Back From the Sewers

Megakat City  Park, Midnight

Megakat City Park, the only place in the city that’s green.  The rest of the city is ether a dull gray colour, or red from the brick work. Many kats come here.  To talk, to laugh, to play, to have a picnic, or just to get away from it all.  That is why Johnny Train is taking a walk tonight though the park, to get his mind of the problems that
have been facing him recently, like the sudden return of his old friend, Max Ray, who he’d thought had died five years ago in a mysterious way.  Now, all of a sudden, He’s back, in a strange sort of way, acting like a no good criminal, calling himself, Hydro-kat.  John kicked a stone of the path as he thought more about Max.  Why didn’t he at least say hi to him, after all these years, why couldn’t he have least gone straight, but those things weren’t going to happen, because he was now truly dead, stuck in the Enforcer Evidence locker, to remain until the end of time, when ever that was.

Johnny looked up into the tress, to see some squirrels, fighting over some nuts.  The park was also home to some wildlife.  Just then, a punk dressed in a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and wearing black sun glasses, jumped out of the bushes at him.

“OK mister”, the punk said, brandishing a knife.  “How much money ya got?”

Johnny knew better to argue with scum, so with a scowl on his face he reached into his pockets to get his wallet.  However, before he could even get it out, the ground began to shake.

“What the hell is that?”, John said to himself.

Suddenly, the kat  hole covers in the centre of the park, suddenly burst open, one by one, all five of them.  The punk, gasped as columns of water spouted from each of the katholes.  Johnny was also mesmerised by this event as well, but some how, he didn’t feel as frightened as the mugger.  The columns of water, then turned inwards towards the centre of the five katholes.  When the five water spouts meet, they swirled together, and created a kat, who John had not seen in five years.

Max Ray.

The kat stood there for a moment looking around at his soundings. Then he tilted his head back and laughed out loud.

“Hi Johnny, I’m Baaaaaaack.”  He smiled at the horrified kat.

The punk on the other hand, just stood there for a few moments, open mouthed.  Then he fainted dead away.

Max looked at the body of the unconscious kat.  “Pity, I was hoping he’d fight me.  I’ve been so bored these past few months.”

Johnny couldn’t think of a word to say.  “MAX!.”  He cried out, looking at the kat he thought he’d never see again.  “What are you doing here?, I heard that you were….”

“Dead?”  Max cut him off.  “Is that what you heard?”  He laughed out loud.  “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny”  He placed his paw on the kat’s shoulder.  “You should know by now, that the media don’t always tell the truth.”

That still didn’t answer John’s question.

“How did you come back from the dead?”  He asked.  “The news said that the SWAT kats turned you into a statue.”

Max just smiled at him.  “They thought they did,” he said.  “The Hydro-kat they distroyed was one of my clones.  I had this nagging feeling that Viper would show up and ruin things for me, like he did to me, five years ago.”

Johnny was now getting interested in his story.  “Did you say, Viper did this to you?”

“Yea, but it’s a long story, I’ll tell you later, right now Johnny, I need to talk to you, pal.”  He placed his paw on John’s shoulder, and together they walked off through the park, towards John’s home.

By the time, the two got home, Johnny was in disbelief.  Hydro-kat had told him everything about what had happened to him.

“So you understand now?”  Max said to him.  Johnny  nodded.  “Good,” Max said sitting down in one of Johnny’s chairs.  “Now I’ll tell you the redone for my sudden appearance.”

Johnny sat down in another chair, he knew he was not going to like this.

“You have a friend at Enforcer Head Quarters, don’t you, what’s his name… David Steel?.”  Max said.

Johnny nodded,  waiting for him to continue.

“Good, just what I need.”

Johnny did not like this.  “Need for what Max?”

Max smiled, again.  “Need for me to get my revenge on all my enemies, the Viper, Miss Briggs, and most of all, the SWAT Kats.”

John’s eyes went wide with horror.  However, he knew Max was a very dangerous kat now, and it was best not to anger him.  “How do you intend to do that Max?”

Max leaned back in his chair.  “I’m glad you asked me that Johnny.  You see,  Your friend, Steel, would have access to personal files, such as one, Elrod Purvis, and two Ex-fighter pilots who I’ve had my eye on for the past few years.”

“I can understand why you want Purvis’s file, but why the files of two ex-enforcers?”  Johnny asked with curiosity.

Max’s smile drooped.  “I have my reasons, Johnny, and my methods are never to be questioned again, got it!”  He pointed his finger at John, who moved back in his chair and nodded.  Max sat back in his chair.  “Good, now, here’s what I want you to do…”

=====================================================================

Chapter 2 : Secrets Revealed

Jake Clawson was watching Litterbin on the T.V. when he heard a knock at the door.  He walked over to the door, to see a kat in blue overalls, like him with a black cap on, forwards caring a clip board and a pen.

“Hi”  Jake said to the kat.  “Can I help you?”

The kat looked up.  “Yes you can, I’m with the Megakat Recreational Sports Centre, doing a public surrvay on what kats’ hobbies are, would you like to contribute?”

Jake could see no harm.  “Sure, why not.”

The kat smiled at him, and got ready to write.

“Well, I like to fix things, I like to to work out, you know, at gyms, but I have made my own in the salvage yard.  I also like to go to the local shooting club and let of a few rounds, and I like making stuff.”  Jake decided to end it there, in case he got too carried away and accidentally revealed who he really was.

The kat finished up what he was writing and asked him for his name.  Jake told him, and the kat left.

“It was nice talking to you mr… uhh, what was your name?” Jake called out after him.

The kat stopped, turned around, and smiled at Jake.  “Just call me Johnny, Johnny Train.”  Then he was gone.

Jake went back to Litterbin.  Well, he thought, that was a complete waste of time.

Elsewhere in the city,  Max Ray looked out the window, of his old apartment.  Everything was covered with plastic, and the plastic was covered with dust, giving the impression that no one had been there for quite some time.  He heard the door open and close behind  him.

“This sure brings back old memories, huh Johnny?”  He said without turning around.

“Yea, it does, I sometimes found myself thinking about you some nights, Max.”

Max turned around.  “Thinking, about me?”

“Yes you, you had me worried half to death about you, where you were, when you were coming back, if you were coming back, you had just…disappeared.”

Max turned back to the window.  “Did you get the information I requested?”

Johnny looked down at the clip board in his hand.  “Yea, but can’t you tell me the reason why, you wanted the recreational activities of a grease monkey?”

Max smiled.  “Johnny, once you know my reasons, you will be very interested in these, grease monkeys.”

Johnny took a step forward.  “And what are these reasons?, Come on Max, you and I have been friends since the beginning of your career.  We never kept secrets from each other before.”

Max looked at him, and he sighed.  “Tell me something, Johnny,” he said, giving Johnny an old newspaper clipping, “do you remember this small incident, long ago?”

Johnny looked at the clipping.  It showed two proud tom kats, in pilot uniforms, standing in front of the enforcer building.  The head line read, “Top Enforcer pilots given the boot.”

“Hey, I remember this, this was those two hot shots that were thrown of the force because they crashed their jet into the Enforcer building, causing some major damage.”

Max then handed Johnny another article.  This one was dated 5 months later.  The picture was of the SWAT kats, flying off in their jet, after their first appearance.  The headline of this one read, “Super heroes stop terrorist from getting two million in gold.”

“This was the first appearance of the SWAT Kats.” Johnny said, “but what does this have to do with Enforcer Pilots?”

Max was getting frustrated.  “Johnny, don’t you think that’s a little obvious, these two hot shots are dumped, then another two show up to take their place.  Now have a look at the two pilots, and then the SWAT Kats.”

John looked at the two pictures, but the second one was hard because it didn’t have a really good shot of the SWAT Kats.

“Well” Johnny said.  “They kinda look similar, but this really doesn’t prove that these guys are the SWAT Kats.”

Max looked shocked.  “Johnny, you idiot, look at the evidence for your self, two Pilots who have a lot of free time on there hands, they live in a military salvage yard, I mean, God knows what’s in that place.”  Then he got another Idea.  He ran over to a table and picked up some folders.  “Here look at this.”  He flipped though the contains of the folders, until he cam to some photos.  “Here.” he said picking up a photo of one Chance Furlong, and another he got of T bone.  “Look at these.”

Now that Johnny had a better look at the two kats, he saw the amazing similarities, his jaw fell open with amazement.  Max Ray, his friend had done what no one has ever been able to do, he found out the secret identifies of the SWAT kats.

“How did you manage to do this, I mean, out of all the kats in Megakat City, How did you manage to do it?”  Johnny asked with confusion.

“Easy.”  Max said with a grin.  “Same way they became the SWAT Kats, a lot of  free time.”  He let his head fall back and he laughed out loud, he laughed a laugh of triumph, for he was going to get his final revenge.

=====================================================================

Chapter 3 : Dark Horizon

Lt. Commander Daivd Steel, walked down the hall way of Enforcer H.Q. towards Commander Ferule’s office.  Feral called him up on his phone telling him to get his no good worthless tail in his office now.  Steel didn’t like this at all.  He hadn’t done anything wrong at all, and now, here was Feral, yelling at him again.  Steel made it to Feral’s door, he decided to knock first, just in case the Commander wasn’t home.

Feral was finishing up some paper work, when he heard a knock at the door.

“Come in Steel.”  Feral growled.

Steel came in slowly.  He saw Feral looking down at him, and by the expression on his face, he could tell the Feral was not happy either.

“I didn’t do anything wrong this time, Commander.  I swear.”

Feral just looked at him.  “Are you sure about that Steel?”

“Positive sir.”  Steel said folding his arms.

Feral smiled and got up out of his chair.  “Really, since when has giving away personal files to perfect strangers, legal?”

Steel gulped, Feral had some how found out about the files that he had given to  his friend Johnny Train.

“I…um….I-I  He wanted them for-fo-r, a….uhhh, a friend.”  Steel managed to say.

Feral did not say a word.  “Oh come on Steel, do you expect me to be stupid enough to believe that?”

Steel was speechless.

Feral held up a piece of paper.  “Do you know what this is?”

Steel shook his head.  “It’s a note to me telling me that you took out three files.  One belonged to Elrod Purvis, and the other two belonged to, two hot shot jerks, who I gave the boot, ten yes ago.”  He threw the piece of paper down.  “Which is what I should do to you Steel!”

Steel seemed to shrink on the spot.  He wished he could have been anywhere else but here, right about now.

Feral watched him quiver for a few moments, then dismissed him rather hastily.  He watched Steel practically fly out his door.  When he was gone, he sat back down and chuckled to himself.  That was quite funny, he thought.

Steel, on the other hand didn’t think that was funny at all.  In fact, he was down right Pissed off.  When he got back to his office, which his family had gotten for him, he locked the door, and went over to his phone.  He had to make a phone call to a certain friend who now owed him big time.

Max Ray was watching T.V. when the phone rang.  This suprised him a bit, but he went over and answered the phone.

“Hello?”  He said into the phone.

“Hello, Johnny, who’s this?” came Steel’s voice on the other line.

Max knew strength away that this was Steel.  He decided to play it safe.

“I’m afraid Johnny isn’t home right, he’s out, do you want to leave a message?”

“No I don’t, by the way who is this?”

Max didn’t like this, this guy was asking to many questions, which he shouldn’t know the answer to.

“I’m a friend of his.”  Max said.  “And you are David Steel?”

“Yea, that’s me.”  Steel didn’t like this guy.  “Why do you ask?”

Max cursed under his breath, wrong move.  “Ahh… Johnny told me about you.”

“Oh really, what else did he say.”

Max felt like kicking himself.  He wasn’t going to reveal his return to the Enforcers, just yet, and here he was, having a chat to the second most important Enforcer in the city.

“Oh, nothing much, just mentioned you were with the Enforcers, that’s all,” he lied.  “Do you want me to tell him that you rang?”

“Ok, why not, just tell him to give me a buzz at my office, from between now, and four o’clock.”

Max then hung up the phone.

“Who was that on the phone Max?”

Max spun around to see Johnny standing at the door way.  “Oh, it was that Enforcer friend of yours, wants you to give him a ring as soon as you get home.”

Johnny walked over to the phone and picked it up and began to dial.

While he was doing this, he thought to himself.  This kat, could get into classified information.  Perhaps he could also get into the Enforcer evidence locker to retrieve some valuable chemicals, that were a part of his past.  Yes, he liked that idea.

“Johnny,”  Max called out to him.  “Tell Steel that you’ll meet him at his office today.”

“Huh?”  Johnny called out to him.

Max didn’t have time for this.  “Just do it Johnny, will ya?”

Johnny, told him he would, and gave his message to Steel.  Steel, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on, and gladly accepted to meet him.

=====================================================================

Chapter 4 : Blue be my Colour

Enforcer H.Q.  The place of good, the place of evil, and a place of the truly sinister.  If anybody would have bothered to notice.  They would have seen a strange looking kat, in a trench coat, walking towards the elevator.

Lt. Commander David Steel, was sitting in his chair when there was a knock at his door.

“Come in.”  He called out.  Johnny Train walked in to the room.  Steel got up to great him.  “Nice to see you so soon Johnny.”  He said shaking paws with his friend.  “Why did you want to see me?”

Johnny was silent for a few moments.

“Listen Steel.”  He started.  “I’m really sorry that you got in trouble today over the files being removed in your name. And I’d like to do you a favour to repay you back.”

Steel didn’t look impressed.  “You listen Johnny.”  Steel said.  “Feral nearly had my head all because of you.  Now I want to know why you wanted these particular files?”

Johnny was silent for a moment.  “There are something’s in this world you are meant to know, and right now, my reasons are not to be made public.”

Steel looked confused.  “What does that mean?”

“It means Steel you moron, that I’m not going to tell you, now answer me this.  Can you get access to the Enforcer evidence locker?”

Steel was shocked by this but answered the question.  “Yes, yes I can, but why do you want to go there?”

Johnny took a step forward towards Steel.  “Do you have a special key, or card to get into there?” Johnny said ignoring his question.

“YES!, now tell me, why do you want to go to the locker?”  Steel was getting impatient.  Johnny was now standing right infront of Steel.

“Because I need something from there.”  Johnny said, and with that, he shoved a stun gun into Steel’s stomach, and he fell to the ground.  Out cold.

“Boy when you wake up, you’re going to have one, mother of a headache.”  Max Ray said.  He had now morphed back into Max Ray.  However, this was not to be.  He then turned into Steel, took his security key, placed Steel into his chair so it looked as if he’d fallen asleep.  And walked out the door.  Max. had only gotten into the elevator, when in came Commander Feral, displeased at the fact, that he had to share an elevator with the enforcer he hated the most.

“I would really like those files back whenever you feel like it Steel.”  Feral said sarcastically.

“Oh stick  a sock in it will ya.”  Max said.  “I got more important things to do in my time than to do your paper work.”

Feral was shocked, and stunned by this sudden outburst.  “You’d better fall back into line mister, do you know who you’re talking to?”

Max smiled.  “Ya, some jerk with head stuck in his ass with pride.”

Feral lost it.  With a growl, he lunged at who he thought was Steel.

Max on the other hand, just caught Feral in mid air, and much to Feral’s suprise.  Threw him into the wall, where he slid down and landed in a heap on the fall.

“Oohhhh.”  Feral monad.

Max laughed at this, thinking about how much trouble Steel was going to get into over this.  The elevator door opened, and Max walked out, straight down the hall towards the evidence locker.

Smithy was listening to the radio for the old folks when Steel walked in.

“Anything That I can do for ya Steel?”  Smithy said.

Steel continued walking towards the door.  “No thanks Mr.” Steel said.

That was strange, Smithy thought.  Steel always calls me by name.  But he let the thought drop and went back to his crossword.

Meanwhile, Max was trying not to make to much noise looking though the lockers many corridors.

“Where is it?”  He kept on saying to himself as he walked along, looking at all the shelves.  Finally, in an area covered with dust, was a section marked.  “PURVIS/ELROD.”  “Aha.”  He cried to himself.

He began to search through the contents of the self, and came across what he was looking for.  A small canister with the words, “HYDRO” on it

“I haven’t seen you in ten years my darling.” Max said looking the canister over.  “When Purvis mentioned five years ago, when I became Hydro-kat, that he still had a sample of the HYDRO formula left over.  When he was accidentally mutated, the enforcers cleaned out his office at Megakat Biocimicals, I knew that they would take everything that wasn’t bolted down, including this.” He held the canister high above his head.  “At last, my revenge will be complete with your help.  I think it’s time to show Viper that he’s not the only chemical genus in this city.”

And with that, he left.

=====================================================================

Steel was sitting in his chair when he woke up.  Ohh, what a headache, he thought.  He must of dozed off and Johnny must of left.  Just then, Commander Feral walked in through the door; he didn’t look too happy.

“You think you’re so funny, don’t ya, Steel.”  Feral yelled at him.

Steel was confused.  “W-what do you mean, sir?”  Steel said.

Feral growled at him.  “Don’t play games with me Mr.”  He yelled, picking him up by the collar.

This time, Steel didn’t fight back.

“Sir, have you gone mad?!”  Steel cried.  “I haven’t done anything.”

“Oh no!”  Feral yelled at him.  “Why don’t you check with the elevator security cameras and see if you remember.  Now in the mean time.”  Feral pulled back his fist, and landed one right between Steel’s eyes.  Steel was once again knocked out, and Feral let him drop back into his chair.  Feral dusted off his paws, and smiling to himself, he left Steels office, quite proud of what he had done.

=====================================================================

Johnny was standing by the phone, when Max got home.  Johnny didn’t look too happy.

“You never had any intention on going straight didn’t you Max!”

Max looked up to see Johnny, very pissed off.  “What do you mean, Johnny old pal?”

Johnny marched towards him.  “I mean this.  I just got a call from Steel asking why I was acting so strangely in his office this morning.”  He grabbed Max’s arm.  “You were up to something, weren’t you.  And I want to know what it is!”

Max sighed.  “You’re very smart Johnny.”  Max said.  “A little too smart.  You were right about one thing.  I never planned to go straight.”

Johnny let go of his arm.  “So you used me, didn’t you.”

“No shit sherlock.”

Johnny turned around and walked over to the phone.

“What are you going to do Johnny?”  Max asked.

“I’m going to call the Enforcers and tell them what you did.”  Johnny said, picking up the phone.  Max turned away from his friend.  “Hello, Steel?”  Johnny said into the phone.  “I’ve got something to tell you.”

“Don’t bother, it’s dead.”

Johnny looked back at Max.  “What, the phone?”

Max help up his hand in John’s direction.  “No, you!”

A sharp icicle, shot out of Max’s hand, and embedded itself into John’s forehead.  Johnny never uttered a word.  He fell over on the spot.

Max walked over to the phone, which was still off the hook.

“Hello, Johnny, are you there?”  Steel’s voice came over the line.

Max stood there for a few moments, almost crying.  Suddenly, his eye’s went wide, and a huge grin came over his face.

“Ya know something Johnny.”  Max said to the dead corpse.  “This is the first time I’ve ever killed some one before.  And I like it.” He walked over to the phone, in which Steel’s voice was still coming out of.

“Johnny, where the hell are you?!”  Cried Steel over the phone.

Max picked it up.  “Hello there Davy.”  He said into the phone.

“Who is thi… Hey you’re that kat I spoke to, a few hours ago aren’t you.  Where’s Johnny?”

“I’m afraid that young master Johnny is taking a long lie down.  I told him he’d get the point of things.”  Max laughed into the phone.

“What have you done to him?”  Yelled Steel.

Max thought about that for a moment.  “No I can’t tell you.  That would be telling.”  He laughed even lowered.  “Hello, Hello, operator.  I think my parties been disconnected!”  He laughed out loud as he slammed down the phone.  He ran into the kitchen.  He’d have to act fast if he was going to keep his return a secret a little while longer.

=====================================================================

Steel sat there listing to the sound of the beeping of the hung up phone.  He then got up and ran for the door.  He needed to tell Feral about his.  His best friend was in danger.  Steel got to Feral’s office and opened the door.  Feral was busy writing paperwork when Steel burst in.

“What is it Steel?”  Feral growled as he saw his most hated enemy.  “Come to say you’re sorry about the elevator?”

Steel didn’t think this was the time for this.  “Commander, you’ve got to hurry.”  Steel blurted out.  “One of my friends is in danger.  He’s being attacked in his home right now.  He could be hurt.”

“Oh don’t bother about him just yet, David.”  A strange watery voice said from out of nowhere.  “He’s already dead.”

Feral got up and looked around nervously.  He knew that voice, but it was impossible, he was dead.

Suddenly the wall burst open under the force of one hundred tons of water.  Feral was knocked out and thrown into the wall where, like in the elevator, he slid down the wall and lay in a heap.  Hydro-kat took shape, and walked over to a quivering Steel.

“Ahh, just the kat I wanted to see.”  He shoved Steel against the wall with a giant watery paw.  The other paw, turned into a giant, double bladed axe.  Hydro-kat then turned back into Max Ray, and raised the axe above his head.  “I’m afraid like Johnny, you know too much Steel.  Now you must be liquidated.  I guess you could say that I’m too sharp for ya, ha ha ha ha!”  Max laughed as he began to bring the axe down.

“Hold it right there mister.”  A female’s voice interrupted.

Hydro-kat looked over to see a female kat in a flight suit pointing a gun at him.

“Lt. Commander Felina Feral, at your service.  Now, freeze pal, don’t do anything stupid.”

Max smiled, he’d heard that before.  “Freeze?”  He said walking towards her.  “Not a ba…”

He was cut short by her firing the gun.  However, instead of the bullet passing though him.  It did this but caused pain as well.

“Arrrgggh!”  He screamed with rage, clutching his stomach.  “What have you done witch?!”

Felina was surprised at the fact that her bullet had passed right though him, as if he were made of water, but the fact that she had hurt him was suprissing as well.

Max didn’t like this, this had never happened before.  He decided to retreat for now.  He’d have to find Purvis again.  It appears he hasn’t told him everything he need to know about the formula.  He leapt back into the wall and into the pipe.

Felina looked back at the wall, then at the scene in her uncle’s office.

“Are you all right Uncle?”  she said to him, helping him off the floor.

Feral groaned.  “I’ve just been thrown against a wall, and Hydro-kat is somehow alive.  I just feel dandy.”  He ran over to the phone and pushed the speaker button.  “This is Feral.”  He yelled into it, connect me with Miss. Briggs now!”

=====================================================================

Chance and Jake were sitting on the couch, watching David Litterbin when the hanger alarm sounded.

“Party’s over, Jake.”  Chance said getting up.  “Callie calls.”

However, when the two kats, got down to the hanger.  They noticed that it was not Callie’s alarm, but the hangar security alarm.

”What the.”  Chance cried out.

The entire hanger floor was covered with large puddles of water.  Over in the far left hand coner, was a broken pipe.

“Chance.”  Jake moaned.  “Look at this mess.”

Chance’s face drooped into one of dismay.  “I thought I fixed that pipe.”

“You did.”

Chance, and Jake suddenly straighten up.  They knew that voice.  That strange watery voice.

“It can’t be!”  Chance whispered to Jake.  “He’s dead.”

The pools of water all around the hanger suddenly began to stir and move towards the centre of the room.  The swirled together and created Hydro-kat.

“Nothing can keep me from getting my revenge, SWAT Kats. Not even death.”  He turned both his paws into double bladed axes.  “Get ready to fight the real Hydro-kat now.”

Chance, and Jake just stood there, open mouthed.  Somehow, Hydro-kat had managed to come back.

“I don’t get it Jake.”  Chance said, as Hydro-kat slowly walked towards them.  “We both saw him die.  How can he be back, HOW!?”

Jake wasn’t concerned with that right now.  “I hate to rain on your parade, buddy, but we’ve got bigger things to worry about.  Hydro-kat knows our secret identities.”

They both stood there, watching as Hydro-kat moved close towards them, laughing.

TO BE CONTINUED…..?

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