Chapter 5

Home sweet junkyard

The jet reached the MegaKat City salvage yard, and a hatch opened on one of the yard open space, revealing a tunnel runway. The Turbokat flew in as the hatch closed behind it. The jet skidded into a halt on a circular platform, engine powering down as the platform spun and rose up into the upper level.

The cockpit opened to reveal two pilots jumping down, popping their helmet off.

"What a workout!" T-Bone threw his helmet into his locker and proceeded to change his pilot suit into his civilian personae. T-Bone was again Chance Furlong, ex-enforcer and mechanics of the MegaKat City salvage yard. Razor, his co-pilot did the same. But he was faster and became Jake Clawson, already checking the damage on the jet. "We better check that frozen wing and clear it out before the next flight."

"I just painted her yesterday! I won't forgive those Mettalikats! Nobody hurts my baby! Nobody!" Chance yelled to the ceiling, his fist up.

Jake shook his head, used to Chance over-protectiveness over the jet. "Calm down Chance, it's not a major damage."

Chance deflated, they haven't got anything else to do anyway, and Jake's right, it's not a major damage. "What do you think happened back there?" he tried to chip off the ice crystal with a crowbar, they fell off without much resistance. In fact, they're starting to melt.

"I doubt those Mettalikats even know what happened there. Molly does seem pissed off for some reason. While her husband Mac? Doesn't seem to mind much."

"Except that they are stuck in ice and at the mercy of the Enforcers."

Jake tapped a metal sheet, "And probably already plotting revenge against us."

"As usual."

Jake pushed the diagnostic equipment towards the platform. "Chance, step away please, I'm doing a full body scan on her." Chance hopped away as a flurry of green laser lines bathed the jet, in the screen a digital Turbo Kat started to form.

"…what?" The screen zoomed onto the weapons compartment. There is the missile that he engineered in their spot, but in a corner, he saw a lump that he remembered nothing of.

He slid in his battle gloves and scurried towards the underside of the jet. A flat key lever came into view and Jake pulled it down, with a hiss the weapon compartment opened. Turning the flashlight in his glove on as he glanced around, he saw The Cyclotron, tucked in its place. There's the Octopus missile, still clamped to the side. The Net missile, need to check that out if we need to rescue Callie from falling to her death. Who know if there's a loose clip somewhere and she slipped through the net?

He crawled to the front, where the area got more cramped that only small kats were able to crawl around in. But Jake is smaller than your average kat so he had no problem navigating around tight spaces.

A harsh, irregular breathing sound reached his ear, and he whipped towards the source. His eyes widened as he saw a young child in-between the missile, unconscious.

"Chance!" Jake yelled in panic, grabbing hold of the child immediately. He pulled his paw back in surprise at how cold he was. "Get me the heat packs and some clean and dry clothes!" Startled, the tomcat ran off to get the requested item. 'Was something in the jet?'

Jake hopped down from the compartment holding something in his arms. Chance gasped as he saw a young child looking almost frozen in Jake's hand. "The sofa!" He urged him, running towards the messy sofa. Chance threw the stuff in his hand to a nearby table and pushed the objects littering the sofa off. Frowning on the state of the ripped sofa he pulled a blanket from the cabinet and covered it.

Jake carefully removed the cold clothing, replacing it with his old t-shirt that Chance had managed to dig up from his closet.

"How the heck did a kid managed to get into the TurboKat weapon compartment?" Chance threw the third blanket he found from the house over the child.

"Less talk, more heat packs!"

It took them a few nerve wrecking hours until colors finally came back to the child. He still has that chill around him, but at least it's not as cold as when he were in the Turbo Kat. Jake and Chance slumped in exhaustion down on the floor beside the sofa. Ignoring heating packs, blankets, towels and hot bottles littered by floor. While the boy curled in the sofa, buried in layers of blankets, his breathing calm and soft.

"For a moment there I thought he was dead."

"So did I, but it's just his heartbeat is naturally slow for some reason. I guess it's a trait of his?" His partner shrugged, "Well, at least it's constant, and the kid seemed comfortable enough."

Chance took a peek at the opening of the can see a pair of black triangular ears flattened against the sofa among the bushy black hair. It amazed Chance that the colors of the boy coat is pure black. Even if the only fur that existed on the boy was on his head and tail. His paws are long and thin, with five fingers. He doesn't have claws and his fangs a little short, but still sharp.

"So this must be the black kitten that the MettaliKats met huh?"

"Must be." Jake muttered as he put the Medic Kit away, his mind wandered towards the boy torso, wrapped with gauze and bandages. "But damn, that was a nasty cut." Chance just nodded, wiping his face with his paw.

"Just thank the goddess that you knew how to clean a wound, Jake."

"I almost couldn't Chance, and that worries me."

Chance peeled out a bruised and flattened ears hidden under the mass of black hair. "I wonder what happened to him. He looks really young."

"He's injured but his bruise seems to be healing up quite fast." Jake gave a glance to his friend. "I'm probably wrong, but this kid had the sign of an experimented child."

"Why would you think that?"

Jake pointed towards the scars on the boy, "You see this incision? This is a precise cut that can only made using a surgical knife."

"So? He might gotten hospitalized."

"A cut in a shape of a giant 'Y' Chance?" The tabby blinked, he squinted his eyes at the crisscrossing scars on their guest. Realizing that it as Jake said, his expression slowly turned to horror.

"No. Way. Who could have done such a thing?" Chance growled. Jake could have sworn that the boy moved or some sort...?

Jake shook his head, probably his imagination, "I didn't know why, but we can't let anyone know until we know who this kid really is."

"A cut bad enough to kill a grown up Kat, and it healing in less than an hour? And a dissection? What kind of sick science does that to a ...GAH?!" Chance yelped suddenly as claws suddenly dug themselves onto his arm.

Startled, Chance had to release the child he was holding. The boy stumbled off the blankets, yowling and clawing at the tabby face. After a few stumbles he finally found himself on top of a stack of missile on all four of his limbs. His long tail arched and bristled behind him as he found himself cornered between walls of the garage. Jake glared at Chance, who was trying not to scream in pain at the deep scratches in his face.

Mentally cursing at the reckless tabby Jake tried to reason with the agitated child. "Hey, its okay, we're not going to hurt you." The child eyes were unfocused and clouded, refusing to succumb to his exhaustion. His body swayed on the spot as his eyes glared towards the two of them. At Jake advance, he stepped back and accidentally tripped over his tail, falling to the floor with an audible yelp. Jake rushed over, and the child held himself in a fetal position, confused at the sudden pain.

Kneeling in front of the child was a bad idea, as the kid still had the energy to swing a kick right towards his stomach, throwing him back. Instinct kicked in and Jake swiftly did a back flip and leaped right back towards the startled boy. Taking advantage of his disoriented state he grabbed the boy in a hand-lock, slamming him headfirst to the ground. But the child managed to recover and bit Jake's arm. Jake winced and endured the child aggressive behavior to let Chance slam a tranquilizer dart in. Howling, he turned to claw Chance without success. The tom caught his flailing arms and secured him in, careful to not injure him further. A few pitiful struggle later, the child went limp, teetering on the edge of sleep and confusion. Chance positioned the child bridal style and glanced at his partner. Jake gave a nod towards the bed, silently telling him that he's okay before cleaning up the small wound. Chance vowed that he would help him further clean that up later, but now the kid comes first.

It's so loud… Danny groaned as two distinct voices whispered about something in front of him. A sudden shout jerked him awake and he tensed as he saw a huge shadow falling on top of him.

"!" A sharp screech reached his ears, making him cover them with his hand. A crash noise followed, indicating that something big had knocked down a huge object behind him as he scampered away. On instinct, he landed on the nearest perch, growling back at whoever that just tried to attack him.

"…!" His sapphire blue eyes glanced up, widened in shock. Who's that?! Are they going to hurt me?! He saw a dark brown humanoid cat beckoning to him. The cat took a few steps nearer. But as the cat reached in about a few inches, Danny swiped the arm reaching to him away.

'And am I in the Ghost Zone? It doesn't smell like the ghost zone…' Danny glanced outside. 'It's dark… Ugh…'. His head throbbed, and the world seemed like they won't stop spinning. 'What's… going on?'

Something got tangled over his leg, and before he could register what it was a sharp pain flared along his spine, making him yelp and fell down to the floor.

But Danny couldn't move fast enough and a few seconds later something landed on his back, binding his hands together.

No! Frantic, Danny used his leftover strength to throw off the assailant, only managing to land a bite on a furry hand.

Whoever it was, it was good. Even in their tangled struggle, his hand was still bound. But Danny could tell that the person wasn't that strong and Danny realizes that with a simple yank, he would be free.

But right before he managed to do that another hand grabbed his arm, making him hang a few feet in the air. 'Crud!' He thought. He tried clawing the arm that held him. Obviously this one is stronger than the one before and Danny couldn't win with his low energy.

Before he knew it, Danny was yowling when something jabbed his arm. He could feel something invading his system. 'Knockout drug!' He realized. He's been the subject of multiple knock out drugs in his life, mostly from Skulker, occasionally from his dad by accident. From personal experience he realized that this one was meant to paralyze before sending the victim into a deep sleep.

He pitifully clawed the arm to no success, slowly losing his energy to fight back.

"You're okay?" Chance asked after they successfully coaxed the confused young child into dreamland.

Jake re-positioned his bandage, making sure that it was tight to avoid their everyday work to contaminate his wound, "Nah, I'm fine, just a bite the hand. He clawed you too right? How's your arm?"

"Well, I seriously need help bandaging them, that kid got really sharp and strong claws for someone so young." Chance held up his arm, scratch marks could be seen on his orange fur, and some of his bandages already falling off.

"Heh." Jake smiled, started to fix the bandages, "You probably triggered his instinct of fight or flight. I told you to control your temper when dealing with children."

"Yeah, yeah. I learned my lesson. A young-ling is like a pack of dynamite, Ow!" Jake just gave him a smirk as he patted a sore spot on his arm, "…you need to be careful around them or they'll explode."

"How'd you come up with that analogy?"

"Meh, that's how it felt like. So what are we gonna do with the kid? We can't bring him into our jobs." The two fell silent. They can't bring the kid to either of their job, and they can't leave him alone either.

Deciding that it is no use sitting down here, Jake stood uo, dusting his shirt, "Come on, we need to bring the kid upstairs. You're not using that extra bed right Chance?" Jake nudged his friend, he don't want to leave the boy sleeping alone in an underground garage.

"Why mine? Why not yours? That's where I'll be sleeping with Callie in the future!" Chance whined.

"Yeeeah, and your first official meeting with her resulted in a handbag print on your face. What was it again? You thought she gotten herself mugged, while actually she was demonstrating a counter technique for a couple of housewives."

If he was a ghost Chance would've been floating in bliss,"Ah… the first time meeting Callie is a memory that I shall cherish forever." He daydreamed of the Deputy mayor smiling face.

"She also did a nice kick down there as I recall."

"Uh… it was an intimate meeting?"

Jake chuckled in reply, remembering a few days of Chance squeaking in agony and Callie apologizing by sending in flowers and foods to them.

Jake rolled his eyes, carefully tucking the boy into he blankets. "Don't you think you got enough brush off from her already?"

"She will know that I'm the best sire for her someday…" Chance puffed and realized that he got sidetracked, "But no! It's not about that! But... Callie's a girl, so she should know how to take care of a kit, right?"

"You think she can help?"

"She a girl, at least an idea?"

"But it's not like we can just drop by her office."

"Don't cha worry my friend, just wait until tomorrow afternoon!"

"It's 4 AM of Saturday… Tomorrow is Sunday, we'll be closed…"

"I meant today! Today afternoon!" Chance corrected himself.

"On a Saturday noon? Are you suggesting that we go to her office or something?"

"No, no. You just sit tight here and I'll go get her."

Jake was confused, "What do you mean by that?"

"Just trust me! I'll go get the groceries for a bit while you keep an eye on the kid!"

"Chance! You are still injured!"

"Bah! I'll live! Keep an eye on the little tyke!"

"Chance!"

Author Notes :

Watching RC9GN, how does cartoon logic work?

I do not own Danny Phantom nor Swat Kats