Author's Note: So I might soon get back to The Liaison, as I'm getting ideas back (might even write another story like it). Also, when this one's over, I'll start the prequel to the Lethal Paw trilogy, which will be a Vietnam War epic (I intend on being as respectful as possible because that war hits pretty close to home). And since I'd imagine you're all starved for a gunfight, I'll throw you guys a bone.
Chapter Eight: Proving Grounds
Skye's Apartment
(Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley)
Skye Frost went home confused. She could've sworn that her partner hated her guts until now. With all the insults and name calling, Nick had to have been trying to push her away. Maybe it was true, just not for the reasons she thought. She plopped down onto her cheap mattress and stared up with her electric blue eyes, trying hopelessly to make sense of it all.
Never meet your hero, thought Skye, seeing plenty of truth in the mantra, this is not the Judy Hopps I idolized as a kid. Just how bad did Nick Wilde's death have to mess her up? And did she really have to tell me that her asshole son might have the hots for me? I know she was drunk but that was still weird?
None of those questions she could answer for herself.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
Skye snapped back to reality and looked at her phone, noticing it was her dad calling. She decided to answer it, hoping that maybe he could set her straight.
"You're up late dad," said Skye.
"I just wanted to make sure my baby girl is staying out of trouble," replied Mr. Frost, "you know, with two psychopaths running around."
"You know about that too," asked Skye.
"Every once in awhile I watch the news," replied Mr. Frost, "and I could have sworn I saw you standing next to the weirdest looking fox on TV today. Is that your partner?"
"Yeah that's Nick," replied Skye, "real pain in the neck."
"Nick who?"
"That's not important," replied Skye nervously, not wanting her father to know who exactly her partner was.
"He kind of looks like another fox who made the news awhile back," continued Mr. Frost, "what's his last name?"
"Wilde," said Skye hesitantly, "his name is Nick Wilde Junior, and yes," she continued, "he's related to that Nick Wilde."
"That's cool," said Mr. Frost, "but why does he look all weird, with the long ears and shit?"
"He's half rabbit," replied Skye, "and his mother's our boss."
"She must be very proud," said Mr. Frost.
"Maybe deep down," said Skye, "but he gets on her nerves all the time. And I just had the most insufferable night of my life today, so I think that's enough."
"No," said Mr. Frost, "don't hang up. You need to talk about it."
"No Dad," replied Skye.
"Yes you will," replied her father, "I need to know if something's bothering you."
She thought about it, then decided to let it out.
"I had to meet one of the nutjobs who escaped today at a strip club," said Skye, "where my new partner regularly frequents, and it gets worse. He has a thing for arctic fox girls. My entire work life got ridiculously awkward in just one day! I don't want to face him again."
"Did he touch you anywhere," asked Mr. Frost, "ask you for sex? See you naked? Do I need to come up there?"
"None of that," replied Skye, "although he may have had a raging erection when talking to me a couple times."
"As protective as I am," said her father, "I don't think you'd have a problem with your partner. Just make sure to establish some boundaries and if he knocks you up, I'll kill him."
Skye couldn't help but laugh a little.
"Well goodnight kiddo," said Mr. Frost, "get plenty of rest for tomorrow. Maybe your mother and I should come visit you and your new friends and coworkers this Christmas."
"Maybe so," replied Skye, "goodnight Dad." She then hung up and went to sleep.
The Natural History Museum
"If we are going to be partners," said Skye to Nick, "we are going to be partners with boundaries."
"Couldn't agree more," replied Nick, "I don't like you that much anyways."
"Okay," said Skye as they walked up the crowded stairs to the fossil of a wooly mammoth, "I know that's a baldfaced lie. I know you have a fetish for arctic foxes."
"It's not a fetish," said Nick, "it's a preference. I have a type so to speak. My ideal gal looks sort of like you, but less uptight and I don't work with her."
Skye glanced down at Nick's pants to confirm her suspicions, and she noticed something.
"You're hard right now," said Skye accusatively.
"Shut up," snapped back Nick quietly.
"Are you imagining me naked?"
"I don't want to do this."
"Did you jerk off last night?"
"Please damnit."
"How do you rate me, anyways? 8? 9? 10?"
"For God's sake," said Nick, "I'm in enough trouble with Hopps already, both with her as my boss and as my mother! I don't want to jeopardize my job anymore!"
"So you get that I'm off limits," said Skye, "right?"
"All too clearly," replied Nick, "besides, you'd probably be a terrible date anyways. Now can we shut up about my personal issues and get the fuck to work."
"Sure thing big boy," teased Skye, causing Nick to get a defeated look on his face.
They walked into the main corridor, where they could see a pit area in the center, and the precinct building on the other side, through the glass doors. Standing on the other side of the pit was a zebra with his mane dyed bright red and wearing a crimson jacket that seemed to be weighed down by some heavy objects.
"That pit is bad news," said Nick, "mom used to tell me about the two times she got caught up in there and nearly died."
"Twice," asked Skye, "you mean there was another time after the nighthowler conspiracy."
"My parents investigated way scarier than nighthowlers," said Nick, "but that's not for me to tell you about."
As they got close to David, they put their paws on their pistols, ready to draw at the first sign of trouble. David spotted them and grinned menacingly.
"If it isn't daddy's boy and the hot dyke," taunted David, "I'm glad you two didn't pussy out on me. Want to play a little game?"
"We don't have time for games," snapped Skye.
"Oh," said David, "a spicy taco indeed. Well too bad, because I'm currently wearing a suicide vest and carrying a shitload of firepower. I'll kill both of you and myself if you try to arrest me."
Nick pulled out his 1911, and Skye followed his lead, aiming for the head.
"You have a dead mammal switch," asked Nick.
"I'm crazy," replied David, "not stupid. Kill me and you die right here, right now. Play this game and you might make it to tomorrow."
"What game," asked Skye.
"On my signal," said David, "I'll start the timer for one hour on a car bomb I parked in front of the precinct. You cheat and call for backup, I detonate it. Just walk over there and turn it off"
"You call that a challenge," asked Nick, "it's right across the street."
"My guys will be shooting at you," said David, "starting right now." He then whistled very loudly and about seven mammals wearing heavy jackets dropped them to reveal automatic weapons.
"It's a trap," screamed Skye.
"No shit," said Nick as the suspects opened fire, not seeming to care what they hit as David walked out laughing sadistically.
"We got to take these guys out before they kill everyone," said Skye.
"You go left," said Nick, "I'll go right!"
Brakabrakabrakabrakabrakabrakabrakabrak!
Machine gun fire echoed throughout the building, as well as the screams of panicked civilians who rushed to get out and avoid being gunned down. Skye dove under some of the larger mammals to get to the shooters and avoid being seen. She eventually found herself face to face with the bull from the club last night, who was carrying an AK-47 with two magazines taped together. The bull aimed it at her and grinned.
"We meet again," he said smugly.
Bang!
Skye shot the bull in the chest, causing the suspect to faceplant onto the tile floor, leaving the AK at his side. Skye walked over the dead bull and proceeded to her next target.
Meanwhile, Nick spotted two shooters in the open, the antelope that was with Joker last night, carrying an Uzi, and a skunk wearing gold chains and ripped jeans with a Glock 18 machine pistol.
"This motherfucker's mine," said the skunk, who then fired the machine pistol.
Thakathakathakathakathakathakathakathakahtakathaka!
He burned through the entire clip and fell backwards, not knowing the gun. Nick took advantage of this and capped him as he fell.
Pop! Pop!
The skunk was dead before he hit the floor. The antelope noticed this and fired the Uzi, only Nick to fire on him as he sprayed from the hip.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Nick hit the antelope three times, one in the left thigh, one in the stomach and one in the neck. The shooter gagged as he fell to his side, spraying bullets into the air until he hit the floor. Then he stared at Nick while he rapidly bled out. Nick just walked past him.
Skye soon found herself in trouble, as a tiger wearing a black t-shirt and blue sweats armed with an MP5 ambushed her, slamming the fox into a pillar with his forearm. He then gave her an ice cold scow as he aimed directly at her head. Skye was terrified, but she also knew that she still had her M9 in paw.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
She fired multiple shots at the tiger, with two in the chest, one in the mouth and one just below his left eye, leaving the tiger dead before he hit the floor. Skye then had to quickly roll to the side to avoid being crushed by a corpse that was significantly larger than her.
"Get the bomb," shouted Nick from across the room, "I'll take care of the rest."
"You sure," asked Skye.
"I'm a tough motherfucker," said Nick, "these bastards can't kill me. Now go!"
Skye ran for the door, hoping to make it to the bomb before it was too late. She noticed a suspicious white panel van, like what a pedophile would drive, parked right in front of the main entrance. "That has to be it!"
Nick, meanwhile, had just put a fresh clip into his 1911 as he stood over the body of an AK clutching bison wearing a red flannel shirt that he just finished off. "Two more of these fuckers left," he muttered to himself. He then spotted a tasmanian devil charging after Skye with an Uzi.
Pop! Pop!
"One more," he muttered as the tasmanian devil collapsed after taking two in the back.
"Raaaaahhh!"
Nick suddenly felt the force of someone swinging their gun at him and being launched into the pit. His pistol went flying out of his paw as he landed in the dirt. He then turned around and saw a coyote standing over him pointing an MP5 at him.
Shit, he thought, I'm unarmed!
The coyote couldn't help but climb down and get closer, which Nick seized the opportunity and leapt onto his attacker. He got onto the coyote's right shoulder, out of reach for the gun, and clawed the suspect's face.
"You son of a bitch," grunted the coyote, who began to wildly shoot into the air.
Brakabrakabrakabrakabrak!
Nick then swung his legs around to form a chokehold on the suspect's neck. The coyote wheezed at the sudden lack of oxygen, dropped the gun and fell to his knees.
"Don't try anything," grunted Nick as he tightened his grip while the coyote flailed his arms around, attempting to fight back. Nick just kept holding on, waiting for the lack of oxygen to make the assailant pass out. Eventually, the coyote stopped moving, and fell face down, causing Nick to release his grip and fall over to the side. At least they now had a lead, once Skye found the bomb and the suspect woke up.
Skye shot the window of the van and climbed in, seeing a navy blue duffle bag in the passenger seat. She opened the bag and saw what looked like a digital clock wired to a bunch of putty. According to what she knew about bombs (mostly from movies), the putty was plastic explosive, and the clock, with a little less than twenty minutes to spare, was the timer.
She also found a note. This was the easy part, it said, just press off.
Skye took a deep breath, made the sign of the cross with her right paw, and pressed the off switch. After about thirty seconds frozen in fear, she realized that nothing happened.