Chapter 7 - The Rubber Feline's Escapade
The Dog Stars ran a complete check-up on all the ship's systems; even with Brainy's mental powers, it took them a while, especially after they found the EMP bombs; they didn't want to risk anything after seeing this, knowing the saboteur that left them could leave other nasty surprises before leaving.
"Well, the ship's systems are working correctly again." Bulldog told his companions.
"And it seems there are no other traps or bombs or whatever, eh." Tusky added.
"I just checked out the laboratory. Whoever entered the ship stole some samples; apparently someone is very interested in how our bodies work." Mammoth Mutt frowned as she finished her own checking. "And when I say 'someone', I mean Mechanikat. The lab had a very intense cat scent; and it also had some… perfume or lotion… so unless Snooky uses his mother's stuff, we can deduce our saboteur was Delilah."
"So it seems she survived that explosion too." Brainy frowned slightly. "We can't trust the surveillance cameras in this case because the EMP damaged them, so we have to trust our canine senses instead."
"We should ask Streaky to check it out with his vision powers, too." Stretch-O-Mutt commented. "How weird that all this noise didn't wake him up."
"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen Streaky since all this started." Bulldog rubbed his chin. The other Dogstars realized it too; they had been so busy with the ship's check-up that none had noticed Streaky's absence.
"Maybe he's at the kitchen." Mammoth Mutt shrugged; Hot Dog, Tail Terrier and Paw Pooch joined them at that moment.
"Well, he WAS there." Hot Dog showed everyone the remains of a tuna sandwich.
"He didn't eat it all?" Stretch wide-opened his eyes. "Whoa… Streaky doesn't stop eating unless something VERY bad happens to him."
Brainy did a quick mental search, trying to find Streaky, but soon realized that the super cat wasn't on the ship. Having a very bad feeling, she went to the kitchen, making a quick stop at the laboratory to grab a radiation sensor, the rest of the Dogstars following after her.
"One of the few times that I hate being right." Brainy frowned while using the sensor in the kitchen's door and the outside corridor. "Kryptonite radiation."
"So Mechanikat sent Delilah to steal information and lab samples, mess up with the ship's systems, and kidnap Streaky?" Tail Terrier frowned.
"She's a busy girl, eh." Tusky rolled his eyes, groaning.
"But why Streaky and not any of us? I mean, Streaky isn't here regularly." Mammoth Mutt commented.
"Guess she got Streaky for the same reason we asked him to join us for the last mission; because we couldn't get Krypto."
Even if Hot Dog's comment could sound rude, and very demeaning towards Streaky, none of his companions could deny it was a fair point. Stretch then enlarged his nose and started sniffing at the corridor.
"How weird. This is the first time I return to the kitchen in… three hours… but I can smell my rubber suit's material was here not that long ago."
Brainy did as Stretch did, enlarging her nose to increase her smell sense, and confirmed what he said.
"You're right, Stretch-O-Mutt. Either Delilah was wearing a suit like ours, or she was using some device or weapon made with the same material; it would be fitting, if Mechanikat designed something to contain us, it would be made of this substance." Brainy frowned; of course she didn't know about Delilah's new powers, so she came up with the most logical explanation, some sort of weapon or trap designed to face an elastic-powered being.
"Well, what are we doing now?" Paw Pooch asked.
"We must try to follow any traces left by Delilah's ship; that might lead us to Mechanikat's new base. Also, we have to contact Krypto and Ace; they'll want to help Streaky too." Brainy got back to her leadership mode.
"Okay, I'll call them." Stretch offered himself, groaning a bit. "I really hope we find Streaky, and not just for his sake. I would hate being the one telling a little girl that we lost her cat."
"We can get her a hamster instead…" Hot Dog smirked until Tail Terrier and Mammoth Mutt frowned at him. "What? It was just a suggestion."
While the Dog Stars started working, and Hot Dog received a quick tail-slap on the back of his head, courtesy of Tail Terrier, Delilah was already bringing Streaky to Mechanikat's presence; to make it easier for her, Delilah was in her anthro form, holding Streaky in a rubber-bands-tie-up with one of her hands.
"Hey, Delilah, wanna bet that Mechanikat is gonna say 'Well, look what the cat dragged in?' when he sees us entering?" Streaky, despite his weakened state, was still trying to be his usual goofy self.
"No betting; first, because you have nothing to bet, and second… because it's a sure thing." Delilah rolled her eyes while the lair's mechanical doors opened, Mechanikat already waiting on the other side with Snooky at his side.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in."
"Yes, another cat." Delilah and Streaky rolled their eyes while chorusing.
"Heh, nice; stereo." Snooky chuckled while Mechanikat frowned.
"Very funny. Well, Delilah, besides Mister Useless here…"
"Hey, I take offense to that." Streaky frowned.
"Yes, Mechanikat; he's no 'Mister'." Snooky grinned.
"Good one, Snooky." Mechanikat chuckled a bit before getting serious again. "Anyway, Delilah, give me the samples you stole."
Delilah took the samples out of her utility belt and gave them to Mechanikat.
"What're you up to this time, you, steam-driven rusted out pile of junk?" Streaky glared at the cybernetic villain.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." Mechanikat glared at him.
"What? Hey, you think it's easy to come up with insults on the spot? Specially Ace-level ones."
"Whatever. And about your question, you can't expect a genius criminal overlord like myself to get to your simpleton level, and explain you the complex machinations of my superior mind."
"In other words, you have no plan and you're just making it along the way."
Mechanikat stared at Streaky while Snooky covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing, and Delilah gave her 'boss' a very good Cheshire Cat's grin.
"He got you figured out." Delilah smirked until Mechanikat glared at her.
"Shut up unless you want to figure out how you're gonna recover from a high-level 'corrective' trance."
Delilah was fully silent now; Streaky noticed she actually seemed a bit afraid of Mechanikat, and even more, to openly dislike, or even hate him. The super cat, for once, decided to stay silent for the time being.
"Now, take this Super Smart-Mouth to the Krypto Cell, and stay there. Even if he might have a flea's I.Q…"
"I know some very smart fleas." Streaky muttered under his breath.
"... I'm not risking him escaping the moment we leave him alone, even if his powers are blocked right now. And remember, Delilah, I can control you-know-what from a distance, so if this Super Buffoon finds a way to escape from you, I'll find a way to make your life very miserable!"
"As if I were on a picnic right now." Delilah muttered yet nodded, and, obeying Mechanikat's orders, took Streaky to another room on a different level while the cyber-villain and Snooky started analyzing the samples.
"If you're taking all this abuse from him willingly, the salary must be great."Streaky groaned. "Seriously, how much does he pays you? Tell me in dollars or its equivalent in anchovies."
"Do you ever shut up?"
"Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't." Streaky tried to shrug. "Usually, I'm silent when I'm sleeping… but Krypto says that sometimes I talk in my sleep, so…"
Delilah then extended one of her fingers and morphed it into a muzzle for Streaky, effectively silencing him until they arrived at the special Krypto Cell; it was made with titanium alloy, and with red sunlight lamps, so even if Streaky didn't have a kryptonite collar, he'd be powerless or at least extremely weakened down while inside the cell.
"There. Your new home for the time being." Delilah dropped Streaky inside the cell and then activated the electronic lock-up. "And until Mechanikat decides otherwise, I'm staying right here as your cat-sitter."
"And I suppose you're not gonna sing me a lullaby, read me a bedtime story, or bring me warm milk, right?" Streaky received a glare from Delilah. "Yeah, I thought so; you're definitely no Mary Poppins."
Delilah groaned and morphed back to her normal feline shape. The femme feline started pacing back and forth in front of the cell, playing guard as Mechanikat ordered, and hoping Streaky would just shut up for at least a few minutes.
"You know, as much as I like the whole 'pretty gal modeling her new suit' in front of me over and over again, can we talk or something?" Streaky groaned; he knew he couldn't escape right now so he'd need to wait for a rescue party or for having an escape idea himself, and it would be quite boring to just sit in the cell doing nothing.
"I can use you as a punching bag; would that count as 'something'?" Delilah frowned even if secretly liking the 'pretty gal' comment.
"What's with you and that attitude, I mean, it's obvious Mechanikat turned you into a Rubber Feline, so what's the big deal?" Streaky frowned. "You got the same powers as Stretch-O-Mutt, and he has lots of fun with them… and Brainy's learned to enjoy them too; anyone would think you'd be a bit happier now, so what's the problem?"
"The problem? THE PROBLEM? You wanna know what my problem is? You think being… ' a Rubber Feline' is just fun and games for me?" Delilah snapped.
"Uh… would you like 'Elasticat' instead?" Streaky gulped, now a bit intimidated.
"It's not the name, or the powers, it's the fact that Mechanikat pretty much got me killed! And even worse, it could've been prevented if he had just told me about that kryptonite bomb! But NOOOOO, that would've been too much for our 'Feline Majesty'! And when he finds what's left of my body, what does he do with me? He saves my life and puts me into a normal cloned body of my old self? No, that would be too good for me, right? So he puts me into some… rubbery body, and reveals that the only reason he saved me was to have a 'Elasticat', as you said; so he can have a super-powered bodyguard and minion that will do every single thing he wants out of slavery!" Delilah ranted.
"Super-powered bodyguard? Minion?" Streaky then gasped when coming to the last word. "SLAVERY?"
"Yeah, he was afraid that Brainy Barker would come after him for revenge, so he decided he needed an equally powered bodyguard to even the playing-field." Delilah growled.
"Revenge… come on, this is Brainy Barker we're talking about. She would come after Mechanikat anyway, but not for revenge. And you know she'd get Mechanikat imprisoned, not destroyed."
"Mechanikat is a villain, so he thinks anyone, on the right, or wrong, circumstances, would do something as evil as he would do in the same situation. And since he also knew I'd be extremely angry over the whole situation, he found a way to force me to obey him even if I don't want to!" Delilah frowned. "So there; that's my paycheck. Pain and slavery with a bonus of humiliation."
Streaky now felt very bad for making that comment in the first place. He just stayed silent while Delilah continued her rant.
"Look at me, do you think I like doing this…" Delilah stretched her whole body now, "... or this…" followed by a balloon inflation, "...or even this?" In the end, she morphed into a lioness.
"Well… puns aside, it's a very good way to get instant plastic surgery." Streaky sighed sadly. "Please, don't be offended by the bad joke; I often do that when I'm stressed out, scared or upset."
"Then you must be nervous, terrified or furious at all times." Delilah groaned before morphing back to normal.
"And if you insult others every time you feel nervous, terrified or furious, then you need therapy as much as I do." Streaky arched an eyebrow.
"I don't need therapy… I need to strangle Mechanikat, and sell his cyber-parts as scrap metal…"
"Uh… I know you are furious with the guy, and I can't blame you, but maaaaaaybe you're going a bit too far." Streaky tried calming her down. "Look, I know that what Mechanikat did to you was wrong, and maybe a bit twisted… and by 'a bit twisted' I mean 'twisted like a million pretzels', but don't you think that this might've been fate's way of turning over a new leaf?"
"Fate… you're talking about 'fate' with me?" Delilah hissed.
"Yeah, I mean, it's obvious you're miserable working for Mechanikat."
"Aren't you a genius?" Delilah rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm miserable working for him! You think he was happy every single time you and your hero friends made me look like a failure? He insulted and humiliated me more than once! The only reasons I stayed at his service were because… well, I received a paycheck, and I'm a cat burglar, so my work options are kinda limited. And now, look at me… I don't even receive a payment anymore, and I'm nothing but a living action figure for him to exploit in any way he wants!"
"Okay… look, you said it yourself; I'm not the smartest guy around… probably I'm not even close to the top 100 smartest guys… but I'd been around Krypto, Ace and the Dogstars for enough time to learn a thing or two. Let's work on this one step at a time…" Streaky was interrupted by a very surprised Delilah.
"Hold on… you want to help me? After I… catnapped you?"
"Hey, it's part of the job's description. Sure, you captured me, but, technically speaking, you're also a victim here, and I'd be a terrible hero if I didn't try to help you." Streaky shrugged before getting serious. "Okay, step one… uh… Mechanikat has some sort of way to keep you from attacking him or escaping, right?"
Delilah was a bit hesitant now, but she realized Streaky had a fair point; after all, the super cat was a hero, and right now Delilah herself was the victim of a supervillain's machinations. The femme feline stretched her neck a bit, revealing her collar.
"Mechanikat can shock me with this; he carries a remote control at all times. Also, the collar limits my moves; I can't go anywhere without him knowing it."
"Shock… but you're made of plastic or something now, right? I thought plastic and rubber could block electricity."
"Yes, but a powerful enough shock can burn or melt plastic, remember? Plus, this collar was originally designed as a mind control device, so when Mechanikat activates it, the collar's energy attacks my nerves and brain. It's like… the worst pain you can imagine, multiplied tenfold, and directed precisely to your nervous system."
Streaky gulped at this; apparently, this collar could hurt Delilah's brain and nerves as much as kryptonite could hurt his or Krypto's bodies.
"Not to mention that, if Mechanikat thinks I might find a way to betray him despite his threats, he can use the collar for the purpose it was designed; to directly control my mind, so I'd be reduced to being a living robot, with no free will at all. The only reason he hasn't done it is because that would limit my creativity and reflexes, making me much less effective as a fighter or burglar."
"Mmm… I see… and… see… seeing…" Streaky grinned a bit. "I think I have an idea now, but I need your help; first, you have to turn off the cell's lamps, and then you have to move your neck closer to the cell, so I can use my x-ray vision on the collar to find the precise point to hit it with my heat vision and deactivate it."
"Are you insane? You're pretty much asking me for permission to use a high intensity laser on my neck!" Delilah growled.
"Geez, say it a bit louder; some people in Metropolis probably didn't hear you." Streaky rolled his eyes. "And what 'high intensity' are you talking about? I have a kryptonite collar, remember? Once you turn off the lamps, I'll recover my powers, but they'll still be very weakened; that's your guarantee that I won't use my heat vision to seriously injure you, because I wouldn't be powerful enough to hurt you on purpose even if I tried. Besides, I'll still be inside the cell… and I need your help to escape; you scratch my back and I scratch yours."
"You get rid of this collar of mine, and I'll take you out of the cell and remove your collar, uh?" Delilah now got a thoughtful expression; while she had problems believing in a hero's help, she could understand making a deal that was good for them both in the long term.
"Well… that can work… I'd love to escape this place… and plan my revenge on Mechanikat…" Delilah smirked a bit but then got thoughtful again. "But… then what? I'm nothing but a criminal, and if I escape, I'll still need to live a life of crime… and if I get captured again, I'd not end up in a normal prison or animal pound, but one for superpowered beings… and maybe have some wacko scientists study my powers, and…"
"Hey, believe it or not, not all the scientists are as crazy as Mechanikat, and if you end up in a super jail, you'd have some rights so you don't get experimented with… and besides, who says you have to live a life of crime?"
"You don't expect me to be a house pet, right? That wouldn't fit me, thanks but no thanks."
"How about joining the Dog Stars?"
Delilah stared at him.
"That kryptonite collar is affecting your few remaining neurons or what? I can't join the Dog Stars! First of all…"
"... because you're a cat? As if you didn't find me in their ship, eating their food, after helping them with one of their missions." Streaky rolled his eyes. "Sure, they're not gonna change the team's name to 'The Dog Stars' Experience, Introducing Elasticat', but I'm pretty sure they'd let you join the team, or at least become an honorary member."
"That's… a fair point, and surprisingly intelligent coming from you…"
"I know it's weird… hey!" Streaky frowned.
"... but still, do you think they'll accept a villainess on their team? Especially a villainess that has tried to destroy them more than once, and, as you just pointed out, a villainess that broke into their ship to steal their stuff, mess up with their systems, and kidnap one of their friends?"
"Hey, nobody's perfect; I snore." Streaky shrugged.
"Funny." Delilah frowned.
"Yep. And another funny thing about us heroes; we don't hold grudges... like how you got me kicked out of my house once or twice during our first encounter." Streaky smirked at Delilah but he soon changed to his usual tone. "Hey, no hard feelings; I get on the nerves of all my friends once in a while."
"Wonder why." Delilah grinned a bit, feeling surprisingly more relaxed now.
"Now, we have a deal? If you help me out of here, I'll put in a good word in for you with the Dog Stars, and I'm sure they'll receive you… or at least, they'll help you so you don't need to get back to committing crimes again." Streaky pointed out.
Delilah rubbed her chin, realizing that Streaky and herself really needed each other's help, and also knowing that Streaky, with all his (many) flaws, was still an honest hero, and obviously willing to assist her despite their past experiences and the current situation.
"Alright, deal; and if we get out of here together, I'll take up on your offer to join the Dogstars… cause what better way to get back at Mechanikat than by helping his enemies." Delilah smirked slyly.
"Yeah, if you wanna see it that way, sure, you can think this is some sort of revenge. A subtle one." Streaky grinned a bit before coughing. "Ungh… it's not easy to talk this much with this collar on…"
"And yet you hadn't been quiet for more than 10 seconds." Delilah rolled her eyes before, very cautiously, stretching her tail and morphing its tip into a hand, disconnecting a few cables from a nearby control panel. "There. This will deactivate the cell's lamps in a way it will look like an electric problem; that way Mechanikat won't know I did it on purpose in case this plan doesn't work."
"Good idea." Streaky commented, noticing the lamps were slowly losing intensity, and then completely got off. "Okay, now give me a minute so I can 'recharge' my energy to use my vision powers…"
"Hold on." Delilah continued manipulating the cables with her tail, and the lamps went on again, but this time simulating a yellow sun's light. "This will charge you faster."
Streaky nodded, and once the lamps charged him a bit, he used his x-ray vision to watch Delilah's collar in detail, the femme feline now stretching her neck to make it easier for him.
"Good… I think I found the switch or something. A small heat vision blast, and I'll cut the collar's energy."
"Alright then." Delilah stretched her neck a bit more and moved it closer to the cell's bars. "Do it now, before Mechanikat calls me asking why the cell's systems are failing."
Streaky nodded and then started using his heat vision in the precise spot; it was very tiring, and using this power while wearing the kryptonite collar was also giving Streaky a very serious headache just to create a heat beam that would barely be enough to burn a piece of paper, but eventually the super cat's trick worked. The collar didn't just stop working, but it opened up and fell from Delilah's neck.
"Purrrrfect." Delilah grinned, visibly happy for being free of this collar. She then opened the cell and hugged Streaky, who blushed instantly.
"Heh… you're welcome… uh… hate to ruin the moment, but…"
"Right. Your collar." Delilah, blushing slightly as well, stopped hugging Streaky and turned her normal cat paws into huge, human-like ones but with large claws. The elastic female didn't just remove the collar but ripped it apart.
"Much better." Streaky grinned as he stepped out of the cell and away from the kryptonite collar's remains, his powers getting back to their normal level now thanks to the yellow sunlight lamps.
"Okay, let's get out of here." Delilah smirked as she started leading the way. "Follow me…"
"Better idea; just tell me where to fly." Streaky then carried Delilah and started flying. She actually found herself enjoying the ride.
"Heh, this is actually fun when you know you're not gonna end up in jail." Delilah grinned and even put her arms around Streaky's neck. They were now heading to the corridor when they found Snooky, the small cat carrying a tool box.
"Hey, Delilah, Mechanikat said there's some problem with the cell's systems. I came to…" Snooky gasped when looking at Streaky, floating in front of him, with Delilah in his arms.
"... receive a beating, right, Dilweed?" Streaky smirked.
"What'd you call me?" Snooky growled. "And Delillah, don't just let him carry you! You have powers; use them!"
Delilah, smirking slyly, nodded at Streaky, who gently dropped her. The elastic female then morphed back into her muscular anthro body and cracked her knuckles while advancing at Snooky.
"Good idea. I'm gonna use them… ON YOU!"
Snooky, now visibly scared, took out his own remote control.
"Stand back, Delilah, or I'll use this…"
"Unless that thing gets you free cable, I don't think it will help you that much, Dilweed." Streaky interrupted Snooky before pointing at Delilah's neck, Snooky finally noticed she no longer had the collar on. The elastic feline then snatched the remote from Snooky's paws, and crushed it effortlessly.
"D-Delilah… come on… you wouldn't hurt a small cat wearing glasses, right?" Snooky backed off.
"You're not wearing glasses." Delilah grinned predatorily.
"You're right. I left them in my room. Let me go get them… MEOW!" Snooky stopped talking when Delilah grabbed him by the tail.
"Mmm… Delilah, where's Snooky's room?" Streaky grinned at her.
"The end of the corridor, and then turn to the left." Delilah, holding Snooky by the tail, pointed at the distance. Streaky nodded and left at super speed, returning a few moments later with a pair of shades.
"These aren't exactly glasses, but…" Streaky smirked and then hit Snooky's face with them. "Heh. I've wanted to do that since I saw the movie."
"What movie?" Snooky groaned, resenting the hit.
"Wreck It Ralph." Streaky smirked a bit.
"I like that title. Wreck it." Delilah glared at the now pale Snooky, and a moment later, she started wrecking him, literally, smashing the small cat against the closest wall several times before dropping him, completely unconscious.
"I think I'm leaving a good impression." Delilah half-joked, noticing how the wall now had some small impressions of Snooky's body. Streaky cringed a bit, realizing she went a bit too far.
"Alright, Delilah, I think that's enough."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Delilah morphed back to normal. "Is he gonna be okay?"
Streaky then gave Snooky a quick x-ray vision scanning.
"Mmm… I don't think he'll be able to dance anything for a while, but he'll wake up eventually."
"Good… mmm… do you see his keys?" Delilah asked the super cat.
"Uh… yes, among his tools. Why…" Streaky then saw Delilah searching among Snooky's tools. "Gee, what's next, stealing his wallet?"
"We need an escape ship; Mechanikat has all his ships and proves rigged so he can control them from a distance, even making them explode if he wants, but I know Snooky well enough to know he'd mess up with his own ship's systems so Mechanikat can't do that to him." Delilah said while taking out the keys. "Okay, let's go now."
Streaky, again, carried Delilah in his arms, and started flying to the launching bay, but then heard several Catbots approaching, most surely sent by Mechanikat now that he realized neither Delilah nor Snooky were reporting back.
"Uh… any other way we can use, or do we have to beat up a few dozen robots?" Streaky gulped a bit. Delilah then looked around and grinned when seeing an air vent.
"We can use the ventilation system." Delilah stretched her arm and morphed her paw into a large, strong human-like hand to open the vent.
"Speaking of cliches…" Streaky rolled his eyes.
"We can always fight the robots." Delilah grinned.
"Nobody said all cliches had to be bad." Streaky grinned nervously. Delilah playfully rolled her eyes and then they entered the vent, Streaky then using his heat vision to close it from the inside so no robot could open the vent and chase after them. It wasn't really necessary since the Catbots didn't even notice the vent as they moved through the corridor.
"They won't detect us here. These ducts are lead-covered, to block Krypto and yours vision powers, and it will cover us from the robots' sensors too." Delilah said to Streaky as they moved through the ducts; Delilah even made herself a bit thinner to move more easily; the ducts were so tight that even a small dog would have problems moving in them, as Mechanikat obviously designed them so none of his canine enemies could use the 'cliched' ventilation system's entrance; luckily, Mechanikat didn't consider a cat doing it, so Delilah and Streaky were doing a decent job.
Streaky allowed Delilah to move in front of him, as she obviously was the one knowing the way to the hangar, but the super cat had to make an effort to focus on the task at hand; he couldn't deny that Delilah was quite a beautiful female.
"Uh… are we there yet?" Streaky asked.
"Almost. We have to move a bit more to the left… mmm… we're going to pass right through the laboratory…" Delilah grinned slyly.
"You wanna do something in the lab?" Streaky now was getting a similar grin.
"You're learning." Delilah advanced a bit more and stopped in front of a vent. She then opened it slightly and stretched her eyes to take a look inside the room without showing too much of her body.
"That's so gross and so cool all at once." Streaky admitted.
"Thanks. Okay, there's nobody in the lab. Let me… handle the security cameras…" Delilah now stretched her arm to get it inside the laboratory and deactivate the cameras, most of them located at the vent's same height. "Alright, we can get inside now."
The two felines entered the laboratory, and Delilah started messing up with the computers and stealing some information while Streaky used his heat vision to melt/burn pretty much every single sample, experiment and device in sight, even using his X-ray vision to find any hidden item he'd miss otherwise.
"I think we just ruined Mechanikat's work for the next 2 years." Delilah grinned.
"Heh, perfect." Streaky chuckled before carelessly breaking a computer by pushing it with his tail, also smashing a few other devices in the process. "Oops."
"Even better; with that, it'll be 3 years." Delilah laughed.
"Having fun, aren't we?"
Streaky and Delilah turned to see Mechanikat at the lab's door, glaring at them and holding a quite big blaster with both hands/paws.
"Uh… eh… I thought you had destroyed the cameras…" Streaky gulped while whispering at Delilah.
"You wouldn't think I'd notice if someone destroyed all the laboratory's cameras?" Mechanikat snarled.
"Oh… okay, it's my time to say 'Oops'." Delilah gulped, as she recognized the weapon Mechanikat was holding. "And… you finished working on that blaster, I see…"
"Yes. My 'ONE' Multi Purpose blaster."
"Uh, why you call it 'ONE' if it's 'Multi'?" Streaky chuckled nervously, he and Delilah now backing off.
"Because that's how many shoots I need to destroy anything I aim this against." Mechanikat growled. "You betrayed me, Delilah; and I don't know how you got rid of my mind-control collar, but I know even your elastic powers can't protect you from an absolute zero temperature's blast."
"Like working for you was any better." Delilah growled back.
"I'll use that as your epitaph." Mechanikat aimed at them now. "And don't think super speed is gonna save you from this, Stuper-Cat; it has a tracking device that can compensate for your velocity and hit you no matter how fast you move. Why do you think I've been talking so calmly instead of shooting you already?"
"Uh… for tradition's sake?" Streaky gulped before whispering at Delilah. "Any ideas?"
"We have to distract him… okay, follow me here." Delilah whispered back before talking in a normal volume. "Okay, Mechanikat, if you're gonna destroy us both, can I have a last request?"
"You have 10 seconds. Try anything funny and you'll get zero seconds… and zero degrees." Mechanikat smirked cruelly.
Delilah then grabbed Streaky by his shoulders, and gave him a very big, passionate kiss. Streaky wide-opened his eyes in shock, and his brain pretty much stopped working for a few seconds, but then he reacted and kissed back, hugging the elastic female as they both started purring in happiness.
Mechanikat's reaction was quite drastic. His organic eye wide opened as well, and his cybernetic one pretty much stopped working; the villain's jaw fell, and his arms got limp, dropping the weapon, that was quite noisy when hitting the floor; so noisy, in fact, that it made Delilah to react and remember her improvised plan.
"Streaky, Heat Vision!" Delilah pushed Streaky aside and morphed one of her arms into a big, muscular one, and large enough to hit Mechanikat's face from a distance, knocking him down. Streaky shook his head, and, realizing what Delilah was doing, used his heat vision against Mechanikat's weapon, melting it immediately.
"Nnnngh… that… was so low…" Mechanikat rubbed his face in pain, and when removing his hands/paws, gasped when seeing Delilah's gigantic-sized claws about to strike him again. Delilah swiped him several twice, damaging his robotic parts; Streaky decided to contribute, plus possibly saving Mechanikat from becoming scrap metal, by ramming at high speed against Mechanikat, knocking him out cold.
"Heh, that will show him." Delilah grinned while morphing into her lioness form.
"Uh, Delilah, that would be a bit too much. I know you hate the guy, but you don't wanna get too vengeful and go from 'villainess' to 'psycho villainess' when you're already considering becoming a 'hero'." Streaky stopped her from going all Wild Animal on him.
"Okay… guess you're the one with experience when it comes to moral decisions." Delilah sighed and morphed back to her normal shape. "Let's get out of here… and we still can do some damage on the way to the hangar, right?"
"Sure, why not?" Streaky shrugged before they returned to the air ducts; after all, they still would find the security Catbots so the ventilation system was their best option.
"And, by the way, good job following my plan." Delilah commented as they continued advancing.
"You're welcome… by the way, was it really necessary for you to kiss me like that?"
"Well, it worked, didn't it? And besides, I don't think you disliked the kissing." Delilah now was trying to hide her own blush.
"Delilah, no male cat would dislike a kiss from you… except maybe Mechanikat, of course, and he's half cat, half walking toaster."
Delilah laughed a bit at this, making Streaky to laugh as well, as they finally got to the hangar's vents. There were a pair of security Catbots guarding the place, but Delilah already expected it; three seconds later, the Catbots were nothing but scrap metal.
"Too bad we can't sell this scrap." Streaky chuckled, standing over the remains of the Catbot he crushed. "Imagine all the sardines we'd buy."
"Don't mention it; I'm getting hungry." Delilah, in her muscular anthro shape, grinned before dropping her own destroyed Catbot.
"Let's get out of here, before Mechanikat recovers and starts sending more Catbots to capture us." Streaky said while Delilah pressed some commands on the hangar's control panel.
"Okay, the doors will open automatically in 60 seconds. Let's get to Snooky's ship." Delilah took Snooky's keys out, and opened the ship; while she sat in the pilot's chair, Streaky placed himself behind the seat, holding it tightly, since Snooky's ship, unsurprisingly, wasn't too big, and it didn't have space for passengers in the pilot's cabin. On the bright side…
"Hey, look, he has a mini-fridge." Streaky said, grinning. "Well, I don't think Snooky can get any angrier with us than he already is, so…"
"Heh, wait until we're out of here, okay?" Delilah smirked while turning the engines on. "After that… if there are sardines in there, I want them."
A few moments later, they were flying away from Mechanikat's headquarters, and sharing some sardines as well as a tuna sandwich and a milk pot.
"Now, where should we go; back to the Dog Stars ship?" Delilah said before eating a sardine.
"No, too obvious, I mean, that would be the first place Mechanikat would think to look." Streaky commented while eating some tuna. "Sure, the Dog Stars might help us, but if Mechanikat can create a weapon that can follow super fast moves, it wouldn't be hard for him to use something to… what's the word…"
"Intercept us on our way there." Delilah sighed. "Yeah, we should go somewhere else, and then see if the Dog Stars can pick us up… wherever we go."
"Alright then; let's use the ship's communicator to contact the Dog Stars." Streaky commented. "And also to send a hundred pizzas to Mechanikat; let's see if he can pay them."
"Heh, are you sure you aren't the villain in this ship?" Delilah chuckled.
"Hey, I'm not a villain… hold on." Streaky then finished a milk bottle and put it back inside the mini-fridge. "There. Now I'm a villain."
"Gee, if you ever jaywalk, you'll consider yourself the new Lex Luthor." Delilah rolled her eyes.
"How do you know about Lex Luthor?"
"His iguana is one of Mechanikat's friends on Furry-book." Delilah shrugged before using the ship's communications array to get the Dog Stars' frequency.