AT THE ANTI-CATBEING’S LITTLE-USED WAREHOUSE…
Mabatsekker and GG Crono snuck in through a window on the crumbling building’s second floor, whille Galloway and demgiod worked through the first floor, and demigod snuck from underground. Being the first to get inside, Mabat and GG hid behind some boxes and watched a large gathering of men, running the gauntlet from short and bony to huge and hulking, gather around a spot in the very center of the warehouse. The men were talking in a hushed voice, but it was obvious they had captured someone else, and had no idea their plans for the streets were in ruins.
Meanwhile, Galloway and Pierson hid behind some barrels of industrial waste, careful not to let their movements be observed, or let the evil liquid burn through their hapless flesh. They could hear the men plainly, but many of them were obviously sickly in some way, their voices wavery and almost impossible to decypher.
“I say we kill them now!” said one.
“No!” said a booming voice. “We’re gonna wait for the boys on the street to get back! It’s not often we get a kid!” The Task Forcers felt something in their stomach begin to give way, but dared not attack yet; they still needed some way to close in without being noticed…
“What of this monster’s mother?” said another.
One of them started grunting something. “I suppose we’re due for a good rape,” said another booming voice. The churning in their stomach grew ever more severe; they needed a plan, NOW!
As if in answer to their prayers, a manhole directly beneath one of the thugs erupted, sending him flying into the rafters. The racist goons were distracted as demigod leaped from the sewers into the warehouse, ready for battle. Seizing their chance, Galloway and Pierson moved into battle, while Mabat and GG Crono prepared for a rescue operation.
One of the hulking goons singled out demigod, and charged forward with a large iron rod. The cloaked figrue, however, grabbed the rod in mid-lunge and fired a purple energy blast right into the fool’s upper chest, knocking him out cold. Two of the lower thugs singled out Pierson, and charged him with knives and brass knuckles, but in their haste forgot to check what was directly BEHIND the Task Forcer. Once Pierson had jumped out of the way, they crashed head-long into a bunch of crates filled with stone bricks. Another hulking figure singled out Galloway, and tried to force the saiyan down with his massive body. Galloway, however, powered up a Kaioken times 3 and threw the figure effortlessly over his shoulder, knocking him out for the count.
Meanwhile, Mabat and GG Crono worked their way to a pair of chairs, previously hidden by the gathering. Two catgirls, one an adult and the other a child no older then ten, were tied, gagged, and unconscious. While GG Crono worked to cut their ropes, Mabat was attacked by the same figure that had been sent into the rafters. Rather than waste precious energy, Mabat inhaled a deep breath and, upon exhaling, let lose a torrent of cold that froze his unfortunate opponent to his spot.
With their battle concluded, the hostages freed, and the Catbeing Appreciation Week freed from terrorism once again, the Task Force went to their usual looting, searching for any important clues or information, as well as any other hostages.
A FEW HOURS LATER, AT “MAXIM’S” NEW PAD…
Galloway and GG Crono finished bringing in the last of the boxes, while Kat-Chi joined Mabat on their new balcony. The new apartment was especially nice compared to the rest of the Catgirl District, although still substandard by any other average. The sun was beginning to set, and Pierson and demigod were busy getting some chinese for dinner. The festivities slowly returned to the streets, although in a far more cautious here.
“Do you know who they were?” asked Kat-Chi.
“Veterans from the Catgirl Wars,” said Mabat. “Apparantly, they thought if they couldn’t have you guys, nobody would.” He closed his eyes. “To think someone could hate that way…”
“Unbelievable, isn’t it?” said Galloway, taking a seat on the worn couch.
“Quiet,” growled Mabat. “I still think we should-”
“Give him another chance,” said Kat-Chi. “Face it, if you heard what those…monsters were up to, killing people just because of their species, plotting to rape a mother and kill her child, do you think you would have reacted differently?”
“…I guess not,” said Mabat. “All right, I guess I won’t hold his major faults against him. Besides, this might be good for him.”
“And what about you?” asked Kat-Chi. “Will you continue with the Task Force?”
“Of course,” said Mabat. “And with you closer than ever, living in an underground bunker with a bunch of crazies won’t seem as lonely.”
As Pierson and demigod returned with the chinese, Mabat and Kat-Chi continued to stare out at the streets. This was a slum, all right, but for a brief moment, it seemed like home. They were now in their own little world, free from Galloway and demigod both going for the Peking Duck, free from GG Crono choking on the egg rolls, free from Pierson’s fortune cookie displaying a horrible future. Perhaps things were finally looking up…
BACK AT THE WAREHOUSE…
The building continued to burn, as the man in black watched from the distance. Now satisfied that nobody was getting out of their alive, he reached to call his bosses…only to feel a blade run through his back and all the way to the other side. With his last movements, he looked at his killer, and saw only the face of the mythological Darkness Beckones, staring emotionlessly at him.
THE END OF ISSUE 9
Next Issue: East meets West in a hilarious duel! What will a desperate pair of heroes do when they meet another desperate bunch? Look out for the…ULTIMATE ROBOT SQUAD Z!