The Case of the Missing Cats

Bit nervous about posting this, but certain members of the sg have dared me, and this cat doesn't back down from a dare. :\ I need a head-scan, for real. Anyway, it's long, and hopefully, not too boring


12:32, Base Camp, Kings Row

The cup on the table steamed slightly, a curl of pale vapour loitered upwards and dissipated vaguely into the air. Behind dark glasses, a green eye watched it, the pupil narrowing to a vertical slit when the gaze slid past the dark tint.
It was a painfully slow day, the owner of the eye sniffed and picked at the folder under his hand with a nail. Nails. Possibly the most irritating thing that'd ever happened to him. [censored] nails. They were flat, like spades on the ends of long, complex arrangements of bone and tendon. No use in a fight. Not even slightly. Originally, he'd let them grow long, assuming that they'd serve almost as well as his claws once had. The first nail ripped from his finger quickly put a stop to that practice. He remembered the sensation with a twinge of his stomach and sighed, pushing himself upright enough to drink.
Jakey was a hero. That's what it said on his identification. His license, if you will, was to be heroic. He didn't feel awfully heroic today, his leg was still in cast after a run in with sky raiders. He'd told everyone that it'd been his fault, of course, it always got the laughs and grins of "Oh that Jakey, what a card" and "That's our Jakey". No sense blaming anyone else for slipping on a pipe as he'd landed from a jump, after all, if he couldn't land right, then the consequences were of course his fault.
On the table, the radio buzzed and he watched it, hoping that someone was about to ask him to hustle down and join them in a mission.
"Midnight Gaze to base," a voice asked. Jakey unhooked the mouthpiece, eagerness making his striped tail twitch back and forth. He could trust good old Gaze, she'd ask him down to help out.
"Base here, what can I do for you, m'dear?" he responded.
"We've just found a great little teashop. Mark it out on the map will you? It's at the corner of West and St. Francis in Platinum Lake," she said. Jakey held the mouthpiece away so she couldn't hear his heavy sigh of disappointment. He got up and grabbed his crutch, hobbling over to the huge city map that dominated an entire wall of the apartment living room. He picked up a blue drawing pin and stuck it into the place she'd given him, then returned to the radio.
"All done, darling. Say, are you busy right now?" he hoped he sounded casual enough, as though her missions were on par with the weather as topics of conversation went.
"I've just joined some other heroes, one says there's a big deal going on with the Devouring Earth, we're going to put a stop to it."
Jakey's eyes flicked to the window, through which he could only see another wall and part of a fire-escape. His pulse was quickening at the thought of hurtling into battle against the forces of evil.
"Oh really? Well you be careful, or I'll have to run out and save you," he meant it lightly, Gaze could take care of herself, and was frequently the person who scraped him up with a spatula.
"You'll do no such thing, Jakey K. If you come out here with that leg of yours, I'll be the one sending you to hospital."
"What? Even if you're in a heap on the ground?" Jakey asked, one eyebrow raising.
"Especially if I'm in a heap on the ground. I'm a lethal heap." The cat classed that one as too easy to make jokes out of and left it alone. He looked at the file on the table before him, then shrugged.
"I was only joking Gaze, you know I'm never serious," he said, trying to inject as much charm as he could into the words. The grunt on the other end told him it was a wasted effort. Damn that clear mind skill of hers.
"Sure Jakey, sure. Well, we're there, so I best put my head back to work. Be good." She signed off and Jakey slumped in the chair. Be good indeed. When was he ever not good? He got up and hobbled out to the large kitchen and heaved himself up the steps so he could reach the work surface and put the kettle on. The world's cruel joke was that he was actually a cat, but had been cursed with the body of a man (mostly). He was only here in this city because he'd heard that there were many experts on mysticism and the occult here. They'd given him a hero license, convinced his cat-like agility and reflexes would help in the fight against 'Evil' or 'Injustice' or something.
Out the window, Jakey could see one of the billboards on another rooftop. 'Earth for Humans, let's keep it that way'. Jakey looked back at the kettle, as if to hide his upset. He knew several non-humans, it was the way of things in hero work, you met up with people who'd had accidents with their televisions, who'd mutated as a teenager, who'd bonded with energy beings from other worlds … the list was probably endless. Yet there were still people, usually civilians who lived safe lives because these technically non-human heroes were bleeding and hurting and fighting with every fibre of their being, who were species-ist bastards. They'd had no trouble drafting him into service, but his work was to benefit humans.
He took off his hat and peeled off the fake ears, allowing his real ones to twitch in the air. The tail was cute, he'd been told, and nobody minded the stripes on his face and back, but for some reason, the ears were weird. Jakey usually just kept them under his hat and let people think he was quirky. It worked, more or less, and as people, or more specifically, heroes (who tended to be more open-minded about such things anyway), got to know him, they simply accepted him. Despite his gripes with The Man, Jakey reflected that his life was at an alright place really. He had good friends, a home, enough to eat and a job to do. He should be happy.
His attention was recalled when the kettle clicked and he poured water into the mug, watching the teabag tumble about, spilling red brown tendrils in its wake. He carried the tea back into the other room when it was done, sitting down and hooking the earphones over his neck again, listening with half an ear to the cross channel banter of his peers. An emergency call from an unknown hero blurted out that the Babbage had been seen and Jakey ran into a wall of butler before he got out the room.
"Jakey, old boy!" Wilkins' large hand landed on his scruffy hair and held him back a bit, "You shouldn't be up with that leg, you need to rest if it's to get better." Before the cat could object, Wilkins picked him up and plonked him back on the chair.
"I was resting …" Jakey said quietly. Wilkins gave him an amused look, as they both knew he wasn't being very convincing. He sat down and turned the radio down a bit.
"Jakey, you know you aren't going to heal up properly if you don't take it easy. Teleport accidents are rare but-"
"I know, I know. They were never intended for cats. I've heard the explanations already, Will. I even got a letter of apology from the head of Crey Industries." He grinned a bit and waved his hand. Wilkins gave him one of those looks that butlers were famed for.
"I know it's tough for you, old friend, but take your time. How often to we get to relax, huh? And you have an entire month of nothing but relaxation ahead of you. Isn't that fun?"
"I'll go down to the beach and learn to surf!" Jakey declared, throwing up the horns. The butler rubbed his short beard.
"Uh … huh. Sure, why not? Do we have any custard creams?" he went to inspect the Heroic Biscuit Tin and found a shocking lack of said biscuits. This was truly a job for Wilkins, the once royal butler, and he teleported out of the apartment. Jakey sighed and picked up the folder on the table, opening it and reading.
The whoosh of displaced air as Wilkins returned from the corner shop blew a cold chill down Jakey's left ear. He flicked it absently, still engrossed in his reading material. Wilkins put a cup of tea on the table and proudly placed a plate with a doily and a mound of custard creams next to it.
"What are you reading?"
"Hmm? Oh, missing person files," Jakey mumbled, turning a page. Wilkins looked over his shoulder curiously, then frowned.
"Jakey, these are posters for lost pets," he said, regarding 'Wiffle', a five year old tortoiseshell cat who was last seen in Freedom Plaza. Jakey looked up at the tall, older man.
"Your point being?"

13:02, Merchants Passage, Kings Row

His point was that when a cat went missing, it did not matter quite so much as when a person went missing. Wilkins had managed to infer that cats were very independent souls, generally very capable of taking care of themselves, but it still stung a little. Jakey left the apartment to hobble down to the post office with the reports, to put them in their safe deposit box. He couldn't help but wonder how the others saw him. Was he a cat, or was he a 'person'. He shook his head resolutely, to think such a thing of his friends was unworthy of both him and them. They'd come through fire and ice together, fought side by side and proved that species was no barrier to their affections and friendship.
A mew distracted him as he passed by an alleyway, he turned his head and gazed at the small tabby cat who pawed through the spilt rubbish. She must have felt his eyes on her back as she turned her head sharply and glared at him with amber eyes before picking up part of a discarded hamburger and running away. One thing was sure, other cats did not have the time of day for him while he was man-shaped. Well, except for one.
Jakey carried on his slow hobble, wishing he hadn't thought of Cleo, as it never put him in a good frame of mind and shadows became a bit spooky. His sister would no doubt have heard of his accident and probably laughed herself silly about it for a few hours.
He reached the post office after another twenty minutes, a twenty minutes filled with looming shadows that became Cleo and smacked him over the head with grimoires. Well that hadn't happened yet, but Jakey was not one to assume it wouldn't. He reached the post office and hobbled in, people in there looked around, seeing a tiny man in a duster hat, wearing a waistcoat and tie. There were whispers that came so clearly to Jakey's feline ears.
"That's him, Jakey K. He saved me from thugs once!"
"He's so tiny! I've seen him on the box and man, I thought he was at least five foot!"
"Lookit his tail! It's so cute!"
"I heard he's a real cat."
"Give over, he's a midget."
"I heard he was born in Borneo and cursed by a witchdoctor!"
"Well I heard that he was the pet of a rich scientist who died in the same explosion that turned him into a man."
"Think he'll go out with me?"
"You what?!"
Jakey unlocked the safe deposit box and shoved the reports in, having to stand on his good toes to accomplish this, as it was above his head. He wasn't an unfamiliar sight in the city, and always tried to help out if he saw trouble, which was why a woman's magazine had given him the honorary title of "Defender of the Purse". It had been source of much amusement in the super group, not that it bothered Jakey, after all, someone had to knock thug heads together and tell them that the purse didn't suit them.
He locked the box up again and headed out, ignoring further speculations from the citizenry, until a little girl stopped in his path. She was just his height and smiled sheepishly, holding out a homework diary.
"I don't know if you remember, Mr K, but you saved me and my friends from some horrible men a month ago. C-can I get your autograph?" she was going bright red. Jakey blinked, nobody had ever asked for his autograph before. He'd watched enough television to know what one was but it had never occurred to him that people in Paragon City would want his name scrawled on something. He grinned a bit.
"Um, sure. Do you have a pen?"
"Yeah!" she said, thrusting one into his hand. Jakey took the diary and wrote his name on it, trying not to feel like a complete idiot. Fame wasn't what he'd come here for, or become a hero for, but the more people you saved, the more you got recognised. Good for dealing with bad guys, who feared your reputation, but bad for when you wanted to nip into the corner shop for a packet of crisps and a squeaky toy.
"Thanks! And thank you for saving us. You're our favourite hero, Jakey. We wrote to the principal, asking if the school could make a statue of you. My friend, Bernice, did her art project on you! I did mine on a great hero called Captain Cathode!"
Jakey wasn't sure he was ever going to get used to being fodder for pre-adolescent girls' art projects. It wasn't a direction he'd seen his life going in, that was for sure.
"Really? You like Cap then?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation relatively normal.
"Yeah, do you know him?!" the girl asked breathlessly. Jakey nodded.
"Yeah, he's a friend of mine. He always makes sure our telly's working right."
"Wow! That's so cool! I didn't realise how British you sound!" she grinned. Jakey decided that he'd done his heroic PR duty and chatted a bit more before excusing himself with some comment of having to organise a few teams to patrol the streets. It wasn't true, Honourable United always had a habit of organising and disorganising itself as and when it saw fit. He started his long limp back to the cheap apartment that served as their headquarters. There was no particular reason to base in Kings Row, other than with so many other super-groups vying for space, it was just easier to not squabble over a place in Steel Canyon. Besides, he liked the unostentatious decoration on the door; a simple fleur de lis in black and white, the symbol of Honourable United. It had nearly been a lion, but Wilkins had been faster with his paperwork than Jakey, so a fleur de lis it was.
"HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!"
Jakey stopped dead, looking upwards from where the scream had come from. There was green smoke billowing from the top of the apartment building to his left and he bared his teeth. The Circle of Thorns were preying on innocent civilians again. Well, they wouldn't for much longer. He hurried to the fire-escape ladder, having to jump up awkwardly and chuck his crutch up the steps and scramble up with a shocking lack of dignity. This was the least of his worries at the moment though, as he rushed up the ladders, sometimes hopping wildly as his immobilised leg hindered his progress. The screams hurt his ears, and he started to be able to hear the mages muttering consolations about how the victim's body was valuable. Just not their soul, thought Jakey bitterly as he chucked his crutch over the lip of the roof and jumped up, grabbing the guttering in his hands. The Circle of Thorns cared only for esoteric ruins, long buried under sea and earth, living like parasites in the bodies of the innocent. Jakey absolutely loathed them. He got his elbows onto the roof and hauled himself up, rolling onto the tarred surface and picking himself up.
"DEATH FROM YOUR KNEECAPS!" he yelled, hopping over and clobbering a mage in the midriff with his crutch. It was only honourable to alert your enemy to impending violence, after all.
"How dare you interfere?" wheezed the mage as he staggered back. Jakey declined to answer. You couldn't explain to a mage why what they were doing was wrong, he'd tried several times, but they just didn't care. All they cared about was power and knowledge. It made him so angry he didn't think before jumping up and kicking the mage's archer around the face with his injured leg.
The pain was excruciating and he went down onto his good knee, bracing himself with his gloved hands. The scene swam in his vision as tears of agony filled his eyes, all he saw was a blur and then a thorn sword slashed down his back, knocking him forward. It stung with arcane, bitter magic and made his tail fluff to twice its size.
"Fool, we will take your body instead," intoned the mage, getting his breath back. Jakey's right leg sent knives twisting up his nervous system and his back burned. He rolled out of the way, getting to his feet slowly. A blast of electricity hit him full in the face and he jolted with the shock. It was like being hit in the chest with a girder and he couldn't breathe for a long, precious second. He dimly saw the blur of the archer lifting his crossbow, then there was a sound like pages turning in a strong wind and both the archer and mage crumpled. It took a while for Jakey to realise that they weren't going to attack again and he sagged, letting his tailed rear end hit the floor slightly too hard. He put his hands on his leg cast and bit his lower lip.
"Really, brother, that was something else entirely," a husky, feminine voice said from the darkness of the shadows. Jakey choked back the whimper.
"I couldn't do nothing," he said faintly. A woman emerged from the shadows, wearing punky clothes, she walked over, her heavy boots wouldn't have looked out of place on a Freak Show.
"The difference between us, Jakey, one of many, is that I don't do stupid things like pick fights with mages with one leg in cast. You really are a fool." She looked down at him, her own tail curling lazily back and forth, the stripes were paler than her brother's. She folded her arms, glaring down at him.
"No, the difference is that I care about people other than myself." Jakey muttered under his breath, wincing as his leg continued to object to the rough treatment. Cleo laughed harshly.
"You waste your time caring about humans." She went quiet for a moment, then crouched down and hooked an arm around the back of his shoulders, then the other under his knees, picking him up, "Come on, hero, let's get you down to street level at the very least." Jakey did not object, he was no match for Cleo in any way, shape or form. She was smarter, faster and more powerful, having bonded with the very same book that had cursed him to life on two legs. Her random shifts between sisterly care and villainous antagonism confused him, so he was content to let her be sisterly for now.
"You know, my offer is still open," she said casually, as she stepped off the roof and floated slowly to the ground to spare him further jolts of his leg. Jakey grimaced, sliding down to the pavement and stabilising himself on his crutch.
"I'm not ready to give up on humankind yet, Cleo. They aren't too bright, but if we don't all work at making a situation better, then we're all to blame for the way things are. I don't want to be a second class life-form forever. Besides, I'm accepted for who I am by my friends. That's a start."
Cleo gave him a hard look, her green eyes seeming to penetrate through his glasses.
"Yet you do not show yourself for how you truly are. You make concessions to them all the time, hide your ears and your eyes. Think about why you do that, Jakey, then tell me about your amazing progress." She was getting that dangerous curl in her tail and Jakey did not answer beyond a small wave.
"Thanks for saving me, Cleo. I guess I'll see you around," he mumbled, turning and hobbling off extra slowly. Cleo made a low yowl noise, then raised her voice again.
"Jakey, the others won't care, but start your search in Perez Park. Go well, and don't be too bloody stupid." Before Jakey could ask her what she meant, there was a sound like fluttering pages and she was gone. He looked at the place she'd been standing and frowned, then turned back to the very long trudge back to base with a lot to think about.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

22:34, "The Pad", Kings Row

"I can't believe the ref didn't call a foul!" Wilkins said over Gaze's groan as one ice hockey player slammed another into a wall on the television. Jakey was sat between them on the sofa, sprawled over in Gaze's lap so she could silk his ears while he read his 'missing persons' files.
"Can you actually foul in hockey?" Gaze queried thoughtfully, picking up a soft brush and trying to sort out Jakey's eternally scruffy hair.
"Well I assume so. There must be rules," Wilkins picked Jakey's tail out of the bowl of popcorn and tried to keep it out. Jakey turned another page, shifting so he put his feet up on Wilkin's knees.
"Must there? Always with the rules, you humans," he mumbled. Gaze smiled a bit indulgently.
"What have you got there, J?"
"Missing persons files." Jakey turned another page, rolling onto his back so his head was propped up on her knee. He showed her the posters and she ruffled his hair, mussing the tabby markings into a speckled mess of russet and black again.
"Aw, you're standing up for the lost cats of the city? That's so sweet."
Jakey looked at the poster to hide his embarrassment.
"Well someone has to," he said off hand.
"Quite right, quite right. Everyone needs someone to protect them." Wilkins watched the game with a vexed expression and hurrumphed loudly when there was some sort of collision, "How can THAT be allowed?! Well really!"

00:45, "The Pad", Kings Row

Jakey yawned as he lay awake in his bed. He didn't like it, couldn't get comfortable in it after so long sleeping in trees. However, no-one would hear of him returning to Gemini Park to his favourite tree with his leg in cast, so a human bed it was. He hadn't slept in one since the accident. They'd been much bigger then, somehow, filled with the lumps and weight of a sleeping human. He used to sleep over Suzie's feet, her ankles lost in the thick, soft fur of his underbelly and she used to smile when he purred.
Jakey shook the fond memories off even as he threw back the covers and swung his legs out over the bed side. He grabbed his crutch and heaved up, determined to quell this depressing mood with one of Raphael's swanky, too-posh-to-touch bottles of wine. He made it all the way to the door when he stopped, listening. Outside, he could hear voices. Gaze and Wilkins talking to Raphael himself.
"He needs something to occupy his mind. He got into another fight today." Wilkins voice carried even when he was being quiet, it was that deep.
"He did? How can you tell?"
"Oh please, me and Wilkins have been scraping Jakey up after fights so many times, we know what the signs are."
"Hmm, convincing argument. Where do I come in? I assume you have a reason for asking me over to talk after the rascal has limped off to bed?"
"You're the master of minds here, De Arca. Just … convince him not to go looking for fights until he's well?" Gaze sounded frustrated.
"I'm not sure I should, Gaze. The mind is a delicate instrument and Jakey's is … how shall I put this?" The other two must have been waiting for him to continue, as there were a few moments of silence before Raphael spoke again.
"Incongruous."
"How so?" Wilkins asked.
"He has what is essentially a cat's mind in a human body, however, he is self-aware and introspective in a way that animals aren't. This makes his reactions … hard to predict. I could tell you that the card in my hand is the ace of spades-"
"Well it is the ace of spades," murmured Gaze.
"But Jakey would point out that there is no card in my hand at all. It's a cat thing, actually. They are aware, sometimes, of things we cannot see and tend not to be fooled by things we think we can see."
"There isn't a card in your hand?" Wilkins asked hesitantly. Raphael sighed.
"No, Wilkins, there is not. I only asked you to think there was."
"So you can hoodwink us, very clever, but why does this mean you can't convince Jakey to lie down and be a good boy for a few weeks?"
"Because a) I have no idea how an enforced suggestion will work on him, and b) he may shoot me down when we're playing cards but … I don't feel comfortable using my powers on one of my friends." Raphael sounded terse, there were hinted reservations in his tone but he said no more to reveal these tantalising inner thoughts. There were sighs from Gaze and Wilkins, as if both had been bothered by this detail but had willingly put it aside previously.
"Sometimes you have to be cruel do be kind. Resetting a bone means you have to break it again. Raph, I'm not asking this lightly, but can you see any possibility of Jakey not bringing himself serious, life-threatening damage without us knocking him out or strapping him to the bed? I don't want to do either but … he's manic for a fight already and it's only going to get worse the longer he's out of action." Gaze gave it a last ditch effort, so very like her.
Jakey cast his eyes down and hobbled back to his bed, crawling onto the wide mattress and pulling the covers over his frail, striped chest and arms. So this was how it was. He'd become a burden already. Something to whisper about in hallways. Perhaps Gaze and Wilkins thought he would have been upset to think people were discussing his convalescence this way. They were right; he was very upset.

04:17, Hell's Highway, Perez Park

The morning mist was so thick that Jakey could only see ten feet around him in any direction. The heavy drops of water that hung in the air muted the smells of the place, but he could smell unwashed leather, cigarette smoke and the edge of brimstone that meant Hellions were around. However, it was unlikely they would bother with him, they knew well enough his reputation for kicking them clear out of windows. The gloom was so pervading that Jakey felt the impulse to wash his skin, a habit he hadn't shed with the fur and four legs.
It was troubling to him that he was even out here. He'd had no sleep, though he'd tried, and had ended up looking through his file again. It must have been two hours ago that he'd realised that all the cat disappearances had been around Perez Park. Cleo had mentioned Perez. Did she then know something about it? Was this just an elaborate trap to lure him out into the labyrinthine forest to do away with him? He snorted that opinion out into the mist. If Cleo wanted him done away with, she'd just appear behind him and break his neck.
Jakey's crutch banged against something and he looked down, then blinked in surprise, backing up a step. A clockwork Cog was lying on the ground in pieces. Since it was deactivated, well and truly, he stooped down to investigate it. His lips thinned when he put his hand to the rib-cage and traced his fingertips over the twisted rents through the metal. Looked like claws, or maybe a very good katana user. There'd been more speed than strength behind the blows, making him assume it was a single handed weapon rather than the favoured two handed swipe of a sword user, bringing the full turn of hips and shoulders into it. The cat in him disapproved of the claws, as often the heroes who wielded them modelled themselves after felines, with no regard for the true, favoured fighting style of the animals.
He pushed himself standing again and carried on through the gloom, nearly walking straight into a tree trunk. The mist was thicker under the trees, and all sound had been put on hold. The hairs on the back of Jakey's neck stood up. There was, so faint, weighted under the fog, a whiff of embalming fluids. The smell gave him little warning, as a mere second later, a huge shambling bulk passed by on his left, heavy feet making the air ripple as they thudded on the moss. He held his breath, not wanting to draw the Abomination's attention. It in itself did not alarm him, but it might be accompanied by fouler things, and he certainly did not want to tangle with anyone right now. The dim 'wud' sound of the Abomination walking faded, and Jakey breathed out again, settling his crutch and continuing on.
The fog seemed endless, as if time and space had ceased to have any relevance and whatever world he thought he lived in was just an illusion of a fevered mind. Jakey stopped at the edge of the marshes, tired and his leg aching. He tipped his head back for a deep lungful of thick air, and saw the motion in enough time to throw himself backwards. He stumbled, falling clumsily onto his back as a shadow dropped down. Luck alone dictated Jakey's response, he jabbed the end of his crutch into the assailant's stomach and knocked him back into the marsh with a loud splash that echoed off the fog walls. He scrambled to his front and struggled up, half-hopping awkwardly as he tried to escape, only to hear a slosh and an ominous tsshing sound before something carved into his back, ripping easily through the shirt and jacket. He crashed forward, choking back the yelp of pain and forcing himself to roll as he felt the air change behind him, dodging the dropping knee of the man.
"Good! You're very goo-" The man's appreciation was cut off sharply by Jakey's left heel smashing into his throat, knocking him flying back into the still rocking water. He winced and gasped tightly as his back protested further movement, a slick, wet feeling spreading down the skin and sticking the material to it. He tried to drag himself on his arms, but a wave of sick, dizzy nausea overtook him and he coughed violently. Hot bile burned his tongue and he spat it out, gagging over the taste before his head suddenly fizzled with warm prickles and he slumped, utterly unconscious.

17:51, a cave, Perez Park

"There were a few of Positron's mooks kicking around earlier, nothing much else happened though." A voice broke into the dark, quiet refuge of Jakey's rest. His mouth felt like it had been scoured out with a rasp, then overlaid with a thick layer of fluff. Before opening his eyes, he assessed what he could hear and feel. Pressed against his chest was a warm metal surface, his back was exposed to air that was cool and damp. Thick leather bands held his wrists and ankles and neck. Slightly worse, however, was the scratch and tug of a needle and thread being passed through the lips of the wounds, drawing them closed with an unpleasant pull.
"Keep an eye out, I don't want any of those fools finding this network. Interfering busy-bodies." The voice came from just over his back, a muttered hiss more than anything else.
"Sure thing, boss. Think I hit him too hard?" The last part was jocular, and the voice came from three metres to the left.
"A little."
"Why'd you bring him back here anyway? He's a hero."
"He's special," muttered the voice. A cold hand pressed to the small of Jakey's back to hold the wound still while the thread was tied off and snipped. There came the tsshing of metal claws being unsheathed and a low rumble of displeasure. A cat sound, Jakey's heart skipped a beat.
"He doesn't even have claws. He's not one of us, so why do you treat him?"
"You're right, he's not one of you. He's better than you. All of you," the older voice snapped. There came a yowl and the screech of claws on stone that put Jakey's teeth on edge.
"Better?! BETTER?! That midget is not better than me! I'm the strongest and the fastest! I defeated him!"
"Passechen-"
"I DEFEATED HIM!" Steps marched away and a door slammed with enough force to hurt Jakey's ears. There was a sigh from above and something cold and wet was wiped over his back, making his wounds sting fiercely. Jakey bit down on his lower lip without meaning to, giving away his state of consciousness.
"Ah, so you are awake. I thought you might be. Welcome back," the voice said lightly. Jakey, the ruse now over, opened his eyes, seeing what looked to be lab. He strained to look up at his … doctor? Captor?
"Where's my hat?"
"Hat? You weren't wearing one." The man who answered was not very tall, but not incredibly short either. He was wearing green robes with a gold trim and there was an ornate tattoo on his bald forehead that looked almost like a ship's wheel. However, his eyes did not burn with green fire. That omission threw Jakey off, as everything else screamed Circle of Thorns. The man blinked, and looked down at his robes. Then patted Jakey's head condescendingly.
"Later." With that, he turned and left, closing the door behind him and there was a click and a sigh like a bolt being drawn.
Jakey squirmed in the restraints, but didn't have enough room to put enough muscle into making them do more than creak. His tail lashed from side to side in aggravation and he rested his forehead against the metal. He'd been caught by a Circle of Thorns mage. Terrific. And was pathetic enough to be given medical treatment. What was wrong with him? Didn't the Circle of Thorns know to fear him now? Or was he just a joke they told around pulsating crystals at night? His tail smacked either side of the table and he struggled again, right up until the point where his stitched wounds seared a rebuke up his nerves. He hissed quietly to himself, ears back. This was not a good predicament at all.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

23.07, Base Camp, Kings Row

Gaze paced the radio room, staring at the map as she went. On the sofa, Baruk and Dax were resting their feet and Wilkins was on the radio.
"Hasn't Raph called in yet?!" Gaze asked, for the seventh time since the hour struck. Wilkins shook his head. Dax got up and put her hands on Gaze's shoulders.
"Maybe you should have another cup of tea. He'll turn up. I'll bet he just found a pet shop doing a special on catnip," she said, reassuringly. Baruk made some comment about Jakey being special on catnip, which earned him a clip around the ear from Wilkins.
"He's probably just gone to a movie with a special someone. He does that right? Date, I mean …"
"I don't know, I've never asked him," Wilkins mumbled. Baruk looked surprised.
"Really? I heard some rumour that the two of you got married while you were drunk." Wilkins winced, oh to be so questioned at his time of life.
"That was just a joke. J's a scamp," he said. The other man put his hands behind his head breezily.
"Sure."
"Damnit Raph! Call in!" Gaze yelled at the radio suddenly. Everyone looked at it expectantly, but Raphael De Arca clearly did not feel suddenly compelled to call in, and it remained silent. Dax steered Gaze into the kitchen and there came sounds of tea making.
"Why are we thinking this is anything out of the ordinary? Jakey does things on his own sometimes. You know cats are solitary animals usually, is what I've heard." Baruk crossed his ankles and regarded Wilkins. The butler reached up to straighten his tie.
"He's injured, and should be resting. And-"
"Too stupid to do it?" Baruk asked, his eyebrows raising. Wilkins made a kind of huffing sound, as he wouldn't have worded it quite like that.
"Raphael to base, do be a sport and pick up the radio." The butler nearly lunged for the mouth piece, to spare himself any part in slander.
"This is base, did you find him, Raph?"
"Is Gaze there?"
"She's in the kitchen."
"Good, no need for emotional displays from such a delicate flower. I didn't find the scallywag, but I did find something," Raphael said it lightly, but it intoned rather more than Wilkins was comfortable with, so he didn't even question 'delicate flower'. Baruk had a puzzling look, like he was trying to fit the fast-mouthed, tough-talking Gaze with anything floral and delicate and failing.
"Are you headed back then?"
"I shall be with you all shortly. Roll out the red carpet or something."
"Hmmm, we're fresh out."
"At least sweep the floor then." Raphael turned the radio off and Wilkins sat back in his chair heavily. He looked at Baruk, who was still struggling with the concept of floral Gaze.
"What do you think he meant by 'something'?" he asked. Baruk shrugged.
"Something's 'something'. Could be anything."
Dax came back in, eying them both.
"Did Raph call in?" she asked quietly. Wilkins nodded and Dax looked half relieved before she noticed the still sombre atmosphere in the room and frowned.
"He didn't find him? That cat sure knows how to hide."
"I heard that when cats know they're going to die, they sneak off to be by themselves." Baruk said, trying to lighten the tone. Dax and Wilkins both looked at him with various degrees of 'I can't believe you just said that'. Baruk nodded.
"True story." Dax rubbed her temples with her fingertips, sighing deeply.
"I'm going to put a jumper on." Having nothing better to say or do, she went to the locker room and got changed into more comfortable clothes that didn't scream 'superhero' all over the flat.
Gaze came into the radio room with a tray of cups and a teapot. She put this by the radio, settled everything nicely then banged the radio with her fist.
"Get your backside back here, De Arca, before I nuke you a whole new set of powers." The two men eased back into their respective seats a bit more, just in case she felt now was the time to break her Defender's Vow to do no harm to people unless they really deserve it and you're arresting them.
"My dear, your wish is my command." Raphael chose this moment to walk in, though he didn't walk so much as sweep in and it was always a surprise to people that fanfares didn't go off at the same time.
"About time! Where have you been, Raph?!" Gaze demanded. Raphael turned his head to incline to Dax as she passed him, and then waved his elegant hands at them all.
"I'm thoroughly glad you asked me that, Gaze, for my search was quite enlightened, if I do say so myself. Sit down and let's take tea while I regale you with a story of great detective cunning." The others all sat down, already calming down at the sound of his cultured voice. Wilkins took a custard cream from the Heroic Biscuit Tin absentmindedly and nibbled it while he poured the teas and handed them around. Raphael smoothed his hair back with his hands.
"Recently, I've noticed that Jakey has taken to removing posters from public message boards and telephone boxes and so on, compiling a list of currently missing cats. At first, of course, I paid no mind, far be it for me to say that a man cannot take interest in the doings of his fellow countrymen … species … yes. I arrived at the same conclusion that Jakey must have arrived at, in that it's very obvious that something in Perez Park is either stealing or killing these cats, as all the disappearances happened in the vicinity of the blockades surrounding it." Gaze pulled a bit of a face at the mention of 'killing', but remained quiet. Dax dunked a biscuit in her tea as she focused on Raph.
"So with that in mind, I slipped off to Perez, and might I say, I've had a thoroughly fearsome day of trawling through mud and slime and … ugh."
"Did you find him?" asked Dax. Raphael sighed and went outside, coming back a moment later with something in his hand.
"I'm afraid I didn't. All I found was this." He laid the small duster hat on top of the radio equipment solemnly and all five of them stared at it, like it had suddenly acquired all of Raph's charm.
"Are you sure it's his?" Wilkins asked, his voice rough. Raphael nodded.
"Hairs stuck in the band, an empty sandwich bag and this." He held up a little plastic bag between two fingers. It smelled strongly of mint. Catnip. Gaze stood up and picked up the hat, looking at it tightly.
"He's alright though. He's alive."
"My dear, there's no evidence to suggest either way. But we can't ignore the fact that he doesn't know when to back away from a fight and he was badly injured. We may have to accept that-"
"Woman's intuition. He's okay. Look at that, it's dirty." Gaze scraped at some mud on the brim with her nail. Raphael looked piqued and was about to say something when Wilkins interrupted.
"As you said, no evidence either way. And Jakey always said he would die the same way he lived; wearing a cool hat. We should shake up our contacts, see if there's any word through the gangs that Jakey K has been taken down or otherwise." He got to his feet and patted Gaze's shoulder. She nodded, like the two defenders had a secret understanding that no-one else in the room was privy to. Dax felt a bit left out, and glanced at Baruk, but his sudden grin and offer of a hug reminded her that really, she wasn't quite that distressed. After all, Jakey was a robust, raging ball of kicking-things-very-hard, he'd be fine.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

Ok! this will take along time to read gonna get to it now
"do not disturb sign on the door"

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Nice story.

Here are some stars to encourage you to complete the story.

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Sorry an update has been so long in coming, but I'm at my mother's place so I don't have my file to hand. Updates will be up on the 30th

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

Or apparently now, as I found it in my disc wallet. Go me

10: 30, a cave, Perez Park

Jakey woke up hazily, feeling light-headed and hungry. He sat up slowly and looked at his legs curiously. There'd been something about the right one … something important. He looked at the leg, then poked it with his finger. It seemed fine. What had been so important about it?
"Oh, you're awake! You must be hungry." A voice took his concentration away from his leg and he saw a young man standing by the doorway. He blinked, the young man had triangular ears and a tail flicked lazily behind his knees. He looked like Jakey, only taller. But that couldn't be right.
"My name's Bordeaux. … You're Jakey, right?" Jakey could only nod, dumbfounded. Why was his brain so filled with cotton wool? It felt like everything he knew was just out of reach, or covered with oil so he couldn't get a hold of them. Bordeaux smiled, tipping his head to the side, then holding out his hand, extending the fingers to him. A gesture that meant nothing to a cat, but everything to a human. Jakey slid off the metal bed and walked over, reaching his own hand out. The intricate arrangement of tendons played, uncurling his fingers and revealing his calloused palm. With a sort of distance, he watched Bordeaux's fingers pass over his palm, then felt the warmth of their hands touching. Opposable thumbs hooked over the webbing, fingers curling around the heel and side of the hands.
Cats don't hold hands.
Humans do.
"That's a cute name. What are you hungry for, Jakey?" Bordeaux began to lead him out of the room, out into tunnels lit with clusters of blue, green and purple crystals.
"Tuna?" Jakey finally made his mouth work, his voice sounded quiet in the cavernous depths of the tunnels.
"Sure, I'll get you some tuna." Bordeaux smiled.

20:30, a cave, Perez Park

Jakey put a hand to his head, why did he feel so foggy and disconnected again? He'd felt nauseous after Bordeaux had taken him for a walk around the underground lake, so much so that the other cat man had carried him to the 'Doctor'. What had he said it was? A fever? Was he coming down with something? The medicine had tasted odd, cloying and he'd tried to spit it out. He reached up to rub at his jaw absently, running fingers over the bruises where the Doctor had had to squeeze his mouth open to get the medicine in. Bordeaux said it happened sometimes, but the Doctor would always make sure you got the medicine you needed.
Jakey hiccupped, then wondered why the floor tipped in his vision and rushed up to meet his eyes. He looked at the close-up of the stone for a while. He was definitely coming down with something.

06:46, a cave, Perez Park

Jakey couldn't stand still, he'd felt sick again earlier but a trip to the Doctor had put him back on form. The Doctor was such a good man, always had just the right medicine for whatever ailed you. Jakey jumped when he saw movement behind him and spun, springing wildly at the intruder. It whisked out of the way at the last moment and he scrambled after it in a tight circle, it was always just out of reach but he saw his chance and then pounced.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!" Jakey's howl made the air in the tunnels throb and he bit down on his lower lip as he slowly let his tail go. The limb smarted savagely enough to make him whimper in pain.
"Jakey!" Bordeaux came running, he immediately enveloped Jakey in a hug which made the smaller man blink in surprise, but then he relaxed. It was going to be alright. Bordeaux was here. Everything was going to be just fine again.

15:20, a cave, Perez Park

Jakey sat on his own, ears twitching at the smallest sounds. Was it Bordeaux? No, it was just water dripping somewhere far away. Wait, was that Bordeaux? Was it? Oh was it really?
A rat scuttled past the doorway the small cave tucked off the corridor. It served as his 'room' and smelt enough like Bordeaux to keep him from going far. He coiled his tail around his abdomen, gripping his ankles with his hands. When was Bordeaux going to come back? Why had he left him all on his own? He let out a low murmur, then flung his head back and yowled at the top of his lungs. He was lonely and wanted his friend back. There came the sound of clattering feet and there was Bordeaux, running around the corner. Jakey launched himself at him and clung to his waist in an unsubtle insistence not to be left on his own again.
"Don't worry, Jakey. Soon." The taller cat man whispered, his large hand stroking the russet and black hair on Jakey's head. He didn't question it, soon it would be, and then it would be. Soon.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

00:01, "Denny's", Atlas Park

"I'll have the pancake special with extra pancakes," Dax told the waitress as she perused the menu. Gaze stared at the back of the menu, chin in her hand, tapping the table agitatedly with her fork.
"It's been a fortnight. How does one loud-mouth cat disappear for a fortnight? I bet the Council DO have him and they're just not saying." She glared at the moderately priced specials on the menu, bending the cheap fork with her fingers. Dax decided to scrutinise the starters very carefully lest she get a face full of eye-laser.
"We've trashed every base we've come to, thrown every Archon into a wall and off a gantry, we've burned, kicked, punched, mutated and frazzled every Council member we've seen. I think they'd have told us by now if they had Jakey, just to get us to stop doing numbers on them and their hardware."
"The Family then. They're always taking hits out on people we like."
"After Raph entertained at their last social? I'll be surprised if any of them have stopped yapping and sniffing each other's backsides yet." Dax put the menu down and laced her hands together, looking at Gaze intently, "I think it's time we accept the possibility that maybe he found what he was searching for. Maybe we've been looking for a man, but we should be looking for a cat."
Gaze put the fork down.
"He wouldn't have left without saying goodbye," she insisted. Dax shrugged.
"Maybe you're right, but my experience with cats tends to suggest they prefer to avoid 'goodbyes' wherever possible." She looked up when her pancakes arrived, and smiled, picking up a fork that Gaze hadn't mutilated yet.
"The Circle of Thorns! I bet they have him!" Dax sighed at the exclamation, cutting up her pancakes. She didn't feel like telling Gaze that between all the members of their super-group, they'd interrogated, intimidated and incapacitated every gang that might have even the remotest interest in their friend. Still the whereabouts of the cat remained as elusive as ever. Dax wondered if he really had found a way back to the life he craved. She'd seen a few tabby cats recently, but they'd all be greys. Jakey was a rather striking deep ginger, so she was sure she'd recognise him if she saw him.
The radio on Gaze's belt fizzed for a moment.
"Gaze, Dax, we need you urgently! Repeat, we need you URGENTLY!" Captain Cathode's voice sounded over a background din of crashes and yelling and explosions. Gaze looked up and stared at Dax, who paused in the act of putting pancake in her mouth. They held each other's eyes for a moment, then the forks clattered back down onto the plates and the chairs toppled to the floor. Only a small green note remained in testament to the two heroes' rush. Once outside, they both cut down an alley and a tramp sitting against the bin was startled to see civilian clothes thrown off and hero jackets pulled on. He blinked as the pair suddenly kicked off the ground and soared up into the night sky, dwindling to mere specks.
Captain Cathode supported Raphael as the nobleman nursed his head, the heels of his hands braced against his temples. The once television repair man looked around worriedly, listening to the screaming wind beyond the corridor, newspapers and Chinese paper charms and bits of magazines were hurtling around in the tempest. A sliver of a cut on his cheek oozed blood almost sullenly and he looked back at Raphael.
"You okay yet?" This was supposed to have been a simple task. They'd gotten word through one of his contacts that some deal was going on in this warehouse between the Family and the Warriors. They would have been able to handle it with no problems, but then all Hell had broken loose with no-one's consent.
"Don't suppose you have any paracetamol on you? Aspirin? … … Morphine?" Raphael's voice quivered a bit but he kept his tone light. Cathode grimaced, the controller shouldn't be still suffering if the symptoms were entirely physical. He flinched when something hit the wall behind them with enough force to leave a human-like imprint in the metal.
"What the Hell's going on out there?"
"Where's Scilarion?" Raphael asked weakly. Cathode uncovered his radio and called the other member of their team.
"I'm in hospital, got claws through my back. Managed to teleport out okay though," came the terse response. Cathode shifted his feet, looking down the thin alley between the shipping crates that they where hidden down.
"What did you see?"
"No idea. I've never seen them before, they're not on any of our databases, not even seen any Hero Corps stuff on them."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I have no idea who they are other than … well, cat people I guess. Was like a bloody anime convention after someone asked what was better, Evangelion or RahXephon?"
Cathode looked at Raphael, the elegant man suddenly groaned and toppled onto his side, curling up and biting his sleeve, he didn't have time to ponder the strange analogy, wincing as the screams and crashes got nearer. Motion at the end of the alley caught his gaze and he turned his head in time to see a lithe girl with cat ears and a tail come rushing down at them, she drew her fist above her head with a screech, metal claws flashing. Cathode reacted on gut instinct, lurching to his feet and standing over Raphael. He yelled with pure frustration over how wildly things had spun out of control and slammed his hand forward, a mass of green plasma rushed forward with a howl. The ball smashed into the girl's chest, lifting her off her feet and throwing her back out of the alley. Cathode blinked a bit as the air throbbed still in his ears from the concussion. That had been surprisingly easy.
"Good shot," came Raphael's feeble, slightly muffled contribution from the floor. Cathode looked down at him, grinning slightly sheepishly, then the grin dropped away.
"Raph!" He dropped down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Blood was oozing from Raphael's ears and nose, he grimaced.
"Oh don't make a fuss. Cup of tea and I'll be right as rain," he whispered, then his slightly fevered eyes slid over Cathode's shoulder, "CAP!"
Cathode whipped around to see metal claws and then they raked down his face, catching on one of the eye goggles and smashing the lens. Then there was a concussive blast and a roll of heat and then a body smashed into Cathode's hard enough to throw them both over Raphael's inert body.
"Cap! Raph!" Gaze's voice broke through the ringing of their ears and gloved hands pulled the still cat girl off Cathode. He grinned thankfully up at Gaze, wincing a little as she put her hand to his face and a green light suffused about them, his wounds searing shut.
"About time you got here, what kept you?"
"Train was delayed. What's going on here?" Dax said, keeping an eye out at the end of the alley. Cathode moved to Raphael and helped to prop him up.
"We heard a deal was being brokered here, so came to arrest the usual suspects, but then this storm just smashed in the windows, there was paper flying everywhere, and these cat people came crashing in."
"Cat people?" Gaze frowned, helping Raphael get to his feet, supporting his other side. Cathode nodded.
"That's what Sci said, he's still coming back from the hospital."
"They don't seem that strong." Dax muttered. Cathode looked guilty.
"Raph collapsed and I stayed with him."
"Collapsed? What happene-" Gaze was interrupted when Raphael suddenly started shouting. If there were words in the sounds coming out of his mouth, then they were in a language unknown to them. Dax winced and covered her ears, but Gaze and Cathode had no such luxury lest they drop Raphael.
The noise was so awful, that nobody quite remembered how they got outside, each convinced that their eardrums were splitting and there were cascade failures in their brains. Raphael suddenly collapsed as they stumbled to the outside fence of the car park, dragging both Cathode and Gaze down with him. Dax helped them all sit up, looking around when Wilkins landed abruptly near them, the butler straightened and hurried over.
"Scilaron and Karishba are on perimeter, I called Lionheart and she's still in transit," he said tersely. Dax looked sour.
"I can't believe we're running away."
"I can't believe Raph's on the floor," Gaze muttered, worrying over the unconscious man, pulling open his purple robe and pushing aside the white cravat to listen at his chest. Cathode rested an elbow on his knee and rubbed at his ear.
"What the heck was he even saying? Sounded like someone put a cat through a mincer."
Nobody was looking at him, and he looked up at them quizzically. Every single hero was staring at the roof of the warehouse. Except for Raphael, he was still bleeding slightly from the nose.
"J-Jakey …" Gaze whispered, voicing what was racing through everyone's minds. There was no mistaking that small, lithe frame, or the way he booted a suited gangster off the roof in a spin kick that made the air crack with its speed. Dax jumped slightly when Wilkins leapt from standing, hurtling up to the roof. He looked around frantically for the cat, but he was no longer there, like he'd been spirited away again.
"What's going on, by Jove?" Wilkins whispered, watching some newspaper pages drift down, calm again.

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Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

03:32, a cave, Perez Park

Jakey snapped awake suddenly, rolling to a sitting position. He looked around wildly, convinced he'd heard a familiar voice. He got to his feet slowly and started to walk, stepping over Bordeaux silently. He wasn't quite sure why the other man insisted on sleeping in the same alcove, especially across the entrance, but it made the cave a bit warmer so he tolerated it.
"Jakey …" He turned to look down the tunnel, ears pricked. Had that been Lionheart's voice? Lionheart was his friend! He grinned brightly and ran down the corridor, leaping the crevasse across his path easily. He was pretty sure someone had said the tunnels beyond the crevasse were treacherous and could collapse at the slightest sound, so he took pains to be quiet. It was easy for a cat to be quiet, you just trusted your hands more. Hands. Jakey stopped and looked at the gloved extremities. They looked massive, malformed. His stomach gave a sick lurch and he buckled, going down to his knees and gripping his midriff. It felt like something was burning in there. His skin felt clammy and he was shaking so hard he could barely stay upright. He was sick, he needed his medicine. Needed it desperately. He could still hear Lionheart's voice, growing more and more distant, but she would have to wait, he just needed his medicine, then he'd come back and find her.
Jakey crawled back along the tunnel, only forcing himself to stand when he reached the crevasse. He peered down it, but could see only thick darkness. The caves suddenly cartwheeled in his vision and felt a distant impact on his chest before all he could see was the edge of the crevasse spiralling away from him. Well that was odd. It took too long for him to realise he was falling and he couldn't even begin to do anything about it.
"I hope I bounce," he said, and as if on cue, he hit a flat surface with enough force for the pain to penetrate his warped perception. He hissed with pain and lay there for a while, waiting for it to pass. It didn't, his world was dark and cold, the form of his body picked out in waves of pain like a kind of internal radar. He closed his eyes. He was the wrong shape, a clumsy, heavy limbed simian. His teeth were no good for hunting, his face flat and pointy in all the wrong places. He felt wrong. He tried to move his fingers, felt a flex which seemed promising.
"No sense lying here going to pieces, Jakey," he whispered, trying to move. When he didn't make much progress, he sighed, "Okay, so lying here seems to be the order of the day. Fair enough. Oh god, I need my medicine …" he trailed off on that. He felt so desperate for his medicine, more strongly than he'd ever felt for anything in his life, even catnip. He knew he had a bad habit where the catnip was concerned, but he'd never needed it as badly as he needed his medicine. He twitched, feeling wretched, then finally rolled onto his side, pulling himself over to the cliff wall. He reached a shaking hand up and gripped some of the stone. He tried to pull himself up but his hand either couldn't take the weight or the shakes were just too bad, he lost his grip and slipped back down.
"This is stupid! Just give me the bleedin' meds!" Nobody answered, but Jakey did not have to stand the quietness for long, as he passed out eventually.

10:02, a cave, Perez Park

"It's lucky you found him, Bordeaux, his withdrawals were getting bad enough to interfere with his motor skills," the Doctor's voice broke through the throbbing haze of Jakey's unconsciousness.
"How much longer do we have to baby him like this? You said he'd be useful to our cause." That was Bordeaux, he didn't sound like he usually did, he sounded tense and frustrated.
"He will be, he will be. You must have faith in my skills. Jakey will be one of us soon, and he will bring in the greatest prize of all." The Doctor moved away slightly. Jakey couldn't move, not that he felt much like it after hearing that. There came a growl from the other side of the room.
"Wonderful. You still haven't explained why we're caring so much about a stray cat." He recognised that voice faintly. It'd been the first one, the one who jumped him. What had his name been again? Pashing or something.
"Passcendale, if your mind was as agile as your claws, you'd know," said the Doctor. There came a snort of amusement from Bordeaux.
"It's not just any cat, it's the Avatar," he murmured. Jakey couldn't help but feel a bleak feeling in his chest. They too spoke of cats as things. How could they? Weren't they cats themselves?
"The what?" Passcendale sounded confused.
"The Avatar. Look, every thousand years, a higher being awakens and takes an avatar on Earth. We're currently trying to catch the Avatar so we can make it one of our order. Does any of this ring a bell?" Bordeaux sneered, his opinion of Passcendale dripping off every word. There came the tssshing of claws and growling from both parties.
"If you two are going to fight, take it elsewhere! Bordeaux, if you let Jakey sneak off again, you will be punished."
"Y-yes Doctor. It won't happen again."
"Good, be sure that it doesn't. I think he's ready for the last course of the meds. Take him out on a few runs with you, but keep a close eye on him." There came a sound of tapping nearby, the Jakey felt a scratch on his upper arm. Whatever else anyone said was lost to him, as his world filled with buoyant feelings and joyous thoughts of hybrid rainbows.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

12:32, "Wynn's Little Teashop", Steel Canyon

Raphael De Arca sipped his tea with a kind of pointed elegance, as if to remind everyone else in the vicinity that he was a man of culture and breeding the likes of which they could only dream about. Wilkins, one of old habits, served Gaze her tea. Neither of the two empaths said anything, but Raphael had an awful suspicion that this was about last night. He would much rather not think about the wretched affair. It was humiliating enough that he'd spasmed and bled everywhere and gone about shouting in tongues without everyone walking on eggshells around him the next day.
"So, Raph, how are you feeling?" Gaze said, adding a few sugar cubes to her cup. With her hat off, her lovely hair was revealed. It was a truly beautiful colour, a dark, midnight blue. Raphael admired it openly, as much to draw her attention away from the inquisition as to behold something beautiful simply for its own sake. His ploy didn't work, as Wilkins cleared his throat.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Raph. Both myself and Gaze felt something amiss in the warehouse."
"Oh?" Raphael sipped his tea primly. He didn't care what they all said. He was as in command of his faculties as any man could ever be, moreso than most. The soft clatter and murmur of conversations around them served as both disguise and caution to keep things quiet. Gaze nodded.
"Come on, we're hardly new to the extreme power scene. That storm wasn't normal at all. Someone was behind it. We saw Jakey last night too."
Raphael put his cup down with a ***** of bone china, looking at them both levelly. He knew fishing for information when he saw it, you should never try to play a player. Wilkins sighed.
"It couldn't have been him. Jakey can't just vanish, and he's still not above screaming with joy every time he jumps over a building. There wasn't a trace of him when I got up to the roof."
"It was an illusion," Raphael said curtly, inspecting one of his nails and rubbing it with his thumb. Both Gaze and Wilkins looked at him, and he sighed. They weren't going to leave him alone until there was some account concerning last night from his very lips.
"The truth of the matter is, last night my attention wandered. We were going about business as usual, when …" He couldn't believe he was actually going to say what he was going to say. The two empaths waited quietly, Wilkins sipping his tea.
"I just thought that wouldn't it be nice if Jakey suddenly came running in, like he'd never left. And then I remembered the time we spent in the Cavern of Transcendence together, he was gunning for a fight but was quiet when we needed to be. When that started, I just couldn't stop remembering. I must have zoned out completely, because I found myself behind some shipping crates with Cap. He said my illusions had dissipated and I'd been attacked."
"Cap says you were complaining of pain." Wilkins said it quietly. Raphael shot him a look, then expelled air out of his nose.
"I don't know where the headache came from. But …" now it came to it, he felt almost afraid. He didn't want to admit to his friends that something so apparently trivial could shake him to his very core. A man's mind should be sacrosanct. He took a deep breath.
"I must have blacked out, as I had a dream, just something about darkness and a snake." He frowned a little, picking up the silver spoon and dipping it to the surface of the tea distractedly.
"Strange, it wasn't quite like a dream, my dreams tend to be a little more structured than that. There were storm clouds and a book lying open on the ground, the wind flipped its pages and then this snake slithered out. It was small at first, then it became huge. It was going to eat me, I think, then a cat ran between us and tried to fend it off. Very strange. Must have cats on my mind too much."
Gaze looked at Wilkins, as if to ask if this meant anything to him. Unfortunately it didn't and the three of them looked at their tea cups for a while.
"Perhaps we should ask someone in MAGI? This seems more their area, strange dreams and all that." Wilkins said quietly. Raphael shot him a very dirty look, which was quickly transferred to Gaze when she nodded.
"I agree. Sorry Raph, but I do. Something very weird happened last night, and if weird stuff happens, they tend to know about it first. All those psychics and witches in their ranks, you know how it is." Gaze did not know how it was, but she'd heard things of the MAGI crowd. Besides, they tended to have nice offices filled with interesting things and artefacts, so a visit would be worthwhile even if it turned up nothing.
Raphael drank his tea.
"You can count me out of a trip to the Hoodoo Emporium, I have a date later to the theatre and I must get ready."
"It's barely midday!" Wilkins said, checking his watch. Raphael smiled winningly.
"You don't want me tagging along anyway, I have much more important things to do," he said silkily. Gaze nodded.
"Well, thanks for meeting us for tea, we won't keep you any longer. Good luck, Raph." She waved slightly as he swept up, taking up his gloves and pulling them on as he walked out. Wilkins frowned and rubbed his nose.
"So, off to MAGI?"
"Off to MAGI." Gaze paid for the tea and biscuits and picked up her hat, popping it on as she walked out, closely followed by Wilkins.

14:31, City Hall, Atlas Park

"Is your friend prone to prophetic dreams at all?" Azuria asked, taking a book off a shelf and climbing back down the ladder. Gaze and Wilkins were sat on the other side of her table, the butler was giving a sealed box an uneasy look while Gaze fiddled with her hat.
"No, this is the first time anything like this has happened to him. He's affiliated ELITE and … well, you know how people with ELITE can be sometimes," she smiled hesitantly, as Wilkins was also affiliated with ELITE, the branch of Hero Corps who dealt with heroes who'd come by their powers naturally, having been born with them or simply so well trained that they could do the incredible. Azuria smiled, perhaps it was warm, but her eyes held a perpetually distant expression, so it was hard to match the expressions up.
"Yes, I can imagine that this has been an unpleasant experience for all concerned. You say his attention wandered just before the attack? Was he remembering things, just out of curiosity?" The woman sat down in her high backed, leather chair. It creaked softly, and reminded Gaze of a time she'd had to show Jakey where a store was. It was the smell of the office maybe, a mix of old books, varnish and some strange, musty, almost spicy smell. The smell of magic, or so she fancied.
"A friend of ours who went missing two weeks ago. A hero. You may know him, Jakey K?"
Azuria nodded, her expression softening.
"I didn't work with him personally, he operated out of Galaxy City at first. Myself and the MAGI representative over there have … our disagreements. But yes, I know who you mean," she sighed and leaned back in her chair. Wilkins regarded her.
"You seem bothered about something."
Azuria's smile was sparse.
"Ah, you're both empaths. Of course, of course. Concerning the dream, snakes have long been a part of the human subconscious, mostly they are signs of danger, of malady and catastrophe. Serpents and dragons and all that. I find it interesting, however, that your friend saw a cat try to defend him. He is well educated you say?"
"Yes, I forget which University he went to, but he's very … um …" Gaze tried to think of the best word to describe Raphael, and Wilkins supplied her.
"Erudite."
"It intrigues me then, that he didn't see a falcon." Azuria opened her book, flicking through pages seemingly at random. Gaze blinked.
"Oh?"
"Traditionally, it is a falcon that is the bane of the serpent. The eternal struggle of Horus and Seth, of light and dark, air and earth. A cat is … most unusual." Azuria pursed her lips, regarding something on the page. Wilkins cleared his throat.
"Well, we've been searching for Jakey since he disappeared, and last we saw of him, he was fixated with the city's missing cats. I guess you could say we've all had cats on the mind recently."
Azuria regarded him, her gaze seemed more focused now, as if something was calling parts of her mind back to the office from wherever they customarily resided. Gaze wasn't sure she appreciated this change, as something about the woman was just unsettling.
"Interesting … this could be more than what it seems. If memory serves, Jakey was the one who was turned from a cat into a man? Some book or other his owner had come into possession of?"
Wilkins nodded.
"That's how the story goes. He came to the city to find a cure for himself." He remembered sitting on the slope of a roof, talking to Jakey about it. It hadn't been long after a strange event had flooded through Paragon City. Jakey had woken up one day and gone to start a day's work only to find out that none of his contacts knew who he was, and all records concerning him had been purged from all databases they could check. It was as if he'd never existed before. Wilkins frowned, regarding the table top as Gaze and Azuria talked about ancient Egyptian mythology. Who had Jakey said was responsible for the citywide amnesia? His sister. Cleo, or Chloe. Yes, Cleo, that had been her name. His sister whom had come to him with an appeal for him to join her in her quest for revenge against the human race. Indeed, when Jakey had told Wilkins what had befallen his sister after they were both abandoned on a roadside, Wilkins could certainly understand why she'd want to tear down the edifices of Man.
The removal of Jakey from the memories of the city had been a punishment when he'd refused to give up his Hero license. The rejection must have stung, and she had the power at her disposal because …
"The book," he whispered. Gaze glanced at him, but he waved his hand slightly, indicating that they'd talk about it later. She just nodded slightly and turned back to Azuria.
"I'm sorry, you were saying?"
"I was saying that there are legends concerning a cat goddess striking down a serpent. Take Maau, the feline form of Atet. She went forth to battle a great serpent-"
It was going to be a long afternoon.

22:45, Gaze's Apartment, Kings Row

"I thought she was never going to stop talking," Gaze moaned, throwing her hat onto the stand by the door as she walked in. Wilkins followed after her, looking just as wearied.
"Maybe Raphael had the right of it after all. I'm not sure we learned anything at all. Cup of tea, milady?"
"Yes please." Gaze walked into the living room and pulled off her shoes, flopping back on the sofa and lifting a foot up to massage it slightly, "who would have thought Egyptian mythology was all so contradictory and confusing? Why couldn't they get their act together and just have one god of cats? It would have spared us a great deal of confusion." There came sounds of tea making in the kitchenette.
"I'm afraid I couldn't tell you. But I did think of something we've missed," he called through the hatch. Gaze leaned back on the sofa, frowning slightly.
"Oh?"
"Jakey's sister. Cleo I think she's called." Wilkins came in with the tray, setting it down on the table. Gaze watched him pour, she could do it herself of course, but Wilkins would have none of it.
"He mentioned her a bit, yeah." Gaze tried to remember anything specific he'd told her other than 'she's dead scary'.
"She had absorbed a certain book into herself, making her incredibly powerful. Powerful enough that she caused a citywide amnesia that meant Jakey had to start at the bottom again or give up hero work." Wilkins dropped some sugar into Gaze's 'Don't talk to me about Mondays' mug and stirred it before passing it over.
"You think she knows where Jakey is?" she asked. Wilkins gave a short laugh, devoid of humour.
"I'm not convinced she's not behind his disappearance." He caught her expression and sighed, taking his tea in the 'World's Best Sister' mug and sitting back in the wicker chair, "Cleo wanted Jakey to join her in some quest to overthrow humanity. He was never specific about whether she wanted to subject humans or just destroy them. Jakey, being the man he is, refused and she retaliated with wiping him from everyone's memory. A lot of heroes forgot him, but I remembered somehow, as did you."
Gaze pulled a face, cupping her mug tightly.
"Not surprised he refused, she sounds like a thoroughly nasty business," she said with a sniff. Wilkins sighed heavily.
"Jakey told me why she is the way she is. He asked me to keep it a secret, as it's … delicate, for all involved."
Gaze snorted.
"Oh?"
"You know Jakey had an owner before he was turned into a man, yes?" Wilkins looked at her over his mug. Gaze nodded and he continued, "Well, what he didn’t tell you was that he, two brothers and a sister were unwanted kittens. They were put in a bag and thrown out of a car."
"That's … that's horrible." Gaze looked upset, as an empath, and even, just as a human being, she abhorred mindless cruelty. Wilkins nodded.
"Jakey was the lucky one, he got free of the bag and a car passing by stopped and the people inside picked him up and took him home with them. Cleo did not fare so well. She too made it out of the bag, and apparently she wandered for a long while before being picked up by less kindly folk. She was taken to a vivisection lab."
Gaze could only widen her eyes, then hung her head, feeling somehow guilty, as though she were a participant to such horrors. Vivisection. The dirty little secret behind medicine, behind psychology, behind cosmetics. Now that she came to think about it, being tortured for nothing more than human curiosity would be enough to make anyone want to destroy things. She looked out of the window, at the dark night, putting her hand to her mouth unconsciously. It was like the pumicites. She couldn't bring herself to hate them, or even enjoy the challenge of dealing with them. They had lived in such peace with humans that nobody had even known they were there until the trolls had blown up the tunnels under the Hollows, destroying their homes, probably killing thousands of them.
"You think she's behind Jakey disappearing?" she forced herself back to the conversation at hand. Wilkins nodded.
"Either she was responsible, or she knows who is. It's worth considering."
"How are we ever to find her?" Gaze asked. Wilkins shrugged.
"I haven't thought that far yet."

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

04:00, a cave, Perez Park

Jakey spiralled away from his disordered dreams of wool that was trying to kill him, and blinked his eyes open. They were crusty and he felt like he'd been under great physical strain, ghosts of twinges in his muscles and the lulled feeling after an adrenaline rush. He moved sluggishly, stretching out his legs and feeling a warm body under his bare toes. Well, he wasn't sure how socially awkward this was looking to get, but he didn't like this development. He worked up a little with his shoulders and sat up. After rubbing his eyes clear of crusty sleep, he blinked, looking around. There were five of the cat men around him, some clinging to one another in the straight-armed clasp that was all cat. Jakey got to his feet, meaning to extricate himself from this cripplingly awkward awakening, when one of them, Bordeaux, stretched luxuriantly. Jakey held his breath for a few moments, but the other didn't wake up and he picked his way delicately through the huddle out into the colder cave network. Now that the thick smell of five other toms was out of his nose, he smelt the other scent more clearly. He'd been ignoring it before, but now he couldn't.
Blood.
He could smell blood on himself, and from the cave. He knew he wasn't injured, so where was it coming from? He looked down at himself uncertainly, then baulked. His front and his hands were smeared with the red brown dusty smears of dried blood. Jakey could only stare at his own fingers, covered with a testimony to his forgotten hours. Part of him was revolted, but all of him was scared.
"What did I do?" his whisper shivered along the glowing crystals. He fell to his knees so hard he banged them on the floor, but such a pain was distant and trivial, all he could see in his vision were his hands, now shaking under their layer of blood. What had he done? What events had transpired to leave him covered with blood and in the middle of a nest of toms?
As if on cue, a memory struggled to reveal itself. Broken into snatches, he remembered running through the caves, following Bordeaux. Cut to night time, the sea air was open and loving after so much time underground. Silence, and just the occasional scent of one of the others. Passcendale, Falaise, Toulouse and Rouen, he remembered their names now. They'd been close and then far, prowling. Their moves were kittenish and inexperienced, and he had taken the lead. Cut to a cemetery, the walls around broken, and the mouldy stink of the dead walking in his nose. They had wanted to prove themselves against the dead, he had cuffed them like errant children and led them on, deeper and up the rise of the mountain. Cut to a search light sweeping over head, just over his ears, he could almost feel the beam of light like it had weight and substance. Flowing over the parapet, his body near flat to the ground, he had his eyes on the tall, muscled Cor Leonis Marksman, creeping after him, silent as the grave. Cut to falling off the wall, something clamped in his arms, the ground rushing up to meet them, a kick and a back flip and he landed safely on his feet while the marksman hit the ground with a crunch and a pop. His hands were wet and his front was slick, he had taken the marksman by the ankle and dragged him to the bushes where the inexperienced kittens waited.
Jakey put his hands to his mouth, shaking all over and fighting off the urge to vomit. He curled his tail about himself, feeling wracked and for the first time, like he didn't know himself. The memories started to flood in, jostling for space, creating a confusion of time and place. His students, drunk on the taste of hot, fresh-killed meat, their first ever such meal, were desperate to learn, and he was willing to teach. Instincts held too long in check, suppressed under high-minded ideals, were unleashed. He had wanted it, he had given over to it. He was a cat and he wanted to hunt, and he had awakened the dormant killer in the others. They had hunted and they had killed and they had feasted.
Jakey hunched over and threw up, trying to be quiet but it was like he'd lost all control. Just like he had last night. The bitter words rang in his mind. He was a murderer. He retched again, he just wanted the blood and meat out of him, as if by purging them, he could absolve himself of the crime.
"Jakey, are you okay? Did you eat too much?" It was Rouen, the slowest to learn. He padded out of the cave and sat down beside him, rubbing his back. Jakey only felt sicker from the human contact. He didn't deserve such affection or consideration, especially from someone whom he'd led down the darkest of paths to Damnation.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Rouen helped Jakey to his feet and walked him to the gleaming pool down the way. He settled Jakey by the side of it and started to wash his hands for him.
"I'm sorry I wasn't a good learner last night, I tried though. Guess I'll always be a bit clumsy, even now. But I wanted to thank you. Last night was the first time I felt like a real cat."
"What?" Jakey, exhausted in the wake of his realisation, looked up. Rouen washed his face off, the water was acrid cold, forming a link between the chaos of his mind and the simplicity of the outside world.
"I sort of felt it before, but it must have been only wishful thinking, because last night … I was a cat. I know it, like I know I breathe," Rouen washed his chest, scraping lightly with his nails to work the congealed blood off his skin. Inside Jakey's head, all the chaos stopped dead, like someone had hit the brakes. Rouen wasn't a cat. Nor was Passcendale or Bordeaux. He could see it now, the detail that had eluded him. They moved, thought and spoke like humans. They were human, not cats at all. At once, Jakey's thoughts surged into overdrive. The Doctor wore robes like the Circle of Thorns, and they specialised in imbuing human victims with the soul and essence of the deceased mages of Oranbega. A change that rendered a very obvious physical change, the burning eyes. The Doctor had twisted even that foul process, to combine a cat with a human. All the missing cats were … here.
Jakey stared at Rouen, feeling defeated. Had he wanted to feel like he belonged so badly that he had ignored the obvious signs? And now here was Rouen thanking him for teaching him to kill.
"How are you so good? How can I be more like you?" Rouen asked, holding his hands. Jakey nearly broke down crying, but swallowed the impulse back.
"You really want to know?"
"Yeah."
"Go to the surface. Go away from here and never come back. The Doctor's got us on all kinds of screwed up chemicals. He took away your lives, both of them. He'll keep on doing it until someone stops him," Jakey muttered, his ears back dispiritedly. Rouen looked confused.
"The Doctor cares for us-"
"Like Hell he does!" Jakey fixed Rouen with a sharp, dangerous look of his green eyes, "he's a certifiable madman! Loony, ******* insane, few sandwiches shy of a picnic, stark raving bonkers. Look, Rouen, you're a nice kid, and I don’t want to see you screwed up by this mess. Go to the surface, and make your way to Kings Row. Find 46 Mercy Way and ask for Midnight Gaze. Tell her I sent you. Tell her I need help. Okay?"
"But, Jakey-"
"Just go!" Jakey insisted, then Rouen grabbed his head and forced it to turn, pointing to the trio of figures who were standing up a little way from them. The Doctor had his arms folded and Passcendale and Bordeaux either side of him. He glared at the two by the lake.
"Late night chat, boys?" Passcendale's claws slid out slowly and Bordeaux reached to his side, he was wearing a sword. Jakey didn't know he knew how to use a sword. He sort of wished he wouldn't find out just how well he could use it either. He rose to his feet, bracing them slightly, his arms at his sides loosely.
"Rouen, get running, there's a good lad."
"But Jakey …" Rouen was already edging back, paling when he saw Bordeaux eying him, the same way he'd assessed prey the night before. Jakey forced a shadow of his usual grin onto his face, half turning to him.
"I can handle these two kittens. Push off will ya?" Passcendale's harsh laugh rang against the cave walls and he slid a foot back, bringing one arm over his head and the other stretched out in front.
"Like you handled me before? I opened you up like a gutted fish."
Jakey's grin became real, showing the points of his canines.
"Want to see if you can do it again? C'mon then." He took a deep breath, and adjusted his weight slightly, ready. The Doctor may have smirked behind his high collar, it was hard to tell, and he moved back.
"I want to thank you, Jakey, before you're torn apart. You've been very useful, teaching my creations a cat's cruelty, but-"
"Skip to the end." Jakey lunged forward suddenly. Passcendale lunged, grinning manically as he slashed down and across with his claws, the metal blades singing in the air. Jakey swerved his upper body forward and curled it under his arm, seizing it in his hands and snapping his knee up. Passcendale's eyes bugged as the bony joint smashed into his sternum, knocking the wind out of his body, folding around the leg. Jakey spun, feeling the air change to the right, hearing the hum of a long single edge moving fast. He ducked as the blade swung where his head should have been, rolling clear of Passcendale's wheezing frame. Bordeaux growled angrily and hurdled his fallen comrade, trying to snap lightening fast jabs in. Jakey took a cut on his arm and one across his face, both of which were aimed for his heart. Blood splattered against the cave floor as Jakey dodged the sword again, infuriating Bordeaux with his speed.
"That all you got Bordie? That's pretty sad." Jakey back-flipped out of range, springing up and somersaulting backwards onto an outcropping of rock. Bordeaux peeled back his lips and yowled angrily, running forward, taking a small jump and then hurtling up to join him. Jakey only grinned and kicked off, rocketing out of reach, hitting a column of stone and running up it for three steps before kicking off it, flipping again. Bordeaux was so busy trying to keep track of him that he didn't see the kicks coming. Jakey's feet appeared from nowhere and smashed into his face so hard he was thrown back, crashing off the outcropping and into the small lake. Passcendale staggered to his feet, one arm curled around his midriff, he gritted his teeth and surged, slashing wildly with his free arm. Jakey swore when the blades scratched across his back again, throwing himself forward into a roll. Passcendale rushed after him, curving his arm back for an overhead slash. Jakey swirled up to his feet, lunging in, meeting his eyes for a split second before sliding to the side in a quick spinning step, then jumping up, continuing the spin. His foot cracked across Passcendale's face, sending him staggering. Jakey landed and changed his weight, slamming his heel out and up, hitting his hip and sending him flying. He was still regaining his balance when he felt the air behind him change. A moment later, three inches of blade cracked through the front of his chest. Jakey barely felt it, looking down unsteadily at the point, watching his blood drip off it and slide down his front. He knew he was in pain, but it was like he'd become detached. His muscles spasmed when the blade twisted sharply. Dimly he felt the foot on his back and then saw the ground rushing up to meet him. Hot fluid pooled on the rock under his front.
"What dreams may come, eh, Jakey?" A bit of material hit the back of his head and he heard the sound of walking fade away, leaving him only with the tiny, distant drops in the darkness.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

06:20, Bone Yard, Perez Park

Lionheart strode gracefully down the tarmac, she had the determined look of someone who thought nothing of taking a brisk morning walk through the gang infested city zone of Perez. She opened the brown paper bag and inhaled the smell from it, loving the aroma of freshly baked bread. She was about to break off a bit to nibble when a shrieking yowl got her attention. She looked at the wall of the park with a frown, then took a surprised step back, unconsciously going into a braced stance, when something hurtled over the wall. She just had time to make out a tail and pointy ears before two more sprang up onto the wall, both landing neatly. The first must have slipped or overshot, as he plummeted to the tarmac ungracefully. The cat man with the claws paused, having seen Lionheart, but the one with the sabre leapt off the wall, his sword up for a devastating hack that would cleave the fallen's head in two.
Rouen scrabbled forward with panicked yelps, flinching when a shadow fell over him.
Bordeaux shrieked when his sword hit, the impact numbing his arms.
The bag of bread hit the ground and spilled its precious contents.
Lionheart stood over Rouen, holding the sabre blade between the palms of her hands, glaring at Bordeaux. Not even the breeze dared to stir. Passcendale still crouched on the wall, uncertain whether to fight or flee. Bordeaux broke the stillness first, gripping the hilt and trying to twist it free. Lionheart snorted air out of her nose, then rammed the sword forward, the pommel smashing Bordeaux's nose. He was thrown back into the wall and slummed, sliding down onto the pavement. The former black ops officer looked up at Passcendale as she tossed the sword aside. He put his ears back, sliding his foot back, then without a word, he spun and leapt into the trees.
Lionheart let him go, stepping to the side and looking down at the cat man. At closer inspection, he was really little more than a boy, barely old enough to become a student. He was staring at her with wide eyes.
"Are you alright?" she asked quietly. He nodded a little, even though he was bleeding from several scratch wounds and a few sword swipes. Lionheart helped him up.
"I'll get you to a hospital."
Rouen, who had seen a woman not much taller than himself, wipe the floor with Bordeaux, did not object, but followed meekly. He was fairly sure that if she wanted to, she could just take his neck and squeeze a bit and his head would pop right off. After a few feet, it became apparent that Rouen was either too injured or just too tired to walk properly, so Lionheart scooped him up like he weighed nothing and set a smart pace to the check point.

07:17, The Base, Kings Row

"Hey Saffy."
"Safuron. Safuron. And what do you want?" Safuron peered over the top of her newspaper at Baruk, who was grinning at her over it.
"Have you seen the news today?" Safuron pulled a face, waggling the paper.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" She tried to get back to reading, but the paper was abruptly taken from her hands and before she could object, another one was thrust at her. It was a wad of reports, that had 'Council' written all over them. This may have been because Baruk had scribbled 'Council' over them with a red felt tip. She raised her eyebrows when she read the reports, then glanced up at Baruk.
"This isn't a joke?" Baruk sighed and sat down next to her, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Wish it was, frankly. Whatever went through the Council Base was a frickin' monster. The Council's going to be so paranoid after this, that even sneezing in Striga is going to get seven homing missiles up your [censored]," he said. Safuron tried to avoid the mental image, looking up when Wilkins came in with the morning tea. She wasn't as into tea as everyone else, but you just couldn't refuse Wilkins. It wasn't done.
"Miss Safuron, sir Baruk, how are you this fine morning?"
"Feeling like avoiding Striga." Baruk looked up at him, accepting the cup and saucer that were handed over. Wilkins frowned.
"Oh? Why?" Baruk and Safuron exchanged glances, and the girl handed the wodge of paper over to him. Wilkins read the reports, his eyes going wide.
"Oh my. We should investigate! Gaze, my dear, have you heard the news?" he turned as he heard the door to the base open, waving the papers. Gaze, who was accompanied by a slightly taller man, also wearing a stylish hat, blinked.
"What news?" Wilkins, however, now looked the stranger up and down, passing the papers over absent-mindedly.
"I don't believe we've been introduced sir." The stranger smiled and doffed his hat respectfully.
"Name's Midnight Avenger, I'm Gaze's brother."
"I see." Wilkins frowned slightly. Avenger just grinned a little, almost self-consciously, but not quite. Gaze handed the papers back to Wilkins.
"We should investigate. By the way, this is my brother, Avenger. Can he join Honourable United?" she asked, having clearly not heard Wilkins and Avenger talking. The butler blinked, then looked at Avenger again. He offered his hand after a second.
"Welcome aboard."
"Hooray, look Gaze, I'm in a gang!"
"Ha ha. Wilkins, do you want to handle this one? I'm going to head to Gemini Park." Gaze gave the butler a meaningful look and he nodded.
"Alright. Baruk, Safuron, Avenger, fancy coming with dear old Wilkins to see if something unholy hasn't decided to tramp its foul presence all over Striga Island?"
"Wow, that offer's too good to pass up," Baruk said drolly, his head hanging over the back of the sofa. Safuron stood to her full, insubstantial height.
"Let's go."

08:52, Gemini Park, Galaxy City

Gaze paced over the bridge, watching the cars swing by, she had no idea what she was doing here really, except that Jakey customarily slept in one of the trees around here. She picked her way down the slope to the river and watched the water ripple slowly past. If she were a people-hating, sociopath cat crossed with book, where would she hide? A newspaper blew down off the street and stuck to her leg. Gaze frowned in annoyance and bent down to peel it off. The news on the Council Base had been unsettling. The only things she could think of being able to wreak that much havoc that quickly were things like the Lusca in Independence Port, and the Hydra in Perez Park. Monsters. She watched the newspaper float away down the river. What an age they lived in, that she could so easily write Striga off as the work of a monster.
"Would-be monsters and one master," a voice said behind her, accompanied by the sound of pages turning in a stiff breeze. Gaze turned around sharply, looking around. She could see no-one standing behind her, but the hairs were standing up on the back of her neck.
"Don't waste your time trying to see me. You came here looking for me. Why?" the voice asked curtly. Gaze took a slight step back.
"How did you know that?"
"I can read you like a book." Gaze got the feeling the voice was toying with her, and she didn't like it.
"Are you Cleo?" she asked boldly, straightening. Given everything Jakey had told her about his sister, which admittedly wasn't much, she was terrified inside, but damned if she was going to show it.
"Yes. And you call yourself Midnight Gaze, the rather sorry excuse for a hero. What is it you do? Patch up people's little bangs and scrapes? My, how your enemies must tremble when your name is spoken." Some old take-away wrappers and bits of newspaper blew across the slope, swirling in a tight spiral for a moment. Gaze clenched her fists a little.
"I suppose the concept of teamwork might be a little beyond you, Cleo."
"Possibly. What do you want with me that you come tramping through my home?"
"Where's Jakey?" Gaze decided not to prolong this meeting longer than it absolutely needed to be. Horrific past or not, Cleo was just plain rude. There came a sound of a snort from nearby.
"Have you only just noticed he's missing? He's under Perez Park." Gaze faltered a moment, she hadn't expected Cleo to just offer up the information. The paper litter whirled lazily.
"I cannot guide to him, nor would I want to. You've poisoned his mind and ruined his talents. As long as he's with you, he'll never achieve the true heights of his potential," Cleo's voice rang harshly off the water, a small breeze making it ripple wildly. Gaze held her hat on, keeping it safe from the spiteful tug of the wind.
"You said it yourself, Cleo, I fix people's bangs and scrapes. If you're going to sit on your tail and make paper chains, that's your problem isn't it. I'm going to find Jakey! At least he fights for something he believes in!" As soon as she said it, Gaze knew she shouldn't have gone there. A blast of wind hit her in the chest like a giant fist, slamming her off her feet and she hit the river with a resounding splash. She thrashed to the surface and coughed, spluttering water out of her mouth. On the bank, a young woman crouched and picked up the purple duster hat from the shallows. Gaze stared. She'd expected someone short, like Jakey, but the woman could have passed for anyone if it hadn't been for the stripes on her face and the gingery tail that flicked back and forth behind her. Her hair was short and spiky. She looked like a punk in her biker jacket and heavy boots, but like a normal woman. There were no scars, no deformities, nothing to suggest her beginning. Cleo inspected the hat in her hands.
"Everyone fights for something they believe in, or they don't fight. Go to Cygnus Hospital in the place you call Steel Canyon. I believe an ally of yours is there currently. Oh, and you may want to hurry," she said, constricting her hands, then snapping them open. The duster hat, crumpled and broken, suddenly warped and a purple bird with a long flowing tail of midnight blue flew up shrieking. Gaze twisted in the water to see it fly off. When she looked back, Cleo was gone.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

10:15, Cyngus Medical Centre, Steel Canyon

Gaze was still furious about her hat, which went a ways to explaining why she walked right into Lionheart in the foyer of the hospital. Since the other woman was invulnerable, there was a significant jolt in Gaze's world, and falling back onto her rump pulled her completely out of thoughts of dire vengeance. She held her nose a bit, grimacing.
"Lionheart, what are you doing here?" she asked, a bit muffled. Lionheart stooped to offer her a hand up.
"Oh I'm sorry, chum, I didn't recognise you without your hat," she looked around, as if it had just fallen off. Gaze made a tight noise.
"Lost it. I'm heading to Icon after this to get a new one," she managed to keep her tone even, and was glad of it. This whole business with Cleo had needled her more than she cared to admit. Something about the woman had just bothered her intensely.
"What are you doing here, you don't often need medical attention." She smiled slightly, straightening her clothes and dusting off her leggings. Lionheart nodded a bit.
"Not here for me. I had a strange morning. Met someone in Perez who needed the attention and I brought him here," she didn't flinch when there came a loud clatter like trays and trolleys being knocked over. Gaze leaned around her to look down the corridor, eyes wide.
"Oh don't worry about that. The doctor said he's just having withdrawals. Apparently his body was flooded with a highly addictive drug." Lionheart sounded sympathetic, turning her head to look around as well. Gaze jumped when she heard a screaming yowl sound, it reverberated off the walls and set all the hairs standing on her neck. She'd heard that yell before.
It had been a while ago, maybe the first time she'd met Jakey. They'd been running through some caves in the Hollows and a magma lord virtually clothes-lined the cat when he raced around the corner. The almost molten, rocky skin of the magma lord had seared Jakey's face into a chargrilled mess. It was a scream one didn't forget in a hurry.
Gaze didn't realise she was moving until she was standing at the observation window to the single ward, staring through. Her heart pounded in her chest, as if she'd just run a mile and the disappointment made a cavern of her chest. She didn't recall actually thinking it really was Jakey, but some part of her must have wanted it to be, or she wouldn't feel so bleak suddenly. She turned her back to the window and leaned against it, to block the sight of the orderlies struggling to keep the wildly thrashing cat tailed man on the bed. A moment passed in echoing solitude before a hand touched her shoulder and squeezed slightly. She looked up to see Lionheart's eyes and half smiled.
"Thought it was Jakey for a moment," she said quietly. Lionheart sighed a bit.
"There were two other cat people where I found him. I think they were trying to kill him."
"Turf war?" Gaze winced when another yowl shook the glass. Lionheart looked through the glass, watching one of the orderlies yell as his forearm got savaged.
"I don't know. I don't think so. Didn't feel like two sides."
Gaze pinched her nose. Cleo, for all her hat-abuse, had been right about an ally being in Cygnus, what had she been intending for Gaze to do here? Why did it feel like she was being led around in circles for the other's amusement.
"LET ME GO! I HAVE TO GO TO KINGS ROW!" The glass rattled again when the young man screamed, one of the orderlies was kicked savagely and there was another crash as the trolley went over again with the man on top of it.
"46 MERCY WAY! I HAVE TO GO!" For a moment, neither Gaze nor Lionheart thought about it, but then they both stared at each other as the significance of the address filtered through.
A second later, the door banged off the wall as Gaze nearly ran in.
"Hey, you can't be in here! Please, for you own safety, get out!" the very harassed doctor said, slotting a needle through the foam lid of a sedative, measuring out several notches of golden liquid. The young man on the bed thrashed wildly, arching his back and screaming wildly. Gaze put her hands to her ears to block out the awful sound, forging her way closer to the bed, ignoring the doctor.
"Why!? Why are you looking for Honourable United?" she yelled over the ruckus. The cat man's tawny eyes slid to hers, the pupils were vertical slits, inhuman.
"Have to find Midnight Gaze. Have to tell her! He's in danger! He needs help! LET ME GO! STOP IT! I DON'T WA-" he was cut off mid word as the needle pricked through the tender skin of his forearm and delivered the liquid. His pupils dilated and he sagged, every muscle loosening. The orderlies stood back with sighs of relief, one holding his bitten arm gently and others touching ginger fingers to their bruises. The doctor discarded the needle into the tray on the trolley, breathing out. Gaze felt numb as she stared at the now unconscious patient. Was this what Cleo had wanted her to see? The cat man had wanted to find her, to tell her that 'he' was in danger. Desperate hope sparked up again. It couldn't be a coincidence. She allowed herself to be pulled outside by Lionheart, and sat down on the uncomfortable, plastic chair outside the room.
"I'll stay here. I want to be here as soon as he wakes up. I think he knows where Jakey is," she said quietly. Lionheart nodded.
"Would you like a cup of tea, chum? They do an alright brew here."
"Thanks Lion, that would great." Gaze watched as Lionheart walked down the corridor, then placed her hands on her knees. It felt like the days when Jakey had been around belonged to another life almost. He'd been gone so long that she was sure some of the super-group were losing hope of ever seeing him again. She hoped that the sedative would wear off soon. Who knew how badly Jakey needed help?

??:??, unknown

Jakey's eyes opened slowly, he could see dapples of light and shadow on the compact earth before him. He turned his head slowly and looked up. Leaves overlapped above, their slim, slender shapes transfused the light with a soft green glow. He rolled onto his back and reached a hand out to touch them, a furred limb came into view. He barely noticed the paw, it felt right. He batted at the lowest leaves, then caught one between both his paws and he leaned his head up to maul it, biting drew out the pungent plant juices and he flicked his head in a sneeze. He released the leaf and rolled to his pads, shaking his thick fur and then trotting briskly out from under the bush. The lawn rolled down a slope, he stopped to sniff at the garden gnome, then rub its ugly face with his cheeks and then knock it over. Having defeated the goblin, he rolled over, wriggling in the grass.
"Jakey! Dinner time!" a call floated from the house at the end of the lawn and he sat up briskly, then bounded through the grass and up the steps, plunging through the dog door.
"Oh there you are!" said a voice above, he slipped past the table and rubbed against her legs, threading around her ankles, mewing in what he hoped was a cute way. The girl continued to chop up the fish on the work surface, the smell of it nearly drove him nuts. It was salmon, fresh, wonderful salmon. A moment later, he could hear the fish being scraped into his bowl and he gambolled around the girl's feet as she walked over to the mat, placing the bowl down. He surged to it and crouched so he could devour his meal. Beside him, the girl crouched and petted him.
"I'm so happy you're home, Jakey. I thought you'd never come back," she said softly. Jakey paused in his gobbling to look up at her. Suzie looked wrong somehow. He blinked, taking a step back.
"What's wrong Jakey, it's salmon. You love salmon," she said. He stopped, confused. It was Suzie, his owner, the girl whose hands had reached down into a gutter of thick rain water and picked up his tiny, shivering body. He knew the smell of her intimately, it had been like a mother's to him, the memory of being held to a white school shirt, his bedraggled fur soaking it through, but finding warmth. The tender hands that had cradled him as he struggled to stand, that had provided him with food and affection. He sank his belly to the floor, feeling confused, like he was missing something. Suzie rubbed behind his ears, her finger disappearing up to the first knuckle in his fur.
"What's the matter? Don't feel well?" her soft voice held only concern for him and his wellbeing. She petted him for another moment, then slipped her arms down around his chest and lifted. She picked him up and then supported his hind quarters, kissing the crown of his head. Holding him close. The smell of her made him feel like … feel like …
"Bet you're full after eating all Mum's plants, huh? You're such a bad kitty." She carried him from the kitchen into the living room, sitting down on the sofa and picking up a brush from the side and setting him on her lap so she could brush his thick fur. He closed his eyes in contentment, one paw reached out in front, flexing the tips of his claws only slightly.
It was alright now, Mother was here.
The brush smoothed through his fur, eliciting a deep purr in his chest. It was all okay now, no need to do anything. No need to run anywhere. Peace at last, and it was right. His skin fit. He looked out the window with half open eyes, then frowned. When had it started to rain? Something moved outside, causing his eyes to open. He pulled out from under the brush and trotted to the window, leaping up to the sill and staring out. He stared at the place where he'd seen the motion, ears pricked. Lightening sparked across the sky and illuminated the garden for a split second and his fur stood right up. Poles had been driven into the ground and to each one was tied a dead person. Their lolling heads and wide staring eyes seared in his mind after the flash had gone. His small heart pounded in his chest. A hand touched his head and ran fingers down his neck and back and curled around his tail, gliding its full length.
"Come eat your salmon, Jakey." Suzie's voice was calm, even. Jakey shivered, still staring, like he could pierce the dark with his eyes. Who were they? Why were they tied to stakes in the ground? Who could have done such a thing? The questions raced, they would not be still. Suzie's hands curled around him, picking him up and taking him away from the window. He mewed an objection, then stopped as they passed the window in the hallway. Outside it was sunny. Jakey stared at it in bewilderment as they went back into the kitchen. Hadn't it just been raining?
What the hell was going on?

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

13:21, Bonny Morass, Striga

A clear night, a gentle pan left to right. The dark mass of trees in the bog stirred in a faint breeze, their sighs picked up on the audio sensors. Some movement down and to the left, zoom in on a patch of rough foliage, some shrubs maybe. Nothing else moves, just leaves and branches in the breeze, start to pan away. Everything was quiet for a long time, then too close there came a strangled noise. Swung around quickly and just caught sight of a figure falling over the side of the wall with something on its chest. Zoom in, try to catch details, but it was too swift and over already. Slow pan, zoom in on cover, watch for more motion. There to the right, figures darting between cover, no there, to the left, things moving. Try to watch both, too fast, too quiet. Another strangled sound, spin around, red liquid splatters over the lens as the view is filled with a uniform, then the man slides down with a thud. A blurred figure, standing close. Can't make out details, see a tail, see ears, watch as the fallen man is dragged over to the wall and then tipped over it.

Wilkins sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He'd sent the others on ahead, only Avenger was nearby, from the sounds of it, he was insulting some warwolves on the beach.
"You're under arrest, please resist, it amuses me!"
Wilkins rubbed his temples. He wished he could just dismiss what they'd learned from a terrified Archon being held over the side of the wall by Avenger. Cat men who stalked the night of Striga. He hadn't witnessed it first hand, but had been in one of the security stations, monitoring the security cameras. Five tall cat men led by a ridiculously short one. He didn't want to think what he kept thinking, yes, the evidence was circumstantial, but part of him knew. Jakey and his new 'friends' had done it. The butler was troubled when he walked down to the beach and watched Avenger thump a warwolf on top of its head, slamming it into the sand with an audible 'whump'. He focused his mind away from their troubled rings and stretched his hand out to Avenger. He took a breath and a green light suffused through his white glove. A corresponding glow curled around Avenger and then dimmed. The other man looked around and dusted off his hands.
"You seem distracted. Something up?" he asked. Wilkins reached up and rubbed his beard, pulling a face.
"I'm somewhat perturbed by the news the Archon gave us."
"Oh. About the cat guys? Well, it's not so outside the realms of possibility is it? Gangs are always fighting against each other," Avenger said pragmatically, watching a few seagulls further down the beach. Wilkins frowned lightly.
"That is not what bothers me. What bothers me is that I have a terrible feeling that the one who led them was a dear friend of mine." Avenger thought about that for a moment.
"You think he's gone dark side?" he folded his arms. Wilkins grimaced, stroking his beard again.
"Hard to imagine. Gaze is not going to like this."

14:05, Cygnus Medical Centre, Steel Canyon

"What do you mean, 'Jakey's turned into a psychopath'?" Gaze demanded into her radio, standing in the car park of the hospital.
"From the testimony that an Archon very graciously supplied, it's either Jakey or another very little cat man." Wilkins' voice was muffled, and in the background, she could hear Avenger questioning someone's dress-sense loudly.
"I can't believe our Jakey would do something like that. It's just not like him." Gaze insisted, looking around when Lionheart came out of the hospital doors and saw her, waving her over, "Look, I've got to go. I don't care what that Archon says, our friend is not a homicidal maniac."
"He's awake again, asking for you." Gaze nodded thankfully and hooked the radio back onto her belt as she climbed up the steps.
The young man was held down on the bed by leather shackles, from the words stencilled onto them, they were from the psychiatric ward. Gaze felt for him as he lay there, staring up at the ceiling.
"You wanted to see me?" she asked quietly, closing the door behind her. He jumped a bit, as if disturbed from his thoughts, then turned his head to look at her.
"You're Midnight Gaze?" he sounded doubtful, or just confused. Gaze nodded and he looked back up at the ceiling distractedly.
"He told me to go to Kings Row. I tried. Passcendale and Bordeaux tried to stop me. Wouldn't have made it if it hadn't been for that woman …" he said, looking down at his right hand and struggling to move it. His ears went back when the restraints held and sighed deeply.
"Who's 'he'?" Gaze had a hunch, but she wanted it confirmed. The young man grimaced.
"Jakey. He told me the Doctor was controlling us. I feel sick … I need my medicine …" he broke off, shaking all over. Gaze wanted to help him, but there was only so much she could about withdrawals. She reached her hand out and placed it on his forehead, closing her eyes and concentrating. A purple glow seeped between them and the boy blinked, looking up at her.
"How …?"
"Something of a little gift of mine. Where is Jakey?"
"In the old mines under Perez. If you have a map, I can mark down the entrance for you," he watched her hopefully. Gaze held up a finger.
"I'll go get one," she got to her feet, then stopped and looked back, "what's your name?"
"Rouen."
"Alright, Rouen. I'll only be a minute."

15:30, The Base, Kings Row

Raphael leaned idly on his hand, staring at the radio before him. He listened with half an ear to the muted news report on the television, then turned his head to watch Cathode playing with the wires. He looked like he was doing something very complicated and Raphael was about to ask him what it was when something caught his eye on television. He grimaced with distaste as Chris Jenkins, an attorney whom he disliked intensely, spoke into banks of microphones. Cathode also looked up, watching curiously. Any hero worth his salt knew who Chris Jenkins was, and some speculated wildly as to the man's motives for being such a *******. Jenkins was very much of the mind that heroes should be vetted and controlled and monitored. He would rather have every hero acting on orders, rather than skipping about in what he regarded to be unlawful vigilante activities. Heroes were a menace whose very blithe disregard of a command structure undermined good American society. They set a bad example for the children, and through the glamorisation of their actions, encouraged them to follow their path. Freaks and mutants should not have that kind of power.
Raphael rolled his eyes, they'd all heard it before, it was the usual stuff of Chris Jenkins' press conferences. The picture changed to wobbly footage of a man being led into a police van by armed police officers. Raphael frowned and lifted his head as Cathode reached for the volume and turned it up.
"-day, Cats Cradle has been arrested on the charge of murder in the first degree. This is the first time a hero has been arrested by Paragon Police Department for seven years. Christopher Jenkins, attorney at law, called a press conference earlier to allay the fears of the city. He said that "one hero has gone too far, how many will follow? The culture of might makes right must be brought to account". After the bloody massacre of Striga Island, in which twenty seven men were murdered, Congress have ordered a curfew for all registered heroes effective immediately-"
The phone rang, Raphael picked it up hastily.
"Honourable United, Raphael De Arca speaking, how may I be of assistance?" he asked, slightly numbly as his eyes stayed glued to the screen.
"Honourable United, this is Blue Steel calling on behalf of Statesman, you are advised to stand down all pending missions and abide by the new curfew. No hero is to be seen working after dark." A deep voice said on the end of the line. Raphael's heart sank slightly, he couldn't believe he was hearing this.
"But sir, who will patrol the streets? We might be on a curfew, but I doubt injustice will be," he said, forcing himself not to snap. Blue Steel deserved his respect, not his reproach.
"I understand, De Arca, however, as we love and protect Paragon City, we must do this. We enforce the law, but we are all held more tightly by it than any other. Do what you can, but we must all respect this curfew, or we will be as bad as we are painted by the nay-sayers. Remember, De Arca, no hero must be seen working after dark."
Raphael put down the phone when Blue Steel hung up, and he stared at Cathode.
"Get everyone here now. We have a real emergency, Code Seven," he said, getting up and pulling on his gloves. Cathode nodded and scrambled to the radio, taking Raphael's vacated seat.
"This is a call to all members of Honourable United, return to base. Repeat, return to base."
"I'm kinda in the middle of something here!"
"Code Seven."
"… I'm on my way."

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

17:50, Cygnus Medical Centre, Steel Canyon

Raphael De Arca, Midnight Gaze and Dax Furnace all stared at each other in the foyer. Around them medical staff and patients moved back and forth, the odd hero running outside to answer their radio. Every television was displaying the same news report, now with added clips of the Congressional Assembly Hall voting for the curfew.
"I can't believe news of Striga broke so quickly," Dax muttered, watching two swordsmen arguing hotly with many a wave to a television. Gaze hugged herself tightly.
"How are they even getting away with arresting Cats Cradle? I mean, I know he's not the city's favourite, those little remarks of his a few months ago aren't reason to believe he's a psychopath are they?"
"He's been reported before. Use of excessive force mostly." Raphael stared at nothing, his calm, cultured voice revealing none of the savage anger he felt at all parties involved with this fiasco.
"Think this was the Council's plan?" Dax asked bitterly. Raphael shook his head.
"No, but they are taking advantage of the situation. Setting Chris Jenkins on us was just plain evil. While we're all tied up in red tape, they can find out what happened to their men and crush those responsible or worse."
"Here chums, I brought tea." Lionheart waded her way through the bustling chaos holding a tray. The other three heroes nodded their thanks and took a cup each.
"Join forces with them?" Dax asked.
"At least long enough to discover just how they managed to overpower and kill twenty seven of their finest men," Raphael sipped his tea. Lionheart looked around distastefully when three heroes walked past, swearing liberally about the curfew.
"What did you find out from the boy, Gaze?" she asked. Gaze dropped her voice.
"Rouen drew me a map of how to find Jakey. Apparently this "Doctor" character is looking for Avatar," she frowned. Dax and Raphael exchanged looks.
"The hero?" they asked at the same time. Gaze shrugged.
"I have no idea. He was losing coherence or he just didn't know. Apparently Jakey holds the key to Avatar and he's in mortal danger," she hissed. Lionheart looked upset.
"But what about the curfew?" As a once special ops officer, she at least respected a chain of command, even if she had been placed beyond it now, answering to a bare handful of people and those she chose to. Raphael snorted, he'd never answered to a chain of command that he couldn't charm the pants off in his life.
"The curfew can respectfully kiss my tight, mind-blowingly handsome backside." Dax pursed her lips at his choice of description while Gaze threw one hand up.
"No! Raph, if we break this curfew and get caught, every bit of ****** retentive legislation that Jenkins has threatened us with will get passed. We'll be the bad guys, the ones who are a law unto ourselves, and that could get us all tangled up red tape, or worse!"
"You're forgetting something, my dear ladies," Raphael De Arca drew himself up, putting elegant gloved fingers to his chest, "we'd have to be seen."
Dax looked at Gaze, Gaze looked at her, then at Lionheart. Lionheart grinned slowly, then Gaze's eyes lit up and Dax nodded. Raphael's grin was cunning as he saw that they had all heard and understood, he put his hand forward, palm down. Without words needing to be said, Dax, Gaze and Lionheart all put their hands over his in unison.
"Honourable United does not leave one of their own behind. Ever," Lionheart said quietly. Dax grinned.
"I can't believe we're doing the hand thing."
"Embrace the cliché, Dax m'dear. It's touching me in a warm and fuzzy place." Raphael smiled winningly. Gaze snorted a bit.
"I bet that part of you wears leather and has a fetish for handcuffs," she smiled, the secret rebellion hanging in the air around them made anything seem possible. Lionheart looked alarmed.
"Well there's a lovely mental image for me to get along with."
"Come to my place later and we'll see about those handcuffs, m'dears. But for now, let us formulate a daring rescue plan."

??: ??, unknown, unknown

Jakey fled through the garden, his paws silent on the soil, his eyes fixed on the outer wall. He bunched himself and leapt, hurtling up through the air and his paws found the top, he balanced for a precarious second, then he surged again. He landed neatly on the other side, ducking down to his very chest as to absorb the impact. He sprang out of his crouch into a bold run. This wasn't right. This place, there was something off about it, something he couldn't quite place. He paused on the corner of the street to sniff at his territory markings. All accounted for, this was his home. He sneezed in aggravation, he should be happy. He had his life back.
Only it wasn't his life.
If only he could work out what was wrong about it. He stretched out in a run again, taking pleasure simply from the way his body moved. It was such a liberation to just flex his claws. How long had he been caged in that human body, vulnerable to so much. Now he could leap and run and twist as Nature had intended him to.
After a while, he returned to the house, darting through the dog door. He remembered when it was installed, after he'd gotten jammed in the cat-flap for the umpteenth time. The lino was warm under his paws and he padded into the living room. He could hear Suzie up in her room, listening to the latest cool band her life hadn't been complete before listening to. Morbid curiosity called him up to the windowsill and he stared out. The window sill. It had moments where it didn't show the front garden like it was supposed to, rather changing scenes and moments. He almost understood something about it, but the meaning eluded him for now. His tail flicked from side to side and his green eyes narrowed intensely. Something just wasn't right here.

20:30, Raphael's apartment, Talos Island

Raphael stood by his mini-bar, mixing up a little something 'n' something for himself. Normally he would be congratulating himself over the three very beautiful women draped about his elegant chairs. Maybe it was the presence of Wilkins that was putting a dampener on his smugness. The butler rubbed his beard.
"This will take a lot of co-ordination. Myself and the others will certainly do everything to draw attention away from the roads you'll be using. We don't know how much attention a staged protest will draw, but hopefully it'll be enough," he said, pouring tea for everyone. Gaze had her arms folded impatiently.
"Shame we can't picket Chris Jenkins in his home. I'd like to see him cope being surrounded by freaks, mutants and weirdoes."
"We can certainly chalk it in for a later date," Dax smiled, looking thoughtful. Raphael looked out the window, noting the dusk thickening.
"Are you ready, ladies?" he asked. As one, Dax, Gaze and Lionheart stood up. Wilkins offered Lionheart a custard cream, which she put in her pocket solemnly. The butler then took his radio off his belt.
"Honourable United, this is Wilkins. Time to do like the students do. Operation Inconvenience is now in effect. To your positions!"
"Who thought that was a good name anyway?" Raphael grumbled, 'Operation Inconvenience' just conveyed the impression that they weren't going to open doors for anyone in future and maybe cut to the front of queues.
In another part of the city, members of Honourable United were getting onto trains in the group's colours of black and white. Those who lived closest to Atlas Park were already in front of the statue of Atlas, nodding to each other. They all knew that they, a group dedicated to honourable conduct, were breaking the rules. And not one of them stayed at home. The curfew was a mistake and if they didn't make their voices heard, then innocent people could end up dead.
Wilkins saluted Raphael, Dax, Gaze and Lionheart.
"Good luck and god speed."
"Oh, how delightfully cloak and dagger." Raphael didn't need to speak the words, but he wanted to do it now just for the moment, "we can now no longer be seen or heard."
To Wilkins eyes, the four of them faded into nothingness, and it wasn't until the door opened that he realised they'd moved. He watched the door close itself and he breathed out, wishing he could go with them, but someone had to remain and keep up the illusion that all of them were still in the flat. He turned on the television and turned the volume down, then settled down to the mobile radio unit that was arrayed on Raphael's table. He pulled on the headphones, listening to the excited, determined voices of his super group. They all knew the stakes and they were all ready to rise to the occasion. He'd never been prouder of them.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

22:01, Bettis Woods, Perez Park

The forest was alive with rustles and the cackles of local fauna, only the curl of disturbed mist indicated the passage of something unseen. The disguise was so absolute that Gaze, Dax, Lionheart and Raphael kept their hands on the person ahead lest they lose each other in the poor visibility.
"Dax, is that you?" Lionheart asked after a while.
"Is what me?"
"There's a hand in an inappropriate place on my chest."
"Oh sorry, I thought you were Gaze," Raphael's voice said from just behind her and the hand moved to her shoulder.
"Are we sure we're even going in the right direction?" Dax's voice asked from the back. Gaze nodded, then realised they couldn't see.
"Yes, look there's the entrance to the caves!" She led them the last few feet to the boarded up entrance to the cave network. Someone had optimistically printed 'No Entry' on the boards. Lionheart wasted no time in pulling enough boards free so they can slip in.
The cave was not particularly difficult than any they'd been in before, water dripped from the ceiling in an irregular rhythm, mushrooms and crystal growths gave the place an eerie glow.
"Ah, spelunking. The sport of gentlemen," Raphael said drolly. Gaze was glad she'd thought to change into her 'spelunking suit', the thick fabric hugged close to her skin but the helmet and breather still hung down her back. These caves could get very cold the deeper you went, and she had no particular desire to shiver. There was a rustle as she pulled out the map.
"Damnit, Raph, I can't see the map, it's invisible," she muttered, keeping her voice low in case the echoes carried.
"Yes you can, you can see the map as if it were bright daylight."
"Oh, yeah … thanks." Gaze pored over the map that Rouen had drawn, committing it to memory, "alright, let's go." She picked up Dax's hand and put it on her shoulder, and resumed walking.

22:24, caves, under Perez Park

Faint sounds were starting to reach their ears, like discordant singing and yowling. The tunnels had twisted and turned and looped back over themselves so much that they started to wonder how far they actually extended. Finally they came up against a barrier, which Lionheart prised apart both easily and silently, and they slipped in. The caves beyond the barrier were completely different. Old bookshelves lined the walls and intricate carvings could be seen pulsing with arcane light.
"Damnit, the Circle of Thorns just had to insinuate their way into this mess, didn't they?" Raphael muttered from the back of the line. Dax regarded the stonework around them, then pointed ahead.
"I think the caterwauling's coming from there. Um … the right hand passage."
"Well it's a better lead than we have so far. We must have taken a wrong turning, as Rouen didn't mention any of this," Gaze said uncertainly. Lionheart held her counsel, as Rouen, despite his good intentions, could not have been a reliable witness due to all the drugs floating around his system. They were lucky that they'd gotten this far on his words at all.
They picked their way over fallen rubble and soon returned to the natural caves, winding their way deep into the Earth. Finally they stepped out onto a platform and each one of them stopped to draw a sharp breath.
Spreading down and away, was a cavern of monstrous proportions, it was as large as Steel Canyon itself, huge pillars of stone held up the ceiling and in the centre was a steppe pyramid, a ziggurat. Growths of crystal and great bonfires were just pinpricks of light in the distance and the wailing and screeching was coming from the ground.
"Dax, you have the best eyes, what can you see?" Gaze whispered to her friend, afraid to raise her voice even though the cavern would just swallow any noise they made. Dax frowned and strained her eyes.
"There are people down there, can't tell you how many other than loads," she muttered. Lionheart clenched a fist.
"That's a lot to fight through, chums, but I'm willing to give it a shot." Raphael put his hand on the indomitable woman's arm.
"I think I have a better, more elegant plan than fighting our way through. Let's get a bit closer, shall we?"

22:45, Heraklepolis, ????

"This is stupid, I feel like an idiot," Dax hissed, her tail twitching from side to side in an aggravated manner. Gaze's ears twitched and went back.
"Well, to give it its dues, they aren't paying any attention to us," she said hesitantly. Personally she was rather enjoying the tail. She could feel it swing behind her and she could see it flick into view every now and then, it was as blue as her hair and fluffy. She caught it in her hand and stroked the thick, soft fur. So this was how it felt to have a tail. Dax's was of course fiery red, and Lionheart's was white. Raphael was looking surprisingly dignified with his sleek black fur. All around them, cat people argued, laughed, tumbled and groomed, there were hundreds of them, an entire army. None of the heroes had said anything yet, but they were all thinking it, one of these cats was an equal to three normal humans. How much damage could they wreak if they were unleashed on the populace of Paragon city?
They were nearing the ziggurat now, the steps lead up to a kind of throne on an altar. There were more cats up there, and every so often, one or two from the ground would ascend to replace others coming down. Lionheart tried to put an actual number to the cats that flanked them, 'hundreds' was a number that didn't sit easily with her, she wanted to know exactly how many she would need to fight her way through if things went sour. Infiltration was much easier when you had an illusionist as skilled as Raphael De Arca with you, but even then, things could go wrong and there was no harm in being prepared.
There was a rustle through the cats and Gaze stopped, feeling an almost minute change in atmosphere. They were all looking up at the top of the ziggurat, so she did too. A small figure was standing on the lip of the steps, one she recognised too easily. Before she could shout and give herself away, Dax grabbed her arm.
"My kittens, something unwelcome has come into Heraklepolis!" Jakey's voice came from Jakey's mouth, but there was something about him that was not Jakey-like. The four heroes tried to look small and confused like everyone else. Jakey sprang off the ziggurat and landed with puff of dust at the foot of the steps. Cats drew away from him respectfully, and maybe a little fearfully. He straightened and even though his stature was tiny, there was something huge and intimidating about him. Gaze winced. That wasn't Jakey, it just looked a lot like him.
"One of you is carrying a parasite, kittens. One of you has been dallying above ground with the worst kind of scum," Jakey turned his head this way and that as he prowled through the crowd. The cats shrank away, ears flat to their heads.
Dax tugged Gaze into a cowering mass of cat, hoping they'd be passed over. She didn't want to have to incinerate one of her own friends, no matter how barking he'd become. Jakey paused, then turned his head in their direction, ears pricked. He stayed that way for a few moments, then laughed playfully.
"My kittens, we have guests! Bring her, her, her and him to me." He pointed his finger out, indicating Dax, Gaze, Lionheart and Raphael faultlessly, then turned and sprang back up the steps.
Lionheart dug her heels in when hands grabbed her and started trying to move her, she didn't know what had gotten into Jakey's head, but he was not the same cat she knew and she was damned if she was going to be carted around anywhere by his flunkies.
"Unhand me, you craven louts! If you put so much as a wrinkle in one's garments I shall have you thinking you're a dog for the rest of eternity!" Raphael was also not keen to move, but being significantly less strong than Lionheart, was hauled off his feet and carried overhead by seven cats, kicking and thrashing. Dax and Gaze were hauled to their feet, and then off them, eager cats carrying them to the ziggurat and up. There wasn't even time to object - much - before they were thrown at the feet of the throne. Lionheart joined them a few minutes later, swamped with cats.
Gaze looked up slowly.
Jakey was lounging on his throne, looking like a bored, spoiled prince. His green eyes slide to the side and watched her watching him. Then he grinned.
"And so it begins."

22:50, Heraklepolis, ????

"Your avatar looks ridiculous, Maau." Gaze jumped when she heard a voice speaking so close to her. Jakey laughed, looking at his hand.
"You almost ruined it, Seth. Almost, but not quite." He sat up, one hand on the arm of his throne and the other at his mouth, half obscuring his grin, "Of course, your avatar of choice is a little unusual. I know this one, it may be a mutant, but it's still human." Gaze scowled, why was he looking so intently at her?
"You always are so quick to judge on appearances, I am merely riding this primate to get close to you. And you, like the fool you are, let me." Gaze felt her head yanked back as a laugh sounded, with a horrified sick feeling, she realised it was her voice and her mouth moving. Jakey snapped to his feet angrily and lashed out his hand. Raphael struggled to stand, weighed down by cats, but before Jakey's hand struck Gaze's face, it stopped dead in midair.
Gaze felt her mouth twist into a cruel smile.
"Having trouble with your avatar, Maau? Does he not like hitting girls? Or … oh my, oh my, my, my. You're just projecting." Gaze's eyes widened in amazement as she realised she could see the throne through Jakey's body.
Dax looked sideways at Lionheart, keeping her voice low while their captors were focused on the exchange between their leader and the human woman in the hat.
"If he's not real, then the real Jakey is somewhere else. We're going to need to provide covering fire real soon." Lionheart just nodded, looking for some way to divest herself of the cats who clung to her, perched on her and generally weighed her down.
Jakey, or 'Maau', bared his teeth, then whisked up his throne to stand on the very back of it.
"You are also not at full strength, Seth. The rift is not yet open fully," he sneered, tail lashing from side to side. Raphael was still struggling when Gaze's mouth smirked.
"I don't need to be. My avatar is powerful in her own right." The words had barely finished when an explosion of light and wind blasted the four heroes and their restraining cats off the top of the ziggurat. There was a horrific stab of pain through her head and the fall was an aching hollow rush across Gaze's back and she screamed, the feelings that just prickled the edge of her torn open psyche became a full blown terror. She hit a pair of arms and for a surreal moment, thought her brother had caught her. Lionheart put her down on her feet gently. Gaze felt sick, her knees just buckled and she hit the floor. She could see Lionheart, she could see the cave, but the sound was muffled like it was coming through layers of wool. She felt her mouth working and panicked, were they her own words? Or was that huge, monstrous snake still behind her eyes, working her like a puppet. Frantically her hands scrabbled at Lionheart's arms, to stop her moving away so fast. Why was she shrinking and pulling back? Was there a hole? Was she falling? Why did her chest hurt so much?

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

23:00, Heraklepolis, ????

"Gaze! Keep breathing Gaze!" Lionheart cradled Gaze's flailing body desperately, shielding her from the panicked cats that fled in all directions around them. She knew nothing of medicine beyond bandaging a few wounds up and keeping yourself in combat readiness, but there was nothing physically wrong with Gaze. The woman's mouth was open and she was turning blue, making tight, strangled noises.
"Use your aura, Gaze, USE YOUR AURA!" Lionheart shouted, desperate for her friend to hear her. A green glow spluttered down Gaze's arms, it restored some colour to her cheeks, but they rapidly paled and started tinging blue again.
"What's wrong with her?" Dax shoved two cats aside, nearly falling beside them both. Lionheart looked up at her and Dax was horrified to see tears down the invulnerable woman's face.
"She can't heal herself, she's dying … " Lionheart kept her voice level, only the tears betrayed her fear for her friend.
"You all love and revere me as a god on Earth! And your leg is broken!" Raphael's voice fought to control the cats, they suddenly parted for him like the Red Sea and he hurried over, his hair messed up and his robe hanging a bit loose. He saw to both of these as he came.
"What happened, has Jakey gone stark raving bonkers?!"
"Raph, Gaze is …" It was then that Lionheart realised she could not hear Gaze's frantic struggles to breath, nor feel her hands clawing at her sleeves. She looked down. Gaze was still, her face still wide-eyed and mouth open, frozen into her last expression. The three heroes were still for a moment as the terrible truth sank in.

??: ??, ????, ????

Jakey slipped out of the dog door, prowling up the garden path and leaping the fence. He had a determined look to him, his tail carried parallel to the ground. He got it now. The window. Pretty obvious when he came to think about it. Eyes were the window to your soul, and if you were trapped inside looking out? Why not through a window. Everywhere outside this little oasis of false memory was Maau. He knew the name, he'd always known it, really. Maau had been the mother's voice that had chivvied his steps to the roadside. Maau had been the one to stop the car. She was the one who taught him how to hunt. In his dreams and quiet moments of rest, Maau had been there, in the very back of his mind. Sitting on the windowsill and looking out. Waiting for a moment to steal his life. That he could forgive, she had a mission to destroy the evil serpent, it was her calling and her purpose. But she'd gotten his friends involved, and that was not on.
He slipped under a thicket and padded through the woods, eventually coming out into a meadow with three standing stones. In the centre of them, where he knew she would be, was Gaze. He sprang over to her in light steps and mewed, nuzzling at her face. His long whiskers tickled her eyes and cheeks and she flinched, pulling back and opening her eyes. She stared at the cat before her for a minute, before it clicked.
"Jakey?!" She sat up, staring at him, "You're … you're massive."
Jakey looked down at himself, then up at her. If he could have sighed, he would have. There was a reason he'd ended up a small human, he'd been turned into one with no extra mass added. He had been intended to be Maau's warrior body, of course he was physically impressive. He broke out of his thoughts when he felt a very welcome petting on his head. He flicked his ears up and looked up at Gaze as she stroked him.
"You're so big and fluffy, Jakey," she said, wearing a bit of a silly grin. Jakey pulled his head free from her hand and trotted off purposefully, looking around at her expectantly. When she looked at him, sat up in the grass, he put his paw to his neck, trying to convey to her that while his cognitive functions were all still in place, his vocal chords weren't refined enough for human speech, to say nothing of lips and tongue.
"You want me to go with you?"
"Raaaaaaaay," Jakey tried to say her name, his whiskers pulling back and showing his sharp, white teeth. Gaze stood up slowly and started to follow.
"Where are we?"
"'oooome." A low throated growl would have to do for 'home'. Gaze struggled to work out what he meant, ducking under branches as he led her through the woods to the street. He leapt over the fence and she climbed over.
He led her all the way to the dog door and hopped in.
"Oh you have got to be kidding." Gaze stared at the large flap. Jakey stuck his head out to see what was keeping her. She sighed.
"This stays between us, don’t you dare tell anyone else I did this." And with that she got down on her knees and climbed in through the dog door. Jakey sat watching her from the table, his tail flicking, but betraying none of his internal amusement. He would have told her that the door was unlocked if he could, but somehow, this was much better. He waited for Gaze to straighten and dust herself off, then sprang off the table with a thump and pad into the hallway. She followed him, frowning slightly as she could hear chirpy pop music from somewhere upstairs. She wondered who was in, then turned her attention back to Jakey as he slipped into the living room. She hurried to join him and watched as he jumped up onto the windowsill.
"What is it?" she moved over to join him, and looked out the window.

23:03, Heraklepolis, ????

Paper whirled in a cyclone at the top of the ziggurat, lightening formed from nowhere and stuck the building. Dax yelped and put her hand to her cheek when a menu went by so fast it cut her.
"This is insane, how are we supposed to even get up there?" she demanded, having to shout over the concussive screaming of the wind and crack of thunder.
"I have no idea!" Raphael yelled back, no longer struggling to keep his appearance neat, his cravat flapping wildly near his ear. Lionheart looked up.
"Raph! Didn't you tell the cats you were a god on Earth?" she yelled. Raphael waved his hand, ducking as a bit of masonry hurtled where his head had been.
"It was just out of pique, m'dear!"
"Well that as may be, but they're waiting for your orders!" She pointed to where the cats, those who had not fled into the tunnels, cowered. They were armed with swords, both single and double edged, claws, one even had spines like a kind of hedgehog. Raphael looked at them, then grinned.
"I think I have an idea! Dax, be ready to rain down fire, make it suitably Old Testament, Lionheart, you have the most battle command experience, I want you to play general, and lead these cats into battle. Leave everything else to me!" he yelled. Dax looked down at Gaze.
"What about Gaze?!"
"There's nothing we can do for her now but win this thing and get her home! So let's win it quickly and well!" Raphael turned to the cats, "I am a god on Earth, if you love life then follow us into glorious battle. Those of you who fall will take his place at my side in eternal life!"
Whether they believed him or not was not an issue, the cats were desperate and afraid, too much was happening that was outside their ken and a powerful stranger offered them eternal life even if they fell. It was a better offer than any others coming right now. The first lifted his sword with a yell.
"As you command!"
"Then forward, you blessed cats of God!"
Lionheart privately thought Raphael might be getting too into this 'god on Earth' business, but if it got them through the next twenty minutes, then she couldn't really complain. She put her fists up, then charged with a savage yell. Behind her, a wave of cats surged, holding up their weapons. The screaming mass of them was enough to rival the cyclone and the thunder.
Fire suddenly burst overhead, Dax had her hands up, bringing a rain of it down on the duelling figures atop the ziggurat, a manic grin on her face. It was hard not to buy into the moment, they were avenging angels. A woman lying on the ground was to be avenged, a cat who's mind had been taken was to be avenged. Avenged they would be, in fire and death.
Raphael threw his hand out, flanking him figures appeared, a phantasm made of light, a tall man of shadow and glimmer and three copies of Lionheart
"Go forth, my messengers, and spread the Word!" He flung his arms up and just to cap it all off, three pair of luminous wings unfurled behind him. This Maau and Seth had more on their plates than each other, they had him to deal with too. The Archangel Raphael, with his legion of loyal cat warriors.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

23:10, Heraklepolis, ????

Lionheart hit the steps of the ziggurat and tore up them, her fists were now glowing, something primal within her was stirring. Around her and behind her, leaping athletically and swiftly, were the cat people. They were under her command, they were hers, and she'd protect them and fight for them to the bitter end if she had to. She crested the top, fire blasting all around and there, in a whirling, devastatingly fast clash of fists and feet and fury, Jakey and a taller woman with the same red hair and face stripes fought. All around, paper screamed in the wind, thunder clashed and broke the stones, but neither could hit Jakey, it was like he was untouchable, dancing, his feet a blur and his skill unsurpassable. Cleo, that must have been who the other was, clashed with him again and again, fast enough to dodge his strikes, though unable to get a hit on him. They traded hit for hit, unable to touch each other, both masters, both equal. Lionheart paused, who to attack first?
Her dilemma was solved by the cats at her back, they surged forward and attacked both of them indiscriminately. There was no time to pick sides, there was only time to fight and try to survive. Lionheart roared and rushed in, putting her fist across Jakey's face. He kept his feet, grabbing her arm and flicking his body up in a twist, ramming his feet into her face and somersaulting off. Lionheart took the blow, dances of light played over her skin as an invisible shield reacted. She didn't want to do this with her friend, but she owed him the honour of being the one to take him down. Not one of these nameless strangers, it should be her. He was her friend and companion through dangers too numerous to count, she'd do this for him, and not flinch from it. She struck for him again, but he twisted his body away in a quick dart. He was so light on his feet, she didn't remember him being so light, it was almost as if he could evade the very fire that fell from above at Dax's direction. Lionheart focused, tensing as Jakey rushed in, dropping to the ground to sweep her legs out from under her in an ankle kick. His leg bashed against hers and coloured sparks flew off, his leg rebounding slightly. He didn't have time to dodge when she brought her fist down on his head, there was an audible crack and when he pulled away, blood was seeping down his face. He bared his sharp teeth.
"Foolish spirit of Albion, flee back to your rainy island, for I am Maau, and I am older than you can comprehend!"
"You can't distract me with words, Maau. You're just a flea-bitten cat. Bring it to this rainy spirit, and I'll show you how unbreakable it is!" She snapped her hand forward and beckoned. Jakey, Maau, screeched with a fury that shook the stones underneath, his fight with Cleo forgotten, he lunged for Lionheart as if he could see only her. She met him with a savagery that cracked the very air.
Cleo danced and swerved in tight circles keeping free of blades and edges, out numbered but using that to her advantage, only three could get to her at a time and she wanted it kept that way. She slammed her hand down and clenched her fist, smashing it up suddenly. The top of the ziggurat blasted upwards, throwing the cats wildly into the air. Before they fell, Raphael managed to convince most of them they were stronger and faster than that, and they leapt on the falling rocks like blurs of claws and steel. Cleo motioned with her arm and a river of carved stone hurtled towards Raphael, filling the air with a clattering roar. He had no choice but to run, escaping into the lea of one of the pillars, wincing as shattered shards of stone whistled through the air like bullets. Cleo, enraged she had missed, dodged away from a katana strike in a flying backflip and punched the ground on landing, a ripple of torn stone radiated out, throwing everyone off their feet but the duelling Lionheart and Maau. She clenched her fist and eyed Raphael's pillar of refuge, then brought it up. There was a creak as the altar stone shattered and something gold and intricately beautiful in design tore upwards to hover. She flung her fist forward and the sarcophagus howled through the air.
Maau saw it go flying, then screeched and threw out his hand, arresting its flight. His inattention got him smashed off his feet by a crushing blow to the sternum that sent him flying. He hit the ground on his back and skidded over the edge of the ziggurat, bouncing down the steppe sides.
Both Cleo and Raphael stared at the falling sarcophagus, and both worked it out at the same time. As one, they both hurled themselves after it with utter disregard of everything else. The cats flowed after Cleo, howling and yowling for her blood.
Raphael reached it first, just as the sarcophagus smashed into the ground, cracking on impact, the lid flying off. He ducked as it whizzed over head and hit the side, looking in. A small body lay askew within, wrapped from head to toe in bandages, some dried blood near the chest. Raphael reached in and pulled the body out, holding it tightly as Cleo hurtled towards him. He yelled as she impacted with him, her fist ramming into his face savagely.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!"

23:40, Heraklepolis, ????

Raphael threw sand in Cleo's face, snatching the mummified body up and turning to run as fast as his legs would carry him. He knew it the moment Seth had said Maau was projecting. Maau was an illusion, this was the real Jakey, this inert lump of tissue and bone in his arms. A gale struck him in the face, robbing his lungs of air to breath, he half turned, being slammed off his feet by Cleo again.
"Call off you minions!" she screamed over the sound of the storm, holding him down with her hands around his neck.
"Why should I?!" Raphael howled back, he could hear the cats getting closer, soon she would be torn off him and torn apart, hopefully.
"Because it's almost midnight, and Seth and Maau will be free!" It sounded desperate, and truthful, truthful enough that Raphael help up his hand.
"Stop!" The cat warriors skidded to a stop, ringing them and waiting. They had Cleo surrounded, she would not escape.
"Talk fast!" Raphael yelled.
"At midnight on this day, the rift that will allow Maau and Seth to enter this world will be fully open. I and my brother will be consumed in it, we are the gateways through which they will come!" Cleo unlocked her hands from around his neck. Raphael just stared at her.
"How are we to stop it then?!"
"Do you know the location of the Cavern of Transcendence?!" Cleo had to really yell, as thunder split the cavern air.
"YOU WANT US TO GET TO THE CAVERN OF TRANSCENDENCE IN TWENTY BLEEDIN' MINUTES?! YOU'RE BLOODY LOONY!" Raphael howled, this was insanity. Cleo bared her teeth and shoved her face close to his.
"I expect you to do as you were sworn to do, human, and protect this world from two beings whose struggle will only destroy it! I hate your kind, but I don't wish for all to be destroyed, don't worry about transport, leave that to me! Hurry! Maau is unconscious and Seth cannot control me until I lose consciousness or die!" Raphael didn't trust her an inch, but if she was right, then there was no time to question her.
"The Cavern is filled with Pumicites!" he yelled.
"If we work together, we can convince them we're not really there! Look, more buildings are appearing. Heraklepolis is breaking into our world. THERE'S NO TIME FOR THIS!" Cleo snatched up Jakey's body and suddenly collapsed into a whirl of paper, the sound of a book's leaves being thrown about in the wind. The mini tornado surged up to Raphael and suddenly he was falling, hurtling, shooting between the stars. He had no body and no senses, but he had motion. He could perceive a bright, hot flame nearby, Dax, and a howl of wind and boom of surf, Lionheart. Gaze was not with them. She was lying cold on a cave floor. How was he ever to explain this to Avenger?

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

22:43, The Cavern of Transcendence, The Hollows

Another flap of pages and Raphael stumbled, nearly pitching into lava when Dax's hands caught him and pulled him back. Lionheart looked around, in her arms was Gaze, now limp and expressionless. Cleo frowned, then looked sharply at Raphael, eyeing his wings with a kind of disgust.
"Well, human, if you're ready?" she snapped. Raphael drew himself up, taking offence at her tone. Dax put a hand on his shoulder.
"Tick tock." Her reminder of the passage of time forced him to calm himself.
"Very well, cat. Let us sneak through here. We cannot be seen or heard." He spread his arms, and they faded from sight.
"We are as light as the air and silent as the cat." Dax felt her feet leave the ground and squeaked a little, but no sound escaped her throat. She felt a hand take hers and then another, and then they were cruising down into the cavern itself. Pumicites moved contentedly about, picking up rocks to eat and rubbing against each other to groom or wading out into the lava to play. This was their home and the heroes and cat had no right intruding.
The heat from the lava made the air shimmer but soon they had crossed its length and come to blocked way. Raphael's voice sounded in Dax's ear but she wasn't sure how it had gotten there.
"We need to activate the stones, there need to be eight of us."
"You forget, human, that I am far more powerful than you. Open." There was a creak, then the stone that blocked the way slid out of sight, revealing a tunnel. Dax blinked, she'd been here before, to rescue a boy, and it had taken them hours to get this far. Had it been that long? It had certainly felt like it at the time. She felt a hand tug and followed, walking deeper into the tunnel. Behind them the stone slid shut, plunging them into darkness, but they were led true and came to the final cave. The Cavern of Transcendence itself. It was plain, unadorned. Only the pumicites and a single Circle of Thorns mystic knew its location despite the search of thousands.
"Put Jakey's friend on the ground. Next to him, yes." Cleo's voice sounded heavy. Dax watched as the others slowly faded into view, and saw the cat as she truly was for just a moment. She put her hand to her mouth without realising and swallowed. Cleo, who hadn't noticed the brief flicker to her illusion, sat down cross-legged and put her hands on her knees. She closed her green eyes and breathed, then reached out and put her hands on Jakey and Gaze's heads.

??: ??, ????, ????

Gaze jumped when she heard something thump a the front door, Jakey swivelled his head to look in that direction with alert ears. She looked at him for a moment, then walked to door and opened it. She saw no-one, then looked down. There was a cat on the doorstep, and it was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen in her life. One eye was closed and the skin around it was puffy and pock-marked, one ear was so ragged that it hung in a few tatters down the side of its face. The skin of the maw had been torn and scarred so badly that there was a constant snarl. One of the paws was crooked and folded inwards, the paw at ninety degrees to the rest of the leg and whole patches of fur were missing. What remained was a deep russet tabby. Scars from incisions littered the bald areas and the long tail was a sad, ragged pennant, still held up with a kind of stubbornness. A flag that flew over a battlefield where neither side had won.
"Get out of my way, human," the cat said, limping past her. Gaze just stared. That was Cleo's voice. Was that what Cleo truly looked like? She felt a fresh wave of pity and guilt. There was a thump as Jakey prowled out of the living room. The difference between he and his sister was marked. He was enormous compared to her, radiating health and vitality, making her seem even more a withered husk of life. He mewed softly and licked her face.
"As long as you hover in death, brother, Maau is free to tear her way into our world. I have come to take you back, if … that is what you want." Cleo looked up at him when he paused in his washing. Jakey's ears pricked.
"No, it was Seth's will that turned you human, if I were to correct that, then I will not have the strength left to fight him when he tries to free himself of me. Jakey, you must listen. Maau is a light god, yes, she is a defender of life, but you mean nothing to her. You are the hero she will sacrifice to fight Seth. This is what it is to be a hero, this is what it is to be destined."
Jakey's ears went back and he made a small noise. Cleo licked his face.
"I know. I also want you to live. I want you to live so much. Please, do something for me." Jakey mewed a little.
"Find a way to be happy, even if you cannot regain your true body. Have kittens, save the world, smile and sing and dance. And tell your kittens of me. Tell them stories of your sister," Cleo pushed her head against his chest, cleaning the long fur. Jakey looked a little confused, but made a sound of acquiescence. Gaze bit her lower lip, struggling to keep her tears at bay.
"Human, take Jakey and go through the window, smash it if you have to. Take him and go. Keep him awake through the minute of midnight, no matter how much he wants to sleep or die." Gaze just nodded, picking Jakey up. He was heavy, but that didn't surprise her, given his size. He put his paws on her shoulder and heaved up a bit, looking at Cleo as she stood where she was. He mewed plaintively, it only just sinking in that she wasn't coming. He struggled in Gaze's grasp but she held on tight. With no hands free, she had no option and focused her eyes on the glass. A beam of green energy blasted out and smashed through the pane. Gaze scrambled up and leapt out, holding tight to the struggling Jakey, his last wail trailed into the oblivion with her.

23:55, Atlas Square, Atlas Park

"This is exactly the kind of showboating that makes these so called 'heroes' a menace to society." Chris Jenkins was standing on a hastily erected podium with a rank of microphones in front of him, exhorting his opinion to the press.
Wilkins was tempted to shoot lightening up his nose, but curbed the impulse, that was certainly not the way a man behaved, even to Chris Jenkins. To think he'd even been tempted. Shocking. He sat down and spread out a bit of cloth and took out his cup and saucer, locating his thermos.
"He don't half go on. Let's go over there and kick him in the jimmies!" said a young woman nearby, she was standing with her arms tightly crossed, glaring hotly at the attorney and his gaggle of press. Singh, one of Honourable United's finest swordsmen, shook his head.
"Much as I'd like to see his jimmies kicked, that's exactly what we're supposed to not do. We just sort of … sit here."
"How is sitting here going to help?" the young woman asked. Wilkins didn't recognise her, though he had noticed a few heroes of other super groups arriving, as if Honourable United's show of numbers had motivated them, or perhaps they'd all been thinking the same thing all along. He'd like to think the latter. He noticed a few civilians moving around too, there was a young man with a blond beard and a guitar near the torches of City Hall, singing protest songs, and students from the city's universities. He was pleased to see Dave Wincott, a policeman who usually worked out of the Hollows, stopping by to talk to a few heroes. A huge bear of a man with a bald head walked past, talking to a dainty little woman wearing skintight black.
Yes, they were all out tonight. Everyone thought this curfew was a huge mistake, the heroes, the police and the civilians. Only Jenkins seemed to think it wasn't.
"Excuse me, Mr Wilkins?" Wilkins looked up and saw a young woman with vibrant purple hair smiling at him. She had a camera around her neck and was holding a notepad. Classic symptoms of being a reporter. He motioned for her to sit down.
"Would you like some tea?" he asked.
"Yes please, it's cold as brass monkeys out here." The reporter sat down and took the plastic cup from the top of the thermos. She sipped the tea and sighed, "thanks." Wilkins nodded.
"What can I do for you, miss? I'm sure a lovely lady such as yourself would rather talk to some of the younger heroes if it's just for socialising," he smiled. The girl tipped her head to the side, smiling an imp's smile. Wilkins was instantly on guard.
"Well, this isn't just a social visit no. I've been doing the rounds, and I've seen almost all of your super group present, it's a huge show of solidarity. But I was wondering about something, as some very prominent members of your group are missing. I was almost thrown when I saw the amount of hats, I assumed one Midnight Gaze to be here, but on closer inspection, turns out she's not. Would you care to comment on that?"
Wilkins sighed and blew on his tea, then nibbled a custard cream.
"Well, I'll have to be honest with you, Miss …?"
"Fairbright. Violet Fairbright."
"Miss Fairbright, Honourable United is at this moment engaged in quiet disobedience to the spirit of the law, but not the letter." Violet flipped her pad open and started scribbling with a pencil.
"Could you clarify that for me?"
"Midnight Gaze, Raphael De Arca, Dax Furnace and Lionheart are all presently engaged with filing mission reports, testing some samples we had pending and breaking some codes. This sort of paperwork is vital to the smooth running of our operations and they all wanted to feel like they were doing something useful with their time. While they are not being seen working out of the streets, they are working after the curfew. They, I and everyone here this evening believe that the curfew can only result in more crime and, though I pray it is not so, deaths. Though we respect the law, we also respect life and this city. Would Christopher Jenkins have us work a nine to five job when injustice is open all hours?" Wilkins made it clear through his tone that that was all she would get from him. Violet tapped the pad with her pencil and flipped it shut. She then offered her hand out.
"Thank you, and may I say that I really respect what you're doing, and what you've always done for everyone in this city. I can't imagine what it must be like to put your life on the line daily. I admire your restraint in dealing with Jenkins." And with that, she got to her feet and left. Wilkins hurrumphed a bit in his throat, colouring. It was nice to be appreciated.
"This little stunt goes in no way to ingratiate these vigilantes in the eyes of the public. Who threw that?!"
Wilkins looked around idly, and had to hide a smile when he saw that Jenkins had a football lodged in his microphones.
"Sorry sir! Just having a bit of a kick about!" a young hero called, rushing over. He was wearing a backwards baseball cap and he took it off to bob a conciliatory sort of nod. Jenkins watched him retrieve the ball suspiciously, and waited for him to run off before resuming his rant.
Wilkins chuckled, a little rebellion was always good to lighten the mood.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

23:59, Cavern of Transcendence, The Hollows

Voices swam in her ears, like they were pooling and running off in any old direction. She opened her eyes, feeling tired and weighty.
"Gaze! Oh God you're alive!" Dax held her hands tightly, rubbing them to get them warm. Gaze blinked.
"What happened?" she asked groggily. Raphael patted her shoulder.
"After Seth spoke through you, you … you died."
"Ah! Jakey moved!" Gaze looked to the side when she heard Lionheart's exclamation. The mummified body was indeed moving, wriggling like a cocoon about to break. Raphael hurried over and took out a pair of nail scissors, snipping through the face bandages as fast as he could. Jakey's ears popped out and he gasped a ragged breath, coughing and hacking. Raphael supported him.
"Eight lives left," Jakey mumbled, wheezing. It wasn't funny, but it made them laugh, they were just so relieved to have him back.
"Where's Cleo?" Gaze asked, wondering if she sounded as hoarse as she felt.
"She left a moment before you woke up," Lionheart murmured. Gaze looked pained.
"We have to find her," Jakey's weak voice broke slightly on the last word. Raphael pulled a face.
"Jakey, you can barely move."
"That's coz I'm still tied up. Be a sport and unmummificate me," Jakey grinned weakly. Gaze felt groggy, there was something to do with the time, something important. She glanced at Raphael's wrist as he moved to cut his slow way through the bandages, there was a glint of a Rolex on his right arm -

00:00, Cavern of Transcendence, The Hollows

Jakey's smile crystallised and the bandages tore when he snapped his arms up to grip Raphael's arms.
"What?" Raphael gasped, mostly in surprise. He winced in discomfort as Jakey's hands tightened on the fabric, pulling it taut and making it dig into his skin. Gaze wrapped her arms around Jakey from behind.
"Keep breathing, breathe with me. In. Out." Her voice was calm, rational, Jakey's breath hissed through his teeth as he complied on instinct. Through the hundreds of battles where her voice had guided him, had been joined with the warmth of healing, she was his guardian angel, and her voice could reach him even through the agony clawing through his body.
Raphael looked at Gaze, asking what was going on with just his eyes.
"We're with you, Jakey. You're safe with us. Maau can't take you, not while we're with you and together." Gaze held Raphael's eyes as she held Jakey's tensed body. Raphael had hoped it'd been over, wishful thinking maybe. He shifted and stroked the fur-like hair on Jakey's head.
"Do not prove my confidence in your indomitable spirit false, Jakey." He wasn't as used to this sort of thing as Gaze, but he had no wish to see his friend cave to some uptight ******* who thought he was a god. Lionheart and Dax pulled closer, both whispering words of encouragement, and swearing to kick the backside of Maau.

00:00, Grendal's Gulch, The Hollows

Cleo stood poised on the rubbled walls of a house, looking out over the collapsed ruins of the Hollows. It would be so easy to just step back and away, let Seth tear through her and bring destruction on the human race. But Seth's release would trigger Maau's release, and that would destroy Jakey.
The wind swirled around her, her fists clenched. No, even if it meant the humans could continue in their barbaric wars and sickening cruelties, she wouldn't allow her brother to be harmed.
~ Who do you think you are to repel my coming, little cat? You're nothing without me ~ Seth coiled restlessly in the back of her mind. She smiled, then cried out, crumpling over as she grabbed her chest. She dug her fingers into the skin, blood dribbling out of her mouth.
"If I am nothing, then sweep me aside and take the world. Go on, I dare you. I double dare you." Her bloodied teeth gleamed as her lips pulled apart in a fierce grin, "There is no pain I cannot endure."

00:00, Atlas Square, Atlas Park

"As you can see behind me, Colin, Atlas Square is playing host to a million people in a spontaneous peaceful protest against the curfew. There are people from all the zones of the city and even some from beyond." Wilkins strolled past one of the reporters, balanced on the steps to the city hall, on his way back from the gentlemen's. A million people? That was rather an impressive number. He wished he could see Chris Jenkins' face right now.
"Hey! Congress is meeting for a late night vote!" One of the heroes on the rooftop howled into a megaphone. Wilkins looked up, noticing that from his angle, the hero had the flag behind him. The press had noticed it too and were thronging to take the picture. Wilkins stepped out of the way graciously, listening to the massive cheer coming from a million throats all around the park.
"I still think we should kick Jenkins in the jimmies." The young woman from before grumbled, her arms folded. Wilkins looked around at her, smiling.
"No, we're going to hit him where it really hurts."
"Oh?" the woman looked up at him, if he'd been a few years younger and unmarried, he might have entertained the notion that she'd like to be asked to dance. You could dance to scattered hip-hop and protest songs, right?
"Right in the legislation." He grinned. The woman cocked her head, then laughed and offered her hand forward.
"I'm Sally Storm."
"I'm Wilkins, of Honourable United," he answered, noting that her grip was very firm.
"You guys are the dudes in white with the fleur de lis, right? Run into your guys a few times before." Wilkins nodded, then looked around, the blond with the guitar was up on the knee of the Atlas statue, belting out a rock and roll song. The butler smiled and looked back at Sally.
"Would you care to dance? I'm feeling a trifle spirited this evening." Sally laughed again, mostly because she was being asked to dance by a man old enough to be her father.
"Sure, why not? Hope you can hold your own in a mosh pit, old man." She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the bouncing, wildly gyrating mob of heroes and civilians, throwing shapes in the church of dance.

00:01, The Cavern of Transcendence, The Hollows

Jakey relaxed suddenly, finally, and he looked up at Gaze in a glazed sort of manner.
"What day is it?" he asked, voice cracked a little. Gaze stroked his hair.
"Tuesday."
"Can I sleep now? I don't feel so good …"
"Yes, you can sleep now. Sleep well, my friend." She continued to hold him as he sagged and then slumped, asleep or unconscious, it was hard to tell. Raphael extricated his jacket from Jakey's hands and put it back on.
"Is it over?" He looked around at Lionheart, who shrugged.
"He didn't go crazy and become a loony god, I think it's over."
All four of them, though they would afterwards never know it, had the mental image of one green eye opening in the backs of their minds.
The Cavern of Transcendence was suddenly empty of heroes, only a good luck charm and a receipt swirled in a tiny eddy of wind before they settled to the floor.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

Three Days Later, 09:52, The Base, Kings Row

The phone rang on the wall, Avenger got up from doodling things on a sheet of paper beside the quiet radio and picked it up.
"Honourable United, Midnight Avenger speaking, how can I help?" he felt a little too much like a receptionist at the moment, but it was his turn to be in the 'call box' so to speak. Everyone took their turn, everyone pitched in. Least it was only once every so often.
"Er … hi. This is going to sound a bit weird, but I think I have one your heroes on my sofa." A young man's voice said on the other end. Avenger arched an eyebrow.
"How so?"
"Well, his ID card says he's from Honourable United. I found him in the alley around the back. Small guy, has stripes and a tail."
"You've found Jakey?! I'll be right over!" Avenger snatched up his hat and was about to hang up before he remembered something, "Where do you live?"
"24b Richmond Court, Copper District, Steel Canyon."
Avenger hung up and wrote a quick note, pegging it to the radio equipment, 'out to hero', and raced out. There'd been a hunt for Jakey K since he'd vanished weeks ago, but then all the nonsense of the curfew had distracted everyone and now it was resolved with Congress voting unanimously to end it, they could get back to finding their missing hero. He hurried to the train station, pausing only to glare at a few Skulls, who instantly found better things to do with their time than inhale solvents on street corners. The train was crowded, a pair of children, a little boy and girl, pointed at him.
"Are you a hero?"
"That's what they call me." Avenger grinned down at them. The little girl put her hands on her hips.
"You don't look like Statesman." She looked very disappointed and Avenger inclined his head, doffing his hat at her.
"Dreadful sorry about that, ma'am, but not everyone can aspire to be the Statesman. He's one of a kind." He felt a bit proud of that answer, he thought he dressed better than the Statesman, but it wouldn't do to trash another hero to a civilian. That kind of behaviour was just not on. He felt very diplomatic, chatting amiably to the children and their young mother until they reached Steel Canyon, excusing himself and getting off the train. He answered the wave of the little children as they pressed themselves to the window and waved energetically.
Finding Richmond Court wasn't hard, it was a single bound from the train station, not that his bounds were quite the same unit of measurement as everyone else's. He found the button for flat 24b and pressed it. There was a clatter and a fizzle.
"Hello?"
"Midnight Avenger here."
"Oh sure, come right up." The door buzzed and Avenger opened it, heading in. The stairs were narrow and a bit dingy with graffiti on the walls. Jakey sure found the best places to hang out. He reached the third floor and walked down the hall, at least there was no rubbish strewn about. He found the door and was interested to note the chap had 'open hours' stencilled onto his door. He knocked and a moment later it opened. A slightly shorter man looked up at him, then blinked very dark eyes behind his glasses.
"Ah, sorry, place is a mess. Got your guy through here. I'm sorry but I think he's been drinking heavily and he smelt kind of minty when I found him," the young man waved him in, picking his way over boxes and past stacks of random junk, "I just moved from Independence Port, so everything's sort of up in arms."
Avenger tried to be delicate, insofar as it was in his mentality, and found his way to the living room. Jakey was curled up on the sofa, looking adorable and purring. He scooped him up, the tiny man was so light, it was a temptation to bounce him like a toddler. Avenger resisted the temptation, as he was sure the other hero would not take kindly to it. He tipped his hat at the young man.
"Thanks, we've been looking for this rascal everywhere. What's your name?"
"I-I'm the Music Teacher." The young man smiled sheepishly, taking a card out of his pocket and holding it out. Avenger's eyebrows raised as he noted the Hero License, then he grinned.
"Security level two? You're just a wee one!" Music Teacher rubbed the back of his neck.
"I signed up the day after the big demonstration, after talking to so many heroes the night before …" he shrugged a little. Avenger balanced Jakey in the crook of his arm and took something out of his pocket, handing it over.
"Says on your card you're classed as an empath, we could always use one of those. If you feel like shopping around for a super group, be sure to consider us, least we could do for you finding Jakey." Avenger tipped his hat one last time and picked his way out. Music Teacher looked at the card, giving details of where to find the base and an invitation to talk to Midnight Gaze, Raphael De Arca, Wilkins or Jakey K for admittance. He looked up when he heard his door close, and then back at the card thoughtfully.

11:00, The Base, Kings Row

Jakey slumped back against a sofa, taking the tea Avenger offered and watching as he went back to the radio, half listening to the joyful yells of people as they called hello's to him, welcoming him back. So nobody else remembered? About Seth and Maau and Cleo? The end of the world had loomed dangerously close and it had just slipped everyone's mind? Nobody else had found themselves in the Hollows, wandering and searching for any sign of Cleo.
He took something out of his pocket and looked at it. A curl of russet ginger hair tied with twine sat in his hand. A few hairs and scattered paper was all he'd found of his sister. How had she turned back Seth, the destroyer? The god of Darkness?
He sighed, he'd never know. She had again erased the memories of those closest to him, but not out of malice. He would not be remembered as the earthly body for a god, a sacrifice for Maau's return to battle Seth in the earthly planes. He was just Jakey.
Just Jakey K, a hero of Paragon City. Her last gift to him.
He drank his tea.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

and la, the case has been closed. Thank you for hanging in there, anyone who wasn't frightened away by the sheer mass of text. I salute you! *salutes*

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

Cool story.

I wonder how many people could be in Atlas Park at once though. Then again how many join in on Times Square each year and that has to be much smaller.

---

fill up all the roads with them, it'll be great and nobody will be able to move except for hotdog vendors, who have mysterious powers.

---

Don't ask me about joining Honourable United, I'm lazy. Ask Captain Cathode.

http://www.onthejazz.co.uk/honu/

"If I had a punch, I would so hit that guy." - Millenium (because drinking nail varnish remover is for real men)

Truly amazing. I didn't read it all, but parts of it are good. I will take some time to read it later on. You should become a proper writer. Since you are a writer, what does grimace mean?

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