New York City was a mess. The only real thankful thing was that aside from initial attack which came in the UN's main buildings on the southern side of Manhattan that once it spread from there, it went in the way the virus had spread in Fee City. Rapes, bites, claws, and other similar events were the main cases of the infection. It thankfully limited the total number of transformations, thanks to the maze of buildings and rooms and the number of people that lived and worked in the largest city in America, but even before Danna's team arrived there, some had left and it had spread into other parts of the nearby area. They also soon learned that the only thing that was slowing it down in New Jersey and Connecticut and the parts of New York just north of New York City was that thanks to greater contact with Janace, US National Guard and SWAT units had figured out the right mixtures for tranquilizers that would work on Kats. Many of them had run out of the supplies of the Wise Vaccine, that in the past month was only just being delivered around the US as a "just in case" scenario until they could perfect the Dead Vaccine, which would probably rely on the Wise Vaccine as its base, but they did have the tranquilizers so that the could adequately restrain any non-vaccinated Kat until the Wise Vaccine could be delivered.
Though the fact that there was still a great deal of chaos lead to some frustration on Danna's team and those that had joined it. As things began to calm down, they began to regroup, but found themselves in Central Park, where they found Elise looking over that did look good. Brent and Christina, or Torrent as shi had named hirself after becoming a Sharkat, came in from the west. Sitting on the ground taur-like Tyrannosaurus based Dinokat, making hir fairly similar to Elise in terms of forms, since T-Rex and Deinonychus were both bipeds. The major difference between the Tyrannosaurus Dinokat and Elise was that the Tyrannosaurus Dinokat was covered in what looked like small rough looking feathers that at long range might be mistaken for scales and were largely a blackish green color with brownish-black stripes. Elise was also covered in feathers of a largely brownish color, but hir feathers were longer looked almost like they were long enough to look like wings with hir clawed hands emerging at the apex of the wings. The feathers on Elise's tail also grew out rather long.
When Sammy and Gloria met the new Elise after hir transformation, they commented that Elise resembled them in many ways with regards to hir feathers. The only difference was that Sammy and Gloria's feathers were bright colors while Elise was colored more to blend in with hir surroundings and be a stealthy hunter. Elise then explained that the dragons used in Sammy's transformation before the Hong Kong outbreak was likely a previously unknown species of dinosaur that somehow survived the mass extinction of dinosaurs sixty five million years before and remained in China. And given the fact that the Chinese had culturally referred to dinosaur bones as dragon bones and many were commonly peddled on the black market in traditional medicine that these dragons were likely discovered and sold without any documentation. It was an interesting revelation that dinosaurs and dragons were closely related, but Elise didn't have the time to go fully into the paleontologist evolutionary explanation. And the present outbreak also made hir unable to fully think over things.
And that was the scene that Brent and Torrent came up to. The Tyrannosaurus Dinokat, which was about the same size as Elise (thankfully Dinokats didn't grow to the insanely massive sizes that Dinosaurs grew to) was seated on hir rear legs and was giving several crying grunts. Brent and Torrent soon found out why, as there was what looked like a Stegosaurus Dinokat that lay on the ground dead. What made it worse was that the dead Kat looked like shi had been partially eaten.
"What happened?" Torrent asked as shi actually jogged forward to look down at the dead Kat, "Did they attack you?"
Brent was close behind Torrent, thanks to her multiple sets of eyes, shi could also make out Chris (Aqua), Danna, and Mikkie also approaching.
"Not me," Elise gave a slow sigh, "I actually found hir like this... it would appear that whoever these guys are... they either copied the blood-lust I went through when I became a Dinokat or that sort of thing is something species specific to Dinokats."
The Tyrannosaurus Dinokat only began to cry harder. "She... she... she was... was... my... fi...fi...fiancee... and... and... and... I ate... her!"
Hir crying then became uncontrollable.
"You went through that?" Danna asked to Elise.
"As a test," Elise answered, "but I was in a sealed room and Snowy had lots of meat on hand for me to feed on. If this blood-lust is typical of Dinokats... or at least for those from carnivorous dinosaurs, we might face more scenes like this..."
"Well... at least we can pin the legal blame on the two ambassadors we caught," Brent commented, being careful with hir tail, as Kila was still sleeping on hir back.
"That's the other thing..." Mikkie spoke up, "I don't think the "South Korean" guy was the South Korean representative... not the real one anyway."
"You mean the guy we caught is an impostor?" Danna gasped.
Mikkie nodded, "Yeah. South Korea's generally worked with us in the past in terms of reports and so forth, and after Ronnie was rescued they did make some demands to North Korea that they release the guy or girl that attacked Ronnie..."
Danna thought back over the past six years. The two Koreas were vastly different. South Korea was largely democratic and firmly allied with the US and hesitantly tolerating of Japan, and after Ronnie's rescue, tensions on the border did increase again with accusations of North Korea harboring terrorists hurting relations between the two Koreas, embarrassing China, and frustrating the US and Russia. North Korea remained a Communist state and highly militaristic and antagonistic towards almost everyone. Their closest political ally was China, but China's relations with North Korea had been strained for the past twenty years as China had been finding itself having to diplomatically save North Korea from its own mistakes when it was unlikely that its original reason for supporting North Korea in the 1950s Korean War even existed anymore. While Gloria had technically retired from China's security service, shi did still have some contacts and friends that shi talked with, and they made countless mentions in a frustrated manner on why they were even messing with a state that no longer gave China any positive value. The Russians at times seemed to tolerate North Korea, but that was more economic, as the Russian government found in North Korea the perfect spot to sell military hardware, but much like China, the Russians also didn't like having to save North Korea from the diplomatic fire their government tried to jump into.
"Which means we likely have to rescue a real diplomat as well," Brent said with a sigh, "and it would look like the this outbreak has gone beyond New York City."
Elise gave a heavy sigh, "We're going to need help."
"Don't leave me," the Tyrannosaur Dinokat cried.
"You can come with us," Danna told the other Dinokat, "but we'll need to let the others in Janace know."
+++++++++++++++++++++
They eventually made their way back Long Island where the NYPD and local military units were running their own base and caring for people that had escaped from Manhattan.
"Things seemed to have quieted down," the US Secretary of Defense commented, "Did you get them all?"
"In New York," Danna said slowly, "but it's spreading beyond New York and we have a missing diplomat to rescue."
"We need to get in contact with Janace first," Mikkie added.
There were nods that came in response, though one noticed the little Kat sleeping on Brent's back.
"Who is that?" the soldier asked.
"Shi is Kila," Brent answered, "apparently shi got bitten by another Kat... probably a friend and hir mother disowned hir. I will be hir mother now."
"Shi is a Chakat, but based off the prehistoric Eusmilus," Elise spoke, "Hir sabers are only just growing in, but you can also see a guard in hir lower jaw... a thing that is not present in Smilodon, the cat we think of most when one says "saber-toothed cat." And shi is rather cute."
"You'll need to keep hir safe," the man spoke.
"Can you watch hir until everything is under control," Brent asked as shi rotated around and lifted Kila into hir arms, which woke Kila up.
"Momma," Kila said to Brent.
"No harm will come to hir while we live," the soldier promised.
"This outbreak is huge, dear," Brent said slowly, "I'm going to have to leave you with these men until we can go home. Can you be brave for me?"
Kila only purred against Brent's chest, "Be safe, momma."
Brent then set Kila down in front of the soldier, who looked down at hir.
"Do you like jerky?" the soldier asked.
While that soon turned into a discussion of food, Danna and Mikkie were lead to the communications room where they were soon in a video conference with Raul and Maria Herroud.
"It's spread beyond NYC?" Raul asked.
"Yes," Danna spoke, "Going north toward upstate New York, east into Connecticut, and west into New Jersey... and given the time it took us to respond and any potential other attacks... the spread of this outbreak is possibly far larger than we initially thought."
"In addition, we think the real South Korean representative to the UN has been abducted or killed, we don't which," Mikkie added.
They watched Raul sigh and then face-palm, displaying some frustration.
"We're going to need just about everyone to contain this," Danna spoke, "We got some help here from Aqua and Torrent who were in the area and showed up to help... and SWAT units and National Guard units have also helped... but we're beginning to run low on the Wise Vaccine and they're having to face that even more and are having to tranquilize them until we can get more or restrain them until we can get more."
Raul again gave a frustrated groan.
+++++++++++++++++++++
In Janace, Charlie and Sally were relaxing quietly in their living room and watching a little light television. Finding hir mother, Janace, and seeing her become hir was something that heavily warmed Sally's heart. Shi and Jess had loved their mother just as much as they loved Justin. And now, their family was reunited.
"So... triplets," Charlie said after a moment.
"Yes," Sally gave a short sigh, "I think the serum must have really upgraded the sensitivity of hir ears when shi became a Hybrikat."
"I thought it was the multiple sets of ears," Charlie commented.
"No, it's the sensitivity of them," Sally answered, "Shi has plenty of ears, which can help... but they have to have a high sensitivity to hear the heartbeats of our unborn children... who are still just forming within us..."
"And it's triplets," Charlie said to Sally and hugged hir.
"I'm going to be humongously fat when it comes time to give birth," Sally commented.
"Just as I was with Fluffy and Mary," Charlie chuckled, "but it's not a bad thing... is it?"
Sally looked to hir mate and smiled, "No. A surprise, but nothing bad. It will simply mean more for us to love."
Charlie nodded and the two kissed. This kiss was short as a chorus of giggles and laughs from Reca's room got them to get up and investigate. They found Janice, Pinkie, Diamond, Fluffy, Mary, and Reca seated around or with Janace looking through an old scrapbook that Charlie and Sally kept.
"That's really what mom and dad looked like as humans?" Pinkie asked looking one picture.
"Yes," Janace replied, "I believe I took this picture before their junior prom in high school. Amazing how far we all come in our lives isn't it?"
"I think mom and dad look better as Kats," Janice stated.
"They weren't to bad as people," Mary commented.
"Oh they weren't bad looking as humans," Janace chuckled, "and beauty is always in the eye of the beholder... you've only known your parents as Kats. I can remember when they were human..."
Charlie and Sally watched as their children nodded. Seeing them interact with Janace made them feel glad at having Janace back.
"You all seem to be getting along well," Sally finally spoke as they entered.
"Grandma's been going through the family scrapbook and has been telling us about what shi remembers of your past," Janice reported.
"And we've pointed to our adventures," Fluffy cheered.
Charlie and Sally smiled and came to lay on the floor to be close with their children and interact with Janace. Janace remained on hir bed with Reca cuddled up to hir human torso. Shi had been glad to meet hir family but had rapidly felt out of place. Hir whole family were Kats and were all very young. As a human, shi had not only been old but also injured. Had shi remained human, not only would Justin and Nikole, who were supposed be hir age out lived hir by quite a long time, but shi would have never fully gotten to truly know hir family and would have never fit in. They were all Kats and she wasn't, but now, shi was a Kat too and hir youth was restored. And much like Justin had told hir before hir transformation, it had been a rebirth of sorts. Hir family was made up of Kats and now that included hir. Shi loved it. True, the penis, contained in its sheath for the moment, and the four pairs of breasts that ran down hir humanoid torso were a little odd but shi loved it as it would rebuild and strengthen the bond with hir family.
"And you two have been up to quite a lot," Janace commented to Sally and Charlie, "and in talking with your children here... it is clear that you two love each other very firmly."
"Forever and always," Charlie hugged Sally to hir.
"And to share our love for our children and to make sure other kids feel the same love our kids feel," Sally smiled and petted Janice's taur back with one of hir forelegs.
"And we'll probably get a very long time to do that," Janace commented, "all of us..."
"We've been unsure as to how long that will be though," Charlie commented as Pinkie came up to hug hir mother, "Our kids age at the same rate as humans... but Luna and Midnight both quit aging when they turned eighteen... at least quit aging at the same rate as our younger kittens."
"But you both have aged since Fee City," Janace commented, "Only about one year in twelve years time... which would mean that as Kats and aging at one year every twelve.. and giving that humans are living between eighty-eight and one hundred years nowadays... you're looking at living between one thousand fifty six and one thousand two hundred years."
"That's assuming the exact rate we've aged is one year for every twelve we've been alive," Sally commented.
"Even if not exact, it'd still likely be centuries long," Janace commented, "A very long time to love and be loved."
"And we'll be a happy family?" Reca asked, climbing up to play with one of Janace's eight ears.
Janace reached around to tickle Reca under one of hir forelegs, making the young pup laugh and giggle.
"Oh... we will," Janace smiled.
"So, mom, how do you feel now?" Sally asked.
"Quite good... the transformation hurt... but it appeared to have healed all the ribs I broke chasing Penguins and in a way, I feel as part of the family again," Janace commented, "I look forward to catching up with my family and spending time with my grandchildren and great-grandchildren." Shi then gave a rather mischievous smile, "And spoil them rotten."
That elicited cheers from Reca, Diamond, Fluffy, and Mary. Janice and Pinkie only chuckled. Charlie and Sally both sighed heavily, but knew that Janace probably wouldn't do anything that they wouldn't tolerate.
"Though I will help you all deal with all these outbreaks where I can," Janace added, "They're making you leave your family and that I will not tolerate. We will work and put an end to these outbreaks so that we may all live and love in peace."
Sally and Charlie traded glances. Sally was about to speak when hir mother cut hir off.
"And there is nothing you can do to stop me from helping and protecting my family," Janace said firmly and with a degree of authority that Charlie and Sally did recognize.
"Then hopefully we'll handle things quickly," Charlie spoke.
As shi finished speaking, their doorbell rang.
"It would appear we have guests," Sally stood up, "Maybe Luna to see if Marka is less afraid of you as a Kat."
Janace carefully slid off of the bed and got back onto hir four feet and kept Reca in hir arms. The young Jackkat cuddled up to hir grandmother. Charlie also got up, and the group slowly made their way out to the door where they found it was not Luna, but Raul. The Foxtaur gave little recognition to the new Janace and addressed Charlie and Sally directly.
"It would appear that what's going on in the east is bigger than expected," Raul spoke, "Danna's team has cleared New York City, but it would appear that they made it beyond New York City and it's spreading beyond the city. I'm afraid we're going to need just about everyone. Even Justin and Francine volunteered to help."
"I will help as well," Janace spoke up and came forward, "I've truly joined my family and will do everything to help... and I can help. And remember, I've only just become a Kat. Unlike Sally, Charlie, Justine, and Francine, I am not pregnant."
Raul slowly nodded as Janace set Reca on the ground.
"Who all is going?" Charlie asked, "Aside from me, my mate, and my mother-in-law?"
"Myself, my mate, Luna, Lia, Sammy, your mother, Francine, Justin, and Jess," Raul answered, "We'll hold Gloria, Alexis, Midnight, Talia, Ryles, Casey,Angel, Demon, Maurice, Snowy, Ronnie, and Mina as a final reserve in case it is even larger that what we've been told, but we'll only do that if we can't control it."
"What about our children?" Charlie asked.
"We can look after ourselves, mom," Pinkie promised from the background, "We promise."
"Can our "reserves" check on things at home if things aren't that big?" Sally asked.
Raul nodded, "and if they're called... I'll turn some of Janace's other Kats... who simply moved here to live with other Kats or humans that moved here to be with their families but didn't want to be Kats."
Charlie and Sally nodded, turned to face toward their oldest soughters, Janice and Pinkie. They bent down onto the elbows of their forelegs and placed their hands on the shoulders of the soughter they gave birth to.
"You're sure you'll be okay?" Charlie asked, "This will be a big responsibility."
"We will, mom," Pinkie nodded.
"If you need any help or anything to eat, go to Maurice and Snowy's or Casey and Ryles' house okay?" Sally instructed.
"We will, mom," Janice said confidently.
"And Janice, if you invite Snowflake over... you know our rule?" Charlie asked.
"No sex till I'm eighteen," Janice admitted, "but we only just agreed to date I don't think we're that far along..."
"Luna and Lia became mates within a few hours of meeting," Sally reminded hir soughter, "Ryles and Casey in a few minutes. Aunt Jess and Nikole in a few hours. We have great capacity to love and we commonly fall in love quickly."
Janace stood by quietly. It was then that shi realized some of the additional consequences of hir own transformation. Kats loved firmly and commonly took mates quickly, and shi had joined that society. Part of hir now wondered how long shi would actually wait before shi would have a new husband and was pregnant again hirself, or whether or not shi could fully decide not to.
"I'll cross that bridge... that isle when I get ti," Janace then shrugged and patted Reca's head and said to hir, "We'll be back before you know it, young one."
"Be safe mom, dad, grandma," Reca said.
Janace watched as Charlie and Sally both came up, lifted Reca up into their arms and purred and then passed Reca to the other. They then slowly followed after Raul.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The reaction to Janace's form as a Hybrikat was pleasant and shi enjoyed the compliments, especially from Jess, Luna, and Lia. They all gathered in what worked as a sort of briefing room. They'd passed a communications room that had windows leading into the room. Inside it, Janace had noticed Maurice talking with an elderly human male running the phones, and could hear some things through the doors. Most of it was processing the reports coming in, though shi did hear a VERY friendly comment about HIR at the end as shi passed the window into the briefing room. Shi thought the man was Maurice's father, but last shi remembered, Maurice's father had won some sort of gambling event that left him the proprietor of a hotel in Italy. Projected on the wall was a map between Washington DC in the south and Boston in the north. Janace eventually found hirself beside Justin and Francine. Shi felt a strange sense of family and love as the fur on hir side touched the fur on Justin's side.
"So you've volunteered to help too?" Justin asked.
"Sally and Jess told me the story of the past twelve years, these outbreaks, a thief and terrorist behind it before he was caught, tried, and executed, and the network still working and the deaths it caused when fearful people tried to stop it," Janace spoke, "I will not let these lunatics cause such disruption in my family and hurt their friends. The sooner we stop these things the sooner we can get back to the business of loving..."
Shi watched Justin smile and pivot on hir torso to then reach back and rub hir womb with bulged out ever so slightly. And since shi and Francine were moving into their second trimester they were reaching the point where their pregnancies were beginning to be visibly apparent.
"And breeding," Justin said with a smile.
"So... Justin, as a former man... how do you feel a pregnancy?" Janace asked as shi looked to where Justin's taur belly was.
"Heh... heh..." Justin gave a soft laugh, "I love it... to feel life within me... to feel it grow and be so dependent on me... I love it. How will you feel one day when you become a father?"
"Heh... I'll probably love that too," Janace gave a giggle, "but why did you and Francine volunteer? You're more heavily pregnant than Charlie and Sally are... one blow... just one... could do you serious harm to your babies."
"Baby," Justin answered.
"No, babies," Janace answered, "I can hear six heartbeats in you and in Francine..."
"Six?" Francine asked as shi looked over and then to Sally who was on the other side of Janace.
"Hir ears are that sensitive," Sally commented, "shi could hear eight heartbeats in me. You two have twins. I have triplets."
Justin and Francine looked to each other and then looked to where their wombs were. They eventually agreed, "More to love."
"We got caught up in the Paris outbreak," Francine spoke, "and since we've taken the time off to visit family we will help to give at least some people the ability to have a choice of becoming a Kat and being prepared for it... not being caught by surprise and unprepared."
"And we'll be careful," Justin agreed, "We told Raul to split us between different teams. That way we'll have protection and won't overwhelmed."
Janace moved around face the two Kieens of France and hugged both of them.
"Be careful you two," Janace told them, "We loved each other once, Justin... and on some level I love you still and I'd wager you feel the same... but I won't come between you and your new wife... I will love you as a sister loves hir sister."
"Sither," Francine quipped.
"All the same, we are all family," Janace told hir.
Justin and Francine nodded and hugged hir back. By this time Raul was ready.
"The present outbreak is bigger than anything we've encountered," Raul spoke, "We had a known major outbreak in New York City, but it appears that some made it out of the city and are spreading into the areas around it. While policemen and National Guard units may be able to tranquilize several of them, there have been other suspected potential outbreaks in Washington DC, Dover, Delaware, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We need to move, and we'll be using multiple teams."
They all listened.
"Sammy, Lia, you will come with Maria and I to Philadelphia," Raul instructed.
Sammy put a hand on Gloria's shoulder while Lia did the same with Luna and moved to stand by Maria Herroud. Raul then continued to list the teams.
"Charlie, you're to take Nikole, Luna, and Francine to Washington DC," Raul spoke.
Charlie looked to Sally while Francine looked to Justin. They then moved to sit beside Luna and Nikole.
"Sally, Jess, you're to take your parents to Dover," Raul finished and waited until Jess came over to sit by hir sither, "And now I will let you know that the Wise Vaccine has worked perfectly. So, it should be impossible for any of you to be changed into another species of Kat... so if you do run out of darts... remember you may have to seduce the lust filled ones to introduce the Wise Vaccine into them."
Janace listened to that and remembered how Jess had told hir how the Foxkat Vaccine was designed to work in the same way the virus spread and how the new Wise Vaccine was intended to perform the same way. Jess had admitted that at the time it was a necessity as they didn't have any ready darts and Fee City had gone from one hundred percent Human to one hundred percent Kat in the space of twenty four hours. Since then, they tried to use specialized tranquilizer darts, which was the preference, and Jess also said that hir bond with Nikole was strong that shi couldn't condone to hirself mating with anyone but Nikole just to cure someone. It made love between Kats rather interesting. Those that were vaccinated could vaccinate any other Kat, with the possible exception of those that had become species that could not physically mate with each other, yet once they had a bonded mate, they couldn't bring themselves to betray that mate in any serious way. Janace even saw it when shi met Justin again after hir own transformation. While Justin had hit on hir, the tone in hir voice indicated that shi was joking and was not truly serious. Justin had bonded with Francine and they were happy together.
Raul, meanwhile, turned to Gloria who had also been called, "Gloria, you are with our group's reserves... but Danna's team did catch two people that they believe started the New York City outbreak... you will be in charge of interrogating them when they arrive... and be warned, at least one of them is a professional spy and is disguised as someone else... so his exact identity may be hard to figure out. What we'll need is why they're doing this and probably where the REAL South Korean ambassador to the UN is. Getting what their ultimate endgame is might be helpful too, but we can't be certain of that."
"I'll do my best," Gloria answered.
"Good," Raul answered, "and now we need to get going."