Heated Disputes

"Temperatures will once again be in the high 90's today as the heat wave continues to plague Megakat City."

"Turn off the radio Chance." Jake said. "It's bad enough without someone constantly reminding us how hot it is."

Chance turned off the radio from the lawn chair he was sitting on in the shade of the salvage yard garage. Jake sat beside him in another lawn chair sipping lemon aid. Both tomkats were wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts, doing their best to beat the heat.

"I can't believe how hot it's gotten lately." Chance commented while wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Tell me about it." Jake agreed. "I'm so hot my fur is singed."

"You know Jake, I wish that some evil villain would make some trouble just so we'd have something to do."

"Yeah, except that it's too hot for anyone to start any trouble."

As they spoke, neither one of them noticed the two she kats sneaking up behind them.

"Hey!"

"What the?!"

The two kats sputtered as cold water spilled over their heads. They leaped from their chairs to escape the unwanted shower and turned to see their attackers. Tanya and Rita stood behind the lawn chairs with smiles on their faces and empty buckets in their paws.

"Feel better?" Tanya teased.

Chance and Jake stood in puddles of water with drops dripping off their fur and frowned. Tanya and Rita laughed at their expressions.

"We don't have to take this, come on Jake." Chance said as he headed into the garage.

Jake fallowed. Tanya and Rita stood where they were as the guys went inside.

"Rita, get ready for the biggest water war of the century." Tanya said.

"Ready and waiting." Rita responded.

"Countdown." Tanya announced. "5, 4, 3, 2. ."

"Prepare to get drenched." Chance told them as he and Jake jumped out of the garage.

Chance had a water balloon in each paw and a string of them slung over his shoulder like a string of hand grenades. Jake had a large hose.

The two girls looked at the mechanics and cracked up. Not only did they look ridiculous, but the idea of the tomkats beating them was absurd.

"You didn't actually thing we came unprepared do you?" Tanya asked slyly.

As she spoke, she and Rita pulled out two very large and powerful water guns.

"You were saying . ."

Chance and Jake looked at each other and smiled. In one lightning quick action, Chance threw a water balloon at Tanya. She ducked just in time and it hit Rita squarely in the face.

"Nice shot Chance." Jake snickered.

"What are you laughing at?" Rita said angrily and she squirted Jake in the face with her water gun.

Jake turned the hose on both the girls and a war of water broke out. Rita forgot about her water gun and tried to wrestle the hose away from Jake. Meanwhile, Chance and Tanya were chasing each other around the salvage yard, trying to soak each other.

Their high-speed chase brought them right into the obstacle course Jake and Chance had constructed out of piles of scrap metal. Tanya climbed up a pile of junk to escape Chance's water balloons. When she got to the top she found a large and deep pool of water at the bottom of the other side. (The same pool Chance fell into in Mutation City) Chance advanced quicker, knowing Tanya was trapped. Tanya shot more water at him to prevent his attack. But it was no use. Chance caught her and they fought over the water gun until they both lost their balance and tumbled from the pile into the water below.

All four kats were so busy with their water fight they didn't even notice the green car as it pulled up and a pretty blond she kat stepped out.

"Chance, you dork." Tanya told at him from the middle of the water pool. "You pushed us in."

"Me?!" Chance protested. "Sure, it's never your fault. You're so childish."

Tanya responded by spitting water in his face. Chance them dunked her head under before swimming to shore. Tanya bobbed back up to the surface and fallowed him.

Not far away, Jake and Rita were rolling around in a large mud hole they had created with the hose. Each was trying to shove the other's face in the mud. Their activity was cut short by a feminine voice.

"Rita, Jake. Is that you?"

The two muddy kats looked up at the Deputy Mayor.

"Uh, M-ms. Briggs," Jake stuttered, suddenly embarrassed. "um, hi."

He got up and walked over to her, dripping globs of mud all the way. Rita continued to sit in the mud puddle.

"Hi Calley." She said as if nothing had happened.

"I didn't know you two knew each other." Calley said. "And very well too it seems."

"Yeah." Rita agreed. "Jake's my bud."

Jake rolled his eyes. Could this situation get any more embarrassing?

"Ah! Politician alert! Lock your doors! Protect your children! Hide the silver wear!" Tanya cried in mock terror as she and Chance walked up, both soaked to the bone.

"You know her, too?" Calley asked, giving Tanya a rotten look.

"Tanya and I have been long time friends." Chance explained. "Sorry about the mess. What can we do for you?"

"The car's making funny noises again." Calley said. "Could you fix it?"

"No problem." Chance said. "I'll start on it right away while Jake gets clean."

Jake's cheeks once again turned red.

"Do you need a ride some where?" Chance them offered.

"No, the Mayor is just right there." Calley pointed to the white limo behind her. "Thanks anyway."

"Hey Calley," Tanya suddenly spoke up. "aren't you so very hot in that ugly monkey suit you're wearing? I mean, it must be at least 100 degrees out here. You must be sweating like a pig by now and smelling twice as bad."

Calley frowned at her and leaned over close and whispered into her ear.

"Well, not every one of us had a rich daddy that could give us everything. Some of us actually have to work to make a living. But I suppose that much can't be expected from some rich kat's spoiled brat."

Tanya's expression turned to one of surprise as Calley walked off with a proud smirk on her face. But Tanya had one more thing to say and she turned to Rita.

"Hey Rita, you look like a pig when you roll in the mud."

Rita scooped up a glob of mud, as Tanya knew she would, and threw it at her. Tanya ducked and the mud hit Calley in the back of the head and oozed through her once neat and clean hair. Rita gasped.

"Calley, I'm so sorry." Rita got up and ran after her friend but Calley got into the limo and it sped off.

Rita turned around and glared at Tanya who was laughing hysterically. Even Chance and Jake were frowning at her now.

"Why did you do that?" Rita asked.

"Didn't you hear?" Tanya cried. "She said I . . she called me a . ."

She looked at their stern faces. They were obviously mad that she had humiliated their friend. Tanya sighed. There was no way to win this one.

Later that day, after everyone had cleaned and dried off, Tanya walked in with a video in her paw. She handed it to Chance who was sitting on the couch and watching tv.

"What's this?" Chance asked, looking the tape over.

"Some quality cartoon entertainment." Tanya explained. "You'll find it much better than your ‘Scardy Kat' toons."

Chance didn't believe her and carelessly tossed the video onto the cushion next to him.

"I think it's time we left." Rita announced. "We've got stuff we have to do."

"Yeah." Tanya agreed. "I guess we do. See you guys later, kay?"

"Bye girls, see ya later." Chance called from the couch.

"So, where are you going?" Tanya asked when they got home and Rita got into her own car.

"There's this factory in the middle of town that no one's heard from for a while and I think I'll go and check it out and see how things are going out there."

"Okay Rita. I'll probably be working outside so you might not be able to reach me if there's any problems."

"That's okay." Rita answered. "This trip will be a snap." She started the car and drove off.

Approximately ten minutes later Rita arrived at a dark building.

"Looks empty." she said to herself. "I wonder what's going on."

She tried to go through the door but it was strangely locked. She found an open window and crawled through. Inside, everything was quiet and dark. The only noise heard was a low humming coming from a room where and eery red light crept mysteriously from under the door.

Rita tip-toed over to the door and quietly eased it open. What she saw took her breath away. Inside the darkened room stood a huge machine with a large red reactor in the middle which gave the room its red glow.

Rita walked in the room in a daze, amazed at the enormity of the machine. She snapped back into reality when she heard foot steps coming towards her. She hid behind the machine when she saw two small shadows and one much larger one.

"Soon my creeplings," She hear a deep voice say. "soon Megakat City will be mine."

Rita carefully peeked around the corner and saw a very large purple colored kat dressed in a large black cloak talking to two small pink bat-like creatures.

"With this heat generating device," the large hooded kat went on. "I will roast the citizens until Mayor Manx turns the city over to me. And if they refuse, I will fry them all and I will still get the city."

He laughed a deep meniacle laugh and the little creatures at his feet cackled along with him. Rita gasped at what she had heard. When the villain's back were turned she silently sneaked back out the door.

"I've got to find a phone and get some help." Rita whispered to herself, on the verge of panicking.

She probed around on the dark walls until she found a phone. She lifted the receiver to her ear and sighed with relief when she heard a dial tone. She went to dial her phone number but then stopped herself.

"Wait." she said quietly. "Tanya won't be able to hear the phone. Who can I call?" She paused a moment. "Calley. I hope she's not still mad at me. She's my only chance."

Calley Briggs sat in front of a fan at her desk trying filling out paper work when the phone rang.

"City Hall, Deputy Mayor Calley Briggs speaking."

"Calley," Rita's nervous voice whispered. "I'm in big trouble."

"Rita?" Calley cried. "Where are you?"

"I'm in this factory in the middle of the city. There's this huge psychotic kat her with this heat generating thing. You've got to see this guy Calley. He's huge and purple with these red glowing eyes and this black dress cloak thing. And it's so tacky and. . ."

The phone suddenly went dead.

"Rita? Rita!"

Rita stood with a dead phone in her paw, staring into the gruesome face of Dark Kat.

"Hey," Rita quipped. "I meant that respectively."

Dark Kat growled as he grabbed her with a large arm and threw her in a closet.

"I'll deal with you later." he told her before locking the door.

Chance and Jake were watching tv when the alarm sounded below them.

"What's happening Ms. Briggs?" Chance asked, reaching the speaker first.

"I think Dark Kat is back." Calley said urgently. "He's in this factory in the middle of town with this heat generating machine."

"So that's what's causing the heat wave." Jake concluded.

"Yes." Calley continued. "But my friend Rita is trapped in there, too. Please get her out."

"We're on it Ms. Briggs." Jake told her.

He turned to find Chance already in his G-suit.

"What are you waiting for buddy?" he asked. "We've got a beautiful lady in distress to save."

Minutes later the Turbokat took to the air.

"If Dark Kat does have a heat machine," Razor said. "that would explain why we've been seeing creeplings breaking into appliance stores lately. He needed the parts for his machine. That also explains why he's in the building exactly in the middle of the city. So he can distribute the heat evenly so that every part of the city would feel its affects."

"That's all nice to know, hot shot." T-Bone said. "But will any of that help us stop that machine?"

"If I got a chance to look at it I'm pretty sure I could figure out how to shut it off."

"Okay buddy," T-bone said as he landed the jet. "let's kick some Dark Kat tail."

Dark Kat stood in the dark room with the red reactor his only source of light. He smiled evilly as he looked over his brilliant device and went over his masterful plan in his head.

"I think I'll raise the temperature a few more degrees before I talk to the mayor." he said to himself.

"Not so fast Dark Crud!" T-bone announced.

Dark Kat spun around to find two Swat Kats standing menacingly in the door way. At first, Dark Kat looked surprised. But then his mouth broke into an evil grin.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." he said.

He pushed a button on his machine and a large dome appeared over T-bone and Razor. The Swat Kats fired at the walls of the dome but it only absorbed their fire power.

"What the heck?" T-bone asked as he poked the side of the dome which was as hard as a regular wall.

"I knew you would find me sooner or later." Dark Kat spoke. "Some how you always manage to discover my plot. But this time I was ready for you. This force field is a new device I created and I'm going to give you a front row seat for a demonstration."

Dark Kat laughed at the trapped pilots as he slowly turned a nob on the control panel.

"Razor, is it getting hot in here?" T-bone asked.

"Yes." Razor exclaimed. "That device is increasing the heat in this dome.

"Crud." T-bone cursed. "Dark Kat's going to turn us into a pair of crispy critters."

Dark Kat laughed at T-bone's remark.

"Yes." he said. "And now to do the same to the rest of the city."

He pulled a lever and the heat generator hummed louder and began to vibrate.

"Razor, we've got to do something." T-bone gasped as drops of sweat began trickling down his body.

The intense heat was making it harder and harder to breath.

"Roger that." Razor managed to whisper.

He shot a missile at the floor, creating a large hole. The Swat Kats slipped into the hole to get away from the heat. Dark Kat saw his condemned captive escaping.

"No!" he yelled in outrage. He turned off the force field. "Go after them my creeplings."

Five creeplings jumped into the hole after their master's foes. There were sounds of a fight beneath the floor boards. Then all was silent. Dark Kat edged over to the hole, careful to keep his distance. Suddenly T-bone lunged out of the hole at him and knocked the large villain to the ground. The two rolled around on the floor in a deadly fight.

Razor came out of the hole next. With Dark Kat distracted he could now take out the heat generator. He then heard pounding from the closed door next to him. He tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Hey, yo! Let me out of here!" Rita's muffled voice came from behind the door.

Razor was about to attempt to break down the door when his partner called to him.

"Razor, how about a little help here." T-bone said before Dark Kat sucker punched him in the face.

Razor fired an octopus missile at the purple foe. The missile spread out its tentacles and grabbed Dark Kat in the face, projecting him off T-bone.

"Thanks buddy." T-bone said before attacking Dark Kat once more.

Razor turned his attention back over to the machine's controls. While he tried to reverse the heat generator's effects, Dark Kat managed to grab hold of T-bone's flight suit and throw him at the smaller Swat Kat.

"Morons." Dark Kat gloated. "There's no way to reverse its effects without my password."

"Oh yeah?" Razor pointed his glovatrx at the generator.

He fired a turbo blade into the reactor, shattering the glass that held water to keep the system cooled.

"You idiots!" Dark Kat cursed. "The reactor will over heat. We'll all be blown to bits." he then beat a hasty retreat.

"I think Dark Kat had the right idea." T-bone told his partner. "Let's blow this place before the reactor does."

"But Rita's locked in that room." Razor protested.

"Then let's go." T-bone answered.

He charged at full speed towards the door and knocked it down. He grabbed Rita in one arm before she could object and ran out of the building, fallowed by his partner. The kats reached the street outside as the building exploded. The Swat Kats dove for the ground. T-bone shielded Rita with his body as flames and rouble flew above them. When Rita finally realized what was happening, she jumped form T-bone's grasp. She stood up and looked down at the Swat Kats laying chest down on the ground and then up at the smoldering building.

"Purple kats, Swat Kats, little pink weirdos who aren't kats at all! This city is crazy!" Rita cried and she ran to her car and sped off towards home.

T-bone got up and looked after the retreating blue car. He sighed and shook his head. Will Rita ever stop seeing them as the bad guys? Razor placed a paw on his friend's shoulder.

"Come on buddy." Razor said softly. "Let's beat it before Feral shows up."

The two pilots walked silently back to their jet and took off for home.

Very late that same night Chance Furlong drove up to Tanya's house in an old and junky looking green car. Rita sat in the passenger's seat. Chance was still quite embarrassed about the condition of his car. But it was either that or the tow truck. As he sat he wondered why he had asked Rita out in the first place. The dinner was nice but cheap because Chance didn't have much money to spend. And although Rita was pretty he liked Calley Briggs a lot and for some reason he felt guilty for going out with someone else.

"I'm sorry I wasn't at my best today." Rita apologized. "All the stuff that happened today with the Swat Kats and everything just wore me out."

"Why do you hate them so much?" Chance blurted at a surprised Rita before he could stop himself. He immediately regretted the question.

"I don't hate them Chance." Rita said. "I realize their just trying to do some good. But the idea of lawless vigilantes marauding around the city just scares me a little."

Chance smiled slightly. At least he knew now how she felt about his alter-ego. Rita began to get out of the car and Chance did the same. The two kats walked side by side silently to the door.

"Chance," Rita asked as they stopped at the door. "How come you didn't talk much tonight?"

"I really don't have much to say." Chance shrugged.

"Well, you know," Rita said as she looked into his eyes. "they say actions speak louder than words."

She placed her paws on his shoulders and reached up and kissed him softly. Chance looked at her in surprise. Rita smiled sweetly at him. He looked into her deep green eyes and found himself smiling back. A warm wonderful feeling came over him as he wrapped his arms around Rita's waist and pulled her close. And as he kissed her back, Chance didn't feel guilty any more.