"Jaga, NO!" Cheetara cried as she came upon the scene. There were tears in her eyes and for the first time she didn’t bother to wipe them away. Her feet flew on automatic. They carried her through the mass of males to the kittens’ beds. She tore one blanket off then the other. Her voice choked.

"WilyKit! WilyKat! Please, this isn’t funny!"

Tygra spoke up, his own voice choked as well. "Kit, Kat! Please, come here! Please! Please! Please!"

"Guys! Over here!" Lion-o called fiercely. The other Thundercats quickly rushed over, Pantro ahead. Lion-o looked up and said in an acid voice, "Mumm-ra,"

"That cursed Mummy! By Jaga," Pantro thrust his fist to heaven. "If he hurts one hair on those kids’ heads, I’ll tear his pyramid apart, stone-by-stone!"

"Calm down, Pantro!" Lion-o said lying a hand on the panther’s arm. The warrior threw it off, burning with anger and tears. He whirled around to face the others.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down! Tell me this then: THAT…THAT DEMON BEAST HAS THE TWO THUNDERKITTENS AND WHO KNOWS WHAT HE’LL DO TO THEM! THERE IS NO WAY ON THIRD EARTH I CAN CALM DOWN!"

"But Pantro," Cheetara sniffled. "Screaming will get us nowhere. We’ll do something but for now calm down."

"CALM DOWN?! AGAIN I SAY, AS LONG AS HE HAS THE KITTENS, I WON’T BE ABLE TO CALM DOWN UNLESS HELL FREEZES OVER!"

Tygra sighed. "Lion-o did he leave a note or something?"

"Yes, right here."

The four adults crowded in around their lord. The lion held out a yellowed piece of paper with the symbol of Mumm-ra, two intertwined snakes, on the top. Pantro took it from Lion-o. Tears spilled down his eyes and his jaw fixed in anger as he read it.

So Almighty Thundercats, you do have a weak spot. I should have seen it before. Now your precious kittens are gone and in my clutches. Come for them if you dare but if you don’t I’m telling you this: You won’t see them again. At least not alive…

Mumm-ra

"No!" Pantro crunched the letter in his palms. "That blasted thing! He harms one hair…" he trailed off. He looked to the others. They all looked at one another, tears streaming from their eyes. The Thundercats said his thoughts together.

"We’ll never be able to forgive ourselves."

"WilyKat, what do we do now?" Kit asked her twin, clutching his hand, which she had to stretch to reach. He didn’t answer. She fought the tears and tried to nuzzle closer to Kat. He responded with a slight squeeze on her hand. Kit longed to be able to move closer but the shackles on her hands and feet stopped this from occurring. Even moving as she did and so little, the rough edges of the ice-cold shackles cut deep into her wrists and ankles.

"What do we do, Kat?"

"I…I don’t know Kit. We can’t go out more than two feet."

The female twin looked at her twin’s wrists. They were red and rubbed raw from moving so much. She realized then that it had been to try and comfort her. Ignoring the awful pain echoing in her joints and bones, she shifted closer until her arms could hold her brother. He pulled her close and sighed as she tried not to start crying.

"Kit, I’m here. You have a shoulder to cry on."

She smiled but it was a frightened smile. She put her face deep into her brother’s shoulder and let the tears come. He let his own tears come but they stung his face because the cold of the dungeon had made his cheeks and lips chapped. He felt his left wrist and pulled back fingers with a light spray of blood. He looked up to the ceiling. It dripped with water. He’d been here for two days. Mumm-ra had not fed them one bite. All he did was make them work. It had been work, work, work. They were slaves. He couldn’t do anything and neither could Kit. Pantro, Tygra, Lion-o and Cheetara will come Kat, he told himself. They’ll come. You just have to wait. Wait and pray that they find you and not your body….

"Come on, Cheetara!" Pantro commanded as he hopped into the Thundertank’s driver’s seat. "It’s been three days! Jaga only knows what’s Mumm-ra’s done with the poor things. Hurry!"

"Cheetara Ho!" she shouted as she leapt into the passenger seat. Pantro opened the back cover. Lion-o and Tygra came rushing out, their eyes burning with hatred.

"Tygra Ho!" he shrieked and bounded into the back of the tank. Lion-o wasn’t far behind and he was swinging the Sword of Omens in anticipation.

"Lion-o Ho!"

"Hang on, Thunderkittens," Lion-o said more to himself than anyone else. "We’re coming."

Pantro stepped on the gas and the tank rumbled to life. From all around him all he heard was, "Go Pantro! Go! Hurry! Hurry!"

"I’m goin’ I’m goin’!" He screeched. The tank rolled out at top speed and everyone heard him mutter, "I just hope to Jaga, we’re not too late."

"Kit!" Kat dropped to his knees by his weak sibling. She was hacking, choking, coughing. He held her close and she cried aloud.

"WilyKat! I wanna go home! I want Tygra! It hurts! My stomach hurts! Head too! I want to go home! I’m tired! Just wanna go to sleep!"

"I know Kit," he said softly. "I know. I’m hungry too. And my wrists hurt. My belly tells me every minute that I’m hungry. We gotta stick it out. The others will come for us."

"I…I know, Kat but…so hard. Feel weak. Like I just wanna sleep. That’s it. Just…so tired."

"So Thunderkittens you still believe your precious Thundercats will come for you?" a voice sneered. Kat scowled but ignored it. He turned back to his sister.

"No Kit! I’m tired too. But please, don’t go to sleep. I…" he looked up to see Mumm-ra smiling at him. He scowled and yawned. Kit was asleep in his arms.

"Your sister has fallen victim to my sleep spell, cub. And you are the stronger one. But no one can overpower me. Mumm-ra, the Ever-living."

"you…you already stole us from the Thundercats…our …our family. Isn’t that enough?"

"Hush up, Thunderbrat. Your loyalty to the other Thundercats is touching. But they will not come for you. It’s been three days. What makes you think they even miss you? To my knowledge all you two ever do is be burdensome and get into trouble"

"No," Kat muttered. "No you’re wrong. We may be annoying but they still love us. They’ll come through." Sleep called to him in a honey-sweet voice. He looked at his sister.

"Oh that’s sweet brat," Mumm-ra mocked laughing. "Are you sure? For I don’t hear anything. I don’t think they are coming. You might as well get used to this. I think they’ve counted you lost. Pity, pity. You don’t have any parents to weep and cry over you. So I don’t have anyone to destroy for trying to rescue you." With those words, he fluttered down to the main chamber. Kat mumbled. His back stung. Mumm-ra had wiped him a bit. One would think he would be used to disciple but not this kind. He felt tears come. He wanted the Thundercats. He was scared. The Thundercats had always been there for him. They’ll come Kat. He told himself. They…they love you. They’ll come. They’ll come. With those final thoughts, he collapsed to the ground, out like a light. As he did, he mumbled, "Help us, please."

"Wha-what?" Kit mumbled as she slowly came to and realized where she was. Her twin was strapped back to back with her. The ropes cut deep into her hands and ankles. She looked to her feet. She gulped. They weren’t ropes; they were chains. But that wasn’t what made her gulp. By Thundera, was she high up! Both of them were strapped to a hook and were held dangling from the bottom of it by their hands. Kat stirred but remained unconscious.

"Yes, Thunderbrat. Look down here!"

Kit looked and saw Mumm-ra waving at her. He was standing maybe a mile below her. He laughed and cast a short spell. The ground opened. Kit swallowed hard. Beneath her was a pit. A pit of pure Thundrainum. Her brother stirred again. Kit swayed and tried to break free.

"Stop it, Thunderbrat! If you do not stop it. I won’t wait for the Thundrainum. I’ll destroy you myself and hear your dying screams."

Kit swallowed again. Her twin brother finally woke up.

"What the…Mumm-ra! Let us go!"

"all in good time, WilyKat. All in good time. I will let you go. I will…"

The mage let out a laugh that chilled him to his young heart and he trembled. The kitten shook and thought, "Oh Tygra, Pantro, Cheetara, Lion-o. Where are you? I’m scared. Help me. Please, please help me."

"Look!" Cheetara cried. "The Black pyramid!"

"Look out Mumm-ra." Pantro hissed.

"The Thundercats are here," Lion-o added. "For the Thunderkittens."

Tygra said softly, "For our children."

The Thundertank plowed into the stone wall. The fierce rock held it back. Pantro snorted in agitation.

"Hang on, Thundercats!" he called back. "I’m putting the petal to the medal!" he slammed down on the speed. The wheels spun. Then finally in a state of hysteria, Pantro raised the front cannon from its holder.

"Tygra! Raise the rear cannon. Fire!" Pantro ordered.

"Got it!" Tygra said as he grabbed the controls. He pointed it and took careful aim. Then, he fired. The stone cracked ever so slightly. The panther and lion groaned but Cheetara whispered something to Lion-o.

"Pantro wait!" Lion-o said stopping Pantro’s arm as he prepared to fire again. The panther started to say something but Lion-o had more to say.

"Tygra can locate the weak point in the stone. Then it will take less shots to get in. We need to try to get in and rescue the twins without being noticed."

"Right," he sighed and nodded at Tygra. The tiger leapt out and starting feeling the stone. Pantro grew impatient. "Hurry, Tygra." He pressed. "Hurry," the tiger ran his fingers over the stone and gravel, at a swift pace. He called to Pantro, "Right here, Pantro!" He leapt into the tank as it rushed forward.

"See this you blasted kids!" the mummy gestured to the small ray gun he called upon. Kat and Kit gulped. That was not something they were in the shape nor the mood to mess with. The mage laughed evilly. With that he flew up to the kittens’ faces.

"You will never get away with this, Mumm-ra!" Kit hissed, twisting in her bonds. She sneered at the dark thing’s triumph look. Her brother spat and chimed in.

"Yeah, whatever your plan the older Thundercats will stop you."

Muum-ra laughed. "Oh so spirited." He grabbed WilyKat’s nose and twisted the child’s face a tad before releasing him and slapping his face before turning to his sister. The kitten scowled.

" You got a lot of spunk, brat," he spat. She tossed her hair.

"Thanks,"

"Too bad I hate spunk!"

"That’s your problem. Actually if you-"

"Shut up, kittens! Both of you."

He drifted back down to the gun. "By the way, this is not filled with bullets or rays of painful light."

The twins gulped. They knew Mumm-ra would always have something to be afraid of. They both muttered, "I want the Thundercats,"

"The precious Thundercats cannot help you now. But don’t worry, when I give them your bodies the looks on their faces will be so touching I’m sure you’ll enjoy it."

The mummy fired then. The beam missed the twins who had sense enough to swing out of range in time. They had always been agile and daring but it’s hard to fight, tied up. The beam hit the wall. It disintegrated. "It’s acid!" The kittens cried together.

"Very observant, Thunderbrats!" He sneered and aimed again. The twins looked at one another. They knew that it wouldn’t be long before the Thundrainum fumes made them too weak to avoid the shots.

Kit and Kat felt a panic build up inside them. They already felt weak. So using the last amount of strength they had they did the only thing they could.

"Help! Someone, anyone, help us!"

"hold it right there, Mumm-ra!" A fiery voice called out. The mage turned to see Tygra rush in followed by the rest of the Thundercats in the Thundertank.

Pantro leapt out. "All right you bundle of bandages, where are the Thunderkittens?"

"Aw, your love for them is touching. I didn’t think you’d have the nerve to come. But if you must know, they aren’t underfoot anymore."

"What the heck does that mean?" Cheetara demanded. She drew her staff and began to swing it around. Lion-o drew the Sword of Omens. Pantro swung his nunchunks and Tygra snapped his whip.

"Guys," a young voice called. "We’re up here!"

"Thunderkittens!" Lion-o shouted and pointed up. Everyone turned their heads. High above them, dangling above a deadly pit, were the Thunderkittens. They were obviously weak and Tygra felt his heart stop. They were right over Thundranium.

"Let them go!" Tygra screeched. He was in a panic. Lion-o drew the Sword. He crept to the mummy and lifted the glittering blade. His eyes were burning with anger. "Now!" he added in a hissing voice.

"HO!" A blue beam shot from the Sword’s tip and knocked Mumm-ra hard. He hit the lever on the gun.

"Oops," he said sarcastically. He looked up as the beam shot into mid air. The Thundercats instinctively followed it. The acid missed the twins but melted the ropes that held them above the ground. The rope snapped and they fell.

"NO!" Lion-o cried. Tygra leapt for ward and called back at everyone else.

"You deal with Mumm-ra. I’ll get the twins." He ran forward, his heart pounding. The grip he had on his whip was weak and the Thundrainum fumes were beginning to get to him as well. The sweat on his hands made him nervous. He darted forward and felt the surge of adrenaline in his blood as the twins fell into the ground.

"That’s the last draw, Mumm-ra!" Pantro screamed in hot anger. " You coward! You’re low enough to pick on children! How much lower can you sink?!"

From his battle sticks flew beams of power. Mumm-ra shouted in surprise as they stung his chest. Cheetara fired a beam from her staff. Lion-o fired with the Sword again.

"No one messes with the twins, Mumm-ra!" Lion-o declared. "They’re ours and mean everything to us. So you can’t just mess with them –"

"you mess with them-" Cheetara cut in, hissing.

"-You mess with us!" Pantro howled and darted forward, knocking Mumm-ra into the wall.

"I have no time for this Thundercats!" The mummy fired a beam of magic at them. Mumm-ra darted forward. His eyes burned bright red and a huge burst of power surrounded him. He let another massive surge of power. The Thundercats shielded their eyes.

"Lion-o! The claw shield, now!" Pantro yelled. As he put a hand over his eyes to block out the bright immense power circulating from Mumm-ra.

"Right," He held up the shining surface and held it to the sun. Mumm-ra cowered. He turned and covered his eyes. "Go Mumm-ra. The way I’m feeling right now, you’re lucky I’m bound by the Code of Thundera or I’d gladly destroy you!"

"You’ve won today, Thundercat," he hissed firing one more stream of magic at them "But tomorrow will always be mine!" With those words, the mummy disappeared into his coffin, silent as a breeze.

"Oh yeah Kit, when I was three, I lied to keep you from getting mad at me." Kat stammered. Kit moved closer to him. She closed her eyes as the Thundrainum rushed up at them. She wished she could break her bonds but she couldn’t.

"Why are you telling me now?"

"So if I die, I’ll go with a clean conscience."

"Tygra!" Kit shouted. The kittens looked up. Tygra saw them felt a surge of panic and heartbreak ripple through his body. "Thunderkittens! NO!" He swung the end of the whip toward them. He tied the other to a pillar.

"Pantro over here!" Tygra called. The panther came over and grabbed the end of Tygra’s whip. Cheetara and Lion-o weren’t far behind. Tygra tightened his grip on the whip and added, "I’m going after them. When you feel two tugs haul us up!" Down in the pit the other end of Tygra’s whip neared the twins. Tygra slid down it. He had never felt such a panic in his whole life. He stopped near the end a few inches below the twins. Holding on with one arm he wrapped the other around the waist of the Thunderkittens. They were heavy but a surge of adrenaline enabled the tiger to keep a firm grip on them. He pulled them to his body and they trembled. He pulled twice on the whip.

"Pull! Pull, Thundercats!" Lion-o commanded. The three tugged on Tygra’s whip with all their strength. Fierce tugs had come; proof they’d stopped the twins’ fall. They pulled hard. Sweat pushed it’s way out of their skin. Pantro’s muscles bunched together. Cheetara ground her teeth. A dread was building up inside of her. She called down and her deep voice was high with panic.

"Tygra! Are they okay?" Her hands were getting sweaty. It took all her strength to keep a grip on the whip. In desperation she dug her nails into the skin of the whip and her curved nails kept a lock.

"they’re fine," he answered. "Just scared and with good cause. But hurry, they’re not light."

"I heard that," Kit mumbled. Tygra squeezed her reassuringly. Finally after what felt like hours, the others managed to pull the trio up and over the rim of the pit. As the tiger climbed out, he didn’t for one second take his arm away from the twins. Cheetara rushed over and started patting them down, looking for blood, for injury.

"Are you okay?" Lion-o asked as the Thundercats helped untie the twins. They were shaking. Lion-o hugged them both. They sobbed and wrapped their arms around his neck. Cheetara smoothed their wrists and examined their ankles. There were tears in her eyes.

"Thanks," Kat answered in a high voice. His throat was clogged and the back of his mouth felt dusty and it burnt in need of any kind of liquid. he wasn't about to be picky. His sister moaned and clutched the architect again. He held her as close as he dared without hurting her.

"Oh Kittens!" Cheetara exclaimed rubbing them down again "Oh your hands, legs, your ribs! Didn’t he feed you?" She took a handkerchief from her pouch and spoke to the panther that was staring at them in shock.

"Pantro, get me some water," she ordered. He shook himself out of his trance and handed her a holder with fresh water in it. She took the cap off and gave it to the twins.

Kit put it to her lips and drank greedily. Cheetara knelt by her to catch her in case she got woozy. After the kitten felt her parched throat had been finally moistened enough she turned to the cheetah.

"No," Kit answered slowly. She handed the bottle to her brother and he didn’t even bother with wiping it off. The cool liquid flowed into his throat. In all his life, he’d never felt such a comfort as he did at that one moment. Had the heavens opened at that moment and offered him all Pantro’s fighting skills, Tygra’s balance and Lion-o’s leadership along with an everlasting supply of candyfruit, he could not have felt more joy. His burning throat felt finally cool. He wiped his mouth on his hand and gave it back to Cheetara. She reached into her pouch and took out a damp cloth. It was soaked in alcohol. Kat and Kit could smell it. She handed one to Tygra. With that she took Kit’s hand gingerly and swabbed her wrists. Kit gritted her teeth as the alcohol seeped into the cuts and scraps. Tygra took the male kitten’s own fingers in his and was struck dumb by how frail they felt. He mobbed the child’s wrists and then examined the child’s ankles. He took the young cat’s worn boots off and swabbed the bleeding ankles. Cheetara did the same with his sister. They hugged them again. Cheetara squeezed Kit tightly and then picked her up and smoothed her hair. Pantro lifted the male kitten up into his powerful arms. Kat buried his face into Pantro's chest sobbing.

"I’m sorry, kittens, if I’d been there…" Lion-o stammered as they made their way to the Thundertank. The other adults joined in, in the apologizes.

" By Jaga," Pantro said sadly holding the male child close to his chest. "If we hadn’t left,"

"We could have been there and protected you," Tygra scolded himself as he stepped closer to Kat. The tiger shook the guilt off and stroked the twin’s hair with shaking hands. The child shook and clutched Pantro tightly for warmth.

"I’m so sorry Kit," Cheetara said as she lifted the child a little and put an arm under the child’s thighs. Kit trembled. Lion-o ruffled her hair. She kissed the cheetah’s neck in a state of shock and held her closer for the feel of the love.

Lion-o blushed with shame, "Thunderkittens I didn’t know…No that’s not true. Mumm-ra stated the threat. We should have listened."

Kit sighed. The twins looked at one another. Kat answered to the adult’s regrets and sorrows with this statement.

"No, Lion-o, it wasn’t your fault. Tygra, Pantro Cheetara? It wasn’t yours either. If it hadn’t been for you guys we would be dead. That’s pretty good."

Kit laughed. "Yeah, and we weren’t worried. Well sorta when we hanging in mid-air but not really before that."

"You weren’t?"

"Nope," the two looked at one another. They smiled.

"You guys are like family. You’ve always been there for us. Even we got in trouble. We knew you’d come through for us."

"Heck yeah," Kit added to her twin’s statement. "Mumm-ra tried to make us lose faith but it didn’t work. You guys were there when we invaded the Tower of Traps,"

"Not the smartest thing you ever did," Tygra added with a smile. The two giggled.

"And when we unleashed Mongor, again not a smart thing," Kat said. Kit pitched in another thing.

"And the Harp of Char-Nin,"

They both laughed. "You were always were there. We didn’t think this time would be any different."

"We always will be there" Lion-o said smiling as Tygra and Pantro and Cheetara helped the kittens get into the parked Thundertank.. As he saw them start to fall asleep he added with the others in unison, "No matter the odds. We’ll always be there."

Pantro laughed. "No matter what you do!"

Kit giggled. "that’s a relief," Everyone laughed. Kat added as sleep threatened to over power him again, "we knew from the start you’d come for us. We didn’t know how or when or anything else but…"

"We knew you’d come," Kit added with a slight yawn. Pantro and Tygra climbed into the back with them. Kit leaned against Tygra and Kat against Pantro.

Cheetara cut in, "You said, Mumm-ra tried to talk you out of it. Why didn’t you believe him?"

Kat smiled "You are family to us. Maybe not by blood but you’re as much my mother Cheetara as my biological mother was. Pantro, Tygra and Pantro are like fathers to us. By Jaga, you stay with us, you take care of us, you stay with us when we’re sick, the works. you love us. Don’t ya?"

"Of course we do," they answered in unison. "What’s there not to love?"

The kittens nodded at each other. "Isn’t that what a family is?"

"Right on, Kat," Tygra committed. Kit smiled and clutched him tighter. The adults smiled as the twins slept in Tygra and Pantro’s arms. The tank rumbled away and Kit stirred.

Pantro added smiling as Kat smiled himself in his sleep, "We are more than like a family. I just realized that. We are a family, Thundercats. We are and I wouldn’t have it any other way."

Like Weaknesses © 1999, C. A. Angley (Thundercub) No one can copy this in whole or in part without permission of Thundercub. However, it may be posted on WebPages or downloaded for personal use as long as this notice and proper credit is given. Thundercub reserves the only right to reprint, write, or distribute this piece of work as she desires. This is a work of fan-fiction and Thundercats are property of Trademarks Production. © 1985