Revenge (Dogboy Reborn, 2)

The Return

I hadn't seen Kit since the Dark Matter War, but I shouldn't have been surprised to see him alive; he's immortal after all.

Kit was born during the Salem Witch Hunts. His parents were accused of witchcraft and killed. He managed to escape and was found by an alien race of cat-people. These cat aliens worshiped a cat god, naturally. By drinking the blood of this cat god, they would be gifted with amazing powers, including immortality. After proving himself through various trials, Kit received the ritual himself. He then returned to Earth in order to take revenge on the descendents of those who killed his family. I managed to stop him, but he just kept coming back. When he wasn't fulfilling his thirst for vengeance, he worked as a hired gun, uh, claw for anyone who could afford him.

Now it all made sense. CosmoTrips hired Kit to sabotage Cruise X.

I sniffed the air trying to pick up Kit's psychic scent. A smell of rotting cheese and three day old fish mixed with wet fur and spit crossed my mind: a cat smell. Kit was definitely here.

I followed the scent through the halls, down the stairs; I took a left at the engine room, stopped to use the restroom, washed my paw-hands and shook the water from my fur. I finally ended up outside the cafeteria.

I braced myself for the battle with Kit and took a step towards the automatic door. I then smacked my face into the door. It was locked.

I tapped the side of my sunglasses to activate the Dog Whistle comlink. "What's going on, Brain?"

Since the Dog Whistle is quantum entangled, his response was quick. "The door is locked."

Think of the quantum entangled comlink like one of those tin can string telephones. We have the cup, aka the speaker and microphone, and the entangled matter, or string. I speak into the microphone; the entangled matter vibrates in response—just as the matter would in the cup and string. Since the matter is entangled, what one molecule does the other does the same, but instantly and no matter the distance. So, the molecules on Brain's end vibrate and produce the sound which is picked up by Brain's ears. Basically, it operates the same as any communication device except instant, even if I was across the galaxy.

Spooky, huh.

"That's using the ol' immeasurable IQ," I said. "I figured that out when I ran into it."

"Someone has hacked the system and locked the entrance. It must have been Kit. Though I cannot fathom how he bypassed my system."

I rubbed my chin for a moment. "That's not Kit's MO."

"That is the only logical conclusion. Terabyte is in jail—virtually incapacitated after you caused him to expend his near god-like power."

The mystery hacker is something to ponder later. First, Kit. I instructed the glasses to bring up the lock system. A moment later, a virtual maze spawned before my eyes. The maze wasn't too difficult to navigate. I'd also geared up my avatar, so the few digital bots I ran into weren't much of a threat.

It took a total of two minutes to clear the maze and return control to the bridge. It was all a bit too easy. Either the hacker wasn't that good, which seemed unlikely since he got passed Brain's programming, or he wanted me to get through.

But the good news is that when I tried the door again, it opened. I found the cafeteria packed with passengers and some crew members. Standing on top of the center table was Kit. He took no time to show-off by leaping into the air, flipping, and landing with the grace of an Olympic athlete right in front of me.

"About time you showed," he said in that arrogant...cat way.

"What do you want with these people?"

He checked his claws much like someone checking their manicure. "Insurance. I didn't want you rushing in and pounding me before we had the chance to talk."

I folded my arms and shrugged. "So talk."

"The years have been kind to you. Normally, you would have just attacked me."

"Normally, you would be firing plasma furballs at me. So what's your story?"

He smiled, doing an excellent imitation of the Cheshire Cat. "A long one, I assure you. During our battle with the Xacians, they didn't kill me."

"Obviously."

"Since I can't be killed, they simply banished me to another world. It took five long years, but I managed to get back. Cats always come back."

"And the first thing you do is make a deal with CosmoTrips to sabotage Cruise X."

Kit made a hissing sound as his hackles raised. "That's the problem with you dogs! Always jumping to conclusions. Just because we do things differently doesn't make them wrong."

"No. Murder and sabotage makes it wrong."

"Yes," he said dramatically laying a hand across his forehead. "I've been a bad kitty." He then straightened. "But always for the Greater Good."

"And how does sabotaging a cruise ship help the greater good?"

His back arched. "I did not sabotage the cruise!" He took a deep breath and began wiping at his ears and suit like he was trying to clean them. "When I got back, I found that I was not alone. And I need..." He began gagging like he was about to toss a hairball. "I need...your...your...help."

I feigned surprise. "A dog and cat working together? Must be the end of the world."

Kit chuckled a spiteful, mocking sound. "You have no idea how right you are." He then produced a ball of yarn and pressed a button on it. The people vanished from the cafeteria.

"Holograms?" I turned to Kit angrily. "Where are the people?"

"Don't get your fur in a knot. They're safe and on their way to Earth via the lifeboats. It is we who are in danger."

"From what? This thing that followed you?"

"Yes. It's from the Pound."

"The what?"

Kit sighed in that condescending way cats do. He spoke in a "how stupid can you be" tone of voice. He explained that eons ago the Council of Alphas decided to no longer put criminals "to sleep." So, they created a prison in an interdimensional void and called it the Pound. There they stuck the worst of the worst.

"Sounds a bit like the—"

"Don't even go there. And now one of the guards is here, and he won't stop until he takes us both to the Pound."

"Why would he be after—"

"Shush!" Kit froze for a moment, listening.

My fur suddenly bristled in warning.

The automatic door opened. A strange buzzing noise, like something out of a science fiction movie, flooded the area. A man dressed in a police-like uniform and cap then materialized as he stepped through the open door. He carried with him what looked like an animal wrangling noose—but made of plasma. He also had a large electric butterfly net attached to his back.

"The Dogcatcher," Kit whispered in a gasp.

The Dogcatcher smiled a toothy grin. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty..."