Hey guys Price here and welcome to Chapter 3 of Tooth and Claw! This Chapter begins the flashback section to around where Nick and I left off, so I hope you guys enjoy it. The flashbacks will include Judy and Nick's deaths and the subsequent emotional fun that is grieving, which I'll likely regret at some point because I'll probably make Lance seem colder than he is and I don't want to do that. This is where the ability to do emotions well would come in handy. Actually, this is where a Beta who understands emotions would be handy. I would like to ask SophieWitch if she could help on the more emotional scenes, but I don't want to take time away from her, since I'm sure she's pretty busy with life. If you guys know any other writers good with emotions that can Beta, that'd be appreciated if you could point me to them. Anyway, this is getting long enough, I think it's time to get...onto the story!
I stepped into the Bullpen with Nick Wilde, my mate, right behind me. I hesitated, unsure where to sit, and Nick tapped me on the shoulder. I looked over my shoulder, and he tapped his leg to indicate his lap. I chuckled.
"Yeah, and we'd be shifting uncomfortably only a few seconds later. Sorry." I said, Nick hesitating as he thought about what I said.
"Yeah, you're probably right. Dang." Nick said, and I snorted in amusement. I looked down the row, noticing the Wolf at the front was staring at me, his nose flaring. Nick followed my gaze, locking onto the Wolf. "Wolford, how are you?" He greeted, the Wolf smiling sheepishly and dipping his head.
"Good, Wilde. I take it you've been...well?" By now the other mammals in the room were staring, and I suddenly felt nervous. I never had been a social mammal. Nick glanced at me when he detected the shift in pheromones, but otherwise ignored it to give a comeback.
"About as well as you and Nadine." He answered, smiling smugly when the Wolf tensed visibly. "Speaking of which, I take it yo-"
"Don't you finish that, Wilde!" I took a step back at the tone of the Tigress that stood at the opposite end of where the Wolf sat, only a few seats away from Judy. The poor Bunny looked scared, though whether that was for herself or me and Nick was unclear.
"I was gonna say 'I take it you finished your investigation,' so I'm not sure what you were so worried about. I have standards." The Tigress rolled her eyes at that, but sat down nonetheless and crossed her arms.
"Nick..." The Todd turned to me at that, and saw the nervousness my eyes held.
"Hey, Lance, it's okay. Nobody here is gonna hurt you." He said comfortingly, his gaze soft. "Not a word, McHorn." The Rhino's mouth closed at that, having opened it to say something, likely something that went against what Nick was saying.
"I...I need a minute." I said, taking another step back as mammals continued to stare. Nick turned, saw the stares, and his lip twitched.
"Do you mind?" He asked, the others turning and staring ahead. When he turned back, the door was closing behind me. He sighed, shaking his head. "Thanks, guys. Thanks a lot."
I stepped to the side as I exited the Bullpen, my body shaking slightly. So many eyes...so many stares. I thought I'd gotten over it, since it'd never been a problem when I would go for walks, but having so many eyes focused on me...it was unnerving. Terrifying, actually.
I jumped when the door opened, whirling to face it.
"Nick..." I said, the Todd smiling.
"Hey, Lance. It's okay. You're fine, nothing's going wrong." Nick said reassuringly, and I snorted.
"I'm not having a panic attack, Nick. Just...minor scopophobia." Nick looked confused at that,his head tilted as he tried to figure out what I meant. "The fear of drawing attention to oneself." He let out a single, barking laugh at that, and it took me a moment to understand why.
"You have minor scopophobia...and got into a relationship with a celebrity." Nick stated, his tone slightly incredulous.
"Well...yeah. I mean, I've been fine for a while, so I thought I'd gotten over it. I've always been antisocial, so I just thought it was that when I was younger." Nick arched an eyebrow at that, then frowned.
"You don't seem very antisocial to me..." I shrugged, then glanced around suddenly.
"Well, I've gotten over most of the issues I had, so there's that. It's just when I draw a lot of attention to myself that I get nervous." Nick nodded in understanding, and he placed a comforting paw on my shoulder.
"I understand, Lance. And that's fine, really. Everybody has their quirks. It's what makes us special." I chuckled, and Nick gently clapped me on the shoulder. "You good?"
"I'm good. Sorry." I said, Nick smiling briefly.
"Nothing to be sorry for, Lance. You can't help it." I smiled thankfully, and Nick jerked his head towards the Bullpen.
"Come on. Judy got Rhinowitz to share with her for right now, until you can get your own seat." Nick said, and I nodded. He opened the door and I walked back in, keeping my gaze down in case the others decided to look at me again. I stopped at the last row of tables, hopping up into the chair. Nick was right behind me, and he used the opportunity to lay a paw on my leg in comfort.
"Thanks." I said quietly, Nick lightly patting in response. I was about to say something else when the Hippo the who stood by the door suddenly shouted.
"Atten-hut!" I shut my muzzle quickly, an audible clack! sounding out when I did. The door a few feet to the right of the Hippo opened, and a Cape Buffalo stepped out. I assumed that was Chief Bogo.
I nearly jumped from my chair when the mammals around the room began to pound the tables, and I glanced at Nick. He seemed undisturbed, and I assumed it was normal.
"Alright, quiet down." The pounding continued, and I saw annoyance flicker across Bogo's face briefly. "Quiet!" The pounding ceased practically immediately, and I blinked in surprise at that. "We have a new recruit today, but, I don't care." I frowned at this, and Nick just chuckled.
"He does that anytime we get somebody new." Nick explained quietly, and I gave a quick, sharp nod in thanks.
"Now, assignments." Bogo said, picking up the files he had set down on the podium. "Wilde, you are to show Officer Whitney the ropes. Tranq pistol, sidearm, and whatever else you see fit. When you believe him to be ready, come see me. I'll see what I can get for you to do." Nick nodded and hopped down from the chair. I hesitated, wondering if we were allowed to leave right then. When nobody said anything, I hopped down and hurried after him.
Exiting the Bullpen right behind Nick, he turned to face me almost immediately.
"Armory first. I want to get that out of the way as quickly as possible." He said, and I nodded.
"Fine by me." I said, Nick turning and heading off. I followed, looking around as we walked to familiarize myself with the building's layout.
When he finally stopped, he glanced over his shoulder at me.
"Careful, the animal who runs the place is a little...different." He warned, opening the door before I could respond and stepping inside. I followed, curious what he meant.
"Nick!" An accented voice shouted warmly, and I glanced around. "How are you?"
"I'm good, Scales. I brought somebody to see you." I frowned, trying to find out where the mammal was when I felt something flicker my ear. I twitched it, then turned and stared in shock at what I found.
"Eunectes murinus..." I breathed, my surprise squashed by my excitement. "I never thought I'd actually get to meet one, oh my god this is amazing!" I squealed, and the animal flinched away slightly.
"You did not mention he liked my ssspeciessss." My mouth was open in a smile, my paws clenched and under my chin. The only way it could have been more childish is if I was bouncing and clapping. Which was something I was resolved not to do.
"He's always had an...adoration for Snakes." Nick said smugly, his grin making the Reptile sigh and shake their head. I followed the curves of the Green Anaconda's body, noticing the large bulge near the middle of it.
"You ate recently. Likely yesterday or a few hours ago. You'll be super lethargic soon as your body draws all available heat into digestion." My eyes caught sight of the heater a few meters away. "Which I'm guessing that's for."
"Yessss, that isss correct. Tell me, what do you know about my ssspeciesssss?" The Reptile asked, and I felt giddiness bubble up at finally getting to use my knowledge.
"'The Green Anaconda, also known as the Common Anaconda and Water Boa, is a non-venomous Boa species native to South Animalia. It is the heaviest and one of the longest known extant Snake species. The Green Anaconda's scientific name is derived from the Greek εύνήκτης, meaning "good swimmer", and the Latin murinus, meaning "of Mice", for being thought to prey on Mice. Local names include the Spanish term mata toro, meaning "Bull killer", and the Native Animalian terms sucuri and yakumama in the Purruvian Amazon, which means "water mother" in the Quechua language of the jungle mammals Yakurunas or "water mammals". In Trinidad, it has been traditionally referred to as the huille or huilla.'" Both Nick and the Green Anaconda looked surprised at my knowledge, though with the nature of a Snake's eyes, they always looked wide so I was going off body language alone for it.
"Impressssive, yesssss Nick?" The Snake asked, its head turning towards my mate. I turned, Nick having a massive look of shock on his face.
"...And mammals call you stupid?" Nick asked, his tone incredulous, and I flushed awkwardly.
"I only have a good memory of things I like." I said sheepishly, chuckling lightly.
"That is sssstill mossst impressssive, Mr. Whitney." The Snake said, his head swaying slightly as he retracted himself up into the ceiling. "Follow me." He ordered, sliding though the pipes effortlessly despite his bulk and weight, giving me the impression they had been built with his possible weight in mind. I followed, Nick right beside me, as we headed towards the back of the room.
The area opened up slightly, allowing me to see the – admittedly small – variation of sidearms that officers could use. The Tranquilizer Pistols were largely the same, except changed slightly for different species from one model to the next. I moved my gaze down the line, looking over the various sidearms. Nick approached the Tranquilizer Pistols and picked one up that was for their species' size. He laid it to the side as I looked over the eight or so different kinds of sidearms. I stopped suddenly, my eyes locking onto a specific one.
"Oooh." I said, picking the gun up and making sure to keep my digits away from the trigger. I doubted the Green Anaconda kept them loaded, but better safe than sorry.
"Ah yessss, the Heckler and Koch HK45. A nice weapon, that. But not for an inexperienced ssssshooter, that caliber." I cast a sly glance over my shoulder at the Snake as he lowered his head down to my level, an amused snort escaping me.
"Well, it ain't a knife, but it'll do. Besides, I plan to practice as much as possible." I said, catching both Nick and the Green Anaconda's attention with the first part of the statement.
"You...know how to use a knife?" The Snake asked, his tongue flicking out.
"I'm pretty good, yeah. Why, you got one?" I asked, tilting my head eagerly. The Green Anaconda turned it's head slightly in a glance at Nick.
"No, unfortunately. However...I do know of ssssssomebody who could be of assistance." He answered, and I tried to hide my disappointment. Of course cops wouldn't carry knives.
"Hey, Scales, you move the holsters and belts?" Nick called from somewhere behind me, the Green Anaconda jerking his gaze up and towards him.
"Yessss, ssssorry, Nick. Three meterssssss left." He answered, and I turned, curious.
"Thanks, Scales. What'd Lance grab again?" Nick asked, his gaze drawn to a table about five meters away from me.
"Heckler and Koch HK45." I answered, Nick nodding in thanks, the movement barely perceptible from behind him, and picked up a belt with two holsters on it, placing a few magazines into the various pockets next to the one for the firearm.
"Here ya go, Lance." Nick said, holding the belt up. I made to move forward and grab it when a long, slowly thickening rope came from the ceiling and lifted it from Nick's paw. It took me a few seconds to realize it was the Green Anaconda's tail. As it approached, I realized I hadn't seen just how large the Snake was, so I turned to its head.
"Hey, how long exactly are you?" I asked, the Reptile pausing momentarily.
"Twelve meterssssss last time I measured." I gaped at the answer, my lower jaw hanging open in shock.
"That...jesus, that's a record or something." I said quietly, drawing a laugh from the Reptile. It sounded like a mix between a hiss and a...well, I wasn't sure what other kind of noises Snakes could make, admittedly, at least before they developed the ability to speak and laugh, among the other vocal noises sentience involved.
"No, no. Maybe here, for the mammals, but in the Purruvian, the Green Anacondas there got much larger if they survived long enough. The amount of natural heat and food there ensures it." I just stared, shocked beyond anything else I'd ever been before, when my peripheral vision caught sight of the belt encroaching. I turned, and the tail stopped.
"Yeah, he was only...what, half that when I got here?" Nick questioned, the Snake hissing in mock agitation.
"I wassss eight meterssssss when you got here, Nick. You know that." The Snake hissed, and Nick chuckled as I picked the belt up.
"Thanks...uh, sorry, I don't believe I caught your name." I said, the Anaconda laughing that strange laugh of his again.
"Raul. Raul Menendez." I arched an eyebrow at that, and the Snake dipped it's head. "Yessss, I am aware a video game character sssssharessssss my name." He said, and I couldn't help the small grin that played at my muzzle.
"Well, Raul, it was nice meeting you. See you again." I said as I secured the belt and holster, placing the sidearm in the left one and the Tranquilizer Pistol in the right.
"Ssssssee you ssssssoon." Raul said as he disappeared back into the pipes, and I turned to the exit. When I stepped out, Nick right behind, I glanced over my shoulder at him.
"You know, I can honestly say I was not expecting the armory manager to be a Green Anaconda." I said, Nick shrugging.
"I expected a lot more squealing, if how you normally talk about Snakes was an indication." I scoffed in mock offense at that.
"I can control myself, you know. Though I will admit I wanted to squeal. Like I said, I never expected to meet one, so I'm sure it can be understood at least a little bit. You acted pretty much the same when we got to our house after the graduation, anyway, so you don't have any room to talk." Nick frowned in defeat at my reminder, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"Well, I was excited." Nick began, and I snickered.
"Yeah, I know that much." I remarked, Nick just staring at me with a 'I am so not amused' expression.
"Anyway, like I was saying, I was just excited that I finally got to see you again in the comfort of privacy. Speaking of which..." Nick's gaze went to the right of me, and I followed his gaze in curiosity. My lips parted in a grin when I saw the storage room, and I glanced around.
"Think anybody will notice?" I asked, even as we began to head towards the room.
"Probably not." Nick said, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Hm, wonder if it has a sturdy shelf in there..." I trailed off in thought, Nick laughing.
"Lance, I think we should stick with something a bit more sturdy than a shelf. Maybe a chair or something." I snapped my digits at the words, my eyes lighting up.
"Rolling computer chair. The soft, comfy ones." I said, Nick blinking as he thought that idea through.
"I...suppose that could work." He said, and I grinned.
"You know I love you, right?" I asked, Nick pretending to think on that.
"Do I know that?" He questioned, tapping the front of his bottom jaw. "Yes. Yes I do." We stepped into the room, and I almost laughed at what I saw.
"Well would you look at that! A soft, comfy rolling computer chair!" Nick groaned, and I grinned and stepped over to it, looking it over. I turned to Nick. "This'll do." I barely got the words out before Nick shoved me back and was in my lap.
I glanced around around forty five minutes later, looking around the area to see if it was clear. I pulled myself back inside, turning to Nick, who finished tucking his shirt into his belt.
"Clear?" He asked, and I nodded.
"Yeah, though that could change any moment. Come on." I said, opening the door again and peering out. Seeing nobody, I stepped out. Nick followed, closing the door behind him.
"There you are!" Both of us froze, slowly turning around to face what we thought would be our doom. "Jeez, I wanted to show Lance the..." I stared, wide eyed, as Judy stopped, her nose twitching. Slowly, her face began to turn red, and I glanced at Nick.
"On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble are we in?" I asked him, Nick glancing at me briefly before turning back to Judy.
"Depends on how long it takes her to recover." He whispered, and I nodded even though he couldn't see me.
"You know what, I'm not even going to start. Lance, Nick, gym. Now." Her tone left no room for argument, and I dipped my head respectively before turning to walk away. I paused, turning back to her.
"Where is that?" I asked, Judy pointing to a set of doors across the lobby. I nodded, grabbing Nick by the shoulder. "Let's go before she changes her mind." I said quietly, having no illusions that Judy didn't hear it anyway, and more or less dragged Nick across the lobby. We tried to slink past Clawhauser's desk, and we almost made it too. Almost.
"Hey, you two!" I sighed quietly, then turned.
"Hey, Clawhauser! How can I help you?" I asked, Nick just looking like he wanted to be anywhere but where we were at the moment.
"Oh, Lance, just call me Ben." The round Cheetah waved nonchalantly, letting out a little chuckle. It also gave me a line of sight to a certain little object in his fur.
"Um, actually, you have a little something..." Clawhauser blinked, then began patting his fur. "No, a little to the right...no...up...in the neck..." Finally, he found it and he pulled the donut free.
"Oh, there you are you little dickens!" He exclaimed, before happily shoving the entire thing into his mouth. I just stared nervously, a little disturbed.
"Um...right. Well, nice talking to you again, but we actually need to be going. Talk later Ben, bye." I said, waving to the Cheetah. He nodded in understanding.
"Oh, right, sorry. Have a good first day!" He called as I turned and headed for the gym.
"I will!" I shouted back, Nick remaining silent until we reached the door. When we stepped inside, he finally sighed.
"Oh my god, that was so...so embarrassing. Judy is never going to let me live that down, ever." I laughed, and Nick just glared at me.
"Hey, it could have been worse. At least she didn't walk in on us during our workout." I said, Nick's expression going blank as he thought about how that would have played out.
"I get the feeling she would be understandably embarrassed for a short while, but be fine after a few hours. I ever tell you she walked in on me...you know?" I stared at him, my mouth slowly opening and my eyes widening.
"Oh..." I laughed, clutching my sides at the thought. "Oh, that is priceless. Oh my god, I can only imagine how that went down." The doors swung open right at that moment, and I immediately stopped laughing to turn and see who walked in. "Oh, hey Judy." I said awkwardly, the Bunny just staring at me for a few seconds.
"What are you two talking about?" She finally asked, looking between me and Nick.
"Um...nothing important." I answered, Judy frowning at that.
"If you say so." She said, rolling her eyes as she stepped past me. "And please, try to carry Musk Mask with you if you plan on taking more...breaks." I tilted my head, my confusion evident.
"Musk...Mask?" I questioned, Judy whirling around to look at me.
"Lance, do you even know what Musk Mask is?" Nick asked, and I hesitated.
"Well, I can get a basic idea from the name..." I said, crossing my arms and looking down and to the right in embarrassment.
"Oh my god, Lance, I thought you watched a lot of tv?" I whined at that, my expression slightly defensive.
"I usually skip through commercials." I defended, Nick just staring in absolute silence for a moment before letting out a large sigh and dropping his head into his paws.
"Okay, well, Musk Mask is fairly obvious in function. It hides scents you don't want others smelling. I usually carry some on me, but it would seem that I got it out at some point and forgot to put it back." Nick said, and I nodded. I glanced at Judy, a small frown on my muzzle as I thought.
"Wait, you have some, right? I mean, not to sound speciest, but you are a Bunny." Both Nick and Judy stared at me in shock, and I glanced between them. "What? I'm talking about the monthly heat cycles."
"Oh. Well that's better." Judy said, clearly thinking I was talking about Rabbits' and Hares' infamous stamina.
"Judy, I'm into Todds, not a pervert." I remarked, my face blank in slight irritation.
"Well how was I supposed to know you meant the monthly heat cycles? That's not exactly a lot of mammals outside of Bunnies and Hares know." Judy defended, crossing her arms and frowning.
"Okay, is there a specific reason you called us in here? I'm supposed to be showing Lance the ropes." Nick said, Judy arching an eyebrow.
"And I suppose 'showing him the ropes' includes...whatever you were doing in the janitor's closet?" Judy questioned, Nick hesitating.
"Something like that." I answered in his place, shrugging.
"Right." Judy said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "And yes, there is a specific reason I brought you two here. Lance already got his firearm, correct?"
"Heckler and Koch HK45." I said, Judy blinking in surprise.
"I didn't know a Fox could handle a forty five." Judy remarked, and I smirked.
"It's very rare, and requires a lot more strength than we build naturally, but possible." I said, Judy arching an eyebrow at the 'naturally' part.
"Define naturally." She said, like she was thinking of boosters.
"Without exercise. You know, just by living our day to day lives, that's our natural strength." I answered, Judy nodding in understanding. "Besides, the only boosters I know about are in needle form, and I hate needles. Plus, I've never done anything." I added, Judy tilting her head at that.
"Really? No drugs, alcohol, nothing?" She asked, her tone incredulous.
"Nope. I had no reason to. Plus it was illegal." I answered, Judy just staring at me in shock. A quick glance to my right found Nick doing the same thing. "Okay, this is weird. What'd you want, Judy?"
"Huh? Oh, right. I wanted to see how accurate you were." She answered, and I glanced around.
"This is the gym." I said, Judy nodding.
"Yep. Range is over there." Judy said, pointing over her shoulder. I looked past her, only then noticing the double doors at the other end of the room.
"Huh." I said, Nick snapping out of his daze and stepping forward.
"Judy, you aren't going up against the newbie. It isn't fair." He said, Judy shrugging.
"I'm allowed to. And you'll go soft on him." I snorted, Judy turning her gaze on me.
"Trust me Judy, he hasn't yet." Nick flushed at that, while Judy just stood there with an unamused expression on her muzzle. "I'm talking abou-"
"I know, Lance." Judy interrupted, holding up a paw to stop me.
"Oh. Well, what we waiting for?" I asked, looking between Nick and Judy. The Bunny hesitated briefly at the sudden question, and I began walking towards the doors she had gestured to. I glanced over my shoulder at the sound of paw steps behind me, seeing Nick and Judy only a few feet back. I returned my gaze to the doors, only to nearly be struck when they suddenly opened. I jumped back with a yelp, tripping over my paws and landing on my tail. That drew another yelp, though this time it was a yelp of pain. Immediately, Nick was beside me and drug me a few feet to the right, away from the door.
"You okay, Lance?" Nick asked, kneeling beside me.
"Yeah, fine. Just scared me, and my tail's still sore." I answered, standing up and rubbing my rear. "Jeez, you really like fluffy things, don't you?"
"...Just a bit." Nick said awkwardly, and I snorted as I tried to hold in a chuckle.
"Clearly." I said, turning back to the doors, only to come muzzle to chest with a Wolf who I believed looked familiar.
"You Lance Whitney?" The Wolf asked, and I arched an eyebrow.
"Who else would I be?" I asked, the Wolf's eye twitching slightly.
"Okay, well, just wanted you to know something." I felt a hint of nervousness at his tone, but I pushed it down. "We're a family here at Precinct One. Nick is a part of that family, but you are not. At least not yet. You haven't proven yourself here." My paw twitched slightly at his words, even though I knew they were true. My expression remained neutral, however, until I thought of an idea. I smirked up at the Wolf.
"Alright. Range challenge." I said, gaze dropping to the double doors briefly.
"Excuse me?" The Wolf questioned, and I made to open my mouth to answer when I was suddenly pulled back away from him by a strong grip.
"Lance, Wolford's the second best shot in the Precinct. There's no way you can win." Nick warned, and I froze. He saw my expression and immediately backtracked. "I'm not saying I don't believe in you, Lance. I do. But I'm only barely better than Wolford. I trust you, but I don't know how good you are." Nick explained, and I slowly nodded in understanding. My expression took on a smirk similar to his own quickly, however.
"I know, Nick. I'll be fine." I said, knowing he was just worried about how I would take failing. I never had taken it well, and Nick knew that.
"You sure?" Nick asked, and I smiled reassuringly.
"I'm sure. You say you trust me? Then trust me in this." Nick sighed, and I felt nothing but love for him. He worried, despite how he would appear to others he didn't know.
"Okay. I'll trust you." Nick said, and I smiled gratefully. I placed a small kiss on the side of his muzzle, then turned to face the Wolf.
"So, you wanna tell me what you mean by 'range challenge'?" He asked, and I nodded.
"Simple. If I can beat you on the range, will that be proof enough that you can trust me if we get in a tight spot?" I asked, the Wolf pausing momentarily in apparent shock at my question. He suddenly let out a bark of laughter, and I felt a small wave of irritation.
"You? Beat me?" He asked, his tone incredulous. I kept my expression neutral as I answered.
"Yes." I answered, and the Wolf seemed to pick up on how serious I was.
"Alright, fine. I'll humor you. Yes, that'll be enough until you prove to me you can handle being a cop." The Wolf said, and I grinned.
"Fine by me." With that, I walked through the double doors, hearing the Wolf scoff in amusement.
"He serious?" I heard him ask, and I glanced over my shoulder to see him looking at Nick.
"Yeah. He is." Nick answered, the Wolf nodding before turning and heading for the doors. I turned back around, heading to one of the aisles and stepping into it, reaching for the noise reducing headphones hanging on a rack. I slipped them on, the device uncomfortable for my ears but necessary.
I looked to my right as the Wolf took to the aisle next to me, and he glanced up as well.
"Nick tell you who I am?" He asked, the question barely audible and likely shouted. I pulled the headphones down so I could answer.
"Wolford, right?" I tried, the Wolford nodding. "He said you were the second best shot in Precinct One."
"That's right. I was the best until Nick showed up. That Fox has a natural skill that I have never seen before." Wolford said, shaking his head, then placing the headphones on his ears. I did the same and pulled my sidearm free, placing a magazine into the grip and racking the slide. I glanced over at him, noting that he had a Glock 21 nine millimeter drawn and pointed downrange. I raised the HK45, sighting onto my own target. It was only then that I noticed the targets were solid metal.
Two reports sounded out, almost at the same time, and both our targets sparked as the metal slugs made contact. I fired again, Wolford right behind me, and our targets sparked once more. We turned our gazes on each other, competition in our gazes and grins in place.
I fired twice in rapid succession, a visible indentation appearing in the metal. I fired again as Wolford did the same, a hole replacing the indentation. I slammed a paw into the button next to me, the metal target getting retracted and replaced by another. I fired three more shots before the slide locked back, and I pressed the magazine release, sliding another magazine in quickly and releasing the slide. I resumed firing.
An hour later found me and Wolford looking at each other; me with a triumphant expression and Wolford sulking.
"So, was it supposed to be that easy or...?" I trailed off, perfectly happy to gloat.
"You got lucky." Wolford remarked, his arms crossed and pouting. Judy and Nick stood off to the side a few meters away, both in shock at what had transpired, and discussing something in hushed tones.
"Hey, don't feel bad Wolford, you put up a good fight. I've been interested in guns a long time, but my specialty lies in knives. Combat, throwing, you name it. Not so much swords or other long blades, but I could probably take anybody here down with a knife if I got the advantage of a surprise attack." I said, Wolford arching an eyebrow.
"Is there anything you can't do?" Wolford questioned, and I faltered visibly at the question.
"Uh, lots of things. I can't speak in front of others well, I'm not very good at math, I make for a horrible friend because I don't share any interests with many mammals, and I hate attention. Those aren't even my worst faults, either." Wolford just chuckled at my admission, and I hesitated. Should I feel embarrassed?
"So you have the same problems as most mammals?" Wolford asked, his amusement clear.
"Well...something like that, I suppose." I said, relieved that he hadn't been about to say anything against me.
"You say you're bad at math, yet you're one hell of a shot. Please, do tell me if I'm missing something." I smiled meekly, a little embarrassed at the statement.
"Well, it's just the algebra kind of stuff I had trouble with. Factoring in the variables in shooting is relatively easy for me." I said, the Wolf nodding as he listened. "It's the same way with a knife for me. I can usually determine the length, width, and weight just by looking at it or holding it, but I can't use it properly without some training from an expert no matter how much I know about that particular blade. Once I know how to use it, however, there's very little chance you'll get away without at least one cut in a real knife fight, no matter who you are."
"You seem pretty prideful in your knife skills." Wolford remarked, and I smiled.
"It's one of the few things I'm good at naturally. I think I have the right to be a little prideful." I shot back, a tad bit harsher than I'd meant to, and Wolford blinked at my tone. "Sorry."
"Hey, it's cool. You just surprised me." Wolford said, and I remained silent, my expression grateful nonetheless.
"Hey, Lance, you ready to go? I still need to show you some things." Nick called, and I nodded.
"Coming! See you later, Wolford." I said, giving the older Wolf a quick, two digit salute before turning and jogging over to where Nick and Judy stood. "You're next, Nick." I said jokingly, jerking my heads towards the range. Nick snorted.
"Yeah, sure." He said, going along with it. "Come on, just got a few more things to show you, and then we'll go see Bogo if we can." I followed my mate as he headed for the doors, curious what he had in mind.
The doors burst open, and both me and Nick jumped back in surprise when a Tigress poked her head inside.
"We got a two forty six with a one thirty six, officers! Bogo wants everyone on location now!" She shouted, and I turned to Nick in confusion.
"Shooting at an inhabited dwelling with a hostage situation. Let's go!" Nick barked, and I immediately followed him as he dashed out, Wolford and Judy hot on our tails. "Lance, go with Fangmeyer! She handles SWAT, and we'll need you on range in case of an emergency." He ordered, and I nodded.
"Yes sir!" I said, my tone full business as I ran after the Tigress. She glanced over her shoulder at me, then dipped her head in greeting.
"Whitney, right?" She questioned when I caught up to her, and I nodded in confirmation.
"Nick said you head SWAT on these calls." I said, the Tigress chuckling.
"Yeah. Come on, we need to get our gear from Raul before we go. You've been outfitted, right?"
"Not yet. Nick told me to be on range, anyway, so I'll likely just need a rifle." The Tigress sighed, and I waited to see if she'd say anything.
"Hopefully." She remarked as we approached the armory, opening the door. "Raul! We need to get into the SWAT section!" She called, her tone urgent. A door near the opposite end of the room slid open, and I barely saw the tail of the giant Snake before it disappeared into the pipes overhead.
Fangmeyer and I stepped into the room, and I stopped in shock as I took in the various armaments.
"Wow." I said simply, scanning the various rifles on the racks. With a frown, I realized most would be too cumbersome or powerful for me, and I turned to the normal rifles. My gaze quickly locked on to a particular one, and I approached.
"Hey, Lance, Nick said you were on range." Fangmeyer said when she saw me, but I ignored her as I pulled the rifle free from the rack. Sighting down it, I growled slightly.
"Scope, preferably twelve mag." I said, extending my paw. Quickly, a large cylindrical object rested in my paw and I looked up.
"Hello, Officer Whitney." Raul said, and I smiled gratefully.
"Thanks Raul." I said, the Snakes' gaze dropping to my gun as I slid the scope onto the rail on top.
"You have an affinity for Heckler and Koch, I see." I looked up, slightly confused, and then down at the gun. I let out a laugh when I saw the side.
"Okay, that was an accident." I said, mirth taking over as I realized the gun was a Heckler and Koch 416. "I just saw a nice rifle that looked neat, honestly."
"It doesssss have a certain beauty to it." Raul conceded, tilting his head slightly. "Hopefully you do not have to use it."
"Yeah. Let's hope so." I agreed, slinging the rifle and tightening the strap so it stayed on my back as I headed for the door, Fangmeyer just in front of me.
This was making for an interesting first day.
And that does it for Chapter 3 of Tooth and Claw! I hope you guys enjoyed it, because I certainly did. I swear this is taking my attention more than it should, but I'm extremely invested right now. I'll likely put this on hold once I get to Chapter 10 or so in order to focus on Zootopian Assassins and Kinesis Chronicles, though I may do so sooner. I honestly don't know how many Chapters this will go on for, so please forgive me if some of the Chapters seem like they're either too slow or too fast. I want to tell the story in a timely manner, but also keep it at a reasonable pace. This Chapter is a bit longer than I thought it would be, but at least it isn't too short! Anyway, this is getting long enough, I'll see you guys...next update. Word Count: 6,618