Hey, Readers!

Here's Part One of the Halloween story (I'll try to finish it before Halloween, but it may be two or three parts long).

Thank you again for all the support I've received with this story; reading your reviews make my day, and I hope that you continue to support me as I continue this story!

Favorite and follow if you like, and enjoy the chapter!


Halloween- Part 1:

Chance waited patiently as Max once again threw up into the bin, slightly disgusted but sympathizing with the teen; he'd thrown up the first time he'd ridden the Aerotrim, and knew that the kid probably felt like crud.

The past couple weeks of training had been fun, at times. Sure, Max had sores and bruises from falling repeatedly or failing to block the large kat's punches, but he still pushed through. Jake had been right about him being a quick learner; he'd picked up basic self-defense quickly, and was even able to keep up with Jake on their obstacle course (they changed the course to go around the pond, since the human was still terrified of falling in).

Combat training with Chance happened in the morning (when they didn't have mechanic work), and in the evenings, Jake drilled him on the various villains and threats that regularly threatened the city, along with helping him come up with a uniform. Apparently, the cinnamon kat had made his and his friends' uniforms, and measured the teen for his own, along with designing a special helmet that would fit his head. It would take a while before he had an actual uniform, but for now, he wore shorts and a t-shirt during his regular training.

"Uurgh," the human moaned, looking up over the rim of the can. "I think… I don't think I even have anything left to throw up!"

"Yeah," the blond feline grinned, offering a hand and helping Max to his feet. "Don't worry; soon you'll work yourself up to one of the harder settings-"

"That was an easy setting," the teen asked incredulously, rubbing his forehead, which felt like it was on fire, but at least the room was no longer spinning..

"Now do you see why we waited so long before lettin' you ride it," the Swat Kat asked. The boy nodded. "But that concludes your lesson for today; time to go back to bein' wrench monkeys!"

"You have monkeys in this universe?" The two headed out of the gym area, going over to the lockers (which there were now three), quickly changing out of their gym sweats and into their mechanic jumpsuits, quickly running some deodorant under their arms.

"'Course we do, but they're either in the wild or in zoos. Do you have zoos where you're from?"

"Yep, but I don't enjoy them much; I don't like seeing animals caged and jeered at all day. Besides, there's always so much drama at zoos in my time; for example, a few years back there was this gorilla named Harambe and-"

"Hey you two," Jake interrupted, coming out of his workshop with a Glovatrix in his hands. "Before we head up, I wanted Max to try on the Glovatrix I made him."

"Really?" The teen's eyes lit up with amazement as the feline presented him with the sleek gauntlet-like weapon, which had been modified to fit his arm, as well as accounting for the five fingers he had instead of the usual four. "Wow, man, this is AMAZING!" He held up his arm, pointing the Glovatrix at a nearby punching bag. "Is it loade-"

His clenched fingers tapped a tiny button and a tiny dart shot out from the top of the glove, embedding itself in the vinyl of the punching bag. The three stared at it, surprised and amazed.

"WOAH," Max exclaimed, turning over the device to see where it came from. "What was-"

"Just a non-lethal practice dart; you still have a long way to go before you fire any missiles," the cinnamon kat explained. "But does it fit well, 'cause I can made adjustment if it-"

"It's perfect," the human complimented, taking off the glove and handing it back to the kat. "And probably the most bad-ass weapon I've ever seen!"

Jake grinned. "Thanks! Also, have you chosen a code name?"

"Yeah. What do y'all think about Lonestar?"

The two kats gave each other a look, nodding. "Sounds good," Chance commented. "How'd you come up with it?"

"Texas is known as the 'Lonestar State,'" the human explained, "since our flag features one large star on the blue third of it. You've seen that sticker on the back of my laptop?" The two felines nodded. "That's the Texas flag."

"Sounds like you're pretty proud of where you're from."

"Of course! Texas is the best state in the US, no question! The history, the food, the culture... it's a pretty awesome place to live." He looked at the bunker around him, a little saddened by the thought of his home state.

"Anyway," the smaller Swat Kat said quickly, "let's get some grub."

"Wait, isn't today Halloween," Max asked, following the two kats up the ladder. "And I swear, if one of you calls it 'Paw-lloween,' I'm gonna-"

"Calm yourself, buddy," Chance laughed, closing the secret entrance and covering it after they'd all reached ground level. "It's called Halloween here, too. Small kittens trick-or-treat, and it's also the only night that we work hand-in-hand with the Enforcers."

"Really?" Based on what the two had said about the Enforcers, the teen was surprised that the two kats, who hated Commander Feral with a passion (though they tolerated his niece Felina), would voluntarily work with him.

"Ya see," Jake explained, grabbing the cereal and bowls from the cabinet, "Halloween's not exactly a happy time during the evening. Criminals and regular kats put on masks and cause trouble, so we're asked to patrol the streets, just to make sure that the Enforcers have extra help if they need it."

"Cool." The human accepted his bowl of cereal, taking a bite of the sugary goodness, his face thoughtful. "So… can I go out as well?"

The two felines froze, Chance's bowl spilling over with milk as he and Jake stared at the young man in surprise. Max's face fell a little, a little nervous when they didn't readily agree.

"I… I mean if everyone's wearing costumes," he continued, shifting a little in his seat, "then who would notice that I'm not really a cat? Besides, I-"

"Max," Jake said softly, ready to talk but the young man quickly stood up.

"You're seriously not going to let me outside," he asked incredulously, starting to get mad at the two.

"We want you to," the cinnamon feline explained, "but if Chance and I are going to be patrol… We can't just let you roam around Megakat city alone; especially on a night like this!"

"Can't I come with you guys," the human asked a little desperately, looking between the two with pleading eyes. "Or could one of you stay home-"

"No way," Chance cut in. "We're a team; we stick together. And you can't come with us; you're far from ready to take on any bad guys, and we can't risk your safety."

Max groaned, sitting back down in his chair heavily, his heart sinking faster than the Titanic. It was so unfair; the one night he could go outside, and they won't let him out without someone to hold his hand. It was insulting, but deep down, he knew they were right; Megakat City was huge, and the Swat Kats were right about him needing-

A sudden idea entered his mind; it was crazy, and risky, but if he played his cards right…

The teen sighed in defeat, looking dejected. "Fine, I guess. When and how long will y'all be gone?"

The two kats gave the human a sympathetic look. "We told Felina we'd help from 7 until midnight."

"Okay. I'll just stay here and watch movies and stuff."

"Max-" Jake started.

"It's fine," the young man insisted, putting on a small smile. "I know you too are just trying to keep me safe. And at the end of the day, that's important. But you two owe me for this," he warned, pointing his spoon at the two.

They gave him a pair of grateful grins. "Deal."

After breakfast, they went back downstairs for more training, Max's plan forming in his head. If Jake and Chance said he couldn't go outside without someone else, he'd just have to find someone. Fortunately, he happened to have the phone number of a certain kamerakat...

..

"So… basically," Johnny started, driving the news van onto the main highway towards Megakat City, "you want me to… hang out with you for a few hours while you-"

"See the city," the human finished. "Yep."

The kamerakat shook his head disbelievingly. When he'd given the human being creature his card, he hadn't expected him to actually call, and when he didn't ask for an interview, but rather a ride, the kat had stupidly said yes, despite not getting a good story out of it. But he figured that if he wanted the human to spill his guts, he needed to earn his trust first.

"Are all 'humans' as random and as idiotic as you?"

Max smiled. "Some are worse; we have distinct personalities like you kats. In fact, based on what I've learned about your world, mine is practically identical, beside you being kats."

"Interesting. But… didn't you mention that you were from the future?"

"Yep. I was born in 2000, and it was 2019 when I got brought here."

"Brought?"

"Yep. I was walking back to my dorm, there was this flash of light… and then I somehow ended up in this universe, and Jake and Chance found me."

"Speaking of which," Johnny asked, taking the exit towards downtown, "where ARE your mechanic buddies? It's not like they have a lot going on besides hiding an alien in their home!"

"They said something about a family emergency," the teen lied, looking out the passenger window as the city grew closer, the buildings towering above him. "They said they'd be back tomorrow morning. They were going to take me, but then Jake's mother had an accident of some sort, and they both left."

"Leaving you alone," the kamerakat asked incredulously.

"Hey, I'm technically an adult," the human replied indignantly. "I'm not going to destroy the house or accidentally hurt myself! Besides, how would they explain that to their family; they already have enough to deal with as it is."

"Fine. I'm glad to show you around the city, but I do have one condition I should probably tell you know."

"Oh?"

..

Twenty minutes later, Max was shaking hands with Ann Gora, the lead reporter for Kat's Eye News.

"Nice costume," the she-kat commented, smiling kindly at the human. "What are you supposed to be?"

"Uh… it's an alien. Of my own creation."

"And is this a full body suit," the reporter asked, looking him up and down.

"Yep."

"Can I see what you look like without the-"

"No," the teen said quickly, earning him a raised eyebrow. "It… it took me about an hour to get into this getup, and I don't wanna undo all that work."

"Smooth," Johnny mouthed silently to him from behind Ann's back.

"Oh, okay. But may I at least interview you for a segment about Halloween?"

"Nah, I'm kinda camera shy."

"Fine, but you better tell me the story of your life," she insisted, turning back towards the front of the van, now sitting in the passenger seat while Max sat right behind Johnny, who was driving. "I'm surprised you never mentioned him before, Johnny; I thought I'd met all your friends."

"Just because I work with you doesn't mean you know everything about me," the kamerakat commented, driving through the streets, heading towards the bay.

"But it'll have to wait," the reporter continued, taking out some makeup from her bag and touching up her face, making herself look like a witch kat. "We have to cover the Megakat City Halloween Festival on the Boardwalk; you know, get a few shots of the kittens playing, see what every kat's costumes look like. You know, the usual small-time reporter stuff."

"Annie, give it a rest," Johnny K said calmly. "Just because it's not the Swat Kats saving the city from mutated monsters doesn't mean it's not newsworthy."

"I know," she sighed, closing her personal mirror. "It's just… I live for the thrill of chasing down big stories like that; besides, I'm the only reporter that actually gets close enough to see the action. It… it makes me feel that I'm better than those other bimbos that report the weather."

"So…" Max commented from the back, feeling a little awkward by the conversation. "You're an adrenaline junkie?"

The she-kat turned, giving him a funny look. "A what?"

"It's someon- some kat that lives for the thrills of life. They ride roller coasters, they go skydiving; they do all this crazy stuff that could kill them, but they still chose to do it because they want to. I personally wouldn't do that, but that seems like something you'd do."

The reporter shook her head, giving him a small laugh as she turned back to the front. "Johnny, your friend sure is weird, but pretty smart for a kollege kat!"

"Yeah," the kat commented, his eyes surveying the human in the backseat through the rear view mirror. "You have no idea!"

..

"Ann Gora, Kat's Eye News, with the latest from the Megakat City Boardwalk, where the 12th Annual Halloween Festival. Behind me, hundreds of kats, from kittens to those with kataracts, are enjoying the extended hours, which include plenty of fall activities for kats of all ages!"

The reporter smiled as she reported on the Festival, Johnny holding a camera up to his face, filming it live. For some odd reason, he still wore those silver single-lens sunglasses, even though the sun had set half an hour earlier. Max stood a few feet back, watching the scene; it was interesting to watch News being reported in person, especially in a world of walking and talking cat creatures.

Behind them, the Boardwalk was abuzz with activities. Stalls for food and games were set up, and costumed kat children ran around, dragging their parents with them, laughing as they played games and filled their bags with candy. Basically, it looked like a carnival, but even the Boardwalk attractions were open, the most prominent being a roller coaster that ran the length of the boardwalk. It reminded him of Pleasure Pier back on Galveston Island, and the human gave another sigh, slightly saddened by this similarity.

"Hey Max?" Johnny's voice startled him from his thoughts, and he turned towards the kamerakat. "We're all finished here; we'll go to the Festival in a few minutes, okay?"

"That's fine."

A few minutes later, after putting up their news gear, the human joined the two kats as they walked past the stalls, the smell of carnival food making their stomachs grumble. The young man got a few comments on his 'costume,' though he noticed that Johnny wasn't wearing a costume. "Any particular reason," he questioned.

"I'm just the kamerakat," the tan feline said simply, the bright lights reflecting off his silver sunglasses. "It's not like anyone'll ever see me."

"But you're not even going to get into the spirit of the holiday?"

"Just not my style."

"Kind of suspicious that you don't know this fact about Johnny, seeing as how you're supposed to be friends," Ann said suspiciously, giving him a hard glance. "Where exactly did you say you were fro-"

A kat couple wearing trench coats walking by accidentally knocked into Max, sending him to the ground.

"Watch it, freak," the male kat snapped, his voice sounding like he had a cold, quickly walking away with his wife. "And what a lame costume!"

"Jerks," he muttered, accepting Johnny's hand as the she-kat's face broke into an excited glance.

"Did you see that," she asked the two.

"See what?"

"The Metallikats! The baddest mobsters in Megakat City! That was them!"

Max inhaled sharply, remembering the Bonnie and Clyde-like couple that Jake had told him about. After escaping Alkatraz, they died, but some scientist transplanted their minds into robot bodies, and they quickly became formidable opponents. They'd even discovered the Swat Kats' identities, but their minds were fortunately wiped of that memory.

"Really," he asked, looking over at the couple several yards away. He doubted it was them, but if it distracted the nosy reporter from discovering who he was, he was fine with pretending it was them.

"Yes… that was definitely them," Ann said excitedly, starting after the two criminals.

"Annie," Johnny said rationally, grabbing her hand. "We can't just go after those two; I know it's a good story, but we need to call the Swat Kats!"

"What," the human said, jumping a little. If Jake and Chance showed up, he'd get caught, and probably end up in trouble. But it would look suspicious if he didn't like the Swat Kats, so he quickly backtracked. "Um… maybe that wasn't them."

"But it was," the feline reporter insisted.

"I know; how about I go and check; if it's not them, then we'll be fine. If it is, then we call the Swat Kats, and you get their story. Okay?"

"Fine," Ann conceded. "But hurry; they're getting away!"

Max quickly turned away, heading after the two criminals as the carnival fun continued around them. He vaguely saw the couple turn between two stalls, and he pursued them. He considered lying to Ann about the couple being there (if it somehow WAS the thieving duo), so Jake and Chance wouldn't show up. Besides, based on what he knew about the mobster couple, they wouldn't go anywhere near a carnival; they robbed places with money, not amusement parks.

Ending up behind some stalls, standing near the railing of the boardwalk, he looked around, wondering where the couple had disappeared off to.

"You lost them?!" Max whirled around to find Ann storming towards him, Johnny close behind.

"Hey, I tried my best," the human said defensively. "And I thought you two were-"

"Yeah, Ann didn't want to miss anything 'Newsworthy,'" the kamerakat said, sounding slightly annoyed. "I don't even have my camera, so it's not like anyone would see them!"

"And that's a good thing," a voice said, and Max was suddenly grabbed from behind, being picked up by a pair of cold metal arms; he tried to push himself free, but the grip was so strong, it was like trying to bend metal. Ann screamed, and Johnny moved to protect her as a net shot out from outside of the teen's field of vision, sending them to the ground. He heard heavy footsteps as Mac Mange walked up to him, pointing his hand cannon at the teen's face.

He was short; he probably reached the young man's chest area, but the glare in his glowing eyes, along with the permanent sneer on his metal face was terrifying. He was like a tiny Terminator, and based on the barrel that was inches from his face, he wasn't planning on sending them on their merry way.

"You were right, Molly," the robot kat said maliciously. "We were bein' followed!"

"Of course I was right, stupid!" Another robot voice, this one more feminine, sounded right behind Max's head, and he realized that Molly was the one holding him down. "Maybe now you'll get that through that thick skull of yours!"

"Can it, Metalhead," he snapped back.

"Who you callin' a Metalhead, Metalhead?! Ah forget it! What should we do with this trio of snoopers?"

The smaller robot gave Max a cold, calculating look. "Send them for a swim?"

"NO," the teen cried, starting to thrash around in the she-kat's grip. "Please! Don't-"

"Great idea, Mac," his wife agreed, carrying the terrified boy towards the railing. He stared in fear at the water several yards below him, his heart thudding in his chest.

"Please, wait, I can't swim!"

"Put him down," Johnny yelled, trying to break out from the net. "Don't hurt him!"

"He's didn't want to follow you; I wanted to," Ann said, pulling a nail file out from her purse, secretly starting to work on the net. "Just let him go, PLEASE!"

"Oh, you'll get your turn, Missy," Molly assured her. "But it's time for Mr. Freak Costume over here to take a little dip!"

"NOOO," the human cried, his shout drowned out by the sound of the Festival behind them as he was tossed over the edge, plunging towards the waves.


Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Finished with midterms, so I'm about to go on a Ten Day Break to France! Won't be writing during that time! See you all later!

Also: I know that Max has a lot of stuff he's keeping hidden, but I plan on having a full chapter that reveals his backstory (maybe the third or fourth chapter of the Halloween Story). Stay tuned; follow and favorite!

Note: I do not own TERMINATOR in ANY way, shape or form.