The converted Gray Taylor had been confined to one of the glass-doored cells in the top secret lab. The giant scorpion was in another, snapping its claws angrily. Gray snarled and thrashed uselessly against the glass. Watching him sadly was Dr. Belljar, who had his shoes and socks back on. Standing beside him along with a few Enforcer commandos was the Enforcer's biochemist, Dr. Konway, his face a mask of professional detachment as he observed the imprisoned Enforcer, hands stuffed into his lab coat pockets.

"You were right to call me down here," Konway said to Belljar.

"The scorpion is easily returned to normal with anti-mutagens," replied Belljar, sparing the enormous arachnid a glance, before returning his attention to Gray. "But it seems, sadly, that I've done all I can for the victims of the Ci-Kat-A here at Megakat Biochemical..."

Konway smiled and laid a sympathetic hand on his colleague's shoulder. "You did your best. Now it's time for the Enforcers' bio-tech division to take over." Grimly, he added, "After all, this time, it's one of our own."

"I understand, Sam," replied Belljar. "And thank you."

He looked in on Gray, who licked the glass. A shudder ran through Belljar.

"I'll supervise his transfer immediately," said Konway, turning and nodding to the commandos accompanying him.

Standing nearby was Callie Briggs. She was leaning against the wall. Her skirt was still torn, but she had one high heel back on and was in the process of struggling into the other as she talked with Ann Gora. Her cameraman, Jonny K., was downstairs in the lobby nursing a goose egg on his forehead with the help of an ice pack and Al the chopper pilot.

"It was the strangest thing ever," Ann was saying, clearly sounding spooked. "I mean, I remember Harley Street could be a little flirtatious when he was normal, but..."

She trailed off uncertainly.

"Believe me, Ann," Callie said as she finished getting her shoe on, "I know what it's like having a crazy villain creep on your like that." Apparently attracting weirdos ran it the Briggs family. She remembered looking up her ancestor, Queen Callista, after the Pastmaster kept calling her that. The resemblance had been uncanny... right down to the insane little gnome's obsessive quest to marry her.

"Well, I think after that, a good lie-down on my sofa at home is in order," Ann said, exhaling. "I'll see you later, Callie."

The said their goodbyes and Ann walked out. A broad-shouldered Enforcer sergeant she often saw accompanying Commander Feral walked in with her purse. Talon, Callie thought his name was.

"There you are, Deputy Mayor," he said. He held the purse out to her.

"Thank you, Sergeant," Callie said, taking it. She dug around inside and was distressed to find the communicator missing. "Sergeant?"

Turning to go, Sergeant Talon paused. "Yes, Ms. Briggs?"

"Is this..." she trailed off, choosing her words carefully, "...all that was in the purse? And around it on the floor, I mean?"

The Sergeant raised an eyebrow. He seemed confused by the question. "Um, well, yes, Ms. Briggs. I gathered everything up and put it in the purse." Concerned, he asked, "Is anything missing?"

"No. Well, I mean, yes, but..."

Talon smiled. "I'll have my men search this floor a little more thoroughly."

"No, that won't be necessary, Sergeant," Callie said, blushing a little. "It isn't important." Liar, she mentally kicked herself. "But if you do see it, it's a makeup compact. Kind of triangle-shaped." She made a triangle shape with her hands.

Sergeant Talon nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Something like this?" asked a deep voice from the hall.

They turned. Commander Feral's enormous frame filled the doorway. In one huge hand, he held the communicator. One of his fingers was dangerously near the button in the middle. Callie held her breath. Feral turned the object over in his hand as one would a silver dollar, then smiled and held it out to Callie.

"I found it over by a potted plant in the hall," he explained. "I hope it's what you're looking for, Ms. Briggs," he added.

Callie managed to take the communicator from him without her hand shaking. Did Feral know? No. If he did, he'd be arresting her right now, or at least dropping some very unsubtle hints that his long unvoiced suspicions about her collaboration with the SWAT Kats had been confirmed. Instead, the Commander's smile and his concern for Callie's personal belongings seemed completely genuine. Reassured, Callie smiled back, nodding her gratitude to the taller kat.

"Thank you very much, Commander," she said.

Feral nodded and immediately returned to gruff Enforcer mode, as he exited the lab, followed by Talon. In the hallway, he encountered his niece, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She hadn't wanted to go into the lab where the rookie she'd been given charge off was currently imprisoned and slobbering all over the glass door of his cell. Feral didn't blame her, and, as she opened her mouth to say something, he cut her off, doing his best to reassure her in his own gruff manner.

"It wasn't your fault, Lieutenant. Corporal Taylor should've obeyed your orders and remained in the vehicle."

Felina closed her mouth. It was true. And yet... Gray had nevertheless been her responsibility. "I just can't help but feel responsible..." she admitted after a moment's silence.

"As his commanding officer, that's entirely understandable." Warm sympathy flowed from Feral's words. His surrounding subordinates were seeing a gentler side of their Commander that usually only Felina saw when the two were off duty. Turning serious again, Feral started to say, "But at the end of the day-"

A walkie-talkie attached to Sergeant Talon's belt squawked. He unclipped it. "Talon here," he said into it.

Feral and Felina heard indistinct chatter on the other end. Sergeant Talon's eyes widened and he turned to his two superiors.

"Commander, we need to get down to Headquarters. There's an... interesting situation developing."

"Well?" Feral asked. "What is it?"

"It's Dr. Viper sir," Talon said flatly, his face a mask of detached professionalism once again after he'd recovered from his initial surprise. "Apparently he wants to surrender himself."

In the Dead Forest, the ground rumbled, sending ripples through the scummy water. Scrawny-looking swamp birds screeched and took off. Alligators hissed in annoyance, slithering away. The source of the tremor was Dr. Viper's lair. The towering tree quaked ominously. From the root-entangled base there was a sudden eruption as a group of giant mutated grub worms burst forth through the rotten, moss-covered bark surface, creations of Dr. Street utilizing the mixture of Super-Katalyst 666 and other chemicals mixed for him by his former accomplice Viper to mutate some swamp vermin.

They were about fifty feet long in length, pale white, covered sickening-looking pustules. Their heads were tiny in comparison to their big, sluglike bodies, their most noticeable facial features being big, Ci-Kat-A-like green compound eyes and their mouths, which consisted of thin, spoutlike proboscises surrounded and protected by big serrated mandibles like those of an ant. The eyes were a clear sign that they were under Ci-Kat-A control... more specifically Dr. Harley Street's control. Or at least the creature who had once been Harley Srteet.

They dragged their heaving, pulsing bulks along through the mucky, muddy water using four thickly-muscled black jointed legs ending in wickedly-clawed hands with opposable thumbs, and headed off through the Dead Forest towards the more lush and verdant expanse of Megakat Swamp... and the very distant skyline of Megakat City several miles outside of the swamp, just visible in the polluted, misty haze.

Following after them, making sickly buzzing sounds, were the three "Venus Trap Flies" Viper had unintentionally created earlier. A very satisfied-looking Dr. Street walked out of the big hole the worms had created. In one hand he held a stoppered flask of the mixture Viper had unwittingly created for him, the vile brew he'd used to create the big grubs. Behind, his ten companions lingered excitedly.

Murdoch convulsed and stepped forward a bit, bending over, and with a "rrrrrip," alien bug wings sprouted through the black of his prison-issue shirt. The pointed tips of mandibles had already begun to emerge from the corners of the former convict's mouth. Street nodded in approval.

"Now begins a new dawn for us," Street said.

He addressed nine of the other ten Ci-Kat-A and pointed after the departing grubs.

"Go! Accompany them! Find the greatest concentration of pitiful Earth vermin and wreak havoc!"

There were affirmative buzzes. The Ci-Kat-A took off, rushing off after the grubs and Venus Trap Flies. Once again, those capable of flight carried those who couldn't yet.

Street turned to Murdoch. "You'll accompany me now that you can fly. While they keep the Enforcers and the SWAT Kats preoccupied, you and I will pursue our TRUE objective."

Street flew off. Murdoch flapped his new wings a few times, then flew off after his leader.

"I'm ready for our 'private interview,' Ms. Gora!" Street said, giving a buzzing cackle.

A line of Enforcer cruisers, with Feral's in the lead, pulled around the corner. Following them was an ambulance carrying Gray Taylor strapped to a gurney inside. The convoy stopped at a most unusual sight. Commandos in front of Enforcer Headquarters surrounded Dr. Viper and that half-kat, half-mushroom creature of his, who'd emerged from the sewer in front of the building. The open manhole cover was visible behind them. Viper had his arms raised, palms turned towards the sky in a gesture of surrender.

Commander Feral and Felina got out of the lead car and walked over. "What's going on here?" Feral demanded.

The lead commando turned and tried to explain things. "I dunno, sir! He and that... that thing of his just popped out of the sewer suddenly!"

"And...?" Feral asked.

"And that's it," said the commando with a shrug. "They haven't moved since-"

Seeing Feral, Viper turned. "Commander Feral!" he called, cutting the lead commando off. His sudden movement made all the Enforcers surrounding him and the mushroom monster jump back. "I have to ssspeak with you!"

"The only thing I'm willing to discuss with you, Viper, is which prison cell you'll find most accommodating before the D.A. can set your trial date!" Feral said, reaching inside his greatcoat and pulling his laser pistol.

"Wait!" Viper pleaded, sounding uncharacteristically desperate. "It'sss very important! It'sss about the fate of everyone in Megakat City! Including me!"

Feral blinked, looking at Felina, then turned back to Viper.

"All right, scuzz bucket," he said finally. "I'm listening. But I warn you. No tricks." He leveled the blaster right between the mutated scientist's eyes. "Or I'll shoot you where you stand."

Viper simply smirked.