Title: The Wild Kats: The Legacy of Five Kats Who
Dared to Live Their Dreams
Author: Cassie Davis
Edited by: Jayme Scholtes
E-mail:
UniGirl1979@aol.com
Rating: G
Disclaimer: "SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron," its characters and concepts are copyright to Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc and are used without permission. All original characters belong to the authors.
Wild Kats
The Legacy of Five Kats Who Dared To Live Their Dreams
Original Concept By: Cassie Davis
A.K.A: Tabby Clawson
Prologue
As Told By Tabby Temminck
We’re twins, my sister and I. We’re, as some kats might say, “identical in all respects save one.” If it were not for our color, we would be almost alike. I am a gray-colored kat with four black stripes on each of my limbs and I have black hair. When we were young, both of us kept our hair short, but now mine is long. Charity is like me patternwise, but she is tannish with light brown stripes and tannish hair. She’s always kept her hair short. There is not much difference in our characters, except I have a shorter temper and when you get Charity mad she loses her sense. Luckily, it is hard to get her mad. Other than that we are the same, same height, same build, same voice, a tiny tone difference, etc. Some kats say we go overboard with the twin thing. We dress alike, do the same things, what I have is identical to what… oh well you get the idea.
But, I am different from my sister. I have something barely noticeable unless you happen to be the bad guy. I have steel claws.
We were seven when I got them. As it was, me and Charity were always in competition with the other kittens in the neighborhood. That time I was in a tree-climbing race with a kat twice my age. I was at the top before the other kat had even started. The problem was getting down. Usually, I get down slowly and safely, but this time I was in a hurry to get down because mother had just yelled for us, and she had told me earlier she would make our favorite food, fried herring.
Because I was not being cautious, I landed on a dead limb. It snapped and I fell. Luckily, I hooked onto a branch that was fifteen feet above the ground with my claws. Suddenly, I dropped to the ground. I didn’t feel the pain at once. I sat stunned. Then a claw dropped from the branch and landed on the ground in front of me. That’s when it hurt! I cried.
The emergency room is all I remember when I woke up from being under anesthesia. I had claws made out of a special metal alloy. The doctor told me that they never dull, never rust and never wear out. After that I received a nickname from the kittens in the neighborhood. They called me Steelclaw, Tabby Steelclaw.
Tabby glanced across the dinner table at her sister Charity. She sat absentmindedly playing with her mashed potatoes. Their parents were again discussing future plans for their children. The twins always found that nothing could distract them from conversation. But, this time it would be different.
Tabby cleared her throat and her parents looked at her. “I would like to say something about our future. Charity and I have decided what we would like to be.”
Happily, her father stood and clapped his hands. Within minutes, servants had lined up around the dining room. “My daughters,” announced Dr. Temminck, “have decided upon their choice of profession, and I would like all of you to hear this.” He turned to the twins, “So, what do you wish to be? Doctors? Lawyers?”
Tabby and Charity stood up proudly, “We wish to be pilots,” they said in unison.
The Doctor was the first to recover from shock. “You’re embarrassing me!” he hissed, “Tell the truth!”
Surprised, Tabby looked at her father. “We are telling the truth. If there is anything you’ve taught us, it is you want us to be happy. For us to be happy, we want to fly. On our own.”
Dr. Temminck was about to speak when Mrs. Temminck rose up and spoke, “Yes. We have taught you well. Tomorrow I will enroll you in flight classes.”
That night, Tabby and Charity sat in their room. “I can’t believe they are actually going to let us fly!”
Tabby and Charity rushed through the halls of Tiger Hill High. Tabby glanced behind her and kept on running. Before she had gone a few feet she slammed into another kat. Charity was right behind her and had no time to stop before she too ran into Tabby. They both fell onto the floor.
When Chance rounded the corner he had been not prepared for the missile he was hit with. When Tabby ran into him, he staggered backwards and fell on top of his best friend, who had been right behind him. The scene resembled a sudden car crash.
Each kat rose slowly, mentally checking for breaks or sprains.
Tabby rubbed her shoulder when she got up. “Ouch. I feel like I ran into a brick wall!”
Jake chuckled, “Basically you did. You ran into Chance.”
The twins looked at the pair in front of them. The tannish kat, Chance, was stocky and tall. Tabby realized that he really must be a brick wall. The other kat, Jake, was a little shorter and thinner built than Chance. Unlike Chance’s short fur, Jake’s brown fur was a little longer.
Suddenly, the late bell rang.
Chance gritted his teeth, “Great!” he said, “Now we’re late and Ms. Coldpur is going to kill us!”
Charity smiled, “No,” she said, “The front office won’t even count off.”
By this time they had reached the Tardy Kat Office. Tabby walked in and explained the problem.
The attendant looked up at her. “No problem. Just go on to class and you had better take those two to class first.”
Chance turned and looked at Tabby, “What was that all about?”
Tabby changed the subject, “So, I’m guessing you two are Starta 3s. I know every Junior here.”
Jake looked at Tabby, “What’s a Starta 3?”
Charity explained, “A Starta is a kat who has just started school here. If you start at this school as a Senior, you’re a Starta 4. Freshmen are Starta 1s, Sophomores are Starta 2s and Juniors are Starta 3s.”
Jake nodded his head, “Now I get it.”
By that time they had reached Ms. Coldpur’s classroom. Charity opened the door and they filed in. The class gasped. Charity walked over to Ms. Coldpur and explained why two of her students were late. As they were leaving, Tabby looked over to where Chance and Jake had sat down. “Come by the library after school. We’d like to talk to you.”
After they had left, Caspien Virgata, the most popular kat in the Junior class, leaned over and spoke to Jake, “Wow! How did you two get to be buddy buddy with the Temmincks?”
Surprised, Jake answered, “All we did was bump into them in the hall. Why are they so special that it makes them different from anyone else?”
Rufus Lynx spoke up, “You guys are Starta 3s, you don’t know much. The twins’ parents are the most powerful and the richest kats known! They must see something special in you two.”
Angrily, Chance rose up, “What they see is two kats who don’t treat them like gods!”
Surprised, Rufus took a step back. He had never seen Chance so angry.
Jake stood up and turned to Chance, shooting a dirty look at Rufus in the process, “Sit down, buddy, we don’t want to get into trouble.”
Reluctantly, Chance sat down in his seat.
The library was quiet when Jake and Chance walked in. At first, they had a hard time finding the twins. Finally, they spotted them in the back of the library. They sat side by side at a table doing homework.
The twins did not turn around when Chance and Jake appeared. Charity simply motioned for them to sit down. Finally, they put their pencils down.
Charity looked up and studied the two faces of the kats in front of her. “I guess we ought to tell you why we wanted you to meet us here.”
Chance and Jake nodded.
“The spring fair is coming up and on the first night is a fireworks display! We would like to know if you would like to come with us to watch them.”
Chance nodded, “Sure. What time can we pick you up?”
“No. We’re going to pick you up at 7:30. Do either of you live near a field?”
“Jake lives near Mega Kat Park.”
“Great! Be out there at 7:30.”
With that, Tabby and Charity rose and walked out.
Tabby stared in her dresser mirror and brushed her hair.
Charity rushed by and opened the closet door. “Blue jean overalls and a white shirt?” she asked.
Tabby got up and walked over to the closet. “No,” she said. “It will be cool tonight but not cold. How about our black flight T’s and dark blue jeans?”
Charity nodded, “That sounds like a good idea.”
Jake watched as Chance paced back and forth across the grass. He glanced at his watch. “Chance, stop pacing. They’ll be here soon. It’s only 7:26.”
Chance sighed, “I know, I know. But, my big question is, how are they going to pick us up in the middle of Mega Kat Park?”
Suddenly, a jet roared by overhead. Chance and Jake watched wide-eyed as it rolled to a stop and the canopy popped open. Their jaws dropped when Tabby and Charity jumped out.
“Sorry we’re late. Time flies when you’re having fun.”
Chance raised his eyebrows, “What do you mean?”
Charity took her helmet off and looked him in the eye. “I was practicing my flight maneuvers.”
Within a few minutes, the four kats were back in the plane. This time, it was Tabby in the pilot’s seat. It was quiet for a little while. Jake was the first to speak. “So where are we going?”
“It’s a very special place,” said Tabby, “We go there every year to watch the festivities and it gives you a great view.”
It was only a few minutes later that they landed at the edge of a small cliff. Charity jumped out and reached up to grab the picnic basket Tabby was handing down. Tabby jumped out and spread a blanket across the ground. With all four kats helping, everything was set out in a matter of minutes.
The picnic was short, but nice. There were fried herring sandwiches and cold milk.
Charity looked down at her watch and gasped, “Oh my gosh! The fireworks are about to start!”
Hurriedly, they put everything away and sat comfortably to watch the fireworks. The cliff they were on had two levels, one a few feet below the other. Chance and Charity sat on the lower level, Jake and Tabby sat on the upper level.
Charity shivered.
Surprised, Chance looked at her. “Are you cold?”
Charity nodded, “It’s colder than I thought it would be.”
Chance reached over and pulled her against him. Charity leaned against his chest. A faint purr rumbled in her throat. Chance leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Feel better now?”
Charity nodded and snuggled against him, “I feel warmer already.”
Chance pointed at the first firework of the evening.
On the upper level, Tabby leaned against Jake. She hadn’t meant to get so close to him, but a misjudgment in clothes made her cold. Often wary of other boy-kats, Tabby was always reluctant to get close to a boy. But, for some reason, she seemed drawn to the brown, longfurred kat.
It was late when the fireworks stopped, but none of the kats on the cliff noticed. They were all fast asleep.
Tabby awoke but did not open her eyes. She knew it was still dark. Sleepily, she reached for her covers, which she must have kicked off. Suddenly, a frog croaked. Tabby’s eyes popped open. She looked out across the dark Mega Kat Bay. She tried to get up but something stopped her. She glanced down at her waist and saw the brown hand resting on her side. Suddenly, fear gripped her. Where was she? Who was this behind her? Angrily, she jumped up and turned around and aimed a swipe at the brown kat.
Jake had woken up when Tabby first tried to get up. So, when she jumped up and whirled, he rolled quickly out of the way. Quickly, angrily, he got up. “What’s your problem? You almost killed me?”
Recognition flooded over Tabby, and she gasped, “I’m so sorry! I had no idea who you were. Imagine waking up with a strange kat behind you?”
When Jake shouted, he woke Charity and Chance. When Charity awoke, she found herself curled against Chance with her head on his shoulder. Chance opened his eyes and glanced at her and smiled. Reluctantly, Charity got up.
Tabby glanced at her watch as Charity and Chance climbed over the edge. “1:30a.m. We’d better get back home.”
Shortly afterward, they landed in Mega Kat Park. Everyone climbed out of the jet and quick goodbyes were said.
Tabby and Charity said, “Thanks for coming with us, guys. We hope you had a good time. We’ll have to do this again sometime.”
Jake and Chance answered, “It was great! Let’s get together again this weekend and go to movie or something. What do you say?”
Tabby and Charity replied, “We’ll have to see what our plans are, but we’ll let you know at school in a few days. Ok?”
Jake and Chance said, “Sure thing! We’ll see you then! Bye!”
With that, they parted company little suspecting what the future would hold for them.
Original Concept By: Cassie Davis with an ending by Jayme Scholtes