"The Price You Pay For Being a Hero."
                                            By Glen Battilana

NOTE : Welcome to the third, and final installment in the 'Torment' Trilogy.   
             When I first started this, I had no intention in making it a trilogy, but after 
              I was pressured to write a sequel to the first one, I got idea's, and other     
              ideas, and then the whole thing kinda ran away from me.  I was tempted 
              to put it in four parts, but the forth part wouldn't have been as long was 
              the third part, so I just stuck them together.  This story is quite long, but 
              please take the time to read it.  It's very good.

                                                 CHAPTER : 1

The Darkson Mansion: midnight.....

       Darkson sat in his arm chair, watching the rain, pelting against the window
outside.  Inside, he sits in his chair, in front of a raging fire.  He wears his uniform,
that makes him Dark Kat.  He sits there, with fingers together, staring out into the
stormy night.

They said my Great Grandmother was insane.

        Outside, the lighting, struck, closely followed by a clap of thunder.  The
creeplings that were lying about, suddenly began screeching, and fluttering about.

A woman of rare breeding...... True nobility...... and a tender heart.  Driven out of
Russia by the Trotskys and Lenins.  Driven to America where she was
overwhelmed by the poverty.  The filth.  The utter mundanity of life here.

        A single tear welled up in Dark Kat's left eye.  He did not bother to wipe it
away.  He just let it roll down his cheek.

Finally locked away, like an animal : trapped.  Abused.  Terrified.  And my Great
Grandfather, his spirit broken, allowed it.  And my grandfather, just a child, could
only watch --- as helpless as she was.  They said my father was insane; that he took
his own life : They lied.

        His eyes narrowed.

His life was stolen from him.  Stolen.  By --- The SWAT Kat.

KRAK - A - BOOOM!!!!

        Dark Kat was brought back to reality by the thunderous explosion from
outside.  More lighting, and thunder.

Oh, I see now, I understand in a way I never could be free.  This costumed
adventure called T Bone is just that: a kat.  The essence of the demon that
brought Russia to ruin.  The demon that destroyed my father, consumed my 
Great Grandmother.

       Dark Kat looked into the raging fireplace.

The demon I have at long last ----

        A smile escaped his lips.

---Found!

KRAK - A - BOOOM!!!!

        Dark Kat's attention was trained back to the storm outside.

For years, you were but a mystery to me, father.  A legend.  A ghost.  I wanted to
understand you.  And find a reason why.  Why.  Why you did what you did to me? 
Left me in the dark.  Left me alone.  Denied me the very things that would make
me ---

KRAK - A - BOOOM!!!!

---- a kat.

          Alex Darkson finally got out of his seat, and began to walk out the door,
and into the dark, unlit hallway.

You denied me everything.  Love.  Civilization.  Sanity.  I hated you for it.  Which
is why I took up your legacy.  Only by becoming you, could I satisfy my revenge
against you, father.  Only by destroying the very thing you failed to destroy, can
my revenge against you be complete.

           He finally reached his private study, and walked over to his desk.

I have already humiliated you by taking the life of your she-kat.  Someone who
you gave everything to.    But it is not enough.....

             He pressed the button under the desk, and revealed the secret room.

....it'll never be enough.

               He walked down the aisle, to the coffin at the end.  He picked up the
SWAT Kat uniform of T Bone and looked it over.

But that's what you've wanted, all along, isn't it.  Me, to continue your legacy? 
Either way, you've won.  

             Alex held the uniform in his clenched paws.

It was in the jungles that I first began to understand the ways of the spirits and
demons --- of the ravenous Dark Kat.  And just last night I finally see that even the
kat who inhabited Dark Kat --- was ignorant --- of its devious ways!

               He then dropped the uniform into the coffin, and picked up the mask.

Poor kat: possessed by the entity responsible for feline suffering ---- world chaos
--- and he doesn't even know it!  T Bone told me of that.  I was naive once ----
before I was forced to leave behind this corrupted excuse for civilization. 
Before I found the honor and dignity I'd lost when my country.... my great
grandparents --- fell to the SWAT Kat ----

               He gripped the mask tight in his paw.

---- In the primitive wilds of Africa.  Hear me, T Bone; Here me, Kat.  Hear the
bellow of the elephant, the roar of the lion ----

               Dark Kat tilted back his head, and bellowed forth an unholy roar.

---- the triumph of Dark Kat!

Enforcer Head Quarters.......

This isn't happening.

             Tony Kurtz, an Enforcer Detective, sat at his desk, with his head in his
paws, crying.  He looked up at the desk which was in front of his.  It belonged to
his partner.  His Ex- partner.

Why me.

             Just the other day, Tony and his partner, Greg, had been in an undercover
assignment, trying to infiltrate a gang of drug smugglers.  Everything had gone
well, the drop, the bust, and capture.  

Why him.

Almost everything.

             When the Enforcers busted in, some of the gang members weren't going
to give up without a fight.  They had AK - 74's, M - 16 assault rifles, and Uzi
9mm.  While all the Enforcers had were those damn shot guns, and their side
arms.

Why Greg.

             During the fire fight, Greg had taken a few stray bullets in the chest.  He
died before he even hit the ground.  And, with any luck, those punks would be
back
on the street within 24 hours.  He knew that because he'd just been speaking with
their lawyer.

What a sin.  What a damn sin.

              "Tony?"  Tony looked up.  It was captain Jean DeWolff, an Enforcer
from
the homicide division.  She and Tony were good friends.  She'd displayed much
sympathy for him since Greg died.  She was about 5.9 with long blond hair and
green eyes.  Her fur was a dark brown color and her tail was long and fluffy.  She
walked over to him and placed a paw on his shoulder.  "How ya feeling?" she
asked.

              "Like shit," he said.  He didn't bother to look up at her.

             "You aren't drinking, are you?" she asked him.

             "No," he lied.  She looked over into his wastepaper basket at the nine
empty bottles in there.  "You gonna stand there and gawk or give me an order,
Captain?" he demanded, his face still buried in his paws.  She frowned at him.

               "Just because you lost your partner doesn't mean you have to take your
anger out on me!" she growled.  That made him look up.

             "YOU LEAVE GREG OUTTA THIS!!!" he demanded, rising out of
his chair and pointing his finger at her.  She just grabbed his paw and twisted his
arm around.  "Arrgghh!" he cried out.  Jean then pushed him forward and
slammed his face into the desk.

              "YOU CALM DOWN NOW, TONY!!!" she yelled at him.  "It wasn't my
fault you lost Greg, Okay!"  She shouted to his left ear.  Tony stopped his rapid
breathing, and began to loosen up.  "I'm going to let up now...." she said.  "And if
you insist that we continue this pointless argument I'll have to haul your tail in for
disturbing the peace."  She let go of his arm, and backed off.  Tony slowly got up,
and just looked at her, standing there, looking into his eyes.

              "I can't take it anymore!" he sobbed, breaking into tears.  He dropped
back into his chair.  "Greg and I were buddies.  I knew him for ten years, Jean ---
TEN YEARS!!!"  He let his head drop to the desk.  "And now it's all gone.  Just
--- gone."  He cried some more, before Jean came over to him and placed her
arms around his shoulders.

              "It wasn't your fault Tony," she said to him.  "You, Greg, Me --- We're
all Enforcers.  We knew the risk it would be when we signed up for E.A.T. ---- (
Enforcer Academy Training. ) ----  Greg knew the risk.  He knew what he was
getting into."  She lifted his face from the desk.  His cheek fur was all mattered
from the tears.  "And so do you.  What if that'd been you, instead of Greg?  Would
you like to see Greg going though this sort of self pity?"

              "No," he managed to say.

               "Do you think Greg would enjoy you remembering him like this?"

               "No," he mumbled.  She smiled at him and wiped away a tear from his
eye.

               "Do you think I'd like to see you like this?"  He smiled at her.

               "No," he said.  She helped him to stand. 

               "Come on," she said.  "Lets get you into the wash room, and we'll fix
you up.  Then we'll have to do something about this drinking problem of yours." 
For the first time since his partner had died, Tony Kurtz was actually happy.

Megakat City Salvage Yard......

               "WHAT??!!!"  Jake cried out.  "You're kidding?!"  He said.  T Bone
shook his head, and smiled.

              "Nope."  He said.  "Dark Kat really had a son.  Alex is his name."  Jake
shook his head in disbelief.

               "I find it hard to believe that Ol Tall dark and gruesome actually found
the time to start a family."  T Bone grinned.  

               "After all---"  He said, taking his mask off his face.  "---We never found
him, he found us.  We never went looking for Dark Kat, so we never knew what
he was up to until he attacked the city."

                "Still hard to believe though."  Jake said.  "Of all kats.  Dark Kat?"  He
turned once more to T Bone who'd taken off his mask to reveal Chance's face. 
"So who was the unlucky she-kat?"  Chance shook his head, as he undressed out
of
his SWAT Kat uniform.

               "Don't know."  He said.  "After all, who'd wanna do the wild thing with a
mutated mass murder?"

                "That crazy she-kat is one."  Jake said.  That woke Chance up.

                 "Ya know Jake."  He said.  "We're the good guys right?"  Jake nodded.

                 "Right."  He said.

                 "Dark Kat's the bad guy right?"  Jake nodded.

                  "Right."  He said.  Chance shrugged.

                   "So how come he's got a family, and the girls love him.  Yet we've got
no such thing."

                   "We've got Callie and Felina."  Jake said.

                  "But do they wanna have sex with us?"  Jake shrugged.

                  "You wanna go ask 'em?"  He said.  Chance threw his paws up into the
air, and walked off to his room.  Jake shook his head.

                  "Sometimes Chance."  He said.  "You scare me more than Dark Kat."

Callie Briggs Apartment.....

                   "Yes Mayor."  Callie said, as she packed the last of her things into her
purse.  She walked over to the window and, making sure it was locked, headed for
the door.  "I'll be right over, Mayor."  She said.  "Don't worry.  I'm sure Greenbox
will be on his best behavior."  She then hung up and placed her mobile phone back
in her purse.

                     She'd been asked by Manx to oversee Dr. Robert Greenbox's parole
papers.  His parole had been granted, but Manx was still nervous about that whole
incident with that insane creation of his, Zed.  Or, as Manx had put it 'That
Walking Talking Killer Fix-it Box.' 

                   Greenbox had been given only a year, due to his lawyer who put up a
very good case of temporary insanity, caused by the fact that nearly all his
creations lead to something going wrong.  Now, because he'd kept his nose clean,
and didn't cause any trouble or try to escape, he was being released, two months
early.

               As she walked down the hallway, she saw a very depressed looking kat. 
He walked over to his apartment, and unlocked the door, nearly falling in.  She
shook her head and ignored him.  He was probably drunk or something.

So many years.

                Tony Kurzt stumbled into his apartment, and locked the door.  

We've been friends for nearly forever.....

                 Tony walked over to the refrigerator and took out another can of beer. 
He opened the can and began to guzzle it all down.

......just, down the fucking drain.

                 After he finished it, he threw it away and grabbed a bottle of scotch. 
He poured himself a drink and sat down at his table.  His apartment was mess. 
Newspapers, paper plates, empty pizza boxes, paper napkins, and an untold
number of empty beer cans littered the apartment floor.  

From just one look, one could tell that Tony Kurzt wasn't taking his partner's
death too well.

                 "Greg."  He moaned as he stumbled over to his couch to watch some
t.v.  "Why did it have ta be you?"  He threw away the cup and began to drink
straight from the bottle.

                "...Today, just buried the body of Enforcer Detective Greg Burns, who
was working under cover in a drug smuggling operation.  The de ----*"  

CLICK.

                "---- And an untold number of heroine, dope, and crack, was recovered
today by the Enforcers who have been trying to crack down on the operation for
nearly two months.  However, the raid was not without it's cost.  Detective Greg
B---*"

CLICK.

               "---Crying bloody murder, as her beloved husband, Greg Burns w----*"

CLICK.

               "----is calling for better equipment, and firearms after the drug raid on
Pier 42 took the life of Detective Greg Burns, due to the fact that the detective
was armed only with a s----*"

CLICK.

              The T.V. was turned off.  Everywhere he went he was reminded of Greg. 
He placed his head in his paws.

Why Greg?

              He then heard low sobs, and realized that they were coming from himself.

What a sin.  What a sin.

              He then looked up from his paws.  The first thing he saw was the sawn-
off double barrel shotgun hanging just above his TV  He'd had it mounted after his
first undercover assignment --- with Greg.  He walked over to it, keeping his eyes
on it.

              It seemed to glow with a life of its own.  He just stood in front of it,
staring at it, not even blinking.  Slowly.  Very slowly, he reached out with a paw
and touched it.

kill.

              He jumped back.  The moment he touched it, he felt a strange vibe in his
body.  He looked back at it again.  It still seemed to glow.  He touched it again.

KILL!!!!

               The vibe seemed much harsher that time.

               "NO!!!"  He screamed out and grabbed it off the wall, and threw it into
the garbage bin.  He stood there, backed up against the wall, staring at the bin like
an unseen horror.  He stood there, terrified, breathing heavily, and rapid.  "This is
not happening."  He mumbled as he stumbled over to his bottle.  "This is not
happening."  He raised the bottle to his lips and drank heavily.  "Oh yeah."  He
said as he collapsed down on the couch.  "That did it."

                From a hidden security camera in the room, unknown eyes watched the
drunk detective as he lay on the couch, drinking scotch.  The kat's bright yellow
eyes narrowed.

It's all going to plan.

               The figure got up and walked away from the t.v.

Just keep feeling that feeling you've got, my friend.  Soon, you'll be the perfect
weapon.

Alkatraz Island.....

The institution known as Alkatraz island, a virtual escape proof prison for the
criminally insane, powerful, and challenged.  Today, however......

               A door in the prisons main gate opens, and out drives a very relieved kat. 
He has glasses, and a mustache, and a beard.  His fur is light brown, and his hair, is
dark brown.  He didn't originally have the facial hair, but prison barbers aren't
exactly the cream of the crop.  However, now he is confined to a wheel chair.  The
electric shock he'd received when T Bone disconnected Zed from his mind had left
him a cripple, unable to use his legs.  

....Its ranks will be decreased in number, by one ----

                Dr. Robert Greenbox has served his time, and is now free to once more
pick up from where he left off.  Making a decent living for himself.

--- although remarkably it will not be through any spectacular breakout or escape
that this inmate wins his freedom.  But rather through the fulfillment of his
sentence.

                The prison guard called out one last time.

                 "Keep your nose clean this time, Greenbox!"  He said.  "Remember,
we're watching you."  Greenbox didn't bother to look back, as he stepped onto the
boat that would take him to the mainland.

                 "Yeah, yeah."  He said.  "The last thing I wanna do is wind up back
here again!"  He drove down the ramp and onto the boat, and it took off for the
docks.  

However, winding up in prison again was the last thing on his mind.  He's more
concerned about his future.  Before his insanity overlaps, he used to work for the
city, making all sorts of gadgets.  Heck, he was even a decent friend of the SWAT
Kats.

                   His face dropped as he thought about what lay ahead of him.

Now, all that was nothing but a distant memory.  He'd received no job offers from
the big corporations in the city.  Not even City Hall wanted to touch him with a ten
foot pool.  Jail seemed like the Ritz compared to freedom.  Now he'd spend the
rest of his life making mouse traps.

                   His face twisted into a snarl.

This was all the SWAT Kats fault!

                    When the boat reached the pier, he was greeted by no one.  No kats
in black business suits, with suit cases of money to offer his services to go work
for them.  He just drove his wheelchair up the ramp, and headed for the main road
to catch a taxi to the apartment the city had given him.

                    Suddenly, a huge black limo suddenly screeched to a stop, just inches
away from Greenbox.  He banged his electric wheelchair into reverse and shouted
at the limo.

                  "Watch it, ya jerk!"  He cried out.  "What are you trying to do?!  Run
me over?!"  The passenger side window rolled down and two yellow eyes stared
back at him.

                  "Dr. Greenbox?"  The figure asked.  He had an echo to his voice. 
Greenbox leaned closer, trying to get a better glimpse of the kat, but to no avail.

                  "Who wants to know?"  He asked.  Suddenly, Greenbox was caught
off guard, when something shaped like a green box was throw at him.

                   "No one special."  The figure said.  Greenbox looked down at the
green object, and saw that it was a bundle of money.  He looked at the money,
then back at the figure in the limo, smiling.

                  "You've got my attention."  He said.  The door opened and two kats
got out to help Greenbox into the limo.  Then they drove off.

Later that night........

                 T Bone drove though the dark, deserted streets of Megakat city.  The
Cyclotron sped down the streets, sped towards an unknown destination.  T Bone
had to talk to someone.  Just to check up on them.  He drove all the way to the
Darkson Mansion, and parked the Cyclotron round the back of an alley.

There it is.

                 T Bone then jumped the ten foot high fence and fired his grappling
hook up to the main window.  He then reeled himself all the way up to the third
floor.

I hope he's okay.

                  T Bone then looked in though the window, at the light source in the
room.  There sat Alexander Darkson.  The son of the infamous Dark Kat.  He sat
in front of a fire place, at a table for two, eating some sort of meal.  He was
dressed up like Dark Kat.  

He still wants to pretend to be his father.

                    He pushed open the window, and dropped in onto the floor.  The
noise made Alex look up from his meal.

                  "Oh, hello, SWAT Kat."  He said as T Bone walked over to him. 
"What brings you to my humble home?"

Seems cheerful enough.

                  "I just wanted to see how you and psycho-lady were getting on."  T
Bone said.  "After all, she did try to kill you too."

                 "She's not here anymore."  Alex said as he stabbed at the roast on his
plate with the fork.  "After she told me everything about my father, she left."

I don't like the sound of that.

                 "Do you know where she went?"  T Bone asked.  Dark Kat shrugged.

                  "Africa?  The Caribbean maybe."  He said, as he ate some potato. 
"She really didn't quite say."

                  "What about all her men?"  T Bone asked.

                 "They all resigned."  He said.  "They split up and left.  Probably
working for some other big time crook now."  Dark Kat said as he drank some
red wine.  "Pardon my manners."  He said, holding a bottle out.  "Would you like
some?"  T Bone shook his head.

                 "No thanks."  He said.  "I've gotta drive back."

                 "Can I get you something to eat?"  He asked.  T Bone looked down at
the steaming hot roast dinner.

Oh, what the hell.

                 "Sure."  He said.  Dark Kat then leaned over and pressed a button on
his intercom.  

                  "Daniel."  He said into it.  "Could you prepare another plate please.  I
have a special guest tonight."

                 "Right away Mr. Darkson."  An Italian voice said on the other side.  

                 "Why don't you take a seat, my friend."  Dark Kat said, pointing to the
spare chair just across from him.  T Bone sat down.

I don't believe this.

                  "So, how is your partner?"  Dark Kat asked.

Having a meal with Dark Kat?

                   "Oh, he's much better now."  T Bone said.  "That stuff what's her
name gave me really did the trick."

Not really Dark Kat ---

                    "I'm glad to hear that."  Dark Kat said, as he took another sip from
his wine glass.  "I wouldn't want anything nasty to happen to the two of you.  Kats
might suspect me."

--- Just his son.

                     "I don't get one thing."  T Bone said.  "How do you manage to live
like this?  I mean, from what you told me, you didn't quite have a decent paying
job."  Dark Kat chuckled.

                     "My father's business may be owned by other larger companies now,
but he did have a Swiss bank account ---"  He then held up his wine glass like a
toast.  "---That made me pretty comfortable."  Just then, the door at the other end
of the room opened and out came a kat wearing a butlers outfit.  "Thank you very
much Jason."  He said, as the butler placed the plate on the table.

                     "My pleasure, sir."  He said as he then turned around and left the
room.  "Enjoy your meal."  He said to T Bone before he left.

                     "Eat, eat up, my good friend."  Dark Kat said as T Bone got stuck
into the roast.

Friend?  Me?  Dark Kat's friend?

                      "Cheers, Dark Kat."  T Bone said, holding up a glass of water. 
Dark
Kat held up his wine glass and they banged them together.

                       "Cheers, T Bone."  He said.  And they ate the rest of their meal in
silence.

                                                  CHAPTER : 2

The Next day......

                       "I don't believe it."  Jake said, as Chance ate his breakfast.  "You
and Dark Kat sat down to a meal?"  Chance nodded.

                        "Yeah, I know."  He said.  "It was weird, all the way through the
dinner.  I haven't had a meal like that since I left home."  He sighed.  "Mom did
cook a nice roast."

                         "So why's Alex still bent on dressing up like his dear old dead
dad?"  Jake asked.  

                          "It reminds him of the father he never knew."  Chance said as he
spooned another mouthful of his cereal.  "Beside, he was born that way, like his
father."  
  
                           "So he doesn't go out in public that much?"  Jake asked.  Chance
shook his head.

                           "He does sometimes."  He said.  "He puts on makeup, but that's
only when he has too.  He just spends all day in his house, in his private
gymnasium." 
Jake shook his head.

                      "Sad."  He said.  "Poor guy.  I mean, imagine having been related to
Dark Kat."

Down Town : At that very moment.....

The traffic in Down Town Megakat city can be very annoying.  Especially if you
have to go somewhere, and be someplace --- in a hurry.

                  The cars move very slowly though the street, so slowly in fact, that
some pedestrians are running through the cars to get to the other side of the street. 
Horns are blaring, and the sidewalks are bustling with activity.

However ----

                  One green van rounds a corner and pulls into an alley.

----- some of the traffic aren't exactly friendly.

                   The van driver just sits there.  In fact.  He isn't even real.  It's just a
dummy.

And added to that evidence would be the discovery that the van's cargo is, to say
the least ---

                 The back double doors of the van open and out climbs a strange
looking robot.

--- Non - standard!

                  It doesn't look very large.  It stands at 15 feet.  Its top half of its body
is large and bulky.  The bottom half is small, which is connected to the legs.  The
legs are divided in half as well.  Metallic extending coils connect the two halves of
each leg together.  There are also extending coils on its feet.  Its arms are divided
like the legs and have extending coils joining them.  Its hands are three metallic
tentacles, which aren't extend yet.  It's head looks like an egg cut in half, which is
connected to an extending coil.

A segmented neck elongates.

               The neck extended and looked up the side of the building.

A projector/receiver "head" confirms its objective.  And, snake like tentacles help
it
climb.

             The tentacles extended from the hand and, with the help of the suction
boots on its feet, it climbs the walls with ease.

It climbs, higher, and higher, until it reaches the back wall of Callie Briggs
apartment.  It stops.

             It then lifted its head.  A powerful laser blew a hole in the wall.  The
debris
rained down in the alley below, just missing the van.

It enters, raking through rubble, maneuvering awkwardly in the enclosed area.

              The robot then climbed inside the room, its arms and legs extending all
over the place.  But because of its size, and the size of the apartment, its having a
difficult time doing so.

It clambers quickly from room to room, as if searching for something --- or
someone.

             Outside, some kats are drawn out of their apartments from all the noise.

              "That noise is coming from the Deputy Mayor's apartment."  One kat
said.  "But she's at work."  The other kat nodded.

               "Why yes."  She said.  "I said good bye to her before she left.  I think
we'd better call the Enforcers."  She said.  Inside the room, the head suddenly
turned to the door.  It heard everything that was said outside.

Drat.

              The robot then leaves the same way it came back in.

The mechanical intruder exits quickly, lowering its self to the waiting van in the
shadow-dark alleyway, and then leaves, muttering a string of electronic epithets
that would turn a career sailor pale with envy!

              Back in the hotel, Tony Kurtz, who has been given some time off, looks
out the door as other kats gather outside the room of the Deputy Mayor's.  Some
strange noise had been coming from within there.  He then went back into his
apartment.

RING! RING!

              The phone made Tony jump.  He clutched his heart and slowly walked
over to the phone, muttering something about changing the telephone ring.

              "H-hello?"  He said into the phone.

               "Tony?  That you?"  He recognized the voice.

              "Jane."  He said.  "H-how are you>"

               "Tony?"  She said again.  "Have you got the stutters?"

                "Yes."  He said.  "I c-can't help it.  It's b-been driving m-me mad lately."

                "Have you been drinking?"  She asked.  

                "Yes."  He said.  He could hear her sigh on the other line.

                "Look."  She said.  "I know that you've been having a rough time lately. 
I thought that you would be like this."

                "What do you w-want?"  He asked.

                 "Well."  She said.  "To get right to the point ---"  There was a short
pause.  "Would you like to have dinner at my place tomorrow night?"  Tony's eyes
went wide.

                  "Dinner?!  At your PLACE??!!!"  He said.

                   "Well?"  She asked.

                   "Yeah!"  He said, sounding rather excited.  "I'll be there."  

                   "Great!"  She said.  "See you at eight."  Then she hung up.  Tony
placed the phone down and a huge smile crept across his face.

                     "Yes!"  He cried out.  "Finally, she asked me out."  He then began to
scurry all over the apartment, looking for something decent to wear.

Elsewhere.....

                 The green driverless van then pulled into a warehouse.

That was unfortunate.

                  The van screeched to a stop inside.  The whole inside of the warehouse
looks very technical and complicated.  Computers line the walls, along with TV
monitors and tables covered with all sorts of electronic devices.

But, setbacks are to be expected.  A failed skirmish does not mean a lost war! 
Soon I will find the SWAT Kats.

                    The back doors of the van open, and the robot climbs out.

And when I do, I have every confidence that they will fall ----

                   The chest of the robot opened to reveal a kat sitting inside it.

---- before the unadulterated genius of Dr. Robert Greenbox!

                    Two metal claws inside the robot lifted Greenbox out of the robot
and placed him in the wheelchair.

I my be confined to a wheelchair, but my mind is as clear and brilliant as ever.  I'm
twice the technological genus that Dark Kat is!

                     He then pushed the stick forward and his wheelchair rolled forward
towards a command center, which was just near to him.

And soon I'll prove it, by doing the one thing he never could : Destroying the
SWAT Kats.

                 Once there, he then pressed a few buttons, and the lab came alive as
robotic claws and others began to go to work, making some sort of robotic orbs
with little red eyes.

But now, I must work.  There is so much to do and so little time.  It's going to be
a long night ----

                 Greenbox smiled as he watched the metallic orbs being completed.

--- but Oh, what a wonderful tomorrow!

Callie Briggs Apartment......

                 "MY GOD!!!"  Callie cried out as she opened the door to her
apartment.  "What on Earth happened here?!"  Her apartment was a wreck.  There
was a huge hole in the far wall and all her belongings and furniture had been
smashed.  Enforcers were going over the place with a fine tooth comb.

                  "Careful, Ms. Briggs...."  An Enforcer said.  "We don't want you to
disturb anything here."

                 "Where am I going to stay?"  She said, looking at the hole in her wall.

                 "Commander Feral suggested that you go to a safe house until we can
fix your apartment."

                 "Safe house!?"  Callie cried out.  

                 "The Commander thinks that whoever attacked your apartment may be
looking for you.  They might come back, so the Commander wants you under
close protection."  Callie shrugged.

                  "Just let me get a few things."  She said and headed for her room.

The Next morning......

              Chance came down from his room and pulled his shirt on as he walked
into the kitchen, for some breakfast.  He poured some cereal into a bowl and then
some milk.  He then grabbed a spoon from the sink, washed it off, and began
eating as he walked over to the list of 'things to do.'

What's on the agenda for today?

               He took the clipboard off the hook and removed yesterday's list and
stuck that in a drawer.  He then looked over the list.

Hmmmmmm.  Two Enforcer cars are in for their monthly tune up.  Some guy's got
his car booked in for a look at his radiator.  And, three motorcycles who need
whole new engines.

                He then dropped the list onto the table as he sat down to finish his
breakfast.

Strange.  I can't stop thinking about Alex.  I know I've finally made peace with
him and his family, but I can't shake this nagging feeling I've had ever since I
visited his home a few nights ago.  I don't know what, but something was just
nagging me.

                 He was so far into space that he didn't note Jake coming in.

                "Earth to Chance, come in!"  Chance then noticed Jake.

                "Huh?  Oh hi, Jake."  He said as Jake got himself some cereal.  "Sleep
well?"  Jake nodded.

                "Like a kitten."  He said.  "And you?"  Chance nodded back.

               "Fine."  He said.  Jake dipped his spoon into his cereal and raised it to his
mouth, only to pause, then he placed it back into his bowl.

                "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"  He said.  Chance shook his head.

               "No."  He said.  "It's just something else."  Jake leaned closer.

               "After living with you for nearly ten years, Chance, you can't hide things
from me."

               "It's just Alex."  He said.  "For the love of me, I just can't figure out what
it is about him that bothers me so."

                "Maybe it's the fact that he's Dark Kat's son."  Jake said.  "Maybe it's the
fact the you and he fought side by side.  Maybe it's the fact that he dresses up, and
surprisingly looks, like his old man.  Maybe it's the fact that a few nights ago you
went to his place like a friend and had dinner with him?"

                 "I think you're right, Jake."  He said.  "I mean, he looks like an exact
double of Dark Kat, and I've been fighting Dark Kat for so long it just felt funny
treating him like --- a friend."  Jake smiled, as he continued to eat.

                 "There you go."  He said.  "What you're experiencing is Culture Shock. 
You can't seem to handle the fact that Dark Kat's now our friend."

                 "Yeah."  Chance said, as he continued to eat.

But somehow ----

                He looked over at Jake, who was focused on eating and looking over
the day's work.

---- I don't think that's it.

The Warehouse........

                 Dr. Robert Greenbox finally finished his night's work.  He rubbed the
sleep from his eyes as he yawned.

My dear Dark Kat.  If only you had the know how that I do.  Then, and only then,
you wouldn't need others to do your dirty work for you.

                 He moved his wheelchair over to the control panel and pressed a few
buttons.

You gave me all this.  This lab, this technology, the means to exact your revenge
against the SWAT Kats.  All in the name of your father, the original Dark Kat. 
But what good is revenge if you can't exact it yourself.

                 The metallic orbs which he'd been working on suddenly seemed to
come to life.  The single red eye in the middle of each orb suddenly glowed to life
as they began to hover off the ground.

But I prefer not to get involved in family affairs or the affairs of others.

                  He looked over at the floating orbs and smiled.

Taking some of the ideas from my renegade creation, Zed, I've added it to my
electronic eyes, which I will use to scour the city and find the SWAT Kats. 
They'll search this city until they find them, and by God ---

                   His smile turned to a grin.

---They will find them!

Megakat City Salvage Yard......

                Chance couldn't find Jake that morning.  He walked down to the hanger
to find him there, hard at work on the Turbo Kat.

               "What are you doing?"  Chance asked.  Jake's head popped out from
underneath the jet.

                "Morning, Chance."  Jake said.  His head disappeared back under the
Turbo Kat.  "Just doing a systems check over the Turbo Kat."

                "What's wrong with her?"  Chance asked, looking the jet over.

                "Nothing."  Jake said.  "Just thought she needed it."  Chance shrugged
and headed back up the ladder to the TV

Face it, Chance.....

                 "Let's see what's on, shall we?"  Chance said, as he sat down and
turned the TV on.

....Ever since that little meal with Dark Kat, you've been pretty nervy lately.

                  "Morning news?  Cartoons?  Soap Opera?  Comedy program?" 
Chance
changed the channel back to the cartoons.

You can't let this go on forever.

                  "Now THAT'S funny!"  Chance cried out as Scaredy Kat opened a
parcel and screamed as he found a bomb in there.  The moment the bomb blew up,
Chance exploded into laughter.

You've got to do something about all this.

                 "Why doesn't Jake like this?"

Who are you kidding Chance.  You're just taking this all out on Jake because you
don't know how to deal with this.

                Chance sat on the couch, not laughing when Scaredy Kat was blown up.

Why don't you pay Dark Kat a visit.  Let him know what's on your mind.  Maybe
he can help you.  It's better than a psychiatrist.

                 Chance chuckled at the thought of the SWAT Kats visiting a shrink. 
Getting up, he headed down to the hanger, and to his locker.

                "Where are you going?"  Jake said as he looked up from the Turbo Kat. 
Chance was putting on his uniform, and turning into T Bone.

                 "I'm going to talk to Alex."  He said.  "Maybe I can get what ever it is
off my chest."  He then started up a Cyclotron and raced out of the hanger.

                "In broad daylight?"  Jake said to an empty hanger the moment T Bone
was gone.  He shook his head, and went back to work.

Elsewhere...... 

              As T Bone zooms down the highway towards the city, he is unaware of
what is watching him.  High above him, one of Greenbox's flying orbs is hovering
just above him, watching his every movement.  And relaying it all back to the mad
doctor himself.

There he is.

             Greenbox moved his wheelchair away from the monitor and towards the
robot.

I must get to my robot, then program my autovan for an intercept course!  For
today is surely the day ----

             Two metal claws came out of the robot and lifted Greenbox back into the
robot's control center, inside it's chest.

----that I show Dark Kat who the real genius is!

Enforcer Head Quarters......

             Callie Briggs walked into Commander Feral's office, not in her usual
stormy mood, but rather in a more pleasant mood.  Feral looked up from his paper
work as she walked in.

             "Commander?"  She said as she walked up to his desk.

             "Ms. Briggs?"  He answered her back.

             "Commander Feral."  Callie said.  "I must insist that you're over protecting
me.  I mean, 24 hour watch, and you've got about fifteen of your top Enforcers
guarding me when they could be better spent guarding the city."

               "I'm the Commander of the Enforcers, Ms. Briggs."  Feral said.  "It's my
duty to protect all citizens of the city, council members included."

                "But it's been four days since whoever it was ransacked my
apartment."  Callie said.  "And, so far, we've received no threatening letters, or
mail
bombs, or even a phone call."

                "There have been rumors that the Metallikats have been sighted in that
area, Ms. Briggs."  Feral said.  "And, you know how much they would like to see
you pushing up daisy's."

               "I know, Feral."  Callie said.  "But, I still think you're overreacting on
this.  Just let me back into my apartment and give me a body guard.  I'm sure
everything will be okay."

               "Are you sure that one kat could stand alone against the Metallikats?"  

              "I don't even think this was the Metallikats."

              "What makes you think that?"

              "My jewels were missing."

              "What kind of thief breaks into an apartment by blowing up a hole the
size of a semi-trailer and steals only a few jewels?"

                 "I'm sure that if we wait, the answer will present itself."  Callie said
as she turned to leave.

               "That's the part that scares me, Ms. Briggs."  Feral said the moment she
left.

Tony Kurtz's Office.....

               When Tony came into his office that morning, Greg's desk had been
cleaned out, most likely by his family.  He sat down at his desk and checked the
'IN' box.  It was empty.  Not one case had crossed his desk in five days.  Maybe
the others thought that he was going through a nervous breakdown.

They're right.
 
               "I've got to stop this."  He said.  He looked at a picture on his desk of
him, Greg, and Jean, all together at a night club.  He then took another swig of
the vodka bottle in his paw.

I'm still drinking.

                He placed the bottle down on his desk.

Come on Kurzt.

                He looked at Jean in the picture.

What would Jeannie say if she saw you like this?

                 He looked over at the picture of Greg.  A small tear escaped his eye.

kill.

                 He jerked back, as if hit by an invisible punch.  He looked around.

What the hell was that?!

                  His eyes came to rest on the bottle of Vodka.

I've really gotta stop this.

                  He grabbed the bottle, and taking one last swing, threw it in the bin.

Somewhere in the city....

              T Bone drove the Cyclotron though every alley and deserted road he
knew, trying to avoid the gawking eyes of the public.

Maybe I should have waited until night time.

              He drove into a deserted construction site.

All this attention, it's bound to get me into -----

               Just then, an explosion knocked him off the Cyclotron and sent him
skidding into a support beam of the building.

--- Trouble?!

              T Bone pulled himself up off the ground and looked around.

              "What the hell ---?!!"  He cried out.  Just then, a huge gray robot
suddenly appeared from behind a building.  Its arms and legs were extending,
making it taller.

             "No, SWAT kat."  The Robot said.  "Hell would be far more gentle! 
You'll not fare nearly as well with Dr. Robert Greenbox!!"  The screen of the robot
suddenly fizzed to life and the face of Greenbox appeared there.  Then, the screen
started to fire laser blasts at him.  T Bone then began jumping and dodging the
blasts with everything he had.

I wanted to work something over with Dark Kat.  Get something off my mind. 
But,
this wasn't what I had in mind!  I thought Greenbox was in prison!  Obviously not! 
But maybe some of my cement slugs will slow this new toy of his.

             T Bone angled his glovatrix at the view screen and fired three short
bursts, covering the screen completely.

            "Clever, SWAT Kat."  Greenbox said.  "But, not clever enough!"  The
laser blasted though the cement and the screen was clear once more.  "I'm going to
make you pay, SWAT Kat."  Greenbox said.  "In fact, weren't you the one who
disconnected Zed from my mind?"  T Bone found himself climbing up the side of
the skeleton building.  Greenbox's robot was extending its legs and arms to reach
him.  
            "When you disconnected my creation from it's creator, you sent a wave of
electrical power surging though my body.  Some of the current wasn't deadly, but
it was enough to scramble my nervous system, crippling me, making me a mere
shell of a kat."  The face on the view screen growled.
             "AND, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!"  He screamed as a tentacle hand
balled up into a fist and punched at T Bone, just narrowly missing his head.

Ducked that just in time.  But, something tells me that Greenbox isn't going to
g----

              Suddenly, a strange green gas shot out of a tentacle and covered T
Bone's face.

It was a trick!  Some k-kind of g-ga-as --- *KOFF*  --- out o-of hi-is *GAGK*
a-arm!

               The gas made T Bone feel dizzy.  He couldn't see straight and he fell to
the ground.  Only the tentacles of Greenbox's robot saved T Bone before he turned
himself into a pancake.

               "You like my latest design?"  Greenbox asked as T Bone struggled in
the robot's grip.  "I ripped it off from your friend, Dark Kat.  It's a form of Ethyl
Chloride!  It'll slow your systems down, make you weak."  Unfortunately, T Bone
was far too out of it to hear Greenbox gloat.

G-gotta d-do somet-thing.  Can't l-let Green-box's r-robot d-do th-e j-j-j-j-

              Suddenly, nearby, a kat working on a bulldozer saw the trouble that T
Bone was in.

              "Holy kats!"  He cried out, seeing the giant robot strangling T Bone. 
"Some kinda funky machine --- tryin'a snuff a SWAT Kat!"  The bulldozer's face
turned to a snarl.  "That SWAT Kat saved my son once.  I think it's time I returned
the favor."  The kat brought his bulldozer over to the robot and brought the
scooper down on its extended arm, the one that held T Bone.

What the ---?!

               The armor on the robot, however, is strong enough to repel a shell blast
from a tank, but not strong enough to hold itself together at the joints.  The
outer layer of the metallic skin was pulled off, revealing the circuitry underneath. 
It sparked and popped as the arm hung there, damaged.

Shit!  Arm is shorting out!  I'm losing control!

                T Bone took the opportunity to pull himself free.

Free!  Better use the time that construction worker bought ----

              He then raised his glovatrix at the robot.  Then, firing two mini Octopus
missiles at the robot, which knocked it over.  The force ripped the arm off
completely.  A sparking stump was all that remained of the arm.

---to do as much damage as I can!

The arm!  It's ruined!  Can't do much now, not like this!  I must retreat!

            Greenbox's robot then blasted the bulldozer scoop and retrieved his
broken arm.  After it did this, it then extended its legs to walk over the buildings
and
off into the distance.

Another lost battle!  But I guarantee you, SWAT kat.  That this conflict is far, far
from over!

            T Bone watched the robot leave and went to help the injured worker.

            "You okay?"  He asked the poor kat.  The kat smiled at him.

            "I've been though much worse."  The kat said.  "You go get 'im!"  T Bone
smiled back at him.

            "Thanks pal."  He said.  "I couldn't have done it without you."  The kat
grinned.

             "Pal?"  He said.  "Hay, thank-you!"  T Bone raced for his Cyclotron and
speed off after the robot.  But, it was long gone.

Could be anywhere by now.  Must've had an accomplice or something.  Ah well,
he'll be back.  They always do come ----

              Just then, Dark Kat popped into his mind.

---back?!  Oh my God!  Dark Kat.  Nuts.  I had to remember....!

              He then drove off for home.  He'd had enough for one day.

Back at the warehouse.....

             "YOU FOOL!!!"  Dark Kat screamed at Greenbox.  "You mentioned my
name!  In front of the SWAT Kat!  After I gave you strict instructions NOT to do
so!"  The monitor seemed to shake, even though he was not in the warehouse.

             "I couldn't help it."  Greenbox said.  "It just --- slipped out!  I promise
that it'll never happen again."  Dark Kat's eyes narrowed.

            "It better not."  He said.  "It is important that T Bone doesn't know that
I'm still trying to continue my father's work."

            "Say."  Greenbox asked.  "How did you know that I mentioned your
name?"  Dark Kat grinned.

            "I have contacts."  He said.  "Also, I'm well aware of your failure this
morning.  I must report that I'm very displeased with my investment."

             "It wasn't my fault!"  Greenbox quickly said.  "Some good Samaritan
decided to butt in!"

             "No excuses."  Dark Kat said.  "I'm going to give you one last chance to
destroy The SWAT Kats."  His eyes narrowed to slits of yellow.  "And, if you fail,
I'll have you replaced!"

              "But, Dark Kat, It wasn't my ---"  The screen went blank.

---fault.

              Greenbox drove his wheelchair away from the screen, towards the table
where his robot was busy being repaired.

Blast it!  If only that kat believed that things can't be accomplished overnight. 
These things take time, days, weeks, months, maybe even years.  Still ----

             He wheeled the chair over to what looked like a radar screen.

---I took no chances at that construction site.  The Ethyl Chloride I sprayed on the
SWAT Kat was laced with a special traced chemical!  Even now my scanners are
tracking the SWAT Kat to his lair!  I took the chance of waiting until now ----

             He looked at the arm being repaired.

---but, I had to repair my robot.  I have to make sure that both it, and I, were at
full strength.  And, when we are --- 

              A huge grin crept across his face.

--- It'll be time to kill those SWAT Kat's once and for all!

                                               CHAPTER : 3

Captain Jean DeWolff's Apartment : 8 o'clock PM....

This is it.

               Tony Kurtz walked boldly up to the door and knocked on it.

No turning back now.

              "Come in, the door's unlocked!"  Jean called out from the other side of
the door.  Tony opened the door and walked into the apartment.  The lights were
all dimmed down and there was a table for two all set out with a candle lit
dinner.

She really went all out for this ---

               His thoughts were stopped when a door opened and out came Captain
Jane DeWolff.  Dressed up in the tightest green dress you've ever seen.  Her long
hair had been let down, and she had a seductive smile on her face.

--- just for me?

                "Hello, Tony."  She said to him.  

                "H-h-h-h-h-h--- Hell-o J-Jean."  He stammered.  She gave a small laugh.

              "Don't go to pieces on me now, Tony."  She said as she walked over to
him.  "Our night together has just begun."

WOW!!!!

                "S-so what do you w-want to do?"  He asked.

               "You hungry?"  She asked.  He nodded.

                "Yes."  He said.  She walked over and lifted the dinner cover of the
plates.

                "I prepared a nice roast dinner.  He smiled.

                 "I like the sound of that."

Elsewhere, in the city.......

              Chance Furlong drove down the street in the tow truck.  His partner,
Jake Clawson, sat beside him.  Lightning and thunder flashed above them.  Jake
looked up at the flashes of lightning in the sky.

                "I wonder if we'll be getting any calls from Callie about the Pastmaster?" 
Jake said as he pulled his head back into the truck.

              "I hope not."  Chance said.  "I wouldn't want to think that the Pastmaster
survived that pyramid of Katchu Picchu."  Chance remembered back to the time
when he and Jake last fought the Pastmaster, how he fell into that ragging fire. 
"He's gone for good.  Dead."

Yeah right.

             He continued to stare out the front window.

That's what you said about Dark Kat.  Viper.  And Greenbox.  They always come
back.  They always managed to come back.  It's all so damn frustrating!  Every
enemy I've ever faced seems to return at some point or another --- no matter how
decisively Jake and I beat them!

               His face turned into a scowl.

It's like we're destined to keep fighting them, over and over again.  It's like I'll
never see the last of them.

              As they rounded a corner, a green van started following them.

My sensors have detected the trace chemical a short distance away.  Just in front
of the van, only a few meters away?!

              He brought up an image outside the van, just in front of him.

They must be in that --- tow truck?

              Greenbox rubbed his chin.

What on earth are the SWAT Kat's doing in a tow truck?  It could be that they're
really grease monkeys, or --- it's some sort of clever disguise.

              Greenbox smiled as he began to active his robot.

You can't hide like that, SWAT Kats.  I know that's you under that disguise.  I
must say, you would have fooled anybody like that.  Imagine, the SWAT Kats, a
couple of mechanics.

              The van began to speed up and overtake the tow truck in the opposite
lane.

              "Hay Jake."  Chance said.  "Check out this guy."  He pointed at the van
passing the in the opposite lane.  "He's gonna cause an acci ---"  Just then, another
car came around a corner and was heading for a head on collision with the van. 
"LOOK OUT!!!"  Chance cried as he slammed on the breaks.

What the ---?!

              Greenbox saw the other car just in time and swerved into the right lane,
but not without clipping the other car, sending them both skidding off the road.

              "Chance!"  Jake cried out.  "That car --- It's Callie!!"

               "Holy kats!"  Chance cried out.  Callie had banged her head on the
wheel, but lucky she was wearing a seat belt, she didn't receive that much damage. 
She moaned as she fumbled about in the car, looking for her glasses.

               "That guy's gonna pay."  Jake murmured.  They both got out of the
truck and dived behind it again when the doors to the van opened up and out
came a fifteen foot tall robot.  "What the hell is that?!"  Jake hissed, as he reached
into the secret compartment in the truck and pulled out uniforms and glovatrix's.

                "It's some sort of fancy robot, that Greenbox made."  Chance said,
pulling on his G suit.

               "Greenbox?!"  Jake said as he fitted on his bandanna.

                "Yeah, I know."  T Bone said, fitting on his glovatrix.  "I thought he
was
in jail too.  But that robot says otherwise.  

                 "What's it like?"  Razor said, checking what sort of ammo they had with
them.

                 "Very tough."  T Bone said, looking out at the Robot that was
searching around for something.  "We'll need the Turbo Kat for sure."

                  "Can you keep it occupied?"  Jake asked.  "I'll head back for the Turbo
Kat, and bring her back here."  T Bone nodded.

                  "Roger that."  He said.  Razor hopped into the truck.  T Bone saw that
the Robot was investigating Callie's car.

Where are they?

                The Robot looked in though the window and turned on its lights. 
Callie was blinded.  She cried out and covered her eyes.

It's her?!

                 "Well, well, well."  Greenbox said.  "Deputy Mayor Briggs.  It's so nice
to see you again."  Callie looked up, keeping her eyes covered.  She recognized the
voice.

                 "Greenbox?"  She asked.

                 "I was looking for you at your apartment a few nights ago.  I thought I
could make you tell me were the SWAT Kats where.  But, it looks like I could
have saved the trouble.

               "Trouble?"  A voice from behind him said.  "Doc, you don't know what
trouble really is!"

Eh?!

              The head spun around to see T Bone standing there, aiming his glovatrix
at the robot.

               "I believe that I'm the one you're looking for!"  Greenbox smiled.

               "Indeed."  He said.  "You are the one I want!"  The tentacles on each
hand shot out and dived for T Bone.  "DEAD!!"

Yow!

                T Bone leapt out of the way, just time before the tentacles slammed into
the ground, right where he was standing.

Just barely managed to avoid that one.  The real problem is ---

              T bone leapt out of the way as the head fired a series of laser blasts at him

---- can I keep it up?

               Tentacles shot out from the robot's hand and wrapped around T Bone
and
slammed him into the ground.

               "ARRGGHH!"  T Bone cried out as his head was slammed into the
concrete.  Meanwhile, Callie had seen all this.

I've gotta do something.  Or else Greenbox's gonna kill T Bone.

               She reached into the back of her car and pulled out a tire iron.  She ran
over to the robot and whacked its leg.  It didn't do anything really, just make a
loud *THANG* sound, and caught Greenbox's attention.

               "What the --?!"  He cried out, spinning the robot's head around to see
what was attacking him.

Callie bought me some time.

               T Bone raised his glovatrix, and activated the Buzz - saw blade.  The
head swung back to T Bone.

               "NO!"  Greenbox cried out as T Bone sliced through the tentacles that
held him.  "You'll pay for that!"  He cried, as he fired the robot's laser at him.  T
Bone rolled out of the way, just in time.

I can't keep this thing occupied forever.  Razor, where the heck are ya?!

               T Bone got up, only to be wrapped up by the other tentacles of the
Robot.

Couldn't avoid the coils shooting out from his fingers.  S-squeezing the b-breath
out of m-me!

               T Bone was lifted up in the air as Greenbox's robot began to squeeze the
life from the SWAT Kat.  But, Callie wasn't going to take it lying down.

That thing's gonna kill T Bone!  I should probably do something smart like call the
Enforcers!  But, all I can think of is something dumb ----

               She ran into her car and started it up.

---- like this!

               She then rammed the robot in the right leg, knocking it over.  The Robot
stumbled, but quickly regained its balance.  And, at the same time, it let go of T
Bone. 

                "You are beginning to annoy me, She-kat!"  Greenbox snarled as with
his tentacles he ripped the car doors off and grabbed Callie out of the car, lifting
her off the ground.  "I don't harbor any grudge against you, but you are really
asking
for it!"  He aimed the head laser right at Callie's head.  "Good-bye, Ms. Briggs."

Whoa!  What happened?!

              T Bone slowly looked up at the Robot about to kill Callie.

Callie...?  He...He's got.... Callie!  Sweet mother in heaven...!

                Summoning all his strength, T Bone leapt into the air and flying kicked
the robot in the back.

               "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!"  He screamed out, and screamed out again as he
hurt his leg against the metal hide of the robot.  He fell to the ground, clutching
his leg.  The head turned around and looked down at T Bone.  T Bone's kick
hadn't defeated it, but it was enough to make Greenbox drop Callie.

                 "Still fighting, eh?"  He said.  He then walked over to T Bone.  "Let's
end this as quickly as possible."  T Bone opened his eyes and saw a beautiful
sight.

                  "I don't think so, Greenbox!"  The head turned once more to see the
famous Turbo Kat shooting towards them, coming in low for a strafing run.

                   "I was wondering where the other one was!"  Greenbox said as he
fired the laser at the Turbo Kat.  Razor did his best not to get hit, but managed to
fire two Bola missiles that tied the Robot up.  The head stopped firing and looked
down at the ropes that tied it up.

                  "T Bone!"  Razor cried out as a ladder dropped.  "Come on!"  T Bone
climbed up the ladder and they quickly switched places.

                   "I thought you were never gonna show up buddy!"  T Bone said as he
strapped himself in.

                    "Yeah, well, I wasn't gonna let you take down that robot all by
yourself
and let you take all the glory!"  Razor said.

                     "Speaking of which ---"  T Bone said, looking back at the robot. 
"---I think it's round two."  The robot then sent some sort of electrical current over
it's body and burnt the ropes right off.

                     "Your pathetic jet won't save you, SWAT Kats!"  Greenbox cried
out.  "I was kinda hoping that you would bring that along so I could test my robot
against your jet."  He then shot out his tentacles to try and grab the jet.

                    "Not today, Greenbox!"  T Bone cried out as he jerked the jet hard to
the right and managed to avoid the snaking coils.

                   "Lets give Greenbox a taste of the Turbo Kat!"  Jake said, as he
lowered his visor and took aim.

                    "I hope you've got an idea, buddy!"  T Bone said as he dodged the
laser blasts that Greenbox was shooting at them.

                      "I'm already working on it!"  Razor said as T Bone brought the jet
around for another run.  "Match head missiles, deployed!"  Razor then stabbed the
firing trigger and released five match head missiles.  The five missiles sped
towards their target and impacted on its chest.  The robot staggered but did not
fall over.  When the smoke cleared, the robot still stood.

                   "You'll have to do better than that, SWAT Kats!"  Greenbox cried out
as the Robot's arms and legs began to extend to its full height.  Several stories
high.

                    "Holy kats!"  T Bone cried out as they flew directly at the Robot.

                  "There is no place in the air you can hide from me!"  Greenbox
shouted as his tentacles shot towards the Turbo Kat.

                    "Cement machine gun, FIRE!!!"  Razor cried as he fired a burst of
cement slugs at the Robot's view screen.  Greenbox was blinded for a while, but
enough for the Turbo Kat to slip past him.

                  "Your pathetic tricks can't stop me!"  He cried out as the head laser
blasted all of the cement off its view screen.

                   "That was only to distract you!"  Razor said as the Turbo Kat came
around for another pass.

                   "Keep her steady, T Bone."  Razor said as he thumbed the firing
trigger.  "I'm gonna put Greenbox outta commission once and for all!"  Greenbox,
from within his robot, watched the Turbo Kat rocket straight towards him.  A
large smile crept over his face.

Now you're mine!

                   "Twin Turbo Blades, deployed!"  Razor shouted as the Turbo Blades
fired from the jet's wings.

                   "What the he---?!"  Greenbox cried out and cut short as his screen
went fuzzy, and then black.  "NO!"  He screamed out.  "Not now!  I'm so close!" 
He checked the onboard computer systems.  The head had been cut off.

                     "BINGO!"  Razor cried out as they soared over the robot, whose
neck was now a sparking writhing coil.  "Lets double 'round and finish the job!" 
The Turbo Kat then swung around and came in for the kill.  Inside the robot,
Greenbox was banging his fists on the control panel.

                     "Move, you stupid hunk of junk!  MOVE!!"

                     "Buzz Saw Missiles, deployed!"  Razor cried out as the Turbo Kat
let loose four missiles that sliced the robot's arms and legs off at it's weakest
points.  The joints that allowed it to extend.  The robot fell all the way to the
ground, and hit hard, smashing the remains beyond repair  Inside, Greenbox was
knocked unconscious and thrown from the wreckage.  When he'd next wake up. 
It'd be in a prison cell.

                     "Yes!"  T Bone cried out as he saw the robot hit the ground.  The
moment it hit the ground, the remains of the robot exploded, creating a loud bang
that echoed into the night.  T Bone does a 'Yes' maneuver, and looks out at the
smoke rising up from the ground.  "Once again, our hero triumphs.  The cheers of
a grateful city ringing in his ears."  He stuck his finger into his right ear and
wiggled it around.  "Something's ringing in my ears."  Then he looked back down
into the street.  "Now, lets go see what happened to Callie."  The Turbo Kat
landed next to the destroyed robot and was greeted by a very relieved Callie
Briggs.

                    "T Bone, Razor, you're all right!"  She cried out as the canopy
opened.

                     "Did you ever doubt us?"  T Bone said.  He then looked over at
Callie's car.  "Sorry about your car, Ms. Briggs."  T Bone said.  Callie smiled.

                     "That's okay."  She said.  "I know two great mechanics who'll be able
to fix it!"  They both silently moaned, knowing what'll be in store for them.  Just
then, the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. 

                    "Looks like the Enforcer's can handle it from here."  Jake said.  "We'll
see ya later, Ms. Briggs."  They all waved good-bye, and the Turbo Kat flew off.

                     "Our days gonna be busy tomorrow."  T Bone said as they flew
home.

                     "Still."  Razor said.  "I can't help thinking about where Greenbox got
the money to build such a thing.  I mean, he was just released from prison."  T
Bone thought again.

                     "I wonder if it was ---"  He shook his head.  

Nah!  

                     They flew home the rest of the way in silence.

Elsewhere.....

                     Dark Kat slammed his fists down on the table.

Blast!  They managed to defeat Greenbox!  They're more crafty than I thought.

                     He switched off the monitor and walked back to his bedroom.

I guess it's time to bring out the second member of my pack.  Maybe he'll do much
better.

                    He walked over to a phone and began to dial.

Jean DeWolff's apartment....

'I met my old lover on the street last night.....'

Dah Dah Dah Dah, Dah, Dah!  

'Still crazy after all these years.....'

Dah Dah Dah Dah, Dah, Dah!

                    Tony and Jean were dancing to the music that was playing.  This
was there favorite song, it was THEIR, song.  They danced to the music as it
played, hardly paying attention to the words, but rather each other.  He looked into
her eyes, and she, into his.

                   "You're a wonderful dancer."  She whispered into his ear.

                   "Y-you too!"  Tony quickly replied.  Then, the music came to a stop,
and so did they in the glow of the moonlight shining in though the window.  The
moment they stopped, she leaned close to him and kissed him.  It was long and
deep, lasting for nearly thirty seconds before she pulled away.

Oh dear God....!

                   "You hungry?"

...Please!  Don't let this night ever end!

                     The two of them, Tony and Jean, sat together, ready to enjoy their
meal when the phone rang.

Blast!  Why now!

                     Jean walked over to the phone, and picked it up.

                    "Yes?  Really?  When?  Now?!  But, I'm busy!  Well, I don't know
where he is!  Oh, all right!  But I'm never gonna forgive you for this!"  She
slammed down the phone and walked over to Tony.

That doesn't look good.

                       "Ahh, Tony."  She said.  "Look, honey, I'm gonna have to go. 
Tony was horrified.

                    "What?!"  He cried out.  "Why?!"

                   "There's been some trouble down town.  A gang war has just ended." 
She said, walking into her room and getting changed.  "They need my help down
there."

                   "Why you, why not Dick?"

                   "They couldn't find Dick!"  She called out as she came out of her
room.  "So, they contacted me instead."

                    "Why can't you tell them no?"

                   "It's my job, Tony."  Jean said as she exited the room.  "It's who I am. 
And, you have to live with that."  Tony dropped his head into his paws.

                     "Not again."  He whimpered.  "Why is it all the kats I ever care about
must always leave me."

What a sin.  What a sin.

                     He began to sob.

tony.

                     "Huh?!"  He cried out, looking up from his paws.  "W-who said
that?!"

Tony?

                    Tony was looking around; he was scared as hell.

TONY!!!

                   "WHO'S THERE??!!!"  he demanded, smashing a wine bottle and
shoving it into the air.  "SHOW YOURSELF!!!!"

I'm right here, Tony.

                    Tony slowly turned around to see a huge kat in the green ski mask,
the purple jacket, and black special forces pants, and the black belt around his
waist.

I always have been.

                  "W-who are y-you?!"  Tony demanded, shoving the broken bottle at
him.

I'm you, Tony.  Your innermost desire.  I am Judgment.

                  "No!"  Tony cried out as he stabbed at him with the broken bottle,
only to stumble right through him.  He turned back to Judgment.  His face was
filled with horror.

I'm afraid it's true, Tony boy.   You'll see, that you and I ----

                  He then lifted up his mask.

--- have a lot more in common than you think!

                  "NO!!  It can't be!"  Tony cried out, falling over.  The face under the
mask was Greg's face.  "You're dead!"  Judgment shook his head.

No, I'm not.  Only in the real world.  In your subconscious mind, you kept me
alive.  You wouldn't let me pass over to the afterlife, Tony.  You wouldn't let me
rest in peace.  You had to keep me alive with your sorrow.  With your self pity. 
Your drunken violent outbursts.  You denied me peace!

                  "No."  Tony whimpered.

And now, it's time you paid the piper.

                   "No."  Tony moaned.

You're gonna do something for me, Tony boy.  I want you to avenge my death.  I
want you to kill the ones responsible for my death.

                     The Judgment then walked over to Tony, who was curled up in a
ball.

DO YOU HEAR ME, TONY!!!!  You made me suffer, and now I'm gonna use
you
to make others suffer.

                      "No."  Tony whimpered.  "P-please, don't m-make me."

THEY KILLED ME, TONY!!!  They still go unpunished.  The judge spared
them.  They weren't given the death penalty.  They were released!  They must be
Judged.  And, you are going to do it.  

                      "No."

Oh yes, Tony!  Yes, yes YES!!!!

Sometime later......

                     Captain Jean DeWolff grumbled as he climbed out of her car and
walked over to the crime scene.  Her face told everyone around her to back off, or
else.

                     "Captain!"  A voice called out.  "This way please."

I gave up my evening with Tony for this?!

                    She followed the lieutenant around the building to where the bodies
lay.  There were about ten bodies, all lying on the ground with some sort of
bullets in them.  Blood soaked the ground and bullet holes littered the walls
around them.

                      "Charming."  Jean said, looking the site over.  "Absolutely
charming.  I was forced to give up a perfect evening for a stroll though the killing
fields?!!"  She looked over at a bullet ridden corpse.

                  "We believed this had something to do with the raid on pier 42."  A
rookie said as he shone the flash light over the bodies.  Jean looked at him.

                    "What makes you think that?"  She asked with interest.

                     "Just this."  The kats said, handing her a bag of fine white powder. 
"This was analyzed by the Fed's.  It's an exact match to the stuff they found at
Pier 42.  Same chemical make up, same everything."  He looked down at another
body.  "I think whoever knocked off this lot wasn't too happy about losing their
shipment."  Jean handed the bag back to him.

                    "Any survivors, or witnesses?"  She asked.  The kat shook his head. 

                    "None whatsoever."  He answered back, stepping over the body as
the coroner came though.  "They were all dead when we got here.  And, the only
witnesses we do have are a few callers who reported hearing gun shots.  That's
all."

                     "Damn."  Was all she said.  "We've got ten dead punks, all related to
the same gang, and no leads whatsoever."

                     "The only lead we do have is that the gang these punks belonged to
were a part of the same gang that was at the pier when the bust went down."

                     "Like I said."  Jean commented.  "No leads."

On the other side of town......

             A large black van pulls into a warehouse and screeches to a stop.  About
six punks, all carrying AK-74's jump out of the van and begin laughing like
jackals.  

             "That was Geeeeee - rate!"  One said as he lit a cigarette.  "They went
down faster than a sack of sheeeee - it!"  His partner pulled out the magazine and
checked the rounds in it.

            "These babies are the best assault rifles ever made."  He then kissed the
still warm barrel.  "Thank God for the Commies."

            "Ya know..."  One said as he began puff away on a cigar.  "...when the
Cold War was still on, you could have gone to the Russkies and said you were a
Communist sympathizer and gotten a truck load 'a this stuff!  Fer free!"

             "We did get 'em for free, remember!  We ripped off that armory last
week."

            "I wouldn't mind some laser guns!"  The driver of the van said as he took
off his brown trench coat to reveal two Uzi's underneath.  "But, the military keeps
'em so heavily under guard that they're hard to come by these days."

              "Shit, boss!"  One punk said.  "Who needs laser guns when ya got these!" 
He said as he opened a large wooden crate and pulled out a quad rocket launcher,
with laser sighting.  The other kats roared with laughter when they saw it.  

               "You da kat, James!"  One shouted out.  "You da Kat!"  Grinning, he
pointed it around at his friends, who just fell over laughing.

               "Enough fooling around you lot!"  The boss said, as he loaded his Uzi's
with fresh magazines.  "We've still got work ta do!"

                "So who we doin' this time, boss?"  One asked as he loaded himself up
with new rounds.

               "Another moron who fucked up the operation."  He then climbed back
into the van.  "James, bring along your pop gun.  We're doing a drive by!"  The
other kats broke up into fits of laughter as they clambered in.  Then, they drove
out of the warehouse and off into the night.

                 Unknown to them, a pair of eyes were watching them leave.

Elsewhere......

                  The Turbo Kat soared though the night sky, towards the hanger. 
Chance was flying it, of course, while Jake took the tow truck.  No one saw them
leave the scene of the crime with it, but that was just pure luck.  Greenbox had
nearly discovered their secret identities.  Or maybe, he already had.

                   T Bone couldn't stop wondering.  Who had financed Greenbox's
robot.  He tried to bring up a mental list of all their enemies who were both rich,
and free.  But the only likely option was Dark Kat.  But, it couldn't be.  Why
would Alex want to try and kill him after all he'd done.  He remembered back to
when Alex had asked him to explain his father to him.  He remembered how he and
Dark Kat had fought side by side and he remembered the paw shake before they
left.

Could it be what's her name?  That psycho - lady?

                 T Bone flew home the rest of the way, listening to the top fifty on the
jet's
radio.

                                                 CHAPTER : 4

The warehouse, 11: 55 p.m.

                The van pulled up to the warehouse and came to a screeching stop.  The
goons all pilled out of the van laughing, like before.

                "Hooooo - we!"  One shouted as he came out.  "What a bang!  Jimbo,
that thing is pure dyn-a-mite!"  James was the last to exit the van as he carried
with him his quad rocket launcher, now empty of all four missiles.

              "What did ya expect fer Anti-tank missiles?"  He then placed the
rocket launcher down and began to reload it.

Fools.

              "So whatta we do now, boss?"  One asked as he placed his AK-74 down
by a create.

Un-judged fools.

              "We just sit back and wait."  He said.  "Enjoy yourselves, boys, until our
boss rings up with another assignment."

They will be judged.

               "Anyone up for a game of poker?"

And, I'll be the one to do it.

                "Sure, count me ---"  Just then, the lights went out.  " -- in?"  Everyone
looked around. 

                "What the hell?!"  Just then, they heard a floor board creak.

               "Shit, boys!"  The boss said, grabbing up his Uzi's.  "We've got
company! 
Lock 'n load!"  The kats suddenly grabbed their assault rifles and loaded fresh
magazines.

Like lambs to the slaughter.

                 "Someone's cut the power!"  The Boss said.  "Joey, check the
switches!"  The punk nodded as he headed off.

                 "Right away bo ---!"  Just then, there was a soft squelching sound and
the punk's voice was cut off.

                  "Joey?"  He called out.  "JOEY?!!"  Just then, he felt a paw on his
shoulder.  He spun around, to come face to face with Joey.  His throat had been
cut open.  "Dear God!"  He whispered.  Joey stood there, blood running down his
shirt and gasping, then, he slowly collapsed to the ground.

                  "What happened to Joey?!"  One punk cried out.

Six.

                  "Hey!"  One punk said.  "What the fuck is t ---?!"  Suddenly, a loud
bang rose up over the warehouse, and the punk screamed out as he fell to the
ground a large shot gun shot to his face.

Five.

                  "FRED!"  One cried out.  "In front of you!"  Fred turned his AK-74 in
the figure's direction and squeezed the trigger, blazing away.

                   "Die you fu---!!!"  He cried out as the gun let lose short barks, but he
was cut short by the sound of a knife slicing through meat and bone. 
"---aaaaAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHH!!!!"  He screamed out as he fell over,
his gun was still barking, but his paws had been cut off from his arms.  He fell over
backwards, where he was soon shot by a shotgun.

Four.

                   "It's an ambush!"  The boss cried out.  "Scatter!"  They all ran off in
different directions.

                   "There he is!  There he is!"

                   "I can't see 'em!"

                    "What's that?!"

                   "It's me, you asshole!  Don't shoot!"

                   "Stop shouting; I can't hear him!"

                   "Where the FUCK is he?!"

                    "Over here guys!  He's over h ----- AAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEE-----!!!"

BLAMM!!!

Three.

                    "JAMES??!!!"

                    "Fuck man, he got James, he got J----"

BLAMM!!!

Two.

                   "CHRIST!!!  DANIEL!!!  Where the fucking hell are ya?!" 

                  "I'm right over h----!"

BLAMM!!!

One.

                   "Oh Christ!"  The boss said as he panicked.  "They're dead.  They're
all dead!"  He slowly looked around the corner and spotted, lying on its own, the
quad rocket launcher.  "All right!"  He slowly crept over to it and grabbed it. 
"Now I ---"

Thump!

                    "--waa?!"  He slowly looked around, only to come face to face with a
huge kat in the green ski mask, the purple jacket, and black special forces pants,
and the black belt around his waist.  He was caring a sawn-off shotgun and a
bloody knife.  "W-who are you?"  He whispered.  The kat approached him as he
emptied the two spent shells from his gun.

                    "I am Judgment."  He said, loading two new shells in.  "You've
sinned.  Judgment time."  He then took out one shell and closed the barrel. 
"Guilty, or innocent?"  He fumbled with the gun's two triggers, trying to figure out
which held the live round.  

                  "L-look!"  The kat said.  "If it's money you want, I can g---!" 
Judgment pulled the trigger.

BLAMM!!!

Zero.

                  The kat was knocked over from the force of the blast.  Blood oozed
from his face, which was now full of buck shot.  Judgment smiled under his mask.

                   "Guilty."  He said.  "Judgment has been served."

At that very moment, across the other side of town.......

The bar has no name.  No liquor license.  And a very select, if nefarious, clientele.

                    Inside the bar, isn't a pleasant sight.  The room is filled with cigar
smoke.  Kats are ether playing a game of pool, poker, or Russian Roulette.  Over
in
the corner, a fight is going on.  The single fan in the room constantly spins around,
doing nothing for the kats below.

Why am I here?

                 Sitting all by himself, is a kat wearing an orange shirt, and blue jeans. 
His hair is messy and unkempt.  He wears a pair of dark rimmed sun glasses and a
large brown trench coat, with any hope no one will recognize him.  

Jack Smith has had many alias in the past.  Robert Miller.  William Baker. 
Selvister Mann.  Marcko DeFlay.  But perhaps, his most famous would be the
nickname his fellow partners in crime dubbed him.  Hard Drive, due to his
brilliant hacker skills. 

Why am I doing this?

                Jack rocks slowly back and forth on the back two legs of the chair he's
in.  He looks from left to right, eyeing everyone in the room.

Why?  Because I need the money.  That's w----

BLAM!!

                Jack spins his head towards the far corner of the room, where the game
of Russian Roulette has just ended.  He looks at his paws and realizes that they
are shaking.

Face it Hard Drive.  You're scared.  I mean, it's not everyday you go to visit your
old, dead, boss.

               "Mr. Smith?"  Jack turned his head in the direction of the voice.  A tall
kat in a black suit has just come out from a drawn curtain across the other side of
the room, near the Roulette table.  Jack slowly got up, as if he weren't sure he
should be doing this.

               "That's me."  He said.  The kat motioned for him to come into the back
room.

               "Follow me."  Jack went over to the curtain and entered the room.  He
was lead down a dark corridor, lit only by candles.  "Just down here."  The kat
said as he lead him down a flight of stairs.

This better be worth it.

                "Just in there."  The kat said, pointing to an old, rusting iron door.  Hard
Drive gulped as he entered the room.

                "Thanks."  He said.  Just then, the door slammed shut behind him.  He
spun around to face the door, but spun around when a voice spoke.

                 "Jack Smith?"  The voice said.

Freakishly identical.

                 "T-that's me."  He stammered.  "I heard you wish to speak with me?"

                 "That is correct."  The figure said.  He was surrounded in dark
shadows.  Only his purple paws could be seen.

                 "Dark Kat?"  Hard Drive said, walking a little closer.  The eyes bobbed
up and down, indicating that the head was nodding.

                 "Yes."  He said.  "It's me, your old boss."

                 "I heard you were dead!"

                 "These things happen."  Dark Kat said.  "But I'm here, aren't I?"

                  "Yeah!"  Hard Drive said.  "I suppose you are.  What is it you want
from me?"

                  "Your loyal services again."  Dark Kat said.  "We make quite a team,
you and I.  I wish to start up that alliance again." 

                 "Why?"

                  "Greenbox wasn't much of a partner.  He's a few waves short of a ship
wreck.  Not all there, if you know what I mean."  Hard Drive rubbed his chin.

                  "So why turn to me?"  Dark Kat reached under his table to get
something.

                   "You and I have worked together in the past.  I know I can trust you. 
Plus, I need you to do something for me." 

                     "Like what?"  Dark Kat placed a large brown paper parcel on the
table.  He then pushed it towards Hard Drive.

                     "Destroy the SWAT Kats."  Hard Drive walked over and picked up
the parcel.  

                      "What's this?"  He asked, tearing at the paper.

                    "A little gift."  Dark Kat said as  Hard Drive opened the package. 
"To insure our alliance."  Hard Drive pulled out his Surge Suit.

                    "My suit!"  He cried out.  "I thought this was destroyed!"

                     "I had it rebuilt."  Dark Kat said.  "I remember watching you at your
pathetic attempt to try and destroy the SWAT Kats without your suit.  That didn't
work very well."  He leaned back in his chair.  "I figured that if you're going to kill
the SWAT Kats, you'll at least need a new suit to try."

                     "Cool."  Hard Drive said, putting it on.  The moment he switched it
on, sparks lit up all over his body and his hair was electrified into a mohawk. 
He chuckled, rejoicing in the moment.  "Oh yeah, look out Megakat City, Hard
Drive is back!"

                      "You'll be pleased to know that I've added some extra bonuses into
your new suit."

                       "Like what?"  Hard Drive asked.

                       "For instance."  Dark Kat pointed at his cufflinks.  "See those?" 
Hard Drive nodded.  "They allow you to insulate your paws so that not only will
you be able to withdraw energy, but be able to discharge it as well."  Hard Drive
looked at his paws, then held out his right paw and fired a small blast of electricity
into the wall, creating a large hole.

                      "Oh."  He said, as he prepared to leave.  "I like this.  I like it a lot." 
He left the room, laughing.

                      "If he doesn't do the job."  Dark Kat said.  "I've always got
Judgment to fall back on."  He chuckled as he held up a small vile containing a
gray colored liquid.  Mercury spiked alcohol drinks can do nasty things to the
mind.

The next morning......

                    "NO!!"  Tony cried out as he shot up.  He looked about; he was back
in his apartment, sleeping in his bed.  He breathed a sigh of relief and got out of
bed.  

It was all a dream.
 
                  He walked over to the fridge and picked up a bottle of rum.  He
looked at it, smiled, and placed it back in the fridge.  He then took out a can of
milk, opened it, picked up the remote, and turned on the t.v.

Just a horrible nightmare.

                  "If you're just tuning in, this late braking story from Happy Kat Tuna
packing warehouse, where there has literally been a massacre.  Six unidentified
kats have been horribly killed with knives and shot guns.  The Enforcers won't
exactly comment on this right now, but they believe that this is the work of a gang
that was involved in the Enforcer raid a few days ago.  This city could be looking
at an gang war of mass proportions."

What the HELL???!!!

                  The can slipped from Tony's fingers to clatter on the floor, spilling it's
milky continence onto the floor.  Tony couldn't have cared less.

No.

              He backed up against the fridge, as if trying to escape an unseen predator.

It's not possible.

             He looked over to the bin where he got rid of the shotgun.  

It can't be.

              It was empty.  Just then, he saw a glint of metal, from his messy floor.

It isn't possible!

             He slowly walked over to it and moved some of the clothing.  He did a
doubletake.

NO!!!!!!

            It was the shotgun.  Warm and smelling of gunpowder.  It had recently
been fired.

IT CAN'T BE!!!!!!

             Next to it was a bloodstained knife.

IT JUST CAN'T!!!!!!!!

              Then, he looked at the piece of cloth he held in his paws.  It was the mask
of Judgment.  He threw it into the corner and ran back into the kitchen.

I refuse to believe it.

               He practically ripped off the door and grabbed the bottle of rum.  He
raised it to his lips and drunk deeply.

              "Oh yeah!"  He rasped.  Then, collapsed on the floor.

Megakat City Salvage Yard......

               "Chance!"  Jake called out as he hopped into the tow truck.  Chance's
head popped out from underneath Callie's car.  

               "What?!"  He asked.

                "Chance!"  Jake said.  "I have to go into the city to pick up a few things
for dinner tonight, that okay with you?"  Chance nodded.

                "Fine."  He said, disappearing back under the car.  "Bring me back
something nice."  Jake shook his head and got into the tow truck and speed off.

BBRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIINGGG!!!

             Chance pulled himself out from under the car and walked into the kitchen.

BBRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIINGGG!!!

              "I'm com'n I'm com'n!"  Chance moaned as he picked up the phone. 
"Yello?"  He recognized the voice on the other end right away.  It was a voice he
hadn't heard in a long time.

           "C-chance?"  The voice said.

            "Tony?"  Chance said.  "Tony Kurtz?  Is that you?!"

           "Yeah."  The voice said.  "It's me."

           "Hell, this is quite a surprise!"  Chance said.  "I haven't heard from you
since,
since ---"

            "Since the accident."  Kurtz finished.  "That was almost ten years ago. 
A lot has changed since."

             "You're telling me."  Chance said, unable to control his grin.  "So what's
the purpose of this call?"  The line was silent for fifteen seconds.  "Hello?  Kurtz,
are you there?  Hello?!"

              "I'm here."  Kurtz said.  "It's just, just that I --- I need some company
right about now."

               "Look Kurtz."  Chance said.  "I'm kinda busy right now -  maybe I can
c----"

               "NO!!"  Tony cried out, almost making Chance drop the phone.  "I
mean, I could really use some company right about now, Chance."  Chance rolled 
his eyes.  

Look's like I'm gonna have to let him down gently.

                "I'm kinda busy here, Tony."  Chance said.  "I've got a work sheet the
length of the San Andreas, and I can't afford to fall behind.  Maybe some other
time we c---"

                "You don't understand, Chance!"  Tony said.  "I need company right
now!"  Chance found himself into the receiver.

              "Tony, you're starting to freak me out now."  Chance said, eager to find
an excuse hang up.  "Maybe you should see a shrink."

              "NO!!!!"  Tony screamed and hung up.  Chance stood there for a while,
listening to the beep, beep, beeping from the other line.

             "OoooooooKaaaaaaaaaaay."  Chance said as he placed the phone back up
on the hook.  "That was a little weird."

         Back in his apartment, Tony was pacing on the spot.  

Why wouldn't Chance come.  Did he know!  Does he know?  

          Tony began to bite his claws.

Get a grip, Tony.  How in the world could a friend of yours, whom you haven't
spoken to in nearly ten years, find out about your actions of last night?

         He hugged himself as he sat down on the couch.

M-maybe Jean can provide some company!

          He rushed over to the phone and began to dial.  However, once he finished,
his face dropped, as he heard the sound of the engaged signal.  Slowly, he hung up
the phone.

No one to talk too?

           Tony spun around, to see Judgment walking towards him.
  
I'm still here, Tony.

          "No!"  Tony moaned as his legs gave way and he collapsed to the floor. 
"Not
again."

Oh, yes again.  This isn't over by a long shot, Kurtz.  It never was.
 
         "Leave me alone."  Tony moaned as he tried to crawl away from the
illusion.  "I don't want to be a part of this any more."

It's too late to back out now!  The moment you first heard my voice --- oh, you
were long gone, Tony my friend.

           "I'm not your friend!"  Tony screeched.  "Just, GO AWAY!!!"

I can't do that, Tony.  Not until your mission is complete.  There are still
thousands,
millions, out there, who remain un-judged.  And we're gonna fix that mistake.

          "No."  Tony moaned.  "Please."

An apartment building......

Judge Philip Horace has spent his entire life in Megakat City.  He has never once
left the city limits.  Not once.  And, he never plans too.  He has spent all of his 56
years in this city and plans to live the rest of his years in this place.  He is a short
kat with caramel colored fur and light brown hair with brown eyes.

           The judge entered his apartment and turned on the lights.

He is a respected member of the court, and has dealt with many exciting, funny,
and strange cases his entire life as a judge.  He has tried many criminals, including
the late Dark Kat and Robert Greenbox.  

        With a sigh, he pulls off his big brown overcoat and flops down into his arm
chair.

Now, he is finally home after a long day in court, and now, he just wants to forget
about crime, forget about lawyers, forget about juries, and trials, and forget about
the law system.

         He turns on the TV and gets comfortable in his chair as he prepares to
watch his favorite show.

Now, the judge would prefer to be called Phil, as now, he is like anyone else in the
city and just wants to slow down and retreat into his little corner and enjoy his
privacy until tomorrow.

          He then gets up to go to the kitchen for a can of milk.

Nothing more to worry about, right?  A few days ago, the Judge tried a gang of
punks who had been arrested in a water front raid in which an Enforcer Detective
had been killed.  However, hardly any evidence could be pinned towards them and
someone had hired a slick, uptown lawyer for their defense and they got away
scot free.  The judge hated trials like that.

        Phil then returns to his arm chair and gets comfortable again.

Absolutely no problems.....

       Just then, he hears the sound of glass breaking.

Well ---- almost no problems.

        Grabbing his baseball bat from behind a cupboard, he slowly walks towards
his bedroom from which the sound came.  He creeps up to the door and
then kicks it open, swinging around the bat as he charges into the room.

Nothing.

        The judge looked around to see nothing.  Except a broken window and a
stone lying on his bed.  Must have been one of those damn kids that always cause 
problems outside his apartment.

         "Damn kids."  He muttered.  He turns around to leave, when suddenly, a
large dark figure rushed at him.  "Holy ---!!"  He cried out as he swung the bat. 
The figure grabbed it and twisted it out of his paws, and then, with his free paw,
backhanded the judge across the face, sending him sprawling across the floor.

He will be punished.

         The judge slowly got up, wiping his mouth and feeling the spot where the
intruder hit him.

         "W-what do you want?"  Phil said.  "Money?  I haven't got much on me right
now."

         "I don't want your money, Old kat."  The figure said.  "In fact, this isn't a
robbery."

         "Then what?!"  The judge demanded.  "I'm a busy kat."  He was trying not to
show his fear.

         "You allowed the guilty to go free.  They weren't punished; and they were
allowed to go free."

         "What are you blabbering about?!"  The judge demanded.  "What guilty?"

          "The water front gang."  The figure said.  "You let them go, unpunished."

          "The wat ---- IS THIS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT??!!!"  The judge
roared.  He wasn't trying to be brave anymore.  He was furious.  "I'll tell you what
I told the press and the court!"  He growled.  "There wasn't enough substantial
evidence to pin anything on them.  I couldn't bend the system for them.  I am a
judge, and I obey the law, no matter HOW much it is bent or HOW much it
STINKS!!!"  The figure wasn't impressed.

He will die.

            "In that case ---"  The figure said as he raised a shot gun.

He will be judged.

             "You will be punished."  The judge looked at the gun, pointed right at
him.

             "You wouldn't dare."  He said.  He looked into the kat's eyes.  And, he
gasped.

He would dare.

             "Judgment time!"  

A split second too late.  The judge then realizes that this kat --- whoever he is ---
has every intention of killing him.  However, he realizes this the second before the
trigger is pulled.

BLAMM!!!!!

Maybe, in his next life, he'll realize it's not smart to argue with the wrong end of a
gun.

              His chest loaded with buck shot, the judge falls over and collapses on his
bed, blood oozing from the great hole in his chest.  He died before he fell over.

The guilty shall be punished.

             Judgment smiled and climbed back out the window.

                                                CHAPTER : 5

Enforcer H.Q.

Jean DeWolff picked up the phone and dialed again.  She listened calmly.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

She sighed, and she put down the phone.  Tony wasn't answering any of her calls,
and now he'd just taken the phone off the hook.

Oh, Tony.

She walked over to his desk, which he hadn't been sitting at for nearly a week now.

You've gotta get some help.

She picked up her coat and headed for the parking lot.  Maybe she could catch
him at home.

Megakat City Church.......

This church has been standing for nearly a century.  Made not of brick and mortar,
but rather stone.  This stone church has stood since 1902, and Father Bernard
Finn will make sure that it'll be lasting right into the 22nd century.

              The Father walks down the aisle, towards the exit.  It was nearly time for
his time in the confession both.  He turned to look up at a large cross hanging
above the entrance to the church.  He paused to say a small prayer, then, he
headed
for the both.

              The moment he sat down, he heard the sound of footsteps.  Someone
was in the church.  Then, they headed for the confession booth, and a kat entered
the booth and sat down.

             "Forgive me father, for I have sinned."  He said.

            "Tell me all about it, my son."  Father Finn said.  "I am all ears."

             "I have broken one of the ten commandments."  The kat said.  "And, I
have
no idea why."

              "Which one, my son?"  Finn said.  The was a long pause from the other
side of the both.

               "Thou shalt not --- not.... n-not....."  Finn was confused.

               "Thou shalt not what, my son?  Steal? Commit Adultery?"

              "Kill father.  Thou shalt not kill."  Finn gasped silently.

              "Kill my son?"  Finn said.  "Did you murder someone, or was it in self
defense?"

               "I'm a detective, father."  The kat said.  Finn breathed a sigh of relief. 
He'd had many Enforcers through here, pouring out their heart because they killed
someone for the first time.  This kat was obviously going through the same thing.

               "Ahh, I see."  The Father said.  "I have had many cases like yours before,
my son."  

              "No, you don't understand, Father!"  The kat said.  "I killed these kats
because someone else made me!  I wasn't on official Enforcer business, I wasn't in
a shoot out or working on an assignment; I killed these kats because --- I don't
know why?!"

              "Did you do it in self defense?"

              "No."  The kat whined.  "I had to kill them.  They were evil!  They
weren't punished enough.  So I killed them, passing judgment myself!"

               "WHAT?!  My God!"  Finn exclaimed.  "Why would you do such a
thing?!"

               "I told you!"  The kat said.  "I don't know why!"

               "Who exactly did you kill?"

              "Some street punks who'd killed before...."  He paused.  "And the judge
who let them go from the courts."

               "The --- judge?!"  Finn cried out.  "My son, are you telling me that you
killed a respected kat of the law?!"

               "But -- but, they had killed, and he let them go!"

               "But, that's no excuses to kill him as well!"  Finn said.  "What made you
commit such atrocities?!"

               "H-he did."  The kat whimpered.

              "Who's he?"  Finn asked.

               "The kat who tells me to kill!"  The kat moaned.  "I don't know why he
makes me do these things!"  Finn then heard a low sobbing from the other end.

              "Does he force you to do these horrible acts and threaten your family if
you don't?"

             "No."  The kat said.  "He's in my mind!  He won't leave until I have
performed the tasks he wants."  Finn thought for a moment.  He knew exactly
what to do.

              "My son."  Finn softly said.  "In my best opinion, I think you should have
yourself committed!"

              "NO!"  The kat cried.

              "There is only one solution.  It's the only way you can be rid of the kat
who forces you to do these things."

              "Really?"  Finn nodded.

              "Yes, my son."  He said.  "It is the only way."  There was a fifteen second
pause, before the kat finally spoke again.

               "Father?"  Finn suddenly glanced sideways.  The voice that spoke was
different.  It was deeper, rougher and spoke with an eerie tone.  "I think you're
right. 
There is only one solution."  Finn strained his eyes, and saw that the figure wore a
green ski mask.  But, the thing that frightened him the most was the shotgun that
was pointed right at him.

              "M-my son?"

             "Father!"  Judgment said.  "Make your final accusation!"

BLAMM!!!!

            Judgment lowered the gun and reached through the broken wire, and felt
the priest's neck.  He found no pulse.  He smiled and walked out of the booth.

           "No fucking way am I going to a nut house, Tony!"  He said as he walked
down the aisle.  "You're not getting out of this so easily.  There's still hundreds of
kats who need to be judged!"

Outside Tony Kurtz's Apartment....

             Judgment looked around the alley to make sure no one was watching him. 
Then, he headed for the fire escape to climb to his window.

 "Enjoy your night out?"  Judgment spun around, raising the shotgun in the
direction of the voice.  All he could see were a pair of orange glowing eyes.

"Who's there?"  He demanded.  "Show yourself!"  The figure walked out of the
darkness.

"Very well."  Dark Kat said, walking towards him.  "I shall allow you to see me."

"Dark Kat?!"  Judgment said.  "I thought you were dead?"  Dark Kat smiled.

"What happened, and what you know, are two different realities."  Judgment didn't
lower his gun.

"Why are you here?!"  Judgment demanded.  "I demand it!"  Dark Kat chuckled.

"Isn't that cute --- you demand."  Judgment took aim with his shotgun.

"You are a criminal who has gone un-judged.  Your sins rank the highest in this
city."  He pulled the trigger.  "JUDGMENT TIME!!!"  He cried out.  He fired two
shots point blank at Dark Kat.  Dark Kat staggered as the impact from the shots
slammed into him.

BWA - TANGG!!!!

     Judgment looked at him, then at his gun.  Dark Kat just stood there, grinning.

     "What gives?!"  He said.  Dark Kat began walking towards him.

"You were always a fool, Kurtz!"  Dark Kat said as he let the steel plate beneath
his cloak drop to the ground with a clang.  "You keep this up ---"  He stood before
Judgment, who swung the butt of his shotgun at him.  Dark Kat just caught it with
one paw.  "--- It'll cost you your life!"  He hissed, then grabbing Judgment's paw,
used it to swing the butt of the gun around so that it collided with his head.

KRA - KRACKK!!!

       Judgment fell to the ground, nearly out cold from the blow he just received to
his head.  A small puddle of blood was forming just around his mouth.  Dark Kat
looked down at the fallen villain.

         "I created you, Judgment.  You work for me now.  Whether you like it or
not. 
Mention my name to anyone, and you'll die.  Try to threaten me, and you'll die. 
Try to hunt me down, and ----"  Judgment nodded from his position on the
concrete.

         " --- And I die."  He said.  Dark Kat nodded and dropped the empty shotgun
beside Judgment.  "Wait!"  He called out as Dark Kat began to disappear around a
corner.  "What do you want me to do?!"

         "Kill the SWAT Kats."  He said, then vanished into a cloud of mist that was
rising up from a grate.

Megakat City Church : The Next morning......

       A group kats had gathered around the church entrance, wanting to know what
was going on.  Some Enforcers held them at bay, while others walked in and out
of the Church, some shaking their heads.  Off to the side, Ann Gora and her
camera
kat, Johnny, were covering the story.

      "Local residents were stunned last night at the violent death of Father
Bernard Finn, apparently at the paws of the same masked murderer that has been
committing mass murders for the past few days.  The father was known for his
public spiritedness, and his outspokenness on prison reform.
       Authorities believe that it was Father Finn's concern for criminals --- a
concern shared by the late Judge Philip Horace Rosenthal -- that marked him as a
target for the masked kat who was seen running from the Church moments after
the
shooting.  Father Finn is now the seventh victim of this kat, who began his
killing spree a few days ago.
      Enforcers are reportedly working on several leads to the masked kat's identity. 
The main concern by insiders is that there may be more than one person
committing the murders, or that the crimes may prompt a rash of copycat
killings....."

      Captain Jean DeWolff stepped over the Enforcer tape line and walked into the
church.  Enforcers were combing the entire church for any sort of evidence to
lead to the identity of the killer of Father Finn.

      "What happened here?"  DeWolff asked a rookie.

       "Shotgun blast to the head."  The rookie said.  "I don't even think he knew
what hit him."  DeWolff opened the door to the confession booth.

       "Ewww."  She complained, making a face before closing it again.  "Who'd do
such a thing?"

       "Some sicko out there."  The rookie said.  "This is Megakat City; do you
really need to ask?"  Jean rolled her eyes, and opened the door to the other side of
the booth.

      "This is where he did the deed."  Jean said softly to herself as she looked at
the blast hole in the mesh.  She moved inside the both, and tried to reenact the
shooting.

       "Find out anything from that?"  A kat asked her.

       "Only that he was standing up when he fired the weapon."  She eyed the hole. 
"And I'd say that it was done by a shotgun of some kind.  She looked over the
entire booth.  "Possibly a sawn-off."  She stepped back outside the booth.  "This
makes this the third killing this week.  First that group of punks in that warehouse,
then Judge Philip Horace, and now, this."  She turned to face the rookie.  "Keep
me informed of anything that happens."  The kat nodded.

       "Yes ma'am."  He said.  Jean then turned and left.  This had happened before. 
Not long last night, somebody had murdered a judge, in the same manner with a
sawn-off shotgun, using scatter blast.  Either this was the biggest coincidence or
this was the same guy.

       She exited the church and began to walk towards her car.

CRUNCH!!

       "Huh?"  Jean looked down at her feet.  She'd stepped on something hard.  She
lifted her foot and saw a shotgun bullet casing.  She smiled.  "Yes!"  She said. 
She quickly reached down and picked it up with a hanky.  This was the piece of
evidence she needed.                              

Megakat City Salvage Yard......

      "Hey, Jake!  Get a load of this!"  Chance handed the morning paper across the
table to Jake, who was eating a bowl of cereal.  He took one look at the paper and
threw it back at Chance.

       "Oh, thanks a lot Chance!"  He complained.  "Right when I'm eating
breakfast."  Chance chuckled.

       "Sorry, buddy."  He said.  "But, I'm bored.  He glanced over the headlines.

'MASS MURDERS REACHES 8'

       "Listen to this."  Chance said.  "....With the death of Father Bernard Finn and
Judge Philip Horace, the mass killings of one kat have reached a death toll of 8
kats.  Last night, the two kats were murdered in the same manner as a group of
street punks who were all killed horribly in a warehouse stocked full of guns.  The
Judge was the same Judge who prosecuted these kats and was forced to let them
go, however, the Father had no such connection to the group whatsoever.  Why
he was killed is still a mystery.  Enforcers still have no leads...."  

      That was all Chance got out before Jake ripped the paper out of his paws and
threw it across the kitchen.

     "Hey!"  Chance cried out,  "I was reading that."

    "Not anymore!"  Jake said with an evil grin.  Then he stood up and spilled his
breakfast all over the scattered paper on purpose.  "Oops."  He said, putting the
bowl in the sink and walking out.  "You ruin my breakfast, I ruin your paper!"  He
then flashed a sly grin.  "Even all you ever seem to read are the funnies!"  Chance
just gave him a rude middle finger salute.

      "Fuck you, Jake."  Chance said, getting up.

     "Fuck you too, Chance."  Jake said, heading for the garage.  "Now come on,
let's get some work done."

Enforcer H.Q.

      Jean DeWolff paced back and forth as she waited for the results of the test to
come out.  Finally, the door opened and the chemist emerged from his little all-
white room. Holding the little plastic sealed bag with the bullet casing in it.

      "The analyst is finished, Ma'am."  The kat said.  You're right, it's the same that
was used at the other crime scenes."  Jean smiled.

      "I knew it."  She said.  "Can you tell me what sort of gun it came from?"

       "Here's the results!  He said, giving a few sheets of computer paper to the
Captain.  Jean looked them over and she gasped.

        "No."  She gasped.

       "Captain?"  The chemist asked.  "Is everything all right?"

      "Yes."  She finally said.  "I-it's just that --- tha -- Nothing.  It was nothing at
all."  She quickly turned around and left the room.

Tony Kurtz's Apartment......

       Tony finally came home that night.  He'd been very busy that day, drinking
away down at the local bar, hiding his fear with a bottle of whisky.  He closed the
door and hung there for a moment, breathing a heavy sigh of relief.

       "Been out?"  Tony spun around at the sound of the female voice.

      "W-who's there?"

       "Oh please!"  Jean said, getting up out of the chair and walking towards him. 
"Don't tell me you've forgotten all about me now?"

        "J-Jean?"  She nodded.

        "Yes, Tony, it's me."

        "Why are you here?"

        "Well, first you haven't shown up for work for nearly a week."  Her eyes
narrowed to slits.  "And, then there's this!"  She held up the bullet casing.

         "What?"  Tony said, looking at it.  "It's just a bullet shell."  Jean put it back
in her pocket.

         "That's what I thought, too."  She said.  "However, it was found at the crime
scene of a murder."  Tony shuddered a little.

         "M-murder?"  He stammered.  "What's that got to do with me?"

        "I wouldn't have a clue!"  She said.  "However, I had this casing checked
down at the lab.  It's a perfect match to an .88 shotgun, model 1995."  She began
to
raise her voice.  "They only managed to get out about fifty of these guns before
they had to recall the shipment due to some copyright business.  Now, there are
only five of these weapons left in the world.  Three have been put into museums in
Europe.  One has been lost and the fifth, was recovered by Megakat City
Enforcers six years ago, by YOU!!"  She looked over at the mount where the gun
was supposed to be hanging.  It wasn't there.

        "W-where is i-i-i-i-"

        "Looking for this?"  Jean held up the gun.  "When I came around, you weren't
home, so I thought you wouldn't mind if I 'borrowed' it."  She let it fall to the
ground.  "It has been recently fired.  That can only mean one thing.  YOU fired
it."

        "Yes -- I mean, No!  I mean --- uhh!"  Jean sighed as she shook her head.
 
        "Why, Tony?"

        "I-I had too!"  He cried out.  "They killed Greg, Jean.  He was your friend
too.  You of all kats should understand what I must do!"

        "That's murder, Tony!"  She shouted.  "We're Enforcers, not judges!"  She
whipped out a pair of cuffs.  "You're under arrest, Tony!"  Tony staggered.

       "No!"  He cried out.  Jean reached for her gun.

       "Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be, Tony."

       "NO!!!"  Tony cried out and ran for the door.  It was locked and padlocked,
but he just smashed right through it.

       "Tony, STOP!!!"  Jean called out as she pulled out her gun, and followed him
out.  "Tony!  Come back!"  She followed him down the hallway and down the
stairs.  She stopped when she heard a door open and close.  She went down a few
more steps and spied the fire exit door.  She walked over and opened it.  The
darkened alley made things hard to see.  

       She walked out into the night and looked around.  The sounds of the traffic
from the road made it hard for her to listen for the sound of running.

       "Tony?"  She called out.  "Tony, come out, it's me, Jean!"  She aimed her gun
in front of her.  "Give it up, Tony!  There's no where you can go!"  Tony was
seated down behind a garbage bin, breathing rapidly, and just staring at the brick
wall in front of him, clutching his knees.

        Jean began to walk towards the garbage bin, keeping her side arm aimed right
at it.

        "Tony?!  Just give yourself up!"  She approached the bin and kicked it aside. 
There was no one there.
  
        "Hi Jeanie!"  She spun around at the sound of the voice.  Tony stood behind
her with a strangely evil grin.  "Nice gun."  She whirled it around to face Tony,
but he just knocked it aside with surprising strength.  She grabbed his arm and
twisted behind his back.  

        "Tony!!  Stop this!"  But Tony just flipped her over his shoulder and she
landed hard on her back.

        "We can't, Jean!"  Jean looked up at Tony.  He loomed over her with a
threatening manner.  "We have a mission to perform, him and I!"

        "Tony?"  Jean whispered.  "Is that you?!"  Tony laughed out loud.

       "Tony is still here, Jean.  He always has been.  He has a holy mission to
perform.  And no one, not even you, can stand between him and his mission."  He
reached down, and picked up Jean's gun.  "You're a big distraction in that
mission."  He took aim at Jean.  "I'm sorry, Jeanie my dear."  He pulled back the
hammer.  "But you have to go!"

BLAMM!!!

        Jean twisted as the bullet slammed into her chest.  She twitched a bit, then lay
still, lifeless under the glowing moon.  Tony chuckled as he walked over to her
body.  He crouched down and stroked her face.

        "Such a beautiful creature.  I understand why Tony liked you so much."  He
then walked over to a sewer grate, and threw the gun down into the eerie
blackness.  He listened until he heard the sound of a splash.  He then walked over
to
Jean and dragged her body over to the grate.  Then, he heaved her body into the
hole.  He smiled when an even bigger splash echoed into the night.  Then he placed
the great cover back over the hole and headed back towards his apartment.

       From his hiding place, Dark Kat watched the whole scene take place.  He
smiled as he watched Tony head for his apartment.

      "He's ready."  He said.  

Elsewhere.......

       In the middle of a foggy field, T Bone stood there, he wore glovatrix's on both
paws.  He stood there, looking ahead into the fog.  The mist cleared enough for
him to see a figure walking towards him.  The Pastmaster growled at him as he
walked into view.  

      "Die, SWAT Kat!"  He screamed, as he raised his watch.  T Bone gave half a
smile and fired an array of missiles at the Pastmaster, and vaporized him.  
        Suddenly, he was hit from behind by a scaly tail and was sent flying.  He
twisted though the air and landed on both feet.

      "Die, SSSSSSWAT Kat!"  Dr. Viper hissed, crawling towards him.  T Bone
aimed his right glovatrix at Viper and let lose the same array at him as he did on
the Pastmaster.  Viper screamed out as he was blown to kingdom come.

      Just then, three more figures appeared.  The Metallikats, and Hard Drive.  The
Metallikats aimed their weapons at him.  T Bone flipped and jumped as he dodged
their blasts.  He finally landed behind them and blew them up as he did with the
Pastmaster and Viper.  Suddenly, he was knocked over as Hard Drive fired him at
with electricity.

     T Bone just turned both glovatrix's in his direction and blew him the hell.  He
seemed to fire missiles like a machine gun, never running out.  He looked at the
smoking hole that was once Hard Drive and looked around.  

     Just then, Others began to emerge from the fog.  Turmoil, Chop Shop, Rex
Shard, Mutilor, The mutant scorpions, The Red Lynx, Mad Kat, Greenbox, the
Witch, and Zed.  They all growled and started closing in on T Bone.

      "What's the matter, T Bone?"  Turmoil asked.

      "Can't fight us all?"  Chop Shop said.

      "You know you'll lose."  Zed said.

      "So just give it up!"  Mad Kat snickered.  T Bone looked around him as they
all closed in.

      "NEVER!!!"  He shouted as he leapt into the air, delivering kicks, punches,
and letting lose missiles until he was the only one left standing.  Everyone lay on
the ground, missing limbs or just missing all together.  T Bone surveyed his
damage and performed a 'Yes' maneuver.  "I've beaten every bad guy I've ever
fought.  I'm king of the world!"

       "What about me?"  T Bone spun around to see Dark Kat.  "I'm still left."

       "B-but you're dead!"  T Bone said to Dark Kat.  "Your son doesn't want to
kill me."

       "Doesn't he?"  Dark Kat said.  "You must remember something, T Bone.  I am
Dark Kat, and whenever have you been able to truly kill me."  A huge grin spread
across his face.  "When have you ever been able to truly kill any of us!"

       Just then, The Pastmaster reappeared, growling.  T Bone swung his glovatrix
in his direction when he was suddenly knocked down by a tail slap by Dr. Viper. 
He grunted as he rolled along the ground to rest at Dark Kat's feet.  Dark Kat
looked down at him.

      "You can try all you like, T Bone."  Dark Kat said.  "But no matter how much
you try, you can never kill Dark Kat."  He laughed out loud as T Bone was
suddenly
picked up by Mac Mange and thrown away.  T Bone landed with a crunch, right
in front of Hard Drive, who gave him a rather painful shock.

     "You can't kill us, T Bone."  Turmoil said as she walked over to him.  "We'll
always come back.  We always do."
   
     "You should know that!"  Chop Shop giggled as he leaned close down to T
Bone.  "We always manage to come back."  He then slugged T Bone in the face. 
T Bone yelled out and grabbed Chop Shop  by his collar and hurled him into the
Metallikats.

      "Then I'll have to do it again!"  T Bone hissed as he fired his missiles around
the area, blasting all of the villains into nothing.

       "And again..."  Suddenly, T Bone felt something grab his foot.  Looking
down, he saw a decaying paw clutching at his foot.  The dirt exploded and a
zombie looking Turmoil popped out of the ground.

       "....And again...."  A zombie Hard Drive reached out of the ground and
grabbed T Bone's other foot.

       "....And again...."  A zombie Chop Shop crawled out of the ground and
clawed at T Bone.

       "NO!"  T Bone shouted, blasting all of them.

       "You can't be rid of us, T Bone....!"  The Decaying Pastmaster hissed as he
appeared out of the ground, along with zombie versions of all the enemies the
SWAT Kats have ever faced.  T Bone swung his glovatrix around in all directions
firing, but they just kept on coming out of the ground.  Finally, a zombie Mac
Mange pulled his glovatrix off and a zombie Turmoil pulled off the other one.

      "...But we can be rid of you!"  A zombie Dark Kat hissed.  Then, they all
swarmed over him, enveloping him in darkness.

       "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
 
YARGH!!!

        T Bone shot straight up as he cried out.  He looked around.  He was in his
bedroom, in the salvage yard.  He looked around and breathed a few sighs of
relief.

Christ, what a nightmare!

         T Bone got out of bed and headed for the downstairs.

That's it, Chance, you've gotta lay off those late night B Grade horror flicks.

       He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a can of milk.

Still, it was so real.

       He sat down as he drank the can.

Almost like it was trying to tell me something.

The next day.......

       Tony Kurzt lay on his bed, crying.  His head was in his hands as he bawled his
eyes out.

        "Oh dear God, no."  He cried.  "Please God, no."

Get over it, Tony.

        "GO AWAY!!!"  Tony screamed at the ghost before him.  "JUST LEAVE
ME ALONE!!!"

You know I can't do that.  I'm here to stay, or until you die.

       "That can be arranged."  Tony said, picking up Jean's gun and pressing the
barrel against his temple.  Judgment laughed.

You gonna kill yourself?  Try it!

      Tony made a face and squeezed his eyes shut.  He tried to pull the trigger, but
he couldn't.

You can't kill yourself, Tony.  You're a coward.  You're afraid of death, afraid to
die.

     Tony made a horse whimper as he lowered the gun.  He just shook his head
and kept mouthing the word, 'no.'

You can't win, Tony.  I won long, long ago.  You belong to me now, body and
mind.

     Tony turned away from the image before him.

      "No."  He hissed.  "You can't, you won't!"

Give it a rest, Kurtz.  You've been telling me that ever since I popped out my little
head and said 'hi.'  I still yet have to see results of that promise.

       "I'll find a way."  Tony said.  

In a pigs eye.

       "When will this be over?"

When I say it is.

       "WHEN?!!!"

My, my, what a temper.  All in due time, my dear boy.  But first --- you've got
work to do.

      Tony picked up the shot gun, and looked at it.

NOW!!!!

      Tony stuffed it down his belt as he pulled on his ski mask.

That's more like it!

Enforcer H.Q......

      Felina Feral took off her rain coat and placed it on the coat rack as she sat
down at her desk.  She looked over at the desk next to hers, and frowned.

That's odd.

    Felina got up, and walked over to Jean DeWolff's desk.  Papers from two days
ago lay on her desk, unfinished.

This isn't like Jean to leave her work unfinished lying about like this!

   She looked over at the desk in front of Jean's.

    "Hey, Fred?"  The kat looked up at Felina.

    "Yes?"

    "Have you seen DeWolff?"  Fred looked over at her desk.

     "Didn't know she was missing."  He said.  "I thought she was on vacation or
something."  Felina rubbed her chin.

Tony Kurtz was going out with her; I'll ask Tony.

    Felina walked down to Kurtz's section and walked into the office both him and
his ex-partner Greg had shared.

Wha--?!

     When she walked into the room, she was greeted by a sight worse then Jean's. 
The desk was literally overflowing with junk and outdated crap of all sorts.  In
fact, she wasn't sure that Tony had a desk.

Both of them?  What the hell is going on here?

    She then turned around and headed for her Uncle's office, at the very top of the
building.

I'd better tell Uncle.

Feral's Office.....

   Feral sat at his desk and listened to every word his niece said.

   "Two Enforcers are missing."  He said, drumming his fingers on the table.  "This
is serious.  Felina, do you know any friends of theirs; they might know where they
are."

    "They have lots of friends, Uncle."  Felina answered.  "But I'll have everyone of
them checked just to be sure."  Feral nodded.

     "Good work, Felina."  He said.  "And, keep me informed on this, will you?" 
She nodded and left the room.  Feral didn't know, but he had a strange feeling
about this.

Salvage Yard......

     Jake sighed as he sat back down on the couch, next to Chance.

    "So, who was that?"  Chance asked between a mouthful of potato chips.

     "Would you believe it, Felina."  Chance nearly choked on the chips he was
munching.  Jake patted his back until Chance caught his breath again.

      "Felina?"  He said.  "Ringing here?!"

     "Relax."  Jake said.  "She doesn't know our identities she just called to ask if
we've seen Kurtz."  Chance glanced at him.

      "Kurtz?  As in Tony Kurtz?"  Jake nodded.

      "Yep."  He said.  "I told her we haven't heard from him since our, um.... little
accident."  Chance looked back at the TV nervously.

     "Uuhhh, Jake."  Chance said, turning to face his friend.  "That's not entirely
true."  Jake looked at him.

     "What do you mean, by that?"

     "A few days ago I got a strange call from our good buddy Tony.  He sounded
a little whacked."  Chance said.  "He asked if I could spend some time with him,
but I had too much work to do at the time and I had to say no."

     "No?"  Jake asked.

     "I had a huge work pile Jake."  Chance said.  "Besides, the strange part was,
the way he ended our conversation.  He just screamed right in my ear and hung up
the phone when I suggested that he see a shrink."  Jake rubbed his chin.

     "Maybe would should head over to Tony's place to see what we can find." 
Jake said.    

                                                        CHAPTER : 6

An abandoned warehouse......

      Through the pouring rain a figure sits at the window outside the warehouse.  A
flash of lighting stabs at the sky, lighting the whole dock up like day.  For a few
brief seconds, Judgment can be recognized, standing outside the window, looking
in at the crooks.

I watch them through the glass : specimens.  Flies.  I watch them.  I am Judgment.

     Then, Judgment took a step back then smashed through the window.

And I know.

     The confused thugs look up as they see a darkened figure come through the
window and land on the ground in front of them.

In ways normal kats cannot : I know.  I see things; beyond things.  I see the
strands of fate that binds us together : victims to victor.  

    A smile crept across his face, under his mask.

Just like Tony and I.

   The punks all snap out of their trance and reach for their guns.

So let them scream :  Let them shout.  My ears here nothing but the sounds of
their judgment coming to claim them.

   Judgment pulls out his shot gun, and lets off two shots at once, knocking down
one punk.

Like a spider, I weave my web.

    Judgment then dodged a blast from a pump action and dived behind a few
crates.

Like the lambs to the slaughter, they come.

    The punks all charged the crates, taking it from all sides.  When they reach
behind the crate, they are shocked to see no one there.

They're trapped.

    Suddenly, a bowie knife erupts from the chest of one punk and he slumps over. 
Judgment grabs the dead body and throws it into the path of the others.

And I devour them.

  He then leaps at them, grabbing one in a head lock, while flying kicking another
in
the head and compacting it against a solid concert wall.  The kat in his head lock,
pulls out a pistol and tires to shoot Judgment, but Judgment just snaps his neck
and tosses him away.  He takes the gun and empties all its rounds into the chest of
another punk with an Uzi.  The two remaining punks turn tail and run for the exit.
Watching them flee, Judgment loads two more rounds into his shot gun and cuts
them both down before they can escape.

One game concludes ---

      Just then, the door at the other end of the warehouse burst open and
Enforcer's pilled in.

--- and another begins.  They burst in, bearing all sorts of emotions.  Shock,
annoyance, dear.  Magnificent actors in a play of my creation.

     A few Enforcers look at Judgment while the others are focused on the dead
bodies.

They serve me; worship me.  But the world must never know.

    Judgment turned and ran. 

So I skitter into the night, while they "order" me to stop.

    leaping onto the crates and out the window, Judgment vanishes into the
darkness.

Judgment has been passed.

At that very moment....

      High above the city, the Turbo Kat flies through the sky.  T Bone peers out of
the cockpit, looking into the stormy weather.

      "Well."  Razor said.  "By the looks of things, I'd say that Tony hasn't been in
his apartment for quite some time.  Either that, or somebody's ransacked the
place."

      "The bin was full of bottles."  T Bone said.  "Maybe he's off in some gutter,
drunk as a skunk."

      "That's a possibility, but ---"  A flash of lighting lit up the darkened sky for an
instant.  Razor saw a darkened figure running across the roof tops.  "Whoa --?!" 
Razor cried out, pressing his face against the glass cockpit.  "Did you see that?!" 
T Bone glanced out the cockpit and down at the area Razor had pointed to.

      "See what?"  He asked.  Another flash of lighting lit of the sky, and this time, T
Bone saw what Razor was talking about.

       "See that."  Razor said.  T Bone nodded.

       "I sure did.  And he's heading for Tony's place."  He said, pulling on the stick. 
"Let's see what the hell this guy is really up to..."  The jet banked off and turned to
follow the dark figure.

       Below, Judgment had no idea that a jet was following him.  It was raining so
hard and thunder was making it hard to even hear the rush hour traffic that he
didn't even bother to look up.  He kept running along the roof tops, back to his
apartment.  

     Finally, he reached his apartment building, and climbing up the fire escape, he
entered his room.  He entered his room and sat down on the couch, pulling off his
mask.

     Suddenly, two windows shattered and two dark figures entered the room.

     "What the---?!"  Judgment cried out as he pulled on his ski mask and grabbed
his gun.

     "Hold it right there, punk!"  Razor said.  

     "Yeah."  T Bone said, raising his glovatrix at him.  "We've got ya covered." 
Judgment smiled.

     "Really?"  He said.  "What makes you think that?"

     "We've got you outnumbered, and outgunned."  Razor said, aiming his
glovatrix at him.

    "Any more questions?"  T Bone asked with a smile.

     "Why were you following me?"  Judgment asked.

     "Well, it's not every day, you see someone leaping and bounding across the roof
tops, and besides, who would do it in your clothing."  They carefully avoided the
subject that they were curious as to why this guy was heading for Tony's
apartment.

     "Ahh, the concerned citizen."  Judgment said.  "And you're going to take me
in?"

     "Yep."  T Bone said, nodding.

      "Ha ha."  Judgment mocked.  "But I don't think so.  What if I were to kill
you?"  T Bone burst out laughing.

       "I've winged it against terrorists, mad scientists, ninjas, mutants, crazed
robots, high tech thieves, sorcerers, voodoo priestesses, aliens, and demigods, and
still managed to come out on top.  What makes you think that some fool with a
shot gun is gonna finish the job for those who've come before you?"  Judgment
smiled beneath his mask.

             "Only one way to find out."  He said, raising his shot gun at T Bone. 
"Judgment time!"  He cried out.

            "Deployed!"  Razor shouted as both he and T Bone fired off their net
missiles.  Judgment just dropped to the ground and allowed the nets to sail over
head and embed themselves in the wall.

            "My turn!"  Judgment cried out as he got up and fired both barrels at the
SWAT Kats, who leapt out of the way before they could get hit.  "Damn."  He
muttered, popping the barrel and ejecting both spent cartridges.  He was in the
middle of loading two new fresh rounds when the SWAT Kats struck.  
             Razor fired a bazooka smoke arrow, while T Bone fired a bola missile.

KA-THOOM!!

           Judgment fell back as the thick black smoke filled the tiny apartment.  As he
stumbled, the bola missile wrapped around him, sending him flying up against the
wall.

       "Ohff!"  He struggled to stand up as, through the smoke, he saw the SWAT
Kats walking towards him.

        "I take it you're about ready to call it quits?"  T Bone asked.  Judgment's eyes
narrowed.

         "Not until my mission is complete!"  He cried out.  He then stood up and
flexed his muscles, snapping the ropes that held him.  The SWAT Kat's jaws just
dropped.  "I was ordered to kill the SWAT Kats, now I'll get my chance!"

         "What the--?!"  Razor cried out.  Judgment rushed him, knocking him to the
ground.  He then turned around to face T Bone.

          "You wanna play rough, huh?"  T Bone said, flexing his claws.  "Bring it
on!"  Judgment leapt at him, tackling him to the ground.  To T Bone's surprise,
Judgment was strong, very strong, perhaps even stronger than him.  T Bone landed
a decent blow to Judgment's chin, but he hardly even battered an eyelid.  Judgment
laughed at him before head butting T Bone.

           T Bone let go of Judgment to grab his throbbing forehead.  Judgment then
punched T Bone as hard as he could in the gut.  For a split second, T Bone's eyes
went larger than a saucer plate as he curled up in a ball, clutching his stomach.  T
Bone couldn't breath as he lay there, Judgment looming over him.

          "Hi - Yaa!"  Judgment was suddenly sent head over heels as Razor flying
kicked him from behind.  "Don't count me out just yet!"  Razor called out.  He
looked down at T Bone, who had finally managed to get his breath back.   "You
okay down there?"  T Bone nodded.

            "Y-yes."  He weakly said.  As Razor helped T Bone up, Judgment got
back to his feet and picked up his gun.  Suddenly, T Bone saw what he was doing.

            "You'd better put down that pop gun pal."  He said, raising his glovatrix. 
"Before I ---"  Judgment swung the gun in his direction.

            "Down, sinner!"  He shouted.  "I'll put it down!"  He pulled both triggers
at once.  "DOWN YOUR THROAT!!!"

BLAMM!!!!

            "YOW!!"  T Bone shouted as he leapt up into the air, just barely managing
to dodge the blast.  Razor leapt out of the way too, but was not fast enough. 
Razor screamed out as he felt the thousands of little ball bearings slam into his
right leg.  He didn't bother to try to land on his feet as he sailed though the air --
still in his leap -- and landed on his back on the floor.

no!

           "RAZOR!!!"  T Bone shouted as he saw what had happened.

How could I have let this happen?!

             "RAZOR!!!  Speak to me, buddy!"  T Bone ran over to his friend, who
was moaning though his gritted teeth as he rolled around on the floor, clutching
his bleeding leg.

             "C-Chance."  Razor whispered hoarsely.  "I c-can't feel m-my leg."  T
Bone patted his buddy on the back.

            "Don't worry, Jake."  He whispered.  "I'll get you to a hospital ---"  He
turned around to face Judgment.  "--Right after I deal with Mr. Psycho here."  T
Bone growled and leapt at the villain, who was reloading his gun.

He's gonna pay!

            "Hay, you!"  T Bone shouted.  "Jean-Claude Van-Killing-spree.  DROP IT
NOW!!!"  He shouted as he fired a grappling hook at the gun.  The hook struck
the weapon and clasped firmly around the metal barrel.  "I SAID DROP IT!!!!" 
With a hard tug, T Bone yanked the gun out of the kat's paws and right into his
own.  

            "Sinner!"  Judgment cried out.  "Give me back my gun!  It's the voice of
God!  It's part of me!"  T Bone growled as he grabbed both ends of the shotgun.

A part of him, eh?

            "Part of you, huh?"  T Bone growled.  "Which part?  How about your
NECK!!!"  And with that, he smashed the gun in half over his knee then tossed
what remained of the gun out the window.

A part of him.

            "You filly swine!"  Judgment shouted, pulling out a side arm.  "You've
ruined my weapon.  My weapon of judgment!  My VOICE OF JUSTICE!!!"  

His WHAT?!!

               He took aim at T Bone.  "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, I SWEAR!!!"  He
fired off a round just before T Bone dodged the blast.  T Bone then rolled across
the floor and kicked Judgment in the belly.  Then, reaching up, grabbed his gun
and tore it from his paws with hate filled eyes.

How dare he!

             "Mister, are we living in the same universe?"  He hissed, throwing
Judgment up against the wall.  His paw clamped around Judgment's throat and
claws began to dig into his neck.  "You've killed so many kats and you nearly
killed my best friend ---"  Then, with his left paw, he smashed it into Judgment's
face.  "---AND YOU'RE RAGING ABOUT SOME BLASTED
BARGAIN-BASEMENT TOY??!!!!"  Suddenly, he looked at the side arm on the
floor.

What the--?!  That's Enforcer issued!

             "Where did you get this?!"  T Bone shouted, holding the gun in front of
his eyes.  Judgment chuckled.

           "I stole it off that damned Enforcer bitch I killed a few nights ago."  A huge
grin spread across his lips.  "I believe her name was --- Jean DeWolff!"

******

          What little sanity T Bone still had was now gone.  His eyes seemed to glow
red with anger as he slammed Judgment up against the wall several times, making
his nose bleed.

          "WHO!  ARE!  YOU!"  He shouted as he slammed him into the wall,
creating a very large hole.  When Judgment didn't answer, T Bone grabbed his
head and slammed it into the nearest, hardest object he could find.  The TV.  He
lifted Judgment's head up as to allow him to speak.

           "I--- a-am... am --- Judgment."

Wrong answer!

            T Bone pulled back Judgment's head and propped up his knee.  Then, with
all his might, he slammed his face into his knee sending blood flying from his face. 
When he lifted Judgment's head up again, his face was covered with blood.  He'd
broken his nose.

          "Let's just find out, shall we."  T Bone growled as he pulled off Judgment's
mask.

Oh.....

          T Bone gasped, when he saw who it was.

...My.....

           T Bone let the mask fall from his paws.

...God!

          "Tony?"  Tony smiled back at T Bone.  The blood was still oozing down his
face, but his features were still recognizable.

          "Thought you'd be surprised."  Tony rasped.  "Don't know where I meet
you from before, but I had this strange feeling you'd be surprised."

           "Why?"  T Bone hissed, bringing his face closer to Tony's  "Why did you
take the life of all those kats?"  Tony spat blood into T Bone's face.

           "Life?"  He hissed.  "You talk to me of life?  What worth is there in the
paltry existence of a few useless sinners."  His grin broadened, while T Bone's face
twisted more and more into a cruel and unforgiving snarl.  "A few pointless lives
had to be taken, to be cleansed of their sinful ways.  Nobody will miss them, they
all were nothing more than waste, occupying space and---"

It's finally happened.

            "THAT'S IT, TONY!!!"  T Bone screamed out, as he grabbed Tony's head
and slammed it into the ground.  "THAT'S IT!!!"

Twice, our hero has been pushed over the edge.  Twice, he nearly lost control of
his emotions.  Twice, he nearly lashed out and did something he'd never be able to
forgive himself.

            "You make me sick, Tony."  T Bone hissed.  "You are a sick joke, Tony. 
A FUCKING SICK JOKE!!!"  He then threw Tony into a wall.

Now, for a third time, our hero has been pushed over the edge.  However, this
time ---

            T Bone stormed over to Tony and picked him up by the collar and held
him there, his legs lay on the ground while his head was tilted back, trying to lift
itself up.

---There's nothing to stop him from coming back to earth.

           "I'm.... I'm sorry."  Tony stammered.  T Bone yelled out with rage.

          "SORRY??!!"  He slammed his fist into Tony's face, sending blood flying. 
"Don't give me sorry, you worthless little shit!"  He hissed he brought back his
fist and slammed it once more into his face, sending more blood flying.

SMACK!!!!!

            "Tell it to the Judge---!"

KAR-RACCK!!!

            "--Or to the Priest---!"

WHAAAMM!!!

            T Bone paused for a moment and drew back his fist as far as he could.

             "--Or better yet--"  With all his might, T Bone brought it down on Tony.

            "--TELL IT TO JEAN DEWOLFF!!!!"  

KER-SMACCKK!!!!

It's over......

            Tony's head jerked around to the left from the impact from the mighty
blow. 
A meter long fountain of blood spurted from his mouth as his head rattled around
from the smashing blow.

....Our hero.....

            When Tony's head stopped rolling around and came to a stop, T Bone let
go of him and let him fall to the ground.

....has lost.

           From his open mouth, a steady puddle of blood began to spill out and from
a small river, flowing away from the fallen villain.  For what seemed like an
eternity, T Bone stood there, breathing rapidly, his hate slowly ebbing away.

           "All right now, Tony!"  T Bone growled.  "Who's behind all of this?!  You
said you were ordered to kill the SWAT Kats.  First Greenbox, now you!"  He
leaned closer so that Tony could smell with hot ragged breath against his face. 
"Coincidence?  I think not!"

            "C-can't."  Tony moaned.  T Bone just slugged him again.

            "TELL ME?!!"  He bellowed.  "Who's behind it?  Is it some voodoo lady?"

            "No."

            "The Metallikats?!"

             "N -- o!"

             "The Pastmaster?!"

            "N-no."

           "Then who?!"  T Bone demanded.

          "Me."  T Bone spun around at the sound of the voice.

No!  I-it can't be!

           "Alex?"  T Bone said, as Dark Kat walked towards him.

           "Yes, T Bone."  Dark Kat said.  "It was me."  T Bone was confused.

           "B-but why?"  T Bone stammered.  "I thought we were friends.  I knew all
about y---"  Dark Kat's face twisted into a snarl.

           "You know nothing of me, SWAT Kat!"  He hissed.  "You know nothing
about my past, about the life I have lived.  NOTHING!!!!!"

           "I thought you were different, Alex."  T Bone said.  "A kat of honor."  He
let his head drop.  "But you're nothing more than a psychopathic murderer --- Just
like your father."  Dark Kat shook his head.

            "You know nothing about the Darkson family, T Bone."  He said softly. 
"This world we live in is a vicious place.  Crime filled streets; unsolved murders
every five seconds; hundreds of thousands of kats living in poverty, while others
live like the kings of medieval Europe."  His eyes narrowed.  "Kats kill other kats
for small sheets of green rectangular paper, for poisonous black tar, for walking a
few centimeters on a worthless piece of brick and mortar which they would
promptly call, 'Their Turf.'  
             Tell me SWAT Kat, is that civilized?  What difference does it make if I
just add one more to the already burning pile?  When I kill, it is with honor, for
proper reasons, not for money, or for land, or for oil, but for honor, for revenge,
and for sanity."

             "What the HELL is sane about murder?!"  T Bone demanded.  "Don't you
feel any pain?  Any remorse?  Don't you feel love?"  Dark Kat let out a loud roar.

            "I FEEL NOTHING!!!!!"  He bellowed.  "Not after all I have seen and
heard, and all I've been through.  Trust me, SWAT Kat, if you've seen the very
things I've seen, you'll understand."  He calmed down slightly.  "But you haven't,
and I can't explain to you, you just wouldn't understand."

             "Try me."  T Bone said.

             "The world is a dangerous jungle, T Bone.  It's full of predators of all
kinds.  You can have laws, you can have Enforcers, but when it comes right down
to the wire, no matter how much you try to make this place safe, it won't do any
good.  Whether it be concrete or wood, this place is yet another jungle, and no
matter how much you try, the law of the jungle still rules over all.  Kill, or be
killed.
              Therefore, we must kill before some predator kills us."  Dark Kat paused
for a moment.  "Just like it did to my father."  He dropped his eyes and balled up
his fists.  
               "I won't let that happen to me."

              "Why did you follow in your father's footsteps?"  T Bone asked.

              "Do you remember when I asked you to explain my father to me?"  T
Bone nodded.  "All my life, I wanted to know just one question.  Why?  A simple
answer to why he treated me the way he did, by throwing me away and giving me
a plaything to keep myself occupied."  A grin slowly spread across his face.   
              "I now have that answer, SWAT Kat.  My father wanted an heir.  It
wasn't torture that he gave me, it wasn't a way of keeping me out of his hair.  He
was training me.  Psychologically training me to be just like him.  He was creating
someone who could replace him in case of death.  Someone to continue his legacy
of bringing justice upon katkind.  Someone who would make sure that the fight
would last well into the next century.  Someone to satisfy his vengeance!"  T Bone
just stared at him
                "I am the true Dark Kat, T Bone.  I am not Alexander Darkson, nor am
I Robert Darkson.  I am Dark Kat."  He then pointed a claw at T Bone.  "And you,
are my sworn enemy!"  

            "You could have been different, Alex."  T Bone said.

             "Maybe."  Alex said.  "Maybe you'll have better luck with the next
generation.  You cannot kill the creature that is Dark Kat.  You can kill the mask,
but not the myth."  Dark Kat looked over at Razor and Tony, both lying on the
ground.  "You should get them to a hospital, you know."

              "Don't try and stop me, Dark Kat."  T Bone said, walking over to Razor. 
Dark Kat scoffed at that remark.

              "Dear boy, I don't intend to try!  Letting you go may be insulting -- but it
also lends credence to your tale!  Therefore, I wish to say that I'll be looking
forward -- To our next encounter!"  With that, he turned around and walked off. 
"You know where to find me, T Bone."  He called out just before he walked into
the dark corner of the apartment and promptly vanished.  "I'll be waiting."  He
called out before he disappeared.

         For what seemed like hours, T Bone stood there, not knowing what to think,
what to say, or even where to go.  He ripped off his mask and looked at himself in
a broken mirror hanging on the apartment wall.  He then looked down at
Judgment, lying on the ground, blood flowing from his mouth.  Just then, he
remembered something.

Oh Christ!

        T Bone picked  up both Razor and Judgment and climbed up the fire escape
towards the top of the building.

I forgot about Jake!

Much time later, back at the Salvage Yard......

        T Bone, with his mask off, finished touching up the cast on Jake's leg.  He let
out a long, low sigh, as he leaned back to admire his work.

        "There you go, Jake."  Chance said, dusting off his paws.  "All done."  Jake
tapped his cast and then tried out his wheel chair.

         "It's amazing what you find in a salvage yard, hey buddy."  Jake said.  After
T Bone had delivered a half-dead Tony to the hospital, T Bone secretly borrowed
some medical supplies and took Jake home, where he applied some disinfectant,
and then spent the last three hours carefully removing all the fifty-nine ball
bearings from Jake's leg.  Then, he bandaged up his leg and had to apply a cast to
it, considering the blast had broken a bone.  Later, he found an old wheel chair in
the scrap yard.  He fixed it up and Jake was now using it.

        "Yeah."  Chance agreed, sitting down on the couch, next to Jake, who was
busy rolling his chair back and forth.

         "Say."  Jake said.  "I wonder if Tony made the eleven o'clock news?" 
Chance lifted the remote in his paws, and turned on the TV.  Ann Gora was on.

           "...Live from Megakat City hospital, where just hours ago the mysterious
mask murderer, known as Judgment, was delivered here, by an unknown assailant. 
The suspect has been identified as detective Tony Kurtz of the Enforcers...."

Enforcer H.Q.

           "...Seemed that the detective was in fact having serious depression
problems after his partner, Greg Summers, was killed in action.  Reports of the
detective hitting the booze and moping around in his apartment have been
flooding into Enforcer H.Q. since the moment of Tony's arrest..."  Feral turned 
off the TV.

              "That's just great!"  Feral growled.  "That's all I need right about now." 
Felina shook her head.

             "Oh, geez, Tony... Why?"  Steel looked over at Feral who didn't look
very pleased.

              "Have they found Captain DeWolff's body yet?"  Feral didn't even move.

              "No... Not yet."  Felina said, shaking her head.  "From the confession
they got out of Tony, he dumped her somewhere in the sewers near his apartment. 
The diving team is currently searching the bay in case the body was swept out to
sea....."  She trailed off as she finally noticed Feral's face.  "Uncle?"  She asked. 
"Are you all right?"

             "I can imagine what the public is saying about this."  He growled.

Across town, in rundown bars, kats were watching the news break take place on
the portable TV up on the wall.  They weren't happy one bit.

            "A cop!"  One shouted.  "A lousy, stinkin' cop!"

            "A cop--?"  Another said.  "Did he say--?"  The bartender shook his head.

            "First you're not safe from the criminals, now you're not safe from the
cops?!"  Another kat, a real fat one, laughed real hard.

            "Ha!  I bet they really knew and they were covering for him.  They stick
together, y'know."

            "Uh-huh, uh-huh!"  Another kat agreed.  "Remember that time when a
bunch of them shot that lady?  And they got off?"  Another kat yelled in
agreement.

             "Yeah!"  He cried out.  "I tell ya, ya just can't trust anybody!"

                                              CHAPTER : 7

The next morning.......

             Chance came down to the breakfast table to see Jake in his wheel chair,
glaring angrily at him.

             "What?"  Chance asked.  Jake just shook his head.

           "I can't believe you, Chance."  Jake said.  "After all the years we've been
friends, after all the times we've been out there, fighting crime as the SWAT Kats,
you've never once let your emotions get the better of you."

           "Oh..."  Chance said.  "Y-you know what I did.  How bad I beat Tony up?" 
Jake nearly fell out of his wheel chair from shock.

            "Badly beat up!"  Jake cried out.  "Badly beaten, is an understatement, for
what you did!"  Chance was confused.

             "W-what do you mean?!"  Chance asked.  Jake grabbed the newspaper
from the table and thrust it into Chance's waiting paws.

              "This!"  Jake cried out.  'This is what I mean!"  Chance stared at the
head lines, and nearly had a heart attack.  "Read what it says."  Jake said.

                "....It has been confirmed, that the injures given to Tony Kurtz;
Judgment, have crippled that kat.  Doctors say that the beatings given to Tony
were so server that they fractured his spinal cord.  The kat is now unable to walk
without the help of a cane...."  Chance's face froze as his paws let the newspaper
slip from his clutches and spill all over the floor.

               "What happened to you, Chance?"  Jake asked.  "This isn't like you, you
never go around crippling kats."  Chance's mouth moved, but words came out.  He
was horrified.  "Chance?"  Jake asked, not sure if his buddy was all right.

               "No."  Chance said, and he turned around and ran.

               "CHANCE?!!"  Jake called out.  He would have followed his best friend
if not for the damned white thing wrapped around his leg.  He just stared
helplessly after his friend.

                Chance ran up to his room.  He rushed inside and slammed the door
shut.
  
               "Tony."  He whispered.  "I-I'm sorry."  He collapsed on his bed and let
his head drop into his paws.  "It's just not worth it!  It never has been!  How many
times have I left my social life behind to pursue my carrier as a super-hero?!"  He
let out a loud scoff.  "I've risked my life out there so many damn times, it's not
funny.  I could have died, so many times, and yet...."
 
              Chance got up, and walked down to the hanger, and walked straight over
to the locker with the letters 'T' & 'B' on it.  He yanked it open and looked at its
continence.  A flight helmet, a flying harness, and a costume, which was a flight
suit.  He grabbed it all and slammed the locker door shut.  He stormed up to his
room.  Once more, he shut the door and threw the costume onto the bed.

                Three times he was pushed over the edge, and nearly lost it.  Now, he
finally did and he not only nearly killed at kat but did worse, he crippled him, a
mistake he'd have to live with his entire life now.  He now stood before a
crossroads in his life, one he could never back out from.  He looked at his
costume, his the risks, his the responsibility, his... the rewards.

               Screwing up his face, Chance walked over to his cupboard and pulled
down an old cardboard box.  He placed his uniform, his helmet, and his harness
into the box, then walked downstairs to where Jake was sitting.

              "What are you doing, Chance?"  Jake asked, looking at the cardboard box
in his paws.  Chance looked him right in the eye.

              "Doing what I should have done along time ago."  He walked outside and
over to the trash bin.  Jake wheeled himself outside and watched Chance remove
the trash can lid.

              "CHANCE??!!"  He cried out.  "What are you doing?!"  Chance didn't
bother to look at his friend.

              "What does it look like, Jake."  He said, holding the box over the bin. 
"I'm giving it all up."

              "Chance!"  Jake cried out.  "I know you've been though a lot lately, and
---"  Chance spun around to face his friend.

               "You know?  You KNOW?!!"  Chance roared.  "WHAT, do you know,
Jake, huh?!"  Chance shock the box up and down.  "What exactly do you know
what I've been though?!  What I've experienced?  What I've had to live with?! 
You didn't have some psycho she-kat nearly rip you to shreds with a zombie Dr.
Viper.  You were only used as bait to try and catch me!  You have no idea what I
went though, when she put me and Alex under her witchcraft, and nearly made me
kill!  You have no idea what I was like, to find out that someone you thought was
now a friend, turned out to be an enemy!  You have no idea what it feels like to
have your friendship toyed with, and then thrown back in your face and laughed
at!"

               "C-chance?"  Jake said, looking for any sings of his old friend in his eyes.

               "You were right, all those months ago, when you first left me, after you
thought you nearly killed those civilians."

                "But that was a trick!"  Jake cried out.  "I was down, I admit it, but I
came back and so can you!"  Jake lowered his voice.  "You'll be back in the game
before you even know it."
 
               "It's not a game any more, Jake!"  Chance roared.  "Being a hero has
lost its novelty!  Sure it was fun, and exciting in the beginning, but now, it's no
longer an honor, it's a cancer eating away inside me!"  He looked down into the
trash bin.  "From this moment on, I'm no longer T Bone, I'm Chance Furlong!" 
And with that, he shoved the box into the bin then slammed the lid back on top. 
He stormed past Jake, who had a dazed and confused looked on his face.

               "Chance?"  He weakly said.  "I-I can't believe you just --"  Chance
abruptly cut him off.

               "Save your self pity speech, Jake."  Chance said as he headed back
inside.  "As of right now, T Bone is DEAD!!"  Then he stormed back inside,
slamming the door behind him.  Jake just stood there, not knowing what to do. 
Then sighing a frustrated sigh, he followed Chance through the door.

Later that night, at Enforcer H.Q.....

    Felina and some of her friends were watching the TV when the news flash
interrupted the show.

    "This is Ann Gora, Katseye News, with a special update on Enforcer detective
Tony Kurtz, known also as the mass murderer, Judgment.  
     Our sources have just learnt that the former Enforcer detective is being
transferred from Alkatraz Island to Megakat Asylum this very night.  The cell in
Enforcer Head Quarters in which Tony resides has been deemed unsafe, due to
the rarefied nature of ---"

KLICK!

     Felina lowered the remote and shook her head.

    "Great.  Just great."  She grumbled.  "My Uncle's gonna have kittens when he
hears this leaked."  She turned her head towards the window from which the
chanting drifted in.  "And that mob outside looks ready to lynch Kurtz --- or
worse!"  She turned to one of her friends beside her.  "Where is my Uncle,
anyway?"

      "In his office."  The sergeant said.  "With the Deputy Mayor and, believe it or
not, a CIA agent."'

Feral's Office......

      Feral sat in his char while the Deputy Mayor stood near Feral beside the
window, looking out at the crowd below.  The CIA man stood before Feral with
his arms crossed.  Feral did not look pleased.

      "So, let me get this straight, James Bond."  Feral said.  "You're saying that we
have to let Kurtz go free?"  The man shook his head.

       "No."  He said.  "But I'm saying that Kurtz may not have been in his right
mind."

       "Great."  Callie said.  "Care to explain that?"

       "Certainly, Ms. Brigs."  The agent said.  "During Kurtz's time in the Agency,
he was in R & D."

        "Research and development?"  Feral said.  "Why?"

        "The extraordinary strength gained from such drugs such as PCP or angel
dust.  Users reportedly become unstoppable juggernauts in some instances.  Kurtz
and several others were injected with modifications of PCP to see if it could be
used safely."

        "Good grief." Callie cried out.   "That's frightening!"  The agent nodded.

        "R & D eventually agreed with you.  The test drug improved strength, and
insurance, but was judged to be too numerous and unpredictable."  He shook his
head.  "Tony didn't take the discontinuance of the program very well.  Tony
complained those in authority acted with kats lives.  He became.... Well.... Violent. 
We thought that when Kurtz left the Agency, there was no trace of the drugs in his
system...."  He gave a sort of shrug.  "But it's possible we were wrong and that
the recent death of his partner...."

         "Unhinged him"  Feral finished.  The kat nodded.  "Wonderful."  Feral said,
throwing his paws up into the air and leaning back in his chair.  "Just wonderful. 
I've got a political and PR hot potato and now you're saying, because of the fact
that your scientists screwed up, I may have to accept an insanity plea?  The public's
gonna crucify us!  This lunatic killed a priest for Christ's sake.  And it's possible
that the doctors could certify him okay after a year of medical observation?  And
he could walk with no jail time?  Is that what you're telling me?"  The kat nodded.

         "Yes I am."  He said.  Feral shook his head.

         "Swell."  He said, pointing to the window.  "Now, tell them!"  The agent
looked out the window and down into the streets below.  The front of the building
was crammed with protesters, shouting all kinds of obscene language, and
demanding that the Enforcers release Tony to them.

          "This isn't going to be easy."  The agent said.  Feral gave him a sarcastic
grin.

           "Oh really?  And what might have given you that bright idea?"

Elsewhere.....

           In the dark corners of the warehouse, a kat fiddles with some sort of box. 
He wears an orange shirt and gray pants and black steel capped army boots.  He
wears a weilding mask over his face as sparks of electricity are jumping all over
the place.  After a while, the kat stops prodding and lifts up his face mask.

            "Heh, heh, heh!"  The kat laughs.  "Dark Kat did a great job on this new
surge suit.  Soon, I'll be able to hold this entire city for ransom ---"  He then pulls
out what he was working on, a green trench coat with wires all over it.  The
moment he does it up, he switches it on and his hair stands on end as the entire
suit is covered in sparking electricity.

           He then holds up his paws, and watches as two glowing blue balls of energy
form in his paws, then he throws his paws at a nearby wall.  The balls of electricity
fly from his paws and slam into the wall, blowing it up.  He watches the burning
wall before bursting out into laughter.

           "Look out, SWAT Kats."  Hard Drive chuckled.  "Hard Drive has returned! 
Better and badder then ever!"  He then walked towards a table littered with
electrical equipment of all sorts.  "Soon, my plans will be ready.   It'll only take a
week before I'm ready to bring this city to its knees."  He chuckled as he sparked
electricity between his open paws.

A week later......

          "....Found the defendant, Tony Kurt, not guilty of all crimes against him. 
The main reasons to this were the insanity caused by the recent death of his
partner and the heavy doses of mercury, which was found to be within the alcohol
drinks which Tony had been recently drinking.  How all of these bottle were spiked
with mercury, nobody really knows, although the Red Whiskey company claims
that
they were not in the bottles when they were shipped out.  Tony has been
transferred to Megakat City Asylum, where he will spend a year there, under strict
medical observation, until he is deemed fit to re-enter society.  The verdict was
meet with a violent outburst outside the courthouse and the riot squad had to be
called in.  Kurtz was later taken away by use of helicopter...."  The radio was
abruptly turned off.

          Chance finished fine tuning the engine he was working on and wiped the oil
off his paws with a rag.  He let out a sigh of relief and mopped his brow.

          "Done, and done."  He said.  He threw the rag into a bin and walked back
inside.  Jake sat by the couch, reading the paper.

           "Hi Chance."  Jake said, as he entered the room.  

           "Hi Jake."  Chance greeted his buddy.  He plonked himself down on the
couch, and turned on the TV  "Ya know, ever since I gave up being T Bone -- and
a SWAT Kat -- I've discovered that I have a lot of free time on my paws."  He
looked at his paws.  "Which reminds me."  He then hurried off to go wash them. 
Jake watched him leave.  He had to admit, Chance was feeling much better now;
he wasn't mopping about or complaining.  Maybe quitting was the best thing for
him to do.

          Chance came back, wiping his paws on his trouser legs as he sat down.

          "Anything interesting on the TV?"  He asked.  Jake shrugged.

          "Why don't you see for yourself."  Jake said.  "Your decision."  Chance
mumbled something at that remark.

           "Okay, I will."  He said, flipping though the channels.  "Hmmm.... 
Cartoons, soap opera, documentary, crap, crap, carp, carp..."  Suddenly, he came
to a channel that froze him dead on the spot.

          "Hi welcome back, tonight my guest list includes, that lead singer from
Smash Mouth..."  Chance cried out happily.

           "All right!  Litterbin!"  Jake lowered the paper, and glanced at Chance.

           "Litterbin?  All right?!"  Jake said, with a confused look.  "Chance, are you
feeling okay?"  Chance shrugged.

            "Since I'm no longer a SWAT Kat, I think I'll try to like some of the stuff
you like."  Jake just stared at him for a few seconds, then went back to his paper.

            "....along with Ricky Martin and, of course, a mystery guest."  David
leaned
closer to the camera.  "Who is he, you ask?  Well, he's rather famous, he's also
despised by many, and he's a mass murderer."  Chance's face twisted into a
confused look.  "His names is....."  A drum roll began as David held his breath. 
"...Tony Kurtz, also known as Judgment!"

*******

             Chance nearly crushed the remote in his paws.  He backed up fully into
the
couch and stared at the TV

             "W-W-W-W-WHAT!?!?!"  He cried out.  David nodded.

            "Yep, that's right!  Judgment!  Under careful guard and close watch, I will
talk with the kat who is about to publish his own book about his life as
Judgment...."

            Jake quickly turned off the TV before Chance could turn it off with the
remote --- without using the buttons.

            "Chance?"  Jake asked.  Chance was turning red underneath his fur.   His
teeth began to bear.

            "That no good filthy slim!"  He hissed.  "Write a book about his murder
spree?!"

             "Chance!"'  Jake quickly said.  "Whatever you're thinking, forget it!"

            "Forget about it?!"  Chance cried out.  "Jake, the kat killed!  He's a filthy
murdering scum!"

             "So did the Metallikats, Dr. Viper, and Dark Kat!  Jake said.  "They all
killed, and why are you so..."  Jake never finished that sentence as Chance
stormed outside to the trash can.  "Chance!"  Jake called out.  

              "Forget it, Jake!"  Chance said, grabbing out the box and pulling out his
costume.  "No matter what you say, nothing's gonna stop me from going down to
that TV station and giving Tony a piece of my mind!"  Jake watched as Chance
donned his SWAT Kat uniform and headed for the hanger.  He sighed and shook
his head as he heard the roar of the Turbo Kat as it shot of towards the night sky.

              "Chance."  Jake said, looking at the vanishing jet.  "Be careful.  Don't lose
it -- again."

M.B.C. (Megakat Broadcasting Company)

            "We'll be right back, after this break!"  David said.  The kat by the main
camera held up his arm, then let it drop.

             "Annnnnnd..... We're clear."  David lay back in his couch and  let his head
tilt back up as he looked up at the ceiling.

              "We'll be ready to go back on in fifty seconds, Dav."  A kat called out. 
David looked off at the sideline where his special guest was waiting.  His
producers flipped when he suggested having Tony Kurtz on the show.  But
whether or not the audience liked him or not, their rating would go through the
roof.

               "Let's get this over and done with."  David said.  The faster he got this
psycho out of his studio, the faster he could relax.  Whether or not this guy was
big rating, David had his morals.  He shuddered.  This guy really gave him the
creeps.  Ten heavily armed Enforcers were there to make sure he wasn't planning
anything funny.

               "Coming out of comical in ten --- nine --- eight ---"  David straightened
up and put on  his best smile, looking off-stage.  "--Three -- two -- one --- you're
on!"  David turned to face the camera.

                "Hi, and welcome back to the show!"  He leaned closer to the camera. 
"As I promised, on tonight's show I'd have a special guest, one Tony Kurtz, a.k.a.
Judgment."  The audience booed.

                "Kill the fucking murderer!"  Someone shouted.  David bit his lip and
hoped that the censor department were working on that.

                 "And would you please welcome, Tony Kurtz!"  He pointed over to the
side corner and the kat himself was marched out onto stage with his ten kat
escort.  The crowd roared again as Tony was brought onto the stage.  Somebody
threw a bear bottle at him and then people started throwing food at him.  David
covered his face with his paws as the security calmed down the audience.
             If he had wanted this kind of reaction, he would have hosted Jerry
Springer.

               "H-hello, David."  Tony said as his guard helped him sit down.  He was
limping very badly considering the chains around his paws and ankles.  With his
condition, the Enforcers spent most of their time helping him to walk rather then
guarding him.

               "Hello, Tony."  David said, as he looked at the Kat.  "Welcome to the
show, how's your leg?"  He asked.  Tony looked at his legs and just looked at the
floor.

                "A b-bit better, thanks D-David."  He said.  He tried to shut out the
constant obscenities being shouted at him.

Elsewhere.....

                 "A b-bit better, thanks D-David."  Hard Drive looked up from his
bench and smiled at the TV

                 "Well, well, well...."  He muttered.  "...If it isn't  Full Metal Jacket,
himself."  He aimed his finger at the TV and the volume increased.  "This I gotta
see."


M.B.C.

                T Bone hung in the rafters, looking down at the show taking place
before him.  He almost felt moved to jump down there and finish the job he
started a week ago.  But he didn't want to kill Tony.  Deep down inside he wanted
too, but he couldn't.  He listened to some of the insults shouted at Tony and
almost wished he could shout along with them, but for the moment, he just hung
there.

                 "Now, Tony --"  David said.  "You don't mind if I call you that?"  Tony
shook his head.

                  "N-not at all, Dave."  He said.

                  "Thanks."  David said.  "Now, Tony.  Tell us more about this book
you're going to write while in the Megakat City Asylum?"  Tony looked towards
the cameras, trying to ignore the crowd.

                   "I-I just wish to tell the world, why, why I k-k-k-k-k---- Did t-those
things, I -- did."  David nodded.

                    "Uh-huh."  He said.  "What sort of things can readers expect to find
in this book?"

                    "W-well, I decided I will talk ab-out my thou-thoughts at the time
w-when I was J-Judgment ---"  T Bone sat up in the rafters, listening to all Tony
had
to say.  He was getting more and more pissed as he spoke.

                      " ---  And all my friends."  Tony said.  T Bone ignored the rest Tony
had to say, he was fuming with anger, his friends?  He wasn't his friend.  Maybe,
a long time ago, but not now!  No fucking way!

                     "TONY!!!"  Heads all jerked up as T Bone jumped from his perch
and landed on the floor in front of Tony.

Salvage Yard....

                   Jake shook his head as he saw T Bone land in front of the startled
Tony.  Tony seemed to quiver before him.  Jake let lose a heavy sigh.

                "Oh, Chance...."  He moaned.  "Don't lose it, again.  Please."

The Warehouse.....

                Hard Drive looked up from his bench when he heard somebody with a
loud voice scream out Tony's name.  His eyes widened as he saw T Bone jump
from the rafters and land in front of Tony.  His face slowly melted from shock to
an evil grin.

                 "A SWAT Kat?!"  He cried out.  He walked over to the TV and his grin
turned into devilish smile.  "This is an interesting turn of events."  He stood back
and looked as T Bone began abusing the crap out of Tony.  "He looks a little
confused."  He gleefully rubbed his paws together.  "Perhaps I'd better go down
and pay my old friend a little visit and pay him back for old times sake."  He
produced a small spark between his fingers, then turning bright blue, he leapt into
the TV.

M.B.C.

               "What the--?!"  David cried out as he heard somebody scream out
Kurtz's name.  He looked upwards and gasped in shock as a SWAT Kat jumped
from the rafters and landed in front of Tony.  The Enforcers all aimed their guns at
T Bone, but didn't fire, nor did they demand him to surrender.

               "Friends?!"  T Bone shouted at Tony.  "What friends?!"  He walked right
up to Tony and pointed a finger right at him.  "You have no friends, Tony!  How
dare you presume that you have any friends after the betrayal you pulled on
them!!"  Tony stared wide-eyed at T Bone.  He stuttered, but couldn't say
anything.

               "I-I-I-I-I-I--?!"  Tony stammered.  T Bone grabbed him and shook him
hard.  The Enforcers tried to pull him off Tony, but T Bone was full of rage and
strength, which made it impossible.

                "Speak up scum!  What are you trying to say, you murderer!?"

               "T Bone!"  T Bone jerked his head in the direction of the voice.  A
camera suddenly glowed bright blue, then a huge electric blot jumped out of it and
Hard Drive took form.  

               "Hard Drive."  T Bone muttered.  The audience screamed.  Some
shouted at Hard Drive, others shouted for T Bone to kick his ass.  David shouted
at the Enforcers to do something.

               "I don't think so!"  Hard Drive said and fired a series of electric bolts
that sprawled the Enforcers all over the floor.  They lay there, moaning in pain. 
"Just me, and the SWAT Kat."  His paws glowed with electricity.  "I've been
waiting four months for this, T Bone."  Hard Drive conned.  "Come on, I'll let you
make the first move."

                 T Bone raised his paw and walked over to Hard Drive.  Shouts of
encouragement arose from the crowd.

               "Come on!"  Hard Drive shouted.  "I haven't got all night!"  T Bone now
stood in front of Hard Drive.  His fist was pulled back, but something prevented
him from hitting him.

              T Bone seemed to struggle on the spot.  He looked at Hard Drive, and
suddenly, he appeared as Judgment, holding his shotgun, and smiling at him.

              "Come on, sinner!"  Judgment said.  T Bone blinked and shook his head.

              "Pardon?"  He said.  Hard Drive gave him a frustrated look.

              "I said, COME ON!!!"

I can't do it!

               "What is this?"  Hard Drive demanded, taking a step back, "another one
of your games?!"  Then his eyes narrowed.  "Or do you have some sort of a
problem?"

I might do to him what I did to Tony.

                T Bone looked over at Tony just sitting there; he seemed to have a look
of utter horror on his face.  He looked back at Hard Drive.  He blinked again and
Judgment reappeared.

CRIPPLE ME!!!!  Or better yet ---

              T Bone began to sweat and shake.  Hard Drive looked on.

-- Kill me!

              "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"  T Bone looked around.  Then, he realized he
had just screamed that.  Hard Drive's face was plastered with surprise and shock.

              "Y-you won't fight me?"  He said in a soft voice.  The crowd was silent. 
Hard Drive's face slowly transformed into a large smile.  He bared his teeth and
laughed at T Bone.  "You won't fight me!"  Then he laughed out loud, nearly
falling over.  The crowd just blinked and stared in disbelief.

                "Yes, Hard Drive."  T Bone said, lowering his gaze to look at the floor. 
"I refuse to fight you."  Hard Drive laughed even louder and a loud gasp arose
from the audience.

                "Coward!"  Someone called out.

               "Loser!"  Another jeered.

               "Call yourself a hero!?"   T Bone just stared down at the floor.

                "Let's see if that's the truth."  Hard Drive said as he aimed his paw at T
Bone, and fired a blast of electricity.  He missed on purpose and it slammed into
the ground, near T Bone's foot.  T Bone still did nothing.  The crowd broke into a
frenzy, yelling at him and calling him a coward.  Hard Drive did a little dance. 
"You know, T Bone."  He said.  "You DO have a problem.  And, you know what
it
is?!"  He gave a little dramatic pause before firing of another bolt; this one hit T
Bone in the chest and he fell to the ground.  "You just don't got the juice."  With
that, Hard Drive turned around and walked out of the set, laughing all the way.

                "Fraud!"  Somebody shouted, and then, the audience started throwing
chairs at T Bone.  T Bone quickly got up and hurried out of the set, via the left
wing.  He ran though the building, running past surprised occupants until he
reached the roof where the Turbo Kat was.  He hoped in the jet, and quickly flew
off.

When he got home, he rushed up the ladder and into his bedroom, slamming the
door behind him, not even bothering to talk to Jake.  He hurriedly stripped off his
uniform and threw it on the bed.

What's happened to me?!

                Chance looked around, then looked at himself in the mirror.

I can't even throw a punch anymore.

                Chance looked at his bandanna mask, lying on the bed beside him.  He
glared at it and growled.

             "Why on earth did I ever put you back on?!"  He cried as he picked it up
and threw it into the bin.  "WHY?!!  It's brought me nothing but pain!"  He then
began to rip off his costume and, piece by piece, throw it back into the bin.  First
the suit, then the shirt, and finally, the harness.  

He looks at it one last time.  It's been a part of his life since his accident... that cost
him his true career.

           "Good riddance."  He said and, turning out the lights, he fell into a haunted,
restless sleep.

                                                      CHAPTER : 8

The Garage : 10:05 PM : The Next Day.......

Chance glared at the Newspaper in front of him.  The headlines read : "T BONE :
COWARD."  The paper talked about last night, where he'd refused to fight Hard
Drive and allowed the villain to leave.  He scrunched the paper up and threw it in
the bin.

         "Masked Vigilante."  he said.  "That's a laugh.  If that's what I was, I'd have
an easier time understanding why I did it yesterday.  But, I'm just a guy who flies
around in a homemade jet and a flight suit, catching bad guys.  Except yesterday,
when I came on like an idiot....and paid for it BIG time."  He sighed and lowered
his head to the table.  "The newspapers are having a field day with this and for
once I can't say I blame them."  He scrunched up his face.  "I earned all this rotten
press.  Every lousy word of it.  Maybe if I wrap this paper tight, I'll get a paper cut
and bleed to death.  Paper cuts can get real nasty."

         "Hi bud."  Chance looked up in time to see Jake wheel himself into the
kitchen.  "I hope you don't mind, that I went to the grocery shop to get some more
milk in my condition.  But we really, really need some."  He then placed the
brown paper bag on the table and handed Chance a paper.  "I also got you another
newspaper."

        "Great.  Like I need to see myself pilloried in another paper."  Chance said,
taking it.  Jake smiled.

        "Don't sweat it, Chance."  He said.  "I promise you, as your best friend that
there's nothing in this paper to make you upset in anyway whatsoever."
 
          "I wish."  Chance said as he opened the paper, only to discover that the
whole front page had been cut out.  He stared though the giant hole like a kat on
the TV.  Chance made a face and handed it back to Jake.

         "Real cute, Jake."  He said.  Jake ignored him as he put away the groceries.

         "I was just trying to cheer you up, Chance."  He said.  "You haven't said
more than three words in a row since yesterday.  You've got to talk about this.  I
mean, first you came leaping out after Kurtz.  That's so unlike you, with those
cameras there, and then Hard Drive walked in and you didn't even---"

          "Do you think I'm a coward too, Jake?  Do you?"

          "No, it's not that, I mean---"

           "He shot you, for crying out loud.  I thought at least you of all kats would
have understood what I did."

           "I know what Tony did to me, Chance."  Jake said.  "And I'm well aware of
what you did too.  I don't think you're a coward; I just think that you're scared to
face Hard Drive, in case you do to him, what you did to Tony.  I'm your best
friend, Chance.  You can let it go."

             "My letting go is the problem, Jake."  Chance said.  "You saw how Kurtz
was with that limp.  That wasn't no accident; that was me.  I did that to him."

              "I know what you did, Chance."  Jake said.  "But you can't change the
past.  What's done, is done, there's nothing to do, but move on."

               "But he was like no one else.  So vicious, so uncaring of Feline life.  I
can't even see straight when I think about him."  He buried his head in his paws. 
"But I feel guilty because I injured  him so badly because I lost control."  Jake
patted him on the back.  "He's like a symbol to me of what can happen if I really
completely blow my temper.  I feel guilty, but I don't want to.  And I'm a complete
knot inside."

              "And that's why you've had so much trouble with Hard Drive."

          "Yeah.  Even though Hard Drive doesn't get to me the way Kurtz does, I
keep second-guessing myself.  I'm afraid to make a move..."  Chance hesitated. 
"And when I do, it's ineffectual.  It's like Kurtz put a mental block on me. 
Everything came naturally before.  I never had any trouble in a fight; I knew all the
moves.  I always managed to come out on top.  "Now, I don't know how to even
throw a punch."

          "What you have to do is talk to Kurtz."  Jake said.  "You can't make peace
with yourself until you make peace with him, and then you have to...."  He too
paused.  "You know what it's like.  It's like Rocky III."  Chance just gave him a
displeased look.

          "For the love of God, Jake."  He said.  "This isn't a movie.  The next thing
you'll probably be telling me is to use the force."  Jake shook his head.

         "NO, really!  When he fought Mr. T the second time, and Rocky just kept
letting himself get hit, so he could get himself worked up enough to rely on his
instincts instead of thinking so much about everything."  Chance got up and got a
glass of milk.

        "Great."  He said.  "I'm supposed to take strategy lessons from Stallone. 
That's like learning opera from Led Zeppelin!"  Just then, all the lights that were
on suddenly flickered and went out.  "Huh?"  Chance said.

         "Why'd the lights suddenly go out?"  Jake said.  "I paid the bill last week.  I
think."  Chance looked out the door at the city.

          "Hey, Jake."  He called out.  "It's not just us; it's affected the whole city.  It's
a city wide black out."  Jake wheeled himself to the door and saw that the city was
completely black.  The sound of car horns could be heard in the distance, louder
than ever.

           "You think Dark Kat's rebuilt the Black Widow and powering it up again?" 
Chance said.

           "I don't think so, Chance."  He said.  "I think Hard Drive's behind all this. 
You're gonna have to stop him."  Chance gave him a shocked look.

            "ME?!"  He cried out.  Jake shot him a glare.

             "Yes, you."  He said.  "What the hell do you think I'm gonna do in a wheel
chair?  Tell him to piss off?!"  Chance grumbled, but headed for the hanger. 
"That's more like it."  Chance didn't say a word, as he climbed the stairs to his bed
room.  He walked in and looked in the bin.

           His costume still lay there, looking back at him.  Without Chance Furlong,
there is no T Bone.  He's just a mask, a myth.  He looked at the mask, picking it
up.  He swore never to put it back on.  Breaking it once, cost him dearly.

Can I afford to make that same mistake again?

          With a sigh of frustration, he pulled on the mask and then the rest of the
costume.  He took a moment to stand before the mirror, as he looked at a kat. 
Not Chance Furlong.  But T Bone.  A Hero.  A kat.  A SWAT Kat.  Pulling on the
harness, he headed down for the hanger and, boarding the Turbo Kat, rocketed
towards the city.

Tony Kurtz's Apartment....

Ever since that incident yesterday, the Enforcers moved Tony to a secret safe
house and hid him there, until it was safe to return to the city.  His house was
under constant watch, and so was he.

In the dark, Tony Kurtz sat at a table with a single candle as his only source of
light.  And empty Coke can and a dirty plate of scraps lay next to the tape
recorder, which Tony was talking into.

            "Chapter one."  He said, into the microphone.  "I c-could tell you, the
readers, all about my early life.  My family, my friends, the first frog I caught, the
first g-g-girl I k-kissed...."  He hesitated, but continued.  "B-but that's not what
you p-paid money to read about, is it?  You want to know about....after about
d-death.  About now."  

              He let the microphone drop on the table as he continued to talk.

            "I haven't slept for more than an hour at a time for a year.  How's that for
starters?  I k-keep thinking about Jean - the last night I was with here b-before I
k-k-k-....b-before she died."  He rubbed his eyes, as if trying to keep himself
awake.  "She was wearing this sexy g-green dress.  I saw her in it and I
immediately wanted her in my arms.  Then she was c-called away.  Some sort of
g-gang killing.  I was hitting the b-booze pretty g-good, after my partner had been
killed.  The ruined evening with J-Jean made it worse.  All I c-could think about
was *What a sin.  What a sin.*"  He nearly fell out of his seat.  "And that night....I
heard him c-call me the first time.  Is THAT what all you voyeurs wanted to
know?"  He began to cry.

Oh, Tooooooooonnnnnnny......

           Tony slowly looked up.

I've got something for you.

           "ARRRRGGGGGHH!!!"  Tony screamed out.  Standing before him, was
Judgment, holding Jean DeWolff in his arms and she was dressed in the sexy green
dress.

Look who I found to give you inspiration.  Captain Jean DeWolff.

            "NO!!"  Tony cried, leaping out of his chair.  "I can't take it any more!" 
He hurled the tape recorder at Judgment.  It sailed right though the illusion. 
Judgment just kept walking towards him, singing.

I met my old lover on the street last night..... come on Tony, sing along!

            Just then, Jean DeWolff got out of Judgment's arms and began singing
along.

Still crazy after all these years.....  You fooled the doctors, Tony.  

           Tony fell to the ground and began to crawl away from the illusion.

You fooled me too.  I thought we meant something to each other.

Now, Jean, Tony had a holy mission to perform.  It couldn't be diluted by love or
affection.

          Tony looked away from Judgment as he spoke.

That's why you had to go, Jean.  And just look how successful the mission was.

          Tony closed his eyes and wept as everyone he'd ever killed suddenly
appeared before him.  Captain Jean DeWolff, Judge Horace, and Father Bernard
Finn. 

And I can accomplish so much more.  There are so many kats out there that need
to face judgment.

         Tony leapt away from Judgment and lifted up a floorboard.

          "Stay b-back!  D-don't touch me, or I'll--"  He then reached into the hole
and pulled out a double barrel shotgun.  "I'll k-kill you!  You won't win!  You--" 
He suddenly saw what he held.  His eyes went wide with fright and he dropped it. 
"Oh no."  He whimpered.  Judgment just laughed at him.  "H-how did t-this get--"

That's always been there, Tony.  It's part of a back up system, another weapon,
in case of emergency.  These guys just forgot about it.  But I haven't.

          Tony looked into the hole and saw ammo and a large hunting knife.  

           "Oh no."  He whispered.

Oh yes, you fool.  I've already won.  You never had a chance.

          "No."  Tony whimpered as he lay there, rocking back and forth, crying.

Megakat Nuclear Plant.......

           The scene at the Nuclear Plant was one to behold.  Enforcer cars littered
the
area, helicopters flew overhead, and spot lights flashed the area.

            "Hard Drive!"  Commander Feral called out.  "This is Commander Feral of
the Enforcers.  You've been smart so far by letting all the employees go.  Now,
come out with your paws up before someone gets hurt."  Suddenly, a huge bolt of
electricity suddenly rocked the area, sweeping the encampment of parked Enforcer
cars, Enforcers.  Bystanders were knocked off their feet and electricity leapt
across the whole area.  

            Hard Drive suddenly appeared on top of a low story building, laughing at
them all.

           "Hurt, Feral?"  He called out.  "Like who?  You, that's who."  His arms
swept the plant.  "I've got this whole plant at my clawtips, buddy boy.  I've got
energy coming out of every strand of hair on my body.  Enough to handle all your
Enforcers...."  He suddenly turned to the left and fired a blast of electricity at a kat
hidden by a water tower.  "...and all your pathetic sharpshooters."  The poor kat
was fried instantly.  Hard Drive then turned back to the commander.  "Get this,
Feral.  Electricity runs this city...and I run electricity.  From this station, I've
tapped into the whole system, commandeered every switching station, and believe
me, Feral, I can do a lot more than just turn things on and off!  I can send power
surgeries into homes, blow out TV sets.  Every house in the whole city will be like
a bomb that'll send flying pieces of sharp glass into all occupants nearby."  He then
rubbed his chin.  "Or maybe, I'll just start overriding emergency generators in
hospitals  Kiss everybody on life-support good-bye."  He then pointed down at
Feral.  "So hear this!  Ten million bucks to release my choke-hold on the city....Or,
in an hour, kats start dying!  You tell Mayor Manx that.  Hard Drive says ONE
HOUR!!!"  Then he disappeared back inside the building.  Feral banged his fists on
the bonnet of the car.

             "Damn."  Was all he said.

Elsewhere....

            The Turbo-kat flew over the city towards the Nuclear Plant, but first, it
had to make a little pit stop on the way.

             "There's Kurtz's place, right below me.  That's where the Enforcers moved
him to."  T Bone said as he brought the jet into hover mode and landed it on the
roof top of the building next to it.  "If I'd been more effective against Hard Drive,
he wouldn't be hamstringing the city now."  He opened the canopy and got out. 
"This has got to end.  One way or the other."  Attaching his grappling hook to the
side of the building, he lowered himself down the side to an open window that
belonged to Tony Kurtz.

             "Hello?"  Tony said.  He was in the dark, sitting in a chair.

              "Tony?"  T Bone said as he dropped in on the floor.  "Tony, you keep
this place pretty dark - are you okay?"  The figure in the chair nodded.

             "In a manner of speaking."  Tony said.  T Bone didn't come any further
towards him.  He looked around the room.

            "Where are the Enforcers?"  Tony jerked his thumb to a closed door.

             "Back there."  He said.  "They're playing a game of poker or something." 
T Bone lowered his head.

             "Look Tony."  He started.  "I'm......sorry, for what I did to you.  No
matter what you did, I had no right to cripple you like this.  You have no idea what
it's done to me.  I'm afraid to throw a punch.  I--"  Tony held up his paw and
silenced him.

            "I c-can understand fear, SWAT Kat."  He said.  "The d-doctors say I'M
afraid...afraid to recover.  They say my injuries are psychosomatic.  Maybe they're
right.  I d-don't know.  What I d-do know is you're afraid you might snap.  That
you c-can't trust yourself.  What you have to d-do is handle a situation and
c-control yourself."  He turned to face T Bone.  "No one c-can exorcize your
personal d-demons for you.  We each have to d-do it our own way."  He then saw
T Bone climbing out the window.  "Where are you g-going?"

             "To the Megakat Nuclear Power Plant."  He said.  "To exorcize a demon I
know."  With that, T Bone climbed out the window and up to the roof.  Tony sat
there as he listened to the sound of the Turbo-kat taking off.

            "Yes."  Tony said, getting up.  "I think I'm going to d-do that same."  He
then stumbled over to the table and pulled on the green ski mask of Judgment. 
Then, he pulled out the large hunting knife.  "H-hey guys!"  He called out to the
Enforcers.

The Megakat Nuclear Plant.....

              The Enforces were trying to get rid of the annoying crowd that had
gathered just outside the power plant.

             "Everyone!"  An Enforcer was saying though a megaphone.  "Please
return to your homes!  We have everything here under control."  An angry
bystander pointed an accusing finger at him.

             "Who do you think you're kidding, pal?!"  He demanded.  Just then,
everyone looked up as they heard the roar of a jet.

             "Look up there!"  A she-kat said, pointing to the night sky.  Her little
kitten beside her looked up and recognized the jet.

             "Faaaaaaar out!"  The Kitten said.  "The SWAT Kats!"  The Turbo-kat
landed just behind the crowd.  T Bone got out and began walking through them.

             "Hey, T Bone?"  The Kitten called out.  "Are you gonna beat up Hard
Drive?"  T Bone smiled down at him.

              "You bet."  He said.  The others weren't so kind.

               "Get lost!"  One called out.

              "Hey, gutless!"  One called out.  "What're you doing here?!"  T Bone
didn't give him any eye contact.

             "Signing autographs from 3 to 5, now get in line."  He walked past the
crowd, and the Enforcers, towards Commander Feral.

              "Back off SWAT Kat!"  He said.  "The Enforcers can handle this."

              "Fine, Feral."  T Bone said as he jumped over the car and walked
towards the power plant.  "Shoot me."  He walked over to the building that had
flashing lights coming from within.  Opening the door, he entered the building. 
"Hard Drive?!"  He called out.  "Where are ya, you living live wire?"

               "Up here."  Hard Drive called out.  T Bone looked up to see Hard Drive
standing on a cat walk, just thirty feet above him.  "I gotta admit, you take the
cake."  Hard Drive said, crossing his arms.  "Strolling right in here like you're
something special.  I could kill you where you stand."

               "Oh, big talk from a guy whose biggest fear is a bucket of WATER!"  T
Bone said back.  "If Judy Garland were alive, she could take you out!"  Hard Drive
pulled a face.

               "Oh yeah!"  He cried out, throwing a blast of electricity at T Bone. 
"How'd you like to be as dead as she is?"  The blast hit just a meter away from T
Bone.  T Bone didn't even move.

                "Oh, I'm so scared."  He said.  "Hey.  No one's tougher than you
when it comes to glowing like a Christmas tree.  But let's see how you beat me
MY
way, with fists instead of voltage blasts."  Hard Drive didn't even flicker.  "C'mon,
you're so tough, c'mon Sparky."

             "You must think I'm stupid or something!"  Hard Drive shouted as he
hurled another electric bolt at T Bone.  Like the other one it too missed.

             "What can I say, Hard Drive."  T Bone said.  "You got me pegged.  I
think
you are stupid or something."  He then turned to face Hard Drive.  "And that
*something* is gutless.  No more games, Hard Drive.  Fry me here or else prove
you can fight me here, like a real kat fights."  He raised both his fists.  "Down and
dirty, busted knuckles, knees in the gut.  Or maybe its like what you said to me..." 
Hard Drive was fuming on the spot.  "Maybe, you just don't got the juice."

Outside....

           "Idiot, idiot, idiot."  Feral muttered over and over again.  "Walking in there,
taking on that high-voltage lunatic.  Hah, he deserves whatever he gets coming." 
He lowered his voice, so that no one could hear him.  "I hope he's okay."

             Meanwhile, the little kitten who had spoken to T Bone earlier, was
sneaking around the back of all the cars.

            "Can't just stand around here."  He said.  "Gotta see if there's some way
around those Enforcers."  Suddenly, his mother called out.

           "Skip, Skip where are you?"  He recognized his mother's voice.

          "Uh-oh."  He said, quickly hurrying behind a car.  "Better duck around h---" 
He stopped short as he saw the huge kat in the green ski mask, the purple jacket,
and paints, and the black belt around his waist.  In his left paw, he held a Cain.  In
the other, double barrel shotgun.

          "Shouldn't you be in school?"  The figure said.

Inside....

          "Oh."  Hard Drive said, leaping down to the floor below.  "I got the juice all
right.  And you're gonna get it!"  He rushed over to T Bone and landed him a
decent blow to the chin and sent him hurtling back.  T Bone hit the floor and got
back up again.

         "Just of wind knocked me down."  He said.  "Sorry, where were we?"  Hard
Drive nearly blew his top with rage.

          "Shut up, shut up, just shut up!"  He shouted as he began to rain blows
down onto T Bone.  "What's the matter with you?!"  He shouted at him.  "You're
not even dodging."  He delivered a mighty upper cut to T Bone.  "Dodge, blast
you!  Die, fight back, fall down, just do SOMETHING!!!"

Outside.... 

          "HEY!!"  The whole crowd turned around to see Judgment standing by a
car with a shotgun to a kitten's head.  They all gasped, some cried out, and others
screamed.

           "Lady!"  One guy said, holding back a frantic she-kat.  "Get back - he's got
a
gun."

           "Somebody do something!"  She cried.  "That's my son!  Please, for the
love of god, don't hurt him!  He's only a little boy."  Judgment laughed.

            "And the children shall suffer for the sins of the parents."  He quoted. 
"Don't you simple minded simpletons get it?  In this world, EVERYONE'S
GUILTY!!!!"

Inside.....

            "DO SOMETHING!!!"  Hard Drive screamed out as he delivered another
punch to T Bone.  T Bone just pointed to his chin.

            "Gimme something do dodge, and maybe I--"  He ducked as Hard Drive
gave another swing at him, missing him completely.  "---Will!"  He then drew back
his arm  and let his fist fly, sending Hard Drive across the room.  T Bone looked
down at his paw.  He clenched it into a fist  and a huge grin slowly crept across his
face.  "Awright."  He softly said.  He then turned to face Hard Drive.  "Oh
Sparrrrrrrrkyyyyyyy....."

Meanwhile....

            The Enforcers had left their positions around the power plant and had now
surrounded Judgment like a semi-circle  around the car.  They all had their guns
aimed right at his head.

             "Hold your fire,men."  Feral said.  "Kurtz, listen to me.  It's not too late. 
Release the boy.  It does not have to go down like this!"  Judgment shook his
head.

             "You don't understand."  He said.  "This is the only way.  Judgment has to
have his moment.  He won't be quiet until he has it.  So I have to g-give it to him.

At that very moment....

             "I musta been crazy to play it your way!"  Hard Drive said, throwing
electricity inT Bone's direction.  "It doesn't matter how you're beaten, as long as
you are!"  T Bone leapt, dodged, and bounced out of harms way.

             "Funny."  He said.  "That's just what I was thinking about you."

             "Give it up,SWAT Kat."  Hard Drive said.  He then raised his arms and
sent electricity all over the room.  "I can still sever the electrical bonding that lets
you grip to the floor.  You won't be able to stand.  Then, I'll electrify you.  You
can't escape."

             "What makes you think I want to escape?"  T Bone said, leaping for an
over hanging pipe.  "Especially with these insulated pipes that WON'T conduct
your wattage."  He then wrapped his legs around the pipe, and took aim with his
glove-a-trix.  "And so what if you can stop me from standing on the ground?  I'm
not a one trick phony like some guys I know."  He then fired cement slugs at Hard
Drive.

             "You think you can stop me with that puny move?"  He said as he blasted
the cement slugs out of the air, ignoring the blast that landed behind him.

             "No, but maybe with THIS puny move."  He then he activated the drill on
his glovatrix, and drilled a hole in the pipe he was clinging to  and water rushed out
of it, landing inches from Hard Drive.  "Didn't realize it was a WATER pipe,
did'ja?"  Hard Drive took a few steps back, to avoid the water fall.  "Hey,Hard
Drive."  T Bone said.  "Watch out behind you!  There's a big pile of cement slugs,
that haven't hardened yet."

              "You think I'll look around to look, you idiot!"  He cried out, deliberately
taking a step back.  "That's the oldest---"  There was a squelching sound  as he
looked down, he realized that he'd steeped into a pile of cement slugs.  He tugged
at his boots, but the cement slugs had hardened and he was stuck fast.

              "Lights out,Hard Drive."  Hard Drive spun around  to see T Bone behind
him.

               "How'd you get over ----?!"

Outside, again......

               "Judgment thinks he can take you.  I think he can't."  Judgment said to
Feral.  "Only one way to find out..."  At that moment, he threw the kid aside, and
raised his shotgun to full height, aiming it right at Feral.  "JUDGMENT TIME!!!" 
He screamed out.

               Inside the factory, T Bone delivered a knockout blow to Hard Drive's
chin.  The force from the blow was so powerful that it sent Hard Drive flying over
to the other side of the room, knocking him right out of his boots.

              Outside, the Enforcers, who all had their guns raised and aimed at
Judgment all fired at once, making one loud bang rise up over the whole power
plant.  

            Judgment staggered.

            At least twenty bullets slammed into the villain's chest.  The force from the
blast knocked Judgment back into the car, nearly ripping the door of the hinges. 
Feral's voice rose over the gun fire.

           "STOP!!!!"  He screamed out.  "He's had enough!  For the love of God,
he's had enough!"  Judgment tried to stand, using the car as support.  He slid down
the side of the car, leaving a long red smear trail behind him.

            "Hold the pop guns, Feral."  T Bone said, as he exited the building,
carrying
Hard Drive over his shoulder, wrapped up in some rope.  "I got him all wrapped
up and ready for Christmas.  He shouldn't be a----"  he then saw Judgment, lying
by the car, blood oozing from the twenty holes in his chest.  "---problem?"  He
handed Hard Drive to a nearby Enforcer.  "Oh no."  He said, rushing over to the
fallen kat.  "TONY!!!"  He cried out.

               Tony slightly opened his eyes.  Before him, was the angry face of
Judgment.

KURTZ, you moron!  What have you done?!  WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!!!???

              The figure slowly faded from sight, and was replaced with that of T
Bone.

              "Tony."  He said.  "What have you done?"  Tony weakly smiled.

               "I've....won.  Judge-ment's.....DEAD."  He coughed up a little blood. 
"N-now I can live---*** "  Tony's head suddenly dropped and his chest stopped
moving.

                "He was so far gone....He thought Judgment and he were two different
kats."  T Bone said.  Feral picked up the discarded shot gun and opened the
chamber.  He sighed.

               "In that case, Kurtz had the last laugh."  He dropped the gun.  

               "He never loaded Judgment's gun."  Just then, it began to rain.

Darkson Manor : At that moment....

            Dark Kat turned off the TV and smiled.  He lay back in his chair and
looked out the window at the pouring rain.

Rain.

            He smiled, a strange comforting sort of smile.

Rain makes it perfect.

            He let out a heavy sigh of pleasure.

The flood from the heaven.  Beginning anew, washing away the sins of the past.....

            He turned from the window, towards a diary beside him.

.....making way for new and exciting things to grow.

            He picked up the book and opened it.  The diary was completely empty,
except for the first ten pages.  He then wrote in today's date and began to record
the days events.  When he finished, he signed his name and looked over at the next
empty page.

And so, we end our humble prologue, and brace ourselves, as we begin the first
chapter.

           "And now, my dear enemy."  Dark Kat said.  "The game begins, again."  He
tilted back his head and let lose his laughter.  Its mighty howling sound, echoed
into the stormy night.
  
                                                    EPILOGUE :

Later that night......

He drives toward the familiar building --- and It's almost like driving home. 
Enforcer Headquarters has been a part of his life since he was a pilot....

        T Bone stops the Cyclotron just behind the building, where no one can see
him.

....And so has its irascible Commander, Ulysses Feral.  He'd like to say that he's
grown fond of Feral over the years --- But that wouldn't be the right word.  It's
hard to grow fond of someone so full of bluster and arrogance and ego.

        T Bone then fires his grappling hook and it attaches to top of the building. 
He then begins to reel himself up the side of the building.

Perhaps it's better to say that he's grown accustomed to him.  Just as he's grown
accustomed to their constant war of words : The endless arguments and
accusations, childish pranks and screaming matches.  There's something
comforting in it.  Something stabilizing.  No matter how the world changes --- how
unpredictable and frightening it can become --- T Bone knows that he can always
count on Feral to be absurdly consistent.

         Once on the top floor window ledges, he worked his way around to the front
of the building and towards a certain window.

And tonight -- as he prepares to embrace his life again --- it seems only fitting that
he stop by Enforcer headquarters for a contentious round or two.

         T Bone reaches the window and looks in and sees Feral working away at
his desk, hovering over some paper work.

But something makes the SWAT Kat pause : Maybe it's the fact that Feral's still
working away, while most of his best men have left hours ago.  Maybe it's that he
suddenly looks older -- hunched there, over his desk, more fragile somehow than
T Bone has ever seen him.

        T Bone raises his paw, and taps on the glass window.

Or maybe, after all he's been through....

        Feral suddenly spun around, scattering his papers everywhere.

       "What the hell --?!"  He cried out.  He then spotted T Bone, standing out on
the ledge and his face turned into a frown.  "Oh, so it's you!"  He said, opening the
window and climbing out onto the ledge with T Bone.  "What're you trying to do,
you Hot Shot -- scare me to death?!"  T Bone just stared back at him.

...He just feels like giving the old kat a break.

        "It's eleven forty-five, Feral."  Was all he said.  "Why don't you knock it off
and go home?  You keep working these late hours, you're gonna drive yourself to
an early grave."  And with that, he headed around to the back of the building, to
were he'd left the Cyclotron.  

Feral was dumbfounded.  He just stood there, blinking.

         "Wait a minute!"  He cried out.  "Aren't you gonna insult me?  Aren't you
gonna say how bad I look or brag about how you saved the day?!  Aren't you ---" 
Out of the corner of his eye, Feral suddenly saw the photo on his desk.  The one of
his niece, Felina.  He quickly came back into the room, turned off the light,
grabbed
his coat, and dashed out the door.

Maybe, T Bone actually reached the old kat.  Maybe.  Or maybe, Feral too, feels
like a break.  

They've both been though allot lately.  Stress, pressure, fear, guilt.  After all,
they're
both heroes.  Being a hero isn't all fun and games.  It's also hard work, and
sometimes, deadly.  We mustn't take heroism for granted.  For if we do, it can be
most unpleasant at some times.  Like tonight.  We must accept that fact that
putting on a costume, and assuming the responsibility to protect others, we also
bring unwanted pain and suffering into our lives.

That is the piece you must pay for being a hero. 

THE END.

NOTE :  If enough people ask me, I might have one of my old stories, or this 
              trilogy, taken down, and replaced with an HTML version, complete with 
              pictures.  YAAAHHHHH!!!!