5Tawny's search for the entrance to the Rock of Eternity had been fruitless, and that didn't help to lessen his anxiety. People from other dimensions were making it through because the Rock was no longer acting as a gateway. He'd need to find where it was if he was soon if there was any hope that it wasn't broken completely.
Sitting down on the support beam of a craft shop he frequented, the fae cat thought hard about what he was to do next. He knew, at the very least, that some connection between this world and the one he was native to had been opened. He might not be able to make it to the Rock of Eternity, but it shouldn't be all that much trouble to find that rift. Maybe the gate to the Rock from that side wouldn't be damaged, and he could find the Wizard that way.
Yes, Tawny was beginning to like that plan. He'd return to his own world and seek the gateway from that side. Even if the gate was lost there as well, he had options. He was sure one of the hares might be able to help him from there. No realm was hidden from their tunnels.
"But that still leaves one problem," he muttered to himself. "I cannot leave Billy here by himself." He thought for a little while. "I could take him with me, but that would require him leaving this realm, which he's not likely to do. Not, at least, with so many of his enemies on the loose."
As he thought, he soon head the last thing he expected. The news was playing on a TV the shop owner had playing in the store, and a special report had just come on. "I sure hope he does," the reporter stated, "because the WHIZ Media finger printing vault has identified him as none other than our own Billy Batson!"
In a moment, Tawny's ears perked up. The boy had been discovered, and it appeared that other humans were taking notice. Now taking him out of this dimension was completely out of the question. Someone would be bound to notice.
But that also meant that humans would need to find him a family. Gone was the time where they could just lock up a child in prison for the crime of being alone. There would be a time crunch, of course, and since Billy was well known and the situation was unusual, they'd probably want someone who was relatively unknown yet experience with caring for orphaned and abandoned children to come in. It would be last minute, but someone would need to be found.
Tawny gave a wide grin, and he hurried out into the chilled November air. The building where all the foster kid situations was nearby, and if he hurried, he'd could play his hand.
When he got there, Marty, the old man who usually made the calls, was fast asleep at his desk. That was all the more to the cat's benefit.
As he slunk in, a woman called in from outside. "Hey, Marty, we've got an emergency call."
"Yes?" Tawny asked, doing his best to mimic Marty's voice.
"It's that Batson kid, from the news!" the woman replied. "He's all alone, and the police don't want to hold him for too long. It'll attract sightseers. We'll need a family to take him, and right away. Can you make the call?"
"I'm on it, Meg." Tawny waited for the woman to leave before going to perform his duty.
Moving quietly, he changed into his favorite form, a six-and-three-quarters-foot-tall anthropomorphic tiger in a green tweed suit. It was not a form he got the opportunity to use much, but it worked whenever he needed to handle things like a human.
Hurrying over to the filing cabinet, he opened it up and selected the file. Tawny knew that with how recent the paperwork was turned in, this family would have been the last on the waiting list for a child, but he needed a family he was at least confident would be a good fit for Billy. With the young champion's life on the line, there was no leaving things up to chance.
Opening the file to select the phone number, he dialed it and waited for a response. Thankfully, it came quite soon.
"Hello?" a man asked.
"Good evening, sir," Tawny greeted. "Is this Victor Vasquez I am speaking with?"
"That's me," the man replied.
"Very good." Tawny grinned. "This is the Adoption Center of Wisconsin, replying to the foster request form you sent in."
"That was fast." Victor sounded quite surprised. "We just submitted those today."
"Yes, well, an emergency situation has come up, and we need a home right away." Tawny bit his lip. If anything was going to go wrong, it'd be here. "Are you available?"
"Just one moment." Victor placed the call on hold, no doubt to discuss what had just occurred with Rosa. After a moment, he came back. "We'd be happy to help," he stated.
"Very good!" A feeling of relief overtook Tawny. Billy would end up in good hands. "Listen carefully, because I am afraid things are going to get strange..."
