[ WP ] In a world ruled by sentient cats the Nyaakuza has begun encroaching on Meowfia territory .

Tony liked basements. 
 
 They were usually small. Low ceilings. Lots of smells. Kinda place that a cat could take a nap, if one were so inclined, or just eat the head off a mouse and play with the body. 
 
 But this basement had other cats in it. One was a foreign cat, with pointy ears and a long neck. And Tony did n't like foreign cats. Even when they were gagged and hooded and tied to a chair. Seemed like a waste of string. 
 
 `` Fuckin' orientals,'' he hissed. `` I'm tellin' ya, boss, just let me work'im over for a while. Just for a minute.'' 
 
 `` Patience,'' John purred. Tony flicked his ears but bowed his head. John was a sleek Aegean, real refined like, with a suit and tie and a gold necklace. Never seemed to break a sweat, even when the work got hot and heavy. Roots in the old country. Tony always felt a little out of place next to John, with his mongrel pelt and shabby corduroy trousers, but it was comforting in a way to know that someone else was doing the thinking and giving the orders. 
 
 `` Take off the hood,'' John said. Tony nodded and whipped the burlap sack off the Oriental's head. Just rough enough to let him know that they meant *business*. 
 
 The Oriental blinked in the harsh light and then fixed Tony with a baleful stare. Tony felt his tail start to puff up and a low growl started in his throat. 
 
 `` He's eyeballin' me, boss,'' Tony hissed. `` Just a couple swipes, I'm beggin' ya.'' 
 
 `` I had hoped it would n't come to that,'' John said, snapping his jaws open and shut with a sudden yawn. As if the whole shebang was making him bored. The Oriental shifted his gaze and John grinned, sharp teeth glinting. `` Where are your manners, Tony? We just want to talk. Right? Just a quick little *chat*.'' 
 
 John reached into his suit and pulled out a dull black cylinder barely larger than his paw. The Oriental's eyes narrowed and Tony took an involuntary step back. His fur rippled as a cold shiver ran down his back. 
 
 `` Boss,'' he whispered, but John did n't even twitch a whisker. 
 
 `` You might want to close your eyes, Tony,'' John said, with bonechilling kindness. Tony let out an involuntary *mrrp* and turned away. Beating up on somebody was a honest way of letting them know who was on top. Hell, cutting their throat, even. Cat to cat. Sharpest claws and quickest on their feet. But there were other ways, ways that Tony just could n't stomach. 
 
 John did n't have that problem. Tony heard the little *snick* as the laser pointer clicked on, and the sudden thrashing as the Oriental tried to break out of his chair. Even just knowing that there was a little red dot on the wall somewhere sent Tony's paws twitching. He knew better than to peek. One look and he'd be tearing around the room. You just could n't stop yourself. He did n't know how John could handle it, but judging from the the mewling yowls the Oriental did n't have it in him. Terrible thing, to need to chase and not be able to. Worse than cutting his balls off. 
 
 `` You can turn around now, Tony,'' John purred. Tony obeyed automatically, without thinking. When the boss says jump, you jump. His gaze met the Oriental's briefly, his own face reflecting back at him in those big wide black pupils, fear and rage coming out as hard as if the Oriental was screaming instead of thrashing and biting against the gag. Then Tony saw the red dot, plastered right in the center of the Oriental's forehead. 
 
 And his claws came out. 

