Cat's Blues

Cat's Blues: Chase

(Side step: CHASE.)

“What do you mean reassigned?!?” There was a thud as I slammed my hands on the Caption’s desk. He simply turned away and looked out the window to the base. “Sir this is redundant! I’m perfectly fine to fight, you cannot reassign me! I demand answers!” The old man turned to look at me, stern and hard. He gestured to the chair I had knocked over “Sit down”

                Sitting there I watched as he closed the blinds and turned on the projector, the whole time he was silent. My mind kept rattling off reasons why this was happening, and none of them was making any sense.  Reassigned to where? Why the hell am I the only one? I’d worked my ass off so far to become a member of the Marines special ops team, where could they send me now? As the Caption sat back down, I was getting more and more impatient. “Chase, your being moved because you are the best” The projector flashed and the assignment paper appeared. I looked at the location, unknown?” what the hell? The Caption folded his arms, and began to explain.

“The government needs someone to watch over a certain project. Not just anyone, they need someone skilled and cunning. I recommended you for this position. This is top secret; I don’t even know the whole story. “

With that I was shipped out the next day, I had time to write my brother goodbye. Half hoping the government would play the killed in action card, I said my goodbye to my team. Duncan stood at the gates of the base, and flipped me off. I couldn’t help but laugh that asshole, as Chris punched him in the arm, I knew that nothing would ever be the same again. Exactly what had I gotten into I didn’t know. As the bus sped off towards the airport, I’d take me seat and wait.

                After setting onto the tarmac I saw a long black limo, and a fed. I grimaced, federal agents where all ways to stuck up. Grabbing my rucksack, I walked over to him. He was tall, sharp looking suit and black sunglasses. The only thing that made this moment worse was the fact that I had no idea where the hell I was. “Mr. Mason?” The fed asked, I stuck out my hand.

                “At your service”

I couldn’t help but look around the limo’s interior. Blacked out windows, the fed sat across from me. Just sitting there, “So let’s cut to the point. Why am I here?” I asked, relaxing back into the seat. The fed sighed and took off his glasses “Pretty much you’ll be babysitting a brat.” He said bluntly. I raised my eyebrows, he continued “It’s not just any brat; she’s probably the most dangerous thing alive. You’ll see when we arrive” Dangerous? Well the Caption knew me a little too well then. Not being able to see out the windows made the ride extremely boring. Babysitting a kid, well between you and me I don’t see how in the world this could be dangerous. Little did I know that bratty kid would turn out to be Ai. We sat in that damned car for what seemed like an eternity, “Hey kid get up. We’re here” The fed called, and I jerk up. The car door was open; I climbed out sleepily, and grabbed my bag. We stood in a large loading bay, the fed escorted me through a set of heavy steel doors. There were two guards who awaited on the other side, they saluted the Fed. I followed after him as he led me down a white hall. A set of doctors stepped out into the hall, and gestured the Fed into the room. I followed after him, and saw a little girl sitting at a metal table.

                “Good morning Ai” The fed said taking a seat, one of the scientist’s took my bag, and told me to sit next to the fed, or Mr. Felonet. The kid looked up at me, and scared the hell out of me. There sticking out of her head were ears, like, well a cat. She scowled at me and got up, the chair squealed as she pushed it back. She wore a white dress, as she looked up at me I saw a long black chord hanging from her back. When it moved, I wanted to run from the room screaming, that was no chord that was a tail. What the hell is going on here?  She had short dark hair, and big eyes. I thought she was going to say something but she didn’t, she turned on a heel and went back to her chair. “Ai this is Chase” the fed said, as I sat down. She didn’t answer, she simply sat there. It’d take another week of constantly being around Ai to get her to finally say something. Even now I still remember it, she sat at a table in the library the fed Mr. Felonet turned out to be the director of this place, he told me all about this child. That she was a rare mutant, that they’d never truly know her powers. Or what she’s capable of doing. She was flipping through an old geography book; I couldn’t help but notice who small she was compared to the other kids here.  For being ten, she was extremely mature, maybe not but she never said anything that’d make me think otherwise. I don’t even know how long we’d been in here; she really does like reading though. I watched as her eyes dropped, and her ear’s dropped down, she sat up abruptly and tried to go back to reading. I smiled as she did this several more times before she finally fell asleep.

                The librarian, Mrs. Whelm came over “I wouldn’t let her sleep here, the other kids will pick on her” She told me with a sweet smile. “I feel bad for the little thing sometimes” She looked down at Ai and returned to the checkout desk. Sighing, I picked her up as gently as possible; Ai grumbled something and curled up against my chest. Carrying her back to her room, I hoped that I wouldn’t get lost again. Something wrapped around my arm, making me shiver I looked down to see it was her tail. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the fact that she’s part cat. She was incredibly light, Ai’s eyes opened, and she looked up at me. She made a face, “I can walk” She muttered. I smiled, “I know” And with that her eyes closed again and she fell back asleep.  After that she still didn’t say anything, after several meetings with the director, I learn all he could tell me about her. The one thing he told me made me want to laugh, she absolutely loved cucumbers, giving her them is a good way to get on her good side. When it was time to take her to diner, she sat as far away from all the other’s as possible. She and some other kid sat with their heads together, whispering about something. I brought her a tray filled with potatoes and turkey, and of course cucumbers.  The boy next to her nudged her in the rips, and she looked up at me. And did something unexpected, she smiled.