Ashes to Ashes

by FortressMaximus

NEW CHAPTER! 9-1-14 ! After a horrific attack by Dark Kat, MegaKat city tries to return to normal despite crippling losses. But destiny & fate have something else in mind-something that will change the lives of Callie, Felina and Ulysses forever!

3. Chapter Four: Birth and Rebirths

quick note: This chapter contains characters from another universe 'katified' for this story. Any copyrights belong to original holders.



Swat Kats Ashes to Ashes Part IV Birth and Rebirths

Elsewhen in the Nexus of Time, the point at where all realities converge,
Merklyn watched in quiet contemplation as events unfolded faster than expected.
Having seen his young champion awaken from her slumber, the wizard felt assured
that the next few hours would be the most crucial to the success or failure of his
plan. Knowing he could not be there in person to guide Calico Briggs, he would at
least be there in spirit at her final acceptance of the destiny awaiting her embrace.

The eagle soared high over Megakat City, lost in the mix of animal instinct
and a feeling of freedom that only flying could give so completely. Gliding on the
warm air currents, the crystal blue avian looked down below on the city that used
to be her cage; it seemed so small now. Trapped. That was the best way to
describe it. Before, there had been no escape from the confinement the city
possessed. To go back was nearly unthinkable. Here she could stay forever,
surrounded by the glorious sky.

"No! Stay away from my daughter!" echoed the fear-laced plea, carried to
the sky and to the birds' ears. Casting a glance downward, her expanded vision
locked onto the source of the sound and if she still had the physical ability to do
so, a mask of anger would now fill her expression. Even here, in the vastness of
sky, evil gave her no peace. Catching a down draft the eagle dipped lower, her
desire to be lost in the clouds drowned by a small voice echoing from deep within
her spirit; a voice that could not be silent when such injustice tried to go
unpunished.

"Your choice lady. Hand over the purse now."

"But..but I can't! We'll won't have the money to sleep anywhere!" the deep
brown she-Kat pleaded. Dressed in a deep purple sweater and blue trousers, the
woman backed up as her attacker stepped closer.

As her cries fell upon deaf ears, Katjack took another step towards the
mother and daughter he had waylaid in the twilight the tall buildings gave so easily
in this part of the city. Even as he approached, the mother clutched her golden-
furred daughter close as the youngster kept her stuffed bear wrapped within her
own arms.

"You leave my mommy alone!" the girl directed, breaking from her mom's
grasp as her pink dress blurred, her foot connecting with Katjack's shin. Her
pointed shoes dug deep into the punk's leg.

"Ouch! You miserable little rugrat!" he cursed, a red furred-arm lanced out
and connected with the kitten's mouth, causing her mother's eyes to narrow in pure
anger as her daughter staggered and fell backwards into her arms. A trickle of
blood began to form in the corner of the child's mouth. Rebecca shook in moral
rage, vowing that her daughter would not die in this cold gray city if she had any
say in the matter. She may not make it back to Cape Suzette, but her daughter
would make it home somehow.

Suddenly, a shrill cry filled the air as with blinding speed, razor sharp talons
raked across Katjack's face. Blood began to seep through his fur and he screamed
in pain.

"ARUGHHHH!"

Not knowing what had happened, the teen-aged punk lashed out blindly,
trying to fend off whatever had assaulted him. Although unable to connect on his
first two attempts, the solid 'whump' of contact on his forearm told he had hit
something. A crashing sound filling the air seconds later to his left. Unable to see
as the blood covered his eyes, Katjack missed the swift kick to his groin Rebecca
Cunningham planted with her foot. Doubling over in agony the tom-Kat was
assaulted with several punishing blows to his stomach as a mothers' rage was set
free. No longer willing to settle for the purse, Katjack lashed out again and used
his feet to shove the she-Kat into a group of trash cans. Eyes wide as saucers,
Mollie Cunningham raced over to her mother as the tom staggered to his feet, a
small boot knife making its way into his paw.

"That's gonna cost you bit..." he began, but was cut off by a terrible roar
composed of boundless fury. Turning, he looked for the sound which had came
from the same area as the impact crash moments ago. Using the back of his paw to
wipe what blood he could away, Katjack froze in mortal terror as an image of
death personified raised out of the trash pile to fix him with a terrible gaze.

Like a phoenix from the ashes, the crystal blue bear rose up to her full
height of over 8 ft, the sheer size of her body nothing compared to the anger that
bellowed for release. With a fearsome charge the bear surged forth, a massive
swipe of her paw digging deep into Katjack's weapon arm, causing the terrified
Kat to scream in pain. Dropping the knife he staggered back, mind and body nearly
paralyzed by complete and total fear.

Using her prey's paralysis to full advantage, the massive bear hurled the Kat
to the far end of the alley where Katjack rolled on the ground like a bowling ball,
finally striking a lamppost. The beaten punk, in a fit of self-preservation, staggered
to his feet and ran faster than he thought possible from the nightmare the alley had
become.

Rebecca clutched her daughter close, wondering what would happen next
in this crazy city. She watched the massive creature turn around and glare back at
her, midnight black eyes fixated upon her. Closing her own eyes, she prayed for
deliverance.

"Mommy..mommy look!"

Eyes snapping open, Rebecca focused on the immense figure of the bear
that had..for a reason she could not fathom...saved her and her daughters' life.
Finally seeing what Mollie noticed, Rebecca gasped as a glow seemed to shimmer
around the bear. Like sunlight through stained glass, a flickering sheen washed
over the bear in a symphony of color. As if drenching the mammoth totem in liquid
light, the glow permeated every fiber of her being as magically-enhanced DNA
gave way to normal genetic code. As the bear began to fade out, another form
began to fade in, any specific features momentary lost in the cacophony of light
and shadow. Seconds passed until the light faded and a dazed and exhausted
looking she-Kat lay nude upon the cold ground.

Rebecca looked at the prone figure as a state of shock threatened to
surround her. Clutching her daughter close, she started to inch away from the
figure.

"Come on sweetie, let's go..' she said very softly.

"But mommy..we can't go..she's hurt!" and with that the young kitten ran
over, eliciting a look of terror from her mother's face.

"Mollie!" she whispered urgently, but the gesture was failed from the
beginning as her daughter stood beside the figure and looked wide-eyed.

"Uhm...are you okay?" the kitten's voice asked tentatively.

A soft moan of pain was the only answer as Rebecca pulled up behind her
daughter. Watching intently, Rebecca watched as the figure started to move
slightly as Calico Briggs regained some semblance of consciousness.

"Are you okay?" whispered the kitten as the pretty she-Kat looked awake
enough to hear her this time.

Ignoring the pain she felt in every fiber of her being, Callie looked at the
kitten, then her mom, through half-closed eyes. Sitting up fully she shivered as the
chilly air ran across her bare form. Then, the soft caress of a purple sweater draped
over her shoulders, providing some measure of decency as Rebecca ignored the
chill in favor of helping the dazed looking woman who had rescued them. Now
clad in her white undershirt and blue pants, Rebecca spoke softly.

"My name is Rebecca. Are you ..can you understand me?"

Callie looked at the slightly older woman and nodded, trying hard to focus
through the rush of emotions she was feeling. Glancing up she tried to smile..
"Are..are..y..you..o..oka...?" she managed to get out. Rebecca nodded
slightly.

"Thanks to you Miss...?"

Mollie looked up and frowned.

"Mom!" she whispered urgently. Glancing down, Rebecca was taken back
by the look of disbelief on her daughters' face. "You can't ask her real name. She's
a super hero and we're not supposed to know!" Mollie informed her, wishing -not
for the first time- that adults didn't make everything so complicated.
/EVERYONE/ knows you don't ask a super hero their real name. It's against the
rules.

Rebecca glanced at the youngster, then at the sweater-covered she-Kat.
With a soft nod she respected her daughter's wishes and decided that now was not
the time to complicate matters further.

Callie looked at this pair of strangers and tried to focus on their well being
instead of the massive confusion she herself felt. A mix of jumbled images..the
hospital, Merklyn, her and Felina at each others' throats, the realization of how
much she truly lost the day the Swat Kats died. All this tried to overwhelm her and
-for a brief moment- it had succeeded. In those few seconds while in her bear form
Calico had lost everything to the sheer rush of instinct her totem released. Nothing
mattered but destroying the enemy. Looking at her own paws, Callie swore she
could still see the blood on her hands from her attack on the punk. Or was it blood
from her own part in the death of Jake and Chance?

Standing with a great deal of effort, Callie reached her feet but staggered as
her body protested. Grabbing the corner of a garbage dumpster, she steadied
herself. Images still swirled through her mind, hauntingly reminding her of what
had been, and what was yet to come but with an effort she pulled the sweater fully
over her body as the oversized garment ended sufficiently below her waist to
preserve some measure of modesty.

"Look miss, you shouldn't be out here like this.." Rebecca noted. "We were
on our way to a shelter when that son of a.." Mollie fixed her mom with a quizzical
look. "..pink flamingo waylaid us." Rebecca finished, only just catching herself.

Mollie giggled because calling someone the kid of a pink flamingo was
really funny. She'd have to call Kit that next time her brown-furred brother acted
all big in his britches.

"Why..a..shelter?" Callie asked with a bit of effort.

"You don't know?"

"Know..what?" Callie's voice became an even whisper.

"They said on the radio that a bunch of villains are attacking places all
around the city. The..Enforcers..?" she paused, not sure if that was the correct
name. Callie nodded. "..the Enforcers are handling someone called Wiper at some
research facility and Gigabyte and the Metali-something at another research
facility.."

Callie slammed her fist against the side of the dumpster, the metal not
giving but the effort making her feel marginally better.

"I should have known; without the Swat Kats here, the city's wide open for
those scumbags!" She took a few seconds to compose herself and looked at
Rebecca. "You're right to get to a shelter."

"Then that's why they called a city wide emergency? I though it was that
Dark Kat person they mentioned that was.." Rebecca paused as a terrible chill ran
down her spine as the woman before her did a total 180 emotionally, her body
going taut and eyes burning with a deep anger.

"Dark Kat? You..you said Dark Kat?" the voice hard as diamond. Rebecca
nodded softly, a sick feeling growing in her stomach.

"Is this Dark Kat..?" she started to ask, but was cut off by Calico's firm
nod.

"He's the reason for the evacuation, and all the damage you've seen. He
was responsible for it all."

Rebecca paled and pulled Mollie back to her out of reflex.

"My..Goddess .One Kat did all that?"

Callie nodded again, trying to find a calm center which to hold onto as she
attempted to survive the maelstrom of anger she felt building inside. Looking over
at Rebecca she sighed..

"He's not just one Kat. He's..evil personified Rebecca. So many good Kats
have been lost to his designs. And..he..he's the reason I was given my powers; to
stop him no matter the cost."

Mollie looked wide-eyed at the woman and sniffled.

"But..you can't .You ain't feeling good and if he's such a bad man then he
might hurt you!" and the young kitten broke from her mom's grasp and wrapped
her arms around her new friend, wanting to keep her safe from the bad person who
had upset her and made her Mommy worry.

Callie gently kneeled down, brushing the hair from Mollie's tear filled eyes.

"Shush honey..I'll be okay. I can't let him hurt other people. There are other
kids who need their moms and I have to make sure they all stay safe. I promise to
be careful. Okay..?"

Mollie sniffled again but nodded bravely. "Promise?"

Callie nodded. "Promise."

Rebecca looked at the she-Kat before her.

"I can never repay you for helping us. You saved both me and my daughter
from something too horrible to contemplate. I just want to say..'thank you' " and
with that she offered her paw. Callie shook it warmly.

"Thank you Rebecca. You have a very brave daughter there. I can see
where it comes from." Rebecca smiled, tinting slightly red at the compliment.

Callie smiled and began to turn when a sudden stabbing pain lanced
through her gut like a hot poker. Wincing, she cried out as her stomach twisted in
agony.

"Goddess..he's..he's here!" she cried out, looking at the sky as a shadow fell
over the city as Dark Kat's airship passed overhead, it's final approach to
MegaTron Labs..and victory.. under way. Callie shook in anger and agony as she
watched the vessel soar away, the metal skin seemingly radiating darkness as it
moved along.

Rebecca wanted to help, but this was so far beyond her. She came to
MegaKat City for a simple transportation conference; a way to be more
competitive and maybe make a few business contacts. But..this; Kats with super
powers, megalomaniac villains and the rest was so far out of her ordinary
experiences she simply didn't understand it all. Planes, cargo..the fastest way from
'A' to 'B', running Higher for Hire back home in Cape Suzette; these were things
that made sense. Not this insanity of existence she and her daughter found
themselves entrenched within. But..despite the confusion, she knew, by maternal
instincts or female insight, that this pain-filled woman before her was part of
something bigger than all of this. She /knew/ this to be true; how or why she knew
this was irreverent. Turning to her new friend, Rebecca took her shoulders gently.

"It's all coming to an end, isn't it? It's all leading up
to..something..incredible. Am I right?" Callie could only nod, the pain only slightly
receding as the airship moved further on. "Then you've got to fight the pain. Fight
the fear. I've seen you..your strong. You can do this." Rebecca spoke softly,
realizing that perhaps this could be the only way to repay the debt she felt to the
stranger that saved her and Mollie's life.

Callie nodded, wanting to so desperately to believe her. But the images..her
failure costing the Swat Kats their lives..her fear of what cost these new powers
had. All this and more gnawed at her, keeping her courage pinned down. She hated
herself like this; indecisive, unsure. She had faltered when Merklyn's choice came
due, and now was doing the same all over again. She knew Dark Kat had to be
defeated, but as the burden of her calling clarified she found herself doubting once
more.

"I believe in you. " Rebecca simply stated. "I /know/ you can do this. You
said you had to keep all the children and their mothers safe. Then /do/ it..or this
Dark Kat's won without firing a shot. You could be the only hope this city has."
Rebecca had no clue as to where these words came from; they seemed to have life
unto their own. Yet, more than anything, they /felt/ right.

Callie blinked, and accepted the logic placed before her. Merklyn had
trusted her with his legacy; she would be worthy of that trust or die trying.
Standing, she forced the fear deep down and tapping into the same strength she
found at the Swat Kats' funeral, she stood in defiance of Dark Kat and all that he
represented. She /knew/ now that this was indeed her destiny; her light against his
darkness; her hope against his despair. To defeat Dark Kat, she would be his
opposite. Looking at distant shape of Dark Kat's hover ship, the agony in her gut
was replaced by a fire lit by Merklyn's belief in her to succeed, the memory of her
best friends, and the faith a stranger had in her spirit.

**Jake and Chance gave their lives to save this city..their home..and I'll be
DAMMED if Dark Kat is going to take that from us ever again!**

Merklyn closed his eyes and began to speak, knowing beyond a shadow of
doubt that it was now or never. Council of Time or not, he had to act now or
everything could be forfeit. Transcending all between him and his champion, his
voice rang out clear and firm.

"Calico Briggs Now..for all you hold dear May the light.
"....shine forever!" finished Callie as Merklyn's voice faded from her mind.

The ancient wizard had done his part in trusting her with his legacy; now it
was all up her to see that legacy put to good use. A wondrous glow enveloped
Callie's body as Merklyn's final gift was revealed. As if erupting from within her
soul, a blue and pink stream of light surrounded the former deputy mayor. Starting
at her feet, the light swirled around her counterclockwise placing a crystal blue
togs on her legs as matching knee-high boots materialized upon her feet. Moving
upwards, the light fashioned a blue tunic to replace the borrowed sweater Callie
had been wearing. Around her waist, a soft pink belt appeared, the buckle showing
a bright yellow sunburst in the middle. The long sleeve tunic ended with a slight
cuff, as half-gloves in matching blue materialized on her paws. Swirling higher, the
final touches began to form as Callie felt her golden hair flowing backwards into a
single ponytail as a mask of cobalt blue (much like the ones Jake and Chance
wore) appeared on her face to protect her identity from those that would exploit
such knowledge. At the end, as the light faded, a long cloak appeared around her
shoulders, crystal blue with a pink trim down the right side and bottom. Mollie and
Rebecca stared in awe as the light before them faded, and the she-Kat that had
saved their lives stood before them transformed.

Mollie looked at the lady with a great deal of wonderment and a bit of
pride that she had been the first to see a brand new super hero born! Rebecca took
a hesitant step forward as the final gleams of light faded from the transformation.
Finally finding her voice, she asked..

"Are you okay? W.what happened?"

Callie turned and looked at these two who had helped her so much in so
short a time. With a soft smile she replied..

"Change Rebecca. Who I was.. didn't have the power to do what had
to be done, so ..for now..this is who I need to be."

"And..who..is that?" Rebecca asked carefully.

A smile crossed Callie's lips as she answered.

"Lighthope."

Rebecca stood there, amazed at how different the she-Kat before her
appeared. Her daughter, on the other hand, was squirming with excitement.

"Oh wow! You look so neat!" giggled the excitable 6 year old kitten.

Lighthope bent over and ruffled Mollie's hair before the young kitten gave
her a ferocious hug. After a few moments they separated as the heroine stood.

"I have to go now. There's not a lot of time."

Mollie nodded, understanding a lot more than someone her age was
'supposed' to. But despite all of that happened; all that she understood, she was
scared for her new friend.

"You promise to be careful, right??" she asked hopefully. "I promise. " said
Lighthope, only then turning to look at Rebecca. "Rebecca..I.." she began, but was
cut off by a soft look. "I know. Just..be careful?" Lighthope nodded, and with a
gentle step forward embraced the she-Kat tightly. Before long, both were on the
edge of tearing up and each pulled away. Mollie wrapped her arms around her
mom's leg as Lighthope turned towards the entryway of the alley.

Now fully transformed, Callie finally understood the totality of Merklyn's
gifts. Not just the animal totems, but so much more. All the spell-poems of the
long forgotten world of Prysmos were her's to employ; strength, speed,
knowledge, and wisdom. But, as the wizard had warned, the universal balance
between good and evil affected her new powers as well.
Decay..destruction...fear..and invulnerability. The dark side of her powers were
there to command, but caution had to be paramount in their use. Knowing time
was growing ever shorter, Lighthope reached into her mind and pulled the spell
that would get her to Dark Kat the fastest. Letting the words form silently at first,
she then spoke them out loud with grace and respect.

"Sheathe these paws in the driving gale make swift these legs ore' land
I sail!" Heading the spoken summons, a spectral presence erupted from within
Lighthope. Shaped as a she-Kat, the avatar of speed was 'dressed' as an ancient
messenger; her body of transparent blue was covered by a darker blue tunic as her
hips and legs were covered in a matching pair of breeches. Swirling around her
new mistress, the avatar blurred until Lighthope could not be seen amidst the
winding whirlwind that had been created. Then, without warning, the funnel of air
whisked towards the direction Dark Kat's ship had headed, leaving no sign of
Lighthope at all.

Mollie looked up and sniffled.

"Mommy?"

Rebecca kneeled down looking at her daughter softly..."What is it
sweetie?"

"Let's not tell daddy about this..okay?"

Rebecca looked at her daughter in shock.

"Mollie..that would be fibbing. And you never fibbed to Baloo before he
became your daddy. " Rebecca sighed, the thought of her new husband finding out
about the attack by the punk, let alone the remaining parts, was not something she
felt ready to deal with. Overprotective was a fitting word for the gray and white
tom-Kat she had so recently pledged to spend the rest of her life beside. He loved
her and she him, although it took many years for each to finally realized what they
had been denying. Now, Rebecca couldn't imagine not being next to him forever.

"I know mommy! It's just..if we tell him then he'll be all mad that he wasn't
here to protect us, and I don't want him to feel bad cause there's ain't nothing he
coulda done anyway right?"

Rebecca nodded, not for the first time shocked by the insight her young
daughter possessed. Unable to decide what to do, Rebecca took a parents' refuge
in the last means of escape..

"We'll talk about it later sweetie, okay?"

Picking up her daughter, Rebecca and Mollie Cunningham looked one final
time at the sky and sent their thoughts and prayers to the one lone she-Kat that
was willing to risk all in the name of justice. After a few moments they resumed
their way towards the nearest shelter, oblivious to the fact that a unseen pair of
eyes watched them depart the alley, having observed the entire transformation of
Calico Briggs.

As silence again claimed the alley, Dr. Abi Sinian leaned against the heavy
delivery door as it closed, her mind working at a feverish place as it sought to
catalog what she had just witnessed.

------------------------------------

"Move it people! Move..Move!" Steele shouted as his Enforcer Unit took
up flanking positions around MegaKat Biochemical.

Sirens wailed as about ten cars finally completed their maneuvers and soon
had the building surrounded. All around him a mix of Enforcers pulled their
sidearms and unhooked the safeties as each scanned the building for any sign of
their prey.

"I want this place secured 200 percent people! Nash, Bridges..clear all the
adjacent buildings."

"Yes, sir!" came the stiff replies as the Enforcers ran to a pair of apartment
buildings and began evacuation.

Steele pointed at two Enforcers and jerked his fingers toward his squad car
and the two officers ran over and knelt down, listening intently while keeping one
eye each on the building. Lowering his voice, Steele pointed to two building on the
opposite side of the street from MegaKat Biochem.

"Walker, Ranger, take up sniper positions. But don't fire until we see how
many Kats he has in there. Use the new anti-mutagen darts unless you hear
otherwise from me."

The pair of sharpshooters nodded and using the available cover made their
way to their respective buildings and disappeared inside.

Waiting until they were out of sight, Steele motioned to a she-Kat who had
just been handed a megaphone to come over. Looking a bit confused, the young
Enforcer ducked between cars and made her way to her superior officer.

"Sir?" she asked quietly.

"I think I need this a bit more than you." he suggested as he took the
megaphone from her paw. A slight blush rose in her cheeks.

"Erm..yes Sir."

Giving her a slight grin, Steele glanced over at the officers awaiting his
next command. Each was tense, ready to spring to action. Steele closed his eyes
and for a moment Feral's words echoed in his mind.

**Good Kats are going to be out there risking their lives to protect
MegaKat City. Every decision you make could lead to victory or defeat.**

"No defeat..not now..not ever."

"Sir..?" asked the startled young Kat beside him.

"Nothing.." he said as he gave her a small smile of reassurance. Glancing
around, he nodded at the other cars close to him, and they refocused their aim,
causing a wave of realignment as each Enforcer steadied themselves as their leader
made his demands to Viper. Standing slowly, David Steele said a quick prayer and
raised the megaphone.

"This is Commander David Steele of the Enforcers. Dr. Viper, you are
surrounded. Come on with your paws up and you will not be harmed!"

The words echoed as startled eyes looked at Steele with confusion as his
recent promotion was unknown by most all of the Enforcers. Steele could almost
feel the shock that seemed to fill the very air around him, but paid it no heed.
There was a job to do and he had been elected to do it.

Viper's answer came not in words, but rather as a deluge of toxic acid from
several Venus flytrap-like plant mammals that had been lurking in the foliage
around the entryway. The acid rained down on the Enforcers like liquid death,
sizzling against the metal of the cars that only just shielded them from the deluge.
Steele ducked back down behind his car as a wave of poison washed over his
vehicle.

'GET DOWN!' he shouted to the young Enforcer beside him and threw
himself on top of her, the bottom part of the attack grazing his trench coat but
doing little damage to his fur underneath. The acid splashed to the ground behind
him between several cars and quietly ate through the pavement as several
Enforcers stood in awe of the powerful fluid.

Steele took a moment to make sure the Kats around him were uninjured.
Unfortunately, several were clutching their paws and arms as droplets of acid had
hit. MedTech's were already using their skills to stop any damage before it got too
severe, but several of his officers were out of the fight; that much he could tell
from his location. Paws bandaged with surgical gauze were not to be ignored. He
could only hope and pray the other units were having better luck with the
Metallikats and Hard Drive.

**I hate this! We know Dark is slowly moving to MegaTron Labs, but we
can't divert any troops with these losers breathing down our backs!**

Resisting the frustration to punch his fist into the car door, Steele started to
run through what little options he had when a voice broke into his planning.

"Erm..sir ?I hate to sound ungrateful..but could you get off me? Your
crushing my spleen."

Steele blinked, then looked down at the young Enforcer whom he had
protected. Her helmet had come loose as for the first time David could see the
flame red shoulder length hair she possessed. Sparkling green eyes peered up from
a very beautiful face as those same eyes contrasted with her soft tan fur. Almost
immediately he moved his weight off, and the she-Kat breathed a sigh of relief. It
was then he noticed her rank, or rather lack of it. Feeling a sinking feeling in his
gut, he looked intently at the young woman before him.

"What are you /doing/ here Cadet...?" he paused, her name tag having been
lost in the attack.

"Kaylar sir. Kassie Kaylar sir, and Goddess only knows why I'm here."

Casting a wary look at MegaKat Biochem, David rested against his car and
took a moment to focus his thoughts on this new information. He glanced over at
Kassie. "Explain yourself Cadet." he said very softly but with a tone of urgency.

Kassie 'K.K.' Kaylar blinked at the tone of voice, but her Enforcer training
didn't allow her to be too outwardly scared.

"We were taking a tour of Enforcer Headquarters sir when they sounded
Code Magenta. All I know is a sergeant ran from the armory, handed us three
energy rifles and told us to move towards the transports outside." She paused,
nodding towards the armored personal carrier on a nearby side street. David
nodded, letting her continue. "I had just got off sir when someone else handed me
the megaphone. That when you saw me sir and ..well, you know the rest. "

Steele sighed, wondering who gave a third year cadet an energy rifle. It
was then he caught on to her use of 'us' in her explanation. That feeling in his gut
got worse.

"Who is 'us' cadet?"

"My friends Sir. Cadet Jace Milkner and Cadet Tobias Jakeson. They were
with me when the alarm sounded. It was only supposed to be a three hour tour so
we didn't bring our own gear since we didn't think we would need it.. "

"You mean I've got three third-year cadets in the middle of what could be
the biggest fire fight MegaKat City has ever seen? " he asked the Goddess above,
but she chose to forgo answering.

Kassie frowned and looked at Steele.

"With all due respect sir, I /am/ an Enforcer and since I'm here, let me
help." she said with a certain firmness.

Blinking at her forwardness, David nodded slightly.

"I didn't mean to imply otherwise Cadet, but we are at a major tactical
disadvantage here and I would rather not loose any more Enforcers to this
madman if I can help it."

Kassie nodded only slightly, but the look in her eyes spoke volumes.

"I know that sir, and I understand. But I'm here and ready to help.
Besides.." her voice softened and a small smile tugged at the corner of her
mouth.."that bastard ruined my day off and my uniform. I want his tail in a ringer!"

A few of the close by Enforcers heard that and laughed, as did Steele.

**There's fire in this one, no doubt.** he mused. Nodding to himself, he
glanced back at Kassie. "Very well cadet. Here.." he said, offering his backup
weapon to her. "You ever use a level 5 blaster ?"

Kassie blinked and shook her head..

"Erm..no sir. Level 2 is the highest I've been trained on."

"Suffice it to say this has more kick than a level 2."

The younger Enforcer nodded and slipped the weapon into her uniform's
belt. For a moment Steele could see a look of..disgust..on her face as she studied
the weapon before storing it. He made a mental note to ask her about that later. A
dark thought crossed unbidden through his mind.

**If we have a later...** he mused, casting a glance at the creatures pacing
the perimeter of Megakat Biochemical.

With a minimum of movement, Kassie reached into her tunic and pulled out
a pair of metal objects, too small to be seen by anyone but their owner. Quietly,
she slipped them into a concealed wrist launcher and then joined the stakeout of
MegaKat Biochem, looking for an opening in which to topple the unnatural
creation that lay in wait inside.

------------------------------------

"The is the /last/ time I let you talk me into going to Enforcer HQ on my
day off, Tobias!" Jace Milkner ducked as another blast of electricity barley missed
turning him into crispy fried Kat.

Holding his reply until his blaster fire lanced out, Tobias' blast struck the
armored villain known as Mac Mange squarely in the chest and did..as usual of
late..zero damage. A series of energy bolts forced the silver and black striped tom-
Kat behind the protective barrier the charred ruins of their APC provided. Looking
at his gray and white-striped friend he nodded barely.

"Had I known this was to occur, Jace, I would have suggested another way
to spend our off-duty time!" he yelled over to his friend, eliciting a look of regret
from the first Kat.

**Oh crud. He's in one of his moods again. Bad enough he's blaming
himself for us getting separated from K.K., now he's going to take the blame for
the entire situation.**

Again Jace raised up and aimed at Mac, and once again the blaster fire
bounced off the armored body and into a wall, causing a nice sized hole but little
else.

"Geeze..give it up you two! I'm getting bored!" Mange taunted from his
own cover. Although his robotic form could handle much more firepower than
these two could muster there was no reason to subject his body to it when the
automated defensives of Pumadyne would tax both him and his wife Mollie to their
limit. Still, he gave these wet-nosed kids credit for trying.

**They got stones where it counts, that's fer sure.**

Casting a glance at the sonic shield that surrounded Pumadyne, Mac
nodded in satisfaction as it held against the strongest weapons the Enforcers had
available. It was only by sheer luck that these too hotshots were able to slip under
the force field before it formed less than 4 minutes ago as Molly had succeeded in
activating it before the security system kicked in and locked them out. Glancing at
his partner he shouted over the din of the fire fight.

"Come on Mollie ..this is worse than dinner at yer Mom's! Will you hurry
it up? These Enforcers wanna-be's are starting ta bug me!"

A derisive snort was given in reply.

"You never did like my mom, Mac!. Besides, /you/ try getting around this
insulated control panel while getting shot at!" Molly sneered as the tech heads at
Pumadyne had apparently gotten smarter and added a top of the line lockout
program as well as insulated shielding that prevented Hard Drive from getting into
the computer systems.

"Will you two shut the hell up and crash the damn program!" came a third
voice from behind the Metallikat Express.

Mac looked over at Hard Drive and sneered as best his face plate would let
him.

"I told ya once that no one talks to Mol like that but me, ya computer nerd!
And what's the matter Hard Drive? To chicken to fight back?!"

"I'm NOT blaster proof, you idiot! If you think I'm getting my tail shot off,
your warranty's expired! I can't do anything until you get that blasted insulating
shield down!"

Another twin volley of fire caused Mollie duck deeper behind cover as the
Enforcers' aim was improving. Mac turned to the two young Enforcers and
snarled.

"Okay kids..party time is over!" and with that he leapt up and, setting his
blaster to maximum, leveled a energy beam at the charred APC they hid behind.
The remaining fuel in the tanks ignited and exploded, sending the fleeing tom-Kats
cart wheeling head over heels.

Jace tumbled into a brick wall and went limp on impact, the blow stunning
him to the core as his borrowed weapon fell from numb fingers. Tobias slammed
against the side of the shattered guard house and went to his knees dazed. For both
Kats, the world spun out of control as the smell of charred rubber and burning
gasoline filled the air.

Dimly, Tobias was aware of heavy footsteps approaching him, crunching
rubble with every step. Fighting the urge to black out, Tobias felt the soft topsoil
of the flower circle that used to surrounded the guard house mold into his hand.

**But how did you defeat such metal giants Sir T-Bone?!** asked the
page in awe, his eyes wide with a mix of enchantment and a small bit of fear.

**Actually, it was Sir Razor, Tobias. He dumped a bucket of sand on Mac
and it gummed him up good! Went up like fireworks on the fourth of July!"** T-
Bone laughed, music to the child's ears. Although he didn't understand the meaning
of the reference, Tobias understood that it must have been a sight indeed. He
giggled softly.

**It sounds as if your MegaKat city is full of wonders Sir T-Bone! To have
such excitement must make it a fun place to live.** Tobias paused, sensing a
sudden change in the larger Kat's mood. Almost immediately, the youngster
realized his mistake. Looking at the ground, he couldn't meet the larger Kat's look.
**I am sorry Sir T-Bone. I did not mean to ...*

A gentle caress of the kitten's cheek began to chase away the guilt that
started to eat away at the young Kat. Tenderly, T-Bone's paw lifted the boy's chin
until their gazes met.

**It's okay Tobias. Me and Sir Razor will make it home. Besides, I like
talking about MegaKat City with you. It's not like you're ever going to see it, so
this way you can at least hear what it's like** Quietly T-Bone smiled at the kitten,
glad to see a soft smile on the youngster's face. Still, he shivered internally at the
sight of the black right eye the boy carried. A welt of anger began to form in his
stomach and with a fierce shove he crammed the feeling into his gut and locked it
away. /That/ situation was resolved; no need to relieve it now.

Tobias looked at the orange and black-striped Knight and hugged him,
feeling a need to have the Knight hold him for just a moment. He smiled happily as
T-Bone's arms surrounded him as the two stayed that way for a long time.

"Good try kids, but not good enough." Mac said as his blaster ended up
inches from Tobias's face. Incredulously, a smile began to form at the corners of
his mouth. The fact was not lost on the villain. "What's so funny punk?"

His vision finally solidifying, Tobias cocked his head up further at his
opponent.

"You!" he shouted and with a firm toss a double handful of dirt and soil
flew into Mac's face, the fine dirt grains getting into his eyepieces and the
topsoil/mulch stuck to the outer coverings, causing his tracking systems to
momentary glitch.

"Arrrruugh..you miserable little...!" shouted Mac, his hands trying to claw
the debris away from his eyes, the power surges in his optics looking quite painful.

Using his remaining strength, Tobias flung himself against the distracted
android and the pair fell into the muck that had been created by the battle. The
breath knocked out of him, Tobias was slower to recover than Mac, who had been
lucky enough to land on his back and was able to finally clear his vision. With a
death-like grip, he hoisted Tobias by his neck. The cadet's air rapidity began to run
out as a sick choking sound emerged from his lips.

"Yer gonna pay for that you sorry excuse for an Enforcer..." Mac growled
as he squeezed harder..and harder..and harder

------------------------------------

"No."

"But Sir T-Bone, it is the only way to assure.."

"I said 'NO'!" came the firm reply.

Arkatta looked at T-Bone, her elderly face a mix of anger and confusion.
Surely he understood why she had to wipe his memory now?

"Sir T-Bone, you must! I told you what you had to hear, and with the
proper spell I can wipe your memory until the time you need to recall this
conversat..."

Chance turned and glared at the older she-Kat, trying to keep his anger in
check.

"I said no. I am not going to be turned into some mental zombie just to
protect your secrets. I will keep what you have told me to myself, but I won't let
you or anyone use any of that magic mumbo-jumbo on my head!"

Arkatta cast a wary eye at T-Bone.

"You can assure me that you will never../never/ speak of this to Sir Razor,
no matter how dire the situation?" she asked dubiously.

"Can you assure me that this wacky spell of yours will turn off when it's
supposed to so I can remember all this, and do what I'm supposed ta do??" Chance
countered. Even with his limited experience with magic, he'd seen enough of the
Pastmaster's spells go crazy for no apparent reason to realize that when it came to
magic, there ain't no science to it. Least none he could see anyway.

The elder sorceresses stood there, honestly amazed at the validity of his
counter-argument. With a reluctant nod, she looked at the warrior before her.

"I concede your point Sir T-Bone. I only meant to offer a way to ease the
burden you now carry. As you know, I never wanted to tell you but your
friendship with Sir Razor was a threat against the future progressing as it should."

Chance sighed and sat down wearily.

"I understand Arkatta, but now that I know what's got to happen I can't
trust in anyone..or anything..but myself to make sure that everything goes like it's
supposed to. You can understand that, right?"

"I may not agree with your decision, but I do understand it. However, I do
again caution against the strain you are putting on yourself. The struggle will be
enormous Sir T-Bone. If you should change your mind..."

"I won't ma'am .But if it means a damn thing, I see what you're trying to
do, but it's just not going to work. Everything is on the line now. Not just me and
Razor getting back to Megakat city, but /everything/. Razor's future, Callista's
happiness. Their..daughter; Callie's future. It's all resting on my shoulders now. I
can't..and I won't..let anything go wrong. I can only trust myself from now on to
make sure this doesn't blow up in our faces.'

Despite the slight feeling of unease at the totality of the knight's devotion
to his friends, Arkatta decided..for now..to accept Sir T-Bone's choice. She, of
course, possessed the power to /make/ him forget, but to do so would violate the
few remaining ethical codes she had not broken already. With a slight smile she
decided to close the matter to further pondering and looked at the door.

"Perhaps it's time to put aside such weighty matters and let you enjoy the
feast. Besides, your friend and the Queen might perhaps be wondering if you are
okay at this point."

Chance blinked, and realized after glancing at the shadows on the wall how
long they had been talking.

"That's not a bad idea Arkatta. But, you won't join us?"

"No, as I said Sir T-Bone I need to depart for my home as there is much to
do. Please, enjoy the feast and the company of your fellows. Even the Gods
themselves know you have earned a short respite at least. Clear skies, Sir T-Bone.
We shall meet again" and with that, Arkatta's cloak folded in upon itself and with
only the slightest hint of air displacement she was gone, leaving the small parcel
she had brought with her to MegaKat City.

Walking over Chance picked it up, wincing slightly as his ribs still protested
with great vigor. Surprised at the weight for such a small bag, Chance carefully
looked inside only to see three stones, each half the size of his fist. One was red,
the other blue and the last yellow. Shrugging slightly to himself, the Swat Kat
resealed the bag and wrapped the string around his fingers, making a mental note
to give it to Callista later on.

Chance stared at the empty spot for a long moment, letting his memory file
all new knowledge in a safe haven as he focused on finding a calm point amidst his
inner turmoil. Closing his eyes, the mechanic and warrior took a deep breath and
very slowly released it; his nerves beginning to settle as his heartbeat slowed to
normal. As the moments passed, T-Bone reflected on all that had occurred of late.
The loss to Dark Kat. Being pulled back to the past. Revelations of the future no
Kat should know. Callie being Razor and Callista's daughter. So many of his hard-
held truths were shattered like glass upon the floor. And beside those shattered
truths were his broken dreams of a home and family with Calico Briggs. Even if he
and Razor returned to the future, what might have been with Callie could no
longer happen; what he knew now made that all to clear. She was..would be.. his
best friends' daughter. A relationship beyond being friends was something he could
never feel comfortable with. The best option now was be the guardian of their
futures and make sure that..at the very least..his loved ones could have the
happiness that was now denied him. But for that happiness to be assured, no price
would be too high.

A deep rumbling from his gut pulled Chance from the tides of memory
back to the present, and the feast that lie in wait for him. Putting on his best face,
the tom-Kat departed the room and strode towards the great dining hall as a
mirthful tune filled the passageways of Megalith Castle with an upbeat spirit.

Big. That was the only word to describe the beautiful room Chance found
himself in. At least 75ft tall and who-knows-how-long the hall boasted colorful
streamers and flags from every class in the city. Jugglers displayed their talents as
jesters mimed and joked with the assorted knights and ladies as they each
performed a routine specially prepared for this event. The tom had to catch himself
at one point; a jester's costume looking remarkably like MadKat's almost sent him
for his nonexistent Glovatrix. With a nod, the knight smiled at the jester and the
latter continued on through the throng of people.

Unlike other cites in the Dark Ages, Megalith City prided itself on the fact
that internal strife between the classes was almost nonexistent. Oh, there were a
few nobles that tried on occasion to over-tax the peasants, but a few choice words
from Callista provoked a rapid change in policy. The Knights of the Round
protected all, be they simple folk or nobles and were paid well. The lower class of
the city was taxed the least (as what Callista called a 'fair and just' ruling) and were
better off than some of their counterparts in other cities. There was free market in
the courtyards of the castle, with their being a tax on weapons, but necessities such
as food and clothing were not taxed unless they were of a more extravagant
nature. A peasant could even move up in class if they so chose. There were several
stories of simple folk finding buried treasures long forgotten and suddenly
becoming nobles overnight. In reverse, several knights had retired either through
age or injury and were treated with respect in their final years as they farmed or
became servants in the better houses.

All in all, Megalith was a just city with a fair and beloved ruler.
Unfortunately, where the brightest lights shine, the deepest shadows can
sometimes be found. As Chance Furlong would soon discover.

------------------------------------

Dodging abandoned cars and other debris, Felina swerved through the
mostly deserted streets of MegaKat City trying to get to Enforcer Headquarters.
With practiced ease, she took curves at over 60 mph as not even the most stubborn
obstruction was going to stop her. Sami just held on for dear life.

"F..Felina..I..I know were in a hurry, but next time please don't jump an
open drawbridge!" the young officer half begged/demanded as the squad car
screeched in protest at another tight turn.

"Sorry Sami, but every second counts! We've been delayed too long as it is.
We've /got/ to get in the air to stop Dark Kat, cause if we don't...DAMN! Hold on
Sami!"

Sami jerked her head from Felina to the windshield and froze in horror as a
telephone pole collapsed to the ground not 250 ft in front of them, the power wires
sparkling on the ground like discarded fireworks, but thousands of times more
deadly. Jerking the emergency brake up and praying to the Goddess, Felina held
the wheel with all her strength as the car turned sideways and skidded as such until
it finally came to rest not 15 ft before the roadblock. However, the wires were still
thrashing around, and the distance between them and the car was dimishing
rapidly.

"Felina..!"

"I see it Sami! Hold on!" and with that Felina jerked the break down and
gunned the engine. Nothing happened. Felina tried again, but the engine had been
too abused in the past several minutes and promptly took a well deserved rest.
Good for it, bad for the two she-Kats.

"Run for it Sami!" and Felina threw open her door and bailed out with
Sami in tow.

Scant seconds later a power line connected with the frame of the car,
causing the vehicle to spark and as the electricity mixed with the gas in the tank the
final result was..explosive..to say the least. The car ignited into a fireball of epic
proportions as the two she-Kats took refuge behind a dumpster as debris rained
down on the street, joining the rest of the battered and broken landscape. Although
losing a great deal of charge, the lines still danced as if alive , blocking most of the
road and created a barricade that would be near suicidal to cross. Grungy from
their dive for safety, the two she-Kats looked up at the remains of their car and
sighed, slumping against the dumpster.

"Just freaking wonderful." murmured Felina. "Even if we could hot wire
one of these cars" Felina glanced around at the abandoned cars "we can't get to
Enforcer HQ without going a good ten blocks down! But maybe..." Felina looked
at Sami, blinking as hard as a possible upside to this dilemma exploded in her head.
She couldn't get to the hanger with Sami beside her; this was /her/ call and if all
went sour, Sami wasn't going to be dragged down as well. **If she could just get
separated from her...** "Sami..we'll need to split up. One of us has got to get to
HQ. Maybe between the two of us, we'll be able to get in the game!" and with that
Felina stood, not wanting to lie to her best friend, but knew that there was no
other way. Time was short and the clock wasn't going any slower.

Sami studied Felina and although nodding automatically, she knew beyond
a shadow of doubt what her friend was attempting. The most direct way to
Enforcer HQ was blocked, but it might be possible to get to the salvage yard in a
matter of minutes. The younger Enforcer studied Felina and could feel that this
was tearing her former roommate apart.

**She's trying to take all the risks herself, and leave me out of the loop..I
just /know/ it!** Sami sighed and looked at Felina, realizing that there only one
option that could work at this point. If it didn't, she would wind up either denying
the truth and possibly lose Felina in battle, or admit the truth and lose Felina's trust
and friendship forever. **No real choice, is there Sami?**

"You don't have to try to shield me from the truth Felina. I know what
you're trying to do."

Felina blinked as Sami's statement sent chills down her spine.

"I..I'm trying to get us to.." but Felina saw the look in her friend's eyes and
fell silent, realizing on some level that her ruse had just been blown to shreds.

"I know what your trying Felina; get me to safety and yourself to the
salvage yard so you can use the Swat Kats technology against Dark Kat, even if it
costs your life to stop him."

There has been very few times that Felina Feral was too stunned to say
anything. Needless to say, this event was quickly added to that relatively short list.

"Sami..how..did you..?" she managed to get out after a few moments of
shock.

Denying her knowledge would only worsen the situation.

"I didn't mean to listen..at first. But..after I heard you tell Calico you lied to
your uncle...." her voice trailed off, twinged with guilt.

"You..listened..to me talking to Callie?" countered Felina. Surprise at being
found out quickly gave way to shock that Sami would do something like /that/.

"I only went by the room to check on you Felina. You seemed so upset at
Callie's condition.."

"Anyone would at a time like that!" countered Felina.

"I..I know. But you seemed like you had a personal interest, almost as if
you were blaming yourself for the attack. But..it was more than that, wasn't it?"
Sami didn't wait for a response; both knew the answer. " Until I heard you talking,
I couldn't piece why you were so concerned. The attack never happened. It was
you and Callie that fought and discovered who the Swat Kats really were. And the
fact that I remember you mentioning with some contempt about the two hotshots
that were thrown off the force, yet you were there at their place when the attack
happened. The pieces didn't make sense Felina, and I was scared that
you..might..be in some sort of trouble that I just didn't see. I couldn't turn away
Felina; no one could when their best friend in all the world was hurting like you
were."

Felina felt the rage at being spied upon lessen as she realized that, if the
roles were reversed, would she have been able to turn away so easily upon hearing
such a confession? If Sami was thought to be in trouble, wouldn't it be worth
denying a few ethics to help her resolve the situation?

"You have every right to be angry with me Felina. I interfered where I
wasn't asked to help, and I learned things I had no right to be a part of. But..I
couldn't stand by then and watch you get torn apart and I won't stand by now as
you try to take on Dark Kat yourself just to protect me. Afterwards, if you tell me
to stay out of your life, I will Felina. But at least you'll have a life to lead.
Please..don't shut me out on this. Let me help one more time. I..I love you..like a
sister..and I don't want to loose you. But I will not be treated like a child, Felina. I
knew the risks when I signed up to be an Enforcer, and I'll be damned if anyone
other than myself will say what is or is not safe for me to do. Enforcer or
vigilantes, it makes no difference; Megakat City is our home, she's under attack,
and it's up to us to kick Dark Kat's ass all the way back to the pit he crawled
from..together."

Felina Feral just stood there, transfixed by the display of passion in her
friends' demeanor. Rarely had Sami been so vocal in her convictions. Sure..there
were times in the past they had been on opposing sides, and Felina had learned
early on not to judge Sami by just outward appearances. But this..fire..was
something new to Felina, and she honestly didn't know how to deal with it..

**Doesn't really make a difference, does it Felina? She's your friend, and
she knows about Jake and Chance. Besides, which is worse; her to live and hate
me until her final days, or have her beside me facing what could be our final
fight?**

Silence passed through the street as the two she-Kats looked at each other,
both praying that the other would understand how important this was. Then, after
a few more eternal moments, Felina held out her paw, smiling.

"Let kick some tail."

With lighting speed Felina and Sami searched the surrounding cars, finally
finding an old truck that was in good enough shape to use for transportation.
Jumping in, Felina quickly hot-wired the system and the two were off in a mad
rush to reach the salvage yard in time.

"Oh Goddess.." murmured Sami.

"What's wrong?"

"I just thought..if the Turbokat's at the bottom of Megakat Bay, then
how...?"

"Don't worry about that Sami. If my hunch checks out, we'll beat Dark Kat
yet."

Sami just nodded, not liking the intensity of hatred that still crept into
Felina's voice from moment to moment. But there was nothing she could do; they
both were committed to this plan, no matter the cost. With all the speed the old
truck could muster the two she-Kats sped towards the salvage yard, and their
destiny.

------------------------------------

"Hold it Shaun..look over there!" shouted Kirk.

Shaun O'Kattery glanced towards the direction indicated by his new junior
partner Kirk Connery. Blinking hard, he slammed on the brakes as the Enforcer
cruiser came to a halt.

"Shaun..please tell me that's not.." began the young black tom-Kat, his
breathing becoming ragged as he saw the charred remains of what looked like..

"Aye son, 'tis an Enforcer patrol car. Let's go see if any o' the lads need
help.." the elder tom slowly got out, drawing his weapon as Kirk mirrored his
partner's motions perfectly. Although he would never admit it, the gray tom-Kat
watched his younger partner with pride. Although only having known him for three
hours at best, the younger Enforcer moved with a fluidity that Shaun found
promising. Although dubious at first at being reactivated by Code Magenta, the
elder Enforcer was glad to be back in action so long after his retirement.

**'Tis a dark day when they reactivate such Kats as I.** thought Shaun
when he was called originally to Enforcer HQ upon receiving the summons. Sure
he had many years left, but he was beyond fooling himself into thinking he had the
reflexes of his youth. Still, Code Magenta was not just about pulling old Kats out
of retirement, but to tap into the experiences they all possessed in a time of crisis.
The chaos at Pumadyne and MegaKat Biochem were textbook examples of why
Magenta had been created; with all active Enforcers occupied, the city was left
vulnerable to other criminals. Pairing retired Enforcers with the newest from the
academy blended experience and reflex into one working unit to protect Megakat
City until the crisis had passed.

"Shaun..? You with me pops?" Kirk teased his gray-furred elder.

"Aye lad, I am. And you'd be not calling me 'pops' again unless you want
this old gent ta take you down crying for yer mommy.." teased Shaun back. "Come
on son..let's see what's what here."

Taking a few cautious steps forward, the pair sidestepped the debris until
they could go no closer to the wreckage due to the power lines. Stopping, Kirk
bent over and sifted through a pile of debris as Shaun covered him.

"What did you find, lad?" he asked when Kirk pulled out a field kit.

"Oh man..this is..." sputtered the young Kat.

"Goddess" murmured Shaun as he peered at the scorched bag. Not much
was left as the explosion had claimed most of the contents of the car. However, the
nameplate stitched into the fabric was scorched but still readable. "Come on
lad..keep it together okay? Now..can ye read the nameplate? Me eyes can't from
here.." Shaun said as calm as possible to reassure the young Enforcer.

"It's hard..to make out..but it looks.like..someone named..Finnis?
No...wait." Using a bit of spit, the Enforcer cleaned up the nameplate a little and
tried again. "No..it's F....F.r..a...l" .He said, looking up at Shaun, whose eyes had
just widened in shock.

"Saints of Life preserve us" murmured the elder tom. Leaning over he
snatched the bag from his partner and peered at the nameplate himself. Paling,
Shaun walked over to their cruiser and snatched up the radio. "This is Enforcer
Cruiser 54 calling in. Dispatch, for t'love above, can ye hear me?" pleaded Shaun.

"Irish??" came the shocked reply. Mabel Jones was another Enforcer
retiree called back into service, though the last voice she ever expected to hear was
that of Shaun 'Irish' O'Kattery coming from her microphone. With most of the new
dispatchers serving in field communications units, Mabel and other former
dispatchers were handling calls at Enforcer Headquarters.

"Mabel..for the love of ..'tis you!" came the shocked reply.

"You better believe it Irish. If you think I'm going to sit home while you
and the others get back into action yer kilt's on too tight!"

"Ah..same old Mabel. Listen love, please connect me to Commander Feral.
'Tis of the utmost importance!"

"Can't do that Irish. Turns out that Steel's now Enforcer Commander. And
from what I've been hearing, Commander Feral is at MegaTron Labs and isn't
supposed to be reached by anyone other than him. "

"Steele!?" exclaimed Shaun. Shaking his head, he put that info on back
burner to deal with later as he clutched the mike again. "Mabel, ye got to connect
me to Feral. Me and Kirk found a charred Enforcer cruiser and we think it was Lt.
Felina's!"

Silence filled the channel for a moment as Mabel sat there in shock.
Although still dazed by the news and it's possible meaning, she began to switch
frequencies to connect the former Commander's radio to Shaun's frequency.

"You don't think.?" began Mabel.

"I wish I knew. But I gotta tell the Commander. He's got t'know."

"Anything I can do, Irish?"

"Just connect me Mabel, and say a prayer for the lass."

Nodding, Mabel did just that, finishing up the link and with a deep breath
she closed her eyes and began to pray.

------------------------------------

"Comma....Mayor Feral!" came a voice over the din of the weapons bay as
the sound of defenses being readied echoed throughout the compound. Jerking his
neck around, Ulysses found the source of the call and glared at the approaching
technician.

"I gave strict instructions that I wasn't to be disturbed..!"

Pulling up short, the young tom-Kat nervously nodded.."I..I k..know sir,
but there's an emergency call for you. It's on an Enforcer frequency, but we had to
reroute it through our systems since the signal couldn't penetrate the bunker. It's
from a Sergeant O'Kattery."

Blinking, Feral climbed out of the Exo-Suit in mid-prep, much to the
disconcern of the techs assembling the armored form. Striding over to a wall-
mounted comm unit, Feral slammed his fist onto the small white button engaging
the link as the small white 'circuit open' light popped on.

"Feral here." he growled.

"Commander Feral" came the reply.."Sorry ta be bothering you sir, but we
found something you need t'be aware of."

"Go ahead O'Kattery" replied Feral, smiling slightly. As a cadet, Ulysses
Feral had been paired with then Ensign O'Kattery as a tagalong for his first few
weeks of field training. Admittedly, Feral's total no-nonsense approach to being an
Enforcer was a stark contrast to Shaun's more relaxed approach. Both were highly
dedicated, but arriving at the same goal from totally different perspectives. Over
time, the two had learned to accept the others' viewpoint and became a solid team
that to this day held the highest arrest percentages of any cadet/sponsor grouping.
Although Shaun had retired not long after Ulysses had become a Lieutenant, they
saw each other at a few Enforcer events and the rare meeting at the shooting range
out in Megakat Springs.

"I hate t'be the bearer of t'news sir, but we found Lt. Feral's car out here
close to Highway 29, close to the corner of Noble and Barns She's pretty charred
up sir. Not much left ta look at."

Feral froze as Shaun's words began to sink in. Reigning in his motions,
Ulysses waited for more information before he would start to worry.

"What happened? Is there any sign of Felina?" he asked, trying to keep the
worry from slipping into his voice.

"Nae sir. No sign of the lass. Looks like some power lines came inta
contact with the car and ignited the gas tank. We found her emergency kit, but
there's no sign of the Lieutenant herself." Shaun paused, letting the commander
have a few precious moments to steady himself. He had known Feral too long,
seen too much with him to doubt his ability to keep focused on the emergency that
MegaKat City found itself engulfed within. Still, to give the man a few seconds of
quiet could do no harm.

"Sergeant, I want you to do a G2 alpha pattern to find Felina. Duration of
15 minutes maximum."

Static filled the air as Shaun looked at Kirk with a shocked look.

"Begging your pardon Sir, but could ye repeat that last order? I dinna think
I heard it correctly."

Feral knew all too well that Shaun had heard him, but admitted the order
was a major surprise to the elder Enforcer.

*I know how you feel Shaun, but with those scum out there, we can't
afford to look for one Enforcer too long, no matter who that Enforcer might be.*

Pausing only momentarily, Feral sighed softly and repeated.."You heard
me, Sergeant. I want a 15 minute duration search. G2 alpha pattern."

You could almost hear the protest in Shaun's voice, but both Kats knew
that Feral was right. If they spent too much time looking for Felina, there's no
telling what damage could be done by the criminal element running amuck in the
city now.

"Aye sir, order understood. O'Kattery ou....."

"Shaun..?" Feral interrupted softly, as if to keep anyone other than his old
partner from hearing.

"Sir?" came the slightly confused reply.

"When you find her, tell her I love her and I always will."

Shaun shivered, as if someone just walked over his grave. He didn't like the
tone of that request, not at all. But, even if he was a retired Enforcer, as of right
now he was on active duty, and Feral was still his commander.

"Understood sir."

Without another word, Feral closed the link and closed his eyes for but a
moment, pushing all the mixed feelings down into his gut. There would be time for
mourning later, if it was necessary. For now, there were tens of thousands of Kats
depending on him and what he did in the hour ahead. Walking back towards the
center of the weapons bay deep under MegaTron Labs, Feral's bare feet fairly
much ignored the cold, smooth tile underneath. As he walked back towards the
frustrated technicians, he paused, looking again with a bit of wonderment at the
weapon before him.

Standing nearly 8ft tall, the EXO-Kat, or Exoskeletal Kombat Assisted
Transport was the most powerful weapon in the Enforcer arsenal. It was also the
most dangerous, and with good reason. Originally designed as a mining tool, the
EXO-Kat was modified to be an anti-personal armor to be worn by Enforcers in
emergency situations. However, it was proven that the reaction time of an
Enforcer had to be greater than that of a miner, so the suit was unable to respond
fast enough to be of any practical purpose other than perhaps crowd control.

It wasn't until nearly a year later that a two scientists, one at Pumadyne and
one at MegaTron, discovered they both were working on organic/mechanical
interface theory. Instead of falling into the traditional industrial war to reach
market first with their idea, the two scientists worked together. MegaTron Labs
had a working prototype of the interface assembly, but not the resources to fund a
high grade weapons platform to update the suit. Pumadyne conversely had the
money and expertise for the upgrade, but their own interface systems were months
away from being test ready. Pooling their resources, the two industrial giants
created the gleaming titanium frame Ulysses Feral found himself standing before.

"Mayor..?" Jerking out of his reprieve, Feral looked over at the technician.

"Yes. .yes, I know.." he grumbled and climbed back into the suit as the two
Kats began to reassemble the modular frame. The EXO-Kat had no real 'face' other
than a clear thermoplastic shield that allowed the operator to see outside with a
high degree of safety. There was a marginal neck that provided a degree of
peripheral vision, but it was the on board sensor suite and HUD that provided the
most detailed information to the Kat inside. The arms were armor plated, each
ending in a mechanical paw that included a repulsor blaster in each palm as well as
machine guns in the forearms and magnesium flare launchers birthed within
shoulder-mounted housings. The torso was the same flat steel gray color with the
only exception being the Enforcer insignia emblazoned in the center. Behind the
insignia was a force shield emitter that allowed a 5 second burst of an
electromagnetic bubble that repelled most artillery or energy based weapons.
Unfortunately, the shield used a great deal of power and repeated use would drain
the solar cells faster than they could recharge as the built-in capacitors weren't
strong enough to power it and the life support systems simultaneously The upper
part of the legs located above the knee were open, allowing the operator to
activate the leg-based functions, such as the built-in jet boosters and the Durajump
compressed air landing system. The feet had Magneto-Lock control systems,
providing stability on most ferrous surfaces.

But, despite the power the EXO-Kat possessed, its designation of Project
Doomsday was by no means a misnomer. The interlink ( now called the
Marsh/Marsalla BioLink in honor of its creators) represented a double-edged
sword; by patching into the nervous system of the Kat inside, the reaction time of
the suit was increased by an incredible amount. This gave the Enforcer reaction
times necessary to use the armor effectively in battle, but the cost of the increased
reaction time could well be the life of the pilot. Working both ways, the link
converted damage received on the suit into pain impulses to the nervous system of
the Enforcer inside. Too much damage and the Kat's nervous system could very
well collapse, leaving the pilot a living mind trapped within a useless shell. Truly, it
would have to be Doomsday for such a risky venture to be seen as a solution.

Ulysses Feral wished he could speed up the assembly process, but each
piece had to be properly assembled or the systems would not work in unison, if at
all. But, despite the danger being assembled around him, more pressing..and
personal..thoughts began to invade his mind.
**Where are you Felina? What happened to put you so far out of the way
back to Enforcer Headquarters? A call for help? Roadblock? Some punk with a
blaster? Are you alive? Dead?** Resisting the urge to slam his fist into a nearby
control panel Feral sought to control the worry he felt building in his gut. **That
won't do any good. Felina's tough and resourceful. And that's just by herself.
Higgins promised she'd look out for Felina, and I know she's as good as her word.
Wherever they are, they're together.**

"Commander Feral!" echoed a new voice in the weapons bay. The voice
sounded as if it belonged to an older Kat, but the authority the voice carried was
beyond reproach.

Turning around, Ulysses blinked as Professor Hackle walked across the
room, slow in speed but urgent in meaning.

**Oh, Krud..** the former Enforcer thought, knowing full well what was
coming.

"Again Commander, I must protest the use of the EXO-Kat! It is much to
dangerous for you or /anyone/ to use." For emphasis, the former Pumadyne
inventor poked the insignia with the tip of his cane. "Pumadyne may have used my
original schematics to reinvent the systems, but they are fools to think that the suit
is perfect! The risk is.."

"Totally acceptable Professor." interrupted Feral. "Our best guess is that
Dark Kat's ship will be here in less than 30 minutes. My...The Enforcers are
occupied with a pitched battle with some of the worse scum this city has ever had
the misfortune to know. The only viable option is to use the EXO-Kat to stop
Dark Kat once and for all."

Hackle looked up and saw that look of determination he knew so well from
his prior experiences with the Enforcer Commander. Sighing, he looked down at
the two technicians and gasped in shocked realization.

"You ..you..go..just go!"

Blinking, the two that had been assembling the suit looked up as if the elder
Kat had just started speaking in some foreign language. But the business end of his
cane conveyed the message a lot more effectively as the inventor slowly knelt
down and started to pull wires out at a feverish pace, an action not lost on Feral.

"Kats alive, what are you doing??"

"If you persist in this foolhardy endeavor, Commander, then perhaps you
would be more inclined to /not/ blow up upon activating the suits' systems? Those
fools..they have no grasp of the obvious..!" and with that the professor began to
drift off into his own little world of advanced algorithms and fragmented particle
decay as he worked to undo the damage that had almost been done.

Feral watched with a bit of surprise on his face as at the lightning pace at
which Hackle had totally rewired the main input/relay console that had taken the
former technicians nearly three times as long to setup. Looking over at the two
techs that Hackle had shoved aside, Feral glared at them.

"You and you..help the professor get this thing ready." Seeing them ready
to protest the large Kat narrowed his eyes and simply said..'Now." .

The look in Feral's eyes was more than enough to motivate them as the two
technicians knelt down and began to finish assembling the EXO-Kat under
Hackle's direction. Glancing at the clock, Ulysses saw that they had less than 25
minutes to assemble the suit and get airborne. It would be close. Very close.

------------------------------------

"So close my Creeplings..so close to the total destruction of the Enforcers,
my so-called 'allies' and the total subjugation of MegaKat City!"

Chattering in agreement with their dark lord, the Creeplings worked
feverishly to keep the great airship stable. Constantly rerouting power from
secondary systems was difficult at best, but a necessary task as Dark Kat loomed
over their shoulders watching every move.

Dark Kat knew this was a risky gambit, but he had to play the cards fate
had dealt him. His sources had reported that Feral had been named mayor and that
the coward known as Steele had been put in charge of the Enforcers. Despite the
fact that his airship was by no means battle ready, the opportunity was too great to
pass up. With a green commander, the Enforcers would be disorganized and easy
picking for his 'allies' to defeat. Besides, with the Swat Kats gone, there were no
wild cards left in the deck for Feral to play. Dark Kat actually smiled slightly as he
congratulated himself on fooling his 'allies' into thinking he was after the antimatter
just to power a mere bomb.

**Their stupidity has served me well. And when I have drained MegaKat
City of all it's resources, my one true plan can finally begin!* *

Turning to address his servants, the Dark Lord bellowed..."Soon, the
antimatter generator will be mine, and with it and the force shield emitter I will
enclose MegaKat City in a bubble and then, my Creeplings, I, Dark Kat, will reign
unchallenged! I will rebuild MegaKat City into a fortress of evil and soon, the
world shall be my mine to do with as I please! All available speed to MegaTron
Labs! Victory awaits my grasp!"

Accelerating slightly, the great airship turned to port as Dark Kat's laughter
filled the sky.

------------------------------------

"Put him down Mange now, or so help me I'll..."

Turning around, Mac blinked as somehow the other Enforcer had regained
enough of his senses to actually stand up again. Even more surprising was the kid
had the balls be aiming at him with his recovered blaster. Still squeezing Tobias's
neck, Mac laughed.

"Or you'll do what, punk? Shoot me? Oh, that'd be just too bad cause if
you do, I pop your buddy's neck like a pimple! There's nothing you can do kid!
You've lost." And, for good measure, he squeezed Tobias's neck again, causing
Tobias to black out completely. Falling limp in Mac's arms, the Enforcer silently
awaited the end.

"Hurry up Mac and quit goofing off! I'm almost through here and yer
dragging tail like usual!" barked Mollie from the entryway of Pumadyne's main
entrance.

"Shut up Mollie! I don't tell you how ta have your fun!" sneered Mac back.

**That's it!** thought Jace. Laughing on the outside, Jace tried to keep as
calm as possible as Tobias's limp figure swayed in Mac's grasp. Steadying himself,
he sneered at Mac.

"Oh man..you are so whipped!"

Mac blinked, caught off guard by the comment. "I mean..I've seen some
poor excuses for a tom, but you're the worst example I've ever come across. Does
she tell you when to go to bed too??"

Growling, Mac fumed.

"Shut up kid, or you'll be laughing out your tail!"

"By the likes of you?? Don't make me laugh, Mange. You're so whipped
you don't have the stones to come over here and fight me like a Kat. You gotta hid
behind that huge blaster and hey ...maybe your compensating for something by
using that thing. Ever considered that?"

Enraged, Mac tossed Tobias to the ground, the latter winding face up in a
puddle of mud. Tossing his blaster to the side, Mange slammed a metal fist into the
opposite paw.

"Okay kid..that's it! You're roadkill!"

**All right, Tobias is outta the way..now what?!** Jace asked himself as
even though his friend was safe for the moment, his own future looked very /very/
short.

"I hope you've said your peace, kid, cause I'm the last living thing your ever
going ta see!" Jace blinked, not at the danger of the situation, but at the
idea that exploded into his mind.

**It's got to work..there's no other way..**

Advancing on Jace, Mac's eyes began to glow a deep red as he drew closer
with each passing moment.

"You can't run, kid..and there's nowhere to hide. You're mine!"

"You're all talk, Mange. You're a whipped piece of techno-junk who is as
competent as a blender. No..wait...that's an insult to blenders everywhere. You're
a low grade, high maintenance piece of crap whose as smart as a rock! You're
yesterdays' model Mange, ready for the salvage yard."

Mac screamed as he lunged for the Enforcer, enraged. Cold metallic hands
grasped for Jace's neck, but the Enforcer dodged a split second before the killing
blow could be inflicted and rolled off to one side. Ending up several feet away
from the momentarily confused villain, Jace used the much-needed time to bring
his blaster into a firing position, maxing out the power level as the laser sight
landed dead center on Mac's forehead.

"At this range, even a low powered shot will put a real crimp in your day,
Mange, and I just went to full power. Put your hands up..you and Mollie are under
arrest." There was no wavering of voice, no hint of nervousness in Jace's tone; just
a simple desire to end this without anyone else dying.

Mac looked at the Enforcer with a bemused expression, then frowned as
best his face plate would allow.

"The way I see it, kid, you got it all wrong. You can't hurt me. You can't
stop me. I've stood up to the Swat Kats' best shots and I'm still here and they're
pushing up daisies. And in a few bits Mol's gonna be in the security system and
then we're gonna rule this town, and not you or all the Enforcers combined are
gonna stand up to the Metallikats!" and with that Mac swung hard, attempting to
catch Jace off guard with a devastating right cross.

Jace may have been a green Enforcer, but he wasn't stupid. Feinting
backwards, the young Enforcer felt the breeze of the swing tickle his whiskers.
Shifting his aim right by inches Jace fired, praying to the Goddess that he would be
forgiven for what he had to do. The discharge lanced out, striking dead center in
Mac's left eye, shattering the optic as it passed through several layers of scanners
and image inducers until microseconds later the blast exited in back of the villain's
head, a sickening 'boom' filling the air.

At first, Mollie thought that the Enforcers had cracked the force shield
surrounding the complex. Jerking her neck around, the villainess found something
much worse than she could have even imagined. She gasped in horror as Mac fell,
smoke pouring out from the gaping hole in the back of her husband's head.
Then..nothing.

"Maaaac!!" screamed Mollie as she raised her blaster and fired, the blast
striking Jace dead center of his Katvar vest and watched as he impacted against the
remains of a tree. As Jace fell, Mollie leaped over the Metallikat Express and
darted towards to her fallen love.

"Mac..Mac !Come on you good..this ain't..ain't no time to be lying down
on the job..." Mollie begged as she pulled up beside her husband. Kneeling down,
she gently raised what was left of his head in her arms. "Come on Mac..talk to me
you bucket of ..."

"M..Mol....?"

"Mac! You're alive!"

"Not..f..or...l..ng Mol. Systems..cras..ing."

"Don't die on me Mac!"

"Lik..I c..can..help it..Mol." wheezed the dying Mac, the barest hint of
amusement in his voice.

"Com..come on Mac. I need you. For better or worse, remember!"

"I..I'v..h..d. .worse Mol. You..your..me..loaf..sucks." he tried to laugh, but
only a sickening cough came out.

Mollie tried to smile, but she couldn't .This couldn't be happening. In all
their fights.all the battles..they didn't die. They /couldn't/ die. Even with Dark Kat
had destroyed that warehouse with them and Viper inside, they survived. The
survived Hackle's reprogramming attempts, and even the Swat Kats precious
secret identities had been learned by them. But..the Swat Kats never died before;
now they were gone.

**If the heroes can kick the bucket, what chance do the villains have??**
she asked herself.

"M..Mol...?" Yanked from her thoughts, Mollie looked at her husband and
took his hand in hers. "I..k..ow that..I..ne..er said
this..e..ough..but..I..l..love...y..y..oooou......" Mac tried to say even as his final
backup failed and his last few ergs of energy drained away. Slowly, his optics
faded until they were black and still.

"Oh..Mac.." whispered Mollie and she clutched her husband to her chest
tightly as if she could bond his soul to his metal body by sheer force of will. But be
they metal or fur, all Kats must succumb to the forces of life and death. And Mac
Mange, scourge of the Underworld and perhaps one of the most dangerous forces
ever to face the Swat Kats, quietly left this mortal coil and his beloved wife behind
to face his final judgment.

Hard Drive looked on in shock as Mollie clutched Mac's now-lifeless body.
Even though he despised the thug, he never wanted the guy to die. Maybe get
banged up by the Enforcers some in payment for him threatening remarks at the
mountain H.Q. But..nothing like this. Blinking, Hard Drive watched shocked as
Mollie set her husband's body down and stood. With each step deliberate and
planned, Mollie walked over to Jace's unconscious form and without a shred of
gentleness, she one-handed picked up the tom and shoved his body against the tree
so hard, the young Kat's helmet fully came off, revealing Jace's face. At first, Hard
Drive would not believe his eyes. What he saw..it was not possible. A lifetime of
sacrifice and regret made what he saw null and void. But..deep in the villain, he
knew that his greatest fear was now upon him.

**Dammit..they promised. They swore they would never...!!** he raged
silently until a glint of sunlight off metal caught his attention. His blood froze as he
saw Mollie's sickle weapon-arm rise to the sky. Knowing what she was planning,
Hard Drive dashed over the hood of the MetalliKat express and pushed himself
physically to the limit to reach her in time before

"You miserable bastard!" she spat at Jace with all the venom she could
muster even as tears of oil streamed down her face. "I hope you rot in Hell, you
son of a bitch!" and with that, Mollie pulled her weapon back to decapitate the
young Enforcer.

Just before the blow could land, Hard Drive pulled the sickle back from it's
fatal trajectory.

"Mollie..we don't have time for this!" he yelled, looking over at a sizable
contingent of Enforcers who were pooling their weapons and apparently setting
them on overload to blow a hole in the shield. "Those Enforcers could be though
any second! If we don't get out of here now, we're all going to be de...!"

Looking over, Mollie's eyes glowed as if fueled by the Devil himself,
stunning Hard Drive with their intensity.

"You miserable coward! How /dare/ you tell me what to do! If you hadn't
been so concerned with protecting your balls and not covering Mac, then maybe
he'd still be alive now!" she screamed, her voice full of rage and pain.

":Listen Mollie..please! I never wanted Mac to die, but I had no weapons
and those two Enforcers were getting a hell of a lot closer on their aim. I'm sorry
Mac's dead..I know how much you and he meant to each other, but this isn't the
way to get revenge!" Hard Drive paused, not seeing any other way to get out of
this with his secret intact. He didn't like where he had to go, but there was no other
way.."You kill that kid now, you'll have every Enforcer in the city after you for
cold blooded murder. Do you think you can take on the entire Enforcer garrison
stationed here in Megakat City? Bide you time, wait for the best moment to get
your revenge; hell, if nothing else let him wait for it and suffer! But please..for both
our sakes..don't /do/ this."

Mollie's rage started to ebb as Hard Drive's words started to make sense.
She wanted the punk so dead; crushed into a lifeless ball in a trash compactor or
even thrown into a burning incinerator. But..there was no time..not now. She
couldn't get her revenge if she was off-line. Slowly, her sickle arm lowered and she
kneeled over the still unconscious Enforcer.

"You just got lucky kid. You get to live one more day. But when you least
expect, kiss your miserable life good-bye!" and with that she backhanded Jace,
letting the red whelp form as she stood and walked off to take her husband home.

For tense seconds Hard Drive looked at Mollie as she loaded Mac's body
into the back of the Metallikat Express. Then, a bittersweet sigh of relief escaped
his lips as the immediate danger to Jace passed. Glancing over, he saw the
Enforcers outside the shield begin to run for cover. Knowing he only had seconds
left to say his peace, Hard Drive returned his full attention to young man before
him.

"I'm sorry kiddo. I never wanted to get you involved in this mess. I...I don't
know why Leo and Florida broke their promise to me, but I'm damn sure gonna
find out...!" he growled softly, still more than upset that the agreement he gave an
entire life up for was now shattered beyond re-creation. Gently brushing some
stray fur from Jace's eyes, Jacob Kittery smiled softly, and in a moment of paternal
concern, kissed his son tenderly on the forehead.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM! The shattered force shield
collapsed, unable to withstand the combined might of 20 heavy blaster rifles
overloading at a single focal point. As the backlash of energy forced the emitter to
explode, fragments filled the air as Hard Drive shielded his unconscious son from
the worse of the debris. When he was able to lift his head once more, Hard Drive
could see the faint outlines of the Enforcers pouring onto the grounds. Within
seconds he was surrounded.

"Hard Drive..you're under arrest. Put your paws in the air now!" shouted
one apparently high ranking Enforcer.

Glancing over, Hard Drive noticed that several of the Enforcers had
surrounded the Metallikat Express, apparently demanding Mollie surrender as well.
Shaking his head, the villain began to laugh.

"Oh come on guys! You've got to be kidding me!" he smirked, and within
seconds his surge suit activated, converting his body to electronic impulses and
with less time than it takes to blink, Hard Drive was in the Metallkat Express
glaring at Mollie from a dashboard monitor.

"Let's get outta here!" he shouted.

"That's the first smart thing you've said all day, ya nerd!" sneered Mollie
and as her metallic paw slammed into the gas pedal. The armored cruiser rushed
forward, knocking two Enforcers out of the way with glancing blows. Pummeling
over debris, the nightmare car showed no signs of stopping as it ran a corner,
crushing a fire hydrant and disappeared into the deserted alley's surrounding the
lab. Those Enforcers who still had weapons fired, but the energy bounced off the
armored form with no effect.

"What were you doing make there Hard Drive. You almost got us caught!"

"Just making sure that little slap of yours didn't kill the punk, Mange!"
Hard Drive snarled, putting on his best poker face as he emerged from the
electrical systems and regained his normal form beside Mollie on the passengers
side. "We were lucky the kid still had a pulse, or we'd might not have gotten out of
there otherwise!"

"Yea, whatever. Just remember, that punk kid's tail is mine! I'm the one
whose gonna ventilate him six ways from Sunday! Don't even think about trying to
take the kill Hard Drive!"

Jacob looked quietly out the windows as Pumadyne labs - and the son he
had to once again leave behind - faded into the distance. With a tone Mollie didn't
quite expect, Hard Drive simply murmured..

"No danger of that Mollie..none at all.."

------------------------------------

"Get down Sir!" shouted Kassie as a stream of deadly needles impacted in
the wall behind the spot David Steele had occupied scants seconds beforehand.
Venom leaked down the stairwell wall, the sickly green on white looking like some
deranged artist at work. Recovering from the nearly fatal career change from
Enforcer Commander to pin cushion, Steele raised his blaster and fired. The energy
bolts sliced their way through the mutant cactus' torso as the twisted plant fell to
the floor unmoving.

"Great .One floor down and way too many to go.." murmured Kassie as
she eased around the embedded spikes and the plant to join her commander at the
door leading to the hallway.

"I would agree with you on that Cadet, but since we're the only two who
made it unaffected by Viper's mutant poison ivy, it's up to us to shut that maniac
down. Permanently if need be."

Kassie nodded, silently hoping that her fellow Enforcers would recover
from the horrible rot that had covered those caught in the surprise deluge of
venom from Viper's genetically engineered poison ivy; ivy that now encircled the
first several stories of MegaKat Biochem.

Glancing over, Steele blinked as he noticed that his companion still had not
drawn her weapon. Risking a glance out the window, David saw the hallway
appeared to be clear. Thus, he turned to face the cadet beside him.

"This might be a bit easier if you arm yourself Cadet.." Steele commented
evenly.

Blinking, Kassie looked down at her sidearm as if seeing it was there for
the first time. Sighing silently to herself, the young she-Kat drew the weapon.
Steele watched as that same look of..uncertainity..crossed the Cadet's face.

**Something's not right here..** he mused. Risking a quick glance out the
door, Steele saw the hallway was..for the moment at least..clear. Turning back to
face Kassie, he reached a decision.

"Cadet..we need to talk."

Jerking up, Kassie looked at Steele with an outwardly confused look,
although on the inside she had a gut feeling what he was going to bring up.

"Yes Sir..I guess we should..."

"If you have a problem using your sidearm Cadet, I need to know why.
You're my only backup, and I need to have someone I can count on to see this
through to the end. Can I depend on you for that, or do I go this alone?" Steele
paused, his voice even but with a sharp edge that gave no room for argument.

"It's just that..I made a promise a long time ago Sir to..never take a life if I
became an Enforcer. I've got to keep that promise, or I'll never see the man I love
again.." Kassie leaned against the wall, her gaze falling to the floor.

David blinked, caught off-guard by the admission from the young she-Kat
before him. Casting another quick glance into the hallway, he then went over to
Kassie.

"That's a hard promise to keep Cadet, considering that every Enforcer may
be asked to take a life for the greater good. The man who asked that of you..he
means that much?"

Kassie nodded..

"He meant that much to me Sir." Past tense.

Steele didn't like that at all. Kassie saw the look on Steele's face and
elaborated.

"His name was Donald, and that was his dying wish."

Stunned, David walked over the young she-Kat and leaned beside her,
trying to reduce the unease she felt telling something so apparently personal to her
commanding officer. Maybe..he reasoned ...she needed to tell a friend instead. Of
their own accord, words detailing the darkest point of Kassie's young life spilled
forth..

"We were at the museum when Hard Drive appeared,
just..materializing..out of a wall outlet. Donald tried to protect me, but Hard Drive
hit him with a blast of static electricity. It knocked him backwards over the bench
we had been sitting at and in..into a glass display case." Kassie shuddered as the
mental image of her fianc‚ lay dying in her arms, her body drenched in his blood.
"He didn't..want me to be an Enforcer Sir. He was scared that I would get hurt.
But..he realized that is what I wanted to do, so we met at the museum to try to
work everything out. Donald believed in something beyond..our lives here, so he
begged me to never take a life because he was scared that if I did, we would be
forever apart when I..I joined him on the other side."

"And you agreed?"

"It was his..final wish sir..and I love..loved him. I had to."

"Cadet..Kassie .Listen..please." For a moment David paused, his right paw
reaching up to gently hold Kassie's left shoulder.."You can't risk your life here and
now for what may or may not happen later on. I know you loved him, but you've
got to think of yourself first and him second. I /need/ you believe in what we have
to do Cadet. I know this sounds cruel and uncaring, but as much as you loved him,
you /have/ to put your own safety first.."

Kassie looked up at Steele, wanting to argue his logic; to defy how right he
was. But she couldn't .She knew he was right; that Viper had to be stopped. Not
just for their sakes, or for the Enforcers outside, but for every tom, she-Kat, and
kitten outside these walls counting on the Enforcers to keep them safe.

Parts of David regretted pushing Kassie like this; he had seen a fire in her
outside that he found inspiring for some reason. Now his very actions threatened
to extinguish that fire. But, just as Feral pushed him into admitting hard truths
about himself, Kassie now had to face the same dilemma.

A few tense moments passed until Kassie found her voice..

"I..I believe Sir. And I promise to..to do..whatever it takes to save
MegaKat City." she murmured, finally meeting Steele's gaze firmly. Brushing the
tears from the corners of her eyes, the young Cadet unhooked the safety and
nodded she was ready.

Steele just nodded and reassumed his position by the door. Taking point,
the Enforcer commander made his way down the hallway, intently bound for the
5th floor containment labs that Walker and Ranger had spotted Viper going
towards right before the ivy surround the building.

"It's not like Viper to be this overconfident" Steele said as he and Kassie
approached their objective. Despite numerous encounters with mutated plant life,
neither David or Kassie encountered any lethal threats that posed a serious
problem.

Glancing through the door, Steele finally saw why resistance was limited in
the building; every other plantamammal was in the lab, surrounding Viper with a
sea of mutated creatures.

"That's new. He kept most of his forces in the lab instead of sending them
out into the building so that way if anyone did get this far they'd be forced to take
on all those creatures and Viper himself. But..what is he after?"

As if answering Steele's question, Viper held up the flask of Katalyst 69.
Blinking, Steele parted the swinging doors ever so slightly as he crouched down to
listen.

"Thoossse foolssss! Thinking that Katalyst 69 was nothing more than an
additive to keep cropssss sssafe from temperature extremesssss! But in my
clawsss, I shall make into something much more! That fool Dark Kat believed it
was jusst a chemical to keep those blasted Enforcers from freezing my creations. I
shall recreate it into a virus so deady, it will destroy all plant life on the planet,
leaving my mutations to rule the wastlands left. To think I was once content with
conquering MegaKat City. With the Ssswat Katsss gone, the world itsself ssshall
be mine!"

**Not on my watch you creep!** fumed Steele as he motioned to Kassie
to stay down. Jerking his head towards the lab, David raised his blaster and
steadied himself.

Kassie, upon realizing what her Commander was planning, readied her
weapon as she tried to ignore the sick feel building in her gut. Forcing herself to be
calm, she nodded and raised her own weapon.

"On three..' whispered Steele. "You blast the container, I'll take Viper
down." Kassie nodded. "One..two..three..Now!"

With a hard shove against the polished metal doors, Steele and Kaylar
tumbled through the entryway, coming up locked onto their respective targets.
Almost simultaneously, the twin energy bursts raced forward, dead centered on
their goals. Suddenly, at the last second, the blasts ricochet off an invisible shield
and into the far back corners as Viper's creations surrounded them with
unimaginable speed. Their weapons tossed casually aside, both Enforcers were
soon bound by strands of steel-like vines as Viper himself began to laugh.

"You pitiful foolssss! Do you really think to catch Dr. Viper unawaresss??
From the moment you entered this building, you were mine to destssroy at my
pleasssure!" Walking over, Viper /smacked/ Steele across the face as the villain
cackled. "So, Dark Kat's source was true; Feral is no longer in charge of the
Enforcers. And I have the pleasure of exterminating the weakling who attempted
to fill hiissss ssshoes!"

"The only one around here full of anything is you Viper, and you're full of
sh.."

Another hard smack rattled Steele as Viper's toothy grin filled the tom-
Kat's vision.

"I would ssssuggesst you watch your mouth, or my petsss sshall sshow you
what I do to thossse who defy me..."

Kassie struggled in vain as the vines proved as unbreakable as they felt.
Glaring over at the red whelp forming on Steele's left cheek, the young she-Kat
tried to draw Viper's attention away from her Commander.

"I don't get it Viper. You hate technology, but that belt is defiantly not
your style" the young Enforcer commented, noticing the gaudy fashion accessory
Viper had strapped around his waist.

Grinning, Viper slithered over to Kassie.

"How very true my dear, but it would be a foolsss misstake to not learn
from my past encountersss with the Enforcerssss and not prepare a defenssse
against their wretched weaponsss if they ssshould try to interfere. Thiss reflective
energy belt was a gift from Dark Kat; perhaps he's not asss inssane as we
thought..." And with that, Viper's tail glided down Kassie's right cheek, the look in
his eyes a mix of emotions the young Enforcer didn't want to even think about.
"Sso very pretty my dear. Perhapss I will ssspare your missserable life if
you..assssk..me nicely?"

"Leave her alone you scumbag!" shouted Steele, struggling valiantly but
getting nowhere. He fixed the villain with a glare that could melt Turbonium.

Laughing that Steele's futile attempt at chivalry, Viper walked over and
picked up the flask of Katalyst 69.

"I hold in my handsss the key to Megassswamp City Enforcerss! After I
refine thisss beautiful Mutagen, my creationsss ssshall never be burned or frozen
again. Then I..not Dark Kat..shall rule MegaKat City! And when I further mutate
this Katalyst, I will rule the world itself!"

With that, Viper turned to his creations as the creatures gurgled and
snarled in agreement with their creator.

"Sure, like Dark Kat is going to just up and /let/ you run things. Come on
Viper, we both know that's not even a remote possibility!" Steele pointed out,
trying to buy time to work his way to his watch where a small explosive pellet laid
hidden. It wouldn't be much, but if he could just get loose and reach his discarded
blaster, a point blank shot might be enough.

Viper turned and smiled, his toothy grin sending chills down both
Enforcers' spines.

"Don't take me for a fool Enforcer! I am well aware of Dark Kat'sss
powersss and have taken steps accordingly. It'sss a pity that you won't live to sssee
my gloriousss reign!!" Turning to the assorted mutates, Viper pointed at the two
captives.."Now my petss..dessstroy them!!"

"Not..today..Viper!" strained Steele as he reached his watch, a single claw
flicking open the secret compartment as the explosive pellet fell into his palm.
Aiming as best he could, David tossed the weapon into the center of the
approaching mass of mutates and prayed.

Caught off-guard by the explosion, Viper and his army was tossed against
the far wall as if slammed by an invisible hand. Steele and Kassie grunted as the
shock wave, although mostly absorbed by the creatures in front of them, was still
effected by the weapon as the vines that held them gave way and the two
Enforcers dropped to the floor momentarily stunned. The vial of Katalyst 69, freed
from Viper's grasp, shattered against the wall ruined.

"No..NO!" Viper growled as he shook off the effects of the blast and
launched himself at Steele, claws dripping venom as the Enforcer Commander
forced his disorientation down.

Scooping up his weapon, Steele readied to fire. However, Viper was faster
and his claws screeched over the metal weapon, causing the shot to go wide and
blow a sizable hole in the vines blocking the window. Sunlight poured through as
hero and villain became locked in mortal combat with the future of MegaKat City
going to the victor.

Kassie leaned against a wall, still trying to steady her vision as the multiple
images of Viper and Steele began to coalesce after a few seconds. Gasping in
horror, she watched as Viper's mutagen enhanced agility finally overpower Steele's
Enforcer trained reflexes, the villain's tail coiling around Steele's neck as the
Enforcer Commander began to make a sick gasping sound.

Slowly the young cadet picked up the blaster at her feet and took aim, her
hand trembling slightly as her mind became torn between saving her Commander
and the though of never seeing Donald again.

**Dammit Girl..do something..now!** Kassie yelled at herself as David's
chest began to fall for what could be the last time. Blinking, Kassie fired, the energy
blast bouncing off the energy field as expected, causing the ricochet to explode a
section of ceiling. Plaster and metal rained down, crushing several more mutates out
of existence.

"Wha..??" yelled Viper as in his haste to destroy the Enforcer in his grasp,
he had forgotten about the one behind him. Every so slightly his grip on David's
windpipe loosened, buying David precious seconds of life and time that Kassie
needed to win.

Tossing the blaster down, the she-Kat took two steps and used the nearest
mutant to get the extra few feet of height she needed. From the depths of reflex,
long-honed gymnast skills surged forth as Kassie executed a forward flip towards
Viper. At the apex of her move, her left paw reached her right wrist and three
ancient shurikins emerged from their hidden sheath.

Viper's peripheral vision caught site of movement behind him. Spinning,
tried to shield himself from the impending attack but was too late and the sliver
stars imbedded painfully in his body; two in his chest and one in his tail. A scream
of pain erupted from the villain as he realized what had happened. In all past
experiences with the Enforcers, they had always carried energy-based rifles. A
primitive weapon like the shurikin was ignored by the reflective belt he currently
wore.

"You impudent..." Viper began to swear, but was cut short by a firm kick to
his gut by the landing Kassie. Reeling over, he dropped Steele unceremoniously to
the floor as he felt rather than saw Kassie's presence. Turning to face his
attacker, Viper was simply punched in the face rather hard, the action not really
needing any translation to describe how Kassie was feeling at the moment.

"You make me sick Viper!" she yelled as a roundhouse kick emphasized her
words perfectly. "Hundreds..thousands would have been killed in your mad scheme,
yet you care nothing for those kittens you would have murdered for your goals?!
You..you..son of a bitch!" she screamed, a powerful right cross lanced across
Viper's face.

Staggered, Viper stumbled backwards towards the gaping hole in the wall
the errant blaster fire had created minutes earlier.

"Back Woman! Viper ssshall not be defeated by an Enforcer, and a mere
ssshe-Kat at that!" Snarling, he swirled around to use his tail to swat aside the
advancing Enforcer.

At the last second Kassie noticed the tail, but it was too late as the
appendage impacted against her, sending her into David's grasp. Sunlight
illuminated the ruined lab as the pair of Enforcers struggled to their feet. A long,
dark shadow passed over them as Viper superimposed himself between them and
the hole in the wall.

"Now we ssshall end thissss game.. permanently!" Viper commented, his
claws flexing for the kill.

Without warning, two muffled impact shots broke the silence of the lab as
Viper froze. Slowly, his eyes widened as he began to tremble harshly. Clutching his
stomach, he fell to his knees in agony. "Wh...what..haaave..you.../done/??" he
snarled at the now standing Enforcer Commander as the latter came to understand
what must have just happened.

"Anti-Mutagen darts. Broad-based formula with enough adaptability to stop
even your immune system from destroying the carrier cells. Little present,
compliments of the Enforcers. You're under arrest Viper."

"Never...NEVER!" screamed the villain as he lunged to his feet to rip the
Enforcer to shreds. But Steele was prepared that pulled back and let go with a
savage uppercut that could have taken a normal Kat's head off. Dazed, Viper fell
backwards towards the hole, oblivious to his nearness to falling out.

"Viper..NO!" screamed Kassie as she saw him at the edge. Even though she
despised this twisted mockery of Katkind with all her strength, for him to die like
that was too easy a way to go. He deserved to rot in the deepest hole Alkatraze
Island had to offer for the rest of his unnatural life, not twisted and broken upon the
pavement.

Rushing forward, Kassie tried to subdue Viper in an arm lock. But blinded
by the inferno raging in his mutagen filled blood, Viper started to lash out but the
forces of momentum and gravity overwhelmed his anger and his aborted attack on
Kassie caused the slightest bit of motion needed to push him fully out the hole.
Kassie just stared as it all passed by so quickly. One second, she nearly had the tail
of his lab coat in her paws, then...nothing. Looking down, she took but a second to
see Viper's contorted body lying on the soft ground of MegaKat Biochemical as the
few remaining Enforcers unaffected by the mutanted poison ivy surrounded the
fallen Kat.

Turning away from the gruesome sight, Kassie stared blankly at the rubble
strewn room and the assorted mutates that slowly died on the spot. Steadying
herself, Kassie leaned against a still standing table and closed her eyes, composing
herself. David sighed softly to himself as he gave the she-Kat a few minutes. Upon
seeing her looking slightly less green, he pulled up next to the Cadet.

"Not your fault Kassie. If he hadn't tried to attack you..." Steele began.

"I..I know sir. I just..never wanted him to..not like..." she admitted softly.

"I wish I could say it was the only time you'll ever run into this, but we both
know I'd be lying. All I can say that I'll do whatever I can to help. However, the
final decision on if this is something you want do..well.." he sighed softly. "I can't
help you there. That decision is going to have to be yours alone."

Looking at her Commander, Kassie nodded. She knew an Enforcer could be
called on to face such horrors each day. Could she face this every day of her life on
top of the risk of never seeing Donald again?

"I..thank you Sir. It seems I've got a lot to think about."

"Commander Steele, are you okay!?"

Turning around, Steele stood and walked over to Lt. Nash as the latter
entered the room, weapons drawn.

"We're both fine Nash. I take it Viper's.." he paused, not wishing to presume
anything.

"As a doornail sir. The coroner just loaded the body. Nice to know these
darts worked when they needed to."

"For all our sakes Lieutenant. Now, what's the.." Steele began to ask, but
was cut off by a communications officer dashing into the lab.

"Sir !We've lost contact with the unit at MegaTron Labs. Some kind of
frequency-wide jamming is making both vocal communications and electronic
tracking useless within a 3 mile range of the area." Steele frowned as he knew all
too well what that meant.

"Status of Dark Kat's ship?."

"We had it on radar sir up until about 3 minutes ago."

"It disappeared when the jamming kicked in right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What about our forces at Pumadyne?"

"Under control sir. Reports are a bit scratchy, but only one confirmed
fatality. Two Enforcers are in critical but stable condition en route to MegaKat
Memorial now."

Kassie gasped softly, fearing the worse.

Quietly, Steele looked at Nash, then back to the communications officer.

"Who?"

"Cadets Jace Milkner and Tobias Jakeson sir. They somehow got
under Pumadyne's defense shield and took on the Metallikats and Hard Drive."

Steele blinked, not sure if to applaud their bravery or condemn their
foolishness.

"Who was the fatality?"

"Mac Mange sir."

Kassie and Steele looked at each other in shock. Slowly they turned to face
Nash.

"Mac Mange..dead..?"

"Yes, Sir. Seems Cadet Milkner tried to arrest him and was forced to fire.
The kid either got real lucky or is a crack shot because from reports the blast hit
Mange's eye and exited out the back of his head. A one-in-a-million shot sir."

"Is the body at the morgue?"

"No, Sir. Mollie and Hard Drive escaped with it."

Steele inwardly shuddered as he could feel Kassie's mood shift at the
mention of Hard Drive's name.

"We're trying to track them down, but.."

"Belay that search Nash. As much as anyone I want to bring those two in,
but we've got bigger things to worry about." Motioning for a radio, Steele took the
offered transmitter and flicked it to 'on', setting the frequency to the wide-range
codes. "All units, this is Commander Steele. All primary units, converge on
MegaTron Labs. I repeat, /ALL/ primary units converge on MegaTron Labs and
assist any friendly units engaged in conflict with Dark Kat's airship. Secondary
units, continue to correlate patrol patterns through Enforcer HQ."

Setting the radio on 'standby', Steele addressed the Enforcers before him.

"Okay folks, this is it. Dark Kat's playing his trump card and it's up to us to
make him fold. Move out!"

As everyone moved from the lab back downstairs to their vehicles, Steele
noticed Kassie staring out the window, as if looking for a sign that all was going to
be okay. Quietly the Enforcer Commander walked over and gently placed his paw
on her left shoulder. Kassie jumped slightly as the touch shook her from thought.

"Sorry sir..I was.." she started to explain, but trailed off as even she could
not explain what she was looking for.

"I need you for round two, Cadet," Steele asked gently. "You with us on
this?"

Kassie stared at her Commander, knowing in her heart what he was asking.
Even if his words didn't say as such, it was time for her to decide if this life was
right for her. Casting a long, longing look at the heavens she turned and gently
nodded. Deep inside, she hoped and prayed that Donald would understand and
forgive her when the time came.

"I am an Enforcer, Commander. There's scum that's begging to be stopped.
I guess we're elected."

Smiling, David nodded and patted Kassie's shoulder for a moment in
understanding before he turned and ran out with Kassie following close.

-------------------------------------

"Attention all personnel...attention all personnel. This is a stage one alert.
Dark Kat's airship has arrived. All support personnel are advised to leave the labs
immediately. All combat personnel man your stations. This is not a drill..I repeat
this is NOT a drill."

The deceptively calm voice echoed from the intercoms throughout
Megatron Labs as across the complex Kats ran for cover in the dubious safety of
the underground shelters, or out through emergency evac tubes leading to the
forests behind the main grounds. Atop the four guard towers that designated the
perimeter of the labs hidden laser cannons appeared, targeting the massive V-
shaped flying wing that began to hover overhead. Amidst the organized chaos, the
few Enforcer troops that had been available to back up the in-house security force
ran for cover, their weapons aimed at the sky ready to fire.

Deep below ground level, the final touches were being added to the Exo-
Kat as Mayor Ulysses Feral fumed.

"Krud, he's here Hackle! How much longer??"

The elder Kat looked up from the panel he was working on and sighed.

"You can not rush such things Mayor. It's takes time to...."

"With all due respect Professor, time is one luxury we just ran out of! Is the
suit ready for combat?"

Hackle sighed, nodding as he closed the final cover.

"As ready as it shall ever be; but again, the danger.."

Feral flipped the main power switch on slowly as the HUD came on-line. A
green targeting scope appeared dead center the display as to the lower left, each of
the suits' main offensive and defensive systems began to light bright yellow,
indicating a 'ready' status. As the main power gauge began to fill, Ulysses looked
over at the elder Kat.

"The biggest danger is sitting on our heads Professor. We /have/ no other
choice."

Nodding in reluctant agreement, Hackle stepped back as he watched the
former Enforcer Commander risk his very life for the city they all loved.

"Sir..Dark Kat's broadcasting a message!" shouted one security guard from
his post at the radio.

Snapping his head around, Feral blinked.

"Let me hear it!"

Nodding, the guard piped the ultimatum both the main speakers in the
weapons bay and the Exo-Kat's radio array.

"...Kat .Your defensives are useless. Surrender the Anti-Matter to me or
forfeit your lives. You have five minutes to comply, or be destroyed!"

Blinking, Feral turned inward for a moment of much needed introspection.
**Wait just a minute..when did Dark Kat ever start issuing time limits? Why would
he suddenly start giving us time to decide, instead of just barging in and taking what
he wanted. Unless he needs the time to...thats it! He's buying time for himself.. But
why??**

Flipping the final safety off, the neural link slowly moved from it's holding
behind the headrest of the command chair towards Feral's head. With precise
movements, the small plug connected to a well-hidden interface point buried just
under the surface of Feral's fur along the back of his neck. Jacking into place, the
link began to sense impulses from Feral's nervous system, moving in accordance
with his wishes.

Ulysses himself shivered as the link activated, the cold interface made even
worse by the momentarily overload of his senses as the line between Kat and
machine blurred and two started to become one. The operation to install the
interface link had been a long, tedious effort, ending only after hours of painfully
slow neurological surgery. The implant still gave him headaches from time to time,
but as he was the Enforcer that fit the necessary psychological and physical profile,
he was the best candidate to pilot this weapon of last resort.

Turning to address his troops, Feral dimly admitted the fact that it was a
ragtag lot at best. Sure, every Kat here knew the risks and was willing to lay down
their life in the hopes of stopping Dark Kat, but MegaTron's security force was only
marginally armed and the Enforcer's present were not in much better shape. Despite
having some of their strongest portable artillery present, each Enforcer knew that
Dark Kat's technology was vastly superior to what they had available. It would be a
fight for every inch of ground.

"I won't mince words here. Dark Kat's outside and he's here to steal the
antimatter contained in the bunker directly below us. It appears that the other
villains have joined him in a move to separate our forces and weaken our defenses.
As it is right now, we are all that that stands between Dark Kat and the possible
destruction of MegaKat City. The other Enforcers at Pumadyne and MegaKat
Biochemical will join us as soon as possible, but we can /not/ wait for them. I need
each and every one of you to believe in yourselves and what he must accomplish."

"Will all due respect Sir" came a voice from the crowd, an Enforcer sergeant. "We
knew the risks when we signed up. Dark Kat's taken a lot from everyone of late.
We're drawing the line here and now sir. He will not pass."

A chorus of agreement erupted throughout the room as a small smile tugged
at the corners of Feral's mouth.

"Then let's show that villain what it means to take on the Enforcers!"

An eruption of pride filled the room as both the Enforcers present and
MegaTron's security force pulled their respective weapons and waited for their
Commander's signal.

"Mayor..incoming message. From Dark Kat!"

"Loudspeakers!"

Within seconds, Dark Kat's voice filled the weapons bay once more.

"Your time is up. Surrender the antimatter or else be destroyed!"

**That's what you think you bastard!** growled Feral to himself as he
turned the Exo-Kat back into launch position.

"Let's give him our answer. To your stations!"

With a organized rush of purpose, the assembled Kats ran to a series of
elevators along a wall and in groups of 10 were lifted to ground level and started to
deploy along the pattern Feral had designated in an earlier briefing. Feral closed his
eyes and took just a second to scan the standard Enforcer radio channels,
hoping..no, praying..that Shaun had found Felina. But the fates above were not
being that kind this day, and the miserable sound of radio jamming static filled his
ears. Pushing his worry for Felina down deep, Ulysses silently gave a quick prayer
to the Goddess to keep his niece safe until she could be found. Switching off the
speakers, Feral resisted cussing Dark Kat's name to seven kinds of hell and simply
turned to one of the few technician left in the bay.

"You..open the launch bay doors!"

Nodding, the young she-Kat flipped a series of switches, unlocking the
secret bay door that lead to the emergency escape tunnel the Exo-Kat was going to
launch from. The poly-titanium door split down the middle, retracting into the sides
of the wall to reveal a simple concrete corridor leading to the surface.

"All troops..advance!"

With a roar of jet thrusters, the Exo-Kat lifted off the ground, then streaked
up the corridor to emerge from a hillside. Seconds later the remaining security and
Enforcer troops poured out the tunnel, taking up their positions and began to fire at
Dark Kat's ship from the relative safety of the woods.

"Those fools! I give them a chance to surrender to save their pathetic lives,
and they still resist my will?" growled Dark Kat in disbelief.

Off to one side, several Creeplings scurried over a series of controls, using
the time Dark Kat's ultimatum had bought to stabilize the secondary systems and
partially energize the electrostatic shield over the most vital areas of the ship's hull.


"They shall learn the error of their ways. All ballistic weapons, open fire.
Obliterate them!" Dark Kat bellowed, knowing full well that with his energy grid so
unstable his maser cannons were useless.

**Even my secondary weapon systems will be more than enough to finish
those..what....????** Turning at a radar alert warning, Dark Kat blinked as a fast
moving object approached on an attack vector.

"What is this??" he mused, knowing full well that all the remaining Enforcer
helicopters were supporting their ground troops at Pumadyne and MegaKat
Biochemical.

The answer to the villains' question came not in words, but the full powered
impact of dual repulsor cannons impacting against the shield that covered the
bridge. Dark Kat blinked as his ship shuddered and he struggled to remain standing.

"Visual!" he ordered to a Creepling. As the image solidified on a view
screen, Dark Kat's eyes widened as one of his most hated enemies appeared on the
screen. "Feral !And in the Exo-Kat?? Well well, it seems I may have perhaps
underestimated the resourcefulness of the Enforcers. But no matter; that battle-suit
shall serve quite adequately as Feral's coffin! Destroy him!"

Chatting quickly, several Creeplings complied with their master's orders and
abruptly shifted several antiaircraft batteries towards Feral and fired.

"Holy Kats!" yelled Feral as the barrage barely missed, impacting behind the
suit with enough force to toss the Enforcer head over heels for several moments
before the internal gyrocompass kicked in and righted the former Enforcer
commander.

"Good try Dark Kat, but I'm not that easy to shake up!" sneered Feral as
another volley of repulsor fire lanced out, impacting against the shields as the battle
for the antimatter, and MegaKat City itself, rose in intensity. Yet..despite all the
danger..all that was riding on this one fight, deep in Feral's mind his only though
was that of his lost niece, and his prayers to the Goddess that she be returned to
him safe and sound.

-------------------------------------

"Computer, recognize voice command!" shouted Felina as she ran down the
hidden steps leading to the hanger below the salvage yard.

|| Voice verified. Lieutenant Felina Feral. Voice match: 100%. Awaiting
commands. ||

"Bring all systems on-line and open Swat Kat weapons inventory list."
Felina ordered, deep down hoping that the system still remained open for access. If
the system had performed a full shutdown it would take both her and Callie's voice
command to reactivate the system and with Callie gone..

|| Weapons inventory ready. ||

Sami stood back and watched in awe as the lights brightened considerably
as the computerized systems in the hangar came off standby and went to full active
status. As the darkened corners of the hanger drifted away, the vastness of the Swat
Kat's operation became much clearer to the young Enforcer.

"Felina..this is..wow. I mean..all this time..right here." her soft voice was
filled with amazement and more than a hint of respect.

Typing as fast as possible, Felina nodded in agreement as she herself knew
all too well how her friend felt.

"Same here Sami. I mean..we never though about looking here. A junkyard.
Two of the greatest heroes in MegaKat City history were two Ex-Enforcers whose
entire crime fighting operation was created out of junk and debris." Glancing over
her shoulder, Felina smiled softly. "Boggles the mind don't it?"

Nodding, Sami walked over slowly to the computer area Felina was
working in when a scrolling screen caught her attention. Glancing over, she leaned
over the edge of the console and watched as Felina pulled up an inventory listing.

**Thank the Goddess they had the foresight to make this thing like an
Enforcer mainframe, or I'd /never/ figure these command structures out..** she
mused, wondering just how much Jake and Chance had planned in advance.

"What are you looking for?"

"I'm playing that hunch I mentioned Sami. Just like when you were trying to
figure out what was going on with me and Callie, I've got a puzzle in my head that
I'm missing way too many pieces too."

"How so?"

Pausing, Felina glanced up from the screen, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Part of me accepts the fact that Jake and Chance would want to give the
Enforcers what was left of their equipment.."

"But..?"

"But..I just can't accept the fact that they didn't have a back-up plan to go
into battle. Surely those two would have realized that someday they would loose
the TurboKat and I doubt they would have expected my Uncle to loan them a jet to
finish whatever fight they were in. I also find it very hard to believe that an Enforcer
jet would readily support their..unique..missile configurations."

"So what your looking for is plan 'B' right?"

"Bingo .I'm willing to bet that somewhere in storage is another jet that they
were going to use if they lost the TurboKat in battle. It's the only solution that
makes sense to me. What I can't figure out now is why they didn't include that
information in their final request that Callie and I triggered when we fell down the
steps." Sighing, Felina went back to the computer terminal and continued to surf
through the various weapons files searching for a clue to the accuracy of her hunch.

"Maybe they didn't, Felina, because they knew that w..you and Callie..would
do something just like this and they didn't want you to risk your lives." Sami
pointed out softly.

This time Felina just sighed, unable to meet her friend's gaze.

"Maybe.." she stared, her own tone low and soft.."maybe they didn't know
us as well as they thought.."

Feeling the need to give Felina a bit of privacy, Sami walked towards an
interesting looking corner of the hanger. 'Cluttered' would have been a much too
kind description of the place; old cans of oil and paint stood like sentinels against
the far wall, their labels peeling and faded. The floor was covered in dust as if this
section of the hanger saw little use other than storage. Cobwebs lay in the upper
corners of the wall, long abandoned by their 8-legged creators. But the strangest
thing of all..at least to Sami..is this is where the Jake and Chance kept their lockers
for their G-suits. Lockers that looked much newer then the surrounding junk.

"That's weird.." muttered Sami to herself.

"Humm?" asked Felina, still engrossed in her research.

"Just kind of odd they'd keep their lockers over here so far away from the
launch area" noted Sami, casting a quick glance at the circular launch pad several
dozen feet from her.

Blinking, Felina looked up and over at her friend.

"What do you mean 'so far away' Sami? Their lockers are right over.." and
her voice trailed off as she noticed an identical pair of lockers to both her left /and/
right. "Woah.."

Walking briskly over, Felina studied the lockers, visually comparing them to
the other pair against the opposite wall.

"I guess they're older lockers that got replaced.."

"I don't think so Felina. They're dusty, but far from useless." Blinking, Sami
reached a paw over and wiped the dust away from the nameplates welded on the
front of the left locker. "What the..?" she murmured.

Seeing what Sami had discovered, Felina quickly displaced the dust
covering the nameplate on the locker on her side. As the dust settled, both she-Kats
stared in shock at the pair of names etched into each of the steel tags.

"Sami..you don't think that...?"

"That they knew you and Callie better than you thought? Maybe..but there's
only one sure way to find out.." Nodding in agreement, Felina carefully began to
open the door with her name on it, the hinges protesting at the activity.

Seconds later Sami did the same with the locker labeled for Calico Briggs as
both doors opened slowly, finally revealing a crucial part to Felina's mental puzzle.
Inside each locker were mylar garment bags with neatly folded flight suits hanging
on a small clothes rod. On a shelf above the bag were helmets, both colored
identical to the ones worn by Razor and T-Bone. Beside the helmet was what could
only be a Glovatrix, a bit smaller than any Glovatrix either had seen before, but
otherwise identical down to the Swat Kat insignia on the top of each weapon. On
the bottom shelf were matching pairs of steel-toed boots, each with the Swat Kat
insignia on the side. Blinking hard, the pair of she-Kats slowly closed their
respective doors and once again studied the nameplates on each. Moments later,
each turned towards the other as a soft smile tugged at the corners of Sami's mouth.

"Does this mean.. what I think this means.. Sunspot?"

"I think it does..Moonshot..I think it does indeed." confirmed a smiling
Felina as both she-Kats stood there, poised on the brink of destiny.

TO BE CONCLUDED..