"Firsst," screamed Dr Viper from across the building, "you will all lay down your weaponss. Next, you will untie Dark Kat, and allow both he and our friend to join me over here. Finally, we will get in your plane here, with no interferencce from anyone. Do I make mysself clear!"
T-Bone and Razor exchanged a glance.
"Of coursse, if you would rather ssee the deputy mayor die, I quite undersstand." He pointed the gun to Miss Briggs' head. "Your weaponss, pleasse!"
"Don't do it, guys!" yelled Miss Briggs.
Razor and T-Bone exchange another glance, then slowly, reluctantly, started removing their wristguns. T-Bone glanced up to make sure Dr Viper wasn't going to try to take a potshot at them, and his eyes got wide. "Razor," he mumbled, glancing down again. Razor glanced up at T-Bone, then at Dr Viper.
Marc had tried to think of some way to get Miss Briggs out of danger, but was unable to really think of anything. Finally, indesperation, he simply lunged forward into Dr Viper, sending him stumbling forward. Miss Briggs immediatelybegan scramblingout of the way, and Marc, who had put himself off-balance with his lunge, dropped to his hands and knees in the goo left by Dr Viper's creatures.
T-Bone and Razor didn't let the opportunity go to waste. They both raised their guns and fired at Dr Viper. The shots found their mark, and Dr Viper flew backwards, dropping his gun. As he did so, however, he managed to get his tail around Marc's neck, and they both slidtowards the edge of the building. Another shot by T-Bone sent Dr Viper over the edge, but, to T-Bone's dismay, he still maintained his tail-grip on Marc's neck. Marc dug in his heels and claws, which barely kept him from sliding off the edge of the bulding after Dr Viper. T-Bone ran up to them, slipping slightly on the goo, and grabbed Marc's legs, helping anchor him in place. Razor knelt beside them and began tugging on Dr Viper's tail. Between Razor's pulling and Marc's pushing, they managed to get it somewhat loose, and Marc drew a big breath. Then, much to the SwatKats' surprise, Marc bit into Dr Viper's tail with all his might. With a yelp, Dr Viper released his hold and plummeted to the street below.
Marc took several breaths, coughing a couple of times. Finally, he opened his eyes and turned them towards T-Bone. "Is he dead?" he mouthed to him, as Razor ran back towards DarkKat.
T-Bone took a peek, and his eyes grew wide. "Oh, yeah, he's dead, all right," he said.
Marc closed his eyes again and shuddered. I am so not cut out for this, he thought again.
Miss Briggs came up behind T-Bone. "Is he all right?" she asked.
"Yeah, it looks like it," he said.
She peered at Marc closely. "Wait a second. I think I know this guy."
Razor yelled from the other side of the building. "Bad news, T-Bone!"
T-Bone stood up, and hurried over. "What's the problem? Dark Kat?"
"Nah - he's still trussed up like a turkey. It's the other guy - the one in the black robe."
"What about him?"
"He's not here. He disappeared."
"Come on, Johnny! We're missing it all," urged Anne Gora.
Johnny rummaged around the back of the news van for a new battery for his camera. "You don't want this thing conking out halfway through, now, do you?" he asked. He finally found one, and clipped it into place. He then followed Anne as she ran into the City Hall Annex.
"The story of the month, and our newschopper would end up being in the shop!" she complained for the fourth time that day. "Those salvage guys are so slow!"
"Hey, I wouldn't complain - after all, you managed to get us in here...I'm not sure how, though." Johnny held the door open to the stairway for Anne, then followed her up.
"It's easy - that Enforcer on guard's a friend of mine."
"Oh, they're all friends of yours," Johnny said cynically.
"Besides, they know how important it is for Katseye News to get a story like this, no matter wh...OH!"
Anne stopped in the middle of the stairway. Standing in front of her was a kat in a black robe, wearing a metallic mask.
T-Bone and Razor stood together as Commander Feral's chopper came to a landing near the TurboKat.
"A job well done," stated Commander Feral, stepping out of the helicopter.
"Almost," amended Razor. "The head honcho got away."
"Got away? How?"
Razor shrugged. "You got me, Feral. He was there before we started facing down Dr Viper. We turn around and he's gone."
"At least we got Dark Kat, and knocked off Dr Viper," said T-Bone.
Razor shook his head. "Yeah, but that guy's still at large, and he's the one behind it all. That means we'll probably have to go through this again. As soon as he gets a new team of bad guys together."
"Does this belong to anyone?" yelled a voice. They all turned to face it. It was Johnny, the cameraman, who had just come out of the stairwell with Anne Gora. He was carrying his camera in his left hand, and was holding someone by the scruff of the neck with his right - the kat in the black cloak.
For a second, T-Bone, Razor and Commander Feral didn't move. Then they all came running over. "Where the heck did you find him?" asked T-Bone.
"He was coming down the stairway and he tried to push Anne down the steps. That wasn't very polite, now, was it?" Johnny asked his captive.
Razor stood in front of him, sizing him up. "Well, there's only one thing left to do." He reached his hands forward, then stopped and turned around.
"Any last guesses before the unveiling?" he asked. No one said anything. Marc, who had gotten to his feet and limped over, started to speak, but then shook his head. Razor said, "OK, then," and turned back to the kat in the dark cloak. Reaching inside the hood, he fiddled around and removed the mask.