While Feral, the SWAT Kats and the enforcers headed for Dark Kat's hideout, Hadrian and Tafari were tense and waiting in Feral's apartment.
Hadrian jumped a little when Tafari's phone sang out. He spoke to someone for some minutes then hung up. "That was my contact here. He's waiting with an attack force surrounding this building in case it becomes necessary to save you."
Hadrian sagged with relief. He gave his friend a wane smile. "That makes me feel a little better."
"You're welcome my friend. I just hope we can keep you from being taken in the first place."
"Me too!"
To change the subject and take their minds off the terrible tension of waiting for something to happen, Tafari asked, curiosity in his voice, "so how do you feel about being a father now that you've had the chance to hold and be with Elora?"
Hadrian looked at him in surprise then smiled shyly as his eyes went down to the tiny form close to his chest. "More wonderful than I ever dreamed it could be. She's a sweet and undemanding kitten which has made it much easier for Ulysses and I to spend time together."
"You fairly glow with happiness my friend," Tafari said smiling warmly.
Hadrian blushed and smiled back.
"So...have you and Ulysses done the nasty yet?" His friend leered suggestively.
"Tafari!" Hadrian blurted, pretending to be scandalized then shrugged with a small leer of his own. "Not yet but then we've not had a moment that didn't have something happen. Tonight I was going to make my move when that techno omega burst in the room."
"Ohhh, really bad timing, eh?" Tafari commiserated, shaking his head.
"No kidding! I just wish..." whatever Hadrian was about to say was rudely and violently interrupted by the sounds of gunfire, a weird chittering, and yelling.
"In the hall closet, Hadrian," Tafari barked, his tone commanding as he drew out his Luger and went to the balcony to look out quickly.
Hadrian did as ordered. He went to the back of the closet and closed the door tightly then pulled down a couple of coats to hide himself further. Fortunately, Elora didn't waken. He listened hard to what was going on outside his hiding place.
Tafari saw his help was engaging a rather large attack force of ninjas and creeplings. He began to back away to go to the front door when a batch of creeplings flew at him from somewhere above the roof area, crashing through the glass door.
Ducking and rolling away to keep from being hit by the glass and reaching creeplings, Tafari rapid fired his weapon with deadly accuracy, taking out more than half of them before scrambling to his feet, dragging a heavy chair with him toward a corner next to the closet so that he had protection behind and in front, while doing all he could to keep the enemy from realizing their target was hiding right nearby. Keeping his head down so the pink creatures couldn't grab him, he methodically fired at any that got too close to him.
While one group kept him at bay, others searched every room making a huge mess as they did so. Tafari was hard pressed to keep the things from investigating the closet without making them too suspicious. The front door suddenly crashed open and in poured some of his fellow agents. They forced the pink horde back toward the outside.
Unfortunately, that only worked for a few minutes as a group of ninjas came through that same door and fought the agents paw to paw. Tarfari was disarmed during the first battle with two ninjas. He fought well but in the end lost to overwhelming numbers. Each of his friends and colleagues were also knocked out or killed.
With the opposition crushed, the remaining evil crew searched the apartment more thoroughly. Inside the closet, Hadrian heard the battle end but the voices shouting and moving about were not his friends he was certain, so stayed very still and silent. A chittering sound warned him in time to hit the button on the device Tafari had given him just before the closet door was suddenly ripped open.
What sounded like triumph in those weird sound and sharp claws that obviously knew he was there, proved it by yanking the coats violently out of the way then grabbing him none too gently. The pink, ugly creatures held him, painfully, in the air before a group of black clad Kats whose identities couldn't be seen. Giving the room a quick look, he spotted his friend sprawled in a heap against a far wall. He moaned in anguish but wasn't given any time to grieve when a ninja came close to his face. Tightening his arms around his precious cargo, he waited to see what they were going to do.
The ninja abruptly reached out and grabbed Hadrian's arms then attempted to pull them away from his chest but the Bengal tightened his protective grip, keeping Elora from being taken. All the commotion had awakened her and she was wailing in fear and discomfort.
"Give us the kitten!" The ninja demanded, still tugging at him.
"No! You have to take me too. I doubt you know anything about caring for one!" Hadrian said bravely, knowing they could simply kill him and take Elora anyway.
It appeared this ninja was going to do just that, raising a deadly looking pistol toward his face, behind him, another, apparently more ranking member, had strode in the door, saw and heard what was going on and snapped, "put up your weapon! Dark Kat will be delighted to have gotten the father as well. Now, let's move out!" He barked.
The few ninjas left, headed for the balcony instead of the door leading out of the apartment. He soon saw why as creeplings swarmed close and picked every ninja up including him and Elora. Soon they were flying high and swift over the city landscape, feet dangling.
Hadrian closed his eyes and swallowed hard. It just didn't feel right to be carried aloft like this with nothing but a pair of claws on each arm and tiny wings that allowed them to fly but obviously these things were very strong so didn't show any signs of strain. His shoulders, however, screamed in pain from being carried this way and Elora was still crying inconsolably because he couldn't touch her to calm her even though he did try to use his voice but she wasn't having any of it so the flight was done in a misery of aching arms and battered eardrums.