Disclaimer: I don't own Swat Kats, just my humble originals.
A/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. I'm really glad that you liked it and I appreciated the encouragement. As to the guesses as to what the speaker is, the 3 of you got it right. The speaker is a creepling who, naturally, isn't a normal one.
Chapter 1: Consequences begin
As I watched the scene outside my cage, I began to realize what a twisted sense of humor that I can have at times. I'm not really a cruel person by nature, even when one considers the kind of species I come from. Which is one quality that definitely sets me apart. Since most of my kind cause misery for others whenever they can.
I'm not as into that as the others. I guess that's because I'm what one considers a milder mannered member of the creepling species. A truly rare thing after considering how rowdy and cruel creeplings can be.
But there are still certain people that whose lives I still like to make miserable whenever possible. Especially those that enjoy making my own days an endless stream of frustrations and never consider that I might actually try to get revenge on them for it.
Which was what happened now as I continued to watch the kat that I have fondly come to call Fishbreath again being chewed out by my Master. It was a scene that brought no pity from me and never will. Fishbreath had brought this whole thing upon himself and he can just get used to it as far as I'm concerned. For once again Fishbreath had brought Master's wrath down on his head by doing something stupid. Namely by hurting me, the only thing that kept this project going and Master from skinning Fishbreath and his cohorts alive.
I winced a little as I remembered just what old Fishbreath had done to me today. This time, it had been another major shock treatment. It had ended with up getting a torn wing membrane and a limp in my right foot that was probably going to last a couple of days. It wasn't the worst that I had suffered since coming under Fishbreath's care, but it wasn't the easiest that I had endured either.
Either way, it was still enough to get Master mad at Fishbreath. When he had placed my 'education' in Fishbreath's hands, his orders had been very specific. If it was necessary to teach me something or to make me obey orders, then a little pain was all right. But it was crossing the line when I came to physical harm and marks were left behind.
Master often said that he had invested too much into this project to allow it to be brought to a halt because I was hurt from Fishbreath's excessive use of force. Exactly what the 'project' is, I'm not entirely certain. No one's ever bothered to explain the details to me. All I know about it is that I'm a very important part and that I'm needed for its continuation.
And being so important means I have to stay in relatively one piece. Hence why my Master was so upset right now. He didn't want whatever he had been working at for so long to be in vain because of the bungling of some science geek.
At the present though, the science geek known as Fishbreath is able to do much bungling. I mean, it's kinda hard to do anything when you're choking from lack of air. The cause of which was none other than Master.
He had his paw wrapped around Dr. Felinous', old Fishbreath's given name, neck and was slowly squeezing so that the air supply was cut off to the smaller kat. It was this that kept the good Fishbreath from answering right away. But it didn't really seem to matter to Master. He seemed to be enjoying what he was doing even when he wanted answers.
As far as I was concerned, Master could take all the time he wanted in getting Fishbreath to answer him. I was in no hurry for this to end. It was fun watching the good doctor squirm for a change. Usually, that role fell to me whenever I was forced to endure one of Fishbreath's 'tests'.
If one can call such nonsense tests. Personally, I think it's just a way for Fishbreath to make me suffer and humiliate me at the same time. In each one, he was tested me on a variety of things like reflexes, problem solving skills, following orders, and so on.
For the most part, I can do any one of these things in my sleep. My reflexes were sharp to begin with and what I've been put through has only made them better. I can breeze through any course that old Fishbreath can put me through. Problem solving is just about the same.
Give me just about any puzzle a kat can think of and with a little time, I can solve it with no trouble. Of course, I do that sort of thing whether or not Fishbreath is testing me. Like the times when the lab is empty and I break out of my cage. When I do that, I decode the lock and then leave so that I can explore the compound beyond the lab. One of my favorite pastimes and one that isn't very hard to do in the first place.
The lock used to seal my cage is a simple electronic one that could be opened by a numerical code. The lock itself is on the other side of the door with the numbers out of my sight. For most people, this might present a problem. After all, how can one use a number code if they can't even see the numbers?
The answer to that is simple. The trick is to remember that the numbers are arranged in rows of threes. Starting with a one located on what is the upper left corner to whoever is opening the lock, it goes down to a nine that is located on the lower right corner of the lock. By keeping this in mind, I watch where the scientist opening my cage places their fingers and try to picture just what number is in that area.
After being sure that I have the code memorized, I wait until the lab is completely empty and then I attempt to open the lock on my own. My first few tries met with failure, naturally, but I eventually got the hang of it. Once I had, I was out of my cage in no time and off exploring whatever doors I could open.
Needless to say, I'm always caught by someone and returned to my cage in the end. But that doesn't matter. I know that sooner or later, no matter how much they change the code, I'll be out again and gaining just a small measure of freedom that has come to mean a great deal to me.
That sort of attitude doesn't really play very well into the category of following orders. One order is that I'm supposed to stay in my cage unless I was being taken out for testing or for a medical examination. Of course, those orders only come from Fishbreath and as far as I'm concerned, no matter what he does to me, not everything he says matters.
Now if the instructions come from Master or someone else is directing me, like Furston or Bristles, I'll follow those without fail. These come from people I either respect or don't have a bone against. So I can follow orders without any problem either, which means that I can handle those stupid tests without any trouble. But that doesn't mean I have to like them.
Because these aren't the only things that I have to deal with when Fishbreath and the others put me through the rounds. There are other things that I have to deal with besides what I need to do. For instance, during all the testing, wireless electronic tags are placed on certain parts of my body. These are about the size of quarters and are used to help keep control over me. By control, I mean by using electrical shocks to make me obey whatever instructions were being yelled at me via the intercom system.
Since I normally obey when I'm put into training, there really isn't much need for the shocks. Their use should be irregular if at all since I try to follow those things to the letter. Fishbreath however, doesn't see things as I do.
He thinks that the shocks should be used every time I go through his tests. To him, if my reaction time is too slow or I'm not acting up to my full potential, then it means I have to be shocked. The more times this happens, the more intense and prolonged my shocks become and the more pain that I feel.
That had more or less been the case this time around. I had been plugged into the VR system used to test my reflexes in battle. The VR or virtual reality system is a holographic chamber created as a way of going into battle without actually having to find enemies. Sort of like a training camp, only electronically done in one room and a pair of goggles that show me what I need to see.
The targets inside the system are usually kats dressed in uniforms that I used to identify them as Enforcers and these I was to take down with all speed. Most of the targets I took down without any trouble. All I did was pick out where they were located and then attack. Attacking was done either by use of a weapon I was supplied with, like a small tazer, or directly. I prefer to do it directly, since that means I don't have to rely on a technology that could break when I'm right in the middle of something.
Today, that might have proven to be a bad idea. Having that annoying little toy gun's radarscope might have helped me to pick out the one target that missed during the session. The holographic Enforcer had been hidden behind a parked bus that I hadn't been paying attention to.
Up to that point, I had been certain that I had gotten all the targets and that I would soon be released from the VR training. The release never came. Instead, I felt a shock tearing through my wings and feet as Fishbreath started shouting at me that I had missed one. Because I had been careless and not checked my work to be sure I had completed everything, I had to be punished. The punishment, like always, were those stupid electric shocks that soon had me screeching at the top of my lungs as I tried to rip off the source.
How long I acted like that, I'm not sure. My shrieks of pain had fallen on deaf ears until one of the other scientists decided that enough was enough. Even though she knew that it would get her in trouble with Fishbreath, she had made a grab for the remote in his paw and tried to get it away from him. Naturally, he had retaliated and tried to keep his peer away from his prize.
How long they kept the confrontation up, I'll never know. I was still too caught up in my own pain to notice anything else. All I know is that it only stopped when Master entered the lab and saw what was going on for himself. After that, everything became a blur until I was returned to the relative safety of my cage.
I know that the pain stopped and that someone had pulled me out of the VR chamber for medical treatment. From the way the bandaging wrapped, my guess that someone had been a scientist named Randolph Bristles. He's the only kat I know that ties off his bandages with an 'X' formation over the top and the only one I know that's brave enough to handle a creepling when they're thrashing about in pain.
It took me a little while to clear my mind enough where I could make sense of the world again. By the time I had, as mentioned before, I was back in my cage with a bandage wrapped around my foot and patch tape to my wing. And it was about that time I managed to get a front row seat to seeing my former tormentor now feeling pain like I had just been through.
"Now tell me again, Dr. Felinous. Why have you disobeyed my orders and harmed my creepling?" Master rumbled.
"#3 w-wasn't responding t-to the trea-atment that-t we were us-sing," Felinous choked," Increasing the volta-age was the only way we could make it obe-ey the com-mmands."
Master listened to words that only made him tighten his grip on Fishbreath's throat. He probably knew that that was a lie. But even if it had been true, he really didn't seem to care why Fishbreath had done what he had. All that mattered to him was that his orders had been disobeyed and that the one he was slowly suffocating hadn't seemed to care about that little fact.
"Remember this, Dr. Felinous, because I am not going to repeat myself," Master growled," My patience with your disregard for my orders is steadily growing thin. I have tolerated it until now because of the necessity of training my creepling. But I warn you, my patience with you will only continue so far. If you disobey me again, then you will just how unpleasant my disappointment can be. Do I make myself clear, Dr. Felinous?"
The only answer he received was a deep choking sound from Fishbreath. He was still struggling to get free of Master's grasp, but not as much as before. Now, his struggles could be seen as little more than a slight squirming that was just enough to keep him breath and barely conscious.
Master's eyes closed to mere slits as he watched his prey a moment longer. What he was thinking could be anyone's guess. But it was obvious that he was starting to grow tired of all this. He eventually released his grip and allowed the smaller kat to drop to the floor. He landed in a heap at Master's feet, where he lay gasping and choking for air. He stayed there for several seconds, with Master staring down at him in complete disgust.
When he had his fill of the sight, Master turned away and ordered," Get him out of my sight and give him what he deserves."
Excited chattering filled the room after that as a dozen or so of my kin bounded into sight. I felt a pang of unwanted regret as I watched them surround Fishbreath and take hold of his arms and legs. It was the first time that I had seen any of my own kind in several days and right now, I wanted nothing more than to be among them.
Watching as they started to drag Fishbreath out of the lab, I knew that that wasn't possible. For one, I knew that no one would let me out of my cage this soon after being injured. I would have to recover before that was allowed to happen.
Plus, I knew that none of the other creeplings would want me around anyway. Since I was brought to the lab and changed into what I am now, they have all decided to shun me. Why, I really don't know. I just know that to them, I was an outsider that was meant to be ignored or punished as Master dictated.
Knowing that hurts me more than I like to admit but I try to deal with it because I know I can't change it. If the others want to ignore me, then that's their choice. Something I know that Fishbreath might be wishing was happening to him as the creeplings continued to drag him out of the lab.
Fishbreath never really reacted until he was nearly pulled out the door. And by then, it was really too late for him to do anything. He tried to get away from the other creeplings as best he could. But they refused to let go and continued to drag him out to whatever fate awaited him beyond the lab doors.
I watched the whole thing with a mixture of relief, amusement and stoicism. For me, Fishbreath's removal meant that my life would go a little easier for awhile. With him gone, it meant that his assistant, Dr. Emily Furston, would be in charge of the lab and its contents. To me, that was really a boon, since Furston was the only kat out of all the scientists that I actually like.
Furston was nothing like old Fishbreath. She was actually very nice, for a kat, and took the time to consider an outcome or reaction before she did anything. And that included how to treat me during testing. She knew how important I was to Master's project and that he expected me to be kept alive and well. So she never did anything that would cause me great harm or that might ruin the project.
I think it was an attitude like that that's kept Furston alive this long. She knows what limits to surrender to and how best to treat those that she has to work with. Not like certain jerks that think that they have the right to walk all over everyone else just to make themselves feel good.
The same certain jerk that would eventually return to the lab like he always did after one of Master's punishments. But that wasn't going to be for several days at least, since whatever Master did was most definitely going to leave Fishbreath hurting for that long. Lucky for him, that was as far as it would ever go.
As Fishbreath acted with me, extreme pain was the best tool that Master had in teaching his underlings the consequences of disobedience. No matter how one of his science lackeys acted, Master wouldn't outright kill them. Not while he needed them anyway. It was hard to find kats of such expertise like the ones he had already gathered and he wasn't about to waste resources that couldn't be spared. For the time being anyhow.
"I trust that there will be no further problems this evening. I do not wish to be interrupted by something like this again," Master eventually said once the sounds of creepling chatter and kat protests had died down.
The remaining scientists nodded mutely to Master's words. They knew better than to do anything else. If they provoked Dark Kat's already rising agitation, then they that they would be joining Fishbreath in whatever the other creeplings did to him. That was why no one had protested during the interrogation, because they knew what would happen.
"I will leave you to your work then," Master said as he turned to leave.
Before he left, Master stopped by my cage and peered inside. He did that almost every time he can into the lab. I suppose it was so he could see just what he was putting so much effort into and to see if I was worth it.
Naturally, I always felt a sense of pride and confusion whenever Master did that. Pride because it meant that I was actually worth something to him and confusion because I had to no idea why I should mean so much. I mean, before all this started, he had never paid attention to me. I was just another face in the crowd, only good for something when it was time to do whatever task he had planned. Then I was just supposed to do my job and hope that it had been done right. I knew that if I didn't, I might get punished with an absent lash of Master's cane or by the others if they decided to gang up on me.
Now though, he never does anything that might hurt me. Sure he might yell at me if I do something to displease him. He does that to everyone, be they creepling or scientist. But he never tries to hit me anymore or make me feel pain unless it's in the lab and to teach me something.
Now I suppose that sort of attitude can be seen in one of two ways. Either he just wants to protect the major investment of resources and time he seems to have placed in me or maybe, just maybe, Master might actually have a soft spot for me since I'm different from the others. Personally though, I think it's most likely the former option as there's nothing about my Master that I know which might support the second.
After all, never in my life have I heard of someone accusing my Master of having a soft side of any kind. Enemies and allies alike know that he not the nicest person to deal with even in his best moods. If anyone crosses him, no matter how slightly, it's certain that their fate will be most unpleasant.
Now though, there was no trace of vengeance on Master's face. There was still some anger from when he had dealt with Fishbreath, but that was to be expected. It takes time for someone to take on a different emotion once anger had set it, even Master. So I really didn't give as much thought to that as to what I was sensing coming from within Master.
Sensing emotions is a given for us creeplings. It's how we survive in the kind of life that we lead in Master's service. In our lives, danger is a constant that can't be ignored. We have to be prepared for whatever might come our way, even death.
What I sensed now though was not a threat. It was actually a bit calming when I considered it, but at the same time, it wasn't very friendly either. I just knew that it was an alien feeling that Master never really shows around anyone, even the creeplings.
Slowly, he lifted one paw from his side and presented it to me as he opened it to reveal him palm. Curious, I leaned towards the bars of my cage to see just what he was showing me. He held something in his palm that I identified as food from the scent. To be exact, it was a small biscuit that smelled of raw tuna and a mixture of milk and fish oils. It was just the type of thing to get any creepling drooling with just a single whiff. For us, it's a rare treat that makes a welcome change from our usual diet of raw various meats and other tidbits that Master feeds us.
I was really no exception to this as I felt my stomach growling already despite the fact that I had already eaten earlier. I knew that with Master being as close as he was, he was able to hear. Inwardly, that was a little embarrassing for me.
Around Master, I tried to show that I had at least some measure of control over myself. For the most part, I manage to pull off this image. I keep a tight hold on my temper and try to follow the directions given to me with a minimal amount of fuss.
Every so often though, I do slip up. Like now, as my stomach started growling and rumbling at the smell of that biscuit. There was no way of telling what that kind of information that was sending to Master.
"You want this then, don't you?" Master asked.
I nodded slowly in answer. This brought a low chuckle from Master as he extended his paw and the biscuit it held closer. That was a clear enough signal to me that he intended for me to have the biscuit, whether I truly was hungry or not.
Knowing better than to refuse, I reached through the cage bars for the biscuit. I took it gingerly with both my paws, sniffing it curiously as I tried to decide whether to eat it now or save it for later. I knew that for my Master, that was indeed a curious sight. Usually, we creeplings gobbled down any food we were given. We never really gave any thought as to whether it was meant to be eaten right away or not.
Since being brought here however, my mannerism towards food and many other things in life has changed. Where I might have once wolfed down everything edible in a heartbeat, now I'm more careful. I take the time to examine my food, to see if it might be spoiled or have sleeping pills hidden inside, and decide just what I would do with it.
Now was no exception, as I looked the biscuit over. I was starting to get hungry thanks to that enticing smell, but I didn't eat it right away. Instead, I nibbled a little, just to see how fresh it was. To my delight, it tasted like it had only been made within the last few days. For me, this was indeed a rare treat. The food that I usually received from Master or the scientists either tasted stale or bland. It never had this type of freshness to it.
Knowing for certain that I would save this for later, I looked back up at Master. He was still watching me like before. His expression still seemed a little surprise from how I was acting, but otherwise, it was the same as always. And that was something caught between looking thoughtful and scheming.
For me, it was a sign that he had decided to regain his composure after that scene with Dr. Fishbreath. He probably felt that he had wasted enough effort on his underling and that it was just time to focus on other things. Which gave me a chance to regain what I felt was lost face with Master.
Just to show that I was grateful for the generosity he had shown me, I flicked my ears twice and croaked something to my Master in creepling. It was a harsh sound that another might have mistaken for a threat or the gasping breaths of a dying creature. But being as familiar as he was with the creepling language, Master knew what I was trying to say.
He nodded once, so I knew that he was satisfied with my thanks. He withdrew his paw after that and he simply watched me. I made no objection to him doing that, since I had another task to handle before I did anything else. Which was putting my treat away until I decided the best time to eat it.
Turning my attention away from Master, I looked at the one place I felt safe stowing anything. It was one specific corner of my cage that I had set up as my personal space. That one spot contained my food and water dishes and an old blanket that I used to sleep on at night.
Careful of my sore foot, I made my way over to this part of the cage. The food dish was empty, since no one had bothered to refill it from this morning and the water dish was only about half full. I ignored both as I lifted part of my blanket and stuffed the biscuit underneath. I knew it would be safe there until later.
Once I had done that, I turned back around to find that Master was still there. The surprise that had once been there had already faded away and only what was normal remained. Just another sign that he was just getting on with however he spent his day I suppose.
"I'm expecting great things from you, my little creepling," Master said quietly," Do not disappoint me."
With that he left, leaving me feeling both shaken and confused while a slight sense of pride come over me. Shaken because I wasn't used to him watching me so intently and confused because I had no idea what he was talking about when he spoke like that. Pride came from the fact that I was actually getting attention from Master and that he had an interest in what happened to me.
I already knew that this was something that was going to occupy my thoughts for some time to come. Not a bad thing in a way, I guess. I mean, when I'm not being tested in the lab or walking around the compound during an escape, I'm usually left alone in my cage. The only to do then is think. Now I know that's something I'm going to be doing for awhile.
A/N: That's the end of this chapter. I know that it really didn't cover the background on what happened to #3, but I promise I'll be getting to that in the next chapter. I just wanted to get a few things down before I revealed anything major.
Also, I'm going to need a beta reader for this story. None of the ones that I have right now know too much about Swat Kats and it would help me if I had one who did. So if there's anyone who wants to try, please let me know and we'll see how it works. Until then, thanks to everyone for reading and I'll try to have another chapter out soon.
A/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. I'm really glad that you liked it and I appreciated the encouragement. As to the guesses as to what the speaker is, the 3 of you got it right. The speaker is a creepling who, naturally, isn't a normal one.
Chapter 1: Consequences begin
As I watched the scene outside my cage, I began to realize what a twisted sense of humor that I can have at times. I'm not really a cruel person by nature, even when one considers the kind of species I come from. Which is one quality that definitely sets me apart. Since most of my kind cause misery for others whenever they can.
I'm not as into that as the others. I guess that's because I'm what one considers a milder mannered member of the creepling species. A truly rare thing after considering how rowdy and cruel creeplings can be.
But there are still certain people that whose lives I still like to make miserable whenever possible. Especially those that enjoy making my own days an endless stream of frustrations and never consider that I might actually try to get revenge on them for it.
Which was what happened now as I continued to watch the kat that I have fondly come to call Fishbreath again being chewed out by my Master. It was a scene that brought no pity from me and never will. Fishbreath had brought this whole thing upon himself and he can just get used to it as far as I'm concerned. For once again Fishbreath had brought Master's wrath down on his head by doing something stupid. Namely by hurting me, the only thing that kept this project going and Master from skinning Fishbreath and his cohorts alive.
I winced a little as I remembered just what old Fishbreath had done to me today. This time, it had been another major shock treatment. It had ended with up getting a torn wing membrane and a limp in my right foot that was probably going to last a couple of days. It wasn't the worst that I had suffered since coming under Fishbreath's care, but it wasn't the easiest that I had endured either.
Either way, it was still enough to get Master mad at Fishbreath. When he had placed my 'education' in Fishbreath's hands, his orders had been very specific. If it was necessary to teach me something or to make me obey orders, then a little pain was all right. But it was crossing the line when I came to physical harm and marks were left behind.
Master often said that he had invested too much into this project to allow it to be brought to a halt because I was hurt from Fishbreath's excessive use of force. Exactly what the 'project' is, I'm not entirely certain. No one's ever bothered to explain the details to me. All I know about it is that I'm a very important part and that I'm needed for its continuation.
And being so important means I have to stay in relatively one piece. Hence why my Master was so upset right now. He didn't want whatever he had been working at for so long to be in vain because of the bungling of some science geek.
At the present though, the science geek known as Fishbreath is able to do much bungling. I mean, it's kinda hard to do anything when you're choking from lack of air. The cause of which was none other than Master.
He had his paw wrapped around Dr. Felinous', old Fishbreath's given name, neck and was slowly squeezing so that the air supply was cut off to the smaller kat. It was this that kept the good Fishbreath from answering right away. But it didn't really seem to matter to Master. He seemed to be enjoying what he was doing even when he wanted answers.
As far as I was concerned, Master could take all the time he wanted in getting Fishbreath to answer him. I was in no hurry for this to end. It was fun watching the good doctor squirm for a change. Usually, that role fell to me whenever I was forced to endure one of Fishbreath's 'tests'.
If one can call such nonsense tests. Personally, I think it's just a way for Fishbreath to make me suffer and humiliate me at the same time. In each one, he was tested me on a variety of things like reflexes, problem solving skills, following orders, and so on.
For the most part, I can do any one of these things in my sleep. My reflexes were sharp to begin with and what I've been put through has only made them better. I can breeze through any course that old Fishbreath can put me through. Problem solving is just about the same.
Give me just about any puzzle a kat can think of and with a little time, I can solve it with no trouble. Of course, I do that sort of thing whether or not Fishbreath is testing me. Like the times when the lab is empty and I break out of my cage. When I do that, I decode the lock and then leave so that I can explore the compound beyond the lab. One of my favorite pastimes and one that isn't very hard to do in the first place.
The lock used to seal my cage is a simple electronic one that could be opened by a numerical code. The lock itself is on the other side of the door with the numbers out of my sight. For most people, this might present a problem. After all, how can one use a number code if they can't even see the numbers?
The answer to that is simple. The trick is to remember that the numbers are arranged in rows of threes. Starting with a one located on what is the upper left corner to whoever is opening the lock, it goes down to a nine that is located on the lower right corner of the lock. By keeping this in mind, I watch where the scientist opening my cage places their fingers and try to picture just what number is in that area.
After being sure that I have the code memorized, I wait until the lab is completely empty and then I attempt to open the lock on my own. My first few tries met with failure, naturally, but I eventually got the hang of it. Once I had, I was out of my cage in no time and off exploring whatever doors I could open.
Needless to say, I'm always caught by someone and returned to my cage in the end. But that doesn't matter. I know that sooner or later, no matter how much they change the code, I'll be out again and gaining just a small measure of freedom that has come to mean a great deal to me.
That sort of attitude doesn't really play very well into the category of following orders. One order is that I'm supposed to stay in my cage unless I was being taken out for testing or for a medical examination. Of course, those orders only come from Fishbreath and as far as I'm concerned, no matter what he does to me, not everything he says matters.
Now if the instructions come from Master or someone else is directing me, like Furston or Bristles, I'll follow those without fail. These come from people I either respect or don't have a bone against. So I can follow orders without any problem either, which means that I can handle those stupid tests without any trouble. But that doesn't mean I have to like them.
Because these aren't the only things that I have to deal with when Fishbreath and the others put me through the rounds. There are other things that I have to deal with besides what I need to do. For instance, during all the testing, wireless electronic tags are placed on certain parts of my body. These are about the size of quarters and are used to help keep control over me. By control, I mean by using electrical shocks to make me obey whatever instructions were being yelled at me via the intercom system.
Since I normally obey when I'm put into training, there really isn't much need for the shocks. Their use should be irregular if at all since I try to follow those things to the letter. Fishbreath however, doesn't see things as I do.
He thinks that the shocks should be used every time I go through his tests. To him, if my reaction time is too slow or I'm not acting up to my full potential, then it means I have to be shocked. The more times this happens, the more intense and prolonged my shocks become and the more pain that I feel.
That had more or less been the case this time around. I had been plugged into the VR system used to test my reflexes in battle. The VR or virtual reality system is a holographic chamber created as a way of going into battle without actually having to find enemies. Sort of like a training camp, only electronically done in one room and a pair of goggles that show me what I need to see.
The targets inside the system are usually kats dressed in uniforms that I used to identify them as Enforcers and these I was to take down with all speed. Most of the targets I took down without any trouble. All I did was pick out where they were located and then attack. Attacking was done either by use of a weapon I was supplied with, like a small tazer, or directly. I prefer to do it directly, since that means I don't have to rely on a technology that could break when I'm right in the middle of something.
Today, that might have proven to be a bad idea. Having that annoying little toy gun's radarscope might have helped me to pick out the one target that missed during the session. The holographic Enforcer had been hidden behind a parked bus that I hadn't been paying attention to.
Up to that point, I had been certain that I had gotten all the targets and that I would soon be released from the VR training. The release never came. Instead, I felt a shock tearing through my wings and feet as Fishbreath started shouting at me that I had missed one. Because I had been careless and not checked my work to be sure I had completed everything, I had to be punished. The punishment, like always, were those stupid electric shocks that soon had me screeching at the top of my lungs as I tried to rip off the source.
How long I acted like that, I'm not sure. My shrieks of pain had fallen on deaf ears until one of the other scientists decided that enough was enough. Even though she knew that it would get her in trouble with Fishbreath, she had made a grab for the remote in his paw and tried to get it away from him. Naturally, he had retaliated and tried to keep his peer away from his prize.
How long they kept the confrontation up, I'll never know. I was still too caught up in my own pain to notice anything else. All I know is that it only stopped when Master entered the lab and saw what was going on for himself. After that, everything became a blur until I was returned to the relative safety of my cage.
I know that the pain stopped and that someone had pulled me out of the VR chamber for medical treatment. From the way the bandaging wrapped, my guess that someone had been a scientist named Randolph Bristles. He's the only kat I know that ties off his bandages with an 'X' formation over the top and the only one I know that's brave enough to handle a creepling when they're thrashing about in pain.
It took me a little while to clear my mind enough where I could make sense of the world again. By the time I had, as mentioned before, I was back in my cage with a bandage wrapped around my foot and patch tape to my wing. And it was about that time I managed to get a front row seat to seeing my former tormentor now feeling pain like I had just been through.
"Now tell me again, Dr. Felinous. Why have you disobeyed my orders and harmed my creepling?" Master rumbled.
"#3 w-wasn't responding t-to the trea-atment that-t we were us-sing," Felinous choked," Increasing the volta-age was the only way we could make it obe-ey the com-mmands."
Master listened to words that only made him tighten his grip on Fishbreath's throat. He probably knew that that was a lie. But even if it had been true, he really didn't seem to care why Fishbreath had done what he had. All that mattered to him was that his orders had been disobeyed and that the one he was slowly suffocating hadn't seemed to care about that little fact.
"Remember this, Dr. Felinous, because I am not going to repeat myself," Master growled," My patience with your disregard for my orders is steadily growing thin. I have tolerated it until now because of the necessity of training my creepling. But I warn you, my patience with you will only continue so far. If you disobey me again, then you will just how unpleasant my disappointment can be. Do I make myself clear, Dr. Felinous?"
The only answer he received was a deep choking sound from Fishbreath. He was still struggling to get free of Master's grasp, but not as much as before. Now, his struggles could be seen as little more than a slight squirming that was just enough to keep him breath and barely conscious.
Master's eyes closed to mere slits as he watched his prey a moment longer. What he was thinking could be anyone's guess. But it was obvious that he was starting to grow tired of all this. He eventually released his grip and allowed the smaller kat to drop to the floor. He landed in a heap at Master's feet, where he lay gasping and choking for air. He stayed there for several seconds, with Master staring down at him in complete disgust.
When he had his fill of the sight, Master turned away and ordered," Get him out of my sight and give him what he deserves."
Excited chattering filled the room after that as a dozen or so of my kin bounded into sight. I felt a pang of unwanted regret as I watched them surround Fishbreath and take hold of his arms and legs. It was the first time that I had seen any of my own kind in several days and right now, I wanted nothing more than to be among them.
Watching as they started to drag Fishbreath out of the lab, I knew that that wasn't possible. For one, I knew that no one would let me out of my cage this soon after being injured. I would have to recover before that was allowed to happen.
Plus, I knew that none of the other creeplings would want me around anyway. Since I was brought to the lab and changed into what I am now, they have all decided to shun me. Why, I really don't know. I just know that to them, I was an outsider that was meant to be ignored or punished as Master dictated.
Knowing that hurts me more than I like to admit but I try to deal with it because I know I can't change it. If the others want to ignore me, then that's their choice. Something I know that Fishbreath might be wishing was happening to him as the creeplings continued to drag him out of the lab.
Fishbreath never really reacted until he was nearly pulled out the door. And by then, it was really too late for him to do anything. He tried to get away from the other creeplings as best he could. But they refused to let go and continued to drag him out to whatever fate awaited him beyond the lab doors.
I watched the whole thing with a mixture of relief, amusement and stoicism. For me, Fishbreath's removal meant that my life would go a little easier for awhile. With him gone, it meant that his assistant, Dr. Emily Furston, would be in charge of the lab and its contents. To me, that was really a boon, since Furston was the only kat out of all the scientists that I actually like.
Furston was nothing like old Fishbreath. She was actually very nice, for a kat, and took the time to consider an outcome or reaction before she did anything. And that included how to treat me during testing. She knew how important I was to Master's project and that he expected me to be kept alive and well. So she never did anything that would cause me great harm or that might ruin the project.
I think it was an attitude like that that's kept Furston alive this long. She knows what limits to surrender to and how best to treat those that she has to work with. Not like certain jerks that think that they have the right to walk all over everyone else just to make themselves feel good.
The same certain jerk that would eventually return to the lab like he always did after one of Master's punishments. But that wasn't going to be for several days at least, since whatever Master did was most definitely going to leave Fishbreath hurting for that long. Lucky for him, that was as far as it would ever go.
As Fishbreath acted with me, extreme pain was the best tool that Master had in teaching his underlings the consequences of disobedience. No matter how one of his science lackeys acted, Master wouldn't outright kill them. Not while he needed them anyway. It was hard to find kats of such expertise like the ones he had already gathered and he wasn't about to waste resources that couldn't be spared. For the time being anyhow.
"I trust that there will be no further problems this evening. I do not wish to be interrupted by something like this again," Master eventually said once the sounds of creepling chatter and kat protests had died down.
The remaining scientists nodded mutely to Master's words. They knew better than to do anything else. If they provoked Dark Kat's already rising agitation, then they that they would be joining Fishbreath in whatever the other creeplings did to him. That was why no one had protested during the interrogation, because they knew what would happen.
"I will leave you to your work then," Master said as he turned to leave.
Before he left, Master stopped by my cage and peered inside. He did that almost every time he can into the lab. I suppose it was so he could see just what he was putting so much effort into and to see if I was worth it.
Naturally, I always felt a sense of pride and confusion whenever Master did that. Pride because it meant that I was actually worth something to him and confusion because I had to no idea why I should mean so much. I mean, before all this started, he had never paid attention to me. I was just another face in the crowd, only good for something when it was time to do whatever task he had planned. Then I was just supposed to do my job and hope that it had been done right. I knew that if I didn't, I might get punished with an absent lash of Master's cane or by the others if they decided to gang up on me.
Now though, he never does anything that might hurt me. Sure he might yell at me if I do something to displease him. He does that to everyone, be they creepling or scientist. But he never tries to hit me anymore or make me feel pain unless it's in the lab and to teach me something.
Now I suppose that sort of attitude can be seen in one of two ways. Either he just wants to protect the major investment of resources and time he seems to have placed in me or maybe, just maybe, Master might actually have a soft spot for me since I'm different from the others. Personally though, I think it's most likely the former option as there's nothing about my Master that I know which might support the second.
After all, never in my life have I heard of someone accusing my Master of having a soft side of any kind. Enemies and allies alike know that he not the nicest person to deal with even in his best moods. If anyone crosses him, no matter how slightly, it's certain that their fate will be most unpleasant.
Now though, there was no trace of vengeance on Master's face. There was still some anger from when he had dealt with Fishbreath, but that was to be expected. It takes time for someone to take on a different emotion once anger had set it, even Master. So I really didn't give as much thought to that as to what I was sensing coming from within Master.
Sensing emotions is a given for us creeplings. It's how we survive in the kind of life that we lead in Master's service. In our lives, danger is a constant that can't be ignored. We have to be prepared for whatever might come our way, even death.
What I sensed now though was not a threat. It was actually a bit calming when I considered it, but at the same time, it wasn't very friendly either. I just knew that it was an alien feeling that Master never really shows around anyone, even the creeplings.
Slowly, he lifted one paw from his side and presented it to me as he opened it to reveal him palm. Curious, I leaned towards the bars of my cage to see just what he was showing me. He held something in his palm that I identified as food from the scent. To be exact, it was a small biscuit that smelled of raw tuna and a mixture of milk and fish oils. It was just the type of thing to get any creepling drooling with just a single whiff. For us, it's a rare treat that makes a welcome change from our usual diet of raw various meats and other tidbits that Master feeds us.
I was really no exception to this as I felt my stomach growling already despite the fact that I had already eaten earlier. I knew that with Master being as close as he was, he was able to hear. Inwardly, that was a little embarrassing for me.
Around Master, I tried to show that I had at least some measure of control over myself. For the most part, I manage to pull off this image. I keep a tight hold on my temper and try to follow the directions given to me with a minimal amount of fuss.
Every so often though, I do slip up. Like now, as my stomach started growling and rumbling at the smell of that biscuit. There was no way of telling what that kind of information that was sending to Master.
"You want this then, don't you?" Master asked.
I nodded slowly in answer. This brought a low chuckle from Master as he extended his paw and the biscuit it held closer. That was a clear enough signal to me that he intended for me to have the biscuit, whether I truly was hungry or not.
Knowing better than to refuse, I reached through the cage bars for the biscuit. I took it gingerly with both my paws, sniffing it curiously as I tried to decide whether to eat it now or save it for later. I knew that for my Master, that was indeed a curious sight. Usually, we creeplings gobbled down any food we were given. We never really gave any thought as to whether it was meant to be eaten right away or not.
Since being brought here however, my mannerism towards food and many other things in life has changed. Where I might have once wolfed down everything edible in a heartbeat, now I'm more careful. I take the time to examine my food, to see if it might be spoiled or have sleeping pills hidden inside, and decide just what I would do with it.
Now was no exception, as I looked the biscuit over. I was starting to get hungry thanks to that enticing smell, but I didn't eat it right away. Instead, I nibbled a little, just to see how fresh it was. To my delight, it tasted like it had only been made within the last few days. For me, this was indeed a rare treat. The food that I usually received from Master or the scientists either tasted stale or bland. It never had this type of freshness to it.
Knowing for certain that I would save this for later, I looked back up at Master. He was still watching me like before. His expression still seemed a little surprise from how I was acting, but otherwise, it was the same as always. And that was something caught between looking thoughtful and scheming.
For me, it was a sign that he had decided to regain his composure after that scene with Dr. Fishbreath. He probably felt that he had wasted enough effort on his underling and that it was just time to focus on other things. Which gave me a chance to regain what I felt was lost face with Master.
Just to show that I was grateful for the generosity he had shown me, I flicked my ears twice and croaked something to my Master in creepling. It was a harsh sound that another might have mistaken for a threat or the gasping breaths of a dying creature. But being as familiar as he was with the creepling language, Master knew what I was trying to say.
He nodded once, so I knew that he was satisfied with my thanks. He withdrew his paw after that and he simply watched me. I made no objection to him doing that, since I had another task to handle before I did anything else. Which was putting my treat away until I decided the best time to eat it.
Turning my attention away from Master, I looked at the one place I felt safe stowing anything. It was one specific corner of my cage that I had set up as my personal space. That one spot contained my food and water dishes and an old blanket that I used to sleep on at night.
Careful of my sore foot, I made my way over to this part of the cage. The food dish was empty, since no one had bothered to refill it from this morning and the water dish was only about half full. I ignored both as I lifted part of my blanket and stuffed the biscuit underneath. I knew it would be safe there until later.
Once I had done that, I turned back around to find that Master was still there. The surprise that had once been there had already faded away and only what was normal remained. Just another sign that he was just getting on with however he spent his day I suppose.
"I'm expecting great things from you, my little creepling," Master said quietly," Do not disappoint me."
With that he left, leaving me feeling both shaken and confused while a slight sense of pride come over me. Shaken because I wasn't used to him watching me so intently and confused because I had no idea what he was talking about when he spoke like that. Pride came from the fact that I was actually getting attention from Master and that he had an interest in what happened to me.
I already knew that this was something that was going to occupy my thoughts for some time to come. Not a bad thing in a way, I guess. I mean, when I'm not being tested in the lab or walking around the compound during an escape, I'm usually left alone in my cage. The only to do then is think. Now I know that's something I'm going to be doing for awhile.
A/N: That's the end of this chapter. I know that it really didn't cover the background on what happened to #3, but I promise I'll be getting to that in the next chapter. I just wanted to get a few things down before I revealed anything major.
Also, I'm going to need a beta reader for this story. None of the ones that I have right now know too much about Swat Kats and it would help me if I had one who did. So if there's anyone who wants to try, please let me know and we'll see how it works. Until then, thanks to everyone for reading and I'll try to have another chapter out soon.