Feral and Sunsinger were able to avoid the press for awhile. The only ones that knew about them had been their own people and Ms. Briggs. No one was talking, allowing the couple a brief respite before being shoved into the public eye.
Callie knew she couldn't keep a lid on this new development too long. She was giving them a few days breathing space while she briefed the Mayor on Dark Kat's death and the new creatures inhabiting Megakat City. He didn't take it too well. It took her a couple of hours to get him calmed down and off to the golf course. She spent the rest of the day writing up the press release and the Mayor's speech about this new couple.
Two days later...press room...city hall...
"Thank you all for coming. It gives me great pleasure to announce the complete eradicaation of the following criminals from our fair citaa. Dr. Viper, dead; Dark Kat, dead; Turmoil extradited to her own country; Hard Drive, memory loss, suit destroyed, in jail; Mad Kat's box destroyed, and the Metallikats, destroyed permanently this time. Our troubles finally ended by the Phoenix Squad aiding the Enforcers and the SWAT Kats. The only true threat left is the Pastmaster and I am assured he will be dealt with as soon as he reappears. It gratifies me to know hiring the Phoenix Squad was the best move of my career. At last our citaa will finally see peace." The Mayor pompously announced.
"Mayor Manx. Do you have proof of your claims? After all, we thought the omegas were gone before only to have them reappear?" Ann Gora chimed in skeptically.
"I have a report here from Commander Feral and the dead bodies in the morgue that have been identified to everyone's satisfaction, a confirmed report from the Phoenix Squad Leader Sunsinger, and an affidavit from the SWAT Kats. I can assure you with complete confidence that these criminals are indeed no more."
"That is good news Mayor Manx. So the Phoenix Squad will continue to remain in Megakat City until Pastmaster has been dealt with?" Another reporter asked.
This time Calico Briggs stepped up to the mike. "Actually the Phoenix Squad intends to relocate their company to our city. This is another part of the new happenings to the city we want to impart to its katizens. It came to light during the battle with Dark Kat that we have two unusual creatures in our city. One of them has been residing here hiding his true appearance. The other only just arrived."
Pausing to gather her thoughts, Callie looked out over the group of press waiting silently for her next words. This was going to cause an uproar. Sighing, she took a breath, "It seems Megakat City has been the home and safe harbor for a Gryphonskat and has just unknowingly hired another Gryphonskat to its shores." She was interrupted by loud exclamations and disbelief.
"You want us to believe that we have two mythical creatures here among us. There is no such thing as Gryphonskats?" Scoffed one reporter. Others nodded their heads in agreement.
"For a city that has seen its share of strange things that's a ridiculous thing to say. Just because we have never seen one doesn't mean they don't exist. But I can tell you first hand, that I have seen a Gryphonskat and not one but two. They are a mated pair and that only occurred recently. The one who lives here hid himself in fear. His life before coming here was one of terror and fear from kats like us who hounded, tortured, and attempted to kill him. We can hardly fault him for hiding himself from all that. He has proven himself useful to our city on many occasions but the cost to him was high." She intoned gravely.
"How would you like to be utterly alone with no one like yourself to touch and be with for decades because you were too afraid to be what you are? Denied the skies and confined to the ground for years. That was his existence but he never complained and still protected us. But now he's found someone, a visitor who came here to solve our problems with the omegas. Fate brought him a mate. They are a beautiful, if a bit frightening, pair. They have no wish to harm us only protect as they have been doing for years without reward. All they ask is that we accept them and allow them to be who they really are without hiding. I think that isn't too much to ask and the Mayor has granted them the right to stay as katizens of this fair city." Callie said ending her impassioned speech.
"It sound like you are describing one of the Phoenix Squad and maybe an enforcer. That would explain what you mean by protecting us. So who are these Gryphonskats?" Ann Gora asked for them all.
Callie signaled to the enforcer at the door. He went out and came back in with Commander Feral and Tye Sunsinger in tow. The guard stayed at the door as the pair walked up to the podium and stood next to Ms. Briggs. There was a rumble of surprise and confusion throughout the press.
Callie turned to the pair and said, "Please present your true selves."
In the blink of an eye the pair's clothing and glamour disappeared. Cameras flashed frantically as the press gaped and gasped.
Recovering first, Ann Gora asked, "Commander Feral you are quite stunning. But Ms. Briggs said you are a mated pair, how is that possible?"
"Thank you for the compliment, Ann. As for your question...I am an hermaphrodite. Sunsinger is the first Gryphonskat I've seen in 20 years." Feral said quietly.
"Twenty years? That's a long time to be alone and to never fly. How on earth did you manage not to go mad?" Ann asked in shocked dismay.
"If I wanted to live I had to learn to control my instincts. The best way was to never use them. I entered the enforcer academy because it would allow me to maintain my discipline, give me a job, and a secure place to hide." He said and shrugged, "You just learn to put up with being lonely. It wasn't a happy existence but I was safe."
"That's a fairly miserable way to live Commander and I'm actually sorry you felt you had to." Ann commiserated then turned to Tye. "Mr. Sunsinger how did you manage?
"Almost the same way, Ms. Gora. Except I didn't deny myself my wings or my magic. I was just very circumspect about doing it. My squad is my family. It didn't replace my need for a mate but it helped." Tye said.
"Did your squad know about you?" Asked a reporter.
"No. Even though I trusted them with my life, our kind has been trained from very young to hide ourselves. It's a self preservation thing." Tye said shrugging his shoulders.
"So how do they feel about it now, knowing that you're not a kat and have these other abilities besides flying?" Asked another.
"They are okay with it as a matter of fact, they think it will only make our squad better able to do our job." Tye smiled in pleasure.
"Commander Feral, how do your enforcers feel about you?" Ann asked.
"They are still getting used to it. I don't drop my glamour at work. It's just easier for them to see me as they remember me. Though they will see my true form when I leave by wing power most everyday from now on while I strengthen my wings. Also they will see me use my magical skills on the job." Feral answered cautiously.
"So your kind can do real magic?" Ann latched onto that information excitedly.
"Protective magic, Ms. Gora. Simple things like removing our clothing and a few things you would call parlor tricks. Our main magic is our energy bursts that we use to defend with." Sunsinger answered downplaying their abilities. He didn't want katkind to get the wrong idea about them and equate their use of magic with the destructive type of Mad Kat and Pastmaster. Their abilities were a little more subtle and more powerful but katkind didn't need to know that.
"And with that we end this press conference. We have a nice buffet set up in the next room. If the Gryphonskats want to join in and let you talk to them that is their decision. For the Mayor's office there will be no more questions." Callie said politely but firmly. Mayor Manx nodded his agreement and was one of the first to go to the banquet room. Grumbling a little the press followed him but not without taking a few more pictures of the stunning pair.
"It really is your choice. You can leave now if you wish." Callie smiled gently touching Feral's shoulder a moment before leaving herself.
"Well love, what would you like to do?" Tye asked softly pressing close to his mate.
"I want to fly. Press conferences always leave me cranky. We can give them a little show as we leave the area for some more personal time." Ulysses murmured nuzzling Tye's face.
"Sounds like a wonderful plan, shall we?" Tye smiled as he led his mate to a window and opened it. He stepped out and snapped his wings open. He hovered waiting for Ulysses to join him. Smiling happily, Uly did the same and soon they were cavorting in the air. They made sure to play a while before the windows of the banquet room.
"Oh look!" Cried Ann seeing the pair outside. "Johnny quick get this on film."
The rest of the press moved to the windows and watched the pair dance on the wind playing with each other before finally flying out of sight. Mayor Manx shook his head and sighed. This was his first opportunity to see the Gryphonskats in their natural element. He had to admit they were impressive and could be a boon to the city's tourist industry. He ruminated on that thought as he rejoined his guests.
The next few weeks went by fairly peacefully. The katizens gradually got used to seeing the pair of Gryphonskats soaring above the cityscape on a nearly daily basis.
Feral had never been happier in his life. Every chance he got he and Tye were together. He was relearning to use his magic with Tye's help and strengthening his wing muscles. The sex wasn't bad either. As a matter of fact, Tye took every opportunity to take his mate. He would initiate foreplay high in the stratosphere and take Uly hard as they plummeted to the earth below. Both giddy as they completed on the soft meadow grasses of the high mountains where they spent most of their time together.
On one of their joyful occasions together they ended up mixing business with pleasure. On this particular part of the mountain passes, a small band of thieves were going about their business under the radar of the enforcers. They would accost tourists and other travelers for their pocket money. Embarrassed, most of the katizens wouldn't report their encounters and the few that did the enforcers would go out, check the area but were unable to find anything. The bandits went on with their thievery quietly for several months until they got greedy.
Their leader wanted to make a bigger score so talked his band into taking on a tour bus. This day they set their plan in action. Blocking a popular tourist route with a big log, they waited for the tour bus that passed this way on a regular basis. It was dusk as the tour bus full of happy and tired tourists were heading home. Everyone was jolted from their seats when the bus driver had to put on the brakes suddenly. As the bus stopped the bandits waited until the bus driver opened the doors to see what could be done about the log. They jumped the driver then piled onto the bus and demanded the passenger's valuables.
At that moment Ulysses and Tye were getting ready to take flight to the higher altitudes when they heard the bus screech its brakes and then the screams and cries of frightened kats. Quickly focusing their incredible hearing they found the site of the noises. Their sharp eagle-like eyes spotted the problem. Splitting up without a word, they came at their target from two different directions. Landing out of sight, they invoked an invisible cloaking of their bodies and slipped close to the bus. They waited until the bandits disembarked the bus before jumping them.
The bandits were screaming in terror because they couldn't see what was attacking them. Something was ripping and clawing them, knocking their weapons out of their paws, and sending them flying through the air to strike the wall of the mountain pass. Stunned and injured the band gaped when Feral and Sunsinger appeared before them. Being isolated in the mountains, the thieves were unaware of the new flying creatures that lived in their area now. They huddled terrified.
Smirking, Tye looked at his mate in amusement. "Well, that was certainly easy. What say we wrap up these creeps and give back the passengers their belongings." Then he eyed Uly closely, "Unless you insist on doing a lengthy police report, taking these tourists to Enforcer Headquarters, making them wait to be processed before they get their stuff, and then ruining our evening?" He asked archly.
Sighing at his mate in annoyance, Feral knew what the right way was but he well understood that sometimes all steps do not have to be followed as long as no law was blatantly broken. He realized with a start, that Tye was getting him to relax his own rules and regulations a bit lately. He didn't know if this was a good thing or not. Shaking himself, this incident did not warrant so much soul searching right now.
"You wrap them up, get rid of the log, and I'll go soothe the passengers." Feral decided abruptly and smiled to himself when he saw his mate gape at him in surprise.
Restoring his enforcer clothing and glamour, Commander Feral boarded the bus. The passengers were surprised and relieved to see him.
"It's alright now. We'll get your belongings in a moment and give them back. Is anyone injured?" Feral asked eyeing all the tourists critically. There were many shaking of heads informing him that everyone was okay. The driver was a bit roughed up but said he could get them home okay. His mate whistled for him. "Just a moment!" Feral said to the passengers as he climbed back out.
Tye handed him a jacket with corners pinched together full of valuables. Feral could see the bandits wrapped up together by a strong cord. He nodded at Tye and climbed back aboard the bus. Some twenty minutes later the passengers were once more on their way to town with an extra adventure to relate to their families when they got home.
Dropping his glamour once more, Feral aided Sunsinger carrying the terrified bandits back to Enforcer Headquarters. Dropping them onto the flight line, they waited until a group of enforcers ran out to take them off their hands. After giving a short report of the incident to the officer on duty, Feral and Sunsinger were once more back in the air heading for their interrupted interlude in the mountains.