Hey guys! Been a while, hasn't it? A lot has been happening but I managed to find some time to finish the next chapter, and just in time for the holidays too. I guess you could consider this something of a Christmas gift for my readers :P So Merry Christmas!
SNIP!
The unwanted cut stem fell from the plant into a waiting gloved paw belonging to a particular tiger, who stashed it into a bag latched to the side of his belt containing many other similar stems. The big cat was tending to his garden of flowers and other plants that formed part of the interior jungle closest to his desk. He was in more casual clothing for the task, having removed his suit, leaving the white shirt underneath with collar unbuttoned, tie loosened and sleeves rolled up, and the black trousers that would otherwise form part of his suit, as well as having donned a gardening apron and gloves. His left ear perked and swivelled towards the direction of the sound of movement and his eyes followed, seeing a familiar suited man walking towards him with a small case in hand.
"Ah, Eli! You're back, successfully, I see." He purred. Eli didn't say anything and merely presented the case to Khan, who grinned at the sight and accepted it. He carried it over to his desk, placed and opened it, pressing the switch to reveal the hidden compartment. And there she was. The Blood Diamond in all her glory. The sparkle from the gem reflected off the tiger's eyes, who was ecstatic at the sight. Carefully he picked up the jewel in his gloved paw and admired it.
"Magnificent, isn't it? It's amazing what Mother Nature can create given enough time and the proper conditions. Ah, but I'd like to actually feel the gem in my bare paws." He marvelled, realising he was still in his gardening outfit and began to remove his apron and gloves, stashing them aside.
"I'd have imagined that you'd be able to afford gardeners to do that work for you." Eli remarked.
"A garden needs delicate love and care to bloom, Mr. Hopps. Gardeners put in neither, although they suffice for watering and simple maintenance." He countered, still admiring the ruby as he sat down in his chair. "But coming back to the subject at paw, Anya has given me the report of your mission. You've done an excellent job, and I'm highly pleased and impressed. You're showing quite a bit of promise. Despite things not going according to plan, you managed to safely complete your task. I knew I could count on you. Now that we have the ruby, I can return it to it's rightful owners. The Kusari government is going to be very pleased to have their national treasure and heritage back in their possession, and I'll be sure to credit you in making that possible." Khan finished with a triumphant smile that slowly dropped off when he saw that Eli wasn't sharing his joy.
"Why, is something the matter my boy?" He asked sympathetically, his eyes trying to figure out the young man's perturbed expression.
"I, uh… hope you don't mind my asking, Mr. Khan, but I have some… concerns…" he confessed, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Khan's desk.
"Concerns?" Khan repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Well… back at the hotel, when I was leaving this morning… the receptionist, the one that was my contact, he… begged me to 'give him his daughter back'. I… didn't really understand what he meant by that… and I was hoping you could shed some light on it." He finished. Khan stared intently at him for a moment, his elbows on the desk and paws clasped in front of his muzzle, as if analysing what he had just said.
"Did he say anything else?"
"N-No."
"Then I can understand what that might be implying to you. But I assure you, that's not the case. A shame he didn't tell you the full story. You see, when your mission was still in the planning stages, we approached him for assistance. He refused, stating that he was going through a crisis at the time. This complicated matters, and we had to delay execution so we could find an alternate solution. Then, days later, he contacted us explaining his situation. His daughter had been kidnapped, and the police were having no luck in finding her. Now more worried for her safety, he asked for Vanguard's assistance in rescuing her, offering his full support if we were to help. We were more than willing to aid a mammal in distress and I've had operatives on the case ever since. I only regretted that he hadn't told us sooner, then perhaps we would have found her by now."
Eli had listened carefully, and it took him a moment to process the information.
"But… the way he said it made it sound like you had his daughter."
"I'm sure you understand the stress and anxiety the parent of a kidnapped child goes through. It's possible he simply misspoke. He meant for you, or rather us, to find his girl and return her to him. Do you understand?"
There was an unusually long thoughtful pause before Eli finally replied. "I… I think so."
"Good. Are there any other 'concerns'?"
"Yes actually. About that police officer that was killed the other day. I heard from my parents that a witness at the scene heard a loud bang, sounding very similar to the firearms you're developing down below, and the officer had a hole in his body which I'm guessing was a bullet hole. As far as I know, you're the only one who possesses them, so I was hoping you could offer an explanation for this."
Khan sighed, stood up from his chair and walked back to his window, gazing outside, his paws behind his back. Eli followed, standing a distance behind him.
"I confess, I may be partly responsible for that, regrettably." He admitted with a hint of sorrow. "I didn't tell you this because this didn't concern you, but now that you're asking…"
"W-what do you mean?"
"Shortly before you joined, we had a security breach. A researcher, one of the upper echelons of the firearm project, betrayed us and managed to smuggle a copy of the blueprints and specifications of the gun and its ammunition outside the premises and escaped. He had planned it very well, as it was a while before we realised what he had done, and he's left no trail for us to follow whatsoever. We're still searching for him but with no luck so far. I'm assuming that he's either sold the information to another organisation or he's manufacturing the weapons on his own and selling them to criminals, which is how it likely resulted in the death of one of the city's finest." He explained, staring down at the passing mammals below. Eli thought about the implications for a moment.
"So, if one criminal has bought a gun, does this mean there can be more armed bad guys out there?" Eli asked, to which Khan nodded.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of. I don't know what his production capabilities are, but it's possible we might be having numerous armed criminals on the streets soon. And it's why I'm trying my best to get my weapons in the paws of law enforcement to counter this threat as soon as possible. But that's an entirely different discussion. You don't need to think about this, just leave the worrying to me. You should think about the good you've done today. You've placed a dangerous criminal in jail." He said, stopping to give the man a pat on his back on his way to his chair.
"About that, I don't see how stealing a ruby would put him in jail."
"Hwong's illicit business was running out of money. He was going to sell the ruby as a last ditch effort to fund it. Without it, he'll soon go bankrupt and be forced to return to his home country, where the authorities will be waiting for him after I inform them of his arrival." He chuckled.
Later
"So just relish in the fact that you've done this city a service, one that unfortunately, they'll never thank you for."
Those were Khan's words to him that still echoed in his head. It made sense, but Eli wasn't feeling very accomplished for some reason. For one thing, the plight of the receptionist was still ringing in his head, and while Khan had assured him, he had offered to help in finding his daughter, to which Khan had refused stating that he already had good operatives on the case and that he had other plans for him.
"Eli?" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked at its source, sitting across the table from him.
"Something wrong honey? You haven't touched your salad yet." A concerned Judy spoke up.
"Oh, Uh… it's okay mom, I'm... just saving up for the main course." Eli excused. He didn't realise that he had been idly poking at his salad for quite a while in thought. The family was having dinner at a restaurant today in celebration of Eli's first paycheque. Nick occasionally brought them here for food sometimes but this time Eli was going to be paying, which pleased the fox just as much as any other occasion where he got to save money. It was primarily a predators restaurant and both Nick and Eli enjoyed the food there though Judy was less enthusiastic about the lack of herbivore dishes.
"You know, if something's troubling you, you can always talk to us." Nick added, munching on his salad. He was sitting next to Judy.
"Well, I'm just a bit exhausted from having spent a whole day and night at work."
"I can imagine." Nick sympathised.
"So, why did they keep you overnight anyway?" Judy asked.
"Trying to make up for lost time in keeping up with a deadline for the project I'm working on. Ironically, in an effort to speed things up we made a few oversights including a lack of parts, materials and overlooked procedures that ended up setting us back rather than forward. All in all, it was a rollercoaster of a day and night."
"Huh, if you think that's something, wait till you hear the kind of day we had, right Judy?" Nick began. Eli was showing keen interest, prompting them to continue.
"Oh yeah! This morning, we were touring Sahara Square for our newest officer's orientation when we got a call about a theft at the Palm Oasis hotel." Judy revealed excitedly. Eli froze at the mention of the incident, though tried his best not to show any suspicious reaction.
"The P-Palm Oasis? You don't say."
"Yeah. Some guy stole some really important jewels from one of the guests. Perp was a sneaky one too. Managed to steal it and escape the hotel without anyone noticing. Pure genius if you ask me." Nick recounted.
"And… you guys were there?"
"Mmhmm! But here's the funny part. Your bloodhound of a father here thought you were at the hotel." Judy giggled. Nick sighed and felt he owed Eli an explanation.
"She's exaggerating. I picked up some mammal's scent who I mistook for yours. And that too just a temporary whiff. Your mom hasn't let me hear the end of it since."
"Heh, you? Mistaking scents? You must be getting old." Eli chuckled.
"Ouch, that hurts you know?" Nick crosses his arms, frowning.
"Just kidding dad. So, any ideas as to who was responsible?" Eli asked. He thought this would be a good opportunity to check and see if the police were any close to discovering his role in the incident. He silently prayed that wasn't the case.
"Us? Not really. We looked around but we weren't really equipped for detective work. We didn't find any clues. However investigators are combing the scene now, but its unlikely we'll hear any news for a few days at least. Those guys are good though. Maybe it'll take a while but they're sure to find the perp eventually." Judy explained.
"Well, best of luck to them." Eli finished half heartedly. He so wished he could tell those two the truth, about how the jewel had already been stolen from its original owner, and how he had actually helped in returning it back to it's real owners. But he knew that would only complicate things. They wouldn't believe him, or they wouldn't understand. It would just cause them unnecessary worry and confusion.
Soon after, their main course arrived, a big plump juicy chicken, roasted whole and served on a platter. Of course, being Nick's natural weakness, he immediately started drooling uncontrollably, much to Judy's displeasure. Eli also perked up in anticipation, and as soon as the meal had been placed between them, the two predators glared and bared teeth at each other possessively over the food, with Nick also growling at the man. Both of them were tensed up, and as if on cue they sprung up and attacked the meat on the table. Both fox and man bit down, one on each side of the chicken, and tried yanking it to their side in a somewhat gruesome match of tug of war. Of course, Eli was larger and stronger, and almost managed to pull the fox over the table, but Nick impressively held his own, until the bird in between split into two uneven halves and the carnivores began chowing down. They stopped briefly to share a good hearty laugh, although Judy just facepawed and sighed, wishing those two would grow up. Eli had picked up this habit from his father, and the two would sometimes do this for fun on those occasions where meat was being served. As much as Judy loved her two boys, the inner prey inside her couldn't help but feel intimidated by their primal predatory display.
A month later
The incident at the Palm Oasis hotel had come as a bit of a surprise and shock for the citizens of Zootopia. The establishment was always thought of as being safe and secure, and the news of someone stealing valuables and then escaping right under the noses of police and hotel security, that too in broad daylight, was concerning. The hotel was the most affected, and felt the slight drop in patronage, though they tried beefing up security and assuring guests that such an incident would never happen again. It also became a source of embarrassment for the police, who failed to find the culprit despite thorough investigation. This gained the culprit a bit of notoriety amongst the populace, particularly the poorer class, who felt that the 'rich snobs' deserved it, and even praised him for it.
On the other hand, for the 'culprit' himself, things were going quite well. Eli's training had progressed significantly and he had picked up a lot of new skills. It hadn't been a smooth ride, but the pay made up for it. His parents were happy that he was settled in his job, which was quite the weight lifted off their shoulders. And he had recently got to hang out with Mike and Isaac once more, who had invited him to congratulate him on his job, happy to see him earning now.
He had even found a new friend in Anya, who had been a huge support for him during his time at work. The two had grown close over time, and Eli often found himself in her office whenever they had the time. Sometimes she would invite him, other times he'd pay a surprise visit, and they'd always have something to talk about. Out of all of his coworkers, she was the only one he really felt like he could open up to.
Today she had called Eli after work to meet up with her as she had some good news for him, though the meeting place she had chosen was one he was unfamiliar with. He was standing on the sidewalk outside the main gate right now. Various mammals, mostly families with kids, were entering and leaving through the entrance. Eli looked up to read the name mounted atop the gate.
"Zootopia Botanical Gardens."
He had heard the name before but not much else. At least this would make for a good opportunity to see the place. Beyond the entrance it looked very similar to the rainforest district with more plants and no buildings, but as Eli went further in he noticed some of the flora was different, more exotic, the likes of which Eli had never seen before. Perhaps plants from other countries? Amongst the mammals visiting the place, Eli even spotted a few fellow humans around, a refreshing sight for him. Most of them had come with partners, perhaps friends or couples? He remembered seeing a man with a whitetail doe, a woman with a wolf, and yet another with a tiger, to name a few.
Anya had given him directions in her message and he followed them until he came upon the snow leopardess on the edge of the path leaning on the railing. She was looking thoughtfully down the shallow pit on the other side of the railing, her long fluffy tail swishing about lazily behind her. She was dressed casually, the first time Eli had seen her out of her business attire. He walked over to lean next to her on the railing, and she smiled upon noticing his presence, though her gaze remained fixed down below. Eli followed it and saw she was watching some crocodiles that lived in the pit that formed their exhibit. The exhibit had been decorated to mimic the natural jungle environment that the crocodiles were found in.
"Fascinating creatures, aren't they? Almost living dinosaurs. Hard to believe we were once savage like them. It's a good thing this place exists to remind us of how far we've come since those times." She thought out loud, and Eli agreed. He had seen a few other enclosures like this on his way here but hadn't seen the animals inside, probably other species of reptiles and birds. The place was basically a zoo, park and garden all in one. Heh, a zoo… in Zootopia… The very statement was ironic in itself. He understood now why they stuck to calling it 'botanical gardens'.
"Tell me Eli…" she began as she turned to look at him with a hint of concern in her eyes, "… I've heard rumours that where humans come from, we're still savage, hunting and killing one another, predators devouring prey. Is… Is this true?"
Eli hesitated in answering, worried if the reality would be too devastating for her, and also due to the fact that it took him a moment to recall things from a world he hadn't seen in years.
"Y-Yes, it's true, unfortunately. Evolution took a different course over there." He finally answered. Anya's ears drooped and she looked back down into the crocodile exhibit in thought, sighing.
"I see. It's a shame that some things haven't changed elsewhere, but I suppose every place has its own nature and it's own reasons for things being the way they are."
The two spent a few moments in silence, watching the crocodiles down below. Out of the corner of his eye Eli saw that she looked a bit down and decided to change the subject.
"So, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Hm? Oh! That's right. Sorry, didn't mean to get carried away. Come with me. We can discuss things over a cup of coffee." She said, now seemingly back to her perky self. She led Eli to a nearby café serving the visitors and sat down at one of the outdoor tables that provided a good view of the surrounding gardens. They gave their orders to the attending waiter and then enjoyed the atmosphere and each other's company as they waited for their drinks.
Anya seemed to be much more at ease out here than she was in her office. She and Eli talked about a wide range of topics, and eventually landed on the subject of her background. Apparently she came from a very small family. She was the only daughter of her parents and whatever was left of her other relatives had either scattered or passed away. Due to certain circumstances she hadn't been able to speak with her parents ever since she had graduated and left her hometown to find work in Zootopia. In some ways she was in the same boat as Eli. Despite graduating top of her class in uni, she was unable to find a job, and initially had to survive doing menial odd jobs, having worked as a waitress at a diner, a shopkeeper's assistant, an employee at McDonkey's and a salesgirl at Preyda before she caught the eye of Mr. Shere Khan, who helped establish her, and she had been faring much better since then.
Of course, she was very interested in Eli's past as well, and the man narrated his entire story of how he had grown up as an orphan in an orphanage back in his home world, how he had stumbled into Zootopia, how he had been rescued by two kindhearted police officers, and how he had been adopted and raised by those very same officers, ending his journey of loneliness and replacing it with one of happiness, family and friendship. The feline before him listened to every word with intense fascination.
"Wow, your parents really love and care for you a lot, don't they?" She asked, feeling a tinge of sympathy for the man. At least she had a happy cubhood with parents to love and look after her. She couldn't imagine the life of a cub growing up without them.
"Yeah, that's what's so amazing about them. I owe everything to them for the way they took care of me, despite me being… different. They gave me love, a home, a family. And all this time I'm thinking there's no way I could thank them enough for all that." He finished, his gaze fixed on his drink before him as he toyed with it idly, his eyes tearing up a bit as the memories ran through his mind.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the pair of grey, spotted paws that advanced and carefully grasped his hands until he felt the touch of her fur and pads against his skin. He looked up to see that she had leaned in closer, almost face to face with him.
"You don't need to. You're a wonderful mammal, Eli. Just having you in their lives to bring them joy and happiness is thanks enough for them, I'm sure." She spoke softly. He smiled, and that made her smile in turn, but once again she found that she couldn't look away, lost in those beautiful eyes, just like he was in hers. They didn't realise it, but their paws were holding each other more tightly, and the two remained like this for what seemed like an eternity, connecting with one another, as if the world around them withered away leaving just the two of them in this botanical paradise.
"Excuse me sir, ma'am. Here's your bill." The voice snapped them back to reality just in time to see the waiter plop the piece of paper on the table between them before leaving. Immediately they leaned back into their chairs and paws let go of one another, both their faces red as beetroots, though eventually they smiled at each other again, and even chuckled.
"Oh, the bill!" Eli started, reaching for the scrap of paper and his wallet with his other hand.
"Allow me, it's my treat." Anya offered, about to go for the small purse in her pocket.
"No no, it's perfectly fine. Besides, I think it's about time I treated you to something." He said, referring to all those times Anya had offered him drinks or snacks in her office.
"I… well, thank you." She smiled, the appreciation as plain as day on her face.
"No problem. I had a great time here anyways. Never visited the gardens before, but I never would have thought it would be such a wonderful place. Thank you for inviting me here." he smiled, placing the money next to the bill.
"Glad you liked it, it's one of my favourite places to visit." She replied before her face lit up as if she had remembered something. "Oh! By the way, I almost forgot to tell you. I have some good news for you: your equipment is finally ready. It's waiting for you in Professor Meyer's lab in the technical department. Remember to pay him a visit. Also, Mr. Khan has a new task for you, one that he feels only someone with your skills could complete successfully. You should speak to him tomorrow."
"Why do I get the bad feeling that it's not going to be any easier than the last 'task'?" Eli sighed.
"Not sure if you know this, but Mr. Khan considers you one of his best operatives. I suppose you could consider this an honour that he feels only you are suited for the job." She tried to assure him.
"Maybe you're right. Still, you didn't call me all the way out here just to give me some news, did you?" Eli smiled, his eyes narrowing playfully. Anya seemed to pick up on the hint and her cheeks flushed slightly.
"W-Well, since you hadn't seen the Gardens before, I thought this would make for a good opportunity, and I figured we could check the place out together. T-That is… if you're interested." She finished, her gaze occasionally wandering as if to avoid prolonged eye contact while a paw brushed over her ear. Eli's smile grew bigger.
"I'd love to." He responded, getting up from his chair to stand next to Anya with one arm behind his back and offering his hand to her in a gentlemanly manner. She was surprised but flattered by the gesture, smiling and placing her paw in his hand, allowing him to help her up. He then offered her his arm, which she happily accepted, wrapping her own arm around it, and the two went on to explore side by side.
"Excuse me." They heard after a moment of walking. Eli turned around and saw he was being addressed by a male black jaguar, accompanied by a beautiful woman with long brown hair and, unusual for a human, one green eye and one blue, while the jaguar had a series of small scars around his right eye. Both of them appeared to be in their mid to late middle ages.
"My apologies for interrupting, my friend, but we are new here and unfamiliar with the place. Could you kindly direct us to the aviary?" he asked in a spanish-accented rough voice.
"A-Actually, I'm new here myself, but Anya here would know more about the place." he replied, gesturing towards the snow leopardess by his side, who politely greeted the couple.
"We were actually headed there ourselves. Why don't you two come with us?" she offered, and they brightened up and agreed.
"Sounds even more wonderful for two couples to experience it together!" the woman said excitedly as they walked there, making Eli flinch at that particular word.
"Er... we're not really... a couple..." Eli tried to explain with a sheepish grin while Anya laughed nervously.
"Really? We never would have known, but maybe its because you two look so natural together." the jaguar added, making the young man and leopardess blush.
"Well t-thank you, Mr..." Anya began.
"Oh, forgive me for not introducing us earlier. My name is Renato Manchas, and this..." he gestured to the lady with him, "...is my lovely wife, Lily.
Eli and Anya introduced themselves in turn, and felt much more comfortable now that they were more familiar with their newfound friends as they headed towards the entrance to the massive aviary.
