A/N - Wow, haven't updated this story in a long time. I know it's not widely read but I'm thankful to the people who are reading it anyway. Here's a new chapter at last. I'll try not to wait so long before posting the next one.

As always the standard disclaimer applies: I do not own the Happy Tree Friends; they are the property of Mondo Media. Also Crush belongs to the original HTF forums user MrKaos. I own only my own characters and this story.

82 – GAINING TRUST

"All right" said Crush, "let's skip over the generalities. I assume you're from the Animal City and that you're here to do something to the Marauders. Correct?"

Lifty and Shifty looked at each other, not sure how to answer, even though what Crush said was true.

"You're cautious" said Crush, "that's good. You can't be too cautious out here in the wilderness with so many enemies nearby. However your caution would also indicate that I'm right or you would have denied it."

"What makes you so sure we're from the Animal City?" said Lifty.

"Because you teleported here" said Crush, "everyone knows that only the Animal City folks can do that."

"You're right" said Shifty, "we are from there, but we were actually transported from Metramegopolis."

"The Metramegopolitans have figured out teleportation?" asked Crush.

"I don't know about that" said Shifty, "they used one of our own transporters to send us. I know that much."

"I see" said Crush, "well let that go for now. What exactly brings you out here?"

Once again Lifty and Shifty looked at each other.

"I don't mean to be rude, "said Lifty, "but – "

"I know, I know" said Crush cutting him off, "you don't know if you can trust me. And why should you? You don't know me, you've never met me before, and I took you by surprise. Right? That's fair enough. Well maybe I can convince you otherwise. Perhaps a good character witness will help."

Lifty and Shift didn't have any time to think about what Crush had said. Before they could react he had produced a holographic communicator of his own and was punching a code on it.

"Don't worry" he said to the raccoons, "the line is secure, or at least as secure as it can be. It also uses a scrambler so we can't be traced. Ah!" This last was said to the communicator which was coming to life. Then, to the raccoons' surprise Crush put the device on the ground in front of them and retreated to the back of the hollow.

An image appeared in front of the two raccoons and they were very startled to discover it was none other than the Mole himself who appeared in front of them. He was sitting at his desk in his office.

"Lifty? Shifty?" said the Mole looking up with surprise; he could see them on his end as well as they could see him, "Why have you called me? And on my private line too? I don't recall giving you this code. What is the meaning of this?"

"Actually I'm the one who called you" said Crush stepping forward and coming into the Mole's view. The Mole's reaction upon seeing him was immediate; his whole face seemed to widen as his jaw fell open in surprise.

"Crush?" he asked in what could have been disbelief or just massive shock, "is that really you?"

"Every bit of it" said the bear quietly.

"What are you doing there?" said the Mole, recovering himself somewhat, "how did Lifty and Shifty find you?"

"You know that I and my comrades are never far from the Marauders" said Crush, "and as for these raccoons, they didn't find me. I found them."

"I see" said the Mole, "and what will you do now? Will you help them?"

"If they'll let us" said Crush, "they've been cautious about telling me stuff. I was hoping that if you vouched for me it would help."

"Of course" said the Mole without any hesitation. He looked at the raccoon brothers

"I hope you two have been listening" he said to them, "It's good that you're wary of strangers but you can trust Crush and his friends. I'm glad you've made contact with him. I was actually hoping that eventually you would but I did not know exactly where they would be and I didn't want you looking for them if they weren't around. That would have been too much of a distraction for you so I didn't mention their existence. However now that you've met I would say that your chances of getting out this mission alive in the end have just improved quite a bit."

"Thank you" said Crush, "so what's it all about?"

"They can tell you" said the Mole, "it's safer that way. I'd better go. Good luck." The Mole broke the connection and vanished away.

"Well then" said Crush sitting back down, "I hope that helps."

"You know the Mole" said Lifty. It wasn't a question.

"Doesn't everybody?" said Crush lightly, but then turning more serious he said "yes I know him. I've known him for a long time."

"And he didn't tell you we were coming?" asked Shifty.

"You heard him. He doesn't always know where we are" said Crush, "I and my band are not Animal City residents, and we are not now, nor have we ever been, Metramegopolitans. We live on our own out in the wilderness and we're not on anyone's tracking system. The Mole can call us or we can call him but he doesn't know specifically where we are unless we tell him."

"Who are you?" asked Shifty, "I mean really?"

"You might call us renegades" said Crush, "or outcasts, or refugees. We're a band of animals gathered from other places who've suffered from the depredations of the Marauders. We've lost our homes and our families and friends. Many of us have lost mates and even children. There's really nothing left for any of us except revenge. As I said to the Mole we're never far away from the Marauders. We hunt them, that's what we do. That's pretty much all we do."

Lifty and Shifty listened to what Crush said in silence, unsure how to respond. They had never met anyone like him, and the idea of "hunting" Marauders seemed an incredible one. Crush seemed to sense that because he spoke again.

"I know that sounds strange to you" he said, "but if you'd suffered what we've suffered it wouldn't sound that way. You animals who have grown up in the big cities have a certain amount of security, or at least defense against attacks, that those of us from smaller communities just didn't have – at least not when XL-Jack-3 came there himself with his big weapons. Most of us are lucky simply to be alive, and a few of us probably wish they weren't – well you'll find out. We have a camp not far from here which I can take you to and you can meet more of us."

Lifty and Shifty looked at each other and something passed between them.

"All right" said Shifty, "we'll come."

"Good" said Crush getting up from where he was sitting, "it's not far. Let me just call in." And he picked up his communicator and activated it.

"Hi" he said, "it's me. We're on our way. What? Okay I'll see you there." He broke the connection and turned to the raccoons.

"We're expected" he said, "my cousin will meet us outside the camp. Come"

The three of them prepared to leave the enclosure when Crush suddenly turned around again and stopped them.

"Before we go" he said, "you should tell me why you're here. It will be less dangerous for you to tell me in this hollow than for us to talk about it when we're out in the open. And if I know what your game is, it will help move things along once we reach the others."

No longer cautious about talking with Crush Lifty and Shifty quickly related their mission to him. He stared at them when they were done.

"Wow" he said, "that's a big task! Do you have any idea how you're going to go about it?"

"We do have an idea for a first strike" said Lifty.

"Really?" said Crush, "you'll have to tell me when we get to our camp and we'll see how we can help you. If nothing else, this will provide some of our members with another excuse (like they really need one) for a hunting trip or even a full raid. You've certainly come to spice up our lives." And with that he left the hollow and moved down the slope with Lifty and Shifty quickly following him.

(To Be Continued)