(A/N: Hey everybody I know it's been a while sense i last updated this story and believe me it wasn't by choice, I've been busy beyond belief with real world bullshit which I'm sure you already can guess why with this covid-19 crap going on right now, and I wasn't really in a hurry to get the virus, however I'm afraid that the well has almost run dry for how many of the chapters I have for Zootopia at the moment so it may take me a while to get caught up. But I am prepared for that by saying that I'm going to be putting out new stories on my page. Namely Sonic the hedgehog fanfic at the very least to try and hold you over, because according to another fanfiction writer the best way to deal with writer's block is to write out new stories so I'm gonna try that out and see where it goes but for now let's get to what you're here for.)

Chapter 28: Promises

"Okay kid-o, just like I told you, left arm straight, both eyes open and focused on your target, pull the string all the way back to your cheek just like that, that's good…now, let'er fly!" Sense Shakrimi decided to give my brother a war bow of her own personal design and teach him how to use it he showed an amazing amount of progress, and like she said she would she managed to fit time in for both my biotics education and his marksmanship training, not that he really needed it though as he was still the same crack shot he's been sense he got into shooting.

Each time Jacob took a shot he always did as Shakrimi instructed. He kept his arm straight, pulled the arrow all the way back and…WHOOSH! "I got it again, Cody did you see? Did you see?" He cried as he tugged on my wrist and pointed at the target.

Ever sense he found out he could shoot he'd been practicing non-stop for a whole week, somehow always hitting the bullseye, I no longer could chalk it up to dumb luck, he had true talent. "Yeah I saw it Robbin Hood, just as good as ever." I decided sense I couldn't call him peanut anymore that I'd start calling him Robbin Hood, an appropriate replacement if you ask me. He seemed to like it a lot more than peanut anyhow.

"Alright then kiddo, let's try something a little more challenging." Shakrimi said as she got up and walked over to the target Jacob was practicing on and just stood in the way. "I don't suppose you've heard of William Tell?" She asked then used her biotics and picked a piece of fruit off a nearby tree, it was fuzzy like a peach, but it was green. She pulled the fruit toward her and placed it on the top of her head. "Long story short, I want you to shoot this thing off my head." Jacob's jaw dropped, he looked a little scared, to be honest I was a bit scared of the request too.

"Are you sure you want him to do this?" I asked hoping that she was only kidding, the last thing I wanted to do was explain to my parents that my dad's friend was accidentally shot and killed by my little brother.

But sadly it wasn't a joke at all, especially as she confirmed it. "Sure I'm sure, I have faith in his abilities, okay kid-o let'er rip." She stood perfectly still with a very confident smile on her face, I swear this woman is insane.

Jacob looked up at me, he had fear in his eyes. "It's okay buddy, remember you haven't missed a shot once yet and I'm sure you won't miss this one." I hope, I knew he was a good shot, hell he'd even proven that so many times already, I just hope he was up to the challenge.

"O-o-o-o-okay, I'm gonna do it now." He stuttered, oh that's not a good sign. He reached down to the block on his bow with his paws shaking a little bit and pulled out one of his collapsible arrows, a very interesting place to house them if you ask me, he knotted the arrow and pulled it back on the string, he took aim…but he hesitated.

"It's okay kid-o, I have faith in you." Shakrimi said trying to boost his confidence a bit. I looked at her face and saw…confidence. She wasn't afraid at all, I don't get it, she was about to get shot in the head and she wasn't even the least bit scared. And it wasn't forced at all either, so why the hell isn't she shaking in her boots right now?

I looked over to Jacob again and saw that he was scared, scared that he might hit the wrong target. I knew I had to do something to try and boost his confidence and quick, that's when it hit me. "Wait, just one second." I had an idea that might not work as well as I'd like it to, but it was the only one I had, not long after Jacob met Tanner's wife I made sure to apply a camera app on my omni-tool to make sure I didn't miss out on another opportunity like that again. "I want to get this on video, so we can show mom and dad just how good you are buddy." I wasn't sure if that worked but it did help speed things along, he got back into his firing stance and…WHOOSH! The arrow went flying and hit the fruit right off of Shakrimi's head.

"Never doubted you for a second little guy." She said with a very satisfied grin on her face. Jacob breathed a sigh of relief as he lowered his bow, and so did I of course. I just hope to god he never has to do something that crazy ever again. "Okay kid let me see the trick shot." I stopped the recording and pulled up the video and showed it to both of them. "Well would you look at that? You only went and showed everyone you're the best shooter around kid-o, am I a great teacher or what?" She humbly bragged, I just rolled my eyes at her.

"Yeah sure, I guess you're a good teacher." I replied casually shrugging.

"No-no-no, I'm a great teacher, say the words." She demanded.

Sure she was inclined to her own beliefs but I wasn't about to feed her oversized ego a little more. "Yeah I'll say the words when you stop rearranging my insides. Now if you'll excuse us I promised a friend I'd do something for him and I aim to keep that promise." I took Jacobs paw and walked off with him.

I half expected her to stop me, but all I got in response was her saying. "Okay kid suit yourself, just remember I want you back here in an hour for your daily lesson." Lesson? Ha, more like ass kicking.

"What promise did you make big brober?" Jacob asked tilting his head slightly as he looked up at me with wonder.

I just looked down at him and said casually. "You'll see, but first I want to go get Alice, because I want her to see it too."

He just got even more curious. "Cody, what's going on?" He asked as he started to cock his head a little.

I couldn't help but grin a very mischievous grin. "Oh nothing, nothing at all." He obviously wasn't convinced. As we got back inside the hospital we began our search for our favorite bunny, which didn't take us too long as we found Alice in the lobby just reading a magazine. "Hey there bun-bun, how's it hanging?" I called out to her from across the lobby.

She looked up from her magazine and smiled at me. "Hey foxy, come to give me a little sugar?" She put down the magazine as she made her way over to steal a kiss from me.

"Cody's got a secret and he won't share it with me." Jacob said as he pointed a finger at me sounding a bit grouchy.

"A secret huh? And what devilish secret is that red?" She asked while wiggling her eye brows.

"So glad you asked my little bunny, if you would both follow me I'll show you." I led them to Allen's room where the same wolf in question along with Cloey and Dr. Neeva beginning to remove Allen's bandages from his eyes.

"And there we are, now I'm going to remove the patches from your eyes, just remember you need to open them slowly as you haven't seen the light in a while." The doctor cautioned as she peeled two white eye patches off of his eye lids.

Before he started to open his eyes he then asked. "Cloey, could you please stand in front of me please? I want your face to be the first thing I see."

She put her hooves over her heart as she felt moved by the request. "Of course baby." She slowly stood up from her wheel chair and used two canes to support her, at least she was up and walking again, but it was clear she still had a long way to go.

She stopped right in front of his face and put her hooves on his shoulders to let him know she was right where he wanted her, he slowly opened his eyes, his face emerged with a giant ear to ear smile. "You look even more beautiful than I remember cookie dough." He pulled her into a kiss, and just held her close to him in his arms, finally he could see the love of his life again, and from what I could understand it was like the first time in forever.

"Okay so now that the bandages are off what was your dirty little secret you wanted to share with me baby." Cloey asked with a grin.

Alice looked at me a bit confused as she said bluntly. "Wait, I thought it was your secret."

"I never said that it was my secret, but I did want you to be here for when he act's upon it." I walked over to Allen and handed him a small velvet box, guess what was inside of it.

"Allen what's going on?" Cloey asked sounding just as confused as Alice.

"Cloey Elizabeth White, I love you with all my heart and soul, and there is no one else in this galaxy that I want to spend the rest of eternity with than you…" He said as he got down on one knee, Alice looked at me finely realizing what was going on, before she said anything I just put a finger over her mouth to shush her.

"Don't ruin the moment babe." I whispered to her and just stood in silence and watched Allen make his move.

Allen opened the box to reveal a rose gold engagement band bejeweled with an opal surrounded by several chocolate colored diamonds, Cloey covered her mouth and just gasped at the sight of the ring. "Would you do me the extraordinary honor of being my wife?" He asked with a hopeful smile on his face.

I had a feeling she was about to go weak in the knees with this sudden eye opener so I used my biotics and put her wheel chair right behind her, sure enough she did go weak in the knees, and landed right back in her chair, I saw tears of joy start to fall from her face as she began to speak. "Allen…are you sure?" She asked, probably trying to figure out if this whole thing was really happening.

He just smiled warmly at her and said. "I've never been more sure in all my life Cloey, I know deep down in my heart that you're the one for me and I won't settle for anyone else but you." She pulled him into a hug and just started sobbing. "Baby I'm gonna need an answer." He said again.

She pulled back from the hug still sobbing and smiling, she said with the most emotional voice ever the answer that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. "Yes…yes…a million times yes."

Allen let out a howl of joy upon hearing those words, then he pulled her back into a hug and said. "You've just made me the happiest wolf alive."

I couldn't help but notice that Alice was crying her own tears of joy. I pulled her into a hug and said. "You bunnies, so emotional."

She swatted me and said in a half joking half sobbing voice. "Shut up you fuzz butt." I kissed the spot between her ears and just held her tight.

Allen then looked over to me and said. "Thank you Cody, you really helped me out."

I then shrugged and said back. "Well I promised you I'd help after all, and I always keep…my…promises." That's when I finally remembered that I'd made a promise to someone else as well, my promise to Chuck back on the Monarch just before it blew, I still had to get his locket back to his wife and I had no time to waist.

I guess I made some kind of face because around that point Alice asked looking a bit concerned. "Cody? Is everything alright?"

I quickly snapped out of it and said. "Yes…and no. It's just that I made a promise to someone else back on the Monarch, a promise that I still have yet to fulfill and I've been delayed for too long." I walked out of the room leaving them all to themselves, I returned to my room and got changed into my everyday attire then searched for the locket that Chuck had given me among my belongings. "Come on where is it? It's got to be here somewhere."

"Looking for something Sargent?" I turned around and saw my dad standing at the door.

I turned back to my belonging as I admitted to him. "I'm looking for Chuck's locket, he gave it to me before he died and made me swear that I'd get it back to his wife."

"Ah, I see. Well then it's a good thing that I picked it up before we left the generator." Dad then dug into his pocket and fished it out then presented it to me. "I didn't know who it belonged to but I knew you were holding onto it so I took it for safe keeping. I just wish that he could've gotten out of there like the rest of us, he told me that his wife had recently given birth to twins back on earth and that he was looking forward to seeing them."

Upon hearing those words I felt the strings tug in my heart. "All the more reason that I have to get it back to his wife." I said sounding desperate to get out of there and on the road.

"I agree son, I understand that you need to do this, I'll arrange for a ship to take us to earth immediately." He handed me the locket and I quickly stuffed it into my pocket to keep it safe.

"Thanks dad, for everything." I said bluntly.

Dad just smiled at me and said. "Of course Sargent, anyway while I'm here your brother told me that he pulled off a William Tell trick shot with Shakrimi today, I'd like to see that if you don't mind." I showed him the video on my omni-tool, he was impressed at how well Jacob performed the shot, I could tell he was just as proud of him as I was, I'm sure that without a doubt he will make a great soldier one day.

Not long after that dad gave both mom and Shakrimi a call saying that we were leaving, not that I had to stay any longer really, the main reason we stayed this long was because of my biotics training and I was just happy to be out of that hospital. We all packed up our things, said our goodbye's and headed to the ship. Next stop good ol'mother earth, but more specifically, the crowning jewel of all of mammal unity itself, Zootopia.

We were all pretty eager to go to Zootopia to be honest, but Alice was the most excited out of all us kids. "Sweet cheese and crackers we're actually going to Zootopia? OMG someone pinch me because I must be dreaming. OW I didn't mean it Jakee!" It's your own fault Alice.

I just laughed at her hysterically unable to control my laughter, as I calmed down I just said still giggling a bit. "Well you should know better than anyone that he takes things literal."

Jacob just hid behind me as he already knew she wasn't too happy with him, especially sense he pinched her butt, which I found to be quite funny. "Sorry Alley, I won't do it again." He said rather timidly.

"You seem pretty hyped up about going to earth Alice, something you want to share with the rest of us?" Mom asked as she grinned back at us in the back seat of the cab we had hailed for our ride.

Alice's ears perked up then she said sounding excited yet again. "Are you kidding? This is Zootopia we're talking about, the one place on earth where anyone can be anything."

"Tanner said that's a bunch of BS." Oh for god sake Jacob really? Mom looked back at him with worry on her face, thankfully he caught this look on mom's face and clarified what it 'actually meant'. "What? Nobody likes burnt salmon mommy." She breathed a sigh of relief.

Dad then spoke up as he got in the car finally. "Just remember Ms. Burrows, this isn't a field trip it's an important errand we have to run. I honestly doubt that we'll have time to…" Mom was quick to cut him off.

"Josh let's not forget your still officially on shore leave, and we haven't had any real time as a family sense you got home, so maybe we could finally put your time to good use, you know for the boys sake." She looked at him with loving eyes and a sincere grin.

He thought about it for a minute then turned to us and said. "Where do you kids think you'd rather sleep? Sahara square, tundra town, maybe the rainforest district?" The drive to the space port took up to an hour to get there. But we couldn't take a military craft to get to earth, according to my dad there were confirmed reports of black heart activity on Rannoch who were just waiting for us to take an obvious target. So we just traveled there on a commercial space craft, Jacob was bouncing up and down the entire time we were seated.

I just couldn't help but smile at how exited he looked for absolutely no reason. "Calm down Robbin Hood otherwise you might go flying into the roof of this thing." I said chucking a little.

But all I got was him shaking his head and saying. "Mm-mm, too excited."

"For what, take off?" I guessed, he just nodded his head yes, I didn't really get why he cared about that but I'm sure he had a good reason.

"It's a shame though really." Alice said as she wrapped her arms around mine while she sat next to me.

I looked down at her and asked. "Why is that my sweet little carrot cake?" Oh dear god we've only been a couple for a little over a month and we're already using dumb nicknames.

"Well I'm going to be next to you the whole flight and I won't be able to cuddle you at all." She pouted as she laid her head against my shoulder.

I wrapped my arm around her and said. "Aww it's okay my little bun-bun, we can cuddle all you want when we get to the hotel…" Then I snapped back to the whole reason we were going to earth in the first place and said in a sort of depressing voice. "After that is…I drop off the locket, and my condolences to Chuck's family."

She then leaned over and hugged me. "I know you have to do this baby, you have my support 100%." She stood on her knees in her seat and kissed my cheek. "Thanks babe, wouldn't be anything without you."

That's when Jacob started childishly singing yet again. "Cody and Alley sitting in a tree…" Okay time to put an end to this crap. "K-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes HEY!" I lifted him out of his seat with my biotics and spun him around a bit to try and shut him up. "Put me DOWN you big butthead!" He shrilled as I just spun him in the air like a top.

"Cody don't be mean put him down." Alice said as she gripped my shoulder. I just rolled my eyes and put him down.

"Butthead." He sneered as he stuck his tongue out at me, to which I countered by saying.

"Stinky face." I fired back with a grin. That's when it was officially on between us.

"Poop sniffer."

"Cry baby."

"Krogan kisser."

"Booger breath."

"Dumb butt."

I know I promised never to call him the name again, but I just had to in order to win the argument. "Peanut."

That's when he freaked the FUCK out again and started to whop my ass. "YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T CALL ME THAT ANYMORE!"

I couldn't help but start laughing. "Well you started it, peanut."

"Both of you stop it right NOW!" Mom shouted as she marched over to us. "We are in public, you will act like gentle mammals or so help me god I will GROUND YOU BOTH FOR A MONTH, UNDERSTAND!" Jacob stopped beating me up and just sat down folding his paws, I did the same as she walked away.

Then while her back was turned Jacob quickly got in one last punch in my arm. "OW! Hey!" I whined.

He started to grin, it was clear he was enjoying this. "Butthead." He said again.

I just narrowed my eyes at him and asked. "Do you really want to go through this again?"

Before he could answer the Captain's voice cracked over the radio. "Attention passengers we are now approaching the Perseus vail mass relay please find your seats and buckle your seat belts and face forward at all times while we are in FTL speed, if you need any last-minute uses of the facility's please use them now as we have only a five-minute window, we thank you for flying with us today."

Jacob started bouncing up and down again. "Yay we're gonna fly in the FTL again." So that's what's got him so hyped up. After the five-minute delay was up we began to fly next to the mass relay, it looked sort of like a gun, but it had a giant gyroscope with a large blue light emitting from it as it spun around on its own, then all of a sudden as the ship flew right next to it a bolt of lightning connected with the ship as it normally would to charge up the drive core, then like a bullet from a gun we flew off at the speed of light, Jacob just through his paws up and started to cheer. "WOO-HOOOO! This is awesome!"

I felt as though an invisible paw was pushing me back into my seat, it always felt so disorienting for the first few minutes while I flew in FTL. The flight took about five minutes at the most, it wasn't called faster than light for nothing. We dropped out of hyper speed and began to make our descent to earth, I'd never been to our ancestral home world until today, I had always hoped I would one day, I just wish that it was on my own terms. To my surprise the ship didn't just take us directly to Zootopia, it just landed in New York city at the local space port, dad said that it would be safer if we just took our time getting there, I could see the logic behind it of course, but it didn't make Jacob too happy about it as he had already had enough of traveling and he just wanted a nap, and considering he hated nap time that was saying something. The flight we exchanged on was a direct non-stop flight to Zootopia California, which sounded good to me. We got there around midnight as we finally landed, we were all tired, especially Jacob, poor kid could barely stand on his own two feet, so I just picked him up and carried him the rest of the way.

Thanks to my dad we were placed in a five-star hotel in Sahara square called the Pride rock hotel, we were all put in separate rooms. Mom and Alice were put together while dad, Jacob and I were all bunked too, I guess they didn't want me to have the chance to fool around with Alice again while we were all on vacation. But before we could rest I still had one thing to do, and that was fulfill my promise to Chuck, because a promise made must be kept. Dad came with me as I did this, he was Chuck's commanding officer after all and it was part of his responsibility to break the bad news to his family. We took a cab to Chuck's home address in the rainforest district, his house looked like one of those old log cabins that you'd see at a camp site but with a slight modern twist to it, it had working lights and electricity shining from inside.

"Stay here and keep the engine running." Dad said to the cab driver as we both hopped out and made a beeline for the front door.

"This is just gonna suck." I said as I dug the locket out of my pocket and got it ready to give it to the soon to be grieving widow.

"Believe me son, I've done this more times than I can count, you never grow numb to the look of devastation on the faces of the families of your crew." That only made it even harder for me to do this, I gripped the locket in my paw so tight it left an indent in my palm. Dad rang the doorbell, even though it didn't take long for someone to answer the door those few seconds felt like the longest I'd ever felt in my entire life.

The door opened wide with a beaver standing in the door way, she had a few friends over for tea it seemed, a small comfort for her in this situation. "Can I help you gentle mammal's?" She asked as she just stared at us with slight confusion.

Dad just cleared his throat then asked as to confirm we had the right house. "Mrs. Flattail?"

"Yes, that's me." She said casually and completely unprepared for the giant emotional gut punch I was about to deliver to her.

I took a deep breath, extended my paw and said. "I…I have a message from your husband ma'am. He…he said that…he won't be home for dinner."

Her eyes began to fill with tears, her bottom lip began to quiver, she reached out and took the locket from my paw then placed it to her chest, then she just began to sob. "Oh god…Chuck…my husband…he can't be…he just…" She hit her knees as the tears began to fall, I knelt down and put a paw on her shoulder.

"He also told me to tell you that…he loved you, the last few moments he spent in this world…he spent them thinking of you. He said that he loved you very much." I said softly hoping that my words might bring her some kind of comfort.

She looked up at me and pulled me into a hug, she berried her face into my shoulder as she sobbed. "Thank you for bringing this back to me, thank you so much." I could feel nothing but sympathy for her.

I returned her hug as I said in the most comforting voice. "I am truly sorry for your loss ma'am; your husband was a good man."

One of her friends, a white she-wolf, came over and helped her to her feet. "We can take care of her from here, thank you both for coming and bringing the locket, that was the last thing that she'll ever have left of him. You two truly are saints." The she-wolf helped Mrs. Flattail inside and closed the door behind them.

I had hoped that I would feel the weight of this issue lift off of my shoulders, but it was only replaced with an empty feeling of sorrow. "Let's go; I've had all I can take from this." I began to walk back to the cab, I was about to open the door when I felt dad's paw on my shoulder.

"Believe me; I wish you could've saved him too, but the fact of the matter is that somethings are beyond our control, but one silver lining is that you fulfilled your promise to Chuck and now he can rest easily now." His words were comforting, but only a little.

We got back in the car and headed back to the hotel where mom and Alice were waiting up for us, dad said that Alice and I could have a few minutes alone, I was thankful that he'd granted me that much of a comfort, I needed her to be by my side after the night I'd had, the look of pain and despair on that woman's face was still fresh in my mind. I just wanted to disappear, I just held on to Alice as long as I could, I let out a few pain filled tears as she tried to comfort me. In the hours to follow I didn't really sleep very well, I just kept thinking over and over to myself, was there a way to save him? I'd eventually had enough of it and just left the hotel room and went down stairs to the lobby, I pulled up my contacts list and made a quick call on my omni-tool, I just hoped she was still awake where ever she was. The line rang a couple of times until she answered in a very tired voice.

"Whoever this is…had better be calling to offer me booze." Well that could've gone a whole lot worse.

"Shakrimi…" I answered in a neutral tone.

"Cody? What are you doing up so late it's like four in the morning on earth where you guys are." She stated as a small yawn escaped her mouth.

"I just wanted to know something…" I hesitated before speaking farther, trying to be sure if what I'd decided was what I truly wanted then asked. "When you were offered to be a speacture…did you just hop at the chance, or did you wait a while before you took the plunge?"

She just replied casually. "Well for me I just jumped at the chance to be a speacture, I wanted my dad's side of the family to actually take me serious as a warrior and this was the best and fastest way, of course I only did it that fast because I had pressure on my back, I'm not saying you should just do it because you want to, you just do things your way, why do you ask?"

I took a minute to collect myself then said. "Let's say that I do accept the speacture offer from the council, would that mean I'd be allowed to go after the black hearts and finish what I'd started?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, then she answered me. "Yeah, you would be, but only after you were officially a speacture agent and that might take some time."

That was better than nothing in my eyes. "Okay then, tell them I'm in."

"Are you sure kid, once you do this there's no going back and if you change your mind they'll never offer it to you again." She sounded like she was almost trying to dissuade me from my choice, but I'd already decided.

"I'm sure, if anyone can take them down once and for all then it's me, too many people have suffered because of them and they've already tried to kill me before so if they want a war with me then by god I'll give'em one. I won't rest until every single one of those black heart fuckers is six feet under, whatever it takes I won't stop until they're all dead."

She sighed on her end of the line, then she said in an almost defeated tone. "I'll inform the council first thing in the morning, I just hope this is what you really want kid." Truth be told it wasn't what I wanted, not really, I actually wanted to turn it down so I could just have a normal life with Alice, but I would never have that as long as the black hearts were still out there lurking in the shadows with fangs poised to strike, so it they were gonna come for me then I'd give them what they wanted, and that was a good old fashioned ass kicking, they might've had it hard enough with the blazing arrow, but soon they would have to deal with the arrow's legacy.

(A/N: Alrighty then that'll about do it for this chapter, I'm sorry if it seemed a little short but don't worry because I'm gonna post another chapter today right after this one. I feel as though you all deserve that at the very least. But now it's time for the spoiler. In the next chapter of ZME, The black hearts attack Cody and his family on earth, Cody shows the full nature of his new power and he also get's help from a family friend. Alright that's all for the moment everybody I will see you all in the next chapter.)