A/N - Hello everyone. I know it's been a long time since I last posted here and unfortunately there's a very good reason for that. In late February my apartment was heavily damaged in a building fire and one of the things I lost was my computer (although thankfully the hard drive survived intact). I've been dealing with the fallout since, getting a new place, going through stuff, etc. I have only recently finally gotten my new computer and can start posting again.

As always the standard disclaimer applies: I do not own the Happy Tree Friends; they are the property of Mondo Media. I own only my own characters and this story.

Now here's chapter 53 (at long last):

53 – PRISONER TRANSFER

It was shortly before 10 AM that the last preparations for the prisoner exchange were finished. All of the members of the City Council were present to watch. Cuddles operated the equipment, assisted by Sniffles. He was already in communication with Flaky back at the Animal city, who was in charge of that end of the operation. The two operators were awaiting the final go ahead from both ends of the transporter.

The receiver station was set up right outside the entrance to the POW camp which was located on the lowest level of the city. Flippy had ordered a large contingent of soldiers to be present. They formed two lines from the receiver station to the entrance to the camp where camp guards were waiting. The prisoners would have to walk down the aisle between the two lines from the station to the gate without any opportunity to deviate from the marked path. The whole distance was short and the entire length of it was visible to the spectators.

At the Animal City the platform that had been constructed was a departure station, and a long double line of prisoners was lined up in front of it waiting to step through. All around the prisoners were numerous animal guards. Handy, Loco, and the Mole were watching the operation there just as the Council was watching the procedure at the receiving end.

At precisely 10 AM Cuddles pressed a button and activated the receiver station. Thousands of kilometers to the east Flaky did the same. Between the two stations a teleport conduit was opened. Loco motioned to the first pair of prisoners to step onto the platform. They did so, immediately vanishing from the Animal City and turning up simultaneously on the receiving platform at Metramegopolis. To the prisoners it seemed as if they had just walked a few steps and between one step and the next the scenery abruptly changed. They were quickly hustled off the platform by the waiting soldiers, sent down the aisle and through the gates of the camp. They were too disoriented by what had just happened to do anything except obey their captors without question.

There was a short pause while Cuddles checked the circuitry. From the other end of the conduit Flaky did the same.

"Clear" came Flaky's signal after about 20 seconds.

"Clear" Cuddles responded. Loco urged the next pair of prisoners forward and the whole procedure was repeated.

So the prisoner transfers went, for about three hours. It was all rather routine and quite efficiently done. It wasn't long before most of the Council began to drift away from the transfer site and go back to other city levels to do other work. Sniffles (who was assisting Cuddles) stayed for the whole thing, as did Flippy (who was overseeing the soldiers), Robot (who did not have the capacity to be bored), and Tony Ride (who was waiting for the transfers to end in order to begin debriefing the prisoners).

At around 1 PM the last pair of prisoners came through the transport. Tony Ride recognized them at once.

"Well, well" he said, "Zarkwon Du and Dunster. Fancy seeing you here."

"You know these two humans?" inquired Robot.

"Only by reputation" said Tony Ride, "they're Durago's personal henchmen. I expected they'd come through eventually, and here they are."

"And who are you?" asked Dunster. He was a big beefy enforcer of a man with a deep, harsh voice. Zarkwon Du, by contrast, was very tall and thin. Flippy stopped their progress down the aisle so they could speak with Tony Ride.

"My name's not important" said Tony Ride, "but since we're going to be spending some time together I'm sure you'll learn it eventually. Welcome to Metramegopolis. Sorry we couldn't provide you with any amenities during the trip but it was a little fast."

"I never really believed you had teleport capability" said Zarkwon Du; he had a very oily voice, "I'm impressed. I think XL-Jack-3 would be too."

"Maybe" said Robot without emotion, "however it is not our intention for him to get his hands on any of the specific technical details if we can help it."

"Please move along" said Flippy, "there'll be time for talk later." The two henchmen nodded their good-byes to Tony Ride and moved down the line and into the camp.

"That's everyone" said Cuddles as he deactivated the station.

(To Be Continued)

A/N - And that's that. Please leave me some feedback before you leave. Cheers!