Hey guys Price here and welcome to Chapter 36 of Zootopian Assassins! I hope you guys enjoyed the Chapters so far, because I know that I sure am! The last two or so Chapters will be Lance's rampage against Laura's killers, whereas the rest of these three Chapters until then will mainly feature flashbacks set to build up their relationship better. I hope you guys like it, because it will certainly be quite fun. If you've seen Roberta's Blood Trail, you should know what to expect, at least partially. I'm not too sure about keeping the ending the same. This is important to the plot because it will be a major motivation for Nick to end the fight as fast as possible in the final Arc which, coincidentally, is the next one. Anyway, that's enough of that, I think it's time to get...onto the story!
Lance sighed at the memory, a smile on his muzzle that quickly disappeared when the door opened and Kate Wu, Commander of Operator Team One, stepped in.
"Lance, are you okay? What happened?" She asked, her worry bordering on a complete breakdown. She always did care too much for those under her command.
"I'm fine, mostly. As for what happened...nothing. It doesn't matter much." He answered easily, Kate detecting his tone and nodding in acceptance as she moved to stand beside his bed.
"Alright. If I may ask, did it have to do with that investigation?" She asked, Lance averting his gaze. Kate sighed. "Alright. I'm having you removed from the investigation." She said, moving to walk away. Lance grabbed her wrist, Kate turning in curiosity.
"Don't. Please." He said softly, his tone one of begging. Kate faltered visibly, not really used to dealing with Lance when he was about ready to cry. "Kate, please, I need to see this through." The Wolf sighed.
"Alright, fine. But you better solve this soon. I don't want to lose more Operators to this." She said, Lance nodding.
"I will, I promise." He said, Kate sighing again.
"Jesus, Lance, you better. If this isn't over by the end of the year you're off the investigation, no arguments." She said, Lance nodding in acceptance.
"Don't worry. It'll be over by then." He reassured, Kate opening her muzzle to say more. She hesitated, then growled lightly.
"For christ's sake, Lance, it better be. This isn't healthy for you." She said, Lance blinking. "What, you think I wouldn't realize? Let me tell you a thing, Lance, I may be called Akimbo, but my second highest skill is piecing things together, and quickly. If you honestly believe I don't know why you're doing this, you clearly don't know me as well as you seem to think. Laura wouldn't want this, Lance, and you know that. And since you know that, you can't justify that you're doing this for her, because while you would do anything for her, you wouldn't go against what she'd want for you for something so petty." She said, Lance shocked into silence for a long moment. Later, he'd give her credit for being able to so effectively make a 'reason you suck' speech like that, but at the moment he felt anger, and not the hot, blind anger; the anger he felt would better fit the 'cold, calculated anger' type.
"Perhaps you're right, Kate. Perhaps I'm not doing this for Laura, and I'm just deluding myself." He said, the Wolf blinking. "Perhaps...perhaps I'm doing this because I don't know what else to do. I mean, think about it, I was going to be a father, Kate. I was more excited in that week than I'd ever been in my entire life, and then I had everything ripped away-" he snapped two digits together "just like that. I lost everything in the blink of an eye, and I'm never getting that back. So perhaps I'm not doing this because of some kind of revenge. Perhaps I just want the mammal responsible to suffer like I have." He said; Kate was at a complete loss for words at what he'd said, the casual way he'd said them unnerving her in a way his anger couldn't. Everything about his delivery of the words was off, like he couldn't even put any emotion into it less it lose its impact. "Do you have any idea what that's like, Kate? To be powerless to stop and responsible for the death of someone close to you? It's like this void of guilt that, no matter what you do, you can't get rid of it. Training until you're ready to pass out doesn't work, drinking yourself into a coma doesn't help – it haunts your dreams as well – and it just never ends. The only reason I have kept it in check is because I've had a goal. So tell me, Kate, what happens when I succeed and I don't have a goal to keep myself from going down?" He asked, the Wolf looking lost for the first time that Lance could remember.
"I...I don't know, Lance. All I can say is that we'll be there for you, if you want us." She answered after a moment, dropping her gaze as she turned. "I have to go. Hassan and Mike are worried as it is, and I promised I'd be back as soon as possible." She said, pausing at the door. "Good luck on your mission."
"Yeah." Lance said quietly as Kate walked out, closing the door behind her. He lay is head closed his eyes, intended on getting some sleep.
Three months later found Lance sitting in one of the chairs inside Nick and Judy's cubicle, playing on his phone as he waited for the two mammals to get back. As he scrolled through his photos he paused when he came across the photo he'd taken with Laura only a few weeks after she had taken him to that arcade. He smiled at the throughly pleased and excited smile he wore in the photo while Laura looked slightly embarrassed. Probably because he'd actually kissed her in public for the first time only a few seconds prior.
Lance felt his smile only grow larger as he thought back to that day.
Lance scratched between his ears where it itched as his other paw tapped the air to the beat being relayed through his speakers and he sang along quietly.
"But the castle's crumbled and you're left with just a name! Where's your crown King No-" he cut himself off with a yelp as he spun and found Laura watching with amusement in her eyes, jumping slightly and falling back.
"Well that was...something." She remarked, gaze lowering to his shirtless chest. "And that is definitely something."
"Thank you. I feel so much better now." Lance snarked, Laura snorting at that.
"To be honest, I didn't know you could sing. I came by to tell you something but heard you and, well, I decided to let you finish first." She said, Lance arching an eyebrow.
"You know if somebody didn't know the context of that sentence it would sound really bad." He remarked, Laura rolling her eyes. "But, if I may ask, what were you going to tell me?"
"Oh, right, Hassan said that he needs us to go out for a bit. Wouldn't say why though." Laura answered, Lance blinking.
"Hm. Odd." Lance remarked as he stood, rubbing his back where it had hit the bed. "Ow." He muttered, Laura wincing apologetically.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." She said, Lance nodding in acceptance.
"It's fine, just give me a warning next time or something." He said as he turned and opened his closet, pulling a clean shirt out and pulling it on. He was well aware of Laura's gaze and where it resided, and he began to lightly swish his tail as if in thought. The increase in her olfactory presence only confirmed it.
"Lance I swear to go if you don't stop swishing your tail we are not leaving this room for the rest of the day." She threatened, Lance stopping his motions more out of contemplation than actual fear.
"I think you need to work on your threats." He remarked, turning to face her only to find her right in front of him.
"Alright then. Keep doing that, and I shatter your hip bone. How's that?" She asked, Lance actually gulping at the threat.
"I take it back." He said, Laura grinning at her success. "Though I still wouldn't mind not leaving, just not with that outcome." He added, Laura rolling her eyes.
"Maybe later, if you're good. Right now, we should go. Apparently it's urgent." Laura said, turning and walking out with Lance right behind her.
They stepped out into the sun and, after a few minutes of discussion, decided to go to a rather popular tourist spot. They'd seen it before, of course, but individually, before they had become Operators.
"So, if I may ask, how long were you listening to me?" Lance asked with the slightest hint of embarrassment, Laura tilting her head in thought.
"A minute, I think. You're good." She answered, Lance flushing at her praise. She took notice, of course, and she arched an eyebrow. "Are you...embarrassed to be good at singing?" She asked incredulously, Lance averting his gaze with an incredibly small shrug.
"A little. I mean, not because of the fact I can sing, but more because I'm not really interested in it so it seems like a waste if I don't, but I don't like singing except very rarely, so I'm kind of stuck." He answered hesitantly, Laura humming in thought and contemplation.
"Well, you could always just sing to yourself or something, or very quietly. You don't have to sing out loud like earlier." She said, Lance sighing.
"Yeah, I suppose." He agreed, frowning to himself before suddenly smirking as he leaned closer to her. "Or I could save it for you, if you'd like." He offered, Laura flushing at the way he said the words with an almost sensual tone, voice taking on a smooth, easily flowing aspect he normally avoided, preferring a rougher, more awkward sounding tone unless in a fight, where he usually took on a more harsh and commanding tone of voice.
"Uh...I'll consider it." Laura answered, Lance's grin faltering briefly at the words. "Not because I don't like the idea, I mean, just because I don't think you should really be wasting your talent with little one on one sessions." She hurriedly added, Lance nodding to show he understood, though there was a small amount of hurt in his eyes, though Laura wasn't sure if it was because of her refusal, her words, or something else.
"Alright. Take your time, then." He said, turning and looking ahead as Laura felt regret surge up inside her at hurting her mate's feelings.
"Lance, I'm sorry, I don't want you to think I don't like the idea or anything, I just wanted to think about it so I don't push you into something you're doing in haste to please me. I mean, you've admitted to being an extremely spontaneous mammal, so I just want to be careful." She said, the Todd blinking at her in surprise.
"Laura, listen, please. I'd do anything for you, you know that. I've sat on this idea for a while, so I'm not doing anything in haste. I love you, and I would be willing to put my life on the line for you, but I want you to understand that nothing I offer is a decision made in haste. Everything I offer is thought out beforehand. Everything else is spontaneous, but never my offers." He said, Laura averting her gaze. His expression softened from the hardened look to a more kind, more gentle expression. "Hey, I'm not scolding you, Laura. I'm just pointing some things out for clarity." He said softly, the Vixen nodding.
"I know, but I'm sorry anyway. I just don't like mammals making decisions without thinking them through first, and I thought that's what you were doing, and I'm sorry." She apologized, Lance smiling at her.
"It's fine. I'm sorry I got a little snippy." He said, Laura chuckling.
"I like you being snippy. It makes everything so much more fun. Especially when you use it on others. Reminds me of that British show and the first season of it." She said, and this time it was Lance's turn to chuckle.
"I'm glad my snippiness reminds you of a She-Wolf from a tv series from Britain." He said sarcastically as the two of them turned the corner at a crossroads, Laura snorting in amusement.
"You know, when you're using your regular humor, you can be incredibly hilarious. Your dark humor still needs a bit of work, though." She remarked, Lance scoffing playfully.
"Yeah, alright. You just don't appreciate good dark humor when you see it." He retorted playfully, Laura laughing softly. Lance smiled at that, his day always getting better when she laughed. "But, enough about our taste – or lack thereof – in dark humor, can you tell me something?" He asked, Laura glancing at him in surprise at the way his tone had shifted from playful to serious in the middle of the sentence.
"Sure." She answered, Lance clearly hesitating. He sighed.
"Do you...do you think your parents would like me?" He asked, Laura blinking. Of all the questions he could have asked her, that was, surprisingly, not very high on the list of candidates.
"Of course they would. Why wouldn't they?" She said, seeming surprised by the notion somebody wouldn't like him. "What about you? You think your parents would like me?"
"I...don't know." Lance hesitantly answered, Laura tilting her head. "I haven't really kept in contact with them since I got together with Nick. They weren't exactly supportive or understanding of our relationship in any sense, so I tended to avoid contact with them. It stuck and I haven't had any contact with either of them for almost fifteen years now." He explained, Laura's expression softening in understanding and sympathy.
"You should talk to them some time. Even if they didn't like your previous relationship, they're still your parents and they deserve to know how you've been doing." She said, Lance nodding in agreement lightly.
"Yeah, I know, I just...I just don't want your first experience with them to be something we'll both hate." He said, Laura placing a paw on his shoulder comfortingly.
"I understand that, Lance. Take your time; we've got a while yet." She said, Lance nodding.
"Thank you for understanding. It means a lot." He said softly, Laura smiling.
"I don't think I'd be a very good mate if I didn't understand." She commented, Lance snorting.
"I'd still love you, though. I don't need you to understand me, I just need you to be there when I need you. That's all I really want." He said, Laura grinning slightly as a blush heated the sides of her face ever so slightly.
"You see? You can be romantic when you want." She remarked, Lance laughing at that.
"Oh I know, I'm just a bigger fan of being myself. Unfortunately, being romantic doesn't come as easily as I'd like when I try to be myself." He said, Laura frowning.
"Then just be yourself. Don't worry about the other stuff." She said, Lance blinking.
"But I don't want you to feel left out or anything-" Laura cut him off with a shush, Lance closing his mouth in curiosity. While he knew it was unfair to compare, he remembered that when Nick shushed him it usually meant good times. He was curious to see what Laura would do.
"I want you to be yourself, Lance. It's like you said that night at the hotel; if you aren't comfortable, don't worry about it. We can do other things if you would rather." She said, Lance opening his mouth to say something. "No arguing." He closed his mouth.
"Okay." He said quietly, not really figuring it to be worth it to get in an argument over something so petty.
"There ya go, see? You Todds can be trained." She remarked, Lance snorting in genuine amusement at that.
"Oh I know that. I had Nick practically eating out of my paw at times when I felt like it." He said, immediately feeling guilty at bringing his previous relationship up. "Sorry, I shouldn't be talking about that with you." He said, Laura tilting her head.
"Lance, I don't mind you talking about your relationship with Officer Wilde. If anything, I'd like to know more. All I have to go on is the few interviews he's done with Officer Hopps, but you actually knew him and what he was like." She said, Lance blinking in surprise. He'd never expected Laura would want to discuss his ex, but he certainly wouldn't keep it from her if she really wanted to know.
"Well, he was cocky, almost to an unbearable degree, but I liked that about him. Made me feel like everything would end up alright. He still has that kind of personality, but it seems to be a bit more muted than before. We met on accident, to be honest, when he was doing one of his little side jobs. I struck up a conversation out of boredom, and it just kinda went on from there. We met up a bit later at a McClawnolds, when he was done, and...well, this is gonna sound incredibly sappy and cheesy, but it was one of those instant connections where you're all like 'I can spend my life with this mammal and nothing could change that'." Laura snorted at that, trying desperately to keep it silent. She failed and Lance sent a playful glare at her. "I told you it was gonna sound cheesy."
"Yeah, but I wasn't expecting something like that!" She defended, Lance rolling his eyes.
"I was young and in love, Laura, I'm sure you've done equally sappy things when you were that age." Lance said, Laura pausing.
"Wait, you're twenty seven, right?" She asked, Lance nodding. "And Wilde is thirty four, or something, right?" Lance nodded again. "How old were you when you met him again?" Lance hesitated as he realized he was trapped against a wall with no escape, gulping.
"Uh...I was...sixteen." He answered, Laura blinking.
"Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me you got involved with somebody when you were under eighteen?" She asked in shock, Lance frowning.
"Well, we didn't go to that step until I was eighteen, but we did hang out a lot, and were technically a couple, but we didn't really see the need to risk anything when I would be old enough soon. So we were technically safe, as we didn't do anything romantic aside from eating out and going to the occasional movie, but we were still careful just in case. I didn't really help matters, though." He added the last part carefully, wondering how Laura would react.
"So you were in a technically legal relationship, though more in a gray area because you were romantically involved but not that kind of involved, but you're telling me you were willing to risk it because you were at that age?" She guessed, Lance tilting his paw back and forth in a 'meh, pretty much' gesture.
"Yeah, that sounds about right. Again, I was young and in love, and at that age where mammals like to think certain rules don't apply to them. I knew they still did, but I didn't really care. Nick, silver tongued as he was, always managed to find a way out of it. Sort of." Lance answered, Laura mentally pausing at the last bit as she realized what he meant.
"Wow." She remarked, Lance shrugging.
"You said you wanted to know more. I gave you more." He said, Laura nodding hesitantly.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." She said.
The two of them fell silent for the rest of their hike, eventually reaching a large park that was insanely popular for tourists and citizens alike for the wide open spaces it provided for all sorts of outings. There was a small copse of trees in the center for those who liked the nature setting but didn't want to go to the Rainforest District for a beautiful scene involving the giant oxygen providing plants, but Lance and Laura settled for a small, empty section of grass in an otherwise full area of screeching kits having fun and their bored parents trying desperately to keep an eye on their kits in what could best be described as a non violent maelstrom. Laura watched the kits in amusement, a small smile on her muzzle as she did so, and it occurred to Lance she had been doing a lot of that lately any time they went out in an area with kits.
"You like kits?" He asked, Laura blinking and turning her head to him.
"Huh?" She asked, clearly not having heard him; probably in a little bubble all to herself.
"I asked if you like kits." He answered, Laura shrugging as she turned her attention back to the maelstrom.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I find them more interesting and entertaining, though, and generally only the ones from kindergarten to fifth grade age. I like their innocence to the world and how it works, and I feel bad for the ones who have to experience the cruelty of the world too soon." She answered after a brief moment of thought. "You know, I always thought I'd grow up to marry this rich and interesting Todd, as all little Vixens dream, maybe have a few kits and, if my life allowed, go to college for something in either education or, believe it or not, construction. Something productive. I thought I'd meet this lovely Todd who was kind, caring, respectable, and who would treat me right. Instead I got you." She said, Lance opening his mouth to say something, then closed it as he realized she could mean that in some kind of positive, endearing way.
"Um...thank you?" He said unsurely, frowning to himself.
"What I meant, Lance, was that I wanted something that seemed like the perfect life. Instead I got you and all the wonderful things you've done and will do for me, and I've realized that a perfect life would be dull if you weren't there. Whereas I wanted perfection, you offer something a bit more...interesting; you offer me craziness and unpredictability and I have loved every second of it, and I will continue to do so for as long as we are together. Perfection is dull, I came to realize the day I met you, and that scared me a bit at first. That's the thing nobody realizes about perfection until they stop to think about it, Lance. If nothing can go wrong because it's perfect, then what is there to offer you excitement? The answer is, obviously, nothing." She explained, Lance feeling himself smile at the words and his chest begin to ache slightly. He'd always worried he may have been doing things wrong with her, and now here she was telling him he was better than the perfect life she'd wanted as a kit. That made him feel...no, perhaps happy wasn't the right word. Needed was more accurate, and the realization of that had him ready to cry in happiness.
Lance surprised both of them by pulling Laura into a hug, the Vixen surprised into stillness for a long moment before hugging him back. A Wolf glanced at the two of them in curiosity, then turned away when said curiosity was satisfied.
Lance pulled his head back from Laura's shoulder and raised it slightly before bringing it forward again. Laura tensed up in shock at the sudden but soft kiss, Lance ending it before she had a chance to recover fully and pulling away. He took one look at Laura's embarrassed expression and immediately pulled his phone out and snapped a picture of the two of them with a smile on his muzzle, pocketing the electronic.
When Laura recovered enough to realize time had passed since the kiss had started she looked around in embarrassment, noting the different mammals looking at them in curiosity, waiting to see what would happen next, if anything.
'Ah forget it, who cares at this point?' She thought as she straightened herself and grabbed Lance by the front of his shirt. He looked worried for a moment before Laura pressed her muzzle to his and he stared, wide eyed, into space in surprise at the retaliatory kiss. After a two second delay he recovered and reached up, gently placing his paws at the base of her skull on both sides where it met her neck as he pushed back ever so slightly.
When they pulled apart, Laura was panting; Lance was only breathing mildly shallower as a result of his better lung capacity, a boon when one specialized in close quarters fighting where, in a bad situation, the fight could last a few minutes if both fighters were relatively evenly matched. It also helped in situations such as these.
"Whoa." Lance said quietly, shaking his head to clear it as Laura bit her lip awkwardly.
"You think we should head back yet?" Laura asked nervously, Lance looking up to try and judge the time. It seemed about right, if his guess was correct. He hoped it was, otherwise he feared what they may walk into at Home.
"Yeah, probably about now is good. Hopefully." Lance answered, Laura nodding as they stood and stretched before turning and walking towards the exit. Laura was flushing the whole way back while Lance had his normal, almost bored expression, though touched with a bit of excitement.
When Lance opened the door he was surprised to find all the lights out, though it didn't really bother him as he had pretty good night vision. What disturbed him, though, was the fact the building was deathly quiet. Not even Mice – which tended to live in the walls from time to time, not that Kate did anything about them – seemed active, and he knew there was a colony in the building because he'd heard them only an hour or so before he and Laura had left.
"Odd." Laura remarked quietly, frowning to herself. Lance silently agreed, finding it odd he couldn't hear anything.
They cautiously moved towards the center room where the Operators tended to do their own things and, coincidentally, where Laura and Lance had first slept on the same furniture piece as the other. When they stepped into the room the lights suddenly flared on and both of them yelped as they jumped and fell back, shielding their eyes from the sudden light and neither catching anything that was said, if anything. Lance shook his head with his eyes closed, opening them and squinting as he looked around. He blinked.
"Hey Laura, make me feel better and tell me you forgot today was our three month anniversary." He said, the Vixen blinking.
"It is?" She asked, Lance sighing in relief.
"Oh thank god. I was terrified for a moment there." He remarked, Laura frowning in confusion before looking into the room and blinking.
"Huh. It would seem it is." She said, eyes resting on the casually dressed group of Operators that stood under a banner that said 'Happy 3 Month Anniversary Lance and Laura!'
"Well the fact you also forgot makes me feel less like a jerk for forgetting myself, so I guess I've got that going for me." Lance said, more or less repeating himself, as he stood. "Though I'm pretty sure you don't celebrate this anniversary. Pretty sure that's once a year after two mammals are married." He added, Hassan shushing him.
"Shut up, we felt like being nice and you just want to poke holes it it!" He snapped playfully, Lance holding his paws in surrender.
"Hey, I appreciate the gesture, don't get me wrong, I'm just surprised. It wasn't necessary to stage something like this, really. A simple congratulations would have been fine." He said, Laura cuffing him over the head lightly.
"Shut up, you're digging yourself deeper." She whispered, Lance closing his mouth at the realization she was right. "We appreciate the effort everybody, really. Thank you for taking the time to put it all together." She said, the Operators laughing at how flustered her and Lance appeared.
"Hey, if you want, we'll save some food if you'd rather celebrate yourselves!" Mike teased, Lance flushing before grinning as he glanced at Laura.
"Sure. See you guys later." He said, Laura rolling her eyes even as she followed him out.
Mike and Hassan exchanged glances with each other and Kate.
"I didn't think they'd actually do it." Mike said.
Lance looked up from his phone as the door opened, Nick and Judy blinking when they saw him sitting in a chair inside their cubicle. Nick in particular looked slightly worried.
"Hey there. We need to talk." Lance said as he pocketed the phone and leaned forward in the chair, grinning under his mask. Nick gulped as he glanced at Judy nervously, who seemed to not notice it.
"Alright. What about?" Judy asked, cheerful as always.
"The side investigation, and what's going to happen when I find them."
And that does it for Chapter 36 of Zootopian Assassins! I hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter because oh dear god it took me a few days to write it. More than the last five Chapters did, that's for sure, but I still enjoyed writing it. Chapter 39 will start Lance's little Roaring Rampage of Revenge on the mammals responsible for Laura's death, and it will be long and glorious, of that I promise you, both in terms of how long it takes to completely write and how long it lasts in universe as well. Chapter 38 will include, among other things, a showcase of just how much better at CQC and takedowns Lance is compared to the other Operators, as well as a small fight with Nick over motives and the like. Anyway, this is getting long enough, I will see you guys...next update. Word Count: 5,149