Part I: Pride and Tuna
The morning sun filtered through the blinds, illuminating a scene of profound existential crisis.
Raze, formerly the most powerful Awakener in the world, sat on the wooden floor. He looked down at his paws—fluffy, orange, and unmistakably chubby. He looked at his reflection in the full-length mirror.
It's a stupid body, he thought, his tail twitching with irritation. Why did I change into a fat, stupid cat?
"Um... Mr. Cat?"
Raze slowly turned his head. The boy, Toby, was staring at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"Raze," the cat replied, his voice deep and gravelly. "Call me Raze."
Toby blinked. "Ah, yes, sir. Mr. Raze, sir. I have a question. How can you speak like a human when you're a cat?"
Raze sighed. The ignorance of the general populace was exhausting. "I can speak human because I am human," he explained, his whiskers twitching with disdain. "I look like this now, but I'm not a cat. I transformed. Temporarily."
"Is it possible for a human to turn into a cat?" Toby asked, tilting his head. "How's that even possible?!"
"The answer is staring you directly in the eye," Raze deadpanned.
Toby's stomach suddenly rumbled, breaking the tension. He looked at Raze with concern. "Ah, you should eat. You were passed out for a long time. And you're wounded..."
He placed a bowl of wet cat food on the floor. The smell of processed tuna wafted up—pungent and fishy.
Raze recoiled. "I told you, I am human. And you're telling me to eat cat food?"
"Mr. Raze," Toby said reasonably, "you may return to being a human someday, but for now, you're still a cat. And it's not good for cats to eat human food."
Raze glared at the bowl. He wanted to argue. He wanted to demand a steak. But his body... his treacherous, feline body... was salivating.
I need to recover, he told himself, trying to salvage his dignity. I'll force feed myself if necessary.
He took a tentative sniff. Then a small lick.
Explosion.
Flavor burst across his tongue. It was salty, savory, and undeniably delicious.
Chomp. Chomp. Crunch.
Raze decimated the bowl. He ate with a fervor that shamed his ancestors. When he finished, he sat back, his belly distended and full. Then, the horror set in.
Why does it taste so good? he thought, trembling. I, the Great Raze... enjoyed cat food?
Part II: The Indignity of Care
Later that evening, Toby stood by the door, putting on his shoes.
"Where're you going? At this hour?" Raze asked.
"Animal hospital," Toby replied cheerfully. "I didn't have any cat food for tomorrow. And... I wanted you to see him. You're hurt."
Raze bristled. "I don't need this! How dare you treat me like a cat?"
"Come with me," Toby insisted. "What if I blabber about you to other people? Aren't you worried about that?"
Raze narrowed his eyes. The kid made a good point. He couldn't trust this idiot alone. "Fine. I'll come to monitor you."
Before Raze could walk out with dignity, Toby scooped him up into his arms.
"PICKED UP!" the sound effect seemed to scream in the air.
"PUT ME DOWN!" Raze hissed, thrashing. "The Great Raze will not go about like this!"
But as they walked through the cool night air, nestled in the boy's arms, Raze felt a strange sensation. He stopped struggling. His eyelids grew heavy. It was... warm. Stable.
Why do I feel so annoyingly comfortable? he wondered, horrified by his own contentment.
At the vet, the humiliation continued. The doctor, an older man, examined Raze while Toby watched anxiously.
"I've never seen him before," the doctor noted. "What's his name?"
"Raze," Toby said proudly.
"That's a pretty fancy name for a cat that looks like... that," the doctor muttered.
I'll kill him, Raze thought.
"There are scratches, which you patched up. But other than that..." The doctor paused, looking Raze over. "More than anything, I think he just needs to go on a diet."
Raze froze.
"Haha..." Toby laughed awkwardly.
No, Raze decided. I'm really going to murder this man.
Part III: The Shadow in the Alley
On the walk back, the mood was light. Toby was relieved his new friend was healthy. Raze was plotting the demise of the veterinary profession.
Suddenly, Raze stiffened.
"Hey," he whispered.
Toby stopped. "Huh?"
From the shadows of a dark alleyway, a pair of glowing red eyes emerged. A low growl vibrated through the air.
It was a cat. But it wasn't a normal cat. It was massive, its muscles rippling under scarred fur, its eyes burning with an unnatural, predatory intelligence. It looked less like a stray and more like a tiger that had shrunk in the wash.
"W... What's that?" Toby stammered, backing away. "Is that the Monster Cat?"
"Monster Cat?" Raze asked.
"There's a rumor..." Toby gulped. "Look at his size. He's practically a tiger."
The monster cat hissed, arching its back. It was ready to kill.
"Run away," Raze commanded.
Toby didn't argue. He turned and sprinted, his feet pounding against the pavement. But the monster was fast. Too fast. It leaped, closing the distance in seconds.
It's going to catch us, Raze realized.
Toby skidded into a dead end—a wall of garbage cans and fences. He turned around, clutching Raze tight. The monster cat landed softly, blocking the exit. It stalked forward, claws extending like switchblades.
"We need a weapon," Toby whispered frantically. "Something..."
His eyes landed on a discarded stick with a plastic wrapper tied to the end. A makeshift cat toy.
"Aha!" Toby grabbed it.
He waved the stick in the air. Swish. Swish.
"Ta-da!" Toby yelled, brandishing the trash-wand at the demon beast.
Raze stared at him. The monster cat stared at him.
Are you crazy...? Raze thought. What're you going to do with that?
The monster cat roared—a terrifying sound that echoed off the walls—and lunged.
"HEE-YAP!" Toby screamed, swinging the toy with all his might.
The plastic wrapper fluttered through the air. It danced. It shimmied. It was mesmerizing.
And in that moment, the Great Raze, the most powerful Awakener in history, felt a spark ignite in his brain. His pupils dilated. His tail twitched. His body moved before his mind could stop it.
SWISH.
Raze leaped from Toby's arms, arms outstretched, claws ready to catch the fluttering plastic bird.
"Mr... Raze... Sir?" Toby whispered, watching in shock.
Raze hung in the air, paws reaching for the trash. His face was a mask of pure, unadulterated feline joy.
Then, he remembered who he was.
He froze in mid-air. He looked at his paws. He looked at Toby.
Raze has just exposed his greatest weakness: a piece of plastic on a stick. But the "Monster Cat" isn't just a stray—it's an Awakened animal with a taste for blood. As the beast lunges, Raze must decide if he can fight in his chubby, instinct-driven body, or if he'll have to rely on the terrifyingly fast boy who just tried to fight a tiger with a piece of trash.
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