About a Week and a Half Later...

"I must say, you guys don't look too bad," Duke remarked, trying to put the words out as a compliment. The giant mutt received a death glare from both Ozone and Tiberius. The hairless cat had a cast on his right forepaw and bandages wrapped around his midsection and right hindleg. The ones on his head were extra padded for the back of his skull. Tiberius, in the meantime, had his left wing in a cast while his chest and right leg were in bandages. He also had an eyepatch over his left eye. Between both animals, they needed ninety six stitches.

"At least you two are still alive," Norman squeaked cheerfully. Sweetpea chirped an agreement with the young guinea pig.

"I still think that was luck," Pops murmured. He and Felix were currently giving Ozone and Tiberius a checkup. Luckily, the two were healing up and would soon be free of most of their bandages.

"I don't care what it was, I'm just glad that's all over!" Ozone declared, rubbing the back of his head with his paw. Swatting it down, Felix meowed, "You and me both. I could've been shot in the head."

"Excuse me, who here got shot the most?" Tiberius asked, raising his uninjured wing. "He's got a point," Gidget piped up. Chloe joined in the conversation, "Very true. You looked like the walking dead." Jaw dropping, Buddy elbowed Chloe to make her shut up.

"Did you two learn anything from this experience?" Snowball asked.

"You're a psychopath," Max grumbled.

"Wasn't asking you," Snowball murmured.

"I agree with Max on this one," Ozone answered. Nodding his head, Tiberius added in, "We almost died!" Snowball facepawed himself in the face. Leonard patted the rabbit gently on the shoulder.

"Can we just put in the past now? It's over, move on!" Duke exclaimed. Tail wagging, Mel piped up, "Yeah, except..." His tail froze in place as the pug's voice faded away. Concerned, Buddy padded over to his friend and asked quietly, "Mel, what's wrong?" Scratching his ear, his friend mumbled, "I just have... one question."

"What would that be?" Chloe questioned. Mel replied, "Whatever happened to the key?"

"Wait, you guys never found that?!" Ozone exclaimed.

"I honestly don't know. I've been asking myself the same thing. We looked all over the place and it's still missing," Snowball answered, wringing his paws nervously. Biting his lip, Felix stated, "Maybe you forgot it."

"I remember clearly putting it in that cake," Gidget pointed out.

"You mean the one filled with so much sugar that-" Pops began but Chloe quickly shoved a sock in his mouth.

"That would be the one," Gidget responded. Sitting down, she sighed before continuing, "I just don't understand how it disappeared like that..." Coming over and sitting beside his girlfriend, Max reassured her, "It'll come around sooner or later."

"What did the key look like?" Ozone asked.

"Small and black. What? Did you find it?!" Duke exclaimed. Everyone's spirits were lifted as they stared at the hairless cat in anticipation. However, their spirits were crushed the moment he shook his head. Snowball groaned, "Where is that key?!"

Just then, a coughing noise caught everyone's attention. All eyes turned towards Tiberius. Patting the old hawk gently, Norman explained, "This happens whenever he swallows a really small bone." A second later, the bothersome bone came up. Looking like she was gonna be sick, Chloe muttered, "That was disgusting..."

"You do the same thing with hairballs," Buddy reminded the tabby.

"What kind of bone is that?" Felix questioned, examining the bone.

"Chicken?" Mel suggested, sounding unsure. All of the sudden, Snowball gasped and cried out, "That's no bone, that's the key!" Slowly turning his head towards Tiberius, Ozone grumbled, "You're an idiot." Glaring at the hairless feline beside him, the old hawk hissed, "I'm the idiot?! Yeah right!"

"Here we go again..." Gidget muttered.

https://youtu.be/qQ270K7vUtw