The Raging Wildcat {1} (Catman)

Chapter 17- "Oh Great, More Babysitting"

The ship had just shot through a portal and into a very mountainous part of Kissteria. By the time KISS along with the Scooby gang arrived, it had turned into nighttime. The darkened sky was filled with vibrant stars, colorful planets, and swirling nebulas. The surrounding mountain landscape seemed to glow a deep shade of red, reflecting the brightness of the night sky.

None of the passengers had time to take in the sights around them as there eyes were immediately drawn to the Crimson Witch and Rory.

Behind her glasses, Velma's eyes blew wide at the scene before her. "Look, it's the witch!" she exclaimed while pointing at the scene in front of her. As soon as she processed what was going on, her breath hitched in her throat. Rory's screams had reached her ears, and her blood ran cold.

Tears of frustration and anger started to build up in Fred's eyes. Never did he wish to hear that sound coming from Rory's mouth, which were screams of pain. She was so young, and he was livid that the witch was so careless with the brunette, and that he was helpless to do anything. But he knew who could help her. "He's hurting her!" he hollered out to the only people he knew could rescue her from the witch's clutches.

KISS did not need any coaxing to jump into action as they simultaneously flew from the ship in unison with Fred's outburst. The Scooby gang could only watch as the four band members flew away at unimaginable speed and a flurry of colors, towards the witch and Rory.

Before KISS could reach them, though, the barrier finally came down. The swirling red and oranges of the barrier seemed to crumble away as disintegrating paper. With the barrier falling, Rory's anguished yells ceased as well.

The witch, with Rory in tow, flew towards a peculiar looking mountain inside the area where the barrier once stood. The mountain seemed to have been cut off at the tip, leaving a flat area that was only disrupted by a pedestal made out of the same red rock of the mountain itself, and an arch that stood magnificently at edge as a makeshift entrance.

As soon as the witch stepped foot onto the flattened mountain top in front of the entrance, KISS lands in front of her, successfully intercepting her on her way to the pedestal.

Catman takes a look at Rory, gauging her appearance. Although disheveled and on the brink of complete fatigue, he can see her muscles taut, still attempting to escape the witch's hold with every last bit of her strength. He internally smiles, proud of the determination that the brunette has inside her despite everything.

As if he was a magnet, the brunette's eyes instantly flicker up to meet his. It is a wonder how they always seem to know where exactly to look to meet the eyes of the other, no matter when or where. They simply just need to be near one another.

Catman sees a new fire come to life in Rory. Just seeing that Catman, and the rest of KISS, have come after them gives Rory new life. Catman wants nothing more in that moment than to go to her, and retrieving her from the witch once and for all.

As Catman begins to take a step forward, he feels a pressure against his chest. Looking down, he sees an arm, halting an advance my forward. Quickly looking to the owner, he sees Spaceman looking at him. Spaceman didn't need to voice his thoughts, because Catman understood.

Wait.

They both turned back to look at the Crimson Witch as she begins to speak. "You shouldn't have brought them here, KISS."

Rory's face twists in confusion, until she sees who the witch is talking about. She sees her friends atop the spaceship, looking down on them all with faces of fear, but not for themselves. Her eyes blow wide with the witch's next words.

"They will surely never leave Kissteria....alive!"

If everyone wasn't distracted by the Kissterian gargoyles the Crimson Witch brought to life, they may have noticed a glimmer of a faint, white hue that surrounded Rory. She had started fighting even harder against the red aura of the witch that rendered her immobile. Unfortunately, the witch noticed. It was only a matter of time for Rory to break free from the witch's power, so she harshly grabbed Rory's upper arm as insurance.