Hey, readers and Swat Kat fans!
Thank you for all the support I've received with this story; I didn't expect this story to get so much attention when I started it, but it has only pushed me to write more! I hope you enjoy this chapter, which takes place two weeks after the last chapter, and involves Max getting assimilated into his new life, and we see some other Swat Kat characters!
Favorite, follow and Review, and enjoy the chapter!
Note: I do not own Elton John or David Letterman Stranger Things in ANY way, shape or form.
The Kamerakat:
Max POV:
About two weeks after arriving in the Kat world, Max woke up on the couch, and for the first time since he'd arrived, didn't freak out when he didn't recognize the setting around him.
Well after Jake and Chance had gone to sleep the night before, the human had lay awake on his makeshift bed for a while, contemplating what was probably his new life if he didn't find a way home. He often did this every night, so it wasn't something new, but he found it scary how comfortable he was starting to get used to his situation. Trapped in a world of humanoid kats, while also being in the past, most likely helping the two feline mechanics run the salvage yard whenever they weren't off playing hero, and forever an outcast that would be forced to hide from other kats. Not to mention he'd probably never see Ellie, Jessica, Mama, or the rest of his family ever again.
But at least he didn't have to pay back any student loans, so that was a plus.
However, humor did little to diminish the severity of the situation, and he wondered if he'd ever get used to this new world he was thrust into. Probably; most humans moved on after drastic situations, but it was still sad, knowing that he'd probably never graduate college, never get married and have kids, and would never get to enjoy the little things that make life worth living. Of course, there was still the small chance that he was still dreaming; perhaps in a coma at a hospital, but he doubted it.
Of course, there was still some getting used to living with Jake and Chance. Even though they were smart, they were still kats, and the first time Jake accidentally coughed up a hairball, Max had rushed to the bathroom and thrown up, confusing the two felines. It was also freaky whenever they used their retractable claws to open tin cans of tuna instead of a can opener, and it was still weird seeing their tails swishing around. However, he figured that they probably found some things about him odd, but they didn't say anything, so he said nothing as well.
Besides the species difference , there was also the time gap; technically, the two Swat Kats were born in the early 1970's, and he was born in 2000, so it took a while for them to get on the same page when it came to lingo, history, and pop culture references (which was hard, since the kat universe had different names for famous people, songs, TV shows and movies). Even though he'd probably never get to see the end of Stranger Things, at least he could watch Apaw-lo 13, starring Tomcat Hanks, or The Drew Calico Show (which were both the same as their human counterparts, but with more fur).
Max sighed. "Could be worse, though." That was what his dad had taught him before he died; suck it up and move on, since it won't get better if you don't get off your ass and make it better. Yeah, it could be worse, but only if you let it, and the ex-college student decided that he wouldn't let it get worse. Although, he was grateful that out of all the places to appear in this universe, he ended up meeting two kats that were kind enough to help him; he could've ended up someplace worse, like the middle of the ocean or in some mad scientist's lab.
He heard an alarm go off in one of the rooms down the hall, startling him from his thoughts; it looked like the two kats would soon be up and working. Good thing, too; he was nearly getting close to thinking about his dad, who had died years ago when-
"Chance, wake up," he heard Jake yell, followed by the sound of knocking on a door.
"Five more minutes," came a muffled reply.
"Fine, but if you're not up in five minutes-"
"Yeah, yeah, you'll dump a bucket of water on me; don't twist your whiskers out of joint!"
"What a little ray of sunshine." The small kat soon walked into the living room, still in his pajamas, noticing that Max was already awake. "You're up early," the cinnamon kat commented, going towards the refrigerator. "You've slept in everyday for the past couple weeks."
"Yeah," the teen answered simply, sitting up on the couch, stretching and yawning a little.
"Gotta lot on your mind?"
"Do I ever," the human grumbled, accepting the glass of water that the kat offered him.
"We know how you feel; Chance and I once got trapped in the past, twice, actually, and even once in the future. It can be disorienting, suddenly finding yourself in a place and time that's unfamiliar to you, but we'll help you adjust." Jake took a gulp of his own milk.
"Wait… you guys… have time travel in this universe," Max asked, gaping at the kat.
"Of course! Well, the Pastmaster has this magic watch that create portals; scientists haven't really figured out how to travel through time yet. Does time travel exist in your universe?"
"Magic doesn't even exist in my universe," the teen replied, "nor does time travel, except in works of fiction. But this Pastmaster guy… do you think he's the one that brought me-"
"I doubt it; he only works with time, and can only move through this universe. We've never had anyone come here before from another dimension or universe before." The two fell silent for a few moments before the kat finally asked, "Do you think somekat on your end created a portal?"
"I doubt it," the human mimicked, "unless someone's been keeping it a secret, but even if someone did create it on my end, wouldn't it have appeared in whatever lab they'd been working in? And why would they send me here?"
"Now how should I know? I'm just a pilot and a mechanic, not a scientist. Speaking of which," the cinnamon kat went back down the hallway, reappearing a few minutes later with the teen's laptop. "I got all the water out, and I repaired some damaged circuits; it should work just fine now."
"Thanks!" The human quickly opened the laptop, relieved when it turned on, and he quickly logged on, bringing up the familiar background, which was a picture of him and his family at a Natural Reserve in the Panhandle. There was no internet, but the young man knew that even if there was internet, he doubted that any of his search engines would work. He found the paper he was working on earlier, still half-completed, and wondered if he'd ever get to turn it in. Besides that, everything seemed pretty intact.
"This is pretty impressive work, especially since this was manufactured in 2018," Max commented, searching his folders to find all of his data still there. "How're you so good with this stuff?"
"Easy. My dad was an engineer growing up, so I picked up most of what he knew from a young age. Of course, I knew I wanted to be a pilot since I was four, so I combined the two, building model airplanes as a kid before building my first car when I was fifteen. After high school, I enrolled in the Enforcer Air Academy, and that's where I met Chance." The kat went to the cabinets, grabbing some cereal and bowls for breakfast. "Frosted Wafers?"
"Yep." The day after he'd arrived, he'd gone over basic food and stuff humans needed to survive with the two jags, and they graciously got him the requested food from the store. Fortunately, they had normal human food like pizza, chips, soda and so on, but some of them had odd fish-flavored toppings, so the teen had to be careful what he ate. They'd also gotten him some clothes from a thrift store, which were clearly very Nineties, and he had to patch the holes in the pants since he had no tail (but he could not do so with the underwear). However, any clothes were better than wearing the same outfit for the rest of his life, so he graciously accepted them.
He wore the old mechanic jumpsuit Chance had given him when he helped the two felines around the garage and salvage yard, doing menial tasks to help make their jobs a little easier. Part of it was out of pity for the two kats' predicament, but it was also partly him trying to keep himself busy and distracted from the mental torment of possibly being stuck here forever.
Jake nodded, pouring a bowl for each of them. "Of course," he continued, "we were the best in the Academy; we even graduated early and got assigned to the top Enforcer squad in the city, our parents were so proud. I focused on weapons and, of course, engineering, while Chance focused on flying. He's the best pilot in Megakat city."
"But of course," the human commented, accepting the bowl of sugary cereal, "no one really knows that, since you disguise yourselves when you go out and do your Swat stuff."
"Yeah," the small kat sighed, taking a bite of his own cereal, sitting in the nearby chair. "When we first got sent here, after getting booted from the Enforcers, it felt like the end of the world. Flying was our passion, our purpose in life, and without it, we were almost lifeless. Fortunately, we quickly discovered that there were enough scraps and old parts around here to build our own jet, so that's what we did; we called it the Turbokat, and we called ourselves the Swat Kats. Of course, we couldn't just go public with this; we were banned from flying anywhere until we paid off the debt, so we became the Swat Kats. Protector of the innocent, fighting against injustice in Megakat City."
"That's pretty cool," Max finally said, taking a break from his cereal. "You two basically built a plane out of old scraps? I don't think any human's ever done that! But what about those missiles I saw on TV?"
"Built them ourselves. We also have a Cyclotron, which is a motorcycle, the Thunder Truck, an armored truck, and an array of weapons and guns as well."
"Damn, what kinda stuff do y'all find in this scrap yard to allow for this?"
"Plenty, especially since all the old Enforcer weapons and vehicles eventually end up here." The cat looked at a clock on the wall. "It's nearly been five minutes."
"Are you really gonna dump a bucket of water on Chance?"
Jake chuckled. "Nah; you only make that mistake once! But I found out something else that's just as effective." The kat cleared his throat, turned towards the hallway, and shouted, "HEY, CHANCE! SCAREDY KAT IS ON!"
A door slammed open in the hallway, and a second later, a large blond blur ran into the living room, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts.
"REALLY?!" the brawny kat asked excitedly, searching the screen of the small TV for the beloved cartoon. He looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, given the matted and unruly fur that covered his body; Max now noticed that the cat also had brown stripes on his arms. "Where is it?! I didn't know it came on this early!"
The cinnamon tabby laughed at his friend's reaction, and the teen couldn't help grinning and chuckling as well. Chance, upon realizing that his partner was just pulling his tail, whirled on his friend, an annoyed look on his face. "WHY YOU LITTLE-"
"Would you have preferred a bucket of water," Jake asked innocently.
"Yeah," Chance said indignantly, crossing his arms. "What a cruddy trick to pull! How would you like it if I lied about David Litterbin being on?"
"I would know that you were just pulling my tail, seeing how early it is in the morning," the small tabby replied, turning back to his cereal. Meanwhile, Max had realized that they were probably talking about their version of David Letterman, but decided to keep silent.
Chance stood nearby, still looking miffed, but he didn't seem to get any more upset, staring at the two as they ate breakfast. As soon as Jake finished his cereal, the large kat grabbed him in a headlock, causing the feline's empty bowl and spoon to clatter to the ground.
"HEY," the cinnamon kat yelled indignantly, trying to break free from the large kat's grip.
"Say 'Uncle,'" the brawny kat grinned, smiling and starting to give the smaller feline a noogie.
"Cut it out, dude," Jake said, trying to wriggle free.
"Say it!"
Suddenly, Jake flipped upward, twisting out of the kat's grip, landing on his shoulders and holding the brawny feline in his own headlock as he started to give his friend a noogie. "Not until you say it!"
"Woah!" Max simply gaped at the two creatures, surprised by the sudden display of acrobatics; especially considering how much stronger Chance looked compared to Jake. He'd never had older brothers before, but he figured that if he did, they would probably act just like the two tabbies before him.
"HEY," the large kat cried indignantly, staggering around as the smaller kat continued to give him a noogie, both of them laughing. Eventually, the blond and brown-striped kat gave in, yelling the required family term, and the cinnamon kat relented, jumping off Chance's shoulder with a little flip, landing on his feet. The burly kat grinned, flipping over the couch and landing in the seat next to Max.
" … Did y'all take gymnastics at some point in your lives," the teen queried, staring at the two creatures in shock. He wanted to know if they trained to be that athletic, or if it was a natural ability that all kats possessed.
The brawny kat chuckled. "No, but Academy training was no walk in the park, I'll tell you that! Plus, we've also been doing our own training in the past few years as Swat Kats." He turned to Jake. "Heh, still feels weird sayin' that out loud, huh buddy?"
"Yeah," Jake replied, smiling a little. "Who'da thought that the day some one found out our secret would come so soon, and be from another dimension?" They both looked at the human, who trembled a little under their calculating gazes.
"Again," the young man said, a little nervous, "I'm not gonna tell anyone, so this better not turn into those things where you kill me to keep your secret safe."
The two felines laughed at that. "Nah, we ain't murderers; we're the good guys, remember," Jake said kindly. "Besides, it kinda feels good, bein' able to talk about this stuff out loud with somekat besides Scaredy Kat here."
"I take that as a compliment," the blond kat said, smiling proudly, looking over at the clock and standing up. "We better get to work soon, though. Another day, another paycheck into Feral's pocket!"
"Yeah, but you might want to put some clothes on," Max commented, indicating to the smiley-face boxers the kat wore. "Unless you intend on making your work brief!"
"Thanks, buddy." Chance went over to the cabinets, making his own bowl of cereal, resolving to get the teen back as Jake and the human cackled with laughter.
..
Twenty minutes later, the three mechanics were out in the garage, working around the large space. Jake and Chance worked on a car, fixing something under the hood, while Max sat nearby, sorting and organizing a large pile of screws, gears, and other assorted parts. He picked up each piece, putting them in a separate can depending on what the item was. It was an easy job, but a time-consuming one, but the teen listened to music to pass the time.
Suddenly, a honking noise sounded outside, and the three garage occupants immediately stiffened, turning towards the source of the noise.
"Table," Jake said quickly, and the human jumped off the stool, running towards a folding table with a tarp thrown over the top and hiding under it. It was a way for Max to stay hidden, but also be able to hear what was happening outside. Plus, there was a tiny hole that he could see the visitors come and go without being seen, so he wasn't completely in the dark.
This was the ninth time in the past week he had to hide under the table, but the teen was willing to bet it was either that Callie Briggs Deputy Mayor or that cranky old kat lady who was always complaining. He doubted it was Burke and Murray; they usually didn't come until later on in the day (Chance claimed it was because they always slept in until 2 PM, but he couldn't prove it.) Back in the garage, a vehicle that reminded Max of a news van pulled into the empty spot, and the two kat mechanics went over to greet its occupants.
"Aren't you that News chick," Chance asked, pretending not to recognize the amiable she-kat that often followed the Swat Kats' escapades. Nodding, she climbed out of the passenger seat, followed by the driver.
"Yes, Ann Gorra, Kats Eye News. This is Johnny, my camerakat," the reporter replied.
"'Sup," the kat said brightly, the overhead light reflecting off his shades.
"Nice to meet you," Jake replied, smiling, though he was secretly worried if the news had somehow caught whiff of the teen appearing in their salvage yard and were here to investigate. "We're Jake and Chance. Can we help you with anything?"
"Yes. Our van seems to be approaching its last leg after that recent Dr. Viper attack yesterday." She motioned to the many dings and dents on the car, as well as the still warm hood, which smoked a little. "We need it in working condition before some other villain strikes again, so we can be the first on the scene."
"No problem," Chance replied, popping the hood of the truck and peering in. "Ooh! Ya shoulda come in sooner; this baby needs a ton of work! This might take awhile, along with fixing the dents and nicks. Got a ride back to town?"
"We're not going back to the city," the tan camerakat spoke up. "We're interviewing some farmer with an apple orchard; the station wanted Ann to take a break from nearly dying every time she tries to follow the Swat Kats, since she's our top reporter."
"Johnny," the she-kat snapped, giving the two mechanics an embarrassed grin. "Besides, I need the break; with all these monsters and villains, it can get exhausting pretty fast! The farm's not far from here, so we're just planning on walking."
"Fine," Jake commented. "We should be done in about three hours, so come back then."
"Will do! Thanks, guys!"
"No problem! We'd hate for you to miss reporting the Swat Kats' future antics," the large blond kat added.
A quickly stifled laugh erupted from nearby, and the four kats froze, looking around the garage.
"What was that," the reporter asked, her inquisitive nature piqued.
"Uhh… probably the air conditioning; it's been acting up lately as well," the cinnamon kat lied, his friend quickly nodding in agreement. "But you two better get going; you don't want to miss your interview."
"You're right! Johnny, grab your camera!" The two kats quickly grabbed their equipment from the van, rushing outside, heading towards the road.
As soon as they'd left, the brawny mechanic strode over to the tarp-covered table, tearing the fabric up.
"Way to keep a low profile to avoid getting discovered," he growled, glaring at the teen as the boy crawled out from beneath the table. "Especially with somekat as relentless as Ann Gora; she once disguised herself as a miner and sneaked into an underground Agracite mine just to find out why workers were disappearing!"
"I'm sorry," Max snickered, smiling a little. "It's just… you say stuff like that, and it's like flirting with getting your identities discovered! How often do y'all do that?"
"Not often," Jake assured him, turning back to the news van. "Now let's get back to work, you two characters; that engine may need to be replaced entirely."
..
They resumed their work, the two kats now working on the van while the human continued to sort the bits and pieces at the workbench. Fortunately, his music helped distract him, though Chance and Jake didn't seem to care much for his 'future music;' they only recognized a few oldies that came on like Elton John or the Beatles (they had the same names in this universe, and Max figured that some things transgressed the boundaries of space and time).
The two mechanics worked on the engine and the outside of the van, fixing whatever was broken and making the car look like it was brand new. They often left to grab some sort of tool or device from the other garage or a piece of used machinery to build a new engine from the salvage yard, but Max stayed in his seat, sorting the seemingly endless pieces.
About an hour or so later, he dropped a large gear, which rolled underneath the news van.
"Shit. Chance? Jake? Can one of y'all get that," the boy asked, not wanting to crawl underneath the car. Upon hearing silence, he turned to see that the two kat friends were gone; probably getting some equipment or metal for the van. For a second, he considered leaving the metal bit there, figuring the two wouldn't notice, but he eventually gave in, his good nature betraying him as he remembered what the two kats had done for him.
The teen sighed, paused his music and got off his stool and crawled under the van, searching for the elusive piece. After a minute of searching, he found it, but then heard something that made him freeze where he lay, preventing him from leaving the bottom of the van.
"Jake? Chance? Are ya in here?"
It was that kamerakat from earlier, the one with the single lens Nineties sunglasses. Max froze where he was, hoping beyond hope that the kat didn't notice him. However, it was at that moment he realized that his feet were still sticking out from underneath the van.
"Oh there you are," Johnny exclaimed, walking over to the pair of feet. "Chance? Is that you? Ann finished early and sent me back to check on the van's progress and grab her purse for her. Is it goin' okay?"
"Uh… yeah," the human said in a pretty passable impression of the large kat. He continued to lay underneath the van, hoping the other kat would just leave. "Goin' okay. Still got about an hour left, though, so I'd come back later."
"Oh… okay." The tan kat wasn't exactly sure why Chance was still under the van while talking to him, but he figured it probably had to do with the vehicle's repair. "By the way, do ya know anyplace nearby we might stop for lunch?"
The teen winced, unsure of what to say. "Uh… not really; Jake and I usually go out to eat in the City." He bit his lip, praying that the kat would swallow the BS story and leave.
"Okay… We'll find someplace… See you in an hour."
"Thanks," Max replied, and saw the kat walk away, out of the open garage door. He waited a few moments before crawling back out, just to make sure the kat was gone. Sighing with relief at that near miss, he went back to his music, pressing play and resuming his work. About a minute later, however, he heard the mechanics walk back into the room.
"Chance?" The boy paused his music, going around the side of the van. "Jake? Where were you? You will not believe what just-"
He froze, staring in the frightened eyes of the kamerakat.
Johnny POV:
Johnny was tired from walking all the way from the orchard, but he was relieved to see one of the mechanics working on their van when he walked into the scrap yard garage. He chatted a little with the kat, who seemed a little stiff, but still nice.
"By the way," Johnny asked, peering at the pair of boots underneath the car, "do ya know anyplace nearby we might stop for lunch?"
The kat was silent for a few moments before answering, still hiding underneath the news van. "Uh… not really; Jake and I usually go out to eat in the City."
"Okay…" Now Johnny was confused; even if Chance and Jake didn't eat near the scrap yard, surely they knew someplace nearby since they lived in the area? And there was something a little off with the kat's voice, the kamerakat noticed, and he almost seemed anxious for him to leave. "We'll find someplace… See you in an hour."
"Thanks." The tan kat walked out of the garage, giving one last look at the pair of shoes poking out from under the van. Still with an uneasy feeling, and realizing that he forgot Ann's purse, he hid behind a pile of scraps near the entrance instead of continuing back, removing his sunglasses to get a better view of the kat.
For about a minute or two, the feet remained underneath the news car, still and unresponsive; Johnny couldn't even hear the noises of the van being fixed, which was odd. Then, the figure slowly pushed himself out from underneath the car, and the kamerakat's mouth dropped open in shock as a kat didn't emerge.
Whatever it was, it didn't have any fur; it had pale skin that he assumed covered its whole body, but it was wearing a mechanic's jumpsuit that covered its arms and legs. It looked almost like a kat, when it came to its face and anatomy, but its nose and ears were shaped differently, and it didn't have any whiskers on its face. The only hair it did have was on top of its head; it was a rusty red that was slightly mussed and askew. Upon further examination, the kat started a little when he realized that the creature didn't have a tail.
The tan kat watched as the monster walked over to a bench piled high with metal bits and pieces, placing the piece in his hand in a nearby jar. It tapped some rectangular device nearby, and the kamerakat was shocked when music, kat music no less (Elton John, if he remembered correctly), started to play, filling the garage with the sound. The creature smiled, humming a little to the song as he started to sort the metal bits nearby.
Johnny stared at the alien being with awe, unsure of what to do; he was already restraining himself to not run away screaming. Even though he lived in Megakat city, and it seemed there was always some new monster threat every week, he was still shocked whenever something new appeared. However, part of him told him that this was newsworthy, and that Ann would want him to get this seemingly intelligent life on camera. He cursed himself for leaving his camera back at the orchard, but he remembered that there was a backup in the van, and that the side door was open. Shooting a look at the alien, he slowly crept towards the car, not sure of how good the creature's hearing was, but relieved when it didn't turn around.
Reaching the van, he quickly climbed in, scanning the equipment for his spare camera. The kat finally spotted it behind the passenger seat. Putting his sunglasses back on (it was a habit of his whenever he filmed anything), he picked up the camera, making sure that it worked and that a tape was in it. Straightening up, he realized that the music outside in the garage had stopped playing. Whirling around, he saw the creature standing in the van doorway, as shocked and scared as he was.
They both screamed and fell backwards; Johnny hitting his head against the car interior as his sunglasses and camera fell to the floor, and the monster fell back onto the ground of the garage. The creature, however, quickly scrambled to its feet, and the tan kat backed into the interior of the car.
"Don't eat me," he shouted, picking up his camera and hoisting it like a baseball bat. "I-I'm armed!"
"I'm not gonna eat you," the thing said in perfect English, which immediately made the camerakat freeze, shocked that it had understood him; judging by its voice, it sounded young, maybe a teenager, and male. "You're that camera guy I saw earlier; the one that works for that news lady. Ann something?"
"G-G-Gorra," Johnny answered, trying to figure out what this was and why it spoke English. "And I… I'm Johnny."
"Nice to meet you," the creature said, smiling a little (the kat noticed that it didn't have sharp teeth like kats). "My name's Max. I'm a human from an alternate dimension 24 years in the future."
The kat gaped at the human. It made sense that the creature was from another dimension, given his eccentric appearance, but from the future?! That seemed the most unbelievable part of the whole story. The kamerakat flinched a little as the human reached out, picking up the single lens sunglasses.
"Wow," the teen commented holding up the glasses to his face. "These are crazy! Why is it just one lens? It that just a Nineties thing, or is it because your faces are shaped differently than mine?"
"I… I don't really know. I've had that pair since college."
"I'm a college student right now… or at least I was until I got transported here. I still have no idea how I got to this Earth or how to get home, but Jake and Chance are letting me stay here until I do." He took off the glasses, holding them out for the kat to take, which he did, though a little tentatively. "Sorry for pretending to be Chance earlier; I was looking for a piece that rolled under the car, and you happened to show up while they were gone. I think they're off getting some parts or something to fix the car, but I didn't hear them leave."
"It-It's okay," Johnny replied, still a little nervous, but also a little intrigued by this human creature and his story. He couldn't imagine getting trapped in another dimension with no way home, and figured he'd probably hide until he could go home, just like the teen. He slowly got to his feet. "So you have no idea how you got here?"
"Nope, and believe me, I was just as freaked out as you were when I first met Jake and Chance. Also, just so you know, I don't eat Kats, and I don't have any superpowers or hidden abilities, though I can curl my tongue into a three-leaf clover!" He opened his mouth and demonstrated the trick.
"Um… okay?" This human being sure was strange, but at least he appeared friendly.
"Oh and also, you can't film me," Max added, pointing at the camera the kat still held.
"W-What?"
"You see, I'm trying to keep a low profile here, and seeing as how your city keeps getting attacked by some whacky villain or monster every week, Jake, Chance and I though it would be best if I stay hidden, for my own safety." The human scratched his head. "So… I'm gonna need that camera, or at least its tape."
"I didn't film you," Johnny answered honestly, but he complied, popping out the tape and handing it to the human.
"Damn," the teen commented to himself, turning the black piece of plastic over in his hands, "I haven't seen one of these since I was a kid! These'll become a thing of the past in about fourteen years or so, replaced by DVDs."
"What?!"
"I know, crazy right?" The human put the tape in his jumpsuit pocket. "Now, if I were you, I'd leave before Jake and Chance come back and see you."
The tan kat blinked at him. "Why?"
"Because if they find out that someone else saw me, they probably won't let me leave the apartment except at night. They're not keeping me prisoner, if that's what you're thinking; they're just trying not to cause a panic until we can figure things out."
"How are they supposed to help you? They're mechanics!"
Max smiled, seemingly undisturbed by this fact. "I know, but if you guys regularly get monsters from other dimensions and aliens, then there should be at least one person that could help. They've called some scientists, but it's hard to find real help when they can't explain why they need help."
Johnny nodded understandingly. "Well, I'd help if I could, but I'm just film the news."
"Thanks anyway."
"But it's too bad we can't interview you," the kamerakat commented, grabbing Ann's requested purse from underneath her seat. "We could tell the world good things about you, so kats won't freak out if they see you, and you could go out in public, maybe see Megakat City. Most kats would probably like you once they find out that you won't kill them or destroy the city. Besides, somekat who could help you might step forward and offer to help you get home; Jake and Chance seem nice, but they're still mechanics, and can only do so much."
The human looked thoughtful at that, as well as tempted by the offer, but Johnny still pulled out his card, not wanting to scare the ex-student. "Here; I don't expect you to decide right now. But if you do, give me a call, and I'll tell Ann about you so we could set up an interview."
The teen stared at the card for a few moments, but eventually took it. "Thanks," he said gratefully, giving the kat a small smile. "I'll think about it. Also, will you not tell anyone else about-" He gestured to himself and the garage around them.
"Not to worry," Johnny promised, smiling as well. "Besides, I doubt anyone would believe me!"
"Yeah, but you can never be too careful!" The two stepped out of the car, the feline walking out of the garage while the human gave him a small wave. "Thanks for keeping the secret!"
"No prob, dude," the kamerakat called back, shouldering Ann's purse as he prepared for the long walk back to the orchard, but he had a lot to think about on the way.
Max, meanwhile, pocketed the small card, heading back to his seat. If there was someone out there that could help, the media would probably be the best way to reach them. But he still needed to think about it; one wrong move, and he'd either end up on some mad scientist's table or dead. Pushing the morbid thoughts from his mind, he resumed the music, going back to the task at hand.
And that's it!
Sorry if it's kinda rushed (I didn't mean for it to be), but I wanted to get this out before Midterms, but next chapter will probably focus on domestic life with Chance and Jake, and maybe Max will finally see their secret bunker and the Turbokat!
Stay tuned, favorite and follow, and leave a review if you want, and have a great day!
