Chapter 31
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Kris held himself firm as the mammals approached him. His paws rising up, eyes looking over each one. Then up at the two that were somehow worse than them all.
Felicity smiled. "Now," she asked, licking her lips slightly before looking down and kicking the badger slumped at her feet. "Are you Russ or are you Sprock?" Not caring about Sarrahson's confused look and not receiving an answer she shrugged before her gaze moved over. "Not that I remember; or care." Moving out of her way, the pallas cat gave a forceful stomp onto the white wolfess' tail, a mumbled groan coming out.
"Ah, you can understand me, can't you Lang?" she said, peering in. "Now, those two little mobsters there were just grumbling servants of a very unkind host. A very rude host I might add, not appreciating us for who we were. Stuck up in his castle with his stupid notions that he was somehow more respectful and civilised than us. Your standard pretend-aristocratic snob. But you? " She pushed her foot down further, grinding it in, face rivenning with lines of spite and fury and disgust. "You, sold, out!"
Finally Sarrahson spoke. "Isn't she the one that runs the car rental place with the crazy website and the missile truck outside?"
"And the one who led a mass of crazed hooligan wolves before that," Felicity spoke. "One of the great crime lords of the city, while those two." She pointed at the badger and raccoon. "They work for one."
"Despicable," Sarrahson said before turning to Kris, pointing. "If mammals like that come to rescue you, have you ever considered what kind of mammal you might be?"
Kris stood firm. "I'd have thought it would be the mammal they were trying to rescue me from who'd have to answer that."
"Shut it!" Sarrahson yelled, loud enough to make the three prisoners in front of them flinch.
"And what about them," Kris spoke back, pointing at the three mammals standing in front of him. "Loo…" Luke Ruttah charged forward screaming, Kris leaping back to avoid a feral swing, then another, before punching out hard into his face. Landing in a power stance, paw out, he watched the hare, now bereft of his buck teeth, stumble back and almost faint… -Almost. Instead a pained whine-cry came out, the hare dropping his impromptu weapon and turning to flee, only for a raised gun and shout from Sarrahson to order him back in line.
"In position, coward!" Sarrahson yelled, the trembling hare, holding a paw to his mouth, complied. "I'm saving them," the serval yelled. "Giving them a chance at redemption, if they don't desert. The two freaks and the one you framed…"
Kris let out a scoff, not that it stopped her.
"Villains may come to rescue you like flies swarm to a corpse, but I'm giving these mammals a chance to prove themselves, to do something worthwhile with their lives, to earn their pardon and…"
"-By threatening to shoot them?" he asked.
"I'm leading them to something greater, something better, something you couldn't possibly understand," the serval said. "And making sure you don't escape this."
"And you?" Kris asked, turning to Felicity. The cat smiled.
"Buying time for my dear Paddy," she said. "I found her, showed her a few special flank routes, and we went to cause a little mayhem in the back lines. Et tu, huh?"
"Which is why keeping you alive is a better option than just shooting you outright," the serval said, glancing down. "Same for her." She thrust a foot into Lang, the wolfess shaking as she got up again. "Now," she pulled out a zipcord. "Paws out inmate."
Kris shook his head. "No."
"That was an order convict!" she yelled.
He held firm. "And you have no power over me, Sarah."
"How dare you!" she hissed, turning to the mammals in front of her. "Okay boys, teach him some respect."
" You don't have to do this… "
All eyes glanced down to Lady Lang, the wolfess looking sadly over at the three former inmates. Her eyes rested on Beavis, then the wolf. " I know what you did, both of you. You don't deserve this…"
Felicity stomped on Lang's tail again, glancing to them. "Beat her up too while you're at it."
"I… forgive you…" she said, paw uselessly coming up to shield herself.
Kris looked on, Beavis and the wolf inmate were rooted in place, shaking, while Luke Ruta was now staring down at Lady Lang eagerly, holding his pipe and trembling with excitement once more, no matter the ruin that had befelled his muzzle.
"I forgive you too, Beavis," Kris spoke.
"W-what?" the groundhog asked. "I-I-I ruined your life."
"And she's right," he said, nodding to Lang. "You don't deserve this. I forgive you for it. You too," he glanced up at the wolf.
"Oh shut it," Sarrahson yelled. "Or should I just shoot him in the leg and be done with it?"
"Go ahead," Kris spoke, marching forward. "Save them from this."
"Why are you doing this!?" Beavis exclaimed, paws out as he walked forward. "Are you retarded or mentally cussing deficient or something, why…"
"-Because I am not who she says I am," the fox said firmly, over the yell from Sarahson to shut it. "And neither are any of you. The real question is, are you going to let them push you around? Are you going to let them bully you, even more than they have before." He paused. "Have you been listening to those recordings? Timofey turned around, he realised he made a mistake, he turned against the…"
"That stupid bear was an idiot, a moron, a braindead lump of walking ice," Sarrahson yelled, not for the first time, but able to get in against the fox, as if jamming her foot in a door. "And I have a gun. So," she glanced around at her cohort. "Do something for once in your worthless, pathetic, stupid inconsequential lives and deal with the one mammal so vile that he manages to make you look good in comparison. Or I'll deal with cowardly soldiers the way they should be." Her gun was raised up at Beavis, the groundhog shaking violently.
"I… I…" He closed his eyes and turned around again, facing Kris. "I'm sorry," he said, raising his pipe as he began to walk forward. "For everything. To you, to Ash. I'm just the world's biggest idiot."
"It's okay," Kris said, breathing out and fisting up a paw. "I'll make it quick."
Beavis nodded and winked. "You better." And then he turned and charged at Sarrahson, screaming. The serval blinked before lowering her raised weapon to try and catch him up, aiming to fire at the attacking groundhog before pulling it up and away as she saw Kris leap in towards her. Teeth bared, she only saw the wolf's incoming pipe when it was too late.
Kris froze as she fell, the blast of the gun going off cracking through the air to his side and snapping off the concrete floor, all as the thump of the pipe on her head sent her straight to the ground. He… "HER!"
Felicity was just as taken aback, Kris charging in, paws going straight for her weapon as he twisted to the side, doing his best to pull it away from her and into a lock. She dove in in response, jaw wide open and teeth gleaming. He let himself drop, slide on the floor, pull the arm down and under and topple her over himself.
She leapt and twisted in response, on all fours, paw twisting hard the other way to try and get a shot in only for kicks and slam downs to start raining in over her. The wolf, Beavis, even the hare, though as he tore the gun out of her paw Kris was pretty sure he was just joining in the fun.
There was a groan and Kris raced over, foot on the back of Sarrahson and paw out to pull her into a lock. A stomp down on the centre of her back, a yank and twist on the arm, she hissed, Kris holding himself firm.
"No…" She seethed, tears in her eyes. "No! No you can't, you cheated, you…" She glanced up to see the gun in his paw. "Do it! Do it you coward, I know you want to, I know…"
"I do," he said, leaning in. "I also know why you didn't just shoot me before. You knew what a hollow victory that would be. Sure, you'd 'win', but I wouldn't be your tame little prisoner, I wouldn't be put in my place. You wanted the satisfaction of seeing me cower and ask 'how high' when you told me to jump. That's why you weren't going to shoot me, because you wanted to see me under your paw. And now, you're under mine, with help. Maybe that's the one thing we have in common." He rode through some of her struggles, insults and demands to use it. "Sorry, I have too much self control."
She wriggled, hissing, trying to fight out only for a red, black and white paw to stomp on her, her growls and cries muted down. Kris could only look up, his tail wagging a little as he saw Tigress standing there.
"I understand the delay now," she said, breathing out in a pant. "And I must say. -Excellent technique."
He closed his eyes and gave her a respectful bow. "Thank you, teacher."
"It was my pleasure, student. Now tie her up."
Reaching over and grabbing the cords meant for him, he effortlessly binded her paws behind her back. There was another pair and, seeing as some strong looks from Tigress had put an end to their assault, the inmates grabbed it and did the same to Felicity. The pallas cat could only look on, grinning. "It's not going to work. My Paddy is in there now. He's plugging himself in. You can't stop him, you can't…"
"Have you wondered why we're playing those two gloating over finding this place?" Kris asked, crossing his paws.
"Oh, they just want a last word in, that's who they are, that's…"
"My uncle shot the goat carrying Rattigan in the back. He's stuck limping up, trying to crawl in, probably killing himself as he does so and I guess getting distracted by all this," Kris said.
Felicity's grin faded, a look of horror growing on her face. "No, no, no he will get in, he will rise like a phoenix, he…" She closed her eyes, tears coming out. "We will win. Rattigan will win. You can't stop us."
"Yes we can," Tigress said, grabbing the bullet proof cloth with both paws and hoisting it up over her shoulder, taking the strain. She glanced at Kris, the others, even Lady Lang who, though dizzy and stumbling, managed to get up and was calling out in a walkie-talkie for help. "You've done more than was ever asked of you," she said, looking at Kris. "Get them back, keep those who deserve it safe."
He nodded, ignoring the rant that started coming out of Sarrahson's mouth. -Something made all the more easier as a trio of bikes raced up, wolves getting off them and running up to help out. Kris walked over and gave a nod and smile to Beavis who was still shaking and looked like he was about to throw up, the woodchuck in return giving a nod and one last salute to Tigress as she raced off forward once more.
The fox just looked over to see Sarrahson being wrestled up and pushed on by a pair of wolves. "What kind of mammal indeed?" he asked, just loud enough for her to hear, before pushing back with the rest.
"That's the plan?" Sly asked, pausing as he glanced down again. Peaking over the edge, Binnocucom straining, he saw Rattigan ever and ever closer to reaching the end, the gap through the door worryingly close. He would have reached it already were it not for the regalings of a certain pair of mice, played out for all to hear.
" -So anyway, while it was completely absurd and over the top, the fact that that rat…"
Sly's grin grew as he saw Rattigan turn to glower at that, a few more seconds taken off of him and his chance.
"-I mean, seeing as he's spent so long trying to desensitize us to his abject absurdity," Dave carried on. "What else did he expect?"
" Classic Rattigan Blunder, right there for you, " Basil chirped back.
Looking down again, seeing the rat turn up to yell something then regret it, Sly let himself have some satisfaction… -Before pulling himself back into cover as a few shots were fired up once more. Still, he was not liking this, not one bit.
" That's correct Sly ," Bentley agreed. " Of course, even if it doesn't work, it might still provide enough of a distraction… "
"I'm stuck up here," Sly grunted.
" What about the lights, if you could… "
"You know how there's that sweet spot where it's too far to jump but not far enough to properly deploy your parasail?"
" ...Yes, I wrote a scientific paper about it one time. "
Sly paused. "Peer reviewed?"
" Murray tried. He fell asleep. "
"Right," Sly said, looking up and over. "Anyway, if I get over there and have a running jump I might be able to, but that would put me dead in the firing line. Same for doing a safe paradrop down to the ground then running up. Same for running that route over there and across the side." The raccoon traced it out with his Binocucom.
" Well what if I drop the lights again? Or use the fire alarm. "
"Find something to distract them down there, then drop the lights, we might be in with a chance."
" Well, I have a few mammals of talent making their way further up," he said, typing away. "We just need time… "
"I know," Sly said, zooming in again. Basil and Dave were prattling on, laughing, about how all vehicles in the nocturnal district had a fluorescent coating by law and how that and the good quality of those that Rattigan and co had just chosen to leave by the Fox family house… -All part of an unplanned, improvised, highly backfiring plot that by the end was just fuelled by spite… had given them the lead that had ended up leading them here. How that had been a mistake by Rattigan. Just as using Timofey had been. Just one of the many, many, many…
Sly gritted his teeth as he zoomed in, seeing Rattigan shake and quiver but now just push on. Step by painful step, rage on his face, ever closer. Ever nearer. "It's not working anymore, he's had enough," Sly warned. Honestly he was thankful that it had worked this well. Felicity or some of his other mammals seemed unaware of the state he was in, or that Petey had failed to take him up. Running off to fight and missing the fall of the goat was all good... -But were they to realise and come over, were they to actually think about Basil and Dave's taunts and why they were doing so…
He looked back behind. It'd be a longer route, going back, detouring, he'd have to make one or two leaps out into the open. But if he wasn't seen, if… "Okay," Sly said, beginning to work his way back, slowly at first but then faster. "When I say so, cut the lights."
" On it and ready, " Bentley said.
Sly pushed himself back and over, off the heavy steel beam and onto a set of ventilation ducts, then crawling on his belly onto a cable service tray. Off in the distance was another heavy beam, one he could lay flat on hidden from view, crawling over to its support column and shimmying down a hidden pipe to its side. Crawl along, through the backrooms, with a bit of luck…
With a lot of luck.
He could get to Rattigan, or get ahead.
Only one problem, the triple swing out in the wide open that he'd have to do to get there. Perfectly in view for pot shots now and letting mammals know where he was later.
Unless…
-Looking over, judging the jumps, limbering up. "Okay, get Basil and Dave to go loud and cut the lights."
" On three…"
Sly breathed out, cane in paw, limbering it around, breath steady. And then the world went black, the raccoon jumping out into the void, cane out, a swing of faith, a…
It gripped on tight, the raccoon feeling the natural swing in his motion as he pushed forward, then back, then forward then back, building up speed and…
Cane detached and swung again, gripping on as he pushed further. A few swings, gauging his momentum, clearing out the sounds of battle or laughing, jeering mice, he launched himself forward again, cane out and… -His heart froze up as he felt the tip dig into the ceiling too high, too soon, dragging along the top and sapping his momentum, dropping him down, paw going to his parasail and…
He grit his teeth as the cane dug in at the last moment, yanking his arm up tight. Free paw pulling up to grab on and take the load the raccoon shifted himself into a better grip before pushing the cane forward so it truly hooked on, rather than just digging in with the point.
He noticed his night vision growing, a slight outline up ahead, and jumped, feeling himself land on solid ground once more. He pulled himself up and in, tight, taking a second or two to calm himself, heart beating fast, wings…
He froze for a second time, Bincoccucom up once more. " Lights Bentley. "
They flickered back on, just in time for him to see a small figure drop down fast, the raccoon peering over the precipice to see the small creature flying fast and away towards some of the mammals still keeping an eye on where the raccoon had just been. "Crap, is Carmelita…"
" Hold on! " Bentley yelled before fizzing out. " This should be our best shot. "
Sly held on, waiting, hoping… One or two of the mammals on the ground began turning their heads to look at the bat, the raccoon recognising one of them as one of the foxes he'd seen on his return to the present. The raccoon began moving himself, if he didn't have surprise on his side at least he could bank on speed, at least…
An arrow flew in before exploding in a shrill scream that pinched into the raccoon's ears. He didn't want to know what it did to a bat but he could see the result as the creature's flight turned into a death spiral, corkscrewing down and shrieking. Sly didn't need to be told twice, he was already up and running along the path he'd scouted out, inching his way across a less than an inch wide ledge on a support column, jumping and scrabbling to a semi-hidden pipe and then making his way down as fast as he could.
Feet on the floor he turned to look on, the bat alive but crying and screaming on the ground, a few of the mammals taking pot shots at where they still thought he was but some others… Sly pulled his Binocucom out once more. "Tell whoever fired that, they're about to get company."
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"Took them long enough," Carmelita spoke, Tigress racing back with the fabric in paw. Communicator out, she spoke in. "Bentley, that thing with the lights?"
She paused for a second, glancing to Tigress and Skye and nodding. They nodded back. "Go!."
The world went dark again, only to be lit up by a shock pistol shot, then another, then a third. Enough for mammals to follow on in the dark, racing forward. Carmelita turned to fire a fourth before cursing as she saw a small blinking light. "Running low!" she warned.
"Clear," Tigress yelled, racing on as the lights came on once more. Up above the motor was covered up and over, the fabric hanging off a railing that ran above it. Below, Skye was already at work, using a small set of tools she carried on her to try and fix the damage done. "Going up this side," the bear yelled, climbing up their side and making for the debris on the tracks. Tigress had already leapt up on the other side, paws going in and starting to work on it.
"When they give the all-clear, Jack charges in and tries the controls," Carmelita instructed before her ears fell at the sound of gunfire. One shot then two then five began hitting around Skye, trying to focus on her as Rattigan's mammals realised just what was being planned. Leaning around, trying to get a closer look, Carmelita hissed as she saw some of them trying to flank around, get a shot in behind the protective fabric or on the mammals trying to free the tracks. She turned up to the bear over her. "I…" She blanked out, realising she didn't actually know his name. "-Get cover, they'll try to…"
"I got it," his vixen ally said, notching an arrow and letting it loose at the ceiling. It impacted in, a thick gas cloud starting to pour out. She fired a second, a third, the moved herself and began launching up a cover for the other side. By the looks of it though it wouldn't be needed seeing as the tiger was making effective work of the task at paw.
"Thanks," the interpol vixen said, glancing down. "And you are?"
She looked up and smirked. "You know, we may not view ourselves as criminals, but a lot of mammals with vested interests happen to call us that."
"I run with Sly Cooper."
"Marian," she smiled before pointing up. "And 'Little' John."
"Gonna need some help up here," he yelled, flinching down. The vixens looked forward, seeing a small group of mammals running back along the top, trying to stop him. Carmelita pointed out to Nick and Judy, waving at them to step out and deal with it. Jumping out of cover they aimed and let loose, half of the attackers fleeing back and the others charging out and forward into the bear. A hit, one down. Then another. Two left, racing in only for the front one to get a quarterstaff uppercut to the underside of his jaw, snapping him back. Mouth open as he choked out spital, his eyes widened as the wooden beam dove in, the attacker now backpedaling and gagging as he was forced back staff in mouth into his comrade.
The polar bear to the rear tried to weave in between his companion and the wall only for Little John to pull his staff out, push it back in between them and push against the wall. The outer bear, still recovering from his assault, was pushed out and tripped, falling hard down below. The one that remained leapt in, Little John dropping his staff and putting his fists up, bear grappling with bear, the two grunting and roaring, wrestling hard as John pulled himself against the wall… -His attacker receiving a tranq arrow to the back.
"Cover the other side," Carmelita warned, eyes on the lookout for a companion attack over on Tigress. The mammals turned around, raising their weapons, watching, flinching as the polar bear was kicked off by Little John and crumpled down behind them, a 'thanks, but I had that' coming from the brown bear.
"Nothing so far," Mr Fox said, only to pause. "Uh, is that your as my kits would say quote-unquote 'assigned rat at birth?'" Pointing forward, Carmelita followed his gaze and…
"CUSS! Cusscusscuss!" Peering on, she saw the small figure finally climb up and over into the crack they'd bashed into the door and slip down behind. Communicator up she yelled out. "He's in. He's cussing in."
" -I've cut the lights in there already, " a panicked Bentley said. " But it seems they had some modern emergency battery lights or such, there's not much I can do. "
"There has to be something," Carmelita warned, only to flinch back as a few opportune shots were fired over at them. She glanced over at Skye, the assault on her seemingly over for now. "How close!?"
"Getting there," she called back. "I'm going to need you to cut the power in a bit."
"Okay, we'll need another power cut soon," Carmelita huffed. "What about reinforcements, what about…"
" A few ZPD mammals are reaching the bottom in the small lift, " he said. " They think they've got the main platform lift just about operational too. That's a battle winning taskforce in ten or so minutes, I… "
"We might not HAVE ten minutes!"
" Oddly enough I understand that, " Bentley spoke. " While you seemed to have failed to grasp that an increase in your volume does not directly translate to an enhancement in my abilities or a sudden widening of the resources with which I can play with. " The vixen heard a few extra keyboard strokes being banged out hard.
Paw sliding down her front Carmelita nodded. "I… If there's anything stupid or crazy, any distraction, anyone you can push further or…"
" Well, Sly's just coming in with something going on up ahead. And while I may not be certain, there are a few new members of your group who might have a very vested interest in it. "
Carmelita leant out, eyes widening as she glanced over to the far end of the avenue. So close to the gate that some of the enemy mammals were turning back to try and lend covering fire. Not that they would be able to, as Carmelita peered in and saw the battle going on in the rooms and chambers far across the hall.
Robin let loose the arrow, bracing for what he knew was coming next. It flew straight and true, cutting through the air on intercept with the bat flying down from Sly's position. Paw moving up, resting on a retrofitting button to his bow, he judged the arrow, waiting for the exact moment, hoping that these newly supplied weapons would work as… -He pressed it, flinching down as the device on the end let out an electronic wail, the bat flying past it dropping out of the air, immolation and screaming.
A breath out, a sigh of relief, a glance up as he saw Sly already making his way along. Robin could only pull out his communicator and chirp in. "Got it. Design worked perfectly."
" Good, " the turtle replied back, his voice hurried. " Though you'd have to thank the Langs for actually bolting that thing together. "
"Well, that's something for when we get out of here alive," he said, moving along and notching another arrow. This time with a tear-gas system built inside, something low tech enough to be one of his own designs and bootleg manufactures… -If an exceedingly challenging one. Give him hollow tire piercer arrows any day of the…
He froze, eyes lining up with a very familiar mammal. Red fox, standing there, armed up and fighting for Rattigan. But a mammal Loxley had known for a very long time, by deeds and reputation. Loxy stared back at him, gun raising up as Loxley pulled himself forward and down, racing on, racing forward.
Pushing into the rooms that split off to the side of the avenue walkway he tucked in, stared out, already spotting a larger group of mammals rushing over to his side, -if just to get a better shot at where the main force was camping out. He fired his tear gas arrow into the centre of them before notching in one of a different design.
Focussing his ears.
Ignoring the sounds of gunfire, of choking, of anger and screams and barked orders. Listening, waiting…
Tucking himself into the corner of the room, loosing the arrow and letting it drag a gossamer thread across the doorway. Tying off the other end, pulling out a basic arrow and retreating back, waiting.
Hearing the footsteps run, getting closer, getting nearer, coming up to the door and…
"I know you're there, Loxley."
"Et tu," Robin said.
"Tell me, what fancy little gimmick have you pulled this time?"
"I don't know what you…"
A chair flew in, catching on the wire and tumbling over the top, a soft ping coming out as the anchoring arrow was ripped out of the wall.
Loxy just tutted. "Really? I remember the sticky lines you made, hanging from the ceiling, with triggers on flash bang rounds in the arrows. I saw grunts frozen up, shocked, panicking for their lives as they got caught in that one."
"Well," Robin shrugged. "Haven't had as much fancy tech these days. Been going simpler."
Loxy tutted, Robin shifting around as he heard the position of the voice change, his enemy moving to flank him. "Says the guy who still runs with bows and arrows, rather than just picking up a gun."
"Don't know how to make bullets," Robin shrugged. "Arrows though…"
"You're just a stuck up contrarian who thinks he's better than everyone," Loxy said, coming around to a different door. "All this time you just don't get how much of an asshole you are, not that you care to listen. Not that anyone has the guts to tell 'oh high and mighty' what he needs to hear." There was a snort. "Nothing ever changes."
"Oh some things do," Robin said, gritting his teeth as he pulled in a smoke arrow and launched it over into the top of a flanking doorway, cloaking smoke starting to pour down. He notched back in a basic one and moved, straining his arm back, waiting… "I've met and listened to some mammals, good thing too given that it allowed us to wrestle others away from your schemes. Just . You know, before I hated you for the principle of it all. Now, I've seen what you've done and want to put you down for it."
Loxy let out a laugh. "Oh, don't tell me you feel sympathy for the unwashed orcs who were too spiteful, dumb and backwards to recognise their rightful savior." His voice grew haughty, so much so Robin could see the grin plastered on his muzzle. "Face it, no matter what hollow victory you try and claim out of this, you just hate me as I won!"
A shape raced out of the smoke, Robin focussing on it before diving to the floor, loosing his arrow and watching it skid along, under the flying desk and straight towards the feet now running on behind it. All as he dropped his bow and kicked out, turning around and racing forward. A few blasts of gunfire ripped into roughly where he'd been standing before, Loxy pushing through the thick smoke and shifting his head, trying to catch sight of where…
Muzzle honing in, paw and gun following down, body flinching as an arrow cut down on his ankle, throwing him off and… Loxley raced up to meet Loxy, paws and then teeth racing for the gun, biting down hard, a scream and a clatter of a gun ringing out as Robin kicked it away before getting a fist to the face and kick to the stomach.
The red fox was thrown back but came in again swinging, fist smashing into Loxley's face as the deceiving fox went for his opponent's neck. "I won," he jeered, gripping tighter and starting to push Robin back. "Every chance, every time, your message didn't work, they listened to me, they…"
A foot out towards the groin, dodged but sparing time, a twist and then a wrestle, an elbow free and flying towards Loxy's face. "How did it go in Happytown, huh?" Robin yelled. "We stopped you…"
"You stopped us there," Loxy laughed back, before slamming out with a punch, then another, Robin kicking back, weaving, dodging. "What about in the Rainforest. What about everywhere else? You wanted the poor and downtrodden to revolt, I gave you your dream, I gave it life! Something you could never do!"
Robin lept back, rolling away on the floor before coming back, an arrow pulled from his quiver in each paw. "You created a nightmare!"
Loxy scoffed, even as he began backpedaling, dodging one stab, then another. "And had it been you, your nightmare, you would have just washed your paws and then blamed it on them, huh."
"DON'T" Robin yelled, an arrow out and glancing Loxy. "ACT!" The other cutting in on his non-dominant paw, and stabbing just under a raising arm. "LIKE YOU!" His right paw diving in and jabbing Loxy's left arm hard, the vulpine hissing. "CARE FOR THEM!" Left paw rose up, aiming for Loxy's head, the fox dropping down hard to dodge before launching himself forward. Robin could only stare wide eyed before his opponent's head slammed him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying backwards.
Back and tail hit the wall, a kick diving into his stomach. "Don't act like you do either, not really!" Loxy yelled. He then turned, racing away to grab his gun, picking it up and turning only to freeze, Robin lying on the floor, bow once more in his paws and arrow nocked and ready. Panting, breathing out, Loxy shook his head, sneering. "At least I'm honest with myself, even if it's the only one I ever am with." He smiled. "But you, running on this laughable lie, that you care for them, that you're doing it for them. No, no no no no… You're doing it for your perfect little dream, they're just the excuse, what lets you wash your paws away as you do it. Why you do it, why it fails, why they need you to lead them. You may not even hate them, but don't lie. You look on with horror, or anger, or just… disappointment, that they dare not follow your exact little model for them. That they dare to be wrong. That when you raise them to speak out with their own voice, it's not your own you hear back!"
"And what do you offer them instead," Robin spoke.
"What you never could," the fox smiled. "The chance to get the blood pumping, the chance to feel they're in control, the chance to fight evil. The chance to feel good about themselves."
"And do you feel good about yourself?"
Loxy blinked before snorting. "What's this, think you can get out of this by playing psychiatrist?"
"Maybe," Robin said, shrugging. "Tell me, how good does it feel to be fighting to let the mammal who betrayed you, who imprisoned you, who probably destroyed your happy ever after… -Who used you and your genius plan from the start just as a stepping stone for his own goal… How does it feel to be putting your life on the line so he can become a new god or whatever and rule over you?"
Loxy stared back blanky. "You see there's the other problem with us. You're an idealist, I'm a pragmatist. Maybe that's also why I've always won and you always lose. Now, were we swapped… -Remember that time when we met at that howler production facility the ZPD raided by the old Rainforest docks? What was it, you were disguised as a blind mammal…"
"And you a girl in a wheelchair," Robin said, smirking. "I must admit, that was a creative one."
"Effective too, they didn't really pay attention to the instructions of a blind mammal, did they?"
"They still won that day, didn't they?"
"So maybe that was a draw," Loxy spoke. "Were I you, were you in my place as this biggest threat of all time you say I was… I'd have shot you there, with a gun, maybe a tranq, or at least spilled everything I knew to those cops and bring you in with me… But no, at the end of the day you couldn't risk that, could you? Near miss but you had to keep fighting, rather than end up having all your own little legal problems catch up and bite you. So, tell me," he smirked. "Given how much damage you failed to stop back then, how many lives you failed to save, all because you just wanted to carry on playing your little hero rather than end it then and there for the both of us… -Was it still a draw? Are you still a good mammal?"
"Nice mind games, but not gonna work," Robin smirked. "Two playing psychiatrists, both failed. Draw."
Loxy smirked back. "Appropriate choice of words. How long can you keep holding that bow for?" He glanced at it, the weapon quivering slightly in Robin's paw. "How long until it slips or it slackens?" Glancing down at his gun he smiled. "My finger might get a tiny cramp… You might get reinforcements, but mine are far more likely."
"Then do it then," Robin sneered, "or are you as much of a coward too."
"No," Loxy said. "I'm a pragmatist, and the longer this goes on the better a chance I have, and…"
Robin let loose the arrow, Loxy's eyes going wide as it flew straight and true, so fast it ground up against the gun and forced its way through his fingers before the vulpine could fire back. He still did, right as the arrow dove in through the top of his pad, through his paw, out the other end as his hand was thrown out and aim cast off. Not that it wasn't true enough as it was, Robin grunting with pain as the wide bullet still found him. Loxy stumbled back shocked, shaking himself and trying to raise the weapon again to finish the job as the opposing vulpine drew another arrow and let it loose, a thud ringing out as it slammed into his shoulder. Then a third, Loxy collapsing on the floor as he fired out a few stray shots.
Robin yelled as one hit him hard in the gut, panting and breathing as he shook, bow dropping from his paws.
All as he looked on, his opponent lying still on the floor in front of him. "Draw…" Robin choked out, slowly turning, gritting his teeth as he got up onto shaking feet. The first had sliced him by the ribs. A look down, one to the gut, the loose bulletproof vest stopping it going in, but… -Well, he was having a lot more trouble breathing now so probably a lot of ribs cracked and broken.
A stumble forward, then another.
"Touche," Robin spoke, paw shaking down and going to his communicator. "Bentley, Bentley… I… I'll need help very soon. I…"
He froze as he heard a click, looking down, Loxy smiling. "I mean you're a good actor," he said, looking up, the arrows in him all in decidedly non-lethal places and the gun now in his uninjured off-paw. The vulpine grimaced. "Good shot too. Just a shame that I'm bet…"
A swipe came through, knocking the gun clean out of his paws, the arrow pierced vulpine looking up to see Sly Cooper standing above him. The raccoon glanced down, then up again. "I'd ask if you two are okay, but I think I already know the answer to that."
Robin nodded, moving over and slumping against the wall. "I'm afraid I may not be able to provide the cover you want. Still…" He slid his bow and arrow forward to the raccoon before glancing over to the seething vulpine next to him. All as Sly pulled out a basic medical kit and dropped it into Robin's paw, passing over Loxy's gun for good measure.
"Play nice and share when you're done," the raccoon said, racing forward again as Loxy turned to Robin, coughing up some spittal.
"Lucky."
"Cheap win, yeah," Robin said, managing a smirk despite the pain. "But still a win."
Sly, keeping an eye on them, raced forward and leant out. Most of Rattigan's forces were down below, camped out and holding a last stand. No more trying to take on advancing enemies, they were just protecting their last hope, laying beyond the heavy steel doors.
Tucking himself away, even as a few pot shots came up, the raccoon pulled out his Binnocucom and scanned the site. "Status update Bentley?"
" Hold on, we've almost got the gantry crane back up and running. "
"We'll still have a lot to deal with down there," Sly warned as he explored the arrow sets he'd been given. Smoke, teargas, a few more anti-echolocation… Nothing that screamed out 'clear out lots and lots of mammals…' Unless…
Pulling a small pouch from his pocket and examining the feral formula… -Hearing how a cousin of this stuff had caused so much pain for this city had made him more hesitant to use it. But, if the situation was desperate enough… He got the whole bag out and, after selecting something marked as a 'frag' arrow, which looked suspiciously like a long thin grenade, he smeared and coated it, crossing his fingers as he knocked on and…
A small beep made him move his gaze over to a bluetooth device on the side, a green light shining just above a button. "Well, thanks for being easy for beginners," he said, moving up and over, looking down. There were a few large groups of mammals, stuck in under cover and doing their best. Up on the other side, those on the higher levels posed by far the greatest risk for a run into the charging hall but they were spread out amongst different rooms. He wasn't even sure if he could make the shot. A large group just below him were also more dangerous, though the last of his hat mines could make work of them.
That left a more spread out group on the other side of the avenue, a lion and tiger in particular present, directing fire and using heavier weapons than most. Fingers crossed Sly let the arrow fly over, immediately dropping too fast, coming down shorter and… -He pressed the button, seeing it explode near the floor and scatter around its shrapnel load, peppering the ground and nearby cover.
Several mammals yelled and flinched, one went down clutching his eye. They then turned, pointing at him, starting to come over. Bow down, cane up, the raccoon began to turn, to move, to try and defeat them as they came in, where he had the advantage.
A skitter and a yell froze him, the raccoon chancing a look over and seeing the lion freeze, flinch, the tiger turning and yelling something about it being the same trick as before, only…
He froze as the lion and a few others turned up, mouths open and leapt. Up close, up personal, before they had a chance to use their weapons. Claws and teeth and roars and screams began ringing out, Sly pulling up his binocucom. "That's a best a distraction as you're going to get. -Get that gantry moving and unlock the doors, I'll sneak in while the others keep them busy."
" I'll do that Sly, " Bentley said, " but you might find going in with them is the easiest option after all. "
"How…" Sly began as the lights went out once more, the corridors, rooms and doorways on the other side of the avenue lighting up with fire and screams.
.
"Are you ready?" Carmelita yelled, Skye nodded back from behind her cover, the red fox vixen speaking into her communicator. "Lights out as soon as you can."
A few seconds passed before the world went dark, Carmelita crossing her fingers tight. Little John and Marian were down next to her, ever more fretful on hearing about their comrades' fight and injuries. "You go and tend to him," she said to the pair.
"No, Rattigan…"
"We'll have plenty enough going after him on the other side," she said. "Besides, only one of you could fit through anyway. John, work with Tigress to evacuate the wounded, Marian, cover. I…"
"-Ready!" Came a yell from above, Carmelita pulling up her communicator and yelling back in.
"Power back on Bentley."
" Affirmative ," he spoke, the lights coming back on. Skye leapt back as the motor sparked slightly before turning, making her way down towards the battered control cabin fast. Jack was already there, leaping over in the dark and working on the controls. Fruitlessly.
"Not working," he warned, as Skye came in from one side and Tigress from the other.
"Cuss," the swift fox vixen hissed, Jack turning to her.
"Do you need more…"
"No," she said, turning to Tigress. "The motor was jammed right as it switched from one side to the other. Normally it'd get enough power to start turning, but right now it's stalled for all effects and purposes."
"Okay," Carmelita yelled, running over, "is there anything…"
"Push start," Skye said, glancing to Tigress and Little John. The two looked at each other before racing out to either side and starting to climb up the tracks once more. All as those now jumping into the cabin, checking their gear and loading up, looked forward.
Down on the ground half of Rattigan's forces were tearing themselves apart and fighting while half of the rest were leaping out and running, fire and flame following. The various mammals' eyes opened as a red clad she-wolf leapt out, fire and flame shooting from her paws before she came in to fight dirty, assisted by…
"Is that Sly fighting with the Dark Flame Wolf?" Jack asked, blinking a few times. "Nice."
"Wrong suit," Carmelita noted. "Wrong age…"
"That's a raccoon kit," Nick said, only to freeze, eyes going wide. "Holy cussing fluff balls, the mad DA was right," he said. "That asshole was right and… -That makes me very happy and angry, thank you."
"Say what you will about going into a battle with a tweenage son next to you," Carmelita began.
"-I'm certain she knows his skills are up to it," Mr Fox said, nodding along, paws crossed and a smile on his face.
"-But," Carmelita carried on, her tone far less approving. "It is certainly clearing the path."
There was a call from the sides, Tigress and Little John were in position, only for more mammals to start running towards them along the top. A thwick of an arrow firing out, followed by the sparking boom of the tied-on firework, shocked those on Little John's side back, then Tigress'. Marian nocked another as Jack raced forward and put the motor on as hard as he could, the two larger mammals pushing forward, then back, then forward, then back, then forward…
There was a tiny shift forward before they were jerked into full speed once more, the crane starting to push hard down the tracks. Both pusher mammals leapt forward, holding on and riding the upper gantry while down below Carmelita instructed her mammals to get ready, get armed, get prepared for the gauntlet ahead.
Marian was already firing some smoke arrows forward and wide, clouding out some of the remaining areas of resistance, then following up with firework arrows to send them into a panic. Jack was working the crane hoist, moving the steel beams up, over, directing it into the right position and bringing it higher up than they had before. High enough to thrust straight into the open gap and…
"DUCK!" Judy yelled, the mammals going to the floor as a few stray shots came their way. But nothing could stop them now. Racing in faster than they had before, Skye even wondering if she'd accidentally busted the governor, they hit the buffers at the end of the tracks and ran straight over, the whole crane bucking up before grinding to a halt. The steel beams swung forward right into the gap as Jack leapt in and pressed the lower button. The ram rocked in, started to swing back out, its bottom hit the cleavage of the crack and screamed as it rubbed and sparked against it before grinding to a halt, a bridge now stretched between them and the beyond.
"GO GO GO!" Carmelita yelled, racing straight forward and out of a shattered front window, boots hitting the wide beams of metal as she raced on and up, the others leaping out and moving with her. Nick, Judy, Jack, Skye and Mr Fox, the mammal pausing mid stride as he glanced down, eyes focussing on a particular item laying on the floor, the vulpine locking its position in his mind. Rattigan may have forgotten it, but he would not as he leapt into the charging hall with the others. Behind him Marian leapt down with little John and Tigress to find their wounded comrade, giving the odd firework arrow shot down to help the final cleanup of the floor below, all as Sly, giving a hat mine down to help, raced on and up. Across the gantry, across the beams, ducking as a few attempted shots came his way. He raced past Carm as she followed in, ready to end this.
Not that it halted the battle on the outside. Jumping down, quarterstaff in paws, Little John smashed one of the remaining members of Rattigan's forces in the head, then knocked another off his feet with a backswing. One tried to raise a weapon in a last stand only to slump forwards, gun shooting up and over before he stumbled and fell, a tranq arrow in his back.
A jet of flame emerged, the crimson clad wolfess racing over, throwing a punch before sweeping a cut of flame from a paw-held thrower out in front of her, scaring off a group of mammals who dropped their guns and raced off, paws up.
"I must say once again, your reputation precedes you," the bear said, pausing as the wolfess came to a halt, a young raccoon clad up in his own superhero getup standing to attention next to her. The bear looked up. "He's a kit."
"A highly effective and dangerous one," he said, striking an action pose.
"Right I…" He began only to freeze, turning in horror as Tigress leapt out, Robin and Loxy in her paws.
"Robin!" John yelled, racing forward with Marian close next to him.
"Ha, it's good, I got…"
The captured criminal next to him gave him a kick, the wolfess walking over and wrestling him out. "I think I can look after this miscreant while you look after him. They have a field station down the other end, get him patched."
Tigress passed him over to John, the bear starting to race back down the other way, all as Tigress turned to the wolfess. "So the legends are true," she said.
The Dark Flame Wolf nodded, glaring as she turned to the injured fox in her paw.
"For his crimes," the feline began. "Will you…"
"While it would cause me no ungreat pleasure, no. I believe the city needs to see one of the liars who defiled it tried for his crimes publicly. Besides." She leant in. "Prison's aren't that hard to break into. One day, we might have a little chat about how you made my media company a laughing stock, injured my best newsreaders and threatened my skunk son!"
Tigress' jaw hit the floor. "That crazy DA was right, you are…"
"The real question is, what do you have to prove it," she said, smirking before freezing, turning away to the direction of the loading bay and lifts. Screams and orders began rising up from far away, a dozen or so armoured and clad ZPD riot officers pushing onward, only to be interrupted as what was left of Rattigan's crew were picked up by them or straight up surrendered, begging to them to protect them from her.
She thrust the injured fox into Tigress' paw. "That said, I would rather not have this action cause me to lose the life I've built for myself. Take him back, get him care, I…" She froze, paw going up to her ear. "Bentley has just hacked to reopen the other doors into the reactor." She turned down to Max, waving him on as the pair started to race off. "Those mammals inside should be able to stop it, but if they can't do it alone I'm…"
She froze.
Tigress froze.
The fighting and yelling and even the screams of pain froze.
All as a lightning crack and then a charged roar screamed out from behind the heavy steel doors towering above them. A brilliant terrible light shone out, crackling and snapping with the energy of untamed lightning. All as the roar grew, cold heat began to wash in their faces, the whole building starting to shake and rumble.
Frozen in place, trembling, Murana fell to her knees, the implacable vigilante grabbing the young raccoon next to him and holding him tight as she began to shuffle back. Tigress looked up, looked down at the fox in her paws, whatever victorious grin he might have had wiped away by a far more primeval sense of fear and awe. One that was chilling the tiger to the spine as well. "That's…" she began.
"The Thunderbird," The Dark Flame Wolf croaked in terror, shaking her head. "It's… It's -it's the Thunderbird. We failed. Rattigan's brought him back. He's here. Clockwerk is here."