Part I: The Great Escape
The night sky was torn apart by a streak of light.
It wasn't a star. It was a man, or what was left of his power, hurtling through the atmosphere. He crashed into an alleyway, his breath coming in ragged, bloody gasps.
Huff... Huff...
He was cornered. He was wounded. And he was furious.
They had to gang up on me to do this... he thought, clutching his bleeding side. Cowards.
He needed to hide. If he kept running in this state, his energy would bleed out until they caught him. He needed a disguise, something innocuous, something invisible to the hunters tracking his energy signature.
His vision blurred, landing on a small, cardboard box in the corner of the alley. Inside, a fat, orange tabby cat slept, oblivious to the war of superhumans raging above its head.
A cat?
A desperate plan formed in his mind. It was humiliating. It was absurd. But it was the only way to erase his tracks completely.
Yes... That's it.
With a final burst of energy, the great Raze, one of the most powerful Awakeners in the world, vanished in a flash of light. In his place, the fat orange cat slept on, though perhaps now with a bit more ego.
Part II: The Cat Lover
Toby was a young man with a simple problem: he had too much love to give, and it was entirely directed at cats.
He stood in the pet shop, vibrating with excitement.
"This cat snack is on sale!" he gasped, clutching a bag of treats. "It's usually too expensive... maybe I should stock up?"
He darted to the next aisle. "Oh look! This toy is back in stock!"
He was a whirlwind of indecision and joy. He wanted to buy everything. He wanted to spoil the strays he fed every night until they were as round as balloons.
"Ooooh, I can't decide," he lamented, holding an armful of toys and treats. "Maybe I should just buy them all!"
Minutes later, he walked out of the store, his wallet significantly lighter but his heart full. "I came to buy things for me," he muttered to himself, looking at the bags filled with catnip and tuna, "and ended up shopping for the cats... again."
He paused at a crosswalk, smiling. My cats will like these, though. That's all that matters.
HOOOOOONK!
The peaceful evening shattered. A car swerved violently, tires screeching, barreling toward a small child frozen in the middle of the road.
Toby didn't think. He didn't weigh the consequences.
The world slowed down.
ZAP.
In a fraction of a second, the air crackled with electricity. Toby moved faster than the eye could follow—a blur of motion that defied physics. He scooped up the child and was on the sidewalk before the car even passed the spot where the boy had been standing.
The car skidded to a halt. Passersby gasped, blinking in confusion. One moment the kid was dead; the next, he was safe on the curb.
"Did you see that?" someone whispered. "He just... disappeared."
Toby crouched down, checking the terrified boy. "Are you alright? You're not hurt."
He smiled, a gentle, reassuring expression that hid the terrifying power he possessed. He stood up and walked away quickly, blending into the crowd before anyone could ask questions.
Whew, Toby thought, his heart pounding. I almost exposed my powers to the general public.
He looked at his hands. He had spent his life hiding this speed, terrified of being a freak. But today...
Still, he thought, a small smile touching his lips. It's good that I was able to keep the kid from being hurt.
Part III: The Fat Stray
Toby arrived at his usual spot, the small house where he lived alone. He knelt in the yard, pouring food into bowls for the neighborhood strays.
"Hello—How've you all been?" he cooed. "Sorry I'm late!"
The regulars were there—a black cat, a tabby, and a tuxedo cat. But something was wrong. They weren't eating. They were staring at something in the shadows.
"Huh?" Toby followed their gaze. "Why aren't you eating? I used all my extra money to buy this for you!"
The cats hissed and backed away. From the darkness of the alley, a new cat emerged.
It was massive. It was orange. And it looked like it had gone ten rounds with a blender. Its fur was matted with blood, and it limped with a heavy, pained gait.
"That's strange," Toby whispered. The other cats were terrified.
The fat orange cat glared at him with eyes that seemed far too intelligent for an animal, then collapsed.
Thump.
"Hey!" Toby dropped his bags and ran over. "Are you okay?!"
Part IV: The Awakening
Consciousness returned to Raze in waves of pain and humiliation.
He blinked his eyes open. He wasn't in a cold alleyway anymore. He was on a soft cushion. The air smelled of antiseptic and... milk?
Did I... pass out? he thought groggily. Where am I?
He tried to lift his hand. A paw rose into his field of vision. A fluffy, orange paw.
Paw?
He flexed his fingers. Claws extended.
Twitch.
Panic, cold and sharp, pierced through him.
I'M A CAT?!?!
The memories flooded back. The ambush. The escape. The transformation.
Right, Raze thought, calming himself. I must have been able to transform at the last minute.
The door creaked open. A boy walked in—the same boy with the ridiculous bowl cut who had been feeding the strays.
"Huh? You're awake!" Toby beamed, his face lighting up. "I'm relieved. I was worried. You were covered in blood when I found you."
Raze narrowed his eyes. Who is this doofus?
"Oh, wait here," Toby said, dashing out of the room.
Raze sat up, testing his new body. It was heavy. Sluggish. Did that boy put me here while I was unconscious?
Toby returned with a bowl of white liquid and a can of tuna. "Sorry that took so long. I was getting you something to eat."
He set the bowls down. "Why were you passed out there? You didn't look wounded or anything. Did that blood come from somewhere else?"
Raze stared at the food. It was cat food. He wants the Great Raze to eat cat food?
"Eat now! Hm? It'll be good," Toby encouraged, smiling like an idiot. "Eat and be healthy."
Raze's stomach growled. A profound rumble that shook his round frame.
Damn it, Raze thought, his pride warring with his biology. I should eat up to heal more quickly.
He lowered his head and took a lap of the milk. It was humiliating. It was degrading. It was delicious.
"Huh?" Toby leaned in closer, his face inches from Raze's whiskers. "Let's see... Are you a boy, or are you a girl? Let me check..."
Toby reached out, his hands moving toward Raze's nether regions.
Raze froze. The audacity.
Check what on me?
"YOU IDIOT!"
The voice boomed through the room. It was deep, masculine, and dripping with murderous intent.
"PUT ME DOWN NOW."
Toby froze. He looked around the empty room. "Wh... What did I just hear? I heard a deep male voice..."
"WHAT?" the cat roared, its mouth moving in perfect synchronization with the words. "PUT ME DOWN. CAN'T YOU HEAR?"
Toby stared at the cat. The cat stared back.
"Did I leave the TV on?" Toby whispered, trembling.
"WANT ME TO PUNCH ANOTHER HOLE IN YOUR HEAD?" Raze snarled.
"EEEEKKK!" Toby screamed, scrambling backward and falling on his butt. "THE C... CAT TALKED!"
"Shuddup," Raze hissed. "You're too loud. What part of 'shut up' don't you understand ?You want me to open up your skull with these claws?"
Toby clamped his mouth shut, nodding furiously.
"Right," Raze said, sitting back on his haunches. "Now you're being quiet. Hey. What's your name?"
"Yes?"
"I SAID, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!"
"T... Toby! Sorry, sorry!"
"Yes. Toby," Raze commanded, pointing a paw at the desk chair. "Bring me that chair."
"Yes, sir!"
Toby scrambled to the chair and pushed it over. Raze approached it with dignity. He was the Great Raze. He would ascend this chair like a throne.
He placed his front paws on the seat. He heaved.
Ugh...
Nothing happened. His back legs scrabbled uselessly against the floor. His belly, round and heavy, acted as a counterweight of shame.
That's strange, Raze thought, sweat forming on his furry brow. Why's it so hard to climb?
He grunted, his claws tearing at the fabric, his fat jiggling with the effort. My body's not well... I can't even climb.
Toby watched this struggle. The terrifying, talking demon cat was currently losing a fight with gravity.
"Hmm..." Toby blushed. "Cute..."
Raze finally hauled himself onto the seat, panting. He glared at Toby, trying to regain his lost aura.
"You should remember what I say," Raze wheezed, trying to look menacing. "If you say a word about me to anyone else... You'll die."
Toby nodded, terrified. "Yes, sir."
Raze looked at his paws. Tsk. My cover was blown too soon.
He was stuck in the body of a fat cat, living with a high schooler who had super speed and a obsession with pets.
It was going to be a long recovery.
Raze thinks he's found a safe hideout, but he's about to discover that Toby isn't just a simple cat lover. When a mysterious "Awakener" comes knocking on Toby's door looking for trouble, the fat cat will have to decide: stay hidden and watch his savior die, or unleash the power of the Great Raze from within a body that can barely jump onto a sofa.
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