I just want to clarify three things before I start:
- My English is not very good: I use translators to be able to publish it; with time I hope to improve. If you notice any grammatical errors, please let me know.
- This fic is a crossover that takes elements from another franchise; almost all my works are crossovers. I don't have the rights to any of the franchises.
- In the places where I published it, I had a little more freedom regarding bad words. I will correct that to publish it here; don't worry.
Anyway, that's it. I hope you enjoy it.
LOGLINE: Before becoming known as T-Bone and Razor, Jake Clawson and Chance Furlong had their first big adventure from which they barely escaped with their lives. Fifteen years later, and after the disappearance of a child in their old neighborhood, everything indicates that the past has not forgotten about them, although it seems that they have forgotten about him.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 1: Beware of the Door.
Gatalina Valley, Megakat City. Fifteen years ago.
— We're almost there, Jake! Run Run!!
— She's following us, Chance! We're not gonna make it!
— Sure we are, there's the door! Come on!
There it was: in the midst of the thick and stale darkness, the barely illuminated threshold with a half-open door stood up. Chance was the first one to cross, barely followed by Jake, who after the cry of "Close it!", hurried to look for the key in his pockets while Chance turned his back on the door to try to block it.
A loud knock shook the door, accompanied by an eerie scream that shook the two little kids. Chance wasted no time in blocking the door; despite being only ten years old, he was a robust and strong child for his age, while Jake, a year and a half younger, was much thinner and excelling in his intelligence.
— The key, Jake! Get the key!
— I'm not finding it: it got tangled up in my pockets!
— Hurry, she wants to get out!
— I got it! -In an attempt to take it carefully it slips from his fingers- Crud!
— JAKEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
— I got it, Chance!
— CLOSE IT!!
With hasty movements, Jake put the key in the lock and turned it as far as possible to lock it; then he hastily took the key out and held it in his paw before another loud knock on the door surprised them. He immediately helped his friend lock it with all his might.
It didn't take long for the banging and screaming to stop; the presence of any kind of threat soon vanished. Both children relaxed and sat down on the floor, supported by the door and extremely tired.
— I think she's gone, Jake. -Chance sighed- Finally.
— So it seems. -answered the youngest child with cinnamon fur; suddenly, he started crying- We couldn't save them, Chance.
— I know... -the older one put a paw on Jake's shoulder and patted him, but he couldn't hide his disappointment- But they said that the important thing was that we managed to escape; don't worry.
— But I promised! I told them I would get them out of there and I couldn't! -the little boy ended up hugging Chance; He didn’t know what to say- If I had not slipped...
— Jake, you tried; we tried. And we’re alive, and so are your parents: that's what matters.
— What are we going to do now?
Both boys looked at the key on Jake's right paw: it was black, very old, with a button head. Who would have thought that a key would bring so much trouble? Well, now they knew.
— We have to get rid of it.
— I will do it; trust me: no one else will ever see this thing again. -he replied more firmly and calmly. He had stopped crying- Chance...
— Yes?
— Thanks for coming to save me, buddy.
— Nah, it's nothing. -Chance replied, as if to diminish his importance- I had to it. Who would help me with my summer vacation homework if something happened to you?
Normally that comment would make him angry, but instead, Jake laughed along with his friend; at least Chance recognized that he wasn't that bright in school. Jake looked at the clock in the living room: it was almost dawn.
— I have to return home. -said the robust child- Or my parents and my brothers will kill me.
— You'll be fine?
— HAH! Do not worry. -he replied with a heavy heart as he was about to leave the house- I know how to avoid being discovered.
— Well, be careful.
— Jake… -Chance turned to him, facing him: his expression was more serious than usual. He put his right paw close to his friend- Let's make a promise.
— Promise?
— Promise me that we will never, EVER, cross that door again, not to mention what happened. And if someone breaks it, we will stop being friends.
— But Chance ...
— Forgetting it little by little is going to be the best, don't you think?
Jake was hesitant about such a request. Not to talk about it again and otherwise stop being friends? It was a risky gamble: neither he nor Chance were exactly the most popular kids in school. On the other hand, was it worth sacrificing something so valuable for a matter that had already been settled? Chance was right: forgetting it would be for the best.
— I promise, Chance.
— Right. So I'm leaving before my family wakes up. You’ll come to my house to play later, right?
— I'll try. -he answered unconvinced- I don't know what I'm going to tell my parents…
— You're smart, Jake. -he smiled knowingly- You'll think of something, and don't forget to help me with my homework!
— Of course. See you, Chance.
Jake stayed for a few moments on the porch of his house to watch his friend walk down the sidewalk in the dark, lit only by the streetlights that would soon stop working to make way for the daylight. That was what Jake lacked: the courage and bravery of Chance to walk alone through the streets of the neighborhood at night despite being only ten years old, or to enter his house without permission to rescue him from...
No: he had to keep his word even within his mind. Chance had saved his life and that was all that mattered; he would keep his promise. After closing the door of his house, he turned his eyes to the key, even in his paw: there was one last thing to do before burying everything that had happened in oblivion.
Taking advantage of the fact that his parents were still asleep -assuming they had returned- he took care of getting rid of the key before going to bed.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Megakat City. Today.
The living room was empty, save for a little ten-year-old boy, with gray tabby fur in blue shorts and a white short-sleeved T-shirt, sitting on the couch in front of the turned on TV and hugging an old doll who looked very much like him.
Normally he should be in his bed trying to sleep because it was past nine o'clock, but nobody was there to reproach him: his father had gone out of the house, and who knows what time he would come back; his mother was in her room, lying down and possibly reading in silence. That did not matter to him: he preferred to be there alone watching the TV at those hours when the news of the night shift was on; if he was lucky, he could see the only interesting thing at that hour.
And that night, he was lucky.
“This is Ann Gora of Kat's Eye News reporting from the Megakat City downtown where moments ago the Swat Kats stopped another of Dr. Viper's evil plans.” -the camera points to the night sky, focusing on the of the Turbokat cabin- “There they are!"
Seeing their faces, which despite the distance, were recognizable, provoked a smile on the boy's almost inexpressive face: seeing his heroes was a rejoicing balm in the face of the dreary routine life. Then came the babbling of Commander Feral complaining as always; no matter how much that grumbler scolded: the Swat Kats were very popular among school children, and it was common for many to play at being them or even to build replicas of the Turbokat out of cardboard and pieces of wood.
He kept watching the news, even though they talked about boring things, always hugging his doll, who noticed a certain sparkle in its button eyes. Possibly from the reflection of the TV, he thought.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
"Jake ... Chance ... How much they’ve grown ... I missed them so much"
__________________________________________________________________________________________
It had been a busy night: Viper was leaving on his one-million-third attempt to turn the city into a paradise for the most psychopathic ecoterrorists, and of course, they had come to stop him ... and of course, the Enforcers were late so as not to make a big deal out of it, as usual.
— I'm beginning to wonder if Dr. Viper is missing a brainstorm, T-Bone: his latest plan reminds me so much of one of his earlier plans.
— Freeing up a mutant salad buffet all over the city? -asked the Turbokat pilot mockingly- Yes, it brings back memories of roasted cabbage.
— Let's just hope that if he takes the trouble to come back, he'll be a little more original. Or fighting it will get a little boring.
— Nah: kicking that lizard's tail will never be boring, Razor.
— Sure!
— What do you say? A little night patrol before going home?
— Roger, T-Bone. After all, Callie can't be our alarm forever; she needs to sleep.
— Right! I know a shortcut that’ll save us time!
— You and your shortcuts, T-Bone!
The Turbokat crossed the Megakat’s skies, watching for any suspicious movement they might find; some passers-by managed to see the silhouette of the jet ploughing through the darkness and hearing the roar of its engines as it crossed between the buildings in daring maneuvers, the vast majority just hearing the famous plane without seeing it. And some other vermin ended up surprised to hear such a noise at night and raise their eyes to the sky in search of the source of that deafening noise. From the Turbokat, its occupants couldn't tell who was looking at them down there. Did it matter? The people had their own affairs, and so did they.
Nor could they see all those eyes that looked at them with curiosity, with astonishment, with anxiety. Least of all the little ones: tiny black beads with a faint crimson glow, whose source raised its head and pointed at the sky after the Turbokat passed by.
“We are small but we are many
We are many, we are small
We were here before you rose
We will be here when you fall”
__________________________________________________________________________________________
After touring the city and finding nothing that required their help, the Swat Kats returned to their hangar. It was dark, and the Salvage Yard was deserted, so there was no risk of being discovered: Razor had insisted several times on installing security cameras around it, but T-Bone said it was a bad idea with a very good justification. Why put surveillance cameras on a junkyard? Although the smaller Swat Kat had good reason to disagree, he admitted that his partner was right: if those idiots Burke and Murray found them installing those cameras, they would tell Feral, and he could come and investigate.
Fortunately, Feral had left them in that Salvage Yard since he kicked them out of the Enforcers and never set foot there. “Better for everyone”, thought Razor, who pondered this and that as they approached their home.
— Today is Friday, right? -T-Bone asked pleasantly- Let's go outside and do something: the city owes us.
— How to get girls or something?
— Only if you put the kittens, Razor.
— Sure, T-Bone: I can invite Callie; But who do I leave your leash with?
— You invite Callie? Oh, you want to make me jealous, huh?
— Stop talking nonsense. -the gunner scoffed- Let's go out and get some pizza; I'm not paying for the delivery.
— Sounds good to me. Extra cheese and extra anchovies!
— And double portion of pineapple!
— Razor... putting pineapple on pizza should be a crime that we fight more often.
— I'm just kidding, T-Bo…! Huuh?
Razor turned to his right, towards a pile of garbage a few metres from the hangar: out of the corner of his eye he saw—or thought he saw something— moving, and with bright eyes. moving, and with shining eyes. They were already storing the Turbokat underground when T-Bone asked him if something was wrong.
— Uh ... nothing. I thought… saw something; maybe it was a raccoon.
— Ah, then there is no problem: they are very common. You have very good eyesight.
— I'm your gunner for a reason, buddy.
Once safe, they took off their uniforms and dressed in civilian clothes ready to go out: both of them with jeans and a pair of sneakers, Chance in a black tank top, and Jake in a red collared shirt. Jake turned his eyes silently thinking that Chance wanted to show off his physique if he was lucky enough to find a pretty girl at the pizzeria. So what will you do if you get one? Will you bring her here? Or will you pay for a motel? He thought. Then he erased those thoughts from his head when the "Shortcut Master" made a gesture for him to go with him.
Fortunately, the Turbokat was undamaged, so it did not require repairs or any major overhaul. Unless an emergency arose, they had the night to themselves.
— You´re planning to achieve a conquest, Chance?
— You never know. -he laughed heartily- The night is young.
— I hate to ruin your expectations, but with the car we're going to use, I doubt a girl will come near you.
— Is the kitten going to go out with me or with the car? Come on, get in: we'll take a shortcut, since I'm starving.
— Oh, Chance...
Chance's shortcuts were known to be winding roads, full of potholes, with many turns and a driver who was willing to do anything. Fortunately, they managed to survive such a labyrinth and reach a downtown pizzeria: since it was Friday, and it was also summer vacation, there were many children in the company of their parents. Some were running around the pizzeria and others were having fun in the play area.
Despite the noisy environment, they chose to stay there. They placed their order at the counter and settled at a table for two to wait for it to be ready. To pass the time, there were free breadsticks that they would take advantage of.
— If you were thinking of making a conquest ... -Jake said smiling maliciously from ear to ear as he looked side to side at the place- you chose the wrong time and place.
— We came for pizza, not for girls. -he replied with a shrug, pretending to downplay the matter- If you want to look for them, we can go somewhere else later.
— I prefer pizza, Chance. It's more… cheaper.
— Sure.
— And if I wanted to invite a girl, it would be Callie.
— Good luck with that, Jake. -he added before ate a breadstick; him sight stopped at the children's playground- What days, huh? It's a shame we're too big for that place.
— I hate that box of balls: once they made me try them and they tasted horrible.
— Hahaha!! It's true: they told you they were fruits and you believed it. How old were we?
— It was my seventh birthday, Chance. My parents organized a party and invited the whole class. -Jake remembered, folding his arms- You ate a whole pizza and two slices of cake.
— I remember, yes. Your father's business was still going good.
A sudden memory crossed Chance's mind as he mentioned that fact. What date was today exactly? When he realized, his expression changed to a more serious one.
— Jake...
— Yes?
— There are a few days left of the...
— I know... -he sighed reluctantly and some disgust. It wasn't exactly his favorite topic- I know.
— You’re planning to visit your mom?
— For what? It is not something we want to talk about; Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings are already quite… tense. -he put another breadstick in his mouth- I don't even know why I keep going.
— Buddy: it's your family.
— Since we got kicked out of the Enforcers, I'm practically the black sheep of the family, Chance. My mother was very disappointed in me; she thought it would be the only good thing to come out of her relationship with… my father.
— My family was also disappointed in me, but I keep in touch with them.
— It's not the same, Chance.
— Jake...
— Look: I understand what you want to do, and I appreciate it. But as far as I'm concerned, you’re my real family. Now, can we pay attention to when they call us to pick up our pizza?
— Yes… Sure.
It was only a couple of minutes before their pizza was ready and they had to pick it up; Jake took the box along with a few cans of milk and urged his friend to come home. Chance followed him and got in the car without saying anything, other than to give his friend a sad look from time to time without him noticing.
Interestingly for Jake, the road back was less turbulent than usual for Chance's shortcuts, which was strange. With the milk cans by his feet and the box in his lap, he settled down in the passenger seat and slowly began to fall asleep.
Spoiler:
— Jake, Jake… Wake up, buddy.
— Huh? ... -he asked confused after feeling a few pats- What?
— That happens for not taking my shortcuts: they make you drop your guard.
— This isn’t the Turbokat, Chance… -he blinked repeatedly, still struggling to open his eyes- Where are we?
— We're going to rent a movie. -Jake turned to his right and looked out the window: they were in front of a video store with a few customers inside. He turned to his friend- What do you want to do? Laugh, cry or scream?
— Laughing sounds good.
— Then… “Scaredy Kat, The Movie!"
— I said laugh, not cry, Chance.
— Come on, it's not that bad! If you want, to rent two. Any suggestions?
— I doubt the pizza will be enough for both of us... and if I think about it, maybe not even one, considering my partner.
— Very funny, Jake. -he gave him a light slap on the head- Go?
— If you don't mind, I'll stay here.
— Okay ... Hey, I ... I'm sorry I ... touched on that topic. I know that…
— Don't worry, Chance. Come on, go: I take care of the car.
With Chance at the video store, Jake was left alone, thinking about that dream he had just had. Okay; in fact, he had to admit that more than a dream, it was a memory of his childhood: a not very pleasant one. His father's business began to lose money and that was the reason for strong discussions in his family, discussions that always ended with his father mistreating his mother... and in the worst cases, himself. This bastard, who by mere formality called "father", was unable to tame his problems and ended up blowing off steam in his family. Was it really worth visiting his mother to remember him?
There was a detail of his memory that intrigued him: he was in his bed, and he had a doll. It was a doll, right? He wasn't the type to play with those things: most kids his age saw them as girlish. But he was hugging a doll in that memory. Who had given it to him? There was something about that doll...
His ears suddenly stood up: he had heard something hitting the car, small but audible; he even heard something like soft and constant tapping. He opened the door, put the pizza on the seat and went out to see what had caused it: outside there were few people walking on the sidewalks, but beyond them, and after turning around he saw nothing strange. When he wanted to return to his seat, he ran into Chance, who was watching him with intrigue.
— What are you doing, Jake? If you wanted to come with me, you would have said so.
— No; is not that. It's just that I thought I heard something hitting the car.
— TO MY BABY?! -Chance ran to the car, checking every millimeter- What did they do to you?
— Didn't you have "another baby"? -referring to the Turbokat-
— They’re all my babies! What did they do to him, Jake?! -he began to get exasperated- Who was it?
— I dont know; I don't even know if I really heard anything. Could you calm down?
— Well... It doesn't look like there's any scratches. Let's go home before the pizza gets cold.
— And before you lose your mind.
They returned to the car and made their way home without any inconvenience... except for another of Chance's famous shortcuts. The rest of the night was for them: without the alarm sounding, they were able to enjoy a moment of rest that Megakat rarely gave them on weekends; as if even the villains took advantage of them not to carry out their crimes.
The pizza was good, and so was the milk; the movie ... well: if you could call “movie” an episode of Scaredy Kat of more than 105 minutes and wrapped in a pathetic plot attempt by a mediocre scriptwriter of few ideas... it was moderately passable. It made him laugh several times; Chance, for his part, was a volcano of continuous laughter whose secondary effect was the repeated eruptions of milk coming out of his nose and that ended up splashing it even on his face. It didn't matter: it was clear that one liked physical comedy and the other something more intellectual, but in the same way they were having a good time, and Jake got over it after remembering "that" imminent date.
After finishing the “best comedy movie of all time” -Chance's words- the idea of watching the next one came up: "Independence Day". It wasn't a bad choice; they both liked it and from time to time they talked about the idea of imagining themselves in the place of the two guys who entered the alien mother ship and saved the world: Chance as the pilot -obvious- and Jake as the one who created and downloaded the virus.
While it sounded childish, they laughed at just discussing this crazy fantasy.
— It's a little late, and we’re out of pizza. How about we save it for tomorrow, Chance?
— Looks like we don't have another one, right? Besides, we have work early tomorrow.
— Right. -Jake turned off the TV- Shall we clean up before bed?
— Nah, leave it like that; we'll do it tomorrow. Let's go to sleep.
— Whatever you say.
They just turned off the light and changed their clothes to lie down on their beds. Tomorrow would be another day in the garage, another day for the Swat Kats.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
“We are small, but we are many
We are many, we are small
We already know where
you are and she will know.
She misses you very much
and you will see her very soon."
