BOOK ELEVEN: KLAWZ "Hey, Sure-Shot, something's coming up on our tail. It's definitely not an Enforcer." "I copy, T-Bone. Affermative. It's not an Enforcer. It's not private aircraft either. It's good enough to be MASA-made. Must be experimental, I've never seen it before." The SWAT Kats watched it maneuvering silently. "T-Bone, it's coming our way. At the speed it's going, it'll pass us in ten." A buzzer beeped the incoming rate. "...Two...one!" The small black and silver jet shot ahead of them. "Hey, Razor...wanna play follow-the-leader?" "Roger! Let's see what MASA's been doing with our tax dollars!" After a few seconds of pursuit, Razor started rapidly pushing buttons. "Aw, crud! T-Bone, you're not going to believe this, but we lost it!" "*What*? I thought you fixed it so we'd pick up everybody in the sky!" "I *did* fix it! Wow! MASA's really gotten ahead in technology!" "I don't like it." "Come again?" "MASA doesn't have a base close enough to do top-secret building. Besides, they'd never test it over Megakat City!" "You're right, T-Bone. I don't *like* it, but you're right." "Come in guys!" "What is it Miss Briggs?" Razor asked. "Someone's robbing Megakat Trader's and Grower's Bank! They last saw him escaping to the roof!" "We're on it!" ____________s_____________w_____________a_____________t____________ "Trader's and Grower's Bank, hmm? We'll just see who stops him first!" Klawz grinned savagely as she guided the Phoenix. She landed her jet on the roof and had popped the canopy open before the robber had even finished opening the roof door. Klawz slipped her glove-a-trex on before her feet even reached the gravel on the roof. The kat was dressed as security - a rent-a-cop. But the gun he pointed at her wasn't even close to regulation. "Freeze!" Klawz ordered. "No, you freeze," he sneered. Three quick shots jumped from the wicked-looking barrel. She dropped and rolled with a curse. Klawz came directly from the roll into a firing stance. She pushed a button which would launch a gas pellet from her glove-a-trex. The pellet flew through the air and landed at the bank robber's feet. A quick flash of light burst instead of gas. "CRUD! Wrong button!" Klawz muttered through clenched teeth as she threw herself at him. Her tackle sent them rolling over the roof's surface. The gun and the bag of money flew from his beefy paws. The kat was on top of her. Klawz almost saw the punch too late, she had been trying to throw him off of her. She tossed her head to the left, just a fraction of a second later the robber's fist met the roof's gravel and he yelped in pain. She used the effect of all his weight being focused on his upper body for the punch to send him over her. He landed on his back with a heavy grunt. She stood up. The kat looked over her shoulder and yelled to somebody behind her, "Get the bank robber!" The next thing she feels are two strong arms grabbing her from behind. "Are you *insane*? I'm not the bank robber, *he* is!" Klawz yelled her frustration and dipped forward. But her new attacker had a good stance, he didn't sail over her shoulder like she had hoped he would. In all the fighting her helmet had been bumped and jostled until this last action finally broke the strap. Her golden hair tumbled around her masked face as her helmet hit the roof. Her attacker whirled her around and let her go. It was T-Bone. "It's just a girl!" He called to Razor who was still running to the scene. "What do you *mean* 'just a girl'?" Her eyes caught the glint of sunlight against the barrel of the robber's gun. "Nevermind, this 'girl' is gonna save your skin!" Klawz pushed T-Bone square in his broad shoulders and knocked him flat on his back. A bullet ripped through one of her sleeves. When they rolled out of their tumble, they assumed identical positions with their glove-a-trexes on the real bank robber. Razor had it covered already, though. It was he who prevented the kat from firing a second and more final shot. She continued to cover Razor while he tied up the kat. When he was restrained, she got out of her crouch and dusted off her pants. Klawz examined the tear in her sleeve and frowned. On one heel, she turned and walked over to her helmet. After picking it up and examining it, she figured out what had happened to the clasp and fixed it. Klawz walked off, putting her helmet on her head. She reached the Phoenix and leaned on it. She calmly adjusted the strap while the SWAT Kats stared at her. Slowly, a grin broke out on her lips. "An extreme pleasure to make your aquaintance, expecially you, T-Bone!" Klawz climbed into the cockpit of her jet and buckled her seat belts. The grin still in place, she pointed to the sky where a small two-engine plane was being pursued by two Enforcer helicopters while another two looked about to land on the roof. "Looks like the calvary's arrived! I'll be seein' ya!" "Hey, wait!" T-Bone protested. "What's *your* name, pilot?" Razor called over the noise of the approaching Enforcer helicopters. ____________s_____________w_____________a_____________t____________ The SWAT Kats watched as the unknown she-kat's smile grew more dangerous. "Klawz. And this here," she patted the armored jet, "is the Phoenix. As I said, I'll be seein' ya." The glass canopy slid shut and the pilot saluted them. Her attention then focused on her radar before she did a take-off that was definitely *not* text-book safe. It *was* impressive though. Klawz was up and past the Enforcers before Commander Ferral had time to even sputter a protest through the ever-present loudspeaker. Ann Gora's news 'choper wasn't so unlucky, though. Klawz did some airel acrobatics before zooming off. Commander Ferral's 'copter was the first to land and he was the first one off it. "I *demand* to know who that pilot was!" he bellowed as his officers spilled from the helicopter. The officers took the bank robber away. "*She* was Klawz. Klawz was the first one on the scene and should really get the credit for apprehending the criminal," Razor said while a wide smile spread across his face. Ferral stopped in his tracks. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. "Well, this 'Klawz' has a lot to answer for! A take-off like that could have endangered one of my officers!" ____________s_____________w_____________a_____________t____________ Later, Razor interrupted T-Bone's thoughts to ask his opinion. "Hey, buddy, what do you think about Klawz?" "I'm trying to figure out who she is behind the mask." "She probably wonders the same thing about us. As long as we respect her privacy, she'll respect ours." "She reminds me of someone and I'm trying to figure out who. I get the feeling I know her from somewhere...but from where?" ____________s_____________w_____________a_____________t____________ Klawz saw the news 'copter. Before, she felt she was just acting out a part, now she all of a sudden realized that it *wasn't* a movie and she *had* done it all herself. That knowledge sent an adrenaline rush through her. She tossed her hair and laughed. Then she let the adrenaline determine the stunts she did for the camera. Klawz was doing a barrel roll when the words of one of her teachers came back to her. "Never let the adrenaline go to your head - that's when you start making mistakes." Immediately, she pulled out and left the scene. Then she headed for the canyons. She had started flying the Phoenix there because it was so similar to flying in and among the city's buildings. Klawz would confine her training to the canyons for a while longer, yet.