A.N. Hey folks, Blue Tagg here with the forth chapter of The Racoon Apprentice. Here Nick will finally tell everyone his history with Mal. It might bring some of you to tears.

Nick looked at the photo with shock.

"Mal!" Nick said surprised. He then rubbed the bridge of his temple as he looked away from the others.

"Mal?" Judy asked when he said that.

"So, you do know her," Bogo asked.

"Yes," Nick said as kept his back to them. "(Sigh) You all are aware of my con-artist days, aren't ya?"

Everyone muttered in acknowledgement.

"But what does that have to do with anything?" Francine asked.

"Back then, I wasn't alone. Malory Cooney, or Mal, as I called her. I guess you could say, she was my apprentice," Nick said, which made everyone gasped.

"Your apprentice?" Judy asked with astonishment.

"I guess I should start from the beginning," Nick said. He then sat down on the porch, ready to tell the story.

"It all started 5 years ago. I was just getting the hang of scamming mammals, in a legal way. I was just walking home through the Rainforest District after my latest con, when I heard something. I saw an eleven-year-old racoon running away from something. She managed to climb up a tree and hid beneath the leaves. As she hid, a group of lions came out looking for her. Once they left, she came down and ran in the other direction. But, those lions found her and cornered her."

Everyone gasped when heard that.

"I knew I couldn't let them continue, so before they could do anything, I rushed over, grabbed the girl and ran off with her. The lions chased us, but I gave them the slip. After we lost them, I asked her where she lived, and she told me she didn't live anywhere. I was shocked to hear that. I asked her why they were chasing her, and she showed me a wallet, which belonged to one of them. She told me she didn't have any other choice. After that, she told me her story.

When she was a baby, her father died in an accident, so it was just her and her mother. Everything was good for them, until one incident. She was wrongfully expelled from her school for something she didn't do. Someone stole all the school funding's and trophies and destroyed the trophy cabinet, and she got the blame because she was a racoon, and mammals labelled racoons as thieves. If that wasn't bad enough, on that same day, her mother died in a bank robbery."

When everyone heard, they were shocked. Bonnie, Clawhauser and Francine started to get teary eyed.

"She didn't have any other relatives, so they tried to put her in a home, but the system was botched. She was then out on her own. A ten-year-old girl, alone on the streets. After that, she showed me the place she was living by herself, an abandoned church. For a girl her age, she was surprisingly good at gymnastics, acrobatics and parkour, so she could get up there easily. She told me she tried to take the wallet because she had no other choice, but as you know, that didn't turn out so well. The girl had nothing, no family, no friends, deprived of her education. When I looked at her, I felt like I was looking at myself back when I was younger. Back then I had Finnick, but she didn't have anyone. Eventually she found out about my con-work, and seeing as it was better and more legal, she asked me how I did it. After explaining, she asked me to help her out. So, I decided to make her my apprentice.

I let her come live with me, back then my living conditions were a little better than hers. Over the next few years I taught her how to scam, read mammals, know how to figure them out. But, an education is still important, so I got her a tutor to keep up with her studies. And when we weren't scamming people, we had many fun times. (Sigh) I loved her like a daughter."

Everyone listened as Nick told the story. Nick then took a look at the photo with tears in his eyes.

"But then, when Mal was fourteen, she began to question me. Like 'why weren't we making more, and get some fancy stuff?' I told her we didn't need all that stuff. Next thing I knew, she started going behind my back. She was sneaking and stealing directly from fancy houses, you know, those rich snobs. I confronted her about it, and she told me that she was doing what was best. I tried to convince her to stop. I may have not made an honest living, but I knew when to draw the line. Mal, she crossed it.

I had to make a tough decision. I found out her next target and… I placed an anonymise on her."

The group gasped when they heard that Nick say that.

"Wait, that was you?" Bogo asked. Nick nodded in confirmation as he continued.

"I was there when she was arrested. I watched from the top of the building just across the road. I watched as she was captured. As she walked she spotted me. I could see the anger in her eyes, and I just watched her with disapproving eyes.

I expected you guys to come barging in at my place at any moment, but you never did. I was surprised. I went to the prison to see her, but she refused to speak to me. I tried a few more times, but she refused to see me. So, I gave up. Pushed all my feelings inside and stopped trying. I hid how I felt and continued my way of living. But, I knew it would always come back to haunt me."

A.N. Well, that was the forth chapter. So, Nick and Mal had a Batman and Robin relationship. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

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