his rampages at this point, but at Larry's words and more people started to notice the bloody and beaten Mr. Rex lying motionless beneath the largest and most ferocious cat any of them had ever seen, it was like Larry was the match and the shoppers were gasoline.

Fear and panic erupted throughout the mall, the first screams drawing even more attention, which, in turn, caused more people to bear witness to the gruesome scene in the parking lot. Several people stampeded out of the mall, running for their cars, and those that couldn't, either because they were destroyed in the devastation or the proximity of the monster, just took off in a random direction.

And this didn't go unnoticed.

The sound drew the attention of the abyssalis cat, who looked up from his vanquished rival to the many individuals fleeing the mall. The sound instilled another instinct within him, an instinct far different from what had driven his actions prior.

Sounds of fear. Prey. Hunt. Kill. Eat.

The abyssalis cat let out another feral call and he made to move towards the source of all the sounds of terror, but as he leapt off the still Mr. Rex; who proceeded to bleed all over the asphalt, a car impacted his right forepaw, the colorful individuals Jackie and Harold Wilson in the passenger and drivers seat respectively.

"Ah! " screamed Jakie in fear as the abyssalis cat leaned down and leered at them through the windshield, his luminous pupils shrinking in the light of the headlights. "Harold! Do something!"

"Don't worry, honey. I'll deal with this," said Harold nonchalantly, before exiting the car and running away. Again.

Jackie huffed in annoyance and took out her phone, frantically dialing a number. "Hello, pest control! I need help! What does it look like? Like a big cat…" Jackie's words were cut off as the abyssalis cat gripped the front bumper of the car with the sound of grinding metal, effortlessly lifted it up and began twirling it around. "A REALLY REALLY BIG CAAAAT…!" Jackie screamed as the abyssalis cat released his hold on the car, sending it and Jackie flying into the distance, where they hit the ground with a loud explosion.

This caught the attention of Penny's group, who had been trying to remain in proximity to each other as more panicking people flooded from the mall.

Needless to say, now it was their turn to scream once they saw the monstrous feline was galloping towards them.

"Run!" declared Carmen fearfully.

There was nowhere to go but back into the mall.

Skirting the building would take too long, especially with the frantic crowds, so all they could do now was try to find a hiding place within the confines of the building and hope this thing doesn't find them. They had hoped that the entrance to the mall (clearly not designed to accommodate a creature of such hulking size) would waylay it somewhat, but this assumption would prove incorrect.

The glass entryway, already damaged from having Mr. Rex's head violently plowed through it, exploded in a shower of tinkling shards as the massive feline leapt through the glass effortlessly, the impact sending several people to the ground. Yellow and orange eyes scanning around for game. Most of the scurrying creatures before him didn't look or smell like prey, but there was on distinctive smell that instinct identified as a potential meal.

Fish. Catch. Kill. Eat.

Penny and her friends had been among those who had been thrown to the floor when the monster had come crashing through the front entrance and were in the process of regathering their wits, but once they did, it was to their ever growing horror that the massive feline's focus was now centered on them. They screamed as its burning gaze washed over them, its next growl shaking them all to the core.

"SCATTER!" screamed Alan.

They all followed his advice, scattering throughout the mall in the hopes of confusing the monster chasing them. But unbeknownst to them, it wasn't their entire group that had the abyssalis cat's attention. It was more like…it was only focused on one of them. And it was this individual, who was currently scampering up one of Elmore Mall's many footbridges, in the hopes of finding sanctuary in one of the stores located above ground level, that the abyssalis cat went after.

As Darwin tried to scamper across the bridge a vicious roar-cry assaulted his ears, looking over to see the gigantic feline barreling towards him. His pupils shrunk as time seemed to slow as he looked into the ravenous face bearing down upon him. When time resumed its normal flow Darwin only had time to let out a brief cry of terror and dive out of the way, just in time to miss the beast's lunging jaws. Darwin had managed to avoid getting seized, but the same could not be said for the bridge, which was ripped from its place connecting the two sides of the mall and was now being carried between massive feline jaws…

…taking Darwin with it, who clung to the guardrail.

"Darwin!" The rest of the group cried in horror and worry, watching from different locations throughout the mall as the massive predator rampaged, shaking the broken bridge around violently in an obvious attempt to dislodge Darwin, though he had managed to keep his grip.

Carrie's voice carried the most worry. She had always had a thing for Darwin ever since that surprise kiss he'd instigated between them at that one Halloween party; when he and Gumball had turned themselves into ghosts, so seeing him in danger had a more profound effect on her. In that instant any fear she had towards this beast vanished, to be replaced by rage, and an overwhelming sense to act. Her once believed permanent deadpan expression shifted to a look of anger and she took off in the direction of the flailing monster, Darwin's screams heard even over the sounds of rampage.

And she wasn't alone.

Penny had also sprung into action, exchanging her fearful expression for a look of determination. It was the same for the rest of the group. Sure, it might not be the most logical course of action, to run head-on in the direction of a rampaging predator, but in Elmore, where dangerous crises can sometimes happen daily, it sorta takes the edge off of danger, especially when someone close to is in trouble.

Although that's not to say that at least one of them didn't have something to say about the situation.

"Is this really a good idea?" asked Leslie, lifting his flowerpot like a skirt as he ran with them.

"Most definitely not," said Carrie as she flew above the group with Alan and Masami. "But I won't leave Darwin to the mercy of that monster."

"Neither will I," stated Penny, her emotions causing her to shift to her wolf form. She'd let down her boyfriend, tremendously, she was not going to leave his brother in peril.

"I'm not going to leave him hanging either," stated Alan, though he had some skepticism in his expression. "Though do we know what we are going to do? We all saw what that thing did to Mr. Rex."

"Well, if brawn didn't work, we will just have to try brains," said Anais, now riding on wolf-Penny's back, having hitched a ride when she found her short stature was making it difficult to keep up.

"You have an idea?" asked Masami.

Anais, ever the most intelligent and analytical of her family, smiled smugly and looked at each of them, noting their individual abilities. "Here's what we do. Carmen, the first step depends on you…

At the back of the mall, the abyssalis cat crashed through the back wall and into the rear parking lot. It was here he decided to forgo trying to dislodge his prey from his perch and just throw the whole thing to the ground. When the dislodged footbridge impacted the concrete of the parking lot, Darwin finally lost his grip on the guardrail. He was sent rolling across the pavement, receiving several scraps and bruises once he came to a stop, prone on his chest.

—

On the road in the distance, the pest control van pulled off to the side and the overly large bipedal cockroach leaned out the window, tranquilizer gun in hand, but once he got a glimpse of the massive feline that had burst from the mall he leaned back into his vehicle.

"That is a big cat," he said through his clicking mandibles, setting down his dart gun, picking up his cell phone and dialing a number.

"Hello, police, this is pest control," there was a pause and some mumbling from the other end of the phone. "Yes, the situation requires us to collaborate once again." There was more mumbling. "Tranquilizers?" He looked out his window at the huge cat. "No, we'll need tasers this time." His beady eyes narrowed. "The big kind. And we'd best use arial tactics too."

After he hung up the big roach flipped a switch under his dash. In moment's, his van had reconfigured itself into a helicopter, the rotor gradually starting up.

—

Down at the Elmore Police Station the Donut Cop hung up the department phone and spoke into his radio. "Scrambled the choppers. We just got a request for backup from our friend in pest control.

But the police wouldn't be the only ones to scramble the choppers.

—

At Elmore Channel 6 News, Michael Hills, or Mike, was boarding the channel 6 chopper that was preparing for takeoff, holding his microphone head in his right hand as his headless, trenchcoat body took the passenger seat and the pilot lifted the chopper into the air. They had just received word on their police monitor of an incident down at Elmore Mall and were eager to get the scoop.

—

After he'd ceased rolling Darwin groaned and clenched his eyes shut in agony, but not long after apocalyptic footfalls approached him from behind. Darwin's eyes flew open in terror as he felt massive gusts of humid breath on his back, slowly rolling onto his back and staring into the face of horror personified. The abyssalis cat leered down at him, his lips twitching with half snarls, his eyes portraying his intentions.

In those eyes, Darwin saw immense hunger.

Then the abyssalis cat let out a cry and lunged his head forward, jaws extended. Darwin could only scream in horror and cover his head with his fins, closing his eyes as he waited for the inevitable, but before he was scooped up into the massive mouth there was the sound of something being poked, and the abyssalis cat screeched in pain. Slowly, Darwin looked up to see that his would-be devourer was hobbling on three legs, keeping his left front leg off the ground.

Not only that, but Alan and Masami were zipping around the abyssalis cat's head, who responded by violently snapping his jaws at them, but was having trouble aiming, due to needing to keep his obviously pained paw elevated.

"Come on, Darwin!"

Darwin looked up and saw Leslie trying to pull him to his feet, assisted by Penny (who had shifted back to her casual fairy form) and his sister Anais. The abyssalis cat noticed them trying to make off with his prey, and, with a feral snarl, ceased trying to snap at the nuisances flying around his head and directed his attention towards them. But before he could retaliate Carrie popped into existence before him and flew into his head, vanishing beneath his skin and into his body. The abyssalis cat let out an aggravated cry as a foreign presence invaded his mind, Alan and Masami retreating as he flailed around madly, dislodging something from between the toes of the paw he'd been keeping off the ground.

Carmen landed amongst her friends; sans Carrie, who was in the process of trying to possess the body of the beast.

"Ha!" Carmen declared triumphantly as she sat up with a smirk. "How did you like that, you brute?! Teach you to mess with my friends!" She looked to her friends, expecting praise for a job well done, but instead found them staring at her with mixed expressions of shock, disgust and unease. "What?"

"Uh, my love…" mumbled Alan nervously. "I don't mean to alarm you but…you have some…Mr. Rex on your face…"

Carmen gasped and pulled a compact from somewhere. Opening it up, she looked into the mirror and found her face smeared with a massive red stain. Obviously some of Mr. Rex's blood must have been stuck between the abyssalis cat's claws. Carmen paused for a second, and then…

"AAAAAHH! BLOOD! THERE'S BLOOD ON MY FACE! THERE'S BLOOD ON MY FACE! THERE'S BLOOD ON MY FACE!" she screamed frantically, running around in circles. "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

Masami floated over her and released a deluge of rain, washing off the offending substance, but also causing Carmen to swell up exponentially, due to her tendency to retain water.

"Thank you," she mumbled through puffy lips.

But before anything else could be said the abyssalis cat threw his head around again, and this time Carrie came phasing out of his forehead and fell to the ground before them. She lay there with a perplexed expression.

"Carrie, what happened?" asked Anais. "You were supposed to possess that thing until we got to safety."

"I tried," said Carrie, trying to get up. The others would help her, but, being a ghost, they couldn't make contact with her. "That thing, I couldn't get a foothold. Its mind is too driven by instinct."

The abyssalis cat turned to them at that point and let out a fierce snarl, more enraged now than ever before. However, he wasn't the only one. Penny, enraged that this monster had tried to eat Darwin, and motivated by the fact that her friends were in danger, couldn't hold back her own anger, shifting to her dragon form and roaring at the abyssalis cat, who's eyes somehow grew even more menacing when she changed, the instinct to hunt and feed shifting to the instinct to dominate a rival once more.

More competition. Dominate. Prove superiority.

The abyssalis cat roared challengingly, but Penny just narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth and released a jet of flames, which impacted his chest and pushed him backwards, into the parking garage adjacent to the mall, through a support pillar. The abyssalis cat could only let out a feral scream as the upper floor fell down on top of him, burying him in concrete debris and cars. Penny and her friends paused, waiting to see if he was down for the count. Only a single paw could be seen amongst the rubble once the dust cleared, motionless.

"Is it over?" asked Leslie worriedly.

"I do believe so," said Penny in her gruff voice, still in dragon form, competent in the potential of her fire breath. Nothing had stood up to it before, so why would it be any different now?

"What is that thing anyway?" asked Alan as he helped Carmen wring out. "I've never even heard of such a beast before."

"Me neither," said Leslie, everyone else answering similarly.

"We should probably call someone," said Carmen, now back to her normal, prickly self. "Before it wakes up. You saw what it did to Mr. Rex. We should get someone to take care of this before anyone else gets hurt…"

Unbeknownst to them, within the rubble, a set of orange and yellow eyes flew open.

*Roar!*

Everyone turned at the sound of the familiar roar-cry just in time to see the pile of debris fall away as the abyssalis cat stood up, his back to them. They all stared on in shock, but none more so than Penny. Her fire breath had cowed multiple wild beasts before, yet this thing was just getting right back up after taking a direct hit? Impossible. But that soon became of secondary concern for her, putting herself between this monster and her friends defensively.

Penny would protect her friends, no matter what.

Then they all began to hear something. It was a humming that started out low but gradually grew in pitch, seemingly in tangent with the abyssalis cat getting to his feet. His fur bristled, and, if they didn't know better, brief flashes of light could be seen beneath his skin, starting at his shoulders then traveling up his neck. The abyssalis cat looked over his shoulder at Penny, snarling, eyes glowing menacingly. Penny growled, but gasped when what appeared to be strands of electricity began dancing between the abyssalis cat's whiskers. The abyssalis cat turned to Penny and then threw open his mouth…

…But rather than a roar, a stream of what appeared to be electricity jutted forth from the abyssalis cat's jaws, impacting Penny in the chest with the sound of crackling energy. Penny screamed in pain as electricity arched through her body, the impact forcing her backwards. Everyone else gave a cry of fear and alarm, ducking as Penny flew overhead and impacted with a nearby building, the stream of electricity seemingly pinning her there.

During all of this none of them had yet to notice the helicopter brandishing the logo of Channel 6 News hovering above.

—

Patrick Fitzgerald had been having a splendid day. He'd managed to procure that construction contract; even though he had had to stay out much later than usual. But it was worth it, even though he was coming home well past dark. And to make matters better, Gumball had finally screwed up in his relationship with Penny enough that she was legitimately debating their relationship. If all went well he wouldn't have to worry about having a Watterson in the family in the future.

"Honey, I'm home," he called into the house as he stepped through the front door.

"Patrick, is that you?" came the voice of his wife Judith.

"Yes dear," he said happily, casually making his way to the living room, where her voice was coming from. "And I had a splendid day at work…"

Patrick, Penny is in trouble!"

Whatever joy Patrick felt fell just like how his briefcase fell from his hand, which burst open and scattered paperwork everywhere.

"What happened!? What's wrong!?" he asked as he scrambled into the living room.

Judith and Polly were on the sofa, watching the Channel 6 News. Patrick was dumbstruck to see that the News bulletin featured his daughter, shifted into her dragon form and facing towards the mall's parking garage, which had apparently collapsed. Within the garage a figure could be seen stirring, slowly turning to face Penny, then the most horrific face Patrick has ever seen looked out from the shadows. But before he could contemplate what it was, the thing opened its mouth and a stream of electricity burst forth and impacted Penny in the chest, throwing her back and against another building.

"It would appear that the creature hasn't been subdued, like originally assumed," said the voice of Mike on the TV, but the Fitzgeralds had stopped listening to what was being said.

They'd all gasped in horror when Penny had been blasted by that stream of electricity, and that horror only grew as the thing attacking her suddenly ceased its energy stream, vanished in a cloud of black smoke, reappearing behind Penny, knocking her away from the wall and pinning her to the ground on her chest, and then proceeded to bite down on the back of her neck. Patrick seemed to slide into a stupor at what was being revealed to him on the TV screen. This thing, this massive cat creature, had his daughter by the neck and was now thrashing her head around violently, Penny writhing and screaming in obvious pain.

It was a sight no parent should endure.

The thing then began twirling Penny by her neck, then tossed her away, Penny falling to the ground roughly. She was almost pounced on by the massive feline, but then she swirled and vanished. She'd apparently taken on a new, smaller form, but she hadn't seemed to have shaken the notice of her attacker, who roared and took off, apparently in pursuit of something.

For a second there was silence in the Fitzgerald household…

"Hey, that thing is hurting big sis," said Polly angrily.

That was enough for Patrick to come to his senses.

"I'm going to go get her!" said Patrick with an angry scowl, heading back to his car.

"Patrick, be careful," cautioned Judith.

Patrick only replied with a nod before he exited his house, got in his car and drove towards town, intent on finding his daughter and getting her out of harm's way.

—

Penny had shifted to her violat antlered rat form and was fleeing from the abyssalis cat as it pursued her. She had come to realize she was no match for this beast, even her dragon form had proven ineffective, so she was left with only one option. Lead this thing away from her friends and then try to shake it off later. But it was relentless. Noble intentions aside, Penny was also fleeing because she truly feared for her life right now. She had been chased by wild animals before but this thing made grizzly bears and wolves look like puppies and teddy bears in comparison. There was a narrow niche between buildings ahead. Maybe she could lose it there. Without thinking twice, Penny scrammed into the niche, her pursuer peaking in after her with one eye, growled, then vanished in a puff of smoke.

Penny dared to believe she might have finally lost the beast, only to find it waiting for her on the other side of this narrow passage. Before she could scamper back into the niche she found herself taking a swipe from a massive left claw, sending her hurtling down a nearby alley and impacting a dead end. The force knocked her out of her rat form and into her basic fairy form, sliding down the wall and into a sitting position against it. Blearily, and with a grunt of pain, she opened her eyes…

…And was met with the sight of two massive orange and yellow eyes.

The abyssalis cat had stuck its head in the alley, his muzzle directly in front of Penny, who immediately began cowering. There was nowhere to go now, this thing had her cornered. She let out a whimper, clenched her eyes and waited for the end. But seconds passed and nothing happened. Looking up, Penny saw that the abyssalis cat had yet to move. It just stood there, staring at her, even sniffing her. It's expression didn't even appear aggressive anymore.

If anything, it looked…indecisive?

Within the abyssalis cat's mind there was nothing but confusion. The form his adversary had taken now, it didn't instill the urge to dominate like that of the first form, nor did it instill the need to hunt and eat like the second form. The sensation that was being instigated at the sight of the small creature was just as instinctual as the first two, but the abyssalis cat knew such a sensation shouldn't be present right now. It was the kind of sensation his instincts told him happens when a potential mate is nearby. And you don't eat your mate. But instinct also says this was incorrect. Mate's are located and identified through smell, not sight, and instinct should say the small form before him should be a morsel, not a mate.

Yet, the sensation associated with finding a mate was still present.

Penny could only look on in fear.

Then there was a massive light shone on the abyssalis cat and both he and Penny looked up to see several helicopters had emerged from over the buildings; most bearing police logos, but one had a pest control logo.

"Citizen, try to remain calm!" said the Donut Cop from one of the helicopters with a megaphone. "We are going to try to subdue this animal!"

From all of the helicopters several of Donut Cops food based lieutenant's deployed a six foot stun gun from the opening sides, and it was the same for the pest control helicopter. A magnitude of wires were shot at the abyssalis cat, who then proceeded to roar and cry as arches of electricity coursed through his body as the wires stuck to him.

Taking the initiative, Penny slipped out of the alley and away from the scene.

"Penny, are you alright?" asked Leslie as her friends came around the next bend to meet her.

But before anything else could be said Anais took in the scene Penny had just escaped from with dread. "WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY ARE DOING?!"

"Finally kicking that kitty's tail it would seem," said Masami, looking at all the large tasers zapping the abyssalis cat with great amusement.

"Guys, we should get out of here!" said Anais worriedly.

"Why? The police seem to have this under control now," said Carmen, also watching the scene with amusement.

"Don't you guys get it?" said Anais, growing almost frantic. "That thing spewed electricity of its own. What do you think tasers are even gonna do?"

That got them all thinking. Logically, if that thing could utilize electricity as a weapon itself, then tasering it could make it…

That high pitched humming returned, and they all looked to see the abyssalis cat throw his head back in an enraged growl, torrents of electricity flowing up the taser wires now instead of down. The helicopters were draped in electricity for a second, then exploded, their smoking remains careening through the air before crashing to the ground in immense explosions.

All Penny and her friends could do after that was watch in horror, but the abyssalis cat didn't attack again.

Within his mind his instincts told him this was too much. Multiple rivals, multiple threats, his instincts told him he needed to call reinforcements. He disappeared in yet another puff of black smoke, reappearing on the roof of Elmore Mall. Here, he let out the loudest, most savage roar-cry yet. His instincts told him this call should be answered by the rest of the pride, which would then be drawn to this location.

But there was no reply. The night was silent.

The abyssalis cat called again.

Still no reply.

The abyssalis cat began to feel anticipation and unease. The pride should be near. Where are they? In fact, where even was this place?

Where is this?

All these lights…all these sounds…this wasn't home.

The abyssalis cat cried one final time and vanished in another puff of smoke.

But this time it didn't reappear in Elmore.

Penny and her friends watched where it had been for a few minutes, dumbstruck, before her father pulled up in his car.

"Penny!" he said frantically, exiting his vehicle and pulling her in for a hug. "Sweetie, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, dad," she said weakly, returning the hug, though she knew she was far from fine.

Patrick agreed to take all the kids home, and in the meantime, a fierce investigation would be conducted on the happenings of this night. Thankfully, no lives had been lost, but the collateral damage was immense. And most of all, no one knew where that thing came from or what it was…

…except for Nicole Watterson, who was watching the news from home.

"An abyssalis cat…here? Impossible," she mumbled.

—

In the forest bordering Elmore the abyssalis cat reappeared, tearing off the wires from the taser's with his teeth. Afterwards he looked into the forest, feeling a sense of familiarity. This was home. He called out again, but again was met with no reply.

Where was his pride?