How far the mighty have come

Chapter one: Out of the smoke …and into the fire.

Beta work by: ulyferal (thanks for your help)

Razor knelt down in the street to check out an oil slick he'd seen on the ground. He touched it with a finger and brought it to his nose. Sniffing, he scented a familiar sweet odor. He rose to his feet and wiped his finger off on his g-suit's pant leg.

"Got something?" Lt. Felina Feral asked, walking up behind him. This had been one long day.

"Yeah...it's the Thundertruck alright. I put a special type of oil in the thing giving it a sweet smell...like Pomegranates." Razor said, moving a few steps down the street, eyeing the oil slick trail. "The truck must have taken a hit...come on we gotta keep moving…we have to find him."

Felina nodded as they both made for the two motorcycles parked behind them. One was the cyclotron and the other was Felina's small Honda Rebel.

"I can't believe this is happening." She said looking up at the sky. "I hate that troll and all the trouble he's brought to this city." She snarled bitterly.

"I know…come on that oil was warm so we're not that far off….we'll talk about troll slaying later." He said distractedly, getting on his bike and pulling it around, Felina close behind him.

As they followed the trail, around them the city lay in ruins. Some months ago, the Pastmaster had slipped into their world rather than roaring in as was his normal habit. He had sneakily left some large, round objects all over the city then disappeared. The katizens that spotted the objects and reported them to the enforcers. Unfortunately, by the time anyone figured out what they were and tried to destroy them, the things began to hatch.

To everyone's horror, it was quickly learned the objects had been dragon eggs. The dragons grew fast and ate everything they could catch. No matter how hard the enforcers and the SWAT Kats tried to eradicate them while they were still small, the creatures were too canny, fast and good at hiding.

Very quickly they grew to large size and were big enough to breed. They were prolific and the city was soon overrun. With their tough bodies that nearly resisted everything they shot at them, the creatures fast speed, cunningness, and ability to hide despite how big they were, made them a nearly unbeatable enemy. Megakat City was quickly being defeated.

The enforcers were taking a terrible beating, losing nearly half their officers and resources. But the worst was the loss of the Turbokat shortly after the war began. A huge red male dragon, T-Bone and Razor named Big Red, had destroyed their jet. Since then, the SWAT Kats had endured many a scuffle with the huge male that always ended with them running. No matter what they did, Big Red was proving to be far too smart and tough, easily thwarting any effort to catch or destroy him.

The katizens were reduced to hiding where they could, no one walked the streets. T-Bone and Razor's lives had been reduced to being constantly on the run, hunting the creatures, resting and hunting again. This morning was no different except for T-Bone getting bitten by one of the smaller dragons. Razor told his partner to leave since he'd been so badly hurt. Without a word T-Bone struggled into the Thunder truck and drove off. Razor hadn't been too worried at first since he had his cyclotron but as soon as he finished off the dragon he tried to reach his partner only to discover the radio wasn't working.

Felina had arrived on the scene and once Razor told her what had happened, volunteered to help him find his injured partner. It was a race against the clock to find T-Bone before he bled out from his wounds and it had already been thirty minutes...Razor hoped his partner was still alive.

Some distance ahead of the searchers, T-Bone had parked the Thunder truck in an alley. He was about ten miles from Megakat Bay where Big Red called his home in the active volcano on Anakata Island.

He was alive but barely. Blood poured from the wound, coating his neck fur and g-suit. He'd tried to stanch it but was far too weak. He'd tried the radio but found it not functioning. Reaching down below his seat with his good arm, he pressed a hidden button which began to flash under the seat. Breathing heavily he let his head fall back against the seat, praying his partner would find him soon. Consciousness deserted him moments later and his body fell limp, his restrains the only thing keeping him upright

Not far away, Razor slowed his speed and was staring at something on his dash when Felina pulled alongside him.

"What is it?" She called out to him over the noise of their bikes.

"It's T-Bone…he set off the tracking signal in the truck. It shows him just ahead of us." He shouted back in excitement. "That means he's alive. Come on...we've got to hurry!" Razor picked up the speed of his bike and raced for the spot the signal indicated, Felina not far behind.

Just as they got close, Felina spotted the truck, "There!" She shouted, swinging her bike in that direction. Razor signaled her to go to the other side of the truck while he went for the driver's side. As soon as he reached the truck, he cut his engine and barely waited for it to stop before he jumped off and went to the cab of the truck.

"T-Bone!" He cried as he saw all the blood.

Felina saw it as well and gasped. She pulled out her radio and barked into it. "I need an ambulance at the alley between Fifth and Green. Male tom cat, early thirties with major injuries and blood loss." She quickly relayed to the voice on the other end.

Razor had the truck door open and was tying a tourniquet on T-Bone's right arm. "Tell them to hurry!" He barked at Felina, knowing T-bone would not survive if he wasn't treated soon. "Stay with me pal…I gotcha." He murmured to his partner who was coming around.

"Razor.." T-Bone said slurrily.

"Shhh...easy buddy...don't talk!" Razor warned him. "I'm taking you to the enforcer resistance base! You need help now!"

"Razor reached into the cab and tried to unbuckle T-Bone's seatbelt. "You just had to have racing seat belts didn't you." Razor muttered in annoyance when he couldn't get the belt to release. He raised his glovatrix and used his small welding torch to cut the latch and free the injured tom.

"They are coming!" Felina ran around to the driver's side door and looked over Razor's shoulder. "How's he doing? She asked in concern. She winced when she got a good look at the injury.

"Looks like he may lose the arm." Razor said softly then noted T-Bone was starting to drift off. He quickly but gently shook him. "No sleeping, buddy...you gotta stay awake" He urged the tabby. He took T-Bone's face in his paws. "Felina's here...I'm here...just stay with us." Razor pleaded.

"Hard…" T-Bone's voice said thickly. He turned his head a little then reached out with his left paw for Felina who quickly leaned forward to take it. Razor moved slightly aside to give her room. "Love..." T-Bone whispered.

"I love you too." She said trying to keep her composure.

Suddenly behind them a non-descript van pulled up followed by an assault vehicle. Several Kats poured out of the van and rushed to their side. Felina and Razor reluctantly moved out of the way.

"We've gotta get him packaged and out of here before we're spotted." Felina barked, turning to combat mode.

The medics quickly took T-Bone's vitals. The head EMT looked over the SWAT Kats injury and frowned worriedly.

"He's got a pulse…get the back board!" He ordered as he quickly wrapped the arm.

Two other medics brought the backboard and soon they were carefully removing the tabby from the truck. As soon as he was on the backboard, the head EMT secured T-Bone's arm to his body so it would not move. "As soon as he's aboard let's get an IV and plasma started. He's lost too much blood and I don't want to lose him before we get him back to base." He ordered calmly.

T-Bone was quickly loaded aboard the van. The medics wasted no time starting an IV in the tabby's good arm and taking his vitals again.

Razor made for the Thunder truck and began pulling things out of it. "The trucks dead. I'm going to arm it to blow...you go on ahead with him. I'll be right behind you. Don't let them..." Razor began to tell Felina before she cut him off.

"I know ..take off his mask." She said firmly then turned and ran up to the assault vehicle. She ordered them to haul her bike aboard while she rode in the van. They did as ordered quickly.

Felina climbed into the van and shut the doors. "Let's get rolling." She barked at the driver and the van quickly took off with the assault vehicle acting as guard behind them.

As she settled on the floor next to T-Bone her heart was breaking at how badly hurt he was but she kept her face blank and professional. It wouldn't do for any of the Kats aboard with her to know how much she was involved with the SWAT Kats, especially with this one.

The medics were doing a lot of things to the tabby and asking him if he could hear them. T-Bone slowly raised his good arm up and waved it a bit looking for someone. Felina reached out and gently pushed it back down to the board.

"I'm here, relax." Was all she dared to say and said nothing more for the rest of the trip.

The head EMT placed an ambu bag over T-Bone's face and instructed Felina, "You handle this!" She nodded and began squeezing the bag at regular intervals, keeping the tom oxygenated.

Meanwhile behind them, Razor removed a few of the more portable weapons and another glovatrix from the truck and packed them on his cyclotron. Grabbing a proximity mine, he placed it on the center console and set the timer then began to move off.

"I'm sorry to do this to you, old girl. You've been good to us." He muttered regretfully, patting the truck one last time then heading for his bike at a run. Soon he was zooming in the direction his partner had gone while behind him a very loud explosion rocked the area, sending truck parts and fire into the air.

Some twenty minutes later, the van hurtled into the hidden base the enforcers had turned their basement section into from what was left of the badly damaged Enforcer Building overhead. It was fortunate they had heavily fortified floors below ground level. The cell block was now being used as office space and the armory was still intact. There were four floors below ground that had been converted to quarters, medical suite, operations center and communications. On the first floor, just below where the damaged lobby of the building, was where they had what vehicles they had left, fuel and missiles. To gain access to this their hidden base, they had blown a hole in the nearby subway that ran beside it. The newly created opening allowed them to use a subway entrance to access their new headquarters. It was guarded by a huge electrified gate that kept the smaller dragons at bay and the larger dragons couldn't enter the tunnel at all keeping them safe to plan and launch their attacks.

T-Bone was sedated and lying on an operating table while doctors worked furiously to save his life. Felina remained at his side ensuring no one removed his mask. She wore surgical garb and mask and watched as they worked on him.

'Come on T-Bone...come one...fight...don't give in!' She said silently to herself.

Meanwhile, Razor had arrived and parked his bike, securing it so no one would mess with it. He walked across the massive garage and made it to the elevator. A pair of enforcers simply nodded at him and let him pass. The animosity between the SWAT Kats and them was gone since every able Kat that could fight was needed to beat back the dragons.

Razor stopped at the floor where the medical area was and walked down to the doors and through. Standing near a pair of doors was Feral. He looked toward him when he'd heard the elevator. Razor came up to his side and look through the window near the door and saw the group working on T-Bone.

"You can't go in there." Feral said gruffly.

"I know. I trust Felina to guard T-Bone." Razor said flatly.

"Looks like you two had a run in that you didn't escape so well from." Feral said calmly. "We can't afford to lose any warrior...not even you two..." He admitted. He paused when a doctor came out of the room. "How is he?" He asked before Razor could

"He'll live…that arm though..." The doctor started to say, grimly.

"Take it off." Razor said quietly not taking his eyes off T-Bone on the other side of the glass "I know it has to come off." He shook his head and turned to Feral to ask, "Commander is Professor Hackle here?"

Feral blinked in surprise but answered readily, "Yes he is...why?"

Razor didn't answer him as he turned to the doctor again. "Take the arm off…anything to save his life but ensure you leave a proper flap for a prosthetic" Razor told him. The doctor nodded as Feral sucked in a breath but didn't speak. "Tell Felina, I'll be with Hackle," He called out to the doctor's back. The doctor nodded then disappeared back in the surgery room.

Razor turned to Feral. "Please take me to Hackle." He said.

Feral eyed him a moment then turned and lead the way down the hall without a word.

An hour or so later, T-Bone had been moved into a small recovery room that held two beds. Several machines were hooked up to him, monitoring his condition. He was being kept sedated so that he could recover faster.

He looked pale lying there on his back. His right arm was gone from the shoulder joint down. Crisp white bandages covered the stump and wrapped around his bare chest.

Half dozing in a chair beside his bed was Felina. Once the doctors said he was stable, they allowed her to lock the door to the room to secure T-Bone's safety and identity. She was startled by a knock on the door.

She climbed stiffly to her feet and unlocked it and peered out. Razor stood there, a notebook and pen in his paw. She smiled and let him in. He moved to T-Bone's side and looked down at him a moment before taking another seat near the one Felina had been sitting on. She locked the door and sat down across from him.

Razor had opened his notebook and she could see a page full of schematics drawn there.

"What's that?" She asked rubbing an eye.

"T-Bone's new arm." He said. "I'm using a glovatrix as my matrix and converting it into a fully working arm. Professor Hackle is going to use his expertise to help us attach the robot arm to T-Bone's shoulder. He has the know how to make the connections between robot and living tissue. If it works like we hope, T-Bone will be able to use this arm just like his original except this one will be metal and have all his armaments built in. He won't need an external glovatrix. The Professor is willing to make the arm but not the armaments. I'll be doing those." Razor explained.

"Sounds great! I'm not surprised the Professor won't build the weapons in the arm not after all the trouble he endured with the Metallikats." She said quietly then eyed the smaller tom for a moment. "You gonna be ok?"

Razor nodded "Yeah thanks Felina." He smiled. "Get some sleep."

Felina sighed and nodded. She lowered the side rail to T-Bone's bed and laid down next to him on his uninjured side. She took his left paw in hers and closed her eyes.

Razor watched the pair for a little. He smiled, glad T-Bone had someone like Felina. He was equally glad she was their friend. He sighed and returned to his schematics. He needed to get it done soon.

When Felina woke the next morning, T-Bone was still resting quietly and on the other bed beside them, Razor was asleep, his notebook opened beside him. Yawning, she slipped off the bed and walked over to Razor. She carefully took the notebook and pencil away and put them on a table then gently reached for his helmet to remove it.

Razor snapped awake, grabbing her hand. "It's me." She said quietly. "I was just trying to remove your helmet so that you could sleep easier. Now, why don't you do that and get some more sleep. I'm going to get some coffee. I'll lock the door." She told him.

Razor sighed and nodded, removing his helmet and putting it aside. "Make sure it's locked from the inside." He muttered, closing his eyes again.

"Always do." She said "Rest well guys." Felina walked out of the room and pulled the door shut. She turned and came face to face with her uncle and Callie Briggs.

"How are they?" Callie asked folding her arms across her chest.

"Resting." Felina told them easily. "I'll let you in to see them in a bit. I'm going to get some coffee." With that she turned to start off down the hall when she was stopped by her uncle.

"You'll let us in?" Feral said in annoyance. "Felina I'm in charge."

"It's six in the morning, Razor's exhausted and T-Bone is sedated. They trust me to protect their safety and their identities while they are in our paws. They are not enforcers and don't need your harassment right now, Uncle!" She told her Commander bluntly, willing to take a charge of insubordination if necessary.

Feral began to fume. "Felina…" He growled warningly.

"Enough!" Ms. Briggs snapped, walking between the two of them and putting a paw on Felina's shoulder and one on Feral's chest. "Keep me updated Felina," She said to the she-kat then turned to the Commander. "Feral let's go talk …" She said firmly, releasing them and starting to walk down the hallway.

Glaring at Felina a moment then shaking his head, Feral followed the Deputy Mayor.

It was several hours later, when T-Bone woke, suddenly groaning, his breathing heavy. "No..." He mumbled.

Razor jerked up from his contemplation of the ceiling. He'd gotten some sleep and was thinking about the schematics he was working on. He climbed off the bed and hurried to T-Bone's side. He really wasn't supposed to be awake but the strong tabby had fought off the sedatives.

"T-Bone…" He said softly. His partner continued to moan. "Ohhh Chance...it's alright...shhh."

"Uhhh...Razor?..." T-Bone mumbled, his eyes still closed.

"Yeah, it's me buddy. Take it easy and try not to move too much." Razor said gently.

"Tell me….how bad...is it?" The tabby asked, his face tight with pain.

"Your right arm…is gone …." Razor said, swallowing his sorrow. "I'm sorry pal."

T-Bone sighed, moaned and rolled his head away from his friend. Razor was concerned as he moved away from the bed and went to the door. He unlocked it and peered out. An enforcer security guard was standing there and eyed him cautiously.

"What'cha need?" He asked.

"The doc that took care of T-Bone and Professor Hackle, please." Razor asked politely.

"Yes sir." The guard said reaching for his radio.

Razor turned back into the room, suppressing a yawn as he relocked the door and went to sit in the chair beside T-Bone's bed. He took his friends paw in his.

"I'm really sorry, buddy." He murmured.

"Sssnot your fault. Stop...apologizing...you did...what you had to..." T-Bone scolded, panting as talking took a lot out of him. "Big Red …is gonna be…big dead …when I get a hold…of him…" T-Bone hissed out, squeezing Razor's paw.

"Shhh…stop talking." Razor said, stroking his buddy's arm to soothe him. "Everything will be fine, I promise."