Maine: The County

Originally appeared on alt.devilbunnies in installments from October, 1996 thorugh January, 1997 in 52 parts. Copyright 1996-1997, Scott Bernier. HTML-ized February 24-27 ,1997.

Thanks to Wynn and Remus Shepard for their permission to use and/or mention their characters within the story.

This is my longest and most serious story to date involving any of my characters. This one centers around Major Steve Blake reuniting with his family for the first time in almost four years and they don't know he's become a devilbunny, nor do they know about the devilbunny threat, but they learn about it quickly the hard way...read on.

"The County" as most Mainahs referred to Aroostook was like a different country compared to the rest of Maine. The land was flat or nearly flat with gentle rolls with potato fields as far as the eye could see. This time of year, the potato harvest was winding down, so most of those fields were brown and barren. Almost every farm one past on the road had a small stand with potatoes and other vegetables for sale all on the honor system. If you stopped to buy something you left your payment in the coffee can provided.

In Aroostook, there were two major ways of life or so it seemed. Either you were a farmer or a State Trooper. As such, the Fudds had to watch their speed on the trip up through The County for the last 90 miles of their drive after leaving the Interstate in Houlton. This made what Blake had estimated would be a four hour drive become a 5 hour drive.

Old memories of the former Fudd base at Limestone AFB flashed through Blake's mind as they passed by the shut-down base. Limestone had been Oullette's command before LuFI. The area around Limestone had become a ghost town since its closing. One rumor after another had surfaced since then to redevelop the air base, but like most every other hope for prosperity up in Aroostook, none of them seemed to make it beyond the rumor stage.

Not twenty minutes later, the entourage pulled into the Blake Farm near the town of Caswell Plantation. The farm house and out buildings were all painted white. The house itself had a granite foundation which dated it to the early 1800's. Unlike most other farms in the area, this one did not have a roadside stand. In the fields out back, there were workers harvesting potatoes. In another nearby field, a tractor was tilling-under the remains of a broccoli crop that had been left behind after the harvest and had been killed by frost.

"All eese clear." Pvt Blanc stated after turning on a cuteness geometer for a moment. Blake nodded to Captain Stickney who got-out of the tinted glass van and made his way towards the porch door of the farm house. He was in full, regulation Air Force uniform. He knocked and a woman in her early thirties opened the door and stared for a moment.

"George? George Stickney?" her eyes brightened for a moment.

"Hello Carolyn," he replied as they hugged.

The merriment left her eyes quickly. "You're a little late. I got the news over two months ago, though I refused to believe it."

Captain Stickney sighed. "Well, that's partially why I'm here, but it's not quite as you think. May I come in and explain?"

Carolyn motioned George Stickney inside and he closed the door behind himself.

George Stickney sat down at the kitchen table removing his hat. Carolyn poured them each a cup of coffee before sitting down herself.

"Get on with it, George. Carry-out your orders so we can get down to talking about the good old days..."

"It's not like that at all, Carol." Stickney started.

"Don't bother trying to soften the blow, George," Carolyn sniffled. "They sent me notice of Steve's death soon after the explosion at Reese."

"What?!" Stickney nearly choked on his coffee. Carolyn handed him the official announcement of Blake's death from the Air Force.

"They said there was no body to recover..." Carolyn's eyes were full of tears. (sniff) "You're here to confirm this, aren't you?"

"Well, no." Before Carolyn could respond, Stickney asked, "Did Steve ever tell you about Devilbunnies?"

"Devilbunnies? No, what kind of nonsense is this?"

"I wish it were nonsense, Carol. Listen...." Stickney filled Carolyn in about the Evil that Fluffs™ . An hour past quickly.

"Wait, let me get this straight. These rabbits are attempting to subvert our race. They control the government, several large corporations, and are the 'evil' behind Barney?"

Stickney nodded in the affirmative. Carolyn cracked-up laughing.

"You always were good at spinning a whopper of a tale, George, but that takes all." (giggle) "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

Stickney sighed. "But I'm not joking. Colonel Oullette was using the Air Force as a front for his Fudd operations. When he had told you that Steve was going on a top secret, deep cover assignment, he was telling the truth, except that assignment was behind bunny-lines."

Carolyn continued to laugh. "You blew it, George. If these rabbits are intelligent as you say, how could a human get by their defenses and spy on them?"

Stickney sighed again and hesitated a moment. *Well, I've got to tell her sooner or later.* "Did I say a human? No, I said your husband, who's now also a devilbunny."

Carolyn's giggles ceased and if she had been drunk, she'd have sobered up instantly. "What?!"

"Steve contracted Bunnyvirus™ during the Waco Battle in '93."

"Hold-on, Bunnyvirus? What, pray-tell, is that?"

Stickney filled her in on Human-to-Lapine syndrome and how Steve's was apparently unaffected by the AntiBunnies™ antivirus...

"...and that's why he's been on 'deep assignment'. Until now, he's been afraid to come home in his current state. I more or less forced him to come. He doesn't wish to infect you or the kids...."

Carolyn just stared at him in disbelief. Slowly her face contorted in anger. Finally, she rasped.

"How dare you...how dare you attempt to patronize me by telling me such lies!" Her voice raised with every passing second. "How dare you disgrace Steve's honor with such bull[PiG-13]!" She continued to rant as George Stickney depressed a switch in his pocket activating a small microphone.

"Major, I've done what I can. She thinks I've made all this up to try and cheer her up over your death. It's time for you to lend some credibility to my fairytail."

"...get out of my house!" By this time Stickney was making his way hurriedly towards the door with Carolyn on his tail. "Get out and don't you ever show your face..." she began to yell at him as he opened the door to let himself out. The sight before Carolyn stopped her in mid-sentence. A rather large brown rabbit stood on the porch threshold looking-up at her. A smile was on the bunny's muzzle. He fluffed slightly, almost hesitantly. And spoke in a familar voice.

"Carolyn, your loverbuck is home."

Carolyn just stared for a moment, looked to George who shook his head in the affirmative. She then turned back to the bun.

"Steve?" she asked hesitantly.

(sighfluff) "Yes, it's me, dear."

Carolyn fainted clear away.

Stickney caught Carolyn and laid her down gently as Steve rushed forward.

"It's to be expected, Steve," George said as he fanned Carolyn.

Steve rushed into the house to get a glass of water. The feat took some ingenuity since the house wasn't adapted for use by a bunny. Carolyn was just coming around as Steve returned slightly wet himself, having to fill the glass three times and spilling it twice attempting to get down off the counter.

"Must have been awful stuffy in there..." she commented to George and stopped in mid-sentence as a brown bun extended a clawed paw entwined glass to her lips. "It..it wasn't a dream..."

(sighfluff) "I wish it were just a dream, Carol. You're just as beautiful as when I had last left you...."

George helped Carolyn to her feet. The three of them moved back into the kitchen.

"But how?"

"As Joe explained, an accident. My division's assignment to Waco back in April, 1993 had nothing to do with the Branch Davidians. We used that as an excuse/cover for a battle we fought against the devilbunnies nearby. We won, but I fell during battle. Thought I was dead for sure. When I awoke at the medical center at LuFI/Reese, I wished I had died, for this" Steve grabbed his pelt. "is how I had awaken."

Steve went on to give her a brief history of what he had done in the past three and half years. The spy missions. His kisses with death on more than one occasion. How much he missed her and the kids, but feared to come home and reveal the truth. Carolyn just sat in silence as Steve told his story.

When he had finished, she remained silent. Steve got up and made as though to leave.

"Wait..." Steve paused and Carolyn continued. "I'm sorry, Steve," tears filled Carolyn's eyes. "I..I just don't know how to react. Three years ago my husband disappears on a top secret assignment for the Air Force. I figured, probably Area 51 or something...then In August I receive official notice that my husband was killed in the Reese explosion. Then an old friend of the family shows-up today and tells me the Air Force had lied, that my husband was alive, but he's now a rabbit. Then said rabbit appears on my doorstep to confirm all this. How would you react?" She sniffled, got up and approached Steve.

"I'm overjoyed that you're alive, but what would the neighbors think? How would the kids react? How..how.." She scooped Steve up off the floor and hugged him close, dampening his fur with tears. Steve hugged back, being careful not to extend his claws.

"For now we don't tell them or the kids. We'll figure something out, if the experiment doesn't work."

"Experiment?" She pulled him out at arms length and looked him in the eyes. "What experiment?"

"I don't have the full details, but some scientists at a Fudd research facility believe they may be able to change me back. That is, if I volunteer as their guinea rabbit."

Carolyn's emotions changed from tears to distress/confusion/anger. "Don't you go and get yourself killed on me now that I've just got you back!"

"Carol, I'm going to get as full details as possible before letting them get so much as a needle near me. There are risks involved. But even if all they can do is neutralize the virus in me so that I'm no longer a carrier, it's a start. Especially now that I know that you still love me..."

Steve couldn't talk further as he was embraced in another hug. George Stickney left the two alone in the kitchen for a while as he moved back out onto the porch giving orders to the other Fudds to disperse out on the farm grounds. He forwarded some cash to the foreman of the farm workers to allow the LuFI Fudds to intermingle with the migrant harvesters while the Lumberjacks headed for the farm woodlot.

The foreman waited until Stickney wandered back to the farmhouse before he activated the small laptop in his truck.

*****BUNIX TIGHTBEAM TO TOBIQUE WARREN*****

Master Lapin,

Fudds! 21 Fudds are on the Blake farm here in Caswell Plantation, just over the border. They are led by a Captain George Stickney. What am I to do?

Labor Foreman Don Charette

*****END TIGHTBEAM AND ENCRYPTION*****

[Five minutes later...]

*****REPLY BUNIX TIGHTBEAM*****

Mr. Charette,

(praisefluff) Good work. You'll make a good bunny yet. For now do nothing, but keep your eyes and ears open. We'll deal with these Fudds (STOMP!).

Cmdr Lapin,. Tobique Warren

*****END TIGHTBEAM AND ENCRYPTION*****

Lapin turned to the comm tech next to him. "I want everything there is in the computer system on this Blake farm. See if this Blake may be related to the Fudd, Major Blake. If so," (deviousfluff) "we'll be doing more than eliminating a few Fudd monkey pests from our territory."

(salutefluff) "Immediately sir!"

After dealing with the foreman and sending the Lumberjack Fudds off into the woodlot, George Stickney headed back into the kitchen of the Blake farmhouse and walked into the middle of a conversation.

"...so what are we going to tell the kids, Steve?"

(sighfluff) "Nothing at first. I'm Uncle Joe's pet he brought along for the visit."

"What?" Stickney interrupted. Carolyn and Steve turned to George.

"Well, what would you do, George?" Steve replied. "We can't exactly tell them immediately that their father is a bunny. As much as I'd hate to do it, I'll have to act like a cute normal bunny for now."

George looked out the window. "Guess we'll have to go with that, for here comes the school bus now."

Carolyn jumped up. "So soon...didn't you two just get here?" She looked-up at the clock, 3:15pm. She and Steve had spent many hours talking. Before any further comments could be made, the kitchen door flew open and two voices called-out, "Hi, Mom, we're home! UNCLE STINKY!"

Matt and Julie leaped at Geoge Stickney and hugged him. Joe grimaced at the nickname he had inherited on his last visit to the farm when he had encountered a rather upset skunk...not to mention that at the time, Matt couldn't pronounce Stickney and wound-up pronouncing it Stinky instead and the name stuck.

"It's been so long since you last visited us! What have you been up to? How long are you going to be here? Been any cool places since then? Bring us anything?..." Stickney gave a pleading look to Carolyn and Steve and mouthed 'Help me'. Steve in the meantime got down off the chair quietly and onto the floor.

"One at a time! Let me get a look at you two rugrats. Wow, have you two grown. Last time I was here, you, Julie were shorter than Matt is now. And Matt only came-up to here." Stickney exaggerated on how short Matt had been by holding his hand down nearly to his own knee. "As to how long I'll be visiting, if all goes well, maybe a week."

Both kids cheered. Then Julie noticed Steve. "A bunny! You brought us a bunny!" She swept Steve off his paws before he could react and started to hug him awkwardly. Steve *ooffed*. Julie looked Steve over. "My you're a big one." Matt began rubbing Steve's back.

"I hate to disappoint you two, but BrownPaw is my pet. I brought him along for the visit, but he's going to be leaving with me." Matt and Julie pouted slightly. "However, he will be here for the week anyway. Before I completely loose the subject, how old are you two now?"

"I'm turned eight two months ago!" Matt replied, holding up 8 fingers. "Ten," Julie replied, "Is BrownPaw one of those D.B. Bunnies, Uncle Stinky?"

Both Carolyn and George stammered. "Is he a what?"

"A D.B. Bunny," Julie said again. "My friend Cathy at school brought in her D.B. Bunny for show and tell last week. It could talk and performed tricks. It was so cool."

A worried expression fell across Carolyn's, George's and Blake's faces. An uncommunicated message flashed from eyes to eyes among the three.

"Why don't you ask BrownPaw for yourself, Julie."

Julie held Steve out in both her hands and looked him over. He (fluffled) in anxiety. "BrownPaw, are you a D. B. Bunny?"

Steve hesitated a moment. *If you tell anyone about this performance, Joe, I'll kill you,* he thought to himself. He contemplated using his regbun act, but didn't think he could keep it up, so he simply answered in a bunny-cute voice.

(startlefluff) "I think so..."

Matt squealed with delight. Julie accidentally dropped Steve in her excitement. Steve landed on all four paws. She was immediately on the floor near him her excitement replaced with tears.

"I didn't mean to drop you...are you alright, BrownPaw?"

Steve (hop-spinfluff)ed for a moment acting as if he was testing each paw for injury. He answered throwing a little of Roger Rabbit into his voice. "I'm alright. But pppllllleeeeaaaassssseeee be more careful, Julie."

"I want to hold him next!" Matt charged forward.

"No, I had him first!" Julie answered.

The two began to argue. (STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!) Both stopped at the sound of Steve slamming his rear paws on the floor.

"No fighting you two. I'm Unke Stinky's first!" Steve immediately leaped into a startled Stickney's arms and snuggled. "It's going to be a long week I can see," he mumbled into Stickney's ear.

Picking-up on the unannounced cue, Carolyn jumped in. "Don't you two have homework to do?" Cries of dismay issued forth. "Now, now, you know you have to do your homework before you can play. Now off you two to your rooms and get that homework done." Matt and Julie left the kitchen without further protest.

As soon as the kids left, Steve turned to Carolyn. "Thanks, dear."

"Not a problem. I don't need my husband killed by two kids loving him on his first visit in three years. Besides, rules are rules and homework always comes before play."

Steve nodded. "Uncle Stinky, I mean, George." Steve chuckled. "I haven't heard that nickname in a long time. George, check into this D.B. Bunny situation. I want to know how much bunny activity there may be up here."

"I'll get right on it, Steve, er, BrownPaw."

"Carolyn, dear, it's good to be home."

"What did you find, comm tech?"

"It appears, sir, that this Carolyn Blake is the husband of Major Steve Blake. However, that information was well hidden and would explain how she and her two children escaped our attention until now."

"Children? How many?" (deviousfluff)

"Two. A male, Matt, age eight, and a female, Julie, age ten."

"Age ten...she wouldn't happen to be in Ms. Folgerty's class, now would she?"

"Just one moment, sir." (click, click, click) "Why, yes, she is. The very classroom that Agent Sugartail visited last week."

Cmdr Lapin rubbed his paws in expectation. "Excellent. I want you to contact Agent Sugartail immediately. I've got a new assignment for her."

(salutefluff) "Yes, sir."

Steve was exhusted. He played with his two children until their bedtime and helped tuck both of them in, hugging them both. They both understood, that he had his own little bed to sleep in that Uncle "Stinky" had brought along. He slept soundly that night.

The following morning, he waved the two off from the kitchen window and turned to business. Before Stickney could present the report he had requested the previous day, the laptop signalled an incoming message.

>*****Priority One Tightbeam to Major Steve Blake*****
>*****BUNNYSTUMPER DELUXE (TM) activated*****
>Major, Maine Fudd Vol. HQ is currently under attack. Please respond...
>
>Cprl O'Keefe for SGT Pomerleau
>*****End tightbeam and encryption*****

Steve paled under his fur and (STOMPED!) in frustration. "They would attack the one time I'm not on base!" He turned the laptop around for George Stickney to read while Steve prepared his response in his head as the phone rang, which Carolyn answered.

"Hello?" (pause) "What do you mean she didn't show-up for class?" A worried expression fell across her face. "But I saw her and Matt get on the bus this morning." (pause) "Matt is in class, but doesn't remember when Julie disappeared?" (pause) "Is there anything else you could tell me?" (pause) "No, I doubt she went-out looking for it with her. She and Cathy are good friends, but that's not like her." (pause) "I'll send-out the farm hands immediately to look for her." Carolyn hung-up the phone, her face was as pale as a ghost's.

She turned to Steve and George. "Julie's missing." is all she stammered.

"What?" Steve leaped-up.

Carolyn collected her senses before continuing. "She didn't show-up for class. She did get-off the bus, but she never went inside the school. Matt didn't notice that she didn't follow him."

Steve was clawing into the chair he was perched on. "Is there anything else?"

"Cathy, Julie's friend at school, is also missing. Her mother thinks she may have gone-off looking for her pet rabbit, who apparently got out of the house last night."

Steve splintered the armrests of the kitchen chair. "They got her...they [PiG-13] figured it out already and have got her!" (STOMP!)

"Who, what?" Carolyn stammered.

Steve turned to the laptop and began typing away. "Didn't you hear Julie yesterday? Cathy has a D.B Bunny for a pet. A devilbunny agent most likely. That bun has kidnapped our baby and her friend!" His claws snicked in and out rapidly, punching holes in some of the keys on the laptop. "I'm going to get her back! Stickney, I want you to find the leak on the farm. One of the farm hands must be a bunny symp."

Steve hit the send key as he said this.

*****BUNNYSTUMPER DELUXE ACTIVATED*****
*****REPLY TO SGT POMERLEAU*****

Sergeant, I have a Priority Code Pink (STOMP!) situation up here in the County. You're on your own. Good Luck!

Major Steve Blake
*****END TIGHTBEAM AND ENCRYPTION*****

"George, get my gear out of the van, I'm going undercover! In the meantime, I'll read these reports you pulled-up for me. And this afternoon, I want you and Carolyn to personally pick-up Matt from school."

"Where are we going, Cathy?"

"Sugartail has heard word that her friend is ill. We're going to go visit him."

Julie sighed. "But where is that?"

SugarTail (hopspinfluffed) "St. Andre in New Brun..brun..brunssswick. Don't worry, it isn't much further."

"But shouldn't we have just asked our parents to bring us? And we skipped-out on school. Mrs. Folgerty will notice us missing."

(nosetwitch) "Don't be silly, dear. You know how grown-ups can be at times. Besides we won't be there for long." (reassuringfluff) "And you won't get in trouble. If you do, I'll take the blame."

"But how are we going to get over the border?" Julie persisted. "Mom's taken me to the mall in Woodstock before. There are people at the border who check to make sure you aren't a bad guy there. And they won't let us over without a grown-up."

"Ah, here we are," Sugartail stated as she approached an old tree stump. She looked about and gestured to Cathy and Julie to come closer.

"Do you like secrets?" (gigglefluff) She paused for a moment. "We aren't going to go over the border, we're going under it!" With that she inserted two claws into a hairline crack in the top of the stump and opened a secret door. She looked at the opening and then at the two girls. "It might be a bit tight. After all it was built for bunnies, not girls. But you should be able to squeeze through." (bateyelasheshopfluff) "I'll go first."

With that, Sugartail hopped down into the doorway. (thump) "Well, come'on." (waveonfluff)

Cathy and Julie looked to each other and then climbed through. Sugartail closed the door behind them. They were in a dimly lit passage way. Sugartail gestured to them to follow her down the passage way, which ended in about 500 yards in what looked like a subway station. Before them a bright pink vehicle sat on what looked like some sort of monorail track. As they approached, lights in the vehicle came on and a door opened, lowering a ramp down to the ground.

"What do you think?" (fluffle)

"This is so cool!" Cathy exclaimed. "It's just like the stories you told me! Words don't begin to describe it, Sugartail. Is it true as to where we could go in this bunnymover?"

"Bunnymover?" Julie asked.

"Yes, Cathy, we could travel anywhere in North America in the bunnymover system. I'll explain more, on the trip to St Andre, Julie. D.B. Bunnies don't have guards at the Canadian border. Get in."

Cathy didn't need an invitation. She was in and fastening her seatbelt quickly. "Look, the seats are our size! And there's VCR and tapes in here. This is going to be fun! Come on Julie."

Julie hesitated a moment before getting in. She sat down as Sugartail got in last with the doors closing behind her. She hopped-up to the front of the bunnymover car and pawed some commands into a tiny keyboard, before joining them in the back. The vehicle hummed for a moment, before lifting up on the magnetic rail and glided forward down the dimly lit tunnel, picking-up speed quickly.

"Can we go to Disney World?" Cathy asked. "You promised to take me."

"Perhaps during your Christmas break, Cathy. Remember, we're going to go visit my friend."

"Yeah, that's right."

"So how fast are we going?" Julie asked as she watched the lighting in the tunnel blur by.

Sugartail hopped back to the front briefly. "Oh, about 120 mph."

Cathy squealed with delight. "Cool! Can we go any faster?"

"This bunnymover can move around 300 mph if we wanted to, but there's no need for that for this short trip." Sugartail hopped back and buckled-up. "See, we're already slowing down."

The bunnymover came to a stop in another subway-like station like the one they left in, except this one had many bunnies in it. The door opened to let them depart.

"Step lively, it's easy to get lost in the crowd," Sugartail stated.

"Sugartail!" Before Sugartail could react, another bun had bowled her over. "You're back so soon! But I thought things were working-out between you and Cathy...." The bun trailed-off as she noticed the two human children getting out of the car.

"Cathy, Julie, this is my sister, PlumFlower. PlumFlower, this is Cathy and her friend Julie. We've come to see Lapin. How's he feeling?" (concernedfluff)

(gladtomeetyoufluff) "Lapin has been very ill, Sugartail, but as soon as he heard you were coming, he started to get better."

(winkfluff) "That's so good to hear!" (happyspinpoof) "Let him know I'm here."

"Will do, sis." PlumFlower disappeared into the crowd of bunnies.

"This way, Cathy and Julie." Sugartail escorted the two through the crowd and down a tunnel.

> "George, get my gear out of the van, I'm going undercover! In the meantime,
>I'll read these reports you pulled-up for me. And this afternoon, I want you and
>Carolyn to personally pick-up Matt from school."

Noontime came quickly at the Blake Farm. Steve sat back in exhusted frustration. They had little to go as far as Bunny activity in The County and all that information was from the old Northen Maine Fudds data base and ten years out-of-date. There were a few sporadic reports over the years filed by various independant Fudds about suspected activity over the border, particularly near and to the north of the Tobique River valley and down towards Woodstock, but even that information was several years old.

Captian Stickney walked in. "How goes it?" he asked.

Steve simply sighed.

George put a hand on Steve's fur as close to where his shoulder would be if he were human. "Then it will be like the old days. You've been able to find more with less of a lead than this. You'll get her back."

Steve looked-up to his comrade and simply made eye contact in reply. There was an akward pause before Steve asked, "Have you found the leak, yet?"

"No, though I suspect one of the farm hands and I'm conducting background checks on all of them. None of them know yet from us or Carolyn that Julie is missing yet. Nor have any of them seen you yet."

"Good, keep it that way, at least until after school let's out. Looks like that's where I'll have to start."

"Welcome back, SugarTail," Lapin greeted as SugarTail entered his burrow-office. "You're guests are settling in I assume."

"Of course, Commander Lapin." (stiffattentionfluff)

(tsktskfluff) "Why so formal all of a sudden?" Lapin hopped closer and attempted to nuzzle SugarTail who in turn ignored the affection. Lapin sighed. "Have you grown too close to the monkey kit?"

SugarTail glared at him. "Permission to speak freely?"

"You've always been allowed to do so in my office."

"By bringing Cathy here so soon, it could ruin the whole time schedule we had set for the conversion of her family. Her family has probably already panicked over her disappearance. If anything should go wrong to her or her friend while they're here," (STOMP!) "it'll ruin 10 months of work! Cathy wasn't scheduled for a tour of our warren for another 8 to 10 months from now! Why? Why did you interfere in my time schedule? And why did I have to bring her friend along, who obviously knows little about us, other then her brief exposure to me during 'Show and Tell' in her class last week?!" (STOMP!) (fumingmadfluffle)

Lapin kept his calm during the doe's outburst. He then pawed a small file folder to SugarTail. "Read this, it should answer most of your questions. Go ahead, sit and browse through it."

SugarTail took the folder marked 'Top Secret, Security Clearance Triple Pink'. She opened it up and looked through it. (wham!) She looked-up at Lapin.

"I..I don't believe it." (stammerfluff) "If this were true, how could I have infiltrated Cathy's home for so long without attracting their attention? And..and..if Julie's father is a Fudd, how come he hasn't struck-out against us already?"

"Those are questions I can't answer, yet. That's where Julie comes in. You will keep our guests company for the coming week. Teach them all about warren life. I'm sure it won't take that long to attract the attention of the traitorbun."

"According to this information, this Steve Blake's wife may not even know he's alive, never mind working for the Fudds."

"Oh, my intelligence sources state otherwise. A group of Fudds arrived at the Blake farm yesterday under the command of this monkey," Lapin pawed a photograph to SugarTail. "Captain George Stickney, formerly of Lubbock Fudd Intelligence and Northern Maine Fudd Command." (STOMP!) "We'll take him-out also, but not before he contacts the traitorbun."

"So what about the human kits?"

"Keep them pacified to an extent. Show them how wonderful warren life is. If you've worked as well as usual with Cathy, she'll probably be ready to convert by the end of the week and then we can round-up her parents. As for Julie, she's simply bait for the real prize." (waveofffluff) After the traitorbun is captured, I could care less what's done to her."

(hesitantfluff)

"Is there a problem with your orders?" (glare)

"No, sir." SugarTail left.

"Let me out here." (commandfluff) "I'll contact you when the time's right."

"Good luck, Steve, and Elh'mar speed." Stickney drove-off leaving Steve Blake behind in some bushes near the Limestone Elementary school. Steve looked about cautiously and sniffed the air. A devilbunny's sense of smell is stronger than that of a human, but not as strong as some other species. It didn't help that it was beginning to drizzle, also. He moved about quietly and carefully from bush to bush until he found what he was looking for, devilbunny tracks...leading eastward along with two sets of shoe prints.

"Hold on, Julie, Daddy's coming," he mumbled under his breath as he began to follow the tracks.

At the same time as Steve began his search, his daughter and her friend were growing restless in the room they had been taken to while SugarTail was visiting her friend.

"SugarTail has told me a lot about how D.B. Bunnies live in warrens like this." (sigh) "I hope she gets back soon and can show us about." Cathy set-down some crayons she had been using.

Julie clicked the remote and shut-off a Chip 'n Dale cartoon. "I want to go home." Her stomach grumbled loudly. "After we get something to eat."

SugarTail entered the room just then to squeals of delight from Cathy who in turn embraced the bun.

"So how's your friend feeling? Julie's hungry, can we get something to eat? Are you going to take us on a tour before we go home? We are going home soon, aren't we?" Cathy berated SugarTail.

(slowdownsoothingfluff) "One question at a time, Cathy. Lapin is feeling quite well. As for lunch, I'm a bit hungry too, I'll take you down to the cafeteria. I'll gladly take you on a tour of my home. And I've made arrangements to contact your parents, because Lapin insists that we spend the night."

"But..." Julie started.

(hushfluff) "Lapin is warren leader. Here I have to obey him as you two have to obey your parents. You won't get in trouble and if you do I'll take the blame. Come on, let's go get something to eat." She waved them on through the door and out into the hallway. Julie sighed but complied though somewhere inside her a sixth sense was screaming that something wasn't quite right here.

"How about a nice crisp salad...and french fries!" (brighteyehopspinfluff)

"I love french fries!" Cathy chanted as SugarTail lead them down the hallway, which was bustling with bunnies of various colors and sizes. Julie followed along submersed in her own thoughts.

An hour passed quickly as Steve attempted to follow the quickly growing cold trail. It lead across a hay field that hadn't been mowed yet for the winter. If it weren't for the bent blades of grass, he'd have lost the trail. It lead on ahead of him to the edge of an old rock wall. The rockwall bordered a woodlot. The trail ended at the rockwall. Steve (STOMP!)ed in frustration.

Was he loosing his touch? He looked about, sniffed the ground, leaped-up on the wall and looked about, carefully examining the ground. Still nothing. He followed the wall in both directions for a good 100 yards, and still nothing. He (sighfluff)ed, closed his eyes and calmed himself down. Opening his eyes, he started over from where he first jumped on the rockwall. He sat for a moment, hugging down against the rockwall and closed his eyes in concentration, sniffing the air carefully, and listening.

Steve lost all track of time, lying there in the drizzle. He opened his eyes suddenly. What was that? He could have sworn...there it was again, he had heard something. He began searching for the sources of the rumble he felt more than heard. Perhaps he hadn't lost the trail. But he had best find something soon. From the looks of the light taking into account the weather, he had an hour's worth of light at best.

Steve moved slowly eastward into the woodlot, stopping every so often, holding still and listening...feeling the ground tremble slightly under him. He was in a small clearing with white pines all about. At the edge of the clearing was a fallen tree and it's stump. That's what he was looking for!

Steve leaped forward to the stump quickly. There were tracks around the stump, both sneakers and devilbunny pawprints. This was it! Steve moved his paws around the stump and felt a draft coming-up through a hairline crack. He inserted his claws into the crack and pried-upward. The concealed door opened-up revealing a dimly lit passage. Steve listened carefully for any alarms or movement. There was none.

He climbed down into the tunnel below quietly. He made his way cautiously down the tunnel. It ended in a platform at the edge of a bunnymover tunnel. Steve (STOMP!)ed again in frustration. To get so close. But now...now they could be anywhere...some warren in Canada, the DRG (shiverfluff), PAW (STOMP!), or even SFU (shudderfluff), or a number of warrens inbetween.

Steve's ears picked-up the approach of a bunnymover. He quickly moved back away from the platform and into the shadows. A bunnymover appeared, slowed-down and stopped. It opened momentarily and a devilbunny peered-out.

(confusedfluff) "This isn't the warren...why did we stop here, Blossum?"

"'Cause the computer thought there was somebun here waiting for a lift." (waveofffluff) "Probably another glitch. You know how these things are. Step away from the door so we can get back."

(leerfluff) "What's the ru..." the door closed and the bunnymover took-off down the tunnel.

Steve stepped back out from the shadows. Fatigue was beginning to get the better of him. At least he had a starting point. He didn't want to go back empty pawed, but he couldn't exactly rescue his daughter if he was too worn-out to fight. He made his way back-up the tunnel and retraced his route to the school. From there he hopped on the back of a north-bound truck for the ride up to Caswell from Limestone. He'd try and get some sleep that night and then attempt infiltrating whatever warren lay beyond the bunnymover tunnel in the morning.

Blake peered about from the bushes to make sure no farm hands were around. Then he crept quietly up to the door and scratched at it. It opened.

"BROWNPAW!!!" Steve oofed as he was quickly swept off his feet by Matt. "I thought maybe you had vanished too!" He started ruffling Steve's fur as he brought him inside.

"Mom, Uncle Stinkey! BrownPaw's back!" Matt announced as he carried Steve into the kitchen. Dinner was on the table. The waft of Yankee pot roast caused Steve's stomach to growl.

"That's nice, dear." Carolyn said. "Put him down gently and go wash your hands for dinner." Matt raced out of the room. "Any luck?"

(sighfluffle) Steve shook water off his pelt. "I followed their trail to a bunnymover terminal, they could be anywhere. At least they won't be out in that weather. I'll attempt to go after them in the morning."

"Is that wise, Steve?" Stickney asked.

Steve glared at Stickney. "I'm not going to leave my daughter in the clutches of vermin." (STOMP!) "Trap or no trap."

A single tear coursed down Carolyn's cheek. "Will we ever see our daughter alive again?" She placed a plate of vegetables on the floor in front of Steve.

(shudderfluff) "There are worse things they could do to her than kill her." Steve eyed the plate and looked up at Carolyn with Bambi eyes. In a syrupy voice he said, "Don't I get any pot woast and gwavy-wavy?" (nosetwitch)

Carolyn perked-up slightly. She bent down to Blake and pointed her finger at his noise and answered playfully stiffling a giggle. "Don't you try any of that cuteness on me, bunny." She glanced quickly at George Stickney. "Uncle Stinky warned me in detail about your kind today. Besides, meat isn't good for bunnies, or so I've got Matt thinking. Set a good example for him and eat all your vegetables...then after he heads off to watch TV, maybe" (coylook) "I'll give you some." She smiled at him as Matt returned to the kitchen and sat at his place at the table.

Cathy squealed with delight at every new discovery in the tour SugarTail gave her and Julie. Julie was quite pleasantly surprised a few times herself.

"....and in here, we talk to other bunnies all over the world via the Internet...."

"Internet! You've got the Internet! This is so cool! Mrs. Folgerty was saying we might get it by next fall." Cathy started to head towards a computer, but SugarTail blocked her as several buns looked-up from their terminals.

"I'm sorry, hon, but I can't let you in there."

Cathy pouted. "How come?"

Julie answered. "They probably have rules similar to what Mrs. Folgerty was telling us that we'd have once we get a computer in class."

(hopspinfluffpoof) "Very good, Julie!" (praisefluff) "A bunny has to take a computer course before he or she can use the Internet. Later this evening if there is time...and you two are real good, I'll use my account and show you some stuff on the Internet. Maybe we'll even talk to some other bunnies."

"Really! Oh, please, please, please, can we?" Cathy energetically begged.

(reassuringfluff) "Like I said, maybe. We shall see. Come on, there's much more to see."

As the two girls moved along SugarTail (sighfluffed) to herself and counted to 10 to calm down. Cathy was really getting on her nerves. *Lapin will owe me dearly for this,* she thought for the who knows how many times that afternoon. She (fluffwaved) to the buns in the terminal room who left whatever G-rated websites they were on in the presence of the girls and went back to the propaganda war on the Internet.

Similar unspoken message occurred during the rest of the tour all oblivious to the girls. At one point, she did leap at and pushed a brown bunny back who got too close to Julie's toes.

(STOMP!) "You of all buns should know not to do that to guests without permission!" she scolded the bun while giving him a warning stare. "Always, always ask permission before sniffing somebun!"

"I'm sorry, Julie, I hope he didn't offend you." (calmfluff) "Somebuns assume that all guests don't mind being sniffed." She directed the last sentence to the offending bunny who in turn understood his cue.

(appologeticpoof) "Iii'mmmm sssoooorrrrrrrrryyyyyy."

Julie squealed for the first time in the tour. "He sounds just like BrownPaw! It's alright. I'll let you sniff me, but...I get to ruffle your fur."

With an approving nod from SugarTail, the bun nuzzled and sniffed, nose in constant twitch, as Julie stroked his back.

(curiousfluff) "How did you know my name?" (nosetwitch)

"I didn't. But you sounded just like my Uncle Stinky's D.B Bunny, who's name is also BrownPaw."

"Uncle Stinky?" (amusedfluff) "Funny name..." the bunny turned over onto his back and let Julie start tickling his tummy. Cathy joined in with an approving nod from the bun, SugarTail sat back, watching and listening intently.

"Well, he got sprayed by a skunk once and we've been calling him that since. He came-up to the farm last night with his BrownPaw for a visit. I assume he's not from this warren."

(ickfluff) "Skunks, they could be so cute if it weren't for those spraying tails!" (bambieyes) "I'm the only BrownPaw here as far as I know....And what's Uncle Stinky's real name?"

"Oh, George something or other....I don't remember, we've called him Uncle Stinky for as long as I can remember. He's up for the week on leave from the Air Force. Stationed in Texas." Julie's eyes began to water. "He came to visit to confirm that...my daddy's..." (sniffle) "dead." She openly wept and sniffled. SugarTail was instantly at her side, comforting her. The other bun was also up and hugging her. Cathy began to cry for her friend.

Julie continued. "Mom doesn't know that I know. But it's so obvious. Whenever I walked into whatever room she and Uncle Stinky were in last night, they'd stop talking."

(fluffyhug) "It's alright, dear, we're here to help you. But how do you know your father's dead. How did it happen?"

Julie continued to cry and rub the tears from her eyes as she continued. "Daddy was a Major in the Air Force. Mom said he worked on top secret stuff like in the CIA..." (sniffle) "you know secret agent stuff and that's why he hasn't been able to come home for the past three years. Mom got a letter from the Air Force in August...she doesn't know I went into her room and tried to read it. It had a bunch of big words in it. I had to look some of them up in a dictionary. It said that my Daddy was killed in that big explosion in July down in Texas. And with that letter was what was left of Daddy's metal name tags. They were melted together and...and you could barely make-out Steven Alan Blake on them." Julie choked slightly and then began to bawl and Cathy joined her.

With the help of the other bunny, SugarTail comforted the two until they could calm down enough make their way back to the room they had stayed in earlier.

"I have to leave for a little bit, but I'll be back shortly, with another bunny who might be able to help you with the hurt feelings inside." She closed the door and turned to the other bun.

(praisefluff) "Good work, Hansbun. Throwing in that bit about being called BrownPaw helped open her up. I'll be sure to recommend that you get first choice of one of their toes when they are to be converted."

"Thank you, SugarTail." Hansbun left. SugarTail headed towards Lapin's office to give a full report.

"...and bless Uncle Stinkey, and..." Matt looked up at BrownPaw on the bed. "...BrownPaw. And help Julie come home soon."

Matt leaped-up and under the covers with BrownPaw snuggling close to him as Carolyn tucked her son in. She kissed him on the cheek.

"Good night, little one..."

Matt rubbed his face, "Ah, Mom, you know I don't like kisses anymore."

"Then how-about a hug..."

They hugged. Carolyn ruffled BrownPaw's fur. "Take good care of Matt." (mockwarningglare)

(fluffle) "I will." BrownPaw replied. *And with me guarding him, nobun will take him from us, tonight, love,* he thought to himself as Carolyn shut the light and closed the door.

"BrownPaw?" Matt whispered. "I'm not really tired yet."

(sighfluff) "You're worried aren't you?"

Matt shook his ahead in the affirmative. A single tear rolled down his cheek. "Are we ever going to see Julie again?"

(nuzzlearmandshoulder) "I'm sure we will. Tomorrow, I'm going out to look for her and I won't return without her."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Matt and BrownPaw shook hand to paw. BrownPaw was careful enough to keep his claws sheathed. "How about a bedtime story?"

"I'm too old for bedtime stories."

"But you said you weren't tired yet..." (slylook) "and I'll bet you never heard this one before. It's got indians in it."

"Native Americans. They don't like being called indians..."

(sighfluff) "Fine, Native Americans. It's a legend I was once told about the Micmac Nation."

"Really?" Matt was having a hard time to keep his voice down. "Mrs. Dunnen taught us about them a couple weeks ago. They live just over the border..."

"Well, you just lay back and listen and I'll tell it to you exactly as it was told to me by a friend who is part Micmac....Many moons ago, long before white man walked upon our lands..."

".....and with the aid of the mighty medicine man,Witawemat...panni...." BrownPaw's tongue twisted as he attempted to pronounce the long name. "...right, with the aid of their mighty medicine man, they defeated the evil moskimus and lived from then on in peace without worry against the fluffing demons..." He noticed as he finished that Matt was fast asleep. "Or so that's how a friend told it to me." he whispered as he double-checked to make sure his son was tucked-in well.

Steve Blake then settled down to get some rest himself. He slept well, knowing that at least his son would be safe that night.

*moskimus--A Native American word for rabbit

"Take this, both of you." (reassuringfluff)

"But I can't swallow pills," Cathy protested.

"What is it?" Julie asked.

(sighfluff) "It's chewable, Cathy and is fruity flavored. It'll help you sleep. After the long talk we've had, I thought we agreed that you both needed a good night's sleep, right?" (soothfluff)

"Well, yes..."

"And you both admitted that you don't think you can do that. I understand, this is a tragic time, and I feel for you, Julie, for my father was killed three months ago, and you will get over it in time. I'm a medbun trained to help bunnies or people like you through times of sorrow like this."

"Well..."

"Alright..."

The two girls took their medication. The medbun tucked them in and left. Both were asleep in less than five minutes as the sleeping pills took affect.

Lapin reached-over with a paw and shut the observation monitor and turned to SugarTail who had a smug look on her muzzle.

"I told you she wasn't lieing to us." (smugfluff) "And you wouldn't get any new information out of her."

Lapin glared back at her. "You know the procedure." (STOMP!) "And I won't take any chances when I have the kit of a Fudd as a prisoner."

Just then the medbun hopped in and Lapin turned to the newcomer, a doe.

"You did well, mentat."

The doe bowed her head slightly and (gigglefluffed).

"I got all I could out of them. The Fudd kit is really stressed and does believe her father is dead."

"How long will they be asleep?" (curiousfluff) SugarTail asked.

(waveofffluff) "Oh, about 48 hours." (wink) "I thought you could use some time-off after the pawful those two were for you today. Of course if you'd just turn them over to me, I wouldn't have to waste any more time on therapy. Conversion would be much better for them...and human kits seem to have a higher survival rate, especially with BunnyMentat's refined version which we've still got about 4 or 5 doses left of..."

"Not yet, mentat. I still need the bait to catch the big fish. SugarTail, I want you to alert the guardbuns to keep a sharp eye and ear out for a devilbunny matching the description of BrownPaw as Julie gave to us this evening." (deviousfluff) "I want to make sure our new 'guest' feels at home." A smile cracked Lapin's muzzle. "Dismissed."

Carolyn had just returned from dropping Matt off at school. While George Stickney headed-off to give instructions to the various Fudds hanging around the farm, she headed in to prepare for a shower she had been promising herself all morning. Like most folks, she undressed in her bedroom and put a bathrobe on and then proceeded to the bathroom. She noticed the door was ajar and the light was on. An alarm went-off inside her head. She carefully nudged the door open an inch. Inside standing on the edge of the sink was a rather large speckled brown, black and off-white bunny brushing its fur in front of the mirror.

Carolyn paled. She crept back into her room and grabbed Steve's old shotgun from the wall and loaded it. She then crept back to the bathroom door and gently pushed the door open with the muzzle of the gun aimed at the bun. The bun glanced-up and leaped back, loosing it's footing and fell on its back in the sink. A familiar sounding yelp came from the bun. Cautiously, it rolled over and faced Carolyn again.

"Carolyn, put the gun down. It's me, Steve."

Carolyn lowered the barrel a fraction of an inch. "But..but.."

Steve carefully reached over to the counter next to the sink and lifted-up two empty boxes of hare^H^Hir dye....one black, the other white.

"I'm not taking any chances when I go into that warren to retrieve our daughter, Carol. I've done this sort of undercover work now for about three years. I know better than to go straight into a warren without altering my appearance knowing that they may have a description of me from Julie."

Carolyn reset the safety and unloaded the gun. Her voice still quavered slightly. "I thought you had already left while George and I had taken Matt to school." She approached Steve.

"Well, I hope I fool them as easily as I had spooked you."

Carolyn scooped him up and held him up muzzle to her face. "Bring her back safe." She pecked him on the side of the muzzle away from his mouth and set him down. "Now scoot, the day isn't getting younger and I want to shower."

(leerfluff) "I could stay and scrub your back..."

"Shoo already! And what about Julie? She's in the clutches of those evil buns. Bring her back safe, dear."

(sighfluff) "I know." Steve hopped towards the door. He reached to pull it shut with one paw. "Oh, you'll need to clean the fur out of the drain." There was a big grin on his muzzle as he closed the door, just dogging the wet washcloth.

Steve met George Stickney at the kitchen door. Stickney drove Steve to a field near where Steve had found the bunnymover station the previous evening.

Stickney saluted. "Good luck, Steve."

"I won't be coming back without her, George. Notify SGT Pomerleau to remove the traps around that abandoned mover terminal we discovered down in Skowhegan and place a double guard on it 'round the clock. I plan on using it as a back-up escape route in case things get hot where ever they've got my daughter." He paused a moment. "And I want you to leave first thing tomorrow morning and take my family with you back down to HQ. I don't want the buns to pull any more surprises on us."

"Understood."

Stickney drove-off while Steve made his way across the field and into the nearby woods over to the hidden entrance. He entered and proceeded down to the platform. After a short wait, a bunnymover arrived and he hopped on. It was empty. This was good.

It had been nearly 2 years since he had programmed one. But it came back to him quickly. He entered one of his old identities, Specklefur, which, fortunately, the computer on board accepted. Once the desired course was programmed in, he sat back in a seat and awaited the end of the ride as the mover began to accelerate down the tunnel in the opposite direction from which he saw the one the previous night head towards.

Specklefur rode on through the near dark tunnel system for nearly 20 minutes, before the mover stopped somewhere down near Houlton, Maine (southern Aroostook County...northern terminus of I-95). At that terminal, about 6 buns got on. This was good for when he did arrive over the border he wouldn't be getting off alone, which is what the buns (in his mind from past experience) would be looking for. This was also dangerous, for he could blow his cover on the first interaction with these buns if he wasn't careful.

(fluffle) "I've never seen you before." a brown doe stated flatly. She was obviously an alpha. She pawed at the terminal for a moment. "Techbun Specklefur from...Ipswich Warren???" Her ears shot straight-up. "But that warren was wiped-out nearly a year ago." She eyed him suspiciously.

Steve's eyes watered on cue. "I..I know." (weepfluff) "I wasn't in the warren proper when it was overrun by those awful Fudds." (STOMP!) "I've been wandering ever since trying to find a new warren to settle down in as far from Fudds as I can get." (dewyeyes) "I had a real hard time trying to get-up through Southern Maine. The mover kept having to backtrack as it came across cave-ins and areas of flooding." (dismayedfluff) "It was awful...at one point I even had to abandon the mover car I was using and travel by paw for a while....and I haven't found a warren yet that will take in a lowly beta like me." (scuffpawpoutfluff)

The doe tapped at the computer terminal some more while eyeing Specklefur. One of her companions hopped to Specklefur's defense.

"Can't you see this buck's been through a lot, give him a break, LopFluff." (nuzzle) "Besides, I think he's kinda ky00t."

Steve fought down revulsion and returned the affections. "Yyy..you really think so?" (perkupfluff)

LopFluff placed her paws on her sides in an almost human-like gesture for a moment. "Then he's your responsibility, Berryblossom. Alright, everybun, buckle-up. We should be at Torbique Warren in about 40 minutes."

One of the other buns leaned close to Specklefur and whispered in his ear. "Laddie, do be ca'ful. 'Blossom don't give her toys up easily." The buck winked at Specklefur and then settled back into his seat.

Steve had to remind himself why he was actually going to Tobique Warren several times as he nearly slipped too deeply into his role as Specklefur in the bunnymover next to Berryblossom. The doe was rather...um...enthusiastic on the forty minute ride, but somehow, Steve maintained his loyalty to Carolyn.

At one point he playfully slapped Berryblossom away. (gigglefluff) "I'm not that kind of buck," (protestfluff) "at least not on the first meeting." (wink)

Their arrival at the warren saved Steve from having to explore how far he could go without violating his marriage vows. He somehow slipped-off into the crowd at the bunnymover terminal before LopFluff noticed. Unfortunately for Steve, this also prevented him from knowing that LopFluff ordered the mover impounded so the computer system on board could be placed through thorough diagnostics.

Steve lost track of time within the warren, fluffing in greeting to those he passed or standing at attention to the alphas he came across. He figured it might be mid to late afternoon from how his stomach rumbled. He let his nose lead him to a cafeteria. There he had a Kiwi-Strawberry Snapple™ which he found to be much more potent than anything you could buy on a store shelf. He failed to suppress a giggle as the cutons within the drink began to affect him. This was the part he hated most about going undercover for there was always a chance that he might slip over the edge of no return.

Nobun payed him any mind. The all-veggie pizza he had requested (one of the few menu items with no Spam™ in it) was ready by the time he had opened the second bottle of Snapple™ . He choked on the drink as a paw was placed on his shoulder. He whipped about.

(gigglefluff) "There you are, Specklefur. Well, I see you found the cafeteria easily enough. Leave it to a buck to look after his stomach first...." (gigglefluff) "My, you're an easy one to startle...." Berryblossom trailed-off.

At this point Steve wanted nothing more than to be left alone, but he knew that would draw-on suspicion. (nervousinvitationfluff) "Care to join me for dinner?"

Berryblossom settled on the floor next to the low table and cuddled-up to Steve/Specklefur. "Don't mind if I do," she whispered huskily into his left ear. She picked-up a slice and began to nibble. Steve did likewise.

"So what did you do at your old warren, Speckle?" she breathed into his fur between mouthfuls of pizza and looked up with Bambi eyes into his eyes. "I can call you Speckle, can't I?"

Steve felt very uncomfortable. Never in any mission previously did he have a doe come on to him so strongly, so suddenly as this Berryblossom. He spilt Snapple™ on to his chest fur as she cuddled him some more when he didn't answer. The blush beneath the thin fur of his muzzle showed-through.

"My a shy one, aren't we?" (amusefluff) "I...just...love...shy...bucks."

Steve put his Snapple™ down and gave-up eating the pizza. "Y..yyy you can call me Speckle, given I can call you Blossom."

"Deal!" she squealed as she leaped on top of him. Steve was ready and used her momentum against her to bounce her off as easily, but gently. He turned back to his pizza and nibbled, giving her the slightest tinge of a smile from the corner of his muzzle. Several buns in the room looked-up for a moment, all shrugfluffed or giggled slightly to the embarressment of Berryblossom.

"I'm more or less a bun-of-all-trades, Blossom." He said between mouthfuls as she picked herself off the floor. "Besides, I told you already, I'm _not_ that kind of buck on the first meeting." (leerfluff) "But perhaps later on this evening and in private..."

Berryblossom was back by his side. (coyfluff) "Now who's playing to get who?" She grabbed another slice of pizza and sipped from his Snapple™ and puckered. "Kiwi-Strawberry? Mondo-Mango is way, way better than that." She waved to a passing servingbun who produced what she wanted. She sipped. "Much better." She nibbled some more. "You've passed my first test, Speckle." She gave him another coy look as he stopped eating in mid-bite.

"Test?"

"Of course," (hop) "how else am I to introduce and explain you to Warren Leader Lapin in the morning? If you are going to live here, which isn't your original warren, somebun has to sponsor you. I've decided to be your sponsor." She cuddled-up to him again and said more quietly. "Isn't that wonderful!" (minibouce) "And I'm sure you know how to thank me later on at my place as I learn more about you...."

Steve gulped hard.

After dinner, Berryblossom gave Specklefur a tour of the warren, showing where he could and could not go. He paused at one corridor intersection in the tunnels and sniffed the air with his nose twitching rapidly.

"I smell...human," he said as he looked down the dimly lit corridor.

(coymockscoldfluffle) "Only alphas are allowed in that wing. That's where they interrogate prisoners when we've got'em." She tugged at his paw. "Come'on we're going this way..."

She led him around in circles here and there, but Steve kept a mental note as to where that corridor was. Finally, they stopped before a pink door adorned with pastel colored butterflies and berry blossoms--blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

(winkfluff) "Here we are, back at my burrow." She nudged the door open, tugging on his paw. "Well? Come'on. Where else do you expect to spend the night?"

Steve more than played the part of a timid buck. He didn't like this at all. Her scent ever since dinner was setting-off bunny hormones within him that he'd been able to suppress since the time of his accidental conversion. As he hesitated at the door, she turned back to him and nuzzled him slightly, ruffling his fur in a way it had never been ruffled before.

"Come'on in, big boy," she said in a deep, husky voice and nuzzled again.

Steve's left rear paw began to thump all of its own. She giggled slightly, entered her borrow and Steve leaped in after her. The door closed behind him.

The ky00tness within nearly made him sick. He looked about trying to suppress the mixed emotions within. There was an Apple computer terminal in one corner. Another held a small pink refrigerator. A small doorway beyond probably led to a bathroom. The walls were a mixture of mauve and chateaus. Steve felt dizzy from the color mixture.

(concernedfluff) "Something wrong?"

It took a moment for Steve to find his voice. "Iiiissss, ahem, is this place bugged?"

(sillyfluff) "Why would it be?"

(scuffpaw) "Well, at Ipswich Warren, old Warren Leader Stoutpaw trusted nobunny. The only way you could get privacy was to head-out of the warren proper to do maintainance work in the bunnymover tunnels. And even then you had to check-in every thirty minutes..."

She started nuzzling and cuddling again, nibbling on his ear, getting real personal. "Well, Speckle, you don't have to worry about that here. Lapin doesn't spy on his own alphas nor the buns they keep for company." (winkfluff)

"Aaaall, (cough) Alpha? You're an alpha, Blossom?"

(gigglefluff) "But of course, Speckle. What otherbun could be a sponsor?" She giggled again and pounced at him. Steve dodged back.

(mockpoutfluff) "Not fair, you moved."

"I told you, I'm not that kind of bun." (STOMP!) "I don't do that on the first meeting."

(coyfluff) "But this isn't our first meeting, we met earlier in the day in the bunnymover, remember?"

She leaped again. Steve dodged again.

Berryblossom grinned deviously. "I like a buck who gives me a slight challenge. You've passed my third test, Speckle."

She leaped a third time at Specklefur. This time she hit her target, only to find herself being flipped-over and winding-up underneath Specklefur.

(leerfluff) "Oh, so you want to be on top." (nuzzle) She nibbled playfully at his ear.

(leerfluff) "Of course....all the better to..." (WHAM!) he slammed her head against the floor hard, "knock you out, fluffer."

Steve checked her pulse to make sure she was still alive. He decided he may still need her in the morning. He moved her over to her bedding pit in the center of the room and layed her down. He felt revulsion over some of the bunny instincts welling-up inside of him and turned away swiftly. He then moved over to the computer terminal and began to attempt hacking his way into the system.

Steve began pawtapping away at the terminal, accessing the non-security clearance files, including a map of the warren. He had the terminal highlight where he was and show his relationship to the bunnymover, cafeteria and about where he suspected the two girls were. One ear shot straight-up when he noticed there were two movers in different parts of the warren. That meant this was more than some minor warren...it had some prominence within this region.

The terminal beeped cutely. And Steve fought the reaction to leap back. The map faded to be replaced by the muzzle of a techbun. *Pellets! I'm loosing my touch!* he thought to himself as he noticed the minicamera above the terminal. His mind began to race.

(STOMP!) "Who the Frith are you? And where's Berryblossom?"

(fearfulfluff) "She's hurt! I need some medbuns down here right away!" (thump,thump,thump) "I didn't mean to do it! I didn't mean to do it!" (tearyeyefluff)

(glarefluff) "What are you talking about..."

"Specklefur, sir. Just arrived today. Berryblossom offered to be my sponsor and invited me over here to show my appreciation." (stammerfluff) "She got a little rough in her play and I accidentally bumped her on the head. She's out-cold in her bedding. I didn't mean to hurt her!" (embarressedfluff) "I just wanted to be...well... you know..." (scuffpaw) "on top." Steve gave the bun on the screen the Bambi-eyes look.

The techun supressed a giggle and maintained a business-like look. "And why were you on her computer, Specklefur?"

"I was trying to get help. This is a much more advanced computer than I ever had access to back at Ipswich warren..."

"Two medbuns should be at the borrow any minute now." (winkfluff) "Next time let her decide who's 'on top'," (gigglefluff) "but if you should need help again, just press the pink button in the upper right corner."

"Thh...thank you, sir."

The screen darkened, Steve (sighfluffed) in relief as the medbuns came in. *Too close,* he thought to himself.

Steve followed the medbuns all the way to the infirmary and insisted on staying by Berryblossom's side, falling asleep on the floor next to her medical bed. He didn't have much of a choice. He knew he couldn't do anything else the rest of the night after the computer incident. By morning, the news spread all over the warren about how some new beta buck had gotten the better of Berryblossom.

Berryblossom stirred with a groan, waking Steve. He played his part and nuzzled her, calling-out, "Nurse! Nurse...she's waking-up."

A nursebun hopped in to check Berryblossom-out. Berryblossom groaned again, reached one paw to her head and opened her eyes and blinked.

"Wh....what happened. And I've got this awful, unky00t headache." (dazzedlook)

(scuffpaw) "Iii..." (gulp) "got too rough and I...bumped your head, Blossom."

She stared at him. "Nobunny had ever been able to do that to me before." She attempted to rise, but the nursebun gentle pushed her back down.

"You've got a slight concussion, Berryblossom. I'm sure Dr. Snowcrest will insist you spend the day here."

"But...but..."

"Don't argue with your nurse." (STOMP!) "Besides, this one here was a true gentlebuck. He got help quickly after the accident." She added in a whisper, "he didn't have time to try anything..."

(protestpoutSTOMP!) "I heard that! I'm not that kind of buck!" (STOMP!) "I have honor!"

"Calm down, NOW, or I'll have to ask you to leave. Perhaps you should. You can't do much else for her in here. You've spent the whole night at her side. Go to your borrow and get some real rest."

"You stayed here all night?" Blossom asked.

Steve picked-up one of Blossom's paws. "Yes...what else was I to do. It's my fault you got hurt....besides I didn't have anyplace else to go..."

Berryblossom turned to the nursebun. "Have the quartermaster assign Specklefur a borrow near mine...."

"But..."

"I'll take the responsibility. He's passed my final test. He can be trusted. Is there a problem with that?"

"No, Berryblossom. I'll get right on it," the nursebun lowered her eyes and left the room.

"You didn't have to do that..."

"For my favorite buck, I'd do nearly anything..." she nuzzled his paw slightly. "Now go," (winkfluff) "I need my rest so we can continue later on where we left-off last night."

*Hopefully, I won't be around long enough for that,* Steve thought to himself. "I hope you get better soon, Blossom." He bunnyhugged her gently and left.

Outside he met-up with a bun who showed him to his new borrow, just down the corridor from Berryblossom's. It was set-up simularly to Blossom's. Once the quartermaster bun left, he accessed the terminal within and began to familiarize himself with the general layout of the warren and what was 'expected' of him. Berryblossom had even had a temp account set-up for him, so as long as he was careful, he wouldn't arouse any suspicions, or so he hoped.

Blake spent a couple of hours on the terminal...reviewing the rules of the warren, the warren layout--highlighting where he'd been to help familiarize himself with the ways in and out of the warren. He then got a couple hours of rest. He slept lightly and arose around 1pm local time (noon over the border in Maine). He accessed a news channel from the terminal as he stretched and used the little buck's room. He leaped back into the main room when he heard the announcer.

"Two structural fires ripped through the small town of Caswell Plantation overnight leaving two dead and two homeless...."

"Fire investigators are still trying to determine how the fire that they have labeled as suspicious started at the Duquette residence at around 3:30 this morning. The bodies of Paul and Ann Duquette were removed from the structure minutes after firefighters arrived, but both were pronounced dead at the scene, victims of the intense smoke. Firefighters from several area towns are still on the scene dousing hot spots at the structure...."

[Scene changes to a second farmhouse, this one white and all too familiar looking.....Steve had all he could do to remain calm as the camera panned by the "BLAKE COUNTRY FARM" sign and failed, clawing into the floor of the burrow.]

"Perhaps if firefighters had not already been busy at this blaze that broke-out an hour earlier, tragedy could have been avoided at the Duquette residence. Firefighters were called to the Blake residence at 2:30 this morning and found the structure half engulfed on their arrival. Carolyn, her son and a family friend were home at the time of the blaze. Fire Chief LaPointe credits smoke alarms with saving their lives. It took firefighters from 4 area towns 3 hours to contain the blaze, which was still smoldering as of press time. Fire investigators have pinpointed the cause of this blaze to old wiring around the house fuse box, but are considering it suspicious because of a possible link between it and the Duquette blaze.

"If you will recall, Cathy Duquette, daughter of Paul and Ann and her friend Julie Blake, daughter of Carolyn, both failed to show-up for school on Tuesday. Both are still missing as of press time. If you have any information on their where-about or about either of these blazes, the Maine State Police urge you to call their Caribou barracks at..."

Blake shut the channel off and wanted nothing more than to confront Lapin there and then and *POP* him. Instead he went over to the sleeping hollow, curled-up and wept quietly.

"Bring him in."

Two guardbuns entered escorting a human between them. The bun in charge waved a paw in dismissal to the two guardbuns. He then pawgestured towards a chair for the human.

"Have a seat, Mr. Charette."

The human sat down nervously. The buck sat back down behind his desk. He began to paw through a folder full of papers.

"How long have you been serving me, Mr. Charette?" (curioustwitchear)

"Si...six years, Master Lapin."

"Yes, Don, and you have served well, quite well."

"Does that mean..." Don choked for a moment. "that I can become a bunny now?" (pleadfuleyelook)

"Not exactly." Lapin looked up eye to eye with Don Charette and a sinister grin spread across his muzzle. "You see, there's just one small problem."

Lapin pawed a remote and the tv burst on with the noon time news. News of the two fires in Caswell Plantation blared across the screen.

"You did an excellent job at the Blake residence, but they lived. You" (fluffed) "up the Duquette job, yet they died. Two out of four assignments successful." He pawed the OFF switch on the remote. "That isn't good enough, Don. And I'm sure you know how I deal with failure."

Don Chareete's facial features turned to dread and out right fear. "No...no...anything but that. I'll gladly give-up all my remaining toes.." he fell off the chair and groveled before Lapin. "But please, please not that...I did the best I could! I'm only human! If I was a bunny there would have been no mistakes!"

Lapin chuckled lightly. "Prove your sincerity."

Don got off the floor and moved around the desk. He undid his left shoe and removed his sock. He dangled the foot, missing two toes in front of Lapin and did his best not to jerk back as Lapin daintily nibbled-off one toe and then the other two and crunched loudly. While he crunched, Lapin pulled-out a modified Zippo™ Lighter and singed Don's wounds. Throughout the ordeal, Don somehow suppressed the urge to cry-out in pain. Lapin swallowed the toes.

"You may put your sock and shoe back on, Don. You're forgiven. I haven't overlooked your record. You've earned conversion."

Don's eyes brightened-up as he got-up. He wanted to hug the bunny, but restrained himself. "Thank you...thank you sir." Tears filled his eyes.

Lapin depressed a button on the desk and the two guardbuns reentered the room and (salutefluff)ed.

"Escort Mr. Charette down to Mentat Greystripe for 'conversion'."

(salutefluff) "Yes, sir."

The buns and Don Charette left. Lapin depressed another switch.

(STOMP!) "This had best be important!" a doe's voice stated at the other end.

(tsktskfluff) "Caught you at a bad time, mentat?"

(recognizefluff) "Oh, it's you, Lapin. What is it this time? Ready for me to convert those monkey kits, yet?"

(chucklefluff) "No, nothing like that. I'm sending you a new toy. Name of Don Charette. He thinks he's going to be converted even though he failed us in the field."

(rubpawsinanticipation) "I know what to do. Should I allow him to live," (pause) "long?"

(deviousfluff) "Only as long as you want him to suffer. Enjoy your new toy."

(happyhoppoof) "Oh, I will, Lapin." (thankfulfluff)

Steve wallowed in sorry for who knows how long before his eyes widened and his nostrils flared. He leaped out of the sleeping hollow. "Frith-damn-it! What am I doing wasting time!" He looked up at the little pink cartoon clock above the computer terminal...5:30. (boink!) *It's that late! But I just layed-down for a moment...* His stomach growled. He made his way to the bathroom and washed-up and then headed for the cafeteria.

He ordered a veggie pizza and sat down next to a table to wait. That's when he saw Berryblossom enter. *El'mar, please not now.* She fluffywaved to him and he returned the gesture.

(gingerhopspinpoofle) "Didn't think I'd find you here. Dr. Snowcrest allowed me to leave, provided I 'behave' myself for another 48 hours. So" (coyrubSpecklefur'spawfluff) "you'll have to wait a little longer."

(mockdisappointedfluff) "Join me for dinner?"

"I'd love to, Specklefur, but I'm expecting some others to arrive first...oh, here they come..." she pointed to the doorway as Sugertail hopped in followed by Julie and Cathy.

Steve had all he could do to keep calm. *They look alright, let's see if we can keep it that way...* "Human kits? I did smell human yesterday..."

(hushwarningfluff) "Treat them cutely or else," she said quietly. Berryblossom fluffywaved Sugartail over. The two of them hugged.

"Cathy, Julie, this is my other sister I was telling you about. This is Berryblossom." Sugartail glanced over towards Steve. She looked at Berryblossom and fluffgestured (Who's the new bun?).

Berryblossom (gigglefluffed) "And this is the new buck in the warren, Specklefur. He just arrived yesterday and I've decided to sponsor his admission into the warren."

"What do you mean sponsor?" Julie asked.

As if on cue, Steve piped-in. "I'm not originally from around here." Steve inwardly grimaced as he played along. "Some bad people..." (snifflefluff) "destroyed my home. I'm hoping to call Torbique Warren home. But to do that I have to have a sponsorbun. Somebun who will show me around and teach me how things are done at this warren. Berryblossom has been kind enough to do that for me."

Sugertail nodded slightly in approval as Steve continued. "In the same way, I'd guess Sugertail is doing the same thing for you two though you aren't bunnies..." he trailed-off with a warning glare from Sugertail. He (apologypoofed) and changed the subject. "Are you hungry?" (waveoverwaiterbunfluff) "What kind of pizza would you like?"

"PIZZA?!" Julie and Cathy exclaimed.

"Pepperoni," Julie stated.

"Vegetable and extra cheese," Cathy replied.

The two stared at each other for a moment. Before an argument could break-out, Steve said with an approving nod from both Sugartail and Berryblossom, "then we'll get some of both." *I'm afraid to ask this,* he thought to himself as he continued, "What about a drink?"

Julie looked at Cathy and vice-versa. "Milk," they said.

Steve paused for a moment. (fluffle) "Forgive my ignorance. Does this warren serve milk?" he asked the waiterbun.

The bun looked to Sugartail for a moment before answering. "Of course, I'll have some brought right-up." He departed in a hurry.

The buns and girls made small talk while waiting for the dinner to be served. From what Steve could discern, neither girl had been harmed yet. Nor did it look like either of them had learned the awful news of the fires yet and he wasn't about to tell them there. At the same time, he was thankful that Julie didn't recognize him right then or they'd have all been dead. After dinner they went their separate ways.

Back at his quarters, Steve invited Berryblossom in for a moment. Steve/Specklefur shut the door behind her.

(coyfluffle) "Now, you know what the doctor said..."

(sighfluff) "I'm leaving..."

(shockfluff) "What?!"

"This isn't the warren for me. I came looking for a place to get away from the Fudds and what do I see on my second day at the warren, two human kits, one of them the daughter of a Fudd."

(sternlookfluff) "And how in FRITH do you know that?"

Specklefur turned-on the news channel. News of the fires was being repeated on the evening news. "That's how. Their descriptions match those of the missing children on that news announcement! This Lapin of yours is asking for serious trouble!" (STOMP!) "The last time somebun attacked the kit of a Fudd, the Fudd turned around and destroyed every known warren within thirty miles...." (sniffle) "including mine." Steve broke down into tears.

"I don't want to live through that again...." he stammered between tears. He looked up at Berryblossom with big Bambi eyes. At the same time he appeared to shrink to kit-like size. "Help me find some place safe...safe from the Fudds." Inwardly Steve gagged. He hated using this amount of cuteness.

Berryblossom bunnyhugged and nuzzled Specklefur. "Don't you worry. Lapin has prepared for everything."

(confusedlookfluff) "What do you mean? He doesn't know what kind of monsters he's dealing with."

Berryblossom let Specklefur go and moved towards the door to let herself out. (reassuringfluff) "Lapin has a Fudd's daughter. As long as he has her, the Fudds won't do a thing. That's all you need to know. Get some rest." She departed.

Steve didn't like her words. At the same time, he hoped his act would keep her wondering rather than suspicious.

The terminal beeped for the third time.

Steve rolled-over and groaned as he looked-up at the clock Midnight. *Who in Frith would be calling me at this time of night?* he thought to himself as he dragged himself out of the sleeping hollow and over to the terminal. He turned on a small light near the computer terminal and answered the call.

The screen lit-up to reveal a young, cute doe. She (impatientfluff)ed at Steve.

"Specklefur?"

(nervousfluff) "Y..yes?"

"The mentat wishes to see you."

That woke Steve up. "Wh..what would the warren mentat want with a lowly beta like me?" (scuffpaw)

(shrugfluff) "I'm just a lab tech, what would I know?" (hushvoice) "But, if you want to keep her pleased, you'll come, um, like now."

"In the middle of the night?" (incredulousfluff)

The doe on the screen was pushed aside and another doe took her place. "Get your tail down here, Specklefur!" (STOMP!) "I've got a proposition to discuss with you." (don'targuefluff)

(bowfluff) "As you wish, Mentat..." Steve paused. "but I don't know how to get to your laboratory."

The doe on the screen punched a few keys and her image was replaced by a warren map showing the fastest route from Steve's quarters to the lab.

"Any other excuses, beta," the mentat's voice emphasized tiring patients.

"None, Mentat. On my way."

"Pellets!" Steve said to no one as he quickly used the bathroom and followed the mental map to the lab.

Steve/Specklefur arrived at the lab in less than two minutes. He didn't need to knock on the lab door for it was open and the young doe he first spoke to was waiting for him.

"This way," she stated and led him through a small chemistry lab and into an office beyond.

The Mentat sat behind a desk waiting for them. "You are dismissed, tech." The other doe bowed and left, closing the door behind her. "Have a seat, Specklefur."

Steve hesitated for a moment and then sat. The mentat pawed through a folder.

"I called-up your files, at least what we've got on you, Specklefur," she stated offpawed as she appeared to be looking for something. "Ah, here we are. Specklefur, Bunnymover Tech....2nd born in forth litter....older brother sent-off for mentat training and was never heard from again...." She watched him for reactions out of the corner of her eye as she browsed through the file. "Carrier." Specklefur flinched.

"Ah, I see you're a bit touchy on that, aren't you?"

"I've never had to use it, nor have I ever considered it..."

"What if I gave you a chance to put it to use, right here and now?"

*Lord no,* he thought to himself, *not the kids.*

"I'm waiting for an answer, Specklefur. Think on it for the moment. I've read through your files and I don't see how you could have been classified as a beta."

Steve welcomed the change in subject. "Where I was born and raised, they believed it was only possible to have one alpha in each litter."

(tsktskfluff) "Pity, what a waste. We could rectify that."

(honestfluff) "I wouldn't want the responsibility, Mentat. I was quite happy where I was before the Fudds came."

"Yes, 'tis a" (pityfluff) "that. But then I always believed Stoutpaw was a fool..."

Steve's ears drooped slightly, "Y...you knew Stoutpaw?"

(waveofffluff) "That was many, many years ago. The fool dumped me and look what it got him. Nevermind. Now about bunnyvirus, what is your view on using it?"

Steve thought through his answer very carefully. "Only truly deserving humans deserve the gift of conversion." (howeverfluff) "I have yet to meet a deserving human and symps don't count. They've betrayed their own race once, what's to say they wouldn't turn around and betray us after receiving the gift?"

The Mentat flicked her left ear tip. "Interesting view. We believe here that after a symp has proved his/her worthiness through a number of years of loyal service, they may be granted the gift, but only through being bitten. And that course as I'm sure you know, more times than not proves fatal for the symp. I've got a symp in the other room that has passed my rather..." (umfluff) "rigorous routine of tests to see if he would have a chance of surviving conversion. As warren mentat, I choose who infects him."

"Now, then, Specklefur, you can voluntarily bite him or I can order you to...." (sternfluff) "I don't like having to order buns around like that and it upsets me. Those who upset me later regret doing so."

"I understand, Mentat, clearly understand." Steve lowered his eyes. (submissivefluff)

"Good, follow me. You'll even get a toe out of this."

(hesitantickfluff) "I'm not into toes."

The Mentat raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're one of those buns?"

"I just don't like the idea of eating human toes. It just hurts the propaganda machine." (besidesfluff) "There are many buns out there who have admitted their reluctance to eat toes...."

(impatientsighfluff) "Very well, we'll just remove his remaining toe and save it for him."

The Mentat got up and left the office, with Steve following close behind. They went back through the lab and out into the hallway and down to the right.

They turned right at the next tunnel junction and proceeded on to the fifth door on the left.

"This is it," the Mentat stated flatly as she opened the door. Inside a male human of about 35 years of age lay strapped to an operating table. She closed the door behind them.

"Is...is it time?" he asked.

"Yes, Don, it's time for your reward."

Tears came to his eyes. "Thanks..." (Sniff) "I've been awaiting for this moment for 6 years...."

Specklefur glared at the human on the table. "I know him," he growled. "He doesn't deserve it."

"What do you mean?" Don pleaded.

"You murdered your own kind for personal gain. We can't have that tainting our blood." Specklefur replied, his fur physically rippling with rage.

The Mentat was now glaring at Specklepaw. (STOMP!) "Enough! What in Frith are you talking about?"

Specklepaw pointed to a monitor in the corner. He searched for a remote and turned it on to the local news. "That! It's been on all day long!" (STOMP!)

Specklefur shut the news off. (STOMP!) "He made one of the two human kits being held here, that I met this evening at dinner, an orphan. All so he could enjoy the gift of bunnyhood. What's to stop him from killing fellow buns if he has a chance to gain from it, perhaps even kits?"

(STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!) "What should you care about a couple of lousy humans!" She yelled in his face. (besidesfluff--whisper) "We can properly program him as he changes."

Speckelfur's eyes widened for a moment. "Oh, why didn't you say so in the first place?" (wink) "Mind if I ask you a personal question or two?"

"You're stalling, Specklefur." (resignedfluff) "Go on."

"What is your specialty?"

"Specialty?" (caughtoffguardfluffle)

"Yeah, what did you specialize in when you underwent mentat training?"

(finefluff) "I'll play your game. Chemistry. But what does that have to do with infecting Mr. Charette there with bunnyvirus™ ?"

"Oh," (kittishscuffpaw) "it may have a lot to do with it. Did you study nanites at all?"

"No, what would a chemist need with nan..." she didn't have time to finish her question as Specklefur leaped at her and she dodged.

The Mentat rolled hard and came-up to a defensive crouch.

"What is the meaning of this?" (STOMP!)

Specklefur grinned evilly at her. "You've forced me to blow my cover a little early. I had hoped to walk out of this warren with my daughter without having to shed blood."

The Mentat's eyes widened slightly. "I should have known," she spat as she edged towards a nearby side table. "You're good. Very good. I warned Lapin not to underestimate a traitorbun." She (gigglefluffed) nervously as she moved closer to the table. "He's just as big a fool as Stoutpaw was."

Steve circled his prey. "Now who's stalling?"

He feinted a leap and the Mentat dodged, a pink, dripping syringe in paw. Her muscles bunched-up again as she tensed in a defensive crouch.

"Some of your chemistry, Mentat?"

"Yes, Specklefur, or do you prefer BrownPaw? It doesn't matter what your Fudd name was. This," she pointed to the syringe, "is your cure." (motherlyfluff) "You've been awfully sick since your conversion. Let me help you. You're past sins against the bunny race will be forgiven. Just 5 little cc's and you'll feel like a whole new bunny." (bambieyes)

Steve hesitated.

"Come on," (soothingfluff) "no more bad dreams. No more worries, no more hallucinations..." She took a hop towards Steve.

Steve's eyes glazed over. His nose twitched. "And Lapin will never, ever, ever," (emphaticwiggle) "have to know the evil I once committed?" He replied in a sugary-sweet voice.

The Mentat nodded and took another step closer.

"IN YOUR DREAMS!" (mockingfluff) he growled in his normal voice and leaped.

She swung the syringe up as Steve batted it aside and landed roughly on her. The Mentat slashed viciously with her hind claws. Steve yelped and tumbled-off, bleeding from the wounds in his torso. He grasped the wounds shut. Meanwhile the syringe flew through the air and just missed Don's left arm, landing needle first into the table.

"What's the matter, traitor, loosing your touch?" The Mentat chuckled.

(bigdewyeyes) "Y..y..you hurt me," he said in a kittish voice. "But not to worry, another mentat made it all better alweady." He let go of the wound which was already beginning to clot.

The Mentat's eyes widened slightly. "The reports are true."

"I'm through playing games, fluffer."

Steve leaped again. He and the doe lashed-out for a few minutes, she drawing blood, he just batting her silly. Each time she grew more and more angry and more and more woozy and weary.

"Why toy with me, traitor?!" (weakSTOMP!) "Be done with it!" (pant, pant)

Steve pounced on the doe. "You and yours still hold my daughter hostage. As long as she's alive and unharmed, none of you will die! But in the morning, you'll wish you had!" He slammed her head hard, knocking her out-cold.

Steve quickly opened-up a nearby cart and grabbed a roll of gauze and used it to tie the doe-up. He then turned to the symp strapped-down on the table. Don trembled as Steve rubbed his paws and (fluffed) in anticipation.

"As for you..."

Steve reached-up and pulled the syringe out of the table. He drained the contents into a nearby sink and rinsed-out the chamber. He then inserted it into his left forearm and drew-out 5 cc's of his own blood. He then approached the symp who was still shaking.

"No, please, no...."

"Oh, so you don't want conversion after all?"

"I don't want to be a monster like you," he trembled.

Steve flicked-on the monitor. The news was still recapping the arson fires. "Why not? You are already. Look! Look at what you've done. You've murdered two innocent people and you tried to kill your boss and her son," Steve pointed to himself. "MY wife and son." He glared at Don. "Why not go all the way. You are a monster, just like them...just like me...without the fur!" (STOMP!) "One quick depression of this plunger and in six hours you too can fluff just like them! It's been your goal now for what? Six years?"

Don continued to tremble at a loss for words, but shook his head in the negative.

"Speechless? A traitor to your own race. You've succeeded in becoming as evil as the fluffer you strive to be, but don't want to go the last step!" Steve threw the syringe against the far wall and it shattered, smearing the blood against it. Don flinched and soiled his garments.

"A...a.a..a...are you going to kill me now?"

Steve leaped up on top of Don and stared him face to muzzle and snarled for a moment, before batting his nose. "Why should I? It won't bring back Cathy's parents." He shoved a wad of gauze into his mouth and hopped off. Steve moved towards the door and looked back over his shoulder. "Besides," (deviousfluff) "I'm sure the buns will provide a more than adequate punishment for you when this is all over. After all you failed to stop me. They will tell you, you know, that being strapped-down prepared for conversion is no excuse." He quietly closed the door behind him as Don struggled under his restraints and bit into the gauze.

"Alright Specklefur, time is running short. Which way to the kids' room?" He looked to the left and right and sniffed carefully and moved cautiously down the tunnel to his right.

Steve ducked from shadow to shadow in the dimly lit tunnel. This late at night, there were few buns about, but he didn't want to have to explain why he was wandering the corridors to the few that were about. He stopped in front of one door. He could smell his daughter beyond it. Steve pawed the door knob and opened the door quietly.

The interior was dimly lit, but he could make-out the sleeping forms of Cathy and Julie. Steve closed the door quietly and made his way towards Julie's bed. He nuzzled her arm. She stirred and opened an eye. Then both and reached for the bed lamp.

"Specklefur?" Steve shushed her. She continued more quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking you and Cathy home."

"Now?"

"Yes, and we must hurry before the others find-out. Lapin means to do you harm. He has no intention of letting you go. He's using you to try and trap me." He changed the tone of his voice. "And my name isn't Specklefur, its.."

Julie's eyes widened as she recognized his voice. "BrownPaw!" she exclaimed, then stifled herself. "Sorry. But why does Sugartail's leader want you?"

"It's too long a story to explain now, Julie. We have to get moving, now."

Julie got out of bed and tiptoed over to Cathy's bed and shook her gently. She rolled-over and Julie put a finger to her lips to warn Cathy to be quiet.

"It's the middle of the night, Julie, what's up?" Cathy rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Specklefur is taking us home."

"Really?!"

"Ssssshhhhhh! He says the others won't let us go home and we have to be quiet if we are going to get out of here."

"But Sugartail said..."

"Cathy, Sugartail follows the orders of the warren leader, Lapin," Stripefur replied. "You've heard of bad humans, right?" Cathy shook her head yes. "Well, Lapin is a bad bunny. There's no time to explain here, we need to leave while there's still time."

"But...but..."

"Come on, Cathy, I know this bunny, we can trust him like you trust Sugartail. He's really my uncle's bunny, BrownPaw," Julie stated as she quickly got dressed.

"But..but you said BrownPaw's brown, didn't you?"

(wink) "I dyed my fur in hopes of fooling Lapin. But I don't think it'll last for much longer. It's already wearing-out. Ruffle my fur."

Cathy did so. Near the base of Steve's fur, it was indeed showing signs of brown.

"Come on, we've got to go now."

Cathy quickly dressed, but hesitated. Steve moved towards the door with Julie in tow. He opened the door a crack and looked about. "All clear. We leave."

"Come on." Julie waved to Cathy and Cathy came.

Out the door they went, a bunny and two human girls moving from shadow to shadow as quietly as two girls could move, which of course wasn't very quiet.

Ducking and weaving, Specklefur kept scouting the warren tunnels ahead, and then going back and moving Julie and Cathy along. Eventually they made their way to the bunnymover terminal. They were in luck as Specklefur spied an available bunnymover and no bun around. Then again, that was to be expected in the middle of the night.

"Stay here until I make sure it's safe," Specklefur whispered to the two girls.

Specklefur made his way to the bunnymover and got in and began to program the computer on board. What took only about 2 minutes felt more like an hour. He then made his way back to the girls and grasped Julie's hand with one paw.

"Alright, time to go home."

They made their way quietly across the open area of the terminal. Three feet from the door of the bunnymover, alarms began to blare:

[THUMP, THUMP, THUMP]

Julie shrieked as Specklefur began to push them towards the bunnymover car. "GO! I've got a few things to do before joining you. The car is programmed to take you home. There'll be a policeman waiting to take you home when the bunnymover stops. GO!" He shoved Julie through the door and attempted to grasp Cathy's hand. Bunnies began to hop in quickly from various tunnels.

"You've got to leave now, Cathy!" (urgentfluff)

"No! Not without saying goodbye to Sugartail."

(wedonthavetimeforthisfluff) "If we hang around, Lapin will hurt us both. Go!"

Cathy hesitated as more buns filled the edges of the terminal, but kept their distance. "No, not until I see Sugartail." She stomped a foot almost bun-like.

"Then at least get behind me." She at least did that.

The devilbunnies stood back as if waiting. And waiting they were for their warren leader who made his way to the front of the crowd. Sugartail was by his side.

"And so the traitorbun makes himself known," (gigglefluff) Lapin growled. "Surrender."

"Come away from Specklefur, Cathy," Sugartail asked.

"Stay where you are, Cathy," Specklefur replied. "He'll hurt you if you go near him. Let the girls go, Lapin, it's me you want." Specklefur eyed a few buns on either edge of the crowd who were inching their way along to his sides. "Get in the car, Cathy."

Cathy waved to Sugartail. "Thanks for showing us your home, Sugartail, bye!" She giggled and got into the bunnymover car and joined Julie.

Specklefur turned behind himself and yelled into the open-door of the bunnymover car quickly. "Computer, Initiate Program Specklefur One!"

The car door closed and the bunnymover car pulled-out of the terminal. Specklepaw breathed a slight sigh of relief as he heard the now distant bunnymover car pick-up in speed. He leaped aside as four buns, two from either side, leaped at him.

Specklefur rolled aside as the four buns regrouped. He spotted several more in the crowd who were tensing-up and preparing to leap.

"So this is how you fight, Lapin? Like a coward!" Specklefur leaped aside as two buns came at him. He slashed one of them viciously.

Lapin laughed. "I don't need to fight, I've already won. Give it up Specklefur, or perhaps we should say, Steve Blake. We've known you've been here since shortly after your arrival. And it's already too late for your daughter and her friend. My mentat gave them an injection of enhanced Bunnyvirus™ earlier this evening. They should start to change in another couple of hours. They'll return on their own in a few days." Lapin cackled.

"Impossible! Cowardice and now lying..." Steve stammered and failed to dodge a bun leaping at him. He slashed and clawed at the new adversary as Lapin droned on.

"Not impossible, Fudd. We've got extensive information on you and you did as the file predicted. 'Tis a pity you didn't eliminate the symp for me, though," (waveofffluff) "but no matter. I have no intention of killing you if it can be helped. You're more valuable to us alive. I'm sure with a little more work, we can correct what conversion had failed to do...what, almost four years ago now?"

Blake's adversary dropped but two more leaped in to take its place and a third leaped at Blake's exposed back. Blake bled from wounds all over his body, wounds that would close-up soon after being ripped-open only to be ripped-open anew.

"So that's your plan," Blake cried-out from under the fluffy wall of potential death. "Was it worth sacrificing your warren, Lapin?" He heaved-up, tossing the bun off his back, and slashed-out at the two in front of him. "Fight me coward!"

There was now murmuring in the crowd of spectatorbuns. "What is the traitor ranting about?"

"I ask you again, coward, was it worth destroying your warren over? When my daughter and her friend arrive safely back into Fudd hands, the Fudds will also have the coordinates of this warren. You've got about 6 hours before you're overrun by the various Canadian Fudd forces in this region!" Steve slashed again and again at his adversaries, making his way slowly towards Lapin. His wounds were beginning to slow him down.

"You're bluffing," Lapin had a hard time hiding his concern.

Steve broke between the two buns currently trying to keep him occupied and leaped at Lapin, bowling him over. Before he could strike at Lapin, a dozen buns were on him and restraining him, they pulled him off Lapin. Steve struggled to no avail.

Lapin got-up and brushed his fur off. He approached Steve and lifted his muzzle-up from underneath with one claw. "As you see, it's pointless to resist. Time to face your destiny."

"So you intend to cure me, Lapin. You want me to stop betraying my race. Fine," Steve whispered.

Lapin's ears twitched slightly. (disbelieffluff) "Did I hear correctly? You want to embrace ky00tness?"

(resignedfluff) "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family, Lapin," Steve whispered hoarsely. He raised his voice as he continued. "And I shall start my new life by challenging you for the position of Warren Command."

There was a hush throughout the crowd. Lapin paused for a moment and began to laugh.

"You're in no position to challenge anybun, Fudd."

Steve struggled-out a (STOMP!) while being restrained. "That's Steve Blake or BrownPaw to you, Lapin. Anybun in this warren has the right to challenge the warren leader's authority when the warren leader has made decisions that endanger the warren. I'm invoking my right to challenge you to paw-to-paw combat as it is written in the warren articles I read two days ago."

Lapin gaffawed loudly. "This is rediculous. Tell him, Sugartail." Sugartail remained silent. Lapin (stammerfluff)ed. "Sugartail?"

"Specklefur/BrownPaw or" (whateverfluff) "he wants to call himself is correct. Even if he works for the Fudds, as a devilbunny he has the right to challenge you. And his arguments are sound. You have endangered the warren," she paused, "and under the warren articles you can not refuse his challenge without stepping down as warren leader."

There were a few subdued (hereherefluffs) throughout the crowd.

"But, you've read his file and seen for yourself. He'd have an unfair advantage in battle..."

"Your thugbuns here have slowed me down somewhat. And you can have the spectators decide when you've drawn enough blood out of me to equal death in a normal devilbunny." Steve glared at Lapin. "Of course, if you're too much of a coward, you can relinquish command to somebun else..."

"Never!" (STOMP!) "Release the traitorbun!"

Lapin's buns did as they were ordered and Steve leaped at Lapin.

Lapin rolled aside and leaped back, again as Steve rebounded towards him. The crowd backed-up giving the two combatants more space. Lapin lashed-out opening-up one of Steve's forepaws. Steve seemed to not notice as he bashed Lapin across the muzzle with his claws sheathed.

Lapin shook his head and leaped again, slashing at thin air where Steve had been. The air was knocked out of him as he flew by Steve's new position and landed in a heap.

"Come on, fluffer. Is that the best a coward can do? Hold kits hostage against an adversary?"

Lapin got up, turned to face Steve and feinted leaping to the left while actually leaping to the right. "STOP CALLING ME THAT, TRAITOR!" he snarled. He was rewarded with a gaping wound in Steve's side. Steve grasped it to stem the flow of blood a moment. Lapin cackled and circled for the kill. "It's all over now..." He leaped.

Steve fell back and kicked Lapin hard with his hind paws. Lapin sailed through the air with the added momentum and slammed hard against the nearby wall back first. Steve rolled over and faced his adversary as Lapin slid down the wall. Steve's stomach growled loudly as his heart beat pounded against his ears. Lapin got up slowly on all four and appeared disorientated for a moment, shaking his head and ears back and forth, trying to clear the fog, awaiting the inevitable.

Steve made ready to leap, but two kits jumped at him and grasped him. "Leave Uncle Lapin alone, you bully!" they berated as they beat against him with their little paws, faces full of tears. A bun in the crowd shrieked in fear, probably the kits' mother, and two other buns restrained her as she struggled to leap after the kits. Lapin turned to faced Steve, but held himself back as he saw the kits grasping onto Steve's fur.

"Just like a Fudd, so who's taking hostages now, traitorbun?" Lapin growled, spitting-out a chipped-fang.

Steve glared at Lapin as he carefully pried one and then the other kit off his fur. He held one in each paw by the scruff of the neck and they quivered in fear. "Fffudd!" One of them stammered. "But Fffudds are ugly humans..."

"That's why they call me a traitor, little one," Steve spoke softly to one of the kits. I look like a bunny, but I am a Fudd." He turned to Lapin and the crowd in general. "I am no coward, Lapin. I don't take hostages and I fight with honor." Steve turned to the restrained doe in the crowd. "Come get your kits."

Lapin stood his ground as a hush fell over the crowd. The buns restraining the doe released her and she crept forward slowly and took one and then the other, hugging and kissing them, weeping, but not before she gave Steve a vicious glare and then backed-off with kits in tow. Murmuring begin to circulate through the crowd.

"Let's finish it, fluffer," Steve growled as he hopped slowly towards his adversary, ignoring the noise of the other buns present. No other bun got in his way.

> Cathy waved to Sugartail. "Thanks for showing us your home, Sugartail,
>bye!" She giggled and got into the bunnymover car and joined Julie.
>
> Specklefur turned behind himself and yelled into the open-door of the
>bunnymover car quickly. "Computer, Initiate Program Specklefur One!"

Ten minutes passed, and the car continued to accelerate.

"I can't wait to see Mom and Dad! There's so much to talk about!" Cathy squealed as she looked out the mover windows into the dark tunnel.

"Something's not right..." Julie stated. "We should be slowing-down by now, not speeding-up..."

Julie and Cathy both made their way to the front of the car and looked at the various gadgets. Julie pointed to one.

"We're moving at 300 mph?"

"Wow!" Cathy squealed with delight. "I wonder where this thing is taking us?" Cathy glanced at a terminal. "Sk..skow.." her face scrunched-up cutely as she struggled with the word. "Skow...He...Gan....Skowhegan? But that's nowhere near home!"

"Perhaps that is where the policeman that BrownPaw mentioned is suppose to meet us."

The bunnymover swayed back and forth slightly as it moved into an older, less maintained section of tunnel and slowed down a tad.

"Cathy, I don't feel too good and I feel sleepy..."

"Me too..."

The two of them went back to their seats and sat down and fell asleep quickly, neither noticing the light coat of fur the other was beginning to grow.

Lapin leaped directly at Steve, and Steve did not veer, instead slashing at Lapin as the two rolled-about on the floor, fur and blood flying through the air. They came to a stop against the very wall Lapin had just been thrown against with Lapin underneath Steve. Lapin struggled to no avail for he was pinned.

"Finish it already!" he growled at Steve between pants. Steve was panting also.

Several buns in the crowd began jeering him on to do likewise. Steve reached around Lapin's neck with his paws, squeezed slightly and then let go. He placed one clawtip on Lapin's nosetip.

"No," he said. Steve, still having a firm hold of Lapin, got up and tossed him into the waiting paws of two nearby guardbuns. There were cries of outrage throughout the crowd. "You have no honor! You don't deserve an honorable death in battle against your enemy." Steve brushed himself off and made his way towards the platform, stumbling slightly.

Finally, Sugartail stepped forward. "You can't do this!" (STOMP!) "You have to finish the battle!"

Steve faced Sugartail. "But I have finished it. I've defeated him in a worse way than if I had killed him. I've humiliated him and let him live in dishonor. The last I could recall, militiabuns considered honor above all else. Furthermore, I doubt anybun here," he (gesturefluffed) at the crowd, "will want him as leader again anytime soon. I have killed what he was without having to take his life physically." He turned back towards the platform and called for a bunnymover.

"No! I won't let you leave!" Lapin ranted and struggled against the two who restrained him. He stomped on one's paw and slashed at the other and leaped after Steve.

"Lllooookkk out, mister Fffudd bun!" a small kit voice cried-out.

Steve looked back and pushed Sugartail aside, while dodging the other way at the last moment. Lapin was unable to stop himself as he landed down on the bunnyrails and made the connection between one of the steel rails and the electrified rail. His fur stood-up on end, as several thousand volts of current passed through his body. The crowd shuddered as they heard him crackle for 30 seconds, before his dead, smoldering body fell away, breaking the connection. A bunny mover car arrived, but stopped just before the carcass of the late warren leader.

Steve slowly brushed himself off again. And prepared to get into the bunny mover car.

Another voice cried-out, "Stop!" Berryblossom stepped out of the crowd. "Just were do you think you're going?" She crouched ready to leap.

"Home. Since I defeated Lapin, that makes me warren leader, correct?"

Berryblossom hesitated a moment before she (afirmativefluff)ed.

"Well I doubt anybun here is going to follow the orders of a traitorbun Fudd...am I right?" the last part addressed to the crowd.

Murmuring through the crowd was in agreement with Steve. "We'll never serve a Fudd!" one cried-out.

(thereyougofluff) "Well, that leaves me with only one duty I can perform. I relinquish command to you and your sisters, Berryblossom." She opened her mouth, but was cut-off by a wave of a paw from Steve. "Now as warren leader, you've got a tough decision to make. A Fudd is loose in your warren. You could order others to seize him and await the destruction of your warren by his comrades...."

Berryblossom glared at Steve angrily. (go-onfluff)

"Or, you can let the Fudd go on the condition that his comrades do not attack your warren."

Sugartail giggled uncontrollably. "You want her to let you go on your word? What's to stop you from going back on your word once you leave?"

"Haven't I proved the worth of my honor yet? I could have easily killed Berryblossom, here, two days ago. I could have done the same to your warren mentat earlier this evening. As for Lapin..." he looked down at the dead bunny between the rails. "let's just say he got what he deserved."

"You still haven't answered my question..." (impatientpawtap) Sugartail waved to nearby guards.

"What I told Lapin was no lie. By now my comrades have the coordinates of this base and should be broadcasting them to every Fudd in Eastern Canada, some of whom haven't had a good fight in a long time. Let me go and I'll call them off for at least thirty days."

(STOMP!) "Thirty days!?" (insultfluff) Berryblossum exclaimed and then continued in a sarcastic tone. "That seems awful generous coming from a Fudd known for destroying countless warrens. And who fooled me and betrayed my trust. You offer in exchange for your freedom thirty days for us to prepare for our end." (indignantfluff)

"Thirty days in which a warren leader would build-up their defenses in hopes of outlasting a siege or if they are a wise leader, perhaps use those thirty days to relocate the warren."

(wryfluff) Berryblossom approached Steve with 6 buns flanking her. "And tell me why you would be so generous as to give us a chance to relocated?"

"Because this Fudd grows weary of fighting a never ending war. Yes, I have brought on the destruction of countless warrens for I could not accept what your kind has done to me physically. But in these past few days I have grown to accept my lot in life. And I dream of the day I shall probably never see in which both sides agree to let the other live in peace." Steve stared at Berryblossom muzzle to muzzle. "And if by taking this one small step, I can bring that dream closer, I will do so. I give you my word, Berryblossom, that Major Steve Blake won't be the Fudd to destroy this warren today."

Steve turned towards the bunnymover car again. Two guard buns moved to restrain him.

"Stop," (commandfluff) Berryblossom called to the buns. "Let the traitorbun go," she pointed to Lapin's body. "And get that fool's body off the tracks."

Steve turned around in the doorway. "Thank you."

"You may leave, Blake, but I'm holding you to your word. And if you fail to keep it, I will personally hunt you down." (STOMP!)

Blake nodded as the bunnymover door closed. He sat back wearily as the bunnymover hummed to life and pulled-out of Torbique Warren and headed towards Maine.

Sugartail approached her sister. "Why? Why did you let him go?"

"He's lost so much blood." Her voice seemed to be far away. "Did you see? His wounds stopped healing. All I did was allow a corpse to leave here to die where he chose. He proved himself honorable, despite being the enemy, let him die with that honor where he chooses.."

Sugartail nodded, put a paw on her shoulder for a moment. "I'll put the base on alert, just in case. We'll start preparations for moving in the morning." She hopped-off as the crowd begin to break-up. Berryblossom just sat there looking down the vacant tunnel.

> Blake nodded as the bunnymover door closed. He sat back wearily as the bunnymover
>hummed to life and pulled-out of Torbique Warren and headed towards Maine.

Steve punched-up a set of commands slowly into the interface terminal. He reviewed through what he typed and hit the "SEND" key. He then slumped foward in his chair.

Immediately, all data indicating the location of Torbique Warren was deleted from the navigational equipment in the Bunnymover, he was in. In the Bunnymover the girls were in, 100 miles ahead of his, the same information was deleted from its systems.

An automated tightbeam was then sent-out.

****TIGHTBEAM TO SGT EUGENE POMERLEAU, MAINE FUDD VOLUNTEERS****

Mission, nearly a complete success. Both girls rescued. ETA to Skowhegan terminal is 1 hour. URGENT! Both may have been injected with Bunnyvirus™ and will need immediate treatment. Obtain a room at Fairview-Redington Hospital and provide Doc Matthews with whatever he needs to prepare the room for the girls' treatment. (wearysighandpause) I'm counting on you, Gene.

I am about 20 minutes behind the girls in a separate bunnymover. I bought time for their escape, but may pay for it still with my life. My hunger has gone beyond stomach pain and the screen is already going blurry as I type this in. I hope I will get it out before I fall asleep. Tell Carolyn, I'm sorry and I shall always remain true to her.

Major Blake
*****END TIGHTBEAM*****

"Get ready, something's coming down the tunnel."

Several Fudds stood at the ready with shotguns, axes, and supersoakers in hand. Sgt Eugene Pomerleau hand motioned for them to move back away from the dust-covered platform and stood ready in the long, unused terminal near downtown Skowhegan, Maine. It had been discovered by the Fudds over a year before, but by that time it had been long abandoned by the buns. There hadn't been the time or manpower to attempt to explore this part of the system since then.

As the Fudds stood waiting, they could all hear the soft rumble of an approaching bunnymov