Chapter 18:

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"Hello, Hello, Murray, can you..."

"-SLY!?"

The Raccoon pulled back, wincing as he adjusted the tablet's volume. "Murray, what's going on, what's…"

"IT'S MY FAULT! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

Sly shared a look with Bentley and Po before turning back. "Hey, hey, buddy? Bro? I'm certain there's a reasonable explanation…"

"I LET RATTIGAN TAKE IT!"

"I…" Sly began, pausing. Well, it was unorthodox but he'd recently had first paw experience on how to deal with a situation like this. "-So you're saying you let him take it," he said, eyes wide and paws slapping against the side of his face. "I don't believe it, the whole conspiracy is true!?"

"I… -I'M PART OF A CONSPIRACY NOW! OH THIS IS NOT GOOD…"

"I… -Sarcasm, sarcasm," Sly backpedalled, giving a nervous shrug to Bentley. "Okay, calm down, take it from the top. Take it from the top."

Two and a half thousand miles to the South East, the Hippo sat on a very undersized plastic chair, Doug somewhat by his side. Jack and Skye were nearby, the vixen nervously pacing back and forth, waiting for any news. Jack gave a sympathetic look at Murray but remained by the swift vixen's side.

"I… -We almost got blown up, okay…"

"Okay," Sly said from the other side.

"We'd got the thing, but Rattigan's forces were close. One of them, this General Woundwort rabbit that apparently Lt Vixen knew from her ranger days and thought was dead, -he was her partner or something but has gone total loco. -Well they got the thing but lost her to their side, she did a whole swap with a fake talisman thing. Rattigan found out and came after us with his stealth drone as we tried to get away. He dropped snakes at us, shot us, but we got his drone down. He then… -Well somehow Lt Vixen who was inside ended up playing Furussian Roulette and shot herself."

"Oh god, I…"

"She's okay! She's okay Sly, she aimed in a place that didn't hit her brain or cause too much damage. It just went through all the soft bits. But he then dumped her out as a distraction to run, sticking a bomb on her to blow us all up. That failed, he had a new plan. He ran down, found our vehicle, stowed away and waited to see if he could grab it. And… And…" The hippo's voice hitched, the next words coming out quiet for a mouse. "He got it."

"I… It wasn't your fault."

"But I was the one carrying it! I had it in my inside pocket, I… I said so at one point, that's how he knew, and when I was distracted… -I was two seconds behind at every point. I felt something and if I'd squished him then we'd…" He cradled his head, shaking it before stomping the floor. "I… I failed you Sly."

"No…"

"I failed your father too, I…"

"No more than I failed him," the raccoon said. "And if you won't listen to me saying it's not your fault, let me say this. I forgive you. Entirely, from the bottom of my heart."

"I…" Murray mumbled. "-I could have eaten it. That would stop Rattigan getting it."

"It'd be crappy for Clockwerk as well."

"I…" A small smile flickered across the hippo before he turned away, shaking his head. "Doesn't change the fact, he might be coming back, and I could have stopped it."

"Then… Then you're no more guilty than I am."

"Sly… We bullied you into touching that…"

"-No, you bullied me into sharing what happened in Egypt, me touching that thing was my own fault. And… Well, the reason why I didn't share what happened is because I expected you to react like you expect me to react."

"Huh," Murray began, a sigh coming from the other side.

"Bit of a long story, but I've broken through and started to share it. You deserve to know too, and the others…"

As it happened the others weren't listening, Skye still pacing around, waiting. Waiting for news from the surgeons, waiting for news from the others.

Finally the doors opened, a nurse walking out, looking around before settling on her and smiling. "Hola ¿estás con la zorra roja?"

Skye glanced at Jack who nodded, taking over. She watched, listened, tried to glean anything from what was being said. It seemed… Hopeful.

Finally Jack turned to… -Doug. "The surgeon wants to give compliments to your field surgery."

The sheep stared up at him, hooflet coming up to shush only to pause as he shrugged, a smug smile growing on his face. Jack turned to Skye. "Yeah… The bullet hit the two sides of the throat, avoiding anything really vital or important. They've properly sewed the wounds, in a few days she'll be free to walk about and do stuff… -Except speaking and eating. They're going to discuss putting in a feeding tube or something for her when she wakes, reduce the wear and tear on the stitches so it heals faster."

Skye, trembling, tears from her eyes, nodded. "She's going to be fine."

"In a few months, certainly."

"She's going to be fine," she whispered, turning to the others. "She's…"

"-Woah, did you get all of that!?" the Hippo said, cutting in. Eyes wide, he held his arms out over his head in a 'mind blown' expression. "You better start believing in complex time paradox induced stories of eternal vengeance and Shakeshearian tragedy, because I think this is one of them."

The two smaller mammals looked at each other, Jack stepping forward. "-I know that sounds like genuinely the most awesome thing ever, but we were hearing something almost as awesome."

"Which is?"

"Lt Vixen is going to be okay."

"Oh thank god," he sighed, settling down. "So, uh, do you want the cliff notes or…"

A slam from the other side cut them off, the mammals turning to see Tigress marching in. Her clothes cut up, greenery stuck in her fur, she shambled in like a zombie, tired and exhausted. Soon followed by Nick, Judy and Carmelita. From the expressions they wore, those in the hospital didn't bother to ask whether or not they'd found Rattigan. Carmelita summed it up regardless. "We tried. For hours we tried. But he found cliffs, gulleys, caves he could crawl through. We tried getting to the top, we couldn't… We've failed."

"I…" Murray said, looking down at his tablet. "Did you hear that?"

"I did," Bentley said. All of the mammals began moving, assembling around to watch. The turtle had a tired yet determined expression on his face. "But that doesn't mean we give up. -You say his stealth drone was destroyed, right?"

Carmelita nodded. "Sí, totalled."

"Does he have a spare?"

All eyes turned to Skye, the vixen confused for a second before shaking her head. "No, no, I don't remember seeing one…"

"Right, ergo he either uses a non-stealth drone to get north, or goes on paw."

"Very small paws!" Murray followed in, looking up to Carmelita. "That buys us loads of time. Have those mammals of yours in the Himalayas found anything yet?"

"No," Carmelita said, her expression darkening. "And I would not count on us having much time at all. He could be back in Zootopia and plugging things in far sooner than we'd like, so we'll have to move." She glanced at Nick and Judy. "Get back in contact with Basil and Dave, work through everything you have with a flea comb." She turned to Skye. "We'll send you and Kozlov more resources, more technicians…"

"Why…?" Skye began.

"-You were given a design for a shock-pistol cannon, were you not?" She asked. "I want hundreds of them yesterday. If we're going to fight Clockwerk, we're going to be ready."

"Okay then," the vixen agreed. "I…" She closed her eyes, breathing out. "Give me a blank check, I'll do my best."

"Good," Carmelita said, turning to Murray. "You, the gang, the Kung Fu mammals. I don't even need to ask you, you know what to do."

A round of affirmatives came out as the interpol fox looked over at Jack and Doug. "Get in contact with your superiors superiors, follow up on their plans to sweep the borders. Roadblocks, radar, everything you can to try and catch him on his way back and, if that fails, I want jet fighters, missiles, everything you can set up and ready."

The sheep crossed his arms. "You do understand that I came here to battle a rat, and this elder god thing is generally beyond what I volunteered for. I've earned my happy witness protection ending."

"Sure," Carmelita said, waving off. "Enjoy it when the Robo-Rattigan God emperor comes for you."

The sheep gave a pause before shrugging. "I'll settle for being a wasteland ranger, bounty hunter, bootleg pharmaceutical kingpin kind of thing. There's only one of him, I think I can take my chances."

Nick gave him a look. "And if his inquisitors come searching?"

"Well, I guess I'll have to be a hero of the resistance and save the world then," the sheep replied, taking a sip of a coffee he had somehow procured. "So I'll have to thank you for that opportunity, and the one after that to design and build a superior social order to rise from the ashes, of course, and this coffee sucks."

"Ah," Nick smiled, "playing the long con."

"Takes one to know one."

"In that case then," Nick said, offering a paw. "Hope to never see you again."

Doug looked down, a smile appearing on his muzzle. "You know, first time for everything I guess," he said, shaking Nick back.

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"ARGHHH…." The rat heaved himself up over the next rock. His clothes were torn, his fur matted with vegetation, he was tired, drenched, a slice cut across his left shoulder and was still dripping out, much of his clothing stained crimson. And, looking up, he might be dinner very soon.

The rustle of whatever bird it was in the canopy had him sliding down, mud coating his belly as he shimmied under a rock, heavy gun held ready. Alongside the talisman, wrapped in plastic to make sure its contained spirit caused him no grief. "Just you and I, bird brain," the rodent grumbled, looking up. It fluttered, the rat turning down and checking his weapon. Three shots left.

-Naturally, there had always been more opponents against him. Damn that sheep. When his ascendancy arrived, he'd be trapped with Lang and the other filthy bad guys turned do-gooders to be punished for their apostasy. Oh, he was already coming up with plans, don't you worry. It could have been so simple, let the others get blown up, come to his side… -After all, if he wanted to hook up with Bellwether or something there was his chance to bust her out, make them lords in his new kingdom or…

Grrrr, but no. Stupid self sacrificing… -And because of that, he'd had to crawl down a mountain, stash himself inside their jeep, at great risk, and wait. Wait. On and on until he had the chance to pickpocket the talisman and run. Runaway, getting shot in the process, a few millimeters away from a humiliating painful defeat. Who did they think he was? His bat Fidget!? Nooooo….

No.

Still, he mused, there had been a certain thrill in truly going back into the field. It had been a long while, and getting a first paw ticket to their reactions had been worth it. -The hours-long chase and crawl through the undergrowth after, the climb back up the mountain, and whatever the hell was in for him next. All with a gunshot wound?

The rat grumbled.

Getting back to Zootopia was not going to be fun. And even if he could, for all he knew their time might have ran out.

A peak out and he paused, eyes narrowing as he saw the small hawk perched above him, waiting, quite lethal. Did it know that he was there? Did it care? How long would it wait? Was it worth that final bullet?

Rattigan sighed, digging in with his back feet. He wanted to save his bullets for things much larger than that. Oh, the burdens of being born a mouse. Greatest of mice, yes, but a mouse still the same.

So, he'd wait, in the filth, then when rested and free he'd climb. However many thousands of miles back, he'd climb, he'd walk, he'd hi…

A snap drew his attention, then another, then a third. Rattigan snarled. Had they seriously been searching for him all this while? Oh, well, if they were really that insistent then…

A brown foot paw stomped down in front of him, the bird turning its head and taking wing, gliding down rea…

A shot cracked out, followed seconds later by the new arrival walking over, grabbing it, tearing out a bunch of feathers and taking a bite.

"-I see you really are a connoisseur of fresh food," Rattigan muttered, sliding out.

Woundwort smiled a red smile. "Indeed," he said, swallowing.

"And you found me how?"

"That vixen wasn't the only one handy with trackers. Let's just say you have one less bullet than you think."

The rat unclipped his gun, grumbling and chucking the dud away. "Impressive."

"After you split, I went back up, got a more standard drone and started searching. I'm a few hundred feet that way."

"Well, thank you for dealing with that avian nuisance," Rattigan said, "But I have a long road to start traveling…"

"I know," Woundwort said, smiling. "And I'm coming with you."

The rodent's nose wrinkled. "Oh, you are now? And what makes you think that?"

"The fact that I'll be there up to the moment you turn or fail, ready to battle whoever wins."

"Let me repeat myself," Rattigan said, gun at the ready. "Why would I want to bring a confirmed future enemy with me?"

"Because," he smiled. "I am to you, what you are to Keehar." He pointed at the talisman. "Your only option to even have a chance. Now, you can try crawling or walking two and a half thousand miles, past two international borders, while being searched for, monitored, while agents of Interpol scan the roof of the world to beat you to your goal, while your longest term enemies hunt for your beloved. -Or, I can guide you through my smuggling routes, my networks, my underground railroad, passing from mammal to mammal, going under the borders and racing north through the night. Doing in hours what would take you days, getting you home, fast, and being there to fight and defend you when the noose tightens in. Or you can try and walk it." He shrugged, starting to walk away, only to pause as he heard a shuffling to his side. Looking down, he smiled as he saw Rattigan next to him. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

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Chief Bogo looked on as the small plane landed, taxiing to a stop before guiding itself to the small private terminal building. Already the ambulances and their guards were waiting, soon to take on the patient in question. He did not like the army vixen one bit, but couldn't help but feel a mix of sympathy and respect given what she'd done. And so, watching her being wheeled past, eyes half lidded from whatever pain drugs they were dripping in, he offered her a salute.

He saw the small smile on her face, present behind the feeding tube, before she was guided up into the back of the waiting ambulance, the swift vixen by her side for the journey ahead.

And with that he turned to the others. Tired, worn, looking emotional and broken. "You fought well," he said. "You failed. Rattigan was a worthy opponent, don't take that badly."

"Gracias," Carmelita said, "but it is hard not too, given that it is now only a matter of time until he can begin his operations."

"Indeed," Bogo grumbled, looking down at her shock pistol. "We've finally been given a small delivery of those… -Officially passing it off as trying them as part of a new riot control procedure, civil liberties activists already causing a stink."

"We should manufacture versions for the police helicopter and on trucks soon," she said, pausing. "That, and Miss Autumn does have a small supply of old decommissioned army vehicles, including one with a rusted out anti-aircraft gun."

"There is only so much we can do to cover for your preparations," the cape buffalo noted.

"Sí, that's why we're getting army contacts to at least prepare some high powered hardware in case we need it." She paused. "It might be that we just need to hold him busy and keep him shocked until jet fighters fly in."

"Not that we want to risk it, of course," he followed on, turning to Nick and Judy. "Detectives Oates and Dawsons have been trying to find clues and hints towards Rattigan's base and origin. From what I gather, any trapped polar bears they have have been exceedingly un-cooperative. However, they do have one suspected location in mind."

The bunny and fox's ears rose. "Where?" Judy asked.

"The nocturnal district."

Nick gave a sigh. "That doesn't…"

"I know," Bogo said, huffing. "Just like I know that for every official main access point, there's two or three unofficial or secret ones. But very few if any of those can take large machines or such. Which we know he used to get the diggers for the attack on the fox family out from where he was doing his work. -That and that he also had to use some kind of auto-shop to modify them, which we're looking into. I know you'll want more, I want more too, so once you've rested tonight I want you in, early, ready to carry on the search."

They nodded, saluting. "Sir, yes, sir."

"Good," Bogo said, turning to Tigress and Murray. "Go… -Do kung fu and thief stuff," he waved off, glancing at Carmelita. "You know what you can do with them."

She smiled, nodding as she turned to see some black suited mammals opening up the back of a jet black sedan, Doug walking in and waving away. With a thunk it was closed, heading off.

Bogo gave a glance. "Dave isn't assisting with the rest of this?"

Nick nodded. "No sir. Apparently fighting an elder god was not worth it."

The cape buffalo stared daggers at the fox before blowing out a snort. "What is the 'painfully funny and obvious' thing I'm missing here?"

The fox smiled. "Well, sir, given that the mastermind behind his involvement is in hospital and one of her two underlings is with her, please allow me to introduce to you the mammal who will tell you all."

He gestured at Jack, the hare pausing and mulling over his options before shrugging. "We hired Doug Ramses in a suicide squad deal."

…

"Doug Ramses was…"

"-I know," the Chief said, sounding almost the same, albeit significantly more likely to cause mass damage in the next few seconds.

"Say what you will about him," Jack carried on, "we do all owe him our lives.

"Twice over in fact," Nick added.

Bogo stared at him. "He saved your life, twice?"

"...Not bad for a mammal who almost ran me over once," the fox carried on.

"He almost…" Bogo began, frowning as he rubbed his temple. He finally looked at the fox and shrugged. "I suppose that's at least something in his favor. Now get moving before I die of a migraine."

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The incense stick was tiny and thin, to the point that it seemed like a slight shift with her claws could snap it in two. As it was, Tigress gently placed down the small stick next to the picture of Panda King, bowing her head. "I fought as best as I could, Master. I wish I could have done more. And I shall carry on, in your name, in the name all those lost."

"-And coming from her, you know she's going to be serious about it."

Tigress stood up, glancing back to see Po arriving. The panda held up a paw, smiling. "Hey, how was it? Apart from the failing."

"It was okay," she said, taking a breath in and out. "How's Jing?"

"Oh, still, you know…" He said, waving around a bit. "But getting better."

"Like Sly?" she asked.

"I…" Po gave a terse look. "Well, not really the same kind of thing between them, you know. One is quite normal, the other… very… very… very…"

"Existential?"

"-Existential," Po filled in, nodding.

"And what do you make of it all?" she asked, stepping away. They crossed the plaza in the centre of the temple, slowly making their way towards the dormitories.

"I… I mean it's cool, it's sci fi stuff, it's…" He paused as he saw the figure of Sly off in one corner. "-Awful, a high tragedy, a…"

"-Don't mind me," the raccoon said, walking out. "Carry on." He gave a look up at Tigress, waiting.

"For all my current serenity," she began.

"Terrifying serenity," Po complimented.

"If you must, tranquil fury," she said, looking down. "I was once not the most composed of mammals. I would lash out far more at mammals who did nothing to me, infinitely less than what was done to you."

Sly nodded. "And if I was old 'Perfection has no Age' here."

"Panda King tried to commune with him."

Sly looked up, his ears going back. "So I heard."

"The more I talk to other mammals attuned to the spirits, the more it seems he lingers. The rage and anger, but the pain at its heart, the speck of sand at the center of the pearl."

"And so what…" Sly asked, waiting for an answer.

"Innocent mammals will be hurt if he returns, and that is something we cannot allow to happen. Any attempt at settling his spirit can come after." She slowly knelt down. "And I am sorry that I could not be stronger, faster, that…"

"-Did you put her up to this?" Sly asked, looking over at Po.

"No, no, that's just Tigress being Tigress. Cool, isn't it."

"I…" Sly smiled. "It seems there is a conspiracy afoot. Do everything to not let Sly hate himself."

"If Clockwerk was sustained around despising you in particular," Tigress began, "would you doing so not be his most ultimate victory?"

Sly paused, slowly nodding.

"-I thought that would be him becoming god emperor of the world," Po cut in.

"Ah," Tigress said, "I'll…"

"No, that's Rattigan," Sly added, turning to her. "These spiritual mammals of yours…"

"Not of mine I'm afraid," she said, "Pursuing my own healing, I made myself harder in some places, too hard to let some important aspects through. But there are others, some more open than others, who can assist."

"-I have one on speeddial," Po said, pulling out his phone and typing in.

"I… When Rattigan is dealt with, certainly, I…" Sly began, only for the thing to be stuck in his face. It dialed a few times before a personalised answer message rang out.

'PROTEIN. PRO…-TEIN. -PROTEIN PROTEIN. Protein. -Beep.'

Sly gave it a skeptical look, turning up to Po, who answered for him. "Oh, uh, slight spiritual interesting thing going on up here, involving the big whirling spirit of angst or whatever you call it. Got someone spiritually intertwined in a ying-yang thing. -You know. Protein."

With that he hung up. "He's probably busy anyway," Po waved off. "Graduating pilates class."

"Uh huh, right. Not like we're not going to be busy too," Sly agreed.

"Indeed," Tigress said. "And we'll be there with you, through all of this.

His ears rose. "You don't have to."

"We want to," Tigress said, Po agreeing.

"Yeah, and not just because Rattigan or Clockwerk or whatever might being god emperor and try to snap us or something."

"electrocuting and drops from heights are more his style anyway," Sly agreed, turning to go.

"-Oh my god."

The raccoon paused, turning back. "Wha…"

"I am inevitable," Po said, snapping his finger. His eyes widened as he saw Sly's complete non-reaction. "-Okay, after all this is done, we've got another movie marathon to do!"

"It's fine…" the raccoon began, only to get stared down.

"I get that reference."

"No," he said. "I don't…"

"That's my point exactly!"

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Dr Silverfox shifted in his cot as the lights came on, his eyelids narrowing as the feline walked in. "Hello Billy."

"Morning. Afternoon. Evening."

"Night," she smiled, settling down next to him. He waited for her to ask him something, to enquire. Instead, bringing out a tablet, she tapped through it, eyes brightening as it opened up a video link. "Hello darling. I… Ooooh, my poor little Paddy. Are you okay. And where are you?"

"Hello my dear," Rattigan purred from the other end. "Just a flesh wound, and I have good news, and not so good news. The good news is, I have it."

She looked on as he brought out the intact talisman, squealing. "Ooooh, goody, goody, we're set, we're…"

"Not yet, unfortunately," he muttered. "My return journey has been, hampered, somewhat. Those meddlesome do-gooders, somehow, got the jump on me."

Felicity blinked, paw coming up to her mouth. "Cuss. How, a leak, a…"

"-I don't know, other than if it were a leak we'd be in far deeper cuss right now," he grumbled. "My only guess is that they spotted my stealth drone going down, cross referenced it with Cooper knowledge, and worked out my end destination. Either way, I… After picking up where the General made an elementary and basic mistake that almost completely screwed us over, fought, hustled, hitchhiked and pilfered the talisman from under their very noses. I have it! I just don't have a stealth drone anymore."

Felicity's ears went down. "Damn. I can try and send…"

"-No worries dear, no worries. For General Woundwort, named after some Efrafan hero or something, has a rather extensive smuggling network. It'll be slower than I like, but I'm already making it up, fast. I'll be home in a few days at most, and coming this close to the wire I need to know you will be ready. Have you got our refudiant Doctor to talk yet?"

"Not yet…"

"Time is going to be very, very limited," Rattigan said with a simmering growl.

"Oh, hush dear," she smiled. "Every mammal has their weakness, and Billy here? I've been sowing the seeds to exploit it, and am very much ready to harvest.

"Hmmmmm," Rattigan muttered.

"Which is why," she said, turning to him. "I'm giving you a choice." Dr Silverfox turned to look at her as she brought up a photograph. His ears went back as he saw a picture of his son's girlfriend and friends at a park, fully stepping back and wincing as he saw a selfie of the mammal who took them. The pallas cat smiled. "A very special agent managed to slip in some trackers, and we know exactly where your family is being hidden." She slipped up to the bars, holding them tight as she pushed her face up between them. "Now, you could work for us here or there, or you could force us into… Acquiring them, for more personal persuasion. Your choice."

The platinum furred vulpine turned away, pinching his brow. His breaths were heavy, his fur up, his tail twitching back and forth in irritation.

"Come on, let's not cause them any fu…"

"No," he finally said, looking back, glaring.

"Oh."

"Yes. No," he said again, crossing his arms. "You're assuming you can succeed in getting them out, succeed in beating the ZPD, succeed in losing them and not being tracked back. I know that whatever you're planning, it's evil, it's wrong, I don't want a part in this." He glared at her before smiling. "You want to use my family against me? You want me to work for you. No cut corners here, sourpuss, you're going to have to work for it."

The smile fell off his face as she stepped back, punching up into the air. "YES! Yes," she said, dancing back before flopping into the seat. She held up her tablet, looking at Rattigan. "Deary, I'm so sorry you won't be here to see this, though hopefully the chaos and confusion will help clear a path for your return."

"Oh don't worry dear, I'll hear about it, and see the news highlights after. I can't wait to see what you've planned up."

"And I can't wait to have my go," she said, smiling before leaning forward and kissing the camera. "Evilist dreams, my mousey wousey."

"Felicitations my Felicia…"

Off it went, the pallas cat looking over and cracking her knuckles. "Oooh, I now have a lot of work to do, but it'll be worth it," she smiled, walking over. "I bet you really enjoyed Project Chaos, did you not? The pandemonium over the city, everything coming together. I bet you do," she purred. "After all, all thanks to stubborn little you, a city already full on the main course, is about to receive my extra, special, dessert."