Scars (Part II of J.H. White's Puss in Boots)

Chapter Seventeen: Running

Puss looked behind him quickly and saw nobody. Surely, that meant he had outrun them by now. He buried his head in his hands and ripped off the eyepatch, throwing it to the ground in anger.

O was dead. They would find him eventually. All was lost. He had to get to the time machine, at least. He had to travel to a place where Kitty was still alive, wherever that would be. And then he had to get his family back to safety.

He walked in the direction of the time machine and then saw two scavengers inspecting it and messing with the motors. He ran towards them.

"HEY!" he called, unsheathing his sword. "BACK OFF!" The scavengers retreated hastily. He looked around the time machine, hoping they hadn't damaged it or broken a vital setting.

When all seemed okay, aside from a few blowtorch marks on the outside, Puss got in, shedding one last tear for his fallen robotic comrade as the machine disappeared once more.

****

Puss was in an alleyway. His senses immediately reacted to his new environment, and he smelled leche, hearing loud electronic music blaring from inside a club. Slowly, he walked in and was met with a crowd of several different species all jumping in unison. He looked around, and saw a DJ wearing a white bucket with X's for eyes. Puss scoffed; he was American. But this wasn't important; he had to find Kitty's location.

He went over to the bartender, which was a struggle because of the crowd's liveliness, but he managed to push through the horde.

"One leche, por favor," he said to the man. As his drink was being prepared, he asked, "Hey, do you know where Kitty Softpaws might be?"

The bartender gestured to his left, and at first, Puss didn't understand. Then, he saw her, seated at a table alone. Kitty, his love, radiant in her beauty. Puss ran to her and she spotted him.

"Puss!" she cried, running into his arms. "Thank God you're alive! I didn't know where you were!"

Puss wasn't sure exactly what point in their marriage this was, but he went along with it. They embraced each other, and while the crowd was going crazy to the music, Kitty rested her head on his shoulder and they gently swayed back and forth, crying happily. "I love you so much, mi reina," he said, kissing her forehead.

"I love you more, mi rey," she replied. Then Puss remembered the danger they were both in, especially if Scars could travel through time.

"Kitty, we have to go," he told her. "No time to explain." They both ran through the crowd until they were out the door and to the time machine.

"Get in, mi amor," he told her. "It's okay." They both stepped in together and they were off again.

Scars leapt off a building's roof and landed on all fours. He stood up and grinned, taking off his goggles. "I got you," he hissed.