Project: Avatar 2... by Xanadu Introduction... Author's Note: Lately, my hoards of fans (who always show up to threaten me with various bodily injuries unless I write more, at least until I take my medication), have been pressuring me to write a story about the victims of Project: Avatar 2. They want the background and the like. It doesn't help me any that they are also fans of Creature and Pretender1. At any rate, I calmly informed them that I don't usually take suggestions, but prefer to write stories as they come to me. After I escaped from the small closet they locked me in (They locked it from the inside too. Weird...), I informed them that I would take it under consideration. I promptly forgot about it. So, until the fist-fight ends and the medication kicks in (Hey! Guys! Elbows aren't supposed to bend that way! Oooh. I'll bet that smarts.), I'll be writing it since they have a representative who's threatening to delete the files I have on another project I'm working on. Ah, the things I do for my public. *One half-hour later...* They left all of a sudden. Except for the guy threatening to delete the files. For some reason, they always go away a half-hour after I take the pills the nice doctor gave me. Maybe they don't like the way it makes me act. Oh well. I may as well write the story now. That way I don't lose the files. On a more serious note. I really don't have the hoards of rabid fans I mentioned earlier. Maybe I will some day. Here's hopin'. Now, what I was really going to say, was that I decided to write the background information on Lyle, Anastasia, Turbo, and Krakatoa. And no, I don't really take medication for schizophrenia. I was just kidding about all that stuff. This should be fun to write. *Cue in flashback effects. Wavy fadeout, mist, wind, et. al.* Chapter 1... It was a stormy night in the June of 1982, and Agent S was smiling smugly while Agent M brought in the subjects. Agent R was taking roll call. Suddenly, he looked up. "Where's Alexia?" "Don't you mean Anastasia?" "Yes William. I know her code-name is Anastasia, but she's my daughter. She knows that. I'll call her either name. That's the deal I cut with the Triumvirate when they wanted me to try this again. That goes for any of them, remember?" "Yes, well, I still think that we'd have gotten farther if you hadn't decided that using the electro-shock aversion training would be against medical ethics. I spent a fortune on that equipment, out of my own pocket too. And now it's on the scrap-heap." "Thank the Muses it's so. You know as well as I do that your aversion therapy was partially responsible for Dreadnought." "That was what the Triumvirate wanted you-" Agent S caught himself just before he finished, and cut himself off with a snarl. The lightning cracked across the sky while the little girl in the red jumpsuit cowered in the corner. The two older boys walked over by her, and one kneeled down and hugged her. Agent R walked out into the field and led in another child, about a year older than the oldest boy. Agent S smiled again as his thoughts leaned towards the future. Ten Years Later... Agent S was smiling smugly again. Turbonator and Krakatoa were working out in the Training Field, him dodging her blows. The two were laughing while the tree nearby shimmered slightly. Will Storm had watched this same scene day after day while Max Reynard, Agent R, had been there. Always they had stopped Anastasia before she'd struck. But now Max was off at a business meeting. Agent S wanted to see just how well the training Max's daughter had received would pay off. Turbonator walked by the tree carefully, wondering just where Anastasia and Lyle were, when she struck. Anastasia had shifted away from the tree just behind Turbonator. She caught him around the neck and twirled around to face Krakatoa. She held her paw up to Turbonator's throat and it quickly changed into a wickedly curved silver blade. Krakatoa cried out and Turbonator snapped. "You're goin' down today Sheila!" He reached up and grabbed the knife-paw and twirled Anastasia over his shoulder. He dropped to his knee and brought his paw down towards her throat. He stopped just a fraction of an inch short. Then he was back to normal. He looked around and saw Krakatoa crying. As he had for years, he ran towards her and started trying to comfort her. "It's okay Melissa. I'm sorry any of this happened with you around. You'll be okay." He looked over towards Agent S and stood straight. He set his jaw and ran towards him. Before the guard could reach Storm, Turbonator had gotten across the field and grabbed the thick red fur around Storm's neck. "You son of a- I could have killed someone today! You could have stopped it, but no. You wanted to see what we could do. Well I'm gonna give you a first hand account. But not before I've pounded that smirk off of your stinkin' face!" Storm's paw flashed for his pocket, and he pulled out a small box. He pressed a button on it, and Turbonator collapsed, covering his ears with his paws and crying out in pain. Storm put the box away and kneeled. "You can't do a thing to me Turbonator. I installed a control chip at the base of your neck before you woke up earlier. It didn't take long at all. Now. Back to training. We've got a lot to teach you after today. If you'd been ready, you would have struck. You knew that Anastasia could always have shifted. Speaking of Anastasia..." He walked over to her as she got up. "If you ever want to finish your training and get the rewards I've promised you, you'll be more careful. You should have at least drawn blood. But you were too busy being smug. Be more careful." She snarled at him and flattened her ears out along the side of her head. "Advice you should take as well, Dr. Storm." "You will call me Agent S. That is my name, as far as you're concerned." Anastasia smiled slyly at him. "Just like my name is Anastasia. Quite frankly, I prefer Alexia. Just like we all prefer our real names." She turned around on the stiletto heels she was wearing and walked off. Three years later... The helicopter was landing at the rainy research center. A tall kat stepped out of it and approached the building ahead of him. He turned towards the aging Doctor Reynard, and scowled. "You're already twenty thousand dollars over budget Agent R. You'd better have something that'll blow my mind if you want more. Especially with what you want it for." "Tritanium restraints are very costly Captain. And yes, we should be blowing your mind. Come along." He led him into the main building, and showed him the plans. "These are what we need. Tritanium restraints, Ephedril, and Substance X for Turbonator, geothermal researchers for Krakatoa, Serotonin for Lyle, and a new attitude for my daughter." The Captain raised his eyebrows at the last comment. "I take it all is not well with the young Ms. Reynard?" "She's been learning too much from my colleague." "Like?" Agent S walked around the corner and smiled at his mentor. "Like using her natural charms and talents to get the job done. Dr. Reynard has a very, attractive, daughter, and I'm afraid that he doesn't approve of her using those abilities in the field." The Captain shook his head. "And what about Ephedril and Substance X? Those are both very expensive and rare." "Yes, well, Mr. Storm's experimentation got him into trouble again. He was trying radiation aversion therapy on Turbonator. I'm afraid that he caused irreversible damage to him psychologically, as well as genetically. Turbo, as he prefers to be called, has three distinct personalities so far. Turbo, or Rory, his main personality, Turbonator, or Jonny, a cold and heartless personality, and Vindicator, or Mik, an Aussie hitman. Fortunately Ephedril works on him as well as it did on the Kielmann case. "The Substance X is for his genetic damage. His powers now cause his body to feed off of his muscles at an incredibly high rate. He'd wither away and die if he didn't get a monthly tablet. That's why I'm calling the condition the Withering. Nasty way to go. And he will go if we don't get more Substance X. It is, by the way, incurable. It was Mr. Storm's experiment here that caused him to be stripped of his position as a doctor. Violation of medical ethics and kat rights." "I see." "Yes, well, let's take you to see the subjects." The two led the Captain into another wing. They looked into a cell with a glass window and no other way of looking in. They saw a teenaged kat struggling at his restraints. "It doesn't look like Turbo needs new restraints." "Watch." As they did, the kat suddenly calmed down. He looked straight at the camera with a little smirk on his face. " `Ello guvnah, thought you'd like a demonstration up there!" He tugged at the restraints, and they snapped like paper. "That's titanium alloy there. He can't get through Tritanium though, not yet. That's why we need those." The Captain nodded. "Who's next?" Mr. Storm paled under his red fur as the Captain asked that. "K-Krakatoa." "You sound frightened William. Why?" "Y-You'll see sir." They walked down the hall to the next cell, but there was thicker steel and glass around it. A young kat, about sixteen, was pacing back and forth. She looked out at Agent S and smiled. "So Agent S. You'd like to show me off for the Captain? Gladly." She backed away from the glass even as the three observers did the same. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and hissed loudly, like a kat that just ran into a dawg. A red liquid shot out of her mouth and spattered across the window, and the hissing continued, along with a lot of steam and smoke from the window. The Captain sprung back to the wall. "Kats alive! What in the name of the Furies was that?!" Agent S calmed down a bit and smiled when he heard the Captain's obviously favorable impression. "That was her power. A super-heated silicon fluid. We're still working on actual lava. That's what we need the researchers for. It's not quite as hot, but just as deadly as lava." "I see. Perhaps we could get a more peaceful demonstration?" "Gladly sir." Agent S' smile grew into an evil grin. "Lyle! Come." A timid kat, about as tall as Turbo, but shaking with terror, entered. It was obvious by his proud features that he had once been more than this. His long hair got in the way of his eyes, and he brushed it away with his paw, small and weakened from a lack of exercise. His eyes darted about constantly, as though he were looking for hidden enemies in the shadows. He looked nervous and thin, and the Captain doubted that he'd weigh in at 120 if he were soaked, even wearing clothes at least three sizes too big. "Y-y-y-yes M-m-m-mr. S-s-storm? W-w-what is it?" His nervous stutter was one born of fear, as any could see, not a physical condition. He looked almost ready to collapse into hysteria. "Come closer Lyle. Stand next to me." Lyle obeyed like an obedient dawg, one loyal only to avoid being kicked again. "Now, I'm afraid that Krakatoa doesn't like me much. I can't imagine why. At any rate, we need her to cooperate with us more than she is at the moment. Would you help me convince her?" Lyle's eyes drew straight to Mr. Storm, and they were filled with the sort of terror thankfully unknown by most people. Agent S reached for his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Krakatoa! If you don't help me more, I'm afraid that I'll be forced to hurt Lyle. I know that neither of us wants that to happen. So please, cooperate with us." Lyle's eyes darted back and forth from the box, to Agent S, to Krakatoa, and back to the box. Agent S' thumb moved imperceptibly when Krakatoa did nothing, and Lyle clutched the sides of his head in pain as he fell. "Now, Krakatoa, I'm afraid I'll have to do that again if you won't help me." He held up the box where she could see it, and moved it up ten notches, to the top level. Lyle's eyes widened as Agent S picked him up by the collar. He turned those maddened eyes towards Krakatoa and begged to her under his breath: "Melissa, please." She stood from her seat and walked away from the door. "Alright Storm. I'll show you what I can do. And I won't aim at you this time. Open this door so I have room." Storm smiled and had her led out into the rainy training field. She looked around, gauging distances and guessing speeds. Suddenly, she sprang into action. Her paws, once resting at her hips, suddenly spurted out some of the deadly fluid she produced inside her. She broke into a run for the wall, dodging the guards who charged after her. At the last moment, she leaped for the wall. She might have made it too, if she hadn't been shot at by Dr. Reynard, whose tranquilizer dart brought her down in a flash. "I'm sorry Captain. I should have known she'd break for it. She knows what M had to do to her father to get her in here. She has no idea who her mother is. If you'd been exposed to that sort of trauma at three years old, you'd be bitter too. She used to cry almost all the time, but Turbo would help her. He always did have a compassionate streak. At any rate, after the radiation treatments drove him insane, she grew like this. She's still desperate for a family, for close friends, for anything like that, on the inside, but on the outside..." Agent R sighed. "She realizes that every day of her life will probably consist of listening to Turbo arguing with his other selves, of training until we're done with her, and then being thrown into a group with people she doesn't even know. I'd hate to be leading her life at any time... Well, shall we continue with the inspection?" "Certainly." They lead him back into the building, and a pair of guards threw Krakatoa's unconscious body into the cell. Mik was having a high old time, laughing as though he was in a bar in Australia, talking to his "mates", and Lyle was cowering in the corner. Storm smiled and beckoned for Lyle to approach him. "Lyle, the Captain needs a demonstration of your powers. What am I feeling?" "You're f-f-feeling s-s-smug Mr. Storm. Y-y-y-you shouldn't feel this way." William Storm laughed at that last statement. "And how should I feel Lyle?" Lyle's eyes slid down from the crown of Storm's head to meet the emerald green eyes. His trembling form drew up straight and tall, and he spoke in a softly commanding voice. "You should feel afraid." At those words, Mr. Storm took on a look much like Lyle's earlier. He cried out and shrank back from some imagined terror. "L-lyle! S-stop this im-immediately!" Lyle continued to stare into his eyes, and Storm reached for his pocket. His trembling paw brought out the box, and he tapped the button. Lyle screamed in agony and fell to the floor as Storm returned to normal, though he was breathing deeply. He turned the knob back to the first level, and turned to the Captain, totally calm again. "I'm sorry about that sir. Lyle's an empath. He can sense emotions, mimic them, and transmit them. I'm afraid that he sometimes loses control. This was one of those times." "Why would he need Serotonin?" Dr. Reynard smiled. "Because my esteemed colleague, Agent S, was unfortunate enough to erase all remnants of Lyle's original personality in the training. The Serotonin is to treat the psychological damage and return him to normal, hopefully while maintaining the psychic powers he possesses. His real name was Johann. He doesn't remember a thing about that." The Captain shook his head again. "I'm afraid that something will have to go from the budget. Probably the Ephedril. Let me see Anastasia, and I'll go take care of it." Reynard shook his head sadly and continued down the hall. He reached the last cell, and the Captain came up behind him. When he saw the young woman in the cell, his eyes widened and he paled under his fur. "Sir, this is my daughter, Anastasia. Her body is made of something that seems to be living metal. We found a sample after the alien Heavy Metal escaped from our labs. She decided to undergo the transformation into it, but also seems to have decided to blame me for the side-effects. Like a loss of internal organs. Her body is much like that of a liquid statue." Alexia Reynard, known as Anastasia, walked up to the door of the cell and smiled. She shifted into her natural form, and then changed back into another appearance, resembling her kat-like form outwardly, but in different clothing, the tailored suit, skirt, and hat standard to most Organization employees. She laughed at the Captain, and he walked back out towards his helicopter. William Storm followed him. "Captain, why is it that you're so worried all of a sudden?" "It's my own business." "Oh no it's not. You see, Lyle gave me the photos this morning." He snickered when the Captain whirled around, a shocked look on his face. "Oh, don't look so surprised. You knew Lyle and Anastasia were working Black Ops. I decided that they could use a little field training when your jet arrived last night. I take it you recognized the young lady? You do remember the penalty for becoming, involved, with another member of the Organization without the leave of the CO? Or the Triumvirate? You should, you made them yourself." "If those photos were to ever get out, my career would be as dead as hers." "Of course. Now, if I were to have a reason for keeping these photos in the circular file, I just might." "What is it you want?" "Simple. More independence to conduct my own studies, separate of Dr. Reynard. Everything on that budget except the Serotonin approved. I need Lyle just like he is. Nobody to know we had this conversation. Oh, and, uh, one other thing. Anastasia wanted you to okay this." He handed the Captain a sheet of paper. "What is this?" "Leave to conduct a study into the possibility of a long term program to develop a breed of super-kat. She's developed an interest in Rory." The Captain sighed and signed the sheet. "It's up to her to get him to sign it, of course." Will Storm smiled evilly. "Of course. And I just remembered something." "What is it?" "Simple. The four want a little more freedom. For one thing, permission to call each other by their real names." "Granted. What else?" "Permission to work together outside of the training atmosphere. They want to get to know each other better, those sort of things. I can't imagine why." The Captain sighed again. "Also granted. Now, will you destroy those pictures?" "Of course not! What do you take me for? I need my insurance, after all." "I can't believe you'd come up with a plan like this on your own. Did Reynard help you?" "Actually, I can't take credit. Anastasia said that she and Rory had come up with it, and the group's blackmail demands. She had her own, and so did I. Rory doesn't really know about hers, or mine. But, then, M was also instrumental in working it out." "I know. She introduced Ms. Reynard to me. Said she was an old friend. Let's just forget about this now, shall we?" "Of course. After our demands are met." The Captain ran out to his helicopter while Storm stood in the hall and chuckled to himself until it was gone. He met with Anastasia, and informed her of the decisions the Captain had made. She laughed with her trainer, and leaned back against the wall of her cell. After a time, her thoughts turned to Rory. Rory, all I need now is you. Then I'll be happy. Hope you don't put up too big a struggle. You know how I hate it when people play hard to get. She drifted off into sleep, letting her final thoughts be those of her father, roasting over the coals of a T-Board. Her plan was almost in place. Just a few months more... One Year Later... The alarms of the Organization research center were blaring out an escape signal. The subjects of Avatar 2 were missing! The guards were moving out through the halls, looking for anyone. About five minutes later, they found them. Turbo, Krakatoa, and a local vigilante named Night Strike were cornered. The Cleaners didn't know where Anastasia was, and Lyle was cowering in his cell. The five kats raised their guns. "You three are coming with us." Night Strike raised his sword. "Over my dead body." The Cleaners shrugged. "Have it your way then." They aimed for Night Strike, but were cut short by the strangled cry of the rear-most one. They turned around to see him, his neck grabbed by a pair of silver arms protruding from the wall. Anastasia slipped out, holding the kat like a shield, and placed her paw at his throat. As it shifted into a knife, Turbo charged forward. The kat he rammed flew into the wall across in a blur of dark fabric and fur, while the hilt of Night Strike's sword came down on the skull of another. Anastasia slit the throat of the third, and they split up as others arrived. Krakatoa was cornered minutes later. Six Cleaners against her alone. Her pulse raced through her head, pounding in her ears, and one of them raised his gun. Before she could think, her training kicked in. Her ears folded back and she hissed. The kat was sent screaming down the hall, trying to scrape as much of the fluid she spit on him as he could off. The others started shooting, but their bullets melted as a wall of lava rose in front of her, poured out of her hands. They were calling for a person with a chisel when Night Strike arrived. Moments later, the Cleaners were unconscious, and Night Strike had cut through the wall. Krakatoa was waiting for him on the other side of the reinforced room, a hole burned through the outer walls leading to the outside world. The two ran towards the fence, only to find themselves trapped with Turbo, a hundred Cleaners surrounding them. They steeled themselves for their inevitable defeat while Anastasia walked through the fence, shifting briefly into her liquid state. The Cleaners were about to fire, when a hail of shells came down from the sky. The Nightingale lowered from the sky, switching over to its hover state. The Stun Bombs she dropped knocked out most of the Cleaners, whose conscious comrades were sensible. They ran. Night Bird lowered herself on a rope ladder. "You three need a lift? I heard on the local government station that Night Strike was in trouble. Thought I'd lend a hand!" Night Strike started climbing into the jet. "Whoever you are, I owe you my life." Night Bird smiled. "Just remember that next time I ask you out to dinner." Turbo and Krakatoa climbed into the jet, and took off for nearby Megakat City. "Where can I drop you three off?" Night Strike turned towards Night Bird and started taking off his mask. "You can drop me at the Amese residence." Krakatoa turned towards her mysterious benefactors. "A friend of mine said he had a place I could stay if I ever got to Megakat City. Here's the address." Night Strike took off his mask, revealing the face of Freedan Katsylyan. "You're Melissa Monroe? I thought that was our silvery friend. You never fully explained your powers though, so it's not that surprising. Josie, my friend, left some things she thought you could use at the other house near Katsylyan Towers. Where should we drop off your friend?" Turbo took off the mask he'd been given by the Organization and blinked several times in the increased light. "If Melissa wouldn't mind, I have a cousin in town here who'd be willing to help me into Faroe Lake. However, I'm afraid that I can't tell you where he lives. He has several places." "James Jonathan?" "Yes. How'd you know?" "I met him once. He spoke of a cousin who'd disappeared." "Okay. Well, what I was trying to say was that, if Melissa wouldn't mind, I'd like to be dropped off somewhere around her place." Melissa smiled. "I wouldn't mind if you stayed there overnight. I'm sure there's an extra room." Night Bird smiled to herself while she took the jet out to the areas of town where her friends were going. After they dropped off Freedan, and Rory was climbing down the ladder, Night Bird grabbed Melissa's arm. "What is it?" Night Bird shook her head. "I could hear the tone in your voice when you told Rory he could stay at your place tonight. Don't let him hurt you, okay? Oh, and don't tell Freedan who I am." "How could I? I don't even know that!" "You do now." Night Bird took off her mask, revealing the face of Josie Amese. "I've been in the same spot you're in now. Promise me that you won't let him break your heart, okay kiddo?" "Okay. I won't." Josie shook her head again while Melissa got out of the jet. "No kid. You will. You won't be able to help yourself. And neither will he. Just don't let it hit you too hard when he does." Three Months Later... Max Reynard was sitting in his room, trying to figure out what was wrong. Anastasia should have been found by now, but there wasn't any sign of any of them, besides rumors of three vigilantes, one of which was incredibly vicious, striking at the Faroe Lake and Megakat City operations. The Captain was caught between a rock and a hard place, being forced into dropping off Substance X for Rory at the same time he was hunting him down. Max was about to drift off when he heard someone at his door. He opened it up and was confronted by a dozen Cleaners. The last thing anyone heard from Max Reynard was his screaming as the T-Board worked on him... Three Months Later... Anastasia smiled as she looked up at the huge building she once knew as home. Her father had been punished months ago, and it was time to finish her plan. She knew that M would be reporting in soon, telling them the results of her typically fruitless search for Rory, Melissa, and her perpetual attempts to re-capture Underdog. Her outfit shimmered along with her body, and she assumed the shape of Agent M. She walked past the guards without a hitch, and straight into the meeting the Triumvirate was holding. She shimmered again, and the guards fired. The slugs tore through her body, taking chunks of the silvery metal along with them. The pieces of metal melted down and flowed back into her as she flung three more from her body as sharp spines. Three of the guards fell, the metal spines protruding from their throats shortly before slithering back to her body. "I've come to negotiate. They won't die, I didn't aim for anything vital. I believe they may be mute after this, but they'll live. Now, I believe you need a new Research and Development person? One to replace my dear departed father?" "Yes. What is it you want?" "A few simple things. First, that I have his position, with all the attendant pay and control. I'd work apart from Mr. Storm however, our projects tend to take different paths." "Second?" "Second that I be put in charge of the detail handling the Avatar 2 escapees. Namely Turbo and Krakatoa." "Is that all?" "Almost. Finally, nothing happens if Turbo and Krakatoa aren't left alone. If they bother my projects, I'll take care of them. If not, we'll just have to be more careful." "That's ridiculous! Turbo and Krakatoa represent millions in research." "One is dying. He has about three and one half years left, at best. Unless he's treated, and we don't know the treatment. Moving on. Krakatoa isn't fully developed. It would be foolish to try and push the issue, since I suspect Turbo would defend her. After his death, then she could be taken. It's too dangerous otherwise. That's why M hasn't caught them yet." "Fine then. If you'll agree to work for us in R&D, and be much more loyal than your father was." She agreed, and started her new job. Lyle, hunkering down in the air vents, listened while the little witch negotiated with the murderers of her father. He shook his head and went back to his office, bringing up the new internet software and letting Rory know about the current situation, as he had been doing for the past six months. In Faroe Lake... Nate was looking at the laptop computer that Rory had left running when he went out with that Melissa girl. A new E-Mail message was coming up. He clicked on it and shook his head, remembering what his cousin had said when his curiosity wound up having him discover her real identity. And then he discovered that his new roommate was really Turbo, the newest vig' in Faroe Lake. And then he'd discovered those secret accounts that Rory had set up, so that his money he stole from the Organization would keep Nate and Melissa in a comfortable lifestyle for many years to come, after he had died. While the message was downloading, he was thinking about his friend. And the young she-kat that Rory was going out with. She was a weird one, with hair the color of a deep mahogany and fur the color of ashes. Her eyes were an emerald green, and Nate thought that she and Rory would make a great couple if it weren't for the Withering and the KaTastrophes... His thoughts drifted off to Rory, dying slowly over the next couple years because of what had happened to him. Tears came to his eyes as he remembered how Rory was so calm about it. Just like Nate was always calm about the brain cancer that the doctors said they couldn't operate on. Maybe he should tell Rory... But no. The pain was getting to be too much. You have a plan, but everyone would try to stop you. Even Rory, even though Rory knew how he felt. No. Nate couldn't let the voices start telling him what to do again. He'd gotten in big trouble last time, and he'd be in bigger this time. Anyway, Rory was in danger yet. His thoughts drifted again, this time to Melissa, who'd made a mistake before that she couldn't fix now. She'd gone and joined the KaTastrophes, one of the nastiest biker gangs this side of Moskat. She'd be the only one who was reasonable, the rest wanting to move on with their technology and level the Ghetto of Megakat City. Nate shook his head sadly, thinking of Melissa and Rory, so sad in a few minutes, but so happy now. When they think about how your pain is gone Nate, they'll be happy again. Hello Nate. We're back to make you feel all better. His "friends" had returned. He knew that they were only in his head, but that didn't help any. Look at the message Nate. Rory's safe now. He read the message, and found that it was true. Now we'll take the pain away from you forever. He felt his hand straying towards the handgun on the table, the one that Rory had left out in case anyone tried robbing Nate while Rory wasn't there. He picked it up and looked at it. Then it happened. Without thinking about it, he slipped the gun up along his chest, about where his heart should be. He heard the revolver slide over to a loaded section. Then the earth-shattering explosion, and then a pain that finally made him ignore the ache in the back of his mind where the cancer was. Not that it made him feel any better. He cried out in pain, and then slipped into the blessed blackness. There was something from outside, and a sensation of someone hitting him. He couldn't make out any certain sounds. A few minutes later, he stopped feeling any pain, and heard voices in the distance... It's the Furies, coming to take you on to the next life... After all, the Muses wouldn't have anything to do with you, and the Fates don't want to bother with cleaning up the carpet... He felt himself being lifted up, even through the blackness that was engulfing him, and he gave himself up to it entirely... Moments before Nate blacked out... Melissa and Rory were pulling up to the old house on his motorcycle. She had just jumped off and was pulling her helmet loose. Rory looked her over quickly, noticing that she looked great in the leather jacket she was wearing. He was about to tell her that when a sound he was all too familiar with shattered the scene. A gunshot from inside the house. Then Nate's cry of pain. "NATE!" He jumped down from the bike and took off for the closed door at full speed. He barrelled into it, knocking it off of the hinges, and saw a scene he hoped he'd never see again. Nate was lying on the floor, unconscious, with blood slowly spreading from a bullet wound in his chest. The gun was lying next to his body. Rory started trying everything he knew about first aid on his friend. Melissa saw what was happening and called an ambulance while Rory was trying desperately to save the life of his best friend. The EMS team arrived, and they lifted Nate up onto the stretcher and into the ambulance while someone tried to piece together what had happened. Then they all took off for the hospital, following the ambulance. The doctor met them just outside the OR a few minutes later. He had some questions, and so did the Enforcers. The Enforcers asked questions about what had happened. They took the statement, and said that it looked like an attempted homicide. They flew off in a chopper to file their report, and Rory turned towards the doctor. "So Doc, what's the word?" "That's what I have to talk to you about. I need to know if he has any family. I know that you two are just friends, so I'm afraid that I can't tell you much at the moment." "I understand. He has a pair of cousins in Megakat City. But he almost never sees them. I'm the closest thing he has to family. He has an apartment over at my place, and lives there like..." "Like he was family. I understand. I might get canned for this, but I want you to know what his odds are. We're going to fly in a trauma surgeon from Megakat City. Abby Clark is bringing him in by chopper. She's the person who works as the hospital's pilot." "She's also his cousin." "That explains why she sounded so worried. Then I guess she's bringing in her brother too. Anyways, Alan Roberts is the best trauma surgeon this side of the Katlantic ocean. If anyone can save your friend, he can." "What happened?" "It looks like he shot himself, but didn't hit anything that would kill him quickly. The bullet penetrated his lung, ricocheted off of his ribs, and grazed his heart. That's not the biggest problem. It stopped right up next to his spine. If we don't get it out, he could be paralyzed for life. If we try to get it out, he could still be paralyzed. Probably would be. Even if Doctor Roberts operates, there's only a 50/50 chance. The odds aren't good, but better than if we go hacking around up there." "Why did he do this?" "Well, I'm not a psychologist, but I think I have an idea. Did he ever tell you about the brain cancer he was diagnosed with?" "Never. Do you think he wanted to kill himself because of that?" "That could be part of it. He's also schizophrenic. Takes Coradril to deal with the symptoms. The cancer affected his brain, driving him crazy. He was in near-constant pain. The voices that talked to him probably drove him to suicide to take the pain away." "I see. And I can start to understand. I had no idea that he was that sick. I knew he was taking Coradril, but I didn't know why. I thought he just had a few problems. I know I do. Is there anything we can do to help?" "Yes. Stop cluttering up my waiting room. We'll have his family up here pretty soon, once his cousins arrive. If they're anything like him, we'll want to have a clear room." "Trust me. They're worse. Call me at my place, when you have news, will you?" The doctor nodded slowly. "Sure." The two went back to Rory's place in a cab. Rory sat on a couch in the main apartment, looking around at the souvenirs of his work for the past six months. Crooks arrested, Organization drug runs stopped. He noticed an E-Mail on his laptop, saying that the Organization had stopped hunting him. He buried his face in his paws and wept. Melissa sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. A few minutes later he stopped crying and leaned back into the cushions. Then he started to speak. "I've taken down more criminals than most other vigilantes in Faroe Lake. Saved dozens of lives. And, yet, for all my power, I couldn't stop Nate." "You wouldn't have been able to, even if you knew. He was stubborn like that." "I know. But if I'd known..." "If you'd known, he'd still be in that hospital bed. Don't worry. I know Doctor Roberts. Nate'll be okay in a couple weeks." Rory snapped his eyes open in realization when Melissa said that. "Oh, gosh. You live in Megakat City. Maybe I should drive you back." Melissa shook her head firmly. "No way. I'll stay in Cass' room. I think you'll be able to stay Rory for a couple nights." "No problem then. Melissa?" She was standing up to walk up to the room that Rory's other personality, Jon, had set up for a "girlfriend". She turned towards him and got a good clear look at his eyes. If they were supposed to be pools where emotions swam, they were in the middle of a hurricane. They were filled with grief, anger, and something she couldn't recognize. "What is it Rory?" "Thanks for helping me out tonight." "It wasn't a problem Rory. Nate's my friend too." "Melissa?" "Yes?" Rory sat there for a moment, like he was trying to figure out what to say. Melissa waited for him to answer her. "About this afternoon?" Melissa blushed slightly. The two of them had been out riding, and she'd let three words slip out of her mouth that she'd always known were true, but thought that she'd never say. "What about it?" Rory licked his dry lips, trying to get up the courage to say what Nate had finally convinced him to say. He thought he was ready, but was about to fall apart at the seams with everything that had happened. "I- I feel the same way. Throughout everything we've been through, you've been there to help me out. The only other people who can say that are Nate and Lyle. I-." Melissa touched her fingers gently to his lips, quieting him. "Rory, don't say anything that you might regret later. You've been under a lot of stress tonight. And there'll certainly be someone else in your life that those words apply to more than they do to me. Someone who can handle your lifestyle. Someone who isn't a vig' in reality. I think I'll go up now." And she was gone. Rory sat back down in the couch and slapped himself in the forehead with his hand. He heard Nathaniel's mental voice. You idiot. You finally get a chance to tell her that you're thinking about her almost every day, that you drive yourself to distraction wondering how she's getting along with her store, and when you get the chance, you blow it. How's that, Romeo. One of these days, I'll get control of you just to tell her how you feel. At least then it won't be Mik trying to sweep her off her feet. Or Jonny, convincing himself that she's Cass come to life. A sultry young she-kat's voice went off in his head. Watch who you're talking about Nathaniel. Jon's right about me being alive you know. I'm as alive as you are. He just seems to think I'm in that little- Rory shook his head, clearing it before Cass could start insulting Melissa like she always did. He took an Ephedril, and sat up the rest of the night planning his next strike on the Organization... In the morning... The phone rang, and Rory grabbed it before the second ring. "This is Doctor Roberts speaking. Is Rory Jonathan there?" "Speaking. What is it Doc? Good news?" "Yes, and no. I have Abby's permission to talk to you about this, so don't worry about not being related to him. The good news is that I've got the bullet out of him. I've also got a friend here who helped me heal him without paralyzing him. You remember Kitty, don't you?" "Of course. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be speaking with you right now." "Quite possibly. Now for the bad news." "What? He's okay, isn't he?" "Of course. Better than he was before. Kitty and I used a new treatment just okayed for use on kats to cure his cancer. The bad news is that he'll have a problem with schizophrenia and occasional migraines from now on. He's on a treatment plan to help with the migraines. He'll be needing a medicine patch though. It'll carry Coradril to him 24 hours a day. One patch will last roughly a month. But if he's ever without it, he could quite possibly go totally berserk. And he'll probably be on painkillers and Coradril tablets for a long time too. The patch won't always be enough." "I can deal with that. When can he come home?" "In a couple days. Kitty's patched him up to the point where the others are just trying to find out how she did it. Get some sleep, okay? I'll tell James how you are when I get back into town." "How did you know I was up all night?" "Easy. Abby was. And you're closer to him than she is." "Can I talk to him first?" "Nope. Sorry, but I'm afraid he's sleeping better than you are. I'll be in town a couple more days, and then he'll be home and so will I. Now go to sleep!" Doctor Roberts slammed the phone down, and Rory decided to follow his advice. Melissa left a note at noon saying that she was flying back out to Megakat City. Present Day... Rory peeked around the corner into Jon's apartment. He snuck in and started cleaning up the bottles lying around. He'd gone in there the previous night, along with Alexia (who'd dropped by for a drink). He still didn't know why she'd drink without any internal organs, but she'd stayed the night (in Cass' room, he made sure). He was trying to clean up and get a cab over to take her home so that she wouldn't wake up and try anything. He wasn't that lucky. He heard a soft voice, almost purring, over by the door. "Rory? Why didn't you let me sleep in the room of my choice last night? Don't tell me you're still hoping that little crybaby in Megakat City loves you." Rory squeezed his eyes shut. "I knew which room you'd choose. I sleep alone. And that "little crybaby" you're referring to happens to be the woman I love. And she hasn't cried about much since your colleague, Agent S, drove me to Dissociative Identity Disorder and gave me the Withering. Why are you still chasing me Alexia? I'm sure you could find plenty of more willing people up at the Organization to build a life with." "I'm still chasing you because I've got my heart set on building a life with you, Rory. I love you. It's as simple as that. I am working on a cure for the Withering you know. One day the two of us can be together forever. I could be whoever you wanted. Doesn't that at least intrigue you?" Rory shook his head without even looking in her direction. "Quite the contrary. I find you as rude, vulgar, and repulsive as Cass. She formed while your colleagues were hunting me down, while I was living on the street for a couple months. You would get along in the only line of work she always was fit for just as well. You have the attitude for it." "Why, Rory! I'd almost think you didn't like me! And you can look at me, I'm decent." "It's probably the first time in five years that's true then. `Cause you haven't been decent in the head in at least that long. I may not be a telepath, but I knew Lyle long enough to pick up a feel for what others are feeling. I wouldn't get involved with you if you were the last woman on Kearth." "Well! I'll just be leaving then. Good bye!" She stormed out of the building and slammed the door behind her. He shook his head as he threw out the last bottle. She used to be a good person, but just went too far. When she let her father die, she let the last good part of her die with him. She's in it only for herself. I'd better go tell Nate she's gone. He walked into the other apartment and woke up Nate. "She stormed out. I told her what I think of her." "I was hoping you would. I would have, but she'd probably have killed me. You sure that insulting her like that was a good idea?" "No. But I've gotten her off my tail for awhile. Now I can go on with my life. I'm calling Melissa." "Just be careful with that witch Rory. She's less likely to leave you alone than she is to kill you." "I know Nate. She almost did once. But so did I. And that's why I want her to leave." He picked up the phone and dialed. He heard it being picked up, and waited for Melissa to start talking. He also heard water in the background... A small store in Megakat City... Melissa Monroe stepped out of the shower and started drying herself off. She heard the phone in the shop ring and ran down the stairs before the machine took it. She picked up the phone. "Melissa's Place, video and cassette rentals, hair styling, books, and herbal remedies! Normal hours today are 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. Would you mind calling back in about an hour?" "Did I catch you in the middle of something?" "Rory! It's you. Okay. Actually, you did. I was just getting up." "Okay. Just wanted to tell you something. Alexia came and talked to me for awhile last night." Melissa licked her lips nervously. Had she only talked? Or had she finally got to Rory... "She's got some, interesting information." "What?" "Nothing much. Just that she's got a new problem on her hands." "Oh, really? Secret admirer up at the Organization? That'd be enough to kill anyone." Rory laughed at her joke, but then his voice got deadly serious. "This isn't really something to joke about Mel. There's a new vig' in the area. Taking out other super-kats and anyone connected to the Organization. They're calling him the `Kat In Black'." "And she told you this willingly?" "I found out that she does get drunk, even without any organs to be affected. So sue me. She told me while under the influence, just before I put her in Cass' apartment. I didn't have anything stronger than ginger ale." "Okay. So, what about this KIB?" "He's stronger than anything they've seen before. Might beat Mik at arm wrestling. But it's a slender strength. The guy seems to be in perfect physical condition. And he's there and gone in less time than it takes for Alexia to shift." "Weird. What should we do?" "Just be careful. That's all. I'll let you get dressed now. See you tonight!" She smiled. "See you." And the circle closes... Author's Note: Okay, I know I made one earlier, but this one's serious (yeah, right). Once again, I left at least three cliff hangers. That's my job. Live with it! Sorry. What I meant to explain was my tendency to leave cliff hangers. I like convenient means of keeping storylines going. Cliff hangers provide those. People who've read the previous stories know what's going on. People just starting have a good reason to read my previous works. Sort of like the old serials that they show on AMC every once in awhile. People reading this story after my others know the identity of Night Strike and Night Bird already, so that realization isn't much. However, the realization that it wasn't the original plan for Avatar 2 that caused Rory's terminal illness was something not often alluded to otherwise. The brewing romance between Rory and Melissa was something else new to my readers, but old to my players (in the SK RPG I run at home). As was reference to the KaTastrophe's. However, the Kat In Black (thanks to Strike's Swat Kat Zone for the name) is new to both players and readers. I also took the usual frame of reference (Megakat City and the Swat Kats or Enforcers) and threw it out the window! I decided to have most of the story occur in Faroe Lake and from Madame Kat's ever-watchful gaze. And, uh, in case you haven't guessed by now, italics like this will usually indicate emphasis. However, these sort of italics represent things inside the head of a character, usually the previous speaker or whoever the alternate voice is talking too. That's about it for tonight. Enjoy! 1 Not intended as an attack on the rights that the companies that produced those excellent shows have. Creature was written by Peter Benchley. Pretender is an excellent series which I'm currently hunting the air times of. If you know them, please tell me. I'm getting slightly desperate. ??