Dimension Two...
Feral was exhausted despite the nap he'd taken before their raid at the power plant. He watched bleary eyed as Razor with his protective gear carefully placed the isotope inside the device that would hopefully send him home.
"Well that's it." Razor said stepping away from the machine. "Now we hope it will do what it did before. It's still an iffy proposition that we built it like Dark Kat designed it and that Hard Drive connected it. You are really taking a big chance on this working Commander." Razor said worriedly.
"I don't really have much choice. My daughter is missing me. It makes no difference if I die trying to go home because staying here will be like death for me anyway. I can't live without my mate so please let's just do this!" Feral said firmly.
"I will be praying that that won't happen, Commander." Professor Hackle said softly in the sudden tense silence.
T-Bone prayed as well. He found he couldn't bear the thought of this Feral being stranded here. His face would constantly remind the big tom of his loss and T-Bone didn't think he could stand that happening. He crossed his fingers as Razor and Hackle got Feral into position. The machine was set up inside a closed cement room with only one door and Feral stood just outside that doorway. A shield had been placed ten feet from the doorway to protect everyone else from the temporal energy that would spill out.
"Okay! Are we ready?" Razor asked. Feral nodded and the Professor signaled the go-ahead.
Razor stepped into the closed room and turned on the machine then quickly rushed out and closed the shield. They all waited tensely as the power built up to a critical mass. Feral felt his heart hammer in fear. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed. Minutes later there was a loud squeal of sound and a blast of light just as before.
For one brief moment he felt that strange inside out sensation then it was over and he was left trembling afraid to open his eyes.
Dimension One...
"Well Commander everything is as it was before or as close as we can possibly come to it." Razor said. "Ready to go home?"
"Yeah! Let's get this show on the road. I know how badly you want your mate back, no point in waiting any longer. I'll either be killed or get home." Feral said pragmatically as he stepped behind the shield Razor and the Professor had placed around the room with the machine in it.
"Good luck Commander." T-Bone said quietly.
"Yes, good luck to you sir." Felina said as well.
Feral just nodded his thanks and waited. Razor ducked into the room and flipped the switch to the machine then high tailed it out of there closing the shield door behind him.
The noise was screaming just before a bright light made him shut his eyes then that odd feeling came over him as the energy blew through him. It was over so quickly he was left standing stunned for a few minutes.
He blinked his eyes to clear them and stared out the shield at the waiting kats. It took him a moment to realize he didn't see the female enforcer.
Razor came forward and opened the shield door. "Okay, which Feral are you!" He asked bluntly.
"If I don't have a niece, then I'm home." Feral said dryly stepping out of the shielded area.
"Niece...?" T-Bone said puzzled.
"Nope no niece here Commander. Looks like you are home alright." Razor said with a grin.
"So glad it worked. I truly hope the pregnant Feral also made it home." Professor Hackle said quietly.
"So do I, Professor Hackle, so do I. His mate truly missed him." Feral said fervently.
"That must have been really weird. Can you tell us what it was like?" T-Bone asked curious to know more about his double.
Feral almost snapped at T-Bone as he used to but then changed his mind. Exchanging information might be beneficial to all of them.
"That may be a good idea. Could we get some coffee and sit down somewhere to talk about it?" Feral asked yawning suddenly, realizing that it was very late and would be dawn in a few hours.
"Yeah! Good idea. I'm tired but I really want to hear what went on in that dimension." Razor agreed.
"Let's head to my kitchen, we can chat there while the coffee is brewing." Professor Hackle said as he lead the way out of his lab and into his home.
Dimension One...
A voice called him hesitantly, "Love is that you in there?" It asked him anxiously.
He opened his eyes and beheld the concerned look of his mate. With a sob of relief he reached out and was met by a strong pair of arms wrapping around him.
"Oh God! It is you!" T-Bone choked as he hugged his mate tightly.
Razor and Felina looked at each other in relief. Professor Hackle was grinning widely.
"It worked!" Razor crowed.
"Yes. You know Razor this could make an interesting experiment..." Hackle ventured.
"Oh no! No way, no offense Professor but I think dimensional travel should be off limits. We've been through it before and believe me it's no fun. There are so many variables out there it's mind boggling." Razor said sharply.
"I guess you are right. But it was truly interesting." Professor Hackle said sighing.
"Oh, T-Bone I was soo worried I wouldn't be able to get back. Your double hated me. It was very hard to take but once he realized I wasn't his adversary he thawed a little and took care of me." Feral said tiredly
"I'm glad he unbent enough to help you, love. Right now though you need your rest badly. Tomorrow will be soon enough to trade stories of what happened." T-Bone said firmly. He turned to the Professor. "I can't thank you enough for helping return my mate."
"It was my pleasure, T-Bone. So glad to see you safe home again Commander." Hackle said warmly.
"Thank you all for your efforts." Feral said quietly only then noticing his niece. "Felina?"
"Hi Uncle. They had to tell me what was going on so that I could help them get the device together to get you back." She told him briefly. "But, like T-Bone said, explanations can wait till tomorrow after you're rested and little Zira sees you. She's so cute, Uncle." Felina said smiling.
"Thank you, Felina." He said warmly then turned to T-Bone. "Is Zira okay? Did she miss me?" He asked anxiously.
"She's okay, love. Yes she missed you but with Felina visiting her it distracted her enough so that Clara could give her dinner and put her to bed." T-Bone said reassuringly.
"Then let's go home T-Bone. I need to see her." Feral said urgently.
"Okay love, luckily I've got the cyclotron here. Let's get you home. We'll see you all here tomorrow, alright." T-Bone said to the others.
"Yes, that will be fine, T-Bone. Just call and let me know when you are coming." Hackle said.
"Yeah, works for me. Want a lift to Enforcer Headquarters, Lieutenant?" Razor asked as he prepared to leave.
"Sure, I'd love a ride in the Turbokat." Felina smiled and walked with Razor as the SWAT Kat rolled his cyclotron out the huge door Hackle had raised for him to the parked jet at the back of the lab.
T-Bone led his mate to his cyclotron and they climbed on. They were soon racing off toward their home above Hackle's lab. They would be home in minutes at the rate T-Bone was going.