Born to Be Drabbles Chapter 24: Deus Vex Machina, a zootopia fanfic

Here it is, at long last, the grand finale!

No, not of Born to Be Wilde quite yet, and not even of Born to Be Drabbles technically, but this is the fourth and final part of the Vexey arc! Poor girl's been getting shafted even in her time in the spotlight.

Drabble 24: Deus Vex Machina

Foxden

The Mild Manor

5:26 PM

*THUMP*

A fourteen-year-old Vixey Wilde sat slumped against the desk in her father's office, tossing a ball at the opposing wall and then catching it on the rebound. She'd been doing this for some time now. It was about the extent of what the red fox considered fun these days.

"Hey there, sport!"

Her father sat down next to her, ignoring her displeased grunt in response. "Sorry that you failed your lessons again today. I'm sure you'll get it next time. How does the saying go again? If at first you don't succeed, you keep on failing until you do! Something like that."

Her reaction was reflected not only in her expression but in her clothes, a dark black t-shirt and ripped jeans that clashed with her bright and vibrant fur color.

"Are you still studying the book?"

She sighed.

"Yes, I'm studying the book, Dad."

His usual grin was especially forced today. Though to Vixey, that had

become his usual grin. "Just making sure. Any part you need some help with? If there's a fault in the book itself, then the failure isn't entirely on you."

"Please stop using that word."

"What word?"

She clenched her teeth, almost tempted to sink them into the ball she was still throwing. "Failure."

He raised a claw. "Technically, I only used that word once. I did use 'failed' and 'failing' before though, oddly excluding the base word 'fail'. Should I stop using that entire etymology?"

Vixey didn't know what that meant, but she nodded anyway.

"Well, I'll try!" he laughed. "You know me. Sometimes my words just spill on out uncontrollably. It's a personal failing on my part. Oop! You see, I slipped up already! But at least it's not just you, right?"

She didn't respond to that at all.

"Right! Well, you keep at that we won't stop trying! Tomorrow's another day!" He patted her shoulder and stood back up again, exiting the room as she returned to her current study of ball physics.

*THUMP*

And she threw the ball again.

*THUMP*

And she threw the ball again.

*THUMP*

And she threw the ball again.

Vexey panted, lifting the ball and chain back over her shoulders. The grey-adjacent fox glared at her target, then spun the ball around and flung it forward.

It made a direct impact with the center of her dartboard, crushing multiple pictures of both Nick and Reynard in the process. But it still wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

*THUMP*

"...Lady Reynard?"

Vexey whirled around, causing the steel ball to go inadvertently flying at Up and Down. The twin corsac foxes stepped to either side to let it land between them. "What is it?!" she snapped. "Can't you see I'm trying to vent here?!" Behind her, the dartboard slowly cracked down the middle, then split in two.

"Er...yes, we can," Down said nervously. The dartboard hadn't been the only victim of her teenage rage. Most of the purple and grey office was trashed, the walls battered, the desk collapsed, and even the fish tank getting a sizable crack in it, just enough to cause a small leak to trickle onto the nearby carpet. All of that redecorating, gone to waste in the space of one bad day. "We just came by to deliver a progress report."

"As you asked for," Up reminded.

Vexey scowled, but was content to just lean back against the wall for now. "Alright, what do you got?"

Down cleared his throat and stepped forward, trying not to trip over the limp chain on the floor. "Our forces have scoured all of Foxden and found no trace of those cops Mr. Grey led here. It appears they really have flown the coop."

"Which isn't usually a desirable outcome for foxes," Up remarked.

"But in this case it's a good thing!"

"And that moving truck they came in?" she asked. "Anything worthwhile?"

"Depends what you mean by worthwhile," Up answered carefully. "All the tech they used to monitor us was left behind, so we could probably make a good salvage out of that. They didn't actually bring any of Gideon Grey's real good baked stuff though."

Her scowl only deepened. "So what you're telling me is that we don't have any of his products to sell ourselves, or even the ability to reverse-engineer his goods to get the recipes. That's a thing you can do with food, right?"

Up shrugged while Down wisely changed the subject. "But we still have Gideon himself, not to mention the Hopps parents and the assistant mayor of Zootopia. That's nothing to sneeze at. So at least it wasn't a complete failure, just-"

"I AM NOT A FAILURE!" The ball was in her claws once more and Vexey screamed as she threw it at them again, this time not by accident.

The corsacs dove to the floor, letting it strike the spot behind them with enough force to tear up part of the carpet. "I-I meant nothing of the sort!" Down quickly assured.

"Would another relaxing footrub help?" Up offered.

"The only thing that will relax me right now is results!" Vexey pulled the ball back to her in one swift motion, narrowing her eyes at the duo warningly. "So you had better give me something to work with, my dear Royal Attendants."

They scrambled back up, Up adjusting his glasses. "Well...we could try to persuade Mr. Grey to work here again. We still have our hostages, so-"

"No," she cut him off, turning around to face the wall. "I'm done trying to talk sense into that guy. But...we can still get info out of him, can't we? Find out how to make his goods from the number one source."

"Theoretically, yes," Down replied. "But even with his jolly demeanor, I doubt it'll be easy to get a professional baker to leak his secrets."

She looked over her shoulder at them. For all the differences between Vexey and her father, the smile she bore now looked very familiar. "Then it's a good thing that isn't my problem. Get to work."

They were barely out the door before the thumping started up again.

5:31 PM

"Should we be concerned about her?" Up asked as they headed down the hall. The floor still shook a little.

"As long as she's spouting orders, she's cognizant enough to lead. For now."

"But that still leaves us the problem of how to get Mr. Grey to cooperate."

"Yes. We're definitely going to have to get our paws dirty on that one."

"Perhaps we should sneak back to Bunnyburrow and steal his cookbook or something."

"Or the food itself."

"Are you just trying to get more of that pie, brother?"

"You must admit, it was irresistible."

"It was. But do you know what else is irresistible?" Up suddenly pulled ahead and stopped in front of his twin. "Power. And we must do all we can to hold onto it."

Down nodded. "Of course. I'm simply suggesting that we steal some of his food and...how did our mighty queen put it...reverse-engineer it?" He laughed.

Up laughed too, walking alongside him again. "...Really though, is that a thing?"

"Beats me."

"Hmm. In any case, maybe we shouldn't draw such undue attention to ourselves. The police will likely be guarding the place, and they're much braver on their own turf."

"Yes, you're right. That would be bad."

"How bad?"

"We could start another pie fight."

"That would be bad!"

"And wasteful!"

"We could get arrested too!"

"Oh, that's even worse!"

"We'd get sent to prison!"

"I hear prison pie tastes awful!"

"Now I'm quite sure that isn't a thing!"

"We're yelling a lot!"

"We are indeed!"

"Perhaps we should stop!"

"Perhaps you're right!"

They took a simultaneous deep breath. "It appears we have no other option then," Down concluded.

"We must get that baker to spill his guts."

"Under threat of spilling them for him."

"Dark, but not inaccurate."

Down's phone rang, bringing them both to a stop. "This part may be concerning, however." He looked at the caller ID.

Big Daddy Rey Rey

They had once agreed to never call him that again. And they hadn't. Not to his face at least.

"The Count?" Up asked, furrowing his brow. "Why is he calling now?"

"Well, I know why he's calling me and not you."

"Why is that?"

"So he can open with 'What's up, Down?' Again."

"That sounds about right."

"Should still answer though."

"Probably should."

As Down answered the phone, Up looked away for a moment, knowing this would not be a short conversation. Nothing involving Reynard ever was.

Up turned back, and then his world was forever changed. Down slowly put away the phone, his eyes concealed by the shades but undoubtedly wide judging by the rest of his body language.

"Brother?" Up stopped again to gently shake his arm. "What is it? What did he say?"

Basement

5:33 PM

*THUMP*

"She's, uh, really going at it up there, huh?" Sunny said, the chocolate-colored rabbit chuckling nervously to himself. The thumps were much fainter from down here, but it was easier to look up than down when you were chained and suspended over a tub of acid.

Or fur remover. Regardless, it was an experience he got to share with his good friend Gideon and the parents of his favorite hero cop. Under normal circumstances, this would be one of the biggest highlights of his life. It still was in terms of memorability.

"She's upset because of me," Gideon sighed. "I betrayed her trust."

"With all due respect, bud, it was a police sting. That's kinda how they work. Besides, she tried to sabotage your business and force you to move out. You can't feel that sorry for her."

"Oh, she's really not so bad once you get to know her," Bonnie assured.

"Yeah, a real stand-up gal that one," Stu agreed.

"She kidnapped you!"

"You know how teenagers are," Bonnie said with a shrug. "And so do we after hundreds of them. So impulsive."

Sunny gave up at that point, turning back to Gideon to see the fox practicing his breathing. "What are you doing?"

"Just a little somethin' my therapist taught me. Breathing slowly, trying to suck in my gut. I'm thinkin' I might just be able to wriggle my way out of these here chains." They rattled loudly, as if in agreement.

"Whoa now!" Stu held firmly to the chains from within. "Even if you can pull that off, you'll only fall right into that pit of furlessness below."

"I reckon so. But I'll still be free. Then I can lower the rest of y'all."

Sunny looked down at the sickly green mixture. "Talk about taking one for the team."

Gideon continued to breathe in and out, slowly shrinking his belly and slipping further and further through the chains confining him. The rabbits held on for dear life as he finally slipped through, falling into the tub with a splash and a sizzle.

"Ooooh, I can't watch!" Sunny winced, closing his eyes.

"It's really not so bad," Gideon assured. "Just a bit of a tingly feeling. Almost tickles a smidge." He stepped back out of the tub and then put his paws to it, once again having to hold his breath as he shoved it out of the way of his friends' landing. Then he reached up to start fiddling with their chains as well.

Sunny mustered up the courage to open his eyes again. "I...guess you're right. Looks like the stuff only got to your feet." It felt redundant to call him barefoot, but in this case it was on a whole new level, his feet exposed down to their pink fleshiness while the shed fur floated inside the tub. A casualty of his brave sacrifice.

"Judging by the breeze, it got a bit more than my feet, but I'll manage." Gideon got the bunnies out and set them down gently on the floor.

"Much obliged, Gideon," Bonnie said, dusting herself off.

"I knew partnering up with you was the right decision!" Stu laughed, giving him a hearty slap on the knee.

"Yes, yes, you did good, but we really should get a move on," Sunny advised, looking around the messy basement warily. "We have no idea when they'll come back to check on us."

"ACHOO!"

"Gesundheit, brother."

Up and Down stood at the exit to the basement. And considering said basement was hidden within a secret passageway behind the giant portrait in the main hall, odds were good that it was the only exit.

"It appears our prisoners have escaped," Up noted.

"It's impressive."

"Not quite the word I was looking for."

"Inconvenient?"

"Better, if somewhat underselling it."

Bonnie and Stu were quick to hide behind Gideon's impressive girth. "Careful now. Those two are the ones who abducted us."

Sunny hid too. "Yeah, you'll have to stay on your weird, pinkish toes for this one!"

Despite their small statures, the three bunnies actually managed to push him forward a bit. "H-Hey, hold on a sec!" Gideon protested. "Y'all are expectin' me to actually fight these guys?"

"Sure am!" Stu answered. "We know you're a good fellow, Gideon, so don't feel bad if ya have to rough 'em up a little."

"And hey, at least they're male, so you don't have to be all chivalrous like with Vexey," Sunny pointed out.

"That wasn't just a chivalry thing! I'm a pacifist!"

"Maybe not the best type to be playing hero," said Down.

"He's not wrong," said Up.

"You just gonna let them talk to you like that?" Sunny asked, still trying to shove the larger fox.

"I will when they've got swords!"

The rabbits all poked their heads out from around his bulk, now seeing the corsac twins and their glimmering katanas standing before them.

"Now that we have your attention," Up announced.

"We'd like to request some information from you."

"We want to know how to replicate your goods, Mr. Grey."

"Help us out and your services will no longer be required."

"You can all scamper off."

"Back to your mundane little lives."

"Except the assistant mayor."

"He's probably got it better."

Gideon paused, glancing back at the bunnies behind him for a moment. "Yeah? And what if I don't cooperate?"

The duo had their katanas pointed in his direction before he'd even finished talking. "Then we continue negotiations," Down replied.

"Using your little friends as leverage."

"Also as cutting boards."

"We made a whole list of colorful baking metaphors to use while we do it too."

"And some that may no longer be metaphors, such as 'bun in the oven'."

Gideon raised both paws. "Alright, alright, we can talk about this. My business ain't that important if my friends hafta suffer for it."

"Allow me," Sunny said abruptly, stepping out from behind Gideon and approaching the duo. "As you said, I am the assistant mayor of Zootopia. Who better to legitimize this deal?"

"Someone actually from the area," Down answered.

"You're a good bargaining chip, but you have no authority here," Up added.

"True, but as a politician, I do have something else that I know foxes like you value."

"What's that?" they asked in unison.

"Gumption."

Sunny shot forward, planting his paws on the floor and then kicking out in two directions at once. He struck both of their ankles, kicking the corsacs' legs out from under them and toppling the twins. "RUN!" he shouted back.

Gideon needed a second just to process that. "Wow, I didn't know you were a fighter, Sunny!"

Up and Down attempted to lift themselves only for Sunny to kick them both in the back of the head. "I'm not! I'm a rabbit! I can move fast and kick things! Now GO!"

"Wait, then you're…" Gideon looked behind him again, at Bonnie and Stu Hopps. Normally, he'd be more than stubborn enough to refuse to leave Sunny behind, but in this case, he'd only be endangering more lives by not following his heed. This is not the kind of moral dilemma any baker should have to face.

But face it he did. "...Alright. But you had better be right behind us, ya hear?" He didn't spare the usual courtesy of waiting for a response, forced to leave his politeness behind as well.

Sunny watched them hurry out of the room, his relief cut short by a pair of arms swinging up to backpaw him in the face. He hit the floor hard and rolled away as Up and Down finally pulled themselves together.

"What word would you use to describe this turn of events, brother?" Down asked, both katana blades now pointed at the bunny.

"I'm not sure yet. But the phrase 'biting off more than you can chew' comes to mind."

"Another metaphor?"

"That remains to be seen."

Main Hall

5:50 PM

The giant portrait of Vexey shuddered and then lifted up to let Gideon and the Hoppses escape, before closing rather ominously behind them. Gideon tried his very best to ignore that.

"He'll be okay," Bonnie assured. "I've seen him on TV before and his dedication is more than just a public platform. In that regard, he really could give Judy a run for her money."

Gideon just nodded, not quite believing it but not having the time to worry about it either. "Looks like the place is empty." Just a whole lot of purple every way he looked.

"You did cause quite an uproar," Stu reasoned. "My guess is most of them are still out there trying to clean up that mess. And that gives us the perfect chance to escape."

"Yeah...escape." He gave one last look back at the closed portrait before steadying himself. "Then let's get you guys outta here. Definitely not using the front door, so we'll sneak out the back."

Even with the mazelike interior of the manor, the group navigated it with little difficulty, soon winding up in a kitchen that overlooked the back patio. And it quickly became apparent why Gideon's baking skills were so valuable to them because the place was a bit of a mess. "Everything about this day is just upsetting," the fox lamented, looking over the remains of an egg that had not only missed the pot but somehow ended up splattered against the wall. Not that his own bakery was in much better shape the last he saw of it. All the more reason to get back there pronto.

Yet he remained rooted to the spot, even as Bonnie and Stu peeked out the rear window and gently nudged it open. "All clear," Stu said, looking back at him. "You might wanna use the door though."

"I...I can't leave yet."

"Why not?" Bonnie asked, while Stu groaned in frustration. "This isn't still about Sunny, is it? I promise, we'll get help as soon as we can, but it's just too dangerous to go back now."

"It's not about him." Not entirely at least. He pointed his nose up toward the ceiling, which still vibrated from the continuous impacts a few floors above.

*THUMP*

"I need to talk to Vexey again. One more time. She deserves another chance."

"To give you a concussion?" Stu asked incredulously. "I know what we said about her not being so bad, but take it from someone with experience, you are not equipped to handle a rebellious teenager lashing out."

Bonnie nodded, her own experiences showing plainly in her haunted eyes. "And that's when they're only lashing out with words, not medieval weaponry."

"Exactly. She's hurtin' and she needs help."

"But does it have to be your help?"

"At this point, I think it does." He brushed off some fallen flakes from the ceiling that got caught in his headfur. "She made it pretty clear that she's got nobody else."

"Gideon…"

Despite his reasoning, the two rabbits didn't budge, just standing there in front of the open window and waiting for him to come to his senses. He wondered if this was how Sunny felt.

Gideon approached them. "You're right. Going up to see Vexey now would be stupid, reckless, and an all-around bad idea. I'm sorry."

He pushed both of them through the window. "So sorry!" He closed and locked it behind them. "My fault!" Then he ran to the door and locked it as well. "Sincerest apologies!"

And then there was one. Hoo boy, this is a really bad idea.

Gideon ran back the way he came, then up the stairs in the main hall. Between the repeated thumping sounds and Vexey's somewhat unnatural scent, it wasn't terribly hard to track her down. And in any case, looking for her on the top floor was just sort of a given in a place like this.

She wasn't in her room, but Gideon took a brief moment to look in there one more time. An average little girl's room belonging to a not-so-average little girl. He didn't have the full story of what she'd been through under her father's tutelage, but he'd heard enough. Whoever Vexey was before all that, he decided he wanted to meet her.

*THUMP*

Which was, unfortunately, going to require a heart-to-heart with her much moodier side. That one was close by.

Gideon approached a larger and more important-looking door, behind which the thumps were emanating. Then he hesitantly opened it.

"I told you not to bother me!" A familiar steel ball went flying through the open doorway, past Gideon's head and into the wall behind him. Almost broke some kind of record on getting that concussion.

He even more hesitantly poked his head inside, seeing a destroyed purple office and a confused Vexey staring back at him. "Huh? You're not Up and Down. My bad." She shook her head. "Wait, no it isn't! How the hell did you escape?!"

"To be fair, I did lose some fur in the process," he replied sheepishly, stepping fully into the room. "But it was worth it."

"Wait, you mean you did it on purpose? Willingly became a hideous, naked freak?"

"It was only some fur…"

"Hmph. You really must have been desperate to escape." She pulled the ball back to her, twirling it around as she aimed again. "Too bad your sense of direction sucks or you might've slipped away."

"Actually, I came back here on purpose too." Against his better judgment, he entered further and started moving towards Vexey and her whirling weapon. "I couldn't just leave without gettin' the chance to talk to you again."

"What's there to talk about?" she asked with a scowl, backing away but still swinging the ball. "How your fat, lying face lied to my face, you fat liar?"

"I'm sorry," he said, now using his apologies where he hoped they counted. "I was just tryin' to help Bonnie and Stu."

"I thought you wanted to help me!" She lashed out, finally swinging the ball at him. Gideon only dodged it because he'd been jumpy enough to expect it. "Instead, you chose to side with those damn rabbits!"

"This isn't about sides!" he insisted. "I want to help all of you!"

"Stuff it, Ponyanna! Even I know that's not how the real world works!"

"...That's an obscure reference."

"You see? Dad was wrong. I do read!" she snapped. "But you know, I am glad you came back here."

A small smile began to form. "Really?"

"Yeah. Beating against the walls and floors just hasn't been enough. I could use some live target practice!" She let out a yell and threw the ball at his face.

Basement

5:52 PM

Sunny was on the defensive from the moment he stood back up again. The corsac twins came at him with katanas swinging, their blades swishing around his arms and over his head. Only his natural rabbit speed and reflexes kept him out of harm's way, but as he'd already made clear, that was really all he had going for him.

"Your efforts are in vain!" Up boasted, the duo's combined attacks continuing to push the bunny back.

"You kept us busy so your friends could escape, but you're the most valuable hostage here!"

"It's not even a trade!"

"Mr. Grey will come running right back if he knows we've got you!"

"He's not the best type to be playing hero."

"But he's been playing it with gusto!"

Down finally kicked out and caught Sunny in the gut, punting the rabbit across the floor. Maybe it wasn't just his rabbit skills keeping him away from those swords. If they still wanted him as a hostage, then they'd need him alive.

Then again, he didn't necessarily need all of his limbs to remain a viable hostage, so dodging would still be wise.

"Maybe he's not the only one," Up suggested as they advanced on him.

"We've seen you on TV."

"Your admiration of Officer Hopps is no secret."

"Has that admiration become an aspiration?"

"A desire to be more like her?"

"But then, why are you in a suit?"

"And not in a badge?"

Up planted his sword into the floor, holding himself steady. Down leapt onto his shoulders and then sprung off, raising his katana high above the rabbit and bringing it down on his head.

Still on the ground, Sunny scooted forward so that the blade only stabbed the space between his ears. Then he kicked up to nail Down in the stomach and rolled out from under him. "I knew where I was needed. Plenty of rabbits are becoming cops now. I'll be behind the podium to support them every step of the way."

Down smirked, even as he rubbed at his stomach. "Noble. But not entirely true."

Sunny looked to the side, and darted back as Up ran in with a stab. The corsac stopped to help his brother. "We knew you were coming to Bunnyburrow."

"So we looked into your background."

The rabbit stiffened, looking around reflexively as if making sure there were no cameras recording this.

"You tried to join the ZPD," Up mocked.

"But you failed miserably."

"You weren't fit enough."

"Not like Hopps."

"I hear she knocked out a rhino during her training."

"Could you knock out a rhino?"

"Please. You can't even knock out poll numbers."

"Hiiiiiiyah!" Sunny jumped at Up, doing his best flying kick.

That Up easily blocked with the flat of his blade. "You have her spirit."

Then Down came in to knock him away with the hilt of his own. "Just not her skill."

Sunny fell again, trying to get up before both corsacs kicked him into one of the basement's support columns. "It doesn't matter...how I got this job...or why I'm here," the weary rabbit said, leaning against the column to stand back up. "I still have the dedication to see it through."

"You don't get it." Down shook his head, almost pitying. "Dedication is meaningless on its own."

"When you lack the ability to back it up."

"That's what makes Hopps special."

"And you not."

They both charged him at once, swinging their katanas in a scissor-like formation that would trap his neck in the middle. Despite the soreness of his beaten body, Sunny forced himself to duck, causing the blades to clang loudly against the metal column, then scurried around to the other side. "Not special, huh? You think an ordinary rabbit could've figured out what you're doing here?" The corsacs spun around to the back of the column and swung again, this time aiming for his legs. Sunny jumped as their blades made another clang, landing atop their blunt edges. "That the Foxden Mob is behind Fox Away?"

He jumped off again, landing on the floor and turning around to catch a quick glimpse of their shocked expressions. "What?!"

"Wasn't hard to figure out," he said, deliberately adding some smugness to his tone. "Not once I learned about the history of your organization and the faux attacks on Gideon. I'd almost call it obvious if foxes inventing Fox Away didn't defy all conventional logic."

"The Count is not a conventional sort," Up replied.

"That's how he got to be on top."

Neither of them sounded particularly happy about this.

"And now Vexey is on top, huh?" Sunny asked. "She doesn't seem too conventional herself."

Down scoffed. "She is not even comparable to her father."

"A wannabe even lower than yourself."

"Father?" But they're not even the same species. Right?

"You know how they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree?" Up asked.

"In this case, it did."

"It fell so far from the tree that it rolled down a hill…"

"...into a river…"

"...over a waterfall…"

"...under a whirlpool…"

"...through a dimensional portal into a realm where trees do not exist."

"We do everything for her," Down insisted, giving a signaling nod to his brother.

Up nodded back. "She's only gotten this far thanks to our efforts."

"We're the ones who told her to launch this coup against her father."

"But the coup wasn't even our idea originally."

Sunny remained on-guard as Up and Down split up, running diagonally so that they faced him on either side. And being "on-guard" for a meek politician essentially meant that his prey instincts were kicking into high gear and his nose was twitching like crazy. "Then whose idea was it?"

They charged.

Up swung at him from the left. "Take!"

Down came in from the right. "A Wilde!"

Then they converged in the middle and both swung down at his head. "Guess!"

Sunny tilted his whole body to the right so that the blades came down on either side of him, missing him completely. However, he was still caught between them, a fact the corsacs took advantage of by bringing the katanas together to trap him completely. As Sunny squirmed around, they lifted him off the floor like a pair of tweezers plucking a stubborn splinter. "What do you mean?" he strained to ask. "Your old boss orchestrated his own dethroning?"

"You lack context," Up replied.

"But it went a little something like this..."

Up cleared his throat, suddenly taking on a more whimsical tone that was also somehow more sinister. "Up, Down, my faithful opposite-yet-symmetrical henchmammals, I have a job for you!"

"What is it, sir? We are at your command." Down's tone did not change, but he seemed to be playing the role of both twins in this recreation. And having an unsurprising amount of ease doing so.

"I'm completing preparations to leave for Zootopia in the next few days. While I'm gone, I need the two of you to look after my daughter and help her to accept my absence. But by 'look after' I mean 'manipulate', by 'help' I mean 'convince', and by 'accept my absence' I mean 'usurp my empire'."

Sunny was so baffled that he stopped struggling. "That can't seriously be how that conversation went."

Up shushed him. "Like I said, you lack context. May we continue?"

He would've shrugged if able. They continued anyway.

"I don't understand. You WANT her to take over? Remove you from power? Utterly?"

"I want her to at least attempt it. Think of it as a test. The standard kind hasn't really worked for her, but I'm not yet convinced that she's entirely lacking in potential. She was certainly motivated enough to dye her fur and disassociate herself from me, so perhaps my influence is holding her back rather than pushing her forward. This will be the perfect opportunity to find out. You'd be amazed the kind of things you can get mammals to do when they hate your guts enough."

"And what if she fails? Utterly?"

"Well, that would be a darn shame. Not a surprise though."

"And that is how the conversation went," Up finished.

"It seems the Count was right in more than one regard."

"But you don't want her to fail, do you?" Sunny asked. "Because if she's in power, then you're in power. That's just basic politics."

"Oh, but it's more than just that," Down assured.

"We have a different motive."

"A classic motive."

"Revenge."

"I...don't see the connection."

Their grips loosened a bit, the corsacs looking away. Sunny didn't try to break out then, but held still and kept watch until an opportunity presented itself. That too was basic politics.

"There used to be three of us, you know," Up finally said. "Usarionos."

"Doriliasmetrius."

"And our brother, Stylianmichalocolos."

"But everyone called him Sideways."

"Even the Count on the night that our brother died."

"He was killed in a bathroom sink by a toaster."

"He thought it would be funny to put it there."

"The Litmus Toast, he called it."

"A pun! Our brother is dead because he wanted to make a stupid pun!"

Now. Sunny had just enough wriggle room to get a little closer, lashing out and kicking both brothers in the face. Their sunglasses shattered under his feet even as their blades cut up his arms on the way down. Sunny hit the ground hard, but quickly darted away, fighting down the pain from his now bleeding arms.

The corsacs remained standing, the pieces of their former shades falling to the floor. As they glared down at him, Sunny could see that their eyes were bloodshot and sunken from lack of sleep. He was familiar with the concept of wearing a "mask" to hide your true feelings, but these two had accomplished it in a more literal sense.

"Well, we have a funny joke of our own to tell, don't we brother?!" Up asked, laughing already.

"Yes, just the kind of joke the Count loves so very much!"

"He wanted us to manipulate his daughter for him!"

"But instead, we'll do it for us!"

"And for Stylian!"

"We'll take everything that Reynard owns!"

"How's that for comedy?!"

"Good plan," Sunny said, even as his prey instincts started to flare up much more assertively. "But if he's thought of this much, you don't think he's considered you turning on him too?" If I can distract them long enough, maybe I can actually take them out. Wishful thinking or not, I have to try.

"But that's the best part!" Down cackled. "It doesn't even matter if he did anymore!"

"He called us just a short while ago!"

"And you know what he said?"

Up once again put on his Reynard voice. "I won't be coming back. Good luck out there."

"Nothing else! Can you believe it?!"

"He really has abandoned his daughter!"

"He's abandoned all of us!"

"And that leaves his scraps ours for the taking!"

"But first…" Down looked to his brother. "I believe we should finish dealing with this long-eared rodent."

"Yes, brother. Let's."

Sunny knew then that this window of opportunity had already closed. Up suddenly left Down's side and rushed over to the nearby wall. The lack of shades now gave Sunny full appreciation of how satisfied the corsac was as he pulled down a large lever.

Instantly, every light in the basement turned off. Only the occasional sparks of broken machinery remained. Otherwise, it was just a black void that now drove his prey instincts into a near panic.

From the darkness, he saw a pair of predatory eyes looking back at him. While Sunny was practically blind now, he knew they both saw him perfectly.

"You like to take advantage of your rabbit speed, do you?"

"Now let's try out your rabbit eyes!"

Vexey's Office

6:03 PM

While Gideon may have been a bully in his younger years, he had experienced the other side as well. As he started to grow up, and started to question his actions, he slowly grew softer and softer. With him still being a fox and all, this eventually resulted in him going from bully to victim throughout most of high school. He still had friends, and Travis mostly stuck by him (privately) despite him being "uncool" now, which really just helped to illustrate who his real friends truly were.

Another unexpected benefit was making him surprisingly good at dodgeball.

Gideon flopped to the floor to avoid the next throw, scrambling away as Vexey pulled the steel ball back to her. The next shot he jumped over, and the next, doing hurdles around the perimeter of the room as Vexey punched more and more holes into the wall. "Enjoying the workout?" she asked spitefully, aiming high again and forcing him to duck while still running. He'd almost done a full lap already and Gideon was no closer to stopping her.

He was good at dodging, yes, but not so much striking back. Gideon was still a pacifist at heart, and regardless of his conflicting feelings towards Vexey right now, he refused to fight her. He couldn't even imagine trying to excuse himself for that. "Hey Vexey, I'm sorry about hurting you emotionally, so now I'll just hurt you physically! That okay?"

It was not okay. Unfortunately, Vexey seemed to feel the exact opposite in regards to him. "Hold still, liar!"

"Apologies, ma'am, no can do!"

"Fine then!" She swung the ball over his head again, but suddenly pulled it down and then back towards his legs, tripping him from behind. Vexey pulled it back to herself, spun it overhead a few times, then threw it in an arc, bringing it down towards Gideon's prone form like a hammer.

"Eep!" As much as he would've loved to dramatically roll out of the way just in time, Gideon wasn't built for that. Not even dodgeball had prepared him for such a maneuver.

So he caught the ball instead, gripping it by its smooth sides and holding the spikes away from goring his face. "I think that means you're out!"

"We'll see about that," she grumbled, trying to yank the ball out of his paws. All that accomplished was pulling Gideon up into a sitting position. She kept tugging at the chain, but to no avail. "Hey! Drop it!"

"Don't think I wanna."

"Drop it, boy! Come on, drop it!"

"Doesn't seem wise."

"Bad boy! Drop it!"

"If I drop it, you're just gonna throw it again!"

"DROP! IT!"

Vexey screamed like a teenage banshee, finally managing to rip the steel ball out of his clutches. She proved less adept at catching it herself, however, and it plowed straight into her gut. "Ghaaaack…"

Gideon stood up again. "Aw raspberry fritters, I am so sorry! That was an accident!"

"Stop apologizing!" she wheezed, coughing up some spittle. "This is a fight!"

"That is a matter of opinion, ma'am. I never agreed to fight you and I don't agree now. I'm just tryin' to help you work through all that anger."

"Are you now? Well guess what? All this false kindness is only pissing me off more!" She threw the ball into the air with a little spin, then lifted her leg and kicked it at him with much greater speed than before.

Gideon had no chance to either dodge or catch it this time. The ball hit him square in the stomach with enough force to propel him back into the wall. He tried to get more words out, but the air had been knocked out of his lungs. The fox took a step forward, then fell onto his knees, gasping. Vexey didn't give him the chance to catch his breath again as she hooked the chain around his throat and walked up to him, lifting Gideon's chin to face her. "I know what you're trying to say. That it's not false kindness, right? That you really do care about me?"

He still couldn't manage to speak, but nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, thought so. Then tell me this." She leaned down, tightening her grip while staring him in the eyes. "Where do you get off telling me to stop repressing myself? You have a history of violence and aggression too, right? You told me so yourself. Yet you hide it behind this all-loving baker routine. Makes you kind of a hypocrite, don't it?"

"T-That's...different…" he finally choked out.

"Why? Because your repression makes you socially acceptable? Do I look like I give a damn about what's socially acceptable?!"

Gideon struggled against her grasp, just trying not to faint again. His paws wrapped desperately around the chain.

"Yet you still have some fight in you. How's about this, fat guy? I'll give you the chance to practice what you preach." She patted her stomach. "Come on, your arms are free. You wanna escape, then hit me for real!"

Gideon choked and gasped for a few more seconds before he gripped the chains tightly, slowly climbing back to his feet. Then he lifted his arms, extending them towards Vexey.

"Yeah, that's it," she egged him on. "Show me the real you!"

He pulled her into another hug, instantly souring her attitude again. "I-If you think this is gonna make me let up, then you've got another thing-AAAAACK!" She let out a very foxlike screech, her body going stiff and her fingers releasing their hold of the chain around Gideon's neck. Without that, the weight of the steel ball caused the whole weapon to slide to the floor as he lifted her off of it.

"Sorry…" he panted. "Don't know...my own...strength…"

Gideon and Vexey's comparable oxygen levels had nearly switched. "Not fair!" she protested, kicking feebly at his belly. "Bearhugs don't count!"

"It's a fightin' move...I just don't use it for such." He took a deep breath to perk up again. "Phew. Now if I may finish my thought while you're here, I ain't repressin' anything. Not anymore. It was my anger and aggression that was keeping me repressed. But I chose to become a better mammal, just like I choose now not to be a worse one. The real issue here, Vexey, is that you've never made any choices of your own."

"What are you talking about?! I've made choices! You think my dad wanted me to look like this?!"

"No, but I don't think you would've done it if not for him. Aren't you only rebelling against his influence because of his influence?"

Vexey froze up, and not just because he still had her in a vice-like baker grip. "I...I…"

Then she headbutted him, causing Gideon to yelp and drop her while she grabbed her chain and backed away. "How's that for a choice?!"

"Not a great one, if I'm being completely honest!"

"Yeah, well...ow." Vexey rubbed her sore head, regretting that choice already. "Yeah, well I don't need you to tell me how to live my life anyway!"

Trying to talk sense into this girl was giving Gideon a headache of his own. "You're very stubborn, you know that?"

"I'm nineteen, deal with it!" Vexey reached into her pocket and pulled out a small remote, like the kind you'd use for a ceiling fan. She clicked a button. "And now deal with this!"

A piercing alarm blared throughout the entire manor, punctuated by sharp, vulpine cries.

"YIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIP!"

"Here's another choice!" she yelled. "I choose not to deal with you anymore, so I'll just let my guards come up here and take care of you instead! Because that's what it means to be the Queen of all Foxes! So bow down!"

"WHAT?!" Gideon yelled back, not hearing a thing over the alarm.

"I-I said, I choose not to-!"

"WHAT?!"

"I choose-!"

"WHAT?!"

"Listen to me when I'm trying to be clever, dammit!"

Blackout Basement

6:01 PM

The oppressive darkness ironically made things abundantly clear for Sunny Lapinson. He was both a rabbit amongst foxes and a politician amongst belligerent civilians, natural prey on two separate levels. And now he knew how little chance he really stood.

Corsac eyes closed in from either side, Sunny's only warning before he started feeling the blows. A kick from the left, a knee from the right, the swish of a katana slicing threads from his suit or fur from his ears. They were still trying not to kill him, just not trying terribly hard anymore. He couldn't even tell which was which, not that there was much distinction to begin with.

"I don't think you're winning the fox vote, Mr. Assistant Mayor!"

"I wonder how this will reflect on your public image."

"If you can even show your image in public after we're done with you!"

He was again kicked to the floor, not even trying to get back up this time. Because he was a politician, not a supercop, and he seriously wasn't cut out for this. Up and Down stepped closer, not saying a word for once but still giving themselves away purely through the sound of their footsteps.

Well, there was that at least. Rabbit eyes, not so useful here, but rabbit ears? Now was their time to shine. The only question was if he still wanted to shine. He already knew he was outclassed, and no amount of Judy's "never know when to quit" attitude was going to change that.

But since when had a silly thing like sense ever stopped her?

Sunny kicked out, feeling his foot make contact with one of the corsacs' ankles and he didn't care which. The fox stumbled, then swung down at his head, the katana clanging loudly on the floor behind him as he quickly crawled out between them.

"This is getting very tiresome!"

"Just be a good little hostage and let us cut you!"

Sunny's ears twitched. Wasn't too hard to follow them that time. He'd like to say that he had entered The Mootrix and started dodging all of their attacks effortlessly in slow-mo, but it was more like blindly stumbling back and forth around them, using nothing but instinct and reflexes to just barely stay ahead. So exactly like before, except in the dark.

Still, it was working. He couldn't hold out forever, but the longer he could keep this up, the longer Gideon had to escape with the Hoppses. And his ears were still good to go for a while yet.

Until they weren't.

"YIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIPYIP!"

Sunny cringed, pulling his ears down around his head in an attempt to block out the grating sound. But he couldn't even block out the sound of Up and Down screaming over it.

"This alarm is rather obnoxious, brother!"

"WHAT?! I can't hear you over this obnoxious alarm, brother!"

Nevermind. This will do for a diversion. Now was the time to gather what little good judgment he had left and get the heck out of dodge. A task made more difficult by the fact that he was essentially down two of his five senses now. Sunny took off, figuring he'd most likely run headlong into a wall or another support column, but that would at least serve as a progress marker.

He didn't even make it that far, instead tripping over some indescribable metal object on the floor. The hazards of renting out a basement to a mad scientist. But the alarm drowned out the sound completely, so he was still basically undetectable with the bonus that no one had witnessed his embarrassing stumble. It was so loud that he was pretty sure he'd gone temporarily deaf and tuned it out.

"Hey! There he is!"

Or the alarm had just stopped. Oh sweet polls and ballots. Had to get one of those in.

He struggled to get back to his feet as quickly as he could, but he already knew it was too late. Though he still couldn't see them, his hearing now very clearly picked up the sound of both corsac twins charging him from behind, raising their blades to finish him off. Or maybe just sever his arms, legs, and/or ears. He couldn't say he was looking forward to receiving that clarification.

They swung, and he screamed. But they screamed louder.

The lights had turned back on, making Sunny wince and rub at his eyes from the sudden brightness. It was pretty bad for him, and significantly worse for a pair of nocturnal predators who refused to stop wearing sunglasses at night.

Up and Down staggered back, rubbing at their eyes. "Gaaah! Who turned on the lights?!" the former yelled.

"I kind of assumed it was you!"

"Why would it be me?! I've been standing here the whole time!"

"How should I know?! I can't see!"

Sunny recovered first, finally standing up again. A convenient turn of events, but they did raise a good point. Who did do that?"

"Hey, Sunny!"

Now standing by the entrance was a large group of rabbits that Sunny was certainly familiar with.

But it wasn't the Bunnyburrow police. It was the Bunnyburrow protestors, once again coming to his aid, dressed casually but armed with an assortment of farming tools turned weapons.

"How did you get in here?" Sunny asked, stunned.

"Bonnie and Stu told us about the secret passage behind the painting," one of them answered.

"But how did you know how to open it?"

"Didn't. Chewed through it."

Up and Down could finally see again, and their bloodshot eyes widened in shock at the sight. The rabbits looked back, and then began to advance on them. Sunny could see why. Now that the lights were back on, he could actually look at himself again, and he was an utter mess. Something now far more damaging to the corsacs than himself.

They began to back away from the approaching rabbits, dropping their katanas in a feeble show of nonaggression.

"There! See? We're not so dangerous!" Up insisted.

"Nothing to concern yourselves with!"

"Nothing to threaten you with either!"

"Well, except our claws."

"And our fangs."

"But we can't do anything about those!"

"And you bunnies are all about accepting differences, right?"

"So here's an idea: why don't we all just go our separate ways?"

"Except that idea is inspired by you!"

"So it's really your ideaaaAAAAAA-!"

"-AAAAAAH!"

As they continued to back away from the unmoved mob, Down's legs hit something solid and the fox tripped, grabbing onto his brother desperately and causing them both to fall backwards...

...directly into the tub of fur remover.

While most of the bunnies in attendance came from very different backgrounds than the assistant mayor, at that moment, every one of them understood what he had just been through. The agonized screaming of the corsac twins was an assault on their ears, and those that dared peer inside the tub immediately wanted to shut the lights off again.

Sunny turned away, cringing. "Yikes. Let's get out of here."

"Agreed!" said another of the rabbits. "Come on, we'll cut straight through the front!"

"But what about all the guards?"

He smirked. "What guards?"

Vexey's Office

6:09 PM

The alarm was shut off quickly, followed by Vexey stomping on the remote for good measure. "Yikes. That was more annoying than Dad's puns. And was that him doing the voice?"

Gideon didn't know, his ears ringing so much that he barely even heard her.

"But you're still screwed anyway!" she taunted. "I bet the entire neighborhood heard that alarm, so it's only a matter of time before they rush up here to kick your generous ass!"

"I'm none too pleased by that, but I do appreciate you callin' me generous."

"No! I meant-ugh, forget it!"

"Do you hear something?"

"Huh?"

Now that the alarm was gone, the office had become much quieter. Quiet enough to hear a low, persistent racket coming from outside. "That must be the sound of all my guards coming back in," Vexey said confidently, turning to the nearest window. "What the FOX?!"

The Mild Manor was in an uproar, the suited thugs of the Foxden Mob doing battle with the surprisingly persistent Bunnyburrow Police. They traded shots across the front garden, the mobsters doing all they could to defend the estate. In contrast to how their last encounter had gone, the cops now had greater numbers and thus a higher ratio of balls-to-bunny, putting up a real fight this time. Amidst the crossfire, the Reynard topiary was beheaded by a stray shot from Sheriff Hoppington, but even this wasn't enough to make Vexey feel better. "We have an entire town of enforcers! What are they doing?!"

By the looks of it, fending for themselves. Now that the foxes no longer had an assured victory, most of them were being scared off by the cops and just trying to save their own pelts. Even that fox kit with the slingshot had just sniped his mother and was now looting her unconscious body.

Vexey tried in vain to open the window before finally just smashing it open with her steel ball. "HEY! You've got a duty to vulpine royalty up here!"

"With all due respect, Lady Reynard, we're kinda preoccupied!" one of them yelled back.

"You think all of these rabbits are more important than me too?! Is that it?!"

"Well, no, it's just-!"

"Enough of your excuses! YOU'RE ALL FIRED!"

There was a noticeable lull in the gunshots. "...So just to clarify, you're saying that none of us work for you anymore?"

"That's what 'fired' means, dumbass!"

"Just making sure!" There was a further lull, and then everyone on the Foxden side promptly abandoned their posts and took off running, slipping out of the grounds through every available exit. The police didn't have the numbers to stop all of them from escaping, but plenty to storm the Mild Manor through the gaping hole they had left behind.

It was perhaps the fastest dissolution of a criminal syndicate in recorded history.

"W-Wait, no! Come back! I didn't mean it!" Vexey screamed, stepping away from the window in a panic. Her fear quickly turned to rage as she whirled around on Gideon. "This is all your fault!"

"I'm…not entirely sure how you came to that conclusion."

"Everything was going so well!" She threw the ball again, missing him but hitting the floor hard enough that it ripped an artificial scar into the carpeted version of her face. "I was finally in control! I had all of this to myself!" She sharply snapped it back and immediately launched it again, throwing it towards Gideon in an upward arc that nearly clocked him under the chin and went on to embed itself in the ceiling. "And I did it all without any stinking book!" She had to step on the chain and push down to dislodge the ball, which fell towards Gideon. He avoided it again, but not the large pile of debris that followed, burying the fox under broken ceiling tiles and a thick cloud of dust.

Vexey caught the ball as it returned to her again. "And then you came along. With all your politeness and self-righteousness, distracting me from my goal and getting in my way when all I wanted was for you to move your freaking bakery! Was that so hard?!"

Gideon coughed on the dust still crowding his airspace, slowly pushing himself out of the pile of rubble. "Not...as hard...as watching you do this to yourself."

She blinked a few times, before her gaze hardened. "You've always got something sappy to say, don't you?"

He smiled weakly. "Guilty...as charged, ma'am."

"THEN HERE COMES YOUR VERDICT!" She spun the ball and then kicked it straight at him.

Gideon had gotten into this mess by not knowing when to keep his head down, but he did so now, ducking quickly and letting it strike the surface behind him with a sharp crack.

"Oh for fox sake, I'll beat the stuffing out of you myself!" Vexey walked up to him just as the dust began to clear, painted claws bared. Only then did she see what it was that her last attack had struck.

It was the office's fish tank. Now with a massive crack in its surface that was quickly spreading.

She paled. "...Now who put that there?"

The glass shattered, sending a cascade of water onto both foxes. Gideon was still on the floor and partially buried, so he only got an impromptu bath, but Vexey was knocked clear off her feet and sent sliding across the carpet, finally washing up against what was left of her desk.

"Are you okay?" Gideon asked, shaking the water and remaining dust particles out of his fur. As he did, he saw the water pooling around him start to darken in color, a foreign substance mixing into it. He feared the worst until he saw that it was made up entirely of greys and blacks.

"N-No…" Vexey wasn't even looking at him, just staring down at herself, at the fur dye dripping down her arms and onto the floor.

So that explains her unusual scent. "You're...not a grey fox either?" It made him feel somewhat vindicated for being born with the surname he had.

Whatever brand Vexey had been using was most likely waterproof, at least to the extent that she could safely walk in the rain without it washing off, but a concentrated blast of water to the face had still done a number on it. She'd used her right arm to try to shield herself and now that arm was washed clean, revealing the bright orange fur underneath. Despite her efforts, the entire right side of her face had been exposed as well. Her left arm was still dyed, as was her left foot and a good portion of the left side of her face, extending up to her ear tip and stopping just below her eye. A few streaks of dye trailed down from there but none reached her chin. Even her tail had taken a hit, leaving most of it dyed except for the bushy brown tip and a sliver of orange just underneath. "Don't look at me!"

But Gideon had already gone beyond that, crawling over to sit next to her. "Hey, it's not so bad. I think your natural fur color is really nice."

"You think it's purty?" she asked mockingly.

"You said it, not me."

Vexey growled and raised her claws to swipe at him, but suddenly stopped, sighing and lowering them again. "Forget it. There's no point now. It's all over." She looked down at her reflection cast by a large shard of glass, taking all the fight out of her as she huddled her knees up to her chest and crossed her arms over them. "I don't like showing off who I used to be. It's easier to just stuff it all into my room and keep it to myself. Everyone else only sees this hardcore goth girl, wearing a mask of control and self-confidence. Not that it's fooling anyone…"

"For what it's worth, you were pretty scary with that ball and chain of yours."

"Thanks," she muttered, sparing a glance at the weapon now lying amidst a dozen flopping fish. "Just made something that seemed appropriate after I went dark mode."

"That why you dyed your fur? A kind of personal rebirth? Sorry if that's rude, I'm just curious."

She snorted. "Don't look too much into it, fat guy. It was just stupid teenage rebellion taking a stupid form. I couldn't be who I was, and I couldn't be who Dad wanted me to be, so I just...became something else instead. Out of spite really."

Gideon nodded as if he understood, though he couldn't pretend that he truly did. "Well, it's nice to finally see the real you."

"If this is the real me. I don't even know anymore. It's all muddled together now."

"Because of your father?"

She nodded. "You were right, you know. Whether I'm trying to gain his approval or trying to put him in his place, it's all about him. I've devoted my entire life to a mammal who couldn't care less about me, and for what? So I can prove that I'm somehow better than a brother I don't know?" She now looked at the broken dartboard, and the pictures of Nick scattered around it. "Or maybe just to prove that I'm worth something. That...I shouldn't have just been left to rot in an orphanage forever. Look how well that turned out."

"Don't talk like that," Gideon said, taking a chance by scooting a little closer.

She didn't even notice. "Why not? Just admit it already, I'm a complete failure."

"So you're not the best at being a crook," he conceded. "But you can be more than that."

"This again?" She shook her head hard enough to flick some stray water in his face. "I know you're just saying that to be nice. I can't be anything else. I'm not smart enough."

"Ya sure about that? Not everyone can be so introspective."

"So what, I should become a therapist?"

"No…" But you could probably use one. "I'm just sayin' that since this whole thing didn't work out, maybe now is the time to see what else ya can do."

"After I get out of jail, you mean?"

He flinched. "I'm sure we can get this all straightened out. It wasn't...entirely your fault. You were bein' manipulated by your dad, and I got some bad vibes from those guys with the funny ears too. Between me, Sunny, and the Hoppses, we'll put some good words in for ya." Which would be especially impressive coming from her kidnapping victims.

"Maybe…" Vexey stood back up again. "But I don't know. Even if I get off light, this whole place carries nothing but bad memories for me. Here and Bunnyburrow." She looked down at him. "Well, I guess the ones with you weren't so bad, for the most part."

He cracked a smile. "Glad to be a highlight, for the most part. So where do you wanna go?"

Vexey walked over to the broken window, looking down at the sight of her miniature empire collapsing before her eyes. By now, they could both hear the cops downstairs, slowly but surely making their way up towards the two of them. "I think I'm gonna head to Zootopia. They say anyone can be anything there, right? Sounds like a load of crap, but I'm willing to settle for just being something."

He didn't want to argue the point. "Isn't your father there now?"

"Yeah, but I'm going anyway. That old bastard has kept me down for the last time. And if I happen to run into him, I'll gladly tell him that to his face."

"Sounds like progress to me!" Gideon pulled himself back up as well. "Shame ya won't be around anymore, but I'll be happy to help ya pack when the time comes."

"Heh. I don't think you're catching my drift." She looked back to smirk at him. "I'm not spending another minute in this dump."

He really wasn't catching it, no. "But…the cops…"

"Give me some credit, I've still learned a bit of this trade." She headed back to the smashed desk and reached underneath it to press a hidden, still-functional button. A few seconds later, the entire floor directly beneath the desk lifted up like a trapdoor, revealing another secret passage with a firemammal's pole. "Like how to bail out when things get dicey. Also a good skill for teenagers."

The sheer sight of that almost distracted him too much to respond. "You mean you're leavin' just like that? What about all that stuff in your room?"

"Burn it if you want. I'm starting fresh."

"I...really don't think this is a wise decision," he advised, coming up behind her.

"Maybe. But it's my choice to make it."

Before Gideon could reply, Vexey whirled around and kicked him in the gut, sending the larger fox toppling to the floor. "What…are you…?

"Sorry. Nothing personal, and I actually do mean that. But you're too good of a guy not to try and stop me, and I just can't have that. Not this time. This is something I need to do on my own."

"Vexey…"

"It's Vixey." She shot him one last smile. "But thanks. It's been fun, Gideon."

She leapt onto the pole and slid down out of sight, the desk closing up behind her seconds later.

Gideon doubted his ability to pull the same maneuver, but any thoughts of going after her vanished as soon as the office doors were kicked open and the Bunnyburrow police stormed in. "Gideon!" Sheriff Hoppington yelled, rushing over to (attempt to) help the fox up. He didn't budge, mostly because he didn't feel like getting up. "Are you alright, son?"

"More or less." Physically at least, he'd come out almost unscathed.

"Where's Vexey?"

His question was answered by a low rumble from outside. It was enough to finally get Gideon upright as both of them rushed over to the window. A black pick-up truck tore out of the building, ran down the rest of the Reynard topiary, backed over it again, shredded it under its tires for a few seconds, then skidded out into the street and took off. The few cops that were still outside proved powerless to stop it.

"Well, that's where she is. Where she's heading I don't think even she could answer for sure."

6:17 PM

Sunny sat in the open back of what had once been the fake moving van, his injuries tended to by some of the other rabbits while he watched the police clean up. Foxden, or at least this part of it, was all but abandoned already, its residents having been trained by their own lifestyle to be able to pack up and leave at a moment's notice. Truthfully, they had made very few arrests as a result, but Sunny found himself perfectly satisfied with what they'd managed.

"Don't look at us!" Up screamed as he and Down were loaded into the back of a rural police cruiser. Both corsac twins were now completely pink and furless, shivering uncontrollably in this relatively mild weather.

"We're hideous, naked freaks!"

"Just kill us now!"

"And don't look at our bodies because of how hideous and naked we are!"

Deputy Travis slammed the door shut on them, snickering to himself as he joined the other officers in a quick donut celebration on the spot.

"Aren't you gonna join in on the festivities, boy?" asked Sheriff Hoppington, coming up to pass Sunny one of those donuts.

Which he declined. "I'm not really hungry. I have to know though, why did you guys come back to help us? Did Bonnie and Stu call for you?"

"That's right!" he confirmed, proudly adjusting the badge on his uniform. "They told us they got free and that the enemy was spread thin canvassing the neighborhood. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to launch a counterattack and try to bring down the Foxden Mob for good!"

Sunny narrowed his eyes. "So what you're saying is that the only reason you came back is that it was a low-risk tactical advantage that you personally benefited from?"

"Well now, when you put it that way, it reflects somewhat poorly on my character."

"Are you still a Judy Hopps fan?"

"Damn straight! I even have official membership in her fan club!" Hoppington pulled out a different, fake police badge bearing Judy's initials and a pair of tiny rabbit ears.

Sunny calmly stood up, snatched the badge out of his paws, and threw it as far as he could over a nearby house. "It's just been revoked." He might as well have done that to the sheriff's heart judging by the look on his face. Sunny hopped out past him. "If you have a problem with my decision, feel free to take it up with my complaints department." A dozen of his political supporters instantly glared in Hoppinton's direction, daring him to try.

He found Gideon over by the party, but also not partaking. "More for me," Travis muttered, shrugging as he left the fox sitting at one of the tables.

Sunny hopped up to take the polecat's place, tapping Gideon on the arm to get his attention. The effort seemed only partially successful. "Hey there, bud. How are you doing?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug. "Been better."

"Still upset about Vexey?"

"It's Vixey."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Gideon sighed. "I know I should be happy for her. Wherever she ends up, at least I know it ain't gonna be with her dad. I just can't help but worry."

"Nothing wrong with that. Just makes you a good friend." A sly smirk crossed his face. "Unless you're upset because you wanted to be more than that…"

In response, the fox took on the complexion of a tomato, in addition to the plumpness of one. "N-Now don't be silly! Sheesh, are those the kind of thoughts that go around just 'cause I'm frettin' a bit too much?"

"Relax! I'm just teasing!" he laughed, nudging him playfully in the side. "Don't let anyone say this pencil-pusher doesn't have a sense of humor. Besides, you wanna see frettin', just take a look at Bonnie and Stu."

The two bunnies were on the other side of the lot, currently yelling into a phone and passing it frantically back and forth like it was a game of Hot Potato. Even from that distance, they could easily hear them shouting variations of Judy's name.

"Apparently, they're having trouble getting through to her," Sunny explained. "To think, they just escaped from a hostage situation and they're still more worried about her. Compared to that, I think your level of worry is pretty reasonable. At least she has a truck, right? She can probably take care of herself just fine until she finds some other suburb to hide out in."

Gideon started to relax a bit. "Actually, she said she was heading to Zootopia."

His ears shot upright. "Oh, yikes! I've just started catching up on my emails and there is some serious shit going on over there right now! Talk about a heck of a time to move in!"

Gideon put his paws on his hips and furrowed his brow slightly, about the highest level of aggression he was capable of. "Don't you have an assistant mayor's office to be running over there?"

He stiffened. "I-I probably should get back now, yes. Mayor Manchas is already blowing up my phone. Good talk though! And seriously, I'm sure she'll be fine!"

Sunny disappeared in a blur. Gideon wouldn't have been surprised if he somehow managed to run all the way back to Zootopia.

Compared to that feat, what did he have to fear about Vixey's journey? She was probably already halfway there by now.

The Middle of Nowhere

6:54 PM

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO SIGNAL?!"

Vixey pulled over to the side of the rural road and stepped out, seeing nothing but dirt roads and grass in every direction. Not that she was lost or anything. She had a GPS in her phone to tell her exactly how to get to Zootopia.

So it was the damn phone's fault for crapping out on her! She shook the thing violently in a futile effort to make it cooperate.

The half-grey fox shivered. The sun was going down and it was starting to get cold. She reached into the back of the pickup truck and pulled out a black hoodie to slip on, bearing the same winky skull emblem on its front and two holes in the hood to poke her ears through. It would both keep her warm and let her cover up most of her ruined dye job until she decided what she wanted to do about her appearance.

But for now, Vixey needed to find another way to keep going. She couldn't just wander around aimlessly until she stumbled upon civilization again. Her gas supply was finite, as was her phone battery and the fullness of her stomach. She rubbed at the corner of her eye, for just a moment starting to regret being so hasty in driving off.

Wait, that's it! Her phone wasn't getting a signal, but she had another kind of GPS built right into her own two eyes. She could accept being a red fox for now, as that particular species had the inherent ability to see the earth's magnetic field, one of nature's superpowers that manifested as a shadowy mark in her vision. Her ancestors had used it to pounce on burrowing prey, but it could also serve as a compass to guide her way north.

Now if only she knew which direction Zootopia was.

"GODDAMN IT!"

So brings an end to Vixey's tale of woe...for now. I realize this is somewhat of a bittersweet ending for her, but then again, this isn't so much an ending as a beginning. Because there was no way we were going to introduce Nick's long-lost adopted sister and then just have the two never meet. But that is for another time…

Coincidentally, we happen to have gotten quite the influx of fanart and commissions relating to Vixey around this time. Enough to launch a small "Vixey Week" and upload a new piece to my Deviantart account every day next week. How ironic that a character so used to being neglected and unloved has built up this kind of support.

Small shoutout to Upplet for providing a few lines during that final talk between Gideon and Vixey. And another to J Shute for teaching me that little fox factoid at the end. No, that bit about seeing earth's magnetic field wasn't just me making up weird stuff for once.