MISSION 4:

423

In Chance's and Ethan's room, Chance napped, snoring very loudly. He snapped awake when the door opened, which alerted the tom, scanning and body tensing, seeing Ethan enter the room. Then tom blinked in confusion until his memories returned to him. He looked at the fixed clock in their room and gave a low rumble in annoyance.

Ethan paid no mind and fell to his bed, holding something in his hanging hand.

"Hey kit, where have you been?" Chance demanded, pushing his bedding and heading towards the boy.

Chance would have shaken the boy till he saw the boy was sound asleep. He turned his attention to the two new items, touching the boy's left wrist to inspect the new accessory. His eyes then drifted towards what Ethan held, noticing a card. He grabbed it and checked the card, getting a groan as the boy shuffled to his side.

The card was blank until Chance flipped it to see red markings on another side. It was odd, mysterious, and something he never saw. He shook his head and left it on the kit's bed table.

Chance yawned and decided to take a shower. Grabbing some clothes and headed out, barely getting out when he noticed June walking his way. Before the tabby could say anything, she spoke up first.

"Mind if I borrow an ear for a bit?" June said, giving a sign to follow her, and she headed down the hall.

The tom followed her, much to his annoyance, making a couple of turns until they arrived at her office. They went inside, revealing a simple wooden area resembling the interior of a log cabin that was both an office and a home. A small kitchen area was in the corner, and she had her own fridge. Her office desk was on the opposite side of the door, ready to face whoever entered.

"Huh, I didn't think you stayed here?" Chance said, looking around and finally noticing a she-kat waiting nearby. He grinned and approached Evelyn. "It seems we keep running towards each other. How's the night treating you?"

"Very well, though..." Evelyn trailed off, focusing on her boss, who sat at her desk. "I'm wondering why the both of us were called to her office."

Chance eyed his boss, dropping his grin to a more rugged look, "Does she usually invite people to her office?"

"No…she usually just lets us know either personally or through our personal communication device," Evelyn replied.

"Furlong, catch!" June called out, throwing a device to the tabby.

Chance quickly caught it and looked at his new communication device. It looked similar to something he had given to the ex-deputy mayor, though his former partner had upgraded it. Having more buttons and a screen to show things.

"Seems like that scuzzball has been busy," Chance said, putting it away, "But I don't think a new phone was the reason you called us?"

"Right you are. I wanted to avoid the chance of Ethan hearing this. Hence my office," June grinned and waved at her place, going to her desk. "Quite lovely. I would invite you to tea, but I'm afraid there will be no time for that."

Chance hissed at June's usual antics, "Okay, then tell us what you want!" he snapped.

June ignored him, messing around her desk until she found a remote. She clicked it, dropping a blank screen down until it was behind her, close to the top of her head. Wasting no time, she clicked on it until the projector appeared above the pair and started to show a static image of the beach incident. It was a video from Kat's Eye News that started playing. The footage showed the reckless Ann Gora and her team getting close to the situation, avoiding getting hit by the flying vehicles.

"If you are just tuning in, Megakat Beaches have been invaded by a giant squid. The Enforcers are trying to take down this monster but seem to be struggling even as they ramp up their attacks. Earlier in the morning, the Enforcers had set up at the beach for unknown reasons, and we can only speculate things till we get answers from our desperate protectors. WOAH! The monster threw another object at us!" Anna Gora excitedly said, grabbing anything to hold her in place as she kept looking at the battle.

The cameraman follows her, watching the squid heading towards a big tent, tentacles being pulled back as far as possible before swinging it. The tent was ripped away in a flash, and various items flew everywhere. Anna's team held tightly as their helicopter was nearly blown away, almost losing control till the pilot managed to get a hold of it. The group sighed in relief. They returned to where the monster was and saw a minuscule figure before the squid.

"Whose that? Zoom in, Johnny! Ladies and gentlemen, it appears a kit is still at the beach and –"

Anna saw the monster stop midswing, and shadowy black hands appeared out of nowhere. Anna Gora stayed silent as she watched the monster run and then get captured again by the hands, which ripped the creature's mouth apart. The reporter shook her head at the sight and remembered she had a job to do.

"If you are still with us, the monster was slain by mysterious hands. Keep tuning in as we approach. It looks like the enforcers are heading towards the area where the kit is and-"

Kats Eye News gets blocked by Enforcer choppers from approaching the scene.

June stops the video, maintaining her eyes on the pair before her and seeing the pair's reaction. She grinned at their stunned looks as this was the first time seeing Ethan's powers. June was planning to show this video to the whole team in a meeting so they could understand Ethan and see what the kid could potentially do.

"Kat got your tongues? I don't blame you," June chuckled.

Chance was the first to break free from the shock and shook his head. "Crud! That kit could rip a building apart if he wanted to!" he shouted, concerned about his new job.

Evelyn kept watching the still image, focusing on the sliver of Ethan's tiny figure, shaking and feeling concerned. She heard from Benson what the kit did on the beach but did not expect this. However, her concerns washed away as she looked back, noticing Ethan's fragile and petite body, feeling conflicted. "I don't understand. If he could do that, why not escape?"

"It seems that he didn't mean to," June said.

"What do you mean?" Chance butted in, interested to hear more about the kit.

June grabbed the remote again and reversed the images to where Ethan first summoned the hands. She clicked a couple of buttons, zooming in and enhancing the image. She played it in slow motion, showing Ethan's surprised look and easing up as he stared at his hands before getting injured when the monster bit his spectral hands. She played this section a couple of times.

"Does this look like someone that planned it?" June asked, "In all honesty, if I were the kit, I would have escaped the moment I arrived. He didn't, which begs the question if he's planning to infiltrate the planet before committing to hurt kat kind. But that is quickly thrown out the window. He acts like a child and decides to save the trapped enforcers. Why bother? Lastly, he's green with this power and nearly killed himself using it… Evelyn should know, been his doctor."

Chance looked at Evelyn, who nodded in agreement, making the tabby raise an eyebrow in confusion. "So, if that is true…we are dealing with a kit that just happens to have powers he does not know how to use and could rip monsters like paper? Crud, this is a mess, and it's a ticking time bomb!" he growled, slapping his forehead and wondering if this was a good idea.

"So why did you call us here?" Evelyn asked.

June nodded, grinning at the pair, faltering as she started to talk, "I need you two to do a small mission. The council has accepted my terms for the kit's release, but some are not convinced, wary that the kit will do something against us, kats."

Chance and Evelyn gave each other a look and waited for what came next.

"Three things. One, I need the two of you to keep tabs on Ethan. Two, get close to him and form a strong bond, guiding the child to use his powers to help kat kind. We need to steer him in the right direction. Three, get answers to his personal life. He's refused to answer questions about his life, and we still don't have a clear picture of him. Watch for anything alarming and report it to me, even if it is small. Hopefully, it'll have those scared toms satisfied. That is all." June said, seeing Evelyn already frowning.

"I don't like this…spy on him and report everything, even personal things…." Evelyn said softly, seeming to think how bad this could be.

Chance step forward, "You're already sticking me with the kit, and now you want me to play house? Crud, I should have-"

"Are you two done?" Evelyn interrupted, slamming her hand on the desk and eyeing them coldly. "Let's not forget, your lives belong to me. You don't have the right to object to things. You only do as told. If I need you to jump. You jump. That's how this works!"

Chance's tail flicked, and his eyes squinted. A low rumble could be heard, ready to let the molly know she was crazy. He would have said something if he did not feel Evelyn's arm tugging him. He was surprised, calming down and staring at Evelyn.

Evelyn paid no mind to him and took time to step in front of him, "Understood. We will do it," she said, blocking Chance and June. She gave Chance a look to just accept it and pushed him to follow her outside.

"Fine! All right, just one question. Why us?" Chance stopped at the door and looked at his boss.

"Why else? Ethan seems comfortable around Evelyn, and you….. you're his guardian. It is your job to take care of him."


It was the middle of the day for Megakat City, and school was almost ending for the young kits. A specific school where the elite attended classes called Megakat Upper Valley Insitute for the Gifted. The school grounds were adorned with antique buildings giving it a boarding school look. It was near the city's mountains, a valley separated from the city and its many problems. It was a secluded, beautiful, and costly area to live in. This school was not the only one with the same aesthetics in this area, but its history outshined the rest, making it the best, according to its residents.

The school bells alerted everyone nearby that school had ended, and kittens ages five to eighteen attended this school. Each education level was separated into its own building and area, with only festivities bringing every age together. They wore school uniforms, with females wearing red skirts and males wearing black shorts or black slacks for the older males. They wore the same above, a black blazer with a red patch with the school's logo, a lion for the school's founder. All of them were heading in masses towards their parent's car, chauffeurs, or walking home, preferring to take the lovely scenic view. Crime around here was rare, and only a few enforcers were set up there, confident that no one would dare do anything.

A young female kitten with thick glasses and messy short black hair opposite her white fur walked alone as groups passed her. She was around nine, starting her first year in this school as her father and mother had transferred there once her daddy got a new job, thanks to an older member retiring. Her parents were excited, quickly moving to this area thanks to the new salary, except for this kit. Her name was Mia Koth.

Mia buried her face in the books she held, ignoring the kits around her and wishing to return to her original school. She had friends back there and now had to start all over, which was hard for her as she always had trouble making friends. Mia bit her lips, shaking lightly, and a tear ran down her eye. She hated it, and she hated this place.

Mia did not realize the figure she was approaching and bumped into him, causing her to let out a slight squeal as she fell back, and her books fell to the ground. Her glasses also fell nearby, but she could not see them with poor vision.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't see you," Mia said, trying to search for her glasses on the ground and waving one hand to apologize.

A male chuckle was heard. Mia could only see the blurry tom's figure bending down and grabbing something before gently putting her glasses on her, revealing a rather handsome light brown kat. He was dressed rather plainly in a white T-shirt and jeans. The tom appeared healthy and fit, almost like a track runner.

"It's alright, you okay?" his soft, charismatic voice said while putting a hand to help her up.

The tom assisted Mia up and went to retrieve the books around. He picked one up and scanned the title before waving it at her.

"Already reading Minx's books, I see. Aren't you a bit young for this material? Doesn't it scare you, the monsters he writes about?" the tom said.

"I like his books. They are not scary. Sorry for bumping into you. Can I have my book back?" Mia reached out, and the tom moved away and kept looking at the book.

"Ever read Luna or Garfiled's work?"

"No, I haven't. Can I have my book, mister?"

"Their stories are more grounded with reality. The scariest creature is not those made in fiction but the real individuals around you."

Mia tilted her head and stopped reaching for the book, "What do you mean?"

The tom was about to say something till his eyes darted at the approaching teachers and staff heading home. His face was blank, and he seemed to be thinking about something. He clicked his tongue and turned to face Mia, handing her book back.

"Sorry, I've wasted your time. Your friends are probably waiting for you," the tom said, turning around and walking away.

"I don't have friends," Mia said, looking down at the ground and remembering her troubles.

The tom halted, his tail flicked in excitement, and he smiled at Mia. "Well, I'm new to the area. I spend my time at a café nearby. If you are interested, swing by tomorrow, and I'll show you some of my books," he said, heading down the slope toward the nearby buildings.

Mia looked up, staring at the tom leaving, and a small smile appeared on her lips. Her parents had told her not to talk to strangers, but she would get new friends her way if they forced her to come to this new place. She giggled in excitement and picked up the remaining books on the ground.


At Stray's base of operation, underneath an abandoned broken building, in the R&D wing, Ethan was sweating a storm as he faced the worst enemy he had the pleasure of dealing with.

Education!

Ethan grumbled as he read a book about grammar with examples of how certain things should be written. Around him, other texts, such as math, history, and science, range from fourth to eighth grade.

The R&D wing was surrounded by desks, tools, and various resources. Things have been worked on, in process, in different stages, ranging from weapons to vehicles. There was a large dump area labeled 'to be recycled' with failed ideas or things that blew up. Usually, only Jake and Jason could be seen here, tinkering on something for the team to use or for themselves. The current duo was sitting at the desk near schematics and drafting material.

The boy started to dose off, his eyes closing as he started to lean back and forth. He would have laid his head on the lovely table before him until he felt a hit on the side of his head. He jumped, looking to see an eraser had been thrown at him, and he groggily looked at the aggressor.

Jake was sitting close to him, a desk away, working on a blueprint while keeping an eye on the boy, making sure the boy was keeping up with his studies. He gave a stern look, tapping his claws and looking exhausted. He signaled the boy to continue reading and returned to face his schematics.

"You haven't started your grammar homework or written that essay I asked…three hours ago," he said, shaking his head and with teeth gritting.

Jake rolled his schematics and put them in a cubby below him. He yawned, standing up, and turned to Ethan, fur standing up as he noticed the boy was now swiveling in his chair. Jake was calmer and more restrained with his anger than his ex-partner, but…this boy was pushing it. He grabbed the nearby rolled newspaper without hesitation and smacked the boy silly.

"WHY. CAN'T. YOU. LISTEN!" Jake growled, losing his cool and letting the boy have it.

"Stop…gah…stop…hitting me. I'm sorry," Ethan said, wincing and trying to stop Jake's assault with his hands. The boy just covered his head and cursed June for putting him in this situation.

Speaking of…

A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO

Ethan woke up to his first day at the base, groggily making his way toward the mess hall's kitchen and getting cereal. The mess hall was separated into two sections, the main mess hall, where everyone sat at lunch tables, and the kitchen, which had two doors to get in on the left or right. Inside the kitchen, it was well stocked with equipment and almost like a professional restaurant with a big freezer, ovens, and other kitchen equipment.

Ethan thought he was the first to get up, but the other kats were already there, and he noticed he was actually the last person to arrive. Chance tried to start a conversation with Evelyn, who ignored his advances and kept the conversation professional. Tina and Jason were having an arm wrestle. Jake and Benson were alone, eating by themselves. He sighed, staying up last night, reminding him about something. The boy pulled out the white card with strange red symbols as he sat down.

Dante told him this was his first lesson and to figure out how to activate it. Before Dante could say anything, he got serious and looked like he was trying to recollect something. He warned the boy to keep him a secret and to not blab about this to anyone. That was all Ethan's magical teacher told him as he disappeared and went somewhere else, telling the boy he'd reappear from time to time and would transport back to him with the bracelet when the kat needed to recharge. The boy did not understand what his tutor meant and was dumbstruck at his lesson.

Ethan flipped the card again and stared at the blank side, trying to uncover the mystery of this card. He has probably flipped this card a thousand times and still has not found anything useful. He groaned, using the other hand to lazily put the flavorless cereal in his mouth. Ethan was about to flip it again when a hand snatched it.

"What's this?" Jason said, looking at the card with the strange symbol, "Where did you get this?"

"That's mine!" Ethan said, attempting to grab the card, but Jason put his hand on his forehead, preventing him from moving. "Hey, quit it!"

"Make me, you dirty alien."

"Ouch, you're hurting me, you freaking hairball! AGH!"

"Jason, stop harassing the kit! What are you, a kitten?" Evelyn snapped at Jason. She went to them when she noticed Jason approaching the boy with hostility.

"Don't worry, Doc, just giving this piece of trash a warm welcome," Jason spat, ignoring the she-kat and was about to put more pressure till another hand appeared, "Huh?"

Chance put his free fist toward Jason's skull, which made the kat let go, stumbling back as he held his face. Jason growled and spit blood to his side, eyes glowering at his assaulter. Chance got closer to him and prevented Jason from getting closer to Ethan. Chance pulled out his claws, and soon both heavyweights were on each other, punching each other's bodies. Jason went for a tackle and slammed Chance to the lunch table. Ethan was moved by Evelyn as soon as they closed in. Chance grunted and used his elbows to get the kat off him, getting grunts from the other tom.

Jason slid Chance harshly towards the floor, raising his fist as the tabby quickly lifted himself, preparing with his own fist up. The two toms eyed each other, breathing heavily and waiting for the other to respond. They would have continued if not for the intervention of a small boy.

Ethan was pissed and ran behind Jason, kicking the tom in his lower region with all his might. All the toms in the room winced and felt the hit. Jason's eyes widened, and he tumbled forward, grabbing his family jewels. The fight ended with a victory for the boy, who attempted to go for another hit till Evelyn pulled him away.

"Evelyn, let me hit him one more time!" Ethan growled, struggling to break free, but the doctor had a good grip and had no issues holding the boy down.

"That's enough! Chance, you okay?" Evelyn said, which got a nod from him. She turned to look at the tom on the floor, "Jason, you alright?"

"I'm…fine…just going to need an ice pack. You little shit, I'm going-"

"All of you idiots, stop!" a sharp voice called out.

Everyone in the room looked toward the voice. June stood at the entrance, and her usual happy facade was replaced with a hard and furious look. She snapped her fingers which got everyone to stand up and be on attention, except for the newcomers. She growled and made her way toward the troublemakers. Stopping at Evelyn first.

"What happened?" June commanded.

Evelyn gave a worried look at the trio and sighed. "Ethan was being harassed by Tailer. Furlong attacked Tailer in an attempt to get Tailer off of Ethan. Furlong and Tailer fought. Ethan ended the fight by hitting Tailer's privates," she explained, short and straightforward, to avoid annoying her boss.

"Is that so?" June said, getting close to Ethan, seeing a paw print on his forehead, "I'll talk to you in a bit."

"WHAT?! I didn't-"

Ethan stopped as June put a hand in front of his face, telling him to shut up. The boy grumbled and crossed his arms. He saw June heading toward Jason.

"I believe you had a free day coming up. That's canceled, and you'll be banned for having one for a month. Any objections?"

Jason's eyes widen, but he holds his tongue. "No, I don't," he said, eyeing Ethan harshly.

"Don't bother the kit again. I'll take this moment to address all of you. Ethan is part of the Strays, and it is your responsibility to watch his back, which he is to do to you. I don't mind your usual tussles as long as there's no animosity. You, kats, need to have a scratching post occasionally. This brings me to you, Furlong."

Chance blinked in confusion and crossed his arms, "What? I believe you told me to watch over the kit?"

"You are not reprimanded for doing that. Actually, it's nice to see through that tough exterior. You can watch over others. No… what I have a problem with… is this," June said, pointing at Jason's chest, where a deep scratch mark was bleeding. "Since you're new, I let it off as a warning. You are not here to kill each other. And-"

June paused when she noticed Ethan's bracelet, quickly glancing at Chance and Evelyn to explain. They both gave 'I don't know' looks, making her growl and think about talking to them again about their responsibility. She shook her head and returned to stare at Jason.

Ethan noticed that Chance's injuries were not more severe than Jason's. The yellow tom was going for a kill rather than just knocking the other kat out. He winced at the sight and looked away.

"Evelyn, please treat Jason's injuries first and then Chance's," June ordered, walking away from the two toms, with Evelyn quickly passing her and checking on Jason with her on-hand small medical kit. June returned to Ethan, and, as if she was done reprimanding things, she turned her personality back on. "My my… already making new friends on your first official day, mister popular."

Ethan groaned, mentally preparing to see what she would do to him. At least the toms knew they would be chastised, but he gets the mystery box. The boy turned to face his boss when she patted his shoulder and followed her to the nearby desk. He muttered in annoyance and sat with her.

June saw Mike entering the mess hall with a book cart with things on top and beneath, signaling him to approach them. She turned to face the boy, "What is it that you said that day? To Benson at the beach about school? If I recall…you said you haven't been to school."

"Uh…yeah. What about it?" Ethan said as he tilted his head.

"Ah…that's concerning! But let us see how bad it is, hmm?"

Mike put some papers in front of the boy, a standardized test with a broad range of topics. Everyone in the room got curious, even Jason, whose injury was getting bandaged, and someone started a bet with everyone except June and Mike. Ethan was confused as he stared at the test before him and could not object as Mike began his timer. The boy struggled to answer anything, and a few multiple-choice questions allowed him to guess randomly.

It was a hard couple of hours. Ethan was mentally drained at the end and did not finish in time. He blushed hard as everyone awaited the results, and Mike stared at them grimly. Mike's face betrayed him, wincing at Ethan's test results and double-checking everything to ensure it wasn't a mistake. The worst part for Mike was when he had to read the boy's handwriting with the essay portion, and he squinted, turned the page around, and struggled to make sense of anything. Mike sighed and grabbed Ethan's shoulder like he was giving a death notification to someone, finally speaking to the boy for the first time.

"Your score….from a possible two thousand…you scored four hundred twenty-three," Mike announced, almost feeling like it hurt him. "You're way below average."

There was dead silence, then an eruption of laughter. Evelyn and Benson winced at the score and gave a sympathetic look at the boy. Chance was astonished and just stared blankly at what he had just heard. Jake just raised an eyebrow that read how Ethan could be so stupid. Jason and Tina were hollering at the score, clapping their hands, and winning the bet. Ethan wanted to die from embarrassment.

June did not react and just tried processing the information she had just heard. She shook her head and sighed, "That's not…great. While maybe I can give passes to injuries, I can't let this slide. I can't tolerate poor education and morons in my ranks. Luckily for you, Ethan, we have golden kats on our side!"

Everyone stopped, even Tina and Jason, getting a sense they would not be happy with what June said next. However, one particular tom knew what June was about to say.

"Clawson will be your primary teacher, as he had the highest marks in school in every field, but I can't exclude him from his own duties, so-"

BACK TO THE PRESENT

Ethan winced at the last wack that Jake gave him, watching the tom throw the newspaper and walk away towards another part of the area to cool down. He grumbled but was glad that was over…for now. He looked at the clock, seeing time was almost up for his lessons, but it did not mean this was over.

As she promised, June made Jake his primary teacher, but she also made the others teachers focus on specific subjects. Evelyn and Jason would teach him science-related topics, with Evelyn also showing first aid. Social science and culture with Benson. Central Language was English in Ethan's world, and combat skills with Tina. History and physical training with Chance. Everyone would teach math, but Jake took the helm on the subject. Of course, everyone had different emotions about the whole thing, but June quickly and forcefully reminded them that she owned them. Nobody was happy about it except Evelyn and Benson, who had no problems teaching the boy.

Ethan sighed and started to grab his books, preparing to leave as he just wanted to eat something for dinner. However, his eyes lingered on Jake's arm, and he thought about how cool it was, reminding him of cartoons or movies he snuck in to watch. His eyes glow excitedly, and he wonders if it could shoot laser beams or cannon balls.

"Whatcha staring at, stupid?" Jake snapped, bringing Ethan's attention off the hand.

"Don't call me stupid, bookworm!"

"Oh really, little four-twenty-three, then hand me that homework, show me that you can use that brain."

Ethan blushed at the nickname, deciding it was best to just leave as he wouldn't win this. He grumbled and packed his things in the backpack that Mike gave him. He swung the bag over him and started to head towards the exit.

"Hold on," Jake called out when the boy was a foot away from the door.

"What?!"

Jake seemed to want to ask something but shook his head and waved for the boy to leave, "Never mind. Just get your things done for tomorrow. God, why did I have to be stuck with your tail," he scoffed and headed back to his desk.

"Whatever….Mittens!"

Jake's ears perked, and he swung back to face the boy, but the boy had already left before he could say anything. He growled and kicked a nearby box with force.

With Ethan, the boy kept going, grinning at the sound of pissing the kat. He had to savor the small victories as he got more Ls than wins today. He walked down the hall and around the base towards the mess hall. He opened them to see nobody inside and quickly approached the kitchen door.

Ethan was expecting the same inside, but it appeared someone beat him to the kitchen. He noticed Evelyn was preparing to cook something with vegetables and milk. The boy approached the adult and tried peeking at what she was doing.

Evelyn's ears perked when the door opened, "Oh, Ethan, how was your first day today?" she said, putting the knife down on the cutting board.

Ethan dropped his hands and pouted at her, "It sucked! I don't see the point of this! Aren't I here to do missions or something like that? What's June's deal… I don't get her at all" he said, stopping near the she-kat and looking more closely at what she's making.

June chuckled and shrugged, "None of us do. So, I can't really tell you. I wouldn't bother asking her either unless you want to get another thing thrown at you," she said, eyeing the boy that was staring at her preparation.

"Yeah… I'm not going to do that. Whatcha cooking?"

"Homemade creamy vegetable soup."

Before Ethan could say anything, the door behind him opened, and he looked to see Chance making his way inside. The tom yawned, wearing workout clothes and scratching his head before seeing the pair. He gave a look to the boy and then saw Evelyn, changing his stare to be softer, and he gave a wink to her. Evelyn rolled her eyes and watched the tom approach them.

"What's cooking good looking? How about I cook us a nice dinner and maybe grab some wine," Chance said, leaning with one hand on the kitchen table and tail swishing behind him.

"I appreciate the offer. However, I'll take a rain check on that."

"Ah, don't be like that. I'm actually a good cook. I can make a mean steak dinner, cook some potatoes, greens, and a nice sauce with it."

"And what? You think that will lead you somewhere with me?"

Chance grinned, "Hey, I'm not the one saying that, but if you want?" he said, getting closer to the she-kat.

Evelyn scoffed, but she did blush at the kat's audacity, "I'm not saying anything. Only in your dreams will that happen," she flatly said.

Chance would have continued if not for a loud grumble near the pair. They completely forgot the kid standing between them and just stared at them with boredom. Ethan grabbed his stomach and was embarrassed as the pair turned their attention to him. Chance scowled, and Evelyn chuckled at the boy.

"Seems that somebody is hungry. All right, can you two toms fetch some more ingredients. I'll make enough for all of us. Or are you too high your horse, mister prince, for a lowly bowl of soup?" she mockingly said to Chance.

Chance was about to argue about having the kid around but decided he would take what he could get.

"Prince charming?" Chance asked.

"Prince of the pain of my tail," Evelyn said.

"Say, mister prince, aren't you supposed to be a pilot? Aren't you supposed to avoid getting shot down?" Ethan chimed, which made Evelyn blurt out a laugh, and Chance chased the boy with fury.

Chance got the boy with one arm and flicked his forehead several times. Ethan growled and tried kicking away from Chance but couldn't reach him. Evelyn finally controlled herself and clapped her hand toward the pair.

"If you two toms are done, can I have some assistance? If not, there will be no soup for you two."


Going down the hallway, Ethan looked around with Evelyn and Chance behind him. The she-kat offered to show the pair around as they weren't given a proper tour when they arrived. Chance had spent the time in the base's gym, wanting to cool off his anger and be left alone after the fight, so he had yet to explore the whole place.

They were shown the R&D wing and the gym the two males had already been at. Evelyn showed her work area, the medical wing, where she would patch them up, filled with equipment and medicine to operate. Next, she showed them the possible exits, showing how well the base was ready in case of an attack. Then, she showed them a break room with different forms of entertainment and a bar. Ethan commented that June must have a massive budget, but Evelyn corrected this idea. All of this was already here. The elites had sent up bunkers like this one around the city, thinking it would be their last resort and have nearby enforcers to protect them. All the Strays had to do was claim the abandoned area and clean up the dust.

"Wow…so they had this for all the citizens in case something bad happened, right?" Ethan said, looking around the break room. He plans to come here to slack off and play the nearby arcade machines.

Evelyn was about to say something until Chance interrupted her, "Only if you are one of those pompous assholes. They wouldn't dare have shared with the lower class and not even a litter box," he spat angrily.

"Huh, is that so? Reminds me of Finford, though I'll say you guys are doing better. If you have money, you are recognized and treated like a person, but if you don't…." he trailed off and looked away.

"You didn't have enough money when you lived in your world?" Evelyn asked, getting close to the boy and touching him.

"Yeah…you can say that…," Ethan muttered, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm here. Exploring this cool base! Let's go to the hangar!"

Evelyn watched the boy with sadness, quickly glancing at Chance to say something. The tom gave her a look that said, 'what can I say?' She sighed, shook her head in frustration at the tom, and thought about an earlier conversation with her boss and Chance.

"Hey guys, c'mon guys, let's head to the hangar. Don't give up on me now!" Ethan shouted, looking at the kats away from him, waiting at the door leading out to the breakroom.

"Hold your tail, kid! It's not going anywhere!" Chance yelled, touching Evelyn's shoulder and whispering, "Don't get too hung up on this."

Evelyn was about to speak, but Chance had already made his way toward the kit, and the tom was visibly excited to see this hanger. She stared at them both, thinking about the situation, and decided to push it.

The trio left the break room, got to the hallway, and headed toward the hangar area. Ethan opened the door, and his eyes went wide with excitement. The hanger was enormous and filled with various vehicles, mechanical arms, and a runway that led outside through a long ramp leading to the ground above. A big platform in the middle would allow a jet or vehicle to appear above, which Ethan can recall was where the outside hanger above was located. His eyes finally landed on a black jet with a red cockpit and blue and yellow colors around certain areas. However, it appears the jet is still being worked on, with some wires and missing panels.

Ethan watched Chance pass him and head straight to the jet, deciding to follow the tabby as he also wanted to see the great aircraft. He noticed Chance placing a hand on the side and just stared at it as if he found a missing piece of himself. The boy would have said something, but seeing the tabby act like this made him, for once, respect their moment and watch as the tabby went around it to inspect every side.

Chance was star-struck and grateful that it was altered from the goblin face jet he flew. He inspected everything and muttered that it needed more work to get it flying again. A grin appeared, and the itch to fly to the skies was beating at his heart. He made a complete tour of the outside and stopped when he noticed Ethan staring at it with wonder.

"This is so cool! I've never been near a jet before. It's so big and so different from anything I've seen in movies and T.V. shows!" Ethan said, itching to see inside, and grinned at the tabby, "Hey, you're a pilot, right?"

"What kind of question is that!? Of course, I'm a pilot," he said while pointing to himself with his thumb, "I'm the best pilot this city has ever had!"

"Eh, I'll believe it when I see it," Ethan said, waving at the tom to get real.

Chance gritted his teeth and got close to the kid, "Oh, you don't believe me, then tell you what kit. I'll give you a quick ride when it's up and running. I'm gunna make you eat those words as I'm not going to hold back!"

"Wait, for real?!" Ethan exclaimed, surprised that the tabby would offer that, getting excited at the thought.

Chance blinked in confusion. He was just saying things and just wanted to scare the kit. "In your dreams kit. You'll probably barf at take-off, and I really don't want to clean up this baby," he growled, crossing his arms and giving the boy a hard no.

"Dick, why offer it then! Old man!"

"Shut it…four twenty-three," Chance said while making a fake dumb voice.

Ethan blushed hard and scowled in anger. That nickname will not go away, and he cursed June for that. "Eat shit, old man!"

"What was that four twenty-three?" Chance said, pretending to raise one ear with his hand, "I can't hear stupid from way down there!"

Ethan clutched his fist and wanted to swing at Chance but knew that would be pointless. He was flustered and tried coming up with an insult but could not. Losing the battle, the boy mutter in annoyance and turn to look at the jet again, ignoring the tabby and just touching the jet. He was not an aircraft enthusiast, but being close to one was too fantastic to ignore. Too bad that the pilot and the co-pilot are assholes, which ruined the mood for Ethan and made him glance back at the tabby. Ethan saw Chance had returned to look at the jet and was staring with a sad face, making the boy curious as it was pure bliss moments ago for the tom, and now it was like something else replaced it. He looked away and glanced back, wondering if he should say something.

"Hey, old man. How is it up there? You know…been to able to fly around and just go wherever you want," Ethan said, making Chance glance at him.

"It's great! The thrill of going top speeds and watching the world around you just become a blur. After flying a beauty like this, everything else, such as riding a car, becomes a bore, and nothing could ever beat the feeling."

"Huh…that's interesting. So what's the fastest you gone in this?"

"Mach 5 is the standard for the Turbo Kat though we…." Chance trailed off when he remembered his ex-partner.

"Huh?"

"Mach 5. Though I experimented with the engine, it would have reached a higher Mach, like Mach 8."

"Hmm… by the way, what's a Mach?"

"Crud, kid… did you learn anything in school?"

"Oh shut up, it's not like they had pilot classes in school. You know what…forget I asked, old man."

Chance was about to shout at the kit but stopped when he noticed how the boy looked at the jet, visibly excited and looking at the top towards the cockpit. He would have told the kid to not think of going there and to buzz off, but for some odd reason, he felt excited to have someone to talk to about things like this. He shook his head and wondered what he should do, going with the first thing that came out of his mouth.

"Wanna see the inside?" he asked, which made Ethan turn to him with a shocked face.

Chance turned and jumped to the side of the Turbo Kat's wing with ease, looking back to see the kid just surprised at how easy he made it look. He raised an eyebrow, "You coming or what?"

"Um… you do know I'm not a kat, right? I can't jump high like you guys," Ethan said, looking around for something to climb up until he saw Chance's hand reaching for him.

"Jeez kit, fine, grab my paw, and I'll bring you up," Chance scoffed, waiting for the boy to grab his hand.

Ethan smiled and jumped to catch the paw, which quickly brought him up, making him unbalanced. When he got his footing, the boy grinned at the tabby, who rolled his eyes at him. He saw the tabby look towards Evelyn, standing nearby and watching the pair.

"Want a hand too?" Chance said while smiling at the she-kat.

Evelyn smiled back and shook her head, "Nah, I'm good here. You two toms enjoy yourselves. He seems to be enjoying this as much as you," she said while eyeing the boy, trying to look inside the cockpit.

Chance turned to look back at Ethan, who was touching the glass, "Hey, hold on, kit! Give me a second, and don't touch any of the controls."

Evelyn had been watching from the sidelines, almost stepping in when she felt Chance was pushing it but letting it play out as soon as she saw how they were interacting. A small smile appeared as she watched the boy be shown inside the cockpit with Chance explaining each part.

Chance sat in the pilot seat and told the boy standing in the wing how things worked and what he usually did when starting the jet. The two males then went towards the co-pilot seat for a brief explanation, and then Chance showed Ethan all the other exciting features. The ejector seats, the loading bay, and explaining how the Turbo Kat can house and split into different vehicles depending on the situation. He was enjoying himself, explaining everything this beast of a jet could do, and liking that the kid acted like it was the coolest thing around.

Evelyn yawned when an hour passed and looked at the two sitting on the wing as Chance continued explaining how the original Turbo Kat was built with salvage yard materials. She was not an aircraft fanatic but did enjoy watching the pilot's enthusiasm for describing things.

"Man, that's cool. You remind me of one of those comic books. Building something like this from nothing. I wish I could do something like that and-" Ethan's eyes widened, and he quickly patted his pockets, finally remembering something.

Chance and Evelyn looked at the boy as he stood up and patted his jeans, looking for something before stopping to think where he left a specific card.

"Shit, I-"

"Looking for this?" Chance said, realizing what the kid was looking for, and pulled a card from his back pocket. Ethan had left it on the ground when the fight broke out and forgot to pick it up. Chance kept it and wanted to ask the kid later. When the kid reached for it, he pulled it back, "Not so fast. Tell me what this does."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, "Why should I? Look, just give it to me," he said as he kept reaching for the card, feeling Chance's single hand keeping him at bay.

"I'm not handing this back till I get a straight answer. Look, kid, you cannot hide things from the team or me. That's not how it works around here, and keeping secrets will not help you," Chance said while indicating with his head about the bracelet, "You did not have either of these yesterday. So what gives?"

Ethan cursed under his breath and felt that this was a waste of time, thinking of swiping it when the tom was not looking. He just shook his head and looked around for the smallest gap to drop down, deciding to hang onto the jet's wing and slowly drop himself. It was slightly higher than expected, but he landed smoothly on the floor. He heard Chance growling in frustration but did not care and was about to head towards the door until Evelyn stopped him with a hand on her shoulder. He would have told her to let him go, but her sad face stopped him.

"I won't stop you, but Ethan… Chance has a point. You cannot keep secrets here. I know you do not trust the team, and I know you don't trust me…." Evelyn stopped feeling a bit hopeless to ease the kid.

Ethan's heart dropped as he saw that. He looked to the floor, Chance, and then back to the doctor.

"I…I….I trust you, Evelyn….I…." he stopped as he questioned that idea. He liked being around the doc but wouldn't place it in the trusting range. He feared pushing someone he enjoyed spending time with on this planet. It was fun having spent an hour talking to Chance, but that did not mean that he was all good with him. He scratched his elbow and looked to the floor, imagining if he would be all right by himself.

Loneliness.

Ethan's eyes widen at the thought, and he shuts his eyes and shakes that feeling away. He opened his eyes and looked at the two kats near him. Sighing, he decided, "I don't care if you don't believe me, but I never had these powers back in my world. I just learned it was magic. These are the first steps for me to understand this new thing. That's all I'll say for now."

Chance dropped to the floor, eyeing the boy, and was about to say something until Evelyn stopped him. The doctor shook her head at him and returned to face, Ethan.

"We will respect that. We will be here for you if you want to let us know more or need help understanding this," Evelyn said, squatting down and being at eye level with the boy "So…magic, huh? That sounds pretty exciting!"

Ethan gave a grin, "Yeah…though, I'm kind of-"

"Stuck?" Chance interrupted, walking towards the boy and handing the card back to him, "You got no idea what to do, am I right?"

Ethan sighed and nodded, grabbing the card from the tabby and staring at it. "Yeah…I don't get it. I don't know what to do."

Chance scratched his head, "Well, how did you do it last time?"

"Um…I kind of….don't know. It just sort of just happened."

"Honest? Crud, kit, that's a shit start for you. Hmm… I remember bumping heads with a midget that used magic to summon creatures from different time periods. I never paid attention to how he did it, but I remember times when he shouted like a moron. Maybe try shouting?" Chance said.

"Well…I'm no expert in magic, but I have seen kats playing 'Kat's and Dungeon' need to chant to summon magic. I think Chance might have the right idea. Why not try it?" Evelyn added.

Ethan looked at both of them and then back to the card, thinking it may be worthwhile and would not hurt him to try. He was about to say something until Chance grabbed him and turned him to face a direction away from them.

"Aim that way. I don't want to lose fur or become kat bbq if it shoots something," Chance hissed, panicking as he saw the boy aiming at Evelyn and his direction. He signaled Evelyn to stand with him behind the boy.

"Oh, sorry…um….what should I say first?" he said, looking back at the pair.

"Try saying…. fire?" Chance said, waving for the kid to look in that direction.

Ethan nodded his head. He aimed his card toward the empty space, closing his eyes and shouting.

"FIRE!"

Nothing happened. Ethan opened his eyes to see that the card was still before him. Chance blurted a laugh behind him and slapped his own knees.

"Kit, you look stupid!"

Ethan blushed hard and realized how silly he looked. Today was not his day. He saw Evelyn grabbing Chance's cheeks and pinching them hard.

"Gah! What was that for?" Chance growled, rubbing his cheek in annoyance and staring at the she-kat by him.

"You're not helping," Evelyn hissed at the tom and then looked at the boy, "Sorry about him. I think…why not say what you want it to do?"

"What do I…. want it to do?" Ethan repeated and stared at the card, "Okay…but if the old man laughs again, I'm leaving!"

Evelyn smiled and elbowed Chance in the gut, "He won't, right?"

Chance was not expecting the hit and winced, growling as he nodded at the duo. Ethan laughed and felt better about it, getting a glare from the tabby. Evelyn gave the eye to both boys to behave with each other.

"All right…let me try that," Ethan said, returning to face the empty space. He was still unsure if it would work but thought it would be better to try something. He thought briefly about what he wanted the card to do and finally decided. He didn't close his eyes this time and raised the card again. His eyes shifted color as if the card accepted what Ethan was about to say.

"Reveal"Ethan shouted.

The card burst in his hands, and a colorless smoke started to form around the boy's arms. The boy was startled, looking as the smoke began to make its way toward the palm of his hands. He raised them up and saw them changing to a colorful spectrum, changing colors occasionally as if trying to find the right one. Soon it chose black mixed with purple, showing a dark fog and abyss of nothingness. It disappeared from the boy's hand, showing now his average hands.

Ethan grinned, clenching his fist before him, and looked back at the pair, "That was so cool!"

Chance and Evelyn were weary when they saw all the magic happening but eased up as the boy looked at them. Chance sighed in relief, and Evelyn smiled at the boy.

"So…what was that?" Chance said.

"I don't know!" Ethan replied, still pumping with excitement.

"What?!"

"I mean, I just wanted the card to reveal what it did…however, I don't know what any of that meant!"

"Great, so back to square one," Chance muttered, shaking his head at the boy.

Ethan did not mind the tabby and looked at the doctor, "Evelyn! Did you see that! It worked and-"

Ethan stopped, his eyes closing and falling to the ground below. Both kats were alarmed, Evelyn rushing first towards the kit.

"Ethan!? What's wrong?" Evelyn asked, fearing that kid had hurt himself like before.

"Crud! Hey, shrimp, you better not croak that easily," Chance growled, following the doctor, watching the doc kneel down to check on the boy.

Evelyn was about to touch the boy when a loud growl was heard, the boy's stomach, followed by Ethan groaning on the floor.

"Uh…what happened? Man, I'm starving!" Ethan moaned, turning to face the two adults staring at him. He winced and grabbed his stomach as it growled again. "Huh, what are you guys doing?"

"Stupid shrimp, you just collapsed! What do you mean?" Chance said, shaking his head and kneeling beside Evelyn.

Evelyn touched the boy's head, checking to see if a fever was occurring, but everything was normal. She already established that the boy was talking fine, had no erratic breathing, and his eyes didn't appear to be dilated. She looked concerned at the boy, who touched her hand when she was not paying attention.

"Evelyn, I'm fine. I think I just fell asleep for a second," Ethan laughed, trying to brush off the collapse he did not recall. To him, he was standing one second, and the next was on the floor.

Evelyn shook her head, "It's not fine, far from it. We are going to the medical wing to check up on you," she firmly said, helping the kit to sit upright.

"Only one problem with that."

Evelyn and Chance looked at the boy in confusion.

"I can't get up…and…I just want to…." Ethan said, closing his eyes and snoring, going limp and almost hitting the floor until Evelyn placed her hand to stop him from falling.

Evelyn was puzzled at the turn of events and looked at the tabby, who was also lost. Chance was annoyed and flicked the boy's forehead, which only got a groan, and the boy sleepily swatted at the air. Ethan was in a deep sleep and would not wake up even if someone shook him. Evelyn glared at the tabby but shook her head and wondered what was occurring to the boy.

"Chance, carry Ethan and follow me to the medical wing," Evelyn said.

"Let's just leave him here."

"CHANCE!"

"I'm kidding! Give me a second. What a pain in the tail you are, shrimp," Chance mumbled, grabbing the kit and putting the boy in a piggyback position with the doctor's aid. He shifted slightly, and the boy laid his head on his shoulder. He looked at the boy, who was mumbling things and started to drool on him. He twitched in anger and was about to drop the kit till Evelyn gave him a sharp glare. "Gah, let's get there quick before the kit covers me in drool!"

"Don't drop him, or I'll make sure the next time you get injured to drop salt in the wounds," Evelyn warned as she followed him towards the exit.

"Hey, I don't mind getting frisky now and then," Chance said as he grinned at the she-kat, who scoffed at his usual chimes.

"Get real for once. You and me. Never. Going. To. Happen."

"I wouldn't say never. Who knows, maybe we'll share a bed one day."

"When pigs fly. Jail must have turned you into a horny teenager, or have you always been like this?"

"Nope, just beautiful she-kats make me like this and-"

Chance stopped as Ethan's head drifted closer to his, getting comfortable and nudging his head to the tabby's warm fur. Chance cursed under his breath and wanted to really drop the kid. However, just let a rumble in his throat and continue down the path. He glances at the she-kat, who is eyeing the boy with concern.

"Don't get attached to him. He's not a lost pet we found at the side of the road. He's a tool for the team, and that's it," Chance reminded Evelyn.

"Chance that's-"

"Evelyn, get real for once. Why do you think June brought him here? A team with the sole focus on bringing down the omegas and threats to the city. The kit is a weapon that June wants to use."

"Hey, stop! What if he-"

"The shrimp is dead asleep. I wouldn't worry about that," Chance said, shaking the boy rudely, which only got a groan, "See?"

Evelyn wanted to argue but stopped when she thought about it, though some of her wanted to say that was not the case. The Strays are a bunch of ex-enforcers with criminal histories and were only picked up because of their skills. June's interest is only in those who can perform the task and be easily controlled. However, the doctor doubted the kid following that idea, as he was too green and still a child. Focusing on the now, she flicked her tail and looked annoyed at the tabby nearby.

"So tell me something, were you only pretending with him when showing him around?" Evelyn questioned, stopping before the tabby, "It seems you were actually enjoying yourself with him."

Chance didn't say anything, ignoring the she-kat, and just went around, "Of course. What do you think I was doing?"

Evelyn held her tongue and just shook her head at the tabby. She followed after them and opened the door for Chance. Leaving the hangar and heading to the medical wing as a group.


Dante watched the city at the tallest point, Megakat Tower.

This building had many problems with attacks from every omega, including a robbery from the Swat Kats years ago. Kats would call this building cursed but had to keep it open as the former mayor had already put too much money into this past project. It served as a housing place for multiple businesses from different countries. It was a way to show the business's wealth and unrelenting fearlessness regardless of what happened, and they had insurance in case something occurred to the building….again.

Danta was sitting on the edge, three hundred stories above, and his eyes showed a glow as they darted around, looking for something. The kat winced when he felt grogginess overcome him and growled in annoyance.

"Seems time is up for today, time to head back-"

Dante stopped when his ears twitched, and he looked towards the direction of where the Strays base was at. He grinned, his tail swung around freely, and he quickly stood up.

"Well, now…seems the kit figured it out. Guess better check on my little vessel," Dante laughed before stepping forward and plunging towards the tower's base. He fell and landed on the ground as if he had just stepped down a ladder. He started to walk toward the direction where the Stray's base was located until his ear twitched again. "What's this? I sense something magical…hmm…a quick detour then."