Tough Love

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The canines of the Onyx Dragons clustered nervously around Roxy, confused and disoriented. One moment they had been fighting in what seemed like a regular turf war, the next there was an explosion and a building consumed by flames. Dogs and wolves alike shifted their weight on their paws, tails held stiffly and ears erect in an alert posture. Everyone was shocked. Conflict had been expected as always, and maybe, just maybe a little flame. Not a whole god damned explosion. This posed a threat to the surrounding buildings and although Roxy didn't care much for the common folk, none deserved their homes burned down. Also, now they may have the authorities on their tails. Being hounded by the police was never fun, however hidden their hideout was. the last thing Roxy wanted was to be holed up in the hideout while the police poked around and the Kitty Kickers rejoiced their cruel act.

Sickening and powerful, the scent of gas and smoke was wafting over towards the huddled Onyx Dragons. To spare her loyal members Roxy ordered them to return to the hideout to recover and help the wounded, urgently pressing them to move. After some mild dissent they turned and obeyed, running away down the alleyway that had led them to this mess. This left Roxy standing alone, only with Muse since she had sent her felines away.

Flickering flames illuminated Muse in the darkness, a light sheen of sweat visible. The girl's brown hair had become a tad bid disheveled in the blast and suddenly Roxy wasn't sure if she wanted to run her hands through the girl's mane of hair or yank it with all of her pent up aggression. Both would be very nice right about now, but Roxy made no effort to approach her ex friend. The werewolf's light blonde hair was also a bit disheveled, parted so the shaved half was completely exposed. Fire seemed to dance about in the reflection of Roxy's chain necklace. For a while she just stared at Muse, feeling angered and more than all, betrayed. This market had been a symbol of their old friendship and within minutes it was sure to just be a burnt corpse. The message was all too clear and Roxy wished to ignore it. It seemed to say, We're over. Move on.

Muse had a gang now. A real functioning gang. And a cruel one at that to execute such a destructive plan. What made the situation worse was Muse's response. A shrug. A simple gesture, too simple. Rage boiled in her heart and turned her insides to knots, jaw clenched tightly and eyes narrowed in aggression and a sort of pain. Then after the curt dismissal, the werecat turned and retreated at the sound of the approaching sirens.

To this Roxy threw her head back and summoned what breath she had left to holler over the tumult, "Fuck you, Muse! Fuck you and your childish gang!"
After throwing this message out there Roxy wasn't content with the treatment she had received. Non gang members could have been killed! Their homes burnt to ashes! this was a serious matter that deserved a curt warning.

"Come back here, bitch!"Roxy called, not as loud as the first message. She shifted back into a wolf mid stride and barreled after Muse, hoping to catch up to her.
 
Her head was throbbing from the explosion and all the noises surrounding, making it very difficult to concentrate to walk. Each step caused her temples to pulse, no matter how tiny of a step. The explosion did more damage than she first thought. This wasn't good. Muse was still in Onyx Dragon territory without any guards, but she rather have her gang wait for her safely at their hideout than surround her here.

The sirens from the fire engines grew louder as they approached with the assistant of the police sirens right behind them. Muse knew she had to hurry away, especially with the police coming. It was actually a good thing the police were arriving since all gang members knew to scatter once they hear those dooming sirens. Muse never had any bad experience with the law. She was lucky enough that the old Onyx Dragon she was a part of knew how to evade the police. But, she knew if she would get caught, that would be the end of her. Gang members never come back once arrested and hauled off to jail or prison. Jail and prison gangs were maybe worse than those outside the walled fortress.

Muse looked behind her after faintly hearing Roxy approach her. With a shaky hand, Muse motioned the wolf away as Roxy came closer.

"Get out of here before the cops come," Muse said through head pains.

She stumbled over her own feet, but recovered before hitting the ground. This head pain was so bad...being bit and torn to pieces would have been better than this. As Roxy was only a few ways away, Muse began a light trot. She was too embarrassed to talk to Roxy about how all this turned out. She didn't want to hear Roxy ask and swear about the explosion. Her gang looked so amateur to Muse. Like a bunch of anarchist with no true purpose for their attacks besides causing chaos.

Turning down into a small alleyway away from the scene, Muse paused to take a break. She leaned against the wall and breathed deeply, her hand rubbing her forehead hard. The air here was cleaner at least. The smell of gas and smoke didn't reach this far yet. Her eyes closed, her body covered in sweat, dirt, and specks and blood from the tiny cuts caused by the flying debris.

Her nose wiggled, smelling if Roxy followed her here.

"I don't need to hear anything you have to say," Muse said if Roxy was around. "Go away and leave me alone."
 
Persistently, the werewolf followed in the feline's wake. Each advancing step help purpose, held urgency. Behind her the approaching sirens blared, the sound bouncing about the alleyways. The tumult did little to alleviate the current disorientation that Roxy felt, a pulsing pain demanding her to rest the hell of one hand against her head. While her excellent canine sense of smell allowed for great tracking, it was more of a hindrance with the close proximity of smoke. The acrid scent burned her nostrils, making the back of her throat sear. Such discomforts did little to deter Roxy, mind set to the task.

Police sirens were an unwelcome sound, making Roxy's skin crawl and her head turn to peer behind herself. No enemy made itself present, so she continued onward despite Muse's command to retreat to avoid authorities. This comment was preferable over cursing her out, but made it evident that she didn't wish to talk. Some inner gut feeling sated Roxy's rage, a realization that Muse may not have intended such a terribly drastic explosion to occur. If she had, there would most likely have been more gloating. Instead her gang had limped away and she was left to stumble away from the cops, implying something of this scale wasn't to happen.

This speculation softened Roxy's impending aggression, steps meaningful, yet lighter. Instead concern became the focus of her pursuit. Of course Roxy easily tracked Muse through the winding alleyways, enjoying the reprieve from stifling smoke and pungent gas fumes. The werewolf half walked, half limped forwards, mouth parted in order to pant with effort. Dirt dusted her usually light blonde hair, sweat making her shirt cling to her hot skin. Small, red cuts had formed on different parts of exposed skin that had been kissed by the flying debris. More serious wounds had been received from the previous fight, the worst being a bite mark on her right shoulder. Rivulets of crimson dribbled down and onto her shirt, staining it. Sides heaved slightly with effort, eyes gleaming in the dim light as she made cautious steps down the alley Muse was in.

Evidently not wishing to talk at all, not even to throw in a spiteful jab, Muse told Roxy to leave and not speak to her. For a moment Roxy obeyed by staying quiet, but holding her tongue in situations like these was not what Roxy did best.

"I know you didn't mean to do that much damage back there,"She started, taking a moment to let her words linger in the air.

"And I don't give a shit....for now."Roxy said, stopping and just staring at Muse from a few meters away. She stood upright, almost awkwardly shifting her weight from one leg to another as she allowed Muse to respond in any way.
 
"...it was suppose to be a small...a small fire. Something manageable...but held the statement that we weren't ones to be messed with. But...it all went to hell..." Muse closed her eyes, letting out a troubled breath. "...that idiot house cat..."

She brought a hand to her forehead, her fingers softly rubbing it to try to ease her headache. A sharp pain traveled from her shoulder and to her back, making her twitch uncontrollably. She pinched a nerve from the fall on her shoulder making any movement from that arm sting. She let her hand fall on her lap. Her face was red from the intense heat of the flames and from embarrassment, especially with Roxy figuring out that the explosion not being part of the plan. How embarrassing was it when your enemy figured out your mistake and flaws? If it wasn't for her bum shoulder and headache, Muse would have ran away holding back tears from the sheer embarrassment.

"Get away from me Roxy, okay? Just go...I don't need you here...or just kill me now I don't care anymore. Here's your chance. The perfect moment to end everything now. I'll even make it easier for you," Muse crooked her neck, exposing the fatal blow. "Make it quick and don't let me suffer."

Multiple thoughts ran through her head. Of the people's home she destroyed, of her plan going wrong, of how much she was failing at running a large gang. Everything was easy when it was just Tonya, Caroline, Rickie, and her. Things were fine with the few new members they got. But with the sudden flux of members, with the gain of territory, and with the threats from the Onyx Dragons, Muse was starting to realize how hard it was to manage her own gang. Maybe if things grew slowly and they had time to gain experience, Muse would be a better leader. Now, though, every little thing needed to be perfect or disaster would happen.

Maybe Roxy was the better leader. Her tough and no nonsense way of leading was the right way. Her military style was needed in running a large gang. Muse knew even if she tried, she could never be a general like Roxy. It just wasn't built in her to be like that. Muse always believed in being more of a mentor, letting others discover and learn on their own with her guidance. She wanted to be looked up to, not feared like how Roxy seemed to portray herself as.

"No..." Muse lowered her head and struggled to push herself from the wall. "...I'm not going to give up...they need me...without me, they won't have anyone."

She fell onto her knees, then slowly stood, holding her hurt shoulder only a few ways from Roxy. Unlike the Onyx Dragons, the Kitty Kickers were a bunch of misfits, loners, orphans, troubled individual without any stability in their lives. They needed a strong, patient, firm, and understanding leader.

"This wasn't suppose to happen. I'll own up to it. This was my fault. You know...you know I'm not one to cause any trouble to innocent people. I can only hope no one got hurt from my mess up," Muse exhaled deeply. "I'm...I'm glad you weren't caught up in that explosion...you don't deserve to go out that way...or at all."
 
Seeing Muse in such a fragile state was not as satisfactory as Roxy had envisioned it to be. In all of her angered daydreams she had recalled the sweet taste of victory, like a sugary candy melting upon her tongue, seeing her enemy driven before her. The power, the glory. None of it existed in this reality. Seeing her old best friend on the pavement of an alleyway, battered and admitting defeat, stirred pity in Roxy's heart. Even though she wished to embrace her friend, some invisible barrier prevented her from being able to so. This barrier was the stigma against their bond, the pressures of both of their gangs driving them apart. In this moment Roxy wished she had the strength to smash that wall.

Instead Roxy just watched and listened thoughtfully. Muse was so upset that she even exposed her throat and offered an opportunity for her life to be taken. This was the main clue that failure had shaken her up badly, the looming guilt evidently crushing the new leader. Again, Roxy didn't act, watching the display intently. Conflicting thoughts danced about her head. Should she act as a friend or a rival? Stalk off as Muse wished or too, or remain to offer comfort? The Onyx Dragons or her old companion? While Roxy was very dedicated to the gang, Muse had come first. No fall out could block out all of the emotions Roxy still felt for Muse. Still she yearned to be her friend, or perhaps something more.

Broken from her reverie by Muse's voice Roxy saw the girl make the effort to rise. Roxy smiled genuinely, a wolfish way as per usual. There was the Muse she had grown to love, the one who never wished to give up. The one who expressed care for others, arms always open to those that sought them. Arms Roxy wished to fall into again. Things were different now and although Roxy wanted to lead at Muse's side again, the Kitty Kickers and Onyx Dragons would never get along together. Especially not after this incident.

When Muse rose to her feet Roxy dared approach a step, closing the distance between them in a nonthreatening manner. One suggesting informality. "Are you sure you didn't want to turn me into a wolf roast? I think I'd look rather fine with an apple in my mouth,"Roxy managed a sarcastic joke despite the situation, already weak and wishing for a short reprieve from gang life.
 
Her hands rubbed her face hard in an attempt to relieve the headache. The pain was slowly subsiding, only hurting whenever she took a step or moved her head. That was great news as the journey back to the Kitty Kicker's hideout was going to be more difficult now. Muse expected that every street near the explosion would be full of people or a traffic jam of fire trucks, the police, ambulances, and maybe even the local news vans arriving to report the scene. It had been a long while since the city had this kind of event.

Muse couldn't help but smile and giggle softly at Roxy, her general appearance softening and reverting back to her normal, joking self.

"Oh my god, do you remember the last time I tried cooking! I couldn't even make you frozen pizza rolls! They somehow caught on fire! Remember?" Muse laughed. "You're such a fine, expensive cut I wouldn't want to roast you like that!"

Maybe it was the stress or the pain...or just the exhaustion of the whole night that made Muse start to laugh uncontrollably. Her cheeks puffed as she laughed, eyes becoming squint as she giggled and laughed at the memory. She probably looked a bit ridiculous, laughing like a small child while her whole body was covered in dirt, soot, sweat and blood. Her hair was tangled and matted, starting to fluff up into a small afro from the heat of the explosion. And, her clothes were a lost cause of never being cleaned again. Even with her enemy in front of her, all Muse could do was laugh at Roxy's joke and the memory of setting frozen pizza rolls on fire. Muse was starting to reach her limit.

"Oh god, don't let me near no stove...obviously proven now!" she laughed harder and wiped a few tears from her eyes.

Off in the distance was a faint sound of roaring and meowing werecats, desperately trying call Muse for her return. She looked up into the sky, her ears twitching at the faint sounds. If she didn't return soon, Muse knew a rescue squad would be sent out to find her. Though, there was no chance they would get far into Onyx Dragon territory with all the chaos happening in this part. Only Muse, Spike and Dagger knew the ins and outs of the Onyx Dragon's territory, including all the shortcuts and hidden passageways to avoid being scene if the main routes were compromise.

"If anything, it would have been me roasted. I barely escaped that place! Do you think I would taste good, Roxy? All roasted to perfection?" Muse teasingly asked.

She took a single step back, tail twitching and quivering, knowing she needed to get a move on and return to her side. But, a part of her wanted to stay with Roxy and joke around. There was no point in running since she was still hurt even if the laughter was masking the pain. The most Muse could do was hobble away down the various hidden paths to avoid detection. Or, find a small hiding place until she was better recovered and the chaos died down.

There was also Roxy. As of now, Muse knew she was at Roxy's mercy. The leader of the Onyx Dragon's could switch at any moment, attacking Muse brutally or coming up with any other plan. If they fought, Muse was at a huge disadvantage with a bummed shoulder and limp arm and the pressure headache that made moving hurt. With no other options, all Muse could really do was laugh.
 
At first Roxy was anticipating that her joke would fall on deaf ears and that Muse would just hobble away immediately and bitterly. So she was surprised when instead Muse giggled, muscles visually beginning to relax, uncoiling. As this happened Roxy found herself relaxing as well, fearless now. Muse was in no condition to fight and neither was she. Both emotionally and physically Roxy found fighting wouldn't be favorable. Right now the tension was ebbing away as best as it could with the sirens all around. There could be a glimmer of potential that the two rivals could share one good memory again, able top part on good terms before plotting to take each others' gangs down later. For now they could share a laugh like old times.

A certain giddiness overtook Muse and she went on to recall one of their past memories of cooking fails. A positive one, a positive change from their current predicament. Also energized and adrenaline high Roxy couldn't help but begin to laugh as well, a low chuckle at first. Now she remembered spending time in Roxy's apartment when it was much newer, still exciting. They had been hungry and had some frozen pizza rolls in the mostly barren freezer, Muse offering to heat them up. Roxy had been unpacking some boxes when she had smelled fire and heard a yell from the kitchen, rushing in and sliding across the tile in her slippers only to see small tongues of flames dancing around in the opened oven. Luckily hastily drenching them in water had solved the problem, but they lamented their lack of pizza rolls before laughing about the situation. The moment was sweet.

"Too good for a roast? What a great compliment,"Roxy replied sarcastically, chuckle picking up into giddy, hearty laughter. It creased the skin around her eyes, lips pulled into a childish grin, opened to admit laughter. As her sides rose and fell to accommodate for her laughter, the soreness in her muscles and ache in the bite on her shoulder became evident. For now she ignored the discomfort, focusing merely on this instance of humor and reminiscence.

Through their chorus of laughter Roxy heard the faint howls of her gang members as well as the cries of Muse's felines. This reminded her of her responsibility and need to return to her hideout, but that was the last thing she wished to do. For the first time in a long time Roxy was sharing a good laugh with Muse and she'd be damned if she missed the oppurtunity.

At Muse's next comment the werewolf offered a bark of laughter. "Perhaps. A nice flame broiled feline may prove to be a delicacy,"Roxy replied, jokingly contemplating the idea with a finger resting on her chin.

When she saw Muse begin to hobble away Roxy decided that she should also be on her way now. So tentatively she began to trail after Muse, right leg dragging behind her a bit as if limping. Looking to her shoulder Roxy saw the wound, blood having clotted now, teeth marks indenting the flesh that was now exposed due to the disarray of her white button up undershirt. Before they'd have to part, Roxy made her way to Muse's side, leaving about a meter in between them in respect. She sighed wistfully. "Damn. Too bad I chased you away,"she lamented softly, kicking a small stone and sending it skittering down the alleyway.
 
Muse smiled softly as she hobbled down the alley with Roxy by her side. She slowed her pace, knowing as soon as they reach the end they would most likely part ways and revert back to being enemies. It was too bad that she was chased off. If given more time and perhaps more control of the old Onyx Dragons, Muse would of had her fill of being co-leader and taken the gang to new places. There was a slight regret of starting the Kitty Kickers so soon from being chased away. Muse hated that revenge was what was fueling the Kitty Kickers and that her gang members believed in that hype.

"Sometimes, I wish we could go back to before any of these gangs existed. Like, back to high school. I think we were the happiest then. You know, when it was you and me against the world. I liked that," Muse said through a soft exhale. "Now, it's you and me against each other. And, I don't like that."

The constant noise from around them began to slowly die down, being replaced with the powerful blasts of the water on the burning market and the sprinkling of the water to the ground. The red and orange flames that lit the sky were dim and weak until the last of them sizzled out. Heavy smoke continued to cover the night sky with its thick encase, smothering the very few star lights that could be seen. Muse had no idea what the time was, but her body felt as if she stayed awake for 48 hours straight and was at the edge of giving up.

As Muse approached closer to the end, she paused for a quick second to fight back a sudden case of a light head. Her vision blurred and began to turn dark. She shook her head firmly to snap herself from it and let out a deep groan.

"I...I have to go. I have to go," Muse repeated to Roxy before trotting quickly away and out the alley, leaving Roxy behind.

Each of the main streets that led towards the market were still crowded with various vehicles and people, forcing Muse to use all the side streets, alleyways, and shortcuts just to make it closer to her territory line. The walk closer to home was a struggle with each step as Muse found herself getting closer and closer to passing out any second. She had to take plenty of breaks to breathe deeply in an attempt to hold off her body from giving up. Realizing that she couldn't make it through the last remaining blocks to her territory line, Muse desperately began to search for a small hiding spot to rest in until she could recover.

Beside a side street was a small garden area belonging to a senior apartment living center. Muse limped through the the garden, spotting a broken basement window just behind a series of garbage bags filled with random items. She kicked the bags aside and slipped through the window as best she could without making noise, and falling into the broiler room of the apartment. With a quick sniff around, Muse determined that no one has been in the room for days and promptly allowed her body to pass out on the concrete floor.

While most of the Kitty Kickers paced along their territory line waiting for Muse, only Tonya searched the streets of the Onyx Dragons in search of Muse. As the night began to be replaced with the day, Tonya had her nose glued to the ground as the limber cheetah searched for her leader.
 
High school. The dangerous world of hormonal teenagers. Such a place should have been foul, clouded by the workload and lectures given generously by the teachers. Instead Roxy only remembered joy, almost all of her memories involving Muse. It truly had been them against the world, together. Partners in crime. Lounging in the back of the school between, or sometimes during classes. Scheming and joking as they always had, nearly glued at the hip. In fact, many had even believed the two were dating, leading to plenty of teasing. A few times Roxy and Muse had jokingly fed the rumors, making a point to hold hands or sneak pecks on the cheek. From the start Roxy had known her sexuality and was very open about being a lesbian, but she always convinced herself she had only feelings of friendship towards Muse. That didn't mean that she hadn't experienced the occasionally longing.

Now Roxy longed for any relationship with Muse, even to be just friends again. This rivalry had seemed exciting at first, new and full of bitterness, giving them a sense of purpose. Now Roxy wasn't having as much fun. If you asked her months ago if she wanted to rough Muse up, Roxy would agree and have her fists ready to go. Ask her now and she would just look exhausted. What was the point to their squabbling anymore? Clearly it was not safe for anyone considering the exploding building, not that anyone ever said that gang life was harmless.

After one last comment Muse had excused herself and darted away, leaving the limping Roxy to herself. "Wait..."she whispered to herself as Muse's figure disappeared. Sighing, Roxy used the brick wall of the alleyway to support herself, wounds and muscles aching. Curses were grumbled under her breath and she fought away tears, the cause being both pain and a sudden loneliness. Of course Roxy had bonded to some of her gang members, but she could never fabricate the friendship she had with Muse since no one could top that. Breathing became more ragged with effort, injured leg nearly dragging behind herself. Each step forwards proved a challenged to the exhausted and wounded werewolf.

With the authorities not too far away Roxy couldn't risk howling for help. Instead she brought a hand to her mouth and mimicked a dog's bark, hoping her gang members would know the difference between their leader's call and an actual stray dog. Right about now Roxy did feel more like a stray though, wandering about with physical and emotional scars.

A bark returned, sounding more human than animal. Help was on the way. Sliding down up against a wall Roxy prepared to wait, vision growing dimmer. The fight had been one thing, but the force of the explosion and the emotional confrontation drained her excessively. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift off to the sound of approaching paw steps ringing though nearby blocks.

Roxy awoke on an old couch in the hideout, arm draped over the edge so that her fingernails grazed the concrete floor. Hushed voices brought her to attention and looking out she saw others asleep or half asleep in other old couches or sofas, sharing spaces when their leader had been given one to herself. Yawning, canine teeth were exposed for a moment. Roxy lazily lifted a hand to her injured shoulder, finding it bandaged along with some of the other deeper wounds. Others began to notice her waking, especially when she slowly eased herself into a seated position. Groggily, she observed the Onyx Dragon members to find them with patched up wounds of their own. The needle, thread, and bottle of alcohol resting on the floor near the base of one couch meant that at least one person had required stitches. "Quite the eventful night, huh?"Roxy asked, finding she had to clear her throat to dispel the hoarseness.

They answered with agreements before reporting the injuries they had received as well as those of the opponents. The regaling of the fight made some speak more loudly, suddenly rowdy. This made the few sleeping members stir and rouse, given bitter coffee by their friends. Roxy nodded, glad that there had been no casualties and all were on the road to recovery.

Biter offhandedly asked,"What do we plan on doing next to get back at them?"

With a change of heart from last night's talk with Muse, which would remain a secret, Roxy answered,"We'll go on the defense for some time. Recover from our wounds, lay low as the authorities investigate the fire, and fortify the hideout."

Some were a bit puzzle by the lack of angry passion from their leader, the lack of people crying for the blood of the Kitty Kickers. While surprised, most were relieved to play it safe until they were all well enough to take action.
 
"Where's Muse? Did she come in?"

"No and we can't even look for her! There's still cars and stuff all around that neighborhood!"

"What are we going to do? We can't just stay here?"

Most of the Kitty Kickers circled the meeting room anxiously, eyes glued on the door and windows in hopes of seeing their leader and co-leader run through the doors to greet them. The ones who went out on the mission that night were in the other room resting on beds with their wounds cleaned and bandaged. But, even they were unable to fully sleep. Muse never made it back to the hideout that night of the explosion and many couldn't help but think of the worse.

Whispers spread throughout the gang that Muse was so injured that she was laying dead on the street somewhere. Others said that Muse was captured by the Onyx Dragons and was going through some sick torturing. Some spoke of Muse and Tonya being caught by the police and being held at the station. The ones injured kept repeating that Muse told them to escape, regretting leaving Muse behind.

Tea and coffee was being brewed in the cramped mini kitchen in a small space beside the meeting room, the smell of the two drinks desperately trying to calm the anxious crowd. Usually Tonya was in charge of the drinks since she was a bit picky on the quality that Muse always bought. The Kitty Kickers, thanks to the undercover shops in the strip mall, earned them enough money to spend a little bit on brand name products. Since Muse was a bit cheap on food, but not on beauty, Tonya was in charge of groceries.

Soon, the names jumped from Muse to Tonya. Caroline and Rickie, who chose to share a small bed, told that Tonya left them to search for Muse after they saw the explosion of the market blocks away. The two girls spoke highly of Tonya, trying their best to put faith within their gang of their co-leader. While all were confident of Muse, those from the former Silent Scorpions were hesitant on completely trusting Tonya. To them, Tonya was weak purely based off her cheetah werecat form. Muse was a powerful black leopard, strong on ground and able to take the fight into heights while Tonya had to rely on her speed and agility than strength.

"No no! Tonya has saved us plenty of times! You can't say she hasn't been a good leader too!" Caroline argued. "If there's anyone that can bring back Muse, it's her!"

The gang began to shout at each other on what to do. Some held back those crowding the door wanting to look for Muse on their own, finding themselves in small shoving matches. Hair was pulled and scratches were marked as Caroline and Rickie tried their best to settle the gang until Muse and Tonya came back.

Muse's eyes fluttered open as she felt a warmth around her body. As eyes focused with the morning light shining through the broken basement window, an arm was wrapped around Muse's shoulder and waist with a face buried in her hair. The nails on the hand were filed down to the nail bed and dirtied up. Carefully, Muse plucked the arm from her shoulder and leaned up, seeing Tonya beside her resting with a single eye open.

The broiler let out a low hum in the hot room. Tonya wiggled her ears at the sound and leaned up, slowly opening her other eye at Muse. Within a few seconds of waking up, Tonya was checking over Muse's body. Muse wiggled and squirmed, shooing away and Tonya's pawing hands as the she lifted up Muse's shirt and ran her hand across Muse's stomach.

"You okay? Damn it Muse you had me so worried! Ugh what the hell happened?! What caused that explosion?! You okay?" Tonya asked quickly.

Muse used her foot to scoot Tonya away from her when her body suddenly felt heavy. Both girls looked like they walked through a treacherous storm. All their clothes was drenched in sweat with their hair stuck like glue on their scalps. Dirt was caked on them along with pieces of metal from the broiler room floor. Muse looked extra worse with her mascara and lip stick running down her face.

"No...no questions...let's just go home..." Muse slowly got up with a helping hand from Tonya. "If I can make it there."

While Muse was stabling her footing, Tonya peeked out the window with her ears on alert. Outside, she could see a good lot of old people in the garden listening to the bustling sounds of the cars. On closer inspection, Tonya could hear the faint sound of water rushing forcefully out of a hose and onto a building. She sighed and shook her head.

"It's too risky. We might be stuck here until late evening at the least," Tonya said. "That might be for the best. It'll give you more time to recover and tell me what happened."

Along the walls of the broiler room were thick workbenches with various tools on them. Muse hopped onto one, letting her tired legs swing. Muse felt safe enough from the Onyx Dragons in the spot they were in, but she was a bit nervous if anyone would enter the broiler room. The room did seem like no one has entered it in months, but who knows if today was the day someone checks in.

"No, we leave as soon as the coast is clear in the garden. We'll be fine as long as we stay in human form and clean ourselves up...somehow..." Muse answered.
 
Roxy's course of action didn't settle well in the minds of a few of the more boisterous Onyx Dragon members, including Summer, a tall woman with long blonde hair held into a pony tail. She was always known for toeing the line. "Wait, wait, wait. So, you're telling me we're going to wait it out?"she asked, rising from where she was sitting and staring Roxy right in the eyes. Roxy returned the gaze unblinkingly as the young woman continued.

"Those feline fuckers rough us up and then blow up a god damned building, drawing unwanted attention and causing severe damage, and you want us to be sitting ducks? That's absolute bullshit and you know it,"Biter accused, pointing a bandaged finger at Roxy.

Now all eyes were on the two of them, Roxy sitting calmly while Summer approached with her teeth practically barred. Silence fell upon the hideout. The thickness of it was almost tangible. Breaths were bated. Roxy cleared her throat and answered with authority, "Yes. That's what I intend us to do and it's the best thing to do. We're too wounded to launch a counter attack and there's bound to be way more police and investigators crawling around just waiting for a whiff of us. Now answer this, do you want us all to end up in jail?"

Summer seemed baffled, holding a hand to her chest as if perplexed. She released a bark of rabid laughter that shook her torso, causing a wince from the broken ribs she now had to tend to. "You've gone soft, that's what this is about! In the past you'd never consider our arrest, claiming we were too strong for such a thing. Now I ask you, Roxy, what changed?" The challenge was a bold one, one that made Roxy rise to her feet slowly and with a sense of purpose. Murmurs danced from one member to another, worried and excited glances exchanged, although most were more on the worried side. It had been a long while since the last time there had been a challenge like that thrown at Roxy. It was a rule that if any of them strongly believed they could make a better leader that they could challenge the leader to a fight. If they won, they became the leader and the previous leader was exiled. If they lost, they were exiled and the leader remained.

"I haven't gone soft at all. I'm just being smart, that's what. We can do more damage to our opponents if given just a few more days to rest. I had always claimed we wouldn't be arrested because when I made such a statement the city wasn't crawling with investigators. One can't easily overlook the explosion of an entire building. I'm not standing down, only making sure what I do is best for that gang as a whole. That's my job, you know,"Roxy spat back, muscles tensing and eyes gaining a look of intensity. Her body may have felt broken now, but her spirit sure as hell wasn't.

Biter still didn't seem amused. A wicked grin crossed her lips and she made the boldest move. "I think I'd make a much better leader." The challenge hung in the air, shocking everyone.

"Really? Are you sure about that?"Roxy asked, leaving a lip pulled up to reveal her teeth. Canine teeth slowly grew in length, dramatic. Gang members began to shuffle about, making a circle around the two.

"Does this answer your question?"Summer asked, body shifting. Bones crackled and golden fur grew over her skin. Whimpers were masked by grunts, the pain in the woman's ribs burning. Soon enough she stood as a large wolf, fur golden and muscles rippling. Roxy had clearly accepted the challenge, standing at a slightly shorter height as a creme furred wolf, teeth bared menacingly. Although both were exhausted and injured, they both were eager to get this fight over with. At the same time they lunged at one another, growls erupting from salivating maws. Summer's jaws had caught Roxy's injured shoulder, tearing at the wounded flesh. Roxy released a screaming cry of pain. Desperate to end the splitting pain and the fight altogether, her own fangs found the other wolf's neck and pressed down enough to just break the skin. The bite on Roxy's shoulder was released suddenly, Summer growling, "Do it, I dare you. You're too much of a coward!"

The grip tightened, fangs sinking lower into flesh. Suddenly Summer's eyes flashed pleadingly,realizing quickly that Roxy may not be joking around here. She dug her claws into the ground and released a pained sound, yelping over and over to signify she was done here. Roxy released her roughly, bloodied saliva dripping onto the concrete floor. "Get out of my sight, Summer. You're pathetic,"Roxy grumbled, shifting back to human form. The wound on her shoulder had bled through the bandages. As Summer ran out with a tucked tail, the other members didn't quite know how to react. Biter obediently fetched a needle, thread, and a bottle of alcohol. Roxy uncorked the bottle of liquor with a fang and spat it on the couch where she had sat down again with a loud sigh.

After the pain of cleaning, stitching, and redressing the wound was over, the buzzed Roxy excused herself to the quaint bathroom they had arranged. Here she washed up as best as she could without an actual shower and redressed herself in fresh clothing, a simple pair of dark jeans and a white shirt coupled with a black sweatshirt. The chain around her throat was left by the sink for now. Her hair was left loose after a quick brushing, the half shaved style still preventing her from being very nonchalent. Roxy exited the bathroom and stifled a limp, mind feeling dull despite the kick of the alcohol. "I'm going out for a little while. Don't worry about me. You all can rest, drink, and whatever the hell else you want. If any of you go out, just lay low and minimize the time you're exposed. Understood?"she asked, hands burrowing into her jacket pockets.

They seemed a bit confused as to why she'd go out while in recovery, but managed weak smiles and goodbyes. Outside a cool breeze buffeted Roxy's face. She pressed onward, making a tsk sound down at the now human Summer that was still lingering and wounded in the alleyway. Roxy decided to try to take a walk to clear her head, more preoccupied with last night's endeavors than the recent exile. It should have shocked her, but she was more occupied with thoughts of Muse. They had more contact in this last few days than they had in the last few months after Muse was kicked out. The wound of their relationship had been reopened.

Roxy walked casually down the sidewalk, passing a few others and offering faint smiles to appear as a normal citizen. A few passing dogs either balked away from the young woman or began to growl lowly to the confusion of their masters. The canines knew the scent of wolf well despite their lack of contact with their ancestors. Roxy sighed and continued along, cars rumbling by and people going about their day.
 
Muse and Tonya took turns at the water fountain at the empty gardens to scrub their faces from the soot and dirt they collected from their night. While most felines would loathe having to wash up, Muse and Tonya appreciated the cold water tickling their hot skin. The water seemed to wash away everything that happened that night and leaving them fresh and anew. Muse's lame shoulder healed greatly during the night. She was able to raise her arm over her head to only feel a dull pain.

Once clean enough, the girls made their way carefully through the alleyways to their territory. They tried their best to keep as low of a profile as possible, playing the act of two best friends returning home after a long day at work or somewhere. It was easy for Muse to pretend since she had walked these alleyways throughout her life. She was familiar with the normal scene of women hanging their wet clothes on the line to dry, groups of men hanging out together chilling or gambling, and children running down the alleys playing games. Tonya was more cautious. She expected members of the Onyx Dragon's or the police to pop up randomly and get them. Muse placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.

"We'll be okay. Just act cool," Muse told Tonya.

In unison, the girls placed a hand on their rumbling stomach. It seemed like weeks since they've eaten anything. Muse poked her head out from the alleyway and looked down one of the open streets. This area was familiar. There should be a sort of small snack bar tucked between the tall buildings that held about five good vending machines for the kids that played in the streets. Muse led them down a couple of blocks, ears always on alert and eyes gazing around in case she ran into some people she knew in the past.

And, tucked between the tall buildings, was the snack bar Muse remembered. It was a small, hole in the wall, snack bar that could only hold six people at most. Muse and Tonya entered and walked to the vending machine the furthest away from the door. Luckily, the vending machine held typical snacks, chips, candies, those nasty pastries, and dried fruit packs.

"Hey, you have any money on you?" Muse asked.

Tonya dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a few coins. She shrugged as she counted.

"I only have enough for one snack," she said. "Forget it, let's just go back to the hideout please? I don't want to be here any longer than we have to."

"Well, I'm hungry so we're going to be here longer. I'm getting all dizzy from lack of food," Muse snatched the coins from Tonya and fed them into the machine. She dialed the code for a cheese danish and watched as it dropped. "You sure you don't want some? Like half?"

Tonya growled as she thought about it. Her fingers tore off half of the pastry and stuck the whole half into her dry mouth.

"Why are you...like this? I don't know...you don't seem worried or scared. Aren't you even concerned what Roxy will do to us after what happened?" Tonya questioned.

Muse nibbled on her half of the pastry. She knew to keep quiet about the encounter she had with Roxy. Tonya always chewed Muse out about Roxy, blabbering about to cut ties. It was better for Tonya to not know about anything. Instead, Muse sighed as she watched a few small children enter into the snack bar.

"I'll worry about that when we get back. Right now, let's just take a break, okay? I had a horrible sleep, my back hurts, I still smell like blood and natural gas, and I chipped all my nails. You should be worrying about the cops than Roxy now. Don't you hear them driving around?" Muse said as they made their way to the front door to see a patrol car through the giant window. They immediately sat on the chairs and faced away from the window. "See?"

Nervous to move, Muse and Tonya remained with their backs to the window for a few minutes.
 
As Roxy continued walking she allowed her mind to have free reign. All around were familiar buildings and this area held many memories. There was the tiny sushi place that was closed now, a paper sign taped hastily on the door announcing their permanent closure. Roxy peered through the main glass to see the same old tables with the chairs stacked on top of them awaiting their move, which would mostly likely end in the trash. One table near the front stood out. It was the one Muse and Roxy had always chosen to sit at since they would make a game of guessing the lives of the people that passed as they shared a plate of sub pair fish dishes. Roxy realized she never really liked sushi but had always gone since Muse seemed to love it. Roxy always teased that it was just the cat in Muse that liked to eat slimy fish.

Roxy sighed heavily. Of course the place was just as dead as her friendship with Muse. Moving onward she ducked her head away from any people she may have recognized. To remedy the situation of possibly meeting someone she didn't want to, Roxy pulled her jacket hood over her head. Memories resurfaced all along her walk and suddenly she wondered if she should turn back now. Backing away from pain had never been something Roxy was good at though so she let the memories open like old wounds. There was the crooked stop sign that they had made a show of high-fiving every time they passed. As Roxy walked by it her hand lifted and gently brushed the cold metal as if to remember the exact spot both her and Muse' hands had collided, trying to recall the giddy laughter. Next there was the bus station where if you looked closely enough you could see the pink gum that Roxy had dared Muse to press against the top of the short overhang that sheltered a few benches. Past this was a familiar snack bar where they had grabbed some snacks before moving on to get into more trouble. Perhaps visiting the place would provide some closure.

Roxy entered the tiny place and walked to the first vending machine that was available, towards the front. From her jean pockets she produced a dollar and flattened it over her thigh before inserting it into the machine. She selected some sort of candy bar with little thought when something caught her eye. Rather, someone. Tilting her head slightly she saw the backs of Tonya and Muse. Wonderful. Now forgetting Muse wouldn't be that easy, but maybe forgetting what they had was easier to Muse. This had been their place, not Tonya's. That damned cheetah had nabbed Muse again and it was probably for the better....Roxy angrily mumbled, "Fuck my life,"

After the candy bar was dropped she snatched it up. Gritting her teeth she stole one more glance before practically storming out of the tiny establishment. In the glass front she could be seen fast walking as she roughly opened the candy package with her teeth. She was in no mood to fight right now, but was certainly pissed off that she couldn't even take a walk anymore without remembering or seeing the woman in question. She turned sharply into a nearby alleyway and hopped on top of a large green garbage container that had been unused and closed for months. Here she chewed her candy harshly and hardly tasted the chocolate flavor. Biting her tongue on accident now Roxy could only taste the coppery tang of blood. With a grunt of effort and aggression she threw the bar into the brick wall in front of her to watch it smash into two and fall to the ground quietly. Roxy took her time in calming down and tried to think of anything but Muse.

As she sat she saw a small orange furred house cat creeping forwards. She would have flinched and questioned the cat in the suspicion of it being a shifter if she didn't know it was one of the cats that lived in the city, one she had seen many times before. It hopped onto the garbage bin with a meow of greeting and made a rumbling purr. Roxy rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, glancing over to the cat only slightly. The orange furred feline brushed against her arm and didn't understand what was troubling this woman.
 
Wiggling her nose, Muse looked up in time to see Roxy through the glass window. She looked to be angry by how she ripped the wrapper from the candy bar and storming away. Muse rushed to the doorway and looked down the street to see Roxy disappear in an alley. Before she could follow, Tonya grabbed her wrist and tugged.

"You're not going without me," Tonya said flatly.

"Don't start..." Muse warned lowly.

They stood in silence for a few minutes, glaring at each other, tails whipping behind them. Eventually, Tonya's grip loosened enough for Muse to tug away. The co-leader of the Kitty Kickers crossed her arms and huffed, unsure of what to do or say. She knew Muse wasn't going to go after Roxy for any sort of attack. She knew Muse wasn't going to go over to Roxy for anything gang related. No matter what she said, Muse never listened to her about forgetting Roxy and focusing on the present.

"How are we ever going to succeed if you keep playing these games with her?" Tonya asked. "Do you even want the Kitty Kickers to be number one?"

"Of course I do! I just...just...oh fuck you Tonya! You don't understand!" Muse screamed, briefly losing her cool. "Stay here and I'll be back!"

Muse left Tonya before the cheetah could respond to easily follow Roxy's fresh scent to the alleyway. She spotted Roxy sitting on top of a green dumpster, interacting with an everyday stray cat. Seeing and feeling the anger rising from Roxy, Muse slowly approached with her head and tail slightly low. It was a familiar scene, one Muse always found herself in. She did something to get Roxy mad at her. Strangely, Roxy seemed to be more mad now than the explosion, confusing Muse.

A part of her wished she had the nerve to copy the orange cat in an attempt to calm and relax Roxy down. She couldn't help but imagine brushing up against Roxy, purring and nuzzling, trying anyway to make Roxy smile. But, their relationship was so strained...even now with them on somewhat decent terms, it still wouldn't be right...

Always the one taking chances, Muse would jump onto the dumpster beside Roxy, hoping the leader of the Onyx Dragons would remain still. Closing her eyes, the werecat would brush her chest and cheek on Roxy's side, purring lowly. A hand would brush along Roxy's arm, a chin placed on her shoulder, and lips pointing to her ear, as Muse would continue to purr.

Tonya remained at the small snack bar, sitting angrily at one of the tables away from the window. Her faith in Muse was slowly starting to fade, but her loyalty to the leader and the Kitty Kickers remained strong. It wasn't uncommon for strong leaders to fault. Everyone had their weaknesses. Being co-leader and one of Muse's greatest friends, Tonya knew she had to take the lead in somehow breaking the tie that held Muse and Roxy together.
 
The orange cat made a chirping meow sound and hopped off of the garbage bin, prompting Roxy's attention. Surprisingly when Roxy lifted her gaze from the dirty asphalt she spotted Muse entering the alleyway with cautious steps. With a tail raised the stray feline padded away, pausing only to sniff curiously at the woman who smelled very much like a fellow cat and had a tail like one too. Now Roxy and Muse were alone in an alleyway. Where would this confrontation go? Roxy sat up straighter and raised her chin to peer behind Muse with narrowed eyes. Nostrils flared to take in scents. Once she was sure that Tonya wasn't close at hand her muscles relaxed into a more casual position and her eyes ceased to narrow accusingly.

A mixture of relief and apprehension flooded Roxy. Relief for the prospect of seeing her friend and perhaps being to talk things out, but apprehension for the fear that the worst would happen. Finding Muse had moved on. Such news would break Roxy and she hoped it wouldn't come.

Not wanting to start the potential conversation off on the wrong foot, Roxy lifted a hand from where it had been resting and patted the top of the trash bin. It made a hollow metallic sound. The gesture was simple enough and served to beckon Muse. That having been done Roxy leaned up against the brick wall behind her and sighed deeply to dispel traces of anger. "I thought you wouldn't trail me. After all, you do seem pretty cozy with that cheetah...."Roxy commented offhandedly, pulling her hood down to reveal her loose pony tail and facial features. She allowed canine ears to stick out from the top of her head while in the company of Muse.

To follow up the comment Roxy decided to be straight forwards, as she almost always was. "We have quite a bit to talk about when it comes to our relationship,"she stated, waiting for a reaction of any sort. Green eyes were soft and full of life, not as cold as they were when in the presence of her fellow gang members. This was not gang business now, but friend business. While still cautious and a bit flustered, Roxy shook off her aggression for now since the reason she had been previously angered was that she wished to settle things with Muse once and for all, something she could now accomplish.
 
Muse bit her lip sadly as she sat next to Roxy. It was finally time for them to have the talk. Muse played this scenario over and over in her mind, all with different outcomes. Most of the outcomes turned out badly with Roxy and her being worst off, but there were the few that turned out alright. One turned out great, but Muse doubted that it would happen like she thought out.

"We should probably start way back before you ran me out the gang. You know, when you wouldn't give me more say in the gang," Muse started with a sigh. It hurt to think back then. "I don't get why you wouldn't. Did you think I wasn't good enough to be more of a leader?"

Her style of leadership was a bit more unconventional, but it was obviously effective by how quickly and powerful the Kitty Kickers was. It did take many mistakes for Muse to be the leader she turned out to be, but she always fixed them. Back then when she was in the Onyx Dragons, no one seemed to dislike her or think of her any less. They followed what she said, respected her, some even came to her rather than Roxy when they were having troubles. Sure, Muse always more relaxed than Roxy when it came to leadership, and tended to care a bit too much about each members' personal lives. But, that was how Muse always was. A friend to everyone.

"We started the Onyx Dragon's together...which why I just can't understand why you were so against it. I owe...owned 50% of the gang and you the other. I had the right to have more of a leadership role. I can't believe how that effected our relationship so much to the point you actually ran me out. I felt like a loser when you ran me out and banished me from my home, but...I guess that's how gang life is, huh? I can't be mad at you about that. Well, it took me a while to come to terms with what you did. Anyway, you talk. I feel like I'm taking over this whole conversation."

She pressed her lips tightly together to prevent herself on continuing. She had plenty to say, words and thoughts held up inside her for months since she was kicked. Muse only had one person to talk to about it, but deep down all she wanted to do was talk to Roxy. With a slow exhale from her nostrils, she rested her tail on her lap. Even during this serious conversation that was starting, Muse enjoyed having Roxy beside her again. Roxy still smelled good too. That always made Muse feel a bit weird to admit to herself. Roxy's scent always comforted her for some reason.
 
Foreboding and a twinge of hope mingled to create a confusing concoction. Many outcomes seemed bleak, they'd fall out and call it quits. Pent of aggression would be released in an explosion of verbal and physical violence. Or, they'd leave with silence and icy regards, also a poor outcome. However, there was the slimmest of chances that discussion could make them see their faults and offer forgiveness. That didn't seem very likely. Heavy was the burden of reality hope didn't take flight easily. Instead it remained grounded, fluttering feebly.

As Muse spoke Roxy maintained eye contact. Unwavering, there would be no balking now, not when this was so important. In this moment they were equals again, unable to see each other as lesser when they were in the same situation. Both had flaws. Both had quarrels. Neither were innocent.

Roxy was about to open her mouth and answer the question, defending the fact that the issue wasn't about her friend being "good enough," when Muse continued and Roxy had to seal her lips again. Fangs ground together. Roxy was happy to oblige when Muse opened up the conversation. She collected herself with a deep breath and planned what she had to say. "It was never that you weren't good enough. Honestly, you had, and still probably have, excellent combat skills. You were a quick thinker. Great stuff for leading...but 'good,' doesn't mean compatible. That was the problem."

"You're very aware that our leading styles are different. I strongly believe that order is required to lead a gang. Order wasn't and still doesn't appear to be...your shtick, or call it what you wish. You were disrupting the order I valued and so I had to part with you,"Roxy said, muscles growing tense with each added word. The truth stung, but Roxy was never one to try to shy away from it.

After a moment of silence fell in the alleyway, Roxy awkwardly proposed, "Any...thoughts on that?" When being viewed by her gang members Roxy always put on a confident front, one that boasted that she always knew what to say. In this situation where anything could happen, and when a valuable relationship was on the line, Roxy's mind and words were not as sharp. Around Muse the order that Roxy so valued, crumbled.
 
Muse raised a finger to argue, but quickly retracted. It was true. Order wasn't Muse's strong suit when it came to leading. So far, everything that has happened to the Kitty Kickers was pure luck and Muse's skill on jumping on opportunity. She, herself, wasn't the orderly type. Muse was always the type to let things happen and go with the flow. That never translated too well when it came to leading any group, but especially a gang.

"I just wanted you to let loose. You lost all your fun when leading," Muse sighed lowly. "I guess what I was doing was disrupting order, but I didn't see it as that. You just put so much on you and I saw it starting to affect you."

Her head slightly fell to the side, eyes still locked with Roxy's. This conversation was starting to become harder than Muse imagined. She wasn't one to call out faults or to hear her own faults from someone she cared about. It hurt and stung, but Muse knew this was something she needed to hear. For months, she never knew exactly why she was ran out. The unanswered question was left blank, letting her mind fill in all the possible answers. Hearing the true reason of her exile, Muse couldn't help but agree.

"I wanted to take some of that off you. I thought, maybe if you gave me some of the stress and work, you'll go back to your old self. You know, your fun self. You stopped being fun. Everything was about the gang and how you wanted it. You lost what made me like you and what made me want to be close to you. Instead of my best friend, I saw you as some boss woman. Don't you get tired of that? Don't you get tired of bossing everyone around all the time?" The words poured out of Muse as quickly as she could think them. "I'm...I'm sorry I disrupted order. I really am."

She finally stopped talking to let herself breath. During that whole questioning, Muse found herself forgetting to breathe. Her nose flared, taking in lungfuls of stale air, and exhaling it slowly through her open mouth. Her chest felt heavy and constricted, holding back an outburst of emotions that could ruin this moment. There was much more to be talked about, but Muse needed a few seconds to get a hold of herself. Roxy knew she wasn't the best at truthful conversations. The last time they had a conversation like this, Muse got tongue tied and frustrated to the point she walked out.

Muse promised herself not to do that. She was older, much more mature than she even was a few months ago.
 
Roxy found that her muscles were taut, tensed, stiffly positioned. Stress had left her hard as a statue, eyes left boring into Muse. Fingers tightly gripped the edge of the garbage bin's lid and pressed firmly into the deep green metal. At one point Roxy feared that her fingers would bend the metal from the force. She couldn't help but feel wound up as Muse spoke, pointing out the truth that Roxy had been trying to ignore for months. The fact that the gang had changed her.

There was a reason that she was always so stressed. An explanation for her bouts of loneliness despite being surrounded by a whole gang. Roxy faced the fact that her usual joking demeanor had been eroded by a sense of duty brought upon by managing the gang. She had been so focused on success that she forgot to step back and evaluate the whole purpose of the gang, which should have been focused more on camaraderie. Feeling suddenly guilty of her actions and of ignoring the issue, Roxy lowered her eyes to the pavement, something she hadn't done in a while. Roxy was not used to being put in her place.

While Roxy had finally squeezed an apology out of Muse after all this time, it felt so wrong now, coupled with Roxy's own major fault. After Muse was done speaking Roxy forced a sigh from where it had been trapped in her lungs. For quite some time she remained frozen in place. She tried to keep her emotions in check, but felt a change of heart after having heard one of her main problems had been doing just that, masking her true self with a face of formality. When she turned her face and attention back towards Muse tears had welled in her eyes. She blinked them away with a snuffle and laughed dryly, "Damn, I'm a little bitch...."

"But....I suppose you are right about how I've changed..."Roxy said, looking towards the end of the alleyway instead of Muse. "I guess...I'm sorry...at least for being so harsh, not for everything,"she mumbled, seeming embarrassed to apologize. Even before gang life, in high school Roxy had never been great with apologies.
 
"Roxy..."

Muse's eyes widen at Roxy's reaction, hearing her words and seeing her emotions, it felt unreal. Roxy apologized, even if it the apology was hidden between extra words, and that was something Muse never thought would happen. It played in her mind over and over as she sat in silence, taking in everything that has happened since the exile up to this point. Slowly, her anger, hatred, sorrow, and betrayal faded with each passing second, being replaced with hope of rekindling a friendship and their close relationship.

"You...always were a little bitch. That won't ever change," breaking the silence with a small chuckle, Muse dared to scoot closer to Roxy, shoulder to shoulder. "I just hope after all of this we both change our flaws and we can...slowly...eventually...get back together."

There was a chance. Muse could see it. They sat here for who knows how long, letting all their emotions out together without a fight breaking out or a raised voiced, speaking the truth and accepting that each played a role in the demise of the former Onyx Dragons and their friendship. Neither ran when faced with the truth. Muse always believed in possibilities, even with the tiniest of chances. She could feel it in her heart they had a chance to make things right.

Shuffling around on the garbage bin, Muse took in a couple of breaths to calm herself down.

"Does this mean all is forgiven Roxy? Because I really don't want this war between us and our gangs anymore. It's getting way too serious and dangerous now...I can't help but feel sick knowing anyone from both the Kitty Kickers and Onyx Dragons could have gotten killed from that explosion. I didn't...I don't want this to be a bloodbath. What do you say? I already accept your apology and forgive you, even with that struggling apology of yours. I don't expect you to forgive me all right now. Just enough so we can be on peaceful terms...and enough were we can keep talking like this...I missed this Roxy. I really did. I miss being with my best friend and I want to keep being with you."

She leaned closer to Roxy, curving her body so she could get in Roxy's line of vision. A very faint, relaxed smile appeared on Muse's face.
 
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