I didn't take long to find the source of the battle. Several Enforcer choppers hovered above, firing at the strange beast below them.
T-Bone switched the radio to the Enforcer's channel. "It looks like you've got a serious problem there, Commander. I'd recommend pulling your ground units back."
There was a pause, then they heard Feral's voice. "What are you two Hot Shots doing here?" That was a stupid question. They always managed to show up when there was serious trouble.
"We're here, Commander, to help stop that thing from taking any more lives!"
Another pause. Feral hated the SWAT Kats, but he knew they had a point. This creature was unlike anything the Enforcers had faced before. They had already suffered far too many casualties. "Fine."
He gave the order and the Enforcers began to pull back. The beast was relentless though. It lunged at a fleeing officer, ripping into his back and tossing aside the shredded flack jacket like nothing.
T-Bone angled the jet down. The Turbokat dove straight at the creature. Razor fired an octopus missile. It slammed directly into the felynthrope, throwing it backwards off the kat. Too late though, the kat was already dead.
The beast slammed full force from the missile into the wall of a building, creating a large whole in the mortar. It gave a fierce scream and grabbed two of the missile's 'arms'. Razor stared at his monitor in disbelief as the beast pulled on the arms, ripping the steel connectors apart. It tossed the missile aside and looked up at the jet as it flew by, snarling viciously.
T-Bone pulled up and looped around a group of buildings, circling back. "It can't possibly be that strong?"
"Normally, no. This one has a very strong magical presence to it." Elena's voice was grave.
"Great. Any ideas?"
"I hate to say it, but you might consider explosives."
"Alright... Locking on." Razor lowered his visor and locked in the targeting radar on the beast. T-Bone lined the jet up again. The creature stared up at them, poised to jump.
"Stay above at least fifteen yards!"
T-Bone pulled the jet back up a few more yards. "It can jump that high?"
"With magic involved, best not to take the chance. I'm feeing a very strong power controlling this thing. Whatever was blocking me this morning is hitting full force now! I'm not even wearing the stone and I can feel it!"
Razor obtained a lock. "Firing Blowtorch missiles!"
Three missiles fired in rapid succession. The beast jumped as they hit, but was lost in the explosion. A nearby car, thankfully abandoned, was thrown forty feet and a fair-sized hole was blown into the concrete.
The beast stood up on all fours, shaking off soot and debris. Several small tendrils of smoke came from it's fur but it appeared otherwise unharmed. It looked back up at them and screamed, it's eyes glowing a bright red.
"NO WAY?"
There was a moment's pause on the com, then Elena's voice came on softly. "We've got a serious problem."
"No shit. Any more ideas, darlin'?" The large tabby turned the jet again, having to loop the Turbokat around several more buildings to circle back yet again.
Razor looked at his control panel. "What about electricity?"
Another pause. "Try it. Electricity is energy. That would be a good possibility against magic."
The creature watched as they came down again. This time, however, it turned and ran into a nearby alley.
"Aw crud!"
"It knows."
"What do you mean 'It knows'?"
"As I said, something, or someone, is controlling this beast. Electricity is going to be our best bet."
T-Bone pulled the jet up over the buildings, using the thrusters to bring it to a hover over the alley. "I can't see it?"
Razor switched on the dimensional radar while Elena turned her optical sensors onto infrared.
Razor's ears went back. "I can't find it."
"I can." Yet another pause as she checked her infrared sensors in various directions. "Found it! It cut through the building to your left. Next alley over! Try trapping it with the tarpedo, then fry it!"
Razor switched quickly back to his targeting system and loaded the tarpedo as T-Bone maneuvered the jet over to the next alleyway to their left. Sure enough, the creature was there, running swiftly through the alley. It was almost out of it when the Turbokat lowered down into the street, right in front of the beast.
"Launched!" The tarpedo fired, slamming full force onto the felynthrope, throwing it back several yards and covering it in a thick black sludge.
"Bingo!"
T-Bone watched the creature through the front of the cockpit. "Uh oh. Hurry up, buddy! That thing's already working itself loose!"
"Hang on. Target lock...Deploy!"
The scrambler missile fired. The felynthrope had no chance to evade, still partially trapped in the sticky tar. It screamed, a blood-curtling sound, as the missile hit and released a powerful burst of electricity. It then lay motionless.
"YES! You got it!"
"I'm not so sure." Elena's voice was still very soft and grim.
"Elena, that thing's toast. It's not... Oh crud."
The tabby starred in disbelief as the creature moved, slowly trying to get back up.
His partner likewise couldn't believe it. "Uh, any more ideas?" Quiet. "Elena?"
"Slicer missile."
"I... I can't..."
"You have to!"
T-Bone glanced back over his shoulder. "We have to stop that thing, partner. It's taken too many lives already."
Razor loaded the missile, then hesitated.
T-Bone looked back at the thing. "Elena, what about the megalaser?"
"No. The Enforcers fired every laser they had at it. Nothing. We're gonna have to go with cold steel. Fire the missile, Razor."
The felynthrope had now gotten shakily back to it's paws and was almost free of the tar.
Razor hit the 'launch' button. The missile fired, opening it's four long blades, designed for cutting through metal, not flesh. Razor knew they had to kill the thing. He was fully prepared for that. But he was not prepared for the massive bloodshed he knew was going to happen as soon as the missile hit. It did. The large blades cleaved straight through the felynthrope, ripping it apart in a virtual explosion of blood and fur. Razor closed his eyes.
"Good job, buddy."
The Turbokat lifted back into the air and the main engines kicked back on. T-Bone got onto the radio on the Enforcer's channel. "Commander, it's been taken down."
There was no answer. He didn't really expect one anyways. They heard Feral shouting commands to his Enforcers, telling them to secure the area.
Unnoticed by the Enforcers or the SWAT Kats, a hooded figure stood in the shadows atop a nearby building. The figure looked down at the scene below. A dark light glittered in his crimson eyes, veiled beneath the black hood. Turning, the form vanished back into the shadows.
The Astral Stone flared with a violet brilliance. The problem was that it was sitting on the dresser upstairs in the bedroom. Elena watched the monitor as the SWAT Kats finally managed to take down the felynthrope. She sighed, a heavy burden seeming to have been lifted from her. Suddenly, her ears pricked. A strong feeling caused the fur on the back of her neck to stand on edge. A faint clicking sound echoed behind her at the other end of the hanger. Instinct took over and Elena lept to her paws, spinning to face the sound. She saw nothing. But she knew something was there, She felt it.
"Where are you?"
"Huh?" T-Bone's voice came over the com in her headphone.
Razor was also confused. "Did the optic sensors go out?"
She ignored them. Her breathing was hard. Her ears twitched, listening. A pair of crimson eyes then glowed in the shadows nearby. Elena's emerald eyed narrowed. A slight tremor ran through her right hand as she prepared her magic. She wasn't wearing the Astral Stone, so her magic was severely lessened, but she hoped it would still be enough. Then, the beast lunged. Elena lept aside as it crashed into the chair behind her, then slammed into the base of the computer console, thankfully not damaging the computer itself.
The guys heard the crash. "Elena! What's going on?"
"We've got company!" She then jerked off the headset and tossed it aside.
T-Bone and Razor heard the soft 'thump' as it hit the ground. "ELENA!"
The creature lunged again. Elena jerked her arm forward, pulling the Shadow Cloak about herself. The beast hit the ground where she had been, it's claws cutting deep grooves in the cement. It spun around, it's eyes glowing red.
"C'mon, you pathetic waste of fur!"
A shimmer, and Elena stood a few yards away, facing the felynthrope. The magic cloak covered her in a black body suit. Only her head, hands, tail and paws were exposed. In her hands she held a spear, it's shaft gleaming black like polished obsidian. The spear's razor-sharp tip shone brightly in the light.
The beast hissed at her. She hissed back. It lunged, and this time Elena didn't jump out of the way. She lept forward, then dove at the last second, rolling on the ground as the beast flew just inches over her head. She twisted, bringing the end of the spear up, slashing a deep gash in it's leg. It screamed out in pain and rage. Turing the instant it hit the ground, it lunged again, lower this time. Elena dodged, but the creature's claws slashed across her left side. She hissed from the pain, her ears pinned back.
The creature spun to face her again. It took a few steps back, then licked it's claws, tasting her blood. It had a look of sadistic pleasure in it's toothy grin.
Elena was breathing hard. The wounds in her side were deep She knew that if this kept up much longer she'd end up loosing a considerable amount of blood from it. The beast stalked in a circle around her, it's tail lashing. Elena turned slowly, continuing to face it as it circled, gripping the spear.
Finally, the creature lunged again. Elena spun to the side. Her wound, however, had slowed her down. The beast's jaws clamped down hard on her right forearm. She yelled out in pain, but was still able to keep her wits and she dropped onto her back to the ground, using the creature's own momentum to flip it. It flew back, it's sharp fangs tearing into her arm as they were pulled away. Elena flipped back up onto her paws, spinning around to face the beast again as it likewise got back up.
With a scream of rage, it threw itself at the she-kat. Elena lunged forward with the spear. The two collided, the force of their impact driving the spear deep into the creature's chest, piercing straight through out of the back. The larger, stronger beast threw Elena down, pinning her under it's weight. It spasmed, then it's body went limp. Lifeless. It was now dead, but she had to push the creature off of her. The magic spear disintegrated into a black mist then vanished.
Elena got up slowly. She was dizzy. The wounds were deep, and she was bleeding out. The had to stop the bleeding, fast.
T-Bone had to hit the remote to open the hanger doors. There was still no response from Elena. His heart was pounding. He and Razor had heard the sounds of the fight through the radio com in Elena's discarded headset. Heard her scream out in pain. The Turbokat shot down the runway fast. He powered it down and opened full flaps, slamming the breaks on hard. The jet skidded, and barely managed not to hit the walls as they finally came out of the tunnel and stopped onto the lift platform.
Normally, Razor would have made a comment about his partner's sudden recklessness, but he knew the reason for it. Razor was also worried. Elena was a close friend to him as well. And the sudden silence after the fight frightened them both.
T-Bone had opened the canopy and jumped down out of the jet before the lift was even fully up and locked into place. "Elena!"
Razor was about to jump down out of the jet as well, but the sight froze him in place. There were several places in the floor were heavy claws had slashed right into the cement. Blood was splattered everywhere, and there were several places where it pooled, the edges of the pools smeared with bloody paw prints. Toward the other side of the hangar, near the ladder that led up to the garage above, was the form of another felynthrope. It lay motionless in a large pool of dark blood.
T-Bone yelled again. "ELENA!" There was no sign of the she-kat.
"Elena?" Razor finally jumped down out of the jet, and cautiously walked over to the lifeless form of the felynthrope. "Chance, there's... There's too much blood in here for it all to have come from this thing."
The tabby's heart sank. He felt a tight knot form deep in his stomach. She couldn't have been dead. She's survived for so long, against so many odds. He had almost lost her before, a month ago. She was so very near death. But she survived. She had to still be alive. She had to be!
They then heard a soft groan. "Elena?" Chance ran over towards the sound, tossing his flight helmet and mask aside onto the ground as his did. Near the ladder, her body partially hidden behind some machinery, was Elena. She lay on her stomach in a pool of blood. Her blood. "Elena?"
Chance kneeled down and very gently turned her over, supporting her head on his left forearm. She no longer wore the Shadow Cloak, and he could plainly see the deep gashed on her arm and side. Her skin was pale and cold. She didn't open her eyes.
"Elena?"
Jake walked over, pulling off his mask. He held the black cloth in his hand. "Is she...?"
"Not yet. Jake... we've got to do something..."
Jake just stared, the horrible memories of the war once again flooding his mind.
"JAKE!"
The smaller kat snapped out of his daze. He kneeled down on the other side of Elena, looking the wounds over carefully. "She's bleeding out. We've got to.."
"Th... own..."
Elena's voice was extremely soft. They could barely make out her words.
Tears rolled won Chance's face. She was still with them. For the moment. "Elena? What...?"
"The Stone..." Her voice was just a bit stronger, but only because she forced it. It was taking every bit of strength she had left. "Get... the Stone..."
Jake immediately lept to his paws and was up the ladder in an instant. He ran upstairs as fast as he could into the bedroom Chance and Elena shared. The Stone was a dark color. The red and blue bands had faded almost to black.
"Not again!" The last time he had seen the stone turn black, Elena was dying of poison. Were it not for the Turbokat's speed in returning her to the encampment, and the witches' powerful magic, she would never have survived. It took a full day for her to wake up, and several more to completely regain her strength.
He grabbed the stone, it's touch as cold as ice on his hands. Turning, he part ran, part jumped back down the stairs, then back down into the hanger below.
"I've got it!"
Gently, he placed the pendant in Elena's open hand. As she closed her fist around it, it glowed brightly. First red, then violet, then to a steady soft blue. Elena let out a slow breath, then her body went completely limp.