Chapter 07
Downtown MegaKat City: Thursday late evening
The cold winds of autumn swoops down within the hollowed streets of Korel and Fifth, looking dejected even under the many neon signs of establishments with more or less than reputable services for those looking for cheap thrills. Parked cars lined up on both sides of the street as several kats pass by staggering like ships in a storm. One kat that had too much to drink crosses the street, trying to beat an upcoming fire red muscle car passing by. He could only stare at the car blowing its horn as both kat and machine screeched to a halt in a stalemate as the drunken kat slams his left paw over the hood.
"I'm walking here, moron!" The kat yelled as he staggers away.
Jake could only shake his head slowly as he swings his right arm and signaling the kat to move on. He could only watch the kat from the rearview mirror as he drove away. Jake continued to drive across the next block until he arrives at a small bar near a local laundromat. He parks his car two spots from the place and emerges out from his seat. Before checking the pleats of his dark brown cotton jacket, Jake first heads to the hood of the car and checks if that kat left anything that could disfigure the paint or the hood itself. Nothing was found as he slides his fingers between the pleats of his jacket and heads for the bar. Inside, several kats with their partners or friends occupied several booths, engaging themselves in talk and drinks. A few loners took a spot in one of the stools facing the bar as well as the television showing a late telecast of a ballgame. A mustached barkeeper wiping a beer mug with a clean table napkin nods at Jake as he squeezes through the tables and booths that filled the place. The lights inside were bright enough as he spots the booth with a lone she-kat sitting inside. She wore a tight-fitting evening dress with the shoulders almost exposed and much of the back was almost plunged near the upper waist. Her short blonde hair was combed to the back that hung in wet waves while a few strands covered her forehead. On her right hand held a glass of martini while her eyes followed on Jake's approach.
"You're ten minutes late." Callie said with her lips near the rim of the glass.
"Sorry." Jake bends over to Callie's side to give her a peck on the lips. "Almost played 'chicken' with some walking drunk just now." Jake inches closer to Callie's eyes and noticed she was not wearing her signature glasses and asks her about it.
"I thought I should wear contact lenses for a change." Callie shot him a wink followed by a soft smile. "Does it look good on me?"
Jake tightened his lips to a smile. "I could've sworn that you're not that she-kat who's running the city."
A brunette waitress approached Jake with a notepad and pen in both paws, asking Jake for his order. Jake ordered a martini as well and requested for a glass of water to be brought in first. The waitress returned after taking Jake's order with a glass of iced water on the tray and Jake started drinking.
"By the way," Callie began after taking the last drop of her drink and ordered for another one, "I've heard that you've been causing some trouble at the ESACCS this morning."
Jake could only stare stiffly at her as the brunette waitress brought in their drinks. "Who told you that?"
Callie hums for a bit, trying to act coy. "It was Felina Feral."
Jake scoffs as he takes a small bite out of the olive followed by a sip in his martini.
"You shouldn't have done that, Jake. Do you think that almost punching the lights out of Chance whenever you two see each other would be some sort of trend?"
Jake shakes his head slowly. "He had that coming and he knows that. I'm just giving in on what he was expecting. After telling me that he gave my design to Puma-Dyne and started working on a prototype, why shouldn't I get angry at him?"
The music inside the bar changed to another sultry tone. With another gulp in Jake's glass, he signals the waitress to bring him a scotch on the rocks.
"I suppose, but I think that you're just being childish."
Jake glowers at the candle on the table. "Yeah, right. Tell that to Fat Head."
Callie could only cross her eyebrows at Jake for the comment. Thinking that this feud would only last as long as Jake still has his nine lives intact, she decides to give him something to ponder about.
"Well, with the subject still at hand, how much do you know about the launch?"
With one eyebrow raised, Jake thought it was something unexpected.
"Well," Jake began in a rather vague manner, "I know that the first launch was about over a month ago, then there's gonna be another launch some time this month."
Callie nods a bit. "Yes. The upcoming monitoring space station will be held this Friday and I can trust you not to tell anyone about it." At that point, Callie felt a strange hollow sensation in her gut that almost held her lips tight. But she must tell her this or otherwise either one of them is going to regret it in the future. "Any idea who's going to be in it?"
Releasing his breath, Jake places a finger over Callie's lips to stop her. "Listen, I don't want to talk about anything 'Enforcer' related. I called you up just to enjoy being with you tonight. Is that okay? I wouldn't care if it were Commander Feral up there in a two-hundred-ton tuna can floating in space. At least the city's gonna enjoy a few months of peace without him."
Slowly, Jake releases his finger off Callie's lips as she watches him staring softly over Callie's eyes. In that moment, Jake pressed his lips over the smooth edges along Callie's neck down to her napes. Callie lets out a distracted moan as she wrapped her left arm around Jake's neck. Callie knows that the news she was about to give to Jake is important, knowing that the tiff he had with Chance will be the last time Jake will ever have whether he likes it or not before Chance boards the last space shuttle to the Kat's Eye. In some ways, knowing how much Jake spent his morning to see Chance after more than a year, Callie somehow thought it would be enough just to keep the old memories alive within Jake; something that will one day overcome the newer memories that were yet to be.
MegaKat Sewers: Same evening.
The only light that enters within the dark tunnels were the light from the streets outside, piercing through the holes of many sewer lids all over the city. Broods of rats and other insects scuttle along the banks of streams of sewage in search for anything edible. Their possible meal was interrupted by a sharp scream that echoed all over the tunnels, causing them to scatter away squeaking. Nearby, the sounds of running footsteps and the ripples of sewage water grew even more and instantly the sewers were cleared.
A creature of reptilian skin ran desperately to avoid something that even terrified him for the first time. He stumbles and tries to crawl away, his tattered lab coat left traces of greenish stains that begins to dry up to a mossy green within contact with the air. He knows his right arm will grow back, but how long before his pursuer decides to finish him off. He knows every artery of the sewers as he randomizes his path of escape, but even then his pursuer manages to cut him off. What terrified him the most is the glowing left eye that emits a strange energy that costs him his right arm, now a stump inside an armless right sleeve that wafts away from behind. After a few more minutes, he stops to a dead end where a single heavy door was located and barred with heavy chains. Hopefully his pursuer will not be able to trace him this far.
"How long are you going to keep running, old man?"
The female voice instantly began to send shivers up and down his spine. Realizing that he was no match for her, he would rather risk being killed by the Enforcers on the surface rather than being an unwitting pawn in her game. Just before he could reach the sewer lid with his left hand, he watched as the she-kat's eyes glowed to a fiery red and a long beam of light cuts through his wrist. Screaming in pain, the she-kat approaches the creature as he kneels down over the sewer water, unable to place a grip on either bloody stump.
"Do you know why I let you live for now, Dr. Viper? Because what I'm going to do to you is far worse than what I will do to this city once the time comes unless you decide to join me."
Dr. Viper could only watch her as he kept his knees to the ground. "I tell you, you… witch," Dr. Viper hissed. "I would rather die than risk my own life in doing your bidding!"
The silhouette started to laugh coldly as if she was enjoying the cries of suffering and fear. "I was also thinking about that, but you serve a far greater purpose that fits in my plans. Who knows, maybe you will find it enjoyable to wreak havoc in MegaKat City once again."
Though the temptation kept shifting the sides of his answer to a yes, the reality kept pulling back the weights of his reluctance. "Even if I did, I don't have enough katalyst to even send a single deadly cold to a kat."
Dr. Viper could only watch the silhouetted she-kat as she stood silently in the darkness, only her left eye glowed.
"If I find what you desire, will you help me?" The cold voice said. "Or should I just shoot you in a place where it doesn't grow back."
Slowly, Dr. Viper raises on his feet as he shoots an angry and painful scowl at the she-kat. He knows he has no choice in the matter as his head nods briskly. "Before anything else, just who are you anyway?"
The she-kat's left eye brew to a bright red. "Let's just say, I will be the new ruler of the world. But if you must know, I am Sphinx."
2:40 AM
Whizzing past the tall buildings, Callie still was unable to get used on Jake's car. Though time and again that her training if evasive maneuvers on the road did pay off, they must have failed to consider the types of cars that Callie needs to get used to aside from her green sedan. Jake mumbles to himself, humming a tune from the music that they were listening in the bar.
"You know, Jake, if you're planning to drink a lot then I should have brought my regular glasses." Callie mumbled as she grips on the steering wheel of Jake's classic '66 DK Turbo 500, or the Desert Kat Turbo 500. Though the rack and pinion steering of Jake's muscle car were light in her arms, it was the power of the engine that kept her pulse increasing every time she steps on the gas.
Jake slumps silently in the front seat, as his head lie motionless. "Sorry about that, Callie. I guess I had a little too much to drink." Callie could only shaker her head at him as she smiles a bit.
Callie led the car through the industrial sector of MegaKat City, knowing that it was a shortcut that led to her home in Winchester Avenue as she drove through the street. Everywhere she looks, this part of the city had a haunting feel to it, probably more than the dark corners that Puma-Dyne could provide. She makes a left turn after the fifth block through Ellis Street and slows down at the intersection to check if there are cars passing through. The traffic lights continued to blink at yellow and thinking that it is safe, she pushes the gas pedal and the car almost hitched off by its back wheels. After five minutes of driving through a straight line of road, her eyes spot a lone structure with its lights hanging over the sign above the entrance.
The MegaKat Biochemical Lab once had a reputation as Callie could still remember. It was where Elrod Purvis became known as Dr. Viper when she and the former mayor visited in the morning to see the results of the new chemical that they were working on. In her nervous state, she slowly pressed her foot down on the gas pedal as the car began to gain speed. But before she could run pass the building, a powerful shock wave began to stir the air around their surroundings and soon the windows of the building shatters and spews shards of glass. Callie screamed, much to Jake's shock as she twists the steering wheel hard to the left when the raining shards of glass began to scratch off the paint all over the car. Ahead of them was a steel lamppost and the car continued to careen straight towards it, Callie raised both her arms and she prepares for impact. Instinctively, Jake reaches his left paw and grabbed the steering wheel, turning it towards the right. The car shook violently with an ear shattering screeching of metal as the left side of the car scratched against the lamppost. Without taking time for deep breaths, Jake immediately rushed to Callie's side and held her.
"Callie! Are you all right?" Jake breathes as he held Callie by the shoulders. She could only moan as Jake immediately jumps out of the car and ran around to the driver's seat. A chill ran through his spine for every time he tries to pry open the door, but the impact caused the locks in the door to malfunction. Thinking that there was no other way and breaking the window on the door would be dangerous, Jake ran back to the other side of the door and grabbed the car keys in the steering wheel. Under the light of the lamppost, he opens the trunk and immediately threw out the tools and the spare tire under the mat until he finds a large box hidden under the spare tire compartment. Jake immediately opens the box and slips a glove almost shaped like a gauntlet in his right paw and pressed a button on the top part of the wrist. It hummed to life and when Jake pressed the desired button, a small buzz saw emerged from the opening of its box-like frame. The serrated disk spun to life as he guides it near the hinges of the door.
"Just hang on, Callie!" Jake yelled under the noise of cutting metal. In a few seconds, both hinges were cut loose and Jake was able to yank the door open using the Glovatrix's mini-motors that enhances the strength of his paws. Callie slowly begins to stir from her abrupt slumber as Jake carts her away from the car and towards the front steps of a textile plant entryway.
"Are you hurt somewhere?" Jake shudders as he lay Callie on the floor.
"Hurt my head a little." Callie uttered. Jake opens his eyes in horror the moment a small stream of blood crept from Callie's upper left brow and spreading almost all over the fur near Callie's left cheek up to the thumb of his Glovatrix. All he could do for now is lift her head up and pressed it over his chest and sobs. The surrounding slowly grew brighter not from the stars under the sky, but Jake noticed that the Biochemical Lab was on fire from the top floors. Distant sounds of sirens slowly grew louder as Jake carefully placed Callie's head and covering her body with his jacket to keep her warm. Looking up towards the smoldering building, Jake fixed his sights at the top and tried to figure out what, or who could have done this. After a few moments, his eyes opened widely and noticed slivers of skin from the light of the flames; a part of one whole female body standing on the top looking down on Jake with her glowing left eye as she carried a large case with her right paw.
"What the hell is that?" Jake uttered to himself.
Both Jake and the mysterious intruder kept their eyes on each other, trying to read each other's thoughts. But his anger slowly began to brew inside Jake, clenching his gloved paw to the point that he could almost crush it. Pressing another button on the Glovatrix with his right paw, the top part of the slowly began to rise and revealed a pylon of mini-stingers as he aims it towards the figure. Just before he could apply enough pressure on the Glovatrix's sensors, his jaw drops when the intruder's left eye began to flash. Instinctively, All of Jake's fingers pressed the sensors simultaneously that the mini-stingers were retracted and triangular plates fused together from the Glovatrix to create a shield. Bracing himself from what might be a laser shot, the she-kat's eye shoots a pulse of light towards Jake. The shield as well as Jake's arm shoves him off his feet, but not enough for the shield to withstand the projectile. As he falls on his back, the laser shot that pierced through the shield finds its mark, punching through Jake's left shoulder blade. Jake's face twisted in pain as he falls, loosing his senses around the arms as he lands hard on the pavement. Every second passed felt like years to Jake as he slowly nudged his head towards the unconscious Callie, wondering if this will be the last time he will ever see her again. The soft sounds of sirens that were filling his ears some minutes ago seem evident around him as numerous footsteps and shouts scrambled all around. Cursing himself for his own recklessness, Jake could only close his eyes, allowing the tears to fall off his eyes and himself to set off into a world where he could never wake up, thinking that Callie might forgive him for failing to protect her.
