Episode 6: Revenge of the Rats

Part 4 of 4

Meanwhile; Castle Plun-Darr, Vultaire's workshop; during the events of episode 6 part 3…

Vultaiire leaned over the table on one hand. The other held some kind long avain electronic cigarette, his only other form of stress release besides inventing itself as of late. A lung full of vapors escaped his nostrils as he carefully reviewed the data scrolling past his eyes on the five or six holo screens before him. The language would look foreign to a human or cat, but to the tech it was clear. Castle Plun-Darr's security systems would activate bug free in less than ten minutes. "The program seems to be running at optimum efficiency now. Well done, Mordax." He commended the old white mouse chained by the ankle to the workbench, typing away at a holo keyboard. "You're a fast learner; especially for a rodent. I haven't hired a secretary this efficient since Horus."

"Thank you." Mordax's whiskers twitched. He accepted the compliment begrudgingly. "Typing and arithmetic come easily to me, so-"

"The offer still stands you know. You COULD receive payment and privileges for your services." The buzzard reminded him.

"Serving Mumm-Ra didn't work out to our benefit the first time around. Thank you, but no thank you."

Vultare's natural frown intensified. He drew a calming breath and was about to say something when his Pcom started to flash a glowing yellow. "Damn it to nose-diving hell-"

"What's the matter, sir?"

"It's another distress signal from Addicus. He's testing out the sky-cutter I slapped together for him. Nothing important." The vulture insisted. "I have neither the time nor the patience to answer every stupid question that pops into his big, stupid head. Now where we-?"

The door to his workshop suddenly opened. "I'm BOOOORED!" Kaynar howled in distress, dragging his axe behind him limply.

Vultaire exhaled a harsh sigh as he slammed his fist on the workbench and shook his head with frustration. "Kaynar, the other enflamed red hemorrhoid on my ass; what in pecking hell do YOU want?"

"Didn't you hear me? I'm booored!"

Mordax held his ears down; wincing as a headache started to develop. "Goodness, you're loud animals."

"What's wrong with that thingie?" Kaynar motioned to the flashing PCom.

"Distress signal from Addicus." Vultaire answered with an annoyed sigh.

"Shouldn't we pick up?"

"Just ignore it." Vultaire ordered.

Kaynar reached for the PCom, but Vultaire roughly intercepted. "Didn't Slithe tell you to supervise the labor in the boiler room?" He pointed downward, implying to go back downstairs.

Kaynar shrugged. "I was down there a while and then I kind of forgot what I was doing… and I got bored so I decided to see what you guys are up to. So whatchya up to, Vultaire? Techy stuff?"

Vultaire's eyes narrowed at the jackal. "Quit distracting me and go do YOUR job—whatever it is!"

Kaynar flashed him a dismissive hand gesture. "The slaves are chained up. They're not going anywhere." His sight locked onto the pretty red light at the end of the buzzard's electronic cigarette. "Oooh, that smells good about now. Hey, Vultaire, can I bum your cigarette?"

"NO for the last pecking time!" The vulture instinctively squawked in response, neck ruff flaring. "Flap off I said! Get out of my workshop! Some of us would actually like to accomplish things." He added before leaving the table to return to work on the Vulture II's engine.

Kaynar followed him. "Vultaire? Can I bum your cigarette? Can I bum your cigarette? Can I bum your cigarette? Vultaire? Hey, Vultaire? Can I bum your cigarette? Can I bum your cigarette? Can I bum your cigarette? Can I bum your cigarette? Can I-?" He hovered over the buzzard, continuing to ask even after he slid under the body of the craft. Vultaire ignored the relentless dog while he worked. Kaynar raised his voice when the sound of power tools being operated started to drown him out. "Can I bum your cigarette? Can I bum your cigarette? Can I bum your-?"

Vultaire popped up from under the partially constructed engine, face red with anger. He exhaled a threatening raptor-like squawk before he snapped his electronic cigarette in half and tossed it at Kaynar's face. He ducked. Mordax let out a squeak as the broken parts bounced off the back of his head. He flashed them both an annoyed look over his shoulder before continuing his own work.

"What a shame! Dead battery!"

Kaynar's ears drooped. "Why did you do that?"

"You are more aggravating than all my chicks and ex-wives put together!" Vultaire cried, pointing to the door. "GET OUT!"

"Just let me bum a drag off your faggoty avian cigarette and I'll leave you alone!"

Vulture squawked violently, cheeks nearly turning purple with anger.

"Sorry, didn't mean to hinder your genius." Kaynar muttered something in addition to that under his breath as he rolled his eyes and backed away. He started to hover over Mordax instead.

"Why don't you borrow a smoke from his wife, number whatever, in the morgue upstairs?" The mouse suggested, half joking but also hoping the jackal would leave.

"You ALSO shut up over there, rodent!" Vultaire ordered, obviously not keen on the idea.

Kaynar's ears perked a little. "Good idea; ol' creepy nurse Os is always good for killing time."

"That's doctor Osifra to you, dog." Vultaire corrected him.

*"Hey Vultaire, did you know your wife gets off on dead bodies?"

Vultaire abandoned his tools to approach Kaynar in a seemingly calm manner. "Alright, for one-" Without warning, at the last second when Vultaire was in arms reach of Kaynar, he started to claw at and punch the jackal over the head and muzzle repeatedly. An explosion of fists, red fur and dark feathers drifted beside Mordax's work space. He held his ears once again to drown out the yelps and squawking.

"-And if you go NEAR my wife I'll pecking KILL you!" Vultaire added, jabbing Kaynar in the chest for added emphasis.

"Controlling much? Why don't you stop smothering her?" Kaynar sneered at him as he straightened his fur and armor.

"Why don't you pick a personality and stick with it?"

Kaynar growled at him. "Screw you; that's not funny."

Vultaire shoved him. "Screw you; get out of my workshop!"

Kaynar shoved him back. "You think you OWN this whole castle, but you don't! WE live here too!"

"Most of the funding for this project has come out of MY personal account!—Well, ONE of them." Vultaire corrected himself. "So I DO own this pecking castle! Flap off, would you?! Go torture someone else with your presence!"

"Whatever! I'm not talking to you anymore, ya mean old buzzard!"

"Splendid!"

"N'aw, Go do your techy stuff!" Kaynar barked across the room. He gave Mordax a not so gentle slap on the back. Mordax rubbed his throbbing chest after the force from Kaynar's slap knocked him into the edge of the workbench. The jackal's prescience made his skin crawl, but the old mouse forced himself to stay calm in this hostage situation.

"So, Mordi, is the techy work ol' Vultaire has you doing any less painful than me peeling the skin off your tail?" Kaynar asked with a sick grin.

Mordax paused. He needed a minute to think about it. "Not really. If it's all the same to you gentlemen," He couldn't help but smirk at the use of that word. "I myself would rather be home up north with my fancy rat wife." He confessed with a nervous chuckle.

" Aw," Kaynar's expression softened. "You're married, Mordi?"

"I told you I have a wife and 10 pups before I BEGGED you not to nail my left hand to my right knee." Mordax bitterly reminded him, holding up his left paw, still wrapped in bloody bandages.

Kaynar looked oblivious. "How many years, Mordi?"

Mordax paused to remember. "Thirty-eight this summer—and STOP calling me Mordi."

"That long? How sweet. Man, you're married to a steady bitch, Vultaire is and done been married however many times-"

"Five!" Vultaire confirmed from his side of the workshop.

"-Even Addicus has a few bitches back home in the treetops…and I'll probably die alone in a ditch somewhere." Kaynar's ears drooped at the realization.

"Most likely!" Vultaire concurred.

Kaynar turned halfway around and barked, "Shut up! No one asked you, old buzzard!"

The doors to the workshop burst open suddenly once again. Everyone turned their heads and watched as Addicus limped into the room with an intense scowl on his face, holding his ribs tenderly. His helmet was missing revealing a mess of platinum hair tangled in twigs and leaves. He was covered in scratches, blackened bruises and deep bite marks.

"Hey, Addicus!" Kaynar greeted the ape cheerfully. "How did the test flight on your sky-raper go?"

"We're NOT calling it that!" Scolded Vultaire.

Addicus ignored Kaynar as he stomped past him, heading straight for Vultaire. His PCom hovered in front of his face. Addicus swatted it flat between his palms like an insect, smashing the device.

"What the shit?! That was brand-new!" Vultaire cried as his PCom fell to the floor in pieces and the information screens in front of Mordax and Vulatire instantly went dead and dissipated.

With one hand Addicus exhaled a pained grunt as he shoved the entire project and the equipment attached aside, leaving no obstructions between his rage and the cause thereof. He ripped the power tools out of Vultair's hands and then the safety goggles off his face. "Why didn't you pick up?" Addicus asked slowly, fists clenched and nostrils flaring as he inhaled deep, angry breaths.

Vultaire raised a brow at him. "What happened to you?"

"HOO! Not that you give a shit, but RATS and CATS; THAT'S what happened!" Addicus shouted, slamming his fist against his chest once for emphasis. He reached for Vultaire's throat. "Lousy cock; I'm going to wear your gizzard for a-"

"General Kaynar! General Vultaire!" The lizard, Lieutenant burst into the room.

Mordax looked to the ceiling and exhaled a frustrated sigh. "Ratilla's ghost! Come in! Make some more noise!" He sneered aloud, though mostly to himself.

Kaynar looked to the young lizard with his usual crazed smile. "Where's the fire, Lieutenant?"

"General" He lowered his scaly head in respect, "The terrier alpha is hailing for you again."

Kaynar exhaled an exaggerated sigh, slumping his shoulders. "Good gods, she can't take a hint. What does that mutt bitch want now?"

"It's urgent; she says she spotted a cat."

"Ooooh! I better look in on this." Kaynar immediately threw his axe over his shoulder and left. "Later, Lieu, later roomies!"

Vultaire's eye twitched in annoyance. He looked to the young lizard. "Wait a minute; if YOU'RE Slithe's Lieutenant why did he leave ME in command while he's away?"

The lower ranking lizard flashed Vultaire a confused look. I'm not general Slithe's lieutenant.* Lieutenant Skelas accompanied him to the Black Pyrmid. He's second in command."

"Slithe ADDRESSES to you as "Lieutenant". Kaynar just addressed you as Lieutenant." Vultaire recalled, an overtone of annoyance in his voice.

"My name is Lieutenant. I'm just a private in rank, sir." The young lizard explained.

Vulatire rubbed his temples a moment to sooth an oncoming headache. "Your name is-? Your NAME is…? Get out of my sight!" Vultaire ordered, but quickly recalled something important. "Wait!" He stopped Lieutenant from walking off. "Someone spotted cats near the castle?"

"So much for the security system you've ben "slaving" over."Addicus scoffed. "Lion-O made me crash your sky-cutter; I'll need it fixed."

"Wh-What?!"

"It's totaled." He added, smirking at the vulture's expense. "You may have to start from square one. Serves you right."

"You STUPID ham-fisted-"

Addicus shoved him backwards. "Say something else, old buzzard. I DARE you."

Lieutenant motioned for them to settle down. "Whoa, let's not-"

The lights dimmed. Alarms blared overhead, flashing an ominous red. The ear-splitting noise forced everyone to a halt.

"Now what?!"

"We're under attack, generals!" Mordax informed them, reviewing a backup holo-screen. "Two warbots are down!"

"This is an outrage!" Vultaire cried. "How long must I DROWN in incompetency?!" He looked to the others. "Lieutenant, damn your parents; rally the other lizards. Trap the pesky cats and then drag them to the morgue. I'll deal with them from there. Mordax, stay online. You know what to do. Addicus, go rot in a hole. If you'll excuse me." With that, the tech returned to his work.

"Right away, sir". Lieutenant saluted the avian general then rushed off to join his comrades on the grounds.

Addicus winced in pain as he tried to throw a punch at Vultaire, but failed to physically extend his arm. "Hoo—As soon as my ribs stop being broken-" He exhaled a deep, threatening snort.

Meanwhile (roughly twenty minutes after episode 6 part 3 started…)

"So far so good…" Tygra assessed inwardly, looking over his shoulder. Below, in the distance Cheetara systematically targeted the warbots. She herself zipped about invisible, but the destruction she left in her path was a sight to behold. He couldn't help but grin in amusement at the lizards and dogs colliding into each other as they tried to defend themselves and their base from the invisible enemy. "That's my girl."

Tygra looped his whip chord to a ledge overhead and pulled upward. Tygra peered inside the red eyes of the castle. Vultaire and Addicus appeared to be arguing over something. "Have they detected me already?" He wondered inwardly. "Have to speed this up…"

Tygra clawed his way onto the highest tower. The black fumes pumping rapidly out of the steel smokestacks reeked of burning flesh and hair. The stench made Tygra's eyes and nose water. Finally the smoke dissipated. Using his whip as a safety line once again, he covered his mouth and nostrils with his shirt before crawling down the shadowy cylinder.

There was a loud boom and a crash; the exact cause of which Tygra couldn't pin point (perhaps another fireball had been launched.) His whip shook loose. He lost his footing and fell straight down. Tygra exhaled a pained "OMPH!" as he crashed through a hot metal grate, landing on his hands and knees. A cloud of ashy dust filled the thin, dry air upon impact. Tygra couldn't help but choke. He covered his mouth as his dusty cough echoed off the metal walls. Very little light shined through a slotted window on a door just a few feet ahead. His eyes could make out a few details; a small, simple square enclosure. Tygra quickly realized as he stood the floor and walls felt quite hot. He hopped about, tender flesh of his paws burning against the scolding metal.

"Holy Jaga; I'ts a crematorium!" He exclaimed inwardly in terror, scrambling for the door. He hissed, recoiling as his fingertips were scolded upon the touch. Tygra soldiered through the pain, desperately ramming the door with his shoulder harder and harder until finally the lock on the outside gave way.

Tygra flopped out, still choking. He blew on his blistered hands and feet until the burning sensation faded enough to be tolerable. "What is this place?" He looked about the large scarcely lit room in fear someone had heard his less than graceful entrance.

The floor appeared to be empty; no lizards or any other enemy species in sight. Tygra searched onward, careful not to move any furniture or equipment. He jumped, started as he walked into a simian skeleton on display causing him to stumble over several other various animal skeletons. Judging from the disturbing number of unholy looking surgical tools and anatomy charts everywhere he assumed this was a medical bay of some kind, but found it odd no injured soldiers were about. "I have to make my way to the dungeon. They must be holding Lion-O there." He told himself. He came across a heavy steel door, latched shut, but left carelessly unlocked.

Curiosity got the better of the tiger. He let out a grunt as he struggled to pry the thick door open. A cold gust of air leaked out. Tygra sighed with relief. After just crawling out of an oven the icy air felt great. An automatic light illuminated the room. Tygra shivered a bit as he inspected the interior; his body invisible, but his breath still noticeable in the cold air. He observed that the walls divided into many drawers stacked on top of one another.

Tygra opened one drawer and peered inside only to find a dead, frozen rat guardsmen on his back. Unnerved by the sight, he quickly slammed the drawer shut. "I need to get out of here…" He was about to turn for the exit when a thick glass jar shattered over the top of his head from behind.

Tygra let out a violent snarl as a lung full of diethyl ether vapors swept into his nose. He noticed the blood from the wound on his head dripping down a vibrant red. He was no longer invisible!

He turned around to find a spindly hen in the doorway, gasping in terror at the woozy tiger. She held up an unbroken jar of ether, ready to defend herself. "Stay back!" She warned, though it sounded more like pleading.

"Wh-who the Hell are-?" Tygra stumbled forward, trailing off as the fumes immediately began to cloud his head. The world around him started to spin. He collapsed at the hen's feet. Dr. Ossifra squawked, startled. "Oh dear!" She backed away, lifting her skirt so not to let the hem soak in the blood leaking from the unconscious cat's scalp. To be sure he stayed on the floor she smashed the other jar of ether over his head then raced off for the direction of her husband's lab.

Meanwhile; on the outskirts of the Castle grounds; minutes before episode 6, part 3 began…

"Castle Plund-Darr is just on the other side." Vyrmin pointed to the top of a short, but craggy mountainside.

"I know where I am now." Lion-O announced, looking about his surroundings. "Good work, colonel." He removed the young rat from his shoulders and gently placed him on the ground. "Wait here while I find Tygra and Cheetara. We'll climb up together when we get back." He started to run off

"Whoa, WHOA! Halt!" Vyrmin protested.

Lion-O skidded to a stop. "What's wrong?"

"We never agreed to involve your whole pride! You and I will engage the enemy; NO more cats!" He refused, whiskers twitching.

"But we NEED the back up."

"Speak for yourself!" Vyrmin jumped, grabbing onto a large piece of exposed thundrainium on the mountainside; which he used to pull himself up to Lion-O's eye level. "You don't call the shots!" He informed the lion, pointing his thumb to his chest. "I'M Ratilla's blood-heir and this is MY territory! We do this MY way or we do it as separate units and you can fend for yourself!" He jumped onto the next hunk of exposed thundrainium, leaving Lion-O below on the ground.

Lion-O exhaled a frustrated sigh, running his claws through his mane as he watched the stubborn rat pup scamper higher and higher. "Whiskers, is that what I sound like sometimes?"

"Schnarf-"

"Quiet, you." Lion-O scolded his pet before climbing up after Vyrmin. "Would you stop and listen a minute?" Lion-O begged, reaching for his tail.

"NO!" Vyrmin slipped out of his reach just in time.

"My brother can be a jerk sometimes, but-"

"No kidding!" Vyrmin strained to pull himself onto the next level before Lion-O dove to yank him off the cliff side. "I saw what he did to poor *Dam Ratlauer!"

"I'm sorry about that- Hey!" Lion-O blocked his face with his forearm to block the rubble and dust Vyrmin kicked in his face as he scampered higher.

"Don't apologize to ME! Tell your brother to apologize to Dam Ratlauer!" He scolded the lion over his shoulder. Something occurred to the young rat. "Wait… your squire is your brother?"

"He's adopted!" Snarling, Lion-O leapt vertically, digging his claws into the hard rock. He missed Vyrmin by only a few inches.

"Du-uh! Lions don't come in stripes!"

"RAOW! Hold still!" Lion-O snagged Vyrmin by the nape of his neck and yanked him downward. Vyrmin squeaked, kicking in protest. He held Vyrmin outward, dangling him high over the hard ground below. "You can cooperate with me or I can drop you." He reasoned with the pup.

"You don't have the-SQUEAK!"

Lion-O released him. Vyrmin cried out, flailing for something to grab onto as Lion-O allowed him to drop a few feet before snatching him up once again. "What's that?" He teased with a smirk.

"Fine…" The pup pouted; crossing his arms. "I'm listening."

"Tygra can be a jerk," The lion lord repeated. "BUT my father had much more faith in his combat skills for a reason. He's as stealthy as he is jerky. We need him. Cheetara moves lightning fast and hits hard. We need her too. I don't know where they are, but I can hail for them. It's too risky to do it this close to Castle Plun-Darr. Just TRUST me and wait here five minutes. I'll be right back."

Vyrmin shifted uncomfortably. "I- I don't-"

An explosion on the other side shook the mountain. Lion-O nearly lost grip of both his hold on Vyrmin and the rocks supporting him. He tossed the colonel onto a safe ledge. They raced to climb to the top. There on high grounds they could see Castle Plun-Darr and the commotion surrounding it. Flames engulfed two fallen war bots. Dog and lizard foot soldiers choked on the smoke. They rallied as some kind of invisible force collided with a third warbot. It exploded, crumbling into a dismantled heap. The same invisible force knocked foot soldiers out cold on its way to the next war bot.

"I don't know what I'm seeing, but it's bloody amazing." Vyrmin confessed, standing on his toes to get a better look. "What's going on down there?"

Lion-O drew his sword. "We're in luck. I think Tygra and Cheetara may have beaten us to the punch." He motioned to charge. Let's go!" He raced down the mountainside, snarling.

"Hey! I was supposed to-" Vyrmin's face scrunched into a jealous scowl. "Glory hog…" With a hiss he drew his sais and ran head first into the fray with Lion-O.

A/n: I'm getting married October 17th! It's actually coming together after months of preparing YAAAAY! *cough now that that's out of the way. I lied; this will be a five parter ^^; long chapter is already long. Curse you villain dialogue! I love it so much though. I promise the conclusion is coming plus more action and just plain bizarreness you're used to from me by now.

I have a few new followers I noticed. Cool beans. Hope I don't drive you away at any point. Now for foot notes.

*"Hey Vultaire, did you know your wife gets off on dead bodies?" Is a reference to Episode 4; Sick Pack specifically an experience Kaynar had with Dr. Ossifra in the death chute while she worked as a missionary at the Hound Hill Assylum during his incarceration there as a pup. Small fictional world, hu?

* The "unnamed lizard Lieutenant" being named Lieutenant originally stemmed from a joke told when my younger sister and I used to adlib through the episodes. Then once I bought a UK Thundercats 2011 comic that featured a lizard lieutenant named "Skelas" who looked nothing like the unnamed lieutenant from the show. So I decided the joke had to fit in somewhere.

*Dam is just a term for a breeding female used by rat breeders (I just recently bought two pet rats and learned a whole bunch of stuff… for instance people breed different breeds of rats lol) anyways, for the sake of this furry 3rd earth rodent society I'm using the term "dam" in place of "Mrs" In case anyone was thrown off by that

Still leaving everyone hanging; but I kind of like these shorter chapters. Maybe I should just learn when enough is enough with villain dialogue lol. Thanks again for reading old and new readers alike. You're awesome.