Maybe Tomorrow

Chapter One

** One Week Prior **

Rattling sound of an engine could be heard for miles around, being the only one on a lonely road in the middle of a desert. The A/C of the truck was trying so hard to cool the driver, but it was an uphill battle onto itself. The driver was a bobcat. More built for the snowy lands of Saltdrop Falls or the like, but the law didn't uphold itself out in the wastes.

Small towns and villages littered the wastes, with some being a bit more kindly than others, but they were beginning to blur in Core's mind. Nothing stuck out too much about each one and she was expecting the same from the town she entered.

Drywick Flats.

As she drove her old beat up truck into the town, Core could see the place lived up to the name quickly. It was very dry and very flat. She swore the desert was flat all the way out to the horizon to meet the cloudless blue sky.

The town itself appeared to have all its buildings constructed along the main road, like most small towns. All the shops and businesses lined the main road, while the houses extended onto minor roads from the main street. These types of towns Core liked fewer chances of getting lost.

The gas station was the first stop in her brief detour into the town. It was desperate for gas and she was desperate for water. Pulling up to an empty station, it seemed almost odd to her. Some places had attendants or at least a cashier to be seen through the window, but she saw neither.

The bobcat shrugged as she slid out of the truck, taking the moment to straighten her shirt and vest. She thought for a moment maybe she should ditch the vest but thought better of it. The bobcat chose to dress for function rather than fashion. A loose shirt long-sleeved shirt and vest with gloves for long haul driving. The shirt also hid her prosthetic arm. The fewer questions she got about that the better.

She definitely needed to change her boots though, between the thick pants and tall boots, something shorter would work better for her out here. Or maybe ditch them altogether, a lot of the small town animals seemed to prefer bare pawed over footwear.

Hushed whispers interrupted her thoughts of form or function and the shuffling of feet. The bobcat's ears twitched a little before she turned to head to see two males each trying to get through the door of the gas station, like they both wanted to be first in.

Odd behavior, but what stuck out like a sore thumb was both males were wearing black eye masks to cover most of their faces and one, an opossum, was carrying a large bag with him.

"Shut up and hurry the hell up!" The other, a white cat male hissed to his companion as they managed to figure out the herculean task of who was going in first.

'Welp, gas is going to wait.' Core thought as the snap the gas cap back on her truck. As she stepped towards the gas station, her enhanced hearing could hear a rustling of cloth, angry hissed voices, but what triggered her to move fast was the sound of a child scream.

In a fleeting thought, Core forgot about her own gun at her hip as that heavily booted foot practically kicked the door in.

"Don't either of you try anything funny." The opossum was distracted only for a moment, snapping at a terrified cashier with his arms raised and a small lamb female was stuck between the cashier and the robbers, clutching a comic book in her arms like that would save her.

Core's only command was "Freeze," but between the door kick and her voice, she quickly shifted all eyes to her.

"Well, what do we have here?" The pale cat chuckled at the sight of the bobcat. "Some kind of hero?"

The pale cat was the only one armed, the opossum seemed more concerned about the bag he was carrying, ushering the cashier to fill it. Pale Cat turned his gun towards Core, but he was too slow, too cocky about the only one with a drawn weapon.

As he raised the gun, Core swiftly brought her right hand up, the gloved hand easily covering the barrel of the pistol. She didn't push it away, merely holding it like her hand could hold back a bullet.

"Are you fucking crazy? I'm about to blow your goddamn hand off." The cat seemed a mix of surprised and angry, his teal eyes flicking between the bobcat and his gun. There was a slight tremor, not that Core could feel it, but she could see it, hear the faintest clatter.

"Take your shot then." Core mused to the cat, challenging the riled cat as he looked hesitant for a moment. Only a moment before he pulled the trigger.

The bullet should have ripped through her hand and shot the bobcat, but it collided with a metal thunk and a clang, resulting in the ripping of cloth but no exit on the other side.

"The fuck...' The cat recoiled back, the bullet falling uselessly from his gun and clattering to the floor. Upon removing the gloved hand, the metal hand underneath became exposed. Core couldn't help but chuckle at the reaction, but she said nothing.

Taking advantage of the shock, that metal hand reached out and snagged the gun from the cat. The same fluid motion swung it back to crash the gun's handle against the side of the cat's head.

Core wasn't even sure if he knew what was going on before his unconscious body slumped to the floor in a heap. The opossum just seemed to clue in something was amiss as he turned to see his friend fall and Core standing over him.

"On your knees, now." Core barked to the opossum, still holding the jammed gun in her hand. The mammal was quick to oblige, his bag long forgotten as his paws slid to his head and sunk to his knees on the wood floor. Core could tell this wasn't his first arrest.

Still tense, Core looked to the cashier and the little girl, still both paralyzed with fear.

"You." She pointed to the cashier. "Call the police."

Turning her attention to the shaking girl, her tone softened.

"It's all right now, I'm just here to help." She spoke. "What's your name?"

"C-Cheery..." The girl still looked nervous as she looked between the men on the floor and Core. Taking a few steps forward, Core carefully stepped to place herself between the opossum and Cheery, though the male was just looking at the floor with a thousand mile stare, his fingers twitching every so often.

"Cheery, that's a nice name. All right, I want you to head on out. You're safe now." Core continued to speak softly. The last thing she needed was the child panicking.

"But... I didn't pay for my comic book yet..." The girl said, hugging the book still to her chest. That caught Core off guard. Children had such weird priorities.

"That's okay. I'll pay for it once the cashier comes back. Now please, get going." Core ushered her with her paw to the door, her hearing was already picking up up noises outside. Voices of clamoring people and she could have sworn she heard Cheery's name a time or two.

"Okay." Cheery nodded as the small lamb carefully stepped her way out of the store. Keeping her back firmly pressed against the front counter to give her as much space between her and the men as possible before bolting for the door.

Once the door was closed, Core's attention turned to the two males. She didn't carry any handcuffs on her, but a few box zips ties left lying on the cashier's counter would have to do.

The opossum was the first to be tied, then the unconscious one. For a light-looking cat, he certainly didn't feel like one. Grunting, even with the use of her prosthetic arm, it took some lifting to get him lying in a suitable position to tie up.

As Core was busying herself with the robbers, the cashier had holed himself in the back room away from the danger itself. Sure, it made the bat male look cowardly, but he couldn't risk being overheard. Finishing his call with the police, he tapped a claw against the phone, simply waiting for a moment or two before picking it up to dial once more.

"Starr." Came the sound of a gruff voice on the other line.

The bat took a glance towards the door before he spoke, as if making sure it was closed and that bobcat wasn't about to bust that one down too.

"Boss, you were right. We got a Law Dog in town."