The Trojan Cat

6. Reckoning

There was a pun in the original title, an expression that can either mean "moving out" and "shit's going down", but it didn't translate.

Virgil would have been surprised to find his "demonic voice" still functioning in his feline form (tough unrecognisable), if there had been room for just one more emotion in his little cat heart. They jostled inside him for a dizzying second as the noise died down in the hall. Unsurprisingly, the first to speak was Janus: "No! Don't even think about it! Stop, you..."

In response, came Logan's voice: "This sentence is wrong!" Janus fell abruptly silent, his voice replaced by a muffled shock.

A contradiction, Virgil thought, impressed. Not bad, Logan.

Another crash resounded, and he tensed on his feet. Fortunately, it was Roman who came bursting into the living room.

Virgil leaned against the bars and whined in his direction. Please. I know you don't trust the cat. And you're right, in a way. I know we disagree a lot, and that for you, I'm the antagonist of our videos. And maybe I deserve it. But I need help...

Which is why he was surprised when Roman cautiously approached the cage.

"Ok, uh... It's going to be fine. I know we haven't always gotten along, but you can trust me. Please..."

Which let Creativity no less surprised when, as soon as he had slid the latch off the cage, the cat jumped in his arms.

Virgil was dying to stretch his paws, but he knew fully well that now was not the time. Instead, he made himself as small as possible, while Roman held him to his chest, cradled in the crook of one arm. He drew his sword from the other. Released from his prison, Anxiety had enough room to return to his normal appearance, but he doubted his legs were strong enough to carry him. Not to mention, there was no saying Roman would still be willing to help him, and that he preferred not to meet the gaze of the other "dark sides".

They were moving towards the front door now, and Virgil could no longer keep his heartbeat steady. He buried his nose in Roman's sleeve. Under any other circumstance, he would have been dying of embarrassment, but for a cat, nothing unusual. The scent of rose and cinnamon calmed him down a bit.

They turned the corner, revealing a surprising scene.

Janus was sitting in the corner with his legs to his chest, head in his hands and a trickle of blood dripping from his nose. Despite himself, Virgil winced in sympathy. He had a lot less to give to Anger.

The orange Side had never appropriated a weapon, like Roman's sword, Remus' morning star, or even Janus' crook. His preference went to a more personal mode of combat: hand-to-hand. As it appeared, Patton's too.

Both Sides rolled to the ground, Patton managing to get on top. Anger growled and struggled, baring his teeth. On either side of the opponents, Logan and Remus watched them in a silence equally unnatural for both of them.

"You're not stronger than me!" yelled Anger.

"Of course, I'm stronger." Patton retorted, almost calmly. "You're a part of me."

Anger struggled harder, as if he knew what was coming. Virgil recoiled when the bitter taste of his fear reached him. Patton leaned down to get eye to eye.

"And right now, fighting is not the right thing to do."

With a final jerk, Anger relaxed. As Virgil could see from the safety of Roman's arms, he was still conscious, only relaxed, his gaze unfocused.

Logan, for once wordless, helped Patton up and gave him a blanket. Remus still hovered. Just as Roman walked towards them, Janus opened his eyes and lunged forward, cross in hand. Quickly, Roman held Virgil out to the others. Understanding his cue, the cat leapt from one's arms to the other's, who nimbly wrapped him in the blanket. The effect was instantaneous, the soft protection calming him down significantly. Before Patton covered his head, he had time to see Roman drop his katana and grab Janus by the forearms.