Pipedream

“Bye Chance!” called out Jake, informing Chance that he was leaving  to buy groceries.

“Yeah, yeah, bye!” yelled back Chance from the couch at the tv.

Jake heard  him and shook his head. He walked back to the garage and up to the couch.  Chance was too mesmorised by the cartoon to notice him.

“Are you sure you can take care of stuff here Chance?” he asked.

Chance gave a low grumble. He took the remote and put the tv on mute.Then  he turned to look at Jake.

“I’ll be fine. Now will you please leave me alone!? You’re making me miss  the Scary Kat marathon!”  he gestured to the tv.

“Alright, alright! I’m goin’!”

Jake gave a small ‘sheesh’ and walked out of the garage, pulling out a big  list of things to buy.

Chance couldn’t care less. He unmuted the tv and sat down to   watch .After a few laughs a commercial followed.Chance took the opportunity   to get some snack from the kitchen. He ran to the fridge grabbed some cold   pizza kept in sight for such situations, and ran back to the couch, throwing   the lid of the container holding the pizza, like a frisbee into the sink.   What he didn’t notice was that the lid hit the already leaking faucet,   starting what would become Chance’s worst problem…..

Chance didn’t hear a sudden gushing sound coming from the   kitchen. His laughter blocked all possible sounds to his ears. He was only  interested in his cartoon.

He didn’t notice the water seeping out of the kitchen.He   laughed and laughed. This was the best thing that ever happened to him. A   whole 3 hours alone without Jake lecturing him about cartoon violence.And   then he felt his bare feet become wet. He looked down to see the water   running towards him and the tv.

“Oh CRUD!!!”

He jumped out of the couch and did a back flip only to fall on the  other side of the couch and fall into the huge puddle of water. He slipped  and fell on his tail.

Muttering obstinances, he pried himself up and headed for the   kitchen.

“Another Crud.”

He stood there, watching as the kitchen filled up with water   from the faucet. Water was shooting out through the open faucet.Chance   immediately snapped and ran/slided to the outer garage to find a wrench.He   found the tools all kept back in their original places, which meant that   they were’nt lying around and that meant he didn’t know where they were.

“Crud! Jake just *had* to clean this place!” he yelled to himself. He began   searching all over the garage for the tools. He found everything except the  wrench.

“Hell! Nothing’s around when I really need it!” he yelled, all the   frustration gushing out from between his teeth.

Knocking the tools from the shelf down in anger, he ran back to the kitchen.  He could see the broken part of the faucet lying on the kitchen floor, under  now shallow water.He fished out the faucet and went towards the broken tap.  Water gushed out with such force, Chance thought Jake could make a mini   hydro electric plant with it.With a grunt, he shoved the fauset back in   place.It held it’s place, and Chance was happy.

“That’ll teach ya not ta sneak up on me like that.” he said to the faucet,   dusting his palms together. He turned around to go.

“Now I gotta clean up this mess…”

Before he could finish, the faucet broke free without warning, hitting   Chance at the back of his head. The shock overcame Chance for a moment and   he fell.

—————-

Jake looked at his list. What did I miss? Better get some more  cerial…will it fit in the budget…?

“Jake?”

Jake turned around to see a face.

“Callie!…um Ms. Briggs…”

“Shhh! Not so loud. You wanna cause a mob frenzy?”

“Sorry.” whispered Jake.

“Nice to see you too.” said the Deputy Mayor. She was wearing her usual  sweats. Her hair was tied up.

“New look?” asked Jake, pointing to the hair.

“No. Disguise.” said Callie and giggled,”Hey!Since you’re here, why don’t   you help me shop? If you don’t mind of course.”

“Sure. Why not? Chance can take of himself.”

“Back at the salvage yard?”

“Yeah. Watching his usual.”

————–

Chance rubbed his head.He felt himself wet all over- an awfull  feeling if you were a kat.He looked around at his surroundings.The water   stopped pouring out. The kitchen and half the garage was still in shallow   water.Chance was out for only a moment, but that moment seemed so long, he  could’nt be sure.

He walked out of the kitchen and went towards the hatch leading  to the hanger.If anything happened to the hanger….

Chance heaved a sigh of relief. Not a drop of water had reached the  hanger.

“Good thing Jake made this place waterproof.” mumbled Chance to himself.He  went up the ladder and emerged out of the hanger. He looked around him and   sighed.Had to clean the mess before Jake comes back.

A tingling sensation made him rush to the bathroom. All this   excitement…and water.

After some time in the bathroom, Chance opened the tap to wash his  paws.No water came out.

“Damn! Must have been a clog in the drain.”

He turned around and his mouth fell.

Out of the drain came the most disgusting looking slush he had   ever seen.The bile rushed to his mouth and he turned to the sink again.

—————-

“Bye Jake.” said Callie cheerfully and waved at Jake. Jake waved  back and smiled to himself. This will teach Chance to do some work. Now  he’s gonna regret not getting the groceries himself.

He turned around only to hit into another person. His groceries  fell down and so did the other person’s.

Jake looked in front of him to see another familiar face.His mouth  fell open.

“Harry?”

“Jake!” said Harry.The two hugged each other and shook paws.

“Long time no see.” said Harry, shaking Jake’s paw with gusto.

“Yeah Harry.How’re ya doin’?”

“I got a raise last week.”

“No kiddin’”

“And you? Where’s Macho Kat?”

“Back at the garage.”

“Scary Kat?”

“Yeah. How’d you know?”

“Call it a lucky guess.” Harry winked at Jake. Jake laughed.

“Hey. Let’s pick up our stuff and catch up on old times. How’s the Misses   and kids….?”

——————

Chance ran down into the hanger. He headed for the closet, and  shuffled through the g-suits and trenchcoats. Then he found the raincoat  and put it on. He moved to the other closet and found a plunger and a wrench

“Now you show up.” he said to the wrench and grabbed it.He pulled   out the boots from the lowest shelf and wore them.

“Ok…sewers, here I come.” he declared in a huff, after looking to see   everything was in place.He grabbed the torch which was on the work table  and ran out the hanger.

Outside, Chance opened a kathole cover and went in.Sewers…..  Yuck!

It was dark inside. The water level was very high. Definately a clog  somewhere. Chance waded through the water, torch in front of him.Where will  he find the source of the problem? Chance then realised something- he would  be lost if he didn’t mark his trail. He took out the wrench and hammered it  into the wall. The noise echoed throughout the tunnels, like the rushing   water.It made him feel nervous.He finally managed to cause a mark on the  wall. He now waded further into the tunnel, making a mark at every turn   where he thought he would get lost.

He was so engrossed in finding the clog that he didn’t hear a  rumbling sound .Then it was too late.

“Uh-oh.”

A huge wave of water headed straight on for him and washed him away.Chance  panicked.He didn’t know how to swim in deep water, against such a current.  He felt terrified when he couldn’t feel the ground under him. As the current  washed him away he grabbed the only thing he could lay his paws on.He didn’t  know what it was. He didn’t want to know. All he wanted to do then was hang  on for dear life.

——————-

Jake talked with Harry for a long time and was finally out of  the supermarket. He kept having this nagging feeling behind his head to go  home.He didn’t know why. What could possibly happen at home. He went to an  alley and took out his intercom connected to the phone in the hanger.It was  not blinking.Nothing seriously wrong. Jake thought he would take a stroll  down the road to the shooting galary and sharpen up his skill. He still felt  like going home. Maybe he was missing Chance. Why would he be missing   Chance? He never even wanted to come with him.

Jake was beginning to feel nervous. He didn’t even know why.  He thought a good round at the shooting galary would calm him down. The   feeling of urgency still nagged at the back of his head….

———————

“Let go of my tail!!!” hissed a hoarse voice.

Chance snapped. He recognised that voice anywhere.He forced his eyes open to  see a pair of green glowing eyes stare at him.Chance immediately let go of  the tail, and wiped his paws on his coveralls in disgust.The other one   didn’t seem to notice.

“Viper!”

“Oh! I’m famoussss!” said Viper, looking a bit vague.

*Huh?* Then Chance realised that he was not T-bone. How is he going to   manage this situation.

“Are *you* responsible for flooding my house?” he asked, in a semi-authoritative way.

“Huh?….Oh!….Now I remember…” began Viper,” What’ssss the big idea   flooding my houssse!?”

“Your house!?”

“That’ssss what I ssaid!”

“You have a house?”

“OK….let’s try again….What’sssss the big idea flooding my lair!?”

“I thought your lair was in the swamp.”

“I’ve moved….sssstupid winter rainsss…flooded….” Viper seemed very   unsteady on his feet. Chance wondered why he wasn’t so much his evil self.

“Hey! Hold it! How did you know I lived in the ssswamp!?”

“Um…the news…yeah! Kats Eye News gave a report on how the Swat Kats  defeated you.” Chance tried to supress the smirk.

“The who?” asked Viper.

*Another Huh.* Didn’t this wierdo know his own sworn enemies?

“Oh yeah! SSSwat Katsss. Must defeat them….” he turned around a few times  and then waded through the now shallow water the other way round.

“Hey! What about your flooded lair?” yelled Chance, trying to keep Viper’s  now wacko mind occupied.

“Oh yeah….first home…then SSSS….” the last word just ended in a hiss.

“W…What’s wrong with you?” asked Chance, out of curiosity.

“My head hurtssss…” Viper hissed back the reply, holding his head.

“Why don’t we try fixing that whatever so that all this mess would be   cleared?” suggested Chance. He never thought that in his life he would be  teaming up with his arch enemy.

Viper seemed to be thinking of something.He then lifted his head,  the glow of his eyes softened.

“You remind me of ssssomeone….”

*Oh no you don’t, Viper*

“That later. First let’s fix this plumbing problem.”

“Ssssomeone I know…”

“Remind later, fix now!” urged Chance, and even went towards Viper to push  him forward.

“Gotta Wrench?” asked Viper.

“Yeah.” replied Chance and pulled out his wrench and gave it to Viper.

“Good. Letsss go.”

—————–

Jake fiddled with the gun for sometime. Why was he acting so  strange? Maybe he should go home. Homesick…?

“Something wrong?” asked another familiar voice. Jake turned around.

“Leutenant Feral?”

Felina made an urgent face and put a finger on her lips.

“Why?”

“Uncle.”

“He doesn’t like you coming here?”

“Overprotective.”

“Oh.”

“So what’s your name.”

“Um…Jake. Jake Clawson.”

“Clawson!?”

Jake was wondering if he hit a wrong note.The name ‘Jake Clawson’ must be  really hated by Ferals like her.

“Clawson who my uncle kicked out?” asked Felina. She then looked as if she  forgot something.

“I’m sorry. I should have worded that….”

“No. It’s ok, Leutenant. I’m used to it.”

“So what’s eating you?”

“Nothing actually. I was thinking.”

“Oh. Hey! I hear you’re the best shot the Enforcers ever produced.”

“I’m referred to like that?”

“I guess. I hear it among the others.”

“What about it.”

“Wanna go one-on-one?”

“Challenge accepted.” Jake smiled. This might take his mind off that nagging  feeling behind his head.

—————–

“So where do you think the clog is?” asked Chance.

“Huh?” replied Viper.

“What the heck is wrong with you?” asked Chance, beginning to get annoyed.

“How should I know?” replied Viper.

“You’re a doctor.”

“I’m a freak!”

Chance found he was trudding into dangerous territory. He had to  change the subject.

“Look, let’s just find the damn clog and get it over with.”

“Mmmm.” replied Viper and went on. Chance followed. He was beginning to  worry. If Jake came back and saw that he was missing, he would go frantic  and maybe even use the comlink, and the kat would be out of the bag…

“You hear ssomething?” asked Viper.

Chance listened.

“No.”

“Hmmm.” Viper listened some more.

“We’re clossse. Follow me.” He waved at Chance to follow.

“What do you hear?” asked Chance.

“Water gushing out of ssomeplace.”

“Ok. Lead the way.”

Funny how this was turning out. Him actually helping Viper solve  a problem. And Viper helping him, if Jake ever knew *he* was teaming up with  Viper, the topic of conversation would be permanent for the next six months.

Chance noticed his surroundings were familiar. He went towards a  turning and found his marking there.

“We’re near my house.” he announced.

“Yeah. Whatever.” said Viper, busy following the sound of running water.

Viper suddenly stopped. Chance looked beyond him.

“Holy kats!” he whispered.

The main pipe had burst and the water was gushing out of the   opening, stagnating in the slush which covered half the area and was knee  deep.

“Letsss go.” said Viper and waded into the slush. Chance followed,  holding his breath. The stench of decay was awful to say the least.Chance  guessed Viper was used to it.

“You got some nailsss?” asked Viper turning around.

“Yeah. I do.” replied Chance, producing out a few nails. Viper looked at   them.

“Thatsss not enough.”

“It will have to do.” said Chance,”Why you need nails?”

Viper produced a piece of metal from his labcoat.

“Where did you get that from?” asked Chance.

“Found it in the garbage. Thought it might come in handy.”

“How did you know?”

Viper shrugged,”I don’t know.” He suddenly held his head and hissed.Chance  knew something had happened to Viper before they met.He probably had a   concussion. But he could never be sure.

“C’mon. Let’s get that hole fixed.” Chance waded foward and handed the   wrench to Viper,” You screw tight while I hammer the piece into the hole.”

Viper nodded and grabbed the wrench. He started to tighten the   screw to the pipe, stopping the water from coming out. Chance pushed the  piece of metal towards the whole and tried to use the nails. He was in a fix  How could he hammer nails fast without equipment?It then hit him.

“Watch the water while I fix this.” said Chance to Viper.

“Right.” replied Viper.

While his back was turned, Chance took out the glovatrix he had  hidden in his coveralls and raincoat. He had hidden it very carelessly, but  Viper didn’t seem to notice it.

“I brought along a friend’s invention. I’m gonna use it. You watch  the water.” said Chance to Viper.

“Alright, alright already.” hissed Viper, while holding the wrench, fighting  the force of the water.

Chance activated the glovatrix’s mini weilding torch and started  weilding the metal together. It was all finished in a few minutes, and in   time too, since Viper was getting very tired fighting the water.

“Ok, Viper. Let go.”

Viper let go and collasped onto the slush.The water flowed into  the pipe and the drains began to make the sound of flowing water again.

Chance saw Viper floating in the slush, not moving.He couldn’t  just leave him there. He picked him up and carried him the rest of the way.  It was easy to follow the marking and Chance was at the open kathole again.

——————

Chance watched as Viper stirred awake.

“SSSSSwat katssss….my lovely plant…….huh?”  his eyes opened wide and  glew . But it was not bright. It seemed tired. Viper suddenly began to sniff  the air.

“Food.”

Chance thought it would be good to talk now.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

Viper turned to look at him, a strange longing in his eyes.

“I haven’t eaten sssince  last year…..”

“You’ve been starving for one *year*!!?” bellowed Chance.

“Well…a few ssscraps hear and there….too many mutations to feed…”  Viper sniffed the air again,”Pizza?”

“Want some?” asked Chance. He suddenly began to feel sorry for Viper.No   food for a whole year…

Viper licked his lips,”Never had pizza in a long time…”

“Here.” Chance put a plate of hot pizza in front of Viper. He attacked it  immediately and finished it in a minute.

“Mmmm…that wasss ssssoooo nicccce!” he hissed, licking the remains off his  claws.

“Um…I guess you’re ok now?” asked Chance.

“Yessss. Much better….thank you.”

*Thank you!?* Chance was beginning to wonder whether this was Viper he was talking to.

“So you can go back to your lair?”

“Lair….oh yeah…now I know…” Viper jumped up. He stood in front of Chance.

Chance was waiting for him to attack.

“I’m working on a new mutagen today. I have to go and perfect it. Thankssss  for the pizza. Bye!”

And Viper jumped out of the garage, followed by Chance.

Chance saw him disappear down the kathole. Well, now he knew Viper’s lair  was in the sewers and he was planning to take over Megakat city again….  But, of course, the Swat kats will stop him. Meanwhile, Chance will be  grateful to him for helping, and he was sure Viper will be grateful to   Chance for giving him pizza.

Chance went to the kitchen and opened the tap which he fixed.  It poured out good water. Now all he had to do was clean up before Jake arrived. He was beginning to wonder what was taking him so long.

——————-

The nagging feeling finally wore off and Jake could concentrate  more on the shooting. Felina was leading by five points. She was very good,  Jake had to admit. But he was better. He was just feeling too nervous to  concentrate on the shooting. Now it was payback time.

“If I beat you, I get to be the best shot, right?” asked Felina, aiming.

“Sure. Whatever you say.” replied Jake and grinned. Felina caught sight of  it and grinned too.

Jake fired his shots which hit the targets exactly in sequence  Felina’s eyebrows lifted.

“I guess you were saving the best for last.” said Felina.

“You guessed right, sister.”

Felina turned and aimed. She fired one shot less than Jake.

“Ok.  You win, sureshot.” she said and kept the gun down. As Felina made  her way to the door, Jake ran up to her.

“Hey, I hope I didn’t upset you or anything. You were good too…”

“Oh no. I’m not upset. I’m a good sport.”

They stood for sometime, wondering what more to say.

“I better be going now. My partner’s waiting .” said Jake.

“Yeah. I gotta go back to get ready for my night shift.”

“Good bye.”

“Good bye.”

Jake and Felina went their separate ways.

—————-

Jake came back home with the groceries and found Chance in   a t-shirt and bermudas, lying on the couch, fast asleep with an empty plate  in front of him which should have had  a pizza. Jake shook his head and  threw the groceries on Chance who woke up with a start.

“AuwJake…I’ve had a rough day..” moaned Chance.

“Haw Haw! While you were watching Scary Kat and dozing off, I was out buying  groceries and other stuff for the both of us. It’s hot and sultry outside.  Anyway, I’m glad I went ’cause I met Callie, Harry and Lt. Feral.”

“That’s fine, Jake, I’m really happy for you…..” yawned Chance. Jake cocked  and eyebrow. Chance had never behaved like that at the mention of Callie.

He then noticed the garage smelled lightly of disinfectant. Had  Chance actually been doing some cleaning?

Jake looked around the room. It was definitely clean and shining  Chance *had* been cleaning.

He ran up to Chance and gave him a hug.

“I never knew you were planning this Chance.I badly wanted the garage   cleaned.”

“Fine Jake. Fine.” yawned Chance.

“I gotta go see….” Jake ran off to open the broom closet which  he accidently thought was another new made room.Chance noticed.

“Jake! That’s the…..”

Jake opened the door and on him spilled a few brooms and buckets  full of slush.

“Uh-oh.” whispered Chance. He forgot to clean that place.

“Chance?” asked Jake.

“Jake ?” asked Chance.

“Why did you put crud in the buckets in the closet?”

THE  END

———-

Note: I thought of an idea but I need characters. I can’t think of any.  So, I’m taking the opportunity to ask anyone out there, authors included, a little favour.

I’m looking for people who would like to be Kat Kommandos in my fanfic.   Yeah right…it’s not gonna work. That’s a challenge I’m prepared to face.   But I need characters. I can’t think of any.

Anyone who is interested (like heck you are) please e-mail me at azadhi@hotmail.com