SoT has finally been revived, again, after another three-month-long delay. I sincerely apologize for the monstrous delay, but there's been so much stuff going on lately that I could hardly keep up without doing any writing, let alone with. That, and there's my writer's block to contend with. But you'll all be happy to know that I finally finished another chapter. So here it is. Enjoy, or I will hurt someone.

Chapter 14: System Failure

Devan swore long, loud, and descriptively as he watched his first and only turtle Turbulent fall, and whirled around to face Vaper, standing stoically behind him, as always. The bespectacled turtle sputtered as he struggled to find something to scream at the rabbit, and after a few failed attempts he simply pointed at the door, his eyes glinting madly. Vaper couldn’t help but notice Devan’s eye twitching, but his inquiry was cut off by another bout of infuriated non-language from Devan. Before the maddened mastermind had a chance to recompose himself, Vaper was gone, out the door and into the twisting corridors of Whitespire.

Coppertop, even despite her renowned endurance, was not faring well. Her stride had been reduced to a stagger at best, and Lori had to support her on a number of occasions. On top of that, her face had taken on a pale tone, visible even through her fur, and her expression in general looked like she had gone several days without sleep.
Finally, Lori stopped, just as the mercenary missed a step and fell forward. Quickly catching her friend before she hit the ground, the gold-furred Jackrabbit sister held Coppertop steady for a few seconds, then lowered her into a sitting position, and crouched before her. “What’s up, CT?”
“I’m sorry, Lori… I can’t keep going like this…”
Lori frowned. To say that Coppertop looked unwell would be an understatement. She was visibly pale and shuddering, and a few beads of sweat were noticeable even through her fur. The mercenary looked absolutely drained, exhausted to the point of pain, and she looked up at Lori with a listless expression.
Jazz appeared beside them. “What’s going on?”
“We need to get Copper out of here, and to a hospital as soon as possible. I don’t know what’s hit her, but… well, look at her.”
Jazz winced, and nodded. “You’re right. It’s probably in her best interests to get some medical attention.”
Lori nodded in response. “I’ll take her back to Carrotus City. It’s the closest place with a decent hospital.”
Jazz raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what? We need your help here!”
“And how else do you propose that Copper gets to Carrotus City? Someone needs to take her there.”
Another voice, somewhat quieter, came from behind Lori. “I’ll take her to Carrotus City.”
Lori quickly pivoted on one heel, and the barrel of Jazz’s blaster was almost pressed against Vaper’s nose. The grey-furred rabbit showed no sign of surprise or shock at the sudden movement, nor was there any indication of fear induced from having the business end of a gun less than an inch away from his face; nevertheless, he did not move, in order to keep from giving her a reason to shoot. There were a few moments of silent tension, as Vaper watched Lori’s finger practically itching to pull the trigger of her brother’s blaster and put a bullet through the Turbulent’s head, before he slowly raised his hands, showing his empty palms.
“I mean you no harm. I have detached myself from Shell, and wish to join your alliance. Your friend needs help; I will take her to a hospital and ensure that she is treated.”
“Oh, is that it?” Lori snarled, tightening her trigger finger as she readied for the kill. “What makes you think we’re going to trust you, after all the crap you’ve made us go through? As far as I see it, you’re only fit to have a hole put through your head. And I’d be more than happy to do the job.”
“Do you really have the time to doubt my intentions?” Vaper asked calmly, not showing the slightest emotion. “Your friend here could be dying. I can get her to the nearest city faster than any of you can. And, if I remember correctly, time is currently against you.”
Jazz took another look at the now unconscious Coppertop, then at Lori. “He’s right… let him take her.”
Lori glared at Jazz for a few moments, then finally pulled the gun away from Vaper’s face. “Fine. I don’t know why I’m saying this, but get going.”
Vaper nodded, and picked Coppertop up, hoisting her limp body over his shoulder. With one more glance at Jazz and Lori, he sped off down the rocky corridor, back in the direction that the rabbits had come.
Lori turned around again, and looked at the floor. “I hope CT’s going to be alright…”
Jazz gently laid a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Lori. Copper will be just fine.”
Lori looked at her brother incriminatingly. “Tell me again why you wanted Vaper to take her back? He’s been trying to kill us since before we even got into this godforsaken mountain, and now you’re trusting him with her life?”
“Listen, Lori, it was either that or lose two of our own group instead of one. I had to trust him. Besides, he said he isn’t working for Shell anymore…”
“Jazz, I have only one thing to say to you,” Lori muttered. “You are a flaming idiot.”
With that, she strode past him, back to the rest of the group, leaving the temporarily speechless Jazz behind her. It took him a few seconds to follow suit, and he quickly made his way over to Lori.
“What the heck was that all about?” Jazz asked incredulously.
“I’m sorry, I’m just in a state of complete disbelief that you actually trusted him just because he said he’s not working for Shell anymore. If I said I no longer pledged my allegiance to Carrotus, would you believe me?”
“Well, no, but that’s different.”
“How?”
“Because you’re my sister.”
“And therefore, you can read my mind?”
“Okay, fine, I admit it! It was a bad choice!” Jazz whispered harshly to Lori. “Look, failing everything else, we don’t have to worry about having to fight him anymore.”
“I can’t believe this. CT’s life is in jeopardy, and the best point you can make is that we don’t have to fight him anymore.”
She turned around. “I’m going to go after them.”
Before Jazz could stop her, she was gone, leaving only dust in her wake. He could only awkwardly start running as well, as fast as he could, in a desperate bid to catch up to his sister.
“Lori, wait up!”

Blinking a few times in puzzlement, Canadian looked to Acid and Spaz, the only two others remaining. “So… what do we do now?”
“Um… I think pressing onward would be a good plan right about now, I guess,” Acid replied. “No point in just standing around here and waiting for something interesting to happen.”
“This is true,” Canadian agreed. “I just hope there aren’t any more surprises waiting for us…”
Acid frowned. “Well, we’ll deal with those if’n’when they come up. Right now, Devan’s still on the loose. Who’s up for helping to stop him?”
“Count me in,” Canadian replied. Spaz just nodded, and grinned widely.
“Then let’s pick up where we left off,” Acid said, sounding more leader-like than he had thought he could, as he turned to go. Canadian and Spaz were not far behind him when he did.

“No! This can’t be happening!” Devan bellowed as he watched, from deep within the caverns of his mountain lair, his once-loyal Turbulent Vaper tearing out of Whitespire at an impossible speed, with Coppertop lying on his back, unconscious. He forcefully kicked a nearby console, and subsequently roared in a mix of frustration and pain as he only succeeded in injuring his foot against the immovable console.
Pivoting on his uninjured foot, he glared at Tokivi, the only lizard stoically brave enough to stay around Devan when he was mentally capable of ripping any lizard’s head off of his shoulders.
“Tokivi!” Devan screamed, his entire body shaking in frustration. “Get every living lizard and turtle in this mountain, and send them all after those rabbits! All of them! I want those blasted furry intruders killed, right effing now!”
Tokivi made his exit amidst Devan’s frenzied cursing, knowing that this time, there was no room for error. The rabbits must die.

As Tokivi left, Devan made his way into a small side cavern, snarling as if imitating a rabid dog. Waiting for him in this smaller chamber was nothing but a single, heavily-armed ‘Mech, standing almost twice as tall as the turtle, as well as a similarly heavily-armed, spider-like Nakmachine, whose eyes sparked to life as Devan entered.
Wasting no time in climbing into the cockpit of the waiting ‘Mech, Devan cracked his neck loudly. “It never fails. If I want something done properly, I have to do it myself. And it’s about time something got done properly around here.”
With a whir, the deadly ‘Mech came to life, and Devan laughed as he piloted it out into the cavernous corridors of Mount Whitespire, with the Nakmachine close behind.
Three rabbits, against a horde of lizards and turtles, the ferociously predatory Nakmachine, and Devan himself, riding in a customized ‘Mech…
There was no way he could lose this time.