A/N: Well… This is it. The final Zootopia fanfiction I'll ever write. I really put a lot of thought into it and finally decided to do it. I hope all of you are still with me on this one. I'm just glad I managed to finish writing the Ball. Yes, it will be rated M all the way. Due to language, violence and gore. These were the reasons why I never wanted to post it. But since this will be the last time I'll ever write a Zootopia story, I might as well go all out. It will have 26 chapters. And I hope to update each chapter as soon as I can.
Summary: After receiving a clue from Nick on Christmas Eve, Max has decided to meet his real family after the New Years. However, what he came across was something he wished he would never return to. His roots…
Disclaimer: All characters belong to me but the movie itself is Disney's.
New year eve… Mammals call it the beginning of a new life. But for a certain fox, he has never had the idea of starting a new life. In fact, his new life began long ago last April. The problem now is that he has no goals nor thoughts for his future. Most of his time would be working at YakDonald for 8 hours a day with 1 day off a week. Every night, he would come home at 7pm and will be greeted by a hare's "Welcome home". But the first thing he would do the moment he stepped into his house would be lying on the couch, trying to nap. And that sort of thing is happening right now…
"Max, seriously…" Sophie said placing her paws on her hips. "New year is tonight. Go and take a shower already. I wanna watch the fireworks."
"Then watch it…" Max said, placing his paws under his head while laying on the couch. "Not like I give a shit… I see fireworks at parties a lot of times. Even festivals and many more. So it won't change a thing."
"But… This is the new year. And I wanna watch it with you!" Sophie's arms started flailing as she tried to persuade her boyfriend. "And plus, the sunrise! I heard that if you witness the first sunrise of new year, good things are sure to happen. And I wanna use this chance for us!"
"Sorry, Soph. But I don't believe in luck. You can have it all to yourself for all I care." He turned to the side, facing the television as his eyes closed slowly.
Sophie's nose twitched in anger and stepped in front of him.
He noticed her presence and looked up at her. "What?"
She stared at him for a few seconds then kneel to his height and closed her eyes. She grabbed his paw and took off one of his gloves then held the bare paw in both of hers. She slowly opened her eyes, giving him a sad look. "Please…" she said in a tone as if she's about to cry.
The fox stared at her blankly. It looked uneffective but on in the inside, he felt an impact in his heart. He blinked a few times and sighed, shaking her paws off of his before getting off the couch. "I'll go get ready…" he said lazily after retrieving his glove that she took off.
And as he walked down the stairs to their room to take a shower, the hare grinned gleefully. "Yes!" she thought, thrusting her arm back in victory.
Making his way to the bathroom, the young fox began taking off his clothes and tossing them into the laundry basket for tomorrow to wash. He then took off the other glove that he was still wearing and placed the pair on the drawer next to the bed. Proceeding to the shower, the first thing he saw was his reflection on the mirror at the bathroom sink. He looked at himself.
He noticed the many scars that he has gotten over the past 8 years all over his body. He looked at them carefully and touched them. All of them… Parts of his body that will never grow his fur back. He sighed in disappointment.
"What the fuck have I been doing all this time…?" he asked himself, still touching the rest that he left out. He then noticed his claws. And pulled them away from his body and looked at them closely. "They've gotten sharper lately…" he commented.
He didn't understand why, but his claws would grow overtime. He once cut them before when he was a kit but they eventually grew back rapidly like a crocodile's teeth. It was rather ironic considering the leather of his gloves were made of crocodile skin.
Besides, his claws becoming unusually sharper, the fangs that he developed 3 years ago began growing again but a little. He remembered what the dentist said even. It wasn't normal for a fox to have fangs sticking out. Especially in his case, it even grew larger than the dentist expected. But, it was still considered an adult teeth since it is impossible to remove it.
He then noticed about something else. His height. Before, he knew that he was taller than Nick despite their age difference. But it wasn't just Nick. Apparently, comparing other foxes, none was as tall as him. But he was a pure fox nonetheless even with this strange characteristics. Yet, deep down, he felt like he was more than just a fox.
Eventually, he shrugged it off and began to take a shower. However, just by being under the warm water, brought him to his other thoughts. His real family. He finally has a lead to where he came from. Maybe that was why they left him to begin with. Because he was strange? No, of course not. He was a natural baby tod. There was no way they would have known he grew up to stand out than the rest of the pack. But then again…
After the shower, Max walked back up to the living room and saw Sophie laying on the couch, hugging the cushion while staring thoughtlessly at the television. She was staring, not watching it even though it was playing a game show. The kind where contestants would have to answer some questions and win money.
He took a few steps toward his girlfriend silently and watched the show. He noticed that she wasn't moving either which could only mean she wasn't paying attention at all.
"Bored?" he said suddenly which caused her to fall off the couch from the shock.
She looked up to find him in a black t-shirt and tanned shorts. "D-d-d-don't scare me like that!" she stuttered, patting her chest to ease her heart. "I thought you weren't coming back. What took you so long?"
He shrugged. "I was thinking a lot is all."
She then realized that he was still wearing his gloves. "Hey, take them off now," she demanded, point at them.
"You do realize what these mean to me, right? And besides, I can take them off once I go to sleep."
"I know that. But since today is special, I want you to not wear them until tomorrow. Besides…" She looked away blushing. "It wouldn't be nice if I don't hold your paw properly…"
Max stared at her while thinking on what to say next. "So what you're saying is you want to hold my naked paw?" he said.
Hearing him said that made her face flushed. And it wasn't the question that was affecting her. It was the word 'naked' that caught her by surprise. "Y-yea…" she answered shyly.
He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "Fine," he said, lowering his head to face her. And just as he promised, he took off his gloves and tossed them on the counter at the kitchen.
And in an instant, his wrists were grabbed by her. He looked at her as she began inspecting his claws. "Hm? Are they ever this sharp?" she asked. Even she noticed it too. She poked the tip on one of them and pulled back quickly in reflex. It was definitely much sharper than before.
"See now why I put on the gloves?" he said.
She smiled and placed his paw on her cheek which put him at ease. "Doesn't matter…" she said, eyes closed as she enjoyed the touch of his soft paw on her cheek. "Even if you hurt me on purpose, I won't ever run away… Not anymore…"
He looked at her warily. He was so lucky to have her. He never thought about having anyone to love. Not to mention, he was asexual. But she was the only one that could get through to him. Which shows how special she was to him.
He then moved his other free paw to her other cheek. This caught her by surprised as she looked up at him. The two stared at each other in the eyes for a while. Max responded by tilting his head a bit as if he was looking at something interesting for the first time.
"M-Max…?" she said softly, her ears losing the strength to stay firm as she gaze in his eyes while enjoying the feeling of both his paws on her cheek.
She was so beautiful to him. He had known her since 10 years ago. And she has not changed the slightest. She was kind, considerate and also playful all at the same time just as she was when they were kits. But as for him… He has changed a lot after their separation.
"Hey, Sophie…" he called.
She blushed. Normally it'd just be 'Soph', but hearing him calling her name properly can make her feel a little embarrassed. "Y-yes…?" she said as bravely as she could with a smile.
"You wanna have kits?"
And just after he asked that, the fireworks began as she stood there frozen in her spot while looking at him with her unmoved smile. She stared at him blankly and blinked a couple of times. "What?" she asked, making sure she didn't mishear that with still that smile on her face and eyes in disbelief.
"Do you wanna have kits? With me?"
A few seconds later, her feet sprang her whole body onto the couch, front facing as she covered the back of her head with a cushion. "EEEEEEHHHHHH?!" was all she thought as she pinned her head with the cushion strongly. At this point, she has forgotten all about watching the fireworks with him already.
Her blush was so furios, the fur of her head to ears were turning red and steam could be seen coming out from her. "D-D-D-DID HE JUST ASK ME WHAT I THINK HE ASK?! DID I MISHEAR THAT?! DID I?! NO WAY! I DEFINITELY DIDN'T! HE ACTUALLY ASKED ME THAT?! HE DID! AAAAAHHHH! WHAT SHOULD I DO?! WHAT DO I SAY TO HIM?! UUUUGGGGHHHH! WHY IS HE SO STRAIGHTFORWARD?!"
She was squirming rather uncomfortably on the couch, pitching the cushion like a tent on her head as hard as she can. She didn't know how to respond to that question. And what's more, they aren't even married.
"It's okay if you don't," Max continued after he witnessed her reaction. "I know it was a little too direct but…"
"Yes…" Sophie cut in.
"Hm?" He turned to her.
Sophie slowly raised her body up and cleared her throat. "I said… Yes…" she answered. Silence at first but then her body went limp again as she looked down with a panicked look. "WAS THAT AWKWARD?! WAS IT?! OH NO… HE'S STAYING QUIET… IT WAS DEFINITELY AWKWARD!"
"By the way, I think we missed the fireworks," Max said.
Sophie's ears immediately stood up immediately as she looked out the window. "Ah!" she yelled. "No! I forgot!" As she was getting worked up in this situation, Max placed a paw on her shoulder which made her jump a bit.
"Relax. At least it's still going on."
She looked out and he was right. The fireworks were still on but they missed a few of them. She sighed. "Yea… It's a shame that we missed the first few…"
"If only I didn't ask."
Her body began to tremble. She placed her paws on her cheek in embarrassment. She wanted so much to yell at him for asking her that question. Out of all the things he has asked, that one was by far the most effective for the jill. And to make matters worse, she was beginning to remember that one night when they were sleeping together.
From the kiss… To the embrace… And then…
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" she was screaming so loud in her mind that she can't hear anything in reality anymore. Her lips were even shaking with her mouth hanging open. The image of that night together with him in bed never went away. Not to mention, she remembered the size and feeling of his… penile organ… She placed her paws on her face to cover it up but it was so red that the redness itself managed to be seen through her paws. She swallowed her embarrassment but the thought of the night before was still present.
Max could feel her body shake and let her go. He placed his paw on her head which eventually calmed her down. Her head was definitely warmer than before. But he knew why. Because of his straightforwardness, she was acting like this. He was never once afraid to ask questions nor answer them. To him, dignity was nothing more than an act whenever he is with someone that was close.
"We don't actually have to do it now," he said. "It was just a question."
She shut her mouth and gulped again, staying silent with her eyes closed. "I… Don't actually mind if we do it now even…" she said, turning around slowly to face him.
He looked at her and blinked once, before stroking her head. "There's… A reason why I asked…"
She looked at him curiously. "That is…?"
He let her go and rubbed the back of his head. "I was planning to meet my real family… And… I thought that maybe… Before I do, I feel like… We should start our own…"
Her ears dropped as she looked up at him.
She remembered about what he said the night on last Christmas. About how Nick managed to find out about his past. Well, it COULD just be a hint. But it was a strong lead to where the young fox might learn where he came from.
Her lips slowly formed into a smile and then eventually a giggle broke free. "You're such a dummy," she said, poking his nose. "Honestly… That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. From you even."
He looked down with his face pouted. "It was just a thought…" he said, trying to not admit that she was right.
But his face was clear enough to tell her. She smiled and held his paws, rubbing them with her thumb. "Then… Do you… Wanna do it tonight…?" she asked, trying to be a little brave.
He looked at her and gulped. This was the first time he's ever been so embarrassed. It was rather unbelievable considering how he turned from very direct to a shy fox. "S-sure…" he stuttered.
Sophie's ears stood up in joy and she gave him a bright smile. And then, she noticed something. "Hey… You've… Gotten a little taller lately…"
"Have I?" He actually knew but decided to play a little.
"Well… Your height back then… It should be the same as my ears but…"
Hearing that, he also realized it. He knew he got taller but he never realized he would be THAT tall already. He was almost as tall as an adult wolf. Which was strange because this was not a normal size for an adult fox.
"Ah well… The bigger, the better~"
"Wait, what?"
Before he could say anything else, she pulled him by the arm to their room already.
One week later…
A week past after the new year and Max was already beginning to pack his stuff. He was ready to set off to Vulper Island. The place where Nick mentioned in the note. This was the first time Max had to travel somewhere outside Zootopia for a while now. He was hoping for the best. Hoping that he wouldn't stand out too much than the mammals there.
And as he was deep in thoughts, he felt a couple of taps on his shoulder and turned around to meet Sophie who was smiling.
That smile could only mean one thing… "I'm pregnant…" she announced showing him the positive sign on the pregnancy test.
Max sighed and smiled back. "Guess it's my turn to keep my end of the bargain…" he said. He opened the drawer, taking out a black box before facing her. "Don't expect me to kneel or anything…" he complained. He took a deep breath and let it out before opening the fox, containing a diamond ring inside. "Sopheria Kimberly Glace… Will you marry me…?" he finally asked.
And without needing to think, she hugged him. "Yes…" she said softly with the most beautiful smile he has ever seen.
The night after their… Sexual activity… They made a promise that if Sophie ever got pregnant, Max will have to propose to her. However, because of how many rounds they went, a positive is very much predictable. They weren't sure if a prey and predator would be possible but on that day, they discovered it was. Unfortunately, their wedding will be decided once he comes home was what he said. Of course, after hearing this, Max bought the engagement ring before he was preparing to leave. He had already planned to meet his real family alone. The reason was because he was worried that something bad might happen. At first, Sophie was hesitant but for once, she listened to him and decided to wait as she did 10 years ago.
The two already said their farewells at the airport when he was about to leave. Max had his own personal flight schedule since a friend of his was willing to fly him to Vulper Island. It was Rio, the leopard. The same one that brought him back to Zootopia after he was done with the dates he owed around the world. Max was thinking that it was better not to waste time so he didn't want to book a normal flight especially in this kind of moment.
And just when he was about to take off, he looked out the window and waved at his girlfriend who waved back. But he doubt she even noticed him waving since they were already getting further.
"So what's the occasion this time?" Rio, the pilot, asked.
"I got a lead on my real family," he answered, resting his chin on his knuckles.
"Whoa ho! Seriously? That's great."
"Yea, well… I need to meet them myself… To see if it's legit. If it weren't then I'd only be wasting Sophie's time."
Rio glanced at his friend who was at the back looking out the window. "There's another reason, isn't it?"
Max stayed quiet for a while and sighed before answering. "Yea… Truth is… Nick said that my blood was different. The only match they found was this vixen named Marilyn Fanger. The fact that out of all mammals and this, Marilyn, was the only match makes me curious. Maybe she might be the same as me."
Rio looked back for a few seconds and stretched his lips to the side. "Now that you mention it, have you gotten bigger the last time I saw you?"
Max chuckled. "Sophie said the same thing. Even I noticed it. That made me wonder… Is my blood the cause of it? That's why I need to know alone."
Rio laughed. "Well, I'm just your pilot as usual. So don't drag me into any shit that will get me in trouble. I WILL listen to your stories though."
It was more than a 6-hour flight to Vulper Island. Max fell asleep during the trip and was eventually woken up by Rio as usual. And as he was about to pay, Rio said that this flight was on the house since it's a special moment for him. Of course, the next flight back to Zootopia won't be free he said.
The plane landed in a hanger that was located around a forest with tall wired fences surrounding it. The leaves of the palm trees can be seen dancing with each plane taking off, including the jet that Max was in earlier.
He thanked Rio for the free ride and left the hanger with a chocolate in his mouth. And the first thing he did was went to the local police station for some information. He asked if there was a vixen named Marilyn Fanger. And to his surprise, the police officer said that the Fangers were quite famous on the island. So, he aquired the address to the Fangers resident. What he did not expect was that they lived so far from where he was at now. However, everybody in on Vulper Island knew who the Fangers were.
The island was like an ordinary island except it was modern like Hawaii. Only this island was not small nor large enough to not just have the forest around every corner of it, but it was at least enough to have crops as well. It was like a combination of the southern side of the world and having jungles as well. Kind of like Zootopia and its multi-atmosphere only this one can't compare to it.
Most of the island was green with grass not trees like the countryside. There were cropfields everywhere as if farms were a usual thing here. Bulls were even ploughing the land under the sun and many young mammals were playing outside. You don't see that many kids outside anymore these days. It looked like this place wasn't THAT modern since every house had windmills as power sources. As for water, it can be found easily in the forest where lakes were still fresh.
Max looked around everywhere. It was very surreal to him since he has never seen a forest and countryside combined before. The rainforest and downtown in Zootopia were quite different because the large walls there separates the environment from colliding each other. But Vulper Island was literally the merge of forest and countryside and it looked rather unbelievable.
This was what Max thought during his journey to his destination by cab. Scarecrows, orchard and windmills. He has never seen those so often since most of time he is in city-type areas. Which brought him to the thought of his senior's girlfriend, Judy Hopps. Wasn't she a farmgirl before? He was thinking of asking her some tips if he ever comes back here. He was actually expecting himself to do farm work eventually.
As his thoughts kept running through his mind, he reached his destination in no time at all. And what he saw was a Second Empire Victorian house about two and a half story tall on top of a hill. Stairs were placed in a zig zag way up to the resident and Max can't quite shake this eerie feeling he was having, even though he wasn't showing it.
He thanked the driver and paid him for the ride before getting off. He looked at the house again. It looked as if something out of the classic horror movie, Psycho. He walked up the stairs towards the front door and stopped there for a moment.
He sighed. "Here goes nothing…" he said, hoping for the best. He pushed the button to the doorbell which emitted a spine-tingling ring. So spine-tingling that the fur on his tail can be seen standing up but his face said otherwise.
He waited for an answer and he could hear footsteps coming closer to the door. His tail moved left and right, trying to calm down before whoever it is answered the door.
With the sound of the doorknob clicking, the door swung open moving to the inside. But… The owner was an unexpected animal. It was… A honey badger…
She was wearing a short tank top and torn shorts with a lollipop in her mouth. And… She was abnormally larger than a regular adult badger. About almost half his height.
"Yes? Can I help you?" said the badger in a southern accent, sucking on her lollipop.
Max blinked a couple of times before giving a slight bow. "Is this the Fangers…?" he asked as emotionless as he can be. He didn't want to her to realize he was thinking for a short second.
"What if it ain't?" she said, placing her paw on the jamb of the door.
"Just answer the question, ma'am," Max said.
Her fur stood up as she switch the lollipop to the other side of her cheek and raised an eyebrow.
And as she did, Max noticed something. She had fangs sticking out from both sides. Just like him. There was no way a badger could have that kind of dental issue.
"Ma! Pa! Someone's lookin' for ya'll!" she yelled to the living room.
And then, a couple of mammals showed up. And it was definitely NOT what the fox was expecting at all. One was a bengel tiger who is the male and the other is a black wolf. The wolf was unusually larger than a normal adult wolf but the tiger was just the perfect size. However, both of them shared similar appearance. Fangs, only bigger than Max's and the claws so terrifyingly long it looked fit to be one of those horror flicks.
"Who are you, stranger?" the female wolf ask which sounded more like a city-kind accent.
"You a cop…?" the tiger growled, glaring at him.
However, Max wasn't intimidated considering he was prepared to face anything already. He shook his head and bowed to the two.
"I'm Max Zero," he began. "I'm from Zootopia. I'm looking for Marilyn Fanger?"
The tiger's ears perked up and he stepped forward. "Where did you hear that name…?" he asked.
"Does it matter?" Max asked back.
"Of course it matters, fucker!" he yelled with a roar which shook the whole house.
The black wolf walked towards him. "Honey, calm down," she said placing her paws on his chest. "Let's hear him out first."
The tiger snarled and backed away, clearing his throat. "Fine then…" he said in an annoyed tone. "So? What's the story, boy?"
"It's nothing. From what I know, she's related to me. Blood related. So I want to find her."
The tiger took another step but slower this time. "Blood related…?" he repeated. "As in… You could think she's your mother…?"
"I don't know. That's why I need to find her."
The wolf and tiger looked at each other and then back to the fox.
"Sarah, honey. Lift that fox's shirt up from behind." The tiger ordered.
Before Max could even respond, the female honey badger, known as Sarah, stepped behind Max so quickly and then lift his shirt like she was told.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
And her reaction, was the look of surprise. She looked at the two predators. "He's got the mark…" she said, pulling out her lollipop to speak properly.
The tiger then, grabbed Max's arm and checked himself. On Max's back in the center, there was a burn mark in the shape of an F in a unique way. After confirming that, he let go of Max. "Theodore!" he exclaimed and hugged Max.
"Th-Theodore?!" Max responded.
The tiger let him go and face the ceiling. "Angel!" he called, cupping his mouth. "Your little brother is back!"
And the ceiling began to shook with the footsteps above it. And on the top floor at the stairs, a vixen stood there and looked at Max. She stared at him for a while before making her way down the stairs slowly.
"T-Teddy…?" she said softly. As she stepped out of the shadow, the tod could see her clearly now.
She was a vixen with two black stroke of lines on her muzzle. Her eyes were brown just like his. She was slightly taller than him and he notice just like his paws and feet, those areas were black just like him. However, all the bright color fur part that he has from his mouth to lower body and the tip of his tail, they were replaced with black instead for her.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed her nose was twitching and it was then he realized she was sniffing, around every angle. Yes. EVERY SINGLE PART OF HIS BODY.
Max frowned but his face flushed since she was so close to him.
Her eyes widened along with a gasp. "It… Really is you…" she said, putting her paws on his cheek. "Oh, Teddy!" She then pulled him into a hug and begins swaying her body in happiness.
His sister… He never knew he had one…
"Eh…" Max responded looking at his back in the mirror with his shirt lifted up. They were right about the F burn mark. "I never notice that…"
"Not even while taking a bath?" said the tiger sitting on the couch, observing the fox checking his back.
"Not at all. I usually wash my back with a brush so I absolutely did not notice it."
The whole group was sitting in the dining hall as Max was still looking attentively at his back in the mirror.
"Well, we can't blame you," said the black wolf, bringing some tea. "After all, with all those scars, I doubt you'd notice them."
Max froze for a second. They noticed his scar… He was beginning to panic to try to explain how he got them. What will they think if they realize he was a criminal back in the days.
"Amen to that," the tiger laughed.
Max turned his head swiftly at them. "Huh…?" he thought. He was really expecting them to react differently. Did they not care about how he got them? He shrugged it off and walked next to his elder sister.
"But…" She patted his head. "I never actually thought that you'll return… Thank God…"
The tiger laughed along with the vixen and then his eyes focused on Max's gloves. "What are those?" he asked.
Max lifted his paws up. "These?" he said, showing. "They're leather gloves. Croc skins. These mean a lot to me."
"Why?"
"Let's just say I'm not good at using my claws."
"Oh come now, Theodore." The tiger lifted his paws up and drew his own claws. "Look at mine. Sharp as a shaving blade. One wrong cut, and the skin will be peeled off. But, it's all about control." His claws sinked back underneath the fur of his paws.
However, if only he knew. Unlike him, Max's claws has grew so long that he can't retract them anymore. And just recently, they grew again. He even has a hard time wiping his ass whenever he takes a dump.
"You see these fangs, Theodore?" the tiger said, pointing his own on his gum. "Only true Fangers have these. Truly a fitting name for our family, right? If you have these, then you shouldn't be afraid of us."
He looked at him. "Theodore…?" he asked. "That's my real name?"
"Yes," the tiger answered. "Your real name is Theodore Soterios Fanger. I'm Ezekiel. Ezekial Lucas Fanger. And of course, your sister, Angel. Angel Sibyl Fanger."
"So… Angel and I are adopted?"
The tiger, Ezekiel, laughed. "No, no," he said.
"He's our daddy," Angel answered.
Max's head turned swiftly again. "Our… Daddy…?" he repeated. Then he looked at the black wolf and the honey badger. "What about them?"
"Oh, Michelle? She's my wife. But she's your stepmom. And that honey badger is Sarah. Her daughter. Otherwise, your step sister. Michelle was a widow so, you should know the story…"
Max blinked a few times. "Then… What about Marilyn Fanger…?" he asked.
The room went into silence. "Marilyn… Is… No… WAS, your mother…" Ezekiel said, placing his foreheads on his paws. "She disappeared one night with you… And we never found her… Nor you… Even now, I don't know where she is…"
"For all we know…" Angel was about to say something then stopped. Another moment of silence.
Max noticed this and was about to say something until she cut him off.
She quickly brought her head back up. "But on the bright side, I have my little brother back!" she said, giving him another hug.
"Alright, alright," Michelle said, bringing a pot of curry. "Since a surprising family member just returned, I thought I'd make my famous curry."
Everyone was ready to dig in but Max then rubbed his forehead.
"What's wrong, Theodore?" Ezekiel asked. "Don't like curry?"
Max shook his head. "No… Just… Feeling a little jetlagged is all… I came here immediately after getting off the plane…"
"I'll help you!" Angel quickly stood up after putting her plate down. "I'll show you to your room."
Max nodded and bowed to the others. "Please excuse me…"
"Take your time, son. You deserve it."
Max picked up his backpack and followed his sister upstairs.
The house was two story and a half. The were four rooms on the ground floor. The living room on the right when entering the house and library on the left. And passing the stairs were two more rooms that were also connected to the library and living room. The dining hall and kitchen was located right next to the living room while the laundry room was next to the library. However, unlike the three rooms, the laundry room had walls around it which can only be entered through the door instead of having no walls. The stairs are the first thing to see on the right when entering the house and it leads to three bedrooms which are located on the left above the library and laundry room. And the bathroom on the right above the dining hall, in front of the furthest room.
"You can sleep in my room," Angel said heading to the furthest room at the back, then opening the door.
"Will you be sleeping with Sarah?"
Angel giggled. "No…" She placed her paw on her head. "I wouldn't want to leave my little brother's side anymore. Don't worry though. I'll sleep on the floor since you're our guest for today."
She motioned him to enter and he did. He looked around. It was nothing like a city-style bedroom. It was quite bright with exquisite-looking wallpaper. There was a dressing table at the corner of the room and the bedding was a simple single bed with white sheets. A white cabinet right was next to Max from where he is standing.
He looked around. "Looks tidy," he commented.
And as he said that, he heard her sniff his neck which made him jumped back a little. She smiled. "But YOU smell. Go take a bath first."
He blinked. "After I'm done napping…" he said, putting his backpack beside the bedding. He lay down on the bed, his chin resting on the pillow as he began dozing off.
Angel smiled and turned off the lights. "Welcome home, Teddy…" she said softly closing the door, leaving him to rest.
More than couple of hours has past and it was already getting dark out. Max woke up and the first thing he noticed outside the window was the orange sky.
He scratched the back of his head and yawned. "God… I hope I didn't sleep too long…" He stood up and stretched his arms and legs, releasing a longer yawn this time.
And the first thing he did was go for his backpack to grab some chocolate that he brought along. But as soon as he was about unwrap it… He clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Of course it melted…" He went down the stairs to the kitchen and decided to put it in the freezer to cool it. And as he opened it, he found out that the freezer was filled with meatbags inside. His ears dropped and frowned.
"Why are they so much meat…?" he said to himself. He shook his head and decided to leave his chocolate there. He walked to the living room.
"Ezekiel? Michelle?" he called. But no one answered. He walked out of the house. No sign of them. He sighed and decided to head back in. And as he was about to, something caught his attention. A putrid smell was entering his nostrils and he quickly covered it.
He gave it a little sniff and followed it to see where it came from. The smell was leading at the back of the house. He followed it slowly and he could hear some squishy noises being made too. And what he saw… Was something he could never forget…
His stepsister, Sarah, the honey badger… Was eating a bull… Raw… From its corpse with blood still fresh…
Sarah turned around and looked at her stepbrother with a blank expression as she kept chewing.
"S-Sarah…" Max said. And for the first time in 10 years, Max finally felt fear. But this… Was a different kind of fear.
And before he knew it, we was pacified with a heavy blow on the back of his head…
What awaits him now… It's not just a new year… But it truly is a new beginning… And an experience that he will never forget even if he wants to…
Morals of Max Zero
Whatever it is that left you behind, it could be even more tragic than before you can even remember it. Don't try to expect it. Instead, face it with whatever it is you feel and overcome it.
Next chapter: (Beast Within) After discovering something horrifying, Max was told the truth behind his family's creed. And because of that, he understood now why his mother left this family. Probably… What will become of his future now?
A/N: And now you all know why I never wanted to publish this long ago. I hope it doesn't gross you out. It's meant to be a horror after all. This is the first time I've written a chapter with 14 pages. I really put a lot of heart into this.
And I'm sure a lot of you wanted to read that sex scene of Max and Sophie. But… Sorry… That kind of things makes me feel a little uncomfortable… But I tried to summarized it as much as I can… So… Forgive me if you feel unsatisfied.
So I'll make sure to entertain you all next chapter. And feel free to leave description of your OC ideas. I'd like to have them in my stories. I'll give credits too. This is OUR story after all.