Chapter Text
Ohkay City shone brightly under the midday glares of the sun, traffic drifting by in uneven waves while neon signs flickered. Even with the heat of the asphalt, a cool breeze was felt, some of the first signs of fall coming. Parked along the curb sat Patrol Unit C0-PZ, the engine was idling, the radio crackling occasionally with dispatches from other units, and inside was the best cop duo on the force.
Officer Knight leaned back in the driver’s seat, one arm leaning out the window, the other holding a half-eaten hot dog from Frankz Hot Dogs. The spread of relish and mustard was coming dangerously close to falling on his uniform. His eyes carried that familiar unfocused intensity of someone thinking very hard, even if it wasn't about work.
Beside him sat his loyal partner, Greg the dog.
The golden Labrador sat upright in the passenger seat, head out the window. On normal days, he would stick out his tongue to enjoy the sun and the breeze. His golden fur caught the sunlight, making him so friendly and approachable. However, those who knew him knew at this moment he was locked into the job. He was no normal dog; he had one of the sharpest minds on the force, maybe more so than an average human should be capable of having.
He had eaten his part of the hot dogs before focusing on sniffing the air outside the window. Hoping to pick up the scent they were looking for. His tail rested against the seat, occasionally thumping once or twice when a scent or thought clicked. Where Knight's mind stalled, Greg raced ahead. Where others guessed, Greg knew. If not for the whole “being a dog” thing, he would’ve been considered a good cop, not a great cop.
Greg glanced at his surroundings, spotting the door handles and phone booths. Stuff he envied doing or just to hold. To be able to go anywhere he wants to go, like driving the car and opening doors. What about communication? How many times had he wanted to yell when no one could understand his barking?
How many cases could have been solved in half the time if anyone had properly understood him? Sure, Knight could guess what he was trying to communicate, but he wanted to say so much more. Even if he couldn't speak, maybe write it down. He understood words, he just didn't have hands to do the job. He just wanted more.
To share jokes with coworkers like Knight, to stutter embarrassed like Knight, to express love like Knight.
Knight took a big bite of his hot dog and chewed thoughtfully. “Do you ever think about, like…settling down, Greg?”
Greg looked over and blinked slowly, giving out a quiet, curious huff. Sure, he was smart for the job, but settling down, he was semi-clueless. He knew it was important to find someone to complete you, but he wasn't there yet himself.
Knight finished his hot dog before speaking again. “I’ve been thinking about Alice. Not like regular thinking, more serious, you know.” Greg could pick up on the hint of nervousness from his human counterpart. Knight glanced out the window shield, then down at the steering wheel, turning it slightly back and forth without realizing it. “I got tickets to see one of her favorite bands who are coming to town. Yeah Yeah Yeah. It’s tonight, and I plan to ask her to, you know, marry me.”
Greg sat up a little straighter.
Alice was Knight’s girlfriend for the last year. Greg knew she made his owner happy so much that they moved in together just a few months ago. She just completed their routine and was becoming part of the family. Knight was happy to know this was someone who would complete him. Greg didn’t quite understand the steps of a human relationship, but he did know a proposal was very important to gaining a forever mate, at least by human standards.
Greg gave a soft bark, almost in approval. He wanted his human to be happy, and if it was love, then who was he to stop it? Honestly, his tail was thumping once again, getting him excited so much he stood up to lick Knight’s face. Knight would laugh, scratching the back of Greg's ears. “Alright, little buddy, I get the idea. You’re excited, too.”
Greg did an excited circle in his seat, then barked again and sat down.
“You’re right, let's finish up this shift. Tonight everything changes-AH!!”
A loud thud interrupted the moment.
Both of them froze.
Before them stood, very casually, a tall orange tabby humanoid cat on the hood of the car.
Petey’s tail swayed lazily behind him as he let out a casual yawn, showing off his fangs. His short orange fur was bright against the sun, stripes clean and sharp. His whole aura carried the unmistakable confidence of someone who knew what they wanted and what they had to do to take it- and he enjoyed it.
Greg’s posture changed instantly, alert, locked in, ready to make a move. Growling at the cat before them. Sure, it's normal for dogs and cats to semi not get along, but this was no ordinary cat.
Knight leaned forward, hands on the wheel. “It’s Petey, the world's most evil cat!”
The name hung in the air like a bad omen.
The infamous villain. Evil genius. Master of schemes. And, most insulting for Greg, a cat.
Hearing that, Petey finally faced the duo and smirked through the glass. “So long suckers!” He crouched low, and in a swift, smooth motion, he sprang off the hood. Flipping lightly onto a nearby fire escape ladder and scrambling upward with effortless speed.
Greg turned to face the direction Petey had gone and started barking and growling. Knight focused on his partner as he hit the sirens and shifted the car back onto the road. Letting Greg track the movement before quickly shifting positions to bark to his left.
“Left?” Knight asked as they approached the intersection.
Greg barked once in acknowledgement.
Knight turned hard, tires screeching as they followed the street beneath Petey’s path. Above them, the cat moved like a streak-vaulting gap, weaving between structures, never slowly. He could easily disappear and escape, but that wasn’t his plan. This chase had an end, and he was gonna make sure it was his own story to end. He couldn’t help but grin at the thought of it.
Oh, the duo has been a pain in the neck for him for a while now. Sure, sometimes he got away, but lately they have been getting better at catching him. Not that the Cat Jail was hard to escape from, just took some time. Time he could be using to take over the city and later, the world.
He would make sure they learn a lesson to stay away from him.
The duo sped through Ohkay City, siren blaring, Greg guiding with sharp focus, barking. They were so focused on keeping up with the orange feline that they failed to notice the city thinning out. Storefronts giving way to older buildings, quieter streets, and fewer people.
Petey didn’t dare stop. He led the two to the end of a block where a long, low structure of an abandoned warehouse stood. He slipped into a top skyline window and disappeared inside.
The car slowed down onto the silent, crumbling pavement. As the two stared at the rusted, boarded-up building. Clearly, no longer meeting building inspectors' standards, from what Greg could tell. One wrong move and the place might collapse with enough force.
There was also no telling what awaited them inside. Knight would reach for the radio before transmitting a dispatch, “Hey, this is Officer Knight and Officer Greg, we found Petey the cat.”
The other side was silent for a second before the Chief's voice came through. “Come in, Officer Knight and Greg the dog. Where are you? Over.”
“Umm, we are over by the-” Knight had to look around to see if any signs or street names were close by. Greg barked, getting his attention, pointing with a paw at the top of the warehouse. “At the Abandoned Expendable Warehouse.”
“Roger, keep your eyes on him. We are sending units over as backup.”
“Umm, this is Lance. Lance Knight” Officer Knight gave a confused look to the radio as he started to switch the radio to his mobile one.
“What? No, Roger is radio speak. Just catch that cat!” The Chief's frustration can be heard over the small radio on Knight's uniform.
Knight and Greg stepped out of the car, not even waiting for the Chief to tell them to catch Petey. Greg sniffed out the front. Seeing that the front was blocked, he led Knight to the side of the warehouse. The crunching sound of boots and paws over the gravel was the only noise that Greg could hear. Up close, the place looked even worse. A crack split the walls wide enough to slip fingers in; rusted pipes jutted out at odd angles. Exposed wiring, which both hoped the power to the place was shut off.
Knight was thinking about their last medical check-up and hoped they were up to date on shots cause this place looks like you could catch something nasty. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a quiet bark. Greg was standing in front of a narrow gap along the building, and the metal was warped just enough to peel back and slip inside.
It was easy enough for Greg to slip in with more grace due to his smaller stature than Knight, who had to squeeze in right after. Knight couldn't help but groan as he stretched out a bit before they kept moving. Sure, his body was agile enough to fight, but not fit into smaller spaces.
The warehouse interior was a bit cooler and drier than outside. A long, narrow hallway stretched ahead, lined with old doors-some hanging open, others barely holding on to the hinges. The floor was littered with debris: broken glass, scraps of wood, and dark, mysterious stains that long since dried.
Greg was careful with each step as he followed the scent of where Petey went. He was close; he knew that. Knight accidentally brushed up on a beam, causing it to creak and shift to the side, causing the roof to fall just slightly. Not entirely to fall on them, yet. “...Sorry.” Knight gave a sheepish smile to his partner. Greg's tail wagged just slightly, relieved neither got hurt. It did, however, make them alert to a distant clang, then silence again.
Both moved forward, being careful with every step, every noise. Knight glanced at Greg with a look like this wasn’t right. Greg picked up on that and moved closer to his partner. The hallway opened into a hollow chamber, with steel beams arching overhead and sunlight cutting through the holes in the roof.
“Hello, boys, took you long enough,” A voice called out from above, smooth and amused. Petey was currently perched on a dangling chain, his tail lazily swaying as if to mock them.
Greg stepped in beside Knight as they stared up at the cat. His posture was low, his muscles tensed, and his fur bristled just slightly. He couldn't help but express a low growl as well.
The orange tabby dropped down in a single fluid motion, landing on all fours like any cat should. He stretched as he stood up on two legs, clearly showing off how much taller he was than the two cops before him. “And here I was thinking you two got lost or worse, had to chase a squirrel. Wouldn't that be embarrassing?”
Knight pointed at him, “ Hey! We followed you, didn’t we?”
Petey raised a brow. “ You drove in circles twice.”
“But we still got here just fine,” Knight wasn’t wrong on that logic. Greg let out a confident bark to stand by Knight's words.
Petey's eyes focused on the dog, grinning widely. “ Aw, the puppy has something to say? Too bad no one can understand what woof woof means. ” He pinched his voice up to sound fake sweet. Greg growled in his direction, even letting out a bark.
“We ain’t here to talk, Petey, we are here to take you down.” Knight was the one to step forward, rolling his shoulder to get in a ready stance.
“All brawn, no brains behind that confidence. Let's see how confident you truly are.” Petey let his claws out before taking the first shot forward-fast, low, precise. Knight reacted instantly, blocking the first strike and redirecting the motion. Petey twisted, claws flashing dangerously close to Knight's skin. Luckily, he pivoted, countering with a clean strike that forced Petey to back up.
Out of the corner of his eye, Petey saw a golden blur heading for him. Greg's teeth bared as his paws skidded slightly against the dusty concrete as he snapped toward Petey. Petey slipped away, doing a few flips to twist his way out of reach of Greg's jaws.
“Two-vs-one?” Petey ducked under Knight’s fist while sidestepping away from Greg. “Seems a bit unfair.”
“What’s unfair is all the crimes you got away with, all the fear you caused.” Knight pressed forward only to witness the cat slip past him again. Greg growled and lunged again. Petey planted a paw on Greg’s snout and pushed him back.
Petey didn’t like this. He was full-on defensive now. He had hoped to be on the attack and to harm the two, as he had with the rest of the force, to instill fear. These two just didn’t know when to quit, and that annoyed the cat. It meant they could rally the others not to be afraid of him. That was not a good look, and, unfortunately, it meant which card he had to play next.
Now it was different.
Knight’s strikes came steady, trained, grounded. He lacked Greg's mind but made up for it with the controlled movement of his body. Greg adjusted his strategy to work with Knight, circling Petey, trying to corner him, forcing a tighter space to escape. This is when the duo becomes dangerous, the brains and the brawns.
For a moment - it worked.
Petey’s smirk faltered as Knight’s combination pushed him back. Greg darted in again, closer than before, teeth inches away. Petey barely slipped free, lowering himself to all fours to twist out. Knight didn’t give Petey much time to recover as he stepped in -jab, pivot, low kick-forcing Petey off balance again. The strike grazed him, causing him to hiss and bare his own fangs. More annoyed than hurt.
Knight and Greg stood over Petey, looking down at the fallen cat. “It's over, Petey, we beat you again." Knight was already pulling out a set of handcuffs, still moving with caution in case the cat tried to fight back, and he always did so in the past. Greg was lost in his growling and trying to calm down from the show of aggression, and he almost missed the soft, steady noise.
Beep
Beep
Beep
“Who said it was over?” Petey pulled out a small device from a pouch on his belt. He held it up for both to see the dread in their eyes.
Knight’s face dropped.”...Oh, come on.”
Petey composed himself enough to stand holding the bomb in his paws. “You didn’t think I lured you two out here for a simple fight, did you?” He tossed it lightly in one paw to the other. Once secure in his paw, he sprang upward and back, catching a hanging beam, then vaulted higher, out of reach, landing on the second-floor railing overlooking the warehouse. There was no way for the duo to follow up with the collapsed staircase to the side. There was no way up.
Beep
Beep
Beep
Greg barked furiously below, pacing, searching for a way up. He did, however, stop when he noticed a small metallic mouse on the second-floor railing scurried up Petey's arm to sit on his shoulder. Its eyes glowed a faint purple. It paused to stare at the duo while Petey didn’t bother to look at the added weight on his shoulder: Butler, his loyal robotic servant.
“You two look so stressed, honestly, it must be the stresses of work. Wouldn’t it be better if, I don’t know, you stand down and listen to me?~” He grinned widely, hoping this was the edge the duo needed to stand down.
Greg growled as if to say, they never would. Knight seemed to stand by Greg's decision, stepping forward, jaw tightening. “No, never. It’s wrong, and we would never stop being good. Turn off the bomb, Petey, we can talk about-”
“EH! Wrong answer!” Petey sing-songed as he tapped on Butler’s head.
Click
A split-second later-
BOOM
The explosion didn’t come from the bomb in Petey's hand, but behind them in the hallway. A violent burst of dust, debris, and collapsing concrete caved inward, crumpling the passageway in on itself.
Both Greg and Knight shielded themselves the best they could as the dust surrounded them. Chunks of the ceiling were crashing down, sealing their only exit as dust drifted slowly to the ground.
Greg barked sharply, running to the rubble, pawing at it in search of any gaps, just anything to get out.
There wasn’t one.
“That…was our only way out…” Knight stared at the collapsed hallway.
“Oops. Was it? Looks like you’ll be staying here a while,” Petey grinned as the bomb blinked away in his palm.
Beep
Beep
Beep
Petey leaned forward on the railing, almost in a relaxed manner. “You know,” He tilted his head, “This doesn’t have to be such a struggle.”
Greg and Knight exchange looks before facing up to the cat again. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, how I see it,” His tail swaying from side to side as he gestured lazily with the bomb, “You chase me, risk your lives, get trapped now and then, and for what?”
Greg’s ears lowered slightly, but his eyes focused on the bomb. Watching where the wires and buttons to the device go, maybe even trying to figure out how to turn it off.
Petey continued, voice smoother now. “Does Ohkay City even notice? They are nothing but a bunch of dumb blockheads who are probably complaining right now about who knows what. Then worry about how the City Cop Duo is doing.”
Knight said nothing.
Petey’s gaze sharpened. “I know your pay is pathetic for the job you do. Not only as a cop, but also as the only ones brave enough to go the extra mile. How about being taken seriously by your coworkers?” This time, his eyes met up with Greg’s. “A dog doing half the thinking…” then focused on Knight, a smirk forming. “And a man with half a brain.”
Greg stepped forward in front of Knight, growling at the cat again.
Beep
Beep
Beep
Petey spread his arms. “But it doesn’t have to be so bad with me. You see, I see potential in both of you.” His smile got wider. “All you have to do is get off my tail and let me have my fun. Stand down, and I can promise a small bonus and less risk on the job.” his voice dropped, more tempting now.
Greg stepped closer to Knight, posture firm. Knight scratched the back of his head, thinking for a second. The offer was tempting, truly it was, but it wasn’t right. Knight looked down at Greg, and Greg looked up, sensing what his human was thinking. He gave a simple nod before Knight spoke. “Yeah…no.”
Petey blinked,” No?”
Knight looked up at him again with certainty. “Maybe people don’t notice all the good we do, and we ain’t exactly the first pick for anything. But that doesn’t change how we feel. Yeah, it gets hard, but you don’t just quit cause it got hard. It’s not easy being good, but it feels good just doing any amount of good in the world. No matter how big or small.” Greg barked once to back him up. “So yeah, it’s a nice offer, but it's not right.”
Beep
Beep
Beep
Petey’s smile slowly faded. “That’s it?” He asked flatly, a hint of a low growl coming out.
Knight shrugged as Greg stood his ground. “Kinda, yeah.”
Petey stared at them, annoyed, leaning more towards irritation. “Unbelievable, I offered you something I don’t even put on the table for the others,” his tail lashing out, showing his breaking calm. “Fine then…” he snapped, lifting the bomb slightly. “Have it your way!” He tossed the bomb with enough force to hit the ground between the cops, but not enough to set it off early.
Knight and Greged braced for impact, but nothing came of it.
Beep
Beep
Beep
“...Oh, that’s worse.” Knight watched as Greg crept closer, nose low and ears pinned back as he studied it more carefully than before.
Above them, Petey turned away, “Try not to mess it up, suckers.” They caught a glimpse of his tail before he disappeared to who knows where the second floor led out to.
Silence.
Beep
Beep
Beep
Greg barked up at Knight, bringing the human's attention back to the situation at hand. He needed Knight's hands; he couldn't disarm the bomb on his own. Knight crouched beside Greg. “Alright…we can do this. No pressure.” Greg gave a short, focused bark before tapping a wire with his nose.
Petey stepped outside the front of the warehouse. Brushing the bit of dust from his fur. Butler, the small robotic mouse, stays neatly in place, giving a soft whirr. The cat glanced at the mouse, ears flicking. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll be fine, it's a small charge controlled almost. It's more of a scare than anything.”
Butler’s eyes blinked faintly.
Petey waved a dismissive paw. “Okay, so I mostly calibrated it. The worst it does to them is more smoke and some light scrapes. This isn’t an exact science to making a harmless bomb, you know.” He kept walking away, his tail swaying, trying to appear confident.
Petey slowed as Butler let out a small beep. “...Even if it was dangerous…It doesn’t matter, they’ll figure it out, they always do.”
The warehouse behind him lit up in a massive, deafening BOOM. Unlike the one in the hallway, this one was 10 times worse. Whatever glass was on the windows shattered out, as metal tore through the roof, creating a shockwave across the street. Petey had ducked down near the patrol car. His ears flattened as he stared back, watching the warehouse collapse in on itself.
This shouldn’t be happening. He was sure he measured the equations correctly. The possibilities. This was all wrong. Petey tried to steady his breathing as the panic crept in. “No.” Another section collapsed. “No,no,no!” He leaned on the car as he stood back up, his tail puffed up.
“THEY'RE STILL IN THERE!”