(AN/ Hey guys it's Garouge / Crewefox here with another chapter of TAKE A STAND. WOO-HOO! This fan fic just hit some milestones, it broke 500 reviews last week, also 500 follows and with this chapter the fanfiction is now over 100k words! Thank you to everyone who has supported this project! So without further ado let's get cracking with this chapter!)
Chapter 21- Love and Trust are two separate things
Robin Loxley had never been the type to sleep in, he barely slept four hours a night ever since he was a kit. It was just after seven am when his hazel eyes opened, the orange light of the sunrise was breaking through the curtains just enough to shine a streak of sunlight on the vixen snoozing beside him. Robin smiled as his eyes adored the slumbering form of his wife, he had missed this, for over two decades he woke up wanting to beside the woman he loved and now she was here in his arms. Robin was telling the truth when he said he thought Marian looked more radiant than when she was a teenager, not to say he was not enamoured with the beauty when she was younger. Marian Wilde was Robin's first and only love, he listened to her soft breathing as she slept whilst his mind drifted back to their first meeting.
Major Oak Boarding School, England, 34 Years ago…
Robin checked himself in the mirror beside his bed in the dormitory room of the elite boarding school, he looked prim and sharply dressed as always; his immaculate claret coloured blazer with matching tie was freshly laundered and his prefect pin was positioned just above the school crest sewn into the breast of the blazer. He picked up his satchel full of books for the day's classes from his bed and took a brief look at the barren and lifeless left side of his room, it was his fourth year at Major Oaks Boarding school and had yet to gain a roommate because the sad truth was no one wanted a fox as a roommate. But Robin never let that fact get him down, he didn't mind the privacy because it was easier to study and also it gave him the drive to pursue his goal; to prove foxes were nice mammals.
Fifteen year old Robin Loxley was the perfect pupil, he was a straight A student, had a 100% attendance record, participated in extra-credit activities and was the star member of the school's archery team, however there was one unperfect factor in his life; Robin had no friends. It wasn't like he didn't try to make them but everyone he talked to either ignored him or told him to get lost, even the archery team weren't chatty with him despite being the star sharpshooter on the team. That's why Robin tried extra hard to be kind, courteous and respectful to every mammal as not to add to the negative stigma that surrounded his species. Robin left his dorm room and the short five minute walk to his classroom and sat in his usual seat at the front of class whilst his classmates of varying sizes and species settled into their seats as the teacher, a snarky old Ferret by the name of Mr Sandbach, entered the room. "All right you lot," Mr Sandbach announced in his west country accent "you have a new classmate starting today, she's from up north in Cheshire and has test scores that make you seem like dumb fools; come on in lass, everyone meet Marian Wilde."
The classroom entered and a vixen with a scowl appeared from the classroom's doorway, her ears were decorated with multiple piercings, her facial features were elegant despite displaying her annoyance, her navy blue eyes were framed by heavy mascaraed eyelashes and when it came to her uniform well let's just say it didn't conform with school rules; her skirt was much too short, her blouse wasn't ironed or tucked in, her tie was loose and slapdash and upon her blazer were many badges with an assortment of skulls, band logos and of course the union flag. "Thanks for the introduction that will make everyone hate me." Marian Wilde sassed as she walked into the classroom.
"Heh," Mr Sandbach snorted "they said you had a smart mouth, thank the almighty your grades make up for it. Now take a seat beside Loxley there, it's good to keep you foxes where I can see you."
"Ah institutional prejudice, how refreshing." Marian bantered as she took her seat, triggering a look of disbelief from Robin and a ripple of giggles from the rest of the class.
"Watch it Wilde, you don't want get detention on your first day." Mr Sandbach cautioned, going over to his little step ladder to write stuff on the blackboard.
"Me in detention? Why I'd never dream of it." Marian hammed up causing another round of laughter from the class, all except Robin who seemed unimpressed by the vixen's cheekiness.
For the next hour of class Marian answered every difficult history question with ease and more often than not with a joke while Robin seethed in the seat beside her, he was the class's top pupil who obeyed all the school rules and respected the teachers and now this random joker had appeared out of nowhere with higher test scores and bolshiness that made Robin cringe. And to add insult to injury, she was a fox, Robin had been working so hard to prove that his species weren't fast talking sleazes and now this one vixen was tearing down all of his hard work.
When the morning break bell rang all of the students went about their usual business but Robin made it his business to follow Marian through the hallways not because he was creepy stalker but to make sure she was up to no nefarious activities that would further harm the reputation of his species, Marian made her way to the computer room and logged onto one of the only four workstations the room provided (Remember whippersnappers this was the 1980s, so not a lot of computers were around) Robin made his way into room and Marian immediately queried "You're name was Loxley wasn't it?" not looking up from the monitor she was staring at.
"Uh, yes." Robin responded, caught off guard by the abruptness of Marian.
"You want to tell me why you were eyeballing me during class and following me here? You some kind of creepy stalker?" Marian accused in a jokey manner while still typing away at the keyboard.
"I-I'm not a stalker!" Robin reacted, embarrassed.
"Sure you're not." Marian smirked.
"I came to tell you to respect the school rules." Robin stated.
"Is that so?" Marian sniggered, finally looking up at the flustered Robin.
"As a prefect it's my responsibility to inform you that you are breaking multiple uniform regulations." Robin replied in a professional manner.
"Hmm, if that's the case then why have none of the teachers pulled me up on it?" Marian countered, going back to typing.
"The teachers have lesson plans to organise and tests to mark, they leave the enforcement of rules to the prefects." Robin parried.
"You mean the 'Goody two shoes arse-kissing brigade'?" Marian mocked.
Robin was halted momentarily halted by the jibe before snapping "I'm not an arse kisser!"
"Hate to break it to you; but you are." Marian said, sounding sure of herself as she stared up at him from the desk "Robin Loxley, positively perfect in everyway. Gets A's in every subject, never had detention or skipped class in his life and to top it off he's the top marksman on the archery team but shock horror! He's a Billy-No-Mates." (To all non-British readers a Billy-No-Mates is a common insult to a person with no friends)
"What? H-How could you possibly know all that!?" Robin asked, aghast.
"Easy, I looked up your school record." Marian grinned, pointing at the computer monitor "Four years without a roommate, so sad."
Robin scrambled over to see if she was really looking at his record and to his dismay she was "You can't look up my record!" He shouted, feeling a blend of shame and anger.
"Actually I can, all the school records are on a public server that any member of the student body can access, so I'm breaking no rules." Marian smiled, leaning back in her chair and putting her paws behind her head.
Robin was about to yell and curse at the vexing vixen but took a deep breath and composed himself before asking "Do you enjoy belittling mammals? Is that what gives a bully like you satisfaction?"
"Listen my dear," Marian replied, standing up and facing the fox only a couple of inches taller than her "I'm not trying to bully you, I'm trying to help you."
"Help me?" Robin scoffed "Why would I need help?"
"Do you want to know why you have such a hard time making friends?" Marian asked back.
"Easy because I'm a fox." Robin answered, feeling that familiar twinge of sadness in his gut.
"No it's because you're a fake." Marian informed with an odd gentleness.
"I…" Robin began but was rendered speechless.
"Everyone can see that you're trying way too hard to be Mr. Amazing, if you want to get good grades that's great but you got to tone down all this perfect student crap, try being yourself for once." Marian observed.
"You're wrong, this is who I am." Robin lied.
"Listen Loxley I only met you just over an hour ago and I've got you all figured out and everyone else can see it too." Marian tried to make her classmate understand.
"You know nothing about me!" Robin barked.
"Then why do you look so sad?" Marian questioned.
Robin had enough of being psycho analysed by some delinquent smart mouth he turned on his heel and marched out of the computer room while reiterating "Tidy yourself up Wilde, you're a member of this school not a punk band." As he left the room, Robin could feel a lump in his throat but forced back his tears, he wasn't going to shed a tear for that vixen…
Now…
Marian awoke to the sight of Robin getting dressed into a simple jeans and green t-shirt combo, she smiled at her husband's well maintained physique as she yawned "Morning gorgeous."
"Good morning, my love." Robin smiled back "How did you sleep?"
"As well as can be expected after last night's gig," Marian winced sitting up in bed "my muscles are aching like hell."
"And how about after what we told Nick and Judy?" Robin asked bluntly.
Marian inhaled deeply before saying "Shit."
"How eloquent." Robin jested.
"The way he looked at us Robin…" Marian sighed "I know he said he forgave us but I don't think he'll ever trust us again."
"Don't talk like that, just give him time, we need to stick together, we're family." Robin tried to cheer her up "Now come on let's go make breakfast, I need to eat something before I meet up with Little John."
On the other side of the Wilde family home, Nick and Judy were laying in a single bed together. Marian had kept Nick's room unchanged from he moved out as a nineteen year old, there was an old TV with a Playstation 2 plugged in, a very dated desktop computer, a few trophies from his St. Zoo High track team days rested on a shelf and the walls were covered with posters of rock bands, action movies and female supermodels of varying species but Bunnies seemed to be the most common. Judy had been awake for over an hour just snuggling next to Nick. Neither of them had they're usual pyjamas so they slept in their underwear, Judy had found it difficult to sleep with the cast on her forearm but she still took solace from being next to Nick. Judy looked at the poster on the ceiling above Nick's bed and suppressed a giggle, the poster was of a sultry looking brown furred doe rabbit posing suggestively in a skimpy piece of swimwear, she looked back at her sleepy fox and thought He really has always had a thing for bunnies. Judy studied Nick's appearance and started to feel butterflies fluttering in her tummy, he looked so fetching right now with his fur slightly ruffled and his slender frame on display. Judy kind of found it annoying how easy it was for her to get horny, but that was one of the inescapable factors of being a rabbit. Judy tried to wake Nick up gently by rubbing her scent glands in her cheeks across his fluffy chest but when he failed to stir Judy made her way up Nick's neck and softly kissed and licked him affectionately.
"Mmmm." Nick sounded, his emerald eyes opening slightly.
"Morning Slick." Judy attempted to sound seductive, but her voice was still scratchy from the assault the night before.
"Carrots?" Nick asked sleepily as Judy moved back down to his chest and continued to mark him with her scent.
Judy then flashed a cheeky look at her boyfriend before saying "You just relax, I'll take care of you." Judy then started to move lower and grab the waistband of Nick's boxers.
"Whoa, hold up." Nick protested, suddenly a lot more awake.
"Don't worry your parents won't hear us, they're downstairs." Judy assured, continuing to pull down Nick's underwear.
Nick swatted Judy's paws away and pulled his boxers back up and stated in a serious tone "I'm not in the mood."
Judy's face turned sour and sniped "What's your problem?"
"I don't want to have sex with you right now." Nick responded bitterly, sitting up and avoiding eye contact with Judy.
"But it's morning sex, we both love morning sex." Judy pondered out loud, not seeing the obvious.
"Like I said I DON'T want to do it right now." Nick emphasised, picking up his phone from the bedside table to see what time it was, 7.31 am.
"Nick don't be like that." Judy said as she reached out to touch Nick's arm.
Nick looked at Judy's right paw and shook it off before saying "I can't believe you."
"What?" Judy mumbled, noticing the sadness coupled with irritation on Nick's face.
"After all the stuff you pulled last night you think that group hug fixed everything? That we'd be back to normal this morning? That you could get some morning nookie like usual?" Nick asked thrice with venom.
Don't say yes, don't say yes, don't say yes Judy's brain repeated but her mouth gave an awkward "Yes?" Oh sweet cheese and crackers!
That answer did not please Nick, his growing frown was evident of this fact. "You spoon fed me that lie about needing to see my Mom and then you aimed my own tranq gun at me and you wonder why I'm mad at you?" Nick gave a low growl.
"I did that for Luna!" Judy deflected "She's our number one priority now."
"You could have just taken my gun away, you could've unloaded the dart but no you turned off the safety and pointed it at me." Nick argued, his voice trembling and wounded.
"Look I don't know why I did that ok!?" Judy panicked, her breathing becoming hasty "It's just you're so blinded with hate with it comes to your Dad I just reacted ok."
"That isn't an excuse." Nick replied with a quiet voice, sitting on the edge of the bed and turning his back on Judy so she couldn't see the tears in his eyes. "This is the second time you've done this to me, where I've trusted you completely and then you betray me, first at the press conference and then last night with the gun. You hurt me."
Judy's soul was shaken by that sentence, her memory flashing back to the press conference and remembering the look on Nick's face when she reached for the Fox repellent "Nick I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking." Judy pleaded, her amethyst eyes moist "I went through the god damn ringer last night, I nearly died, I find out your mother is a cybercriminal and killed three mammals, my moral compass is so wrecked I don't if I can call myself an honest cop any more. My mind is a mess Nick and you and Luna are the only things that make all this craziness worth it." Judy then rested her head on Nick's back and wept "Please don't hate me."
Nick absorbed the words and felt his guilt battle his anger but in the end he let his heart speak for him "I don't hate you Judy, I love you…but it's going to be some time before I trust you again."
Judy felt some relief but enforced with a sob "I promise I'll never betray you again."
Nick finally turned around to face Judy, he hugged her and kissed her gently atop of her head before crying "You Bunnies, so emotional."
Judy looked up at her boyfriend's crying face and swore to herself that she would never do anything so hurtful to make him cry again, "I love you, you dumb fox." She sniffed, her tears now soaking the fur on Nick's chest.
"I love you to sly bunny." Nick reciprocated before kissing her lovingly.
Three minutes later the pair made their way downstairs and into the kitchen to see Robin preparing breakfast for everyone "Morning you two," He greeted warmly but his smile soon faded when he saw the young couple had clearly been crying "um are you guys ok?"
Judy looked down at her feet while Nick answered honestly "We just had a fight, we're ok." He then took hold of Judy's hand triggering a small smile.
"All couples fight, it's normal." Robin assured "Now sit down and I'll get you a cup of tea."
The two sat at the kitchen table where only hours before so many secrets had come to light, although now a fruit bowl and slices of toast lay waiting on a large plate, Nick grabbed a slice of toast and smeared some blueberry jam on it from the jar his dad put on the table. Robin came over with a tea pot and poured both them a cup of tea, Judy let out a small titter causing Nick to ask with a grin "What?"
"The stereotype about the British is true; you guys really do love tea." Judy observed.
"I suppose." Robin shrugged.
"Now that I think about it," Judy mused looking at Nick "if Robin and Marian are from England aren't you technically English?"
"I have dual nationality, I'm English American." Nick cleared up, munching on his toast.
"Well no one would ever guess you've got English blood." Robin pointed out, going over to the stove and stirring the porridge he was preparing.
"How do you figure that?" Nick asked his dad, still getting used to speaking to him without wanting to tear him limb from limb.
"Well you seem as American as they come." Robin replied, plopping a spoonful of honey into the porridge.
"And you call Marian 'Mom' not 'Mum'." Judy backed up
"Well until he was six he always called her 'Mummy', isn't that right Mummy's boy?" Robin sniggered at his only child.
"Awwww." Judy cooed as she poured some milk into her tea, she was getting rather fond of the beverage.
Nick was a tad embarrassed by the reveal but asked "Speaking of which, where is Mom?"
"She's in her study, she wanted to check something on her laptop while I was making breakfast." Robin answered coming over with two bowls of porridge for the couple, he looked at Judy and added "Marian said you can't have solid foods for a couple of days so I thought porridge would be the best bet."
"Thanks Robin." Judy smiled, she was actually famished having missed dinner the night previous, she took a spoonful of the warm, smooth and sweet porridge and gave a satisfied "Mmmm." It was delicious and just what she needed.
The three sat down together and enjoyed their breakfast in silence for about five minutes until Marian rushed holding her laptop saying "You lot need to see this."
"What's wrong?" Nick asked in a worried voice.
"I wanted to check on Bellwether at the prison and…well look." Marian explained with speed and fretting, she set her laptop down on the table so everyone could see. It was a scan of a death certificate, Dawn Bellwether's death certificate to be exact dated two ago, it read 'Dawn Bellwether Age: 37, Species: Sheep, Cause of Death: Suicide by hanging'.
"Bellwether's dead?" Nick gawped.
"Of course she isn't." Marian corrected "This is bollocks, if the terrorist behind the Night Howler incident had died two days wouldn't the media have picked it up?"
"She's payed someone to keep this quiet?" Judy guessed.
"Seems like it, I bet my last dollar on her being loose in the city right now." Robin summed up.
"Luna…" Nick breathed, his distress apparent.
"Nick she's going to be ok." Judy reassured, putting her right paw atop of his.
"That reminds me, I have to go meet Little John, it's my shift to watch Luna." Robin said, gulping down the remainder of his tea.
"I'll come with you." Nick reacted anxiously, just wanting to know his daughter was safe.
Robin spotted the unsettled expression on his son's face and instructed "Listen Nick, it's safer if we travel separately, me being a wanted mammal and all. Plus I travel by rooftop."
"How will I find you?" Nick asked, sounding determined.
"Call me when you reach the block Luna's school is on, Little John is there." Robin handed Nick a scrap of paper with his phone number on it "A little bit of advice though, go home and change first." Robin cautioned nodding at the police uniform Nick was dressed in.
"Oh…yeah." Nick realised, looking at himself before standing up.
Robin went over and kissed Marian and said sweetly "Until tonight my love." Then he headed for the back door.
Nick then stepped over to Judy and hugged her before kissing her "I'll be home later fluff." He smiled nervously, then looked at his Mom who had her arms open ready for a hug but he closed his eyes and brushed right past following his dad out the back door before closing it leaving a shocked Marian standing in the kitchen with an uneasy Judy beside her.
"…He walked right by me." Marian uttered, her paws shaking slightly.
"He's just a little hurt right now, he needs to settle down." Judy assured the distraught vixen.
"He hates me." Marian lamented, looking away from Judy.
"No he doesn't, look I'm not his favourite person right now either, it's a shock to his system. Let him be angry, let him vent then we'll repair what we've broken." Judy eased, guiding Marian to a chair at the table.
Marian sat down and berated herself "I've royally screwed up Judy, I'm a terrible mother."
"Don't talk like that! You're an amazing mother and grandmother." Judy responded, wrapping an arm around the upset hacker before absent mindedly adding "Plus you're the closest thing I got to a Mom right now."
Marian picked up this and replied "What do you mean? You have a mum."
"Uhhhh." Judy sounded, realising she had put her foot in it once again.
"Judy? What's happened with your mom?" Marian asked, her strength returning.
Judy thought about her Mom, about what she said and immediately felt like crying for the second time in an hour "She…she didn't take the news of me being an Inter very well." Judy revealed timidly, and then she began to tell Marian everything.
000
Nick stepped out of the subway station a few streets away from Luna's school, it had just been under an hour since he left his Mom's house, he had gone home had a shower and got changed into his usual attire of his tacky green Hawaiian shirt and lame tie. While on the subway all Nick could think about was how the two of the most important mammals in his life had deceived him, Judy and Marian had wounded him and last night's events was bound to leave a scar. Nick loved the two of them but he didn't trust them anymore and that made his heart sink, he couldn't trust his girlfriend or his mother, the only thing he could rely on the two of them for was their protectiveness of Luna. Nick fished out his phone and quickly dialled the number Robin had gave him and put the phone to his ear, it was only ringing for a few seconds when Robin's voice hastily said "The Van is parked in the alley beside the book store opposite the school." Before hanging up.
Nick made his way over to the alley at a normal walking speed as not to rouse any suspicion, the street was empty save for a few mammals waiting at a bus stop. Nick entered the alley and spotted the black van with tinted windows instantly, however when he walked up closer he could see words on the side 'R.L.J Air Conditioning repair' Nick made a "Hmm" noise as he inspected it more closely, it was a magnetised sign Clever, they change the company name every time to avoid detection the ex conman admired.
Nick knocked the backdoor and his old man opened up within in a second "Come on in." Robin greeted, Nick clambered in and closed the door behind him, Nick looked around the back of the van that was big enough for a grizzly bear and saw one side had a small computer workstation and the other side had a bow and variety of arrows displayed along with stun grenades, bolt cutters and other heist paraphernalia.
"Little John left already?" Nick asked the obvious.
"He's been up all night Nicky, I had a friend pick him up and drive him back to our hideout." Robin explained, hopping into the driver's seat so he could keep an eye on the school.
"You guys have a secret hideout?" Nick slightly chuckled, setting himself down in the passenger seat.
"I may as well tell you, it's under the Mother of Mercy church in Sherwood, old Father Tuck supports our cause." Robin answered.
Nick shook his head slightly and said "Carrots an me drove by that church everyday while on patrol."
"Hide in plain sight, classic move." Robin grinned.
The two didn't utter a word for the next two minutes, they just kept looking at the entrance of the school where Luna was already busy with lessons. The silence was broken when Nick sighed "This feels weird."
"…Yeah." Robin agreed looking at his son.
"Even though I know it wasn't your fault, I still want to smash your face in." Nick voiced his conflicting emotions.
"You think hate can be turned off like a light switch? Of course it can't, it's going to take time for that fire to die down." Robin consoled "If you need to hate me, go ahead."
"Can I ask you some questions? Would that be ok?" Nick asked, sounding vulnerable.
"It's the least I owe you." Robin replied.
"Where have you been all these years?" Nick queried.
"Where haven't I been is the more accurate question." Robin smiled "Mr Big got me and Little John to Japan, we did the whole 'Robbing from the rich to give to the poor' gig there, then korea, then china, all of Asia basically, then Australia, a few places in Africa, Europe and South America. The only places we avoided were the United States and Britain, too much risk."
"But what made you come back?" Nick had to ask.
Robin huffed a little before saying "Me and your Uncle Johnny were noticing a pattern over the next few years, bad stuff was getting shipped to Zootopia. In the Czech Republic we found shipping containers full of weapons bound for the Zootopia, in Ireland drug shipments, Thailand more drugs and Brazil had slaves all with Zootopia as a destination. When we left Zootopia the crime rate was low and old school mobsters like Mr Big could control the smaller gangs but over the years it became rotten once again. I figured you were grown up and hopefully still thought I was dead. So we came back to fix this city…although I didn't count on a mob war and you hunting me."
"Were you ever tempted to check in on me?" Nick questioned, sounding glum.
"Of course I was but even after I came back I couldn't, it was too painful. I half expected your Mother to have remarried and you have a nice stepdad, if I saw that it would've broken me." Robin answered truthfully.
"Mom…" Nick simply said, the feeling of betrayal stabbed him in the stomach.
"Don't be too hard on her Nicky." Robin responded with understanding.
"How can you sit there and defend her? You had to leave Zootopia because of something she did, you paid the price for her actions." Nick quietly raged.
"Look she was twenty three years old and stupid, we're all stupid at that age." Robin justified
"Yeah but she promised you she'd quit being a damn vigilante, she had a seven year old son to worry about but she was willing to risk it all for a thrill." Nick groused.
"This life is addicting, it's hard to quit." Robin parried.
"Yeah but you did quit, you quit for the sake of your family. Mom lied and cost you your happiness, how can you not hate her Loxley?" Nick snarled.
"Because I love her." Robin answered calmly "It's as simple as that."
"Nothing is that simple." Nick countered.
"Ok smart arse, let me guess what you and Judy were fighting about, the gun?" Robin played.
"What's that got to do with anything!?" Nick snapped.
"Do you hate Judy or do you love her?" Robin asked with a straight face.
Nick was quiet for a moment then conceded "I love her…but I don't trust her."
"That's how I felt about your mother and I still don't trust her one hundred percent, I love her but she's a sly vixen." Robin explained.
"And Judy's a sly bunny," Nick added "but how do I stop feeling angry at her?"
"You're allowed to be angry Nick but don't hold onto it, it's like poison. Whenever I was mad at your Mum I'd think of the amazing mammal she is and that she never intentionally wanted to hurt me." Robin offered.
"…Judy." Nick spoke, picturing her crying face from earlier.
"Look Nick if I was you I'd go home and spend some time with her." Robin proposed.
"But what about Luna?" Nick worried.
"I'll keep an eye on her, she's my granddaughter I won't let anything happen to her." Robin promised. "Besides Marian told me you're picking her up from music practice later."
Nick smiled at his father "Thanks Lox- I mean thanks Dad."
Robin felt a surge of happiness when he heard that simple three letter word but he decided to play it cool "You're welcome son." Nick then got out of the van and headed back to the subway station with the fires of hate for his father reducing to mere embers.
000
Pordraic Rattigan and Madame Misdadd were standing in the middle of a deserted construction site in the Sahara Square district, the site was owned by Rattigan and a new apartment complex was going to be built here. Misdadd was looking at her smartphone, more specifically she was looking at her account balance in a shady bank somewhere in the Caribbean, despite the M.M gang stealing a few million from her the night before it was chump change compared to the hundreds of millions she had stashed around the globe and in the last year she had seen her wealth grow greatly thanks to Dawn Bellwether's contacts. Rattigan and Misdadd were now selling the Morrigan drug all across the country and had even started selling the drug in Europe, some other criminal organisations had tried to replicate the narcotic but only the Zootopia Trio had the recipe. "I know I complain about Buttercup's strange behaviour but you can't deny her money making skills." Misdadd commented.
"I remember laughing when I learnt that the fearsome Buttercup was the meek little deputy mayor." Rattigan reminisced
"Meek is not a word I would use to describe Dawn." Misdadd tittered.
"No definitely not, she pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, forgive the pun." Rattigan smirked.
"Speaking of Dawn, she's requested another whore for tonight." Misdadd grimaced.
"If you'd like I can send someone from one of my brothels, since you had to sacrifice one of your assets last time." Rattigan offered with a smile, fully in the knowledge of the horrible fact he was sending someone to their grave.
"You are a real gentleman Pordraic, thank you." Misdadd smiled back.
"Does our devilish Dawn have a certain type?" Rattigan asked.
"She said male or female doesn't matter, as long as it's a predator. If I were you I'd send one of your cheap whores." Misdadd informed.
At that moment a silver van with the words 'Speedy Removals Service' pulled into the building site followed closely behind by a cement truck. "Ah right on time." Rattigan said, pulling out his pocket watch.
The van parked up beside the two mob bosses and Misdadd's porcupine and cougar guard emerged then opened up the back doors to reveal three more guards holding onto three captives each with a black bag over there head and wrists bound. The three prisoners were brought out into the sweltering construction site and made to go on their knees as the cement truck pulled up beside the foundations of the apartment complex, out of the cement truck emerged Rattigan's wildcat enforcer Felicia and Dawn Bellwether who was riding shotgun. "Good morning." Dawn greeted brightly going over to the mob bosses.
"And to you Dawn or do you prefer Buttercup?" Misdadd replied.
"You can call me either, both names carry fear." Dawn sniggered before turning to the captives and saying "Shall we begin?"
"No time like the present." Rattigan replied.
"Ok boys take their masks off." Misdadd commanded.
The three henchman obeyed and whipped the bags of the three mammals heads, Dawn grinned as saw the three powerful mammals on their knees and at her mercy; Director Perry Flynn of the MCB, District Attorney Raymond Bastille and Councilman Trevor Moon.
"Wha? Where are we?" Bastille panted, his eyes squinting in the bright sunlight.
"Bastille? They got you too?" Moon panicked, the old wolf was clearly frightened.
"You have to be joking." Perry groaned, looking at the the two mobsters and Dawn Bellwether "What the hell are you doing out of prison?"
"Didn't you hear? Dawn Bellwether hung herself in her cell." Dawn fake gossiped.
"Misdadd! Rattigan! You scum! I'll lock your asses up for eternity for this!" Bastille threatened and thrashed against his bonds.
"W-What do you want with us?" Moon worried out loud.
"To make you a proposition of course." Misdadd replied.
"We were going to wait until the situation in Tundra Town got worse but after that riot in Sherwood last night we had to move up our schedule." Rattigan elaborated.
"What makes you think we'd ever agree to anything you'd offer." Perry smirked, looking around for a way to escape.
"Easy, our associate here can be very persuasive." Misdadd motioned towards Dawn.
Dawn looked over at the two mayoral candidates and said in a sweet voice "I'll deal with you two momentarily, I just have to speak to Director Flynn first."
"So you faked your death? How come I haven't heard about it?" Perry the Platypus asked with spite.
"Easy, I paid off the prison officials to keep it quiet." Dawn answered "You know what else is easy? Being my friend, it has lots of benefits."
"I'm not interested in your blood money, you're nothing more than a terrorist with a warped ideology." Perry reacted.
"Is that your final answer? Last chance Perry." Dawn offered.
"How's this for an answer." Perry answered before spitting in Dawn's face.
Dawn just smiled and wiped the saliva away before saying "Ok." Then she pulled out a syringe from her suit pocket and jabbed it in Perry's neck, he collapsed to the floor instantly.
"What?! I can't move." Perry panted.
"It's a paralysing agent." Dawn informed "It lasts for about thirty minutes, more than enough time for this." The ewe then clapped her hooves together and the cougar guard picked up the limp Perry and tossed him in the ten foot deep foundation. Then Felicia got into the driver seat of the cement truck as the porcupine positioned the cement shoot over the paralysed Perry, Felicia turned on the engine and began pouring the cement into the foundation.
"No! Stop it!" Moon howled.
"You monsters, he's a good man!" Bastille bellowed.
But no matter how much they pleaded the cement didn't stop and as the pit was filled completely both mayoral candidates were overcome by horror as they watched the head MCB murdered in such a twisted manner. "Now that problem is taken care of let me deal with you two." Dawn gave a vomit inducing grin.
"You murdered him…" Moon panted, his fear was clear to see.
"Now the three of us pretty much run the dark side of this city, and the role of mayor is obviously a beacon of light." Dawn began "But light and dark don't fight one another, they work in harmony. That's what we're going to do. You're going to let us act out our enterprising activities and in return we'll control the gangs and reduce the crime rate."
"Never!" Bastille barked.
"For o-once I agree with my opponent, go to hell." Moon defied despite being scared.
"Look whoever becomes mayor will have to work with us and whoever loses well they'll still have their very useful day job, so win or lose you're both going to work with us." Dawn persuaded. "Oh and just as a incentive to keep your mouths shut." Dawn then went over to each candidate and whispered something in their ears causing them both to look more terrified than before.
"How could you know that?!" Bastille bawled.
"Oh god no…" Moon mourned, he was trapped.
"If either of you tell anyone about what happened here today I'll make sure these secrets go public." Dawn threatened "And as an added bonus, if you do we'll kill all of your campaign staff just for shits and grins."
"I believe our business is concluded." Rattigan said with satisfaction.
"Yes, kindly escort Mr Bastille and Mr Moon back to where you found them, they have a debate tonight." Misdadd instructed her guards and once again they were bundled into the back of the van.
"Well I think that went well." Dawn commented, sounding pleased with herself.
"You do have a knack for negotiation Dawn, bravo." Madame Misdadd complimented.
"Yes you have definetley earned your little 'Predator' indulgence tonight." Rattigan winked.
"Actually Rattigan I've changed my mind, I'm in the mood for a bunny, a female one with grey fur." Dawn replied.
"Oh? I'm sure I have an escort that matches that description." Rattigan pleased.
"Good, send her to my room just before the debate starts," Dawn requested "and make sure she's wearing a police uniform."
(AN/ DUN DUN DUN! Where's Perry?! Perry's dead! What did you guys think? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Review, like, fave, follow and reblog! Next time on Take A Stand! Nick and Judy try to heal their emotional wounds, Luna meets someone unexpected, Mr Big's funeral is held and Jack is faced with the disturbing truth. Ok so don't get mad but there won't be a update next Sunday. Why? 2 reasons I have a really important assignment for University due and I'm going to see Black Sabbath next sunday in Manchester! So the next chapter is due on the 29th January! Please review and c ya soon!)