The Chronochip: Prowlers call

Ariana lay on the bed, cuddling her beloved cats tightly. She kissed Wince on his head while gently stroking Darwin's fur.

Suddenly, she heard a loud thud downstairs. Startled, she sat up straight, her heart racing, and looked around the room. Grabbing the bat beside her bed, she cautiously walked out.

When Ariana went downstairs, no one was there. Letting out a relieved sigh, she whispered, "Come on," as she scooped up her cats.

As soon as Ariana's back met the soft mattress, she fell asleep. However, Wince and Darwin stretched, finally free from her embrace.

"Boss, I don't think we're alone," Wince said, glancing at Darwin for confirmation. Darwin ignored him and quietly left the room. They first went to Ariana's mom's room, sniffing every corner. "Clear," Darwin declared before moving on.

Darwin crept downstairs, his eyes scanning every shadow. "Boss!" Wince yelled, charging after him with reckless abandon. Darwin sidestepped, and Wince landed face-first on the floor.

"Ouch! I think I broke my nose," Wince complained, but Darwin just rolled his eyes.

"Boss..." Wince began, but Darwin placed a paw on his mouth. "Shhh... do you hear that?" Darwin's ears perked as he listened intently.

Darwin approached the curtains by the glass door and sighed in frustration. "Come out," he commanded, his tone firm.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Is this how you greet an old friend, Darwin?" A large gray cat emerged, flanked by two others, white with patches of brown.

"Zarro," Darwin growled, his eyes blazing. "Oh my, did you forget about us?" one of the twins smirked. Wince's face fell as he muttered, "Sailin and Linda."

"Why are you here?" Darwin demanded, his tone suspicious. Zarro huffed, glancing at Linda and Sailin. "I'm not with these knuckleheads. I'm here to see my old friend," he said with a devilish smile.

"What did you call us?" Linda growled at Zarro. He smirked and turned to Wince, who was trembling with fear.

"Well, friend, our reunion is cut short. See you soon," Zarro said before departing.

"Linda, why are you still here?" Darwin asked, uninterested.

She glared at him before signaling her brother to follow her, and they left. After they were gone, Darwin felt uneasy. He knew they hadn't come just for fun, but the reason for their late-night visit eluded him.

"Boss, why were they here?" Wince yawned. Darwin remained silent, deep in thought, before sighing. "Come on, let's go," he said, bounding upstairs.

"Linda, remind me why we followed Zarro," Sailin asked, hurrying to keep up. She abruptly stopped and spun to face him. "You've embarrassed me. Now Zarro will think I'm as foolish as you," she fumed.

"But—"

"No buts, Sailin. Let's get back to DF," she snapped, leading him into a dark alley. She approached a brick wall, knocked in a specific pattern, and the wall parted, revealing an entrance. They stepped in, and the wall sealed behind them.

Zarro prowled through DF headquarters with an intimidating air. He stopped as a guard approached but quickly recognized him. "What the—" Zarro began, but cut himself off when he realized it was his roommate, Clad.

"Zarro, why did you leave in the middle of the night?" Clad asked as he closed the door behind him. Zarro shot him a murderous glare before hopping onto his bed without a word.

"Ariana, be back by lunch!" her mom, Sarah, called from the kitchen. Ariana buckled her shoes and shouted back, "Okay, bye, Mom!" before grabbing Darwin and Wince.

Stepping outside, she greeted her favorite neighbor. "Hello, Mrs. Mariano," she said, waving at the elderly woman.

The café wasn't far, and Ariana quickened her pace to meet her best friend, Janet. Meanwhile, Darwin and Wince exchanged looks, both on high alert for Zarro or Linda.

DF headquarters buzzed with chaos in anticipation of two infamous visitors. A timid man entered the CEO's office with trepidation. "Ma'am, Mr. Marcello is here," he announced shakily.

Miss Nisley turned, her sharp gaze meeting his, and stood. Without a word, she strode out, leaving him to trail behind her nervously. She entered a room where the infamous Luca Marcello, the world's most dangerous mafia boss, waited.

"Mr. Marcello, welcome," she greeted him with a sly smile.

"Enough pleasantries. Miss Nisley, I need a badass Furion," he stated bluntly.

"Of course. Follow me."

She led him to a platform where the fiercest Furions were displayed. Luca scrutinized each cat carefully. When he reached Zarro, he smirked.

"This one will do."

"Good choice. Get him the collar," Miss Nisley instructed.

The timid man scurried off, returning with the appropriate collar. "Here," Nisley said, handing it to Luca. He examined it briefly before smirking again.

"Zarro," he said through gritted teeth.

After Luca left, a woman burst into Nisley's office. "Ma'am, the Yakima twins are here."

Nisley smirked, pleased by her agency's growing influence. When she saw the twins, she was impressed by their commanding presence.

"I'm Miss Nisley," she introduced herself.

The girl glanced at her brother, who cleared his throat. "Yuka and Yuna," he said. Nisley smiled.

"Get me deceptive and cunning Furions," Yuna demanded sharply. Without delay, they selected Linda and Sailin.