materialized and out sauntered a large cat, a Maine Coon to be exact. It was dull yellow in color and extremely furry—fluffy would have been an accurate description. Claw let out another growl which caused the cat to pause and sit on its haunches. It turned its head, and with folded ears surveyed the area, ignoring Claw's growls of protest.
“Well what do we have here?” Corvus asked. The guards lowered their weapons and approached the animal.
Corvus moved towards the cat and it let out a purr. That was when he noticed the animal's left eye. It was not an eye at all, but rather a solid piece of tinted glass. Startled, Corvus took a step back and the cat opened its mouth. Instead of a meow, purr or any other such feline sound a voice came from the beast. A human voice.
“ Please identify yourself .”
Corvus chuckled. The animal must be another of Sam's toys . “My name is Solomon Corvus of the Ascended.” He took a step forward. “Who am I speaking with?”
The voice on the other end chuckled. “ Wow, this is actually our lucky day! They said you would be miles away by now and this mission would be a waste .”
The guards were busy examining the cat, apparently more interested in its technology than its message. In a sense of irony Claw refused to approach the cat, but it was the wolf's demeanor that unsettled him. Claw remained close to the ground with his nose twitching, as if he were trying to catch the scent of the cat. He thought the appearance of the cat was a godsend—another weapon to use in the fight against the Consortium. The voice coming from the cat, however, had raised his suspicions.
“And what mission is that?” Corvus asked.
“ Assassination ,” the voice replied. Suddenly the cat's mouth widened and its eyes changed colors. They became red like blood.
Corvus dove head first away from the cat. The guards, unfortunately didn't have time to react. The cat exploded in an eruption of white light. Corvus planted his face to the ground, tasting dry, desert soil as he attempted to shield his eyes. After a moment passed he stood up and brushed himself off. Claw was untouched; fortunately he sensed the danger surrounding the cat and stayed far enough away to avoid damage. The same thing couldn't be said for his guards. There was nothing left of them but smoldering shoes. As for the cat, there was no sign of it at all. The only thing left behind was a charred circle with bits of smoldering fur.
“Very interesting,” he muttered flatly. Despite its attempt to kill him, Corvus admired the technology. It made a useful assassination tool and he made a mental note to ask Sam about it when he returned.
The sound of his communicator snapped him from his trance. With a frown, he reached down and unclipped it from his belt. When he grabbed it, he noticed his tunic was singed around the edges, still smoldering. He batted at the flames mindlessly and lifted the communicator to his lips.
“What is it?” he barked.
“ Is everything okay ?” It was Sam. “ We were on our way to base and Calypso detected strange readings from the Richat Structure. Did something happen at the portal ?”
“Something came through,” Corvus replied.
“ Reinforcements ?” Sam asked.
“Not really.” Corvus let out a dry cough and dirt fell from his lips. He swatted at the last of the flames with a grimace. “It was a cat.”
“ A cat ?” Confusion marked Sam's voice. “ What the hell does that mean ?”
Corvus ignored the question. “Two of the Lumagom are dead. I'm afraid the enemy will be coming through the portal soon. Do you have the Cartographer?”
“ Yes .”
“What about the Consortium?”
“ A Defense Fleet contingent is heading your way ,” Sam replied. “ The rest of the fleet is outside Earth's orbit, apparently waiting for word from the group in New York .”
“Good,” Corvus sneered. “Let them wait. We will rendezvous on Xajax. Stop for nothing or no one, is that
“Well what do we have here?” Corvus asked. The guards lowered their weapons and approached the animal.
Corvus moved towards the cat and it let out a purr. That was when he noticed the animal's left eye. It was not an eye at all, but rather a solid piece of tinted glass. Startled, Corvus took a step back and the cat opened its mouth. Instead of a meow, purr or any other such feline sound a voice came from the beast. A human voice.
“ Please identify yourself .”
Corvus chuckled. The animal must be another of Sam's toys . “My name is Solomon Corvus of the Ascended.” He took a step forward. “Who am I speaking with?”
The voice on the other end chuckled. “ Wow, this is actually our lucky day! They said you would be miles away by now and this mission would be a waste .”
The guards were busy examining the cat, apparently more interested in its technology than its message. In a sense of irony Claw refused to approach the cat, but it was the wolf's demeanor that unsettled him. Claw remained close to the ground with his nose twitching, as if he were trying to catch the scent of the cat. He thought the appearance of the cat was a godsend—another weapon to use in the fight against the Consortium. The voice coming from the cat, however, had raised his suspicions.
“And what mission is that?” Corvus asked.
“ Assassination ,” the voice replied. Suddenly the cat's mouth widened and its eyes changed colors. They became red like blood.
Corvus dove head first away from the cat. The guards, unfortunately didn't have time to react. The cat exploded in an eruption of white light. Corvus planted his face to the ground, tasting dry, desert soil as he attempted to shield his eyes. After a moment passed he stood up and brushed himself off. Claw was untouched; fortunately he sensed the danger surrounding the cat and stayed far enough away to avoid damage. The same thing couldn't be said for his guards. There was nothing left of them but smoldering shoes. As for the cat, there was no sign of it at all. The only thing left behind was a charred circle with bits of smoldering fur.
“Very interesting,” he muttered flatly. Despite its attempt to kill him, Corvus admired the technology. It made a useful assassination tool and he made a mental note to ask Sam about it when he returned.
The sound of his communicator snapped him from his trance. With a frown, he reached down and unclipped it from his belt. When he grabbed it, he noticed his tunic was singed around the edges, still smoldering. He batted at the flames mindlessly and lifted the communicator to his lips.
“What is it?” he barked.
“ Is everything okay ?” It was Sam. “ We were on our way to base and Calypso detected strange readings from the Richat Structure. Did something happen at the portal ?”
“Something came through,” Corvus replied.
“ Reinforcements ?” Sam asked.
“Not really.” Corvus let out a dry cough and dirt fell from his lips. He swatted at the last of the flames with a grimace. “It was a cat.”
“ A cat ?” Confusion marked Sam's voice. “ What the hell does that mean ?”
Corvus ignored the question. “Two of the Lumagom are dead. I'm afraid the enemy will be coming through the portal soon. Do you have the Cartographer?”
“ Yes .”
“What about the Consortium?”
“ A Defense Fleet contingent is heading your way ,” Sam replied. “ The rest of the fleet is outside Earth's orbit, apparently waiting for word from the group in New York .”
“Good,” Corvus sneered. “Let them wait. We will rendezvous on Xajax. Stop for nothing or no one, is that
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