Passing the Torch: Part 2 by Laurieann Petrotta Tiger walked home her mind in a whirl. "I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad," she thought as she unlocked the door to the house. "I'll tell them after dinner." Walking into the kitchen the beeping of the message machine told her that she might have to wait a little longer then after dinner. She pressed the play button as she looked in the refrigerator. "Message one," the machine said "Hey honey," her mom began "I have to work late to night so it looks like you and Dad will be eating without me." "See you when I get home, bye." "Message two". "Hi kitten." Tiger liked that nickname that her dad gave her. "Uncle Jake and I have a lot of work to do for tomorrow that needs to get done, so I might not be home in time for dinner." See ya, kitten." "Why does this always happen when something good comes my way?" Tiger sighed, as she grabbed a can of soda and closed the door. Throwing her bag onto the table, Tiger went and retrieved her guitar that she had gotten for her 15th birthday from the closet in the dining room. Walking into the family room, she plopped down on the sofa. Placing her soda on the coffee table she began to tune it. The guitar sounded OK for something that hadn't been played in almost a month. One of the strings broke when she started playing. "Things keep on going from good to bad today," she thought as she grabbed the car keys and left for the outlet mall. As she was driving down 42nd St., she realized that a black chevy was following her. "If it's that Ann Gora from Kats eye news again, hoping to get an exclusive about the life of the daughter of the Mayor of MegaKat City she is going to get my boot kicking her tail," Tiger thought, remembering the last time Ann Gora had done an interview with her. She smiled when she looked at her rear-view mirror and saw the car pull into a different parking lot. Pulling into the mall's parking lot, Tiger went in to get the items she needed. "Hey Dusty," she chimed as she walked in to Music Lovers Inc. "Hey Tie Dye," a gray tom kat called back from behind a counter. "Will you stop calling me that!" Tiger said walking up to the counter and giving the tom a friendly punch in the shoulder. "If the sneaker fits, wear it," Dusty replied, glaring playfully at the she kat. "Well, if you want to start throwing names around, Dustbuster, be my guest." "OK, you win, I surrender," Dusty said, cringing at the nickname she had given him, putting his paws in the air. "You said it yourself, Dusty - if the sneaker fits," Tiger said, smiling back. "So, Tie, what brings you to my father's humble shop?" Dusty asked. "I need new strings for a Samick guitar, do you have any?" "I think so," Dusty said, ducking behind the counter and rummaging through a few boxes. "Here we go," he said popping back up and handing them to Tiger. "How much will that be?" she asked taking out the wallet and looking at what she had inside. "$4.50," he relied then added "do you want that in a bag?" "I don't think so," Tiger said placing the small bag into her pocket, and handing him a $5. "Hey, Tiger, you doin' anything Saturday night?" Dusty asked nervously as he went over to the cash register to get Tiger her change. "No, I don't think so, why?" "Well, I was just wondering if you would like to go out and see a movie or something," he said handing her the change. "Dusty Robertson, are you asking me out on a date?" Tiger asked, raising an eyebrow. Dusty was about to say yes, but an explosion blocked it. The explosion had such a force that it threw both Dusty and Tiger back about five feet. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Tiger yelled as she helped Dusty from the floor. "I have no idea". He replied shaking his head trying to clear it. As the dust cleared Tiger and Dusty saw the cause of the explosion. "The Metallikats," Tiger hissed seeing them walk in through the hole they had just made in the wall. "Hey, Molly, I think we found her," Mac said as he walked over to Tiger and grabbed her by the collar of the shirt. "Let her Go!" Dusty cried as he picked up a guitar that had fallen down from its wall mount and hitting the metal kat on the head. Mac was unfazed by Dusty's attempts to knock him out and simply threw him aside, knocking him unconscious. "Don't try that again, kid," Mac said. "Well, what do we have here, Molly?" Mac asked turning to face his accomplice. "I don't know Mac, but it looks like ransom," Molly said as she walked up to Tiger who was now struggling to get free. "Let me go," Tiger growled trying to get loose from Mac's grip. "I'm warning you." "No, isn't that rich she's warning me, Ha!" Mac laughed. "Fine, do this the hard way," Tiger whispered. "Dark of night, light of day start the fire to set me free," She said placing her paws on Mac's arm as it started turning red. "OWWW!" Mac screamed, letting Tiger go. "That fire witch burned me!" he cried holding his arm which was still red. Tiger took her chance and bolted for the hole in the wall. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the TurboKat landing in the now empty parking lot. "Thank God," she thought as she saw one of them get out. She was running over to them when something grabbed her from behind. "Now I got you, you little fire bug," Molly sneered, pulling Tiger back. "You're mine." "Let her go, Molly"! T-Bone growled, raising his glovatrix so it was level with Molly's head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Molly said raising her built-in gun up to Tiger's head. "You see this is the Mayor's daughter and if any thing was to happen to her you Swat Kats would be to blame." "If you harm one hair on her head, so help me God I will tear you limb from limb," T-Bone said trying to keep the fear out of his voice. In the distance, the sound of approaching sirens could be heard. "C'mon, Molly, let's blow this joint before the Enforcers get here," Mac yelled from inside of a black chevy. Throwing Tiger down onto the pavement, Molly ran over to Mac and got into the car. "This isn't over Swat Kats," he yelled as they drove away. T-Bone ran over to Tiger, dropped down to his knees and hugged her. "Oh my God, Tiger, are you all right, did they hurt you"? he asked almost on the verge of tears. "How do you know my name?" Tiger asked afraid of the answer. T-Bone looked at her and just smiled. "Let me show you how I know," he said. Taking off his helmet T-Bone removed his bandanna. And let his daughter see his face. "Dad"??!! Tiger cried as she threw her arms around his neck hugging him. T-Bone/Chance hugged her back as hard as he could. "I thought I lost you back there," he whispered, gently stroking the back of her head. "I thought I lost it too, but then you came and well I guess everything's all right," Tiger said not wanting to break away from her father's loving embrace. "What were you doing there anyway?" he finally asked. "My guitar strings broke so I came to get new ones, that's when they came and stated trashing the place. Oh God, Dusty's in there - I have to see how he is," Tiger said getting up. Out of the corner of her eye Tiger could see the Enforcers coming. "You better get going, Dad, the last time I checked the Swat Kats were still vigilantes. Don't worry - I can take care of myself from here on." "Well, it's my job to worry - I'm your father, remember?" he asked holding the side of her face with his paw. Putting his bandanna and helmet back on he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll radio Callie and tell her what happened, she'll come and pick you up." "Dad, if you're a Swat Kat, does that mean Uncle Jake's one to?" Tiger asked just before he left. All he did was shake his head yes. Giving her a wink he ran back to the TurboKat. Running back inside Tiger went to check on Dusty. "Are you all right?" she asked helping him up from the floor once again. "I think so," he replied holding his head. "Are you kids all right?" a uniformed Enforcer asked walking over to them. Dusty and Tiger both shook their heads yes. "C'mon, we'll have the medic check you out just to be on the safe side," he said leading them out of the ruined shop. "Tiger!" two voices yelled out over the crowd of people forming in the mall's parking lot. "Over here," Tiger called back. She was sitting in an ambulance getting checked out by one of the paramedics. "Are you all right". Her father and mother asked running up to her. "She's fine, Mr. and Mrs. Furlong, just a few cuts and scraps, but nothing that's life threatening," the paramedic said. "How's my friend Dusty?" Tiger asked wincing a bit as the paramedic cleaned one of her cuts with a swab. "He's just fine - a few of stitches and he'll be as good as new," he replied. "You're OK to go now," the paramedic said taking off his gloves. Tiger jumped down and hugged her mother. "Your father told me what happened - are you sure you're OK?" Callie asked. "Yes, Mom, I'm sure," Tiger said. "How did you get here so fast, Dad"? "Let's just say that someone dropped me off at the Town Hall," Chance said winking at her. "C'mon, I'll drive you home." Tiger nodded her head getting what her father was saying. "Does Max know about you and Uncle Jake?" she asked as her mother and father led her away from the commotion. "Yeah Max knows, Jake told him last week before he left for Maine," Chance said. "Talk about a going away present," Tiger thought. "You and him will begin training next week if you want," Chance said opening the passenger door open so Tiger could get in. "Training for what?" Tiger asked getting in. "Training to be a Swat Kat," Chance replied getting into the driver's side seat. "You mean to tell me that I'm going to be a Swat Kat?" Tiger asked looking at her father, eyes wide in disbelief. "If that's what you want to do," was all he said as he pulled out of the parking lot. Tiger thought it over in her mind about what she wanted to do. "Be an Enforcer and have to go by 55 million rules, or be a Swat Kat and make my own rules," she thought. "Yes, I want to be Swat Kat," she said. Chance just nodded. Later that night, Tiger wrote a letter telling the Lt. that she would not be able to become an Enforcer, saying that something had come up. The next morning she dropped the letter in the mail box. "Yesterday I was passed a torch of tradition, and I'm not going to drop it," she thought as she started walking toward the salvage yard and a new chapter in her life. On that day the Swat Kat known as Wild Card was born.