Cat and Mouse

It was the day of Miranda and Shawn's meeting. Sasha and I had been preparing for a week, waiting for the Preservers' intervention. We found a section of the city that had been abandoned and was almost like a labyrinth. The vials of blood were strategically placed to confuse and split up our attackers. The only piece missing from our trap was the bait. 

Sasha and I were locked in a long embrace. I would be heading into the maze while Sasha covered me from above. Al would keep us connected and updated with the Preservers' movement. I had created earpieces so we could talk while moving or fighting. Right on time, Al's voice rang in our ears.

"Master and Mistress, they are here. Ten of them, just as Mistress Sasha predicted."

"It's time." I pull away from Sasha and give her a determined look; today, the Preservers learn they aren't the most potent force in the multiverse.

"Just promise me that you won't die." 

"I won't. It's my night to do the dishes." I fall backward off of the roof and out of Sasha's sight.

I somersault midair and land gently on the ground. I wish someone were around because I felt cool doing it. I shake off the feeling and run toward the first chokepoint of the trap. When my assailants enter the ample space, I use my magic strings to summon two clones on the far ends of the area, forcing them to split up. Sasha and I then would eliminate them one by one. 

"Master Healer, the squad is heading in your direction as planned."

"Understood Al. From now on, only use our coms if something isn't going as planned."

There was silence, which I should have expected since things were still proceeding normally. I watched the ten people enter the first trap. Only one person stood out; I could tell she was the leader. She had beautiful, long blond hair and a strikingly gorgeous face. More notable were her long tail and fluffy cat ears that pointed straight up, listening for anything. I activated my magic and saw the Preservers react to two of my magic signatures suddenly appearing. 

"Is he teleporting?" The catwoman asked.

"No, ma'am, the magic is too strong to be one of his teleporting spots but too weak to be him. I'm not sure what is causing the discrepancy."

It was as we feared. I went overboard with my fight against Commander Richards and revealed my secret. Of course, I had other trump cards, but showing my hand so soon in this long fight for survival would give them more time to prepare counters. I would already be showing them my clones, so I needed to keep the fighting concise and quick.

The catwoman purred, but it was more of an angry growl. "We have to split up then. I'll take you four to the East. The rest of you go West; if you encounter anything, contact me immediately; do not engage."

I whisper into my headset. "Sasha, the leader seems to want the other nine in support. She's heading East. The rest are yours. The more we kill before they regroup, the more we disrupt their plan."

"Don't blindly listen to what the Preservers say out loud. They aren't naive to the fact we are listening. Just because someone isn't in charge of a squad doesn't mean they aren't deadly dangerous."

I take a deep breath; she's right. The point was to exploit the Preserver's arrogance, not to expose mine. "I'm sorry, you're right. Let's focus on our tasks."

"I'll never get tired of you saying that."

I roll my eyes and move to the next part of my trap. I snake in and out of the alleyways and wait for a break in the formation. Two Preservers fell back from the rest while inspecting a dark corner. The other three stop and turn around just in time to watch a building fall and split the group. As it fell, I jumped from inside the structure and caught the two off guard. Their heads hit the ground before the dust from the crash cleared. 

I view the scene from a vantage point. The other three try calling out to their partners before finding their headless bodies. The catwoman looked around. I thought she looked right at me but didn't acknowledge my presence. I was glad I listened to Sasha; at the very least, this woman was hiding her true strength. 

The Preservers kept moving toward the clone. It was time to create three more. When my targets enter another large area, three clones appear beside them. I show up at the same time, fabricating the presence of four clones. The catwoman glares and looks at each clone with scrutiny. 

"Can you tell if any of them are real?"

She continues to turn and look. Her eyes never looked at one longer than another, but I thought I saw her eyes tighten when she looked at me. "No, I can't, but we should keep our distance." 

A massive explosion rings across the city. The shockwave knocks one of the Preservers backward and right under my feet. I didn't want to give up my position, but I couldn't pass up this opportunity. I drew my sword, pierced his heart, and twisted my blade. The man shuttered and spit up blood before going limp. 

The catwoman doesn't turn around. "I was wondering when you would make a bold move." She extended her claws. They were metal; each was as long and sharp as a dagger. I thought Sasha's clawed glove was scary and deadly, but they were on another level. The woman lifts her hand and slits the throat of the girl next to her. "You're mine, and mine alone. You thought I was a mouse in your trap, but you underestimated the cunning of cats."

She turns to face me and activates something on her belt. The clones instantly turn back into blood, and the magic I had been placing on the battlefield disappears. The woman gives me a devilishly seductive look before sashaying in my direction. "Do you like my magic dampening field? I don't need magic to hunt, but do you need it to survive?"

Probably, I thought, but I had been preparing for this moment. If I couldn't use magic outside my body, I would focus it in small amounts inside, strengthening every muscle, bone, and tendon. As long as I kept the magic under the suppression limit, I could win this fight.

"Can I know the name of the beautiful kitten trying to cut my throat out?"

She tantalizingly purrs, "I am Xaronia. Is it true that you prefer to be called Healer of Worlds? Seems like a big name for a little man."

I circle her, trying to keep my distance as she walks towards me. "I'm just trying it out. I figured I would tell people I can save rather than restore them." I make sure I emphasize the sarcasm in the word restore. 

Xaronia clicks her tongue, "Now, now, we do save people; you can't make a baby without cracking a few bedframes."

"I don't think that's how the saying goes."

"That's because you are with that prude Sasha, not a real woman. Let me show you how I steal the hearts of men."