Disclaimer: The SWAT Kats are owned by Hanna Barbera and the Tremblay Brothers. I own the OCs
I completely forgot to put up the disclaimer and my thanks to my Beta Misarae.
It will not happen again.
For those who do not remember:
"Well, what do we call ourselves?" Felina asked, taking a good look at herself in the mirror and liking what she saw in the reflection.
Callie looked around and saw an old picture of the Emperor and Empress of East Asia. She thought about it for a few seconds, then said to Felina, "How does 'Empress' sound?"
"That sounds perfect!" Felina replied, while trying to think of a code name for herself. Felina knew she was real good with guns of any caliber. Then it clicked in her mind. "Caliber it is, then," she said.
"Do you think you can ride the Cyclotron, Caliber?" Empress asked.
"You bet I can," Caliber said.
"Razor, we need to get control of the Turbokat back NOW! If we don't, we are going to be put in a stall that I don't think even I can recover from," T-Bone said, while trying to gain control of the Turbokat.
"Don't you think that I know that, T-Bone?" Razor replied as he was trying to get Hard Drive out of the electrical systems. He then said, "I am going to shut the entire electrical system down. That will give you control of the jet, but you are going to have to fly the Turbokat manually."
"Roger that. Just do it!" T-Bone said, while gripping the joystick even tighter.
Razor removed the cover of the fuse panel located to his lower left, then just before pulling the fuses required to shut the electrical systems down, he said, "Here we go. Hard Drive, I hope you like being stored in a battery, because that is where you are headed once I pull this fuse." Razor pulled the fuse from the panel. There was a flash as the current arced from the fuse to the contacts, then all of the electrical systems went dark. The Turbokat handled like a dead weight in T-Bone's paws, since all of the assistance devices were now disabled, but he was able to gain control of the Turbokat again.
"Remind me to start working on my forearm muscles again, Razor. I must be neglecting them. This handles worse than the forklift we have in the hangar," T-Bone said, while struggling to maintain control of the jet.
T-Bone managed to recover from the climb that Hard Drive placed them in and leveled off at 56,000 feet. This was higher than they had ever flown before. He brought the Turbokat into a slow descent, aiming for a more normal flying altitude. Once they reached 33,000 feet, they relaxed slightly, knowing that there is now enough oxygen for the engines to run without burning through fuel at four times the normal rate.
"What are we going to do about Hard Drive? He is stuck in one of the batteries. We can't turn the battery over to the Enforcers. We will never get the Turbokat back off the ground if we do that," T-Bone asked.
"Once we get on the ground, we are going to have to transfer him to the special pincer missile that I had developed just to capture him. The tricky part is going to be getting him out of the battery." Razor thought for a minute, then said, "We can draw him out by using the engine starter. It uses so much power that he will have no choice but to be drawn out of the battery and into the starter," Razor said.
"You sure about this, Razor? We don't want him to be able to take over again, or jump to another electrical system where we will lose him," T-Bone said, while looking for a suitable place to land.
"Positive, buddy. I have to connect the missile to the wiring before we hit the starter. He'll be drawn to it like a moth to a flame," Razor said confidently.
Over the radio, T-Bone and Razor heard the following, "T-Bone, Razor. This is Empress and Caliber. Do you need assistance?" Empress said into her radio.
T-Bone and Razor went wide eyed before they both said in unison, "Empress and Caliber!? Who the heck are they?"
After the initial shock wore off, Razor said, "Stand-By, we are alright as of now. We will let you know if something changes."
"Ok Razor, we will stand-by around the corner from Pumadyne. Empress out," Empress said in reply.
"Looks like we have two new partners, buddy," Razor said to T-Bone.
T-Bone landed in a parking lot not far from Pumadyne. T-Bone and Razor got out of the jet and removed the pincer missile from its bay. Razor connected the missile to the engine starter wiring.
Caliber and Empress arrived just as the Turbokat landed. The two held back, not wanting to be seen. They dismounted the Cyclotron and walked over to a crop of bushes so they could see what was going on without being seen.
Razor double checked his work before signaling to T-Bone to re-connect the fuses that he had removed and start the engines. T-Bone did what he was instructed to do. He replaced the fuses, and the electrical system came to life. He then started the engines. As the engines started to turn, Hard Drive was drawn out of the battery and into the pincer missile as Razor said he would. Although he did not stay there long. Apparently, there was a crack in the insulation in the missile, allowing Hard Drive to zap himself out and into a nearby street lamp.
"Crud! Now where did he go?" T-Bone said as he saw the bolt leave the missile.
"He is somewhere in the City's electrical grid. He could be anywhere by now," Razor replied. Then he kicked the missile, knocking it over and bruising his foot in the process. The girls giggled at Razor's misfortune.
Hard Drive did not go too far from the landing site. He zapped back to the surface from a manhole that was located ten feet behind the SWAT Kats. He then said, "Nice try, SWAT Kats, but see if you can handle this!" Hard Drive created a large ball of electrical charge in between his paws and aimed it directly at T-Bone. Just before he fired the charge, he heard a she-cat's voice from behind him.
Empress saw Hard Drive appear and start charging the ball in his paws. Before he could fire it at T-Bone, she screamed, "NO!", then fired a blast from her own two outstretched paws, knocking Hard Drive forty feet from where he stood and rendering him unconscious. She then sank to her knees.
Caliber saw what happened, and went over to the now unconscious Empress. She knelt down beside her and made sure that she was still breathing.
T-Bone and Razor also witnessed the event. T-Bone dropped everything and ran over towards the two she-cats as fast as he could. Razor first removed Hard Drive's coat so he no longer could use it, then Razor handcuffed him, before running after T-Bone.
T-Bone arrived next to the two she-cats and knelt down. He instantly recognized the long blond hair spilling out from under her helmet. His heart stopped. Empress was Callie, who was now laying in Caliber's arms, unconscious. He reached out and took Empress from Caliber a little more forcefully than intended. He then held her to his chest. T-Bone started to whisper to Empress, "Please be alright, please be alright. I can't live without you." He repeated it over and over until Empress started to stir in his arms.
Razor arrived soon after T-Bone did and witnessed T-Bone's actions. Razor looked over at Caliber, saw the white tips in her hair, he instantly knew that Caliber and Felina were one and the same, and placed an arm around Caliber to comfort her. Caliber buried her head in Razor's shoulder, not knowing what else to do.
"Did anyone get the tag number off of that truck?" Empress groaned as she regained consciousness.
T-Bone smiled from ear to ear with tears in his eyes. He pulled Empress to him and gave her a tight hug. Then he said to her, "Don't you ever do that to me again. You understand, Empress?"
"Yes, T-Bone," Empress said groggily.
By the time Empress woke up, Ann Gora arrived with her camera cat. She said into her microphone, "This is Ann Gora, Kats Eye News with a breaking story. There are two new SWAT Kats in the city. Care to make a comment, T-Bone, as to who these new SWAT Kats are?"
"Sure, Ann. Meet Empress and Caliber. They are the newest additions to the SWAT Kats," T-Bone said to Ann.
"They seem to be more than just comrades in arms, the way that you and Razor are holding them. Is there something you're not telling us?" Ann asked.
T-Bone looked over at Razor and then Caliber, then he looked at Empress who was still in his arms. He shrugged his shoulders and said to Ann, "Yes, Ann. These two lovely she-cats are our girlfriends, who we are in love with. I am not saying any more. Now if you don't mind, I would like to get Empress back to the hangar and tend to her injuries."
"Thank you, T-Bone. You heard it all here first. Ladies, the SWAT Kats are off the market." Then she saw Commander Feral arrive to take possession of Hard Drive. She ran over to him. Once there, she asked, "So Commander, what do you think of the two new SWAT Kats?"
"No comment, Ann," Feral said. He walked away with Hard Drive in tow. He loaded Hard Drive into his patrol car and drove off.
With Empress in his arms, T-Bone walked slowly towards the Turbokat, followed by Razor and Caliber.
"Razor, can you take Caliber back to the hangar on the Cyclotron? I will feel better if Empress flew with me in the Turbokat," T-Bone said.
"Roger that, T-Bone," Razor answered T-Bone. "Come on, Caliber, let's head back to the hangar," he turned and said to Caliber.
Razor and Caliber walked towards the awaiting Cyclotron. When they got there, Razor said to Caliber, "You look real good in that, Caliber."
Caliber replied, "Thank you, Razor." She gave him a quick kiss before climbing onto the Cyclotron behind him.
T-Bone helped Empress into the gunner's seat of the Turbokat and secured her. He then said, "You gave me a real good scare out there. I thought that I had lost you." He gave her a quick kiss.
"I'm not planning on going anywhere for a long time, T-Bone. You are stuck with me," Empress said. Then she went to sleep.
T-Bone took one last, good look at the sleeping Empress before climbing into the pilot's seat of the Turbokat. He closed the canopy and took off towards the hangar.
The Turbokat arrived just before the Cyclotron did. It landed and stopped at the turntable. T-Bone opened the canopy and got out. He then placed a ladder next to the jet and climbed up to the gunner's seat to get Empress out of the Turbokat.
Empress felt the jet come to a halt in the hangar just as she woke up from her slumber. She looked up to see T-Bone reaching in to help her out of the seat and down the ladder. She accepted the help, since she still felt drained from the blast. She walked over towards a bench that was near the lockers and sat down.
T-Bone walked over towards her and got down on one knee, so that they were at the same height. He asked her, "Can I get you something, love?" Then he removed his helmet and mask.
Empress removed her helmet and mask, and replied, "I am alright. Thanks, Chance. Just drained, that's all."
Razor and Caliber arrived to see Chance and Callie sitting by the lockers. They dismounted the Cyclotron and walked over, taking off their helmets and masks.
"Would you two mind telling us what you thought you were doing out there?" Jake asked Felina and Callie.
Felina turned and faced Jake before she answered, "You guys were in trouble. Did you think that we would just sit here like helpless she-cats and not attempt to do anything? I don't think so," she said sternly. Then she placed her paws on her hips, jutting her right hip out before saying, "And what is with these suits? I feel completely exposed in this."
"The suits were designed to be aerodynamic, hence why they are so tight. The Cyclotron's wind screen does not limit the wind resistance created by the riders. These suits were designed minimize that. Also, they are made from a polymer that will protect the rider from the elements. The boots are to protect the rider's legs from the moving parts of the Cyclotron. Especially the weaponry. There are a large number of moving parts on the Cyclotron that will tear through the suit and your legs if they are not worn. The heel is there to lock into the pegs. Try riding the Cyclotron without the heels. You will regret it. Although, the way they help show off those gorgeous legs of yours can't be denied," Razor said.
"What was that blast from your paws, Callie?" Chance asked, taking her paws in his.
"I don't know, Chance. I just saw that Hard Drive was aiming at you, and I instinctively pointed my paws at him. You saw what happened next," Callie said as she looked down at the floor. Then she continued, "When I get very mad or excited, my paw, or in this case paws, start to glow. This was the first time that I have seen an actual blast came forth. I'm scared of what might happen next, Chance."
Chance released her paws and drew her into a comforting hug.
The news came on the TV. The group heard the TV and all turned to look at it.
"As I have been reporting all day, Hard Drive attempted a robbery at Pumadyne, which was foiled by the SWAT Kats. Speaking of the SWAT Kats, there are two new SWAT Kats in the city, and they are romantically involved with T-Bone and Razor," Ann said. Then she wandered over to a random tom and asked, "What do you think about the two new SWAT Kats?"
He answered, "I like them a lot, and man were they hot! Caliber, Empress, if either of you ever dump T-Bone or Razor, I'm available."
"I guess we have a fan out there, Felina," Callie said.
Felina chuckled and wrapped herself around Jake. Then she said, "Too bad for him. I am not giving this up." She then kissed Jake.
Jake broke the kiss and said to Felina, "What is your uncle going to say when he finds out that not only are you dating me, but you are also leading a double life as Caliber?"
"He is not going to find out about Caliber. As for us? He is going to have to deal with it. Or at least I hope he deals with it," Felina answered.
Callie yawned, since she was still drained from the blast, then she asked, "Is there anywhere I can lie down and take a cat nap? That blast completely drained me, and I am still not feeling like my normal self."
Chance picked Callie up and carried her up the ladder, leaving Jake and Felina alone in the hangar. Once in the garage, he made his way back to the living quarters and over to his bedroom. Chance laid Callie down on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chest. He then said softly to her, "Sleep as long as you want. I will make sure that you are not disturbed by anything. We will figure out how to control your powers once you feel up to it." He bent over and kissed her forehead. Then he got up and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Callie smiled and drifted off into a deep sleep. As she slept, her body started to glow pink again, flooding the room with light. Chance looked back down the hall at his room and saw the light coming from under the door. He ran back to check on Callie. Chance opened the door and saw Callie sleeping peacefully, but bathed in a strange pink glow. He closed the door and made his way back to Jake and Felina.
When he arrived, Jake was fixing a light snack for the three of them, knowing that Callie was going to be out for a while. Chance sat down, looking visibly shaken and worried.
Felina saw the way Chance looked and asked, "Is Callie alright?" Placing her left paw on Chance's shoulder.
"I don't know, Felina. I just ran back to my room to check on her after I saw this weird light coming from under my door. Once I opened the door, there was Callie, completely asleep, but bathed in this pink glow. I don't know how to help her though this," he replied, placing his head down on the table.
At the antique shop, the encased amulet glowed brightly and started to bang itself against its case. It broke free of the case and landed on the floor. Callista ran from the back room after hearing the commotion to see the glowing amulet on the floor instead of its now broken case. She bent down on one knee and passed her paw over the amulet while muttering a spell. Then before her a pool of white smoke appeared. In the center of the smoke, an image of her sleeping granddaughter appeared. She was encased in a pink, magical glow. Callista was taken aback for a brief second, then she reached into the image and stroked her granddaughter's cheek. Callista said to Callie through the image, "Sleep well, my dear Callie. I will be there to help you though this. Your powers are getting stronger and stronger by the day. You are going to have to learn to control them, or they will control you. I will be seeing you sooner than I thought." She brought her paw back through the image, kissed her own paw, and then placed it back on Callie's cheek. Callie responded to Callista's touch by bringing her paw up to touch Callista's, cuddling into Callista's touch just like a kitten. Callista spent the next few hours watching over her granddaughter through the image, smiling the whole time, making sure that nothing disturbed her slumber, or worse, came after her.
End of Chapter
Thanks to all who have reviewed this story and are along for the long haul.
Trekker77 and Marati2011, thank you both for your support. Its people like you that keep this going. Not that it was going to stop even if no one read it!