Chapter 3: Back To Business
Bark spotted someone following him and B.B as soon as they entered Springyard City, but choose to ignore this for the time being. It wasn't until they left the liquor store that this stranger had returned with two others, then the polar bear knew they meant business.
Not wanting to cause a scene, Bark quickly texted Manic to come, then he told B.B to follow close so they could take the trio as far from civilization as possible.
They've reached a wooden bridge in a forrest that crosses a small river, and the stranger finally calls out to them.
"Hey big shot!"
Bark takes a drink of his beer and turns around
"What's up"
A short blonde/red haired female hedgehog, Nina, leads the trio, followed by a brown hedgehog with a rosta-style beanie, Lucky, and another male hedgehog with short bright green spiked quills, named Jamie. Manic briefly met this trio about a year ago during a "business" trip.
Nina steps forward "We know who you are, Bark-"
"Oh, ya do, huh? Tha's great. Am I supposed to know who any of you are?" He asks while finishing his beverage
She laughs dismissively "I wouldn't think you'd know us. We were just small time when you, Rosie, Nack and Predator Hawk were running Metropolis"
Bark throws the can away "I cut out a long time ago. I don't run with Hazard no more, lady"
"Oh yeah, we know 'cause we saw all four of you get busted by Sonic's crew a couple years ago... everybody knows you're real good friends with Manic the Hedgehog, now, but wasn't he one of them who got you arrested? Why are you traveling across the border with him?"
"It's one of d'em great mysteries, I suppose. Anyway, you three got a problem 'er what? Me and my buddy are kinda in the middle of a sixer"
Lucky starts coughing as he smokes a joint "...you dudes should really switch to the good shit. (cough) it's like medicine, guy"
Bark turns to the rosta-hat wearing hedgehog "You tryna be funny with me, kid?"
"No, I'm serious, bro, it's killer weed! We're not here to start trouble, believe it or not.. (inhale) ...wanna talk this over a couple 'a tokes?"
Jamie looks around the forrest and hears leaves crunching, telling him others are approaching.
"Shit, they just made us" Jamie says as he pulls out a retractable metal baton
B.B looks around "Who just made us?"
Instantly, 20 young men and women circle both parties and they're each carrying weapons of some sort. Bark growls as he readies himself, while Nina makes eye contact with the leader of this rival gang.
"King" she says quietly
A tall brown hedgehog in a black tracksuit blows a kiss her way, then gets face-to-face with Bark, standing just as tall.
"Hello wimps. Funny meeting you out this way, seeing as this is Raven's turf. Nina, I thought you knew better than to bring your friends into hostile territory?"
"We were just about to explain that to our guests, you backstabbing punk!" Jamie says
The smirk leaves King's face "Oh, come on, you know that's not what happened. Nero gave you the same opportunity he gave me, but I was smart enough to take it. Not my fault you wanted to be poor instead of rich-"
"By dealing with Lenn? Yeah, fuck that! That's pretty low, buddy"
King shakes his head "Well, that's your opinion, which is worth nothing, where as mine is worth - Simone, how much am I worth, currently?"
A Black haired female hedgehog quickly types on her phone "$3 million, boss"
Nina glares at her, then everyone looks back at King
"Point is-"
Manic drop kicks him in the back, cutting off the rest of his speech
"Let me stop you right there because I don't give a fuck! You leave my friends alone or I'll kick all your asses, I don't care who your boss is!"
One of King's lieutenants helps the tall hedgehog up and he stops himself from throwing a punch once he realizes who just attacked him.
"Manic?! What the hell are you doing out here?"
The green hedgehog cracks his knuckles "I needed a change of scenery"
Simone looks for the green medallion he used to have, which gave him special abilities for a limited time. She doesn't see it, but she also doesn't want to take a chance that he'll pull it out.
She shakes her head at her boss, and he backs down.
"...well, if you're making yourself comfortable in Springyard, you'd do your best to stay out of The Raven's side of town. These losers will let you know how much territory we own, Manic. So stay the fuck in your lane"
Manic lunges at King so he and the rest of his gang take off through the forrest to escape.
"...yeah, whatever. So, who are-"
Manic looks at Nina, Jamie and Lucky, recognizing them instantly
"I know you! You guys used to hang with Tail- I mean, Miles. Ha, I thought I recognized your faces when I got here"
Nina looks at her friends, then back at him "...you here on business?"
"You could say that, sugar-"
"Don't call me sugar, or any other stupid nickname you're thinking of. We saw your friend Bark enter our city and we know he's friends with you. Well, we're a bit short staffed and we know you two are good at the kind of work we do. So-"
Manic casually grabs a beer from B.B's backpack, cracks it open and drinks half of it in one gulp before answering
"You want our help"
"Like I said. We don't have much hands on deck and you guys know the job. So, yes or no?"
"Is the money good? We're not signing up if we're not getting paid top dollar"
Nina only nods her head, so Manic finishes his beer and makes up his mind
"B.B, go back to Mushroom Hill. We've got this"
The blue crow looks up "What? But I wanna come too!"
"I said go back to town, B.B. Now"
"Dude, this is bullshit!"
"Take the streetcar on third, that'll get you back in 5 minutes and you can avoid these Raven assholes that way"
The tiny crow curses as he leaves the group through the brick pathway, and Manic stands next to Bark.
"This better not be a waste of time" Manic says
"Or a setup. I'm in no mood for that right now, mate" Bark adds
"You saw what we have to deal with. We wouldn't be asking if we didn't need the help" Nina says
"Alright, so whose in charge?"
"We're going to him now. His name's Mazo. He runs the clubhouse across town. Let's go"
Farrell called everyone over to the local Inn near west Mushroom Hill (highly recommended by Mitzi) and he's rented 3 rooms for the week. He leaves his door open and sits on his bed in room #6 for about ten minutes before B.B and Mickie enter.
"Hey, what's up Pops?" Mickie asks
The grey hedgehog throws a set of keys to each of the youngsters
"You and Thompson got #5 and you've got #7, Beni"
Mickie smiles "Oh, perfect timing, Marine just got called by a new customer looking for a ride across the ocean so she had to leave"
B.B just nods and sits on a chair, resting his head in his hands.
"What's wrong, kid?"
"...Manic and Bark got specifically recruited by some hustlers and they didn't want me to come! Can you believe that!" The blue crow says
Mickie turns to him "What, like criminals?"
"Yep. Some rival gang got the jump on us but then Manic cleared them out. I'm guessing these hustlers want them to help against their rivals because they knew who Manic and Bark were, so they're off doing that"
"Well, maybe it's better of those guys go do that type of work, they're clearly more experienced than any of us-"
Farrell clears his throat dramatically
"Oh, right, except the guy who trained Manic"
B.B crosses his arms "Even still, that was my chance to prove I could run with these guys and they just said go home, so whatever..."
When nobody had anything to say to the young crow, Thompson came running into Farrell's room with a big grin
"Guys! I just got a job!" The tall hedgehog says
"Really?" Mickie asks her boyfriend
"Yeah, they hired me at Halloween Village! You guys should go and apply, there's other themed villages around the area and they're all looking for help!"
"That sounds like a great idea! Come on, B.B, let Manic and Bark have that other work, we can do it legally!"
The tiny crow stands up and sighs "Alright, but only because I gotta make money somehow"
"What's happening with Manic and Bark?" Thompson asks
"I'll explain it on the way, babe" Mickie says as she kisses him "...We'll be back after, Pops"
Farrell waves "Behave now, kids! Don't do anything I wouldn't do. And don't take any shit!"
The trio close the door and start walking through town.
"So, did Marine make it back aright?" Thompson asks
Mickie nods "Sounds like business as usual. Although her new client seemed kinda loud on the phone. Probably normal for her"
ICECAP OCEAN, 27 MILES FROM MUSHROOM HILL
Stone sits in the captain's chair and drives the large boat across the water, which is light blue since it perfectly reflects the sky today. He rhythmically taps each of his razor sharp claws on the steering wheel, slightly cutting into the rubber padding each time.
Rosie has tied Marine to a chair with wheels, while Nack looks over the railing at the small islands they pass, and Predator Hawk rummages through the teenage raccoon's belongings.
"You cunts won't get away with dis! Manic beat you's all before, and he'll do it again!" Marine shouts as she tries to get free
Stone laughs while Rosie grabs a roll of duct tape
"I think I've heard enough of you, kid" the pink hedgehog says
"If you're gonna steal me boat, d'en you oughta kill me while you're at it! 'Cause I won't let anything 'appen to it!"
Stone activates the cruise control and turns around "...feisty little shit, ain't ya. You got a backbone, girl, more than I can say about some idiots I know-"
The Timberwolf glances at Nack, so the weasel looks away and he goes back to his rant
"...but you're also lucky. Lucky that I don't kill women or children. However, I don't need a potential loose end coming back to bite me on the ass later on, so once we get back to land, I'm going to leave you for the police to deal with, seeing as you've aided #1 on Agent Warwick's shit list"
Marine's eyes widen "Don'tchu DARE call the bloody cops on me! They're gonna take away me boat and send me to Juvie! I can't go back!"
Stone takes the wheel once more "Just be glad you're living to see another day. And besides, you should stay out of adults' business anyway, kid"
Rosie puts a strip of duct tape over Marine's mouth just as she starts cursing at them.
Predator Hawk comes up from the interior of the boat with a bag full of stolen property.
"Look at this old thing! It's straight out of Unforgiven!"
Hawk shows off the .357 Magnum Marine had hidden
"Hey Nack, why don't you hang onto that hand cannon" Stone says
The weasel turns away "I've got enough ammo..."
"Aw, don't be salty, bro. Just know your place and stay in line, then this'll never have to happen again"
The Timberwolf laughs sarcastically and continues driving the boat across the waves at top speed, eager to meet Manic on shore before sundown.
Manic and Bark are escorted through the dimly lit halls of an old office building. The floors are waxed but everything else seems like it's ready to fall off. They turn left, then a quick right and walk down a metal staircase, holding onto a couple of rusty pipes for a railing along the wall. They reach the basement and once they pass a small corridor, bright lights illuminate everything in this underground clubhouse. A pinball machine sits in the corner, a pool and air hockey table stand in the center and long red/gold carpets line the floor.
"Quite the setup you got" Manic says as he walks
"Wait til you see the bar" Lucky says
They enter a large open doorway and are greeted by Mazo, the three strangers' boss who summoned them here in the first place.
Mazo is a tall Ram with shoulder length black hair, purple button up shirt, black slacks and expensive sneakers.
"So, you're Manic and Bark" Mazo says in a slightly gruff voice "...I remember seeing your faces on the news a couple years ago out in Metropolis. You two were fighting each other then. What's happened?"
"We grew up. Realized we could make money through connections, not trying to kill each other in the street" Manic answers
"And I couldn't stay mad at'da lil shit, so we decided to work together. And 'ere we are" Bark adds
The Ram stands up "I see... so, can you work that magic out here?"
"Probably better d'en these guys"
Jamie looks up "What'd you say?!"
"He said you look like you could use some better help"
Nina glares at the duo "We invited YOU here-"
"Yeah, 'cause you're small time, living off small time scraps while these Ravens are eating at the big boy table" Manic responds
Mazo faces him "You guys think you're that good?"
"We've done it before in tougher cities than this-"
"Yeah, in Metropolis? That place is PC central these days, what is that!" Nina says
Manic glances at her, then back to Mazo "You give us a chance, we'll get you guys big time"
Bark leans in "For a price, of course"
Jamie nudges Mazo "I already don't like these city boys, boss. Why're we still listening to their horseshit?"
"Right, just a sec-"
Manic and Bark both pull out hundreds of dollar bills to show off
"Because we're just posers, right? We're not actually experienced criminals or anything. You guys would do just fine without us? Nah, I know you wanna make real money, not small change. We could get you big money... but sure - horseshit"
Mazo nods his head "Alright big time, you want in? There's a lil something you could do to prove yourselves..."
"Whatever you need"
"..The cops seized a shipping container with a lot of my merchandise mixed in, and this ship depot off the coast of Marble has it. Anyway, the blast doors are submerged underwater, but that's the only way in without being on government payroll. If you can break in and get that container, or at the very least, my stuff back here, then I'll let you join"
The green hedgehog looks at the polar bear, then back at Mazo "You want us to knock off a ship depot?"
The boss grins "I thought you two were big time?"
"Why not'a bank job or smash 'n grab on them Ravens?"
"People these days are smarter than they were 10 years ago. That shits' predictable. I wanna make some noise. So, what's it gonna be?"
Nina, Jamie and Lucky look at the duo intently for their answer
Manic steps forward "Since these fucks can't do anything close to this, we'll do it"
"Excellent. Good luck, gentlemen" Mazo says through a fake smile
Manic looks all three strangers in the eyes before he leaves, followed closely by Bark. Once they're gone, Jamie and Lucky join their boss in laughter.
"You shut those chumps up real quick with that one, boss!" Jamie says
"I hate when anybody pulls that big city shit with me. (laughs) Honestly, I was just gonna get 'em to rob Nero's cashe but they asked for when they came in here talking tough and acting like big shots. Well, we're gonna see if they're as good as they talk"
Lucky lights up his joint and coughs before speaking "...damn right, bro, they're posers, man... (inhale) Nina, you want a hit of this?"
The blonde/red hedgehog doesn't say anything as she walks away from the group, so Jamie runs into the hall after her
"Nina! Where are ya going?"
"You guys can sit here all day, I wanna see this for myself" she answers
She leaves the short haired green hedgehog dumbfounded and goes to the garage out back.
2 blocks away, Manic and Bark sit at a bus stop and wait quietly when a red muscle car pulls up to them and Nina rolls down the passenger side window
"Do you guys actually plan on getting there sometime today?" she asks
Manic stands up "What's this, you're gonna watch us, now? Gonna grade our performance?"
"No! I wanna actually do this job with you, smarty"
"I'm sorry, are you offering to help us as opposed to just insult and discredit us? Is that what this is, now?"
She sighs "Look... those guys are just gonna sit and wait for King to fuck up. You guys are the only ones who are willing to do something to make money... I vibe with that better"
Manic looks at Bark for a second then back to her "Alright..."
She opens the door "Now can you stop being a little bitch and get in the car!"
Bark laughs as he sits in the back "I like dis one"
Manic sits shotgun "Well, then. Let's get to it"