Of Legends Lost and Heroes Reborn

Of Legends Lost and Heros Reborn

This story is dedicated to those who helped in it’s creation,
DJ, Strike, Bender for the early edit, and others from the RPG who
have helped me to calm the chaos in my soul, to dust my fur out, pick
myself up and carry on towards a goal I but dimly perceive. Thanks
for all of it, I now understand the strength of friendship is like
the riddle of steel, revealed only to those who look and realize that
the strength comes from within.

Kage~

Character descriptions

(Phoenix) – now known as Kage ace piolet and Comdr. of B.P.S. See
bio on Strikes RPG page for more info

(Ice) – real name Ryan Hair height 5’4″ weight 120lbs has long white
tussled fur and black ear tips co-piolet to Phoenix an expert gunner,
is one of the best Martial artist that ever lived and was Kage’s last sensi,
intelligent and thoughtful never angry for any reason the best friend
Kage ever had also a cyberpunk.

(Ace) – Real Name Jeff Ball of average height and build with tan fur
and black hair a real rouge and ladies man. Piolet of plane 2,
conceded and full of him self he is none the less an expert piolet
nearly as good as he claims! He is Phoenixes wingman, and is quick to
pass the blame onto others.

(Mercer) – Real name Marcus Manx short and overweight with dark brown
fur, mercer is shy and withdrawn around others he dose not know,
Ace’s Gunner he can hit anything with any thing he is also an
explosives expert.

(Blaze) – real name Jerome Longslate tall and thin his bright orange
fur makes him stand out like a sore thumb. In any crowd not that his
outrageous mannerisms wouldent anyway, he piolets jet three with his
twin sister Sami he is also the units logistics expert

(Snow) – Real name Sami Longslate tall and beautiful with light orang
fur she is an experiencd como operator and eared the nickname snow
after she was thrown out of enforcer training for blocking all the
radio transmissions in half of Megakat city

(Rose) – Real name Jerimahia Thorne short with dark fur a though full
kat at 34 he is the oldman in the unit he taught Kage how to fly when
he was pressed into service as a mercenary an exclent piolet and
easygoing kat every one who meets him seems to end up as his friend

(Darkling) – Real name Hoff VanSledrick A Huge Kat standing nearly 6
and a half feet tall he eared his name by being Pure black right down
to his nose. He barely fits into the cockpit but makes up for this by
being one of the units best gunners and oddly enough the units medic
his giant paws can wield the weapon controls or a scalpel with equal
and asstionian skill. He has a horrbile accent and can barely be
understood by those who don’t know him well.
_____________________________________________________________________

Of Legends Lost and Heros Reborn

At the Salvage Yard.

CHANCE
Hey, Jake, you want to go over to Kage’s house like we were
supposed to a few months ago?

JAKE
Is that wise, Chance? What if something comes up?

CHANCE
Ah, what could happen — Besides which, it’s not like we couldn’t
use his help if something does come up.

JAKE
Well … I suppose that we could. It HAS been a while since we
met him and all …I’ve kinda wanted to check out that jet of his..

CHANCE
Yeah, me too. Plus I heard he has a giant big screen T.V. and
Scardy Kat is gonna be on!

JAKE
Aww Chance, why do you always have to watch Scardy Kat?

CHANCE
Hey, it’s only the best show on, buddy.

JAKE
Oh, all right … Let’s go.

Chance makes a move to leave.

JAKE
Um, Chance — aren’t you forgetting something?

CHANCE
What, buddy?

JAKE
Our costumes!

CHANCE
Oh, why bother? I trust him with our identities and we already
know who he is.

JAKE
Fine then. Let’s go.

*later at the McKatson Residence*

JAKE
(Ringing doorbell)
Well Chance, looks like he’s not home, huh?

CHANCE
Sure he is, little buddy — look at the lights on. Try the knob.
He DID give us an open invitation…

JAKE
Would you like it if someone went snooping around your place when
you weren’t there?

CHANCE
Come on, it’s not like we’re snooping and he *did* invite us
over.

JAKE
(Trying door which opens easily)
Yeah – 6 months ago.

CHANCE
(walks through open door)
So we’re just making up for lost time.

JAKE
(Following)
Yeah, sure.

CHANCE
See Jake? I told you he’s home – I can hear his TV
(shouts)
Hey, Mike — you here?

There’s no answer.

JAKE
You sure about this, Chance?

CHANCE
Yeah, sure I’m sure. Let’s go to the TV. He’s probably asleep on
the couch.

They both walk down a hallway towards the sounds of the TV.

JAKE
Chance – look out!

Chance leans back as a can on Mountain Dew flies by and then embeds
its self in a formerly pristine wall.

CHANCE
Woah! Just like the commercials!

JAKE
(To Chance)
I can’t believe that thing
(steps over the laserbeam that crosses the wall, grabbing the
can of Mountain Dew and pulling it from the wall)
That thing’s dangerous! It could have killed you
(tosses can to Chance)

CHANCE
(Catching the can)
Hmm, still cold. Don’t mind if I dew, heh heh.
(starts to open can)

JAKE
Chance – no!
(can explodes spraying Mountain Dew all over the place and
soaking Chance)
Don’t….
(pause)
… open that can.

CHANCE
Hey, I see Mike! Looks like I was right — he’s asleep on the
couch.

JAKE
Yeah. Looks like he’s having a bad dream, too.

Mike is rolling around on the couch and moaning softly ‘unnaah’.

JAKE
Hmm, he’s bigger than I thought. Bigger than you, in fact.

CHANCE
(Interrupting)
Oh, come off it, Jake. Hey, you think we should wake him up? He
looks like he’s having a really bad dream.

JAKE
Why not? We did just walk into his house, didn’t we?

CHANCE
(Shaking Mike by the shoulders)
Hey, buddy! Wake up.

MIKE
(body goes stiff as his eyes snap open)
Hahn? Hey! Who are you?

JAKE
What’s the matter — don’t recognize us?
(somewhat sarcastically)
Hey, T-Bone – he doesn’t recognize us.

MIKE
T-bone and Razor Hun.., so you finally decided to show your faces
around my pad, huh?

CHANCE
Yeah, so sue me. Nice TV there. Mind if I watch Scardy Kat?

MIKE
No, go ahead, if you really want to..
(Turning to Jake)
I bet you’d like to see what’s in my hangar, huh?

JAKE
What about Chance?

MIKE
What about him, I’m sure he’ll be fine watching Scardy Kat.
(turns around and walks out of room with a slight limp)

JAKE
What happened with your leg?

MIKE
Oh, nothing much – just an encounter with a Kreepling or two.
It’s almost healed now. Come on, the hangar’s this way.

JAKE
Okay, so where’s your jet? I was more than a little curious about
it..

MIKE
You know what curiousity to the kat, don’t you? Come on, follow
me!
(walks through house opens a secret door and gets into a
concealed elevator)
You coming or what?

JAKE
(Following)
Or what.

The elevator stops and the doors open revealing a cavernous chamber
that has several mainframe computers, dozens of new and experimential
weapons and a few large machines that seem ready to make anything you
can think of.

JAKE
Whoa! Where did all this come from?

MIKE
My father. This was a top secret lab from McKatson Tech. It’s all
that’s left of my father’s work.

JAKE
Impressive. Your dad sure must have been something!

MIKE
He was. But come on – the hangar’s through here
(walks through a massive arch into a large hanger mounted on
a tilted platform that has a powerful looking slingshot like
appatarus. On it sits the Saberclaw)

JAKE
Woah, you’ve sure got a setup in here!

MIKE
Thank my Dad.

Jake who is now examining the jet closely.

JAKE
Where did this come from? Ive never seen anything like it.

MIKE
It was my father’s masterpiece. It was down here where he liked
to work I’m the only other kat in the world that knew this was down
here, and now you do, too
(his voice sounds kinda choked)

JAKE
Hey, big guy, it’s OK. I know how you feel, we all have painful
memories of the past.

MIKE
:: grumbles somthing under his breath about incompitent
enforcers and killing the kat who murdered his dad ::
Yeah
(sniff)
I know. It’s just that sometimes you feel like the weight of the
world is bearing down on your sholders.

JAKE
You said this was your father’s masterpiece. Did he finish it?

MIKE
No, I did, but I still wish he could see her fly!

JAKE
He can. He’s alive in you and everytime you fly her I’m sure he
beams with pride.

MIKE
That’s a pretty thought Razor, a real pretty thought.
(looks around)
Razor, where are you?

JAKE
I’m over here! Hey, what’s behind this door?

MIKE
NO! Don’t open that!

It’s too late.

The door opens to reveal a rather small hanger that has a pile of
black and white rubble in the center and dozens of picures on the
walls.

JAKE
What is all this stuff?
(looks at the rubble in the center of the room carfully)
This used to be an F-14. Where did it come from?
(Notices a symbol on the side of the jet it’s a stylized
black pheonix on a gold background)
(to self)
I’ve seen that symbol before, but where…?
(fascinated he walks closer to the jet jumping up on what
used to be a wing. He looks into the cockpit noticing that it is
covered in blood stains that seem fairly old he turns to Michael)
What is this? Who are Phoenix and Ice?

Michael is standing there a look of total shock plain on his face.

MIKE
Uh, umm, that’s a long and painfull story … but since you’ve
seen this I think I owe you an explanation. Go get T-bone, I want
this out once and for all, and I don’t want to have to repeat myself
ever again.

JAKE
Um.. sure.

He runs off at breakneck speed leaving Kage alone with this relic
from his past.

Michael walks slowly to the pile of rubble and touches it lightly,
running his hand along a jagged and twisted piece of wing near the
cockpit.

MIKE
(mutters under his breath)
Why, Ice, why did you have to leave me?
(tears well up in his eyes matting the fur around them
with moisture)

*Kage has been standing there for what seems like a long time when
voices are heard in the distance but quickly approaching*

CHANCE
This had better be good — I’m missing the rest of Scardy Kat.

JAKE
So? He said he had somthing important to explain and that he
wanted you here for it, so he’d never have to repeat himself again.
He looked really upset, too.

CHANCE
All right, I’m coming. Sheesh, give me a break.

Chance’s eyes go wide as he enters the room seeing Michael standing
next to a plane that bears a symbol he recognizes.

CHANCE
The black pheonix!
(Turning to Mike)
What is this?

MIKE
As I said, I’m going to explain, thanks, no, let me continue
since you recognize the symbol, I assume that you’re familiar with
the black Phoenix Squadron?

CHANCE
Yeah, they were Merc’s. Some would say the best. They disappered
a while ago, most people figure that they retired.

MIKE
Very good, I see you do know about my former unit.

CHANCE
You were a Black Pheonix!
(Nearly in awe)
Whatever happened to you guys, anyway?

MIKE
That’s classified, it’s also what I’m about to tell you, you see,
I was the Black Pheonix and my unit was destroyed
(is literally crying as he says this)
_____________________________________________________________________
Sometimes I feel it all the chaos swimming in my heart the
pain of the past and frail dreams for the future, which shatter in my
head like tiny crystal globes as I try to hold onto that which is me,
as I fight the onrush of the doom that society has chosen for me. As
I try to stand, futilely like a rock in a mighty river, as all that I
see rushes around me to be swept to its doom by those who don’t
really care, I ask myself why how can I stop the current, my only
answer thus far has been, all I can do is try. Kage
_____________________________________________________________________

*enter Flashback mode*

The Jungles over Siam more than two years ago. Four F-14 tomcats
painted in various color schemes of black and white.

ICE
(static crackle)
Ace, this is Ice, Do you read, over?

ACE
Yeah, Ice. I read you loud and clear. You’d best check in on the
Longslate Twins though they seem to be wandering off point. (‘Roger’)
Over.

ICE
Jerome, do you copy? Over.

JEROME
Yeah, Ice. We copy. Over.

ICE
Then why may I ask are you wandering off point? Over.

JEROME
Oops, sory about that Ice. Have you checked in on Rose and
Darkling yet?

ICE
Neg that. Over.
Hey Rose, You doing OK? Over.

ROSE
Yeah, Ice but what’s going on with this mission? Phoenix hasn’t
told us a thing, except that we’ll be able to retire after it’s over,
and that’s not like him.

ICE
Yeah. I’ll ask. Over.
(into radio)
Hey, Phoenix! What’s up with this mission?

PHOENIX
Just a sec, buddy.
(turning the intercom system on to the unit’s general broadcast
signal)
Ok Squadron, listen up so I won’t have to repeat myself, ya hear?
(several voices come back over I/com ‘ROGER SIR’)
This mission is on a need to know basis and since you’re on a
need-to-know basis, I’m gonna tell you what it is. The local dictator
has gotten his hands on blueprints for several nuclear missles and is
building a factory to produce them, he can’t be allowed to go
nuclear, so we’ve been hired to blow it up. The security is expected
to be tight so watch yourselves
(continues on with flight routes and other stuff much to
technical for a fan fic.)
Over.

(ALL)
Yes, sir.

After several hours of low and fast flight the Squadron approaches
it’s target.

PHOENIX
Alpha Squdron, this is Phoenix. We’re approaching the target, so
look sharp. Over.

The Longslate Twins’ plane explodes without warning.

PHOENIX
Shit! They’ve got a missile battery down there! Pull out! Pull
out!

ICE
Roger, Phoenix, but we have bogies inbound, Sir.

PHOENIX
Damn, Points 2 and 4, take out the Missile batterys, we’ll take
care of the welcoming commitee
(Banks step to the left towards the radar locks)
Ice, what have you got?

ICE
Three Bogies inbound, sir, at 3 o’clock.

PHOENIX
Good.
(dodges a missile from the battery)
Ace, Rose I thought I told you to take care of those batteries.

ROSE
Phoenix, this is Rose. 4 batteries down and 2 to go, sir. No, Ace
$%# damn you . . .
(screams come over the intercom, then silence)

PHOENIX
No g-d, Damn you! Don’t leave me, NO!.

ICE
(reaching over the seat and taking a firm hold on Phoenix’s
shoulder)
It’s Okay. We’ve got to make it for them, but first we’re
gonna have to deal with these punks.

PHOENIX
Yeah, but it hurts to lose them – I’ve never lost anyone before
(his voice is barely a whisper)

ICE
Hey, Phoenix, I’ve got a radar lock three Mig-29 foxbats
incoming.

PHOENIX
Well, don’t just sit there – if you’ve got a lock, take these
buzzards down!

ICE
Roger that.
(there is a loud roar as Mutiply Missles launch from the
Black Hawk and streak towards their targets)
Looks like two down and one to go, Phoenix.

PHOENIX
GOOD!
(Grunts as he sends the plane into a series of high G manoevers
Ice grunts from the back of the cockpit but the incoming missiles
miss)
Outstanding!

ICE
Take it easy, if you keep that up they won’t need to shoot us
down — this baby’ll come apart on her own!

PHOENIX
Yeah, better that than we let this creep take us down!
(pulls up standing the jet on its tail the Mig that was trying to
get a lock swerves wildly and barly misses a mid air collision then
laying the jet backdown and nailing the throttle forward into the red
zone)
There I can’t keep this up much longer, so take your shot!
(the mig explodes into a ball of bright flames)
Gotcha.

ICE
Um, Phoenix, I got bad news. . .
(the radar lock warning siren goes berserk)
You kinda wandered over the Missile batterys when you were
dogfighting that mig!

PHOENIX
(Swearing Violetly)
Yeah, I noticed.
(he pulls up and sends the jet into a series of high G banks,
rolls and dips, flying through what seems to him like a sea of
missles)
Buddy, hold on tight. I don’t think we’re gonna make it.

ICE
It does look bad, doesn’t it? But I do have some good news.

PHOENIX
What?

ICE
Rose took out the plant kamikaze-style.

PHOENIX
Well, then at least we’re not going to leave behind any loose
strings — Hey !
(There is an explosion as a missile rips into the Left
engine)
Damn I can’t keep her under control!
(the jet stars to spin around it’s center of lift like a
giant frisbee because of the unbalancing of the thrust)
Great, we’re in a tailspin so we can’t even punch out. Hold on,
Ice!

Then Blackness claims them both.

*Later in the blood soaked cockpit of their shattered jet*

PHOENIX
Ungg
(opens his eyes then squints them shut at the intrusion of
what seems to be very bright light)
Ice, Ice, Ice
(sits up rapidly causing his head to spin and looks back
toward where his Co-pilot lays still unconscious, head slumped
against the side of the canopy, blood dripping gently from his mouth)
No Ice, no!
(his voice goes quiet as he starts to cry for the first time
in well over 4 years, crawling over the seat he takes Ice in his arms
and leans the white kat’s head on his chest)
Ice, come on buddy, speak to me! Wake up!

ICE
Unnnna, Mike — is that you?
(coughs violently frothing more blood to his lips)

PHOENIX
Come on, Ryan you gotta hang in there, buddy. You can do it for
me.
(is weeping with the knowledge that his friend is dying,
gently wipes some of the blood from his friend’s face)
Ryan Hair, I order you not to die, do you hear me? I order you!
(Choking back sobs of frustion and pain he shakes his friend
gently, tears dripping from his own cheeks onto Ryan’s face)

ICE
(Coughing more violently, his breath coming in shallow rapid
gasps)
Sorry, sir, but I think it’s too late for that.
(blacks out)

PHOENIX
(Screaming in pain and hurt)
No, don’t leave me, no —
(the rage turns to sorrow)
No.
(Sobs)
No, damn you, you can’t leave me.
(Blacks out as the strain and his wounds claim his
consciousness)

He wakes up with a cold weight leaning against his body.

PHOENIX
Oh, God no —
(holds the body to him.)
Why?
(looking up)
Why him? Why not me?
(sobbing in frustration)

*Back in the Hanger*

MIKE
(Has Razor in a bear hug)
It was awful.
(crying)
Why did he have to die? Why?!?

JAKE
(coughing)
I don’t know sometimes bad things simply happen, but, umm
could you loosen up a little there, Kage? I can’t breathe.

CHANCE
My G-d, no wonder your, errr. Umm. Well that is, oh never
mind.

MIKE
(Loosens his grip on Razor)
S-Sorry about that.
(takes a deep breath to continue)
Well, I buried him under an old tree that was at the edge of that
meadow.

* back in the Jungles of Siam, we find Phoenix standing over a grave
marked only by a single Katana, hilt skyward*

PHOENIX
Goodbye, dear friend.
(pause)
May the wings of angels guard you in your eternal slumber.
(In very broken and erratic, that reverts to English several
times as Kage comes to words that he does not know. Japanese.)

He turns with a military aboutface and limps slowly away from the
grave)

*Back in the Hangar*

JAKE
So, how could you just leave the grave like that?

MIKE
(Tears in his eyes)
I took something with me.
(Walks over to a table with several objects on it and a few
pictures on the wall show the old B.P.S. picks up an ornate wooden
case and opens the lid to reveal a large Blaster, it looks very high
tech with a square looking mussle, several vents along the barrel,
and a large square looking scope on top, but what is most noticable
aside from its size is the B.P.S emblem on the handle with the word
Ice engraved underneath it.)
This was Ice’s. It’s the only thing I really have left of him
now, other than the plane itself, and what he taught me. And I had
other things on my mind like vengeance. I killed the crews of the two
remaining Missile batteries one at a time, and them turned on the man
who gave their order’s – the Dictator Ironclaw, it took me six months
to find him. I lost a lot of weight in those swamps. Sometimes I
think the only thing that kept me alive was my burning need for
revenge.

*Back in Siam 6 months later near the capital at the Military base
that serves as Ironclaw’s HQ*

Ironclaw sits at a table, talking with several of his “Generals” –
cronies is a more accurate word. A grave voice interrupts his
revelry.

PHOENIX
I challenge you to the Circle of Honour.

IRONCLAW
So . . .
(to a tall skiny average looking kat in a guard in uniform)
Seize him.

Phoenix pulls a large side arm from his hip in a smoothe easy motion
easily angling it with the advancing kats’ Chest before he can even
drop his rifle from his shoulder. And pulls the triger three times in
a rapid succession, the rounds hit the unfortunate kat at mid level
exploding on contact and cutting his torso nearly in half, in a
grotesque pardoy of his previous actions the kat takes a final step
forward before his torso leans back and his body collapses slowly to
the ground to lay still in a spreading puddle of blood.

PHOENIX
That Was Stupid, now accept or die!

IRONCLAW
(looking at the corpse in a weird way almost like he hopes
to break this mystery kats’ will. Speaks slowly)
Poor Rob. He had a family, you know. A lovely wife and two
kittens, his wife was a great cook, she always had him bring me her
food.

PHOENIX
(Wiping a tear from his eye, speaks with mock sarcasm)
So, is this supposed to make me feel bad?

IRONCLAW
Well then, I guess I have no choice, do I?

PHOENIX
No, not really. I set the time at sunset tonight, the choice
of weapons is yours.

IRONCLAW
I chose nothing! We will fight barepawed!
(he stands throwing back his resplendant cloak to reveal that
he is close to 4 inches taller than Kage and so thick in the arms and
chest that he looks more like a gorilla than a kat, light glints
dully from what was once his left paw but is now simply a machine
made to maim and crush those who fall beneath it’s power)

*The hanger*

MIKE
Looking back I can’t think how fucked up I was. I was
literally consumed by hatred and rage. Rage is such an enigma,
causing you to lose control, destroying reason, making you blind,
but adding a force no calm rational defence can stand before to your
blows. It is power and weakness rolled into a dangourous package.

CHANCE
I know looking back there’s things we’ve all done that we
would change if we could..

MIKE
(looks at T-bone funny cocking his head like some exotic
bird)
Hind sights always 20/20 hun? You know your probably right, but I still need to continue
to get this off my chest, once and for all. I need for the nightmares to stop, for the flashbacks to
be gone, I need to be free from this burden.

*Siam, a large circle has been drawn in the sand. A few of Ironclaw’s
followers stand as witnesses, the air is heavy with moisture and rain
falls lightly to the ground*

IRONCLAW
(walks confidently into the ring after handing his cloak to
a short fat kat)
Come on to your doom,
(forcively spits the word)
Mercinary scum.

Phoenix emerges, still bedragles but in much better condition, now
that he’s had time to clean up. He looks gaunt, from all the weight
he lost, and red patches of skin are visible in several areas where
his fur has fallen out from months in the wet and marshy swamp. He walks foward his
hatred hanging in the air around him like a palapable thing.

PHOENIX
(points at Ironclaw)
You are dead.
(Then jumps across the ring screaming a bloodcurdling warcry, and
then raining blows down on his foe with dizzying quickness)

The blows rain down to fast for Ironclaw to block more than a
few. Most of them seem to slide past his defences and land in
ridgehand chops, spearhand thrust and openhand strikes. After a few
minutes he stands ragged and bleeding but even after absorbing dozens
of blows that would have felled or even killed a normal cat. The
giant dictator still stands relitivly unharmed and clenching his teeth in anger, suddenly he
lashes out with his bionic paw — the sharpened claws slicing three deep cuts
onto Phoenix’s left check. He backpeddles quickly as his opponent
stands momentarily stunned by the force of the blow.

Phoenix wipes some of the blood off his check with the back of his
right paw, then tasting it, he spits it onto the ground at the dictator’s
feet. He says something but it comes out as little more than an angry
snarl. The very air about him seems to darken with his building rage,
and his world narrows to his paws’ feet and the kat he so very much
wants to kill who is standing right in front of him.

IRONCLAW
Is that the best you have, Merc? Come and d–

He is cut of as Phoenix leaps on him snarling with unsuppresed rage
his paws a blur, shattering the bones in the non bionic arm, spinning
in he kicks across Ironclaw’s chest knocking the wind out of him and
shattering several ribs.

Kage limps over to where Ironclaw is trying to stand up. A limp is
very visible. He obviously hurt himself with the shear force of the
last kick. But if he is in pain, it is not visible He stops pausing over the
broken dictator then grabs him by the throat, lifting him slowly from
the ground, his atrpfyed muscles straining as he lifts the nearly
300lb bulk of his enemy to glare into his eyes his hatred is almost overwhelming now.
Blood rushes into his arms as his still mighty shoulders bulge in riged prominace, the
force on Ironclaws neck is incredible and still it increases, the
look on his face changes slowly from pleading to terror, and finally
to incomprehension, as the bones in his neck are slowly crushed and
broken in the remorseless grip. Kage tosses the body its inner light
now fading from the eyes that had pleaded so for life, and sinks to
his knees feeling a loss of purpose with no vengeance to sustain him
he realizes for the first time how much he has lost.

PHOENIX
(Slowly as if waking from a dream)
G-d…
(looking up at the heavens as if seeking inspiration. Or
salvation)
It is finished, Ice my friend. May you rest in peace, and may I
some day see you again that I may once more know joy.
(Pulls out his blaster and shaking, points it at his
heart)
Shall I end it now my friend that we might once more meet?
(Oddly a voice seems to echo in is head — it is Ryans’s
voice)

ICE
That would be foolish. Live on, bear your pain and perhaps some
day we shall meet again.

Phoenix then slumps over into blackness. The blaster tumbling from his massive paw into the
mud near his collapsed body.

*Back at the hangar*

JAKE
Man, were you really thinking about just ending it all?

MIKE
Yes, I was. I realize now how foolish it was, but at the time
with my friends gone, and my vengeance complete, it just seemed there
was nothing left for me. I struggled with that for almost 2 years,
forcing myself to get out of bed, to move, to do anything. it seemed
that life had drunk to deeply from my well, had left nothing for me,
that there was simply no purpose in going onward, I’ve been broken ever
since then. I needed somekat like me to remind me what I had been,
what I was, that even after everything I had lost, I could still make
a difference to somekat out there, that others might still care about
me for reasons other than.
(makes a sweeping gesture at the ceiling and the mansion above
them)
This, it’s nothing-nothing at all, yet it is all that so many
see, or want.

CHANCE
It’s well they want what you have — most of them because it
can put food on the table, buy a nice car, put clothes on their kids,
its just a part of life..

MIKE
(once again looking at T-bone in that weird way)
You know, you just might be right, but they always want more than
they need, they want to take that which is not theirs instead of
earning it. It’s part of the reason I chose you to live around – you
don’t ask — you’re above begging. You’re so proud and full of life,
so cocky, so selfsure, so much like what I was, what I am, I guess
you just bring out the best in me — when I’m around you the pain
fades, I look forward to making new memories instead of missing those
that a-are p–past,
(tears are in his eyes now as he stutters to a stop)

Jake makes shushing noises and hugs him about the midsection in a
comforting way.

Fineto.