Three weeks later

Mayor Manx walked into his office, his face haggard and worn. After coming out of the hidey-hole he'd used during the siege, reporters assaulted him with questions. All he wanted now was a little rest, and a little work on his golf game. He closed the door behind him and headed toward his leather chair, when he saw a small folded note on his desk. He picked it up and, after reading it twice, scratched his forehead.

The note read to head toward the observation deck at the top of City Hall.

He shrugged and walked out of the mayoral office, turned right, headed for the stairwell. Past the massive gears that drove the clock and toward the door that opened to the outside. He hesitated for a moment at the exit to the balcony. "Just calm down… it couldn't be anyone who wanted to throw you off of the ledge. That'd be nonsense."

Still, he lingered a bit. "What if it really is someone who wants to do that? I have plenty of enemies, after all…"

"Oh, shut up and open the door," a voice said from beyond the barrier.

Mayor Manx's eyes widened. He threw open the door, the setting sun blinding his eyes for a moment. When his vision cleared, he had to stare for a few moments, check to see if his eyes were tricking him. "You… you're a ghost, aren't you?"

The blonde in a pink suit chuckled, back still turned to him. "If I were, what would you do?"

"You are a ghost!" He shrunk back a few steps. "I… I'm sorry. I've mistreated you so much."

She nodded. "You have."

He cowered against the wall behind him. "You're going to haunt this place forever, aren't you? You're going to be out here on the deck, looking at the city every day, right?" He almost whimpered. "I knew I should've done something about my ghost issues!"

She shrugged. "Or maybe there's nothing that can be done about them." The blonde turned and adjusted her glasses with her left index finger. "Maybe you're just so guilty you can't stop seeing me in your mind. And the guilt will be there for as long as you live."

Manx closed his eyes, blocking his face with his arms. "Don't kill me, please!"

He felt something pull him to his feet and screeched, his eyes snapping open.

"Why would I want to do that?" Callie smiled and pinched his right cheek.

He blinked as he felt his skin being tugged. "You… you're alive?"

She nodded. "Glad you noticed." She walked past him, her tail tickling his nose. "Do me a favor and don't tell anyone for the next seven days. I have a headache, and I need some recovery time."

Manx turned toward Callie as she walked out of the clock room. "But how …why?"

She waved goodbye to him as she headed for the door that led back to City Hall. "Seven days! Then I'll tell you everything!"

The door closed behind her.

Mayor Manx stared at it for a few minutes before his mind finally realized what just happened. A wide grin broke out on his face. "She's alive!"

Kanto the Slayer presents

A SWAT Kats Fanfiction

SWAT Kats: Endgame

Three weeks ago

"Shit."

"I know," Jake said as Burke and Murray dumped a fresh pile of junk onto their damn doorstep. Again. "We gotta come back to this every day, until we pay off everything we owe." He shook his head. "It's a fake debt anyway. We know it, they probably know it, but they don't care."

"We damn sure don't!" Burke laughed as the last of the junk spilled from the truck.

The mechanics glared toward the two scruffy kats in the truck.

"Yeah," Murray said with a grin that had a few gaps in it. "You won't be leaving this place any time soon, so the longer you're here, the more time off we get! So get used to it, because as long as Commander Feral says it, you do it!" They laughed as they drove off, a cloud of exhaust washing over Chance and Jake.

Chance's jaw tensed to the point of biting. "That's it. Shoot me now!"

Jake patted him on his right shoulder. "Relax, they don't know shit." He grinned. "They can talk all they want, but they'll never do half the stuff we can." He sighed, then turned toward the pile of scrap. "But for now, we gotta do what we gotta do. So let's do it."

"I disagree."

They turned toward the voice that belonged to the she-kat in a cream-colored jacket with matching slacks, black flats, and a light blue silk top. Her red hair shone brilliantly, but her ears, face, hands, and just about everything else besides the tail was a milky white. "Are you Chance Furlong and Jake Clawson?"

Chance gave her his lazy, charming smile. "Why yes we are. Need some help with your ride?"

She chuckled. "Actually, I'm here to help you." She handed them her business cards. "Angela Snowshoe, attorney at law." She tilted her chin up just slightly. "I've been hired to get you out of this hellhole and back to your lives."

Chance and Jake looked at each other, and then back at her. Chance scratched the top of his head. "Sorry, who hired you again?"

She smiled, head tilted to the right. "That's classified. All you need to know is that I'm here to have your case formally tried before a court."

Jake nodded. "We appreciate it, but you gotta understand; we quit the Enforcers."

She nodded. "True. But in the interest of justice, don't you want all this to end?" She gestured around the scrap yard. "For guys like you, who worked your asses off, this …this is no way to live." She peered toward Chance. "You should have your own lives, your own places to stay; not living from paycheck to paycheck, only for it to be taken by the Enforcers. I know you left, but what's unjust is still unjust."

They stood silent for a few more seconds.

Angela sighed. "Look, you don't have to trust me. You don't even have to like me. But please, let me try to save you from this." She stepped forward and whispered into Chance's ear. "You save everyone on an almost daily basis, let me do the same for you."

Chance's eyes widened and he almost leapt back. "Shit, you… you know who we are?"

She grinned. "If you wanna find out, let me defend you. Don't worry, whether you agree or not, I'll keep this secret for as long as I live. But I'll throw in who told me if you let me help."

They looked at each other, then back at her. Chance sighed. "Come in and sit down. I want to hear everything, from the top."

After five minutes of explanations and clarifications, Chance nodded. "Callie. I should've guessed, right from the start."

Angela shook her head. "Don't be angry at her. I nagged at her until she told me." She gave Chance a pleading look. "I had to know everything if I wanted to make a good case! I promise no one will know, before during or after the trial."

Jake ran a hand along the top of his head. "Look, we can't let anyone know who we are for a reason. The more people that know, the more targets any enemies of ours have if they find out. They'll go after anyone that's linked to us, including, as of now, you."

She nodded. "I get that. I'm fully prepared for it, if it comes to that." She clasped her hands in front of her face. "Just please don't do this to yourselves. You could be doing so much more than just working your lives away for a debt you don't even owe!" Angela looked toward Chance again. "Besides, Commander Feral was the one who put you here in the first place. This is your chance to bring him to the justice he is so quick to defend."

Chance lowered his head for a moment. She had a point there. He looked up at Jake. "I'm gonna buy this lady a mega-sub sandwich. Stay here."

He stood and headed for the phone.

She turned to Jake, shaking her head. "What's that mean?"

Jake grinned. "It means you're on the case."

Two weeks ago

Two private investigators snapped photos of the jet, still kept exactly as it was from all those years ago. Angela thanked her lucky stars they hadn't trashed it yet. Of course, why would they? It reminded them every day of why they were doing this, or at least it reminded Chance. She sighed as she looked back at the damaged jet. She wanted this bad memory to die and rest in peace already.

She looked toward the makeshift obstacle course they'd set up with a smile. Once Enforcers, always Enforcers. And from the research she'd done, they were two of their best while still enlisted. They were tactical, quick thinkers. They didn't wait for backup, but used what they were given to get the job done. Though they followed procedure, they didn't let it constrain them. And while others stayed out of danger, pulling back when things got too hot, they dove headfirst into it.

Chance told her that while the current system, the current leadership still existed, they'd never return to the Enforcers. It had to change, or they would stay out of the loop. She didn't know how much more the good guys could take without them, or kats that thought they way they did. At her last count, the Enforcers were down to the dregs from the constant wear and tear, the beatings and losses they'd taken. It'd take at the very least, a massive recruiting campaign to maintain visible police presence in the poorer areas of MegaKat City.

She hoped the Commander would launch such an idea, and soon.

For the moment, this was all she could do to help.

"You okay?"

She looked behind her right shoulder. "Yeah, just thinking about things."

Chance gave a short grunt. "Do I wanna know?"

She chuckled and turned back toward the remains of the jet. "Probably not." Something nagged at her mind just then, a question that bothered her. "Callie told me about how you hid her identity."

Chance groaned. "What, did she tell you our measurements, too?"

She smirked. "If she had, I would have a harder time talking to you right now without tripping over my own words." She cleared her throat. "I don't condone hacking into military grade encryptions, stealing someone's identity, and destroying it for what seems to be an indefinite period. I told her all this the moment she explained it." She looked over at him. "You got a plan for bringing Calico Briggs back from the dead?"

Chance nodded. "Before we destroyed the files, we made copies of them. I'm talking about bank statements, birth certificates, credit cards, drivers' license, the whole thing. You can make a safe bet that some money changed hands to keep the fact that we did all this secret."

She nodded. "I bet I could. So you're just going to re-integrate it into the system and pretend everything is fixed?"

Chance shrugged. "It's all we can do. That, and erase the copies we have from our systems so it can't be traced back to us." He sighed. "Look, I know it's illegal, and I know you don't exactly see it as the right thing to do. But we didn't have much of a choice. We planned it from the time we gave Callie a communicator. We knew she was important; that Manx was pretty much a lame duck. Anyone else that knew that would be after her."

Angela nodded. "So you created a contingency plan to prevent it from happening twice."

Chance nodded. "You got it. The easy part was getting it out, to be honest." He chuckled. "The hard part will be getting it back in without raising any eyebrows."

She sighed. "So you don't really have a real plan besides hoping for the best and preparing for the worst."

Chance smirked. "Don't you know? That's how the SWAT Kats operate. We don't have any real rules. Besides, Jake's the best at what he does. He's never let me down before, and I trust him with everything he's doing."

Alicia shrugged. He was right about that. Jake Clawson was an absolute genius. A hacker, a programmer, a mechanical engineer. He had the Midas touch as far as computers and machines went, and his inventions rarely missed their mark. Even when they did, he always had a backup plan. "Then I'll trust him too."

She turned to head back inside. "You're gonna have to show me around someday."

Chance scoffed. "There's not much to see."

She looked at him with a grin. "I mean really show me around."

Seven days ago

"…And you were there when it happened?"

The middle-aged tom nodded. "Just about saw the whole thing from Headquarters. I'm not the only one, either." He shook his head. "It's just that so few will stand up to the Commander about it. They let it slide, act as if it didn't happen."

Angela leaned forward. "How sure are you about this?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Look here miss. I'm getting on in years, but I'm not senile yet." He tapped the right side of his head. "It's still up here, and it's gonna be up here until it gets resolved." He chuckled. "I trust that's about to happen, right?"

"That's right." She looked around his apartment, at the faded paint on the walls, the worn, yet still comfortable carpet, the old kitchen that was still of some use, the old TV that still worked. He was one to keep what he owned as healthy as possible. She looked at him again. That included him as well. For someone in his forties, he was built like a truck. She wondered how long it took to get rid of the fat that she could guess he had before looking like this.

"Admiring my humble abode?"

Angela smiled. "Looks like my grandpa's place. It's cozy."

He shrugged. "Not the best place, but it'll do. I was offered a better one, but this apartment's like my own skin. I can't step out of it so easily, y'know."

She nodded. "I can see that." Angela leaned forward again. "Captain Lynx, if I asked you to testify against Commander Feral in a trial regarding this incident, would you do it?"

Benny nodded. "In a heartbeat. It's a shame how those boys were treated. They were just doing their jobs, and Feral had to butt in just when they had a bead on Dark Kat. None of what happened to Ms. Briggs, or anyone else, would've happened if he'd just let them shoot him down that day."

The she-kat grinned. "I'll quote you on that." This was going exactly as she planned it.

Now

Commander Feral sent the two toms adjacent to him a glare that could kill a fly on the spot. They put her up to this; he was sure of it. Somehow, they'd gotten together the money for this sham of a trial, and now they were going to try to get out of paying him back for their damages.

Furlong and Clawson simply continued to stare forward. Bastards didn't even have the courage to look him in the eye. He looked back toward the judge again as he sat down, straightened out his robes. Commander Feral sat as the judge began the trial, leaned over to his right to whisper into his lawyer's ear. "I want those two working at that scrap yard indefinitely for trying to pull this crap on me."

The lawyer nodded. "I'll arrange it as soon as I blow a hole in their defenses. Nothing's going to happen to you."

The judge, a tom that looked to be age fifty, cleared his throat. "I hear that this matter has already been resolved privately with the Enforcers. At any normal time, this is how I'd like it to stay." He looked around the courtroom. "But due to the controversial nature of the incident, I feel it is my duty to put this to rest, once and for all. Whatever the outcome is will be determined by fact, and not by conjecture. And I'll make sure it's kept that way, or someone is getting a verdict from me, and not the jury." He looked toward Angela. "You may make your opening statements…"

Trial part two

"By the time this is over, you two will never see another red cent ever again."

Commander Feral strode out of the courthouse, his lawyer trailing him.

Chance tightened his hands into fists. "I hate him."

Jake squeezed his right shoulder. "I know. Don't get too heated. That's all they'll need. Just stay cool and stick with the facts, and this'll be over in no time."

The big tom sighed and headed toward the exit. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Being SWAT Kats was a lot easier than doing this. At least he could get angry and have a proper outlet. He didn't have that here. There was no TurboKat to hide behind, no mask to wear, no one else to be besides him. And right now, he was just as frustrated as ever.

"Hey, wait up!"

He turned to look over his left shoulder. "Hey."

Angela smiled as she stopped next to them in a grey pinstriped pantsuit and black heels. "I think we did well today. You uh, want to get a bite to eat? I know this great pizza place we could go to." She strode forward before they could respond.

Jake chuckled. "Hell of a she-kat."

Chance nodded and headed out after her. "Yeah. I'm kinda glad we have her on our side instead of against us. I mean, the way she asked those questions was like getting hit with a sledge hammer. She can be really nice, or really pissy." Chance peered forward, checking to see if she heard that. "Don't tell her I said that."

Jake grinned. "You gonna rescind that bet if I agree?"

Chance groaned. "You sure know how to ruin my day, man." He sighed. "Fine, you don't get to buy dinner anymore. Just don't tell her."

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the pizza place and took a seat, menus in hand. "See anything you like," Angela asked from behind her tablet.

Chance's eyes widened at just how many pizzas there were. "I don't think I can decide! This place has stuff I've never even heard of before!" His mouth watered. Really, she spoiled them. "What do you usually get?"

"You should be asking me that."

Chance looked behind him, surprised at who walked in. "Felina!" He stood and gave her a hug. "Didn't know you were nearby!"

She smiled. "Well I had to come see you guys after seeing you on TV. Besides, I know this place better than anyone does. Used to hang out here before my promotion in the Enforcers." She looked over at Angela. "This the one defending you guys?"

"That I am." Angela stood and extended her hand for a shake. "Angela Snowshoe. And you are Felina Feral. Can't go around without hearing about you these days."

Felina smirked and gave her hand a light smack instead of a shake. "I don't shake hands. Not that formal." She shrugged out of her leather jacket and sat right next to the lawyer. "Can we get another menu over here, I'm starving." She peered at Jake. "So… how're things going?"

Jake shrugged. "As well as could be expected. We can only tell our side of the story and hope the prosecution doesn't find any holes in it. I mean so far, we're ironclad. Anything could happen in the next few days, though."

Felina propped her elbows on the table, fingers steepled together. "And the thing with Callie?"

Jake grinned. "I took care of it earlier this week, no red flags raised. She's back, hopefully for good this time. I don't wanna have to make another backup plan like this one." Jake leaned back in his seat. "It's up to her whether she wants to explain why she did what she did."

Chance frowned. "I dunno why she wanted to do it in the first place. I liked her better as she was." Everyone turned toward him, Felina sending him a glare. Chance raised his hands as if blocking the looks they gave him. "Not like I don't like her now! Just that she was all badass and stuff when she was someone else, that's all!"

Felina chuckled. "Well it's her decision. Besides, unless I miss my guess, she's running for Mayor." The brunette nodded. "It's about time that happened. Speaking of going back to business… I'm thinking about going back to the Enforcers, regardless of what happens with the trial."

This time, she was the one caught with stares. "What?"

Jake leaned forward. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I mean, KatGuard pays better than they do, and they're a better-equipped force. That's not to say the Enforcers aren't needed, just that… well…"

Felina sighed. "I know what you're gonna say, and I appreciate it. But the Enforcers are short-handed. From all the losses they've taken, they need someone with experience besides Benny. I'm the most qualified for the job. Besides, I think it's time I made peace with what my uncle did to you guys. Now that he's this close to paying for it, I…" She shook her head. "I can't be angry anymore. I just wanted to see the right thing done, that's all."

Alicia smiled. So everyone wanted justice in the end, not just her and not just the guys. "Tell you what; I'll let you decide what we get to eat. And make it one of those huge ones for four."

Chance gaped at the lawyer. "You can't be serious. They actually make one like that?"

Felina grinned. "They have to carry it here with two hands."

The big tom rubbed his hands together. "I gotta see this for myself. Bring it on!"

Trial part six

"The evidence placed before you is undeniable proof that this incident was no accident. This was because of ego. It was because of a Commander that wanted the glory all for himself, and then tried to make it all go away. The two toms that were just doing their job got hit with a fine they couldn't possibly repay!"

Angela paced before the jury, giving them a pleading look. "Does that sound like justice to you? Does that sound like the kind of thing the Enforcers should stand for?" She pointed toward Commander Feral. "He shouldn't get away with this. The only reason he did was because no one fought back, no one stood up." She redirected her arm to point at the jury. "But you can. You can make all this stop and give Chance Furlong and Jake Clawson their lives back. Not entirely, but in part. They'll have to recover from every injury inflicted on them." She lowered her hand. "But at least this will provide closure and peace of mind. They'll be able to put this to rest, once and for all."

She stepped back with a shrug. "It's up to you." Angela turned toward the judge with a nod. "The prosecution rests."

As the courtroom cleared, Commander Feral stood before Chance and Jake again, his imposing figure looming before them. "I suppose this is the part where I apologize."

Chance nodded. "It is. And I could care less."

Feral grimaced. "Don't worry about it, because I won't. Orders are orders. Your blatant disobedience was a bad example to everyone else. And because of it, you let Dark Kat get away." He walked forward until he towered above Chance. "This could have been avoided if you'd just done what I told you to in the first place."

Chance almost growled, his fur on edge. What he wouldn't give to kick his ass right now. "See you tomorrow, Commander. I sure hope you're ready to lose."

"I won't."

Angela decided to butt in. "Actually, yes you will."

The two toms turned toward her.

She had a dulcet smile on her face. "You did hear your lawyer's closing argument, didn't you Commander? Even you know, from being in court so many times, that it had no conviction. I guess the testimony from your own Captain took the wind out of his sails. And when he tried to cross-examine him…" She shrugged. "Well, it all went downhill from there."

Feral growled. "Don't test me."

She shrugged. "Or what? You'll hit me with a fine too?" She walked past him, tail swishing confidently. "I wouldn't do that. You're already in a bad place right now."

Chance shrugged and followed her. "Like I said… see you tomorrow, Commander."

"All rise!"

The judge stepped into the courtroom and sat as the jury stood. He looked over at them. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

One of them nodded. "Yes we have your honor."

The judge nodded. "How do you find?"

The juror cleared her throat. "For the charges of reckless flight and unlawful punishment, we find the defendant, Ulysses Feral, guilty as charged."

The judge nodded. "Very well." He looked toward Chance and Jake. "You are henceforth absolved of all debts owed to the Enforcers. Furthermore, you are no longer obliged to work at the scrap yard in East MegaKat City." He turned toward Commander Feral. "As for you… I could very well have you thrown out of your position for Conduct Unbecoming an Officer. But that's not my call. However, I don't have to do anything, really."

He glowered at him. "You have the very lengthy task of rebuilding the Enforcers, and improving their efficiency. I suggest you make quick work of it, because if you don't, then I will personally petition to have you kicked out of that office at the top floor of Enforcer Tower." He lifted his gavel and banged it. "We're adjourned. Parties may leave the courtroom."

"Oh my God."

Felina grinned. "Yeah, it's something, isn't it?"

Angela looked around at the expansive underground hangar. She could almost see the SWAT Kats rushing around, getting ready for some mission or other. If this was her reward for winning a case for Chance and Jake, she had to go to bat for these guys more often. She walked over to the lockers, frowned at the padlocks on them. "Damn. I wanted to see the suits."

Felina shrugged. "They're not in there. Besides, you've seen 'em enough on the news."

The redhead looked over her right shoulder. "Yeah, but that's not the same!" She turned toward the lockers again. "I am very, very jealous of Ann Gora right now. She gets to film these guys almost constantly."

They headed toward the TurboKat and Alicia ran a hand along the underside of the jet. Okay, maybe touching the suits was the second most exciting thing she could do. This topped that by a mile. Hard to believe all this was going away as soon as today. They didn't waste any time in removing everything that linked them to their other identities. After all, they didn't have to be here anymore.

She had a hard time removing her hand from the thing, but she reluctantly did so. "Callie's lucky as hell. I mean, it's a shame she almost died then, but she's lucky all the same. I couldn't even imagine doing something like this."

"Yeah, well you won't have to."

She turned to face the voice behind her. "So this is it, huh?"

Chance nodded. "Yeah, we got everything set up."

Jake walked behind him, a manila envelope in his hands. "I sure hope Pumadyne knows they can't just make this stuff for anyone, or any old Enforcers. Yeah, they need new equipment and all that, but this stuff?" Jake shook his head. "This stuff is specialized. We're talking SWAT team level. The vehicles, the Glovatrix, the micro-charges… all sorts of stuff they could use." He grinned. "Plus, they have higher-grade materials than we use. It's gonna be exciting to see what they do with all this."

Chance nodded. "Yeah, that or horrible. If this stuff gets into the wrong hands, it'll be our fault." He turned to Jake. "Which is why I still think you should reconsider this."

Jake shook his head. "It's classified as a top-secret black box project. At least, that's how I marked it. I'm sure people are going to wonder where the Enforcers got this kinda tech, but they don't have to know. Soon as they see it, they'll understand."

Chance sighed. "If you say so." He smirked. "I guess we're about to find out what happens if more people fought like a SWAT Kat." He looked toward the TurboKat. "What about our girl?"

Jake looked up at the jet, his silence stretching on for a few seconds. "We're not giving this baby to anyone. No one should have this kind of power."

Chance didn't say anything for a few moments, and then nodded. "You're right. They shouldn't." He turned toward Felina and Angela. "We're gonna cement this place up before we finally leave. Make sure no one gets in. Also, we're giving everyone a clear sign that the SWAT Kats are hanging up their helmets."

Angela raised an eyebrow. "And just how are you doing that?"

Calico Briggs lounged on the couch of her new upscale apartment, a hand over her eyes.

So it was over.

She didn't have to hide anymore, didn't have to be someone else. Sure, she wouldn't forget what she'd learned, and the whole experience was the most amazing she'd ever had, but… it made her so tired. It was why she'd decided to stop being a ghost. If it was that draining being dead, she was glad to have her life back.

She smiled. Besides, the look on Mayor Manx's face was priceless. She wished she had a camera so she could freeze that expression—

Her phone rang, breaking into her thoughts. She groaned and slithered off of the couch, rubbing her eyes as she headed for the phone on the kitchen counter. This better be good. "Hello?"

"Turn on the TV."

She blinked. "…Felina?"

"No time, just do it. Stay on the phone."

Callie headed back toward the couch, her tail curled like a question mark. "I guess you'll explain everything to me as it happens, right?" She turned on the television, just in time for breaking news. She stared as cameras focused on the TurboKat as it hovered five thousand feet over the clock tower. "Okay, what am I looking at?"

"Just wait…"

She rolled her eyes. "Come on already, the suspense is…" A camera zoomed in. "…killing me."

One word was decaled onto the left side of the jet in intricate white cursive. Callie didn't say anything for a few seconds as her mind tried to process what she looked at. She read the word out loud to herself, just to make sure she wasn't mistaken. "Goodbye."

The other end of the line was silent. She didn't notice.

Felina grinned as she heard Callie read the message. She put her on hold as soon as she heard it and switched over to a certain cell phone. "Do it."

The TurboKat's engines went full tilt, carrying the jet higher than the helicopters could reach. She nosed up as the engines switched from hover to flight mode, and the jet shot into the blue. Speed of Heat. Always useful when one wanted to make a fast exit. She could just see the boosters ignite before it completely faded from the view of the cameras.

"Solid, it's on its way. Good launch. Head over to my place, we'll celebrate." She hung up, the phone automatically switching to the other line. "Hey, you there?"

"…It's gone, isn't it?"

Felina nodded. "It's gone."

A sigh on the other end. "I was hoping they'd keep it around. Who knows when we'll need it again?"

Felina grinned. "What, you think the TurboKat was what won all those fights? The kats inside the jet did all the work. As long as they're still around, this city still has friends." She leaned closer to the screen. "It's not over yet. Keep watching."

The camera imaging switched to a view from one of MASA's satellites. They actually let the news station use those? She shrugged. Whatever. It caught a good view as the TurboKat climbed ever higher into the sky, past the ozone layer, headed toward low earth orbit… and then the camera view switched again. Felina blinked. "Wow."

Out in space, anyone watching had a good view of the TurboKat and the message that Razor left on one side. "I didn't expect it to go on this long. This must be one of their advanced ones."

"I know, right? But are they just gonna leave it there or…"

The voice on the other end went silent as the TurboKat's boosters stopped firing. For a few seconds, nothing happened. "I guess they are gonna leave it there."

The jet floated there, lifeless and docile, until a sudden flash of light came from the cockpit. They couldn't hear the explosion over the television, but they certainly could see it from here. And the destruction of the cockpit led to another explosion further down the ship, and then to a chain of them until the fuel lines for the engines went off.

Once that happened… the TurboKat really did say goodbye.

"There… now it's gone." Felina turned off the TV and leaned back on her couch. "Hey, even I have to admit it's sad to see it go. But that kind of tech doesn't belong to anyone. I feel better knowing that at least the gadgets will be in the hands of the Enforcers soon."

A pause on the other end. "You know, I think I'll get serious about becoming the Mayor. That just changed a lot of things for everyone." Callie sighed. "I know I said I wouldn't want the job…"

Felina chuckled. "But that's why you would make a good Mayor, Callie."

"I never did understand what that meant."

Felina nodded. "You will." She hoped so, because she didn't have a clue either.

Felina heard a knock on her door and stood, stretching her limbs and tail before heading toward the entrance. "Got people coming in, I gotta go. We'll talk later, okay?" She hung up and opened the door, revealing Chance and Jake with a few bags full of something that smelled incredible. Felina grinned. "You guys brought food!"

Chance beamed right back at her. "Well it is a party, right? What's a party without food?" He kicked off his Doc Martens and walked in with them. "So yeah, is Callie coming?"

Felina shrugged. "She's getting some rest right now. You can go over there after this if you want."

Chance shook his head, shrugging out of his jacket as he made his way further into the apartment. "Nah, I wouldn't want to disturb her sleep. Come to think of it, she's got a lotta stuff to do in the next few months. I don't want to get in her way at all." He tossed the leather jacket over the couch, headed for the kitchen to put the bag somewhere.

Jake walked in behind him, his own shoes left in the closet next to Chance's. "I'm not sure she sees it like that. If you asked her, she'd tell you she wants you to stay with her."

Chance looked over his right shoulder. "You sure about that, bud?" He headed over to the leather loveseat and sat, sinking into the comfortable chair with a sigh. "Anyways, I'd rather have my own place to stay at. Staying with her would feel like mooching, you know?"

Felina hopped over the back of the couch and plopped down. "Well either way, all that cash is gonna go a long way. Pumadyne certainly paid you guys handsomely for the blueprints for all those gadgets and vehicles. Hopefully, no one else will get their hands on those besides the Enforcers." She looked toward Jake. "How much was it again?"

Jake chuckled. "More than enough. I can't even believe they paid double for what I asked!" He looked out from the kitchen. "Hey, you want me to break out the milk?"

"It's in the fridge." Felina looked over at Chance. "So what are you gonna do now?"

Chance bowed his head for a few seconds, as if in thought. "I dunno, I've always wanted to work on cars. Y'know, build a custom one from scratch, restore an old classic, stuff like that." He looked up at Felina. "You did that yourself, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, got all the parts on my own paycheck."

Chance smiled. "I could do something like that, open my own garage and actually keep the cash people pay me for doing this. 'Course, I'm gonna need my own place first, and with the way things are, that's not necessarily gonna be easy."

Felina smirked. "So you're gonna mooch after all."

Chance sighed. "Yeah, just not off of Callie."

"Well whatever you do, don't decide right now." Jake walked back toward them with three bottles of milk. "You probably won't be able to do much of that in a few minutes!"

Chance laughed and grabbed a bottle as Jake passed him. "I know that's right!" He unsealed the bottle and lifted it above his head. "Here's to the new MegaKat City!"

Epilogue: The Winds of Change

Guys… it's done.

I mean damn, I never thought I'd say that, but I'm saying it. It. Is. Done. After years of setbacks, toil, and massive writer's block, I have my first complete, full-package story, wrapped up in a nice little bow. And you guys have really added onto the list of people who like it. And because you guys liked it so much, we have arrived at this, the culmination of events.

Now some aren't going to like the way this ended. I'm willing to accept that. But bear with me on this, because it's for a purpose.

On a very personal note, I don't like Commander Feral, despite the victories I gave him in this story. He's arrogant, he's inflexible, and he's bullheaded. Not the thing a police force needs in a leading man. I wanted to punish him for the full extent of the law, which realistically, would have been much harsher. But thanks to ulyferal, I let him slide. It saved me about four thousand words worth of text.

I just hope that was a good decision on my part.

Regardless, leave reviews, EVERYONE! Throw confetti if you want, blow some noisemakers, have a good cold glass of milk! Hell, you're even allowed to purr a bit.

Me? I'm going to take a catnap.

This is your Slayer, and I have triumphed.