Chapter 25: Dragon's falling.
Opening ends with Charlie being thrown by Kitty from the left side of the screen to the right side of the screen.
[The ideas that were brought up by reviewers shall be done, and shall lead into my own idea.]
Charlie arrives relatively early to tuff HQ and stays in the garage working on the linerunner. "Let's see if I can further focus the beta cannon to a point of a small laser tip that is able penetrate shields, but that would require an extremely strong potential feed back loop to circulate the energy enough times to make it that strong." Charlie says toying with a wrench.
"Agents Cheetah, Katswell and Puppy, Keswick has the information regarding your next mission, report to him immediately. Also, Agent Cheetah, following the mission, report to me regarding the teleportation device." Chief says with enthusiasm. "Looks like that idea will have to be put on hold for now." Charlie says running up to Keswick.
Kitty and Dudley are already there. "So what's the problem now?" Charlie says hardly winded from the run. "Where have you been Charlie? Also, the Chameleon is working on a laser that will transform anyone it touches into an insect." Kitty says with her paws on her hips. "Thinking of new ways of improving the Linerunner. Also, seriously, another laser, would think they would think of something better regarding the fact that my abilities have well improved since my departure." Charlie says shaking his head. "Charlie that machine you built is a single vehicle that rivals the military's entire armada." Kitty says openly against further improvements. "Guess you're right, the thing is already the ultimate in ATVs." Charlie says realizing Kitty's point.
"Good, now let's get going." Kitty says running off. "Hey, you won't beat me there." Charlie says racing off to catch up to her. "DUDLEY!" Charlie and Kitty both yell. "Huh what? Oh coming." Dudley says running off far behind them. The three of them head into the Linerunner and it drives toward the Chameleon's hideout. Charlie stops before entering the Chameleon's house. "Why are we stopping?" Dudley says. "Simple, on the mission recon. I'll be taking a quick view about the area to look for the most effective entrance with the least amount of danger." Charlie says grabbing some binoculars. "Why is it that every time we have a simple mission, Charlie has to turn it into something long and elaborate?" Dudley says complaining. "First of all, I'm amazed you managed to say elaborate. Second it's so we don't get hurt as badly. He does care after all." Kitty says with a mixture of compassion and annoyance. "Yeah, for you." Dudley says unconvinced. "Dudley, I care for you and Kitty. I just care more for her for two reasons, first of all she's my girlfriend. Second of all, she's the more experienced agent." Charlie says near the door for the Linerunner.
"Sometimes I wish I had taken the free week of food instead of asking for you to join our unit." Dudley says disappointed. "Wait, you are saying that you didn't want me in your unit at first." Charlie says horrified and mildly depressed by the statement as he looks back at Dudley. "Well, no, you did cause me to miss spaghetti day and Kitty wanted you since she loves you." Dudley says not comprehending the impact of his words. Charlie turns back to the door, no longer himself. "Kitty, I appreciate the gesture, but I'd rather have been put into a unit since of my skill level and not as much on personal preferences." Charlie says leaving the Linerunner and heading over to the Chameleon's house. Kitty's instincts tell her that something's not right and she acts on them and jogs over to Charlie. "Charlie, are you alright?" Kitty says looking at him deeply worried. Charlie stops walking but keeps his face toward the Chameleon's house. "Yeah, I'm fine, just thought it would have been a group decision and not one overruling another." Charlie says automatically. Kitty doesn't exactly believe him, but doesn't think this is a good time to pry into the subject anymore. "Okay, just be careful." Kitty says worried. "I always am Kitty." Charlie says turning around and kisses her cheek. "You should get back to the Linerunner." Charlie says smiling. Kitty nods her head and walks back. Charlie heads into the Chameleon's house.
Five minutes pass and Charlie hasn't reported in, and Kitty gets worried. Her worry quickly goes away when Charlie contacts them. "Okay, you guys can enter, just be careful." Charlie says trying to hide his embarrassmet. "Is something wrong Charlie?" Kitty says suspicious. "Fell into a snare trap a little while ago. All my training and I still walked into this one, literally. There is one for each of you waiting inside." Charlie says nodding his head. "Okay, see you inside." Kitty says after facepalming herself. "Roger that." Charlie says before signing off.
Kitty and Dudley head inside the Chameleon's house, but Dudley gets caught in a snare trap. Kitty sighs and heads further into the Chameleon's base. Kitty sees Charlie hung in mid air by the snare trap and the Chameleon in the seat of the laser. "Welcome agent Kattswell. Who should I turn into my meal first? You or your boyfriend?" Chameleon says smirking with his eyes pointed in separate directions. Charlie contacts Kitty through their wrist-coms despite their close distance from each other. "Kitty, I have an idea." Charlie says in a low voice. "You always have an idea Charlie, also why are you using a low voice and using the wrist-com? We're only 2 feet away from each other." Kitt says baffled at the end. "Don't want the Chameleon to hear the plan. I need you to be the target so I can see how the laser works and if it can hopefully get me down from here, the chameleon had tied me up while you and Dudley were on your way in. I take it Dudley fell into a snare." Charlie says unsurprised by Dudley being caught in a trap. "Yeah, okay, and yeah, we'll get him down after the Chameleon's dealt with." Kitty says before she and Charlie sign off. "Chameleon, bet you can't hit Kitty." Charlie says provoking the Chameleon. "I bet you I can." Chameleon says firing the laser and has it chase after Kitty.
Charlie sees that the laser is a thin concentrated beam during the times he's not swinging out of the way to avoid the beam. "Kitty, I have what I need. Come across the area behind me." Charlie says after avoiding the laser another time. "Okay." Kitty says cartwheeling backwards to avoid the beam. Kitty moves across the house behind Charlie. The beam follows. "Shoot, it'll hit me at this rate." Charlie says before swinging, he build up enough momentum so he can get out of the way of the beam so it can slice through the rope. The beam cuts only partially through the rope. "Well, that didn't work out according to plan." Charlie says thinking. Charlie gets an idea and starts swinging, causing the rope to grow thinner, until it breaks and Charlie falls to the ground. Charlie springs to his feet and runs behind a stack of crates. "Kitty, I need you back here to untie me." Charlie says keeping everything hidden behind the stack of crates. "On my way." Kitty says jumping over the beam and runs over to Charlie. Charlie is squirming inside the rope. Kitty gets out her claws and slices the rope. Charlie slides off the rope.
"Okay, now that that's out of the way, how to deal with the Chameleon?" Charlie says sitting down. "One of us can be the bait and the other pounces him?" Kitty says sittng down as well, stating an obviously simple answer. "Oh yeah, simple solutions can escape me at times." Charlie says before he and Kitty jumps out from behind the crates in two separate directions. "Hold still you two. Oh a split beam mode." Chameleon says as he pushes a button that causes the beam to split into two. "Well, there goes that idea." Charlie says as he and Kitty do what they can to avoid the lasers. Charlie looks around and sees the giant glass covering used with the cat bomb. Charlie gets an idea.
"Kitty, head toward the giant glass lid, we'll use it to flank out the Chameleon." Charlie says sliding under the beam chasing him. He then runs into the glass and begins pushing it trying to get it to turn. "Thing weighs a ton." Charlie says unable to get the thing to move. Kitty rolls into the container. "Okay, so now what?" Kitty says not liking the fact she's inside the glass. "Simple, angled momentum shifts to adjust the velocity vector. This will reduce the distance between us and the Chameleon." Charlie says calculating several factors. "I know I'm smart Charlie, but I'm not Keswick smart." Kitty says slightly insulted by the complex wording. "Just shift our direction of running to increase our speed to bring us closer to the target." Charlie says apologetically as he sees Kitty's insulted expression. "Okay, let's wrap this up before Dudley manages to hurt himself or others." Kitty says nodding her head. "Agreed." Charlie says as he and Kitty start running inside the glass cover, causing it to move gradually toward Chameleon while it deflects the lasers.
The glass covering rolls very fast and Kitty and Charlie look at each other and understand that they both know they can't stop it anymore. Charlie grabs Kitty's hand before they roll out of the glass. Charlie helps to slow down Kitty. Once Charlie sees that Kitty is at a full stop, he takes out his claws trying to slow himself. His claws break, but he is slow enough that he can jump and land on his feet. Chameleon jumps out of the laser seat to avoid the glass. The glass crashes into the lase and both fallto pieces. The Chameleon looks at the agents. "Agent Cheetah, Agent Kitty Katswell may have put me in jail first, but you have put me in more times than she has so I'll destroy you first." Chameleon says angrily firing his tongue at Charlie. Kitty rolls to the side and Charlie hops to the side. The Chameleon retracts his tongue. Charlie manages to grab the Chameleon's tongue, but lets go since of the pain it caused him to grab something with broken claws. The little grip Charlie did have on the Chameleon's tongue causes him to stumble forward for a while.
"Charlie, what's the matter?" Kitty says looking back concerned. "I broke my claws trying to slow down after exiting the glass. I'll be the bait for this, just grab the Chameleon or his tongue when either are within range." Charlie says holding back the urge to scream in pain from standing on feet with broke claws. The Chameleon runs toward Charlie. Kitty tries to pounce on Chameleon, but the Chameleon makes a sharp and sudden stop making Kitty slide along the ground, getting a bad burn on her stomach. The Chameleon smirks and shoots his tongue at Charlie. Charlie jumps up and lands on the tongue. The Chameleon pulls his tongue out from under Charlie, causing him to fall backwards onto the ground. "Oof." Charlie says hitting the ground. "Time for you to meet your doom." The Chameleon says smirking with his eyes pointed in separate directions.
Charlie pulls out his laser and attempts to aim it, unable to since of the pain he gets from holding it. He fires a shot that misses the Chameleon by roughly two yards. "Hahaha, you're so scared, that you can't even shoot right." The Chameleon says laughing. Charlie smiles. "I never inteneded to shoot you." Charlie says as he sees Dudley run toward the Chameleon. The Chameleon turns around while Charlie and Kitty start to get up. Dudley sticks his head out in front of him like a ram. "HI GEE GEE!" Dudley yells as he rams the Chameleon toward Charlie. Charlie spin kicks the Chameleon toward Kitty before he grabs his foot in pain. "Kitty... ouch... the Chameleon... ouch ouch... is coming your... ouch... way." Charlie says he holds his foot. "What's the matter Charlie?" Dudley says looking over at Charlie. "Foot hurts since I broke my claws slowing myself down." Charlie says.
Kitty sees the Chameleon heading his way and punches him so hard that he is knocked out. "Kitty, can you deal with this debriefing to Chief? I need to head home and rest so my claws can grow back." Charlie says over to Kitty who's handcuffing the Chameleon. "Sure, we'll drop you off at your place after we drop the Chameleon off at the prison." Kitty says nodding her head. "Thanks." Charlie says smiling despite the pain before getting on his wrist-com. "Chief, Kitty will give you the debriefing, I'll be returning to my apartment. I broke my claws during the mission, I have a set of claws to cover my actual claws until they return to normal." Charlie says grimacing a bit in pain. "Understood, take it easy Agent Cheetah." Chief says with a neutral expression. "I'll try to. See you tomorrow Chief." Charlie says before signing off. Charlie, Dudley, Kitty, and a handcuffed and unconscious Chameleon walk toward the Linerunner. Kitty sets down the Chameleon into the convict transport while Charlie and Dudley get into the Linerunner. Kitty puts on the interface and has it head toward the prison to drop off the Chameleon. The Linerunner heads to Charlie's house and he hops out. "See you guys tomorrow." Charlie says before running off, preventin Kitty and Dudley from answering.
When Charlie enters his room he lays on the couch. "Claw regrowth protectors." Charlie calls out and a robotic hand brings over to gloves and puts them on Charlie's hands. "So what I thought was a lie? What else is a lie? Does Kitty really love me or is she just in love with my skills? Do I even deserve to stay as a tuff agent?" Charlie says looking at the floor, conflicted about his own worth. "Best to rest, hopefully the answers will come to me in my sleep. But before I do." Charlie says before contacting Chief through his wrist-com. "Chief, the teleportation device has finished inanimate relocation. My thought inhibited clones shall begin to be used as guinea pigs for animate relocation." Charlie sitting up in the couch. "Very well, we will become a greatly eco-friendly organization with that teleportation device." Chief says smiling. "Has Kitty given you the debriefing yet?" Charlie says yawning a bit. "Yeah, you called shortly after I got finished reading through it. You need your rest Agent Cheetah. I'll see you tomorrow." Chief says smiling at first then ending with frown. "Bye Chief." Charlie says before he and Chief sign off. Charlie takes off the wrist-com and sets it on the table in front of the couch. Charlie then rolls over so his stomach faces the backrest of the couch and he falls asleep.
Ending is Charlie facing the screen, laying on the couch, after a while Charlie turns around, his back now toward the screen.