Manxed Prolog Tis the year 2002. The year better known as "Manx's Year" The SWAT Kats were semi-retired due to the fact the super-villains gave up. And due to the fact they were married for 5 years now. Jake AKA Razor was married to Calico Clawson, and are still happily married with there 3 kittens. Tom, Tim, & Crystal. Chance AKA T-Bone was also happily married to Felina Furlong. They haven't had any kittens yet for Felina got a promotion and was now Lt. Commander of the Enforcers. Manx, however, was not "happy" in the sense that was mentioned before. He got greedy, and had more hair-brained schemes to boost his pocket book. His plans never worked, and he had to cut Callie's pay, and the Enforcer budget to make up for them. Tis Christmas Eve at 4:59 PM, at city hall..... Chapter One Callie was watching the clock. "10...9...8" She said to herself while smiling with anticipation. "5...4...3...2......." "CALLLLLLLLLLIE!" A voice called. "So close, yet so far." She sighed and turned to the source of the voice, "Yes Mayor?" "You know this is an election year. What are you doing?" "Well mayor, it is Christmas Eve. I wanted to get home early so I can watch the kittens open the presents Jake I got for them." "Christmas? Humbug! It's just another commercial holiday we can use to get votes." "Mayor, Christmas is more than that......." "Humbug! I want you in here tomorrow by 7!" "B...But....Mayor....It's Christmas?" She pleaded. "Humbug! In here by 7, or I'll appoint that Ex-Enforcer Steel as my new deputy mayor." Callie sighed, "Yes mayor." And then under her breath as she was leaving she whispered the name "Scrooge." As Callie walked up the steps for her apartment the door opened and a smiling face greeted her, "Hi Callie." "Oh, hi Mr. Clawson. What are doing here?" "I came for a quick visit to see how you and Jake where doing. So how's my favorite daughter-in-law?" She smiled as she entered, "I'm fine, where's Jake." "He and Tim went to get something from the store." Callie sat down, "Where's the others?" "Taking a kat nap." She smiled, "You're good! I can never get them to take a nap." "We'll experience is a asset." Just then the door opened and in walked Jake, holding a small crutch in one paw, a small plastic bag with the other, and on top his shoulders was a 5 year old tom-kitten. "Hi Cal!" She got up and kissed him, "He's asleep?" "Yeah." Jake said with a smile as he gave the items in his paws to Callie, took the tom-kitten from off his shoulder and carried him into one of the bed rooms and returned a moment later. "Have you talked to Manx about Tim yet?" Jake's father asked. "Haven't had the time." Callie said sadly. "I can't believe he cut your pay, after all you've done for him. Working late, going in early, doing ALL the paper work. How could he do such a thing?" Jake asked. "I did know, I really don't know. But with out him I wouldn't have a job." "Some job." Jake's father muttered, "You used to get more respect from him." "Still, I owe him a lot. He's not that bad of a guy." "No, Manx is becoming evil." Jake said. "Maybe." Callie sighed, "Oh, Jake I need to go in tomorrow." "What??? On Christmas? Now I know he's evil." Jake's father piped up. "Maybe......Perhaps." Callie sighed again. Manx's limo stopped, the driver got out, opened the door, and Manx got out. "Merry Christmas sir." The driver said. "Humbug." Manx muttered as he walked to his door, "Christmas, humbug!" As he put his key in the key hole, he heard something "Ebernezer Manx." He looked up and in his window he thought he saw something. He closed his eyes and shook his head, "Must be working too hard. I'll have to remember to give Callie more work, and to cut her pay again for my new statute." Chapter Two Manx had to make his own dinner because he had fired his cook the week before. When he finished he put the dishes in the sink and curled up in an arm chair and turned on the TV. "Do you know what time it is?" Asked the TV. "Time to cancel the show?" "No Ebernezer, it's time to save your soul." A voice from behind him said. Scared silly he turned around, "M...May....Mayor Marly?" "That's right Manx." Said the entity that was covered with chains. "I came here to warn you. To warn you if you continue on this path, you'll end up like me!" The ex-mayor said as he lifted up the chains. "B...B...But you're dead! I attended your funeral!!!" "Yes, my fomer deputy mayor! But I come here tonight to save you from my fate." "W...What fate?" "If you rember Manx, I was the greediest mayor this city ever had. I started you out at minimum wage and never gave you raise so I could save some of my own money. And now, that I see your doing the same things as I did, I asked three sprits to visit you. To show you the errors of your ways." "T...Three???" The specter nods, "Expect the first at midnight, the second at one, and the last on the last strike of two!" "Can't I see them all at once and get it over with?" "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" The ghost howled, "Heed there warnings, so you may save yourself!" With that, the ghost burst into flames and was gone. Manx passed out. Chapter Three Manx woke up to the starting felling of cold water splashing his face, "Rise and Shine Manx!" a voice said. Manx woke up and saw a skiny tom-kat in a white t-shirt, leather jackit, and some faded blue jeans. "Who are you?" "Me? Why I'm the ghost of Christmas past." Manx looked a little confused, "Of Christmas, huh?" "Past. I'm going to show you how you used to be." And with that the ghost snapped his fingers. A second later Manx found himself in a very old neighborhood. "Oh, please not here!" "Yes Manx, we must. You must remember your kittenhood." The ghost led Manx to a window, "What do you see?" It asked. Manx looked in the window and saw a young tom-kitten sitting a desk. "I...I see...me. When I was a young kitten." "Yes Ebernezer, do you remember what you were doing." "I was writing a letter to Santa Claws." "Do you know why?" "Because my family couln't afford a new bike for me. I thought I would ask Santa." "You see Ebernezer, your family wasn't always rich." "That's why I devoted my life to gain money....To help my family." "But what happened?" "Vietnam came and my father was killed in action. He took after his grandfather, the Blue Manx." The ghost snapped his fingers again. A moment later they where in a differnent neigberhood, worse then the past one. "Oh please, I beg of you don't!" "You got to remember the past to know how to act in the furture." The ghost led Manx to an alleyway where on the fire escape was a teen-aged tom-kat sitting sulking. "Why were you sulking?" "Because we had to move to a low class neighborhood because my father was no longer around to support us." "Is that the only reason?" "No....My mother was a begger and begged for our next meal....I was ashamed." The ghost snapped his fingers again. They then found themseves in a office builing. Behind the desk was a tom-kat in his 20's hard at work. "What are you doing here?" "I got a job working for mayor Marly as an accountant." "But he didn't pay you what you wanted, did he?" "No he didn't. Even after he prompted me to deputy mayor, and gave me more work, he keeped me at minimum wage." "Kind of what you're doing to Calico Clawson?" "Yes...I guess. But there's a good reason for that!!!" The ghost looked at his wrist watch, "One more thing before your next visit." He snapped his fingers again. A moment or so they found themselves in a huge office. A blond teen-age she-kat enters and hands a kat behind a desk a stack of papers and leaves. "And what's going on here Ebernezer?" "I just became Mayor." "Right. Remember back in the beginning you were called the best mayor the city ever had because you really cared for it." Manx smiled and noded. "Sure do, those were the days." "Who was that teen-aged she-kat?" "That's Callie. Her father, who was my best friend, was my deputy mayor." "Till..." "Till that plane crash. I felt sorry for the Briggs family. I immediately made Callie my deputy mayor. The best decision I ever made." "Right. But you eventually got lazy and made her do all the work. Even when she got married, you only gaver her off 2 days. 2 DAYS, Ebernezer! She never took off sick, or a vacation day, and you gaver her 2 days for a honeymoon! To top that off you started reducing her benefits, then her pay. Also you cut the Enforcer's budget." "I had a reason for that!" The ghost's watch beeped. "My time is up, I can see you haven't learned anything. I hope the next time you can!" Chapter Four Manx awoke to find himself in his bed. "It was only a dream." He said smiling as he pulled the covers closer to himself, when the stroke of one sounded. Neverously he looked around, "Heh, heh. I guess it was a dream." "Guess again, chubby!" A female voice said. Manx looked in the doorway to see a husky she-kat with an army uniform. Not an Enfocer Uniform, but an uniform like those who went over seas to fight the Germans in Meg War 2. "Let me guess. The ghost of Christmas wars?" "Wrong again, lard tail. Now get to your feet, private. It's time you see the present!" When Manx got to his feet, he found himself outside an apartment looking inside he saw 3 kittens and two adult kats. "What do you see?" The she-kat asked. "This is Callie's aparment. What are they doing still living in the two bedroom aparttment when they have three kittens? And what's wrong with that one, he's using a crutch to walk?" "They're still living here because Callie had complications of kitten birth. The crudy insurane you have for her didn't pay for the extensive surgery that she needed. It took both her and her husband's life savings to pay the bills. As for Tim, the one with the crutch, he has a rare blood disease that's fatal. Due to it he has a bum leg. There is a cure, but they can't afford it on her current salary. And if he does receive the cure, there's a good chance he'll be able to walk." Manx jaw opened in shock, "What will happen?" "Who knows....Now listen." The she-ghost commanded. Manx kept quiet and listened and watched as the 3 kittens were playing. "But Callie, my parents are coming tomorrow and you'll miss the kittens opening their presents from Santa Claws." Jake said. "I know, but the mayor wants me to be in by 7." "You should run for mayor." "With what money?" "Well, Ann Gora owes you a favor or two. She can get you on TV. The Commander and Felina would also support you." "Still Jake, even with that I couldn't run a seccessful campaign." "Kats...I wish someone would run against him." "Now that's not very nice Jake. I owe him alot, he's like a father to me. He paid for my education and when my father died he supported my family." "But he's not supporting your family now, he's hindering them." Jake then whisperes, "Tim told me he wrote to Santa Claws, asking him for the cure so he may walk. God Callie, if I could I would sell my soul to see him happy like his siblings." She put her arm around him, "I think I did sell my soul........." Manx backed away from the window, "That bother's you Ebernezer. Why?" Manx shook his head, "No, it doesn't bother me. Nobody asked her to get married or to have kittens." "Nobody but her heart." A beeping noise then interupted her, "Well I tried, and failed. Now for your last vistor." With that everything including the ghost faded away, and Manx was left standing in a thick fog. He then got a very cold feeling that made his fur stand on end, turning around he saw a figure dressed all in black holding a sickle in a skeletal paw. "A...A...Are you the ghost of Christmas yet to come?" It nodded and made a gesture for Manx to follow it. Chapter Five Manx followed the figure and soon found himself in his office. But sitting at the desk was Callie. "Well this was expected, I knew Callie would succeed me as mayor." The ghost pointed with a skeletal finger to her name plate, Manx went up to it and read it, "Mayor Calico Briggs???? What is this? She is married, her last name was changed to Clawson. Just then a voice came on over the intercom, "Miz Briggs, your kittens are here." "Send them in." Callie said gruffly. The door opened and two kittens entered, "Can we see daddy today?" Callie rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I guess it's that time of year." She pushed a button, "I want my limo wating, NOW!" "Yes Miz Briggs." Manx confused watched Callie and the two kittens walk past him, "What's happening here? Where's Tim?" The figure didn't answer. "For crying out loud speak! Tell me where Jake is!" The figure raised it's weapons and slammed it down on the ground. Manx found himself at Megacat Slavage Yard and Garage. "You mean Jake STILL works here?" The ghost noded. Manx watched as Jake came out of the garage carrying something. He watched Jake put it down near some other scrap, and noticed the sad look in his eyes lift as a limo entered the yard. The limo barely came to a stop when the doors flung open and two kittens ran to him. "DADDY!" Jake knelt down and hugged them, "Wow, you two are getting so big!" "We missed you daddy!" The she-kitten said. "I missed you too, Crystal." Then Callie walked up to them. "OK, you had you 2 minutes. Time to go!" She said gurffly. "But we want to stay with daddy!" The other kitten said. "No, we have to go to the Calico Briggs Mini Mall opening. I need you to so I can get more votes." Jake kissed both of the kittens on the forehead, "It's OK, go with your mother." "I love you daddy!" Both kittens said at the same time. "I love you too!" Jake said giving them a last hug and watched them going into the limo. "Aren't you going to visit Tim today?" "Don't have time, this is an election year after all." With that she got into the limo and he watched it speed off. The sad look returned to his eyes as he got into a pick up truck and left the yard. "So Tim is alive, but I still don't see what's going on. I want to follow Jake." The figure once again slammed his weapon to the ground. Manx found himself in a grave yard. He looked around and saw Jake kneeling at a head stone of a grave. "I sure miss you Timmy. It's been down hill with me and your mother since you died. When you died your mother snapped, and became just like Manx....Heartless, cruel, and cold." Jake then wiped a tear away from his face, "But I still love her even though we're divorced and she changed her name back to Briggs." Jake got to his feet and started walking out of the grave yard, but stopped at grave, the look of hatered was in his eyes. "This is all your fault!" He hissed, and spat at the head stone and quickly walked away. Manx slowy walked to Tim's head stone, it confirmed what he feared. "Tim is dead?" He stood unbelieving, "Who's grave did Jake spit on?" The ghost rasied a skeletal finger. "You want me to see something else?" It nodded and slammed his weapon on the ground once again. Manx was now in a small room. Looking around he found somekat standing alone on the brink of crying, "Isn't that Furlong, Jake's best friend, who married the commander's neice?" The figure said nothing, Manx decided to listen and watch as Jake approached Chance. "You know it is OK to cry." "She wouldn't want me to cry." Chance said but then burst into tears, "Oh God, why??? Why!!!!!????!!!!!!????" "Chance, are you going to be OK?" "I didn't even give her the kitten she wanted so badly....Oh God Jake why did she have to go on duty that day?" Before Jake could answer they were approached by someone, "Furlong...." Chance wiped away the tears and turned to the voice, "What is it Feral?" "I know we had our differences in the past, and I didn't approve of your marriage to Felina. But now......" "Now, what?" Chance asked. "Now, I'm so under budget, more accidents like Felina's are going to happen. I can not get updated equipment, or necessary repairs due to Manx's and Briggs' budget cuts. I can not sit idly by and watch more kat's get killed. I'm running for Mayor." Jake and Chance were a little shocked, "But the public likes my ex-wife." Jake said. "I know. That's why I'm asking you to be my deupty mayor. When you tell the public that she sued you for alimony when she could more than afford it, and when I tell the reason why Felina died, I think they'll listen." "But who will replace you as commander?" Chance piped up." "You will of course." Freal said trying to smile, "Let's discuss our plan." Manx was more than shocked, "You mean due to my budget cuts, kat's are getting killed." The figure nodded and slammed his weapon on the ground. Manx found himself in the grave yard again. Manx turned around and saw a head stone that was obscured by tall grass and weeds. "This is the grave that Jake spat at before, isn't it?" The figure pointed to the head stone. "Oh, please don't make me read it!" The figure held it held it's pose. Manx took a deep breath and swallowed hard. With a jerk he moved the weeds away. What he saw made his heart stop, and his body turn cold. Inscribed on the head stone was the name EBERNEZER MANX!" "NO, this can't be! It can't end this way, I can't let the ones I care about end up the way they do. Oh please spirit, give me another chance." Then he fell to the his knees and started tugging at the figure's robe, "Oh please give me the chance to make things right. Please, Please, PLEASE!!!" While he continued to grovel, he heard a buzzing sound..... Chaper Six "Please, Please, PLEASE!" Manx pleaded, but then opened his eyes. He found himself on his floor, tugging at the bed sheets. The buzzing sound was his alarm clock. Quckly checking himself he yelled, "I'm alive! Oh thank heaven, the spirits have done it." He then ran to his window and flung it open, "You, tom-kitten, what day is this?" The tom-kitten was a little confused, "It's Christmas day sir!" Manx smiled as an idea formed in his head........... Epilog "Callie wake up." Jake said while rocking his wife. "Hum....Oh, Jake I'm not in the mood." She said tiredly. "You're going to be late for work." "Hum...Oh, that's nice dear............" Then a moment later, "OH CRUD THAT'S RIGHT!" She then throws the covers off and quickly gets dressed. Jake just sat as he watches his love one act like a maniac, and on Christmas. He just wished there was something he could do. Callie was straightening her tie and quickly kissed Jake, "I love you!" She said grabbing her brief case and purse. "I love you too Callie, take it easy." Callie stood at the front door and smiled to him, "I'll try." She then opened the door and was greeted by a young kat holding a very heavy package. "Mrs. Clawson???" He asked. "Yes?" "I was told to deliver this to you." he said entering and putting the package on the kitchen table. "Thank you, but who told you to send it?" Jake asked. "I can't reveal that. Merry Christmas." He said and left. Callie closed the door and went over to the mysterious package. "Should we open it?" "I don't see why not?" With that they opened it and gasped. Inside was a huge turkey. "Is this from you parents?" Callie asked. "I don't think so." Callie then caught a glimpse of the wall clock, "Crud, I'm late!" With that she ran for the door and opened it, and was surprised to see Manx at the door with his paw raised like he was ready to knock. "M...Mayor." "May I come in, Callie?" He asked gruffly. "Sure. You know my husband." She introduced him. "Yes, I know him. Now Callie why are you late?" "I...I...I can explain." "No need, I came over here to tell you something." "Oh please Mayor, don't fire me! I promise to work on New Years...." Manx put his paw up, "I came her to tell you that I'm......" He paused, then smiled, "Giving you a raise. In fact, I'm going to increase your salary to where it used to be plus a 5% raise." Both Callie's and Jake's jaw dropped. "Thank you Mayor!" Callie said. Manx smiled then saw a tom-kitten walking into the room with a crutch, "This must be Tim." He then went over to the kitten and knelt down, "How are you doing?" "Fine sir, do I know you?" "Tim, this is mayor Manx." Callie said. "So you are the one that makes my mommy work late at night." "Tim......" Callie wispered. Manx smiled, "That's right, but no more." He turned to Callie, "From now on I'll do more paper work." Callie smiled, "Thank you sir!" "Just call me Ebernezer." He then turned back to Tim, "I know you wrote Santa Claws for a cure for your disease." "HOW DID YOU KNOW?" Everyone asked. "Let's just say some good friends of mine told me. Now Tim, your wish will come true. Not today, but soon. I promise you!" The little kitten started crying and thourgh his arms around him, "Oh thank you sir, and may God bless you!" Manx hugged him back, "Get your brother and sister for me will you?" Tim nods and goes back into the bedroom, Manx then goes over to Callie and Jake. "I want him to have the best medical care. Have the bills sent directly to me, that is until we can find a better health plan then the one we already have." She nodded and smiled, "I'll be at work right away!" "Don't. Today is Christmas, I want you to spend it with your family. But there is someting I need right away." "What?" She asked. "I need you to draw up a document saying the Enfocers will have the budget reinstated plus 2% above that. Also take note to stop the building of the new dedication to me so we can have these funds." "You'll have it on your desk by tomorrow." "No, I want you to take off for the rest of the year. Just mail the document to me, OK?" Callie was on the brink of tears, "Thank you sir!!" He smiled as three kittens enter the living room, "OK, Mr. Mayor. I brought them here." He smile and whisteled, a kat, who was carrying three gifts entered and gave one to each of them and left. "Merry Christmas." Manx said and was about to leave. "Mayor, won't you have dinner with us?" Jake asked. Manx smiled, "If you want me to stay?" "We would love for you to stay!" Jake said, "And thanks for the turkey!" Manx smiled, knowing that Jake figured out he sent it. "Any time!" The End!