TRIALS OF MOTHERHOOD, III
Chapter 2: Separated
Bagera headed for the damaged entryway of the garage. Picking their way carefully, he finally gained the sidewalk and began hustling the kittens up the street away from the danger.
Behind him, the Metallikats had reached the top of the parking garage and were deciding what to do next.
"Well now that were up here where the enforcers can take pot shots at us, what do we do now?" Molly asked her mate acidly.
"You know the plan, we get this weapon and we get it to the boss." Mac said sharply looking around as well.
"I know that part but how do we get off the roof, stupid!" She snarled angrily.
"Stop your yammering! We are supposed to press this like so!" Mac had taken a small device from a hidden panel and now pressed a button on it.
"What's that supposed to do blow the enforcers from the sky because I gotta tell you it's not working!" She growled sarcastically as she shot at the enforcers trying to reach them from the stairs.
"Don't be stupid! It's just a signaler telling the boss to pick us up and here he comes!" Mac said triumphantly as a huge dark airship moved toward them.
But before it could close in, the SWAT Kats arrived.
"Crud! It's Dark Kat again and the Metallikats. What a mess. Got anything to take the Black Widow out this time, Razor." T-Bone grunted angrily as he avoided a laser from the air ship.
"Yeah! I've got just the thing. I was afraid we might have to do battle with that thing again. Here's seeing if it works!" Razor fired an oddly spiked missile at Dark Kats ship. It hit the center of it and caused a massive fireworks of electrical shorts. The Black Widow wavered in the air then plunged toward the ground.
"T-Bone get over it! We've got to stop it from hitting the ground!" Razor shouted as he extended the magnetic clamp.
T-Bone swooped down and got as close as he could to the falling ship and moments later the solid thunk was felt when the clamp connected. It nearly jerked the Turbokat out of the sky but T-Bone kept the jet steady, moving slowly to a vacant lot not far away and beginning to lower Dark Kat's ship to the ground when they were shaken by a hard blow.
"What the heck was that?" T-Bone shouted as he tried to keep control of the jet and the Black Widow hamstringing him from below.
"It's the Metallikats. They are firing some kind of weapon at us! I'm disengaging the clamp now!" Razor warned his partner.
"Woah!" T-Bone bellowed as the jet suddenly lurched upward when the weight pulling it down was suddenly gone. Dark Kat's ship hit the ground hard, sinking down a ways before settling and a plume of dust filling the air around it.
Furious at the loss of their ride, Mac zeroed in on the temporarily out of control Turbokat as it passed over a building just down from their location. He missed and exploded part of the roof and the upper floors of the building causing it to rain down on the Kats on the street.
Unfortunately, Bagera and the kittens were just running past that area. Shocked with only seconds to take action, Bagera desperately shoved the kittens into a nearby doorway slamming it open. He and Matty barely cleared the door when the debris fell crashing down blocking the front of the building, breaking the windows, spraying glass over the supine figures before going eerily quiet.
Pushed past their ability to handle, two of the kittens fled down a dark hallway to another door with a panic bar that they shoved against and spilled out into the street beyond. Confused and frightened, the kittens stared around themselves trying to decide which way to go.
"Maybe we should hide until its safe?" Gaspar said shivering.
"I'm scared, I want mommy!" Kiara sobbed.
Her brother wrapped a paw around her and held tight. "Don't cry Kiara, we'll find momma. Stay with me." He told her moving her toward a huge stack of cartons. Finding a hole between two big ones, he pushed her through until they were inside another one. It was dark and quiet. They huddled together and rested.
Inside the building, Casimir had been knocked down and Bagera was hunched over him. Matty was sobbing for air not far away but he didn't see his siblings.
Bagera reared up, "Are you alright Casimir?" He asked as he looked around.
"Yyyyes. Where are Kiara and Gaspar?" He said anxiously, looking around wildly.
The room was dusty and dim. Bagera stood up and stared around rapidly, there seemed to be no sign of the other two kittens.
"Kiara...Gaspar...where are you!" He shouted. He and Matty frantically searched the area then he spotted the door leading outside. His heart hammering in fear he ran to the door.
On the roof of the parking garage...
"We've got to get out of here!" Mac snarled firing the prototype and keeping everyone at bay.
"Duh! That's obvious, but how!" Molly said waspishly.
"Let's jump the roofs and see if there's another way out of here." Mac snapped heading for the edge of the garage and leaping for the next building. Shrugging in disgust, Molly followed. They jumped two more buildings before Mac saw the alley with the cartons piled high. Without hesitation, he leaped down to the ground. Molly landed a little less gracefully next to him.
"Graceful you're not!" Mac snorted looking around quickly.
"You're one to talk..." Molly started to snarl then stopped suddenly, "Wait! What's that sound?"
She said turning her head from side to side to catch the sound again.
"What sound? We ain't got time for you hearing things, let's beat feet." Mac said sharply.
Molly ignored him and moved closer to the cartons then suddenly reached in and yanked out the frightened kittens. "Well lookee here! These two look very familiar!" Molly said firmly holding a kitten in each metal paw.
"What the heck do you want with a pair of kittens? Put them down and lets blow this place before the enforcers get their act together and catch us." Mac growled losing what little patience he had.
"These are Feral's kits!!" Molly said triumphantly.
Mac stopped and stared at her then at the kittens. "How the heck do you know that? All kittens look alike!" He snapped at her.
"Stupid! I saw them in a magazine recently. Feral's mate is a tiger. These kits are tiger striped which is rare around here. We've just got our leverage!" Molly smirked ignoring the kittens wails of terror. "Shut up you little furballs. If you ever want to see your mommy again you'll stop your caterwauling." She snarled.
Kiara and Gaspar choked and wept but quieted.
"Much better! Okay, let's just get a hold of their dear momma shall we!" Molly cackled.
"I gotta admit Mol, you do have a very devious mind." Mac said in admiration. "But we still need to get out of here!" He turned and ran down the alley. She shrugged and holding the kittens close to her chest she ran after him. Soon they were breaking into a brick building and ducking in. Mac closed the door behind them.
"Okay, now we contact the Commander. This should be good!" Mac said smirking as much as his face would allow. He turned on his built in communicator and fiddled with the frequencies until he caught the enforcer band.
"Listen up you mugs, this is Mac and I want to speak to the Commander. Get him fast!" Mac demanded.
At the scene of the building collapse, Commander Feral and his enforcers had been trailing after the Metallikats and came upon Bagera searching the alley.
"Bagera, the kittens..." He said sharply with Felina at his side.
"We had to duck into the building just as the roof collapsed. When I looked around only Casimir was with me but I know I shoved all three ahead of me. I suspect they came out this door. When I looked I found this mess." He pointed at the mess Molly had made pulling the kittens from the carton.
"Kat's Alive! Where could they be?" Feral choked in terror.
Just then his Sergeant ran up. "Commander, Mac is on an enforcer band and demands to speak to you." He said handing the Commander his radio.
"This is Feral! What do you want, Mac?" Feral snapped his nerves taut with the thought of his missing kittens.
"It's not what I want Commander, it's what you're missing." Mac said nastily. Suddenly the sound of two crying kittens could be heard over the radio.
Feral heart went cold with shock and anguish. "What do you want? Please don't hurt them!" He couldn't help but beg.
"Well that's entirely up to you Commander. We want out of here and you're going to help us. Get a chopper, take out it's tracking device and bring it yourself where we tell you. Send all your enforcers away and the SWAT Kats. Do this now. We'll be contacting you in ten minutes for pickup. Don't keep us waiting long Commander if you ever want to see your kittens alive." Mac said cruelly then clicked off.
Feral stood there in horror holding the radio. For a moment he was paralyzed. His niece touched him gently. He startled and took in a shaky breath. "Get me a chopper ASAP and do what he said. Hurry!" He snapped.
"Yes Uncle, right away." Felina said quickly. She and the Sergeant ran to the end of the alley calling for assistance as they ran.
In the air above...
"Oh my God!" T-Bone breathed in shock. He and Razor had heard the transmission from Mac.
"Poor Feral, no mother should have to suffer such a nightmare. We've got to do something!" Razor said tightly.
"But how? You heard Mac. If he sees us the kittens lives are toast. I couldn't bear to be responsible for that." T-Bone said in anguish.
"There's no way to know if they will even give the kittens back, T-Bone." Razor said sharply. "We are going to have to be very sneaky. I suggest we go high and use our x-ray device to keep track of them so we can follow and find a way to save the kittens." Razor said grimly.
"Okay! That does sound like it could work. Unfortunately, we can't tell Feral what were up to if we don't want Mac to overhear us. I hate to keep him in agonized suspense but hopefully it won't be for long." T-Bone sighed heavily as he took the Turbokat high into the stratosphere.