-1Disclaimer: I, Yayap007 do not, in ay way shape or form, own the SWAT Kats characters, location, franchise, ect.

Hello everyone. This will be my first FanFiction in almost two years. I've been gone of a while, but I assure you, I haven't dawdled in the time I've been away…I've actually been honing my literary and imaginative skills in that time. It feels so wonderful to finally be back here and I do hope you all enjoy the story you are about to read. Thank you for reading, have a wonderful day and if you could spare the time, a review or two never hurt. Enjoy the story!

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Chapter One

Of new beginnings

A thunderclap tore though the night sky as the storm raged. Professor Hackle, an elderly scientist and renowned inventor, looked out at the storm in his cozy seaside home. The storm outside had been raging for hour now. The ocean constantly sent towering walls of water slamming into the beachfront and shore, taking more and more of Hackles property with every outgoing wave.

"Ohhh…When will you let up?" Professor Hackle said in a wary tone as he turned from the window.

The weather always brought him pain if it either changed to quickly or remained for too long.

His head ached; as did his bones and sides. The storms always effected him in so many odd ways. As the Professor left the window to get some medicine, two blips of light, side by side, barreled down the road leading towards his home. Hackle caught the lights from the corner of his eye… "Who could that be? Nobody else lives out here. Who would want to come out here at this time of night and in this storm?" Professor Hackle thought to himself as he watched the car come into view.

The car was bright yellow and had a checkered design along its sides. The unmistakable 'Taxi' sign shown like a beacon on the black road. Someone was coming to see him…But who in there right mind would come at this hour and in this storm?

"Whoever you are, my friend, your either very daring or very stupid." Professor Hackle muttered warily to himself as he made his way towards the stairs leading to the first floor of his home. He heard the sound of an engine as he made his way down the stairs…They where here.

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"That'll be Twenty-three fifty, bub. I expect a big tip for makin' the trip in this nightmare of a storm." the cabbie, a brown and white tom in his mid forties, said as he turned to look at his passenger. The kid in the back of the cab was young, probably in his early to mid twenties. The kid smiled

"Sure thing. How's a twenty sound?" The kid asked.

It was nothing to snuff at. A twenty dollar tip for a fifteen minute cab ride sounded more then generous.

"That'll do." The cabbie muttered. The tip was damn great! Nobody ever went above a five! But he didn't want to seem to eager to take it.

The kid coughed and coughed hard. He'd been doing that ever since he picked the kid up at the Megakat airport.

"You ok, kid? You sound like yer hacking up a lung and fur ball at the same time." The cabbie asked.

The kid smiled.

"I'm fine. I probably just got something during the flight home." he said in a playful voice. "Make sure you drive safe and head straight home. Its almost midnight and this storms not letting up, you hear me?" The kid said in a stern, almost concerned tone. This is what took the cabbie back.

Nobody gave a second thought about s cab driver, not even the dispatcher. This was a good kid…A little ditzy when it came to tipping, but a good kid none the less.

"Thanks." the cabbie said flatly as the kid paid and tipped him. He restarted the meter, popped the trunk and waited for the kid to haul out his luggage.

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The doorbell rang.

"Coming! Coming!" Professor Hackle shouted, quickening his pace to the door. Whoever this was, Hackle did not want them to catch their death of cold.

He finally reached the door and opened it. In the doorway stood a fairly tall Kat. In his hands where three large bundles of luggage, two trunks and a carryon bag. The light was not on, so Hackle couldn't really make out the figures features that well. He adjusted his spectacles and looked at the figure.

"…Uhhh….Can I help you?" he asked reaching for the light switch.

"Maybe you can…pop." Said a voice Professor Hackle believed he'd never hear again. His hand and body seemed to freeze up as the figure spoke. "…No…No it couldn't be him. I…I got that note saying he was dead. It can't be him, It just…" Hackle thought to himself as he grazed the light switch and turned it on.

In the doorway stood a tall and handsome kat wearing a long black trench coat. Underneath the coat was a military uniform decorated with many badges and metals. The figure wore a hood, so his face could barely be made out. He dropped the bags he was carrying and gently removed the hood. The face hidden behind the hood was an all to familiar one…one Hackle thought he'd seen the last of. The kat in front of him must have been easily six feet tall. His hair and fur, which was white-tipped against black, was smoothed back and hidden behind a military hat. His dark grey-blue eyes shimmered like gems in the light. An earring adorned his left ear…as did a wound that made Hackles heart sink. A large chunk of flesh in the figures left ear was missing. A scar was also visible near his lower right cheek. This figures name was Ein Hidel…Professor Hackles adopted son.

"…Ein…Ein is…is it really you?" Hackle asked in a shocked and breathless voice.

Ein nodded and smiled. "Yep…it's me, pop." he said in a soft tone.

"But…But I…I got that letter saying…saying you had been killed in action! How did you-" Hackle stammered, but Ein shook his head slowly.

"It takes a lot to even hurt me, pop." Ein said with an almost cocky attitude. "Hey, can I come in? I'm freezing my tail off out here." Ein asked in a diminutive tone. "I've gotten a lot to tell you about."

"Oh my goodness! Yes! Yes! Come in, come in! I'm sorry Ein, its just….I thought you where dead and I don't really get to many visits from the undead nowadays." Hackle said moving aside for Ein to come through. Ein walked in, removed his boots, placed his luggage and gear near the door and hung up his trench coat.

It was a military shirt he wore. A silver against black shirt that literally glowed due to the metals and awards on it.

"I'm sorry you thought I was dead pop…But…I was not allowed to send out any more messages or letters…or pretty much do anything else which revolved around a social life." Ein said removing his military shirt. Under it was a black T-shirt.

"If I may ask; why?" Professor Hackle asked, sitting down on one of the kitchen seats.

Ein nodded. "There's no harm in it now." He muttered, pulling up a chair himself. "You see, when I first left your care to join the army…Lets just say I did not start off on the right foot." Ein explained.

"What do you mean?" Hackle asked, tilting his head in query.

"Well…You know how much I loath cruel authority figures…And I got paired with the nastiest son of a gun the military could spit out. Drill Sergeant Tibbs. Well…One night during dinner, a new recruit was bringing Tibbs his dinner when some scumbag tripped the poor kid, sending him sprawling across the floor and Tibbs's food flying onto him." Ein said in a dry, angry tone.

"I take it this Tibbs fellow was not pleased." Hackle said, standing. He went to the stove and got some tea mix and set a kettle on the stovetop.

"Not in the slightest. He just went off on this kid, giving him all these ridiculously over the top punishments and it just got my goat…So when I went over to intervene, the same scumbag tried to trip me…He got a broken arm and nose for it. Tibbs tried to break up the fight…and I broke his jaw and got him into a submission hold. Needless to say I was in a world of trouble…But someone special was dining with the troops that night. A general in charge of a special forces team named 'The Black Diamonds'. These 'Black Diamonds' where an elite special forces team which…in essence, did not exist. The solider, though alive, where all deemed as either KIA or MIA to keep their families protected. No letters would be sent and there lives would temporarily be erased." Ein explained. "The jobs a Black Diamond would do would vary from intelligence gathering to assassinations."

Hackle just nodded. "I see…So….You killed others? Assassinated them?" he asked in a shaky tone.

Ein shook his head. "No…I never killed a single target. I hurt them, yes, but I never mortally wounded or killed my targets…Which did not go over well with my superiors." Ein said as the kettle began to whistle.

Hackle poured in the tea mix and got the cups. After a moment, he poured Ein and himself the tea. He slipped Ein a cup.

"Thanks." he said sipping the tea.

"So…Why did you come back after all these years? Why did you not stay longer? I mean…you where gone for almost six years and I got the letter almost five years ago." Hackle asked, taking a sip of his tea. The storm outside began to let up.

"Well…It's kind of a long story…But the short version is, I took some bullets for a squad mate and after years of service, they gave me the option to leave and I took it." Ein said in a happy tone. "I did love fighting with my squad…But I've heard of all the trouble Megakat city has been in and….I just want to help defend it." Ein said proudly. "…Which is why I'm back, pop. I need your help. I know some of my mechs are still operational and…I know you haven't gotten rid of it yet…So…Will you help me rebuild it? I can sell some of my other mechs and designs to the Enforcers and I'm sure they will fund our operations…But I'll need you to go back into your 'Warmongering' days as a designer of weapons rather then helpful machines." Ein asked in a soft tone.

Hackle was silent for a moment. He swore he'd never made another destructive weapon…But his foster son was asking. And he knew nothing but good will come from this project…not like all of the others which have gone astray like the Metallikats or his other destructive inventions…

"Alright Ein…I'll help you. But you said your going to defend the city….How are you going to do that? The SWAT Kats have the air…What will you use?" Hackle asked.

Ein smiled. "I'll just reboot and warm up Talon. It's been years since I have her a spin. She's the ample weapon for ground and air assaults."

Hackle smiled. Talon was the first machine he and Ein ever created. A gigantic walking tank with a powerhouse of weapons behind it's sleek black exterior.

"Alright then…I'll begin preparations to rebuild the Black Widow in the morning…" Hackle said softly.

The storm outside seemed to have died down…Maybe it was an omen…an omen of things to come…The storm had died…and now the peaceful night would return.