Part 69

The next day after the wedding and late night partying, WilyKit and WilyKat headed for the control room. They both knew Panthro was in there since Bengali, Pumyra, and the Snarfs went to the Thundrillium mines. With them out, they knew this was the best chance to talk to Panthro alone, and they wanted to talk to him to put the words lightly.

WilyKat was about to press the button, giving him access into the room, but strangely stopped. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, let's do it," WilyKit spoke darkly which worried her brother.

Panthro didn't pay attention as the twins entered. He was working on the main control panels, replacing plugs, wires and whatnot.

"Panthro!" Kat called.

Panthro stopped working and turned around.

"Kit. Kat," he acknowledge. "What's going on?"

"We'll ask the questions, Panthro?" WilyKat said angrily.

"And you're going to answer them whether you like it or not," Kit added coldly.

"What?" Panthro looked confused.

WilyKat pushed Panthro in a chair. "I said, we'll asked the questions. Number one: What were you doing giving our aunt a quickie?"

Panthro pretend he knew nothing of what the twins were talking about. How did they found out he wondered. The only persons who knew were Laura and Cheetara, but Laura was dead and Cheetara was on her honeymoon and she wouldn't have told.

"What in the world are you talking about?" Panthro managed to say.

"Don't play dumb, Panthro. I saw you last night with our aunt in your room," Kit said.

"She has somebody. What were you thinking?!" WilyKat shouted.

Panthro couldn't deny it anymore. He had to admit to it. "I am the somebody."

That knocked the twins off their guard. It was strange, but yet in some strange twisted way it made sense. Before the twins could respond, the monitor alerted them to a guest. It was Vasa.

"I'll get her," Kat said and left.

"You and our aunt have a lot of explaining to do," Kit pointed out.

"Once I'll explain, you'll understand everything," Panthro said.

"I bet you lied about our parents death too, didn't you? There's something else, isn't it? I can feel it in my bones."

As Panthro looked at Kit, he saw Ursula. She was so alive in WilyKit. It was obvious in battles or whenever she got mad, and he knew that if she were to learn that he killed her parents, he had sign his death warrant.

Angry that Panthro wasn't answering her question, she grabbed Panthro by his straps on his uniform. "Isn't it, Panthro?" Kit said through clenched teeth.

WilyKat and Vasa entered. By the look on her face, it was obvious she had no idea what was going on.

"WilyKit, what are you doing to Panthro?" she demanded to know.

"You and Panthro have a lot of explaining to do," her nephew said joining his sister side.

"Explain what?"

"I caught you and Panthro having sex last night, and he says that you two are an item. Is it true?" Kit asked.

Vasa gasped and tried to refrain herself from panicking, but she already gave herself away.

"So, it's true." WilyKat said.

"Yes, it is. I knew this would happened. I told you we should have told them, Panthro, but you didn't listen to me," Vasa scolded at Panthro.

"Wait a second. You wanted to tell us?" WilyKit asked.

"Yes, I wanted to tell you everything the moment I saw you, but then Panthro and I got involved and he wanted to keep everything quiet until the right moment."

"When did you two get involved?" WilyKat asked.

"It started after Aline's death," she began. "I attended Aline's funeral and Panthro was very broken up afterwards. I talked to him and express my condolences. We went to a bar afterwards. He started to drink and I thought he had too much, so I offered to take him back at my place since he didn't want to go back to Cat's Lair. We started talking. He cried over Aline and I cried over my brother. We tried to comfort each other and one thing led to another. We slept together. I guess it was to ease both our pains. We later realized that that was a mistake and never saw each other again until I came back when Thundera reformed. We started meeting secretly after seeing each other again and later fell in love. I'm sorry that you had to find out this way," she explained.

"Why were you attending Aline's funeral?" Kit asked.

"I think it is best that Panthro explains," Vasa said.

The twins looked at Panthro, ready for an explanation.

Panthro let out a heavy sigh, "She was attending the funeral because she felt it was her duty since Ursula and Ralik killed her."

"You said that they did it for the heck of it, but somehow I think that was lie, wasn't it, Panthro?" Kat asked.

Panthro looked down. "Yeah, it was."

"What happened, Panthro?" Kat asked.

Panthro looked up. "Your parents kidnapped her. They told me to sabotage the Thundertank so Claudus and Jaga would die on their way to an important Peace Conference. I was going to sabotage the tank but Claudus and Jaga discovered what I was doing and came up with a plan to stop your parents and save Aline. So far, everything was going as planned when your parents showed up to make sure I did my part. Jaga surprised them. Instead of surrendering as Jaga, Claudus and I thought they would, they fought back instead. Ursula killed Aline as punishment for my betrayal. She died in my arms," the mighty panther paused on the verge of tears.

"I am sorry for what our parents did, Panthro, but all this time you lied to us and you had our aunt lie to, so it wasn't her fault. I was angry at her when I should have been angry at you, Panthro," WilyKit cruelly responded.

WilyKat was more sympathetic. "What happened next, Panthro," he asked softly.

"After Ursula killed Aline, she and Ralik made their escape, but I couldn't let it end that way. I was angry, and I wanted revenge. I got on a hover craft and chased them. They were near the edge of a cliff, when I...I jumped off my craft and grabbed your parents by their necks. We were falling off the cliff together. Ursula kicked me in the chest. I released your parents. Jaga caught me and your parents fell to their death. WilyKit, WilyKat, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen," Panthro apologized.

"You bastard!" WilyKit cursed as she slapped Panthro. "You killed our parents!"

"I didn't mean it. It was an accident," Panthro tried to explain.

"That's why you told our aunt not to tell us anything because you knew we'll find out what a lying, murderous, killer you are!" Kit shouted.

"Hold on a second, sis," Kat said.

"Let's go, Kat. We're outta here!" Kit growled angrily.

"No," WilyKat said. "We're not going anywhere. Panthro didn't mean it. Our parents killed his fiancée. He was angry and would've died with them if Jaga hadn't save him," Kat said.

"Are you telling me that you side Panthro?!" WilyKat turned her anger against her brother.

"It wasn't his fault. Our parents were evil. You knew that."

"I don't believe this. My own brother is against me, siding with the person who murdered our parents! If that's how you feel, you can stay here, but I'm not!"

With that comment, she stormed out of the lair. WilyKat ran after his sister.

"This is all my fault, Vasa. I should have listened to you and told them. Maybe Kit wouldn't have been this angry. She's just like her mother, and it's all my fault. Everything, that WilyKit does after today is all my fault," Panthro blamed himself.

Part 70

Hours have passed and WilyKit and WilyKat haven't returned. Bengali, Pumyra, Snarf and Snarfer returned home from the Thundrillium mines. After unloading the Thundrillium, the group went to the control room. There, they found Panthro and Vasa.

"We're back. Pumyra, the Snarfs and myself packed enough Thundrillium to last us for a while," Bengali took notice of the serious looks Panthro and Vasa had. "What's wrong?"

Panthro didn't want to say anything so his girlfriend did. "WilyKit and WilyKat know about us."

"Know about--you two are together?" Pumyra asked.

"It gets worse," she said looking down.

"Worse?" Snarfer asked.

Panthro spoke, "You guys better sit down. We have some explaining to do."

WilyKat followed his sister in her hover cycle. WilyKit landed near a lake. She picked up some rocks and begin throwing it in the water. WilyKat landed his hover cycle and joined his sister.

"WilyKit, we have to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about. You're siding with Panthro, the man who murdered our parents."

"It was an accident, sis, and you know that."

Kit turned around to face her brother. "He killed our parents! Aren't you angry about that?!"

"You heard what Panthro said."

"Answer the question, Kat. Panthro is the one who lied about and killed our parents when we were two years old."

WilyKat looked at his sister straight in the eye. "No, I'm not upset. Living the life they were living, they were bound to die. If not by Panthro, then by someone else. They were traitors to Thundera, Kit. A planet we love. They stole, murdered and who knows what else. They weren't the people we thought they were."

WilyKit just looked away. Her brother turned her face to look at him. "Are you telling me that you're going to hold a grudge against Panthro because our parents accidentally died at his hands?"

WilyKit sat down on the grass looking at the water.

WilyKat sat beside her. "You're not saying anything, Kit. I don't believe you."

"I can't be in the same room with that murderer let alone a Lair."

Worried, WilyKat asked, "Kit, what are you saying?"

"Either he leaves the Thundercats or I do."

"WilyKit, you can't be serious."

"When Lion-O and Cheetara return, we'll explain everything and they'll decide what to do."

"And what if they want Panthro to stay?" her brother asked.

"Then I'm going. I'm packing when we get back and I'm staying at our aunt's house."

"How can you be angry at Panthro and not with her?"

"She wanted to tell us, but Panthro forced her not to. I have no grudge against her now."

"WilyKit, don't do this. Don't go. We can work this out."

WilyKit looked at her brother. She saw the sadness in his eyes, almost making her want to cry, but she didn't. In a strong voice, she said, "I'm sorry, WilyKat, but I have to."

After Panthro explained everything to Bengali, Pumyra, Snarf and Snarf, they sat there speechless as they took everything in.

"I don't believe it," Bengali managed to say.

"It's shocking, Snarfer. Snarfer."

"What are you going to do now?" Pumyra asked.

"I don't know. It's up to WilyKit and WilyKat now, especially WilyKit."

"WilyKit was really upset about this. The way she was acting...it was like seeing Ursula," Vasa said and shuddered.

"This is the last thing we need. First Tygra and now this. Whatever happened to Justice, Truth, Honor, and Loyalty? It seems to me that you, Panthro, have forgotten the Code of Thundera," Bengali pointed out.

"Bengali, what are you talking about?" Panthro asked.

"It was a matter of honor and truth that should have made you told them."

"I should've, I know, but I didn't want them to know about their parents and my part in it."

"Why didn't you tell us about it?" Snarf asked.

"Cheetara figured I was hiding something and I had no choice but to tell her, but other than that, I didn't think you should know. No one should know."

"This is going to be the news Lion-O and Cheetara won't want to hear when they get back, Snarfer. Snarfer. Hey! Do you think we should contact them now and tell them?" Snarfer asked.

"No, Snarfer. Lion-O and Cheetara are on their honeymoon and they don't need to hear news like this to ruin it," Snarf told his nephew.

Pumyra looked around and said, "It's going to be a rough two weeks before Lion-O and Cheetara come back. Maybe when they get back, they can set things straight."

Parts 71-73: Lion-O and Cheetara return from their honeymoon. WilyKit gets an unexpected surprise from a friend.