Invasion! Part II

Dobby steps into the doorway and looks into the hall. “Okay Mom, it's clear. Let's go.” Dobby instructs, looking up at Mom. Dobby is still wearing the communicator on his left ear, but now there is a strange device over Dobby's right eye. His eye is no longer green. It has grown to become a big and bright red laser surrounded by shiny metal. He is also wearing two ammo belts crisscrossed over his torso and a hip holster with a Really Big Gun on one side and a whip on the other.

“Dobby, what's with all the weaponry?” Mom asks.

“Tinkletoes says a good soldier is prepared for all possible scenarios.”

“An eye laser?” Mom asks.

“When you are fighting aliens you use alien technology, Mom. What else?”

“Where did you get it?” Mom asks.

Dobby stands up on his back legs, grabs the Artistic License from Mom's hand and holds it up to her face. The ginger tabby then quickly folds his license and and tucks it into his holster belt. “Mom. Please. Fo-cus.” Dobby returns to all fours, leaving the bedroom first. He gestures for Mom to follow. They make the twenty foot trek into the kitchen safely. Mom and Dobby find Tinkletoes standing lookout in front of the refrigerator that is pulled out into the middle of the room.

“Here it is Mom. This is what they are after.”

“The refrigerator? Aliens are invading the planet for this refrigerator?” Mom starts laughing.

“I don't thinks she believes us Sir.” Tinkletoes says. “She may be in shock. Having a fit. Should I slap her?” he asks.

“No,” Dobby answers. “She is the only family I've got. I can handle this. Mom. Let me explain what happened, so we can figure out what to do next.” Mom starts laughing harder. She has to sit down on the floor. Dobby rubs his cheek against her knee to reassure Mom it will be okay.

Mom stops laughing long enough to speak. “Let me guess, two men came into the house this morning. They stood in the kitchen looking at and talking about the refrigerator. They talked about taking it away. The strange men will be back on Monday.”

Dobby looks at Mom with shock. “How did you know?” he asks.

“Dobby, sweetie, that was the landlord and his handyman. The refrigerator is broken and they will be replacing it on Monday. That is why they will be back.”

Dobby studies Mom's face closely. “No aliens?” he asks.

“No aliens kitty.”

“Oh.”

Dobby looks up at Tinkletoes. “No aliens.”

“I always wanted to save the planet from alien invasion. That's one of the reasons I took this job.” Tinkletoes says, bowing his head in disappointment. “Well, at least there's cupcakes. If you don't mind Sir, I would like to take my cupcakes and go. I'll be back in a few days for the next payment.”

“Of course.” Dobby says. Dobby walks over to the counter on the far side of the kitchen and picks up a large bag full of Mom's homemade goodies.

“It was a pleasure protecting you Ma'am.” Tinkletoes says giving Mom a hand to get to her feet.

“Thank you for the...thank you for taking the job.” Mom says.

Tinkletoes walks over to Dobby, “Remember what I taught you, Sir. You are one remarkable feline. Keep Flying.”

“Keep flying, Tinkletoes.”

Tinkletoes accepts the bag of goodies and leaves.

Dobby walks over to Mom, artillery gone, a housecat again.

“Dobby were those the goodies that were in my freezer?”

“Uh huh.”

“All the goodies? Cakes, pies, cookies, cupcakes?”

“Yep.”

“How did you find a mercenary that worked for baked goods?”

“Mom, remember how I used the internet before?”

“Your magic only works if I look in your files, I can still surf the net. I figured that out before I stopped glowing (see Secret Agent Cat). I have been using the internet lots. Role playing games are really good for passing the time. I made lots of friends including Tinkletoes. He's a soldier. Retired last year. This was his first mercenary job. Tinkletoes just does it to keep in shape. He has been teaching me about science fiction. His favorite show mostly, “Firefly?” Anyway he's really into it. Been to cons for years knows everyone that worked on the show.

“Your point?”

“We talked about the invasion, he wanted to help for a price. I invited him over to negotiate and I gave him some of the sweet potato pie you made. He loved it. So, I offered to keep him and his soldier friends in baked goods for a while as payment for helping us.”

Mom starts laughing. “You seduced a soldier with baked goods?” Dobby's eyebrows went up in shock. “Ok, not seduced, hired him with baked goods. That is too funny. I love you kitty. You make life interesting.”

“Mom?”

“Yes sweetie?”

“The payment isn't baked goods exactly. It's your baked goods.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I'm supposed to bake for him and his friends? That is a big man. He probably eats a lot.”

“You have no idea.”

Mom sits back down on the kitchen floor as reality sets in.

“Mom? He likes fancy cupcakes. The little ones.”