(7:00AM)
Twelve hours earlier...
Buster led Duke to the train station and boarded the next train back. A few minutes into the train ride, the "hostage" began to question his "captor":
"So...what's this about?"
"To be honest with you...I don't know. All I do know is that it has something to do with my boss."
"Your boss? Ha. I wouldn't surprised if he wanted me to take a job offer."
"My boss doesn't want your job assistance. Plus, he is a she."
"... Okay. What does she want with me?"
"She just needs your help...or, in her eyes, any useful information."
"I barely know anything, so that's both a start and an end for her."
"Maybe not. If I know so far, this 'M.R.' always has a contingency plan."
"And if her contingency plans begin to wear thin?"
"If so, that won't be the only thing wearing thin."
Duke furrowed his eyebrows and frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Buster rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance, "Nothing. You were saying?"
"I was saying that despite everything I've done, it was for good reason. So whatever trap this 'M.R.' has in store for me, I'm not biting the bait."
"For good reason, huh? Name one."
"I'll give you two. One: everything the world threw at me was too much to handle. I had to either give in or ride out, and I chose the latter. Two: I've recently discovered that I am the father of a baby skunk, a girl, too. I didn't know what to make of it at first, but the mother had decided that her daughter needed her father. I relented, only on the condition that this girl would grow up to become the very person I was supposed to be. I have absolutely no fucking idea why this 'M.R.' needs use of me, but I don't care. If she lays one hand on either Cassie or my daughter..."
Buster couldn't help but relate with Duke after that speech. He may be a criminal, but a coldblooded criminal he wasn't. He was still a living being, despite being a law breaker rather than a law enforcer. He was just a normal citizen who would do anything to protect his family...much like himself.
"Dad!"
"Barbara!"
"BUSTER MOON!"
The anonymous assailant opened fire with the sawed-off, pistol-gripped Remington 870, Buster and Barbara thrown back by the blast. While the gunshot played out in fast motion, the events that followed seemed in slow motion to both Buster and Barbara; they were both critically injured. What was the difference?
Buster lived.
Barbara didn't.
"Hey. Hey, you alright?"
Buster opened his eyes and sat up straight. A group of concerned animals had gathered around him and Duke.
"What... What happened?"
"After my short speech," Duke explained while crossing his arms, "you didn't speak for a moment or two, so I figured that those two reasons were good enough to shut you up. Then you starting having a fit or something like that, and everybody - me included - started to get worried. It took the whole train ride, but here you are."
Buster glanced around and saw that he was indeed no longer on the train, but at the train station. Normal animals (unlike the crowd who had gathered around him and Duke) had minded their business and go about their own, as they should. Abnormal animals (like the crowd who had gathered around him and Duke) hadn't minded their business and go about their own, as they should. In-between animals had done nothing but wonder what the hell was happening around them. Buster and Duke both fitted right well into the latter category.
"Oh. Well...okay, then." Buster slowly stood up and dusted off his suit, "Let's go, Weaselton." The koala began walking off elsewhere, prompting surprising looks from the crowd and Duke, who shrugged in response at the crowd before turning to follow Buster. As the crowd dispersed in reluctant reassurance, Duke caught up with Buster, his nose wrinkling,
"So...mind explaining what the hell was that about?"
"Yes, I do, actually. I'll explain that later. Right now, we need to find 'M.R.'"
Buster saw from the corner of his eye Duke peeking at his iPhone as he texted to 'M.R.' for further instructions. A few minutes after, and this is what the message read:
Congratulations, Mr. Moon. You completed the first mission, but I'm not spoiling the second mission. (That's for me to know and you to find out.) Anyway, you remember the coffee shop you stopped by on the way to Zootopia? A house is just a few miles from there. I'll see you then...alone.
- M.R.
"You got a latte without me?"
Buster frowned and glared at the pouting Duke, "First, I would've love to get you one if the day I met you wasn't a search-and-extract mission. Second, why are you reading my text messages?"
"Hmm, 'I'll see you then...alone'. This seems...off. Either she's planning to betray you or bed you."
"What are you betting?"
"Both, actually."
Buster maintained his frown and pulled Duke with him on the way to the coffee shop. 'This is gonna be a long day...'
("What Hurts The Most" - Rascal Flatts)
Ash strummed and hummed to the guitar's acoustic rendition of What Hurts The Most. Yeah, she didn't exactly tolerate country as much as she did rock, but, to be fair, it was slightly better than pop. She shuddered at the thought before continuing playing. Not the thought that country was slightly better than pop (although that was true in terms), but the thought of Johnny getting hurt. She had only known him for a few days now, and he somehow made her get over Lance. Johnny was much more different than Lance will ever be. Johnny was sweet, Lance was sour. Johnny was nice, Lance was naughty. Johnny was British, and Lance was American. She would go on, but her following list of reasons why Johnny was so much better than Lance would be too much for the censors.
Ash heard a knock on the door, her voice accidentally sounded a little hoarse than she expected, "Come in."
The door opened up and in popped her visitor. "Hey, Ash. How are you?"
"Hi, Rosita. I'm doing fine. You?"
"I'm fine. Did anybody visit you before me?"
"No, I think you're the first one."
"No other friends or family?"
"The first one? No, I don't think I have any other friends beside you guys. The second one? Yes, I haven't seen them for around five years or so."
"Oh. Well..."
"Yeah, I know, my family doesn't visit me as much as I don't visit them. As much as I wanted to do so...I just couldn't find it in myself to do so. That's reality, I suppose."
Rosita took pity on Ash as per the course of her motherly instincts. She sighed softly and smoothed her hand through her quills, a sad smile sent her way.
"Maybe you can," Rosita reassured. "Don't you have their number?"
"I wish," Ash shook her head, "I can't do anything at the moment unless they call me, which I highly doubt."
Rosita chuckled, "Well, don't. Maybe they will." She stood up and began to leave, but not before turning around one more time, "Oh! There's something else I need to tell you."
"What?"
Rosita flashed a toothy grin and made a heart sign, "Love you." She opened and closed the door behind her, leaving the room and Ash in a state of reassurance. Picking up her guitar once more, the teenage porcupine strummed as she glanced towards Johnny, who remained in a state of sleep. 'How is this possible?' Ash thought to herself, 'I've only known him for a few days, and I'm already in love with him.'
'Love... The one thing I almost gave up on... Almost.'
'I guess that's a good thing.'
At the same time...
Buster and Duke walked past the coffee shop and towards the two-story house located nearby. Heading up the front stairs, Buster walked ahead of Duke, who trailed behind as he knocked on the front door. A voice sounded through, a voice that sounded...different to Buster,
"Who is it?"
It was because of this tone that Buster was momentarily caught off guard, "Uh... Um... This is Buster Moon. I was sent by my boss to your house for an important meeting."
A small silence followed soon after, "Is your boss labeled with the initials M.R.?"
Buster and Duke were both taken aback by this resident's awareness of their boss's identity, "Uh... Yes, actually."
From their side of the door, they heard nothing but locks unlocking.
From her side...she heard nothing but scars opening.
The door opened and the duo were both blown into stunned silence, Buster for an entirely different reason. There stood a middle-aged brown crested porcupine who (besides seeming around his age) bore a strong resemblance to his rock-star protege. From the blue eyes to the matching outfit, the similarities were endless. In any case, the aforementioned blue eyes looked a far too familiar to...
"Bonnie."
"I'm sorry?"
Buster's eyes widened as he realized his mistake, "Oh! Oh, no! I'm sorry, ma'am. I... I thought you were someone else."
The porcupine felt her eyebrows furrow for a moment before catching on, a light laugh leaving her, "Ah, yes, I see. I get that a lot. Well, why don't you come inside? I'll make you two tea while at it."
Buster himself felt his eyebrows furrow for a moment this time before turning to find Duke entering inside. He must have forgotten he was there. Entering inside after him, he glanced around the scenery; it was sprinkled with everything rock 'n' roll, ranging from the 1970s to the 1990s. 'Well, like mother, like daughter.' Buster and Duke both took seats at a circular table as the woman fixed them some tea. What kind of tea it was remained undisclosed until they took their first sip.
"Huh, herbal tea. I wonder if they still make it."
"They should, Duke. Who's "they", though?"
"It doesn't matter." The woman made her way sitting between Buster and Duke, their pointless debate ending before even starting, "So...state your name and business. I mean, you - Mr. Moon, was it? - already stated yours, but you, sir, have not."
Duke blinked before responding, "Weaselton. Duke Weaselton. Former criminal turned good. Don't get worked up now."
"Hmm. Only slightly worried, but it'll do." She then turned to Buster, who straightened up once her look met his, "You two police officers or something like that?"
"The latter. We're more like...bounty hunters for hire."
"Bounty hunters? I see. Quite the mismatched pair, I see that as well."
"Hey, he dragged me into his little show, miss," Duke crossed his arms in defiance, "So I'm not the one to blame."
"He's right. I am."
Buster and Duke glanced at each other and their jaws hung in realization, "M.R.?"
The porcupine smiled, "The one and only. Oh, and I prefer Melody Rockwell." Melody turned back to Buster, "So...I take it you've taken good care of my daughter?"
Buster readily recoiled and chuckled uncomfortably, "Well...of course."
Melody laughed, "You don't have to lie. I can tell the truth."
