A fanatic, either, religious or political, is the subject of strong delusions.

- Richard Whately

CatNap hissed in pain. He finished wrapping up his paw, which had stopped bleeding some time ago. The wound to his chest fortunately stopped bleeding and was not too deep. The wound on his shoulder was another story. It was very deep. So deep, in fact, that his bones were exposed.

He was not happy. First, the human burns down his shrine. Then, she got the drop on him while teaching that heretic a lesson. Calling his god false. Offering fake apologies. And then she actually had the nerve to threaten him. He could still see the flames of the fire reflecting in her eyes that enhanced her threat. She was no different than the other humans that abused and neglected him. And what was worse, that mongrel still sided with her! A false prophet! The very threat to their freedom and peace!

"THAT FALSE PROPHET WILL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS!" CatNap roared in fury, only to flinch in pain as he agitated his wound.

Deciding he wouldn't be able to heal himself while angry, he decided to let it go for as long as it took to heal himself.

It was going to be a tough job. CatNap was right-handed, and his wound was on his right shoulder. He tended to be a bit clumsy with his left paw. Not only that, but the wound was to his skin and muscle. He may spend the rest of his life with permanent damage to his shoulder. Especially if it didn't heal right or if it took any more damage.

CatNap growled again, but calmed himself down as he knew it would currently do more harm than good to his injury. Making sure he had the necessary supplies within the medical rooms of Home-Sweet-Home, he grabbed a stapler with his left paw and brought it to his right shoulder, bracing himself for the pain about to come. Before he could even begin, a familiar audio garbling filled the room. CatNap tensed up, dropping the stapler. He slowly turned around, but his excitement was poorly contained as he trembled.

"The Prototype," he said as loud as his damaged voice box could let him. He shifted to his knees and bowed in submission. "Our savior."

"Looks like you've…had quite…a run in," The Prototype said with an amalgamation of different voices, gesturing to CatNap's wound.

CatNap flinched, but recovered his submissive posture. He would not let his savior see him like this. He would not let his god see him beaten. Especially by a mere human, no less.

'The human will suffer for that, too.' He mentally promised himself.

The Prototype brought his hand to CatNap's chin and lifted his face to have CatNap look at him.

"I…shall…help you…my old friend," The Prototype said.

"No," CatNap politely refused. "You should not have to help me for my mistakes."

"I…helped you once…before. Let me…do it again, my friend," The Prototype said, trying to add insistence in the voices he was forced to copy in order to communicate.

Reluctantly, CatNap positioned himself to let The Prototype work on his wound. As The Prototype stitched and stapled the wound shut, CatNap did his best to hold still through the pain, refusing to show weakness. However, no matter how hard he tried, CatNap could not repress the memories of what he went through with the other humans. The torment. The abuse. The starvation. He hated to admit it, but not even that seemed so bad compared to what this false prophet did to him. And what she threatened to do. He forced those memories from his head, again not wanting to show weakness in front of his savior.

The Prototype noticed, and spoke in the best comforting tone he could, "I know how you feel. She comes here... and she kills and murders. Pillages and destroys. Intrudes... and threatens... our freedom. Not even... the other humans... were this bad."

CatNap nodded. That was all he could do. The Prototype continued to work on his shoulder. After he finished stitching his wound, he placed his huge needled hand on CatNap's uninjured shoulder.

"That intruder…has been nothing…but a…nuisance…since her…arrival," The Prototype said rhetorically.

CatNap growled. "She destroyed your shrine! She freed that heretic! She's poisoning his head with false hope that she will 'save' everyone!"

"Calm…yourself…my friend," The Prototype gently reprimanded. "The shrine…is of little…to no consequence."

CatNap was surprised at that response. He turned around and returned to a submissive posture.

"Forgive me," he whispered. "But that shrine was for you. That shrine was a token of gratitude. It was a punishment for those heretics. And that intruder had the audacity to burn it down!"

"And the way….you are… responding...is exactly what she wants," The Prototype said with a combination of different voices and garbled audio. "She wants you…to get angry. She wants you…. to be… vulnerable… in your rage. And you felt for it."

This made CatNap pause. Then his rage built even more. That pest had burned down his savior's shrine as some form of trap. And it worked! He did respond angry! CatNap wanted to rip her apart for that. Noticing CatNap's poorly contained rage, The Prototype lashed out.

"CALM YOURSELF!" The Prototype boomed, his garbled voice echoed in the room like thunder from the darkest storm clouds.

CatNap immediately fell face-first to the floor in fear, pain shooting through his injuries as he did. It had been so long since he heard the Prototype snap like that, but it had never been directed at him. For the first time, CatNap felt intense fear towards his god. He dared to look up slowly towards The Prototype. Instead of striking him, The Prototype held out his hand to him. Shaking, CatNap took the offered hand, and The Prototype helped him up to his knees, and CatNap returned to his submissive position.

"Oh, my most faithful servant," The Prototype said as gentle and apologetically as he could make. "You are still…a victim to…her trap. You must let…this go."

"But, your shrine," CatNap began. "Your offerings-"

"Are of no consequence," The Prototype repeated. "And I can not… have you killing… that intruder."

This shocked CatNap. Before he could protest, The Prototype continued.

"That intruder may be known as… 'Poppy's angel,'… but I have my own… plans for her," The Prototype said in his garbled voice.

CatNap became intrigued. He knew of his god's plans for the other mascots of the factory, but not regarding the human. It must have been a last minute addition.

"What exactly are you planning, my savior?" CatNap asked.

"Don't concern yourself, my most faithful servant," The Prototype reassured. "What I do want you… to worry about…is getting her…out of Playcare."

CatNap didn't understand, but he didn't dare question his god. He knew what he was doing. If that pest was valuable to his plans, then he would support it.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you to force her to leave, by any means necessary," The Prototype said with his amalgamated voices. "Just like you did…she has a weakness."

CatNap tilted his head in curiosity, excitement mixed in. If that human had a weakness, he would exploit it without a shred of mercy.

"That…treacherous mutt…DogDay."

CatNap couldn't be more pleased. That heretic was the key to their success.

"But keep in mind…CatNap… you can not kill him, yet." The Prototype warned. CatNap felt frustrated, and the Prototype didn't fail to notice. "If you kill him…right away…you have no leverage. Use DogDay's life…and safety…against the intruder. Promise his safety…in exchange for her departure."

CatNap listened and nodded in understanding. The Prototype made a valid point. With DogDay as a hostage, they had the upper hand. But then another thought came to mind.

"What if that trespasser refuses to leave?" CatNap asked, but then flinched, hoping he didn't offend The Prototype.

"Valid question," The Prototype responded calmly. "If she disobeys…use her own strategy against her," The Prototype said, trying his best to add sadistic pleasure to his copied voices.

CatNap tilted his head again in confusion. The Prototype elaborated, "set a trap. Lure her in…with that mongrel renegade. Once she is…within your grasp…slaughter that traitor in front of her."

CatNap liked where this was going. He continued to listen.

"Spray his blood across her face. Spill his guts in front of her eyes. Tear. Him. Apart." The Prototype growled in garbled audio. "Then she will be vulnerable. By her own anger. Then you may take her down. Yes, she is useful, but she is…just as much…a threat…as she is…an asset. Only if she refuses…to leave…you may take her out."

CatNap couldn't hold in his excitement. He always enjoyed a good hunt. He always enjoyed torturing renegades. But he knew he would have to restrain himself. He would not disobey direct orders. He would not fail his god. The Prototype sensed this and placed his hand reassuringly on CatNap's shoulder.

"Do not…fret…my friend. Should you succeed…or fail…in your mission, I will grant you…your place…as a part…of me. I already promised you, and I…will not back out…of my promise. You have always…been loyal…to me. And for that alone….I will reward you that place," he reassured CatNap.

CatNap sighed in relief, releasing the tension he didn't even realize he was feeling. Still kneeling, he rose his hands up in worship, and bowed his head.

"I will not fail you, my savior. Your orders will come to pass," CatNap said in a submissive, yet promising tone.

"I know you won't," The Prototype said rather greedily with a copied voice. "You have never failed me. Now this… is what we're going to do…"

"From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step."

- Denis Diderot