In the second part of this trade between me and Makey-Pool, we now see Echo in action as a mercenary on one of his jobs. Will he make the cut and survive?

Action Kitty

Echo dashes along the roofs of parked cars in a hasty effort to catch up to his target. His target is a fleeing gray / white tabby cat. And he looked somewhat panicked.

Police sirens echo in the background during the foot chase between the two, their wailing ambience keeping the latter cat at bay. But there is more to the story than this!

With Echo being a mercenary, the young cat accepted a job to catch an elusive bank robber, hence the target that he is chasing. The gray and white tabby is the prime suspect, but catching him is going to be a bit of a challenge.

The desperate bank robber departs from his rooftop adventure and takes to the streets below, with Echo struggling to catch up until he reaches the spot where the robber dismounted. By the time Echo leaps off the last car roof to reach the alleyway, he hears the sound of a V8 engine coming on, along with a pair of taillights fading with the target racing away in a black car, revealed to be a fifth-generation Pontiac GTO.

"Dammit!!" Echo hisses angrily. Watching the black GTO peel away, the cat begins searching around for something he can use until his eyes fall on a particular red car, a BMW Z8. It wasn't much, but it'll have to do for now. A glimmering smile comes upon Echo's face upon sighting the car, now having a better chance of catching the target!

(BGM: Keep It Coming - Uncle Kraker [Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 Soundtrack])

~~~~~

Sitting behind the wheel of the red BMW Z8, Echo races down the street to catch up to the fleeing GTO, now with a pair of similar police cars behind it. Fortunately, Echo is their assistant in the pursuit, so they are going to need all the help they can get to corral their target.

"Come on… come on…" Echo could see himself just inching closer to the action while catching up slowly in an effort to join the cops in their pursuit. But things take a sudden turn when the suspect hits the brakes and makes a hard right onto a highway. This catches the police off guard at first, but Echo watches the maneuver, ready to keep up.

Following the perp, Echo stays on the fleeing GTO, sliding the lighter roadster along the bend to keep up. Yet, the GTO has the acceleration advantage, able to keep a good distance from the Z8. Suddenly, a pair of unmarked white first-generation Lamborghini Murcielago police units converge from an alleyway, joining the pursuit while slamming directly against the black GTO. These impacts make the suspect lose control temporarily while Echo is proceeding to catch up.

Flooring the accelerator, Echo narrows his eyes in anticipation while advancing on the fleeing muscle car. However, he didn't count on the brake lights to said car light up so suddenly again. This leaves Echo trying to slow down at a moment too late.

*CRASH!*

Eating the rear of the GTO, both target and pursuer skid out of control temporarily. While Echo quickly corrects, the GTO spins a half-circle, hopping the curb and nearly hitting a light pole. This leaves the suspect temporarily disoriented. At the same time, Echo is dealing with adrenaline.

The police slam on their brakes while Echo doubles back, right as the GTO begins to reverse away from the light pole only to be punched in the rear again. And this time, the impact hits hard.

*PUNCH!*

With the GTO sandwiched between the Z8 and the light pole, the police move in to arrest the perp while Echo observes from behind the wheel. Little did he anticipate he would have to make a crucial decision.

With their weapons drawn, the cops move in to arrest the bank robber. They just manage to get between the two vehicles when gunfire rings out from inside the GTO, followed by the suspect exiting the vehicle, aggressively firing at the police with a Glock 19. This forces them to retreat while cries and shouts for assistance and backup is heard.

All Echo can do is retrieve his own handgun, a Glock 17L, and dive out of the Z8, using the door as cover. The moment he hits the asphalt is the moment he returns fire of his own in assistance. Two shots are fired, both of them striking the suspect and sending him flat on his back. Echo is silent the whole time, trying to regulate his breathing throughout the action.

"Dispatch, get a bus over here now! We have one injured; it's the suspect!" While Echo's ears fly up to a medical assistance call from the cops, he stands up while securing his own handgun. After that, he feels a hand on his shoulder, which causes him to jump. Behind him is a German Shepherd police officer.

The officer assures and congratulates Echo on the assistance, "Kid, you helped us out a great deal with taking down that guy. He is the most notorious criminal we've ever dealt with. Robbing banks wasn't his only thing; stolen cars, assaulting cops, evading arrest, you name it. There's a ton on his rap sheet. You took him down like it was nothing! Thank you for your help, kid, and stay safe!"

Finally able to relax, Echo draws a breath of relief while responding finally, "I appreciate it, sir! The rest of you should be more careful! Also, am I gonna be paid for this?"

"Payment? You'll be receiving a surprise reward for your success!" The officer responds in return, promising the feline of a reward. This leaves Echo in a state of satisfaction while he climbs back into his car, waiting for the ambulance to come. And once it arrives, he will drive away, satisfied and shaky, but with a feeling of accomplishment.

~~~~~

Echo belongs to Makey-Pool from ToyHouse!