3
While Kringer slunk back home and into his bedroom, Wilykit and Wilykat were getting reamed out by Panthro. "And I still can't believe that you were foolish enough to let a Mutant get so close to Cats' Lair, without telling us for that matter!"
Wilykit had had enough. She stood up and clenched her small fists. "He's a cub, Panthro! He's younger than we are! What, everything we do we have to run by you? We're ThunderCats too, you know!"
"Wouldn't have known it by the way you acted," Panthro growled angrily.
Wilykit looked a little shocked, and a lot hurt. "So! You are the only one here who's able to use his judgment?! I thought ThunderCats were supposed to give everyone a chance! I didn't think that ThunderCats would scream at a cub and scare him just because he has brown fur and is from Plundaar! I didn't think that THUNDERCATS sneered at people who haven't done us any harm just because they aren't of our race! Come on, Wilykat," she said, trying to hide the fact that she was starting to cry. "These 'adults' won't listen to us. They think they know everything." With that she stalked out of the room. Wilykat, looking at the floor, said nothing, and ran out after his sister.
Panthro was at the point of losing his temper, not just because the kittens had spoken back to him...well Wilykit had anyway...but because they had managed to shame him as well. He started after them.
"No, Panthro." Lion-O put a hand on the panther's arm and shook his head. "No more tonight, when everyone is angry. We will talk it over in the morning, when everyone has a cooler head."
"And tomorrow is this Christmas the twins have been so excited about," Cheetara said with a smile. "Maybe that will mean something in cooling down the tempers."
Panthro sighed. "All right. But still, they should have thought first." He wouldn't admit that now he was calming down a bit, he felt bad for scaring the little Mutant away.
Cheetara gave Panthro a slightly reproachful look. "Maybe they did think, Panthro. Wilykit and Wilykat are right about one thing. They are ThunderCats. I have every confidence that they would have made sure there was no threat before befriending the young Mutant. They know better."
Again Panthro felt chagrined for giving the twins so little credit. It made him feel defensive. "Look, they were talking with a Mutant in front of Cats' Lair!" He caught Cheetara's look and sighed. "All right, all right! Fine. So maybe I got a little hotheaded, but what would you have done?"
Cheetara answered truthfully, "I don't know, Panthro. Perhaps the same thing as you, or since he is only a child, perhaps I would not be so harsh. But one thing I would not do is scream at the twins for doing what they think is right."
Panthro sighed again. "Okay," he said in a lower voice. "When you put it that way..."
Cheetara laughed, a pleasant laugh, and put a hand on the panther's shoulder. 'Maybe these un-influenced children can teach us bullheaded adults a thing or two."
Panthro laughed a little "Maybe. I'll talk to them tomorrow." He looked at Lion-O. "And I won't lose my temper."
"That's a good idea," the lion said. "Maybe...maybe tomorrow we will watch. If that little jackal is brave enough to come back after experiencing the wrath of Panthro, we'll watch."
"Okay, you're on!"
Part 4
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