Crossover Center

"Kat Skratch Fever" Part II

by Stephen Sobotka

sobotka@gte.net



[MegaKat City]

Callie Briggs : "It's high time you came to admit it, Commander! The Enforcers have become a joke, and this time the people are taking it to City Hall!"

Razor [Voice-Over]: "Previously, on `Kat Skratch Fever' . . . "

Mayor Manx: [shown arguing with Commander Ferral] "Admit it! The SwatKats have proven their worth time and time again to this citay . . . [show the SwatKats fighting an assortment of villains] They've gone on long enough without any recognition, and I for one intend to do something ahbout it once and for ahll!"

Razor: [show him and T-Bone in the hangar] "Now, after a lot of bumpy flying, we've got the Mayor's consent to protect the city."

Chance: "Yeah, and all with no Commander Ferral and the Enforcers giving us grief and getting in our way. Now they have to let us work beside them." [show the SwatKats fighting the mutant spider atop Tiger Towers; Commander Ferral's reaction when they succeed]

Felina Ferral: [shown on the roof of Enforcer HQ] "Looks like we owe thanks to the SwatKats again, Uncle."
Commander Ulysses Ferral: "Just don't ask me to be HAPPY about it!"
[Show the SwatKats getting caught in the vortex just before landing]

The Pastmaster: [chanting] "From these hertold Modern skies / Cast these foes far from my eyes! / Set them adrift through time and space, / And let me never again see their face!" [show the TurboKat 2 vanishing]

[Manhattan; show the Quarrymen gunships]
Castaway: [Off-screen; during the chase through Central Park sequence] "Everyone arm all weapons and do your duty Quarrymen! By dawn I want those vermin destroyed, and that castle nothing but rubble!" [show the lone gunship attacking Goliath and Hudson at the Castle]

Castaway: [Off-screen; during the capture of Lexington & Broadway and the chasing of Angela] "Strike-4, this is Castaway! Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT kill all of the contacts! Capture at least one if you can!"
Cutter-Gunner :"Understood, Sir. Cutter intitiating Capture-Protocol Zeta." [show Lex & Broaway in the electrifed net]

[Show the arrival of the TurboKat 2 over Manhattan]
T-Bone: "Now, what just happened to us? One minute we're about to land on Enforcer Headquarters, the next . . . BLAMO!"
Razor: "Well, I can't find Enforcer HQ . . . come to think of it, [show them fighting the gunships; taking Angela back to the Castle]  I can't find any landmark that I recognize!" [show the TurboKat 2 landing at the castle]

Hudson: [scowling] ". . . that contraption smacks of th' Quarrymen, laddy. It's a machine made for war, no doubt aboot it!" [Show the SwatKats meeting the Gargoyles and Xanatos]

T-Bone: "Well, I guess this proves it . . . we're not in MegaKat City anymore! . . . What are combat choppers doing in a city like this?"
Goliath: "They were being piloted by Quarrymen. A faction of Humans that believe that they must destroy Gargoyles to make their world safe."
Angela : "And, right now, they have Broadway and Lexington! We have to go and save them!"

[Show Razor & T-Bone demonstrating the Glove-A-Trix]
Razor: "So, are we in on this rescue mission, or what?"



*  *  *

~ An Unnamed Abandoned Air Base, 30 Minutes North of NYC ~

    Both Broadway and Lexington knew they were in trouble deep! Especially when a certain aristocratic blond man in midnight-blue fatigues came into their holding cell, smiling like a cat that was going to eat the proverbial canary.

    "Soooo, we managed to capture two of those monsters?! Excellent!" John Castaway said with a evil smile. "We'll deal with you, once we finish of your friends back at the castle, and then we'll make sure none of your kind are left in the entire city!"

    Lexington growled. "You'll never get away with this, Castaway!"

    "If you think the others are gonna just sit there and wait for you," Broadway added defiantly, "you must be the one with rocks in your head!"

    Castaway laughed at this. "Really! I don't intend to give them the luxury of waiting! Right now, the remainder of my attack gunships - seven in all - are being re-armed and refueled to make a massive strike against your castle right as we speak!" He saw their faces turn paler shades of green. "Once Xanatos' castle is flattened into so much pebbles and powder, those gunships will scour the city! Blasting any place that might be a haven to your kind! Then, and only THEN, will the people realize that we are not a force to be stopped!"

    Lexington shivered when he thought about those choppers, blowing away anything and anyone in the city! "You're MAD!"

    Broadway agreed. "You can't just go around, shooting up the city! The people . . . the police . . . you just CAN'T!!!"

    Castaway snorted. "The police are suspect, and have show to be sympathetic to you monsters, so my men have orders to
shoot them down as well. As for the people . . . well, people are hurt in times of war. Believe me, monster, this is WAR! A
war against the evil of your kind, and the preservation of my kind!"

    Just then, one of his fellow Quarrymen came into the cell. "Sir! We've got a high-altitude contact, bearing from the south!
It's moving in at a high rate of speed!"

    Castaway cursed under his breath. "What is it?"

    "Not sure, Sir," came the reply, "but it could be the jet that Hammer and the others encountered!"

    At that, Castaway bellowed, "Get EVERY gunship in the air, NOW! We'll drive then into the ground, then go after the Gargoyle's castle!" With that, he stormed out of the room, the other man following behind.

    Lex looked at Broadway worriedly. "If Castaway goes after the others, they won't stand a chance!"

    "I just hope Angela made it back safely," Broadway said softly, looking at the floor sadly. "What do you make of that jet they were talking about? Could Xanatos have some new weapon he didn't tell us about?"

    Lex looked skeptical. "I dunno . . . but, we'd better see about getting out of here, or else we're going to be next on Castaway's hit list!"

~  ~  ~

    Flying at high speed, the TurboKat 2 was arrowing towards the hidden Quarrymen base. Thanks to some ingenuity from Xanatos, the jet sported a couple of additions to its under-wing pylons.

    "Guess we're attracting their attention, T-Bone!" Razor quipped. "I'm gettin' tons of activity on the long-range radar and heat sensors!"

    "Rodger that! Guess we'd better get ready to lay out the welcome mat for our Quarrymen friends!" the burly pilot replied.

    "Right!" Razor flipped a toggle, bringing up the sub-communications link to the two pods underwing. "Guys, we're about to have company! Get ready to move out like you've never moved out before!"

    Goliath's voice came in over the link. "Are you sure this is safe?"

    "Hey! I know my way around unique entry systems, big fella! When Razor tells you it's safe, it's safe!"

    "Famous last words!" Brooklyn said, his voice cutting in over the link.

    "Canna ye find it inna yer heart to speed this up, laddy!? I'm gettin' cramped in this flyin' coffin!" Hudson spoke up.

    "It'll only be for a few more moments, gang! Just hold on!" Razor explained. "How we looking, T-Bone?"

    "Weapons primed and switched to auxillary panel! All redundant systems ready!" T-Bone reported.

    "Good thing, `cause I'm picking up their gunships rolling out of some hangars on the far side of that air field!" Razor squinted at the radar screen. "Looks like seven more of those gunships, Buddy! Think you can handle them?!?"

    "Just launch the Gargoyles and then get goin' on the Cyclotron," the big cat replied, flexing his paws over the HOTAS and afterburner throttle. "while I take out the garbage!"

    "Rodger that! Okay, guys . . . time for Operation: Double-Team!" Razor announced. With that, he dropped down into the underbelly bay, where the Cyclotron waited. Strapping himself in, and closing the heat-shields, Razor triggered the control panel and tied it to the main panel back in his part of the TurboKat's cockpit. "Time to send those Quarrymen one major distraction! Delievery Pod Missiles . . . AWAY!!!"

    With that, the twin pods tucked underneath the wings of the jet fell away from the TurboKat,
tumbling for a few seconds before the thrusters mounted on the ends roared to life, sending them
arrowing towards the one side of the Quarrymen Base.

    "Time for me to get it in gear! Good luck with those gunships, Chance!" Razor called out, taking
ahold of the controls of the cycle-turned-missle with a race of adrenalin in his veins.

    "Good luck finding those two Gargoyles, Jake! Deploying Cyclotron . . . NOW!!!"

    The underbelly hatch opened, and the sleek missile that was the first stage of the Cyclotron
dropped out, getting clear of the jet before it too rocketed towards the ground.

    "Now that Razor and the Gargoyles are on their way," T-Bone grinned, "It's time to show these
Quarrymen some REAL combat flying!" With a short jerk on his controls, T-Bone whipped the
TurboKat around and sent it flinging towards the fast approaching gunships.

*  *  *

~ West Border, Unnamed Air Base ~

    With a scream, the two pods soared over the high security fence, sailing on for a could of hundred
yards before they gave out. At that point, the sides of the pods burst apart, sending their cargo - in
the form of Goliath, Angela, Brooklyn and Hudson - flying away from the pods to glide to the earth.
As they landed, the pods finally came to rest, crashing into the side of an abandoned barricks with
a cataphony of explosions.

    Brooklyn helped Hudson to his feet. "Wha-oah! Now THAT was a rush!!"

    "Aye . . . next time, let's not rush like that again!" Hudson mumbled under his breath.

    Goliath looked over at his daughter. "Are you all right, Angela?"

    The younger Gargess only smiled, shaking her head. "I'm okay! Can we do that again?!?"

    Goliath only smiled for the briefest of moments, then, remembering their part in the rescue, he
motioned to the others. "Remember, we must keep the Quarrymen busy on the ground, while
Chance keeps their air forces involved with him!"

    "What about Broadway and Lex?!?" Angela asked worriedly, knowing that she would rather be
going after them than acting as a decoy.

    "That is Jake's mission! Quickly! We must attract their attention before he hits the edge of the
base!" Goliath said, motioning to where some Quarrymen in a fast jeep were approaching, coming
to investigate the crash of the pods.

~  ~  ~

    T-Bone was having the time of his life, juking and dodging the swarms of missiles and weapons
fire that was raining from the Quarrymen gunships. He did get a few licks in with some of the less
lethal weapons the TurboKat was packing, but he knew he had to wait before REALLY turning
loose on these losers!

    "Okay, Jake, let's get this show on the road!" he growled, pulling up fast to avoid a spread of heat-
seekers.

*  *  *

~ The Control Room, Unnamed Air Base ~

    John Castaway was nearly spare with anger. First the jet fires three missiles at his secret base,
then it proceeds to play "cat and mouse" with his best pilots and gunners. Surely, whoever was
flying that fighter knew that Castaway could just kill his prisoners before he was even close to
landing and making a ground assault on the main headquarters.

    "Tell the gunners to do whatever it takes!" he shouted to his controlers. "I want that jet in
FLAMES!"

    A controler pipped up, "Sir! Sentry Force 2 reporting on those two missiles that struck the far side
of the base! Those weren't carrying warheads! They were carrying more Gargoyles!"

    At this, Castaway began to see what they were up to. "Of Course!!! They use the jet to keep the
gunships occupied, while their REAL forces land and make their way here! Tell all Sentry Units to
converge on the Gargoyles and dispose of them!"

    "Yes, Sir!"

    Castaway turned back to watch the air battle on the radar screen. "Very clever, Mr. Xanatos!
Using missiles to deliver those vermin past our defenses . . . but, I wonder . . . what became of
that third missile?!?"

*  *  *

~ Main Gate, Unnamed Air Base ~

    There were no sentries at the main gate . . . they all were out chasing the Gargoyles inside the
base.

    This was just what Razor was looking for, as he barreled through the gate on the Cyclotron at full
throttle. The renforced nose of the cycle didn't even dent from the impact, and he just sailed on
through with no trouble.

    "Bingo! Looks like the others are doing their jobs," he said smugly. "Now . . . to find the others and
get them free! AaaaHA! That looks like the main building," he said, spying the headquarters
building ahead. "Now, to make sure that we deal with any uninvited party crashers . . ."

~  ~  ~

    Angela heard the roar of a cycle from farther ahead. "Sounds like Razor made it!" She dodged
another stream of tracers, as she and the others played "hide-and-seek" among the abandoned
buildings of the base with their Quarrymen pursuers.

    "Good! He can free Broadway and Lexington, and then we can all get out of here!" Brooklyn
shouted, just clipping back behind a wall, which was stitched with a ragged line of bullet holes in
his wake.

~  ~  ~

    Back in the control room, a controler passed on the news to Castaway. "Sir! Some vehicle just
barreled in through the Main Gate! It's headed right for us!"

    Castaway slammed his fist against the console. "Damn! They're after their comrades! Well, we
can see to it that they don't survive! You! Bring two men and come with me to the holding cells!"
he shouted to another Quarrymen, snatching up a pistol from a nearby locker. "We're going to
make sure they DON'T succeed in their little rescue!"

    With that, he turned and led the three men away, headed to give the two prisoners their final
moments of life . . .

~  ~  ~

    Down in the holding cells, Lex and Broadway listened to the sounds of the battle outside as they
looked worriedly at the entrance to the cell block.

    "Sounds like Goliath got some help from Xanatos!" Broadway observed, cringing when a near
strike from something big shook the building.

    "They'd better find a way to get to us fast! I doubt Castaway is gonna wait for them to get us out of
here!" Lex replied.

    Just then, Broadway cocked his head to the side, listening to something that was not easy to
detect over the sounds of the battle. "Hey? Do you hear something? Sounds like . . . digging or
something!"

    Before Lex could comment on this, there was a soft rumbling sound that seemed to come from
underneath the cell. It was steadily growing louder, as if something was trying to bury it's way into
the cell from below.

    "I dunno what THAT is," the olive-green Gargoyle said with a wide-eyed expression, "but it can't
be anything worse than what Castaway has in mind for us!"

    "Oh, what I have in mind for you is WORSE than anything your minds can conceive, monster!"

    Both Gargoyles turned sharply, facing the front of their cell. There, flanked by two of his fellow
Quarrymen stood Castaway, all of them armed with assault rifles or pistols. Both Gargoyles
reflexively growled, their eyes lighting up like headlights as they crouched there. With
no other place to go, they were unable to dodge what they knew was to come.

    Castaway snorted, "Your friends think they can save you, but they'll realize their error, too little, too
late!" He cocked the action on his heavy pistol. "Time to die, you filthy beasts! And don't worry . . .
your friends will joining you soon enough!" With that, he and his Quarrymen leveled their weapons
at the two prisoners.

    Suddenly, the floor in front of the Gargoyles, between them and the Quarrymen imploded, and the
blunt, auger-shaped nose of something lurched out into the cell.

    "FIRE!" Castaway shouted, and he and his two goon ripped into the cell with their weapons.
However, the Gargoyles took the few seconds that Castaway was distracted by and dove behind
the intruder for cover. The air was filled with the *SPANG!* and *TPANG!* of ricochetting
bullets, but none of them reached the Gargoyles.

    An unfamiliar voice growled out, "Now it's MY turn!!!" At once, a pair of grapnel lines and wires
shot out from behind the auger, lassoing the two henchmen tighter than a thanksgiving turkey.

    Castaway blazed away with what ammo was left in his pistol, before he beat a hasty retreat from
the cell, leaving Lex and Broadway at the mercy of their unknown rescuer.

    Before Lex and his companion could recover, the voice shouted out cheerfully, "Hey, Lexington!
Broadway!" At that, Razor popped out of the hole the Cyclotron had made, grining at the suprised
warriors. "Did you guy's need to use a `Get-Out-Of-Jail' card?!?"

    Lex didn't even question the fact that he was facing a Humaniod Cat. "We sure do!"

    "Then let's get your tails out of here! Goliath and the others are buying us some time to get out,
before that goofball Castaway comes in with more reinforcements!"

    "Just lead the way, stranger," Broadway grinned, "and let's blow this here joint!"

    Razor ducked down and turned the Cyclotron around to face the other side of the cell. "You guys
get back! This is gonna be messy!" When the Gargoyles were out of range, Razor retracted the
auger-ram and flipped another switch. "Acid Spitball Cannon . . . FIRE!"

    With that, a small gun barrel emerged from the front of the cycle and began to shoot glowing
green balls of acid at the wall. In seconds, the rock and concrete wall began to immolate and melt
away, leaving a clear path out of the building.

    "Whoa! Cool!" Broadway exclaimed.

    Razor pulled the cycle fully into the breeched cell. "Hop on you guys! We need to make a run for
the boarder, and I don't mean to stop for any take out!" Lex and Broadway scrambled onto behind
Razor - the two barely able to fit in behind the smaller feline - and held on as he gunned the
throttle. With a snarl, the Cyclotron peeled out and headed away from the headquarters building.

    "T-Bone, this this Razor! I got the guys and were headed out!"

~  ~  ~

    Back in the coridor, Castaway was seething mad, but he quickly turned away from the Control
Room and flipped out a small handset, keying the TALK switch.

    "This is Castaway! Bring the SkyHammer online! I want it ready to go in 2 minutes or heads will
roll!!!"

*  *  *

~ Main Grounds, Unnamed Air Base ~

    Goliath and his Clan had turned the tables on the ground crews and guard units that had tried to
attack them, but they were suddenly under fire from several of the gunships that had broken off
from the fight with T-Bone. They were forced back into a blind alley, and were about to glide free,
when several of the guards - regrouped and ready for more - began to add their firepower to the
assault.

    "Goliath! They're boxing us in!" Brooklyn shouted in alarm.

    "Lad! We canna fight against these odds!" Hudson added, trying to keep down under a hailstorm
of bullets.

    Goliath shielded Angela from an explosion that set off nearby. "Until Lexington and Broadway are
safe, we MUST continue to fight!"

    "Goliath! They have us out numbered! We need the calvary or something!" Brooklyn growled,
more from fear than from anger.

    "Ta-tah-tat-tah-tat-tah-tat-tah-tat-tah-TAT-tah-tat-ta-TAAAAA!"

    With that, and an explosion of missile and energy weapon fire, Razor and the Cyclotron
hammered the Quarrymen guards on the ground. Bodies and vehicles went flying. Lex and
Broadway were barely hanging on by their talons as their rescuer charged in.

    "Hey, T-Bone! You wanna join the party?", he quipped, speaking into his headset.

    In answer, two of the remaining gunships went up like the 4th of July, just seconds before the
TurboKat came screaming in. "Razor! Get everyone down and under cover," came the reply of his
pilot. "I'm gonna shoot the works!"

    The lanky gunner responded like he was hit with a live wire. "EVERYONE DOWN!!!" Goliath and
the Clan chose not to question his order, hitting the deck and shielding themselves as best as
they could.

~  ~  ~

    T-Bone engaged the Dimentional Radar, illuminating the entire area like it was daylight. The IFF
had been pre-programed with the signatures of the Gargoyles, so all of the gunships and the
guards were highlighted in red.

    "Okay, you Quarry-bums! Time to bite the big one!" Grinning, the pilot toggled the auxillary
weapon panel and highlighted one of the more vicious weapons in the SwatKat Arsenal.
"Bubblegum Blasters . . . FIRE!!!"

    With that, a pair of mini-turrets popped up from underneath the wings, leveling a pair of barrels at
the targeted area. With the sound of ping-pong popping, they erupted into twin streams of pink
goo, saturating the Quarrymen gunships in a thick coating of pinkish taffy, then on to douse the
men on the ground as well with pin-point accuracy that would have done Razor proud.

    Rotors, intakes, weapons, and the like were instantly jammed up! The remaining gunships drifted
into the ground, ramming into the sides of abandoned buildings. On the ground, the Quarrymen
guards found themselves in a pink, sugar-flavored quagmire, unable to fight, fire, or
flee.

    Taking a cautious look-see, Razor grinned at the sight before him, and raised up to give his high-
flying partner the `thumbs-up` sign. "Bingo! Waydigo, T-Bone!!"

    Slowly, the Gargoyles all came out from under cover, and quickly they too were shouting praises
to the success of the SwatKat's plan. The rescued members were quickly reunited, and there was
no end to the thanks heaped on Razor and T-Bone.

    "You both did fine work! Thanks to you, our friends are back with us again," Goliath said at last,
when the shouting was done.

    "Ahh, don't sweat it, Goliath! It was worth it to see the look on that guy Castaway's face when I
busted in on his lil' shooting party!"

    Suddenly, Brooklyn spoke up, "Waitaminute! What happened to Castaway?!?"

~  ~  ~

    About that time, aboard the TurboKat, T-Bone's threat-assesment board was going bonkers!
Something was lighting up over near one of the larger hangars, and from the readings on the D-
Radar, it was something HUGE!!!

    "Razor!" he growled into his headset, eying the readings. "We got something cooking here!"

    Just then, the whole front of the hangar exploded outward in a wall of fire, leaving a smoldering
gap behind . . .from which emerged the oddest looking vehicle Chance had ever seen. It looked
like a larger version of the gunships, except it looked like an armored tank. Instead of rotors, it
used hoverpods to lift it into the sky, and it was armed with a variety of weapons along its short
pylons.

    The one thing that stuck out from all of this was the fact that two distinctive markings were on the
vehicle's fuselage; the circle-and-hammer logo of the Quarrymen, and the ominous word - in
blood-red letters - beneath it . . .

    SkyHammer.

*  *  *

~ Aboard The SkyHammer ~

    John Castaway flexed his hands before settling them over the controls of his massive weapon
platform. Grinning evily, he watched as the Gargoyles watch in horror as it emerged from its
resting place. One of the few things he had done in founding his Quarrymen was to make
sure he had access to great stores of weapons and the latest in fire power and arms.

    He was lucky when a couple of defecting military men told him of this abandoned air base, where
the American military had stored several mothballed gunships and a stockpile of arms. Once he
and his followers moved in, Castaway commandeered one of the heavier choppers - one
of the older, VTOL transports - and had some of his men that were technical wizards work it over
into the most powerful assault ship in the skies.

    He had planned to use it for the final attack on the castle on Xanatos' tower, but now he would
have the satisfaction of destroying them himself.

    "Now, you beasts . . . it doesn't matter what help you managed to cook up for yourselves!
SkyHammer is my ULTIMATE weapon! With it, I will wipe you from the face of this world!"

    Jamming the controls forward, he forced the gunship forward, its engine rumbling pitching into a
growl that made the air vibrate as it headed towards his prey.

~  ~  ~

    The Gargoyles and Razor watched in shock as the SkyHammer headed out from the ruins of the
hangar.

    "Hal-a-PEN-Ya!" Lex squeaked.

    "Tha' Devil himself could'na made such a monstrosity!" Hudson ground out, hefting his sword to
the ready.

    Brooklyn was suddenly pessimistic. "We CAN'T take that thing out!"

    "Maybe you can't," Razor said firmly, "but the SwatKats CAN! T-Bone! Open'er up, `cause I'm
coming up to team up, Buddy!" With that, he revved the throttle of the Cyclotron and motioned the
Gargoyles back. "Keep under cover! Things are going to get messy!" With a roar, the SwatKat
shot away, speeding towards his friend, who was pulling in close with the TurboKat.

    Goliath motioned to the others. "We'd better do as he says! If this proves to be as dangerous as it
looks, we're to be safer by far to be away!"

    "Are we just going to just let them go and get killed on our account! We owe them, Goliath!"
Broadway said indignantly.

    "Father is right! What good is it to help them now, when we might all die for their effort!" Angela
challenged her friend.

    Goliath silenced any further arguement. "Enough! Let's get to safety, NOW!"

~  ~  ~

    Converting the Cyclotron back into flight-mode, Razor launched it back towards the TurboKat.
Waiting for him with anxious paws on the controls, T-Bone had the receiving gear open and ready.
Multiple times and trials of using this techique fighting the bad guys of MegaKat City made it
feel like routine to them, and in seconds, Razor was back in his seat and ready to go.

    "Welcome back aboard, Razor!" T-Bone greeted.

    "Save the small talk, Buddy! We've got to take that sucker down!" his partner shot back. Looking
into the screen attuned to the D-Radar, he quickly assesed the SkyHammer and her armaments.
"It doesn't look good buddy! That ugly brute's got more armaments than ten Enforcer squadrons!"

    T-Bone grimaced. "And if it's who we think it is piloting that thing, then our friends are gonna be in
BIG trouble," he replied, "unless WE can take it out!"

    "Well, life was never easy, T-Bone! Let's go take that big boy out!"

    "Roger that, Razor! It's Go-Time!"

    Before they could react, there was a sudden burst on their tactical channel. "I assume I am
addressing the pilots of the aggressor jet that has attacked my base! I offer you a chance to
abandon those monsters and leave with your lives!"

    T-Bone looked at his gunner, then grinned before he toggled his comm-link. "Buster, you have no
idea how much we just HATE to be told we can surrender! Time to take you out for good!"

    The voice growled back, "Then, you leave me no choice! All Gargoyle sympathisers will be shown
no quarter . . . THIS is Quarrymen Justice!"

    Razor clipped, "Well, you're about to get a taste of SWATKAT Justice!" Giving T-Bone a `thumbs-
up', he added, "If you're done talkin', let's get ready to rumble!"

    "Hold on to your tail, Razor!" With that, T-bone slapped the afterburner throttle home, and the
TurboKat shot forward to engage the Quarryman juggernaut.

    The SkyHammer didn't wait for the TurboKat to close the distance. The sides of two of the
weapon-pylons opened up, and a double score of missiles vomited from the recessed launchers,
filling the night sky with contrails and flares. It then juked to the side, opening up with a double
quad of automatic cannons, adding a rainstorm of white-hot metal.

    T-Bone and Razor reacted like a well-oiled machine. They pulled the jet to the side, twisting and
turning to avoid the hot rounds, while popping off chaff and smoke to confuse the pursuing
missles. They answered the first wave with several of their own brand of firepower; Scrambler and
Matchhead missiles, along with Cutter Blades, flung as then passed the SkyHammer at high
speed. The missiles and blades made only cursorary damage, leaving the gunship relitively
undamaged.

    "Crud! That things more tougher than it looks!" T-Bone groused, snapping them away before the
gunship could send off a counterstrike.

    "That's not an invincible machine, T-Bone! Every machine has a weakpoint," Razor replied firmly.

    The SkyHammer turned and launched a pair of larger, air-to-air missles after the streaking jet.
These must have been powerful heat-seekers, because they immediately began to chase them
like ferrets after a rabbit.

    "Those things are right on top of us!" Razor said, hanging on to the sides of the cockpit as T-Bone
threw the TurboKat into a series of evasive manuvers.

    "Can't shake `em!!! We need more speed!!!" T-Bone replied, making the HOTAS twist in his grip.
"Time to switch to our back-ups, Razor!"

    "Roger That! Activating Speed-Of-Heat!" With a jab, Razor triggered the four auxillary engines
that emerged from the lower cowlings just before the double tail of the fighter. In T-Bone's
secondary panel, a new lever emerged. "Hit it!"

    Yanking the lever to it's fullstop, T-Bone braced himself as the quad of engines lept to life, adding
more powerful thrust to the already speedy jet. Leaping forward as if slapped from behind, the
TurboKat outdistanced the pair of heatseekers, leaving them to detonate far behind them.

    "Wonderful! Now . . . got any ideas on how we can stop that thing!?"

    "Don't look at me, Razor! You're the idea man on this team!" Dragging the lever back, T-Bone
reeled in the big jet, turning it around for another pass at the SkyHammer.

    Razor was at a loss. The armor on that juggernaut was too thick for the usual assortment of
missiles, and it obviously could stay in the air longer. However, it looked as if this Castaway had
built this monster without regards to making it speedy or manuverable. If he was reading
the SkyHammer's movement correctly . . .

    "T-Bone! I think I have an idea!"

    "Well, don't keep it to yourself! We gotta stop that thing before he finds the Gargoyles!" T-Bone
snapped.

    Scanning the compound through his radar, Razor found something that looked promising. "Well, if
those large tanks on the other side of the base are what I think they are, then we've got a chance
to stop 'im COLD!"

    "Sounds good to me, Buddy!"

    "Just one problem," Razor added, "if we miss, then Castaway will have the best chance of nailing
US!"

    His pilot grinned catily. "Well, time to see if we still have some of our nine lives to cash in! Hold on,
Razor! I'm going after him again!"

~  ~  ~
 

    Goliath and the others had watched the exchange of fire between the two craft from the shelter of
one of the undamaged buildings.

    "Things dinna look good for those two," Hudson observed grimly.

    "I agree . . . the SwatKats are risking much by taking on Castaway's machine! We must do
something to help them!"

    Brooklyn pointed out, "But that thing has more firepower that we could ever muster! We'd be
slaughtered!"

    Just then, there was a burst of static came over the headset that Goliath was wearing, followed by
Razor's voice. Goliath listened intently, then replied, "I understand . . . it's risky, but we will have
to try!" Turning to face the others, he said, "The SwatKats have a plan, but it will involve two of us
taking a big chance!"

    "What's the plan, Goliath?" Broadway asked.

    "They want two of us to check the contents of the large metal containers at the end of the
compound," the lavendar giant explained. "They are hoping it will contain a chemical called . . .
liquid nitrogen!"

    "That's a powerful cooling agent! If you dip anything into it, it lowers the objects temperature to
below zero!" Lex explained.

    "The SwatKats want to lure the SkyHammer close to them, then, they plan to cut them open so
that the liquid nitrogen will saturate the vehicle . . ."

    "So that way the SkyHammer gets coated in the nitrogen!" Lexington said, suddenly grasping the
plan's concept.

    Hudson was puzzled. "All of this, to cool Castaway down?!?"

    "Hudson! When you cool metal to below zero it becomes brittle! The SkyHammer will become as
fragile as glass! One good tap and . . ." Lex made a motion like something flying apart.

    "Precisely! I and Lexington will go-!"

    "Wait, Goliath! As big as you are, Castaway would shoot you down before you even got halfway to
the tanks!" Brooklyn interupted. "Let me and Lex go! He's small enough not to be seen, and I'm
fast enough to keep out of range!"

    Goliath would have said more, but there was another burst from his headset. "We have no more
time to talk! Jake says they are about to begin their attack!" He motioned to the other two. "Get
going! Take my headset and report to the SwatKats once you've confirmed the contents of those
tanks! GO!"

    Quick as lighting, Lex and Brooklyn lit out from the protection of the building, headed at a fast
pace over the ground.

~  ~  ~

    T-Bone looked down at the ground, grinning when he spied the twin flying forms below as he
bellied the fighter over to come around. "The Gargoyles are on the move, T-Bone! Let's give
Castaway something to occupy his mind! Get ready, `cause we are on the move!"

    "You got it, T-Bone! Readying Screamer Missiles!" With that, Razor held on as the TurboKat dove
at the lumbering gunship. The nimble jet wove through the wall of defensive fire that the
SkyHammer was throwing at them.

    They were just yards away when Razor flipped off two missiles, both burning towards the massive
gunship, each one emiting a high-pitched shriek that made the glass canopy of the SkyHammer
vibrate, crack, then shatter into a storm of fragmented glass. This made Castaway panic for a
moment, making the SkyHammer skitter to the side like a mobile tortise, one of the wing pylons
scrapping the cement tarmac in a shower of sparks.

~  ~  ~

    Lex and Brooklyn reached the tanks amid that last exchange, finding the small expulsion pipe
fittings at the base of one.

    "Sure hope the guys can last a few more seconds!" Lex said, trying to make sense of the pipes
and flanges.

    "Just start twisting knobs, or they aren't going to last even ONE second!" growled Brooklyn, not
liking that they were out in the open like this.

    It took Lex just a moment more before he managed to open one spigot, letting out a gout of liquid
that immediately turned the concrete under it into a patch of brittle stone. "Perfect! This tanks filled
to the brim with Liquid Nitrogen!" Tapping the mike control on the headset he wore, Lex shouted
out to the two Kats in the jet. "SwatKats! The nearest tank on this side of the base is filled with the
good stuff! Better get going, `cause we're out of here!"

    Razor must have gotten his message, because the TurboKat turned to lead the SkyHammer
closer. However, Castaway must have decided it was time to take the fight to the SwatKats,
because the lumbering gunship let loose a thundering barrage that made the TurboKat buck
and twist to avoid becoming holed through with cannon and missile fire.

    "Uh-oh! Castaway's finally fighting back!" Lex said worriedly.

    Brooklyn nodded. "If they can't turn them around and get them over here, then they'll get swatted .
. . and then WE'LL be next!"

    Lex snarled, "We have to do something!?!" He wondered if Goliath had any ideas, but his train of
thought was broken when he saw Brooklyn run over to one of the former Quarrymen jeeps,
ripping the heavy-caliber machine gun off the post-mount on the back of the bed. "Brook!
What are you DOING?!?"

    "Going to give Castaway a little incentive! Get back to the others, Lex! No sense in both of us
getting caught in the crossfire!"

    Lex looked at his Rookery Brother as if he was nuts, which is what he probably was. "You can't be
serious!???"

    Brooklyn flashed his eyes and growled threateningly at the smaller Gargoyle. "Go ON! Get back to
the others, NOW!!!"

    Lex gave him one last look, then looked out to where the TurboKat was dodging the swarm of fire
from the SkyHammer. With a slight grin, he gave his Brother a high-sign. "Good luck!" With that,
he scampered off.

    Brooklyn sighed and turned back to face the dueling aircraft. He normally didn't use guns, but
since most of his enemies prefered to use them against him and his Clan, he at the least learned
how they worked. Cocking the slide-action, he checked the ammo belt and leveled the muzzle at
the tail end of the SkyHammer.

    A grin spread over his face, as he wished he had some dark sunglasses and a red, muscle-T.
"Come get SOME!" he said hoarsely, jerking the trigger . . .

~  ~  ~

    Castaway was laughing it up, watching as the TurboKat juked, wove, and dodged his rapid
succession of attacks. Each time it seemed they were in the clear, he'd let loose another barrage
at them, constantly keeping the pilot on the offensive.

    "Now, who is going to teach WHOM about Justice!?!" he sneered. "Once I deal with you, I will deal
with those wretched Gargoyles once and for all!"

    Before he could fire again, the sudden *PING-PING-PING!* of weapon-fire against the hull of the
SkyHammer brought his attention around. He looked around, trying to disconcern its source, and
spied the flash of automatic fire near the huge storage tanks at the far side of the base.

    "Who would DARE-?!?" he shouted. Bringing up one of his sensor cameras, he trained it on the
spot where the gunflash was, and cranked up the magnification to the max. There, framed in the
targeting recticle, with his weapon chattering, was one of the Gargoyles. His stare was filled with
hatred as he seemed to stare down Castaway along his gunsight.

    "Soooo, you think you can stop me with just a assault rifle??? You foolish beast!" Jerking the
controls, he turned the SkyHammer away from the TurboKat and aimed it directly at the Gargoyle.
"I'll run you down, and then deal with your allies!!!"

~  ~  ~

    Razor looked at his read-out, a puzzled look filling his feline face. "Huh? What's that goofball up to
now?"

    "Talk to me, Razor! What's he up to?"

    "He's pullin' away . . . something's not right here, T-Bone!" Checking his screens again, Razor
suddenly stiffened in shock. "Crud! It's one of the Gargoyles! He's using a weapon to draw
Castaway off of us and to the tanks!"

    T-Bone flipped the jet around, getting his own eyefull of the situation. "Uh-oh! If this Castaway
reacts the way Goliath described him, then he's gonna' ram that gunship down his throat! He'll
never get away in time!"

    "Not if WE can help it," Razor responded sternly, "and we will! Get us down there, T-Bone! We
have to get that guy out of there!"

    The burly pilot jammed the HOTAS down. "Consider us there and gone, Buddy!!!"

~  ~  ~

    Brooklyn wasn't moving an inch, even though he could tell Castaway was building up a big head of
steam. Jamming the trigger, the red-skinned warrior stood his ground, keeping up his rate of fire
at the SkyHammer. If he could just hit something vital, perhaps the SwatKats wouldn't need
to use the tanks . . .

    Just then, the action yammered and halted with a "C-KLACK!", as the last round of ammo was
spent.

    "DANG!!!" he shouted, shaking the rifle impotently. With a snarl, he tossed it aside, seeing that
Castaway was not going to stop. The gunship was flying low now, nearly thundering up on top of
the Gargoyle as it closed the gap.

    "Well . . . at least when you crash," he shouted, "I'll be the last Gargoyle you'll ever kill!"

    Just then, the headset he was wearing crackled to life. "Brooklyn! Heads UP!!! Don't move or we
might miss!!!"

    Before he could reply or move, the SkyHammer was looming high in his sight, but not big enough
to block the sight of the Turbo-Kat, swooping down with all engines blazing. The jet's undercarrige
was exposed, showing that the Grappler Winch was open.

    Wincing slightly, Brooklyn stood as still as he could, even though every instinct was to dodge the
oncoming mass. "This better work!"

    The Grappler fired, lancing down to race in front of the SkyHammer, as the Turbo-Kat pulled away
with break-neck speed. Just a heartbeat of time, and the claws snatched Brooklyn away as the jet
streaked upwards, yanking him out of the way of the still-charging gunship.

~  ~  ~

    Castaway was livid as he kept the ShyHammer aimed at the stead-fast Gargoyle. When he saw
Brooklyn refusing to move, he jammed the forward thruster control home. "Die, DIE you
MONSTER!! Soon your friends will ALL JOIN YOU!!"

    Just a moment before he would have run the Gargoyle over, a claw and line snaked into view and
closed around the beast, snatching it out of the way like a fish being yanked from the sea.

    "NO!!! NOOOO!!!" The Quarryman leader screamed, pounding his fist on the controls as he
watched Brooklyn sailed out of his reach. So intent was his rage, he didn't notice the looming
presence of the storage tanks . . . until it was too late . . .

~  ~  ~

    As they soared up into the sky, T-Bone grimmaced as he thought they were too late to save
Brooklyn. "Crud!!! Tell me we made it, Razor?!"

    Razor checked the external link hesitantly, then grinned as he looked back up at his friend.
"Bingo!! I think we did it!!"

   Pulling around, the two Kats turned to watch in triumph as the SkyHammer barreled into the first
tank. Castaway must have tried to skew the gunship, but it wasn't enough as it ruptured the tank
of super coolant, spraying it all around the area and over most of the fusalage.

    "Waydigo, Razor! Looks like your idea really put the *chill* on that Quarry-geek!"

    "C'mon, T-Bone! We'd better get down there and make sure that Brooklyn is okay!" Razor replied.
"And, perhaps we can wrap up Castaway for the Police!"

~  ~  ~

    Goliath and the others had watched the whole event as it happened, nearly panicking when
Brooklyn was nearly overrun by the SkyHammer.

    "Th' lad musta been crazy to stand there!" Hudson snapped.

    "But, he kept Castaway targeted on him!" Broadway returned. "And the guys DID get him out of
the way in time!"

    Goliath was about to admonish them, when his hearing picked up the sounds of police sirens
approaching. "What matters is Castaway is stopped, and the police will be here soon. Let us leave
and return to the Castle."

    "What about Brooklyn and the Swat Kats?" Angela asked.

    Goliath opened his mouth to reply, when Brooklyn dropped out of the sky next to the others.
"Razor and T-Bone have Castaway wrapped up, so we'd better get out of here, now."

    "Agreed," Goliath replied, "Let's go." With that, the members of the Clan scaled one of the nearby
buildings and took to the air.

~  ~  ~

    Razor and T-Bone had let Brooklyn go, and had returned to the site of the crash, watching with
amusement as a haggard, and mad-as-spit Castaway extracted himself from the partially
crystalized wreckage of the SkyHammer. Pulling in close, they brought the Turbo-Kat down
on hover just scant yards away.

    "Think he's got any more fight left in `im?" T-Bone asked his partner.

    "Aaaaah, I don't think so, Buddy," Razor chuckled, looking at Castaway's livid face in his sensor
monitors. "But, just so the local police don't have TOO much trouble . . ."

    "Speak of the devil, Razor . . . here they come!" T-Bone commented, watching as the spinning
lights of several ground vehicles approaching fast. "Uh-oh! Looks like laughing-boy's trying to
make a break for it!"
 
    "Not if I can help it!" Razor thumbed a targeting switch, watching as the cross-hairs locked on to
the fleeing Human. "Mini-Octopus Missile . . .FIRE!"

~  ~  ~

    Officer Morgan had the accelorator to the floor as he raced along the tarmac. He had been one of
the few cops in the area - albeit he had been off-duty - that had responded to the annonymous
call, telling that there were Quarrymen operating on an abandoned air-base nearby. He had
just made the gate, during the last moments of the air battle with the SkyHammer, and quickly
joined in with the line of cars that were headed there to see if they could catch any survivors.

    "Some of you head to those buildings," he was saying into his radio, "and see if they're any
Quarrymen in those buildings! The rest of us will take the flightline!"

    "Roger!"

    Morgan dropped the mike and sighed. "Fine time for me to go out of town! Just when I think things
are gettin' quiet . . . now someone has to go play `gung-ho' with the Quarrymen!"

    Just ahead, he spied the wreckage of one of the oddest looking airships he had ever seen,
crashed to the side of some coolant storage tank. A lone jet of some type Morgan had never seen
before hovered above it, as a spotlight of some kind highlighted a running figure as it dashed from
amid the shattered steel and concrete.

    "Heads up! I've got one perp on the ground and a possible in the air!"

    Before anyone else could react, the jet fired off a small rocket, sending it streaking towards the
man on the ground.

    Morgan gasped. "Are they NUTS!?" His question was laid to rest when the missile burst apart
mere feet from the fleeing man, entangling him in what looked like sucker-lined arms, sending him
tumbling to the tarmac. Morgan had to cram the brakes to keep from running him over with his
car.

    Several other police cars squealed to a halt, and as their drivers lept out, the jet hovered over the
downed man like a hawk, giving Morgan and another officer time to pull him to his feet.

    A voice, magnified over a loudspeaker, rang down from the jet, "He's all yours, Officers!
Compliments of the Swat Kats!"

    Another voice added, "Just don't let him get near any hammers, okay?" With that, the jet rose up
and turned, heading off into the night on three, distinct afterburn-trails.

    One of the other officers scratched his head, watching the jet's departure. "What in St. Francis
was THAT all about?!?"

    Morgan and the other officer shruged, but when he removed the man's flight helmet, the
Manhattan cop smiled a rueful smile and shook his head. "If I didn't believe it, I'd say it was
someone that REALLY didn't like your agenda . . . Mr. Castaway!"

    Castaway snarled, trying to shake off their grip on his arms, while glaring at the fast-disappearing
jet.

    "Well, I know a certain detective that is going to be thrilled when we bring you in," he finished,
snapping a pair of handcuffs on the former Quarryman leader. "Let's take this trash downtown,
boys!"

~  ~  ~

~ Castle Wyvern, Later ~

    While the Gargoyles were celebrating the return of their rescued friends, and learning of the final
fate of Castaway and his Quarrymen, Razor and T-Bone were working on the Turbo-Kat, getting it
re-fitted for flight.

    Razor looked up from where he was re-attaching a piece of the engine cowling, listening to the
sounds of the Gargoyles. "Sounds like they're happy to be home, eh Buddy?"

    T-Bone grunted from below, finishing with a repair job to where one of the gunships had gotten
lucky. "Yeah . . . wish we could do the same. But, no thanks to that rotten, no-good Pastmaster,
we're stuck in this dimension!"

    "Hey, at least we have friends here," Razor said, sliding off to join his friend on the ground.
"Besides, from what I hear, this world's just dying for a couple of pilots like us."

    T-Bone shot him a look. "Oh, surrre! A couple of Kats!?!? Get serious, Razor! If Humans react
towards Gargoyles the way those Quarrymen did, what chance do we have in being accepted!"

    "That's a bleak way of looking at things," a voice said, as David Xanatos came out from behind
one of the towers, followed by the stone-face of Owen Burnett. "If I am anything to go on, not all
Humans will judge you as monsters."

    T-Bone sighed and levered himself upright. "Ahh, it's not that we're any ungrateful, Mr. X . . ."

    "But, what me and T-Bone are saying is that . .  .we don't belong here," Razor added. "We left
some friends back in our dimention - involuntarily, I'd say - with some madman named the
Pastmaster!"

    "Sounds like a most . . . unsavory character." Owen commented.

    "Y'don't know the half of it, Bud! He wants to turn Mega Kat City into a re-hash of the Dark Ages,"
T-Bone replied. "With himself as the supreme Ruler!"

    "We've been able to stop him before, but, unless we can get back to our own dimension, as fast, it
may be too late!"

    Xanatos looked over at Owen, and the two gave each other a knowing look. "Hmm, perhaps there
may be a way we can help you out . . . in repayment for rescuing the Gargoyles. Owen . . . go get
Alexander and the Gargoyles."

    "At once, Mr. Xanatos," the blonde major-domo replied, quickly leaving

    "What do you have in mind?" T-Bone asked hesitantly.

    Xanatos simply smirked. "Let's just say that Owen has some . . . shall we say . . . special talents
that will help you return to your home dimension. And the Gargoyles, if Goliath will allow it, will
give you some help with this Pastmaster . . ."

    "Which we will." Goliath said, coming out with Brooklyn, Lexington, and Angela. "It is the least we
can do for you for bringing Lexington and Broadway home."

    "Hey, we'd appreciate any help you can give us." Razor replied.

    "Waitaminute, fellas! You Gargoyles turn to stone during the day," T-Bone commented, "and it
was around high noon when we were zapped in our dimension. You guys would be like sitting
ducks, to the Pastmaster!"

    About then, Owen returned with a young, red-headed baby in his arms. The child saw Xanatos
and began giggling and cooing.

    "I do believe that a simple spell from Alexander will rectify that problem, Mr. Furlong."

    Both T-Bone and Razor shot questioning looks to each other, then to the child. "Huh? You mean
the kids some kind of magicician?"

    Owen allowed himself a small, proud smile. "Young Alexander has the abiility to perform . . . a
miracle, shall we say?"

*  *  *
 

~ The Tarmac Atop Tiger Towers, 12:40pm ~

    The Pastmaster was still cackling, astride his mutant bat, as Commander Feral and Lt. Felina
raised their sidearms, knowing full well that the laser pistols might not be effective against the
beast, or against the magic that its master could wield against them all. But, their first duty was to
protect  the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and they - like any Enforcer - would rather die trying to
succeed than just give up and run.

    "You may have gotten rid of the Swat Kats, you maniacal fiend," Feral snarled, "but you'll still have
to deal with the Enforcers!"

    "AH-Hahahahahahahaaaa! Fools! I am the master of all TIME! You are nothing to me," The
Pastmaster crowed, brandishing an antiquitated pocket watch like a vorpal sword before him. "*I*
am the complete and dominant ruler of all Eternity, and I will finally conquer this place, and
return this entire WORLD to the Dark Ages!"

    Felina cocked her sidearm, taking aim at the squat sorceror. "Talk is cheap, Sicko! Let's dance!"
With that, she squeezed off several bursts, hoping to take the Pastmaster out. But, he had
managed to raise a mystic warding around himself, making the crimson bolts of energy fly off into
the sky harmlessly.

    "Idiot! Mere FLIES!!" With that, The Pastmaster made a motion, and twin bursts of eldrich energy
sprang out from his watch, enveloping Felina and Feral's weapon, turning them into molten slag in
seconds. With a cry, the two top Enforcers dropped their ruined weapons, looking at the sorceror
with pure hate.

    Behind them, Manx clutched at Callie, stammering in fear, while the lithe blonde she-kat watched
with concern and barely supressed concern. She knew that something had to be done . . . but,
their one best chance to defeat the Pastmaster was gone; zapped to who-knew-where, most
likely never to return to Megakat City.

    "Lt. Steele! Use your weapon," she hissed urgently, "and see if you can hit the Pastmaster's
watch! It's the source of all of his power!" She turned to see if Steele had heard her, only to find
that he had long since fainted, and was sprawled on the tarmac besider her.

    "Great!" she cursed. Before anything else happened, she shoved the Mayor behind a low
guardwall, hoping that he would stay put until she or the Feral's could think of something to do to
stop their enemy.

    The Pastmaster was gloating again, "NOW, I will turn you all into my slaves, and TOGETHER, we
shall begin to build my new Empire of TIME!" He began to laugh again, but his laughter was cut
short, when a sudden burst of greenish-blue light suddenly appeared in the air behind them all.

    "What in the-!?" Feral barked.

    "Great Cats! What's happening NOW?!?" Felina added, unsure as to what the Pastmaster was up
to now, when a pair of familiar shapes appeared in the center of the glow.

    "Heyyyyy, Pastmaster!"

    "We're BAAAAACK!!!"

    With that, the much-welcome forms of T-Bone and Razor leaped from the portal, each
brandishing their Glove-a-Trix at the very shocked sorceror.

    "Swat Kats!!! You're back!!!" Callie cried out, relieved to see them alive.

    Razor chuckled, "Hey, it's not like Pastie has a total monopoly on Dimensional Travel!"

    "Besides, we found some new friends that we're in a real *flap* to help us stop this mad man once
and for all," added T-Bone.

    The Pastmaster started screaming villy, waving his arms. "YOU Will rue the day you returned to
face ME, Swat Kats!!! I will destroy your friends, and THEN *I* with destroy *YOU!*" With that, he
thrust his arm back at the clustered Officials and Enforcers, firing a blast of energy that rocked
the roof of the building.

    The blast ripped in between Callie and the Mayor, sending Manx stumbling to one side, while
Callie and the still-out-cold Steele went flying over the edge of the roof.

    "CALLIE!!" Razor shouted in panic. "GUYS! HURRY!!"

    Suddenly, four new shapes appeared in the portal, only to shoot out like cannonballs, two
swooping low over the roof to follow Callie and Steele, while the other two threw themselves at the
Pastmaster, upseting his next shot - which would have hit Feral and Felina - and causing his
mount to crash into the roof.

    "C'mon, Razor! Let's deal with this loony!" T-Bone said with a snarl.

    "Right with you, Buddy! I'm gonna kick his little carcass back so far into the past, he'll need a
grandfather clock to make his way back!"

~  ~  ~

    Callie went screaming over the edge, watching as Lt. Steele's body plummeted before her,
spinning like a rag doll. She was sure that not even the Swat Kat's could save her now. They had
been fifty stories up, and the thought of becoming street pizza was the last thing she wanted to be
thinking about.

    "AAAAAAHHHHHHHH-oooFFF!!!" she cried, then grunted as some -thing siezed her around her
waist, under her arms, halting her downward momentum like a sudden pull on a yo-yo. She shook
her head from the sudden stop, realizing that she was no longer falling.

    "Hold on! I've got you!" said a voice from above her.

    Callie turned to see who had caught her. "*YOU* got me?!? Then who- AAAHH!" She found
herself looking at a green-skinned, bald-headed creature that was smiling at her with wide eyes.

    Lexington quickly said, "Hey, hey, hey! Take it easy! We're the GOOD guys! The Swat Kats had
us come along to help!"

    That one phrase penetrated her shocked senses.  "The Swat Kats? Oh NO! They'll need help with
the Pastmaster . . . WAIT! Lt. Steele-!"

    "He's safe," Lex said with a chuckle, pointing with his chin to the right.

    Callie hazzarded a look, seeing Steele dangling from the paws of another creature - this one a
female, purple colored, with long sable hair - gliding along on a pair of darker-colored wings. "Boy!
What do these Enforcers eat? Lead??" she quipped, having to flap a few times to keep level with
her compainion.

    Callie laughed nervously, looking back up to see where she had just come from. "Oooo, the guys
are gonna have their hands full!"

    Angela and Lex quickly grabbed a thermal. "I think Jake and Chance have a better chance than
you might think!" he said glibly.

    Before Callie could digest that remark, they were soaring back up into the sky.

~  ~  ~

    Goliath and Brooklyn had finally wrestled the mutant bat to the ground, pinning it by its wings, but
not before the Pastmaster had scrambled to safety, out of range of their claws.

    "Surrender, Sorceror," Goliath growled, subduing the bat with a hard punch that knocked it
senseless, "or you will be defeated!"
 
    The squat magic-user snarled, leveling his watch at the two Gargoyles. "I cannot be defeated,
BEAST!!! I am the *PASTMASTER!*" He channeled his powers into the watch, only to have it
yanked from his grasp by a well-aimed grappler from T-Bone's Glove-a-Trix.

    "Not this time, slime!" he said, slinging the talisman from the sorceror, letting it clatter, impotent, to
the side.

    Razor shot his weapon off, entangling the Pastmaster in one of his Mini-Octopus Missiles. "We're
gettin' sick of you, Pastmaster, and this *time* we've got a little help to see that you never threaten
this city again!"

    The wizard began to scream and thrash about. "Fool! You CAN'T be rid of ME!! I AM the master
of ALL TIME!!!"

    "Oh, reeeaaaly! Methinks someone has a completely over-inflated ego!" a haughty voice said, and
with that, there was a sudden *POP*, and Puck appeared above the group of Kats and Gargoyles,
just as Callie, Lex, Angela and Steele appeared, gliding over the roof to land next to the others.

    The Pastmaster looked up at the floating fey with a gasp on his misshapen lips. "Who-who-who
ARE you???"

    "The name's Puck," he said with a bow, "and, from what the Swat Kats have told me, you're one
NAUGHTY little wizard!" He flipped upside down and leered at the Pastmaster, "But, don't worry!
I'm just going to put YOU out of THEIR misery!"

    T-Bone and Razor stepped back with the Gargoyles, letting Puck run the show. Callie and the
others stood and watched, wide eyed with wonder and worry as the point-eared fey made a
summoning gesture and a small, furless baby appeared in his arms, making giggling, cooing
sounds.

    "Now, Young Master Alex," Puck said sweetly, "it's time for Dimensional Banishment, 101 . . . and
believe me, this lesson has the results that stick!" Puck cast a look around at the assembled
Gargoyles and Kats, then smiled when his gaze fixed on Felina. "Perfect! Time to use your eariler
lessons, my boy . . . let's see if using a Kat is as easy as a Gargoyle!"

    Alex cooed and looked at Felina with bright, blue eyes, which began to glow with a bluish-green
tinge.

    Felina backed up a step, holding up her hands defensively. "Waitaminute! I thought you were after
the Pastmaster!"

    "Shhh! You'll break his concentration!" Puck hissed at her. "You DO want to help, don't you?"

    Felina looked at her uncle, then to the Swat Kats for support, then she nodded hesitantly. "Sure . .
.why not?"

    "Perfect! Now, Alexander . . . just like we did with Coldstone!"

    With that, the baby began to say something garbled, causing his body to become covered in the
same glow that came from his eyes. Suddenly, the baby disolved into a shimmering mist, which
shot from Puck's arms and made a beeline for Felina. The Enforcer Lieutenant watched, slack-
jawed, unable to move as the mist swirled around her, then, it slipped into her open mouth and
was completely inside her in a flash.

    "Felina!!! What did you DO to her!?!?" Commander Feral snarled, starting to rush forward to wring
Puck's neck, only to have a massive, clawed hand slap on his shoulder, stopping his rush. He
looked back to see Goliath towering over him, a disapproving look on his face.

    "She will not be harmed," he said with a touch of a growl in his voice. "Puck and Alexander have .
. . done this before."

    Suddenly, Felina looked over at Puck, a wide smile filling her face. "I DID it, Uncle Puck! These
Kats aren't so much unlike the Gargoyles!"

    Callie looked at T-Bone and Razor, who were none to concerned with what had just happened,
although they did look a little tense. Razor caught her look, saying, "They told us that Alex would
need someone to host him while he worked on the Pastmaster, since what's about to happen is
gonna get complicated."

    "And, Master Alex's vocal cords aren't quite developed yet to speak the spell we need, hence,"
Puck finished, making a gesture at Felina. "Now, Kiddo . . . this is gonna be something major, so
save a little in reserve so you can leave Young Miss Felina when we are through. Okay?"

    Felina nodded solemnly.

    "Good," Puck said, turning back to face the Pastmaster, who had been all this time watching the
events unfold with an ever-growing fear. "Now, you know how this works, Alex . . . just follow my
lead, and let the magic do as you will. Ready?"

    "Yes," Felina replied, her eyes taking on the same glow that Alex's eyes had taken.

    Puck made a sweeping motion, and Felina copied it exactly, as an aura of magic issued forth,
creeping slowly out towards the panic-stricken Pastmaster. As everyone watched - some
transfixed, some concerned, others simply resigned - Puck began to chant, and Felina repeated
what he said, making the aura glow stronger with each phrase:

    "Foolish Mortal, Proud and Vain . . .
     Seeking Dominance of this Feline Plane . . .
     Trouble not these Heroes Bold . . .
     And be Denied Forever, your Aspriations Old . . .
    You Sought to Darken the Skies of this World's Face . . .
     Now, Live You in Another Place . . .
     Remove You NOW from these Friends of Mine . . .
     And Let NO ONE break this Geas of Time!"

    With that, the aura transformed into a new portal, from which a series of thick, greyish tendrils
came forth and wrapped up the Pastmaster, screaming in their coils. As much as he tried to get
free, it was futile as best. Without further ado, the tendrils retreated into the portal, dragging the
Pastmaster inside, which snapped shut with a *SNAP!* of energy, vanishing without a trace of it,
or the maniacal sorceror, ever have been there.

    As soon as the portal vanished, Felina stiffened, and the mist that had entered her sprang out,
darting away to pool in between Puck's hands, reforming into a now tired-looking Alexander.
Coughing slightly, Felina dropped to her knees, blinking as if she had been exposed to a bright
sunburst. At once, Commander Feral and Callie were at her side.

    "I'm . . . I'm all right," she said, brushing off their attempts to make her lay down. "I just have to get
my bearings again!"

    T-Bone and Razor both let out a sigh of relief. "Well, I sure hope that's the last we ever see of the
Pastmaster!" the burly pilot commented.

    "If Puck and Alexander's spell worked properly," Goliath replied, "then you will never be troubled
by the Pastmaster ever again." He came forward to shake both T-Bone and Razor's hands. "We
were proud to have returned the favor, for your aid in rescuing our friends."

    "Hey, anytime, Goliath!" Razor returned.

    "Let's just hope next time we don't just *drop* in," T-Bone quipped.

    Just then, Mayor Manx came out from where the Pastmaster's blast had sent him flying to. "I-I-I-Is
it SAFE?!?"

    "It is now, Mr. Mayor," Razor said with a smile. "Guys, I think it's time we introduced you to our
new friends," he said, motioning to the Gargoyles. "Mr. Mayor, Ms. Briggs, Commander and Lt.
Feral . . . this is Goliath, Brooklyn, Lexington, and Angela. The Gargolyes . . . and, you've met
Puck and his apprentice, Alexander Xanatos."

    "Yeah . . . in a kinda up-close way," Felina said with a half-smile.

    Goliath bowed to the Mayor and the others. "It was an honor to aid your city's defenders," he said.

    At that, Feral bristled, "HAH! Those two vigilantes cause more trouble than they do good!"

    "Commander!" Callie clipped, and Feral grumbled under his breath. "We're proud that the Swat
Kats could help you out."

    "And we're grate-ful that you could re-tarn them to us in one piece!" Manx added with a smile.

    "Well, let's say we're glad they kept some of *us* in one piece," Lex said lightly.

    "Ahem! Not to cut this First Contact short," Puck interupted, "but the portal back to our home won't
stay up forever, y'know!" With that, he made a motion, and a massive shaped appeared in the
portal, coming through to reveal itself as the Turbo-Kat 2. "There you are . . . and not one scratch
on the paint!"

    T-Bone chuckled. "You'd have a great job as a parking attendant, Puck!"

    "I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Chance!" Puck returned.

    Angela suddenly spoke up, showing that she had the Pastmaster's watch in her hand. "What shall
we do with this?"

    "That's the Pastmaster's Talisman," Razor replied, "and with it, he could travel back and forth in
time!"

    "He could even bring back things long since dead to life again with it!" T-Bone added.

    Puck zipped over to examine the watch with Alex. "Hmmm . . .  well, with the Pastmaster gone, it's
nothing more than a mere bauble now! It was the channeling point of his own power . . . without it,
he can't perform anymore of his Temporal mischief!"

    Razor grinned, taking the watch from Angela. "Then, let's make sure it never CAN be used again!
Hey, T-Bone . . . Cat's Eye!" With that he tossed the watch into the air, but before he or T-Bone
could react, a stream of laser pulses cut through the watch, turning it into a cloud of fragments
and melted metal.

    Both SwatKats were in awe, turning to see a very smug Felina Ferral blowing across the top of Lt.
Steel's sidearm. "Hey, you're not the ONLY hot shots in Mega-Kat City!"

    "Great! Looks like we just got our tails handed to us, Razor." With that, every began to laugh at T-
Bone's statement.

    Goliath broke in by saying, "Come . . . we have our family and Clan to return to." With that, the
Gargoyles and Puck turned to enter the portal, each one stopping for a moment to wave good-bye
to the Kats. Goliath turned before he entered, "Should you happen to find yourself in our
dimension again, feel free to visit us in Manhattan . . . after sunset, of course." he said with a
smile.

    "Count on it, Big Guy." Razor said with a smile.

    "Yeah! Good luck with that Castaway character!" T-Bone added. With that, Goliath stepped
through, with Puck and Alexander right behind him. In a twinkling, the portal closed and was gone.

    T-Bone looked at his gunner and whistled low. "Some adventure, eh, Buddy?"

    "I'll say," Razor replied with a laugh, then he looked over at others. "Is everyone okay?"

    "We're fine, Swat Kats," Felina replied, "though it was hairy going there for a while."

    "Although, WE had everything under control," added Commander Feral with a snort.

    "Heh-heh, sure Commander." T-Bone chuckled.

    "Well, at least everything turned out alright in the end," Mayor Manx said with a sigh, "and, should
there be no mair interuptions, we can get on with the ceremony, and make the Swat Kats official
represenatives of Law and Order in Mega-Cat Citay . . . right, Callie? Callie??"

    All during this, Callie had been looking at Razor and T-Bone with a strange expresion on her face.
"Umm, sure, Mr. Mayor . . . Um, listen, I have to fill the Swat Kats in on some of their offical
functions. Why don't you and Commander Feral go and make sure everything is ready? We'll be
down in a few minutes."

    "Very well, Callie! Come along, Commander! We have to make sure that the whole ci-tay knows
that the Swat Kats are now on equal footing as the Enforcers are!"

    The Enforcer leader growled and rolled his eyes heavenward. "As you say, Mr. Mayor!"

    Felina gave Lt. Steele a nudge. "Come on, Steele. I'm sure Commander Feral and the Mayor will
need our help!" With that, the foursome left the roof, leaving Callie and the Swat Kats alone.

    Razor and T-Bone looked at the Deputy Mayor curiously, suddenly feeling like they were about to
receive an ultimatum. "Sooo, um, Ms. Briggs . . . what is it that you have to tell us?"

    Callie stepped closer to the two pilots, a sudden smirk on her face. "Oh, I don't have anything to
tell you about your jobs," she admited, "but, I do have some questions for the two of you . . ." With
that, she reached out and, before either of the two fighter jocks could react, she ripped their black
masks off, leaving them both with shocked looks on their faces. "And I DO mean you two, Jake
and Chance!"

    "Uh-oh!", Jake said with a look of utter defeat. "Looks like the jig is up!"

*  *  *

The End (?)