Tobias The Cat: A Short From The Nexus 6 Crush
Tobias followed close on McDougal's heels. The alleyway that led toward Cita's nook looked just like Wall Street where they lived - streets made of crumbling black material bound tight by tall buildings made almost entirely of gla.s.s windows. But farther down the alley, the buildings became shorter, brick beasts with steeply slanted stone roofs. The crumbly material was also gradually replaced by cobbles, like the ones that occasionally popped up like an encroaching weed around the border between districts. Right where the decrepit gla.s.s buildings met the shabby brick, a narrow path led off to the side. McDougal turned sharply down it, and the group continued single-file.
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"Ta's a tr'p w'tin' ta h'pp'n," McDougal snarled as they entered the narrow confines. Tobias agreed - this never felt like a safe place, with just one narrow entrance. It would be an easy trap. She still wondered why Cita had chosen the refuge. Tobias glanced up to spot the rapid movement of their scouts over the rooftops above. At least they had that much safety. Quickly enough, they were clear of the bottleneck and stepped into an alcove - Cita's interst.i.tial place.The nest was an odd blending of the brick and gla.s.s districts' features. Cobbles fought with black crumbles. Cracked gla.s.s reflected worn brick. And in the corner, a strange mishmash of lean-to and tent canvas provided shelter to the two-legged residents. Several women clad in Tanya's signature black brocade milled about aimlessly. Tobias wondered briefly where the infamous former prost.i.tute could be, but dismissed the concern.Tobias looked at the empty paddock along a brick wall - Aspen, the pack horse, was gone. That probably meant her mistress, the healer Ninurta, was also gone. And her familiar, the water dragon Kaymun was almost certainly with them. Tobias frowned. That would leave Bilal, two young girls, and Cita, if he were truly awake, as defenders of this place. Perhaps Mikey was right about the extent of the danger."Bilal! H'ws't? W'rd's tat Tom's ragin', and the lad is awake," McDougal greeted the warrior as he emerged from the shelter. Tobias frowned. Bilal's dark skin was ashy with exhaustion, and his single wing drooped over his left shoulder. His corded hair looked like it was coming untwisted at the roots. He rubbed the vicious scarring on his right arm as if pained before returning McDougal's greeting. Behind him, a tall blonde clad in a black leather corset and wide-legged brocade trousers emerged followed by two others, but Tobias didn't watch them. She turned her attention back to Mickey.
"McDougal - it is good of you to come. Yes, Mikey brought word that Tom plans to attack while we're scattered. And Cita is awake, but … not well." Bilal's voice echoed the fatigue written on his frame."Na' gud, Bilal. Sm'lls o' rat. An' w'd ken rat!" McDougal laughed at his own joke even as he kept a sharp eye on Bilal to see his reaction. Mickey flinched, but Tobias knew that wasn't conclusive. They'd already told him they suspected him, so of course he would be jumpy."Not a rat, so much as a … child certain she is right. Ninurta told Ryka that we would need to cut back on the sorties Ryka keeps planning, so that Kaymun can stay close and help Ninurta monitor Cita. I know Ryka ran off earlier, and I suspect she did so to spread the rumors that are drawing Tom in." Bilal ran a hand over his face. Mikey relaxed a little as the warrior corroborated his story. Tobias kept watching."Na' gud. W'men - th're ta root've 'll trouble," McDougal counselled with an evil smirk toward the blonde. "H'ws't, Tanya m'lady?""Stick it up your rear, McDougal. My girls and I were the first ones here to help defend this place." Tanya's good-natured tone belied the hostile words. The women behind her moved past her to mingle with their sisters-in-arms and McDougal's crew. Tobias nearly jumped out of her skin when an arm snaked around her neck and pulled her back into a hug."Oh, Tobias! You're looking handsome today!" The shrill voice made Tobias wince even as b.o.o.bs tried to swallow her head. The plump flesh pressed down as their owner leaned forward to suck in a deep breath. "And you smell …" She trailed off strangely."Cindy! Gerroff!" she shouted, struggling to push away. McDougal and the crew laughed uproariously, and Tanya's girls t.i.ttered at the familiar sight. Tobias paid no heed as the arms went limp and she was able to pull free. She spun to stare with narrowed eyes at the buxom brunette who'd a.s.saulted her."Honeys, you'll have to save your lovey-doveys for after the fight. We need a plan, and fast." Tanya reached behind her head and started braiding her blonde hair with practiced fingers. Cindy stepped away from Tobias with an uncertain frown, and a frisson of unease shot through Tobias. Something had changed, but what?"We've got a bit of a plan, and with you both here we should be covered well enough," Bilal explained. "Tanya, your girls prefer groundwork, so let's have you stationed here. There's some pieces of wood and rubble we can use to make some barricades if we have time. McDougal, some of your boys need to be up on the roofs in case anyone makes it past the traps, but we also need your muscle on the ground. You know them best - make sure everyone's where they'll be the most help.""What about the bombs, honey? Uncle Tom's got those new launchers. I haven't seen 'em in action, but from what Cole said he can station his men in the alley and just launch bombs down 'ere till we're all burned to a crisp. And not even Akicita could stop it." Tobias jerked. Of all the things these strangers had said about Cita since they arrived, their insistence that he was a flame summoner was the most outlandish. Cita was Cita. He didn't need any mystic powers."Cita," Bilal corrected Tanya automatically. "He's not going to be able to help. I've … made sure he'll be safe whatever happens, and Zara too. As for the bombs, maybe I could ask the G.o.ddess for a wind - one flowing down the path toward the alley strong enough to keep the bombs at bay? Then we'd only have to make sure the roofs stay clear, and we'd already planned to do that."McDougal scratched his nose. "Eh, 'bout tat … Yer G.o.ddess dun't c'm las' t'me. Dun ken I w'nta count on'r." Tobias remembered their frantic retreat the last time Bilal had tried to summon his G.o.ddess's wind with his glaive. They hadn't lost anyone that day, but it had been a near thing. The time before that, Bilal had mistakenly summoned a cyclone that destroyed every window in a fifty yard radius."I have an idea," Tobias heard herself say. She blinked. She didn't normally speak up when the leaders were meeting. Eyes turned to her and she fought down a blush. "I m'n, 't m'ght work.""Tobias, right?" Bilal asked. "What's your idea?"Tobias sucked in a deep breath and pulled the modified arrow from her quiver. Bilal's sharp gaze focused on the black shaft and his golden eyes met hers, a.s.sessing. He knew where that arrow came from, without being told. Tobias pointed to the bulge wired to the side of the arrow. "This is a sparker. It … sparks, and will ignite Uncle Tom's bombs before he's ready for them to go off. The arrow has to break the crockery first, spilling the jelly. Then the sparker sets it off. Uncle Tom always transports the bombs in those frames of ten each. We've seen before - if one goes off, all of them do. This just helps trigger it.""May I?" Bilal held out a hand for the arrow. Tobias hesitated before handing it over. He inspected it carefully. "It seems simple enough. Have you tested it?" Tobias couldn't stop the flush devouring her fair skin this time. She glanced down."Nah. Nah ch'nce, y't. W'rk'd ta l's' bit t'day." Tobias caught a glimpse of Bilal's perplexed frown as he handed the arrow back."N'r mind, Cat." McDougal's rea.s.suring pat nearly threw Tobias off her feet. "Ya k'n test t'day. P't ya 'n ta roof so ya k'n sneak b'h'nd Tom an' blow 'is a.r.s.e ta heck. Nick k'n go w't ya'n' help."Tobias snapped up straight again. "No. Nick's needed here. It'll only take one person if it works, and there's no sense risking more than that if it goes wrong." She refused to meet Bilal's troubled gaze and focused on McDougal's more familiar eyes."I'll go with her." Everyone turned to look at Cindy. "I insist." She smiled sweetly. Tobias scowled as the three leaders held an unspoken consultation and agreed.