Chapter Text
Sid Carter, village gravedigger, handyman and thief used his natural abilities as an anima badger to its absolute best. He had no compulsion to hide his nature, despite there being a natural suspicion and hatred around animas in general. He did however have some things he wanted and needed to hide. The things he specifically needed to hide were items he had acquired not necessarily totally legally.
Sid had always thought himself probably more badger than man, or maybe just badger as well as man, but his underlying compulsion has been to dig, dig and tunnel. It was that compulsion that saved his life when he was first anima, and it was the strongest tug to his animal nature. He therefore tunnelled and dug himself setts and holts and rests whenever the mood took him. If those could be utilised as crime holes so much the better.
Crime holes, was how he thought of them, some of his holes were den’s for sleeping, and some holes for fun, but the crime holes, those he tracked and kept secure. Each rest was carefully plotted in his brain, he kept them safe, secure, hidden.
Currently one of his crime holes is becoming a preoccupation, he would normally not return to the same rest over and over. It was too obvious, but he feels guilty at this one, this one he really shouldn’t have, it's only for a little bit longer but, he really shouldn’t have it.
Sid’s mind is taken up with removing the item, as he walks towards the woods, and then he sees it, the police Wolesley and he knows, time has run out.
Sid took a breath and transformed, losing his human clothes and shoveling himself into the undergrowth. His hands are claws before he thinks, his mind turning to only one thought, escape freedom earth.
The badger doesn’t think like a human, the badger is a badger, he thinks of his stomach, and his immediate needs and safety, and right now all the badger is thinking off is his rest is under attack. He burrows deeper, faster, the soil falls on his sensitive snout and he pushes it away with his front and back paws, his tail flicking it last. Deeper and deeper, desperate scrambling in dark earth, the tantalising smell of earth worms, ignored with the one badger thought, safety, someone is threatening. Claws hit air as he breaks through into another tunnel, delicate ears flicking to the sounds of digging. The badger doesn’t recognise Valentine's voice, asking his men to dig through Sid’s tunnels, but he does recognise a threat, and growls. The noise reverberates through the earth and the humans stop talking.
“Shit” Inspector Valentine shakes his head “Alright, give it up lads”
“But inspector?” Sgt Albright asks “Its Sid Carter, he’s not”
“Sergeant I’m not arguing with a 6ft 3 badger, we’ll pick him up as a human”
“But he’s”
“Sergeant, Carter may be many things, but what is currently under our feet, is not him”.
The badger hears them retreat, the earth settles and world rights itself. He scratches his snout, and digs further down the tunnel, finding a soft bed of dry leaves and grass, and curls up. The badger is once again at rest.