Operation: Moonfall | Jimmy Crystal Revenge & Redemption

The Retaliation II

If you haven't seen Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, go see it. It's a masterclass of art, animation, humor and writing. And that wolf... *chef's kiss* One of the best antagonists I've seen in an animated movie in years. A complete badass throughout the movie, and remarkably relevant to the movie's surprisingly mature and graceful themes on life and death.

(Also, Buster is in desperate need of the character growth and development that Puss got in the movie.)

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Roxy was tearing up the stage in a neon light show, but Jerry didn't have much time to admire the performance. He was bouncing around the theater attending to all the small problems and details that cropped up during the concert, while simultaneously appeasing any of Jimmy's whims. That meant bounding up to that platform with Jimmy's throne, a platform that didn't have a seat for him... Jerry was a teeny, tiny bit miffed about it—not enough to ever admit aloud—but his job meant he wouldn't have much time to sit there and enjoy it. Not tonight.

Before Roxy had even finished the first performance of the night, Jerry's phone buzzed, and he answered the call to bad news.

"We have a situation," the guard said on the other end. "We've spotted three intruders. Mr. Crystal should know."

Seeing the wolf blink in his direction with faint interest, Jerry tried to move out of Jimmy's sight and speak over the blaring music.

"No, you have a situation!" Jerry stressed. "Mr. Crystal's been through enough already. He deserves to enjoy this concert in peace. Do what he pays you to do, or... or do you want me to arrange a meeting where you can personally explain to him how you let something like this happen again?"

The guard let out an involuntary, high-pitched yelp. "We're on it!"

Jerry hung up with a sigh, then ran his hands through his frazzled cheek tufts. It was going to be a long night, and the sudden twitch of his whiskers alerted him to how right he was. One of his defenses that allowed him to survive in a world built for creatures much bigger than himself was an intuition, maybe even a sixth sense, that occasionally kicked in before something terrible occurred, and the involuntary twitching of his whiskers was a telltale sign.

It had to be the intruders.

Roxy's performance ended, and Jimmy was lapping up the praise she was giving him. Jerry gave a cautious glance to his boss, then scanned the audience. Spotlights above the theater swam across the audience and Jerry caught the alarming glint of a cannon-like object in the arms of a lynx aimed directly for Jimmy.

"Yippee ki-yay, Mr. Crystal!"

"Mr. Crystal, watch out!" Jerry screamed, but he knew words wouldn't be enough. He launched himself into the air with more power than he ever remembered putting into his pudgy legs, rocketing into Jimmy with enough force to knock the wolf out of his seat.

Jimmy landed on his knees and heard a sickening thud before Jerry collapsed ahead of him in a lifeless heap, a rainbow canister clattering and rolling near the edge of the platform. Roxy let out a gasp that filled the theater.

"Jerry, what the hell!?" Jimmy complained. When he got no response from Jerry, he started to put together what happened. Standing up, Jimmy traced the direction Jerry jumped from, followed the possible trajectory of the projectile, and looked to where the spotlights were still swirling.

"You!" he snarled, pointing at the lynx holding the cannon, and the gorilla holding on to her.

"Oh crap!" Johnny's voice spiked, making eye contact with Jimmy.