Chapter 26:

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"My dear," Mr Fox said, hooking a tooth over a lip and leaning in closer. The two small picks started cutting in, trying to work around, struggling with each movement and… -There was a click, ears going up, followed by a few more going down. "-I must admit this is a fine lock."

"So I gathered," Mrs Fox said, pacing behind the bars in the small cell. "Listen, please…"

"Ah-ah-ah," he replied, looking up. "The answer is no, I will not be leaving you or Kris here with these mammals."

She sat down, looking up at him. "I was willing to leave you and Kris with them back when…"

"Back when the hurdles for recovering me or him were quite insurmountable," he pointed out, before smiling. "Besides, can you honestly say that you wouldn't have paused at the top of that wall, passed my youngest son to my oldest, and then returned back in a valiant but most likely doomed final rescue attempt?"

She let out a small grumble as he smiled, making another click with the locks and pushing on. "And with that I do believe I'm halfway there!"

He carried on pushing.

"-There being halfway to where I was just now before the tumblers reset, but…" He paused as he saw Kris unwind from his position. The platinum furred silverfox had been sat cross-legged, eyes closed, almost but not quite meditating. Instead, ears up, he gave Mr Fox a look and signal, the older vulpine quickly retreating back into his cell and pulling the door closed. The taped up lock slid into position, the fox balancing it to make sure nothing was overtly off before retreating to huddle on his bench, next to the blanket covered bound of old office-seat rests and other items piled into a vague approximation of his son.

It wasn't the only thing he'd returned with however, he held something small and sharp next to him, just in case it was that cat, returning to lord her victory over them again.

Not the kind of triumphant victory he was exactly imagining, but he was a reasonable mammal. Now was not the best of times to be picky.

A few seconds later the door opened up, a lanky figure silhouetted against the light from outside. While Mr Fox huddled down, giving him a side-eye scan, Mrs Fox stood up to take him in, and take up most of his attention. She looked him down. -Hare, almost but not quite her size. He walked forward with a powerful lean stride, pausing to stare back at her.

She looked on at him, battle worn, scuffed, his features refinding themselves as the blast of bright light from behind cleared. -One eye, a scarred face, a…

Her head tilted to the side, Kris turning to look at her. "What is it?"

The vixen kept looking back at the figure, his image, his scent, snapping around the back of her mind, working around as…

"You… You can't be?"

"Can't be what, Lingonberry?" he asked, her ears falling back. He marched forward, one stride after the next, her face shaking before she leapt forward.

"-How!? I…"

"-Pain," he replied, chuckling. "And a lot of it. -Probably more for that eagle than me."

"I…" She trembled, shaking her head. "We never heard, we… -What am I kidding, you're alive! You're here to rescue us, you're…" She began trailing off. "You're…"

He watched on, a deep staggered exhale released as she half collapsed back, paw out to her bench seat to steady herself. She didn't look at him anymore, instead letting her gaze fall to the floor.

Focus on her feet as she spoke.

"All through the ranger training, all through… -You were the most pepped up, idealistic, brash young mammals I knew. -Hopeful, brave. Learning you died, meeting your partner, learning what happened, I…" She looked up. "I left that life behind. Left it for my responsibilities at home." She gave a glance over at her husband. "Pulled others with me. -Not necessarily his preference, but…" The words held on her tongue before she looked at the hare once more. "And yet here we stand."

"Here we stand."

"Like this," she said, grit in her voice.

He nodded. "Not how I ever imagined any reunion between us."

"I suppose we can agree on something," she remarked. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"-Join with Rattigan," she said, standing up. "Standing with that monster. Standing against the little mammals you championed, against the truth and right and dignity you preached. Why? Why him? Why turn evil?"

He looked back and shrugged. "He is the only one who can give me what I want."

She scoffed. "And that's important enough to throw away everything you are. -Enough to turn evil?"

"Who says it's evil," he replied, a small grin growing on his face.

"General consensus. Basic moral understanding."

"And what good is that as you have your arms around an eagle's neck, her talons in your belly, strangling the life out of each other locked in a mortal coil," he said, walking up to the bars and giving her a soft look. "It's… -Made up." He shrugged. "All of it. These ideas of morals, of truths… -The only truth is that there is life, death, and the fight between them. And in the end, none of that really matters. Why would what Rattigan wants be evil?"

"-The many mammals who have died because of him," she said. "The many who have suffered, the pain caused to this city, the fact that much of the populace no longer even trusts each other, the fact he has eroded the concept of truth itself. The fact he helped make my nephew suffer, helped terrible mammals break out of prison, kitnapped us, killed those trying to protect us being kitnapped, and has generally made every mammal he has ever met's life worse for his own gain, a gain he knows is evil and practically revels in due to the magnitude of suffering it causes others."

"So mammals say," he answered, smirking. "Doesn't make it true."

"And the fact we're here. The fact we don't want to be here," she stressed. "The fact that he's already ripped members of my family away from us, just to hurt us." She looked up, gazing into his one eye. "-Does the time we spent together, trained together, worked together, laughed together and cared for each other mean nothing?"

His ears fell. "It means…"

She took a breath in.

"It means something," he sighed. "It means a lot of something. They are warm memories, good memories, had I planned this from the start I would not have done this. -Just like I had not planned reuniting with my partner. Though I do hope I was able to gift her a clearer perspective on life, for however long she may have or will be able to enjoy it."

"That's cryptic and worrying," she said.

"She had good mammals, and tried to spin the odds to the last," he said, smiled growing. "If she's a lucky fox, she'll be fine."

"And if unlucky."

"Then she is just like every living thing on this earth in the end. You, them, I…"

"-That doesn't instill me with confidence," the vixen said, looking at him. "What is it that Rattigan offered you. What is it that is so important? -About this spirit in a talisman that he wants to release? Why?"

He gazed at her, smiling. "Like a little kit," he smirked. "Why… Why… Why…"

"You must admit," she deadpanned. "It's a good question, is it not?"

"Yes," he answered, gazing at her. "It is, it is. -And do you wish to know the answer. Do you remember the night-treks around the campfire when I'd regale legends of time past? Of the battle hares from whom I descend?"

"As we talked about how you'd be good leading a bunch of ranger-scouts, to which you agreed?"

"Yes," he nodded. "That spirit of which you speak, he has a name, Kehaar…" He softly whispered it, but the silence after let it echo around the room, murmurs mixed with the drips of water coming down. "Kehaar…"

"Was he the devil, or was he the reaper?" Felicity asked. "I just remember he was cursed to flock to your enemies, and worshiped only by the worst. Who you'd stomp your feet at and cuss out."

He nodded, cutting her off. "Ah, but I don't worship him. Neither does Rattigan. -Over the ocean, in the foothills of Noah's mountain they did. Down south in the jungles and caves they did. I saw his ugly visage there. Amidst one of his fallen empires. But that Rat? Like mammals before, he seeks to gain his power for himself. Bring the king back and steal his crown."

Her head tilting, her ears peeling back, Felicity spoke. "And you?"

The hare chuckled. "Whether the rat succeeds or fails, I want to be there to fight him. Battle him in the flesh and spirit, warrior against demon. One on one."

Felicity was silent, looking back at him, no expression on her face.

"When he propositioned it, gaining my help," the hare carried on as he turned, beginning to pace about, arms starting to move about as he spoke. "When the small Kehaar did this to me," he pointed at his empty eye. "When I realised he was the only constant, when I realised how life was meant to be lived, ever since then I…" His body shuddered as he began to laugh. "Call it destiny, call it payback, or vengeance. I knew then that from then on, I would sail my life towards that battle come what may."

The fox vixen looked back, features softening. "I think I know what you mean."

Her face tilted as he walked over with concern. "What do you mean?" he asked, voice suddenly afraid. "Understand, is that what you mean, not know?"

"N-no," she said, steadying herself again. Staring him back, rising to her full height, equals either side of the bars. "I know what I mean. Maybe it came about differently, for you it was a baptism of death, for me a baptism of life. Do you know what it means to bring a new life into this world, to hold them, to see them squirming about, helpless, knowing that you created a whole new person? Someone needing your entire love, care, affection? All of that to have a chance to bloom?"

He looked relieved. "Ah, so I have heard. It was not quite…"

"Isn't it?" she asked. "The moment you hold them you know you will do anything on that journey ahead for them. No matter where the winds blow, your compass point is set, you'll follow it for them and…" She took a breath in, biting her lip. "And that RAT took them from me. He and his pallas cat wife, they have my baby! She gloats about turning him into a monster, to hurt me. While they hurt the nephew I care for as a son, I…" She held back her tears, her mouth part-open as she steadied herself. Eyes closed, breath out.

"So you know how it is, that you would do anything for them," Woundwort said softly. "-Then I think you'll know how I feel about this."

Her eyes squeezed close. "And about us…"

"It was the way it turned out," he said, matter of factly.

"You really did die that day."

"I know. And General Woundwort was born."

"I liked your old name better."

"I don't care," he said with a shrug. "And believe me, despite all of this… I do wish the best for you. Escape, freedom, being reunited. Though I have no doubt lost the mantle to you, you shall always have a place in my heart… -Friend. -There is just something that comes above all of that. Best of luck."

He turned, starting to move away.

"-You'll need it," the vixen blurted out. He paused for a moment. "-This thing, Rattigan not killing you now means he probably knows it'll outclass you in every single way, I…"

He chuckled. "I know. Makes it all the more exciting. Thank you."

Felicity didn't try anything more, instead just skulking back to her bench, watching him walk out only to pause, turning, looking over her husband.

"Frederick, wasn't it?" he asked.

Standing up to meet him as he walked over, Mr Fox smiled. "Only in the same way that General Woundwort isn't."

Smiling, the hare stood up to the bars, looking over his opponent as his opponent looked over him. Mr Fox looked back. Both stared at each other, both sized each other up.

"I've met many foxes in my time," Woundwort said, glancing over at Felicity. "Only fitting that she'd pick one more foxy than the rest."

"Naturally."

"Quite."

"How much so."

"Significantly."

"Excellent."

Both stared down the other, whiskers twitching, fingers tapping. "So," Mr Fox said, "are we going to ominously stare each other down for the rest of our lives."

"Hmmmm," Woundwort muttered, starting to drum his feet on the floor. "I fear we might."

"I must say for a hare you are incredibly foxy as well."

"Good. Though you are most distinctly not a harey fox."

Mr Fox looked down, pulling up his shirt and running his fingers through it. "What do you call this?"

"Fur."

"Touche." A second past before Mr Fox ducked his head down, Woundwort following. He raised it up, Woundwort raised his. Left, right, up down, in out. Tongue out and paw in front of nose, wiggling fingers…

"Who do you think you are, Hare!"

"Who do you think you are, Fox!"

"Why did I call you a hare?" Woundwort asked.

"Why did I call you a Fox?" Mr Fox asked back.

The room was quiet for a moment before the long-eared mammal began chuckling. Followed by the shorter eared one. Chuckling, then pointing, then laughing, both bending over, wheezing, cackling as they looked at each other and reveled in the apparent hilarity.

In the other cell Kris and Felicity looked on, waiting, confused as they had been throughout many permutations of two such intellects interacting but hopeful. Expecting… -Something?

Staggering forward, Mr Fox stumbled away from the door at the last second and to the side, backs against the bars. Sliding down as he choked in more breaths of air to bellow out. Paw fisted and banging against the hard ground.

Watching all the while, Woundwort was down, paws on knees laughing before managing to get up, turning back to the door and laughing at it, paw out and pointing. Stepping forward, effortlessly opening it and walking in, still laughing.

Mr Fox carried on, if with a new and unwelcome tensity to his chuckles as he forced himself up, against the new occupant of his cell who was busy laughing at his son. -Pulling off the bedsheet to reveal the fake beneath and laughing at it some more.

Both mammals, standing against each other, pointing, laughing, those in the other cell sharing very confused and worried looks…

As the hare just gave a large wink with his one eye, stepped out of the cell, closed the door so it was no longer ajar and retreated out. His laughter had stopped as Mr Fox's had steadied down, allowing him to give one last sincere look at Felicity.

She was standing up again, against the bars, a silence held between them.

He smiled, a smirk and a wink. "Best of luck, Lingonberry."

And with that he stepped out, closing the door behind them.

An awkward silence prevailed until, enough time passed and his cell re-ordered, Mr Fox stepped out, carefully walked over to her door again, lockpicks out and focussing. He rested them in only to pause, looking up at her. "-You know, I forgot about Lingonberry."

"Don't remind me."

"I won't, dearest," he smiled, resuming his work once more.

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Ash crashed to the floor, breathing in and out over and over.

His legs and arms were tired, the sides of his shoulders bruised up, his foot and hand pads felt cut up after climbing ladder after ladder, squeezing through hatch after hatch.

He had a stitch growing up one of his sides, the time spent inactive in the witness protection house an added slap in the face given that he was generally more fit than the average teenage kit before.

But after however long of inactivity, an athlete he was not.

It didn't matter though.

Pushing through the last push-bar activated door, feeling the brisk warmth of the dry outside air push in, flopping down amidst the orange-hued evening sky.

He just took a second or two to take it in.

Roll onto his back.

Smile.

-Hard part over.

Finally, stepping up, he began walking around the outside of the small area he'd found himself at. Above him a set of spalling rust streaked concrete chimneys rose up, the odd steel grill panel stuck in place, all paint peeled and their body rusting off. It made him glance back at the door, in much the same state. It had taken a good push to slam it open but now, looking back, he was surprised it hadn't crumbled to dust.

That led him to where he was now. A small ring of concrete circling mid-way up the vent tower, the concrete parapet lip rising up about his hip, his torso looming above it. -He shied back down even before he had a chance to look at the steep drop off below him. -For all he knew he'd been spotted by a dozen or so security cameras already.

Instead, on all fours, he paced around the outside, giving a look over. Below him, very much below him, were the low-slung steel roofs of workshops and small factories, along with weed covered concrete lots and the rusted out remains of bits of machinery and cars. Nothing he could get down to, nothing he could signal to…

He kept on walking around, looking, searching, trying to find…

He froze as he saw that he'd returned to the open steel door, face snarling as he turned and slammed a fist against the hard wall. -Regretting it as he pulled away, flicking his paw and brushing off the flecks of dirt and gravel he'd rammed into it.

Breath out, he shook his head. They wouldn't expect a mammal to just climb all the way up here and then have to climb all the way down again! There would have to at least be some way off. A ladder or something, or maybe he'd missed a door on the way up.

He carefully leant over the edge, grimacing as he saw the very significant way down, and worked his way around. The base of the tower was fenced in, surrounded by buildings, seemingly no way in or out even if you could find a door. No sign of a ladder or anything for above him, turning around he paused as he saw what looked like a series of holes punctured in the concrete.

As if a ladder had been there and been pulled out, or holes put in place so someone could set up a ladder and climb up.

-So, he was stuck.

He closed his eyes. No, he was NOT stuck. -Chances are there was a door on the ground level, he'd just missed it as he climbed up. So, taking a rough judgement of the outside, noticing the grooves on the concrete and working out how many floors he needed to go down, he stepped back in.

Eyes closed, adjusting to the light, he let himself squeeze down again and go down the first set of ladders.

Then the next.

Then the next.

Counting them off until he reached what should have been the ground floor, thankfully somewhat lighter given the small opening to daylight he'd created up above. Before he'd been going by touch, feeling his way from level to level, paw following the wire of the security system to feel for if and when it split. One had come a number of floors back, the fox cutting the cable there and searching around for signs of an exit, only to find just an ordinary floor. -One which he was now certain was the one below this one.

He suppressed his annoyed grumble and focussed on the present. His night vision had enough light to work with to make out a few shapes. This level was larger than the others, a few times so at least. There was what looked like lockers, maybe some doors… Walking along the walls, feeling as he went, it took him some time before his paw bumped against something and… Pressing with his pad, a soft clunk came out and then, nothing… His foot-claws grinded against the ground with frustration until he noticed a faint glint of orange light start to glow.

The incandescent bulb grew to life, followed by a second, a third, his eyes blinking a little to readjust but his tail wagging. He could see, he could tell where he was and…

-The outline of a door stood in front of him, filled in with mortared breezeblocks that might as well have been laughing at him.

Closing his eyes, doing his best to not charge forward and yell out pounding it… He looked around, there seemed to be a small bathroom. In he went, the lights inside not working but enough coming from outside that he could make out…

A bricked up window. For that matter a bricked up fan vent too. Pausing, an odd curiosity growing over him, he turned and saw that the toilet had been cemented up too. That at least explained why he didn't smell an open drain while climbing past here.

Working his paw on his forehead he made another round of the small floor. Anything in the shape or form of a way out had been bricked up and, feeling the mortar, it was tough. He found a small bit of metal and tried working it through that around the door, small flakes of mortar coming off.

He threw it down in frustration. If his whole family was here taking it in turns, maybe. But just him!? His arms already aching? Only a matter of time until those below worked out what had happened and sent their mammals after him.

He put the piece of metal down. At worst, a plan B.

He just needed to work out what the plan A was.

There were some loose bits and pieces here and there. An odd calliper left around, an old clipboard, even a few pens, a mug.

Grabbing them up, placing them in a spare bag that had half rotted away, he began making his way back up.

Hopefully the pens still worked. Hopefully he'd chance on some mammals and be able to get their attention by throwing something down. Hopefully he could signal an S-O-S to them.

Hopefully…

The climb back up felt slower and more painful than the initial one up from the depths of the earth, the fox slumping out into the fast approaching evening.

He was not going to have much time. He needed to…

-A soft buzzing filled the air, the fox pulling himself back into the crook of the parapet. Drone. He'd been detected, right? Something had triggered and a drone was paying him a visit, to confirm and…

He grabbed and held one of the rocks. Tight.

He had not spent night after night practising whack-a-bat for nothing. He may not have been as gifted as his cousin, but he could launch a burning pinecone at a bat and those skills were transferable.

He could take the drone out and it would buy him time to…

It peeked over the edge, the fox launching himself up and hurling it, on target, ready to… -It dodged out of the way but not fast enough, the rock clipping its rotor and sending it spinning out of control. The fox glanced at it, noticing some kind of stylised raccoon head printed on the dark blue body, not a brand he was familiar with. Either way…

"We're on your side, look south-west!"

Ash blinked as the message came out, the drone slipping sideways and then flying off, crashing to the ground far below. He stood there, silent, paws coming up to slap his face and drag down. "Maybe you could have opened with that!" he yelled. Checking the sun, working out which was the right direction and…

-He paused. Maybe it hadn't opened with that for a reason. -That was just the backup plan after he whacked it. It might be them trying to line him up into a sniper's sightline or something.

He gulped, eyes closed as he tried to think of something. -Scrounge up a fake head or… The floor around him was covered with dried moss but that was a pale green not a mucky red. The only… -He paused as he saw the rusted door, walking over. Grabbing a flaking hole filled edge, he worked it back and forth, putting his leg against it to… -With a snap it broke off.

Roughly there, but still needing shaping. Enough to give a rough impression of a fox head. -Still, they would be completely surprised.

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"I will say," Bentley grumbled, typing on his computer. "I never expected to have to deal with someone too smart for their own good."

The turtle groaned as he watched on from a lens mounted above the exit to the vent shaft. Once he actually knew where Rattigan was based it hadn't been hard at all to hack into some of his systems. -Alas, never the budding cyber criminal, there was not much in the way of fatal flaws that the turtle could exploit. -Just the odd security camera or system that he could gain access to, put up covering images, dull alarms. The young fox had rendered most of them moot anyhow, giving his severing of the main cable, though the turtle's looped set of images from the cameras would draw far less attention than a blank screen.

Or at least he hoped so.

At the very least, after setting up a feed-in via one of the cameras and taking over the head of the system once it had been cut from its heart, it worked for him now. He'd detect a hit squad on the way up and they might even have time to fly over in Carmelita's jetpack and rescue him before that came about. -Just about. The chances weren't the most encouraging in that regard. The vent tower had no apparent way in or out and they had no way of communication with the fox.

He looked out the back of the Cooper van, several vehicles assembled. Nick, Judy and Carmelita had arrived with a few geared up heavy officers in plain clothes police vehicles while Jack and Skye had arrived in order to transfer across some of their work. Their homemade shock cannons were heavy, rough, obsolete but they worked. -And mounted on the Cooper van or a ZPD helicopter they, heaven forbid, might be useful.

He was more hoping that some of them, in the paws of the heavy officers, could find their way to staring down the talisman. He wanted Rattigan to look on in horror as it got zapped and then broken, his stupid and arrogant dreams smashed in front of him.

Still…

"-He's moving."

It was Murray who said it, the turtle turning back and massaging his forehead. "Focus, reptile, focus."

As it was, the hippo went out, joining with Po and Tigress (who'd tagged along) to meet the ZPD officers. Up a few flights of stairs in a half demolished factory, looking out of a window with a good view, Nick and Judy looked out with a set of binoculars.

A few seconds passed, a small fox-head shaped figure began peaking up above the lip, waiting for a sniper shot that never came.

A few seconds later it went down again.

Up then down.

Up then down.

Up, and then down.

.

Up, and… "-It's him," Nick said, breath tight. He slipped out, waving around, trying to signal. "Come on, I can make out it's you, just… Come on, come…"

"His head is tilting…" Judy said.

Nick paused, before turning down and spitting.

"-And he's jumped up and down!" Judy said.

Nick signalled a set of thumbs up, waiting.

"He's… -Signing, Nick he's signing!"

Nick turned down, grabbed his binoculars and slowly began reading back. "Father free… -back to rescue mother and Kris." His ears fell. "-Cat has baby and Uncle. Bat, saw me, good?"

"Never that easy," Carmelita hissed.

"-Door below… full? No way down."

Judy looked up. "You said there was no door down below."

"They covered it up well," Carmelita said, gesturing to the larger mammals. "Grab the battering ram." Then to Jack and Skye. "Those mounting tools might be useful too." They nodded, grabbing some of Skye's heavier work tools. "Follow me, we'll have to sneak past multiple cameras and…"

"-I've got the cameras down," Bentley said.

Carmelita nodded. "There's still likely allies of Rattigan around here, stay low, we go through the back alleys." She waved the mammals on, Po, Murray and Tigress joining her as they began to push off… -Only to pause as a car raced into the lot, parking up.

Opening it up, Sly stepped out, wiping his brow. "Made it?"

"Made it," Carmelita said, nodding. She started off, only to pause. "Where did you get that car from?"

His eyes narrowed. "Would you rather I still be waiting for a pickup with my thumb stuck out just after a big prison breakout?"

"Sí, Sí," she said, shaking her head. "Come on." She waved the mammals forward, leading them on.

Nick, watching them, paused… Back to Ash he tapped his wrist with an index finger a few times. -Looking back, Ash nodded, giving a giant thumbs up. Binoculars down, Nick carried on after the rest.

Alone, Bentley checked his systems, pausing. He opened up a new screen, a few faces appearing.

"I've noticed you're up to something," he said, working through. "Right now, we're working on a rescue mission. Have your mammals stand by and ready, we'll forward you what documents we can." He stared forward into the camera, eyes narrowing. "Your forces are appreciated, and from what I'm gathering we might even be forced to augment them. -But act too early and innocents might be put at risk. Do not underestimate Rattigan. Especially now, when we think we have the advantage. With him this close to his goals, he will fight like hell."

He looked through the replies, nodding, and carried on his work.

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With a massive clang, the heavy doors of the charging hall opened up, hoofsteps clopping across the cold steel hexagonal tiles. All around, the walls were lit but the soft orange glow of the lights, illuminating the walkways and lines of twisting pipes and wires.

The goat couldn't help but look on impressed as, with a creak and whine, the rooftop crane moved across the top of the space, the massive refuelling machine that Rattigan had made his throne gliding across the steel floor. As ever, a hair's breadth above it, only to now move out of place. No longer in the centre, instead receding back to the recessed hatch of the main storage pool.

Leaving the great space empty for something far greater.

"Ah, you're alive! And here!"

The goat looked over and bowed at the figure of Rattigan, the great mammal walking over eagerly. "I must thank you, as ever my faith in you…"

"Oh, don't thank me, at least not entirely," he mused, glancing over to one of the other worktables. "Thank my darling over there, she masterminded that little operation."

Petey raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure if I felt the woman's touch, or…"

Rattigan let out a chuckle. "Well, your retrieval is an added little bonus, even if I would have been able to rip yourself out not too long after anyhow." He breathed in and out. "Our time is approaching fast, and every second may count."

The goat looked on and over, seeing a heavy cradle being moved into position. In the centre, surrounded by what looked like a soundproof box, must have been…

"They produced a fake," the goat said. "To try and scare me. Saying they'd found and destroyed Kozlov's…"

"-That was Kozlov's talisman," the rat grumbled, the goat looking to him in confusion. "And I assume they told you it was broken, ruined, etcetera…"

""I suppose at least we now know why Clockwerk…"

Rattigan chuckled. "Did they confirm it?"

"Pretty much. I think the fox, Wilde, was trying to be smart. -I shared the same sentiment at his pun as his vixen co-worker."

"Still," the rat grumbled. "At least we know that bird-brain did at least do something most definitely villainous during his multi-millenia long non-reign of non-terror. Makes up for the sheer lack of anything else he did."

"If… -If that is the case, then…"

"-Before it was taken from me it imparted an image of another location, down in Mexigato. After a fruitful battle and many exciting adventures, including yours truly going full commando, I was able to retrieve it and return home, with a new ally in tow."

Petey paused, a look of concern on his face. "'The General' May I presume?"

"Indeed," Rattigan said. "It seems my first, annoyingly non-villainous act after ascending will be to flatten that mad march hare with a steel talon. Still, he's looking forward to it, be he to win or lose."

"I suppose a death seeker can and does come in useful," the goat said, taking a breath in and out. "Especially as I return with grave news." He paused, not sure how to say it. "Somehow… Sly Cooper has returned."

An annoyed grumble came out of the rat. "That somehow was me."

Petey turned to him, blinking.

"-Those rumours of Le Paradox working on a time machine must have been true. I assume that Sly was sent back in time, captured and then imprisoned by Clockwerk. Something I will swiftly put back in place once I have…" He waved his paws off over to the equipment.

"Quite a to-do list, sir."

"Yes, yes," he grumbled. "Still, overthrowing the world governments was never going to be easy. Especially now that they're more aware of what's going on. Still, our knowledge of where North Korea keeps their nuclear weapons remains, as does our shortlist of places of where to drop them in order get the rest of the world lobbing them around. Ideally Cooper and his clan will die in the fires or choke on the ashes… -But as we rise from them as Gods and Emperors, things might need to be… Expedited."

"So, no on writing them down or…"

"That would be a no, yes."

"Yes?"

"No."

"By which you mean the non-affirmative, of course."

"Exactly," the rat sighed, working his paws against each other. "Go… Go help plug that in."

Petey walked on and followed. "How close are we?"

"Very," the rat said, looking over to Felicity. "From what we've been able to get that academic to look at, all our theories are holding on. Hold him tight, channel the right amount of energy in, get it tuned to the various spectra we found noted at the ruins of Krakarov… -He either lets himself be drawn out, or faces what little he has left out in the ether being drained, permanently."

"And if he choses that, out of pref…"

"-He won't," Rattigan spoke. "'Clockwerk is superior'. He will try, try to battle, at which point we download into us the various viruses we've tuned to him and his signature. Indeed, while using some of the translations into his own dialect, our resident academic has both confirmed certain key words I'd long translated but had doubts on and identified new ones. With which we can put temporary blocks on bird brain, programming him against killing me, against destroying my machine for a start…" He rubbed his chin, whiskers flicking this way and that.

"More time, more translations," he mumbled. "I want it to be locked down tight, no loopholes, nothing. So when Clockwerk sees my attempt and tries to take over, we then hit him back when he's too far out, drawn from his secluded talisma, suddenly finding himself unable to stop it and unable to go back. Cut off from his phylacteries as I purge them first and then turn on him as he's stranded, choking in the midst of my own, growing, superiority. And oh, he will choke, die, deleted, permanently. -Save for if he retains some of his essence in some of the Talismans, keeping them from ever connecting in the first place. -But from some of what our servile academic has translated they truly would be useless. Any attempt to connect, even together, and I could overwhelm them. Indeed, once shorted of too much power they would require a recharge with lightning to retain their potential potency to even connect… -To even have a chance of worming in and trying to confront me, take over. -Which, even though I would win paws down, I will not allow. We'll trace each one down, and crush them under my own talons. Let him get a last taste of his 'superiority'. Under my new, superior management."

"Die fighting or die lying down," the goat said, nodding. "From our records of the Battle at Krakarov…"

"From everything we have had translated," the Rat continued, pausing as Felicity came up to him.

"Seems our tamed academic has translated a new set of codes here," she said, leaning over. Rattigan looked at them before jumping up and racing over.

"Oh, excellent, excellent, excellent. Now, if I remember that goes in with the set of notes we received from…" He began working through a set of old notepads, turning to some mammals shifting a huge piece of electrical equipment. "We may need to retune that. -If I am correct we have here the various telepathic frequencies his hive-mind system operates on!"

"Incredible," Petey said, smirking.

"Indeed," the pallas cat purred. "For all his purported intelligence, Clockwerk could be reliably stupid so often, throwing away something like that, to brag."

"Of course he would," Rattigan spoke from behind. "We are all show offs, after all, but for him… Oh no, large deeds were too beneath him. So, just type out your greatest scientific announcements to the savage cultists who worship you… Let them not understand it, not appreciate…" He scoffed. "Makes what's coming all the more deserved. With this, he won't be able to hide any of himself away. He won't be able to resist, or try to retreat. Oh no… I'll gather it all in one place and then paralyze it with its own power, leaving it helpless as I curb stomp him into history."

"How long left," the goat said.

"Soon," Rattigan replied, pausing, eyes closed, shaking a little. "So very, very soon, I…"

He turned, walking over to Felicity. "My most salacious…" He let a breath out. "For all we knew it was coming, I will miss feeling your fur on my own.

"As will I…" She said, softly. "Though once we have us all ready to ascend like you…"

"In time, in time," he said, holding her tight. "But for now, this is so, so close… What would you say to one last night of us? Together? At our most carnal?"

She leant down, giving him a lick. "I have a few little disposable mammals to add some excitement."

"And I have an enormous quantity of the finest Madeira that will soon be going to waste," he said warmly. "Plan our last, greatest, night together. As I plan our future. Tonight, well… -It shall be a night to remember. -Before the rise of year zero follows after."

"The bars you set," she purred. "I cannot wait to exceed them."

A slight redness grew on his ears as he handed her a small black book. "Paroose around. Take inspiration. Surprise me."

"Oh, I shall." She said. "Oh I shall."

She turned, walking past Petey before pausing. "I may have need to call on you," she smiled. "For set up only, of course."

"Of course," the goat said, turning back to what was going on. "Anything I can…"

"As it comes," Rattigan said, looking over and pulling out a small helmet-like device, fitted with wires and straps. He placed it on his head and began working around with it. "Just need to get this all tuned up and ready. -Check the security feeds, for as much as I want to enjoy my last night as fur and flesh, I will not let my days of villainy be ended with my trousers down."

"Of course sir…" He nodded, turning away.

"-Oh, one last thing," Rattigan said.

"Yes sir?"

"Check on the baby."

He paused. "The baby sir?"

"Yes. Her idea."

"You two have been busy."

"Haven't we," he smiled, before waving him off. "Haven't we?"

.

.


.

.

"Move, move, move…" -Carmelita hurried the mammals along from behind a low brick wall, shuffling them to a rusting wire fence around the base of the towering concrete vent chimney. Nick, taking point, pulled out a pair of wire clippers and began working his way through, soon joined by Judy on the other side.

All of them, even the larger megafauna riot mammals, kept themselves hunkered down and low. -Sure, the security feed through the tower itself was out of action, but who knew how many of these other buildings were being used by Rattigan. A nearby one marked as being at the head of a loading shaft, almost certainly, and additional security and monitoring stations were very likely. Surprise was their advantage for what was coming next and they had no intention of throwing it away easily.

The wires cut through, Judy slipped in, quickly followed by Nick, Jack and Skye. Carmelita kept looking on point as the larger mammals began clipping through the fence to open up their route in. -All as the smaller mammals pushed themselves up against the base of the concrete tower, pausing as Sly landed down from up above.

"-I take it you saw no one?" Nick asked, the raccoon nodding as he crept along the the edge of the wall, pausing as he made out the painted outline of the bricked up doorway. Looking closer, tracing his claw along the mortar, he paused as he found a small weak spot, waving Skye over. Holding a mortar drill from her tool kit, the vixen held it up and, shying her goggle-less eyes away, began drilling.

Their ears pulled down from the seemingly deafening racket, slowly going up again as she paused as if waiting to hear the oncoming rumble of every goon and thug under Rattigan's command coming to take them out.

They just got the background buzz of the city in return, the vixen shaking a paw a few times before resuming work, cutting halfway around the block before letting go, giving way to Nick. The fox worked around most of the rest of the way, Sly taking over the last bit as the block slipped loose, a push from inside causing it to drop out.

"Hey, Mr…" Nick choked up, unable to continue the rest of his nickname as the ruddy furred face stared out from inside, eyes quivering a little.

"-You might want to stand back," Carmelita warned, rushing in with the larger mammals behind her. -Steel battering ram in the hoof of a musk-ox, he charged full tilt before swinging it out onto the block directly above the hole. Its whole front shattered, splinters of cinder coming up as he pulled it back, grumbling. A second swing, this time cracking the rear but with the corners and edges still in place. Another swing, then another, carrying on, chipping away around the outside of the wall until…

"-Hold it," Ash said from inside, the demolition mammals pulling back as the young fox began slipping through the gap, paws on the other side pulling him out. Clothes catching, dragging, dust scraping across them… He groaned as he was caught, pulling himself back a bit, twisting around, pushing out some more and…

He dropped out of the hole, landing on shaky legs as Nick ran up and held him. "We've got you kit, we've got you…"

Panting in and out, Ash nodded. "T-thanks. They have them."

"We know."

"My father is out but they have…"

"We know," the fox said again, flinching back as the larger mammals began working once more on breaking down the doorway. "We…"

"They're not going to work," he said, looking at the larger mammals. One of them, a hippo, paused to look at him. "They're not little."

Carmelita turned and walked up to him, breath in, breath out. "How little are we talking about?"

"I could squeeze myself up through the ladders, just… -My father was too large. I think Kris could, my mother…" He shook his head.

"Right," Sly said, groaning as he walked up, held his elbow and began tensioning his body. "I can…"

"-It's easier going down."

"Right," Sly said, relaxing as he let go. "Good to hear that before I pull out my party trick." He leant down. "How easier?"

He looked around. "Are you big?"

Sly looked to Carm who looked to Jack who looked to Skye who…

"I think you not saying 'no' straight away means it will work."

"Right," Carmelita sighed, turning to the larger mammals. "It seems even if you bash that down, you won't be able to go any further."

They paused, backing off. "Keep a perimeter?" One of them asked, Carmelita nodding.

"Sí," she said, turning to the musk ox. "Escort the civilian to safety, start working with our other assets to…"

"-HEY!" Ash cut in. "I'm the only one who knows how to get to where my family is down there. You need me."

Carmelita turned to him, brow furrowing only to be held off by a paw-up from Nick. "You've done enough already," the fox began, only for the teen kit to cut in.

"I can't just…"

"You're done enough already," Carmelita said. "You having nothing to…"

"I'm not trying to prove anything!" Ash cut in, stomping his foot. His ears were back and his teeth bared. "My family is down there and…"

"-And very glad you're out of the way, you're safe, you're bringing in help," Nick said, kneeling down. "You're also exhausted, your legs ache, your paw pads are cut up." He leant forward, holding one out and tapping a paw on one of Ash's main pads, raising an eyebrow as the younger vulpine flinched back. "-You may be able to get down there again, but can you get back up?"

Ash frowned, his muzzle worming a little before he sighed, letting out a huff. "You can find them, right? You know my father's scent?"

Nick opened his mouth, about to say yes only to pause, trying to recall it. -Certainly, once he did stumble across it, he'd…

"-Your father was on steroid supplements after losing his tail, right?" Skye asked, Ash turning to her.

"Yeah, and…"

"So was my father after his violet gland had to be removed. -I know the scent of those drugs like the back of my paw, I'll be able to pick them up and follow them."

Ash nodded. "If they let you down there too."

Skye paused, looking up. "Not like we can be picky right now."

"No," Carmelita grumbled, "and after your last mission it's not like I can really raise an objection. Arm them with the spares."

"Right," Skye said, she and Jack receiving some spare firearms, the swift vixen pausing as she looked up to the others. "They know how to fit the shock…"

"-Murray and Bentley will be able to figure it out," Sly said, turning to Carmelita's shock pistol. "-And it seems that if we find the thing, it'll be him getting a taste of ol' sparky once again."

The vixen nodded, holding her shock pistol tight in her paws. "Such is tradition," she quipped, turning to the assembled mammals. "Is there anything more you might need?"

"I'll set up a relay at the top to keep my Binnocucom in contact," Sly said. "At least as far as we can get." He turned to Ash, giving the fox a once over. "Air ducts?"

"Air ducts."

"Security lasers?"

"No."

"Tchhh, they really have gone out of fashion," he said. "Still…" He limbered up, moving over to the hole. "Not going to punch a gift giving horse in the mouth."

Carmelita nodded, turning to the others. "You all ready for this."

"Ready as I'll ever be," Skye said, following on. Jack, Judy and Nick gave nods and followed in, all as Carmelita gave a final spot-check of what was going on outside, making sure the retreating megafauna and Ash had a clear run.

"Get everything you saw and everything you can back to Bentley and back to Precinct One. -Chances are we won't be able to end this with just a quick in and out. We'll try and get the civilians out of the way before you bring hell down on Rattigan."

They nodded, Ash giving a last worried 'Bring them back' before vanishing out of view. "I promise," the vixen said, before slipping in through the hole with the others.