A/N: I can't believe how quickly I managed to write this. :) This is the first chapter of era 2, meaning that it takes place five years in the future (just reminding you in case you forgot :P)

Key:

Flashback = Flashback (Obviously)

Dream = Dream

Time Passage =...

- (BORDER) - = perspective change

Anyway, chapter information:

Genres: Adventure and Drama

Warnings: Scenes of violence and explicit language. SUGGESTIVE adult themes

Date started (Chapter): Thursday 10th March 2016

Date finished (Chapter): Saturday 26th March 2016

Song/s: Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace

Era II

Chapter 20: Animal I Have Become

I look around me and sigh as the light filters through the lush green canopy, casting areas of light sun and dark shadows. The past 5 years seem to have gone by so quickly, and not everything has been in shipshape, but it's been ok for what it's usually like for us Thundercats.

"Come on, you!" I call to Katzeran as he lags behind me "If we don't get these apples back, we won't have any of Snarf's apple pie after dinner."

My son groans before hoisting his little bag of apples over his shoulder and shouts "Dad, wait for me!"

I laugh as he runs after me, puffing like a steam-engine. He speeds up, and as a result, he trips over the root of an oak tree and falls over on the dusty path. He starts crying as I run to him, and as I kneel down beside the little Litah cub, I inspect his hands and knees; his palms are grazed and his right knee is slightly bloody, but other than that, he's ok.

"I told you to be careful, didn't I?" I say in a jokey tone to try and cheer my son up. He nods, but continues snivelling. He's only five years old, but he's way better behaved than me and Leo were at his age.

I take Katzeran's bag of apples then lift my cub up onto my shoulders. "C'mon you," I say as he wraps his legs around my neck and holds onto my mane "Let's go and see what your mother has been up to whilst we've been out."

My son sighs, then says "Dad?"

"Yes, Katz?" I reply as we make our way through the apple orchard.

"Who is Grune the Destroyer?"

I stop in my tracks. "Where did you hear that name? Tell me."

"My teacher said his name in class yesterday."

I continue on towards the city gates as I say "You must never say that name again, Katzeran. Ok?"

"Why?"

"Grune was once a Thundercat..."

"Like you and me? And mum?"

"Yes, like you, me and your mum. He wanted to be the Lord of the Thundercats and started to destroy Old Thundera. Then the greatest Thundercat of all beat him. Who is the greatest Thundercat of all, Katz?"

"Jaga!"

"That's right," I say triumphantly, glad I'd managed to stop him from saying I was the greatest Thundercat of all "And why is he the greatest?"

"He...He's...He...uhhggg! He killed Grune?"

"He didn't kill Grune, Katzeran. He trapped him and sent him to Third Earth, where he died. Jaga is the greatest Thundercat because when everything went wrong, he saved the Thunderians. If it was not for Jaga, I wouldn't be here," I turn around and look at the countryside and the city "None of this would."

"Wow! Cool!"

"Grune was evil because he got his own way through murder and killing the innocent..."

Katzeran gasps. "Will he kill me?"

"No. Don't be so daft, Katz. Grune has been dead for a long time. And if by any chance he is still alive, he's miles away on Third Earth. And if he did try to hurt you, he would have me to answer to."

"Really? Why?"

"Because you're my son, and I love you. You are also the Prince of New Thundera, and a Thundercat. Katzeran, the time will come when I either have to step down from the throne, or I will no longer be here, and the throne of New Thundera and the Sword of Omens will be yours. But, of course, I am talking many years down the road. I'm still going to be around for years and years."

"Dad, what happens when we die?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I dunno..."

I sigh deeply. Is there even an easy way to tell a five year old child about death and dying? I was Katz's age when I first saw someone die; my eldest cousin, Lynda. A group of about four boys-I can't remember exactly how many because it's been years-pushed her into a lake, which just so happened to also be infested with piranhas. She'd taken me to the lake to go fishing, but the boys smothered her in pig's blood...then they pushed her in.

To this day, I can still remember her high-pitched screams of agony as the carnivorous fish stripped the flesh from her body. I'd been forced to watch as the fish dragged her under the water, which was rapidly turning a sickening shade of red. One of them was about to push me in as well, but my father and Jaga were running towards us, so they ran away, leaving me crying on the pontoon...

"Well..." I sigh as I try to remember what my father had told me when I asked him "You see, it varies on what people believe. When we die, our souls go to the Astral Plane, and if you were good before you died, you might be chosen by Satos to be the guardian or mentor of the next Lord or Lady of the Thundercats. And do you know why Satos is so special and important, Katzeran?"

My son looks fascinated. "No. Why?"

I smile at how interested my cub seems in his ancestry. "We are direct descendants of Satos. He was my family's ancestor, which means that he is also your ancestor because you're half lion."

"But what about Mum?"

"What about Mum? Your mother is a cheetah, as you obviously already know, and so her ancestor is different."

"Dad, what even is an ancestor? How long ago did they live?"

"An ancestor is like a great, great, great grandparent, and they can live anytime."

...

By the time we reach the city gates, the sun is getting low in the sky. Katzeran had long since fallen asleep, drooling on my shoulder in his sleep as I carry him. As I approach them, the two guards bow to me then open the gates for me.

"Good evening, Your Majesty. Lovely weather, isn't it?" a Liger says as he walks alongside me, escorting me back to the Lair. I chuckle slightly before saying "Yup. It's rather warm for this time of the year, but it means that the fields and orchards are in plentiful supply, especially the apple orchards." I adjust my grip on the bags of apples, which seem to be increasing in weight. "Here, my King, let me take those for you." he says as he takes the bags from me, then he looks at Katzeran and smiles. "Prince Katzeran looks so much like you when you were little, sire. There is no doubt that he will be a strong Lord and King when his time comes." he says as Katzeran suddenly squirms before slightly kicking me in the abdomen in his sleep.

"It's hard to believe that he got so ill when he was just a few days old. He's such a healthy and lively cub, the complete opposite of what I was like. From the moment I was born, I gave my father and the other Thundercats hell."

"But you had the best cat as a Father."

I sigh before saying "I know. But it's such a shame I can't remember that much about him."

The Liger smiles sympathetically before saying "Your father, King Claudus, was a great man. He was extremely brave and strong, and he didn't let any of his personal problems effect his role as and duties as the Lord of the Thundercats and King of Old Thundera, and he kept the planet and its people strong after your mother, Queen Leandra, passed away. Your mother was a brilliant queen, and she would be so proud of you if she could see you now, my King."

As we walk up the steps of the Lair, Katzeran stirs, yawning then stretching slightly as he murmurs "Dad, are we home yet?"

"We've just got back."

"I'm hungry! And I'm tired..."

"Well, it'll be dinner, then bath time, then into bed with you, then."

My son groans before saying "But I don't want to go to bed early!"

"Don't make me tell your mum!"

Katz groans again before cuddling back into my chest. "He doesn't like it when Cheetara tells him off," I say to the Liger as we walk into the main entrance of the Lair "But it you ask Cheetara the same question, she'd say that he absolutely hates it when I tell him off. I go the same way that my father went with me and Leo; we were both troublemakers, so whenever we misbehaved, he'd smack us around the backs of our legs, right where it..."

I cut myself off and yelp in pain as Katzeran wriggles out of my arms, accidentally catching me between the legs with the heel of his right foot.

"Ooops...Sorry Dad..." he says, and as Cheetara walks in, he hares towards her shouting "Mum! Mum! Mum!" over and over again, clamouring to be picked up. My wife eventually picks our cub up once I've managed to get over the pain and stand up.

I take the apples from the Liger and thank him for the help, then once he has left, we walk into the kitchen where Snarf is cooking tonight's dinner. "That sure does smell great," I say as Cheetara sits down at the little table with Katz on her lap, "What have we got?"

Snarf doesn't turn around to look at me, but he says "We have venison with petis pois and new potatoes, with apple pie for desert."

I put the apples on the counter before sitting down too. "I suppose that you're going to want to help with the pie, Katzeran." the little red and yellow cat says, earning an eager response from my son.
"Yeah!"

"Come on then, wash your hands."

Katzeran eagerly runs up to the sink and tries to wash his hands, but he's too short, and so the water runs down his arms.

"I don't know, Katz." I laugh as he jumps to try and reach the tap "At this rate, Snarf will have the pie finished before you've managed to wash your hands." But I get up and lift him up so that he can wash them because he'd started to get frustrated...

...

"Now that you've recovered slightly, are you going to tell me exactly how you escaped the fight with Grune alive?"

I don't reply to my wife; I'm in too much pain to do so. I'm lying on my front in my bed in the infirmary, and it feels like I can't breathe. I still feel extremely groggy and lethargic from the anaesthetic and sedatives, and all I want to do is sleep but I can't. Every second of sleep I manage to get is plagued with horrific nightmares and hellish visions.

"You don't want to know..." I say in as loud a voice as I can possibly manage, but it still comes out as a pathetically quiet mumble.

"Trust me Lion-O. I do want to know." Cheetara says as she takes hold of my hand, gently massaging my palm, and so I sigh before answering her.

"I killed him. I had to; I...I ha...I had no other choice but to do so b...bec...because if I hadn't have...hadn't have killed him, he...he'd have killed me instead..."

My voice trails away. Why am I feeling remorse for killing the enemy? If anything, I should be celebrating my victory, even though I know that murder, even if it is the enemy, is wrong. But no. Because why bother? Why bother when killing Grune won't change anything? It won't make anything better. It won't improve anything, but the sabre toothed Thunderian is dead, and so I can't change anything.

"But before you say anything, I had a perfectly valid reason to kill Grune because he threatened to harm you and the other Thundercats. I can't even begin to imagine what I'd do with myself if you, Katzeran, and the other Thundercats got harmed...or worse; it'd kill me..."

Cheetara sighs. "I wasn't actually going to say anything about it. If anything, I actually believe that you acted inappropriately, but given the situation that you were in, I would have done the exact same if I were you."

Hearing this surprises me. "But you're against killing. You penalized me after I killed Rataro, but you agree with me when I kill Grune?"

"I don't agree with what you did, Lion-O. I just said that I'd have done the same. It's completely different."

"Dad, are you ok?"

I look up at Katzeran, who is standing in front of me. He's dressed in his pyjamas and his mane is all fluffed up, meaning that Cheetara had obviously bathed him. He looks worried, and I realise that I must have just zoned out.

"I'm fine, Katz. C'mon, sit down." I say as I move over on the sofa; my young cub practically jumps on top me and cuddles into me, purring gently. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Katz." I say as I wrap my arms around my son's chest.

"Dad, can you read me a bedtime story tonight?"

I chuckle slightly. "But I read you one last night; it's your mum's turn to tell you a story." I say, to which the young Litah replies with "But I love it when you read stories to me..." He pulls a really pouty face and sticks his bottom lip out, and so I say "Ok then. You win."

He grins, and when Cheetara comes into the library to take him to bed, he clings to me, so I have to carry him up the stairs, and once I actually put him to bed, I sit down and say "So, what story do you want? You choose."

"Dad, can you make up a story?"

I look at Katzeran and see that his eyes are gleaming hopefully. I sigh before saying "I'm not really that great at making up and telling stories; your Mum is the best at telling original stories."

"But, Dad, please can you try? Tell me a story about Satos."

I look at my son again. "Katz, I think that you're a little too young to be told a story about Satos."

"PLEASE!"

I sigh. "Ok, maybe this once."

Katzeran lies back, so I pull the covers over him and say "Now, this story starts years ago, years before me and your Mum were born. Satos was the Lord of the Thundercats and King of Thundera. Legend tells that he saved Thundera from a fearsome dragon who wanted to rule the planet as King. The dragon challenged Satos to a battle to see who would be the stronger ruler. Satos agreed to fight, but only under the condition in which the dragon left Thundera forever if it lost..."

By the time I've finished the story, Katzeran is nearly asleep. "Dad, what happened after that?"

I don't answer him. It is said that after my ancestor defeated the dragon, he was mysteriously murdered by some unknown method. The only thing that I know is that he left behind a cub, who was my great grandfather. I sigh before saying "Maybe..." but I'm cut off as I hear a voice say "Maybe that's a story for another time because it's getting late, meaning that it's way past your bedtime, young man."

I look up at Cheetara and jokingly say "Were you talking to me or Katz?"

My wife chuckles slightly before walking up to Katzeran's bed as I stand up. She places his old plush polar bear next to him before tucking our cub in. The cheetah leans down and hugs the young Litah cub before kissing him on the forehead. "Goodnight Katzeran. I love you." She says softly, so Katz replies with "Goodnight Mum, I love you too..."

He yawns deeply, so I say goodnight and kiss my son's forehead too, before switching off the lamp and walking out of the door, closing it until it's just open by a slight crack. I turn to Cheetara as we make our way to our sleeping chamber and say "Now, let's hope that he doesn't wake up. He's been doing that for the past few nights and I'm knackered because of it."

The cheetah sighs before saying "It's not just you that suffers; when he climbs in between us, he wakes me up and I can't get back to sleep until he's gone because he just fidgets."

It is true. Katzeran unfortunately inherited that from me because, according to Cheetara, I wriggle, squirm and fidget in my sleep a lot. As we retreat into our room, I can sense that Cheetara is uneasy about something, but I can't figure out what is wrong. She seems to be slightly anxious, so I sit down next to her on our bed, and as I hold her hands in my right hand, I gently place my left hand on her cheek as I say "Cheetara, is there something wrong? It's not like you to be like this. You can tell me if something is wrong; I'm your husband."

Cheetara looks at me, and I notice the nervous look in her eyes. She sighs before answering me; "I know, Lion-O. But I haven't mentioned this to you for the past two days because I didn't think you'd understand. However, I can't keep this to myself anymore, so I'll tell you. I can sense danger through my sixth sense. Not to the other Thundercats, but to us. To our family. Something big is going to happen, and I know that it will, but I don't know when, and that worries me. My sixth sense has never been wrong, and I'm terrified that something bad is going to happen to you and Katzeran."

She starts sobbing, so I pull her close to me and press my lips against hers. I feel my wife relax as she pushes herself into my chest, purring gently as we passionately kiss. As we break for air, I say "You know that I'd never let anything happen to us; I'd do anything to keep us safe, even give up my own life if it meant I'd be keeping you and Katzeran safe."

The cheetah pushes me backwards until I'm lying on my back on the bed, then she lies on top of me, straddling me as she purrs "I know, and I'd do the same for you. I love you more than you'll ever know."

"I love you too, 'Tara," I half chuckle, half moan as she gently nibbles and sucks at the skin on my neck, giving me a lovebite before getting back up again. "Now, have I put your fears at rest?" I ask as we get ready for bed and slip under the covers. My wife responds to my question as she cuddles into my chest with "Yes, you did. But I reckon that it's only temporary..."

I chuckle before suggestively saying "Well, let me help you forget about it."

Cheetara laughs before saying "You're absolutely shameless, Lion-O!" as I leave a trail of kisses from her collarbone to her lips, eliciting a moan from the cheetah as I run my hand down her back. I switch the light off, and we embrace...

- (BORDER) -

I slowly open my eyes, and am aware of the soft rays of the early morning sun's light filtering through the curtains, and as I roll onto my side, I can see Lion-O lying beside me, facing me. The lion's eyes are closed, and I know that he's either still asleep or trying to get back to sleep. I can hear the birds singing, and the scent of cooking bacon is thick in the air. Exhausted from my late night last night, I bury my face into my pillows as I yawn.

Lion-O yawns before wrapping his arms around me. "Good morning, 'Tara." he purrs lovingly, nuzzling his chin into my mane. My husband pulls me into a tight hug, keeping me pressed against his warm well-muscled chest.

"Good morning, Lion-O," I yawn, resting my head on his arm, breathing in the sweet scent of his fur as I cuddle into the lion. "Feel better after last night?" Lion-O sleepily murmurs, sounding like he's really struggling to stay awake, which wouldn't surprise me after last night's little 'escapade'.

I laugh slightly before saying "Well, helping me forget about my worries didn't come in the way in which I was expecting."

I feel him put his hand on my chin, and he makes me look into his eyes, grinning wickedly. He chuckles before saying "I can tell that you liked it, though..." The lion winds a lock of my mane round his finger, his golden wedding ring gleaming in the light of the sun as he French kisses me, taking my breath away as he straddles me.

I don't want to break away from him, but the door opens and I hear Snarf say "Sneyarf! Sneyarf! Are you two going to downstairs anytime...soon..."

Me and Lion-O both look at Snarf, who seems to be in a state of shock upon seeing us. "Sneeyarf! Reow! I hope I wasn't disturbing anything..." the little red and yellow lizard-like cat whines weakly.

"Luckily for you, you weren't..." Lion-O says, and I manage to detect the extremely embarrassed tone in his voice. Snarf purrs before saying "Well...Breakfast is ready..." and then he walks out of our room.

Lion-O quickly kisses me before getting up. "We'd better get ready..." he yawns as he stretches, "Snarf wouldn't like it if we missed breakfast." I watch the lion as he pulls on his underwear then his Thundercat uniform. As he goes into the bathroom, I get myself ready, and then we leave to go and have breakfast.

- (BORDER) -

"We need to do something about this, Jaga. Who knows when he will take things too far?"

I turn to look at Leandra as I say "He's already taken it too far by killing two people already, Leandra. I know that he is all for the Code of Thundera, but he has strayed from it too many times."

"I know, Jaga. But I cannot help in worrying about his behaviour. He does have his father's short temper, but killing is unacceptable." the lioness says softly, tears trickling down her cheeks from her bright green eyes. She sighs deeply, and I know that she is slightly disappointed with Lion-O's behaviour. Leandra looks at me and asks "Is there anything we can do to show him the consequences of his actions?"

"Unfortunately not, unless you want to scar your son for life."

- (BORDER) -

It was shocking when it happened; we were halfway through breakfast when the security alarms were set off. We run into the Control Room, and see that there is a white Wolfman on the telescreen.

"Who are you and what the hell do you want here?" I growl, to which the wolf replies with "I am Saborr, and I am the head of the Plun-darrian S.S.B.H., and don't bother about telling me who you are. Lion-O, the infamous Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera. I am here with my best men because we are here for the Wolfman Sebastian! Either you hand him to us willingly, or we take him by using brute force!"

I feel someone grab me round the legs, so I look down and see Katzeran looking up at me, a terrified expression on his face. "Dad, what's going on?" he asks, and I can clearly detect the scared tone in his voice. I pick my young cub up and cuddle him against my chest, seemingly calming him until he starts purring.

"It's ok, Katz," I say as he buries his face into my shoulder and neck "It's ok."

I growl at the wolf before saying "Why do you want him? He left Plun-darr years ago! Why is he so important to you?"

I turn to look at Sebastian as Saborr says "He is wanted by the High Plun-darrian Council and the King of Plun-darr! He is to be put to death and executed for his crimes against his people and his kind!"

Sebastian looks nervous, but he composes himself and steps forwards as he says "Leaving Plun-darr and coming to New Thundera was the best thing I have done in years! Thunderians may be your sworn enemies, but they are my friends; I am a Thunderian citizen, and I am proud of it because it teaches arrogant twats like you that you can't judge a book by its cover! And if you kill me, I'll die happy knowing that I died for a cause that I believe in!"

"TRAITOR!" the white wolf screams, looking at us all with rage evident is his brown eyes, then he glares at Sebastian before saying "I hope that you're glad about the controversial actions which you have so foolishly taken against your own people! You call yourself a Thunderian citizen, but you couldn't be any more different from the species which you are trying to be! If your so called 'allies' knew your past, I without-a-doubt know for sure that they'd have you executed without hesitation! Stop trying to be a Thunderian, boy. You're a wolf, and you'll never be able to rid yourself of the burdens of your past, but you'll pay," the wolf then throws me a demonic look, "You all will!"

Then, Saborr disappears, the screen cutting to static as I turn to Sebastian. "What does the Plun-darrian S.S.B.H. stand for?" I ask, to which the Wolfman replies with "It stands for the Secret Service Bounty Hunters. They're the elite of the elite. You're probably going to have to ramp up the security because I reckon that they have something planned."

I eye him suspiciously. I know about his past as a spy, but I can't help in thinking that there's something that he isn't telling us. I turn to the ThunderGuard members who have gathered in the room and say "Attention!"

They instantly stand to a salute and shout "Sir yes sir!"

"I want you all to double the guards on the main doors, extra patrols carried out in all of the hallways, and I want guards on duty outside of all of our rooms. And if anything does happen, do not hesitate to wake me up or sound the alarms. If those Wolfmen somehow manage to get in, we'll be ready and waiting for them," I say, and I turn to the other Thundercats, putting Katzeran down as I continue, "And we'll be carrying out scans of each sector of New Thundera, including the New Thunderian airspace."

We all disband, and start to complete the checks and scans, but everything is quiet...for now.

That night as I lie in bed, I still feel like something is wrong. Cheetara is fast asleep, but I'm so nervous that I can't settle. I feel like something is going to happen...no. I know that something is going to happen. I sigh before looking at the alarm clock; it's 12:43pm. But I feel so tired. I haven't had this problem for a long time. I lie down again, and this time, I actually manage to drift off to sleep...

"Lion-O, you have strayed from the Code of Thundera."

"B...B...But...But it...it was...it was an acc...accident!"

"You are the Lord of the Thundercats, and it is a strict law that you follow the Code. Murder is unacceptable and punishable by banishment...or death..."

"But...But I was just defending my friends and family! You can't punish me for that!" I say, my blood pumping in my ears as my heart pounds in my chest. They seriously can't want me to die because I murdered two people...can they? But all of them are looking at me with the same look of hatred on their faces, even Cheetara and Katz.

"We'll have to have a trial first, Tygra."

I'm shocked. Those words just came out of Snarf's mouth. Snarf! Of all the Thundercats in the room, he had to say it!

"We can't judge our King and Lord because it just isn't right, but the Sword of Omens can. It's the only possible way to do it." Tygra says as he lies the Sword on the table before me, "Take the trial, Lion-O. You have no choice but to do so."

I gulp nervously before reaching for the Sword, but I then realize that I can't draw my hand back. I can see a cold, blue hand clamped around my wrist, forcing me to take the Sword...

"Jaga?"

The ghostly jaguar ignores me and forces me to hold the mystical blade before my eyes and, almost instantly, I feel a sharp stabbing pain in both of my temples, as if a hot knife is being forced into my skull. I roar in pain and try to let go of the Sword, but my hands are frozen on the grip, and I'm forced to endure agony as every single memory that I have is viciously probed. I scream and roar as I thrash around, but I can't let go of the Sword. My head is pounding; it feels like it's on fire.

One by one, all of my memories and thoughts are scanned; Katzeran's birth, the day I found out that Cheetara was pregnant, our wedding...and eventually, we reach my childhood memories. For so long, I have kept myself in the dark about my past, but now I have the nastiest feeling that my secrets are about to be revealed...

"SUBMIT!"

I look up and see that I'm in a pitch black room with someone from my past before me.

"Father? Is that really you?"

"SUBMIT!"

I try to let go of the Sword of Omens again, and this time, I can; it falls to the floor where it lodges itself into the stone, and this time when I try to grab it again, the grip badly scorches my hand.

"Father, what does this mean?"

"You are no longer a Thundercat, and your memories of being a Thundercat have been erased by the sword of Omens. Submit, NOW!"

"But...Father...I..."

"ENOUGH!"

I nervously look up at my Father as he takes a step away from me before starting to walk off. "Father, wait! Please!" I shout, tears streaming down my cheeks as I realise how much I sound like a scared little cub. He suddenly stops before turning to me and snarling "You're not my son! My son was Lion-O, the Lord of the Thundercats; he wasn't the MONSTER that you are..."

"Lion-O! Lion-O, wake up! For fuck's sake, wake up!"

I open my eyes, and through the haze of being woken up so rapidly from my nightmare, I'm so disorientated and confused. "Wha...What happened?" I ask, only just aware of the alarms blaring.

"The alarm's been set off! It's the Bounty Hunters! They're here!"

"SHIT!" I half roar, half cry as I sit up. I get out of bed and throw my clothes on, before rushing out of the door after attaching the Claw Shield to my hip and placing the Sword in. We hurry to the Control Room to find everyone gathered inside.
As I start giving out orders, something twigs in my mind; I turn to Cheetara and say "Cheetara, doesn't Katzeran usually...come running to us...when the alarms go off?"

I see that the colour drains from my wife's face as she looks at me, obviously realising what I was getting at. "Katzeran!" she cries, and then she turns and runs out of the room with me by her side. "I knew that something bad was going to happen! I just knew it!" I say, but the cheetah stays silent, the panic and worry evident on her face.

We reach our son's room, and upon running in and switching the light on, I see that Katzeran isn't in his bed, and the window is wide open, meaning that whoever took our son intended on a speedy getaway without getting noticed. "No!" we both cry in unison. "There's no way that he could be hiding. We'd be able to hear him crying!" I say, and then I notice the note on our cub's bed. I grab it then read it out loud;

"You should have listened to Saborr and handed Sebastian over to us when we told you to. We warned you that you'd pay, and now you have. Maybe next time you'll listen, Thundercat."

"Why didn't I notice before?" I growl with rage as I crumple the note in the palm of my hand. Those wolves have our son. They have our cub, and they'll pay for what they have done!

- (BORDER) -

"Well, do you have him?"

I turn around and see that Clyde and Wayne are dragging a burlap sack behind them, the contents of which is visually wriggling and squirming in distress, making such an annoying high pitched noise, sounding awfully similar to a dying cat. The pair of wolves look sheepish, so I say "Well! Show me what's in the bag!"

They quickly undo it and tip the contents out; a young Thunderian cub tumbles out onto the floor, snarling, hissing and growling, and still making the high-pitched noise. I laugh as I realise that the cub is trying to roar.

"I told you to get Sebastian, not a freaking cub!"

"But, Sir, the cub was easier to get, and he's a rare species."

"Really? Bring him here!"

The pair of wolves drag the youngster forwards, and he starts crying as he stands before me. His mane is a bright yellowish-blonde and littered with the same pattern of black spots that cover his shoulders, back, and the backs of his arms and thighs, and I also see that there are rosettes on his back, meaning that the cub is a cross between a lion and a cheetah.

"How old are you, boy?" I ask the sobbing Litah.

"F...F...Fi...Five." he gasps between breaths, tears streaming down his cheeks "I want to go home! I want my Mum and Dad!"

"SHUT UP!" I shout, but I only succeed in startling the young cub, making him cry harder. "For God's sake! What's your name?"

"K...Ka...Katzeran..."

My blood turns to ice in my veins. My friends kidnapped the Prince of New Thundera and Third Earth; I have the young son of King Lion-O and Queen Cheetara in front of me...

To be Continued...

Next time on Thundercats:

After the young Prince of Thundera has been kidnapped, Saborr decides to get rid of the evidence by selling the Litah cub on the Plun-darrian Black Market to avoid having to pay for his crimes, but will Lion-O and Cheetara be able to stop him and foil the Wolfman's plans, or will the pair be forced to lose their son?

Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!