Thundercats CH I The White Bandit

"We need to find a place to stay for the night." Panthro whispered. "Revonna is not one of the safest places to be at night, especially with both moons gone."

"Where do you suppose we stay?" Cheetara asked. "There doesn't look like there are any inns around here."

"That's because this is the black market street, it's the largest street in the city. Finding lodging here is going to be difficult, especially for cats." Panthro sighed.

"They shouldn't discriminate if our money is good." Tygra said as he patted his coin purse at his side.

"You would think that, but a little over a decade ago, Thundera tried to take control of Revonna."

"What? How come I never knew about this?" Lion-O asked.

"Because, we failed. Revonna is one of the closest cities to Thundera, but even though it was a city; it was like a mini kingdom and a fortress as well. It had many riches from it's trade to it's sky port."

"What's a sky port?" Willykat asked.

"It's a port where they keep the sky ships of course." Panthro answered the young cat. "Even though our invasion failed, Revonna could never get back on its feet, so now its home to crooks, thieves, pirates and merchants trying to make money off of the misfortune of others." He shook his head with disappointment.

"Wow, I'm not sure I can imagine this city differently than it is now-" Tygra started but then a cloaked figure brushed between him and his brother. The person was obviously in a hurry and rushed down some alley.

"Don't let 'er get away!" A fat lizard man shouted as they looked around.

"I wonder if they were looking for the person who just passed us." Willykit mumbled curiously. Then Tygra noticed it.

"My money is gone!" He put his hand at his side, reaching for the missing coin purse. He looked at Lion-O who looked stunned.

"The swords gone too!" He put his hand on the swords sheath on his arm.

"That person must have taken them!" Cheetara pointed towards the alley and they took off down it.

"Nice going, Lion-O. How could he possibly have gotten away with the sword?!" Tygra scolded him.

"Oh? What about your money?" Lion-O taunted back.

They stopped as the alley came to an opening, it was bordered by a stone wall fence and it had two other alleyway openings. Not that they mattered, the assailant was sitting on top of the fence. A low growl came from Lion-O. "Give me back my sword!" He demanded.

"There she is! An' 'er little frien's!" He pointed at them. "Kill all bu' that mangy bandit! She'll sell for a nice amount of gold!" The men rushed them. The cloaked figure stood up and leaped off of the fence, planting her feet in a lizard's face. She moved fast, jumping and stomping another one in the face.

"Guess we have no choice but to fight!" Tygra pulled out his whip and cracked it at one of them, it wrapped around his neck and with a slight pull; Tygra sent him crashing into another man. Cheetara blitzed towards them, swinging her staff; knocking them out one by one.

"It would help if I had my sword!" Lion-O ducked under one of their fists and kneed the man in the stomach. Suddenly, the cloaked person held out his sword to him. "Thanks, I guess." She quickly pushed him out of the way of a dog's club.

"Come 'ere, little thief! I'll make you sorry for what you did to us!"

"Not as sorry as you're going to be." She said as she pointed up. They looked up to see a big red lizard man drop on them, knocking them out.

"Ah! It's the Red Dragon! Let's get out of here!" Two of them turned to run only to get their heads smashed together by Panthro.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" The cloaked person cheered. She walked up to the red lizard man. "Magnificent entrance, Tiegel!" They slapped the backs of there hands together, then their palms, and finally fist bumped.

"It was only good because you make such great bait, Fionne." He laughed.

"Excuse me." Lion-O interrupted their conversation. "But does anyone want to explain what just happened?"

"Sorry about that. I wasn't sure the ambush was going to work with just us two, so I lured you down here as back up, knowing they'd think you're my friends. That's why I took your sword." She explained, still hiding under her cloak.

"And my coin purse." Tygra frowned at her.

"Oh!" She pulled it out from under her cloak and handed it to him. "Whoops, with such quick paws, I guess I grabbed it as a force of habit." She clapped her hands together and bowed. "Tiegel and I thank you for the assist." Tiegel bowed too.

"Yes, we do!" He stuttered out.

"Now, Tiegel, let's loot their pockets before they wake up." As she said this, one of them leapt off the ground and stabbed at her. Suddenly, the cloak dropped, no one inside.

"Huh?" He looked up to get her feet in his face. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Stupid." She smirked. They couldn't believe what they saw, she was a cat. Not just any cat, a serval; albino at that. Her large ears twitched and her pale pink eyes shone with curiosity.

"You're a cat!" Willykit pointed out.

"Yeah? But so are you, all of you, in fact." She pointed out. "One of the reasons I chose you for help."

"Wait, how'd you know we were cats?" Cheetara asked.

"You walk like cats and you smell like cats. It was a lucky guess, really. Not everyone is perceptive as I am but even I have limits." She picked her cloak up off the ground and dusted it off before replacing it around her shoulders. "So I've thanked you for your assistance and you can be on your way now." She shooed them away and bent over. She started checking the pockets of the unconscious men.

Tygra smiled as he stared, Lion-O caught him. "What are you doing?"

"Just observing."

"Smooth Tygra, real smooth." Cheetara shook her head.

"There's no crime against looking." Tygra winked.

"Excuse me, but since we helped you, maybe you can help us." Lion-O said as he got her attention.

"We need lodgings for the night; do you know where we can find some?" Panthro asked.

"Hmmm." She frowned.

"They did help us, Fionne, even though you stole from them." Tiegel pointed out.

"I guess so." She sighed. "Fine, follow me then." She turned and headed down the alley, followed by Tiegel and the cats.

"So…" Tygra walked closer to Fionne. "What's the deal with you and Red over there?"

She twitched with anger. "Tiegel is my partner and I suggest you hold your tongue or you'll be sleeping in the streets tonight."

"Jeez, I was just asking. I won't ask again if its that big of a deal."

She stopped and glared at him. "You made it a big deal!" She turned and started walking again. After a few more minutes of silence.

"You know," Lion-O started. "You don't have to be a thief; there are other options instead of a life of crime-"

She stopped and turned around on her heel swiftly, an angered expression on her face. "You're from Thundera, aren't you?"

"Uh- How'd you know?" Tygra elbowed Lion-O.

"Lion-O! Blowing our cover!"

"I knew it. You're too ignorant to be an outsider."

"What does that mean?" Willykat fumed.

"Only a Thunderian would judge me and look down on me for my way of living. It's common knowledge that even your alley cats have it better than we do. We pick up scraps of what your armies leave behind. This city itself is proof." She turned and stormed off. "And I definitely am not going to stand here and listen to your self righteous nonsense!"

"Uh-! Fionne!" Tiegel stuttered as she was out of sight. He looked at the cats as they shifted uneasily. "Um… I know she has a bad attitude but… she's really nice and… I'll take you to an inn." He sighed as he gave in at defending her at last. He turned and walked down the alley way.

"How do we know we can trust him? What if he's leading us into a trap?" Cheetara whispered among her companions.

"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. Let's take what kindness we're being offered." Panthro destroyed the thought. Tiegel stopped in front of a building. The sign read Catnap Inn.

"Ironic." Willykit giggled.

"This is the place…" Tiegel looked down nervously. "… tell them its on the Red Dragon's tab." He turned, did a double take; and then ran off.

"Wow, that's… nice of him, I guess." Cheetara said as they walked into the inn. There was an old dog at the counter. His tired eyes looked up from the book he was reading and slowly blinked at them.

"Welcome to the Catnap Inn, what can I do for you?" He spoke as his eyes slowly moved from one cat to another. "We don't get many cats around here."

"How'd you know we were cats?" Lion-O asked as they all removed their hoods.

"I'm one of the best blood hounds there is, or was." He coughed up a laugh.

Lion-O walked up to the counter. "We'd like to request a room… courtesy of the Red Dragon."

"Oh? He hasn't sent us guests in a while. All right then," He got up from his seat behind the counter and moved towards the stairs. "Follow me to your rooms."

"Rooms? You're giving us more than one?"

"Of course, I'm sure you boys can share one of the three bed rooms and the kids can share with the young miss." He said they climbed the staircase. "You're on the Red Dragon's tab, I'm giving you the finest rooms."

"Wow, how'd he get such a tab?" Panthro asked as he looked around.

"Well, when he and the White Bandit trashed the place in a fight a while back, the next day they brought more than enough money to pay for the damages, enough for renovations too."

"Yeah, stolen money." Lion-O pointed out.

"Ha! Haven't heard anyone put it that way in a long time. The people they steal from aren't exactly innocent. Poachers, black market merchants, enforcer thugs; the usual scum of the city. They always pay for any damages."

"I can see that, treating us to fully paid rooms, and good ones at that." Tygra said as they stopped in front of a door.

"Oh ho! She pulled you into to one of her scams?" He had a low raspy laugh. "That's a bad habit of hers. They think up a plan and act before they're sure it'll even work." He opened the door. "This'll be your room, boys." He turned and pointed to one across the hall. "And there's the other one. I'll bring by supper in a little while." He headed back for the staircase.

"Uh-" He stopped as Tygra started to say something. "Um… thanks."

He smiled, "Anytime." He disappeared down the stairs.

"Weird…" Tygra frowned.

"Weird thanking a dog?" Lion-O smirked at him. Tygra rolled his eyes and looked out the window. "It is weird though, this is one of the last places I expected anyone to show cats mercy." Tygra noticed a cloaked figure run down the street, it looked similar to one he'd seen that day. He smiled slyly.

"I think I'll go for a walk before dinner." Tygra headed for the door after putting his cloak back on.

"Uh…okay." Lion-O looked at Panthro after Tygra left the room. Panthro shrugged.

Tygra followed the cloaked figure, down the street; making sure to stay a short distance behind. The figure paused and looked around. Tygra backed behind a building for a moment and then quickly followed after. The longer he followed, the more wrecked the buildings became. He didn't see any people; he guessed it was probably abandoned because no one had the money to rebuild. He came to a stop as the figure looked around one more time before entering a clearing. He followed again, peeking from around the corner. The cloaked figure removed her hood; it was the serval from earlier, what was the name? Tygra paused, trying to remember…Fionne, that was it. The ground in the clearing was covered in little white flowers with violet centers. In the center of the clearing was a large sword, it looked strange. The blade was jagged and looked as if it were made of a red gem. The guard looked like rustic antique gold and a white bandana was tied around the end. "I'm sorry I'm late." She spoke as she sat in front of the blade. She had a small basket in hand; she set it next to her. "I've been so busy today. I met a group of cats from Thundera… though I left them with Tiegel because they upset me. It wasn't my fault though! They brought up me hanging around Tiegel like it was a bad thing and then they criticized me for being a thief… though I guess that's not something to be proud of. What would you have done, Papa?" She eyed the sword quietly for a few moments.

"So this is where you were hiding." Tygra made her jump with the comment.

"H-how'd you find this place?!"

"I followed you, of course." he smiled as he approached her.

"How'd you know it was me?!"

"What was it you said? Oh yeah, you walk like a cat and you smell like a cat." he said sarcastically.

"Haha, very funny. What do you want?" She frowned.

"Actually, I came to apologize." He approached her slowly. "I shouldn't have said anything about you and the lizard. I'm sorry."

"Well… I guess its okay."

"So, is it okay if I ask about the sword?" he motioned to it. She hesitated momentarily.

"It belonged to my father, this is where he died. The sword is enchanted so it's stuck in the ground where he left it. No one can pull it, not that many people have actually tried."

"Oh? Maybe I'll give it a shot then." he smirked.

"Unless you want to get fried from the inside out, I wouldn't."

"Wow, some enchantment."

"There's a five percent chance of you pulling it, and the other ninety-five is the chance of you dying."

"Maybe I'll get lucky." he joked.

"Please don't." She chuckled. "I don't want to explain to your friends why you're nice and crispy."

"Good point. I guess I won't then."

"You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat." She stopped laughing and frowned. "I'm sorry too. When it comes to Tiegel… I guess it just ticks me off a little."

"You guys must be really good friends." he sat down next to her.

"The best. We've known each other since we were kids if you'd believe it. In Revonna, people come and go a lot. Someone we knew one day, would be gone the next; but we made a promise that no matter what offer we got we wouldn't take it unless it was for the both of us."

"Wow, that kind of loyalty is uncommon-"

"Uncommon for a lizard?" She interrupted.

"N-no! I didn't mean it like that! I meant uncommon in general. One of my father's most trusted generals and one of his best friends … betrayed him."

"Wait a minute; your father… was he the king?"

"Uh- whoops, I was supposed to keep that a secret." he chuckled.

"It's okay…to tell the truth, when I was small, too small to really remember, I used to live in Thundera."

"You?" A sly smile spread across his face. "You? The Thunderian hater?"

"Laugh at me all you want." She pouted. "I was just, you know, since you told me something… about you…" Her cheeks went pink.

He scooted a bit closer to her and… touched her ears. "Ah, they are real."

"Roorwh!" She jumped up, covering her ears. 'What do you think you're doing?!"

"Well, even for a serval…"

"You're making fun of me!" She hissed.

"No, I-"

"Save it for some sucker, not me!" She stormed off, again.

"Obviously not a good move." he sighed. He noticed she left her basket. He eyed it for a moment. "…Just a peek." He opened it, inside was food, cheeses, bread, meat, even some bottles of milk. 'This is a lot for one cat.' He noticed a small piece of paper in the basket. It had three places listed on it and two were scribbled out. The last one read 'Revonna Orphanage.'

~Thundercats~

Tygra stopped looking around, he had spotted it. An orphanage with a sign that was barely legible. He could read it though, 'Revonna Orphanage.' Children of many species were running around and playing. He noticed their clothes were torn and tattered; most of them were in terrible condition. "Hey!" He looked down to see a little fox boy. "Hey!" He started tugging on Tygra's cloak.

"Lao! Stop that!" A woman, a rabbit, walked up. She was dressed in black. "I'm terribly sorry about that." Lao frowned in disapproval.

"N-no, it's alright."

"Can I help you with something?" She smiled gently.

"Actually," He held up the basket. "I believe this is for you."

"Food!" At that outburst from Lao, the kids stopped whatever game they were playing and came rushing towards him. They cheered and eyed the basket hungrily.

"Yeah, it's from the White Bandit. She was… busy at the moment so I offered to bring it instead."

The rabbit chuckled. "She's going to get herself caught one day." She took the basket. "Children! Get inside and wash up for dinner!" They all ran inside. She looked back at Tygra. "How about you come in for a cup of tea?" He hesitated but followed her inside anyways. "The 'White Bandit,' as everyone calls her, lived here at one point but back then she wasn't as… how do I put it?"

"Insane?"

She laughed. "That's one way to put it. She's a bit of an odd bird, I'll say that but she's far from crazy. She may be a thief but she's far from greedy. You have no idea how hard it is to come by that much food in this city. I'm sure this isn't the only place she makes deliveries."

"How long have you known her?"

"Since she was a kitten. Tiegel has lived here his entire life but Fionne came from someplace far away. She first came here with her parents but… that was…" Sorrow shone in her eyes. "Too far back for this old rabbit's memory. Maybe you could ask her about it. I'm sure if she trusted you with a delivery she might trust you with the answer to that question."

"She's… not easy to find." He twitched nervously… she hadn't actually asked him to deliver the basket.

"Easier than you might think. She doesn't live anywhere specific but you'll most likely find her scamming someone on the black market streets."

"Thanks- for the tea and-"

"Don't worry about it." She smiled.

Tygra walked back into the room at the inn. Lion-O had already started eating. "What took you so long? The foods already here."

"I got a bit lost." He responded as he removed his cloak.

"The mighty Tygra got lost, huh?" he smirked.

"Haha, very funny." He noticed something on his bed, a small brown package. "Hey, has anyone else been in this room?"

"No one other than me and Lion-O." Panthro answered after he swallowed some noodles. "Why?"

He picked up the package off the bed. "Where'd that come from?" Lion-O perked up curiously.

"Did any of you guys leave the room?" Tygra asked.

"A few minutes ago when the food was ready but that couldn't have been enough time for someone to sneak in and out without us noticing." Lion-O seemed confused.

Tygra slid the twine off the package and opened it. It was a small ornate box with a small metal piece on the side. He opened it to find little candies wrapped in little shiny wrappings. A small piece of paper with the words 'thank you' written on it was tucked under it. "I think I have an idea who."

Lion-O looked over to see the small gift. "It's a music box."

"What?"

"Yeah, just wind this." He turned the little metal handle and then music started playing. He smiled at it.

"What a beautiful song." Panthro smiled. "I- I've heard it somewhere before… but I can't seem to remember where."

"In Thundera, maybe." Tygra suggested.

"…yeah. How'd you guess?"

"I might've heard it before." Tygra said.

"I think I vaguely remember hearing it too, as a kitten." Lion-O said. "So, who's it from?"

"Someone I did a favor for earlier." He shut the box and the music stopped. He put it in his satchel.

"I don't like the sound of that." Panthro said.

"Its not like that. It… was for an old woman who works at the orphanage."

"Well, that was nice of you." Lion-O said.

"You two better get some sleep." Panthro said as he finished his food. "We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"S-so soon?"

"We were only planning on staying the night here anyways. Why?" Lion-O asked.

"We should probably put off leaving until the afternoon. There are informants who sell all sorts of information on the black market."

"Are you sure we should trust information from them?" Lion-O gave him a skeptical look.

"If our money is good. Tygra's got a good idea." Panthro agreed. There was a knock at the door. "Come in." The door opened to reveal the old dog.

"I've come to get your plates-" he started coughing. "Excuse me, something caught in my throat."

They exchanged looks and rose to their feet. "We'll help." Tygra said.

"No, no-"

"It's the least we can do." Lion-O said.

He chuckled a bit. "Haven't met any one as nice as you in a long time. Since Fionne's parents."

"You knew Fionne's parents?" Tygra asked.

"Wait, isn't that the thief from earlier today?" Lion-O asked.

"Yes, the White Bandit. She wasn't always that way."

"She wasn't always insane?" Lion-O said.

"Eccentric but not insane. I meant she wasn't always a thief. Before she lost her parents, she was a farmer… and I'm not quite sure what before that. She is one of the Forgotten children."

"Forgotten children?" Cheetara asked as they met them in the hall.

"Children who lost their parents in the battle against Thundera. She lived at the orphanage with Tiegel for two years and then they left. Mother Vaba still worries about them-" he coughed again.

"Mother Vaba is the rabbit woman who owns the orphanage, right?" Tygra asked.

"Yes. You'd have better luck asking her for information on the White Bandit and the Red Dragon. Plus any other information you might need. It's amazing what the children overhear."

"You overheard?" Tygra asked.

"I do have strong hearing. Now, if you'll excuse me. I have some things to do and not enough time before bed to do it." He walked into another room, possibly the kitchen, and was gone.

"What do you think about that?" Cheetara asked.

"Think about what?" Willykat asked.

"Come on, guys. She's just doing what she has to survive." Tygra said.

"Weird hearing that from you." Cheetara said.

"She's already proven that she has skills. She chose to be a thief, bottom line." Lion-O said.

"But I understand where Tygra is coming from. Maybe we're not seeing the big picture, Lion-O." Panthro said. "She seems to be Revonna's guardian angel with the way the inn keeper talked about her."

"I see your point." he sighed. "We better head to bed. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

Lion-O sighed in disappointment. They'd been running through the black market all day and not an informant in sight, well- none that didn't run away when questions were asked or charged an outrageous fee. They were tired of running around all day and thought it best to leave soon. He noticed Tygra's wandering eyes but didn't question it. He wasn't really in the mood to argue over something stupid. He noticed a large, red figure running their direction.

"Isn't that the Red Dragon?" Cheetara asked.

"Yeah," Panthro squinted his eyes until Tiegel got closer. He was out of breath and almost choking on his words.

"Thank Revonna, I found you guys!" He took a deep breath. "I didn't… I didn't think it'd ever… ever happen! She was always so… so careful!" He spit out words between each breath.

"What's the matter, Tiegel?" Lion-O asked.

"Fi- Fionne! She's been captured! By those poachers from yesterday!"

"Captured?" Cheetara asked.

"I was only gone for a little while and when I got back, she was gone!"

"Wait, how do you know she's been captured then?" Lion-O gave him a skeptical look.

"Mother Vaba told me! They ambushed her at the orphanage! I know where their hideout is but I can't save her alone!"

"This sounds a little too far fetched. We're not interested in helping you with any scams." Lion-O said.

"It's not a scam! I swear!" Tiegel pleaded.

"You can't fool us." Cheetara said.

"Let's go, guys." Lion-O turned away as Tiegel dropped to his knees. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"I guess… I have no choice. I'll have to rely on the sword to help me." He rose to his feet and ran off.

"Sword?" Tygra thought about it. He remembered the ruby red blade from before. "Guys, hold on." They stopped in their tracks.

"Something wrong, Tygra?" Lion-O asked.

"Why did we turn him away?"

"Tygra, he's a thief and a liar." Cheetara said.

"Really? I don't remember him ever lying to us. He apologized for pulling us into dragging us into their fight and even treated us to good rooms at the inn."

"True." Lion-O agreed. "Those didn't look like crocodile tears."

"Did we tell him no because he's a thief or because he was a lizard?" Tygra asked.

"I hate to admit it but Tygra is right."

"What did he mean by relying on the sword?" Panthro asked.

"I think I know." Tygra said.

"Oh! Tiger boy!" The old rabbit called to them.

"Mother Vaba?" Tygra asked.

"It's a good thing I found you. I just remembered something."

"What about?"

"You asked about Fionne, remember? I just remembered, her father was a serval that went by the name Sunrai."

"Sunrai? You mean Sunrai the Berserk?" Panthro asked.

"You know him?" Willykit asked.

"He was promoted to general along with myself and Grun. He was a living legend."

"Of course, I remember that story." Lion-O realized. "He proved that even a small cat can be a strong berserker. He wielded a sword made of a special kind of Thunderium. Nothing like it in existence."

"Ha! He was pretty big for a serval." Panthro added.

"Also known as the Crimson Paladin. He single-handedly kept the Thunderian army from taking over Revonna." Mother Vaba added. "He and his wife died in the process."

"Leaving Fionne an orphan." Cheetara looked down, disappointed with herself.

"That's what Tiegel meant by relying on the sword." Lion-O said. "Mother Vaba, what happened to the Sword of Scarlet?"

"I know where it is." Tygra said. "If we're right, then we have no time to lose."

"Right."

Tiegel approached the sword. He was shaking violently and hyperventilating. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head in front of the sword. "Please. I know its asking a lot but Fionne is in danger and- I'm not strong enough to save her by myself. Please give me the strength to save my only friend! She's- the only family I have!" He rose to his feet and grabbed the sword's handle. The sword started glowing red, along with his hand and then his whole body. He pulled the sword out, inch by inch. It gleamed as the edge slid out of the earth. The red glow faded.

"Wow, I'm surprised." Tygra stood behind him. "I was worried that I'd have to explain to Fionne why her friend is nice and crispy." he joked.

"How'd you know-?!"

"When you said you had to rely on the sword, there wasn't any other place I could think of."

"We've decided to help you. Let's go rescue Fionne." Lion-O said.

"Right." He glanced at the sword. "I won't let you down, I promise."

The bandits circled around Fionne. She was tied up and sitting on a barrel. They eyed her viciously and cackled. "What should we do with her?" One sputtered.

"I say we sell 'er to the 'ighest bidder." He was only two inches away from her face.

"First off," she frowned. "Get your nasty salamander breath out of my air space. Second, I'd rather be turned into a fur coat than sold like livestock."

"That can be arranged, you mangy little-"

"Fife, that's enough." A man walked up, maybe a little older than Fionne.

"Boss!"

"Don't let her bait you. Our little feline female doesn't know how much she's worth."

"Why are they talking about her like she's an item?" Lion-O whispered.

"Cats are sold for everything from servants to entertainers. Outside of Thundera, cats are at the bottom of the animal kingdom. Fionne is a serval, a rare species of cat. Not only that, she's albino. They can charge extra for unique features." Tiegel explained.

"Unique features?" Cheetara asked.

"Her ears, specific spot patterns and her facial markings. Not to mention the quality of her fur and her appearance."

"If that's true, Fionne must be worth a fortune then." Tygra said.

"Even a blind man could see that." Panthro agreed.

"Wow, you sure know a lot about these kinds of things." Willykat said.

"Well, you pick up these kinds of things when you live like I have."

"Who's that guy?" Kit pointed out the younger man.

"The boss, Nox. He's young but he's stronger and smarter than all of them."

"Boss, we should just sell 'er now."

"Hold your temper, Fife. We could get more for her in Casaiel City. Maybe we could even sell her as a servant to Mumm-ra." He chuckled.

"Ha! He couldn't handle me." Fionne laughed. Fife pointed his blade at her.

"Maybe we should carve 'er tongue out and save Mumm-ra the trouble."

"You shouldn't point a blade at me." She smiled.

"Why not?"

"This is why." She swung her feet up and nailed him in the chin. Then she swung them down and cut the binds on his blade. Next she was perched on top of the barrel. She jumped and swung her hands under her feet and slid out of the binds. "Even when you get the drop on me, I'm still better than you."

"See, Fife. This is what happens when you let her get the best of you." Nox rolled his shoulders. "Now its my turn."

"Think again." Cheetara rushed past, knocking down several of his men. With a crack of his whip, Tygra vanished. Panthro slammed his shoulder into a hog man who fell on two other guys. Tygra reappeared behind four guys and wrapped his whip around a crate tower. With a slight pull, they came toppling down on top of them. More men came swarming out of the buildings.

"Well well, what is this?" Nox raised an eyebrow curiously.

"An ambush of our own." Tiegel smashed two heads together.

"If you know what's good for you, Nox. You'll release Fionne before this gets messy." Lion-O threatened.

"Hmm, and why would I do that? The only mess there'll be is when my men crush you into the dust."

"Not likely." Fionne kicked a man in the face, twirled around and kicked another man with the heel of her foot.

Tiegel drew the sword, it glowed red. "Is that-"

"It is." With a swing, a whole group of men were knocked back by a wave of red energy.

"What was that?!" A lizard backed up,  frightened.

"Well, a talented little street rat, eh?" Nox smiled.

"We're not rats." Lion-O removed his cloak.

"Ah, street rats with a pedigree. I'd be set for life with the money I'd get from cats like you." Nox snapped his fingers. "I want them alive."

"That's what you think!" Lion-O drew his sword. "Thunder." His voice grew deep and his irises narrowed. "Thunder!" His sword extended. "Thundercats, HOOOOOOO!" The Thundercats symbol illuminated the sky. The poachers charged at him. Lion-O struck them down one by one. Fionne flipped off of the barrel and kicked a man in the throat. She twirled around hit another man in the stomach with her heel. Nox stepped in front of her.

"What's wrong, kitten? Can't fight your own battles so you scam the mighty Lord of Thundera into fighting them for you?"

"Oh, you wish this was a scam." She twirled around and kicked another man in the face and then dropped to avoid Nox's blade. Lion-O rushed him and forced him to step back. His sword clashed with Lion-O's as it forced him back.

"What's wrong, Nox? You seem a little shaky." He knocked the blade out of his hand. "It's funny," he pointed his sword at him. "You like having others at your mercy but somehow I get the feeling you hate it when you're not the one in control."

"Cocky, aren't you?" He smiled, and he seemed to change to a calm demeanor. "Men, we're leaving. Fights over. We'll call it a tie for now."

"Tie? You're retreating, I'd call that a loss." Willykat chuckled.

"Don't misunderstand, flea-bag. We're leaving to fight another day." With that, they all threw little gray pellets at the ground. It exploded into smoke and they were gone.

"Man! They got away." Tygra growled.

"Not completely away." Fionne smiled and held up several coin purses. "Sorry, force of habit. I simply can't help myself. "

"You're one sneaky cat."

"It's payback. The least they can do for trashing Mother Vaba's orphanage." She sighed. Her expression seemed to shift into an uneasy one. She bowed her head. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me." She stood up straight and shivered. "Whoa. Never thought I'd say that to Thunderians. I hate owing people, but what can I do… Hm…" She clasped her hands together as if she had an idea. "I know! I can never really fully repay you for saving my life with out doing something equivalent to that effect-plus interest of course. It just might work though." she smiled and they gave her confused looks.