Chapter 22: The recovering
Daffy and Sylvester ran as fast as they could back to the hideout. If Bugs was dying, they needed to help him. They knew they had to do something to save their friend.
Inside the hideout, while the computer were on standby, Lola finished getting the sheets on Bugs' wound. After that, she explained to Tweety how she ended up involved in all this.
"And this is how I got here." She said finishing the story. "But the strange things is they didn't say anything about you?"
"Our orders were very clear." Tweety answered. "Only share information if it's necessary. The mission must not be compromised."
"What is your mission by the way?" Lola asked. She'd still like to know who these guys were.
"Sorry, I'm forbidden to answer that."
"By who?"
"I'm forbidden to answer that too."
"Well what are you not forbidden to answer or are you forbidden to answer that to?"
Tweety didn't get chance to say something, because the moment Lola asked her flippant question, Daffy and Sylvester jumped into the room.
"Quick, call Petunia; we think Bugs have been poisoned…" Daffy yelled, but stopped when he saw the grey rabbit in medical custody and the computer on standby.
A little awkward silence appeared.
"Oh" Sylvester began. "I guess you already know."
"Yes." Tweety answered. "And don't worry, the situation is under control."
"Really, wanna tell us what we missed?" Sylvester said.
Tweety and Lola began to explain about the treatment of the poison and what they had to do.
"A blood transfusion, but our store was emptied. How did you…" Daffy said before paying attention to the little mark of a needlestick on Lola's arm.
"You gave blood?" The surprised duck asked her.
She nodded.
"Was that safe?" Sylvester asked.
"No." She said.
"What!" The duck and the cat said in unison.
Lola began to explain the risk of making a transfusion without knowing the blood type.
"So, there was a chance you could have killed Bugs." Sylvester said a little choked.
"It was either that or letting him die." Lola defended.
"Pretty risky, but thank you." Daffy said.
"If it hadn't been for him, it would have been me lying on that table and feel I owed him."
"And what about you guys?" Tweety asked. "Did you get the shooter?"
"Unfortunately not. He got away, but that's not the disturbing news." Sylvester said.
"Then what is?"
"Tweety." Daffy began. "He knew about us. Who we are."
"How is that possible? Who was that guy?"
"That's what I would like to use the computer to find out." Daffy said as he was on his way to the computer.
"Wait! Petunia said she would contact us when she send a cure. I would prefer that the computer stands unused until then."
When Tweety finished that line computer started making a sound.
"That must be her." Tweety said as the little bird flew the computer and started it. As the canary expected, it was the face of female pig that came on the screen.
"The antidote is packed an on its way to you." Petunia said. "Has it arrived yet?"
When the pig asked that question, the sound of a plane flew over then came and they could fell something hit the roof.
"Right on time." The canary answered.
Daffy vent to the roof to get the consignment. Lola followed, curious to see what hit the roof. When they got up, Lola could see some kind of container, seemed to be very high tech, and it had a hand scanner.
The duck placed his hand on the plate, which activated the scanner. Then a serum popped out of the container. Daffy gripped the tube and ran down to the patient, followed by Lola.
"Here is it." Sylvester said to the crew. Then he walked to the sick grey rabbit and injected the liquid.
"There you go old friend."
"Well?" Petunia said from the computer screen.
The monitor shoved the effect of the injection.
"It's working, his pulse is stabilizing" Lola said.
"Excellent, then my work is done. Oh by the way, I have a message from the boss; he expects that this incident won't slow down the mission."
"Understood." Tweety, Daffy and Sylvester said in unison.
"Petunia out."
"Well, now that the computer is free, I would like to use it for identification of the shooter." Sylvester said as he accessed the database on the big screen.
While Sylvester were doing this, Lola walked back to the patient on the table, checking the bandaging of the injury. She couldn't make a better one.
Then she paid her attention to the scars on the grey rabbit's body.
"Don't worry."
Lola looked up and saw Daffy standing next to her.
"He'll be fine." The black duck said.
"I suppose he has been through worse."
"What gave him away?" Daffy asked rhetoric, knowing she referred to the scars.
Lola laid her hand on Bugs' chest, feeling the tissue of a burn mark.
"How did this happened?"
"He's been through a lot."
"And you're not put off by it?"
"Not when you have some of your own."
"What?"
Daffy made a gentle punch against his armor less suit. Lola understood at once, what he the duck was trying to say.
"You have similar scars?" Lola asked.
"We all have."
"Yeah." Tweety began. "And all these memories from the missions they have."
"Sounds like a rough life."
"It's who we are, it's what we do." Daffy said.
"Y'know, when this is all over, I would really like to get explained who you guys are."
"Perhaps you will, but that's our superiors to decide."
"Hey guys" Sylvester yelled."I think I found our man."
They all walked to the big screen it showed a blurred picture of a tiny bold man standing on a rooftop and aiming with a laser-sighted sniper rifle.
"His name is Elmer Fudd. A top-class mercenary. He's suspected in assassinations all over the world: New York, Chicago, Moskva, Hong Kong."
"This file is not very huge." Daffy said. "Is this really all we got?"
"Porky told me that he had search through the FBI, CIA and Interpol criminal database. This was all he could fine."
"Porky?" Lola asked.
"Our Information dealer." Daffy explained
"That's less important." Sylvester began. "What's important is why he is here? And why have you become a target?"
They all looked at Lola.
"Don't you think I would have told you if I knew?"
"Well can you think of someone who should have reasons to get rid of you?"
"No." She said after a moment of silence.
"Hm… Perhaps he thinks you are a contact of ours and has been ordered to take you out." Daffy suggested.
"I don't think so Daffy." Tweety argued, "I seem he didn't we were there to protect her, until he encountered us now. Mr. Fudds employer could have known that Lola were investigating the incidents we caused over the past month. Maybe someone wants Lola out of the picture because she is asking questions someone doesn't want answered."
"So far, those are nothing but qualified guesses." Said a voice that didn't belonged to neither Sylvester, Daffy, Lola or Tweety. They turned around to see Bugs Bunny awake, and then he stood up from the table.
"Bugs, you should lay down and rest." Lola said. Walking to Bugs.
"I'm still capable of fight, thanks to you Lola. Nice work by the way." Bugs said, admiring the first help he'd got.
"Listen bugs." Daffy began. "We know you hate being put the …, but we can handle the plan."
"This Elmer Fudd found our hideout. It will only be a matter of time before he track us down when we go to action. Eventually, he will get his target, unless we stop him to."
"So, you are thinking of a plan update." Sylvester asked.
"When we set the plan in motion, there is no doubt it will attract his attention. We should get prepared, which is why we need me."
"Because?"
"He think I'm dead, so we won't be expecting me. Let's use that to our advantage."
"I still think you should rest." Lola said.
"There will be time for my recover after this."
"If you mess with the suture I gave you, it would probably leave a scar."
"Just another one to my ever-growing collection."
"But..."
"Lola." Sylvester interrupted. "Your concern is appreciated, but you heard our message: No delays."
"He's right." Daffy supported.
Lola made a sigh.
"All right long ears. What do you suggest?" Daffy asked.
"Be ready guys. Tonight, we'll accomplished our mission."
In another part of Acme City
The tiny bold assassin now known to be Elmer Fudd jumped in to an apartment he had rented under a false name. He put his equipment in a closet and started his laptop on his desk.
CONNECTING…
CT_MISSION RAPPORT.
Fudd started pressing the buttons on the computer's keyboard.
EF_ASSASSINATION FAILED. UNEXPECTED ASSITANCE. THE SQUAD IS IN TOWN. MEMBER ELIMINATED.
CT_TARGET MUST BE NEUTRALIZED. ASSISTANCE REQUIRED?
EF_NEGATIVE. SITUATION UNDER CONTROL.
CT_EXPECTING ACCOMPLISHMENT UNDER NEXT CONTACT. ENDING.
Elmer Fudd was a man who always prepared himself for the unexpected, which came in handy now.
He at a corner of his room were the unconscious Sylvia and Melissa was tied to chairs.
"I always have a backup-plan."