Multiple Settings Mass Clans: Beyond

[Moonsound]

The parasite resembling a plushie looked at Lethe and then pointed to the ground.

“Regulation. *I* can’t cross this line until *they* say there’s no risk of me contaminating a planet.” She said, pressing against her chest to emphasize herself and then gesturing to the lifeliners gathering together.

“Right, almost forgot. Is that door sealed?” Malevo asked aloud, pointing to the big bay wide door that was previously covered by the portal. There were a handful of triangular viewports built into it. Behind which animals were looking through into the med-bay.

“Sealed.”

“Great. You can move.” Malevo responded, pointing to the parasite. Who quickly walked over to Milky’s bed.

“How much blood is he losing per minu—no, second?” The plush toy asked.

“Twenty milliliters a second.” One of the nurses responded promptly.

“Exactly?”

“Twenty two mililitres a second exactly.” The nurse clarified.

“Twenty two mililitres…detonation trauma…lifeliners? Did you file forensics on this cat specifically in the blast zone?” The parasite asked.

“Yeeeeeah. Yeah. Our handler logged his exact location and body placement relative to the blast epicenter.” The vanta black lifeliner said. Revealing his multicolored luminescent chompers again in the process.

“Send it to my AR?” The plush toy queried, tapping her temple.

“Sent.” PIM, looking like Fye, said instantly.

“Perfect! Twenty milliliters a second is the textbook blood loss for this situation if his secondary aorta is damaged. And his placement in the room and shrapnel simulations corroborates it. His species has both a conscious and unconscious circulatory system. We need to clamp the secondary aorta, wake him up, and he can switch over the primary aorta. That should stabilize him.” The parasite explained studiously, to the medical staff assigned to Milky.



________________________________________


Hunter’s eyes grew wet and shimmery. Tears percolating in to but not falling out of his eyes.

“Thanks Holly. It means a lot.” Hunter meowed, one side of his muzzle curling into a minuscule smile. Having someone acknowledge his issues without trivializing them was a breath of fresh air after a long deep plunge in an icy ocean.

“…I’ve got your back too Holly. I still want to stick by this group. And that means you too.” Hunter said, raising his gaze of her eyes so she knew he meant it. Then letting his head rest against the tarp again, his eyes looking at the sky.

________


Keesipip nodded the affirmative to Lizeth.

“No, not often. Then again, there’s never been a virus making everyone a jumper ripping through the multiverse before.”

Trin murmured as he stared down at the ear. Leaned closer to sniff it. A second later his red eyes flicked up to Thistle then immediately to Silver.

Mhmmm, it’s an ear…–“ Trin’s gaze swiped up and down over Silver’s visage twice, “–My ear…I died. Which shouldn’t be possible during a temporal pincer maneuver.” Trin stated in a monotone voice, her eyes showing that he was still mulling over the various implications of this. He looked off to the side in thought.

“Do you know what a twoleg is?” Lexi asked as she glanced at the ear.

“Anything that walks on two legs. It’s a widely used term. Primarily spoken by primitives. It translates directly into most languages too since it’s so simple. Two being a numerical term denoting a sum. And leg referring to any bodily extremity primarily responsible for keeping an animal off the ground. Uhh...” Trin said without really thinking about it, his gaze still zoned out. After trailing off into silence for a couple seconds he snapped back to reality and his mind caught up with what he’d said. It also used the context to inference why Lexi would be asking now of all times.


“I remember earthlings used it a long time ago. To refer to humans.” Trin said, giving Lexi, Thistle, and Thrush a look that said he hoped that information was helpful.

 

[The_Morrigan]

"Careful...those twolegs might be able to hear you" as the voice appeared a black shorthaired cat with an almost purple tent to her fur proceeded to walk towards Lexi and Trin with her tail up in a C shape before licking her paw and rubbing it against her head to groom herself "name's Morrígan, what are we doing here? Sorry I wasn't listening but you caught my attention for some strange reason" as she spoke Morrígan proceeded to stretch.

 

[Moonsound]

"Careful...those twolegs might be able to hear you" as the voice appeared a black shorthaired cat with an almost purple tent to her fur proceeded to walk towards Lexi and Trin with her tail up in a C shape before licking her paw and rubbing it against her head to groom herself "name's Morrígan, what are we doing here? Sorry I wasn't listening but you caught my attention for some strange reason" as she spoke Morrígan proceeded to stretch.

Your character sounds very interesting. Could you fill out a form for her? It’s on the first page, real easy. After that, I’ll reply to you and you can hop on in!

 

[Moonsound]

Trin and Lexi both tensed up. Lexi far more than Trin. The huntress did not like anyone being able to sneak up on her, and Morrigan had done just that.

”You make a habit of approaching random groups of strange animals by yourself?” Lexi voiced, turning to face the aubergine sheline. Putting emphasis on the word ’strange’ in a tone of voice that was a bit difficult to decipher. Whether it was annoyance or a threat was unclear. Either way, it wasn’t a welcoming tone. Last thing Lexi wanted was another native sticking their nose in their fur.

One of Trin’s ears flicked when the newcomer mentioned her name. His head turning only halfway towards her.

“Very interesting name.” Trin purred with a knowing tone of voice.

Keesipip looked Morrigan up and down. She at least didn’t seem threatening. Then again, neither did Deciet.

 

[The_Morrigan]

"Well I stepped through some sort of portal and wounded up here...as for sneaking up on strange animals...yes, yes I do quite often actually" the Cat replied with a smile , hoping to ease any tension "thank you, well come on don't be scaredy cats , you know my name what's yours" Morrígan asked with a calming pur before cautiously approaching the cats. Her ears were alert but the rest of her body seemed relax , seemed ready to fight but obviously didn't want one.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

Thrush tenses as well, the fur between her shoulders raising slightly. Well. It seems like today's the day for picking up strays. Silver and Morrigan. Silver genuinely seems like a nice cat who just got lost. While the purple-ish black feline has a strange air about her. There's more than meets the eye with that one. The casual approach, her way of speaking. Her ability to sneak up on everyone here unnoticed. The Earthling remains quiet, observing the interaction between this new newcomer and her friends.

Thistle's gaze flicks between his sister, Lexi, Trin and Keesipip. Everyone here is on edge and this Morrigan character is trying to come off as unassuming and friendly. There's no harm is introductions, right? "My name is Thistle." mews the ruddy young tom, offering a smile in her direction.

Nyx returns from whatever she was doing, browsing the wares the locals are selling most likely. She sees her companions gathered together but also notices two unfamiliar faces in the crowd. The demoness approaches, but lingers a few steps away.

 

[Filament]

Lizeth makes way with the others over to the newcomer, her gaze curious. She'd heard the word twoleg as a kitten, perhaps from the mouth of an elder. It was a word that animals used to use to refer to man, back when they lived harmoniously together. Luckily someone else is explaining before has to and she finds herself kind of in awe of Silver. Something about her seemed uncanny and she lacked many of the mannerisms, she had grown up accustomed to.

She had also come from one of the windows. Before she's able to get a word out, another cat approaches, this one bearing a slight tinge of purple in her fur. This was maybe the second time in her entire life that she'd ever seen a cat with fur that had been altered.

"Oh my god, Miss, you're pelt is lovely!" The calico would exclaim, unable to stop herself as she moves forward to meet the stranger.

"I'm Lizeth, but you can jus' call me Liz or Lizzy." Her green eyes positively beam as she looks the other cat up and down.

"You must go through dye like crazy, 've only ever seen cats dye their headfur before." She seems completely unaware of how possibly rude she might be perceived as.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Holly finally finally stand to her paws, expression somber. "There's something I've got to do. I'll catch you later." She mews, her voice having a strange kind of certainty that she'd had trouble finding up until recently. Without another word, she makes way out of the small alley, her eyes quickly landing on Thistle.

Sweet Thistle, who'd already been through so much. She knows that this will hurt him now, but she can't bear to force him to bear the weight of her problems any longer. He deserves his freedom. She also deserves someone who will be in her corner always and there have been times that she'd been hurt by his lack of support. They both deserve somebody that's good for them, and neither of them are good for each other. That's what she tells herself anyway, as she stands beside him, letting their pelts brush a little, fearing that it will more than likely be the last time they do.

A million things run through her mind as she side eyes him and her heart beats faster and faster by the moment. She had meant to do this when she'd gotten back to the penthouse with her new leg but she'd been too exhausted then.

"I'm Holly." She introduces herself, feeling numb to the whole situation. This stranger didn't matter, not right now.

"Thistle, could I talk with you for a moment." She prys the words from her maw and they hang in the small space between them, as he agrees that sinking feeling solidifies, as though stomach was in the bottom of a deep pit.

Once they are far enough from the small clowder, she stops and stands in front of him, looking deep into his eyes, wondering what he'd see if he activated his soul sight now. Would color would she be right now? She imagines it'd be red because it feels like her very being is on fire and she struggles to stop her breathing from quickening to match the pace of her heart. Subtly she sets one forepaw ontop of her artificial limb, her eyes moistening but she forces herself not to cry. This is to his benefit and hers, they'll be better off apart surely...? The memories of their meetings in Hell at coffee shops rip at the fabric of herself, as though she were about to physically rip the fabric of their lives apart. Which she is.

"Thistle, I don't think this is working." She could not possibly have delivered that worse but she's never done this before, shes as new to this kind of heartbreak as she had been to love when it had first found her through him.

"It's not you, you're a sweet guy and I love you to pieces, (pieces she's discarding, now in this moment) but I think you need to be with someone better than me. You're kind, you're gentle but there are more times that I need you than you can offer me, and I think.I just-" She cuts herself off as she loses her voice.

"I just I need to learn how to handle myself, to do things myself and I'll never be able to do that if you're always there to solve my problems for me." She admits, witholding words that would hurt him, in turn hurting her even if she knows that they are true and this is what needs to happen. It's happening already, she's crossed the point of no return now, even if she turned around and begged him to forget what she's already said, it could never be. Maybe some faraway time, in some whimsical place, if things were bet- She forces those thoughts to leave her now.

"I'm only causing you trouble, and no," She interrupts as she sees his maw open to argue that she's not a burden. More than anything she knows what she is, what already he's been through because of his devotion to her.

"I have problems, I've caused problems and I need to solve them, without you, so that I can know who I am in this crazy world." Her gaze softens as it lands back on his face, trying to ignore those watery azure pools.

"I'm glad you were my first boyfriend. You were very kind to me, but I just can't keep carrying on like this. I'm sorry and please do know that I love you, I'll always love you but that's why I can't let you stay with me, hurting." Finally the dams in her own eyes break and a few stray tears run down her cheeks.

"Please just tell me you're gonna be okay... Please?"
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Streak glares at Lethe as he continues his angry mews, feeling something boiling deep inside him as the lanky tom goes on. Everything feels like it is moving slow as he raises his hackles and charges at the tom, claws unsheathed.

Flame sees this and is moving, having previously been curious how his son would handle his first conflict, but now all he feels is fear. As the air whips past his face, he realizes then in that moment that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Quickly, he stretches his neck and catches Streak's scruff between his teeth and skids to a stop, only to catch a claw to the face. "Streak!" The tom would growl involuntarily, letting the tom escape his grasp. For a second Streak just stands in front of Flame, staring directly at him.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

[The_Morrigan]

Morrígan smiled at Liz seeing Thrush was unsure of her "I actually don't know why my fur does that but I appreciate the admiration for it" she spoke before laying down trying to show to everyone she in fact meant no harm "anyone have any milk on ya?" Morrígan asked "nice to meet you Thistle and Liz by the way " as Morrígan's ears twitched in the direction of Nyxx slightly but Morrígan didn't pay mind to it.

 

[Moonsound]

”You know, Trin, you haven’t let me try any milk yet.” Keesipip pondered aloud. Her thoughts spurred on by the newcomer’s mention of the liquid.

Trin’s face scrunched into a look of amused confusion. The gray sheline’s statement making him whip his head to look at her.

”Wh-what?” He asked in a way much closer to a laugh than it was to normal speech.

”You haven’t taken us to try any milk. I’ve heard about it. But I’ve never gotten to try it.” Keesipip merowed, smirking at him.

”Keesipip you can try milk whenever you want? Am I supposed to chaperone you?” Trin stated with a confused smirk back.

”Mhmm. How will I know what places have good milk? Or am I supposed to drink it straight from the udders?” Keesipip said, putting emphasis on her last word while she bounced her brows and wore a knowing grin.

”Oh ha ha!” Trin said, rolling his eyes and managing to successfully stifle his laughter. A feat which Keesipip did not event attempt. Her high pitched laughter ringing out in response to his reaction.

“You get to drink from udders but we don’t? You’re a bad tour guide. I don’t think I’m getting the whole multiverse experience.” Keesipip joked.

“Very funny. I’ll take you to get some milk when we’re not in a blistering desert. Have you really not tried it?” Trin cocked his head.

”No! Milky’s the only animal who’s takes us anywhere. You just take us to fabulous, one of a kind scenic destinations like board meetings, combat zones and… the insides of ships. I want to go to a resort. Ooh! Take us to where all your Haven agents come from!” Keesipip chirped excitedly and teasingly.

“We might actually need to visit Haven prime. They somehow knew to warn their members against the juice pouches at The Symphony.” Trin said, rubbing his chin with a paw in rumination. The gray sheline snickered and rolled her eyes at that. Adopting a posture mimicking his.

”I’m sorry Keesipip. But I’m just too serious and brooding to think about fun. Undertaker is out there so we can’t stop for even a second. So you’ll just have to make do with age old stories of when I used to not be a stick in the mud while I gaze into the middle distance. PIM, call one of my exes and tell them I’ll be bringing a group of 80 strangers into their house out of the blue.-“ Lexi started snickering like a mad cat at that, “-And make sure there’s plenty of glass windows I can stare out of because nobody understands me and I’m a failure.“ Keesipip meowed in a down pitched voice meant to satirize Trin’s. As she was talking Hunter snuck back into their ranks. Though he didn’t really sneak, he just chose to remain silent and watch in amusement as he took a seat where Lizeth had been prior.

Trin watched Keesipip with a lip bitting smirk. Clearly amused but not wanting to show how much. You could also detect just a little bit of discomfort. A healthy amount. He couldn’t deny Keesipip’s playful jabs were hitting home. Only as a friend who knew you could. The gray ashlander girl stood to her paws and walked over to Lexi with her head lowered a bit, and her shoulders up high. As though she was stalking while in a prolonged shrug.

”I do not walk like that!” Trin blurted out. His words carried aloft by a tone of humor.

”You do!” Hunter and Keesipip practically harmonized as they spoke in unison. While Lexi nodded her head rapidly while silently laughing.

“It’s like you’re always s on a mission. Even to the bathroom!”As Keesipip reached Lexi she put a paw around her neck, making the orange furred huntress stiffen up and prickle slightly. With Lexi in her grasp Keesipip walked over to Morrigan.

”Hey you fine, sexy, honey—“ Keesipip was using her fake Trin voice again, “—I couldn’t help but notice that you’re a complete stranger that I’ve never met. So I have to flirt with you and make sure you know that I find you agonizingly attractive. The only way you’d look better was if you were a wolf. If I wasn’t already in a relationship I would love to make you my 20 millionth girlfriend because you are just so good look-” Keesipip cut herself off and glanced at Lexi who was still under her foreleg. Then she did a very dramatic double take and stepped away from her.

”Oh my god Thrush, I didn’t see you there!” Keesipip exclaimed, looking Lexi up and down in faux shock. That was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back because Lexi erupted into laughter. Falling onto her side, rolling on to her back and kicking her legs laughter! Nearly hitting Lizeth as she did so. Just absolutely boisterous and carefree hysterics that you wouldn’t have expected to see from the hard boiled she-cat with saber teeth.

Trin had a paw placed over his muzzle while he sniggered. His nose, ear tips, and paws warm from embarrassment and the blood rushing to them in reaction.

“Alright! Alright! I’ll take you guys somewhere nice. Hehe. I promise.” Trin said, fighting the urge to laugh while waving his paw. Keesipip and Lexi’s laughter slowly died down and the huntress got back to her paws.

“Great. Now let’s get these kits home.“ Keesipip meowed, dropping the fake Trin voice. She pointed to the small blonde twins that were lying on the ground looking bored out of their minds.

”Yeah. Can we get the wagon ready to go while Holly’s talking with Thistle?” Hunter asked aloud, his gaze flicking from Trin, to Lizeth, to Ford. Unsure of who was the authority on getting the wagon ready for the journey.



____________________________________________________________________________________________________


Jezebel looked down at Streak and watched the altercation with wide, surprised eyes. But she didn’t move to interdict either of them.

Malevo however, did. The lifeliner coming over at a rushed walking pace.

”What’s going on?” The alien fox asked. She didn’t place herself between Streak and Flame but she did put her self adjacent to where that would be. So that she could hopefully step in if needed.

_____________


Speed‘s eyes started to blink open as the she-cat came to atop the gurney she was on. A low groan coming out of her helmet’s built in microphone. Weak, lethargic attempts from her legs to pick herself up off her side and into a sitting position all failed. While the medic watching her gestured for her to stay down.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

Thrush watches her brother leave, but quickly returns her attention to the situation at paw. The tension is quickly subdued by Keesipip. The crater-born feline snorts. She had completely forgotten Trin's admission about udders. Watching the Ashlander walk around with her shoulders up to her ears is enough to garner a snicker from the she-cat. It is accurate to how Trin actually walks, though maybe not quite as exaggerated as she's put on. Her smile slowly disappears when Keesipip-as-Trin begins fake flirting with Lexi. When she tells the Huntress that she'd look even better as a wolf, Thrush subtly glances over at Nyx. Hearing her name said and just feeling the attention shift to her, the Earthling's expression is a carefully schooled pokerface.


From just the melancholy tone in her voice, Thistle knew the upcoming conversation wasn't going to be a happy one. But he agreed to follow Holly to a somewhat private area so they can speak. He can't help that his eyes grow misty, hearing her words.

The young tom, when Holly is done speaking, takes a moment to gather his thoughts. He exhales.

"I'm sorry if there ever was a time where your needs weren't being met as a romantic partner or I wasn't being supportive of you." Thistle begins, his voice quiet, "I wish you luck in your journey to solve what needs solving, fix what needs fixing, and heal what needs to be healed. I hope you succeed in finding who you are and I'm glad you were my first girlfriend. I know you will find someone who will suit you better, someone who has more experience in romance." He sniffles, now feeling the wetness on his face.

"I... I think I'll be okay. Will you?"



Lethe backpedals when Streak charges at him. He gives Flame a grateful look when he catches his offspring. What has gotten into the tom-kit?

 

[The_Morrigan]

"Undertaker...hmm my brother Liu was at the Symphony he's ok but barely made it, also what's going on here actually? Because portal and now you guys" Morrígan asked finally voicing her confusion as the shorthaired cat sat down looking at everyone , her fur was lustrous as the black showed shimmers of purple , her blue eyes gazing upon everyone before adding "also what's something I can get to make me drunk?" Morrígan asked.

 

[Filament]

Filament watches with curious eyes as Keesipip questions Trin as to when they'll go somewhere better than here. She made a really good point, they'd never gone anywhere fun. They were at a beach once but even that got ruined. He doesn't realize it until now but his jaw is sore and clenched. How long had it been since he was at ease? Even in the last couple minutes, he'd found himself worried about the other half of the group, especially Pim.



His gloomy thoughts are quickly stolen by the ashlander and Lexi as he watches Keesipip do a very pointed albeit hilarious impression of the stoic alabaster tom. He's grinning, still wearing his silly camo hat and pretty soon he is laughing along with them. During the bit with Thrush though, his laughter dies down and he casts a sympathetic glance at Thrush, although he'd wager she was too embarassed to even notice.



_____________________________________________________________________________________________



His first girlfriend? If anything he said could make her feel worse, those words would be the ones to do it. Her crestfallen feeling expands wider until she feels like she is falling.

He blames himself. The words of her mind taunt her. She knows that to be the case, why can't she make him see that this is mostly (mostly) her fault?



"It's not like that, Thistle. It's not about you, you were great, I just-" She groans, using a paw to wipe tears from her eyes. Laughter echoes in the distance and she flattens her ears further. The worst is yet to come though.



Even now as she drives that double edged knife between the both of them, he asks if she will be okay. As if that even mattered at all. As if this wasn't entirely her choice. For some reason she wants to lie and say yes, but she doesn't know with any degree of certainty that she will be alright.



"I hope so. I think I will." She mews meakly, a sudden, selfish thought coming to the front of her mind.



"I know it's selfish of me to wonder, but do you think your sister is going to be have, some aggressive impulses related to this?" For the upteenth time during this conversation, she flounders the wording but she can't hear her own inner monologue over the pounding of her heart.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

The staring contest continues for a moment before Flame speaks up, his voice gentle, even with the small beads of blood on his cheek. "Streak, you're feeling a lot right now, but we're going to be stuck here for a while yeah? Why don't you go sit down okay?" The words are met with more snarling from the patchwork tom-kit and he looks ready to spring again already.

"I don't know Malevo."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

[.silver.]

Silver stood still, perplexed. She felt as if she was having the craziest dream, like the time when the Twoleg kitten fed her something bright and colorful. Maybe she was dreaming. She fell asleep atop the abandoned building and has been dreaming this whole time. "This isn't real...," she mumbled quietly under her breath in realization.

 

[Moonsound]

“This is very much real. I can assure you. We’ll fill you in along the way. Or…you can stay here.” Trin said to Silver.

“And her?” Lexi asked, pointing at Morrigan.

“You can come too. One more new face can’t hurt.” Trin said to the black sheline.



——**Time-skip to the location where they first met Ford**——


Keesipip, as expected, was barely out of breath. Long distance trekking was her bread and butter and the dry heat was actually easier to stand than the immense humidity of her home planet.

“So are you kind of getting a grasp on how this all works? It was confusing for me too. Basically, every universe is full of planets. And the multiverse is tons and tons of those universes all in their own bubbles. So where you came from, there were humans and they were the apex species. But from where Filament came from, cats were always the apex species.” The gray sheline explained to Silver. Trin was right in assigning her as the one to get the newbies up to speed. Her home world was the most “primitive” of everyone else’s. But she had an extensive vocabulary and knowledge of more advanced things and concepts.

Lexi panted lightly. Walking next to the wagon in a spot that covered her by the most amount of shade. The hot road was uncomfortable underneath her pads but she’d been through worse.

Trin was looking around, coming to a stop. The area they were in was finally familiar.

Hunter was sitting on the back of the wagon. He’d hoped up there as silently as possible a while back.

“The False sisters are way goofier than they let on. Especially False Lamb. She’ll sneak out into her club and mess around with the guests. You’d never guess she had just told someone their family would die if they didn’t make any noise while they stood on a bed of nails.” Hunter meowed. Casually recalling an experience he had when traveling with the mobster she-cat.


The twins were riding inside the wagon, currently looking worried.

“Hey Lexi. You think you can pick up on the residual portal energy?” Trin asked, getting the huntress to poke her head out of the shade. The red eyed tom was lightly stomping in the spot he was referencing.

“…yeah. I can sense it… There.” Lexi meowed out, clearly fatigued and tired. On her word a black circle appeared next to Trin. The circle floated there unmoving.

“Great. KITS! Come on out, we’re here. Nyx, say your goodbyes. You too Lizeth. Then we gotta go.” Trin said, growing eager to get back as soon as possible. The entire walk his mind had been eating away at him. Something didn’t feel right and it was evident on all his features. His ear falling out of a portal and two new animals coming from other portals was beyond weird. Something was wrong. He lifted a paw up to his face to shade his eyes while he waited for everyone


The two blonde twins languidly half stepped, half fell out of the wagon and began to trudge towards the portal. If you didn’t know any better you’d think they were marching to their execution. Lexi and Trin showed no reaction or sympathy however.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

Nyx trots on, stopping the blond boys with a gentle paw on one of their shoulders. "So. This is where we say goodbye. We haven't known each other long but you're both sweet kids, I wish you nothing but the best when you get home. And truly... I'm sorry about your brother." She remembers the trial their brother went through, and how he was sentenced to death right before his siblings were whisked away to another dimension. They never had time to properly grieve with family and heal.

"Kihka. Hikha." The demoness addresses the twin rabbit-turned-kittens by name, by the correct name. "Be strong," Her voice quavers, revealing the emotions she is currently feeling, "be there for each other. And be good. Okay?" Before either of them can reply, Nyx presses her nose to each of their foreheads in turn.


Thistle, taking Holly's worries to heart, informed Thrush of their breakup on their way to where their group met Ford. To his surprise, she just listened quietly as they walked along.

"She didn't end things because of who you are, did she?" Thrush inquires calmly, but there's malice in her tone.

"No! No. I, uh.... I never actually... told her." Thistle admits. "There was this one time she told me she wanted kits, and I said I wanted them too, but with us being hunted by Undertaker it wasn't a good time to have them, y'know? I'm sad that we're not together, of course, but it was... Not mutual, but accepted, by both of us."

The siblings stop walking when the wagon stops rolling and they look over as the rabbit-cats take their leave. Thrush perks her ears to hear Nyx's farewell.

 

[The_Morrigan]

Following along Morrígan would listen to Keesip , Lexi and Trin. "so multiple planets and bubble universes hmm , interesting. So in this universe do large monkey looking things terrorize cats with lazer pointers?" Morrígan asked half jokingly before thinking and saying "so what are we doing here?" The cat would follow along with the others sniffing with her tail up in the c shape from before showing contentment.

 

[Moonsound]

“We’re dropping them off and then going back to Starworld. There’s some unfinished business there.” Keesipio answered Morrigan, gesturing to the two blonde kittens in question.


The twins stopped their death March at Nyx’s interdiction. Silently nodding along with bittersweet expressions. Both of them relishing her affectionate last touch in their own way. One closing his eyes while the other lightly nuzzled her back.

“Thanks.” The two of them whispered out. Hesitating before trudging over to the black portal.

Trin wordlessly ushered them through with a tilt of his head.

“Will we see you all again?” One of the twins asked, a step away from the obsidian gateway. Trin looked down at them and chewed his cheek.

“…Maybe… Don’t bet on it.” Trin said enigmaticly and curtly.

With that, the twins stepped through. A second passed before Trin closed his eyes and the portal shrunk in on itself and vanished.

“Lexi, can you get us back to Starworld?” The white tom asked. Without missing a beat, the huntress nodded and a portal opened up just a ways away.

“Take as much time as you need. But not too much.” Trin said to Lizeth and Ford as he padded towards it. A nod of his head the last thing Ford would see before the tom stepped through to the other side.


_________________on the other side of the portal…



Trin’s ears were hit with a cacophony of unexpected noise the second his head came out of the inky blackness. His eyes scanned around the apartment that the portal opened up to. Everything was just as he remembered and simultaneously, not as he remember at all. To his terror.

The apartment was still as it always was. A two story penthouse, with stairs leading up to an interior balcony overlooking the first floor. Only now bits and pieces of all kinds of debris were embedded in the steps. And the glass railing was shattered.

Floor to ceiling windows panes still dominated the walls to the left and behind him. Going all the way up from the red carpet on the first floor to the ceiling of the second level. Except every pane of glass was blown out. The tiny shards glistening on the outside deck that overlooked the vast city. Glints of glass so small they were like powder floated atop the waves in the deck pool.

And the main floor was still a wide open floor planned space where the living room, foyer, and kitchen all blended together without any separation walls. Though, to Trin’s shock and awe, the room was destroyed. Black char and burn marks stained the red walls like graffiti. The guitars, records, and other music related memorabilia that decorated the walls either thrown from their hooks or torn apart. The red couch in the center was obliterated and resembled a rug. The holographic tv flickered and garbled as it tried to project the local news coverage. News coverage that was of this very building. Giving a surreal perspective from a bird eye’s view of the damage. With black char marking the building around the windows like macabre eyeliner. Trin recognized it as the aftermath of an explosion immediately.

A quick glance outside would confirm the presence of about a dozen news drones hovering outside. And the tv showed there were tons of news crews down on the ground level beneath them.

That left the last difference between this place currently and the way Trin and his crew had seen it last was the bodies. Both alive and dead. Ten to twenty god-ring enforcement and nabramblekin animals stood inside the apartment. Some upstairs on the second floor, some out on the deck, and some in the main room. Investigators, police, coroners. All now looking at Trin.

Then there were the dead bodies. The ones that didn’t awkwardly shift their eyes or lightly gasp when he came through. Dozens of bodies laid on the carpet, dried blood from them beginning to stain the red carpet brown.

All of them looked like him or crude copies of him. White, red eyed, often pink nosed. There were slight differences between most of them and major differences between some. A few weren’t even felines. But Trin knew what they were. They were all version of him, variants of himself from all corners of the multiverse. Investigation markers littered the floor as they laid were they fell. Their bodies more and more deformed as you got closer to the epicenter of the explosion; in the center of the room by the couch.

The smoke had been cleared from the room but you could still taste the tangy air left over. A sour mix of singed fur and gun powder mixed together into an acrid cocktail that assaulted your palate as you breathed it over your tongue.

Quietly, Trin took a couple steps away from the portal. His mouth agape and his ears drooped.

“Sir? Sir, did you live here?” One of the animals in the room asked. But their voice was no more than a tickle in Trin’s ears. He slowly lowered himself down into a sitting position while his eyes zoned out. A paw touched his shook and lightly shook him but he did not respond beyond his eyes flicking over to them but not truly seeing them. If you didn’t know better, you would have assumed he was shell shocked.

 

[.silver.]

"O-oh, okay...," Silver said weakly in response to the gray she-cat's explanation. Her head was spinning and she was still a little bit convinced that this was all real. But there was no way it could all be fake. She knew what it was like to be awake. At this point, she was really in this other universe somehow or she was having a really bad trip on something contaminated with Twoleg poison. After a few moments of thought, Silver spoke again. "But what about...?" her voice trailed off again as she realized she was sitting alone and Keesipio had already walked away. The small cat looked up and found the rest of the group before running over to catch up. She stood nearby, watching quietly--and almost numbly, really. What a wild situation to be in.

 

[The_Morrigan]

Morrígan nodded as she followed through the portal "nice...place you've got" she started to say. Looking around at the apartment and the carnage "something tells me something happened here" she spoke before looking at Trin.

 

[Filament]

Ford and Lizeth had walked mostly in silence as they reached what was to be the proverbial end of the road, for now. As they came to a stop and the twins parted ways with the larger group through one of those windows, Ford stepped in front of Lizeth, resting a paw on the shorter cat's shoulders.

"I'll see you back home, Liz." The bi-color tom would mew quietly, moving forward and wrapping his paws around her neck, gently, avoiding tussling her neck-scarf.

"Be good for these animals, they're giving you a lot of trust." With that the tom started to pull away but she stopped him, tears streaming down her cheeks. For a moment longer they held each other.

Finally they broke the embrace and Lizeth looked up at him. "I'll see you soon, make it home for me." She mewed, uncertain that she'd really see him again after this.

WIth one last look at him over her shoulders, she walks through the portal just behind Filament.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Filament shakes his head in shock as they enter the apartment. "Pim?" The tom would call, managing to stave off panic, if only because he knew that she had been in one of her pods. God-ring detectives are almost as numerous as the bodies of the dead and he almost immediately recognizes Triss Among them. Running through the blood, he comes to a stop beside her, noticing two entrance wounds immediately on her head.

They weren't exactly friends, persay, but he knew that she had been looking after him since he'd joined their group. "Triss, I'm sorry." He'd mew, resting a single paw on her own before moving on, his gaze looking around for Pim.

"Hey, you, did a super-AI who wasn't Fye come through here recently?" The tom would ask the nearest detective.

 

[Firestorm of TempestPack]

It takes a good ten seconds for reality to settle in Thrush's mind. A bomb had gone off right here in this room. The crater, the debris, the pieces of bodies scattered about. But above all that screams the question of 'HOW!?' They weren't even gone a day. While they had just sent two kids back home, there's still other young ones in their group. "JASS!" Thrush yowls as she begins her frantic search. She shoulders one of the investigators out of the way so she can get a front-row view of a collection of limbs. She's looking for grey (through everything is pretty much grey with dust now), purple, orange and light brown fur. She steps closer and when she reaches out with a paw, she's abruptly pulled back.

"Miss, I advise you to not touch-" Before the worker can even finish their sentence, Thrush is bounding off to the next crime scene-marked area.

"Ruma? Ita?" Thrush calls out, hoping one of them will reply. She hops from one tagged area to the next, looking for anything that could possibly identify any of the young ones that had inadvertently joined their crew. After each stop, the sheline grows more panicked, eyes wild and rambling to herself under her breath. "pleasepleasepleaseplease... BAILEY! str-STREAK! PURPLE! nonononono they can't be... Maybe they're-!" She bolts up the stairs, rushing from room to room, checking every place she can think of. Under furniture, inside closets and in cabinets. Anywhere that little bodies can squeeze into when scared and desperate.


Nyx approaches the despondent Trin and places a paw on his back. "My heart shatters for you, my friend. I hope their deaths were quick and painless and that they find peace in the hereafter." The tears she was holding back when the blond twins left finally fall. "We will find the whoever did this and we will make them pay. I promise you."


A stunned Thistle watches his near-hysterical sister run about the ruined penthouse looking for missing kittens within the decimated fleshy remains. "Lexi? Is there any portal... stuff? Remnants?" Thistle grumbles to himself, unable to think of the word he's looking for. "Were there any portals opened here, besides ours?"

 

[Moonsound]

Keesipip hung back to wait for Silver. Registering the sheline’s hesitation and lost mannerisms.

“It looks much scarier than it is I promise. Yo-you had a question earlier?” Keesipip asked, positioning herself next to Silver. In front of them floated the portal.

Hunter was still with them on that side of the portal as well, quietly pulling rear secuirty. Which in this case just meant he was staring at them with a neutral look on his face.


__________________________________________________________________________


“…Not my place.” Trin murmured, turning his head towards Morrison slowly. His eyes still distant while his facial features adopted a look of offended disbelief. In some part of his brain he wanted to snap at her for stating the obvious in such a way, but the reply never made it to his lips. Just the murmur came out; a simple sentence that answered both the dark she-cat as well as the investigator.

_________


A cat that appeared 2D from whatever angle you looked at them bounced their brows when Filament addressed them.

”No sir. But Fye herself did come through. Was— Is PIM a super AI that would have been here in the last hour?” The official asked, pulling at small tech tablet out of their side. It genuinely looked as though they reached back along their side and produced the tablet from nowhere. Quickly writing something on it. Their gaze while looking at Filament was at first business-esque but morphed into care and empathetic attentiveness. You could even see them cringe ever so slightly when they accidentally addressed a friend or family member of one of the victims in the past tense. A faux pas they had been trained to avoid and one he felt bad for committing.


__________



“Ma’am?” One of the bipedal nabramblekin asked softly, as Thrush started to panic.

”Ma’am.” A god-ring enforcer said tactfully after receiving a look from the investigator who just got shoulder out of the way.

”Sugar-bowl we can help you out, you just got to stop running around!” A maroon skinned sphinx she-cat wearing a white polo shirt called up to the second floor after Thrush, a smile on her face only so that her voice sounded more friendly. Once her sentence was over a sympathetic frown replaced it.

”Poor dear…” She added on with a glum glance down before raising her head back to look at the second floor. It’d be best to just wait her out. And there was less of a scene for her to get in the way of up there. A few of the other animals in the room nodded their shared sympathy for Thrush’s plight.


________


Nyx’s large paw made Trin jump in his skin. Enough to shake him from his traumatic reverie. His red eyes focused and he looked up at the face of his tear stained companion.

”Yeah… Yeah he’ll pay.“ Trin meowed, not evening needing to think about the gender of who might have done this. It was one of two animals and they were both males; Undertaker and Red.

”I just don’t understand how anyone could disrupt a temporal pincer. It shouldn’t be physically possible.” Trin meowed out, beginning to organize his thoughts. A small tone of guilt leaking into his voice while he tried to ignore it.

”You believe you know of someone who had a motive?” The investigator beside him asked, making Trin aware that they were even there. He looked them up and down quick, then let out a dry chuff at their appearance. An all leather formal military styled jacket, waxed leather to be precise. So it didn’t shine more than anything else. And instead of pants they wore leather shorts. Both garments were a rich ivory cream color. A god-ring blue band around their right foreleg while under their leather they had a cloth garment designed to look like chest fur, really fluffy chest fur. Starched enough for the cloth to barely even move. All of the getup was donned by a orange tabby sheline with the inside of her paws and belly white.

”Yeah, Undertaker or Red. Neither of those names are helpful I know.” Trin said in a dry tone.

”It helps me fill out my bureaucratic logs. Mister Trinity, are you of inclination to tell me what a temporal pincer is?” The investigator asked, reaching for and activating a recording decide on their jacket in an exaggerated manner.

”It’s a— I’m a jumper. It’s a time jumping maneuver. Why’d you say my name like that?” Trin asked, looking at her sideways.

”That’s your name, is it not?” The investigator queried, cocking her head. The question was rhetorical and her tone made it clear she knew it was his name.

”No, how do you know that name? I should be Trin on any God-ring records.” Trin said in general annoyance, not pointed at anyone in particular. The investigator gave pause at that, needing to think about the sit at hand. A moment later she adopted of look of realization.

”Ah. Tiiime jumping maneuver. Mister Trinity, do you see those news drones out there?” She asked, pointing to the aforementioned vehicles. He nodded, and as he did she walked over to the center of the room where the bar for the holographic tv was. She reached down and pressed a button on it. The channel changed from one network that was showing an outside view of the apartment, to a different network that was now showing a live video feed of Trin himself. On either side of the image were two alien newscasters and underneath it was a caption that read,

”Trinity, alleged founder of God-ring alive.” The alabaster tom breathed out in disbelief as he stared at the crackling feed.

“— know about you K2 but that does certainly look like him. He’s barely even changed his appearance. That tom definitely matches what our Star News historians say he should look—“

”You have been breaking news for a little over an hour now Mister Trinity.” The investigator said, striding back over to him.


__________


Lexi was watching the tv feed, her pupils growing a hair when the feed started jumping from Trin to the rest of them. Including her. Thistle’s voice made her look over at him, and as she did, the camera went over to him. Thankfully, the feed showed that they couldn’t hear anything they were saying.

”Huh? Uh…uhhhh, yes. There’s residual portal energy. It was a big one too.” Lexi informed the tom. Without thinking about it Lexi honed in on the source closing her eyes so she could focus. A few seconds later, the massive see-through portal the lifelines had opened split the fabric of space yet again. Connecting the apartment to the medical bay and getting a handful of stares from the medical staff on the other side.

 

[.silver.]

"Um... The Twolegs," Silver said softly. "The... people. Where are they?" Silver tore her gaze from the portal and made eye contact with Keesipip.

 

[Filament]

Liz gasps as she comes through the portal, absolute carnage surrounds her. Bits and pieces of bodies litter the area and she begins to shake violently. Taking a deep breath, she steadies herself and allows her eyes to probe the room. In the center, the scorched remains of a couch, in front of that, a large black crater and melted carpeting. It's not something she hasn't seen before but it has been sometime.



Ignoring the feeling of blood under her pads, she moves away from the portal, further into the room, eyes furrowed in disgust. A television set in the center of the room continues bravely to transmit and she finds herself surprised in spite of everything. A television from her home would never survive such a blast in one piece, let alone be able to transmit still.



"Trin?" The girl would whisper to herself, readjusting her scorched scarf, her orange gaze involuntarily moving over to the tom in question. "What's godring?" She'd ask naively, looking over at one of the many mutants in the room. One in particular catching her eye.



He or she, had a short stocky body with a long but not-disproportionately so neck. Their body was covered in many scales particularly on their lower jaw and the ankles of their reptilian feet, although also on their ears, which resembled the ears of some sort of dog.



"Hey, um, 'scuse me, what is that device in your talon there?" The she-cat would ask, nosing at a small glowing television he held in his claws. It took a huge effort for her not to wrinkle her nose in disgust at such a creature. She didn't want to be rude, but even other mutants she'd seen before had scarcely been more than welps, whereas this creature appeared to be fully mature.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________



Filament furrows his brows immediately, having caught the erroneous 'was' instantly. It wasn't the first time he'd had news delivered in such a way and he stiffened. "Pim, she was here when we left, white fur, glowing eyes." The umber cat pauses a moment, takes a deep breath and steadies himself. "She was using a proxy body, so don't assume she's dead, she's fine." The words are a bit more forceful than they need to be and he quickly apologizes before turning away.

This two dimensional flatfoot, didn't know anymore than he did.



On delicate toes, he continues his search of the apartment, his eyes landing on some fur that looked remarkably like his own. It's scorched and what appears to be a dark brown stain marrs the floor around it. Following the trail with his cybernetic eye, he ends up on the side of a kitchen island, his face scrunching up in horror and disgust as he fully processes exactly what he's looking at.



One milky white iris stairs back at him, from the top left of a very damaged skull, patches of autumnal colored fur scorched and dark but still recognizable.



"Mom?" Filament would whisper, using a deft paw to move it slightly to the side. "Why were you here?" His voice was hardly audible and he squeezes his eyes closed tight, withholding tears that threaten to fall at any moment.



"Pim, I need you." The tom whispers, holding out hope against all hope that she was okay. She was in a pod!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________



Holly's amber eyes scan the apartment, glad in spite of herself that Thistle was okay. Even though she'd broken up whatever it was that they had, she wanted him to be okay.

Wearily, her eyes land on the tv and she almost laughs. If it had come to be, it would've been a sad laugh, but a laugh none the less. "You created God-Ring?" The words feel strange coming from her mouth as she turns to face the detective talking to Trin.

"What happened to the ones who survived the blast, where are Hal, the other orange cats and the rest of them, huh?" The she-cat would ask, keeping her voice even as best she-could.

 

[The_Morrigan]

Glancing up at the God Rin enforcers then to Trin. Morrígan starts sniffing around for clues as to what happened. "Hmm" the cat responded thinking to herself while watching everyone else. Though curious Morrígan walked to a God Rin enforcer sniffing "what are you?"