The crowd shifted nervously under the spotlight. Our eyes blinded by the light that illuminated the dark tunnel. The sound of the engines drifted into echoes as the lights switched off. Sitting atop a small white pod-car was Sucker. Her eyes scanned the crowd, squinting at all the anthro faces.

  She gasped and her face lit up as she saw my damaged ass sitting against the wall. She rushed over to me, a look of worry on her face. I could only imagine what I looked like right now, teetering on the verge of death.

  “You look like shit.” Her squeaky voice hit me hard. I guess I now knew how I looked.

  “You should see the other guy.” I went for a ugh but my stomach hurt too much. I winced in pain and keeled over. “Oooh, that hurts.”

  “We need to get you to Slizz, ASAP. You there…” Sucker pointed her small hand at Donald, “Get her onto my pod. The rest of you, follow these lovely gentlemen to your new home.”

  Several Anthro-Cats, strapped with rifles and grenades, stepped forward, handing out water and food bars to the crowd, talking things over. Donald hoisted my body up and everything felt like it shifted over somewhere it didn’t belong.

  Yeah, this is it. I’m a goner for sure.

  I felt a soft paw on my head, “Careful with her!” Ash’s sweet caring voice was pleasant to hear.

  “Oof.” I smmed down into the pod-car. I felt small hands grabbing onto me as Sucker hoisted herself on top of my wounded body.

  “I ain’t walking.” She grabbed the controls and the car began to race off down the track. “Ash, let’s go!”

  Dust trickled off the ceiling as the abandoned subway shook with an explosion.

  “What’s going on up there?” I wanted to know how we were doing, or if it was really us doing the damage.

  “The Meowtws took to a counter attack on the Gellys. Your little maneuver with the Missionary gave them an opening. They downed a dropship. It’s looking good, but we’re in retreat now. Gotta do them hit and runs. We still need to conserve our big guns for a future assault.” Her small hand patted my head, “Don’t worry about it, just rest.”

  My eyes watched the ceiling roll by, until the whole thing began to run into one image, blurring together until it all faded to bck. It felt peaceful. I felt like I was finally at peace with myself. It felt good.

  …

  Beep.

  It’s that same damn beep again.

  Beep.

  Dammit, I hate that beep. It means something wrong had happened, and I’m lying on a shitty hospital bed somewhere, about to be blinded by some bright lights, smothered by loving friends all worried about me.

  I just hoped that everything was in its original pce when I opened my eyes. The light flooded in, blinding me.

  “Ah!” I jumped, my heart almost shooting though my throat.

  Inches away from my faces was a rge snake head, staring into my soul with those sea-blue eyes. It’s tongue was slithering around my face. It reeled back, its four arms pressing buttons on the medical equipment and tapping away on a tablet.

  “Looksss like you are okay now. Captain Uwu wouldn’t let me examine your insssidesss. Only fixing thingsss back to normal. Thisss crew isss no fun.” They slithered out of the concrete room I was in.

  It was a bnd, drab room with medical machines and tubes. Just grey and depressing. It wasn’t the first time I was stuck into a hospital bed, and wouldn’t be the st. I started checking out my body. Everything seemed to be working and in pce. I just hoped Slizz didn’t add in some crazy robot body parts that I didn’t need.

  There was a massive scar on my stomach. The spot where the giant Gelly tried to cut me in two. I’d have to take care of that ter, once we got off this damn rock. Uwu had better of made some head way on taking out the Ascension ship, or at least figured out why the Gellys were here to begin with.

  The door to the depressing room swung open. There he was, my love, Uwu smiled at me as he ran to my bedside. His arms wrapped around me in sweet embrace. His soft fur stroked my cheeks and arms, and I never felt more loved than ever before. I held him close, my arms a bit weak.

  He held me for several minutes, not saying a single word, just squeezing and trying to hold back his tears.

  “You’re gonna squeeze me to death.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “Not if you want to have sex ter.”

  He stopped squeezing me.

  “I saw that missile hit the pza, and I shit bricks. I was worried that you had been atomized by those Gelly fucks.” Uwu grabbed my hand and kissed it. “But you’re here now, safe. I wasn’t the only one worried. Everyone was grabbing a gun to rush out and get some revenge.”

  “Mama?”

  “It took us all to hold her back. But don’t worry. We struck them hard and left them a message. We won’t be fucked with.” Uwu held onto my head and kissed me. “Slizz said you got a few more days before you can do any field work. Take this time to rex. We can handle the rest for now. You’ve done enough.”

  Like I wanted to just sit around. I wanted to fly up to the Gelly ship and crush those theocratic fucks once and for all. I tried to sit up, and the pain hit.

  I grunted, “Yeah, its probably best I take it easy. It’s not everyday a woman takes out a Missionary.”

  Uwu’s eyes shot open, “You what!”

  “Buried him under a building. Left in a deep grave. Hopefully, they leave him there to rot.”

  “I don’t think we get that lucky.” Uwu sat down with me. “I’m just gd to have you back. It feels like all the stress is melting away.” Uwu stared into my eyes with his own amber windows. “I love you.”

  I blushed, feeling the red-hot blood rush to my face. I was gd to be back with him.

  “I love you too.” I smiled at him. This was my choice. My life was headed in the direction I wanted. It felt great.

  We spent the rest of the night talking away, never leaving each other’s side. No one else dared to interrupt us. We fell asleep in each other’s arms, smiles on our faces. It was hell out there on Meowlith Prime, but here, in this depressingly grey room, it was a little slice of heaven.

  The rest of our troubles could wait a day.

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