J.H. White's Puss in Boots: Book I

Part Two: Chapter Four

Puss woke up to the sun shining in his face. He blinked groggily and saw Kitty and Maria, who were both still asleep. He decided to go make sure Carnage's army was gone. Besides, if anything happened, Kitty could easily take care of herself.

He tread almost noiselessly, just in case. He couldn't die, especially when he had a wife and baby to care for. He finally got to the sight of the wreckage and gasped, even though it was what he expected. Shrek's swamp was completely destroyed, and dead bodies littered the ground. He put his head in his hands and couldn't help crying. Shrek and Fiona, as well as their kids, were probably dead. Everybody from San Lorenzo, Dulcinea. There was no hope. Everything was gone. All he had left was Kitty and his baby. They had to survive now. They had to kill Carnage, to avenge the fallen. He took off his hat and stood in silence, his cape flapping in the wind. Then, he walked back into the forest. Kitty was awake.

"Good morning, Puss. Where were you?" she asked, a little peeved.

"Had to make sure they weren't here. They're gone, but I think we were the only survivors." Kitty's expression suddenly changed to mournful.

"Shrek's dead?" He nodded, biting his lip to stop the tears from coming. "Oh, Puss," she said. She stood up and hugged him, throwing her arms around his neck. She couldn't stay mad at him for long.

"We're going to be fine," Puss said. "As long as we're together." Suddenly, the sky turned eerily gray and lit up with the image of Carnage. "Santa mierda," Puss blurted out.

"Hello, citizens of Spain. You may think there is hope left, but you cannot stop me. You cannot resist my empire. Last night, we sparked a massacre that ended the lives of almost all the remaining protectors. Now, there are three survivors remaining. I have taken one of them; the ogre known as Shrek."

Shrek's face appeared on screen. He was bloody and covered in marks; he had been tortured. Puss and Kitty shared horrified looks.

"The other two survivors have been identified as Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws. They are the leaders. I will pay a bounty of one million pesos to whoever brings them in." Puss swore again.

"Now, watch your hope die in front of you as this ogre is murdered in front of you." Puss froze and started to look away; he wept and Kitty wept with him. "Shrek, do you have anything to say to your friends?" Shrek raised his head slowly.

"Puss, I know you're listening. Don't give in. You can still win."

Puss turned around and looked into Shrek's weak eyes. He was tired of crying, but he did it again. Shrek was right. They could win the war. They had to.

"Alright, let's get on with it," Carnage snarled. She waved her dagger in front of the screen. "WATCH NOW, REBELS, AS YOUR HOPE PERISHES IN A BALL OF FIRE!" She stabbed Shrek over and over, and Puss cringed every time. Then, she brought the weapon to his neck and there was a sudden, suspenseful silence. Time stood still. And then she cut off his head; the sound of it hitting the floor made Puss vomit in the grass. Blood flew all over the camera. Carnage wiped it off with a gloved paw and stared at the screen so intensely it would've melted stone. "Puss, you will die, whether you like it or not. Now, you shall be tested." As if black magic was at work, Kitty and Maria vanished into thin air and Puss found himself in a dark void. Carnage's voice echoed in the darkness. "Welcome to the SIM."