Early December, when the weather grows colder with signs of snowfall to come, Acme City's residents have one thing at the forefront of their minds: the holidays. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, and so on, the diversity of the concrete jungle's animal kingdom is united in the joy brought by their winter jubilations. Even ACME Corp, in their cynical pursuit of profits, is joining in on the fun.
With the holidays comes the commercial chaos of present shopping, however, and with that comes crime. Wolf & Coyote, in the middle of their own preparations, would be suddenly summoned to deliver–or steal–packages, pursue shoplifters, and dress up as Mall Santa's elves for children. Despite the increased workload, the payment is greater than before, allowing them to live comfortably well into the new year.
The comfort does not last, for they still have an important case to solve. Henriette La Moufette's current whereabouts are unknown and the police have yet to find her. In a rash act initiated by a high-ranking official from the K-9 force, the Underground black market was recently infiltrated, wreaking havoc on vendors and clients alike. Anyone who wasn't arrested or killed in the process had since scattered above ground into the city, either stalling their activities or finding new ways to continue them in hiding. Just when it seems like progress is made, Lady Fate throws all of it down the gutter, forcing everyone back to square one.
As Ralph is dressing himself in the festive red and green colors of a North Pole elf, Wile is helping Pepé and Charles with setting up the artificial Christmas tree. Though the coyote has no prior experience with the holiday, he has learned of it secondhand through stories and advertisements. It's a strange way to celebrate the winter solstice, he concludes, but it looks fun all the same.
"Is there anything you want for Christmas, Charlie?" Pepé asks as he hangs a red bauble on a plastic pine branch.
"I used to wish I could see Papa again," says Charles. "But now that I have, I don't know what more I could ask for." The two exchange warm smiles, and he adds, "Actually, I would also like an Acme Shift console, like the one at Sylvester's house."
"Wait, isn't that the hot item that's selling out everywhere? I don't know if I can get one."
Wile cuts in, "We can break into a warehouse and grab one for you."
"Wiley, don't you dare!"
Ralph says bluntly, "You realize who you're dealing with, right? Plus, I was thinking of getting one myself."
Wile's ears perk up and his tail starts wagging. "Really?"
"Yeah. I was gonna give it to Sam's kids, but I doubt he would take kindly to receiving stolen property. So I can grab it for the kid and y'all can share."
Resigned, Pepé sighs. "Just be careful. Half the city has a target on your back, including ACME Corp. And if you come back empty-handed…" He hesitates, trying to concoct a convincing threat. "I'm kicking you both out of this apartment!"
Wolf & Coyote arrive in South Quarter's docks at nightfall, watching the cargo ships from up high. Wile feels a sense of déjà vu, recalling faint memories of the night Don Henery was assassinated. In contrast, tonight's activity is peaceful, with no gangs or hitmen to interrupt the methodical flow of imports and exports.
Ralph raises his binoculars to one ship, named Hor-Aha, then motions Wile to come closer. "Those shipments with the consoles have Wedjat's logo on it. Could they be smuggling Illudium in with them?"
"Without a second party to split the goods with, ACME can have all the Illudium they want."
"Illudium or no, we gotta crack one of 'em open." His gaze follows the trail of a group of dock workers carrying wooden crates from the Hor-Aha into a warehouse. Aside from the main entrance, the building has several windows and the loading dock which can act as alternative routes. "Lemme handle this. I'll be in and out before you can say 'lamb chops'." Ralph drops down from the rooftop and makes way for the back entrance.
Down on the ground floor, the ACME Corp and Wedjat workers carry the company's cargo into the warehouse. While the goods are being sorted into storage shelves and loading trucks, one crate slowly cracks open, a pair of black-clawed hands sliding the lid back. The creature inside, dressed as a Wedjat sailor, slips out and proceeds to climb down the storage shelf. Blending into the background, he heads towards the loading dock. Perhaps if I sneak into one of the trucks…
Then he bumps shoulders with someone.
"Watch it!" he seethes. He swerves and raises his blackened claws to strike when, in the same instance, a blade's edge brushes against his throat.
Barely within his grasp is an auburn-furred wolf dressed like a lorry worker. The wolf is shorter than him and doesn't look very strong, but he exudes confidence in his advantageous position.
The night is dark, but Ralph can still see the attacker clear as day. Tall and slim like a greyhound, with feathered ears like an Afghan hound. His eyes and fur are differing shades of crimson, giving the air of a hellish beast. Despite the feminine appearance and voice, the creature's latent scent–hidden beneath the lingering air of the sea–is distinctly masculine.
"If I were you, sir, I'd learn a thing or two about manners," Ralph chides the fake sailor as he lowers his weapon. "Welp, I'll be on my way. I suggest you do the same–"
The stranger grabs hold of his collar and slams him against the wall. He curls his tail–an unusually long appendage with a black tip shaped like a tuning fork–close to Ralph's chest, a faint electric current running between the tail spikes. "I've heard rumors that Lycopolis' leader is somewhere in this city. Where is he?"
Briefly shaken, Ralph regains his composure. "If it's Wyatt Wolfgang you're looking for, he should still be in the Acme Grand Hotel. It's a long way from here, but you can hitch a ride to the commercial district from one of the delivery trucks and go east from there. Big, gaudy place, you can't miss it."
The stranger lowers his tail and lets him go. A wistful tone to his voice, he whispers, "Thank you."
"It's nothing special. Oh, and if you're looking for a place to shack up, my friend George can help you out. He's a regular at the Rockin' Cock up north."
"Why are you helping me out, anyway?"
"Hey, fellow outlaws gotta stick together. 'Specially us canines. Anywho, back to business. I'll see you around, mate!" Before the stranger can utter another word, the wolf is gone.
The hunt for the Acme Shift proves anticlimactic, with Ralph easily sneaking one out for himself. Based on the suspicious behavior of some of the workers, he wouldn't be the only one leaving with a free holiday gift. By the time he arrives at the planned getaway spot, Wile is already waiting beside the vehicle. "Got it?"
Ralph shows the loot-filled bag. "I didn't even have to use that bomb you made."
Wile frowns. "That's disappointing."
He settles in the driver's seat while his partner takes the neighboring spot. "But something interesting did happen while I was there. I ran into a demon."
Demon? Wile's mind lingers on the word. He knows Ralph is a born-and-raised Christian, contrary to his tainted moral compass, but he doesn't strike him as the type to believe in literal demons. Thinking back to Ralph's story about meeting his "guardian angel", this encounter is likely a similar situation. Gods, angels, demons. At this point, he's no longer certain what the ancient Sapients really are. "We can do a bit of research tonight, see if we can figure out what they could be."
"Well, whatever that guy was, he seems to have beef with Wyatt. I told him where he could find him, but maybe that wasn't the best decision in hindsight."
Suddenly, his memory conjures up his phone conversation with Wyatt that one night. He used to be part of the Pesedjet of Iunu (the Ennead of Heliopolis, Wile later found out) and served Amun-Re alongside Set. "Can you describe what he looks like? Might give us a clue."
"He was definitely canine, that much I can tell. But I've never seen his breed before; probably one more common in Egypt than here. Gotta say, though, once you get past the forked taser tail, he could become a supermodel with his looks."
"The most beautiful dog I've ever seen." Those were the words Wyatt used to describe Set. Not to mention the forked tail is a trademark detail of the sha beast he purportedly resembles. A lump forms in his throat. "I think I know who he might be. Though if he's at all like the legends say, we'll have to be careful from now on. We might have a chaos god on the loose."
From criminals to deities, it seems there's a lot on the loose. Set or no Set, they have their hands full with all these untimely incidences. If things don't wrap up soon enough, this is going to be one crappy Christmas.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hello again, readers! I'm back with a brand new (as of this typing) chapter. This one, while not a full-on filler ep, is admittedly more of a diversion while I try to sort out the plot in the background. Next chapter will hopefully return to the primary arc and work towards a proper resolution for it. It's strange how I seem to be uploading/editing/re-uploading so much this month alone, despite suffering from writer's block. (Well, I suppose this "block" is less about lack of motivation and more a lack of a clear direction.)
I never intended for Set to bump into either of the main duo so early, if at all. His presence was supposed to be something that happened on the side, with him meeting George before any of the major characters. But I think my excitement got the best of me, and he ended up meeting Ralph instead... sort of. As with many other divergences from my mental outline, this will probably affect the story in pretty major ways, for better or worse.
I've been getting ready for a trip early next month, so I think I'll slow down a bit while I prepare for things IRL. Until next time, I'll see you later!
10/18/2022 UPDATE: Cut out a scene with Henriette to better line up with the recent changes to the previous chapter.
