The Alliance

The red 5 on the LCD-display died out only to be instantly replaced by a four. Four seconds.

Viper could *taste* the electric field emanating from the Metallikats, the robotic equivalent of cold sweat. DarkKat's smell was strong and foul on Viper's tongue, and vacuous, just as always. The purple giant's feelings were a mystery that eluded even his superior senses. But, this mix of scents was displaced by a stench he could identify without doubt, for the emotions that birthed it were his own.

Fear. Rage.

The counter went down to three.

Time seemed to stretch; his terror, his anger created the illusion. The SWAT Kats and Feral vanished from sight on the beach, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor with them. Viper snarled at the memory that he had warned DarkKat that the destruction of the TurboKat had looked too easy.

"Just as I anticipated." DarkKat's words sprang into his mind. Yesssss. But *they* will survive thisss. And, we won't! Did you anticccipate thissss too? I've been a fool to trusssst that megalomaniac.

A single light on the display faded away, another one lit up. Such a small thing, and yet it meant so much. Two seconds were all that was left of his life.

Too much pieces of the plan had been devised by DarkKat. From capturing one SWAT Kat to the pick of this abandoned tuna factory, every step the work of DarkKat. The SSSWAT Katssss would be dead if *I* had....

DarkKat hasss chosen this place. What....?

He turned to his hated ally just in time to see him push a hidden button on the detonator. Viper realized that the SWAT Kats' missiles had caused far too little damage for an assumed wooden floor - in the very moment at which the beaming red number on the remote formed into a one.

Geniussss and madnessss are closely connected, Viper thought as the trapdoor fell away beneath him, and the four villains inside the force field bubble plunged into darkness. *That* I should know bessst!

But, would *he* have been so mad as to place an escape route under a spot where their *enemies* were supposed to be?

The alliance hit the ground, the Metallikats going down in a loud tinny clamoring.

The trapdoor closed as swift as it had opened, and the former factory on top of them exploded *outwards* in a roar. The shockwave forced Dr. Viper to remain on his knees.

When the worst trembling was over and his eyes had adjusted to the semidarkness, Viper found himself inside an artificial cavern, alone with the Metallikats.

DarkKat.... He looked around, hissing in anger. Gone.

Molly Mange had apparently had the same idea about leaving. She was on her feet already and walking away to the southern end of the cave with the sure footing of infrared vision, her husband close on her heels.

Viper hissed again for the sheer reason that it calmed him a bit and quickly jumped to his feet. He hastened after the Metallikats.

"Hey Mac, look who dares to follow us," Molly snapped.

"Ssshut up! Without me, you'd ssstill be the sssslavesss of DarkKat," Viper butted in before Mac could answer with that trademark inanity of his. "Now, let'ssss get out of here before there'sss a cave in." He quickened his steps and bumped through the middle of the two of them, taking the lead. Let them be pressssed into ssstampsss! he chuckled silently.

Only four steps later, he ran into an invisible wall. "Ouffhh," he shouted in surprise.

The Metallikats reached his position.... and walked on.

What the...? He sidestepped to the left where Mac had passed him. The wall stayed solid.

"What's the matter, slimy insect? Found yourself a rock to hide under?" Molly mocked him, but didn't slow her pace.

Viper was too close to panic to formulate an appropriate remark. "I can't get out," he yelled.

Mac barked a metallic laugh. "Hey, last one out is a dumb, slow lizard."

His wife just rolled her eyes. "DUH! Your humor is even worse than your driving."

"Really? Well, I used to be funny once."

"Not that I remember!"

"I was. Before I married you!"

Their voices thinned out.

The evolving argument was lost on the Doctor as the selective barrier seemed to contract, forcing him €“ *herding* him €“ back to the center of the grotto.

Ssso that'sss where the light comessss from. The tiny ghost of analyst Dr. Elrod Purvis shoveled its way to the surface of his mind whilst the rest of him screamed wordlessly at his vulnerability.

Before him, the rock of the cavern wall began to show in sketchy patches. Not so much of the rock could be seen, but rather the two flickering orange tongues of petroleum lamps that were attached to the wall at the height of six feet. Set roughly five meters apart, they looked like the hungry eyes of a demon.

Movement to his right made Viper turn his head, and he saw DarkKat walking toward the oil lamps in a struggle not unlike his own. For once, he could read DarkKat as if he was an open book. DarkKat's emotions resembled his precisely.

A figure, beneath the lights, was Viper's incoherent thought before DarkKat's deep voice rumbled out, expanding to a fearsome thunder in the echoing cavern.

"WHO DARES...?!"

"DarkKat. Dr. Viper. You've been summoned!" The voice was clear and bright and soft but with a power of its own, a power that equaled DarkKat's intimidating tone. Viper could feel his scales standing on end, and, by the look on DarkKat's face, it made quite an impression on the colossus, too.

In the iridescent illumination of the flames, the mysterious kat's blonde fur shone a creepy auburn. He was a bit on the short side, and yet there was an aura of authority about him neither villain dared to question. His impression was intensified by the shimmering motion around him, a blurring effect like the one of heat waves. It contorted his figure, made it impossible for Dr. Viper to look at him directly for more than a second without emptying his stomach from the whirling effect it had on his eyes. It also caused a skull-splitting headache.

Again, Viper could see it was the same with DarkKat. Neither of them would be able to discern the face of their shadowy opponent.

"MegaKat City's most feared criminal masterminds. Outstanding physiques and extreme resistance paired with brilliant minds. This should guarantee an excellent fight."

"WHAT?" DarkKat bellowed incredulously.

Both villains were thrown to the ground by the blow of a mighty force.

"SILENCE! You will do as I say or face the consequences. The penalty for disobedience is death. You will fight each other in mortal combat or die. Only one of you is allowed to leave this arena alive."

"And, who are you to forcccce ussss to fight?" Viper asked upon standing up, infuriated.

"Who says I need to be forced!" DarkKat sprang toward the astonished Doctor.

Viper stumbled back in defense. The claws of his opponent cut three deep lines across his chin. If not for this move, DarkKat would have ripped out his Adam's apple.

DarkKat was on the attack and slashed out once more. This time, his claws found their mark on Viper's chest. More blood striped the floor with dark stains. However, the wounds weren't deep as the giant had lost the advantage of the moment of surprise.

"You treacherous reptile. Now you pay for your disloyalty."

He landed a powerful blow to Viper's face that sent him tumbling back two meters.

Viper got up in record time as the adrenaline pushed him up and turned on the spot, using his tail as a club to block DarkKat's forward drive.

DarkKat anticipated the move and grabbed Viper by the tail, claws unsheathed.

Viper roared in pain. Then, he lost contact with the ground as DarkKat used the surplus power of his tail slashing to swing him around.

The impact on the granite-hard floor was pitiless and pressed the wind from his lungs.

A powerful kick to his midriff caused him to roll further over the sharp-edged stones. DarkKat had wasted no time in setting after him.

Black spots appeared before Dr. Viper's eyes.

DarkKat reached under his cape and fetched his cane. A turn of the golden knob slackened a spring within, and a dagger shot forth ten centimeters from the cane's other end. It glistened sinisterly in the orange light.

He leaped to the figure on the ground, weapon out front, using all his weight in the thrust.

Viper closed his eyes on the inevitable.

His heartbeat reverberated agonizingly in his head, shutting out every other sound. After a moment, he opened his eyes again. Time seemed to stretch once more as DarkKat came jumping toward him in slow motion. Viper's pulse did a somersault.

It didn't change to the retardation!

The tip of the blade came to a stop merely an inch away from his right eyeball, with a more than bewildered DarkKat hanging motionless in midair at its far end.

"No weapons are allowed in this duel." The cane crumbled to dust. "Those are the rules."

DarkKat was thrown back by an invisible hand and slumped to the ground a good five meters away from Viper.

"The fight may continue."

"Those rules were never....!" DarkKat started.

Viper jumped.

He landed with a knee in DarkKat's chest and smiled in satisfaction as he heard him grunt from the pain of a rib cracking.

DarkKat punched at Viper feebly, but, with his giant stature, this was still enough to send Viper tumbling off him.

Upon falling, Viper coiled his tail around DarkKat's neck and tightened his grip, strangling him.

The purple monster grabbed the tail and tried to pry it off with his claws. More slashes added to the blood red stripes.

Viper growled, swung his tail around and loosened the grip on DarkKat, sending him flying against the granite wall.

He connected with it headfirst and spit up a large blot of dark blood.

The Doctor sprang after him, extending his powerful claws and fangs.

The air around him turned to jelly, robbed him of control over his own body, and stopped him dead in space at the time his claws had just punctured the skin of DarkKat's throat.

"INSUFFICIENT! I've not spent millions to see a seconds-lasting fight. Cowards show more stamina in combat than the two of you. You will try harder, or you will *BOTH* lose your lives!"

Both combatants were thrown back to their starting positions.

Viper boiled with madness and rage. This was not a fight for the better one of them to win. The mysterious kat would choose a winner, and that would be the villain who pleased him best. It was a one-sided fight they could only lose.

He looked over at DarkKat. The purple giant had the same thoughts as he had, Viper was sure. Their eyes met and Viper understood. Even DarkKat was predictable sometimes.

They had an alliance.

DarkKat reached under his cape once more, and Viper started to run toward him.

"If we lose," DarkKat began.

Viper altered his direction and jumped at their opponent. "Everyone loses!" he concluded.

The air solidified around him before he could even get *near* the mysterious figure, but it was all the distraction DarkKat needed to grab a second remote and push the button on it.

For an instant, the cavern was bathed in bright light as several detonations happened at the ceiling. The world began to shake, and Viper fell to the floor.

"WHAT...?!" The voice of their aggressor was edged with fear.

Dr. Viper glanced at DarkKat to combine their attack, but his ally just shook his head. Not enough time!

They began to run for their lives.

DarkKat was still growling when he reached his submarine. He would find the fool who had dared to make him, *DarkKat*, a gladiator marionette. He would turn over every pebble in MegaKat City if need be, he would unite with Dr. Viper if need be, but he would find him and tear him apart limb from limb. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, so he would *scream* his pleas for mercy for days. You hear my vow, he swore to himself, I will find you, whoever and wherever you are!

Viper's instincts led him the way the Metallikats had taken, and he snarled at the searing pain as he dived into the saltwater. To fight for nothing else then for the pure satisfaction of a maniac! What a futility! Well, the only thing it had gained the mysterious kat was that he and DarkKat had united their forces in the end.

Then, he exhaled at the sudden realization that this had been the sole purpose of the contest.

He broke the surface of the water and roared. Their foe's scheme had worked!

Inside the doomed cavern, the blurring waves vanished as the hologram of the blonde kat faded away. Behind it, the two battered shapes made a fearsome sight.

The larger form was burned all over, the purple flesh charred black and peeling off in stripes, and it oozed the pungent stench of fire and disease. His face, always a mask of fear for his enemies, was now more than ever a living reminder of death.

The reptilian figure to his right had seen better days, too. Its tail was gone, and so were its right arm and right eye, the whole body covered with scars and deep, severe wounds that would never heal completely.

Both figures were broken.

Dr. Viper looked at the blood on the cavern floor... his blood. He sighed. The fight had been the only way to make his younger self *see*... to bring him to his senses... when his raging hatred toward DarkKat had made him too blind to heed the words of reason he else would have given.

"We won't make the same mistake twice, Viper." DarkKat's voice was deep, but a wheeze without the voice simulator. His lungs weren't the best anymore.

No, they wouldn't be so blind again as to hate each other more than the SWAT Kats. The hatred had caused only harm, and the SWAT Kats had profited from it. The SWAT Kats...

"I wissshed we could have killed those meddling pestssss," Viper hissed for the nth time.

DarkKat's exasperated answer was always the same, and so it was now. "We kill them and prosper, and create our glorious reign over MegaKat City. And, in five years, on the very day we traveled back in time, the two timelines merge again, and our successful selves are suddenly stuck in *THESE* bodies, close to death." He howled. "Killing the SWAT Kats was no option."

Viper knew DarkKat was right. He looked at the metal sphere in his left hand. With this instrument, they were able to *erase* the timeline they've come from, but it also limited their influence over the past. They could only manipulate their younger doppelgangers and the things they'd taken along from the future, like DarkKat's cane. Things would have been easier without these restrictions.

His hand and the sphere became translucent. "Did you ever think about dying, DarkKat?"

DarkKat faded away, too. "Every day, Viper, every day." His vanishing face contorted into a horrendous grimace. "But, never about my own death!"

The wraith of Dr. Viper looked at DarkKat with wide eyes and started to laugh. "You know, DarkKat, I'll never like you."

"And there's no need for liking. Just for two-sided respect.... For an alliance..." His voice boomed in the cave long after he and Viper were gone without trace, forever wiped out from time.

The cavern collapsed sooner than it had collapsed once before, announcing beyond doubt a new timeline with its unlimited, unimaginable and unpredictable twists and turns.

THE END