Another Day, Another Dog Star Mission
The city of Metropolis was never one to be still, whether it was the hustle of people going across the street, the traffic lanes piled up with cars, or the regular instances of someone trying to disturb the peace, from the simple thief to the intergalactic threat from above.
This was the case for the current events as the Dog Star Patrol were once again tangled in another bout with one of their most recurring foes; Mechanikat. Interestingly enough, this was one of the few occasions where the cybernetic feline had taken matters into his own hands to face the patrol directly, though it was safe to say that hadn't done him much luck as he was currently in the process of making a tactical retreat.
"Give up, Mechanikat, you're surrounded!" Krypto announced from above.
"Oh, me? Surrender? Of course, I'll do that and become an elephant!" The green cyborg called back as he shot a laser at the white canine.
"Puns don't really suit, do they?" Streaky teased before having to duck as a blast was then shot at him. "Hey, I'm flyin' here!" The orange cat had to do a double check to avoid colliding with an approaching building and swerved just in time.
"At least it was a near hit this time."
Mechanikat huffed as he made way for the closest alley, just before the other members of the patrol got there first. As soon as they did, it came as a shock to find no one there.
"Alright, wise guy, show ya'self, you know you can't hide in here forever", Hot Dog scowled as his eyes darted from left to right.
"Hold on, I got this", Mammoth Mutt said confidently as she inflated her body into a giant sphere, right in between two dumpsters. Much to her surprise, and the others, Mechanikat burst out from one of the bins before Mammoth had the chance to corner him.
"You know, probably not the best idea to announce what you're doing where someone can hear", the cybernetic feline smirked as he hovered above the stunned patrol.
"Same can be said for standin' in one place fer too long", Tail Terrier called out as he ringed his tail to try and lasso Mechanikat, but he managed to dodge the impending rope, "well, shoot."
"Is that the best you've got?" Mechnanikat taunted with a yawn. "You lot stop my latest plan, and yet you still can't catch me."
Just as Mechanikat finished his sentence, something wrapped around him from behind and pulled him to the ground with a thud. Everyone looked up to see Ace climbing down from the top of a building.
"I don't like villains who talk too much", Ace murmured in his usual stoic manner, "guess the patrol needed my help once again."
"Well, when it comes to the element of surprise, you do deliver", Krypto praised.
Tusky revved his tooth and put it to the ground for a large crack to form, causing Mechanikat to fall several inches below. "Got him!" The husky cried out.
"So, you about ready to give up?" Streaky quizzed to the still tangled cyborg, "Or am I gonna have to do a little short circuiting?"
"You won't do it, just like a lot of things", Mechanikat sneered, using whatever mobility he had in his arms to try and cut his bondage.
"Excuse me, what's that supposed to mean?" Streaky quizzed with a brow raised.
"Well, this one goes for you and the rest of the patrol; opening your eyes", Mechanikat replied cryptically, just as a carrier was landing from above.
"Long time no see, Dumb Star Patrol", came the shrill voice of Snooky Wookums. The small blue kitten pressed a button on the control panel and suddenly, everything was covered in a thick blanket of smoke. When it was clear, Mechanikat had disappeared, much to the patrol's shock.
"You may have won the day, but rest assured, it's only a matter of time before you all bow down to me as master", Mechanikat announced smugly from inside the carrier. Krypto and Streaky began to fly up to catch the vessel, but slowed down to a standstill as they saw it go higher and higher and eventually disappear.
"Yeah, you run away, pussycat, merow, merow!" Hot Dog shouted, jumping up slightly.
"Oh, leave it be, HD, he can't hear you", said Tusky, "at least we got rid of those toys."
"Mind control pet toys, that's a new one on me", Mammoth remarked, "and I thought Krypto thinking he was a cat was something."
"Hehehe, yeeeeeeah, that…" Krypto blushed, rubbing the back of his head, "I don't think I've ever eaten so much tuna in my life…"
"I will say, that Catopia was some place", Streaky smiled, "sure, I knew I had to save the big man here, but if I had the opportunity to go back, I might take the chance."
"Oh, I'm sure it's paradise usin' a giant litter box for a pool", Hot Dog remarked, earning a few chuckles from the other members of the patrol.
"Um…yeah…" Streaky murmured awkwardly.
"Well, seeing as you're all occupied, I'll be on my way", Ace said as he turned to leave.
"Hey, wait, don't you wanna come back to the crib to hang out?" Krypto asked.
"I only visit when I think it's necessary", replied the Bathound as he leap up the building's ledges and disappeared.
"Not one fer small talk, is he?" Tail Terrier pondered.
"Hey, his loss, he's gonna miss out on a good roast", Hot Dog grinned as the patrol headed out from the alley.
Meanwhile, up in space, Mechanikat had retired to his quarters at the head of his ship, sitting down in his chair and looking into a mirror.
"I just don't understand, why does every plan I make to catch those annoying do-gooders fail, it can't be because of me, my genius, my precision, my flare…" Mechanikat purred dramatically as he leaned back.
"It's a mystery to me, sir", Snooky replied, rolling his eyes, "maybe it's just bad luck…broken any mirrors as of late?", he added cheekily.
"Don't be funny with me", Mechanikat scowled, "I've lost count as to how many times those Dog Star gaffs have slipped through my paws, those annoying mutts and their smug faces, that naive little ally shrieking like a banshee…what I wouldn't give to show them the true extent of my power…"
"Um, sir?" Snooky asked, but his cybernetic superior continued as if he weren't paying attention.
"Perhaps then, they would see…" Mechanikat murmured as he gazed into the mirror, stroking his face as he did so.
"Sir!" Snooky shouted, pushing the mirror down. This broke Mechanikat out of his zone.
"What the? Don't you know never to startle your superiors like that?" The green and grey feline chastised.
"Well, you were zoning out and I was trying to get your attention", Snooky retorted, "not to mention you've been doing this a lot of late, is there some issue I should be noted about?"
"Whatever it is, it's none of your concern, now, report to the laboratory and get me the details on my latest experiment", Mechanikat ordered with a wave of his hand.
"As you wish, sir", Snooky murmured as he walked out of the room, leaving his leader to go back to the mirror. The cyborg sighed as he gazed into his reflection.
"Look at you…have you ever seen such perfection…?" Mechanikat grinned as he returned to stroking his face. As he continued, his face morphed into something that wasn't his usual appearance, followed by the mirror cracking. The cybernetic feline gasped before looking back at the mirror, it was still intact and his face was still the way it looked.
"That couldn't…no, no, it wasn't, I just imagined it…" Mechanikat said, rather hastily. He was relieved that no one else had been in the room at the moment, but not for long as Snooky reentered.
"Okay, I've got the recent specs from Delilah, we're still in the stages of testing, but leaning more towards success", the blue kitten explained.
"Is that so? I'd like to see the progress that's been made", said Mechanikat, "would you escort me to the lab so that I may inspect?"
"Why couldn't you have just done that instead of making me go back and forth across the ship?" Snooky deadpanned.
"Leader business", Mechanikat replied simply, not taking much notice of the look of irritation on Snooky's face, "now, make haste."
Seeing that it was pointless to argue, Snooky sighed and escorted the taller feline to the lab where Delilah was tinkering with a large device.
"Oh, Mechanikat, I think you're gonna like this one", the creme feline smiled as she moved over to display the device. It was a large metallic blaster with a red switch that displayed a few settings, "it seems like your blueprint is paying off, from the recent test subjects, we've managed to get good results…" Delilah trailed off, "but…there's a catch…"
"And that would be?" Mechanikat quizzed, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I wasn't lying when I told Snooky that we've had success, it's just that we've not been able to guarantee a permanent solution", Delilah explained, "you see, we've only gotten temporary to work as a setting, standard and permanent look like they're going to need a bit more work."
"Let me see this…" Mechanikat said as he studied the interior of the device, examining the coding of certain wires. "Ah, here's the problem, the wires need to match their parallel, the color coding is only correct for temporary, but not to worry, I think we can sort this out with a little know-how from yours truly."
Snooky and Delilah gave each other a look as Mechanikat fiddled with the inner workings of the invention. At least, with a click, everything seemed to be in order.
"Ah, that should do it", the cyborg nodded in satisfaction, "now then, let's try this again, any subjects available to try this on?"
"If you just aim at this specimen, we should be able to figure the data from there", Delilah pointed to a large sheepdog that had his eyes covered by its bangs. It didn't seem to know where it was, but this didn't deter Mechanikat as he pointed at the unsuspecting canine.
"Just hold still…" The cybernetic feline murmured as he took aim and fired, resulting in a green laser striking the sheepdog. The once large mass of white fur was now slowly shifting up and down, until it turned its face towards Mechanikat.
"It…it works…" The cyborg murmured, waiting a few moments to see what would happen…the transformation didn't change, "it really works…hehe…it's a success!" The sound of a mewl only broadened Mechanikat's already present grin. "This might be my most successful plan yet…"
Back at the headquarters of the Dog Star Patrol, everyone had gathered in the common room where Hot Dog was amusing everyone with his antics.
"Mwahaha, lookit me, I'm Mechanikat, I shall rule the world and make everyone my slaves, blah, blah, blah", the Daschund mimicked in the feline's posh accent.
"Okay, that is exactly what he sounds like", Mammoth chuckled, "let me do one; 'hewwo, I'm Snooky Wookums, I'm a wittle blue devil who kisses up to people bigger than me."
"Oh, oh, oh, lemme give it a shot, ahem, 'heeeeeeey, Bathound', wanna go have some…fish with me?'", Streaky said in an attempt at a seductive tone to mimic Isis.
"Ehhhhhhh, close enough", said Tusky, trying to sound supportive, but failing to hide the awkward tone in his voice.
"Meh, it's the scratchy voice that's throwing me off", Hot Dog quipped.
"This is my normal voice though", retorted Streaky.
"Well, that explains why it doesn't work", the red canine replied with a dismissive wave. Streaky rolled his eyes at the gesture.
"Ya' know, any of guys notice how we've been getting a lot of mind control cases as of late?" Krypto asked.
"Now that you mention it, I reckon a pattern's goin' on", Tail Terrier concurred.
"Heh, maybe the bad guys have finally run outta ideas", Hot Dog smirked, "guess that makes our job a whole lot easier."
"I wouldn't be so sure, you never know when someone might try and take you by surprise", Tusky said thoughtfully.
"Oh, come on, we've been doing this thing for ages now, we know most of these baddies' tricks to a tee", Hot Dog retorted, "I wouldn't be surprised if the next plan they come up with is stealing all the cows in the world. I mean, cats are predictable like that."
Streaky cleared this throat loudly. "Excuse me, but I'm a cat."
"Well, not you, just in general is what I mean", Hot Dog replied plainly, but Streaky wasn't satisfied.
"What do you mean 'in general'?", The Supercat retorted, "Am I too predictable for you?"
"Hey, I wasn't aimin' at you, I was just speaking from what I've seen", the Daschund rallied back, "no need to get defensive."
"I'm not being defensive, I just don't like being generalized like that", replied Streaky.
"Who said I was generalizing you? If I did that, I'd bring up how often you screw around on a mission", Hot Dog scowled.
"Um, HD, you're kinda projecting here", Tusky tried to warn, but the red canine didn't take notice.
"Oh yeah, well, how about I bring up the fact you've got a short temper?" Streaky retorted.
"Whoa, you do not wanna go there, Supercat", Hot Dog snarled, "I can let loose like a cannon."
"More like a wiener dog", Streaky huffed. Visible steam hissed from Hot Dog's ears upon hearing this.
"Whoooooa, hey, guys, why don't we all just settle down and…" Krypto tried to intervene, but Mammoth put a paw on his chest to stop talking.
"Shhshhshh, I'm bettin' on a catfight here, ten doggie biscuits says they start wrecking the room", the Chihuahua whispered.
"Twenty biscuits", Tail murmured to her left.
"Uh, thirty?" Tusky asked, not really sure what to do at the moment.
"Gee, thanks for bettin' on me, guys", Streaky said sarcastically, causing the three to sweatdrop.
"Hey, they were bettin' on me, too, so don't single yourself out", Hot Dog scowled.
"Whatever, I can't take this right now, I'm gonna get some fresh air", Streaky huffed as he turned to walk out of the room.
"Wait, hold on, surely we can talk this out, I mean, we're all friends here, aren't we?" said Krypto, trying to lighten the mood, but found his efforts did little good as Tusky shuffled awkwardly, Mammoth and Tail looked in opposite directions, and Hot Dog snorted as he went to go sit on a cushion.
"I take it that's a no…"
Streaky exited the base and hopped down onto the grass, walking along the greenery for a short while before looking back at the headquarters with a sigh.
"I know the feeling", came a familiar voice. Streaky had to doublecheck as suddenly Ace stood in front of him.
"Geez, do ya' have to scare people like that", Streaky scowled, but then sighed, "I'm sorry if I got huffy, I'm just…feelin' a little…put upon, per say."
"I've learned to tune out what other people think, since most of the time what they have to say doesn't matter", Ace said firmly.
"Don't you have that mindset for almost everyone?" Streaky quizzed.
"Maybe…" Ace replied bluntly, Streaky was surprised someone could be so despondent.
"Well, I guess what I'm tryna get at is…I feel like I…stick out, like I'm a chocolate chip in a bowl of whipped creme, if you get my meaning…" The orange cat replied.
"Hmph, just like how I was back when Krypto first brought me to the patrol…kinda stupid in hindsight given they accepted you with less haste than me", Ace murmured.
"Yeah, that's…weird…" Streaky concurred, "but even then, do you think I make much of a difference? Like a single cat in a group of dogs?"
"All depends on how you see it", Ace replied, "I prefer to work alone, so I've got no group to stand out from. But from what I've seen of you…not bad from what I've seen. Even when we first teamed up."
"Oh, yeah, that was a wild time", Streaky cracked a small smile, "heh, I was like a fanboy, makes me wish I could be like that now, would certainly get me in a better mood"
"The way I see it, there's nothing wrong with you, everyone's got their part to play, and you're doing yours", said Ace, "I'm not usually one for pep talks, but I figured I might be of some use to you, even if it won't do much."
"Well…I appreciate you talking to me, seems like we don't do it enough", Streaky smiled, "that is, of course, if you're willing to."
"We'll see about that. Anyways, I gotta be off, my sense detect a pair of morons about to steal another collection from the museum", the Bathound replied before darting off into the distance. Streaky was about to question Ace's "senses" when he looked up at the sky to notice the Bathound signal up in the air.
"I guess that explains that", Streaky murmured to himself. He looked back up at the evening sky, it was a lovely shade of orange mixed with pink, a few clouds over the horizon. The scene felt calming and serene for Streaky as he took in a breath and let it out, content at the chance to relax before he headed home.
"Hey, uh, Streaky?" Krypto's voice came from behind the supercat as he noticed the white Labrador Retriever coming towards him. "Look, about what happened earlier-"
"No, it's fine, K-Dog", Streaky replied simply, "I probably overreacted in there."
"Oh…well, if that's how you feel, I guess we can put it behind us", Krypto said with a smile.
"Yeah, we can…" Streaky murmured, "I'm just about to head home for the day, been busy after all."
"Oh yeah, I'll be doing the same, catch you later then", Krypto replied as he took off into the sky, leaving Streaky alone once more. He looked towards the canine's disappearing figure, then looked back at the sunset, before taking to the skies himself and making his way home.