Feral was riding shotgun in his chopper, his face grim and tight with tension as they flew toward Dark Kats hideout. Above him flew the SWAT Kats with the insertion team. It made sense for them to take the team rather than sending them in a transport chopper. Surprisingly, the Turbokat could be very quiet if the pilot so chose and that was going to be very handy now.
In less than fifteen minutes, they arrived at the mansion in question. It sat in a very run down section of town that once was a very fashionable area more than fifty years ago but was now very much down on its luck with decrepit buildings and houses that were little more than collapsing shacks that still held a faint patina of their past glory.
Hovering high enough to not be detected yet, Feral used night binocs to see if his troops were in place. No radio contact was allowed to prevent Dark Kat from getting a hint of their presence. He could see the last of his tanks and troops getting into position, the perimeter was now secure.
Now was the time! He was about to give the command for the distraction to begin when the special signaler in his pocket went off. He couldn't hear it but the buzz could be felt through his pocket. He froze with his paw on his radio as anger and fear raced through him. The signaler going off told him Hadrian expected to be taken. With his other paw, he pulled out the special communicator he used to reach the SWAT Kats.
"I thought we decided radio silence?" Razor responded, a little surprised and angry at being called.
"Dark Kat has Elora and her father!" Feral cut off his complaint.
"Shit! What do you want to do?"
"I need to be part of the insertion team. Take me aboard."
Razor was silent for a second then said, "I understand. Best way to do this is for you to repel down to the jet. I'll let you know when we're in position. Have your pilot hold the chopper where it is!" Finished with Feral, Razor called through his radio to his partner. "Feral's just learned Elora and her father were taken!" His partner cursed. "Yeah! Well he intends to go with us and I don't blame him. Fly us beneath his chopper for pickup!"
"Roger, moving into position." Within moments, the tabby had flown the jet beneath the chopper then went to VTOL to slowly rise upward until he was as close as he dared to be to Feral's chopper. Only then did he open the canopy.
"Feral? We're in position below you. Throw me your line!" Razor told him through the comm.
Feral peered down and saw the jet below him. "Roger, be there shortly," he responded then turned to his pilot and ordered him to join the distraction group when he heard Feral's go command. Releasing himself from his seat, he made for the back of the chopper. Opening the cargo door, Feral squinted against the wind as he hurriedly tied a climbing rope onto a cleat near the door and dropped it to Razor who was standing, waiting for it.
Climbing down in these kind of conditions (darkness, high winds) was crazy, but there was no other way to do it. Gritting his teeth in determination, Feral began his descent, buffeted by the winds which threatened to rip him off the line. Razor had tied off the line to the jet which was a dangerous thing to do. If even one of the flying machines shifted too much, the line would snap and send Feral to his death.
After a harrowing five minutes, Feral was finally down and in the cockpit. Taking the jump seat next to Razor, he sat down and strapped himself in. Razor released the line and gave T-Bone the go ahead. The tabby closed the canopy and moved the jet down and away from the chopper then flew it upward, letting the chopper pilot see him so the enforcer would know the commander was safe and on board before heading back to their original position.
"We ready to do this Feral?" Razor asked.
"Yes, let me order the attack then we'll go in," Feral said, tightly, as he brought out his radio and ordered his officers to begin invading the mansion's grounds.
T-Bone flew them over the mansion and hovered there, while Razor used his ground scanner with night scope to watch the action. Feral leaned close so he could see how the battle was going so he could decide when was the right time for them to land and do their part.
Flashes of light and explosions filled the night air as Dark Kat's forces engaged Feral's. The tanks had managed to blow the crumbling walls surrounding the mansion down so they could rumble on in, firing as they went at the enemies tanks and ATV's. Creeplings flew overhead and tried to take out the flight of choppers, succeeding in a few cases.
"Now's the time. Let's get down there!" Feral barked after watching tensely for more than ten minutes.
Razor had already been searching for a likely spot to land and decided the rooftop would be the best and would keep their jet from being over run and taken. That didn't mean they wouldn't meet opposition there too but at least it wouldn't be the greater forces on the ground.
"T-Bone fly to that flat area on top of the mansion," Razor shouted through his helmet radio.
Feral eyed the roof and had to agree, privately, that an over head insertion was a good idea.
Of course, the moment T-Bone managed to land, a huge cluster of creeplings flew at them. Feral scowled but this attack wasn't unexpected, what he didn't like was the fact he couldn't do anything at the moment to help the SWAT Kats fight off the swarm and he hated sitting on his paws like this.
"Looks like we have a fight on our paws, buddy. Use the cement guns and I'll send some of my new presents their way," Razor ordered. All around them the creeplings beat, banged and scratched at the jet, trying to get at them.
As he ordered up his weapons, he heard the phut-phut sound of the cement gun going off. Smiling, grimly, Razor prepared to engage his first weapon at the creeplings.
"Wait!" Feral shouted, shock and anger in his voice. "Look, that group just arrived and they are carrying someone...I think its Hadrian."
"Shit!" T-Bone cursed as he ceased firing immediately.
"I'll use my viewer to get a closer look to be sure!" Razor said hurriedly. There among the fighting creeplings were a tightly clustered group that was heading for the mansion then disappeared just below the roof line making them suspect they'd used a window to fly in. Razor could see clearly the Bengal male being carried by them before they vanished from view.
"They have him alright but he's been taken inside already and that's where we've got to go. I'm going to clear the area first," Razor shouted.
He depressed a key on his weapons panel and the jet seemed to glow for a moment. All the creeplings on the jet, screamed and fell off dead. The rest hovered angrily a short distance away, still waiting for them to try and leave the jet but Razor had something else special for them. From a lower port, he shot out some small grenades into the air.
This was one of his older weapons that worked before with Viper's creatures. The spread of grenades exploded just a few feet from the gathered creeplings, releasing a large field of high voltage electricity that fried the creeplings. They only had time to scream before their bodies jerked and twitched violently, dropping to the roof...dead.
"Wow, that worked really well, buddy. Now we can get moving!" T-Bone called out, releasing the canopy and opening the cargo door.
The insertion team quickly deplaned. Running out the back and coming around in front they were amazed at all the dead creeplings. Most grimaced at the foul odor but quickly gathered with their commander at the center of the roof, awaiting orders. Razor turned, pointed his glovatrix to set the Turbokat's security system. They certainly didn't want someone to steal their ride out of here.
"Get in through the windows on that side and we'll take this side then work your way down to the basement where I'm sure Dark Kat is holed up at!" Feral commanded.
Giving quick nods, the team hurried to the far side of the roof, threw out grappling lines then quickly disappeared over the side. Feral went with the SWAT Kats as they ran toward the side they'd seen the creeplings take Hadrian. Setting a grappling line, T-Bone wrapped an arm around Feral and the two went over the side to the window just below, Razor close behind. The window was open, no surprise there, so they swung inside, landing as softly as they could in the dark, empty bedroom.
~o~o~o~o~o~
Three hours earlier, Dark Kat was going over his plans one last time. The attack on Megakat City was slated to begin tomorrow night once Hard Drive snatched the Commander's kitten. Viper had already informed him his secret plant weapon was ready for launching. He summoned his troops and put them on alert.
An hour later, he received word from one of his little spies that Hard Drive had betrayed them to the enforcers. Furious, he sent a team to retrieve the kitten and to kill anyone who interfered. In a cold rage he moved his plans ahead to tonight and called in his troops. Ordering them to mobilize, he prepared to leave himself in his fear ship. He summoned Viper to his control center in the basement
"What'sssss going on? Why are you mobilizing now?" Viper demanded, angry and upset.
"Hard Drive has turned on us. The enforcers have been alerted so for the plan to still succeed we must launch tonight. Go get ready to leave!" He ordered the mutant.
Hissing to himself, Viper left for his labs. At least his secret weapon was ready and becoming a bit fractious as it was anxious to feed. Walking up to its cage, Viper cooed at it, lovingly.
"Easssy my pet. You'll get what you want tonight." He turned away and shouted orders to the rest of his plant army. "Move outside and take this cage with you!" He ordered.
Forty minutes later, his plant army was congregating on the north side of the grounds preparing to load aboard the fear ship once it appeared from its storage place beneath the ground some fifty feet away from where Viper stood.
But in the next moment, all their plans were ruined when several tanks came breaking through the walls near him. Furious and scared, Viper shouted at his army to attack the invaders then released his secret weapon and instructed it to head toward the lights of the city in the distance and let nothing stop it, then he ran back inside the house, hoping to find another way out. He didn't have an underground escape route here as the tunnels beneath this house had collapsed so he was just as trapped as the other omega which never sat well with him in the first place so the only escape left was the fear ship. There was a tunnel that led to it from the house and he intended to use it after he went to speak with Dark Kat first.
"Dark Kat! The enforcerssss are here and we are sssssurrounded!" He reported, once he reached the huge tom's side.
"I know this, Viper. My forces are already out there battling but my ace in the hole is on its way back. We'll see if they have any heart to continue after I have Feral's kitten in my paws!" Dark Kat growled.
Viper didn't think much of that plan but had no other in place and his secret weapon was already doing its part to decimate the forces arranged against them. Since there was nothing more he could do, he slipped away to the door that led to the fear ship. Dark Kat paid no attention to him as his focus was on his screens and the battle outside.
Ten minutes later a cluster of creeplings flew into Dark Kat's control room carrying someone. They swooped in then dropped their passenger unceremoniously and none too gently onto the floor. A loud, wailing filled the air, making Dark Kat and Viper flatten their ears.
"What is he doing here and where is the kitten that I hear?" Dark Kat demanded, shouting over the loud wail.
A creepling chittered at him in response.
"What?" Dark Kat snarled as he stepped up to the male trying to rise to his feet.
The omega grabbed the Kat by his shoulders and jerked him into the air, leaving his feet dangling. Looking down, he saw the kitten's head just peeking above the coat the male was wearing. Jerking his head up, he stared coldly into the male's eyes. "Who are you?"
Hadrian felt fear chase up his spine. Despite all the stories he'd heard about this omega, none did the strange Kat justice. The face was evil and the eyes bored right through you. Now he understood better why no one was willing to take this being on...he was scary and insane.
Even though he was cold to his marrow and afraid for his daughter, Hadrian kept his fear to himself and returned the stare with a fierce glare of his own, remaining mute though his ears were flat to his head from the appalling racket Elora was making with her loud screams, his coat only muffling it a little.
The insistent, grating, noise make Dark Kat grimace with pain and annoyance. It was so loud, conversation, let alone trying to question the male were all but impossible. He dropped Hadrian back on the floor though this time, the tom managed to keep his feet.
"Make it stop caterwauling or I will make it stop...permanently!" Dark Kat loudly warned.
Swallowing hard in fear, Hadrian had no doubt the intimidating omega would do what he threatened, so he carefully reached into his coat and after some fiddling, managed to find a bottle which was warm from his body heat then gently did his best to try and calm Elora enough to get her to nurse.
Dark Kat paced impatiently, staring at his screens showing the battle raging outside while casting irritated looks back at the tom sitting on the floor rocking back and forth. Finally, Elora calmed enough to take a bottle and blessed peace descended but it was short lived as a loud commotion was heard through a closed door on the right.
Cursing, Dark Kat gave the tom on the floor a fierce, angry look before grabbing a formidable weapon off a wall hook near him then pointed it at Hadrian's head while keeping his eyes in the direction of the noise.
Some ten minutes before, Feral and the SWAT Kats had quickly scouted the top floor they'd arrived in then made for the bottom floor. Knowing Dark Kat's habits, the basement was the most likely place to find him and Hadrian.
As they reached the main floor an eerie howl reached their ears.
"Elora!" Feral hissed, turning to run through the kitchen area and to a door that led downstairs from where the sound emanated.
A ninja guard was on the other side of the door when Feral yanked it open. But before the Kat could lunge at him, Feral slammed an arm across the tom's throat, causing him to gag. While he was incapacitated, Feral yanked on his costume and threw the ninja behind him into the kitchen then hurried down the stairs with the SWAT Kats on his heels.
When they reached the basement, the high pitched, familiar wail came from the right of their position. The basement was huge and finished with large areas segregated by four doors. From behind the one ahead of them came Elora's screeching. As they were charging toward it the wailing stopped.
Fearing the worst, Feral barreled into the door, slamming it open. His eyes were greeted by a horrifying sight. Dark Kat stood over a male sitting on the floor, holding a weapon on the tom's head. Four ninjas stood surrounding them and creeplings were clustered up near the ceiling. Of Viper, there was no sign.
Everyone froze. Feral cursed under his breath as he aimed at Dark Kat while the omega gave him a cold smile, keeping his weapon pointed at Hadrian's head. Even if the tom could lie flat, the shot from DK's gun would still hit him and Elora. However, if Hadrian rolled swiftly to the right, Feral would have a clear shot but how to convey that to his mate?
T-Bone and Razor kept their glovatrixs pointed at everyone else but couldn't move for fear of Feral's family getting hit. Razor flicked his eyes toward the Commander to see what the tom might be planing to do before taking action himself.
Feral was giving his mate some intense and pointed looks. If Razor interpreted them correctly, the tom wanted his mate to roll out of danger. Good idea, if the tom got the message. To distract Dark Kat from seeing what Feral was doing, he deliberately moved his arm a little causing the omega to flick his eyes toward him briefly. That's all Feral needed to convey his message
"Well, Commander, I see we have a bit of a stalemate," Dark Kat spoke, cold humor in his voice.
"Leave my family out of this dark crud!" Feral hissed, furious, all the while trying to get Hadrian to get his message. He gave his mate a brief look then flicked his eyes over and past the tom to the other side of the room.
When Feral had burst into the room, Hadrian sighed in relief. But they weren't out of the woods yet as long as the omega held a weapon on them. He sat very still, the bottle Elora was drinking from waving a bit above his coat and under his chin making a bizarre image to those watching.
Staring into his mate's eyes, he watched for any kind of signal then realized he was being sent one. When he guessed at what Uly wanted him to do, he gave an infinitesimal nod of his head to show he understood then got ready for the signal from his mate to do it.