Mythlands: THE HEIST

Part Two: Bambi Reflects

Bambi was pissed off. They'd reached the highway and met the trucks - the bearded guy, Hare's old friend ... the one that called himself a duck though he was actually a human, had said that he would 'take them clear through to D-town.'

They were to be divided into two big trucks ... big rigs they called them. Bambi was counting on finally getting some answers from the Hares but to his chagrin he was put in the other group. Undeterred, the small deer tried to talk to the younger Hare before they set off, but there was a little tension and young Hare ignored any attempts to communicate.

Jessica had almost fainted when she saw Rubberduck and went into an uncharacteristic near swoon and in direct opposition to her usual cool demeanour had blushed red and blurted out. 'Ohmigod, you're Kris Kristofferson ... young hot Kris Kristofferson!'

Rubberduck had smiled at her and replied. 'I'm sorry ma'am ... I know who you mean. But I'm not that fella. I'm his film doppler, I'm told.'

Future Hare, who knew the duck well was highly amused but his younger counterpart who hardly knew the trucker at all, was visibly jealous and in no mood to listen when Bambi tried to address him.

Then they were in the trucks and heading towards DC. Unbeknownst to the deer with the magical amulet, it was the culmination of a journey that had brought so many of them together - Hare, Jessica and their friends from the pre apocalypse reality - Bambi asked Pegasus about that and began to wonder about something - the Hellz Rabbitz, led by the Hare's future self, Pegasus, Icarus, himself and the truckers. All heading at breakneck speed down the dark highway in trucks with lights dimmed, towards a city full of their enemies - to be reunited with the Zodiac, the forces of The Mouse (flying ahead in Robur's airship) and others they knew.

Just one big mob of people destined to be in the same place at the same time.

Bambi looked around - the Hares, Jessica and Cottontail had gone ahead in the other truck with the two cats, the goose and that George guy - he was with Pegasus, Icarus, the Velveteen Rabbit, Wiley, The Gingerbread Man and Goldie.

Sidling up to the blonde who was currently sitting, smoking a cigarette and knocking back a bottle of beer, the deer head bumped her.

Goldie looked over and absently stroked his fawny head. 'What's up mate?'

Bambi settled down on his haunches. 'I've been hearing how that cat ... SC was it? ... sent you guys here to your future by some magic and we're all helping you get to Domain City so you can get back and prevent the apocalypse from happening, right?'

'Right.'

'How did SC send you all here and why can't he just send you back?'

Bambi listened as Goldie explained that SC only had enough juice to his ability to give them a one way trip forward in the fields of probability, but in the city, there was a means to go back to the moment they left and take a different path.'

'Thus preventing this future from ever happening?' mused Bambi. 'So we're talking time travel?'

Goldie shrugged. 'Guess so mate, as we've got Herbert George flamin Wells with us an SC specifically manipulated events so we picked him up in Narnia.'

The deer's eyes widened. 'George is HG. Wells!!?? Ok, this is starting to make more sense. I think I know why both versions of the Hare seem to have no idea about the warnings they gave me over five years ago, why they left me the amulet and told me to be in a specific time and place in the forest ... which, let me tell you, living there among the goddamn forces of darkness was no picnic.'

Goldie took another swig of her beer bottle. 'Mate, I've no idea what you're talking about.'

Bambi closed his eyes briefly and gave a small moan. 'This is giving me a headache.' He looked up, eyes bright. 'I need to have a word with young Hare when we get wherever we're going. He didn't know me beyond our old slight aquaintance because he didn't give me that warning in the past ... well he did, but .... arrrggghhh, I. HATE. TIME TRAVEL!'

'WTF Bams?'

Bambi slunk onto his front legs. 'Hare came me to five years in the past and told me everything I needed to know, but now I need to tell him what he needs to know, to tell me, because ... he hasn't told me yet!'

Goldie shrugged and reached for two more beers. 'Yeah, well DC's a long way off. Let's get wasted.'