Super Cats v Dr Specs

  Books by Gwyneth Rees

  Super Cats

  Super Cats v Maximus Fang

  Super Cats v Dr Specs

  For older readers

  Cherry Blossom Dreams

  Earth to Daniel

  The Honeymoon Sisters

  Libby in the Middle

  The Mum Hunt

  To my mother, Evelyn, with love

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  A PURR-FECTLY CRIMINAL CAT

  Tagg and Sugarfoot heard the theme music coming from the television and grinned at each other. Their whiskers shot forward excitedly as they raced to join the other cats at Super Cat Headquarters, who were all jostling for position in front of the large TV screen.

  Tiffany Fluffiface was the most famous cat on human TV (her cat-food commercials were legendary), and she had just started her own TV chat show, called Cat Chat, that aired after all the humans had gone to bed. Alongside Tagg and Sugarfoot, all the cats at Super Cat HQ were now glued to the screen, even the leader of their organisation – Topaz Top Cat!

  ‘The subject I want to discuss on the show today, fellow felines,’ Tiffany announced, her beautifully groomed fluffy tail swaying elegantly as she addressed the camera, ‘is that of SUPER CATS! Super cats are cats with hidden powers! They might be able to fly or become invisible, they might have superior strength or lightning speed. But one of the big questions we’re asking today is – are they good or are they bad? And do we need them or would we be better off without them? Today’s guest is someone who has a very strong opinion on the subject … so please welcome … the brave … the clever … the ingenious … the braintastic … DR SPECS!’

  The camera swung over to Dr Specs, a skinny, long-legged black cat with a circular white patch around each eye, which gave him the appearance of wearing human glasses. He swaggered confidently across the studio and sat on the low sofa next to Tiffany.

  Tagg and Sugarfoot stared at the screen, dumbstruck! Dr Specs was the criminal who had recently escaped from Cat’s End Prison.

  They had been pursuing him for weeks with little success. They could hardly believe he was now brazenly appearing on television.

  ‘Topaz!’ Tagg exclaimed. ‘Should we leave now and capture him at the TV studio?’

  Topaz narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to the television screen. ‘Let’s see what he has to say for himself first,’ she replied, as Tiffany started the interview.

  ‘Dr Specs …’ Tiffany began in her purriest voice, ‘do tell our viewers all about yourself.’

  ‘Well, Tiffany, I am first and foremost a scientist and an inventor – the most ingenious cat inventor who ever existed, if I say so myself!’ He gave a little laugh. ‘I’ve spent my life inventing things that are useful to a cat who wants that little bit of extra security and power! I’ve made exploding cat crunchies, spyware disguised as fleas, collars with state-of-the-art weaponry sewn in, false teeth that release blood to fake your own death and escape your enemies.’

  ‘Fascinating! And how did your work lead you to become involved with super cats?’ Tiffany asked.

  ‘Well, I used to work for Topaz Top Cat, the head of the Super Cat Organisation, but it soon became very clear to me that she didn’t like my inventions. You see, these cats don’t want ordinary cats to be on an equal footing with super cats.’

  ‘Really? So are you saying the super cats felt threatened by all your marvellous inventions? Are you saying they want us to remain powerless?’

  ‘Exactly, Tiffany.’

  ‘And yet many of us imagine that super cats only want to help ordinary cats. Could we have got that wrong?’ She paused to give the camera a serious look. ‘So, Dr Specs, can you tell us why you believe super cats are so dangerous?’

  Dr Specs leaned in towards the camera, his whiskers shooting forward and his eyes becoming slits as he hissed, ‘Fellow cats, what you need to know is that super cats – with their special superfeline abilities – cannot be trusted! All too often that power goes to their heads and they use their abilities for evil! SUPER CATS are the biggest threat to us ordinary cats! And I have PROOF!’

  Suddenly the picture on the screen changed to footage of a terrible thunderstorm, and Tiffany Fluffiface’s voice could be heard saying, ‘This was the scene just a few weeks ago in the seaside town of Cats Haven, when super cats Maximus Fang and Gory Gus unleashed their powers of weather control and telekinesis.’

  The footage faded, and back in the studio Tiffany was speaking into the camera again. ‘One cat who was badly injured in this storm, and whose home and mouse-catching business were totally destroyed, is here with us now. Mr Sniffer, please tell us what happened to you.’

  ‘Good morning, Tiffany,’ miaowed a croaky voice, as the camera panned to a one-eyed, scrawny-looking moggy who was now seated on the sofa between Tiffany and Specs. His head was bandaged and both front paws were in plaster. ‘All I can say is that I have never been so terrified in all my life. At first I thought it was just a particularly bad thunderstorm, but then the roof was ripped straight off my house!’

  ‘Oh my goodness!’ exclaimed Tiffany. ‘Of course that would be terrifying for anyone.’

  ‘Then I saw two cats in the sky, one with purple rays coming out of his eyes, and the other controlling the lightning as if he was a conductor and the weather was his orchestra!’

  ‘Oh my!’ gasped Tiffany. ‘And they would be the infamous Gory Gus and Maximus Fang?’

  ‘The very same! And let me just say that these cats were out of control! They didn’t care who they harmed or what damage they caused!’

  ‘So how were they stopped?’

  ‘Well, even the other super cats couldn’t stop them! The only way was to remove their powers completely and neutralise them – and a jolly good thing too!’

  ‘It was my neutralising weapon that stopped Maximus Fang and Gory Gus from destroying the world,’ Specs added crisply. ‘But instead of thanking me by releasing me from prison, Topaz and the other super cats stole my weapon and kept me locked up. Well, now I’m free and I am campaigning for equality for all cats. Let us have no more super cats! We just don’t know what they’ll do next with their powers. I have already started building more weapons that will be available to ordinary cats, so they can protect themselves against super cats in the future. In fact these cats are not “super” at all. They only create havoc and are secretly intent on destroying our world as we know it!’

  ‘Hear, hear!’ agreed Mr Sniffer enthusiastically. ‘I think all super cats should be neutralised. Their powers must be disabled so that they no longer pose a threat to the rest of us.’

  Tiffany stood up to shake paws with each of her guests as they left the sofa. She then turned to the camera.

  ‘Well, that’s all the time we have for today, Chat fans, but I’m sure you’ll agree that was absolutely riveting. I’ll certainly be getting a neutraliser as soon as I can. Join me next time for more Cat Chat!’ Tiffany signed off with a swish of her tail as the theme music played, signalling the end of the show.

  At Super Cat Headquarters, Topaz Top Cat turned from the screen to the other cats in the room, who all looked horrified.

  ‘That evil criminal is trying to blacken our good name,’ she mewed crossly.

  Sugarfoot miaowed her agreement loudly. Tagg felt almost too queasy to mew. He was imagining what his life would be like without his superpower. It wasn’t just that his power came in handy in difficult situations – his superpower was a part of him. Losin
g it would be like losing a part of himself. Without it he couldn’t imagine even feeling like the same cat.

  Tagg’s older brother Rowdy growled, ‘Do you think Specs is still at the television studio?’

  ‘I don’t know, but there’s only one way to find out,’ said Topaz. ‘Tagg and Sugarfoot – go there and look for him.’ She flexed her claws impatiently. ‘Rowdy, you hold the fort here. I’m going to the lab.’

  ‘Again?’ Rowdy said with a frown. ‘But don’t you think we need to start planning—?’

  ‘I need to supervise the scientists,’ Topaz snapped. ‘Call Marshmallow and get a backup team on standby.’

  As they watched her go, Tagg asked, ‘Is it true Topaz has hired more scientists to work on Dr Specs’s neutralising weapon?’

  ‘Yes. She’s moved it from the lock-up to the lab. It’s much less secure there, but she’s obsessed with finding a way to reverse the neutralising effect. That’s why she wouldn’t destroy the weapon when we first captured it from Specs. And now she’s so preoccupied with it, I think it’s completely clouded her judgement!’

  Tagg and Sugarfoot looked at each other. It was totally unlike Rowdy to criticise their boss and neither of them knew how to respond.

  Rowdy suddenly switched into leader mode as he tapped Tagg impatiently on the shoulder. ‘Why are you still here, agents? You already know what your mission is! Now GO! And remember to be careful. Dr Specs might not be a super cat, but we don’t know what sneaky tricks he has ready to catch us out!’

  TIFFANY FLUFFIFACE

  ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we found Dr Specs and managed to capture him for Topaz?’ Tagg mewed as he and Sugarfoot slipped through the gates into the TV studio where Tiffany Fluffiface worked.

  ‘Not just for Topaz,’ Sugarfoot replied. ‘Every super cat is in danger while he’s free. He’s already making more weapons that can take our superpowers away! We need to concentrate on following orders and getting the job done. No deviations or getting distracted!’ She gave him a pointed look.

  ‘Hey, I don’t get distracted any more,’ Tagg reminded her a little crossly.

  ‘Sorry, you’re right. That was the old you,’ she teased. ‘I’m just pulling your tail, Tagg! I know I never have to worry when I have you as my partner!’ She gave him a proud grin. ‘We make a great team. We can handle Dr Specs!’

  They were in the part of the building where the dressing rooms were. A couple of humans emerged – probably famous ones – but Tagg and Sugarfoot were focused on looking for cats, and one in particular.

  ‘I’ll look around,’ Tagg said. ‘You wait here and make sure Specs doesn’t make a run for it.’

  Even as he spoke, Tagg was disappearing into the background. His superpower – camouflage – meant that he could make himself virtually invisible by taking on the exact colours and scents of the environment he was in. It was the perfect superpower for a secret agent who needed to sneak around without being spotted.

  Tagg flattened himself against the wall of the corridor to allow some more humans to pass by without tripping over him. He could faintly hear a cat’s voice up ahead, so he hurried towards it, taking care to pad as quietly as possible. One thing he had learned as his superpower developed was that being camouflaged didn’t dull the noises he made, and as cats’ hearing was far superior to humans’ he needed to be extra careful not to give himself away to either Tiffany or Dr Specs before he was in position.

  As Tagg neared the dressing room where the cat’s voice was coming from, he could hear that the miaow was that of a female – a rather cross and impatient one by the sound of it. It was the sort of miaow that cats tended to adopt when they were attempting to communicate with an extremely stupid human.

  ‘It’s lunchtime!’ the cat was clearly yowling. ‘And don’t tell me cats don’t need lunch, because this one does! Just a snack, mind you – I’m not Dr Specs! I’ve never seen anyone eat as much as he does at one sitting …’

  As a frazzled human hurried past, Tagg decamouflaged and entered the room, finding himself face to face with Tiffany Fluffiface herself. The long-haired Persian backed away from him instantly, as if she thought she might catch fleas. ‘Who let you into my dressing room?’ she snarled. ‘SECURITY!!’

  But the human security guards couldn’t understand her and the feline ones – if there were any – seemed to be out of earshot.

  ‘It’s OK,’ Tagg mewed quickly. ‘I’m not here to hurt you. I’m looking for Dr Specs. We saw him on your show. Is he still here?’

  ‘Of course he’s not still here! My show was recorded yesterday! And who’s “we”?’ Tiffany demanded snootily.

  ‘I work for Topaz Top Cat. We’re a team of super cats who—’

  ‘I know all about Topaz. Dr Specs told me. She’s the one who wrongly imprisoned him.’

  ‘That’s not true! He’s actually a very dangerous criminal. He has to be stopped!’

  ‘Stopped from saving the world from super cats?’ Tiffany snorted.

  ‘There are some bad super cats, but most of us are good!’

  ‘Get out of here, before I throw you out!’

  ‘Not until you tell me where to find Dr Specs,’ Tagg mewed as he stood his ground.

  ‘If you want to see him so much, then come to the rally we’ve organised for tonight! It’s going to be massive!’

  ‘A rally?’ Tagg gasped. ‘Where is it?’

  ‘In the park – at the big wooden pavilion.

  It starts at midnight. Dr Specs is going to speak, and I’ve organised some entertainment. We’re going to film it all for my next show!’ Tiffany grinned mischievously. ‘Your presence should make for even more exciting viewing, but be warned! It’s an ANTI-SUPER-CAT RALLY!’

  THE ANTI-SUPER-CAT RALLY

  The large ornate pavilion was located in a grassy area of the park where humans came during the day, but never at night. Tiffany’s camera crew had been getting the lights and cameras in position, and now everything was set up ready for the rally.

  After Tagg and Sugarfoot had returned to HQ to relay the new info, Topaz’s team met to plan that night’s operation. Rowdy was in charge, and several other cats with various useful superpowers – including Tagg and Sugarfoot – made up the rest of their unit on the ground. Rowdy’s partner Marshmallow (who was still recovering from the broken leg he’d sustained in their previous mission) was their point of contact at Super Cat Headquarters. Normally Topaz was the one who coordinated everything from their base, but she hadn’t wanted to leave the experiments on the neutralising weapon she was overseeing in the science lab.

  The team’s goal was to recapture Specs at the end of the entertainment, with as little commotion as possible. Several of the super-cat agents had hidden themselves in the bushes in the park, and Tagg was to use his camouflage to get as close as possible to their target once he appeared and make sure he kept him in sight the whole time. Dr Specs had evaded them too many times already since his escape from Cat’s End Prison. Everyone was focused on capturing the cleverest and most menacing foe they’d encountered so far.

  By midnight the grassy area was full of cats, for word had spread remarkably quickly about the event in the park. Tagg found it hard to believe that all the cats present were against super cats.

  He understood how scary it must be if you were an ordinary cat at the mercy of a supervillain like Maximus Fang or Gory Gus. But he also knew that most cats thought super cats – Topaz’s team in particular – used their powers to help other cats and rescue them from dangerous situations.

  So how had Dr Specs drawn such a huge crowd of anti-super-cat supporters? Unless … judging from the One Purr banners that several groups of excited cats were waving, the popular cat band was the real reason for the large turnout. Tagg realised that One Purr were the entertainment organised by Tiffany. Perhaps they didn’t know what kind of rally they were performing at. In fact Tagg was almost certain that the band couldn’t know since their drummer, Thumper, actually was a super c
at.

  So far there was no sign of Dr Specs. But Tagg kept his eyes glued to the stage.

  Finally, after much impatient waiting, excited mews burst from the front of the crowd as Tiffany appeared onstage, a spotlight shining on her. Her shimmering coat sparkled like the stars in the night sky as she stood there, perfectly framed by the two magnificent white pillars of the grand pavilion.

  ‘My fellow felines …’ she began, her rich, purry voice amplified by the microphone pinned to her long fur, ‘please welcome my amazingly clever and inspiring guest … Dr Specs! He is here to address you on a subject that is relevant to all of us – super-relevant, you might say!’ She paused dramatically as cheers sounded from the audience, who were clearly in high spirits. ‘And after that, the famous cat band One Purr is going to play for you!’

  There were much louder cheers and catcalls and screeches of delight at the mention of One Purr, who were, after all, one of the top cat bands in the country.

  ‘Tonight’s event is being recorded for my next show,’ Tiffany continued, ‘so, everyone, please remember to smile for the cameras!’

  The purring all around Tagg was deafening but he held his focus, waiting for Specs to appear. Had the villain spotted one of the super agents and guessed that they were waiting for him? Or maybe Tiffany had warned him they were coming. Though Tagg seriously doubted that Tiffany would have breathed a word to Specs – she was all about the sensational and wanted her TV show to be as exciting as possible. That was why she had invited the super cats. Their clash with Dr Specs would make good TV – and all the better if Specs wasn’t expecting them.

  Although Tagg still couldn’t see Dr Specs, he decided it was time to make his way to the pavilion. He hadn’t reckoned on the crowd being so densely packed, though, and he found himself making slower progress than he’d anticipated. His camouflage meant that no one could see him, but they could certainly feel him as he trod on their toes and tails trying to get past.