AN: And so we start once more, on the second part of this long saga. I'd like to thank you all for your dedication and feedback, and for being here to see this new era begin. I'd also like to say sorry for a small delay in resuming posting, I was having some issues with my oneshots and drabbles series, which resulted it being locked out an A03 for a while. I'd rather not go into it, but suffice to say it's all cleared up now, so all's good. The delay also gave me more time to build up a solid buffer (low due to the month or so I spent working on the pawsome cover art), giving me much more flexibility going on.

I'll be aiming to keep updates on a regular schedule, but will be going down to one chapter every two weeks. This is from a mix of the small backlog, being busy from a new job, but mainly the fact I plan to share far more of my fics at the ZAA server read throughs for feedback. Even going to the two a week, the sharing word limit and my chapter lengths mean that a chapter a week generally isn't possible.

To make up for it though, I'll be publishing more works on my oneshot and drabbles collection (not the assorted FFOZ non-canon drabbles collection, by general one). I do have a backlog of oneshots to share, so I may well try and pare this out by posting some of them on the quiet weekends.

Regardless of all this, I do hope to keep you all entertained. As it's been a while, I'll be starting off with an updated cast list, to help those who want to get back up to date with everything.

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Cast list (At start of season 2):

Broken into:

Concepts (Not characters)

ZPD/ law mammals

Fantastic Mr Fox and school

Aggretsuko

Jack and Skye

Rattigan and other bad guys.

Morally ambiguous

Zootopia youth penitentiary

Other.

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Concepts:

Sentient primates, reptiles and birds: Exist, but reptiles are an order of magnitude rarer than mammals, birds and order of magnitude rarer than reptiles. Non-sentient versions of these are generally far more common. Primates aren't generally rare, just never settled in Zootopia that much. NOTE: this is mainly to bridge the gap between Zoot (mammals only) and IP's with birds and reptiles (Aggretsuko, Sly Cooper). By and large, Zoot rules are followed unless bringing in characters from one of those IP's (e.g. Washimi and Gori).

Efrafa: Based off of the antagonistic warren from Watership down or, more specifically, Ubernoners integration of them into Zootopia world history (from the fic 'Sons of Efrafa). A breed of hares, originally bred as battle slaves in the bronze age, with a strong and heavily defined martial culture. Primarily live in southern Turkey, truly establishing themselves after the defeat of the Don Cossak Horselord Gabrielli the Thunderer (based off of the fic: U Methrah Thlayli). Mrs Fox and Skye's sister both knew an Efrafan in the rangers, who was taken off by an eagle, only an eye ever recovered. An Efrafan, Jacob Raibert (Ubernoner's OC) works under Skye's sister in Korea.

Kehaar: A hawk demon in the Efrafan mythology. Some hares took to worshipping him at a site called Niedelienes in the foothills of Mt Ararat. The Efrafans razed the site out of disgust, the ruins eventually looted by the russian Tsar's army, thinking it might be Noah's ark. Dr William Silverfox's first true expedition was as part of the first true survey of the site, in which his linguistic skills were invaluable.

The Iron Vulture: An experimental airship built by the soviet union for use in Afghanistan. Delays and the war ending led to it being mothballed, then stolen by a band of modern day pirates, led by 'Don Karnage'. The ship vanished in the Sea of Okhotsk just after the turn of the millennium. Reportedly, the black box was recently recovered, and a secretive arms dealer is delivering it to Zootopia.

The rangers: A band of (primarily) predators who fight off birds of prey to keep smaller mammals safe. Mr and Mrs Fox and Skye's sister are all ex members, having met through the service.

Outsiders with Outsiders (OWO): The primary interspecies relationship support group in the city (said relationships aren't as accepted as straight species ones, but have historically been far more so than same sex relationships).

Strigiphobia: A common fear of owls, primarily amongst smaller species that would be their prey, but amongst some larger mammals as well. The owl is often considered as to the devil as goats are to satanism in our world.

Antivulpanism: The general term for hatred of foxes. While red foxes were generally highly regarded and prosperous in the old world (their documented ability to 'see' the earth's magnetic field used for navigation and locating iron ore, while their culture promoted inward investment), certain mammals held anti-fox views (Martin Loomer being an example). Many anti-vulpites were poorer peasant mammals who migrated to the new world and settled together, increasing the concentration of prejudice, not helped when most foxes sided with the loyalist forces in the war of independence (though this led to a much more positive reputation in Canidea). Zootopia is particularly noted for this prejudice, the city founded by a set of mammals with the belief that all mammals had a role they best fit in for the prosperity of all. This did not include foxes. It's worth noting that this ideology led to the ZPD's previous species and then size restrictions. Species restrictions were ruled invalid in the 60s and 70s after stopping a large coyote joining, even though some enlisted wolves were smaller. Only with the mammal inclusion initiative and the 'where anyone can be anything' rebranding drive were blanket size restrictions lifted, letting any mammal try out.

Ovinophobia: The general term for hatred of sheep.

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ZPD /law mammals, friends and family.

Nick Wilde: the reformed ex-hustler turned cop, partner of Judy Hopps. Saved Ash Fox in 'Different', and was a family friend ever since. Lately named as the god father of Ash's new sibling.

Mama Wilde: Nick's mother. Works as a lunch lady at Ash's school.

Finnick: Nick's former hustling partner, taking Nick's joining of the ZPD badly. Formerly served a large period of time in Juvenile detention for some serious crimes and is estranged from his family ever since. Currently dating Fenneko.

Honey: Formerly sheep hating conspiracy theorist, is trying to find a new purpose in life after being rehabilitated in a mental hospital (which she briefly escaped from before being recaptured by Nick and Judy). Had a highly ovinophobic Ewetube channel under the alias 'Gruinard Gal'. Currently trying to held undo the damage she did by trying to de-programme her former followers, one at a time.

Judy Hopps: Zootopia's own bunny cop. Partner of Nick Wilde.

Kii Catano: A female cheetah officer, first introduced in 'Elementary Introductions'. Officially investigating Kris' case, and had a major falling out with Judy, that was eventually resolved. Currently investigating (former) prison officer Sarah Sarrahson.

Detective Oates: Horse detective of Precinct 1, first met when interrogating Kazar in 'Taking out the Trash'. Officially investigating Kris' case with Kii Catano.

Officer Wolford: experienced beat officer, helped Kii investigate the case. Married to Murana Wolford.

Detectives Dave and Basil Dawson: Husband and husband, the two mice are the ZPD's newest detectives and incredibly talented. Had a long feud with the long missing Professor Rattigan, and spent a large amount of time off on an 'investigative holiday' in Slavulpinch, Ewekraine, chasing up a lead. Which was totally not me fridging them as they'd have solved that thing way too quickly were they present.

Chief Bogo: Da chief.

District Attorney Jeanette Deux (borrowed from Ubernoner's 'Son's of Efrafa'): White tailed deer doe in a relationship with a mountain lion and former assistant to the District Attorney. Seen at the meet up in 'So we're Inters now'. Replaced Kurt Wassermaim.

Officer Jones: Tiger officer who arrested Kris. Currently transferred to Precinct one, awaiting investigation given his conduct.

Chief Ramic (Cimar's Zoosona): Kangaroo Chief of Outback island, big supporter of Inter rights. First seen in 'So we're inters now'. Secret co-founder of WildeHopps shipping club.

Eliot Fanghanel (borrowed from Koraru-San): White wolf officer and co-founder of WildeHopps shipping club.

Chloe Fanghanel (borrowed from Koraru-San): Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) wife of Eliot Fanghanel. Sole member of the forks appreciation club.

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Fox/Silverfox family and co.

Mr Fox (Frederick 'Foxy' Fox): Ex-ranger, current newspaper writer and pest controller, father to Ash Fox.

Mrs Fox (Felicity Fox): Wife of Mr Fox, mother of Ash Fox, gave birth to a new kit.

Ash Fox: the angsty teenage son of Mr and Mrs Fox. Trying to embrace life after a very dark moment, despite coming off as a bit 'different' at times. Slightly older (but much shorter) cousin to Kris.

New Fox kit: Ash's newborn sibling.

Dr William Silverfox: Mrs Fox's brother in law, husband to her (deceased) sister, and father of Kristofferson Silverfox. Emigrated to Zootopia from Canidea after recovering from a serious case of double pneumonia, caused by an ice fishing accident.

Kristofferson Silverfox: Son of Dr Silverfox. Sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle due to his father's illness. A very well adjusted, mature and gifted mammal, though shaken given recent misfortunes and abuse.

Kylie: Opossum sidekick to Mr Fox.

Remmy and Remus Packson (wolves); Mitch Dewclaw (wildcat); Maisy Calrama (ewe); Jenny Bourke (wombat): School friends of Kris and Ash. Maisy was revealed to be Dawn Bellwether's niece, her family getting a new identity after her arrest.

Agnes: Vixen classmate of Kris and Ash, previously Ash's girlfriend, now Kris'.

Beavis Chuckman: Woodchuck bully to Ash (and to a lesser extent others). Cameoed in Meditation Mediation. Turned out to be the real 'nighthowler planter' having stolen them off of a courier by chance, then planting them in Ash's locker and calling it in as a prank… Given that he got the wrong locker, Kris took the heat. Was eventually found out, and has been given prison time.

Brittany Voxen (borrowed from Kittah/Variable Mammals): Vixen form prefect to Ash, Kris and those above. Noted for having long blonde hair. Aims to be the first fox firefighter.

Coach Skip: Albino otter coach at their school.

The principal (Angela Van Der Horn): Female springbok head of the school.

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Aggretsuko crew and related:

Retsuko: A red panda office worker who blows off steam by singing death metal. Currently moving jobs with Haida.

Haida: A dentally challenged spotted hyena, works with and loves Retsuko. Currently not getting on with his family after finding out his sister had sold his likeness to a toy company. Currently moving jobs with Retsuko.

Fenneko: Social media goddess fennec vixen friend of the above. Distinctive laugh. Currently started dating Finnick, the pair going off for PI training.

Anai: Japanese badger graduate at their firm and cooking enthusiast. Noted for 'standing up to his rights,' being a perennial formal complainer in writing if he feels he's being taken advantage of. (Do not piss off).

Kabae, Tsunoda: (hippo, Dik-Dik (dwarf gazelle)): Two gossip mouthed workers at Retsuko's firm. In season 1 of the show, Kabae was briefly arrested on espionage charges before being let go. Revealed to be a political move by Kurt Wassermaim.

Secretary Washimi and Marketing Director Gori: Secretary bird and gorilla friends of Retsuko. Also known as 'The Baddest Bitches in the room'. Cameoed in Meditation Mediation.

PROTEIN: Retsuko, Washimi and Gori's kangaroo yoga instruction. First glanced in universe in 'Meditation Mediation', only ever says 'Protein'. Real name revealed to be 'Malcolm Jumpili'. A former roadie for the rock band 'The Oscars', adopted his new persona after studying under 'The Guru of the Stone' (who's from a different IP to Aggretsuko).

Director Ton: the overbearing literal misogynistic pig boss of the accounting department.

Tadano: Onager tech guru, briefly dated Retsuko in S2. Unseen but mentioned.

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Jack and Skye:

Jack Savage: Tehuantepec jackrabbit writer and director, previously knew Judy in a university drama society. Though initially lazy and uninterested in anything other than writing, has gone through an awakening of sorts, taking part in a number of 'under cover missions' to help the team.

Skye Autumn: Swift fox vixen, a mechanic who previously knew (and didn't get along well) with Nick Wilde. Hired to help fix a broken set.

Buster Moon: The koala owner of the theatre. He means well. Currently being kitnapped by two big cats.

Eddie (sheep): Buster Moon's friend and financier.

Siwili Autumn: Grey fox and Skye's adoptive mother. Of native American descent, but kicked out of her tribe when she married her swift fox army husband.

Sweetie/ Lt Vixen/ Skye's sister: A sharp dressed army lieutenant and adopted red fox sister of Skye. Goes by her previous last name 'Vixen' in order to avoid any accusations of nepotism. Currently stationed in South Korea, but heading home.

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Rattigan and other bad guys:

Professor Padriach Rattigan: Once nemesis of Basil and Dave, long since missing but returned. While not behind what occurred with Kris, he felt there was a major way to capitalise on it, including his father. Though this failed, bringing him out of his cover, he has a number of unknown objectives running in the background, and is ever opportunistic. Has a number of followers and allies.

Felicity Pawker: A cannibalistic pallas cat, and Rattigan's lover.

'Petey': A goat mentioned by Duke as interested in him in 'Special Little Mammals', briefly looked for but not found early on in the case. Ultimately managed to bug Jack during an undercover mission, also revealing himself.

Mysterious big cats: A lion and tiger who enquired about 'Sylvester', Moon's sarcophagus trinket, in Acting Out. After finding it had been sold on, even when the auction was still running, they kitnapped the koala instead. Followed the gangs out on their hunts to find Duke, ultimately ending in a battle. The lion had his paw wrecked by Haida (and later on was hit by a car).

Fidget: Rattigan's bat lacky, stole nighthowlers from a shop, later hitchhiked and allowed the tracking of Mr Fox's bike to Duke Weaselton.

Other two mysterious characters: Two mammals working with Rattigan, supposedly as 'equals'. Names and species, unknown.

Don Karnage: Leader of a bunch of air pirates decades ago, until their airship 'Iron Vulture' was lost in the sea of Okhotsk. Supposedly, the black box has been found.

Mysterious arms dealers: A highly secretive organisation, that Rattigan himself considers his criminal equals. Composed at the top of a wolf, and his boss. Currently transporting the black box of The Iron Vulture to Rattigan.

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Morally ambiguous:

Duke Weaselton: The Duke of Bootleg himself. Falsely believed to be the howler planter, pursued but rescued, ultimately helpful.

Dominic Calarma (formerly Bellwether): Maisy's father and Dawn's younger brother. Is a dwarf sheep with a dapper look, made his money in banking, and helped her on her campaign. Denies involvement but still loves Dawn.

Alicia Calarma (formerly Bellwether): Normal sized sheep (scottish blackface) and Maisy's mother.

Kozlov: Former polar bear bodyguard to Mr Big, currently in Slavulpinch, Ewekraine, with Jorin. Motives and alliances unknown, but seem to be against 'Sizogo Orla'. Has entrusted an heirloom necklace to Judy.

Jorin: Syrian wild ass and friend of Kozlov, resides in Slavulpinch, Ewekraine. Opposed to 'Sizogo Orla'.

Mysterious three mammals: Shown observing the news of Kris' arrest from afar, and one has supposedly encountered Nick, Judy and Bogo before, along with his enemy. May have had many other cameos going on.

'Slylock': A 'detective' claiming to be interested in helping Kris' father, and asking for some information on his work (on ancient Efrafa). Tricked him until Carmen arrived, casting doubt on his claims. Current allegiance unknown, could be someone else in disguise.

'Carmen Sandiego Fox': Initially claiming to be a relation of Carmelita Montoya Fox of interpol (from Sly Cooper), later admitted that it was a ruse. Claims to be after an unknown set of enemies, including Slylock, but didn't divulge any more information. Current allegiance unknown, could be someone else in disguise.

'Sizogo Orla': Unknown presumed enemy of Jorin and Kozlov.

'D-Baa Dude': A progressive anti-speciesist Ewe-tuber. Did a long form video on Kurt Wassermaim.

Murana Wolford (Darkflamewolf's Zoosona): CEO of Lemming Brothers bank, and recipient of a number of spurious charges from DA Kurt Wassermaim. Ultimately due to him believing a massive conspiracy that she is 'The Dark Flame Wolf', a punisher like vigilante, considered an urban myth to most, but not so much in criminal circles. Out of suspect after trolling Kurt on live TV, humiliating him. Has two adopted children:

Steven Stinkman: Adult skunk reporter at ZNN. Berserkers 'sona, and adopted son of Murana.

Max Thrash: Adopted raccoon son of Murana Wolford, new friends with Conor Lewis.

The Lang family (from Berserker 88's fic, Born to be Wilde): headed by Annemarie 'Lady' Lang. A lupine biker gang, formerly criminal syndicate, that adopts in lost wolf children and has zero tolerance for kit abuse. Came out in support of Kris at a protest.

Annemarie 'Lady' Lang (Berserker88): Alpha female of the pack, ruthless against those who hurt kits, but very compassionate towards them. Has large numbers of adopted children, though they are mainly adults now. Long believed by many in the criminal underworld to be the prime suspect for 'The Dark Flame Wolf'.

Felix Dire (sr) (MindJack): One of her most trusted sons and enforcers. Has a younger brother, Felix Dr Jr. Both were 'liberated' of their abusive birth parents by Annemarie.

Conor Lewis (from Merc_Marten's Fire triangle series, and his pre-zoot stories): A true silver fox (as opposed to Kris, who's technically a platinum fox), expert guitarist and computer whizz… A sort of merger between his Fire Triangle and pre-Zoot versions. Was formerly a victim of a judicial scandal, and was seriously abused. In this universe, rather that Jim McCrodon's company 'rescuing' him, it was Lady Lang, who has his best interests at heart. Currently getting friendly with Max Thrash.

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Zootopia Youth Penitentuary:

The warden: An argali, sympathetic to Kris' situation.

Fulton and Terrance: Guards, deer and giant river otter, the latter acting as the coach. Also sympathetic.

Sarrahson: Serval guard, far less sympathetic to Kris. Openly reveals herself to be speciesism, manipulative and cruel towards him. Ultimately manipulates a bunch of other inmates into attacking Kris on his last day, while resigning from her post. Things are moving against her though.

Armando: Capybara, head of the nerds, in for 'yeeting a mouse.'

Luka: Grey kangaroo, crime unknown, friend of Armando.

Timofey: Polar bear, connected to Big's mafia, in for hunting down and attacking a vandal (well past the point of self defence). Head of 'The Pack', respects Kris.

Matt: A very young and immature coywolf. Ultimately revealed to have been employed as an (unknowing) nighthowler mule, a package getting stolen by Beavis. He later attacked what he thought was Beavis, but in reality was a joey carrying wombat (the joey killed in his attack). Currently transferred to Zootopia mental hospital to serve his sentence.

'Sicko' Wolf: A wolf implied to be in for a sexual crime, noted for acting creepy around Kris and Matt. Hated (with the rest of his friends) by the rest of his block. Ultimately took part in the attack on Kris.

Luke Ruta: A hare in for sexual crimes, got pawsy with Kris and eventually helped lead the attack on him.

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Other:

Dr Amy Lupuleli: Binturong psychiatrist to both Ash Fox, Nick Wilde and Honey Badger.

Carmelita Montoya Fox: Famed interpol inspector (from Sly Cooper franchise).

Frantic pig: The owner of Flora and Fauna (the store Duke stole from) in the movie. His nighthowlers being stolen kickstarted much of the plot.

Dr Kristen Soren: OC of tinbuzzard (from the fic Sandcastles), a paleontologist working at the same university (but different department) to Dr William Silverfox.

Madge Badger: Honey's sister and the Dr from the movie. While never formerly charged as part of the missing mammals' case, her experience scared her and, seeing her sister spiral out of control, requested her comital.

Other fox cops: Jimmy Frost (Berserker88) is the 2nd Zootopia Fox cop, while a vixen is currently going through the academy.

Unnamed Horse: Patient of Dr Amy and Uber driver encountered in 'Skye's Fall'. Generally very helping to his detriment, past survivor of something intense.

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An: Okay, everyone got that?

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Good. In that case, once more unto the breach, dear friends. Once more unto the breach.

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Chapter 1

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A wanted mammal looked out through oblong pupils, cracking his hooflets as he rolled on through the assaulting storm. He'd usually have two escorts.

One had been injured.

Again.

So only he, a striped companion, and one other soul, made this trip.

The tiger to guard.

He to exchange.

In part, the third.

Old parts of Zootopia's docks rolled past as they entered a part of the city seemingly forgotten.

Away from prying eyes and watching cops.

They'd gambled.

A hail-mary.

The cost?

Exposing himself.

They'd taken it.

It hadn't worked out.

A lot hadn't worked out.

No thanks to the idiot, currently tranqed up to his eyeballs, in the bag at his feet.

And today?

Another gamble to play.

A flicker of light illuminated the dark cabin as they halted, the mammal stepping out into driving rain, dark rumbles of thunder echoing above. The gale cut through his orange fur while rivulets of water ran down the grooves in his horns. Keratin hooves dug in against the broken concrete as he dragged a burlap sack to the edge of the sea wall and looked down, watching as a jet black skiff emerged from the night. Two mammals secured the mooring lines while an imposing figure stepped off and looked up.

The wolf smirked, the up-turn of his mouth narrowing one eye playfully and shifting one eyepatch slightly. "So," he spoke, his voice deep like molasses but spicy, playful, insincere and drawn out, enjoying every word he spoke. "You're the one they call Petey, huh?"

The goat let his nostrils flair, the lupine figure below sounding like this was just a game to him. Did he… -know? Did his boss? Like Rattigan knew? Had they listened, heard what they suspected, understood what it meant?

Or were they ignorant like the rest?

It wasn't time to question. "I am. That's the black box, correct?"

The wolf held up a large bag. "Well it looks more orange to me, but I'd say so," he said. "Are ya coming down or not?"

"Are you coming up or not?" the goat asked, flat teeth grinding at the impertinent mammal below.

"No," the wolf spoke, before snickering. "Ya know, given how I've heard things have been going wrong for you's up there, I can't blame ya, ya-know?"

The goat remained silent.

"Might be worried you'd slip on the stairs and," he looked over at the water with his one eye. "Splooosh."

The goat remained silent.

"Ah, c'mon," the wolf said. "Just because the local cops are onto ya, ya various enterprises have all been interrupted, you tried to do something or other by recording and releasing that crazy hippo's rant which… I'm guessing from your expression right there didn't work out as ya hoped… -Doesn't mean ya hav-ta be dead serious with me now? C'mon, speak up, will'ya?"

The goat opened his briefcase to reveal shining diamonds within. "My payment." He looked down at the sack. "The extra we discussed, who you'll convert into something useful. We're here to exchange goods. Come up, we'll swap."

"Well I think you should come down, but…" the wolf began. "Guess we can compromise." He threw his bag up before the goat could react, the handle catching his right horn and hooking on. Petey shifted a hoof back and kept himself upright as the bag swung around, losing speed as it tried to carry his head off with it, before finally holding it tight. "And mammals say I don't have depth perception, huh?" Petey looked down and unceremoniously dropped the briefcase, and the sack, into the wolf's waiting paws, a soft moan coming out of the latter.

The goat glanced inside his bag, seeing what he expected, or so it seemed. "If this is a fake, you and your organisation will regret it."

"And I'd say the same for these diamonds, except for old Ratty being too clever to screw with my boss," the wolf said, jumping back on his boat, the outboard purring like a newborn kitten.

"And who is he?" the goat spoke. He hadn't planned on asking, but he was curious. There was only one individual Rattigan spoke of with admiration to their criminal superiority. The mysterious arms dealer this wolf worked for. Even the Uber-mouse himself didn't know their name or species.

Casting off with his deck-mates, the wolf, taking a break from looking into the sack, gave one last look upwards. "Why he's the one who employs the uber-handsome one-eyed wolf who gets all the ladies as his second in command," he spoke, the purring engine growling out like a feral cat. Off they went in a spray of water, lost futilely in the downpour. The wolf, vanishing into the cascade, gave one last smile. "That narrows it down, don't it?"

Petey stood there for a moment before turning back to his vehicle. Fur drenched, clothes sodden, he stepped in and let his tiger driver take them off, back under cover of night into the city.

A second take to make sure he had the item in question.

Not a single thought registering about the unknown hunters nearby.

No knowledge of what else was going on at that time, across the city.

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It started with four delicate cuts.

Sharp claws raking, pulling, tearing, only for their victim to slip and shake.

The sound hung in the air, before the drumming began.

One, two-three…

One, two-three…

One, two-three…

A constant march, backed up by a synthetic hum, droning like a low flying bomber.

The claws gave a playful flick up, then down, before repeating their delicate cuts once more, the four acoustic notes playing out in their western way before being drawn off by a long sweeping chord. A white and gold toothy grin grew on the muzzle of the guitarist as he seaged into a legendary riff, paws dancing down his instrument like a child skipping down steps. Reaching the base, he returned to the top and descended once more, before playing a short sequence of notes thrice.

Du-du-duuhh-duuhh-duhhhh-duhhhh

Ones that rhymed with a statement he'd be singing a lot very soon.

Du-du-duuhh-duuhh-duhhhh-duhhhh

Looking up, his burning amber eyes studied his companion, brown fur and muted coffee where you'd expect plain black and grey, paws ever drumming.

Du-du-duuhh-duuhh-duhhhh-duhhhh

Though it was not yet time, they both said it in their minds.

Du-duh-duh-duhhhhhh…

As he sang, across the city, mammals began to move.

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'It's all the same, only the names will change…'

Stepping out of the shadows, the three nodded at each other and raced off, getting into position. Last chance saloon to make a difference. Two smaller figures scaled up, drawing their hoods to protect themselves from the rain.

The largest hid himself in an alcove, waiting.

They were used to it.

'Every day, it seems we're wastin' away…'

Not just in this city, in many.

In suburbs.

Woods.

Forests.

'Another place where the faces are so cold.'

The goat could say the same thing. Stuck in this life, but seeing ascendancy so close. Clues and hints to it on his lap, almost with he who sought it.

'I'd drive all night, just to get back home'

The car plowed and cut through the driving rain. And above it a red figure stood, looking down, drawing a bow and letting loose.

'I'm a cowboy.'

The missile sailed, diving straight into the front wheel. It wasn't an arrow, it wasn't made of wood.

It was cold, hard, gleaming in the few lights and hollow through its core.

'On a steel horse I ride'

Inside they felt the tire deflate, the vehicle squeaking and shifting as they slowed down, skidding and struggling to stay on course. The driver made a comment about having to get a puncture on today of all days.

His passenger knew better.

'I'm wanted, dead or alive.'

He ordered the driver to make sure the doors were locked and carry on, slowly. All while keeping an eye out, watching, waiting. He didn't have good night vision, missing a giant figure emerging from the blackness until it was too late, something ramming into the other wheel and jamming it.

The car jolted to a stop.

'Wanted dead or alive.'

The goat fled out the other side, running with the bag in hoof as the crash of the attacker leaping forward rang out.

And elsewhere, with a flourish, the music picked up, claws picking briskly at the guitar. 'Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days.'

The red figure above watched and let loose another pseudo-arrow. Tranquiliser. The goat somehow saw it and bared his horns, the needle burrowing fruitlessly into keratin and bone. The archer cursed, the chance gone as the caprid raced into an alley, beyond his sight.

'The people I meet always go their separate ways.'

An alley too narrow for the chasing figure to get down, but perfect for the goat. The edges of his hooves balanced themselves between bricks and up he went, floor after floor, ascending. The sound of the car drew the attacker away, giving the caprid a chance.

He had a phone.

He could call for more transport.

And if it involved losing these guys on the roofs, so be it.

'Sometimes you tell the day, by the bottle that you drink'

He crested the top and braced himself as the unshielded rage of the weather smashed into him, wind howling and rain hammering down. It poured along tiles like rapids and bore cascades along overflowing gutters. Racing on, hooves crashing into lakes of standing water, he made his way along the top of the block. There were gantries and bridges across the roads, he could escape them without setting a hoof on the ground.

This was his home territory.

'And times when you're alone, well, all you do is think'

He could guess who these mammals were. Bring a mammal onboard your operation, you bring their enemies too.

Enemies, a trio.

Because if not, who was up in that water tower?

Far off, the brown figure, playing along, let a drum roll loose as his companion carried on singing. 'I'm a cowboy.'

A glint in the blackness, the goat pulling himself behind a wall as a fast swoop cut down.

'On a steel horse I ride.'

A flash of lightning was reflected off the dart.

'I'm wanted.' the guitarist sung, his drummer echoing in. 'wanted.' They both followed through. 'Dead or alive.'

The goat saw it and fled.

'Wanted,' the one sung, then the other. 'Wanted.' '-Dead or alive.' And the descending riff came out once more, prancing down.

Out in the rain the goat crashed through the standing water, weaving behind walls and equipment, denying line of sight as another alley neared.

A deathly void, unavoidable.

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

The guitarist let his claws jump to his electric six strings and played them like a lover, making her roar.

The goat came up to the void and leapt out at the rising walls in front of him, slamming into them.

-Letting his hoof edges dig into the narrowest of cracks and arm lever against a drainpipe. Holding him up six storeys high, unfazed by the terminal fall below. They would be though, they weren't killers, and so he climbed. This way and that, effortlessly, moving around window sills and balancing between drainpipes, his life held on by decrepit vent pipes and crumbled bricks. Usually he made do with the few millimeters between the layers of brick, all he needed to wedge the edges of his hooves in and lock them in place.

He rose higher, shifting and jumping, his weight perfectly balanced,

In his element.

They had no chance.

'Oh, and I ride…' '-Yeah…'

Up he clambered, glancing behind him to see the third pursuer waiting for him to crest the parapet. Fore-hooves reaching it, he let them hang over, coiling his legs like springs.

'Oh, I'm a cowboy.'

He pushed himself over and swung himself down, hard.

'On a steel horse I ride.'

A glint of steel cut through the ends of his fur and sailed off into the distance as he rolled down, behind cover once more.

And the two singers carried on as lightning arced across the sky. 'I'm wanted…' '-wanted.' '-Dead or alive…'

The same flash illuminated the space in front of him and the goat cursed as the massive hulking figure moved forward. He could climb too. Looking around, there was no way out.

He was going to have to fight.

'And I walk these streets, a loaded six-string on my back.'

Plying the embedded tranquiliser out, he checked the bag before dropping down on all fours, horns bared.

The looming figure drew forward a massive quarterstaff and flexed it, slicing the sheets of rain. The goat snorted, and charged.

'I play for keeps 'cause I might not make it back.'

Lightning illuminated him. Grizzly bear, eight foot pushing nine, a monster of muscle. Clothes torn, cut, he'd fought a tiger. Had he won or lost?

'I've been everywhere, still I'm standing tall…'

He didn't seem to care. The goat didn't. He'd been injured. That was what mattered.

Like a stuka the staff whistled down, the goat bucking his horns up to take it. His spine buckled and hooves tore at the floor as they splayed, kicking out fountains of water as the force of the impact rippled through him.

But failed to hurt him.

Lightning forking they saw each other's faces, ursine eyes widening as he saw what the goat held.

And both singers cried out. 'I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all…' The guitarist let out a short sharp flourish of electric...

Thunder rippled as the needle swept, the goat focussing in only for his head to rip like a faultline. His horns screamed and the needle and hoof were torn away with the rest of him, the bear getting him with one paw on his horns and one on his back.

'Cause I'm a cowboy…'

The bear looked down as the criminal was driven into the rooftop lake.

'On a steel horse I ride…'

The needle went flying, only to be picked up and driven in properly.

'I'm wanted... -wanted... -Dead or alive'

The goat struggled, only to fall limp.

'Cause I'm a cowboy.'

The bear above him stood triumphant.

'I got the night on my side.'

As did the two smaller figures.

'I'm wanted... -wanted... -Dead or alive'

They picked the goat up

'And I ride... -and I ride... -Dead or alive'

They checked him and the bag.

'And I drive... -and I drive... -Dead or alive'

Far off, clenching, trying to hold it together, the tiger maneuvered his battered car along, hoping to hear his passenger contact him. He did not want to go back to his boss empty pawed, but who knew where Petey was. What had happened? How was he?

'Dead or alive…'

'Dead or alive…'

'Dead or alive…'

'Dead or alive…'

.

.


.

.

Clap-clap-clap-clap…

"That was wonderful," the grey wolf spoke. She smiled, looking to her side at the figure sitting next to her. White furred, small gold half-moon earrings on her ears, she was visibly older but her strength and sheen hid it well. "Annemarie, your pups are as talented in music as they are in mechanics."

"I wouldn't say I'm that good," came a gruff voice from the stage. Sitting back, bass guitar hanging from his neck, the heavy-built grey wolf flexed his fingers before his head gave a jerk down to his side. "Just playing the motions. It's Miss Lang's kit who's the musical prodege."

Before the silver fox he was referring to, double-neck guitar in his paws, could reply, Annemarie 'Lady Lang' Luna spoke up. "Well you still kept up very well, didn't you Felix."

"I need no sympathy, Ma."

"Is that a tease for what's coming next," the first, grey, wolf spoke, immediately bringing a chuckle from the guitar slinging silverfox.

"It can be if you want Mrs Wolford," he joked.

"Please Conor, call me Murana," she said.

Annemarie wasted no time in adding her own voice. "As for the other musical prodege in the room, to whom I am not their mother, mom or Ma'" she said, giving a slight look over at Felix. "Lady Lang works fine."

Eyes rested on the small torch-key raccoon on the drum set, nodding his head. "Yes Lady Lang," he said. "Also, we agreed we'd do echoes next as I wanted to show off my keyboard skills, but we could do bohemian rhapsody after."

"Perfect thing before my dinner gets here," Conor said, walking over and setting up their computer music player. "Drums and some effects ready, keyboards all yours Max."

Max Thrash got off his drumset and walked to the racks of keyboards, checking them before giving a nod. With a click, a sonar ping started out, then another, then another, matched by the raccoon with a deep, quiet keyboard chord. The pings carrying on, Max began playing more, all the while a background hum slowly began rising up. His other paw playing some higher pitch melodies, the volume began to rise, as Conor matched in with a gentle bit of guitar work himself.

Felix, tagging along, let a few of his bass notes come in, before the automatic drums kicked off, the trio setting off on their twenty minutes long endeavour.

And as they played, the two she-wolves sat back, glasses of wine in their paws, meals on the table in front of them. Annemarie 'Lady' Lang and Murana Wolford, two wolves who knew each other very much by reputation. It had only been recently, when their two musically inclined adopted sons of different species had met, that they had been drawn together.

Quickly learning that waiting this long had been a terrible mistake, given just how closely they thought and acted.

"So what did he mean by the perfect thing before his dinner got here," Muarana slowly asked, taking a bite of her chicken.

Lady Lang looked over and smiled. "A food cart he found, and has taken an exceedingly good liking to," she explained. "Bohemian Rhapsody, it's central european comfort food, the cesky gulas by far his favourite." She looked over to the silver fox, his guitar now singing a long set of complex, delicate, wails. She gave a little snort. "So much so I decided to invest into building it into a quality franchise."

Murana gave her a look. "I thought that was an area completely outside your expertise."

"My family runs an entire burger chain. Surely you've heard of Burger Alpha?"

"I have," Murana quipped. "That's why I said it was completely outside your expertise."

Lady Lang rolled her eyes. "I suppose we earned that reputation," she said, giving Conor a long look. "I do admit, having him on his knees begging you not to put your money behind his favourite food vender is quite a slap on the face." She took a sip of her wine. "But I promised I'd ensure we kept the quality, and I'd say we won him over." Placing it down, she gave a look at Murana. "As your husband would say, crime doesn't pay. And after fully transitioning away from it as a business model, I'd agree."

Murana nodded. "Though where your other pups will get their parts and financing from is surely still a…"

She was broken off by a smirk from the white wolf. "Vehicle rental my dear. We have a big enough fleet in Lang Cars that the small but steady supply of write-offs and aged outs keeps my pups entertained and employed." She brought out her phone. "Indeed, Felix Jr was happy to help design our website."

Murana raised her eyebrow as Lady Lang searched for 'Langcars'. "That's a lot of capital letters," she quipped as the white wolf clicked on the link. The grey one's eyes went wide as the site opened, bathing both in a sea of orange, reds, and other colours. "What the…"

Annemarie smirked. "It's amazing, isn't it."

"... -That's either the worst or best website ever designed, and I can't tell which. And why… Is that a german army helmet you're wearing?"

"I'm not sure," Lady Lang mused, shrugging. "But it goes well with Artemis, don't you think?"

"... Do I want to ask?"

"My bike," she said, tapping at the screen. She put the phone away and smiled. "I certainly accept it's different, but it evidently works. Lang cars is a brilliant success." She gave a little smile. "Though maybe our former reputation has something to do with that."

"In what way?"

"Well, for instance, not long ago we had a vehicle returned. It clearly had some front bumper damage, but whoever had rented in had chosen to repair it themselves… And in doing so also changed the oil, given the engine a quick retune, and objectively improved it. I suppose there are always positives, as you may well experience coming up, in part thanks to that hippo."

"Ah, well," Murana said, "it's given me an excuse to wear those things out in public again. I thought I'd hung that suit up for good, but it seems it has a new use. Indeed, I'm pretty sure people would start getting suspicious if I didn't break it out once in a while."

Annemarie looked over to Max, fingers deftly playing the keyboard. "I suppose that if he's still into Howloleen, you have the perfect costume to go along with him"

Murana smirked. "I'd actually started training him up to come along with me on missions. He had his own 'Super-max' suit and everything, before I felt I had to prioritise my family. He's already raised the idea, and gets to use that exceedingly good if fatally confidentiality-damaging pseudonym."

"Training him, huh?"

"He may be young and look innocent, but he's an expert fighter who can hold his own."

"Ah, well we have exceptionally talented kits, don't we?" Lady Lang said, looking over, the trio reaching a stage where the song seemed to be marching along, led by Conor's guitarwork.

Murana looked on, only for her grin to falter. "It'd be such a waste. Such a talented kit, given that lot in life. Had you not already ensured it, I'd be sorely tempted to take a visit all the way over there and make that 'honorable' mammal regret everything he did many times over." She paused, noticing her claws had dug into the table.

Lady Lang looked on, before offering her own paw, Murana deftly retreating slightly before contact could be made. The white wolf held for a few seconds, before carrying on. "Well, your one would be wasted too, would he not?" she asked, looking over to the brown coloured raccoon, fingers deftly playing the keyboard.

"An orphanage is far better than the abusive environment that Felix was in, itself infinitely better than what your kit faced before you saved him," the grey wolf summarised, taking another sip of wine. "Besides, even there you could see Max's talent coming through. Creating drum kits from bin lids, expressing himself… Did you have any clue that Conor was so…"

"Admittedly no," Lang said. "Pure happenstance we came together, and once I knew of him I knew that I was the only one who'd look after him, or be able to find his place in the world. Not that he wouldn't have fought on all by himself and found his own way had I not been there, but the urge to cut in and give a happy ending right away is quite overpowering. I fully admit that dealing with a species as different as a fox felt daunting…"

"I'd say a fox is about as close to a wolf as you can get."

"They have their reputation for being solitary, don't they?" Lang said, smiling. "And I admit, given how long he'd lived alone, it was understandable that he chose to set up and live independently, even at this young age. Didn't stop me feeling just a bit of a failure, however much he assured me how much he loved me, or was grateful, or made the most of when he did stay over. Of course, I'm at peace now knowing that he just needed his space."

"Uh-hu," Murana said, smiling over at Max. "I suppose I could say the same thing, given his mental alignment and nocturnal inclination. You get used to it though."

"Like with skunk musk?"

Murana smirked. "They don't actually smell that much, even with the physical legacy of his… captivity in play." Her mood had darkened considerably, before lighting up. "The no-bath, no-deodorant teenage phase is far worse though. Enforcing bath times was a struggle."

Lang smiled and laughed. "Oh the trials of motherhood," she said, shaking her head. "But that's part of the joy, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is," Murana agreed.

"Seeing how they find their own path…" she smirked. "Music being one. His coding and computer skills too."

"But I'd expect you'd be even happier to see him pick up the familial mechanical tradition too."

"Oh, he does enjoy it," Lang said, smiling. "Maybe nowhere near to the degree of Felix, or with the affinity he has to music, but he's very eager in the lessons and enjoys repairing and driving. We picked out his own bike, which he's slowly rebuilding and testing. He'll be riding his 'Red Molly' by the time he gets his license, I'm sure of it."

Murana nodded, taking a bite of her food and looking on and listening in to the music being played fondly. "What we never got, we can give to them. Protection from the terrors of the world."

Annemarie paused, an ear going askew. "You never say much about your parents."

"You presume they're worth the words."

Annemarie nodded, withdrawing slightly, not that Murana was done. "We were not children to them, not pups. We were theirs to bully, to torture, to sacrifice. All for their devil god, as if my brother's screams meant anything to their 'thunderbird'. My children will never know their uncle because of them, but I know that years after being taken I was able to return, and submit them to their deserved justice for what they did. "

"I suppose that's the main solace we can find in this world," Lang agreed, slowly bringing out a file. "Of course, given our recent legitimization and legalisation, our arbiting has become a far… trickier subject, to manage."

Murana looked over as the document was opened. "I suppose this has to do with the other Silverfox, doesn't it?"

Lady Lang nodded. "My one has done his research. An unrepentant speciesist bully and an abuser of her power, which understandably hits my kit terribly hard. A shame given that she seems to otherwise be a normal loving mother."

"The rest of the family is innocent in this," Murana nodded. "That makes any move difficult."

"We hear that legal avenues are being pursued in their earliest stages, the new DA being very much on our side. The kit's testimony will be needed, my children already agreeing to predorian guard duty."

"Defensive, but nothing offensive," Murana began, only to pause. "You know, it is hard to discuss these things with our children playing so excellently."

"I quite agree," Lang said. "In any case, as long as she spends some time inside, we can use our influence there to greatly intensify the experience."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Well, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it," Lang mused, slowly nodding along. It was the second half of the long song, the music increasing in intensity and tempo.

After it finally reached its end, both mothers clapped hard at their pup and kits. They were about to start again, only for Felix to get a ping. "Hmmmmm," he mused, piquing his mothers attention.

"Anything the matter, Felix?"

"Just got a text from Danielle, someone touched Fenrir."

"Oh, is that your bike's name?" Max asked.

"Uh-hu lil' coon, just gonna check it out, if ya don't mind me."

"I was getting a bit thirsty," Conor shrugged, "sure thing bro."

"Yeah, back in a moment, I'll bring the grub too," the large wolf said, before walking off.

The two teenaged boys were left on the stage, carefully putting their instruments down before picking up their drinks. Some cola for the raccoon, and a glass bottle for the silver fox, filled with pinkish liquid and decorated with a tan label with twenty brown stripes. The raccoon looked at it, unsure. "Lasseter's Reef… Redcurrant…"

"-Limeade," Conor finished off, taking a swig before offering it, giving a white and gold smile. "Trust me, I wasn't sold by the pitch either, and that was by a member of the family that makes it."

The reassurance didn't do much for the raccoon. "I'll pass."

"More for me then," the silverfox said, taking a swig. "Very hard to get, at least until we help set up a plant on our shore." He gave a smirk. "Hoofbart isn't the easiest city to import from after all."

The torch key raccoon nodded. "Yeah, you'd probably have to go via Mulebourne, and it's across the Purrcific. Plus import taxes and stuff."

Taking another drink, the fox nodded. "About right. -Say, you said you're used to skunk musk, right?"

"Yeah. My brother is one, and he's got a…"

"-Uh-hu, so you'll be fine with me upgrading my chip sauce from red pepper to dijon and garlic."

The raccoon blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Conor gave a smirk. "The smell can kick a mule sideways."

Max paused for a second, before giving a little laugh. "Well don't go breathing in mule's faces then."

The silverfox laughed, only for that laugh to cut off with the lights.

Blackness.

Followed by a hum and flicker as the emergency lights came on.

All eyes turned to Lang, looking around, ears upright. "Power cut?" she pondered, the group remembering the pounding storm outside.

Only for a new voice to speak out. "Might just be some mammals wanting to talk."

For a second after the new voice had spoken out, there was silence.

Then the canines, vulpine and procyonid sprung into action, Murana Wolford taking charge. "You two into the corner, Max with me, perimeter formation." In a single jet fast leap she was where she wanted to be, turning around as she slid to a spot and bared her claws, poising herself into a fighting stance. Her young son was right next to her, paws bared.

Conor, to their surprise, was next to them, maybe not as much on form but certainly looking even more ready to fight to the last, fur raised, claws out, what seemed like a torch in his paws extending out into a blunt, uncompromising club.

There was no surprise too that Lady Lang, the oldest of the four, was also poised and ready. She was the first to speak. "Let me guess, you set up that distraction with Felix to get him out the way, didn't you?"

There were some sounds from above, in the walls, before the voice spoke once more. "Yeah, we kind of only wanted to talk with Mrs Wolford, so we set up a distraction for your oldest son."

Lang snarled. "Let me guess, you're here after being convinced by that DA that my friend is who he says she is."

"-I've overheard enough of this conversation to know that she is…"

"-So maybe you should remember who you're squaring up against," Murana spoke. "I could have easily killed that mammal, made his last moments agony, had I so wished. Familial commitments and the idea of having him live the life of a humiliated Catsandra pushed me towards the peaceful option, but you're coming at me with violence. I can more than meet it with such."

There was a long pause, then a chuckle. "You're acting like I'm not impressed by what you did, even if I do find it distasteful. Trust me, my group and your group are on the same side here, and we can fight pretty well too."

"I find that hard to believe," Murana said. "You underestimate my willpower, determination and tactical ability."

"Just remember," Lady Lang warned, "after all she did, she even let out the recording of the DA and put herself at risk, all to take him down and protect a kit. If she can do that against him, imagine what she can do against you."

There was a pause, Murana blinking before glancing down. "I leaked it…? -I thought you leaked it."

"Why would I leak it?" Lang asked, surprised. "How would I leak it?"

"Well," Max began, "I thought that as Conor was a talented hacker, he'd have a line in and be able to record it, and then release it to all your wolves outside… No offense."

"None taken," Conor began, only for Murana to cut them off.

"I wouldn't have risked my family with that move, too many unknown variables. When it came out my paw was forced and I pulled it off."

"Then why didn't you bring it up?" Lang asked. "Wouldn't you be furious?"

"Well, it was mainly a theory put forward by Max, the only theory I had," Murana explained. "And he presumed it wasn't you, it was Conor, and…"

"-Snitches get stitches," the brown raccoon spoke.

Murana nodded. "It was just a theory, we thought it best not to bring it up."

"Well," the silverfox said, "thanks for rating my skills so highly. But right now, I think it's obvious who did it, isn't it?" He spoke it out. "C'mon fella, own up."

There was a pause.

The voice chuckled. "Would you believe me if I said no too."

"I'd want to know who it'd be then," Murana said out loud.

"We think it's the ones we're fighting. The ones behind the fake picture. The ones behind Big's fall too."

There was a long pause, Lang speaking. "Why would they do that? What are they even after?"

"We don't know," he said. "But we're trying to find out. Which is why we need to talk to Murana."

The white wolf looked over to the grey, who waved the other three back. "Come out."

"Can we bring the big guy too?"

"Big guy?" she asked, only for the ceiling above to creak. There was a jolt, eyes flipping over to an old access hatch to the roof space above, before it broke open, a massive figure crashing down and landing with a thud. All four flinched, bracing themselves, as the huge brown bear, cut up and bruised but alive, spoke. "Murana Wolford, face to face. Huh, do you recognise me?"

She blinked, her eyes then flicking to the side as two far smaller red figures emerged down. "And you are?" she asked.

"Those who fight in the shadows," the voice from before spoke. "Fighting against…"

"I know these mammals," Lang interrupted, the room going quiet. "By reputation at least. Some called you the new Cooper gang, until you went quiet. I guess you've been busy then."

Murana held herself for a second. "If they were likened to the Cooper gang, then I'd argue they're trustworthy."

"Never met those folks, but know them by reputation," the leader spoke again. "I'd say our morals are higher than theirs, we don't simply hoard what we take from the worst after all. But, if it puts your mind at ease…"

"Let's say it does," Murana said, voice hard, not as trusting as her previous words suggested. "What's this connection we have?" she asked, cautiously. "And why am I important to you?"

The brown bear smiled. "My brother didn't come out with brown fur like mine, it's a blackish blue. Based his nickname on it when he went to flight school, and ended up on flight and supply runs to the northern wildernesses in Alaska and the Russian east. Flew with a young cloud bear out of…"

"-Cape Suzette," Murana spoke, her voice suddenly much softer.

"Ye-up," the bear said. "Encountering many mammals there, including a group of modern day air pirates that he ran into many times, led by a wolf going by the name 'Don Karnage'. He told me about how their giant airship was used to prey on settlements, gold prospectors, and supply flights. And how amongst the crew there was a young wolf pup, a girl, a stowaway shanghaied into service. One he helped escape, not long before that ship vanished. Sound familiar?"

All eyes turned to Murana, a tear dripping from her eye. "Your brother showed me your picture. You're a lot bigger than I imagined, Little…"

"-Well, not long after he left I finally had my growth spurt," the bear spoke, not really relishing in the humour of it. "After a humiliating existence in school, bullying, and finally coming to terms with it, whoop-de-doo I finally go up in just two years, with all the extra growing pains. Only thing I got from all that was a lousy nickname."

"The sweet ironies of life," Murana said, smiling. She was visibly relaxed and walked forward, the others following her. "So tell me, is that monster who kidnapped me from one hell to another and his crew alive? If they didn't die as I thought and got the Iron Vulture back going again, or…"

"They're dead," the first speaker spoke. "But it is connected to them." He took a breath in and out. "My brother in arms' brother discovered that the Vulture's remains, and her black box, had been discovered. Only for Elsa to go along…"

"Elsa?" Max asked, "isn't that the name of a…"

He trailed off, just like Conor's long whistle. "Those guys got involved?"

The first speaker did a double take. "Okay, what does the kit know about Elsa?"

"They're not some princess to start with," he joked, before getting serious. "Arms dealers, major ones. Not specialist suppliers, like for DFW's equipment. Not gun smuggling mobsters like Jim McCrodon and his company back in Zoo York. Not piece of scat international executives supplying rebel armies like Richard Onslow Gopher. Nu-uh, these are the mammals that sell WMD's… Rumour on the dark net is they salvaged sunken subs for them or something. Apart from that, no-one knows much about them at all, not even why they're called that. Best kept secret in crime, aren't they brother fox?"

There was a long pause, before the fox in question nodded, only to shake that look off his face. "You're a kit! How do you know about them? Or the McCrodon's. Or Dickie Gopher?"

"It's a very, very, very long story involving seaminks."

"I…" he began. "Okay, the low down is that those guys, who deal in this kind of thing, got hold of that black box. Specifically to deliver it to our enemies in this city. Something seemingly so beneath them, it raises every red flag in the book. We don't know what they want or what they plan to do with it, but it's indescribably important to them."

"So," the third member, a female, spoke out. "We preemptively liberated it." Out came a bag, and out of that came the box, slamming down onto the table. Orange lining fading, barnacles encrusting it, it had been through a lot.

But it was still a black box.

And, as they began plugging it into a small computer, it was working.

Murana walked over, paw outstretched, slowly touching it. "How many years since I touched part of that wretched ship…" Her ears flicked up. "Why on earth did it even have a black box? If they built it themselves, why would they install one?"

"Don't you know?" the female member of the three asked. "They stole it."

"From who?" she asked, skeptically.

"The Soeviets," she explained, maneuvering it around so some cyrillic script was visible. "Kirov airship works, it was abandoned like their space shuttle and the caspian sea monster when the union fell apart. Somehow, he heard about it, and realised it was the ideal toy for him to play pirate in. -Plundering the newly opened air routes into the far east."

Murana thought about it for a few seconds, the others working on getting the thing running. "What did the Soeviets want it for? It had a lot of experimental directed energy weapons on it. Apart from some directed energy shock pistols used by interpol, that technology's a dead end."

"From what I researched," she said, typing away. "Back during Vietnam, Tigon purchased some old sky-cruising airships and tried fitting them out to hunt down and close the Ho-Chi-Mink trail. Officially, it had mixed results, the ships flew on until they were lost in action. In reality, they were devastatingly effective, not that it was easy to tell. That, and double agents trying to hide the success, succeeded in closing it down."

"So hooray for that strike against imperialism," the red fox said.

"Regardless, their side did know how effective it was, and the Soeviets in Afghanistan realised they could make use of it. Only problem was, they didn't have an airship industry."

"Oooh, yeah," Max chipped in. "Because after world war two, a business mammal bought up some leftover US blimps to try selling sky-cruises to rodents. It was so successful far more had to be built, including a return to rigid airships, and the Zebrallin company reforming. Then retired airships from there were trialed for air cargo, especially to remote areas, and that was successful and gave another reason to make them too! The Soeviets didn't do blimps, and didn't do sky cruises, with giant helicopters instead for cargo. So they never developed those things, and had to build their industry from scratch. Which was why it took so long to complete!"

"And that's our starter for ten," the red fox smirked, the raccoon's head tilting.

"Huh?"

"It's a compliment, deary," the female said, pumping her fist as the computer began working. "Ah-ha, we got it. Flight data, voice recordings… -We can hear his last moments."

There was a long pause, eyes turning to Murana. She nodded. "It should provide closure, at least." With that she sat down, breathing in and out.

The grizzly bear spoke. "Do you have any idea what he might have been doing?"

"No, I…" She trailed off. "Unless…"

"Unless?" the red fox leader of the group spoke.

"There was this one area on the map, one crossed off area in the centre of the Kamyaktcha peninsula, over the heart of the volcanic fields… It was marked out as a no-go area. The reasons listed were immense. Danger from turbulence, convection currents from this giant lava lake and ash carried up that could shut down engines. The whole area was also used for missile testing, had sensitive anti-aircraft detection systems, likely to defend some major base at its heart. Though why they'd put such a base there, unless it was directly linked to the volcanoes, I cannot understand. Nor can I understand why, more recently, the whole no-fly zone has been revoked if those issues still exist," There was a pause as she looked up. "A few times when asked, Don Karnage said 'we'll go there when we are strong enough, or they weak enough'." She scratched her chin. "Your brother saved me in the middle of a major refit, taking out almost all the electric cannons and replacing them with full blown artillery. Adding armor, stress testing her. He was saying the time had come to chase his destiny." She sat down, looking at the screen. "Is there a way to work out where he was going?"

"It'd take time and maths," the female said.

"And I bet you he was flying for the first and last time into that area. And discovered why, back then at least, no-one else did."

"Could that be where this Elsa organisation was based?" Lang asked.

There was a pause, the group looking at each other. "I don't know," the red fox finally said. "Good idea, I like it. But still, only one way… -These are probably a mammal's last moments, so anyone who doesn't…"

He rolled his paw, but the others stood in place. Finally, the red fox gave a nod, the female pressed play, and a long, scratching, tape recording began to play. Despite the odd audible glitch, the words being spoken were eminently understandable. When the mammal speaking them was, at least.

"-We cannot have it flip flapping so make sure it is shut! Okie-Dokie?"

The listening mammals were left wondering what kind of accent that was, a few guessing it might have been spanish or italian garbled by poor quality microphones or data storage. That was cut off though as someone else spoke, in a much deeper, normal sounding voice.

"But we lashed it shut where the bolt failed boss, we…"

"My Iron Vulture is the greatest most beautiful deadly pirate ship in the sky, having the aft cargo bay door juggling about will not do. Now fix it, dumb-dumb."

There was the sound of a thwack, a whine and a door opening, letting the background humming rise up. The door shut, the humming quietened down. "Nincompoop, that is how we lose crew members. How does he think we lost Murana, hmmmm? Stupid wolf girl must have fallen out playing there, can't trust pup with anything…"

Things quietened down slightly, the group listening in looking on at the grey wolf in question. Eyes closed, she breathed out, she breathed in, her claws were digging into the table and teeth grit.

For a few minutes, there wasn't much of a sound, and then…

Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh…

The sound of an alarm ringing, not that it seemed to bother the pilots.

"Hey, it's saying that the rear hangar door is open again… -And closed again!"

"Let me call the Nincompoop up then," the presumed Don spoke, the sound of a ship's whistle going off. There was some dialling, then a slightly quieter words from him. "So, you fixed it, right?"

Something unintelligible came from the other side. "Fantastical news there! See, it is easy when you apply your tiny little brain." Whoever he was talking to gave another quick response. "No, no, your battle station is tail arc gun, correct?" Something else. "Well of course it's tail Ak-Ak guns now! I upgrade your guns from weak plasma fizzle to crazy powerful boom-boom. Just get in position, happy?"

"Uh, boss…" someone else from the bridge spoke.

"Of course you are happy, you can go shred our enemies now," the captain said, the sound of the phone going down ringing out. "Yes?"

The one from the bridge spoke again. "Just thought you'd want to check our position on the map."

"A wonderful idea, it could have been mine," he said, as the sound of feet on stairs clattered out. Back in the room, listening in, Murana had her eyes closed, remembering what she could. The raised command deck, with its chairs and wheel. The various stations around the bridge.

The mammals that stood there, running it amidst their cruelty to each other, innocents, her…

She could imagine that terrible red wolf now, running down the steps to the lower level, skipping the last one, he always skipped the last one, and making his way to the navigators desk. Paw on one corner, he'd pivot himself around whoever was charting their position, head poking down to look at it.

"Just thinking we should be careful boss, we're skirting on the edge of the red zone as is. With the northern wind coming up, I'd say we should angle ourselves slightly to port even as the area pulls away to starboard. We'll crab across thanks to the wind, skirting the edge… -the schmuck's we're going after will be ever more surprised as we hit them from this angle."

There was a long pause, the sound of boots marching back up the steps, and the navigator speaking out. "Uh, boss?"

It was cut off as an alarm whooped out. 'Whoooooopppp… Whoooooopppp… Whoooooopppp…' It wasn't loud, nowhere near enough to shock any of the mammals listening in around two decades later. But one mammal though certainly reacted. All eyes flashed to Murana as she stood up, eyes wide open, ears up, back straight, muscles poised. It took her a second to register what she'd just done, before looking down, eyes narrowing.

"Battle stations."

"Change heading," Don called out again. "Two-thirty."

"But sir…"

"Yes, we're going in!" he boasted.

"Aye captain."

"It is Aye-aye, I still have two of them," the Don spoke, a ship's whistle calling out. "Attention, attention, this is your magnificent captain speaking. You may be wondering why I called battle stations and am changing course. Simply put, we are going into the red zone, in order to make history. This has long been planned, it's why we upgraded most of the very fun but lightly powdered zappy guns for nice big boomers at our recent refit. This attack has been a long time plan of mine. The longest." There was a pause. "You may wonder what's in this area. Volcanoes, military base, etcetera. Whatever it is, the locals stay far away. But from my research I know there is another criminal organisation based within. A mammal or mammals with global reach, major influence over this country, not that they use it apart to enforce the red zone. They just want to be left alone, a secret, doing their own things, like weak highschool nerds. Now tell me boys, what do we do to weak highschool nerds!?"

"We beat 'em-up! You hear me?"

"We beat them up," came a chorus from the bridge.

"That's right. Of course, this is still a potentially dangerous foe. Thus the upgrades. But I have also tracked his few allies, they're falling. First Britain, then America, someone is hunting them down. It proves he's weak, and I'll take him down first. We'll take what's his, and not be shy. All the world will know the name, Don Karnage, and his sky pirates!"

There was a round of applause as he put down the phone. Far in the future, eyes were on Murana. "I don't know who or what that could be, unless…"

"If it's Elsa, then that would explain why they made sure to grab this," the bear spoke. "They didn't want this expose coming out. Heck, that could have been their base, and after this they decamped anyway. That'd explain why it was later opened up."

"Only," his vulpine leader spoke, scratching the underside of his muzzle. "Why sell it to our guys if they want to keep it secret?"

"Well, we don't know all those working in the shadows," the female member said. "Maybe one knew Karnage and wants this as closure."

"Which would make some very strange bedfellows," Lang noted. She glanced around. "The irony is appreciated, but the point remains."

"We're just going to have to keep listening," the red fox spoke, turning back to the ongoing recording. Only the drone of the engines, occasionally split by a slight audio issue or errant vibration, played.

Then, after an awkward period of time, the presumed navigator spoke once more. "Hey sir, look where we're heading."

There was the sound of boots going down steps, jumping the last one, again. Murana could almost hear the swoop of him pivoting around the table. And then… "Just as planned, that's our target, we're going right in."

"Hang on," came a new voice.

"The chief mechanic," Murana explained.

"-I ain't sure about that. There's all the ash in the air, it could stall the engines…"

"We have new air filters."

"But even with that, Captain, the turbulence will be worse than a thunderstorm. Just think about the convection currents…"

"Convection Con-schmection. We'll ride through."

"I just ain't so sure boss. It ain't just the turbulence, there's a reason those wacky energy guns were installed on this thing and not cannons. The ones you've switched us to will kick back into the lightweight airframe. All this stress together, you might just tear the vulture apart!"

There was a pause. "This is MY ship! You just keep it up in the air. We'll win here, even if we damage ourselves, and you will repair it. Understood?"

"Y-Y…" he began stuttering, before a sharp thwack cut him out. "Yes sir!"

"Excellent, how long until we arrive?"

"Uh, ten-twenty minutes boss," the navigator replied, before chuckling. "Hey, is the reason you're going after this guy just cuz he has the ultimate villain base?"

"Well I suppose I do have a bit of envy," he said. "You know, I could rename the mountain after, to…"

He was cut off as a shrill alarm blared through the bridge, several screams and calls ringing out, boots marching across the ground and the drone of the engines markedly changing. In the end, it lay to a mammal twenty years in the future to explain the meaning. "Approaching enemies."

"Three tango's," someone called. "11 o'clock, 200 meters below, five kilometers away."

"M-m-missiles?" the navigator asked.

"Well what does the radar say?" Karnage demanded.

"Too large Captain, too slow. Four kilometers away."

Almost immediately the sound began to distort, almost wobbling, as the pounding of something began. Murana's head tilted. "Must be the new guns they added."

"I told you they'd shake us apart!" the mechanic called, as more pounding began, along with light buzzings and ratatat sounds.

"One tango down. Tango's circling away and rising. Five more tangos detected, eight kilometers away, three-o-clock, one kilometer above us."

"Two-forty-five," Don ordered. "Focus all canons broadside against tangos to port, we then roll counterclockwise to bring as much against the others as we can."

"One port side tango down, one left, flying into a cloudbank for cover."

"We have radar, don't we!?" Karnage screamed, the sound of heavy vibrations rattling through the ship.

"What was that!?" the mechanic asked.

"Calm yourself, just our starboard side firing up at those they see."

"Seven kilometers out, still rising. Port tango now one kilometer away, circling towards our bow -might be aiming for the bridge!"

"Give me my gatling control," the Don ordered, the sound of him making a flying leap over a railing coming through.

"Starboard tangos, six-point-five K out, one-and-a-half above. -TEN TO STERN, FIVE K OUT!"

"Why didn't you see them before?" the Don barked…

"They were in the blind spot, you…"

He was cut out, as was everything else, by the screaming brrrrrttttt… of a gatling cannon. For five whole seconds it dominated everything before stopping, the Don shouting. "And that's how it's done! Tango down. Heading-three hundred, each one of these attack groups for one side."

"Sir…" the mechanic began, only for a heavy vibration to start rocking the ship. "SIR…"

"Silence ye of little faith," the Don spoke.

"Starboard tangos five kilometers out, levelling off two above us… -One down… Two down! Three left, continue firing. Sir, they'll be in bow view right now, your gun could…"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, "lemme catch-em."

"Five to stern tracking around there, now four K out, one above. -One going down, four left, I… -One of the ones in front is kamikazing!"

"Oh I see," the Don shouted, as the scream of his minigun lit up again. For five seconds it rang, then silence.

"Ballistic trajectory, no control. It's gonna miss us. Keep focussed on the three in front."

"I see them now," Don spoke, as his gun screamed out. Again and again and again.

"Two downed by the main canons, I… -You just got the third sir. -They're all diving!"

"Back to heading two-hundred, back on course," the Don commanded. "Our target or nothing."

"First kamikazee approaching, going to miss…"

In the future, they could all hear it. It was a strange sound, almost like one of those tubes you swing about above your head, making a ghostly oscillating rushing noise of air. Only here it was like a burning scream as it crashed down past the ship, the vibrations from its wake rattling out.

"What the heck was that!?" the navigator yelled, only to be cut off by whoever was on the radar screen.

"One of the next divers is well off course, two still on it."

"Keep firing," the Don ordered.

"Three left to the stern, still tracking, still one K above, now three K in."

"Keep firing," he repeated, giving some buzzes of his own gun. "Ack, out of the firing line."

"They're gonna hit!" the radar technician warned.

"Snake the vulture like it's a sexy snake!" Karnage ordered, and the sound of it creaking and shifting with the maneuver could be heard. An alarm rang, the mechanic running over.

"Major oil leak in two hydraulic systems, something snapped."

"Can you seal it off?"

"Already done sir, but you're doing lots of damage…"

"We have redundancies?"

"...-The hydraulics, yeah, the struc…"

"Then we have redundancies!"

"-First diver!" the radar technician warned, its terminal call roaring out. It came far closer, the future listeners could tell, rattling and shaking coming from the craft.

"Hard to port!" The Don called, the ship creaking out loud. "I can see it… I can see -Hard to starboard!"

Even more creaking rang out amongst the sound of pounding guns, whatever it was crashing down barely past the ship, rattling everyone and…

-BANG…

Everything began to shake for just a second, only to calm down. "Debris must have caught rotor two!" the mechanic yelled. "I shut down one to balance out, but we've lost bow lift and are angling down. Elevators can compensate, but I'm dumping forward ballast."

"If it works it works," Karnage dismissed.

"Rear tangos, two left, ONE K out and closing."

"Light her up," the Don ordered.

"Rear tangos, diving fast!"

"BLAST EM OUTTA THE SKY!"

"Seven-fifty out."

"Crew!" he called, cutting into the whistle that sounded as he made his shipwide announcement. "I say blast them so you blast em'!"

"Five-hundred out, think we got one."

"C'mon…" the Don urged.

"Two-fifty, got one, it's going under, it's… What the…"

There was a massive explosion, the sound of the ship shaking and the crew getting thrown to the floor ringing out. Several alarms blared, alongside an electric scream and the sounds of flames whizzing past.

"We got him!" the Don yelled. "Tried to fly over us, we shredded him and out the other end we get…"

"-He got the radar…"

"Huh?" Karnage asked.

"The radar," his technician said, getting ever more frantic. "Primary overhead system out, computer system crashed, including ground-view…"

"Well get the redundancies back on!"

"It'll take too long!"

"What the heck…"

"The tangos were a distraction. There was something below us in the clouds! It was HUGE. It's…"

He was broken out by a deafening bang and shriek, yells coming out from the crew. For a second, in the future, everyone thought that was it. Only for the captain to speak out once more. "What was that?"

"Sir," the mechanic yelped. "Systems failing."

"Which ones," he yelled, as ripping metallic screams filled the bridge. Everything was shaking, as if an earthquake was tearing the ship apart.

"ALL of th…"

It broke off for a second, before starting again. "-goes the electrics, emergency power only."

The screaming of telephone bells from the various command posts were ringing out desperately, all members of the crew trying to reach the captain, not that he had time for them as they went silent one after the other. A few bumps and crashes rang out. "You're pulling us back too far!" Karnage yelled.

"The back is GONE!" the mechanic yelled back. "We're being destroyed tail to head, we're losing altitude. You killed us all! YOU KILLED US ALL!"

"STOP THIS! DO SOMETHING!"

"It must have been some missile," the radar technician was trembling. "It must have… -parachute. Where's my parachute!"

"We can still win this!" Karange yelled, cut off by the bang of the bridge door being forced open. In came the same mammal he'd sent to the rear at the beginning of the recording, yelling out.

"IT'S INSIDE THE HANGAR!"

"What is!?" he yelled.

"The shells just bounced off it… You fool. You sent us all to hell! It's the de…"

He never got to say what was coming next as another set of bangs and shrieks and explosions rang out, the noises of the engines droning drowned out by the terminal cries of solid metal tearing apart and the blasting assault of the howling wind.

And the screams. All those on the bridge screaming and falling away, taken.

Apart from the Don, a horrible scream of pain coming from him as he was seemingly pinned against the deck. Conor especially flinched at what sounded like the crack of bones snapping, the telltale sound one of the few things to make him quiver, thank you past experience.

There was something else though. Amidst the red wolf crying and pleading and screaming like a baby, amidst whatever remained of the iron vulture, still high in the air, rattling like a broken metal shed, there was beating.

Once a second, a loud, deep beating, like one would hear next to a wind turbine.

"P-p-p-p-p…" the Don blubbered. "W-w-wha… -M-m-mercy… Mercy! I… W-what are you… M-monster? I… I will do an..anything… I w-will fight for you… P-please let me live, I… PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!? PLEASE…" He yelled it and and sobbed, over and over, the words almost masked by the wind.

Those listening in looked around at each other. Conor almost began to speak, almost made a smart little comment about how it was always those who talked the toughest who ended up blubbering for their lives...

And then a new voice spoke.

A terrible voice, so cold and yet cunning, like black obsidian yet cut through by a slight electric lisp that almost sounded like it was panting, breathing, as it verbally toyed with its prey. No different to a kit examining and noting down how a spider reacted as you pulled out its legs, one by one.

"DON KARNAGE…" it spoke, almost taking a little glee in the inherent humour in the name, and how ironic it now was.

"Y-y-yes…" the wolf whimpered.

"OF ALL I HEARD OF YOU, I NEVER IMAGINED A CREATURE SO…"

"Y-y-yes…"

"INFERIOR."

And then a short metal sliding was heard and Don Karnage screamed, only for that scream to be lost by the howl of wind that overtook it, overtook all, as what was left of the vulture plummeted down. Down and down, on and on, breaking apart into fragments.

Until, in an instant, it stopped.

Silence.

Nothing but silence.

Both then, and now. The seven mammals who'd been listening in looked at each other.

Fur raised, fearful looks in their eyes.

Many of them had been through hell before.

It didn't matter.

Max broke first, sniffing a bit and running to his mother for comfort, the pair hugging each other tight, the young raccoon breaking down and bawling. His mother seemed as much in need of the hug as he did, whispering slightly. "It can't… The thunderbird isn't real… The thunderbird isn't real…" Conor had a thousand yard stare, Lang was looking around and twitching…

The three visitors…

They stepped away. Just a little.

Finally their leader spoke. "Oh god. What are we dealing with. What the hell are they playing with?" He stepped back and sat down, cradling his head. "I may not be religious, but god have mercy. God have mercy on us all."