As always the standard disclaimer applies: I do not own the Happy Tree Friends; they are the property of Mondo Media. In addition the character of Fresko the Feline belongs to Deviant Art user Yoshi Lord. I own only my own characters and this story.

Now here's chapter 44:

44 – DEAL

Lifty and Shifty had been sent back to the Animal City on the same day as their fight with Fresko. Since then they had been held in close confinement in the animal military prison (a facility that was very rarely used) without being given any word on what their fate was to be. They were kept in separate cells, and were only permitted to meet once a day for a short period of time. They had no visitors and received no news from outside. There were no other prisoners in the prison at that time so for all intents and purposes they were alone.

It was not a good time for either of them and it seemed to drag on for an eternity, although actually they were only kept this way for about a week. At last they were taken from their cells and brought to see Loco and the Mole in Loco's office. Loco sat at his desk and the Mole sat in a chair alongside the desk. Both Lifty and Shifty were brought in to the room by guards who then left to wait outside.

The two raccoons stood nervously before Loco and the Mole and waited. At first neither leader spoke. The Mole's expression was unreadable; Loco looked the two brothers up and down with a marked severity before finally breaking the silence.

"Lifty and Shifty" Loco said, "what are we going to do with you? You realize your situation, yes?" Lifty nodded, he looked a little frightened; Shifty simply stared at Loco apparently unmoved.

"The two of you are charged with desertion, which is bad enough" said Loco, "I'm sure you're aware that the penalty for desertion during wartime is death. But you're also guilty of attacking an officer. As both of these events occurred in the field under my command during a battle situation I would be perfectly justified to have you both executed now without further trial." Loco stopped speaking and stared hard at the prisoners. Lifty was starting to sweat a little; Shifty still seemed unmoved but Loco's sharp eye detected just a slight quiver of the young raccoon's lips.

"Captain Fresko is against this" continued Loco at last, "but the decision is not his to make. Do you have anything to say?"

"Sir" said Lifty in a slightly trembling voice, "we're very sorry."

"Oh really?" asked Loco, looking at Shifty. Slowly, very slowly, Shifty nodded just a little bit. Loco got up and came around his desk to face the brothers. He was a lot bigger than they were and towered over them in a threatening manner.

"You two raccoon brothers are two of the worst trouble-makers I have ever heard of!" he said fiercely, "oh yes, I've studied your records. The city would be better off without you. I'd be doing us all a favor if I had you disposed of right now."

Loco glared at the brothers; Lifty cringed. Shifty tried to hold his ground but had to drop his eyes from Loco's anger. There was a silence. Then Loco turned around, went back to his desk, and dropped heavily into his seat.

"However it's your very trouble-making natures that we just might need" Loco said at last. Lifty and Shifty both looked up hopefully as he went on. "I have a mission that needs doing and you two just might be the ones for the job."

"What would that be?" asked Shifty.

"What would that be SIR!" said Loco sharply, "you're not out of trouble yet."

"Yes sir" said Shifty in a sullen voice.

"It's a dangerous mission " said Loco, "very dangerous. The chances that you won't come back from it are exceedingly high. But if you do succeed then your records will be wiped and this entire incident will be erased and forgotten."

"What is the mission – sir?" asked Shifty. Loco pointed to the Mole.

"The Mole can tell you" said Loco, "I don't believe you've ever met? No?" The Mole shook his head. Loco went on, "he's the head of our intelligence service. He can tell you what it's all about."

"Yes" said the Mole speaking for the first time, "but I would prefer not to give the specific details until I know that they have actually accepted the mission. I can give you a general idea though. It involves going deep into the field and doing covert work near the main Marauder camp. As Loco said, it will be very dangerous, but very important results may come of it should you succeed."

Lifty and Shifty were both silent, digesting what they were told.

"Are you ordering us to do this?" asked Shifty at last.

"Well that's a funny thing" said Loco, "this isn't the kind of mission you order someone to accept. When the danger is so high you ask for volunteers and you allow them to say "no" without reprisal. Captain Fresko recommended you two to me for this and I think he was right. When you met him in the woods he was going to bring you to me so I could offer this job to you. If I'd been able to speak to you two without any of that other trouble happening you could have refused this assignment with no problems."

"And if we refuse now?" asked Lifty.

"Oh you can still refuse" said Loco, "nobody's going to force you accept this assignment. But if you do refuse there's no way I can keep you from suffering the consequences of your earlier crimes." Lifty and Shifty were silent. They seemed to have been frozen in place. Loco got up from his seat and started for the door of his office.

"You don't have to choose now" he said, "you can have one night to think about it and decide whether you want to accept this mission, or face a firing squad."

"What if we get killed in the field?" asked Lifty.

"Then you'll die a hero's death" said Loco, "and everyone will remember you that way."

"We'll do it" said Shifty. Loco paused with his paw on the door.

"I thought you might" he said as he signaled for the guards to come back. "The Mole will brief you soon." The guards marched the brothers out of the office and took them back to the prison. Loco turned to the Mole.

"Well?" the bear asked.

"I think they'll do" the Mole said quietly, "Keep them in custody until I'm ready for them." Loco nodded.

(To Be Continued)