Chapter 6: Patience

Chapter 6: Patience

Pumyra inched closer to Joii as she desperately gnawed a piece of meat fruit to its core. Joii yelped, choking on the fruit as Pumyra injected a needle into her arm. “What are you doing to me now?” She snarled, trying to squirm free.

“Hold still!” Pumyra’s patience was wearing thin. Joii’s fear of physical contact made her injuries difficult to treat. “It’s a mild pain killer. I thought you might appreciate it.”

Joii bent her arm a few times until the stinging sensation was replaced with a numb tingle. “Isn’t there beer or something around here for that?”

“You’re too young to drink. Besides, alcohol would only dehydrate you.”

Joii cocked her head in confusion.

“Cause you to die of thirst.”

“Oh...Siamuse lost a good bit of inventory to that. It’s a painful way to die. Slower than starving, but just as painful to watch. Not a lot of us starved, but we came close.” She winced. “I’m so hungry.”

Pumyra sighed. “I know.” She took the bowl, now filled with cores and pits from Joii’s lap “Try not to eat too much too soon. It might make you sick.”

As if on cue, a low, gurgling ache pulsed through Joii’s stomach. She forced one last bite of meat fruit before tossing the remainder aside. “I thought you cats ate meat?”

“We do, but we try not to resort to harming animals if we can get by on vegetation. It’s wrong to hunt unnecessarily.”

Joii scowled, clenching her eyes shut. Thunderian logic made her head heart. “I need meat, Thundercat. I’ll eat anything at this point, but-”

“We’ll see what we can do. Meat fruit will suffice for now.”

Joii grimaced. “More like ass fruit.”

“Snarf has you covered.” Pumyra assured her then walked over to a clean counter and began to dampen a cloth with a clear liquid.

Joii nervously eyed Pumyra as she returned to her side. “W-what is that for?”

“It’s just some peroxide to clean your leg wound, relax.” Pumyra gently dabbed the cloth around Joii’s stitches. “This may sting a little.”

The young Jackal jumped as her wound sizzled to the rag’s touch. It stung, but nothing she couldn’t handle. “Is this really necessary?”

“To avoid infection, yes.” She tossed the rag behind her into the sink. “The natives of this planet provide a decent verity of holistic medicines, but not very sophisticated medical equipment I’m afraid. I have to make the most of what I’ve got.”

“Don’t we all.”

Pumyra smiled. At least Joii wasn’t scowling at her any longer. “You’re shivering. Here...” She quickly fetched Joii an extra sheet and draped it over her shoulders. “How do you feel?”

Joii rolled over on her side and cocooned herself in the sheet. “By the Alphas, I hurt...” She whimpered.

“I know, but you’ll heal eventually. I promise.”

“There you go again with those empty phrases. I hope you choke.” She squirmed, unable to find a comfortable position. “Don’t tell me you’re going to hover over me all night.”

“I’m not hovering, I’m observing you.” Pumyra leaned back in her chair, grinning. “Besides, I can’t trust you to stay put.”

Joii chuckled. “Smart.”

“Try to sleep. Don’t mind me. I’ll have plenty to keep me busy trying to plan out a treatment regimen for you.”

“I’m not trying to burden you.”

“You’re no burden.” Pumyra half fibbed. “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

“I’m not your friend. And a friend in need is a pain in the ass.” Joii’s face contorted in thought, her good eye narrowed. “A mutant healer would be merciful and let me die. I don’t believe you’re stupid enough to waste time and resources on me...but if I live, I still feel. That’s it! That’s why you cats are treating me here. Y-you enjoy watching me suffer, don’t you?”

Insulted at first, Pumyra could feel her hand balling into a fist, but the quivering fear in Joii’s speech and sadness in her eyes replaced the Thundercat’s anger with pity. “You’re welcome.” She spat. “Good night Joii.”

Joii grumbled something under her breath. Pumyra either had not heard her, or just ignored it. Pumyra stood to jot something on a clipboard. Joii wished she could read Thunderian (or any language). Who knows what that she-cat was writing about her. She closed her eyes to block out the world, but the room was too bright, so she covered her head with her sheet. Joii could hear the Thundercat’s faint, steady breathing and the squeak of her chair as she bobbed her leg. The air was silent aside from the electrical hum of the lair’s everyday activity. The humming combined with the aftereffects of the kitten’s knockout pellets made her drowsy, but anxiety kept her alert.

She did not intend to fall asleep that night, or ever again for that matter. Even if her body did not serge with pain, she would still refuse to sleep in the presence of a Thunderian. No, she would lay and wait for Pumyra to drift off- wait for the opportunity to escape Cat’s Lair. She could do it. If there is any advantage to be gained from sitting in a cage half your life, it’s the ability to be still and patient...

“I’m terribly sorry to hear all this.” Lynx-O said sincerely over the main view screen. “But the brail board has picked up no signals of a Thunderian ship.”

“But we did pick up signals from Sky-tomb a few hours ago.” Bengali added.

“Sky-tomb?” Asked Tygra. “I thought we had rendered it immobile.”

“We did.” Bengali confirmed. “But it looks like the lunataks have pulled a few all-nighters.”

“According to the readings, Sky-tomb has only moved about seven degrees a day.” Lynx-O informed them. “The lunataks do not appear to be planning an assault any time soon. They’re probably still making repairs, but it’s only a matter of time before their defenses are fully operational.”

“There’s no way the Lunataks could have restored Sky-Tomb to working order this quickly- by themselves.” Tygra added suspiciously. “Have they captured more slaves?”

“No. Aside from the Lunataks, Sky-tomb is empty.” Lynx-O confirmed.

“Keep a sharp eye on them.” Cheetara instructed. “Let us know if you detect anything unusual in your area.”

Bengali nodded. “Will do. Oh before we end transmission, how is Pumyra making out with her new assignment?”

“She has her hands full. Joii isn’t the most agreeable patient.” Cheetara admitted.

Bengali snorted. “What else can you expect from a mutant?”

“You shouldn’t assume the worst of people.” Lynx-O scolded the young tiger. “Judge this Joii only after you have met her and put yourself in her place.”

“Roaw...You’re right.” Bengali agreed begrudgingly.

“Don’t worry, Pumyra should be returning to the Tower in a few days.” Tygra assured the lonesome white tiger.

“Good luck in your search, Thundercats.” Lynx-O wished his comrades. “Over and out.”

“Over and out.” Cheetara repeated.

The transmission ended. The main view screen went blank. Seconds later a digital readout of the surrounding areas came into view. Tygra and Cheetara took their positions at the minor consoles.

Everything seemed normal. “The calm before the storm...” Tygra rubbed the bridge of his nose to relieve the pressure headache forming behind his tired eyes. He glanced at Cheetara. She rested her chin in her palm, staring out into space. “What do you make of all this?”

Cheetara jumped, startled. “Oh!” She shook herself back into reality. “I’m not sure. I’m getting this...this dreadful slimy feeling.” She cringed. “It’s all connected, Siamuse, Caralette, the mutants, Sky-tomb, but...”

“But?”

“They’re not connected in a significant way.” Cheetara finished. “I know, it doesn’t make much sense to me either.”

“Sixth sense isn’t kicking in all the way, hu?”

“It rarely spells everything out for me.” She sighed, half-chuckling. “That would be convenient, but not much fun, I suppose.”

“Would all this madness have happened if Thundera’s criminals been allowed to flee with the rest of us?” Tygra asked out of nowhere. “If two managed to escape the destruction, surely others could have- others capable of much worse than slave peddling. I never fully agreed with Claudis’s decision, but-”

“Claudis made a hasty decision during a very critical time. Neither he nor you are responsible for Siamuse and Caralette’s actions.” Cheetara assured her close friend. “Denying them the chance to escape was the right thing to do.”

“Was it? A life for a life is never a fair trade. Then again, if Siamuse and Caralette had perished along with Thundera, Joii and so many like her would never have suffered at their hands...” Confused, Tygra trailed off. “Is capturing them justice at this point or are we just piling another injustice onto a long series of injustices?”

“Justice...is a very abstract concept.” Cheetara stated after a long, awkward pause. “The most we as Thundercats can ever do is try o do the right thing according to our knowledge of the situation and the circumstances surrounding it.”

“But...I- I think too much.” Tygra shifted uncomfortably. “Panthro will take over soon.” He announced with a yawn. “I can’t wait to get some sleep.”

Midnight...

The moon, aglow and half –full in the night sky drifted through long wispy clouds. Steadily, Lizzasha treaded over the dusty terrain. She couldn’t quite call this area of Third Earth a desert, but the soil was barren and infested with large rocks and pointed crags. She was grateful to be out of the Baleful Swamp. Her species had long since evolved to thrive in swamplands and deserts, but the armor she had chosen to wear made it difficult to stay afloat in the muck.

The wind howled. Lizzasha shielded her eyes with her forearm, lest sand got in them. She cursed aloud after stumbling over an animal carcass. A ring of buzzards squawked at her for disturbing their meal. “Piss-s-s off you filthy birds-s!” She hissed, swinging her club at them. They backed off, but continued to squawk. One of the buzzards caught her attention. Lizzasha studied it- her closely. “Weird...you look like the woman who does-s-s my nails-s-s...”

Her sandaled feet left tracks in the dirt, which her swiveling tail immediately brushed away. “You couldn’t have picked a warmer night to land, you cat-cunt?” Lizzasha cursed Caralette inwardly.

She prayed the cold was simply a natural drop in temperature for the night hours and not a precursor to winter months. For a moment, her thoughts were filled with delightful memories of bright, hot mornings sunbathing in preparation for cold nights such as this, but she quickly erased those comforts from her mind as she came upon the edge of a steep plateau. Below stood a tall stone structure with many docking bays all marked by infamous Thunderian catheads.

“Infiltrate S-s-sky-tomb, retrieve target, wipe out the lunataks-s, and take any s-spoils they have accumulated in Darks-side.” She whispered aloud to keep focused.

“S-s-sky-tomb will not be hard to find. Lunataks-s are not famous-s for s-s-subtlety, but how to get through to Darks-side...? The Tower of Omens-s-s.” The reptile sat, legs folded and stared at stronghold. There she would watch and scheme...

One AM...

The bustling traffic of the treetop kingdom grew still as the night dragged on. A handful of warrior maidens patrolled the roofs. Even they became lax at their posts by this hour. They propped themselves up with their spears, yawning, with only the music of crickets chirping accompanied by the occasional hoot of an owl to entertain them. It was easy to drift off in the midst of such serenity.

A faint rustling in the branches shook one of the guards awake just as she was about to fall asleep. With a gasp, she clutched her spear tightly and looked around. “Did you hear something just then, Flora?” She whispered to an older guard on the rooftop of the neighboring nursery.

“No” Her fellow maiden replied. “It was probably the wind.”

“It sounded more like an animal.”

“Then it was an animal.” Flora yawned. “The mutants and the lunataks haven’t attacked in ages, Misty. There’s no need to be jumpy.”

“Queen Willa warned us to look out for two convicts on the run from Mandora.” Misty reminded her.

“Jade and I got your back, all right? Just don’t panic and impale someone.”

Misty took a deep breath. Calmer, but still feeling spooked, she stood tall and kept her eyes locked on the forest surrounding her.

Prowlis stumbled forward as his grip on the branch loosened. Siamuse pulled the cub up by his hair before he fell out of the tree. The older he-cat put his finger to his lip to shush the cub. “Don’t blow this for me, you little shit.” He hissed. “Or else...”

Prowlis nodded. He kept his head low as he followed Siamuse from tree to tree, refusing to stare into his violent blue eyes that glowed straight through the shadows of the forest. The rest of him blended in perfectly with the dark. Tonight he and Prowlis wore all black. This raid required stealth, agility, and obscurity.

Siamuse motioned for Prowlis to halt. He pointed to one of the tree huts. It was too big to house residents, but too small and plain to house royalty. “A schoolhouse of some kind.” Siamuse guessed aloud. A wide, obnoxious grin formed on his face. “Perfect! Follow my lead.”

Siamuse silently hopped onto the school-hut’s roof, landing directly behind Flora. Before she had a chance to react, he covered her mouth and slit her throat. As blood sprayed from the gash in her neck, he stuck the knife in her lungs for good measure. In seconds, the maiden’s body fell limp. “Get inside!” Siamuse ordered as he gently placed the lifeless maiden down on the wrap around platform.

Prowlis slipped through the window and crept onto the floor. Siamuse immediately entered next- his hands still soaked with blood. “Jackpot!” He thought as they tiptoed around a small crowd of slumbering treetop children.

While Siamuse searched for their caretaker, Prowlis observed the children. Oh how he envied the human youths. They slept with the comfort only being surrounded by loving families, friends, and teachers could provide- a sleep the lion cub had never experienced. Silently wishing to join them, he noticed the youngest of the bunch held a crudely sewn stuffed animal as she slept. Why did they have to be cute kids?

The sight of them filled him with guilt as he fished a sleep gas capsule from his pocket. He looked to Siamuse from across the room where the he-cat stood over the sleeping den mother. Siamuse signaled to Prowlis with a wink, then covered his mouth with a cloth. Prowlis did the same before twisting the top half of the capsule loose and rolling it towards the middle of the floor. It let out a faint hiss as it filled the hut with a thick red fog.

The snoring children unconsciously inhaled the sleep gas. The effects swept over them immediately. A nuclear explosion couldn’t wake them now. The gas had yet to sink into the den mother’s lungs and she stirred. Startled, she shot upright and looked about frantically in the dark. “W-What’s going on?” Through the blackness, her eyes met another crystal blue pair that sent chills up her spine. She gasped. “Children! Wake-”

A cold knife to the neck silenced her.

“Shit!” Siamuse spat as ran the blade down the den mothers throat, slicing her vocal chords and countless arteries in two. “Someone might have heard that...” Only when the blade struck her collarbone did he pull the knife free. He stepped back, allowing the warrior woman to flop on her back. Though lifeless, blood continued to gush from her wound and onto the floor, making sloppy gurgling noises that nearly drove Prowlis to vomit. “Grab whoever you can lift and run!” Siamuse ordered.

Prowlis grabbed the youngest maiden child off her cot and threw her over his shoulders. Naturally, Siamuse snatched one of the teenaged girls. He leapt out the window and into the nearest tree. Sniffing back a tear, Prowlis made sure to grab the child’s stuffed toy before exiting. It was the least he could do for officially ruining the human’s life.

The cats disappeared into the shadows with a blink of an eye. They had completed their evil task in just under three minutes. Siamuse timed it.

Prowlis clung to the child as tightly as his left arm would allow (his right he needed to climb for his life with). Behind him, he could hear the alarmed cries of the warrior women that were unfortunate enough to investigate the school hut. He could only image the scene of panic, terror, and confusion that must be taking place.

“Ow!” He griped as Siamuse clawed his ear.

“Don’t look back, shithead! They’ll send their guards after us any second. Quit dragging your feet and get to the ship before we’re caught!”

Prowlis glared at the ground. With a heavy grunt, he shifted the child’s weight and reached out for low hanging branch. “I hope you do get caught, you fucking pervert.” Prowlis hissed inwardly. Nothing made him feel quite so filthy inside like running errands for that bastard.

Snarfer whistled a chipper tune as he dragged a full garbage bag out to the back dumpsters. Trash duty was not the young snarf’s favorite chore at the Tower, but it was the last chore for the evening and he wished to get it over with and hop in bed.

“In you go, yep!” Snarfer balanced his weight on his tail, making him just tall enough to lift the dumpster lid. He held the garbage bag over the large, dented receptacle, ready to dispose of the day’s waste, but the faint sound of feet tapping against sand caused his grip on the bag to tighten instead of relax. “W-who’s there?”

Snarfer looked around. The only thing in sight was dirt and rock piles. “The wind.” He concluded. “Snarfer...I hate this place at night.” Snarfer sighed as his nerves finally calmed enough to drop the garbage bag. It landed with a heavy, satisfying clang. “Good reddens to bad rubbish. Hee hee hee!” Snarfer brushed his hands together. “Yes sir, time to hit the- OMPH!”

Someone kicked Snarfer right in his butt, hard. His face collided with the lid, knocking the poor creature out cold as his body toppled into the dumpster. The lid slammed shut on top of him.

“That was-sn’t too hard.” Lizzasha smirked, resisting the urge to giggle at the snarfer’s expense. Without hesitation, she raced inside the tower while the doors were still open. “If only this-s-s next part would be so eas-s-sy...”

Joii limped down the hallway, taking light, silent steps. Her vision became blurry from time to time. The painkillers Pumyra had given her made her extremely drowsy, but she refused to fall asleep. Every ten steps o so she slapped herself to stay awake.

The circular formation of the lair’s interior threw off the jackal’s sense of balance. Luckily, just enough moonlight shined through the windows to see. She constantly staggered towards the left, outstretching her arm for support. Her nails lightly scratched the surface of the walls. Ever since Caralette blinded her eye, Joii had trouble judging distance. In unfamiliar surroundings, she was forced to feel her way around.

She passed a doorway. Cautiously, Joii poked her head through. Inside she spotted the Thundercat they call Tygra asleep under his covers. She tiptoed onward, only to pass several other bedchambers filled with the other slumbering Thundercats.

“Oh, wise Alphas Please let them all be asleep.” Joii prayed aloud. She spotted a stairway at the end of the hall. Excited, Joii quickened her pace. Had she not been afraid of waking the Thundercats, she would have slid down the railing. In seconds, she found herself on a new floor almost identical to the one she had just been on. “Shit! The exit has to be close by...”

Joii once again felt her way down the hall. Along with the wobbly feeling in her legs, she felt pressure building in her bladder. “No! No! Not now!” She griped. Her quest for freedom would have to be postponed for a bathroom hunt. She sniffed the air, desperate to find a toilette (or at least a potted plant).

“Come on...Come on...you’re here somewhere...”

“SNARF!”

“EEEEEK!” Joii shrieked as something bumped into her leg. She fell forward onto her knees.

“Purrr! I’m sorry!” Snarf started t pull Joii to her feet, but the put elbowed him away.

“Nyeh! I’m fine, I’m fine...” She assured him as she struggled to stand upright. “You scared me.”

“Snarf, snarf, likewise.” Snarf shook his head. “Purrrrr- What are you doing sneaking around? Does Pumyra know you left the medical wing?”

Joii’s heart pounded against her chest. “Blasted little fuzz-fuck!” She cursed Snarf inwardly for thwarting her efforts. “I had to pee.” She half-fibbed.

Snarf eyed her suspiciously. “Oh... Here, I’ll show you where to go.” He motioned for her to follow, but she hesitated. “Snarf- you coming?”

It took two slaps across the face to keep her awake this time. “Sure, sure.” She trailed snarf closely, observing his movements. She had only heard stories about the snarf species on Plun-darr. It was quite exiting to see one in person. She recalled him standing on two feet earlier, now he walked on all four. Peculiar... “Excuse me...What do I call you?”

“Snarf. Just Snarf.”

“They didn’t bother to name you?” Joii frowned, almost sympathetically.

“Snarf, snarf- Of course my parents named me. I just don’t like my name.” Snarf quickened his pace just enough him a yard’s distance between him and the pup. “She’s a little daffy- snarf snarf.”

“Which one of them owns you? Lord Lion-O?”

Snarf looked up at her with a brow raised. “Purrr- what are you talking about? I’m Lion-O’s guardian. He doesn’t own me.”

Joii snickered. “Stupid creature is in denial.” She wondered if all snarfs were this oblivious to their servitude.

“Snarf- The bathroom is the last door on the-”

Snarf was cut off by the roar of a siren. He and Joii nearly jumped out of their coats as the alarm blasted through the hallway.

“What’s going on? Are we under attack?”

“No, the Warrior maidens are” Panthro answered the pup as he sprinted past her. “Of course the early warning system would go off during my shift!” The panther groused as he turned a corner. “Bring Joii to the control center, Snarf.” He added once out of Snarf’s vision.

“Snarf, Snarf- I have to tend to this. Hurry up in there” He ordered, shoving Joii through the bathroom door.

Shaking, Joii took a deep breath and removed her cloak. The alarms rang in her ears even with the door closed. Frantic, she paced around the room, holding her hands over her ears. “How am I supposed to do this?” She wondered aloud. The pressure in her bladder shot pain into her kidneys. She sat on the toilette. “Guess I have to try...”

Ah, sweet release and not in a hole drilled on the floor. That would have been the most pleasant experience of her life had the alarms not triggered. Joii hoped to her feet and clothed herself once again. On her way to the door, she caught a glance of herself in the sink mirror and cringed. Repulsion and shame compelled her to smash the mirror, but due to exhaustion she settled on facing it away from her. “I’m caught anyways.” She grumbled under her breath. “Might as well find out what’s going on...”