MiloUDoll

The beeping started to pick up speed right as his breathing did as well. 

He tried to bark out, but it came out panicked. His throat was painfully sore, and it burned. He reached up to feel his neck. Greg froze. 

No, he shouldn't be able to do that. He felt something tugging at his arm. He glanced down, seeing the IV tube. Connecting to the flesh of his arm and, at the end, a hand. It hovered just below where he wanted to reach for his neck. Fingers. Not paws. 

The flesh was so close to his nose. That smell. Knight’s smell. 

No…this is his…

Greg’s chest tightened as he started to tremble. He forced himself to look down at the covers. He needed to know what was happening to him. With shaking fingers, he gripped the cover of the hospital sheets and ripped them off. His eyes widened as he saw the body before him. 

Human arms, human chest, human legs. 

Not only that, but he could smell him. Knight was everywhere in his senses and in sight. 

This is his body.

Knight scent was always a safe and familiar smell for him. It kept him grounded, and he knows he's never alone when his best friend is nearby. Now it just felt wrong. It wrapped around him like a prison. A reminder of what he lost. Broken. Unreal. 

This can’t be real…I’m still dreaming. 

A strained whine escaped him as he jerked upright. Stumbling out of bed, his legs buckled under the unfamiliar weight and experience of walking on two legs. He hit the floor with a hard thud. He wanted to say it was painful when the IV ripped out of his arm, but the panic was surging too high to feel much of anything. Each inhale flooded him with Knight’s scent again; it was suffocating. He let out a few whimpers. He braced himself on his hands, facing the fingers before him on the ground. 

I didn’t mean for this to happen. 

A low growl rumbled in his chest, more out of fear than aggression. The vibration through his body didn’t feel right. He curled inward slightly, clutching at himself like he could force himself to separate into two.

I didn’t want your body…I don’t want to take your place…

He pressed a hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat of a heart that wasn’t his. Yet it was probably his only comfort in his surreal conclusion that would be his forever nightmare. 

I don’t know how to be you. Not like this. 

His breathing was getting painful for both his throat and chest. A weak bark escaped him, cracking into a whine as his panic peaked. Trapped between the comfort and the grief. 

His ears perked up when he heard footsteps just outside the room. Hope of someone coming to help him dashed when the thought crossed his mind. What are they gonna think when they see him? He wasn’t a dog anymore, nor was he a human man. He was something in between. 

Something wrong. 

He couldn’t help but let a defensive growl build in his throat as his heart pounded harder, faster. He uncurled himself and moved on all fours. Something he was familiar with as he moved to hide behind the bed. His body tensed as every instinct clashed. Unable to figure out what he was meant to be. 

He braced himself as the handle began to turn. 

The door clicked open. Greg’s head snapped up instantly, a low, unsteady growl building in his throat before he could stop it. His instincts were on high alert to protect himself, but still enough reason not to follow through and attack. He was trained better than to do so. 

The familiar scent hit him as the Chief of Ohkay City police stepped inside. This caused Greg’s growl to change into a confused whine. He could see the Chief’s usual firm posture weighted down, shoulders slightly slumped in a way Greg had never seen before. His eyes looked at Greg with such guilt and such grief. 

“...Hey, Greg…do you remember me?” He asked softly as he stopped just a few paces away from where Greg was hiding behind the bed. He knelt to get closer to Greg’s level and held out a hand. Not in fear but in caution, like approaching a frightening animal. Which, technically, Greg was. 

Greg shifted a bit as he let out another whine. He took in more of the Chief’s scent now that he was closer and nodded just slightly, a small yes. 

“I know this is …a lot,” The chief's voice tightened as he continued. “Well, more than a lot…But will you be okay if I introduce someone to you?” 

A new smell came through the doorway. If Greg had focused, he would have realized her smell had been in the room the whole time. Was she the one tending to him? A nurse moved in slowly, gently with her expressions, but steady. “This is Nurse Genie. She has been at your side during your recovery.” The chief introduced her as she came to stand behind him. 

“Hello, it's nice to meet you, Greg.” Her voice was warm. “I will be helping you in this process.” 

Helping me?

Greg blinked at them and tilted his head in confusion. A small question huffed left him. Another wave of unease rolled through him. It wasn’t as suffocating as before. Maybe it's because they didn’t look at him like a monster as he expected. 

Genie knelt beside the Chief and held out a hand, “You don’t have to understand it all right now. We are here for you, one step at a time, take all the time you need.” Greg moved forward, still on all fours, to get closer to them. Still, there was a small distance, but it was enough to let them know he trusted them, at least a small amount. 

Chief exhaled quietly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Besides, Knight would kill me if I didn't make sure you weren’t taken care of. So we’re gonna figure this out together.” 

Knight. 

The mention of his name caused Greg to back away a pace, letting out a aching whine and a sad howl. He placed a hand over his chest, looking up at them as he kept thumping his chest with his palm. 

Please, I need to know what happened to me? To us?

The Chief and Nurse look at each other, unable to understand Greg’s question. Well, not entirely, but Nurse Genie had a hunch. “If you can give us time to get you in a more stable state. I promise we’ll tell you everything.” She asked. Greg was quiet, unsure how to feel about waiting, but maybe she was right; he wasn’t in a good headspace. The academy always told them that a stressful situation can cloud the mind. He gave a simple nod in approval to wait. 

Greg swallowed hard as his body was still shaking, and he shifted positions. This body was really awkward to be curled up like…like he used to do when scared. He instead uncurled himself and forced himself to sit still, similar to a dog pose with his hands up front and legs bent. 

I don’t know how to do this….this is awkward. But maybe I can learn, as they said. 

The room had gone quiet again before the Chief spoke up. “Oh yeah, I completely forgot.” The chief quickly stood up and started to reach into his coat pocket. Greg’s ears twitched as he heard the ruffling of clothing move about as the Chief struggled to pull something out.

What is he doing?

“Aha!” the Chief exclaimed as he freed the object from his pocket and held up a bright yellow tennis ball with the name GREG on the side. Greg could swear the world froze in that moment, seeing the worn, scuffed, familiar ball. His ears lifted just slightly, eyes locking onto it. 

The Chief crouched back down slowly and held out the ball. “I know how much you love this thing, so I brought it with me to help, I don't know, calm your nerves.” 

Greg stared at it for a moment he hesitated as his body went rigid. Before slowly and cautiously reaching out with a hand. Fingers wrapping around the fuzzy ball, it felt odd, however he didn’t let it go. Bringing it closer to himself, now holding it with both hands. Knight’s scent was still on it, but beneath it was his own. Two different scents now together. 

Greg let out a whine as his ears lowered. The grip tightened around the ball, holding onto it like it was something fragile yet grounding. In front of him, the Chief let out a quiet breath of relief but didn’t move closer. Genie stayed still too, patiently watching. 

The memories would come back of the times between their shifts or on days off. Just hours at the dog park playing fetch and being happy. Warm sunlight, open spaces, tall grass. The distant hum of the city was softened by trees and wind. 

Knight smiled at him as he held the ball, stretching out his arm. “Let's keep going, partner. Are you ready?” Knight turned away as he swung his arm, throwing the ball. 

The memory started to shift, fading back into white. 

Cold floor. White walls. Chief and Nurse Genie are looking at him. Greg closed his eyes to breathe, still hitched. But the memory stayed with him. 

Let’s keep going, partner. 

Greg wallowed hard, a soft whimper leaving him. His fingers shifted slightly against the ball, more deliberate and less clumsy. 

His ears were still low, but no longer in fear. He was thinking. More so, letting a thought settle. 

Let’s do this together. 

Knight

Greg held the ball in one hand again as he used the other to push himself off the floor. The movement was awkward and unbalanced this time. He took deep breaths to keep the panic down when he shifted his weight wrong. He adjusted and tried again. 

His body wobbled as he tried to balance on his legs, unfamiliar with the whole weight change. He managed to drop the ball on the bed so he could steady his arms to hold himself up out of thin air. Before he could lose control again, the Chief stepped in carefully at his side. 

“Easy…I got you.” He said, holding one of Greg’s arms as Nurse Genie came to his other arm. 

Greg flinched at the first contact, mainly out of instinct, but showed a small smile to let them know he was okay. Shaking but more secure, he took a few more steps. 

I can still do this…

Greg lifted his head again, moving his arms to free himself from the chief's and nurse's support. Still close by, but he wanted to try on his own again. His posture held with more stability. 

I promise, Knight, I won’t waste this chance. 

Deep into the city, away from the white walls and monitor beeping, in a cluttered lair lit by flickering lights and humming machines, Petey sat alone. 

The screens around him glowed with half-finished plans and looping bits of surveillance footage he wasn’t really watching. Tools lay scattered around with wires hung loosely. Sure, his lair was a mess, but it was always organized, not like this. A single TV played in the background, playing who knows what. Petey was tuning it out. The usual sharp order of his mind had slipped into quiet disarray. 

Butler sat quietly on a computer console nearby. He was starting to get concerned for his creator. He had never seen the cat like this before, yet remained close by if the tabby needed anything. 

Petey slunk into his chair, lost in his thoughts of the explosion. “..it was supposed to be small,” he muttered to himself, how many times now. As if saying it could change things that day. 

He kept replying to it over and over to the point he was trembling. At first, he was shocked and scrambled to do what he could to see if they lived or died. When he got back to his lair, he felt excitement, no more annoying cops to worry about, and now to have some fun. Yet as the minutes went by, the dark thoughts started to loom. 

It’s not like he killed before. Nothing official or on purpose before on record at least. This was just an accident with a horrible result. 

Petey slid off the chair and began pacing, his tail low and restless. “ It’s their fault for following me in the first place…they were supposed to walk away.” Knight’s and Greg’s faces flickered in his memory.  He shook his head, growling to himself about thinking about them. 

Butler's soft beep got Petey's focus out of his dark thoughts. Petey glanced at them briefly, then quickly looked at the TV monitor the mouse had mentioned. 

“- Breaking News out of Ohkay City. This is Sarah Hatoff receiving confirmation that an officer has survived the warehouse explosion caused by Petey the Cat-” 

Petey’s ears twitched as he and Butler stared at the screen. 

“They’re alive?...” was all he could manage to say as he stepped closer. He was certain he saw Greg's body crushed under concrete slabs, but his head was curled around Knight's body like a shield. However, the human’s head was slammed and pinned under a steel beam. There was no way they could have survived. Who survived? The dog? The man? 

The screen showed in the corner a police portrait of Greg, probably when he first joined the force. 

“...the dog survived?” he whispered. There could have been a slim chance his body wasn't as bad under the rubble, but- 

He was cut off by the news again. 

“Officer Greg is currently under watch after the result of an emergency procedure sanctioned by Mayor Marlena.” Sarah's voice tightened, but she kept a calm demeanor for the audience watching. “ Officials are referring to this as Project Dogman. Making the first dog humanoid hybrid-”

Humanoid hybrid. Petey zoned out anything else the reporter said as he glanced down at his hand. He doesn’t know when cats evolved to have a humanoid figure, but he knows dogs never evolved more than what they are now. So what did this mean, giving a dog a humanoid form? “Butler!” he snapped, closing his hand into a fist. The small mouse squeaked, still on top of a monitor. “Find anything you can on Project Dogman. I don’t care how long it takes, just do it.” He ordered coming back to his desk. Watching the small robotic mouse scramble to inject his tail to a monitor and start searching. Once he saw the mouse focused on his work, he paced away, thoughts dragging behind him. “Project Dogman…”

“Dogman.” His tail flickered, uncertain about the word. 

He couldn't jump to thoughts or theories till he knew more. But the more he thought about this humanoid information, the more a pit in his stomach grew. 

How different will this dog be now? Does he remember what happened? What he did? The chase. The warehouse. The bomb.

Knight.

Petey’s ears lowered as he crossed his arms, coming to a stop in his pacing to look out the window. Staring at nothing in particular in the dark city alleyways. Of course, he’ll know it was him; a dog's scent is never wrong. Could he tell him he didn't mean for this to happen? Would it even matter? His claws dug into his arms. 

“Doesn’t matter…can’t fix this…mess…”

Petey's voice hardened, trying to hide the doubt that lingered. He straightened himself, forcing his posture back into something firmer. Taller. Control. 

The city already feared him as a bad guy; what's to change their view with the label of murderer on his record? Greg would come after him no matter what if he was still on the force. This is how it worked. Petey took a steady breath in “If this …dogman comes after me.” 

He moved from the window to a nearby blackboard and wiped the contents of the board clear with his arm, making a space to write. Picking up some chalk and started planning. “So be it.” 

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.