Normally, as of late, the start of a new day would be the start of new chapter in Solomon's life but not this time. This time we learn a little something about our little badger friend here. Something interesting.
Solomon and Gideon were waiting for what felt like an eternity, but was actually just 20 minutes, to be called into one of the many rooms the officers would use to question wayward criminals and suspects alike.
Solomon had seen the process before, and this time was no different. Come in, either willingly or forcibly. Sit down, if you came willingly, or be put in a cell if you came forcibly, get questioned, and be on with your day either free or being detained right after.
This didn't concern the badger, seeing as he did nothing wrong in his eyes. Protecting someone isn't wrong, how may lead to some doubts and questions from others about your morality but the action, none the less, is not wrong.
"Solomon. How do ya already what goes on here? Have ya already been in jail? Please don't tell me ya don't care 'bout goin' t'jail cause ya've already been." Gideon was begging Solomon to tell him what he wanted to hear rather than what was the truth but nothing came from the badgers mouth.
"Solomon. Grizzoli will have you in Room #3, he arranged it just the way you li-. Well ain't that about the cutest, most adorable fox I've ever seen. Even cuter than Nick." Gideon could help but look behind him not know who the comment was made for.
"Me?" Gideon said as he pointed to himself seeing if he wasn't just assuming things.
"You? Why! Of course you! What's your name? Wanna doughnut? They help relieve stress." The cheetah said before shoving another one into his mouth.
"That would be quite nice actually, ya see ah-"
"Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Benjamin Clawhauser, I work in this lovely place, with the most lovely peop- Hey Flint!
"Can it, you doughnut shoving, hypertensive, glob of fat!" The rhino sharply replied back.
"Man, I love that guy. So what brings you here?" Clawhauser asked.
"Oh, ah'm here cause-"
"Wait, don't tell me you wanna apply here for a job. Well, in order for you to actually get in you gotta go through quite rigorous training, and then get a recommendation from the chief instructor. A long process really."
Gideon lost interest in the conversation after he got interrupted for the second time seeing the cheetah still rambling on.
"See you met Ben, he really is something ain't he." Solomon remarked finally breaking out of his trance. "Well. I'll be right back, hopefully out of this muzzle and free of these handcuffs." Solomon let out a short chuckle as he got up and left, leaving Gideon on the bench waiting on his turn to be questioned.
"Solomon! How are ya kid?" Grizzoli said trying to make some small talk before getting into the serious stuff.
"Can we just get on with this, I have a friend out there waiting for me." Solomon
"Oh really, are they anything like Madge... Ya know, associated with trouble?" Grizzoli joked.
"Funny. Hey, Grizzoli, how's the wife an' kids?" Solomon.
"Touche." Grizzoli plainly said clearing his throat before he speak again.
"Okay, so the day of the incident. Your pal, who I'm guessing is the one waiting for ya, is tased and you go wild and try to attack Mr. Gezohwitz, am I right?" Grizzoli asked waiting for the badger's confirmation.
"That would be right, from what I heard that is. I...myself. Do not remember nor know what happened, other than blacking out."
"Hm, is that so? Locals say that you wouldn't let anyone near Gideon, sounds like the Solomon I know."
"That's a low blow and you know it!" Solomon objected, going so far as to get up from his chair and point at the bear.
"Always so overprotective of your friends, huh, and sit down you want that muzzle off don't ya?"
Solomon eyes fell to the ground.
"Yeah." Solomon grumbled as he stubbornly sat back in his seat
"Anyway, first question. Do you remember what happened the day before that or even before the bake sale?"
"I remember Ryker coming to my door asking if I was there, I said that I was busy, but he insisted." Solomon explained.
"You were always the one to pick up on trouble. Well, almost always." Grizzoli said with a chuckle at the end, much to the badger's annoyance.
Solomon rolled his eyes, "Anyway, so he came in explained that he was from the mortuary and that he had to talk to me about my parents."
"Oh, sorry to hear." Grizzoli said in an endearing tone.
"I would say thank you, if he was actually a mortician. Also, what's the point of questioning me. I'm pretty sure you guys could've... I don't know... asked Stu or some of the locals about this."
"We could've but where's the fun in that I was the one who suggested to have you explained, and look we got some good info that proves that Mr. Gezohwitz was lying, a win-win scenario to me."
"Clever."
"Oh and Fangmeyer and Wolford looked at your record. Someone wants to talk to you. Wanna guess who?"
"If it's Hopps and Wilde I really don't want to talk to them. I just wanna get out of this muzzle, and on with my day."
"Well look at that, every winner is a loser in the end. Hey! He's ready. Come on in." Grizzoli left the badger in his seat in disbelief as in stepped the first bunny cop, Judy Hopps, and her partner, Nicholas Wilde.
"Look at who we're badgering Carrots, our old pal Solomon. How are ya buddy, how was the jail time.
"Oh hush, Nick. Don't you remember he didn't get any." Judy dismissed with a punch to the arm.
"Anyway gotta ask, how does a badger such as yourself get affiliated with Madge who, as you know, was helping the former mayor, Mr. Lionheart, keep the nighthowler victims a secret to experiment on them?"
"I was her test dummy, her "guinea pig" if you will. I didn't ask questions, I didn't know her much, all I knew was that she was a doctor who could probably help with my "little" outbursts."
"From what I heard they weren't that little at all, I'm surprised you weren't charged with anything.
"Cause they were all in self-defense, sorry I didn't get arrested for protecting myself or my friends, Hopps."
Judy's ears flattened, and before she could even respond Solomon continued.
"I'm pretty sure if pretty boy right here, got into trouble you'd be real quick to help him out, wouldn't you, that's why I didn't get charged with anything or got jail time for that nighthowler crap."
"At least she doesn't have a muzzle on, and yes she would come to my aid "real quick" cause she's a good friend and a good cop." Nick said coming to Judy's defense.
"I may have a muzzle on, but I wouldn't have one on if that bastard Ryker didn't come to the bake sale and tase Gideon... then I wouldn't even be here."
Judy's ears shot up, "When you say, 'and tase Gideon' by Gideon do you mean Gideon Grey?"
"Congrats Hopps, you used your brain. What clued you in the bake sale or is that the only Gideon you know?"
"The second one actually. So you know Gideon Grey. How is he, I haven't seen him since after the nighthowler case."
"Wait, Carrots, that means he was at Bunny Burrow doesn't it."
"Nick! You're right! What brought you to the burrows Solomon."
"Still don't know how we're on a first name basis, seeing as I'm calling you Hoops."
"Want me to call you Filch instead?"
"Touche." Solomon sighed, reluctant to really vent his issues. "I was down on my luck, flopped in the final year of college, and wanted to spend time with my parents. Once I got there though: I feel on my butt, had a mental breakdown, and had a friend assaulted. Wonderful trip, if I do say so myself. Oh, and my parents weren't there. Anything else Hopps?"
"Sorry that happened to you Solomon. I hope your trip gets better. Nick, you got anything you wanna add."
"Why, yes I do carrots. Filcher, I heard quite a bit about you on the streets."
Solomon leaned back in the chair, his arms behind his head, and his feet on the table. "What'd you hear? Bet it's real funny."
"I heard that no matter what don't mess with the filth that is Filch, a lot of people, and when I say a lot I mean a lot, were scared of you, even Finnick was scared of you."
"Surprising. I mean sure I got a little unhinged, but to go as far as to call me filth seems low."
The mood had shifted from tense to almost somber, and the room turned silent the first to break was none other than Solomon.
"Hey are we done here? I got a friend to get too."
"One more thing, actually." Judy said as she pulled out her notebook and flipped to a clear page.
"You said, that you were Madge's guinea pig, and that it was for the aggressive outbursts you had. How violent were these outbursts?"
"I don't know, that's why I went to Madge. I didn't care about the outbursts themselves but I did care about the fact I couldn't remember anything after I 'snapped out of it' per se.
"OK Solomon that's all, you are free to go. Oh and tell Gideon I said hi."
Solomon was all giddy to finally have that muzzle off of him. The handcuffs weren't that bad the 2nd time around. As he made his way back to the foyer he noticed that Gideon wasn't on the bench he left him at.
~20 minutes earlier~
Shortly after Solomon left for his set of questions, it was Gideon's turn, and in that room was Officer Swinton, a pig who wasn't afraid to say what's on her mind. Especially if the topic is about predators.
"Okay, Mr. Grey. So what you're telling me is that you don't know what happened after you were shocked. That isn't just unbelievable, but it's also completely different from your 'pal' Solomon's story, so don't color me convinced.
"What do ya mean not the same as Solomon's story?"
"To be frank, Mr. Grey, I don't believe either of you preds. Stories don't line up, one tried to assault a person probably went savage for we know."
"Yer still tellin' me how my 'story' doesn't add up t' his, ah think yer just sayin that, and ah can assure ya that Solomon isn't a bad mammal and that ah don't know what happened, after ah was shocked. Ah was just told what happened from Stu."
"Tell me what you want it WILL not change my mind about what happened, well what I think happened," Officer Swinton said matter-of-factually.
"And pray tell miss what ya think happened, cause ah think yer just as crooked as that Ryker guy."
"Of course you would all preds think are that us prey are just some juicy snacks, so I think that you and your pal Solomon went all feral and attacked Mr. Gezohwitz, trying to eat him, and in self-defense Mr. Gezohwitz tased you and ran for his life. That's what I think happened."
Gideon didn't even want to look at the pig, mostly cause if he did all she would see is a look of disgust that was painted on his face. He had never been so disgusted by another person that wasn't himself. Officer Swinton finally looked at Gideon. At first, she was smiling at the fox, rather smugly I might add, but then she started to notice fur in the air, red fur, she didn't have time process why there was fur flying in the air before she heard Gideon slam his fists on the table, and start shouting, well whisper shouting.
"Who do ya think ya are some kinda good cop, that ya know more than me, the person who was tased. Well sorry miss but ya ain't. Ah'm tellin ya what ah know an' what happened after ah woke up but no ya wanna think of me an' Solomon as some kinda monsters, an' ah don't take kindly t' that miss."
"What are you gonna do about it, hit me? I wanna see you try I can, and will, have you locked up for the rest of your life."
"Oh, ah would never hit a woman, well now ah wouldn't. Knowing this is being recorded ah know ya would probably spread some lie 'bout me an' all ah wanna do is leave, ah don't care if ya don't believe mah "story" ah really don't."
Gideon was ready to get out and luckily a certain polar bear came through the door.
"Hey Swinton, letting you know we got a wanted raccoon on the loose I got what we needed from Solomon, so his pal here is good to go, but Solomon isn't just yet, he's being held up at the moment."
"B-b-but Grizzoli, their stories, they don't line up at all. It makes no sense to let them go just yet."
"Listen here Swinton, we have jobs to do, and wasting time on your conspiracy theories is something we don't have time for. LET'S GO!"
"Fine! One of these days you guys will see that I'm right, you'll see. You'll ALL SEE!"
"Thanks, uh, Grizzoli was it, ah'll be making mah way out now, bye."
Gideon was beaming, he was ready to leave and Grizzoli helped him out. He was making his way to the door before having his grabbed much to his displeasure.
"Ah- ah- aah. Now that she's out of the way, I'll be the one to ask the questions."
Gideon made an audible groan, not wanting to answer anymore of the questions that he wouldn't have answers to, but he sat back down, with a sign to let it be known that he was annoyed.
"Okay, easy question, how is Solomon as a friend, anything that set you off, any red flags?"
Gideon was surprised about this being a question. What did his friendship have to do with him being tased by Ryker.
"Oh, Solomon's a great friend, he's nice, he's honest, he's got this really cute thing that he does when he eats raspberries, really nice to have around. Only that ah can say bad about him is that he's overprotective." Gideon noticed the look on Grizzoli's face it was the same one that he had when Solomon and him had talked about the incident.
"Ah see the look on ya face, an' ya don't have t' worry ah already talked t' him about how ah don't want 'im to get arrested trying t' protect me. Ah do get the worry though, he almost attacked Stu when he came to check on me. Ah'm worried about 'im too, but ah trust that he can do better."
Grizzoli looked at Gideon and gave him a small smile and hugged him, "Take care of the punk, okay. Don't know what I'd do if he got locked up for being overprotective. Don't need that on my mind while I'm working, hehe."
"Ah'll try mah best," Gideon said being honest. He knew that if Solomon ever went like he probably wouldn't be able to just talk him out of it. He's scared of what may happen in the distant future.
There you are, I've been waiting for forever, oh and Judy said ,"H-." Oh.
He didn't get to finish that sentence as he got hugged by the fox. "Thanks, I kinda needed that."
They were finally off back to the burrows, after showing Gideon around that is, in Gideon's pie truck and after sharing a pie they went on with the rest of the day going to their respective homes and said their goodbyes.
"Night, Gideon, see you tomorrow."
"Night Solomon."