Strings and Knots

Chapter 4: Sleight of Paw

"I am a Fox of many talents."

-Nicholas P. Wilde

Location: Zootopia Monorail System Transit; Sahara Square Platform

Time: 20:35 (Twentyfive minutes till the operation)

It was a good half an hour on the monorail system and it was safe to say that the ride from the Metropolis platform to their current destination was a fairly interesting one to say the least. He could recall all the looks that both he and Judy were given along the ride and their reactions, as well as hers, was a joy to see. The fact that a well dressed fox was placed next to a casually dressed bunny at this hour of the evening did raise some eyebrows but he was pretty sure that cologne he was sporting had a bigger effect on most of them there. Some animals found it strange and dislikeable, some found it interesting and engaging and some just had mixed opinions. The ones that liked it, mostly females with the few males in the mix, tossed winks and meaningful side glances his way and he only met them with a smug smirk and a wave, appreciating the attention he was getting. The mixed expressions of jealousy and embarrassment from Judy was a nice bonus.

Stepping off the train and onto the platform, the duo made their way down the escalator to the fairly busy main road of the evening to see that their partners for the evening were standing outside of a parked van and they were conversing with one another, completely unaware of them. The one on the right was about a medium height that matched Nick, but only an inch higher. From the what the duo could see, thanks to the signified curves on the hips, chest and thighs, this animal was clearly female in comparison to the one next to her. The animal was much taller than all of them, but basically the same height as Delgato and clearly a male, but the only differences that were noticeable were the color of his fur; pure white with black strips and icy blue eyes.

"Looks like we found our partners for the night." Judy assumed as she glanced over the two of them.

"So it would seem. I mean, aside from me, look at the small next to him." Judy looked the canine over, seeing that she was in an attire similar to Nick's, albeit with the entire outfit itself on the more… provocative side. The uniform she was donning was a pure sleek nightly black full-bodied corset that hugged all the curves of her shapely body while the top half of her chest was exposed even though the cups were covering her rather large, sand colored mammary sets. Moving on, she was also sporting two white and gold buttoned cufflinks on her wrists and a frilly choker adorned perfectly around her neck with the Palm Tree logo in the center, matching his. Further downwards, her legs were encased in nylon stockings that ended at the tips of her toes that complimented the top half, completing the set perfectly, giving off that waitress theme she was rocking. "And it would seem that I'm not the only one who dressed to impress this evening." Nick pointed out while glancing her over as well, smirking approvingly.

Judy made a face of annoyance when Nick complimented her appearance, not being able to help feel a tad bit of jealous at his words. She was quick to play it off and squashed it down, refusing to let it be an issue and directed all her attention on the mission ahead of them.

"You say that about everyone you work with, Slick," Judy replied while casting him a side glance.

"Of course I do, because I know it's true. I know you think so too." He lightly flicked the tip of her ear and smugly grinned down to the bunny. Judy only rolled her eyes and reached up, swatting his paw away as she took the first step to the duo.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever ya dumb fox. Let's just go greet our partners,"

"I agree. It'd be rather rude if we didn't introduce ourselves. That'd make us poor mannered, something I'm not fond of."

"Yes, because you're one to display good manners, Wilde." Her tone of voice joking and witty.

"I try my best."

The moment they were close enough to be within line of sight of the two animals before them, both the canine and tiger noticed them approaching and ended their conversation, turning their attention to the two animals approaching them. Judy was about to open her mouth and introduce the both of them, the canine beat her to it.

"Hold up a sec, you two," both the fox and rabbit heeded her words and stopped moving. "lemme get a good look at'cha" she looked them both over while making her observation, but Nick and Judy did as she said while they watched her. "Hm," she cupped her chin in observation. "Let's see, from what our Copshop briefed us," She started with Nick, sizing him up and down while looking him over and his choice of clothing. "We were to meet two distinct cobbers. One of 'em is a spunk fox with red fur, a smugmug grin that rivals a croc and dressed for the ops," She turned her attention over to Judy, inspecting her. "And he's accompanied by a bright eyed and orderly bunny in standard ZPD uniform with a face of real beaut. If I'm to guess this right, might you two be Wilde and Hopps?" she asked.

"Um…" Judy was a little thrown off by her manner of speaking, finding it odd to hear, but she quickly corrected herself when their titles were spoken. "...Yes! That's right!" she did the traditional salute. "I'm Lieutenant Judy Hopps, and my partner right here is Sergeant Nicholas Wilde." He offered a quick wave for his introduction. "We are from the Zootopia Police Department. An honor to be working with you." There was a brief moment of silence before a light chuckle left the canine's muzzle, amused by the bunny's prim and proper attitude. Judy was obviously surprised by the remark that she felt her cheeks heat up a bit, but before she could ask what was funny about her response, the canine didn't give her the chance.

"It's just as the reports said, Smith," she turned to the tiger and knowingly smirked. "She's a real ridgy-didge one, she is."

"Indeed," This time, the tiger was the one to speak up, confirming what he said. "It's nice to see a cop like her for a change. It's not often you meet a gung-ho police officer, let alone a bunny police officer. Then again, she IS the first official rabbit cop after all." he added.

"Too right, mate! That's something you don't see every day. Just our luck!" The canine continued on, that is until a light cough interrupted her.

"As riveting as it is to hear your impressions and opinions about my partner, wouldn't it be proper to introduce yourselves back?" Nick let go a cocky smirk when the tiger and canine caught themselves, quick to rectify that.

"Ah, apologizes, mates. Got a little carried away, I did. Allow me to introduce ourselves properly," She stepped back until she was beside the tiger once more. "This Bloke right here," She thumbed her digit into his side. "This be me mate and partner; Officer Xander Smith." He merely waved a paw, but she wasn't having that. "Go on ya Spunk, don't be modest." He only huffed at the pet name and did what was asked of him.

"Good evening to the both of you. I'm Xander Smith, just as I was introduced. A pleasure." Xander greeted humbly.

"What, that's it? A simple greeting?" she questioned him and all he did was shrug in response. "A pretty piss poor burl one if you ask me."

"We ARE on a job after all that starting soon. There's always afterward."

"Hm, I suppose. But don't go think you're off the hook with me." She rolled her eyes before turning back to Nick and Judy. "Hey, don't let his calm demeanour fool ya. This bastard is a real Dag off the clock, I'll tell ya that. As for the Sheila standing before you," she pointed a finger at herself and smirked with confidence. "I'm Ruby, Ruby Southlow. Pleased to meet ya!" she concluded with a wave of her paw, resting it on her tilted hips.

After the introduction, Judy was a little thrown off by the canine's fiery personality. She had met other animals that gave off the same impression like she did, but not with the amount of intensity like she did. As for her partner, he was of the calm and collected one of the duo, that much she got out the interaction, seeing as how placid his replies were. It was an interesting combination.

"The pleasure is all ours, Ruby." Nick did a little bow before the canine. "We look forward to working with you and Strips, over there." his glance falling on the tiger nearby.

"Well now, aren't you the smooth talker." her smirk matching his with ease.

"We're dressed for the evening, may as well act the part, right?"

"Fair point, mate."

"Speaking of which, I don't think I've even seen a canidae like you before. Too short to be a standard wolf and definitely not sly enough to be a fox. You from a different country?" Nick asked her directly. Judy was about to sharply rebuke him for being invasive but Ruby only waved a paw in his defense.

"I'm surprised. Not many Yanks pick up on that fact without me tell'em first."

'Yanks?' Judy thought while trying to process what she meant.

"Actually, it was your way of speaking that easily pointed it out. Your appearance also adds to that." Nick said as a matter-of-factly, earning a light chuckle from her.

"That's 'cause you're right, mate. I'm not native, I didn't grow up in the states like you two and Smith here."

"You're not from here? Where was your home growing up?" Judy asked this time. Ruby smirked her way and continued.

"I'm glad you asked, Sheila, I was just getting to that. You see, I'm a dingo. And we dingos ain't from the Yanks, mates. We're from the Never Never, where I spent my ankle biter days before moving here." Ruby concluded, leaving both animals perplexed by what she just said. Ruby could easily see that they were lost by what she just said a chortle followed. "Looks like I lost ya. No worries, you ain't the firsts. Smith here was like that the day we partnered up," She looked over to the tiger who still standing in the same pose. "totally confused and could not understand a single word I said to the point where we thought our partnership wouldn't work in the long run."

"It's true." the tiger piped up. "I was so lost that it got to the point where she made a makeshift book of Aussie euphemisms, just so I could understand half of what she was saying." Xander followed up while connecting his sight on hers. "I can tell you this, it REALLY helped."

"Were there ever any problems with communications during Beats or missions? Even when you're at your station?" Judy asked, finding herself wanting to know how they got around the impasse. From what she learned back in the academy, any form of a language barrier between two partners could prove dangerous, fatal even, if the two animals couldn't understand each other. Just as they were about to give their answers, an interrupting cough from Nick easily broke the conversation and brought their attention to him.

"As amazing as this communication between fellow officers is and how well it's going, I think it's high time we head out to our destination," He pointed their attention towards the large lit-up Palm Tree building that was sitting on the horizon from where they were standing. "We have a criminal to apprehend, my fellow Officers," Nick announced to the three of them.

"Red's right. That's enough earbashing for now, Cobbers. We can talk more on the way. Xander, you take the wheel," Ruby disappeared into the side of the van while Xander made his way into the driver's seat with the destination set in mind. The dingo popped her head out of the van and called to the two of them. "Hopps, you takes shotgun with Xander while Red, you jump in the back with me and I'll get us wired up. It's a bit cramped, though. Hope you don't mind." She disappeared back into the vehicle while both the fox and rabbit went to their stationed seats. Just as Nick placed one foot into the van, he could see that there was a total of ten monitors, four on top and four on the bottom with two fairly larger main screens on the far ends. Beneath the screens, there was a control panel with an array of buttons, switches, and knobs in various patterns. On the far end, Ruby was sitting in one of two swivel chairs and getting to work with setting herself up with the needed gear for tonight.

"You call this cramped?" Nick pointed out as he slid the van door closed behind him, making sure that his tail was out of the way. He plopped himself down onto the seat next to the dingo while continuing to inspect the rest of the interior. "There's plenty of room for me to move about."

"Oh, I know," she placed an earpiece into the inner depths of her ear, making sure that it was out of sight but not too far to reach it. "I meant it was a bit cramped for the Bloke driving us, mate." With her ear set up, she took hold of the next piece and worked it into her cufflink, making sure that it was perfectly secure within the small indention. "We were hoping to get a bigger one for him for tonight, but ah well. Make due with ya got."

"I see him fitting through the passageway is going to be a bit an issue as well, but what can one do?"

"Exactly, now sit down and lemme get you prepped. These things are hella sensitive."

As Ruby went about placing the items on Nick's person, he could feel Xander igniting the van and revved it to life. Pulling out of the parking lot, the vehicle was put in drive and they left the station, proceeding on to the main road that led to the Palm Tree resort.

Location: Palm Tree Resort; Sahara Square

Time: 20:50 (Ten minutes till the Operation)

Banking around a nearby corner leading into an alley away from the residents entering the hotel, the four officers secluded themselves to the shadows and out of the light, giving them perfect cover thanks to the van's matching black color scheme. They would be able to keep an eye out while conducting their goal. On the inside, Ruby had finished setting up what was needed and popped open the rear doors, stepping out into the night time air and rounded the side of the van, take in a good look of the resort. It was a bit of a walking distance, but nothing too difficult for the predators to handle.

"Here we are, Cobbers, the Palm Tree Resort," She scanned the area and could see that they had a bit of walk to get there, but nothing too challenging. "Not a Back of Bourke, but requires a bit footwork to get there.

"So long as I don't get my outfit dirty. I'm not a big fan of being tarnished before the fun begins." Nick replied while stepping out into the alley alongside ruby, just in time to watch her move a bit of way towards the entrance.

"Yeah, yeah. Less gripping and let's get the led out, Red." she called out to him while walking out of the alley. Back in the van, Nick watched as Xander finished turning on the panel, setting up the station. The screens blinked on and it showed eight sections of the casinos, one of them was where he was going to be placed for this mission.

"You heard the canine, Wilde. Get a move on." The tiger placed on the headset and directed his attention on the monitors, feeding some information to Ruby.

"Looks like it's my time to shine," he stepped out and turned to his partner that was adjusting the headset to her size. Nick couldn't help but find her attempts adorable. "Pay close attention, Carrots. You're about witness a professional in his element." Judy only rolled her eyes at his arrogance and kept her attention on the device in her lap.

"Whatever you say, Slick." Her tone neutral. "I'll be sure to take notes." She managed to get the item to match her size after a bit of tweaking. Nick didn't find that response a satisfactory answer and huffed a breath.

"Fluff," he called her pet name, pulling her focus to him. "Step out here for a minute. I wanna tell ya something."

"Now? Can't it wait? We have a job to do." she countered, but he didn't budge.

"Nope. Gotta say it now or it's gonna bug me all night. 'Sides, it won't take long, all I need is your undivided attention for a minute. Please?" He puckered his lips in a pouty manner in hopes that it would get her to agree. Judy let out a groan and caved to his request, knowing that the sooner he got it out, the better it would be for the both of them.

"Alright, alright. You can stop with the face already, geez." Judy placed the headset to the side and pushed herself out of the seat, making her way out of the van. "I'll be right back, Xander."

"Hurry back. I need you on the cameras with me." he kept his eyes on a screen while she left. Judy hopped out and landed next to Nick, standing patiently on the other side of the van.

"Alright. One; don't do the cute face again, only I can do that. And two; you have my attention, what do you need? Our target will be here in 10 minutes." Nick didn't answer. Instead, he placed a paw over the camera pin and leaned down to Judy's height. She was about to say something, but he only held up a finger on his lips, silently shushing the doe. Removing his finger he spoke in a tone so soft that only she would be able to hear.

"Listen, Carrots. Don't speak, just listen." he cupped her chin and angled it so their eyes were locked on to each other. A light tint of pink flashed on her face, but nodded in agreement. "I know we're on the job, but I just wanted to say that I'm counting on you for this. Let's show these guys why we make a good team." she only nodded once again matched his smile, mouthing the words 'dumb fox'. Just as Nick was about to reply to that, Ruby called out from a bit of ways down, pulling them from their little moment.

"Let's go, Red! We got a job to do!" The fox only let out a breath when he was called.

"That's my cue, fluff. Gotta go! But before I do," He smirked and brought his lips down to hers, engaging in a kiss with her that ended just as fast as it started. Though brief, it was enough to set off a little spark in the bunny and make her lean in for more, but was denied a second helping as he pulled away, a bit to her dismay. "Nothing like a little prerequisite mission kiss to get my head in the game~" He stood full height once again and departed from the van while Judy watched him leave with the dingo. Once he was gone from her view, she hopped back into the truck, pulling the doors closed, preparing to do her part. Walking out of the alley to see that Ruby was tapping her foot against the cool concrete, Nick only smirked as they began their walk towards the hotel.

"Bloody hell, Red. What took ya so long?"

"Oh, you know. Just giving my partner a little pep talk, help get her mind in the game if we're going to catch this guy."

"Pep talk, eh? Well so long as you two are on your game, it's all good, I suppose."

"Yeah, we both tend to give our 100%..." Nick paused for a moment and continued as a bit of snark came out of him. "well, Officer Hopps does, she usually has to motivate me to further than normal, not that I don't mind, of course, it's a nice feeling to have someone push me." From the earpiece, Nick could hear a light chuckle from his partner and in turn, he smirked away from the dingo.

"It would seem that you two are pretty close, closer than just cobbers," Ruby stated as they continued walking, gradually gaining ground towards the hotel with each step.

"Cobbers?" Nick repeated the term, finding it an odd thing to say. Ruby caught herself and quickly restated the word, knowing that he wasn't as up to date on her way of speaking like Xander did.

"Basically I said, friends."

"So cobbers is another term for friends? Looks like I should study up on my Australian lingo."

"It's basic stuff, really? Once you have the understanding and mannerisms, you can pretty much take decipher Aussie slang no problem."

"Is that right? I have been meaning to expand my language barrier, sound like it could be fun to do."

"It is! Tell ya what, Red," A paw landed on his shoulder and they both came to a temporary stop. Nick looked over to the dingo and she was simply winked his way. "When this whole little shindig is done and we tossed the little dipstick in the clink, how about you and Hopps join me and Xander for a couple of coldies? My treat. I know a few good bottle shops in the Sahara Square that sell top quality stuff. Whadda say?"

Nick pondered for a moment as a trim claw tapped his pursed lips in a thoughtful manner while he tried to translate her words. Since he was given enough context clues, it was a quick process stitching them together and he was quick to reply with an answer.

"Judging by the words "Coldies", "Bottle Shop", and "Quality stuff" You're offering to treat me and Hopps to some beers, correct?" He asked back and the Dingo gave quick nods.

"That I did. Red."

"Well, what kind of animals would we be to turn down such a gracious request like that? Sure, I say a treat is in order after work. Just to get this out of the way, my partner isn't one for beers or rum, says it too bitter. You know a few places that have wine or martinis included?"

"Martinis, Wine, Beer, Rum, even some of that fancy stuff from the far East. You name it, they have it."

"Is that right? So many choices, then again, I've always been one for exotic brands from time to time. I'll be sure to keep that in mind after the mission, now let's get a move on, the sooner we get this done, the better, I say." Nick concluded as they began moving forward, a little eager to try out this place Ruby talked about.

"Too right, Red. I just hope you and Hopps can hold your liquor as well as me and Xander."

"We'll see soon enough, that I promise you."

Location: Palm Tree Resort; The High Night Rollers

Time: 21:00

From out of the humid night and into the cool and breezy lobby of the hotel, Nick and Ruby were welcomed into Palm Tree Resort by two tall and well presented doormammals dressed in the same attire as them. Greeting and ushering the duo into the area while preparing to either welcome or see off other animals. Passing the entrance of the parted doors, both fox and dingo now stood in the center of the hotel while varying patrons of the evening, some dressed fancy while others were more casual about their attire, were swirling around them, be they coming or going within the area. To where, however, was totally unknown to the canines, but the patrons were the least of their concern at the moment. On Nick's end, he noticed that some residents were coming and going from the entrance that led down to the casino area of the hotel, more escorts were standing on the far end of the gateway and he stepped away from Ruby to read the sign above that said in bright yellow neon colors: High Night Rollers. Images of cards, chips, and drinks were also flashing alongside the sign.

"Quite the shindig this place is, ain't it, Red?" the dingo asked while looking around the area, taking in everything there was to see. She looked over to see that Nick was looking up at the sign and walked over to where he was and read the sign from end to end out loud. "The High Night Rollers, eh? I take it, this is the place. Pretty sinful lookin' title if you ask me, mate."

"You would think that would be the case from a surface level and the sign's color is perfect to that statement, I'll give it that, but alas, my canis sistren, we are merely standing before another gate," He pointed towards the curve that clearly led further down past the threshold of the hotel. "The true sin that we seek lies beyond the Gates of Sheol."

Ruby arched an eyebrow in reply. "Hm, cryptic shit and old tongues aside, Red, it sounds like you've been here before."

"Indeed I have. I sometimes come here with my buddy Finn, but mostly for the buffet with a bit of gambling on the side to complete the combo."

"Is that right, then you have a pretty good idea of the area, correct?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I know this place 'eyes-closed, paws tied behind my back' perfectly, but I do understand its workings better than most animals."

"Hey, that's good enough for me. Just means that we have better access to the choke points. Catching this dipstick will be a piece of piss!" Ruby clenched her fist in assurance, a look of confidence plastered on her face. Nick cocked his head in a confused manner at what she just said.

"Um, 'piece of piss'?" He repeated. Ruby chuckled in reply.

"Aussie term for easy, piece of cake."

"That's a rather roundabout way of saying it, I guess."

"When you grow up in the Never Never, you learn. When all this is done and we're drinking down rounds, I'll be sure to give you an Aussie handbook. Make the next time we pair up much easier."

As the duo stood atop of the stair preparing to head down, the manager was making his way up from the previous floor in a hurried manner. As he made his way up to them, both canines were able to get a good look at the male. He was a stocky looking badger but was clad in a traditional black business uniform, giving off a slim appearance. He was also wearing the resort pin that matched both of theirs right on the cusp of his upper right breast. He was the only one who was wearing a suit apart from the other employees, so it was easy to point him out.

"Ah, good. You've arrived," He acknowledged their presence and took the first forward, approaching them. Stopping with a little room between himself and two officers, he folded his arms behind his back and sized them up, proceeding to walk around, further scrutinizing the duo, starting with Nick then over to Ruby. Pleased with what he see, he nodded in affirmation and stepped back to his original position and spoke again. "I assume that you two are the "Employees" stationed here tonight?" He spoke in a low and burly commanding tone of voice. His eyes narrowed and focused as he kept his focus on them.

"That we are, Mr. Valduris. Officers' Southlow and Wilde, at your service." Ruby introduced with a slight bow. Nick simply raised a paw as a greeting.

"So you are," He sniffed, a nostril flared in reply. "although I'm surprised that it's just two of you."

"Nah, me and Ruby here are just the attackmammals for our target," Nick jumped in. "the others are backing us up from afar using the cameras that were set up."

"Yes, the cameras," Nick could hear a slight tone of annoyance the badger's voice and made the assumption that he had a dislike for them, but that was as far as he could toss his guess. "The sooner you capture him, the sooner you can remove them and I can return to running my business normally." Taking his eyes off them and stepping over to the escalator that was heading down, the badger waited on the both of them. "Come along, your stations and your patrons are waiting." He stepped onto the moving platform and was carried down along the way. Nick and Ruby were quick to follow him, joining along the ride.

"Sooo," Nick started as the three of them were escorted through the corridor, the shifting from a nice, family-friendly wholesome pigment to a more nightly, mischievous hue the deeper they went down, the glowing of the lamps on the wall adding to the effect. "May as well break the ice here. I'm going to say that you're not a big fan of surveillance cameras, Mr. Valduris? I heard that the installation was met with some resistance early today."

"That is correct." Mr. Valduris started, no hesitation in his burly voice. "A majority of my staff were against the very notion of having them set up, myself included." The badger kept his back towards them as they continued to descent.

"You too?" Nick questioned. "Sounds counterintuitive for business. Would you care to explain why?"

"Red," Ruby said in a hushed voice, preparing to rebuke him.

"Mr. Wilde," His voice hardened and he turned partially towards the fox, his expression matching his tone causing Nick to shudder internally. "If I am to assume that you're implying something about me and my workers, then you are severely incorrect." He turned full to face Nick and his glare, although his face was calm, sharpened.

"I wasn't implying anything, Sir." Nick kept his composure even when the staring bore into his being. He had been through worse in life, so a little glaring didn't bother him in the slightest. "I just find it odd that a business mammal such as yourself would be against aid the police in a criminal apprehension."

"If it meant losing the trust of my customers and employees, then I will not. We nocturnal mammals already have it rough topside during the day, so I provided a haven for them come the nightly hours." He turned away and faced forward once more and his arms folded behind his back. "Surely you, an individual of your kind as well as a member of the night, know what it is like to be looked upon wrongly for those things you cannot change."

"What you say is true, Mr. Valduris. I can attest to that, but I fail to see how that has anything to do with cameras."

"It's a simple matter really. When you're a nocturnal predator, you're looked upon differently. It doesn't help that being monitored by the ZPD is an added factor." There was a brief moment of silence before he continued. "Which is why built this haven for them, to give my follow night treadders a haven from the accusing and persecuting eyes of diurnal animals. I made it my mission for the last 30 years and I have spent those arduous, backbreaking years building this resort from the ground up. I only agreed to help because I refuse to have a drug trafficking riffrat leave a blemish on my work." He took a breath to calm himself.

"Now do you understand why I'm not fond of the idea of having the police survey my employees and patrons?"

"Indeed we do, Mr. Valduris. You made it quite clear." Ruby piped in, speaking on both her and Nick's behalf.

"Then the conversation ends here. Just make sure that you both escort him out of the hotel, without causing too much of a scene."

"Consider it done, Mr. Valduris. He won't get the chance to book it."

"See to it that he doesn't." He fell silent and the rest of the ride was quiet all the way until they reached their destination.

The moment they reached the end of the escalator, the trio was greeted by the vivid dazzling colorful lights, sounds of slot machines ring off to whoever was playing and various mammal walk about with cups upon of cups that were filled to the brim coin to be spent and along with those who are kissed by lady luck or those who shed tears when met with her misfortune. From the entrance of where they were standing, they looked upon the wall that ran around the perimeter wasn't a wall, but instead was glass, giving off that under the sea vibe in a contrast area of gambling. On the outside of the transparent wall, they could see that there was an array of many many many fish, ranging from big and small, fat and skinny, all the way to either exotic or ordinary, all swimming on the outside of the of the area. There were even a few broken down ships and other sea floor decoration for a more aesthetic appeal.

"We have arrived," Mr. Valduris stepped forward while Nick and Ruby looked on beyond the resort manager. "I welcome you both to The High Night Rollers." The dingo was amazed by what she saw far as she could whereas Nick only smirked as he stepped past the both of them and took a step within the area. He took a whiff of the casino atmosphere and let out a breath of familiarity as the memories of his days, back when he was a simple con-fox, ran throughout his mind.

"Ah," a smile graced his thin muzzle as he looked on into the gambling area. "The elegant scent of mass produced respiratory toxicity. How I missed thee," He ventured in a little further but didn't stray too far.

"Missed? You've been here before Mr. Wilde?" asked the badger, his eyes following the reynard.

"Of course I have. you never truly forget your first contamination." He answered with a smirk "If you could just point us to our stations, we can get started and get this guy."

"An ideal suggestion, Mr. Wilde. Now, if you both can follow me, I shall show you to your stations." The badger led the way while two canines followed closely behind. Nick brought his wrist up to his muzzle and spoke into the mic, relaying his position back to base.

"Foxtrot to Carrot Cake, come in Carrot Cake. Sierra and I have arrived on location. I repeat, Sierra and Foxtrot are on location. Over." Nick teased as he spoke to his partner waiting on her response. From inside the van while watching her partner and Southlow follow behind Mr. Valduris, Judy simply rolled her eyes at his usual antics and addressed him, even now when they were on the job.

["Nick, the standard NATO codename for me is Charlie, not Carrot Cake, we've been through this, Over."] she replied while watching their movement.

"Charlie? Nah, you're definitely not a Charlie. I met a Charlie once, but that's besides the point. I mean, I call you Carrots all the time, so I thought I'd go with something sweet for the mission." Nick replied to his partner, practically able to feel her smile from the other side of the microphone.

["As flattering as that is, we have a criminal to apprehend in case you forgot. Affectionate names can wait until afterwards."] Her tone was that of a playful one, trying to sound serious.

"I'm a fox of many talents, one of them is multitasking with names. You can't possibly expect me to keep them all to myself, do you?"

["Yes, yes I do."] her reply was a curt tone, but still laced with playful undertones. ["I expect you to stay on task for this ops."]

"You bunnies, always to the point but never any of the fun. Fiiiiine" He drawled out in 'defeat'. "I'll cut back on the names."

["Good. That's what I wanted to hear."] Judy replied in a pepped tone.

"But I'm still gonna call you carrot cake, though."

A slightly irritated groan could be heard on the other end of the earpiece, bringing a smug victorious smirk to his vulpine muzzle. ["Fine, Carrot cake, whatever. Just be sure to keep an eye out for Barkly."]

"Keeping an eye out is what I do best, Fluff."

["I'm so sure. Speaking of which, he should be there soon, how are you going to get him over to the table?"] asked Judy, curious as to how her partner would pull that off. Nick's smirk got wider as he formulated a plan in his head on how to reel him in. Since Howard liked to show off with 'luck' what better way than to make a little magic happen.

"Oho," Nick chuckled. " You don't need to worry about that, Fluff. Leave the performance to your truly. Just make sure that you keep an eye on me. Smith, keep an eye out for the perp and relay to Gem his location." Nick relayed to the tiger. Judy arched an eyebrow his way as the white tiger only nodded.

"Not sure what you hope to gain by showboating, but if gets his attention then, by all means, go for it. Just don't get too distracted, Wilde."

"No need for an echo, I already have a reminder." He simply replied.

It wasn't much of a walk, per se. The area was still big enough to be considered that way, but they were able to reach Nick station within a matter of seconds and already, there were patrons waiting on their croupier to make his appearance. It consisted a few mammals sitting on the outer rim of the table, either chatting with each other or simply staring off and watching others work the slots.

"And here we are, Mr. Wilde. Table number seven, the one that Mr. Barkley frequents when here. If you need a crash course on how the card distributor operates, there's a manual on the-" The badger started, but was quickly interrupted

"There's no need for that, Mr. Valduris." Nick stated, "I've seen how they operate, but the machine won't be needed, not against our target anyways. I got all that I need for him right here." he tapped his right pocket for confirmation.

"How do you mean?" was the reply, his tone was that of a confused one mixed with disbelief.

"See, that's the thing about our guy. He comes here so many time that he's most likely learned all the tools of the trades when it comes to learning the cards. When to fold, when to hit, when to stand, when to double down, when to split, when to take advantage of a "soft paw", when the board's hot and when it starts to cool down and most importantly, when to surrender. It goes without saying that he has plenty of experience when it comes to card counting. In fact, I'm willing to bet…" Nick had to stop himself for a moment when the realization of a pun was made, did he chuckle to himself a little.

"'Bet'. hehe, oh… in a casino. Gambling, hehe… Oh wow, I do cut myself up." He took a moment to let out a cough. "With the puns aside, I'm willing to bet that his so-called "luck" will run out against an actual mammal with more skilled paws working the deck. Namely mine, of course."

"Is that right? I fail to see how a machine, that can lower the possibilities of cheating mind you, wouldn't fare any better against an actual mammal."

"If you're that curious, feel free to stick around for a bit." Placing himself in front of the two mammals and with and arm extended above him, he took a deep bow with a paw over his stomach and a smug smirk graced his muzzle. "Putting on a show is what I do best."

Picking himself back up to full height and leaving the two behind, he walked his way around the counter while the eyes of the patrons were all locked him, analyzing him from top to bottom.

"Good evening, all," Nick spoke in a silky tone. They were surprised to see a fox, of all mammals, was working the table. Some even made a few snide remarks under their breath, but that didn't faze him in the slightest, in fact, he took it all in stride as he took his place behind the counter board and placed his paws on the board, relaxing his shoulders. With both paws resting beside the dealer's pool, Nick put on his best smug looking face as he analyzed the four patrons at the table consisting of a Lion, clearly male thanks to his suit and mane, a Leopardess in a silky navy blue one piece dress with the sleeves slitted from the top down exposing her shoulders and a thin petite cigarette pipe with smoky wispily drifting from the lit end, a Wombat in a simple shirt with jeans with a scowl on his face, and an Ocelot femme wearing a strapless dress that tightly covered her cleavage but had a nice little corsage resting on the upper left of her dress.

A couple of them leery and suspicious of him, something that he was going to change real fast.

"Care to make a wager?" he added in a patient tone, waiting on them to make the first move.

Back with the badger and dingo, Mr. Valduris let out a gruff huff as he watched the fox get started on the table before turning to Ruby.

"It would seem that your partner has things under control as far as I can see. Which brings me to you, Ms. Southlow."

"Yes sir, Mr. Valduris, what will you have me do?" Ruby asked the mammal before her.

"As you can see, we have a cocktail waitress on every table in this room." He motioned her to see that others females were dressed up like she was. "I'm having you assigned to the current table Mr. Wilde is running. You occasionally walk around and take orders for any type of drinks whenever patrons take a seat. Like your other co-workers, you take the order to the back and they'll do the rest." He pointed towards the far back wall with double swinging doors, various waitresses coming and going with either empty or filled glasses with alcohol.

"Sounds easy enough to me." Ruby replied with confidence.

"I should say so because you'll be weaving about the room while having to carry the drinks back and forth. I hope you perfected your balancing technique." A light chuckle rang about in his throat. "Any tips you make is yours to keep and be sure to keep an eye out if a patron keeps taking drink after drink, last thing I want is for a drunk to spit up bile on the floor, Capybara forbid, the board."

"I'll be sure to keep watch, Sir."

"Good, good. And as a just in case should Mr. Barkley elude you and Mr. Wilde, I'll assign two of my suits to assist you in his capture. Be sure to relay that to him." When the dingo nodded in agreement, a slight smile graced his visage thanks to their agreement. "Well then, off with you, there's work to be done. I wish you luck." Saying his piece, he turned away then vanished into the crowd. Taking this chance to relay the info, she spoke into the wrist cuff and reported the current situation as she walked past the table Nick was operating, flashed him a nod and made her way to the kitchen with the intent of getting started with her job.

"Xander, pretty sure you heard, but it looks like our mammalpower just upped twofold. We got some extra paws in catching Barkley."

["I'm not one for involving civvies in our job, but if it increases our chances in arresting him, then so be it. Go about your position and keep a low profile. Don't want to spook our target. Over."] The voice of her partner came through the earpiece as an instruction for her to follow.

"Will do. Over." making herself blend in, she started off with heading into the back where the kitchen was located so she could get an understanding of the orders as well as her equipment.

The standoff of silence between the mammals continued on for a while now but it came to an end when the feline was the first one to speak up out of all of them, the smug smirk on Nick's muzzle never faltered as a paw hovered over the chips, prepared to place the exact amount of whatever would be put down.

"Sure," He started, his voice gruff as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a 20, placing it on the table. "I'll bet this much, let's see what you got."

"Excellent, Sir. Let me hand you your chips and then we'll-" Just as paw landed on the top side of the bill, Nick was a little surprised when the Lion's paw swiftly landed back on the bill with a thump sound. He looked up to see that stern face glare holes into him.

"Keep in mind, I am watching you. So don't go trying anything funny, Fox." He finished, putting emphasis on the slur while growling lowly in an attempt to fluster the vulpine, but like an ice cube in a freezer on full blast during the summer days, Nick kept his cool headed demeanor regardless of the harsh glare he was getting.

"Duly noted, sir." Was his reply, shaking off the insult. The Lion let go of the bill with a 'hmp' sound and allowed the vulpine to proceed. Sliding the bill towards the chip deck, Nick pulled out two blue $10 marked chips and placed them in front of the lion while taking the bill and slipped it into the currency slot.

"Anyone else?" he asked the other three after a brief moment of silence, he took that as a no. Looks like he'll have to earn their trust. "No? Looks like it's just you and me for now, big guy."

"So it would seem." Taking hold of one chip, he placed it in the betting circle and that was Nick's cue. He pulled out two cards from the shoe on his first draw, one a 6 of Hearts and the other a 4 of Diamonds, bringing the total value to exactly 10. It was at this point that Nick drew two cards as the deal with only one of them face up and the down. The one facing up was a 10 of Spades while the other was faced down.

Thinking for a moment, the Lion extended his index and middle fingers and scratched beneath the hand he was given while saying the words "Hit me." Nick drew another card with a value 8 and placed above the player's hand, totaling it to 18. Placing his hand back to its original position he waited on him once more.

"You total is now 18, your Highness. " Nick remarked as the feline continued to think on his hand. Seeing that going any higher would be folly, he conceded and waved his paw a couple of times.

"Nah, can't do much more than this hand. I'm gonna stay." Nick nodded as he reached for the face down card and flipped it over. To both their surprise, the card value turned out to be a 5 of Clubs, causing the Dealer's Hand to default at 15.

"18 to 15, you win, your Highness." Nick commended while adding another $10 chip to the betting circle, making it now $20.

"Huh, that wasn't as bad as I thought." He replied while taking just one $10 chip and adding it to the other while leaving one in the betting circle. "Alright, let's go again."

"It would seem that I've earned your trust, Sir."

"Don't push your luck, Fox. That was just one round and there's plenty more chances to prove me wrong."

"Patients, your Highness, the night is still young after all." swiping the four cards off the table in an easy motion and placing them into the discard holder, he turned to the others and asked if they wanted in this round. "How about you three? Want in this time?" It was at this time that the Ocelot spoke up.

"Hm, since you didn't try to screw him over, I'll try my luck this round," She took out a $50 bill and slipped it across the board toward him while a wry smile and not so subtle wink followed. "only because you're pretty handsome~" There was slight bit of southern in her voice when she spoke and Nick could only chuckle while dipping into a slight bow, returning upright. It was a far cry from when she was eyeing daggers at him, but he didn't mind it, it just made his job a little easier.

"Why Ma'am, you flatter me. Not often I hear that from other mammals."

"Well, that's quite a shame, really. For a fox, you're rather easy on the eyes, if I do say so myself."

"Oh stop it, you're going to make me blush," A paw rested on his chest while he looked off to the side for dramatic effect. "And that would be unprofessional of me. For I do prefer to keep business and pleasure separate."

"I don't know, you look like the type mammal that can mix both and still get away scot-free."

"I am a fox of many talents, Ma'am."

["Stay focused, Foxtrot."] Judy's voice rung out from the piece in his ear, clearly annoyed by his antics. ["Incase you forgot, we're on the job."] Nick internally chuckled as he placed his eyes back on them.

"Now then, we have two betting paws. What about you two? Would you like to try your luck or sit out another round?" It was at this time, the Leopardess spoke up as she took a single inhale of her piped cigarette and let go of the contents in a wispy exhale from her puckered lips and aiming the exhaled smog towards Nick, only to have it billow out and fade into collective toxic laced aether around them.

"If I must," she stated while reaching into her open blouse. Pulling out a single $20 from her cleavage, she slides it onto the table in front of Nick and waited on him to deal her hand and chips, the slit-pupiled feline keeping her eyes coldly locked onto him. "I am also in."

"Welcome aboard, Madam."

"Is like lion says," another puff and exhale of smoke "No tricks, *лисица."

She managed to make him shiver a bit internally, thanks to her thick *Russky accent, but he held it together and simply nodded, not one to be fazed by an intimidation tactic. "And that's three for three, what about you, Sir?" He directed his question at the Wombat. A groan of defeat left his lips as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a $10.

"Ah hell, if these three buggers are poolin', I might as well toss my hat into the ring," He placed the bill on the board before Nick. "I'm in."

"Wonderful!" A clap of his paws sounded as he now had their attention right where he wanted them. "All bets have been placed." Taking the money and slipping the currency into the cash slot, he drew the mammals their cards and placed them perfectly above their betting chips. Rested his paws beside the betting pool he offered his best and professional smirk while waiting on their calls. "Now then, Let us begin."

{-}

Meanwhile in the Van…

{-}

From the other end of the monitor screens, Both Judy and Xander observed their partners in action while keeping an eye out for the target. Just as Nick said earlier, he truly was a professional on the floor, even if it was all an act. Ruby went about her tasks while taking orders from the patrons whenever she came nearby without many problems. Things were progressing rather smoothly, but as time wore on, Howard was a no show. Knowing that fact did little to stop her foot from thumping under the control panel which didn't go unnoticed either

"Lieutenant Hopps," Xander started off, managing to get Judy's attention.

"Hm? What is it, Sergeant Smith?" Was her reply, even though she kept her eyes glued to the screens

"I'm not one to be a stickler in this situation and forgive me if I come across as crass, but you've been tapping the floor for the last thirty minutes now, and frankly, it's become rather vexing." Her eyes widened a little at the fact that she had been bothering him with one of her quarks.

"Sorry, Smith. Bunny habit of mine. Didn't mean to disturb you."

"I take it that this happens when you're irritated about something?" He guessed while adjusting a few knobs on the panel to boost the hearing for himself.

"Pretty much. I mean, it's literally been half an hour and no sign of the target! The report said that he was supposed to be here 9:00 pm. Sharp. And yet, nothing." She let out a drawled groan while leaning back into the seat after taking off her headset and setting it down. Xander only nodded slightly while taking his eyes off the monitor.

"I will admit, it's rather dull to simply sit here and wait on him. At least our partners are keeping busy." He thumbed to the screen, showing the Wombat throw his paws up in frustration. "Looks like Lady Luck frowned on him tonight."

"If only the perp would show up, then we can let them know and plan our next move. But as you can see, no perp." Her paws landed on her face and dragged down in an exaggerated manner while a long drawn out groan left her muzzle. "This is so boring!"

"If you can't handle simple surveillance missions, I don't know how you manage stakeouts and those take hours just to keep attention to." Xander replied, shifting his gaze over to another monitor.

"It's not the same, Smith. When I do stakeouts, I have my partner to keep me entertained for the long hours. Just sitting here while watching him do all the work, doesn't work for me." Judy admitted. Xander took that into account with a simple nod.

"So you're the kind of cop that likes to be out and about on the field? You sound just like Ruby."

"I do?" was her simple question.

Smith chuckled again while addressing her. "That's correct. Like you, Ruby isn't one to sit still. It's always go go go with her, never taking a chance to pause, which tends to be a headache for me from time to time." A smirk appeared on the lapine's muzzle while side-glancing the tiger.

"She knows that Justice never sleeps or takes a break. If you see something wrong, you make it right."

"That's true, I will admit, but taking moment to stop and process the situations rather than just running in head first also helps. Take Sergeant Wilde for example," he directed her attention back to monitor, showing how relaxed he looked while dealing with those four on the opposite end of the board. "Look at how relaxed he is right now. Poise, upright, calm and collected. Not showing the slightest bit of tenseness or edge. The behaviour he is showing for this job is a paramount example that patients is needed."

"True. Nick has always been one to think and act rationally, even under a certain amount of pressure."

"Indeed he does, I don't know about you, but the glaring that snow leopard was giving him. I felt chills run down my spine. Wilde? It was impressive how he didn't even flinch."

"That's my partner, he isn't one to scary easy unless it's something really bad... I don't know Xander, I hear what you're saying about being patient, I really am. I just want to catch the bad guy and put him away before he and his other goons can do harm to the general public, you know? I really do love this city and I don't want anything bad to happen to it, like a repeat of the Night Howlers."

"And we will get him. Our reports of Howard's activities has never been wrong before, why would they be wrong now? Granted, there's always a chance, but don't focus on that, focus on keeping an eye out for him and relay that to Wilde, it's all we can do right now."

"Got it!" Reaching for her headset, she placed it back where it was and went back to monitoring Nick from afar, the entire, she admired how professional he was playing his part, granted he still showed that impish side from time to time, but was a joy to watch how he acted behind the board, his smug smirk never wavering.

"It's been quite for the last 30 minutes. Anything on the ground, Ruby?" Xander spoke into the headset mic, turning to one of the camera, seeing his partner making her way back to the table Nick was working, a small board of drink on paw.

{"Negative,"} She halted her movements and spoke into her cuff mic while looking around for any sign of the target. {"Things are pretty calm on our end. What about you, mate? The camera picked up anything?"}

"Negative as well, no sign of Barkley yet. Keep going about your role, Hopps and I will keep you and Wilde posted."

{"Roger that, over."} Xander watched while she stepped over to the table and handed the patrons their drinks. Once served she remained on the edge of the table to watch him work his magic.

"It would seem that we're still playing the waiting game a little longer."

"As much as I dislike remaining still, we really don't have another choice now do we?"

"Hang in there, Hopps. He will show, sooner or later."

A good 20 minutes for the duo in the van had passed by and the both of them were idly sitting around as they watched the cameras. Judy would occasionally shift over to Nick and he was still putting on his act while Ruby took to the patrons and went to retrieve their new order of drinks. It was now 9:50 and STILL no sign of the culprit. The anxiety was starting to show on Judy while Xander, still wearing his headset to listen out as a just in case, was now reading a small little book to keep himself grounded. She was starting to get the sense that the information they were given was wrong and with a gruntled sound of discontent, she slouched into her seat and again her paws came up to her face and she worked circles into her cheeks. Her display of annoyance didn't go unnoticed by Xander either.

"Patients, Hopps. These cameras were made to catch sounds from everywhere. Just leave them on and we're bound to hear something. With ears like yours, I'm confident you'll be the first one out of the both of us." His voice calm as he effortlessly turned the page, proceeding to read the print from the top all the way down.

"I'm starting to think, Howard might not even show up tonight. Bogo's gonna skin me a new one if we come back empty pawed…"

"Now now, none of that. That's quitter's talk, Lieutenant."

"It's been 50 minutes and still no sign of him!"

"As annoying as it is, we have to remain on standby. But I can sympathize with you, sitting here is starting to take a bit of a toll on me." The tiger leaned back as best he could in the cramped van, sticking his legs out in an attempt to stretch out.

"Nice to see that you can feel my pain as well."

"Indeed I can, to a certain extent. Playing the waiting game has its merits and hardened me against the ever creeping feeling of boredom. Anyways, just be patient, Lieutenant. I know that Howard will show up this night. Being antsy and getting worked up won't -" He glanced from his book to one of the monitors and to his surprise, there was a small crowd at the far end of the casino, right at the entrance and from the midst of it, there he was.

Howard Barkley had finally arrived.

He was dressed in a rather chintzy blazer that clashed horribly his fur from the waist up. The sleeves were rolled up over his forearms and the dress shirt underneath was just as bad, proving to be a terrible match for the awful blazer. A gaudy gold necklace hung loosely from his neck and a simple watch was snug perfectly on his right wrist. From the waist down, he, at least, had the decency to match with the top, but it still didn't do much for his black and brown coat. He was sporting two rings on both digits for each paw and a dull studded earring on his left bite marked ear. Hanging from his muzzle, he had one of those old fashioned cigars that further added to his disappeal.

To sum up the canine strutting about while surrounded by bimbo groupies, he was a walking mess and had a horrid sense of fashion.

"Well, speak of the devil,"

"Who, Nick?" She looked over to see that his book was now closed and he now placed it off to the side, turning his body around to fully, facing the monitors while pointing towards the camera.

"Howard just walked in."

"What?!" Judy perked while sitting upright, reaching over to her headset and placed it back. Xander directed her attention to the screen he was on. "When did he get here," She took a moment to look him over and made a disgusted face. "And WHAT in Capybara's name is he wearing?!"

"Apparently something that shouldn't see the light of day or be embraced the grasp of night. Regardless, our target is here. Let Wilde and Ruby know that, while I get the camera motions started." Xander ordered as he ran paws across the console board, flipping a series of buttons.

"I'm on it." Judy adjusted the mic so it was now placed before her mouth as she relayed the information to the officers on the ground, glad to finally be able to start on her job after 50 minutes of pure boredom.

["Southlow. Come in, Southlow. Over."] Ruby could hear Judy's voice from her ears and she turned away from the table and spoke into the mic in her cuff, making sure that the betting party were focused on Nick and not her.

"I heard it all, Lieutenant, so did Wilde. And not a moment too soon. Over" Ruby replied while keeping an eye out, even though she couldn't see him yet.

["Right? But no time for small talk. Barkley's in the vicinity and currently walking around. Wilde needs to clear the board. We need to have him alone so he can't sneak away and try to blend in with the rest… although I don't think the blending in is an option, not with what he's wearing… Over."]

"Is his sense of style really that bad? Over"

["Trust me, you'll know when you see him. Now, the mission has officially started. Get to it, Southlow."]

"Piece of piss, Lieutenant. I'm on it. Over and out." she faced the board once again, seeing that Nick was engaged in a conversation with the patrons.

"So, Madam, you aren't a fan of Zootopia's Tundra Town?" Nick directed his question towards the snow leopard, since one of the betters brought up her accent and how she was living in the colder regions of the city.

"Do not be mistaken, Лиса. Is like I say to comrade Kozlov," the snow leopard took another inhale of her pipe and lightly exhaled the contents into the air once more. "Tundra Town is nice, is very lovely for it reminds me of Motherland when I was but малышка growing up. But I will always prefer cold embrace of Mother Russky. Is truly genuine compared to Tundra Town. You should plan trip there when given chance."

"Hmm, even though I have a winter coat, I prefer the warmer weather. Still, if Russky is as you say it is, I'll be sure to plan a trip there one day."

"Is well worth trip, I promise." Just as Nick was about to engage in another conversation, Ruby stepped into his personal space with a tap on the shoulder. Having his attention, he looked over to her and she leaned in, placing her muzzle near his ear, the dingo whispered so only he would hear.

'Red, Barkley's walking around. Clear the table while I get the suits in position.'

Pulling away, Nick nodded in agreement while she walked off to get ready on her end. As she walked off, Nick placed the winnings of all four in the betting circle for they had been the house. "Sorry about that, all. My co-worker just wanted me to let you know that she has something to take care of and will be back shortly. So for the time being, no drinks." He took away the cards and placed them in the discard tray and placed their winnings in the betting circle.

"I hope it's nothing too serious. Sweet gal, that one." The Wombat chimed in, contemplating on whether to bet after getting a decent amount of his win. "Now I'm not one to claim that he knows there could be something there between folk, but shoot, you two talked like you were pretty close. You ever thought of asking the girl out?"

"As attractive as she is, we're both co-workers during our shifts and friends outside of the workplace. Nothing more, nothing else."

"Soooo basically, what you're saying is that you're single?" The Ocelot asked this time, her eyes sparkling like the lights of the casino as the words passed her lips, her tail upright and started swaying in a coquettish manner. Nick could only smirk deviously on the outside but on the inside, he felt a little bad that she making passes his way, knowing that they wouldn't work. Just as he was about to give his answer, the sound of a group of animals could be heard nearby and the five of them heard the name Howard slip from one of them. Nick knew that it was time to get things rolling, but the lion could only groan out his annoyance and disapproval.

"Aw hell, here comes Howard. Come on everyone, let's clear out." He said while placing his winnings into a back and pushed himself away from the table. Likewise, the others did the same and prepared to depart.

"Aw, leaving so soon? After a couple of dozen rounds? I thought we had a real connection." He couldn't resist the urge to tease them, even if it was a little bit crass.

"And hang around with that guy? No thanks." replied the lion, a quick shake of his head following his confirmation to leave as soon as possible.

"Everyone who comes here knows just how dangerous Howard is." Hopping out of the seat he was just in, the Wombat looked toward Nick and showed a concerned look. "He isn't called the Blessing Thief for nothing, and with the small amount of luck that I have, I'd rather not have it stolen by that mammal, so before that happens, I'm taking off." He was the first to take off but not with offering a small smirk and a bit of complements first. "Gotta admit, though. For a Fox, you ain't so bad. Here's to hoping I run into ya again sometime."

Nick felt his chest swell with a bit of pride when the Wombat regarded him as an acquaintance of sorts while watching him walk off to other parts of the place. He noticed that the lion was now looking at him but the hostility was gone. Granted there was a bit a skepticism but it was on the non-threatening side. "To be honest, I thought I was going to have a bad time the moment I saw you walk up to the board, but it looks like you proved me wrong, for the most part.

"I try my best." Was Nick's reply, short and simple and that earned a low chuckle from the tall feline.

"Hopefully you keep up that mindset and maybe, just maybe, I might be able to regard you as someone to be sociable with."

"What? Not as a friend?"

"With the passing of time, perhaps we'll reach that point. But for now, acquaintance is more than acceptable."

"Your words are most kind, your Highness."

"See you around, Fox." Taking his leave, the lion said his piece and departed the area to parts unknown. As expected, the remaining two had the same idea and prepared their departure too. The Snow leopardess spoke this time around and a smile was cast upon her muzzle, a few sharp teeth showing.

"You not bad, лиса. Not bad at all. Though our meeting was short, I will take my leave and tell Kozlov I may have met possible new comrade. *до скорого." And with a turn, she too had left, now leaving only the Ocelot with him. Needless to say, she still had that playful smile going on.

"And then there were two, soon to become one. It's a shame, I was really having fun too." she replied, a bit of a pout on her face.

"Well, you know what they say. Nothing lasts forever." Nick could only shrug in understanding. The Ocelot nodded in agreement as another breath left her lips.

"True. They say savor every moment like they could be your last, words to live by. Which got me thinking," She reached into her back and pulled out a little notebook along with a pen. Flipping the cover open and placed the uncapped instrument against the blank page and scribbled some down with precision and speed that could rival someone who wrote checks. Tossing the pen back into her bag and tearing out the page, she slipped it across the board and he took hold of the paper while she pulled away, her smile coming back. "So, how about you and I make more moments like this one, hm~?"

Nick brought the sheet within range of his sight to see that Ocelot was named Ava and her digits were written down and a little drawn heart was on the very end. He could see that she was set on trying to hook up with him, and he was flattered to be hit on by another Animal of a different species, but he wasn't having it. He already had someone he was perfectly committed to.

"Ava." He started while folding up the paper, but not relinquishing it so easily. "As flattered as I am that you find me attractive, I am a happily spoken for fox, and I'm looking forward to finishing my shift here so I can get home in time for scheduled cuddles. I'm going to have to pass on your invitation for moment makings." He could see that she was crestfallen thanks to her ears and tail drooping down, her smile slowly disappearing.

"Oh... " Ava's voice was now low as it dawned on her that she would be going home alone that night. "Is that so," she tried not let her emotions get the better of her.

"That is how it must be," Nick confirmed. The ocelot could only nod sadly and was about to push off the chair, but not before Nick stopped her with his next set of words. "However,"

"However?"

"I actually have a friend who's in need of a lady friend. Perhaps you can be the one to help him out?" Her ears perked up at the mention of him having a friend in mind and she was quick to nod at that.

"Really, if you're recommending him, than I suppose I can try my luck. Is he a fox?" Ava asked in a hopeful tone of voice to which Nick only replied.

"He's a fennec fox, but a fox nonetheless."

"Wonderful, I was hoping he would be, since you mentioned that he was a friend of yours. What's his personality like?"

"To sum up the outside, Abrasive. Plain and simple, but don't let that fool you. Deep down, he actually very caring. All you need are the right words and a little convincing, a little bit of the batting of the eyes and he'll offer you dinner." Ava blushed a tad as she was told on how to capture his heart and her paws cupped her cheeks.

"As flattering as that is, I'm the kind the female who prefers to have dessert first and then wine and dine second." She casted Nick a knowing look and her smirk widened a bit and he felt a chuckle leave him.

"Well, that's pretty much his style. Not as classy as how I do things, but if it works for you then it'll definitely work for him. I'll be sure to get this number to him and make sure he calls you."

"Great!" She hopped out of her seat and turned to face Nick one last time. "I'll be waiting until then. Thanks again!" Ava offered a wave and scampered off into the crowd, just in time for Ruby to walk up to him with an update.

"Bloody hell, Red. You took forever to get rid of the blokes. What took you so long?"

"Oh, you know me. Taking cash, placing bets, making new connections, the usual fox agenda. Speaking of which, you got the two suits ready?" Nick asked, looking around for the temporary hired help.

"Indeed I did, You can't see them, but they're there. Don't wanna spoke the bloke comin' up." Ruby pointed towards the small crowd. They parted a bit and Nick and Ruby could see the wolf in all his smug glory with a grin to match. Needless to say, both canines were appalled the clothes the moment they were seen.

"What in Capybara's name is he wearing?"

"Cripes, Red." Ruby sharply inhaled as a disgusted expression appeared on her face. "Hopps was right. It's not just bad, it screams all levels of wrong."

"Like something that crawled from the rotten abyss." Nick followed up, his lips dipping into an irritated frown as he continued to watch Barkley gawk amongst his group. The longer Nick kept his gaze on the canine, the more his level of disdain increased to the point where he was clenching his teeth behind his muzzle.

"I'll say. That outfit is an affront to fashion."

"his existence is an affront to fashion and those who take great pride in looking their best. Namely me." There was venom in his tone and Ruby was surprised to hear that kind of animosity from the relaxed fox and gave him a look of surprise, but didn't he didn't care. "whatever, he coming over now, let's put that walking disaster away for good."

"Right, let's him, but how though? You got some sorta plan to pull the dipshit?"

"You leave that to me, you just stand there and prepare yourself to order a lot drinks, I get the feeling that one isn't going to be enough for that mammal." Ruby nodded and stood off to the side and was on standby while Nick took both the card dispenser and discard item and placed them under the table, leaving only the payout chips in the tray. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out his special deck that he had picked up earlier, he took in a series of breaths to relax himself, knowing that getting worked up wouldn't be in his favor. Howard was on his way and Nick had a little performance to put on in order get him over to his table.

'No turning back now, let's get things rolling.'

Starting with the deck that now out of the confines of his pocket, with a simple toss of his paw, the deck went airborne with a series of twirls on the way up and came back down with a solid planting sound when it landed square in the center of his palm. Following the patterns in his head, he made sure to keep his eyes off the target and focused deck, because the cards would pull him in, in his stead. Working the deck around his nimble digits, he was able to pull the cards out without needing to use his other paw, rather, he placed it behind his upright posture, his expression perfectly neutral. With the cards now unsheathed from the box, the real fun could begin.

With the same paw that dislodged the pack, he was also able to toss it behind him so it landed right next to his feet and out of sight, something to worry about later on. Now with deck free and using his free paw, he gripped the cards, splitting them in two and with a seamless amount of motion, Nick used his digits to their maximum capacity by splitting the cards again into another two cuts totalling it to four sets in with which, he rotated them with his wrists while they danced in his paws giving off the impression that he was shuffling them as he worked the digits to move the cards around without dropping a single one. Closing the gap, he was able to merge the four sets back into one while he still used his two paws to shuffle the cards around. Slipping a digit into the cut, he parted it again with a flick of the wrist, he popped the cut deck into the air while it remained intact, flipping over and over until it landed and rejoined with the rest once more. Clapping them tightly, he raised the uppermost one while slacking the grip a bit and a cascaded of cards fell all the way down to the base as he raised it to meet the other, closing the gap once more, bringing the performance to a temporary end. Needless to say that the little act got Howard's attention easily as well as his little group.

Pulling a single card from deck, he worked that single one around of his digits, over and under his flexible digits as if it were gliding on air while his arm and paw acted as the conduit while directing it up and down, back and forth. For style points and with a bit of force, he slung it behind him and the same force he used transferred to the card the moment he released it, causing the playing card to shoot up and over his upper body. It spun like a helicopter blade for it hovered in the air and maneuvered in an arch over him and back down. It was there that used the deck to catch again but in a billowed fan like image and finished on a high note by placing his free paw behind the card and loudly snapped his digits forcing it to slip back into the deck, rejoining the pack.

The sound of clapping could be heard as Nick looked away from his cards and up to see that Howard and his little were applauding his performance.

"Not bad," the clapping slowed as Barkley began to speak and just as Nick expected, his voice was just as bad as his horrid fashion sense. "Not bad at all… for a fox, anyways." That responses earn a small amount of laughter from his group as well as himself. Nick, even though clearly not amused and gritting his teeth, he kept his calm and collected facade on the surface.

["Stay focused, Nick"] Judy's voice came through his earpiece as she to him, using his name rather than the code name. ["he's trying to rattle you and get under your pelt. Don't let him rile you up. You can do this."] her voice and the use of his real name was able sooth him a little bit so he to calm down for the most part and get him back on track. A smirk appeared on his muzzle which caught Howard off guard.

"It's like I say to all my patrons," with the same paw, he effortlessly straightened the pack and with a bit preparation along with the use of his free paw, the deck was slightly split and it cascaded down from being two separate decks back into a collective one. "I AM a fox of many talents."

There was brief moment of silence among them all until Howard broke that silence a snort and a series of chortles followed right after until they turned into full blown laughter. And as expected, the group followed suite, finding Nick's remark humorous at best and they joined in on the laughter alongside Barkley in an attempt to hack down Nick with snide chuckles and cutting remarks under their breaths, using the noise of the casino as a cover, but Nick retained his cool and confident expression while the smirking never fading in the least.

"'A fox of many talents' he says!" He took hold of the cigar and puffed out some smog, aiming it in the direction of where his face was. "Yeah, you're real talented alright. Talented enough to land a position in this sty. Well that's just goes to show how all you foxes are," He took another puff and sat in one of the seats there in front Nick, leaning in with a elbow resting on the board. "Doesn't matter where, so long as the pay is good, you'll do anything to get by, even on paw given scrapes."

["Bastard."] Judy's voice came through again and it was laced with venom for the canine before her partner.

["Calm yourself, Lieutenant. And Sergeant Wilde, he's trying to get a raise out of you. Do not let him succeed."] This time, Xander's voice chimed, in an attempt to keep Nick restrained. He only closed his eyes and cupped his muzzle with mic in the wrist cuff and spoke lowly into it, knowing that Howard wouldn't be able to hear it.

'You both don't need to worry about me, I got this.' He opened his eyes again aimed them towards Howard, his smirk never disappearing again, it caught Barkley off guard for he fail to rattle him. "Money is money, Sir. Sometimes you have to make due with unwelcoming circumstances to put dinner on the table, no matter how much you dislike it. A moral lesson I was taught to abide by, unlike most animals in this city. Sure you yourself had to slog through the muk to get where you are today, no?" Nick questioned the canine, getting a little flinch from him, but quickly bounced back with another egregious resounding laugh.

"That is rich, I tell you. You, a fox, making an honest living? It must be something serious if you ain't skulking about."

"What can I say? I'm a fox with morals."

"Morals?! You hear that? The fox has morals!" The group erupted in laughter at the mere idea of a fox having a sense of right and wrong.

["Just where does he get off?!"] Judy's voice rang through again and was absolutely livid with the target.

["The hubris knows no bounds or humility, Lieutenant."] Xander replied, his tone, although calmed, was traced with annoyance.

"Oh mam, I just got here and already I'm having a good time! Tell ya what, you got me in a good mood. I'll humor you, fox. I'll bet," reaching into his pocket, Barkley pulled out a single bill of $100 And places placed it on the board, his arrogant smirking never leaving his face. "This much, since you started me on a high note. I'm feeling lucky tonight."

"Wonderful, sir," Nick replied with clear malice beneath his tone. He reached for the bill, preparing to convert it with the chips in the tray. "Allow me to deal you in." It was then, that another bill was slammed onto the board, catching both males off guard and voice that familiar only to Nick had spoke out loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I'm in as well. Hope you don't mind a last minute entry." Nick looked over to see a familiar face, that he hadn't seen in a while, suddenly reappear this very night. "Do ya, Foxy."

Duke Weaselton had joined in on the betting.

TBC...

End Notes

Now for some translations that I've added in the chapter.
For Ruby:
Dag - Funny person, Nerd, Goof
Yank - American
Burl - Try attempt
sheila - Lady
Ankle bitter - small child/ Childhood
earbashing - talking
Back of Bourke - A very long way away
Never Never - Outback/ Center of Australia
Dingo - On the subjects of Dingos, in the Zootopia universe, Dingos ARE wolves, they've evolved to over the course of time to better suits the harsh environments of Aussie. They may be smaller in stature but are very vicious and tough when it comes to fighting off foes.

As for the Snow Leopard:
Лиса/лисица (pronouced: Lisa) - Fox
до скорого (pronounced: do skorogo) - Until next time
Russky - It's a combination of Russia and Husky since Snow Leopards originated in the Mountian of Tibet, which is a part of Asia as well Russia. I know Husky don't exist but it's a play on words instead using the offensive slang: Russkie.

That being said, I hope you all enjoyed the cliffhanger that is Chapter and are looking forward to chapter 5 :)
Due stay tuned.