Here we go: Hope's boyfriend misses her. Time to get some information. As always, please don't use my characters in other fan-fiction without my consent. Thanks and enjoy.
The Block War
Chapter 2
Vin was restless, his tail flip-floping like an acrobat on the floor. It was nearly four o' clock in the morning, and she still hadn't returned. Usually by this time, Hope would come crawling back to him, tail between her legs, apologizing for nothing at all. It was a pathtic display, but it enforced Vin's ego. After all, if he couldn't control his life, then why not control someone else's?
In the background, the T.V. was going. Four pairs of beady eyes glued to a crappy late night movie featuring some busty vixen who couldn't act.
Turning towards the flickering screen, Vin snarled. "How can you guys watch that shit?" His voice was met by a chorus of shushing.
Vin resumed pacing, back and forth, glancing out the dirty window, past the flickering street lights for some sign of Hope. Nothing.
"Grrrrrrr! She should be back by now! She's always back by now. Where the hell could she be?"
Alin's voice floated from behind the couch, sounding slightly annoyed. "Man, she'll come back. She knows better than to go to the cops. Don't worry about it and let us finish our movie, man."
Moving over to where Alin was sitting, Vin grabbed him by his canine muzzle and whispered dangerously. "You don't seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation, Alin. You're thick. Very stupid. Just like this damn movie that's seems so intresting. That's why I'm the leader of this little family unit. Not you."
Releasing the quaking Alin, Vin then walked over to a dresser in the corner of the room. Pulling open the top drawer, he fished around until his paw touched something familiar. Cold steel. Taking the gun, Vin checked the clip. Fifteen Rounds. That was plenty.
"Ok......the movie is over." He raised the gun and fired across the room. A single round struck the T.V dead square in an explosion of sound and sparks. The movie was indeed over.
Vin walked over and crouched down in front of the television he had just killed, his boots crunching on the busted screen which now occupied the space on the floor in front of the couch.
"Aw, don't worry your furry heads, boys. We'll get a new one. Now, to the matter at paw. We're going out to look for Hope. You all know what happens if she goes to the cops. That little fox will spill everything: Where we hide out, our connections, associates......everything."
Vin turned his gaze back over to Alin. "I want you and and Skid to cruise the streets and see if she's just out wandering. I'll take the other two and go shakedown Mickey. If anybody's seen Hope, it's probably that worthless shit."
Standing, Vin looked over towards the window and smiled. "Ok boys. That's the plan. Now, lets go hunting."
_____________
A nickname is a well deserved thing in the bad part of Corneria City and Mickey had earned his. He was known as "The Rat". By species, he was a droopy old hound dog, never seen without a bottle of cheap gin. By character though, he was a sneaking, conniving, old rodent. He saw things, and for a price, he'd tell anybody. The most notorious street hustler around. It was this reputation that brought Vin calling.
The night found Mickey curled up in a cardboard box, gin bottle in paw, under a pile of dirty blankets. He was out of it for the most part, snoring away. An unfamilair sound brought one blood-shot eye open. In the darkness, Mickey could see a large knife blade sticking through the top of his box, sawing it's way just above his nose.
Like a shot, he was out of the box and into the cool night air. Vin's buddies were waiting for him. Grabbing Mickey by the scruff of his neck, they hauled him upright.
Vin's smiling face was the first thing Mickey saw when he opened his eyes.
"Hello Mickey. How have you been lately. Still drinking that piss water I see."
Mickey belched and took another swig from the half-empty gin bottle. Of all the scum that walked these streets, Mickey was the only one that Vin couldn't frighten.
"I was tryin' ta' sleep, Vin. Why'd ya' go an' wake me up?"
Vin chuckled. "Why does anybody ever visit your drunken ass anyway? The only reason is because they need information. If it wasn't for that, nobody would give bird shit about you."
"I ain't got no information fer ya." Mickey snorted
Vin walked back over to Mickey's box. Pulling his knife from the top, Vin ran his paw across the flat of the handle before flipping the blade closed. He jammed it into his pocket and threw an arm around Mickey's grubby shoulder.
"Mickey.....why do you lie to me? I hate it when you lie. I know you see everything around this town, and I know you've seen Hope wandering around somewhere. Where did she go?"
"I ain't seen that broad o' yer's." Mickey shot back, trying to sound convincing.
He began to push away, but Vin just tightened his grip, turning it into a suffocating headlock. "I'm starting to lose patience with you, Mickey. Where the hell is she?"
Mickey could feel the blood begin to drain away from his head. His eyes bulged as Vin pulled his arms even tighter against Mickey's neck. Little colored lights danced around a darkening scene. For a moment, Mickey couldn't even feel the ground beneath his feet. Fibbing to Vin wasn't going to work.
"Alright....Alright.....I seen....her"
Vin released the headlock and Mickey collapsed to his knees, coughing and dizzy, a thin stream of blood running from his nose.
Crouching down, Vin grabbed him by one floppy ear and pulled him face to face. "Where was she?"
Swallowing hard, Mickey poured it out. "I seen her 'bout three hours ago. She ran into Alice's bar, tha' one down on tha' corner. She comes out 'bout ten minutes later with this fella'. A raccoon 'e was, wearing a big black coat. They left together. That's all I seen, Vin. I swear it!"
Vin pinched Mickey's ear between two claws, holding it just tight enough to break the skin. "Who's this raccoon she went with?"
"He frequents Alice's bar......it's tha' only place I've ever 'im seen before. I ain't gots a clue who he is. Ow! It's the truth, Vin. Honest!"
Disgusted, Vin tossed Mickey ear from his grip. Standing up, he turned back to the others. "It's too late for anymore tonight. We'll start earlier with a little stop at Alice's place. I wanna know who this raccoon is."
As the three left, Vin called out over his shoulder. "Thanks Mickey! We'll keep in touch. Haha!"
With that, they were gone, leaving a badly shaken Mickey to nurse his bleeding ear.
The Block War
Chapter 2
Vin was restless, his tail flip-floping like an acrobat on the floor. It was nearly four o' clock in the morning, and she still hadn't returned. Usually by this time, Hope would come crawling back to him, tail between her legs, apologizing for nothing at all. It was a pathtic display, but it enforced Vin's ego. After all, if he couldn't control his life, then why not control someone else's?
In the background, the T.V. was going. Four pairs of beady eyes glued to a crappy late night movie featuring some busty vixen who couldn't act.
Turning towards the flickering screen, Vin snarled. "How can you guys watch that shit?" His voice was met by a chorus of shushing.
Vin resumed pacing, back and forth, glancing out the dirty window, past the flickering street lights for some sign of Hope. Nothing.
"Grrrrrrr! She should be back by now! She's always back by now. Where the hell could she be?"
Alin's voice floated from behind the couch, sounding slightly annoyed. "Man, she'll come back. She knows better than to go to the cops. Don't worry about it and let us finish our movie, man."
Moving over to where Alin was sitting, Vin grabbed him by his canine muzzle and whispered dangerously. "You don't seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation, Alin. You're thick. Very stupid. Just like this damn movie that's seems so intresting. That's why I'm the leader of this little family unit. Not you."
Releasing the quaking Alin, Vin then walked over to a dresser in the corner of the room. Pulling open the top drawer, he fished around until his paw touched something familiar. Cold steel. Taking the gun, Vin checked the clip. Fifteen Rounds. That was plenty.
"Ok......the movie is over." He raised the gun and fired across the room. A single round struck the T.V dead square in an explosion of sound and sparks. The movie was indeed over.
Vin walked over and crouched down in front of the television he had just killed, his boots crunching on the busted screen which now occupied the space on the floor in front of the couch.
"Aw, don't worry your furry heads, boys. We'll get a new one. Now, to the matter at paw. We're going out to look for Hope. You all know what happens if she goes to the cops. That little fox will spill everything: Where we hide out, our connections, associates......everything."
Vin turned his gaze back over to Alin. "I want you and and Skid to cruise the streets and see if she's just out wandering. I'll take the other two and go shakedown Mickey. If anybody's seen Hope, it's probably that worthless shit."
Standing, Vin looked over towards the window and smiled. "Ok boys. That's the plan. Now, lets go hunting."
_____________
A nickname is a well deserved thing in the bad part of Corneria City and Mickey had earned his. He was known as "The Rat". By species, he was a droopy old hound dog, never seen without a bottle of cheap gin. By character though, he was a sneaking, conniving, old rodent. He saw things, and for a price, he'd tell anybody. The most notorious street hustler around. It was this reputation that brought Vin calling.
The night found Mickey curled up in a cardboard box, gin bottle in paw, under a pile of dirty blankets. He was out of it for the most part, snoring away. An unfamilair sound brought one blood-shot eye open. In the darkness, Mickey could see a large knife blade sticking through the top of his box, sawing it's way just above his nose.
Like a shot, he was out of the box and into the cool night air. Vin's buddies were waiting for him. Grabbing Mickey by the scruff of his neck, they hauled him upright.
Vin's smiling face was the first thing Mickey saw when he opened his eyes.
"Hello Mickey. How have you been lately. Still drinking that piss water I see."
Mickey belched and took another swig from the half-empty gin bottle. Of all the scum that walked these streets, Mickey was the only one that Vin couldn't frighten.
"I was tryin' ta' sleep, Vin. Why'd ya' go an' wake me up?"
Vin chuckled. "Why does anybody ever visit your drunken ass anyway? The only reason is because they need information. If it wasn't for that, nobody would give bird shit about you."
"I ain't got no information fer ya." Mickey snorted
Vin walked back over to Mickey's box. Pulling his knife from the top, Vin ran his paw across the flat of the handle before flipping the blade closed. He jammed it into his pocket and threw an arm around Mickey's grubby shoulder.
"Mickey.....why do you lie to me? I hate it when you lie. I know you see everything around this town, and I know you've seen Hope wandering around somewhere. Where did she go?"
"I ain't seen that broad o' yer's." Mickey shot back, trying to sound convincing.
He began to push away, but Vin just tightened his grip, turning it into a suffocating headlock. "I'm starting to lose patience with you, Mickey. Where the hell is she?"
Mickey could feel the blood begin to drain away from his head. His eyes bulged as Vin pulled his arms even tighter against Mickey's neck. Little colored lights danced around a darkening scene. For a moment, Mickey couldn't even feel the ground beneath his feet. Fibbing to Vin wasn't going to work.
"Alright....Alright.....I seen....her"
Vin released the headlock and Mickey collapsed to his knees, coughing and dizzy, a thin stream of blood running from his nose.
Crouching down, Vin grabbed him by one floppy ear and pulled him face to face. "Where was she?"
Swallowing hard, Mickey poured it out. "I seen her 'bout three hours ago. She ran into Alice's bar, tha' one down on tha' corner. She comes out 'bout ten minutes later with this fella'. A raccoon 'e was, wearing a big black coat. They left together. That's all I seen, Vin. I swear it!"
Vin pinched Mickey's ear between two claws, holding it just tight enough to break the skin. "Who's this raccoon she went with?"
"He frequents Alice's bar......it's tha' only place I've ever 'im seen before. I ain't gots a clue who he is. Ow! It's the truth, Vin. Honest!"
Disgusted, Vin tossed Mickey ear from his grip. Standing up, he turned back to the others. "It's too late for anymore tonight. We'll start earlier with a little stop at Alice's place. I wanna know who this raccoon is."
As the three left, Vin called out over his shoulder. "Thanks Mickey! We'll keep in touch. Haha!"
With that, they were gone, leaving a badly shaken Mickey to nurse his bleeding ear.