DIMENSIONAL GENDER-BENDER
Chapter 7: Rescue
"The magical signal is coming from that mountain cavern directly in front of us." Ice intoned tightly as Fire halted the jet and Razor did the same beside her.
"Right! This is your turf, how do you want to proceed?" Razor said grimly.
There was silence for several minutes, Fire and Razor waited patiently as Ice focused on the problem.
"The only way we've been able to defeat Dark Kat in the past is by surprise. Any other time, she's able to use those portals with deadly accuracy by popping bombs and her garcons at us without us knowing where to look. The damage she can inflict is phenomenal. We've always wondered why, with those portals at her command, she hasn't taken over Megakat City but apparently that isn't her goal. Unfortunately, no one but her knows what that goal is. All she's done is make brief feints at us while she quietly makes off with whatever equipment or supply item she needs. We've never been able to keep her in jail." Ice explained heavily.
"Hmmm, sounds like our Dark Kat a bit except ours made it clear he wanted to take over the city to be its new master." Razor mused with disgust. "And we can't seem to keep him in jail either."
"So, are you saying we should set down and try to slip in and catch her unaware?" Fire asked getting impatient.
"Yeah that may be the only way to save Chance. We've got to find him first before trying to take her out or she might slip by us and take him in a portal and we'll have to search all over again." Ice said unhappily.
"Okay then let's find a place to set down." Razor said briskly and looked around. "Small field to the right of the mountain...see it Fire?" He asked as he headed his jet in that direction.
"I see it!" Fire acknowledged aiming her jet in the same direction.
Moments later they were down and racing for the mountain entrance.
The garcons hauled Chance down a rough hewn hall and up some rock stairs to another carved out room. This one held a huge bed with black and red sheets and bedspread. Shear drapes of red hung from the ceiling surrounding the bed. There was a comfortable loveseat, a big wooden armoire, and a dressing table.
He was roughly shoved into the room and two of the creatures proceeded to pull his clothes off. He tried to fight them off but they were tough and there were too many of them. He was soon nude and one of them took his clothes out of the room. The rest pulled him forcibly onto the bed and put soft handcuff restraints that were attached to the headboard on each of his wrists. His arms were spread wide but his feet had been left free. Then they left the room leaving him alone.
He struggled uselessly for several minutes trying to get free. He felt his heart hammering in this throat when the door opened to reveal the female Dark Kat. She was carrying a cat-o-nine tails whip. She swished it around negligently as she studied her prize.
"Hmm, you are very handsome. Since you say you are not my Lancer what name do you go by?" She rumbled in that deep voice of hers as she took the handle of the whip and ran it up his foot to his throat.
There was no point in lying since he wasn't from here anyway so he said, "My names Chance." He growled in response as he watched her reverse the whip in her paw.
"Interesting name...not as noble as Lancer...but not too bad..."She murmured as she walked around him. Then she leaned close to his face staring into his eyes. She moved even lower and brushed her lips against his in a brief kiss. He wanted to kick her but it wouldn't get him out of there and would only make her angry. That wasn't in his best interest if he wanted to live.
She straightened up and flicked the whip suddenly striking him in the chest drawing a thin line of blood. Chance jumped in surprise and gasped. Smiling cruelly she continued to study him as if he was some kind of mouse. She moved back down near his feet and with that same quick flick struck him again this time drawing blood on his belly. Chance hissed with pain but didn't cry out.
"Purrrfect! You are strong willed! It will please me greatly to make you scream before I take you!" She purred with deep pleasure.
'I wish Razor would find me before this hellcat dices me up into pieces.' Chance thought desperately.
Outside her mountain hideaway, his partner and the female SWAT Kats slipped quietly into the cavern entrance. Using infrared goggles they were able to see in the dim light easily and were able to avoid some of the garcons hanging about. They came to three entry points.
"Crud now where do we go?" Razor muttered very softly.
"We either split up or pick a tunnel." Fire whispered tightly.
"No splitting up. This place is huge and we might never escape together much less get Chance. Let's just pick one and go." Ice hissed softly.
The other two shrugged. None of their options were better or worse so they picked the right hand tunnel and moved quickly down it. They hadn't gone far when they heard a large group headed their way. Without hesitation they turned around and ran back the way they came and went down the middle tunnel. This one went a ways before coming out into the room Chance had first arrived in. No one was about.
"This is her scrying room. Maybe we can get lucky." Ice said. Without explaining further, she moved to the scrying basin and looked into it. She seemed to be concentrating as her partner and Razor came up along side her but didn't disturb her.
Moments seem to pass before the water began to get cloudy then it cleared and they saw Chance handcuffed, naked, to a large bed with a tall powerful she-kat standing near him wielding a whip. She'd apparently already struck the tabby because they could see blood on his fur.
"Where is he?" Razor hissed while keeping watch around them.
"I don't know. That's the best I could do. I only possess a little magic from my family but at least we know he hasn't been harmed too badly." Ice said rubbing her temples.
"Well there was only one corridor left. He has to be down that one. Come on." Razor said urgently as he quickly led them back down the hall. They halted before stepping out into the central entrance. They had to wait, pressed against the wall in the shadows for a group of garcons to clear the area. As soon as they could they hurried for the last hallway. Running down its end they were angry and disheartened to find they had run into the garcons gathering area.
The garcons were just as startled to seem them and took a moment to react to the intruders. Razor used that hesitation to fire a potent gas grenade in the center of the room then turned and ran followed by the other team holding their breaths. They were back at the entryway once more.
"We're going to have to go down that hallway we originally tried. Let's go." Fire said leading the way down the first corridor again. This time they didn't run into any more guards what they did find was a staircase carved out of the rock leading up.
Hurrying quickly they reached the top and halted. Only a heavy drape covered the doorway and behind it they could hear harsh breathing and footsteps pacing. Razor carefully pulled the drape a tiny bit to see what was going on.
They had found his partner. Dark Kat had her back to the doorway. Eyes narrowing, Razor carefully stepped back and signaled Ice and Fire to move back down the stairs. When he thought they were far enough he halted.
"Chance is in there and Dark Kat had her back to the door. The only way we're going to surprise her is to use an odorless gas I've developed to take out criminals when they are holding hostages. It takes out everyone in the room but at least no one is harmed. All I have to do is spray it under the drape and we wait about fifteen minutes." Razor explained softly.
"Fifteen minutes!!!!!" Fire objected. "One of the garcons may find us here especially if they find the ones we knocked out."
"Not if we stay down here and take them out quietly before they get to Dark Kat." Razor said tightly.
"I think he's got the right idea, Fire. It's the only way to take her out. Razor how long does it take to incapacitate because if she has time to guess she's under attack she can still escape?" Ice asked in concern.
"Once it reaches her, it hits in seconds. I accounted for that because I didn't want a crook to have time to fire a weapon as they were passing out." Razor assured her.
"Good! Then let's do it. Fire and I will stay here and guard your back." Ice said. Fire nodded and they took up a guard stance nearly at the bottom of the staircase.
Razor wasted no time lightly running back up the stairs. Dropping down to the floor he peeked carefully around the bottom of the drape. Dark Kat was facing the door but looking down at Chance. Cursing to himself, Razor held very still and waited for Dark Kat to change position.
It took another five minutes before Dark Kat moved back around the bed again and in that time she had whipped Chance more than once. Gritting his teeth in anger, Razor carefully released the gas into the room then ran back down the stairs to join Fire and Ice.
By the time fifteen minutes had passed the threesome had been forced to net, tarpedo, and gas the rest of the garcons that had attacked them. Leaving Fire and Ice to handle anything more that might come their way, Razor ran back up the stairs. Carefully peeking around the curtain he saw with great relief, Dark Kat sprawled on the floor and Chance out cold on the bed.
Putting his gasmask on Razor quickly shoved the curtain aside and ran to Chance's side. Using a lock pick he freed Chance's arms then he went to Dark Kat's side and tied her up. As he was finishing, Fire and Ice entered wearing their own gas masks. Without waiting, Fire heaved the tabby tom over her shoulder. Blinking in surprise, Razor watched her a minute before Ice tapped him on the shoulder and signaled to him to help her carry Dark Kat.
They had apparently knocked out all the garcons so leaving the mountain hideaway was easy. Fire took Chance to his Turbokat and laid him in the cargo hold.
Ice and Razor took Dark Kat to the females Turbokat and dumped her on their cargo floor. Ice took off her mask and grinned at Razor.
"Fantastic. You need to give me the formula for that gas. It was so nice to be able to take her out with anyone getting hurt." She said very pleased.
"Almost not getting hurt. Chance has a lot of whip marks on his front." Razor said angrily.
"I'm sorry, Razor but I've got a cream that will soothe away the pain and heal him so that there will be no scars." Ice said contritely, gently touching his arm in sympathy.
"Thanks! I appreciate that and glad I could help." Razor said relieved. "So, let's get back to your hangar." He said as he climbed out of her jet and made for his.
"We'll have to drop off Dark Kat first. You can go on an wait for us back at the hangar." Ice called to him as Fire joined her in the cockpit of her jet. Razor waved back that he understood.
Both jets lifted off. One headed to the hanger and the other for Enforcer Headquarters.
About thirty-five minutes later the she-kats returned.
"What took you so long?" Jake asked as he sat next to his groggy partner who was laying on a cot in the hangar while he waited for them to return.
"Ohh, Feral insisted on knowing all the details of how we found Dark Kat and where her hideout was so they could collect the garcons. She was pissed but also you could see she was pleased to have that particular omega under wraps again. We only told her the bare minimum of what happened and skipped out of there quickly. Sorry it still took so long though." Ice explained in annoyance.
"Yeah sorry, how's Chance doing?" Fire asked as she and Ice changed clothes.
"He's just coming around. I've already cleaned his wounds, just need that cream you talked about." Jake said.
"Right, I'll go get it." Jinx said quickly disappearing into another room and coming back with a first kit. She reached in and took out an ordinary cold cream jar. She opened it and the scent of various herbs filled the air. She gently spread it over each of Chance's whip marks.
Chance sighed and muttered slurrily, "Hmmm, feels cold..."
They all smiled. "He'll be more coherent in about another ten minutes or so." Jake said reassuringly.
"Well then I think I'll rustle us up something to eat. It's been a long day." Jinx said and went upstairs.
"I'll give you a hand, partner." Cleo said patting Jake on the shoulder in passing as she too went upstairs.
"Ohhh, you used that special gas of yours didn't you, Jake?" Chance said thickly rubbing his face and yawning.
"Yeah! Worked like a charm. Dark Kat and her little creatures are in jail as we speak. Jinx and Cleo are making something to eat. How you feeling, buddy?" Jake asked solicitously.
"Umph! I'll be okay. At least that stuff doesn't leave you hung over." Chance said sitting up and stretching then halting suddenly as the cuts stung him. "Ouch! Man that smarts but funny it doesn't hurt that bad." He said puzzled looking down at himself.
"You can thank Jinx for that. She used some kind of herbal cream on your cuts. Says they will heal without scarring." Jake explained.
"Wow! Better get some from her or the formula at least. We could really use that stuff at home." The tabby said in admiration.
"Yeah, for sure! You know Chance, even though this trip was another mistake, we certainly are gaining something from it this time." Jake said musingly.
"Huh! You're right but don't take this wrong, buddy, but I really would have preferred not having made the trip at all." Chance snorted. Jake just shrugged conceding the point.