The two security guards sat in the small booth. One of them, a younger tabby kat, had his feet up on a small, fold-up table. The other, a gray-furred, older kat, reclined in his chair, sipping a can of milk. One foot rested on the table he was sitting at, the other... the other was gone. One leg was horribly mangled and ended right above the knee. A gleaming prosthetic sat on the ground, waiting to be refitted onto the stump of a leg. The two started when they heard a car approaching. The gray-furred kat rolled his chair to the window, and watched a car pull up to the booth. The mirrored window rolled down to reveal the current Enforcer Commander, Felina Feral. The security guard grinned at her. "Hey, Fel. It's a bit late, innit?" Feral smiled gently at the crippled kat.
"Got some unfinished work to do. I'll probably be in and out quickly, but who knows." The guard pushed a button, and the gate outside shuddered and rose. He waved the car to enter.
"Righto. Don't stay up too late, Fel." The commander shook her head.
"Nah. Don't worry. Bones is outta town anyway. G'night, Bal." The window rolled up, and the car rolled through. The guard pressed the button again, and the gate began its slow descent. The younger guard looked confused as the older one rolled back to the table.
"That was commander Feral, right? I mean, you were pretty casual with her." The gray kat smiled.
"Well, Frank, Fel and I are old friends. Heck, she was there when I lost this." He indicated his mangled limb with an air of sadness. Frank grimaced. "Of course, that was back when commander Feral, Ulysses Feral, that is, died." The gray kat patted his stump absentmindedly. "It was only, what, seven years ago?" Frank nodded, eager for the story.
"Yeah, Bal." The older guard smiled.
"Well, I guess you ought to know a bit about me before I go right into how I lost this."
I was born. Pretty simple. My dad was a great guy. He loved the idea of having a son. He was always enthusiastic. Even when it came to diapers, apparently. When I was two, my dad found me playing with a toy airplane. I was swinging it around in the air, like a real plane would. My dad, being all alone in the house; well, my mom was the breadwinner; he decided to encourage me. He scoured the house for a book on airplanes, but all he found was a glossary called Modern Aircraft. Well, he opened it up and began to read. He was still reading when my mum came home. She was furious that he was reading me such a boring book, until she realized that I loved it. So, that's how it began. My dad got me every book on planes, working from glossaries to technical manuals. I learned all the gauges on the Tiger 12-O by the time I was twelve. I applied for a position with the Enforcers when I was fifteen. My dad backed me all the way, and practically begged old Ulysses to give me a chance. For some reason, Feral gave me a chance. I passed the written test, but barely. Feral agreed to let me fly. He watched me climb into the cockpit of an Enforcer jet, and I lit up the engines so fast Feral nearly keeled over. Well, I rocketed up into the air, waggled my wings at a group of training Enforcers, and proceeded to mimic their every moves, even when it came to the harshest turns. One of the pilots broke off and fired at me. It was a sim, of course, but Feral was furious. He was even more furious when I rolled out of the field of fire, shot into the clouds, and dove on the other pilot. I flashed by him, hurtling downwards, as the streams of red light engulfed his jet. I pulled out of the dive, at the last second, and buzzed the launch strip for the sheer joy of it. I waggled my wings once more at the other pilots, landed, and popped the hatch. I clambered out and watched Feral stalk over to me. I glanced at my dad, but he didn't say anything. Well, to make a long story short, Feral sorta stood there, glared at me, and then promoted me to the best fighter wing of the Enforcers, the Blackwings. As we left headquarters, my dad picked me up and spun me around. When we got home, I did the same to my mom. I was a prodigy.
When I started my career as an Enforcer, I was almost sixteen. I wasn't even out of high school. I was the youngest person to have joined the force in fifty years, and the youngest Blackwing ever! The Enforcers paid for college, because I was putting my life on the line, and whatnot. I ended up graduating with a major in Aeronautical Engineering. I'd spend a while working on my jet, earning me the nickname 'grease monkey'. When I was nineteen, the Swat Kats showed up. They instantly became my heroes: big honking black jet, a success rate higher than anyone else's, and a big honking black- anyway, they rocked. When I turned twenty, my gunner was killed in a crash. Dennis was a good man, and it hurt to lose him. I threw myself into work, becoming an honorary tech in the process; from spending so much time repairing fighters, you see. Well, they assigned me a new gunner, one who had worked her way up to Blackwing fairly fast: Adela Bercharon. I'll never forget the day we met. I was replacing a part on my wing, fur soaked in grease and oil, and she, wearing a clean flight uniform and holding a bag of personal belongings, politely asked me where she could find Balthamus Morgan. I turned, and me being a mischievous little bum, extended a filthy paw and introduced myself. I must say, I expected the same derision, disgust, and hesitation that I had gotten from the other pilots. Not her, though. She shook my hand warmly, dropped her bag by her feet, and reached in to hold a loose wire for me. No 'eww, nasty' remarks. She was competent, surprisingly so, when it came to jet repairs. That, combined with a great aim, a kind heart, and a good-looking face, made me warm up to her. It wasn't long before the other Blackwings accused us of being the Swat Kats in disguise, let alone the fact that Razor was a tom.
Well, we soon topped the other Blackwings. They put me in charge of a squadron, Adela my XO. We befriended Felina soon after she joined. She was a kindred spirit. We were good friends with all of the Blackwings, but Fel, Adela, and I were close. We'd catch lunch together, trade shifts, so on. When I was assigned to guard Deputy Mayor Briggs, now Mayor Briggs, that became even more important. I was honking mad at being grounded, but Addie and Fel helped me get through it. That was back with the whole 'Dark Kat scare' thing. Well, one day, Addie and I were standing around talking, me on duty, she on an off-period, a group of creeplings attacked. You know about creeplings, right? Well, let me tell you, I would have died if not for Adela. She spotted them right before one jumped on me. She blew it off my back, and we tipped a table over to hold them back with. After a while, the survivors decided to fall back and yield the day. Unconscious and dead creeplings littered that hall. It nearly caused me to resign, the trauma of that day. However, Adela saw me through it. She became more than a friend, that day. I knew I was in love. I desperately wanted to do something about it, but... but I was afraid. I was afraid that she didn't feel the same way. So, I carried on. I acted like we were just friends. Some days, it nearly killed me. Like when we got shot down in a duel with Dark Kat. I pulled her from the wreckage as Dark Kat disappeared overhead. The meds showed up a few minutes later. I don't really remember how long I knelt there, caressing her face and praying that she'd survive.
I sat in the hospital room, watching her chest rise and fall slowly. I wasn't interested in her... figure, shall we say. I never was. I was more concerned with her health. My heart leapt into my throat any time her breathing slowed. Fel came in on the second day of my vigil. She said something about neglecting my honourary tech duties, and then she sat down next to me. She sighed as she placed a paw on my shoulder. I'll never forget her words: "Bal, when she wakes up, you're going to do two things. First, you're going to tell her you love her. Then, you're going to go to sleep for at least fourty-eight hours." I spun and looked her in the eyes, somewhat wildly, I confess. She smiled and answered my unasked question. "For quite a while now. You haven't fooled me, Bal. Besides, spending the last two days sitting here... it's a bit obvious, at this point." I nodded slowly and turned back to Adela, my mind whirling but still steady. Fel stood and stretched, the cracking sound echoing in the room. "Well, I wish you both all the best. Now, don't you forget what I said, Bal." With that, she walked out of room and closed the door.
She woke up a few hours later. I heard a faint gasp, and saw her sit upright in her bed. A louder gasp, and she fell backwards. I was on my feet in an instant, and I caught her easily. She smiled up at me weakly as I laid her back onto her pillow gently. "Hey, Bal. Sorry, I guess I checked outta the fight early." She frowned. "Did he get away?" I nodded slowly.
"Yeah, Adela. We got shot down." She snorted in amusement.
"Well, I remember that, you big goof. How long've I been out?" I pulled a chair over to the side of her bed. It was the same one I had occupied for-
"Two and a half days." She reached out and took my paw, giving it a squeeze as she grinned at me.
"Don't tell me you've been sitting here all this time." I smiled hesitantly, and she got it. "You oaf! Two days? You're going to get cashiered!" I sighed.
"Addie, I already lost one gunner in a crash, and I'm not going to lose you." There was a hitch in my voice, and she caught that, too.
"Oh, Bal, you furry lump of no-good..." She squeezed my hand once more. "Gaah. Sentimental idjit." I gulped, and I felt my heart pound faster.
"Fel was here earlier to check on you. Er, while she was here, she gave me two tasks." Adela looked somewhat surprised, but then she burst out laughing.
"Well, do what you have to. 'Sides, when Fel gives anyone a job, they have to do it. Her pull with the commander is legendary, after all." My hands were clammy, and I'm sure she could feel my pulse. "Bal? Is everything all right?" Her other hand reached up to touch my face, worriedly. "Bal? Come on, Bal, you're scaring me." I cursed my hesitation to the four winds.
'"Adela, there's something I need to tell you. I-" She looked expectantly at me, fear warring with concern. "I love you." She smirked, her concerns evaporating in a wash of mirth.
"Oh, yeah, I knew that. I'm proud of you, though." She grabbed my collar with her free hand, and pulled my face down to hers. We kissed. When she finally let me go, we were both gasping for air. "I was wondering when you'd finally say it. Heh. Maybe I ought to get shot down more often. So, what's task number two?" I shook my head quickly, to clear it.
"Wow. Uh, yeah. The other thing... I'm supposed to sleep for at least 48 hours." Adela laughed and squeezed my hand once more, before letting it go.
"Heh. Good thing Fel's around to tell you what to do while I'm out cold. Get some sleep, ya grease monkey, 'cause once I'm fit to fly, I want you to get me in our lovely jet and teach me the meaning of the words 'dancing in the air'."
Everything changed; nothing changed. That about sums it up. We were still gunner and pilot, but we were... more. After I caught up on sleep, I raced back to Enforcer headquarters to help fix our plane. The techs all cheered when I raced into the maintenance bay, because my return heralded two things. One, they didn't have to do as much work. Two, Adela was coming back in one piece, which kinda also fell under number one. I actually had enough time to race out and run some 'errands' before Adela would return. I made it back about two minutes before she arrived, 'cause I took the stairs. I quickly stowed a bag before the door opened, and she walked in. The assorted Blackwing pilots cheered as she walked calmly into the hanger. Fel was exceptionally loud. Adela stood in front of me, wearing an Enforcer flight suit and a few bandages. She saluted crisply. "Lieutenant Adela Bercharon reporting for duty, Captain Morgan." I saluted right back.
"Welcome back, Lieutenant." I then lowered my hand and hugged her. "Good to have you back, Longshot." She pulled back somewhat and grinned at me, amused by my use of the call sign.
"Good to be back, Goof." I snorted. Somehow, I had earned the call sign Goof. It probably came from my inept nature on the ground. The others in our squadron gathered around in a mob, hugging and high-fiving her. Fel pulled her into a bear hug, and Adela grinned at her as well. "Good to see you too, Fel." I gestured to our plane, already prepped for launch.
"Wanna take a spin around the training course? Get back in the hotseat?" She grinned and started towards the jet.
"I thought you'd never ask."
We lifted off quickly and rose into the air. I twisted in my seat to look at Adela. "So, what did you say a few days ago? Something involving dancing in the air?" Before she could speak, I rolled to one side, cut the throttle, and dropped like a stone. The surface rushed up to greet us, and a shriek echoed in my ears. I kicked my throttle up again, and pulled out of the dive. I side-slipped, boosted the throttle to full, and flipped my nose to the sky. We rocketed up, spinning and juking as we did. I heeled over, shot around a nearby skyscraper, and pulled a crazy Ivan. I cut power to my engines, flipped the jet a complete one-eighty, and re-ignited the engines. We shot by the window of what happened to be the Mayor's office, close enough to reach out and touch it. I barrel-rolled, just for the sheer joy of it, juked around like a madman, and finally set a course for the training area. I twisted around to look at Adela, and grinned. "That good enough?" She finally found her voice again, and laughed.
"Wow, Goof. That was just breathtaking. Insane as hell, but..." She reached forward and touched my shoulder. "If you catch flak for that... well, let's put it this way: nothing, and no one, could beat that. Thanks, Bal." I grinned and turned back to face forwards.
"No worries, Addie. Here's the course. Ready to flame it?" She flicked her active targeting on, and cracked her knuckles.
"With you flying, Bal, we'll nail this."
We roared down the approach vector, signifying our intent. I easily dodged the first paint missile that streaked up at us from a ground emplacement. "Hey, Longshot, what do you think? Go for the kill, or humiliate?" Her laughter echoed in the small cabin.
"Go for it, Goof." I dropped like a stone, cutting the power to my engines once more. A second missile barely missed us. I slammed the stick forwards while I restarted the engines. We dove at full speed, pouncing on the drone turret. My vision blurred at the edges, the g-forces constricting my chest. I leveled out, and Adela had a clear shot. She dropped a paint missile right on the drone, smearing it with lurid yellow liquid. It actually flew backwards, slamming into a second drone, causing them both to power down. I laughed and pulled up on the stick, ascending higher into the air. We shot past another paint missile, and this time we didn't do anything fancy to the attacking drone. Adela merely bathed it a stream of red light, the targeting lasers simulating enough damage on the drone to cause a shutdown. We soon had 'destroyed' all but one of the drone targets.
I started a long approach on it, and Adela made one of her patented long shots. I suddenly laughed maniacally and boosted my thrust to full. We soon matched the missile's speed. I slowly circled around it, dodging missiles as I flew. We neared the drone, and the ground, in a heartbeat. At the last possible second, I pulled a crazy Ivan for the second time that day. We barely missed crashing into the ground, and our plane's cockpit was full with the sound of relieved laughter and joking.
I set the plane down on the runway. All of the Blackwing pilots congratulated us, but a large shape shouldered through the crowd. "Morgan, Bercharon, you'll come with me. The rest of you, get back to work!" Commander Feral led us back to his office, leaving Adela and me to exchange guilty glances all the way. When we reached the office, we stood uneasily as Feral closed his door. He walked around to his chair and sat down. "Report." The word, said mildly, still carried with it unsaid accusations. Neither of us spoke for a second, not willing to talk over each other. I glanced at her, and twitched an ear. She nodded quickly, and I spoke hesitantly.
"You are referring to our flight, Commander?" I know, it's not good to ask such questions of top brass, but hey; it's even worse to apologize wildly before knowing what to apologize for. Feral sighed and slumped in his chair.
"In a way, yes. That was stupid and idiotic. However... it's given me an idea. It's just as idiotic, but far more desperate. You've heard the rumors floating around the base, I suppose? Linking you two and the Swat Kats?" Adela made as if to step forward and deny that, but I shook my head quickly at her. Feral didn't seem to notice. "Let me be frank. Dark Kat's surfaced again. He's demanding that the Swat Kats show up at his base to 'finish the fight', according to him." I spat viciously as I realized where he was going.
"And you want us to go in their place, to confuse him and let the real ones show up outta nowhere and down him." Feral glared at me.
"More or less, captain." I shook my head slowly.
"No. I'm not going to play live bait to let the Swat Kats shoot Dark Kat in the back. Sure, Dark Kat's a psychopathic killer, and he needs to be taken down. However, he'll kill us in seconds." Feral sighed.
"So, Captain Morgan, you're afraid to risk your life for Megakat City?" I stepped forward and poked the burly Enforcer Commander in the chest.
"No, but I'm not willing to waste my life to only end up empty-clawed." Feral snarled at me.
"Restrain yourself, Captain Morgan, or I will. I only ask this of you, because Dark Kat is threatening to nuke Megakat City if the Swat Kats don't show." I laughed bitterly.
"So, what, the real Swat Kats can't make it?" I sighed. "I'm not going to die just for Dark Kat to get away again. Get someone else for this suicide mission, 'cause I'm not going to do it. I'd gladly fly in to help out the Swat Kats, hell; I'd even volunteer for that. Live bait, though? Huh." Feral turned to Adela, who cut him off quietly.
"I'm with Bal. I'll gladly sign up to fly with the Swat Kats, but as them? No." Feral grimaced angrily.
"Fine. You want to fly with the Swat Kats? Fine. You two can be flying cover for them. You'll fly in on their wing and draw fire while they take Dark Kat down. Want the job? They leave tomorrow at three." I'm sure he was half-expecting us to just spit in his face and walk out, but I instead saluted him.
"Of course, Commander. We-" I looked over at Adela, who threw me a quick thumbs-up. "We'll be there." Feral sat down, confused.
"What? You refuse to fly one suicide mission, but you accept another?" I grinned at him as I moved to leave.
"It's all in how you word it, Commander."
We headed off to the maintenance bay, to work on our plane some more. It was already seven, which meant that the techs would be taking their dinner breaks. The bay was cluttered with parts and jets, but deserted of kats. It was a quick job, merely requiring us to replace a bit of the armour plating, and rewire one of the guns. As always, we chattered aimlessly.Well, not so aimlessly, really. "So, you sure you want to do this thing tomorrow?" I looked up at Adela, confused by her question.
"What do you mean? Of course I want to do it, otherwise I wouldn't have said so." She sighed, and reached into the port-side gun's wiring.
"Bal, what I mean is, have you really thought this through? I mean, have you considered all the possibilities past victory?" I was silent for a second, and affixed another armour plate.
"Do you think we can't win?" She snorted as she fiddled with the gun's inner workings.
"Pah. We are going up against the number one threat to Megakat City, here. I just want to make sure that you're not doing something you'll regret." I attached the last armour plate, and jumped down next to her. I placed a paw on her shoulder.
"Well, it could be, but I suppose the real question is: would I regret not doing it more? The answer there is yes. I'm willing to die to take down Dark Kat." She was silent, and I peered at her face. A single tear glistened in her cheek fur. I could scarcely hear her whisper, but whisper she did.
"But I don't want you to." I gently turned her to face me and I wiped the tear away.
"I don't want you to die, either. That's one of three things I would regret tomorrow. I'd regret it if Dark Kat got away, I'd regret it if you died, and I'd regret it if I died. Number one, because it's obvious. Number two, because I never want to lose you. Number three, well, number three because I wouldn't be able to have a future with you. I know, Adela. I know. No matter what happens, though, even if one of us dies, we've got to stop Dark Kat. We've got to do it to save other people, to keep other people from experiencing the same pain. I don't want to think about life without you, but life isn't perfect. Too many Enforcers have died trying to stop him. If I am the last one to die, that's fine with me." She looked away sadly.
"You're willing to die for others, but... you've got to promise me something, Bal. It'll hurt you, but promise it anyway." She looked back into my eyes, and her gaze was steel. "Bal, if I die, I want you to give me a quiet funeral. Nothing special. Just us. You and me, alone. Also, take care of Fel. She'll be a wreck if I die. Oh, and kill Dark Kat, but that's a given, isn't it?" I nodded.
All right. Don't make me promise to move on and forget about you, though." She grinned at me. I gently trailed a claw along the edge of her face. "And if I die, same thing. Take care of Fel, small funeral, kill Dark Kat, and as an addition, tell my brother I buried ten thousand dollars under his yard." She looked shocked.
"You buried ten thousand dollars under your brother's lawn?" I shook my head and grinned.
"Nah, but he's a little git, and it would serve him right. Besides, he'd get some exercise." Adela laughed until tears emerged at the corners of her eyes. I walked around to the storage compartment and pulled a bag out. I held it up. "I'll give you three guesses what's inside." She smiled as she puzzled it out.
"A voodoo doll of Dark Kat, so we can save ourselves the trouble tomorrow?" I snorted in amusement, but shook my head. "Is it dinner?" My grin widening, I shook my head. She frowned thoughtfully. "Is it... is it -" I pulled a bouquet of flowers out of the bag, along with a few cans of paint and some brushes. She gaped at me, and I offered her the flowers. She took them and gave me a playful push. "Gaah, you sentimental, big, fuzzy, lump of-" She broke off and smelled the flowers. "Great big oaf." She gave me a hug. "Thanks, Bal." I winked at her and set the cans of paint down. I cracked one open, and Adela looked at it. "Bal? What's this?" I grinned as I dipped a paintbrush into the pot.
"Well, if we'll be flying with the Swat Kats, we may as well get rid of the Enforcer grays and show those two hotshots that we'll be flying their wing." Adela pecked me on the cheek, and dipped a brush into the black paint as I started applying the lacquer to our plane. She was silent for a few seconds, and then spoke again.
"Bal, I know that we've been talking about tomorrow a lot, and preparing for death, but... what if we do both survive? Why don't we prepare for life?" I glanced at her while I covered the old gray paint with the new black.
"What are you saying, Adela?" She took a deep breath.
"Well, Bal, I mean, we've known each other for what, three years? And we're a bit of a couple, now..." She put her paint brush down and turned to face me, squaring her shoulders. "Bal, if we both live through tomorrow, will you, that is, do you..." She scowled. "Oh, bugger this. Bal, will you marry me?" There was a clatter as the brush I was holding slipped from my fingers. Some alien sense showed up in my belly and sat there, unmoving. I recognized it, though. It was the same as when Adela kissed me, back in the hospital.
"Adela, uh... you deserve far better than me, you-" She slapped me, claws extended. I felt the cuts form on my cheek, felt the blood begin to run down into my fur. She glared at me.
"Just answer it, you idiot. I don't give a damn whether or not you think you're worthy of me, because I sure as hell wouldn't be asking if I didn't think tha-" I stepped forward, swept her up in my arms, and kissed her. I felt her wrap her arms around me, and finally we broke for air. I smiled as I saw the dazed expression on her face, knowing that I had to be wearing one just like it.
"Heh. I suppose you could count that as a 'hell yes' if you wanted to." She glared at me, somewhat mollified.
"You could have just done that first off, you big furball." I shrugged.
"Yeah, but this way is more fun, and it gets that whole 'deserving' thing out of the way quickly." She grinned and unwrapped me from her embrace.
"Come on, Bal, we've got work to do." I sighed, but let go of her, albeit reluctantly.
"Right. Besides, it's almost time for the techs to show up from break. It'd be hard to stand here and hold you close with all the catcalls." I picked up the dropped brush and began applying the black paint once again. "You know, somewhere around one this morning, I'll wake up and whoop with joy for about an hour straight. Because this'll have just sunk into my mind, you know." Adela chuckled.
"Fel will flip out." She grinned. "You know, she's got a crush on that Swat Kat pilot, T-Bone. I bet she's free Friday night, don't you?"
After we finished painting our jet, we hunted down Fel. She was walking to picked up a printing report when we dropped in on either side of her, with the exact same "I-know-something-you-don't" smile. She sighed. "You two. Well, what is it this time? You messed with my uncle's toilet again?" I turned to Adela, and we both adopted expressions of wounded pride.
"Well, I don't recall doing that." Adela nodded sagely.
"Never in our lives would we do something like that." Fel sighed.
"Boobies?" My air of innocence broke first, and then Adela gave into the laughter. "Yeah, I thought so." A couple of months, we had set up a special machine hooked to Commander Feral's toilet handle, that would scream out 'Boobies' in a very loud, and very Feral-ish, pre-programmed message. We also hooked it into the P.A. speakers in his office. Thus, when he flushed the toilet... well, he was still trying to live that day down. Fel waited for our laughter to die down, before she asked again, "What did you guys do?" I glanced at Adela, who grinned as she held up three fingers. She counted down to one, and as she put the last finger down, we said it at the same time.
"We got engaged." Fel stopped in her tracks, and her jaw dropped. She wordlessly pointed at me, and then at Adela, and then back again. Finally, she let out a yip of joy and hugged Adela. Once Adela got free, I was pinned by our overjoyed friend.
"I'm so happy for you two! What spurred this on, though? It took a plane crash to get you to talk about it, so..." She looked from my face to Adela's, seeing our smiles fade. "What? What's going on?" Adela sighed.
"Fel, there's something you should know."
She stared at Adela for a second, and then turned to me. She slapped me, claws extended, and caught me right on top of where Adela had hit me. I could feel the blood seep down into my fur once again, and I twisted, surprised. Fel lashed out again, and I ducked beneath the blow. "How could you? You stupid son-of-a-" Adela grabbed her paw as it drew back for another swipe.
"Wait, wait, Fel! Fel, what are you doing?" I winced as I touched the cuts gingerly. My paw came away covered in blood.
"Man, twice in an hour." Fel snarled at me.
"How dare you have-" I sighed.
"Fel, we signed up for a suicide mission tomorrow." She deflated abruptly, and blinked.
"So, you didn't -" I held up a bloody paw, and grimaced.
"I don't need to know what you thought had happened. Personally, I'm surprised you're reacting calmly to this." Adela nodded as she let the other she-kat go.
"Whatever it was, Bal, I think she's good now. So, yes, Fel, we signed up to fly cover for the Swat Kats while they walk into a trap." She turned and stared at Adela, and then at me. She tilted her head.
"Wait, what? Let me get this straight. You're flying into certain death to catch a criminal?" I nodded.
"Not just any criminal, though. Dark Kat. He put out a message for the Swat Kats. He said that if they don't show up at his lair, he'll nuke Megakat City. Commander Feral wanted us to fly in as the Swat Kats, but we turned him down. He bitterly suggested that we fly as meat shields for them instead, and I accepted." Fel frowned slightly, and then she blinked.
"Oh. You accepted?!" For the third time that day, someone slashed my cheek open. I doubled over and grabbed my nose, trying to staunch the blood that was spraying out. Adela grabbed Fel by the arms again, blocking her from taking another swing at me.
"What the hell? Felina Feral, calm down right now, or I'll report you to the Commander." I straightened up again, and looked around for a towel or something.
"Man, come on, this is just ridiculous at this point."
I held the towel to my face and staunched the flow of blood as Felina apologized. "I'm really sorry, Bal. I didn't mean to get violent." I grinned at her from beneath the towel.
"Oh well. You have a good reason to be violent. I mean, we are flying meat shields for the Swat Kats. On the bright side, though... are you free Friday night?" She sighed.
"You want me to fill in for you again? Bah, slacker. Yeah, I'm free from seven-thirty to nine." I winked at Adela, and she grinned. "Heh. Should we tell her?" Adela shrugged.
"Why not? I don't want it to be a surprise for her. That's rude." I bared my teeth at Fel with a predatory smile.
"Well, since we're going to be talking to the Swat Kats for a bit tomorrow... we thought you might get lonely on Friday." Fel frowned, and then she blinked. Adela protectively stepped in front of me, shielding me from another claw-swipe.
"Wait... you... lonely..." Adela winked innocently.
"What, haven't you been mooncalfing over that T-Bone guy forever?" Fel sighed.
"You're both very rude, you know. That's not nice to do to your friend." I shrugged.
"Well, we did tell you before hand, so..."
We walked out of Fel's office, talking quietly. I suggested that we head for our respective offices, because we each had some paperwork to finish. Adela agreed with me, and we headed for the elevator. We split up once we reached the fourth floor, me to the right, her to the left. Once at my office, I set the radio to a local station and turned the volume up slightly, and then I looked sadly at the mound of paperwork in front of me. Most of them were forms, mostly requisitions, but a few were reports from my subordinates. I sighed and pulled out a pen. A little while later, I heard a knock on my door. I looked up to see Adela open the door slightly.
"Hey, Bal, sorry to interrupt, but I was just..." She trailed off, and then grinned sheepishly. "It's too quiet." I smiled and gestured to a seat.
"All yours, Adela. If you want to talk, heaven knows I want to hear it more than I want to sign for a-" I glanced at the paper in front of me. "- a control stick grip." I snorted as I dropped the paper in annoyance. "So, what's on your mind?" She pulled the chair out and dropped into it wearily. Her feet joined mine on the desk's surface.
"Well, for one thing, I was worried about your face. It's sorta taken a beating today." I grinned and touched the scabs that spanned my face, from the bridge of my nose to my left ear.
"I'll live. If I can remember not to pick at the scabs, they'll heal up soon. No matter what, I'll still have a scar or two. Ah well. Fel just gets a bit... touchy." Adela looked ashamed.
"Yeah, but it wasn't just her. I wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have attacked you." I chuckled, startling her.
"Adela, there are times when I need a good kick. That was one of them. Now, it wasn't a kick, but it was still needed. You know me: I'm just a goof on the ground." She laughed as well, my reference to my call sign breaking any tension there might have been. However, something weighed heavily on her; I could see it in her eyes. "Adela, is there something wrong? Something I can do?" She hung her head.
"I can't hide it, can I?" She looked up, and I saw a tear glisten in one eye. "I'm scared, Bal. I'm scared of tomorrow." I stood up and walked around to the other side of the desk, where I knelt down next to her.
"Of course you are, Addie. If you weren't, you'd be a fool. I'm scared. I don't want to die, nor do I want to lose you. There's really nothing else to say that hasn't been said, though. I mean, there's all the stuff about 'keeping Megakat City safe' and 'duty', but it really all comes down to: if we won't do it, who else will? The Swat Kats have been doing this for three years. They're still kicking.
"Tomorrow will hurt. It'll hurt someone, no matter what happens." I sighed and took her paws gently with my own. "We'll have to go with dumb luck, crazy skill, and naught much else. The best I can offer is that I'm not going to leave you, no matter what happens. I'll be with you right up until the end. No matter what that end may be." She squeezed my hands, seemingly drawing energy from me.
"Bal, that's all I need." I smiled at her and stood, still holding her paws. She gave them one last squeeze, and then let go. I touched her cheek gently before I walked around to my chair and sat down.
"You know, a year ago I would have sworn that I couldn't say something like that seriously. I guess that it's different when you're actually put into that situation." Adela smiled at me.
"What, the soppy stuff, or the reassuring stuff?" I flashed her a grin.
"The soppy stuff." As I did, I took a glance at the clock on my wall. I gaped in astonishment at it. "Holy Kats! It's almost ten o' clock! Well, I think we can go home..." Adela raised an eyebrow.
"Is that an offer?" I shrugged.
"Only if you want it to be. Of course, the best time I can promise you is falling asleep on my couch, after feasting on cold pizza and watching late-night TV." Adela stood up and stretched, the popping of her joints fairly loud in my small office.
"I love cold pizza and late-night TV, so if it's no imposition..." She trailed off speculatively, and I winked at her.
"Imposition? Never! Let me show you to your coach, my lady, and let us be away!"
After the short drive to my apartment, we ascended the stairs and I unlocked a grubby door to reveal a fairly clean living room, with another door that was slightly ajar but that lead to my kitchen. I stepped to one side, flourished my hand wildly, and Adela entered the room. I followed, and closed the door carefully. Too many time had I hurt myself on that thing. I tossed her the remote to the TV, and I walked over to the kitchen, where I searched the refrigerator. Edible, edible, gotta find something edible... I thought as I looked around inside. Finally, I pulled out a plastic bag with about five slices in it, and I turned the oven on. I pulled the pizza out, and I set it on a a baking stone. I popped the pizza in to heat up, and I ambled back out to the living room for a few minutes. There, Adela was watching a horror flick. I rested my elbows on the couch, and leaned onto the cushions.
"So, Addie, what sort of stuff do you usually watch?" She shrugged.
"Usually stuff like this; stuff that's not interesting enough to make you care if you fall asleep in the middle, but that's interesting enough to entertain you." I nodded, and watched a large mutated wolf-creature attack some innocent kats. I remembered the pizza, and returned to check on it. It was warm enough, so I pulled it out and grabbed a couple of plates. I walked out and handed Adela one of the plates, and kept the other for myself. We helped ourselves, and watched the horror film sleepily. After a while, I was jolted by something, and I turned to see Adela resting on my shoulder, mostly asleep. I smiled, and gently removed the plate of half-eaten pizza from her hands. I set mine down as well, and I was asleep a few minutes later.
I awoke some time around six. I disengaged my shoulder from Adela's cheek, and I grabbed the pizza as I walked into the kitchen. I threw the slices of old pizza away, and I set a couple of bowls out on a table, along with a few spoons and a few boxes of cereal. I then walked into my bedroom, grabbed a clean pair of clothes, and padded into the bathroom. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, and I winced at the red scars that marred my face. I closed the door, stripped, and took a quick shower, taking care to clean the dried blood from the cuts. I mentally cursed myself for forgetting that, but I couldn't do much but scrub it off. When I got out, I toweled myself off, and dressed in my Enforcer uniform. I decided to change into my flight suit later. Adela was still fast asleep on the couch, so I let her sleep. It had been a pretty late night, and she didn't need to show up at headquarters for another couple of hours. I suddenly realized that she didn't have any clean clothes, so I called up Fel. She was awake, I knew, but still somewhat grouchy.
"Yeah, who is it?" I explained my predicament briefly, and she agreed to swing by and grab a clean set of clothes for Adela. After about fifteen minutes, I heard a knock on the door, and I opened it to see Fel standing there, with clean clothes. I thanked her profusely, and offered her breakfast, but she had already eaten. As she made to leave, I remembered something.
"Hey, Fel, before you go; why did you attack me yesterday?" Fel flushed a bit red, and she scowled.
"Yeah... I thought Adela was going to say she was pregnant or something. The last time she said 'Fel, there's something you should know', she pulled that joke on me." Fel sighed. "I was just afraid that, well, this time it wasn't a joke." I nearly laughed, but then...
"Wait, you really thought that we-" Fel cut me off quickly.
"No, of course not, but I couldn't help myself. Well, I mean, Bal, you haven't, have you?" I shook my head firmly.
"Never. We may have slept together last night, but not in the sexual sense." I smiled thinly at her, and she nodded.
"That's what I thought." She turned to leave, and then glanced back at me. "Take care of her, Bal." I grinned at her.
"You can't pull rank on me, Fel, but I'll take it as an order anyway." Fel chuckled, and walked away. I closed the door and checked the clock. Seven-thirty. "Come on, Addie. Time to get up."
We arrived at Enforcer Headquarters around eight. We spent the morning finalizing plans for both eventualities. We wrote out wills, we said goodbyes, and we set a date for the wedding. Finally, three o' clock rolled around. Adela and I boarded our repainted jet, and roared into the sky to meet the Swat Kats.
"Hey, Razor, look, it's some wannabes! What're they doin' here?" I grinned and clicked my radio on.
"Flying cover for you lads, last I checked. How you doing, T-Bone?" The cocky pilot snorted.
"Flying cover? Hah. Feral must be really desperate to take down Dark Kat." The gunner, Razor, added his two cents worth.
"Well, we can use all the help we can get. Who're we talking to?" Adela clicked her radio on as well.
"The guy flying this hunk o' bolts is Goof, and I'm Longshot. Pleased to meet you. Incidentally, T-Bone, you doing anything Friday night?" I could see the pilot turn and give his gunner a thumbs-up.
"Well, little lady, I'd be happy to-" Adela cut him off quickly.
"Not for me. I'm getting married, actually. Nah, it's for a friend of mine. I think you'd like to meet her. Felina Feral?" I twisted the stick, rolling in the air as we set off towards Dark Kat's lair. T-Bone whistled.
"Hey, for her, I'm free any day of the week." I shoved the throttle to full and opened a line to the Turbokat. The terrain we were flying through was known as the Proving Grounds, with a nigh-legendary spire of rock known as the Needle. I considered it high time that the Enforcers beat the Swat Kats at something.
"Hey, hotshot, you think you're the best pilot around, eh? I'll bet you ten that you can't thread the Needle up here before I can." I visualized T-Bone's grin as he retorted.
"Twenty." Adela leaned forward.
"Bal, just keep us in one piece so that we can fight Dark Kat." I glanced back and grinned broadly at her.
"Not a problem, babe. T-Bone, you're on. On the count of three." Razor and Adela alternated the countdown, joining together on the last word.
"One."
"Two."
"THREE!" The two jets roared off, navigating the treacherous course in an attempt to beat the other to the Needle. I rolled into a smaller canyon, and almost immediately regretted it. All around me, spikes attempted to skewer the plane. Adela screamed as we nearly tore ourselves to pieces on the rocks. I deftly kept the plane going, though. We rejoined the main canyon a few moments later, and I laughed defiantly. The Turbokat was lagging behind.
"Hey, Bones, are you going to be beaten by an Enforcer?" The black jet roared forward, engaging a secondary drive system. It pulled ahead of us quickly, but the hairpin turn forced it to decelerate, actually letting us regain the lead. We hit an S-turn canyon, and I whipped the Enforcer jet around wildly. We barely missed leaving bloody splotches on the walls, but we made it through once again. T-Bone opened a channel as I hit the last turn and cut engine power, throwing my fighter into a tail-chasing spin along the final approach to the Needle.
"Goof, you're insane! What are you doing?" I just laughed and accelerated, aiming for the Needle. I leveled out at the last second, spun, and skipped the jet in through the rock tunnel. The Turbokat followed a split second later, and I punched my comm unit.
"HAH! Someone owes me twenty!" Adela reached up and squeezed my shoulder.
"Nice flying, Goof." I grinned and threw all power to engines, following the Turbokat closely as they roared off towards Dark Kat's lair. T-Bone resentfully opened a channel.
"You idiot. Fine, fine. I'll pay, but... gaah." We reached the rendezvous spot without any further incident, and Adela and I soared up into the clouds to watch. About fifteen minutes later, a huge beaked craft appeared on the horizon.
"Swat Kats. I'm surprised. You are braver than I thought. No matter. Prepare to die." The ship powered up a large laser system, and targeted the Turbokat. I glanced back at Adela.
"Here goes nothing." As the Turbokat sideslipped out of the line of fire, I roared down out of the clouds, right on top of Dark Kat. Adela grunted for a second.
"Hngh... got it! Lock on, fire!"
"Go get 'em, Longshot!" The missile streaked down and exploded against the laser system, destroying it. The Turbokat simultaneously fired a missile as well, but Dark Kat threw up a shield in time. He spun his ship to face us.
"You'll die for that." I rolled and juked, trying to evade a lock, but I heard the warning tone, and my stomach sunk. As the ship opened a hatch to launch a missile, the Turbokat dove down on Dark Kat and launched a group of Banshee missiles. Dark Kat aborted the launch, and spun to open fire on the Turbokat. The hail of bullets slammed into the fuselage, and the Turbokat shuddered. Razor shouted in panic as he read his damage warnings.
"No! We've taken heavy damage, and we've got a slow gas leak! We can't keep fighting." I spat.
"Run and hide, then. I'll kill him myself." As the Turbokat fled, Dark Kat gladly accepted my challenge, and we must have dogfighted for over an hour. Each time he was about to blow us out of the sky, I managed to swing the jet out of the way at the last second. Adela finally shouted out a few choice curses.
"Goof, we're out of missiles, and I'm running out of bullets! We can't do much more!" I nodded grimly.
"Adela, I love you. I want you to know that." With that, I accelerated. She gasped, and then I heard her chuckle.
"Well, if nothing else, we'll go out in a blaze of glory." I sighed and reached for the red button on the side of my canopy.
"Prepare to eject on my mark. Fire everything you've got at him!" She obliged, and Dark Kat shied away, confused by our ramming course. "Three, two, one, mark!" We hit the eject buttons, and the canopy above us blew away. Adela's chair rocketed out of the aircraft, but a warning light flashed on mine. It's not launching, was my first thought.I sighed and closed my eyes as I heard Adela's voice on the comm link.
"Bal, no! What're you- no!" I punched the button as Dark Kat's ship filled my viewscreen.
"My ejector seat isn't working. I'm sorry, Adela. Don't le-" Fire, pain, and my vision went black.
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I was still alive. The second thing I noticed was that I was missing half my leg. I screamed. I clawed at the wreckage that had brutally ripped my limb from me. Blood pooled around me. Outside, I saw Dark Kat. Miraculously still alive, he was limping away. Then, I saw her. Adela, raising a pistol, trying to take him down. I shouted to her, I howled a warning. However, it must not have carried past the burning smoke and sparking circuitry. She fired. A creepling, two, fell before her, but Dark Kat ignored the bursts of light and launched himself at her. She struggled, and I struggled. I managed to haul myself out of the cockpit, dragging my broken and useless stump behind me. She punched him, kicked him, bit him, but he held her fast. I still remember his words.
"Bitch! I won't let you stop me, not when I'm so close! Die!" He grasped her neck, and she began to suffocate. I managed to get my one foot underneath me, and I hobbled towards him. His back was turned. I scooped up the pistol and set it to maximum power. I held it up against his skull.
"Drop her, you madman!" Dark Kat spun, and he stopped before he completed his turn. He clearly was afraid of the pistol end in his face, but... he growled at me.
"You kill me, she dies." I held the gun steady.
"Let her go, now!" Adela grimaced as she clawed at his paw. Dark Kat smiled viciously at me. I didn't waste my time on him, though. I looked deep into Adela's eyes, and I felt the rage and helplessness well up inside me.
"Surely we can make a deal." I shook my head, wondering when my remaining leg would collapse.
"I don't deal with criminals." Dark Kat snarled with rage.
"Then she dies!" He clenched his fist, and a wet, popping sound echoed through the clearing. I howled. My finger pulled the trigger.
He toppled over slowly. The steaming hole where his face should have been no longer held interest for me. I picked up my broken fiancé, and hot tears spilled from my eyes. I wanted to rail at the heavens, I wanted to kill myself, I wanted... I collapsed, my leg failing with the addition of the new weight. I heard... sirens. I turned, with the last of my energy, to see Commander Feral with a group of tanks. As he led the reinforcements in, I saw a flashing red light higher up on the canyon wall. I mouthed a curse, a warning, but Feral didn't see. Above, the Swat Kats hovered, Fel riding along with them. As they set the Turbokat down, the canyon wall exploded and rained fire and rock upon the convoy. I saw Feral toss the deputy mayor out of his tank, but as he reached to get Mayor Manx to safety, it was too late. Wails of pain and anguish filled the clearing. It was a red day for the enforcers. I felt the energy seep from my body, as my wound spread my lifeblood across the ground. Razor was holding Deputy Mayor Briggs, trying to comfort her, and I saw Fel leaning over me. She was crying.
"Oh, God, Bal! Adela! No!" I raised one arm, soaked in sweat and blood, and touched her cheek lightly.
"Medics... Adela... not me..." I blacked out as I saw medikats race over to our broken bodies. More clustered around the tanks, and my last thought before I plunged into darkness once more was that I didn't have to be alone in death.
I opened my eyes, slowly. I saw that I was on a large highway, with a small dirt road leading away from it. Adela stood by me, on the dirt road. I blinked, and looked down. I had one leg, and a stump. However, I seemed capable of walking, as if the injury hadn't happened. I turned to Adela, who smiled at me. "You're dead." She nodded.
"Yes, Bal." I closed my eyes briefly.
"Feral? Manx?" She nodded again.
"They have already passed through." I bowed my head.
"And I'm next." She reached out and touched my arm. It felt like a feather on my fur.
"Perhaps. That depends on you. You are close to death, Bal. If you stop fighting..." I nodded, slowly.
"If you're dead, and I'm almost, I might as well-" She shushed me.
"Bal, remember your promise to me. I know. I know that you don't want to live. I know that it'll hurt. However, there are still people who need you. There are still things to do. Don't worry about death, my love. Worry about the people you leave behind. I will be here waiting for you. You will never be alone." I took her paw.
"Why?" She laughed.
"Because, Bal. Because there was no other way. It was foolish, but if I hadn't tried, your sacrifice would have been for nothing, and Feral and Manx would have died in vain. So many others would have died in vain." I grinned at her, weakly.
"He's dead." She nodded.
"I know. I'm sorry." I felt tears spring unbidden to my eyes.
"He-" I rubbed at one eye like a child. "He didn't have to die. He..." Adela hugged me.
"I'm sorry." I clung to her, trying to etch her in my mind.
"Adela, I'll never fly again." She nodded.
"Because of your leg, if nothing else." I frowned slightly, as I looked down at it.
"Didn't think of that. I'll never fly again because it wouldn't be the same without you. I couldn't do it, and I wouldn't do it." She pulled back slightly, and looked at me.
"Bal, that's-" She smiled at me, deciding to change the subject. "Take care of Fel. She's going to be a wreck." I nodded. "Oh, and Bal? Please don't cry. Death isn't that bad. Especially when you aren't flying solo." I grinned at her as she released me from her hug.
"Is this a near-death experience, or what? I'd assume not, but..." She laughed warmly.
"It is, technically, but don't worry. It's your mind making something real easier to understand. I'm still going to be here for you." She pointed down the road, back where I come. "Now, you better start walking. They're waiting for you." I nodded.
"So, when do I stop walking?" She grinned and sent me on my way with a shove.
"When you wake up. Now, get going. Oh, and Bal, don't forget: I love you." I started walking, and glanced back. She stood there, and waved once. I grinned back at her.
"How could I? I love you too, Addie." With that, I squared my shoulders and began the long walk back to life.
My eyes opened, slowly. I could feel immense pain in my stump, but I ignored it. I heard beeping as I surveyed the small hospital room. I lay on a bed, with a heart monitor hooked up to me. I saw a few nurses pass by in the hall, and I struggled to sit up. Bandages covered my body, but I managed to get upright. I leaned against the headboard of the bed, and considered. I swung my leg over the side of the bed, and put my weight on it. I was sluggish from the drugs, but I was able to stand. I plucked the monitor's cords from my body, and I laid them on the bed. I braced myself against the wall and hopped. Pain, but not a lot. My leg worked. I grinned and noticed a mirror nearby. I hopped over and picked it up. My face was scarred a bit more, but otherwise I was alive. I set the mirror down and nearly hopped into the hall before I realized that I was wearing one of those flimsy hospital gowns. I hate those things. I sat down on a chair to preserve my dignity, and waited. After about five minutes, a nurse and a doctor raced into the room, alerted by the removal of the monitor things. They stopped and stared as I stood up unsteadily.
"Right, I'd like to see my friends now. Could you tell them I'm up?"
I was back in bed, but Felina and the rest of Blackwing squadron was crowded in my room. The Swat Kats were there as well, to say hi. Fel knelt down by my bed.
"Bal, there's something you need to know. Adela, she..." I nodded as she trailed off.
"She's dead. I know." I watched as a tear trickled down through Fel's cheek fur.
"Commander Feral, he's-" I nodded.
"He's dead as well. So is Mayor Manx." Fel looked up, confused.
"How-" I smiled gently at her.
"I have my sources. Dark Kat's dead." The assembled kats cheered. T-Bone stepped forward and patted my shoulder.
"Thanks to you. I'd make you an honorary Swat Kat, but..." I smiled at him.
"Except I'm worthless, because I can't fly. Don't worry, I understand." Razor grinned at me.
"Sorry. Anyway, you're taking this pretty calmly." I shrugged.
"What else can I do? Bawling my eyes out won't help, I've got a job to do, and I've already dealt with this." Fel looked around hastily.
"Quick! Hide anything sharp! He's being calm! The last time he did this, he nearly cut his neck open!" I laughed.
"Fel, I'm not going to kill myself. I had that chance." She just stared at me. "Anyway, I need to get going. Adela deserves a proper burial." Fel looked at me oddly.
"Bal, we're going to give her a proper memorial. A hero's farewell." I shook my head vehemently.
"No! No. That's not what she wants. No." One of the Blackwings stepped forward slightly.
"Hey, come on, Goof. Calm down. We just want to give her a proper send off, that's all." I sighed, trying to keep the anger out of my voice.
"She doesn't want one, so she's not getting one. Period."
They had protested, long and hard, but I finally won out. When the docs released me, I buried her. Everyone was angry with me, I knew. Mayor Manx had been buried with a hero's farewell, for risking his own life for his city. I never knew he had it in him. He was willing to face death to save others. A coward all his life, he became a symbol of bravery and selflessness in death. Commander Feral had a great send-off too. The never-faltering Enforcer standard, the bravest of the brave. He died saving others, the only way anyone could ever imagine him going. After the public mourning for the two heroes, the greatest among them was left to a cripple and a good friend to bury. It seemed somehow fitting, though. I lowered her body gently into the grave. Fel and I stood at a secluded lake front, watching the sun set on the love of my life. I stepped back and surveyed her face once more. She seemed to smile at me, reaching past the confines of death and touching my heart once again. Fel wept quietly, and I closed my eyes.
"It's hard to say goodbye. I know we did already, twice, but... it's different now. I can't hold you in my arms anymore. I can't sit and watch horror shows with you. I don't know where I'm going, Adela. I don't know what the point of life is. However, I promised you that I'd live it. I promised that I'd take care of Fel, and myself. You -" I felt the tears well at the corners of my eyes, weeks of grief threatening to spill over. "You told me not to fear death, but to fear leaving those you love behind. That never seemed more terrible to me, leaving people behind. I used to fear death. I used to doubt my faith, to doubt my convictions. I didn't want anyone to ever have to die." I laughed bitterly. "Now I understand. You showed me, Adela. I know that dying isn't just a plague on the world. It's a way to teach, to understand, and when the time finally comes, I'll meet Death with a smile and a handshake." I looked away, unable to bear the sight of my dead fiancé. "Just like you did." I fell silent, and Felina stepped forward.
"I just want to say this, Adela. You were a damn good gunner, and a better friend. Maybe, someday, we'll meet again." She nodded sadly to me, and I plunged the shovel into the fresh dirt. As I filled up the grave slowly, I cried. Tears flowed freely, until finally the hole in the ground was almost full. I pulled a young tree, an oak, and planted it in the grave.
"Adela, you gave the world so much in life. Here's a way to give the rest in death. Hopefully, this tree will grow strong, nurtured by the woman who taught us both how to truly live." I threw the shovel to the ground, and clenched my fists. "Who taught me how to truly love. To give everything for someone else. You didn't die in vain." With that, I sunk to my knees and let the grief envelop me. It must have been a few hours later when Fel dragged me away from the grave.
I went through the motions, living life almost mechanically, but it slowly began to return to normal. The waves of pain slowly eased. I could walk into my office without breaking into tears. I could talk about her without crying. Each week, the rift in my life slowly healed. The doctors built me a prosthetic, to help me walk, and I visited the tree, her tree, every day. It grew, a testament to her love and faith to everyone around her. I sat and talked to the tree, and I still do, telling her what is happening in the world. When she blooms, I laugh. When she sheds her leaves, I cry. I marvel at the wonder of nature, of the God that made her, and the peace that she knows. Perhaps, one day I'll find that same peace.
I helped Callie Briggs find peace. She and Razor, that is to say Jake, are happily married and have two kittens. Fel and T-Bone, Chance, are married as well. Life returned to equilibrium. The Swat Kats were no longer needed after Dark Kat died. Dr. Viper tried something, briefly, until someone doused him with an anti-mutagen. It slowly poisoned him, but he died a hero as well. He created one last experiment, this time meant to help Megakat City, and not hurt it. No one knows why he did. However, his cure for cancer has saved millions. Hard Drive? Fel put him behind bars personally, and he sits there to this day, waiting for that distant day when he'll be free. The Metallikats? They fled. Word is that they tried to take over another city, off to the north, and were reduced to scrap by the Enforcers there. The Pastmaster? He opened one too many portals, and was trapped in a freak warp storm. Basically, he's sitting outside time, unable to do anything but pout. Now, with Fel running the Enforcers, and Jake and Chance training new recruits, there's no situation that they can't handle. Turmoil hasn't been seen for the last seven-some years, but more than likely she's never going to return. Each villain that the Swat Kats fought against has either died or been removed from their world of crime. It's almost funny, really. That day, on the day of the greatest grief of my life, the reddest day of Enforcer history, I found my inner peace. If I had been told that the death of my beloved Adela would bring about peace, I would have throttled whoever had said it. Now, though, I sit and wait calmly, for every day brings me closer to Adela. One day, we'll finally be together. Until then, though, I do what I can.
The older kat smiled as he finished his story. Frank, the younger guard, stared open-mouthed. "That's... that was horrible, Bal! She really- I mean, you really- Wow. That seems too hard to live with." Balthamus Morgan grinned.
"Perhaps. It just depends on your view of it, Frank. For me, it hurt to lose Adela. However... I can't say that didn't do something for me. If you think the glass is half-empty, then it probably is for you. If you think the glass is half-full, same. However, the trick is to down the glass anyway. Otherwise, you get so hung up on how much you have to drink, and not enough on what happens after you drink it." With that, he raised the glass of milk up to Frank in salute, and downed it with a single swig. "Because, you see, after the glass empties, then you can put whatever you like in it."