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Characters will not completely resemble the 1985 rendition, nor the 2011 rendition. This is a reimagining of the Thundercats series as a whole and not entirely based on either series. Nor is it based on any other fan work. The creator(s) of this work reserve the right not to answer any questions or respond to any reviews. This is meant to mimic a professional work and will be conducted as such.

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Episode 4

Muddy Problems, Part 2

Slithe had settled heavily on the plains away from the cats, and only now that it was well after dawn did he feel well enough to get up. Still enormous, he shook off and snarled, feeling his burns and the nicks in his feet. The tall grass reached his knees here, and the sun warmed it so it felt good against his scales even if nothing else did.

It hurt. Those cats had hurt him, a general of the Alliance. With their ridiculous, untrained hands and weak team, they had actually injured him. Not seriously, but it still slapped him with conceit. He screeched, thrashing his tail and striking the ground, leaving indentations where the weight fell. The grass was crushed. The cats were not as weak as they looked. What to do now? He had to kill them; he'd said he would. And he probably could, if he went about it carefully.

But it still hurt, which quite stunned him. He hadn't felt pain in a long time. He sat long enough to tend the cuts on his feet, licking them with his tongue to clear them of grass. It was begrudgingly exciting in a way, for a warrior was also interested by a challenge.

The lion had known how to fight. So had the panther. The tiger and cheetah were not quite so trained, but they understood the basics of combat. And they had followed the lion's orders, who wielded a sword. Now, why was the question of the hour…could it be that the king wanted to deal with the threats in silence? Be the calm ruler from afar and send his servants out to fight for him? Fitting for a cat.

That sword…its bite was unfamiliar. Slithe looked down at his gnarled, clawed hands and examined the scratches. Something about it was very, very strange and it made his tail curl with loathing. It was like a hot needle pressing into him. His mind lingered on it and he had to shake himself to rouse his mind from the searing heat.

Perhaps he ought to cause a little trouble. See what the cats could do if he attacked from the sky. Slithe's great, drooping mouth grinned. He could wreak havoc on Rana Village easily enough. Sure one of the trades ran through the village, but if he could get rid of a few of these meddlers with their accursed antimutagen, it would be worth it.

Besides, someone else would just come along to pick up the trade. They might agree to send the substances more cheaply. He opened his wings and began pacing heavily over the flat ground, flapping and bearing upward in a cool morning gust. His dose would last a while longer; Slithe was feeling the effects of the substance, and his pain made him angry. It was more refined than the stuff they gave test subjects, and his mind only lapsed in savage destruction every now and then. His lust for death and bodies had increased with his humiliation, and he intended to swallow at least one of those cats before noon today.

The lizard girl tugged on Lion-O's cloak. "What kind of cat are you?"

Lion-O kept one ear tuned for the caretaker or Tygra and said, "Lion. My name is Lion-O." She giggled and he smiled; it was pretty redundant after all. "What's your name?"

She grinned and twisted in something like a shy dance. "My name's Lisssa."

"It's nice to meet you." All the bright, round eyes looking at him never left and he wondered why for a moment. They stared at him as if he were an alien, and it wasn't just because he was a foreign cat species. "What is it? You're all staring."

One boy shrugged. "You're nice, and you came to see us. Nobody comes to check on us, forget feed us." Lion-O now understood the hungry look in their eyes; it was the mistrust of and desire for kindness, not just food. He reached out and touched the top of the boy's head. He was some sort of mixed dog breed and his ear twitched as if he didn't quite know what to say, and that any touch was not expected for something as plain as a nice gesture. His hair was very dirty and matted, and Lion-O felt sweat and heat from his skull. He was tired and that a child knew this weariness – this deathly despair – was wrong.

Tygra appeared out of nowhere and Lion-O's heart nearly stopped, crouched beside the group. The children shrieked but quickly quieted as Tygra shoved one of the rocks into Lion-O's hands. "That…was in…the cellar. This village…is part of the Mutation trade."

Lion-O waited for his heart to start beating normally before he looked down. "Tygra…wait, Mutation trade? That can't…we're too far from Lune and Tropo. Aren't we?"

"Hey, you said it yourself. They could be importing ingredients they're short on." Tygra had been bent at the waist, panting, and he held his side for a second. "Ow. Dang, why's Cheetara got to be right?"

The children were staring at him, jostling around Lion-O in a furry, fuzzy, scaly crowd. Tygra noticed them after a moment and said, "Hi. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

Lion-O was studying the mineral in his hands in disbelief, turning it over and over. "This was in the cellar? In a bunch of bags?"

"Yeah. And get this, I have some of the order sheets." He offered Lion-O these and the little lizard girl peered up at it.

"That's Miss Hiss's writing all right. She makes squiggly tails," she assured somberly.

"Tygra, have you read these? The shipments from here head through Tropo to Lune to be processed, and then back down to Tropo for shipping. I'll bet they spread like fire from there. No wonder Dera's Run has seen it. And processing in the south too…in the forests?" Lion-O was turning from page to page. "Some of them are even contracts, look at them…they were just sitting out?"

"No, they were stacked on a desk down in the locked cellar. I'll bet you the whole reason the orphanage is here is so that woman has a front to keep the trade hidden. Mutation is illegal here, right?" Tygra asked.

All the children nodded. "There are only three laws in Rana Village other than the curfew," the wolf girl said. "No stealing, pay when bills come due, and no Mutation. The last one makes breaking the first two way too easy."

"Right. When did this chick open the orphanage?" Tygra asked.

"Well…she didn't. She took over three years ago. My parents ran this place until she came to town and asked for a job. They hired her but she was horrible, and the night before they died they said they were going to fire her. She was always snooping around and being hateful to the children." The girl wolf looked at her brothers. One of them popped his thumb into his mouth and looked forlorn. "The next morning they were dead. The place has gotten worse and worse ever since she took over. Nobody listened when I said they hadn't wanted her in charge. She was the only person that would take over."

"Ah. So she didn't build it, she just muscled in on the territory." Lion-O and Tygra didn't dare voice their belief that Miss Hiss had killed the couple; the iron in the wolf girl's eyes showed she knew this and the rest of the kids would have freaked out if they said it. Some of the older ones' eyes flitted around as if they thought this as well. "Yeah, we're definitely raising a complaint."

Lion-O gave the order papers to the girl. "I know we're strangers, but this is very important. Will you go with me to take these to the wolves Dyre and Timbyr? They don't like Miss Hiss either, and they'll listen."

The girl nodded. "At this point, strangers are kinder to us than those we know. How sad." She looked down at the little boys. "Can they come?" Both clenched at her skirt, noses short and snuffling and their eyes very big and bright.

"…I suppose that's for the best," Lion-O said. "We'll need an insider, and you're old enough that they'll listen." He looked down at the boys. "Can they run fast?"

"No. I'll carry them," she said. Both cats watched as she knelt to pick them up, grunting under the weight. Lion-O crouched in the mud instead.

"Come on, climb up." The boys obeyed, jabbering when he stood up, both hanging on to his shoulders. "Tygra, let Panthro and Cheetara know about this and keep an eye out for Slithe. I'll be back." The girl took the crook of his arm and one boy tickled her with his tail.

"Oh, do I get to confront the witch?" Tygra rubbed his hands together.

Lion-O sighed. "I suppose if you must. It might be better if you hold off on that until we get Dyre and Timbyr's help."

"I make no promises. With dirt like this, they'll have no choice but to pick a new caretaker, right?" Tygra looked gleefully vindictive, and Lion-O took off, the wolf girl keeping up easily and looking quite entertained. The pups on his back squealed happily as he ran.

Things were coming together. Who knew this hero thing could be so simple?

Hiss's face was getting tense. "I already told you that the orphanage survives on donations. That's why things are so rough."

Cheetara tilted her head, lower lip protruding just a tad. "That's such a shame. Because having kids in such a dank place must be heartbreaking for the whole town and yourself. Are you absolutely sure there's no way you could hire me to help around here?"

Hiss's claws rapped against the desk. "If you're looking for a job as a caretaker you'd be better off in a bigger city. Around here, I'm the only one that can take care of the children. The orphanage was left to me and I run it the best I can. I'm not hiring, no matter how many references you have." Pantho looked about as bored as could be and Cheetara folded her fingers.

"Are you sure? I have about three more." Keeping this woman in the office was difficult; it had been about half an hour and Hiss was ready to strangle her. Cheetara could tell because the white and brown tail was absolutely straight, a sure sign of frustration.

"No. Really."

The woman stood up and Cheetara bit back a growl. "Oh, all right, but maybe I could help you tidy up? Volunteer work is important to me as well and I-"

"You will be helping me if you leave," Hiss said softly. "You've kept me from my work for some time now, and with so many children here I'm quite busy."

"Yeah, ruining lives is a full-time job, right?"

Hiss looked up, startled, and Cheetara glanced back. Tygra was looking airily cocky, and Panthro had not reacted to his entrance, and he was draped casually against the doorframe. "What took you?" Cheetara asked.

"Hey, Panthro was afraid this would take a whole day. Just be glad it only took twenty minutes." Tygra paced into the room, stopping on the other side of Hiss's desk. "I would just give myself up if I were you. You're done."

Hiss blinked. "I…I'm sorry young man. I don't know what you mean."

"Cut the crap lady. We know you're using kids as free labor, and that you're abusing the system by taking the allowance the merchants grant you to take part in the Mutation trade. You had to pick the one thing that was illegal to trade in, didn't you?"

At this Hiss's face became utterly blank. Cheetara's jaw dropped and Panthro's eyebrows rose half an inch. "…Why would you say that?"

Tygra replied by taking out a piece of unrefined green stone and showing it to her. It glowed dully. "I found that in your cellar. The whole orphanage is just a big sham to keep people from looking around, isn't it? Miners bring it by, you evaluate it and conceal it and provide a junction for the next traders to take it to be processed. Lune needs more materials so you cash in on it. Trying to cut costs with child labor too."

Hiss's face had turned white, save for her cheeks which were pink. Pure wrath held her lips tight. "You've been in my private rooms. How dare you."

"I don't think anyone will have as big an issue with that as with you. We've got a few friends ourselves, and they'll know about it by now." Cheetara watched Tygra's mouth curl and wondered how he could smile at all. She was fighting the urge to beat the whiskers out of the other cat.

"Not bad kid. I have to admit, this is coming together better than I'd hoped." Panthro examined his claws as he thought. "Just need a new caretaker after this."

"I beg your pardon." Hiss had remained standing and her fur was an outraged puff. "But you seem to think that I'm just going to be shipped to some prison because a few rats have gone poking around where they shouldn't? You really think it'll be that easy?"

"Yeah, we do. Everybody around hates you anyway." Tygra was blunt and he lifted his head. "Does anyone else hear yelling?"

Cheetara straightened. Through the shabby, thin walls she too heard screams and shouts. "Oh no…"

A long roar from overhead made Panthro issue a profanity. "Slithe."

He dashed out the door, and Cheetara looked at the woman with fury. "What do we do? We can't let her run off."

Tygra took firm hold of the woman's shoulders. "We lock her in the cellar. It's safe enough and she won't be able to get out."

Hiss went quietly, eyes so cold that Cheetara wondered how anyone could ever have put her in charge of an orphanage. "You'll regret this." Ignoring her, Tygra guided her out and Cheetara ran past him.

"I'm going to help with Slithe. Tygra, once you see to her, round up the kids and get them somewhere safe. I'll try to do what I did before."

She was gone after that, in the thunderous sound of air being displaced at a high speed.

Lion-O saw Slithe coming in the distance as he reached Dyre's shop stall. The wolf was peering up at the creature and said, "What in the world is-?"

"Take these kids and get inside. I'll deal with Slithe." Lion-O put down the pups who were delighted to see a grown male wolf. Dyre stared at them and the girl. Pausing, Lion-O knelt to speak to the girl. "What's your name?"

"Leofa."

"I need you to tell Dyre and his brother Timbyr everything you know about Miss Hiss and the Mutation trade she's running. Stay down and listen to him."

Dyre's jaw dropped. The roar from the sky made someone scream, and things only started to escalate, merchants hastily gathering wares and starting to run. "Wh-Mutation? Hiss is dealing in-?"

"She's shipping materials to Tropo and Lune! Look, I don't have time! Get into a solid building or into a cellar!" Lion-O turned around and drew his sword. "Just keep those kids safe and stay away from Slithe!"

He took off toward the fat, hovering beast. Slithe was scanning the village and Lion-O turned the flat of his blade toward the sun, letting the light blaze to get his attention. Slithe's head snapped toward him and another low growl rattled the ground. But instead of alighting, the beast swung low, dragging his feet against a mud hut. It shattered on impact and Lion-O heard more screams and he forced himself to run faster. "Stop! Leave them alone!"

Slithe grinned, lips peeling over his teeth. He kicked another hut before rising into the air again, far beyond Lion-O's reach. The building crumbled, sending dust and debris over Lion-O. He coughed in the cloud, relieved when he saw shaky people emerging from the ruins and fleeing. "Get out of the area! Go, go!"

The lizard was enjoying himself, and Lion-O cursed whatever allowed him to keep his mind; he wouldn't come down and he could do untold amounts of damage by skimming just out of reach. Lion-O dashed forward fruitlessly, watching Slithe slam his tail into a tent and missing its tip by less than a foot.

"Too slow." The rasp of that voice made Lion-O snarl, but a gust suddenly whipped past him, a golden blur springing to the top of a hut and then up to Slithe's back. Cheetara was there, swinging her staff, and it cracked against the sinuous neck. Slithe bellowed, shocked and senseless from the impact against his spine.

Lion-O jumped forward and caught her as she came back to the ground, setting her safely in the dirt. "'Too slow?' I don't know the meaning of it!" she called, landing on her feet solidly. Slithe was fumbling in the air, bobbing like a lure, and as he came lower Lion-O looked at Cheetara.

"I'm not even going to ask how you did that." She shot him a wild grin and he hurled himself onto a roof as well, digging in with his claws to make it to the flimsy peak of the house. Jumping, he just managed to snag Slithe's ankle. Slithe kicked but Lion-O was already climbing up his back. Cheetara hurled rocks at the lizard, drawing his wrathful attention from the lion. Lion-O swung himself up to the wings and plunged the Sword of Omens deep into the membrane. It was shockingly tough, like a stringy cut of raw meat, and he sliced down with all his strength.

Slithe screamed and plummeted toward the ground, air streaming through the hole in his wing. Lion-O jumped clear and Cheetara darted from side to side when Slithe's limbs thrashed back and forth, desperate to strike.

"Okay, what now?" she asked. Slithe had stopped kicking and was rolling onto his stomach, injured wing dragging along the ground. Lion-O shut his mouth; he hadn't gotten that far in planning.

"We need to take him down. I brought antimutagen this time; the sooner we beat him the sooner these people are safe." Lion-O fumbled for his belt, searching for a canister, but Slithe's eyes fixed on him, snarling and teeth running wet with saliva.

"I'll keep him busy! Go for someplace soft to stick the needle!" Cheetara sprinted in, faster than breath, and Slithe snapped at her afterimage like an angry crocodile. She sprang into acrobatics, somersaulting over the scaly back, and Slithe swung his tail.

Just a second too late. Cheetara's hands found purchase on the rough scales and she sprang into something like a fantastic cartwheel, making the lizard bellow. He was turning now, and Lion-O had the canister opened. Prowling after the beast, he didn't dare to breathe, slinking toward the muscular haunches and – more specifically – the back legs and feet. The Sword of Omens had pierced the bottoms of Slithe's feet before; the scales were softer there, and a needle could jab between them as easily as a sword.

At that moment something terrible happened.

Slithe was not a general for nothing, and in spite of Cheetara's speed he finally predicted her position accurately and his teeth closed on her arm, just snagging a grip to pull at her fur. It was enough; she stumbled, hot, moist breath rolling over her. Then Slithe snapped again, grabbing her by the hair. He lifted his head, dragging her into the air, and Cheetara screamed in anger and pain.

Lion-O jumped forward with the blade drawn and Slithe grinned. Snapping his head back around, Slithe hurled Cheetara toward Lion-O and he only managed to move the blade out of the way as she impacted him. The sharp edge could have slit her in two, but instead Lion-O found himself being smashed into the ground by her thin frame.

The two lay stunned for a moment, Cheetara pushing herself onto her knees. "Sorry…"

Lion-O's ears were ringing. The back of his head had connected with something hard on the ground and his vision flickered. But the crash that echoed out next made him sit up anyway, Cheetara sprawled across his lap. Slithe had started slamming his tail into more mud huts and tents, sending the materials flying.

Something glinted in the light and Lion-O's heart sank; Slithe had seen it too and scuttled toward it. Lion-O threw himself at the canister – it had flown from his hand when Cheetara hit him – but Slithe pricked the glass with one delicate black claw, shattering the glass and sending the precious antimutagen into the moist ground.

The wide, sharp mouth grinned and Cheetara slowly got to her feet as he began trudging toward them. "That was the only one you brought, wasn't it?"

"Most unfortunately. Didn't want to risk the rest. Bad decision on my part." He was on all fours and backed up until he could get to his feet. "I don't suppose you have any ideas?"

"Yeah, get him to stop smashing houses." Cheetara shook her head fiercely, eyes blinking rapidly.

Lion-O watched Slithe's serpentine neck sway like a cobra's ready to strike, lids low and almost sleepy. "We can't take him on our own. Not without putting people in danger."

"No kidding. Tygra and Panthro should be on their way, but I-"

The two flung themselves in opposite directions as the claws sliced into where they'd been. "What about the kids?" Lion-O called, swiping at Slithe's wrists with the Sword of Omens. It glanced off the flat scales and Slithe backhanded him. The claws hitting his side stung but he shrugged it off.

"I thought they'd join the other children! They never came to find you?" Cheetara's voice was high and Lion-O's stomach rose with it before plummeting. He ducked under Slithe's next swing, needling the bottoms of his forelegs – hands, he supposed – and Slithe kept snapping at him, teeth flashing.

Slithe was strong but too slow to keep up with them, and Lion-O couldn't help but wonder if they might be able to wear him down. More screams killed this hope; the lizard had, in his frustration, kicked in the wall of the nearest hut. Lion-O let out a cry when he saw people flying from the wreckage, covered in debris, heavy scaled feet crunching the dirt around their prone bodies. "Stop! You'll kill them!"

"Then hold still!" Slithe hissed. Lion-O saw his head looming down and raised the blade in time to block the fangs from closing around his head. The metal locked between the teeth as Slithe bit down and Lion-O tightened his grip as the lizard lifted him by the sword. He refused to let go, but at the deadly gleam in Slithe's eye Lion-O realized that if he didn't release his hold the lizard was going to throw him. And it was going to be fatal. Cheetara connected with the creature's chest, trying to shock him, but he batted her aside like a twig.

"Hey, lizard guy!" Slithe turned his head to look for the speaker and Lion-O dangled from the Sword of Omens, still trying to pry it loose from between the sharp teeth. Wilykat was standing on top of what had been a thatched roof, grinning. "I don't think you need iron, just a plain diet. I'm surprised you can fly at all, fatty."

Slithe's jaw loosened and Lion-O freed the blade. "…What?" The word was soft, shocked, as if a trash-talking child were beyond his realm of experience.

"Kat, get out of here! He's dangerous!" Lion-O yelled. Slithe backhanded him again, this time without looking and with twice the anger. Smashing into the wreck of a hut, Lion-O lay senseless and stunned, fingers twitching as he tried to make his vision stop flickering. The back of his head felt wet, as if he'd laid down in a warm puddle, and he could feel his heartbeat in it.

Kat's tail twitched but that was the only sign he'd even noticed. "Did I touch a nerve, chubs?"

Slithe roared, bellow blowing Kat's fur back. "Don't. Call. Me. CHUBS!"

Slithe was actually responding to a goad about his weight? Lion-O blinked and listened to the crunch of the feet. He had to help Kat…help move people…but he couldn't lift his head…

The sound of the footsteps grew a little fainter. Lion-O drifted between awake and unconscious, sick with the impact of his head against wood and he opened and closed his mouth, gasping and trying to force himself to move. They were going away…he had to intervene. Oh, why was he so useless? He'd lost his focus for just a second and now a child could die because of it. He cursed himself and Slithe, sweating with the effort of lifting his head.

"Lion-O! Lion-O?" Cheetara was over him, her golden hair falling in his face as she helped him sit up. "Say something. Nod, blink, anything."

The movement jarred him, making him groan and shift. Feeling for the back of his neck Lion-O felt a hot place and a little blood; a bruise and a few cuts from splinters in the wall. And one big goose egg. But he seemed to be intact save for this. "The kids. Slithe."

Cheetara nodded and helped him up. "You're in no condition to go after them. Kat's…I think he's leading Slithe." She looked after the pair and Lion-O followed her gaze, feeling sick at the grin on the boy's face – his teeth were white and glittered in the light – and the proximity of the lizard's claws. People were watching now, creeping out of their shelters and the wrecks of their homes to stare. "I'll go and stop Slithe, you stay here."

"No. I can't let you guys…go without me." Lion-O shook himself, fighting the dizzy feeling building in his skull. "I'm okay. Kat's going to get himself killed."

At that moment Slithe snapped at the boy, and Lion-O's heart stopped, for Kat had fallen backwards and was sprawled on the ground like a cockroach on his back before a hungry bird. Cheetara sprinted, a gust of wind, and Lion-O's knees couldn't hold him. They buckled and his vision went, leaving him helpless and yelling.

Wilykat had stared death down although it had never been slow before. It had always been some quick jump to escape from a blow or something, fast and swift and light. This heavy lizard sloughing toward him through the mud was so frustratingly slow, and Wilykat fell and faced a slow stare down with long, wet teeth and a hollow, dark throat.

This wasn't in his plan.

Before Slithe came down, he heard a howl from Lion-O, one of anger and fear. Then there was a shrill whistle. "Mister Lizard! Big lizard guy! Hey! Hey!"

Slithe froze, jaw hanging low enough to scoop Kat up and swallow him whole. Ooh, that was a horrible thought, breaking down alive in stomach acid. Prancing just beyond them was his sister, hopping in place. "I got a question. Since you can't handle the grownups, do you think you can handle a little girl kitten? Or should I go extra easy on you too?"

Slithe didn't reply, stare flat. Kat didn't dare to breathe. Cheetara was there in a rush and picked him up, sliding out from under Slithe's mouth.

And the thick legs trudged toward his sister and Wilykat blushed and wiggled free from Cheetara's arms. Wilykit skipped away, humming cheerfully. "I won't go too fast. I know it's hard for big lizards to keep up with kids. How old are you anyway?"

Slithe hissed, breath a wet froth. Kat sprinted around, past his sister, and then both of them proceeded to taunt and call, wiggling their tails and jeering. Slithe occasionally smashed something as he marched through town to follow them, but he wasn't intentionally crushing people, so it was the best anyone could hope for.

Behind the cute faces were cogs turning, and Wilykat glanced at his sister, who returned the look. They were of one accord in this, and the sooner they reached the edge of town, the sooner they'd reach the place.

A glint of uncertain yellow flashed. Cheetara was behind Slithe, staring at the kittens, as if trying to reason out their actions. Kit put a finger to her lips and kept bounding ahead. "Come on big guy! Work those haunches! Exercise is good for the heart." Kat made a cheeky face and followed his sister.

Hitting the kittens was nearly impossible. They were spry and agile, tiny and flexible, and they darted between buildings, over the swiping claws, and weren't quite out of breath when the buildings ended and the sludge of Rana Village's exterior oozed under their toes. Slithe was breathing hard, angry and fed up, but Kat spotted their goal; two little red flags in the distance.

They sped up. "We're getting away, chubs!"

Slithe screeched and stumbled forward, following them. When each kitten reached a flag – as tall as they were, banners rolling – they paused as if tired. Then both assumed frightened faces. "Uh oh. I didn't think he'd make it this far!" Kit whispered, aware that Slithe could hear them.

The wicked grin was ugly, and Kat tried not to grin himself. "Oh no! Kit, he's gonna get us!"

Slithe gathered himself to spring and both kittens cowered. And then, when the massive weight flung into the air, their faces lit up and they dove aside, weariness gone.

Slithe came down clumsily, having intended to grab the kittens with his hind legs to crush them underfoot. But instead he fell forward, missing and tripping.

His forelegs sank into the ground, all the way up to his chest. Alarmed, Slithe tried to pull back, claws finding no purchase in the mud and slipping forward. The sludge rose up as he fell in like a bath, and he was up to his neck in a few seconds.

Every member of Rana Village knew where the mud holes were, and the kittens had known exactly which one to lead him to. It was the most shallow of all – the chilling thought of leading someone to their death on purpose had not even occurred to them; they only knew they needed to stop him from breaking things and hurting people – and was sticky and thick, a grand method of halting a monster in its tracks.

Kat and Kit plopped down on the bank, watching Slithe struggle and aware that there was a bed to this pit close enough to the surface that he wouldn't drown. Cats had but they were much smaller than this guy. "Nicely done, sis."

"Back at you, bro." They high-fived and the soft rush of wind told them Cheetara had come up behind them.

"…Okay, that was seriously impressive and stupid." The woman stooped and Kat felt absurdly pleased by her beautiful surprise and the way she rubbed her knuckles messily over their hair. "Never do anything that dangerous again."

"Yeah yeah. We're kids, shouldn't risk our lives, blah blah. So, are you gonna shock him or leave him there?" Kat looked at her staff, eager to see it light up again.

At this moment Slithe surged upward and both kittens paled. His mass weighed him down, but while his wings were injured, they were not useless; they pumped at the slime, pushing him up like flippers. With a heavy motion he flopped out of the mud hole, covered in something like watery clay, sides heaving. He was free of the hole but the weight of the earth on him pinned him to the bank. How long would it be before he got up and started attacking again?

"…Uh oh."

Cheetara activated her staff, and the air around it grew warm. "Hang on." She sprinted in, skirting the edge of the mud hole and both kittens watched with nervous flicks of their tails.

Cheetara stood down there, staff almost connected to Slithe's neck, and he seemed to hiss something at her, backing away with clumsy, exhausted motions, nearly falling over his numb feet. Cheetara paused and replied, backing away instead and heading back toward them with one ear cocked back. Slithe watched her with marked dislike and lumbered in the opposite direction. He moved very slowly now, limping, and his march was indignant.

"He said that he'd leave if we'd agree to a stalemate, but that he'd run back into the village and start tearing it apart again if we didn't leave him alone for now. And I told him we'd keep blowing him to pieces if he stayed. So it's a temporary truce." Cheetara watched him go, and Kat felt his fear ease.

"I still think you could take him!" Kit objected.

"Maybe. But I'm more worried about the village right now," Cheetara replied, taking their paws. "Come on, let's go check on Lion-O and see where Tygra and Panthro are."

Kit seemed elated that the woman had chosen to hold her hand but Kat blushed, tugging his fingers out of her grip. It made his tummy roll when Cheetara held his hand. "Hey…where did you two go after I started talking to Miss Hiss?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh…well, we didn't want to be near her. And we, uh…were trying to figure out if we could sneak into your trunk and close it from the inside. Or hide in the luggage or something." Her stern look make Kat scowl. "Oh, come on! We can't stay with that woman!"

"I don't think you'll have to. She's been trading in Mutation and we have witnesses. I daresay someone else will be in charge of the orphanage soon." At this the kittens gawked and cheered, bouncing in place.

Lion-O was still on the ground when the returned, helping some cats dig a family of lizardmen out of the remains of their house. He had to stop every few seconds to hold his head. Kat and Kit dashed up to him, both of them inspecting the wounds. "Aw man, it's the size of an egg!"

Cheetara used her staff to pry some of the heavier debris off what had once been a kitchen, and a woman and her son crawled out, covered in filth and gasping in the clear air. "What was that beast? He smashed our house without even trying!"

"A Mutant," Cheetara said. She moved to look at Lion-O's head, grimacing. "Oh man, it really is as big as an egg. Can you even see?"

"It comes and goes." Lion-O tried to stand up, swaying. The kittens came to his sides to help him steady his legs. "Agh…I think I could use some ice or something. That should help."

"Whoa. What happened here?" Tygra and Panthro had finally arrived, looking bedraggled and more than a little irritated. Cheetara cocked her head and Tygra explained, "All these people were running out of this area and we couldn't get through. Don't tell me Slithe's gone?"

"Yep. We agreed to a stalemate after the kids lured him into a bog. Lion-O got hurt though." Panthro gave her an incredulous look and turned his gaze on the kittens next.

"Wait. You lured him into a mud hole?"

"Uh huh. Then he got out but he agreed to leave without smashing anymore of the city." Kat crossed his arms. "Not bad for kids, huh? We might be useful after all, right?"

Panthro did not reply to this, moving to examine Lion-O's head. "What about the kids?" Tygra asked. "The wolf girl and her brothers?"

"With Dyre and Timbyr." Lion-O gestured and Kat followed this with his head, seeing the two wolves that ran the Candyfruit-spiking shop with Leofa and the two pups. Timbyr was with them, his one good eye wide as he surveyed the destruction. Kat waved at Leofa, who approached with the pups in tow.

"Your friends have strange enemies," she observed.

"Yeah, totally. Hey, is Miss Hiss really going to be arrested?" Kit asked. Leofa looked up at Timbyr, whose ears pricked at the sound of the woman's name.

"Certainly. If these allegations are true – and I've no doubt of that – then she'll be sent to the Imperial City to serve prison time."

Lion-O blinked at this. "I thought Rana Village counted as neutral territory because it was a trade zone. Why would she go to the Imperial City?"

"We have no prison of our own and we send those who break our laws to be judged in the Imperial City due to their reputation for relatively fair courts. It's cheaper for us too." Timbyr was letting the pups hug his legs and absently tickled them with his tail, making them cackle. Lion-O still seemed bemused by the policy. "I still can't believe it…I knew things were rough, but Leofa's been telling us about the orphanage. It's a hole of misery."

"Hiss did her best to keep it hidden, I think," Cheetara said. "She fed me stories about how hard it was to look after all those kids. And nobody goes near there because it's considered private property. Y'know, I'm all for independent responsibility, but you guys could really use a local council or government or something…"

Kat seemed to be fixated on some thought, tail low. "What's the matter kid? Old Hiss is going to be arrested, the orphanage is going to get better, we'll keep an eye out for your parents…what could be better?" Tygra asked. "You hungry or something? We could probably fix that, there's a messed up fruit stall right there."

Kat looked up, frowning earnestly. "Well…I feel bad for calling Slithe fat."

Everyone else paused. Kit nodded in empathy. "Yeah. Mommy and Daddy always told us not to make fun of people, even if they are mean or look funny. It's not nice to say stuff like that."

The adults exchanged confused glances. Kat was embarrassed by this silly shame, but it hurt to be made fun of. And nobody could say their parents hadn't raised them to be kind. "Guys, you did what you had to. If you hadn't goaded him, we'd be dead now," Lion-O said. "Besides, when he's trying to kill others and wreck villages, I don't think hurting his feelings is such a bad thing." He wavered again and Panthro moved to his side to support him. "Considering he was busy hurting my skull, anyway…"

Leofa's eyes were bright and she tugged at Timbyr. "Come on, we have to get Miss Hiss before she leaves town! The children will need a new caretaker right away."

"Relax, the bat's in her cellar. I locked her in." Tygra skirted around the wolf pups as they giggled, running around him. They were excited by all the fuss and Timbyr followed them, making sure they didn't run off. They doubled back and jumped on him, one for each arm, and his wide mouth broke into a lopsided smile.

"My brother should be heading that way now. Lion-O, I have some ice in our stall. You can have some of that for your head." Looking relieved, Lion-O let Panthro help him after Timbyr as he carried the pups, and Kat followed with his sister close behind. It was a silly, dizzy sensation; Miss Hiss would be arrested and sent away? The orphanage would no longer be filthy and decrepit and hungry? It wasn't what they had wanted, but any improvement at all was worth being happy over. Even though they really, really, really wanted to go to Tropo themselves, these kind cats were going to look for their parents. They watched in polite quiet as Timbyr sat Lion-O down and gave him a lump of ice wrapped in cloth. Lion-O's brows eased at the contact and he sighed.

Certainly these cats could be trusted. But Kat was still musing on ways he might convince the others to let him and his sister come along when the tent flap opened and Dyre poked his head through the opening. Kat and Kit liked Dyre; he often let them have untreated Candyfruit, and he rarely snapped at children in the streets. His face was drawn and the wrinkle of his lips was troubled. "Hiss is gone."

"What do you mean she's gone?" Lion-O asked, ice dripping from his hand. Dyre raised his arms in bewilderment.

"I went and looked in the cellar and she wasn't there. The lock on the door was broken; I think she escaped somehow in the confusion when Slithe attacked."

"What? No way!" Tygra shot to his feet and stared at Dyre as if he thought he were lying. The pups began to wail in Timbyr's arms. "That's impossible, she was a shrimp. How could she have broken through a padlock like that?"

"I have no idea. The lock was shattered to pieces, like a great beast had torn it away." Dyre did not pick up on Tygra's almost-suspicion, crossing his arms. "I left the children with some of my friends. They're trying to figure out what to do now that the caretaker is gone. There was plenty of Mutation mineral in the cellar as you said, but many of the order sheets were torn to pieces."

Tygra was pacing in the small quarters, and Cheetara and the kittens had to pull in their feet every time he swept by. They were sitting in little chairs, and there was maybe a foot of space total for the tiger to prowl in. "I don't get it. She wouldn't have been strong enough to break out from the inside…unless…"

Panthro's expression became grim. "If there was Mutation mineral in there, might there have some emergency Mutation stashed in the desk?"

Smacking himself, Tygra sat down and buried his face in his hand. "I'm such an idiot! I didn't even think to check for something like that! She probably had a dose and used it to smash herself out. And now she's angry and on the loose, just like Slithe was."

Lion-O groaned. "Out of the mud, into the mire, huh?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe the lock was weak." Cheetara got up and pointed at Kat and Kit. "You two need to stick around here. If Hiss is really angry, she might come after you guys and she'll definitely be after us. And if she has Mutation in her, she'll be dangerous."

She was smart. Not to mention nice. Kat felt that awkward warm place in his stomach flip flop. Darnit, he hadn't hit puberty, he wasn't supposed to get crushes yet. Whatever puberty was. But man, that girl was powerful, and she had really pretty hair. And her nose got crinkly when she laughed. How could he not like her? "We can look after ourselves…we took care of Slithe!"

"Hiss won't be tricked into a mud hole," Lion-O said gently. Tygra, Panthro, and Cheetara all looked at him in contemplation. "What?"

"Maybe it'd be best if you stayed here with them." Cheetara's voice was quiet but Lion-O frowned.

"Why? Because of this little thing?" He gestured to the back of his head. "It's no big deal. I'm feeling better already."

He stared at an odd point in the floor and Tygra raised his eyebrows. "…How many fingers?" He held up four. Lion-O muttered something and blinked twice. "Look, Cheetara's right, you'd be better to stay here and look after the kids."

"You'd be a liability on the battlefield," Panthro said flatly when Lion-O looked mutinous. "Stay here with these guys and make sure the kids don't go running off. We'll find Hiss and deal with her and you guys stay where it's safer. Even if she's a Mutation user she won't be as strong as Slithe."

Lion-O sighed, head hurting just enough to agree with this logic thrown his way. "I guess. I'll help with cleanup and tell the local merchants about Miss Hiss."

"Sounds good," Cheetara said. It was encouraging, and Kat marveled that there wasn't even a hint of patronization in her voice. "Guys, you listen to Lion-O and stay here. Hopefully Hiss decided to run off and won't be back, but we'll look around for anything weird."

Kat and Kit nodded and Dyre paced around to examine the back of Lion-O's head and wince. "I'll get some good bandages, and I think one of the shops sells ointment from plants to help with swelling."

"That would be great. I hope Slithe doesn't get any ideas about coming back…unless he runs out of Mutation." Timbyr cocked his head and Lion-O continued, "For Mutants, their bodies metabolize the chemical faster. It's why they're so much more powerful. They use it up and return to normal, so they have to take it more often."

Kat prodded his arm. "How do you know so much about this stuff?"

Tygra grunted. "We'd all like to know that."

Lion-O pressed his palms to his eyes and sighed. "I'm from out west. We hear everything out west."

Wilykat blinked. "Okay…"

"You won't get any more out of him," Tygra said, suddenly a little irritated. "Look, it won't be hard to find her if we go now."

"Try the marshes, but watch out for mud holes," Kit advised. She sat down with Leofa and her brothers, uncaring of how their fur brushed. Wolves, cats, birds, lizards…they were all the same in the orphanage. "Miss Hiss would have run out there to get away."

Cheetara straightened and stretched. "Timbyr, Dyre, will you watch the kids?"

"As well as we're able." Timbyr glanced at Dyre. "Perhaps you ought to gather some of the others and take them to the orphanage and bring the children back here. I daresay they'll be hungry and nervous. Finny and Flap might stay here and watch the ones we bring."

Dyre nodded. "We owe them that much, and more than that as well. All of us knew Hiss for what she was, but we didn't think…"

"Nobody ever does. I get tired of hearing that," Panthro said. He turned to leave the tent and Tygra – after watching him with a slight frown – followed. Cheetara paused and her mouth tightened as she looked at Lion-O and the kittens.

"Seriously. Stay here, stay safe. Don't go running around or anything."

"If we hadn't before you would've-" Kit began. But Cheetara had already left and the girl crossed her arms, sulking. "We helped stop Slithe!"

"Yes you did. But it was very dangerous." Lion-O watched Dyre go and let Timbyr examined his injury, patting away the blood. "You guys were very clever. But cleverness isn't enough to keep you safe every time. We'd never forgive ourselves if you died because you were trying to help us. Which means no more heroics."

Kat groaned. "Grownups take all the fun out of everything."

Lion-O's head still reeled slightly about forty minutes later, but the pain of the bruise was much less after the cooling salve had been applied. Timbyr bound some soft, strong gauze around his head and told him to keep it on to make sure the ointment stayed in place and didn't get rubbed off. Wilykat and Wilykit made grotesque observations – "eeh, I think it's throbbing" – and Lion-O just tried to sit still with the wad of ice and not fall asleep. The pups were led into another room and given fresh Candyfruit.

"You've not got a concussion. You'll be all right by tonight if you keep it cold and treated."

More children were brought in periodically, most of them delighted and gleefully morbid. "They said they've never seen such an awful place as the orphanage," one robin said. "One of them threw up. We might cause a whole new bill to be passed about private properties being inspected if they're for orphaned children."

"Yeah, and they're gonna fix it and make it nice! The whole town is going to work on it!" The little lizard girl Lion-O had given a dumpling to – Lisssa – threw herself into his arms. "Thank you for finding out the bad things she was doing. They're going to make sure we all get a big dinner tonight after the village is fixed up!"

Lion-O found himself pleased by her grin and hugged her back, her scales scraping gently against his fur. "That's great kiddo. We were glad to help you. You really ought to thank Tygra; he's the one who found the Mutation. And Cheetara too, because she stalled Miss Hiss." Cheetara would appreciate the little girl's happiness, of this he was sure. The thought of her smile made his head hurt less, even though she had technically stuck him here with the kids like an accident prone child she was afraid would hurt himself again – which, to be fair, in his current state he probably would.

He noticed the kittens watching him and exchanging strange looks. The lizard girl chattered at him for a while – all about the orphanage and how glad she was she would get her own bed and that they would have a place to take real baths now, though some children made faces about the baths – before one of the merchants came to take some of the children to a tent so they could discuss what the orphanage had been like from eyewitnesses, tiny though they were.

At this point Kat was eating a piece of Candyfruit from Timbyr. "You don't mind it?"

"Mind what?"

"Lisssa's scales. Some cats hate the feel of scales. You're nice to her." Kat took another hearty bite and Lion-O shut his eyes, hoping to stave off any future headaches.

"Not at all. Kids are kids. She's a sweet girl. What happened to her parents?"

"Dunno. She was traveling with her dad when he was killed by bandits and she was too little to say where her mom was. She's probably dead somewhere too, or in a city far away." Kit's words were not unsympathetic but honest and lacked any outrage. "We like her; our parents always said outsides don't matter, it's inside. Besides, we've met lots of good lizardmen and women, so we don't believe they're all bad like some cats say."

Lion-O smiled, eyes still shut. "I agree. I just hope the others catch Hiss quickly."

"They'll have a lot of places to look," Kat said doubtfully. "It might take a while. All the mud holes are marked but it's hard to get around them. That is, if she even went that way…"

Something outside fell and Lion-O opened one eye. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Might've been Ylva. She's a fox but you'd never know it. She's kinda clumsy." Kit got to her feet and crept out the opening. "Hello? Guys, did someone trip?"

Everything suddenly got very quiet and Lion-O felt the ire of suspense creep up his fur. He took hold of the Sword of Omens and lifted his head, testing his ability to stand. He could now; the salve was working. Kit ducked back inside and looked perturbed. "The others were talking, but now they're not."

So they too had noticed the unearthly quiet. Lion-O opened the tent flap and stepped outside. The noon sun was warm, comforting, but the merchant noise was gone. There had been three around before while the others went to help search and tend to the orphanage's repairs.

Lion-O's stomach tightened and he put his fingers to his mouth. This was partly out of nerves and partly out of nausea, but he perked his ears and turned, scanning the area slowly so as not to miss anything. "Guys, stay in the tent. Don't come out."

"But-!"

"No." He prowled silently through the tents and posts, remembering where the children had been gathered. Surely the merchants wouldn't have left them?

"…Told them? I know you were talking to one of them my little maggots."

Lion-O froze just outside the flap. It was a large tent, pitched to hold dozens of children, but that was not a child's voice. He hadn't heard Hiss speak but only she could have spoken so cruelly to these children.

He peered inside and blinked. The children were all packed into the corner of the tent, sitting on their knees with numb, white faces. And in front of them, pacing in the room meant for them to rest in, was a great white and brown beast. It was like Talbot when his veins had been coursing with the drug, striding back and forth. She was as tall at the shoulder as he was and he caught a glimpse of her boxy, savage face; it was animal, fanged, and the cunning glint in her eyes was a shard of ice. Her four legs prowled in silence.

"You know you never get away from me my maggots. I'm strong and everywhere, in every little breath you take. I know when you take a step, when you break the rules. Every little thing. I told you I'd know if you ever told anyone. 'Running off is bad' I said, but did you listen? No. And I was kind. I took you back in as long as you didn't tell anyone. That's more than your parents did, dumping you on my doorstep and running as fast as they could. Well now my niceness has reached an end. First I'll deal with the children that told about the orphanage, and then I'll deal with those twins."

She could speak, and Lion-O bared his teeth silently. This witch was pouring venom into their ears and hearts, and the blank faces said they'd heard this sort of thing often. But never from the mouth of a monster that was as ugly and savage on the outside as she was inside. She was a Mutant if she could speak and think while using the drug, and therefore she was strong.

"Lisssa, you tell me…did you talk to the cats that locked me up? Don't even think of lying." The hot breath whisked over the lizard girl's face and she began to cry, terror choking her. Lion-O held out the Sword, arm cutting a cold angle.

"Cowardly beast. You've frightened those children for the last time." He stood in clear view now and Hiss jerked her head up, face twisting in anger. The children suddenly looked hopeful, eyes bright, and Lion-O watched the monster pace out of the tent, big paws shockingly silent in the earth. Behind her were three merchants, all unconscious and one bleeding on the floor. So that was why they hadn't heard anything.

"Well now. You're one of those cats, aren't you? You ruined my business, my livelihood, and my reputation." She strode softly around him and he shifted to keep her visible, even if it was out of the corner of his eye.

"Not really. Everyone knew you were vile. They just needed a weak place to exploit, demon." Keep between the children and the beast. He shifted so her attention was on him, not them. Could he stop a full blown Mutant when he was injured? On his own? It was unlikely. His head throbbed as if to assure him of this.

"Lion-O?" He whirled around, seeing his own reflection in two sets of glassy green eyes. Then they shifted to the four-legged Hiss and their mouths dropped open in awed terror. Hiss looked at them and grimaced in violent happiness.

"Just the kittens I wanted to see."

Lion-O knew she was going to jump for the kittens by the tightening of her legs and the tendons that traced through her shoulders and back. He hurled himself toward her, slicing at her and feeling the blade bite into the thick hide. Hiss bellowed and reared, swiping at him with strokes so fast they burned. Lion-O put up the sword to block the blows and her claws clattered against it.

"Kids! Get out of here! Now!" He freed the Sword of Omens and charged again, spinning to fuel the sword's damage. Hiss drew back just in time and only a little fleck of blood sprayed across the metal. Behind the smell of hair and sweat lurked quiet sounds – breathing from the huge lungs, tiny footfalls as the kittens and cubs and hatchlings and whatever else there were of the children fleeing, breaking off into tiny groups. This pleased him; even a swift Mutant would not be able to catch them all if they splintered.

Hiss snapped at him and he felt saliva flecking across his fur. It was hot and slimy, but he ignored it, backing up until he felt a tent peg against his calf. Then he rolled out of the way as she pounced, stumbling into the tent and entangling in the cloth as it crumpled. She screeched, rolling and thrashing to find the exit.

Lion-O did not know this. His roll had been a bad move, for he'd been jostled and his head was suddenly bursting with pain, vision sputtering into gray fireworks. Falling to his side, Lion-O tried opening and closing his eyes several times. It didn't work and a jolt of childish fear struck him. What if he never saw again?

Well, considering Hiss would probably find her way out and kill him in less than twenty seconds, that might not be very long. Tightening his grip on the hilt, Lion-O forced himself into a sitting position. "Kat? Kit?"

He heard the shuffle of feet and the rasp of fur. Two sets of paws pulled at his arms. "Lion-O, come on! She'll get out soon!"

Standing was a wobbly endeavor and he forced himself not to trip. He'd been trained to operate without sight before, but his inner ear didn't want to stabilize. "Guys, you need to go find Tygra, Cheetara, and Panthro. Tell them what's happening. I'll try to keep her busy."

"Says the guy who can't see right now! You almost walked into a tent!" Kit pulled at his arm and led him around what must have been said tent. "You'll get killed!"

"Hiss wants you two. She'll kill you both." Lion-O knew this like he knew Hiss was tearing through the fabric that had enveloped her. "If only Slithe hadn't crushed the antimutagen…"

He felt Kat stiffen. "Sis! You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Their voices suddenly dropped and Lion-O pushed at their shoulders. "Guys, go! Go now! I'll be fine, I'll figure something out."

One vanished from his side but the other grimly held his wrist, leading him. Kat was with him, careful feet picking through the muck. "Kit will be back, don't you worry!"

The faithfulness of this was touching, even as he heard the heavy fall of paws coming after them. "Kat…"

"Hey, you tried to help us! We'll help you guys! That woman's evil, and we'd both rather die that have her lock us up in that orphanage again!" Kat's hair brushed his arm. "She's watching us."

The knowledge that she was lingering, waiting to charge, was the worst part. She could pounce at any moment, and her eyes on them was like being in the eyes of an archer with an arrow nocked. Lion-O tried to situate himself so he was between Wilykat and the monster but Kat would have none of it. He suddenly stopped and pushed Lion-O. "Sit there and stay quiet!" Lion-O protested but he was too late; feeling around he detected a tent flap but that was all. Kat was gone, sprinting. "Over here you witch!" Kat's voice was high, frightened, and Hiss's roar made Lion-O heart stop. But even after the sound of her weight hitting the ground he heard the scamper of swift, clever feet. She'd missed. Lion-O clutched the tent flap and forced his eyes to shut and stay that way. Perhaps if he rested his eyes his vision would return. With his other hand he held the Sword of Omens.

Please, please, he thought wildly, don't let Kat get hurt, Creator hear my plea, don't let Kat get hurt-

Another crash – somebody's tent had just been knocked down. Lion-O's ears perked until they ached, and again he heard the scamper of clawed feet. She'd missed again.

Torn between two urges, Lion-O clenched his fists and whipped his tail. If he attracted her attention, she might come after him and there'd be no way to avoid her. If he stayed silent, Wilykat might be killed and the thought of a child dying for his sake was too big and wide and agonizing to even think about.

But if Lion-O was killed, who would complete the mission? It had to be someone of his lineage-

More crashing and maniacal kitten laughter. "You're too slow, Hiss!" The beast made a whining noise and Lion-O wondered what had happened. Had she stubbed a paw? Gouged herself on a tent peg? "That's what you get!"

"I'll rip your head off. If I'm going to prison, I'm going with a belly full of kitten meat." She was angry, and the Mutation was making her madder. Cannibalism was definitely within the realm of possibility. Lion-O couldn't help but wonder where Kit had gone. Did she run for help? Should he try to reach the merchants? Or should he stay here and listen for the sound of a child being torn to pieces?

Kat screamed and Lion-O gripped the blade, opening his eyes. Blurry, but behind the teary film he saw a white blotch mixed with brown bearing down on a wiggling form. Lion-O got up and sprinted forward when the paw pressed down, pinning Kat, and pierced the meaty side and driving the blade in deep.

He missed the vitals but the creature screamed and he felt sticky heat drip down his hands. Lion-O pulled the blade free – it was a searing red – and Hiss buckled slightly. Lion-O grabbed Kat's arm and pulled him along, towing him past several tents before Kat managed to gain his feet. "Thanks!" he panted.

Lion-O would have said something else but a weight hit him in the back and he pushed Kat away before his face smashed into the soft, warm earth. He pushed himself to his elbows, spitting out soil, and a cloud of breath drifted over his hair, and thick paws pressed down on either side of his torso. A muzzle brushed the back of his neck, tickling the nape, and Lion-O realized Hiss was going to tear into his spine or pull his head off. The Sword of Omens was trapped underneath him at an angle, and her weight was crushing him.

"First you. Then them. Maggots."

Hiss's mouth opened wide and he felt the soft, wet tongue resting hot as fire on his neck. Then Hiss stiffened, lifting her head. Lion-O nearly broke his neck turning to look up at her. Her eyes were glazed and her brows loosened. Her knees buckled and she flopped over him, senseless.

Lion-O grunted, trying to push her off. The pressure was one more pain to his head but he heard Wilykat heaving and panting as he tried to roll the beast away. Hiss shifted a few inches and Lion-O crawled free, putting the Sword of Omens away. "What happened?"

"That purple stuff in the tank was the antimutagen right? Because if not I totally might have just poisoned her." Wilykit popped out from around Hiss, skirting the body with shy, nervous motions.

Resting on his knees and palms, Lion-O stared at her and then looked to Hiss. The bulky frame was starting to shrink, pulling down into a cat body. The bones seemed to creak and implode, muzzle shortening and fur smoothing. After a few moments the beast had become the sour-faced woman again, quite naked. Out of her rump stuck a needle and empty canister, falling free as she shrank to her original size at last. Lion-O shook his head slightly.

"I guess we owe you guys twice, huh?"

Wilykit grinned and sat down, and Wilykat flopped into his lap. "If you say so. I'm just gonna lay here if that's okay. I'm kind of dizzy."

Lion-O absently stroked Kat's hair and only looked up when he heard the footsteps of a wolf. Glancing up, he waved at Timbyr, whose jaw hung low. Realizing the devastation – Hiss had smashed several tents and there were prints and claw marks everywhere – Lion-O gave him a sheepish grin. "I don't suppose we could get some more bandages could we?"

"Okay, we're never leaving you alone again. Ever. Until this journey's over, anyway."

Cheetara moved with swift, angry motions as she tied the kittens' various little cuts in clean gauze. This was directed at Lion-O though, who was already bound like a mummy in strips and loops of tight cloth. "We come back thinking Hiss has already hightailed it and what do we find? Half the town smashed and a bunch of kids dancing around because she's been stabbed and chained. Not to mention you lot in the middle of the mob, barely conscious."

Lisssa giggled. She had apparently decided that Lion-O was her hero and had been following him ever since Hiss had been arrested and the kids had been informed she'd never again harm or threaten any of them. She was sitting in his lap and hugged his side with tiny arms. Lion-O stroked the shimmering scales on her head. Cheetara reflected that Lisssa was a sweetie and hoped somebody with a good heart would be found to look after the children.

Because if not, she'd personally deal with it. It wouldn't take her long to run back and forth and make sure this town was getting its act together.

Kat winced. "That bandage is kind of tight." She loosened it and her hands moved a little more gently. His head had been bandaged with a strip at a rakish angle around his hair. He touched it and said, "Do I look cool?"

Cheetara smacked his hand away from the bandage with the force of a tuft of dandelion fluff. Then she glanced up and saw Tygra enter the tent looking tired.

"I've been running all over today, and I'm sitting down now. None of you are telling me otherwise." He sat down beside Lion-O, leaving a few awkward inches between himself and Lisssa. "Hi. I think I can still see some of your fur."

"Not for lack of trying on Cheetara's part." Lion-O shifted to free his tail from a loop of gauze. The girl tried to grab the red tuft and he bounced it out of reach like a toy and she kept trying for it. "How'd the questioning go?"

"Nowhere so far. Hiss won't talk. She knows she's going to prison and she'd be better off spilling to Imperial officials. If she knows anything, we're not going to be the ones she tells." Tygra made a face. "They've been searching the orphanage and found Mutation canisters in a box buried in the earth floor of the cellar. Very clever. That's how she used one to break out."

"No names or locations?" Lion-O asked.

"Nope. Just some colorful language. And spit. She spits with the aim of a camel. We found a chip on her but she says everyone has one, even traders."

Lion-O stood up and touched the back of his head thoughtfully. Dyre had fixed it up again, much more securely, and with another herb. This one was working very well, and both wolves assured him the vision issue would leave as the wound healed. "Let's see if I can't pester her into telling us anything more."

Cheetara finished bandaging the kids and they both got up, scurrying after Lion-O. "Are you sure you want to see her?" Cheetara asked. They paused and Lion-O waited as they chafed their feet on the ground in unease. Lisssa shook her head and Cheetara picked her up and sent her off to find one of the merchant's wives. The woman was in a connecting tent and began talking to her in some hissing language.

"Yeah. We want to know some stuff too." Kat's voice was lower than usual and Kit solemnly took his hand. Cheetara brushed her fingers against the bandages on Kat's shoulder – a few scratches, nothing more – and walked behind them. Tygra led them to the tent where Hiss was being kept and held the flap for them. He had no intention of talking to the witch again.

Cheetara's fur bristled when she saw Hiss sitting on the ground, eyes coldly following their entry. She wasn't naked now, dressed in sackcloth just like the kittens were. The justice of this was good and hearty, and it made her smile. Dyre was on one side of her and Timbyr on the other. A female wolf sat with them as well, brown and dusty. Lion-O sat on the ground in front of Hiss and Cheetara noticed her chains at last; they were on her wrists and ankles, but they weren't too heavy. She had no way of reaching Mutation so they didn't have to be. "Hello, Hissteria."

She spat at him. Lion-O didn't react. "I was hoping you'd be willing to talk to us about the Mutation trade at least a little. You don't have any reason to help those that will undoubtedly abandon you."

The kittens hovered by Cheetara and Hiss turned her head to look at them. Her brown and white hair was limp and hung in dirty locks around her chin. "Kat and Kit…you'll get what's coming to you someday, mark my words. Your nasty nosiness is going to get you gutted."

Lion-O growled, a low, lion noise. Cheetara's claws tapped against her staff but knew she could not fight an unarmed opponent. "You know you're making the only people that might be able to help you in your current situation angry."

"Who? The kittens or you?" Hiss laughed. "I won't squeal. Not until the Imperial Prison. They'll appreciate any scrap I can give them."

Lion-O's eyebrows rose. "So you don't care what happens to the other members of the trade?"

"You're jesting dear. Care about them? We dislike each other quite completely. It's the money we're loyal to." Her eyes narrowed. "I have no qualms about selling them out, but you'll never hear a bit of it. You can wander blindly into their rings for all I care. They'll be prepared for anyone like you."

Cheetara scowled and straightened. The idea that anyone could be prepared for her was somewhat insulting. You didn't prepare for lightning; it struck you dead before you had a chance to wonder what had happened. Lion-O tilted his head and suddenly a crooked grin marked his mouth. "Yes, I'm sure. And they'll be prepared to send agents after you, won't they? I understand. You want to be in a big, safe Imperial prison before you tell on the others because you know they'll be after you."

Hiss's jaw tightened in a grimace. "…You're not so dumb as you look."

"Even if you're a cat, you know they won't let you off the hook. Especially not since we know you're a Mutant. And these Mutation traders will know very quickly that you've been arrested, so they'll intercept you on the way to the Imperial City if there's nothing to distract them. You're in a dangerous position, Miss Hiss."

Lion-O's nonchalant speech made Cheetara sense a crafty plan being formed. Hiss was watching him without a lofty expression, wrists crossed in her lap. "Well then. What do you recommend, boy?"

"Tell us about these guys so they'll be focused on us. Once you tell us what you know they'll have moving targets to deal with. I bet you don't know too much about the trade rings or you'd be higher up. If we show up and start messing things up for them and learning all their secrets, they'd be much more interested in getting rid of us than worrying about you. We'll be free to pursue them after all, unlike yourself."

Hiss gave him a strange look. "You're suggesting I tell you what I know so you'll go running around causing trouble? What would keep them from sending someone after me for squealing, even if they're focused on you?"

Lion-O smirked. "They'll worry more about us, Hiss. We've got another enemy in the Mutation trade already, an Alliance general. He knows who's small fry and who's not."

Her face did not redden in anger at this slight because surprise took its place. "The lizard that was destroying the town?"

"General Slithe. He escaped. And you can be sure he wants revenge on us for humiliating him." Cheetara couldn't help but smile when Hiss's jaw dropped. "And if you send us in the right direction, they'll be too worried about the group that managed to fend off Slithe to worry about some two-bit Mutation mineral peddling. By the time they think about you, you'll be safe in a cell, probably moved to a secret location."

Hiss seemed to consider this and Cheetara wondered at Lion-O's cunning. He was smart enough, certainly, but this was a little different from how he usually seemed. Then again, he was a page boy, a servant of the politicians of the empire. He was probably used to this kind of dealing. "And you can make this happen? I don't believe you."

Lion-O nodded. "I can. I'm from the Imperial City. No one terribly important, but the people there trust their own. Besides, they know they'll have to keep you somewhere secure. Or you could just let us wander randomly around the wilderness until they forget about us and then they'll be sure to come after you." He shrugged. "Whatever you like."

Her face paled ever so slightly. "I suppose…it can't put me at any more risk to have you indebted to me. The agreements assure us that the other members of the trade will do us in if we're arrested to ensure the secrecy of the ring. Then they chip us. They're not supposed to be easy to remove, but your tiger did it well enough. It doesn't matter if we swear on our mothers that we won't squeal. Of course, if you find out enough to get to that point, you either enter the trade or die anyway."

"Figures. No honor among thieves," Cheetara muttered.

Hiss ignored this and Cheetara watched Lion-O for his reaction. "You might want to take the kittens out," he said suddenly. Both looked outraged and his expression darkened. "There are some things you guys don't need to be involved in. I'm not saying you aren't brave enough. I just don't want you to be in even more danger."

"Oh, let them stay. Slithe will be after them if they helped humiliate them." She gave them a sneer. "Besides, it's because of Mutation that they're orphans in the first place if you ask me."

The kittens straightened. Lion-O's attention fixed on the woman. "What do you know about Tropo?" he asked quietly, and there was hardness to his eyes that hadn't been there before.

She entertained this question for a moment before saying, "You didn't hear this from me. But I suppose it doesn't damn me any more than being arrested in the first place. Once a year, in Tropo, I've heard that the higher ups of the trade meet in secret. Not all of them all at once you understand; that'd be too foolish. But the important people – or their representatives – meet to negotiate and swap information. Of course, it has to take place at a time when there are plenty of strangers around so they won't be too noticeable."

Kit looked at Kat. "The convention?"

"Of course. Traders of all kinds come from all over for the market convention. Whenever it takes place, the Mutation convention can't be far off." Hiss adjusted her manacles and Lion-O frowned.

"You sound remarkably uncertain about all this," he said.

"As you said, I'm a two-bit mineral peddler. I've never attended. I only know what my fellows knew." Hiss looked crafty, mouth crooked. "I also believe that it's a time when they find…test subjects for their Mutation. They transform them and lock them up."

Lion-O's hackles rose and Cheetara's claws closed into a fist. "What? If any traders find out about us we have to deal with them. And we need to see how they're affected by the drug depending on their species, their size, their dosage…it's how we've refined the drug." Hiss shrugged. "I can't be sure if this is true, but I hear one of the heads is having them all brought north. Don't quote me on that. But if they do, they're never seen again. Either they're set loose to terrorize cities or…something."

Cheetara wished she could have covered the kittens' ears because when they heard that Kit shrank against Cheetara's hip and Kat just…withered. She held both of them to her sides, feeling more protective than she ever had. The hopeless way Kit hid her face in Cheetara's hair made her heart burn with rage, and she glared at Hiss's smirk. "You're demons, the lot of you. I fear for you when the Creator's reckoning comes."

The woman snorted but Lion-O's face was even. "You killed Leofa's parents too, didn't you? So you could get ahold of the orphanage building and use it for trade and keep trespassers away."

She smiled and didn't answer. Dyre growled low in his throat. "You'll find that even if that happened, a cat killing a pair of dogs is not quite so bad as the crime of being involved in the Mutation trade."

"Of course not," Lion-O said, voice thick with disgust. He stood up and said, "I get the feeling I'll see you again, and you won't like it when I do. But for now, I'm content to know that Tropo will have at least a few people linked to the greater trade."

Cheetara led the children out into the light of the evening, orange and purple, mixing like tropical juice. Neither kitten had released her and her chest was heaving, heart hammering. She wanted to go back in there and beat the hide off that terrible woman. She could have skinned her alive with her bare claws-

"Maybe they're alive. Maybe they're locked up somewhere, or sick." Kit said this so softly that Cheetara nearly missed it.

"Maybe. There's no way to know," she said, forcing her heart to slow down. Lion-O was behind them and he put a hand on Kat's head.

"I meant what I said. We'll look for your parents when we go to Tropo. Hiss just wanted to hurt you, and she has no way of knowing which traders were taken and which ones weren't."

Kat didn't look up. "But they haven't come back. If they were okay they would have come to find us. They'd never abandon us…would they?"

The last two words seemed to echo on the edge of a chasm, and Cheetara knew that Hiss had succeeded in doing the one thing she had left to her; she'd planted a seed of doubt in previously unshakable faith. This question made Cheetara duck down and clutch them both close in a tight, warm hug. "No. From everything you've told me, they were wonderful parents that love you. Parents like that…don't just abandon their kids."

She didn't quite know why this made her eyes burn. Was it because she was adopted and might have been tossed aside like garbage herself? Cheetara considered what it would have been like to be raised by parents that didn't want her and thanked the Creator fiercely for Sai and Yamese. But these kids, abandoned? No.

Something told her this, faint as a whisper and solid as a dying heartbeat. Even if every other child had been abandoned by their birth parents, these two had not. "They always came back before, didn't they?"

"Yeah." Kit was wiping her face. "And they brought us presents every time, and gave us bunches of hugs and kisses. And they would tell us lots of stories and…and everything."

Lion-O smiled. "That kind of parent would never leave their kids. I just don't believe it."

The trudge of Panthro approaching made them stand up. "So. Are we setting out tonight or do you guys want to vacation here for a week or two?"

"We got a little information about Tropo. I just want to know that the orphanage and the kids will be taken care of and say goodbye," Lion-O said.

"Oh, well…I'm going to be the new caretaker, I think." Timbyr was exiting the tent and was carrying a little knapsack. "I'm tired of the trading game, and I want to settle down and do some good. We owe it to the children to make sure their home is safe and clean at least, and…well, I've talked to a few of those kids. I think Leofa's brothers are getting attached to me." He grinned, a happy, doggy smile. "My brother will help us fix up the orphanage. I assure you my friends, these children will not want for love, food, or safety as long as we're around. And the merchants will host a meeting once a month to make sure the children are receiving all the aid, just to be sure."

Cheetara beamed at him. "You two are really decent, you know that? Thank you." Lion-O too seemed pleased and Tygra – who had been listening by the opening – patted each kitten on the back.

"See guys? It'll get better around here. And we'll search high and low for any mention of your parents. Won't we?" he added, giving Panthro a dark look.

The panther grunted. "If they're involved in any of this I daresay we'll run across some information."

Neither kitten seemed cheered. Even so, they wanted to walk the cats back to the ThunderTank after they said goodbye to all the children. Cheetara's heart warmed to see that Kit wanted to walk right by her and hold her hand, and this warming caused pain in a way. They would be all right with Timbyr; she had seen enough of him to know that he and Dyre were good sorts, and anything would be an improvement over Hiss. The sound of construction starting on the orphanage was a cheerful clip in the air, and she thought it would do Timbyr good to settle down, away from the thieves that chased traders and caravans.

Leofa in particular hugged them with breathless tears. "Thank you. The past three years she's kept us in the dark, controlling us with fear. Now things will finally be better." Even Tygra, uncomfortable as he was with other species, accepted her hugs.

"We can never apologize enough for standing there with suspicions and never doing anything," one merchant murmured. But the children were too glad to know they would be safe to hold grudges, at least for now.

This was only the beginning. These kids would need healing. The whole town would. But Cheetara watched Timbyr walk around with the wolf pups attached to his legs and the other merchants offering to pitch in and help house the children until the orphanage was complete, and she decided that there was hope for them yet. She resolved to pray every night for Rana Village, and all of its vices.

They'd done all they could for now.

And so it was, standing by the tank, that Cheetara reluctantly released her hold on Wilykit's hand. "You two have done so much already. I hate to ask you to do more, but you have to stay here and be patient," she said, looking from the girl to the boy.

Their faces looked eerily alike as their mouths set at the same time. "We still want to go with you guys."

Tygra scratched the back of his head and Lion-O sighed. Panthro just shook his head. "We told you no."

"Listen. Just listen." Kat sounded so adult that he seemed to have aged ten years.

"We've had to wonder for a whole year where our parents are. They might be dead, or hungry, or locked up, or even turned into monsters. We don't know. And that's the worst part." Kit too sounded old and her eyes were sharp, hands balled into fists. "We need to know, even if they're gone. We can't keep wondering forever. We'll both go crazy."

Cheetara found herself looking to Lion-O. He returned her gaze uneasily, and the kittens turned to him.

"We gotta know. If our parents are dead…or if they did abandon us…then we've gotta know the truth either way. As long as we finally know what the truth is, we'll be okay." Kat stared up at him with set, fierce eyes and Cheetara noticed that Lion-O was giving him the same look he'd given her and Tygra before, when he'd been trying to decide how much to tell them.

And again she felt strange and glanced at the Sword of Omens. It was glowing. "Lion-O," she murmured. He examined the sword and rubbed his thumb over the jewel in the hilt. It seemed to thrum and Cheetara felt curiously warm at the reflection of its light in his eyes.

"You see it too?" he asked softly. She nodded and the kittens gave him a weird look.

"See what? It's a sword." Lion-O checked Panthro's face and then Tygra's. They both looked as bewildered as the kittens. Cheetara shook her head; missing that light would have been impossible for her.

"It's glowing. Cheetara and I can both see it. It did the same thing when…"

Lion-O stopped and raised the blade so the jewel was at eye level. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight," he whispered. Panthro looked startled and the light seemed to intensify. Cheetara squinted in the brightness but Tygra seemed utterly blind to the light, as did the kittens. Panthro just stared at Lion-O, as if what he'd said had been an exotic curse.

Lion-O gazed at nothing but the stone for a long minute. Then he put the Sword of Omens down and wearily slid it into the gauntlet, hiding it under his cloak. He sighed through his nose and his eyelids drooped.

"You can come with us. But you have to promise you won't jump into battle and you'll follow orders. Understand?"

The kittens' jaws dropped and their tails puffed. "What?" Panthro said, disbelieving. Even Tygra looked stunned.

And then the kittens were screaming with laughter, holding each other's hands and jumping in a circle. "We're going to Tropo! We're going to Tropo! We're gonna find Mommy and Daddy!"

Panthro grabbed Lion-O's shoulder and hissed, "What are you thinking!? These kids can't come with us, they'll be killed!"

Lion-O looked ready to say something but was cut off by tiny arms crushing his middle. "Thank you thank you thank you! You're the nicest person ever! We'll be good, we promise! And we'll help clean up and cook and keep watch and everything!" Wilykat hugged him tighter and practically clung to his leg while Wilykit held on to his wrist and kissed his hand. Embarrassed – and suddenly tired – Lion-O managed to wriggle free and crouched.

"I need to tell you something." They stopped, panting and breathless, instantly alert. "I saw a vision from the Sword of Omens with you guys traveling with us. I'm willing to let you come to Tropo with us. If we can't find your parents, we'll have to take you somewhere safe while we go onward. Are there any people near there that would be willing to look after you?"

Kit shrugged. "We might have some relatives around there. Maybe. I don't know. We can find our way."

Lion-O looked haggard. "I guess we'll deal with that when we come to it. But I'm very serious; we're going to a dangerous place. If I order you guys to run away and escape, you need to do it without asking why. Do you understand me?"

They nodded eagerly. Lion-O rubbed the back of his head as he straightened up. "I must be stark raving mad."

Cheetara couldn't help but feel pleased when the kittens sprinted back into town, toting a note Lion-O wrote to avoid having to run back into town himself. Panthro watched them vanish and his lips barely moved. "What?" she asked.

"I said, 'You shouldn't have told them their parents didn't abandon them.'" He didn't turn his head, gray eyes following the dots that were the kittens into town.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't know if they did or didn't. Maybe they left them here for their own good." He was obviously angry but Cheetara sensed that it wasn't directed at her. It was more for Lion-O, and…maybe someone else? "Heck, maybe their parents wanted to get in on the Mutation trade and didn't want to risk their kids."

This thought was so sickening that Cheetara opened her mouth and nothing came out. She shut it and looked away, and there was silence until the patter of footsteps on the path.

It only took a few minutes for them to return, carrying a dirty sack apiece that probably held all their belongings in the world. "We told Timbyr and he said he guessed we could come! Come on, come on! We need to go now!"

"Actually he said, 'What, well, I don't know, but I guess-' but that's pretty close," Kit explained. "We brought our bed blankets, we're used to sleeping on the ground, so let's go!" Then they threw their bags into the seats and climbed in.

Panthro took a step forward and looked sideways at Lion-O. "…If those kids are killed, their blood is on your hands." Lion-O simply nodded. Panthro's arms tensed and she saw tendons tighten under his skin. His tattoo stretched with it. "This is a fool thing to do. You expect me to believe the wise and powerful Sword of Omens really wants these little ones along?"

"It does."

"I don't believe it. I think you said that because you fell for their sob story. This ain't safe, and kids don't belong out here." Panthro's hackles were on end and his fists were tight. "It's just a shame is all. If that Sword had any sense, it'd tell you-"

"It tells me what it tells me." Lion-O's voice was suddenly different, lower, and Cheetara's fur prickled with the weight of it. Panthro stopped talking and Lion-O looked at him with such a quiet, painful light in his eyes that he didn't say anything else. "Either you trust the Sword of Omens and my judgment or you don't. If you don't want to continue with me you don't have to. But it meant you to come as well, Panthro. You know that."

Cheetara couldn't place what was so strange about his voice. It was just Lion-O, and his face was the same as ever, but something so searing and awful and rich radiated from him – and the Sword –that it nearly gave her a headache. And then it stopped and Lion-O sighed, looking tired again. "Come on. We need to get into the forest before three days have passed to keep on schedule, and we've got the rations to last that long if we hunt along the way. We have to make it through the mountain passes before the ice comes through."

With that he headed toward the Tank and put the supplies he'd been carrying away. Cheetara followed him with her eyes. Panthro simply got into the driver's seat and waited, staring straight ahead with an unreadable frown on his face.

"…There's something weird about Lion-O," Tygra said at last.

Cheetara nodded. Then she climbed into the ThunderTank beside Lion-O. His head leaned back against the seat and his eyes were shut, and the kittens were seated on his other side, unaware of what had just happened.

After they were all in the engine roared and they sped off in a clumpy roll of wet dust, leaving Rana Village far behind.

End of Episode 4