Chapter 68

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"What do you mean no!?"

"We can't just…" Skye began, before a glare from her sister cut her off.

They'd started the day discussing Buster Moon and his apparent case of brainwashing. A tricky subject, a painful one, but necessary. Lt Vixen had been curious but intrigued, even if she admitted that she didn't have any records as to what it might be. She even confessed that, were it actual sleeper agents, she'd been expecting something more…

Competent.

Jack though had been feeling down, something Skye had sympathised with. Just like she had been, he was in a situation where even if he didn't want a part of this life anymore, he was in it whether he wanted it or not. And, as he had a better chance than anyone to be on the offensive against it, being here rather than staying at home, fingers in ears, pretending everything was normal and happy…

Well.

-He didn't have to be as super onboard about it as he'd been before the novelty wore off.

And then, over their radio receiver they'd heard everything light up around Kozlov thanks to the fake dummy device they'd given him. Brutal battles, all three equally shocked when Ash and Kris got physically involved, before holding on tight as a swap was made.

They'd listened on. The bear's long tale in the car, Lt Vixen usually mentioning how they'd heard the odd rumours or how that sounded familiar, until the shocking end, at which point she'd said that, if true, their work was more important than they'd ever imagined.

And then everything had gone to chaos, the police car attacked, Nick taken prisoner. Skye, panicking, was calmed down by her sister who said that he'd be okay. The arms dealers had no clue that Judy Hopps and co were in possession, or could be in possession, of such a well made fake. They'd swap it for Nick, the fox would be returned safely, the arms dealers of ELSA would laugh their way back to their secret hideout…

And then it would be over.

She, Jack, the good guys, were about to win spectacularly.

And then a key part of that assumption was blown out of the water, the mammals listening on in shock as the arms dealers snuck away, hostages in tow.

Lt Vixen had said they were still tracking them, they'd still won, at which point Jack had volunteered to go in and rescue them.

And was immediately told 'No'.

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"Agent Savage," she said, phone pausing under her chin for a second. She turned, looking at her sister for a second. "Skye…"

"They're…" the vixen began. "Nick, Judy, all those others… We're the only ones who can..."

"-Do anything, I know," she said firmly. "Which is why I'm calling military intelligence. As soon as they cross the maritime border, we can have the navy corner that ship. It's over for them, their cover is blown. That was our job… And I couldn't have done it without you. All of you. Even Doug Ramses… -PHD."

He shrugged. "I see this entire situation as an absolute win."

"Of course you…" Skye hissed, before turning back to her sister. "Nick, Judy, Carmelita…"

"-And the bears, I know," her sister snapped. "And the best we can do for them now is force a negotiation, force them to return them, alive and well, in return for some leniency."

"And given that they're in a corner, that they have nothing to lose…"

"Why would they harm their only trump card!?" Lt Vixen yelled, teeth bared before she sucked in a breath and looked over them both. "I understand you are terrified for your friends. I understand your instincts are to pull a special forces mission or something, sneak in, get them out, no problem. But for the same reason I got you into this part of our operation, I will shoot you two in the knees to stop you trying to do this next part. I can judge the risks just fine, and with the training I was able to provide all you've done up until now has been acceptably safe. Likewise, if you go on to try this new 'mission' you'll all end up dead. Do you understand me? Do you understand!?"

There was a pause, Skye turning away and nodding a little as Jack shook his head. "So we just wait…"

"Yes, we wait and let mammals big enough and strong enough deal with this," she said. "I can judge the risks of these things, I get them right. Believe me, I get these things right. You believed me when I said you could do all the stuff before, so believe me when I say that going onto their ship, amidst who knows how many hostile wolves armed to the teeth, is a suicide mission that would do nothing to help your friends. Do you understand that!? I am not putting you at risk."

Jack closed his eyes. "What would it take for you to…"

"-Years of training, experience, a well thought out mission plan, external support that was in place and ready," she said firmly. "But without that, nothing less than a direct and highly protested order would make me send you in there." She sighed, looking down at him. "I know what I'm doing. Understood?"

"But not liked," Jack filled in.

She shrugged. "Good enough." And with that she went back to the phone, frowning as it failed to connect. "Come on, encrypted line or not…" Her ears perked up as she began relaying the information over.

"-Note," Doug said. "That she said she would intervene to save, and I quote, 'you two.' A small but revealing quote I would say, quiet part out loud, not that any of you would pay any mind…"

"-Well maybe she thinks you could hold your own," Skye cut in, glaring at him. "Besides, it's probably your dream mission, go in and get to kill a bunch of wolves."

"I mean yes, but then it got spoiled by being in aid of saving the two mammals who put me in prison and…"

"-WHAT!? -Sir, I must…" They were all cut off as Lt Vixen barked into the phone. Her ears were pulled back, eyes widened in disbelief. She nodded a few times before her brow furrowed. "Either way, sir, I must protest. However important or crucial, this is pure lunacy, my mammals are…"

A bark from the other side had her cut off. Apart from a slight head tilt and a confused "-What is the purpose of…" she listened in dutifully. "-Then I must… -I CANNOT STAY HERE AND…" A shout from the other side had her ears pulling back as she nodded dutifully, before finally putting down the phone.

Her fur was on end as she turned to face the assembled mammals, speaking out in a hollow voice. "My commander has stated that a rescue must take place immediately, and we are the only mammals available. Or, rather, you three are." She pointed at Jack, Skye and Doug. "Realistically, that means you two…" She pointed at the two prey. "-I told them it was lunacy, I told them that at the least I should be going with you, but I was shut down. -I am told I am too important, even though I won't be commanding this mission, it'll be one of them…" Her brow knitted and she gritted her teeth. "If you truly wish to go on this mission, I want you to be aware that you two will almost certainly die. The risk is too high. So, if you do not wish to go, just say. And, officially, I will perform a mutiny against your wishes to do this mission and hold you here, damn the consequences."

The room was silent.

"Sweetie…" Skye began, walking forward. "That, you can't…"

"Yes I can," she said plainly. "I took you all on this mission knowing the risks were acceptable. What I've just been ordered to do is entirely unacceptable."

"You can't just throw away your career…"

"I can, I will," she said, turning up to her. "I'd serve ten years in Lemmingsworth rather than have to follow another stupid idiot with ludicrous orders that means I stand by while mammals die pointlessly."

"-I'd say ten years in Lemmingsworth is lowballing it," Doug said, smiling.

The red vixen glanced at him and shrugged. "I'm with the US army, we're in Zootopia. I'm sure they'll put up at least some fight to stop one of their citizens being extradited for defying an immoral order concerning their citizens."

"-Or, they throw you out as you let their precious heroes die," the sheep smiled. "I happen to be enjoying this."

A growl came out from Skye, the vixen turning around, looking as if she was about to savage the sheep.

"-Wait!" She froze, all eyes turning to Jack. "-I'll do it."

The room went quiet.

"Do not in any way feel like you are forced to do this," Lt Vixen said calmly. "You are a volunteer, an asset, you…"

"-Might be the only one to save Nick, Judy and the others," he said, marching forward, paw coming up into a salute. "Secret agent Jack Savage, reporting for duty!"

She looked at him for a second or two before closing her eyes. "Suit up, get prepared, I've been ordered to send the helicopter down south to a rendezvous point where they will change pilots. Skye will fly with you until there…"

"-Wait, why?" the swift fox asked.

"You two deserve some time together," she said plainly. "Make the most of it." She sighed. "If at any point you want to stop…"

"-Yeah," Doug cut in. "Can you hold me hostage, refuse to let me on this pointless suicide mission?"

She looked up, her eyes widening. "You're refusing to partake?" She turned to Jack. "Without him it's out of the question, his refusal…"

"-Ah, ah," Doug cut in. "Not my refusal, your refusal."

"-What's the difference!" Jack yelled.

"If I refuse, my whole parole thing is scrapped and this was all pointless. If she stops me, her career is destroyed and she goes to military prison which I think we can all…"

"-Or," Jack stressed, "you get to dress up in your super cool wolf costume and get to take down a bunch of evil wolf arms dealers. I mean, isn't that your ultimate dream for basically ever!?"

"... I mean that has a lot of positives, but at the same time, I'm kind of emotionally attached to making her destroy her career in order to save you so…"

Jack paused, finger up, walking over to the phone. Pressing the return call button, it connected immediately, a heavy voice full of authority speaking out. "Lt Vixen, is that…"

"-Her secret agent Jack Savage speaking out."

"Good. We are counting on you and your team to…"

"-Yeah, a Dr Doug Ramses is refusing to go on this mission."

"-Does he want his sentence to be fully suspended and to live the rest of his life on parole or not?

Jack binkeyed, turning to Doug. "There you go, do this, and you'll be free! -Terms and conditions may apply."

Doug studied him for a second. "You know that is tempting, but do you know what I really like?"

"-Testing my morals and convictions and watching me suffer," Lt Vixen said, raising an eyebrow.

The sheep looked back at her and shrugged. "Well I was going to say a double strength extra foam soy latte, but I take a certain delight in that too."

"-Or," Jack said, paws out. "Busting evil wolves, in your fancy wolf costume. How about it Doug Ramses, PHD!"

The sheep looked at the three surrounding mammals and thought for a moment.

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A cool wind cut across the cargo ship as it pulled across the sea, the dark sky overhead overcast and the lights of the city glowing off in the distance. Lit up, her peeling paint and rusting chimney stood out to any onlooker.

Jack pulled his binoculars down and stowed them away, shivering where he sat.

"-I see your optimistic naivety has crashed down into reality."

Frowning, he looked up at Doug, the sheep stretching himself a little, hooves working their way up his wolf costume.

"Don't say you're noh… -not nervous too," the hare said, tongue catching itself a little.

"Yes, but it's the healthy nervousness that you get when going up a rollercoaster. Or are about to dress up as a wolf and shoot a bunch of international arms dealing wolves."

"-Or save your friends," Jack said, breathing out.

"I mean I get that that's what you see in it, but you do understand that two of those mammals have permanently set back the status of prey mammals in society. And two of them are foxes. And also you could have just said no, and as a bonus see a highly manipulative vulpine ruin her career!"

"-Ahem, Dr Doug Ramses, wasn't she doing all that based on not only her resolute moral principles, but for the explicit safety and well being of a prey mammal?"

A few seconds passed, the air filled with the chopping of the helicopter's rotor blades. "Have some self respect. She sees you as her adopted sister's chew toy."

Jack grit his teeth, glaring at him. "Oh yeah, what did me and her look like when we said goodbye while they were swapping pilots, huh!?"

The reality had fully hit Skye at that point, she'd held on to him tight, she'd made him promise to stay safe over and over. She'd said sorry for getting him caught up in this, as he stressed it was life that had done it, not her, and that he could say no at any time but wasn't going to as he had friends to save.

He was coming back. Not just for Nick and Judy and the others.

He was coming back for her. For Skye. He was…

"-I mean, it looked like you really cared for each other, sure."

"Yes, exactly," Jack said.

"Tragic, really."

"What is?"

"Basically all of it. Kind of self evident, if you haven't deluded yourself."

Closing his eyes, tilting his head back, the hare forced his foot not to drum on the helicopter floor. Just part of doing a suicide squad thing, just part of doing a suicide squad thing…

"I mean hey, look at me. Sure, I get a semi-freedom and get to kick wolf tail, but I'm potentially rescuing Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps from a fate worse than death. -It's moments like this that make a mammal with normal levels of self introspection question the state of their lives at this moment. -Am I right? You'll blindly say no. Silly question."

-Just part of doing a suicide squad thing, just part of doing a suicide squad thing, most of the reason Doug was here anyway was the chance to show off his 'famous' wolf costume which was actually pretty epic and cool and sometimes you just had to tell them what they wanted to hear and…

"-Ahem," he corrected, turning up to Doug. "May I point out that two of the mammals we'll be rescuing are panda bears."

He turned down to look at them. "...And?"

"-Well, aren't those reformed predators," Jack offered up. "The ones who show predators can abandon predation and go veggie and everything. Hmmmm?"

"You know, there were actually serious and highly engaging debates amongst our organisation over whether or not to count pandas as predators or prey for the project…"

Jack bit his lip…

"-Though I was always on the side that they ate bamboo so they were okay."

"Yes! Great!" Jack smiled. "So let's…"

"-Just nothing special," he carried on. "I don't believe in congratulating mammals for basic levels of decency."

"Okay, but you do believe in being the hero and taking down these evil wolf arms dealers, right?"

Doug looked at him blankly before pulling on his costume's head, working around to make sure it was properly fitted. "Yes. I thought that was pretty well established as to why I was doing this. Along with getting a giant semi-pardon or something…"

"-Which you won't get if you don't do your best to save all the captives!"

"...You do understand I am highly educated. A doctorate tends to show that."

"Right, right," Jack said, breathing out. "-Right…"

A squawk came over the radio, someone on the ship down below calling in and requesting their intentions.

Their new pilot choked up a bit before replying. "Oh, uh-uh… Sorry there, we're just scanning around for illegal fishing. We're on our way to monitor a reported suspect fishing vessel, uh… -Thorfrid's Folly, about a mile away from you which we believe may be breaking catch quotas. Anything to report your end?"

"-Negative. Over."

"Over and good night," the pilot said, before turning back. "Phew, close one. Okay guys, get your communicators ready, my operations manager is gonna guide you through this. We're approaching our closest point. It's now or never."

"Fine, fine," Doug huffed, sitting up and pulling on a shawl like cloak from a pile. Draped over the figure of his body and his costume, the shapes and lines practically vanished into blackness before reappearing again as he lifted it up over his belly. "Get in, clip on."

Jack held himself there, frozen for a second, before closing his eyes. Picturing Nick, picturing Judy. Shaking away the dizziness in his head he marched up, buckled himself to the harness on Doug as the sheep pulled on a parachute. Another rustle of something being pulled underneath the back edge of the black cloak and being clipped in place and he felt Doug tighten and test the straps.

"-Okay, let's…" Jack began, only for the sheep to jump, the hare pushed back in before feeling gravity vanish as they fell, the chopping of the helicopter rotors replaced by the roaring of the wind, the rustling of the black cloak, the near screaming of him has he bit his teeth together to stop himself yelling out in terror as he was falling, falling and then there was a rustle. A rustle and a whoosh and in an instant Doug wasn't falling but he still was, torn down, the straps yanking him up and trying to split his legs and then it was over.

He was shaking.

Head to toe he was shaking as Doug flew them down, forward, Jack blind as to where they were going as they cruised into the den of a pack of dangerous wolves.

"-Okay," he heard a voice come over his intercom. Not Lt Vixen, a new one, one of the higher ups brought in for this like the pilot. Special agents from a different department, chasing after the same lead from a different end like Jorin had been doing in Kozlov's tale. And, given how everything had just blown up out of nowhere, they were now in control.

Was it a major difference from Lt Vixen? Yes, highly nasal voice most of all…

But still, this mammal said they had experience. "We were there. When Inspector Carmelita took down Clockwerk."

"Wait," Jack asked. "You know about…"

"Yes. You've all done well so far, but be very careful. We've got you a plan to get you to this Lord Shen and his captives as soon as we can, all while getting me into their systems. Turning them against them. We use the element of surprise. We get everyone out."

"You know about Lord Shen too…"

"-Admittedly, we knew about as much as you did. Now brace yourself, Doug is about to land."

"Yes, Sir," Jack said.

"No need for the formalities."

"Okay, uh…"

"Call me Private Turtle for now. Inspector Carmelita will understand."

"Right," he began, before gripping on tight as he felt Doug pull himself up, the pair slamming into a wall. Thrown forward in his restraints, back into the sheep's wool, there was a snap as Doug released his parachute and let it fly back off the stern. Jack pressed his release button and landed onto the cold metal deck, stumbling around for a second as the sheep tore off the vantablack shawl they'd used.

The hare turned as it sailed into the wind behind them, vanishing into the darkness in a near instant.

"Weapon up!" Doug hissed, Jack blinking and pulling out his bolas launcher, scanning left and right along the walkway.

They'd landed on what they hoped was a blind spot, and so far…

"Okay," Private Turtle said. "Until Doug can get a uniform, key card and claim he found you as a stowaway, he'll just have to act like he belongs. As for you, use the disguise…"

"-Are you sure it'll work?" Jack hissed.

"-In our previous wealth of experience, this disguise has proven itself time and time again. It defends you, it provides a powerful way for the most humble of mammals to infiltrate the most dangerous mook or security system ensnared lair. From a booby trapped pirate's personal library, to Clockwerk's volcanic dominion itself. Trust me, this disguise works!"

Jack nodded, turned to see Doug place it down next to him, and looked up at the sheep. "Do it."

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Turning around the corner of the boat, Doug in his wolf costume gave a glance ahead before moving on, facing the full blast of the wind. "Clear."

And then, behind him, tip-toed out a metal barrel, little feet peeking out of its empty bottom and carrying it along until it stopped, settled down, and just sat there like a nondescript barrel would do.

Doug gave another look forward, nodded, moved forwards…

And the barrel tip-toed along after him.

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"-Okay, place it there, I should be able to gain access to his systems."

Doug nodded as the little disk, placed up against a set of wires, flashed a few lights and then settled down.

"It seems that this Lord Shen has assumed that all electronic interference will come in through the telecommunication systems. While this knocked through hole in the back wall has some resistance, my natural and practised incredible skills can more than surpass it."

The two mammals, in wolf and barrel disguise, settled with their backs to the wall, nodding along and acting casual.

The sound of feet on a metal grate perked their attention, Jack making sure he was still in his barrel and Doug lighting up a cigarette.

The wolf walked past them, pausing as he saw Doug with his cigarette, eyes narrowing. "Nǐ tā mā de yǐwéi nǐ zài zuò shénme?"

Doug blinked. And then punched him in the gut, gave a brutal sideswipe to his face, kneed him in the groin and then tranq'd him.

Before stripping off his uniform and picking him up, ready to throw him overboard.

"-Wait," Jack cut in.

Doug turned to him. "What, we're here to kill wolves."

"Yes, which is why we have these very strong non-lethal weapons."

The sheep looked down to see a gun holstered on the wolf's belt, half hanging out. Jack walked forwards and kicked it off the side.

"You do understand we're probably going to kill plenty of these jerks moving on. Anyway, what should I do with the body, other than throw it overboard? Or is a packmate coming along and discovering him a key part of the plan I hadn't been told about?"

Jack blinked, looking around, before pointing at his barrel.

"Well," Doug huffed, "you only live once."

A few minutes later, two wolves on patrol paused as another one of their mammals walked up to them, dragging a hare along with him. "Hey! Caught this guy sneaking around, he must have come off the sub. Where's Lord Shen, he'll want to interrogate him with the rest."

One of the wolves cursed, before looking up and waving him along. "Dragon's tail room, come on. Hopefully he won't be too pissed off."

And so they led them down into the bowels of the ship. At first, looking like a normal cargo freighter, lower decks spaced out for trucks. But, pulling through a doorway, they descended further. The ship was brighter, stronger, large sets of cables and wires coursing around.

"Good, tuned myself back in but it's tricky under here…" Private Turtle said. "Now, this should be leading to the… Oh my gaaaaaawwwwwwd!"

Jack had to hold himself from asking what it was, but turning a corner he saw what he guessed was it.

Up ahead, all the heavy electric cables converged on some kind of machine. With a mix of the material that Kozlov's necklace was made of and a bunch of other alloys, it rose up from a trapezoidal base, a heavy scissor lift coiled down, ready to raise some kind of giant turret up through a set of hold doors up above. Out into the open air, where, whatever it was, with its burning cold orange lenses and massive coils and windings of machinery, could aim and fire whatever it was designed to fire.

Jack could only think of one thing to say. "Is that a laser can…"

A kick from Doug shut him up as they turned down a corridor, moved through more doors, before Jack's ears rose. There was a commotion up ahead, and they walked forward, faster, through a door…

And Jack looked on to see what must have been Lord Shen himself.

And down below, through a great window, the mammals he'd come to rescue.

"Hey, we got another one of them here," Doug said, practically throwing Jack to the floor. Blinking, realising this was it, he moved his paws down… Ready…

Shen froze, looking at him. "...What? -Get up…"

Up he rose, as Nick and Judy down below shouted out his name in shock.

"Yes," the striped hare said, giving some laboured breaths as he stood up, shaking as he did so. "Trust me, there's a very good explanation… To all of this."

And then Doug twisted, holding the wolf next to him in a chokehold and spinning him around, a shield and then a battering ram against Shen's chief lieutenant, the one eyed wolf taken by surprise. All as the hare slipped his bolas launcher out of his sleeve and let loose at the now attacking peacock, the wire catching him dead on. "We're the rescue party!"

"What the…" Was all the eyepatch wearing wolf could say before one of his comrades was thrown straight into him, knocking him back a few steps before being thrown out of the way. Down his paw went to a holstered pistol, only for a dart to stab into it, hard. It wasn't the end though as he pulled it straight out, turned it around, and charged forward, dart in one paw and rising gun in the other.

Doug charged, arm locking down and around the lethal weapon before headbutting forward, a bone crunching sound ringing out as Shen's second in command took it straight to his nose. He shuddered, stumbling down, the wolf that had been thrown at him coming up to assist only to trip and fall forward, a wire taught around his legs.

Holding his weapon up and giving it a mock blow on the non-existent smoking barrel, Jack saw Doug had his opponent under control and raced over to the control panel, looking over it before slamming a release button. Metal bolts unlatched, those caught in the room turning to the entrance door.

"-Don't just stand there," Carm barked, "Vamoss! Vamoss!" She began waving them on, Jack sighing with relief as they evacuated only to be slammed sidewise, a searing pain in his chest. The cold metal floor came up to him and he rolled, pulling his weapon towards whatever it was that had attacked him and releasing one then two panicked shots.

This time the bolas wires didn't sail true, one end of each hit the floor with a spark sending them cartwheeling around, whipping at anything that got in their path.

A sharp blade cut them in two mid air, Shen marching forwards, a cut up wire trailing from his feet. "Okay," he hissed, "you've had your fun," he said, his wings fanning out. It swept forwards, Jack blinking as he saw a white spark in front of him and was then slammed backwards again, another searing pain hitting his body.

He looked down to see the knife slide out of his bulletproof shirt, clean… Not that he felt like it.

"I suppose you've come further than anyone," Shen said, "shame it'll be the furthest."

The world seemed to slow for Jack as Shen raised his wing once more, throwing knives held within, and swept back, reading to send them flying at the unprotected parts of him. The peacock of all things, the leader of these arms dealers, looked at him with cold, dead, fed up eyes and prepared to clinically finish him off.

Shen's eyes widened for a second and he ducked down, a high powered tranquiliser sailing over him and bouncing off his exoskeleton with a spark.

The wolf who'd fired it, his entire muzzle caved in somehow, shrugged. "I'm suppose to keep this idiot here safe." And then he fired again, Shen ducking down and fanning his tail out. The wolf fired again, the dart sailing through his raised tail as he leapt forward, swinging his wing out and releasing a barrage of knives. Another shot cut through the raised wall of feathers before its owner was hit with the flying daggers. Two bounced off his chest and down, the other skewered right up through his muzzle like a cocktail stick through a mini-sausage.

Shen, not waiting a second, flew up, talons gripping the wolf's shoulder and wings his muzzle. With a heave and a slight hiss from his exoskeleton, the wolf's head was twisted to the side by ninety degrees.

He stumbled back and fell, slumping to the floor.

As Shen flew back down, metal tipped talons sparking against the textured metal floor. "Now," he hissed, taking a long step forwards, sparks flicking up with each stride. "Where were we, rabbit."

Jack, shuffling back and nose twitching, managed to stand himself up, cross his arms and even clear his throat. "Ahem, I think you'll find I'm a…"

"-A pesky hare, right?" the one-eyed wolf smirked, steading himself as he stood up. "Well, I've faced off against a peppy one in my past, so let's let experience talk, shall we?" He wavered slightly, fighting the hints of tranquiliser as he raised his loaded weapon.

"-With a lot of questions you'll want answers to. So…"

"Killing for time?" the wolf asked, chuckling. "Sorry, Hare. But I can't let you do that."

Shen glanced at him. "Go after the others, do not let them escape!"

He smiled, nodding along. "If you say," he smirked, turning and racing off. Jack blinked, seeing him run over something on the ground that caught the light, only for it to be carried off with him.

"-Look at me!" Shen hissed, this time coming forward with his mechanically enhanced exoskeleton 'fists' as it were pounding into each other. "It might be a very… crude… Use of this advanced technology, but if beating you to a pulp is what you've fought down to, then so be it."

"-Yeah," came a grunt from the side. The wolf he and Doug had come in with and then turned on had got up, finally slipping from his tight bindings. "And there's nothing you can do to…" He was cut off, jerking where he stood, before stumbling to the ground, a tranquiliser dart sticking out of his neck.

Shen turned around, tail rising, to see the wolf's who's neck he'd snapped aiming at him, dart gun letting loose. "Damn you…" A shot fired out wide, and he followed with one on a now charging Shen, cutting through his raised tail fan once more.

All as the steel talons of the warlord came down at his face, aiming for his eyes only for a side-punch to knock him just off course. Claws dug into fur and fabric as the two wrestled, a flurry of flapping, feathers, yelling and ripping.

Before a whoosh came through the air as a bolas wire slammed Shen forward, wrapping him tight up and around the face of the wolf.

Who then pulled his face clean off.

"-What!?"

"It's called a wolf costume," Doug said, throwing Shen and the wolf mask away. He raised a tranquiliser gun, targeted down, and frowned as a click came out. "And typically I'm out of ammo."

"Come on," Jack said, getting up and making for the door.

"Just a sec, there's an obvious remedy to this solution." And with that he walked to the tranquilised wolf on the floor and picked up his holstered gun, aiming it at Shen.

Jack blinked. "WAIT!"

Doug did, for a second or two. "...Why?"

The hare turned back to the warlord, currently tearing himself out of the tangled cord wrapped around him. He aimed his weapon, fired again, and watched as Shen was given a second one to deal with.

Then a third.

Then a fourth.

"Take him with us," Jack ordered. "Hostage."

Doug nodded, going over and picking up the writhing Shen by the wires.

"-Unhand me you… you… -Whatever you are!"

"How about no," he said, dragging him along and sparing a glance at Jack to his side. "You know, I didn't expect you to come up with some kind of moral excuse for your squeamishness, so an actual practical one for not killing him raises you up in my estimation."

"Admit it," Jack smirked as they ran. "You're impressed."

"From the very low initial baseline, you could say so. It also means I have more bullets for actual wolves, so there's a plus." He paused, reaching down and pulling out the wolf head, placing the tattered and now obviously fake thing over his head. "Now, let's see if those pests we came here to rescue have actually…"

A series of gunshots rattled down the halls, followed by yells and screaming.

Doug sighed. "Tell me, what is it you actually see in Predators?"

Jack groaned. "Just come on. Free pardon this way!"

He raced off, the sheep huffing as he followed along. "I'm coming to the conclusion I didn't even need to do the nighthowlers. They'd have sorted themselves out on their own…"

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Reaching a corner, Judy held back before shouting out. "Behind us!" she yelled, holding onto Nick as they leaned around the corner of the corridor, ducking back in a second before a rattle of bullet fire raked whipped past.

Nick looked back at the others, the three civilian bears huddled back. Or rather, Panda King huddled down, cradling his head while holding Po back with Kozlov.

"Where's Carm," Nick hissed.

"Here!" she called, racing forward to meet them, something tucked under her shoulder.

Nick's ears perked up. "You found your shock pistol."

"No… That's back on the submarine," she waved off.

"Then what…"

"-His brainwashing device, he says he had records of those affected, right?"

Nick nodded, pausing as she tapped the hard drive held up against her.

"Well I suppose that makes sense, if we get out of here alive," Nick hissed, leaning out again before ducking back in. "Dammit, retreat, retreat, we are dead. We are…"

"-Not on my watch," came a call, Jack racing down, alongside an unknown mammal in a tattered up fake wolf costume, carrying a tied-up and struggling Shen.

"Jack!" Judy yelled, the buck smiling. "What… -How? -When?"

"What can I say? Secret agent stuff! You got me hooked!" He smiled. "Now, excuse me…" He cupped his paws around his mouth and leant forward. "Hey! We got your boss! Want him back, you let us out. Sounds fair?"

The fake wolf thrust Shen out of cover to prove the point, the struggling peacock hissing as it was done. "Alright, let them out…" he practically spat.

With that, the group slowly walked forward. Shen, pushed into Kozlov's paws, was kept at gunpoint by the fake wolf, who was somewhat shielded by the other large mammals. All as Shen's soldiers, increasing in number by the minute, kept a very close watch on them as they made their way back towards the moonpool and submarine.

"Jack," Judy said, shaking her head. "You are going to have to tell us everything…"

"On the way back," he said, pausing as he saw the Panda King stumble. "Is he okay?"

"Oh, no," Shen cut in, a level of mirth returning to his face. "He's dead. Totally, unchangeably, horrifically dead. Honestly a shootout would be a great mercy, that that vile, murderous, sycophantic wannabe tyrant does not deserve in the slightest. Isn't that right, Panda!"

The Panda King looked at him and sighed. "I have no doubt, in my youth, me and many others caused you great pain…"

"-And don't expect to wave it off by saying you were in single digits," Shen spat. "I don't care in the slightest, I…"

"-You care about many things," he said. "Like not being Clockwerk, like not wanting to show deference to him. Like not being under his talons. But…" He broke off, coughing a little. "You seem not to see the greatest irony of all, that…"

"Bla, bla, bla, I don't care…"

"-Whatever it was that cause his burning hate against the Cooper clan, kept him going for millenia, is he any different from yourself? So many years, left burning in rage, retreated from the world, plotting your vindications from shadows as years pass…"

"Oh if my Lieutenant was here right now I'd order him to shut you up!" Shen spat. "Of all the mammals to lecture me, of all the hypocrites and…"

"But I learn, I move on," The Panda King said. "I choose to not let rage and anger consume my heart. It take many years, and one great humbling, but I let the pain no longer control my life. Can you say the same?"

"Well…" Shen pondered for a second. "Consider this. I'm not going to have all my fur fall out, my flesh turn to goo, if I don't get killed with all my 'friends' first!"

"Maybe, in final moments, I choose to try and share long held wisdom…"

"-Do you know what I find annoying?" the fake wolf cut in. "This whole 'let's redeem the villain' thing. It's annoying from every angle, it obviously isn't going anywhere, and things would be easier if we just shot that actual not-a-political-martyr villain there…"

They were all quiet as they entered the large dock inside the centre of the ship, the submersible still waiting there and the various gantries up and around the structure increasingly filled in by wolf soldiers, waiting with their weapons ready.

Carm, leading them on, paused, seeing all their items laid out on the side of the dock. She waved them over, picking up her shock pistol while Nick, Judy and the Panda King retrieved their arsenal too.

Jack, keeping close by Kozlov, Shen and the 'wolf' looked up at the latter. "Nice exclusionary clause at the end there, Doctor."

"I naturally didn't want anything you could use against me at a future date," he said, pulling off his fake head as he looked for any other weapons he could use. Nick and Judy backed up to him, pausing as they noticed his face. "-And what are you two looking at?"

"Is it me?" Judy whispered. "Or does his voice sound really familiar somehow?"

"No…" Nick said back. "It's his face, I know that face!"

"-Which we'll explain when we are home and safe," Jack said, finger up as he led the group over to the waiting submersible.

A crackle came over the intercom. "-Not so fast boys… Drop the bird."

The group looked up, staring around. It was the sheep who saw it first, pointing up at a silhouette up in a control room, staring out over them.

Up in it, the real wolf smiled, rubbing his eyepatch a little and smiling. "Come on, my job is to keep the boss happy! Get him what he wants. And he certainly doesn't want to be taken hostage by you boys. Just sneak into the submersible, drop my boss outside, and you can go on your merry way! Hey, no hard feelings, am I right?" He chuckled, juggling Shen's talisman in one of his paws before leaning in. "Come on, what do you have to lose?"

Down on the quay, the mammals, huddling up together, began making their way towards the vessel, Shen still in their grip. Nick gave him a long look. A subdued burning rage was etched on his face, but other than that he was quiet.

Too quiet.

"Should we…" Po began, only for Jack to hiss slightly, tapping something in his ear.

"They have, uh, depth charges," he said, frowning a little. He turned up to the control room, finger up. "-Better idea. We go up to the top deck, let our helicopter pick us up. We drop the bird when we're a nice long distance away, and he flies back safely… -As he's a bird, obviously."

The wolf tapped his fingers on the plastic computer desk, shrugging. "Or… We could just wait here. After all, what could you possibly do to us?"

Nick frowned, glancing at Shen again. "Does anyone have a tranq for him?" he asked. "Oh, and if I were you I'd move those talons away from that wire there."

"Who do you think you are, Fox?" he spoke.

Nick just reached down and fished out his badge.

"-You got to admit boss, ask a stupid question, expect a stupid…"

On he carried as Shen grimaced, giving himself a shake. "Well," he spoke. "I don't know what kind of leverage you have here, this is my world after all. You're just a passing nothing. An insignificance."

"And you're the main character, right?" the fox asked.

Shen harumphed. "You could say that."

It was Judy who spoke out next, but not to him. "What about you, wolf?" She paused. "Who are you?"

A chuckle came over the intercom. "Why I am the epic cool wolf with an eyepatch. Surely that's enough? In fact, that's reason enough not to just escape with him. He's just the big bad over head, the one pulling the strings, out of view, out of mind. It doesn't matter who or what he is, to you at least. Me though… Hah! C'mon, think about it. Really. Who am I?"

The bunny frowned, rolling her eyes. It was Kozlov though who spoke out. "I've heard of several wolves, lost to Clockwerk… Spoke to one in what I thought was last moments. Is that you, under there?"

"Tell you what," he said. "I am every and any wolf that you want me to be. I am the archetypical awesome bad guy lupine. I am THE big bad wolf. The mystery mammal. The one you're actually facing off. The one who is actually interesting. The one who captures your attention, and you can't just leave without dealing with, right? After all, for all Lord Shen is the main guy of this operation, I am the main mammal of this story."

Nick groaned. "-I think your brain is scrambled more than you think."

"Nah," he said. "I know exactly what I'm doing. Now, put the bird down outside of the submersible."

Jack shook his head, finger on the receiver in his ear. "No, you let us out onto the main deck."

"If you think you can stall us for time, Bunny jim, I have some not very nice news for you."

The hare frowned, his teeth baring just a bit before he twitched, ear going up to his in-ear communicator.

"Actually, if you check your screen right now…"

Up in his control room, the wolf glanced down at one of the computer screens, suddenly going black and with a bunch of text scrolling across with it. For a brief second his ears pulled back and his one good eye widened, before he shook his head and spoke into the microphone. "Okay then, sure, you go up onto the deck. Boys, lead them up. All nice and all."

The crowd down below glanced around unsure, before a set of wolf mercenaries parted a route and waved them over to a set of stairs. Glancing at each other, they began making their way up, an eye kept on those around them as much as was possible. Their captors still had lethal weapons, which were all trained on them.

"What was that?" Judy whispered.

Jack glanced at her. "I was contacted by a few allies as it were, one of whom is a bit of a whizz with computers." He smiled, looking over at Carmelita. "-A Private Turtle sends his regards."

Her ears perked up and a smile flashed across her face. All before it went serious again. "Let me guess, on your way in you placed down a satellite link or something, letting him access their computer systems."

"Yup, that's what he said to me," Jack smiled. "-And it sounds like real hacker stuff, so…"

"My life was saved by his hacking a long time ago," Carm said. "What is he using as leverage? Overloading the engines? Releasing some of the weapons early?"

"-got it in three. He'll fire their death ray!"

Carm's ears pulled back, as did those of everyone's who could. Even Shen turned, a sharp inhale of breath sucked in as he did so.

"Firing the what?" Judy whispered.

"So," Jack said, as he carried on up, a finger coming up to the base of his ear again. "Okay, okay… -So, apparently they developed a copy of this Clockwerk guy's death ray, and it's stowed in the bow of the ship. It'll pop up, aim, shoot! But, fun fact, there's nothing stopping it firing when it's still in the ship. -Something, something, no mechanical interlocking, Lord Shen obviously never heard of the The-Racc-25. Don't know what that is but anyway, sounds like pretty good leverage to me!"

Turning around another set of stairs and coming up to a heavy metal door, the others quietly made their way through. There was a step change in the decor as they stepped out into a dingy, rust specked, truck deck.

A sudden whine snapped their heads behind them, the door swinging shut. Two wolves were racing forward, leaping through it, only for the Panda King to charge into them, punting them back with a hard kick and dominoing them into those trying to follow. He then swung into the wolf nearest him, a roundhouse kick knocking his gun out before he could react. Po charged forward too, kicking into one wolf and then swinging to a second, wrestling his gun, while Carmelita launched out with a twin set of shots with her shock pistol, reducing the last mammals around them into spasming figures strewn over the floor. "GO GO GO!" she yelled, the group charging forward.

Nick gave one last glance behind them, the door they'd come through now flush with the wall, impossible to tell it was there. He turned forward again, only for a curse of pain to pull him and the others' vision to Kozlov. He was stumbling away, his side torn up, as Shen flapped back and up in a backflip, the cut bolas ropes thrown out and away. He landed on two feet, lifted his tail feathers and swung out with one wing to toss out a pair of throwing knives.

Only to duck to the side as a bullet glanced his head and ruffled through his tail feathers. Doug aimed again only to flinch to the side, his shot going wide, as a blast of electricity shot past from Carm's shock pistol. Shen flew away to dodge it, only for a lightning bolt to crack against him. He jerked to the side with a yell, out of view, Doug raising his gun and unleashing its remaining shots, sparking off the metal walls.

"Catch!"

He turned, jolting back as Nick threw him an undersized pistol, blinking as he held it for a second or two only for Jack to grab his paw and pull him on. "This way, we're busting out of here!"

He huffed, before marching off with them, racing towards another set of stairs. "Okay," Jack said, "the copter is on its way, they've closed the doors around us to block off any rein…"

A short ping glanced off the wall just above him, Po hissing as the ricocheted bullet bounced off of him. The sheep aimed his new gun in an instant and fired off two shots, a dull whimper escaping their target as they pulled up and out.

One last door and they pushed through and out, the brisk saltwater breeze hitting them in an instant. "This way is sheltered," Jack said, flinching down as the pounding of an anti-aircraft gun fired off above them. Hot red tracers swept out across the ocean, trying to reach down to a helicopter grazing above the waves as it tried to get in closer.

"Can they shut that off?" Nick yelled, as they raced towards a sheltered area of the deck.

"It's analogue…" Jack said, paw over his ear. "Kind of there in case this kind of thing happens. But those ones can't aim below the deck. We've hacked into their radar and other systems, and if the pilot keeps low enough they…"

In a blink the lights across the ship turned off, then turned back on again.

Jack blinked, pressing his ear into his communicator for a second. "Ah…"

"Not sound good," Kozlov said.

Jack cleared his throat. "They… Turned it all off and on again. Private Turtle is going to have to re-hack everything and…"

A mechanical whine came out, the group looking up and seeing the heavy metal vent caps on the ships main deck beginning to pull up, gatling cannons slowly revealing themselves, whirring up as they prepared to unleash hell on the approaching helicopter.

Carm shook her head. "Now, if anyone does not know how to swim, now would be the time to…"

Jack, one finger in his ear, was suddenly struck with a cold shiver, his furs standing on end. He covered his ears, ducked down, and yelled out. "BRACE!"

Blinking, the other mammals started to do just the same, all as the first shots of the gatling cannons were launched in a second long scream. Only to then falter, go silent, as the lights on the ship faded and the rest of their fur began to stand up on end. A whirr was in the air, a scent of ozone grew and, looking up, Nick thought he saw a pale blue haze gather around the masts and extremities of the ship. Flecks of shadows buckled on his eyes as waves of magnetic fields flashed around.

And then it all stopped. Everything was quiet, for a tiny moment that lasted an eternity.

Before they were knocked back by an ear splitting blast, the deck beneath them buckling up and almost throwing them off into the waves below.