Broken Pure Heart (Mao Mao AU)

Escape Attempt

Mao Mao slowly opened his eyes and winced in pain. His head was pounding and the surface he laid on was hard and uncomfortable.

"Ugh? What happened?" the feline groaned aloud. He looked around him to see that underneath him was a hard steel floor and around him was close-knit iron bars. Slowly getting up, Mao Mao stumbled over to the bars and tested them. Not even a budge came out of them.

"Hmmm," the black cat huffed to himself. The events that led him here were still foggy, but now it was clear to Mao Mao that he was in more or less a cell; now a prisoner of the Sky Pirates.

I gotta get out of here, Mao Mao thought to himself. I still gotta find that piece and give it back to the kingdom.

"Well, well. Lookey who's awake," the teasing laughter of Ratarang grew closer and he came hopping down the stairs. He jumped off the last step and looked over at the caged cat with a smug look.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Mao Mao demanded, already knowing the answers.

"Ha! Badgerclops took you down like it was nothin'! Then we dragged you here down to the cell, duh!" Ratarang explained.

"Huh," the feline huffed. "Well, I gotta say you really got the best of me."

"Huh?" the rat chirped in confusion.

"Yeah, I mean I really should have thought twice about messing with the Sky Pirates. But after all nobody warned me about how awesome they all are," Mao Mao continued, feigning a look of defeat. "I just wish I could let Orangusnake know how amazing he and his crew."

"Oh! I'll let him know right now. Heh, we he hears that kinda praise, he'll let me sit in the high chair for sure!" Ratarang quickly hopped back up the stairs, grunting with effort. Once Mao Mao was sure that the tiny rodent was at a good distance he unsheathed a sharp claw and tested it against the key slot of the bars. With a little wiggling and a bit of twisting to the right the lock popped and the cell door swung open.

Mao Mao drew his claw back and chuckled to himself in pride. As soon as said pride hit him so did the realization that he needed to get out of here. He clutched his side and gasped as his katana was gone. He took a deep breath and assured himself that he would try and find it on his way out. He bounded forward and lightly as he could rush up the stairs. Upon making it to the top he looked around and found himself in a completely unfamiliar part of the ship.

He stood at a corner of sorts with one hallway to his left and another just across from him. Looking closer the hall in front of him had some kind of metal door at the end. And the hall to the left seemed to be much longer and had rooms on it's side. Listening to his gut told the feline to take the left hall. He knew it was a risk, but so was being here in general.

Taking a deep breath and hoping that all went well, Mao Mao began to run down the left hall. He rushed past the first two rooms and the next two. But the ones ahead were slightly open and Mao Mao could hear some voices. He quickly halted and held close to the door.

"Please, just let us go." a panicked voice pleaded.

"Yeah, we won't say anything. We swear!" Another voice whined.

"Quiet! The both ah ya's." the familiar voice of Hosstrich. "I suggest y'all get real comfortable."

"Now that ya done seen us, y'all can't be allowed to go back. I'll deal with ya when I'm done fixing this panel," Mao Mao's breath caught in his throat as the cybernetic ostrich walked right past him.

He took a peek into the room to see Ramaraffe watching guard over two puppies tied together by rope. One was a bright yellow and the other was a bright pink. Both were cowering in fear on the floor.