A Cat's Plan?

(Gerhard POV)

"I hate early morning I feel so tired…"

My body was so weak that I was barely able to drag the hammer behind me, it was making a scratching sound and leaving a line behind me as I walked early on the streets with Hayley.

"Don't worry, you should feel better soon the sun is about to come out."

I was surprised to see that Hayley was so calm, this was a real mission, and I'm sure that if it wasn't because of the drawback of this power, I wouldn't have been able to sleep at all.

We arrive at the checkpoint on the south gate, the sun hasn't come out yet. I yawned as we were getting inside the reunion place.

Dr. Harting was waiting together with a guy holding an assault rifle until I started to work on the armory I never saw one before and this was the first time that I saw this specific model in person, this type of weapon was not common and only used by the SWAT.

The guy holding the gun was Milo, we already met yesterday at the reunion, he was in his mid-thirties, and was wearing a regular baseball cap and had a pair of sunglasses on it. The reason that Dr. Harting wanted him on the team was that he used to be in Swat, in a year he would have been promoted to team leader if the meteor shower didn't happen.

He was checking the weapons and his equipment carefully, at his side Dr. Harting was carefully studying an old looking map. I was about to greet them when a loud voice from my side.

"Wow, Gerhard you look like sh*t."

Milo and Dr. Harting looked at the entrance and saw that Hayley and I were about to get inside.

Milo looked at me after hearing Zak's comment.

"Are you sure you can go like this?"

Dr. Harting answered him to avoid any problems.

"He has a Sun-based power so even if he is sleepy he is going to be fine."

I nodded to confirm his version while yawning again.

Hayley greeted everyone, and we started.

Since Milo was the only one with real experience in hostages rescue he started to explain the overall plan to all of us, we have to be silent, and fast, he threw some weird looks at Hayley. The plan was pretty dynamic because we don't know about the situation over there, some possible entrance points ideas to create a distraction during the rescue and that stuff.

"And last… I would like to know why we had to wait until now to leave, I said yesterday that the better was to leave right away, but it has been at least two days since they were taken, and I think that the probabilities of finding them alive are low to the point that this might be a pointless mission. I want to know why we are doing it anyway…"

He looked at us one by one, waiting for an answer as to why it took so much time start the mission.

"Actually this was something proposed for another person, I think that he asked for it so he could join the mission."

"We just postpone this, and risked their lives because maybe somebody has some possibility of coming? That's stupid."

I was curious about why Dante wanted to do it this way too. Dr. Harting turned his head to look at Hayley and me to either confirm or deny his theory.

I wasn't sure what to do. Saying that we don't know the plan sounds better than telling them that it is the cat's plan right?

"From what he told us there is a reason to it, but he never told us about the possibility of coming with us."

The rest of the groups was waiting for me to say more. Hayley decided to just talk about it.

"He didn't tell us too much about it because he didn't know either, this is not Spencer's plan… it's Dante's."

Zak and Milo looked like if they were trying to remember who this Dante can be.

Dr. Harting already knew a little about him but never thought too much about the cat either.

"You said that this is the cat's plan?"

Hayley and I nodded. Zak remembered the cat riding on the snake from the other day and Milo after hearing that just became more confused.

Dr. Harting was deep in thought debating with himself if it was right for him to trust Dante's plan, so Hayley added.

"Just for you to understand something about Dante… when people see our group, most of them think of Spencer ability and leadership and that he is the reason we were able to survive this far. It's true that Spencer it's amazing and that without him we would have probably died long ago, but Dante has been equally important, without him we wouldn't have been able to survive either. If this is Dante's plan, I trust it as it was Spencer's."

I nodded at her words, to confirm that it was true, I'm too tired to add something else.

Dr. Harting looked at us for a few seconds and nodded.

"Then we are continuing with the mission. If someone wants to stay here, I have no problems with it."

Milo nodded and added.

"I just wanted to know the reason why we didn't leave before. I just hope we found them alive and we don't lose anyone while doing it."

Zak just stood up and grabbed his spear.

We all left the place and started to move always ready to get into a building in the case someone suspicious appears. I felt a lot better after getting some sunlight so I could carry the hammer on my shoulder now.

The area was lifeless. All we could see from time to time were rats, but they escaped and hide without trying to attack us as usual, so we just ignored them.

"I never thought that there would be a day when we would completely eliminate all the beasts in the area!"

"I said that we shouldn't make so much noise Zak."

Milo told him right away, I tried to keep silent, I could see that Milo was slightly annoyed for being part of a plan that wasn't his… or something like that. Dr. Harting started to talk in a much lower voice that what Zak used before, to not piss Milo again.

"I was informed by Dante that some beasts were called to the swamp by some kind of beast leader… it's probably related to that."

Milo once again was surprised.

"The cat again?"

"Yeah, he became friends with a snake and discovered it. Actually, Spencer injury was related to that event."

Milo seemed to calm down a little after knowing that the cat had actually contributed with some vital information before.

I just heard the conversation while trying to keep an eye on my surroundings, I stood near Hayley all the time to help her if something happens. From what Spencer had told me before usually I would be in the vanguard and Hayley would be in the middle of the formation but we were moving in a very compact formation, so there was no need for me to be on the front.

"That's odd…"

We all turned to look at Dr. Harting.

"It's just that the person that usually spy from the air appeared briefly but didn't pay attention to us… I think."

I have no idea what that even means.

"Someone saw us but didn't notice it?"

"He definitely noticed us but it was like if he was in a hurry."

"Maybe he saw and went to prepare an ambush." I said.

"There goes the surprise attack."

Before we could discuss what will we do now that they know that we are on the way, a voice appeared on my head

'Is it morning already~?'

I saw Milo and Zak look around and take battle stances.

'Yes, the sun has been out a few hours already. Are you going to tell us the plan?'

'Mmm it was faster than I thought~ so it will take me some time, these stupid rats are too slow… wait inside a building on the next intersection, it should take a while, but some guys are going to come from the east~…DON'T attack them~. Milo keep watch towards south while Hayley makes a three meters high ice wall on that place~. Don't worry it's difficult but I know you can do it~.'

Except for Hayley and me, everyone exchanged glanced hearing the orders from a cat.

They all listened to his instruction without understanding most of them.

Milo was about to open his mouth to say something but was stopped by Dante.

'Don't worry… the hostages are with me~…'