Kitty of Heroes: Shock and Claws

This piece was written collaboratively in MoonEdit by myself, Moondancer, and all the other members of the Pinnacle chapter of the Kitty of Heroes supurrrrgroup. It first appeared on the website of the RP Congress roleplaying/writing group, and will be continued there. If you like what you see, you might want to take a look; there are about a zillion other great stories, very active writers, and a wonderful roleplaying community there. Check out the "Our Story Thus Far" index posts (Part One and Part Two) for a starting point. And, of course, read the Infurno stuff first 'cuz that's mine.


Terra paced in the small room, her dinner untouched. She was always like this after the treatments—wired up hard, and nearly bouncing off the walls. Her long tail jerked nervously. The men would be here soon to take her to the training area. She scratched at the short yellow and black fur on her arms. In varying lengths, the same fur covered her whole body.

Sometimes she wondered if it had always been this way. Trouble was, just as she thought she was remembering something new, another batch of treatments wiped it all from Terra's mind. The shots always made her itch badly at first, and even though the girl knew that would pass, she still scratched hard at her ears seeking some relief.

Her amber eyes glistened in the light from the hallway as the door to her cell opened. The man there smiled nervously, an armed guard on either side of him. Terra followed the man in the white lab coat down the hall, her sharp ears hearing the guards in step behind her. They reached the training room and the man in front opened the door and stepped out of the way when Terra entered.

The door was hurriedly locked and a voice called out from behind the black glass high above her. "Now, Terra, place the monitoring bands on your upper arms and your thighs. That's a good girl."

Terra complied, attaching the devices as she was instructed to do. Her body shook slightly. She could feel it primed. Ready. "Whatwedoingtodaywithallthisstuff?"

The man let out a long sigh. "No talking. Just to where the tape makes an X on the floor. Then when I tell you to, just start running."

It went like this for about three hours. The doctors would have her run, then stop so they could take their readings. In the between times she shivered. The treatments of pure adrenalin caused her body to shake and hurt whenever she stopped moving. By the time they had completed their tests, she ached nearly as badly as her now-completely-empty stomach.

In her cell she ate the cold meal ravenously, then curled up under the covers as pain tore through her tiny body. Terra held herself in a tight hug; there would not be anyone else there to comfort her. There never was. As it always did, the pain would keep her up all night. In the morning there would be more testing to determine the aftereffects of the new dosage that had been used.

Terra never understood the details of what was being done to her or why. All she knew was pain and loneliness. Sometimes she dreamed of running away, but where would she go? Who did she know? Only this place was familiar to her. Terra tried to remember anything from before she came here, but searing pain in her head made her stop and curl up on her side. Her arms clenched her knees tightly as she sobbed. This was Terra's life.

But then one day the building shook, dust falling from the ceiling to sprinkle her fur as she lay on the bed. There was shouting, and the frantic footsteps of guards running back and forth in the halls outside, and klaxons so loud they hurt her ears.

Terra got up and brushed off her fur, looking towards the door. She had never heard anything like it. She glanced around fearfully, clamping her hands over her ears as the volume of the commotion grew. If the building was coming down, she was trapped. The thought made her heart feel heavy in her chest.

Through the window in her cell door, Terra suddenly saw the guards retreating, moving backward past it, firing their guns as they went. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed through the hall. She heard the guards cry out as they were slammed against a wall, heard the clatter of metal on tile as their guns fell to the floor.

The young girl moved closer to look through the small window, her curiosity overriding her fear. A fight? Here? She wondered if one of the other subjects had gotten out or if someone had gotten in. Part of her wished she had been the one who had the courage to try to break free.

The people who came into view next were like nobody she had ever seen before. They were big, she could tell that much right away. One of them seemed to be made almost entirely of metal, and he didn't have any hands—just a big hammer hanging from each shoulder. The other was a woman, with long magenta hair, dressed in fishnet stockings and leather, metal gauntlets and shoulder pads, and two big pylons poking up from her shoulders. Electricity crackled up and down along and between the pylons; this must have been the source of the lightning bolt that had thrown the guards.

Terra backed away from the window and moved back against the wall. She had never seen people like that and weren't entirely certain whether to list them as friend or foe. She kept very quiet and simply watched.

"You know what? I think Frankie was lyin' to us," the big metal one said. "I don't think there's any Excelsior in this place. Just a lotta crazy psycho stuff."

"Try that door, Sledge," the woman said, pointing at Terra's cell. "It's locked, maybe there's something good in it."

Terra slipped her slender body under the bed, her eyes watching fearfully as the strange people came to the door.

WHAM! The door bowed inward under the force of a hammer impact. WHAM! The second blow sent the door flying across the room, slamming into the wall next to Terra's bed.

The girl flinched at each loud bang, her head shrieking in pain as the noise made her sensitive ears ring. Not a sound, she told herself. Her heart beat loudly in her chest. Part of her feared they might hear it.

"Huh. It's empty, Shocka," the metal man said.

"Then why did they lock it?" the woman wondered, stepping inside. "Hmmm…" She looked around the tiny cell. The sharp aroma of ozone filled the air, making Terra's nose itch; she rubbed it furiously to suppress a sneeze. As she trembled in her hiding place, she could see the open door behind them She wondered if without her treatments today, if she would still be fast enough to reach it.

Shocka chuckled. "Now, if I were locked in here and I saw us coming…" She walked slowly across the room, to where the door still rocked back and forth after its landing. "…I think…" She knelt down. "…I'd probably try to hide." And she looked over at the bed. "Well…what have we here?"

Terra hissed threateningly as she saw the woman's face peek at her. She pulled herself as far back in a corner she she could manage still hissing and spitting fiecely. She still had her claws. She wouldn't let them hurt her without a fight.

"Hey…ya might as well c'mon outta there, little one. I'm not gonna hurt'cha." Shocka smiled. If it weren't for the magenta hair, the eyes that glowed with the same electricity as the pylons, and the overabundance of makeup, she might actually have been pretty.

The girl stopped hissing and looked at the woman for a moment. With what she'd seen in the hall, they likely could have hurt her already if they wanted to. Terra crept fearfully out from under the bed, keeping a distance away from the strangers.

"Atta girl…" Shocka grinned, and then blinked as she came fully into the light. "Whoa…she's so cute!" She glanced at Sledge. "Whadaya think, can I keep her?"

Sledge shrugged. "You're the brains, I'm just the help."

Shocka looked back at Terra. "C'mon, little one. Let me get'cha outta here. I gotta few things to say 'bout people who lock little girls up."

Terra smiled shyly. Out of here. That sounded like a wonderful idea. Maybe they were nice after all. She moved closer to stand in front of the woman. She knew the doctors hated when she tried to speak, so she she uttered only a single word. "Terra."

Shocka cocked her head. "Nicetameetcha, Terra. I'm Shocka, that's Sledge. C'mon, let's blow this popsicle stand." She offered Terra her arm and Terra landed a slender hand there tentatively. "Attagirl. C'mere." Before Terra knew it, Shocka had scooped her up in her arms and lifted her off the ground—and then lifted herself off the ground. She was flying! Together they zoomed down the hall, past more downed security guards and doctors, past other strange partly-metal people smashing windows or equipment or spraypainting "FREEKZ ROOL!" on the walls, until they reached a set of elevators. Behind them, Terra could hear the heavy stomping of Sledge's metal feet as he ran to keep up.

Terra laughed as she flew. It was not a sound she could remember ever hearing herself make. The place was in shambles but it didn't matter. She hated it here and now could be free. Terra wondered where they were going, and glanced at Shocka quizzically.

"Gonna take ya home," Shocka said. "I got a nice place—well, nice 'nuff, anyway. And I'll make sure nobody else messes with ya."

The girl nodded up at her new friend. A home. A real home. It seemed such an unreal idea to her. Terra tingled with excitement, wondering what that would be like. "okayShockaIamreadytogo!" She giggled.

Shocka laughed. "You're a fast talker, aren'cha? Oh…hope ya like Chinese."

As they passed the lab, Terra thought about the treatments. She had never gone more then a few days without them. For a moment, she wondered what would happen if she did—then she realized that she was probably going to find out. Terra shrugged and turned her attention back to Shocka. "Okieschinesedonnoneverhaditsureloveit."

"You're in for a treat, then!" The elevator opened and Shocka carried Terra inside. Sledge clumped in after her. The elevator whirred, then opened again, and Shocka zoomed down the corridors to the exit. "Sledge, I'll meet'cha back in the Folly, I'm taking the scenic route home." The hammer-man grunted his assent as they pushed open the door and emerged.

Terra squinted as they came out into the sunlight. She had never been outside. It took a bit for her eyes to adjust.

"Hold on tight, kid!" Shocka said with a grin. And then she shot straight up into the air, still gripping Terra tightly in her arms. Suddenly Paragon City was spread out below them in a panorama.

Terra looked around in wonder as they flew over the city. There were buildings that reached up very high, and with her sharp eyes she could see people inside at desks and some walking around. Some people even came to the window and pointed at her and Shocka as they flew by. Terra smiled and waved at the people. Shocka chuckled.

As they passed a park she saw kids playing and laughing, not even noticing them. It looked like fun. "Canwegoplaytheresometimeshocka?"

"Maybe, kid…maybe." Shocka sounded a little distant. "But I might have a better place for ya to play. Just wait an' see."

"OkiesShocka." The girl smiled and looked down to stare at the cars that rushed along the roads. The people were rushing to. Seemed everyone was hurrying. Maybe the people here were not so much unlike her. Well, except Terra noticed she seemed to be the only one with fur.

The part of town they were in seemed to be large and square…there was a great big building in the center like a lump of stone; Shocka seemed to be giving it a wide berth.

"Whatsthat?"

Shocka glanced where she was pointing. "That? Oh, that's the Zig, sweetie. It's a bad place. You don't ever wanna go there."

The girl looked away from the scary building and nodded. "Okiesnogonnagotothebadplace."

"Attagirl!" Shocka had been flying north, now she turned west, making a wide circuit around the bad Zig place. She crossed over the elevated train track, swinging by the tram station as a car pulled in to let people out.

As they passed overhead, Terra saw a group of people in brightly colored outfits moving from the train platform onto the streets. "Whoarethey?TheylookliketheclownsIsawinmypicturesb ooksfromuphere."

"Them? Oh, those are the Carnies. They throw a mean party, but'cha don't wanna get on their bad side. And it wouldn' be your kinda party anyway." Now they headed south. "Ooooh, I see someone I know! Hold tight!" Shocka suddenly swooped in low, over another pair of metal men. Another big metal one, like Sledge except this one had big scythe blades instead of hammers, was lying on the ground, and a guy who had pylons like Shocka was kneeling next to him.

"…want me to get you to a hospital?" the kneeling man was saying.

Shocka cupped the hand that wasn't holding Terra to her mouth and yelled, "Sharps, you faker!" as she zoomed overhead. The metal man sat up and shook one of his blades at Shocka angrily. He yelled something incoherent and probably very bad, but by then Shocka was long gone, giggling.

And then they were back at rooftop height, zooming over brick buildings and high-rises alike. As they passed close to one building, Terra suddenly noticed a bunch of people standing around there who were dressed just like the guards from her lab—and a couple of scientists, too.

The girl curled tighter into Shocka s arms, as if to hide herself. "Theymightseeus."

"Oh, don't worry there, sweetie. They've got bigger fish to fry." Shocka held her tighter as they headed for the big door set into the War Wall.

Terra tummy rumbled a bit at the mention of the word 'fish', but she simply nodded taking it all in. Stuff seemed to be sticking there in her head better then usualy it did. The city was so big and as hard as she tried she was sure she was not seeing everything. Terra's eyes focused on the big gate and read the sign above it. The words above it read 'Creys Folly.' "ThatwherewegoingShocka?"

"Uh-huh! Well, sortakinda." Shocka touched down a few hundred yards up the wall from the entrance, and carefully set Terra down for a moment. "One sec." She walked over to a round sewer grating stuck on a pipe coming out of the wall, and yanked it open. Though the grating was rusty, it didn't creak at all. "OK, sweetie, this place is gonna smell…pretty bad. But it's the only way home since they don't let people like me use those doors."

"Whydon'ttheyletyouusethedoors?"

"Weeeeell, let's just say they and us don't zackly see eye-to-eye on some things." Shocka shrugged. "It's no big deal."

Terra nodded. "OkieswhateveryousayShockaIcanjustholdmynoseorsome thing."

"Now c'mere…this place is icky-dirty, so gonna carry ya so ya don't get any on ya." Shocka offered her arm again, then lifted Shocka into her embrace.

The girl climbed onto Shocka and held on tight. "OkiesIamready."

"Then, here we go!" Shocka lifted off the ground and zoomed into the sewer. Terra got the impression of glistening brickwork, old rusty pipes and valves, and an awful stench. "And try not to look too hard at the water, there's sometimes stuff ya don't wanna see in it." She whizzed through a door into a small chamber, then through another door out of it. "Almost there!"

Terra nodded, her nose scrunched up at the awful smell. Figuring if she kept her eyes open she'd look, she closed them tightly, holding onto Shocka and just trusting she'd let her know when they got there.

"Here…we…GO!" With a loud crackle, bolts of lightning leaped from the pylons on Shocka's shoulders to blast open the grating ahead of them, and without slowing down they shot out into the light. As the sun hit her face, Terra took a deep breath again and opened her eyes.

Crey's Folly was a dreary place. Everything seemed to be a dull grey. Grey water, grey streets, grey buildings. And there were more of those men in the familiar uniforms around—as well as strangely misshapen figures with long, rounded guns and—

"Ugwhatarethoselittlethingsjumpingaround?"

Shocka wrinkled her nose. "Alien space monkeys. Nasty stinky things. Luckily, they mostly stay 'way from where we hang. Just a little bit longer and I'll show ya Carnival Town. You'll like it there."

Terra nodded. It sounded like a fun place just by the name. "Ican'twait." Her eyes twinkled excitedly. Soon she would see her new home. "Thatthefunplaceorwherewelive?"

Shocka flew west, past industrial buildings with big towers and silos. "I like ta think so!" Now there weren't so many people in the lab uniforms anymore, but there were a lot of people in bright red suits with lots of brass trim—and some big man-shaped machines wandering around with them, too. They looked like a marching band, without instruments.

"WhatarethebigrobotsforShocka?"

"Those? Those're Nemesissies…they're kinda prissy, but they make some nice guns. And they know all 'bout leaving ya 'lone if ya leave them be, which is what makes the Folly go 'round."

As they headed west, more of the part-metal people like Shocka were around—standing on rooftops or congregating in the street. Shocka called greetings to some of them, and they waved back.

Terra looked over all of it quietly. She wondered why she still hadn't seen anyone like herself at all in all the time they had been travelling. "Shocka?AmItheonlyonelikeme?"

"Sweetie, we're every one of us the only ones like us. That's what makes us special."

The girl frowned but nodded. It wasn't exactly what she had meant, but it seemed the best answer she would get right now. Maybe she learn more later. She looked back down over the streets below, watching closely.

They approached what seemed to be a collection of hastily-built shanties, walls and roofs thrown up out of whatever materials were close at hand. Among these buildings, if such they could be called, the largest crowds of Shocka's people she'd yet seen were moving about. Shocka grinned. "Almost there! Welcome to Carnival Town!" She flew slowly over the warren, waving and calling out greetings to friends, until she touched down atop a small tower above a small courtyard not far from the northern War Wall. She carefully lowered Terra to her feet.

Terra let go of her friend as her feet hit the towertop next to Shocka's. She slid behind Shocka, blinking at all the people who stood around.

"Hey, all ya low-lifes, listen up!" Shocka yelled. A few of the metal [censored] glanced up, but most didn't look away from what they were doing. Shocka growled, and gestured. Twin bolts of lightning lashed out from her shoulder-pylons, striking the wall across the courtyard in a loud explosion. This got the crowd's attention nicely. "I said, listen up! This here's my new friend, Terra. Terra, sweetie, step up here so they can see ya, 'kay?" The girl moved forward obediently.

"You-all better be nice to her, 'cuz if I hear anybody's been messing with her, they'll have to answer to Shocka Khan!"

Terra shuffled her feet, and looked down, but could still feel the eyes on her.

"So…are we clear?" There was a low mutter of assent from the crowd, and Shocka glared. "I said, are we clear?!" she said more loudly, shoulder-pylons crackling ominously.

"YES, SHOCKA KHAN!" the crowd called out.

"Good. Back ta what'cha were doing, then." Shocka grinned at Terra. "Sorry if I scared ya, sweetie. They're an okay bunch, but a little rowdy sometimes. Ya gotta talk tough ta get through t'em."

"It'sokayShockatheyworriedmemorethenyou.You'remyfr iend." Terra smiled warmly. "DonnoifIamgoodattalkingtough."

"C'mon, I'll show ya where I crash. And get some food for ya, bet yer starvin'." Shocka helped Terra down from the tower and led her across the clearing, through a winding passageway, and through a door. Shocka had to duck to fit her shoulder pylons in.

Terra nodded. "Yeppershungry." She looked around curiously once they crossed the doorway. The room wasn't much bigger than Terra's cell, but was cozier. Though it was put together from junk, it seemed well-built; the walls were sturdy metal, and welded together at the seams. The ceiling was festooned with caulking, presumably to keep out the rain.

The room was furnished with a beat-up dresser, a small refrigerator with a microwave oven with a cracked door on top, a sofa with half the stuffing gone, a recliner chair with only a few bloodstains, and a table that was a wooden cable spool turned on its side. A cable hung down from the ceiling above the recliner chair, with its end stripped to bare metal. There was a switchbox in the middle of it, with red and black buttons. The black button was currently depressed, the red button sticking up. "It's not much, but it's home. You can have the couch, the recliner's all mine."

Terra walked over and sat on the sofa, yawning. She didn't know if she was more hungry or tired right now. Naps throughout the day were common for her. She stetched lazily and her claws popped as her fingers spread wide.

Shocka opened the fridge and looked inside. She took out a paper Chinese takeout carton, sniffed at it. "Hmm. Yeah, I think that's still good." She threw it in the microwave and twisted the dial. "Beef chow mein, coming right up."

Retracting her claws and flexing her hands, Terra nodded with a grin. "Soundsgreat." She curled up in a corner of the coach, making sure Shocka had room to sit next to her if she wanted. "Thanks."

The microwave dinged. "No problem." She pulled open a drawer of the dresser, pulled out a fork, looked at it, wiped it on her pants, then stuck it in the carton and put the carton on the table. "Here ya go. Chow down."

Terra reached for the carton and ate heartily. She purred as she ate, not even conscious of the sound.

Shocka grinned, and went over to the recliner. She reached up to the pylon jutting out of her left shoulder, twisted it a quarter turn counter-clockwise, then lifted it away, and did the same thing for the one on the right.

The girls eyes widened and she stopped chewing, swallowing hard. "Youcantakethemoff?"

"Yeah, sweetie, that's how I 'recharge'." Placing the pylons carefully to either side of the recliner, she reached up, took the cable, and stuck the end down into one of the connectors that was still poking out of her shoulder. "Now, don't you ever touch this cable, 'kay? It's dangerous for you. High-voltage. Me, I can take it." She reached up and stabbed the red button, and electricity crackled around her body and in her eyes. "Ahhhh…feels good."

"Wereyoubornwiththem?"

"Born?" Shocka chuckled. "Heh…no…that'd have been a hard birth if I came with metal bits sticking out. I had 'em put in special."

Terra nodded not sure she understood. "Howcome?"

Shocka laughed out loud. "Sometimes I ask myself the same thing. But it seemed like a good idea at the time."

She shrugged and went back to eating. It was good to know where you came from and how you got the way you did even if you might regret the choice later. Had she made a choice? Terra didn't know. She finished her meal in silence, thinking about it. Wondering.

Once she finished the food, Terra yawned again and stettled herself deep in the couch. She was ready for a good nap. Maybe with the treatments gone she'd sleep in peace. Once more she yawned bleary-eyed and looked up at her new friend. "G'nightShocka."

Shocka chuckled, turning off the power cable and unplugging it. "Sleep well! I'll be here or near when ya wake up."


Terra yawned and stretched, her eyes still tightly shut. It was still night time, she could feel it—but then, it would be nice to be able to enjoy it for once. She picked out the hole in the wall above her to look out at the night sky. She purred softly. Dreary as it was here, it was still closer to freedom then she had ever dreamed about. She wondered if Shocka would mind if she went out. The evening called to something deep within her.

She looked over at her friend wondering if she would still be away. "Shocka?Youupstill?" In the dark the woman's eyes were closed, her eyelids glowing softly pink from the electrical discharges behind them, but Terra wasn't sure if that meant she was asleep or just resting her eyes.

Shocka's eyelids flickered open. "Hmmm?"

"CanIgooutabitifIpromisetostayclose?" Terra asked.

Shocka yawned and stretched. "Don't see why not. 'fact, I'll come wit'cha. Oughtta show ya where the privy is anyway."

Terra nodded and sprang to her feet excitedly. She moved to the door and waited, fidgeting. "OkayiesShockaC'mon."

Shocka got up out of the chair, picked up a pylon in each hand and snapped each in place with a practiced twist. "Don't often get ta watch the sun come up." She offered her hand to Terra.

Terra took the woman's hand and opened the door. "It'llbefun."

Shocka yawned again. "Yeah." She stepped out into the dusk, lit only by the cyan glow of the war walls and the occasional flickering streetlight or burning torch here and there. The night wasn't entirely quiet. Loud music, excited whoops, and other noises that defied description came from somewhere a few walls over. This courtyard was mostly empty, save for five or six of Shocka's people who'd passed out where they were. A couple had bottles in their hands, and one was lying half-facedown in a pool of his own vomit.

The girl made a face. "Aretheyokay?"

Shocka chuckled quietly. "Well…they are fer now. Whether they'll feel that way when the sunlight hits 'em is another story." Shocka quickly showed Terra where the communal toilet facility was located, and the shower "fer them as wouldn't rust"—a dangling garden hose attached to a rusting spigot. Then they walked along the maze of corridors for a while.

Terra let go of Shocka's hand and leapt onto a low wall. She looked out, her keen eyes twinkling in the nearby lamplight. "Thisisamazing."

Shocka chuckled, hovering up next to her. "Got good legs on ya, kid," she said. "And yeah, isn't it? It's paradise, a twenty-four hour party."

"Idon'tknowwhatIwouldhavedoneifyouhadn'thavegotten meoutofthere. Ineverdreamedtheoutsidewouldbelikethis."

"Oh, it's not all like this, kid. Some of it's a little worse, some a little better."

"Ilikeithere." Terra scaled the wall deftly, laughing. "Thereissomuchtoseeanddo."

"Don't get too loud, you'll wake the neighbors." Shocka chuckled. "Though after a life in the Freakshow, I swear most of 'em can sleep through anything."

The girl covered her mouth, muffling her laughter. "OopssorryShocka."

Shocka alighted on the tower from which she'd addressed the courtyard the night before. "Not a problem." As she leaned against the railing, a slight gasp escaped her lips. She held up a wrist, checked the time on a display there. "Mmm. 'bout that time again," she whispered, extracting something from a pocket and pressing it against the bare skin of her wrist. There was a hiss, and Shocka sighed in relief. "Better." She held up the injector and checked a gauge on its side, shook it, muttered, then stuck it back in a pocket.

"Whatisit?YouokayShocka?"

"Hm? Oh, just fine, sweetie. Don'cha worry 'bout me." She smiled ruefully. "Take my advice, don't ever stick stuff in yer body that doesn't belong there. Ya'll be happier."

"Dunnostillnotsurewhat'llhappenwhenmybodyburnsofft helasttreatment." Terra shrugged and continued walking along the wall, holding her hands out like a tightrope walker.

"'Treatment,' huh? Those bastards. I can't believe Dreck ever considered having us do their dirty work."

"YeahwellguessI'llfindoutsoonbeenoveradaysincemyla stone.Notevergonemorethantwo." Terra sighed. "NotthatIrememberanyways."

"If it was Crey behind it, I'm betting ya'll feel a whole lot better with it gone," Shocka muttered. "Probably."

The girl nodded and jumped off the wall, landing gracefully. "Gooddon'thaveanytotakeifIdon'tfeelbettersohopeitd oeshappenthatway.Don'tmatterIamrealhappynow."

"Well, if it turns out bad, I'm sure we can find something to make it better. That's why it's so fun bein' us. Lots of access to pharmaceuticals." She chuckled ironically.

Terra grinned. "Sowhereyawannago?Youknowthisplacebest." Suddenly movement caught the girl's eye. "Ooowhat'sthat?" She took off running to see.

"Hey, better be care—" Shocka broke off, rolled her eyes, and flew after her. "Kids. Cats. Both," she muttered.

Terra followed the movement with her eyes and leapt from spot to spot to get a better view. It moved fast, too fast for her to see it clearly. Sighing, she stopped and sniffed the air. It smelled strange…the tang of oil laced with something she didn't quite recognize. There was a whiff of ozone there, too. There it was, right over—and then she barely dodged to one side in time as a ball of light whizzed through the air.

"What the—?! Oh, no. No ya do not!." Twin bolts of lightning leaped from Shocka's shoulder pylons to strike the small, round object in the air, surrounding it in a sphere of crackling electricity. "Damn Rikti. Probe drones're getting nosier all the time." She fired a few more charged bolts into it until it sank to the ground, smoking and sputtering.

"WhoareRiktiShocka?"

"Those damn aliens. The ones with the monkeys. Hafta tell Dreck 'bout this later, might be time ta see about having another little gang war."

"IsDreckyourfriend?"

"Noooot…'zackly. He's my boss. Or my boss's boss's boss, bein' more accurate."

"Thatmakehimmybosstoo?" Terra tilted her head.

Shocka laughed. "Nah. He wouldn't know what ta do with you."

Her tiny face screwed up in confusion at that statement but she shrugged. "OkakiesShocka." Terra leapt down and pooked at the fallen drone curiously.

"Careful there, sweetie, it may not be all the way dead."

The girl took her hands off it quickly and nodded. "Ooooh."

Shocka grinned. "I just had an idea. C'mon." She gathered Terra into her arms and took off again, flying east across the open water.

Terra giggled and looked out over the water. "WherewegoingnowShocka?"

"Need ta see a…'friend' 'v mine. Got a little bone ta pick."

"Bonetopick?" Terra's brow furrowed. "Youhungry?"

"Not that kinda bone, kid." Shocka swooped down into the sewer entrance, threading the ins and outs of the passage with an ease born of long experience. A few moments later they were back in Brickstown and heading north along the wall. "After I have a little chat with Frankie, then we'll see 'bout finding some food if yer hungry."

She nodded. "OKayiesShocka." Terra held on tight and looked over the city as they flew by.

A couple minutes' flight brought them to the highway tunnel with the Independence Port sign, they swooped through, startling a few early-morning drivers along the way. After that, it was a short hop to one of the docks where freighters were being loaded and unloaded while swarthy men in suits stood around talking to each other. Shocka flew around for a few moments; she seemed to be looking for someone. "Ah…there he is." She set down atop a stack of cargo crates to let Terra off. "You stay here where it's safe, 'kay?"

"Safe?YougonnabeindangerShocka?"

"Me? Nah. But you might be if ya come down. So stay here."

Terra nodded and sat down on the crates. "I'llstayhere."

"Good girl. Be right back—just gotta go talk to my pal Frankie." Shocka took to the air again and headed over to where one of the suited men had slipped off by himself to have a smoke. She positioned herself in the air directly above him, waited for a moment, then fired her lightning downward, encasing him in a globe of electricity just as she had the alien drone. Then she landed in front of him and seemed to be addressing him. At one point in the conversation, she took out the injector she had used earlier and brandished it at him meaningfully. Then she held up a hand and the globe collapsed—as, a moment later, did Frankie. Shocka reached down, grabbed him by the lapel, picked him up, dusted him off, and set him back on his feet. Frankie raised his hands in the air, making placating gestures.

The girl watched this, shaking her head in confusion. Maybe Shocka was really mad at her friend. Terra smiled after a bit. See, now they were making up. Everything must be okay. She started to jump down to say hi, but stopped herself. No, Shocka said to stay put.

Shocka nodded to Frankie and turned to go—then Frankie pulled a gun out from under his coat and levelled it at her. Shocka didn't even look back, but a bolt of lightning leaped from her left shoulder-pylon to the gun. Frankie dropped it, shaking his hand and swearing almost loud enough for Terra to make out the words. Shocka walked around another stack of shipping crates. Frankie called to the other men standing around on the docks, they all pulled out submachine guns and ran behind the crates after her. Shocka appeared in the air above the crates and headed back over to Terra.

Terra stood to yell a warning, but it was over too quickly. She nodded. Shocka was very skilled and, by the language coming out of his mouth, that friend of hers didn't sound very nice at all. "Areweleavingnow?"

"Yeah, sweetie, I think that would be a good idea." Shocka picked her up and took off again.

"Yourfrienddoesn'tseemverynice."

"I think I caught him at a bad time." Shocka chuckled. "But 'sokay, he told me something I could use."

"Whatsthat?"

"Where ta find something I've been looking for. C'mon, let's head back—oh, but first, I seem ta remember a nice little food-shack not too far from here, and they're not too picky 'bout the color of people's money. C'mon, breakfast time."

Terra nodded. "Yum."


Shocka spent the rest of the day taking Terra around to meet people and see places. They touched base with Sledge again while he was looking at some stereo speakers another Freak was trying to sell him in Brickstown; Shocka also introduced Terra to some others by name. They were all strange names…but then, they were kind of strange people, too.

As evening rolled around, they headed back to Carnival Town. Shocka parked Terra safely at the top of a tower as she circulated amid a crowd of other freaks who were partying wildly—and sometimes violently. She wasn't just partying, though; she was seeking out specific people and talking to them. And mostly, judging by the body language, not getting what she was looking for. Her contacts would shake their head, or shrug, and her shoulders would slump a moment before she saw her next possible prospect.

Terra sat atop the tower and watched the party below. It was funny to see from way up here, but at times it all got a bit scary. Occasionally, a Freak would drift close to the tower, look up, wave, and sometimes even offer a bottle, syringe, or…something else, she wasn't even sure entirely what. Remembering Shocka's warning, Terra simply shook her head and smiled politely. Most of the time, the Freak would shrug and circulate into the crowd again. When one of them looked like he might take offense, he found Shocka's hand on his shoulder and her smouldering electric eyes looking into his. He quickly found an excuse to be elsewhere.

Finally, as the night started to fall, Shocka took Terra back to their shack and told her to stay inside with the door locked until she got back.

"IsthereaproblemwithyourmedicineShocka?"

"Hm? Nah. I'm good." Shocka chuckled. "I just wanna make sure you're safe here while I go get us something ta eat."

Terra nodded and curled up on the bed. She was very tired. "OKayiesI'lljusttakealittlenapthenwhileyourout.Wak emewhenyougetbackokayies?"

"Good deal." Shocka reached out and stroked the fur along Terra's back. "See ya in a bit!"

True to her word, Shocka was back within the hour with a large all-meat-plus-anchovie pizza. She snagged a couple of slices, but left the rest to Terra. "Eat up, yer a growing kitty! Sorry they didn't have any mouse." She grinned.

The girl woke up and smiled groggily. "That'sokayies.Ilikefish." Terra took a piece and ate it. She didn't feel very hungry, not like she normally was. Maybe she was just tired, Terra thought.

"Not too hungry? Well, it'll keep in the fridge, then." After putting the food up, Shocka unsnapped the pylons and plugged herself in again. "G'night, Terra-kitty."

Terra smiled and went to curl up in Shocka's lap. "NightShocka."

Shocka chuckled, and gently petted her young friend. "Sleep well, kitten."


Yawning, Terra woke the next morning. She looked around, shaking her head to clear it. She was on the sofa, and judging by the amount of light coming in through the hole, she had been asleep all night. She rubbed her arms. The skin under her arms felt a bit warm to the touch,and when she stood, her muscles ached. Terra took a piece of pizza out of the fridge, but after eating about half of it, set it back on the box.

Terra went outside looking for Shocka. After a few moments searching she found her friend talking to many others of her people. "—And we'll show those tommy-toting twits a thing or two!" A loud cheer went up from the assembled crowd, many of whom waved fists, blades, hammers, or other assorted appendages in the air. After the ones who'd been knocked down by incautiously-waved appendages got back up, Shocka grinned and gestured over her shoulder. "Then people, let's rock!"

The girl scratched her head She opened her mouth to ask who Tommy was, but then thought better of it. Instead, she sat down on the wall to watch. The sun was hurting her eyes, so she squinted and simply listened. When it seemed like they were on the move, Terra jumped down and went by Shocka. "Where we goin?"

Shocka grinned at her. "Shopping! Well, sorta. C'mon, with me." She picked Terra up, and launched herself into the air, following the other Freaks streaming toward the exit.

The girl watched the procession quietly. It seemed a lot of people for a shopping trip, but then she had never really been on one. Just heard about them. "What we gettin?"

"Just a little something for the boys. Ahh…" She tried to hide a wince as Terra's weight shifted slightly. "Don't worry, I'm okay."

"You hurt?"

Shocka sounded a little cross. "I just said I'm okay, okay?"

Terra nodded sadly. "Sorry."

"'Sallright." They swooped into the sewers, but instead of coming out quickly this time they threaded their way along passage after passage. Finally, just when Terra thought she wasn't going to be able to breathe a moment longer, they emerged into the sunlight of Independence Port, along with several dozen other 'Freaks. "All right, boys, here we are!"

She looked around wondering where the store was. "Shocka? Where?"

"That warehouse there." Shocka pointed straight ahead. "How 'bout it, guys? Ready for a little full combat shopping?"

"YEAH!!!" the roar went up from all around them.

"Then get that door open and let's hit 'em hard and fast! Go, go, go!" She waved her free arm, sending the crowd surging forward.

Terra watched the reved up group pushed forward and looked at Shocka questioningly. "We going, too?"

"Yeah, in just a moment." Shocka lifted into the air and watched the crowd of Freaks with a practiced eye. In the warehouse's yard, a few suited men looked up and cried warnings, some even fired off their Thompson guns, before they were steamrollered by the wave of Freaks. "Sledge! Do it!"

The crowd parted as if by magic to let Sledge run up from the gate to the warehouse door, swinging a hammer as if he was in a 1984 Apple Computer ad. WHAM! The door was down. "All right, people, you know what to do, so do it!"

The girl cringed when the big man slammed the door with his hammer. She rememebered the damage it could do, except last time she was on the other side of the door from him. She liked this side better. "Hope no one was too close to the doors. That could hurt."

As the rest of the Freaks poured in, Shocka set down in front of the doors to let Terra down. "Make yerself scarce and be careful…there's a lot of bad men in there." She chuckled. "And a lot of mobsters, too."

"Should I hide? Where?" Terra peeked inside looking for a good spot so she could still see the action and stay hidden.

"There's lots of crates and good hiding places in there. Just keep me in sight if ya can."

"Okayies, Shocka." Terra went to climb on the stack of crates she spotted, then peeked out, crouching low. She could still see Shocka, but didn't look like anyone had spotted her.

Freed of her burden, Shocka drifted through the air, overseeing the crowd below her as they rampaged through the warehouse. Gunfire erupted up ahead as the Family's reinforcements rushed to the scene, spraying lead indiscriminately. Most of it bounced off metal-plated Tankers, and some ricochets took gunners down before the Freaks even had a chance at them.

"FORE!" yelled Sledge, firing a grenade from a tube poking up out of his back. Family gunners scattered like tenpins. Shocka fired a charged blast or two from her shoulder pylons, but mostly left that to the other pylon-bearing Freaks who floated closer to the front. She was directing them—and also looking for something. "A-ha!" She pointed at one of the Freaks who had one hammer arm and one normal arm. "You! Crowbar!"

"Catch!" The Freak swept a crowbar up off the floor and tossed it through the air. He wasn't a very good aim with his flesh-and-blood arm, but Shocka threw out a hand and a bolt of electricity from one of her pylons snagged it and yanked it into her grip. She touched down next to a metal crate sitting on a forklift and jimmied it open. "Yeah! Oh, YEAH!" She reached inside and pulled out an ampoule of blue fluid, holding it up to the light. "Found the stuff!" She pulled out the injector, ejected an empty ampoule, and slotted the new one in. She touched the injector to her arm and shot up, shivering in relief as the drug hit her system.

"Yeaaaah! This is it all right! Excelsior, high-grade stuff! 4x0r, Kyvv0r, you're on this crate. Get it outta here." She grabbed a fistful of the ampoules and pocketed them before closing the lid. The two Freaks she'd called by name dashed forward, hefted it, and started to carry it out. "Remember the rules! No more'n yer share, 'cuz if I find too much missin' when I get back it's coming outta yer scrawny hides!" They ducked their heads in obedience and scuttled away with their precious cargo.

Terra watched from above. The name of the blue liquid sounded familiar. Wasn't that what they were looking for when they found her? She wondered what it was. It seemed an awful lot of bother for such a little thing. Seeing her friend load it into her device Terra understood. They had come for the medicine she needed. Why didn't she tell her? "Can we go home now, Shocka?" Terra asked as loudly as she dared.

Shocka glanced up at her, and her brusque demeanor melted away for a moment. "Not yet, sweetie. There's still more of this stuff, and we gotta get enough for everyone. You just be careful, 'kay?"

The girl nodded. "Okay." She rested her head on a crate and yawned, watching as they searched the warehouse.


Infurno stood on the fence and surveyed her subordinates. There weren't many, but these were all she could get together on such short notice. The important thing was, they were truly her own forces. These were members of her new "supurrrgroup," Kitty of Heroes.

It had only been a few days ago that her dissatisfaction with the supergroup she'd been in had led her to leave it. It had been a fun bunch when she'd first joined, but now it seemed there were hardly ever any members around, and nobody she could really fight crime with. Additionally, the group wasn't affiliated with the RP Congress, which meant she was missing out on chances to be involved as part of the coalition.

The nice thing was, she could change that. She had gone down to Atlas Park, signed the paperwork to incorporate Kitty of Heroes, and begun recruiting new members. While she only had a handful of kitty heroes at the moment, it was enough. Infurno looked over the motley crew who had shown up for this shakedown mission.

ArchArrow smiled smugly back at Infurno. His lean Tigarian frame stretched for a moment as he readied his bow, hair all akimbo. His piercing blue eyes bright and shiny, he looked aound at the others with him to see what would happen next. Being very new to the city, Felix was unsure if 'Jungle Law' prevailed here, as it did in his now former home….'eat or be eaten'.

Steel Predator had been one of the first to join up. Though he had once been fully human, sleek black fur now covered his athletic frame. His feline characteristics made interacting with more "normal" people a bit difficult, but it had pushed his talent as a martial artist well past the limits of normal men. His feline stealth, retractable claws, and cat-like agility made him an asset to the group.

Rumpus leapt high, landing in the midst of the other "cats" with a flourish. Four feet tall to the tip of his mane—on a dry day—he was nonetheless large for his race, or so he claimed. His expansive Felinx chest housed a pair of lungs that could project his roars for miles; he was also able to summon bits of cold and ice as weapons at need. His birth name forgotten, he carried his title as a badge of honor—he was The Great Rumpus Cat, and in his mind, all eyes were deservedly on him.

The Hidden Paw faded into view for a moment, then disappeared again. Spotted fur rippled in the salt breeze. He sniffed the exotic scents, momentarily distracted, then pulled his attention back to the job at hand. Infurno's tips were always good ones and whatever the reason she'd called them together, it was bound to be exciting. This was one seven-foot mutated Ocicat who didn't want to be left out of the action.

"All right now, listen up everyone," Infurno said. "I just got word from a 'very good friend of mine,' a Family man by the name of Frankie, that the Freakshow somehow found out about a 'priceless shipment of Ming vases' that was being stored at a Family warehouse, and are breaking in and busting it up right now." She paused, and added drily, "Of course, when you read between the lines, what he probably actually meant was some Freak scared him into spilling when the next shipment of Excelsior was coming in, he's tried everything else to contain the damage, and now he wants us to clean up the mess for him."

Rumpus flashed a toothy grin. "Purrrrrrfect. Hope nobody minds property damage." He chuckled a low growl.

"Typical. Just…purrrfect," muttered Steel Predator. The words expressed annoyance, but a smile tickled the corners of his mouth. He had likely been waiting for a fight, a chance to prove himself to the group.

A ghost of a grin flashed and the Hidden Paw chuckled. "Freaks and Family goons? Beauty! Only way this could get any better would be to throw some of those Sky Raider Star Wars rejects into the mix. I'm all ears. How do we ruin their day?"

"Anyway, this sounded like it'd make a good shakedown for such members of our merry little band as I could get together just now, so here we are. Let's get in there and hit 'em hard and fast. I don't purrrticularly enjoy the fact that we're helping out the Family in this, but there are innocent bystanders around who could be hurt. Besides which, if there are Family in there, I plan to bust them too; I'm an equal-opportunity butt-kicker. Any questions?"

"Do we get to eat what we bring down?" ArchArrow asked hungrily. "I feel like I haven't eaten in days!"

Infurno rolled her eyes. "After this is over, we all go out for pizza, I promise."

"Deal…ah…what's pizza?"

"When can we start?" Steel interrupted. He was starting to twitch, ready to break in.

"Any more questions? No? Then let's LIGHT 'EM UP!" Infurno's powers blazed to life, and she led the charge into the busted-down warehouse door

ArchArrow quickly drew and fired a large-tipped arrow that sparkled with electricity. It went off with a flash, causing a group of Freaks to stumble about momentarily. "Lights out for you!" he shouted. Moving to one side, he continued firing as the others charged forward.

"Wait, wait, how can we light up and light out at the same time?" Tigerbright asked.

"Less asking, more butt-kicking!" Infurno yelled, leaping into a group of Freaks and swinging her blazing sword around in a circle.

"HA!" Rumpus pounced into the middle of the fray and let loose with a roar that rippled through the air, shattering glass and scattering a few Freaks. "I AM the great Rumpus cat! You pinkies are in for a world of hurt!"

"Show-off," Steel Predator muttered as he engaged the group of Freaks that were now charging Rumpus. Unlike the great Rumpus cat, he remained silent as he whirled with outstretched claws. Beside him, the Hidden Paw snorted and snapped a kick at the nearest Freak, catching him where flesh met metal with a satisfying thud. He whirled and wove as more Freaks swiped at his barely visible form. He enjoyed this. Before long, he was lost in the dance: kick, punch, dodge, leap, kick…The Freaks soon learned to keep out of the way of this pair of feline whirlwinds; they scattered toward the less-imposing Rumpus.

Rumpus grinned at finding himself the center of attention. He dived between a Tank Smasher's legs flat to the floor as Freaks tried to swarm him. "HAR-OOOOOOOO!" The howl exploded stright up, tossing Freaks into the air in a fountain of scrap metal and bad 80's [censored] extras. "You pinkies are almost as much fun as a box of rubber mice!"

"But can you really call them pinkies?" Tigerbright asked. "I think they're more sort of silvery."

Infurno finished smacking down a particularly persistent Tank Smasher. "We clear in this room? Yeah? Well, there's plenty more where that came from. C'mon, let's take it to 'em!"


Emboldened by their success, the Freak crowd had split up into a number of smaller groups, the better to search the warehouse (and pocket anything they found before Shocka noticed). As the Freaks split up, Terra stayed close to Shocka's group, not wanting to be separated from her friend. For the moment, she hid behind some crates while Shocka dealt with the last knot of recalcitrant Family gunners just up the hall.

Being a couple hundred yards closer to the entrance than the others, Terra heard the commotion first. She quickly jumped to the top of a crate. "Shocka! We got trouble!"

Shocka finished slamming a Family gunner against the wall and glanced back in Terra's direction. "Damn vigilantes…all right, tighten up, everyone! Get ready, we'll take them as they come." At her command, the Freaks drew together into a cohesive group. They took up positions to either side of the passageway and waited.


Running on all fours, Rumpus charged forward. He could smell prey ahead. The fight, the glorious fight. This is what it meant to be The Great Rumpus Cat. "They're close, fur-friends. Be ready to spring."

Infurno frowned, then put out a hand and stopped Rumpus in mid-charge. "Wait. Something doesn't feel right. Stay back, let me go in first to draw their fire. They shouldn't be able to hurt me too badly."

Tigerbright nodded. "Got it." She and the other cats fell in behind Infurno as they were bid, standing ready to step in if needed.

Infurno set herself and blazed brighter. "Get ready, people! When I give you the go, hit 'em with everything you've got." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were ready, then ran around the corner.

A moment later, amid loud explosions, she came flying back past the corner, landing on her backside and skidding several feet. Infurno stood, shook her head, and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her lip. "Daaaamn. Organized Freakshow. Now that's scary." She blazed brighter. "But we can take 'em. Let's light 'em up!" She charged back into the fray.

"You got it, hot stuff!" Rumpus loosed a roar as he charged right behind her, followed by Tigerbright and the other Kitties of Heroes. Infurno was standing in the middle of a crowd of Freaks who were pouring their fire into her, and overhead floated another oddity for Freaks—a female Stunner.

"Don't be distracted by the Tanker!" Shocka called out. "Hit the others, they're the weaker links!" A lightning bolt flashed out from her shoulder pylons, catching Tigerbright in mid-flight and surrounding her in a Tesla cage.

"Ack…grrk…fur…getting frizzy…." Tigerbright gasped as she writhed in the middle of the electrical sphere. "Need…conditioner…"

"Weakest link?" Steel questioned, lining his voice with barbs of sarcasm. Once more, he brought his claws to the fight, becoming a spinning storm of steel and fur as he took battle to the Freaks.

The Hidden Paw launched at the nearest Freak, unleashing a flurry of punches. "Oooooo! Lookit me, I'm a weak link!" A roundhouse kick sent his stunned opponent smashing into a stack of crates. The Freak slid to the floor and stayed there. "Mad Freak Buckshot in the side pocket. Next?"

"Sweet Mother of Mungojerrie!" Rumpus lept, careened off a wall, and bounced past the flying leader, taking a swipe at her with his ice blade as he went by. "Arch! You got anything?" Shocka took the sword blow, not seeming greatly harmed by it. She gestured at Rumpus and a lightning bolt lashed out, slamming him into a wall.

ArchArrow smiled broadly and plucked out a special arrow, a bit of frost dripped from the tip. "I think I have just the thing." Taking quick but careful aim, he let fly. The arrow's tip exploded into a cloud of liquid nitrogen, momentarily freezing her, but she broke free as fast as the ice could form.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Shocka threw out her arms and an electrical field lashed at all the heroes around her, draining their strength to fight.

It was not an attack that could be dodged. Steel Predator felt his fur stand on end—an agonizing sensation—as he fell to the floor and struggled to regain his footing.

"Whoa!" The Hidden Paw jerked in the current, electricity outlining his body against the smoky air. "Singed fur is not one of my favorite scents, Shortcake. I am soooo gonna kick you into next week…" His knees buckled and he dropped to the floor, becoming visible as he hit. "…as soon as I can stand up again…."

"Gah!" Infurno gasped, falling to her knees, before reaching out to burn the Freaks around her to recover her strength. "I will not lose a battle to the Bride of Frankenstein!" She concentrated her flames on a conveniently close Tank, incinerating him until his cybernetic systems overheated and shut him down.

"I think this is getting to be a sticky situation." ArchArrow quickly fired a larger arrow, and a great mess of sticky goop spread around Shocka, encasing and slowing her. He followed up with a second ice arrow, causing the cage around Tigerbright to dissolve.

Tigerbright shuddered as she broke free. "Tyger, Tyger, burning bright!" She blasted a fireball right into the midst of the tightly-packed group around Infurno, and half of them slumped to the ground. "And eat cinders, you [censored]!" A rain of fire pelted the remaining Freaks—not greatly damaging, but irritating and distracting.

"Oh, you'll pay for that!" Shocka growled, shattering the ice cage around her and casting a ball of electrical energy that exploded in the heroes' midst. Hidden Paw vanished and Steel Predator leaped upward, narrowly avoiding the blast; ArchArrow was too far back to be affected. Tigerbright and Rumpus weren't so lucky.

A moment later, Rumpus got up from the floor, groggy but defiant. His eyes went berzerker red as he reached down into the depths of his primal cat soul. His fur stood on end, puffing himself to as fearsome as he could be. Rumpus inhaled, feeling the secondary and trinary chambers of his lungs open and his chest swell to nearly twice its normal size. His jaw nearly unhinged and he let loose with a roar that shook the foundation of the building, shattered windows and rattled the bones of the remaing gangers, sending them crashing down the hallway.

"The audience is listening," Infurno said.

Tigerbright got back to her feet, shaking her head woozily. "Listening? Try deaf!"

"Get the boss. I gotta sit down a sec," Rumpus said shakily. His eyes swam, and he slumped to the floor.

Terra stood frozen, uncertain of what to do. Her friends were fighting—and they'd mostly been defeated—but Shocka had told her to stay put. She moved in as close as she could and stared. They were all like her. They were cats. Well, kind of. But they were fighting her friends. She shook her head in confusion. "Shocka?"

"DAMN it!" Shocka swore. "Well, come on, then! I'll take ya on. I'll take ya all on!" She fired a powerful electrical blast into Tigerbright, slamming her against the ceiling and then to the floor. She staggered back to her feet, only slightly dazed.

"Hey, now, nobody gets away with doing that to my sister!" Infurno growled, lunging for Shocka with a flaming fist.

Shocka caught it bare-handed, and threw an electrically-charged uppercut to Infurno's jaw with her other fist. "This is none of your biz, masks! Why can'cha just let it be, huh?"

Infurno rubbed her chin. "Now, now, you know better than that." She drew on her internal fires, readying herself to try again. "Our 'biz' is all crime. Even criminal-on-criminal." She drew her fire sword. "And now you're going down, loser!"

ArchArrow put Shocka in the crosshairs of a steel-tipped arrow, and waited for Infurno to give the signal. Infurno nodded, and ArchArrow let loose with another ice arrow, freezing her in place momentarily.

Terra climbed slowly down the crates. She couldn't leave her friend down there alone. Maybe if she was careful she could distract then, then she and Shocka would get away. Just a little further.

All the while, Steel Predator had been creeping behind, hoping that Shocka would be distracted into making a mistake. As ArchArrow hit her with the ice arrow, he saw his opportunity to strike. He pounced on her with the calculating skill of a natural hunter, using the momentum of the attack and repeated strikes from his claws to knock her to the floor.

Shocka was surprised, and maybe even a little hurt, but by no means defeated. The columns on her back crackled with sudden fury, electrifying the poor hero. He was thrown back but managed to recover before hitting the concrete. A cat always lands on his feet.

She stood again and Steel Predator charged, throwing personal safety aside as he pressed the assault with a savage roar.

Shocka staggered back, reeling from the force of the blows. Tigerbright stepped forward, arm raised with a fireball forming at the tip. "Time to end it." She drew upon her own internal flames, took careful aim—

Terra leapt from the last row of boxes, claws drawn, hissing furiously. They had gone too far. They had hurt her friend and she had to stop this. "Get away from her!" Terra landed on Tigerbright, the full impact of her leap aimed for the woman's chest.

"What the—OOF!" Tigerbright's fireball dissolved as a diminuitive catgirl tackle bore her to the ground.

Infurno blinked. "The hell?"

The Paw paused in his run toward the enemy as Tigerbright got friendly with the floor for the third time in under two minutes. "Hunh? Where'd the little kitty cannonball come from?"

ArchArrow let fly with a steel-tipped arrow, straight and true, striking Shocka square in the chest. Quickly renocking another, he began a steady barrage to make a pincushion out of the Freak.

Overwhelmed by the rain of arrows, Shocka stumbled backward into a pile of crates. A small grey and white paw tapped her on the shoulder, and then crashed across her jaw as she turned to face this new attacker. Her eyes flickered and went out as she slumped to the floor. Rumpus stood over the fallen gang leader. "Jellicles can and Jellicles do. I am the the Rumpus, and you are through."

"Shocka!" Terra screamed. The sound was mournful, but at the same time full of fury.

Infurno grabbed her by the arm and yanked her off of Tigerbright. "Now hold on just one minute here—what the hell is going on?"

Terra hissed fitfully, strugging in Infurno's grasp. "Let me go! Leave us be!" She continued to hiss and spit, kicking her feet in a desperate attempt to strike out.

Tigerbright got slowly to her feet, shaking her head in confusion. "Who're y—"

And then their attention was drawn to a crackling sound, fit to send shivers up their spines. As one, they turned to look at Shocka's body. Bolts of electrical energy were playing over it, and it was rising to its feet as if pulled by an invisible string. Shocka opened her electrical eyes, then narrowed them at the tableau before her.

"Shocka!" Terra squealed happily, still tugging at Infurno's grasp, trying to get free.

"You. Leave her the hell ALONE!" Shocka growled, a cold fury in her voice that hadn't been there before. She rose slowly off the ground, electrical energy building around her until Infurno would have sworn she could feel every individual follicle of her fur standing on end. Shoving Terra at Tigerbright, Infurno turned and set herself for battle—

—and then the energy dissipated, and Shocka dropped to the floor, with no electricity at all. Even her eyes had gone out. "Let her go," Shocka said quietly. "I'll surrender if you let her go."

"No! We have to go home, Shocka. Please." Terra tried to bite Tigerbright's arm to make her let go.

Infurno blinked. "Whoa. Hold everything. Did a Freak…just offer to surrender…to save someone else?"

Tigerbright goggled, so startled she didn't even notice Terra's attempt to bite her. "That's not natural."

(Continued below.)

(I swear, when I previewed the thing it showed the entire post, untruncated, I don't know why it snipped it on posting. Grrr.)

Terra's teeth sunk into Tigerbrights hand. She'd make them let her go. Terra couldn't let Shocka be taken away. Not to save her. She was somewhat hampered in her efforts, however, by the fact that Tigerbright was still too surprised to notice a little thing like pain.

Infurno frowned, making a decision. "Hold everything. TB, let her go. You—ah—Shocka. We need to talk."

"Okay. Wha—OW!" Tigerbright suddenly noticed the tiny fang-holes in her hand and jerked it away, letting Terra slip out of her grip. "Why you little…"

"No more hitting?" The dissapointment in Rumpus' voice made it sound like someone had just cancelled Christmas. "I was just getting started!"

Shocka spread her hands. "I've grounded out my capacitors. I couldn't zap a bug."

Tigerbright glanced at the others. "You guys best go secure the area. We'll be all right here." They nodded and scattered, save for Tigerbright and ArchArrow, who were still eyeing Shocka with suspicion.

Infurno sat down on a crate. "So, let's talk. How 'bout we start with who she is, 'cuz as cats we have fatal cases of curiosity, and then move on to you."

Terra glowered angrily at Infurno. "'She' has a name, you know."

Infurno held up her hands. "Sorry…sorry, I didn't mean to talk around you. So…um…can I ask what that name is?"

ArchArrow paced back and forth, like a stalking tiger waiting to pounce, with another arrow locked and nocked.

"Tell your boy there to calm the heck down and I'll tell it to you." Terra glared at ArchArrow.

Infurno rolled her eyes and sighed. "Arch, stand down please. Go help the others wrap everything up."

Reluctantly, ArchArrow relaxed his grip on the bowstring and slid the arrow back into place in his quiver. He glowered ferally at Terra, then stalked off after the others.

Terra turned back to Infurno, ignoring the annoying boy. "My name is Terra."

Infurno nodded. "Hello, Terra. Nice to meet you."

"Found her in a Crey lab in Bricktown day before yesterday," Shocka supplied. "Bastards were doping her up on something, doing experiments." She chuckled. "Was kind'v a mistake our being there, anyway. Only reason we went there was Frankie seemed ta think they'd have Excelsior in the lab."

Infurno nodded. "But Frankie's not exactly the most reliable informant. No E?"

Shocka chuckled, shaking her head. "Not more than a single vial or two at any rate." She tousled Terra's hair. "Turned out to be a lucky mistake fer this'un, though."

Terra started to come down from the adrenalin rush of the fight, and she breathed heavily. She heard Shocka talking, but it sounded far away. Terra leaned against her friend, and kept her eyes on the strangers. "Now I live with Shocka."

Infurno raised an eyebrow. "Uh…you live with her?"

"She's my family." Terra nodded once to emphasize her statement.

"This is getting weirder and weirder," Tigerbright muttered.

"So…you're a good strategist. You speak in coherent sentences. You adopted a, uh, kitten. This may be kinda personal, but—" Infurno took a deep breath. "—why exactly aren't you [censored] insane like all the other Freaks I've ever met?"

Shocka sat down on a crate, which creaked slightly under her weight. "There's a reason for that. I don't need near as much Excelsior as most of those crazy metal-heads."

Terra moved to curl up next to Shocka. There was that word again. It was importanat somehow. "Shocka?" She asked quietly. "What is Excelsior?"

Shocka chuckled. "It's a drug, sweetie. Probably not so different from what they shot ya up with, in some ways. It kills the pain of having all this metal stuck in me."

"Is that why you hurt before when you were carrying me?" Terra asked. She felt very warm.

"Yeah, that'd be the reason." Shocka nodded. "You shoot up too much of it, it eats up your brain and makes you crazy. But I'm able to keep to a very low dosage, 'cuz these aren't normal Freak parts."

"Oh yeah?" Infurno asked.

Shocka absently reached up to touch one of her shock pylons. "These were custom-made and fitted to me by the best cyberneticists in the Paragon City Police Department. Better fit means less system shock." She chuckled. "'Course, there's only so much even they can do when you've got two big meat thermometers poking outta ya, so I still gotta hit the E from time to time."

"Waitasec, you got your metal from the cops?" Tigerbright said, still rubbing her hand.

"They put undercover cops in the Freaks all the time, or try to." Infurno shrugged. "I met one, once. I guess the metal and the E went to his head, 'cuz he'd gone native." She glanced at Shocka. "What about you?"

"Exact opposite." Shocka chuckled bitterly. "I was deep undercover, 'cuz we'd been losing good cops to leaks. Only one man knew who I really was, and he could be trusted not t'say."

"So what happened?" Infurno asked.

"Lost touch with him couple years back; read in the obits a while later that he'd been Devoured. Turned into one of Hamidon's pet monsters. And that was that. Nobody outside knew I was really a cop. And someone's still leakin' info from the P.D.; I make a move ta come in from the cold, I get found out and that's all she wrote. So I made the best of things, and here I am. I thought I'd kept my head on mostly straight, but I guess I got a little too inta Freaking in spite'v myself. As this raid shows." She shook her head and looked down at Terra. "Almost fergot what really matters. Can't let that happen again."

Infurno frowned thoughtfully, the germ of an idea starting to form. "Shocka…I'd like to make a deal with you."

"I'm listening."

"A few days ago, a friend of mine—a hero named Kid Crisis—was waylaid by a bunch of Freaks. They put him in the hospital."

Shocka nodded. "Sorry ta hear it."

Terra sounded concerned, her voice was very quiet. "Will your friend be okay?"

"He should be, given time." Infurno glanced at Shocka. "The thing is, they knew his real name."

Shocka raised an eyebrow. "Now that's interesting."

Infurno looked at her. "We need to find out how those Freaks found out. Can you do it?"

Shocka looked thoughtful. "Ya know the names of the ones did it?"

Infurno shook her head. "No."

"Ya know where they are?"

"Other than they got sent to the Zig a few days ago, no."

"A few days," Shocka mused. "Then odds are they're still there, it usually takes a week or two for the average Freak to bust out. Tricky…"

"But can you do it?"

Shocka chuckled. "I like a challenge. But what's in it for me?"

"Well…first we give you protection while we see about clearing up your status with the PCPD," Infurno said. "Pull that metal out of you and replace it with cleaner, smaller stuff if you want. Get you broke off of E, back on your feet again. You could be a cop again, or even a hero if you wanted."

Shocka thought about this for a moment. Sensing her hesitation, Infurno pressed on, "You'll be able to give Terra a much better life if you're not having to live in Carnival Town, y'know."

"Well, that's true," Shocka admitted. "And you've just about sold me. I might want to add just one more condition, though. You an' yer friends take care of Terra for me while I'm…in the Zig."

Terra knew that word. She thought hard, but her brain seemed all foggy. Then it came to her. "That's the bad place! You said to NEVER go to the bad place!"

Shocka cracked a smile. "I said you didn't ever wanna go to the bad place. Never said nothing 'bout me."

"But…I want to be with you," Terra said. She looked disparagingly at Infurno and Tigerbright. "Not with them."

"You will be with me, sweetie. Just not right away." Shocka patted her on the shoulder. "'til then, ya oughtta be with others of yer own kind."

Infurno frowned. "You could wait 'til they come out, y'know. Make inquiries on the outside—" she began.

"You know as well as I that won't work. All my gang's already in there, they're gonna be talking. How's it gonna look if I don't show up right after 'em? They'll know I cut a deal." She shrugged. "'sides, I kinda miss the Zig cafeteria's chicken pot pie sometimes."

Terra sobbed quietly, her head was spinning. This was all wrong. "I don't want you to go, Shocka."

Shocka patted her shoulder. "I know you don't, sweetie. But it's only for a couple of weeks. It'll be like a vacation for me. Look…there's something I want you ta do for me."

The girl nodded. "What?"

Shocka reached up to her shoulders and detached the shock pylons. "Take care of these for me. They'd just confiscate 'em at the Zig, and they're pretty darned expensive to get more." She chuckled. "And maybe you'll sleep better at night knowing that a part of me is always with you."

"OKay, Shocka. I'll…take real…good care of 'em."

Shocka looked concernedly at her. "Hey, kid…you okay?"

Terra tried to answer her, but everything was slowing down. She felt hot, and her brain was hazy. She reached out for her friend, then everything faded away.

Shocka caught Terra as she slumped. "Aw, crap. I'm as dumb as a Hellion, the E has screwed up my brain good. I shoulda seen it. She's coming down from whatever they shot her up with. Withdrawal. She's never been without it more'n a couple days before. Damn…I should stay with her, but—I can't. Ya know I can't." Shocka placed the pylons on the crate, then glanced to Infurno. "Yer parta the deal begins now. Tag me, send me to the Zig…and look after her real good."

Infurno nodded solemnly, reaching for her PDA. "Done and done. See you when you break out."

"When the job is done, and not before." Shocka saluted. Then Infurno pointed her PDA and tapped the tag-and-transmit button. Shocka gave Terra's hair one last tousle, then faded away.

Infurno and Tigerbright stood there for a moment, and exchanged glances. Then Infurno stepped forward and carefully lifted Terra in her arms. "C'mon…we better get her some help."

Tigerbright picked up Shocka's shock pylons. "Hospital?"

"Nah—I'm thinking Mannequin's base. They've got great facilities—I saw them when we were in there with Erica—and there's no way Crey could get to her there like they might in a regular hospital."

Tigerbright chuckled. "Do you think they're going to wonder why we keep bringing them catgirls?"

"Possibly. Nothing for it, though." Infurno shifted her grip on Terra, and strode for the exit. "You take over for me here—make sure everything's cleared out and set, turn the others loose to get back to what they were doing. See you back at the apartment."

Tigerbright nodded. "Gotcha."

Infurno bounded away with her burden, hoping she was doing the right thing. Despite what Shocka had said, the way she had acted, could you really take a Freakshow gangbanger at more than face value? Was she telling the truth about Terra, that she'd been a Crey experiment? If so, what had Crey been doing to her? She hoped that the Knights' medlab would be able to help. Infurno keyed her comlink to let them know she was coming, then hit the King's Row exit on the way to Galaxy City. She looked down at Terra. "We're just a few minutes away. Yeah, you'll be all right."

She hoped Shocka would be, too.