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 the Deviant Art user Rainbroach (formerly known as Yoshi Lord). I own only my own characters and this story.
76 – FRESKO'S GAMBIT
"Let's not rush up to the roof" said Robot, "if they find us there ahead of them it may push them to extra desperation. We should follow them a little more slowly." Nobody seemed to be able to come up with a reason to disagree with Robot so the meeting broke up then. Flippy declared he would go to the roof and watch for Frik and Frak but from an unseen place, not revealing himself until after they were out in the open. He asked that anyone else who intended to go to the roof also wait in hiding until he gave the signal.
As the Councillors were drifting out of the meeting room Fresko pulled Sniffles aside.
"If I ask you to do something specific for me" Fresko said, "how quickly can you get it done?"
"Depends on what it is" said Sniffles cautiously, "what did you have in mind?"
Fresko told Sniffles exactly what he had in mind. Sniffles stared at him.
"Yes" he answered slowly, "I can do that. I can do that right now. But are you sure that this is something you should be trying?"
"Yes" said Fresko quietly, "in a way I'm sort of responsible for Lifty and Shifty being here – even though it's their own damn fault when you really look at it – but I still feel responsible if you know what I mean."
"I think I do" said Sniffles, "all right give me a few minutes" and he went to work. It actually only took about two minutes before he looked up from his task and said "Done." Fresko nodded his thanks.
"Coming upstairs to watch the show?" Fresko asked Sniffles.
"Yes" said Sniffles, nodding, "I wouldn't miss this."
Following the tracer signal from Lifty and Shifty Fresko and Sniffles went up to the city roof. Taking shelter just inside one of the doors that led out onto the roof surface they kept watch. Sure enough, within a few minutes Frik and Frak emerged onto the roof from another entrance door herding Lifty and Shifty in front of them. The two raccoons were not restrained in any way but the blasters that Frik and Frak were pointing at them were more than enough of a threat to keep them in line. As Fresko and Sniffles watched the two Marauders and their prisoners went toward the roof's edge, stopping near the railing at the very edge.
"Now what?" Frak asked Frik.
"We'll have to contact someone in authority" said Frik.
"Don't bother" said a voice from one of the other doors, "we've been expecting you." Flippy came out of the door followed by Splendid. From another door further away Anna Ride appeared with Barry and Emily. All of them moved towards Frik and Frak, who backed up right to the railing ledge at the roof's edge. Fresko and Sniffles came forward too. Frik and Frak reacted strongly, raising their blasters and pointing them at Lifty and Shifty.
"That's close enough" snarled Frak, "unless you want us to fry these two raccoons right now!"
Flippy looked sidelong at Splendid.
"What do you think?" he said out of the corner of his mouth.
"Impossible" Splendid whispered, "I might disarm one of them but I couldn't get the other before he acted." Flippy nodded and looked at the Marauders.
"So what now?" Flippy asked them, "you can't get away from here you know."
"Can't we?" said Frik.
"No, you can't" said a new voice from behind Flippy. The bear half-turned in surprise to see a squad of human soldiers entering the roof and making a barrier around them all with their blasters aimed at Frik and Frak.
"I see the Mayor arranged for security" said Flippy to the squad leader who nodded.
"We have our orders" said the leader, "not to let these two escape at any cost."
"And they won't" said Flippy, "since I have no intention of allowing that."
"Sir" said the squad leader respectfully, "I must ask you to step aside. We have our orders direct from the Mayor."
"The Mayor doesn't have direct control of the military" said Flippy.
"She invoked Power of Emergency" said the squad leader, "placing us under her direct orders."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Flippy, "that can only be done if the three community leaders all agree and I know they haven't done so. If she's told you otherwise she's mistaken. Stand down."
"I can't do that sir" said the squad leader.
"That's an order!" declared Flippy. The squad leader hesitated, wondering if maybe Flippy was right but he didn't back down.
"I'm sorry sir" said the squad leader, "but I had a direct order from her and unless I get direct evidence otherwise I have to obey the orders I have."
Flippy's face began to turn red with rage so it was very lucky that Toothy appeared just then coming out on the roof from the same door that Anna Ride, Barry, and Emily had entered from. Flippy spotted him at once.
"Toothy!" yelled Flippy, "did you give the Mayor your approval for her to invoke Power of Emergency?"
"What?" exclaimed a startled Toothy, "certainly not! You know that!"
"Just checking" said Flippy turning back to the squad leader, "you see?"
"What's going on?" said Toothy coming towards them, "who says I did?"
"The Mayor said that you and the other community leaders approved her assuming Power of Emergency Leader Toothy sir" said the squad leader. Toothy's eyes bulged out in anger.
"Did she?" he declared, "well that's complete beaver-****!"
"She said that you approved it sir" persisted the squad leader.
"And you're going to take her word about what I said over what I'm saying to you myself?!" cried Toothy, "I know what I approved and didn't approve and I never approved Power of Emergency and that's final! Mayor King never had the authority to give you such orders. Stand down!"
There was a long silence while the squad leader and his men digested this information, then slowly they began to lower their blasters.
"Yes leader Toothy sir" said the squad leader in a subdued voice, "my apologies."
"Don't stand down too much" said Flippy suddenly, "I may need your back-up so stay alert." The squad leader nodded his acceptance.
While all of this was going on Fresko had kept a sharp watch on Frik and Frak, who seemed quite startled by the sudden turn of events but they were smart enough not to miss an opportunity. While Flippy faced off against the squad leader Frik and Frak had slowly begun nudging Lifty and Shifty to one side. Unfortunately for them it happened to be in Fresko's direction and he stepped forward, claws bared, and forced them back to where they had been when the soldiers first arrived. And there they stayed until Flippy was able to turn his attention back towards them. With his front paws on his hips the bear looked the two Marauders squarely in the eyes.
"Now that we've settled that" said Flippy, "where were we? Oh yes. You might as well give up now."
"I don't think so" said Frak, "you may have us outnumbered and cornered but we have these two" he pointed at Lifty and Shifty who were frozen in place, "and if you don't do as we say..." he let that hang there.
"If you kill them" said Splendid, "you'll have nothing to bargain with."
"Then maybe we'll only kill one" said Frik, "maybe this one?" and he pointed his blaster at Shifty.
"Stop!" said Flippy almost reflexively. Frik smiled a harsh smile.
"You see?" he said, "you're not in charge here."
"Apparently not" said Flippy, "what do you want?"
"we want transport out of this city," said Frik, "and we want it now!"
"To go where?" said Flippy, "XL-Jack-3 won't take you back."
"We know that" said Frik, "we don't intend to go anywhere near him."
"Then where can you go?" asked Emily, "where else is there?"
"The world is still big" said Frak with a sneer, "we can make a place of our own. Now quit jabbering and get us a flyer."
"You think we don't mean business?" yelled Frik, "just watch!" And to the amazement of everyone present he and Frak leaped up onto the railing at the edge of the roof. The railing was several meters wide, forming a stable platform on which to stand and here the two Marauders stood silhouetted against the sky, pulling Lifty and Shifty up with them.
"We'll jump if we have to" said Frak, "or maybe we'll just throw the raccoons off instead! That would stop them from using the information we gave them. Keep back if you value their lives!"
"Wait!" called Fresko stepping forward. Everyone turned to look at him as he approached the railing, "please, don't do anything hasty."
"And who are you?" demanded Frik.
"Captain Fresko, head of the Animal City Special Forces" said Fresko, "and I want you to let your hostages go."
"Oh do you?" said Frik, "and why would we do that?"
"Because you can have me instead" said Fresko simply, "I'll take their place if you let them go."
There was a stunned silence on the roof.
"Fresko what on earth are you – " began Flippy when he found his voice but Sniffles tugged on his paw.
"Don't interfere" the anteater whispered to Flippy, "He knows what he's doing."
"I hope you're right" muttered Flippy. Frik and Frak were looking at Fresko strangely.
"You volunteer to take their place?" said Frik. Fresko nodded.
"We've heard of you" said Frak,"you'd be a valuable hostage but a two for one swap isn't fair."
"Quality over quantity" said Fresko smiling slightly, "I'm not armed." And to prove his point he took out his own blaster, laid it down on the ground, and kicked it away. This seemed to swing the issue with the Marauders because they looked at each other and then nodded together.
"All right" said Frik, "you've got a deal."
"Then let the raccoons go" said Fresko.
"No" said Frik, "you come up here first, then the raccoons can go."
Fresko shrugged but didn't protest. He climbed up on to the railing beside Frik. Frik quickly searched him to confirm that he really wasn't armed. When he was satisfied he gestured to Frak who gave Lifty a shove off the railing back onto the roof. Then he pushed Shifty after Lifty. Shifty hit Lifty when he fell and both raccoons tumbled into a heap but they quickly scrambled to their feet and, following Flippy's pointing paw to go behind the solders, scurried out of harm's way.
"All right" said Frik pointing his blaster at Fresko and making him crouch down, "we've made the cat's deal and gave two for one. Now you give something to us if you want your little feline friend alive again."
"What do we do?" said Flippy to Splendid.
"I don't know" said Splendid to Flippy, "I could get one of them. Fresko would probably be able to avoid the other one."
"I know" said Flippy, "but what if the second guy fires at someone else?" Splendid frowned at this and didn't answer.
"We're waiting!" said Frak, "we don't have all day you know!" As he talked Frak was striding back and forth along the railing getting alternately closer to Frik and Fresko and farther away from them. From his place crouching down Fresko was watching him carefully, waiting for just the right moment.
Toothy stepped forward.
"I'm a city leader" the beaver said to the two Marauders, "and my word can do a lot for you if you'll be reasonable."
"Reasonable!" yelled Frak waving his blaster wildly, "we've been more than reasonable! Now you be reasonable! Or maybe you want us to show you what it means for – " but Frak never finished his sentence. While he was talking he had happened to walk right between Frik and Fresko, and Fresko, seeing his moment, had sprung onto him with all the force he could summon.
He landed hard on Frak's chest. Frak stumbled straight back and fell against Frik, causing Frik to begin falling too. Before anyone knew what had happened sheer momentum caused both the Marauders and Fresko to go over the outermost edge of the city roof...
(To Be Continued)