Previously on O.W.C.A. Academy:
The time has come to capture the villain behind the laboratory crime, Dennis. What is it that the agents have in store for him that makes Perry feel so confident?
25. What Goes Around Comes Around
"I don't have to beat you up, 'cause you have already lost", I said confidently.
"Well well, someone is being optimistic", Dennis said fearless.
I couldn't help but keep smiling mischievously at him. Man, this is going to be great!
"You know what? I can bet on that before the next lesson begins you will already have unfold everything to us and to the agency's high command", I said surely.
"Oh really?" the rabbit said highly skeptic. "And what makes you believe that?"
"Oh, we've got our tricks", Darren, who understood exactly what I was referring to, said mischievously.
"Yes, speaking of that, how is it going? Have you heard anything from Sergei yet, Herman?" Terry asked.
"Yea, he just texted me that they're on their way here with the delivery", the hedgehog told.
"Delivery?" Dennis repeated confused. "Delivery of what?"
Suddenly, the large door at the end of the hallway opened up and in stepped Owen, Danny, Kitty and Sergei, who was tacked on to the upper side a book that Owen was holding. The doorway was almost completely blocked by a ridiculously large cardboard box that Danny and Kitty struggled with to drag in with two ropes that were attached to the two top corners.
"Whew! Okay, anybody ordered a big load of carrots?" Danny shouted and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"C-Carrots!?" Dennis exclaimed, so sudden that we all jerked. The rabbit's eyes shone like two bright suns.
"Wait! What, you're going to bribe me to make me talk!?" he suddenly asked puzzled and then laughed. "Haha! That must be the most stupid plan I've ever heard of, even to come from you."
"Oh, you might call it a treat, Dennis", Sergei said. "I on the other hand would rather call it… torture!"
Kitty, who now stood right in front of the large box, held up a considerably sharp crooked claw that flashed a little in the light. Then she took a big leap and cut through the cardboard, from top to bottom. Both she and Danny got a grip of the groove with their forepaws and pulled in each direction. The box got opened and out rolled a whole bunch of orange sticks with green leaves that spread across the entire floor to a rumbling sound.
I looked curiously at Dennis. The rabbit's whole body was shaking of abstinence.
"CARROTS!?" he suddenly shouted out loud. He desperately pushed Herman aside, not caring at all about the hedgehog's spiky exterior, and dived straight into the pile.
Never had I seen anyone gormandize something so manically before. It was actually kind of scary, watching him painfully uncontrollable continued to pull down more and more carrots, which directly went to his body. His round fluffy balloon-like stomach blew up more and more and eventually got bigger than the remaining pile of carrots that were left. And yet he couldn't stop eating.
"That's the side effect of those doping preparation you used!" Sergei told while we watched Dennis forcing himself five carrots down the throat at the same time. "Manic gluttony."
"Please! Take them away! I can't take it anymore!" Dennis begged painfully between mouthfuls.
"What did you say? You wanted more?" Danny asked teasingly, holding a carrot in front of him.
"Yes… NO!" Dennis exclaimed ambivalent. "Give me that!"
Hastily, he grabbed the carrot from the dog.
"No, take it back!" he exclaimed before munching it down in a flash.
Even if any of us would at least have tried to intervene, I don't think we even would have managed to shovel it all away in time. In just less than ten minutes, almost the whole load had disappeared, leaving the floor free again. The few carrots that lonely remained scattered around was too far away from the rabbit, who now had eaten so much that he couldn't even move.
While he made a pitiful attempt to reach out for a half-eaten carrot just a few inches in front of him, we all decided that it probably was enough now, so we walked up to him. He looked pretty miserable there he lay and moaned in pain.
"So, you're gonna tell us the truth now?" Herman asked sternly.
"Uhguhu…", he mumbled inaudible.
"No? Well then", Danny sighed. "I guess we have to go and take in the other box as well…"
"No!" the big bunny plead. "I confess! I did it. I broke into the lab."
"Well, that was about time!" Manny said annoyed.
"So, you admit that broke into the laboratory and stole medical preparations?" Herman asked, just to be sure.
"Yes…", Dennis sighed.
"And you also admit that you burned down the lab to get rid of all the evidences?" I asked sternly.
He glanced at me with a look that I, because of his pathological condition, had a hard time to tell whether it was bitter or shameful, or both.
"Okay, here's the deal, I did try to cook up something to veil what was missing", he admitted low and stared down at the floor, " but… it wasn't supposed to catch fire."
I still hadn't gotten very far through the course in lie detection, but if I'm not mistaken, I actually think Dennis was telling the truth there.
"Hmpf! Yeah, light!" Peter snorted incredulously.
"Yeayea… Now, you're coming with us and tell everything to the superiors", Herman said firmly.
"I'm coming with you", I said determinate.
"Yeah! Me too!" Pinky said eagerly.
"Me three!" Darren said.
"Don't let me out on this one!" Terry called.
"Hey! We also want to see!" Kitty said.
"What is this!? Do I look like some kind of circus attraction!?" Dennis spat irritated.
Both Darren and Pinky snorted, and then it wasn't long until everyone in the room joined in together in a great laughter.
"No, I think it's better if we aren't too many", Herman said serious after a while. "Manny and I can make sure that he'll confess."
"Oh, man! C'me on!"
A selection of disappointed groans spread through the corridor.
"Hey, don't worry! We promise to tell you everything later", the hedgehog assured. "By the by, I don't think the school management would be very happy if too many students skip their classes."
"School managemiyimiyimiyi…", Darren mimicked sulkily. I guess I didn't really show any more maturity towards the decision either. Hey, I ALSO wanted to see all the fun…!
Okay Perry! Stop acting like a spoiled platypup now! Herman did actually have a point there, it would just look stupid if all the twelve of us came along like a group of insistent preschoolers. And after all, it actually had been he and Manny who had put down the most work into this case.
"Yeah, okay then", Pinky agreed on reluctantly.
"Are you sure you'll be able to handle all the… hehehe… heavy stuff?" Danny wondered jokingly and pointed at the large chubby bunny.
We all started laughing a little again.
Dennis glared at us, incredibly annoyed.
"Thanks, but I think we got this", Manny averred a bit amused, and then he turned to his spiky companion. "Alright pal, let's roll!"
Apparently he meant that literally. The two sand-colored animals immediately began rolling the highly protesting fur ball over the floor. It was hard to not laugh.
"And what are you looking at?" Dennis snapped at some bystander agents, who had been watching the whole scene, before Herman and Manny rolled him out through the nearest doorway.
"Hey! I just realized something!" Kitty suddenly said amazed. "We've just caught our very first criminal!"
"And exactly what did you do that was so spectacular?" Sergei questioned her.
"Um…", the cat mumbled stupid.
"But she's right!" Pinky said glad. "Think about it, we're not even fully trained agents yet and we've already made something great!"
"Are we going to get medals now?" Darren asked hopeful.
"Eh, I think it requires more for that", Owen said, trying to not sound too negative.
"But remember, we've still done something significant", I reminded them encouraging. "Who cares about medals? We've just helped out on making this world a better place to live. It doesn't matter who did what or who did the most. We are all heroes! And we can all be proud of what we have accomplished."
"Yea, Perry's right, we've just made some amazin' differences", Tucker agreed with me.
"Yeah, I think we should celebrate this, right now!" Danny suggested joyful.
"YEAH!"
"Well, that would have been nice, but we do not have time for that right now", Terry remarked. "We have a lesson that is waiting in… only seven minutes."
"Oh, yes, right…", Pinky said a bit sighing. "I almost forgot."
We all walked together towards the swimming pool where the lesson in swimming would be held.
"Well, look at the bright side! Now we never have to deal with Dennis again", Kitty pointed out.
"Never? You think so?" I asked. I hadn't really thought much about that particular part.
"Well of course!" Darren said sure. "After all, what he did was a felony."
"Yes, not only did he bleak into plivate alea and stole classified matelial, he almost bulned down the whole agency too", Peter reminded. "He can count on being quoded for a long time."
"He deserves it!" Pinky said harsh.
"Yes, I don't understand how the school management could have been able to not detect his bad behavior for such a long period", Danny said.
"There was never any proof that could condemn him", Sergei pointed out explaining. "Until now, that is."
I turned around and looked at the hall where it all had taken place. I thought about how it would be to walk through the academy from now on.
No white fur ball who bullies the students. No rude rodent who snaps mean comments at you. No Dennis…
I guess I should be happy about that, but then… why did I still feel a small twinge of sorrow?