Kai was formulating a plan in his study, when the door was thrown open. He casually turned to find that Leora and the others were entering and making themselves at home.
"Have you worked out a plan?" Felix asked.
"I trusted that evolution would have given you the means to knock on a door before you entered, but I suppose I was wrong." He stood and put a few books back on the shelf. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Well, I was hoping you would let us call it quits for the day," Prance inquired.
"Meaning?"
"It's getting late, and I presume that you won't have us go out in the next couple of hours. Could we get shown some beds?"
"Felix knows where they are, he can show you. Oh, and Felix? Show the rabbit and the fox their rooms, as well."
"Really?" Rufus responded with surprise.
"Were you expecting a different answer?"
"Well, it's just that… usually you're pretty unreasonable."
"Strict, too," Bjorn added on.
"You have Leora to thank for that," Kai responded, taking a different set of books from the shelf.
"Why?"
"Call it amateur brain surgery," Leora supplemented.
Felix scoffed.
"Let's go." He exited and motioned for them to follow; only Leora remained.
"And I suppose that you have some other business?"
"How can you guess? Is it because I'm still here?" She remarked sarcastically.
"No, your stupid grin."
"You caught me. Anyways, I know you already have a plan."
"Smart."
"The question is, why wait? I don't think the prison could be any less guarded right now."
"Correct, but listen: if we go tomorrow morning, you five can secure the barge."
"Barge?"
"The prison, being on an island, has a large capacity boat for emergencies, and for large transfers of prisoners."
"So why are we securing this boat?"
"Simple: I'll sneak in, and masquerade as the warden. I'll order a fire drill for the maximum security block, and hopefully, if everything goes well, we'll have everyone we need on that boat in under fifteen minutes."
"And after we get off? I can't imagine there are any less than three hundred in maximum security."
"Five-hundred and sixty two. After we get out, I don't particularly care what happens to most of them."
"You're busting out the entire maximum security block for no reason?"
"Well, I misspoke; I really don't want any of them to perish, particularly the three hundred most important ones. Unfortunately, I can't think of any way to shepherd them around. I'm afraid most of them will have to be on their own."
"And who won't?"
"A certain vixen and bear come to mind."
"Why?"
"You see, people value kindness very much. They alone showed me—well, that's not entirely accurate, either, since you know how Arcturus and I used to get along…"
She nodded understandingly.
"But, in any case, he and Regulus were among my closest allies—"
"What about me?" Sirius uttered, also strolling in.
"Where did you come from?"
"I was eavesdropping. I saw the rest of them walk this way, and I was curious as to what they were doing..." He paused, and sniffed at the air. "Do you smell that?"
"You just have a knack for showing up when no one expects it," Kai stated.
"Or wants it," Leora supplemented.
Sirius' face grew into an obnoxious grin.
"I get what's going on. Oh, did I upset the itty bitty kitty cat?" Sirius mocked. "Perhaps detracting from your moment?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she hissed.
"You don't? Perhaps he does. Tell me Procyon, surely you can't be oblivious to her advances?"
"Advances? Sirius, don't be ridiculous. She is merely being helpful, inquisitive."
"Oh, come on, the room smells like a leopard buffet! You can't be this thick!"
"You'd better back off, you son of a bitch," Leora muttered.
"Wow, don't go insulting my mother. See, Procyon, now she's getting defensive over you; she thinks she owns you already, isn't that—hey!"
She pounced him and raised a claw to strike.
"Enough!" Kai shouted, grabbing her by the scruff and throwing her to the door. "If you can't respect my allies, perhaps you don't deserve to be among them. Go to bed. We'll talk tomorrow."
She muttered incoherently, trying to formulate her thoughts, but he shut the door.
"Harsh," Sirius muttered, dusting himself off.
"I have half a mind to throw you out, too."
"Me? Why?!"
"You came in and pissed her off."
"You should see the way she looks at you."
"What she does on her own time is her own business. Not yours."
"She's trying to make it your business, though."
"Why are you concerning yourself with anything she does?"
"I don't want to lose you, Procyon."
Kai burst into laughter.
"I think I'll outlive you, in any case. Your fears are misplaced."
"You may be strong in body, but no matter how strong-willed you are, love changes mammals."
"Well, clearly; you're already acting differently since you met Grace. I daresay you've even become more responsible."
"Oh, har-har."
"In any case, you aren't one to lecture me about love and all its semantics."
"And what would you know about love?"
"Well, for starters, loss hurts."
"Which is precisely why I would advise against this venture."
"What, you think she'll be killed?"
"No, you're missing the point: when she grows ten years older, what will happen to you?"
"I'll also grow ten years older."
"No, you'll get ten years older. You're done growing, perhaps forever."
"Physically, yes, but emotionally, I'm catching up for over two and a half thousand years of nothing."
"Alright: when she grows sixty years older, what will happen to you?"
"I'll get sixty years older, myself."
"And when she grows old and dies, what will happen to you?"
"If you're not arguing for your sake, and you're not arguing for her sake, I fail to see why you would argue for mine. She's younger than you, it's not like you'll live long enough to see what happens."
"You're still missing the point."
"By your logic, I should abandon you as well, since you'll also grow old and die."
"I…" Sirius hesitated, before shaking his head and turning around. "I'll see you tomorrow."
As he left, he bumped into Felix, who was attempting to enter.
"It's just a party here, isn't it?" Kai muttered.
"What did you do?" Felix questioned.
"Why do you ask?"
"I was minding my own business, when Leora burst in my room, pissed as hell. She refuses to explain why, she just clings to me. Why?"
"Ask the senator. Speaking of Leora, where is she?"
"Presumably still in my room."
Kai sighed.
"I should go talk to her."
"Yeah, I can't exactly sleep with her in there."
Kai stood and followed Felix back to the living quarters, traveling slightly down the hall to the room Felix had claimed for himself. Inside, Leora was lying on the bed, facing away from the door.
"Leora," Kai called. She turned to look at him; the expression on her face was nothing short of fury. "It looks like we need to talk. Come."
She turned back over. He rolled his eyes, walked over, and picked her up.
"Let's go."
He walked out and traveled back to his study, setting her down in a chair.
"Now, what's wrong?" he asked.
"It's nothing," she seethed quietly, avoiding his gaze.
"You wouldn't bother Felix over nothing."
She sighed.
"It's that stupid senator. He loves to ruin my good mood."
"Oh, believe me: you're not the only one whose mood he loves ruining."
She faced him and smiled, before turning away again.
"What's on your mind?" he asked.
"I… can I ask you a question?"
"Yes?"
"What am I, really?"
"You're a leopard. A big cat with spots," he quipped humorously.
"You know what I mean. What am I, to you?"
Kai sighed, crouched down, and put a hand on her shoulder.
"This is going to sound like I'm dodging the question, but this isn't a good time."
"I knew you—"
"Leora, focus. Tomorrow morning, we have to break into a maximum security prison, unnoticed, to steal over five-hundred prisoners. If you distract yourself, and if you distract me, we won't be able to do that. When we get back, I'll think of an answer to that question, but not now."
"The second we get back, will you answer me?"
"I promise."
She quickly jumped up and pulled him into a hug.
"How can I know you're telling the truth?" she whispered.
"Have I ever lied to you?"
She smiled again, and hugged him tighter.
"Now," he continued, "You need to sleep."
"Can I…" She pointed to the bed in the corner. Kai rolled his eyes.
"Sure thing. Just… don't shed all over it."
"Why would I shed?"
"Winter coat? Everyone else seems to be getting theirs."
"Leopards don't get winter coats."
"If you insist."
She lightly punched him on the shoulder, before walking over to the bed, curling on top, and purring softly.
"If you wish, I can get you a ball of yarn to play with," Kai crooned.
"Real funny."
"Hmm. Well, I'll be back soon," he spoke, getting up and heading for the door. "Don't wait up."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to prepare for tomorrow. That means weaponry, armor, and scoping out the area."
"Speaking of area, how are we going to get there?"
"I'll steal a boat."
"Sounds adventurous."
"I try to be interesting." He left, and she quickly fell asleep.
Morning
At the crack of dawn, Kai made rounds to wake his crew. They took a large chunk of time getting ready, and once he had them fed and assembled, he began his briefing.
"Now, your mission is relatively simple. As you already know, we are going to break into Zootopia Penitentiary. Your task is relatively simple: I've already taken the liberty of stealing a speedboat. We will approach the island via its dock; when we arrive, you are to secure the prison barge by any means necessary. Once you have accomplished this, you are to hold position and wait for my return."
"Where are you going?" Felix asked.
"I'm breaking into the complex. I'll find the warden, take him out of commission, and impersonate him. Once I have everything all set, I'll call for a fire drill for the lowest detention level. Ideally, we'll make it without a hitch."
"And non-ideally?"
"They only carry tranquilizer rifles; I'll be able to get each of you out. Due to the nature of my mission, I'll have to pack light; perhaps a handgun, at most."
"What's with the rifle on your back?" Bjorn asked.
"I'm not taking it past our landing. You, on the other hand, will have full access to the armory." He motioned to the room next to them. "With that, I give you free reign. Do note, about half of the weapons there are in a state of disarray. You have thirty minutes; body armor is on the far left. Come back when you're ready."
They nodded their approval, and began walking through the armory. While they were selecting their armaments of choice, Kai took a stroll to the medical quarters. There, he found Sirius in the far back, browsing the medical reference texts.
"Good morning," Kai stated, approaching the pacing wolf.
"Oh, hi," Sirius responded, not looking up from the page.
"It seems too early for you to be up and about; reading up on medicine, no less. What's wrong?"
"The arctic fox opened his eyes, claims he can't see."
"You mean he's awake and talking, and you didn't get me?!" Kai retorted, angry.
"I'm looking at blindness and its causes."
Kai looked at the page, before taking the book from Sirius and shelving it.
"Hey, I was reading that!"
"Come with me."
He dragged the wolf to the fox's bed; along the way, Grace burst out laughing.
"I told you to get him, Ian!" she jeered.
They stopped at the fox's bed; Kai took a flashlight from the wall and shined it in each of the fox's eyes. The pupils contracted, indicating no physical damage.
"Tell me your name," Kai asked.
"Can't… can't see," the fox murmured.
"So I've heard. Do you know what year it is?"
"Two-thousand and eighteen?"
"Your name?"
The fox stared, deep in thought, before shaking his head.
"I can't see."
Kai rolled his eyes.
"Oh!" the fox suddenly exclaimed. "Where is she?"
"She? Does 'she' have a name?"
"Her… her name is… her name… What was her name?"
"Can you describe her?"
"A fox, she was a fox just like me, but… A fox."
"That isn't very helpful," Sirius spoke.
"Does the name 'Lyra Karahan' mean anything?" Kai pressed, ignoring the wolf's comments.
"Ly-Lyra! That was her name!"
Kai smiled.
"So, where am I?"
Kai began chuckling.
"What's so funny?" Sirius asked.
"You're alive, Neal. Under-"
"Neal?" The fox appeared confused. "Who?"
"Your name?"
"I… Is it?"
"How old are you?"
"I…" He looked sad. "I don't know."
"Is there anything you can tell me about yourself?"
The fox looked himself up and down.
"I mean, I'm white…" He began snickering loudly.
"Well, the sense of humor is certainly there."
"Procyon, if he already knows his mate, why would you question him?" Sirius asked.
"The other rabid arctic fox was a researcher at her facility."
"But that one died, didn't he?"
"Supposedly, Neal did, too."
"Well, it's a good thing you're getting Vega, right?"
"I only hope she can identify him." He replaced the IV bag, pushed a few medications through the line, and turned to leave.
"I suppose I should wish you good luck," Sirius stated.
"We won't need it. I have faith."
"I sure hope faith is good enough."
Kai exited and returned to the armory; there, he found the group of indecisive mammals, trying nearly everything, still undecided.
"You have exactly ten minutes to pick out something you like," he shouted. Nearly immediately, they went around and selected their armaments, returning to him.
"All tranquilizers? Again?" Kai mused.
"Hey, we're cops, not soldiers," Rufus retorted.
"Suit yourselves. Let's go."
He led them to the massive mineshaft, and they took the elevator back to the surface; when he rejoined them sometime later, they appeared annoyed.
"Why can't you take the elevator like a normal mammal?" Felix inquired. "Make us wait…"
"If it gets stuck, who's going to get you out?" Kai responded, exiting the lair.
They looked at each other in disbelief before following him out.
Together, they trekked down the mountainside and along the river quite a ways, before coming to a stop near a tree bordering the wide sea. Tethered to the tree was a sizable watercraft; easily large enough to carry the six of them, and then some.
"When did you have time to get this?" Prance asked, dumbfounded.
"A generous 'donation' from the yacht club," Kai answered, producing a sly grin.
"I'm conflicted," Rufus admitted, stepping aboard. "On one paw, I'm impressed; on the other, I really want to arrest you for theft."
"Maybe later." He ushered everyone else aboard, steered it into the open waters, and began navigating into the distance. The quiet was maintained until the island was in sight, when the mammals began fidgeting. "Nervous?"
"Yeah, we're looking at twenty years right now," Felix supplemented.
"Nothing will happen; they'll never even know you were here," Kai reassured, lowering the speed. When they were roughly a mile from the docks, he retrieved the rifle, before aiming it at the island.
"We're on a rocking boat, how can you possibly expect to hit anyone?" Rufus inquired, producing a smug grin."
He fired several silenced rounds, and the rest looked on in wonder as they saw the guards on the towers drop. Satisfied, Kai handed Leora the rifle and resumed their approach.
"How did you do that?! What if someone finds them!" Prance exclaimed in worry.
"I've looked up shift changes and the prison's layout. We should be good for an hour, at least. Even if they do a shift change, the sentries are not easily visible."
"Yeah, but how did you do that?"
He turned around and produced a vampiric smile, before activating his disguise.
They reached one of the rocky beaches of the island, finding little resistance. Kai quickly hopped out, walking up to the prison wall; once there, he ran his hand along the surface, knocking gently.
"What are you doing?" Felix asked, walking to stand beside him.
"If I'm correct, the wall right here leads to the custodial room for the prison's courtyard."
"Meaning?"
"Stand back."
After the snow leopard walked a sizable distance, Kai threw a punch; the thin brick crumbled away at the impact point. After reaching in and tearing away the rest of the wall, he stepped inside.
"It appears I was correct," he stated.
"How?" Leora stammered.
"It's just brick…" Kai muttered in response.
"Wait, even so, why did the wall break so easily?" Rufus questioned. "Regulation prison wall is a foot of cinderblock, two feet of concrete, and then paving bricks."
"Only for areas that prisoners are meant to be." He tapped the brick wall, before walking to the interior door. "They cut costs for the other walls."
Just then, the door was thrust open; a lone prison guard stood in the doorway, weapon drawn. As he raised it to the five mammals, Kai pulled him into a chokehold.
"You all need to go that way," he spoke, motioning with his head to the left; as his party looked over, they saw a large schooner in the distance. By the time they turned back, they saw the guard on the floor, unconscious. "Secure that vessel, I'll be out shortly."
Before they could protest, he had darted through, closing the door behind him. From there, he walked along the prison courtyard; anyone that could have put up a fight had already been sniped. As he reached the door, he paused; he could hear nothing behind it. He knelt to pick it, and promptly entered. From there, he wandered the halls, carefully incapacitating anyone in his way. Soon, he came to a halt before a door labeled 'Warden'; without knocking, he opened the door and entered. Inside, a very large, stocky timberwolf was scribbling away at paperwork.
"I thought I made it clear to knock before…" he began, before pausing. "You are neither guard nor prisoner. Who are you?"
"Mizar, do you really not remember me?"
"How do you know that name?!" the wolf roared, quickly standing and slamming his glasses onto the desk.
"You visited me in my imprisonment…" He removed his disguise. "Besides, it would be foolish of me to not keep tabs on the Court."
"Procyon. I should have guessed." The wolf sat back down. "You know, for a while there, I thought you really died."
"Let's stop killing time." Kai sat in the chair opposite the wolf. "You must know why I'm here."
"The rest of the Court."
"Precisely. Now, there are two ways I can go about it. The first is that you release them."
"And the second?"
"I kill you, impersonate you, and do it instead."
"They'd skin me alive if I released them."
"You can claim you had no choice. Order a fire drill for the lowest detention blocks."
"That's your big plan? Where will they go from there?"
"I'm taking the big boat out back."
"Lovely."
"You can pretend you had no idea."
"How is that going to save me from liability?"
"I can knock you out. You can play it off however you want."
"I could, but if I did, I would lose my credibility as a capable warden."
"You'll get over it."
"So tell me: why are you giving me a choice?"
"Why are you surprised? I don't like disposing of Court members."
"From what I heard, you took Arcturus' protege; what was his name, Denebola?"
"Yes."
"I've heard that you beat him, disemboweled him, tore out a few of his organs, and left him to rot and die under the evening sun."
"Not inaccurate."
"You're full of shit. Why are you really giving me a choice? I'd wager that, no matter how fit or strong I may be, you could easily bend me into a knot."
"Call it a change of heart." Kai stood and leaned heavily on the desk. "So, your choice?"
The wolf sighed, but picked up the intercom. After barking a few orders, he set it back down, shaking his head.
"I'm done for," he mentioned.
"You'll be a hero," Kai reassured.
"Only if you win."
"Why would I not? Jack has nothing now. His bomb is gone, and the Court is free."
"He is a resourceful rabbit. If you think he has been defeated, then he has already won."
The desk phone rang, and the warden answered it. After exchanging a few words and nodding, he set the phone back in its cradle.
"They want me to oversee the process," he explained.
"Well," Kai responded, reactivating his disguise, "I'll come along. I would hate for you to double cross me."
"How do you plan on explaining yourself to them?"
"Let's say that I'm the city auditor."
"You really haven't thought this out, have you? The city doesn't have an auditor."
"Do you honestly think they'll know that?"
The wolf sighed.
"Fair enough."
The pair exited, shortly making it to a walkway overlooking the main cell block. In the far end of the room, the elevator was rapidly shipping up the maximum security prisoners, each shackled and cuffed in rows of six, accompanied by guards. As they proceeded, many of them sneered up at the warden. Soon, Kai saw his intended rescuees: a black vixen cuffed to several smaller mammals, and a large grizzly shackled only to two others. The black vixen kept pausing, whereupon two of the guards, a large rhinoceros and a tiger, kept kicking her along in turns.
"Mizar, who are those guard?" Kai asked.
"I don't know their names. Why?"
"Have them come aboard."
"Any particular reason?"
"I have a promise to keep."
"A good old-fashioned beating? Suit yourself."
Roughly twenty minutes later, all of the prisoners were out in the courtyard; from there, the warden berated the guards on their slow pace, before having the prisoners moved to the docks; he quickly explained that the city hired private security to assist the auditor in his task, to avert the guards' suspicions. There, he instructed the prisoners aboard.
"All packed and ready, sir," one of the guards eventually spoke to the warden.
"Very well," the wolf responded. "Our guest and I will oversee the procedure from here on out. I expect you all to return to the upper cell blocks in less than five minutes."
They saluted and exited; all, save for the rhinoceros and his partner, who boarded the boat at Kai's behest. Eventually, they set sail.
Once they were roughly two miles out, the warden walked off to the helm, leaving the prisoners, the two guards, Felix, Rufus, and Kai standing on the surface deck. For nearly the duration of the ride up until then, the black vixen kept struggling against her bonds, and the guards kept reprimanding her. Kai walked up and crouched before her.
"You know you can't possibly break free, please, spare yourself the trouble and pain," he pleaded. "You'll be out sooner than you—"
She spit in his face; immediately, the rhino slugged her across hers, and she nearly fell out of her chair. When she sat back up, she spat blood onto the floor.
"Tell me," Kai continued, wiping his face clean. "Are they abusing you? I couldn't help but notice that you're covered in bruises."
She looked to them, and shook her head.
"Care to explain?" he asked of the rhino.
"It's like she was born to defy authority. All she does is lash out at every opportunity. We have no choice but to use force."
"I can tell you're lying. You know, I thought I made a certain promise." He turned back to the vixen and gently lifted her chin up; she tried to snap at his fingers, but he carefully avoided her jaws. "Tell me, Regulus, can you recall that promise?"
Her eyes instantly lit up, as did those of the prisoners around her. She looked once more at the guard, before staring back into Kai's eyes.
"The promise I made, the last time we spoke. What was it?"
"You warned the rhino, I didn't exactly hear what you said, but I know it was a warning."
The two guards took a step back, eyes wide with shock.
"She's lying!" they accused.
"No, she's telling the truth. I was there." He slowly began his approach, and they slowly backed away. "Do you remember what I promised?"
The guard remained silent.
"I promised that, should you lay so much as a finger on her, I would kill you."
The guard breathed heavily, attempting to shy away more, but failing as his back hit the wall. In the blink of an eye, Kai thrust his right hand, gauntlet and all, into the rhino's chest; the tiger instantly leaped away to the other side of the deck, unwilling to confront an adversary that would challenge a rhino, let alone completely impale one with no effort. As Kai rotated his arm, the guard groaned and shrieked in protest.
"I seem to recall saying that I would rip your heart out and show it to you, so that you could watch as it beat its last."
The rhino gasped for air, both unwilling and unable to reply.
"Do you know how easy it is to rip out a heart? No? Well, perhaps I can show you. This is your inferior vena cava."
He sharply twisted his hand, and the rhino yelled once more.
"Now, your superior vena cava."
Another sharp twist, followed by more screaming.
"Finally—" With one more twist, Kai tore the organ from the guard's chest; the guard slowly slid down the wall, blood quickly pooling beneath him as he fell to the floor. "Your aorta. The rest tears easily."
Unceremoniously, Kai impaled the heart on the rhino's horn, kicking him over in the process.
"Now my promise is fulfilled: you get to watch yourself die." He stared momentarily at the gasping beast, sparing as light chuckle, before turning his attention to the tiger. "Now, to deal with you. Tell me, do you want your heart torn out as well, or would you rather drown?"
Without answering, the tiger jumped overboard.
"Smart," Kai commented. As he turned to face his teammates, he found only shock and horror on their faces. He waited for a response, but they could not think of words to adequately describe their feelings. Instead, he walked back to the vixen, wiping his hands on one of the emergency overboard towels. When he reached her, he shattered the chains securing her, and gently patted her on the head. As he turned to leave, she jumped up and hugged him, breaking down into tears.
The warden returned to see the commotion, and became irate very quickly.
"You just killed one of my guards! And where's the other!"
"Overboard," Kai answered nonchalantly.
"Why?! A tiger will die of hypothermia this time of year, long before he'll make it anywhere!"
"They were abusing her. Would you have done any different?"
"Yes! Everyone deserves a trial!"
"And what of us?" one of the prisoners shouted. "Where was my trial? Our trials?!"
"I—I…" The warden fell silent very quickly.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," a second one responded. "While you're at it, cut the rest of us loose."
"That's up to your savior. I will have no part in this."
They all looked expectantly to Kai.
"When we arrive," he answered. Immediately, all that he could hear were their protests.
"How come you set her free!" someone shouted.
"What are you going to do to us?!" another roared.
"He's going to kill us!" Everyone started to panic.
"Silence!" Kai commanded; nothing changed. "QUIET!"
They all fell still.
"If anyone makes a noise before I finish, they'll end up like that guy." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder to the rhino. "Now, surely you all want to know what will happen to you?"
They stared silently.
"Good. I am Procyon. When we land, anyone who knows me and cares enough to make a difference, stand off to the side. Everyone else is free to leave. Any questions?"
After a long time, once they were sure they wouldn't be interrupting him, someone spoke up.
"Where are you taking us?"
"Oh, not far from the city," Kai responded.
"Why are you freeing us?" someone else inquired.
"Only a handful of you actually interest me. The rest of you can consider yourselves lucky."
"Three-hundred is a handful?"
"No, significantly less than three-hundred is a handful." Many Court members looked away.
After a long time, they pulled to a small, abandoned fishing dock. There, Kai instructed his team to assist the prisoners in disembarking. One by one, the passengers had their bindings removed, and exited; many stood to the side, and many ran away the minute they were off of the ship. The process was soon interrupted when Rufus stopped one of the prisoners.
"Why are we not moving along?" Kai questioned.
"Do we have to let her go?" Rufus replied.
Kai looked the prisoner up and down. She appeared to be a small ewe, wearing thick-rimmed, slightly cracked glasses. She stared at her hooves as she awaited her judgment.
"Why would we not?"
"This is Dawn Bellwether, she nearly exiled every predator in the city!"
He looked her over once more. She gazed up into his eyes and he saw only fear in them. He sighed, and crouched down.
"Bellwether, eh?"
"Y-yes?" she murmured.
"Today's your lucky day." He unlocked her shackles, and motioned off of the ship.
"R-really? You're not going to trick me?"
"No."
"Thanks, I guess." She took one step before stopping. "You know, after what you did to the guard, I thought you were just another savage. But then, I saw what state the fox was in. I still don't know how to feel, but after what you did for me, I suppose you're not bad, for a predator."
"I'll take that as a complement." He quickly fished out several bills from his jacket, handing them to her, before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Buy yourself a good pair of glasses. More importantly, don't be afraid of anyone. Hopefully, we'll meet again; I'd love to hear your story, and find out where your profound hatred of predators comes from. Until then, take care, little one."
She stared first at the money, and then at him, before glancing back at the bills he just gave her.
"Sir?" Felix piped up. "Are you sure about this? Freeing her is one thing, but giving money?"
"She won't be any trouble. I wouldn't judge a person by their distant past, why would I judge a ewe?"
Bellwether produced a weak smile, and also ran off.
"Two years isn't distant," Felix muttered.
Eventually, they had finished; the Court members of the group were off to one side, and everyone else was gone.
"Now what?" Kai heard from the crowd.
He snapped his fingers, and the five members of his team assembled.
"You five are to take them over yonder to the lodge in the woods."
"And where, exactly, is yonder?" Prance asked.
"Over in yonder direction," Kai joked, pointing to the large forest in the distance. "I'm sure they can give you directions."
"I'm going to kick you in the yonder…" Felix muttered, walking off and herding up the members of the Court.
"I heard that."
The snow leopard waved dismissively as he began to collect a head count.
"Before you go, I need Regulus to come to me. Arcturus, too," Kai continued.
The grizzly and the vixen approached him.
"What do you need us for?" the bear inquired.
"Walk with me," Kai answered. He began to walk away, and they followed him. "Lyra, I need you for a favor."
"And me?"
"You are one of the closest allies I have in the Court. Despite our initially rocky relationship, I'd say we've eventually gotten along; you were kind to me. People like to repay kindness."
"So what do you have planned?"
"A hot meal, perhaps. Medical treatment. Fresh clothes. A shower, if you would like. That goes for both of you, by the way."
"Surely you aren't taking us away just for kindness' sake?"
"No. I have to fetch Sirius as well."
"So what's this favor you need me for?" the fox asked.
"Well, this will either be a great reunion, or a bitter reminder."
"I don't follow."
"You'll get it soon enough." He picked her up into his arms, and took off; Arcturus raced on all fours, barely keeping up.
They soon reached the bunker entrance, and Kai let them in; he quickly shepherded them into the elevator, before reconvening with them at the bottom.
"Out of curiosity—" Vega began, before being interrupted.
"My bones are alloyed," Kai quickly dismissed. "I don't have time for this explanation, I'm afraid."
"So this is where you've been hiding out, for the last two thousand years?" Arcturus asked.
"Just about."
The bear chuckled.
"I've been hiking in these mountains at least a dozen times. I must have passed that exact door at least once, and yet, I never noticed it."
"That's because you weren't looking for it." He paused at the medical bay. "Ah, here we are. Sirius?"
"Yo," the wolf responded, approaching them. "Arcturus! It's so good to see you!"
They exchanged a hug and a pat on the back, before leaning back out.
"And Vega!"
"Regulus," Kai corrected.
"Eh, whatever. How have you been?"
She only stared, giving him an 'are you stupid?' look.
"I'll take it that you're not doing so hot."
"No shit. So, what's this favor again?" she asked of Kai.
He led her over to the bed.
"I want you to identify someone for me." He pointed to the bed's resident.
Instantly, her eyes went wide with shock. She grabbed his cheeks, and began stretching his face every which way; she followed it up by ruffling his fur between her paws.
"Ow, not so rough…" the white fox complained.
"It is you!" Lyra squeaked, embracing him tightly and burying her face in his shoulder. "But how?!"
"I… Who are you?"
"Neal, it's me, Lyra!"
"Lyra... Karahan?"
"Who else?!" Tears began streaming down her face, falling onto his fur; there, it beaded up and rolled onto the bed.
"Where am I?"
"You're safe in the hospital of an underground bunker."
"…Who am I?"
"What?" She looked to Kai, who shrugged. "You're… You're Neal, my beloved mate!"
"I… I'm sorry. My mind is just so… so foggy."
"What's wrong with him?" she begged of Kai.
"Rabies causes encephalitis; the swelling could have negatively impacted his memory and cognitive skills."
"I know that, but will he ever be back to normal?!"
"Perhaps with time; it is, however, possible that he'll never be the same. My best guess is that it all depends on whether or not he encounters something that can trigger a recall."
"Like what?" she asked desperately.
"Hobbies he used to enjoy, things he used to love, and so on. It's what I would expect, at any rate."
She looked at Neal, and then back at Kai.
"When can we start?"
"Well, first we should try to cure his blindness."
"Blindness?!"
"I'd assume that either the swelling pressed against his optic nerve, or that it pushed the regions that process sight against the inside of his cranium. Either way, he'll most likely recover his twenty-twenty vision, but it will take time."
Lyra pressed her snout into Neal's chest, before hopping up onto the bed and curling around him.
"Now, I'd hate to interrupt a heartfelt reunion, but what's next?" Sirius asked.
"Good question. You and Arcturus will accompany me."
"Where to?"
"The Court lodge. I'd say it's about time I set the city right." He turned to face the battered grizzly. "But first, you could use some food, some medicine, and a clean uniform."
A/N: Sorry for the delay, I had a lot of work to finish up; I cut Thanksgiving and Black Friday a little short to finish this one up.
In terms of story, there are probably two more chapters and then an epilogue, but don't worry! It's not the end of the fic, only this story arc. I'll probably call the next bit a new book; I don't think that I've fucked with the chapter numbering enough. Either way, I've still got a lot of writing left in me. Maybe even an intentionally cheesy, horribly gaudy Christmas chapter about the spirit of giving. If Star Wars can do that, I'm sure I can manage.
A lot of the reviews didn't send an email notification to me, so I enjoyed reading over them just now. Speaking of which:
Will Kai get the girl and save the day? Will he die? Will Jack rule the world? Will Bellwether be trouble? All these questions, and more, answered soon!
Hehe, that was fun. In any case, I can't reply to guest reviews, so I'll just tease the story a little more.
Fun Fact #47: The name Wendy was invented for Peter Pan.
Something always gets past proofreading...
