Dimension Two...
Professor Hackle had one of his robot helpers make up a light snack for everyone while the coffee was brewing. Since his kitchen was small, he took them out into his spacious living room. Everyone settled into a comfortable seat.
"Okay, do you want a brief overview of what happened or something more specific?" Feral asked as he settled back into the overstuffed and comfortable couch.
"How about a quick overview first then we can ask specific questions after?" Razor suggested sitting next to T-Bone on another comfortable couch.
"Alright." Feral agreed then paused a moment to gather his thoughts. Everyone waited politely. The robot butler came in with cups of hot coffee, cream and sugar, and finger foods. Everyone dug in with relief. It had been hours since anyone had eaten.
"Just like my double..." Feral began, "I felt a sudden inside out sensation then everything seemed fine. I was walking up to the SWAT Kats when T-Bone said the most incredible thing to me. I knew then something was very wrong." He halted a moment to drink his coffee.
"What was so strange about what he said?" T-Bone asked.
"He said 'Hey, love are you alright?' and had a worried expression on his face. Then, as if that wasn't startling enough, this female enforcer comes up to me, calls me 'uncle' and asks the same thing. By then I was honestly scared. I knew something really strange had happened to me. T-Bone then instructed me to take care of business and, as soon as I was done, he would take me to be checked over by someone called Medi. The weird thing was he didn't see anything wrong with giving me instructions then he and his partner went to their jet and waited. Well, I didn't know what else to do and I had a strong feeling the SWAT Kats would be better equip to help me so I went along. They blindfolded me and took me to a mountain base. Obviously I don't know the location but it had a feeling of newness and it was huge.
"Yeah, your double said those SWAT Kats had built a new base that even he didn't know the location of for the safety of himself and them." T-Bone interrupted.
"Yes. Your double told me that Razor had made tons of money selling his designs to other countries and he used that money to pay some kind of debt off, built a new base, close and permanently hide the old base and start new jobs. He said they were much happier now. He and Razor had private homes of their own. He showed me his hideaway located somewhere above their Professor Hackle's lab. It's a beautiful place with a very warm and comfortable feel to it. I stayed in the kitchen while he and my double's niece went and saw to the care of his daughter. There were photos hung in the kitchen and I could see how very happy my double and that T-Bone were and how beautiful their daughter was." He said quietly his mind remembering the joy in those pictures.
"Man, I really can't get over the fact that in another dimension you and I are mated." T-Bone said shaking his head. "But after meeting your double I could see how it could have been possible. He was so...fragile...that's the best I could describe him. He told me a little about his past and it was nasty. I can understand why my double felt soo concerned for him." T-Bone said thoughtfully.
"Yes, your double told me about it." Feral winced at the terrible secret he'd been told. "It made me shiver to think that something like that could have happened to me in another place."
"The Professor and I never heard about this. What happened to that Feral that was soo bad?" Razor asked curiously.
Feral and T-Bone traded glances for a moment before the tabby tom answered, "He had been kidnaped by a gang wanting to start an illegal gambling parlor. Feral refused to help them so they raped, sodomized and beat him. The rape left him pregnant. During a mission against Dr. Viper he went into labor with our doubles during a very dangerous point in the operation and gave birth to a still born kitten. It shredded his emotions so much that he was falling apart...dying by inches he said until my double took compassion on him and helped him recover his health and sanity. In the process they fell in love."
"Crud!" Razor said in shock.
"Oh my, how awful!" Professor Hackle exclaimed.
"Yes but that was in the past. Now according to those photos I saw they are very happy." Feral reminded them quietly.
They were silent for a few minutes drinking their coffee and eating then Razor changed the subject.
"Hey, Commander, I'd like to know more about this base. Can you tell us anymore about it?" He asked this being the subject he was most interested in.
"Well, like I said I was blindfolded and taken up by an elevator to an incredibly well outfitted medical suite and met 'Medi'. It was an efficient robot and had a nice voice, not electronic sounding at all. It examined me and determined that I was in the wrong place. I wish I could have seen more of the base but I was never allowed. I was blindfolded again and we flew to their Professor Hackle's lab." He said regretfully.
"Crud, that's too bad but I can understand why they hid it. Sounds like a really big place to have an elevator. Did you seem to walk a long distance to the Turbokat?" Razor asked.
"Hmm...it felt like a couple of city blocks distant from the elevator. I had the sensation of a huge space. I'm sorry I can't tell you more." He shrugged.
"Well, I'm sure I can come up with my own ideas. Besides knowing about the rest is just as helpful." Razor assured him.
"Huh! Hard to believe you're willing to tell us this much. Seems that trip to another dimension has given you a different perspective..." T-Bone asking hesitantly, cocking his head at Feral and studying him with new eyes.
Feral shrugged his shoulders a little embarrassed. "Somehow I feel I owe it to the other T-Bone to try and be a little more open minded about you two. Having to work with them to get me back home gave me a chance to see you in a different setting. It was eye opening. Also I really felt bad for your double. He was extremely upset and I was surprised at how unhappy that made me feel. Razor did his best to comfort him but I could see he was in terrible anguish. He truly loved my double." Feral said softly. Professor Hackle took up the story next.
"Your double came to me very distraught and told me his story. I used my experimental robot to verify what he was telling me. It was quite a shock for me to find out this Feral was pregnant and held a great deal of temporal energy in his body. As T-Bone said he struck me as very fragile. His mate was everything to him." He said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I remember how hard it was for him to even look at me. I was shocked to learn that I was his mate in his universe. There was something about him that made me want to protect him. He still has a temper and apparently my double has his hands full keeping him safe." T-Bone chuckled softly.
"One good thing came of this for me and that is knowing my experimental medical robot can be a success. It gives me the encouragement to continue with improvements of it so that it can be useful to katkind." Hackle said pleased.
"Well I can add to that, Professor. T-Bone told me the Professor had the robot go to a medical facility to be trained." Feral added.
"Really? That's good to know. I'll have to look into that." Hackle mused, his mind already leaping to the things he'd need to do to upgrade his model.
"Well, this has been a very enlightening session." Razor said yawning. "It's given me lots of ideas how to improve our lives, T-Bone."
"Yeah, you got that right buddy." T-Bone agreed then looked over at Feral. "I know we will never be like our doubles but I hope we can get along a little better from now on." He said seriously.
Feral stared at him steadily then nodded, "Well, we will never be friends but at least we won't be enemies. I think we can be tolerant allies." He said agreeably.
"Huh! Well that's actually an improvement of a sorts." Razor snorted. "Did you get anything out of this unexpected trip?" He asked curiously.
"Yes! That I can be happy and not alone. I thought the only thing I needed in life was to reach my goals and be the best enforcer I could be but once I had reached the top, I discovered it was an empty victory. When I saw my double's warm home and beautiful kitten I realized I'd nearly given up something precious in my blind rush up the enforcer ladder. I need someone who can fill that emptiness." He sighed and stared off into space as he made plans to rectify that mistake.
T-Bone and Razor stared at him in astonishment. "Woah! Now that was a real life altering experience for you then." Razor said in amazement.
"You're serious? By that look on your face, you've already got some tom or she kat in mind ... ...hmm?" T-Bone said with a sly smile on his face.
Feral blushed a bit before clearing his throat, "Ahh, tom kat actually and yes...he's still single ...but I don't know if he still cares for me. However, I intend to give it a try anyway." He said simply.
"Heh heh! Way to go Commander. Maybe it'll make you a little softer around the edges if you become a mother." T-Bone crowed in amusement.
Feral shrugged and actually smiled shyly at T-Bone's comment. On that lighter note, the session broke up. The SWAT Kats waved farewell and took off on their dual cyclotron racing down the road in the dawn's early light.
Feral stopped a moment longer to speak with the Professor. "Professor Hackle, I was wondering if you have toyed with the idea of making a motorcycle along the lines of Razor's cyclotron?" He asked hesitantly.
"Why yes, Commander, I do have a prototype that your double used. You interested in it, heh?" Hackle smiled in amusement at the glint of excitement in Feral's eyes.
"Yes. I would really like one of those. I'd be happy to do test trials on your prototype." He said excitedly.
"That would help me greatly, Commander. Why not come back to my lab in a few days and I'll show it to you?" Hackle said warmly.
"I'll do that. Thank you Professor." Feral smiled.
"By the way, Commander, your double brought your vehicle here so it is parked outside." Hackle said.
"Oh Good! At least I won't have to call a taxi. Thanks again! See you in a few days." Feral said happily as he walked out of the Professor's home and to his parked hummer. In a few minutes he was driving to his apartment, his mind on his plans to approach Jaren Tanmore with a proposition he hoped the tom wouldn't refuse.
Though he was very tired, Hackle couldn't shut down his mind that whirled with new ideas. He went back to his lab and began making copies notes.
In an underground base...
"Well what do you think about the things your double accomplished?" Chance said as he and Jake climbed back up to their apartment.
"I think that I have been too stressed out to have not thought about doing that myself. I'm certainly capable of it. Give me a little time, Chance. I may not do exactly what my double did but if he could get himself and his partner out of this hell hole so can I." Jake said positively his mind already planning on how he was going to accomplish it.
"Great! I can hardly wait especially about paying off the debt we have with Feral." Chance said grinning. Something good was going to come out of this strange adventure he was sure of it. "It's also kinda strange to be on good terms with Feral too." He said musingly as they climbed the stairs to their bedrooms.
"You know...that was the strangest part of this whole thing...how much that trip to another dimension has changed the Commander. Let's hope he connects with that tom he was talking about. It will be good for all of us." Jake said thoughtfully. "Anyway, let's get some sleep buddy. I'm bushed."
"Yeah me too. Oh wait, one more thing before I forget. I found out that your double's new job was to be a freelance designer and mine went on to be a test rider for a Motorcycle Research Facility. That sounds rather cool actually. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure and pass that on. Good night, Jake." Chance said yawning heading for his bed. Jake smiled, nodded and closed his door.