Rock and a Hard Place

Part One

Lion-O crouched deep in the shadows, allowing the darkness to conceal his presence. His every sense was on full alert, straining to pick up any telltale signs that his opponents were near. At the moment, all he could hear was the pounding of blood in his ears, agonisingly loud in the silence around him. Then he picked up a sound. The merest patter of feet somewhere off to his left. He crept towards it, moving slowly lest his opponents were alerted. In this game, the element of surprise was everything. The urge to pounce was becoming unbearable, but then there was another noise, a tinkle of metal, closer than before. Silence followed, which made him wonder if his presence had been detected. But then they started to move again, this time coming well within his range.

He exploded from his hiding place, somersaulting and landing lightly just inches away from them. Once his feet were firmly on the ground, he grabbed the bucket from WilyKat's hands and held it aloft in triumph.

"Not fair!" cried WilyKit.

"Oh, come on," Lion-O laughed. "You pull that move all the time."

"We knew you were there," grumbled WilyKat.

"Sure," said Lion-O. The twins scowled at him, then scampered away towards the end of the hangar. "Ready or not, here it comes!" The battered bucket arced high in the air, clear over their heads and onwards to the opening door, where Tygra had suddenly appeared. Lion-O found himself wincing, anticipating the blow the tiger would inevitably receive. A quick assessment of the situation and a side step later, however, and Tygra was out of harm's way.

"Sorry," said Lion-O, knowing full well that there were more important things to be done about the Lair than wasting time on such frivolous activities as this. "I was just passing and WilyKit and WilyKat asked me to join in and -"

"You don't have to explain," said Tygra. "Normally I wouldn't bother you, but something has come up."

"Mutants?"

"No, it's that last batch of Thundrillium. Panthro says it was a poor yield. We'll need to replenish stocks before the end of the week. Rather than wait until the situation is dire, I thought we should do something about it now."

Lion-O sighed. One step forward, a hundred steps back, he thought bitterly. That last mining trip had caused enough trouble too. A run-in with the Mutants, damage to the Thundertank and WilyKat had twisted his ankle falling off his spaceboard.

"Do we know where we can get more?" he asked.

"Actually, we do," Cheetara said as she appeared in the doorway. She scooped up the battered bucket and held it out to him. "I believe this belongs to you," she said with a grin as he took it from her. "The scanners indicate a good batch of Thundrillium ore, just waiting for someone to give it a good home."

"Then let's go and get it," Lion-O said. "Thunderkittens, do you want to come and help us dig up the Thundrillium, or do you want to stay here and guard the Lair?" The look on the faces told him that they thought guard duty preferable any day, but only just. "All right then, let's go." He started for the door, but saw that Tygra and Cheetara hesitated. "What's the problem?" he asked.

"Well, it's a bit out of our usual hunting grounds," Cheetara replied. "There's no knowing what might be out there."

"We have the Sword of Omens," he said with confidence. "Whatever trouble we might run into, the Sword can deal with it."

"I hope so," she said.

"Of course it will. It always does. Come on, the sooner we get started, the sooner we can get home. Let's go."

***************

The Thundertank sped past Hook Mountain, sending snow flying in its wake. Inside, Tygra and Cheetara were monitoring their progress, while Lion-O and Panthro guided the tank through the snow mounds and icy crags.

"The Warrior Maidens call the place we're headed for as the Mountain of Destiny," Panthro told them. "I can't tell you much else about it, only that apparently no one goes there, so we shouldn't run into too much trouble."

"Weeow, sounds like a nasty place to me," said Snarf.

Panthro chuckled. "Everything sounds nasty to you. You should have stayed home if you didn't want to come."

"And leave you all to get into trouble without me?"

Panthro gave Lion-O a knowing look, but said nothing and concentrated navigating the changing landscape before them. Snow was giving way to bleached rocks and scattered outcrops. Beyond, the cloud-shrouded peak of the mountain rose above the otherwise flat plain. Twisted trees vied for space on its crowded sides, offering shelter to the birds that wheeled high in the sky above.

"Let me guess," groaned Snarf. "It's right at the top, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't as bad as all that," said Tygra. "It should be somewhere on the edge of that forest on this bearing, although - "

"What in the world...?" yelled Panthro, suddenly slamming on the brakes.

When his brains unscrambled, Lion-O looked to where Panthro was pointing and caught his breath. Sitting on the ground in front of them had appeared a group of about twenty grey creatures. Small and delicately built, they looked serene and peaceful, happily contemplating their surroundings and seemingly oblivious to their recent close shave with death. Jumping down from the tank, he cautiously approached them. They seemed as unaware of his presence as before, even though he now stood in their midst.

"What do we do now?" he said to the others.

"Funny little critters," purred Snarf. "I wonder what's wrong with them?"

"Guess we'll just have to work round them," said Panthro.

"I'm afraid not," Tygra said. "They happen to be sitting right over the Thundrillium deposit."

Snarf went over to one of the grey creatures and poked it in the shoulder. "Hey, fella, don't you know it ain't too wise to sit in front of a Thundertank?" It fixed startled eyes on him and then let out a shrill cry. The group suddenly came to life, twittering in agitation and looking about them in bewilderment.

"Are we dead?" asked the one Snarf had been questioning.

"Brrr, you're a funny little thing. Of course you're not dead. But you did have a narrow escape, snarf, snarf!"

"We are not dead?" said the creature again.

"No! Have you got cloth in your ears? Who are you anyway?"

Lion-O intervened before Snarf's diplomatic skills caused offence. "Forgive us for disturbing you. We are the Thundercats."

The creature blinked and eyed them warily. "We are the Custodis. Why did you not kill us?"

Lion-O stared at him, open-mouthed. "Why would we do that?"

The group began to twitter again. There was the sound of a horn and other Custodis began to appear from the trees. One, carrying a staff topped with a purple jewel, seemed to be the leader of his people. He approached Lion-O with an annoyed look on his face and assumed a dignified position before him.

"Upstarts! That you dare to insult so!" he declared.

"What!" Lion-O spluttered. "I don't understand."

"These Custodis," he said, indicating the group. "You have not killed them. It is their destiny that today they die by your hands."

"We only just stopped in time to avoid them. Now you're saying you wanted us to run them down?"

"Do so, now!"

Lion-O glanced over at his friends. "Time to go," he mouthed, twirling a finger by the side of his head. Together, they started to back away, smiling and keeping a wary eye on the Custodis. Seeing their intention, the leader suddenly raised his hand. Before the Thundercats could react, the group moved between them and the tank.

"Look," said Lion-O, "we don't want to hurt anyone."

"Kill them you must," the leader declared, "or we will kill you."

He motioned to his fellows and several produced blowpipes. Levelling them at the Thundercats, they left them in no doubt that they were quite prepared to carry out their threat.

"We're leaving now," Lion-O said firmly. "I'm sorry if we disturbed something, but -"

He stopped when he heard Cheetara give a small gasp. He turned to find her rubbing her leg and holding in her hand a small dart.

"What is this?" he demanded, snatching it from her and holding it up.

The leader shrugged. "That dart is tipped with a fast-acting poison. We have the antidote, which you will have when my people have been killed. Unless you meet our demands, your friend will die."

"Brilliant," Cheetara muttered. "I just knew it was going to be one of those sort of days."

Tygra knelt down beside her and examined the small mark left by the dart on her leg. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Not bad, considering," she said, trying to sound unconcerned.

"Don't move around too much, that should stop the effect of the poison spreading." He gently applied pressure to the wound. "Can you feel that?"

She shook her head. "Actually, my whole leg is starting to feel a little numb."

Tygra stood up, his expression tight with concern, and gave Cheetara a reassuring squeeze on the arm. "Don't worry, we'll work something out."

"Of course you will."

"Good girl, hang in there. Time to discuss tactics with the others. Stay here, okay?"

"Do I have a choice? You wouldn't tell me how bad it is, anyway."

"How well you know me," he said. Turning to the others, he moved them slightly away and lowered his voice so that she could not hear him. "This is serious, Thundercats. There's nothing I can do about it here. And the speed at which the poison is taking effect means that we won't be able to get her home in time to work on an antidote."

"Weeow, then let's make those little devils give us the cure," growled Snarf.

"What do you suggest?" said Lion-O. "The Code of Thundera won't let us do anything like that."

"They did attack us," Panthro reminded him.

"And we underestimated them. What other little surprises do you think they have up their sleeves?"

"Brrr, what are we going to do?" Snarf twittered. "We can't let Cheetara die."

Lion-O shook his head helplessly. "I don't know. Maybe I can reason with them," he said, turning back to their leader. "What you ask of us is impossible. Give us the antidote to the poison, so that we can help our friend, then we will discuss your problem."

"No cure until you kill them," came the stubborn reply.

"At least tell us why we have to kill them."

"It is their destiny to die here today. To defy destiny invites greater evil."

Lion-O was about to protest, when Cheetara called out. "Guys, I can't feel my legs. In fact, I don't think I can stand." Even as she spoke, she began to sway. Panthro rushed to her side and caught her before she fell. He gently lowered her to the ground and propped her up beside the tank.

Tygra was at her side in a second, feeling her forehead and holding her hand. "How far?" he asked.

"I can't feel a thing below here," she said, indicating her lower abdomen. A look of fear flashed briefly in her eyes, but she suppressed it and tried to remain calm. "Any sign of that antidote?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "We're working on it."

"Can you work a bit faster?"

"Well?" asked Lion-O, as Tygra stood up.

He shook his head. "It seems to be a neural inhibitor. Once the poison reaches her heart, she'll die. We really need -" He broke off, suddenly wincing. He ran his hand down his thigh and came up with a dart. "Oh dear," he said, looking from his hand to Lion-O's face. "Two down."

"Three down," Panthro corrected him, holding out another dart. "Anyone else?"

"Missed me," said Snarf, picking up an unused dart that had hit the ground by his feet. Then his grin turned to a grimace. "Make that four," he said, rubbing his tail where he had just been hit.

"Now you will kill my people," ordered the leader of the Custodis, "or all your friends die."

Lion-O was thrown into confusion. He couldn't kill the Custodis for no other reason than that they wanted it. Nor could he stand by and watch his friends die. This time the Sword was not going to be able to help him. Now was the time he could do with some help from Jaga. Even as he racked his brain for an answer, he heard Cheetara start to wheeze. Tygra moved back to where she sat and put his arm around her.

"I'm - finding it - hard to breathe," she gasped.

"Steady," he said, gently stroking her forehead. "Just try to take deep breaths." He glanced over at Lion-O, his expression telling him of the seriousness of her condition.

Lion-O looked away, feeling worse than helpless. As Lord of the Thundercats, it was his duty to protect the others. He should be lying there now, not Cheetara. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. They were going to die, all his friends, unless... The merest glimmer of a plan flashed through his mind. A slim, desperate chance at best, but it was hope nonetheless. Without a second thought, he grabbed the unused dart from Snarf's hand and, ignoring the alarmed cries from his friends, stabbed it into his left arm. Almost immediately, a tingling feeling began to creep under his skin, leaving behind a loss of sensation. Throwing the dart to the ground, he rounded on the Custodis' leader.

"What have you done?" gasped the grey creature.

"I just upped the stakes," said Lion-O defiantly. "Unless you give us the antidote, we will all die and your destiny will not be fulfilled. It's up to you. Help us now and we can discuss your problem later."

The Custodis looked genuinely horrified, but they hesitated for what seemed like an age. As the seconds slipped by, Lion-O could hear Cheetara's breathing grow ever more laboured. He prayed he hadn't misjudged the situation. A sigh of relief slipped from his lips when at last the leader snapped his fingers and from the group came a Custodis carrying a small vial of liquid, which he held out to Lion-O. He took it and immediately went over to Cheetara. Lifting the vial to her lips, he let a little of the liquid dribble into her mouth. She swallowed with effort, then spluttered and choked.

"Foul!" she spluttered. But a gleam had returned to her pain-dulled eyes and almost immediately her breathing started to ease. Reassured, Lion-O passed it on to his friends, finally taking his own dose when they had finished. A harsh, metallic taste caught in the back of his throat and made him gag, but its effects were quick. Feeling returned to his arm, forcing back the numbness to nothing more than an annoying niggle where the dart had pierced him. Looking up, he saw the leader of the group watching him intently.

"Now kill my people," he said.

"Tell me why," Lion-O returned.

"Who cares if they're suicidal?" muttered Snarf. "Let's get out of here!"

Lion-O waved him into silence. "Well?" he demanded. "How can you justify trying to kill us?"

"We have an unusual gift," said the leader. "Indeed, some call it a curse. My people are born with the knowledge of the exact time and place and nature of their deaths. If we defy what is preordained, then we will meet a far worse end. It is your duty and our destiny that these Custodis die here today. Would you condemn them to a worse fate?"

"A terrible gift, as you say," said Lion-O. "But understand that we cannot do what you ask. It goes against everything that we hold dear - the Code of Thundera, which binds us to uphold Justice, Truth, Honour and Loyalty."

"Mercy is not part of your beliefs?"

"Yes, of course, but-"

"Then kill them!"

"Lion-O?" said Tygra, pulling him aside. "Is it wise to risk upsetting them further? As you said earlier, they may look peaceful, but it's clear that they're well able to look after themselves."

"Are you saying I should agree to their crazy request?"

"No, but perhaps go along with them a little. Say that we'll think about it and then quietly leave when they're not looking."

"You mean lie?"

"Call it a subterfuge," Panthro said. "Unless you can live with the alternative of killing these little guys."

"No, of course not." All the same, Lion-O felt indecision gnawing at his soul. Truth at all times, decreed the Code of Thundera, as upheld by generations of Thundercats. Who was he to be tossing it aside so easily? But, as Panthro said, rather that on his conscience than the deaths of these creatures. "Okay, I'm not happy about it, but all right. Let's be ready to get out of here." The others nodded and slowly drifted back to the Thundertank. Lion-O took a deep breath and faced the Custodis once more.

"I find it hard to believe what you claim," he said. "I need proof before I decide. Therefore, we will ask the other inhabitants of Third Earth if they have ever heard of you. If they confirm your story, then - and only then - will I return with my decision."

The leader smiled thinly. "No, you think you will escape your duty to my people. If this is your intention, then how can you claim to be either honourable or truthful!" Lion-O began to protest, but the leader held up his hand. "Perhaps I have misjudged you. Many before you have tried to escape their duty. Let me assure you that none have succeeded. The potion that we gave you will only be effective for several hours. Then the poison will return to claim your life. You will be given the cure, but only when you fulfil my people's destiny." So saying, he turned magnificently and vanished back into the undergrowth, with the others at his heels.

"Weeow, do you mean we're still not better?" worried Snarf.

"That's exactly what he means," said Tygra. "Let's get back to the Lair, so I can analyse this poison. If I can find a cure, we can side-step this whole problem."

"What other choice do we have?" said Lion-O dejectedly. As he trooped back to the tank, the familiar presence of Jaga flared at his side. "Help us," he appealed to the ghost.

"There is always a choice, Lion-O," Jaga said.

"Between what? Killing them or dying ourselves?"

"A choice between what we know to be right and that which is wrong."

"Please, Jaga, no riddles just now. We are in serious trouble."

The ghost regarded him sternly. "As I said, Lion-O, you have a choice. Let the Code of Thundera guide you in your decision." With that, he started to fade until his voice was but a whisper on the wind. "You have a choice," came his final words.

Lion-O had to clench his fists to control his seething anger. As ever, when he needed help, all Jaga did was to state the obvious. Of course he had a choice - did Jaga think he didn't know that? There had to be a way out of this situation, but at the moment he was at a loss to know what it was.

Snarf interrupted his thoughts. "What did Jaga say?"

"He said that we had a choice, and that we should let the Code of Thundera guide us."

"That's not very helpful, snarf, snarf!"

"He means we should work it out for ourselves," said Tygra. "Which we'll never do if we hang around here all day."

Lion-O nodded. "Tygra, take the Thundertank back to the Lair. I want to talk to the Warrior Maidens. If they knew the name of this place, maybe they can tell us something about the Custodis."

Continued

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