It took Chance a while to get back to the garage. He parked the tow truck and got out, meeting Jake in the living room. He was already back in his garage coveralls. "So, did we nail him buddy?" Jake asks with a smile, but it soon faded as Chance shook his head. "No. Vivian and I checked. He was gone. I don't know how we're gonna take him out. After you literally blew him all to hell and the 20 foot drop out the window, you'd think he'd be a goner, but when we went to make sure he wasn't moving, his body was gone."
Jake gave him a surprised look. "Wow...well it's not the first time we've tried taking out a bad guy and they didn't go down the first time." Chance shrugged. "This time is different though. He seems to get stronger and stronger every time we run into him. Before you got there, he seemed super interested in sending me to the big litter box in the sky." Jake went to the fridge and got out two cans of milk. He handed one to Chance. "Why's that?" Jake asked, puncturing two spots in the top of the can with his thumb claw. Chance did the same.
"He somehow knows I've been with Vivian. He was super pissed about it and Viv was confused as hell." He said as he took a sip out of his milk. "I mean...technically you're not a home wrecker, but you are...kinda?" Jake said as he laughed. Chance was nothing but seriousness. "It's not funny, Jake. If he can track Vivian, what if he can track me by scent too? If he shows up here, he could trash the hangar and hurt you. What if Vivian's here? He's going to stop at nothing to try and kill me and take her." Chance rolled his shoulder a bit and stretched with the milk can in one hand, cracking his lower back, feeling both pain and relief. "Ooof! He managed to toss me halfway across HQ before we got to the roof. Feral's statue is probably toast, but that thing was ugly in the first place."
"Well...it's Feral so..." Jake said, smiling and Chance chuckled slightly as well. Jake continued. "But we may need to pay Dr. Sinian a visit and see if she can't help us. I mean she has helped us with the Pastmaster before and helped us take down the Red Lynx. Maybe she can find something with this?" Jake offered as Chance sat down on the couch. "Maybe, but we need to move fast. That maggot bag is getting stronger everyday it seems. Tonight?" Chance asks as Jake agrees. "Tonight, for sure."
Later on, the heroes were getting ready to take off. T-bone stood near the Cyclotron with the communicator for Shadow Kat in his hand. Razor sees him, looking like he's debating something. "What's up pal?" Razor asked as T-bone turned to face him. "Should I call Shadow Kat and tell her to meet us as the museum? I mean, maybe she'll want to hear this too?"
Razor raises an eyebrow at him as he puts on his helmet. "How we have to kill her fiancé? I don't think she's ready to hear that, T-bone. She nearly shot you to protect him last time."
T-bone considers him for a moment. "Remember when Mayor Manx had to deliver the fatal missile to the Red Lynx, being a relative of the Blue Manx? Maybe it's just like that." Razor shakes his head. "Yeah, but they weren't related by blood. They weren't even related by law yet." T-bone looks down at the communicator again. "She was supposed to be his wife though. All those horror movies you watch, and you don't see the possible plot here?" T-none said, smirking and raising his eyebrow at him through the mask. Razor thought for a moment. "You know...it might be a possibility..."
T-bone then decides to page her. He presses the blue button. Within a few moments, there's an answer. "Shadow Kat here. What's up?" Her voice came over the communicator and T-bond couldn't help but smile a little. "Hey, Razor and I are going to go talk to Dr. Sinian at the Megakat City Musem. She's helped us defeat the Pastmaster and a ghost before. We thought maybe she could help with zombie Max. You in?"
"A ghost?!" She yelled over the communicator. T-bone chuckled a little. "Yeah, a ghost. I'll tell you about that later if you want, but right now she may be our only hope at stopping him from further terrorizing Megakat City. Our arsenal and the 20 foot drop from a building obviously didn't stop him, so we need to see if there's another way."
The line goes quiet for a while. 'Maybe Razor was right. She won't be able to handle this right now.'
"How long do I have to get ready?" She asks suddenly.
"It'll take us about 20 minutes to get there. Can you be there in that time?" T-bone asks. She goes quiet again for a little bit. "If I'm late, just start without me. I'll be there though." She said. T-bone responds. "Rodger. Over and out." He says as he puts the communicator away.
"She actually wants to come and hear how we have to kill her zombie fiancé? Wow...I'm surprised." Razor says as he swings one leg over and sits in the passenger seat of the cyclotron. T-bone follows and takes his seat as the driver. He puts the key in to start it. "So...when are you gonna tell your girlfriend you know her secret? Or that you're T-bone?" Razor asks, obviously goading his friend. T-bone rolls his eyes. "Not until I absolutely have to, maybe not ever and she's not my girlfriend." He growls, slightly. Razor chuckles. "I'm just yanking your tail. Don't wait too long though, pal. That'll come back to bite you in the tail!"
T-bone considers his words for a moment and shakes his head. "I'll believe it, when I see it!" He says, turning on the cyclotron, revving the bike a bit and sending them down the tunnel and off to go pay Dr. Sinian a visit.
The Swat Kats arrived at the Megakat City museum a while later. T-bone turned the cyclotron off just as Shadow Kat pulled up on her black motorcycle. She took off her helmet, shaking her red hair out of it. It was done up in the same ponytail style as the blonde wig. "Decided to ditch the wig for good?" T-bone asks, getting off the cyclotron. She turned off the bike, got off and put her helmet on the seat, and smirked. "Too lazy to go get another one. Besides, everyone loves a red head." She said, flipping her hair at him.
'I dunno about love, but I definitely feel something for you.' T-bone thought to himself as the three of them entered the museum. Dr. Sinian was looking over some documents when they walked in. "Ah, the Swat Kats. What can I do for you? Oh...who is this?" Dr. Sinian said, pointing at Shadow Kat. She steps forward to shake Dr. Sinian's hand. "Shadow Kat. The new vigilante in Megakat City."
She nods. "Dr. Sinian, pleasure."
"Have you seen the news about the zombie Kat that attacked the Enforcers HQ today?" Razor asks as Dr. Sinian frowns and nods. "Yes, just terrible. The Pastmaster's handiwork again, I presume?" She said as T-bone crosses his arms over his chest. "We pumped him full of holes with the Turbokat and he took a 20 foot drop fall from the building. He's still up walking around. That should have been more than enough to take him out, but it wasn't."
"Hmmm..." Dr. Sinian thinks to herself as she walks over to office. The three kats follow her. She pulls out a stack of bound papers and starts looking through it. "Before the Pastmaster took it, we made a copy of his tome of time. Maybe there's something in his book that I can find that can help." She flips through the pages for a while as Shadow Kat stares down T-bone, thinking.
'He wasn't with Razor today when he saved myself and Chance. He resembles Chance a lot, it's almost scary. I can't keep messing around with T-bone though. Dad's activities seem to have died down and right now, there's no reason for me to up and leave. Chance and I have gotten close and I'm pushing him away for what? A good vigilante lay every once in a while? It would be impossible to be in a relationship with T-bone, but Chance seems a little more interested, even though he says he doesn't want one either. Maybe I can come to a happy medium with Chance?' Shadow Kat thinks to herself as T-bone slowly turns towards her, feeling eyes on him. She turns away quickly. T-bone smirks slightly and looks back to Dr. Sinian. 'I'm gonna cut this thing off with T-bone tonight and tell Chance how I feel. Good or bad, I have to try.' She thought to herself, decidedly.
"Ah! Here it is! He used this spell to bring him back to life. It says here that if the subject had no love in their life, usually they will succumb to fatal wounds, but if they had love in their life before they died and that person is still living, as long as their love lives, he can only be killed by their hand."
Both T-bone and Razor look at Shadow Kat. Her eyes go wide at the realization. 'I...I'd have to be the one to kill Max...' She thought, holding back tears. She turned and walked out of Dr. Sinian's office. T-bone ran slightly to catch up with her. "Shadow Kat, are you okay?" T-bone asked as she turned to face him. Tears in her eyes. "I have to be the one to put my fiancé back in the grave?! Why?! Because some little Kat troll's magic dictates it?! I...I don't think I can..." T-bone sighs and comes closer to her. "Shadow Kat, for the safety of this city and your own, you have to. Razor and I will help you, but you have to do this." She goes to him, wrapping her arms around the burly Kat. "Being a hero sucks." She said as she cried into his flight suit. T-bone wrapped his arms around her. "It does sometimes." He agreed.
She looked up at him after a little bit as he looked down at her. She blushed and stepped back from him. "I...also have to talk to you about something that's also going to suck, but it has to be done." She said, making sure Razor wasn't coming up behind them. "So, you remember that thing we discussed about our arrangement? I know we only got to do it one time, but I'm...having to cut it off, now." She said, starting to blush a little. T-bone cocked his head a little. "Why? You've met someone?" T-bone asked, inwardly praying to all of the Kat Gods that she was choosing Chance over T-bone. "Well...I've known him for a while and I've developed feelings for him. It wouldn't be fair to him if I was still screwing around with you. I plan to tell him how I feel and weather it goes good or bad, I have to tell him."
"Who is it? Maybe I know this tom and I could put in the good word for you." T-bone asked, trying to contain his excitement. He felt the fluttering in his chest at her pending confession. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow, and crossing her arms over her chest and smiled. "Promise you won't go kicking his tail?" She asked and he smirked. "I promise. Cross my heart." He said, holding up a hand as if swearing in court.
She sighed. "He's one of the mechanics out at Megakat City Garage and Salvage. I tried my damndest to avoid him, but he was persistent and he grew on me. He and I are so similar, yet so different. I...I've developed feelings for him that I can't hide anymore."
T-bone felt nothing but happiness at her confession. 'She wants me! She wants Chance Furlong, not T-bone! Yes! Okay, calm down, handle this like the macho Kat you are!'
"Oh...lucky tom." He said as she smiled. "I think we're both lucky." She said as she goes to pat him on the arm. "Sorry I had to do this to you, but I think I should give him and I an honest shot. I hope you find someone someday that you can share your secret with." She said, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.
'I think I just did.' T-bone thought and rubbed his cheek as she pulled back. "I'm going to go, but I've still got the communicator if Max or the other two pop up again." She said as he nodded. "Don't worry. We'll take him out, together. Good luck with telling that tom." He said as she smiled and nodded, turning to leave the museum.
He waited until she left the museum and pumped his fist in the air. "Alright!" He yelled in triumph, it echoed throughout the museum. Razor appeared behind him. "What's got you so happy pal?" Razor asked as T-bone smirked. "She chose me, Razor! Not me T-bone, but me...you know..." He said pointing to himself. "I gotta get home, change, then I'm gonna call her and see if she wants me to come over to her apartment so she can confess her feelings for me." He said, looking like an excited little giddy kitten. Razor smiles. 'I've never seen him so excited or happy over a she-Kat before.' Razor thought to himself. "Well what are we waiting for pal? Let's get home." Razor said, clapping him on the back as they walked out.
Once they were home, T-bone wasted no time. He turned off the cyclotron and hopped off, taking his gloves off, ripping off his helmet and mask, and unclipping and unzipping the flight suit. He started trying to hop out of it as quickly as he could, but tripped when it fell past his knees unexpectedly. "Crud! Ooff!" He said as he turned over and started kicking his way out of the offending garment. Razor laughed at this display. "Calm down buddy! She hasn't invited you over yet!" Chance got up with his flight suit over an arm and the mask and gloves tossed into his now upside down helmet in his hand. He was just in the white t-shirt and a pair of black boxers with little jets on them. "S-sorry. I'm just really excited." He said, scratching the back of his head, giving a sheepish grin. Razor shakes his head, walking past his partner.
"You're gonna kill yourself before you have a chance to call her." Chance continued on to the locker, changing in to his garage coveralls. Jake gives him a funny look, having taken off his mask and helmet and putting them in his locker. "Don't you want to go to her place in nicer clothes?" Jake asks as Chance zips up his coveralls. "I don't think I'll be coming home tonight, Jake." He said with a slightly cocky smile.
"Oh." Jake said simply, knowing what Chance was implying.
A few moments later, Chance emerges from the trap door, going straight for the garage phone to call Vivian. He dials her cellphone and waits. She picks up after a few rings.
"Hello?" She asks. Chance blows out a breath he had been holding. "Hey Viv, it's Chance. I just got off work and I'm just calling to see how you're doing after what happened today?" He hears her shift around wherever she was. "I'm...doing okay. What's up?" Chance pauses for a moment, trying to contain his excitement. "Well, if you're up for some company, there's a Scardy Kat marathon on tonight."
Vivian shifts a bit on her couch, sitting in some shorts, a white tank top and a gray pullover that hung off her shoulders. 'It's a weird coincidence that I told T-bone how I feel about Chance, and then he calls me.' She shakes her head. 'Well, now's as good a time as any.' She thought to herself. "Yeah, come over." She said as Chance holds his fist up in victory. "Radical! I'll be over soon." He said, hanging up the phone and going out to the Tow truck to leave.
A few minutes later, Chance was knocking on Vivian's door. She got up from the couch and opened the door to reveal Chance standing there with a bag full of junk food. She couldn't help but smile and raise her eyebrow at him. "Really?" She said and he laughed slightly. "Hey, what's a Scardy Kat marathon without snacks?" He said, trying to control his smile so he didn't look insane. "Well...come on in." She said, ushering him in and stepping aside with the door.
An hour or so later, Chance and Vivian were watching Scardy Kat together on the couch. Of course, Chance being Chance, he was laughing loudly while Vivian only laughed every once in a while. He kept waiting for a sign that she wanted to talk to him or tell him what she told T-bone. He didn't try to push her or hint that he knew, but it was hard for him. 'Maybe she's not brave enough to tell me yet?' He thought to himself, stealing a glance over at her.
Eventually Scardy Kat shifted over to a movie, which was one of the more boring movies. Chance yawned and looked over at Vivian. She had fallen asleep with her arm on the couch arm, holding up her head. Chance smiled a little. 'Well, this night isn't going how I pictured it, but it's still nice.' He thought as he moved to the ottoman sitting in front of them and pulled out a pillow and a blanket, sitting them on top of it. Chance gently moved her from her sitting position on the couch to laying down, slipping the pillow underneath her head.
She didn't wake up or protest. He took off his hat and work boots and got in behind her, settling under the covers. The couch was big enough to fit the both of them. He looked down at her, noticing she was peacefully sleeping. She scrunched her nose slightly and turned over in her sleep, settling into Chance's chest and molding herself against him. If she was awake, she would be able to hear his heart pounding. A small smile played across her lips in her sleep. Chance lightly sighs. 'Maybe she'll be braver in the morning.' He thought as he carefully settled in, not wanting to wake her, and soon fell asleep himself.
It was the next morning when both kats started to wake up. Chance started waking up first, seeing the light hitting the back of the couch. He looked down to see Vivian was still asleep against him. 'Ugh...I'm not sure if my shoulder is a bit sore from sleeping on the couch or from getting thrown halfway across HQ yesterday. At least I didn't snore and wake her up.' Vivian started to stir a little. She slowly opened her eyes, and was a little surprised to see a pair of blue ones staring back at her. Chance smiled. "Morning kitten." He said as she blushed, realizing they had slept next to each other all night last night. She stretched a bit, and put her arms above her head, staring at him. "I fell asleep?" She asked as Chance nodded. "We both did." Chance studied her face, searching for any sign that she was going to tell him. 'If she doesn't before we have to leave her place, I will.' He thought to himself.
She blushes an even deeper shade of pink. "Chance, can I tell you something?" She asked as he responded. "Uh-huh." He said, urging her to go on. She pushed against his shoulder slightly. "Maybe we should be standing up when I tell you this." He used the back of the couch to get up and off of her to stand. She sat up and got up as well. "Well...what I wanted to tell you, Chance...is that...I-I know you said you didn't want a relationship and I know I told you the same thing, but..." Meanwhile, Chance was calm on the outside, but on the inside he was screaming 'just get it over with!'.
"I've...developed feelings for you. I'm not asking for a relationship. Can we...could we date each other without putting an official title to it right now? It seems my plans have changed a little, and if they change some more, maybe consider calling it official later? I don't want to get into a full on relationship and then have to break either one of our hearts if I have to leave. I just don't want you messing around with any other she-kats while we're dating and I promise I won't mess around with any other toms, just you. Sound like something you would want?" She asked as Chance smiled at her.
"Yeah. To be honest, I have feelings for you too, Vivian. I have for a while now. I just didn't want to scare you off since you were so against it at first. It would suck if you stopped talking to me or hanging out with me." She smiled and blushed. "Okay, so...what do you say to us both coming in late for work?" She said with a slightly seductive look at him.
"Jake assumes I'd be coming in late today." Chance smirks. She raises an eyebrow at him. "Something tells me you were expecting this. So what do we do now-" Chance cuts her off by picking her up by her waist and slamming her slightly against the wall. His mouth crashed into hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist. His hips pressed firmly into hers as things started falling off the wall and they rocked a nearby table. A small vase tumbled off of it and broke. Chance broke the kiss and looked down at the broken vase. "Sorry, I'll pay for-" he started, but she cut him off, grabbing him by the collar of his coveralls, making him look at her again.
"It's fine. I don't care. Bedroom now, hotshot." She said, breathlessly as Chance smiled and complied, having his hands on her backside, carrying her to her room. He made sure to turn, close the door, and locking it just in case Lilian came in uninvited again. 'Nothing is going to stop us from being together this morning. I'm making sure of that.' Chance thought to himself as he brought her over to the bed. 'And I'm going to take my sweet time too.'