The more things happen, the more likely they are to happen. Just ask the river. Even when rivers dry up or change direction, they become easy paths for wildlife. The trail easy for a bunny is also easy for the fox and twice as easy for the trapper.
Where the trapper walks, neighbors and traders often follow. Enough opportunists and refugees, and soon that river bed turned rabbit trail is a paved city street, complete with predictable flooding issues. This was why Jackrabbit Joe knew he'd have to stop Felix in this Possible When.
There was no telling how many hits the cat had planned, but the trickle predicts the flood. Joe knew from personal experience that a single successful trigger could reshape the flow of time, or he'd still be stuck trying to destroy his murderous father. It was why Joe couldn't afford to payoff the cat; it was why he couldn't afford to ignore him either.
Joe started walking toward the frontier town half a mile away. His younger self had dragged Kid out here, following an instinctual itch. Joe had nearly been struck by lightning once. His fur had stood up, and his whole body tingled; only a zigzagging hop had saved him. Traveling through time followed similar principles.
There exists an optimal path between any two points of reality. The path from the future (when Clara told Kid about Felix) to the past (when Joe and Kid stepped into the minds of their younger selves) lead through this point in time and space. Young Joey had had reasons for coming out of town, but like walking into a room and forgetting why, those reasons were lost. It was just the point most likely to connect to Joe and Kid's future.
Stolen novel; please report.
Joe had his eyes locked on the bank in the distance. As one of the only buildings standing taller than a story or two, its stone walls only set it further apart from the wooden buildings that made up the town square.
"Hey, Joey," Cottontail Kid said, his voice uncertain.
"What is it, Kid?" Joe asked, never taking his eyes off the bank.
"Do we have a plan?" Kid asked, bringing Joe up short.
"Kid, are you stupid? We just went over the plan before coming back here."
"No, I know Joe. I don't mean about the bank or Felix-"
"It's not that complicated. Felix can't afford to ignore a duel challenge."
"I said I know, Joey, I don't mean about the bank. I mean about the Marshals."
Joe whipped around, realizing he'd allowed himself to get fixated on the bank and the thief of a cat. Joe thankfully didn't see anybody trailing them. "What are you on about-" He started, before turning back to the road into town and finally seeing the Marshals loitering around, trying to look inconspicuous.
"Shit, we'll have to go around. Felix must have paid off the locals."
"Uh, Joe?" Kid said, sounding nervous. "I think it might be too late for that."
Spotting the direction of Kid's gaze, Joe looked up and groaned. Two vultures circled in the air overhead. "That fucking cat set us up."