Chapter 58, everybody—yes it's on a Friday again I'm sorry. OTL The good news is, next week is written up so we're good next week and hopefully this will be the last instance of schedule slip on this fic. ^^;

So as with all my fics, the climax and ending give me grief sometimes because aaaah sitting down and writing it aaaah—I mean I wrote down an outline so I know where to go but STILL. The good news is, we'll be back on schedule next week AND several chapters are completely written out so…progress.

Also at this point I'm thinking the whole showdown at Sycorax might as well be Phase Three of the fic this section is easily as big as Phase One (heading to San Fransokyo) and starts on Chapter 48, which splits it fairly evenly…and also means we're within 10-15 chapters of the end OH BOY—

And not sure if this goes without explaining but...did change the title from Warren the Computer Banks, but still keeping the pun of war in and warren sounding the same. IDK I thought it was funny. *shrug*

Continuing blanket disclaimer: I still have not finished Season Two. We're flying blind, boys. And again, I am still in denial of the end of "Countdown to Catastrophe" don't at me this is how I cope, okay? D: And it's very strange writing this knowing both shows are over but were going strong when I started that's a weird feeling and yet I should be used to it by now. Once again, if you are dissatisfied with these shows ending, send all salt to Disney corporate every nastygram they get that represents fifteen people who couldn't be bothered so WRITE TO THEM.

So back to the fic…you know how last week I said I wrote a big chunk way into the wee hours of the morning, decided to wait to post because in going back through it I realized having it all in one chapter affected readability and it needed to be split? The start of this chapter was originally the second half of the previous chapter. And then the end of the chapter was written way before the rest of it, with the middle being something I finally wrote today. Phew *faints*

And for the record, wasn't entirely expecting the monster in the banks or the components that make it up I love how people think I know what's coming because at most it's only the broad strokes I get to the nitty-gritty and I'm going dude wow now what like everyone else. Also speaking of monster components: yes, pythons and boas are the ones that do the crushing wraps, but other snakes can and will flip their bodies around to wrap around whatever they're fighting against I have smashed too many snake heads with a shovel in my chicken house to say otherwise. Saying that…not sure where the mouth design came from this thing just showed up I swear. Couldn't resist the girls' reference, though.

Will say that I looked up snake toxins to be sure I was referencing the right sort of toxin, as some snake poisons actually start digesting the flesh once they inject their venom. :O Cobratoxin does have paralytic effects, and I'm sure Dr. Amara doctored it so she could have new test subjects hauled to her without much of a struggle. And yes we're still making Jurassic Park references.

Moving on…Nox and Grump have things to work through. And…okay so I had no intention originally of introducing a certain character but they showed up anyway and it worked thematically and narratively so we're going for it.

Angelwings2002, thanks for the review! Yes she's doing great 'Kase is doing great and AAAH THANK YOU! And hopefully this will be the last chapter that experiences a delay I don't know yet. ^^;

Big Hero 6 © 2014 Disney

Ducktales © 2017 Disney

Lena was not a fan of hunting bad-thing that could kill them and eat them this was a bad idea bad-bad-bad hunting in this place was bad—

Deep-inside that told her about flying about foraging about what shapes were predator and which were prey told her that this thing, this bad-thing, was tunnel-hunter was good in place like this probably hunted by snuffling and snorting and sniffing and tasting and yes they hunted by smell and taste too but mostly hearing and sight and neither of these senses would be good in this situation. Hiss at others, tell them to go back to 'Kase and big-red-Baymax—

Webby hissed no Violet hissed no countered with fact that they were small were light were fast could dart out of way and Webby was tired of being prey tired of running she would no longer be prey would be hunter, Violet echoing.

Lena snorted at both of them, pointed out was better to be alive over prey or hunter—looked around, ears swiveling—heard 'Kase and big-red-Baymax now hunting, could hear 'Kase's light darting footsteps over big-red-Baymax's slower, surer steps—

Trick with cougar trick with bear many other tricks during long flight here occurred to her, started sparking light wingbeats of idea—hiss at Webby and Violet, declare idea but danger—

Could see resolve hardening in their eyes, heard them chatter challenge-yes-okay—

Slipped off one way, Webby and Violet going others.

This was worst-part, part where she didn't know if idea meant doom—limbs shaking—if one of the others died was eaten by monster she'd just have to throw herself shrieking at it clawing because if anything happened to them it was her fault and she couldn't live with that—

Was this what 'Dashi felt all the time? Was this why he was worry-fret all the time? Was this why he had passed all sorts of good-nest to find 'Dashi-Hiro who was little-brother was flock was flight? Because world was big and scary and keeping flock and flight safe was important if you kept flock kept flight safe that was best—

But she had seen 'Dashi do something different now—had always fled before threat had made big-shriek and noise and flared wings but had always fled….

Was now fighting, was showing that sometimes yes flee was best….

But sometimes it was important to fight, to use claws and teeth and beak and rend and tear to protect flock protect flight—

Sometimes you had to say enough.

Bristle, stay slunk low to ground, keeping away from blinking green lights that would give away shape, keeping ears pricked sniffing for fresh monster-smell tasting air—sorting through beep and wrr and woosh—could still hear flock hear flight—

Heard something else, subtle surrush like snake had made, soft prk of claws digging into tunnel to pull along, tiny klk-klk-klk of spines tapping together—

Soft rasp and click, alerting others to her discovery—listened close, trying to find out where—

Bolt forward, shrieking—monster hit ground behind her, coiling to strike again—

She skidded to halt and ran back at it, feeling, knowing it had committed to forward-strike to aim at where she had been fleeing—flatten herself to ground and skid as scaley belly sailed over—

Flipped to back and ripped at softer underbelly with claws, using where they caught on hide to push forward, away from limbs tipped with sharp claws crashing down around her—tail was thrashing, couldn't get out that way—

Head was snaking under body, flower-mouth opening up to reveal rows and rows and rows of sharp-teeth, ones in front long and curving and hooked back and dripping sharp-smell of poison, tongue lashing and feeling—yes she was right it didn't hunt by sight—

Thought.

Dodge behind a thrashing-leg, shree CHALLENGE—

It lunged, she leaped forward behind other leg—rolled as it clamped down on own leg, bolted, barely cleared its body as it started thrashing and howling—scream TRIUMPH and start chattering how to beat it how to trick—

It uncoiled itself, started scuttling after her—space was too small for fly and it was keeping body low to ground protecting belly—

Scuttle up wall when she noticed was good for climb, coil tail up, look around—piece looked loose, tug out and fling so it would make noise—

Looked intently at head as it followed noise, not noticing her—no eyes and if it had ears they were small—it hunted by scent by feeling by sound, back protected by spines and softer underbelly pressed tight to ground, hunted by overwhelming and squeezing with coils before biting with flower-mouth tipped in poison.

Had it poisoned itself? One leg was moving strangely now that it had bitten—

Could it be tricked to bite self?

Wait long-time before dropping to ground and scrambling other way, shrieking what she learned, alerting others—Webby responded Violet responded—

'Kase responded.

Blink—'Kase rarely used their-language it was always words and yes she understood both but almost never spoke their-language but now—

Understand-trap-lure here.

Deep breath, loud bark of response—understand-trap-coming—heard others responding, heard monster scrabbling and slithering, hearing many potential prey but unsure of which one to pursue—

Limb-biter! Lena shrieked over her shoulder. Limb-biter only hunts own limbs!

She didn't know if it understood, only knew that its scrabbling was getting more pronounced, pick up speed, following others' chirps and 'Kase's shrieks guiding them through—

Burst into round-room, scrambling around thing in middle crawling with what looked like worms—

"Over here!"

Lena charged for 'Kase, shrieking as the monster came charging in, crashed against thing in middle—

"Ooh, Tadashi's not gonna like that," 'Kase moaned—waved for her to come—grabbed her, swung her behind, turned to face charging monster—

"Come on, come on," she hissed. "NOW, Baymax!"

Monster was committing to charge—

Was yanked back by tail by big-red-Baymax—spun around, yowling, sharptooth-flower-mouth open as it lunged—

Big-red-Baymax held its tail up right as it did so, made it bite down on own-tail—

Monster yowled again, let go, tried scrabbling away—

"I have finished my analysis," big-red-Baymax announced. "The: venom, is a modified version of cobratoxin that accelerates the: paralytic properties, of the toxin." Blink. "Although fast-acting, it is doubtful that this modified toxin is lethal."

Which was when the monster stopped moving.

"So you're telling me it's not dead?" 'Kase asked, minor disappoint in her voice.

Big-red-Baymax blinked at the monster, at her. "It is still breathing, which it would not be able to do under the effects of the: unmodified toxin, at this level of paralysis." Blink. "The: spines, are also tipped with venom, which may have accelerated the effect." Open its mouth to show many many many spines lining the top now.

"You know what? So long as it's not moving anymore I don't care—gah!"

Yelp was because Lena had leaped on her Webby had leaped on her Violet had tackled her all of them screeching TRIUMPH-WIN-SUCCESS—monster had hunted but they had bested it on its own territory had won—

New-feeling boiled inside now, starting to burn away worry-fret: feeling that yes, they could take care of selves against wide-world against her—

They could get flock-flight back with ease now.

So that happened.

The unfortunate HenchCo goon who had been assigned to the computer banks grimaced at the loss of Larry, both before and after Chris had done that to him. He had unfortunately been ordered to stay down here and help guard the area—like something was going to get past that.

And now several somethings had, several somethings from the files he had been given. Escaped experiments and that Red Panda guy from that superhero group.

So now, quietly grumbling to himself about HenchCo's hiring policies in general and being hired out to crazy genetics people in particular, he carefully loaded the dart gun and took aim. Big red was a robot, that wouldn't go down, but one of the little feathered freaks would—

Wait, hadn't there been three of the little ones clinging to the big one?

The ones in front of him looked right at him, ears flat and eyes narrow—

Right as the missing one poked its head through the tangle of wires next to him, beaked face pulled back into a snarl revealing sharp teeth.

He had just enough time to think that that was actually really clever of it right as it launched itself at his face.

Nox was trembling, wilfed to nothing, not liking this no—

She had always tried to get him to do things like this, to work with computer to tap against thing that went clack-clack-clack to make things happen, would always be disappointed when he couldn't would always return him to prison which made inside-ache worse he WANTED to please her make her happy she was first-impression was mother and maybe if he made her happy she would hug and snuggle-close and hold and purr my hatchling mine like deep-inside said was true that she should have mother-love for him and because she didn't because she had rejected he couldn't help but think it was his fault somehow tried his best to be good and do what she wanted because then maybe if he did all the pain would be worth it because then she would love—

She never did. She never did and something about the screen and clack-clack-clack inspired dread and worry-fret, especially now where he was surrounded on all sides by wall where there was no sky none deep down in ground—

Everything crashing down, screens sparking as they were crushed, water bursting in—

Shiver, cold skittering under feathers, shake—

Nox, focus!

Flinch, look at Grump, looking grim—

Not time for those-thoughts, he said, dropping extra words that always felt like over-saying. Focus. Someone has to help. That someone is us.

Felt feathers wilf tight at that thought, that whole flock whole flight was dependent upon them—look at 'Dashi's-Hiro, at 'Dashi—

"Come on, Nox," 'Dashi's-Hiro said. "It's okay—we need your help."

'Dashi needed him 'Dashi's-Hiro needed him flock-flight needed him—deep breath, approach thing that did clack-clack-clack, start following Grump's promptings like he did that time after apples when 'Dashi first let him play with the 'Dashi-thing following explanations on how to do things, scary snarly feelings starting to smooth out as tellings started flying together with deep-inside knowings—

She had never told, never taught, never stood at shoulder and explained like Grump was doing never sat and showed like 'Dashi did—she was not good mother not good flock good flight she was bad-bad-no good-bad and this would make her angry—

That thought made this feel better, made him more motivated—this was good-thing was helping flock helping flight and the fact that good-thing made her angry cut more tangling-vines that were tying him to her they had grown brittle and dying ever since 'Dashi had saved him and showed what good and safe and older-brother what flock what flight was like—many-many-many good things had happened since escaping but had always been fear that she would find and snatch—

But now they were fighting back, and fighting back was making her less scary was taking away claws and teeth from her—

Fighting back was scary, but was getting rid of worse-fear.

"Okay," he heard 'Dashi's-Hiro say as Grump made new prompt—glance over to see 'Dashi's-Hiro and 'Dashi also going clack-clack-clack and making thinking-faces at screen. "That's—wait that's not it."

"Go back and try that other folder," 'Dashi suggested.

Grump poked Nox, prompting him to go back to their screen and do next-thing—was not sure what this was, there were things on screen which he almost-knew, coming together to make things he understood but did not know—part of him understood that that was code and that was words and that part of him almost knew what they said what they meant but it was like trying to listen when pushed under water like trying to see when eyes were closed trying to sense when sleeping—it was there and he knew it was there but he couldn't reach it, knew there was something where he had done thing like this before, like how scone had made fuzzy-remember of warm-place—

Screen suddenly went FZZZ for moment, causing 'Dashi and 'Dashi's-Hiro to squawk—

Crushing, water pouring in, scrambling as fear seized him through despair—

Paw caught him as he tried to flail away, tugged close against fluff, gave him something tangible to cling to and bury face in—

Not real, Grump rumbled softly. Not yours. Ignore.

Quick shallow breaths, trying to calm, trying to root back in now…nod finally, focusing on texture, on silky-feathers that made fun grooming that he enjoyed pawing through even though Grump always grumbled at that—

Grump wasn't grumbling now, Grump was being flock being flight being there and supportive—if even Grump, who was always grumbly, knew what being flock being flight was….

It meant she was wrong, had always been wrong, had always been bad.

Deep breath, rooting self, filling nose with scent of flock scent of flight instead of scent of bad-place—she had made bad-things. Now was time to un-make them.

Okay, he chirped finally. Okay. Slowly let go, allow himself to be nudged back to screen. Okay.

Grump nodded, pointed out things to do, things that made monsters less biting made bad-place less bad took her claws and teeth away freed those trapped in prison—

Whistled question when Grump suddenly went still and quiet, not giving any more prompting—paw at him, asking him what-what-what—look at what he was staring at but not understanding—

Do this thing, Grump ordered, sounding distant, like his thinking was somewhere else. Nox did as prompted, constantly shooting worried looks at Grump worry-fret for Grump—

Squawk in alarm when he started walking away—no-no-no-don't leave-no—

Do this thing, Grump ordered, tail doing lash like he was mad but anger not making it to voice. Do this thing-I go-do thing. Pause, bow head. Something I have to confirm for myself.

No—no no no he didn't understand why—

'Dashi's-Hiro looked at him, after Grump—"Where is he going?"

'Dashi seemed confused too. "You gotta go you gotta go," he said, twitching shoulders and settling wings—look at Nox's screen, at what he and Grump had been doing—

Moved small-thing and made click, doing thing that Grump had wanted at what Nox didn't understand why—

"I—hey I think we got it!" 'Dashi's-Hiro barked in excite. "We got it we're in!"

'Dashi looked, feathers starting to stand up in excite-happy-yes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes—monster codes, holding cells and where they are, how to open them—" Make clack-clack-clack, 'Dashi picking Nox up when he pawed and whined—they were excited but Nox was worried now Grump had left had seemed odd when he left what if something was wrong—

'Dashi's-Hiro was bright with happiness-triumph-success when he looked at them.

"We've got her right where we want her."

They had made escape from bad flock bad flight and that was good—now it was time to go back to original-plan, that of finding others finding flock finding flight and escape.

But they were bolstered now, filled with golden-sun of confidence at having bested bad flock bad flight, were charging ahead ready to take on anything else—

Dodged around snuffling-hunter that barked at them, tried to catch—ducked into small-space as it ran by, unable to skid to a halt fast enough, slammed into end of tunnel—

Ears pricked as they heard it keep going.

Sneak out, see hole at end of tunnel, carefully mince to it, sniffing with ears pricked—

Reach big narrow empty echoing space with slopes leading up and down and empty space in middle—leap up on warped branches (Della with small-bit hesitation she had not forgotten how broken-branch had led to broken-leg), look up, look down to where monster was trying to slow its fall—

Dewey suggested up, up was good was safe was good—Della frowned, beak twisting, pointed out that she was not good not safe not good…which meant that she would hide others in down space, where she knew they would not go would not like.

Dewey grit his beak, thinking—yes the bad-place had been up-high their escape had been up-high but every bad thing that happened that she caused saw them going down…agreed, finally. She would hide flock hide flight in down-place just to be mean.

Back to quietly singing their own praises, adding new parts about them beating and tricking monsters and bad flock bad flight—hesitant, ears pricked, limbs shaking as they put their paws just-so as they went down—down was no-good made them worry, internal senses saying they had gone past ground and were now deep—

Hiss hesitantly, close beak, sniff—smelled freshly of monster, was not good.

Dewey pointed, chirped—pointed out that these that were door led to new-spaces flock-flight might be behind one of those—sniff at space where door met rest of wall, go down to next door, sniff—

Found door that had faintest scent of flock of flight.

Chee in excitement, look at door, trying to figure out how to make it open—'Kase had done things that opened doors but they had not seen—

Paw at it, testing, Dewey briefly debating on whether to retrieve monster and trick it into opening this door. Agree that that would not work, monster needed to straight-charge and would be more interested in eating them anyway. Look for small-tunnel near door, that might work—

Della hissed at door, aggravated—there was way, there had to be—

Square next to door, with bits that lit up, were interesting—leap up, bat against it, chirp for Dewey to look-look-look-look at this—

Dewey whistled and fweed, declared it interesting—they both tried tugging it off wall, they wanted it wanted it wanted it—

Thing came off wall, showing long thin colorful bits like worms that 'Dashi said were NOT for eating—Dewey bit into them, released with sharp squeal of PAIN said they bit back—

Door slid open, causing both of them to leap back with startled-squeak.

Sniff, consider—flock-flight scent was stronger—needed to go this way.

Still going, softly singing, worry-fret starting to worm under feathers but at same time excite—find another door that had flock-flight smell, look at it until they saw interesting-box, leaped at it and clawed until worms were exposed, them yanking worms out of wall this time instead of biting—

Door slid open, showing big space tinted green space that went down further—

Space that was terrifyingly familiar.

Clearness that was glass was prison, too-tiny spaces with nothing in them to detract from misery, all in a line them barely able to see others—

"Hey! About time you came down here you and I are going to have WORDS."

Squeak, look at each other—

Bolt forward, leaping into space, running for prison—that had sounded like Brittany sounded like—

"Della! Dewey!"

"They're alive!"

Screech relief-worried-not now-happy-you-yes-good—barrel for Sue for Beth trying to decide who to leap at first—

Bounced off of glass that was prison, shake, squeak—

Go back put paws on glass, chattering and cheeing trying to figure out how to get through get free flock-flight was RIGHT THERE but so far because prison—

"There's the kids," Beth said, sounding like she was trying to sound happy in the face of danger-bad-danger. "What are you doing here, kids? You need to run."

Put paw on glass where Beth was putting paw to glass where Sue was, press against, rubbing cheek against glass and wishing it were gone…no, not glass this had tingly to it was like how worms in wall had bit Dewey reported—

If worms were dead, would glass be as well?

Della backed up, careful of broken-leg, looked at wall surrounding prison—shree for attention, point out spot to Dewey—

Dewey shreed in response, declaring that he could Dewey it like 'Dashi said like Sashi said—leaped up, clawing as rest of flock rest of flight started chattering—Della's ears twitched as she picked out different voices, sorting through…yes yes yes everyone who had been snatched by the bad-things was here!

Everyone except Grump.

Look at the different prisons, considering—there was one that looked empty at back Grump might be in there they needed him needed all of flock all of flight—

Looked when Dewey screeched frustration, saw that this thing would not be so easily ripped free—leaped up with him, tugging and scratching, finally shrieking in frustration at it—

It made loud BREEEP back at her, something red flashing—she and Dewey let go, startled—

Prison vanished.

Squeak of alarm gave way quickly to squeals of happiness as Beth and Sue scooped them up in hug, hugged each other in relief—Sashi and Brittany ran to hug them before chattering about others about youngers—

Peep?

Moved to start searching other prisons, some of the youngers asking Dashi-Dashi-Dashi hoping expecting it to be him, shree in happiness when it was other olders—Dewey and Della hopped down to let olders scoop youngers up youngers would need most-assistance getting free—

Mei and Beth cried as Beth scooped her up and hugged, puzzling to Della because happy should not be sad but she had cried too when hugging maybe when happy was too too much it made sad burn because it needed more than one emotion to express fully.

Go now? Dewey chirped at her, pointing at olders starting to move to where prison sloped up because up was safe—

Not yet, Della chirped back, checking every single prison like 'Dashi had—'Dashi had found Nox that way and she hadn't seen Grump Grump might have to be told that they were free now—

Found small bundle of feathers in last prison that had looked empty.

Stop, taken aback—mince in, soft whistles and chirps, letting know that was not bad was good worry-fret-you-okay-you? Poke—

Head popped up, rest of body skittered back as beak opened in hiss, startled-scared-nervous-you-what-you—was not their flock their flight but was feathered which meant flock meant flight.

Flock-flight-Della, she replied. You-stranger-who?

Blink, stare, confused—no name no name meant like they had been when trapped in prison—this one had not had 'Dashi to rescue—

Meant she would rescue instead, would do what 'Dashi would do because someone has to help.

You come, she said, putting paw out, gentle pat—flinch away from kind-touch told her everything she needed to know. We escape now-flee-go with flock with flight.

Feathers settling as this one stared at her, eyes widening as what she said sank in—worriedly asked about her—

Bad, she replied with vehemence. Bad-bad-bad we flee her.

Nod, ginger—

Dart under wing when she lifted it, feeling cold feeling thin—would be her-size but thin but bony under feathers—lead out of prison, Dewey bounding all around them asking what-what-what—

New flock new flight, she explained, getting excited shree from Dewey—bounded up to olders who were hesitating, Sashi finally running to check every prison like she had—

"Della what is that?" he asked, coming near her and crouching.

New flock new flight, she explained. Nudged new-flock-new-flight. This flock-flight-Sashi.

Small fwee, eyeing worriedly—Sashi made face before adjusting hold on Drew, scooping them up too, Della easily hooking claws in clothes, new-flock-new-flight hesitating before doing same.

"For the record, I'm voting Donald as the name," Sashi declared, grunting a little as he took them up incline and after rest of flock of flight.

New-flock-new-flight whistled question, which she was happy to answer: flock-flight took care of each other gave name made belonging everything she didn't.

New-flock-new-flight blinked, turning this over in head…finally closed eyes and rested head against hers.

Flock-flight-good-yes, he sighed.

Flock-flight-good-yes, she confirmed.