Guardians of This City
Chapter 2: Another Day in Paradise
Usually when you live in a city you have the normal traffic jams, trying to get through the work day, others walking on their daily lives.
Megakat City isn't normal by your standards. Here the normal is hearing the city alarms signaling for its citizens to head to the nearest safe zone because some villainous maniac is trying to destroy the city or take it over. This is usually followed by monsters, insane car chases, and some sort of destruction. These situations are usually followed by the city's personal military trained to take care of any obstacle that is placed in their way. If they do not succeed, do not worry, the Swat Kats will.
At least that's what a certain masked tabby was thinking would make a great brochure for the city's tourist guide. The tabby was currently dressed in a black, red, and blue short sleeved flight suit.
His thoughts were soon torn away as a beeping and his partner's voice filled his ears.
"T-Bone, radars showing a heat seeker on our tail," came the voice belonging to his chocolate-furred partner dressed in a long sleeved version of the flight suit.
"Roger that Razor," replied the pilot, "Taking evasive maneuvers."
"Roger," followed his partner, "Flare missiles deployed!"
T-Bone pulled up away from the following explosion and growled.
"Whatever Dark Kat is after this time, he wants it bad."
"You got that right buddy," Razor replied, keeping a close watch on his radar for anything that might sneak up on them.
"Swat Kats! Get out of my air!"
The radio seemed to protest against the gruff voice that filled its waves.
T-Bone growled as he hit their transmit button to reply.
"We'll get out of your air as soon as Dark Crud is, Feral. It might actually help if you told us what he could be after."
"That is Enforcer business, Swat Kat!"
"Your loss then Commander, T-Bone out," replied the tabby quickly shutting the transmitter off so no one could hear him and Razor.
"Any ideas, hotshot?"
"I might…he isn't letting us even close for me to be sure though and it is a doozy," came Razor's voice.
"And knowing you it is crazy enough to work," replied T-Bone bringing the jet around.
"Here's what I need you to do," began the gunner, "Swing around again but when you do get as close as you can without hurting anyone on the ground and go in hot and fast as hell."
"Roger that buddy," he replied preparing to turn the jet and get out far enough to make this work, "What are you going to do."
"Been working on those Banshee Missiles…"
"You sure that's a good idea?"
"Got to test them at some point, but they should disrupt any defensive shield Dark Kat has around his ship. I'll follow those with a couple plain missiles, I'm done messing around and we need to ground him," said Razor as he placed his oxygen mask on.
"Alright Sureshot, get ready, heading in there in three, two," T-Bone didn't even bother to say one as he punched the throttle on the jet and dived towards the Doomsday Express.
He was so focused on quickly pulling away, the only indication he got of Razor doing his part was the scream slicing through the air closely followed by a very large explosion.
"Did it work," he asked pulling around and grinned as he saw smoke coming from air ship.
"Bingo," chuckled Razor.
"Alright," T-Bone shouted.
"Locking in for a second shot, hold her good and steady Hotshot."
"Roger."
The tabby positioned the jet with a look of triumph.
"Locked on," came Razor's voice, "And missiles--WHOA!"
T-Bone was already getting out of their position as smoke exploded from the Doomsday Express and missiles launched at them.
"Taking evasive maneuvers," the tabby reported to his partner.
"And I'll try to shake these off our tail," replied the chocolate kat referring to the missiles that had been fired.
The air shook as Razor dispatched the missiles that tracked them while T-Bone evaded the others that did not have tracking devices. After a tense minute or more, --T-Bone was not sure how long--he heard Razor give the clear and he returned to the scene.
The Doomsday Express was nowhere to be found.
"Aww crud, Feral's going to peg this on us like no tomorrow," T-Bone groaned before cringing as aforementioned voice came yelling over the radio at them.
"And that's our cue to beat it," said Razor looking out the window.
"That affirmative," confirmed the tabby turning the jet pushing the throttle back to the Salvage yard.
***********
Later that Day….
Chance stood leaning against the door of his locker, head resting on his forearm, in anger. Jake had already headed upstairs to watch the news and see if they had missed any calls.
Dark Kat gone again…again!
How many times did that megalomaniac have to slip through their paws…so close to being captured yet too damn far!
They never even found out just what exactly it was that he had been after, Feral was only willing to say he seemed to want into a vault.
Thanks Feral, like there's just one in a place like that, try around ten to fifteen.
At least he and Jake had been able to get Dark Crud to pull back before he got what he was after, but that also meant the villain would be back and would not be pulling any punches.
Not like he ever did anyway.
Kats, he wasn't going to be getting any amount of sleep any time soon.
"Hey Chance, you all right," came Jake's voice from his left. The chocolate colored kat was leaning on his shoulder against his own locker with a tilted head. Chance returned his gaze to the grey metal supporting his weight.
"Yea, just pissed that he got away, again. Jake, are we really making a difference. We get there to stop the criminals, but they always get away or get back out. What good are we doing if they just come back worse than before?"
He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked back at his best friend—no his brother—to see him holding an opened can of milk for him.
With a sigh he took it and now leaned his back against the locker.
"We keep going, Chance," replied the smaller tom, "we keep hoping that one day someone will come up with a way to keep them contained. That with each time we fight back we are keeping them from succeeding in their conquests, we continue to protect."
Chance sighed and leaned his head back. He knew this, but to hear it from someone always made it more real.
Though being a Swat Kat gave him the happiness of doing what he loved, it left very little time to do much else such as seeing his father, going out for a few drinks and to just let go, to find a girl….
Heck they had been at this for years and they had never come up with a way to respond to a call quickly enough if they did go out.
Maybe they really needed to, even with a quick look into Jake's eyes he could see that he needed something to take off the edge.
Why hadn't they paid more attention to it before, the cities heroes weren't much of ones without some respite every now and then.
"We need to get out more," Chance said with a chuckle. Jake joined the tom with a small laugh of his own.
"You know that is not a bad idea, but I hate to say we aren't going anywhere tonight, or tomorrow for that matter," sighed Jake, "We have got to get those cars upstairs done, but given we don't get any more disturbances I bet we can swing that. I could use it."
Chance chuckled, the thought that they were going to take a night off gave him something to look forward to.
"Roger that, bud. I'll change and be up there in a couple," he said placing the can of milk on top of his locker before opening it.
Jake smiled and nodded, "I'll get to work then."
With that the two heroes turned into the grease monkey's the city had come to know and love.
