How to get away with murder, step one, leave no survivors or evidence.
I prowled behind the lion as we left the pool.
"So exciting! Are you all excited! We tots gonna be famous after this!" The Jagged cat bounced from one foot to another.
I turned to glare at him over one shoulder.
"Glare as cold as ice! Frosty man!" the jaguar purred back at me and I faced forward again.
Pride flexed a paw in annoyance. Good he was annoying the leader, that's a sure way to be the first to die.
(Hey Snow, if Jagged annoys Pride enough, do you think Pride will let me kill him?)
(No need, Pride might beat you too it. In fact I'm amazed he is still alive and didn't die years ago.)
"Hey hot stuff, wanna hang out?" Jagged turned to Lyra.
"So what's the plan?" Lyra asked sliding away from Jagged. "If we don't start planning I'm afraid my IQ might drop due to a certain influence."
"Now that's just rude!" Jagged replied. "And please we are all friends, you should all call me Jag!"
Pride spun on a paw and swiped his claws across Jagged's muzzle.
"Be silent, plebeian. You're here to make up the body count, nothing more." He gazed over us again, "Stay out of my way and I won't kill you." His gaze paused on me for a second. "I do hope you can at least fight Snow, we have pedigree unlike the rest of these alley cats."
"Of course." I replied smoothly.
"Hey we alley cats are you allies! Oh that's almost like a pun, allies, alley eyes, we can tots be your eyes!" Jagged pushed his way up next to Pride and me.
(Hit him)
Okay not going to argue beating up cats. I raised a paw and smacked him on the head so hard that he smashed his head into the pavement.
(Now insult him.)
"Shame, I got dirt on my paw." I shook my paw slightly as if trying to clean it.
Behind me I heard Lyra purring in amusement.
This politic stuff was already starting to become a headache. Our group had a pecking order, turns out I'm number two and I cannot let the others encroach on it.
Pride looked at me approvingly and I had to suppress the urge to shudder. His eyes still totally screamed murder and evil.
We continued across the ghost town, Pride followed by me, then Lyra, Jagged, and Dart. I could see an open garage door leading directly to the field.
We walked under it and I let my cat eyes scan the surroundings. Once the five of us were at the edge of the field I saw movement on the far side and my gaze snapped over there.
Five other cats were moving toward us. A giant black panther in the lead followed by a very familiar tiger. Behind them was a mountain lion, a cheetah, and a....
(Is that even a proper cat?)
(That would be the wildcat's candidate, clan Camo.)
(He's so tiny! He's like bite sized! And that's saying something since I already thought Dart was tiny!)
(The tiny clans often rank near the bottom, he is probably also just there for the headcount. By standard probability neither he nor Dart will be alive by the end of this.)
(Standard probability? What are you betting on a sports game outcome?)
(In a way, the highest odds are with the save team all dead, and destroy having Pride, you, and Lyra left.)
My tail flicked slightly. The space cats really are just betting on our lives with bags of popcorn right now, aren't they.
Well no matter, I intend to change that outcome to all dead except the Snow and Stripe cats.
"Shall we get the boring part over with?" Pride yawned showing off his giant teeth and shaking his mane slightly. "Greetings, I am Pride, of the lions."
"Snow, snow leopard." I added next.
"Lyra, of the lynx."
"The OBVIOUSLY coolest one, Jag of the Jagged jaguars."
I noticed Pride digging a few claws into the ground. I'm guessing he wasn't supposed to say that.
"Dart, of the bobcats."
"That sums up the destroy team." Pride yawned again.
The black panther stepped forward. "Night, of the panthers."
"Stripe, of the tigers."
"Cal of the cougars."
"Spot, of the cheetahs."
"Camo, of the wildcats."
(Hey Snow, why do you say your clan names and then your species, that seems weird.)
(Some species have more than one clan.)
"This sums up the savior team." the panther finished.
As soon as he finished the very air around us seemed to change. A ferocious vibe filled the stadium.
(Start using your ice aura now!)
I focused on the cold and ice started to frost the grass beneath my paws.
Together both the panther and the lion spoke. "May the game begin."
(And truce is over. Every cat for themselves!)
Immediately Night and Pride launched into a brawl kicking up dirt everywhere while each tried to sink their teeth into each other's neck.
That left me face to face with the cat that was probably ranked second on their team.
A tall orange cat with large black stripes on its body.
Catnip! Why am I paired with the one cat I'm not trying to kill!
I saw a thin harness around him start to glow and a force field barrier grew into existence. I groaned internally and now I get to destroy my creation as well. What is this annoy Cody day!
What if I just run away and eat the little bite sized cat instead?
(Just keep up appearances. You already know your shield thing can take a punch, toss him against a wall and pick another opponent.)
Well the dumb cat has a point. I'm nothing if not amazing at building things.
I pulled back a paw and it started glowing blue before flashing white as I tossed all my power and and ice shock-wave into my shield.
The tiger went flying backwards and landed on top of the cougar/mountain lion that was fighting Lyra.
Two for the price of one! Have fun Lyra!
I turned my gaze to the cheetah, he'll do or is it a she? Why can't I tell on that cat? Whatever.
(Hey Snow, I'm a girl, why is our cat a guy, is that because of you?)
(Yes and no, we can do either gender, would you rather be a girl?)
(Uh no, just curious.)
I launched myself at the cheetah and turned the ground below her into ice. I'll go with her, definitely a her.
She slid across the floor and hissed at me as we tumbled into a pile of flashing claws. I ranked a paw across her side and she dodged a second swipe while also tearing the edge of my ear.
My pretty ear! She's going to pay for that one! I hate cats, but the ear looked good on me okay, no judgment!