A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait on this one. This chapter took me quite a bit to think about in terms of how I wanted it to play out. Also, I may be taking a short break from the fanfiction in order to work on some art I've been meaning to do. Thank you all so much for reading this fanfic and shall update with another chapter as soon as I can! ^^
Hope you all have a good read! ^^
Edit: Added dividing lines for certain parts of the chapter to make it easier to read. Forgot to add those at the time this chapter was posted.
Escape from Zootopia
All was silent within Tomoe's residence after the incident with Enishi had occurred roughly nearly two and a half hours ago. And although the air wasn't as tense as it was when it happened, the incident was still fresh on their minds. In Jenny's case, however, the rabbit had took the incident the hardest, both emotionally and physically.
The rabbit herself was currently sitting on the futon she and Matt slept on during their stay at Tomoe's residence. Roughly two hours ago, sometime after her wounds were tended to by Tomoe, the bunny had taken an hour long shower as an attempt to relax the tense muscles on her body along with the chance to clear her mind. It helped to some extent, but her mind was still in dismay, albeit not as badly as it was when she got injured by Enishi. Now sporting a crimson colored tank top and a pair of black short nylon shorts with white stripes on the side, the bunny grabs the remote from the coffee table and turns the TV on.
As the bunny began to browse through the channels, Tomoe enters the house from the side entrance of the two story home. With a basket carrying some of the crops, mostly daikon radishes and various spice plants, the vixen places the wool container onto the table and began sorting out the home grown vegetation. However, she turns towards the rabbit and looks at her with a concerned, almost motherly look on her face.
"How's your face?" Tomoe asked, concerned about the rabbit's well being.
"Fine, thanks…" Jenny replied with a soft tone of voice, her eyes half-lidded and continuing to browse through the TV channels nonchalantly. She was about to turn the TV off after hitting the ZNN news channel when a certain headline caught her eyes.
Deadly Killer Strikes Zootopia!
Above the said headline were two reporters, one of them being a female snow leopard and the other being a male moose, were sitting in two red chairs in front of an image of Zootopia itself. The female was identified as Fabienne Growly, the snow leopard who bore teal-green colored eyes along with a maroon colored nose. Her attire consisted of a black business suit with a peach toned shirt underneath, with autumn leave designs being imprinted on the said shirt. The male, on the other hand, was identified as Peter Moosebridge, a moose whose fur was a mixture between brown and light brown. While his antlers shared the same color as the light brown portions of his fur, his eyes said otherwise, as his pupils were hazel colored. His clothing consisted of a black business suit with a light red tinted shirt underneath, with a red/dark red stripped tie being attached on the collar of his shirt.
"Good Afternoon, Zootopia! My name is Peter Moosebridge, here with Fabienne Growly, bringing you the latest Breaking News", Peter spoke towards the viewers before turning his head towards the snow leopard on his right. "Fabienne".
"Just a few minutes ago, we've received a large number of reports regarding a deadly incident that happened onthe top of a moving train between both a fox and a large polar bear. All the reports claimed both of the assailants were carrying two swords each in their possession during the incident, one being a Katana and the other a Wakizashi", Fabienne began, her voice bearing an accent much identical to an English-born mammal, much like the bunny herself. It looked as if the snow leopard was about to continue speaking, but suddenly stops herself and places her right hand-paw onto the corresponding ear, seemingly an ear piece. "This just in, we've received footage regarding the fight on top of the Zootopia's Inner Loop line today. What you are about to see is highly graphic and is not recommended for younger audiences. Viewer's discretion is strongly advised", and with that, the footage of the fight between the Battousai and Roman began to play from a train rider's point of view.
The camera was filmed from several feet behind the Battousai himself, who suddenly jumped towards the polar bear and severs him in half from the left shoulder to his right oblique. The deathly wound was nearly swift, and the blood began spraying about the top of the moving train. Background screaming and swearing quickly filled the silence inside the train, some of them frightened at the sight, others merely shocked at the unexpected outcome. But the footage soon came to an end and the two news anchors on the TV.
"Well…I did not expect that one", Peter said calmly, regardless of how uncomfortable he currently felt regarding the bloody video. Jenny's eyes were practically wide after witnessing the deathly killing, especially with how explicitly the footage was depicted on live TV.
"Matt…" Jenny uttered softly, but was apparently loud enough for Tomoe's left ear to perk at her direction. The vixen's eyes shift their attention towards the bunny and what was being depicted on TV. And the news feed was enough to stop the vulpine from what she was doing and walk over to where Jenny currently sat. She sits next to the rabbit and began watching the news report with the bunny, right as the moose places his right hand-paw onto his corresponding ear, his eyes glaring towards the same direction to focus whatever the feed was telling him through his earpiece.
"Um, this just in, the police have just surrounded the fox at a four way junction near the Trip St Train Station in the Downtown Area. One of our reporters is live at the scene via helicopter as we speak", Peter claimed. "Roger" right after saying his name, the camera started displaying Roger on the top left portion of the screen, apparently a male jack rabbit bearing tan and cream fur on his body. The buck seemed to be somewhere within his mid to late twenties, yet his facial features resembled that of a twenty year old. But Jenny's eyes were not fixed upon the male rabbit on the top left of the TV. Both her and Tomoe's eyes were fixed upon what most of the TV displayed.
Apparently, the camera was filming the entire scene from a high angled view, zooming in on nearly a dozen squad cars encircling the heart of the four way junction. Many police officers had their dart guns aimed at the figure standing in the middle of the junction itself, one that was all too familiar to both the rabbit and the vixen watching the news feed. Both of the women gasped in shock from the sight, because standing at the very center of the junction was none other than their beloved fox.
Jenny's fox.
"MATT!" Jenny shrieked frantically to the point she began darting towards the HDTV. Tomoe, however, manages to grab the rabbit by wrapping her arms around the bunny's waist.
"Jenny! JENNY!" Tomoe yelled as an attempt to grab the bunny's attention, but the rabbit continues trying to run towards the TV frantically as if Matt was physically within her reach. "Jenny! Calm down!" she continued as best as she could. And although she stopped the rabbit, she didn't expect her to turn directly at the vixen with a deathly glare.
"Calm down?! How the bloody hell can I calm down when Matt's IN TROUBLE?!", Jenny shouted from the top of her lungs, her eyes becoming glossy with fresh tears forming in them. There was so much more she wanted to say to the vixen, but to no avail. Tears began streaming down her face and heavy sobs began to escape her mouth. Her eyes were wide open, and she was shaking her head vigorously.
Seeing the bunny acting like this disheartened the vixen greatly, especially when it came to the matters of the rabbit's new lover, Matt. She couldn't blame her, however, since Enishi had revealed his intentions to kill Matt with the help of other Neo-Shogunate operatives. But she also knew for a fact Matt wasn't the type of fox to go down without a fight, especially since he has a better reason to fight. With this in mind, the vixen cups the rabbit's cheeks with her hand-paws and tilts Jenny's head upwards, making the rabbit face her own.
"Jenny, I understand why you feel this way, and I know for a fact what the news is reporting isn't helping", Tomoe began, her eyes slightly narrowing with a calm, confident fire burning in them. "However, Matt isn't the type of fox who would go down without a fight… especially now he has a reason to continue fighting", the vixen continued, closing her eyes before letting a soft, barely noticeable smile form on her muzzle. "Besides, there's no way Matt's gonna lose the very thing that keeps his bunny happy, right?" she finished with a soothing tone. Jenny's eyes gaze at the vixen's face for a good moment before giving her a nod and burying her face into her shoulder. Tomoe's arms wrap around the bunny's waist right before resting her head on top of hers soothingly.
"Matt… please don't die…" Jenny thought inside of her mind and continues to sob softly onto the vixen's shoulder, wrapping her arms around the vixen's neck gently. All she can do for now was hope for the best, hope that Matt would return safely home.
Hope that her fox would return home safely to his bunny.
Savanna Central/Downtown District, Zootopia
Numerous police cruisers surround the four way street within Savanna Central, and the flashing of red and blue lights occupy lighten the streets brightly. Nearly over a dozen police officers of various species had their dart guns aiming towards a lone, muscular vulpine standing at the center of the four way street. Although the amount of cops that arrived on the scene were decently high and the arrival time was fairly quick, their presence around the Battousai was not surprising at all. Hell, for all he cared, Matt already knew someone must've called the cops during the battle between him and Roman only minutes before. The fox's furrowed, narrowed eyes gaze directly at the police officers aiming their dart guns at him. His attention soon looks upward towards the helicopter in the skies above and takes a brief glimpse at the cape buffalo standing inside the chopper.
Not too long ago, Bogo along with many other officers within the Savanna Central District had received several phone calls regarding a fight happening on top of the Zootopia Inner Loop Line train. They were skeptical about it at first, never having heard of any fighting on the top of a train, nor expecting something like that for that matter. But when the police heard the cries of many mammals during the last few calls, particularly when they spotted Roman's blood dripping down the sides of the train, that's when they knew something needed to be done. Those last calls were the reason why many police officers were currently where they were now.
Regardless of the number of cops arriving on the scene, the assassin shifts his attention away from the chopper and focuses on his surroundings, with the left hand-paw clutching the sheath of his katana. They remain focused on the officers holding their dart guns directly at him, which were ready to fire if the vulpine made a single movement. Somehow, he had to flee from the cops, and fast, lest he be incarcerated or perhaps executed for his bloody deeds. By far, no opening for escape could be found… or was there?
Alas, he found an alleyway leading directly towards the direction where Tundratown lies, the alley being just thirty meters diagonally to his left. With his eyes focused on the alley, he knew what he had to do! But first thing's first, the assassin must avoid the officers that now encircle around him roughly ten meters from his position. Speaking of which, one of the officers, a bob cat in particular, began approaching the assassin with his dart gun raised directly at the fox's direction.
"Sir, you are under arrest! Get on the ground or we will have no choice but open fire!" the bobcat officer growled furiously as he kept approaching the male quickly, yet soon began to encircle around the male swiftly. Matt's eyes gaze directly at the bobcat with a deadly glare, one that was apparently enough to send terrifying shivers down his spine, even if the officer didn't show it. But one thing that did show was the growing irritation on his face when Matt remained where he stood, nor complying with the officer's orders. "I said get on the ground! NOW!" he shouted demandingly while simultaneously gesturing his gun to the ground and then back up to the fox. However, the fox merely closes his eyes and shakes his head.
"I don't have time to deal with your bullshit, officer", Matt replied with a calmly monotone voice, his eyes reopening right after he said those words to the police officer. "I'm in a real big hurry to get out of here. So either step aside and let me through", the fox paused for a moment and draws his katana from its sheath. "Or, I will be left with no choice but to slay every single one of you in order to get through. I'll leave that decision up to you", he finished with a calmly menacing tone, his eyes narrowing directly at the bobcat several meters away from him.
All of the officers were completely dumbstruck by what the fox had said to the bobcat, but the one who took it the worst was the officer Matt spoke directly towards. The officer could no longer hide the fear, his body literally starting to shake noticeably, and his breaths quickening with each passing second. Hell, he was starting to struggle keeping the gun aimed towards the fox, which was already shaking similarly to how his body shook. No, he can't keep shaking like this, he must do something! With a growl leaving his mouth, the bobcat furrows his brows at the assassin and aims his gun directly at him.
"Get down on the ground, NOW! Or else I'll be forced to open fire!" the officer screamed in fury following an aggressive growl coming from the bobcat himself, but the fox would not comply, much to the officer's annoyance. With his eyes furrowed following an angered growl, the bobcat suddenly fires the dart at the fox with the press of a finger. But the assassin did something none of the officers expected him to: the Battousai had caught the dart with his left index and middle fingers like it was nothing. "The hell?!" the officer exclaimed with a mixture of shock because of Matt's actions, and terror at the suspect's capabilities.
"Oh, bad choice, officer", Matt said to the bobcat while slowly, simultaneously shaking his his head. "Bad choice", and with those words, the fox suddenly darts towards the officer much to the bobcat's surprise. He was about to shoot another round, but the assassin's blade severing right through his neck sought an end to that.
With the bobcat beheaded, all officers gasp with shock and terror right before gazing at the direction of the fox. Their eyes furrowed, muzzles snarled, and the various teeth of prey and fangs of predators were shown. Like the previous officer, all of them suddenly start shooting multiple dart rounds directly at the assassin, expecting at least some of them to hit the fox's body. However, none of them did thanks to Matt quickly hacking them with swift slashes of his blade, much to the officers' surprise.
"The hell?!" one officer, particularly a lion, exclaimed with shock right as the assassin sheaths his katana and gets into his battojutsu stance. The other officers were about to open fire again, but much to their shock, no rounds had fired. Their clips had been completely emptied! The officers were about to press the button to release the magazines from their weapons, but one swift, deathly horizontal slash brought a quick end to that.
Blood suddenly started spraying the four way streets like paint being splattered in a Jackson Pollock painting, much to the terrified shock of the other two officers in the chopper. But the one who took this deathly tragedy the hardest would be Bogo, who literally had just lost his comrades at the hand-paws of this fox. He slams the door to the chopper and was about to punch a hole through it, but stops himself and rests the unclenching fist to his side. The buffalo shakes his head and marches to his co-pilot seat, shaking his head a few times with a mixture of shock, grief, and anger.
"Dispatch, this is Officer Wolfoski! Battousai the Animal Slayer's killed out first responders on the ground level, and now he's currently fleeing to the northeast!" the helicopter pilot, Officer Wolfoski exclaimed at the headset attached to the helmet, having pressed the button for Precinct one shortly before Bogo took a seat on the radio. Now his eyes were fixed upon the assassin, who immediately starts sprinting towards the alleyway at a speed the wolf couldn't comprehend. "Send ground and sky level backup right away! Bogo and I are about to pursue him as we speak!"
"Roger that, Wolfoski! Sending backup now!" after those words fled the dispatch officer's mouth on the other end of the line, the wolf pulls the handle upward and ascends to the skies above. Their sights were on one mammal: Battousai the Animal Slayer.
Speaking of the Battousai, Matt was currently sprinting through the alleyway he spotted a minute ago with a speed not many could comprehend. He had no intention of staying there any longer, especially right after he'd slain the officers back at the junction. Although he heard the whirling rotors of the helicopter behind him, he didn't care. His mind was focused on fleeing the scene as fast as he could, no matter the cost.
He spots a Y-shaped junction in the alley and turns to the one on the left. Turning his head back for a moment, he spots the same chopper following him since the slayings. However, he reverts his attention back to the front and continues sprinting along the pathway he tool. He was about to take a right at the end of the pathway when he spotted a ladder fifteen meters on the left wall. With that in sight, the fox rushes to the metal latter and jumps onto the latter, quickly climbing onto it as fast as he could in order to avoid any more of the local authorities, more or less killing them as well.
It didn't take him long to get to the top of the ten story building thanks to his haste movements. He climbs onto the roof and soon starts printing directly towards the other buildings, jumping from one roof to another of the same or similar story height. But after jumping onto the third building did the fox notice several Ishin-Rivendell along with several Ishin-Orimaku clan members entering the roof. The Neo-Shogunate loyalists immediately draw their blades and rush towards the assassin, yet the Battousai quickly dispatches them within a matter of seconds.
As for the chopper, Officers Wolfoski and Bogo keep a watchful eye on the assassin at large. Both of them in pure shock with how the assassin was able to kill them within a matter of seconds. It was a terrifying sight to say the least, and both officers were starting to tremble, even if Bogo didn't show his terrified expression. Speaking of which, Bogo hovers his thumb over the button with the label 'fire' being attached just under it. He uses the other hand-paw and presses the button on the right side of his head.
"Dispatch, this is officer Bogo speaking. Permission to fire?" Bogo asked with a frown on his face.
"Permission granted, Bogo. Fire at will", the dispatch officer replied on the other end of the line right before the buffalo releases the button and cuts the link.
Now that permission being granted towards the two, Bogo moves the handle operating the gun and aims it towards the assassin, who started running off right after slaughtering the mammals on the roof (unaware to the officers they were actually Neo-Shogunate forces). The digital sight encircles around the fox on the screen before flashing rapidly the instant it locked onto its target. With the sight locked onto him, Bogo presses the button and multiple rounds began firing rapidly from the armament subsystems attached to the chopper. Both officers in the chopper expected them to strike the fox down. But much to their surprise, not a single one struck him down. None of them hit the fox except for the roof and the dead corpses of the other mammals he's killed. Both mammals swore under their breaths right before Wolfoski notices the assassin rushing away from the roof.
"Damn! He's getting away!" Officer Wolfoski growled with a furious tone right before flying in the same direction the Battousai was heading towards. Bogo kept his thumb pressed down on the button and continues firing bullets at the assassin. But not a single one hit the fox, thanks to how unusually fast he was sprinting. "How the hell is a fox able to run that fast?!"
"I don't know, Wolfoski!" Bogo claimed before narrowing his eyes at the fleeing suspect. "But whatever the reason, something tells me it has something to do with that sword technique Detective Tatsumi claimed he used", the buffalo thought inside of his head while remaining focused on trying to get the fox with whatever ammunition they had left. Unfortunately, a loud beeping noise began going off much to the officers' surprise, the buffalo turning towards the screen on his left and grunting at the notification flashing on it. "Damn…! We're out of ammo", he swore while simultaneously slamming his left, clenched fist on the seat.
"Great…" Officer Wolfoski growled under his breath. "We don't have a choice. We have to bail", the officer continued, causing Bogo to quickly shift his attention towards the wolf sitting next to him. "At least long enough until we've restocked enough ammunition to take him down", the wolf finished before shaking his head with shock. As much as they wanted to continue their pursuit, they literally needed to restock their ammunition or else it'll be unlikely they'll be able to kill him, let alone track him down.
While the chopper was leaving the area, the assassin himself was currently sprinting through the rooftops of various buildings, jumping from the roof of one building after another. He turns back towards the chopper and discovers them fleeing the scene, much to his convenience. But for how long, he wasn't sure. But so long as they stay off his ass long enough, he might just make it out of here without any further distractions.
The fox spots another ladder leading down into the alleyway, the alley happening to lead towards the direction where the Peak St Train Station was, the same station he used to get to Tundratown. Thank god he spotted this, or otherwise it would've taken him much longer to avoid the cops. With quick haste, the assassin climbs down the latter and darts towards the direction where the Peak St Train Station.
The sound of sirens continue to fill the silence surrounding the air, but that didn't stop the assassin from hauling ass. His eyes remained focused on what was in front of him, and that was the pathway leading directly towards the direction where the train station was located. His pointy ears, however, suddenly perk at the sound of footsteps coming from behind him… and in front of him? He turns his head back for a moment and soon discovers several large police officers, predator and prey alike, began chasing him hastily. They were fast, but fortunately Matt had the upper hand when it came to speed.
He turns his head towards the front again and prepared to increase the pace of his sprinting. But the sight of several Neo-Shogunate forces, both Ishin-Orimaku and Ishin-Rivendell alike, prevented him from quickening his pace. Instead, he grips his sword tightly and narrows his eyes towards the opposing forces. The Neo-Shogunate forces quickly draw their blades and start rushing towards the assassin, with the police drawing their dart guns and preparing to fire.
"Stop! In the name of the-" one officer, a brown, black, and white furred wolf, was about to say, but was interrupted when the assassin suddenly slays the Neo-Shogunate forces within a mere couple of seconds. Both he and his fellow officers stop on their tracks right as the assassin turns directly towards their direction. His blade was raised, and stained with the fresh blood of its victims.
"I don't have time to deal with your bullshit, officers", Matt growled at the cops he now stared at. "Either go back the way you've came! Or die!" the fox warned with a sinister growl.
"We have no intention of leaving, murderer! Now drop your weapon or we'll have no choice but to use lethal force!" an officer, particularly a snow leopard, growled.
"Fine! If that's how you want it, then I'll let my blade do the talking!" and with those words fleeing Matt's mouth, the fox darts directly towards the cops the exact moment they simultaneously shoot darts directly at the assassin. But despite their best efforts, not a single one hits the fox due to him dodging them swiftly. And before they knew it, the assassin slays the officers at the scene right before the fox flees the area with haste.
Although the sounds of sirens continue to wail within the Savanna Central District, the fox continues to flee the scene as fast as he could. He remains in the darkness of the alley in order to avoid being spotted by the police any further, already having killed way more than a dozen officers as it was. Rushing through alley after alley with great haste, the fox keeps as low of a profile as he could despite the amount of bloodshed he's already caused.
Savanna Central Hospital, over fifteen minutes ago
The sound of chatter amongst fellow doctors and guests, the rolling of stretchers heading from one place to another, even the occasional medical equipment going off filled the silence of the Hospital. Savanna Central Hospital was a usually busy facility within the district, and today was no different, except for the fact it was gonna get much busier within the coroner's division before the day's end. But for now, many guests and some of the patients were currently waiting inside the lobby while waiting to hear the conditions of their injured friends and/or loved ones. Finnick was one of the guests waiting in the lobby, and he was waiting to hear about the condition of his partner in crime, Nick.
Finnick had arrived to the hospital roughly a few minutes ago and had already took Nick to the ER immediately after setting foot into the room. And although he knew his injuries were life threatening, he also knew they had to be treated before they got any worse. And now, he continues to remain seated in the lobby in a chair large enough to suit his size, albeit anxiously at that.
Ten minutes passed during the wait, but to the fennec, it felt like two hours for all he cared. Anxiousness soon mixed in with boredom, and the mixture soon grew to nervous impatience. Soft, guttural growls began to escape his mouth almost audibly.
"What the hell was taking the docs so long to treat Nick?" that thought was constantly coursing Finnick's mind as he began looking around the lobby with his furrowed eyes. He steps out of his seat and began walking towards the group of doctors near the receptionist desk… or that would've been the case if something on TV hadn't caught his eye. "The hell?" the fennec asked within his mind before slightly squinting towards the HDTV attached to the wall right across from him.
On the screen, two reporters, one of them being a female snow leopard and the other being a male moose, were sitting in two red chairs in front of an image of Zootopia itself. The female was identified as Fabienne Growly, the snow leopard who bore teal-green colored eyes along with a maroon colored nose. Her attire consisted of a black business suit with a peach toned shirt underneath, with autumn leave designs being imprinted on the said shirt. The male, on the other hand, was identified as Peter Moosebridge, a moose whose fur was a mixture between brown and light brown. While his antlers shared the same color as the light brown portions of his fur, his eyes said otherwise, as his pupils were hazel colored. His clothing consisted of a black business suit with a light red tinted shirt underneath, with a red/dark red stripped tie being attached on the collar of his shirt.
Although the well groomed mammals were an interesting sight to say the least, that wasn't why Finnick's eyes were suddenly focused on the TV. What caught his attention was what the headline said at the bottom of the screen.
Deadly Assassin strikes Zootopia!
"Good afternoon, Zootopia! My name is Peter Moosebridge, here with Fabienne Growly, bringing you the latest Breaking News once again", Peter spoke towards the viewers before turning his head towards the snow leopard on his right. "Fabienne".
"Earlier this afternoon, we've received numerous reports about a deadly incident currently happening within the Downtown area of the Savanna Central/Downtown district", Fabienne began, her voice bearing an accent much identical to an English-born mammal. "According to the reports, an assassin recently identified as Battousai the Animal Slayer, has been running through the streets of the said district with nothing but a katana and wakizashi in his possession. But regardless of the choice of weapons, he's already slain over two dozen police officers and several other civilians today", the female continued before shaking her head. "Not too long ago, we've received footage regarding a fight that took place on top of a train earlier today. And for those tuning in now, what you are about to see is highly graphic and is not recommended for younger audiences to watch. Once again, viewer's discretion is advised", with this warning given, the footage of the fight between the Battousai and Roman began to play from a train rider's point of view.
The footage had been filmed from several feet behind the Battousai himself, who suddenly jumped towards the polar bear and severs him in half from the left shoulder to his right oblique. The deathly wound was nearly swift, and the blood began spraying about the top of the moving train. Background screaming and swearing quickly filled the silence inside the train, some of them frightened at the sight, others merely shocked at the unexpected outcome. But the footage soon came to an end and the two news anchors on the TV.
"Ugh…again, that was quite shocking", Peter said calmly, regardless of how uncomfortable he currently felt regarding the bloody video. "Either way, whoever this fox is, the police will do whatever it takes to stop this mad mammal and bring justice to those who tragically died by his blade!" the moose continued as calmly as he could, despite the proclamation he had made. Finnick has seen enough of this, and his eyes soon turn towards the entrance to the ER.
"Nick…" Finnick thought inside of his head before closing his eyes, his head lowering slightly and his fists clenching with each passing second. Then, his eyes reopen, and in that instant, he knew what he had to do. "I'm sorry, buddy… but your brother needs me right now", with those words coursing his mind, the fennec turns to the entrance of the hospital and rushes through the sliding lobby doors.
Unaware to the fennec fox, Nick had just been transferred into a hospital room right after having his wounds tended to. For the most part, all he had received from the beatings were several bruises and a couple of broken ribs, his right wrist being broken, and several lacerations across his torso that, while not life-threatening, needed stitching. One thing all his injuries had in common was the fact all of which were treated surprisingly quick. His right wrist and part of his hand-paw was covered in a thick cast, his torso covered in a thick gauze wrap that provided enough flexibility for movement, and lastly, his bruised face was covered in gauze bandages. But during the time he was being transferred to his room, he had awoken from his unconscious state and saw what was being displayed on the news.
The fight that happened on the train, the blood that painted parts of the train, and the assassin who killed Roman. But while the camera didn't show his face, he had already seen his face. Well, his eyes at the very least, a pair of familiar, innocent jade green eyes. But who was he?
After he had been transferred to his room, the nurses turned the TV on for the fox and left the room. Again, the news continued to display the breaking news that had occurred earlier that day, but now different footage began playing. The footage that was being displayed was from a helicopter's point of view, who, unbeknownst to the assassin, had captured him slaying over a dozen officers with one deathly slash of the blade before rushing away from the scene, and that was filmed roughly several minutes ago according to the claims of the news reporters who captured the bloody scene.
Another shocking scene was soon displayed on the HDTV, this one taking place on the roof. The assassin had killed several other mammals on the roof (unaware to the reporters they were Neo-Shogunate forces trying to spread their ideals in the underground). Nick may not know much about the ones slaughtered on the roof, but he knew without a doubt they were identical to the ones who attacked him at the abandoned facility, the ones who were spreading their claimed 'Neo-Shogunate' ideals. The fox's eyes, however, gaze directly at the running assassin on the scene, trying to figure out who he was… what his relation was with him.
"Who… who are you?" Nick thought inside of his mind as he continues to watch the footage on the news. Just who was he, did the injured fox continue to wonder. But right as he continues to stare at the assassin caught on film, he notices the Battousai lowering himself onto the ladder before the news cut itself off and back to the news anchors. He had to know who he was, and he couldn't find out while he was sitting here. With his mind made up, and against the doctor's wishes, the fox leans his upper body forward before turning it to the left, jumping off the fox-sized bed and landing on his feet-paws. "Looks like I'm gonna have to find out for myself. Can't do so if I'm lying on the bed", with that thought coursing his head, the fox quickly runs out of the hospital room with one thing on his mind.
The vulpine assassin.
Tundratown, Present
Nothing but the silence of the winds blew through the snowy woods of Tundratown, with nothing but the occasional crowing of crows filling that silence. But it didn't take long for the repetitive sounds of footsteps to fill the silence, and the occasional panting of breath that followed with it. And rushing through the lone woods was none other than the assassin himself, Battousai the Animal Slayer, Matt Wilde.
Nearly eighteen minutes ago, the fox had taken a train on the Savanna Central/Tundratown Line, having arrived to the station after a good twenty minute run from where he killed the group of officers in the alley. Eleven minutes later, he arrived to Tundratown and quickly fled the Snowcastle Way Station in order to avoid the local authorities within the area. He suspected that, by this point, the police were to be on watch for the suspected assassin. Luckily for him, he hadn't been spotted by the cops in Tundratown… yet. But with one wrong move, that could change in an instant.
It didn't take the assassin much longer for him to arrive at the cabin he was temporarily staying in, and fortunately for him he wouldn't have to stay there for much longer. He had already packed his belongings earlier that day and placed it on the couch in the small living room. All he had to do now was get to the front door, unlock it, grab his shit, and get the fuck out of there.
The fox arrives to the front doorstep of the cabin and grabs his keys from his pockets, quickly sliding the key into the lock and turning it to the left ninety degrees. He turns it back the opposite direction just the same before quickly opening the door, only for him to run towards the couch and grab his duffel bag. Quickly strapping the bag over his shoulder, the fox immediately sprints out of the cabin, locks the door by the lock on the knob, and slams the door. The assassin immediately rushes off of the property with his duffel bag strapped onto the back, his sights set on the direction of the Meadowlands in the north.
As the vulpine quickens his haste towards his destination, his phone suddenly goes off and the fox quickly pulls it out of its case. With one swipe of his thumb through the screen, he discovers a text message from Thrandeer himself, and the message itself caused his eyes to widen with a mixture of shock, relief, and a bit of panic.
"Matt, the helicopter is much faster than we expected. It may be possible for us to arrive at the Meadowlands much sooner than we expected", the message began. "However, be wary of the local authorities. The ZNN have already been made aware of your actions, and relayed the message to the police in the process", the text continued, following a soft, annoyed growl escaping Matt's muzzle. "Keep your eyes peeled for any alternative paths that may help you lose the cops. I have no intention of allowing them to arrest the only hope this country has to stop the Neo-Shogunates to overtake the government", and with the message finished, the fox places his phone back into its case and continues rushing through the woods.
As he neared the end of the path, the faint sounds of police sirens began to fill the air around him. The assassin curses under his breath and continues to increase the pace of his sprinting as much as he could. His panting quickened, much like the volume of his panting. Fortunately, however, he didn't have to worry about being arrested by the cops for much longer, nor having to spill anymore unnecessary blood than he already spilled.
His eyes soon spot the end of the pathway leading to the snowy roads up ahead, much to his relief. He exits the woods and began crossing the streets right away, but a loud 'HONK' and the screeching of tires immediately stopped him on his tracks. His eyes furrowed and his right hand-paw grabs the sheath of his katana, preparing to fight the one who nearly hit him with the bumper of his car. He was about to pull his sword out, but a pair of long fennec ears and a familiar, angered expression stopped him from performing any reckless actions. Matt's furrowed eyes soon widen with unexpected surprise as he saw the fennec fox driving the all familiar van.
"Finnick?!" Matt exclaimed with unexpected surprise.
"Get in!" Finnick growled authoritatively, but the assassin didn't move one inch, and the fennec already noticed this almost quickly. "Do you wanna lose the fuzz or not?!" as soon as that question came out of the fennec's mouth, Matt immediately complied and quickly opens the passenger's side door. He slams it quickly and moves to the back of the van as a way of reducing his chances of getting avoided by the cops or anyone who can potentially seize his identity.
"Heh, I didn't expect to see you again after taking my brother to the hospital", Matt chuckled at the fennec after receiving a ride from an unexpected ally. "Either way, thanks for the help".
"Don't mention it, Matt. I'm glad I was able to find you before the fuzz did", Finnick replied with a scowl right before pressing on the gas. "I left the hospital shortly after I saw how you killed Roman on top of the train".
"How did that turn out?" Matt asked.
"Bloody as ever", Finnick replied, his eyes on the road and keeping a sharp lookout for the cops. "Didn't expect Roman to die, nor did I expect him to be affiliated with those damn Neo-Shogunate pricks or whoever they are".
"Nor did I, though that does explain how he knew about me in the first place", Matt claimed, but turns his head towards the driver. "Which reminds me, how's my brother holding up?"
"I was still waiting to hear word about him at the time I left the hospital to get to you", Finnick answered, which caused the other fox to grow a surprised look on his face. "Don't worry, buddy. I've known Nick for over ten years now, and he's a lot stronger than he looks", the fennec claimed, much to Matt's relief, a soft, relieved sigh leaving the assassin's muzzle mask covered mouth. "Look, I know a safe house in the northeast part of Tundratown. I can convince the other guys to-"
"No", Matt quickly interrupted. "I need to get to the Northern part of the Meadowlands as quick as possible. Think you can take me there without being spotted by the cops? Or at the very least, do you know a secret passage that can take me there without any trouble?" he asked, but a heavy sigh leaves the fennec's mouth a moment after Matt had asked.
"Nah, I can't", Finnick replied, much to the assassin's disappointment. "But, I do know an underground passage that can take you there without any issues, assuming the cops aren't occupying it", Matt's ears perked at this the instant those words left the fennec's mouth.
"Where at?" Matt asked calmly, but the surprised expression he bore on his face was more than enough to express his interest. If it would get him out of here without any trouble, then he would take that route.
"There's a tunnel leading to the abandoned underground railway system just ten minutes from here", Finnick began. "You'll have to pass the sewage system to get there, but once you're in, you're practically guaranteed none of the fuzz will get ya", he continued, a sigh of relief leaving the assassin's mouth.
"Well, that's good to know", Matt replied out of calm relief, but his eyes furrow soon after and gaze directly at the floor. With those last words having left his mouth, the two continue to drive towards the location in silence.
And as the fennec had said, it only took ten minutes to arrive to the suspected location, despite the snowy roads they drove in. The circular shaped entrance lead into the cylindrical tunnel with a dead end at the end of it. Although a dead end, a door can be seen at the back of the tunnel, one that was formerly used to get into the sewage systems whenever a problem arose for whatever reason. Now, it was entirely abandoned, and has been for several years, save for the two foxes driving into the tunnel and towards the back of it. With the fennec parking the van several meters from the door leading into the sewage system, the assassin quickly steps out of the van and shuts the door behind him.
"Be careful out there, Matt! The cops are still looking for you around Zootopia. So hurry on up and get the hell out of here!" Finnick said to the other fox quickly right before pulling the clutch to reverse and began pulling backwards. But right after turning his van towards the exit, Matt waves his right hand-paw at the fennec and grabs his attention.
"Finnick!" Matt exclaimed right as the fennec started rolling the window down to the point he could listen to whatever the fox had to say. "Thanks for everything, man. Take care of my brother for me", with those departing words, the fennec nods at the assassin before he starts driving away from the tunnel, and the assassin himself rushes towards the door, kicking it open with one swift movement before rushing down the stairs.
The darkness of the pathway was practically dark to the point where his nocturnal vision could barely make out whatever was inside. But that didn't stop him from continuing to escape the city where everyone can be anything. The pathway soon led him to a set of long stairs leading into the sewage systems, the unpleasant smells soon filling his nostrils. He ignored them, however. Now was not the time to gag at such horrific smells. He couldn't afford to if he were to flee from the local authorities. So regardless of the foul scents, the fox presses on as if they were never there.
Fortunately, he didn't have to remain in the darkness for much longer, thanks to the dim lighting on the bottom levels of the sewage systems. He walks along the sides of the place and follows the metallic signs leading to the Meadowlands, some of them having been desecrated by rust over time due to lack of maintenance over the years. For the most part, aside from the echoes of the rapid footsteps he made along with the occasional droplet of water hitting the metal pipes, all was silent.
Roughly fifteen minutes pass after he had arrived to the secret passage, and the assassin was making excellent progress by far. He was no longer in the dimly lighted sewage pathways that were mostly made of stone, but now entering an abandoned underground train station that, much to his surprise, looked like it was recently renovated. Not only that, but the lights inside of the station were shining as bright as a recently built station. Was there something he missed? Did the city begin renovating the subway station for some reason? Those questions constantly crossed his mind, but his eyes were busy taking in the scene.
The station interior was mostly made out of marble, recently renovated concrete, and recently renovated signs attached on the walls. In front of him was a three way pathway leading to three obvious directions, the east, west, and alas the north. Three rusty bullet trains were spotted at the heart of the huge chamber, which were the only objects that have not been renovated at all. But his eyes soon turn towards the three tunnels the three abandoned trains were pointing at.
Attached to the eastern wall next to the east tunnel entrance was a sign bearing 'Nocturnal District' in bold, italic, cerulean blue colored words. Under the words, a similarly colored arrow was depicted pointing towards the right to signify the eastern direction it was pointing. To his left, the western tunnel was located, and attached to the wall was a metallic sign bearing 'Rainforest and Canal Districts' in the same font and colors. An arrow pointing towards the right was located under the words in order to signify the western direction it pointed at. And alas, attached to the northern wall was another sign, which was next to the northern tunnel, with the sign saying 'Meadowlands and Cliffside Asylum' written in the same font color and styling, an arrow being seen at the top of the sign, and pointing upward to signify the northern direction.
With that particular sign being spotted, the fox narrows his eyes towards the north tunnel and starts sprinting at it. Now he knew where to go, and he knew it wouldn't take much longer for him to get to his destination. Now he knew there will be no more interruptions in the road up ahead.
No more unexpected surprises…
"Wait!" And as soon as the sound of a familiar voice shouted, the assassin stops on his tracks and turns around. Bearing an annoyed frown at first, his eyes widen with surprise at the mammal he never expected to find him here.
Nicholas Wilde was standing here panting in the same chamber as Matt Wilde himself, dressed in the same clothing he wore at the time the incident had happened. However, he now bore a thick wrist cast around his right wrist and part of the corresponding hand-paw, along with bandages wrapped around his forehead and then some, enough to cover the bruise on the left side of his face while providing enough room for his mouth to open without issue. Although these were the only bandages Matt could see, he was completely oblivious to the fact his torso was wrapped in a thick, flexible gauze wrap covering his wounds and his broken ribs.
Earlier that day, particularly during the twenty five minute gap between Matt's brief alteration with the cops in the alley to his arrival to the Peak St Train Station, Nick had changed back into his clothes and checked himself out of the hospital, much against the advice of the medical staff there. He luckily had managed to acquire a taxi roughly ten minutes after walking in the rain, using some of the money he had on him to have the driver take him to Tundratown. He didn't know why, but some instinct told the conmammal the assassin would use the abandoned underground railway system (which, much to his surprise, was currently undergoing some renovations) in order to flee from the local authorities. And he was glad his instincts was right, because he had found the Battousai right where he expected to find him. And a good thing he did to, because the conmammal had something he needed to say to him.
"Look, I know you're trying to leave in all", Nick paused for a moment to look down at the marble floor before looking back up to the assassin. "But please, let me borrow a few minutes of your time. There's something I wanna say to you", the conmammal pleaded calmly, but genuinely at that. The Battousai turns his head away from him and closes his eyes halfway in though, but after a brief moment of silence, the fox opens his eyes fully and turns back to face the conmammal, his brother, with a nod.
"Look… I already know for a fact you've killed a lot, I mean a lot, of mammals, and I can't say I condone what you're doing, or your reasons behind this", Nick began prior to lowering his head and letting a soft sigh escape his mouth. "But…" the conmammal continued, but paused only brief enough to tilt his head upward, his jade green eyes looking at the same colored pair the assassin bore. "If it wasn't for you… I wouldn't be here. So… thank you for saving me, Battousai… or whoever you are", with those final words leaving the fox's mouth, the assassin nods with understanding before turning around and walking away from the older vulpine.
Nick's eyes gaze directly at the assassin leaving the chamber, heading towards the northern tunnel leading to the Meadowlands and Cliffside Asylum. He wanted to leave as well, but he wouldn't budge for some reason. His heart began pounding inside of his chest and began inaudibly panting at a moderate pace. His left hand-paw moves up towards the spot where his heart lies, the palm of his hand-paw feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat as it progressed. Another moment passed before his eyes close and lets out a soft sigh through both his mouth and nose.
"There's more…" Nick began, causing the assassin to stop on his tracks with his ears perking upward out of curiosity. "Every time I look at you, I get this feeling that I know you from somewhere, but I can never pinpoint it", the fox explained further, tilting his head upward and reopening his eyes, which were now starting to become slightly glossy for a reason he did not know. "And ever since I looked into your eyes, that feeling only grew stronger, and I can't figure out why", he continued with his explanation, his eyes closing halfway and tilting his head downward, his eyes now gazing at the marble floor he stood on, seeing the faint reflection of himself. "It… it's just something I wanted to get off my chest, nothing more…" now that the fox let those words out of his mouth, he closes his eyes and was about to turn away from the assassin. But before he could move a muscle, the assassin did something Nick never expected him to do.
The assassin had suddenly wrapped his arms around the fox in a tight hug, his head resting on Nick's left shoulder. Unbeknownst to Nick, those words had affected Matt deeply and he, too, wanted, no, needed to let that out in the most genuine, non-verbal manner possible. Nick's eyes widen with unexpected surprise, but for some strange reason, he never tried to back away. He may have look surprised from the unexpected action, almost surprised even, but his own arms soon wrapped themselves around the other vulpine before resting his head on the assassin's left shoulder.
The embrace lasted for at least a minute, but to the two males (with Nick being unaware to the fact he was hugging his little brother) it lasted for ages. But much to their reluctance, the two men release their hold from one another and soon gaze at each other's jade green eyes. That was when Nick noticed something strikingly odd, yet familiar about his eyes. He was not looking at the eyes of a cold blooded killer.
He was looking at the glossy eyes of an innocent child, even if the assassin bore the body of a seventeen year old. From the corner of his eye, the conmammal can barely notice his left side of his black muzzle mask being stained with a dark crimson liquid, possibly the assassin's own blood. Why that was the case, he wasn't sure, nor was he focused on that. No, his eyes were focused on the familiarity of his jade green eyes.
"Wait… could he…?" Nick wondered inside of his own mind before slowly reaching for the Battousai's muzzle mask. But the younger vulpine suddenly jerks backwards from him and causing Nick to pull his own hand-paws back. He was about to speak again, but both his and the assassin's ears flicker to the sound of faint footsteps coming from the entrance the Battousai had came through. It was faint at first, but the sound grew gradually louder with each passing second.
"I heard someone down here! It could be the assassin!" a faint, masculine voice was heard deep within the southern entrance Matt had came from earlier, much to the surprise of both foxes, their heads turning towards the direction where the voice came from. Whoever it was that spoke, they both knew the mammal didn't come alone. Nick turns back towards the assassin with a worried look on his face, an expression he suddenly began to bear for similar reasons he couldn't comprehend. He didn't know why, but Nick had to do something for the Battousai, and fast.
"Go", Nick spoke softly with an urgent tone of voice. "Get going before the cops get here. I'll buy you some time", the fox continued with the same time, his eyes slightly furrowing not out of anger, but to add emphasis on the urgency of the matter. "Don't worry about me, Battousai! I'll be fine", he claimed. But with those words, despite the fact this would possibly be the last time Matt would see his brother, the assassin nods before quickly turning away and rushing directly towards the northern tunnel.
With the assassin gone, Nick briefly glances back at the southern tunnel where the source of the officers' voices were coming from. Now it was time for him to skedaddle on out of there! With his eyes set upon the western tunnel, the conmammal rushes out of the scene and jumps onto the unused train tracks, sprinting along the side of them as fast as he could to distance himself from the scene. His eyes gaze at the numerous rocks along the tracks and began to formulate a plan. With the proper timing and the right circumstances, he knew for sure the assassin wouldn't have to worry about the cops.
Speaking of cops, nearly a dozen police officer stumble upon the chamber both Nick and the assassin had previously occupied a couple minutes ago. And while the scent of fox was faint, they knew without a doubt the assassin had been there recently. The police officers began to scout the huge chamber thoroughly for him, some of them checking under the train cars, some others checking inside the cars, even checking around the entrances of the east, west, and north tunnels. And by far, all of them had one thing in common…
"Damn!" a police officer, a lion with gold fur and a brown mane, growled with a frustrated tone. "The assassin's not here!"
"Where could he have gone?!" another police officer, this one being a snow white polar bear, growled with a tone similar to the lion's, albeit with a slightly more aggressive attitude. He was about to continue ranting, but a loud 'POW' echoing through the western tunnel suddenly grabs his and his fellow officers' attention.
"Quick! The assassin's over there!" a third officer, a large, strongly built zebra shouted right before he and the rest of the officers start sprinting towards the suspected location, their minds thinking the assassin was located somewhere within the western tunnel.
Completely unaware to the officers, however, Matt Wilde had taken the northern tunnel towards the Meadowlands and had managed to greatly distance himself from the chamber. His left hand-paw gripped the top part of the sheath of his sword, his thumb resting on the guard of his weapon. His nocturnal eyes were furrowed with focus, and his ears were alert as ever. And lastly, his right hand-paw retains a secure hold of the strap of his duffel bag.
His ears flickered to the sound of a faint 'pow' coming from behind him, the fox stopping on his tracks and turning his head to the right after he heard the noise, his eyes glaring at the direction where he had come from. He couldn't decipher the source of the noise, but whatever it was, it didn't sound like a gunshot, much to his relief. But he couldn't linger here much longer. The assassin needed to leave before the helicopter arrived to pick him up. Turning his head back to the front, Matt continues his journey towards the end of the tunnel and into the Meadowlands.
It didn't take him fairly too long for him to navigate through the darkness of the northern tunnel, the time having taken a good half an hour to get from the underground chamber to the end of the trail. And he was quite pleased to discover what was at the end of the abandoned railroad tracks. For one, not a single cop was in sight, nor were the sound of police sirens or choppers heard. Hell, it was practically quiet through the lush green fields, save for the approaching footsteps of another figure. The assassin grabs a hold of the hilt of his sword and was about to unsheathe his blade, but stops himself as soon as his eyes widen slightly at the unexpected visitor.
The figure himself was none other than Brian, the same fennec fox he had met shortly before the Savanna Heights Complex slayings. The fennec was currently inhaling a cigarette and exhales the smoke though his mouth and nose roughly five seconds later. The twenty year old fennec not stood just a few feet from the tunnel's exit, with the sports car he owns being parked roughly ten yards away from his position. The sandy and brown colored fur, his black and red colored Mohawk and goatee, and his icy blue eyes shine noticeably even in the cloudy, no longer rainy weather.
His attire was quite different from what the fennec had worn during the assassination assignment the night before. A black tank top along with a black denim vest covered his torso. The tank top bore 'Exploited' on top, a fox skull with a spiky Mohawk much identical to Brian's, and 'Beat the Bastards' underneath the skull, the skull being a bony color and the words in a bright, blood red color. Silver spikes were attached to the back of his vest to give a menacing look to his attire. His forearms and the back of his hand-paws were covered in a pair of black samurai bracers, with silver spikes being attached to give them a punk vibe to them. Instead of the hakama pants he wore, the fennec now wore a pair of tight fitting sanded blue jeans with large holes on his knees, the leg openings of his pants being tucked into his black open toe boots. Lastly, his eighteen inch long katana and his foot long wakizashi were attached to the left side of his body, both of which were secured with a modified bullet belt he had made.
"There's a face I didn't expect to see", Matt greeted with a relieved chuckle, a playful scoff escaping the punk looking fennec's mouth following a grin forming on his face.
"Oh, bloody hell, Matt! You wound me", Brian replied following a chuckle escaping his mouth, his hand-paws moving to his hips and shaking his head a couple times.
"Just glad to see ya, buddy", Matt said with sincerity in his voice all while walking towards the English-born fennec. "How did you know I was coming here?"
"Finnick got a hold of me shortly after he dropped you off and informed me where you were heading", Brian replied right before turning around and walking towards his sports car. "Thrandeer texted me a couple minutes ago and gave me the location of the extraction point. I'll drive you there", as soon as Matt heard those words leaving the fennec's mouth, he lets out a sigh of relief and follows the fennec, quickly entering the passenger's side and placing his bag in the back seat before buckling himself in. Brian enters the driver's side shortly afterward and places the keys into the ignition, turning it forward to the point where the loud, clean growl of the engine roars loudly. With the car started, Brian pulls out of the grassy field and drives along the dark gray road ahead of him.
The entire drive was practically silent with the exception of the hardcore punk bands Brian played on the radio via auxiliary cord hooked onto his IPawd. Matt's eyes gaze directly at the lush green fields of the Meadowlands through the passenger side window, watching the vast fields and other vegetation passing by them throughout the drive. A soft sigh soon leaves his muzzle right before closing his eyes, leaning his head back against the seat for support. Now was a really good time for him to catch some shuteye. And with his eyes closed, the fox drifts off into a much needed nap, with nothing but the sound of hardcore punk playing on the radio accompanying the sound of silence.
The sound of music didn't last for much longer, however, for roughly forty five minutes after he drifted off to sleep did the sound of helicopter rotors swirling heavily began filling the silence in the air. Matt's eyes slowly opened at the repetitive sound and soon gazed at the helicopter he and Brian were now approaching. While his eyes appeared tired at first, they instantly shoot wide open the instant they gaze directly at the figure standing outside.
Thrandeer Katzuma was currently standing in front of what appears to be a green camouflage colored Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter, the deer standing right in front of the left side with the sliding door right open. The fox noticed his attire consisted of a black tight fitting shirt, a pair of olive colored cargo pants with the leg openings tucked inside of his brown open toe combat boots. A pair of black samurai bracers cover his forearms and the back of his hand-paws. Lastly, a long katana and a short wakizashi was attached on the left side of his body, both of which were secured tightly with a cloth belt.
The helicopter pilot himself remained idly seated inside of the chopper keeping the rotors running, his large hand-paws holding the joystick shaped steering cyclic. The pilot was a tall lion bearing golden fur with a crimson red mane, his eyes matching the gold color of his fur. His attire practically consisted of a dark cerulean blue colored helicopter jumpsuit along with a large, white helmet. A pair of black shades were attached to the helmet and covering his eyes entirely.
As he remained seated inside the chopper, his eyes gaze towards the two foxes leaving the sports car and walking hastily towards the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader. Thrandeer himself took a few steps forward and looks down at the two predators before him.
"Its great to see you in one piece, Matt", Thrandeer said with relief despite the calmly stern look he bore on his face.
"Likewise, sir", Matt replied monotonically, pulling the hood off of his head along with the muzzle mask, which the left side of the mask was now stained with the fox's blood. Fortunately, however, his scar had stopped bleeding roughly an hour ago, but his cheek had been bloodstained.
"What makes of the enemy clan and rouge traitors? Have you and Brian disposed of them?" Thrandeer asked.
"Yes", Matt and Brian answered simultaneously with a nod.
"I've encountered more of them while I was trying to lose the cops in Savanna Central, but they were slain on the way to the station", Matt added right as the deer and the fennec shift their attention towards the Battousai.
"Good", Thrandeer replied with a nod. "And what makes of the Neo-Yaminobu?" he asked with a calmly curious tone.
"I've slain the ones I've encountered, but from what I can tell, all of them are dead", Matt answered. "It may be possible a few more still roam around the city somewhere trying to regroup. However, I didn't have the chance to survey the rest of the city in order to be sure", the fox added. And although Thrandeer wasn't fond of hearing this, he wasn't really surprised by this due to the fact Matt had been pursued by the police earlier today.
"I see…" Thrandeer replied calmly before letting a soft sigh escape his muzzle. "I'll admit I'm not entirely fond of hearing the possibility of survivors within Zootopia. However, understanding the circumstances you were forced to undergo at the time, I cannot blame you", the deer added, his head turning towards the fennec right after he finished. "Brian, I trust you will look into the matter thoroughly?"
"Yeah", Brian responded with nod. "I may not be a Neo-Imperialist like the rest of you guys are, but I sure as hell don't have any intention of letting those Neo-Shogunate pricks take over the government with their ideals", he added as a grin began forming on his face. "Besides, at least it gives me something to help pass the time", the English-born fennec finished, the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader letting a light chuckle escape his voice.
"Of course", Thrandeer said with a nod right before turning towards Matt. "However, Matt and I must be on our way back to New Otsu. The sooner we leave Zootopia, the lesser the chance of being caught becomes".
"Understood, Thrandeer! I'll try to buy you guys some time while I'm at it just in case", Brian replied with a nod.
"Much appreciated", Thrandeer responded with a calm, thankful nod prior to him and Matt bowing at the punk dressed fennec. "Farewell, my friend", and with those words, both he and the Battousai walk towards the chopper, with Matt entering and taking a seat on the cushioned bench on the right side of the chopper. Thrandeer closes the sliding door behind him after entering the chopper and takes a seat in the co-pilot's chair.
With the two Ishin-Mirkwood mammals securely buckled within the seats of the chopper, the pilot pulls the collective lever upward and begins ascending towards the skies above. His hand-paws pull the cyclic forward a bit and began moving towards that direction slightly. But after about thirty seconds, the lion manipulates the handle towards the left, turning the helicopter towards the direction where Kawasabus and New Otsu lay.
"We should be back in New Otsu in less than a few hours, chief", the pilot said calmly before pushing the cyclic forward a bit enough to increase the velocity in which the chopper flies towards its destination.
"Excellent", Thrandeer replied with a thankful nod. "Remember to fly low in order to avoid being spotted by any military bases within the city", the clan leader advised a moment before shifting his attention towards the front.
With the pilot and co-pilot focusing their attention towards the front, Matt's eyes gaze directly at the city, watching the buildings slowly shrinking before his very eyes. Once again, he was leaving the very city he once called home. He had been born in Zootopia, and raised there for over nine years of his life. It was honestly disheartening, and even if the expression didn't show his sadness, his glossy eyes did. He looked to be on the verge of tears, but he couldn't let himself shed any tears. Reluctantly, the vulpine turns away from the city they were now hastily flying away from, his glossy eyes locking their gaze towards the metallic, gun metal flooring before him. Completely oblivious to him, however, the clan leader turns his head to the left and looks back towards the fox.
"Matt, we should be back in New Otsu hopefully within less than a few-" Thrandeer was about to tell him the estimated time of their trip back to New Otsu, but pauses with a barely audible, yet surprised gasp at what he saw. He caught the glossy look his eyes now bore, with tears beginning to form on the bottom of them. He honestly did not expect to see the sadness in Matt's eyes, even if the fox's facial expression didn't show it. The clan leader now knew what he had to do. The buck shifts his glance towards the pilot and looks at the lion with a calmly serious tone in them. "Keep an eye on the sky. I need to check up on Matt", the clan leader said softly enough to where only the lion could hear.
"Thrandeer, I need a co-pilot to-" the pilot was about to continue, but Thrandeer gestured his head towards the fox. The lions takes a brief moment to glance back at the fox and noticed the wet look his eyes bore. Now he understood what Thrandeer was trying to do, and with an acknowledging nod, the lion reverts his gaze back towards the front. "I understand".
"Thank you", Thrandeer replied softly right before standing up from the co-pilot seat, his eyes gazing at the fox and walking directly towards him. He takes a seat next to the assassin and looks down at the fox. "Matt…" he began, gently placing his right hand-paw onto his left shoulder gently, the fox slowly turning his head right at the clan leader's face. "I understand leaving the city that was once your home for the second time isn't easy, but listen to me. One day, you will return to the city one and reunite with your loved ones", the deer reassured calmly, but with a soft sigh leaving the fox's muzzle shortly after, his eyes shifting their attention towards the metallic floor.
"I know…" Matt spoke calmly as a response to Thrandeer's words, closing his eyes and using his right forearm to wipe the unshedded tears from his eyes. "Its just…. I have a lot on my mind right now…" the fox claimed, the buck giving Matt an understanding nod and removing his hold on his shoulder.
"You ran into your brother while you were trying to flee Zootopia, didn't you?" Thrandeer asked softly.
"Yeah… I did", Matt replied with a gentle nod. "Its been over eight years since I've last seen him… I wish I saw him under better circumstances… ya know" the fox continued following a soft sigh, with the deer giving an understanding nod. But the fox soon turns to face him with a soft, convincingly reassuring smile on his muzzle. "Don't worry, Thrandeer. I'm alright… really", the fox claimed right before turning away from the buck, losing the smile within a mere second. However, Thrandeer knew better than to leave Matt's side while bearing an emotionless expression on his face. The buck knew what Matt was doing, and he knew what he had to do.
"I already know you're withholding your emotions", Thrandeer claimed with a concerned tone. "There's no need to hold them any longer, Matt. Let them out", the buck advised before placing his right hand-paw back onto his left shoulder, the fox turning his head towards him with an emotionless expression, despite his brows being slightly furrowed and his eyes being glossy. He turns away from the deer and looks back down towards the floor once more.
At first, it looked though as if his advice had fallen on deaf ears, since the fox's expression didn't change one bit. However, the buck noticed the fox's hand-paws shaking only the slightest, but had began to intensify with each passing second. His brows no longer furrowed, and they began to raise upward into a saddened expression. His bottom lip began to quiver much like his eyes started to become glossier with unshed tears. His breathing quickened slightly, his chest raising up and down with every breath he took. He can no longer hold his emotions back, nor could he no longer hold back his tears. Because as soon as he closes his eyes and lowers his head, hot tears start streaming down his face just like the sobs that began escaping his muzzle.
"Why does it hurt so much?!" Matt sobbed as fresh tears continue to stream down his muzzle, some of them dripping down his chin because of the angle he was crying. Thrandeer places a comforting hand-paw on his back right as Matt covers his eyes with his hand-paws. "I really wanted to let him know I was alive, to let him know how badly I missed him", the fox continued through sobs as the tears continue to stream down his tightly closed eyes. Thrandeer gently wraps his arms around the fox and pulls him into a comforting hug, with Matt resting his head against the clan leader's torso. "I miss my brother… I miss him so much…" he whimpered with a soft sob, his tears staining the clan leader's shirt because of how much he was crying. But honestly, Thrandeer didn't care one bit. All he cared about was providing as much comfort for the fox as much as he can.
"Its alright, Matt. Let it all out", Thrandeer spoke soothingly and continues to hold him comfortingly. "As I mentioned before, I understand its hard leaving the city you once called home", he began, with the fox looking up at him with his jade green eyes, which the sclera of his eyes now bore a light tint of red in them because of the tears he's shed. "But I promise you will be able to return home once the Neo-Shogunate government's been overthrown", he reassured, the fox sniffling a couple times before using his left forearm to wipe the tears off his face.
"Thanks…" Matt thanked him softly with a soft, brief, hardly noticeable smile on his face, but lost the smile and turns away from the buck. In fact, his eyes now gaze directly towards the window, directly towards the city where anyone can be anything.
Zootopia, the city of his birth, the city he once called home….
Nick and Finnick's Hangout, Savanna Central
The cloudy Zootopian skies slowly began to darken as the afternoon continued to progress slowly towards the evening. And although the rain had stopped not too long ago, the clouds still remained in the sky. And for the most part, all of the mammals continued on about their business despite the recent slayings that happened, police officer and Neo-Shogunate forces alike. But one thing was for certain: November the Twenty Second would remembered as one of the bloodiest tragedies in Zootopia. That wasn't on the minds of Nicholas Wilde nor Finnick at this time, however, for their minds were merely focused upon everything that had happened since last night.
Speaking of them, Nick had managed to escape from the abandoned, refurbished underground subway system sometime during the forty five minute gap between the time Matt's escape from the tunnel and the time he arrived to the chopper. Fortunately, Finnick happened to be within the area when Nick fled the abandoned subway system, though he wasn't too happy to see him there, since Nick was supposed to be at the hospital. Conveniently enough, however, Nick had already gotten his medications in order to tend to his wounds, much to the fennec's relief. At least the conmammal did one thing the fennec thought was right. But why was Nick inside the abandoned underground subway system? How the hell did he get there for that matter? Those were the questions constantly coursing Finnick's mind.
As of tight now, both Finnick and Nick Wilde were currently sitting on a couple chairs in next to the entrance of the route under the bridge. The bridge was one of their favorite hangouts to chill at whenever they had the free time, which was located near a couple of abandoned factories within the Savanna Central area. It had also been considered as a secondary home for them sometimes if they needed to get away from issues within the city or if they needed a small vacation of sort. And in this particular case, they could use quite a vacation.
But the prolonging silence was starting to get to them, especially since Nick hasn't uttered a word since he had been picked up from the tunnel he escaped from. And now he needed to have the questions coursing his mind answered, and Nick was the only one applicable to answer them.
"Yo! Nick", Finnick exclaimed calmly right before seeing the taller fox turning his attention towards the fennec, his eyes half-closed and in thought. "What were you doing in the abandoned subway system in Tundratown? How the hell did you get there in the first place?" the fennec asked with genuine curiosity despite the frown he bore on his face. A soft sigh leaves the red fox's muzzle before tilting his head towards the ground.
"I got a cab to take me there", Nick began. "I… I don't know why, but something told me I had to go there, to see the Battousai before he left", the fox continued, his head tilting upward and gazing directly at the fennec in front of him. "Its just a weird feeling I got, ya know…. Its almost as if I knew him from somewhere…" he kept speaking, albeit softer than he did moments before.
It wasn't long before Nick found himself in another trance, his eyes gazing directly at the ground just a few inches in front of Finnick's feet-paws. His eyes narrowed slightly, but not out of anger, hurt, or any negative feeling for that matter, but in thought. He wondered who the Battousai really why he looked so familiar, but couldn't place his thumb on the assassin's identity. His eyes close and, with a heavy sigh, the fox stands from his chair and walks up along the dirt hill right next to the bridge, which was about three times Nick's height. All of the sudden, however, he tilts his head upward and looks towards the west, spotting a faint, moving dot in the sky that he could've sworn resembled a military chopper of sort. But honestly, he couldn't tell since the moving figure was way too small for him to be sure.
Unaware to the fox, however, his eyes had become glossy to the point where a couple of tears began streaming down his face. The fennec quickly notices this and jogs towards the fox, the usual frown he bore on his face now shifting towards one full of concern.
"Hey, buddy! You alright?" Finnick asked calmly with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Wait, What?" Nick asked, the fox snapping out of his trance and quickly turning his attention towards the fennec. That was when he noticed the tears in his own eyes, much to the fox's confusion. His left hand-paw traces over the corresponding cheek and felt the fresh strand of tears that dampened his fur. His eyes widen slightly from this following a barely audible gasp.
"What's with the water works, Nick?" Finnick asked with a curious brow, only for him to be met with the sight of Nick closing both of his eyes.
"I don't know…" Nick answered with a soft shrug. However, the conmammal reopens his glossy eyes and turns his head to the fennec next to him, a soft smile began forming on his muzzle. "Seriously, I don't know", he continued with a light hearted chuckle right before turning back towards the sky where he saw the small, moving dot. It was gone at this point, but his gaze remained locked at that particular direction as if it were still there. But his gaze didn't stay there for long, for he uses his left forearm to dry the tears that stained his face. He turns back to the fennec with a soft, genuine smile on his muzzle. "C'mon, Fin. Lets get going", and with those words, he and the fennec start walking back towards the parking lot where the van was parked.
Much of the day had been pretty hectic to say the least for Nick Wilde, having started when he went to the Vulpine Vibes Club and having progressed in a way he did not expect. He never expected to meet Battousai the Animal Slayer today, nor to have his live saved by the assassin, let alone twice. He never expected one of Mr. Big's goons to actually be a Neo-Shogunate spy, to nearly die by his hand-paws, and to see him literally get hacked in half by the Battousai's blade. He never expected to get hugged by the assassin who saved his life twice, nor to reciprocate the hug in return. But more importantly, he never expected to feel the very thing he had given up on many years ago.
Hope…