Nick walked into his apartment, stretching his tired body as he yawned. Finally, a weekend night where he and Judy weren't supposed to go gallavanting through the city with Robin on some fetch quest. The two of them were all sorts of excited, planning out what movies to watch and what to eat (They settled on Chinese, which Judy was picking up). It had been several long days since they had gotten the dog tags to Bogo, and they were looking forward to relaxing. The fox immediately turned for his kitchen for a glass of water, setting his keys and badge on the counter.
The sound of movement behind him caught his ear, and Nick turned to see Robin shutting the door to his apartment. "What're you doing here?" Nick asked, sighing. He was hoping for a night with Judy, having fun, but whenever Robin arrived it seemed to entail some ridiculous adventure for the next few days.
"Just to catch up on what I missed," Robin told him, not moving from the doorway. "By the way, nice apartment."
"I don't remember inviting you in," Nick said, pouring a glass of water for Robin and himself, passing one to the other reynard before taking a sip of his own.
"I don't remember the door being locked," Robin replied, tense curiosity filling his voice.
Nick raised an eyebrow. "I just got home."
"So why was it unlocked while you were at work?"
Nick lowered his glass, frowning and narrowing his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I came here earlier, and the door was unlocked. I assumed you were home, but after a few knocks I checked in. Empty." Robin frowned alongside Nick, who set his glass down and began to look around the living room.
"You came in here without my permission?" Nick asked, checking to see if anything was missing or moved.
"Bathroom," Robin muttered, looking away. Nick looked over to him, studying the fox. He was dressed in his duster and hoodie again, cargo pants visible but, to Nick's slight surprise, no boots or backpack.
"I could arrest you for trespassing," Nick reminded him.
"But you won't." Robin stated this as if it were a fact – which, really, it was. "For what it's worth, though, I'm sorry."
"So long as you didn't find my 'party box' it's fine," Nick muttered, glancing over his hallway.
"Party box?" Robin asked, tilting his head.
"Family joke. Sorry." One of Nick's ears flicked at Robin's short, single chuckle. He turned back to see the reynard's eyes lit with amusement. "What?"
"If I remember right, wasn't it some shade of green an blue?"
Nick stared at Robin, mind processing what he was just told. "Pardon?"
"Isn't the Wilde family 'party box', or 'Wilde Times Box', some shade of green edges with a blue center? It's where you keep your gag items?" Robin asked casually. Nick narrowed his eyes again at the fox, this time more curious than anything.
"How did you know that?" Nick asked.
"I remembered it," Robin said, looking into his glass with half-lidded eyes as he swirled around the water.
"Remembered it how?"
"My uncle showed it to me once, when I was a little kit. I remember it, because I lost one of the items in it. He held it over me for a long time." Robin shrugged, taking a drink from his glass.
"Your uncle," Nick repeated skeptically. He crossed his arms, one eyebrow raised at Robin curiously.
"Mhm. You might know him. A 'Victor Jay Wilde'." Robin cast Nick a glance from the corner of his eye, and Nick let his arms fall to his sides as his eyes widened and ears pressed against his head.
"What-" he started, shaking his head before he continued. Robin, clearly somewhat amused, smirked a bit as he set the glass on the counter, turning to face the older fox. "You aren't serious," Nick said, placing a paw over his face as he walked to the kitchen for his glass.
"You're right, I'm Robin." The fox chuckled, making Nick groan again as he took a drink of water. "But to prove it, my uncle is Victor Wilde. Aunt is Vivian Skye Wilde. Making you, Nick, my cousin."
"And I didn't even think we were related," Nick sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I should've known, though. Only a Wilde can get into this much trouble."
"Guess you could say we walk on the Wilde side?" Robin tilted his head, arms out as he waited for a response. Nick stared at him for a moment, before laughing briefly.
"And only we can make such bad jokes," Nick added, nodding, before clearing his throat. "But how are you related to me?"
"Your dad has a brother that, clearly, you don't remember," Robin explained. "But, before you ask, my name is Wick because my mother and father never married."
Nick scratched his chin, sifting through old memories as far back as he could go. He had vague recollections of a fox similar to his father visiting when he was a kit, but beyond that, it was blank. "Refresh my memory of your dad?" Nick requested.
"He wasn't around much. About your height, fur was more russet and dirty. Amber eyes." Robin tilted his head slightly at Nick's lack of reaction. "I'm assuming you don't remember him?"
"Not really," Nick admitted, sighing.
"It's okay," Robin muttered. "Neither do I."
Nick glanced up from his glass to see Robin staring at the ground, ears pressed against his head as he sighed. He felt the urge to say something to the reynard, but between his masking his own pain at casual talk about his own father, and the revelation of their being related, he came up with nothing to say.
Robin glanced at Nick, and gave a single, soft laugh. "Sorry, I shouldn't bring that up. I know that it's... Sensitive. And, before you ask, I know it is because I've kept in touch with your mother. She told me about what happened. And again, I'm sorry."
Nick stared at Robin, contemplating what to say before shaking his head and walking back to his sink, refilling his glass. He took a long drink, before turning back to the other fox, setting his glass on the counter. "I'm over it," he said. It was a half-lie; Nick understood why his father had left when he had, but that didn't mean he had forgiven him or was okay with it. "But, I am expecting company soon, so is there anything else you needed?"
Robin stared at Nick, quiet, for a few seconds. He could tell the fox was studying him – though it was unclear what he was looking for. Nick's usual mask was already in place, his lazy smirk and half-lidded eyes in place as he leaned on the counter. "What did I miss out on while I was resting?" Robin finally asked.
Nick did a slow blink, nodding. "Right, well, turns out that information you got us for Phraxus was pretty accurate. While we're working on a mass warrant, the ZIA and ZBI have been checking on the ringleaders and what their end goal was. It looks like they want to cause a pandemic that the ZPD was unprepared for and have the members of Phraxus step up as a private security force for Brightwater Industries, promising a solution. But, the setup for what they want is very barbaric compared to today." Robin raised an eyebrow, looking at Nick expectantly. "It involved culling the prey population by killing off the elderly and using them as a source of food. I don't have to tell you how that threatens the city, do I?" Robin shook his head at this, listening intently.
"Of course not. As for the Night Howlers, they've modified Bellwether's serum into some kind of gas that, from what I've been told, needs to be in colder climates to be effective. As far as we can tell, the new mixture is lethal to small predators and prey not long after they go savage, and prey need lengthy exposure to be affected. Larger predators don't seem as likely to die from it, and take longer to go savage as well."
"How is it supposed to kill them?" Robin asked, resting his chin on his thumb. "If it's just a gas, I don't think it should be that bad. Unless, suffocation?"
"Supposedly, it clings to the lungs and cuts off air flow. But this is all speculation, and we don't hope to find out from experience." Nick yawned after his response, shaking his head tiredly.
"Alright, fair enough. And who're the ringleaders?" Robin tilted his head again, taking a drink of water.
"Well, as it turns out, Esmerelda is one of them. So is that wolf, Lesnitsky, but there's a surprising lack of information on him. There's a cheetah, pretty sure he's the one who attacked you, named Maximus Campbridge. And the mammal at the very tip top, Capeli."
"You don't mean-" Robin started, eyes widening at the realization as Nick nodded. "Oh, hell. It's a miracle we're still kicking, then."
"Not really,"Nick said, walking over to his living room and flinging himself onto the couch. "Because, from what the ZBI has dug up so far, he's been more busy covering up Phraxus than telling them how to track us down."
"So we've gotten lucky?" Robin asked, rubbing his eyes. Nick nodded, letting out a small 'Mhm'. "Okay... I guess that's a-" Robin stopped mid-sentence as Nick's front door opened, and Judy walked inside. Nick immediately scrambled to his feet, rushing over to take the two large takeout boxes that she carried, setting them on the counter carefully. Judy muttered a thank you as their dinners was taken, before sighing lightly and brushing her paws together.
"Oh, Robin, hi! I didn't think you'd be here," She spoke cheerfully, surprise clear in her voice.
"I was just about to leave, actually," Robin said, giving Judy a nod as he moved to the door. The rabbit jumped in front of him, though, blocking his exit.
"Actually," she started. "We need to talk about a few things." She clapped her hands together, smiling in a way that initially seemed innocent enough. But Nick knew Judy well enough to see that this was her way of telling Robin that he had no choice but to sit and talk with them. Robin didn't seem to pick up on it though, or chose to ignore it, as he shook his head.
"No, I really need to go," he replied, moving again for the door. Judy, again, stepped in his way, face becoming stern as she glared up at him.
"Whatever it is can wait. This is important. And before you argue," She held up a finger, still looking up at Robin as he grit his teeth. "This is more important, if you want to avoid years in jail." Nick noted in amusement at how Robin's tail flicked in irritation, and despite the fact that he could easily pick up and move the rabbit, he was clearly looking for a way around her. When Judy continued to stare at Robin, the fox finally crumbled, sighing and turning back to the living room with a grumble.
"Well done, Carrots," Nick chuckled. "You managed to ground a bird without laying a finger on him. I'm impressed. And you're not even his mother!"
"It's not fair," Robin grumbled half-jokingly, sitting on Nick's couch.
Nick, ignoring the sounds of hunger coming from his stomach at the smell of their dinner, walked over to join Judy as she sat on the far end of his couch. "Now then, since Fluff here has decided to stage an intervention without my knowledge, I believe she would like to start?"
Judy pressed against Nick as she looked over to Robin, Nick resting his head in his palm as he waited. "Thank you," Judy started – though to Nick or Robin, it was unclear. "So, Robin, first and most importantly... Where'd you get the gun?"
Robin flicked an ear dismissively, but Nick caught the slight tension Judy's question had caused the fox. "What gun?" He asked.
"You know what gun," Judy replied, crossing her arms and giving Robin a stern stare. Robin stared back in defiance, before averting his gaze outside of Nick's window.
"It isn't mine," He sighed. "It was Nick's father's. He left it with me some time ago."
Judy stiffened slightly beside Nick, and he gently set a paw on her shoulder. He had a feeling she was a little nervous at the mention of Nick's father – something he himself never brought up, and it was still a rather sensitive topic for him.
Robin clearly noticed this, glancing to Judy, then Nick, a curious light in his eyes. Nick nodded slightly, and Robin did the same. "I don't think I've brought it up before, but Nick and I are actually related. I'm his cousin – his father is my uncle, his uncle's brother is my father."
Judy looked up to Nick, who just nodded briefly. "And I'm going to have to look into it once I get back to the Precinct, but I can't say I don't believe him."
"It makes sense now why you've gotten into so much trouble, Robin," Judy chuckled. "Anyone related to Nick is bound to get into some kind of mess here or there."
"Carrots, I'll have you know that my life was mess free until you barged into it," Nick said, suppressing a chuckle of his own.
"Oh, really? I distinctly remember you mentioning something about a skunk-butt rug and a mob boss. And that was before I came to Zootopia." Judy grinned up at Nick, who let his ears flatten slightly.
"Then, almost mess free," he corrected. Judy just rolled her eyes, before returning her attention to Robin.
"Why do you have the gun?" She asked. Robin raised an eyebrow curiously, before sighing.
"Why else do you think? For my own protection. But I haven't used it yet, because I know they're illegal in Zootopia." The red fox glanced up and twitched an ear, before yawning. "The reason I had it in the backpack when we went to the club was specifically because I had a funny feeling something bad would happen. But I didn't need to use it – you two did."
Nick held onto his tongue as his mind came up with an argument against Robin. The sooner Judy finished her questions, the sooner they could eat and relax, and that was something he didn't want to put off for much longer. "Speaking of the club," Judy said. "I remember you wanting to bring a weapon because you said your 'melee skills were lacking', but you did just fine on the train. What did you really mean?"
Robin was silent for several minutes, letting his eyes travel to the floor and his ears fall against his head. "The last time I fought unarmed, someone I care about got hurt. Because I got cocky and didn't think I'd need a weapon. But I know that, if I had used one, I would've beaten them..." The fox scowled slightly, hugging himself gently. Judy and Nick gave him some quiet to think, before they noticed that he was digging his claws into his arms slightly.
"Robin," Nick said, making the other reyard snap his head up slightly. "Just because they got hurt doesn't mean you should beat yourself up over what happened."
"You don't understand," Robin muttered, just barely loud enough for the officers to hear him. "They almost died. They were crying for me to help, but I-" he cut himself off, curling up on the couch as he covered his ears with his paws. He began to take ragged breaths, and was clearly on the verge of tears as he shook. But the moment Judy shifted, reaching over to set a paw on him, he seemed to regain control. The fox's shaking came to an almost immediate stop, and the ragged breaths smoothed out. Robin uncurled and took a deep breath, eyes held shut as he slowly let it out, before looking up at the officers with something of an apathetic gaze.
Judy shrank back against Nick slightly; clearly, the change from near-meltdown to completely calm in an instant had unsettled her, and Nick felt the same. But he recognized what Robin had done – it was something Nick himself had done during his first years of hustling, and his forming a mask. "Ever since that day, I haven't trusted my ability to fight unarmed. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. Please – just, ask whatever your next question was, Hopps."
Judy glanced up to Nick, who had let his face become a blank slate as he analyzed the fox across from him. His ears were raised up, his tail still, and his eyes somewhat dull. There was no more shaking, and his breathing seemed to be normal. Robin glanced over to Nick, and the two locked eyes. Nick studied him there, and in response Robin seemed to put up barriers. His eyes grew more glazed, expression more neutral.
"Right," Judy spoke softly after a moment. "You mentioned your dad. Who is he?"
"Johnathan Wick, retired member of the Outback Island ZPD." Robin replied in a monotonous tone, turning his head to look at Judy rather than Nick.
"But isn't Nick the first fox on the ZPD? And didn't you tell us that your father's name was 'Aiden' before?" Judy questioned, her head tilting. Nick gave a subtle nod, approving of the question. This was something brought up long ago, but that the two had never gotten around to having answered. Robin looked at the two cautiously, before giving a soft sigh.
"He is, yes. My father was not an actual member of the ZPD – he's actually ex-military, used to help operate tanks. And his real name is, yes, Aiden Wilde. That's all I can tell you, though."
"Why?" Judy asked, sitting up slightly. Her ears rose up in curiousity, and Nick had bring his paws between them and push them aside to see more than gray fur. She looked up and gave an apologetic smile, ears settling out of Nick's immediate line of sight as she waited for an answer.
"Because that's the rules. Technically, I shouldn't have told you even that much." Robin leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "But I trust you two enough. Anything else?"
Judy looked up for a moment, before shaking her head. Both her and Robin then looked to Nick. "How did you get our phone numbers?" Nick asked.
"I hope you're not expecting some ridiculous and convoluted story for that," Robin said, digging into a pocket. He took out his wallet, and took out two small cards with a golden ZPD badge – one for Nick, one for Judy. "I found them in the cruiser when you two dragged me to the diner. Anything else?"
Nick shook his head, and Robin gave a satisfied grunt. "Right. Then if it's all the same with you two, I'm off." He stood up as he spoke, walking for the door. Judy got up as well, bouncing to the floor and letting Nick stretch out. Just as Robin reached the door however, Judy stopped him.
"Wait," She stared, holding out a paw. The taller fox paused and turned his head to look at her. "Robin... You are going to tell us what happened on Outback Island, right?"
Robin stared at the rabbit for a moment, before sighing "We'll see," and walking out. He gave Judy no chance to ask another question as he silently shut the door and, just like that, it was almost as if he wasn't there.
Judy let out a sigh of her own, flopping onto the couch. Nick stood up and walked over to the counter, grabbing their still-warm containers and chopsticks before returning to his side of the couch. He passed Judy her container, but held her chopsticks out of reach as he studied her. She still seemed a little on-edge about something, and it was nagging at him. "Alright, Carrots, what're you hiding?" he asked, smirking slightly at the light of surprise he caught in her eyes.
"I'm not hiding anything," she replied.
"Mmm. You're a terrible liar," Nick chuckled, before letting his epression turn a bit more serious. "But really, what is it?"
Judy stared up at Nick defiantly, before biting her lip and nodding. "I'm just... Glad he's gone so we can eat, I guess."
Nick waited a moment longer, before handing Judy her chopsticks. He didn't entirely believe her, but the grumbling in his stomach made him decide to have faith in the rabbit to not keep secrets from him. So instead, he sat down and popped open the container, taking in a long sniff of the delicious aroma that arose from it. He reached in and plucked out a piece of orange chicken from the pool of lo mein, and popped it into his mouth.
"You should've seen the look I got when I ordered that," Judy snickered. "The poor buck couldn't believe his ears!"
óÓÒò ~
Robin breathed a sigh of relief as he shut the door to Nick's apartment behind him. He cast a glance down the hallway before heading off towards the exit, occasionally looking over his shoulder as he went. Hopefully, neither officer would notice what he had taken was missing for a long time.
With a nod to the skunk at the front desk, who nodded back, he walked out of the building and turned into the parking lot. It didn't take long for him to find King's car, and he jumped in with a groan. "Sorry that took so long," he said.
"Don't worry, I wasn't in a rush," the panther replied, starting the car and backing out of his spot. "What took so long, though?"
"Judy showed up and had a few questions," Robin muttered, before letting out a yawn. His near-meltdown earlier had taken a toll on him, and it left him feeling rather tired. It was the second one he had begun today, and he needed some rest before he couldn't keep himself together anymore. "But I got it."
King grunted in satisfaction, before turning his radio up and letting rap music fill the vehicle. Robin just leaned his head back against the seat, eyes shutting as he took deep breaths. His mind drifted lazily from thought to thought as he tried to relax, before something in the back of his mind began to nag at him. He did his best to ingore it, but it persisted until he acknowledged what it was. "Hey, I have a favor to ask of you," the fox spoke suddenly.
"Go ahead," King replied, turning down his music so it was easier for the two to talk.
"After tomorrow, you guys should pack up and head out of town for a while. Take your mom someplace nice, have your brothers tag along. See family. You need a break from this." Robin leaned forward and opened his eyes as he spoke, looking over to the panther.
King tilted his head from side to side, debating it. "What about you?"
"I'll probably go back to my family. It's been a long time since I've seen them," Robin yawned. "My mom's been doing her best to get me come back out there."
"Have you even seen her since you got back?" King asked. Robin looked out the window in silence, guilt settling over him. "Then yeah, you need to go visit."
"I will, I will," Robin sighed. "Just after everything's settled."
"I'll hold you to it," King said, turning his radio back up. Robin nodded, staring out the window without another word. The fox let his right paw fall to the slight bulge coming from his jacket, taking a deep breath as he became calmer. This task was over – he had the gun back. Now he just had to wait until Phraxus was defeated before visiting his family, and getting rid of it.
With another yawn, Robin sat back in his seat. "I need a shot," he muttered.
~ óÓÒò ~
Judy looked up at Nick as they rode in the elevator to the top of the Brightwater building. She took a deep, steadying breath as they ascended, her mind flicking back to when Chief Bogo had called them to his office earlier in the day. They had been given the task of approaching Viggo Capeli and escorting him to the courthouse to be tried for the surprising number of charges from the ZIA and ZBI. Although somewhat unorthodox, it was given to Bogo from both agencies. He was kind enough to wait until monday though, letting the officers rest up on their weekend.
It wasn't just the two who had been sent in, though; several other officers were in the lobby, as well as Officers Francine and Fangmeyer being with them in the elevator. The reasoning for so many officers was that, none of them knew what Capeli would do, or even if he knew they were coming.
Nick cast a glance down to Judy, giving a reassuring smile before his smirk returned. He bumped her with his elbow, before muttering "I wonder if the building is compensating for something?"
The rabbit gave a faint snicker, but it ceased as the elevator doors opened up with a ding. The elevator opened directly into a simple hallway, benches of various sizes on the walls and separated by large potted plants. The floor was a comforting wood-colored tile, with the walls being a bleached white, and a burgundy hex-patterned rug leading up to a desk. It was a semi-circle desk, stacks of papers and pencils visible at the top. Behind it sat a tigress, dressed in a forest green dress, who was typing away at the computer before her. She looked up as the elevator opened, golden eyes widening in surprise as the officers stepped out. She waited until they were almost to her desk before speaking: "Uh, hello officers. Can I help you?"
Judy nodded, dragging the tigress's gaze down to her as she rocked on her heels slightly, putting on a friendly smile as she read the name plate on the desk: Ellen Roehing. "Yes, ma'am. I'm Officer Hopps, ZPD," she tapped at her badge briefly, out of habit at this point when doing an introduction. "With me are Officers Wilde, Francine, and Fangmeyer." She gestured to each officer as she introduced them, who all gave the tigress a small nod or some sound of greeting. "We're here to see mister Capeli about an ongoing case; could we speak with him?"
"I see," Ellen mumbled, nodding. "He might be in a conference call at the moment, would it be okay for me to check if he's free, first?"
"Of course," Judy replied, nodding and adding a smile.
Ellen nodded back and gave a 'thank you' before reaching over and pressing a button on what Judy assumed was a phone at her desk. It gave a loud buzz, before she spoke. "Excuse me, mister Capeli?"
It took a brief moment, but the buzz sounded again before a vaguelly Italian voice sounded. "Yes?"
"I have several officers here wishing to speak with you about a case, is it alright for me to send them in?" The tigress asked.
"Of course, of course. I just finished my call," Capeli answered. Ellen leaned back from the phone and gave each officer a quick glance, before setting her paws down on the table.
"His office is just through those doors," she said, turning and nodding to the wooden doors.
"Thank you, ma'am," Nick gave her a nod as he turned with Judy and Fangmeyer to enter the room. Officer Francine stayed behind, a silent way of ensuring no one could get in or out unexpectedly.
"Of course; I hope you have a wonderful evening," Ellen replied, giving the three a warm smile as they went.
Judy was the first to enter the room. It was fairly spacious, small bookcases on either side of the doorway, a similar rug from the hallway taking the form of a carpet in here, and held the faint smell of cherry cigars. The center of the room had a small glass coffee table, with a set of four black chairs around it and, in the right corner elevated by just a few steps, sat a humble wooden desk with little more than a bamboo plant on the far side adorning it. The desk itself was next to and facing large glass walls, which overlooked the city from roughly twelve stories up. And sat at the desk, turning in a black computer chair to face the officers, sat Viggo Capeli.
The arctic fox was dressed in a black suit, navy blue undershirt, and black tie. His amber eyes immediately scanned the three officers, a smile breaking out over his face as he held out his paws lightly, rising out of his chair. "Ah, officers. Apologies for the smell, I normally don't smoke when I expect company. I've been told you request my aid in a case you have?"
"Aid is a certain way of putting it," Nick replied.
Judy took a deep breath, before looking up at the arctic fox. "Viggo Capeli, you are being called to an immediate court hearing at the Downtown Courthouse."
The fox appeared, initially, taken aback. He leaned back slightly, flicking an ear as he studied the officers. "May I ask what for?"
"Charges of corruption, money laundering, attempted proxy murder, illegal drug dealing, amongst others," Fangmeyer responded. Judy watched as Viggo nodded with a sigh, appearing deflated for a moment, before perking up to his previous carefree attitude.
"While that's quite a list, a suppose the CEO of any large company should expect such things. Though I admit, never would I have expected such accusations to appear all at once. Am I still to be read my right?" The arctic fox cocked his head slightly, his tail flicking idly in anticipation. It was clear even to Judy that he was nervous.
"Of course." Judy began to recite Viggo his rights as Nick walked over and drew out his handcuffs. The arctic fox complied with the silent order, holding out his paws and nodding as he listened to Judy, the only other sound being the clank of metal as the cuffs locked into place.
The three began to silently escort the arctic fox from his office, Judy standing on his left and Nick on his right, with Fangmeyer behind them. As they passed by the desk, the arctic fox turned his head to the tigress with a sheepish grin. "Ellen, clear my next few days, if you would? It seems I'll be out, unfortunately."
Judy didn't miss the feline's look of surprise, though she nodded and stuttered an affirmative as the group, now with Francine, walked into the elevator. As they descended to the bottom level, Capeli spoke again. "You said that this was an immediate court calling, yes? This means that the news hasn't had a chance to rally its reporters to my doorstep?"
"That's correct," Nick confirmed, keeping his gaze straight ahead. Judy noticed how his smirk had gone, and his expression was now neutral.
"Fantastic," the arctic fox replied. It was a little strange to Judy how he was able to keep such a cheery tone despite being brought straight to court on such charges. "Perhaps this won't tarnish my image as much as I had anticipated. It's hard enough to reach a high position as it is, but being a fox with these charges is something akin to corporate suicide. I dread what could happen to the company if groundless scandals erupt from this."
"I don't think that will be a problem, sir," Nick stated, the ding of the elevator chiming as the doors parted and the officer led the CEO forward. The remainder of the journey was, largely, in silence. Viggo didn't say a word as he was led into the back of Nick and Judy's police cruiser, although the cheery smile never left his face. It was slightly unnerving to the rabbit, but she thought nothing of it as the vehicle began on its route to the courthouse, Nick at the wheel, and several cruiser ahead and behind them.
The sound of a brief laugh caused Judy to turn around in her seat. Viggo was currently staring out the window, his cheerful expression now changed into a somewhat content smirk. His eyes flicked towards her, and the smirk shifted to the smile from before as he turned his head. "Yes, officer?" he asked.
"Did you laugh just now?" Judy asked.
The arctic fox nodded, grinning at the bunny. "Apologies, I just had an amusing thought," he explained. "From your expression, I'm assuming you want me to share?"
"I'm a little curious, yes," Judy nodded, glancing to Nick. The fox glanced back, offering a reassuring smile.
Viggo shifted to sit almost behind Judy's seat, glancing out the left window once as he leaned slightly closer to her. "It's just that, all of you officers are so tense, even around me. It's clear have no ill intent, or I should hope it's clear. Which leads me to beg the question... Why are you so serious?"
Judy took a second to drink in the words, opening her mouth to respond, before a horrid screeching of metal sounded from the left. Gravity seemed to leave her as she lifted from her seat, glass shattering and being flung around her. Then gravity returned, drawing her towards her door, then the roof, then to Nick's door, and the cycle repeated. She had the brief sensation of something closing around her, before she felt her head colliding with the side of her seat, and she lost consciousness.
~ óÓÒò ~
"Thank you for the timely rescue, my love," Fangs groaned, rubbing his side as Esmerelda continued to drive the humble sedan through the Downtown streets. She purred softly as she felt the arctic fox beside her lean over and place a kiss to her cheek, and were it not for the traffic she had to navigate, she would've happily returned the gesture. "Although, next time, I suggest a less... Treacherous method?" He pressed lightly against his side, hissing as he felt pain. Something was definitely not right, clearly, but he sat back in his seat without another word.
"I'm sorry, meil," she responded, glancing over her shoulder as she switched lanes. "We were a bit short on time, and didn't have much to work with. Thankfully, that perra traidora Lesnitsky left us with a SWAT van."
"Now now, language," Fangs admonished. "Though he has deserved such names."
"He deserves a bullet to the brain, as well," the ocelot hissed. "Or would you rather we took our time with him?"
"Whichever you would prefer," Fangs chuckled. Esmerelda grinned maliciously, her mind filling of the various ways to inflict pain on the brown wolf. "And judging from your smile, I think I know which you choose."
"Red hot metal kebab skewers through him," Esmerelda said, unable to help but grin at the idea. "I've been waiting to try that one." She felt warmth spread through her as Fangs chuckled, reaching out to flick his pure white tail against hers.
"But before that, I have one thing I would like to take care of myself," the other said. "Do you think you could drop me off somewhere?"
"Of course. Where should we go?" The ocelot glanced to the arctic fox, noticing the clear fire in his eyes.
"The home of that red fox we've been after. After this incident, I wish to deal with him personally." Fangs turned and began to rifle through the middle compartment of the vehicle. "Do you have the spare inhaler I gave you?"
"Of course, it's in my pack. Under your seat."
"Thank you, my dear." The fox turned and reached under his seat, dragging out a simple leather backpack not much more than a foot in height, and began to rummage through it. "Oh, and to be clear, I want to do this alone. I feel like spoiling myself a little bit today – I didn't learn half a dozen martial arts only to not use them." He grinned as he withdrew a clear plastic inhaler, filled with a faintly blue gas.
"Do you want me to pick you up afterwords?" Esmerelda asked, beginning to change their course.
"No, I'll meet you elsewhere. I do fancy that car of his; after today, I don't think he'll need it. I'm sure he won't mind me taking it." Fangs leaned back in his seat, chuckling softly to himself.
~ óÓÒò ~
Robin walked out of his bathroom and yawned widely, steam pouring out from his recent shower as he tossed his clothes into one corner of his room before turning to the kitchen. His stomach grumbled as he made his way down the hall, but it turned to silence as he froze mid-step.
Sitting on his couch, one leg over the other and gazing casually out of the window outside, was a sharply-dressed arctic fox. Out of instinct more than anything, Robin's paw flew to where his baton usually sat – but it wasn't on his hip. Instead, it was safely tucked away inside his duster, beside the gun, which was on the corner of the same couch the arctic fox was on.
It didn't take long for the arctic fox to notice Robin, and he turned to face him with a smile. His amber eyes locked onto Robin's, and the smile grew. "Ah, evening. I hope you don't mind, but I helped myself to a glass of water as I waited."
Robin flicked an ear at the surprising politeness of the intruder. His pressed his paws to his pockets in hopes of finding his phone, but that was charging on the kitchen counter. "Not at all. Though I don't believe I let you in," Robin replied, making sure his voice was steady and expression about as neutral as he could make it.
"Ah that, yes. I let myself in – my business here is fairly urgent. I need a word with you." The arctic fox nodded towards the recliner angled to face the couch. Robin narrowed his eyes slightly as he walked over, pausing with a paw on the top of the chair.
"Well, here I am," Robin stated, gesturing to himself. "What did you need to talk to me about?" He flicked his tail as the back of his mind began to urge him to move, leave the room. That 'sixth sense' of his was going off, but he forced himself to stay at the spot.
"Right, well, it appears that there seems to be a bit of a mix-up here." The arctic fox stood up and began to very slowly walk around the table that separated the two. "I've been charged with a series of crimes, and my sources tell me that you're the one accusing me of them. And while there's nothing wrong with that, I have to say," the fox stopped just outside of arm's reach, and Robin realized just how large he was for a fox. Where he was taller than average for a fox, this arctic one stood even taller than he did, Robin's ears only meeting the other's eyes. "I don't take kindly to those who try to ruin my business," he growled.
Robin leaned back as the arctic fox swiped at him, missing a set of claws by inches. He jumped backwards, spinning around and diving for his duster as the other fox pounced after him. Robin grabbed his coat and tore it from the couch, bringing it up to cover himself from the arctic fox's claws as he jumped forward to swipe at him. Robin spun with the swipe, reaching out a leg to sweep the arctic fox's feet from under him, but was met with air as he turned. A quick kick was sent to his side, toppling him to the floor and the contents of his coat onto the ground, where he rolled onto his back and prepared to kick the arctic fox off of him. Much to his surprise, however, the other was simply adjusting his suit, a broad smile on his muzzle.
"I can see why you're still alive," he commented. Robin took the time to scramble to his feet and grab his baton, tearing it from its sheathe but keeping it collapsed. "I'm sure you have questions, but alas, all you will know is who I am. I'm sure you can piece together why after that. You most likely know me as Fangs, but to the majority of the rest of the world I am Viggo Capeli. And you," he continued, drawing out a clear inhaler filled with a faint blue gas. "Are what stands between me and my dreams." He pressed the inhaler to his mouth and breathed in the gas, eyes held shut. It took a moment for it to register what the gas was, and Robin's heart sank.
"You can't kill me," Robing warned, hoping that he sounded more convincing that he felt at the moment. He felt his instincts going haywire, demanding he leave, but felt rooted to the spot as his opponent set the now-empty inhaler on the counter, and opened his eyes. It alarmed the reynard to see that the amber eyes were now dialated and, in a way, primal in shape. Similar to a savage animal, but still clearly holding onto the evolved, civilized portion of their being.
Before he had time to process anything else, the arctic fox leaped forward. Robin held up his arms to soften the impact of the tackle, bringing his knee up hit Fangs in the stomach. When the large fox didn't budge, he aimed to knee his side, using the force and momentum to roll the two over. Robin forced his arms down, holding onto the baton with both paws as he pressed against the pinned fox's neck. He received a kick to his stomach that sent him off his foe in response, making him land with a grunt.
The red fox rolled over as soon as he was able, narrowly dodging a heavy stomp from Fangs as he did so. Pushing himself to his feet, Robin swung his baton at the arctic fox, the clack of metal sounding as it extended and smacked into his side. Fangs let out a cry of pain as something clearly snapped, but he held onto the baton and yanked Robin closer. Robin was pulled straight into the larger fox's elbow, and he released the baton as he fell backwards, one paw holding his head as he tried pushing himself backwards. Stars filled his vision as he was kicked in the side of the head, rolling with the blow to rise to his feet.
Fangs made an overhead swing with the baton, Robin narrowly sidestepping in time. Turning slightly, the red fox hooked an arm around the white fox's neck, placing one foot behind and between his foe's legs as he pulled. Fangs was sent to the ground, and Robin stomped onto the arm holding onto the baton in an attempt to free his weapon. Fangs retaliated by reaching up to grab the back of Robin's shirt with his free arm, yanking the fox down and freeing himself. Fangs was on the smaller predator a second later, pressing against Robin's throat with the baton. Robin pushed back up against the pressure, but could feel his strength waning as he tried to free himself. In desparation, he leaned over to the arctic fox's nearest paw, and bit on it. The arctic fox cried in pain again as he recoiled, freeing Robin.
The red fox rolled over and scrambled to his feet, looking around for anything he could use. The buzzing of his phone on the counter drew his attention, and he reached out to grab it. His fingers flew across the screen as he tried to dial a number, but he was torn away by Fangs grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling. Robin was flung to the ground as a result, and he turned just in time to avoid a swing from the baton. He rolled back over the weapon, pinning it down, and kicked out at his opponent.
Fangs took the blow, but grabbed onto Robin's foot and held him in place as he released the baton and prepared a punch to the side of his knee. Robin twisted in the arctic fox's grip, taking the blow to the back of the knee but preventing it from being broken. Lashing out with another kick to his foe's stomach, Robin felt comfort at the grunt given and his leg being let go. He scrambled forward, diving for his coat. He barely escaped Fangs' attempt to grab his tail by inches, and rolled as the red fox landed where he wanted. He began to rifle through pockets, trying to find one of his knives, but was stopped as he felt the baton press against his neck from behind.
He looked to both sides, again trying to bite at one of Fangs' paws, but the arctic fox had placed them out of reach. In another attempt to free himself, the red fox lashed downwards, letting his claws dig into the other's foot. Another cry of pain, followed shortly after by the baton being removed from his neck and letting him collapse to the ground. Robin coughed, one paw grabbing his throat as he forced himself forward. As Fangs recovered, Robin closed his fingers around his new weapon, rising up and turning around.
Pain filled his body as Robin tried to lift up the pistol he had grabbed, doing his best to level it with the fox's shoulder. "I don't want to kill you," he hissed, the arctic fox pausing at the words. A brief flicker of surprise went across his face, before he gave Robin a malicious grin. Fangs drew back an arm and threw the baton at Robin, making the red fox shift to the side to dodge. In the brief second Robin had to look away, Fangs was on him – grabbing the fox's gun arm and turning it away, using his other paw to give him a right hook and send him nearly to the ground. The edges of Robin's vision turned to black as he began to see through a tunnel. He felt disoriented as he rose to his feet, turning to face Fangs again, attempting to raise the gun up.
The arctic fox bat away Robin's arm again, punching the smaller fox several times in the chest before grabbing his shirt collar and spinning him around. Unable to keep his balance, Robin fell to the ground, pain filling his chest as he coughed. His vision was blurred now, the edges still covered in black. He tried again to force himself to his feet, eyes widening as Fangs lifted him up. The arctic fox punched Robin in the stomach again, making him cough heavily, before swiping at his head. Robin managed to lean back in time to take only a cut above his eyes, the new pain making him grit his teeth.
The red fox tried once again to lift the gun, but Fangs took hold of his wrist and tilted it so that the barrel was almost under Robin's muzzle. Robin tilted his head away just enough to avoid the shot that Fangs forced him to fire, feeling the round brush past and burn him slightly, before his world was spun around and he felt himself collide with a wall. Fangs punched the red fox in the head again, and Robin finally felt the gun ripped from his grasp.
He barely heard the gunshot, but felt the pain as the bullet entered his side. His mind growing fuzzy, Robin slid down the wall, barely aware of the warm streak on his back from his blood. Fangs stood over him, laughing as he removed the magazine from the gun and tossed it away. "I expected more from you," he commented, making Robin look up slowly. "You can put up a fight, but that was pitiful from the fox who took on five mammals and lived."
Robin said nothing as he looked back to the ground, slowly bringing a paw to his wounded side. He licked his dry lips, jumping slightly as he felt something land beside him – the gun. "I think my business here is done. I hope you don't mind if I borrow your car," Fangs grinned, turning and walking to Robin's duster. The red fox watched him go, before turning to look at the gun. Though his mind was still fuzzy, it was racing for ways for him to make it out of this. He knew that he had to do something quick, but if Fangs caught him moving he stood no chance.
He continued to stare at the gun, until something clicked. Fangs had only removed the magazine. Forcing his eyes open more, Robin lifted his head to the arctic fox, groaning something as he lifted a paw in hopes of drawing him back over. Once Fangs had found the car keys in one of the duster's pockets, he turned and spotted the red fox. Grinning in wicked amusement, he began to walk over. "What's that?" he asked, once Robin muttered something.
To Robin's benefit, the arctic fox began to walk over again. He continued to mutter what he had been saying, making Fangs pause near him and crouch down. The cruel grin never once left his face, but he leaned close to Robin. "One more time, I want to hear your dying words."
Robin reached up and weakly grabbed onto Fangs' shirt, holding him in place. His other paw reached out for the gun as he drew himself up, hoping that he had it level with the other fox out of his view. "I said," the red fox groaned. "You. Can't. Kill. Me."
Robin, without hesitation, pulled the trigger. Fangs' eyes widened slightly in confusion, then to shock as he looked down. Aimed at his chest, hovering not far from his heart and clearly over a lung, was the smoking barrel of the P99. Fangs chuckled softly, standing up as Robin let go of his shirt. The arctic fox took a few steps back, before looking down at Robin with a final grin. "You haven't won," he coughed out, voice becoming a gurgle.
"Neither have you," Robin hissed, setting the gun down. Fangs gave a short, choking laugh, before collapsing backwards onto the ground. Robin took a deep breath, putting as much pressure onto his side as he could before he mustered all his strength and attempted to reach for his phone a few feet away, on the edge of the counter. He reached up for it, kneeling as best he could in his pained state, before collapsing. "Karma, not yet," he muttered, shutting his eyes.
There you have it.
One more chapter left, and then ANFiT is over.
I recommend listening to either 'Maniacs' or 'Mental Meta Metal' by Jeff Williams (Red Vs Blue) for the final fight, as it was the theme I had going for it.
See you next week,
N'yrthghar