Rating: T
Warnings: Language, Violence

Summary: A recap of 'A Bright and Shiny Future', but from a different angle.

Author's Notes: Finally done! Now to finish the one last fic standing in the way.

Addendum 06-14-2005: This series has been more a headache than anything else for me. Aforementioned fic was scrapped. New series will commence when I've got a few years worth of updates ready.

September 2, 1999

Professor Hackle awakes in the cave that he and the other Resistance fighters with him had shared for the night. He looks at the calendar he had made, and marks the previous day off. He gets up, bathes quickly in the nearby lake. He remembers years before, as Razor, asking himself what day it was when he and T-Bone had come forward in time. Now that day had arrived, and knowing what would happen did not thrill him.

They all spent the day packing up their equipment so they could move to another location for the next planned raid. They left shortly before sunset, and were well on their way when they saw a smoke trail and heard something crash-landing in the forest.

Just after they all pulled into the clearing to inspect whatever it was that crashed, he sees two Kats inspecting the damaged aircraft. He sees them ready for combat as the three vehicles pull into the clearing. They fire, and the cement slugs hit Commander Feral, just as Felina runs forward shouting, "Hold your fire, we're Kats too."

"Lieutenant Feral!?" both SWAT Kats respond.

Before Felina can respond, Callie steps out of the vehicle she's in, and gasps, "Professor Hackle, it's the SWAT Kats!"

"Amazing." Professor Hackle, although his voice betrays his lack of amazement, manages to keep an amazed look on his face.

'They look so young!' Callie thinks as she walks over to T-bone, "You're alive." she says softly, then hugs him.

Felina's expression turns to stone, as she fights the grief she felt at losing Chance those two years before.

"So far, this is the only part of the future I like." T-Bone says just before Razor jumps down from the TurboKat. 'Jake, oh, Jake!' Callie thinks as she takes a step toward him, then hugs him, holding him as she says, "We all thought you and the Turbokat were destroyed!"

"I saw it with my own eyes! Your jet exploded!" Feral says as he brushes the dried cement from the tattered remains of his uniform, then growls, "How did you two hotshots escape?"

"Same old Feral." T-Bone says, smiling.

"So good to see you SWAT Kats; I'll arrange a parade..." Mayor Manx says, his voiced aged.

"Same old Manx." Razor says, smiling as well.

Not realizing that this Razor did not know anything that had happened between them, Callie simply says, "We thought you two were dead!" She touches T-Bone's paw while holding Razor's in her other paw.

Razor says, "Well, our future selves may be dead, Ms. Briggs, but we're from the past."

Callie releases his paw, but before she can interject that she was Mrs. Clawson, and that they had a kitten, T-Bone says, "We were dragged here by that crazy PastMaster. He was mumbling something about 'changing the future'."

Hackle says, "He changed the future for everyone in MegaKat City."

He takes the time to describe the scenery for them as he tells of how the PastMaster had revived the MetalliKats, and how the MetalliKats had taken over the City. He finishes by saying, "Only our small band of Resistance Kat fighters are left uncaught."

Callie replies, "But now that you SWAT Kats are back, maybe we have a chance to overthrow the robots."

Manx adds, "We need all the help we can get, SWAT Kats."

Suddenly, a spotlight shines on the group and a robotic voice shouts, "It won't be enough!" As they all look up and see a helicopter. It fires. T-Bone and Razor tackle the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, knocking them out of harm's way. They roll to a stop and both aim their glovatrixes at the searchlight, firing Turboblades.

"Get goin', we'll cover ya!" T-Bone shouts as the group scatters.

Hackle hobbles into his vehicle while Callie pushes the Mayor into their vehicle and drives off. Commander Feral fires his laser rifle at the chopper before he gets into his vehicle.

"C'mon, we got more firepower in the jet!"

As the two run toward the TurboKat, a huge robotic foot plants itself next to the wreckage.

"Crud! Tarface is back!"

They leap into a vehicle as it drives by, just as the Mega-bot tries to grab them. A huge Laser Gatling gun slides out of its hand, and it fires at the fleeing vehicles. The occupants of one leap into the underbrush just before it's destroyed by the Mega-bot.

"Faster Callie, faster!" the Mayor urges as Callie floors it. A few near misses from the robot, and they end up front-end in a tree.

The Mega-bot grabs the vehicle and places it into a compartment in the chopper, then both move off toward the City.

After the robots had left, four kats emerged from the underbrush.

"Looks like we're in one piece, bud." the tabby says.

"Yeah, but what about the rest?" his small partner asks.

'I can't let on that she's married to m--him.' the professor thinks as he says mournfully, "The Mayor and Ms. Briggs are gone. And it's all my fault! I should have melted down those MetalliKats long ago!"

"There must be some way to stop these renegade robots, Professor!" Razor exclaims.

"Perhaps. If I could get into MetalliKat Headquarters and reprogram the Central Robot Control Matrix..." Professor Hackle muses.

"Impossible! My Enforcers tried that, and we're all that's left." Feral says with a growl as he gestures to himself and Felina.

"But you don't have the TurboKat!" T-Bone says smugly.

"Neither do we!" Razor looks up from the engine he was inspecting.

They hear a vehicle backing up to the jet, and the rear hatch opening up to reveal the Professor. "But if we all work together to repair your jet..."

"Cool setup, Professor." Razor says as he picks up a small welding torch.

"Once an inventor, always an inventor." Hackle says with a hint of pride and amusement.

"How good with a welding torch are you Commander?" T-Bone asks.

"Not very. I haven't done any welding since I was in high school." he replies, "That was over thirty years ago."

"Ok, then, just check over the control surfaces and the cabling while I check the armor plating."

"I'll start on running the diagnostics, then I'll see what I can do about the engines." Razor replies.

"I'll help you check the engines over." Felina says. "Two J-18s, and an M20." she says softly, then whistles at the damage done to the M-20.

"Whazzat?" Razor asks as he pulls his head out of the intake.

"Huh? Oh, just identifying your engines."

"They're heavily modified."

"I know. They're still identifiable, though. Let's see. Good, the fuel lines and tanks are fine. Let's see about the hydraulics." Felina pushes all the grief from her mind as she goes over the engines. "Looking good, now let's see about the injectors and afterburn injectors."

She glances up to see both SWAT Kats looking at her inquisitively.

"What?" she asks.

"How do you know so much about this jet's engines?" T-Bone asks.

"I uh, studied the engine types Enforcers use in several jets." She says as a single tear streams down her face. She hides her face by continuing to inspect the engines. "The J-18s are used in the Supersabres, and the M-20 saw operable status on a stealth fighter."

T-Bone asks, "Lieutenant?"

"Yes, T-Bone?" she replies, forcing the sadness from her voice.

"Can you check the secondary hydraulic lines while you're there?"

"I've already done it. The lines are intact."

"Cabling and controls are in good shape." Commander Feral declares as he ducks his massive frame from underneath the airframe. "There is an odd bite-like mark on your left wing."

"Care to help T-Bone with the fuselage, Commander?" Razor asks as he climbs into the cockpit.

"Yes."

Felina climbs onto the fuselage and inspects the bite-mark. Commander Feral, welding torch in paw, starts welding fractures in the lower fuselage while T-Bone starts welding in a different area. Professor Hackle digs through his tools and finds the ones he had been looking for, then hobbles over to the jet and starts repair work on the M-20 Megathruster.

Razor turns on the electronics and onboard computers, and starts the diagnostics.

"Where did this bite-mark come from, guys?" Felina asks.

"We were at Old MegaKat bridge, responding to the Pastmaster..."

"You caught me when I failed to stop him. I remember." She walks over to a panel and removes it to access the engines from up top.

"Hey, I'm getting a television signal."

"What is it, buddy?"

'Citizens of MetalliKat City, this is Molly Mange, Ruler of MetalliKat City, with a warning to all non-robotic creatures. You must give yourselves up by sunrise, or we will kill the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. See all you Kat wimps at sunrise! Hahahahahaha!!!'

"We're outta repair time, buddy." T-Bone replies.

"Launching Cyclotron!" Razor says as he keys in the systems startup on the Cyclotron and T-Bone revs the engines.

"See you at MetalliKat Headquarters!" They hear Razor shout.

As they pull out of sight, Felina finally stops resisting and starts sobbing. Professor Hackle stops what he is doing and climbs up the wing ladder. He places his arm around her. He soothingly says, "They will succeed. I've never seen the SWAT Kats beat twice. They are helping to make the future bright for all Katkind. Don't worry about them, ok?"

"It's not that, I--I miss him so."

"You will always miss him. Keep his memory alive by raising his son with the values both you and he share."

Commander Feral stops welding and climbs up there himself. "Felina, we need to start working on this, or we'll never be able to help them." he says in a soft voice.

"Yes, Sir." she says. He climbs back down and starts welding various cracks and seams on the TurboKat.

Hackle and Felina both start repair work on the engines.

"Crud," they both hear.

"What Uncle?"

"There's too much damage to the fuselage. I can't weld all this back together."

"Use the wreckage of your vehicle for spare metal, Commander." Hackle says, "You should have some good pieces of metal to use."

* * *

"Can you drop my Vehicle off two miles from the Salvage yard?" Hackle asks.

"Yes, why?" Commander Feral says.

"I'm going to enter the City from that side." he responds.

"You'll be chopped to pieces by 'Bot patrols!" Felina exclaims.

"No. I've been working on something that will get me through." Hackle climbs into his vehicle, and presses a few buttons. Several panels pop out a few inches, then the form of a small walker-bot appears where the vehicle was.

They check the instruments of the TurboKat, and the walker-bot appears to be the real thing.

Hackle shortly powers the system down.

"That's how!" he shouts from the inside of it, "It's also how I managed to avoid being caught!"

* * *

As soon as the wheels touch the ground, Hackle floors it, then activates the holo-matrix. The vehicle is replaced by the form of a walker-bot and it's animated to seem like it's running as he drives.

"ECM standing by, MagPulse blaster standing by, force-field standing by." he says as he punches a few buttons.

He watches as the TurboKat fly toward the City.

"Hold on, Hackle, we're going to go real fast." he mutters.

He presses a few buttons and pushes a throttle mechanism all the way up. Hidden jet engines activate and push the vehicle to incredible speeds. He watches the TurboKat grow larger as he drives toward the City.

"Heehee, hello, guys." he says into the radio as he passes underneath them.

* * *

"There he is, he's really moving, Uncle." Felina comments as the disguised vehicle passes them on its way into the City.

"Never mind him; let's just concentrate on making to MetalliKat HQ in one piece."

"Incoming, Uncle."

"Not anymore." he comments as Hackle's vehicle blasts the three flier-bots out of the air.

"We're going to have to get him to explain how he got all that in that truck."

"He'll just say something along the lines of, 'It's patented, besides, a true techno-wizard never gives away his secrets.'" Felina comments as Hackle takes out another three flier-bots.

As Hackle makes his way to HQ, they start attacking gun emplacements near HQ.

* * *

Hackle notices all the robots deactivate as he powers everything down and slams the brakes, screeching to a halt in front of MetalliKat HQ. He pops the hatch and steps out with a small bag.

* * *

"The SWAT Kats!"

"And it doesn't look like they're giving up."

"Hey, Enforcers are flying that thing! Where are the SWAT Kats?" Molly asks, enraged.

"The SWAT Kats are right behind ya, Molly!" T-Bone shouts.

He and Razor activate their glovatrix buzzsaws, slicing the metal disguises away, then let them fly, cutting the wires to the Control Matrix helmet. The system, under a safety override, shuts down all robots in the City.

The fight to retake the City had begun, and been completed.

"It's the Professor! He's comin' t' reprogram us!" Mac says as he glances at the monitor.

"He's gotta catch us first." Molly snarls as she lays cover fire toward the SWAT Kats.

They make their escape, and the SWAT Kats give chase.

They get to the roof just as the MetalliKat chopper takes off. The TurboKat lands a moment later, and the canopy slides back.

They leap onto her, and T-Bone says, "We can handle it from here."

"If you don't mind." Razor adds.

Feral smiles at them as Felina looks at T-Bone lovingly. She pulls his head to hers and kisses him full on the mouth.

"Take care of yourself, hotshot." she whispers as she releases him.

She leaps down next to Commander Feral, then they both run out, down the stairs to the control room.

T-Bone sits in the pilot's seat, stunned, just for a moment, before saying softly, "What a gal."

He activates the canopy and takes off, scanning for the MetalliKat's chopper.

* * *

Feral and Felina run into the control room, where the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are with Professor Hackle.

Hackle tosses them his vehicle's keys and they rush down to the ground level and get in.

They start up and follow the TurboKat, which is following the MetalliKats.

The TurboKat fires on the MetalliKats, disabling their chopper.

They watch as the Mega-bot catches the MetalliKats and listen to the Metallikats yelling at it to destroy the TurboKat.

"It's over. From now on, robots and Katkind will live in harmony."

"Traitor!" Molly yells as the Mega-bot places them on the ground.

"Mac and Molly Mange, you're under arrest!" Feral says, aiming his gun at them.

The Pastmaster runs up to Molly and grabs his watch, shouting, "And I'm leaving! So long, SWAT Kats, hope you enjoy the future! Hehehehehe!"

He raises it and summons a Time Vortex, and the TurboKat flies toward the Vortex as well, while releasing grappling cables. The cables snag the Pastmaster's cloak, and they follow him through the Vortex. It closes a moment later.

At MetalliKat HQ, Callie, having watched the entire scenario from a screen, falls to her knees and starts crying.

The Metallikats rush both Ferals, and knock them out of the way, getting in the vehicle. A bright light emanates from the interior, and both Ferals get up to see both MetalliKats deactivated.

"Hackle, what happened to them?" Feral asks over his radio.

"A precaution. The light was a combination EMP and Neural Scrambler. Their memories are wiped, and their power supplies inactive." came his voice over the radio. "Please, dispose of them permanently."

"Wilco, professor." Feral says, then sets his radio to broadcast, "Attention all MegaKat Enforcers and MegaKat guerillas, the MetalliKats have fallen, the City is free. Please make contact with all Enforcer assets outside the quarantine zone."

In all the camps, the news spread like wildfire. Within hours, the first vehicles from the nearest camps had entered the city, as did several Enforcer Cargo Choppers. Instead of cheering crowds, the fighters found themselves passing out combat rations to the starved populace that didn't escape the MetalliKat's initial invasion.

Other fighters liberated the work camps as Enforcer troop carriers rolled in with medical supplies and foods. By nightfall, most of the Resistance base camps and the majority of the Resistance main base had entered the City with supplies.

At dawn the next morning, memorial services were held for all the fighters who died in the invasion, including the SWAT Kats. Then the arduous and long task of dismantling the robots and rebuilding the City began.

* * *

Two weeks later, just after the telephone lines were set back up, and the telephone company had started service again, the two she-kats living there with their kittens received a call at MegaKat Salvage yard.

"Hello, Callie, Felina, this is Professor Hackle. I've found... some things of yours. They're safe here at my house. Come by when you can."