Disclaimer: I don't own Swat Kats or anything associated, just my own
originals.
Chapter 4: Change in plans
A/N: I know that #3's coloration is very similar to Dr. Viper's, but that's kind of an accident. I chose green and black because they're my favorite color combo and thought it would look cool on a creepling. If there was any confusion on this, sorry about that. I hadn't realized what I did until after reading the reviews.
More than a month has passed since the last major incident involving Fishbreath and the shock treatment. My wounds are now healed, leaving with me only the occasional twinge of pain running through my foot when I step on it a certain way. But I really don't mind it, since there is no one around to make it worse.
Old Fishbreath has yet to return from whatever Master did to him for hurting me. To me, that means whatever he suffered must have been pretty bad. Whenever he gets Master mad enough to make him punish the scientist, he's usually back within a week at the most.
And when he did come back, it was always in a bad mood that would last for weeks to come. That bad mood would effect everything around him in the lab. Everyone who step back a bit, acting out of character as they gave Fishbreath room to rant and vent his frustrations about Dark Kat's treatment of him.
His way of venting more than once meant that it end up being another round of torture for me in the VR chamber. The torture itself wouldn't be as painful as the stuff that had started everything in the first place, but it would end up being of one the longer sessions. And longer sessions meant more chances for Fishbreath to use the shock treatment on me.
But right now, Fishbreath and his revenge tactics are the last thing on my mind. Instead, I'm more focused and excited about what's happening in front of me right now. Standing almost in front of my cage are Master and Furston talking about something. Something that's making me both more excited and nervous than I've been in weeks.
"I have heard your reasons enough times, Dr. Furston. That does not mean I will agreed to what you are proposing," Master said.
"I know it's still early and more tests need to be run, but I honestly believe that #3 is ready for this, Dark Kat. She's already exceeded the earlier expectations of her progress by more than 32% and that is constantly growing," Furston insisted.
"Progress does not mean that my creepling is ready for this type of experience, Dr. Furston. I have not spent nearly three years in preparation only to have it wasted because she was sent out too early," Dark Kat snapped.
Hearing that tone, it was clear, to me at least, that this was not a topic that Master wanted to discuss anymore. He had obviously made up his mind. He did not think that I was ready for what Furston was proposing, which was to allow me to go out on the next mission he was planning to take into Megakat City.
Knowing that he felt this way disappointed me somewhat. This was something that Furston and the other scientists had been considering for days now. Whenever they had a free moment in the lab, it was all that they talked about. And since they never bothered to hide their conversation around me, I knew about it too.
The very idea was both intriguing and exhilarating to me. Being able to get out of the lab would be a nice change in scenery to say the least. Even though I had no desire to leave it behind, it was still boring to have no other rooms to look at. I know every knook and cranny of the lab like the back of my own paw, so that also means that there's nothing new for me to explore.
So to have the chance to see something new for once was a nice idea to me. So I was actually hoping that Master would go along with Furston's idea. I knew that I was ready like Furston claimed. I knew that I would be ready to deal with anything that came my way. Unfortunately for all of us, Master didn't feel that way and shot our dreams to dust.
"But Dark Kat," Furston started to protest.
"I have made my decision, Dr. Furston. The creepling remains here until I am certain that her skills are at optimum level," Dark Kat snapped, his temper obviously on the rise now.
He turned to leave when his path was blocked by a much smaller kat dressed in a white trench coat and matching cream fur. Cox glared up at Master as he stared down at her in outrage and surprise. The rest of us were just staring on in shock, since we had no idea what was going on.
"Oh, will you stop worrying about what you think and just listen to what Emily is saying, Dark Kat? She knows more about this than you ever will, so don't tell her that #3 isn't ready," Cox snapped.
I held my breath and I know that everyone else in the room did too. Normally when Master was around, Cox was told not to say anything. Everyone knew what a temper she had when someone got her upset, so they told her to keep away from him when he came into the lab. There were a lot of things that Master did that Cox hated and if given the chance to voice her opinions, she was bound to get herself in more trouble than even Fishbreath managed to.
A tense silence filled the room as Cox continued to stare down Master and he looked stuck between deciding just how he should react. I have to be honest, I have never seen him like this. That might not be surprising, considering that no one alive that I knew of had ever had enough guts to do something so stupid.
"What did you say?!" Master demanded.
"You heard me. If there's anyone who knows what #3 is ready for, it's Dr. Emily Furston," Cox snapped," She knows that creepling better than anyone else here, including Dr. Felinous. If she says that #3 is ready to move onto the next step, then the creepling's ready and you should listen to her."
I swear that jaws were dropping all over the room. I know that mine certainly did. I couldn't believe what Cox was doing. Did she actually want to lose one or all of the nine lives kats are supposed to possess? That was how it seemed because only a complete and utter fool would dare to speak to Master like that and hope to live afterwards. Which meant that her next words weren't so smart either.
"I'm just telling you the truth, Dark Kat. Deal with it," Cox snorted.
Master regarded the smaller female kat for a moment. Then, before she had time to even blink, Cox was sent flying across the room with one swipe of Master's paw. She landed hard against one of the consoles, actually bending the side of it from the impact. It really didn't matter though, since Cox wasn't awake long enough to notice what had happened. She was out cold the instant she hit the console. Her eyes rolled up into her head and she slumped down into an unconscious heap.
The rest of us stared in shock and mounting fear. Whenever Master allowed his anger to show through, then it always meant that real trouble was about to show up. So now it was time for the rest of us to be on both edge and our best behavior if we didn't want to suffer the same fate.
Never giving Cox's condition a second thought as he glanced over at me, Master asked," And what have you to say about this, my creepling? Do you believe that your skills are as adequate as these fools are claiming?"
I just stared at him for a moment because I was too shocked to respond right away. Though he knew that I could talk and spoke to me occasionally, it wasn't like him to ask my opinion on anything. To him, even with my enhanced intelligence, I was still a creepling in many regards. So to have him ask me about anything, especially about something like this, was nothing short of a shock for me.
"Well, what do you have to say, my creepling?" Master prompted.
Out of fear, I nearly answered him in creepling. It's one of the few things that help me to think straight when I'm answering him when he's been upset. Thankfully, I managed to catch myself in time and speak in kat instead. Somehow, I had the feeling that now was not the time to slip. If I was going to prove Furston's claims as true, then I had to act like it.
Bowing my head, I answered hesitantly," I'm confident in what I can do, Master. I know that I am capable of the tasks that are given to me by the scientists. But I also know that it is still early in my training for anything serious to be done with my skills. If you feel that it is too early for me to leave the lab, then I will accept that, Master. I will not question your decisions."
Master nodded, as he seemed to be considering my words while Furston and the others just looked at me like I was being stupid. I really didn't care what they thought of me though. I just answered in a way that I knew would satisfy Master and keep me out of the hot seat.
After a moment, Master said," If the results of this week's testing are of worthy quality, then I will take your petition into consideration, Dr. Furston. But if they are not, then my creepling shall remain here until I am satisfied."
And without a second glance back, Master departed and was gone within a few heartbeats. As soon as he was, the others hurried over to check on Cox. They hadn't dared to move when Master was there. For as had been the case with Fishbreath a month before, no one else wanted to risk getting hurt themselves. A feeling that passed once Master was out of the room.
"Will she be okay?" Springfoot asked.
"Should be, but let's get her to the infirmary and make sure nothing's broken," Bristles grunted as he picked up Cox.
"With that hard head, I doubt she broke anything but the console," Springfoot joked.
"Not funny, Cecil," Bristles snorted, carrying his female companion out of the lab with a grumbling Springfoot in tow.
I watched them go in silence. I was hoping that Cox would be okay. Even though she had a bit of a mouth and had brought this on herself for opening said mouth, I still didn't want her to get hurt.
"She didn't have to go through that you know," Furston said.
I glanced over at the she-kat. She was approaching my cage from near the entrance where she had been when discussing matters with Master. The look on her face was not that of someone who was very happy. And somehow, I had the feelin that I was the cause of that unfriendly expression.
"Is there a problem?" I asked.
"You could have been a bit more helpful, #3," Furston snapped," You know that you're ready for something like this and that you have been for weeks. It would have made things easier for all of us if you had told him that instead of speaking in riddles."
"Unlike you kats," I replied calmly," I don't like to tempt fate. I know when and where I need to pick my battles. Going against what Master wants isn't one of them. So I just say what I know won't get me into trouble."
Furston just looked at me funny after that. I wasn't sure if she was trying to find logic in what I was saying or if she thought I was just being lazy. It really didn't matter to me. All that mattered to me was that in the coming days, I would finally be getting out of the lab and back out into the world. A world that I couldn't wait to see again and find my way in.
A/N: And there we go. It's taken long enough, but we're finally getting out of the lab and out into the world beyond. In the next chapter, I plan on revealing a lot more details on just what Dark Kat plans to do. But how that involves #3 is something I'm just going to wait on until then. Thanks for reading, later.
Chapter 4: Change in plans
A/N: I know that #3's coloration is very similar to Dr. Viper's, but that's kind of an accident. I chose green and black because they're my favorite color combo and thought it would look cool on a creepling. If there was any confusion on this, sorry about that. I hadn't realized what I did until after reading the reviews.
More than a month has passed since the last major incident involving Fishbreath and the shock treatment. My wounds are now healed, leaving with me only the occasional twinge of pain running through my foot when I step on it a certain way. But I really don't mind it, since there is no one around to make it worse.
Old Fishbreath has yet to return from whatever Master did to him for hurting me. To me, that means whatever he suffered must have been pretty bad. Whenever he gets Master mad enough to make him punish the scientist, he's usually back within a week at the most.
And when he did come back, it was always in a bad mood that would last for weeks to come. That bad mood would effect everything around him in the lab. Everyone who step back a bit, acting out of character as they gave Fishbreath room to rant and vent his frustrations about Dark Kat's treatment of him.
His way of venting more than once meant that it end up being another round of torture for me in the VR chamber. The torture itself wouldn't be as painful as the stuff that had started everything in the first place, but it would end up being of one the longer sessions. And longer sessions meant more chances for Fishbreath to use the shock treatment on me.
But right now, Fishbreath and his revenge tactics are the last thing on my mind. Instead, I'm more focused and excited about what's happening in front of me right now. Standing almost in front of my cage are Master and Furston talking about something. Something that's making me both more excited and nervous than I've been in weeks.
"I have heard your reasons enough times, Dr. Furston. That does not mean I will agreed to what you are proposing," Master said.
"I know it's still early and more tests need to be run, but I honestly believe that #3 is ready for this, Dark Kat. She's already exceeded the earlier expectations of her progress by more than 32% and that is constantly growing," Furston insisted.
"Progress does not mean that my creepling is ready for this type of experience, Dr. Furston. I have not spent nearly three years in preparation only to have it wasted because she was sent out too early," Dark Kat snapped.
Hearing that tone, it was clear, to me at least, that this was not a topic that Master wanted to discuss anymore. He had obviously made up his mind. He did not think that I was ready for what Furston was proposing, which was to allow me to go out on the next mission he was planning to take into Megakat City.
Knowing that he felt this way disappointed me somewhat. This was something that Furston and the other scientists had been considering for days now. Whenever they had a free moment in the lab, it was all that they talked about. And since they never bothered to hide their conversation around me, I knew about it too.
The very idea was both intriguing and exhilarating to me. Being able to get out of the lab would be a nice change in scenery to say the least. Even though I had no desire to leave it behind, it was still boring to have no other rooms to look at. I know every knook and cranny of the lab like the back of my own paw, so that also means that there's nothing new for me to explore.
So to have the chance to see something new for once was a nice idea to me. So I was actually hoping that Master would go along with Furston's idea. I knew that I was ready like Furston claimed. I knew that I would be ready to deal with anything that came my way. Unfortunately for all of us, Master didn't feel that way and shot our dreams to dust.
"But Dark Kat," Furston started to protest.
"I have made my decision, Dr. Furston. The creepling remains here until I am certain that her skills are at optimum level," Dark Kat snapped, his temper obviously on the rise now.
He turned to leave when his path was blocked by a much smaller kat dressed in a white trench coat and matching cream fur. Cox glared up at Master as he stared down at her in outrage and surprise. The rest of us were just staring on in shock, since we had no idea what was going on.
"Oh, will you stop worrying about what you think and just listen to what Emily is saying, Dark Kat? She knows more about this than you ever will, so don't tell her that #3 isn't ready," Cox snapped.
I held my breath and I know that everyone else in the room did too. Normally when Master was around, Cox was told not to say anything. Everyone knew what a temper she had when someone got her upset, so they told her to keep away from him when he came into the lab. There were a lot of things that Master did that Cox hated and if given the chance to voice her opinions, she was bound to get herself in more trouble than even Fishbreath managed to.
A tense silence filled the room as Cox continued to stare down Master and he looked stuck between deciding just how he should react. I have to be honest, I have never seen him like this. That might not be surprising, considering that no one alive that I knew of had ever had enough guts to do something so stupid.
"What did you say?!" Master demanded.
"You heard me. If there's anyone who knows what #3 is ready for, it's Dr. Emily Furston," Cox snapped," She knows that creepling better than anyone else here, including Dr. Felinous. If she says that #3 is ready to move onto the next step, then the creepling's ready and you should listen to her."
I swear that jaws were dropping all over the room. I know that mine certainly did. I couldn't believe what Cox was doing. Did she actually want to lose one or all of the nine lives kats are supposed to possess? That was how it seemed because only a complete and utter fool would dare to speak to Master like that and hope to live afterwards. Which meant that her next words weren't so smart either.
"I'm just telling you the truth, Dark Kat. Deal with it," Cox snorted.
Master regarded the smaller female kat for a moment. Then, before she had time to even blink, Cox was sent flying across the room with one swipe of Master's paw. She landed hard against one of the consoles, actually bending the side of it from the impact. It really didn't matter though, since Cox wasn't awake long enough to notice what had happened. She was out cold the instant she hit the console. Her eyes rolled up into her head and she slumped down into an unconscious heap.
The rest of us stared in shock and mounting fear. Whenever Master allowed his anger to show through, then it always meant that real trouble was about to show up. So now it was time for the rest of us to be on both edge and our best behavior if we didn't want to suffer the same fate.
Never giving Cox's condition a second thought as he glanced over at me, Master asked," And what have you to say about this, my creepling? Do you believe that your skills are as adequate as these fools are claiming?"
I just stared at him for a moment because I was too shocked to respond right away. Though he knew that I could talk and spoke to me occasionally, it wasn't like him to ask my opinion on anything. To him, even with my enhanced intelligence, I was still a creepling in many regards. So to have him ask me about anything, especially about something like this, was nothing short of a shock for me.
"Well, what do you have to say, my creepling?" Master prompted.
Out of fear, I nearly answered him in creepling. It's one of the few things that help me to think straight when I'm answering him when he's been upset. Thankfully, I managed to catch myself in time and speak in kat instead. Somehow, I had the feeling that now was not the time to slip. If I was going to prove Furston's claims as true, then I had to act like it.
Bowing my head, I answered hesitantly," I'm confident in what I can do, Master. I know that I am capable of the tasks that are given to me by the scientists. But I also know that it is still early in my training for anything serious to be done with my skills. If you feel that it is too early for me to leave the lab, then I will accept that, Master. I will not question your decisions."
Master nodded, as he seemed to be considering my words while Furston and the others just looked at me like I was being stupid. I really didn't care what they thought of me though. I just answered in a way that I knew would satisfy Master and keep me out of the hot seat.
After a moment, Master said," If the results of this week's testing are of worthy quality, then I will take your petition into consideration, Dr. Furston. But if they are not, then my creepling shall remain here until I am satisfied."
And without a second glance back, Master departed and was gone within a few heartbeats. As soon as he was, the others hurried over to check on Cox. They hadn't dared to move when Master was there. For as had been the case with Fishbreath a month before, no one else wanted to risk getting hurt themselves. A feeling that passed once Master was out of the room.
"Will she be okay?" Springfoot asked.
"Should be, but let's get her to the infirmary and make sure nothing's broken," Bristles grunted as he picked up Cox.
"With that hard head, I doubt she broke anything but the console," Springfoot joked.
"Not funny, Cecil," Bristles snorted, carrying his female companion out of the lab with a grumbling Springfoot in tow.
I watched them go in silence. I was hoping that Cox would be okay. Even though she had a bit of a mouth and had brought this on herself for opening said mouth, I still didn't want her to get hurt.
"She didn't have to go through that you know," Furston said.
I glanced over at the she-kat. She was approaching my cage from near the entrance where she had been when discussing matters with Master. The look on her face was not that of someone who was very happy. And somehow, I had the feelin that I was the cause of that unfriendly expression.
"Is there a problem?" I asked.
"You could have been a bit more helpful, #3," Furston snapped," You know that you're ready for something like this and that you have been for weeks. It would have made things easier for all of us if you had told him that instead of speaking in riddles."
"Unlike you kats," I replied calmly," I don't like to tempt fate. I know when and where I need to pick my battles. Going against what Master wants isn't one of them. So I just say what I know won't get me into trouble."
Furston just looked at me funny after that. I wasn't sure if she was trying to find logic in what I was saying or if she thought I was just being lazy. It really didn't matter to me. All that mattered to me was that in the coming days, I would finally be getting out of the lab and back out into the world. A world that I couldn't wait to see again and find my way in.
A/N: And there we go. It's taken long enough, but we're finally getting out of the lab and out into the world beyond. In the next chapter, I plan on revealing a lot more details on just what Dark Kat plans to do. But how that involves #3 is something I'm just going to wait on until then. Thanks for reading, later.