Super Cats v Maximus Fang

by Gwyneth Rees

  ‘You just had to mess everything up, didn’t you?!’ she spat angrily. ‘You couldn’t just stay camouflaged and keep quiet! Oh no! You had to bite that guard and give yourself away!’

  ‘But … but he was going to spray the room with dog wee!’

  ‘Which would have been foul – but we’d have survived. And then you could have got away to warn the guards and fetch Topaz. Now you’ve reunited the most diabolical super-cat team in all of history! There’s no telling what they’ll do now.’

  ‘HEY!’ A familiar voice made them glance ahead. It was Rowdy. He looked both surprised and relieved to see them. ‘Thank goodness you’re OK! We just heard about the prison breakout. What on earth happened? And why didn’t you check in with any of us? We’ve been worried sick! We thought they must have rumbled you!’

  ‘It’s all my fault,’ Tagg said miserably. ‘I’m the one who let Maximus escape.’

  Rowdy looked shocked, but as Tagg started to explain, he stopped him. ‘You’d better come inside first. Topaz is going to want to hear this too.’

  Tagg gulped. Now he was in for it – was he about to be fired? He didn’t want to imagine not being on Topaz’s team any more. And he couldn’t bear the thought of not working with Sugarfoot. As he followed Rowdy inside he thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse. But it turned out he was wrong.

  After Tagg explained what had happened, Topaz gave him her most severe glare. But before she could respond, she was interrupted by crackling coming from the big screen that took up one whole wall.

  Topaz looked perplexed, then suddenly Maximus’s enormous face filled the screen. He looked super smug. Tagg felt a shiver of dread run down his spine.

  ‘Now it’s YOUR turn to suffer, Topaz. You and all the cats who sent me to Cat’s End Prison. Soon you’ll wish you’d never messed with me. Gus and I have made you a little film show. Look – here we are visiting an old friend of yours in West Whiskerton.’

  Tagg and Sugarfoot watched in dismay as the camera homed in on a car on a very windy street. In the back seat, two scared children were clutching a basket containing a large white cat. The car was swaying violently to and fro, when suddenly the driver’s door flew off. There were loud screams as the woman grabbed her children and dragged them out of the car, leaving the cat inside. Seconds later, the vehicle rose up off the ground, banging into lamp posts and nearby buildings. Gus was staring up at the car, shooting purple rays out of his crazed eyes.

  Terrified humans were running for cover and sirens could be heard in the distance as thunder and lightning filled the sky. Maximus was out in the open, paws stretched upwards, growling as a whirl of debris engulfed the spinning car. The rapidly swirling corkscrew shot further upwards, and seconds later it was a tiny speck disappearing into the black storm clouds.

  The film ended and Maximus’s triumphant face came into view. ‘Revenge is sweet!’ he cackled. ‘That was your friend Fingal Fatface – he was enjoying his retirement far too much for my liking! Now we’re in the lovely seaside town of Cats Haven. Apparently it’s the perfect place for retired feline agents. Gus has located Charlie the Chop and Holly Christmas. Isn’t he clever?’

  ‘Who are they?’ Sugarfoot asked.

  Topaz’s voice was croaky as she replied, ‘Friends. Retired super cats. They were on the elite squad that captured Maximus Fang. Rowdy, we have to—’

  But she was interrupted when a bulletin from the human news shot across the screen. A newsreader was speaking in a tense voice about the freak tornado that was raging above the seaside town of Cats Haven: ‘HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN EVACUATED AND A MOBILE HOME, THOUGHT TO CONTAIN AN ELDERLY LADY’S TWO CATS, HAS BEEN BLOWN OVER A CLIFF …’

  Maximus’s face appeared on the screen again. ‘Next stop Stoke Mewington,’ he miaowed, continuing in a decidedly unhinged manner, ‘I will soon rule the world! Only cats who serve me will be allowed to survive! Think ice storms! Think tsunamis! Think tornados and hurricanes! With my ability to control the weather and the incredible power at Gus’s command there is no limit to the damage we can do! And there is NO WAY anyone can stop us!’

  Then the screen went dark, and this time, mercifully, it stayed that way.

  There was silence in the room for several minutes.

  ‘I’m so sorry I let Maximus escape, ma’am,’ Tagg mewed.

  Topaz fixed him with a cool stare and said, ‘It’s my fault. I should never have sent you on that mission. You weren’t ready.’

  Tagg felt as if he’d been punched in the gut.

  Sugarfoot spoke up urgently. ‘There has to be some way of defeating Maximus and Gus before they destroy the world as we know it!’

  To everyone’s surprise, Topaz said crisply, ‘There is.’

  Even Rowdy looked shocked as he repeated, ‘There is? Really? What do you mean, ma’am?’

  ‘We still have the Weapon, Rowdy.’

  ‘The Weapon? You don’t mean—?’

  ‘The weapon invented by Dr Specs. It’s been hidden under lock and key ever since he was imprisoned in Cat’s End for his treachery. I will order it to be delivered here immediately. It’s the only way.’ And she stalked out of the room with her tail held high.

  As soon as she was out of earshot, Sugarfoot asked, ‘What does she mean, Rowdy? Who is Dr Specs? And what weapon could be powerful enough to stop Maximus?’

  Rowdy was almost too stunned to speak. ‘Dr Specs is a scientist cat who used to work with Topaz. He invented a weapon that neutralises superpowers. Topaz was horrified when she found out what he had been working on and she ordered that it should never be used. But Specs disobeyed her. He was imprisoned and his weapon was locked away forever. Topaz said that such an invention must never see the light of day ever again.’

  ‘Yikes!’ Sugarfoot gasped.

  ‘Exactly! And now she wants us to use it on Maximus Fang!’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE SECRET WEAPON

  The freakish weather had the humans panicking so badly that the army had been called in to take control of Stoke Mewington, which was the next place to be attacked by Maximus Fang and Gory Gus. The thunderstorm was relentless, with high winds threatening to destroy everything in their path.

  Tagg and Sugarfoot, together with Rowdy and Marshmallow, had snuck inside an army truck on its way to Stoke Mewington. The two older cats each had their front paws steadying an indestructible plastic tube that contained the neutralising weapon. Nobody had uttered a single mew since the phone signal was lost while Topaz was briefing them. Their normally fearless leader had sounded nervous as she’d told them, ‘Maximus is threatening to cause a tornado in every town and city until the entire country is flattened. If he succeeds, many humans will die … even worse, many cats will die! We can’t allow that to happen!’

  Topaz had placed Rowdy and Marshmallow in charge, but Tagg had a crucial role to play in the mission. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or even more scared by this chance to redeem himself, especially now that they were totally cut off from HQ. But he WOULD NOT get it wrong this time!

  ‘We’re nearly there,’ Sugarfoot mewed from her spot at the back of the truck. As the human vehicle slowed down the four cats jumped out, with Rowdy and Marshmallow keeping a firm hold on the Weapon.

  Outside on the street, the wind was so strong they had trouble keeping their balance. Thankfully, there were no humans in sight as everyone had been ordered to stay inside.

  Bits of guttering were swinging in the wind and loose slates were blowing off roofs and crashing down on the pavement as the gale raged on. Shop windows were blown in, and the local jeweller’s had already been raided by some masked humans, while the fishmonger’s had been robbed by a gang of feline delinquents.

  ‘Maximus has got to be close by …’ Marshmallow gasped, panting as he dodged out of the way of a falling tree.

  ‘I hope Topaz is right about this weapon,’ Rowdy shouted back, barely audible above the howling wind. ‘What if it’s stopped workin
g? It’s been years since it was last used!’

  The strange contraption didn’t fire bullets – it released ultrasonic waves that disrupted superpowers. These waves didn’t just temporarily rob cats of their superpowers – they removed them permanently. If they could aim the Weapon at Maximus and Gus and get a direct hit, they might be able to stop them once and for all. But first they had to get close enough without the evil duo realising what they were up to.

  It wasn’t going to be easy. Tagg felt as if the lives of every cat in the country depended on them getting this right! They couldn’t mess up!

  Suddenly, a huge dark shadow fell over them, and out of the corner of his eye Tagg saw a wall beginning to topple. Sugarfoot was right next to him and he grabbed her by the scruff and yanked her backwards, just as a deluge of bricks came crashing down on the pavement in front of them.

  Rowdy and Marshmallow weren’t so lucky.

  ‘Rowdy!’ Tagg cried, as the dust blinded him.

  Sugarfoot’s entire coat was bristling with fear as she called out, ‘Come on, Tagg! We have to help them!’

  Marshmallow was lying down and licking at his back leg, wincing in pain. ‘I think it’s broken,’ he said. Rowdy was unconscious, having been hit on the head by a brick, and a big lump was forming between his ears. Luckily, the Weapon, still in its special container, lay undamaged at his side.

  Marshmallow hissed in a weak voice at Tagg, ‘It’s all down to you two now. Take the Weapon. Get Maximus Fang and Gory Gus. But be careful – don’t point it at yourselves by accident.’ And then he passed out.

  Sugarfoot was instantly at Tagg’s side, helping him roll the plastic container over the rubble.

  ‘Even if we can work it, how are we going to get close enough to Maximus to use it on him?’ she murmured. ‘We don’t even know—’ She broke off as they suddenly heard a terrifying yowl, followed by a thunderclap so loud that the buildings around them shook.

  ‘He’s coming this way,’ Sugarfoot said. ‘Quick! We have to get you set up with the Weapon and find me a good hiding place.’

  Tagg could still hear Maximus approaching. The terrible thunderclaps were getting closer and closer like a giant’s footsteps, causing the ground to shake. Sugarfoot helped him set up the Weapon, then went to hide in the bushes. Tagg, his camouflage activated, lay on the ground sniper-like, his paw hovering above the trigger, ready to shoot.

  The last thing Sugarfoot whispered was, ‘Remember, Tagg – we only get one shot at this. If you don’t wait for them to get close enough before you fire, you might not hit them. And then they’ll know we’re here and it’ll all be over.’

  Tagg’s targets seemed even more like wildcats than before. Maximus Fang’s leopard-spotted coat was shimmering, his eyes glowered with excited fury and his hiss was as spitty and ferocious as a serpent’s, while Gory Gus’s eyes burned with purple flames.

  Worried that the fiendish twosome might spot Sugarfoot hidden in the bushes, Tagg’s paw itched to press the trigger, but Maximus and Gus were still moving and he knew he had to wait until they were standing still.

  As Maximus and Gus reached the pile of rubble, they stopped to take in the motionless bodies of Rowdy and Marshmallow before letting out triumphant growls. They surveyed the chaos all around them and purred loudly.

  ‘First we destroy this pathetic little country,’ began Gus.

  ‘Then we take out the entire world!’ finished Maximus. He began to laugh a truly evil and hideous laugh.

  Tagg knew he had to act fast when Maximus reared up, pointing his front paws at the sky as if preparing to conduct an orchestra. Forks of lightning burst out of the black sky as Gus gazed up in excitement. The lightning began to strike at random – a tree, a lamp post, a block of flats. Soon there would be fires and casualties. Then Gus fixed his wicked purple gaze on the bush where Sugarfoot was hiding.

  Just as a giant roll of thunder deafened everyone near and far, Tagg pointed the Weapon directly at the diabolical duo and fired.

  Maximus let out a blood-curdling scream, his whole body shuddering as if in the throes of some kind of supernatural force, and then he collapsed in a heap on the ground. Next to him, Gus was propelled into the air. The purple fire drained from his eyes and he fell down beside his partner.

  The thunder stopped in an instant and the lightning vanished. Suddenly, the winds dropped and daylight returned. The trees bent horizontal by the wind sprang upright again. Slowly, the eerie silence began to fill with normal sounds – birds chirping, leaves rustling, human sirens.

  Tagg decamouflaged as Sugarfoot emerged from the bushes with four pairs of paw-cuffs, which she slipped on to the legs of the unconscious villains.

  Rowdy was sitting up in the rubble, clutching his head and looking grumpy.

  ‘Phone signal’s back,’ came a voice, and they saw Marshmallow waving the phone at them from behind a pile of bricks. ‘Topaz says well done everyone, especially you, Tagg. She’s sending reinforcements, and she wants us to take those two to Cat’s End Prison on our way home.’

  CHAPTER SIX

  TWO TOP AGENTS

  The following evening, back at Super Cat Headquarters, Tagg and Sugarfoot were standing in the middle of the room as the other cats congratulated them.

  Topaz made a speech in which she commended her two newest recruits for their bravery.

  ‘Maximus Fang is back in prison – minus his superpower – and we’ve finally captured Gory Gus!’ she declared proudly. ‘And we have Tagg and Sugarfoot to thank for this!’ She paused, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she added, ‘Never in the battle of good against evil was so much owed by so many to just two – Tagg and Sugarfoot. You took on Maximus Fang and Gory Gus, and saved the lives of a whole nation!’

  Cheers and caterwauls followed her announcement, and Tagg had to wriggle away from all the excited headbutts and nips he was getting. Marshmallow, his leg encased in bandages that perfectly complemented his fur, was lying next to Rowdy, whose head was also bandaged. Both were rather dopey from the painkillers the vet had given them, but that didn’t stop them purring encouragingly as the two young cats were honoured. Tagg had worried about Rowdy and Marshmallow missing out on the glory, but they didn’t seem the least bit put out that they hadn’t been the ones to use the Weapon on Maximus and Gus.

  And talking of the Weapon …

  ‘Excuse me, ma’am,’ Tagg addressed Topaz politely when all the cheering had died down, ‘but where is the Weapon, and are we going to keep it?’

  Topaz looked tense as she answered him. ‘That’s a very good question, Tagg. This weapon is so evil I’ve ordered that it be destroyed immediately.’

  A deep-throated mew drew her attention as one of her advisers entered the room. ‘A word, please, ma’am – in private.’

  As Topaz left, Sugarfoot came skipping over. ‘Guess what, Tagg? There’s even more good news! Hamish has left town! His gang has broken up and they’re not coming back!’

  ‘Well, that is good news,’ Tagg agreed. ‘At least we don’t have to worry about them finding out who we really were any more.’

  Sugarfoot’s expression changed abruptly as their leader returned to the room. ‘What’s up with Topaz?’

  The look on Topaz’s face made Tagg very worried. ‘Maximus hasn’t escaped again, has he?’ he blurted out.

  ‘No,’ Topaz replied. ‘Maximus Fang is still in prison, and so is Gory Gus. We don’t have to worry about those two, Tagg. You’ve done a great job and whatever happens now, you mustn’t forget that. We are all extremely proud of you.’ She paused and Tagg held his breath, because he knew … he just knew … there was a ‘but’ coming – an especially big and especially bad sort of ‘but’.

  Topaz called for silence and waited for every cat’s attention before making her announcement. ‘I’m afraid I have to report some very serious news from Cat’s End Prison. It seems that, in the chaos of the last few days, there has been another breakout.’ She paused. ‘Dr Specs has escap
ed.’

  ‘The cat who invented the neutralising weapon we just used on Maximus and Gus?!’ Tagg asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Topaz replied crisply. ‘And it is vital that we recapture him as quickly as possible – before he builds another weapon, or invents something even more dangerous. I will need my top agents for this job!’

  ‘Ma’am—’ Rowdy and Marshmallow immediately started to volunteer their services, but Topaz swiftly interrupted them.

  ‘You boys are in no state to return to the field just yet,’ she told them firmly. She fixed her piercing gaze on her youngest agents. ‘Tagg and Sugarfoot, this time I’m putting you two in charge. Don’t let me down!’

  MEET THE

  MELODY

  Superpower: Super claws! Extremely sharp claws that can cut through anything

  Status: Inactive

  CHESTER

  Superpower: Super strength! So strong he can jump huge distances

  Status: Inactive

  TAGG

  Superpower: Camouflage! Ability to disguise himself to his surroundings, making himself almost invisible

  Status: Active agent

  SUGARFOOT

  Superpower: Super yowl! A yowl so deafening it can shatter glass

  Status: Active agent

  ROWDY

  Superpower: Super strength! So strong he can hold up crumbling buildings

  Status: Active agent

  UNCLE BILL

  Superpower: Super teeth! Incredibly sharp teeth that can bite through anything

  Codename: The Gnasher

  Status: Retired. More suited to naps now