Zek rubbed his hands together and smiled broadly, letting his grilled teeth glint and sparkle. He was pretty pleased with himself. He didn’t see MacKellan anywhere, but there was a lot of dust and broken wall and torn metal and all kinds of sudden and violent damage all over the place. Well, now the vault door was never going to fit, since the frame of the vault was no longer there, and neither was most of that wall.

“Hehehehehe,” he giggled gleefully as he kept loading up his dumpster. The Michael Jackson glove, the Elvis shoes, the original set of Beanie Babies, another pile of gold, some expensive-looking paintings, more gold, stacks of money, and was that a legit treasure chest?! Zek’s smile started hurting his cheeks it was getting so big. His giggling climbed in pitch with excitement!

“Muahahaha!” he cried as alternating golden and scarlet lights kept flashing around the vault. He even began to dance and jig in place, at some point nearly juggling and jiving before unleashing his balls upon more treasures. The dumpster reached peak capacity long before Zek could finish clearing out the vault, but then again, it didn’t actually need to close.

Everything just had to touch.

Somehow over his cackling, he heard more footsteps approaching so Zek decided to speed things up. He flicked two balls behind him in the general direction of the massive whole and wreckage where there had been a door and wall and suddenly two naked guys fell, upside down, from the ceiling. He didn’t pay attention to them after that. He figured he’d let Kittybird take care of them. Make him good for something, right? After all, Zek was cleaning out the vault!

And with three balls at a time, he was quickly shifting the riches of the room into a single mountain in the middle.

It wasn’t the answer he was hoping for. Instead of hearing anything other than the chaotic laughter of a mad man he heard the footsteps. ”****ing course....” he rolled off of the guard he was sitting on smacking him in the back of the head with a back end of a shoe as he rolled.

The former circus performer jumped, flapped once and landed by the open door as the foot steps approached from the dark room. Carrick pushed against the door with all his might sending it hard into another guard. The door made contact hard then swung back to where he was a second earlier. Suddenly he regretted join Zek. ”Is he a decent guy?” Carrick shouted hoping someone could answer also in hopes it would encourage Zek to hurry.

Carrick’s cat like refluxes kicked into overdrive as he dodged a punch and then a kick. As long as he’d kept himself in sticking distance of someone he hoped they wouldn’t try to dodge fire. ‘Move!’ he leaned forward dodging a blow to the back of the head then jumped upwards sending an attacker back as he took to the air to deliver a kick to the face.

Landing on another guard he jumped again trying to dodge another grab unfortunately his tail found it the ample time to get in the way by swaying into the guards hand giving him a new target for the grab. Carrick’s body tensed and he stopped trying to get away and turned to the grabber letting everyone know what happened to someone who grabbed his tail. ”I just want to know what the man’s like!” he said sending a knee into his face and collapsing on top of him.

Grunting as he landed he reached into his pocket and produced some flash powder and threw it at the ground trying to distract anyone from getting closer while he tried to get back to his feet. Carrick spat out a little blood as he rose.

Zek didn’t hurry because Featherbutt said anything. No. Of course not. It’s just that Carlos’s timetable just so happened to correspond with Zek’s general compilation of the vault’s riches in one massive pile, his precious and shiny dumpster at the heart of it all.

“Just about done here!” he shouted, since Cristoph was known to be hard of hearing sometimes. Zek nailed a painting with a ball and added it to the pile and then beheld his mountain of wealth. The laughter began building up again. “Nihihihihihi!” he began tittering as his eyes practically sparkled. The amount of danishes one could buy with all of that! And the lack of danishes MAcKellen could buy with none of that! It was so beautiful!

Zek hit the mound with a ball and half of it vanished. The other half soon followed. No since hitting it with one ball, not since he had several empty to absorb the strain of such size of materials. It still left him with one empty pocket and MacKellan with one empty vault.

Zek turned around and searched for Karen. “M’kay, I’m done now! You ready to leave?” he asked as he peered through the sudden smoke. He sniffed. Oh, that was a good brand of flashpowder. “Of, that’s a good brand of flashpowder!”

And then even more footsteps came through and more men appeared, this time with guns. The short old man reappeared. He clapped his hands twice and all the reinforcements cocked their guns at the same time. “Well, what do we have--”

“Dude! It’s Li’l MacKellan!” Zek shouted at Crockett. “But actually wearing clothes!” Zek swiveled his head at the short guy. “Hey, thanks for all the cool stuff. We’re going to leave now, so would you mind getting out of the way? Kay, thanks, bye!”

Zek started strolling forward.

”What ya expect me to use something else?” Carrick said as he opened his wings and erupted upwards out of the smoke only to fold them up to pounce on another guard who was busy looking down instead of up. Thankfully for Carrick the ceilings were high enough for him to maneuver properly. With a thud he collapsed on and forced the guard to the floor. ”Like some two bit kids party magician? Don’t insult me. I’ll be billing ya fer it.” the shifter said only to get tackled by another guard. How many did this guy have on payroll?

”Bout time!” he shouted as he tried to roll the guy off of him with little luck. ”Ya think It’s too late ta ask fer an autograph?” his wings pushed him up giving him a little movement so he could roll so he did and in turn got the guard off of him. ”Is it too late fer an autograph?” this time he asked the rapper, gangster and terrible role model Carrick had been listening to for decades.

He didn’t look pleased. “It’s Mackellean, you obviously know who I am. You two got some balls trying to rob me.” Carrick tried not to giggle after the comment and Zek and after seeing the naked photograph of the ‘Entrepeneur’ before him. ”Pffffffttttt well, some one’s gotta.” someone slugged him in the face and he spat out a little more blood before turning and hitting his attacker. This time a lone gun shot sounded it was his idol.

“I’m not done talking.” his guards all stood at attention and Carrick slowly stood upright making sure not to stand next to Zek in case bullets were to start flying. The guards around him made good shields. “Now, why you trying to rob me?” he looked from Zek to Carrick and Carrick’s tail flicked, ”Not trying. We did.” technically the vault was empty hence the successful robbery. “Not quite yet, you two need to make it out of here alive. I don’t plan on letting that happen.

“Need to make an example of you.”

”Need to make an example of you!” Carrick said at the same time as the rapper only more excitedly. ”Oh, it’s even better hearing ya say it in person.” he grinned with a fat lip and a swollen face where he was struck.

Nobody moved out of Zek’s way. Huh. He stopped within spitting distance of the old guy, but well out of arm’s reach (old people were gross, okay?). “Yeah, way too late for an autograph,”Zek told Crisper out of the side of his mouth. In Zek’s experience, few people gave out autographs after this much blood and damage and theftifying was everywhere. Which just made them more valuable when they were given out in those circumstances, of course!

The gunshot refocused Zek’s attention. Zek bobbed his head. “Yep, we got everything you have.” Then his eyes lit up. “Oh! We didn’t take your car collection! Hey, do you think you could point us in the direction of your garage?” Zek was pretty sure that wasn’t on the map, but wasn’t this guy supposed to have a ton of expensive vehicles? Zek could use a couple to replace the one he’d lost and the one he was set to lose.

Zek just grinned violently as MacKellan announced his plans to bar their path. “That...is so…cute!” he cackled, a hand reaching up to his heart. “Hey Cricket, Li’l MacKellan thinks he can stop us!” He twisted his head to look at his friend and regretted it immediately. “Ewww, you look worse than normal!” Had his lip always been that big? It was matching Crouton’s nose now!

Zek shuddered and swiveled back. “Yeah, wells, we’re off now. This is payback for that danish so after this we’re even.”

Carrick was more nervous than he’d like to admit in the given situation. Guns pointed at him and what’s worse they were allegedly robbing one of his greatest lyrical role models. His younger years back home so full of angst. He didn’t look back at it fondly. His younger years. Ol’ Mackellen’s music still held up, no matter what the ball boy next to him thought. Carrick being Carrick however maintained his game face, and cracked a smile through his swollen face.

”Well, didn’t hurt ta ask. How often ya run inta yer childhood hero right?” he said sighing a little at Zek’s comment then looked back to the armed guards then back to the rapper then back to Zek who seemed to be hungry for more, Carrick at this point was content with the gold and the blue swede shoes. Maybe they’d fit him. ”Yer still hungry? And what do ya mean? I’m still better looking than you.” he said with a chuckle.

“What the **** is wrong with you two?” asked the lyrical genius. One the guards threw a punch and clocked Carrick in the gut then stepped back. ”He was the one talking.” he pointed to Zek and exhaled trying to catch his breath. He was suddenly thankful for the ‘quality time’ he spent with his father. Dear ol’ da hit harder.

“Danish? You won’t be leaving here alive.” Carrick still out of breath couldn’t comment on the cliché but held a finger up to hopefully get a moment as he wheezed air back into his lungs. ”Ya did him dirty, he’s.” large inhale and another ‘moment’ finger, ”exacting revenge. Falling yer sage words of wisdom. ‘Eye fer an eye gonna make ya blind’ cause he’s out of his mind.” he said quoting more words from the Ol’ man himself, Carrick just added another rhyme so it flowed better.

The alleged criminal cracked a smile, “How do you think this is going to go down? You two gonna take on everyone here to get out of here? Please, I’m not a fool.” Carrick heard another gun cock, ”I challenge ya to an exchange of words.” Carrick said thinking quickly and remembering Ol’ Mackellen’s words. He said he’d never turn it down.

“I’m always hungry,” Zek said matter-of-factly as he bit into a piece of jerky, completely unconcerned with the rustling of a couple guys and guns. Again though, Zek was content letting Carlsburg handle the other people, which he seemed pretty set on using his head to solve that problem, judging by the amount of times Crusso’s face kept getting hit. Perhaps Birdcat was trying to bore them into submission?

As Zek chewed on his treat, Featherbutt took over the conversation, leaving Zek free to aimlessly glance around and consider his options in case things went South. And let’s face it, things always went South when Carl was around. The dude was a magnet for trouble!

Zek had good taste in friends.

And then he heard a great line. He opened his mouth (only a bit of food still in it) and

Birdcat started laying down bars!

Mr. Overcompensating’s smile sharpened. “So that’s how it’s gonna be then,” he said, lowering his gun and beginning to slowly prowl. “Taking my words and adding on some of your own? Fine, have it your way. When I’m finished crushing you with my words my guys will fill you full of lead. Angus? Give us a beat!”

One of the guys that hadn’t beaten themselves up via Catbird’s face immediately started beatboxing.

Li’l MacKellan began: “I tell you what, ya sad sack of spit, when I’m through with you ya won’t be worth ****! What kind of fool would come into my house, thinking he’s the cat when really he’s the mouse? I guess you got balls but I doubt you been kissed, so let’s fix that with your mouth and my fist!”

Dreams did really come true, only Zek was there hand a bunch of other guys. In fact this seemed more like a nightmare than a dream, they were still in a basement under ground and the Princess was no where to be seen so the only aspect of this being a dream was Carrick was finally about to lay down some bars with one of his lyrical Idols.

The shifter started to bob his head to the beat-’boxer’ (Carrick was sure the guy punched him in the face) trying to get into the rhythm of the beat. He wasn’t sure what to expect other than greatness from his idol. The shifter smirked already forming the clap back so when Ol’ Mackellan finished sent the words he was ready only he froze for a second when the beat changed quickly.

Carrick looked back at the guy who punched him and shook his head, ”No I got the balls, just ask yer mother, how ya think ya got a new baby brother. I had some words all ready to go till yer boy with the beat went fer a stroll. Don’t worry though I think I got it down, didn’t you know I used to be a clown?”

Smirking and did a little spin the shifter was far too comfortable, ”Oh wait, I’m not quite done I want ya to know this isnjust fer fun. While yer boys around us got it locked and loaded, me and him never got floated. Ya say were screwed ya say were done, but we saw yer painting so whose the lil’one.” Reaching out Carrick offered Zek a low five hoping he didn’t just get them killed. It was all about attitude and Carrick was confident he could play the part.

Zek’s mouth hung open in sadistic glee. Birdcat had some skills! So Zek let him take the spotlight while he just focused on posing and looking cool, which wasn’t hard to do since he always looked cool in his trench coat. The cat suit, tail, and earred headband was just next level stuff.

As the battle commenced, MacKellan’s thugs righted themselves, helping up the ones they could and variously limping and shuffling to form up on MacKellan’s side in traditional street rap battle lines, leaving Zek all alone to backup Cruiser.

Which meant Zek was the only one around to return Craig’s low five. So Zek slapped that hand with gusto and immediately went back to posing and looking cool.

And several seconds passed in silence. The beatbox guy had gone quiet.

Zek glanced over at the gangster rapper. Black fury flooded his face. Zek slapped Catbird on the back. “Haha, well done!” he congratulated him. Even Zek hadn’t been able to get that reaction out of the man. “You totally pwned him, dude!” Zek offered up a high five.

And then MacKellan spoke. “Alright you **************, you’ve had your fun. Now you both die.” He turned around and started walking out of the room. He called over his shoulder, “Kill ‘em both!”

THe remaining guys who still had guns aimed them again and Zek’s smile widened and his hands came up. As the bullets began flying, Zek countered with two flashes of light. One to release a second car falling sideways at terminal velocity right at the thugs and the immediate next flash to make the vault door reappear between Zek and Cooper and the gunmen.

“Isn’t this the greatest?!?!” he yelled in glee.

Carrick was for a moment on cloud nine, he met his rapper hero, rapped with him and even got some props from his running crew behind him. Carrick wondered if this would open up a bunch of new possibilities for him and his musical career but instead of continuing the battle of words Ol’ Mackellen’s face said it all. Was it the mother comment, or the comment about his lil guy? That was just part of the battle right? That was how he got started right? Maybe he needed more street cred first?

”What?!? That’s it? Yer done? Man, this isn’t fun.” Carrick said still rhyming as he turned to Zek having a hard time turning it off. The guns clicked again and then Zek tossed a ball and a vehicle appeared, a few gunman ducked out of the way while a few weren’t so lucky.

One of the guards caught the car and flew back into the wall creating a dent behind him. ”Looks like he has mutants working fer him as well.” Carrick said a little disappointed.

Next thing to appear was the vault door and then the sound of gunfire on metal. His tail drooped and Carrick sighed loudly clearly upset about the interaction. Ol’ Mackellen wasn’t what he pictured. ”We didn’t even go two rounds.... ya think I should have held the **** size comment till the end?” he asked running it through his mind a few times more while Zek squealed with glee.

”Yeah I guess....” he said with far less enthusiasm while he started to reevaluate his thoughts on his former hero. ”Maybe take a few cars on the way out?” he asked looking around for another exit hoping it would cheer him up a bit.

Bullets clattered against the door and their ricochets could be heard all over the place, along with some yelps of surprise as bullets were deflected back into the thugs instead of hitting Zek and Casper. “I think MacKellan got bored with the game! Man, that dude is so lame!” Zek shot back, trying out his own rhymes.

Zek shrugged and glanced at Birdcat. “I dunno man, I think you were right on target. I think MacKellen just couldn’t….measure up.” Waggling eyebrows cemented the grin.

Then the smile sharpened. “Okay, let’s get out of here. Did he ever tell us where the cars were though?” Zek asked. “I don’t think he did. So rude. How about we burn this place down as well?” Zek was out of his heavy weapons, but he was pretty sure he could cobble together something flammable or explosive from the stuff he had with him. This, and the gunfire, meant it was probably time for an escape.

“I wish Juniper were here,” he mumbled before throwing a ball up to make a big chunk of the ceiling vanish, exposing the room above. “Why don’t you get us out of range of these guys?” Zek said far more loudly.

”Yeah, obviously he knew fire when he heard it.” Carrick said his tail perking up after a few moments realizing Zek was still rhyming. Did... did Zek want to rap with him? Could it be the new foundation of their friendship?

His ears perked next, ”Nah, he didn’t. I get it now though. Guy’s a **** which is funny because well...” Carrick chuckled and held up a hand and made a small gesture before rolling his eyes. ”If ya want. I only spit fire. I don’t play with it.” he said puffing out his chest a bit. He beat Ol’ Mackellen. Zek was his witness, some might argue not a good one but Carrick knew what happened here as well. That was enough for him.

”Sure, wish Juniper was here. She’d only phase ya through a wall not get you out of the hall.” he said getting back into his rhymes. ”That’s a tall order but since ya got rid of the brick and mor-tar.” Carrick reached over and slung an arm under Zek and started flapping lifting them off the ground and out of the way of the firing squad who was busy getting shot at from their own fire.

”Didn’t even get to use my flash powder...” Carrick said grumbling out loud as the cleared to the next floor. ”If ya were a car where would ya be?” the smell of gunpowder was so fresh in his nostrils he didn’t think he could pinpoint the exit.

“You don’t play with fire, huh? Such a shame,” Zek said, shaking his head epically. Fire was amazing. It was always fun to watch. People tended to lose their minds around fire and do all sorts of things, often without thinking. Fire was exciting! Also, Zek didn’t know that Birdcat could breathe fire. He’d have to remember that one. Could come in handy later.

But now Zek was thinking that maybe Crusoe had been hit in the head a few too many times because he kept rhyming.

Zek decided he needed to ensure Cain got hit in the head all the time.

“She could also phase me through bullets!” he pointed out, raising his voice over the continued clattering of bullets upon his abandoned door. Of course by then his face was pretty close to Carbird’s, since they were flying and all (and again Zek was going to have to rate the airline poorly due to lack of snacks) but they made it to the next floor, the ground floor.

“I’d be in a garage,” Zek said brightly. “Did you see a garage on the way in?” And then alarms began blaring. “Er! Nevermind! Maybe we should just make a break for it while we can!” Zek threw a ball at a random wall and a large-person-sized hole suddenly existed. “Shall we?” he yelled, already calling up another ball in preparation to take out any next obstacle.

The Irishman was highly flammable, his feathers didn’t take much to erupt into a roaring inferno or at least that was a big fear of his. He didn’t want to put it to the test and while he did play with fire (from a safe distance) he wanted it to be clear who won the exchange of words with his former hero.

”You didn’t even need me to!” he shouted back also within normal speaking distance. Carrick’s sensitive ears were still ringing from all gunfire and commotion. ”Wish Juniper was here!” Carrick mocked in his best Zek voice ignoring a stray bullet that whizzed through a few feathers.

Landing and letting go of Zek he looked around catlike eyes darting around the dimly lit room. The alarms started to sound and it got even harder to hear. His hands shot up to his ears and he clasped them. ”No ****?” he shouted sarcastically and followed Zek through the next hole in the wall. ”Look at that you can walk through walls too!” he added even more sarcastically. What was it with him and Juniper? Was Carrick jealous of their friendship? More like jealous of the recognition.

”I mean, we already got some of the placed mapped out, can always pop back in and finish the job.” he said confidently strutting behind Zek confident in his abiliy. ”We shall!” he said pointing to a window and making a b-line for it.

Catbird finally seemed on board with Zek’s line of thought. “My point exactly! This would’ve got a lot smoother!” he yelled back. He and Juniper could’ve just waltzed right on in and out and probably nobody would’ve known they were there! Of course, with Juniper, there wouldn’t have been all the rapping but there also wouldn’t have been risk of death by a thousand bullet holes.

Huh. Well when he thought about it like that, maybe it was better that Crawdad was here instead. Dude made his own soundtracks and mix tapes! Also, Zek kinda liked confronting his victim in person. Made it more satisfying, you know?

Zek nodded along as they passed through his sudden door. “I know I’m amazing!” he said, unaware of the sarcasm. “Give me a hang glider and I can do your job, too!” he followed up. After lal, he’d mostly brought Featherbutt here as a meat shield and while, yeah, he’d done okay with that, Zek thought his use of the vault door as a bulletproof metal shield had been far superior. And Zek was the one with all the loot! He really was doing everything here.

As they approached the window, Zek threw another ball and a car-sized portion of the wall all around the window vanished. The window itself hung there for half a second and then it dropped and clattered to the floor. “Good point! Let’s come back tomorrow! Take us home, Craig!”