Ryder, Fletch

Physical Description and Characteristics

Fletch is a very physically fit tom all-around, thanks in part to his rigorous history in athletics and military service. He possesses a fairly muscular upperbody and a strong lowerbody that attributes to his best trait, speed. He’s a very fast runner and swimmer, with high endurance, and quick reflexes. His fur is brown, with two slightly lighter patches of dark tan over both eyes and on his muzzle. His two paws, from the elbow down, are also this same darkish tan color as well as the end of his tail.

His eyes are dark green, and he keeps his dark brown hair cut short. When out and about, Fletch can most often times be found in a pair of cargo shorts and sandals with a t-shirt and ballcap. He owns a black 1970 Dodge Challenger RT/SE with white racing stripes that’s been driven hard over the years. Though its glossy paint and interior make it nice to look at, it’s still in need of some serious work under the hood.

Relatively subdued and fairly good-humored, nothing really gets Fletch seriously riled up outside discussion of NCAA brackets. Competitive to a fault, Fletch has trouble turning away from a challenge and even more trouble swallowing defeat. What pride and stubbornness he has is often offset by his ingrained upbringing of absolute respect for authority and strict adherence to orders – no matter his personal feelings. Though he indulges himself on rare occasions and looks every bit the sort to live loosely, the fact is he’s very serious about keeping his body in absolute peak condition.

Obsessed with always having the physical edge in any situation, Fletch submits himself to grueling workouts and a strict diet, the likes of which Mama Bates may not even be able to waver. His military training has garnered him above average shooting accuracy and fighting skills, not to mention a certain directness in his approach to any situation. What he lacks is a degree of finesse required when handling more delicate operations – ones that don’t rely on a show of brute force. He’s not brainy or incredibly intelligent by any means, but he does possess relatively good instincts, knowing when to face a conflict head on, and when certain strategy is in order.

Special Relationships

He has been assigned as the primary handler for Browser.

Past History

Fletch grew up in central Oklawhoma, his father an assistant basketball coach and his mother a hospital nurse. He was smitten with sports ever since he was first able to hold a baseball. His kittenhood was devoted to participating in as many activities as he could, but it was football that he particularly accelled in. He performed well on the field as a cornerback and kick returner, and his dedication and skill at playing garnered him a full ride to Megakat University.

Though he’d made it to college, Fletch was unenthused about having to play outside of his beloved Big XII league, especially when none of the Oklawhoma universities had even attempted to recruit him. He brashly voiced his discontent and found numerous ways to drown in his self-pity once in the bigger city setting. Yet he loved to play and did so to the best of his ability. By his sophomore year, with some other players stepping up and the coaching staff rearranged, the MKU Wildkats managed to pull together a winning season that ended in a disappointing bowl loss to none other than the Oklawhoma Sooners.

The blow hit Fletch hard, and that very evening after the game he disappeared in the fray of MKC’s nightlife. He wasn’t seen again until the next morning when he stumbled into an Enforcer Recruitment Office, utterly intoxicated but still able to sign on the dotted line. The Enforcer’s were only too happy to accommodate anyone, no matter their condition, to enlist for a four year tour of duty overseas.

The next day, Fletch was horrified to find a letter informing him that he would be shipped off to boot camp in a few months for training, and then out of the country completely. Unable to talk his way out of his commitment, he grudgingly packed his bags and kissed his football career at MKU goodbye. Though the chance for a change of scenery and more excitement secretly enticed him, having to leave his kittenhood dream of a starting position on a college team certainly did not.

He went into training with resentment on his mind, but his competetive edge got the best of him when he found himself actually striving to beat the other recruits in the obstacle courses and various drills they were put through. Clocked as the fastest in his unit and regarded as one of the top recruits in the camp, Fletch was immediately shipped off for duty in Northern Afurica.

On his voyage over, he became more comfortable in the new strictly regulated life of a soldier. He eventually got to the point where he obeyed without question or second thought, and his grumbling and rash behavior even began to subside. When his unit reached Afurica, they were immediately sent into a large city torn by two native warlords vying for power. Constant spurts of violence were the norm, and Fletch found himself pushed to the limits of both his mind and body more than a few times in a single day.

It took a little over a year to accomplish, but once they were able to completely push out the offending rebels, the city went into U.N. control until a more stable leader could be found. Fletch spent the next couple years of his tour around that same area, caught only in a few skirmishes that came no where close to the action he’d seen at first. He befriended many of the natives and soldiers in the area, and he gained a new appreciation for what a little good could do in the lives of others. When he was discharged and shipped back to MKC, he decided to take a break from regular army life and try something more along the lines of civil defense.

Unfortunately, MKC’s branch of the Enforcers didn’t have any openings, and usually only top Enforcer Academy students even made it in. Undeterred, Fletch caught word of a smaller agency opening its doors to new recruits, and he immediately signed on to the Megakat Bureau of Investigation about a week after getting back in MKC.

Present History

As an agent of the MBI, Fletch saw a lot of strange and bizarre incidents. His army training in Afurica allowed him the level head necessary to deal with the unorthodox situations he encountered in Megakat City. But it was that same experience he garnered in Afurica that nearly led to his demise. A rebel dictactor from Mewataunie’s past, Mewbu Killemall, came back to take out the new head-of-state, Hissidi, during his tour of Amerikat. It turns out Ryder and 22 other kats in his unit were kidnapped and brainwashed during the conflict in Mewataunie. They were turned into sleeper cells. Fletch was “activated” by an old army buddy, and his assignment was to assassinate Hissidi at any cost. This international plot nearly erupted, but thanks to the MBI’s deft investigation and quick acting, tragedy was averted. Fletch and the other sleeper cells were taken to CKIA Headquarters in Langley for therapy and treatment.

After months and months of psycho-analysis and PTSD treatment, Fletch made an impressive recovery. But his tapped brain revealed some information regarding one of Megakat City’s best kept secrets: Cyberkats. As a result of their disclosure, the CKIA took steps to actively address the potential Cyberkat threat, creating the B.R.O.W.S.E.R. project. They recruited the best scientists to create a canine that could mimic Cyberkats abilities and contain them. Once completed, and once he discovered what his disclosure meant for the Cyberkats, Fletch demanded to be a part of the team they were sending to MKC for initial testing in the field. Some of the top brass saw the usefulness of his involvement, and he was partnered with a top CKIA operative, Jordan Peruz. Unfortunately, the CKIA and Peruz didn’t understand the sensitive nature of the Cyberkat situation in MKC, and their gung-ho approach of capturing and testing only further provoked their otherwise quiet population. Peruz and the head scientist of the BROWSER project, N. G. Nyus, took their agenda too far, seeking out a way to actually control Cyberkats for their own purpose, much like Dark Kat. They were discovered, taken out, and Fletch found himself facing charges of treason and conspiring with the two, which could’ve landed him in Pawtaunamo Bay. Fortunately, evidence came to light that proved his uninvolvement with the two’s scheme, and he was given charge of Browser.

Fletch was assigned to work subvertly within the Enforcers, to keep Browser in immediate vacinity of the Cyberkats, and also so a tight reign would be kept on him. He continues to monitor and track Cyberkat activities, without the Enforcer’s knowledge, and reports back to the CKIA.

Fletch is still sharing a place with his college buddy, Brent Whitail, who works for his father in a cush corporate position and is always traveling. They share a nice but simple duplex that’s only ten or so minutes from the beach. When not frequenting the local sports bars, he spends his free time jogging, biking, or swimming at the beach. Being a full-time pet owner is more than he bargained for, especially when having to teach Browser how to be a normal dog.