Oh my... It's being a long time! I'm sorry for this super long delay but it's been really hectic... And I've also started to write this new story and maybe you'll get to read that (if you want) in a matter of days or... weeks... you know, one just can't plan the life ahead so well, specially during these strange times...But I have to say that even if I have been quiet with my own writing during these past few months, I have enjoyed so much of all the fan fics this great fandom has blessed us with during the summer, I mean, holy shit you guys can really write! If only we could get movie adaptations of some of them... Sigh.

Anyway, thanks so so so much for all the supportive comments and reviews! I do hope you're still with me with this story!

Anyway, I won't prolong this any further...

Hope you're all safe out there in this crazy world.

Here's finally the newest chapter, please enjoy!

Peace,

-SpaceFlora

The Good, The Bad and the Rebels

Chapter 33

The Coup

Inside the Brimstone City Hall there had been a meeting with all the representatives and the meeting had continued until the early hours of the night. The representatives had been debating over what they were going to do with the Freedom Fighters-problem. After the day the Fighters had been cruising across the city noone had not seen even a glimpse on them. The Army had been ordered to patrol the border but there had been little to patrol about, the border between the vast noman's lands and the Cave Mice territory had been quiet as … mice.

Even if the clock was already ticking close to two AM, the six representatives were sitting around the table in this bright-lit conference room. There were five males and one female, everyone older than the other one and they were still debating over their small rebel problem.

"...I can't believe noone's seen these damn renegades...! Where did they go?!"

"...and the way they humiliated us! They just rode right through the city! Without our Army noticing them!"

"Well, speaking of the Army... I'm starting to doubt there are traitors amongst them... I mean, the rebels stole two Army trucks! Right infront of the Army! They had to have some help!"

"Well, we got a notice that fifty soldiers along with one Lieutenant called Radius had gone missing as well, maybe they're the ones who helped the Fighters to escape the city without the Army finding them?"

"The Army is full of traitors! First General Carbine and now this group of soldiers! Can we even trust our Army anymore? I mean, without the Army..."

"...those damn renegades have been ruining everything from the day that Stoker decided to start handing out guns to these rebel citizens!"

"I agree! It's time for them to learn to keep their noses out of our business! We've let them to run around free for too long!"

"It's about time we'll catch them and throw them in jail where those criminals belong!"

"Well, in order to throw them in jail we need to catch them first but like I said there's no sign on them! First we need to catch them!"

"Well, they better start turning all the stones since we don't have much time...! I mean, Mace said..."

"Oh, don't even get me started with Mace... That idiot is prancing around like he's somekind of a big shot... He's got sand for brains for all I know...!"

The six representatives suddenly heard the door to open behind them and they stopped the shouting and debating and turned their heads towards the door where they suddenly saw a big bunch of rats standing there in their combat uniforms, holding guns and they had the two mouse guards on their firm grips who tried to free themselves but in vain. The representatives' eyes quickly focused on the tall grey rat standing infront of the other ones, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Please, continue... Don't lemme interrupt you, dear friends..." Mace smiled cruedly at the mice sitting around the table. But the silence inside the room continued and Mace took a step further, the boots making a small echo.

"You were saying something about me? Now, if you'll have any complaints on how I run things, I'm all ears..." Mace took a few more slow steps towards the table, looking each one of the mice around it carefully into the eyes while the mice averted their gazes quickly away.

"Now... Who will start?" Mace spread his arms invitingly, smiling. He gave a look at his side where one older grey furred male mouse with glasses perched on his nose was trying to look away.

"Maybe you'll start." Mace poked the male, not roughly but the male in question flinched nevertheless. Mace only let out a small sound of satisfaction.

"Thought so... All talk and no action...You are pathetic... I begin to wonder why we're even letting you buffoons sit here in this neat tidy little office, collecting gold gills, when you're not actually capable of doing anything, not even a small little favour like catching the Freedom Fighters...!" Mace got interrupted as one of the men in the room, middle-aged with brown fur, shot up.

"Now, we have tried with all the resources we have and you've given us...!"

Mace turned his head towards the man, his eyes so intense that the man swallowed with difficulty and only carefully sat down again, feeling like he had stepped over the line. Which he might have done, too.

"Oh really? You've done everything in your power to catch these annoying creatures? Well, then, where are they? Have you made any progress? Because all I see is a room full of rich freeloaders who are more than happy to get paied for a job they cannot get done!"

"We did capture some of them! They got brought into the desert base!" The only female in the room then raised her slightly shaky voice.

"You did, yes... You managed to capture a fraction of the resistance but then what happened? It only took a handful of Fighters to defeat your entire "special crew" and free all the remaining captives! Well, that hardly is a prime example of a victory, now is it?!" Mace raised his voice and the mice startled.

A silence fell over the room again. Mace gave his rat troops a look.

"I think there's suddenly too many mice around here, what do you think, boys?"

The rat troopers snickered back, already knowing Mace's plan and the grey furred rat turned around to meet the baffled looks of the mice representatives.

"Yes, that's it... there's too many mice in the room, kills the feng shui, really..."

He then dragged one man up.

"You'll be a perfect for our first bait."

"W-what? Bait? What are you planning?" The male mouse shook in his powerful grip.

"I'm planning to get things done. The Freedom Fighters are right about one thing... You can't really trust the government to do the right thing..." Mace then dragged the man out of the room and while his troops departed out of his way he gave them a nod.

"Search the room and destroy any kinds of communication devices and shut the doors. I want two guards by the door, all the time. All the others, follow me. Let's start the show."

"Please, let me go... What are you doing?!" The male mouse in Mace's grip pleaded while being dragged away.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking over your city, mousey." Mace growled back.

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After couple of hours had passed nearly everything that held any value to the Fighters inside the Headquarters had been packed to this big tank truck Charley had previously decided to use as a getaway car from the desert base. Charley banged the hatch in the back of the truck close as it came full with all different kinds of monitors, boxes, computers and guns.

"Well, am I glad that there are big muscle-mice around to help with the moving... You should establish a moving company. I bet you'd be highly popular with the ladies..." Charley looked at the sweatty big males around the garage still packing some guns. Throttle let out a small chuckle.

"What, and leave our profitable job as rebels on exile?"

Charley gave a small smirk back but then tapped the truck.

"I can drive this baby!"

"Charley..."

"It's my truck!"

"Well, technically it still belongs to our government..."

"Oh, who cares... I drove it here!" Charley then patted the shiny side of the truck.

"It likes me..."

Throttle had to laugh at this as he knew just how gearhead this woman was, loving anything that had an engine to it.

"Well, to be honest I was kind of thinking that you and Aprilia took the truck. And that you'd be the driver, obviously... The doctor's many great things but she's not really to be trusted behind the wheel, and those are Modo's words so we know that if that's the most polite way to express the situation then there's no way that lady can drive..." Throttle's lips twitched slightly but he tried to keep a stern face. After all, this plan he had on his mind, it was anything but a safe one.

"But I'm ordering someone who can handle guns to ride along with you."

"That's fine..." Charley answered and Throttle already nodded at someone somewhere in the garage and soon Harley walked to them, having her backbag perched on her shoulder. Harley gave Throttle a small smile and a nod.

"What up?"

"You're going to ride with Charley."

"What?!" Both of the females raised their voices, the other one sounding pissed off and the other one just really surprised by this decision.

"Good. You're already thinking alike! Now what could be more uniting than a trans-desert ride with absolutely nothing else to do except talk?" Throttle patted them both on their shoulders and took off.

"We're leaving in ten. Get ready." And the tan furred male walked to the other Fighters and rebel rats who were also getting ready, everyone having a backbag while climbing on their bikes, and everyone had more guns on them than they'd ever had.

Charley looked at this scene and then carefully turned her look on Harley who was still standing beside her, her arms crossed and not exactly looking pleased. The ginger-furred mechanic then gave the woman by her side a glance but turned her back and hopped on to ride the shotgun without saying a word. Charley let out a heavy sigh and circled to the other side of the truck.

"Well, this should be a fun trip..." She muttered.

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