"Panthro do you know what's wrong?" Leo asked.

"I'm not sure, but he seems a lot weaker than the other slaves. I'm willing to bet anything that it's that implant or whatever that's in his throat." Panthro said.

"Leo let's get out of here. We've found Liono, we need to go before the guards come." Panthro said.

"You're right. Come on Panthro help me." Leo said.
 

Panthro and Leo took Liono by the arms and started to drag towards the ventilation shaft. But just then, Gun Grinner came charging into the slave hold along with 4 other guards.
 

"Ah, I see you have your once proud leader. But it doesn't matter, you'll never get out of here alive to celebrate. Hahaha!!" Gun Grinner laughed.

"Cut the talk!!" Leo said as he pulled out the sword of omens.

"I see you carry the Sword of Omens, Lord Leo. It won't do you any good you won't leave her alive any way." Gun Grinner said.

"We'll see who doesn't get out alive." Panthro shouted.

"Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats, HOOO!!!!" Leo shouted.
 

Just then, the Sword of Omens grew like it did in the hands of Liono. And a long beam shot from the sword out of the room.
 

"No, it's not possible." Gun Grinner uttered.
 

In another part of the Birthing Plant, Tygra was helping the last of the slaves escape. It had been hard escaping. There were more guards than expected, but it helped that they couldn't go vehicle. If they had been able, Tygra doubted they would have been able to escape at all.
 

"Go on, run to your freedom." Tygra shouted.

"Hey, you!" Tygra yelled to an escaping slave.

"Who me?" The slave said.

"Yes, take this, it's a map to Cat's Lair. We've moved. There is a marker on the map with a lift sight, if you're able to get they're we've got a transport waiting. If your caught hit the red button on the top and it will be destroyed." Tygra said, as he handed the slave a data pad containing the map to the new Cat's Lair.

"Thank you Tygra." The slave said.

"No problem, no go, go home to your family." Tygra said.
 

As the slave was running away, a K-O Kruiser guard jumped out from behind him. Tygra readied in battle stance. The guard lunged at him, but Tygra was faster. Tygra jumped out of the way, and as he was jumping he tugged at the end of his bolo-whip, and it lit a blaze. Tygra whipped the plant like guard, again and again until the guard gave up and started to run.
 

Just then, Tygra looked to the skies and saw the Eye of Thundera symbol in the sky.
 

"Leo and Panthro must need my help."
 

Tygra ran off towards the direction of the signal. It seemed as though Tygra ran forever before he reached the location of the Eye of Thundera. When he got there, he was in a dismal room, full of Thunderan slaves. Something was wrong, for the all moped around like zombies, and in the midst of the room he saw a struggle taking place. It was Leo and Panthro fighting 5 or 6 Gun Grinner guards. Tygra jumped into the epicenter of the struggle.
 

"Need some help?" Tygra asked.

"Well, we could use a hand." Leo replied.

"I see you've found Liono." Tygra asked.

"Yeah, but we gotta end this fight quick, Liono isn't doing so good." Leo said.

"Yeah, I think I've got the solution." Panthro reached to his belt and pulled out a small cylinder and through it to the ground.
 

"RUN!" Panthro shouted.
 

Leo, Panthro, and Tygra dragged Liono to the farthest side of the room and took cover. A gas came from the place where Panthro had broken the cylinder. As the gas hit the Monster Minds, they instantly froze in they're tracks. The gas seeped into the air vents.
 

"Shew, I'm glad no one was hurt." Panthro said.

"Yeah, lets get out of here. I'm beat." Leo said.

"Come on I think I've got a path marked out for us." Tygra said.
 

A few hours passed. And at the center of Black Light city, Saw Boss sat at his throne in Castle Black Thorn.
 

"THEY WHAT!!!" Saw Boss shouted.

"They escaped Lord Saw Boss." Terror Tank said as he shuttered in fear.
 

Saw Boss sat back in thought. This was the 3^rd time a liberation had taken place at a Birthing Plant. 'This will give rise to a revolution, if something isn't done.' Saw Boss though to himself.
 

"Terror Tank, do you know what will happen if this keeps on occurring?" Saw Boss asked.

"I don't know Saw Boss?" Terror tank uttered as he was shivering.

"If these attacks are not remedied it will give rise to a revolution. That can't happen. We need workers to birth new generations of Monster Minds. How is project Lotus coming along?" Saw Boss asked.

"Project Lotus? Well it's almost done." Terror Tank replied

"As soon as it's completed, I won't you take Wily Kat, and search out the infamous Cat's Lair." Saw Boss commanded.

"Planning a direct assault love?" A voice said from the shadows.
 

Out stepped a Thunderian. She was of cheetah decent. Yes it was Cheetara. Cheetara had been the thirst Thunderian to submit to Saw Boss's Brain Leech technology.
 

"Ah, Cheetara, how are you today my beauty?" Saw Boss asked.

"Find darling. Have you managed to find Cat's Lair yet?" Cheetara asked.

"No, but soon those pitiful Thundercat's will be destroyed. And we shall rule New Thundera side by side." Saw Boss said.
 

Meanwhile, deep in a forested area of New Thundera, for from the reaches of the Black Dome, Tygra, Panthro, and Leo were returning to Cat's Lair in the Thundertank.
 

"Hold it, it's just Panthro and the others." A familiar voice shouted.

"Bengali, greetings." Tygra said.
 

The group greeted Bengali. Bengali walked over to the Thundertank.
 

"How are the Thunderians?" Leo asked.

"They're fine, they all got to the transport successfully. We got them back here quick. Quicker than I see than you came, did you run into trouble?" Bengali asked.

"Yes, but, we have a surprise." Panthro said.

"Oh?" Bengali inquired.
 

Bengali looked in the Thundertank and saw Liono.
 

"You found Liono! Leo, you must be very happy you found your brother." Bengali asked.

"You sure are right, but we need a medic, something's wrong." Leo said.

"What?" Bengali asked.

"He has some kind of implant, in him, that's why his eyes are glazed over and such. He needs to be examined." Panthro said.

"You guys can be going on in, I'll get a few guys down here to take him up to the medic area." Bengali said.

"Be careful Bengali." Leo said.

"I sure will be." Bengali said giving Leo a kind smile.
 

Panthro, Tygra, and Leo walked through the security area. They came up to the entrance of the new Cat's Lair. Cat's Lair was located in a vast underground cavern. The three walked in. Cat's Lair was nothing like the dismal Birthing Plant. Even the though it was an underground cave, the essence of kindness seemed to fill the area.
 

The underground cavern was beautiful. Stalactites hung from the ceiling of the cave and stalagmites stuck up from the cave floor. Cat's Lair was not just the home of the Thundercats, it was also the home of all the Thunderians. Since Cat Lair was built into a conglomeration of twisting caverns, that centered under a mountain, the Lair was actually designed to be one big city.
 

The first part that Leo, Panthro, and Tygra came too, was the village chamber. This was where most of the Thunderians made their homes. They had built houses out of actual rock. It looked like an ancient, tribal village. To look upon, everyone seemed happy. People hurried along with supplies to their homes, and children were playing. But, Leo and the others knew, they were just making the best of things, that was the Thunderian way.
 

Next, was the Market Chamber. Thunderians had devoted a cave chamber where they could get supplies. Farmers grew crops and handed them out to slaves that had just been liberated. There was one merchant who was handing out clothes to some needy Thunderians dressed in rags. It was heart warming site to see Thunderians helping Thunderians.
 

Next, the 3 came upon the center of the whole vicinity, the actual Cat's Lair. The lair was built up through a mountain and was the center of the Thundercat community, from here tunnels lead to all parts of the Thundercats underground city.
 

"It's good to be home." Panthro said as he was stretching.

"Yes, but now we need to go see about Liono. Both of you come with me up to the medic deck." Leo said.
 

The 3 went into the massive headquarters. The first room they came into was the lobby area. The medic room was 3 floors up. It did not take long to get to the medic room. Bengali was already there prepping Liono for examination. Pumyra was there also. She was the Thundercats medical expert.
 

"I see you 3 found Liono." Pumyra said.

"Yes, but he's not in very good condition. Do you think you can help him Pumyra?" Leo asked.
 

Pumyra grinned at him,"I don't know, but I'll do everything in my power to try. First let's examine him. Bengali said you found some kind of implant in his throat." Pumyra said.

"Yes, while I was looking at it, it gave me a little sting. Some kind of, barbed vine flicked out of his mouth and cut my finger." Panthro said.

"Well let's have a look." Pumyra said.
 

The medic room was a large room with several examination tables. Liono was laying down on one. He was covered in a white sheet save for his head. Pumyra leaned down to look into Liono's eyes.
 

"Hmm, you right his eyes are glazed over. And what kind of state was he in when you found him?" Pumyra asked.

"He was in a zombie like state Pumyra. As were all the Thunderian slaves." Panthro said.

"Well, let's look down his throat." Pumyra said.
 

There was an instrument table next to the examination table. Pumyra picked up a small wooden splint.
 

"Let's see what we've got down here." Pumyra said.
 

Pumyra looked down Liono's throat depressing his tongue. She examined it for awhile. She then picked up a long pair of tweezers and stuck it down Liono's throat.
 

"Pumyra how does it look?" Leo asked.
 

Just then Pumyra pulled out the tweezers. At the end of them was a small, plant like object.
 

"What is that?" Tygra asked.

"I don't know, but by the looks of it, the Monster Minds have been up to no good. I'll have to run tests on it to see what it really is. Come with me. Bengali, if you don't mind stay here and watch Liono." Pumyra said.
 

Leo, Tygra and Panthro followed Pumyra into another small room, with a desk. On it, was a computer, a microscope, and a bunch of test tubes, flasks, and other testing materials.
 

"Let's look at it under the microscope." Pumyra said.
 

Pumyra put the plant like object under the microscope. Pumyra looked at it, and prodded it with a small pair of tweezers for awhile.
 

"Ah, what ever is in Liono's throat, it's some kind of spore." Pumyra said.

"A spore?" Leo asked.

"Yes, a spore. A spore is a way certain plants reproduce, plants like ferns for example." Pumyra said. "But, this spore seems to have grown. And it's causing Liono's mind to be clouded. In the piece that I picked from Liono's throat, there were traces of hallucinogens." Pumyra said.

"Hallucinogens? What is that Pumyra?" Leo asked.

"A Hallucinogen, is a chemical that can alter your state of mind. Only there are other chemicals mixed with it, but it's definitely got traces of hallucinogens." Pumyra said.

"Why on Thundera, would the Monster Minds put something like this into our people?" Panthro asked.

"Who knows, but my guess is, that it was to make the slaves work easier. Probably to make them submit. You said the others were in a zombie like state didn't you?" Pumyra asked.

"Yes, but, Tygra said the slaves he rescued were not like that." Leo said.

"Yes, it doesn't make sense that only half the slaves had one of these 'mind spores' in them." Tygra said.

"Yes it does." Panthro said.

"How?" Tygra asked.

"It makes sense if it's a new type of technology they were trying out." Panthro said

"Yes, it does. Good news is that I think I can help Liono. I believe I can concoct something that will get rid of that spore from the inside out." Pumyra said.

"Good, I was worrying my brother would be like this forever." Leo said.

"Why don't you three go to your living quarters and rest, I will call you when I'm ready to inject Liono."
 

Leo, Panthro and Tygra went to their living quarters. The living quarters was on the second floor. Leo walked into his room and sat down on his bed. Leo was sure worried about his brother. Leo was not ready to become leader of the Thundercats. Even tradition was on his side, he was not ready to be anointed, but since the Thundercats knew Leo was the next in the hereditarial line, they had no choice but to make temporary leader. But more importantly, Liono was his brother. His only living relative. Leo, even though had not known Liono long still loved him dearly.
 

Leo remembered the first day him and his brother and first united. Leo had been on a near by planet, living with Pumier. When old Thundera was about to be destroyed, Claudus, the last Lord of the Thundercats and father to both Liono and Leo, had placed Leo in the hands of one of his most trusted advisors, Pumier. Pumier got to one of the last ships leaving Thundera. Leo was on 2 years old then, and had no memory of his great father. Liono escaped with the other nobles of the Thundercats.
 

While Liono had escaped with Jaga and the others, Leo landed on another nearby planet, and was looked after by Pumier. When New Thundera had reformed, and it was being recolonized, Pumier got word that Liono was now Lord. Pumier told Leo about his brother, and the were reunited. Leo was so happy about finally meeting one of his family members.
 

"Your worried about him aren't you Leo." Panthro said.

"Panthro you startled me, yes I am." Leo said.
 

Panthro walked over and sat down by Leo. Panthro put his arm around Leo's shoulders. Since, Liono had been missing, Panthro had been like a father to Leo.
 

"Liono is going to be alright, he's in good hands." Panthro said.

"I know that, but I still can't stop worrying about him Panthro." Leo said.

"Well, know that I'm here for you, as is the other Thundercats." Panthro said.

"Thanks Panthro." Leo said as Panthro began to comfort him.
 

Just then a call over the intercom came.

"Panthro, Leo, Tygra please come to the medic room." Pumyra said.
 

The 3 walked up to the medic room.
 

"Is there any improvements Pumyra?" Tygra asked.

"Well, I'm ready to inject this serum. It should kill the 'mind spore' as you called Tygra. But, I need you three to hold him down, he'll probably jerk, since I have to inject it into his diaphragm." Pumyra said.

"Alright." Tygra said.
 

The 3 moved around Liono. Panthro held him down by his right arm, Leo got him by the shoulders, and Tygra held him down by his left arm.
 

"Ok, I'm going to inject it." Pumyra said.
 

Pumyra sank the needle into Liono's chest, aiming right for his diaphragm. As she did it, Liono let out a few violent jerks. Then, she removed the needle, and the jerking stopped.
 

"I put a tranquilizer in the serum, that's why he stopped jerking all of the sudden." Pumyra said.

"I think we should move him onto a cot in the rehab room, he would be more comfortable there." Pumyra said.
 

The 4 wheeled Liono into a room with about four cots, and they laid him down one the cot closes to the door.
 

"I'll stay and watch over him tonight." Leo said.

"No, I will, Leo you need your rest." Panthro said.

"Panthro, he's my brother, he would watch over me, if I were in his condition." Leo said.

"I'll be fine." Leo said.

"Alright." Panthro said.

"I'll be sure to tell all of you if something happens." Leo said.
 

Leo took a seat next to Liono's cot, just as the other's left the room. That night was a long night. Leo couldn't stop thinking about his ailing brother. Leo thought to himself," Liono you just have to pull through. You just have to." All through the night Liono would shudder and shake, but no over all change.
 

It was about 8 o'clock the next morning. Leo had some how managed to doze off. He awoke to a moaning sound. Leo wiped the sleep from his eyes and watched his brother rising from the cot. His color was back. And as Liono opened his eyes, Leo noticed that they were no longer glazed over.
 

"Liono your back!!!" Leo said in a cheer of happiness.
 

FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN PART 3 OF LIBERATION OF A LEADER...