by Darren Lewis
The younger rabbit's eyes widened in shock.
“Yes. We will surrender ourselves to mindless oblivion before surrendering knowledge of our brothers and sisters and the death of the world.”
The young rabbit swallowed and the old rabbit placed a paw on his shoulder.
“Let's make sure it doesn't come to that!” And he turned and swept a back leg at an appearing arm.
*
Plume's head cracked hard against the cold wall. His ears whined with the impact and he had trouble blinking the white light from his eyes. He'd rendered the first six humans unconscious or injured enough not to bother him easily enough, but a metal pole had thumped him from behind and no amount of acrobatics could keep his head from hitting the wall.
“Humans!” He spat. “Bloody sneaky.” Plume rose to all fours on trembling legs but his balance was out of kilter and he stumbled backwards and onto the wall again. He growled as his legs overruled his will and his rear end hit the floor with a soft bump. One human, a woman carrying one of those horrid poles inched her way towards Plume. Plume's eyes didn't leave her as he placed a paw on the back of his head and then showed her the blood that soaked the fur on it. “I've never spilt human blood.” Plume called to the woman who stopped her creeping advance in wonder as she was spoken to by a rabbit. He then shrugged. “Only hit them a bit, possibly a few broken bones. But today would be a good day to start.”
The woman came closer, the leather collar shaking as she trembled in nervous excitement and a little fear. Plume lifted his staff and then laughed with the hopelessness of his situation, he couldn't even throw it from the awkward position he was in. He sighed and rested his head gently against the wall. The woman came closer.
*
Rox scampered under the trucks without being spotted and headed towards the doors. If she or Plume couldn't open them they would have no choice but to surrender, but not in a way that would benefit the Institute. Seeing her mother alive but as normal as any wild rabbit had convinced Rox it was the only way to save her warren and protect the knowledge of all the special warrens around the world.
The red light that bathed everything in the warehouse fluttered briefly and then every red bulb mounted to the wall went dark. Rabbits and humans alike called out in shock at this new development and Rox felt her eyes widening to desperately find a glimmer of light to see. A burst of static caused every creature in the warehouse to jerk in shock.
“Rox? That is your name isn't it? Rox.” A woman's voice called into the darkness. It echoed around the warehouse and Rox froze. “Come on now. Don't be shy.” The voice enticed. “Just speak up, I can hear you.”
Rox crept slowly from the underside of the truck and looked up into the dark.
“Yes?”
“Rox. It's a pleasure to meet you. Now I don't have a lot of time, neither do you and neither does Eleanor. Here's what I want you to do. Surrender yourself to my agents and enter quarantine and you'll succeed in two things. One, Eleanor, her dragon and thousands of innocent people will not be at the centre of a nuclear blast and two, I will order my agents to stand down on retrieving your son.”
Shouts and cries from the rabbits sounded out in the dark and Rox felt her legs tremble as the words heard seemed to knock her into the ground.
“Tick tock, tick tock, little Rox.” The voice teased.
“Shut up!” A new voice called out and Rox's heart skipped a beat as she recognised her partner's acerbic tone. “Sodding humans.”
Rox pinpointed Plume with her ears and started a slow walk to him.
“Don't you dare, Rox!” Plume continued. “You listen to me, weird voice talking from the wall woman, Eleanor I'm sure is more than capable of taking care of you and if you go near my son I will personally ram my staff up your…!”
“Plume!” Rox stopped him.
“Decision time, Rox! Now!”
Rox sniffed and smiled slightly.
“Plume.” She whispered, she heard a sharp intake of breath followed by a sly chuckle.
“Hi, darling.” Plume replied nonchalantly. “Don't do it, Rox.” Plume pleaded, his voice becoming low and serious. Rox reached out and found her partner's ears. “Careful.” He whispered. “My head hurts.”
“Rox!” The voice echoed once again.
“I know you.” Rox called out. “Isabelle. One of Eleanor's closest friends.”
“What does a small little rabbit know?” Isabelle cried.
“I've seen it.” Rox said into the darkness. “The orb showed me. I know what happened to your mother and what you became and I'm sorry.”
“You know nothing.” Isabelle said in a deathly quiet tone.
“I know the pain of loss. I know Eleanor and Ellie,” Rox felt Plume's paw upon hers. “And I trust her.”
The warehouse was silent as if every creature, rabbit or human held their breath.
“Very well.” Isabelle said and the lights flickered back to normal without the red flashes. “Continue the quarantine.” She ordered her staff. “Dispose of the black rabbit.” And all heard the abrupt click as the speakers were switched off.
Plume grunted as he levered himself up and leaned heavily on his staff. Rox looked at her battered partner, her eyes spinning with worry.
“Don't worry.” Plume said. “We still have Fern.” And he turned to the woman who'd crouched down when the lights had gone out. “Ready when you are.” Instead of approaching cautiously the woman rushed at Rox and Plume and both backed up against the wall.
“I love you, Plume.”
Plume smiled and held Rox close, then both rabbits screamed as the metal doors either side of them blew inwards. The woman was thrown far into the warehouse, her terrified yell lost in the blast and tortured screech of metal. With ringing ears and watering eyes both rabbits watched dark figures pour into the building and a voice shouting.
“Forward!”
Fern
Fern tapped his staff, Seren on the massive steel door. The reverberation chimed like a deep bell in the house's hallway. Fern's exploration of the empty house had been uneventful until he'd happened upon the door the human's outside had spoken about. Though Fern possessed little to no knowledge on human habitations the door stuck out like a sore ear and its importance was great enough for the figures in black to have mentioned it.
As silence fell on the house Fern placed a paw and the tip of his staff against the cold steel. He whispered gently into the still air causing the staff to glow a bright white. Fern's words grew louder and the staff responded. Then with one final word of command the white light left the staff and raced onto the door. The white energy crackled and fizzed at it ran and spat its way to the very edges of the door. The brightness caused Fern to squint as his spell sought entry through the door via a crack or tiny hole in the wall.
The light pulsed as such a breach was discovered near one of the huge door's hinges and like water disappearing into a plughole the spell swirled and washed its way in. Fern heard several soft knocks and odd whirrings as the spell attempted to find a path to the opposite side of the door. Fern closed his eyes and saw through the eyes of the white light. He saw mechanical objects he didn't recognise and had no clue as to their workings as the light zipped at speed around the innards of the door. The spell moved faster and faster seeking escape from its prison of metal and Fern became dizzy and leaned against the door. The light jumped almost in excitement as a hole the size of a pinprick was detected and it rushed to remove itself from the door and the room beyond.
Fern blew out a breath and eased himself to the floor. The light slowed and almost gently descended the stairs, occasionally brushing against the walls causing Fern to lean left or right as he maintained control over his spell. The light reached the foot of the stairs and Fern gasped at the size of the immense room hidden away underneath this house. Though unrecognisable to Fern computer monitors and hardware were crammed into one corner and close by, sleeping bodies. Fern directed the light to them and he smiled as he
saw Flare, Rox and Plume's son, sleeping peacefully. Five humans were also asleep and Fern took his best guess that this was Ellie's family.
Fern opened his eyes and blinked rapidly in the dark hallway. Rox had entrusted him to find Ellie and help her if possible but considering how strange the situation in this house was he was unsure of what to do. Should he stay and guard her family and Flare or should he make his way back to the warren and find Rox? Fern was so caught up in his own thoughts that at first he didn't hear or register the heavy footfalls coming from the kitchen and it was the voice of the man Fern had listened to earlier that jolted him into action.
“Yes we're back onsite with the tech team. Yes, ma'am I understand Sloan has been removed. I'll report back shortly.”
Fern made a quick dash for the room opposite the kitchen and just managed to hide before a torch swept the hall and doorway he'd rushed for.
“Okay, it's all yours. Operations wants entry as quickly as possible.”
Over his rapidly beating heart Fern heard metallic taps from the hallway.
“We'll do our best.” Fern heard another voice respond.
“I suggest you do better than that.” The original voice advised and Fern saw the torchlight sweep away and back into the kitchen. A long and disgruntled sigh came from the hallway.
“Better than my best? Idiots. Right what do we have here then?”
Fern eased himself slowly to the floor and steadied his breathing. His choice had been made for him, he would stay here in case these people got through the door. He would protect Flare and Ellie's family. With that Fern held his staff close to his chest and offered a prayer to The White and Grey.
The Institute
Dana shoved the doors open viciously to the geek squad's offices.
“Sloan sent you a message!” she shouted without preamble. “What did it say?”
A cough from her left made Dana turn her fierce gaze on the team leader.
“Uh, he asked me to send the city holding facility's schematics to Anthony, actually,” and the team leader added a bit smugly, “I had to decipher that a bit. Mr. Sloan's typing is atrocious!” This was met by a few laughs from around the office until they realised Dana's expression had become pale and furious.
“Did you? Did you send them?” She whispered into the new found silence in the room. The team leader swallowed nervously.
“Of course. Why wouldn't I?”
Dana took a deep breath and let it out steadily through her nose. With her stare never leaving the team leader she flipped her mobile phone open and dialled.
“We may be compromised. Anthony has the schematics to the building.” Such was the silence now in the room every member of the geek squad heard the tinny voice responding.
“It doesn't matter. The timer cannot be stopped and I can override from here if necessary.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
*
Sloan groaned and winced as he felt the knot on his forehead. He wasn't sure what had happened, he remembered trying to send a text, but to whom? With a great deal of effort Sloan focused his eyes on his desk and retrieved his phone. It took a few attempts as his eyes kept blurring in and out of focus but he pressed buttons until he found the correct menu and message.
'Snd plans cty hldng 2 Antjot' He shook his head and groaned in pain. Who was Antjot? He looked over to his computer screen and saw a camera feed from the holding facility and a spark ignited in his memory. Of course. Plans of the building. A nuclear bomb was going to be detonated, but how long ago was that?
Sloan pushed himself up and his entire office tilted and he fought against the urge to be sick and collapse. He walked around his desk with both hands laid flat against the surface and then pushed away towards the door. With a loud grunt of effort he grabbed the door handle but did not open the door, instead he leaned over and punched in a number slowly and carefully into a recessed keypad on the wall, cursing softly when he had to start again as his vision was still moving like a child's swing. Confident the correct code was in he hit a green button. A message flashed up on a tiny screen.
Are you sure (y/n)
Sloan nodded to himself gently and pressed the green button again. Alarms started to whoop and wail throughout the building. Maybe this Isabelle and Dana weren't as smart as they thought. If it had been him he would've cancelled his security clearance immediately.
Sloan slumped to the floor. There was no way he could make it out of the building let alone the city in time but he wanted to give as many people as possible the chance to get away or underground. He thought about what the orb had shown him and wished he could do more but unconsciousness was tugging at him, beckoning him into the bleak oblivion.
Before passing out Sloan thought about the streets of the city. The mass panic involved in what he'd done but he could see no other option. The code he'd input was a special scenario dreamt up a few years ago when his computer system was finally online. It was a programme designed for when the Institute needed to infiltrate or gain command over a large area of land, maybe even a city like this. It would send out emails, text messages, video messages to every social media site and news outlet in the country that a major terrorist attack was underway. Videos produced by the Institute itself of bombings, shootings, rioting were sent out to convince the populace these events were underway. Eventually eyewitnesses, police and the news stations would transmit the truth but by then the Institute would've cleared the area and the whole situation deemed a hoax of the worst kind. Sloan hoped it would help clear the city or at least save a few lives.
With a small sigh Sloan let the black of sleep embrace him.
The Holding Facility
Three minutes left! Eleanor thought as she and Anthony rushed down a metal staircase to the holding facility's basement. A part of her screamed at her to get away. Climb on Cole's back and leave. But she would never leave, she couldn't.
With a jump Eleanor landed on the concrete floor of the basement. Anthony came up beside her and examined his phone. Breathing hard and willing with all her might for Anthony to be quicker she cast a quick look around the basement. It was the same size as every floor in the building but empty and dank. Over her breathing she heard the hum of machinery emanating from several large doors around the room. Anthony looked over and pointed at one specific door.
“Are you sure? We only have one chance with this!” She asked, Anthony nodded his confirmation and they both ran to their right.
Cole! When it gets down to thirty seconds take Cassandra and the orb and find Ellie.
I'm not leaving you here! Cole protested.
You don't have a choice, my love. If Ellie succeeds in releasing the rabbits she will come here next and you have to stop her doing that!
Cole was silent for a moment but Eleanor could sense his distress in leaving his rider behind.
Okay. Cole whispered.
Anthony ran ahead of Eleanor and yanked open the door to what looked like a small cupboard. On the wall was a computer monitor displaying a clock. It currently read 0:59 and was running down, second by second.
“What?” Eleanor said to herself. “But there's nothing here. Just a screen!” She turned to Anthony. “Is there a room behind this? Somewhere else a bomb could be down here or anywhere?”
Anthony studied his phone, the light from the screen highlighting the worry in his eyes. He looked up at her and shook his head.
Cole. Go now. We can't find this bomb. She told her dragon remorsefully.
I can come down there and get you!
No! I don't want you flying blind after all these years. Get to Ellie, please. Cassandra should know where the eastern facility is. Eleanor's thought came out with a sob and Anthony laid a comforting hand on her shoulder as the timer read 0:31.
Okay. Please keep talking to me, Ellie.
I will. Eleanor sat down and closed her eyes. She felt Anthony's presence next to her and she reached out to hold his hands. She immediately saw through her dragon's eyes as he li
fted Cassandra onto his back and used the immense room this building gave to launch into the air and open a dragon thread.
Thank you, Cole. I love you so much. I'm so sorry I messed up everything.
No! Of course you didn't! You're the finest rider a dragon could hope for.
Eleanor smiled as she watched the bleakness of the room above rip open to reveal the swirl of the dragon thread through Cole's vision.
That's beautiful.
Anthony coughed and Eleanor opened her eyes and saw him point at the timer, it read 0:06.
Goodbye, my love. Eleanor whispered and she heard the roar of Cole's grief as he emerged into blinding daylight.
Goodbye. The orb added sadly.
The Eastern Facility
“Rox?”
The black rabbit lifted her head but kept her paw on her mother's back to allay any fear. Despite her sorrow at losing her mother again, but this time in spirit and not in body, she was glad to see Ellie emerge from the dark building and gave her friend a small smile.
Rox hadn't seen much after the doors had been blasted off the walls and the army came marching in. Plume had pushed her over and then protected her from whatever was happening next with his own body. Fortunately it was nothing bad for the rabbits but Rox had heard the shrieks and screams from the people who'd been trying to capture the rabbits as the cracking, crumbling warriors surrounded them one at a time. By then Ellie had entered the building and was busy guiding the rabbits to the relative safety of the outside world.
“How is she?” Ellie whispered, moving slowly now so as not to frighten Storm.
“Scared but physically fine.” Rox shrugged and then she sighed. “I just can't believe I've lost her twice now.” Ellie opened her mouth to speak but found no words of comfort forthcoming, what could she say?
“Everyone's here.” Plume announced, limping over to the small group making Storm flinch slightly. “Now what?” He asked. “The warren is gone. These people,” and Plume lifted a paw to the building, “know about us.”