Chapter One
A lone figure sat on a bench at the West Icecap train station, nose buried in a large leather-bound book. The hour was late, the moon's' pearly luminescence bathing the landscape. As the figure read by moonlight, another detached from the night, making its way for the platform. As the second figure began its ascent, its shoes clanged against the metal stairs. The reading figure looked up at the sudden noise as the second figure stepped into the light. The figure in question was a bull elk, standing at about six foot four. He wore a simple white t-shirt and cargo pants and carried a small backpack. He looked over at the bench and made his way towards it.
The figure sitting there remained absolutely still as the elk approached and sat down next to him, seemingly oblivious to his presence. The two of them sat like that for several moments before the elk turned and finally noticed the bench's other occupant. The elk nearly tumbled off of the bench in shock.
"Oh, I uh, I didn't see you there…" his voice trailed off sheepishly. The black lynx smiled.
"Yeah, I tend to get that one a lot. Don't worry about it." he said amiably. "Being melanistic tends to have that effect on people." He stuck out his paw. "Names Drake, but everyone calls me Fang." he said. The elk gripped his paw and shook it.
"Elroy. Nice to meet you, Fang." Fang nodded before returning to his book. A few minutes passed before Elroy said anything again.
"So, ah, where you headed to, Fang?" He asked. Fang placed a finger in his book before turning to look at Elroy.
"Zootopia. Got a job there not too long ago. You?"
"Same place as you, but to visit some family in Tundratown." Elroy said. Fang looked at him curiously.
"Tundratown?" He asked, confused. "I thought you said you were going to Zootopia." Elroy looked at him strangely.
"Do you know anything about the city? Ever been there?" He asked. When Fang shook his head, understanding flashed through his eyes. "Ah. I see. Well, the city of Zootopia is divided into these different sections, each one representing a different biome. You've got Downtown, which is more or less the center of the city. Directly east of downtown is Sahara Square, and north of that is of that and north of Downtown, you've got the Rainforest District, the Meadowlands and the Canal District all clustered together. Southwest of Downtown is Savanna Central." Elroy said in a scholarly manner. He paused for a moment before enlightenment struck his features. "Hold up, I think I have a spare map around here somewhere…" He bent over, unzipping his backpack and began rummaging through it. After a few moments of rustling cloth and muttered curses, Elroy produced a folded square of paper and handed it to Fang. "That there is a detailed map of the city of Zootopia." He said. "It'll help you quite a bit. It did with me, anyway." Elroy handed the map to Fang, who promptly unfolded it. As he looked it over, Elroy fidgeted uncomfortably.
"You said you had a job waiting for you in Zootopia, right?" He asked.
"Yes. Why?" Fang asked quietly, his eyes never leaving the map.
"Well, if you don't mind me askin', I was wondering what that job was." Elroy said, his voice uncertain. Fang slowly raised his head and turned to look Elroy square in the eyes for the first time that night. His eyes were a startling blue, the slitted pupils betraying his race as feline. A jagged white scar began at the top of his temple and ran down his face, over his right eye, curved to the left and ended just above his throat.
"The Zootopia Police Department has requested that I instruct a course on advanced combat techniques this week from eight to five. I accepted the offer." He said matter-of-factly. Elroy nodded.
"I see." He said. He fidgeted for a moment, as if debating something. He opened his mouth to speak, but Fang cut him off.
"Before you ask, I learned to fight in the military. I was stationed in Europe a few years
ago, when the Reaper gang rose up and attempted a coup. That's all you need to know." He said monotonously. Elroy nodded. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but evidently decided not to. It was just as well. The pair sat together in silence, Fang examining the map, Elroy tapping the screen of a smartphone. After an hour of silence, a train whistle sounded in the distance. Fang looked up from the map at the noise, startling Elroy.
"Train's coming." Fang said simply when he caught Elroy's confused look. Elroy's look turned skeptical. Fang tilted his head, a half-smile spreading across his muzzle. "I heard it. You should be able to in just a moment." Elroy retained his skeptical look, but shrugged and slid his phone into his pocket. Fang followed suit, folding the map back up into a square. He held it out to Elroy, who shook his head.
"No, I gave that to you-"
"I don't need it. Once I take this train to Bunny Burrows, and ride the line into Downtown, I can rent a car and get to Tundratown, where I'll be staying. Plus, I have a GPS." Elroy nodded.
"Still, I insist that you keep the map. I have another one, and you never know when a GPS will break down. It's always good to have a contingency plan, eh?" He said. Fang nodded.
"True enough. Thank you." He said. Elroy smiled.
"Don't worry about it. I'm just happy I could help." He said warmly. The train whistled again, this time close enough that Elroy was able to make it out. "Well, I'll be damned. That's some hearing you've got there, friend." He said, a little awed. Fang gave him an odd look. "What?" Elroy asked. Fang shook his head.
"Nothing. It's...nothing." He said quietly. Elroy looked at him strangely before shrugging and standing up.
"Welp, train's almost here." He said brightly, picking up his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Fang followed suit, slinging a much larger pack and hefting two massive duffel bags. Fang stretched his neck first to the left, then the right, eliciting several sharp pops to issue from his neck.
"Training gear." he said in response to Elroy's questioning gaze.
"Do you want any help with that?" Elroy asked. Fang simply shook his head.
"Nah, I've got it." He said. Elroy shrugged.
"If you say so." He said uncertainly. Fang turned and made for the platform with quick measured strides. Elroy had to struggle to keep up, despite being far less encumbered than his companion. Fang reached the platform first, gently placing the two bags on the ground, one on either side of him. He slipped his pack off from his shoulder and set it on top of the right side bag. Elroy noticed that the cat was wearing a black leather jacket with a design on the back, although it was too dark for the elk to make it out. As he drew near, the clouds parted for a moment, illuminating the jacket. Elroy nearly choked when he saw the large, red pentagram embroidered on most of its surface. The circle around the star was silver, and seemed to be fashioned in a chain design. The star was clearly dripping blood, and there were grey flames licking up around the entire thing. It took Elroy a minute to notice the words underneath- Devil's Tongue: Rising Hell. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine. He gulped before moving to Fang's side. The pair waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity before the sound of the train reached Fang's ears. He was about to say so, when Elroy spoke.
"What's up with that jacket you're wearing?" He asked nervously. Fang shot him a sideways glance.
"It's my band's jacket." He said. Elroy looked confused.
"Band? " He asked uncertainly. Fang nodded.
"Yeah, we're called Devil's Tongue. This jacket is to commemorate our fifth and most successful studio album, Rising Hell." He said all of this casually, like someone talking about the weather, and not a Satanic symbol emblazoned on his back. Seeing Elroy's look of fear, Fang chuckled. "Don't worry, we're not Satanists. We're just metalheads." He said. Elroy shook his head.
"What's the difference?" he asked. Fang gave him a hard look.
"The difference is quite large. For instance, metalheads do not generally practice satanism. In fact Tom Aria is a devout christian, and he's the lead vocalist for Slasher, the original death metal band. You really shouldn't generalize, you know. Appearances can be quite deceptive." Elroy looked abashed.
"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry, it's just so...in your face, it's almost aggressive." He said, getting a bit defensive at the end. Fang turned and looked him in the eye.
"It's supposed to be in your face and aggressive. That's kinda our thing." he said evenly. Elroy shook his head slowly.
"Why?" He asked. Fang sighed. How could one word elicit such weariness in him?
"Because that's what we wanted to do. Look, I don't want to start shit here. Joining Devil's Tongue was a personal decision, and I stand by that. I don't really care if you approve or not." He said, a hint of exasperation creeping into his voice. A look of disgust flashed over Elroy's face, but quickly vanished.
"Alright, fair enough. Like my mother taught me, 'judge not lest ye be judged yourself.'" He said. Fang nodded.
"Sounds like your mother is a very wise woman." Fang said quietly. Elroy smiled.
"That she was, my friend." He said quietly. Fang nodded. A few moments passed, in which the train drew near enough that they could both hear it. Fang reached down and slung the backpack over his shoulders, and picked up a duffel with each paw. A light sliced through the darkness that had set in, blinding both mammals. The train screeched past them, grinding to a stop. Several doors of various shapes and sizes opened at once. Due to the late hour and remote location, only a red fox and a timberwolf exited the train. Without a word, Fang made for the larger door to his left, Elroy close behind him. Once inside, Fang immediately took a right, heading for the viewing bubble he'd spied as the train pulled up. Elroy, however, went to the left, towards the seats. Fang released a sigh of relief. Finally. I thought he'd never leave. He thought as he ascended the stairs. Arriving at the door, he peered in. Once he was certain it was unoccupied, he set down one of his bags and opened the door. He tossed the bag in his paw unceremoniously into the room, kicking the other one after it. The clank of metal on metal reverberated throughout the enclosed space. The backpack followed soon after. Fang entered the room and closed the door behind him. He crossed over to the wall where his belongings had fallen and sank to the floor, back against the cool metal of the wall. He drew his legs up under him in a kneeling position, resting his paws on his thighs. He drew a deep breath, closing his eyes as he exhaled.
As the moments crept by, his mind became blank. He thought of nothing, yet remained aware of his surroundings. Thus, he was unsurprised when the door opened and someone entered. They walked over to where the railing was. Fang assumed they were looking through the dome. The two of them stayed like that for almost an hour before Fang heard the rustle of cloth indicating their body movement. They let out a soft sound of surprise, and began walking towards where Fang's bags had fallen. They stopped right around where one of the duffels was, and the Fang detected the sound of cloth against fur again.
"Don't touch that." he said quietly. The other person started violently at his voice, and promptly fell over. Fang didn't react. Several minutes passed with no sound except the moving of the train over the tracks. Judging by the lack of activity from his companion, and the nature of what led to it, Fang assumed he was dealing with a possum. They tended to do the whole 'playing dead' thing a lot.
"You can get up now," he said, somewhat amused. "I won't bite." He heard the mammal shuffle about as they got up. "Sorry about that," Fang said. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"Oh, it's quite alright," the mammal said in a reedy voice that was unmistakably male. "Although I must say I'm quite surprised. If I'm not mistaken, your eyes are closed. Is that correct?" He asked. Fang smiled slightly.
"Yes, that is correct. And before you ask, no. I cannot see you, but I am aware of your presence." He said. There was a pause as the mammal took in this information.
"Oh. Um, ok then." The mammal said, insecurity coloring his voice. There was another lull in their conversation, this one seeming to be more awkward, at least on the other mammal's part. Fang was perfectly comfortable with the silence. After a few moments, the mammal walked away, presumingly to gaze out the window. Fang maintained his meditation, his breathing even, controlled. After a while, Fang heard the door open and close again, leaving the observation deck in silence. After two hours of travel, Fang eased out of his meditation. His breathing became more natural, and his senses returned to their usual state of being. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing the soft orange light from the Bunny Burrow street lamps to strike his dilated pupils. He stood and stretched, several joints popping in rapid succession. He sauntered over to his backpack, whistling a simple tune. He crouched down and unzipped the front pocket, extracting a pair of sapphire headphones, the earpieces emblazoned with with a silver skull design. He pulled a cPod Touch from his back pocket and plugged them in. Slipping the headphones over his ears, he unlocked the cPod with his free paw. He scrolled idly through the various bands contained within, settling for an instrumental version of Through the Ever-After.
He moved his bags to the railing, before resting his arms on it and gazing out the window, his low-light vision revealing the dark houses of Bunny Burrow. There were several large buildings in the distance, which he assumed were hotels. There was a large plot of farmland to his right, green shoots sprouting in neat rows. To his left was the train station, where a single passenger could be seen departing. Straight ahead about mile off was a large yellow sign. Fang couldn't make out what it said, but thought it might be the farewell sign. With a lurch, the train began to move again. Fangs foot idly tapped to the beat of his music, and he allowed his mind to wander. His thoughts turned to Elroy from the station and he sighed. He'd hated lying to the gut, but if word got out that the Reapers had surfaced again, this time in the heart of Zootopia… Fang grimaced. He didn't want to contemplate the chaos that would undoubtedly ensue.
Sighing again, he clicked off his music, and replaced the headphones in his bag. He stretched his legs out and rested his head on one of his duffel bags. He clasped his paws together over his chest and closed his eyes. With only the sound of the train's wheels on the tracks for company, the world fell away, depositing him in the world of dreams.
Fang found himself in a familiar courtyard. He was sitting on a bench made of polished granite. He could feel letters engraved on the back of it rubbing against his spine. He didn't need to see them to know what they said. "In memory of Sarah and Mike Dreson, loving parents, brilliant scientists and devoted lovers. May you rest in peace." He felt the tears before they manifested in his eyes. The courtyard was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. There was a golden statue in the middle, depicting a large mammal(a boar…? Fang could never be sure) dressed in a loincloth, raising a spear over its head in a victory pose. Allegedly, it represented the primal ways of animals.
There were memorial benches like the one he was sitting on scattered throughout the courtyard, each one remembering a fallen loved one. Despite his tears, he was filled with a certain tranquility, the kind of tranquility that could only be found after accepting the inevitable. His parents were gone, but that was part of life. The best thing he could do was move on and make the, proud. He smiled through the tears, already deciding what to do with life.
And then he saw him. At the gate, a figure draped in a cloak black as midnight stood, the silvery sheen of his mask, carved in the likeness of a saber-tooth tiger skull gleamed in the sunlight. It felt to Fang as if the air temperature had dropped several degrees. A cloud rolled over the sun, darkening the area. The figure moved towards him, silently gliding over the cobblestones, a trail of black mist floating in his wake. A thrill of fear shot down his spine like liquid nitrogen. He tried to stand up, to move, to run from whatever this creature was, but found himself unable to move. The creature stopped not two feet from where he sat. Fang looked up, and to his horror, saw that the eyes of this creature glowed a spectral green. Its face was not visible behind the mask, but Fang knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was feline in nature.
"Fang Dreson…" Its voice was raspy, and echoed from within the mask. It spoke slowly, surely. "You cannot...hide from me." Its voice seemed to grow more urgent. Fang tried to speak, to ask what in God's name was going on, but as he was unable to move, he could not speak either, no matter how hard he tried. "I will have...your soul...one way...or another…" Fang felt his panic rise, his heart beating so fast and hard he thought it would explode. The cloak parted, and a withered paw emerged from the darkness within, reaching for him. He could do nothing except watch in mute horror as the creature's paw latched onto his face. The creature's arm began to glow the same luminescent green as its eyes, and Fang could feel himself being pulled from his body…
Fang's eyes flew open and he bolted upright, his right paw swiping at his face. When it met nothing but air, he realized what had happened. Fuck, he thought. That's the fifth time this week. He rubbed his face with both paws, willing himself to calm down. It was just a dream, he told himself. He groaned as he stood up, stretching his cramped muscles. He looked out the window and started slightly. The train had stopped, and several mammals were already departing from the train. Fang quickly glanced around before he spotted a sign welcoming mammals to Savanna Central. Cursing under his breath, Fang quickly gathered up his bags before crossing to the door and opening it with his foot. He jogged down the steps, taking them two at a time, before he reached the main part of the car. He turned and walked down the deserted aisle before coming to the door and stepping out.
Once on the platform, he did a quick three-sixty taking in his surroundings. There were several shops and kiosks of course, most of them closed. The other passengers had dispersed and gone their separate ways. There were a grand total of five mammals on the platform, excluding himself: a pair of grey wolves were sitting on a bench together, deep in conversation to his right. An opossum was running the one open kiosk, selling burgers for astronomically high prices to his left. In front of him was a bengal tiger, who looked barely awake. The last mammal was also in front of him. The male lion was adorned in a ZPD uniform, and held a large white sign that simply read, in large black letters, "Fang". As Fang headed towards the lion, his face came into view, causing Fang to stop dead in his tracks. Their eyes met, and for what seemed like an eternity, neither one of the made any sort of move.
"Jared...Delgado? Is that you?" He called out. The lion broke out into a massive grin.
"Who else, bro?" he called back. Fang's normally collected demeanor was instantly replaced with a massive, lopsided grin.
"You son of bitch," He called. "Get over here!" The two of them met halfway. Fang dropping his duffel bags by his side and embracing the older lion. After a moment they pulled away, both of them still grinning like school children.
"Well, I'll be damned," Jared said. "I'd heard you were dead." Fang shook his head.
"You believe everything you're told? But never mind that, how've you been, man? It's been forever!" Fang exclaimed. Jared's smile grew a little bit bigger.
"Yeah, five whole years. I've been great. Work hasn't been too bad. I mostly deal with petty thievery and drunken brawls. We did have that case a month back though with some missing mammals, but that was solved pretty fast. Nothing too exciting. How 'bout you? Done any cool shit lately?" He asked. Fang nodded.
"Well, I got accepted into S-F about a month after we parted last. Surprisingly, it only took a year for them to offer me the General position. Of course, I refused. Never did like power. I'm Specialist Dreson now. I'm their professional Reaper killer. But since the Reapers haven't been seen or heard from in nineteen years, I usually just help with the Covert Ops and Demolition Squad. However, I cannot disclose too much information about the squads, or our missions, at least not here. Still having that damned nightmare, but other than that, I'm just peachy. So, where we goin'?" he asked. Jared's grin returned full force.
"You're staying with me, so we're off to my place, bro. Cars waitin' up top. I'm ready whenever you are." he said. Fang grinned.
"Sounds great. Let me just grab my things." he said. He walked over to where he had dropped his duffel bags and picked them up again. He turned around and began walking towards the stairs that led back up to the surface.
"Say, what's in those bags anyway?" Jared asked. Fang shrugged with a mischievous smile.
"You'll see tomorrow, old friend. I've got instructions to train all you ZPD officers." He said. Jared sighed.
"Well, this should be interesting at least." he said in a resigned voice. Fang chuckled as they climbed above to the surface, the cool night air caressing his fur gently.
"Alright, which way to the car?" He asked. Jared pointed to his left.
"Black with green stripes. Can't miss it." Fang nodded and headed in the indicated direction. Fang though of all the lessons he had planned for the time he'd be here and grinned tightly. This was going to be fun.