East Harbour (Part Two)

Still down on the ground, the Swat Kats, Cody and Xenon were making towards the Turbokat. As they turned the corner, they stopped dead.
Standing between them and their jet were a line of Enforcer tanks, but this was not what had stopped them. In front of the tanks, trying to get past them, were well over 100 mutated cats.
They ducked into a nearby shop. T-Bone had a moment of deja-vu, thinking he was back in the last shop he had taken refuge in, but then he realised that the coffee shop chain had thousands of branches, often very close to each other.
"What shall we do?" he asked Razor, as he crossed behind the counter and made himself a Frappichino.
"You got any more anti-mutagen, doc?" Razor asked Xenon.
"Yeah, and where the hell did all those come from?" T-Bone added.
"The Pandemic is highly contagious. One bite or scratch from a mutant and it will not be long before you have converted. I didn't have the time back at my lab to produce the anti-mutagen beyond the two samples you used. I need to get back there in order to make up more, but you can bet Puma-Dyne are already on the case. They wanted this so that they could profiteer on the anti-mutagen, and force people to buy a vaccine at a tremendous markup. Most people couldn't afford it, and they will charge even more for the formula to convert someone back" Xenon told them.
"So, how do we get back to the refinery then, sure-shot?" T-Bone asked Razor.
"Don't worry" he replied, "I've got a plan..."
Razor didn't get the chance to explain his plan though, as his Enforcer band radio suddenly crackled to life.
"This is battalion command to all units. Commence fire on all hostiles" a voice said, and the air was suddenly split by the sound of cannon fire as the Enforcer tanks began their assault on the Pandemic victims. The tanks were taking no prisoners in an all-too-literal sense, and were throwing all they had at the mutants before them. So wild was their fire that many shells missed altogether, hitting buildings all down the street. A restaurant opposite the group's place of refuge exploded violently, scattering debris across the street.
"Come on guys, we've got to bail" shouted Razor, but it was too late.
A stray shell struck the façade of the building they stood in. Fortunately, it had hit above the glass windows of the shop, but it was still enough to hurl the four right back into the building. Moments later, another shell hit in almost the same place. T-Bone shielded Cody with his body as the roof began to cave in, the contents of the upper floors falling through to ground level. T-Bone felt Cody shaking, and held him tight.
"Cease fire!" a voice shouted through a megaphone over the roar of the cannons. Silence fell as the tanks stopped firing. "Move out" the battalion commander shouted to his troops, and inside the group heard the sound of the tanks moving off.
"That was close" said Razor, picking himself up off the ground.
"Too close" T-Bone added, standing up to allow Cody to walk over to Xenon, who was brushing the dust off his lab coat.
As they turned to leave, a creaking sound from overhead made them stop. Looking up, they saw one of the steel roof girders begin to fall. It crashed down, ripping more debris from the building as it fell. Fear rooted Cody to the spot as he looked up, seeing the girder fall towards him. Xenon saw it too, and launched himself forward, shoving Cody in the ribs. The kitten was pushed clear of the falling girder, but Xenon had put himself right in its path.
Cody watched in horror as he saw the huge piece of metal come crashing down on top of Xenon. "Dad!" he yelled as the dust began to settle, climbing back to where Xenon lay.
Razor followed, hoping to free the doctor, but it wasn't looking good. The beam had landed on his abdomen, and from the blood he was coughing up, it was clear a lot of damage had been done. Razor tried in vein to lift the huge piece of metal, but even with T-Bone's help couldn't manage it.
"No" Xenon gasped as they tried once again to lever the girder off him. "It's too late for me."
Cody was crouched down next to him crying. "Please Dad, don't go" he implored, holding onto Xenon's hand tight.
"Don't cry Cody, you can do it; you're the key to saving them. You're the only thing that matters" Xenon said, reaching with his free hand into his pocket. He pulled out a computer disk, and handed it to Razor. "Give this to professor Hackle, he will understand it and can help with the mass production" the scientist gasped, his strength ebbing away. "And T-Bone, one favour" he said, looking towards him.
"Sure, whatever you ask" T-Bone said, aware he was making a promise to a dying Kat.
"Do whatever you must, but make sure you end the Pandemic forever" Xenon said.
"I promise" T-Bone replied. The scientist smiled, and closed his eyes.
"NO!" wailed Cody, burying his face into his fathers chest. The two Swat Kats looked at him for a moment, but time was of the essence.
"There will be time for him to grieve later" Razor hissed to T-Bone amid Cody's continuing sobs. "Right now, we've got to get to Hackle's and stop the Pandemic."
T-Bone sighed, but took Cody's hand and led him out of the building.
Outside was a war zone. Debris from the buildings littered the street, huge chunks of masonry lying shattered on the road. Amidst it all lay the destroyed bodies of the Pandemic victims. What damage the virus itself had done had been compounded tenfold by the shelling from the tanks. Blood drained into the gutter, staining the street red. T-Bone tried to shield Cody from the horrific sight, but it was futile. The devastation and death was total.
"It's sad" Razor said "Kats killing another Kats."
"Let's just get to Hackle's" T-Bone said, heading up the road to where the Turbokat was parked.
The three were in such a hurry to get back to the jet, they didn't notice a black unmarked van parked by the roadside. Nor did they notice the disguised camera on its roof following them as they headed back to the jet and take off.
In the boardroom across town, footage of the Swat Kats and their charge were being shown on a large plasma screen. Three Kats were watching, and initiated a conversation
"No, this is not ideal" said the first voice.
"Indeed, their involvement with Hackle is a distinct setback" added the second.
"Certainly, we will have to remedy this situation" a third stated.
The door to the boardroom opened, and a secretary entered the room.
"Just to let you know" the secretary said, shaking slightly as she delivered the message. "That the first batches are ready for shipment in warehouse ten" she said quickly, desperate to get out of the room.
"No, we will not be deterred" said the first voice as the secretary left the room.
"Indeed, with the product ready to dispatch this situation will not be allowed to escalate" added the second.
"Certainly, we shall take action to ensure maximum success" the third added, somewhat needlessly.

---

Back at Enforcer Headquarters, Steele was experiencing the other side of the cells he had so often thrown people into. He had tried to pass the blame to someone else, but now that Feral and Felina were back there seemed to be an endless queue of agitated Enforcers desperate to tell him how bad Steele had been. The Custody Sergeant seemed particularly eager to seal Steele's fate.
Feral, meanwhile, was giving an interview to an assembled press pack in the main conference hall.
"Acting Commander Steele has been relieved of duty after having launched an unwarranted attack on an Enforcer facility, squandered Enforcer resources pursuing the Swat Kats and masterminding the attack on two prisoners in our custody" Feral announced to his audience. "He will face trial for these crimes, however, at this time he refuses to disclose his motive for acting this way, and as such a full investigation will ensue. Questions."
"Ann Gora, Kats Eye News, is there any truth in suggestions that rouge elements at Puma-Dyne paid Steele to release the virus now known as 'The Pandemic'?"
"No comment" Feral replied.
"Donna Redkat, Megakat Times, is the Pandemic still a threat to the city?"
"Enforcers have cordoned off the area affected by the virus. Puma-Dyne have informed city officials that they have developed an anti-mutagen capable of fighting and reversing the infection, which they have trialled with the help of the Swat Kats. The costs have not yet been disclosed, however individuals unaffected will be expected to finance their own vaccination against the contagion, the city will pay whatever it takes to reverse the effects of the virus in those already affected" Feral told the press.
High above the city, Razor and T-Bone were incredulous.
"Used us to trial it? Xenon made that anti-mutagen, not Puma-Dyne! How dare they!" yelled an incensed T-Bone, thumping the control panel of the jet with his fist.
"Easy buddy, don't throw your tail out of alignment" said Razor. "They know that people trust us, so they're using us to sell their product. I don't like it either, but maybe with Hackle's help we can undercut them."
"I hope your right" replied T-Bone, firing the afterburners towards Hackle's house by the coast.

---

Across town, a Puma-Dyne van pulled to a halt outside Katzmer's Curios. The driver, wearing a biohazard suit opened the rear door, and stepped back to allow three Kats to clamber out. They all looked superficially fine, but the driver knew different. Ignoring their demands to know what had been done to them, he climbed back into his cab and drove off, leaving them standing in the street...