5 months later
Myra made her way back to the lair, after another day of sneaking to Schwenk. She knew they where suspicious of her, especially where there hasn't been any sign of Schwenk since his escape now six months ago. This was so mad. This was so impulsive and out of control. But now her living a double life had become routine. She relied on Schwenk to escape from life in the lair as much as he needed her to escape from his past.
"Boy my mother would have a fit," she thought, making her steps up to the lair entrance.
Bengali made his way to the lair's entrance. He had seen Myra's approach from the control centre. She had been gone a very long time yet again and he was ready for an argument.
Myra looked up at Bengali, and her shoulders sank.
"Where the hell have you been again Myra? This is getting monotonous!" he demanded to know. His arms were crossed and he was Mightily pissed off. Myra was acting out of character and it coincided with 'him' showing up.
Myra folded her arms in suit. "Sorry Bengali I lost track of time in the forest of silence."
"Oh really?" he replied, unconvinced. "Are you sure that's where you've been? What were you?
Doing there?" "Well if you remember Bengali, I went for a walk to clear my head about what happened. It feels like everyone still hates me around here at the moment. I needed to get away and clear my head for Thundera's sake it happened six months ago! And as there one big forest just in front the lair, called the forest of silence, I assume that's where I lost track of time. All I know there was lots of trees, and no one could hear me."
"There's no need to take that tone of voice!" he snarled. "If you remember, the reason why everybody is so angry is...hold on...we need to hold this conversation behind closed doors. Follow me!" Bengali then went inside the Cat's Lair, to his room, Myra followed, giving a deep sigh reading her self for another argument over it all. "Now, as I was saying. The reason everybody is so upset is...actually, you tell me!"
Myra stood in the doorway of his room, and looked to the floor. "Honestly Bengali, how much more must we go through this? Everyone is "Upset" with me because I fed him, I didn't know he was going to hurt me and knock me out for him to escape!" She half shouted.
"Fair enough, I hold my hands up, I shouldn't have fed him. I shouldn't put myself and everyone else at risk. But I thought I was doing the right thing, but I make mistakes, and I am more likely going to make more in my life. I have taken responsibility for my mistakes. I am just a bit overwhelmed by all negativity I have been getting from everyone. It has been Six months for Jaga's sake he could be anywhere now! Let it go. Today I just needed a break and lost track of time. Probably because I didn't want to come back and go through this routine with you every day!" she spat.
"It's all very well wanting to help, and normally I would agree with you. However, this isn't just a petty criminal, this is Gaston Schwenk...what do you know about him?"
"Nothing" she shrugged. "I have lived in space since I was a cub, I don't hardly know anything like that. I know only the most famous, Like Mumm-ra or Nyrii, but that's it"
"Schwenk isn't just a criminal... he's a war criminal! He is wanted by many differing governments, clans and regimes for crimes against us cats. He's a butcher, evil and without any redeeming features. If I had known who he was when we captured him before..."
Myra hung her head. She already knew what he was thinking. By Jaga he was like a record.
"Let's just say...there would be just a damp patch where he's remains would lay!" he seethed.
"When you took him food he could have killed you, in fact he probably left you for dead. You
Have been so, so... naive! What were you thinking you stupid girl?"
"I didn't know! I am sorry, but do you think I would still do so if I knew! Honestly? Or do I
Come across that dumb to you?" she said, getting upset.
"I do wonder Myra... how do I know you weren't looking for him?"
"By Thundera, How dare you?" she shouted, hands now on hips.
"I made an honest mistake. Yes it's pissed everyone off, but it does Not give YOU the right to personally judge my intelligence, Thundercat or not. And as For your second remark, I am even going to entertain that. If you think I would go and do some thing like that, then fine! Send me back on the Thunder star, and I will piss of and live a life on my own! I never thought re-joining with Thunderians again would be so bloody hard!"
Myra cupped her face in her hands briefly, and she walked across the room and looked out his bedroom window.
Bengali considered this speech for a moment. "Maybe I have been too hard on her"
He thought. He stood and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Myra, That was insensitive!"
Myra looked at him. "I was just angry. But I was not Looking for him," she sighed.
"With battling with Nyrii, and then straight afterwards this. Its must be getting to me, I couldn't do the Thundercat thing, I sometimes admire how you guys do it," she said,
Looking back out the window.
"Do you think he's still out there?"
"I don't know. I wouldn't think so. Like Mandora said, he has more then likely
Left the system by now. It has been six months now"
"I know, that's what she said. It makes sense I guess. But... I don't know,
Something tells me otherwise"
"Well if you was one of the most wanted war criminals in thunderian history
Would you stay on the same planet as a Thundercat for half a year? and he was scared
Of you, he told me that in the cell. Even more of a reason to get out of the
System" Myra said.
"Mmmm I know. Could be a bluff though. I think I'm going to get re-enforcements
From Thundera here. Do a proper search!"
"I don't know if they will spare them at the moment, not Nyrii and now Mumm-ra
Again to contain with"
"Yes." he faced Myra with a hand on each shoulder and smiled kindly. "Don't you
Worry, if Gaston Schwenk is hiding out on this planet still his days are numbered... he
Won't even need a trial, he'll die on this planet. The last thing he sees? A thunderian
Claw ready to strike his death blow"
Myra smiled back at him. "He will get what he deserves" she assured.
"In that case Myra, to show no hard feelings, do you want to get on the blower to?
Lion-O and tell him the plan?"
"Sure thing. It will be embarrassing to face him after what I did, but sure no
Problem!", she said.
Bengali and Myra went down to the control room. "After you Myra" he pointed
To the comms panel.
Myra sighed and looked blankly at the view screen. She then patched through to Thundera.
"Lion-O are you receiving me over?"
"Reading you loud and clear Myra. How can I help, not more bad news is it?"
"Oh no don't worry I haven't done anything else yet" she said.
" We discussed this and we thought we could do a search, in case Schwenk is still hiding out on the planet. Is it possible to have reinforcements sent here?"
"How many will you want, and more to the point who would you like?" Lion-O smiled.
"Stand by" She looked to Bengali. "How many and whom?"
"You choose" he still wanted to play the loyalty game with Myra.
"Bengali I don't honestly know. I haven't haunted a war criminal before!" she exclaimed.
"Think of this as a learning experience" he replied.
Myra looked a bit panicked. "I wish father was here," she muttered to herself.
"Lion-O? Is any of the other Thundercats available?"
"Of course, don't worry, I wasn't trying to trick you" he laughed loudly.
"You can have me, and Panthro if you like"
Myra half laughed in return. "In that case you lot should do" she said in jest.
"Fine, you might need to give us a few days to make sure everything is fine here"
"That's ok. We look forward to hearing from you when you are on your way?"
"Lion-O out!" the comms screen went back to it's normal black screen with
The Thundercats emblem in the middle.
Myra looked coldly at Bengali. "Do I pass your test now?"
"Test? What are you talking about?"
"This little loyalty test you just made me take. Have I passed?"
"You are smarter than you look Myra... or, maybe more cynical than you look"
Myra looked at him, unimpressed. "I assure you its the first, my only fault is I
Am too trusting. As I found out " She said directly at Bengali, arching a eyebrow.
"It's my job to ensure that things run smoothly here. It's not that I don't trust
you...I do, but I have to make sure. Please understand" he felt the chilliness
in her look.
Myra softened. "I do Bengali. maybe you could understand me a bit more"
she suggested with a smile.
"I'd like the chance to" he smiled warmly.
Myra looked back at the view screen then at the Bengal Tiger.
"So why don't we do something about it?" she offered.
"Like what...go for a picnic?"
"Whatever you prefer," she said sarcastically.
"What about dinner?" She said with a sarcastic smile.
"OK, when?"
"How about tonight?"
"Erm...OK. Sounds nice...all a bit sudden isn't it... not that I mind" he added.
"Well I just thought it was a chance for us to know each other, so we don't disagree like this again. Myra assured. She had to re-build his trust in him.
"I certainly didn't enjoy it, I don't know about you?" she asked.
"You're right about that!"
"I would hate to think that butchering bastard would break up our alliance...it's unthinkable!"
Bengali growled.
"He won't. If he is here, his days are numbered, if he is caught in space, I am sure thanks to Mandora he would have the same fate."
"I doubt that, for all of her justice, she hangs too much on giving trials and stuff. That's not for my
Man Schwenk" he grinned.
Myra smiled a little, unsure how to respond to that.
"What would you do if you had him cornered somewhere? Knowing what he's done"
Myra looked at him, now a little concerned. She knew he was a hothead but this bad?
"…Erm… I don't know. I haven't killed anyone. I would follow the code of Thundera. I thought you are not supposed kill people. I didn't know the rules change when you are a war criminal, like you are allowed to kill them and no one says anything"
"That depends I suppose. Question is would I, or you, be able to control yourself. I mean, after all,
What guarantees are there that he won't get off? He escaped prison enough times, hasn't he?"
"I don't know. Like yourself I am sure you have some idea, until it happens l guess I will cross that
Bridge when I come to it. I do know if I have no other option, and if I didn't do anything would result in worse for the Thundercats, and I mean fatal, then yes I would just let rip as it where." she said in thought, becoming uncomfortable at this conversation, thinking why has had this getting to him for so long. Talk about a grudge.
"Wouldn't you?" she asked.
"It's probably different for me...it's a man thing" he laughed.
"Fair enough" she laughed lightly back.
"Puny thing wouldn't stand a chance...if only I knew back in the woods back then! I feel terrible about it!"
"Don't judge a book by its cover. He is a war criminal for a reason. He knows how to fight"
"I found out"
"I know, but no disrespect to you, can you honestly see that scrawny thing beating me...or Lion-O, or Panthro...oh boy, that's be a short fight!"
Myra had to laugh.
"Even you could beat him I bet!"
"Well I wouldn't know it was a close call!" She smiled.
INCOMING TRANSMISSON
Thundercat's Lair... please respond
Thundercats Lair...receiving you over
"To whom am I speaking?"
"Bengali over"
"Well Bengali, is this a secure communications line?"
"Yes, I have made sure"
"Very well. My name is Shula. I am of the Bengalian Imperial Guard" The view screen was filled by a young, noble looking lion. Dressed in shiny black amour. "I understand you want my help? What interest could I have possibly Have in Third Earth and you?"
"Two words…Gaston Schwenk. I have reason to believe he is still on the planet"
" So you want me to hunt the notorious criminal Gaston Schwenk you "had" in your custody…thanks to your fellow Thundercats Woeful neglect of duty "
"He assaulted one of my colleagues and he used her to escape.
It is possible he is on the planet"
That is unacceptable. This woman...she should be held accountable for her idiotic actions"
"I have already taken care of that. There is no need to concern yourself with that.
We need to track him down"
"No concern? How can you trivialize such matters? You clearly are not worthy to
Have custody of anything other than pickpockets or confidence tricksters" he roared.
"Now listen to me. I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE FEMALE. Now I want to track
Schwenk down and get rid of him, how about you?"
"You thunderians are always SO to advocate justice, shame you cannot deliver such
High expectations...still you are a thunderian boy. Maybe my expectations of you are
Too high, you've probably never even seen Schwenk"
"Well that's up to you to determine. Don't lick your wounds too much when I take the
Credit killing him!"
"Pah! That much I doubt! Schwenk is my prey, capture him all you like, but he's mine, you hear!"
"You're giving up your prey by refusing to come to Third Earth to claim it!"
"If he is there still to begin with cub…but Oh, I'll be there. In 3 days I shall arrive, make sure you provide me with suitable accommodation! You'll need me to capture him; I'm an expert on Schwenk. Be ready, 3 days!"
TRANSMISSION OVER