While the entire SWAT team waited for the next three weeks to pass, they all trained together, had minor arguments about which one of them was better with a long riffle, Tina won that contest, paws down, and they all had plenty of fun too. They were becoming the tightly knit family Mark mentioned and every one of them became very close.
Ulysses had told them about the meeting with Michael and had requested their assistance, which they all agreed they would without skipping a heart beat.
Empress and Caliber finally accepted David Litterbin's invitation to be guests on his late night show, with the minor exception that all of the SWAT Kats get to appear.
Litterbin accepted but couldn't be happier. He knew having the SWAT Kats on his stage would boost his ratings through the roof!
The night of the show, every one of the ladies were dressed in form-fitting dresses that matched their SWAT uniforms and stopped mid-thigh. The guys each wore polo shirts and dark jeans.
Mark looked over the group of friends and said, "Girls, you all look gorgeous!"
"Thanks Mark," Felina said as her eyes wandered over Mark's body before she licked her lips. She then said, "You don't look bad yourself Mark."
"Why thank you Felina," Mark replied as he bowed to her.
Tina rolled her eyes at Mark's kittenish ways then asked, "Brother, if you are done flirting with us, can we get going? Katerina and I have to report to the academy in the morning and we would like to make a good first impression with the instructors."
Mark rose and went over to Tina. He crossed his arms over his chest, then said, "Tina, I don't know what you are worried about. Both you and Katerina excelled during Jake and Chance's training so you both are going to do great at the academy."
"I'm glad you think so brother," Tina said as her eyes focused on the floor of the hangar. She refocused her gaze on Mark again before she said, "I can't fail at this Mark, I made a promise to Drucila on her grave that I would become an Enforcer and I plan on keeping that promise!"
Katerina walked over to Tina, placed her paws on Tina's shoulders, and said, "Tina, I will make sure you keep that promise to Drucila and we both are going to excel at the academy. Let them run us ragged, we are not going to give up, no matter what!"
"I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you," Tina said right before she kissed Katerina.
They kissed for a minute before Felicia asked, "How are we getting to the station? There are nine of us now and I don't think we are all going to fit in the two jets."
Jake thought about what Felicia said for a minute then a smirk crossed his face.
Chance noticed the smirk on his partner's face and he instantly knew Jake had something up his sleeve. "Jake, what is going through that mind of yours?" Chance cautiously asked.
"Oh, not much buddy," Jake replied. He turned to Chance and then asked, "Remember that mini-bus that came in to the yard a few days ago?"
"You mean the one with the blown rear main seal and leaks oil all over the place?" Chance responded with his own question.
"That would be the one," Jake replied then said, "What if I told you I replaced the engine and it runs like new?"
"Jake, that mini-bus was bright yellow the last time I saw it and it is not a SWAT vehicle," Chance said.
"It is now; Sarah and I decided it needed a paint job. Come and see what we have done," Jake said before he walked farther into the hangar.
Everyone followed Jake deeper into the hangar and stopped once they could not see any more from the lack of light.
Jake reached the back of his workshop, climbed into the mini-bus, and started the engine. The new engine he installed roared to life at his command and he revved the motor in order to hear it growl. Jake put the bus into gear and slowly drove the bus out of his workshop and into the main hangar where he turned on the headlights which flooded the entire hangar with light.
The rest of the crew had to shield their eyes when Jake turned on the headlights. Chance was the first one to have his eyes adjust to the light and he looked over what Jake created.
"What the heck did you do Jake?" Chance asked.
Jake put the bus in park and jumped out of the bus before he closed the door and answered, "I made us an armored transport. Everyone, say hello to the SWAT.. um.. whatever? I haven't quite figured out what to call this yet."
Mark opened up the hood and saw a large engine with a supercharger sitting on the intake. He turned his head to Jake and asked, "When did you have time to build this thing?"
"I really didn't. However, I had the engine built already and it was dying to be installed into something. Well, when that bus came in, I knew that engine found tis home," Jake answered.
Mark closed the hood and made his way to the driver's door. He opened the door and peered inside the bus. That was when he noticed the four rows of racing seats as well as the weapons racks mounted along the walls. He withdrew his head and said, "Jake, you built a mobile fortress!"
"That's it!" Jake exclaimed. "Say hello to the Turbo Fortress! Shall we head out for its maiden voyage?"
Everyone got on the bus and strapped themselves into the seats while Jake got behind the wheel. He turned his head to the rest of the group and asked, "Everyone all buckled in?"
They gave him thumbs up indicating they were ready and he turned back around. Jake put the Turbo Fortress into gear and left the hangar.
They arrived at the studio about a half hour later since they managed to get a flat tire on the way.
"Where have you all been?" a stage hand asked as they entered the studio.
"Sorry, we sort of had a flat tire," Razor answered.
"Whatever! Get into hair and makeup! You go on in ten minutes!" the stagehand yelled as he pushed them towards the dressing rooms.
After they had some light makeup applied, they were rushed out onto the stage where they were fitted with tiny microphones. The sound intern was shaking when he looked over the girls as he tried to figure out where to hide the belt pack in their dresses.
Sensei grabbed the packs from the intern and showed each one of the girls where to place the mics and the packs.
They were led onto the stage and asked to sit on the two couches that flanked the desk David Litterbin sat at. Adonis, Pirouette, Havoc, and Sniper took the couch to the left of the desk while T-Bone, Razor, Empress, and Caliber took the one to the right. Sensei elected to sit on the arm of the couch next to Sniper.
The house lights dimmed and the stage lights came up as the theme music started to play from the speakers mounted around the audience, then Litterbin entered from the left side of the stage and took his seat behind the desk. He then said, "Welcome! We have an action packed show for you tonight folks. Tonight, my special guests are none other than the SWAT Kats. Let's give them a round of applause for everything they do for this city!"
The entire audience rose to their feet and clapped their paws as hard as they could. This went on for about three minutes before Litterbin said, "Alright, that's enough."
The audience settled down in their seats and waited for what came next.
Litterbin straightened his tie then asked, "T-Bone, I was expecting a group of four to be my guests tonight. But when Empress told me on the phone that SWAT had expanded to nine members, I had to have everyone on. What happened to your little duo that is now nine strong?"
T-Bone took Empress' paw in his then answered, "The first thing that occurred was Razor and I fell in love with Empress and Caliber so our duo turned into a foursome. Then Havoc just happened to be at the right place at the right time, so she joined the forces and is an amazing pilot to boot. Sniper soon followed since Havoc needed a gunner and a partner. Adonis and Pirouette joined not long afterwards, and finally, we found Sensei doing what she does best, saving a train full of cats from a gang. She fit right in with the rest of us and joined that same night David."
"Wow," Litterbin said. "That is one way to grow your forces into a small army. Now Empress, you were seen with Caliber leaving a bridal shop not that long ago, care to tell us who the lucky tom is?"
"I think my fiancée already answered that one David," Empress responded.
"Duh, how did I miss that," David said. "Alright, so T-Bone is engaged to Empress and Razor is engaged to Caliber." He turned to the other couch and asked, "Are you in love with your partner too Adonis?"
"Hopelessly David, actually, we are married," Adonis answered.
"Married? For how long?" David asked.
"Not that long David," Pirouette answered.
"Congratulations you two!" David said. Then he looked past Adonis and Pirouette to Havoc and Sniper before he asked, "So what's your story?"
"Sniper and I are madly in love with each other and are engaged to marry, once we are allowed to that is," Havoc answered.
"Have there been any issues with you two being gay?" David asked.
"Not at all," Sniper replied. "At least not from our family. They accept us for who we are as do most of the cats we meet." She then turned her head slightly to face Havoc and asked, "Right honey?"
"Da Sniper," Havoc replied before she kissed Sniper in front of the camera.
The entire audience cheered them on as they kissed. David had to call his producer and ask him if it was alright to let them continue kissing and pawing each other on camera.
The producer told him they could continue and to use his judgment as to how far they go.
David watched them kiss intently and when Sniper's paw started to slip under Havoc's dress, he coughed to let them know they have crossed the line.
Sniper pulled back from their kiss and put her paws in her lap as what could be seen of her face, turned bright red.
"That was a little over the top folks," David said to the cameras. "Changing the subject, what do you think of the dolls that were made to look like all of you?"
"Personally, I love that I can be a strong role model to female kittens," Caliber said. "They need to know, they can do everything a male can do, if not better than they can."
"I agree with her," Adonis said. "There is nothing a boy can do than a girl can't. Just look at Sniper, she can handle a long rifle better than anyone I have ever seen. Then there is Caliber, she is a natural born leader and I would follow her anywhere without thinking about it."
"What about the SWAT male dolls?" David asked. "Do they provide the same influence?"
"I don't know David," Razor replied. "Everyone in SWAT is a tight knit family and would do anything for another without question. If anything, I would hope that the entire line of dolls teach that family is very important as well as tolerance towards those that are different David."
"That would be a great lesson Razor," David said. "Sensei, from your code name alone, I guess you are a Martial Arts expert. Care to demonstrate to the audience what you can do?"
Sensei rose from the couch's arm she was sitting on and walked over to the front of David's desk. She then leaned forward so her face was inches away from David's. She asked, "What would you like me to do?"
David gulped as his eyes locked with her lens covered ones and sensed she was not one to be messed with. He finally responded, "There are a few targets over there. Let's see if you can hit the bull's eye every time."
Sensei turned her head to look at the targets at the other end of the stage, flipped her pony tail over her shoulder, then confidently walked over to the targets. She stopped and inspected the targets before walking back to the other side of the stage.
"Aren't you a little far away to hit the targets?" David asked.
Sensei lifted the hem of her dress; removed five throwing stars from the holster attached to her left thigh, and then flicked her wrist five times. With each flick of her wrist, she threw a star at the targets. Each star hit its mark, dead center. She then walked over to the targets and removed the stars before returning to her spot on the couch.
David's mouth dropped open after Sensei performed and strode back to her seat. He then said, "Wasn't that impressive folks?"
The entire audience gave Sensei a round of applause as she took a bow.
"That is all the time we have for our guests, let's have another round of applause for the SWAT Kats!" David Litterbin said.
All of the SWAT Kats left the stage and removed their microphones and packs before leaving the studio. They loaded back onto the bus and Havoc said, "That was defiantly interesting, I hope we got our point across?"
"I'm sure we did love," Sniper said. "We need to get back to the apartment and get some sleep. We have a big first day ahead of us."
"Oh yes you do Tina," Felina said after she removed her mask. "I get the pleasure of being your instructor tomorrow and all of the cadets are going to be running their tails off to see which ones have the stones to be an Enforcer."
The afternoon finally arrived where SWAT would deploy to protect Callista from any possible danger that may occur at the bookstore. Empress, Caliber, and Sensei were situated in the alley to the right of the bookstore. Empress was on high alert, her pulse racing in both anticipation and anxiety. Whatever happened in the next half hour, they had to be ready for it. Knowing that she had to keep herself together, Empress did her best not to let her nerves show. In order to keep her nerves under control, she played with her powers, creating tiny creatures, which she held her in left paw. She watched as they danced around, a few of them even running up her arm and kissing her cheek before she made them disappear.
Caliber was leaning against the brick wall of the building with her eyes focused on her dearest friend. She had known her for so long that she almost instantly knew Empress was as nervous as a kitten going to get her shots. She said to her, "Empress, your grandmother is very powerful in her own right. Do you really think that someone would be stupid enough to challenge her?"
"I really don't know, Caliber," Empress replied as she made a tiny white unicorn appear in the palm of her paw. "David has no problem stepping up and making her life miserable."
"David is an ass, Empress. If Callista and this supposed ally she is going to meet have their way, he is going to be taken down a few pegs, and the Society will return to its original purpose," Caliber said.
Sensei was busy cleaning her sword with a microfiber cloth as she listened to the two friends talk. She said as she swiped the cloth across the blade, "Caliber is right, Empress. Callista can and will make it through this and take over The Society. I am very confident in her abilities as a sorceress, as well as being a very compassionate cat." She then put the cloth away and re-sheathed her sword in the scabbard behind her back.
"Sensei, please don't take this the wrong way, but seeing you so casually clean that sword of yours makes me nervous. I can see how sharp it is from here, so I bet it could slice through anything," Caliber said.
Sensei turned her head to look at Caliber, then asked, "Why does my sword make you nervous? I'm more frightened of that firearm you have secured to your thigh, Caliber."
"Why would you be frightened of my gun, Sensei?" Caliber asked as she withdrew the handgun her grandfather had given her when she graduated the academy.
"Too many moving parts that require constant maintenance," Sensei replied. "My sword is an extension of my arms, and only requires a good wipe down after use instead of a complete tear down, cleaning, and re-oiling."
"You have me on that one, Sensei. However, I am just not used to seeing anyone walk around with a four-foot sword sheathed on their back," Caliber said.
Sensei smirked, then said, "Well, my friend, not only will you have to get used to it, but if you plan on being around me, you're going to have to try using one at least once. And when you do, you do, you might not ever go back to a firearm as your weapon of choice."
"I'll take you up on that offer as soon as we secure this detail, alright, Sensei?" Caliber asked.
"Hai, Caliber," Sensei replied.
Sniper, Havoc, Pirouette, and Adonis were positioned in the opposite alley, waiting patiently for Ulysses and Callista to arrive. Adonis held Pirouette tightly to his body, her back nestled against his front and both of their paws intertwined at the front of her waist.
Sniper and Havoc sat on the opposite wall. Each had their left foot on the ledge of the wall as they watched the front of the alley.
That was when, out of the corner of their eyes, Sniper and Havoc saw Apprentice come running down the alley with Inferno on her shoulder.
"Apprentice, what do you think you are doing?" Sniper asked. "We all told you that it was too dangerous for you to be here."
Apprentice stopped right in front of the wall Sniper and Havoc were sitting on and replied, "I wanted to help my friends."
Sniper jumped off of the wall and crouched down in front of Apprentice. She placed her left paw on Apprentice's right shoulder, then said, "I know you do, but this could be very dangerous. We don't want you to get hurt. Your mother will kill us if you do."
"I won't get hurt if I stay here, Sniper," Apprentice said.
Sniper was about to start arguing with Apprentice, when out of the corner of her right eye, she saw Ulysses and Callista walk past the front of the alley, paw in paw.
Sniper turned back to Apprentice and said, "You had better stay put, Apprentice. I don't want to have to explain to your mother why her daughter has been turned into a plant or something."
"I'll stay here, I promise," Apprentice said.
"Good. We will be back soon," Sniper said before she turned her head to face the young dragon and said, "Inferno, watch over her and do whatever you need to do to keep her safe."
Inferno extended his wings and let a fiery screech escape his mouth.
Havoc then jumped off of the wall and joined Sniper, as well as Adonis and Pirouette, before they took their positions at the front of the alley, ready to strike, if necessary.
"Are you sure you want to do this, my love?" Ulysses asked as they stopped in front of the store. "It's not too late to head back home and forget this nightmare ever happened."
Callista turned to him, stroked his cheek, then said, "I have to do this, Ulysses. If David is going to be removed from power and out of our lives, we need to know who our allies are. If what Michael stated in his letter is true, then we have a real good chance of getting him thrown out of The Society and into a prison for magic users, and before you ask, yes, there is such a place. That prison makes yours seem like a country club."
"I trust you, Callista. However, I am glad we have plenty of backup," Ulysses said as he caught a glimpse of Adonis.
"So am I," Callista said as she took her paw back and asked, "Shall we head in?"
Ulysses took that opportunity to kiss her one last time before they entered the bookstore. Ulysses opened the door and heard a little bell ring, signaling their arrival. They entered the room, and Ulysses had just closed the door behind them when a plump, older she-cat came out of the back room and asked, "Good afternoon, Your Majesty. Would you like some tea while you wait for my son?"
Callista was taken aback, since she hadn't been called "Your Majesty" in such a long time. However, she smiled politely at her apparent hostess, then said, "Callista is perfectly fine, Mrs..?"
"It's Ms. Higgins, Callista. My husband passed years ago. But please call me Nora," she said.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Nora," Callista said.
"Please don't be. He lived a very full life. Please come in and take a seat in the back. My son and his wife will be here shortly," Nora said as she motioned for them to come towards the back of the store.
Callista and Ulysses walked past several aisles of old wooden bookshelves packed with books as they made their way to a seating area in the back of the shop. They sat around a round wooden table that had seen better days, and when Nora sat down, she waved her right paw in the air to make a tray appear in the center of the table with a pot of tea and six cups.
Ulysses leaned over to Callista, then said, "Even though I know magic and sorcery will be a part of my life now that I am marrying you, I am still having a very hard time getting used to all of this hocus pocus."
Callista giggled like a schoolgirl, then said, "You had better get used to it quickly, dear. Magic is very much a part of me, and I love using my abilities to help others."
Nora overheard Ulysses and asked, "You are marrying the queen?"
Ulysses turned his head to her and answered, "Yes, I am. I have loved her for a very long time, not knowing until recently that she is a sorceress, much less a queen, and I plan on loving her for as long as I live."
"Good to hear," Nora said. "She has been through so much heartache in her life, she needs someone to take all of that away." She then asked as she reached out with her right paw to grab hold of the teapot, "Shall I pour?"
A small, well-dressed family walked down the block, past the alley where Empress, Caliber, and Sensei were located.
Empress felt a surge of power flow through her body as they passed, then she said, "That must be Michael and his family, and from what I just felt, they are magic users, too."
Caliber turned her head in time to watch them pass. She then said, "They don't seem to be a threat, but looks can be deceiving. Let's get into position."
Michael and his family walked up to the storefront, and he opened the door. As soon as they entered, his daughter broke free of her mother's paw and ran towards her grandmother.
Nora had just finished pouring the tea for her guests when she heard, "Grandma!"
Nora managed to put the teapot down in time to catch the young kitten in an embrace. She then said, "I didn't expect to see you today, but I'm always glad to see my granddaughter." Nora kissed her granddaughter, then said, "Evelyn, I want you to meet two very important cats. This is Her Majesty, Queen Callista, and her fiancé, Ulysses."
Evelyn let go of her grandmother, bowed to Callista and Ulysses, then said, "It's nice to meet you."
Callista got out of her seat, crouched down to Evelyn's level, then said, "I haven't been a queen for such a long time, you don't have to bow to me." A very warm smile took over her face before she said, "How about a hug, instead?"
Evelyn looked to her grandmother, not knowing if it would be proper for her to do so.
Nora nodded at her and mouthed, 'It's alright, go on.'
Evelyn turned back to Callista, then hugged her.
Callista returned her hug and said, "That's much better."
Michael and his wife walked into the seating area to see their daughter in the queen's embrace. "Evelyn, it's not polite to touch the queen."
"She said it was ok, Daddy," Evelyn said as she pulled back out of the embrace.
"Yes, it is perfectly fine," Callista said. "I always hated being called 'Your Highness' or 'my queen' anyhow. I prefer to be called Callista."
"Very well, my.. Callista," Michael said. "This is my wife, Helen."
"Pleased to meet you, Your Maj.. Callista," Helen said.
"It's nice to meet you and your family, Michael," Callista said.
Nora turned to her granddaughter and asked, "Why don't you go and play in the Kitten's Corner while us adults talk?"
"But I don't have anyone to play with, Grandma," Evelyn pleaded.
"I think I can change that, Evelyn," Nora said, and focused her abilities on the group of cats that she knew were surrounding her shop. She felt herself drawn to one in particular, a very young kitten hidden behind a wall in the alley. She closed her eyes, then said, "You don't belong there, little one. Come inside and play."
Apprentice was watching Adonis, Pirouette, Sniper, and Havoc, who were guarding the front of the alley. They were all in a crouched position, lying in wait for anyone or anything that might come after Callista and Ulysses. All of a sudden, she felt very light, and noticed that her body was glowing. Panicked, she yelled, "Sniper, help!"
Sniper turned around to see Apprentice bathed in light, and she seemed very frightened. "Apprentice!" Sniper yelled as she started to run down the alley to help Apprentice.
Her legs were a blur as she ran as fast as she could to get to Apprentice. However, just as she was about to grab the kitten with her left paw, Apprentice vanished from sight. Sniper fell to her knees and cried out, "Apprentice!"
Havoc, Adonis, and Pirouette, were right behind Sniper, and witnessed the young kitten's disappearance. Havoc instantly went to Sniper and hugged her tight. She then said, "We will get her back. I swear, we will get her back."
Adonis' body was now filled with rage, feeling as though he had failed to protect Apprentice. He let out a primal growl and punched the closest dumpster, leaving a very large dent.
That was when the ghostly image of an older-she-cat's head appeared on the brick wall. "Please don't fret; your little friend is perfectly fine. She is playing with my granddaughter, Evelyn. Please enter through the door below and see for yourself," she said before disappearing from sight.
Sniper craned her neck so she could face Havoc, then asked, "Do we trust her?"
"What choice do we have, Sniper?" Havoc answered with her own question. "Either we trust her, or we may never see Apprentice again."
Pirouette walked to the door with her Glovetrix at the ready. She reached out and tested the door to see if it was locked. It wasn't. She let go of the door, turned her head back to the pair, and said, "This doesn't feel right. I'm calling for backup before we do anything." Pirouette tapped the communication device sewn into the right cuff of her uniform, then said, "Empress, Caliber, Sensei. Get your tails over to the opposite alley. Apprentice is gone."
Empress heard Pirouette's transmission and quickly brought her wrist close to her mouth, then yelled, "What do you mean Apprentice is gone!?"
"She was enveloped in this weird light, then she disappeared," Pirouette said.
"We'll be right there! Wait for us!" Empress demanded, then pushed a small button on her wrist. Her eyes glowed red as anger flooded her, making her blood boil. She turned to Caliber, then said through clenched teeth, "Someone dared to take Apprentice! Whoever has taken her had better find a very deep hole to hide in. Because when I find them, they are going to find out what happens when you fuck with my FAMILY!"
Caliber and Sensei saw the anger in Empress' eyes, and they cautiously walked over to her.
"Empress, I know you love Apprentice. We all love her, but you need to calm down. Letting so much anger consume you is not healthy for you, or anyone else around you," Caliber said.
"Have you ever had anyone in your family ripped away from you before, Caliber?" Empress asked as red sparks started flying from her eyes.
Caliber and Sensei were now within inches of grabbing Empress, and Caliber responded, "No, I have not."
"Then you have no idea how I feel, Caliber. So back off and let me do what I have to do!" Empress said, right before she raised her arm over her head and disappeared.
Caliber turned to Sensei and said, "I have known her ever since she was a teenager, and she has never once told me to back off. We need to get to the other side of this store and stop her before she does something that we will all regret."
Sensei thought about what her master must have gone through when his sons were taken from him. She then said, "I'll do what I have to in order to keep Empress calm and get Apprentice back. You will have to tell me Empress' story later, deal?"
"You have a deal, Sensei, but for now, we need to get to the rest of the team, and a hopefully calmer Empress," Caliber said as she took Sensei's paw and started running out of the alley.
Empress reappeared in front of Adonis and Pirouette, her eyes still red and glowing. "What happened here, exactly?" Empress asked through a snarl, and turned her head to look at the detail assigned to the alley.
Everyone took a step back from Empress when they noticed her eyes. Pirouette then answered after she gulped, "It was just as I told you over the commlink. One minute she was hidden behind that bump-out of the building next door, and then the next, she was gone."
"Then suddenly a ghostly apparition of an older she-cat's head appeared above that door, told us she was fine, and if we wanted to see for ourselves, all we had to do is walk through that door," Sniper said as she pointed towards a steel door.
"Well, what are we waiting for!?" Empress yelled. "Our little sister is in there, and we are standing around doing nothing!"
Caliber and Sensei arrived just as Empress finished yelling. Caliber then said, "And what are we going to do if it's a trap, Empress? We can't just go barging in there."
Empress got into Caliber's personal space and spat, "She is OUR responsibility, my dear friend. If you are too chicken to go.."
Everyone heard the deafening sound of Caliber slapping Empress across the face, then yelling back, "How dare you! You know damn well we all love that kitten like she was our own and would do anything for her! Where do you get off telling me, your best friend who would gladly lay down her life for anyone we care about, that I'm not charging through that door because I'm scared? I guess you don't know me as well as I thought, Empress."
As Caliber spat at her, Empress brought her left paw up to her stinging cheek and gave it a good rub. However, that slap had brought Empress back to reality. She looked Caliber right in the eye, then asked, "Did you have to slap me that hard?"
Caliber brought her arm around Empress, hugged her tight, then said, "You are so lucky I love you, Empress. Because if I didn't, you wouldn't be standing right now."
"What did I do, Caliber?" Empress asked as she hugged her back.
"From what I could tell, you almost fried everyone around you," Caliber answered. "You should have seen your face and eyes, Empress. It was like watching an old horror movie come to life." H Then her teasing tone dropped into a much more serious one as she said, "You frightened me, Callie. Please don't do that again."
"I'll try, Felina. Can we go get Apprentice back now?" Empress asked.
"Definitely," Caliber said as she let go of her friend. Then she turned to the rest and ordered, "Adonis, Pirouette, take the left side of the door. Sniper, Havoc, and Sensei, take the right."
The team snapped into action as soon as the orders had been given.
Caliber turned to Empress and said, "We are going right up the middle, sister. I feel sorry for whoever is on the other side of that door. As you said, no one fucks with our family!"
They took up defensive positions outside the door, and stood at the ready.
Caliber nodded at Sniper for her to open the door.
Sniper nodded back in acknowledgement, took a few cleansing breaths, then twisted the doorknob with her right paw.
As she pulled the door open, Empress and Caliber burst into the room, followed by Adonis and Pirouette, Sensei who had her sword drawn, Havoc who had her Glovetrix cocked and ready to fire, and finally, Sniper.
The whole thing ended up being pretty anti-climactic, despite their impressive poses, since there didn't seem to be any real threat behind the door. In fact, the only sound that greeted them was the squeal of a happy kitten. They all looked in the direction where the noise originated from to see Apprentice and another girl kitten playing on the floor with Inferno.
Apprentice finally looked up at them and said, "Hi guys! Meet my new friend, Evelyn."
End of Chapter