T-Bone raced back to Megakat City, trying to get to Vivian. "So her father's the one who's been having Vivian watched. He's the one who caused all of this mess." T-Bone said, talking to Razor on the way back. "Yeah, but why would he care who his daughter dates? She's old enough to make her own decisions." Razor said as T-Bone scowled. "The only reason why he would care is if her boyfriend happened to be a Swat Kat. We've taken out scum mafia kats before. He's afraid of us, pal and for good reason. When I get a hold of him, I'll..." T-Bone growled.
"T-Bone, I understand how you feel, but you have to remember, we have a reputation to uphold as the Swat Kats. We only kill monsters that can't be saved. We need to put Boss Vanfang behind bars where he belongs." Razor said as T-Bone continued to scowl. "He's his own kind of monster. I'd like to put him in a pine box or just six feet under in general just for hurting her. What kind of father does that to his daughter, Razor?!" T-Bone yelled slightly, meaning it to be a rhetorical question. "The kind we need to put behind bars. She'll be safe in your arms again before you know it, buddy." Razor said as he saw the skyline of Megakat City coming into view.
A while later, T-Bone and Razor landed near the dock where the warehouse was that Shadow Kat and Razor had nearly gotten taken out at, if T-Bone hadn't showed up. The canopy opened and they both jumped down from the jet. Razor caught up with his partner and put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from marching straight in. "T-Bone, we need to be careful. It could be a trap like Shadow Kat said." T-Bone turned to look at his shorter partner and looked back at the warehouse. "We can't waste time though buddy. We beat the 24 hour deadline, but he could still kill her if the Enforcers or anyone else shows up. Let's go!" T-Bone said, making sure his glovatrix was at the ready. Although, with the anger he was trying to suppress, he probably wouldn't need the glovatrix. 'I'll just take my anger and frustration out on some mafia kat scum with my fists!' He thought to himself as Razor followed close behind, covering his six and the sides.
Once they got to the door, T-Bone pushed the slider door open. Razor followed. The inside of the warehouse was dark. Only the dim light from the windows above let in some light. T-Bone took a couple of steps before Razor caught the hairline glint of a trip-wire on the floor. "T-Bone! Stop!" Razor called, but it was too late. T-Bone turned just in time to look at Razor while the wire was pressed against T-Bone's shin. He looked down. "Aw crud!" He said as a screen came on further in the warehouse. Boss Vanfang appeared on the screen. The sliding door slammed shut. "You didn't think it was gonna be that easy, did you?" He said as T-Bone shrugged and smirked. "For a second there, yeah, I kinda did." More sliding metal doors came down to close out the windows. A countdown appeared on the screen, replacing Boss Vanfang's face. Both Swat Kats eyes went wide. "Kats alive! We gotta get out of here and we've only got sixty seconds to figure out how!" Razor said, looking around, trying not to panic. T-Bone looked around too. He looked up and saw the hole he created with the Turbokat had been repaired, but there was a small hole they might be able to fit through. "Razor! Look!" He said, pointing up. "I don't know if both of us will fit through there!" Razor said as T-Bone deployed his glovatrixs grappling hook. He pulled once it hooked to make sure it was stable. "Better one of us makes it out alive versus neither of us!" He grabbed Razor and started the process as fast as he could get them both out. Once they reached the hole, he realized Razor was right. Only one of them could fit through at a time. He started lifting Razor towards the opening. "What are you doing, T-Bone?!"
"You're smaller than me. You can get through easier. Callie would never forgive me if I didn't give you a fair chance to live." He said as Razor paused for only a moment, glancing at the timer, which was down to 30 seconds. "Go, Razor! Now!" Razor scrambled up through the hole and onto the roof. "Come on, T-Bone! Get going!" He hoisted himself up through the hole, feeling jagged edges scratching at his flight suite as he moved. He finally squeezed his way through with Razor helping him up and through the hole. There were only 5 seconds left. They started trying to run off the roof, but it exploded before they could jump to the safety of the crates below. The explosion sent both kats flying into Megakat City bay. There were now pieces of the warehouse in the water. The remnants in flames. After a few moments, Razor surfaced, coughing up some water. "T-Bone?! T-Bone, where are you?!" He yelled as he desperately tried to find the bigger tabby. 'I know he can swim now, but if he got knocked out, he could be drowning!' Razor thought as he swam through the choppy waters and the debris. He heard coughing a little ways from him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he swam to T-Bone, who had his upper body floating on a thin piece of broken wood. "Talk about a close call." T-Bone said, coughing up a little bit of water as Razor swam to meet him at the broken piece of wood. They both looked to the dock and the now on fire and demolished warehouse. "Yeah, he almost got us both."
"So where could he be holding her now?" T-Bone asked as Razor held up his glovatrix. "I picked up a signal before the place blew. Maybe I can trace where it came from. I guess the race against the 24 hours is still on." Razor said as T-Bone shook his head. "We gotta find her Razor. Failure isn't an option."
"Let's get back to shore so we can go home and try to trace the signal." Razor said as he started swimming back. "Ugh, not only did my girlfriend get katnapped by her father, now we both gotta get in the Turbokat, soaking wet. It's gonna smell like sea water." T-Bone grumbled as he started swimming back too.
Once they got back to the hangar, both of them quickly got out of their flight suits, did 3 rounds of rock paper scissors matches to determine who would get the shower first, Jake won of course, and then went back down to the hangar so that not only could Chance begrudgingly clean the Turbokat, but see if Jake could trace the signal and find Vivian.
About an hour later, Chance came to stand next to Jake who was at the computer. "Any progress on that signal, Jake?" Jake shook his head and sighed. "Couple of pings here and there, but nothing definite. The signal was encrypted, very well encrypted." Chance crossed his arms over his chest. "I've got faith in you, sure shot, you can get it cracked...right?" He asked as Jake kept trying to concentrate on cracking it. "Chance, we'll save her. Don't worry. Besides, even if I found it in the next minute, we can't go storming into wherever they are. We need to stock up on ammo and see what else we need, come up with a real plan." Chance huffed. "My only plan is kick some tail, especially her father's, and get Vivian out of there." Jake shook his head. "How did that work out for us at the warehouse today?" He said as Chance blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, buddy...I just...after seeing her get beaten on live TV today and I couldn't stop it...it's literally stuck on replay in my head and I can't get it to stop. It's just making me angrier and more restless." Jake was about to respond, when his computer made a positive sounding beep.
"Oh! I got something! The signal came from a newly built building on the other side of Megakat City business district. Hmmm...not very many businesses registered there right now, so this has gotta be it!" Chance grabbed him excitedly by his shoulder. "Radical buddy! Let's get going-" Chance started but Jake turned around in the chair. "Negative, pal. We need to get some sleep, ammo up, and come up with a plan." Chance frowned, but found his resolve. "Fine. We're up at daybreak." He said as he started heading for the ladder. Jake gave him a one eyebrow raised look. "Daybreak? But you hate early mornings?" Jake asked as Chance continued to walk towards the ladder. "Some things...certain kats...are worth waking up early for." He said as he started climbing up the ladder to try and get some sleep. Jake shook his head and smiled. 'He really does love her.'
Even though it was hard for him to fall asleep, Chance managed to get a few hours of sleep before he was up and getting ready to storm the building they found that the signal was coming from and save Vivian. He immediately went downstairs and went for the trapdoor. He loaded up his gloveatrix with mini missiles, as much as it would carry. Jake came down about five minutes later to see Chance stayed true to his word. He was up and at it by daybreak. "Wow, you weren't kidding. You're actually up." Chance looked up to see Jake smiling at him. Chance smirked back. "What can I say, pal? I gotta be her knight in shining armor. Part of the unspoken rules as her boyfriend." He said as he got up from his place at the ammo and gadgets table. He went to his locker and started changing out to his alter ego. "So, get dressed, then it's plan making time?" Chance stopped for only a second and smiled at him. "Already got the blue prints pulled up for the building." Jake nodded and went to his locker to change into his flight suit as well. It took another hour to plan and scope out the building and possible escape routes. They had several plans and alternative plans. Razor looked up at T-Bone. "You sure you wanna go in there guns blazing? We don't even know how heavy or well secured that place is?"
T-Bone narrowed his eyes in the mask. "We already agreed Razor, I'm out in front leading the charge. If I go down and I'm not getting back up, you hightail it out of there as fast as you can. You have Callie to think about." He said as Razor came over and squeezed his shoulder. "T-Bone, if one of us goes down, we're going down together. We're a team. Callie knows. I talked to her last night on the phone and said what I needed to say, just in case. We're the Swat Kats. We've faced worse, from Dark Kat to space aliens, and mummies even. We'll make it through this too, together." T-Bone turned and smirked and they clasped hands together. "Together, let's go, partner." They released each other and made their way to the Turbokat.
A while later, they arrived near the building where Vivian was supposedly being held. T-Bone landed the Turbokat on top of the building. "I found an air vent we can get through and sneak in. Maybe see if we can get the drop on any of his mafia goons." Razor said, holding a scanner in his hands. "There's a pretty big number of guards leading up to the office, where I think she's at." T-Bone armed his glovatrix, itching both to kick some tail and to get Vivian back in his arms. "Well what are we waiting for, pal? Let's go kick some tail!"
Meanwhile in the office where Razor correctly assumed Vivian was being held, Boss Vanfang sat at his desk, like he was waiting for something. He casually checked his claws as he looked over at his daughter. "Your friends are certainly taking their sweet time getting here, that is, if they survived my first trap. You may actually end up being executed, Daughter number one." He said as he swiveled slightly in his chair. Vivian was out of her Shadow Kat costume and in a red blouse with the shoulders cut out and black slacks. Her face had been cleaned up, but there were bruises underneath her fur. She was sitting in a chair next to his desk. "You won't kill me. You're a kat bastard about some things, but you would never kill one of your daughters, especially when they both resemble your late wife. I'm surprised you had me beaten." She said as he stared at her with cobalt eyes. He huffed. "With you being a UK Army veteran, I'd think you would be able to take a few love taps like a champ." Vivian fake laughed. "Love taps?! You had them beat the crud out of me to the point of passing out!"
"Now, now, language, dear daughter. That transient mechanic boyfriend of yours must have influenced your colorful language." She smirked. "No more than I learned from your fowl mouthed guards growing up over the years." She said as he leaned over to say something to her, but before he could, sounds of gunfire and kats screaming could be heard from a couple of levels down. "Looks like your boyfriend made it here alive. He won't be for long." Vivian sat a little taller in the chair. 'He's coming for me. Chance is coming to save me!'
About two floors down, T-Bone and Razor made their way through the halls of the mob infested building. T-Bone looked like he was practically enjoying the fight a little too much. The entire time he was grinning from ear to ear as he threw another mobster lackey through a wall. Another one ran at him and T-Bone punched him square in the nose, knocking him out and breaking his nose. Razor noticed he didn't have to do much as T-Bone was essentially a one tom tank. "This is almost like the danger room, Razor. Maybe you should add a few cardboard cut outs of these guys." He said, smirking as the mob kats fell down, scurrying away in fear or were trying to run away. "Awe where ya going, boys? The party's just getting started!" T-Bone said with a wide smirk, cracking his knuckles as he made his way down the hall. Razor was checking the rooms behind him to make sure no one was trying to ambush them as they passed.
The remaining mobster kats scrambled up the stairs to the second floor or just hid on the first floor that the Swat Kats came through. They reached the door to the next floor. T-Bone threw the door open, expecting to find scared Kats that he found on the previous floor, but this was not the case. Most of them were armed with shotguns, rifles, and small guns. As soon as both of them appeared in the doorway, the near army of mobsters opened fired on them. T-Bone's eyes went wide as he picked up Razor and dove back into the stairwell with him. They both got up off the ground and took cover on the opposite corners.
"This might be it, sure shot! Get the hell out of here, I'm going in without you!" He yelled as Razor shook his head. Bullets were taking out the drywall on both sides in front of them. "We're the Swat Kats, not the one lone Swat Kat and his runaway partner. Already told you, I said my pre-goodbyes to my fiancé just in case. If I die a vigilante hero today, at least I died knowing I did it next to my best friend with nothing left unresolved, buddy. Let's get in there and see if we can't save your girl." T-Bone couldn't help the smirk, knowing his best friend was going to be with him at possibly their last stand. Not a trace of fear or reluctance to be seen. "Got any party favors?" He asked as Razor returned the smirk and nodded. "Oh yeah. You think I'd show up without a few tricks up these sleeves, hot shot?" T-Bone tossed his head towards the door, deploying his shield from the gloveatrix. "Let's party then!" Razor didn't deploy his shield. He went in, using T-Bone as a shield so his glovatrix was free to fire. The mafia members resumed firing upon the two kats. Once he got close to a couple, T-Bone bulldozed through them. Razor knocked them out as he passed with a mini knockout missile. "T-Bone, stop here." He said as T-Bone turned to look at him, keeping the shield up. He noticed Razor was rigging something. It resembled a large grenade. "What's that?" He asked as Razor smirked. "Little project of mine. Just need to stay back at least two feet so we're safe." He said, clicking a button on it and tossing it over into the group of mobster kats. They looked down at it, confused. It had a countdown of 5 seconds. They all panicked in the not very large hallway. When it got down to zero, nothing happened. T-Bone's eyes went wide. "Uh...pal, I think your grenade just fizzled out." Razor smirked. "Just wait..."
The grenade started shaking as the confused mobsters looked down at it and each other. It had an electrical field start building around it. Suddenly the electrical field expanded outwards and started shocking everything in its path. The lights started reacting, creating a strobe light effect. The mobsters started trying to run every which way, even trying to crawl over one another to get away, but it was too late. They were all being shocked.
Both T-Bone and Razor deployed their anti-glare visors and started taking out the mobsters one by one following the dissipating electrical field. Razor and T-Bone either knocked them out by way of a fist or something deployed from the glovatrix as they ran through the blinking hallway lights as the lightning grenade dissipated as they moved forward. Once they reached the end of the hall, most of the mobsters were either knocked out or in literal shock, they didn't know what to do. They gave each other a quick high five before the next door. "Bingo!" Razor said as he looked back at his work, really their combined work. "What a 'shocking' turn of events." T-Bone said, pressing the button on his helmet for the visor as the lights started to calm down. Razor did the same, shaking his head at T-Bone's comment. They took the next stairwell, a few mobsters were there with guns. Both T-Bone and Razor deployed nets from their glovatrixs, disabling them. "I'm surprised you haven't killed anyone yet, T-Bone, as pissed as you were earlier." Razor said as they ran up the stairs.
"Got some of my aggression out between the first and last floors. You're the one who said we have a reputation to uphold as the Swat Kats." He said with a smirk as they made it up the end of the flight of stairs to a long hallway, leading into an office with huge white and black doors. They both took cover against either sides of the doors, readying their glovatrixs. Both took a couple of minutes, not hearing anyone coming towards the doors. They both nodded at each other, and kicked the doors open.
The doors opened to reveal Boss Vanfang leaning against the front of his desk. A tiger standing to his right with a semi-automatic rifle and the tom they both recognized as Luca from when he showed up to the garage. He was holding a gun to Vivian's cheek and smirking. He had one of her arms in his grasp. This made T-Bone clinch his teeth and growl dangerously low. Vivian's eyes were locked on T-Bone. He saw both relief and fear in her eyes. Boss Vanfang started clapping his hands slowly.
"What an amazing show, boys. I never thought you two would make it up here, but then again, you are the legendary Swat Kats. You've taken on Dark Kat, aliens, and even an undead sorcerer. But..." he said as he pushed himself off the desk and stepped forward. "That all ends today. Your weapons, drop them and kick them over." He said as T-Bone lifted his glovatrix and aimed for him. "No way, kat scum!" He said as Luca pressed the gun further into Vivian's cheek, his claws digging into her arm, drawing a little bit of blood. Vivian bit her lip, not giving Luca or her father the satisfaction of hearing she was in pain. T-Bone sneered at this. "It would be a shame to waste this pretty face. Wouldn't you say, T-Bone?" Boss Vanfang said as he tried to touch her cheek the gun was currently pressed into with his finger but Vivian jerked her face away from his touch.
"You won't hurt her. She's your daughter for God's sakes!" T-Bone said through gritted teeth as he was fighting an internal battle with himself. Part of him wanted to go in, glovatrix blazing, and tearing her father to shreds. The other part of him knew he couldn't. That might mean Vivian getting shot or hurt. Even getting shot himself by the tiger before he even made it to lay a claw on her father. Vivian's eyes went wide. "You-you know?!" She asked, surprised as T-Bone nodded. 'Great. Chance knows. He probably won't ever speak to me again after this, knowing I'm the daughter of one of the most feared mob bosses of Megakat City'. She thought to herself as Boss Vanfang smirked. "We do still share the same name, dear daughter number one." He said as he took the gun from Luca, putting it to her head on the other side now. "I still have my other daughter who still talks to me and looks like my late wife as well. You were foolish in thinking that would save you, Vivian." He said as he turned towards T-Bone and Razor. "Both of you, drop your weapons or she dies." He said as T-Bone looked towards Razor. "We've got no choice, T-Bone." Razor went to slide off his glovatrix and T-Bone lowered his arm and took off his glovatrix. They both dropped them at the same time with an audible clink as they hit the smooth marble floor of the office. T-Bone kicked his away and noticed Razor kicked his, but it landed not far from him as Razor was a little further back. "Good boys, now hands up." Boss Vanfang said, smirking, taking the gun away from Vivian's head and handing it back to Luca as he passed. He went back to leaning on his desk, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk. "Any last words, boys?"
T-Bone looked straight at Vivian. "Vivian, I'm sorry I couldn't save you. The day I met you, felt like Katsmas morning. I was a goner the second I laid eyes on you, I just didn't know it yet. I love you just as much, if not more than flying or the Turbokat, and that's saying something. The months we spent together were the best of my nine lives. I'm just sorry it couldn't have been longer." Vivian couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes. "T-Bone...You're so stupid for coming here...so stupid, but...you're my stupid and I love you too, so much." She said as the tears started to fall. T-Bone couldn't help the pained small smile he gave.
Luca started laughing suddenly. "Oh, oh this is rich! I wonder if you would've said that to Max as he was dying as well?" He let her go in his fit of laughter. Vivian turned to face him and narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you talking about? I was told he died-" She started but Luca interrupted. "Of an escaped toxin? You were right when you noticed the splatter from the gunshot. You were so adamant that they check again. We paid off the coroner to list it as an accident, not a homicide and to ignore your pleas. Everyone can be bought off, for a price. We also paid the IT tom to look the other way when we cut the line for the camera to that lab room." T-Bone's eyes went wide at the confession. 'As if Vivian's situation wasn't bad enough already.' He thought to himself.
Vivian grew angry and turned to her father. "You?! You killed Max?! You killed my fiancé?!" She screamed at him as she came at him, claws extended. Luca grabbed her and forced her arms down at her sides. She continued to struggle as pained angry tears fell uncontrollably. She bared her teeth at him. "We had to, Vivian. Who do you think funded his research? He started getting too curious about my financial affairs and found out illegal drugs were funding his research. He threatened to take this info to the Enforcers and to keep you away from me forever. I couldn't let that happen." She growled at him. "So you went in and killed him?!"
"No, Vivian. I did and I enjoyed every little second of it." She looked over her shoulder at Luca, who had a smirk on his face. She tried to turn in his arms, but he wouldn't let her. He forcfully turned her around in his arms to face him. "You know, I could stop all of this from happening. Your vigilante tom toy could go free today, on one condition." He said as she gave him a suspicious look. "What condition?" She asked. She'd do anything at this point to save the guys, especially T-Bone. "You know I've always had a thing for you, Viv. You hurt me when you broke things off with me and ran off with that scientist. I'll convince your father to let them go if..." He trailed off, staring at her with his yellow eyes she hated so much. "If?" She asked, urging him to go on. "If you agree to marry me. They go free." Her eyes went wide and she gasped. T-Bone growled. He wanted nothing more than to grab that tom and beat the living crud out of him for even offering Vivian marriage in exchange for his own life.
"Easy, buddy." Razor said low to T-Bone, seeing the tremors of anger in his body. "I'm-I'm sorry but...my heart belongs to someone else." She said, glancing over at T-Bone. He couldn't help the relived smile that spread across his face. "Besides, I broke up with you for a reason, several reasons actually, it wasn't just Max." Luca's face turned into one of anger. He let her go and turned, pointing the gun at T-Bone. "Fine. I'll kill your hero boyfriend first, then I'll go and kill that mechanic at the salvage yard you seem to be in the habit of screwing too. What? One tom isn't enough for you now? Do they even know about each other and your whorish ways?" Luca said, while looking at him. He went to pull the trigger on T-Bone, while he stood there with his hands up. "No! Don't-" Vivian said as the shot rang out.
The whole scene played out in slow motion it seemed. T-Bone watched as Vivian ran out in front of his gun and was shot. Her eyes went wide at the realization with tears as she started falling to the floor. "No!" Razor yelled out as T-Bone reacted as well. "Vivian!" He yelled out as he made his move, picking up Razor's glovatrix, deploying the shield quickly. The tiger started spraying T-Bone with bullets as he slid quickly on the marble floor, picking up his own glovatrix, deploying the shield, and tossing Razor's back to him. He caught Vivian just as she was about to hit the floor, shielding them both. Razor used his glovatrix and wrapped the tiger up with a mini spider missile. The barrage of bullets finally stopped. T-Bone looked up at Luca with nothing but vengeance and hate in his eyes, even though the mask didn't let Luca see fully, he could tell. He started raising the gun up, but T-Bone snarled at him, raising his glovatrix at him. The shield already went back in. "Don't even think about it, scuzzball." Luca was distracted by yet another kat.
"What have you done?! You shot my daughter!" Dominic was absolutely beside himself as he looked down at his daughter in T-Bone's arms. Luca looked up at him in both fear and absolute loss. "I...I...it wasn't my fault! She...she jumped in front of the bullet! I couldn't...stop it..." Dominic grabbed him by the lapels of his suit jacket. "Get the hell out of here. I'll deal with you later." He said as he shoved Luca back. He stared at Dominic in shock. "I said go! Now!" He yelled at him and he scampered out the door, past Razor.
"Vivian?! Speak to me, please." T-bone called to her desperately, lightly shaking her shoulder. She groaned and winced painfully. "Ngh...Cha...Chance?" She said weakly. He didn't even correct her. He smiled at her slightly. "I'm here, kitten." She reached up, touching the side of his face. T-Bone leaned into her touch, gently grasping her wrist and forearm. "It's...it's too bad that...we'll never get to see...what our-our kittens would've looked like." She said as T-Bone shook his head, feeling pain in his heart at her words. 'Poor she-kat's delirious.' He took off his helmet, leaving his mask on.
"Don't talk like that, Viv. Don't you start your goodbyes now. I just got you back. You're gonna be fine. Just stay awake, please." He said, putting his hand back on hers. He quickly looked her over, trying to find the exit wound. He didn't see anything at first, but he finally saw a shade of red darker than her blouse. He took her hand away from his cheek, putting it on the wound, covering it with his own. "Just hold there. We'll get you fixed up..." She smiled up at him. "T-Bone?" She asked softly. He looked down at her. "Kiss me, please. One last time..."
"It won't be the last, love, I promise." He gently brought her up slightly and leaned down, kissing her softly. He pulled back after a few moments to see her smiling, but then it slowly faded. Her eyes were closed. "Viv? Viv? Oh no...no! Come on, don't do this to me! Wake up, kitten! Come on!" The color was starting to drain from her face under her fur. She felt limp in his arms. Razor came over to help try and perform some field first aid. He took her wrist and felt for a pulse. "She's still there, but it's weak. We need paramedics, T-Bone." T-bone looked up to see Dominic was still there. "What are you waiting for?! You have a phone don't you?! If it's the only good thing you do in your pathetic scummy nine lives, save your daughter!" He barked at him as he stumbled out of his mourning stupor and went to the desk to call for help. T-Bone looked on helplessly as his love lay in his arms, slowly fading away. "Stay with me, Vivian, please. I need you here." T-Bone said, trying to hold back tears for one of the few times ever in his life.