Chapter Text
In a world full of many different beings, beings with souls, souls with hearts, hearts with motives, there was always one being who never failed at leaving Petey, the ex-Worlds Most Evilest Cat, utterly stunned.
And that being was half dog, half human, standing in front of his garage door sheepishly. That's what Petey saw from his super-top-secret security cameras stationed outside of his ex-evil lair.
"...Dogman," Petey grumbled, getting up from the seat to his desk to his many many monitors, crossing the hallway, slowly opening the garage door.
The sight was the same: one sheepish lookin' supacop.
If you don't have as much knowledge as me (heh) on the Dogman series you may be asking: Say, Author, aren't Dogman and Petey the Cat archnemesisisis? Or something? Well, reader, thats where the "ex-Worlds Most Evilest Cat" part comes in to play.
After successfully defeating Flippy the psychokenetic fish, Petey the Cat and his clone/beloved son, Lil Petey, had yet to realize all of their stuff had been taken by Peteys STUPID father, as shown in the Dogman movie. Trademarked.
So, the cat pair ended up crashing with Dogman for a few months. Petey had a son to take care of now, he couldn't be going on crime sprees like robbing banks, or stealing candy from babies! And small businesses! He had a new responsibility, bigger than any invention or evil plan he'd ever created. His own being, with a soul, a heart, motives. The do-gooder kind.
And living in Dogmans house helped him to realize just how much he'd missed out on.
After Petey and Lil Petey moved out, Dogman and Petey only reconnected when Petey dropped his kitten off at Dogmans house at the start and end of weekends. So back to the main plot of the story- Petey was confused as to why the disheveled canine was at his house, now.
As the garage door opened, Petey stood face to face with the dog, muzzle down, turning his foot gently into the concrete like they do in cartoons when the character is hiding something.
"What's up, cop? 'Lil Petey forget somethin' again?" Petey started, waiting for a response.
Dogman slowly lifted up his head, hands moving in fluent, precise motions in the space in front of him.
Forgot to mention- in the time Petey and his son were staying at Dogmans, Petey took the time to learn sign language, ASL, to fully understand Dogman. After all, they were co-parenting, it had to be important to communicate different ideas as they shared custody of one rowdy kitten.
But anyways, Petey translated mentally what the dog was stating.
'...have you heard the news at all? Anything?' Dogman's hands communicated hesitantly, as if he was afraid of saying the wrong thing, causing Petey to slam that garage door straight into his furry face.
"No- what news? Did something happen this morning?" Petey thought back to this morning... Waffles for breakfast, and then Lil Petey went to Flippys for a playdate with Molly... but the news..? OH! He'd been watching TV while working on a recent project of his- he hadn't registered anything at all- all he heard from Sarah Hatoff of the news was something about, uh... Destruction... Chaos... And a certain supacop. But Petey learned to tune that stuff out, since that's basically what the story was every day.
What was different now?
"I turned off the channel this morning. Fill me in." Ears perked up attentively, the feline straightened his posture to lean against the frame of the garage, waiting for Dogman to explain.
Dogman eyed the crusted pebbles that ebbed the gray concrete underneath him hesitantly before lifting up his hands.
'I was at work, going over a... scandal with Chief. A recent one. When all of the sudden, a loud boom was heard across the city. People screaming. The cops and I ran to the scene, and-' The dog paused before continuing, a flicker of pain crossing his features. 'It was my... house. It was blown up. Partially. And whoever had caused the destruction, we... have not been able to locate them, or identify who it was. Yet.' Dogman paused again, sighing softly.
Well, thank god Lil Petey wasn't at Dogmans house when that happened.
Petey was... stunned, to say the least, but before anything could be said from the cat- Dogman interrupted the silence.
'I came here to tell Lil Petey the bad news, cheer myself up a bit...' the dogs shoulders rocked with a half-hearted 'woof', probably laughter. 'If he's not around, I'll come back later.'
"What- I- wh-why not just text me!?" Petey exclaimed, ready to start ranting about how impossibly calm Dogman was acting about a new supervillain on the loose, when Dogman reached into the pant pocket of his uniform, pulling out his cellphone. Except a chunk of it was missing, screen splintered, slightly bent.
'I left it at my house, because we use walkie-talkies at the station. I had to come physically.' He signed, shoving the slightly broken phone back into his pocket for a totally good reason.
Petey was still, stunned.
"...Well. Holy crap, Dogman. I'm... wow I'm sorry. That's..." Petey didn't know what to say. He was bad at this. The air was quiet, looming with a subtle, soft sense of dread, suffocating the setting sky behind the cop.
To Petey's utter relief, the block showed three silhouettes coming up the street. A small cat, floating tadpole, and a flying fish.
Lil Petey immediately ran to Dogman with delight, jumping into his arms with a huge grin, "Dogman! What are you doin' here? I thought ya had work today!" Lil Petey asked with happy curiosity.
'I got off my shirt early today due to some... circumstances.' Dogman signed, hesitating as he tried to find the right words, struggling to sign while holding the cat. Those brown eyes flicked to the older cats green ones, looking for help on just how to explain his predicament.
"Yeah so Dogmans house got blown up today by a new supavillain in town! I saw daddy watching the news this morning before you came," Molly piped in suddenly, everyone but Flippy and Lil Petey jumped slightly, having forgotten the tiny floating tadpole was still there, "anyways, I'll see you, Lil Petey!" Molly said gleefully. Flippy muttered an embarassed apology on behalf of his daughter before floating off with her.
Lil Petey was stiff in Dogmans arms, tiny jaw seemingly stretching to the gravel on the ground, head slowly turning towards his other father. Dogman whined softly, preparing for onslaught of questions and concerns.
"Fill me in! What happened!? Why didn't you call!? Are you hurt!?" Jeez, like father like son, huh.
Petey and Dogman took the time to explain the situation and the premise, adding that Dogman would no longer be able to take Lil Petey on the weekends due to his lack of household. The kittens face contorted from shock, to bitter sadness, to a sudden... bright-eyed smile, the kind of smile you get when a bright yellow lightbulb appears over your head in a niche kids cartoon. But you already knew that. Nerds. tch-
"Dogman can live with us!" The small orange kitten suddenly exclaimed.
Both Petey and Dogmans heads swiveled towards Lil Petey at the exact same time, same expression: of shock. Like they'd literally never even thought of that before. Which... They actually hadn't, for some reason.
Dogman hoisted Lil Petey up a bit higher in his arms, turning fully towards the kittens father. Petey stared into those dark brown eyes and didn't see any signs of begging, of desperation. Just... searching for approval, curious to see what Petey would think of this request. And as the orange hued sky behind Dogman and his son got darker, Petey's heart sank a it deeper into his chest, coveted in a warm, cozy swirl of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him if he didn't stop staring- not when his ex-archnemesis and son looked so... familiar? So right? Dogman wasn't the lousy, overpowered supacop in Peteys eyes anymore. With this view, this mindset, Petey invisioned something he didn't think he could ever comprehend. Something like a... like a family.
Family.
Petey was immediately snapped out of his blissful trance, sharp whining breaking through the previously soft quiet.
"Please, papa?" Came the orange kittens soft, determined voice, staring up at Petey like he owed him the world.
"...I suppose... since... well..." Petey struggled to form something coherent- something, something that sounded close to gratitude. "Dogman let you and me crash at his place for a few months. I think it's... only fair, we uh.. do the same in these dark- tough ti-"
Peteys words were drowned out by the sounds of high pitched giggles, his son pouncing on top of him, tackling him to the ground with surprising strength.
"Thank you thank you thankyouthankyou-" Lil Petey repeated over and over again. Over the orange furballs shoulder, Petey and Dogmans eyes met almost instantly.
'I was nervous. I didn't think you'd let me..' Dogman signed hesitantly, the tip of his muzzle slightly flushed, a goofy grin spreading ear to ear. Dogman blushed even more once Petey started to sign something back, Lil Petey still repeating the same two words over and over again.
'It's the least I could do.' The gestures were a bit messy, a bit offset, probably because Petey was still being tackled, but true hearted nonetheless.
And that fact alone, meant the world to him.
The rivals would be paired up, yet again.
BUT WAIT!!! Wanna read more? New chapter coming soon because I LIKE WRITING!! TS IS PEAK I SWEAR!!!!