Cat N' Mau5

Chapter 10: Separate Lives

Mikey sat with Frank in front of the tv. The news was on, and both friends haven't stopped watching it for the longest time. Frank's wife would stop by and make sure they ate and washed, but other than that, they sat motionless.

"... Are trying their very best to remove the rubble left from the accident. Little or no survivors are expected to be found. Causes of system failure are being searched, and Harold Neel has a theory that it may not have been an accident, but a hit.

"Next up: Meowington Corp sued-" Mikey lifts his hand that holds the remote only to turn off the tv. Even after the screen goes black, he and Frank still find themselves staring at the blank screen.

***

I offered Mau5 a strip of meat. We had agreed that was a good nickname until we could figure out his actual name.

He shook his head. "I'm vegetarian man! Don't eat meat,"

I shrugged. More for me. "You should eat something though, you're already weak as is. You need your strength and I don't see any plants growing around here."

I took a bite into the bird meat. I had found it in the next tunnel, already killed from a falling beam. It was all I had for food, and right now anything was satisfying.

We sat in silence. I feel guilty for eating all the food, but I couldn't force him to take it. I guess we'll just have to get out of this wretched place sooner.

"Gerard?" Mau5 broke the silent spell.

"Yeah?"

He kept looking at his lap, as if some amazingly fresh, delicious Caesar salad may appear there any moment. "What else do you know about me?"

I lowered the crusty bird. "I know you're about... Thirty something? And you make a living fighting giant robot mice. In fact..." I lingered, wondering if I should tell him about his success? What if he turned and started to smear the awful truth in face like he had previously?

"In fact...?" Mau5 coaxed.

I decided to play it safe.

"In fact we were in the middle of a battle when... This... Happened," I explained with exaggerate hand gestures at the rubble around us.

"Oh." He sounded really disappointed. "Is that all?"

I nod. "Unfortunately for you, yeah."

He shifted uncomfortably.

I raised an eyebrow and watched from the corner of my eye. He was transferring his weight from one side to the other. It was hard for him because of his leg, but no one can be expected to stay in the same spot. You'd get all stiff and uncomfortable, and not be able to move ever again.

He let out a small gasp of pain as he bumped his leg. "Here," I reached out and held it steady, careful not to hurt it.

"Thanks," he gasped.

"No problem." I examined my shirt around his leg. It had absorbed most of the blood and stopped it from bleeding anymore than it should, but it needed to be changed and the wound cleaned, otherwise it would become infected.

As if reading my thoughts, Mau5 simply stated, "It really itches under there."

"It needs a change. A clean too."

"Where are we gonna get that?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Our chance of survival is incredibly low out here. I'd much rather be lost in the desert; we'd have a better chance."

"That's not very comforting." He gulped.

"It wasn't meant to be." I laughed.

He grunted. Was that... Fear that I saw in those hardened eyes of his? I could feel my own expression softening a little. He couldn't even remember his own name. How frightening would that be?

There was a load creak and a groan from above our heads.

"We should move. Our time is limited." A hint of fear was beginning to arouse in my own voice. This seemed to make Mau5 feel more uncomfortable than ever.

"I don't mean to whine or anything, but... My leg..."

I looked at him, and then down at his leg. It was bronzed and had tattoos on it too. Quite the opposite of myself. It also had a huge gash.

The metal creaked, and dived out of the way as it came crashing down. It narrowly missed crushing me altogether.

Slowly I let out a shaky breath. Running hands over my body, I checked to make sure everything was still intact. Thankfully, I had all my limbs. I examined the wall that had formed. It looked pretty thick, and really heavy too. I wasn't all that good at science in school, but it was obvious this was supporting more scrap from crushing us.

That is, if Mau5 wasn't already squished. "Mau5?" I whispered at first, almost too scared to hear my own voice. "Mau5!" It got loader, and soon I was yelling desperately through the wall. Tears welled up in my eyes. He was all I had right now, and he could be dead. DeadMau5. I hope he didn't jinx himself with that name.

After about what seemed like hours but was probably only 20 minutes, I heard a faint voice. "Hello? Is anyone there?" It sounded pained and fearful.

"DeadMau5!" I shouted, happy to hear his voice again.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Gee!"

"Gee?" I realised I hadn't referred to myself as that around him before.

"Yeah, Gerard."

"Gerard... What happened?" I could see him rubbing his leg in my mind.

"Part of the scrap metal pile collapsed. Are you ok? How's your leg?"

"It's ok..." His voice wavered. "How are we supposed to get through it?"

"I... I don't know..." I faltered. He really needed me... My help. And he was stuck all by his lonesome behind the rubble. "Hang in there, Mau5," I tried to coax as I heard a staggered sigh through the metal. "I'll find a way."

"Ok Gerard."

How could this have happened. Was it some kind of sick joke?

***

Yes, in fact it was.

I was prowling the streets again when I saw the news.

"... Are trying their best to remove the rubble left from the accident. Little or no survivors are expected to be found. Causes of system failure are being searched, and Harold Neel has a theory that it may not have been an accident, but a hit.

"Next up: Meowington Corp sued-"

I stalked off angrily. How DARE they ruin my plans! How DARE any little runts survive! I decided to put a stop to this madness, and pay a little visit to the wreckage site myself.

***

It was easy enough getting by undetected. Huge machines sat around with engines stalled. People were too focused in staying safe that I could slip by completely unnoticed.

It was getting through that was the hard part. The metalwork was almost like a maze; tunnels and tunnels, some leading to dead ends while other opened up into more tunnels. Luckily for me, I had a good sense of direction programmed into my system and found what I was looking for quickly.

The stadium, where the dome once stood.

I began my search instantly for the bodies of the robot fighters. I found the control panel the pale man hid under and it led me to them. I stayed hidden and out of sight, listening in on their conversation for a while.

It didn't take me long to figure out the tattooed man had a concussion which resulted in memory loss, and the paler man was called Gerard. The other man went by the name 'DeadMau5', or as he was nicknamed, 'Mau5'.

Of course I didn't hang around any longer than I needed to. Effortlessly I sprung through the gaps until I found the Achilles Heel of the structure, proceeding to push and pull loose bits of scrap. I was rewarded with a satisfying creaking and groaning. I cackled in a way only a mechanical cat could as I crawled away.

You don't expect me to hang around another death trap, do you?