Allow me to take a moment to thank my readers and answer a couple of questions. First and foremost, thank you to every person who reads my fiction and supplies a review. You are a gigantic help in my creative process.
Second, I've received two questions in particular I felt needed an answer.
1: How did Feral arrest the Swat Kats? Keep reading. It's no fun to give all the facts at once.
2: Shouldn't Dark Kat be in a a special cell? I thought about that, actually. But then I also thought of how I like to keep things a little more real. It's hard to do with all sorts of mutated super villains running around; so lets think of it in realistic terms. What's more maximum than a maximum security prison? I don't have a clue. But if my country (that being the united states for anyone not knowing what country I'm from) can lump together the uni-bomber, serial rapists, drug dealers and terrorists in the same maximum security prison, I think Dark Kat fits right in. And besides, there's got to be somebody in there that can take on "T-Bone".
Now on to chapter three. Now that the holi-daze (lol) are over I can concentrate on this thing of a story.
It had been nearly a week and Jake and Chance felt like they were barely hanging in there. They found a small empty table in the corner of the prison cafeteria and held whispered conversation while the other inmates eye-balled them as if they were the juicy steak they were waiting for in their last meal. Jake suppressed the shudder and met Chance's eyes. They were dull and filled with anger. While Jake had maintained a defensive, non-violent demeanor, Chance had not allowed anything or anyone to push him around.
"When we get out of here, Jake. First thing I'm going to do is walk up to Feral and punch him." Chance poked the gruel around his tray with a plastic fork.
"And then get arrested and end up back in here. That's a great idea, buddy." Jake looked down, feeling as if he hadn't eaten in a week, but still not willing to taste the colorless "meal" that seemed to blend in with the gray metal tray.
"And you aren't going to make it even to a parole hearing if you don't start defending yourself." Chance snarled, eying the purple, mildly swollen bruise on Jake's upper left arm. In his mind the words "I'd rather die than have to stay here for even a shortened sentence" echoed menacingly but never left his lips. Instead, Jake just sighed, like he always did when he didn't know what to say. Chance looked down at his "rice" and suffered a taste. It really wasn't that bad, as long as you kept reminding yourself what it was supposed to be. When he looked up, there was a very large inmate standing at their table, his massive biceps straining against the cheap orange material of his jumpsuit. His paws were behind his back and a toothless grin was on his rugged, scarred face. "Are you gonna eat that?" He asked Chance in a voice that was disturbingly soft. "You mean, this is food?" Chance replied, meeting his eyes.
"You won't be so funny when you're really hungry and that's all there is, swat kat." The kat replied. "But I got something a little more filling for ya." With that, his left paw swung out from behind his back holding a metal tray, and in less than a second, just as Jake looked up, that tray knocked him backwards and onto the floor with a loud clang. Chance stood up and grabbed a hold of the gigantic arm wielding the lunchroom weapon. In a matter of seconds, the cafeteria was in an all out uproar. Soon, armored guards filled the large room with riot shields and guns loaded with rubber bullets. It didn't take much pelting to bring order back to the prisoners. Chance immediately abandoned the hope of pummeling in the face of the giant brute before him and practically hopped over the table to get to Jake. The metal tray had knocked him out cold, leaving a small bleeding gash in its wake. Before the guards could cuff Jake and carry him to the prison infirmary, Jake stirred with a soft groan and a muttered swear.
"After a long day at the polls, Katizens of Megakat City are finished casting their votes and the tallying is done. For the first time in two terms, we have a new Mayor."
Chance's jaw dropped and he groaned loudly. They no longer had a powerful ally. With Mayor Manx voted out of office, along with him would go his deputy mayor. Callie was nothing more than a normal civilian whose opinions and ideals had no sway with the military. It would be only a matter of time before the Swat Kats were unmasked. He could feel it deep in his gut.
"This is not good, buddy," Jake verbalized what Chance was thinking. "With a new mayor, how are we going manage saving the city and keep our cover?"
"What are we supposed to do? Scrap the jet? And all our weapons? What about the city, Jake? We can't just flush the Swat Kats down the drain because the risk is higher. This city needs us. Even if it means taking a fall. Besides, what could they do? Most of the kats in this city owe us their lives! They can't overlook that." Chance slumped. Despite his sudden burst of mediocre optimism, he knew things were going to get bad.
"Unh..." Jake opened his eyes again. The last thing he remembered was Chance staring down at him, his lips moving, but no sound coming out. Now, the only thing staring down at him were the cost efficient fluorescent lights illuminating the medical ward. The walls were slate gray and made of concrete, and somewhere was the hum of some sort of machine. His stomach rumbled and his eyes watered.
"No!" Jake screamed at himself inside his mind. "I won't break down here!" A shiver erupted from his spine and shook violently through his body. He attempted to wrap his arms around his body and roll over, but his movements were restricted. Slowly rolling his head in an upward angle, Jake realized that he was restrained to the bed at the wrists. Looking towards his feet, he noticed that his ankles were also held in place. Gritting his teeth to fight back the scream of frustration building up in his throat, Jake's vision became blurred with furious tears. Squeezing his eyes shut and taking a deep breath, he calmed himself. Then he reopened his eyes and cleared his throat. "Hello?" He called, unable to look for an orderly or a guard of some sort. "Is there anyone there?"
"What d'ya need?" A gruff, hoarse voice snarled, sounding as if he'd been jerked from a nap.
"I- I was just wondering if maybe you could fill me in..." Jake asked attempting to force the tremble out of his voice.
"Someone took a swing at ya with a tray. Knocked you out pretty good too." The guard stood up and walked slowly into Jake's vision. He was a fat one with slick black fur and a greasy double chin.
"No. I meant the restraints. Why am I restrained? I'm not a criminal." Jake felt his throat dry up.
The guard laughed; his blubbery neck looked like gelatin. "Of course you're not. Nobody here is really guilty. They are all here by mistake."
"You know who I am. I never did anything but good for this city." Jake narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah sure. How do I know you weren't just scrapin' a little off the top for yourself? Nobody's really innocent."
Jake closed his eyes and then suddenly shot up against the restraints "I SAID I'M NOT A FUCKING CRIMINAL!" He jerked, snarling obscenities and spitting at the guard. All his anger pouring out of him as he fought to jerk free.
The guard pressed a fat greasy paw against a button "Yeah I need the doc in here. Tell 'im to bring a nice tranq for this one."
"You think you're so high and mighty, passing your judgment." Jake's voice dropped to an incriminating whisper. "If it wasn't for the Swat Kats you wouldn't have time to sit back and stuff your fat face with cakes and cookies."
"What did you say?" The guard narrowed his yellow eyes.
"I said that you're a disgusting FAT FUCK not worth the time that we spent putting all these jackasses in here for you so that you can sit around and JACK YOUR FUCKING DICK because you're too incompetent to do otherwise!" Jake's voice came in dry cracks and squeaks as an orderly and the resident medical officer burst through the doors, syringe in paw. Jake didn't fight it. He wanted the peace. He wanted the quiet. He wanted the nothingness more than he wanted freedom.
Chance watched from his cell, waiting for them to bring Jake back. He could see Jake's cell from his. It was right down the corridor. A yelp caught his attention and he turned his head. At the opposite end of the long gray hallway was a very obese security guard with Jake's head underfoot. "Looks like you're the one not worth my time now, you skinny little punk!" Jake didn't make a sound and the guard proceeded to haul him to his feet and drag him. Chance watched as he pulled Jake passed the correct cell.
"Looks like Razor's earned a little Solitary." Dark Kat arched his dark eyebrows, reveling in Chance's agitation. "I heard he made quite a scene in the infirmary last night."
"What are you talking about?" Chance spun around.
"Oh, something about Razor finding his restraints less than desirable and his company a little too corpulent." Dark Kat grinned maliciously. "They injected him with a hefty amount of sedatives. In fact, he probably didn't even feel the beating he received prior to his confinement."
Jake shivered convulsively, his back to the wall of the windowless cell. The thin stained mattress on the cold dirty floor did nothing to comfort the throbbing bruises beneath his standard issue coveralls. He kept swallowing, trying to coat his dry throat with his own saliva. Without warning, Jake threw himself against the steel door with a force that could break a rib. A ragged cry escaped his throat as he slid down to the floor. He could have prevented this. There was something he could have done or should have done. He was Razor and Razor thought of everything. He could have invented something to protect them. He should have taken the time to make their secret unbreakable. But he didn't and in the end let down the city. Worse than the city, Jake had let down his partner. He had failed Chance. And by failing Chance, Jake had failed it all.
"Callie, listen to me. With you out of office, how will you possibly be in a position to protect the city?" The new deputy Mayor purred in a handsome business-kat voice. "I've known you for years. You can trust me not to let this city down."
"I don't know, Clifton. This is a big responsibility. The Swat Kats trusted me to help them protect this city." Callie held the communicator in a firm grip, unsure of how the new deputy mayor had learned about it.
"Would you like me to take an oath? You know I have this city's best intentions in mind." There it was, that gleam in his eyes that she had found irresistible in college. Sighing, she gave in and handed him the communicator.
"Promise me you'll do the right thing?" Callie pleaded.
"I promise," Clifton Furbarringer smiled an almost sinister smile. "I won't let this city down. Now relax! You've worked too hard in too short a time." He practically forced the box of office supplies into Callie's paws. "You won't make it in law practice as stressed as you look."
A sad look filled Calico Briggs' eyes as she took her belongings and turned softly towards the door.
Once the new deputy mayor was sure Callie was gone, he picked up the phone, dialing Commander Feral direct. "It's done," he said to the voice on the other end. "I have the communicator."
Chance pushed the mop bucket down the long hallway. His mind played pictures of that day. How Feral had the new Deputy Mayor call in a fake hostage situation. They should have known it was a trap. Even before they burst through the mayor's penthouse windows, they both voiced bad feelings. They should have known Feral would take the new occupants of city hall as an opportunity to apprehend the Swat Kats. A small chuckle escaped his lips. Even now, he found a small bit of satisfaction in Feral's shock that the identities of the city's biggest vigilantes were the biggest "screw ups" to ever get the boot off his squadron. His thoughts were interrupted, however, by the rattle of keys down the corridor behind him. He sighed moving out of the way, not looking up until the sound was right behind him. Chance's eyes widened. "Jake..." he whispered. Jake met Chance's eyes, a pleading look pooling at the brims of Jake's own eyes. Then almost as if they had never made that connection, Jake dropped his head and continued being led back to his cell. Chance ground his teeth. They would be allowed into the court yard for a demented version of "recess". They would talk then.
Jake sat on the ground, his back against the steel fence that extended upward about 20 feet. His face was aimed at the ground, his chin rested on his knees. He didn't move, even as Chance sat next to him. "Hey kid, you don't look so hot." Jake allowed himself a soft chuckle. That was the first thing Chance had said to him at the academy. Being a scrawny nerd in Enforcer academy had led Jake to be the victim of excessive hazing from the other recruits, and undeserving brutality from his superiors. Chance was the first kat to talk to him without a clenched fist.
"Do you think this will ever be over for us?" Jake looked up, a vulnerability in his eyes Chance hadn't seen for a long time.
"Yeah. Yeah it will."
More chapters coming, I promise. I know it took a long time but trust me, I have more excuses than a three legged race horse! Anyway, read and review!
N.K.