Arc 2- The Approaching Storm: Part 7- Twisting
The two officers and the police chief stood in the snow of Tundratown before the darkened storage facility, the fence broken and hanging open.
"I'll guard the door and watch the windows," Chief Bogo said, "It wouldn't surprise me of one of those rams showed up. Tread lightly, you two. That sheep might have sent us here, but there's still a chance we can circumvent whatever trick she has planned."
"She said time is ticking," Judy remarked, "Maybe all we have to do is hurry. Cautiously hurry."
"That I can do," Nick said, and he quickly led the way with Judy right behind.
The was eerily quiet as Nick and Judy stepped inside, the front door creaking shut behind them. The cold air of Tundratown seeped through the cracked windows, adding a biting chill to the already tense atmosphere. The faint hum of electricity buzzed from somewhere deeper in the building, guiding the pair forward to where they hopped to find the hostages.
Nick held his flashlight steady, more for Judy's benefit than his own due to his natural night vision. "I hate this, Carrots," he muttered under his breath, his sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit room. "It's like a trap that's also a time bomb."
"It doesn't matter," Judy replied, her voice tight with urgency. "If Emmitt and Gideon are here, we need to find them now."
The pair followed the buzzing down sone stairs and into the basement. The flashlight beam caught two cages in the center of the room, illuminated like grotesque stage props. Gideon Grey and Emmitt Otterton sat within, both of them slumped against the bars. Their fur had turned a lifeless gray, and their eyes were dull and distant.
"Gideon! Emmitt!" Judy called out as she and Nick sprinted toward the cages. Both captives barely stirred, their movements sluggish and disoriented.
Judy knelt beside Gideon's cage, gripping the cold steel bars. "Gideon, it's me, Judy! We're going to get you out of here."
Nick, meanwhile, examined a control panel that sat a few meters away from the cages. Two large buttons stood out beneath a screen displaying a countdown: 00:54. Above it, bold text read: Nighthowler Gas Release in Tundratown. Nick looked around and saw that the walls were lined with tall gas canisters, all of which connected via long tubes.
Nick's ears flattened. "Judy, this isn't good. If this timer hits zero, all of Tundratown gets gassed."
Judy jumped up and joined him, staring at the panel in horror, "No, no, no… There has to be a way to stop it!" She scanned the control panel, but the design was cruelly simple. Beneath the countdown, each button was labeled: FLOOD CAGE A and FLOOD CAGE B.
Nick frowned. "So if we press one, it shuts down the main gas release, but diverts some of the gas into one of the cages."
Judy's eyes widened in alarm, her voice trembling. "We… we can't choose to sacrifice a hostage! There has to be another way."
"Carrots," Nick said, his voice uncharacteristically grave, "We don't have another way. There's no time to unlock those cages, and Bellwether knew it when she sent us here. If we don't press a button now, all of Tundratown is gonna get it. We gottato choose."
The timer ticked down mercilessly: 00:37.
Gideon stirred in his cage, his voice raspy and strained. "Judy… flood my cage."
Judy spun toward him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "No! Gideon, I can't do that. You don't deserve this!"
Gideon's voice cracked as he forced himself to sit upright. "I do. Judy, I've spent my whole life hurting prey mammals. Scratching your face just the beginning. I went after anyone smaller than me. Dozens and dozens, I don't even remember how many. I only stopped because they made me. Therapy or jail. Those were my options." His voice broke, and he clutched the bars weakly. "If you save me… and Emmitt suffers because of it… I won't be able to live with myself."
"Gideon, that's not who you are anymore. Don't let your past control you," Judy said, hervoice was thick with emotion. She looked at Emmitt, who was still slumped over miserable and silent. The timer showed 00:22.
Nick placed a paw on Judy's shoulder. "Judy, all of Tundratown is at stake here."
Judy's eyes were pained and angered as she stared at the two buttons. "How dare Bellwether do this…"
"I know," Nick said softly, his usual wit absent. He nodded towards Gideon and said, "But at least one us gets to make a choice."
The timer hit 00:10.
Judy's paw hovered over the button labeled FLOOD CAGE A. Gideon met her gaze, his eyes filled with a mixture of acceptance and guilt.
"Do it," he whispered. "Save him. Save everyone."
Nick reached out and wrapped his paw around Judy's trembling one.
"You're better than you realize, Gideon Grey," Judy said in earnest.
Together, Nick and Judy pressed the button.
A speaker in the control panel crackled to life, and Bellwether's voice echoed mockingly. "Oh, didn't I mention? It's Opposite Day! Thanks for playing, Officers!"
A mechanical hiss filled the room, and instead of Gideon's cage being flooded, the purple gas began pouring into Emmitt's.
"WHAT?! BELLWETHER!" Judy shrieked as she banged her fists against the panel.
Emmitt's cage filled with the purple haze. His dull eyes dilated and a guttural snarl escaped his throat. The otter let out a feral roar, slamming against the cage bars as Gideon fell to his knees, his body trembling. "This is my fault… this is all my fault…"
Nick stared straight ahead in complete shock. "That dirty little- She planned this from the get go..." he said, "She couldn't even let a predator show some dignity. Not a single moment of decency or selflessness. How sick and petty can she get?"
As Emmitt's savage roars and Gideon's quiet sobs echoed in the basement, Nick and Judy knew that even though Tundratown was safe for now, this fight was far from over.