PHOENIX RISES
Chapter 4: The Battering Continues
"Troops, watch the left flank, don't let those things get through!" Feral bellowed through his mega phone. He was riding atop one of his tanks as his enforcers tried desperately to halt an advance of some kind of small but fast moving, carnivorous dinosaurs that Pastmaster had unleashed just a half hour ago. The dead wizard was presently dueling with the Turbokat on one of his pterodactyls.
"Ready your gas grenades." Feral ordered as he watched the creatures being squeezed between his flame throwing soldiers and the narrow dead end alley the creatures were being herded toward. As soon as they were all in the alley he ordered, "Fire gas grenades!" A barrage hit the creatures dead center and minutes later they were all laying in heaps on the ground. He turned to his ground troops, "All right get in there and collect them up, the zoo has a place for them."
Overhead, a flight of enforcer jets and the Turbokat were engaging a small but fast group of pterodactyls. They had only managed to kill two of the critters and still could not nail the one Pastmaster was riding. They had been able to avoid the ugly gnome's watch but it was becoming a race to see who was going to get who.
"You can't avoid me forever, SWAT Kats!" Pastmaster shouted as he once again aimed his watch at the Turbokat.
"Look out, T-Bone!" Razor warned as he sent a slicer missile toward the wings of Pastmaster's ride. T-Bone sent the Turbokat into a near stall to avoid the beam from the wizard's watch and Razor finally succeeded in taking out the dinosaur. Screaming angrily, Pastmaster fell into his own time vortex. There were still six more pterodactyls left and no one had any more ammo to take them out.
"Crud, Razor what are we going to do now? Those things can do a lot of damage plus snatch Kats for food." T-Bone groaned.
"I have an idea! Take us toward those power lines" Razor ordered. As T-Bone complied, Razor sent out a barrage of screaming missiles to attract the creature's attention. The sound made the pterodactyls think of injured prey and sent them soaring after the Turbokat. As soon as they got close to the power lines, Razor shot clipper missiles to cut the lines. The Turbokat shot by the sparking energy just as the flying dinosaurs caught up to them and ended up frying themselves in the electrical arcs. "Bingo" Razor crowed.
"Way to go, sure shot! Let's go home. I'm bushed." T-Bone sighed gratefully.
"Good idea, buddy. I think Feral can handle what's left now." Razor agreed.
Enforcer Headquarters...sunset...
Feral was finishing up his report on the day's events. Another omega defeated just barely. He really wished he knew who was behind all the attacks. Pastmaster didn't seem to be after anything, which was really strange since the wizard's known goal was sending Megakat City back to the dark ages or kidnapping Ms. Briggs. But this time he did neither, only attacked his enforcers and the SWAT Kats and creating mayhem. Was that all he was trying to do?
He paused, maybe that is all the omegas weredoing. Trying to wear down the defenders. Make them use up their resources then attack when everyone was at their most vulnerable. It sounded like a brilliant plan and it could very well succeed. At the rate of the attacks, Feral could almost predict when they would be unable to defend themselves from a massive attack by their enemies. It gave him cold pause to realize that that time was almost upon them.
The time of the Phoenix was fast approaching and he felt a shudder of dread and at the same time elation by his real self. The need to unleash his full potential was pressing constantly now as the Phoenix sensed the rising tension that permeated the city's inhabitants. It galled the Feral persona to know that there was nothing he could do to prevent the coming cataclysm.
Two days later in the northern forest...
Placing the Turbokat in VTOL mode, T-Bone prepared to open the canopy when Feral asked him to wait.
"What's the matter?" T-Bone turned in his seat to look at his passenger.
"T-Bone, are you rested?" Feral asked tensely.
"I managed to take a nap before coming. I'm pretty much alert. Why?" T-Bone asked curiously.
"The Phoenix is restless. It can feel the tension rising in the city. It likes it. It wants a war so it can cause mayhem and destruction of its own. It lives for it! That's why it is so dangerous for it to exist in these modern times. In the past it was used to defeat whole armies and cities for its various masters but it hasn't been called for centuries now and it's screaming for release.
I am afraid for Megakat City, for you, for everyone we hold dear! I am no longer certain you will be able to control this force of nature in its full glory when the time comes." Feral said deeply concerned and fearful.
T-Bone felt a chill run down his spine at Feral's words. The Commander was afraid and that was a very scary thing. If he has lost confidence in T-Bone then they were all doomed. He didn't answer Feral right away. He needed to take a hard look at himself.
Was he ready? This responsibility was so much more deadly than his role as a SWAT Kat. He literally had the welfare of the world in his paws. It was frightening but there was no one else to take it and he had accepted it when he released the Phoenix the first time. No matter how scared he was and how uncertain he had no choice but be the strongest Kat he could be and win because the alternative was the end of the world. Swallowing hard, he finally answered Feral.
"I have to be, don't I! There is no choice. Our enemies are going to overrun us very soon and you are our only hope so yeah, I have to be strong enough. You will have to trust me that I will not fail." He swore solemnly.
Feral looked into T-Bone's eyes for a long moment, seeing his determination, he nodded his head. "Very well, T-Bone. My existence and the worlds are now in your paws. Bear them well and be strong." He said seriously. "Now release me."
T-Bone nodded and opened the canopy. He spoke the words of release and watched the Phoenix soar toward the forest to hunt. Three hours later, he recalled the Phoenix and as Feral had warned met resistance from it. He focused his will and forced it to obey. It resisted only a little longer before obeying and flying onto the jet's fuselage. Keeping his eyes firmly on it, T-Bone recited the reversal spell. Feral sighed and climbed back into the cockpit and looked at T-Bone grimly.
"That was tough, but you did it. It will become even more difficult in the heat of battle, T-Bone." He warned quietly.
"No kidding! I'll be ready." He promised soberly as he flew the Turbokat toward the city.
As they flew back, Feral decided he should discuss with the SWAT Kats his suspicions concerning the constant attacks. "T-Bone we need to talk. Would you have your partner meet us at the airfield? It's important!" He requested quietly through his mike.
Hearing the seriousness in Feral's voice, he agreed without protest and called Razor to rendevous with them. Only a little while later, they were dropping down to land at the abandoned airfield. Rolling to a stop, they spotted Razor sitting on his cyclotron waiting. As they came to a stop and popped the canopy, Razor walked up to the jet.
"So, what's up? Why did you need me?" Razor asked curiously.
"I needed to speak to both of you. After that altercation with Pastmaster a few days ago, I began to see a pattern. All the attacks were contrary to the MO of each omega. They all seemed to be designed to force us to use up manpower and resources. The attacks are close enough together that they will soon succeed in draining us to the point we can no longer replenish quickly enough to defend ourselves. I had my statistician study the data and they predict we will be helpless in approximately five more months." Feral finished his grim report and watched the two for their reactions.
Both SWAT Kats stared at Feral in horrified shock. Neither could seem to get their minds to wrap around such a dire prediction.
In a shocked voice, T-Bone breathed "So in five months time the Phoenix will have to appear."
Razor jolted in protest, "No! We have to come up with something else! There must be something else we can do?" He pleaded.
"I'm willing to try any plan you can come up with, believe me Razor. I don't want the Phoenix released either, but I see no alternative. We are losing!" Feral said heavily. "My enforcers and you are exhausted. How much longer do you think everyone is going to be able to keep fighting without a significant amount of down time that our enemies are not giving us?" He pressed.
With a groan, Razor's shoulders slumped in defeat. "You're right, of course. You don't get tired do you, Commander?" He asked bitterly.
"No. I get emotionally tired but not physically because I'm pure energy." He shrugged his shoulders sympathically.
"Then there is nothing we can do but continue to fight a defensive battle until it's time for the Phoenix." T-Bone said flatly.
"I'm afraid you are right, T-Bone. Rest as much as you can and try not to take too many risks if you can avoid them. You are the key to the city's survival. We cannot afford to lose you." Feral said quietly.
There was nothing more to be said, so with heavy emotions they all left their separate ways. The future looked bleak.